A Note To Rush Limbaugh

boblonsberry.com ^ | 10/3/03 | Bob Lonsberry

[shortstop]

Believe me, Rush, I know what you’re going through.

That may sound presumptuous, but it’s true. I have an idea of what the crushing of a dream feels like, of what it’s like to be on the evening news, of how your stomach sinks when the most intimate aspects of your life are headlined in the paper and laughed at on the radio.

I know what it’s like. I’ve been through it.

And I have good news.

You’re going to be fine. The things that are precious to you are still going to be with you when this is done. The truth will still be the truth, you will still be you, and the world will go on.

The sun will come up; you will survive. Life is good. Remember that and drive on.

It’s been a tough week. On Sunday, you said an NFL quarterback was a media sweetheart because he was black. By Wednesday that had cost you your TV job. Then on Thursday, word leaked that you might have a drug problem, and had spent four years scoring OxyContin from your housekeeper.

When it rains it pours, huh?

Here’s what I think about where you stand.

First, you shouldn’t have resigned. I am sure you did so because they said they’d fire you if you didn’t, but it wasn’t the right thing to do. What you said was stupid, not racist. And by cutting and running – instead of making them fire you – you accept a new public standard that essentially forbids white people from discussing race. When you quit you’re not a victim of the thought police, you’re an accomplice. You’re admitting you did something wrong.

And you did nothing wrong.

Granted, I don’t think most people would agree with you.

There have been black NFL quarterback stars for years. This is McNabb, not DiMaggio or Koufax. There’s nothing pioneering or unusual – anymore – about his race or ethnicity. And you don’t get into the Pro Bowl through affirmative action.

But sports analysts say dumb things all the time. Your problem was you are white and you mentioned race. And your ESPN career is gone. Badabing, badaboom.

Now some wonder if you will lose your radio job as well.

It would be ridiculous if you did. And it would be ridiculous if any stations pulled your show. I think your listeners – of every race – understand. And they know your heart.

It’s not about twisting five seconds worth of audio, it’s about the totality of a person’s character and career. And you’re not a racist.

But you might be a junkie.

That’s what Wilma Cline, your former housekeeper, says. She says that for four years – until the spring of last year – she illegally kept you in prescription painkillers. Supposedly Oxycontin, Lorcet and hydrocodone.

That story’s coming out today in the “National Enquirer.” Most of the details were in yesterday’s New York “Daily News.” She said she taped your last two buys, and that once she gave you more than 43-hundred pills in less than two months. The claim is also that an intermediate passed her $200,000 to keep quiet – just before she went to the police.

She also claims you went to detox twice, most recently a little more than a year ago.

Well, that’s got to hurt to see in the paper, doesn’t it? And, if it’s true, it’s got to hurt to have that in your life.

I’m sorry.

But if that’s the way it is, that’s the way it is.

Should you quit your radio show? Should you give up your career?

Only if you want to send the message to every other addict out there that they are useless and ruined and ought to jump off a bridge.

But if you believe you can lick it, if you believe you can lay bare you soul on this matter to your audience, if you believe you still have something to offer, then you should stay on the air.

Personally, that’s what I think you should do.

Personally, I think that the millions of Americans struggling through addictions of their own would be strengthened by the humble example you now have the opportunity to set. If there is healing power in saying to a small room of people, “My name is Rush and I’m an addict,” imagine what power there could be in saying that to a nation.

It’s going to be hard, Rush. That OxyContin is a devil sweeping across the country. So are the other addictions people face – the cocaine and crack, booze and sex – and if we fired everybody who was an addict we’d have a lot of empty jobs.

It’s going to be hard, Rush. You’re going to have to go on the air and lay it all out. And you’re going to have to ask for forgiveness and support.

And here’s my prediction: You’ll get both.

Because people care about you. Anybody can bash the Clintons, but your gig is being America’s friend. A great, blustering, opinionated, funny friend. At least that’s how I see you. That’s why I tune in.

That’s why I’ll keep tuning in.

Stay the course, Rush. Your work isn’t done yet. Your country and your audience still need you. Don’t let the hurt of today keep you from the work of tomorrow.

I know what it’s like. I’ve been through it.

And I have good news.

You’re going to be fine.

[Protagoras]

Plus there's power in numbers. 20 million listeners aren't going anywhere.

If he turns out to be a junkie you can slice that inflated number by 75%.

[shortstop]

Mama, I tend to agree with you. With the nasty discourse that started in 1991 and continues in a downward spiral to this day, I can see a major confrontation coming down the line, not along racial lines, but political (liberal vs conservative). I'm building a major dislike for anyone and anything left of center as I think are a lot of people. I also believe the left feels the same about us. It will get worse before it gets better.

[tx4guns]

"who will pick up the torch?"

Answer: Sean Hannity

[AD from SpringBay]

Give them some hell today Rush!

[Helms]

In Palm Beach did Maja Rushie

A stately sea side estate decree :

Where Alph, the sacred river, ran

Through caverns measureless to man

Down to a sunless sea.

So twice five miles of fertile ground

With walls and towers were girdled round :

And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,

Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree ;

And here were forests ancient as the hills,

Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

Kubla Kahn

Best Wishes and Good Luck El Rusho/Maja Rushie and Pittsburghs Gift To The Right and Bane of The Left

intensify:

word coined by laudamum addict Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Nowadays a life of habitual opioid use evokes images of stupor and mindless oblivion. Yet ironically Coleridge coined the word to describe opium's effects on consciousness.

[F16Fighter]

What you [Rush] said was stupid, not racist. And by cutting and running – instead of making them fire you – you accept a new public standard that essentially forbids white people from discussing race. When you quit you’re not a victim of the thought police, you’re an accomplice. You’re admitting you did something wrong.

And you did nothing wrong.

The author makes some valid points...

Rush's theory may or may not be true, but to publically convict him of "racism" is just a red herring to slam free thought and any dissent regarding any race dynamics whatsoever.

El Rushbo should have stood his ground on principle, and made an issue of the ongoing hypersensitivity with respect to any "racial" debate without demonization.

And what of the hypocritical double-standard of carte blanche given by the media for others to utter true racist statements with absolute impunity? Hello Spike Lee, Jim Brown, Jesse Jackson, Art Shell, Willie Brown (the mayor), Sheila Lee Jackson, etal.

But alas -- selective institutionalized censorship remains intact.

[Eagle Eye]

If he turns out to be a junkie you can slice that inflated number by 75%.

That would be a net increase. I'm sure you meant to multiply by 75%.

So what if Rush was an addict? Did it alter his analysis? Did it reduce his ability to perform? Did it make him late for work? Did it make him roll in the gutter, prostitute his body, steal and kill for his next fix? No.

IOW, whose business is it of anyone elses what kind and what amount of medication Rush took or takes?

This week we have seen a small victory for PC and a victory for the Wo(some)D. I say a small PC victory because there's going to be a backlash.

[thoughtomator]

Sean Hannity is not capable of stepping into Limbaugh's shoes. Hannity, unlike Limbaugh, is a mere sycophant for the GOP party line. Limbaugh has independence of thought, and solid grounding in philosophical fundamentals, two qualities that Hannity hasn't got. Hannity isn't intellectually honest enough to take Limbaugh's place.

[Protagoras]

That would be a net increase. I'm sure you meant to multiply by 75%.

No, I didn't. The poster claimed 20 million listeners. I don't believe that number, but it is quite beside the point. It will be sliced (cut) by a huge amount if he turns out to be a druggie.

So what if Rush was an addict?

It makes him a hypocrite and destroys his credibility.

IOW, whose business is it of anyone elses what kind and what amount of medication Rush took or takes?

Medication? LOL. Nice try.

But your other point is right on. EXCEPT for one thing, Rush disagrees. He says it's everyone elses business. He advocates jail for illegal drug users.

[Eagle Eye]

If you "slice" a pie, you divide it. When you divide a number, ie, 20 million, by a fraction, you end up with a net increase. Simple arithmetic.

The 'legality' of a substance does not negate it being a medication. If you give a friend or spouse one of your prescribed pills does it then is it no longer a medication because they are taking it without government approval?

And that goes back to my point that the government shouldn't be in the position to determine what medications a person takes.

Why would YOU no longer believe Rush if you found out he became addicted to painkillers? He's not the first, nor will he be the last person to do so. It's a medical condition, not a character flaw.

[Jack Bull]

I assume libs will demand that Rush be reinstated at ESPN because the ADA should apply to a person who (may) have gone through rehab and may have an addiction. They will unite to defend Rush and remain intellectually honest to their cause...right? HA!

[DustyMoment]

I agree with the first part of the letter about Rush's statements on ESPN.

I STRONGLY disagree with the second part. He automatically assumes that Rush actually used these drugs, as so many others do.

My question is why? Why do so many people want to accept the allegation that Rush Limbaugh is a drug user? Is it because he is wealthy? Is it because he is successful? Is it because we have a culture in which many of our society's most wealthy icons actually engage in illegal drug use (like many actors and sports stars)? Why are we so willing to lump Rush Limbaugh in with THAT crowd? Why are we so willing to lay down and accept without any scrap of proof that Rush Limbaugh is a drug user on the basis of a report in the National Enquirer using a FORMER housekeeper as its source? We complain about our conservative representatives and Senators having no backbone to stand and fight against the scurrilous charges and treasonous methods of the Dems and, yet, given the first chance to show OUR backbone, the best we can do is show it to the Dems as we turn tail and run from the fight.

LOOK at the events of the past two days!!! Can we not see that this is all part of a vicious attack on conservative icons by the DNC??? Attacking Arnold, attacking the WMD report, attacking Rush . . . don't you see the pattern? We're in a major fight for the Gov. of CA and to retain the WH and Senate next year. This attack is just the opening salvo by the DNC. How much worse will it get?

And, when it this is all over with and proven to be false, who will be the first to admit they were wrong and apologize to Rush?

I won't hold my breath.

[Protagoras]

If you "slice" a pie, you divide it. When you divide a number, ie, 20 million, by a fraction, you end up with a net increase. Simple arithmetic.

Obtuse mumbo jumbo. Slice off 75% of your pie and try to eat more from what is left.

The 'legality' of a substance does not negate it being a medication.

Like pot I guess.

If you give a friend or spouse one of your prescribed pills does it then is it no longer a medication because they are taking it without government approval?

A distinction without a difference.

And that goes back to my point that the government shouldn't be in the position to determine what medications substances a person takes.

I agree, you are preaching to the choir.

Why would YOU no longer believe Rush if you found out he became addicted to painkillers?

It's called credibilty and hypocricy. I have pointed that out already.

It's a medical condition, not a character flaw.

It's a medical condition if someone gets addicted from the legitimate use. If it's not addressed legitimately, it's a character flaw.

But it doesn't matter to me in anycase. It's his listeners who will care about him advocating government intervention and villifying drug abusers while doing it himself. (if he did)

[Marysecretary]

What a great letter! Thanks for posting this.

[Eagle Eye]

No body ever accuses you of being "too smart", do they?

[Protagoras]

The last tactic of those who are out of points to make is the personal attack. LOL

[yoe]

"...43-hundred pills..."?

Hang in there Rush, it is figures like this that simply don't make sense. Political Correctness Kills, Maims, and Destroys Truth - it censors and it is corrupting the First Amendment almost beyond repair.

[Eagle Eye]

No, it's just that to continue to hit you point by point seems to be unduly harsh. I was actually showing sympahty for you. No personal attack, just an observation that you obviously cannot deny.

However, you have demonstrated that you cannot verbalize arithmetic (forget that your prediction of Rush losing 75% of his audience is foolish) and the you don't know the difference between medication and other substances with your silly comparison of medicines to pot.

Rush is now one of the vicitms of the WOD even if he is completely innocent of the charges in the media. His pain killer use, if any, did not harm anyone else and did not, if his account of his hearing loss is correct, impair his program that we could tell. IF he had to resort to illegal means to obtain painkillers, then we just go back to find out why he needed them and we will probably discover that there are government rules behind it. The idea that he had to get 'illegal' drugs in the first place tells us that there is a problem with government interfering with healthcare. But that would be conservative to want a smaller government and not such a welcome idea on FR nowadays.

[Hildy]

All I have to say to Rush is: DON'T LET THE BASTARDS GET YOU DOWN.

[TaxRelief]

Rush, we are working hard to get you the down and dirty on your enemies over here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/994230/posts