What Rush is saying is different than some accounts; some said Roy was shaken like a rag doll.
It is possible to read into this story as a metaphor for his accusers. The lion is the accusers/liberals, Rush is Siegfreid and the lady with the big hair is the drugs.
His comparison to criminals are criminals and the rehab doesn't work was interesting commentary. Its not exactly the posistion that someone who is about to be outed as a drug addict would verbalize.