[Morose Musician]

I heard Ken's remarks and found them both ludicrous and ungracious.

As Mike Gallagher said on "Fox and Friends" this morning, most rational people can make a mental distinction between a person's taking illegal drugs recreationally in order to get high and a person's taking legal prescription drugs for legitimate medical reasons and subsequently accidentally becoming addicted.

Rush was not snorting cocaine at parties for fun. He was taking a prescribed medicine to relieve significant chronic pain that was not remedied by surgery.

I refuse to entertain any notions that Rush was weak or that Rush is a hypocrite. I do not attach any particular moral component to Rush's situation.

He is just your basic overweight middle-aged guy with a bad back: an unfortunate American Everyman.

If I were Ken, it would behoove me to get down on my knees and pray that I would never have to cope with chronic severe back and neck pain.

[exit82]

Well stated.


Rush has generally been even handed and gracious, even to his enemies. It would be nice, though probably unrealistic, to expect that others would do the same for him when he needs it.

I sincerely hope that thirty days from now, Rush is on his way to full recovery and back in the EIB saddle. He'll have a new perspective for sure, but I think it will serve to make him a better person and a better voice for conservatism.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" He was taking a prescribed medicine to relieve significant chronic pain that was not remedied by surgery."

He wasn't taking prescribed medication,his prescription ran out a long time ago.Rush had to break the law to get his drugs and that's the point Hamlin was making.Rush has a long tough road ahead of him,I wish him well.

[Lurker]

Oh yea, lot's of chronic pain patients get their medication in the parking lot at Dennys.

I know that's where my pharmacy is....

Yea, you can wipe that sarcasm off your shirt about now.

L

[Badray]

Thank you. I was thinking the same thing and you saved me the effort of typing it.

I enjoyed Ken Hamblin in the past, but he made out like Rush was a homeless crack addict and stealing to support a habit of getting high.

It was a disgusting display.

[kstewskis]

If I were Ken, it would behoove me to get down on my knees and pray that I would never have to cope with chronic severe back and neck pain.

But he has.

Several years ago (in the 90's) Hamblin underwent back surgery for a herniated disc(s), and talked about it on the air. He even touted an exercise ball he used in PT that he sat on during his show, to help him keep his posture and decrease the stresses on his back. Once, you could see a picture of it on his website.

I can't for the life of me understand where Hamblin is coming from here. He knows what unrelenting back pain is. He was one of the very lucky ones where his body chemistry didn't get addicted to the meds he might have been given.

How soon they forget.

[Darnright]

>If I were Ken, it would behoove me to get down on my knees and pray that I would never have to cope with chronic severe back and neck pain.

Here's the rub. Ken HAS fought with back problems, also. I remember, when his show was on in our market, him talking about his pain and I remember when he went through surgery.

Perhaps, just perhaps, Ken can be given a little slack for having earned the right to voice his opinion (and none of us is being forced to agree) on this subject.

[driftless]

Ditto. When Bret Favre admitted to pain-killer addiction, all Packer fans stood behind him. Everyone knew that that kind of addiction is not the same as snorting coke or shooting up heroin. Equating Limbaugh's pain-killer problems with recreational druggies is ridiculous.

[space cadet]

"As Mike Gallagher said on "Fox and Friends" this morning, most rational people can make a mental distinction between a person's taking illegal drugs recreationally in order to get high and a person's taking legal prescription drugs for legitimate medical reasons and subsequently accidentally becoming addicted."

His being addicted isn't the issue. Having become addicted, he could have gotten treatment, and stuck with it until it worked. Instead he chose to sneak around and break the law.