Rush to Judgment [Lucianne's Singularly Thoughtful Column on Rush's Drug Problem]

Lucianne.com Short Cuts, October 13, 2003 ^ | October 13, 2003 | Lucianne Goldberg

[TheConservator]

I will never buy a newsweek again.

I came to that decision about 20 years ago.

[massadvj]

They can't help themselves and frankly, we couldn't either if Al Franken got picked up in a motel with an underage boy or an overage goat.

Good line. May it be so.

[Cyber Ninja]

We are lucky, too, that there so many strong conservative
voices that will sit in while Rush is recovering.

The yappy crap herders will carp their carps for now.

Rush will be back and his words of truth will burn in their ears once again.

And no pills can ease that kind of pain.

Fight on Rush, we’re with you buddy!

[weegee]

Richard Roeper (from Ebert & Roeper movie reviews):

Rush takes responsibility -- but will he learn forgiveness? (BARRRRRFFFFFF!!!!!) -RICHARD 'DOPEY' ROEPER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

I'm going to tell you something most of Limbaugh's opponents will probably never admit. The dark truth is, a lot of us grinned from ear to ear when we learned Limbaugh might have some kind of substance-abuse problem.

A cheap laugh at other peoples' misery.

[weegee]

Wasn't even Tipper Gore addicted to medications for depression? Did Rush savage her on the radio?

Does the left somehow recall Rush giving Jeb Bush's daughter a pass on her addiction to Xanex and forged prescriptions because she was a Republican?

I certainly do recall the media attacking President Bush for having a niece who is addicted to prescription medication.

[Cobra64]

The mental health history of John Kerry's family is something perhaps he should think about when joking about someone' else's health.

Didn't know that Katchup Man had an issue with this.

[Cobra64]

I will never buy a newsweek again.

You must be a youngster. Few of us have bought Newsweek since the mid-1980s. Time Magazine is just as bad, if not worse. If you REALLY want a good read, try the National Enquirer. /sarcasm.

[dts32041]

Actually I was thinking more about the colonoscopty that she had on Tv, heard they finally found the way to her brain.

No sarcasm

[Libertina]

Nicely done, Lucianne.

[weegee]

The difference between health problems (chemical or medical) of the President of the United States and Rush is that the president has his finger on the nuclear button while Rush Limbaugh is broadcasting on the radio and can be turned off by anyone in the audience pressing a button.

He doesn't operate heavy machinery either. Spouses of political leaders don't have much responsibility either (they can insert themselves into political situations but at the end of the day, they are not accountable to the voters since they were never elected).

Those in an appointed/elected area of responsibility need to be capable of doing their job while in that position. Rush is just a commentator/entertainer. He holds no elected office and carries no authority. His listeners listen because they find him informative some of the time but his audience does not come to their facts simply through him. They have other sources. They call in/listen to his show to hear his views on news in and outside of the mainstream media.

If candidates and even Clear Channel decide to stay away from Rush Limbaugh, that is their decision to make. Rush's radio show does not seem to have suffered in its' production or performance as a result of his addiction (even his hearing loss which some attribute to drug abuse did not significantly lessen his radio show).

JFK getting injections of pain killers so that he could sit at a table and negotiate with the head of the Soviet Union put American safety at risk. This is not drug abuse but then again the President will not be at the top of his "game".

[buzzyboop]

You betcha' Humidston. The only thing that may stand in the way of Rush retiring is the mega contract with Premiere; it still has a ways to go.

However, whenever he comes back, we'll be waiting. God Bless Rush, and please come back, but don't come back until you're ready. There are no deadlines, 30-day or otherwise.

[Cobra64]

You don't reach the pitiful level of addiction that he has without piling up the skeletons in your closet.

What does that mean? Rush gives away millions of dollars every year to charities. Where are his skeletons? Why would he have skeletons. He makes more money on his website selling his neckties than most of us earn in a year.

[dts32041]

Just think about that new book he is going to write.

He definitely will have a story to tell now.

[weegee]

Another bit about drugs and presidents.

Didn't President Bush briefly hand over the reigns to VP Dick Cheney when he was anesthetized for a colon cancer screening?

We need to know who is in charge and know that they are capable. Since the necessary medical tests would put President Bush in a lesser state, arrangements were made for the continued safe operation of this country of ours.

You can never tell when we will come under attack or disaster will strike. Even sitting at the bargaining table can be a tough place.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

Pinging the Krugman Truth Squad! Great article by Lucienne Goldberg.

[Ready4Freddy]

Moi?

Your response tells me that it was before he came clean, so to speak.

Actually, it sounds like he's got a serious drug problem. Glad he's doing something about it. Detox from (other peole's) prescription drugs is tough, even if you've been thru it before like he has.

[huck von finn]

What Kerry did was absolutely awful. I didn't see Couric, but if she really did something like that, she was out of line.

Where I part ways with Lucianne is that I don't really see the kind of "piling on" she has predicted. Most people, regardless of their politics, realize that drug addiction knows no boundaries and should not be made fun of.

The media will have stories about this for a long time; the media lives off of itself and eats itself for lunch. But I haven't seen anything to the degree that Lucianne is predicting here.

[RightWingMama]

Rush's friends will still be his friends when this is all over, and who cares about the rest?

Excellent thought and so true. I believe the left will, as usual, go overboard and continue to show their true colors.

[Mustang]

Thanks for the post.

Trixie, great article!

[Cobra64]

I saw a clown from the Enquirer last night with Geraldo on FNC.

Who was the clown??? "Haroldo" is an idiot and a liar.