Limbaugh lurches to the left

St Peterburg's Times ^ | December 29, 2003

[Alissa]

Didn't Rush Limbaugh used to be pro-law and order?

Now that the once conservative commentator finds himself on the wrong side of a police investigation, he and his lawyers are accusing prosecutors and other members of the law enforcement community of concocting a vast, politically motivated conspiracy against him.

Not even the most linguini-spined liberal would have the gall to spew such irresponsible nonsense.

Limbaugh recently completed treatment for an acknowledged addiction to prescription drugs, and Florida prosecutors are investigating evidence that he may have broken the law by going "doctor shopping" to acquire his massive supplies of OxyContin and other painkillers.

A West Palm Beach judge ruled last week that prosecutors had established sufficient cause to examine Limbaugh's medical records, but Limbaugh's lawyers succeeded in getting the records resealed while they appeal the decision.

Either way, the judge and prosecutors have agreed that Limbaugh's medical records will not be made public. By all accounts, police, prosecutors and the courts have have taken great pains to protect Limbaugh's civil rights.

But Limbaugh claims that his problems stem from a massive conspiracy on the part of his political enemies in law enforcement.

"The Democrats still cannot defeat me in the arena of political ideas," Limbaugh said on his Tuesday radio show. "And so now they are trying to do so in the court of public opinion and the legal system."

Limbaugh used to defend the legal system - and he used to ridicule citizens who claimed that their constitutional rights had been violated by police and prosecutors. But now Limbaugh, who is fortunate enough to be able to afford the representation of celebrity attorney Roy Black and a team of defense lawyers, has joined the conspiracy nuts.

The people who have been hunting for someone to host a new left-wing radio talk show may have found their man.

[Alissa]

Try this link for the ACLU coming to Rush's defense: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1046722/posts

[MinuteGal]

Note how the St.Pete Slimes (Pravda West) traps itself with its headline.

Reading further, the gist of the article is that Rush's "disrespect for law-and-order" evinces a "lurch to the left"........."even more that the most linguini-spined liberal".

Hmmmmm, freepers, use on your own deductive reasoning after reading as to what the Prava writer is unwittingly saying.

I love it!

Leni

[1Old Pro]

Sheesh, the limbaugh pile on continues.

[rbessenger]

Thanx for the link- I had missed this. It sounds a little bit disingenuous. Almost sounds like they are rubbing slat in the wound.

[rbessenger]

Thanx for the link- I had missed this. It sounds a little bit disingenuous. Almost sounds like they are rubbing salt in the wound.

OOPS.

[RS]

Take a look at the links - what you have been lead to believe is simply not true.

They were talking with the cops in Dec 2002, their information led to the arrests in Feb 2003 'way before anything came out in the media regarding Rush.

another link there is
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/rushsearch1.html

which shows the Clines involvement in the other cases - and the accurate information they gave on suppliers.

Rush was simply a side note until the Enquirer article came out in Oct.





"If that original immunity was given for busting up a different and higher level ring, how does that justify their still having immunity for extorting millions from Rush? That is a serious, serious crime,..."

True, but extortion was NEVER brought up before Lawyer Black tossed it in the hearing last monday. I believe blackmail and extorsion are Federal crimes, and the State cops could not provide any protection even if they wanted to.

... again, what you have been led to believe is not supported by the facts.

[longtermmemmory]

1998 myster members ride again.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

When I read articles about Rush's problems, I'm always amazed how so many Freepers are shocked that liberals are going after him. Rush dished it out to Democrats for years, and now they're going to get him. He made it possible.

[ClintonBeGone]

[longtermmemmory]

Yes, it is a crime in FL:

****

Title XLVI
CRIMES Chapter 836
DEFAMATION; LIBEL; THREATENING LETTERS AND SIMILAR OFFENSES View Entire Chapter

836.05 Threats; extortion.--Whoever, either verbally or by a written or printed communication, maliciously threatens to accuse another of any crime or offense, or by such communication maliciously threatens an injury to the person, property or reputation of another, or maliciously threatens to expose another to disgrace, or to expose any secret affecting another, or to impute any deformity or lack of chastity to another, with intent thereby to extort money or any pecuniary advantage whatsoever, or with intent to compel the person so threatened, or any other person, to do any act or refrain from doing any act against his or her will, shall be guilty of a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

History.--s. 42, sub-ch. 3, ch. 1637, 1868; RS 2420; GS 3261; RGS 5092; CGL 7194; s. 1, ch. 57-254; s. 991, ch. 71-136; s. 1307, ch. 97-102.

---

The facts do support the contention of the Clines. Remember she has the CIGAR BOX OF DOOOOOOOOOOOM. The Clines have to explain the money they received from Rush, Rush needs to explain the money the Clines received from him. It may be a credibility issue. If the Cliens received the money for pills, then they can conceal more serious activity. If they received the money for extortion the jeopardize their immunity deal.

Roy Black could not make the assertion of Blackmail without the actual information to support it. The prosecutor would be able to suppress wild accusations. From the smoking gun: "The CLINES made a taped statement, provided answer machine tape recordings and electronic mail in support of their informaiton. The ClINES also provided inormation on another drug dealer from whom they obtained mos ther the drugs that they sold to LIMBAUGH. The information regarding the additional drug dealer was fully investigated, corroborated and resulted in the undercover purchase of large quantitites of the described narcotics." It seems that the Prosecutor is using an old technique. You take an informant with duboious character. A establish them with another bust. Just from this tiny snip, if the evidence on Rush paned out they had enough. Why did they streach this out? The answer is because they trying to treat Rush as a dealer. They are DESPERATE to keep Rush, deny Rush the ordinary opportunty for the diverstion program of drug court.

[Paul C. Jesup]

I see you are getting desperate.

[RS]

"Roy Black could not make the assertion of Blackmail without the actual information to support it."
Sure he could... the judge let him say anything he wanted for the record...

"The prosecutor would be able to suppress wild accusations."
... and why would they do that... If the Clines are guilty , they go to jail also.

"They are DESPERATE to keep Rush, deny Rush the ordinary opportunty for the diverstion program of drug court."

... Excuse me ??? I thought Rush wasn't guilty of anything ?

... and where are these complaints filed by Rush against the Clines extortion ?

[goldstategop]

ROFL. Rush has become a liberal! He's been outed. From now on Jim Robinson will have him permanently blacklisted from our beloved FR. Bwahahahahaha!!!

[Republican Wildcat]

There is typically no prosecution for people who become addicted. Normally they are ordered into a treatment program (which Limbaugh did without such an order). This editorial is weak. They just say he's 'wrong' without making the opposing case.

[RS]

... and one thing noone seems to want to address -

Since Rush was scared of the Clines going to the Press with the story of his LEGAL drug use and paid them off, just WHY did the Clines ...

Make up this story about selling Rush pills...
Create the email, taped and written evidence..
GO TO the cops and rat on their suppliers !!!...
Wait 10 months ..

then sell a story to the Enquirer, when they could have sold them the LEGAL use story in the first place ???

The Clines may very well have been extorting money out of Rush, but it wasn't for his LEGAL use of drugs.

[longtermmemmory]

"Roy Black could not make the assertion of Blackmail without the actual information to support it."
Sure he could... the judge let him say anything he wanted for the record...
A preliminary hearing is far differnet than trial.
The state and courts do prohibit defense from arguning certian defenses.

"The prosecutor would be able to suppress wild accusations."
... and why would they do that... If the Clines are guilty , they go to jail also.
The smoking gun should get a copy of the immunity deal. They may have a broader immunity than reported.
The state would not want their star witnesses going to jail.
It would torpedo their credibility as prosecution witnesses in any Rush case.

"They are DESPERATE to keep Rush, deny Rush the ordinary opportunty for the diverstion program of drug court."
... Excuse me ??? I thought Rush wasn't guilty of anything ?
The often repeated worst case scenario that should be the ONLY potential case.
Were this anyone else this case would have been dumped into drug court.
The SA has enough to sustain a drug court intervention case.
Treatment completed the case dropped. No criminal record.
One time opportunity for first timers, it is an efficient system.
It is also useful for those who don't have the ability to affort a proper defense.
The end result is a dropped case, no record. Even better than a trial.

... and where are these complaints filed by Rush against the Clines extortion ?

According to the transcript, Rush did not want PR. The statements were that if Rush complained, it would be used to investigate him.

[longtermmemmory]

You must be really adamant to get Rush. You can be adicted and totally legal. You can be embarassed and blackmailed by an adiction without illegality.

None of the emails, tapes, or whatever is alleged has been shown to be admissible. In fact the audio tapes the clines made are specifically inadmissible under florida law.

The Cline's were caught first and then offered what is termed substantial assitance.

[RS]

"The smoking gun should get a copy of the immunity deal. They may have a broader immunity than reported."

So far the extortion and immunity from it story has only been brought out by Black -
Since he could only have found out about any immunity from the cops or the Clines, I woonder who on the cops side is leaking to him ?

I'm still wondering why Rush has never mentioned this extortion or why he has never stated that he did NOT obtain any drugs from the Clines.

[longtermmemmory]

The stated policy of the 15th Circuit is to use the Court system to induce first timers into court supervised treatment. It is not to invest tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of desperaltly needed court dollars. It will be interesting to eventually see the court costs of a typical user case with what they really spent to "go after" Rush above and beyond what the efficiently prosecuted user case.

Do other user cases get money spent on special investigators? Have the financial crimes unit conduct audits? Have the first ever in the states history pre-emptive subpoena without hearing for medical records? Never even attempt a controlled purchase sting? (something reaaaly unusual) Continue investigating long after the apparent ability to have an arrest?

[RS]

"The Cline's were caught first and then offered what is termed substantial assitance."

If the Clines WERE CAUGHT FIRST when did they fabricate all the evidence, good enough to fool the cops ?

Why bother when noone knew about Rush and they already had their suppliers to rat out ?

Why take a chance admitting to a crime they did not commit, which was bound to be a major circus should the cops persue it, and if the story on that is blown, lose the immunity for the ones you DID commit ?

Who are these mastermind criminals, who had fabricated a life as a simple housekeeper good enough to fool Rush's background check ?