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.

[gatorbait]

Totally disagree with the editorial! I would bet money that this is politically motivated

I agree.Alissa. This has all the earmarks of a hit piece

[Cultural Jihad]

How do you explain that before there was a war on drugs, there was almost no drug-related crime?

In the 1950's there was no MTV extolling hedonism to children, the public schools allowed the pledge of allegiance and public prayers, the ACLU was more concerned with the rights of Communists than with pornographers, the youth of the middle class hadn't embraced aristocratic morals, the college professors were not lauding moral-liberalism to our nation's future leaders, and people generally adhered to the kindness of religious morality. Yet all these recreational drugs that are illegal today, which were extant then, were also perfectly illegal then.

[Paul C. Jesup]

And I use you as an example of someone who is a pro-government control freak who thinks he knows what is best for everyone else and who is willing force their views on others at gunpoint and imprisonment.

[WKB]

No - that doesn't sound like something he would say. I can't imagine Rush would agree with any kind of privacy invasion without strong probable cause.



You must not have been listening to Rush durning
the Clinton years.

[Paul C. Jesup]

And I use you as an example of someone who is a pro-government control freak who thinks he knows what is best for everyone else and who is willing to force your views on others at gunpoint and imprisonment.

[daler]

I think it might also be fair to draw a comparison with how forthcoming Rush has been regarding his "problem" with, say, how up-front CLINTON was...

Rush has honestly, openly, admitted his drug addiction.

Does that mean he has forfeited all rights as a U.S. citizen?

Some here seem to think so.

[Alissa]

That's exactly when I started listening to Rush. But no conservative would ever say something like it's ok to give up your rights is you don't have anything to hide.

[StriperSniper]

A conservative is just a libertarian who hasn't been mugged by The Man! ;-)

[ClintonBeGone]

And I use you as an example of someone who is a pro-government control freak who thinks he knows what is best for everyone else and who is willing to force your views on others at gunpoint and imprisonment.

You're a wonderful representative of your 'side'. And you've come to all this because 1 - I feel that drugs are a worse curse on this society than our government and 2 - I pointed out you can't cite authority for the things you claim.

[headsonpikes]

Hypocrites Unite!

They already have, it is called government.

Yup. Cotton Mather would be proud.

[WKB]

Rush has honestly, openly, admitted his drug addiction


I love Rush and I am not trying to put him down
but just WHEN did he admit to his problem. Hmmmm? After he was exposed and not one minute before. That can not be counted as completely honest and forthcoming

[bvw]

The war on drugs has contributed greatly to social disorder and disrespect for law than any single thing currently.

Just as it's old-timey incarnation, the Temperance movement, did more to raise the murder rate than anything for so say the statistics. Prior to 1904 or so, we had an extraordinary low murder rate. What happened? The rise of the Temperance Movement!

We managed to get the Federal Prohibtion rescinded, hooray! But the shadowy evil twin -- the war on drugs -- continues bustiung up poor marginal families to this day. It has promoted the raising of fatherless bastards in every city and hollow.

Law and order? Anyone who truly respects Law and Order can have nothing but distain and dread of the "War on Drugs".

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Yes, I do disagree. there was no violence until the government got involved.

There was no crack before the war on drugs.
There was no crystal meth before the war on drugs.

We had a Constitution before the war on drugs.

[ConservativeMan55]

Rush Ping!

Freepmail me if you would like on/off the Rush Pinglist! Search for the latest Rush Limbaugh news on Free Republic. Limbaugh Prosecutor a Janet Reno Democrat Lawyers accuse maid of blackmail. Limbaugh takes off the gloves! Limbaugh medical records ordered resealed! ACLU Offers Help to Limbaugh Rush Limbaugh Question.... Kendall Coffey Comments on the Rush Limbaugh Case Rush Limbaugh.com Have yourself a Merry Little Burger.

[WKB]

That's exactly when I started listening to Rush. But no conservative would ever say something like it's ok to give up your rights is you don't have anything to hide.


I just believe I heard him say that to the Clintons
at least once. I may be wrong but I doubt it.

[ConservativeMan55]

Where's that guy with the BS meter when you need him?

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

...But no conservative would ever say something like it's ok to give up your rights is(if?) you don't have anything to hide....

It is shouted here on FR all the time by so-called conservatives.

[papertyger]

"...to ridicule citizens who claimed that their constitutional rights had been violated by police and prosecutors."

I don't recal this as a part of the Rush Limbaugh show I've been enjoying since 1989. Exactly what are we refering to here?

This is a grand example of what I call "quasi-irony." It's defined as the shadenfreude enjoyed by liberals when a conservative suffers loss that can be tenuously associated to liberal's cliche'd fantasies.

Quasi-irony carries as much weight as "but he said he'd call."

[jraven]

It is CORRECT. I listen to Rush and if you went back and listened to a bunch of his broadcasts from, oh, 5 or 6 years ago he sang a totally different tune. The difference is now it impacts HIM so he has shifted course -- and of course that means all his loyal listeners adjust their principles as well, since he is on our side.

[TheBattman]

Don't forget, BC also trashed Starr on the Whitewater investigation - remember, it was a "political witch hunt"....