Limbaugh's school of hard knocks for other guys

Palm Beach Post ^ | Sunday, May 9, 2004 | Frank Cerabino

[new cruelty]

Rush Limbaugh is a slow learner.

That might explain why he looked at the sadistic photos from the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and likened them to some college fraternity high jinks.

Boolah, mullah! Boolah, mullah!

Most reasonable people expressed disgust by the sight of the bound, nude, hooded men in American custody being forced to degrade themselves sexually.

And Limbaugh surely would have, too, if it had been under the previous administration.

But Limbaugh's a referee without a whistle these days. So here's how he excused the inexcusable:

"This is no different than what happens at the Skull and Bones initiation, and we're going to ruin people's lives over it, and we're going to hamper our military effort, and then we are going to really hammer them because they had a good time," he said on his radio show.

Limbaugh added: "I'm talking about people having a good time. These people, you ever heard of emotional release? You heard of need to blow some steam off?"

I knew he was an apologist. But I just figured that in light of his newfound expertise in the realm of investigatory zeal run amok -- something he claims to have learned the hard way in Palm Beach County -- he might have temporarily burst through the wall of his professional limitations.

But, like I said, Limbaugh is apparently a slow learner.

And yet, there's hope.

There used to be a time when he thought that the problem with drugs was that we weren't locking up the people who got caught. This was during the days when he thought the American Civil Liberties Union was a flaky impediment to justice and criminal defense lawyers were an evil bunch of liberal simps who were out to subvert the truth by freeing the guilty on procedural maneuvers.

He has been educated through experience in that regard.

Caught in cross hairs of justice

Ever since the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office declined to respectfully turn a blind eye to Limbaugh's years of prescription drug abuse, he has become a champion of the drug addict caught in the cross hairs of justice. He talks of the pain of addiction, the need for treatment and the unfairness of prosecutors pursuing people with a personal problem.

If you go to Limbaugh's Web site these days, it's full of tales of horrific miscarriages of justice and calls to end investigatory techniques that we, as Americans, shouldn't stand for.

There are warnings about the "threat to the rule of law." Harassment we can't condone. And a horrible "fishing expedition" for information that should chill us to the core.

No, none of that is about the sadistic abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison.

It's all about Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer's having the nerve to document Limbaugh's drug abuse through the use of his medical records.

Oh, the horror!

From Limbaugh's bellowing, you'd think Krischer was breaking chemical lights and pouring the scorching phosphoric liquid over the naked talk-show host's... oh, never mind.

Besides, that's just "people having a good time."

All those naked Iraqis must be guilty of something, right? There can't be any innocent civilians rounded up by overzealous authorities. That never happens.

And as for the guilty -- well, the rights of people behind bars is just a left-wing abstraction.

For now. The slow learner better hope this isn't the next awakening in his education.

[The Raven]

I'm out on a limb - but I think Rush suspects it was staged.

[Warrior Nurse]

PD this would not have happened on X42's watch because he didn't have the STONES to send troops into where they could get killed. Limbaugh is one of the reasons that I am a conservative today. I used to think he was racist until I examined the facts and then I couldn't not help but be a conservative.

[The Raven]

[atomicpossum]

Palm Beach Post

#1 in Liberal Koolaid

[GodBlessUSA]

Rush did not condone this behavior. He was expressing justified outrage over the reaction, over-reaction such as the calling for resignation of Rummy, the Televised interrogation of Rummy and Military seniors at DOD(which was not necessary at all!), the cost this exposure is having on the entire efforts of our military, to their lives and successes because of the few who behaved like lunatics. He was discussing that this is war and the unfortunate realities, whether they are right or wrong. He discussed the stark contrast of past treatment of Americans by other countries and where was and is the outrage there. There is never a barrage of pictures of American tortures shown 24/7 when these atrocities occurred. How about pictures shown of Saddam Hussein and his past tortures. Far and few.

Since he bores you, you obviously don’t hear the show. Rush uses sarcasm often and is then is often misquoted by the liberals who write. Now, it appears you take the words of this article. Newspapers, which you must know being a Freeper or any intelligent person are not credible sources. Such as Washington post to the NYTs and majority of newspapers that are slanted toward one political party.

A man who has accomplished extreme success on radio for as long of a time, the leader of talk radio, established millions and millions of loyal fans, even after been put through the constant attempts of the Liberals trying to destroy him and take him down, yet he stays right on top. He’s successful if not more, this man is certainly no dope! He's intelligent and that is not debatable. People can disagree with his views, but anyone who thinks differently regarding his intelligence well.... :)

[jla]

Do you really think intelligence and wisdom are directly linked? Intelligence and philosophical depth? That anyone who has a high IQ would necessarily have philosophical depth and access to wisdom?

Yes, I do.
And you know what another great trait of El Rushbo's is? He doesn't have the need to impress folks with his intelligence, philosophocal depth & access to the wisdom, as a more insecure person would.

[sport]

Caught in cross hairs of justice

No , he is caught in the cross hairs of a crooked and corrupt prosecutor and a kangeroo court.

[sport]

Do you have enough intelligence to either: (a)Change stations; (b)Turn off the rdio; (c) Don't listen to him?

[fatidic]

Does a true conservative rant against the "injustice" done to Stern and Stewart and the war on drugs? Does a true conservative maintain a double standard so that what he or his side does is OK, but the same thing done by the other side is wrong? Does a true conservative not recongize the danger these outrageous sex pictures of Iraqi prisoners pose to our troops? Does a true conservative have his head up his arse?

You can listen the hypocritical, shallow, swallow (dope) man if you want, but I find him an intolerable embarrassment to the conservative cause. JMO

[fatidic]

Does a true conservative rant against the "injustice" done to Stern and Stewart and the war on drugs? Does a true conservative maintain a double standard so that what he or his side does is OK, but the same thing done by the other side is wrong? Does a true conservative not recongize the danger these outrageous sex pictures of Iraqi prisoners pose to our troops? Does a true conservative have his head up his arse?

You can listen the hypocritical, shallow, swallow (dope) man if you want, but I find him an intolerable embarrassment to the conservative cause. JMO

[Lion Den Dan]

Anyone besides me see anything contradictory about this statement?

Other than trying to have it both ways, the author does not use spell check and can't spell to begin with.

Did I get it right?

[Oztrich Boy]

Ok how does one be bright, articulate, informed yet limited?

There are are many quite intelligent people who really don't come up to their public esteem. (Germaine Greer is another)

[Oztrich Boy]

Incidently, I suspect that Rush was confusing Iraqis and Iranians when he said Iraqis weren't Arabs.

That's just BS

[Oztrich Boy]

"I am who I am."

The actually quote is: "I am that I am." -- The Burning Bush To Moses.

Actually it's "I yam what I yam" - Popeye the Sailorman

[Mr. Mojo]

Abu Gharib, other parts of the picture. (An Interview with an Iraqi citizen)

[rodguy911]

Limbaugh is the absolute best at his trade. He sits day after day in the hot seat for three hours. No co-host no music, no nothing, just topic after topic designed to include everyone in his target audience. He masterfully brings every subject down to not be over anyone's head yet still be intelligent enough for the psuedo-intelectuals. He does it better than anyone and is a consummate broadcaster. If you don't believe it try it sometime.

[Anti-Bush Hater]

>>>"First of all they are clearly taken out of context.

He was talking about the photos of a pile of Iraqi prisoners huddled on one another. *This before the allegations(probably false because they come Baathist terrorist and other prisoner types)of rape and stuff came out.*

What he said looked true from the *pictures first released*.

Prankish and not really that inflammatory."<<<

You are the one that is full of bull.
Not me.

Just because you can't read properly the text of a post you think you can take something out of context I said.

The pictures that were first released *were* not that inflammatory. Rush responded that they looked like what would go on at a hazing.

You leftists are so fn retarded.

[YankeeMagic]

Great post and every word true!

[Anti-Bush Hater]

He did none of those things.

[jwalsh07]

LOL, sorry I missed this barn burner. I had to turn off Rush. He just wasn't getting it. Wrong is wrong and all the moral relativism in the world ain't gonna change it.

Kill them on the battlefield by the millions, I'm OK with it. Use prisoners to star in ones own personal sado-sexual porn films? No way.

Endanger the line troops and harm the mission? UCMJ and the stockade.