Posted on 06/28/2006 6:04:09 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. Fox News host Bill O'Reilly is coming to the defense of his radio competitor Rush Limbaugh, claiming authorities in Palm Beach County, Fla., are "out to get" the conservative talk-show host, and are maliciously targeting him for prosecution.
"He is an American," O'Reilly said of Limbaugh last night on "The O'Reilly Factor," "and I believe powerful people in his home county are trying unjustly to harm him."
On Monday, Limbaugh was held up for more than three hours at Palm Beach International Airport after authorities found a bottle of Viagra pills in his possession prescribed to someone else.
Roy Black, Limbaugh's attorney, issued a statement noting a doctor had prescribed the drug, but it was "labeled as being issued to the physician rather than Mr. Limbaugh for privacy purposes."
Though Limbaugh was not arrested, O'Reilly noted it was unusual authorities checked the shaving kits of people flying on private planes, and that the story was leaked to the press almost immediately.
"This is malicious, and this is unnecessary," said O'Reilly. "I only can conclude that in Palm Beach, where Mr. Limbaugh lives, they're out to get this guy."
O'Reilly said he had no vested interest in coming to Limbaugh's defense, having met the fellow broadcaster only "once for about 10 seconds," but he ripped local officials for trying to destroy the most listened to man in the history of radio.
"It was a malicious, cheap, cheap tactic by the Palm Beach authorities, and they ought to be ashamed of themselves," he said. "If I were Limbaugh, I'd move right on out of there. I'd get out of there. ... This is a political persecution. That's what this is."
As WND previously reported, the state attorney's office is reviewing the case after being supplied a report from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
"We believe there may be a second-degree misdemeanor violation, which is possession of certain drugs without a prescription, because the bottle does not have his name on it," sheriff's spokesman Paul Miller told the Associated Press.
On Limbaugh's radio broadcast yesterday, he made light of the whole affair.
"I've been racking my brain. I'm trying to figure out how Bob Dole's luggage got on my airplane," Limbaugh clowned. "I told the doctor, I said, 'Look, I'm worried about the next election, not ... .'"
Former Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas is well-known for his use and endorsement of Viagra, a male sexual-enhancement drug.
In April, Limbaugh and the Florida state attorney, Democrat Barry Krischer, reached a settlement in a long-running prescription-drug investigation of the conservative radio giant, who termed the matter a political witch hunt as well as a "fishing expedition" by prosecutors.
Under the agreement, a single charge of doctor shopping was to be dismissed in 18 months if Limbaugh continues to seek treatment from the doctor he has seen for the past two and a half years for back pain.
THe hypocracy on the left is breathtaking.
On what planet would airplane security people have an interest in a prescription bottle with a name other than the passenger's name? It is nonsense!
Having a "stiffy" is illegal to most liberals, never having a guilt free one themselves (unless in the presence of a same sex naked anus).
Nonsense, Rush should buy all the properties in the area, and force the s*itheads out of the county!
I think it's time to make EVERY Palm Beach County law enforcement officer, judge, district attorney, et al, piss in a cup and take a drug/alcohol test. Fire em and jail em on the spot if they are positive.
I'd guess at least 50% or more would go to jail for something. Friggin hypocrites.
If the media were more obsessed with catching terrorists than Rush Limbaugh....I would say we were heading in the right direction. This is not to be.
He doesn't even have to do that. Just move out of Palm Beach county, sell his mansion there and head up the road to Martin or St. Lucie counties, much more saner counties and either buy another mansion in one of those counties or build a new one.
He could also head to the Gulf Coast, like Naples or Ft. Myers. He could be neighbors with Tiger Woods in Windemere outside of Orlando or even get a nice spread up in the Panhandle.
There are plenty of sane locales in Florida that have a lot of wealthy folks living in them where Rush could blend right on in and not have to look over his shoulders whenever he is down there to wonder or worry about what scheme the local DA has to get him with this time.
Since the 2000 election when Florida was being contested and I first paid attention that he lived in Palm Beach County, I wondered why he would want to live there, amongst all the New York City transplanted Marxists!!! Same goes for Ann Coulter as well. Why she would call that County home is beyond me.
It reminds me of when the Bush daughters ordered Margueritas at Choeys (sp) in Austin, Texas and the manageress called the police.
It is good to know that not all of Florida's legal system is contaminated. When Rush moved there I doubt that he gave thought to the possibility that he might become a moving target for ambitious RATS. I listened to Rush respond to emails he has gotten which apparently were/are in sympathy with his situation of being stalked by God knows who all. He is correct that the response of his enemies is to be expected because of his ongoing exposure of their tactics against America. However, there is no getting around the fact that what can be done to Rush, and gotten away with, by the media and their cohorts in the legal and political arenas, can be done to other citizens, most of whom are not in a position to fight back. That is one of the attractions for Rush's audience, a spokesperson who can give as good as he gets and is willing to do so. What does concern me is his vulnerability to physical attack and I hope he takes seriously that possibility. God bless Rush and keep him safe.
Fox's ratings show that they put too many of these toads on.
I'm sure that Rush has body guards and security that are pretty good. He has probably had several credible threats against him over the years. Rush would be a fool not to have good body guards/security. I know Ann Coulter has 24/7 body guards/security, both in NYC and Palm Beach County.
I do say again that Rush would be best served getting the heck out of Palm Beach County and do so as soon as he can.
Heck, he can buy a mansion in other parts/counties of Florida (like the ones I mentioned) that are as nice or ritzy a place to live as Palm Beach County. I'm sure all the areas I mentioned have: a)Lots of people in his income bracket and b)Are areas that are run by Republicans, including the DA's, who would presumably leave Rush alone and have no political axes to grind with him. They also have just as good gold courses and airports that can accomodate his lear jet when flys down from NYC to his "southern command".
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.