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.
I agree with O'Reilly here. They are out to get Limbaugh. There is no other explanation.
Did anybody see the Weasley Boy on O'Reilly tonight? I almost blew out the TV, but the gun wasn't loaded.
Agreed. They are out to get him, and it's flagrant.
The longer O'Reilly keeps this in the news..the more embarrassing it is to Limbaugh. It was a one day story...O'Reilly is keeping it in the news. Consciously, or unconsciously, O'Reilly is the one who wants to embarrass Limbaugh. He is SO jealous of Rush. It oozes out of him. This gives him an excuse to make it look like he's sticking up for him, but by keeping it in the news, he's doing the opposite.
It was outright harrassment.....he should sue them.
"It was a one day story"
Not even that, it was a personal attack and pulic release of private medical information.
They should get zapped hard.
That's not my point. O'Reilly has talked about this for TWO DAYS now. He's the one keeping it in the news. I'm only talking to O'Reilly's reasons for keeping this up.
I'm sue if Rush needs your useless bloviating advice, he'll rattle your cage, BOR ...
Anybody hear the jokes Limbaugh was cracking about the incident the day he got back on the air? He doesn't sound very embarrassed to me. Limbaugh has been through some tough times lately, but he handles it with more class than the entire Kennedy clan has ever shown throughout their history of drunken mishaps. If this country was full of Rush Limbaughs, we'd stomp out Islamo-nuts, triple our domestic oil supply and look damn good doing it. Then we'd all go to the D.R. for the weekend and party like rockstars!
Worth thinking about...
"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.As long as the WPB sheriff's office is making statements like this, Rush could still face some trouble. The only deterrent would be if they are convinced it will blow up in their faces even more than the initial prosecution - O'Reilly may be a useful tool in this argument.
"They should get zapped hard."
no pun intended... :)
It will be dropped locally. And if it's in the news, it's ONLY locally. O'Reilly is keeping it in the news nationally. That's my beef.
What's worth thinking about is turning the tables on them. Releasing private medical information without a signed authorization from the patient is a violation of HIPAA and can bring fines of $50,000. It would be delightful to see the Palm Beach authorities socked with several $50K personal fines.
In a word,Rush (for the foreseeable future,at least) would be wise to consult his lawyer before he throws away a chewing gum wrapper lest there be some 100 year old unknown law making it a felony.
Hildy - You're absolutely right. O'Reilly is jealous of Rush and IS fanning flames.
If I were Rush, I would move and leave the place as an eye-sore.
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