The war on Rush Limbaugh’s drug use

April 29, 2006

Guest Post by Michael J.W. Stickings

Speaking of defiance, Rush Limbaugh still denies that he engaged in what’s known as “doctor-shopping,” or what The New York Times describes as “illegally [obtaining] multiple prescriptions for a drug from more than one doctor”. Still, Limbaugh

was charged yesterday with prescription drug fraud and turned himself in to Florida authorities as part of a deal to resolve a lengthy inquiry into whether he improperly obtained painkillers.

Mr. Limbaugh, who is one of the nation’s most popular radio personalities and is heard on nearly 600 stations, turned himself in yesterday afternoon to the Palm Beach County sheriff on a warrant for fraud to conceal information to obtain a prescription. He was released about an hour later on $3,000 bail, the authorities said.

I only regret that there won’t be a trial.

As part of the agreement, which [Limbaugh’s lawyer Roy] Black said would be filed with the court on Monday, the charge would be dropped in 18 months if Mr. Limbaugh continued to undergo treatment for drug addiction.

Mr. Limbaugh is also required to refrain from breaking the law during the 18-month period, pay $30,000 to Florida officials to offset the cost of the investigation and pay $30 a month for the cost of supervision, Mr. Black said.

Mr. Limbaugh filed a plea of not guilty in court. Mr. Black said in a statement that “Mr. Limbaugh and I have maintained from the start that there was no doctor-shopping, and we continue to hold this position.”

Pardon my Schadenfreude, but the thought of a right-wing blowhard like Rush undergoing “treatment for drug addiction” puts a smile on my face. No, it’s not like he’s a crackhead or anything, but you’ve got to admire the unabashed hypocrisy of all these moralizing conservative crusaders who lament the decline and fall of traditional, “family” values.

Keep on slouching towards Gomorrah, Rush. There’s a special place there for you and your ilk.

Continuing the trend towards being arrested in order to avoid the expense of purchasing publicity photos, Rush Limbaugh “elected” to be arrested in Miami. There is speculation that Karl Rove may take advantage of the free publicity photos within the next couple weeks. A Democratic source indicated that additional Republicans were expected to participate in the free photography services.

read more observations here:

http://www.thoughttheater.com

  • Ah, Rush. Oh Rush. Couldn’t pass up on tearing up another perfectly good song.

    White Fatass
    One pill makes you fatter
    And one pill makes you dull,
    And the ones that the maid gives you
    Don’t do anything at all.
    Get some Oxy
    When the pills are small.

    And if you go chasing doctors
    And you know you’re going to fall,
    Tell ’em a hasish smoking druggie
    Has given you the fall.
    Call your lawyer
    WIth your jailhouse call.

    When the men with the law books
    Get up and tell you where to go
    And you’ve just had some kind of back operation
    And your golf swing is low.
    Go ask Nancy
    I think she’ll know.

    When crying and begging
    Have fallen softly dead,
    And the DA is talking jail time
    And Stupid Libbies’ gloat “Off with his head!”
    Remember what a commercial said:
    “That’s your head. That’s your head. That’s your head.”

  • Heard Al Franken telling a story about a (possibly mock?) conversation he had with Newt Gingrich about family values. Al was congratulating Newt on the strong family values that Newt displayed with Newt’s first wife….and Newt’s second wife….Al said he wasn’t sure about Newt’s third wife. Classic stuff.

  • It’s absolutely ironic how the Republikanner puff-n-stuffs can scream about needing to crack down on the drug problem—and then one of their best-known mouthpieces can get off with a wrist-slap like this.

    Now, if I wanted to be a good little bundist, I could say something along the lines of: “As a concerned father of three, I cannot in good conscience allow this strung-out criminal’s rantings to be broadcast in my home.”

    Damn—it IS fun to give these idiots round after round of artillery fire—with their own cannons….

  • Taking responsibility for poor choices is not a Republican strong suit.
    Rush is cutting himself the very same slack that the would pounce on if given to a liberal by a “soft on crime” judge.

    to turn a familar phrase…..

    Unfair and Unbalanced

  • Limbaugh probably lost his hearing due to his addiction to Oxycontin. He is rich enough to get the implant operation, and apparently his hearing has been mostly restored. But I would think someone so addicted he risks his hearing (and his livelihood) for the drug– sudden deafness is an effect of oxycontin abuse– is definitely living “like he’s a crackhead”. And notice that he hasn’t used his huge forum to warn people about this. He prefers to pretend nothing has happened.

  • TPM has a comment about the “agreement” being a plea bargain, which criminals sometimes take, and “offsetting the costs” is called a “fine” in the real world.

    He pleaded guilty to doctor shopping and paid a fine for breaking the law.

  • This is such crap. The prisons in Florida are full of people doing serious, hard time for possession of much less than the thousands of oxycontin pills possessed by Limbaugh.

    In the three long years since this story broke, Jeb Bush “promoted” the original prosecutor (a Democrat, no less – how often has he done that) to a judgeship, and replaced him with a more compliant DA.

    In deferred prosecution cases, the defendant usually has to sign an admission of guilt which can be used against him to enter a judgment of guilty in the event the defendant violates the terms of his probatioon. In Limbaugh’s case, he pleads not guilty, issues a public statement that he’s not guilty, and gets a slap on the wrist. Is this special treatment or what?

    If justice was truly blind, Limbaugh would have been imprisoned two years ago. This is a travesty and a whitewash. The citizens of Florida should be outraged, and should demand that the presiding judge reject the plea bargain, as he has the power to do.

  • Stickings wrote: “No, it’s not like he’s a crackhead or anything…”

    No, it’s EXACTLY like he’s a crackhead. Only difference is, because he’s the equivalent of a Republikan blowhard crackhead there isn’t much of a penalty or even an admission of guilt required. So, yeah, I guess you’re right afterall. It’s not like he’s a crackhead…

  • Hi..there.. Drug and addiction can be devastating to family members and individuals.Drug addiction treatment can include medications, behavioral therapy (such as cognitive therapy, psychotherapy, counseling, etc. ). A Research Based Guide released from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) said that treatment must be specific to each individual and assessed and modified continually to match the person’s changing needs.

  • Once an error is clearly and fully understood, it need not be repeated. Addiction is to the false Self. Drugs and Alcohol are just self-medication trying to alleviate the pain caused by that addiction .

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