Rush Limbaugh is a Jerk

[pegkerr]

Here is Michael J. Fox's ad on stem cell research, which is very powerful.

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Rush Limbaugh mocked him, saying that he was faking it. He was speedily informed by Parkinsons experts that he was dead wrong, and was forced to apologize. Then he attacked Michael J. Fox with a different critique: "Michael J. Fox is allowing his illness to be exploited and in the process is shilling for a Democratic politician." Good lord, but that man is a waste of oxygen. (Limbaugh, not Fox. Obviously.)

Comments

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

An interview with Fox after the controversy over Limbaugh's remarks. Fox says he was on his meds when the commercial was aired.

Also, he has campaigned for at least one Republican (Specter) in the past.

Sure.

[joelrosenberg.livejournal.com]

But, given that Fox has deliberately gone of his meds for dramatic effect -- that's from Fox himself; it's not speculation -- it wasn't, IMHO, unreasonable for anybody to speculate that he might have done it again. Somebody more responsible than Limbaugh would have checked to see if he'd done it again before accusing him of doing it again, sure, but speculating? Clearly reasonable.

Unfortunately, though, it looks like his disease is progressing. My uncle got a remarkable treatment for it that basically removed all the trembling -- and Fox might be eligible for it (or he might not), as he is a Canadian citizen.

And, yup, he's campaigned for another candidate from another party; I'm not sure what the point of that would be, but, sure, he's done that.

Re: Sure.

[dustybinx.livejournal.com]

But, given that Fox has deliberately gone of his meds for dramatic effect -- that's from Fox himself; it's not speculation

And I still maintain that because Rush is so *in-your-face* with his commentary, he is frequently quoted out of context. Sadly, I don't think there is any such thing as straight forward reporting of just plain facts.

Re: Sure.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

And, yup, he's campaigned for another candidate from another party; I'm not sure what the point of that would be, but, sure, he's done that.

The point is that part of Limbaugh's slam was that he was "letting himself be used by the Democrats."

I assume that the Republicans didn't complain when he supported Specter.

Re: Sure.

[joelrosenberg.livejournal.com]

I don't think that makes that point. That he's campaigned for a Republican in the past isn't a defense to the claim that he's letting himself be used by the Democrats in the present. The specific claims that he makes in his ad and the facts that he leaves out makes it clear that he has signed onto the Democratic position -- that the prohibition on federal funding for additional lines of stem cell research means that the Republicans don't want people with Parkinson's to get well.

That's a pretty demagogic position, isn't it?

I'm generally thought to be pro-Republican. Does the fact that I first voted for a Republican more than twenty years after I'd been solidly voting for Democrats make that untrue?

[kk1raven.livejournal.com]

You might want to note that Specter isn't exactly a "good" Republican by current party standards.