Mike Walker on the Al Rantel Show: "If We're Wrong, Rush Could Own Us"

790am KABC Radio

[Cinnamon Girl]

Mike Walker of the National Enquirer has been on the Al Rantel show for the past two hours discussing the story which his paper broke about Rush Limbaugh's dependence on prescription drugs, obtained illegally through his housekeeper. As Mike said, if this story was erroneous, Rush could sue them out of business. The National Enquirer did all kinds of checking before going with this story. He said they only paid for the story from the housekeeper after she had already gone to the police with her story and evidence.

But the most upsetting thing Mike Walker and Al discussed is the possibility that oxicontin (?) causes deafness and that Rush may have caused his own deafness by taking up to 30 or so pills a day. That is a horrible thought.

My wish is that Rush gets on the radio, comes clean about his addiction, and gets the help he needs. The longer he waits to do this, the worse it will be for him, in all sorts of ways. The police are apparently more interested in busting dealers than users in this sort of situation, but the housekeeper and her husband received immunity with their statements to the police. The claim is that Rush also was receiving UPS deliveries of pills from another source. Whatever the case, he should come clean.

[sissyjane]

i heard about 90 minutes of his show and thought he was his usual self. He sounded fine.

[TBall]

If he is addicted to oxicontin, I wonder if he injects it?

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

I agree. If Rush has an addiction he should come clean. He isn't the first good man who has had to deal with addiction.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

If the story was completely false, he could have easily said so. There would be no legal ramifications for him.

[LurkerNoMore!]

Fred, do you honestly believe that he won't 'come clean'?

Be patient for a week or two.

[weegee]

If there is no new info in this week's edition, I think they're blowing smoke.

They'll probably hold any updates until later in the month to bias the November elections.

[lara]

Rush was great. He always gives 100%.

[halley]

With everything Rush has done for all of us, I don't understand why there's all this talk about this drug issue. Other than President Bush and a handful of folks in public life, to me, there's no one that has more credability than Rush. Can't we just stifle the speculation until the facts become clear?

My faith in Rush in unshaken, and you'll have to admit the Enquirer is shaky at best. If there's any truth to this, Rush will come clean at the appropriate time.

Have a little faith!

[Pubbie]

"but the housekeeper and her husband received immunity with their statements to the police."

That doesn't mean they got immunity for giving info on Rush to the Police - it could just mean that they got it for giving info on the dealers.

"is the possibility that oxicontin (?) causes deafness and that Rush may have caused his own deafness by taking up to 30 or so pills a day."

Isn't 30 oxycontin pills MORE than enough to kill a grown man? - It CERTAINLY would make him incapable of doing his radio show at a MINIMUM.

I listen to Rush at my office for years, and he is ALWAYS lucid and sharp, if he were EVER taking 30 oxycontin pills a day it would be VERY obvious that he was mentally incapacitated.

[aruanan]

My wish is that Rush gets on the radio, comes clean about his addiction, and gets the help he needs.

My wish is that you wouldn't be so gullible.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

No, I assume he is guilty because the story is credible and because he certainly didn't deny it.

[Reagan Man]

It's been mentioned on two other threads, that Rush opened todays show saying he was somewhat fatigued and apologized if anyone noticed. Said he didn't know why.

After 15 years of fighting the Demlibs at every turn, I'd get fatigued too.

[Fred Mertz]

When he comes clean he'll be pilloried by the left and probably by the upstanding conservatives too.

He's treading on thin ice, but he'll make it.

[ambrose]

The groping is "old news"... I think the voters "pardoned" him.

[arjay]

You are absolutely right. He simply cannot speak out now, whatever people want him to do.

[Paul Atreides]

Sometimes Rush plays with his audience. I know there have been times when he has set the audience on a certain train of thought and it take a while to realize. He may be having fun with the people who desperately want this story to be true.

[massadvj]

I must say that I am willing to fight the good fight for Rush, having been a listener since the very first day he came on the air in Sacramento some 20 years ago. But I am uncomfortable with his stonewalling on this subject. His silence is so deafening, I may need an implant myself before it's over.

If he is in denial about his addiction, and plans to just carry on and hope it all blows over, that's not something I personally can in good conscience endorse and support. If he is willing to embrace the truth, acknowledge the truth and pursue the truth, then that is something I will go to the ends of the earth to pursue with him.

At this point, I don't know what he is doing. He and his lawyers have chosen to crawl under a rock and hide. Maybe that's the best strategy, I don't know. I don't have the facts.

Until I do know what's going on, I've decided that for me personally the best thing to do is to purge myself of my Rush Limbaugh addiction. So as of Monday, I haven't listened to his show. Instead, I've been listening to CD's of Dolly Parton singing blue grass and Linda Ronstadt singing old swing standards. It hasn't been a bad methadone treatment.

I don't expect Rush to do a Jimmy Swaggart. But I do expect him to advance the truth, which is precisely what got him to where he is today.

Rush talks inceesantly about personal responsibility and enligtenment. We can see that there is a man behind the curtain. We can take it. Please tell us what the man behind the curtain is doing.

[Katya]

I only want to know whether he will be charged with a crime...personally, I'm tired of people "sharing" their personal demons with me, the public etc.

Someone tell them to go see a Priest if they need a confessional.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

Disagree. I know that you wish him the best.

Deny deny deny...

And this will pass, assuming no charges.

To confess like at some AA meeting is a terrible idea.

I listen to Rush for pol commentary. I will not advise him about what he should do legally and personally (rhetorically or otherwise). It is not my place. We all have to choose our own path.

'If only he would immediately come forward and confess everything, he would be OK' is a seriously flawed argument. This is the last alternative only.


I want him to do whatever he has to do in order to stay on the air.

Making his show an AA meeting is not the answer.

[John H K]

Someone who had never taken them before would die if they took 30 pills.

Addicts build up tolerance to opiates over time, taking more and more to get the same effect.

Thus an addict will be doing a LOT of pills, and a number of pills that would kill a person who had never taken them before.

And all addicts to all illegal drugs aren't INSTANTLY non-functional wastoids (I sense this is a result of government WOD propaganda that would have you believe one joint will ruin your entire life, etc.)

Especially with opiates, addicts can seem pretty normal for years.