Rush Limbaugh: Open Line Friday [Confirms Some Aspects of Drug Story, Checking In To Rehab]

[I Am Not A Mod]

A thread for those listening to today's show.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Okay, I want you to tell me everything you've ever done that was illegal right now. Ever smoked a joint? Fess up. Lay it all out on the table. Go to a cop and confess. Stick your hands out for the handcuffs. Let me guess - Clinton's your hero.

No baboon brain. LOL!

I am not the one standing in front a golden microphone telling everyone about "maggot infested dope smoking FM types"

LOL!

[zoyd]

Pardon me, but that sounds like a sarcastic Rush rant. Food for thought, but nothing else.

So you're of the opinion that Rush was in favor of ending the WOD? He wanted to release crack addicts from prison? He wants to allow heroin to be sold legally?

Maybe I'm wrong, but methinks Rush was giving a typical food-for-thought sarcastic rant. Ending the WOD has never been on Rush's radar screen, AFAIK.

Being against the WOD myself, I think I would be aware if Rush were truly against the WOD.

Granted, I don't think of him as a WOD spokesman, but he IS a law-and-order guy. Buying heroin off the street, even in pill form, is decidedly illegal.

[CatoRenasci]

Of course it is. Although, he did, from time to time, inveigh against drug use -- that's a little much to take in light of the circumstances.

No one is sorrier about this than I am, I've been a Rush fan for years and think he was our secret weapon in 1994, 2000 and 2002.

[Orangedog]

Get back to me when you have evidence of Rush breaking into a house and pointing a gun at a person to get money to service his habit and then we can talk.

Nice dodge, but not good enough. We're talking about addiction, not armed robbery. Get back to me when you learn something about addiction and recovery.

[zoyd]

Great idea, all the dealers should tell the judge they were just being used

I don't understand your point. There was a willing buyer and a willing seller. That has no bearing on the legality of things.

[Qwinn]

"I am not the one standing in front a golden microphone telling everyone about "maggot infested dope smoking FM types"

I don't agree that this one is relevant. I gave my reasons why already. Claiming that this sentence means he thinks all dope smokers are "maggot infested" is like claiming he thinks all FM listerners are "maggot infested".

The one from 1995 where he spoke out against it, I'll agree is relevant.

But so is the one from 1998. I'd like to hear the one from 1998 in more detail - he may have been sarcastic, maybe not. But if he really was urging legalization as the way to go... that does take a whole lot of the strength out of the "he was doing one WHILE doing the other" argument.

Qwinn

[Skooz]

I'm not the one who said that. I disagreed with the poster.

[Orangedog]

What are you talking about? I've been defending Rush. And I'm not a Libertarian. I'm pro-life ferchrissakes.

Don't feel bad. You're not really part of the FR experience until Dane has called you a Libertarian for not agreeing with him. ;)

[Qwinn]

LOL!

I belong! I finally belong!

Qwinn

[Kay]

The rate of return to most drugs is about 75%. HOWEVER!! there is an EXCEPTION, I kid you not. The exception, showed in numerous studies, is when a person fills their life with God and fellowship activities related to God. Then the rate of returning to drugs decreases to approx 15%. Huge improvement.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Look professor, you can stick up for Rush all you care to. No problem. The fact of the matter is the *only* reason he came out with this when he did is because he got bagged!

If this would have been Clinton or some other liberal screw worm idiot, you'd be creating dangerous winds by flapping your gums about how much of a sawed off drug using rat he is....

LOL!

[truth_seeker]

"Rush has brought this debate into the mainstream. This is a good thing."

Out here in whacky California, the voters passed Prop. 36 a couple of years ago.

It offers treatment as an option, for 1st and 2nd time drug/alcohol offenders.

[WVNan]

"He who says he is without sin is a liar and the truth is not in him."

We are all sinners but we still make value judgments. If one had to be perfect in order to make judgments then no person could ever stand and preach the Gospel message. We all have feet of clay. That being said, I am very disappointed in Rush for not realizing what he was doing; how many people he was letting down, not to mention himself. He deserves our prayers and support however, because he has given so much to this country. May I suggest that all of Rush's listeners continue to listen every day while he is away in order to keep his show on the air. Aside from prayer, that is the best thing we can do for Rush now.

[Qwinn]

"The fact of the matter is the *only* reason he came out with this when he did is because he got bagged!"

Yes. I acknowledged this.

"If this would have been Clinton or some other liberal screw worm idiot, you'd be creating dangerous winds by flapping your gums about how much of a sawed off drug using rat he is.... "

I was already accused of this, and already denied it. I don't need drug charges to accuse Clinton for being off a "sawed off rat" (dunno what that means but it sounds appropriately insulting).

What I -do- believe is that if Clinton were accused of using, he'd deny it. Oh, wait a minute! He WAS accused of it! But we should respect him for admitting it, because he only denied inhaaaaaling. Riiiiight.

If he'd actually admitted to just plain out smoking pot, it wouldn't have changed my mind about him at all. Actually I would've respected him for admitting it. Too bad you can't understand that.

Tell me, when Clinton admitted to smoking pot (but "didn't inhale"), were you calling democrats and calling them baboon brains?

Yes, Clinton has strongly signed tougher laws against marijuana, and that's a whole lot worse than talking from a microphone. Plus, he slammed users AFTER doing the drugs, not before.

Come on, tell me why what Clinton did was okay.

Qwinn

[ellery]

Spiritual pain is one that one can cure oneself.This is not so in some cases. Spiritual pain (depression) can have a phisiological cause. I know -- I suffered from severe depression throughout childhood, high school and college, even though I was raised in a happy home. I finally stopped trying to heal through my own strength, I stopped trying to numb myself with binge drinking, and asked God to help me -- and the next day I found it in me to call a therapist. The therapist said it was extremely unusual for someone as depressed as I was to seek help without outside intervention. But I had intervention...from God. They prescribed Zoloft to correct my physical deficiency of seratonin, and my life changed on that day.

I was fortunate. I know too many people who try to heal their pain with drugs -- it's not always done on a lark. My point is that some depression *is* a physical illness, and can only be healed through medical intervention. People who don't realize this and try to self-medicate deserve just as much sympathy as people who get addicted b/c of physical pain.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Come on, tell me why what Clinton did was okay.

Huh?

Try and stay on track. LOL!

[Kay]

"Maybe a few at most"??

About 1 out of every 20 people who try opiates gets a EUPHORIC feeling from them. Not only dose it control their pain but their worries cease, they can get their housework done, they feel that life is great, etc. But it takes more and more each week, month, year, years,..... Rush was probably taking a dose which would kill a "virgin" opiate user. Cancer patients are able to drive and teach and lead normal lives when they take megadoses of these opiates to control their pain.

[HardStarboard]

Your basically wrong. There is a huge difference form someone who is taking a drug (legally or illegally) because of pain and someone that takes the drug because of a personality disorder - inability to face lifes challanges, hatred of oneself, fear of failure.....and a host of others.

The siatic pain that Rush has can be some of the most intense a human can experience. There was just a recovering addict who has Rush's siatic problem that was on Hugh Hewett - he testified to the differing approaches in rehabbing someone addicted because of pain, and one because of an inability to face life.

[proud American in Canada]

"Here is how I remember it: at a Town Hall kind of meeting last night (October 9), Kerry said something like, "If you want better health care in this country, you have two choices: talk to Rush Limbaugh's housekeeper or vote for me for President." Many in the audience (most likely full of Ds), of course, laughed and clapped enthusiastically.

The Ds never cease to amaze me at how compassionate they are!"


Thanks, Dennis. Unbelievable! The Dems are really.... You know, someday they may regret (if they don't already) that their party has been taken over by the Clintons and their ruthless ways.

Statesmanship is a foreign concept to these people. Instead, it's power at all costs.

thanks again. :)

[Qwinn]

"But I had intervention...from God."

Your point is taken. I should state that personally, I'm an agnostic (who is very respectful of religion). From my perspective, yes, you helped yourself through your acceptance of God. That's why I said "through religion or simple optimism or whatever"... I would actually have to be not-agnostic to attribute all credit to God :) From my perspective, as long as I'm still agnostic, I have to give you the credit :)

Your point is still well taken. I do agree that depression can have physiological causes. I don't think that's AUTOMATIC the way most people seem to - honestly, I think it's the exception rather than the rule, like the claim that being gay is physiological and not a choice. Sometimes - but not usually.

However, I do believe in free will and that people can persevere, without drugs, even in the case of physiological depression. If I were Catholic, I'd say that everyone has a cross to bear, and that would be theirs, just like I have mine.

Actually, I fit several symptoms of having depression - I am more of a hermit than anyone I know, and can be obsessive compulsive (like posting!) But I'm not -sad- in any way. Is my isolation physiological? Dunno. But I refuse to go take a drug for it. I should get out of the house more, I can always do so, and it's up to me to make that happen. I'm not going to blame a chemical imbalance on it. And Rush didn't blame anyone else for his imbalance. That's why he has my respect.

Qwinn