Michael Jackson is not being investigated because he is Michael Jackson.
O.J. was not prosecuted because he was O.J.
Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker were not prosecuted because of who they are (although it probably would not have bothered me in this case).
Mike Tyson was not prosecuted because he is Mike Tyson (although there probably should be a law on the books about that one).
And so forth:
Earlier Friday, Limbaugh’s attorney, Roy Black, accused the Palm Beach state attorney of investigating Limbaugh only for political reasons. Black said Limbaugh was not a target of State Attorney Barry Krischer’s investigation until October when the National Enquirer quoted Limbaugh’s maid as saying she had unlawfully sold Limbaugh such medications.
“Suddenly an elected public official could not ignore the name Rush Limbaugh,” Black said on NBC’s “Today” show. Black is also a paid NBC commentator. “They are looking to publicly embarrass him and affect his radio program….Why is Rush Limbaugh the only person treated like this in America?”
Dear Rush,
If they prosecute you, I am rather confident it is not because you are Rush Limbaugh.
Harry
While not being a Rushphile I have to disagree. I don’t think he is being investigated for being solely a drug addict there are plenty of those in Palm Beach county I am sure. Limbaugh continually poked fun at Palm Beach residents and the Palm Beach government for their inept handling of the 2000 election. I think they’re still sore.
Plus Democrats have dreamed of having some way of curbing Limbaugh’s appeal. Having him continually defending himself in the press for a drug addiction is a pretty good way of labeling him as a hypocrite and driving a wedge between him and his more socially conservative listerners.
But I will take a wait and see position. If we continually keep hearing about the Limbaugh case in the press; rest assured it is the “politics of personal destruction” at work. The Clinton White House perfected the procedure and the Democrats will damn sure use it angainst Limbaugh, because they absolutely hate and fear him.
Russ
I’m also inclined to disagree.
Michael Jackson: alleged victims are young boys.
O.J: two dead people.
Bakkers: thousands of defrauded people.
Tyson: a woman raped.
Limbaugh: I don’t see a victim here.
Further, there is a huge difference between being addicted to painkillers because of an actual physical condition, and doing recreational drugs just to get thrills (Robert Downey Jr., for instance.)
[And yes, I do figure there’s a D.A. out there who would love nothing more than to carve Limbaugh’s notch in his briefcase.]
Ricky
This seems more like the case against Ray Lewis than the ones listed. The DA wanted to get the “name” defendant & thus cut deals with the people who REALLY killed those two folks & instead pressed for murder charges against someone who was an accessory & who obviously lied to the cops, but who did not take part in any way with the actual stabbings.
It appears that the Palm Beach county officials are spending lots of manhours and dollars going after Rush, who took prescription pills.
Andrew Lazarus
I’m with John here. We can have the argument about drug decriminalization some other time; until then, it’s a crime. One that has millions of (mostly poor) folk in jail.
And don’t get fooled by saying these were just “prescription drugs”. COCAINE is also a prescription drug (at least, it was in the 1970s, when a classmate of mine got it legally after nose surgery). Rush didn’t just ask for an extra refill on some codeinated tylenol, he made completely non-pharmacist arrangements to procure these drugs in quantities never prescribed medically.
John Cole
Andrew is exactly right- this is not about whether these are good laws or not. That is irrelevant- they are on the books. If Rush broke the law, and there seems to have been enough evidence to warrant an investigation (did anyone on the planet not read the enquirer story?), and enough reason to issue a warrant, then it seems to me the DA is well within her rights.
On the other hand, if the DA looked the other way, it would be entirely because he is ‘Rush Limbaugh.’ So much for equal under the law and all that.
Personally, because of my position on the War on
DrugsYour Neighbor, I hope he gets in no trouble. But if Rush got nailed and sent to prison for five years, maybe all the asshole drug warriors might step back and rethink what they are doing to our society.Kimmitt
If this were not Rush Limbaugh, but instead some other reasonably wealthy man — a successful, uncontroversial lawyer, for example — he would probably not be prosecuted with much vigor and would find it easy to cut a deal if he entered treatment.
If this were a middle-class or indigent person, then he or she could look forward to a fairly brutal prosecution, depending. I’m not sure how race would figure into it, but I’d definitely prefer to be white as versus some other race if I found myself in Rush’s situation.
Rush is being prosecuted because the double standard based on class and race is under the spotlight, so the usual dodges and failures of our justice system are unlikely to occur.
Slartibartfast
Leave it to Eeyore to turn it into a bad thing. Which is it, Kimmitt, good or bad? Or one from column A, two from Column B?
HH
The people you list just aren’t nearly as big a political figure as Limbaugh… it would be a little naive to dismiss the idea that politics is in play here.
HH
As for the Enquirer story… well, it’s an Enquirer story and so far, most of the things alleged there have been unconfirmed, and several experts have claimed the evidence is weak.
Kimmitt
It is exclusively a good thing that Rush is being prosecuted to the full extent of the (shitty-ass) law. I merely point out that his defenders are correct; his celebrity status does fit into the larger picture.
CadillaqJaq
If Limbaugh gets “nailed and sent to jail for five years” it will be a travesty and will make a ‘shitty-ass’ drug law look even shittier.
First bro-to-be Roger Clinton got only 2 1/2 years in ’84 for selling and conspiracy to traffic cocaine, certainly a drug not to be confused with Limbaugh’s pain killers.
It should be interesting to see how this one plays out.
Andrew Lazarus
“The people you list just aren’t nearly as big a political figure as Limbaugh… it would be a little naive to dismiss the idea that politics is in play here.”
Funny, I thought that about Whitewater, Travelgate, Filegate, and Blowjobgate. But, what do I know?
Five years sounds a little harsh for Rush; I’d settle for something long enough to keep him off the air for the election campaign.
Kimmitt
“it will be a travesty and will make a ‘shitty-ass’ drug law look even shittier.”
Hence the “exclusively good thing” aspect — a man who is in favor of draconian drug laws receives the punishment he advocates, and, since he is utterly wrong on the issue, the likelihood of the law goes way up.
There is no part of this which is bad.
Kimmitt
“likelihood of the law changing,” rather.
tom scott
A couple of weeks ago there was a discussion on this blog about how the Patriot Act was being abused. I commented something to the effect of “well, what did ya’ expect?” Now those of you that were horrified that government agents might go to a library to track down your reading habits are all too willing to allow government agents to probe medical records. In this thread Andrew says, “We can have the argument about drug decriminalization some other time; until then, it’s a crime.” John Cole supports that with this comment. “Andrew is exactly right- this is not about whether these are good laws or not. That is irrelevant- they are on the books.”
I’m so confused. So you think it’s acceptable to pry into the medical records in a victimless crime but you are horrified that government agents might track down a terroristic bomb maker through his library records. And you don’t say that it matters not if the Patriot Act are good laws–
they are on the books.
Slartibartfast
Ok, Kimmitt. It sounded as if you were complaining because it was just a sacrificial lamb kind of thing. Maybe I’m just pre-geared for snark when I see your name attached to a post. It’s a shortcoming, I know.
Rate My Body
Money and fame can make imposible posible!
Harry
What bullshit. There are hardly no first time drug offenders, especially addicts, in prison. That’s pure fantasy. It took Robert Downey Jr., Steve Earle, and Scott Wieland several drug related arrests before each was sent to prison, and then none ever served over a year. You cannot force a doctor to give you a prescription he does not want to give, just as you really can’t force a drug dealer (Limbaugh’s ex-maid) to sell you drugs. My guess is Limbaugh’s ex-maid offered to get Limbaugh the drugs, how the hell else would he have found out she was dealing in prescription painkillers. I don’t believe for a second he walked up to her and said get me some painkillers or you’re fired. Whatever Limbaugh is he is smarter than that. So the investigation and possible subsequent prosecution would seem to be more political than actually criminal.
And this quote from Andrew Lazarus, who is a genuine Democrat supporter, “Five years sounds a little harsh for Rush; I’d settle for something long enough to keep him off the air for the election campaign.” proves my point.
cameron
From the sound of the Rush defenders, I wonder why we even have prescription laws on the books.
I mean, if I were to believe them, vicodin and oxycotin…there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to get them over the counter. There’s no harm in them. You see…they are Prescription Drugs. There should be absolutely no laws about their possession or means of acquiring them.
Oh…..there are laws about the proper way to acquire prescription drugs? Well, they OBVIOUSLY don’t apply to Rush. He was just treating pain, that’s all.
Who cares if he got the drugs off the streets(alledgedly). Who cares if he went to 4 different doctors to get prescriptions for the same drugs without informing said doctors of the other 3 he was seeing(alledgedly).
Nothing wrong with that.
You know, I tore my acl 2 years ago, and you know what?….It hurts. I think I will go to the nearest 4 doctors and get some drugs from them. Nothing wrong with that.
Harry
You’re right Cameron I don’t care. I don’t care if Limbaugh does painkillers. I don’t care if you smoke pot. I don’t care if my neighbor does blow. As long as you and they do not cause harm to others. All that I can see Limbaugh doing was enriching his maid until she got caught.
This is America and it is your right to live in pain or to live drug free. And it is your Constitutionally guaranteed right to tell others how to live or what’s right and wrong, but conversely it is my right not to give a shit about anything you say. That’s what makes America great not dumb as shit drug laws.
Kimmitt
…and Rush Limbaugh going to jail will make this country a little less like it is now and a little more like how you believe it should be.
Slartibartfast
No, Rush Limbaugh going to jail will make just about zero difference in the way things are done, and most of his listeners will just tune in to Hugh Hewitt.
Let’s get over it, folks. Rush is popular, but so is Brad Pitt. By killing him, you’ll make him more powerful than you can possibly imagine.
Wait. Had a Star Wars flashback there. I’m all right now.
HH
Yes, a criminal investigation and an independent counsel are completely the same and politics coming into play is just as bad with both. Uh-huh.