What Rush would say if Bill Clinton had a drug problem

[chaumont58]

Atrios reports on a StLouis Post Dispatch column where the writer does a parady of how Rush would handle reporting on a Bill Clinton drug abuse story similar to Rush's.

link to Atrios:

http://www.atrios.blogspot.com/

link to the column:

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/Bill+McClellan/25FF9A36D42606EA86256DBE001517F2?OpenDocument&Headline=If+Bill+Clinton+were++an+addict,+here\'s+how+Rush+might+spin+it

excerpt of column:

"Lots to talk about today. You all know already that Bill Clinton, our former president, has admitted an addiction to prescription drugs.

"It's interesting to see the way the liberal media are playing this. I'm looking at a copy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Saturday, October 11th, edition - the day after the big announcement. Well, the story is on Page 2, and right next to his photograph, in large boldface print, is the following quote: 'I take full responsibility for this problem.'

"That's interesting, folks, because if you look at his actual statement - not what the liberal media say he said, but what he really said - you get a different take on it. First, he says he's got back problems. So he's blaming it on that. Then he says he had surgery, but the surgery wasn't successful. So he's blaming it on the doctors. Then he says the pain medication was addictive. So he's blaming it on the pharmaceutical companies. Folks, he blames it on everybody but himself! But as long as he puts in that obligatory line about taking responsibility, that's what the liberal media are going to grab: Clinton takes full responsibility"

end snip>

Apparently, the columnist is getting hammered by freepers,
if anyone reads the column and wants to send the writer an attaboy, here is his email address:

[e-mail]

Ain't it great having the grownups back in charge?

[BigBigBigBear]

1. Wow

This guy absolutely nails it.

[piece sine]

5. If I may...If I might....

A very senior Democratic elfer once admonished me to kick your enemies when they are up, not down. We've torn into Rush for a long time and we're all happy to the hypocrite hoisted on his own flagpole. But are emotionally satisfying ourselves at the cost of making a martyr out of him? He's got a lifetime contract at over $80 million and 20 million fans who forgave him before he even admitting his re-occuring drug problem. Just hate to shoot ourselves in the foot -- making Rush even bigger on the rebound than he was before.

And as for recreational drug management....some of us are brilliant and keeping all our pill-popping and drinking and smoking down to a dull roar without re-hab. But other posters here have de-toxed only after a great personal struggle. All claim to be stronger because of it. Will a tan, rested and sober Rush carry-on as before, like he's contracted to do, or will he learn from his third trip to the abyss and be more compassionate? And would be "forgive" him if he repented?

I ask these questions not to get flamed -- although I will -- but because giving issues a 360-degree perspective makes DU more relevant and thought-provoking. MANY, MANY outsiders now read these threads every day and I'd like to win a few of them over.

[Sagan]

7. It's a nice thought, piece sine...

However, it is always far more difficult to hurt an enemy when they are up as opposed to when they are down.

Patton said "Hold them by the nose while you kick them in the pants" and I think that ruthlessness applies to politics as well.

Karma, if nothing else, demands that the PigBoy be stomped mercilessly. Fortunately, he did it all to himself, so it's not like WE shoved pills down his throat.

Too bad, so sad... Rush deserves the Limbaugh Treatment.

[denverbill]

14. Fatso Limbaugh called Chelsea the Whitehouse dog when she was 13.

He did it on national TV.

He's blamed more things on Bill Clinton than Bill could've accomplished in 100 years as President, ranging from murder to treason to drug trafficking to child molestation.

He's kicked celebrity drug abusers when they were down, especially if they were minorities or liberals (Daryl Strawberry, Robert Downey).

He gets no sympathy and no slack in my book. He has been the most divisive voice politically in US history.

Screw Rush.

[caledesi]

9. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful...I can almost hear Rush while reading.

[Wickerman]

2. Nice find

the liberal media is giving ol Rush as much of a pass on him as they possibly can. This was not a victimless crime - Black market drugs were bought and paid for with someones blood or at the least from a dibilitating robbery or break-in.

[Flying_Pig]

4. He gets no sympathy from me, drugs or no. The man is a pig...

and would be the first, given the chance, to stomp on someone who was a Dem or a liberal, who suffered the same problem. Besides, the man is a multi-millionaire many times over. Unlike many people with addictions, he could have afforded all the help he needed to overcome his addiction. Why didn't he? That is a question that needs to be answered.

With our prisons overflowing with drug users, and drug treatment programs closing down, in part because of the no-tax/cut-the-budget platforms of Rush and his beloved Repuglians, this jerk will do no time, and never see a jail cell. The injustice of it all makes me want to scream!!

:grr:

[kcwayne]

10. Actually, they have arrested

the owners of the pharmacy that were selling the narcotic to middlemen, who were in turn selling it to Rush's maid.

Since the police determined that the providers of the narcotic were committing a felony, it will be interesting to see how they spin away from not chargin Rush with the same offenses that they will undoubtedly lay on the rest of the supply chain they have uncovered.

[Wickerman]

12. thanks

hadn't seen that. Good ol Rush, continuing to fuck up other's lives. Not that the pharms should get off free - but his habit and his money helped them in their crimes. they pay, he will write an inspirational book and sell millions.

[LeahMira]

3. "Attaboy" sent!

This is exactly the right tone! Short e-mail sent encouraging Mr. McClellan to keep up the good work.

[mac56]

11. I sent one too!

Hope he gets a ton more.

[darkstar]

6. Having stayed away from this topic

here at DU and w/ friends, being of the "malice towards none" camp, I broke down and became vicious in a heated debate w/ a co-worker complaining about media bias against Rush.


First, across the weekend, Rush would have had his "crack" staff running down every golf game Clinton has played, charity event or private, from 98 on and would be invoking OJ's name w/ Clinton's on his show even as I write this.

Second, Rush would have been using the quote from the original article re: going to detox in two weeks and wanting more pills so he could "go out with a bang" to "prove" it was recreational use of these drugs, not pain related.

Third, he would talk about how the biased media still covers for Cinton when they repeatedly point out that Clinton was only being honest *now* because he got caught. "WRONG!" El Rusbo would say, "He's still not being honest. He liked to *party* with these drugs. His back clearly was never that much of an issue for him otherwise, how could he have played 18 holes of golf with Martin Sheen and Dave Matthews 9 weeks after his back surgery in 98 or with Rohm Emanuel just 6 weeks ago? Clinton is simply not capable of being honest under *any cisumstances*. We know this. And this once again proves it."

EDIT: All golf dates, intended to reflect back to Limbaugh himself via my *guess* at what he would be saying today re: Clinton, are made up.

[Evil_Dewers]

8. I sent Bill McClellan a praising e-mail...

I told him I was glad he pointed out Rush's hypocrisy and told him not to worry about e-mails from the dittojunkies since they are hypocrites as well. I also told him I am a subscriber to the paper he works for (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) and encouraged him to keep up the great work.

Bill McClellan is a Vietnam war vet and is politically left of center. He is on the panel of a politically based TV show called Donnybrook produced locally by our PBS affiliate and shown every Thursday night.

[Mandate My Ass]

13. I sent him a short thank you email

It was well-deserved for cleverness and courage.