Newsweek "frames" the Limbaugh story:

The following are excerpts from Newsweek's article by Evan Thomas about Limabugh and his drug use: (emphasis added)

Evan Thomas writes We reply ... for the past several years, [Limbaugh was] living in a private hell of pain and compulsion. It's not yet known if he took the pills for pain or for other reasons (e.g for weight loss or for fun) IN THE END, he was betrayed by his own housekeeper. Poor Rush, "betrayed" by someone. His own housekeeper. How unfair! Limbaugh’s exposure as a pain-pill addict began when Wilma Cline, 42, who had worked at Limbaugh’s $30 million Florida estate from 1997 to July 2001, showed up at the Palm Beach County state attorney’s office late last year eager to sic the cops on her former boss. Poor Rush, the lady wanted to "sic the cops" on him. Her motive remained murky ... Bullshit. 100% top-grade bullshit. She was worried about taking the rap should Limbaugh get caught. That was in the news reports, Evan. The man behind the curtain is not the God of Family Values but a childless, twice-divorced, thrice-married schlub whose idea of a good time is to lie on his couch and watch football endlessly. We all know schlubs are harmless. Journalists who have spent time with Limbaugh have been struck by the contrast between Rush the Radio Know-It-All and the private, ill-at-ease Limbaugh. Yep, we should all reach out and comfort a multi-millionaire who complains when moms on welfare have "luxuries" like a microvave oven. (We vividly remember that rant from a while back.) Limbaugh’s own mother remarked on his somewhat passive-aggressive reticence as a child. Little Rush was “very quiet”. Let's bring in the mother to tug on the heartstrings. "Little Rush"? [His mother said] at Halloween, “he really didn’t care much for trick or treating. He would rather stay at home." And Halloween is coming up in just a few weeks. It's too sad for words. ... Limbaugh’s father never quite approved of his career path, and ... Rush would be depressed and deflated every time he got off the phone with his dad. Poor, poor, Rush. ... despite his on-air bombast, Limbaugh is known for his politeness, even gentleness at times Gentle, polite Limbaugh --- NOT! Limbaugh’s dependence on painkillers began after an unsuccessful back surgery in the late ’90s. Prove it. Gary Bauer, president of the conservative organization American Values, drew a distinction between a crack addict and Limbaugh’s brand of addiction. “From a moral standpoint, there’s a difference between people who go out and seek a high and get addicted and the millions of Americans dealing with pain who inadvertently get addicted” It sure looks to us like Limbaugh was seeking a high. News reports citing the housekeeper do not make references to Limbaugh being in pain and therefore needing pills.

UPDATE: Yes, we found what we were looking for in our computer archives!

Here is the picture that accompanied a New York Times article about welfare moms in California. (enlarged 200%) -



The thrust of the story was that the state of California was paying such families to move out of the state. This picture was of someone who was living in an apartment in the central valley. Rush Limbaugh seized on the story - and the accompanying picture - to complain that this lady was living the high life. Basing his analysis solely on the picture, Limbaugh was outraged that there was a dishwasher and a microwave oven in the kitchen.

[The New York Times story ran on Monday, 18 June 2001, and Limbaugh made comments on his radio show that same day. From the NYTimes abstract: Tulare County, Calif, which is one of poorest counties in US has been paying average of $1,600 per month to more than 750 welfare families to move almost anywhere in country ...]

We were driving around listening to Limbaugh at the time and were startled at his mean-spiritedness. Complaining about a microwave oven? Look at the picture. It's under the counter. Those things cost about $80. What would satisfy Limbaugh? Welfare recipients living in a tent with no heat?

He's a son of a bitch.     Don't forget it.   And don't let reporters like Evan Thomas mislead you.

posted by Quiddity at 10/13/2003 01:16:00 AM