Rush Limbaugh Prior To and Since Treatment

Al Franken is right. Rush Limbaugh really is a big fat idiot. He’s been the paragon of virtue, self reliance and personal responsibility for years. Today he came back to work after five weeks of rehab and told us that “he can finally be himself” and “he can’t continue to depend on others for his own happiness”. If he wasn’t himself before, who were we listening to? Who did we agree with when we heard that if you want to quit cigarettes or lose weight, as Rush did, you can just do it? He told us on November 17, 2003 that he couldn’t possibly have learned what he learned about himself without the rehab program. So before and during his addiction to OxyContin, self reliance and independence formed the path to success, fulfillment and freedom, but since HIS addiction that’s no longer true. Rush Limbaugh is a big fat narcissist.

“Until you like yourself no one else will like you and that’s what’s wrong with the Democrats”. Whew! The Rush Limbaugh Show will, from now on, consist of two periods. “B.T.” and “A.T.” – “Before Treatment” and “After Treatment”. Rush A.T. will base his commentary on what he learned ABOUT HIMSELF in rehab and Rush B.T., the Rush who started from scratch to reach twenty million people a day, wasn’t the Rush we thought.

Millions of people abuse drugs and continue to function well. Rush was one of them. His drug habit isn’t important nor does it necessarily indicate an important weakness. If he had come back on the air on November 17 and told us that he kicked a bad habit and “so what”, he would have deserved respect and remained true to the image he’s developed. Instead, he admitted that he doesn’t have the will power or resolve that he has vociferously, and rightly, demanded of others. What does he stand for now? He never has been a particularly coherent orator but the principles he promoted were sound. Now he’ll have to reconcile one Rush with another. It was clear in the first ten minutes of the A.T. era that the two are irreconcilable. His following will sustain him for a time but from November 17, 2003 on his rhetoric will be hollow and his message thin.

Al Franken should take one of Rush’s pet phrases for the title for his next book, “See. I Told You So”. Limbaugh told us in the first few minutes of the show on Monday that he didn’t prepare for his return. Despite the importance of the event and the peril his reputation was in, he didn’t take the time to consider his audience or develop a strategy. The way he handled his return verified he isn’t trying. Of course that shouldn’t have surprised anyone. Losing his job at ESPN in a week by repeating Jimmy The Greek’s blunder proves he doesn’t plan what he says on the air. He deserves his coming decline. Not because of drug use but because of misuse and misunderstanding of his position and himself and laziness.

On Monday Rush said, “My behavour doesn’t change what is right or wrong. Just because I behaved in a manner that was contrary to what I said doesn’t make me a hypocrite” and “You’re transferring your values to others and you can’t do that.” Whew again. If you knew Rush B.T., and subscribed to what you thought were his principles, you’ll find him hard to stomach now.

© Robert A. Crimmins, Felton, Delaware, USA