Rush Limbaugh On the Offensive Against Ad With Michael J. Fox

It's become par for the course for Bush supporters. If someone says anything that is out of line with the administration's position, then they will be attacked immediately and their integrity will be questioned.

However, until now, the sick have been left alone. Until yesterday, when Rush Limbaugh - who is himself said to be suffering from an addiction to certain medications - launched an attack on Michael J. Fox claiming he was "faking" the effects of Parkinson's disease.

"He is exaggerating the effects of the disease," Limbaugh told listeners. "He's moving all around and shaking and it's purely an act. . . . This is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting."

Limbaugh, whose syndicated radio program has a weekly audience of about 10 million, was reacting to Fox's appearance in another one of the spots, for Missouri Democrat Claire McCaskill, running against Republican Sen. James M. Talent.

But the Cardin ad is similar. It is hard to watch, unless, for some reason, you don't believe it. As he speaks, Fox's restless torso weaves and writhes in a private dance. His head bobs from side to side, almost leaving the video frame.

"This is the only time I've ever seen Michael J. Fox portray any of the symptoms of the disease he has," Limbaugh said. "He can barely control himself."

The crime that Fox committed was to say publicly that he supported stem cell research, a subject that has incensed the religious right in the US.

Parkinson Disease experts were quick to condemn Limbaugh's outrageous remarks:

"It's a shameless statement," John Rogers said yesterday. Rogers, Fox's political adviser, who also serves on the board of the Parkinson's Action Network, added: "It's insulting. It's appallingly sad, at best."

"Anyone who knows the disease well would regard his movement as classic severe Parkinson's disease," said Elaine Richman, a neuroscientist in Baltimore who co-wrote "Parkinson's Disease and the Family." "Any other interpretation is misinformed."

Fox was campaigning yesterday for Tammy Duckworth, a congressional candidate, outside Chicago, when he alluded to Limbaugh's remarks. "It's ironic, given some of the things that have been said in the last couple of days, that my pills are working really well right now," he said, according to a report on the CBS2 Web site.

The most accurate statement on the whole affair was that of John Rogers when he called it "shameless". There can be no better description of the work that has been done over the past few years by the "journalists" who have financially enriched themselves - way beyond anything that their talent deserves - by being prepared to defend any position that the administration puts forward.

I am thinking of Coulter, Hannity, O'Reilly and Limbaugh specifically. These are Republican shills. People who will literally defend anything in order to pocket their filthy lucre.

In the age of Fox News such people are allowed access to the media for no other reason than that they are prepared to publicly defend the indefensible. They will look at Iraq and see victory. They will view anyone with a dissenting viewpoint as a traitor and call for their execution. They will publicly insist that patriotism is subservience to the government's viewpoint.

And for taking this standpoint they will be substantially enriched.

Limbaugh, by attacking the ailing Mr Fox, may have crossed a line; but his disgraceful behaviour is typical of supporters of this administration. He has since apologised but only so that he could throw another charge at Mr Fox:

"Now people are telling me they have seen Michael J. Fox in interviews and he does appear the same way in the interviews as he does in this commercial," Limbaugh said, according to a transcript on his Web site. "All right then, I stand corrected. . . . So I will bigly, hugely admit that I was wrong, and I will apologize to Michael J. Fox, if I am wrong in characterizing his behavior on this commercial as an act."

Then Limbaugh pivoted to a different critique: "Michael J. Fox is allowing his illness to be exploited and in the process is shilling for a Democratic politician."

Fox is now "shilling" for a Democrat. Because, God forbid he might actually be a man suffering from a disease who thinks stem cell research might actually benefit people suffering from Parkinson's.

Michael J. Fox was not paid for his contribution to this debate, Rush Limbaugh was handsomely rewarded. So, who's the "shill"?

Here is Michael J. Fox "faking it". When you watch the ad, Limbaugh's accusation becomes even more disgusting, were such a thing to be possible.



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