DON'T RUSH TO JUDGMENT ON LIMBAUGH'S PILL-POPPING

Those who live by the sword make tempting targets when their own
imperfections are exposed.

Liberals and others skewered by conservative radio talk host Rush Limbaugh
may get a kick out of seeing their old nemesis wound himself.

But addiction to painkillers is no joyride, and anyone struggling to
overcome a dependency born of physical suffering deserves a measure of
sympathy.

Limbaugh is doing the right thing in seeking help. Acknowledging and
confronting a problem is always the first, essential step to healing. What
legal culpability exists from his acquisition of the pills will be sorted
out at a future time. On that score, he should be treated no better and no
worse than other alleged offenders.

In 1995, apparently before Limbaugh began taking painkillers due to an
unsuccessful spinal surgery, he complained that "too many whites are
getting away with drug use. The answer is to . . . find the ones who are
getting away with it, convict them and send them up the river."

The comment does two things: First, it adds a bit of context to the other
recent flap involving Limbaugh -- his assertion on ESPN that Philadelphia
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb is getting favorable treatment because
the media want to see a black quarterback succeed.

Limbaugh's admirers insist that he's no racist, and his willingness to
target whites lends some credence to the claim. In the McNabb incident,
it's probably better to debunk the message than to waste time railing about
the messenger.

Second, Limbaugh's 1995 comment reminds us how little role nuance plays in
his judgments. In the take-no-prisoners world of talk radio, mistakes merit
ridicule, not sympathy, certainly not forgiveness.

When Limbaugh returns to radio, here's hoping he will be drug-free and his
world view will have grown a little more complex.