RIGHT HYPOCRITICAL ON DRUGS

When Rush Limbaugh faced criticism for his racially charged remarks about
Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb, I will admit that my interest in
writing about him was raised but not peaked.

I thought to myself, what did ESPN really expect anyway from a loud-mouthed
ultra-conservative? As I expected, he cowardly resigned from his position
for fear of possibly getting fired.

Then I heard the initial reports of an investigation of Limbaugh concerning
the purchase of powerful prescription painkillers on the black market.

How random does that sound? Just random enough to be true, you might say.

On Oct. 2, The New York Daily News independently confirmed that Limbaugh was
turned in by his former housekeeper who allegedly supplied Limbaugh with
pills for four years.

In another cowardly move, in the same fashion of his resignation from ESPN,
Limbaugh becomes some kind of stoic figure, confessing about his addiction
to painkillers and taking feigned responsibility for his addiction by
checking himself into a drug rehab center and ultimately avoiding further
questions from investigators and reporters.

During an on-air statement Limbaugh said, "I'm not a victim. I'm not going
to portray myself as a victim. I take full responsibility for myself."

Limbaugh is obviously toying with the media and playing this role of the
solid "Christian conservative" who has some slight vices.

Vices that are apparently as negligible as President George W. Bush's
cocaine experimentation and William Bennett's gambling addiction.

Limbaugh has now become conservatives' most loveable drug addict with his
honesty and respect for his loyal public.

It is great that the American public wants a conservative white male to
succeed in media and politics.

I am disgusted not at Limbaugh's admitted addiction but at the years of
political incorrectness and inflammatory rhetoric he conveniently uses at
his own discretion.

I am tired of lessons about values and the "survivability of the American
way of life" from people like Limbaugh.

What is saddening is that fallibility is allowed for people like Limbaugh
and no one else.

Analysts have even suggested Limbaugh's comments about McNabb were
influenced by his substance abuse.

Zealous conservatives will never see the hypocrisy in their actions when
they brutally humiliate people for offenses that they themselves commit.

Regardless of what Limbaugh says, he is seen as the victim while a poor
Mexican juvenile with two ounces of marijuana is seen as a troubled criminal
who, according to Newt Gingrich, should be put to death for drug smuggling.

The biased judgments need to stop.

What should we expect next?

Limbaugh will eventually be released from drug rehab after repenting for his
sins, and his adoring fans will boast again while federal investigators will
be calmed to a dull roar.

Hell, in the end, sports analysts and commentators will be questioning
Donovan McNabb's performance on the football field longer than the American
public will question Rush Limbaugh's hypocrisy.