CURE COULD GIVE LIMBAUGH IMPORTANT PERSPECTIVE

Like most people who come across as self-righteous, authoritative and
outspoken, radio talk superstar Rush Limbaugh is a "love him or hate him"
kind of guy.

Some detractors might even take a little satisfaction from his recent
disclosure that he's a pain-pill junkie who has failed repeatedly to kick
the habit. Limbaugh has, after all, never been shy about pointing up the
failings of others, especially the Democrats, liberals and "feminazis" he so
gleefully despised for millions of listeners each day.

Now Limbaugh's tidy little world, where the right is always right, has
cracked, maybe even shattered. Turns out he's human, one of millions who
took prescription medication for pain and got hooked. Limbaugh might have
destroyed himself, as many addicts quietly do, had he not been "outed" by a
supermarket tabloid. Now he's off the air, trying again to reach recovery
and, publicly at least, not blaming anyone but himself. That's a big first
step.

Assuming he can make it back to his 600-station network -- a survey found 94
percent of his listeners would welcome his return -- Limbaugh could be an
important voice in the national addiction debate. No, he's not likely to
become a bleeding heart, pleading for government aid programs for drug
users. But he can, if he's willing, explain how this can happen to anyone,
regardless of social stature or political persuasion, encourage people to
recognize the signs of addiction and seek help, and use his enormous clout
to support research on other ways to control pain.

What he can't do is act as if nothing happened, not when millions of
listeners swear by his every word. Limbaugh needn't become a proselytizer
for self-help programs. That would cost him his audience, anyway. But as a
national figure with a powerful microphone, he has an opportunity -- even a
responsibility -- to turn his personal devastation into a public message.