The Australian – October 26, 2006:
STEM cell research is back on the political agenda in the lead-up to the US mid-term elections after influential right-wing commentator Rush Limbaugh accused actor Michael J.Fox of faking the severity of his Parkinson’s disease in a campaign television commercial.
“He is exaggerating the effects of the disease,” Limbaugh, whose views make Sydney shock jock Alan Jones seem moderate, told his legion of 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.”
In a riveting, poignant campaign commercial for Democratic candidates in three US states who support stem cell research, Fox – who was forced to retire from acting in 2000 because of Parkinson’s – shakes and trembles very badly.
“This is the only time I’ve ever seen Michael J.Fox portray any of the symptoms of the disease he has,” Limbaugh said on his radio show. “He can barely control himself.”
Mr. Limbaugh is certainly an expert on taking his medication.
Hes not faking it!
Rush really has no clue what he is talking about:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/24/AR2006102400691.html
Anyone defending rush on this one needs to have their heads examined.
rush never ‘apologized’ and was attacking him again…and if you see the video of him ‘acting’ out the shaking Fox went through, you’d be as disgusted as I was.
rush is a pill popping hypocrite. The medications that Fox takes for his disease do indeed make the shaking worse, as what Parkinson’s does is essentially kill the ability for the victim to have any movement at all.
rush is indeed a representation of the broad base of the ‘conservative’ right, and it’s good to see this ugliness just 2 weeks before elections – let’s get those right wingers tossed out of office on the way to getting a Democrat back in the Oval Office, and restore some sanity to this country.
I am a democrat, and i dont think micheal j fox, a canadian, and an actor should be trying to help us win, especially in missouri talking about stem cells, I mean honestly it wasnt a wise move. Its tough enough trying to win a southern state without some hollywood type thinking they are helping. They were doing so well too.
#7 I would be happy to provide you a ticket to Cuba, Hanoi, Venezuela or the Leftist paradise of your choice.
Those of you who are trying to make this a left versus right debate are the kind of assholes making this company such a shitty place to live.
This has nothing to do with Rush Limbaugh’s political leanings. It has everything to do with him being an insensitive asshole toward someone who is trying to make a difference in the lives of people with his disease.
But go ahead… defend an overweight drug addicted jackass entertainer who plays a pundit on radio. It speaks volumes about your character.
It’s most intriguing to me that a good number of the above posts spout about how Limbaugh is personally attacking Fox, then proceed into brainless vitriolic personal attacks themselves. Dvorak, even your original post does that. You liberals define yourselves with every word you say and every action you take.
I still think we should only listen to John Stewart on the Daily Show. I wonder how he gets such guests like the president of Pakistan on there? John Stewart for president!
#39 – Thank you for yet another sterling example of Logic-Free Reasoning©™.
I am continually flabbergasted at alleged “workings” of the right-wing brain. In case you hadn’t noticed, your idol Limburger gratuitously attacked Mr. Fox. The attacks on the obese bloviator were anything but gratuitous – they were in response to his baseless, slimy, below-the-belt, playing-to-the-cheap-seats accusation.
Or in words comprehensible to even The Decider hisself:
1. RL attacking MJF was UNcalled-for.
2. Us attacking RLWAS called-for – by #1.
“Capisci?” Asked The Ghoti
#29 – Satan has nothing on us: He doesn’t get donations.
There is a side point to this issue: Obesity is a disease, so making fun of the formerly fat-ass Rush is the same as making fun of the currently shakey Fox. In other words, you’re all no better than Limbaugh.
…and #38?
Ah, let me clue you in on a small detail that apparently went over your head like an F-111 over a rice paddy: Michael J. Fox is [cue the screeching violins] an actor!
Had your subscription to Mother Jones not run out, you might have learned some time back that right-wingnuts view Hollywood as Sodom with Mercedes and palm trees.
Of course there are exceptions for “their” kind of people…
Maybe you think Rush would just as soon slam Charlton Heston as Michael J.? Get a fucking clue.
So Adviseth The Ghoti
#43 – I love how righties like yourself play the PC card when it suits their hypocritical purposes.
“Obesity is a disease.” Ya. My hairy yellow ass.
Obesity is, in fact, for some people, a disease. And for some other people, such as the esteemed Mr. L, it’s nothing but the payoff for being a gross, self-indulgent pig.
So Oinketh The Ghoti
I would trust a lying Fox before I trusted a truthful Limbaugh. Which one would you want to be stuck on an island with?
Rush Limbaugh is a big, fat, drug-addicted, perverted, idiot!
>branded it a law to allow cloning. While this is obviously a false
Well it is a law to allow cloning. I missed it myself the first time I read it.
2. …any stem cell research permitted under federal law may be conducted in Missouri,
(1) No person may clone or attempt to clone a human being.
The (1) refers to reproductive cloning, that you can’t bring the clone to term. However, the first part that allows everything else is the key. Stem cell research, including embryo stem-cell research is allwoed under federal law, and that includes so-called ‘therapeutic cloning,’ ‘somatic nuclear cell transfer,’ etc.
I am a democrat, and i dont think micheal j fox, a canadian, and an actor should be trying to help us win,
While being born a Canadian, I’m 99% certain he has become a US citizen. I strongly remember him being interviewed for the presidential election (can’t remember if it was 2000 or 2004) and saying ho whappy he was that he could vote in it now that he was a US citizen.
Of course he is still an actor!
OhForTheLoveOf
Can you please shut the hell up with the stupid south park lines and say something original? Maybe the left wing media (or is it right wing now?) brainwashed you, so all you can spew is meaningless bullshit.
There are extremists at both sides of the political wings, and they are both damaged. The problem with our media is the only people who get any attention are these super conservatives, or the bleeding heart liberals. Anyone else with a head on their shoulders and common sense is ignored by the media.
Next Rush will be caught buggering a congressional Page and suddenly neocons will start justifying nambla.
After reading this, found a Tom Toles (Left Of Center) cartoon that looks at another possibility.
J/P=?
#48, you demonstrate your lazy lack of knowledge. First whose name is on top of this blog? Second, Rush did not plead guilty. He plead NOT guilty. Learn to read. Your seething foaming-at-the mouth liberal rage blinds you to the true facts.
And to think I felt bad for Rush when he went blind.
I can now only assume when God checked the “Diseases Rush Limbaugh will get” checkbox he meant to hit either mute or parkinsons instead of blind.
Rush was blind the first day he began talking on the radio.
#44 …and #38?
> Ah, let me clue you in on a small detail
> that apparently went over your head
> like an F-111 over a rice paddy: Michael
> J. Fox is [cue the screeching violins] an
> actor!
So do you believe actors are immune from this disease? Yes it possible that he exagerated a little. It is also possible that that they where completely real.
—
#5
> He has also been on the TV show Boston
> Legal several times and has never
> appeared anything like in ad
You don’t think that they may have had record the scenes a few times to try and get the one with the least symptoms do you? Or perhaps he was trying very hard to supprese the the movements? Where in the add he made no effort to do anything other then be himself?
#51 – No. I cannot shut up AND say something original. You need to pick one… but i don’t give a damn what you choose.
#52 – Dragging out a real golden oldie from the bullshit closet. The only reason you can sit there in the safety of your home and question my patriotism is because I can’t kick your ass from here. Fuck you. This is my nation too, and I am dedicated to it.
#55 – The guy you are criticizing for not knowing who’s blog this is, is the guy who posted this thread and one of the editors of this blog. Who looks like an idiot?
——
Why did I not take this thread seriously and post my South Park inspired hyperbole? Because that is what belongs in these threads. This isn’t Chamberlain and Churchill. We aren’t talking about statesmen or even serious political players… and this bullshit pulls all the cranks out of the woodwork.
Rush is in the league with Coulter, Hannity, and O’Reilly. These guys are blowhards and idiots and there is no way to credibly defend the absurd and offensive statements they make except to say that they are not serious voices and they are purely entertainment. If your sense of entertainment is that sick.
We should be talking about stem cell research and all the related issues. But we are just wasting bandwidth talking about the opinions of Rush Limbaugh.
Obviously the attempt at humor in my indignant rant some thirty posts ago was very subtle and very bad. I apologize. Lesson learned. But that doesn’t change the fact that this aspect of the stem cell debate isn’t a topic that deserves real consideration.
OhForTheLoveOf, the only reason I can question your patriotism is because you have none and you hate your country. Name calling does not change that, nor does your laughable threatening of me. You cannot refute the fact Communism has killed over 100,000,000 since 1917. You seem to love it, but you don’t go live under the system you advocate for. Maybe you can tell us why all Marxist countries have failed and the only way they have saved themselves is with capitalism? Or maybe you can just threaten people and try to feel like you’re not a failure. You’re just a sad man leading a sad life.
“Rush is in the league with Coulter, Hannity, and O’Reilly.”
You forget one more point about these four. Not ONE of them served their country. Typical neocon cowards – let someone else’s kid die for dubya.
Why do all you BLOG hyper righties always ignore this little fact?
#59
Wow… there is actually a sick son of a bitch more depraved and loathsome than Rush himself…
I sleep well knowing I am an American, and that I am a better American than you.
Every since this story hit, people have been calling me, approaching me on the street, e-mailing me, asking me this:
“Lauren, I’ve tried and I’ve tried, but I just cannot for the life of me remember how to tell the difference between Rush Limbaugh and the Hindenburg!”
OK, folks, here’s the difference:
One is a huge, flaming Nazi gasbag. The other one is a dirigible.
Lauren gets bonus points for that one, har!
The worst thing in this is Rush’s half-hearted apology, in which he admitted he might be wrong, then went on to immediately find something else to attack Fox over.
Be an man. Either apologise, or refuse to apologise.
The worst thing in this is Rush’s half-hearted apology, in which he admitted he might be wrong, then went on to immediately find something else to attack Fox over.
Be an man. Either apologise, or refuse to apologise.