printRush Limbaugh’s sneering assault on Michael J. Fox’s affliction was utterly depraved. A human being with a head and a heart would have stuck to the issue, rather than level such a cruel attack on a disfigured and suffering human being.
The issue is this: The Founders bequeathed a central government of delegated and enumerated powers. Intellectual property laws are the only constitutional means at Congress’s disposal with which to “promote the Progress of Science. (About their merit Thomas Jefferson, himself an inventor, was unconvinced). Research and development (R&D) spending is nowhere among Congress’s constitutional legislative powers.
Implied in Democratic petit mals about Stem Cell research is that if the House didn’t mulct taxpayers of R&D money, there’d be no R&D. Not according to the United States Department of Health & Human Services: “Based on 2002 data, one study reports that private sector research and development in stem cells was being conducted by approximately 1000 scientists in over 30 firms. Aggregate spending was estimated at $208 million. Geron Corporation alone reported that it spent more than $70 million on stem cell research by September 2003.
In the Stem Cell Business News Guide to Stem Cell Companies (Feb 2003), 61 U.S. and international companies are listed as pursuing some form of research or therapeutic product development involving stem cells. What do you know? The private sector has already been beavering away, for some time now, exploring the promise—or lack thereof—of stem cells.
Limbaugh needed only to remind Fox (and himself and his party) of a thing called the Constitution; he needed to berate Fox only for using his celebrity to petition congress for money not his—tax dollars. Limbaugh ought to have suggested Fox raise money for private research among his stinking rich friends, not pickpocket the taxpayer. Instead Limbaugh climbed into a cripple.
Later, Limbaugh offered a lame apology, the main purpose of which was to point out how magnanimous he was: “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.”
I very much agree here, Ilana. Limbaugh’s attack on Fox is unwarranted and disgraceful.
While I normally have scant sympathy for Hollywood Marxists and their endless political campaigns, Mr. Fox deserves some basic decency here. He suffers form a serious disease, first and foremost. Moreover, Mr. Fox has not been a particularly ‘activist’ Hollywood type in any case. I think he was even once known as a ‘Hollywood Conservative’ – though it’s difficult to determine what exactly what that means in light of the Governernator Aaahnodt’s supposed “conservatism.” (Somewhere to the right of Tovarishchi Lenin and Trotsky, I suppose.)
One would think that in light of Limbaugh’s own addiction problems with Oxycontin, that he’d be a bit more reluctant to resort to claims of this nature. Worse yet, Limbaugh’s horrible behavior may well have cost Jim Talent his MO Senate seat. Talent isn’t a bad GOP Senator, and he’s certainly far better than his Dhimmicrat Marxist opponent posing as a “moderate.”
Oh well, there is a reason, after all, that the Republicans are known as “the stupid party.”
Rush couldn’t stick with the facts, because the party that he is a mouth piece for is just as guilty of overstepping the constitutional authority granted to the government. A 14+ trillion dollar debt proves that. Not to mention that the “conservative” President Bush has spent 4 times as much on “socialist” programs that are unconsitutional than Bill Clinton did in his 8 years of bankrupting America. It really is just a matter of whose ox is being gored.
Steve
Most Americans do not understand the Constitution. To most Americans, it is just an “old” piece of paper. With that kind of attitude, it is no wonder that we are paying for every conceivable “program” put forward by Congress.
So, who is familiar with the effects of Parkinson’s Disease? Who can recognize them? Janet Reno had a bad case of it. I had a piano teacher that had it, and a special friend from college days that has it now. It generally produces a trembling, because the muscles are flexing involuntarily.
I for one have never seen any effects like those displayed by MJFox. That’s a simple truth. I don’t know what Rush is familiar with, or isn’t, in the way of Parkinson’s symptoms.
I think many people are over-reacting to Rush’s reaction. Ignorance on all sides, perhaps. I think what really offended Rush was the idea that someone would display his ailment as a political ad. Now even disease is politicized! “Vote for this candidate, and I’ll be healed” sort of thing. I find that quite offensive, myself.
But, sometimes, offense is articulated inaccurately. We express outrage over the wrong thing, or a side thing, and miss this point or that…
MJFox has a perfect right to say whatever he wants, and to campaign for whomever he wants, in whatever way he wants. But should disease make him invulnerable to personal criticism?
This is Ann Coulter’s point about liberals using “victims” as shields against any argument against the victim’s political advocacy.
Seems low down to me. I would have commented on the MJFox situation, too. I would have said things differently, however. Maybe even different things.
So, apparently Limbaugh’s reaction to Fox pushed the Missouri issues over the top. Embryonic stem cell research passed, along with McCaskill. The real issues were wholly lost in an emotional reaction. Embryonic stem cell research has not produce one positive result. It’s connected with huge liberal government grants, supported by Abortionists and the ACLU. Adult stem cell research has provided many cures already. And the proposition in Missouri, which passed, is really about cloning possibilities.
All this was lost on the reaction to Limbaugh. [It was LOST on Limbaugh as well!]