bobbob1313 Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Limbaugh mocks Michael J. Fox political adConservative talk show host accuses actor of faking Parkinson's diseaseBy David Montgomery Possibly worse than making fun of someone's disability is saying that it's imaginary. That is not to mock someone's body, but to challenge a person's guts, integrity, sanity. To Rush Limbaugh on Monday, Michael J. Fox looked like a faker. The actor, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, has done a series of political ads supporting candidates who favor stem cell research, including Maryland Democrat Ben Cardin, who is running against Republican Michael Steele for the Senate seat being vacated by Paul Sarbanes. "He is exaggerating the effects of the disease," Limbaugh told 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." Limbaugh, whose syndicated radio program has a weekly audience of about 10 million, was reacting to Fox's appearance in another one of the spots, for Missouri Democrat Claire McCaskill, running against Republican Sen. James M. Talent. But the Cardin ad is similar. It is hard to watch, unless, for some reason, you don't believe it. As he speaks, Fox's restless torso weaves and writhes in a private dance. His head bobs from side to side, almost leaving the video frame. "This is the only time I've ever seen Michael J. Fox portray any of the symptoms of the disease he has," Limbaugh said. "He can barely control himself." 'A shameless statement'Later Monday, still on the air, Limbaugh would apologize, but reaction to his statements from Parkinson's experts and Fox's supporters was swift and angry. "It's a shameless statement," John Rogers said yesterday. Rogers, Fox's political adviser, who also serves on the board of the Parkinson's Action Network, added: "It's insulting. It's appallingly sad, at best." "Anyone who knows the disease well would regard his movement as classic severe Parkinson's disease," said Elaine Richman, a neuroscientist in Baltimore who co-wrote "Parkinson's Disease and the Family." "Any other interpretation is misinformed." Fox was campaigning yesterday for Tammy Duckworth, a congressional candidate, outside Chicago, when he alluded to Limbaugh's remarks. "It's ironic, given some of the things that have been said in the last couple of days, that my pills are working really well right now," he said, according to a report on the CBS2 Web site. After his apology, Limbaugh shifted his ground and renewed his attack on Fox. "Now people are telling me they have seen Michael J. Fox in interviews and he does appear the same way in the interviews as he does in this commercial," Limbaugh said, according to a transcript on his Web site. "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." Then Limbaugh pivoted to a different critique: "Michael J. Fox is allowing his illness to be exploited and in the process is shilling for a Democratic politician." 'Hope to millions of Americans'Limbaugh's shock at Fox's appearance is a measure of the disease's devastation, advocates say. Contrary to the charge that Fox might not take his medicine to enhance his symptoms, the medicine produces some of the uncontrolled body movements. "Stem cell research offers hope to millions of Americans with diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's," Fox says in the Cardin ad. "But George Bush and Michael Steele would put limits on the most promising stem cell research." Fox has appeared in ABC's "Boston Legal" this season. In his scenes, taped over the summer, Fox does not shake or loll his head as he does in the Cardin commercial, but does appear to be restraining himself, appearing almost rigid at times. A source with direct knowledge of Fox's illness who viewed the Cardin ad said Fox is not acting to exaggerate the effects of the disease. The source said Fox's scenes in "Boston Legal" had to be taped around his illness, as he worked to control the tremors associated with Parkinson's for limited periods of time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Rush Limbaugh for President!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edie Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Jesus. Can Limbaugh be a bigger dick? I ask you -- can he?? This is up there with Ann Coulter stating whatever she did about the 9/11 widows expoliting their husbands' deaths. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jakobnicholas Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Rush indeed went over the line. But he has a point about Fox's ad being misleading. Jim Talent of Missouri actually supports stem cell....ADULT stem cell. He does not support EMBRYONIC stem cell. Neither does Jeff Suppan, Patricia Heaton, Mike Sweeney and Jim Caviezal.... St. Louis, MO (LifeNews.com) -- Pro-life advocates in Missouri have prepared a response ad to one that actor Michael J. Fox has made in numerous states that contains misleading information about pro-life candidates and their views on stem cell research. The new ads feature St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jeff Suppan and stars Jim Caviezel of "The Passion of Christ."Fox recorded an ad that aired during the first game of the World Series and St. Louis-area voters were falsely told that pro-life Sen. Jim Talent, who is in one of the nation's closest Senate races, does not support stem cell research. "Amendment 2 claims to ban human cloning, but in the 2000 words you won't read, it makes cloning a constitutional right," Suppan says in the ad. Suppan will be pitching for the Cardinals tonight and the ad is slated to be shown during the World Series. The ad also features former St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner, Patricia Heaton of the hit comedy series Everybody Loves Raymond, and Kansas City Royals star Mike Sweeney. "This is a powerful response to the misleading ads about Amendment 2," Cathy Ruse, a spokeswoman for Missourians Against Human Cloning, tells LifeNews.com. "The truth is, Amendment 2 would create a constitutional right to human cloning and human egg trafficking in Missouri," Ruse says. "We are so pleased to have this kind of star power behind our efforts to expose the deceptions in Amendment 2. In the television commercial, Heaton tells viewers how Amendment 2 will exploit women. "Amendment two actually makes it a constitutional right for fertility clinics to pay women for their eggs. Low income women will be seduced by big checks. And extracting eggs is an extremely complicated, dangerous and painful procedure," Heaton warns. In the Missouri commercial Fox did, he makes inaccurate generalizations about stem cell research. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Boy is that ever slanted. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
c53x12 Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 "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." Worst apology ever. Pats himself on the back, and then puts conditions on the apology. Bigly, hugely, douchebagly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
embiggen Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Mush Limpballs has always been a stupid idiot! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
EL the Famous Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Mush Limpballs has always been a stupid idiot! Really? Man, this news to me...I always thought he was the epitome of excellence in broadcasting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
embiggen Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Really? Man, this news to me...I always thought he was the epitome of excellence in broadcasting. you would. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tugmoose Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Boy is that ever slanted.While it might have the appearance of a wire service news article, it is clearly credited as a LifeNews.com piece, which I would assume has a clear, unhidden agenda, and is under no obligation to be "objective." If they cloned Suppan, could he relieve himself? What's his stand on Tommy John surgery? Were Lou Gerhig's parents just asking for trouble, naming their kid after a disease? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
H to the ickle Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Rush indeed went over the line. But he has a point about Fox's ad being misleading. Jim Talent of Missouri actually supports stem cell....ADULT stem cell. He does not support EMBRYONIC stem cell. Neither does Jeff Suppan, Patricia Heaton, Mike Sweeney and Jim Caviezal....St. Louis, MO (LifeNews.com) -- Pro-life advocates in Missouri have prepared a response ad to one that actor Michael J. Fox has made in numerous states that contains misleading information about pro-life candidates and their views on stem cell research. The new ads feature St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jeff Suppan and stars Jim Caviezel of "The Passion of Christ."Fox recorded an ad that aired during the first game of the World Series and St. Louis-area voters were falsely told that pro-life Sen. Jim Talent, who is in one of the nation's closest Senate races, does not support stem cell research. "Amendment 2 claims to ban human cloning, but in the 2000 words you won't read, it makes cloning a constitutional right," Suppan says in the ad. Suppan will be pitching for the Cardinals tonight and the ad is slated to be shown during the World Series. The ad also features former St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner, Patricia Heaton of the hit comedy series Everybody Loves Raymond, and Kansas City Royals star Mike Sweeney. "This is a powerful response to the misleading ads about Amendment 2," Cathy Ruse, a spokeswoman for Missourians Against Human Cloning, tells LifeNews.com. "The truth is, Amendment 2 would create a constitutional right to human cloning and human egg trafficking in Missouri," Ruse says. "We are so pleased to have this kind of star power behind our efforts to expose the deceptions in Amendment 2. In the television commercial, Heaton tells viewers how Amendment 2 will exploit women. "Amendment two actually makes it a constitutional right for fertility clinics to pay women for their eggs. Low income women will be seduced by big checks. And extracting eggs is an extremely complicated, dangerous and painful procedure," Heaton warns. In the Missouri commercial Fox did, he makes inaccurate generalizations about stem cell research. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
EL the Famous Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 you would. Turn off your 'ignore sarcasm and light a fatty' button. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
quarter23cd Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Possibly worse than making fun of someone's disability is saying that it's imaginary.I dunno, in Rush's case, I bet he wishes that more people would suggest his own pill prolem was imaginary. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
viatroy Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Were Lou Gerhig's parents just asking for trouble, naming their kid after a disease? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OOO Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Isn't Limbaugh's whole schtick saying outrageously stupid things so people talk about him and listen? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jules Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 "Michael J. Fox is allowing his illness to be exploited and in the process is shilling for a Democratic politician." This is up there with Ann Coulter stating whatever she did about the 9/11 widows expoliting their husbands' deaths. There is no defense of Limbaugh's comments. However, I agree with both of these clips to some extent, as has been discussed here before. You can't deny the Democrats' eagerness to use/exploit people who have experienced some kind of tragedy, illness, injustice, etc. for political purposes. If you speak against them or challenge their stance, you're immediately an unsympathetic asshole. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrRain422 Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Who says? I hear people complain about that characterization a lot, but I'm not sure who it is that they're accusing of making that characterization. It's always a generic "democrats" or "liberals". I never know who they're talking about specifically. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caliber66 Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 However, I agree with both of these clips to some extent, as has been discussed here before. You can't deny the Democrats' eagerness to use/exploit people who have experienced some kind of tragedy, illness, injustice, etc. for political purposes. If you speak against them or challenge their stance, you're immediately an unsympathetic asshole. If you think it's only the Democrats who "exploit" the ill or tragedy-struck, you must have forgotten about Terry Schiavo. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JUDE Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 If you think it's only the Democrats who "exploit" the ill or tragedy-struck, you must have forgotten about Terry Schiavo. I tell you what, you never saw Vincent Price shilling for no politician, Republican or Democrat.Zombies maybe but never politicians. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrRain422 Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 If you think it's only the Democrats who "exploit" the ill or tragedy-struck, you must have forgotten about Terry Schiavo. Or the way in which 9/11 was exploited to lead us into Iraq... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
embiggen Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Turn off your 'ignore sarcasm and light a fatty' button. you wouldn't know sarcasm if it bit you in the pee pee. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 If you think it's only the Democrats who "exploit" the ill or tragedy-struck, you must have forgotten about Terry Schiavo. And she couldn't even speak for herself. It's not like a mob of Democrats forced Michael J. Fox in front of the camera and put words in his mouth. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bobbob1313 Posted October 25, 2006 Author Share Posted October 25, 2006 Admittedly, it was easier to put word's in Schiavo's mouth, among other things.. What with the feeding tube. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darkstar Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Limbaugh is indeed mostly (ok 99.9%) an asshole. Keep in mind that ads are misleading. Watching the Fox ads give the sense that stem cell research is illegal. It is in fact NOT illegal. The current admins point is that Federal funding should not be used. Researchers can and do stem cell research all the time. I myself feel that the research is valuable and that Federal money should be used. They use Federal grants for all sorts of other stuff so why not this? Because of the implications and the fact they have brought religion into it (what with embryo's and such) huh......wasn't there something about seperation of Church and State? If you can ethically conduct research that could potentially save countless lives I say go for it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Limbaugh must have slipped a few spots recently in the Batshit Insane standings. He's probably just trying to pump his numbers back up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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