FRIDAY FUN CLICK HEREEXTRA ON A BIG NEWS DAY: Schwartzengroper - Ken Lay Enron Meeting E-mails prove Ahnuld attended meeting "he does not remember". I know he is gonna wish he could forget saying that. From What Really Happened the best headline source on the web.

Limbaugh: I'm Addicted to Painkillers
Conservative blowhard Rush Limbaugh, who has spent years campaigning vigorously against drug use, acknowledged Friday that he himself is addicted to painkillers, and that he would immediately check into a treatment center for 30 days to try to break the habit.
Fox Sports Yahoo News CBS News ABC NEWS
President Bush expressed support for Limbaugh, according to a senior administration source who spoke with the Drudge Report.

"Rush is a great American," who has championed the conservative movement for decades, Bush reportedly said. "I am confident he can overcome any obstacles he faces right now," the president added.

LIMBAUGH'S DRUG QUOTES:
"We're going to let you destroy your life. We're going to make it easy and then all of us who accept the responsibilities of life and don't destroy our lives on drugs, we'll pay for whatever messes you get into." Rush Limbaugh show, Dec. 9, 1993

" .... if people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up. "What this says to me is that too many whites are getting away with drug use....The answer to this disparity is not to start letting people out of jail because we're not putting others in jail who are breaking the law. The answer is to go out and find the ones who are getting away with it, convict them and send them up the river, too."-- Rush Limbaugh show, Oct. 5, 1995

LIMBAUGHS self-serving hypocritical comments:

"You know I have always tried to be honest with you and open about my life. (but I have been a lying untruthful POS instead) So I need to tell you today that part of what you have heard and read is correct. (it is actually much worse than you will hopefully ever know) I am addicted to prescription pain medication

Over the past several years I have tried to break my dependence on pain pills and, in fact, twice checked myself into medical facilities in an attempt to do so. Immediately following this broadcast, I am checking myself into a treatment center (to stave off confrontation with legal authorities and escape prosecution and jail that I have said all illegal drug users deserve)

I am not making any excuses. I am no role model. I refuse to let anyone think I am doing something great here, when there are people you never hear about, who face long odds and never resort to such escapes. (and what I am really doing is what my lawyer tells me will get me the best chance of avoiding prosecution)

At the present time, the authorities are conducting an investigation, and I have been asked to limit my public comments until this investigation is complete when I am free to speak about them." (without further fear of incriminating myself and going to jail)

Scoobie Davis logged an exclusive interview this AM that possibly provoked this decision by Limbaugh. Good work Scoobie.
Len over at Musings of a Philosophical Scrivner has an interesting interview with Molly Ivins about the "de eadukashun" pReznit when he was in Texas
JOIN THE LIVELY DISCUSSION AT SOUTHKNOXBUBBA'S COMMENTS

Cheney defends Administration Fearmongering and large amounts of money given to Halliburton to promote the Illusion of Security

Cardinal Richelieu Cheney said Friday that terrorist non-Christians are "doing everything they can" to get weapons of mass destruction to kill hundreds of thousands of Christians Americans "in a single day of horror" and that all suspected heretics should be reported and subjected to inquisition.

His appearance (striking resemblance?) before the conservative Heritage Foundation marked the latest in a series of speeches top administration officials are giving in hopes of instilling a growing fear in the hearts of Americans curbing the growing criticism over the U.S. handling of Iraq.

"Some claim we should not have acted because the threat from Saddam Hussein was not imminent," Cheney said. "non-Christian Terrorist enemies of the faith our country hope to strike us with the most lethal weapons known to man and it would be reckless in the extreme to rule out inquisition action and save our worries until the day they strike."

"If you give me six lines written
by the most honest man, I will find
something in them to hang him."
—Cardinal Richelieu Cheney

Richelieu adhered to the maxim that "the ends justify the means." Although he devoutly believed in the mission of the Roman Church, he sought to assign the church a more practical role. Richelieu argued that the state is above everything, and that religion is a mere instrument to promote the policies of the state.

The fabulous Suburban Guerrilla Susie Madrak has Margaret Cho ripping Ann Coulter. Annthrax lovers will love it.

Top Ten Items On Rush Limbaugh's To-Do List
From David Letterman via The Magnificent Madelaine Begun Kane

10. Apologize for racist remarks by explaining he was high on illegal painkillers

9. Pat down friends and family to see who's wearing a wire

8. Announce his candidacy for governor of California

7. End pill addiction -- get back to sandwich addiction

6. Search desperately for some way to blame the Clintons

5. Make moves on soon-to-be-single Halle Berry

4. Tell Donovan McNabb derogatory remarks were part of new season of "'d"

3. Brunch with Robert Downey Jr.

2. Dinner with Trent Lott

1. Check job listings for pompous blowhard

The Cosmic Iguana hits on potential Gropenator lawsuit number one - this one from the UK and Thars gold in them thar wars.Republic of Seabrook
Speedkill has moved to a very nice new address. Update and blogroll progressive bloggers.

IS CALIFORNIA LOST TO THE DEMOCRATS IN 2004?
WILL THE GROPENGUVNOR CARRY CALIFORNIA FOR BUSH?

There has been a steady moan and groan by Democrats aided by a hearty upbeat blast by Republican pundits and weblogs claiming that the Schwartzengroper victory spells DOOM & GLOOM for Democratic Presidential hopes in 2004.

Although only 4.5million Californians made the mistake of voting for pReznit Lies Like a Rug while 5.8million ply the Golden State freeways with "Don't Blame Me" stickers adorning their vehicles, popular sentiment seems to be that Democrats are now in big trouble in our most populous state.

HOGWASH:
Doesn't anybody look at the facts anymore before opening their overworked mouths and pens?
Just look at the record:

Kennedy 1960: Pat Brown (D) was Governor (Nixon won California)
Carter 1976: Jerry Brown (D) was Governor (Gerald Ford won California)
Ronald Reagan: 1980 1984 Jerry Brown (D) was governor (Reagan won CA.)
Bill Clinton: 1992, 1996 Pete Wilson (R) was Governor (Clinton won CA twice)
Bush 2000 Elected when Gray Davis (D) was Governor (Gore won California)

In 7 of the last 11 Presidential Elections the candidate elected President was the candidate of the party NOT holding the Governorship of California. In recent elections the record is even stronger where 4 times in 6 the Governor could not help the party candidate for President. In 2000 the Democrat Gore carried California despite the Governorship of the very unpopular Democrat Gray Davis.

So the odds favor the Democrat in California by a WIDE margin if Presidential elections hold true to form in California and in this particular case the incumbent pReznit logged 200,000 votes less than the Republicans of 2003 in the larger turnout of 2000. This is evidence of the lack of a palatable choice for Democrats in Tuesday's election since the choice was Davis (no on recall) or Bustamente (who failed to inspire Democrats).

Quit the whining and moaning Democrats and stop your gloating Republicans. pReznit Birdfood for Brains couldn't carry California with a billion dollar campaign fund. He's not even a 'bad' actor.

NBC's Tim Russert spoke about this result improving Brush for Brains chances and this article is typical of Republican comments:

Republicans in Washington and California were heartened that Ahnuld's victory will boost Bush's prospects for winning the nation's largest state next year. California will carry 55 electoral votes, the most of any state. One of the California Republicans said Schwarzenegger's campaign helped fuel a surge in GOP registrations this year, by about 130,000 voters, and dramatically drove up Republican fund raising in the state. "The Democrat party and the Democrat presidential candidates should take heed," said Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie.

Or this from supposed LIBERAL Dean Esmay

You can see the election numbers right here. Wow. Arnold did more than just win. He utterly crushed the opposition. Out of a field of well over 100 candidates, he got very nearly half of all votes, in an election with the highest turnout in California--maybe American--history. (ED note: Esmay is factually incorrect about both California turnout - since this election got 60% of registered voters as opposed to 71% in the 2000 Presidential Election - and some supposed American record.)

Republicans are smiling this morning to realize that the two Republicans in the race garnered 60% of the total vote. Democrats will suggest, with some justification, that part of that is simply the phenomenon of Arnold, but there is simply no doubting that this has huge repercussions for both parties in that state, and may play big in the Presidential race next year.

Schwartzengroper and McFlintlock combined for 4.7million votes total which is 200,000 more than Bush garnered in 2000 but it does not constitute some landslide for California Republicans since it doesn't come within a million votes of Al Gore's total in 2000.

Of course the Idiotarian Rotweiller takes it beyond the absurd:

At this time, we could run Mickey Mouse for Prez in '04 on the Republican ticket, and he'd win in a landslide. The Dimocrats have completely lost whatever tenuous grip on reality that they might have had left, and I'm laughing my butt off watching the meltdown. and This:

Historic? You can say that again!
Two Republican candidates taking about 60% of the votes in KALIFORNIA? That's like Bush winning a general election in *spit* france *spit*. (Ed. note: The expectoration is the Idiotarian's who spits on every FrancoAmerican and everyone of French extraction everywhere)

Once again with gusto: the 4.7million votes for Schwartzengroper and McFlintlock totaled a mere 200,000 more than voted for Brush for brains against Al Gore in 2000. Does anyone seriously think Gray Davis will be the Democratic Nominee for President or that pReznit Bring Em On would not be Terminated by the Gropenator in California? Discuss among yourselves

THE DAY AFTER THE CALIFORNIA DISASTER AROUND THE WEBLOGOSPHERE:
The Troglodytes that elected Schwartzengroper are the concern of Maru the Crankpot at WTF is it Now
Da Gropenguvnor is gonna need a lota luck sez Jack at The People's Republic of Seabrook
A Rational Animal has Herr Rumsfeld left out of the Loop
High on the list of Halliburton information sources: is Arms and the Man
NPR interviews AEI NeoCon by rantavation
Arnold's Ode is up at the The Incomparable Mad Kane
GOPZILLA is the subject over at the Democratic Underground
Ruminate This move by GWB "lowering expectations" in leaky DC.
It's pathetic over at SouthKnoxBubba

LIBERAL LINKS UPDATE on the Recall (mostly):
FantasticPlanet has a great link to the Gropenguvnor's Japanese TeeVee ads. (Quicktime movies) heheheheheh.
The Modulator links to some Recall Positives.
There are signs of the Apocalypse in California according to The Peoples Republic of Seabrook
SouthKnoxBubba has his own take on the new Super Hero of California, and
Kevin at Lean Left offers more notes on the Wierd Election in the Golden State.
The Democratic Veteran hopes that Gray Davis has a nice retirement, and the SteroidFuhrer has a wake-up call that the job involved more than just showing up...like he does for movies.
Go wish The Funny Farm a happy first birthday of blogging - you also get to see Tom via digital photography.

A Late added note: Mitch Berg of A Shot in the Dark - a Conservative Republican Bush supporter has the temerity to label the Limbaughtomy's author as "barely literate". To that I offer this retort: This is an interesting shot in the dark considering the source. Given Mitch Berg's reference (the post below), I am left to ponder his evaluation of his idol - Brush for Brains. Does he consider the pReznit semiliterate, subliterate, or functionally illiterate? Thanks for the link and the laugh Mitch.

GROPENATOR ELECTED GOVERNOR

Out of the frying pan and into the fire: Grey Davis was by all accounts a miserable governor, but the major problems in the State of California were not his doing. Enron was more responsible for the problems than Davis, but the people of California were fooled by Dan Issa, Bill Simon, Pete Wilson, and the remainder of the Republican corporate machine into the belief that their candidate for Governor would be the 'answer' to the problems caused by Enron.

The disconnect between reality and imagination in California is apparent in the election of Governor Gropenator. Style won over substance - myth trumped truth - money & corporatism brought the people of the State of California under the governorship of a figurehead who will be run and operated by the very interests who were the source of their discontent.
It is a black day for California.

MOTHER JONES has an interesting take on why the Schwartzengroper wasn't the Toast of the Tabloids over the typical tabloid fodder of celebrities and sexual misconduct.

The fact is, stories like the one published by the LA Times are built on difficult, tedious, time-intensive work. And the media practices which usually apply in reporting on Arnold the celebrity simply don't apply when reporting on Arnold the candidate. What's more, Arnold has managed to keep a tight muzzle on the usual bane of celebrities, the lowest-common-denominator media of the tabloids.

Last year, America's leading tabloid publisher, American Media, purchased Muscle and Fitness, Shape and Men's Fitness magazines for $350 million from Arnold's business partner, Joe Weider. The company also owns the National Enquirer and Star tabloids -- and both have remained squeaky clean when it comes to Arnold. Instead of sicing its scandal-hounds on the misogyny angle, the company produced a 120-page glossy one-off titled "Arnold, the American Dream."

So, how does the willing silence of the checkout-aisle rags influence what the Times and other mainstream papers choose to publish? Ann Louise Bardach, writing in the Times, explains the unlikely connection:


"One of the less ennobling secrets of the mainstream media in recent years is its reliance on the tabloid press to launder seedy but irresistible stories about celebrities and politicians. Once the story is baptized in the tabloids, it's not long before it's fodder for TV talking heads and late-night comics. Then, more often than not, it's regarded as fair game for the elite media." But isn't there a difference between "seedy but irresistible stories" and illegal behavior? And, while newsrooms might have been hampered somewhat by the tabloid silence, shouldn't political pundits have been more aggressive on the matter? Katha Pollitt, writing in The New York Times, certainly thinks so.


"Why is it so hard for commentators to come right out and say: here is a man who seems to have a long history of contempt for women, who uses his celebrity to get away with sexual humiliation -- why does he belong in public life? Would that sound too square, too P.C., too, um, feminist? From the newsstand crammed with leering lad magazines like Maxim to all-male, all-the-time talk radio to the self-congratulatory misogyny of 'The Man Show,' aggressive male chauvinism is back in style, and Mr. Schwarzenegger is its standard-bearer."

LIBERAL LINK-A-THON: moving progressive blogs up through the blogosphere Half the Sins of Mankind -- Sadly No ! -- rantavation -- The Mad Prophet Blog -- Mouse Musings -- A Rational Animal -- The Funny Farm -- Arms and the Man -- The Modulator -- WTF is it Now -- Out toLunch -- Nitpicker -- To the Barricades -- Folkbum’s Rambles and Rants please consider these fine progressive bloggers for your blogrolls and links.

Movie stuntwoman says Schwarzenegger groped her twice in three years

NUMBER 16 for Governor Gropenator

Beverly Hills, California _ A movie stuntwoman has accused Arnold Schwarzengegger of groping her on two occasions while she was working in his films.

Rhonda Miller claims that in 1991, during the filming of "Terminator Two," the actor held her down, pulled up her shirt and fondled her. She says he also took a Polaroid picture of her breasts. She says she told him he was disgusting. Miller says three years later, during the filming of "True Lies," Schwarzenegger pulled her down on his lap and fondled her breasts. She says she hit him in the head.

Miller, the 16th woman to make such accusations against Schwarzenegger, says she considered filing a lawsuit, but was afraid to. She met reporters in the office of activist attorney Gloria Allred in Beverly Hills.

What's the big Rush? Mike Lupica rushes in

And finally, there is the damage control Limbaugh has tried to do, puffing himself up, as always. He did it for the show, he says. No, he didn't. He did it because he couldn't take the heat. If that doesn't make him a hypocrite, it at least makes him a phony. Now Limbaugh wants his radio audience to believe that one of the reasons he is taking this kind of heat is because he is the big, brave truth-teller who stood up to the media. It is as much a lie here as anything else.

Limbaugh? He wants to be the rough, tough, truth-telling conscience of America. But the very first time he gets hit, he quits on his stool. Even some of the Democrats he hates so much can take a punch better than that.

An interesting debate on Equal Time in the TENNESSEAN No need to wonder which side the Limbaughtomy is on.

Davis wants criminal investigation Gropinator falling in overnight polls

Gov. Gray Davis, spending the final days of the recall campaign surrounded by women and prominent Democrats, suggested Saturday that actor Arnold Schwarzenegger committed a crime of sexual battery and should be investigated by law enforcement. The governor's comments were a significant escalation of his rhetoric against his chief Republican rival in Tuesday's recall campaign. "Some of those events are clearly a crime," Davis told an audience of mostly women. "Electing a governor who might have committed a crime is obviously going to distract the state from the work it has to do." Assemblywoman Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, called Schwarzenegger Governor"gropinator."

Feinstein also offered her strongest comments to date against Schwarzenegger, questioning why any "decent American" would ever say they admired Hitler. She said the women who have accused Schwarzenegger said he did things that "really denigrate and deprecate women." She asked women to think twice before voting for the recall. "Do we really want this man to be governor of our state?" Feinstein asked. "Do we really want him to be the role model for our children?"

Democrats say their polling is showing the race tightening in the final days. Overnight polling by the state Democratic Party pegged support for the recall at 48 percent to 47 percent -- a dead heat -- while Davis' pollster Paul Maslin showed the recall with a minuscule edge, 50 percent to 48 percent, Maslin and Davis campaign officials said.

RUSH SPORTSWRAP: ESPN. CBS, and FOX analysts express anger, regret over Limbaugh's comments

Countdown host Chris Berman and studio analysts, Tom Jackson and Steve Young all three came up strong yesterday in criticizing Limbaugh for insensitive racial remarks and for his factual inaccuracy. "It was not our decision to have Rush Limbaugh on this show," Jackson said, almost moved to tears. "His comments made us uncomfortable. Rush Limbaugh is known for the divisive nature of his rhetoric." Jackson added that Limbaugh was "brought in to talk football, and he broke that trust." "Rush told us the social commentary for which he is so well known would not cross over to our show," Jackson said, "The fact that Donovan McNabb's skin color was brought up at all was wrong."

Berman said the comments made him angry. "I'm angry for all the hurt ... more for you, the viewers ... African- American, all Americans," Berman said, almost verbally running off the rails. "I've never looked at Donovan McNabb as a black quarterback - ever." Young pointed out that Limbaugh's mistake was that he "refused to recognize that in the last 20 years the quarterback position has become blind to color."

The Limbaugh flap also came up on the pregame shows on Fox and CBS. Fox cohost James Brown said:"In my 18 years covering the NFL, I have not seen any of my media colleagues coddling McNabb or any other black quarterback. Just ask Kordell Stewart. That's the way it's supposed to be." Fox analyst Howie Long said. "Statements like Rush's are at best ignorant and at worst racist."

CBS analyst Boomer Esiason said: "Well, [Limbaugh] really did cross the line. What was so shocking to me is that he actually was so poor from the get-go over there at ESPN. But the fact of the matter is that I believe in freedom of speech, and sometimes that leads to freedom of stupidity, and I think that's what we have here, because none of his opinions are supported by any facts whatsoever."

Something for a Sunday Morning

Psalm 2003: A Psalm of Bush

With Bush as our shepherd, we shall know want.
He makes us lie down on park benches,
He leads us beside the still factories,
He restores our rage
He guides us in the paths of unemployment for the wealthy's sake.
He claims that we walk in the valley of the shadow of terrorist
and we should fear the evil Muslims
Our soldiers die because he lied

His tax cuts for the rich and deficit spending
discomfort us.
He anoints us with never-ending debt,
Our cups will soon be empty.
Surely poverty and hard living will follow us,
all the days of his pResidency
And our jobless children shall pay for his mistakes forever.

Not to be Out-Rushed: Robertson out on a Limb-augh

TV preacher Pat Robertson pulled a Rush Limbaugh move yesterday when he tried to defend the embattled right-winger -and wound up insulting actor Morgan Freeman. Robertson said Limbaugh should not be criticized for saying that black Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb benefits from "social concern." Freeman - who is black - also got a slide from the media, Robertson said.

"He started off playing a chauffeur in 'Driving Miss Daisy,' and then they elevated him to head of the CIA and then they elevated him to President and in his last role they made him God," Robertson said on the "700 Club." "I just wonder, isn't Rush Limbaugh right to question the fact, is he that good an actor or not?"

SERIAL SCHWARTZENGROPER !!!
Says Schwartzengroper, "Whea ders Smoke ders Fiah"
RL says Schwartzengroper is "Up in Smoke" in the "Backdraft" of a "Towering Inferno"

4 More Women Go Public Against Schwarzenegger

In all, 15 women have now accused the Republican candidate for governor of grabbing or groping them. On the campaign trail Saturday, Schwarzenegger denounced as a "puke campaign" news reports that he has behaved abusively toward women.

The latest DRUG RUSH tidbits:

UPDATE: Freakin Freepers in a Frenzy Their tongues are beating their little brains out.

Louis Beshara and wife Gloria Rodriguez, are said to have illegally sold hundreds of thousands of prescription painkillers from their Palm Beach-area pharmacy. According to a Palm Beach County sheriff's search-warrant affidavit, Beshara provided a powerful and addictive painkiller to dealers who then resold the pills to users. Limbaugh scored some of Beshara's pills through his former maid Wilma Cline.

Limbaugh has hired famed Miami defense lawyer Roy Black, said Florida TV station WPTV. Black's clients have included sportscaster Marv Albert, and William Kennedy Smith.

Rush who has allegedly long battled an addiction to OxyContin, purchased the drug illegally, and twice battled his habit in rehab. Limbaugh told his listeners in 1995: "If people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up."

The hiring of top gun Black means Rush has no intention of following his own prescription for illegal drug users.

The BEST of BLOGS is up at OPEN SOURCE POLITICS along with more great reading. GO THERE NOW.

For the best article yet on the Rush to Judgment of Donovan McNabb read Ralph Wiley. Of special interest to Tennessee Fans is the discussion of Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy.

IS THIS FUNNY OR FRIGHTENING? We report You decide:

Administration begins Homeland Security investigation into possible ties between Wilson and Al Qaeda

The Bush administration today announced the department of Homeland Security would begin an immediate investigation into those promoting the so called "Wilson Affair" after recieving credible evidence Wilson was most likely an Al Qaeda plant plotting to overthrow freedom and the american way of life. Officials wouldnt comment on specific information leading to the investigation other than to say "It is obvious anyone who would attack the US government so openly is very likely to have ties to Al Qaeda and possibly Saddam himself". When asked what evidence initiated the investigation spokesmen for Rumsfeld stated they could not disclose the specifics due to national security concerns.

Comment of the day:

Last spring, driving with my Dad, who likes the limbo-man, I actually heard Rush say something agreeable! I almost ran off the road when he said something like "The thing is with liberals is that they take too much time looking at all sides of an issue." Right you are, Rush - proud to be among those who don't rush to judgement with their knee-jerk, shoot-from-the-hip conservative sound bites.

President Bush expressed support yesterday for Limbaugh, according to a senior administration source who spoke with the Drudge Report.

"Rush is a great American," who has championed the conservative movement for decades, Bush reportedly said. "I am confident he can overcome any obstacles he faces right now," the president added.

Great New Stories of the RUSH DRUG RUSH
This just keeps getting better and better: What goes around comes...............

He Could Alway's Say It Was the Drug's

Among the most explosive of Cline's charges is that she scored 4,350 pills for him in a 47-day period. If true, it would make Rush one of the great unregistered pharmacies of the Republican Party.

Limbaugh Probed Over Drugs: TC Palm Beach

Authorities confirm that an investigation into illegally purchased prescription drugs involves the convervative commentator.

Limbaugh Unapologetic; Drug Investigation Looms KCRA Sacremento

In the meantime, law enforcement sources say it's unclear if he will face any charges stemming from an investigation of illegal prescription painkillers. Florida authorities have confirmed that Limbaugh is being investigated for illegally buying prescription drugs.

The Daily News, without identifying its source, reported Thursday that Limbaugh was being investigated by the Palm Beach County state attorney's office. The newspaper said it had independently confirmed the allegations, first reported by the National Enquirer. CNN reported Thursday that sources close to the investigation that it did not identify said Limbaugh had turned up as a buyer of powerful painkillers but that he was not the target of the investigation.

Report: Limbaugh Faces Probe Over Prescription Drugs

One day after he resigned as a football commentator for making comments many saw as racist, radio host Rush Limbaugh was embroiled in a new controversy, this time over a report that he regularly used painkillers bought illegally Miami lawyer Ed Shohat, representing former housekeeper Wilma Cline, issued a brief statement on Thursday saying his client stood by what she told the National Enquirer.

Rush Limbaugh in pill probe

The moralizing motormouth was turned in by his former housekeeper - who says she was Limbaugh's pill supplier for four years. Wilma Cline, 42, says Limbaugh was hooked on the potent prescription drugs OxyContin, Lorcet and hydrocodone - and went through detox twice. "There were times when I worried," Cline told the National Enquirer, which broke the story in an edition being published today. "All these pills are enough to kill an elephant - never mind a man." The Daily News independently confirmed that Limbaugh is under investigation.
Cline told the Enquirer she went to prosecutors with information about Limbaugh and others after four years of drug deals that included clandestine handoffs in a Denny's parking lot. She said she wore a wire during her last two deliveries to the conservative commentator and gave the tapes to authorities. She also gave the Enquirer a ledger documenting how many pills she claimed to have bought for him - 4,350 in one 47-day period - and E-mails she claimed Limbaugh sent her.

In one missive, Limbaugh pushed Cline to get more "little blues" - code for OxyContin, the powerful narcotic nicknamed hillbilly heroin, she said. "You know how this stuff works ... the more you get used to, the more it takes," the May 2002 E-mail reads. "But I will try and cut down to help out." It started after her husband, David, hurt himself in a fall, and Limbaugh asked how he was.

"He asked me casually, 'Is he getting any pain medication?' I said, 'Yes - he's had surgery, and the doctor gave him hydro-codone 750,'" Cline said. "To my astonishment, he said, 'Can you spare a couple of them?'" Cline said she gave Limbaugh 10 pills the next day and agreed to give him 30 of her husband's pills each month. When the doctor stopped renewing the prescription in early 1999, Limbaugh allegedly went ballistic.

"His tone was nasty and bullying. He said, 'I don't care how or what you do, but you'd better - better! - get me some more,'" Cline said. The housekeeper said she found a new supplier and arranged to hide Limbaugh's stashes under his mattress so his wife, Marta, wouldn't find them.

Cline said she continued to make deliveries to Limbaugh even after she quit as his housekeeper in July 2001 - but he became increasingly paranoid, even patting her down for recording devices, she said. In June 2002, Limbaugh told her he was going to New York for detox a second time.

"I went to talk to him, and he cried a little bit," she said. "He told me that if it ever got out, he would be ruined." She claimed that a lawyer for Limbaugh gave her a payoff - $80,000 he owed her, plus another $120,000 - and asked her to destroy the computer that contained the E-mail records. Soon after, Cline and her husband retained Shohat and contacted prosecutors.

The drugs Rush Limbaugh is accused of abusing are legal only with a doctor's prescription. All are habit-forming.
Hydrocodone
Anti-cough agent and painkiller similar to morphine. Side effects include anxiety, poor mental performance, emotional dependence, drowsiness, mood changes, difficulty breathing and itchiness.
Lorcet
Brand name for the combination of Tylenol and hydrocodone, prescribed for moderate to severe pain. Side effects include dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, dizziness, tiredness, muscle twitches, sweating and itching.
OxyContin
Potent time-release medication for relief of moderate to severe pain, known as hillbilly heroin because of black-market popularity in some rural areas. Side effects include drowsiness, dizziness, sweating, muscle twitches and decreased sex drive. A large dose can be fatal. Good Picture Here Shock and Awe has a must read timeline on Rush's hearing loss. It fits perfectly with the allegations of his house keeper. Great work Shock and Awe.

One more reason not to vote for the Schwarzengroper from Mark A. R. Kleiman

Schwarzenegger "LIFELONG SERIAL HARASSER"

California gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger responded today to allegations by six women that he groped them inappropriately over the last three decades by acknowledging that he had "behaved badly" in the past and saying he was "deeply sorry."

"And so what I want to say to you is that, yes, I have behaved badly sometimes," the actor said in front of supporters in San Diego. "Yes, it is true, that I was on rowdy movie sets and I have done things that were not right which I thought then was playful, but now I recognize that I have offended people. And those people that I have offended, I want to say to them, 'I am deeply sorry about that and I apologize, because this is not what I'm trying to do.' "

GOP operative K. B. Forbes called it "unprecedented" for a candidate to admit to sexual harassment allegations and noted that former Oregon Sen. Bob Packwood was forced to leave the U.S. Senate over similar charges. "This may be a fatal blow to the Schwarzenegger campaign," said Forbes, a former aide to onetime gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon Jr. "Not only is this about women, it's about decent Californians who expect some kind of leadership -- not only moral leadership, but just basic decency.…You're not going to get redemption with a simple apology."

Conservative activist Steve Frank added that he was horrified by the report and Schwarzenegger's subsequent admission of improper behavior, and fears it may sour the public on the entire election. "He may have brought down the whole recall," said Frank, who has not endorsed a candidate in the election. "He announced that he was a lifelong serial harasser. The conservatives didn't like Bill Clinton for doing this, and we would be hypocrites to approve of Schwarzenegger doing this."

In Los Angeles, CodePink, a nonpartisan women's peace organization, called for Schwarzenegger to withdraw from the race. "We believe Arnold can be stopped and we believe that women are going to stop him," organizer Karen Pomer said this afternoon. "I was physically ill when I read the [L.A. Times] article today, and believe me, I've read a lot of stuff about Arnold." "I don't care if you're a Democrat, Republican or Green -- this is beyond any partisan politics," she said, adding that the allegations would amount to sexual battery under state law. "Anyone else would have been in jail."

And in Sacramento, state Democratic Party spokesman Bob Mulholland said today's events should give voters "pause" before voting for the actor. "You've got to be outraged when Schwarzenegger says, well, it was on movie lots. Guess what? Movie lots are not sovereign nations," Mulholland said.

Women Say Schwarzenegger Groped, Humiliated Them

Six women who came into contact with Arnold Schwarzenegger on movie sets, in studio offices and in other settings over the last three decades say he touched them in a sexual manner without their consent. In interviews with The Times, three of the women described their surprise and discomfort when Schwarzenegger grabbed their breasts. A fourth said he reached under her skirt and gripped her buttocks. A fifth woman said Schwarzenegger groped her and tried to remove her bathing suit in a hotel elevator. A sixth said Schwarzenegger pulled her onto his lap and asked whether a certain sexual act had ever been performed on her.

According to the women's accounts, one of the incidents occurred in the 1970s, two in the 1980s, two in the 1990s and one in 2000. "Did he rape me? No," said one woman, who described a 1980 encounter in which she said Schwarzenegger touched her breast. "Did he humiliate me? You bet he did."

LIMBAUGH RESIGNS
Limbaugh issued a statement late Wednesday night in which he wrote:

"My comments this past Sunday were directed at the media and were not racially motivated. I offered an opinion. This opinion has caused discomfort to the crew, which I regret."I love NFL Sunday Countdown and do not want to be a distraction to the great work done by all who work on it. Therefore, I have decided to resign. I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the show and wish all the best to those who make it happen."

George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN and ABC Sports, issued the following response:

"We accept his resignation and regret the circumstances surrounding this. We believe that he took the appropriate action to resolve this matter expeditiously."

The National Association of Black Journalists also called for ESPN to "separate itself" from Limbaugh. "ESPN's credibility as a journalism entity is at stake," NABJ president Herbert Lowe said in a news release. "It needs to send a clear signal that the subjects of race and equal opportunity are taken seriously at its news outlets."

Limbaugh turned down requests to appear on SportsCenter on Wednesday. But earlier in the day on his syndicated radio talk show, he refused to back down. "All this has become the tempest that it is because I must have been right about something," Limbaugh said. "If I wasn't right, there wouldn't be this cacophony of outrage that has sprung up in the sports writer community."

Wednesday night, ESPN issued a statement that, in part, read, "We have communicated to Mr. Limbaugh that his comments were insensitive and inappropriate." Limbaugh's resignation was officially announced just before midnight ET.

Brian Arner at the new RESONANCE site is hosting the RTB Volunteer Tailgate Party - check it out.

Will he go the way of Snyder and Campanis, or at the very least is there a chance that Rush has offended enough Pennsylvania football fans to cost him any political influence he may have had?

I TOLD YOU SO and I don't hate to say it:
LIMBO MUMBO JUMBO PLAYS THE RACE CARD

UPDATE: Wesley Clark and Howard Dean call for Limbaugh to be fired
Clark, Dean Urge Rush Limbaugh's Firing
Two Democratic presidential candidates urged ESPN to fire conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh on Wednesday for saying the media wanted Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb to succeed because he is black.

Wesley Clark, a retired Army general who entered the race Sept. 17, called the remarks ``hateful and ignorant speech.'' Front-running candidate Howard Dean, a former Vermont governor, followed up with his own assessment - ``absurd and offensive.''

In the letter to ESPN, Clark said, "There can be no excuse for such statements. Mr. Limbaugh has the right to say whatever he wants, but ABC and ESPN have no obligation to sponsor such hateful and ignorant speech. Mr. Limbaugh should be fired immediately."

Later, Dean said in a statement, "There is no legitimate place in sports broadcasting for voices that seek to discredit the achievement of athletes on the basis of race."


Democratic candidate Clark urges ABC to fire Limbaugh over McNabb remark San Francisco Cronicle
ABC NEWS Arkansas affiliate and ABC NEWS National and the Denver Post: Fire builds under Limbaugh for McNabb comment

LATE UPDATE:More voices join the outraged FIRE LIMBAUGH chorus including 24 members of Congress and these choice entries:

For that, I can't decide whether to call Limbaugh a fool.
We knew Rush Limbaugh would open his mouth and spew stupidities sometime.
It's sad when the league won't admonish a TV commentator, perhaps fearful of angering the cash cow networks that pay the bills.
Limbaugh's comments critical of McNabb ignite national debate