Saturday, October 28, 2006
Rush E-Mails Katie Couric
Prior to her interview with Michael J. Fox, CBS News anchor Katie Couric sent Rush Limbaugh an e-mail asking him for some things that stipulate his positions on the matter of the controversial TV ads that Fox appeared in, touting embryonic stem cell research.
"I sent her five or six paragraphs," Limbaugh said on his radio show. "She used one line from the five or six paragraphs."
"She did not tell me that she was going to use the video that everybody else was using in a distorted manner, a misrepresentative manner to make it look like I'm mocking or making fun of Michael J. Fox. As I explained, that's not the case. Katie did not, in her e-mail, tell me she was going to use that video from the Dittocam that you've seen all over the 'drive-by media.' The commentary that they attached to it distorts what I was doing here on the program."
Here is the e-mail Rush sent to Katie in response to her request:
"Thanks, Katie, I'll try to make it simple:
"I believe Democrats have a long history of using victims of various things as POLITICAL spokespeople because they believe they are untouchable, infallible. They are immune from criticism. But when anyone enters the POLITICAL arena of ideas they forfeit the right to be challenged on their participation and message.
"I have not met Mr. Fox, do not know him. I have admired his work in film and TV and his appearances on Letterman were howlers. I have nothing personal against him. But I believe his implication that only Democrats want to cure disease(s) is irresponsible (as I believed about John Edwards assuring voters Christopher Reeve would walk if only John Kerry were elected). I think this is ultimately cruel and gives people who suffer these terrible afflictions false hope.
"As of now there is NO EVIDENCE that embryonic stem cells even hold promise, while other approaches, such as adult stem cells, already have yielded results. Michael's TV spots mislead and misinform on this. (You might ask him about the gene therapy research at a Chicago hospital which has produced encouraging results on Parkinson's patients. A VIRUS is inserted in the gene, which is then inserted in the brain. The Michael J. Fox Foundations has committed $1.9 million to further research on this . . . story from earlier this month.)
"I did NOT mock or make fun of Mr. Fox. I have seen him many times on TV but never have I seen him as he appears in the ads. I read from his own book that he will not take his medications before certain appearances (Senate, 1999) in order to illustrate the ravages of Parkinson's, which I understand and applaud. So the concept of manipulating meds has been stated by Mr. Fox, which is what caused me to question his appearance in his ads.
"He is stumping for Democrats, in the political arena, and is therefore open to analysis and criticism as we all are. His suffering is NOT fair game and I am sorry if people drew that conclusion about my comments, but I believe this happens precisely because NO criticism of victims is ever allowed, at all, which as I say is the Democrat strategy in putting them forward."
As Limbaugh noted, Couric ignored all but one line.
Prior to her interview with Michael J. Fox, CBS News anchor Katie Couric sent Rush Limbaugh an e-mail asking him for some things that stipulate his positions on the matter of the controversial TV ads that Fox appeared in, touting embryonic stem cell research.
"I sent her five or six paragraphs," Limbaugh said on his radio show. "She used one line from the five or six paragraphs."
"She did not tell me that she was going to use the video that everybody else was using in a distorted manner, a misrepresentative manner to make it look like I'm mocking or making fun of Michael J. Fox. As I explained, that's not the case. Katie did not, in her e-mail, tell me she was going to use that video from the Dittocam that you've seen all over the 'drive-by media.' The commentary that they attached to it distorts what I was doing here on the program."
Here is the e-mail Rush sent to Katie in response to her request:
"Thanks, Katie, I'll try to make it simple:
"I believe Democrats have a long history of using victims of various things as POLITICAL spokespeople because they believe they are untouchable, infallible. They are immune from criticism. But when anyone enters the POLITICAL arena of ideas they forfeit the right to be challenged on their participation and message.
"I have not met Mr. Fox, do not know him. I have admired his work in film and TV and his appearances on Letterman were howlers. I have nothing personal against him. But I believe his implication that only Democrats want to cure disease(s) is irresponsible (as I believed about John Edwards assuring voters Christopher Reeve would walk if only John Kerry were elected). I think this is ultimately cruel and gives people who suffer these terrible afflictions false hope.
"As of now there is NO EVIDENCE that embryonic stem cells even hold promise, while other approaches, such as adult stem cells, already have yielded results. Michael's TV spots mislead and misinform on this. (You might ask him about the gene therapy research at a Chicago hospital which has produced encouraging results on Parkinson's patients. A VIRUS is inserted in the gene, which is then inserted in the brain. The Michael J. Fox Foundations has committed $1.9 million to further research on this . . . story from earlier this month.)
"I did NOT mock or make fun of Mr. Fox. I have seen him many times on TV but never have I seen him as he appears in the ads. I read from his own book that he will not take his medications before certain appearances (Senate, 1999) in order to illustrate the ravages of Parkinson's, which I understand and applaud. So the concept of manipulating meds has been stated by Mr. Fox, which is what caused me to question his appearance in his ads.
"He is stumping for Democrats, in the political arena, and is therefore open to analysis and criticism as we all are. His suffering is NOT fair game and I am sorry if people drew that conclusion about my comments, but I believe this happens precisely because NO criticism of victims is ever allowed, at all, which as I say is the Democrat strategy in putting them forward."
As Limbaugh noted, Couric ignored all but one line.
