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 Support The DrudgeReport; Visit Our Advertisers  DRUDGE: MEDIA BUSINESS BUILT ON HYPOCRISY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2003 MSNBC's BUCHANAN & PRESS BILL PRESS: Welcome back. Earlier today in his "Drudge Report," Matt Drudge broke the news that on today's radio show Rush Limbaugh would admit he was addicted to painkillers. And Matt Drudge was right once again. He joins us now by phone with the latest on this story -- Pat. PAT BUCHANAN: Matt thanks for joining us. Can you tell us when was the last time that you talked to Rush? MATT DRUDGE, THE DRUDGE REPORT: Talked to him? Well, actually that's a good question. It's been a while, but you know in this business we're in, with the Internet, I do a lot of instant messages, and all the rest. As you and I were instant messaging last night, Pat, about this great tragedy. Which it is a great tragedy. Let me just say, you know, there is stress on this story that is not to be believed behind the scenes. The editor in chief of "The National Enquirer," David Perel, is in the hospital, in intensive care, critical, I've been told. Not directly related to this story, but the stress behind this story has pushed everybody to a reaction that is unbelievable and we wish David Perel well. You know, he is, I believe, not someone who has gone after Rush Limbaugh based on a political belief. It could be argued "The Enquirer" does have interests that are tied to Democrats but, you know, they are equal opportunity -- look what they did to Jesse Jackson, look what they did to Clinton. I can't sit here on this broadcast today and say they went after Limbaugh on partisan reasons. They go after people to sell magazines -- and this thing has sold! Ah, nobody knew, or nobody was willing to admit in the big media business how interesting, or how big Rush Limbaugh is in this country -- until this story broke! How he is the companion to millions, how he is America's top voice. This makes it all the more painful. BUCHANAN: All right, Matt. Let me ask you without giving us any of your sources and I know you deal -- we deal by instant messaging and things like that. Tell us your understanding from what you've heard from Rush, about Rush and from close friends of his what is Rush's physical condition would you say now. We know he's depending on these things but what is his physical condition and his frame of mind? DRUDGE: You see it. You've been running on the network today the ditto cam -- what they call it, the feed of the man himself as he delivered the remarks today. Not only those remarks, which came at the end of his broadcast, I might add. He was able to do a full week of broadcasting under this intense media microscope this week. We don't know if Limbaugh is on these drugs, he's now saying he's going in. He said it was prescription drugs, we don't know if a doctor's been giving it to him, these days. I just want to note for this audience while "The Enquirer" did a heck of a job reporting this: their trail did go cold a year ago or a little bit more than a year ago! Very few people have come into contact with him this past week, Pat. The stress has been unbelievable not only on him but again the very people who have covered and reported the story. PRESS: Matt, you mentioned that Rush has been able to go this entire week and continue to do his show and show no signs of stress but he's actually -- he's been able to perform a great job on his radio show for like the last five or six years while he's been taking all these pain killers. It's amazing he was able to do that. Did you have any inkling at all that he was taking these... DRUDGE: Bill Press, one of the side effects is you actually -- you have a euphoria of excelling in your craft on these pills. The effect, the opium lift, effect -- that's the danger of these addictions you actually can excel, as he did. Can you imagine how potent Rush Limbaugh would be -- off of the pills, if he's been this powerful on the pills? And I will just state this, because we're headed into quite a weekend of media bashing here, I know all is fair in media wars, but I challenge everybody in the media business, listening to this today, empty their pockets! Empty their pockets! We will be passing out jars and dishes and they can go to their respective washrooms during the commercial break -- and come out with the pills they're on! This story is very sensitive in a lot of ways and before all the big media bigwigs point their finger, they should really question their medicine cabinet. PRESS: OK, I will take up your challenge and tell you that I am on none of those pills at all. But I want to ask you Matt about... DRUDGE: Is your producer? Is your director? Is your cameraman? Is your, Girl Friday? This is the question. PRESS: Matt. I want to ask you about Rush's statement today because it was very candid and very compelling that way. It was also kind of risky because in effect he admitted that he probably committed an illegal act, right? DRUDGE: I guess it is clear to me he wasn't actually listening to a lawyer -- it was coming from a love of his audience, I believe, it was love from audience that has brought him to this pinnacle. You know we don't have a lot of heroes in this baby boom generation; saddly, it hasn't given us many heroes. The ones that it has given us have been cracked and flawed. And the notion to me that Rush Limbaugh is not the perfect man and possibly a hypocrite when it comes to drugs is heartbreaking, but it's not the end. It's not the end for sitting presidents when they do it; it's not the end of broadcasters, certainly, or actors or musicians when they do it. So we're seeing a lot of piling on. Kerry last night bringing it into the presidential political realm I think will come back to haunt him. Bill, your glee, saying: let's go to the e-mails! I don't necessarily want anyone's e-mails exposed -- well maybe through a grand jury process or a sitting president but not certainly a private citizen, working in the media. PRESS: OK, Matt Drudge stay with us. When we come back, is it possible that after all of this Rush Limbaugh might change his opinions about harsh treatment for anybody taking illegal drugs? Matt Drudge back on BUCHANAN AND PRESS, MSNBC. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) BILL PRESS, HOST: And thank you, we're back now with Matt Drudge of "The Drudge Report" on BUCHANAN & PRESS. So Matt, as you mentioned just a few moments ago last night on last night's debate out in Phoenix with the Democrats, John Kerry took a pot shot at Rush. Let's listen up. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN KERRY, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There are two ways for you to have lower prescription drug costs: one is you could hire Rush Limbaugh's housekeeper or you could elect me president of the United States. (END VIDEO CLIP) PRESS: Now, good line for that audience, but do you think that was fair game or low blow, Matt? DRUDGE: Well, it is red red meat... If I were running for president I would talk specifically about health care; I wouldn't be talking about a radio host who was suffering and may need specific health care themselves. It's very confusing when they go in and start talking the personality game as they're asking us to vote. Rush Limbaugh is not on the ballot. Oh, how I wish he were, considering Arnold got elected with those nudes, and all these things, that are out there. Limbaugh probably could be elected president even in the condition he's in! BUCHANAN: Matt, my inclination is to think if the folks are playing that Kerry bite when you hear this news about Rush Limbaugh it's going to come off as pretty cruel rather than funny. But let me ask you something. Now, six years ago apparently he's been this addiction a long time and we've heard from variety of sources that these OxyContins are associated with hearing loss. And my question is this, you know Rush if -- if something like this is actively and he must have known he must have talked to his doctor when he went to him about his hearing. He must have known these things were damaging his hearing his whole career his the king of talk radio, everything is on the line it suggests a really hellish addiction here does it not? DRUDGE: You're hitting bull's-eyes, Pat. This is why these things are prescribed by doctors and not sold at our local Dennys or Amocos -- or wherever else we can buy them, in Palm Beach. It is a disturbing story in all directions, because, again, it is happening to such a beloved figure in this country Someone who has had so much success in this country. And if it happens to them, it can happen to us! Now, he did perform for three months totally deaf, it should be noted, again, to separate the man from the broadcaster. I know that's hard to do, but his performance and his love of the craft, and the radio medium it's, you know, it's tantamount to an actor going on the stage everyday racked in pain or hooked on the pills! To me, it makes me want to reach out to him and say we love you Rush, we know you are going through terrible hell, but you're commitment to us, and to your beliefs -- you know, he is our voice. He is our brain, in so many respects; those of us who believe in less taxes and smaller government. He has led the way, I refuse to think those beliefs are wrong because the man got into trouble along the way. BUCHANAN: All right, let me ask about his core. As I told NBC tonight, I think Rush's true believers are going to stay with him these aren't' summertime soldiers, they don't expect sanctity but they do expect truth. And frankly, I think if Rush comes out and just lays it out the whole case the investigation the authorities I'll -- I think he'll do fine, but what is your feeling as a journalistic pro about whether he can come back and be the king of talk radio again? DRUDGE: I've no doubt he is the Babe Ruth of talk radio. He could come back any time he wants. The problem is we want him clean; we want him strong, we want him new and improved -- and the best. And he can do it, if anybody can do it he can do it. If he can perform for three months, without hearing, on radio -- taking callers and everything else. But it is a heartbreaking story because many of us, again, consider him family and I know it rips us. Because he is so clearly in pain. But the ability to do today's show knowing all this is swirling shows you he really is a pro, and a professional as far as this craft, the medium, goes. PRESS: Matt Drudge just about out of time, I've got to jump in. You mentioned Rush believes. One of his beliefs he's stated over and over again as anybody into drugs, anybody into drug use anybody into drug sales, the harshest treatment send them up the river Rush says. After this experience do you think he might have a little softer more liberal attitude about people who get hooked on drugs? DRUDGE: I think he is being sent up the river and I think we'll see him paddle back down. On this, there's no law against being a hypocrite a few times in your life. And this industry is built on hypocrisy! Like I said I'm challenging the media tonight to empty their pockets! PRESS: Thank you Matt Drudge, for the challenge, thank you for joining us here on BUCHANAN & PRESS. END ***** |
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