Is there ever a moment behind the microphone when Limbaugh bites his lip, hesitates and thinks better of erupting on a subject as complex and tragic as Parkinson's? Or of how the disease might specifically affect Fox and any of its 1.5 million other victims in the United States who may struggle for decades with the "good days and bad days" of its characteristic tremors, stiffness and pain?
The answer is no, no and no. For Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and other right-wing talk stars working their deep-hate schtick, their only thought is to entertain. And if they shock the audience, if they serve up a platter of fear and bigotry and keep it coming, we'll gobble it up, then ask for dessert.
And the hate shows will rule the airwaves for perpetuity.
Fox has made political ads for five Democratic candidates running in some of the country's most contested Senate and House races. A commercial for Missouri Democrat Claire McCaskill, opponent of Republican Sen. James Talent, shows Fox sitting in a chair, his body weaving and writhing, his head bobbing almost uncontrollably.
The ad turns on one issue: the need for federal funding of stem cell research, which Talent has opposed.
Limbaugh ripped at Fox on Monday, accusing him of "exaggerating the effects of the disease. He's moving all around and shaking, and it's purely an act."
He suggested the actor purposely skipped his medication to exacerbate the tremors for TV, a charge that Hannity supported Wednesday on ABC's "Good Morning America." These two might be at each other's throats for ratings and broadcast staying power the rest of the week, but they do share a loving brotherhood in hate. If one slips a bit from his perch, the other will be there faithfully to bail him out.
Limbaugh later apologized to listeners. Who knows? Maybe the recovering Oxycontin addict got a sudden urge for working Step 10 of Alcoholics Anonymous' Twelve Steps model, as in: "We continued to take personal inventory [of character defects] and when we were wrong promptly admitted it."
But all of the well-deserved shots at Limbaugh (many of his loyal fans let him have it this time) really say more about those of us who listen than about him. In my best liberal way, I admit to tuning into Limbaugh-Hannity, too - a few times a week. I've embraced the view that if speech truly is free, it is all worth at least a listen.
But after hearing Limbaugh's cruel diatribe against Fox, all I wanted to do was find a rock to crawl under. That, or hop in the shower and scrub off. I'll still never propose shutting down Limbaugh or anyone else with an opinion.
The marketplace is supposed to do that, right?
All I can do - what any of us can do - is reset the radio preset buttons, banish the hate speech from the car, the kitchen or the bedroom. It's a free choice. I did it. And it feels downright decent.
hmullen@sltrib.com
