April 28, 2005, Rush's Bum's Rush
The Florida Supreme Court (by a 4-3 vote) decided to uphold the right of prosecutors to seek Rush Limbaugh's medical records to determine (presumably determine) if Rush committed a felony by "doctor shopping" in order to gain vast amounts of prescription drugs, in violation of Florida law (going from doctor to doctor with his medical complaints, obviously not telling each doctor about other doctors he saw).
While I love sport as much as the next guy, and would love to see Rush behind bars, where he can see how many fans he has inside, this certainly smacks of "Big Brother". The fact is, there are certain things that we are supposed to presume are private. If my doctor is committing a crime, or some professional infraction, then certainly, protecting his or her patients, and the public, may require the government looking at those records (assuming appropriate protections of the patients' privacy are maintained).
But not to prosecute the patients. The patient has a right to privacy when seeking medical treatment. Even when that patient is a scum-sucking no-redeeming-values-as-a-homo-sapien hypoctritical and monstrous propagandist like Rush "Doc Goebbels" Limbaugh. Sorry, but we're supposed to be a free country. We're already in too much jeopardy about everything else we do. Getting medical treatment just has to be off limits. Even if guilty hypocrites/criminals like Rush Limbaugh walk because of it.
Because regardless of what Rush himself may think, the ends do not justify the means when the means are those of a police state. Even if Rush himself would suggest they do (as long as someone but him is involved.)
Comments
Sadly, yes. But this is conclusive proof of the existence of a joker.
Posted by Elton Beard at April 29, 2005 11:11 PM
do the crime. do the time.
Posted by Anonymous at April 30, 2005 10:54 PM
This is a tricky case. Since there was evidence that Rush was doctor shopping, which is illegal, I think the door opens to seizing the records that help prove the case.
On other cases not involving Rush personally, he might argue that the easiest way to avoid problems with the goverment is to simply stay out of trouble.
Now that the tables are turned, he's a friend of the ACLU. How funny.
Posted by Ed Kohler at May 1, 2005 10:36 AM