Rusty And Me (Rush Limbaugh's cousin speaks)

[Syrinx]

I can relate, somewhat, to Julie Limbaugh's thoughts. I have a right-wing relative of some prominence that, though far from being the wealthy sex-tourist that Rush seems to be, is quite influential in state politics. As much as I disagree with said relative, I have a hard time working up real, honest hatred of him. I just can't hate a man that has been enduringly kind to me since the earliest days I can remember. I do wish I could manage to figuratively drill into his thick skull just how big of a numbskull he is. Politely, of course.

Even though our ideologies do not align, I have always admired Rush for his humor and savvy. I would like to believe that he has created a semi-tongue-in-cheek persona for entertainment's sake, a self-aware self-parody, the original Stephen Colbert. While his haters have always been too busy running in angry frenetic circles to notice the irony, Rush Limbaugh, the caricature, has had the time of his life; and there's something to admire in he who gets the last laugh.

Rush once told me, "The only way to make millions is for half the nation to hate you." He told me this at his mom's funeral when I was 13, and I think the reason he was talking business was because he was trying not to look so sad. It's funny how the subject of half the nation hating him could effectively lighten his mood. I wanted to say, "But I don't want half the nation to hate you."

Yet lately, I must admit, being a Limbaugh has been a little tough. When listening to Jon Stewart or just about everyone lay into the latest outrageous thing Cousin Rusty has said, it just doesn't seem like he's in on the act, and that makes it hard for me to separate my cousin from his persona. Maybe it's just me -- afraid of facing my student loans in our crumbling economy, or maybe I have officially become one of the "crazy liberals" my uncles always warn me of, but it seems that Rush is no longer just playing the political game he plays so well. Rather, he has been attacking hope, and now it feels like there's little room for that.

I rarely listen to Rush on the radio. But when I do, it's because I'm scanning stations while driving, and I happen to hear his voice. As a family member I'm not as close to him as my mom and dad, my grandma and grandpa, but his voice still reminds me of home. He sounds like my dad and a few of my uncles, he sounds like himself, and it makes me homesick, if that makes any sense at all. So I listen for a few minutes. I rarely agree with or even like what he says, but I can't hate him. In fact, I love him. He's family.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/04/01/rush_limbaugh/print.html

[Fumesucker]

1. At risk of running afoul of Godwin..

I'm sure that some of "Uncle Adolph's" relatives thought he was an OK guy too..

And I'll just point out that if I had Limbaugh's multi-millions there isn't a soul in my family that would need student loans, you can't take it with you and what better use for big money than helping family get educated without incurring crippling debt.

[Syrinx]

2. I agree

And let me stress that I feel some sympathy for my right-wing cousin, not Julie Limbaugh's right-wing cousin. :)

[SoCalDem]

6. Yup.. even evil people have "loved ones".. nt

[Extend a Hand]

3. Awwwwww

Julie sounds like a really really nice person.

And as for Ann Coulter? Well, my mom was watching me closely and I had to think of something to say. Hi," I said. "Your hair is really long." And that was about the closest I could come to being nice.

:rofl:

[zbdent]

4. did she leave out how she appeared topless in front of him as a teen, and he just

kept staring at her 10-year-old brother in his swimsuit?

[riverdeep]

5. Fuck that shit.

The mother of a serial killer always says they still love them. So the fuck what?

Rush Limbaugh isn't 'putting on an act'. Wake up. His ACTIONS from the time he ditched his country's request to serve to his failed marriages to his drug use to his sex romps reveal it's not an act. That's just some of what we know about (for now). It sounds to me like she's just hoping for a little of the Limbaugh fortune to come her way and decided to write an apologia. Even if it is an act, what does it say about someone that they would profit from taking their nation down the hole so they can live in mansion?

Well, let me say again, FUCK THAT SHIT. This is not a joke.

[War Pigs]

7. John Wayne Gacy used to dress up like a clown

and entertain kids. Has anyone looked in Limpballs crawlspace lately.:wtf:

[old mark]

8. Hitler had a sister, too.

He used to beat her up.


mark

[mitchum]

9. And he never wanted to play "doctor" when we were kids!