Huckabee rips Pat Robertson!

Referencing Pat Robertson's "ability" to predict and prevent storms from striking America, Mike Huckabee made quite a humorous dig at the aging TV evangelist.

Think Progress...

During his radio show today, conservative talker Rush Limbaugh asked former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) how he believed the Republican party would respond if Hurricane Gustav makes landfall in New Orleans during the Republican National Convention. “I think they’ve called in Pat Robertson to pray it off the coast,” Huckabee jokingly responded.

LINK: Huckabee jokes that Republicans have ‘called in Pat Robertson to pray’ Hurricane Gustav ‘off the coast.’

You can listen to it here.

A couple of things strike me in this clip. First of all, when did Mike Huckabee and Rush Limbaugh become so friendly? Earlier in the primary season, Rush repeatedly bashed Huckabee. And Huckabee was not so gracious towards Rush, either. However, he did eventually rolled over and knelt at the feet of the talk show giant. This is also interesting about Huckabee because he has been called "the new Pat Robertson" regarding his influence in the evangelical movement and his upcoming TV show on FOX. So, is this his way of attempting to push Robertson out the door? Is this a sublte attempt to undermine Pat Robertson's credibility? Remember, Huckabee is no fan of Robertson, he implied that Robertson 'lost his way' here. Also, I thought this might be a subtle dig at Republicans who still support Robertson or perhaps an even sublter criticism or how the Republicans handled Hurricane Katrina. (Here's how John McCain handled it.)

To this day, Mike Huckabee is my favorite of the former GOP Presidential contenters, and altough I think he has become a parody of himself in sorts, I still think he's pretty cool. At least he has a sense of humor.

-Mr. Joseph

Wednesday Funnies

The latest "This Modern World" by Tom Tomorrow is quite funny...LINK: This Modern World

-Mr. Joseph

Milwaukee's Mark Belling: Same-sex couples' decision to have children is "pure selfishness"

Media Matters picked up some wingnuttery from my favorite local boy, Mark Belling of WISN's The Mark Belling Late Afternoon Show (you can listen to the podcast of his show here)...

He was guest-hosting for Rush Limbaugh....

On the June 19 broadcast of Rush Limbaugh's nationally syndicated radio show, while discussing a recent custody battle stemming from a same-sex civil union in Vermont, guest host Mark Belling asked, "Can a baby have two mothers? It's a new concept for us. And I'm not sure it's an especially healthy one. First of all, it demeans the entire notion of fatherhood, implying that a father is an absolute irrelevancy, a concept that has destroyed many black families, the idea that we simply don't need have to have any male role model in the life whatsoever." Belling added that "the desire to have these kids is almost entirely premised on, 'I want to have a baby. We want to have a baby.' Not, 'Are we in the best situation to be able to raise a child?' And I think it comes down to just pure selfishness. And that's what it's all about."

In August 2006, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that two women in a same-sex civil union, Lisa Miller and Janet Jenkins, were both legal parents of the child Miller had given birth to in 2002. On June 15, a Vermont family court judge dissolved their civil union, granting custody of the child to Miller and visitation rights to Jenkins. Belling suggested that the family court ruling would lead to recognition of parental rights "in a three-way relationship." He said, "[T]he larger point is, whether or not society needs to facilitate people's desires to raise children any way they feel like raising them. If we're going to sanction the parental rights of both people in a gay relationship, do we have to sanction the parental rights of a three-way relationship? Let's imagine that a woman and a man have a baby. And the woman later decides to hook up with a female partner. Do they all get rights?" He added, "[A]re we going to base every single decision on the basis of what these parents who are choosing alternative lifestyles want or are we going to start to think about what's in the best interest of the child?"

From the June 19 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:

BELLING: And what happens when the relationship ends is you have a fight literally between two mothers. Can a baby have two mothers? It's a new concept for us. And I'm not sure it's an especially healthy one. First of all, it demeans the entire notion of fatherhood, implying that a father is an absolute irrelevancy, a concept that has destroyed many black families, the idea that we simply don't need to have any male role model in the life whatsoever. But more to the point, knowing the potential of what can happen when the relationship ends, and watching this particular case, I mean, there is a child here. There is a child who is going to have to decide which mother is her mother, or are they both their mothers? And the desire to have these kids is almost entirely premised on, "I want to have a baby. We want to have a baby." Not, "Are we in the best situation to be able to raise a child?" And I think it comes down to just pure selfishness. And that's what it's all about.

As for the decision to award visitation rights to the woman who didn't give birth, let's imagine the situation did not involve a couple of gays. A guy and a woman, unmarried, the woman is artificially inseminated and has a baby. It's not the biological child of her boyfriend. When they break up, does the boyfriend expect to have any kind of visitation rights? Well, what's the difference? Now, those who support gay marriage would argue that's exactly the point: It does not allow us to engage in relationships in which we can jointly be able to raise a child and have equal parental rights. Straight people have the ability to get married. If the guy wants to be able to be involved in the child's life when they split up, well, then he should have married her in the first place. Gays don't have the right to do that, so their argument goes.

But the larger point is, whether or not society needs to facilitate people's desires to raise children any way they feel like raising them. If we're going to sanction the parental rights of both people in a gay relationship, do we have to sanction the parental rights of a three-way relationship? Let's imagine that a woman and a man have a baby. And the woman later decides to hook up with a female partner. Do they all get rights? And are we going to base every single decision on the basis of what these parents who are choosing alternative lifestyles want or are we going to start to think about what's in the best interest of the child?

LINK: Limbaugh guest host Belling described same-sex couples' decision to have children as "pure selfishness"

Back in 2004, Belling got himself into a little trouble after he used the term "wetbacks" on the air. However, to his credit, I do listen to his show from time to time and I can honestly say I agree with a lot of his opinions on local issues. It when he gets into national and social issues that he becomes another talking head. Speaking of local Right-Wing radio talk show hosts, I know the son of Charlie Sykes (who is Milwaukee's #1 radio talk show host).

-Mr. Joseph

Artistic Vandalization

From Crooks and Liars...

From TRex at Firedoglake:

In a town so tough that most murders get just a few paragraphs in the paper, somebody called The Sun about 8 a.m. yesterday with a tip about a vandalized billboard.

By noon, the story was all over the Internet, Rush Limbaugh was kicking off his national radio show with it, and City Hall was fielding calls from as far away as California. By 5 p.m., the story had become one of the three most popular individual articles in the history of the paper's Web site, with nearly 200,000 page views.

There's a reason the story had legs. The paint-splattered billboard featured Limbaugh's mug. And the tipster was a spokesman for a city agency - the one responsible for cleaning up graffiti - who let it be known that he was no "dittohead."

"It looks like they took globs of paint and threw it on his face," Robert Murrow of the Department of Public Works told The Sun. "It looks great. It did my heart good." (via Romenesko) Read more…

More details from The Baltimore Sun.

LINK: Limbaugh Sign Vandalized, City Official Says “It Looks Great”

Too funny...
-Mr. Joseph

SURVEY: Daily Show/Colbert Viewers Most Knowledgable, Fox News Viewers Rank Lowest

Think Progress reports...

A new study by the Pew Research Study shows that viewers of the Daily Show and the Colbert Report have the highest knowledge of national and international affairs, while Fox News viewers rank nearly dead last:

Despite significant technology shifts, however, Pew found that “today’s citizens are about as able to name their leaders, and are about as aware of major news events, as was the public nearly 20 years ago.”

The results about Fox News echo findings of previous surveys. In 2003, University of Maryland researchers studied the public’s belief in three false claims — that Iraq possessed WMD, that Iraq was involved in 9/11, and that there was international support for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

The researchers stated, “The extent of Americans’ misperceptions vary significantly depending on their source of news. Those who receive most of their news from Fox News are more likely than average to have misperceptions.” Fox News viewers were “three times more likely than the next nearest network to hold all three misperceptions.”

LINK: SURVEY: Daily Show/Colbert Viewers Most Knowledgable, Fox News Viewers Rank Lowest

Figures...
-Mr. Joseph

Rush Limbaugh Proves to be Racist Yet Again

Media Matters found this...

TRANSCRIPTS:

From the February 1 edition of The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: U.S. blacks -- young U.S. blacks believe in politics, according to a new study. "Many U.S. blacks are as confident" -- and we're talking about the clean ones here, folks, I must stipulate this -- young, clean U.S. blacks -- "believe in politics. Many young U.S. blacks are as confident as their white and Hispanic peers that they can use politics to make things better, but a majority of young blacks feel alienated from today's government." Why would that be? The government's been taking care of them their whole lives. Why would they feel alienated from -- maybe "today's government" means the Bush administration.

" 'There's good news and bad news when it comes to politics,' particularly as U.S. Senator Barack" -- the clean -- "Obama, an Illinois Democrat, may try to become the first black to reach the White House, said Cathy Cohen, a political science professor who headed this project at the University of Chicago." This research, by the way, "covered a wide range of social issues from sex to entertainment, also found that young blacks think that rap music and videos are riddled with too much sex and mistreatment of women -- even though they are the biggest consumers of that entertainment. Nearly 80 percent of young blacks, whites and Hispanics think they can make a difference by getting involved in politics. Large numbers of them feel that they have the skills to do so."

So I got -- the headline says "Young U.S. blacks" -- but blacks, whites, and Hispanics. Everybody thinks they can get involved in politics here. No big -- no big shake there.

LINK: Limbaugh: "The government's been taking care of [young blacks] their whole lives"

-Mr. Joseph

FNC Humor: "...droppable, to say the least"

I predict a lot of really bad things coming from this show...

Radar Online:

Breathe easy, Jon Stewart. It's looking like the satire program billed as Fox News Channel's answer to The Daily Show will combine the timeliness of Newsweek with the incisive wit of Mallard Fillmore. So far, Fox has taped two episodes of The Half-Hour News Hour, as the show is being called. (Its working title, This Just In, had to be scrapped, as AOL has a broadband channel with that name.)

Producer Joel Surnow, whose credits also include 24, has described the show as a cross between Comedy Central's Daily Show and Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" segment. A source who attended the tapings describes the format as far more similar to the latter, with a two-anchor setup and skits interspersed with the talking-head segments. "It was hit and miss—some stuff was inspired, and some was droppable, to say the least," says the source. Not surprisingly, he adds, most of the jokes had a conservative slant.

Comedians Kurt Long and Susan Yeagley share anchor duties, and toss to a cast of correspondents that includes original Daily Show cast member Brian Unger. Guests so far have included Rush Limbaugh (who bragged about appearing in a skit as the president, with Ann Coulter as his vice president), comedian Dom Irrera, and original Hollywood Squares host Peter Marshall. While early reports on the show promised a January debut, as of now, no air date has been set.

LINK: FNC's Daily Show Rip-off Falls Flat

...

MediaBistro:

It sounds like Rush Limbaugh is making an appearance in FNC's news satire pilot:
"I went out and did some television Saturday in Los Angeles," the radio host said on Monday. "There's a new show that probably will air soon, I'm not sure when, but it's called The Half Hour NewsHour. That's the working title of it now. I guess that's subject to change. Well, actually it's not, because if it changes I gotta go back out there, but nevertheless it's a parody newscast, takeoff on liberal media newscasts, and I play the president of the United States in the opening segments of this program.
I went out and shot three takes. Ann Coulter is the vice president. (laughing) It's hilarious. The whole thing is hilarious..."

LINK: Rush Tapes Intro For FNC's News Satire?

Ugh...
-Mr. Joseph

UPDATE (12/9/07):
Crooks and Liars...

FOX Opinion Channels dreadful “Half Hour News Hour,” billed as the “right-wing answer to ‘The Daily Show;” has been canceled. It was really only a matter of time, wasn’t it?

Let’s take a look back at the show’s awful and short-lived life:

The Half Hour News Hour: Still Not Funny

Fox News 1/2 Hour News Hour Goes From Bad To Worse

Half Hour News Hour - Still Waiting For The Funny

LINK: R.I.P: FOX’s “Half Hour News Hour” Canceled

Limbaugh and Stallone discuss Rocky VI

Rush Limbaugh interviews Sylvester Stallone on, what looks to be, my favorite film of the year.

Personally, a large group of friends of mine and me are going to see it on the 23rd. I will post a review on my other blog...

TRANSCRIPT:

RUSH: Welcome to the program, Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa. The movie comes out on the 20th, correct? STALLONE: Right, the 20th, Rush. RUSH: Thanks for joining us today. They sent me a copy of it, Sly, and I want to be honest with you, I didn't know what was left to tell in the story. I've loved all these other Rocky movies but there's been a long hiatus now, and I put it in, and I was stunned. STALLONE: Thank you. RUSH: You cover every demographic in this, I mean, looking at it from a production and marketing point. It looks like the first Rocky movie cinematographically, you haven't gussied it up with a bunch of computer generated fireworks. STALLONE: Right. Technology, no. RUSH: You've got life messages in this, there's no profanity that I was able to hear. STALLONE: No. RUSH: It's a movie for everybody. STALLONE: Right, it's PG. Well, you know, what had happened, a good friend of mine is Susan Faludi who wrote the book Stiffed, which is a couple years ago, it's about the diminishing and kind of like diluting of the American male in the workforce, and after, you know, almost World War II, and every generation it seems to get harder and harder for a man to express himself and we seem to be slowly being moved on this conveyor belt out before we're ready to be moved out. And it was kind of -- I wanted Rocky to show that he still, as he says, has some stuff in the basement, he has a flame in his heart, and I think a lot of the American male feels that way, but society goes, "Nah, sorry, you've had your up at bat and it's time to move on." And I go, "Well, maybe you should move on when you're ready to move on." If you're willing to take the humiliation of sticking your head above the crowd, maybe it's, you know, the pleasure will be worth the pain. RUSH: Well, it's an interesting thing you brought up here, basically the feminization of the American culture. STALLONE: Right. RUSH: Not just for men, you know, in their late years toward retirement or middle-age or what have you, but throughout. But, look, I think you highlighted this. One of my favorite scenes, because it's so poignant with the way the culture is today, your son -- I don't want to give too much of this away, but the conversation you have with your son when he begs you not to take this last fight. STALLONE: Right. RUSH: Because he needs to get out of your shadow. And for him to do that, you need to go away, and what you say to him -- and it's not a long scene -- just had me cheering. I have to be honest, I don't cheer much at movies, but it had me standing up. STALLONE: Thank you, Rush. Well, you know, I guess a lot of fathers and sons have sort of had this conversation in some incarnation, and I certainly have, and I think it's an ongoing battle. It's almost from biblical times, you know, sharper than a serpent's tooth, and finally the father has to say, "Stop, stop, you have to be accountable, son." RUSH: Is this the last Rocky movie?

STALLONE: Oh yeah, that's why I used the name Balboa, Rush, I didn't want a number attached because that would imply there was another one. But I felt so bad the way the fifth one turned out. I don't know what happened. I was just off my game, off the mark, maybe it was my lifestyle, but I was not thinking for the audience. I was thinking maybe for myself. And, you know, you have some downturns, careers have peaks and valleys and I had a lot of time to think over the last ten, 12 years, and I thought, "You know, if there's one thing I'd like to remedy was the way that character went out." All the other characters I could deal with, but that one really bothered me. But the opportunity at that time, I was 53, and they said, "It's over, you know, the last one didn't work. Plus you're too old." But this is a movie about being too old but willing to take the humiliation to try to remedy or, you know, right a wrong. They said, "No, you're just talking about yourself." I said, "No, I think there's a lot of people out there that wish they could go back to that crossroad in their life and change something, and if not that, maybe they just wanted to do something to purge grief or rid themselves of some feelings and you need an outlet," and they said no deal. Luckily after six years, MGM was sold, and Harry Sloan, who came in as the new CEO, said, "You know what, I'll take a gamble with you," and I'm really indebted to him and Joe Roth of Revolution. RUSH: Now, you wrote and directed this. Is that part and parsel of the problem you had in getting it done? STALLONE: Yes, that, but more than anything else, it was age. You know, society, especially Hollywood, I think it's about 50% ahead of society in getting rid of its workers, you know what I mean? Because we're so in the limelight, you know, women, men, it just chews you up and spits you out, and now we have so many market outlets, you're really on a fast lane. Before, you know, you had a star like Tyrone Power or, you know, Kirk Douglas, they would have a 50-year career. Now if you have 15, consider yourself lucky. RUSH: Yeah, everybody's looking for the 18 to 24 demographic or even younger. But, you know, this movie is going to hit that demo. Again, I'm tempted, I'm not a movie critic so I don't want to give too much away here, but it's a love story that women are going to absolutely adore. STALLONE: Thank you. RUSH: Fathers and sons are going to learn a lot from watching this. It's a movie about staying true to your desires and going for it when everybody tells you that you can't do it and shouldn't do it. I mean, there's a lot here. I think you're probably going to cover the demographic that they look for that they think you can't get anymore.

STALLONE: Well, actually no, believe it or not, we're testing higher in the younger demographic, and, you know, I'm hoping that the baby boomers, my generation, come out and support the film because, if they do, and the film performs, that will be a message to Hollywood that, you know, there are 70 million of us out there. Let's start making stories about us that are age appropriate and more profound than just us being relegated to, you know, the angry father or the angry mother in movies, and bring our stories up to the forefront. RUSH: We'll it'll get the baby boomers out because the baby boomers think only about themselves and you've made a movie about them. STALLONE: Right. RUSH: In a way. STALLONE: (Laughing.) RUSH: (Laughing.) We're talking with Sylvester Stallone. Rocky Balboa is out on December 20th, and I was fortunate enough to see a screening of it on Wednesday night. You shot two endings for this. STALLONE: Yes. RUSH: I know how it ended. I know what I saw. What made you decide on this ending? STALLONE: Because of the budget, we had really one shot at this, and, I didn't want to second-guess myself, but just in case, I shot just the opposite ending to think, "Well, it could possibly be that we should have this ending," which, you know, I'm kind of like not at liberty to say, but that will be in the DVD, the opposite one. But life, kind of like you never know, you never know. And I've done this so many times in films, you think you have it; you think you've nailed it; then you're in the editing room and you go, "Oh, my God." Rush, that's why so many films go over budget, 90% of the time you know what they're re-shooting? The ending. CALLER: Well, let me ask you something. In my business, I don't listen to consultants because I don't have to. In fact, when I got rid of consultants and bosses is when I began to prosper, just following my instincts and my gut. STALLONE: Right. RUSH: And you mentioned having to test this movie. How much of your work in your career did you have to be a slave to what consultants and testing and focus groups are saying rather than just following your gut on it? STALLONE: Well, it's funny, up until like 1980, '82, '83, you had this kind of like pioneer spirit or cowboy mentality or you flew by the seat of your pants and you say, "Ah, you know what, wisdom says I shouldn't do this but I have a gut feeling." That's gone now. Now it really is, believe it or not, 90% of the films are green lit, not by the studio heads, but by the marketing department. You're a slave to them. If they don't think they can sell it or if they don't have a hook then the movie doesn't get green lit no matter how much they say, "I kind of like this film." What's the angle? We're not sure what the angle is. So that thing is thrown to the wolves. So this is the first film I've done just using instinct since, you know, 1990.

RUSH: Wow. Time's dwindling here. Let me ask you a couple more things. You use as your opponent here Antonio Tarver. STALLONE: Right. RUSH: He plays Mason "The Line" Dixon, right? Love the name. But did you ask Roy Jones, Jr., first? STALLONE: Uh-oh, you heard that. Believe it or not, I called Roy Jones, Jr. I wasn't sure. I always loved Tarver because he was verbal and he had a certain kind of charisma, there's something about his face I like. Roy Jones is a little more sinister looking, but I said I have to approach both of them in case one of them falls out; one breaks a hand, who knows. I called Roy Jones 31 times. Not one phone call was returned. On the 32nd time I said, "I gotta move on, thanks anyway." I called HBO, who Roy Jones worked for at that time, they said, "Sly, don't feel so bad, we pay him; he still doesn't pick up our phone calls." RUSH: Do you have issues with this guy? Do you know him? STALLONE: Roy Jones? Yeah, I do. It's so odd. He's just one of those kinds of guys. I guess he has a phone phobia. RUSH: Well, maybe. STALLONE: But it turned it out great. I'm so glad. I think Tarver, because of his fighting ability and his superior height gives a better visual than Roy would. RUSH: He looks plenty sinister, too. STALLONE: He does, he does, but he's not so monstrous like some of the guys today, Rush, are literally behemoth. He's more like old school fighters, and he's not playing a villain. This is about the battle that people have within themselves. RUSH: That's an excellent point. That's true. This is about you. I should point out, for of those curious, the boxing, and I checked the run time on my player, and the boxing seems make up the last 20 minutes of the movie, 20, 25, the rest of the movie is all about the things we've been discussing. Sly, it really is good, and I didn't know what to expect and I thought maybe it was going to be difficult to -- to -- STALLONE: You can say it. It's okay. RUSH: But I really did enjoy it. I enjoyed it as much as any of these movies. STALLONE: Thank you. RUSH: I wish you the best with it. STALLONE: You know what, you're very kind. I appreciate it. Thank you very much. RUSH: All the best. That's Sylvester Stallone. I don't normally review movies. Passion of the Christ -- what else did I see this week that I talked about? Oh, yeah, I saw Apocalypto. I don't do many of these screenings, but the ones I have seen and watched I liked, and this one was right at the top. The life lessons in this are well worth seeing.

LINK: Rush Interviews Sylvester Stallone

Go see Rocky Balboa!
-Mr. Joseph

The Michael J. Fox Controversy

Since we here at Political Thunder had the opportunity to see Michael J. Fox give a speech in Wisconsin today, we figured we should give some context to the current controversy surrounding him.

Be sure to check back for pictures and story of the event soon.

Meanwhile, check out these links regarding Michael J. Fox controversy...

Original story...
LINK: Rush Limbaugh On the Offensive Against Ad With Michael J. Fox

Follow up...
LINK: Fox Responds To Limbaugh Claim That He’s ‘Cruel’ For Creating ‘False Hopes’ About Stem Cells

LINK: Michael J. Fox: ‘I Could Give a Damn About Rush Limbaugh’s Pity…I’m Not A Victim’

LINK: Limbaugh on Michael J. Fox: 'I Take Back None of What I Said'

LINK: Fox & Friends Anchor Perpetuates Myth That Michael J. Fox Was Acting

LINK: Laura Bush on Michael J. Fox: ‘It’s Always Easy To Manipulate People’s Feelings’

LINK: VIDEO: Michael J. Fox Responds To Limbaugh Smear (Also, at the event, he sarcastically referred to Rush Limbaugh as "compassionate conservative".)

LINK: Parkinson Foundation Debunks Limbaugh's False Smears of Michael J. Fox

See ya!
-Mr. Joseph

Al Franken on Rush Limbaugh

Al explains how he fact checks and how Rush fact checks...



LINK: Al Franken: Where Rush Limbaugh's Facts Come From

This is the last update for today. Want more? Check out my other blog at The New SuperSite Blog!

-Mr. Joseph

Conservative Legal News...

Good News...

Update: Company to Probe Coulter Plagiarism Charges
By Justin Rood - July 5, 2006, 2:35 PM

I heard back from Universal Press Syndicate's Kathie Kerr. Her company distributes Ann Coulter's column to over 100 newspapers around the country -- columns which, according to recent news, may have contained plagiarized material.

I had asked Kerr earlier this morning whether her company was taking any action in response to these published claims.

In an email, Kerr thanked me for bringing the assertions to UPS's attention, and asked me to get a copy of the report to them. "If Mr. Barrie would be so kind to send Lee Salem, President and Editor of Universal Press Syndicate his report, we will be happy to review it. Until we do, there's little we can say about it," she wrote me. John Barrie was the New York Post's expert source who claimed to have identified Coulter's plagiarized passages.

In my reply, I explained to Kerr that Barrie had been quoted not by me but by the New York Post, and perhaps that paper would be a good source of information. Kerr replied: "we have no contact information."

A few minutes later, however, Ms. Kerr located Barrie's contact information on the Web and said she would try to call him herself. Moments later, another email from Ms. Kerr arrived: "I've left Mr. Barrie a message."

Sounds like the Coulter plagiarism investigation is off to a flying start. I've put in a call myself to Mr. Barrie, and am waiting to hear back. I'll let you know what I find out.

LINK: TPMMuckraker.com: Company to Probe Coulter Plagiarism Charges

Bad News...

No Charges for Limbaugh Over Viagra

By BRIAN SKOLOFF, Associated Press Writer Wed Jul 5, 7:25 PM ET

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Rush Limbaugh will not face charges in Palm Beach County for the bottle of Viagra found in his luggage that was prescribed in his psychologist's name, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Charges could have nullified the conservative radio host's plea agreement in a "doctor shopping" case.

Limbaugh, 55, was detained for more than three hours at Palm Beach International Airport on June 26 after he returned on his private plane from a vacation in the Dominican Republic.

The state attorney's office said the medication was prescribed by Limbaugh's cardiologist, Dr. Steven Schnur, to Limbaugh's psychologist and addiction counselor, Steve Strumwasser. Strumwasser then provided the Viagra to Limbaugh, said state attorney spokesman Mike Edmondson.

Strumwasser told authorities he "agreed to have his name on the label in an effort to avoid potentially embarrassing publicity for the suspect," according to the state attorney's office filing. "Thus, the medication contained in the subject pill bottle was legitimately prescribed to the suspect by his physician."

It is generally not illegal under Florida law for a physician to prescribe medication in a third party's name if all parties are aware and the doctor documents it correctly, Edmondson said.

However, since the doctor wrote the prescription in Miami-Dade County, the case was forwarded to prosecutors there for review. The Miami-Dade state attorney's office had no immediate comment.

The Palm Beach County state attorney's office also said it forwarded the matter to the state Department of Professional Regulation and the Department of Health to determine whether the doctor breached ethics.

Department spokeswoman Thometta Cozart said she did not know whether the prescription was an ethical breach.

Limbaugh said on his radio show Wednesday that prosecutors declined to file charges because "there were no laws broken."

The office of Limbaugh's lawyer, Roy Black, referred questions Wednesday to Limbaugh spokesman Tony Knight. Knight declined to comment.

In an affidavit, Limbaugh said: "Dr. Strumwasser has been extraordinarily careful, at my request, to protect my privacy in all matters concerning his treatment of me."

Schnur had no comment because of patient confidentiality concerns, said spokesman Todd Templin. Calls seeking comment from Strumwasser were not immediately returned Wednesday.

Charges in the Viagra case could have nullified a deal Limbaugh reached with prosecutors last month in which a single "doctor shopping" charge was deferred for 18 months, so long as Limbaugh does not get arrested for any reason.

Authorities had accused Limbaugh of illegally deceiving multiple doctors to get overlapping painkiller prescriptions. Limbaugh denied the charges but acknowledged he was addicted to painkillers.

LINK: Associated Press: No Charges for Limbaugh

And they accuse liberals of veing immoral!

-Mr. Joseph

Limbaugh Audio

"Rush is trying to figure out how Bob Dole’s luggage got on his airplane. And… he told the doctor he was worried 'about the next ELECTION … not …'."

Thanks to Crooks and Liars for the audio and Democrats.com for the image...

Rush Jokes About His Arrest

-Mr. Joseph

Rush on Hillary: "Screeching ex-wife"

"Screeching ex-wife"? Well, he would know. He has three.

From Media Matters for America...

On his radio show, Rush Limbaugh said Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton "sounds like a screeching ex-wife."

During a segment in which he assessed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-NY) presidential chances, nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh stated that Clinton "sounds like a screeching ex-wife." Limbaugh made his remark during the March 3 broadcast of The Rush Limbaugh Show. After Limbaugh characterized how he thought Clinton "sounds," he qualified his statement, saying, "And -- and -- and I don't say that -- there's nothing against ex-wives or women. I'm just trying to be descriptive here for you." He went on to add, "Men will know what I mean by this."

As Media Matters for America has documented, Limbaugh has attacked Clinton on many previous occasions (for example, see here and here). In one instance, recounting a conversation with fans who had asked about Clinton's political prospects, Limbaugh said that Clinton "puts her pants on one leg at a time like every other guy does."

From the March 3 edition of The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: She's responding to [Republican National Committee chairman] Ken Mehlman saying that she sounds mad, so she goes out and tries to sound soft and angelic, and she can't pull it off. She doesn't -- doesn't sound genuine.

But when -- when she's genuine, she sounds like a screeching ex-wife. And -- and -- and I don't say that -- there's nothing against ex-wives or women. I'm just trying to be descriptive here for you. Men will know what I mean by this. And I -- I -- I'm -- I'm sorry, I'm just -- I have, folks, the requisite understanding of the danger a Hillary presidency would pose. What I am not doing is quaking in fear over the possibility, yet, and I don't think that I ever will be. I just -- I'm -- I think "Hillary fear" is rooted in paranoia that dates back -- and it may be justified -- dates back to the eight years of Clinton where they got away with seemingly everything.

LINK: Limbaugh on Hillary Clinton: "She sounds like a screeching ex-wife. ... Men will know what I mean by this"

Oh, that's real good...

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