Pubdate: Fri, 24 Oct 2003 Source: Asheville Citizen-Times (NC) Copyright: 2003 Asheville Citizen-Times Contact: http://www.citizen-times.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/863 Author: Mary Jean Ronan Herzog SURPRISED BY TIDBITS COMING FROM RECENT COMMENTARY Kathleen O'Brien's syndicated commentary, "Limbaugh's dependency reinforces a lesson for us all," (AC-T, Oct. 14), on Rush Limbaugh's drug addiction is full of surprises. First, I was surprised to find out that "drugs ... are apolitical .. just a chemical reaction with no moral underpinnings..." I thought a standard right-wing platform is that drug abuse is just another liberal flaw that a good war can cure. Reading on, I was surprised to see the Asheville Citizen-Times carry yet another slur on the region. O'Brien argues that OxyContin is not really "hillbilly heroin" because, as she not very subtly implies, even intelligent people use it. Finally, I was surprised by O'Brien's lack of a sense of irony about the right-wing bully's predicament. Rush is my nominee to join William Bennett in the Moral Hypocrites Hall of Fame. Mary Jean Ronan Herzog Cullowhee - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin