I think people take Rush too seriously. If you listen to him for the entertainment value, it works OK. I still start pushing buttons when he gets off on a few subjects or when he starts entrapping some little old lady liberal. He does push some buttons I enjoy seeing pushed, but I still don't take him seriously. jn

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #57 Limbaugh a "legalizer" WRITE A LETTER - HELP CHANGE THE WORLD A really incredible thing happened Thursday March 12 at 10:40 AM PST (1:40 PM EST). Rush Limbaugh came out *in favor* of legalization! Not once but three times. Many have long expressed the opinion that if and when "legalization" were ever proposed by either major party it would be from the conservative camp. Not only did he come out for legalization he said he believed that it was the only way we would ever control drugs in this country and that we should legitimize the cartels (somewhat tongue in cheek I believe) and capitalize on the profits and use the money for social good (a strategy some have long believed could resonate with the American public if properly presented) This was inevitable as Rush has been badgering "liberals" (his favorite target) about the fact that they were more interested in the money and power represented by tobacco "prohibition" (price raising to raise taxes vending machine prohibition, fining tobacco companies etc.) than the oft touted "save the kiddies" rhetoric. The dichotomy of his thinking vis a vis tobacco prohibition (which he opposes) and drugs was certainly obvious to most reformers that heard it. It was inevitable that he eventually come to terms with it. Now he apparently has. Regardless of how you view Rush this is one of the most poignant media opportunities of last few years for reform. Rush has 20 million regular dedicated listeners. Most listen 2-3 hours a day. He is the most listened to radio talk show on the planet and he holds sway among way more than a few powerful Republicans. In my opinion we need to put forth a concerted sustained encouragement to continue and broaden this discussion. Rush is on the leading edge of conservative politics and this could easily be a trial balloon to test the waters for the upcoming election and try testing a sea change opinion. I may be overstating this but I see it as a major _really_ major opportunity. Let's get to brainstorming as to how we can encourage and expand the discussion he has started. I have already sent him a personal email. For starters I suggest every member of ARO do the same if at all possible. *************************************************************************** PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER TO RUSH Please post your letters to the MAPTalk list if you are subscribed, or return a copy to me at this address by simply hitting REPLY to this FOCUS Alert or emailing to MGreer@mapinc.org THREE REASONS WHY THIS IS _VERY_ IMPORTANT 1) This is how we track and measure our success and impress potential funders. 2) Your letter will be posted - It will help motivate others to follow suit. 3) You efforts provide an example - giving others ideas on what to write about. ***************************************************************************** CONTACT INFO Please email Rush at Rush@eibnet.com Friday is "open lines" in which he allow talk on any subject. We should try to get a concerted call in effort going both Friday 3/13 and Friday 3/20 as well as all next week. Rush H. Limbaugh ELI BALD 17th Floor 2 Penn Plaza New York NY 10121 800 282-2882 Call in line to go on air 800457-4141 subscriptions to newsletter B Snarly Screener AB 212 613-3800 212 955-9222 Fax? If you can't get the show locally you can listen to Rush via the Internet using RealAudio. The following stations apparently carry the Rush Limbaugh show on RealAudio: (NOTE: THE STATIONS BELOW ARE ALL LINKS ON THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE WHERE THE SHOW CAN BE LISTENED TO ON REAL AUDIO) http://www.gvn.net/~creative/rush/rushadio.htm WTAW, College Station, Texas Winston-Salem, NC. KFI, Los Angeles KLVI, Beaumont, Texas . WSYR, U of Syracuse New York . WBAL, Baltimore . WPSL, Port St. Lucie, FL . WIBC, Indianapolis, Indiana . K GUM Agana, Guam (May be best for you WESTAR folks...) I know, they say they don't carry the show on RealAudio. Some of them do not allow new connections to be made while the Rush Limbaugh program is running. However, in many cases it has been possible to connect to the Real Audio server a few minutes BEFORE Rush goes on the air; then you can remain connected during the show itself. Please give it a try, and advise me how well it works! Remember also that each Real Audio server has a maximum capacity, and enough people have emailed me asking how to get Rush on Real Audio to max out those servers several times over. If one doesn't work, try another. Trust me on this; it DOES work. "Dan & Carol Ellis" report: Hi Ken, You can catch Rush on the Internet live at WTAW, College Station, Texas. the URL is: www.radio.audionet.com/radio/Sports/WTAW/. You can get them on Real Audio from the web site. Rush is on at Noon EST. I'm listening to him now. Hope this is some help. This station also carries G. Gordon Lid and some other conservative talk show hosts as well as sports.PLEASE FORWARD ______________________________________________ There is a live chat on-line ME 12-3PM EST where interested parties can engage in Email conversation with and about Rush and others http://www.townhall.com/rush/ I spent much of the morning dialing to try to get on the show monitoring his show and on-line chat room and Em ailing him. We must expand and encourage Rush's newly announced support for reform. Please listen, call, or visit the web page above (you need I chat for this it can be downloaded for free) page. Email rush at: Rush@eibnet.com This is the best way to get a message out to him. He notices big numbers of email on any subject Call in to get on his show at 800 282 2882 Getting through to his show is a _major_ accomplishment If we can get Rush talking about this regularly we will have made a huge stride towards reform. ************************************************************************** SAMPLE LETTERS Dear Rush: Dittos! On Thursday March 24 10:40 AM PST you came to the most brilliant conclusion I have heard in many years of listening to you. You came to the realization that not only are our drug laws foolish and destructive but that the drug war is unwinable. The REAL show stopper, however, was when you realized the power potential of sensibly reforming our drug laws and capitalizing on the incredible financial resources that are open to the party with the guts to tackle this sticky issue first. I am awestruck. I always knew that conservatives would be the first to see the idiocy of our drug laws but I never hoped to hear it from your lips. Three years ago, you may remember, I sent you a copy of my book The Drug Solution with a couple of good cigars. You mentioned it on your show (expressing fear of what they might contain ;). I'm not sure you ever read the book but say the word and I'll send you another dozen copies. The book was poorly written and poorly edited (my first try) but it presented what in my humble opinion are some very powerful ideas. You mirrored them today. Since then a group of us have formed a 501(c)3 non profit corp. dedicated to educating the public on drug policy issues. Should it need saying I am neither a whacko nor a drug user. I've given this topic a great deal of thought and research and would like to help you continue along the courageous path you began on Thursday in any way I can. Rush you are very close to some earth shattering changes and I wonder if you fully get where a man in your position could take this. There is no way I will take the time to fully get into the subject at this point but check out our web pages below. If they impress you, as I think they will, let's open a dialogue. You could easily create a legacy that would insure statues and freeways in your honor if you educate yourself fully on the subject and use your awesome power to bring the truth to the public. Your thoughts appreciated. Mark Greer ---------------------------------------------------------- Rush: I am proud of you for speaking out against Drug Prohibition. Prohibition is creating a hundred times more problems than the drug themselves. And the system of classifying drugs is crazy with bourbon and Scotch acceptable under the law and marijuana Class #5, which means verbotum! Reclassify marijuana to #3 or even #4, treat use of it as a misdemeanor, and we do away with 70% to 75% of the Drug Civil War. Then let's concentrate our funding on realistic education (not the phony DARE program which tries to scare kids and therefore backfires when they become teenager) and treatment. Rush, you are going to take a lot of heat for our stand. But stand your ground and help educate the public. Robert E. Field ************************************************************************** Just DO It! Mark Greer Media Awareness Project (MAP) inc. d/b/a DrugSense MGreer@mapinc.org http://www.DrugSense.org/ http://www.mapinc.org ------------------------------------------------------------------ Re-distributed as a public service by the: Colorado Hemp Initiative Project P.O. Box 729, Nederland, CO 80466 Hotline: (303) 784-5632 Email: Web: http://www.welcomehome.org/cohip.html http://www.levellers.org/cannabis.html "Fighting over 60 years of lies and dis-information with 10,000 years of history and fact." 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