Until this moment, Mr. Limbaugh, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness.

You've probably heard about the flap surrounding Michael J. Fox's ad in support of a candidate who supports stem cell research. (A bit of a hot button for me, as embryonic stem cells have regenerated "hair cells" when implanted into the cochleas of deaf mice.) Anyway, you also probably knew that Rush Limbaugh said that Fox was either "off his medications" or "exaggerating" his symptoms when filming the ad.

(I can understand why Limbaugh would want to protect stem cells. Each and every one is a life form of greater worth and higher intelligence than he.)

But did you know that Limbaugh was mocking Fox's motions while talking about it on the show? Keith Olbermann (who IwishIwishIwish we got on cable) has the disgraceful video here.

One is reminded of Joseph Welch's famous words to Senator McCarthy : "Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness...Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator. You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"

And this from a person who cheerfully took advantage of the scientific advances that allowed him to regain his hearing, which it has been theorized he might have lost through years of oxycontin abuse, which has been linked to hearing loss.

When called on his comments, Limbaugh whined that the left always marches out victims to support their causes, victims who no-one can argue with.

Limbaugh may think Fox is a "victim". Fox doesn't.

Have the drugs addled your perception, sir? Have they numbed you to the point where you have lost all compassion for your fellow human beings?

Have you left no sense of decency?

ronnie

Postscript: William Saletan has a clear, concise and eminently readable article on how out-of-touch Limbaugh and his listeners have become with reality today in Slate.