SILOAM SPRINGS — By now I’m sure most of you know that Rush Limbaugh was kicked out of an invest-group purchase of the St. Louis Rams NFL football team.

My purpose is not to defend Rush. He’s a big boy and he can and will adequately defend himself. I just want to give my opinion about what a shame it is, not for Limbaugh, but for the other investors and for the NFL.

For the very few who don’t know who Rush Limbaugh is, he’s a conservative radio talk show host who has a big audience, big bankroll and a big mouth. He’s not just a conservative radio guy, He IS conservative radio talk. Oh sure, there are many others now, but were it not for him, there probably would never have been talk radio. He is heard on more than 600 stations and he has 20 million listeners. They listen to him daily and they’ve been doing so for21 years. He must be doing something right since he’s on three hours a day and his audience continues to grow.

Critics and reverends

Unfortunately, his big mouth, i.e., his ability to clearly communicate his thoughts, is what got him booted from the investor group. He pulls no punches. Conservatives admire him. Liberals despise him. Moderate Republicans fear him but can’t afford to ignore him. Those who use race to divide us, especially those so-called reverends (as in Sharpton and Jackson) harbor a visceral loathing of him.

Rush’s “Bum’s Rush” came afterthe aforementioned two reverends objected, along with a few no-name players, and a raft of liberals and press flaks raised a ruckus. Even Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) put down her cell phone long enough to take to the floor of the House to castigate Limbaugh.

His critics all claimed Rush was unfit because he was “divisive” and “unfit” to own an NFL team. Those were subtle terms for “racist,” but his critics didn’t have the temerity to actually say so. Never mind that Limbaugh is not only the most listened to, but the most scrupulously monitored media person on air today.

Everything he says is recorded and has been for years. Yet, media lackeys reported outlandish racial comments he supposedly made, but they cited no source and provided no proof he had ever made such remarks, while the reverends chimed in with similar reportage.

Unfit to own

I hesitate to even hint of anything negative about the ever-so-reverends, lest I also be labeled unfit to own an NFL team. So recognizing my great risk I will say only that Limbaugh has never admitted to fathering a child out of wedlock while at the same time counseling the president of the United States about marital fidelity. Et tu Reverend Jackson? Also, it was not Rush, but another reverend who was fined $65,000 for falsely accusing a New York district attorney of rape. It was the same reverend who rushed down to Durham, N.C., to pronounce the innocent Duke Lacrosse players guilty of rape before any evidence was revealed.

The NFL saved

Thank goodness for the reverends and the others who savedthe NFL from one of its most avid and influential fans. They also saved his potential investment partners from untold shame and probably unwanted riches by getting them to recuse themselves from future association with a guy who has the media clout and financial firepower to help them attract the services of the best and most talented players in the league. I guess the lesson for conservatives to learn from this, is that no matter how rich and powerful you think you are, and no matter how much you believe in telling it like it is, if you’re not politically correct, you’re not welcome to invest in the NFL.

Limbaugh’s critics should be thankful there is not such a rigid moral fitness test forplayers. Otherwise, an all-pro who was accused of murder but later convicted only of obstruction, a dog torturer, plus countless spouse batterers, drunken drivers and serial out-of-wedlock fathers would be searching for someplace to invest their working hours.

The NFL doesn’t penalize some for bad behavior or poor lifestyle choices. Even gross rules infractions are “subject to further review” as the NFL refs say during the game. But expect a lifetime ban for steroid use, and now, for excessive expression of conservative opinion.

I opine, you decide.

Note to would-be critics: If you e-mail me a specific comment that is supposedly attributed to Limbaugh, be sure to identify your source and check it out before sending.

- Willie Williams is a Siloam Springs resident. He can be reached at bryjwil@yahoo.com.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 10/21/2009

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