I listen occasionally to Rush Limbaugh and, like some others here, I take his words with a grain of salt (sometimes with the whole shaker!). He is an entertainer, and I find him much more entertaining and less offensive than I find Howard Stern. Still, some of Rush's views do offend me... but you know what they say: "Know your enemies." His words give me an insight I wouldn't have if I only listened to words I agree with (and when I hear people echoing his words, at least I know that those people aren't thinking for themselves and I can react accordingly!).

I also watch "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher", with greater frequency than I listen to Rush. Maher can be annoying and offensive, too, and he disgusts plenty of people (like my brother, who refuses to watch the show. His loss!). Frankly, I'd hate to see either Limbaugh or Bill Maher silenced. We need them, and all the other political pundits mentioned, and even Howard Stern and Larry King and Phil Donahue and all the rest, because they are willing to say what they think. They are willing to risk being hated, threatened, verbally attacked and even physically harmed, just to exercise their right to speak freely. I admire them all for that, even as I abhor some of the things they say.

225 years ago, Thomas Paine did the same thing, and he took absolutely no pains to make himself well-liked. All he did was write and speak (to my recollection, he never held office, nor was he directly involved with drafting the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution), yet today we call him one of the Founding Fathers of the US.

What a pity he's gone; I'd love to see HIM on the panel of "Politically Incorrect"! I suppose we won't see Rush on there, either, now that his hearing's all but gone; did Rush ever appear on the program? (If so, I'm sorry to have missed THAT!!!)