RUSH! by Michael Arkush
Robert M. Topolski
A division of
The Hearst Corporation
1350 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
Library of Congress catalog number 93-90612
ISBN: 0-380-77539-5
The long awaited unauthorized biography made it into my hot little hands
about 20 hours ago, and I have thoroughly devoured all 233 pages of it.
I am not a book reviewer, nor do I even claim any proficiency in
literature or grammar -- as this article will undoubtably tattle.
Nonetheless, I am a Rush Limbaugh fan who just had to have this book the
moment I saw it.
I asked the clerk how long it had been out (two weeks) and how well it had
been selling. The answer to the second question was surprising:
Apparently confused Rush fans were buying it and many were returning it
after right after discovering that it wasn't the impending second book,
SEE I TOLD YOU SO by Rush Limbaugh. After thinking about it for a while,
I decided the response couldn't have been that bad because she didn't
offer this information until I asked. I think that a store clerk, afraid
that a sale might result in an unsatisfied customer, would warn that
customer if she thought that he might be getting something other than what
he wants.
I couldn't put the book down. Arkush, who is not a writer of many books,
did a fine job of research, interviewing, and chronicalling Rush
Limbaugh's career, friends, soul-mates, and conservative ancestry.
Arkush, who obviously is not totally enamoured with Rush (more on this
later), takes readers step-by-step, job-by-job,
relationship-by-relationship through the life of Rusty Limbaugh (aka Jeff
Christie). The writer keeps it moving and interesting, complete with
quotes from the appropriate sources from times in Rush's life.
Rush's second ex-wife, Michelle (Sixta) (Limbaugh) Wennerholm, was
wonderfully open and obviously still has warm regards for Rush, whom she
left after Rush went national, apparently to escape the ever-brightening
lights and fame.
Arkush was not entirely complimentary. He criticizes Rush for not
crediting Norm Woodruff for pulling the strings that got him into KFBK,
which was where he was working when he met Ed McLaughlin. Norm gave Rush
that last chance (he had been fired a number of times and fallen into
obscurity while working in baseball). Norm taught Rush how to dress for
success and presented him to KFBK at a key moment -- upon the firing of
Morton Downey. Arkush says Rush fails to give Woodruff his just credit
for his involvement in Rush's success, which if it ever does come will
have to come posthomolously. Woodruff died in the mid 1980's of AIDS. He
was gay.
Arkush also touches on Rush's military deferrment in a
less-than-complimentary manner. David Limbaugh says Rush had a student
deferrment and a pilonidal cyst. Arkush found room to print lines from
people who questioned the deferrments and whether Rush should be allowed
to comment on matters military.
Yet Arkush either missed or just failed to take the more obvious
opportunity to cast Rush in a questionable light. Ex-coworker Mary Jane
Wolf recalls attending a 70's pot party with Rush. As the joint was being
passed around, Wolf told Rush she didn't want any. Rush told her to act
like she was busy scratching his back and he would pass the joint on
without using it either. "Nobody is going to dare say anything to me,"
she credits Rush (then Jeff Christie) as saying. For all the guff Rush
gave Clinton about attending a pot party but claiming he "didn't inhale",
the truth was that under similar circumstances, Rush didn't either.
Arkush never links the event with Rush's later critisism of Clinton.
These only mildly disparaging events take up only a few of the pages of
the biography, which is overall complimentary toward Rush's talent,
ability to think and to speak, and to capitalize on his gifts. There is
an overall theme concerning Rush's insecurity, his devotion toward
excellence, and his love for show business. It is Arkush's first book (he
co-wrote a sports book and writes for the LOS ANGELES TIMES) and is
beautifully written.
All Limbaugh fans and devoted foes should RUSH! to get this book.
--
Robert M. Topolski <topo...@kaiwan.com>
craig edward smith
>Arkush was not entirely complimentary. He criticizes Rush for not
>crediting Norm Woodruff for pulling the strings that got him into KFBK,
>which was where he was working when he met Ed McLaughlin. Norm gave Rush
>that last chance (he had been fired a number of times and fallen into
>obscurity while working in baseball). Norm taught Rush how to dress for
>success and presented him to KFBK at a key moment -- upon the firing of
>Morton Downey. Arkush says Rush fails to give Woodruff his just credit
>for his involvement in Rush's success, which if it ever does come will
>have to come posthomolously. Woodruff died in the mid 1980's of AIDS. He
>was gay.
Care to entertain a theory as to why Rush has never publicly thanked
Arkush? My theory is that he can't without losing. Listeners on the
fringe right would blast him for having anything to do with homosexuals
and gay rights advocates would blast him as a hypocrite for taking
advantage of a gay man and then blasting gays.
Of course, those who really know Rush, know that he has repeatedly said
that he has no problem with what a person does in the privacy of their
own bedroom. His argument with Gay Rights Advocates is purely political.
Rush avoids the subject on his show for this reason, expect for the political
aspect of it--when Gays want to force their morality (read:public acceptance
of their lifestyle) on others. Especially when this manifests itself as
an attack on the traditional family.
Rush Limbaugh's email address is: 70277...@CompuServe.Com
Bo Snerdley's email address is: 73467,22...@CompuServe.Com
- - - -N-E-V-E-R-,- -E-V-E-R- -T-R-U-S-T- -A- -D-R-A-F-T- -D-O-D-G-E-R- - - -
American Socialism--"Our business
Is making Your business
The State's business!"
Craig Edward Smith (csm...@cis.ohio-state.edu)
Robert M. Topolski
: Care to entertain a theory as to why Rush has never publicly thanked
: Arkush?
I was wondering this too. Rush has been silent about this book and he
really need not be. Arkush made a deep probe into Rush's past and came up
with relatively little dirt. Unlike so many articles about Rush that turn
out to actually be about his audience, this book is about the man, his
history, and a little about his beliefs.
: My theory is that he can't without losing. Listeners on the
: fringe right would blast him for having anything to do with homosexuals
: and gay rights advocates would blast him as a hypocrite for taking
: advantage of a gay man and then blasting gays.
Maybe. He stopped doing caller abortions because of listeners on the
fringe.
: Rush Limbaugh's email address is: 70277...@CompuServe.Com
: Bo Snerdley's email address is: 73467,22...@CompuServe.Com
Bo's address should not have a comma-----^---- but a period.
Nice talking w/ya again.