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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (10696)	10/4/2003 12:46:58 AM
From: Brian Sullivan	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793718

Bill, did you ever run across L. Ron Hubbard, or the Scientology cult during your LA days? Scientologist's Treatments Lure Firefighters ... In the days after the Sept. 11 attack, Scientologists were among the representatives of many religions and religious groups moving among the rescue workers and the traumatized residents. They were even allowed to remain along with the American Red Cross after many other groups had been ordered to leave. The Church of Scientology was founded in the 1950's by Mr. Hubbard, a science fiction writer who died in 1986. Its adherents, who number in the millions and include many Hollywood celebrities, believe that Scientology's self-help techniques and counseling sessions, known as auditing, can help people live more productive and satisfying lives. But the cost of the auditing sessions, which can run into thousands of dollars an hour, has drawn criticism, as have the church's aggressive tactics toward its critics. The Internal Revenue Service granted the church tax-exempt status in 1993. Officials at the Manhattan clinic said that shortly after the terrorist attack, an official with the firefighters' union contacted the Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education, a group that promotes the detoxification program developed by Mr. Hubbard, to request the regimen for New York firefighters. nytimes.com

To: LindyBill who wrote (10696)	10/4/2003 1:02:13 AM
From: Brian Sullivan	Respond to of 793718

Here is an article from two years ago on Rush when he first revealed that he was deaf. He said that the cause was not genetic. He also was trying to get a side jobs as a football commentator and was still fighting with Al Franken. Radio commentator Rush Limbaugh tells listeners he's nearly deaf, wants to continue show SF Chronicle (October 08, 2001) 17:28 PDT NEW YORK (AP) -- Radio commentator Rush Limbaugh told listeners Monday that he's virtually deaf but that he wants to continue his nationally syndicated talk show. Limbaugh said he noticed in May that he had trouble hearing in his left ear. He said it had progressively worsened to the point where he is totally deaf in that ear. He has partial hearing in his right ear, he said. "I can occasionally talk to people in person one on one if their voice frequency happens to fit the range that I can still hear, but I cannot hear radio," he said. "I cannot hear television. I cannot hear music. I am, for all practical purposes, deaf -- and it's happened in three months." This summer, Limbaugh renewed his contract with the Premiere Radio Networks through 2009, reportedly for the highest price ever in radio syndication. Through his call-in show and a 90-second radio commentary, he reaches some 20 million listeners on nearly 600 stations. Representatives of Premiere Radio Networks could not immediately be reached for comment Monday. Limbaugh, with his legion of like-minded "dittoheads" who listen to his show live on weekdays from noon to 3 p.m., is an icon in conservative politics who spent most of the 1990s assailing then-President Clinton. He was frequently lampooned from the left: Comedian Al Franken wrote a book titled "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot," before Limbaugh lost weight. The 50-year-old Limbaugh got his start on KFBK in Sacramento, Calif., in 1985 and became nationally syndicated in 1988. Limbaugh said his hearing loss is not genetic. He said doctors have a theory about why he's gone deaf, "but I'm going to keep that to myself." The commentator told listeners, "you would not believe the medication that is flowing through me in an attempt to reverse this." He said he wants to continue his show, and is experimenting with ways that he can still communicate with telephone callers. If that doesn't work, he may do the show without callers. "All I've lost is my ability to hear," he said, "but it doesn't mean I've lost my ability to communicate. Those are two different things, given the technological advances we have in this country today." He had a syndicated television talk show that lasted four years and ended in 1996. CNN, which Limbaugh frequently derided as the "Clinton News Network," talked briefly about putting him on the air this summer, but nothing came of the discussions. Limbaugh also briefly sought a color commentator job on "Monday Night Football," but the gig went to Dennis Miller. He said Monday that many of his listeners had written to say that his voice had changed in recent months. "It could well be that my voice is changing," he said. "I don't know. I cannot hear myself well enough to know." groups.google.com