Rush Limbaugh Shamelessly Slams Michael J. Fox

"They say all politics is local, but it's not always the case," says Michael J. Fox, speaking directly to the camera in a 30-second commercial backing Senate candidate Claire McCaskill, a Democratic candidate for Senator in Missouri. Fox continues, "What you do in Missouri matters to millions of Americans—Americans like me."

More and more, celebrities are speaking out in support of politicians and political causes dear to their hearts. Fox’s plea for support of McCaskill is particularly dear to his heart, because McCaskill has made her support of stem cell research a hallmark of her campaign. Fox has also lent his celebrity endorsement to Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, running for the Senate in Maryland, and Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, who is seeking re-election, both of whom also back stem cell research.

Fox is the ideal spokesperson for supporting this type of research, because he suffers from Parkinson’s. The advertisement shows a Michael J. Fox vastly different from the boyish actor who starred in "Family Ties" and "Spin City" plus the "Back to the Future" films, because he shakes and rocks while sitting in a chair, the effects of his disease clearly apparent.

Some commentators and public figures opposed to stem cell research have criticized the ads as being exploitative. "The reason that he's powerful is that he's comparatively young," says Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director for the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center. "As a result, a lot of people in that age range can look at him and say, `If that can happen to him, it can happen to me.’"

Fox is uniquely suited to be a spokesman for politicians supporting stem cell research, because he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991. He revealed his condition publicly in 1998 and stopped acting full-time two years later. He founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which has raised millions of dollars.

One of the most outspoken critics of Fox’s political ads is Rush Limbaugh, the sharp-tongued conservative radio commentator with the acerbic wit who is known for his outrageous statements. Limbaugh said that Fox is acting in the ads, purposely exaggerating the symptoms of his disease. Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive disorder of the central nervous system that leaves patients increasingly unable to control their movements.

"He is exaggerating the effects of the disease," Limbaugh told listeners. "He’s moving all around and shaking, and it’s purely an act." Limbaugh added, "This is the only time I’ve ever seen Michael J. Fox portray any of the symptoms of the disease he has. He can barely control himself…he is an actor, after all." Evidently Limbaugh hasn’t seen Fox in recent years, because his illness is always evident. He usually seeks to control his movements when making public appearances, but doing so is extremely physically taxing. He told the Associated Press in January that when he makes rare appearances in guest spots on television, because of Parkinson’s disease, he "can’t show up with a game plan."

Dr. John Boockvar, a neurosurgeon and assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medical Center at New York's Presbyterian Hospital, said that Limbaugh's accusations are "ludicrous." Boockvar said that people suffering from Parkinson's have "on" and "off" spells, and their symptoms often come and go. "If there is one single disease that has the highest potential for benefit from stem cell research," Boockvar said Tuesday, "it's Parkinson's."

Rush Limbaugh apparently doesn’t know much about the effects of Parkinson’s. "This is really shameless, folks. This is really shameless of Michael J. Fox," Limbaugh said. "Either he didn’t take his medication or he’s acting, one of the two."

What’s really shameless is a loudmouth making offensive, disparaging remarks related to a person’s physical disability. Limbaugh can lambaste celebrities all he wants to for their politics, personality, or talent, but there is simply no excuse for rudely attacking Michael J. Fox for passionately wanting to prevent someone else from suffering the way he is. The bumper stickers that trumpet the catchphrase "Rush is Right" are no longer as clever as they once were. Rush is wrong.