Rush Limbaugh is an amazing character. So much so there is hardly room for the accolades I can pass on. Not so much for what he thinks or says, but for his accomplishment in the development of talk radio. He is one of the best ever at satire and lampoons.

He is a wizard at putting people on. Sometimes you have to pay close attention to ascertain whether he is pulling a big spoof.

His broadcast of Monday, December 19th might have been exactly that, a spoof. While passionately advocating for President Bush's very questionable powers as Commander in Chief to assume powers to override the Constitution in the name of security, he may have created the best opposition to it.

Rush used as his criteria a comparison with Abraham Lincoln. He did the most unusual thing, not normally done by Republicans. He actually outlined some of the abuses of power by Lincoln.

He discussed how Lincoln ordered Clement Vanlandingham, a member of Congress from Ohio, jailed and deported. He even went as far as to point out Vanlandingham was a political opponent, running for governor of Ohio.

The question begs, does that mean that President Bush should arrest and deport all in Congress who oppose him and his policies?

Then Rush went into how Lincoln arrested newspaper reporters who opposed him. Was he suggesting that Lincoln got by with it, maybe Bush should do the same?

Rush purposely avoided mentioning the idea of arresting and detaining radio and television people who tend to oppose the president.

He did bring up Lincoln's cancellation of Habeas Corpus. Maybe Bush should try that too. (Actually he has, look at the Patriot Act.) He didn't mention that when Chief Justice Tanney issued an order against it, Lincoln attempted to have the Chief Justice arrested. Watch out Chief Justice Roberts. It has to be all right in the name of security. After all, according to Rush, if Lincoln did it, George can too.

Then he boasted about how Lincoln had the army arrest elected Maryland legislators who were believed to be in support of secession. Gosh, George, think about all those Democrats and some Republicans in the Senate you could just put away until after you get your legislation (Patriot Act) passed. After all, Saint Abraham did it, and according to that great conservative, Rush Limbaugh, you have the precedent.

Rush didn't stop there, he mentioned how Roosevelt had the Japanese Americans rounded up an imprisoned. He failed to mention how the problem compounded when the first reparations to a class developed to in some way compensate for Roosevelt's actions.

Then to further justify the power of the federal government, Rush chose to talk about how Bobby Kennedy had wiretapped Martin Luther King. Typical of Rush, he failed to tell the whole story. Not one peep about an FBI file for probable cause for the COURT to issue the wiretap order.

Remember, one of our problems with the Patriot Act is the elimination of an oath of justifiable cause issued by a court as clearly defined in the Constitution.

A special speed court has been established for this for years. Of almost a couple thousand requests, only four have been denied.

If Rush was making a case for imperial presidential power, El Presidente George should sue him for non-support.

Now, you tell me, what was Rush really trying to do?

I'm reminded of a line from a wonderful piece of music by Rogers and Hammerstein from The King and I. In reviewing mutual protection treaties the King sings, "They might protect us out of everything we own."

We're not opposed to spying on terrorists, foreign or domestic. We're all for beefing up security. We believe it can be effectively done without destroying the principles that have made this republic the most successful government in the history of man. When The Bill of Rights is reduced or eliminated, the death of the Republic will surely follow.

Jeff Davis is a retired radio-TV journalist living in Gainesville, GA. Active in civic and political affairs, he is past president of the Georgia Jaycees, former vice president of the US and the world Jaycees, former campaign chairman of the Georgia Republican party. He voluntarily serves as chairman of the Georgia Heritage Council. He is a collateral descendant of President Jefferson Davis.

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