I miss Rush

I seldom agreed with Rush Limbaugh, but I listened to him because he was entertaining. Rush didn't invent political discourse in this country, but he made it a national pastime. He was a staunch conservative, but he was an entertainer, too. In fact, he sometimes talked about being an entrainer. And he had a sense of humor. Some of the parodies on his show were hilarious. And although Rush stated his case with conviction, he seldom sounded angry.

I remember when Rush developed his drug addiction problem (pain pills). He talked about it on the air, went into rehab, and came back to his program. When he lost his hearing, he talked about it, got cochlear implants, and came back. He didn't hide his problems and he wasn't a whiner or quitter.

Rush had a talent for impersonations. He could mimic Bill Clinton really well. I liked Clinton up until the Monica Lewinsky scandal and would get irritated at Rush for his derogatory impersonations. But even then, I thought they were funny.

Rush talked about flying, football, cigars, dieting, Cape Girardeau, Rio Linda, etc. He devoted full shows to charity. He had written books and hosted a TV show. He was a conservative talk show host, but he was an entertainer, too.

I think a lot of people, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents like me, listened to Rush because his show was entertaining. And I think a lot of us miss him.

GARY L. GAINES, Cape Girardeau