Apparently, Rush Limbaugh is attempting to diversify his repertoire. He’s already mastered the art of racial slurs, taking and selling illegal drugs, and ridiculing rape victims. So the next step is to shift the attention of his ravings to those with terminal illnesses.

Last week on his radio talk show, Limbaugh accused actor Michael J. Fox of either faking the effects of his Parkinson’s disease or going off his medication to exaggerate them. Fox appeared in a commercial to support Missouri Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill, who supports embryonic stem cell research, during which the signs of his disease were evident. Never mind the fact that Fox is fighting for a worthy cause. Let’s slam him for not being able to control his central nervous system.

Limbaugh called Fox “shameless” and claimed that his actions are “purely an act” and that “this is the only time I have ever seen Michael J. Fox portray any of the symptoms of the disease he has.” Later, however, Limbaugh came back to say that people have told him they’ve seen Fox in interviews where his symptoms are just as pronounced. Rush is a persistent fellow and minor details have never stopped him from carrying on his bitter diatribe.

At this point, Limbaugh realizes he might just be digging himself into a hole. So instead of apologizing for calling Fox's symptoms fake, he simply changes his criticism. He starts accusing Fox of only campaigning for Democrats, without acknowledging the obvious assumption that Fox probably pushes for Democrats because most of them support his cause (and in fact, Fox did do an ad for Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa). He makes his case around the claim that Fox is “allowing his disease to be exploited and in the process is shilling for a Democrat politician.” This seems an awful lot like the pot calling the kettle black. Someone should alert Limbaugh to the obvious fact that he’s no better – he’s merely a mouthpiece for the right.

Maybe Limbaugh is running out of ideas, or he’s getting just as tired of his enraged ranting as the rest of us. Why else would he be criticizing someone for displaying signs of a debilitating disease? He seems to be missing the point that, even if Fox did go off his medication for the ad just to demonstrate the effects of Parkinson’s, there’s nothing wrong with that. He still has to live with the disease every day, and the medicine only makes it somewhat manageable. By not taking it to make a point of just how much he suffers, he is only more accurately portraying reality.

After the controversy surrounding his comments erupted, Limbaugh became indignant, saying that Democrats have created a situation where the sick are "infallible, whatever they say cannot be challenged." I suspect his point might have been taken more seriously if he weren't poking fun at the ailing victim of a ravaging disease.

Rarely am I surprised anymore by Limbaugh’s seething lunacy. His fury is getting a little old, almost robotic. He does, however, possess an uncanny ability to shock me with his arrogant opinions. I mean, who else can find a way to criticize a well-liked and terminally ill celebrity? No one but Rush.