Here is collection of posts from various USENET newsgroups that reference Rush's slurred speech and other odd behaviour...these are just observations of listeners. But, it seems, something was going very wrong as early fall 1999. I belive this is well before the hearing loss...which caused Rush's voice/speech to change a bit. I think the hearing loss was not announced until fall 2001.
Subject: Limbaugh is drunk today Newsgroups: alt.fan.don-imus
Date: 1999/11/22
Strange. I happened to tune in after one o'clock. Within the first half-hour he mis-pronounced at least four words. "Clicken", I think, for Clinton once, talking about Hil. Each time, he quickly corrected himself, but I honestly thought, "What the hell is WRONG with him today?" Something was, but he didn't sound drunk. Brain tumor? Naaaaaaah, *that's* not possible!!!!!
Subject: Rush Medicated?
Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
Date: 1999/09/04
maybe I missed it...but has Rush commented on why his speaking has been slurred lately?
Subject: Re: Rush Medicated?
Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
Date: 1999/09/03
There was something wrong obviously, but it seems something happened in the trasmission. I didn't understand, was too technical. Maybe today he will explain how it could happen...quite weird sounding.
Subject: Re: Rush Medicated? Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
Date: 1999/09/04
I missed the first hour, but heard the clips he repeated. I thought that at first something had happened to his transmission. Later in that same broadcast though, he became slurred and slow in his speech. I am convinced now that he was under the influence of something, perhaps alcohol. He has stated that at one time, he was a heavy drinker. Not only was there the slowness, and slurring, but a detectable difference in his reasoning. Perhaps Rush has begun drinking again, I mean something other than the diet peach Snapple iced tea.
Subject: Re: Rush Medicated?
Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
Date: 1999/09/04
It also occurs to me that he has stated in the past that he takes medication. He stated some month's ago that sometimes his medication makes him tired. Come clean Rush, are you on drugs?
Subject: Re: Rush Medicated? Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
Date: 1999/09/04
Last hour of thursday 9/02, in the last half hour of his show, he began to slur and speak very slowly. As for my brain, that is really quite rude, when he asked a caller if he sounded any different than usual, she affirmed that he did not sound his usual self.
Subject: Is Rush Drinking Again?
Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
Date: 1999/09/21
Can anybody clear up the mystery of why Limbaugh sounds as if he's been abusing some substance or other lately?
He's blamed his slowed, rambling, slurring speech on pirate radio jammers, but does anybody buy that?
Were the jammers hard at work today? Does it seem odd to anyone that over the course of three hours, Limbaugh seemed able to gradually gather himself to attain a semblance of his usual speech patterns, which some unkind person might interpret as what typically occurs as an inebriate sobers up?
Subject: Re: Is Rush Drinking Again?
Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
Date: 1999/09/24
I have also notice this, but I gave it a different interpretation.
He sounds slurred and drunk, so he blames people "interfering with the broadcast" as if it was possible to do that. He's also been rattling on and on about "seminar callers" out to get him. He's recently accused a number of Buchannen supporters of being DNC plants.
So Rush is feeling attacked by his audience.
I believe he's finally, visibly, cracking up. He's always had a severe personality disorder (most folks as ignorant as he learn to keep quiet, listen to others, and temper their remarks....he glories in his ignorance and never has anything nice to say about anything), and I think the strain is getting to him.
I also think all those three and four day absences were devoted to liposuction, Rush's "diet" that he can't talk about.
Subject: Limbaugh Malt Liquor?
Newsgroups: alt.society.liberalism
Date: 1999/09/24
Anybody catch the Limbaughcile on Thurs 9-23-99? Was it me or did he sound drunk on the air? Slurred speech. Stumbling over his own words.
Subject: rush on 1/11/00
Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
Date: 2000/01/11
Was anyone listening to Rush today? Was there something wrong with him? He went from topic to topic with no connection, took I believe only 2 phone calls, and appeared to be doing no more than ranting on unrelated subjects, often making little sense. And at times his words were somewhat slurred. I don't imply at all he was drinking (saying his words were slurred), but he didn't sound like his mind was really connecting right. Anybody else get the same impression there was something odd going on?
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