CNN’s Begala Smears Rush Limbaugh as a 'Drug-Addled Gasbag'

During an election night discussion of the Missouri embryonic stem cell debate, CNN analyst Paul Begala slammed Rush Limbaugh as a "drug-addled gasbag who is self discredited." Bill Bennett, also on the panel with James Carville and J.C. Watts, chastised Begala: “Well, it's a nasty comment.”

The discussion, with Democratic strategist Begala's insult, began at about 8:08pm EST Tuesday night on CNN:

11/7/06 8:08pm

Paul Begala: "There are principled reasons to oppose embryonic stem cell research. There are principled Americans who do. Bill Bennett is one of them. But Bill Bennett was not the face and the voice of the anti-embryonic stem cell debate. It became Rush Limbaugh, a drug-addled gasbag who is self discredited. That’s good for Claire McCaskill And I just talked to her campaign manager, Richard Martin. He says that the turnout in the cities is very high. He’s very encouraged that in the very, kind of, Anglo-suburbs of, of Eastern Jackson County, which, traditionally, pretty Democratic and should really care about stem cell research, he thinks turnout is going to be something like 70 percent. So they think the stem cell thing is working big for them."

Anderson Cooper: "Bill, do you want to-"

Bill Bennett: "Well, it’s a nasty comment about Rush. It’s his personal opinion. That’s fine. Rush happens to be a very popular person. Rush also said that he would apologize if he were wrong. Rush is also a native of the state of Missouri. And a lot of people listen to him and take him seriously in his good moments and his not so good moments."