Fox: Not off medicine in political ads

[one...two...tree 2,762]

By FRAZIER MOORE, Associated Press TV Writer

In a response to charges by conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, Michael J. Fox defended his appearance in recent political campaign ads, saying he was neither acting nor off his medication for Parkinson's disease.

On the contrary, he had been overmedicated, the actor said during an interview aired on Thursday's "CBS Evening News with Katie Couric."

"The irony of it is that I was too medicated," Fox told Couric, adding that his jumpy condition as he spoke to her reflected "a dearth of medication — not by design. I just take it, and it kicks in when it kicks in."

"That's funny — the notion that you could calculate it for effect," he said. "Would that we could."

The 7 1/2-minute interview with Fox, whose shaking at one point dislodged the microphone clipped to his jacket lapel, aired in two segments taped Thursday afternoon on the "Evening News" set.

Fox drew some conservative criticism after an ad began running in Missouri during the World Series. It showed Fox visibly shaking while urging fans to vote yes for stem-cell research and Democratic Senate challenger Claire McCaskill — and no to the Republican incumbent Jim Talent.

"They say all politics is local, but it's not always the case," Fox says in the 30-second spot. "What you do in Missouri matters to millions of Americans — Americans like me."

Fox, who supports research on embryonic stem cell for a potential cure for Parkinson's, also has lent his celebrity to Democrats Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin (news, bio, voting record), running for the Senate in Maryland, and Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, who is seeking re-election. Both politicians also back stem-cell research.

The ads triggered a backlash, with radio commentator Limbaugh claiming during his broadcast that Fox was "either off his medication or acting." Limbaugh called Fox "really shameless" in his effort to stir up sympathy. Limbaugh apologized later in the broadcast.

Fox told Couric that he did the ads only to advance his cause, and that he doesn't care about politics. "Disease is a nonpartisan problem that requires a bipartisan solution," he said.

"Would you support a Republican candidate?" Couric asked.

"I have," Fox replied. "I've campaigned for Arlen Specter," describing the Republican Senator from Pennsylvania as a "fantastic champion of stem-cell research."

"We have a right if there's answers out there, to pursue those answers with the full support of our politicians," he said.

Fox, 45, who starred on TV's "Family Ties" and "Spin City" as well as the "Back to the Future" films, was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1991 and revealed his condition publicly in 1998. In 2000, he quit full-time acting because of his symptoms and founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, which has raised millions of dollars.

At the conclusion of the first segment of the interview, Couric told viewers that her father has Parkinson's and that she has made contributions for research to Fox's foundation.

___

On the Net:

http://www.cbsnews.com

http://www.michaeljfox.org/

Parkinson's Disease Foundation: http://www.pdf.org/

Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures: http://www.missouricures.com

Missouri Right to Life: http://www.missourilife.org

[GaryC 7]

Over medicated/undermedicated. So what. It was still done to gain sympathy.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Over medicated/undermedicated. So what. It was still done to gain sympathy.

Can you spot me one political ad that doesn't try to evoke some kind of emotional response?

Why are standing up for what Limbaugh said if he later apologized?

[kaydee457 13]

It appeared to me that he was "acting" when I saw the video.......

Does anyone ever tire of these HS dropouts using their celebrity to assert their politics?

Jeesh!

[GaryC 7]

Over medicated/undermedicated. So what. It was still done to gain sympathy.

Can you spot me one political ad that doesn't try to evoke some kind of emotional response?

Why are standing up for what Limbaugh said if he later apologized?

Why are you posting things like this if Rush apologized?

[I'm Gone 60]

"Would you support a Republican candidate?" Couric asked.

"I have," Fox replied. "I've campaigned for Arlen Specter," describing the Republican Senator from Pennsylvania as a "fantastic champion of stem-cell research."

Spector is about as Republican as Madonna is Catholic.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Over medicated/undermedicated. So what. It was still done to gain sympathy.

Can you spot me one political ad that doesn't try to evoke some kind of emotional response?

Why are standing up for what Limbaugh said if he later apologized?

Why are you posting things like this if Rush apologized?

hehehe...which came first, the chicken or the egg... why did you post that thread yesterday attacking Fox? You're the one defending Limbaugh's remarks and attacking Fox. The man made a political ad in support of a candidate for the state of Missouri, who is Democrat - which Limbaugh hates and that's why Fox gets attacked. That's the crux of the issue here. Show me one political ad by any party that fits your criteria as emotionally neutral?

[GaryC 7]

Over medicated/undermedicated. So what. It was still done to gain sympathy.

Can you spot me one political ad that doesn't try to evoke some kind of emotional response?

Why are standing up for what Limbaugh said if he later apologized?

Why are you posting things like this if Rush apologized?

hehehe...which came first, the chicken or the egg... why did you post that thread yesterday attacking Fox? You're the one defending Limbaugh's remarks and attacking Fox. The man made a political ad in support of a candidate for the state of Missouri, who is Democrat - which Limbaugh hates and that's why Fox gets attacked. That's the crux of the issue here. Show me one political ad by any party that fits your criteria as emotionally neutral?

This is something the Dems are big at. They find a "victim" and then dare anyone to call them on it. Hence Fox, the Jersey Girls, Shehan and most recently that Iraq war vet that lost both legs ,Tammy Duckworth. In the past they trotted out Christopher Reaves implying that if the dems are elected he would "get up and walk again". Edwards said that at a debate. I don't see the Republicans doing that. The Republicans at least try to stick with the facts(I know, sometimes we get it wrong also) but the dems seem to make a habbit of using sympathy to get votes.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Over medicated/undermedicated. So what. It was still done to gain sympathy.

Can you spot me one political ad that doesn't try to evoke some kind of emotional response?

Why are standing up for what Limbaugh said if he later apologized?

Why are you posting things like this if Rush apologized?

hehehe...which came first, the chicken or the egg... why did you post that thread yesterday attacking Fox? You're the one defending Limbaugh's remarks and attacking Fox. The man made a political ad in support of a candidate for the state of Missouri, who is Democrat - which Limbaugh hates and that's why Fox gets attacked. That's the crux of the issue here. Show me one political ad by any party that fits your criteria as emotionally neutral?

This is something the Dems are big at. They find a "victim" and then dare anyone to call them on it. Hence Fox, the Jersey Girls, Shehan and most recently that Iraq war vet that lost both legs ,Tammy Duckworth. In the past they trotted out Christopher Reaves implying that if the dems are elected he would "get up and walk again". Edwards said that at a debate. I don't see the Republicans doing that. The Republicans at least try to stick with the facts(I know, sometimes we get it wrong also) but the dems seem to make a habbit of using sympathy to get votes.

Really? So the next Republican ad that I'll post here which tries to tug at the voter's heartstrings, you'll openly criticize it with the same relentless that you've gone after Fox with, yes? And the bigger question - did you ever call the Republicans on it like you did with this Fox ad when they used emotional appeal?

Edited October 27, 2006 by Steven_and_Jinky

[Alex+R 0]

I wish there were a "Bushbot" smiley...

[GaryC 7]

Over medicated/undermedicated. So what. It was still done to gain sympathy.

Can you spot me one political ad that doesn't try to evoke some kind of emotional response?

Why are standing up for what Limbaugh said if he later apologized?

Why are you posting things like this if Rush apologized?

hehehe...which came first, the chicken or the egg... why did you post that thread yesterday attacking Fox? You're the one defending Limbaugh's remarks and attacking Fox. The man made a political ad in support of a candidate for the state of Missouri, who is Democrat - which Limbaugh hates and that's why Fox gets attacked. That's the crux of the issue here. Show me one political ad by any party that fits your criteria as emotionally neutral?

This is something the Dems are big at. They find a "victim" and then dare anyone to call them on it. Hence Fox, the Jersey Girls, Shehan and most recently that Iraq war vet that lost both legs ,Tammy Duckworth. In the past they trotted out Christopher Reaves implying that if the dems are elected he would "get up and walk again". Edwards said that at a debate. I don't see the Republicans doing that. The Republicans at least try to stick with the facts(I know, sometimes we get it wrong also) but the dems seem to make a habbit of using sympathy to get votes.

Really? So the next Republican ad that I'll post here which tries to tug at the voter's heartstrings, you'll openly criticize it with the same relentless that you've gone after Fox with, yes? And the bigger question - did you ever call the Republicans on it like you did with this Fox ad when they used emotional appeal?

Find me a Republican ad with a "victim" and then I will tell you.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Over medicated/undermedicated. So what. It was still done to gain sympathy.

Can you spot me one political ad that doesn't try to evoke some kind of emotional response?

Why are standing up for what Limbaugh said if he later apologized?

Why are you posting things like this if Rush apologized?

hehehe...which came first, the chicken or the egg... why did you post that thread yesterday attacking Fox? You're the one defending Limbaugh's remarks and attacking Fox. The man made a political ad in support of a candidate for the state of Missouri, who is Democrat - which Limbaugh hates and that's why Fox gets attacked. That's the crux of the issue here. Show me one political ad by any party that fits your criteria as emotionally neutral?

This is something the Dems are big at. They find a "victim" and then dare anyone to call them on it. Hence Fox, the Jersey Girls, Shehan and most recently that Iraq war vet that lost both legs ,Tammy Duckworth. In the past they trotted out Christopher Reaves implying that if the dems are elected he would "get up and walk again". Edwards said that at a debate. I don't see the Republicans doing that. The Republicans at least try to stick with the facts(I know, sometimes we get it wrong also) but the dems seem to make a habbit of using sympathy to get votes.

Really? So the next Republican ad that I'll post here which tries to tug at the voter's heartstrings, you'll openly criticize it with the same relentless that you've gone after Fox with, yes? And the bigger question - did you ever call the Republicans on it like you did with this Fox ad when they used emotional appeal?

Find me a Republican ad with a "victim" and then I will tell you.

Does 9/11 ring a bell?

What is it? That you don't like the emotional appeal or that you don't like to see people who are suffering in political ads?

[GaryC 7]

Does 9/11 ring a bell?

What is it? That you don't like the emotional appeal or that you don't like to see people who are suffering in political ads?

Sure it does. That is when the Dems got the Jersey Girls out. We were attacked. If you call wanting to defend ourselves an emotional appeal then your really missing the point.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Does 9/11 ring a bell?

What is it? That you don't like the emotional appeal or that you don't like to see people who are suffering in political ads?

Sure it does. That is when the Dems got the Jersey Girls out. We were attacked. If you call wanting to defend ourselves an emotional appeal then your really missing the point.

My point is that political ads do just that - appeal to emotions, just like all adverstising these days. It works and that's why both parties do it. What I'm calling you on, Gary, is that you've lashed out at Fox for trying to tug at people's heartstrings with his Parkinson's Disease, as if he is doing something so reprehensible in the scope of political ads. So which Party is 'better' or least reprehensible when it comes to such tactics? The Republicans? ...horse hockies.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Does 9/11 ring a bell?

What is it? That you don't like the emotional appeal or that you don't like to see people who are suffering in political ads?

Sure it does. That is when the Dems got the Jersey Girls out. We were attacked. If you call wanting to defend ourselves an emotional appeal then your really missing the point.

The point is that a certain group of people have repeatedly used 9/11 footage in political ads – and have been criticized for it. That is actually far worse than the Fox ad because in using the footage amounts to taking “ownership” of a national tragedy that belongs to ALL Americans and turning it into a commodity.

Fox appealing for people to vote for candidates who support an issue that clearly affects his own personal self-interest (which he admits in the ad) pales in comparison next to that.