Via Instapundit, I bring you the following charge that the at least some in the MSM are willing to portray people with similar problems differently depending on whether they are well-liked or not

Kennedy's "Stigma" Is Limbaugh's "Crime"

Now, I'm not one to normally jump on "if they were black" or "if they were conservative" debates. However, I figured I have some time to kill, so let's see which is the easiest liberal source of any kind that is willing to make fun of Limbaugh yet be sorry for Kennedy. Keeping in mind of course that Limbaugh was never accused of doing anything to harm anyone yet Kennedy could have been killed or killed someone else in the process.

General criticism of Limbaugh's political views and even jokes about his weight didn't count. I wanted to find someone who specifically makes fun of his drug addiction.

The Democratic Daily Blog had this to say about Patrick Kennedy on May 5, 2006:

Patrick Kennedy said he hoped that his “openness today and in the past, and my acknowledgment that I need help, will give others the courage to get help if they need it.”

For anyone who has struggled with addiction, or has had a friend or loved one who has (or worse, lost a friend or loved one to addiction) , they understand the courage it takes to speak publicly, as Patrick Kennedy has. For the media and right-wing blogosphere who have twisted this a thousand different ways — you should all be ashamed.

On December 22, 2005 however, the following comments were made regarding Rush Limbaugh:

Conservative parnaoia hits childrens books. In efforts to brainwash children, they use their usual tactic of creating strawmen to attack rather than actually responding to liberal ideas....The Oregonean reports that, thanks to promotion from Rush Limbaugh (who perhaps will also teach kids how to take OxyContin)...

Ashamed indeed. That was easy.