WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2006
Rush Limbaugh, right, said he would apologize to actor Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson\'s disease, if he is wrong in characterizing Fox\'s behavior in a political ad as an act.*
(CBS/AP)
CBS/AP) His body visibly wracked by tremors, actor Michael J. Fox appears in a political ad that was the subject of widespread discussion on Monday after conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh claimed Fox was "either off his medication or acting."
On Tuesday while in suburban Chicago campaigning for Democratic candidate for Congress Tammy Duckworth, Fox shot back.
"I'm kind of lucky right now. It's ironic, given some of the things that have been said in the last couple days, that my pills are working really well," Fox said.
A victim of Parkinson's disease, Fox speaks out in the ad for Missouri Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill, who supports embryonic stem cell research.
"I think this is exploitative in a way that's unbecoming of either Claire McCaskill or Michael J. Fox," Limbaugh said on his syndicated show.
Duckworth added of Limbaugh's remarks: "That comment is trying to take away from the real issue at hand."
On his Web site Tuesday, Limbaugh appeared to back away from his accusation.
"All I'm saying is I've never seen him the way he appears in this commercial for Claire McCaskill," says Limbaugh. "So I will bigly, hugely admit that I was wrong, and I will apologize to Michael J. Fox, if I am wrong in characterizing his behavior on this commercial as an act, especially since people are telling me they have seen him this way on other interviews and in other television appearances."