Limbaugh: I'm Not Moving To Costa Rica

RUSH LIMBAUGH's remark to a caller that he would go to COSTA RICA for health care if Pres. OBAMA's health care plan passes has gotten attention from news organizations around the world, but LIMBAUGH says that the reporters misinterpreted what he said. 

On MONDAY's show, LIMBAUGH said in response to a caller asking where he would go to see a private doctor if the plan passes ("If the health care bill passes, where would you go for health care yourself?") that "If this passes and it's five years from now and all that stuff gets implemented, I am leaving the country. I'll go to COSTA RICA." The remark led the HUFFINGTON POST to interpret the comment as saying that he would move to COSTA RICA rather than go there to see the doctor, an interpretation picked up by news organizations and bloggers worldwide.

On his show TODAY (3/9), LIMBAUGH responded, saying that the article's interpretation of his comment "has been turned into I'm going to leave the country for COSTA RICA and move there if Obamacare passes. I've had all kinds of reporters: 'Are you serious? Do you really mean this?' So I've had to patiently explain today to people who do not bother to stay informed on this stuff what the genesis and the primary context of my comment was. 

"I said, 'Look, there are insurance companies that don't want to be put out of business." We've talked to them on the program. I've talked to them privately. They are establishing health care clinics with quality doctors in places like COSTA RICA. They're going to continue to sell policies to people who have the ability to fly down there and get treatment. If I have to get thrown into this massive government health care insurance business and end up going to the driver's license office every day when I need to go to the doctor, yeah, I'll go to COSTA RICA for treatment, not move there. So they're just in a tizzy out there, between COSTA RICA and (resigning Congressman) ERIC MASSA.  So -- (laughing) -- it's going to be a fun day.  Heck, it already is a fun day."

Later, LIMBAUGH added, "You know, I am in such hot water now. People in NEW ZEALAND are sending me e-mails: 'How come you're not coming here? You've been telling everybody you're moving to NEW ZEALAND and now you're saying you're going to COSTA RICA.' I did not say I'm going to COSTA RICA. The stupid people in the media who cannot trouble themselves to read my transcripts or listen to this program, listen to out of context stuff. I was asked yesterday where will I go for health care if OBAMA's health care passes, and I said if doctors here are not permitted to form private practice little clinics with individuals paying a fee, a retainer, and for services, then I'll go to COSTA RICA to get major medical health care. I didn't say I would move there. They're all over these websites: 'LIMBAUGH says he'd move to COSTA RICA. Why, what more incentive do we have to pass health care to get LIMBAUGH to move to COSTA RICA?' Now, NEW ZEALAND is reading about this and they're all bent out of shape that I'm somehow not coming there, all because of the stupid media. They are not competing for me because COSTA RICA doesn't think I'm going to move there, which I wouldn't. Gosh."

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