Shifter Linkage Broken, Not the infamous billion-dollar bushing

What is your question?

My car is stuck in 3rd. Shifter loose, will not shift into any other gear, will land in the 3rd spot, won't lock in, but still very loose. I found comments on this bushing, and saw a picture of a replacement invention on ebay. the tabs that secure it(into the plastic thing that holds the line in place)seem to reach farther than just the lip, maybe far enough for the cable to sit in between two of the tabs?? My question is, could the bushing be broken on the inside? And if it is, how do i get it off to check without breaking it, and if it doesn't really do anything, then WHAT COULD IT BE???? (the clutch is only 1yr old, and works fine to start the car, no signs of going bad)