by TChris

Another example the USA's increasing intolerance: the fashion police are harassing teachers.

In Georgia's Miller County, skirts must reach the knee. Elsewhere in the state, hair curlers are disallowed in Harris County and male teachers in Talbot County must wear ties two or three times a week.

It's good to know that school boards are doing the hard work that ensures an excellent education for our children.

by TChris

Former Wisconsin governor and senator Gaylord Nelson died today. Nelson "founded Earth Day and helped spawn the modern environmental movement."

A conservationist years before it became fashionable, Nelson was recognized as one of the world's foremost environmental leaders. Then-President Clinton presented Nelson with a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995 for his environmental efforts.

Rest in peace, Gaylord.

Arianna is still on top of the visit VP Dick Cheney made to the Vail Valley Medical Center last week. Cheney's office has officially denied he had an EKG while in Vail. Arianna says,

This morning, a source close to the hospital told me that, in fact, the vice president was administered “a 12 lead EKG” by a nurse in the cardiac unit. “The hospital has put a clamp on all discussions of the Cheney visit,” my source told me. “Each department was asked to gather its employees and give them a short HIPAA Privacy Rule lesson. People were told that anyone who is treating a patient and discloses information could be fined up to $50,000 and 5 years in jail. And if it’s malicious, it can be $100,000 and 10 years in jail.” A nurse speaking to our source said, her voice shaking: ‘I can’t talk to you about this...

Bump and Update: GPO Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham was served with a federal grand jury subpoena today.

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Original Post: June 20, 2005

This ad ran today in the online version of CongressDaily AM and should be in the PM version and The Hotline.

Background here and here.

My phone just rang. Howard Dean was on the line. I got a heads-up from Laura at the DNC about an hour ago. It was a great conversation. He explained the Dems new fundraising venture, Democracy Bonds, which launched this morning.

Governor Howard Dean launched the "Democracy Bonds" program (and bought the first one himself to signify his commitment) because he believes that we can take our country back -- precinct by precinct, block by block, with every Democrat taking responsibility for getting their family, friends and neighbors involved.

He wasn't calling to ask for a personal donation. He was calling to say he's excited about the new programs and website. We talked about Democratic values, and how we have to get the message out that we, not the Republicans, are the party of values. I completely agree with the Governor that we need to become known again for what we stand for.

Democrats believe in clean and honest government. We believe in a balanced budget and a strong economy, where after a life spent working hard, you earn a secure retirement. We believe in a strong national defense, and honoring our commitments to our veterans. We believe that health care should be affordable, and we believe in an education system that works for everybody. The Democratic Party is about everyone having a seat at the table.

So you thought what drugs you take should be up to you and your doctor? Forget it. The White House has other plans for elderly and disabled citizens. Drugs it finds addictive or habit forming will not be covered under the White House drug plan.

When the federal government's new prescription drug benefit kicks in next year, it will not cover a category of drugs commonly used to treat anxiety, insomnia and seizures.

That means those disabled and elderly people on Medicare who take Xanax, Valium, Ativan and other types of the drug benzodiazepine will have to look elsewhere for coverage or switch to a different, less addictive medication.

I wonder if Colin Powell's Ambien will be covered. This is the worst White House and the Worst President Ever.

If you have a subscription to the Wall St. Journal, you will find this article interesting - about the background and ascendancy of Sen. Bill Frist:

Mr. Frist is the youngest Senate majority leader since Lyndon Johnson and one of the most powerful leaders in Washington. Yet just as he was on that night in Nashville, he remains a work in progress. He came to power without a natural political base, a rarity in the modern Senate, and also lacks Mr. Johnson's famed instincts and ruthlessness.

That presents risks for President George W. Bush, who wants Mr. Frist to advance an ambitious second-term agenda. It's also a danger for Mr. Frist, especially if he runs for president in 2008. His restless nature and supreme confidence have led him into waters over his head. Just this spring, on the Terri Schiavo right-to-die controversy and the fight over judicial nominations, Mr. Frist pushed the Senate into unknown territory, and, in the latter case, into a battle he couldn't easily win.

One would think that Tony Blair's son could have his choice of Congresspersons for whom to intern. Why would he choose conservative Republican David Dreier?

THE Prime Minister's son, Euan Blair, has beaten around 100,000 hopefuls to secure an internship with a Republican congressman who is accused by gay rights campaigners of leading a double life. Euan is to work for David Dreier on Capitol Hill in Washington.

The coveted intern posts often go to the most academically gifted, but connections are equally important.

Arianna has a new report on the Dick Cheney's visit Friday to the Vail Medical Center. She says after seeing Dr. Stedman for his knee, he saw Dr. Jack Eck and had an EKG done. No one in MSM is reporting this.

....sources close to Dr. Jack Eck, whom the vice president saw in the cardiac unit, were acknowledging yesterday in Vail that he had been to the cardiac unit (the AP has still not updated its story to include this) but AFTER he had seen Dr. Steadman, and that he had had a prophylactic EKG while he was there.

Jack Eck, by the way, "started the ICU, the cardio-pulmonary unit and ... the hospice program ...at the Vail Valley Medical Center."

Arianna's first report is here.

by TChris

Dick Durbin apologized (unnecessarily) for selecting words that were subject to deliberate misinterpretation by the extreme right. No apology has followed Karl Rove's sleazy attack on liberals. Instead, the hard core right (including the White House) has rallied around Rove, insisting that his slanderous lies are connected to reality.

"That's not slander, that's the truth," House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Texas Republican, told the College Republican National Committee's biennial convention in Arlington yesterday.

"Karl Rove is right," announced the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the chief campaign arm of Senate Republicans, in a fundraising e-mail message yesterday.

The right wing motto: lie or deny, but never apologize.

Too much sun? Check out Dembloggers for the video of remarks Tom DeLay made about Karl Rove's statement. It's pretty funny.

With very little fanfare Friday, the Justice Department statues were returned to their former glory.

Spirit of Justice, with her one breast exposed and her arms raised, and the bare-chested male Majesty of Law basked in the late afternoon light of Justice's ceremonial Great Hall.