She's a Doll.
A toy company named "Herobuilders" is marketing the first-ever Hillary Clinton talking action doll. The action figure is scheduled to be available November 1, just in time for the Christmas season. It comes with her ubiquitous navy blue pantsuit suit and will sell for $19.95. The website for Herobuilders claims that the company is the largest manufacturer of political talking action-figure dolls, and includes dolls for President Bush, John Kerry, Osama bin Laden and New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey. The only possible quote Herobuilders hinted at was Hillary saying, "It's a lock for 2008." However, the Hillary doll might be more appropriately programmed to say things such as "I guess I could have stayed home and baked cookies," or "I'm not here like some little woman standin' by my man like Tammy Wynette!" or "The great story here for anybody willing to find it is this vast right-wing conspiracy that has been conspiring against my husband" or "Where have you been all night, Bill?!"
Something About Mary.
Although John Kerry refuses to apologize for focusing on vice-presidential daughter Mary Cheney's lifestyle choice during the last presidential debate, Hillary believes her party's standard-bearer made a mistake. Well, sort of. "In retrospect [Kerry's remark has] taken up a lot of space and time. I think he was trying to strike actually a sensitive note. It might not have worked." She went on to say how she could "understand why some people might have been bothered" by Kerry's comment. Hillary's reaction probably would have been more authentic if, say, GOP Presidential nominee Bob Dole had mentioned her daughter Chelsea to score cheap political points.
Scientifically Speaking.
Hillary recently addressed a capacity audience at the Optical Society of America's (OSA) annual meeting. Her speech targeted what she deems the Bush Administration's "assault on science research and education," joking that the administration "has turned Washington into an evidence-free zone." Hillary said she is "troubled by the ongoing suppression of science research by the current administration and I encourage everyone to speak up for advocacy of science," and that "Supporting research and development in this industry needs to be a priority." Not all of her speech was spent blasting the administration, as she also spoke in support of science in general: "We don't do enough to demystify science, and what it means to be a scientist for our children," Clinton said.
Election and Flu Season.
Hillary has introduced legislation to help restore our nation's flu vaccinations during the upcoming flu season. In announcing the "Emergency Flu Response Act of 2004," Mrs. Clinton said that "While I have called for long-term measures to increase the nation's capacity to manufacture vaccine, action must be taken immediately to see that we most effectively administer the existing vaccine supply. Congress should ensure that our public health agencies have all the tools they need to get the vaccines to those patients with the greatest need." Her bill would provide the CDC and federal health agencies with more money to buy the flu vaccine from nations with excess supply, and give the FDA the authority to review imported vaccines under an expedited timeframe. Said Hill: "Allowing excess stock of flu vaccines in Europe, Canada, and Japan to go to waste when the U.S. is facing such a critical shortage would be unacceptable...."
Fighting Over Funding.
Last month, Hillary fought with New York City and New York State officials over a $4.45-million funding measure for Project Liberty, which provides counseling for September 11 rescue workers. Republicans George Pataki and Michael Bloomberg opposed Sen. Clinton's amendment proposing to fund the program, saying they would pay for the program themselves. Hillary later said the city first worked with her to get the amendment passed in the Senate but then inexplicably reversed course and came out against it, prompting her to compare the sequence of events to the "Alice in Wonderland" fairy tale. Now, a few weeks later after Hillary's amendment was seemingly defeated, members of Congress quietly reinserted the Project Liberty funding language into a Homeland Security spending bill just before adjourning to go home and campaign for re-election. This did not sit well with Gov. Pataki, who had hoped to use that $4.45 million for counseling New York City schoolchildren. But Hillary would have none of that stating, "Given the budgetary constraints on the state and city, I hope New York's leaders will welcome these funds with open arms."
