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John Kerry faces hand-shaking ban
Reuters ^
| March 29, 2004
Posted on 03/29/2004 8:05:08 PM PST by Shermy
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, who will undergo minor shoulder surgery on Wednesday, faces a politician's worst nightmare while recovering -- no shaking hands.
"I think initially we'll have him avoid handshaking," said Dr. Bertram Zarins, who will perform the outpatient surgery at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital.
"But as he feels the strength improving, and when he tries to shake a hand if it doesn't hurt, then I think it's alright for him to do it," he said in a conference call with reporters.
Kerry, who will challenge President George W. Bush in November, hurt the sub-scapularis tendon in his right shoulder when he braced himself for an abrupt bus stop while campaigning in Iowa in January.
After the 45-minute surgery Kerry will be in a sling for a day or two, Zarins said, and is scheduled to be back on the road early next week. But he will have to be careful when tending to the typical campaign duty of shaking hands.
"It's not going to be an absolute avoidance. I think within two or three weeks he'll be shaking hands, but there may be a limit to how many hours he can do it," Zarins said.
But he said there was little chance that a vigorous well-wisher could re-injure the shoulder with a hearty shake.
"I don't think so, I think if this happens it will be from too much handshaking, not from one hand shake," he said. "So if the shoulder starts getting sore he'll just have to back off."
TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: 2004; kerry; shouldersurgery
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To: Richard Kimball
" Couple of thoughts: First, does anyone find it interesting that Kerry has to have surgery right after his "I don't fall down" skiboarding trip?
BTW, Kerry is a heck of a lot more fragile than they're letting on. "
Not only that,but Kerry fell on his first night in Idaho-in a mini mart, where he stopped for water.
Why he couldn't wait until he got to the mansion ( a 90 minute drive ), why he didn't send in his butler( he has one,he was named in the NYT article ) and why the private jet didn't give him a bottle to go-is anyone's guess.
If President Bush had slipped and fallen in a mini mart-we would be seeing the security camera video 24/7.Wonder who got that ??
And as for Kerry hurting " the sub-scapularis tendon in his right shoulder when he braced himself for an abrupt bus stop while campaigning in Iowa in January. "
That must have been one hell of a brace.Or one fragile old guy.
I bet he fell somewhere else.
The medical chronology is extremely fishy.
Kerry's new campaign slogan should be " Help, I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up. "
To: kylaka
brings up an interesting thought. I wonder if any
of his war wounds required that he desist from something
as strenuous as hand-shaking?
22
posted on
03/29/2004 8:38:07 PM PST
by
smonk
To: Becki
LOL!
besides "Eewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!! They're
diiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrty, teresa !!!"
[and THAT sonafoabitch knocked me down!]
23
posted on
03/29/2004 8:39:40 PM PST
by
smonk
To: Richard Kimball
Right arm???
March 25
March 23
March 20
24
posted on
03/29/2004 8:39:50 PM PST
by
Shermy
To: Shermy
Somehow...Just SOMEHOW he is going to get another Purple Heart for this...
25
posted on
03/29/2004 8:40:54 PM PST
by
Syncro
To: Shermy
Hello Mr. Kerry - I'd like to shake your hand...and no - I don't care which one...
26
posted on
03/29/2004 8:44:17 PM PST
by
Tennessee_Bob
(LORD, WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT FOR THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN?)
To: Shermy
Maybe this will provide sKerry the opportunity to escape this fantasy world he's living in (I'm gonna be the next POTUS), and go back to his day job. You know, representing the people of MA in the Senate?
27
posted on
03/29/2004 8:51:47 PM PST
by
upchuck
(I am upchuck and I approved this message because... well, just because.)
To: Shermy
He wishes he could
Snowboard as well as this six year old...
28
posted on
03/29/2004 8:56:53 PM PST
by
Syncro
To: Shermy
This guy is as queer as a three dollar bill. A pathetic creature. He and Toon should share the same bedroom in Kerry's $.7m house in DC. They could get to know each other and, "share their each's obligatory pain." Yuck.
29
posted on
03/29/2004 8:57:34 PM PST
by
Cobra64
(Babes should wear Bullet Bras - www.BulletBras.net)
To: Shermy
Maybe instead of shaking hands they can train him to lay down and roll over!
30
posted on
03/29/2004 9:06:16 PM PST
by
arly
To: Richard Kimball
Just curious, Richard ... is there something about Kerry that your photographer's eyes see?
31
posted on
03/29/2004 9:17:41 PM PST
by
Pegita
('Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word ...)
To: tbeatty
I think he hurt his shoulder by slapping himself on the back so often.
32
posted on
03/29/2004 9:18:18 PM PST
by
sd-joe
To: arly
That must have been a real bad bunny hill in Idaho.
33
posted on
03/29/2004 9:22:43 PM PST
by
jocko12
To: smoothsailing
I vote for Ted Kennedy. Can't wait to see him on a snowboard. Why, here comes Senator Lard-ass now...
34
posted on
03/29/2004 9:23:03 PM PST
by
LouD
(Democrats: Exploiting the business cycle in the name of political expediency for 70 years)
To: Shermy
Dole managed to make it through a presidential campaign without being able to shake with his right hand.
To: Richard Kimball
He's a hot-house flower, isn't he?
To: Shermy
I think he hurt it skiing snowboarding but he has claimed that "he doesn't fall down".
37
posted on
03/29/2004 9:26:46 PM PST
by
BunnySlippers
(Help Bring Colly-fornia Back ...)
To: LouD
That's a very amusing post!
To: Shermy
He'll have to cut back on the groping and he won't be chokin' any chickens for a while either.
39
posted on
03/29/2004 9:29:47 PM PST
by
dc-zoo
To: Shermy
oh pleaaaase, Bob Dole seems to handle the situation quite well.
Could this just be so people don't get too close to see his botoz injections.
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