Posted on 07/30/2005 12:43:30 PM PDT by Wolfstar
PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: President Bush had his annual physical checkup today at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethseda, Maryland. He also took time to meet wounded sailors and Marines recovering at the hospital. The President was found to be in what he described as "pretty good" health following his regular physical exam on Saturday and doctors pronounced him "fit for duty."
Here are the facts and figures released about the President's health:
He's 59, born July 6, 1946
Height: 5 feet, 11 3/4 inches
Weight: 191.6 pounds
Blood pressure: resting, seated 110/64 (below 120/80 is healthy)
Pulse: resting, seated 47 beats per minute (60-100 bpm is normal for adults; 40-60 bpm is normal for a well-trained athlete)
Body fat: 15.79 percent
Cholesterol: High-density lipoprotein 56 (goal is above 40); low-density lipoprotein 100 (optimal is below 100); total cholesterol 178 (below 200 is desirable)
Overall health: The president remains in the superior fitness category for men his age. He was found "to be fit for duty" with "every reasonable expectation that he will remain fit for duty for the duration of his presidency." — statement issued by his doctors.
Since his December physical, President Bush has lost a little weight and gained a few points in his cholesterol level.
His weight fell to 191.6 pouns from nearly 200 pounds seven months ago, and his body fat dropped from 18.25 percent to 15.79 percent. His overall cholesterol level went up from 170 to 178, still well below to the desirable limit of 200.
He exercises six times a week by bicycling 15 miles to 20 miles, working out on a treadmill and an elliptical trainer, and performing free weight resistance training and stretching.
The report by his doctors notes, "The president has a history of activity-related injuries...[that] do not impact his current duties."
He enjoys an occasional cigar, gets his caffeine from diet sodas and coffee, and reports no usage of alcohol.
The report also notes, "The president has not missed work due to illness since his last physical exam."
The President is finishing up some loose ends in Washington before heading out to the ranch for the August recess. He spoke with Northern Ireland political leaders Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley late in the week, hailing the IRA's pledge to end armed combat, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "This is a historic opportunity," McClellan said and noted that the President "coached Doctor Paisley to give the IRA the opportunity to live up to what they said they would do."
President Bush's visit to the Boy Scout National Jamboree in central Virginia was postponed again until Sunday at the request of Scout officials so that they could make appropriate plans for handling any heat problems in the crowd, the White House said today. [The media all but blamed the President because a lot of scouts got sick from the heat while waiting for the President to arrive on Wednesday. However, his flight was delayed due to severe thunderstorms.]
From the "IMPORTANT NEWS OUR MEDIA HASN'T BOTHERED TO TELL US" department:
The following short article is from the English language webside of the Chinese newspaper "People's Daily Online" [link to article]:
UPDATED: 15:36, July 28, 2005
Bush looks forward to meeting with Chinese presidentUS President George W. Bush said on Wednesday that he looks forward to meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao this year and believes the exchange of visits between the two leaders will be of positive results.
Bush made the remarks during a meeting with visiting Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan in the White House. Bush also extended his welcome for Tang's visit to the United States.
For his part, Tang said that it will be of great significance for the two presidents to have an exchange of visits this year, as it will be very beneficial for dialogue, mutual trust and cooperation between the two sides and will promote the Sino-US constructive and cooperative relations.
It is in the interests of both China and the United States to further develop the Sino-US relations and it also contributes to peace, stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region and the world, Tang said.
Tang also delivered a letter from the Chinese president to Bush during the meeting.
In addition to Bush, Tang also met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, US national security adviser Stephen Hadley and US Treasury Secretary John Snow on Wednesday.
Source: Xinhua
From the "POSITIVE GWB NEWS OUR MEDIA HAS BURIED" department: President Bush has achieved a number of important legislative victories this year. Following is an excerpt from a Yahoo News op-ed column:
Bush Adds Energy, Trade To Long List Of 2nd-Term Wins
by Jed Graham And Sean Higgins, Thu Jul 28, 7:00 PM ETJust a week ago, President Bush's second-term legislative record looked mediocre and Republicans in Congress seemed unconcerned about defying his command.
But after a few late-night calls by the president...Bush's opponents may be thinking they've once again "misunderestimated" him.
"People have been so anxious to count this president out and to downgrade his potential with this Congress that it's fascinating to see how much really has been accomplished," said Brookings Institution senior fellow Stephen Hess.
House passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement early Thursday morning came as Congress was about ready to seal the deal on an energy bill that's been tied up in the Senate for four years and a transportation bill that's also had a rocky road.
The Bush administration has also turned the economy around from its low point after the 2001 terror attacks:
The White House on Wednesday slashed its forecast for the fiscal 2005 budget deficit by nearly $100 billion after the government raked in unexpectedly large tax revenues in recent months. The Bush administration projected a deficit of $333 billion for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, according to the Office of Management and Budget's midsession update.
THE WEEK AHEAD: Press Secretary Scott McClellan said Friday that President and Mrs. Bush (and the dogs) will leave for their Crawford, TX, ranch after GWB signs the Central American Free Trade Agreement into law. No date was announced for their departure as of this writing, but the President is giving a speech in Texas on Wednesday.
McClellan said the President looks forward "shedding the coat and tie" at his more casual ranch home. Although the first couple will spend most of August in Crawford (a tradition throughout his presidency), GWB plans to travel to seven states from the ranch, and hold at least 10 events. The President's first August day trip will be Wednesday when he will travel about 150 miles up the road to the Dallas suburb of Grapevine. GWB plans to speak to the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative-leaning, bipartisan group of state lawmakers and business leaders.
On Thursday, the President will host Colombian President Alvaro Uribe at his ranch.
The date of the President's return to Washington has not been set.
In the meantime, reporters assigned to cover the President during August are not happy. The following sentence is from AP's news release about going to the ranch: "Despite the stifling heat, Bush typically likes to spend time outdoors when he's at his ranch, doing things like clearing brush and riding his bike." [Snicker...and the reporters get to stand around melting like the Wicked Witch of the West while all us good Munchkins get to laugh our you-know-what's off...chortle...]
QUOTES OF THE DAY: Our "unbiased, professional" White House press corps in action, from Scott McClellan's press briefing yesterday. I don't know who the nasty reporter with the attitude is in this exchange:
Q Senator Frist said today that there were supposed to be 78 stem cell lines after the August 9th decision, and there's only 22 available today, and some of those have degraded to the point that they're not useful. So how do you square those numbers?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I just pointed out -- because what you can do from those stem cells that are available is derive additional lines. And that's why I pointed out that there's 600-some lines that are already being used right now. There are an additional 3,000 more that are going to be available for this kind of research. The fact of the matter is, we're still in the early stages of the research.
Now I want to back up, because I do think it's important to talk about the accomplishments. Maybe you don't want to talk about it, because a number of people in the media were saying just two months ago...
Q [Interrupting] Don't start with that.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, let's start with that.
Q Don't take me on like I don't want to talk about it. That's ridiculous. You want to make your statement, make your statement. I was asking you a specific question on a specific issue, and don't try to turn this into a screed about the media. [Wolfie's question: Who is this nasty excuse for a human being?]
MR. McCLELLAN: Then don't make a broad statement, like you did.
Q I corrected myself. I meant on this issue.
MR. McCLELLAN: Of course you don't want to talk about it, because you don't want the American people to hear about the great progress that we're making on the legislative front.
Q I thought I heard your opening statement pretty clearly.
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sure you'll be reporting on it later tonight.
Q Watch the broadcast tomorrow. [Wolfie's retort: Yeah, like I have nothing better to do than sit around and watch you spew your bilge.]
In this exchange, Scott is talking to a reporter whose first name is Les, but I don't know who Les is:
MR. McCLELLAN: Les, go ahead.
Q Scott, The Washington Post this morning reports that, "Many days, no doubt, he" -- that's you, Scott -- "he harbors his own desires to finger his feelings about reporters." (Laughter.) That's what they reported. And my question is, since The Post also reports that, "The President suddenly thrust his right hand into the air and extends a finger," White House officials yesterday said it was his thumb. Could this be interpreted as the traditional thumbs-up signal, or is it a mistake to confuse the President's thumb with his middle finger?
I have a follow up.
MR. McCLELLAN: Les, okay, I found all this kind of preposterous...
Q [Interrupting] It was in The Washington Post.
MR. McCLELLAN: ...and the story that was run there. Clearly, if you look at it and if you were there, you would recognize that the President was giving a thumbs-up. Someone in the media had asked something to the effect of, how does it look on the Central American Free Trade Agreement, and the President gave the thumbs-up.
I don't know how someone is trying to divine my inner thoughts, but despite some of the back and forth that we engage in today and other times, even with people like David -- (laughter) -- I have great respect for the job that you all do. And you all -- you all know the way I deal with you all and I know the way the President acts. And that's -- it's just preposterous to make that kind of suggestion.
You can lurk because you do not have to be signed on the read any of the threads, I sometimes lurke but do not sign on when I am at work.
He said the same stupid things about the President's exercise program. Totally ignorant post.
A troll, for sure..........and a really DUMB one at that. :)
I should have figured that out - slaps forehead with open hand - D'oh!
That's good, because then the idiots get the blasting they deserve on the ZOT threads, and can't reply!
I'LL BET YOU ARE FAT AND UGLY, MAJORMARVY!!!
hehe.........
Good--that probably got rid of them a whole lot faster. :o)
I just don't have that bulldog tenacity that Ohio has....nor the thick skin it takes to take the insults back at me.
And, it tried to wrap it's trollness by a backhanded compliment on top of it.
I lock horns often with several on FR.
They come in a couple of groups. Libertarian and
the Buchanan (third party types)
The above would rather have a rabid left wing idiot
than a Conservative who may be 95%
Another group I get fed up with are the country club GOP.
Extremists are VERY uncreative (I think most of them just aren't that bright).
When you know what they'll be shooting at you, it's easier to duck the blows.
However, one guy recently kept attacking my morality (to the point of accusing me of adultery), and for some reason it got to me. I should have just laughed at him and left the thread, but I kept trying to defend myself. DUMB move, because he just got worse and worse.
If I ever see the jerk on FR again, I'll avoid him like the plague. It's stupid to try to defend against irrational, hatefilled attacks.......especially on your character.
Lesson learned.........
I see a varmint snuck in and was handily dealt with by the Dosers. Makes me wonder why they have nothing better to do with their lives than meddle where they don't belong.
Anything said after that, including backhanded compliments, are laughable.
Irrational and hate-filled attacks say everything about the person making them. And yes, those types simply aren't worth the bandwidth, much less the effort.
They couch everything in conservatism, but there are holes all over their arguments, and they are much closer to the left than a conservative Republican is.
There are none so blind as those who WILL not see.....
One word...........LOSER!
I have my issues with some of what President Bush has done, but I'm still a supporter and recognize what he has done for our country.
I have my issues with some of what President Bush has done, but I'm still a supporter and recognize what he has done for our country.
Exactly. I would like him to do more on the border issue
but bashing him to put a left wing nut in does not make
sense.
Hi Wolfstar! Thank you for today's Dose. I'm celebrating President Bush's terrific bill of health with some delicious merlot!
You have mail.
***I notice something for last 5 years do you notice they never release Bill Clinton medical record they release Dubya medical record
Why is that????***
I read on FR way back that when Clintoon was new to the W.H. the doctor assigned to him refused to give him a shot that was sent to him because he had no way of knowing what was in it. The story is that Hitlery immediately had the doctor replaced. I guess that kinda answers the question about why Clintoon would never release his medical reports.
W blows me out of the water with his resting heart rate (mine is in the 80's), but.....my HDL is 72, LDL is 86, and overall cholesterol is 172. My ratio is 2.4.
I will take Grapeseed Extract for-ever! I never get colds, either. I swear by it.
Now....I supPOSE you have to actually work out, in order to have a resting heart rate that low, though.....darn! ;-)
NordP
That's also because Bubba was a blob~
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