In fact, during the course of the lengthy interview Cheney is heard using the phrase "I don’t recall" a total of 72 times, according to media reports. The phrase was in reference to any discussions he may have had about Plame with his chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who was ultimately convicted of perjury, obstruction and lying to the FBI about the leak.

The 28-page summary was released after the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a watchdog group in Washington, sued the government under the Freedom of Information Act.

The organization’s Executive Director Melanie Sloan commented that Cheney’s "near total amnesia regarding his role in this monumental Washington scandal" explains why special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald famously declared that there is "a cloud over the vice president."

Valerie Plame was the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson who was a critic of the Iraq war. The leaking of her name became the subject of one of the biggest controversies of George W. Bush’s presidency. Libby was the only person convicted in the case, but his sentence was later commuted by President Bush.

Anyone with low levels of the vitamin may be at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, but a team of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found vitamin D deficiency causes diabetics to be unable to process cholesterol normally.

As a consequence, cholesterol builds up in their blood vessels, which leads to an elevated risk of heart attack and stroke.

Dr. Carlos Bernal-Mizrachi, a Washington University endocrinologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, said that vitamin D inhibits the absorption of cholesterol by cells known as macrophages.

"When people are deficient in vitamin D, the macrophage cells eat more cholesterol, and they can’t get rid of it…They become what scientists call foam cells, which are one of the earliest markers of atherosclerosis," he explained.

Individuals at risk for high cholesterol may consider eliminating red and processed meats from their diet and replacing them with omega-3 fatty acids which have proven heart benefits and which can be found in oily fish and nutritional supplements.

There are many people today who know little or nothing about the U.S. Constitution. There are many who know little or nothing of U.S. history, let alone world history. There are many who know little or nothing about central banks, and how they are used to steal our wealth.

There are many who buy into the glossed-over news of the day. There are many who take at face value the words of the elected class, the pundits and main stream media talking heads and printed headlines.

There are many who buy into the party line of their preferred political party. There are many who blindly believe the various political parties have a platform on which they base their actions and agendas and are committed to following through on those policies. There are many who believe the president, senator or representative they elected has in their hearts the best interests of the people they supposedly serve.

There are many who are ignorant.

It’s not all their fault—particularly the younger generations. Their education system has been corrupted by 1960s radicalism—the same radicalism that has infected our government.

Public education has become a sad joke. Its downward slide accelerated with the passage of “No Child Left Behind.” None are left behind because none are allowed to get ahead. The intelligent children are left languishing and fending for themselves while extra resources are devoted to those unable to keep up.

In speaking with a seventh grader recently I asked what he had been studying in his U.S. history class. Well, we spent about 20 minutes on World War II, then several class periods on how the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team beat the Russians in the 1980 Olympics, was the reply.

In class they watched Miracle, the 2004 movie about the team and its victory.

How backward is that? Twenty minutes spent learning about a six-year war spawned from the feckless, irresponsible and dastardly policies of the elected and ruling classes that resulted in the deaths of somewhere between 62 million and 79 million people worldwide. Several class periods on a three-hour hockey game that gave Americans a temporarily thrilling victory over a Cold War foe at the tail end of four moribund years of Jimmy Carterism.

Even the seventh grader was perplexed by his teacher’s decision.

Also glossed over in his class was more than 230 years of American history.

Is it any wonder there is so much ignorance?

Lack of understanding of the founding of our great country has led us to where we are now. Lack of understanding of the origins of the Federal Reserve—and other government attempts to establish a central bank—has led us to where we are now. Lack of understanding of the causes of Great Depression and the misguided (deliberately or unintentionally) attempts to head it off, and how government policies affected the country’s financial health for years has led us to where we are now. Lack of understanding of how a president’s policies can affect a country has led us to where we are now.

Where are we now? In an economic pit of our own making—suffering the aftereffects of a Fed-created bubble that spurred individuals and businesses to borrow and spend like there was no tomorrow. Now there may not be one.

Where are we now? Exacerbating the problem by dumping money out of helicopters in an attempt to stop it—at least that’s what the elected class tells us they’re trying to do. It’s a policy enacted by a supposed conservative, George W. Bush, and perpetuated on a grander scale by Barack Obama.

Where are we now? Watching as the elected class finds more ways to spend more money and steal the wealth of the individuals through massive tax hikes under the guise of healthcare reform.

Where are we now? Waiting for the other shoe to drop in the form of Cap and Trade, which amounts to more taxes and more spending.

Where are we now? Enduring the Obama presidency, which equals Jimmy Carter to the second power.

Sadly, many are ready to go full steam ahead with such policies.

Never mind that the elected class isn’t even considering whether such things are Constitutional. Forcing Americans to buy a product—health insurance—is okay with the elected class.

Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer said it’s permissible under the general welfare clause of the Constitution. Presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs told the press the president wasn’t even considering whether it was constitutional and no one had brought it up.

Don’t think the elected class is ignorant. They’re not. They know exactly what they’re doing—stealing your wealth and your liberty.

Never mind whether it’s Constitutional, says the elected class. We know what’s best for you.

Never mind whether it’s Constitutional, it’s free, say the ignorant.

Our healthcare system is in terrible shape, we need to have competition, says the elected class. Government can do it better than the free market can.

Yeah. With the compassion of the Department of Motor Vehicles and the efficiency of the Post Office.

Where are we now… really? Many are sitting in front of the television watching Simon Cowell or anxiously awaiting the result of who is getting kicked off the island next or watching some stars in a dance contest.

Some are waking up. The Tea Parties demonstrate that.

But too many are ignorant. And apparently they’re ready to accept anything as long as it’s “free.”

After all: ignorance is bliss and free is good.

Although phototherapy has been used to treat skin imperfections for many years, scientists from Germany have demonstrated that combining it with antioxidant-rich green tea cream may help eliminate potentially harmful reactive oxygen species produced by light therapy.

During the course of the study, the researchers applied a daily combination of LED light and green tea lotion to the wrinkles of a human volunteer for one month and found that it resulted in "less pronounced wrinkle levels, shorter wrinkle valleys and [a more] juvenile complexion."

Based on these results, they say the experiment has opened a new way to effective, safe and non-invasive rejuvenation process. The study has also contributed to the body of knowledge on the impact of reactive oxygen species on cellular aging.

Individuals interested in boosting their immunity and a preserving youthful appearance may also turn to antioxidant nutritional supplements.

The association cites recent figures from the National Fire Protection Association which suggest most injuries from fires involving heating equipment occur when the user is asleep or when a child under 10 is left unsupervised with the equipment.

Hence, they recommend never leaving an operating heater unattended and always unplugging it when not in use.

It is also important to keep flammable or combustible materials, such as gas cans, matches, furniture, pillows, bedding, papers, clothes and curtains at least three feet from the front of the heater and away from the sides and rear, and not to block heater’s air intake or outlet.

Safety experts also advise to check the heater’s cord periodically and never use equipment with a damaged cord. In addition, no other electrical device should be plugged into the same outlet as the heater as this could result in overheating and fire.

Finally, it is crucial to read manufacturer’s instructions and warning labels before using any electrical equipment.

I have heard conflicting information about coffee drinking and whether it is good for you or bad. What do you think?

A: “It is critical that coffee is completely eliminated from our diet. Coffee raises levels of cortisol and insulin, hormones that accelerate aging and store body fat. Substitute green tea instead, which contains catechin polyphenols, antioxidants that boost metabolism and slow aging.

“Green tea can also block the absorption of bad fats by 30 percent, while the amino acid theonine promotes a sense of calm and improves one’s mood. And, of course, avoid chemical-laden diet sodas.

“It has been shown that drinking just two cups of coffee can increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol. An elevation of this hormone can have adverse effects on the immune system, brain cells, sugar metabolism, and weight gain.

“In addition, coffee drinking has been reported to cause increased body fat. Although it is not clear why coffee affects weight gain, clinical studies show that by reducing coffee intake, body fat goes down. When coffee drinkers substituted tea, especially green tea, they discovered that it has the opposite effect and helped them to lose weight.” (From the book, The Perricone Prescription by Nicholas Perricone, M.D.)

Best Wishes,
Bob

The "cap and trade" bill is sponsored by Democratic Senators Barbara Boxer of California and John Kerry of Massachusetts, and would require U.S. manufacturers, utilities and refineries to reduce their carbon pollution output 20 percent by 2020, from 2005 levels.

However, many lawmakers have expressed concerns about the possible impact of the bill on their regions’ utilities and consumers.

Democratic Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska told CNBC that he believed that "at the end of the day, the people who turn the switch on at home will be disadvantaged."

Meanwhile, a more powerful opposition is coming from the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Max Baucus of Montana who said that while "we cannot afford the unmitigated impacts of climate change … we also cannot afford the unmitigated effects of legislation."

The developments come against the backdrop of calls from President Obama for the Senate to pass climate change legislation.

Speaking at the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center in Arcadia, Florida, the president also warned that "the closer we get to this new energy future … the more we’re going to hear from special interests and lobbyists in Washington whose interests are contrary to the interests of the American people."

On the one hand, the conservative Republican Bob McDonnell’s victory in the gubernatorial race in Virginia and moderate Republican Chris Christie win in New Jersey may be seen as a triumph for a party that appeared to be in disarray after two national electoral defeats in 2006 and 2008.

However, in the closely watched special election in New York’s 23rd congressional district, the conservative candidate — endorsed by such GOP heavyweights as Sarah Palin and Dick Armey as well as by Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck — was defeated by retired Air Force Captain Bill Owens, a Democrat.

In the run up to the vote, the liberal Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava withdrew under pressure from the party’s right wing, a development some interpreted as indicative of an ongoing feud between the far right and moderates for control of the party.

On Wednesday, GOP leaders sought to diminish the meaning of Hoffman’s defeat, with Republican Party chairman Michael Steele stressing the local nature of the election and suggesting the gubernatorial races were a better indicator of the party’s success.

However, President Obama’s campaign chairman David Plouffe suggested the Republicans were still divided as conservatives keep pushing for "purging moderates from the party," something the voters appear to disapprove of it.

The new parks and recreation administrative policy prohibits firearms in parks, community centers and other city-owned buildings, but the plaintiffs argue that it violates Washington State’s long-standing preemption statute, adopted more than 25 years ago.

"It essentially impairs the right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms for personal protection, which is explicitly protected by Article 1, Section 24 of the state constitution," says SAF executive vice president Alan M. Gottlieb.

He also expressed his satisfaction that the NRA has joined in the lawsuit, saying "our successful collaboration in the past stopped illegal gun confiscations in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and nullified an illegal gun ban in the city of San Francisco."

The two organizations are joined by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and the Washington Arms Collectors and filed their lawsuit in the Superior Court of Washington State in King County.