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Rep. Marshall constructs soundproof wall to get more zzz's |
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By The Hill Staff
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Posted: 12/15/04 12:00 AM [ET] |
Watch out, “Trading Spaces.” Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.) is taking office improvements to a new level.
In the midst of moving down the hall to another office on the tomblike fifth floor of Cannon, the lawmaker and some members of his staff were busy last week constructing a sound-deadening movable wall for the front door. Marshall and his aides were seen working on the wall for much of the week. Drilling and hammering could be heard down the hallway.
The reason for the wall? Marshall sleeps in his office and has grown weary of the sounds outside his door, particularly those noisy trash bins. The wall is specially designed to fit over the doorframe to block out the sounds of people talking as they walk down the hall.
To make matters stranger, on Friday morning a hand-printed sign on the door read: “You’d better have certified letters from at least two doctors to be late for packing day.” It was signed John, as in John Kirincich, Marshall’s chief of staff.
Douglas Moore, Marshall’s spokesman, said his boss is a real handyman. Not only did he build the extension off the old Southern family home in Macon, Ga., but he converted the basement space into an office space where he ran his campaign. “It’s not bad,” said Moore. “There’s a pool table and four or five different rooms.”
Rep. Bishop’s wheelchair use was only temporary
Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) showed up to the House floor in a wheelchair last week. Rep. Robin Hayes (R-N.C.) was on hand to give his colleague a hard time, saying,
“You can’t go bird hunting in that wheelchair.”
According to Bishop’s staff, his wheelchair incident was a “one time, one vote” deal.
He had no broken legs or any other official reason why he couldn’t walk. His spokeswoman, Jennifer Hoelzer, explained that Bishop had undergone a medical checkup earlier in the day and was feeling “groggy” and a “little out of it.”
But she quickly assured ITK late last week that she had spoken with him and he was “100 percent” again, and that whatever the ailment was is not “long-term.” Hoelzer further noted that Bishop’s temporary condition was a personal medical matter and that he did not share the details with his staff.
Rep. Hayworth’s new GQ look
Has Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) done something with his reddish-brownish hair?
Last week, the newly slimmed-down lawmaker was spotted in the Speaker’s Lobby with a brand new look — a gelled hairdo, as opposed to the blow-dried pompadour he had been wearing for years.
An observer remarked that Hayworth’s new do resembles CNN correspondent Ed Henry’s relatively new gelled look. Larry VanHoose, Hayworth’s spokesman, laughed upon being told of his boss’s new do. Asked what his take was on the matter, VanHoose’s good-natured reply was: “I don’t have one. Thanks for calling.”
Rep. Culberson upsets floor attendants with video camera
Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) riled up some foor attendants last week when it looked as though he was trying to take a video of his young blond daughter in the House chamber.
But as it turns out, video cameras are not permitted in the chamber, and Culberson said he was just checking his battery. In the course of the “battery check,” he acquired an accomplice in Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.), who opened the door to the chamber so that Culberson could stand outside and still film inside.
Floor attendants were none too pleased. They ordered the congressman to stop, at which point he replied, “I was checking my battery.”
Culberson remarked, “I imagine this must be a very slow news day. I did not have any battery left in it. The only way I can check the battery is to look through it. The battery was gone, as was the film.”
Lawmakers battle over marijuana bill
While some lawmakers are getting ready for the holidays, others have their heads on other matters, namely ganja.
Just last week, Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.) released a “Dear Colleague” letter urging his colleagues to question the validity of a bill by Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) directing the National Institute on Drug Abuse to examine data regarding the safety of medicinal marijuana.
Farr has doubts that the legislation is designed to produce legitimate data. His complaint: The bill refers only to “smoked” marijuana and says that the institute wants to block medical marijuana research. Farr said that many patients are now using vaporizers, which heat marijuana just below combustion — apparently far healthier than smoking it out of a bong or an empty coke can.
Farr spokeswoman Jessica Schafer said Farr agrees with the intent of Souder’s bill but “feels that using an agency … that is not disposed to finding anything good about marijuana is not an objective source.” The aide added that Farr has offered to work with Souder to amend the bill but so far Souder “has no interest” in changing it.
Souder’s office was unavailable for comment by press time.
Edited by Betsy Rothstein
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Alex Bolton contributed to this report. |
