PERSONAL POLITICAL HEALTH CARE
No sooner did President Bush flatten Democrats with his State of the Union speech than House Democrats hightailed it out of town for their annual retreat. True to their nature of having a woman lead them, the Dems are meeting at a Farmington, Pennsylvania spa known for its colonics and other therapeutic cleansing procedures.
Reps. Henry Waxman and Jerry Nadler in seaweed wraps? How’s that for a mental picture?

Further adding to the festivities was a presentation by former President Bill Clinton on Thursday evening. “He’s going to lay out his vision for re-taking the House,” said a House leadership staffer beforehand. “It’s something we’re all looking forward to.”

Clinton planned to stay the night, and while he’s making the speech gratis, the House Democratic caucus is picking up the tab for his suite and his entourage’s housing.

Clinton’s speech had been planned before the Bush SOTUS, so Democrats on Thursday morning were anticipating a classic Clinton gabfest. “I’m planning on having plenty of fluids in front of me for that one,” said a House member before getting on a bus for the trip. “It could go on for a couple hours if he’s on a roll.”

A HEAD START
Talk about using the old bean. A Connecticut entrepreneur is selling white leather yarmulkes with a red, white and blue logo that, with clever positioning, reads “Lieberman 4 President 2004.” The same businessman sold similar yarmulkes during the 2000 campaign that featured both Joe Lieberman and Al Gore‘s names on them.

To join in the fashion craze go to www.joebeanie.com.