Garling Gauge

Bill Clinton on Daily Show: Congress Has Sleep Deprivation

Politicians need some shuteye.

So said former president Bill Clinton on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart:

You have no idea how many Republican and Democratic members of the House and Senate are chronically sleep deprived because of this system…I know this is an unusual theory but I do believe sleep deprivation has a lot to do with some of the edginess of Washington today.

Full remarks:

Former President Bill Clinton on the Daily Show, 9/20/07

Bill Clinton should know.


With an energy-draining eight years in the White House and looking for eight more as First Gentleman, he and his wife could use some sleep whenever they can get it. Though perhaps cat napping at Ronald Reagan’s funeral might have been pushing it.



Clinton cat nap at Ronald Reagan funeral


Most recently Vice President Dick Cheney was caught dozing during a White House visit of Chinese President Hu. Gauge for yourself:





Close…





Closer…





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Fret not Mr. Cheney, President Ford liked naps too:




It would seem that others agree with the former president.
Jim Lehrer of The NewsHour wrote for the book The Art of Napping, that “There is, in fact, a magic bullet for life. It’s called the daily nap.”


Reported by BBC in the 2005 article Many Politicians Sleep Deprived, a Sleep Council study states most politicians get a little over five hours of sleep a night.

Jessica Alexander, of the Sleep Council, said: “Time and again research has shown us that lack of sleep affects our ability to think clearly and rationally. “So the results of this study are of concern in that they demonstrate that our politicians, the people responsible for making decisions that affect all of our lives, may not be in the best mental or physical shape to do so.”

With the 2008 presidential campaign beginning earlier than ever, candidates are going to need all the rest they can get.





As usual, I have a recommendation:

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http://newsbusters.org/media/2006-09-18-CC-Daily-Clinton.jpg, http://www.starman417.com/cheneyyawning.jpg,http://tinyurl.com/35clqr, http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs/thelede/posts/0202mccain.jpg http://www.greenmountaininn.com/images/gerry_sleeping.jpg, http://davidbkenner.com/sleeping.jpg, http://www.bravosartsgallery.com/images/400_woman_asleep_in_an_armchair.jpg, http://www.unconfirmedsources.com/nucleus/media/4/20070127-Cheney-sleeping.jpg, http://themetropolistimes.blogspirit.com/images/medium_JER-hillary2_7.jpg, http://www.objectsandpixels.com/img/blog/crayon_asleep.jpg, http://sibbyonline.blogs.com/sibbyonline/images/Clintonssleeping

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