I'm second to none in my contempt for Kerry, but to be fair, the ban on cooked tomatoes, chocolate, caffeine, carbonated beverages of every type, even club soda, and bunch of other stuff is the diet recommended for those with gastric problems. My husband is on a similar diet and that means no red sauce on pasta or pizza. Quite the bummer.

News of this came out a day after the Cheney info on The Smoking Gun. It got only about 20 percent of the coverage of Cheney's requirements, but on the other hand, Kerry's are so much more persnickety that it also seems to have shut down further comments by the usual suspects about the vice president's hotel room 'to do' demands.

erp is correct. Senator Kerry must have reflux disease. I do too and that's the doc told me to avoid.

Yeah, my Mom's got that too and her dietary requirements don't run four pages. She can't have balsamic vinagrette or ranch dressing, either so "JK" must have some sort of special rich person's gastric reflux. If he's got gastric reflux, he shouldn't have lemons or oranges although they're specifically mentioned as foods "JK" likes. There's lots of other foods listed there that he demands to have in his room that somebody with gastric reflux should definately avoid, so let's just say the jury's still out on how persnickity old "JK" is.

I'll arm wrestle erp for the "contempt for Kerry" crown but running for President has got to be an awful grind as anyone who travels for a living could empathize with a bit. Nothing really over the top here and anything to ease the friction a bit would be welcome.

Who among you would cast (out) the first brown M&M if they were able?

From the movie "When Harry Met Cabana Boy":

Scene: John Kerry ordering at a restaurant:

"I'd like the chef salad please with oil and vinegar on the side, and the apple pie a la mode. But I'd like the pie heated, and I don't want the ice cream on top. I want it on the side, and I'd like strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it. If not, then no ice cream, just whipped cream, but only if it's real. If it's out of the can, then nothing."

I forgot citrus fruits are out as well.

Rick, you may not want to arm wrestle with me, I don't fight fair.

I don't really see anything wrong with the Senator's list - his wife's list though is petty and insulting.

"Well Mrs. Hienz-Kerry we were going to put you on a bedroll in the closet with the water heater, but thank goodness your rider notified us that you like good air circulation and heavenly beds, so we've moved you to a suite. Excuse any delay on our part, we proles sometimes misunderstand the needs of the more delicate and sophisticated breeds, having spent the whole of our lives breathing the soot of factory air and sleeping on dirt floors in our shanties.

What about the vindaloo?

kerry's problem is what comes out of his mouth, not what goes in. my guess is that his plumbing is in backwards, if you know what i mean (and i think that you do).