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The Presidency: A Tennessee Reproach to Rascals

"Hey, Senator," somebody once shouted at Howard Baker, "who do you get to rumple your suits?" The slightly wilted Baker grinned and replied that he handled wrinkles himself. He knew a message of affection when he heard it.

Tommy Griscom, 38, Baker's loyal aide, came in for his share. "Tommy, did somebody press the down button on your elevator shoes?" He was another Tennessee boy who could roll with it, even at 5 ft. 6 in., and with quick wit he traveled through the Washington jungle unscathed. "You know," whispered a former White House staffer last week, "we sometimes joked that...

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HUGO CHAVEZ, President of Venezuela, on the discovery of a possibly malignant tumor; The President's health problems have caused political uncertainty ahead of October's presidential elections
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