lloyd doggett

lloyd doggett

Today, House members are back home to begin their month-long recess. The far right has indicated that they plan to welcome many of their representatives with large, angry throngs (“town halls gone wild”). The corporate lobbyists engineering these “grassroots” efforts have indicated their harassment strategy is to “yell,” “stand up and shout,” and “rattle” the members. Politico reported that Democratic members of Congress are increasingly being confronted by “angry, sign-carrying mobs and disruptive behavior” at local town halls. This past weekend, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) was the latest victim of the right’s strategy, where protesters followed him and chanted “just say no” to health care. Watch it:



Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the nation and stands to be among the most to gain from Obama’s health care plan. “[N]early 6 million Texans, including the one in six U.S. uninsured children who live there, could get health insurance for the first time if the plan is enacted.”

susanna hoffs

susanna hoffs

NEW YORK (CNN) -- While shoulder pads and big hair are no longer part of the Bangles' repertoire, those glorious harmonies remain.

The '80s band (whose members aren't entirely sold on that description) recently powered through a set at Sirus XM Radio's New York headquarters as part of the company's "Artist Confidential" series.

An audience of happy fans watched from outside a studio as Susanna Hoffs and sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson attempted to rattle the glass walls with the melodious "Manic Monday" and an electric "Hazy Shade of Winter."

The Bangles broke up at the end of the decade, after also having hits with "Eternal Flame" and "Walk Like an Egyptian," but re-formed in 2000. In 2003, they released the album "Doll Revolution." They've just started on a new CD. These days, there are only three members; bassist Michael Steele left the group in 2005.

Hoffs, now 50 but looking nowhere near it, celebrates the release of a side project next month: a collection of '70s covers with musician Matthew Sweet called "Under The Covers Vol. 2."

The Bangles talked to CNN about fine wine, being horrified by the decade that made them and stumbling across embarrassing photos on the Web.