Monday, February 04, 2008

It turns out that they're just people, too

Interested in a little-known fact about each remaining presidential contender? Sure you are. These gems come from the bottomless wellspring of wonder and merriment that is Wikipedia.

Hillary Clinton: She spent the summer of 1969 on a journey through Alaska, including stints as a dishwasher at Denali National Park and a salmon slimer at a fish cannery.

Mike Gravel: Though he grew up in western Massachusetts, he spoke only French until age 7.

Mike Huckabee: His band, Capitol Offense, has opened shows for Grand Funk Railroad, Willie Nelson, and Percy Sledge.

John McCain: As a young man, his high school nicknames included "Punk" and "McNasty," and he once dated an exotic dancer known as Marie the Flame of Florida.

Barack Obama: His brother-in-law, Craig Robinson, is the head basketball coach at Brown University. (This one actually came from his wife's Wikipedia page, but I'll still count it.)

Ron Paul: As a teenager, he was a Pennsylvania track star who delivered milk to baseball hall-of-famer Honus Wagner.

Mitt Romney: He's a big Roy Orbison fan, but you'll need to keep the eggplant far away from his plate.