One Tough SOB

It's no knock on the London Times that I want to wait until we have real proof to believe this story about Yushchenko's poisoning. (Yes, I suspect he was poisoned, but I'm skeptical of there being any hard proof to confirm it. If there is, then the KGB sure has lost a step.)

None of that's important. Check out this graph about what a tough-guy Yuschenko is:

Yushchenko fell ill on September 6 and was rushed to Rudolfinerhaus four days later with severe abdominal pain and lesions on his face and trunk. His liver, pancreas and intestines were swollen and his digestive tract covered in ulcers, but doctors could not explain the symptoms. Against their advice he went back on the campaign trail after a week, but returned to the clinic two weeks later with back pain.

Again he returned to campaigning, with his face half paralysed and a catheter inserted in his back so that doctors--still baffled--could inject painkillers into his spinal column.

TR would approve.