Well I know Audrey Hepburn was British, I saw her in My Fair Lady with Rex Harrison.

And you knew right away she was a Brit when she said: "Oym a gud gurl oy yam"

If he's British how come Hawking doesn't talk like that??

" there is no doubt that Thomas Jefferson highly valued education and an educated citizenry. He believed that an educated citizenry was essential to the long-term survival of democracy, and believed strongly that the ladder of opportunity should be available to a person of any economic class who sought self-betterment."

when one has heard the stories of americans not being able to name the three branches of our government, or when asked thought american fought on the side on the germans in WWII, one would scratch their collective heads and think, "surely, that is not true."

now, however, it is finally sinking in; the machiavellian gop and its gop/media complex has truly succeeded in the "dumbing down of america."

those on medicare, shouting out "we don't want any socialized medicine," or the president of the united states having to refute his goal to "kill old people," is what we as a country, on our declining slide, has come to.

How many children in TEXAS have been refused medical care and died just because their families couldn't afford it? How many at life's near end? Speaking of 'death panels,' Texas is the road map!

Why give such a large benefit of the doubt to Investor's? They tried to use Hawking as an example and the man smacked them down in a big way. Why would anyone want to try to take on the world's smartest person? It is like coming to a gun fight with a sharp stick.

Isn't time the free market sent a death squad to the IBD and made it go out of business? Seriously ... who reads this dull nonsense? Weren't they hawking Countrywide and other bank stocks through the end of 2007?

I was always most impressed that Hawking managed to be able to consummate an infidelity with his nurse, even for his condition. But, unless he votes Conservative, that should be a black-mark against his ability to smack-down the American Right.

By transitive property, IOKIYAR applies to cons the world over, no? &, likewise, the diminution of liberals for the same behavior?

Actually, I had subscribed to IBD for over a decade until this week. They have always had a good layout of market information, valuble charts, etc., although their market advise has appeared somewhat contrived for several years. The editorial position has always been repugnant and I have complained in the past knowing it was in vain. I guess it took something blatant like the Hawking reference to get me to pull the plug. Ironically, this error was not nearly as misleading as many of their past right wing skewed editorials. I assume it was a mistake of ignorance, however, it demonstrated the lengths they will go to in order to bring false claims into the debate.

"sbv" is certainly correct about the dumbing down of America. Our schools no longer require civics, economics, nor science classes as part of general studies. They are more often electives, if offered at all. Many current events are considered too political and off limits. If anything can be slightly controversial, it is not discussed. Critical thinking is no longer taught because students would have to actually speak about things that have substance. No wonder teachers are fed up and leaving the profession. The result of the a failing education system is now before our eyes in the form of the birthers, the deathers, and the gun toting GOP base that believes the verbal pornography of the Becks, Limbaughs, and Hannitys, and their ilk. How easily the ignorant led.

Put me down as one who thinks TPM has to change this headline. Unless there really WAS some panel that decided to pay for Hawking's treatment, and there's nothing in the story that says that.

And so where, pray tell, is the irony?

Just make the headline something like "Without Britain's so-called "socialized medicine" I'd be dead."

I think Sarah Palin will come out with a comment soon: "Thanks to the laser beams attached to Professor Hawking's wheelchair ... laser beams paid for by the PRIVATE SECTOR ... Hawking was able to defend himself against the Death Squads hired to kill him from the socialized medicine hit men."