Your Tax Money Spent on Drugging Monkeys

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Monkey Business

Another report on the stimulus: more than $71,000 of stimulus funds are going to a Wake Forest University study that forces monkeys to get high. The project is examining how cocaine effects the brains of the monkeys, in an effort to learn how to deal with addiction.

But recovery.gov, the government Web site that tracks stimulus funding, reports the money which was awarded in June has so far created less than half of a single job.

Civitas Institute, a conservative think tank in North Carolina, listed the project as the worst federal stimulus effort in that state. The university says the study helps fight drug addiction, and that the grant saved a research position.

In Denial

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the 9/11 attacks were a big lie by the U.S. and an excuse for war. Ahmadinejad, who also denies the Holocaust ever took place, said over the weekend: "September 11 was a big lie and a pretext for the War on Terror and a prelude to invading Afghanistan." He calls the attacks a "complicated intelligence scenario and act."

Blonde Ambition

Another outspoken leader critical of the U.S. mocked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, calling her a blond version of her predecessor. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said of Clinton: "to me, she's like Condoleezza Rice — a blond Condoleezza."

Chavez said Clinton's recent comments during her Latin American visit were designed to "provoke us — and divide us from our brothers."

The Moore You Know

And finally filmmaker Michael Moore is asking President Obama for a job. Moore writes in an open letter on his Web site that he'd like to replace Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in order to help push the president's agenda through Congress.

Moore says he's willing to work for a dollar a year and would sleep on a cot in the White House basement. Moore also pledged to do 100 jumping jacks each morning with the president, while Mr. Obama repeats after him: The American people elected me, not the Republicans, to run the country! I am in charge! If the American people don't like what I'm doing they can throw my (expletive) out in 2012."

Then Moore says the two could run up to Capitol Hill in sweats and "take names and kick butts." Quite an image.

— Fox News Channel's Lanna Britt contributed to this report.