Department of Wellness

Not to be outdone by George W. Bush when it comes to expanding the welfare state, John Kerry announced on Wednesday that "I intend to have not just a Department of Health and Human Services, but a Department of Wellness." Slate's Chris Suellentrop blames the idea on Kerry's wacky wife, while The Washington Times suggests that the secretary of wellness would be "a guardian of nanny-state liberalism," poking his nose into our personal habits and urging us to stop smoking, eat less, exercise more, cut down on saturated fat, and so on--like the surgeon general, but without the silly uniform.

[Thanks to Jeff Schaler for the links.]