Radio host Don Imus pressures Rep. Joe Barton over autism

[Guest guest]

> WASHINGTON - Two weeks of relentless rants against him from radio

> talk show host Don Imus is making Rep. Joe Barton a household name -

> but not in a way the Texas Republican wants.

>

> Imus, whose " Imus in the Morning " program is heard on radio stations

> across much of the country and is seen weekday mornings on MSNBC, has

> described Barton as " a lying, fat little skunk from Texas, " a

> " pipsqueak, " a " coward and a crybaby " and " another congressional

> dirtbag " for holding up a bill on autism research.

>

> Imus' emotional outbursts, as well as an orchestrated pressure

> campaign directed at Barton by autism research advocacy groups, stem

> from frustration that a Senate-passed bill didn't come up for a House

> of Representatives vote before Congress recessed Sept. 29.

>

> The bill would increase and coordinate National Institutes of Health

> funding, set up far-ranging clinical studies and direct autism

> " centers of excellence " to conduct research, especially on

> environmental factors.

>

> Barton said through his staff that it's possible a compromise will

> be reached to allow the bill to move ahead.

>

> Autism, a neurological disorder that affects children by age 3 and

> impairs the development of social interaction and communication, now

> occurs in 1 of 166 births. In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control

> declared that autism was at epidemic proportions.

>

> Autism research advocates, including one organization headed by

> Imus' wife, Deirdre, are united behind the Combating Autism Act of

> 2006, which the Senate passed unanimously in August. Sen. Rick

> Santorum, R-Pa., authored the bill.

>

> They hoped for quick House action on a similar bill introduced by

> Rep. Bono, R-Calif. Bono's bill has 227 co-sponsors, but before

> getting to the full House, it has to clear the Energy and Commerce

> Committee, which Barton leads.

>

> Barton's staff members say his position is more complicated than

> critics portray. They say the congressman supports autism research

> and is sympathetic to the toll the disease takes on families. Barton

> was traveling and was unavailable for an interview.

>

> According to committee spokesman Larry Neal, Barton first was

> committed to passing his legislation to change the NIH, the agency

> responsible for overseeing the nation's health research. The bill

> increases NIH funding by 5 percent a year and is intended to improve

> accountability and information sharing in the agency, among other

> things.

>

> One of Barton's priorities was to create a " common fund " that the

> NIH could use for promising research without Congress directing the

> money's use for specific diseases.

>

> Barton met with autism activists on Sept. 12 and asked them to

> support his NIH legislation. Autism advocates thought their bill

> would be next in line to clear Barton's committee.

>

> While the NIH reform bill passed the House 412-2, the separate autism

> bill hit a snag - Barton didn't like the Senate bill's stipulation

> that the centers of excellence investigate environmental factors.

>

> The autism bill has yet to make it to the House floor, and the

> activists say they feel betrayed.

>

> But Barton and his aides say they're working to get a compromise to

> the floor in the lame-duck session, which begins Nov. 13.

>

> Neal is clearly weary of the pounding and strong-arming Barton is

> getting from powerful players such as Bob , the president of

> NBC/Universal who, with his wife, founded Autism Speaks.

>

> " The answer to everyone's concerns is a reasonable compromise that

> will up the funding for autism research, " Neal said.

>

> " We hope and believe that one is possible, and we're working on it.

> Folks like Don Imus and Bob apparently believe that the

> intimidation of a daily beating will encourage us to find a solution

> that leaves politicians and activists instead of scientists in charge

> at NIH, but that doesn't seem like a good idea. "

>

> The issue is emotional, with many activists touched by friends or

> family with the disorder. , who has been involved in

> negotiations with Barton, has a grandson who is autistic.

>

> Imus said in an interview that he and his wife weren't directly

> affected by autism, but that they're close to the s and know

> others who must cope with the disorder.

>

> " It deserves to be passed, " Imus said of the bill. " The NIH has got

> to be made to spend the money on this. "

>

> Imus said his personal campaign on the bill " doesn't help my

> ratings. "

>

> " People aren't tuning in to hear me talk about autism. I can hear

> the radio dials clicking off every day, " he said.

>

> Asked if attacking Barton was the most effective way to get him to

> act, Imus said, " He's not going to be chairman after November 7, if

> there's a God. " If Democrats win control of the House in the Nov. 7

> elections, Barton would no longer be committee chairman next year.

>

> *What is autism?*

>

> Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder, a spectrum disorder, that

> usually shows up in the first three years of a child's life. It

> affects the way a brain functions and changes the way a person

> interacts and communicates with others.

>

> Some facts on autism:

>

> Autism is estimated to affect roughly 1 in every 166 births.

>

> As many as 1.5 million Americans are believed to have some form of

> autism, and projections show that as many as 4 million Americans

> could have some form of autism in the next decade.

>

> Signs of autism include difficulty starting or maintaining a

> conversation; aggressive behavior; problems communicating needs;

> crying or laughing for no reason; repeating words or phrases rather

> than having a conversation; throwing tantrums; preferring to be

> alone; not wanting eye contact or cuddling; and having no real fear

> of danger.

>

> While there is no one cause for autism, many say it's caused by

> abnormalities in the brain. The actual shape or structure of the

> brain in an autistic child can be different. Researchers are studying

> genetics and heredity