Katlaughing, in order to write my congrssional reps it would be helpful if you would provide a source of hard information regarding the partuculars of the proposal. Sponsors name, bill number, text of proposal etc.

Frank, As an electrical engineer working in a biomedical research environment I have spent the better part of my professional life deeply involved with statistics. No one knows better than I the ways in which statistics are misused both through ignorance or outright deception.

However, that knowlege is just one part of an understanding that humans use all kinds of arguement to lie and mislead, (including but not limited to statistics, logic, bible scholarship, rhetoric, fabrication, fraud, fallacy etc). Yet that knowlege does not detract from the need to use statistics and data properly, it enhances it. After all, if the blade be dull or the cuts misplaced, one does not blame the knife, but the wielder. I know that in part of what you wrote you rightly note that statistics must be used properly. Yet in the end your temptation to use Disreali's famous cliche over-generalization or to coin cute dismissals like skew-tistics overshadowed that. Such comments while entertaining don't encourage a search for truth, but cynicism.

As you noted,