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National advocate urges Washington lobbying Kondracke wants more money for Parkinson's research BY KERRY MITCHELL Times Correspondent Mort Kondracke is a highly regarded political analyst who can be seen on The Beltway Boys panel discussion on Fox News, a veteran journalist and executive editor of Roll Call. But, it is his role as a Parkinson's disease advocate that he sees as his continuing legacy. He's doing what he can to expedite a cure. Finding the keys to unlock the Parkinson's mystery is personal. His wife of nearly 36 years, Milly, has it. "I'm not frustrated. I am more irritated and angry at how things are going," Kondracke said. "Right now, medical research is not a high priority. People need to contact their representatives in the Congress and try to get them to listen to what advocates are saying." The current administration has proposed a 2.5 percent increase in money for the National Institute of Health. Parkinson's advocates want that increased to 10 percent. "What people at the grassroots level need to do is raise a stink," Kondracke said. "When your senators or representatives come home for town meetings, stand up and publicly ask them if they will work to increase allocations for increases in funding for research." Kondracke is on the board of directors of the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Parkinson's Action Network and in 2001 he wrote the best selling "Saving Milly, Love Politics and Parkinson's Disease," a testimony to how the disease has robbed his wife of her physical abilities but not her dignity. Milly Kondracke is afflicted with Parkinson's Plus, a virulent form of the disease that progresses rapidly. "She's not doing very good. but we always have hope," Kondracke said. SOURCE: The Munster Times, IN http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2003/06/14/news/region_and_state/4bf26dde6d4c9f6986256d45000412de.txt * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn