NIH edifice complex

In the old Soviet Union, anyone who received two "Hero of Soviet Socialist Labor" awards was entitled to a monument at his or her birthplace or workplace -erected after their death. Modern capitalist heroes can appreciate their monuments in the flesh. This Tuesday, former member of Congress Paul Rogers will be among the dignitaries congregating on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md., to dedicate the Paul G. Rogers Plaza.

Rogers, who is being celebrated for working hard to increase NIH's budget during his 24 years in the House of Representatives from Florida, is chairman of Research!America, an advocacy group that lobbies for bigger federal investments in biomedical research...