The TBA in New Hampshire is now January 8th. A mere five days after Iowa is going to caucus, the Granite state's ego has pushed their primary up to the eighth day of the new year so they can come before Michigan brand new primary date that was approved by the State Supreme Court today. Many states have already moved their primary and caucus days up and together to seem more important in the presidential primary scheme. If we're starting this thing off on January 3rd in 2008, who knows what will happen in 2012.
Frankly, I think this is all ridiculous. The worst offenders are Iowa and New Hampshire, who are claiming "tradition" to defend their early voting dates. I agree with this guy from DailyKos on this issue, these states need to get off their high horses and be reminded that the race isn't all about them. It is ultimately about winning the White House, that is it. No ifs, ands or buts.
To top it off, the candidates spend tremendous resources in these tiny states in order to get poll numbers, media buzz and finally a good spot (1st or 2nd place) so that the energy can carry them through the rest of the primaries through the country. It is a ridiculous system that needs to be changed. Perhaps we can just do a national system and be done with this madness and competition between the states.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Iowa, New Hampshire And Now...Michigan?
Is This For Real?
Why Chuck Norris has any credibility to endorse a candidate for President is beyond my intelligence level. Is this how Republicans have to reach their base, with an actor that knows karate. Martial arts training is great to have when confronted by bad guys in a movie (not in real life when an attacker has a gun) but that has nothing to do with running the country.
Despite the irrelevance of Chuck Norris, Huckabee continues to see his poll numbers rise. Then again, this is the Republican base we are talking about.
Happy Holidays From Big Oil
Tis the season to be jolly....for oil executives and their buddies on Wall Street that is. Wall Street workers are cashing in this year with a record $38 billion dollars in bonuses. Meanwhile the price of oil went over $99 a barrel briefly today. Thanks to some pump in the midwest, it fell back down under $98. It is only a matter of time until it reaches that vaunted triple digit number and that spells bad news for anyone that doesn't work in finance or runs an oil company.
From The Huffington Post:
Light, sweet crude for January delivery fell 90 cents to $97.13 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Before the inventory report, prices had risen as high as $99.29 a barrel in electronic trading to break the previous intraday record of $98.62 set earlier this month.
"Not exciting enough to get us over the hump just yet," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Alaron Trading Corp. in Chicago, referring to the inventory data.
"Exciting" is a word used by analysts and traders, not ordinary Americans. Heating oil and gas prices have been steadily climbing and there is no end in sight for where they might go. The details in the news may be mundane, but they translate into sorrow for people that have to drive or want to heat their homes this winter. Meanwhile profits for the oil companies continue to soar, and they're the ones laughing all the way to the bank while the rest of us suffer.
Pimps For Paul
I don't know if the Republican-Libertarian will start a Pimps for Paul link on the campaign website, but the endorsement from Dennis Hof is certainly making headlines. After hearing what Paul had to say in person, the owner of the infamous Bunny Ranch is set to raise money for the Republican dark horse. He'll be calling on his bunnies to do the same.
From The Reno Gazette-Journal:
Thanksgiving Isn't For Everyone
An odd little short that explains to Americans today that Thanksgiving isn't all pumpkins and creme for everyone. So while you're enjoying that turkey tomorrow, keep in mind the true history of the holiday...oh and don't try to roast marshmellows over a microwave, you might be disappointed.
Lose An Arm, A Leg And Your Bonus
How heartless is the army and the Bush Administration that governs it? Sending our troops into harms way for an illegal and immoral war is already well known, but could it be worse? Oh you bet your a-s-s it can. When those shiny commercials come on and bait young men and women into serving your country with those $30,000 enlistment bonuses. Well they should add an asterisk, because if you get injured during your tour, the army is going to want some of it back.
From The Carpetbagger Report:
In Jordan Fox’s case, he was seriously injured when a roadside bomb blew up his vehicle, causing back injuries and blindness in his right eye. He was sent home, unable to complete the final three months of his military commitment.
Last week, the Pentagon sent him a bill: Fox owed the government nearly $3,000 of his signing bonus.
“I tried to do my best and serve my country. I was unfortunately hurt in the process. Now they’re telling me they want their money back,” Fox said.
Yep, thats our military screwing over wounded combat veterans. This is why I would trust an used car salesman over a military recruiter any day of the week. The former just wants to sell you a car, the latter is getting you to risk life and limb.
Thankfully Jordan's Congressman is stepping into help. Altmire (D-PA) is introducing a bill that stops George Bush and his military brass from demanding veterans pay back their bonuses. The legislation should be easily passed by Congress, the question is will George veto it? He says he supports the troops, we'll see if he means it this time.
UPDATE: The Pentagon claims that Fox's little letter was a mistake, but no word on the policy as a whole.
It Pays To Turn Against Your Own
I don't know if this is odd, but I always get a feel of deep regard whenever I see a FDNY firetruck roll by on the streets and avenues of the city with their sirens blazing. Many people cover their ears from the noise, but I just watch and smile. Their courage and bravery is incredible, as is many a firefighter across the country and the world. They risk their lives day in and day out and on September 11th, hundreds did not make it out alive.
That is one of the reasons that Rudy Giuliani angers me so. He capitalizes on their bravery to make money and now run for President. Many firefighters see this and have thus taken action to prevent Rudy from winning any type of elected office here on out. The 9/11 Parents & Families of Firefighters are organizing as we speak to run television ads in key states to let other Americans know the Rudy we have come to despise here in New York. However, there are a few in the FDNY that are with Rudy. The question is, are they speaking from the heart, or the wallet?
From The Huffington Post:
John R. Orlando, who serves with Engine 216 in Brooklyn, New York, has been cited prominently as a Giuliani supporter. Last June, in a New York Times article detailing the mixed reviews Giuliani has among the city's 11,000-membered firefighting force, Orlando said he regularly saw Giuliani at fires despite suggestions otherwise.
Orlando was also quoted as saying the "bottom line is, I think he's been more of a friend to firefighters than I've seen in the news. I don't think all the criticism is warranted."
Did those comments come with a reward? Three months after he praised Giuliani, Orlando found himself on the former mayor's payroll. On September 28, 2007, the Giuliani campaign paid one John R. Orlando more than $1,580 for what they deemed on a campaign filing as "political strategy consulting."
When asked about the arrangement -- after repeated attempts for comment -- Giuliani spokesperson Matt McKeon questioned the question.
"Are you suggesting that firefighters aren't capable of political strategy?"
Pressed to describe what strategy, exactly, Orlando provided, McKeon replied: "I'll get back to you."
He never did.
Orlando never got back to the press either. What do these two Giuliani men have to hide? Is Orlando disrespecting his comrades by supporting Rudy? If he is so solid in his positive view of the ex-Mayor, why not say it for free? If the answers to these questions reflected well on Rudy then they'd answer them, but as you can tell, they didn't.
The Fare Hike Battle Isn't Over Yet
The big victory yesterday for straphangers was that the base fare was held at $2 dollars. The downside is that very few New Yorkers rely on the base fare and could be subjected to an unknown increase in weekly and monthly passes. Spitzer may have taken a step in the right direction, but this is not an end-all, be-all for the millions of us that ride the rails. Already his critics are coming down on him and this combo out of the Republican state Senate is a doozy.
I hate to say it, but what is left of that Republican majority in Albany is right. Spitzer did not go all the way to help straphangers when the easiest thing to do was to stop the increase in its tracks....across the board. Now they have even more fodder when all Eliot had to do was make New Yorkers happy by stopping the proposals.
If Spitzer and the MTA did indeed find an additional $220 million dollars lying around in the budget while the surplus is still huge, then there was no need to placate us yesterday. As NY1 notes, even the bonus ride scheme will probably change. So no one is going to escape paying an additional amount to ride. For someone that barely rides, getting the 6 rides for 5 deal makes a single fare $1.60, now we won't even have that.
Whats worse is that they hint there will be another fare increase (this time hitting the base fare) next year. Meanwhile service still stinks and the beat goes on.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Give For Thanksgiving
The holiday time of year is wrought with frustrations between family members but also full of good cheer and all that nice stuff. However, not everyone worries more about crazy Uncle Henry or Aunt Caryn. For many families, the big concern is having a Thanksgiving dinner at all. Food pantries and soup kitchens have always helped out those in need in the past. Now it is a different story. Thanks to the cuts from the Dept of Agriculture (within the Bush Administration of course) for 'discretionary spending' and an overwhelming amount of people that need assistance, many will go hungry this Thursday.
From The NYT Cityroom:
This is a week for turkey lotteries for the city’s food pantries. Though with declining federal support, some pantries are finding they have no turkeys to ration.
Demand at New York City food pantries and soup kitchens jumped by 20 percent in 2007, which together with diminishing federal resources, forced about half of surveyed food pantries and soup kitchens to ration their supplies this year, according to the annual survey released by the New York City Coalition Against Hunger today.
This year there were going to be no turkeys to lottery off at the Transfiguration Lutheran Church food pantry in the Bronx, because the amount of federal supplies they received dropped to about only a quarter of what it had been previously and turkeys was not part of their allocation from the Food Bank, a distribution hub for about 1,000 of the city’s food pantries.
“We’ve gone from a pantry which has given out very generous amounts of food to struggling to get a full bag to people,” Paul Block, the pastor said.
These heartbreaking tales go on all over New York and across the country. Thanks to our government that wants to drown itself in a bathtub, people are going hungry. Thats enough harping on Bush for the moment. The important thing is that if you have some items to spare, please bring them down to your local food bank so that all Americans can have something to eat this Thanksgiving.
The Question The Republicans Will Never Answer
Okay, there are quite a few of them out there, but none as personal as this couple posted on YouTube. Their son was murdered by people with hate for those of who's sexual orientation happens to different from them. See, for the Republicans to answer a question dealing with the effects of the Christian Right's assault on gay people, it would be to detriment of their campaign to appeal to the base.
How would you answer this?
The video below has been submitted for the Republican CNN YouTube debates by a couple whose son was killed because he was gay.
We're Lynn and Pat Mulder of Auburndale, Florida. Our son Ryan was murdered in March because he was gay. We would like to ask the presidential candidates how will they work to promote the value of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families.
Read more about the Mulder's here.
What a shame to see this evidence of hate in our country. Why people commit these crimes is both explainable (social science stuff) yet unfathomable at the same time. Being different from each other is one of the greatest attributes of our nation. Yet it still makes people act out in terrible ways.
Tuesday Transverses
That's my best shot at coming up with an alliteration for links around the blogosphere and what not today. There's so much happening with a ton of great writing, so I'll shush (for a moment that is) and link you to all these spots.
- Philip at The Albany Project hits the proverbial nail on the head when it comes to Wall Street's ridiculous bonuses while the rest of the economy continues to collapse.
- Tom Kean Jr. smacks Rudy hard by endorsing his foe John McCain. Remember Kean was the top Republican on the 9/11 commission. For someone that is solely running on 9/11, thats gotta hurt.
- The last private island in the East River was sold to the government. The company that bought it paid $10 to the city in the 70s, they got $2 million this week, now that's a profit margin!
- Too busy to head to 43rd and Vanderbilt to see the designs laid out for Hudson Yards? Let Curbed takes you on a video tour of the place. Be prepared to sing hallelujah!
- And finally, we've all seen many traditional Christmas trees large and small, but this one at the American Natural History Museum adds a little Japanese art into the mix.
If You Could "Posterize" The Bush Administration...
It would certainly take more than just one poster to capture everything about the last seven years, so here we have the Huffington Post commissioning three by the brains behind the "Got Milk" advertising blitz. They'll eventually be available in a large 'poster' format.
Names
Slogans
Scotty Show Comes Clean
Unless you really, really, really wanted to believe the words coming out of Scott McClellan's mouth when he was the White House Press Secretary, you had to know he was spewing bullshit day in and day out. Seeing the realities of the world while George Bush saw only god knows what, there had to be someone willing to be the President's mouthpiece. Scott is long gone, having been replaced by Tony Snow and now Dana Perino. Yet Scotty isn't done talking, now he is espousing a little bit of truth.
From Public Affairs Publishing:
The most powerful leader in the world had called upon me to speak on his behalf and help restore credibility he lost amid the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. So I stood at the White house briefing room podium in front of the glare of the klieg lights for the better part of two weeks and publicly exonerated two of the senior-most aides in the White House: Karl Rove and Scooter Libby.There was one problem. It was not true.
I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice President, the President's chief of staff, and the President himself.
Only Scotty and that inner circle really know if he knew the truth (or untruths) that he was passing along. Of course in the process of "coming clean" he also passes the blame to his superiors while making a few bucks on the side. Despite the money, this excerpt from the book sheds a tremendous amount of light on what really went down during the height of PlameGate and many other controversies that surround the Bush Administration.
The book will definitely be an interesting read, thats for sure.
What Did You Get George Bush For Christmas?
The holidays are fast approaching, people are going gift-crazy. What to get mom, dad, sister, brother, etc etc. It can be so much that we forget to about that poor guy in the White House. What, me get a gift for the worst President in history? What would a crazy left wing, commenting from left field want to get George for Christmas? Hint, it is something he and the country desperately need to look at.
From The Center for Constitutional Rights:
The President needs to be reminded that he swore an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States-his administration has been systematically destroying the Constitution since he took office.
With your help, CCR will flood the Oval Office with copies of the Constitution this holiday season. If you sign this letter, CCR will send it along with a copy of the Constitution to the White House as a seasonal reminder that the Constitution needs to be upheld ; not destroyed.
We have already met our first goal of 25,000 signatures, let's try to send President Bush more than 50,000 copies of the Constitution by January 2008.
So come on and help out, cross George off your list for this year's gifting extravaganza, do your country a favor in the process.
Psst, They're In The White House
The weapons inspectors should have stayed in Washington to find the WMDs. Now the Bush Administration doesn't talk about it, but we must still remember all of their lies.
Spitzer Slams MTA Fare Increase
This morning the Daily News reported that Assembly leader Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) denounced the MTA's bid for a fare increase this February. The long, long-time politician said the MTA board should wait to see what the legislature can give them in the next session before raising the fare. Despite Silver's influence in Albany, the only man that oversees the board and can stop what they do is the Governor. So what did he have to say this morning?
From The NYT Cityroom:
Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced this morning that he was directing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to scale back its plan to increase subway and bus fares, holding the base cost at $2 per ride. His plan would still allow the authority to increase some fares, including the cost of the 7-day and 30-day unlimited-ride MetroCards.
In a statement handed out to reporters, Mr. Spitzer said:As the M.T.A. budget forecasts, their balance sheets yielded another $220 million. Based on the current economic climate that has so many New Yorkers feeling squeezed, it seemed only proper that this amount be returned to the riders. I am therefore calling on the M.T.A. to use these funds to reduce the proposed fare and toll increase. This reduction will ease the burden for the millions of New Yorkers who use the M.T.A.’s transportation network every day and will allow the M.T.A. to hold the base fare for subways and buses to $2.
The governor’s proposal left open the possibility that other transit fares — the cost of unlimited-ride MetroCards, commuter railroad fares, and bridge and tunnel tolls — could still rise.
Despite Spitzer's ultimate authority on fare hikes, it seems he is making a solid compromise with the board. Although I would rather they keep all the fares as is, especially with their budget in the black by $220 million. Regardless, holding the base fare as it is is a step in the right direction.
Kucinich Gets Smut And Hollywood Support
This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Climate Change Happens Everywhere
It is happening all over the world, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly, but what is important is that overall, the pace is quickening. Most people are aware of the melting ice caps but there are so many examples throughout the globe. Today's example is in the southern hemisphere, in the country of New Zealand. If you know anything about that nation, it is full of natural beauty and is it's main attraction for millions of tourists. With tremendous gorges, it isn't hard to fathom that bungee jumping was born here. For New Zealanders, it is thrilling to be around nature (literally). Yet the terrain is constantly changing around them and not for the better. New Zealand's largest glaciers are retreating fast in the face of global A report by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) said the volume of ice in New Zealand's Southern Alps had shrunk almost 11 percent in the past 30 years. More than 90 percent of this loss was because the 12 largest glaciers in the mountain range were melting due to rising temperatures, NIWA said. The glaciers have passed a threshold, causing the ice to collapse and creating large lakes at their base, the report said.
From RawStory:
Freshwater lakes are great resources, but when it comes to climate change it is best to look at the big picture. Our world is heating up at a faster and faster rate.
The Warning
As their commentary on YouTube says:
ArtofMentalWarfare.com presents The Warning, a politically powerful new music video featuring Grammy Award-winning artist Trent Reznor. The Warning takes on the covert interests behind the war and our media saturated society. From war crimes to the destruction of the environment and a celebrity-obsessed culture, The Warning is a clarion call to action for an apathetic nation.
Turn up the volume and click the play button...
As Expected, Senate Dems Cave
Oh how the tough talk of last week quickly shrinks back to the status quo. We've come to realize that it is next to impossible for many Democrats to grow the necessary spinal cord that is essential to fight back against Republicans and their lust for unending war. While Pelosi and the House are remaining firm, Harry Reid can't hang at all.
From CQ:
The Senate on Nov. 16 rejected two war funding bills — a Democratic proposal and a Republican alternative — sending leaders back to the drawing board for a plan to get money to the troops.
Two of the most powerful voices on Defense in the Senate — Armed Services Chairman
Carl Levin , a Michigan Democrat, andDaniel K. Inouye , a Democrat representing Hawaii who is chairman of the Defense Appropriations subcommittee — both said Democrats would offer a less restrictive version of the their party’s bill in December.“There’s going to be a modification of the bridge fund,” Levin said.
The war spending bill is often referred to as a “bridge fund” because it is only a down payment on the $196.4 billion Bush requested in war spending for fiscal 2008. The bridge fund is intended to keep money flowing to the troops until Congress considers the balance of Bush’s request.
How pathetic, yet expected.
Um, Dana?
She may say whatever she wants, whether it is believable or not, but she might want to start by fixing that sign behind her.
Rudy Gets His Gaming On In The Air
I have never spotted Rudy on the casino floor before on one of my trips to Vegas but that doesn't mean he doesn't know some of the most powerful gaming magnets in the country. Sheldon Adelson is one of the richest men in America thanks to gambling addicts everywhere and he lets Rudy share in some of the spoils.
From The Daily News:
Rudy Giuliani is jetting around the country wooing Bible-thumping conservatives, but his plane is often provided by a king of Sin City.
The Republican presidential hopeful anted up more than $122,000 last summer alone for jets traceable to casino kingpin Sheldon Adelson, whose Las Vegas Sands empire has made him the third-richest American, a Daily News review of campaign records shows.
Last quarter, The Sands' innocuously named Interface Operations LLC was the top provider of corporate jets to the frequently flying Giuliani, who was whisked around the country on the casino's plush Gulfstream G-IV in late August and early September, records show.
As the DN points out, some anti-gambling Republican activists are steamed at Rudy for using Adelson's jets. Now Rudy never claims to be the most virtuous of the Republican pack, but one has to wonder why he is dipping his hand in this cookie jar. The anti-gaming purity people are all over Iowa and while Rudy was going to write off both early states, he is investing a considerable amount in Iowa and New Hampshire. Maybe Rudy should have thought this through, but his ego will never admit to that.
Driving Your Boat To NYC Is Not The Same As Taking The E
One would imagine that the board members of the MTA could be out of touch with average New Yorkers. Well the facts back that up, with several millionaires who will decide the fate of the fare increase. A quarter per ride may not sound like much to someone with a mansion in the Hamptons or a guy that captains his boat from Rye down to the city, but to the rest of us that quarter adds up. The problem is the board doesn't seem to care.
From The Daily News:
Gov. Spitzer picked Hemmerdinger to replace Peter Kalikow as board chairman. Kalikow, a super-wealthy developer, is renowned for his flashy Ferraris. MTA board members are not paid but do get some controversial perks - including free E-ZPasses.
Bus and subway riders suspect the well-heeled decision makers don't fully understand how tough it is trying to make ends meet when prices for everything, from MetroCards to milk, keep rising.
The proposed increase for a subway and bus ride is a quarter - to $2.25.
"They're sucking our pockets dry. They live a better life than we do and they probably don't know what it's like taking the subway," Yohance McDonald, 25, of East New York told the Daily News as he was about to get on a subway Sunday.
It isn't only the Daily News that is harping on the MTA's wealthy board members, pressure is also coming from AM New York. The gist of the article is that while the chances of public hearings swaying the board is only about one in eight, people should still stand up for what they believe and tell their stories to the board.
Now if they'd only show up to hear them, then maybe we could make a tiny bit of headway.
The Biggest Business News Story Ever!
Ok, not really. This is a clip from Neil Cavuto over at Fox News. Saturday's hot topic was on why some hotel's are replacing bibles with condoms. Um, maybe they want to help people have safe sex and stop the spread of disease. Could you imagine that Mr. Purity?
Why don't you bring up a relevant business issue, like the proto-recession we're in, the sub-prime loan scandal, the record oil prices or what is becoming a worthless piece of paper, our very own currency? Get back to me Neil.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Firefighters For Truth, Against Giuliani
The infamous Swift Boat Veterans for Truth who lied about John Kerry and were funded by rich Republican oil men and the like. Now there's a new group out to tell the truth about a certain Presidential candidate. The big difference between 04' and '08 is that you can trust these firefighters on what they are saying about Rudy Giuliani.
From ABC News:
A group of 9/11 firefighters and victims' family members with eyes on derailing Republican Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign is close to a decision on forming an entity that would run issue ads in key early nominating states.
"TV made him a hero, and we'll use TV to take him down," New York Fire Chief Jim Riches told ABC News.
(snip)Riches, who lost his firefighter son Jimmy in the World Trade Center's north tower, said, "We don't want him running on 9/11 or the bodies of all these dead people or my dead son saying that he did a great job that day."
He and other members of the anti-Giuliani group claim 9/11 first responders were given bad radios and that that prevented them from hearing evacuation orders when the World Trade Center buildings were about to collapse. They also contend Giuliani rushed cleanup work and misled people about air quality at Ground Zero, where recovery workers, including Riches, say they contracted illnesses.
Giuliani never really cared about those that risked their lives to rescue survivors and work on the pile, he was just there for the photo-ops. If he cared, he would have acted more competently pre, during and post 9/11. Rudy might look like he's with it, but thats all an act, and these firefighters are ready to prove it to the nation still under the spell of the "America's Mayor" meme.
Chris Wallace Is One To Talk
Here and there, I find myself agreeing with Chris Wallace of Fox News. Now is one of those times. He felt himself getting 'even stupider' watching the CNN debate in Nevada last week, well so did I (from what I saw afterwards that is). As Chris said, Wolf Blitzer did a terrible job, but did anyone expect him to be anything other than an maestro for the media narrative of the Democratic candidates?
Now as for Chris...Mr. Wallace works for Fox News and is therefore a representative of the network. As any clearly thinking person knows, Fox is an outlet of propaganda for the right, not any type of purveyor of truth (not that the other networks excel at that either). Chris mentioned that Fox is "smarter" at doing debates because they let people talk. That is just utter nonsense. All you need to do is look up Bill O'Reilly in the dictionary to refute that piece of garbage.
The thought occurred to me while reading that story that Chris was making an appeal to host a debate for the Democrats. That would be atrocious if the candidates accepted an offer from Fox. Thankfully Democrats (led by Edwards) turned them down earlier this year. The questions from Chris and Co. wouldn't just follow a media narrative, it would be far worse. I could just imagine the questions..."Why do you hate America?" and "Why do you decry George Bush while the country is doing so well due to his policies?" Yeah, if watching CNN's debate is like hearing fingernails scraping across a chalkboard, Fox would waterboard us for two hours.
So instead of Chris being high and mighty about Fox versus CNN's pathetic attempt at hosting debates, he might just want to STFU unless he wants to talk about the truthiness at Fox first.
Now This Is Creationism
This isn't political in any way (well maybe a tiny bit), I just happened to find Vancouver Film School's YouTube postings by accident. Some of their digital animation shorts are incredible. If you like this one, be sure to check out the rest of these students' creations.
A Good Reason To Go To Staten Island
Once your stomach contracts from all of the Thanksgiving dishes this Thursday, you'll probably just want to lie around for a while to take it all in. By Sunday, with most of the leftovers gone, it'll be time to get out of the house and try and do something productive at the end of the long weekend. Well I have a great idea for you if you're going to avoid the shopping nightmare outside. Come help defeat the only remaining Republican Congressman in New York City.
From The Daily Gotham:
Wine and Cheese with Steve Harrison
At the Home of Catherine “Mac” O’CallaghanSunday, November 25, 2007
4:00 to 6:00 PM351 St. Paul’s Ave – Staten Island, NY
Donation - $40.00 (or as much more as you can give!)
RSVP (718) 720-0095
Let's review Vito's record:
High Rating from the Christian Coalition: 81%;
American Conservative Union: 78%;Vito Fossella voted NO to help provide affordable housing to low-income Americans still affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Vito Fossella voted AGAINST help for American senior citizens (PDF) eight times out of nine (with one no vote) in 2006!
Vito Fossella voted AGAINST a minimum wage increase every chance he could.
Those are five good reasons to come out and help kick Fossella to the political curb. If you enjoy wine, cheese or a combination of the two, make your way down to Staten Island (unless you live there already of course) and help Steve out. Remember this, strong early contributions to the campaign will impress those bigwigs at the DCCC in Washington to give Steve the major dough he'll need later on next year. Your two Andrew Jacksons (or bring more if you so desire) can help launch a tidal wave of campaign cash that will turn NY-13 rightfully blue!
