Jesus Was Not A Republican

If there was such a crazy system as the two-party one back in Jesus' day, there is no way in hell he would be a Republican. Jesus was for peace, helping one another and love for all mankind. Republicans like war, helping themselves and loving almost no one and hating everyone that is different from them. Even with those "values," Republicans like Gov. Mark Sanford like to think the man from Nazareth was one of them.

From The Christian Science Monitor:

"Jesus himself could come back as a Republican candidate these days, and there would still be some people saying, 'I don't know about that guy,' " Gov. Mark Sanford, a Republican, says in a phone interview. "There's a really strong fine-tooth comb people are running through the candidates that you probably wouldn't see if things were looking rosier for Republicans these days."

Well now Mr. Sanford, Jesus wouldn't come back for that. Even if he did, most likely he'd be a third party candidate.

Courts Hand Victory To Insurance Companies, More Sorrow To Katrina Victims

Home insurance companies are cheering after they were told by Judge Carolyn King that they would not have to pay for flood damage to their clients homes. Those homes were destroyed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The lawsuit was filed by over 40 people and institutions that were not granted money to help rebuild their lives nearly two years after the calamity occurred. The impact of the decision could affect thousands.

From MSNBC:

The decision overturns a ruling by U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr., who in November sided with policyholders arguing that language excluding water damage from some of their insurance policies was ambiguous.

Duval said the policies did not distinguish between floods caused by an act of God — such as excessive rainfall — and floods caused by an act of man, which would include the levee breaches following Katrina’s landfall.

But the appeals panel concluded that “even if the plaintiffs can prove that the levees were negligently designed, constructed, or maintained and that the breaches were due to this negligence, the flood exclusions in the plaintiffs’ policies unambiguously preclude their recovery.”

Basically this is a nice win for the bottom lines at companies like All State (you aren't in good hands) and Traveler's Insurance (that umbrella doesn't cover you). The losers now number in the thousands, with no money to recuperate from their unlivable homes, it will be next to be impossible to rebuild.

YearlyKos Goes Virtual

Can't make it to Chicago for YearlyKos? Gina Cooper has a way for you to come, no matter where you are physically. Check out the convention Second Life-style and Gina Cooper's introduction to the virtual world:

Giuliani And Norm Siegel Agree On Something?

You wouldn't think that New York City's public advocate and the man referred to as the "Mussolini of Manhattan" would agree on anything, but Norm Siegel and Rudy Giuliani found common ground on at least one issue. The victims of September 11th have been remembered every year on the hallowed site where they perished nearly six years ago. Now that construction is kicking into full gear at Ground Zero, the mayor and others are moving it to a park nearby. The change has pissed plenty of people off from very different political persuasions, obviously.

From The Daily News:

The controversy over the plan to move this year’s 9/11 memorial out of Ground Zero for the first time has made for an unlikely alliance: Civil rights lawyer Norman Siegel and his onetime arch-nemesis, Rudy Giuliani.

The pair, who tussled frequently when Giuliani was mayor and Siegel was the head of the New York Civil Liberties Union, suddenly find themselves on the same side, backing families who want the memorial held at the World Trade Center site.

"Last night, I said to my wife, 'It’s finally come full circle,'" Siegel said with a smile today outside Zuccotti Park, the plaza across the street and one block South of Ground Zero where the city and state plan to hold this year’s memorial.

Siegel, who plans to run for public advocate for a third time next fall, is representing 11 family groups who filed a permit application with the Port Authority today to have the event at the site – which Giuliani said Tuesday he supports.

Well how about that, even polar political opposites can agree on some things....or at least one item that is very emotional for New Yorkers and Americans in general. Proponents of the move say they had to make the decision because of construction. I call bullshit, the Port Authority can take a break on September 11th, 2007 to honor the thousands that lost their lives on that tragic day.

Jamaica Bay Could Be Gone In Five Years

The water north of Queens will remain, polluted as usual, but the makeup of the area will be changed forever. The loss in wetland marshes that are home to so many different species of fish and fowl are disappearing at an alarming rate. A new study shows that in the last six years, the amount of marsh swallowed by the bay has nearly doubled.

From The New York Times:

Using satellite imagery of the bay, along with field observations, the report found that about 33 acres of tidal wetlands are lost every year, nearly twice the 18-acre annual loss found in a previous study by the state released in 2001. The latest report was compiled by the Jamaica Bay Watershed Advisory Committee, a New York City body, and experts at the National Park Service’s Gateway National Recreation Area, which includes the bay.

“The dramatic increase in the rate of marsh loss we found is shocking,” the report says. “Given the short time that appears to be remaining for the marsh islands, this may be our last chance to save Jamaica Bay.”

While experts are not in agreement on what causes the severe losses, scientists suspect that one principal reason is nitrogen pollution from the treated outflow of four city sewage treatment plants on the bay. Large amounts of nitrogen can kill delicate marsh plants, and without the root structures to hold sediment in place, the marsh islands could be quickly washed away.

If only the city made the effort to clean up several sewage treatment plants, the levels of nitrogen emitted into the bay would drop. Scientists say this is the main reason the landscape is changing, although there could be a few more reasons related to climate change, such as rising sea levels.

Of course taking the steps to implement change is always hard to come by when you mix environmental concerns with the bureaucracy of New York. Politicians need to step up and call for action. This piece by the Times is great, but it needs to be replicated across the New York media establishment. Only an extreme amount of public pressure can do it. So call up your representatives, The Daily News, The Observer and all of the city rags so they start talking about it. There isn't much time left.

Brownback Gets A Singing Girl Of His Own

One of the family values candidates on the right has a new crush on his hands. The music is terrible and this girl is definitely not as hot as Obama's, but the video is at least a little funny. What will Mrs. Brownback think?

Accused Of Raping A Grandmother, Gallagher Smiles

Dennis Gallagher left the courtroom smiling after giving testimony about a rape case that a 52 year old grandmother has brought against the Republican City Councilman from Queens. He says he has done nothing wrong, that she is only mad because he insists the encounter was a one night stand. The plantiff has a slightly different account of what happened.

From The Daily News:

A smiling Gallagher emerged from the courthouse after two hours of testimony about 4:45 p.m. "I know in the end I will be vindicated," he said.

His accuser, who testified before the grand jury for an hour last week, said she was the victim of a violent assault and that Gallagher is lying.

"He's going to say its consensual or whatever ... but it's all B.S.," the woman told The News.

Gallagher testified he met the woman at a well-known Middle Village watering hole, Danny Boy's, then went to his office for sex, the sources said.

The accuser told cops Gallagher offered her a ride home, but instead took her to the office, where he forced her onto her knees and tied her hands. He then allegedly raped her and forced her to perform oral sex, according to police reports obtained by The News.

She claims that he has everything to lose and there would be no reason for her to bring the suit if it weren't true. Gallagher says the only thing he did wrong was commit adultery. So he has already lied to his wife and abused the trust of their marriage. There is no reason to think he wouldn't continue to lie if the situation is as serious as the victim claims. Of course this will all have to be sorted out in trial, but starting out it will be an uphill battle for this adulterer and/or rapist to prove his innocence.

Obama Flexes His Muscles, Hits Liberals In The Face

So if you haven't heard, Barack Obama made a major terrorism speech yesterday that was meant to show he can cower to the centrists and others farther right that he won't be a liberal crybaby, or whatever Republicans call us. Apparently looking big, mean and tough like the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania is appealing to the Illinois Democrat.

From The Huffington Post:

In his speech Obama sought to affirm his credentials as a prospective Commander in Chief who would not only end the war in Iraq, but who would also aggressively mount an offensive against Islamic terrorists.

His posture provoked immediate criticism from some quarters.

Chris Bowers, a blogger who writes on Open Left, argues that Obama is mistakenly trying to win the approval of the Washington establishment:

"No Democrat running for President tells the country that he will deploy more troops to Afghanistan and conduct military strikes in Pakistan without Pakistan's approval in order to appeal to the primary electorate."

Wanting to be a strong leader is one thing, being an abrasive bully before winning a single primary delegate is another. If Obama thinks this type of talk is going to win him votes on the left, he has another thing coming. Rock stars are great at attracting plenty of people at first, but go from political celebrity to Presidential material that appeals to the primary electorate is going to take more than ripping pages from George Bush's book.

Michael Moore Responds To Rudy

YearlyKos!!

Well its late at night before the convention, the registration opens in just a few hours and all of the amazing events start at 8am sharp. The day goes from early in the morning until late at night, only to begin early Friday for another jam packed day. Its going to be an amazing four days for all those that are here as the press watches on.

All the candidates are going to be here, the pundits and us regular folk are all together to talk about Democratic politics and fight back against the crazy rantings of Bill O'Reilly. So stay tuned for YearlyKos updates and pictures of the event from my very own digital camera.

A Nation Falling Apart

What happened a few hours ago in Minneapolis was a tragic event. Several people dead and dozens injured after the I-35 bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed while undergoing repairs.

From The Huffington Post:

MINNEAPOLIS — An interstate bridge jammed with rush-hour traffic suddenly broke into huge sections and collapsed into the Mississippi River Wednesday, pitching dozens of cars 60 feet into the water and killing at least six people.

The eight-lane Interstate 35W bridge, a major Minneapolis artery, was in the midst of being repaired and had several lanes closed when it crumbled.

"There were two lanes of traffic, bumper to bumper, at the point of the collapse. Those cars did go into the river," Minneapolis Police Lt. Amelia Huffman. "At this point there is nothing to suggest that this was anything other than a structural collapse."

This is another sad moment for our nation's infrastructure. Only two weeks ago antiquated steam pipes exploded in East Midtown killing one woman with the tow truck driver laying in the hospital with third degree burns all over his body. Dozens were injured and business are losing millions with the repair work still going on.

Now another major city has to deal with a catastrophe that has left several families without their loved ones and economic havoc that will ensue from this. Meanwhile New Orleans is still pretty much in ruins outside of the French Quarter, Downtown and the Garden District.

Our government's ability to deal with catastrophe and preventing infrastructure from crumbling has been diminished considerably over the years. This is something that needs to be turned around. Instead of a $300 tax cut, why not put that money towards fixing our old pipes, highways and anything else that needs to be updated so we can continue to live in a first-world society.

What Republicans Can Do About YouTube

All but two Republican candidates are afraid of a YouTube style debate, questions from the masses is scary I suppose. Well have no fear, the Red State Update is coming to their rescue by having a debate of their own: