Conservative Preacher Gives Bush A Medal Of P.E.A.C.E.

Rick Warren gave George Bush a medal for his efforts to fight AIDS during his term. He has done good work in this field, but the name of the medal is highly inappropriate since he helped kill more than a million Iraqis and thousands of our troops thanks to his lust for war in Iraq.

Padavan Tries To Invalidate Student Voters At St. John's

Many people in New York have written off Jim Gennaro's chances at winning his challenge to Frank Padavan. The main reason local reporters are calling this (almost) over is that Padavan increased his lead to over 600 votes with only 3,000 approximately left to count. Two-thirds of those are challenged ballots and it looks like a few were objected to by Padavan were cast by students at St. John's.

From The NY Times:

The unresolved State Senate contest between Senator Frank Padavan, a Republican, and his Democratic challenger, James F. Gennaro, moves on Tuesday into a Queens courtroom, where nearly a dozen college students have been subpoenaed to verify their residences.

Republican lawyers have challenged the votes of students, mostly from St. John’s University, saying that they filled out affidavit ballots with addresses that were not their permanent residences. In the paper ballot count, Mr. Padavan is leading by about 600 votes, but about 1,000 more ballots remained to be counted and the validity of an additional 2,000 must still be reviewed.[...]

Steven H. Richman, the general counsel at the New York City Board of Elections, said that under state law, a student can vote from a polling place near either his or her permanent address or a college address.

“A college student has the option,” Mr. Richman said. “If you’re living on campus, you have the right to register and vote from that district. Or you can register from your parents’ address. You just can’t vote in two places.”

If Padavan is challenging the right for college students to vote, I can only imagine who else he's contesting. Now a dozen or so votes will only make a small dent in the vote deficit Gennaro has, but only after all those ballots Padavan is scared to see added to the tally will we truly be able to call the race.

Bush Sheds Crocodile Tears Over Disasters He Helped Create

With less than fifty days to go, George Bush decided on trying to rebuild his shattered image. See, he thinks that history will remember him far differently than how we know him now. Bush believes a bit of faux humility and "compassion" for the plight of the nation will warm a few hearts. The problem is he is completely full of shit.

From RawStory:

He apologized for the economic crisis, saying, "I'm sorry it's happening, of course... Obviously I don't like the idea of people losing jobs, or being worried about their 401(k)s. On the other hand, the American people got to know that we will safeguard the system. I mean, we're in. And if we need to be in more, we will."

Of course, he was presented with information long ago that the mortgage crisis was going to explode across the economic spectrum. Yet times were good for his financial market buddies, so Bush let the "good times" continue until the fiscal bombs went off. And speaking of bombs, he tried to escape the blame on Iraq as well.

"I wish the intelligence had been different, I guess," Bush tells ABC's Charlie Gibson in an interview to be broadcast tonight, and said he didn't know if he'd have gone to war if he didn't think there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

"That is a do-over that I can't do," Bush said.

He said incorrect intelligence about Saddam Hussein's arsenal was the "biggest regret of all the presidency."[...]

"A lot of people put their reputations on the line and said the weapons of mass destruction is a reason to remove Saddam Hussein," Bush said. "It wasn't just people in my administration. A lot of members in Congress, prior to my arrival in Washington, D.C., during the debate on Iraq, a lot of leaders of nations around the world were all looking at the same intelligence."

"I listened to a lot of voices, but ultimately, I listened to this voice: I'm not going to let your son die in vain," he said. "I believe we can win. I'm going to do what it takes to win in Iraq."

If Bush had listened to voices that weren't inside his bubble, then maybe he would have done differently. Though there was a reason the bubble was in place, specifically because he only wanted to hear what sounded good to get his war on. Bush can claim to "feel bad" about how America has rapidly regressed over the eight years of his tenure, but when push comes to shove, all he cares about is himself and a select few that helped him get to his position of power.

Molest Much Senator Chambliss?

I called Saxby Chambliss a creep in my last post and then wondered if that was a little over the line. Booman posted this ad of Saxby's earlier from Thanksgiving and now there's no doubt in my mind:



Someone should call the District Attorney over the last five seconds of that disgrace of an advertisement and a nasty human being.

Jim Martin Needs Your Help Now!

It may be nearly a month since we elected Barack Obama as our next President, but another crucial election warrants your attention for tomorrow. Down in Georgia, voters will be determining if their blatantly racist and corrupt freshman Senator Saxby Chambliss will hold onto his seat. Jim Martin is challenging him and hoping to aid Obama's agenda in the next Congress, but only if we all get together to help. All eyes will be on this race tomorrow and the outcome is still undetermined.

From The Atlanta Journal Constitution:

Tuesday’s runoff between U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Democratic challenger Jim Martin has attracted everyone from former President Bill Clinton to GOP presidential nominee John McCain as both parties square off for one final round this election season.

Both Democrats and Republicans contend that nothing less than the future of the nation is at stake. Elect Martin, Democrats say, and voters will clear the path for the substantive political change President-elect Barack Obama promised. Re-elect Chambliss, Republicans counter, and the Senate will have enough GOP votes to stop Democrats from taking the country too far to the left.

“This is the big one,” former U.S. Sen. Zell Miller (D-Ga.) told 200 people last week at a Chambliss rally in Gainesville. “This is a history-changing election. The world is watching this election.”

The Georgia runoff has become a focus of post-Nov. 4 national politics as Democrats inch closer to a 60-vote “super majority” in the Senate, enough to prevent GOP filibusters that could stymie key pieces of Obama’s agenda or even derail U.S. Supreme Court nominees. Democrats now have 58 seats; only Georgia’s runoff and an ongoing recount in Minnesota remain.

Minnesota's voters have to wait for the recount to end and the legal challenges to conclude before knowing whether Coleman or Franken will rule the day. In Georgia, it might as well be the day before November 4th all over again. If you live in the state or nearby, head over and help out at one of two dozen campaign offices. If you are farther away like me, donate or help phonebank for Jim.

The Senate will be a far better place without a creep like Saxby Chambliss, make sure to do your small part to make it happen!

Gioia And Felder Go After City's Use Of Bottled Water

Yes, the City Council is a mess but at least two members of the corrupted institution have enough sense to help save NYC some money and help the environment in the process. Councilmen Felder and Gioia are sponsoring legislation to eliminate more bottled water use than before. The Council is already bottle-free, but city agencies still have some work to do.

From The NY Daily News:

City Councilmen Eric Gioia (D-Queens) and Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) will introduce a bill next week that would stop city agencies from buying bottled water and water coolers for workers at city agencies.

The city spends $2.1 million annually on bottled water, according to the Department of Citywide Administrative Services.

"New York City has some of the cleanest water in the country, and we should use it," said Gioia.

He noted that the move would also save on storage and disposal costs and help the environment by reducing waste and truck traffic for water-delivery services.

At least something good is going on at City Hall. With all of their problems, hopefully the rest of the Council can get together and pass this bill. Unless you work for Aquafina or Fiji, this is a no-brainer and completely not controversial, so it should get to the Mayor's desk quickly.

The Aftermath Of Mumbai

Sunday's political talk shows were all focused on what happened in Mumbai, who orchestrated the attacks and what to do about it:

S.I. Advance Finds NY City Council In Disarray

There was plenty to be grateful for during Thanksgiving (and every day of course) but a working City Council in New York City is not one of them. In a lengthy report the Staten Island Advance has found that the legislature in our city is divided and broken over the term limits fiasco. Not only were things heated between members of the Council last month, but continuing even today with the budget battle looming.

From The S.I. Advance:

In the aftermath of the most divisive battle in recent City Hall history, many members of the City Council who spoke with the Advance said they find it difficult, if not impossible, to trust some of their colleagues. A few even described the institution itself as broken -- that now, more than ever, people seem to be just going through the motions.

The question is, how will that affect the way they work together? Over the next few months, while they negotiate with Bloomberg to finalize a plan to chop hundreds of millions of dollars from spending in this year's budget and even more from the budget for the next fiscal year, will the tough choices they make represent the best choices for the people of this city -- or the deals brokered simply for political advantage?

Brokered deals bred out of ethically-challenged, smoke-filled rooms? In our Council?!? Can I make sarcasm drip out of your monitor on this one? Seriously though, we have long known about how City Hall works and the fact that the term limits extension bill passed is a testament to just how broken it is. What makes me hopeful (to a degree) with all of this mess is that there are actually Council Members that realize how flawed the system is, particularly the ones that voted against the Mayor's undemocratic 845A legislation and that heads must roll for it.

As the Advance notes, Tony Avella and others understand that those that voted for selfish reasons need to be voted out of office. Now that we know what's going on, it is time to act. Every single Council Member must join the thousands of New Yorkers who demand change from their government. We must work together to find challengers to the Bloomberg 29 and work as hard as we can to get competent people into the chamber who will represent their constituents for a change and not the whims of an egotistical plutocrat such as Michael Bloomberg.

Taxation With Representation Could Be A Reality In D.C. Soon

Since its inception as a Federal District, Washington, D.C. has been the home to our national government but the people who live there have no real representation as do the states in our union. Eleanor Holmes Norton has been a delegate to the House of Represenatives for quite sometime now but cannot vote in the legislative body. With Obama coming to town and a much more Democratic Senate in place, she might just get the Colbert bump she's been looking for.

From The Washington Post:

Voting rights in Congress for the District of Columbia is another example. Legislation to expand the House of Representatives from 435 to 437 seats by giving the District and Utah an additional vote each were three votes shy of the 60 needed to end a filibuster in September 2007. Eight Republicans voted with the Democratic majority, which is 51 to 49 and includes two independents.

Come January, seven Republicans who voted against the compromise plan to allow Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) to become a full-fledged member of the House will be replaced by Democrats. Aides said they are not clear when the legislation will be reconsidered, but some District voting-rights activists are so confident of passage that they are advocating a push for two District seats in the Senate. Norton, however, favors seeking just the House seats.

Well, incremental change is better than none at all. Adding two Senate seats is virtually impossible, because there is no room for compromise with the filibuster-happy Republicans. Unless Utah, Wyoming or Idaho is willing to split itself to create two "red" seats, there's no way Joe Lieberman and the GOP will vote for that. Tis' much better to stick with obtaining representation in the House.

DC Vote has been hard at work to get Congress to recognize the half-million or so that live in the District for a long time now, but Congress has been unwilling to budge. Now is the time for a change and a large push from the community might just be able to make it happen. The big question is, what will they put on their license plates once Norton becomes a full-fledged Congresswoman?

Tom Duane Sends A Message To Pedro Espada

Not only is Senator Tom Duane not concerned about the Gang of Three, he rubs it in their faces that being a Republican is a bad idea here in New York. Jeff Campagna follows it up at this weekend's Same-Sex Marriage forum with a pro-Democratic message.



While Espada hasn't shown he's coming to his senses anytime soon, it is comforting to see the others start to come around, regardless of the language they use about the matter.

Obama And Clinton Make It Official Today

After two weeks of speculation, rumors and denials, Barack Obama will make it official and announce Hillary Clinton as his Secretary of State. Its been a long time coming (in the political world that is) and all the behind-the-scenes finagling has finally straightened all the kinks out. Husband and former President Bill Clinton has acceeded to Barack's demands to open all relevant financial information. Now all we need is the press conference.

From Newsday:

WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton will be in Chicago tomorrow for an announcement by President-elect Barack Obama that she will be nominated as secretary of state, a person close to Clinton confirmed to Newsday today.

The widely expected appointment came only after reports that lawyers for the Obama transition team and Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, agreed on a nine-point deal that would result in disclosure of donors to his presidential library and charities.

Obviously Bill was doing whatever it took to assure Hillary got the position. The former President has done a lot of good work with his Global Initiative, but disclosing names and refusing donations from foreign governments is only fair and essential to restoring the faith to our State Department.

Despite their tussles on the campaign trail, having her within the Obama Administration has the ability to do wonders for our country and relationships with other foreign powers. Senator Clinton is a strong woman and should be an excellent Secretary of State just as soon as the Senate approves her nomination.

NYC Worked Hard For Perks At New Yankee Stadium

Ah damn. I've been out of town for only a few days (relaxing days that they were in a warm clime) and missed so much. Granted it was hard not to watch the terrible tragedy unfold in Mumbai but for the most part I steered clear of politics, opting to read a few books and remembering to be grateful for all that I have in my life. Nevertheless, back here in NYC there is plenty to be outraged over and one instance is continually provoking ire in the Bronx. That would be Yankee Stadium and the Bloomberg Administration's involvement with it.

From The NY Times:

The Bloomberg administration was so intent on obtaining a free luxury suite for its own use at the new Yankee Stadium, newly released e-mail messages show, that the mayor’s aides pushed for a larger suite and free food, and eventually gave the Yankees 250 additional parking spaces in exchange.

The parking spaces were given to the team for the private use of Yankees officials, players and others; the spaces were originally planned for public parking. The city also turned over the rights to three new billboards along the Major Deegan Expressway, and whatever revenue they generate, as part of the deal.

The e-mail messages between the aides to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Yankees executives were obtained and released by Assemblyman Richard L. Brodsky, Democrat of Westchester, who questions whether taxpayers were adequately protected in the city’s deal with the team.

Obviously that sense of entitlement doesn't simply stop with the Mayor, the attitude is commonplace throughout his side of City Hall. To make deals like this and work so hard to ensure your piece of the pie while the city has many more pressing matters in front of it is a travesty. They're so busy hammering out perks for themselves at Gracie Mansion that the financial toll on the taxpayers of New York that are helping to subsidize the project are but a mere afterthought, if that.

The whole affair stinks to high hell and instead of being ashamed of their actions, Bloomberg's aides try to push the matter aside by saying that every city official gets perks like these established for the Mayor's office. I really don't care if there are benefits for city officials in Cairo, Kansas City or Brussels, here in New York City we must be able to trust our government to do the right thing. Not by always looking out for the few in the office but for the city they have been hired to work for.