NY For Paul Sounds The Death Toll For Rudy!

Despite how I feel on the issues (and there are many) with Ron Paul, I never question the tenacity of his minions. One in particular here in the Empire state by the name of Jim Ostrowski caught the eye of the Daily Politics though they didn't post this link to his blog. Perhaps they just got an official press release, whatever, the point is, NY for Ron Paul came out hard against Giuliani in their bid to win New York. Of course it is highly unlikely for Paul to win anything besides his current six delegates and multiple wins over Rudy Giuliani. Nevertheless, if they can beat Rudy, they can say stuff like this.

Buffalo, New York. January 21, 2008. Thousands of supporters of Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul are promising to work hard to pull a major upset in the primary election scheduled for February 5th, New Yorkers for Ron Paul announced today. Jim Ostrowski, one of the group’s organizers said: “Now that Rudy Giuliani’s campaign has collapsed, New York State is wide open and we intend to fight hard for those 87 delegates.”

In the winner-take-all primary, 87 delegates will be awarded, the largest single block of Republican delegates in the country. Recent polls show John McCain gaining on Giuliani but reports are that a new poll will show John McCain ahead. “That’s because of publicity from New Hampshire,” Ostrowski said, “not because of any great enthusiasm for McCain who lost here in 2000.”

Fresh off his best showing, 14% and second place in Nevada, Ron Paul is poised to enter the first rank of presidential contenders on Super Tuesday. Ostrowski said that “when New York Republicans hear Ron Paul’s message of lower federal spending, border security and avoidance of costly nation-building oversees, they will vote for Ron Paul over Washington insider McCain.” Ostrowski noted that Ron Paul’s proposed spending cuts will particularly help New York which traditionally sends more tax dollars to Washington than it gets back.

“Before you vote for John McCain, ask yourself: can he beat Hillary Clinton in November?” Ostrowski said. He noted that Ron Paul exit polls show him doing well among the very groups a Republican needs to attract in November: independents, opponents of the Iraq War, moderates and young people who want the country to move in a different direction from the one that Washington insiders like Clinton and McCain have in mind.

Wow, fourteen percent in Nevada, thats.......still terrible, especially in a more libertarian-minded state than most. Paul certainly has raised a lot of money and fame, but votes are still few and way too short of the *cough* front runners. I know, they're all terrible on the right and anyone could have a shot, but the likelihood of Paul emerging from that dust cloud is still slim to none.

P.S. Thanks for dissing Rudy, I still loving hearing sweet nothings like that.

Edwards Jokes While Campaign Takes Third In Nevada

I don't think that even John was expecting to get five percent of the caucus in Nevada this past weekend. While he continues to add a few delegates here and there and probably will take in small numbers through the primary season, at least he can keep a sense of humor about it:

The Corruptive Perks Of Office, A Day In The Life Of Joe Bruno

It must be nice to hold the title of New York Senate Majority Leader. In the state capitol, influence like Bruno's can get you a long way and "earn" quite a few perks. It's been a way of life for Mr. Bruno and the entrance of tough-talking Eliot Spitzer hasn't done much to curtail the whiffs of corruption in the air of Albany. Just take a look at the treatment he got at the Sheraton in Times Square a few months back.

From The NY Sun:

During a September visit to the city, Mr. Bruno lodged in a 45th-floor duplex at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers that hotel employees say rents for $5,000 or $10,000 a night. A spokesman for the senator said the room was charged to the campaign committee of the state Senate Republicans, which he said spent between $900 and $1,000. The committee did not report the discount as an in-kind donation on its January 15 filing to the state Board of Elections.

A general manager at the hotel said a VIP club manager chose to upgrade Mr. Bruno, a frequent Sheraton customer, to the hotel's penthouse suite from a regular suite. "That night, he probably was the top dog," the general manager, Daniel King, told The New York Sun.

On November 30, the nine-member board of the Albany Convention Center Authority, which includes a member appointed by Mr. Bruno, voted to begin negotiations with Starwood Hotels and Resorts, of which Sheraton is a subsidiary, as operator of a 400-room hotel to be built in downtown Albany near the senate leader's district.

Hmmm, well it sounds funny, but what's wrong with a little upgrade?

In September, a Sheraton reservation agent quoted a price of $10,000 a night for the penthouse suite. Last week, the manager of reservations at the hotel said Sheraton charged $5,000 a night for the suite. The manager insisted that the Sheraton doesn't offer any customers a reduced rate for the room.

"We don't offer discounts," she said.

No discounts eh? Not even for a political favor to have the rights to build a new hotel in downtown Albany? Some people will do anything for a good deal, even if there is no integrity involved. Oh speaking of which, I guess that integrity and Albany just don't belong in a sentence together.

Ron Paul Wouldn't Appreciate Bloomberg's Efforts

Our Mayor/potential candidate for President got together with Governor Ahhhhnuld and Governor Rendell to talk about infrastructure recently. Although their politics differ in many regards, apparently having good roads to drive on and rails to carry freight is something they all agree on. I wish that our current President cared, but we already know that he doesn't give a shit about anything. That goes for much of Congress and all of the Republican candidates for President, especially Ron Paul, who wants to do away with the IRS because, well, we survived as a nation before the income tax started in 1913. Um, Ronnie, you know you couldn't have driven across the U.S. at that point in time with any kind of speed or efficiency because there wasn't a national highway system at the time (funded by taxes in case you Paulites didn't know, roads just don't grow on trees). Ok, thats enough about Paul, its time to get down to business.

From The NY Times:

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg attacked Washington politicians on Saturday for what he called short-sighted, politically motivated spending while the nation’s roads, bridges and airports fall apart.

“Infrastructure isn’t sexy or glamorous, and it doesn’t make for great headlines,” Mr. Bloomberg said in Los Angeles, “but it is one of the most important issues facing our country.

“And make no mistake about it, we have an infrastructure crisis.”

Joined by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, a Republican, and Gov. Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania, a Democrat, the mayor announced the creation of a nonpartisan organization that will advocate for more, and smarter, federal spending on infrastructure.

The organization, Building America’s Future, will comprise elected officials and others, and it will be financed by the Rockefeller Foundation, a frequent collaborator with the mayor on pet projects.

Oh yeah, that asphalt is smokin! Of course it is even hotter to ride those rails. Thats where America's future should be built more and more.

Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes

Everyone talks about change but who can really deliver it in a beneficial way?

Bush Administration Too Busy For Ailing 9/11 Workers

We would never expect the President to show up in New York to be held accountable for the sacrifices that many heroes made after 9/11. Yet it would be nice if one White House staffer could make their way down Pennsylvania Avenue and answer questions as to why rescue workers that live outside of New York aren't being taken care of.

From The Daily News:

"Responders rushed from all over the country to help New York on 9/11. But [the U.S. Health and Human Services Department] couldn't find one person in the building to come to New York?" said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Queens).

"They don't fight for 9/11 health programs. Instead, they fight to stop them."

A spokeswoman who returned a call to the Health and Human Services Department said officials would answer questions at another time.

That's not good enough for Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-Brooklyn), who leads the House oversight subcommittee on government management, organization and procurement.

"If I must issue subpoenas, that is what I will do," Towns vowed. "The administration's handling of 9/11 health care is one of the worst-managed programs I have ever seen."

So technically it is the Health and Human Services Department that is neglecting our heroes from out of town, but that is still under the Bush Administration, and that could have easily been solved. And of course we wouldn't have been in this mess in the first place if the White House took care of these workers from the start. Now they are ducking their responsibility and ignoring Congress. Congressman Towns can threaten to wield the subpoena, but since Congress is already so weak-kneed in front of the President, I doubt it will bring anything forward. One effect of a crumbling democracy is a lack of accountability, even if Congress says they want action, they can't deliver it.

Where Have All The Restaurants Gone?

Long time passing for many of New York's eateries, including a few that do quite well, but they just can't seem to pay the rent. Even popular restaurants are getting hammered by ridiculously high rents that are nearly impossible to pay. One victim of this two years ago was the 2nd Ave deli. New Yorkers were flabbergasted to see the city's best (in many a view) deli shutter its doors. They are thankfully now re-opened but at a smaller location and with much higher prices on the menu. I'll still pay for it but this is a problem that many restaurants are facing.

From Crain's:

Prominent chef Pino Luongo, who has opened 11 restaurants in the city over the past 20 years, now faces one of his worst nightmares.

He expects to have to shutter Tuscan Square, his decade-old eatery in Rockefeller Center, at the end of the month. The landlord, Tishman Speyer, is raising the rent, which is already more than $1 million a year.

"Rents in New York City are totally unrealistic," Mr. Luongo says. "We could definitely see a recession in the restaurant business."

Stories like Tuscan Square's imminent demise are becoming common, and experts predict many more closures this year. Rents in some neighborhoods have more than doubled since 2003. Though restaurants open in the city nearly every day and many spots continue to thrive, evidence is mounting that the industry is entering a rough patch.

The article continues to cite examples in Manhattan and is definitely indicative of a growing problem. Real estate rents are being blown out of the water and the independents will suffer the worst of it, no matter how good their food is.

This Guy Makes Me Sick

You can clearly see why down below, as bigot Sean Hannity plays the race card with abandon:

Bin Laden As An Agent Of Peace?

No we aren't talking about the Al-Qaeda figurehead who believes in holy war, this is the project of one of his 19 children, Omar Osama bin Laden. Omar is the one that created a stir when he married a British woman who is twice his age. Jane Felix-Brown became Zaina Alsabah for the wealthy young man and now together they are trying to work for peace. First step? A three-thousand mile horse race across North Africa.

From Yahoo News:

The couple has applied for a visa to Britain. And they are planning their endurance horse race across North Africa, which they hope to start in March. It is in the planning stages — they are seeking approval of governments along the route and need sponsors to help pay for the event and raise money for child victims of war.

Omar said they plan to ride 30 miles a day, with periodic weeklong rests in each country.

Teams from around the world will be encouraged to join in what the couple envisions as an equine version of the Paris-Dakar car rally. That rally was canceled this year due to fears over terrorist threats made by al-Qaida-affiliated groups in North Africa.

Omar, however, said he isn't worried.

"I heard the rally was stopped because of al-Qaida," he said. "I don't think they are going to stop me."

It is definitely a worthy cause, and his name alone attracts world-wide media attention. His goals of peace between Al-Qaeda and the west are probably more illusory than he thinks, but at least he is trying to raise money for a good cause.

Power To The American And Iranian People

History has taught us that power-obsessed governmental administrations are never good, especially when one hates the other with a passion (or at least feigns it for a secret greedy objective). We can see the increasing rhetoric between the U.S. and Iran and recently the Bushies have been trying to escalate matters. Iranian figureheads and clerics are no saints either, who demonize America, Israel and all things western. So who is going to have to break the ice? Well, the people of course, that is where the true, yet mostly unearthed power actually resides.

From the AFP:

NEW YORK (AFP) — A US group lobbying for Washington to engage Tehran in direct talks is to invite members of the public to chat with people in Iran at the weekend using three hotlines set up in a New York park.

"Americans and Iranians will begin an important conversation Saturday from 11 am to 1 pm," the Enough Fear campaign behind the stunt said in a statement.

The group will be using three vintage red telephones, meant to evoke the hotline that connected US and Soviet leaders during the Cold War.

"Our goal is to initiate dialogue, person to person," said Nick Jehlen, Enough Fear co-founder.

"Our two governments won't talk to each other so we decided to take it into our own hands, to get to know each other and begin to work for peace. It's a lot harder to go to war against people you know," he added.

Volunteers in Iran will be on the other end of the lines, where translators will also be on hand if needed.

"There is this false impression that Iranians are angry at Americans," Jehlen said. "Hundreds of Iranians have expressed interest in this campaign because they are really interested in talking with the American people."

False impressions are what people like Bush and Ahmadinejad rely on to spread their propaganda. If people got to know their international brothers and sisters more through projects like this, we would see our similarities more than our differences. Of course that isn't good for things like starting wars and keeping the military-industrial complex humming, which is why fear is crammed down our collective throats again and again.

So pick up that phone and call (though Skype is way more reasonably priced) someone you are told to fear.

What You May Not Know About Dr. Martin Luther King

Dr. King wasn't just a fighter for civil rights, but workers' rights as well. He would be shocked to see how far we have regressed in our corporate culture in the last forty years.

NV + SC = Huge Win For The Democratic Party

Oh sure, McCain won the Republican primary in South Carolina and Hillary/Barack won the vote/delegates in Nevada, but like Iowa and New Hampshire, the big victory was for the Democratic party. While Chris Matthews predicts McCain will call Nancy Reagan for her anointment powers this morning, the true story is that with the way this is going, Republicans do not stand a chance in the fall. This isn't just opinion, the numbers back us up with full faith and credit.

From Democrats.org:

In 2000 McCain took 237,888 votes in South Carolina. Tonight he has just over half those number of votes with 134,474 as I write this. Republican turnout will be well below where it was in 2000. More than 100,000 votes short. With five Republican primaries, Rudy Giuliani has half the number of votes of Ron Paul.

Face it, the enthusiasm for the Grand Old Elephant is going, going, gone. And while their operatives look for ways to divide Democrats (fear, racism, bigotry, etc) their own base has deep fissures when it comes to McCain. Word on the street is that he doesn't hate brown people enough and...gasp.....hates Jack Bauer and his freedom-loving torture. Maybe RedState or FreeRepublic will report that he is trying to keep the writers strike going so that "24" will have no new shows......ever!

So the Repubs can try whatever they want, but the voters will ultimately decide, and the way they are casting their ballots so far, even Reagan would be astonished at the turnout this come November.