Newsflash: Republicans Hate Big Oil Too!

This isn't about the elected officials in the back pocket of oil lobbyists, so lets be clear on that first. We are talking about the Republican primary voters in Tennessee who ousted their long time Congressman David Davis. The challenger, Phil Roe, a Republican mayor in the area beat out Davis by a slim margin, but the fact that he won in an area where incumbency rules is huge. The fact that he did it by calling out Davis' connection to big oil is also tremendous.

From RawStory:

Being linked to "big oil" turned into a big problem for Tennessee Republican freshman Rep. David Davis, who became the first congressman from that state to lose in a primary in more than four decades.

Johnson City Mayor Phil Roe beat Davis by a 500-vote margin Thursday in the solidly Republican 1st District in the northeastern corner of the state.

Roe's victory came after a bruising campaign in which he accused Davis of selling out to "big oil."

Congressional incumbents from Tennessee are rarely voted out of office. Statewide, the last time an incumbent was defeated in a party primary was 1966 when Democrat Tom Murray lost to Ray Blanton in what was then the 7th District. Blanton won the general election then became governor in 1974.

Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, everyone is equal, depending on the car they buy of course, when standing in front of a gas pump. Sky high prices will drive (no pun intended) people to do extraordinary things, such as kicking out local Congressman in the desire for change. The residents of TN-01 may have just picked another Republican, but it business as usual was not what they voted for this time around.

Oil companies, their lobbyists and the politicians who take their money better beware. This small primary could be more telling than they'd like it to be.

John McCain Outtakes

Being that McCain is such a funny guy, I'd like to post this video full of clips that show exactly the type of man.....and President he'd be:

Jimmy Dahroug Drops Out, Leaves Foley To Face Trunzo

The Edwards news is disheartening to say the least, but the local news also has me quite sad on this Friday afternoon. Jimmy Dahroug has decided to bow out of his primary race against Brian Foley, a race engineered by the Democratic establishment looking to place a candidate in a district that became vulnerable to Republicans and in particular, Senator Trunzo.

Trunzo is definitely someone that needs to be beaten and Dahroug or Foley would be a million times better than Joe Bruno's old compadre. We are two seats away from taking back the majority in the State Senate and now I will be fully on board to defeat Trunzo and support Foley, despite past grievances.

With a month to go, it is still odd that Jimmy would drop out in the face of Foley's petition challenge having been withdrawn. He had the signatures and he was good to go. He was the progressive candidate running against a party plant who just got his website up (to some degree anyway) this past weekend.

Sigh. There is more to this story without a doubt. Perhaps Jimmy was pressured by the DSCC, perhaps it was the fund-raising discrepancy or that maybe in Long Island being Town Supervisor makes you superior when running for State Senate. Whatever the reason, it may or may not come out in the next three months or a few weeks after November 4th once the political scene cools off after election day.

What is important now is that progressives, moderates and everyone in between get behind Brian Foley, so that we get that much closer to a Democratic majority.

John Edwards, I Hardly Knew Ye

On a friday afternoon and it being the first day of the Olympics, John Edwards cowardly came out and admitted the affair with Rielle Hunter to be true. As a long time Edwards supporter, I am deeply ashamed to hear this news, especially since he repeatedly lied about Hunter during his Presidential campaign. I couldn't even imagine the damage he would have done to the country had he become the nominee. I couldn't have imagined saying this a couple weeks ago or especially in February, but I am so glad he lost early.

From ABC News:

In an interview for broadcast tonight on Nightline, Edwards told ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff he did have an affair with 44-year old Rielle Hunter, but said that he did not love her.

Edwards also denied he was the father of Hunter's baby girl, Frances Quinn, although the one-time Democratic Presidential candidate said he has not taken a paternity test.

Edwards said he knew he was not the father based on timing of the baby's birth on February 27, 2008. He said his affair ended too soon for him to have been the father.

He came clean to Elizabeth two years ago and obviously she has forgiven him or else she would have left him, but then again no one knows what goes on inside a marriage except for those that are in it. Those details I leave up to the Edwards' family, but as for the Presidential race and the lies he told us....what a terrible thing to do, especially when so much is riding on this election. If John McCain were running against Edwards instead of Obama, we'd be in serious trouble.

Also, in spite of all his tremendous work in the fight against poverty, this incident puts a terrible stain on his reputation. The affair shadows the important issue of the class war in our society and the things we must do to combat it, at least in regards to Edwards' contributions.

John McCain Tells Another Whopper

No earmarks John? Come on, you should know by now we are too smart for that. It is too easy to call out your BS in this day and age.

Barr Helps Obama Out In New Hampshire

Bob Barr, the recovering Republican turned libertarian (not great but better than the GOP) made news in the Granite State today by turning in the required amount of petition signatures to make the ballot. The required amount was 3,000, but Barr nearly doubled that with 5,000. New Hampshire, with its "Live Free or Die" motto has given itself plenty of choices for the Presidential election this coming November.

From Politicker NH:

New Hampshire voters are one step closer to having the option of picking from two Libertarian presidential candidates.

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr has collected 5,000 signatures in the Granite State and George Phillies has already qualified to appear on the November ballot. August 6 was the deadline for thirty-party candidates to hand in 3,000 to local election officials who will then verify the signatures.

"There are no sure things when dealing with the two party system, but we have over 5000 signatures submitted for confirmation," New Hampshire Libertarian Party Chairman Brendan Kelly said in an e-mail. "I have turned in 1000 in the Seacoast area and have been getting 90% confirmation. Hope this holds up for the rest of the state."

So in addition to McCain and Obama, Bob Barr and George Phillies will join Ralph Nader as the exceptions to the two-party system. New Hampshire is definitely known for it's independent streak, but it generally skews to the right as opposed to the left. Therefore we should see Phillies and especially Barr take more voters away from the Dems and Repubs than Nader can. With polls already favoring Obama over McCain with only their names on the questionnaire, this can only be good news for the Obama campaign in their quest to solidly win the Northeast.

Con Edison Admits Fault For Steam Pipe Explosion

The P.R. mavens at Con Ed might not shout their acceptance of accountability from the rooftops, but the deal they made regulators is pretty damn good. Last year's steam explosion near Grand Central killed one woman and injured many others, including a truck driver that was severely burned by the blast. For a while Con Ed tried to escape blame while penalizing businesses in the area, but after more than a year, they are singing a much more pleasant tune.

From The NY Daily News:

Con Edison has agreed to swallow almost $24 million in repair costs from last summer's devastating steam blast, as well as the extra $2 million a year it must now pay for liability insurance.

The utility also agreed to credit customers near the blast site at Lexington Ave. and 41st St. for utility bills they paid when they couldn't enter their buildings.

Regulators and a state consumer watchdog have signed onto the proposal, which would settle a state probe into whether Con Ed improperly operated its Manhattan steam network.

The deal "assures that the utility, rather than the ratepayer, pays for repairing the infrastructure, upgrading the system and addressing customer claims," said Mindy Bockstein, head of the state Consumer Protection Board. "The proposal represents the best deal we could have achieved for New York consumers."

The ratepayer has no business shelling more dough out for Con Ed's mistakes. Operating that steam system is like playing with fire and apparently safety was not the top concern immediately before that pipe tore the street open and damaged several buildings. The best solution is to shut it down, but when it comes to infrastructure in New York, or in this country for that matter, unfortunately that isn't of enough concern to the government. I wonder how many of these tragic events have to occur before they get it?

Imagine If George Bush Realized What He's Done

Leave it to the masters at the Onion to dream about a day when George Bush wakes up to the collective nightmare he created:

Landlords Start Hedging Their Bets In Albany

The times, they are a'changin in Albany. Senate Democrats are looking to take the Majority back from Bruno Skelos and complete the trifecta for control of the State Legislature. For decades much needed legislation has been stymied by the partisan logjam, so with the possibility of the dam bursting, developers/landlords are putting their contributions in a place where they never thought imaginable, Democratic coffers.

From The NY Times:

Looking to block or water down an array of pro-tenant measures, including the repeal of vacancy decontrol, that have won support in the Democratic-controlled Assembly, real estate industry executives have stepped up their campaign donations to the Senate Democratic leadership, a review of campaign-contribution records shows. They are also continuing to contribute to Republicans.

The review, made by the New York Public Interest Research Group at the request of The New York Times, found that a selection of major real estate developers, lobbyists and limited liability corporations gave more than $750,000 to the Senate Democratic leadership last year and this year. That is 15 times more than the roughly $48,000 that the same developers and companies gave to the Democratic leadership from 2005 to 2006.[...]

Industry officials are particularly worried about a measure strongly supported by rank-and-file Senate Democrats that would abolish vacancy decontrol, a law under which rent stabilized apartments are decontrolled and revert to market rents when the occupants move out, if the regulated rent exceeds $2,000 a month. The Assembly approved legislation to abolish vacancy decontrol as part of a package of pro-tenant bills it passed in May. Tenant groups have said that should the Democrats win the Senate this fall, abolishing vacancy decontrol will be among the first issues they and their Democratic allies will push for in the Senate next year.

The powerful realty groups are sickened by the fact that tenants might get a few rights at the expense of their own bottom lines. Rent and real estate in general has spiraled out of control, forcing many longtime residents to leave the city. Meanwhile wealthy developers that can afford to give hundreds of thousands millions in contributions have been laughing all the way to the bank (who they get to charge exorbitant amounts by renting commercial space in the city). That type of money is very addictive for executives at these corporations and as Dan Cantor of the WFP points out, they hope it goes both ways:

“Campaign cash is like a drug, and the real estate industry are like heroin dealers,” said Dan Cantor, executive director of the Working Families Party, which is leaning on Democrats to support a broad expansion of rent laws. “They have fed the Republicans’ habit for decades, and now they are trying to hook the Senate Democrats.”

We'll be ready for the intervention if necessary.

Kucinich Goes After The Yankees...And The Mets

With the slightest amount of interest in Major League Baseball, a fan can tell you that the rivalry between the Yankees and the Red Sox is legendary. However, there isn't much tension between the Cleveland Indians and the Yankees...or the Mets for that matter (Mets are in the other League, but that's besides the point). Regardless of team rivalries, Congressman Kucinich is leading an investigation into the construction of the new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, being built simultaneously in the Bronx and Queens respectively.

From RawStory:

Rep. Dennis Kucinich is opening an investigation into perks for New York City officials being offered as part of a deal to build a new stadium for the New York Yankees.

Kucinich (D-OH) chairs a House Oversight subcommittee, and he has made similar inquiries regarding the New York Mets stadium, which offers similar perks for city officials.

In its investigation of the deal between the Yankees and New York City for land on which the new stadium is to be built, Kucinich's Domestic Policy Subcommittee found that the lease allows city officials free use of a luxury box in the new stadium and priority rights to purchase up to 180 tickets per game.

Hmm, city officials would exchange taxpayer money for special perks....in New York City of all places? Never! For the amount of money New Yorkers have put down for the ridiculously wealthy Yankees is obscene even without the perks to grease local officials. If the Yanks get the additional money they've requested, public assistance for the team will almost touch $1.3 billion dollars. Oh and fans will still have to pay outrageous prices for seats.

We'll have to see how far Kucinich will go to stop the special favors, but don't expect a refund from George Steinbrenner for the costs of the stadium anytime soon.

A Maverick No More

John McCain isn't the same guy Americans remember from eight years ago, those that know him best (at least on the Dem side) in the Senate have seen the change and are calling him out on his likeness to the current disaster of a President.

Corporate Sponsor Coming To A Subway Station Near You?

With threats of two more fare increases in two years (on top of this year's hike) looming over straphangers' heads, the MTA is looking for more sources of revenue. One way to do that is to let corporations (and their ad agencies) take over stations throughout the city and coat each with light, paint and whatever material it takes put more messages of mass-consumerism into New Yorkers daily grind.

From AM New York:

Sponsorship, little more than a sketch on paper at this point, could become the most visible component of the agency's aggressive push to increase advertising revenue, which currently brings in a little more than $100 million a year.

Marketing firms "have contacted us to say that they have ideas and we're in the process of reviewing those," Sander said.

MTA officials would not provide further details on station sponsorships.

"There are a dozen people that would jump on this," said MTA board member Norman Seabrook, who called for the agency to rent subway stations to Disney several months ago. "There are thousands of people losing their jobs everyday and we cannot sit by and continue to raise their fares."

When the MTA makes it a choice between raising fares and plastering our subway stations with advertising, it isn't hard to decide on which the great majority will go with. However, the problem is that the situation was allowed to come to this, where we must be subjected to more consumer crap stuffed into our eyesockets. Sure, the stations are dilapidated and anything new would be an improvement, but again, the thing is we are forced into choices that let the corporate world push farther and farther into our lives, as opposed to just having a well-run MTA that doesn't experience hundreds of billions in yearly deficits.