Bad Day For Giuliani: Part Two

You would think if you were the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the state that hasn't voted for a Republican presidential candidate in 22 years, the state party would be 100% behind you, right?

Wrong

Rudy Giuliani doesn't seem to have the support of Joseph Mondello, Chairman of the New York State Republican Committee (and the guy who led the Nassau County Republicans off a cliff), at least not yet. Mondello has put the brakes on Empire State GOP politicians from supporting Giuliani. As such, no Republican in the state legislature has endorsed the former New York City mayor.

Meanwhile Hillary Rodham Clinton has gotten support from nearly EVERY elected Democrat in New York State. The Arizona Republican Party has thrown it's support 100% behind Giuliani's chief rival John McCain.

Caveat: Joseph Mondello is a close confidant of former Senator Al D'Amato (R-New York) stemming from their days on top of the Nassau County Republican machine.

D'Amato and Giuliani, not really friends.

Bad Day For Giuliani: Part One

Giuliani's getting some bad press this weekend;

In New Hampshire, the all important first primary state, Giuliani released his list of supporters from the Granite State, much to the surprise of some people who found their names on list...and aren't supporters;

Like Wendy Stanley Jones, who is listed as head of Women for Giuliani...only, she hasn't yet endorsed Giuliani.

The list comes only days after John McCain released his more impressive list of supporters in New Hampshire. McCain has a former Governor while Giuliani doesn't.

Good news for the former New York City mayor; some people listed on the list have decided to endorse Giuliani anyway so not to embarass his campaign.

Tetering On The Edge

Only two Republicans, Walter Jones of North Carolina and Wayne Gilcrest of Maryland, voted for the Democratic funding bill that President has promised to veto. Up until now, GOP support for the President as remain strong. Most admit they're willing to give him one last chance to get it right.

But happens if the surge doesn't work. if there is no progress by the Fall or when election season begins. Then what?

It is becoming widely known that the GOP in Congress is quickly losing patience with the White House. They are sticking with the President for the time being, but are obviously stuck between the desire to follow their leader, but their constiuents who are quickly turning against the war.

Loyalty to the White House will run out eventually.

Oh. and by the way, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Missouri) who represents a very Republican district in Southeastern Missouri voted "present" on the Iraq war funding bill. Does anyone know why? Is she quietly going of the cliff?

Virginia Governor Closes Loophole

Governor Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) has closed the loophole that allowed Seung-Hui Cho, the Virginia Tech killer, to buy his two guns despite being ruled a danger to society.

Kaine issued an executive order requiring that a database of people who are prohibited from buying guns include anyone found to be dangerous and ordered to undergo involuntary mental health treatment.

I know it may seem like it's stupid this didn't already exist, and I know it doesn't bring back the 32 people lost, or heal the wounds that will last a lifetime, but this is how society progresses. It learns from it's mistakes and changes itself to adapt.

Also, Governor Kaine says he expects Virginia's Republican controlled legislature to show some support to legislation requiring background checks for sales at gun shows. Similar legislation, supported by the Governor, has consistently died in the General Assembly.

Another Blue Wave In 2008?

It's too early to tell, but if things don't change for the GOP soon, Robert Novak thinks it could happen.

At least 10 Republicans only narrowly kept their seats in the last election. Novak thinks at this point, nine to eleven Republican seats can flip. Among them;

Rep. Heather Wilson (R-New Mexico) who kept her seat by less than 900 votes and has since been marred by her involvement in the Prosecutor Firing Scandals.

Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pennsylvania) who kept his seat by about 3,000 votes in 2006, despite being heavily targeted. His district was won by Kerry.

Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-New Jersey) also kept his seat by a little over 3,000 votes.

Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio) who won reelection by just over 1,000 votes in a very competitive district

Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) who, despite sitting in a heavily Republican district, is not well liked. She narrowly won a 2005 Special Election against Democrat Iraq war vet Paul Hackett and won a full term even more narrowly against Democrat Victoria Wulsin.

Rep. Jon Porter (R-Nevada) who kept his seat against Democrat Tessa Hafen by a mere 4,000 votes.

Also possbily in jeopardy; Rep. Robin Hayes (R-North Carolina) whose heavily military district only sent him back to Washington by 329 votes over liberal Larry Kissell. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Florida) who may have never legitimately won his seat. Rep. Chris Shays (R-Connecticut), New England last Republucan, Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Illinois) whose district is trending left, Rep. Jim Walsh (R-New York) who narrowly won reelection against a Democrat who didn't get much attention until the last minute and is running again in 2008, Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Michigan) who's competitive district wasn't even targeted in 2006, Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Washington) whose district is within reach for a Democrat, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colorado) who survived largely thanks to a third party candidacy by a man who is now running against her as a Democrat, and of course the seats of the apparently corrupt John Doolittle (R-California) and Rick Renzi (R-Arizona).

Yeah, Republicans have a PR miracle to pull off to avoid getting swept twice in one decade.

Turkey: A Model For the Muslim World

This morning I awoke to hear of hundreds of thousands of people marching in the streets of Istanbul, but instead of them being Islamic fundamentalists trying to get support from Turkish secular Muslims to began a cultural war against the west, they were marching demanding their government remains secular. They were marching to demand their government remain Western. They were marching to defend nearly a century of Turkish values.

I have always heard, especially since 9/11, that the entire Muslim world was full of Islamic extremists, who hate democracy and hate America. When people say that to me, I remind them of Turkey.

Turkey is almost unanimously Muslim. It was once heart of the greatest Islamic empire known to man; the Ottoman Empire. Yet, it has become more culturally linked with it's neighbors to the west, rather than to the east. Turkey is what I think we all hoped and still hope Iraq would turn into one day.

Turkish secularism dates back 86 years to the 1921 constitution drafting the ideas of Turkey's first modern president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Unlike the empire the came before it, the new Turkey would not be a Caliphate with laws based on Sharia. It would instead reform into a secular state that practices Laïcité, a French word that stems from secularism in France after the French Revolution. Turkey would not allow any influence of Islam (or any other religion for that matter) in it's government. Even more amazingly, Muslims are prohibited from wearing traditional Islamic dress in schools, universities and government buildings, which is slightly more radical that here in the United States and way more radical that would be tolerated in it's near neighbors like Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Turkey is proof that even it's not the religion, rather the power it's given, that causes extremism. I have always said; give Christians the power Muslims are given in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia and we would look just as bad.

I had feared that since 9/11 and the Iraq debacle, the West and the Muslim world would become more polarized. Turkey sits at a crossroads, literally, as it is one of the few, if not the only, Islamic Western Country. Today's protests in Istanbul are proof that Turkey is no where near making a sharp turn toward Islamic fundamentalism, will remain the major Islamic western nation, and will serve as a model for the Muslim world to show they can be both modern and Islamic at the same time.

TX-Sen: Senator Lampson?

Rep. Nick Lampson (D-Texas) is going to have a really tough time holding on to is seat. Lampson represents the suburban Houston 22nd district, previously held by Tom DeLay. To even have a remote chance of holding out to his seat in a Presidential year, Lampson would have to raise millions of dollars and take on top notch, top funded Texas Republicans.

Well, because everything is bigger in Texas, so should the political campaigns, right? So, hey, if Lampson has to defend his House seat by running a statewide-like campaign, then why not actually run a statewide campaign?

Texas's junior Senator, Republican John Cornyn is up for reelection next year. Cornyn is perhaps the most loyal Senator to President Bush. He was elected in 2002, a Republican year, in the narrowest margin for a Republican since Beau Boulter lost to Democrat Lloyd Bentsen 59%-40% in 1988; and he was the state Attorney General at the time. Cornyn's approval rating isn't all that great and 2008 doesn't look to be a big Republican year, Presidential election or not.

Lampson would still be an underdog, but he has a history of winning in red areas. He did, somehow, manage to win 52% of the vote in a heavily Republican district. Even if he doesn't win statewide, he'll likely do better than any Democrat since Ann Richards. The last thing the NRSC needs to do is defend Texas when they're trying to retake a majority. Nick Lampson will force them to pour money into their largest safe zone.

There is one caveat though. If Nick Lampson runs for the US Senate, there is almost no way the Democrats can defend his House seat...not that they'll need it.

This Sucks

If freeways are like the cardiovascular system of the state of California, then the Golden State needs emergency bypass surgery stat!

KY-Gov: Fletcher leads Northup

Governor Ernie Fletcher is well ahead of former Congresswoman Anne Northup in the GOP primary for Governor of Kentucky this year.

A Tarrance Group poll, which is a Republican-biased poll, has Fletcher leading Northup 51%-29% in the race for the GOP nod.

A Fletcher win would be good news for Democrats as the Governor has a 63% disapproval rating according to a March Survey USA poll. (His approval rating is negative among Republicans)

In other news, Senator Jim Bunning (R-Kentucky) is apparently supporting Northup in the primary. The junior senator, who narrowly won reelection in 2004 and has a 41% approval rating, is helping Northup by cutting campaign commercials to be aired in Northern Kentucky, where Fletcher is strong among Republican voters.

A Northup victory would be a serious blow for Democratic changes in Kentucky. Although Northup lost her House seat representing Louisville last year, she managed to get 48% of the vote in the state's Democratic stronghold.

Democrats can't win statewide if they only narrowly win Louisville.

Chance of Snow on Monday

Tony Snow is due back to work on Monday, a month or so after he saw his colon cancer return...to his liver.

I haven't found any news on the prognosis of his cancer recurrance, but considering how it sounded a month ago, the fact that he can return to work is no less than a small miracle.

Suicide Bombings Are On The Rise

and what is Iraq's fledging democractic government going to do about it?

Take a two month vacation while they're protected by the best soliders in the world.

Life is good for a member of Iraq's parliament, isn't it?

Retired General: Bush Should Sign Bill

Debunking the theory that the military exclusively sides with the President on the Iraq fight, Retired General William Odom, Army Chief of Stafff for intelligence and Director of the National Security Agency under President Ronald Reagan implored the President to sign the funding bill past by Congress.

Odom, despite not belonging to either political party, gave the weekly Democratic address today;

"The challenge we face today is not how to win in Iraq; it is how to recover from a strategic mistake: invading Iraq in the first place. The president has let (the Iraq war) proceed on automatic pilot, making no corrections in the face of accumulating evidence that his strategy is failing and cannot be rescued. He lets the United States fly further and further into trouble, squandering its influence, money and blood, facilitating the gains of our enemies."

Odom also said the President handed Iran and Al-Qaeda a great victory upon invading Iraq, which is all I've been saying in the first place.

BAH!?!?!?

Is all I can say after reading this. This took me by complete surprise.

Normally I'd say I couldn't give a damn about this guy's private life, but as Bush's AIDS czar, he promoted abstinence and faithfulness outside of marriage, while he practiced otherwise.

Bill Clinton and liberal Democrats never preach chastity, so while it is immoral and implorable that they may break marriage vows and engage in acts that may question their morals, this guy is a hypocrite.

Still, he should only resign if he did something illegal, which is he actually had sex with her, he did.

Bush: "I'm sorry it came to this"

And so are we, Mr. President, we too are sorry it came to this. First the first time, probably ever, someone isn't getting you what you want and you're risking people's lives because you had a pipe dream and got in over your head.

Yes, Mr. President, we're all sorry it's come to this, but it has.

AZ-01: Renzi Staying On

Despite the fact that he is under federal investigation into shady land deals, Congressman Rick Renzi (R-Arizona) is not resigning. Rumors have been flying all day that he may resign from Congress as soon as today, sparking a contentious special election battle for his fairly competitive seat.

I highly doubt Renzi will last that long. He is, after all, under a cloud of controversy. When and if the feds indict him, he will be gone and the Democrats may very well pick up yet another seat in the House.

Nevertheless, the chances of him running for reelection in 2008 are slim to none in my opinion (unless he wants to jump to #1 on the Democratic target list.) Chris Van Hollen better be prepped for a special election by the end of the year.

If Renzi resigns and Democrats win his seat, the Democrats will take a 5-3 advantage in the Arizona house delegation, something they haven't had since 1966. Currently the delegation is tied 4-4, the first time that's happened since 1994.

Bush's Scapegoatss

Is anyone surprised that George Tenet is blasting the administration?

This White House has always been very good at deflecting blame for all their countless mistakes to former members of the administration or another loyal fall guy.

Instead of being real men and admitting their mistakes, they stand by their claim that they've done nothing wrong and throw the blame for mistakes to people around them.

These people are manipulative and dangerous. My heart bleeds for anyone who works for them.

Notes on the Democratic Debate

-Why can't Hillary Clinton just answer a question. I agree with her points, but just answer the question. Do you agree with Reid or not?
-"Not a game show, not a win or loose" Good explanation from Biden
-Kucinich is right about one thing; Congress has no obligations to give President Bush anything, yet I still disagree about funding.
-Richardson's plan is a hard sell, but it's specific, it's a plan and it's logical.
-"This administration treats diplomacy as if it were a gift to our opponents, a sign of weakness, not a sign of strength"- Dodd-i l gets a key soundbite.
-Mike Gravel will apparently play the role of the frustrated liberal in this race. Still, his advice to the Democratic Senators is one you would hear from a Senate alumnus. Still, Senator Gravel, they don't need you, they got Robert Byrd. He's a manual.
-Clinton keeps stating the obvious
-I like Senator Clinton, she's my Senator, I gladly voted for her, but I feel like she's too Party and not enough Person. I'm not so sure I want someone in the White House who's allegiance is more to the his/her party. Isn't that what we have now?
-Senator Biden CAN be a man of few words, and he has a wit.
-Gravel frightens me
-Clinton really scores some points with me in how she responsed to why people hate her. She is surprisingly strong.
-Obama is right, bring the focus off the divisive abortion issue and bring it on the issues everyone agrees on; reducing teenager pregnancy, adoption etc.
-Dennis Kucinich had a gun...really?!?!
-Carter, Reagan, Clinton and Bush 43 were ALL Governors, so, yes, Richardson should remind everyone that he, unlike everyone else, IS a Governor.
-Message to Obama, he asked about the Confederate flag, you already talked about black infant mortality.
-"Mistakes about Health care and believing a President" I like a person who can admit his/her mistakes, good job Hillary.
-People, what does one sentence mean to you?
-"We have no important enemies." Senator Gravel, I hate to bring this up, because I don't like to dwell on it, but, hello, 9/11, people aren't going to agree with you with 9/11 in mind.
-I totally agree with Edwards on education in the Middle East. Education is the biggest reason Islamic fundamentalism exists.


There were no fireworks, no battles, no tension, although Gravel attempted to create it, not even really a clear winner in tonight's debate.

There didn't need to be. The Democrats were all united on the major issue that will definite whether one of them will inhabit the White House from 2009 until at least 2013...Iraq.

With a vast majority, nearly a super majority of the country opposed to Iraq and disapproving of President Bush, everyone wins by taking shots are him and his leadership and the way the war is going.

The Democrats have not yet perfected the art of laying out plans, but they seem to be getting at it. The fact is now that the public is paying attention to them and dismissing Republican plans as failures, the Democrats now have the oportunity to actually convince people their plans work, and they need to start doing that soon.

Right now the 2008 race will be another tight one, but if they get their act together and put forth good and specific plans, they can easily seal the deal and win a Presidential landslide for the Democrats not seem since 1964.

McCain: Gonzales Should Resign

John McCain joins the ever growing chorus of voices calling for Alberto Gonzales to leave his job.

How loud does the chorus have to get before the Bush Administration hears it, winches and decides it's too loud to ignore?

And The People Side With...

The Democrats.

A vast majority of the American people agree with the Democrats in the Iraq War Funding debate. That's doesn't guarantee victory for the Democrats, as popular opinion can't change veto power, nor will it likely sway the opinion of a lame duck president.

It does, however, set the stage for the next elections...in 18 1/2 months. At some point it will force a few Republicans to crack.

Does What They Say Matter?

Oh, Iraqi government spokesman criticizes the Senate vote today? Shocking! Stop the Presses!

Of course the Iraqi government would oppose a troop withdrawal . It would require them to fight and why should they fight when we're fighting for them? They can just sit back and watch American blood being spilled rather than take responsibility for their own country.

The Iraqi government should be governing the country, not the American military.

Senate Passes Iraq Funding Bill With Timetable

The vote was 51-46 with 3 Senators not voting; The still ill Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota), and Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and of course John McCain (R-Arizona)

Two Republicans voted with the Democrats;
Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska)
Gordon Smith (R-Oregon)

Lieberman sided with the Republicans

Betcha It Was Specter

"This is the most incompetent White House I've seen since I came to Washington. The White House legislative liaison team is incompetent, pitiful, embarrassing. My colleagues can't even tell you who the White House Senate liaison is. There is rank incompetence throughout the government. It's the weakest Cabinet I've seen."

-An anonymous GOP Senator quoted by David Ignatius of The Washington Post

It had to be a GOP Senator who has been around a while, so my money is on one of the following (all have served through four full administrations counting Bush);

Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)
Pete Domeninci (R-New Mexico)
Richard Lugar (R-Indiana)
Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi)
Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)
Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania)

Of them, my guess would be Specter. I'd be interested to find out if I was right though

The Baghdad Wall

In an effort to try to bring unity and democracy to Iraq, the US is building a wall seperating Sunnis and Shiites in Baghdad.

Cause, you know, it worked so well in Berlin.

Bravery And Courage Doesn't Make It OK To Insult Either

Lt. Col. Ralph Kauzlarich may be a brave and courageous man, deeply patriotic and a good soldiers, but he should be charged with conduct unbecoming of an officer and discharged for saying this to a mother of a fallen solider;

Lt. Col Kauzlarich told Mary Tillman that she "would never be satisfied because you're not a Christian." and "It must be hard to accept your son is worm dirt."

Kauzlarich said something similar to ESPN has summer to which Mary Tillman responded this;

“Well, this guy makes disparaging remarks about the fact that we’re not Christians, and the reason that we can’t put Pat to rest is because we’re not Christians… Oh, it has nothing to do with the fact that this whole thing is shady. But it is because we are not Christians… Pat may not have been what you call a Christian. He was about the best person I ever knew. I mean, he was just a good guy. He didn’t lie. He was very honest. He was very generous. He was very humble. I mean, he had an ego, but it was a healthy ego. It is like, everything those [people] are, he wasn’t.”

We are a secular nation. We do not mandate you to NOT be religious, we mandate you to respect those of us who aren't. Pat Tillman was not a pious Christian, at least not like those Christofascists on the right, but he went to war and fought for his country...HIS COUNTRY, NOT GOD! He deserves respect. This is blatently disrespectful to him and his family and should NOT be condoned.

This man is an example of what's wrong with not only America, but with Christianity and I want no part of a religion, or a country, where this is ok.

Earth II

Yet another giant piece of rock for us to destroy one day

Rudy: Vote Democrat...Die

Taking a page out of the Dick Cheney book of political crap sprewing, Rudy Giuliani showed exactly how partisan he can be;

"If a Democrat is elected president in 2008, America will be at risk for
another terrorist attack on the scale of Sept. 11, 2001. This war ends when they stop coming here to kill us! Never ever again will this country ever be on
defense waiting for (terrorists) to attack us if I have anything to say about
it. And make no mistake, the Democrats want to put us back on defense!"

Right, cause we're not ALREADY playing defense. Well, you do you expect from Rudy Giuliani. All he has to campaign on is 9/11 and Republicans love to make people obsess about 9/11, because then they win.

Expect more 9/11 references from the Giuliani campaign.

Still, Hillary Clinton showed that even Rudy can be shot down;

"There are people right now in the world, not just wishing us harm but actively
planning and plotting to cause us harm. If the last six years of the Bush
Administration have taught us anything, it's that political rhetoric won't do
anything to quell those threats. And that America is ready for a change. One of
the great tragedies of this Administration is that the President failed to keep
this country unified after 9/11. We have to protect our country from terrorism
-- it shouldn't be a Democratic fight or a Republican fight. The plain truth is
that this Administration has done too little to protect our ports, make our mass
transit safer, and protect our cities. They have isolated us in the world and
have let Al Qaeda regroup. The next President is going to be left with these
problems and will have to do what it takes to make us safer and bring Democrats
and Republicans together around this common mission of protecting our nation.
That is exactly what has to be done and what I am ready to do."

Not that I think she can unite everyone, she is, after all Hillary Clinton, but nothing bothers this New Yorker more than when our worst day becomes a political talking point.

UPDATE: Obama and Edwards also responded;

"America's mayor should know that when it comes to 9-11 and fighting terrorists, America is united, We know we can win this war based on shared purpose, not the same divisive politics that question your patriotism if you dare to question failed policies that have made us less secure." -Sen. Barack Obama

"The current Republican administration led us into a war in Iraq that has made us less safe and undermined the fight against al-Qaida, If that's the Republican way to fight terror, Giuliani should know that the American people are looking for a better plan." -Former Senator John Edwards

Bravery And Courage Doesn't Make It OK To Lie

Rep. John Duncan (R-Tennessee) made a great comment during the House Government Oversight and Government Reform committee's hearing onto the death of Pat Tillman. Duncan commented that while the military should be held in high regard, it should not be "worshipped." He admitted that the Republican Party reveres the military so much that it ignores when it's wrong, similar to (and I would agree with him on this) how the Democrats react to labor unions.

The circumstances surrounding the aftermath of the death of Corporal Pat Tillman are just incredibly sad and incredibly frustrating. Just like the Iraq war that has come to define them, this administration fed us lies and tall tales to keep us from knowing the horrible truth; That some US Soldiers were cocky and unprofessional and accidentally killed a football star with a name recognizable by millions whose support and trust this administration needed to keep their blundered wars going.

The brave story of the football star who gave it all up to fight for America after 9/11 and died fighting is awe inspiring; I know when I heard it (and believed it) it inspired me. In the end, I've been had, we all have been had. The story the military told the media who told us was no more than a great work of fiction.

Spc. Bryan O'Neal, the last solider to see Pat Tillman alive knew the truth, but he testified before Congress that he was ordered by his superiors to keep the truth behind Tillman's death from his family, including Tillman's brother Kevin, who was nearby at the time of Pat's death.

Kevin Tillman, Pat's brother, summed it all up pretty nicely; The military was looking to cover it's ass at a time when their wars were going downhill fast and in an election year when a change at the White House would mean a chance at the Pentagon. Damaged by the Abu Gihrab torture scandal and stronger-than-expected insurgencies in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Pentagon needed something to arouse nationalism and patriotism and keep the people behind them. The administration needed it too. To protect themselves, they lied, not just to us, but to the family of this American who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Those who refuse to accept the truth are going to argue that this is just another liberal attack on the military cause they hate the brave soldiers and want to defame them. I refer them to Congressman Duncan's remarks. I remind them that bravery and courage doesn't make it OK to lie.

Spitzer To Push For Gay Marriage

If there is any doubt Spitzer is spending his political capital like a drunken sailor, I give you his push for gay marriage to a divided legislature.

Spitzer is a strong support of gay marriage and has vowed to work to make New York the second state to legalize it, and the first to do it by legislation.

Some polls have shown a small majority of New Yorkers support gay marriage. A larger majoriity support civil unions and domestic partnerships. More over, although I have no proof of this, my belief is that to most New Yorkers, gay marriage is low on the issues meter; meaning if it was legalized, the large minority who opposes it would not suddenly begin rioting and picketing, nor would it destroy Spitzer or the state's Democratic Party.

Still, Spitzer's chances of getting a bill to sign into law are slim. Although a majority in the legislature supports it, some Democrats oppose it and the Republicans still control the State Senate.

While I applaud the Governor's spending of political capital to do what's right, perhaps if this fails, he should consider civil unions as a means to begin giving legal rights to gays and lesbians now, with gay marriage coming down the pike. Progress takes time, remember.

KY-Sen: McConnell Vulnerable

Earlier this month, I speculated on the possibility that Democrata may ride another anti-Republican wave and take out the Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) much like the Republicans took out Tom Daschle in 2004.

A new poll from the DSCC shows Democratic Congressman Ben Chandler of Lexington one point behind Senator McConnell 45%-44%.

The poll, perhaps more importantly, shows McConnell below 50%. It's a partisan poll, so it should be taken with a grain of salt, but if the Senate Minority Leader is vulnerable in a partisan poll...there's already a problem.

After The Veto

When the people voted last November, they voted for change. The biggest change they were looking for concerned Iraq. They threw out the Republican majority because they wanted someone to bring the Iraq war to an end. The problem is, they weren't able to get rid of the head of state, the commander-in-chief, the man with the veto power.

The veto is no reason for Congress not to act. Just because a President threatens a veto that can't be overridden doesn't mean Congress shouldn't send him a bill anyway. The Republican minority says it is a waste of time to send a funding bill to the President whom he will veto, but the people elected a new Congress to stand up for the President, even if they lose at the end.

I have little doubt that the Democrats will cave in the end and allowing war funding without a withdrawal timetable, but they stood up to the President the best way they can. The President is still the head of an equal branch of government and his veto power can only be overridden if enough Republicans join with the Democrats, which is clearly not going to happen. Still, the fact the Democrats are willing to lose this fight; the fact they had the balls to stand up to the President and say "No, you will not get a free pass anymore" shows that they are, at the very least, holding this administration accountable, which the previous Congress did not do.

The President claims he is listening to his generals, but in January, General George Casey said this;

"The longer we in the U.S. forces continue to bear the main burden of Iraq's security; it lengthens the time that the government of Iraq has to take the hard decisions about reconciliation and dealing with the militias. And the other thing is that they can continue to blame us for all of Iraq's problems, which are at base their problems. It's always been my view that a heavy and sustained American military presence was not going to solve the problems in Iraq over the long term."

The next month, he was replaced by David Petraeus, who, well, sees it as the President does…so he does listen to his generals, but sends them packing when they don't agree with what he says.

The big question is going to be; what happens when the President does veto the bill and Congress cannot override the veto? My option would be to keep sending him the same bill, over and over again, until he either cracks or the war has to end. Another option would be the send the President no funding, which is probably the least likely and least popular choice; no funding doesn't necessarily mean the troops come home, it just means they don't get funded. A final option and what to me is the most likely one, is to send the President the clean bill he wants and make it imperative that this will be for the last time. It might very well be the last time. Come the end of the year, with another, more important, election looming, vulnerable Republicans may feel enough pressure to crack and buck the President on the war.

For the people who will inevitably be angry that Congress blinked and gave in to the President, it is important to remember, the Democrats and anti-war candidates won, but not big enough. 51 Senators cannot stop a veto, neither can 230-240 Representatives. The fact that Congress even passed a bill essentially ordering the President to end this now means they heard the voice of the American people last November. There's only so much they can do. In my opinion, this war is very unlikely to end before the next election

The End Of The Bush Dynasty

"There may be a little Bush fatigue."

-George H. W. Bush

gee, ya think?

Rove vs. Crowe

Karl Rove's response to the war of words with Sheryl Crow at the White House Correspondant's Dinner;

"She came over to insult me and she succeeded." -Karl Rove

Even if I did believe it, is my heart supposed to bleed for you?

Sheryl Crow and Lauren Davis, co-producer of "An Inconvienent Truth" went over to Karl Rove to strike up a conservation about the administration's global warming policies, or lack thereof. Davis and Rove's conversation got testy, when Crow stepped in to calm things down...to no avail.

Crow told Rove that he works for her, he responded that he works for the American people...of which both Crow and Davis are...albeit famous American people. Did Rove forget that they are voting American citizens? Or was this a Freudian slip showing Rove's feelings that all Americans who disagree with him...aren't truly Americans?

Discuss amongst yourselves.

NE-Sen: Hagel Trails In Primary!

Nebraska Attorney General Joe Bruning is running in the Republican primary for US Senate against Chuck Hagel

This poll shows him winning.

Bruning leads Hagel 47%-38%.

Perhaps Democrats should hurry a candidate, Scott Kleeb or Mike Fahey, to win over the 38% and defeat Bruning.

Or maybe Hagel will pull a Lieberman and go independent.

Or maybe he won't run at all.

Nevertheless, Republicans are going to love this news. It's not surprising. Nebraska Republicans are still very supportive of the President and the Iraq war.

Boris Yeltsin (1931-2007)

Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, the first Post-Soviet Russian leader has passed away

Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (1938-2007)

Congresswoman Juanita Mlllender-McDonald (D-California) has passed away of cancer at the age of 68.

Millender-McDonald is the second member of Congress to die in office from cancer this year, after Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-Georgia) passed away in February.

Millender-McDonald served on the city council in Carson, California and the California State Assembly before being elected to Congress in 1996.

Millender-McDonald was considered the most likely choice for Secretary of Transportation if John Kerry had been elected President. She had just become chair of the Committee on House Administration this year.

I had the opportunity to meet Rep. Millender-McDonald in Boston during the 2004 Democratic National Convention along with Senator Dianne Feinstein.

Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggar has 14 to schedule a special election, probably in the fall, to fill the seat which includes parts of Long Beach and South Central Los Angeles including Compton.

The Administration Of Scandal

The AP has released a fantastic list of scandals erupting from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue at the moment;

Scooter Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice in a grand jury investigation into the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame. His trial also implicated top political adviser Karl Rove and Cheney in a campaign to discredit her husband, Iraq war critic and retired ambassador Joe Wilson. Libby, who plans an appeal, is awaiting a June 5 sentencing.

• Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is fighting to hold onto his job in the face of congressional investigations into his role in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. Two top aides have resigned in the investigation into whether the firings were politically motivated. Emails and other evidence released by the Justice Deparment suggest that Rove played a part in the process. Other e-mails, sent on Republican party accounts, either have disappeared or were erased.

• Paul Wolfowitz, president of the World Bank and a former deputy defense secretary, acknowledged he helped arrange a large pay raise for his female companion when she was transferred to the State Department but remained on the bank payroll. The incident intensified calls at the bank for his resignation.

• J. Steven Griles, an oil and gas lobbyist who became deputy Interior Secretary J., last month became the highest-ranking Bush administration official convicted in the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling scandal, pleading guilty to obstructing justice by lying to a Senate committee about his relationship with the convicted lobbyist. Abramoff repeatedly sought Griles' intervention at Interior on behalf of Indian tribal clients.

• Former White House aide, David H. Safavian, was convicted last year of lying to government investigators about his ties to Abramoff and faces a 180-month prison sentence.

• Roger Stillwell, a former Interior Department official, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for not reporting tickets he received from Abramoff.

• Sue Ellen Wooldridge, the top Justice Department prosecutor in the environmental division until January, bought a $980,000 beach house in South Carolina with ConocoPhillips lobbyist Donald R. Duncan and oil and gas lobbyist Griles. Soon thereafter, she signed an agreement giving the oil company more time to clean up air pollution at some of its refineries. Congressional Democrats have denounced the arrangement.

• Matteo Fontana, a Department of Education official who oversaw the student loan industry, was put on leave last week after disclosure that he owned at least $100,000 worth of stock in a student loan company.

• Claude Allen, who had been Bush's domestic policy adviser, pleaded guilty to theft in making phony returns at discount department stores while working at the White house. He was sentenced to two years of supervised probation and fined $500.

• Philip Cooney, a former American Petroleum Institute lobbyist who became chief of staff for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, acknowledged in congressional testimony earlier this year that he changed three government reports to eliminate or downplay links between greenhouse gases and global warming. He left in 2005 to work for Exxon Mobil Corp.

• Darleen Druyun, a former Air Force procurement officer, served nine months in prison in 2005 for violating federal conflict-of-interest rules in a deal to lease Boeing refueling tankers for $23 billion, despite Pentagon studies showing the tankers were unnecessary. After making the deal, she quit the government and joined Boeing.

_Eric Keroack, Bush's choice to oversee the federal family planning program, resigned from the post suddenly last month after the Massachusetts Medicaid office launched an investigation into his private practice. He had been medical director of an organization that opposes premarital sex and contraception.

• Lurita Doan, head of the General Services Administration, attended a luncheon at the agency earlier this year with other top GSA political appointees at which Scott Jennings, a top Rove aide, gave a PowerPoint demonstration on how to help Republican candidates in 2008. A congressional committee is investigating whether the remarks violated a federal law that restricts executive-branch employees from using their positions for political purposes.

• Robert W. Cobb, NASA's inspector general is under investigation on charges of ignoring safety violations in the space program. An internal administration review said he routinely tipped off department officials to internal investigations and quashed a report related to the Columbia shuttle explosion to avoid embarrassing the agency. He remains on the job. Only Bush can fire him.

• Julie MacDonald, who oversees the Fish and Wildlife Service but has no academic background in biology, overrode recommendations of agency scientists about how to protect endangered species and improperly leaked internal information to private groups, the Interior Department inspector general said.

Guns In The Wrong Hands

Why I'm such a reluctant advocate for some gun control?

This.

I've heard arguments since Monday's tragedy at Virginia Tech that college students should carry guns. This guy killed a man and himself because of a bad performance review...only after working at NASA (so clearly he wasn't noticably crazy.) Can you imagine guns in the hands of an overstressed college student who has just been told he/she was failing a class?

Yeah, not a good idea, sorry. It's logical, just not a good idea in my book.

What Is This? The Sun's Out?

It's 75 degrees in New York today. It seems like it's going to be that way for the next two days.

So if I'm not around much in the next 48 hours, it's because i'm enjoying the fact that spring has actually come to New York City.

If you're east of the Mississippi, go out an enjoy God's beautiful weather.

The Surge That Doesn't End

Yeah I saw this coming;

The Pentagon is laying the groundwork to extend the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq. At the same time, the administration is warning Iraqi leaders that the boost in forces could be reversed if political reconciliation is not evident by summer.

Somehow I tihnk they're going to find some reason to put together some explanation that there's "progress" with political reconciliation and keep the troops there another six months.

OR-Sen: DeFazio Out

Rep. Pete DeFazio (D-Oregon) will not run for Senate;

"I just did not feel that becoming a junior member of the Senate was going to allow me to serve as well and as effectively, particularly in the short term, as my current position,"

Attorney Steve Novick has already announced he is running, and Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Portland may take a stab at Gordon Smith next year.

DeFazio was considered the strongest challenger to Smith, having led in already released polls.

DeFazio's decision will prevent the DCCC from having to protect his Southern Oregon seat.

Snowe: Time to Go

Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) became the third Republican to support withdrawing troops from Iraq.

Snowe joins Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) and Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Oregon) in supporting troop withdrawal;

"The Iraq government needs to understand that our commitment is not infinite," said Snowe, a moderate from Maine who frequently departs from the party line.

Snowe, however, is not supporting the Democratic funding bill that includes withdrawal timelines, as Hagel and Smith are.

Snowe's call makes it official that a majority of Senators support withdrawal...48 Democrats, 1 Independent and 3 Republicans, not including Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota) who hasn't been around to vote or make statements.

Nice Work Reid

Here's a list of other phrases Harry Reid could have used to explain the war;

"a mission that is impossible to achieve militarily."
"Already won, there is nothing more our soliders can do"
"A mission only the Iraqis can win."
"A flawed plan that cannot be achieve with force"

"Lost" implies failure. It implies those on the ground failed. They didn't fail, the administration failed. Don't take it out on the troops.

The war is "lost," but that word is not something good to use until after the fact, The war is "won as best as it can" probably would've been a better remark.

You know the Republicans salvate over the possibility to pushing the Democrats into a corner where they can be looked at as weak, defeatist and cowardly. Don't give them any ammo they can use to brainwash the American people into thinking they're "brave" again.

AZ-01: Renzi Raided

Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Arizona) saw his family business raided by the FBI in connection with an ongoing investigation into corruption issues.

Renzi is the second Republican to be raided by the FBI this week! The other day John Doolittle (R-California) saw his Virginia home raided.

Renzi has taken a leave of absence from the House Intelligence Committee

Like Doolittle, Renzi was targeted in 2006 and most likely will be again in 2008. He won reelection against Democrat Ellen Simon 52%-44%.

CA-04: Doolittle in Deep Doo Doo

Rep. John Doolittle (R-California) may be in his last term.

Doolittle narrowly won reelection 49%-46% in a heavily Republican district in Northeast California.

This week, Doolittle's Virginia home was raided by the FBI because of ties between his wife and convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who also brought down former Rep, Bob New (R-Ohio), whose seat was won by the Democrats last year.

Doolittle today resigned from the House Appropriations Committee.

Democrat Charlie Brown, who won 46% in the district last year, is running again.

Doolittle may have to pull a Ney.

NE-Sen: Hagel's Primary Challenger

Much like the Kansas GOP, the Nebraska GOP is about to split in two.

Nebraska Attorney General Joe Bruning, aged 38, is running against Chuck Hagel in the Republican primary for the US Senate.

No Democrat has announced yet, and it isn't even certain that Hagel will run again in 2008.

If Hagel decides not to run, then Bruning will become the obvious nominee...and a strong one at that, but if Hagel does run again, it will divide the Nebraska GOP and give the Democrats a chance. It isn't uncommon for Democrats to win statewide in Nebraska. Ben Nelson, a Democrat, was just reelected to the US Senate last year with 64% of the vote.

Possible Democratic nominees include Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey and former Third District Congressional Candidate Scott Kleeb, who won 45% in a distrct that gave President Bush 73%.

No Senator, It's....Barbara Ann

John McCain's Macaca Moment

It's funny if you're doing a political satire. It's NOT funny when you're running for the job where you may have to actually...bomb Iran

Senator Urges Gonzales To Resign

And it's not Kennedy, Schumer or Leahy

It's Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma)...You heard right, Coburn of Oklahoma;

"The best way to put this behind us is your resignation," Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma)

Democrats really didn't have to put more pressure on the Attorney General. Republicans were doing it for them;

"Why is your story changing?" Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa)
"Most of this is a stretch" Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina)
"I guess I'm more concerned about your recollection really." Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama)

I'd say this man is toast, but I thought he'd be gone already. It looks to me like the Senate is going to beat this guy up for awhile and then let him go.

At least the Republicans are learning the art of oversight. They seemed to have forgotten that after 2001.

New Hampshire To Legalize Civil Unions

Governor John Lynch (D-New Hampshire) has indicated he will sign into law a bill to legalize civil unions in the Granite State.

The New Hampshire House of Representatives passed the bill two weeks ago and it is currently stalling in the state Senate, where it is likely to pass next week.

Democrats took back control of both houses last November.

New Hampshire will be the fourth state, third in New England, to legalize civil unions

This Is Sick

You want to know why I have such disdain for Christian fundamentalists, or as I call them, theocratic fascists...this is why;

Shirley Phelps-Roper, said the Virginia Tech teachers and students who
died on Monday brought their fate upon themselves by not being true Christians.
“The evidence is they were not Christian. God does not do that to his servants,”
Phelps-Roper said. “You don’t need to look any further for evidence those people
are in hell.”

It's bad enough they do this to our brave soldiers who have sacrificed their lives for this country, but these victims are innocent. They're just college students, one of whom was a VERY RELIGIOUS person might I add. How dare you say these people aren't true Christians, you psychotic bitch, how offensive. Some of them weren't even Christians. A JEWISH professor SAVED LIVES.

You make me ashamed of being a Christian. I hope you all rot. If your God is the one true God, then I want no part of it.

Gonzales Faces The Senate Tomorrow

Delayed two days, but set for tomorrow, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales goes before the Senate tomorrow to save his job.

Stay tuned for updates tomorrow.

How Did This Slip Through?

Cho Seung-Hui was mentally ill and "an imminent threat to himself and others." Yet he managed to get two guns, which he then used to kill 32 people.

I don't blame the gun dealer, presuming he did the correct background check. The blame may lie with the Commonwealth of Virginia for not committing this madman or, at the very least, not warning those close to him of the threat this guy posessed. This didn't even show up on a background check. If ANYONE should be kept away from deadly weapons, it's someone who is THIS mentally-ill.

Someone's head will roll over this.

Four Car Bombs, 178 Dead...Early Signs of Progress?

If this is what they refer to as progress, then "victory" shouldn't be too far away.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the military had anticipated that al-Qaida terrorists and other insurgents "would attempt to increase the violence in order to make the plan a failure or to make the people of Iraq."

Attempt is one thing, achieve is quite another. This is over, this pipe dream, castle in the sky, is over.

First Trimester or Not At All

I must say, I am not a big fan of abortion. I tend to be more conservative on that topic than most who fall in the same place on the political scale as me.

Yet, I understand why it is legal and I don't pass judgement on women who should make the choice, and I abhor the theocratic fascists who use abortion to warp the minds of people like me into becoming, well, theocratic fascists.

For the first time since 1973, the Supreme Court has ruled to narrow abortion rights a bit, by upholding a federal law banning abortion after the first trimester. To be quite honest, that doesn't concern me in the least. If you should choose to have an abortion, choose to do it in the first 12 weeks or don't have it at all. I think most agree with that concept.

Ironically, the bill leaves out the one reason most think abortion should be legal, a woman's life. If there is proof that a woman will die if she does not undergo an abortion (and therefore, chances are, the baby will die too,) then there should be the exception. However, for any reason, I don't see a problem here.

Really, why would anyone want to go through or even perform a procedure that is so barbaric?

Nevertheless, the theocratic fascists are going to be claiming victory here. That it is the first step in turning America into a Christian police state. Next they'll be banning all abortion, overturning Lawrence v. Texas, sending homosexuals to "reeducation" camps, stripping non-Christians of their rights and replacing the Supreme Court with a Cathedral. To prevent this, I will almost defenitely vote Democratic in the next Presidential election.

Yeah, I know it's a little bit paranoid, but I just don't trust theocratic fascists. I'll give them this, but I'm not going to give them much else.

Edwards Beats Everyone

Maybe it's just a bounce of sympthany after his wive's recurrance of cancer.

Or maybe the Republicans are REALLY in deep caca

John Edwards, #3 in the polls for the Democratic nomination, is leading ALL Republican candidates;

Edwards- 49%
Giuliani- 43%

Edwards- 50%
Fred Thompson- 36%

Earlier polls showed Edwards to be leading everyone else;

Edwards- 47%
McCain- 38%

Edwards- 55%
Romney- 29%

If Edwards is ahead, I can't wait to see where Obama is. I'd be amazed if Clinton too is ahead of everyone.

ID-Sen, ID-01: The Larry Show

Democrats did surprisingly well in Idaho in 2006, despite the fact it was one of three states where President Bush still had a positive approval rating (albeit barely.)

Democrat Larry Grant came within 5% of winning the Idaho 1st district, and Democrat Jerry Brady won 44% in the Idaho Gubernatorial race, the highest margin for a Democrat since Cecil Andrus was reelected in 1990.

Grant is staging a rematch in the Idaho 1st district in 2008, against ultra-conservative Bill Sali, while Larry LaRocco, who used to represent the 1st district before being defeated in 1994, is running for the US Senate against another Larry, incumbent Republican Larry Craig. LaRocco lost a heartbreaking race for Lt. Governor in 2006.

Even if Grant and/or LaRocco lose next year, which is likely in a Presidential year, it's still better than the race the Democrats staged for Senate in 2004, when they didn't even have a candidate.

The way to win is to lose a few, but lose less each time.

91 Miles Per Hour?.

Governor Corzine's SUV was travelling 91 mph on the Garden State when it crashed!

91?!?!?!

if anything, the state trooper involved should get a speeding ticket.

The governor is the luckiest man alive right now.

The World Keeps Turning

The massacre at Virginia Tech has taken over all the media outlets. The wall-to-wall coverage continues

but the world keeps turning and the political world keeps going. so today, the blogging will continue.

Thoughts on the Virginia Tech Tragedy

I think the first thing that jumped into everyone’s minds today, when it became clear of the extent of today’s massacre, was the shocking tragedy that occurred just eight years ago this Friday; the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado. I had planned on writing up something like this on Friday in remembrance of the Columbine tragedy, but in the wake of today’s events, now is probably just as good a time as ever.

I was a high school sophomore when Columbine occurred. It changed my entire high school experience. After that, there was a different aura around my school, as was the case in most, if not all, high schools. It seemed the deans didn’t trust students anymore and students looked around wondering who would “do it here?”

I can remember sitting in the hallway with my friends in the days, weeks, months, and even years after Columbine watching some of the Goth students with suspicion. We had a list; a list of the most likely suspects should it happen “here.” I remember sitting in Geometry class with another friend, as well quietly discussed how we would hide, barricade the door, or run to the North staircase if someone began shooting in the hallway outside. I remember the discussion about the possibility about putting in metal detectors.

Some of us felt safe. A private Catholic high school in New York City; it wouldn’t happen here, just in “redneck rural America,” secretly we weren’t so sure. We weren’t so certain it couldn’t happen in our high school. We had the loners, the bullied, and the tortured, just like the rest of them. We had the cliques, the jocks, the popular groups and the unpopular “freaks.” They existed here too.

Even after I graduated high school and went to college, it crossed my mind. Would it be in this building? If it is, can I jump out the window? Where will we hide? If it happened somewhere else, how will we know? Will I be able to get from here to my car without having to pass somewhere where I’d get shot?

I never obsessed over it; only thought about it rarely. The tragedy is, however, that it had to cross my mind. I’m sure it crossed other people’s minds too. Columbine changed my generations’ views on school. They weren’t 100% safe. We could be shot in our classrooms. We could actually be SHOT while sitting in our classroom. It was a staggeringly frightening thought.

Still, we went on. We had our high school dramas, our proms, our dances, our detentions. We had our teenager lives and our college experiences. We had our keggers, our happy hours, our fraternity and sorority mixers, and our dorm parties. We lived normally, despite the fact we were the first generation that had to really worry about the possibility of being shot dead in our school; that just going to learn can get you killed.

Here’s an interesting realization; the freshman class of 1999, the first full school year after the Columbine massacre are graduating college next month.

Let’s hope and pray that our children will not have to live with the same fears we did…and that we, as parents, NEVER have to relive the horrors we did as teenagers, but this time perpetrated against our own children.

Just the thought gives me the chills.

Gonzales Testimony Delayed Till Thursday

On account of the VA Tech massacre.

I haven't been really paying attention to much else today, except for this horrible situation in Virginia.

I hope to get back to the nitty gritty of politics tomorrow or Wednesday.

Right now, we're witnessing history, and something that will likely affect the gun control debate in the future.

In The Wake Of VA Tech

Upon seeing President Bush's response to the tragedy of Virginia Tech, I was reminded of the Season Four, Episode Two of my very favorite TV show; The West Wing, when a deadly tragedy at an Iowa college prompted a heartfelt speech by President Bartlet. I quickly popped in my DVD and watched the scene.

Then, Adam Conner over at MyDD read my mind and posted this.

Why do fictional presidents sometimes comfort us more than real ones?

Republican Candidates React to Virginia Tech Massacre

Former Gov. Mitt Romney, (R-Massachusetts): "The entire nation grieves for the victims of this terrible tragedy that took place today on the campus of Virginia Tech. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and the entire Virginia Tech community. Our full support is behind the law enforcement officials who are involved with stabilizing the situation and conducting an investigation."

Rep. Tom Tancredo, (R-Colorado): "I can only offer my thoughts and prayers to those kids, their family and friends at Virginia Tech today. This senseless violence cannot be justified nor the motives of the monster who committed it ever be fully understood. This is a dark day in our history as the lives of so many promising young kids have been cut short by a disturbed and evil person. From experiencing our own tragic event (Tancredo's district includes Columbine High School) whose anniversary is only a few days away, I can say with some encouragement that in time, wounds do heal." (Issued statement) *

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-New York): "On this day of national tragedy, when we lost some of our finest to a senseless act, we stand together as a country to mourn those who lost their lives. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with the survivors and the many friends, colleagues and family members of those who perished. May God bless them all."

Sen. John McCain, (R-Arizona): "I am shocked and saddened to hear the news of today's events. This inconceivable tragedy was a horrific act of cruelty that took the lives of so many innocent young people, cutting their lives short and inflicting tremendous pain on all of those who loved them. Cindy and I extend our deepest sympathies and prayers to the students, faculty, friends and family of the Virginia Tech community."

Sen. Sam Brownback, (R-Kansas): "This is an unbelievably tragic time for the Virginia Tech community, and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. This is a sad time for the country, and we will remember all the people who have been touched by this tragedy." (Issued statement)

Democratic Candidates React to Virginia Tech Massacre

The top Presidential Candidates all responded today in the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech this morning.

Here is what they've said, thanks according to CNN. I am especially struck by Senator Edwards' statement;

Sen. Joe Biden, (D-Delaware): "Today's horrific events at Virginia Tech have shocked us all. There are few comforting words in such senseless times as these. Our humble thoughts and prayers go out to the victims' families and loved ones. We will grieve as a nation together with all those affected by this terrible tragedy." (Issued statement)

Sen. Hillary Clinton, (D-New York): "I am shocked and saddened by the horrific tragedy at Virginia Tech. My prayers are with the victims and their families, as well as the students, faculty, and community devastated by these gruesome killings. As a parent, I am filled with sorrow for the mothers and fathers and loved ones struggling with the sudden, unbearable news of a lost son or daughter, friend or family member. This tragedy is still unfolding and I hope as a nation we can come together and keep in our thoughts all those affected as we learn more about the events which took place this morning." (Issued statement)

Sen. Chris Dodd, (D-Connecticut):"We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragedy that took place on the campus of Virginia Tech earlier today. Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences are with the families of those who lost love ones." (From campaign Web site)

Former Sen. John Edwards, (D-North Carolina); "We are simply heartbroken by the deaths and injuries suffered at Virginia Tech. We know what an unspeakable, life-changing moment this is for these families and how, in this moment, it is hard to feel anything but overwhelming grief, much less the love and support around you. But the love and support is there. We pray that these families, these students, and the entire Virginia Tech community know that they are being embraced by a nation. There is a Methodist hymn that gave us solace in such a moment as this, and we repeat its final verse here, in hopes it will help these families, as it helped us:'

In our end is our beginning;
in our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing,
in our life, eternity,
In our death, a resurrection;
at the last, a victory,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see

.

'Our dearest wish is that this day could start again, with the promise of these young people alive. Knowing that cannot be, our prayer is for God's grace and whatever measure of peace can be reached on this terrible day." (Issued statement)

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois)- "There are going to major tragedies that we hear about as we heard about today at Virginia Tech and I can only imagine what its like for parents who still can't get in touch with their kids from all over the country. We pray for them." (During a campaign event in Chicago)

Gov. Bill Richardson, (D-New Mexico) "On behalf of all New Mexicans, Barbara and I extend our condolences to the families of the victims whose lives were cut short by this horrific tragedy. This is a sad day and our hearts go out to the Virginia Tech community as it grieves this loss." (Issued statement)

Another Shooting At A School

Virginia Tech...21 dead.

This SHOULD NOT happen in schools.

UPDATE: The Virginia Congressional Delegation now says 31 are dead, making it the worst shooting incident in US history.

#1 Primary Fundraiser: Barack Obama?

Obama's $25 million raised was amazing enough, it turns out he has MORE money than Hillary Clinton for the primaries.

Barack Obama- $23.5 million
Hillary Clinton- $19 million
John Edwards- $13 million

More on why Clinton is about to start tanking later. I got some good stuff out of New Hampshire coming up

NM-Sen: The Last Days Of Pete Domenici

Senator Pete Domenici (R-New Mexico) couldn't be more enravalled into this Alberto Gonzales Prosecutor scandal if he was the Attorney General himself.

This whole scandal really erupted when Senator Domenici admitted to contacting David Iglesias, the fired New Mexico federal prosecutor, about indictments against a Democratic state Senator on corruption charges, but claimed he did not pressure Iglesias or seek his ousting.

He did, apparently, seek his ousting.

As I said in a previous post, Domenici is up for reelection in one of the most volatile swing states in the country. The Republican bench is thin, thanks to Republican Congresswoman Heather Wilson's involvment in this scandal.

Democrats should be prepare for the possibility of another open Mountain State Senate seat. I don't see how Domenici runs for reelection with this on his back.

Wolfowitz Ending

The standard are apparently so low in this administration that even if you're incompetent or engage in nepotism, you too have the confidence of the President.

No wonder why he still believes the Iraqi government will surivive, his standards are so low, they're underground.

The Storm Of The NEW Century

We here in New York are preparing for the biggest storm we've seen in 15 years. Hopefully I'll still have power after tomorrow and I can blog, but if I disappear for a while, you know why.

Pray for us here in the Northeast US.

The Party Of The Young

The Democrats may be the dominant party in this country for a generation.

Rasmussen polls show Democrats leading by 30 points among voters under the age of 30, confirming what I have long believed, that social conservatism and "favor the rich" policies don't work among accepting, struggling college and post-college aged Americans.

Talk about realignment.

PS: Democrats hold a four point lead among men, fourteen points among women and 10 points overall.

"Progress"

If this, on top of what happened to the other bridge and the Parliament building the other day, are early signs of progress, then we need a new definition of progress.

Kids Will Be Kids

I always said abstinence education doesn't work, and apparently I was right.

Look, telling kids to save sex until marriage is not a bad thing, but it closes the door on reality. Reality is, no matter what we tell them, they're going to do what they want anyway. Either they will wait until marriage or until a later age when they're ready, or they're going to do it at a young age; it doesn't matter what they're told. Isn't it better for them to know how to protect themselves should they decide to go and do it?

Abstinence-only education is ridiculous. You are ignoring the truth. You are oblivious to the reality that teenagers succumb to peer pressure, hide things, lie, or just do whatever they want to do, no matter what. There's little you can do to stop them. I was a teenager not too long ago and I was one in Catholic school, where, of course, we got mainly abstinence-only education. By the time I graduated, all of my friends were sexually active. Some started early, some right before graduation, some had a handful of partners, some only one. Thankfully, once we got into junior year, our school started facing reality and educated us on protection.

I have no problem teaching kids that it's better to not have sex until marriage, which, c'mon RARELY happens anymore. Let's remember that back when that was the rule, people got married at 16, 17, 18 years old. Most of my friends waited until that long to have sex anyway. Today people get married, if they ever do, at 25, 30, 35 years old. It's ludicrous and, quite frankly, inhumane to force someone to wait that long to enjoy sex.

It's time to do away with abstinence-only sex education and start facing reality.

LA-Gov; Republicans Just Got REALLY Lucky

Former Senator John Breaux (D-Louisiana) will NOT run for Governor this year. Breaux says he is not running because he did not get a definite answer on whether or not he is qualified to run for Governor as he has lived in Maryland since his retirement in 2005.

That leaves no major Democrat in the race against the already powerful candidate, Republican Congressman Bobby Jindal of Kenner, who has a massive lead in polls.

Rep. Charles Melacon of Napoleonville, a Democrat, is also not running. That leaves the only announced candidates on the Democratic side as Foster Campbell, a member of the Public Service Commission and Rev. Raymond Brown, a New Orleans civil rights activist.

Democrats will scramble for a big name candidate. Former Attorney General Richard Ieyoub comes to mind, as does Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu, and former Congressmen Cleo Fields and Chris John. (Fields lost to Republican Mike Foster in a landslide for the governorship in 1995.)

Fun Fact: If Jindal does win the race in November, he will be the youngest Governor in the country, at age 36; one year younger than Governor Matt Blunt (R-Missouri)

NM-Sen: Is Domenici Out Too?

Senator Pete Domenici (R-New Mexico) is under a cloud of scandal after his call to former US Prosecutor David Iglesias, reportedly to pressure him into indicting Democrats to save Rep. Heather Wilson (R-New Mexico) from losing reelection.

Now, he's only raised $393,786 this quarter for his reelection campaign. While Senator Domenici has always won landslide victories in his state and never had to run a hardcore campaign, after his envelopment in the Attorney firings scandal and the anti-GOP sentiment, Domenici may actually need to run a strong race to keep his seat if he's running again, and he can't do it such little money.

Does this mean he's retiring? Quite possibly, and if he does, the GOP is going to have a hell of a time holding this seat. The only candidate who had a chance would be Congresswoman Wilson, who is also a part of the Attorney firings scandal. The next likely choice for the GOP would be Rep. Steve Pearce of Hobbs.

The Democrats, on the other hand, can run Rep. Tom Udall of Santa Fe, Lt. Governor Diane Denish (although she may be holding out for Governor,) former Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron, or former Attorney General Patricia Madrid.

New Mexico is a swing state, if there ever was one; it went narrowly for Gore in 2000 and narrowly for Bush in 2004. It reelected it's Democratic Governor and Senator last year by landslide margins.

Cheney Sprews Crap, Kills Bird

When you can't shoot them, just hit them with a plane I guess.

After slaughtering a bird with his place, he gave his weekly crap sprewing;

Same stuff we've heard over and over, Democrats want to loose...if we set a date for withdrawal, our enemies would just wait...blah blah blah blah blah, because, apparently, it will take more than a year to do something he said would take "weeks, not months."

Really, who shows up to this guy's speeches anymore?

Another Day, Another Oops

I said in an earlier post that every time the administration tries to defend itself, their defense is always "we made a mistake."

Here's another example.

You know, they make sure they have all of our e-mails and phone conversations backed up over and over again, but they can't account for their records.

I am so SICK AND TIRED of hearing them say "oh, we made a mistake," AND STILL they won't admit to THEIR BIGGEST MISTAKE...Iraq!

Incompetent or Criminal, either way, they are horrible leaders.

VA-Sen: $500 Race?

Senator John Warner (R-Virginia) only raised $500 for his reelection campaign this quarter.

Yes, you heard me right, $500.

Could this mean that the former Armed Services Committee chairman and husband of Elizabeth Taylor is about ready to retire and open a very competitive seat where the Democrats have won two major statewide races in as many years?

Let the Mark Warner rumors begin. Democrats should begin prepping not only for a race for Senate, but for a race for Tom Davis' suburban Washington House seat, as he would be the most likely GOP candidate for Senate should Warner, John retire.

Governor Corzine Was NOT Wearing Seatbelt

Apparently, Governor Corzine wasn't wearing his seatbelt, despite the fact they're mandated by state law.

Lesson from this; WEAR YOUR SEATBELTS PEOPLE!

New Jersey Governor Hurt In Car Accident

Governor Jon Corzine (D-New Jersey) has been seriously injured in a car wreck on the Garden State Parkway near Atlantic City.

He apparently has a broken leg and is in a Camden hospital for surgery.

State Senate President and perennial Acting Governor Richard Codey is once again Acting Governor while Corzine is in surgery.

The Star-Ledger has it. More updates as they become available.

UPDATE: This from the Star-Ledger:

Corzine also had a broken sternum, a broken collarbone, a slight fracture of the lower vertebrae and six broken ribs on each side, said Dr. Steven Ross, trauma director at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where the governor was taken by helicopter after the crash in Galloway Township. Corzine also had laceration on his head, but did not sustain any brain or spinal cord damage in the accident.

NC-Sen: Will Miller Run?

Although she's not on top of the list, Democrats are looking to take out Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-North Carolina) next year. Earlier in the year, polling showed Governor Mike Easey (D-North Carolina) ahead of Dole in a potential matchup. While the Democrats haven't successfully lured the outgoing governor into the race, they do have a backup...Congressman Brad Miller of Raleigh.

Miller is slightly to the left of the state politically, but almost in the mold of John Edwards, who represented the state from 1999-2005. He represents the 13th district, a district with a slight Democratic lean that includes the northern portion of the state between Raleigh and Greensboro and up to the Virginia border.

A recent poll shows Miller trailing Dole by 11%, 44%-33%, but Miller is suffering from lack of name-identification and these a high number of undecideds, mostly Democrats and African-Americans. Dole is below 50%, a threshold at which an incumbent is considered vulnerable. Just a note of information; Lincoln Chafee, Conrad Burns, and George Allen were all over 50%, way over 50%, at this point in their campaigns, and they all lost last year.

PA-04: Lynn Swann for Congress?

Former Pittsburgh Steelers star Lynn Swann got creamed in last year's Governor's race in Pennsylvania. Swann held his own in Western Pennsylvania, but lost most of Eastern Pennsylvania, where the Steelers aren't a big thing, in a landslide.

So now is Swann thinking of running for Congress in Steeler country?

The Pennsylvania 4th Congressional District (see map below,) is a swing district, with a slight Republican lean over the last decade. It was held by Democrat Ron Klink until 2000 and then conservative Republican Melissa Hart until she was defeated by a surprising large 10,000 vote margin against Democrat Jason Altmire last November.

An Altmire-Swann race would be interesting, and would rake in a lot of money, but Swann lost the district in the 2006 Gubernatorial race, Altmire is the incumbent and it doesn't look like it's going to be a better Republican year.

The Ghosts of Second Avenue

After over 80 years and five false starts, it looks like the Second Avenue Subway is finally going to happen.

If you live in New York, or ever been to New York, or ever once taken the Lexington Avenue Subway between 7 and 10am, or between 4 and 8pm, then you know another east side subway line is DESPERATELY needed. Today marks the beginning of that realization...hopefully.

The Second Avenue Subway is not a new thing, it was first supposed to be built in 1925, then three times later, most recently in 1975, but always ended up on the chopping block. Today, the city hopes a fifth time is a charm, but I wouldn't rush to get your MetroCard, the first phase isn't expected to be completed until 2013, with the entire line set for an opening date of 2020 at the earliest.

I'm just shy of 24, and I can tell you I hope to ride the Second Avenue Subway before I die. That should give you an idea of my faith in this project.

I Was Afraid Of This

This was my worst fear in Iraq; when the insurgents and terrorists get literally to the government.

Can someone please tell me how this is progress?

Stem Cell Bill Passes Senate

The vote was 63-34 with 3 members not voting, all Democrats.

49 of the 51 Democrats/Independents voted for the bill, Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) and Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pennsylvania) voted against.

The bill also got the support of 17 of the 49 Republicans (Those up for reelection in '08 in bold);
Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee)
Robert Bennett (R-Utah)
Richard Burr (R-North Carolina)
Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi)
Susan Collins (R-Maine)
Judd Gregg (R-New Hampshire)
Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas)
Trent Lott (R-Mississippi)
Richard Lugar (R-Indiana)
John McCain (R-Arizona)
Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
Gordon Smith (R-Oregon)
Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)
Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania)
Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)
John Warner (R-Virginia)

Noticeable dissenters include, most surprisingly John Sununu (R-New Hampshire,) who, as I mentioned earlier, is being heavily targeted in 2008. Interestingly, he voted nay, but Senator Gregg, the more conservative of the two Granite State Senators voted Aye. Sununu was the ONLY Northeast Senator to vote nay. The most northeastern state where a Senator voted nay other than New Hampshire was Ohio where George Voinovich voted nay. Pete Domenici (R-New Mexico), Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota), Elizabeth Dole (R-North Carolina) and Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) also all voted nay.

Aside from Casey, all other freshman Democrats voted aye, including Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri) who narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Jim Talent in a race where stem-cell research was key. (Her margin of victory was nearly the same as the referendum that allowed stem-cell research in her state.)

If the three Democrats who did not vote; Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut), Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) and, of course, Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota), all voted aye, the vote would've been 66-34, just one shy of enough to override a Presidential veto. They all voted aye the last time it came up for a vote last year.

Wouldn't it be interesting to see the Senate override a Presidential veto? The House won't, but wouldn't it be fun to see the Senate do it? It'll show exactly how out of touch the President is with the population on this subject. Sununu would become the deciding vote if the roll call does not change when the vote to override occurs.

Democrats should hit him now, and hard.

NH-Sen: Democratic Leaders Pressure Shaheen

Former Governor Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), met with DSCC Chairman Chuck Schumer and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to consider running a repeat race against Senator John Sununu (R-New Hampshire.)

Sununu, considered the most vulnerable Republican running in 2008, has been trailing in a potential race against Shaheen, whom he defeated by a narrow margin in a controversial race in 2002.

Two Democrats are already in the race against Sununu, Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchant and Katrina Swett, wife of former Congressman Dick Swett (D-New Hampshire,) and daughter of House International Relations Committe chairman Tom Lantos (D-California.)

Marchant and Swett are good Democrats and good candidates, but Democrats are looking to make Sununu the Santorum of 2008, by running a candidate who will dominate through next November, like Bob Casey did in Pennsylvania. With Governor Lynch out, Shaheen is that candidate

An Endless War

In another show of contempt for the men and women in uniform, the Pentagon has announced they have to stay and referee a civil war for three more months.

The troops are strained enough. They are fighting a war with no end in sight and no defined victory.

Our troops are paying for the screw-ups of this administration. They messed up the Iraq war and the entire War on Terrorism so badly, that our troops will have to bear the brunt of the consequences.

These people should be ashamed of themselves.

What's Does That Have To Do With The Price Of Milk In New York?

Former Mayor and Republican Presidential Candidate Rudy Giuliani showed Americans today exactly how detached the "People's Mayor" is from, well the people.

"A gallon of milk is probably about a $1.50, a loaf of bread about a $1.25, $1.30,"

That's probably what it cost the last time Rudy Giuliani was down here with the regular folk. Tell me Rudy where I can find milk for $1.50...cause today I paid $4.

Daddy Larry

Thank God this is over...and Thank God it's him.

Larry Birkhead is the father of the late Anna Nicole's baby girl, and everything was finally right with the world.

Moving alone now...PLEASE

Spitzer's First 100 Days

Governor Eliot Spitzer assumed office in January with something very few new governors had ever had before...a sweeping mandate.

Having won nearly 70% of the vote in the general election, and carrying every Congressional, State Senate and State Assembly district, Spitzer took office with an enormous amount of political capital to spend, and he wasn't afraid to spend it.

Spitzer faced the state legislature head on, working with them to overhaul workers' compensation, keeping sexual predators off the streets, and promote ethics in Albany. He got a budget passed, only 11 hours late.

Governor Spitzer hasn't feared defeat however, he took them on, and it's debatable if he should've, concerning the election of a new State Comptroller. He lost that battle with the legislature, who, to the Governor's chegrin, elected Long Island Assemblyman Tom DiNapoli to the position over other candidates listed by a committe set up by the Governor. He caved to the state legislature on hospital spending and school spending, but was successfull in doing what former Democratic Governors Hugh Carey and Mario Cuomo failed to do in the 1970's and 80's, funnel more education money into the poorer schools.

Spitzer's approval rating has taken a beating in his first 100 days. Partially as a result of those commercials aired to attack the Governor's cuts in Medicaid; one such commercial shows an eldery lady threatening to give up and die if Spitzer cuts her Medicaid. Any Governor would see his or her popularity plummet when they are "killing old ladies." Approval ratings don't mean much in the first few months, especially when one won his seat with 70% of the vote. Spitzer's political limits are being realized.

Bush, King Get Muzzles

The 16th annual "Muzzle" awards were given out by the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression. Among the winners of the award, given to people deemed violators of Free Speech are President Bush's administration and Congressman Peter King (R-New York.)

King, a Nassau County Republican and the only member of his party still representing Long Island, won his "muzzle" because of his calls to try the New York Times as spies after they leaked information about a classified government program to monitor international financial transactions.

The Bush administration and the Pentagon both received "muzzles" for rather obvious reasons

Here's the full list of award "winners;"

The Bush Administration
The National Collegiate Athletic Association
Representative Pete King (R-New York)
The Federal Communications Commission
The US Department of Defense
The Ohio General Assembly
The Administration of Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher
The East St. Louis (Illinois) City Council
Maine Bureau of Liquor
The Charles A. Beard Memorial School Board (Knightstown, IN)
Watson Chapel (Arkansas) School District
Miami-Dade County Public School
1.A Joint Muzzle to Ben Davis High School (Indianapolis, IN), Princeton High School (Cincinnati, OH), and Wyoming Valley West High School (Kingston, PA)
The Philadelphia Human Relations Commission

More information, you can find it here

Mets-11, Philadelphia- 5

I'm not the biggest Mets fan in the world, but I live in Queens and I can see the blimps fly above Shea Stadium from the top floor of my house, so they're a team close to me.

They won their home opener today in a come from behind, edge of your seat, rout. It was interesting to see the cranes rising from behind the outfield. Citi Field is on its way.

Thanks, by the way, for putting the new stadium in the parking lot. I don't know how many trips I'll be taking to Shea this year, considering my parking spot is now in the soon-to-be new Right Field.

Congress, More Popular Than the President

For the first time since taking office in January, the approval rating of the 110^th Congress, led by the Democrats, has topped the President's approval rating. Congress sits at 40%, not the best approval rating in the world, but above the President's.

Still, Democrats do not have the approval of independent voters, who gave them 57% of the vote in November and helped usher them into majority status. Only 32% of them approve of Congress and 36% of Independents approve of how the Democratic leadership is handling the Iraq issue.

Interestingly enough, the problem, says the AP poll, is that the majority of Americans want Congress to force the President to put an end to the war in Iraq. Basically, the Democrats aren't any more popular than Bush because the population is even more anti-war than the Democratic leadership.

In Defense of Don Imus

I don't like what he said. What he said was horrible, it was abominable, it deserves punishment, but it's a human mistake.

When I first heard what Imus said, my first response was; "Oh my God, did he really say that, that doesn't sound like something he would say."

Imus, unlike other controversial people like Rosie O'Donnell or Ann Coulter, does not have malice toward people for illogical, irrational reasons. Whenever Imus has taken aim at somebody before, it was usually over disagreement over an issue (such as his attacks on Congressman Joe Barton of Texas over the Combating Autism Act.) This is really the first time that I can think of where Imus made a mean remark for no reason.

For all the good Don Imus does, one mistake should not cost him his job and career. We all make mistakes, ones we are truly sorry for. Luckily, we are in a situation where we can be easily forgiven by those around us. We cannot expect those in the public eye to be flawless and perfect. They too will make mistakes, they too will say things they shouldn't say or do things they shouldn't do.

While I agree that Imus' remarks were horrendous, we need to accept his apology and let the man off the hook with a warning.

NBC and CBS have decided to suspend Imus' show for two weeks, which seems fair. I'm sure his rating will take a hit and if those offended wish to boycott him, then go right ahead, but I don't think it's gotten to the point where Imus deserves to see his career come to an end.

If we start asking for the heads of every person in the media who say something offensive once, there wouldn't be anyone left, and there wouldn't be any radio broadcasters, because they would all be too scared to go on air.

Really, we all say offensive stuff we don't mean. Imus is human, he's sorry, he's being punished, time to let him off the hook.

New York's Primary is February 5th

Governor Spitzer signed into law today a bill that will move New York's Presidential Primary up one month to February 5th. Here's what Governor Spitzer says in support of the new law;

"Moving the primary date to February, we will help secure New York's large and diverse population an influential voice in selecting the 2008 presidential nominees."

As if New York didn't have enough influence on this race already.

Clinton and Giuliani are almost assured of victories here, which would be one of the largest primaries and will be so early in the year.

Here's what former Governor Pataki has to say about it;

"It's great having New York be relevant, but what I do have concerns about is when you have a dozen states or more doing it at the same time. The idea of a primary season where you have to go from state to state or region to region and respond to what has happened in earlier states is of value."

For once I agree with the Republican Pataki and not with the Democrat Spitzer...stranger things have happened I guess.

Nevertheless, I understand Spitzer's point. Today, the primaries have become less of a long race where delegate leads change hands like back in the 1960's and more about "Well, I'll just vote for the guy who won in Iowa."