...Those Who Show Up

This Is When I Get Angry

2010-05-25T08:09:00.002-04:00

The BP oil spill in the Gulf has been going on continuously for 36 days now. 36 days. 36 days of oil spewing uncontrollably into the water not far off the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Texas. 36 days of chemicals being pumped into the water to help breakup the oil. 36 days of long-lasting destruction to the coastal environment. 36 days of long-lasting damage to the coastal economy. 36 days of what has been equated to 7 or 8 Exxon Vandez oil spills. 36 days.

This morning I heard three different responses to the crisis from three different leaders involved. One said, "We're keeping our boot on the neck of BP. It's their problem to deal with, but we may have to take over soon." Another said, "We're working on a few measures to protect the coasts from the spill, but they wont be effective for 6-9 months." The third said, "What exactly would you like us to do?" It sounds like a bad joke.

I don't care whose "responsibility" it is. Sure, it was BP's rig that exploded, and their efforts that directly led to the leak. But it was the also government's actions and inactions that allowed them to be there in the first place and to operate without properly enforced safety standards. Stop blaming each other and stop the leak. President Obama needs to take immediate full leadership command of the situation, and direct the military and BP to use any and all methods to stop the leak. In other words, blow up the damn well. You see, the problem is that BP hasn't been attacking this situation with the Gulf Coast in mind, but rather with their own pocket in mind. They've spent the past 36 days trying to stop the leak in a way that will allow them to still make tons of money from this well, and utter devastation has been the result.

This country put a man on the moon 41 years ago. You cannot tell me that we don't have the capabilities to stop this leak and save what is left of the coastal environment and economy. Stop making excuses.

This is when I get angry.

Time To End It

2010-05-04T12:39:00.002-04:00

Read a compelling account of the effects of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" here.

Memorial Day Flags

2010-04-12T08:11:00.004-04:00

Every year in preparation for Memorial Day, the City of Poughkeepsie funds the purchase of American flags for placement at the graves of veterans buried at Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery. If you would like to volunteer to help place the flags on Saturday, May 22, please contact Bob Silkworth at (845) 452-3864.

More Perfect

2010-03-24T15:20:00.004-04:00

So I woke up today, walked outside, and what I found was amazing. The sky was not in pieces on the ground. In fact, it was perfectly in tact and right where I left it. Go figure. I guess health care reform becoming law didn't cause the sky to fall, after all.

But I'm glad it's over. I'm glad it's over because I'm sick of the complaining and whining. I'm sick of hearing the complaints of the people who have no earthy idea what they're talking about. I'm sick of hearing the complaints of the people who didn't say a word about government spending when President Bush was in the White House, only to suddenly become concerned on January 20, 2009. I'm sick of hearing the complaints of people who have no other ideas. I'm sick of hearing the complaints of people who don't even properly understand the definition of "socialism." And I'm sick of the complaints of the people who think that the American public always knows what's best for them, because they don't. If they did, there's a possibility my friend Dwayne and I would still have to use separate bathrooms.

But despite how mad hearing them talk may make me, I'm not going to sit here and argue the points with them. And I'm not going to walk onto the floor of the House of Representatives and yell, "You lie!" or "Baby killer!" And I'm certainly not going to call congressional offices and make violent threats against members of congress who did not vote the way that I would've liked them to (as is now happening). I won't do these things for two main reasons:

First, you never argue with a drunk or a fool.

And second, I know that given enough time social conservatives will lose every time. That's what happens when you try to apply yesterday's thinking to today's problems.

Perfect? Not even close. But rather, more perfect.

A History Lesson...

2010-03-16T08:34:00.001-04:00

...of the musical kind.

Gillibrand Questions Obama

2010-02-03T22:21:00.002-05:00

If you didn't catch President Obama's Q & A with Senate Democrats today, check out Senator Kirsten Gillibrand' question here. I think it's important.

You Can't Be Neutral On A Moving Train

2010-01-27T23:05:00.002-05:00

I was first introduced to Howard Zinn in my 11th grade Advanced Placement US History class, and I read A People's History of the United States shortly after graduating college. And now that he's gone, we have to remember his greatest lesson: You can't be neutral on a moving train.

Patterson Not the Only One Being Replaced

2010-01-22T12:32:00.002-05:00

2010 does not look like a good year for Governor David Patterson. His polls are in the tank. His campaign funds are desperately low. He just lost one of his top campaign strategists. And he's faced with making severely unpopular proposals in an effort to bridge New York State's $7.4 billion (that's with a "B," people) deficit. Do you think imposing a one-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks is going to send people running to pull a lever next to his name? How about that $1-per-pack tax on cigarettes? (By the way, I'm not saying these proposals are good or bad, just that they are most likely bad PR for a governor in Mr. Patterson's position) I guess those commercials I mentioned back in November haven't been helping all that much.

So, with each passing day it looks more and more like Attorney General Andrew Cuomo will be the Democratic nominee for governor of New York this November. He has the numbers, the money, and the image to defeat Patterson in the primary, and Patterson's campaign is in a state of turmoil. I guess we'll find out September 14.

But Governor David Patterson isn't the only one that's going to be replaced this year. I am, too. For a few different reasons, I have decided to indefinitely suspend my blog, and it will subsequently be removed from the Poughkeepsie Journal website once a replacement has been chosen. If you are interested in being the person who replaces me, please send an email of interest and sample blog posts to Irwin Goldberg at igoldberg@poughkee.gannett.com. Until then, I'll still be making a few posts here and there.

Waste

2009-12-22T10:41:00.002-05:00

If you haven't checked out the front page article from yesterday's Poughkeepsie Journal, I suggest you do so. However, if you do not have the time, I will simply quote the first sentence for you:

"Dutchess County spent $1,092 for each of 27 desk chairs for use at the county's Emergency Command Center in the Town of Hyde Park — a room used sparingly as a coordination and control facility during natural or man-made disasters."

What!? Are you kidding me!? Do I really need to bloviate on about how terrible a decision this was? I think not.

And people wonder why taxes in our county are so high.

2009-12-06T08:33:00.000-05:00

In the wake of Wednesday's New York State Senate defeat of a law that would have legalized gay marriage in our state, I would like to post for the 3rd time:

"I believe in 50 years, our society will look back on the fight against gay marriage the same way we now look back at the civil rights movement of the 1950s, or interracial marriage, or slavery, our country's original sin. 'They were fighting over this?' they'll ask. On a long enough period of time, social progressives will overcome social conservatives every time. And if our textbooks are any indication, history will not judge well those who try to keep others from enjoying the same freedoms."

The majority does not have the right to limit the rights of the minority.

The Escalation

2009-12-02T13:07:00.002-05:00

I watched President Obama's speech from West Point last night with skepticism, and I don't believe my opinion has changed at all. I believe that Afghanistan is a quagmire, and I do not think the escalation of 30,000 additional US troops is going to solve the problem for 3 main reasons:

First, the point of the war is to destroy Al Qaeda and its ability to use Afghanistan as a safe haven. However, many of Al Qaeda's forces -- supposedly including Osama bin Laden, himself -- are not located in Afghanistan, but rather Pakistan, a country whose territorial sovereignty we cannot breach. With the Pakistani government and military in the constant state of turmoil that it is, how can we expect them to secure their own land?

Second, the Afghans as a whole have no confidence in their central government. How can we be expected to stabilize a people and a government when the people don't have faith in the government?

Third, history. From December 1979 to February 1989, the people of Afghanistan were able to withstand the invasion of the Soviet Union. That's almost 10 years. We've been there just over 8. Do we really expect a different result? These people will wait us out. No matter how long we stay, they will wait longer. They will wait forever.

So, because I am extremely skeptical of our ability to accomplish this goal, I am also extremely skeptical that the withdrawal of US forces will be able to occur in 3 years. In a meeting with top members of Congress prior to last night's speech, President Obama was pressed by Senator McCain on the timetable he was laying out, and President Obama conceded that any troop movements would be based on conditions on the group. This mean if it comes time to start withdrawing and conditions aren't favorable, we won't. Rest assured that this war has no end in sight. President Obama may be telling us where the end is, but believe me when I say that neither he, nor the military, nor anyone else can actually see it.

When Osama bin Laden orchestrated the attacks on September 11, 2001, the goal was to bring the United States to its knees -- politically, financially, militarily. More than 8 years later, where are we? We are stretching our political clout throughout the world to the limit. We are hemorrhaging money that we don't have, sinking deeper and deeper into debt. And our military is under pressures that are pushing it steadily toward the breaking point.

I imagine he's feeling quite good about himself right about now.

The Palinites

2009-11-23T15:30:00.002-05:00

Oh, how they swarm.

Irrational Hysteria

2009-11-16T09:01:00.003-05:00

The irrational hysteria shown by many in this country never ceases to amaze me.

Take, for example, the proposal to move a large number of the remaining prisoners at Guantanamo Bay to a sparsely-populated maximum security prison in a sparsely-populated town called Thompson, IL. The majority of people of Thompson seem to want such a proposal carried out, as it would provide jobs at the Thompson Correctional Facility which has never been fully staffed due to budgetary reasons. There are some, however (the vast majority of whom are on the right side of the political spectrum and unfortunately get a lot of media attention), who feel that moving these individuals to an 8-year-old, maximum security prison in the middle of rural Illinois would somehow put the American people in unnecessary grave danger. According to the CDC, there were over 30,000 gun deaths in the United States, and these conservative talking heads think moving these detainees onto American soil is what is going to put Americans in unnecessary mortal danger? Give me a break. Do they expect these men to escape, find refuge, plan an attack, and then carry out said attack? Keep dreaming. Irrational hysteria.

This morning on CNN, I saw a piece on militia groups who arm themselves to the teeth with semi-automatic weapons and train for a confrontation with...I don't know who. The government? President Obama himself? One militia member raised the prospect that President Obama was "dangers for the nation." Another hoped that their presence makes lawmakers in Washington take "pause." I don't understand. Is he suggesting that he wants lawmakers to think, Gee, we were going to pass this law, but those militia members may come after us, so we better pause and think twice? And another reason why the militia members do what they do? Baseless fear that President Obama is going to take away their guns. Irrational hysteria.

Irrational hysteria is nothing new in this country, dating all the way back to the witch hunts of the 1600s. And I guess it's too much to expect everyone in the country to grow a brain and instead exhibit rational calm, so we'll just have to keep putting up with it. Only in America.

Paterson Runs

2009-11-12T23:45:00.002-05:00

With 12 months to go before the 2010 election, Gov. David Paterson has begun running reelection ads. If you have not seen any, you can check them out here. I have seen the "Some Say" commercial numerous times, and I have to tell you I think it is very effective. Whoever decided to make Gov. Paterson's campaign slogan "The People First" made a good move, portraying him as bucking the system and doing whatever he feels is right for the state. But with the size of the climb that he's facing, will any good idea be able to make his reelection happen? I guess we'll find out over the next 12 months.

Brothers Under the Bridge

2009-11-11T14:34:00.002-05:00

Saigon, it was all gone
The same Coke machines
As the streets I grew on
Down in a mesquite canyon
We come walking along the ridge
Me and the brothers under the bridge

Campsite's an hour's walk from the nearest road to town
Up here there's too much brush and canyon
For the CHP choppers to touch down
Ain't lookin' for nothin', just wanna live
Me and the brothers under the bridge
Come the Santa Ana's, man, that dry brush'll light
Billy Devon got burned up in his own campfire one winter night
We buried his body in the white stone high up along the ridge
Me and the brothers under the bridge

Had enough of town and the street life
Over nothing you end up on the wrong end of someone's knife
Now I don't want no trouble
And I ain't got none to give
Me and the brothers under the bridge

I come home in '72
You were just a beautiul light
In your mama's dark eyes of blue
I stood down on the tarmac, I was just a kid
Me and the brothers under the bridge

Come Veterans' Day I sat in the stands in my dress blues
I held your mother's hand
When they passed with the red, white and blue
One minute you're right there ... and something slips...
-Bruce Springsteen

Come and Gone

2009-11-05T08:02:00.002-05:00

So, one more election day has come and gone, and the amount of excitement was...negligible. Only four or five races garnered the attention of the national media, and the rest was all local politics. And don't get me wrong, local politics are important, but they just don't create the energy as national campaigns do. It's also more difficult to get information about local candidates without the massive television coverage right at your fingertips. When I asked someone I knew if she had voted, she replied, "I don't really care."

But in terms of New York State, there was a double-take moment in the 23rd congressional district. In a race that turned into a political soap opera in the last week, Democrats gained control of the seat which has leaned heavily toward the GOP since the Civil War. Dutchess County will be getting a veto-proof Republican majority in the legislature, which is too bad since I would very much like them to fight some of County Executive Bill Steinhaus' cost-cutting measures, including his Sheriff's Department plan. And here in Poughkeepsie, the common council will also have a GOP majority, and I will be getting a new councilman. I am not as concerned by this development.

-----

And in true Bill Maher style, let me say: "New Rule: You can't boast about the Yankees winning their 27th championship unless you were actually alive for all 27. Sure, the have the same name and general location, but it's not like the 2009 team is the same as the 1923 team. And despite what you may think, Yogi Bera is not still the manager."

Vote

2009-11-03T10:43:00.001-05:00

It's that time again -- the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Election Day. Vote early, vote often.

The Senate's Public Option

2009-10-27T09:28:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced a health care plan that would include a public option, but which would also allow states to opt out of said public option if they so choose.

Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that the states that would opt out are the ones with the citizens who most need the program?

Walkway Over the Hudson

2009-10-06T17:09:00.002-04:00

This past Sunday, I did what thousands of other Hudson Valley residents did: I took a trip on the Walkway Over the Hudson. I walked from Poughkeepsie to Highland and back, covering almost 2.5 miles, and it was quite the experience. When it came to the old railroad bridge, I think revitalizing it was the best idea, especially considering it would have cost more to tear the bridge down. I do, however, need to bring up a couple of points:

First, there are no emergency call boxes on the bridge. There are signs that give emergency numbers as well as signs discouraging people from committing suicide, but a person in distress should not be kept from help by their lack of a cell phone. There should direct line emergency boxes like you find on many other bridges, or even on many college campuses.

Second, I found that there are a lack of benches for sitting. What happens if you need to rest, or have a sudden health problem? Grab some cement? And since it is a park, what if you want to sit and read? Do I have to bring my own chair?

These suggests may seem small, but I think they could certainly improve the Walkway.

I just hope people use the thing.

CNN Tapes at Poughkeepsie High School

2009-09-22T09:41:00.002-04:00

In case you missed it, the following is a post from the Poughkeepsie City School District website, PoughkeepsieSchools.org:

CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien and her production crew visited Poughkeepsie High School Tuesday, September 8, while working on a special series, “Latino in America.” CNN will feature Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch, CEO of Educational Achievement Services, in the documentary. Ms. Kickbusch was the inspirational keynote speaker at the Superintendent’s Convocation for staff.

Ms. O’Brien interviewed Ms. Kickbusch in a Poughkeepsie High classroom set up as a temporary television studio after her remarks. She even helped Ms. Kickbusch touch up her makeup before the interview, commenting “The only other person I ever did this for was President Clinton.”

Ms. O’Brien, who has a weekend home in Dutchess County, said she comes to Poughkeepsie often. The documentary which reports on the growing diversity of America will air at 8 p.m. on CNN and in Spanish on CNN enEspanol on October 21 and 22.

Hitting the Nail

2009-09-17T08:16:00.002-04:00

Sometimes, a person hits the nail so perfectly on the head that the best thing you can do is not try to improve upon their work. The following is Bill Maher's final "New Rule" from the September 11, 2009, episode of Real Time with Bill Maher:

And finally, New Rule: Democrats must get in touch with their "inner asshole." And, no, I'm not being gratuitously crude when I say that. I refer to the case of one, Van Jones, who was the man the Obama Administration hired to find jobs for Americans in the new green industries. Hmm, seems like a smart thing to do in a recession. But, Van Jones got fired because he got caught on tape saying Republicans are assholes. And they call it news.

Now, I know that right now I'm supposed to be all re-injected with "Yes We Can" fever after the big healthcare speech. And it was a great speech. You know, when Black Elvis gets jiggy with his Teleprompter there's nobody better. But, here's the thing. Muhammad Ali also had a way with words. But, it helped enormously that he could also punch guys in the face.

It bothers me that Obama didn't say a word in defense of Mr. Van Jones, and basically fired him when Glenn Beck told him to. Just like we dropped "end of life counseling" from healthcare because Sarah Palin said it meant "death panels" on her Facebook page. Crazy morons make up things for Obama to do, and he does it.

Same thing with the speech to schools this week, where the president attempted to merely tell children to work hard and wash their hands. And "Cracker Nation" reacted as if he was trying to hire the Black Panthers to hand out grenades in home room. And, of course, the White House immediately capitulated. "No students will be forced to view the speech," a White House spokesperson assured a panicked nation. Well, isn't that like admitting that the president might be doing something unseemly? What a bunch of cowards. If the White House had any balls, they'd have said, "He's giving a speech on the importance of staying in school, and if you jackasses don't show it to every damn kid, we're cutting off your federal education funding tomorrow."

The Democrats just never learn. Americans don't really care which side of an issue you're on as long as you don't act like p*ssies. When Van Jones called the Republicans "assholes," he was actually paying them a compliment. He was. He was talking about how they can get things done even when they're the minority. As opposed to the Democrats, who can't seem to get anything done even when they control both houses of Congress, the presidency and Bruce Springsteen.

You know, I love Obama's civility, his desire to work with his enemies. It's positively Christ-like. In college, he was probably the guy at the dorm parties who made sure the stoners shared their pot with the jocks. But, we don't need that guy now. We need an asshole. Mr. President, there are some people who are never going to like you. That's why they voted for the old guy and "Carrie's mom." You're not going to win them over. Stand up for the 70% of Americans who aren't crazy. And, speaking of that 70%, when are we going to actually show up in all this?

You know, tomorrow, Glenn Beck's army of zombie retirees are descending on Washington. It's the "Million Moron March." Although they won't get a million, of course, because many will be confused and drive to Washington State. But, they will make news, because people who take to the streets always do. They're at town hall meetings screaming at the congressmen. We're on the couch screaming at the TV. You know, especially in this age of Twitters and blogs and Snuggies it's a statement just to leave the house. But, leave the house, we must, because this is our last best shot for a long time to get the sort of serious healthcare reform that would make the United States the envy of several African nations.

8

2009-09-11T12:26:00.002-04:00

The sky was falling and streaked with blood
I heard you calling me then you disappeared into the dust
Up the stairs, into the fire
Up the stairs, into the fire
I need your kiss, but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs into the fire

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

You gave your love to see in fields of red and autumn brown
You gave your love to me and lay your young body down
Up the stairs, into the fire
Up the stairs, into the fire
I need you near but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs into the fire

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

It was dark, too dark to see, you held me in the light you gave
You lay your hand on me
Then walked into the darkness of your smoky grave
Somewhere up the stairs into the fire
Somewhere up the stairs into the fire
I need your kiss, but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs into the fire

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

May your love give us love
-Bruce Springsteen, "Into the Fire"

End of an Era

2009-08-26T12:59:00.002-04:00

Last night, Senator Edward Kennedy succumbed to brain cancer at the age of 77. It truly is the end of an era as it is the passing of the last Kennedy brother. Below is a re-posting of most of my blog entry published on Friday, May 23, 2008, entitled "A Remarkable Life":

This big news in the world of politics this week was obviously the health of Sen. Edward Kennedy. His seizure earlier this week led to the diagnosis of a malignant brain tumor, and has brought into question not only his future, but also the future of the United States Senate: what will its make-up become? What direction will it take once this giant of politics is lost?

But this week's news has started me thinking about the journey that Sen. Kennedy has traveled. It truly has been a remarkable life, no matter how you view the man politically. He's a Kennedy -- a name that has been held in the highest esteem in the eyes of Americans for more than 50 years. He comes from the era of Camelot, which many of us know only through the words of history books. He has been able to stand up and stand out among a group of larger than life personalities.

People's lives fascinate me -- how long they've lived, what they've done, where they've been. Sen. Kennedy is a member of an extraordinary family, and more specifically a member of a group of three brothers that have not only changed this country, but the world as a whole (his eldest brother, Joseph, was killed during World War II). His second eldest brother John held the highest office in this land. His brother Robert was John's closest confidant, and made his own run for president. Both were cut down by the bullets of assassins, 45 and 40 years ago, respectively. That amazes me. Losing one brother in such a fashion would be traumatic enough, but losing two, and then choosing to continue to live the same kind of public, exposed lifestyle that led to their murders clearly shows the depth of commitment that Sen. Kennedy has for this country. He has served in the United States Senate since 1963 -- 45 years.

Sen. Kennedy has truly lived a blessed life, despite the trials and tribulations -- both professional and personal -- that seem to come along with the name 'Kennedy.'

Slick Willie

2009-08-11T14:07:00.002-04:00

On Henry Rollins' live spoken word album, A Rollins in the Wry, he makes the following observation:

"...he is just like an eel in the weeds in the ocean, man. He's like an eel going through the Sargasso Sea, man. You know? He's slick and slippery; you can't get to the guy. And he's not Teflon, he's just oily. He's like a Dukes-of-Hazzard-kinda-yahoo guy, and he's getting it, you know?"

Who was Henry speaking of? Why none other than former President Bill Clinton. And though this quote was in reference to Clinton's 5-hour Monica Lewinsky testimony, I believe that the description is just as relevant today...and I mean that as a compliment. A week ago, Bill Clinton accomplished what I think was a magnificent feat: he walked into North Korea -- probably the most unstable and unpredictable country in the world -- slipped through the weeds, and walked out with Laura Ling and Euna Lee, two North Korean-convicted U.S. journalists. And this was not a covert mission. He went, he met with leaders (including the elusive Kim Jong Il) out in the open, he got it done, and he left saying, "This is how it's done, folks. Sit down and take notes."

Now, there are some who feel that Bill Clinton's meeting and photo-op with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was a mistake because it legitimizes Kim in a way that should not be allowed. I, however, disagree. Situations like this are how things change. A world-renowned dignitary travels to the doors of an enemy with a request, and the enemy acquiesces. This could be the beginning of a whole new dialogue between our government and North Korea, and you never know what might come of that.

Slick Willie, at it again.

Asinine

2009-07-30T08:55:00.003-04:00

Over the past week and a half, this country has been subject to a constant news story that is insulting when you consider our two wars, economic crisis, push to pass healthcare reform, and various other problems. I am, of course, talking about the arrest of Professor Henry Louis-Gate in Cambridge.

Now, race is a major issue in this country despite the fact that we now have an African-American president, but in my opinion this story should be no more than a footnote, and not worthy of the hours and hours of coverage that it has gotten. Of course this was propelled by the president wading hip-deep into the issue when he should not have. But it is stories like this that really brings out the stupidity of some people, along with asinine statements and ides.

Take, for example, Congressman Richard E. Neal of Massachusetts, and his objections to the selections of beer that are going to be served at the White House meeting between President Obama, Professor Louis-Gate, and Sgt. James Crowley. Rep. Neal recently wrote a letter to the president urging him to serve Sam Adams, or another beer from an American-owned brewery.

Oh, come on. The story is already blown out of proportion. Do we really need to care about what beer they drink?

Born in the USA

2009-07-22T15:07:00.002-04:00

Months after President Obama's inauguration, conspiracies still abound about the legitimacy of his U.S. citizenship. Incredible, but not surprising. I don't know that there is much that could surprise me anymore when it comes to politics and stupidity. Check out Roland Martin's short piece from CNN.com.

Sotomayor vs. SVU & CSI

2009-07-14T15:22:00.002-04:00

Right now on USA, there is a Law & Order: Special Victims Unit marathon. On Spike, there is a CSI marathon. And on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and PBS, there is day two of the Sonia Sotomayor marathon -- special all day coverage of the Supreme Court nominee's confirmation hearings. Can you say exciting? Yeah, me neither.

I've watched a little bit of the hearings. Democrats are praising her, Republicans keep bringing up the "wise Latina" comments. But the real question is: will any of this make a bit of difference? No. The Democrats hold a 60-40 majority in the Senate (counting Bernie Sanders, who is an Independent), and Sotomayor only needs to receive 51 votes to be confirmed. As Sen. Lindsay Graham put it yesterday, "Unless you have a complete meltdown, you are going to get confirmed."

So what is the point of all this? I think that an appointment to the Supreme Court is an important matter, and public hearings are a great thing. But I just wonder what Senators are hoping to learn in these three days that they have not been able to learn in the past month and a half. Is there really a need to have three hours of opening statements from senators? There is a finite amount of time before Congress breaks for the summer recess, and a seemingly infinite amount of issues that need to be addressed. So, why is all this grandstanding so important?

Anyway, you can watch SVU, CSI, or Sotomayor, Sotomayor, Sotomayor, and Sotomayor. What channel do you want?

Robert McNamara

2009-07-06T23:50:00.002-04:00

It was reported today that Robert McNamara, former secretary of defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, has passed away at age 93. A very controversial figure, he was not only heavily involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis, but was a key architect of the war in Vietnam. If you get the chance, I highly recommend viewing Errol Morris' documentary, "The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara."

2,870 Miles

2009-06-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have returned from Las Vegas and my 9-day cross-country trip, and believe me when I say that it was great. We drove 2,870 miles between New York and Nevada, and that includes Day 4, when we went from Oklahoma City, OK, to Henderson, NV. That's right - we went 1,180 miles in 18.5 hours. That's like half the country, folks. We reached hardcore road warrior status. Please allow me to share some of my memories.

Top 5 Best Experiences of My Cross-Country Trip:
1. The Hoover Dam - If you have never seen it, I recommend going. It really is immense and spectacular, even if the water-level is at record lows, and the bridge that they are building over the water to divert traffic from the dam is impressive in itself.
2. The M Hotel/Casino - A fantastic new hotel/casino in Las Vegas located way off the main strip, which keeps it from becoming a tourist trap like New York-New York or Paris. Great ambiance, great dealers, good food, great comps, and a self-serve kiosk with complimentary soda and water so you don't have to wait for a waitress if you don't want alcohol. Yes, you read that correctly. Four guys in their twenties played so much blackjack and poker that we got food comps. We hit the M three nights in a row.
3. The Fiddle & Steel Guitar Bar - Located in Nashville, we got to listen to some real Nashville country music in an easy-going bar. We weren't there for long, but it was a nice little Nashville experience.
4. Attending a Las Vegas wedding - Yes, I attended a wedding while in Las Vegas. No, it was not my own, nor one of my traveling partners', and none of the participants were intoxicated at the ceremony. This was a planned wedding of a friend of mine from college at the MGM Grand. It was short, sweet, funny, and the reception was at the buffet. Boom. It is now a story for life.
5. Standing on a corner in Winslow, AZ - No joke. We stopped. We posed. We took pictures. Talk about a conversation starter!

Top 5 Worst Experiences of My Cross-Country Trip:
1. Hooters Hotel/Casino - We stopped in because they advertised $3 blackjack, and since we were hungry we thought we would grab some food. Pretty shabby, and the food was not worth the price. Two of us ordered sandwiches, and they didn't even come with fries. This is America - what kind of scam is that?
2. Nevada Route 95 - Due to security restrictions, we could not take the rental truck over the Hoover Dam. Therefore, instead of taking Arizona Route 93, we had to take Nevada Route 95, which is a 55-mile straight road through the desert. Which we drove in the dark, at the tail end of our 18.5 hour day. It was brutal, and we were mentally fried. We could see other cars up in the distance coming towards us, but they were literally miles away.
3. Slots of Fun - Slots of fun is an old, dirty casino located across from the Riviera on Las Vegas Blvd. It is worn down and smelly, though you can play cheap blackjack and buy cheap beer. We were there for about 15 minutes.
4. The Music City Hostel - We stayed at this hostel in Nashville because my traveling partner has had good experiences with hostels in the past, and he likes to meet new and interesting people. It wasn't really my style, and even my friend was a bit disappointed in it. We slept, we woke up, we booked it.
5. Trying to get gas in Arizona - The area just past the Arizona state line when entering from New Mexico is heavily controlled by Native American nations, and this includes the gas stations. We must have stopped 4 times before we found a gas station that was open, accepted credit cards, and was less than $3.50/gallon. It was frustrating. I can only imagine getting gas in an Arizona city must be easier, but I cannot say for sure.

The Trip

2009-06-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

Today, a friend of mine and I are leaving on a cross-country trip from Poughkeepsie to Las Vegas. Going places that I have never gone and seeing the country are two of my favorite things to do, and I am excited for our 9-day trip. Our itinerary is as follows:

Sunday, June 14 - Poughkeepsie, NY, to Fairfax, VA
Monday, June 15 - Fairfax, VA, to Nashville, TN
Tuesday, June 16 - Nashville, TN, to Oklahoma City, OK
Wednesday, June 17 - Oklahoma City, OK, to Albuquerque, NM
Thursday, June 18 - Albuquerque, NM, to Las Vegas, NV
Tuesday, June 23 - Las Vegas, NV, to Poughkeepsie, NY

We are spending 4 days in Las Vegas with two friends who are meeting us there, then catching a red-eye back east on Tuesday. And while I am excited to return to the city where I had the best onion rings ever (Harley Davidson Cafe on the strip), I am very much looking forward to seeing new parts of the country, and adding 6 states to my total: Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

More when I return.

Better Than A Doctor's Note

2009-06-11T16:03:00.003-04:00

This is why President Obama won. All policy and political differences aside, there is no Republican currently in the field who can connect to people the way he does.

Pay To Play: Part II

2009-06-08T09:34:00.002-04:00

The radio conglomerates are ramping up their attempts to mislead the radio-listening public about the push in Congress to extend royalty payments to include performers as well as songwriters. I got extremely angry the other day when I heard multiple "no performance tax" ads on multiple radio stations within a span of about 5 minutes. It seems as though both Cumulus and Clear Channel are in on the anti-royalty campaign, and it is almost laughable that they are trying to paint themselves as "David," while record companies are "Goliath." The truth, however, is that the radio conglomerates relate more to the "Goliath," especially when you consider that they have a huge megaphone at their disposal, free of charge.

But I remain optimistic, because the simple fact that the radio conglomerates are forced to use their airtime to air misleading commercials tells me one simple thing: they are losing.

Please view my May 4 post, "Pay To Play," for a more in-depth argument on the subject.

Akon

2009-06-02T13:25:00.003-04:00

Last week, music superstar Akon appeared with City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Jeff Tkazyik in an effort to persuade a group of 50 young adults that resorting to gun violence is never the answer -- a message that is increasingly important given the unsettling rise of gun violence within the city. I think this is a very good idea, but I would like to see more than 50 people exposed to the discussion.

Akon is supposed to be returning to the area for more service in a few months, and I think it would be very beneficial if more people allowed to participate. Could the talk be opened up to the public and held at the Bardavon? I think its definitely an idea worth considering.

Sin City

2009-05-27T12:20:00.000-04:00

Last night, my parents' flight home from Las Vegas was delayed by one hour as McCarran International Airport was shut down for the arrival of Air Force One. The crew of the airplane was urging the passengers to hurry up and get seated so they could try to beat the clock, and they got as far as taxiing away from the gate when the captain came on the intercom and informed them that they would have to wait until Air Force One had landed and President Obama was safely out of the complex. My mother said that she saw a 23-vehicle motorcade. I don't know how close she was, but I can't help but wonder what The Beast looks like in real life.

So, why was President Obama traveling to Sin City? To headline a fundraiser for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Mr. Reid, you see, is up for reelection in 2010, and with CNN reporting that his approval rating among Nevada residents is only around the 40% mark, he needs all the help he can get. It's almost hard to imagine that Nevada voters are tired of a man thinks that you "can't put [terrorists] in prison unless you release them."

If you look back through my past blogs, you will see that I am not a fan of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. I feel that at his best he is a quivering mass of indecision (as proven a few months ago during the whole Roland Burris debacle), and his leadership is inept. At this point in the calendar, it is the Republicans' race to lose -- at least if they are smart enough to throw a serious contender against Reid. And to be honest, I don't know which situation I would be more upset with: the Democrats losing a seat, or Mr. Reid keeping his.

Rationalizing Theft

2009-05-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

In conjunction with my May 4th post on how performers need to be properly compensated when their works are used by a third party -- such as radio -- for profit, it is important to recognize we live in a society that increasingly expects to receive services for free. With the rise of the internet, it has become increasingly difficult to protect a person's intellectual property (IP), and to make sure the holders of this IP get properly paid.

Please read "Copyright Critics Rationalize Theft," by Mark Helprin, to get an idea of how important this issue is, and what would happen if we saw the collapse of our copyright system.

The Pointless Notre Dame Boycott

2009-05-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

Today, President Obama will deliver the commencement address at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN, and there has been a substantial outcry from many in the Catholic community about the school allowing him to speak and receive and honorary degree. Specifically, many argue that as a Catholic institution, Notre Dame should not recognize and honor a man whose certain views differ so much from the Catholic Church. Fair enough. I personally don't care one way or the other who a private institution invites to speak and why, and if people are upset by this they should speak out (even though I think it's pointless to spend so much time and energy protesting something that will be forgotten by Tuesday morning). I do, however, need to take issue with an interview I saw Friday morning on CNN's American Morning.

On Friday, a Notre Dame senior named Emily Toates gave an interview to CNN's Kiran Chetry on why she is "boycotting her own graduation." Now, on the surface this may seem like a thoughtful person giving up something that is very important to her -- participation in the culmination of her college career -- to protest a more serious issue (although an insignificant one). She obviously feels strongly enough about this situation to not join her family and classmates, get a chance to cross the symbolic stage, be handed her diploma, move her tassel, or get memorable pictures taken. But wait: she still gets to do all those things.

When I graduated from Geneseo State University, we had one ceremony where everyone walked the stage, and our commencement address was given by Mayor Robert Duffy of Rochester (who was a bit unfairly upstaged when Senator Charles Schumer showed up and gave his own address). However, this is not the case at Notre Dame. Ms. Toates said Friday morning:

"I am fortunate though, Notre Dame does a kind of two-part graduation. I’m graduating with my department on Saturday, which is where we actually walk across the stage, receive the diploma, move our tassels. The graduation on Sunday is a group event… It’s a group graduation, there’s no individual recognition at that. So I will get the opportunity to receive the diploma, walk across the stage, and be there with my classmates."

So, what exactly is Ms. Toates giving up to protest the higher injustice of having the president of the United States address her school? How is this not simply an empty gesture? How is this news story not a waste of my time?

One More

2009-05-14T09:41:00.000-04:00

Add her to the growing number of New York public officials who can't seem to...well, abide by the law. Antonia Novello, New York State's former health commissioner, was charged on Tuesday for "allegedly misusing her office and stealing services from the state." Classy. On its own, it's a story. But it seems to be part of a larger trend that is evolving in the Empire State:

Antonia Novello
Alan Hevesi
Joseph Bruno
Charles Rangel
Vito Fossella
Eliot Spitzer

Why is it that some New York politicians are finding it more and more difficult to stay clean while serving the people?

One Step Closer

2009-05-12T08:20:00.004-04:00

The Associated Press is reporting today that a bill aimed at legalizing gay marriage here in the Empire State is expected to pass the New York State Assembly very soon, and that the bill also has a fighting chance in the Senate. Whether or not you agree with these impending actions, this is progress, and you cannot stand in front of it. I wrote in my February 23rd post:

"I believe in 50 years, our society will look back on the fight against gay marriage the same way we now look back at the civil rights movement of the 1950s, or interracial marriage, or slavery, our country's original sin. "They were fighting over this?" they'll ask. On a long enough period of time, social progressives will overcome social conservatives every time. And if our textbooks are any indication, history will not judge well those who try keep others from enjoying the same freedoms."

Thanks to the landmark Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education (1954), it has been standard legal precedent in this country for 55 years that "separate but equal" is inherently unequal, and that thinking must apply as much to gay marriage as it does to separate washrooms for those of a different skin color. There are many -- such as in California -- who are pushing for an explicit state or federal ban on gay marriage. Such a move -- though it has the weight of its own American precedent of trying to keep a minority down -- is nothing more than an obstacle in our collective search for a more perfect union. We as a country cannot reach any kind of perfected union if the will of the majority can be used to subjugate the rights of the minority. Our country has experienced such situations before, and we would be wise to not repeat the same mistakes.

Pay To Play

2009-05-04T08:40:00.002-04:00

In this country, we respect a person's intellectual property (IP), and the government offers copyright and patent statutes in order to protect IP -- be it inventions, works of literature, or songs. The purpose of these protections is to ensure that others cannot benefit from IP without the creators themselves also being compensated. The other day, I was driving in my car and heard an advertisement on Star 93.3 FM that very much annoyed me. The ad was sponsored by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), promoting the website NoPerformanceTax.org, and I would like to take this opportunity to inform everyone of the issue at hand.

When a song or musical work is created, there are two copyrights that can be obtained: one for performing arts work, and one for sound recording. The performing arts copyright registers the underlying musical work or song itself. The sound recording copyright registers literally a unique sound recording of the performing arts work, or the finished product you hear on a radio or CD, as there can be multiple recordings of the same song by different artists. In Congress right now, there are two bills (one in the House, one in the Senate) that would require radio stations and other users to compensate copyright holders of sound recordings for the use of their property for profit. Currently, the law states that only the composers and songwriters of musical works are required to be compensated when their work is performed on radio, but not the artist or entity that holds the copyright for the sound recording itself. For example, if you hear the song "One of Us" by Joan Osbourne on the radio, songwriter Eric Bazilian gets compensated, but Joan Osbourne and the other musicians who performed on the recording do not. It is a flaw that the current Congress is trying to fix.

Now, NAB obviously has a problem with this because it will cost them a bit more money, and the associated website tries to explain and spin the issue simply as money-hungry record companies wanting fill their pockets with more of your coin. This, however, is a blatant misrepresentation of the truth, and I would like to take this opportunity to keep you informed on the issue.

The website labels this legislation as a "performance tax," and states: "A performance tax is a fee that record labels want the government to impose on local radio stations simply for airing music free of charge for listeners." Yes, it is a fee -- in this country a person should be rightfully compensated when another party uses their IP for profit, which is what radio does. Make no mistake: the radio station you listen to is not about the music, the weather, the traffic, or the news, but rather about the commercials. Every single bit of programming you hear on a radio station is simply a tactic used to keep you tuned in from commercial block to commercial block. Radio stations are using artist's work for profit without compensating them, simple as that. And my instinct tells me that the use of the phrase "local radio" is meant to make you think of small mom-and-pop stations, and "record labels" is to make you think of enormous corporations. In truth, however, the vast majority of radio stations are owned my massive corporate conglomerates -- mostly Cumulus and Clear Channel.

The website states: "...money would flow out of your community and into the pockets of the record labels – the great majority of which are foreign-owned. The record labels would like for you to think this is all about compensating the artists, but in truth the record labels would get at least 50% of the proceeds from a tax on local radio." Aside form the fact that I don't know where they are getting the "50%" number, it is important to note that all deals are different, so no one artist or record label would get a set percentage of anything. And even if record companies were getting this 50%, the artists and musicians still need to be compensated for the continued use of their work. Furthermore, the website is trying to make you think that the money is mostly going overseas to those (scary) foreign countries. But most countries already have in place legislation similar to that currently in Congress. However, due to the fact that the US does not have a reciprocal law in place, foreign countries have refused to pay US artists and copyright holders for foreign performances of their sound recordings. The implementation of this law would actually cause money to start flowing into the US, and since American music is the most popular music in the world (both here and abroad), my guess is more money will be coming in than going out.

The website states: "Radio compensates composers and songwriters to the tune of about $550 million annually. It’s widely understood that songwriters do not have the same name recognition to financially exploit themselves to make money. Performers can make money from touring and personal appearances, merchandise and other licensing and branding opportunities like perfume and clothing lines." The amount of $550 million may be true, but it is important to note that in order to legally license all musical content -- from full songs to commercial jingles -- a radio station pays about 3% of its adjusted gross income each year. That's probably less than they pay their receptionist. And I find major fault with the ignorant argument that since performer have the ability to make money in other areas, they should not be paid for the use of their work. That's like saying a medical doctor who takes in a hefty income of capital gains should not be fairly compensated for his healthcare work because he obviously can make money in other ways. Also, aside from the unethical implications, let us remember that not every artist is a J.Lo or a P.Diddy. Most musicians are in the game to make music, not to whore themselves out for money. Take, for example, Bonnie Tyler. Twice yesterday I heard a fantastic song on the radio called "Total Eclipse of the Heart," written by Jim Steinman and performed by Bonnie Tyler. I'm sure you have heard this song, too, and every time you do Jim Steinman makes money. But Bonnie Tyler does not. When was the last time you bought a Bonnie Tyler CD, or a t-shirt, or saw her in concert?I think it's safe to say that Bonnie Tyler is not able to "financially exploit" herself in the way that NAB would like you to believe. Furthermore, the money collected under this new legislation would also go to compensate the other musicians who perform on the recordings, not just the name artists. In the case of "Total Eclipse of the Heart," can Steve Buslowe (bass) "financially exploit" himself? Can Larry Fast (synthesizers)? How many perfumes have you bought with Jimmy Maelen's (percussion) name on it? My guess is none.

With the complete structural change of the music industry in the past 10 years, we need to make it a priority in this country to keep the occupation of "musician" as a viable vocation, and not simply an avocation. The alternative would result in not only a downfall in quality in our nation's musical output, but also in our nation's quality of life. You don't realize how much of a role music plays in your everyday lives until one day it isn't there anymore, and we need to fight against that possibility. The National Association of Broadcasters doesn't care about the music. They care about the commercials. Please call your senators and representative and tell them they need to support HR. 848 and S. 379.

Disrespect

2009-04-30T08:06:00.005-04:00

In the wake of Tuesday's defection of Sen. Arlen Specter to the Democratic Party, the National Republican Senatorial Committee is taking an interesting approach in an attempt to sour Pennsylvania Democrats on supporting the veteran senator: painting him with the past support of Rush Limbaugh, Rick Santorum, and former President George W. Bush. In a new ad, the NRSC is attempting to show that Sen. Specter -- as recently as 5 years ago -- had the full-throated support of some of the right-wing's biggest names.

I kind of feel bad for George W. Bush, though. Throughout the campaign he had to get beaten down everyday by President Obama, and Sen. McCain lost the election -- in part, at least -- due to his perceived association with Bush. But now the former president's own party is using an association with him as a bad thing. The man led the Republican Party for 8 years -- and nearly had a rubber congressional stamp for the first 6 of those years -- but 100 days after leaving the highest office in the land he is a mockery even to them.

Talk about disrespect.

12 Blue Letters

2009-04-27T09:08:00.007-04:00

In the past, when you crossed the Mid-Hudson Bridge and entered Poughkeepsie, you were greeted with a classy marble monument welcoming you to the city. Not anymore. Now, we have 12 individual oversized blue letters -- "P O U G H K E E P S I E" -- each standing a few feet above the ground. This sign area no longer conveys "Welcome to our city," but rather "Welcome to our Ford dealership." And this is the 2nd time in recent memory that this sign has been changed. Are there not better things to do with our time and money?

Anti-Tax Tea Party

2009-04-16T07:59:00.004-04:00

So, I was not able to make it out to the Anti-Tax Tea Party at Dutchess Stadium last night, due to circumstances beyond my control (i.e. a broken water main near my house). But I did check out the Poughkeepsie Journal article and the accompanying video, and I was impressed.

I was first impressed at the number of people who turned out. In yesterday's post I mocked the fact that the protest was moved to Dutchess Stadium because I didn't think anywhere near that large an amount would show up. But I stand corrected, because Dutchess Stadium was almost full.

I was also impressed when I watched the 2 minute video clip. Specifically, impressed of the gentleman giving the Nazi salute; impressed of the signs that portrayed President Obama with a Hitler mustache; impressed by the 8-year-old boy who was exploited by his parent by allowing him to speak on camera about that which he is probably not properly educated. Not really what I would call a meeting of the high-minded of society. Being impressed is not always a compliment.

And in truth, the whole thing is a sham as these people feign disdain for taxes. It's not the taxes they dislike, but the man in charge. Are you telling me that for 8 years of the Bush Administration this group of people were fine with running up the largest debt and deficit in U.S. history, but 3 months of the Obama Administration is just too much? Obama's the one destroying the economy? Obama is the one "destroying" the country? Give me a break.

Thank you, water main.

Update: At an Anti-Tax Tea Party in Texas yesterday, Governor Rock Perry said: "There's a lot of different scenarios. We've got a great union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we're a pretty independent lot to boot."

Nice. So, add him to the list of prominent Texas Republicans (that includes Chuck Norris) for whom patriotism is just a word.

Tax Day

2009-04-15T08:18:00.002-04:00

First of all, I hope that you have filed your 2008 taxes. If not, I hope you got an extension. If not, good luck.

Second, if you still had any doubt in your mind that Fox News is nothing more than a conservative propaganda machine, tune in today to see the all-day coverage of the "Anti-Tax Tea Party," which are supposedly a series of anti-tax protests going on throughout the country. If you click the link above, you will see that not only is Fox News trying to elevate this into the most important event of the year, but they are actively trying to get people to attend in order to sway opinions. Not exactly "We Report, You Decide."

I've found that there is a protest scheduled for 7pm tonight at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, and I am going to try to make it out. The protest was originally slated for Doug Phillips Park in Fishkill, but was moved to the stadium "due to the overwhelming response from people wanting to attend." Good thing, too, because if Fox News is right I won't be able to find a seat!

The Wrong Way To Save

2009-04-13T11:56:00.001-04:00

I realize that we're all trying to save money in this difficult economy, but this is the wrong way to get your kicks on the cheap.

It's All Fun And Games

2009-04-13T10:50:00.001-04:00

When many of us were younger, a saying that we would often hear from our parents or other adults was: "It's all fun and games until someone puts an eye out." Truer advice has probably never been spoken, as most if not all of us would agree that when someone loses an eye it puts a pretty serious drag on a good time.

However, given the events of the past week, I think that it might be time to update the timeless saying. Or at least give it a new twist. How about: "It's all fun and games being a pirate until you have to face down the U.S. military." Catchy. Maybe: "It's all fun and games being a pirate until President Obama orders your head blown off." I like it.

Of course, for years children have been playing the incredibly politically incorrect "Cowboys and Indians" (with little knowledge of the fact that the "Indians" were not necessarily the "bad guys"). Now, we have a perfect chance to change things around for the better. How about: "Navy SEALS and Pirates"? Well, it sounds good, until every child demands that their parents install a pool.

It's always nice to be reminded of the superb capabilities of our armed forces. Well done.

Too Close To Call

2009-04-01T09:40:00.003-04:00

The results from yesterday's special election for New York's 20th congressional district are still too close to call, though Democrat Scott Murphy reportedly has a slight lead over Republican Jim Tedisco. So after hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent by both sides, we're still not going to know the outcome for two weeks, after the absentee ballots have been counted.

And in what seems to me like a clear instance of media-generated hype, yesterday and Monday CNN was referring to the special election as an early referendum on President Obama's administration. Give me a break. Though to be honest, I'm surprised that the race didn't receive more national attention, since the news media will favor process over issues seven days a week and twice on Sundays. I know I'm sick of the commercials.

And in other news, tonight is the series finale of ER, and it only comes about 7 years too late.

Thanks, NRCC

2009-03-27T17:32:00.002-04:00

I would like to thank the National Republican Congressional Committee for going there. It's almost hard to believe I have never cast a ballot for any candidate that you champion.

The War Next Door

2009-03-26T16:15:00.000-04:00

If you didn't get a chance to see Anderson Cooper 360 last night, I suggest you tune in tonight for day two of his live report from the Mexican border. He's reporting on the intense drug wars being fought in Mexico, and how those wars are spilling over into the United States. It's sobering and enlightening to learn about the intense violence going on just to the south of Texas, and I suggest you take some time to learn about the problem.

Anderson Cooper 360 airs live on CNN at 10PM, and rebroadcasts at 11PM.

Three Things

2009-03-20T09:05:00.005-04:00

AIG: I have no problem understanding the outrage. The thought of a company surviving on the lifeline of the American taxpayer paying huge retention bonuses to the very people that got the company into the mess its in is disgraceful. This week, the head of AIG testified in front of a House committee and got lambasted. We're talking filleted. And I can understand it. But Congress, please get off your high horse. The man that you were lecturing -- Edward Liddy -- is not the man who ran AIG into the ground; he is the man put in place to try to get it up off the mat. Use your head, and stop being so self-righteous, acting like you've never dropped the ball on a major level. When was the last time you actually read a piece of legislation before you passed it? And this stunt to tax the bonuses at a 90% rate to get the money back? Please think before you act. Think of the precedent that you would be setting: the ability to tax a specific group of people more simply because you don't like their legitimate business practices is very distressing, and thoroughly un-American.

Special Olympics: Alright, so last night on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, President Obama made a quick joke likening his bowling skills to the Special Olympics. Politically correct? No. Funny? Yes, and here's the truth: everything is funny in the right light. Would President Bush receive more outcry saying this than President Obama will? Yes, and there's no denying that. But I say let's celebrate having a president smart enough to think up such a funny quip.

Suckling: This week, Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) said to TV cameras and reporters, "From my standpoint, it's irresponsible for corporations to give bonuses at this time when they're sucking the tit of the taxpayer." Hilarious (and much funnier than when he said AIG executives should "commit suicide"). I like that kind of fire, but I really enjoyed the looks on the faces of the two senators standing behind him when he said that. They didn't know what to do. President Obama and Senator Grassley should headline a U.S. Government comedy festival.

Chuck Norris: Bad Actor, No Patriot

2009-03-12T09:45:00.000-04:00

"Slaughter in San Francisco." "The Octagon." "Invasion U.S.A." "The Delta Force." "Sidekicks." And lest we forget, "Walker, Texas Ranger," all 196 episodes, plus specials. These are just some of the works that encompass Chuck Norris' "acting" career. Yeah, Mr. Norris' acting ability isn't exactly worthy of awards, and now neither is his patriotism.

On Monday, Chuck Norris published a short article on WorldNetDaily entitled, "I may run for president of Texas." In it, he writes the following: "[Running for president of Texas] may be a reality sooner than we think. If not me, someone someday may again be running for president of the Lone Star state, if the state of the union continues to turn into the enemy of the state. From the East Coast to the 'Left Coast,' America seems to be moving further and further from its founders' vision and government." Mr. Norris then goes on to invoke the warnings and advice of political theorists and several of America's founding fathers. Touching.

First of all, while the founders' advice on the governance of our country is important to keep in mind, it is also important to understand that when this advice was given the world was nowhere near as interconnected as it is today. Frankly speaking, the risks to our country when it was founded did not include mass terror attacks, cyber attacks, global economic crises, or serious threats from countries across the world. Advice is only as good as its application, and the modern way forward has to come from modern day thinking.

Second, it is crucial to understand that the constitution is a living document, and one need only look at the addition of it's 27 amendments to grasp this concept. And with all due respect to the founding fathers, they are gone, and the thinking of their time is in many ways vastly inferior to today -- slaves are no longer 3/5 of a person, and not just white male property owners have the right to vote. The constitution is a living document and can change with the times. Don't like it? Work to change it. That's the beauty of this country, and the ability that you and I have.

And finally, I think that it is shocking that after living through the previous 2922 days of an administration that bent, obfuscated, and blatantly disregarded the constitution (rendition, suspension of habeas corpus, and a vice-president that claimed he was neither in the executive nor legislative branches of government -- just to name a few), Mr. Norris only claims outrage after the first 50 days of the current one. I'm honestly dumbfounded.

Norris writes, "Anyone who has been around Texas for any length of time knows exactly what we'd do if the going got rough in America." I guess when the going gets rough, Texans give up -- at least according to Mr. Norris.

Detect This

2009-03-06T08:59:00.001-05:00

In mid-January, Dr. Laval S. Wilson, superintendent of the Poughkeepsie City School District, released his 2009-10 Preliminary Budget Concept Paper, documenting the serious fiscal problems the district will be facing come the fall. According to Dr. Wilson, the district is anticipating an estimated $6.872 million budget shortfall, and he has earmarked $6.88 million in cuts to faculty, staff, programs, and services in order to combat the deficit -- things that will adversely effect the students and the district as a whole, but which may simply be unaffordable in this economic climate.

Recently, there have been some well-publicized acts of violence in the vicinity of Poughkeepsie High School, including shootings, that have been part of an escalating trend of violence within the city limits. Mayor John Tkazyik and the Poughkeepsie Police Department have been rightfully engaging with community members in an effort to reduce the violence, and while these acts did not occur on school property or in school buildings, the Board of Education is also working to take proactive steps to keep violence out of the school system.

One of most controversial proposals has been the installation of metal detectors at the three main student entrances of Poughkeepsie High School, at a cost of $38,000. This is an overreaction based on fear, and it is a bad idea. There are 28 entrances at Poughkeepie High School, not to mention the countless windows that can be opened at anytime. Need I say more? The sad truth is that if someone wants to get a weapon into the school, they will, and no amount of metal detection will prevent that. Furthermore, a potential shooter would not need to pass through these metal detectors to cause the most damage. I am also forced to ask -- if at the high school, why not at Poughkeepsie Middle and Smith Schools, which are also in the vicinity of the shootings? And in a time when the superintendent is being forced to cut almost $7 million in costs, $38,000 for a metal detection system is unwise, as that money could be used to finance field trips, teaching assistants, or technology equipment.

Airline crashes are one of the most publicized and sensationalized events that can occur. Whether it is a successful ditch in the Hudson, or an unsuccessful tragedy in suburban Buffalo, the news coverage is immense. However, air travel is still the safest means of transportation. Thousands more die every year in automobile accidents, but very few of us think twice about hoping into a car every day. The same is true with school shootings and school violence. The safest place for a child to be is in school, and installing metal detectors at 3 entrances will not make the students, faculty, or staff of Poughkeepsie High School any safer than they already are.

Over the past 11 years, I have spent a considerable amount of time at Poughkeepsie High School, both on a regular and semi-regular basis. Not once have I ever felt unsafe. Not once have I ever felt I was in danger. I believe that anyone who truly feels Poughkeepsie High School is in need of metal detectors has never spent any meaningful time there, and I encourage those people to do so -- especially the Board of Education, before they take their vote on this measure.

Tired of Congressional Leadership

2009-03-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

As you may have noticed in a few of my recent posts, I am getting tired of the leadership in Congress. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, I feel, are ordinary people in positions that require extraordinary talent...or at least above normal. And they are at it again.

A few days ago, President Obama announced his plans to remove all combat troops from Iraq by August 31, 2010. However, he plans to 50,000 troops on the ground for various training and security duties (which has caused a stir over what exactly the president means by "combat troops"). Reid and Pelosi, however, do not agree with the president's plan of action, and are letting him know. They feel that 50,000 residual troops is simply too high a number, and would like to see only 1/4 to 1/3 of that.

Here's what I think: In November 2006, the Democrats won control of Congress for the first time in 12 years, largely on the issue of Iraq. They pledged to end the war that most Americans feel was a mistake, and what did they do once they were in power? Absolutely nothing. They could have attempted to cut off funding for the war, but they chose not to. And now that President Obama is doing what they could not, they have the gall to publicly question the policy? Wouldn't you think they would be less vocal about criticizing a president from their own party who is trying to end an irresponsible war responsibly? I guess not.

Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi should simply stop talking, because I'm getting tired of rolling my eyes in annoyance.

They Were Fighting Over This?

2009-02-23T08:22:00.000-05:00

Last night, at the 81st Academy Awards, Sean Penn won his second Oscar for his portrayal of politician and gay rights advocate Harvey Milk, and he had this to say in his acceptance speech:

"For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect, and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren's eyes as they continue that way of support. We've got to have equal rights for everyone."

I believe in 50 years, our society will look back on the fight against gay marriage the same way we now look back at the civil rights movement of the 1950s, or interracial marriage, or slavery, our country's original sin. "They were fighting over this?" they'll ask. On a long enough period of time, social progressives will overcome social conservatives every time. And if our textbooks are any indication, history will not judge well those who try keep others from enjoying the same freedoms.

Don't Say I Didn't Warn You

2009-02-18T09:59:00.000-05:00

In my January 6 & 13 posts, I discussed my feelings on how Roland Burris should not be/have been seated in the senate seat vacated by Barack Obama, and I pointed out that it was Sen. Harry Reid's lack of backbone and leadership that allowed the debacle to happen. And now what? Mr. Burris may be facing perjury charges after conveniently forgetting to mention during impeachment testimony that he had contact with Rod Blagojevich's brother prior to his appointment, and that funds were solicited from him. Find out more here.

Way to go, Mr. Reid. Don't you love it when your ineptitude comes back again and again?

Yeah, I Can Afford That

2009-02-17T08:51:00.004-05:00

Today, President Obama will travel to Denver to sign the new stimulus plan into law, and we all need to hope that it works. After that, he will be traveling to Phoenix, AZ, to announce his new plan to save the county's abysmal housing market (because Arizona is the hardest hit state).

I saw a segment on CNN this morning that made me stop and stare at the TV, mouth hanging open. It was a story about an Arizona school bus-driving mother of two (who apparently has a husband that was neither seen nor barely mentioned in this piece) who got a letter from her bank warning of impending foreclosure on her home. Like many Americans, her family is in over their heads when it comes to their mortgage, having been sweet-talked into a house that they could not afford. The price of this house? $800,000. You've got to be kidding me.

I don't know how much a school bus driver makes in Arizona (or what her husband brings in), but the fact that she thought she could afford an $800,000 home simply leaves me utterly befuddled. And she's not the only one. A while back I saw a segment on another channel about a woman who makes somewhere between $30,000-40,000 a year and decided to buy a $700,000 home.

Its true that many homebuyers got suckered into deals that they thought were favorable only to turn around and find that the situation had soured. And there are homebuyers in the country who truly need the government to come up with a plan to stop the spiral of foreclosures. But there are also those who simply do not know how to handle their personal finances, and the fact that the government might be directing money their way makes me uneasy.

24, the Stimulus, And Backwards Corporate Logic

2009-02-11T08:08:00.007-05:00

24
I am somewhat disappointed in what was once my favorite show on TV, 24. Seasons 1-5 were great (I own all 5), but last year's seasons was mediocre, and this year's season has some elements that I need to take issue with. Specifically, the plot line involving the President's husband requires, for me, an extraordinary suspension of disbelief, and I'll explain why (warning, spoilers do follow):

First, a few episodes ago, the First Gentleman had a private meeting with a person of interest on the banks of the tidal basin in Washington, DC, in plain sight of everyone, with the Jefferson Memorial in the background. This would never happen in real life, as there is massive security and press anywhere the First Lady goes. But that isn't my main complaint, it's this...

In the episode on February 2, the First Gentleman was out of contact for over any hour. He wasn't answering his phone, and the one agent that he was with was not answering his radio. The response to not being able to find the First Gentleman? The Secret Service put out an APB. What? That's absurd. If Michelle Obama's whereabouts were unknown for an hour, I wouldn't be able to leave my house. The country would be shut down, especially DC, where this season takes place. How great a twist would it have been for Jack Bauer (who is working off-books) to have to chase a terrorist through a Washington, DC, that is being quickly and systematically shut down by the Secret Service? It would be very great. But I don't work on the writing staff of 24, so instead they rehash old story-lines with new characters. Which brings me to...

The Stimulus
Everything would be so much easier if Nancy Pelosi were not Speaker of the House. I think that she is noticeably hurting President Obama's attempts at bipartisanship, as she has a shove-it-in-your-face attitude. Yes, you won, but you don't have to be so mean spirited about it. Is this bill perfect? No. Could it be made perfect? I don't know -- perfection varies in everyone eyes. But I wish they would make the bill solely about stimulating the economy and not about simply funding ideas and programs that couldn't get support under George Bush.

I think one of the provisions in the stimulus should be money for 24 to hire new writers. Let's face it, while seasons 1-5 were extraordinary television, I think that the writing team may have reached it's full potential with the 5th season. Its time for some new blood, and more money to pay out will attract the best writers available. A better storyline would mean more viewers, leading to higher ad-spot costs, leading to higher pay for 24 and Fox employees, leading to higher spending by those employees, and it's quickly apparent how my plan will save the US economy. How about a storyline where Jack Bauer has to infiltrate and destroy...

Wells Fargo
Anyone who watches the news may have heard about this already, but I will thrown in my 2 cents:

In short, the CEO of Wells Fargo took out a full page ad in numerous high profile newspapers claiming that the money it received from the federal government was not used to pay for corporate junkets or getaways -- those, he claimed, were paid for out of profits. What? You can't claim to need money, take the money, spend it on a party, then claim that you didn't use the borrowed money to pay for it. Money doesn't work that way. Idiot. It seems to me that Wells Fargo is trying to scam the government, and Jack Bauer needs to make things right.

Thanks to the PFD

2009-02-06T09:55:00.005-05:00

I want to take a moment to say "Thank You" to the Poughkeepsie Fire Department.

Just before 10:30PM last night, I saw flashing lights outside my house. I went onto the porch only to see firetrucks arriving, and smoke rising up from the back of the house across the street. For the next 2 hours, members of the PFD (along with PPD and Alamo EMS) worked in the blistering cold to make sure the situation was under control.

Due to the quick response of the firefighters, no one was injured and the house was saved, as were the surrounding houses.

Thanks for keeping us safe.

A Big Number

2009-01-30T11:16:00.003-05:00

819,000,000,000. That is the number. Put a dollar sign in front of that and you get the amount of the stimulus bill that passed the House of Representatives earlier this week. Simply staggering. It passed, 244 to 188, with not one Republican voting in favor, and 11 Democrats voting against.

I've been reading the posts of my fellow Poughkeepsie Journal bloggers. Tom Kraft argues that its absurd that 188 members of congress would vote against this bill, and Jack Sine wants to bash Democrats. I'm more inclined to agree with Tom. Yes, there are things in the bill that I wish were not, but this is how our system works. Lumping unrelated things (like billions for family planning services, which were removed) into a bill to increase your ability to paint your opponent in a negative light has become as American as apple pie. I'm not defending it, I'm just living with the reality.

But these are serious times. There were over 100,000 jobs lost this week, and there are proposals in this bill that will help those effect as well as the economy, such as extending and increasing unemployment benefits, and increasing food stamps for families in need. Money isn't just being "thrown" at the problem, as some may argue. I hope that the bill can be compromised more in conference between the House and Senate, further removing unneeded provisions, and that there can be broad-based support for its passage.

Economics is not an exact science, and anyone who argues otherwise is misinformed. Economists make it up as they go! All they can do is look at what has worked in the past (or not), and try to go forward, and you can always find two who disagree. I'm not crazy about this bill, but there may be no good option. There may only be what there is.

44

2009-01-23T09:13:00.005-05:00

Obviously, it goes without saying that Tuesday, January 20, 2009, was a historic day for the United States of America. Whether you voted for President Obama or not, it is hard to dismiss the significance of his inauguration as our 44th president. However, I want to caution everyone to not put more weight than is deserved on this event.

In a recent poll, a majority of African-Americans surveyed stated that they thought the inauguration of President Obama was the realization of Dr. King's dream. I disagree. I think that it is a huge step forward toward the realization of the dream, but King's ultimate dream was not the acquiring of power by minorities, but rather that skin color would no long matter. And unfortunately, just because we have an African-American president does not mean that all Americans no longer see each other in colors. But this is huge progress.

So, President Obama definitely has his plate full, with problems both real and symbolic. But I'm excited, and I've never been more hopeful for the future of our country. This is the first time in my life that I have been aware and conscious of the beginning of a new presidency. Couple that with the fact that I (along with many others my age) feel a certain connection with President Obama, and in a way I feel like I am taking this presidential journey with him. It may sound melodramatic or absurd, but I feel like I'm involved, even though I'm not part of the administration.

It has been said that campaigns are about promises and governing is about achievement. Let's get to work.

St. Francis Hospital

2009-01-17T08:10:00.002-05:00

In the January 13 edition of the Poughkeepsie Journal, there appeared a Valley Views feature on the recent announcement of a reduction in mental health services by St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie. Bob Savage, president and CEO of St. Francis Hospital and Health Centers, defended the cuts, while Michael N. Kelsey, a member of the Mental Health Subcommittee of the Dutchess County Mental Hygiene Board, argued against the cuts.

I agree with Mr. Kelsey that the county needs more mental health services for the benefit of its citizens, especially with the rising local population. However, I have to ask: how are you going to pay for it? Look at the economic conditions around you! The state is serious trouble and is cutting back on assistance and services of all kinds. Gov. Paterson is about to turn the Hudson Valley Psychiatric Center into an all-inclusive resort/casino in order to help raise funds! And I don't have the ability to peruse the financial books at St. Francis Hospital, but Mr. Savage claims that the hospital simply cannot afford to stay afloat without reducing services, and he offers numbers to back it up. If you want to convince me of something, show me numbers.

Mr. Kelsey, one the other hand, doesn't offer numbers, but only attempts the moral high-ground. He offers no reasonable solution for the problem, but rather strives to shame the administration of St. Francis Hospital. This is decidedly unproductive, and doesn't sway me one bit.

The fact that hospitals -- public, private, for-profit or not -- have to worry about the bottom line does not sit well with me, but it unfortunately is the way the country works. As Mr. Savage wrote, "Saint Francis is not saying there is 'no more room at the inn,' Saint Francis is saying there may well be no inn unless necessary actions are taken." That is a tough statement to argue against, especially in this economic climate.

A Larger Issue

2009-01-13T08:21:00.003-05:00

I am disgusted. Why? Because once again congressional Democrats have shown that they lack any semblance of a spine. A bunch of bumfuzzled buffoons. Or am I just talking about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid?

Of course I'm writing in reference to the Roland Burris situation. Sen. Reid specifically came out and said nationally that Burris would not be seated, but what does he do soon after? He gives in. The senate majority leader went toe-to-toe with the embattled governor of Illinois and backed down without a fight. Pathetic.

Now, setting aside whether or not seating Roland Burris is the best political step, the whole situation highlights a larger issue: why aren't we out of Iraq? Why has the Democrat-controlled congress not passed more/any significant legislation on healthcare, education, or infrastructure? Why did the past 2 years see a congress with approval rating lower than President Bush? Because the leadership is inept.

Yesterday on CNN, Jack Cafferty asked viewers: why did Sens. Harry Reid and Dick Durbin cave on the issue of seating Roland Burris? One viewers response: "Habit." I couldn't agree more.

I'm just happy Harry Reid has never appeared on a New York ballot.

Happy New Year

2009-01-06T13:23:00.002-05:00

A new year, a new congress, and soon a new president. 2009 is shaping up to be a barnburner. Let's touch on some of the most recent developments:

Roland Burris: The Senate should not seat Roland Burris. He may be qualified for the job, but aside from Gov. Blagojevich's compromised stature the very fact that he accepted the nomination either means that he is politically inept, or extremely suspect. Or both. Politics is perception, and simply by accepting Blagojevich's nomination, he forever gave up the image that he is clean. Is he tainted? I don't know. Are you willing to find out?

Al Franken: It appears that Al Franken has beat out incumbent Norm Coleman to be the next senator from Minnesota -- as if we needed more evidence that this was a crazy election cycle.

Bill Richardson: The massive Obama vetting-machine seems to have faltered. Oops. Well, I guess they can't get it all right all of the time. However you want to categorize Richardson's nomination and now withdrawal, let's move on. There's too much to get done to fixate on issues like this.

Israel And Hamas: We in the United States are in the very enviable spot of being largely protected by position. To the north is Canada, to the south is Mexico, and with the exception of the Cuba/Soviet relationship of the 1960s we have never been in a position to expect repeated, close homeland conflict with an enemy. Israel is not so lucky. We're a country surrounded (by and large) by friends. Israel is surrounded by enemies.

Planet In Peril: Battlelines

2008-12-22T21:09:00.002-05:00

If you have some free time at 10PM on Christmas night, I encourage you to tune into CNN to check out an encore showing of "Planet in Peril: Battlelines." It is a fantastic documentary, and its programs like this that show why CNN is CNN; MSNBC and Fox don't produce anything of this quality or magnitude.

A Green Poughkeepsie

2008-12-18T11:20:00.003-05:00

I want to applaud the recent addition of hybrid buses to the City of Poughkeepsie fleet. We all have to do our part to help make our country less reliant on foreign oil in a responsible way, and government incorporation of hybrid vehicles is a fantastic idea. It can also be used as a powerful example.

Gov. Paterson In The News

2008-12-16T09:37:00.004-05:00

SNL

Unless you live in Alaska, it's not every week that the governor of your state gets lampooned on Saturday Night Live. But, this weekend New York State Governor David Paterson was the brunt of the jokes during a segment of SNL's Weekend Update; a segment that many are claiming went too far, as it did nothing more than make fun of the fact that the governor is blind.

I've thought over the past decade that SNL has lost it's mojo, much as it did in the early eighties. I never thought the whole Will Ferrell/Molly Shannon crew was as great as everyone else did, and watching Jimmy Fallon should be punishment for the detainees at Gitmo. They had a resurgence during the campaign, but I fear that SNL is floundering.

I do, however, love Paterson's reaction to the skit. Among other things, he said simply, "I can take a joke. But only 37% of disabled people are working, and I'm afraid that that kind of third-grade humor certainly adds to this atmosphere." Fantastic.

Caroline Kennedy

There has been a lot of discussion over the past couple of days about the idea of Caroline Kennedy being appointed by Gov. Paterson to fill Hillary Clinton's senate seat. I am not convinced that this is a good idea, and I'll tell you why.

I have no problems with Caroline Kennedy ideologically and I understand the need to appoint someone who will have immediate access and credibility, but I do have a problem with her personality. If appointed, she would have to go to the U.S. Senate, be one of 100, and compete with 99 other senators who have egos far bigger than their own states. And whenever I've seen her give public remarks she has come off as uncomfortable and timid, but she is going to be expected to run a full-blown state-wide campaign in both 2010 and 2012? I am doubtful.

The Big Three

2008-12-09T08:38:00.003-05:00

My grandfather made his living working for General Motors in Western New York. He and my grandmother had a house, raised a family of four, and were active in their community. To this day my grandfather receives his pension and health benefits from GM, and his family still enjoys employee-pricing discounts.

His youngest son -- my uncle -- used to work in a GM plant in Western New York. A while ago the plant shut down, and the jobs performed at his plant were consolidated to Detroit. He had a decision to make: either try to find another gig or start working in Detroit. He chose the latter, and since then has been keeping a second residency; a house in WNY with his wife, and an apartment in the Detroit area with a roommate, over 250 miles away. He travels there for a few weeks at a time.

New York State -- especially WNY -- has been hit hard by the car crisis in this country. I don't know anyone else in my uncle's position, but I know that it unfortunately isn't a unique story. For years a job with one of the American car companies was considered to be one of the best: good pay, good benefits, secure pension. I don't know what my uncle will do if GM has to shut its doors. I don't know what my grandparents will do, either.

Now, I'm not here advocating a bailout for the American auto industry. I'm honestly very conflicted about the whole thing. Do these companies deserve federal help? Why are they more deserving than other companies? What would be the ripple effects of the downfall of one of the big three? Is the loss of the American automobile industry a threat to national security? How much of our country will China own before all of this is said and done?

I don't know the answers to these questions, but I do know is that this situation, like most, is less black and white and more shades of gray.

Or in this case, maybe metallic gray with black trim and leather interior.

It's Official

2008-12-02T11:01:00.003-05:00

It's official: New York Senator Hillary Clinton has been nominated to be the next secretary of State, and there is no reason to believe that the Senate -- where the Democrats will have at least an 8-seat majority come January -- will confirm her. Twelve, nine, six, even three months ago, a move like this would have been seen as impossible. But alas, here we are. Go figure. I think that Sen. Clinton is up to the challenge, and with the vast range of national security and international issues facing the incoming administration, President-Elect Obama needs all input he can get.

It's official: Sen. Clinton will be resigning her seat in the United States Senate in order to assume the duties as secretary of State. Therefore, the responsibility to fill her seat will fall on the shoulders of New York Governor David Patterson, and there are a number of names being floated. One name, however, is particularly intriguing: Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, who represents the local 22nd congressional district. She may be young (she just got elected to her second term in the House of Representatives), but she is a woman and from upstate, which are two qualities that Gov. Patterson is reportedly considering.

It's official: Defense Secretary Robert Gates will retain his position in the Cabinet under the Obama Administration. I think that this is a smart move. I have always been very impressed by Robert Gates, from the moment that he was nominated by President Bush to fill the slot being vacated by Donald Rumsfeld, and he was a much needed improvement. Continuity, especially in a time of such conflicts and challenged, will be important and helpful.

Updated:

It's official: The United States is in a recession, and we have been for the past 12 months. Go figure. In fact, it is a world-wide recession (which I don't really understand, I mean the money doesn't just disappear, does it?). In the past, world-wide recessions have lasted between 12-16 months, so we may be well over halfway through. But on the other hand, the challenges that the country is facing are, to a certain extent, unprecedented, so who is to say?

Appointing New Yorkers

2008-11-18T09:52:00.003-05:00

The last five days, the news has been racked with a big story: Senator Hillary Clinton, former presidential candidate and political powerhouse, as a possible secretary of state. Leaks about vetting and a secret meeting have fueled speculation that President-Elect Obama is seriously considering Clinton for the role of top diplomat. International correspondents claim that her appointment would be wildly well received in the international community, and like Obama's election and upcoming inauguration, will have an immediate impact on the image of the United States around the world. I have no objections to this move, as long as Obama can keep the Clinton's in check. They have mighty large egos of their own, and he needs to make sure (as it has been pointed out) that her appointment and subsequent actions don't present the picture of a co-presidency.

If Clinton is appointed to Obama's cabinet and accepts, thus resigning her senate seat, it would be up to our governor, David Patterson, to appoint her successor. The name that has been floated? Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. I honesty don't know much about Mr. Cuomo, other that what I hear in the news about his legal actions, but he seems like a very driven person trying his best to look out for the well-being of New Yorkers.

On a completely hypothetical topic, I had a conversation yesterday with some people over the possibility of Rudy Giuliani being given a position in Obama's cabinet. Barack Obama has stated that there will be at least one Republican in his cabinet, and since Giuliani's only focus is national security, the idea of secretary of homeland security was floated in our discussion. An interesting thought, but I have my doubts. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Yes, but Giuliani said some pretty insulting, petty things about Barack Obama at this year's Republican National Convention, and I'm not sure Obama would be willing to jump in bed with him after that. It would get Giuliani out of Obama's way in terms of 2012, but I honestly don't think a 2012 Giuliani presidential campaign would be any more successful than his 2008 turn. Furthermore, I'm afraid that Giuliani would be an empty shirt, as was evidenced very earlier on during this year's primaries.

What's Next?

2008-11-07T10:22:00.006-05:00

President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama: the complete antithesis of President George W. Bush. It's a beautiful thing, and still quite surreal that he actually pulled it off. There were a number of expletives coming out of my mouth at 11PM Tuesday night when CNN called the race, and I will remember where I was for the rest of my life. Truly amazing.

It really is quite stunning that only 4 years after choosing to vote for President Bush, the American voters chose to vote for President-Elect Obama this year. You wouldn't think that this country -- or any country, really -- would be capable of such a massive swing, but alas, there it is.

Looking back at the 2-year campaign, it was like nothing this country has ever seen. The massive battle in the Democratic Party between Sens. Clinton and Obama -- the presumptive nominee and the underdog -- for the nomination was seen as the beginning of the party's destruction, but in the end it only served to strengthen it. Sen. McCain's shipwreck of a campaign was a sight to see, never staying on course and coming dangerously close to crashing before the race was over (with Sarah Palin hanging off the side, dragging them down). The negative ads. The slanderous remarks. The rallies. The excitement. And now its over.

And though it all ended up in a electoral college landslide (and a hefty popular vote majority for Obama), one is still left with questions:

Why wasn't poverty discussed more in the campaign?

Or education?

What happened to the John McCain that we saw recently at the Al Smith Dinner and giving his concession speech on Tuesday night? If he had shown up for the entire campaign, I guarantee that the election, while it may not have gone the other way, would have been a lot closer.

What was the McCain campaign really thinking when they picked Gov. Sarah Palin at the VP nominee? And if Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska wins reelection only to be voted out by his Senate colleagues, will she run in the special election to replace him, thus allowing her to go to Washington to beef up her resume for 2012?

Three of those questions we may never know, and the last will come in time. But I do know that now is when it gets really exciting. I have no plausible memory of the Clinton-Bush transition of 2001, so I am extremely excited for the next 74 days (though I wish January 20 came much sooner than that), and the 4 (8?) years that will follow. And although I didn't volunteer or donate money, more than any time in my life I feel like the next president will be my president, leading my generation, and my causes. I'm excited for what the future will bring under President Obama, and I'm eager to do my part and to get involved.

Why I'm Voting For Barack Obama

2008-11-03T08:01:00.000-05:00

1. Intellect. Whether you like him or not, you cannot deny that Barack Obama is an intellectual giant, and experience does not trump intellect. After all, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and Paul Wolfowitz are some of the most experienced public servants, and look where that's gotten us.

2. Ice Cold. Barack Obama is one cool character, especially when he's confronting an attack. He doesn't lose his temper. As a former Emergency Medical Technician, I would that in any kind of emergency situation, the last thing you want to do is lose your composure. And I don't want John McCain's famous temper sitting in the White House Situation Room.

3. Philosophy. Barack Obama's political and foreign policy philosophies are much closer to mine than those of John McCain -- working for healthcare for all, redistributing the tax burden, tough direct diplomacy (even with our enemies), etc.

4. The War in Iraq. John McCain argues over and over that the Iraq surge is working and that we're now winning the war. But to make this argument, in my opinion, is to completely miss the point. Of course the United States military is going to take care of business, but we shouldn't be there in the first place. The Bush administration closed it's eyes to thousands of years of history in the region and decided that they could solve all the woes of the country, only to get a rude awakening. And now John McCain argues that he will never retreat in defeat, and will only leave Iraq when we have won with honor. The problem is, the war in Iraq has been going on since March 2003, and I still don't know what "winning" is, or how our military is supposed to accomplish these goals.

5. The Smooth Campaign. Barack Obama's campaign has been impressive. An underdog, long-shot candidate who navigated his campaign to beat Hillary Clinton, who was the shoe-in favorite. And sure, there have been bumps and mistakes along the way, but overall the campaign has been impressively run, and I think this will translate, at least somewhat, into an Obama administration.

6. Hope And Inspiration. I know it sounds hokey, but it's true. Barack Obama inspires people, enough for him to draw 100,000+ people to a rally. Ronald Reagan's optimism was infectious, and aside from how I may disagree with his policies, I think that his personality did a lot of good for the country. Barack Obama makes me want to get involved in my government. He makes me want to ask, "What can I do to help? What sacrifices do you need me to make?" John McCain does not inspire me to get involved. On the contrary, he makes me ask, "Can I change the channel, yet?"

Why I'm Not Voting For John McCain

2008-11-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

1. The John McCain of 2008 is not the John McCain of 2000. I liked the John McCain of 2000, and I remember around the 2004 election thinking how much I would be extremely tempted to vote for John McCain if he were the Republican presidential nominee. Times have changed. John McCain has since turned into everything that he once spoke out against. From accepting "agents of intolerance" to suddenly deciding that tax cuts during wartime is smart policy and beyond, John McCain has chosen to re-mold himself into the shape of those from which he once stood so strongly apart.

2. Sarah Palin. Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska is not ready to be president of the United States of America. I would refer you to my September 15, 2008, post, but suffice to say that John McCain vice-presidential pick shows a blatant disrespect for the breadth and importance of the office of president of the United States. President of the United States takes a certain...gravitas, and you know it when you see it. Sarah Palin doesn't have it, at least not yet. And as for the argument that she's the "hockey mom," and that she stands up for "Joe Six-Pack," I, for one, do not want "Joe Six-Pack" in charge of my country.

3. William Ayers/"Paling around with terrorists"/Rashid Khalidi. This is the classic Republican tactic of trying to divide the country, and now if Obama wins, half of the nation will actually believe that Obama is a terrorist (as evidenced by occurances at McCain rallies). From the stump to the robocalls, the McCain campaign and many Republicans continue to throw around these througholy debunked lies. If this weren't professional politics, it would be called "slander." In fact, I hope that if Obama wins, he sues the McCain campaign. Just once, I would like the winner who had been the victim of such vicious lies to sue the opponent who spread those lies. It might seem like adding insult to injury to the loser, but I also think that it would send such a clear message that that style of politics is not going to be tolerated anymore. I'll keep dreaming.

4. Joe the Plumber. Please, stop talking to me like I am a kindergartener. Joe the Plumber. Joe Six-Pack. Rob the Teacher. Obama the redistributor. I am an adult, so please speak to me that way. And now the McCain campaign is choosing to use the real Joe as one of it's public surrogates, allowing him to officially particiapte at campaign events. Joe is also giving his advice and views on a range of issues, such as the United States' foreign policy toward Israel. Oh, give me a break. The McCain campaign has turned into a joke.

5. The Haphazard Campaign. The McCain/Palin campaign has been extremely poorly run. Everyday it's trying something new, with no consistency. All of the pundits talk about how the campaign is all tactics and no strategy, and it's true. There is no wide-angle lens with the McCain campaign. And that whole campaign suspension episode was a complete debacle. So my point is this: if McCain wins, who do you think will have high-profile, influencial positions in the new administration? Exactly -- the same campaign workers, organizers, and advisors, and I'm positive that they would run a McCain administration just as smoothly.

6. The Third Debate. John McCain was incredibly disrepectful to Barack Obama in the third presidential debate -- sighing, rolling his eyes, staring in disbelief. Is this the way that he would act while meeting with a foreign leader that he disagrees with? I'm sure that will do wonders for America's image.

7. Maverick. Oh, get over yourself.

The Informercial & the School Board

2008-10-30T10:15:00.002-04:00

First off, last night's Barack Obama infomercial was impressive. From a purely production standpoint, it was flawless. Twenty-six minutes of prepared footage followed by 4 minutes from a live Obama campaign event in Florida. Was it effective? I don't know. But it did showcase Obama in the best light.

At one point while I was watching, I thought back to a movie called The American President, written by Aaron Sorkin. Near the end of the movie, the president, played by Michael Douglas, says, "...making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle-aged, middle-class, middle-income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family and American values and character." And while last night's infomercial wasn't about making you afraid (the whole thing had a hopeful overtone) or telling you who to blame (no mention of John McCain and only an insinuation toward George W. Bush), the last sentence of the quote is dead on.

Was it expensive? Yes. Did it paint a favorable picture of Obama to the American people? Very much yes. Did it draw too much attention to the fact that Obama was only able to do this because he opted-out of public financing against his own promise? Maybe. Will it help? We'll see, though even if he wins there will probably be no telling of how much, if at all, this particular ad-buy may have helped.

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In other news, there is fantastic story coming out of Florida that I need to make you aware of. There is a school district in Florida (whose name I cannot find at the moment) who has run a voter registration drive and successfully registered 3600 seniors who are of age. And what's more, they are taking the seniors on field trips to early vote.

This is amazing, and every school district nation-wide should implement a program like this. In New York State, all high school seniors must take and pass a "Participation in Government" class in order to graduate. Voting is the most fundamental participation in government. Get the students involved early, in anyway that you can.

Powell Endorses Obama

2008-10-20T08:41:00.002-04:00

I know both of these individuals very well now. I've known John for 25 years as your setup said. And I've gotten to know Mr. Obama quite well over the past two years. Both of them are distinguished Americans who are patriotic, who are dedicated to the welfare of our country. Either one of them, I think, would be a good president. I have said to Mr. McCain that I admire all he has done. I have some concerns about the direction that the party has taken in recent years. It has moved more to the right than I would like to see it, but that's a choice the party makes. And I've said to Mr. Obama, "You have to pass a test of do you have enough experience, and do you bring the judgment to the table that would give us confidence that you would be a good president.

And I've watched him over the past two years, frankly, and I've had this conversation with him. I have especially watched over the last six of seven weeks as both of them have really taken a final exam with respect to this economic crisis that we are in and coming out of the conventions. And I must say that I've gotten a good measure of both. In the case of Mr. McCain, I found that he was a little unsure as to deal with the economic problems that we were having and almost every day there was a different approach to the problem. And that concerned me, sensing that he didn't have a complete grasp of the economic problems that we had. And I was also concerned at the selection of Governor Palin. She's a very distinguished woman, and she's to be admired; but at the same time, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president. And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Senator McCain made.

On the Obama side, I watched Mr. Obama and I watched him during this seven-week period. And he displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge and an approach to looking at problems like this and picking a vice president that, I think, is ready to be president on day one. And also, in not just jumping in and changing every day, but showing intellectual vigor. I think that he has a, a definitive way of doing business that would serve us well. I also believe that on the Republican side over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party and Mr. McCain has become narrower and narrower. Mr. Obama, at the same time, has given us a more inclusive, broader reach into the needs and aspirations of our people. He's crossing lines--ethnic lines, racial lines, generational lines. He's thinking about all villages have values, all towns have values, not just small towns have values.

And I've also been disappointed, frankly, by some of the approaches that Senator McCain has taken recently, or his campaign ads, on issues that are not really central to the problems that the American people are worried about. This Bill Ayers situation that's been going on for weeks became something of a central point of the campaign. But Mr. McCain says that he's a washed-out terrorist. Well, then, why do we keep talking about him? And why do we have these robocalls going on around the country trying to suggest that, because of this very, very limited relationship that Senator Obama has had with Mr. Ayers, somehow, Mr. Obama is tainted. What they're trying to connect him to is some kind of terrorist feelings. And I think that's inappropriate.

Now, I understand what politics is all about. I know how you can go after one another, and that's good. But I think this goes too far. And I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for. And I look at these kinds of approaches to the campaign and they trouble me. And the party has moved even further to the right, and Governor Palin has indicated a further rightward shift. I would have difficulty with two more conservative appointments to the Supreme Court, but that's what we'd be looking at in a McCain administration. I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists." This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards--Purple Heart, Bronze Star--showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourself in this way. And John McCain is as nondiscriminatory as anyone I know. But I'm troubled about the fact that, within the party, we have these kinds of expressions.

So, when I look at all of this and I think back to my Army career, we've got two individuals, either one of them could be a good president. But which is the president that we need now? Which is the individual that serves the needs of the nation for the next period of time? And I come to the conclusion that because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities--and we have to take that into account--as well as his substance--he has both style and substance--he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president. I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation coming into the world--onto the world stage, onto the American stage, and for that reason I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama.
-General Colin Powell (Ret.), Former Sec. of State, 10/19/08

Debate 3 Factcheck

2008-10-20T08:30:00.000-04:00

The fact-checks for debate three can be found here.

Miscellaneous

2008-10-14T09:02:00.002-04:00

Here are fact-check for the 2nd Presidential Debate: Factcheck.org.

And here are more fact-checks from CNN.

CNN has also posted a very good editorial from anchor Campbell Brown that you should check out: click here.

The VP Debate

2008-10-03T17:25:00.000-04:00

She kept her head above the water. That's the story. She didn't crumble to pieces. She did much better than expected. Gov. Palin did not implode, and in fact her performance was far from that.

But in the end, I believe that Sen. Biden was the -- I don't want to say "winner" -- more successful of the two debaters, and here's why:

Biden's job last night was to link Sen. McCain and President Bush at the hip, almost like they are the same person, and he stuck to that message. In almost every answer, on also most every issue, Biden painted McCain as "Bush 44," relentlessly putting their two names together.

Palin's job, on the other hand, was to pull herself out of the hole that she dug herself into over the past few weeks. She had to try to convince the American people that she is not as uninformed and incoherent about the issues that she has been asked about, and I think that she did a very good job at that assignment. But I don't think that she was as effective in painting Sen. Obama as Biden was painting McCain, which was really the larger objective.

And FactCheck.org has posted their fact-checks for last night's debate -- read them here.

Local Meets National

2008-10-01T12:08:00.003-04:00

In case you missed it, the top headline in yesterday's Poughkeepsie Journal was about the resignation of Dutchess County Republican Committee Chairwoman Corinne Weber (read about it here). It turns out that Weber received one of the many, many false, nasty e-mails about Senator Barack Obama, and she did what any intelligent person would do...she "accidentally" forwarded it to over 24 of her GOP colleagues. Yikes.

Now, let's set aside the fact that I don't quite understand how you can accidentally send an e-mail to over 24 people (was she sleepwalking, or something?), and I would like to try to make a broader point.

Gov. Sarah Palin has been on the receiving end of some extremely terrible slanders since being named Sen. John McCain's vice-presidential running mate. And when McCain/Palin-supporters hear these, they nearly have a nuclear meltdown. But the truth is that throughout this campaign, Barack Obama has been the victim of the most disgusting, despicable accusations. About his faith. About his ethnicity. About his patriotism. About his family. And conservative bloggers and commentators never seem to mention the attacks on Obama. This includes local conservative commentators and bloggers who remain silent, even when it makes serious local news -- they either don't know, or they don't care. But we're not talking about some "right-wing nut-job," here. We're talking about the Dutchess Country Republican Committee Chairwoman. So, they must know, right?

You know what I do when I receive a slanderous e-mail? I delete it.

What a novel idea.

The First Debate

2008-09-29T13:19:00.002-04:00

Factcheck.org has posted it's fact-checks for Friday night's presidential debate -- I encourage everyone to check them out here.

Overall, I thought that there was no clear winner in the debate -- both candidates muddled through the questions about the "economic crisis" (a.k.a. the double-standard), and Obama held his own on the foreign policy issues.

I personally thought that Jim Lehrer did a less than stellar job as moderator, and at times I felt that he was trying to play the role of a high school conflict mediator. I like the idea of the candidates being able to address each other and press for answers, but the candidates didn't take advantage because they aren't used to such a setting. Debates in this country have sunk to nothing more than joint press conferences, and not a discussion of ideas.

And I don't know about you, but I am very much looking forward to Thursday night's vice-presidential debate: Senator Joe Biden vs. Governor Sarah Palin. I'm not sure what to expect when these two get together, but if Palin's interviews with Charles Gibson and Katie Couric are any indication, then grab the freakin' popcorn.

Debate Prep: McCain Fumbles The Ball

2008-09-26T13:29:00.004-04:00

It has been announced that John McCain has confirmed his participation in tonight's debate -- he will be attending.

Less than 48 hours ago, McCain stated that he would not be participating in the debate unless a bail-out deal has been reached. Well, it hasn't. However, today the McCain campaign announced that enough progress had been accomplished that he would attended the debate. But in reality, no progress has been reached. In fact, the negotiations have done nothing but disintegrate and become more contemptuous since McCain arrived back in Washington to "solve" the crisis.

Either McCain has realized that the Hail Mary pass of "suspending" his campaign has backfired and won him no support, or he truly thinks that progress is being made despite the reporting of every major news organization.

John McCain has again proven in the past 48 hours that he has no idea what he is doing and is completely out of touch with reality.

Can't wait for the debates(s).

Debate Prep

2008-09-26T08:40:00.002-04:00

The economy is in a serious crisis. Banks are failing. Mortgages are defaulting. Credit is tight. Wall Street is dangerously unstable.

But have no fear, John McCain is here? The man who has claimed in the past to have very little knowledge of the economy is somehow going to save the country from this impending financial disaster? Puh-lease.

My initial reaction to John McCain "suspending" his campaign to go back to Washington and fix the financial mess was one of shock and amazement. This, ladies and gentleman, is unprecedented. John McCain, apparently putting country first.

But then I started to actually thing about it.

It's nothing more than John McCain trying to change he topic of the debate and use this crisis for his own political gain (which I don't necessarily blame him for, since this is politics). Since the Republican convention, Barack Obama has reclaimed his small lead over the senator from Arizona, and McCain is attempting to put things on his terms. But it's not working.

First of all, it was Barack Obama who contacted John McCain about a bi-partisan joint-statement on the current economic issues. John McCain, having to look like more of a leader, then had to one-up Obama -- hence the "suspension" of his campaign (which Obama found out about on the news) and his leisurely rush back to Washington.

Second, when he got to Washington, what did he do? Nothing. At least nothing that he could not have done over the phone between campaign events. McCain doesn't sit on any of the relevant committees, so he and his staff aren't even in on the meetings. All it really does is bring unneeded additional press to an already stressful situation. In a time of serious congressional negotiations, John McCain and Barack Obama are distractions. Obama acknowledges this. McCain either doesn't know, or doesn't care. And as for that joint meeting at the White House (which reportedly turned into a shouting match), sources are saying that McCain didn't say anything of any importance, and progress on this issue has slowed since it's occurrence. Talk about a show of leadership.

Third, this idea of postponing tonight's debate is one of the most preposterous things that I have ever heard, especially since McCain holds no position of any importance on any of the negotiating committees. Now, more than ever, the American people are watching and listening, and they want to hear where the presidential candidates plan to take this country in the next four years. Now is the most important time to have a debate.

John McCain will show up. And if he doesn't, I don't know what will happen, but I can't imagine that it will be a positive experience for Mr. McCain.

John McCain Writes An SNL Sketch

2008-09-25T08:27:00.005-04:00

This has to be some kind of joke.

This has to be some kind of segment on Saturday Night Live, not reality.

In an effort to beef up vice-presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin's non-existent foreign policy credentials, the McCain campaign sent her to the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week to meet and greet notable dignitaries and foreign leaders. It's a standard tactic -- trying to make yourself look important by getting photographed with people who actually are important -- but in a presidential election it's just plain bush-league. It's the photo-op of a lifetime, and just goes to re-enforce how scary a thought "President Sarah Palin" really is.

No public questions. No public answers. Nothing unscripted. Just a bunch of pictures and video that scream: "Look at me! All of these important people are willing to sit down with me, so I must be ready to step-in and take over!"

Truthfully, though, she did answer one unscripted question. A reporter was able to quickly ask her how the day was going yesterday. Her response? That the meetings were "informative and helpful." And she looking like a deer in headlights trying to look comfortable when she answered.

The biggest compliment that a foreign leader had for Gov. Palin? The president of Pakistan said that she is "gorgeous." Well, I'm sold.

The press is not allowed to get to Gov. Palin or to ask her questions. Why? Apparently she can't handle the scrutiny of the general press when it comes to actual issues. I'd hate to see what the vice-presidency does to her.

Andrew Sullivan is one of my favorite conservatives. He is a writer, commentator, and daily blogger on http://www.andrewsullivan.com/. I caught him Friday night on Real Time With Bill Maher, and he argued that John McCain's pick of Sarah Palin as his running mate should automatically disqualify him from the presidency. I completely agree.

But that's alright, because John McCain will just spin this as his unique ability to bring people together in a bi-partisan manner.

Campaign First, Country Second

2008-09-15T22:41:00.001-04:00

I've given myself plenty of time - over two weeks -- to observe and get my thoughts together regarding the choice of Alaskan governor Sarah Palin as Senator John McCain's vice-presidential running mate. My conclusion is this: she's nothing more than a gimmick pick.

Merriam-Webster provides five definitions for the word "gimmick," and I prefer the fifth one: "a trick or device used to attract business or attention" (i.e. Gov. Palin).

I watched the speech that she gave when she was first introduced as McCain's running mate, and I heard her say four things:

1 - Vote for me because I'm a Republican.

2 - Vote for me because I'm a woman.

3 - Vote for me because my son is going to Iraq.

4 - Vote for me because I have a husband and five children.

Yeah, it's pretty thin.

I also watched her acceptance speech at the GOP convention, where she said all of those same things again, but added the sentiment that anyone who spends a few years of their 20s trying to better a community is pretty pathetic. I'm glad she cleared that up.

Yeah, it doesn't get much thicker. Sorry.

Now, there has been a lot of talk about whether or not Sarah Palin is being an irresponsible parent for choosing to run for the vice-presidency while trying to raise her 5 children, including her youngest who has special needs. Some say its sexist; others say its fair game. I say that I'm sure it can be done. If it were a man running for vice-president with 5 children including a child with special needs, no one would say anything. That's just how this country is, and we should work to change it.

However, I will argue right here that I think Sarah Palin is being an irresponsible parent for choosing to run for vice-president while her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. I'm not going to point fingers and say that Sarah Palin won't be able to govern properly if she can't even control her own child -- things happen, everyone makes mistakes, and some mistakes are just worse than others. But I will rip Sarah Palin for choosing to make her daughter's mistake national news in order to further her own political career. Parents are supposed to protect their children from as much as they can, but Gov. Palin has chosen to throw her daughter into the fire that is a national presidential campaign for her own benefit. That's pretty despicable. And furthermore, the campaign argues that families are off-limits, and the first thing that Sarah Palin does when she accepts the vice-presidential nomination is highlight her wonderful family. Go figure.

And so the more time Gov. Sarah Palin spends on the trail and in the news, it becomes more and more obvious that Alaskan politicians are the same as all other American politicians -- lies and misleading truths. She claims that she put an end to the "Bridge To Nowhere." Not true -- she was for it before she was against it, and not until congress had put an end to it. But she kept the money. She loves to say that she put the private government jet on eBay. True, but it didn't sell on eBay, and it ended up being sold by a broker, for a loss (not for a profit, as John McCain claims).

And to John McCain, why would you ever in the name of all things sane and holy choose a running mate who is under investigation? You've been in Washington for 26 years and you haven't figured out that politics is perception? What have you been doing all this time?

In the end, we need to be clear that traditionally the vice-president of the United States has no duties of any real importance (with the exception of Dick Cheney, who actually runs the country). The only real duty of the vice-president is to be ready to take the reigns of the country should something awful happen to the president that would prevent him from doing his job. This choice, therefore, is the first public decision of a presidential candidate's would-be presidency, and goes specifically to their judgment. So, you have to look at each candidate's VP pick as their answer to this hypothetical question: Suppose as president, you are assassinated. The American public is in shock and needs leadership; the government needs stability; and the perpetrators of the attack need to be identified and brought to justice. In this situation, who would you choose to be the person who has to step up and immediately fill the role of president during a time of such crisis?

Sen. Obama's answer? Sen. Joe Biden. Say all you want about the a "candidate of change" selecting someone with so much time in Washington as his #2, but when put into the context of the situation described above, it makes much more sense.

Sen. McCain's answer? Gov. Sarah....Palin? The governor of Alaska? To step in at a moment's notice to take control of the most difficult and complex job in the history of mankind? Yeah, it really is that ridiculous.

That's not "Country First."

That's "Campaign First, Country Second."

A Prayer For Our Fallen Brothers And Sisters

2008-09-11T11:10:00.003-04:00

There's a blood red circle on the cold dark ground
And the rain is falling down
The church door's thrown open; I can hear the organ's song
But the congregation's gone
My city of ruins
My city of ruins

Now the sweet bells of mercy drift through the evening trees
Young men on the corner like scattered leaves
The boarded up windows; the empty streets
While my brother's down on his knees
My city of ruins
My city of ruins

Come on, rise up! Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up! Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up! Come on, rise up!

Now's there's tears on the pillow darlin' where we slept
And you took my heart when you left
Without your sweet kiss my soul is lost, my friend
Tell me how do I begin again?
My city's in ruins
My city's in ruins

Now with these hands
With these hands
With these hands, I pray Lord
With these hands
With these hands
I pray for the strength, Lord
With these hands
With these hands
I pray for the faith, Lord
We pray for your love, Lord
We pray for the lost, Lord
We pray for this world, Lord
We pray for the strength, Lord
We pray for the strength, Lord

Come on
Come on
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
-Bruce Springsteen, "My City of Ruins"

A Touch of DNC & A Larger Point

2008-08-29T15:46:00.005-04:00

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten." That was what one of the speakers at the Democratic National Convention this week said regarding the nomination of Barack Obama and the upcoming presidential election, and it was the one quote from the event that really stuck with me and hit home. "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten." America needs to do something that it hasn't done before.

Barack Obama's acceptance speech itself was riveting, and he brought his "A" game last night. Before it began, I was contacting friends telling them that they were going to want to see this: the formal acceptance of a major party's presidential nomination by an African-American. A history-changing event. And the visual was amazing -- 80,000 people crammed into a standium to see the occassion, screaming, cameras flashing. It was like nothing that this country has ever seen.

And I have to take issue with one of the talking points of the Republicans over the past week. One of the major criticisms that they had was the grand spectacle of the final night at Invesco Field (I heard a Fox News reporter today refer to it as a "circus") -- specifically, they were trying to spin 80,000 voters coming out as a bad thing. It's a bad thing? God forbid the American people actually want to get involved with and listen to a politician. What a liability. Let's open up the Metrodome in Minnesota for John McCain's acceptance speech on Thursday and see how many people show up.

And this brings me to a larger point that I seem to me noticing lately about a lot of Republicans: One of the reasons that I like Barack Obama is because he wants everyone to get involved, participate, and do their part, and he inspires me to do so. The Republicans, on the other hand, seem to me to have an attitude of "don't get too excited or involved -- just elect us and let the professionals do their jobs."

"...of the people, by the people, for the people..."
-Abraham Lincoln

My reaction to the awful John McCain choice of Gov. Sarah Palin for Vice-President in the days to come.

"Joebama"

2008-08-25T20:11:00.004-04:00

Now, I don't mean to be a downer or anything, but the choice of Joe Biden as Barack Obama's running mate does not infuse me with enthusiasm. To be honest, I don't know that Obama could have chosen anyone that would have gotten me excited. The majority of mentioned possible candidates are all politicians that I'm not very familiar with, and the choice of Hillary Clinton would have been a reluctant partnership at best. But the choice of Joe Biden almost makes me scratch my head and say, "O....K?"

Is Joe Biden an experienced and remarkable public servant? Yes. Does he add "stability" to the ticket? Yes. Is he a well-known and respected leader in the world community? Yes. Does the have the possibility of helping out in key contested states? Yes. Does he have bad hair? Yes. So far he sounds like the perfect candidate. But unfortunately, there is nothing exciting about Joe Biden.

When I saw the clip of Joe Biden running out after being introduced at the rally in Illinois, I could just imagine him thinking: Haha -- I didn't even make it to the second contest, and here I am the Vice-Presidential nominee. Go me. Now, gotta look young, gotta look energetic -- suck in the gut and don't say anything stupid.

Biden is Obama's LBJ -- the older, more seasoned politician expected to help in specific ways...just not as vindictive. But it doesn't matter anyway, because no one votes for Vice-President.

Sorry, Joe.

Mr. Cahill's Red Herrings

2008-07-14T19:45:00.001-04:00

Fellow PoughkeepsieJournal.com blogger Richard T. Cahill, Jr., posted a blog yesterday titled "Barack Obama in his own words," and I absolutely have to take issue with it (you can read the entire post here). In this post, he picks three quotes from Senator Barack Obama's books and presents them as reasons to not vote for the senator from Illinois. It's pretty sad.

The first quote, from Dreams of My Father:
"I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites."

I do not know Mr. Cahill personally, and I don't tend to agree with the points of view in his blog. But, I would like to ask him: why does he feel is it relevant to base his vote for president on one of the candidate's insecurities and identity issues during adolescence? I guess these problems are for lesser teenagers, not Mr. Cahill.

The second quote, also from Dreams of My Father:
"I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa, that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself, the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, Dubois and Mandela."

Now, be careful, because Mr. Cahill is trying to outrage you with words like white, brown, black, and Africa. What is Mr. Obama saying in this passage? He's saying simply that he does not model himself after those that he does not relate to and whose path he does not want to follow, no matter what their racial background. How is that any different from any of us? Mr. Obama then writes that he seeks to embody the attributes that he sees in Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, W.E.B. DuBois, and Nelson Mandela -- four men who were all instrumental in the civil rights movement. Mr. Cahill asks at the end of his post, "Is this really the kind of moral leadership we want in the White House?" Therefore, I would like to ask Mr. Cahill: has the fight for civil rights over the past 58 years been an immoral one?

The last quote is from The Audacity of Hope, and is actually a quote of Rev. Jeremiah Wright:
"White folks' greed runs a world in need."

Mr. Cahill wants you to think that Senator Obama is a racist for using this quote. This is what magicians call misdirection. But the fact is, as troubling and upsetting as it may be to accept, any serious student of history will tell you that Rev. Wright's statement is the truth.

Finally, the most outrageous quote comes from Mr. Cahill himself. He writes, "There are worse quotes in Audacity of Hope which I do not feel comfortable posting on this blog." Now, I have read The Audacity of Hope, and I do not know quite how to respond to this, other than to say that Mr. Cahill obviously means to scare you, the reader, into thinking Senator Obama writes and condones sinister, seditious ideas -- ideas so vicious and despicable that their very repetition would corrupt your mind in a way that can never be repaired. Ideas like freedom of expression, for example. I read nothing in the book that I would not repeat or post on this blog. Mr. Cahill is simply trying to frighten and create controversy.

I would like to think that we can move past this kind of petty, pathetic fear mongering, and focus on issues, not red herrings. I guess old habits die hard for some people.

"Grandma - Friend or Foe?"

2008-07-08T18:56:00.000-04:00

My 4th of July this year was more eventful than normal; not only did I attend a small family BBQ here in Poughkeepsie, but I also attended a gathering in Copiague, NY, down on Long Island. Technically the party in L.I. was a wedding rehearsal dinner, but it had the same effect: I was there for about 3 hours, the beer was plentiful, and the fireworks were continuously lighting up the sky from all directions.

This year's celebration got me thinking about patriotism. Specifically, I have been thinking about how recently the most pressing issue facing the citizens of this nation seems to be whether or not Sen. Barack Obama is a "patriot." Some people obviously believe that since he sometimes chooses to not wear an American flag pin and does not put his hand over his heart during the singing of the National Anthem, he does not love his country. This is a waste of brain cells.

I do not wear an American flag pin. Everyone that I know does not wear an American flag pin. I'm willing to bet that you do not wear an American flag pin, either. And when I go to a Met game, half the fans in attendance do not have their hands over their hearts during the singing of the National Anthem. Are all of us unpatriotic?

My point is this: the "issues" that will get the most attention in the upcoming election are the ones that matter the least. Boxers or briefs? PC or Mac? Wine or beer? Paper or plastic? Flag pins or no flag pins? "Next week: Grandma - Friend or Foe?"

And one additional note: any experienced concert goer will tell you that you do not wear the t-shirt of the band that you are doing to see. Therefore, if you are in the United States, why do you feel the need to wear the flag? You're already there!

The Problem With the Truth

2008-06-25T17:51:00.003-04:00

Over the past two weeks, I have found myself -- consciously or unconsciously -- shying away from politics, and spending less time trying to immerse myself in current political news. I don't know why; perhaps I reached my breaking-point with the horse race; perhaps I became numb to the repetitive nature of the political culture; perhaps I've just been too busy. I don't have a good answer for this question.

But one thing that peaked my interest this week is the "uproar" within the presidential campaign about whether or not a terrorist attack on U.S. soil would benefit McCain or Obama. In an interview with Fortune Magazine, McCain advisor Charlie Black stated that a terrorist attack on the United States "would be a big advantage" for John McCain. And everyone can now stop acting like they are shocked and appalled at the statement.

Should Mr. Black have said what he said? Absolutely not. Was he correct in what he said? You bet he was.

The upcoming general election will allow the American public to chose between that which is comfortable (Sen. McCain) or that which is new (Sen. Obama). A black president is probably a situation that many people are not comfortable with. Therefore, does anyone really doubt that a terrorist attack on U.S. soil would cause more people to lean toward sticking with what is comfortable? Change is difficult for many people, and people are less likely to make a significant change is they are scared. And furthermore, the majority of the public views Republicans more favorably than Democrats when it comes to national security -- don't ask my why. It must be that red is a more confrontational color.

The McCain campaign and Mr. Black have come under fire for a statement of truth. And this is why in the current political culture, the truth is very often kept quite. And that is a problem.

My Barack Obama Lawsuit

2008-06-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

On June 3, when Barack Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, he and his wife did something that has apparently set the nation on fire, and really angered me. I am referring, of course, to the "fist-bump heard 'round the world."

Prior to his victory speech that night, when Obama emerged on stage with his wife, the pair chose to forgo the expected hug and kiss for the fist-bump. How hip. This immediately became national news, and I know for a fact that CNN did an entire segment on the occurrence (because war has become oh so boring).

So, why did this really steam my clams? Simple: I've been doing the fist-bump for years. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I could very well have invented the fist-bump. How dare he use it on national television? I fist-bump all the time, and not once has it garnered me national media attention.

Therefore, I will be filing my Barack Obama lawsuit sometime before the end of the week. Under the advice of my lawyer, I cannot disclose the specific amounts that I am seeking, but the lawsuit includes pain and suffering (for seeing my invention, which took me years to perfect, on national television with no credit for me) and compensation for the derailment of my career (my plan was to do the fist-bump on TV as soon as I had the chance, thus elevating the status of my career significantly).

Furthermore, we are attempting to coordinate our efforts with the trademark owners of the phrases "Yes We Can" and "Si Se Puede," as well as the inventor of the shoulder-brush.

And Then There Were Two

2008-06-09T08:55:00.004-04:00

It's over. Finally. After 6 official months, and many more unofficial.

I remember during Hillary Clinton's reelection campaign of 2006, her challenger accused her of planning on neglecting her senatorial duties in favor of a run for the White House. She denied the certainty of such a run, stating that she had not made any decisions about that particular issue. I remember thinking how that was a joke. Of course she was going to run, and of course she was going to win. Except...

I remember sitting at home, watching Barack Obama stand in the cold on the steps of the old Illinois capitol in Springfield, IL, announcing his candidacy for the nation's highest office to a sea of people. I remember how his words that day -- and the days to follow -- made me feel like I wanted to get involved. How his speech following his victory in Iowa made me think in surprise: He's going to win.

And through it all -- the debates and the stump speeches, Joe Biden's un-PC descriptions, $400 haircuts, floating crosses, crying candidates, not black enough, not christian enough, Florida, Michigan, Rev. Wright, the many faces of Clinton, Tony Rezko, Iran, Hamas, gas price misdirection, Karl Rove tactics, the popular vote, delegate counts, and superdelegates -- we have learned a valuable lesson: These campaigns go on too long and make me want to pull my hair out!

Obviously, some of the above mentioned items will come up again in the next 5 months. And whether Obama can defeat McCain will be argued and not known until November 4th. But I am a big believer that the process matters more than the outcome. Obama is the candidate I want running for president, and let the chips fall where they may.

And then there were two.

A Sigh of Reli -- Oh God

2008-06-04T10:27:00.002-04:00

Hillary Clinton never ceases to amaze me. She loses the nomination -- she has lost, by the way -- and she can't even admit defeat. I don't know if its arrogance, delusion, poor political judgement, or all three, but last night was just another example of why I don't ever want to have to pull a lever next to her name. Her campaign is blatantly dishonest and oily, choosing obfuscation over revelation.

I saw Matt Lauer's interview with Howard Wolfson of the Clinton campaign this morning on The Today Show. Lauer held up a copy of The Washington Post with the headline, "Obama Claims Nomination." He then asked Wolfson if the headline was accurate. Any sane, forward-thinking person knows that the answer is, "Yes." But that's not acceptable for Howard Wolfson. His response? To be honest, I stopped listening after he began by saying that Barack Obama ran a wonderful campaign and brought a lot of people to the Democratic Party. This is the same kind of obfuscation and backward-logic that allows the Clinton campaign to claim that Clinton won the popular vote (even though the Michigan and Florida contests were bogus), and exactly why I am so turned off by her and them.

Recently Barack Obama's (now former) church made headlines again, when a visiting priest openly mocked Hillary Clinton during a sermon. He claimed that she felt she was white and entitled to the presidency, and that a younger, black candidate does not deserve it. Well, apart from the white part, that's how many people feel about her -- that she feels she's entitled to this, no matter what. But honestly, she all but had his nomination sown up 16 months ago, and she presided over what could be the most significant and massive political collapse in United States history. That, to me, sounds like gross incompetence, and you don't hire someone who has shown themselves to be grossly incompetent.

Perhaps her non-concession is an attempt to force Obama to name her as his Vice-Presidential running mate, as some people are speculating. Is this a good idea? I don't know. She doesn't seem like she has the personality to be 2nd to anyone. And if it were to occur, I think that the public would have a hard time looking at an Obama administration and not seeing an internal power struggle between Obama, Clinton...and Clinton! Yes, her husband. Bill Clinton has turned into major baggage for his wife, and she should find a basement to lock him in. I personally look at a vote for Hillary as a vote for Hillary and Bill. Some believe that Obama needs Hillary to win, but I guess that's for smarter, more experienced people to decide.

I am a big proponent of putting country before party; doing what is best for the country, even if it is not in the interest of your party. However, I feel that in this situation what is best for one is best for the other. What is best for the Democratic Party is also best for the country: Hillary Clinton needs to get out of the way.

26 Years

2008-06-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

On Friday, May 23, Senator John McCain's presidential campaign released his medical records since 2000, in an attempt to show that he is healthy enough -- despite his age of 71 -- to successfully campaign and, if elected, execute the job of president of the United States. Good for him. But age is still an issue.

Contrary to what the McCain campaign may want to lead you to believe, age is not simply a question of health and life-expectancy. Age is much more than that. Your age inherently influences the way that you see yourself, the way that you view the world, and the way that the world sees you. I know many people advanced in years who still use the term "colored." I know a World War II veteran who, on occasion, tends to use the term "Japs." Now, this is not to portray these people as racists (which they most definitely are not), but I am attempting to illustrate how age effects your point of view. Older people who use the term "colored" grew up in a different time. The WWII veteran who uses the term "Japs" comes from a different generation that fought a war against Japan. This is something for which we need fundamental understanding for the upcoming presidential election.

John McCain is 71. His presumptive opponent in the general election -- Sen. Barack Obama -- is 45. That's a difference in age of 26 years. 26 years. That's huge. 26 years is longer than I have been alive. 26 years is the difference between Germany breaking the Treaty of Versailles in 1936, and the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961. 26 years is the difference of Nat "King" Cole in 1950, and Queen in 1976. 26 years is the beginning of the Vietnam War as we know it in 1965, and the end of the Cold War in 1991. 26 years is the difference of "Ghandi" in 1982, and "No Country For Old Men" in 2008 (no pun intended). 26 years is the age of 236 service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan fight the current "War On Terror."

26 years is everything. Age is an issue.

Fighting Over The Definition Of A Word

2008-05-30T08:49:00.000-04:00

Ever since Gov. Eliot Spitzer's extra-marital rendezvous came to light back in early March, it seems that New York has had a streak of making national news. Yesterday was no exception: Gov. David Patterson instructed all state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages that are legally performed in other states and countries. It's like a social conservative's nightmare -- no law, just a directive.

To be honest, I have no strong opinion on whether or not gays should be allowed to marry. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that the issue of "gay marriage" is simply a red herring, intended to rally the base of support and distract others from the real issue: equal rights. Two women or two men who decide to commit to each other for the rest of their lives should have the same rights and privileges as a man and a woman who decide to do the same. I don't care what they call it, as long as it happens. I'm talking about healthcare, and tax credits, and social security benefits, and adoption privileges, and more.

150 years ago, slavery was the acceptable norm. 50 years ago, segregation and legislative racism was commonplace. Today, we look back on these times and (most of us) wonder what the country's leaders were thinking, and how this kind of thinking was acceptable. It is laughable to think how the country was when in came to something as simple and obvious as equal rights for those of a different skin color.

Perhaps in 50 years, the next generations will be laughing at us, because we were fighting over the definition of a word.

A Remarkable Life

2008-05-23T17:13:00.002-04:00

This big news in the world of politics this week was obviously the health of Sen. Edward Kennedy. His seizure earlier this week led to the diagnosis of a malignant brain tumor, and has brought into question not only his future, but also the future of the United States Senate: what will its make-up become? What direction will it take once this giant of politics is lost?

But this week's news has started me thinking about the journey that Sen. Kennedy has traveled. It truly has been a remarkable life, no matter how you view the man politically. He's a Kennedy -- a name that has been held in the highest esteem in the eyes of Americans for more than 50 years. He comes from the era of Camelot, which many of us know only through the words of history books. He has been able to stand up and stand out among a group of larger than life personalities.

People's lives fascinate me -- how long they've lived, what they've done, where they've been. Sen. Kennedy is a member of an extraordinary family, and more specifically a member of a group of three brothers that have not only changed this country, but the world as a whole (his eldest brother, Joseph, was killed during World War II). His second eldest brother John held the highest office in this land. His brother Robert was John's closest confidant, and made his own run for president. Both were cut down by the bullets of assassins, 45 and 40 years ago, respectively. That amazes me. Losing one brother in such a fashion would be traumatic enough, but losing two, and then choosing to continue to live the same kind of public, exposed lifestyle that led to their murders clearly shows the depth of commitment that Sen. Kennedy has for this country. He has served in the United States Senate since 1963 -- 45 years.

Sen. Kennedy has truly lived a blessed life, despite the trials and tribulations -- both professional and personal -- that seem to come along with the name 'Kennedy.'

I wish him nothing but the best as he deals with this new crisis.

"This is bulls**t!"

2008-05-16T10:45:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago I posted a blog about the preposterous "gas tax holiday," and how the issue had made me truly angry with politicians for the first time in a long time. Well, just two weeks later it has happened again.

Yesterday, President Bush spoke to the Knesset (Israel's parliament), and here is the quote (and it was not off-the-cuff): "Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along...We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: 'Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.' We have an obligation to call this what it is — the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history."

I don't believe that I have ever heard President Bush say anything so ignorant or dangerous. He claims to be a student of history, but he obviously is not -- of the world, this country, or his own presidency. But that's alright, because everyone wants to have a beer with him.

President Bush believes that the art of diplomacy is equal to weakness. He believes that entering into diplomacy with an enemy is equal to allowing the Nazis to run rampant over Poland. He believes that keeping your friends close and your enemies closer is a strategy for lesser mortals, and non-divine countries. He is wrong.

The truth is that aside from being free (which should be a big plus for a conservative), words save lives. I seem to remember words keeping two superpowers from annihilating each other ten times over during the course of more than 40 years. Words are what kept the Cold War just that -- cold. Even Secretary of State Rice and Secretary of Defense Gates have acknowledged that the United States needs to engage in a dialogue with countries such as Iran. After all, they are not going anywhere, and we all inhabit the same planet. But, oh no, says the "decider."

I personally believe that it is President Bush, and not his target, Senator Obama, who is weak. It is he who prefers taking the easy way -- the low road -- as he has done his entire life. It is so easy to drop a bomb. It is so easy to resort to violence. The opposite is the more difficult, more disciplined pursuit. But the president simply does not possess the depth of character to follow such a course. He never has, and he never will.

And the kicker is this: it is President Bush's administration, and not the Democratic leaders, that is actively engaging in the policy of appeasement. Merriam-Webster defines 'appeasement' as: "to buy off (an aggressor) by concessions usually at the sacrifice of principles." And as it turns out, this is exactly what the Bush Administration is doing in Iraq -- they're bribing certain groups in the country to no longer target American soldiers and infrastructure. They're buying allies and support.

President Bush has clearly lost all touch with reality and is, quite simply, pathetic.

Senator Joe Biden said it best: "This is bulls**t!"

The Tax Advance

2008-05-09T13:02:00.000-04:00

Today I received the money designated to me by the U.S. government in the 2008 Economic Stimulus Package -- $300. But for all the talk of it being a "rebate," it is not -- it is an advance, and here is why:

As of May 7, 2008, the total outstanding public debt for the United States of America is $9,359,720,592,641.80, according to the U.S. Department of Treasury. That number is so big that you can't even look at it without getting confused, and you have to break it down comma by comma. It is a number that is almost impossible to even comprehend, and yet there it is -- over $9.35 trillion.

The fact of the matter is that the U.S. government cannot afford to be giving out "rebates," and any high school economics student would be able to understand why. And yet, here comes the money anyway, in a federal attempt to stimulate an economy that is in serious trouble. But with a national debt that exceeds $9 trillion and an Iraq war cost that currently exceeds $518 billion (both of which are growing every second), it is more than obvious that the U.S. government cannot afford this "stimulus," which totals $152 billion. And therefore, the government will soon need to ask for that money back -- which makes it not a "rebate," but an advance.

I urge you to not spend the money you receive on frivolous things you don't need and can't afford. The leaders in Washington are hoping that you will take this "rebate" and -- despite the stack of bills that you may have -- buy a new TV, or lawnmower, or pair of jeans, or any of the other millions of products that are made outside the U.S. It is a fantastic plan, to say the least. But don't spend it -- save it instead, because it's not really yours anyway.

And soon they will come collecting.

"Well, Tim..."

2008-05-05T09:32:00.002-04:00

Just to illustrate how exhausting the presidential campaign trail is on a candidate, I caught the Barack Obama interview this morning on The Today Show.

Obama was being interviewed by Matt Lauer. However, Obama continually kept saying, "Well, Tim..." Now, the first time it happened, I was expecting him to realize his mistake...but he didn't. After the second time, I started to feel kinda bad for the guy. After the third time, I was laughing and wondering where his communications assistant was, and why this person was not holding up a piece of paper that simply read, "MATT," in big, black letters. I was waiting for Obama's eyes to dart away from the camera for just a split second while someone off-camera alerted him to his mistake, but it never happened.

In the end, Matt Lauer simply informed Obama that he was, in fact, Matt Lauer, and not Tim Russert. They both had a chuckle (as I'm sure everyone else in the studio did as well).

So, these candidates are exhausted, and who can really fault any of them for mistaking who they are hearing in their ear when they have been going on no sleep for the past 15 months? I know I can't.

And besides, after the interview Matt Lauer proceeded to call Al Roker, "Ann."

Infuriating

2008-05-02T10:43:00.000-04:00

I don't remember the last time I felt this angry with politicians. Sure this campaign has obviously gone on too long, and seeing the same candidates make the same speeches and the same points over and over and over and over can make me annoyed and weary, but not angry. But this week, I'm infuriated. This "gas tax holiday" scam has gone on long enough, and it has to end.

First off, let's dispell any idea (Sens. Clinton and McCain) that the sweetly-coined "gas tax holiday" is a good idea. When you consider any policy or legislation, you have to weight the pros, the cons, and the X factors that you can't control.

Pros:
-Gasoline will be 18.4 cents cheaper than it normally would be.
-Diesel would be 24.4 cents cheaper than it normally would be.
-The average consumer would stand to save an estimated $28 between Memorial Day and Labor Day. (That's a savings of $28 over the course of 94 days, or roughly 30 cents per day.)

Cons:
-The federal government would lose an estimated $9-10 billion in revenue that go toward fixing our national infrustructure (i.e. roads and bridges to drive on)
-Thousands and thousands and thousands of contruction workers would see a reduction or lose in their jobs due to the lack of money (I think I heard the Today Show estimate about 300,000 workers would be effected, but it was early in the morning and I can't be sure of that figure.)
-People will be encouraged to drive more, which would use up more gasoline, driving the prices even higher. Also, it is the wrong path to take in terms of protecting the environment.

X-Factor:
-The oil companies may simply raise their prices an extra 18.4 cents per gallon, thus nullifying the savings of the "holiday." And for Sen. Clinton's proposal of a new tax on windfall oil profits, the companies can simply raise the gas prices even higher to pay for the new tax.

Now, it was obvious what Clinton and McCain have been trying to do: use a pointless policy that sounds good (but really isn't) to influence some voters into supporting them. However, it wasn't until today that there arguments really got my furious.

John McCain said, "The lamentations of people about the draconian consequences of giving Americans just a little relief for the summer continues to amaze and amuse me...I’d like to see families in America have a relief from ever increasing costs of gasoline, so maybe at the end of the summer after this tax holiday they could buy school supplies for their children as they start the school year.” According to John McCain, if you're against the tax holiday, you're against families and children going to school.

Hillary Clinton said, "I believe it would be important to get every member of Congress on record: Do they stand with the hard-pressed Americans who are trying to pay their gas bills at the gas station or do they once again stand with the oil companies? I want to know where people stand and I want them to tell us, are they with us or against us when it comes to taking on the oil companies?” According to Hillary Clinton, if you're against the tax holiday, you're for the oil companies having whatever they want.

The "gas tax holiday" is a terrible idea, and Clinton and McCain know this, but are blatantly playing on the struggles of Americans. For 30 cents a day. Please. For some reason they think that I am stupid and will swallow and believe any dribble that comes out of their mouths. But here is the kicker: Come Labor Day, when the "holiday" would end, in addition to the prices set by oil companies that will continue to rise over the summer, American consumers will be hit by a 1-day 18.4 cent increase. This will force people, in the end, to take all the money they save and poor it right back into their gas tanks.

We need serious alternative energy sources, not 3-month boondoggles. The truth is that high gas prices are the best thing that have happened for the energy-independence movement. Now that gas prices really are unaffordable for a lot of Americans, perhaps progress will be made toward breaking out reliance on the Middle East for energy, as well as protecting the only planet that we have.

In the mean time, a number of expletives come to mind.

A Campaign Flashes Before My Eyes

2008-04-28T21:10:00.000-04:00

Last I checked, we have some serious problems in (and out of) this country: floundering wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, an economy slowly sliding toward the seventh circle of Hell, a steadily worsening environment, roughly 47 million U.S. citizens without health insurance, and a substantial percentage of the population living below the poverty line, just to name six. But nevertheless, last night Rev. Jeremiah Wright spoke to an NAACP dinner last night in Detroit, MI, and CNN decided that they needed to break in for special coverage and show the entire address.

I didn't go out of my way to watch the speech -- I was merely at my computer with the television on when it began. True, I could have changed the channel, but part of me was slightly interested. And the result was that I saw Barack Obama's presidential campaign flash in front of my eyes.

I have a mixed opinion of Rev. Wright. First of all, I may be desensitized, but the 30-second clips of his that I saw did not throw me into an offended tantrum. Second, I don't believe that those same few 30-second clips can allow me to make an informed decision about a person and a life that has been considerably longer than mine. However, Rev. Wright has decided to reemerge at the worse possible time for Obama, after Obama could have thrown Wright "under the bus" (as they say) when the clips surfaced, but bent over backwards to not do so. So, while I don't think he can be written off simply as a whack-job, I also think that this is a poor way to repay Obama. If he wants Obama to win, he needs to disappear until November 5. And it's also sad that the current state of our national politics makes that so.

As I watched Wright's address to the Detroit chapter of the NAACP last night, my initial thought was, This is the end of the Obama campaign. Some of you may think that that is too cynical, but I disagree. There are countless voters in this country who will not vote for Obama due simply to the fact that Jeremiah Wright scares them (and many of these people also know that the Native Americans welcomed Christopher Columbus with open arms).

No one may want to admit it or agree with it, but this campaign is not only suffering from a racial divide, but also a cultural divide.

My Wallet Is Bleeding

2008-04-23T10:25:00.000-04:00

No matter where you pump it, these gas prices hurt, and there is no getting around that. I returned from Maryland on Saturday, and I immediately noticed how much gas had gone up during my absence -- 20 cents. I was on 'E,' so I had to fill up on Sunday, and I did it reluctantly. I recently had three distinct gas experiences that I would like to share.

For whatever reason, the rising prices haven't caused me that much worry in the past, and I didn't think twice about filling up. $3.15/gallon? No problem. $3.24/gallon? Sure. $3.33/gallon? Why not? Then came Sunday night, when I payed $3.48/gallon, and that was the cheapest price around. I suddenly felt uncomfortable spending so much money to fill up my gas tank. A taxi driver was filling up his taxi next to me, and he began talking about how ridiculous the price of gas was. I agreed. He also spoke of being ready for $4 and $5/gallon. I agreed again. I don't know where the money is coming from, but I know where it's going.

One day while resting on a bench in Washington, DC, last week, it was tough to not overhear the conversation that was going on near-by. A woman with an Irish accent was commenting to her companion about how easy we Americans have had it when it comes to the price of gas. While it is true that fuel costs in Europe have been significantly higher for quite some time, the large taxes levied by European governments on gas go to provide their populations with services that us Americans have to pay separately for -- namely health care and college. And even if our prices are just normalizing with the majority of the world, its still not in our budget.

On our way back from Maryland on Saturday, while traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike, we decided to stop for gas -- obviously, because we were in Jersey and wanted to take advantage of their lower prices and full-service stations. We pulled off to the rest stop. Immediately we were plunged into a 100-car gridlock of people waiting in line for gas. And the worst part was that we couldn't even leave, because the way to the exit was blocked by the waiting cars. We lost at least half an hour. And as we sat there, I looked around at all the license plates -- New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts. I think I saw one New Jersey license plate.

Gas prices are hitting this country's economy hard. But what is to be done? John McCain has recommended that between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the federal government suspend it's 18.4 cent tax on gasoline, as well as it's 24.4 cents tax on diesel fuel. Some have expected this move would cost the federal government somewhere in the neighborhood of $10 billion. How can the government afford that? How would they replace that revenue? Where would the government get the money for the infrastructure repairs that these taxes fund? These questions have gone unanswered.

In addition to federal gas taxes, New York State levies it's own tax -- 41.2 cents per gallon for gasoline, and 40.3 cents per gallon for diesel. In comparison, New Jersey's gas taxes are 14.5 and 17.5 cents per gallon, respectively. It's no wonder so many people want to fill up in our neighbor to the south.

So, what can be done about this? Well...really nothing, except to use less to try to lower the demand, and invest more in renewable energy (though not products like ethanol, which not only uses a remarkable amount of oil to produce and doesn't burn very cleanly, but also contributes to the growing food shortage in the world). Until then, we'll just keep on paying. As my father says, "It's just money. You can't take it with you." Maybe, but my wallet is bleeding.

"You know – you know that since George Bush has become president, gas has basically tripled in price. Now, Bush is an oil man. I’m not a conspiracy theorist. I’m just saying that if we had elected Colonel Sanders president and the price of chicken had tripled, I’d be a little suspicious."
-Bill Maher