As the dust finally begins to settle from the senatorial pick, the truth becomes plain: Chuck Schumer is the lord and master of the Empire State. It took a while. He’s churned through the equivalent of the entire Adirondack Preserve in press release pulp… stepped in every cow patty in the North Country… and visited [...]

A new president… Caroline Kennedy drops out… Kirsten Gillibrand drops in… Joe Bruno indicted… what a week! Where to begin? Herkimer County Progressive is happy at the choice of Gillibrand, although many would say she’s hardly “progressive.” Rochester Turning has a more nuanced view (with bullet points), which pretty much agree with my own. I [...]

Now that Obama’s inauguration is over, criticism has inevitably begun — starting with the inaugural festivities on Tuesday. As has been reported locally, thousands of “lucky” attendees were inexplicably kept from their promised places — “silver” and “purple” ticketholders. This has produced an outcry — on the Internet, at least; the Facebook groups are a-flyin’. [...]

Via a tip from Robinia at TAP, from Capitol Confidential: NY political ceiling-breaker drops name in Senate hat Former congresswoman, Brooklyn District Attorney, and New York City Comptroller Elizabeth Holtzman has put her name in the list of contenders to replace Sen. Hillary Clinton. Holtzman had a conversation this afternoon with Gov. David Paterson, during [...]

…to bust out the only thing in my arsenal that can adequately respond to New York Times columnist David Brooks’ contention that anyone who opposed the Paulson bailout bill (yeah, that would include me) is a nihilist. Yes, it’s Mr. Walter Brueggemann, again. In a hospital room we want it to be cheery, and in [...]

Have you always wondered what it would be like to serve in a war? To dutifully face an uncertain future moment by moment as shells fall around you, not knowing if you’d come out alive or would walk away maimed? If drafted, would you go without flinching? Some people think we’re on the verge of [...]

So: President Bush is supposed to go on TV tonight at 9:00 to reassure the nation about Wall Street and the state of the American empire. I’m definitely going to tune in. Mainly because I’m curious if tonight is the night when he finally sizzle-pops a circuit and starts smoking and repeating himself in an [...]

Congress is upset over suddenly learning our financial system is in grave jeopardy! How does it make them feel? Dazed Capital Feels Its Way, Eyes on Election News reports are unrelentingly talking of “crisis.” After decades of deregulation and free-market fealty, antiregulation, small-government Republicans are putting the government in control of a big chunk of [...]

Seeing the photo in today’s paper of the new Pentagon 9/11 memorial, I am wondering about the trend in “funerary architecture” of creating memorials with individual identical pieces for individual dead. It didn’t start with 9/11 (Oklahoma City comes to mind) but it does seem like a relatively new emphasis. There is a recently completed [...]

It was a hoot to watch Shelly and the rest of Our Gang in the spotlight as Hillary Clinton called for an acclamation for Barack Obama’s nomination on Wednesday afternoon. I forgot what a bloviating display of blowhardism the roll call of states is at any political convention. The ritualistic bragging about each state and [...]