Assault on Gingrich Shows GOP Establishment Wants Romney

In the last few weeks, Newt Gringrich rose rapidly in polls of Republicans regarding the GOP Presidential nomination.

Right on cue, the attacks from the usual suspects in the liberal media began. They went after Gingrich the way they had with each GOP contender who rose to the top.

But with Newt, there was another phenomenon. He was also attacked savagely from the GOP itself. The National Review, George Will, the Wall Street Journal, and Glenn Beck all opined about why Newt would be a bad choice. Even Rush Limbaugh warned listeners that they should not make a choice because they want a candidate who is articulate and will do well in debates.

I guess this all stems from the belief among mainstream Republicans that Mitt Romney has the best chance of beating Obama. And, as we all know, nothing is more important than beating Obama.

Well, I'm not so sure.

I want to see the President turned out of office as much as anyone on the right. He has been a disaster and four more years of Obama would be ruinous for the country. But would we really be better off with Mitt Romney as President? In some ways, the obvious answer is yes. Surely, a President Romney would take steps to cut government spending, slow the growth of government and restore many of the tenets of Capitalism.

So why don't I trust him? Why do I feel that he is a George H.W. Bush clone; a guy who will say "read my lips" but when push comes to shove, will cave in to "moderation"?

I think that Romney is just one more "go along, get along" Republican who will try to find "common ground" with the Democrats. In doing so, he may slow the runaway train that is our government, but he won't stop it. I fear that the politicians and pundits in Washington still don't get it. We are at the end of the line. The cliff is looming and we can't just slow down the train; we have to turn it around.

If that is the kind of President the GOP elects, the GOP may be finished, because the Tea Party will abandon the Republicans and start to nominate their own candidates. Romney could be the guy who turns the GOP into the 21st century version of the Whigs.

Democrat and Chronicle Continues to Sink

The reporting on the reasons behind Mike Green losing his Federal Judgeship display the D&C at its worst. They have made no effort to find out what really happened, but instead allow the implication to hang that local Republicans somehow caused it. They know better, but it serves their partisan purposes to protect Green from harm if the real story gets out.

Rumors abound regarding why the nomination was scuttled. It was not, as I initially thought, due to Republican Senators trying to tweak Chuck Schumer. Instead it appears that questions regarding green's personal conduct and ethics may have been raised. Certainly, if it was just normal D.C. politics, President Obama would be re-submitting the nomination. But Green's name will not be re-submitted.

In a city with a real newspaper, that would be a story that reporters would want to investigate. But not in Rochester, with our party organ paper.

Random Thoughts

Mitt Romney:

How bad does this guy have to feel? Has there ever been a front runner for a Presidential nomination so disliked by his party? Victor Davis Hanson called him the "Castor Oil Candidate" since most of his "supporters" are planning to hold their noses and swallow when it comes time to vote for him. I guess I'm one of them. I will probably vote for him, but I'm not going to like it.

Herman Cain:

Enough already! At this point, I can't listen to the guy anymore. He is starting to make Bill Clinton look like a priest.

Sandra Doorley:

So much for that tradition of non-partisanship in the District Attorney's office. Its great that she didn't even wait until her regular term started up to drop the axe on GOP ADAs. Look, she's entitled to have a loyal staff of her choosing. I just wish the Democrat & Chronicle could report the news in town with a semblance of fairness.

Democrat & Chronicle:

Speaking of the D&C, I wonder how long it will be until Sandy Frankel gets a job in Albany, and, when she does, will the D&C run a periodic column titled "What are Bob and Sandy Doing"?

It Wasn't His Night

On further review, my concern regarding a lack of East Side GOP support for Gino Nitti in the Monroe County Court race appears to have been unfounded.

A close look at the numbers shows mostly minor differences in the vote on the GOP line on both sides of the Genesee. There appears to have been no basis for my concerns.

It simply looks like there weren't enough votes in the GOP suburbs to overcome the big Democrat majority for Randall in the City and Brighton. I guess Monroe County voters just wanted to hedge their bets. They went big for Maggie and the GOP Legislature candidates but shied away from Nitti and Taylor.

Given my erroneous snap judgment, I surrender my "political scientist" license.

Hanson: Fat Lady Hasn't Sung Yet For USA

Victor Davis Hanson has always been one of my favorite columnists. I think its partly because he is an historian and he is able to view current issues in light of historical perspectives.

In this essay from the National Review Online, Hanson reminds us that things have looked bad for America before but we have always pulled ourselves up by the bootstraps and held our place in the forefront of nations. He notes that we have serious problems today and that many commentators see China as our inevitable successor. But he also points out, that at other times of economic trouble, those same pundits thought that Germany or the Soviets or Japan or the EU would supplant the US. He also calls out our many strengths as a nation.

Here are two paragraphs:

"We forget sometimes that there are a host of small, vulnerable nations that apparently still assume that the United States, alone, can and will come to their aid. Without America, it is hard to see how Israel can survive, or that Kurdistan would ever have become autonomous, or that bankrupt and vulnerable Greece will have independence of action in a tough neighborhood, or that Taiwan will continue as we have known it. No one is talking about the defense of Europe as it implodes — apparently on the supposition that NATO is de facto American and will continue to protect the continent from outside threats and discourage historical tensions from within. The truth is that in the decades ahead, weak and vulnerable states will look to the U.S. military as never before.

A billion adolescents worldwide are growing up with Apple iPhones, iPods, and iPads; with Facebook accounts, Amazon online ordering, Google searches, and Walmart discount purchasing. These are not Russian, French, Chinese, or Japanese companies, but American inventions that uniquely appeal to the human desire for economy, ease of use, wide choice, informality, and transparency. No other country could have invented them — or the next generation to come. The idea of a Chinese-invented Google is a paradox, a Russian Facebook a joke, a Japanese-inspired Walmart impossible."

This is VDH at his best. He's telling that its too soon to throw in the towel. Its worth taking the time to read it all. Trust me, you'll feel a little better about our prospects.

Did Nitti Suffer From "East Side/West Side" GOP Divide?

I have to wonder if Gino Nitti's County Court race crashed on the rocks of the East Side/West Side split among Monroe County Republicans.

I haven't really looked close enough at the numbers in the canvas, but a quick look at the results in Pittsford, Perinton, Penfield and Mendon seem to show that Nitti under-performed other GOP candidates (including Bill Taylor) in those Towns. I won't fully jump the gun until I can thoroughly look at the canvas, but Nitti would not be the first County-wide candidate from the West Side to get a cool reception from East Side Republicans.

I'll be back after the week-end with a more definitive review.

Swan Song For Swanton

I saw Sue Swanton as I picked up the vote tally at Hidden Valley on Election Night. Sue was working as a Democratic Party election inspector/site chair.

This was Sue's last election in Gates. She bought her family home in Rush and she will be moving shortly.

Sue was a three time candidate for Gates Supervisor and long-time Gates Democratic Party leader. In fact, Sue resurrected the Democratic party in Gates and turned it into a formidable organization. In 2007, she came within a small number of votes of unseating GOP legend Ralph Esposito.

I have been involved in Gates politics for 30 years and Gates GOP leader for 20. I have seen a number of Democratic party leaders and candidates over those years. Sue was head and shoulders above the rest. I did not agree with her on many issues and we exchanged a few cross words now and then, but Sue did make the Democrats a party to reckon with.

I wish her well in her new endeavors, but I won't miss her as a political opponent. On the other hand, the Gates Democratic party already misses her.

Muscato v. McIntee

One of the most interesting facets of this year's Gates' election was the "interplay" bewteen Democrat candidates Frank Muscato and Mark McIntee. Muscato is the current Democrat leader and previously unsuccessful candidate for the County Legislature. McIntee was the lone Democrat on the Town Board.

I was quite surprised when Muscato announced that he would be running for a Town Board seat. I assumed that even the most optimistic person realized that Chris Diponzio was a mortal lock to win re-election and that neither Muscato nor McIntee could beat him. As such, Muscato had to believe he could beat McIntee, otherwise, there was no point in running.

Even if Muscato wasn't aiming to unseat McIntee, his candidacy did hurt him. I know that a certain number of people think its a good idea to vote for one Democrat and one Republican in a Town Board race. If McIntee was the only Democrat running, he would have received all of those votes. With Frank in the race, those votes were split up, lowering Mark's possible best result.

Further, Muscato's being in the race led to McIntee running the wrong campaign. If he ran alone, Mark could have claimed that as the Democrat "watchdog" on the Board, he kept the GOP in line. He could have tried to take credit for many of the good results garnered by the Town Board, like tax cuts, budget surplusses, economic development and the new Library. (In actual fact, Mark was a pretty toothless watchdog, voting with the GOP majority well over 90% of the time; but it would have been a good campaign posture).

Instead, as Muscato's running mate, McIntee was reduced to making arcane arguments regarding the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Public Safety Building, the execution of the Library lease, and the hiring of  ...gasp!... a Republican!... as Deputy Town Clerk. That negative campaign went absolutely nowhere and contributed to the nearly 2 to 1 thrashing the Dems took at the polls.

When Frank Muscato announced his candidacy, I asked Mark why Frank didn't like him. Mark scoffed at the question. Given the way things turned out, maybe Mark ought to be asking that question himself.

Gates: GOP Wins, Dems Whine

The Gates GOP candidates were all easy winners in Tuesday's election; meanwhile the Democrat losers could only whine about their defeat.

Mark Assini and Chris DiPonzio were re-elected to second terms as Supervisor and Town Board member, respectively. Dick Warner and Sam Valleriani were elected in first time runs for Town Board and Town Justice. Steve Tucciarello won a third term in the County Legislature's  4th District and Tony Micciche knocked out Democrat incumbent Steven "the Artiste" Eckel in the 26th.

DiPonzio and Warner bested  Democrats Mark McIntee and Frank Muscato for their Town Board seats. McIntee and Muscato were both quoted in the Gates-Chili Post as lamenting the loss of "checks and balances" in Town government and failure of turnout by voters.

The Democrat's problems with the voters were amply displayed by their lame and self-absorbed whining. The people of Gates spoke (rather decisively, at that). The Assini administration is leading them in the right direction. The Democrat's campaign effort at denigrating the accomplishments of Assini and the Town government never gained the slightest traction. The only people concerned with the "process" instead of the results were Messrs. McIntee and Muscato.

Maybe the Democrats should stop talking, stop posturing and start listening to the voices of Gates residents.

Democrat & Chronicle Endorsement Surprise

Like others in the local community, I was pretty surprised to read the D&C endorsements of both Maggie Brooks and Bill Taylor.

I have always thought that the D&C Editorial Board endorses GOP candidates who appear to be "sure things". That way, they can point to endorsements of Republicans to refute charges of bias. Using that analysis, Maggie was a likely endorsement, since it's fairly clear she will be re-elected. The Taylor-Doorley race appeared close, however. Plus, the paper had taken Taylor to task for what was deemed an unfair  campaign ad.

This leads to one of two conclusions. One, the D&C figures Taylor is going to win so they may as well endorse him. The other is that Doorley's recent comments in the D&C interview and on the Lonsberry show (where she suggested the DA job was a "stepping-stone") pushed some of the D&C editorialists over the edge.

There is one other possibility. The D&C, like all the left-leaning organizations in town, is sick of losing. Maybe they have decided it's time for Joe Morelle to go. They may figure that if Morelle loses the DA seat, on top of all the other Democrat losses he's presided over, he'll be finished as Democrat County Chairman. They may believe that their endorsement will push Taylor over the top and Morelle out the door.

I don't know if that's their plan or if a Taylor win will finish Morelle. But as a Republican, I certainly hope Joe doesn't go!

Random Thoughts

I've been away quite a while. I'm not sure anyone is still there. I'm going to make a concerted effort to post on a regular basis in the next few months. There has been a lot to write about but I just haven't had the time.

A couple quick takes:

I don't think anyone has turned his Presidency more into a permanent campaign than Barak Obama. Moreover, can you recall a President so bereft of original ideas that he has resorted to taking up whatever tripe the mob wants him to? For example, his pander to the 99 percenters over college loan debt is amazing. If this guy gets re-elected, our country has really lost its way.

Of course, one reason he could win is the GOP field. Talk about the seven dwarfs! Or is it eight or nine? It doesn't much matter, they don't add up to one solid candidate. Frankly, none of them impress me as serious, plain talkers. If Mitt Romney should become President, it might be bad news for the GOP. He strikes me as a caricature of a politician and a moderate. If he tries to govern like that (like the first George Bush) the democrats will be back in power in no time. I really would have preferred Chris Christie.

Meanwhile, is there a local election? I can't recall hearing or seeing a campaign ad for County Executive. If not for the D&C campaigning against the GOP's County candidates, the Democrats would have no campaign at all. They actually rehashed the Robutrad story last week......I mean, come on, man!

Finally, the local sports scene is hopeful for the first time in a long time. The Bills are looking pretty good. The new owner of the Sabres and Amerks is serious about winning and Syracuse actually has a shot at having football and basketball teams in the top 25 in the same year for the first time in decades. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Hanson Takes Obama To the Woodshed

Victor Davis Hanson has had enough of our hypocritical and hyper-partisan President. Take a minute to read this post from the National Review Online.

Hanson calls out Obama for "sermonizing" about the need to reduce harsh partisan rhetoric while he is regularly guilty of just such conduct. Here's a sample:

"Obama’s inflammatory language and tough metaphors are not all that unusual in the American political tradition. But what is odd is that a habitual participant in brass-knuckles political combat should call for the sort of civility that he himself did not and will not abide by.


We are now engaged in a continuing debate about debt, taxes, and spending. Both sides have vastly different ideas about how to solve our financial problems, and they will continue to embrace tough talk to win over public opinion to their respective sides. We hope for the best argumentation but expect the worst — democratic politics being what it is. And President Obama, the past master of bare-fisted partisan invective, knows that better than anyone."

Have at him, Victor!

Democrat and Chronicle: Wrong Again

Today's Democrat and Chronicle editorial is wrong on two counts.

First, its main thrust is that taxes on the "wealthy" should be raised. The editorial states that polls show a majority feel that the wealthy should pay more. Really, a majority of people in a country where almost half of them pay no income taxes think that such taxes on wealthier people should be raised. Who would have believed that?

The D&C Editorial Board, like all good liberals, would rather raise taxes on the "rich" that cut spending to responsible levels and balance the budget.

The biggest joke is the reference to Rep. Gifford's appearance on Capitol Hill to cast her vote on the debt limit compromise. The editorial concludes with this:

"Ironically, as the fractured House of Representatives voted on Monday, who should appear but Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. A gunman shooting the Arizona Democrat in January prompted dialogue about the harsh partisan rhetoric dominating Washington.


It shouldn't be too much to expect that after these contentious weeks, Congress and President Barack Obama can find ways to keep future debates more collaborative. Fed-up citizens should remind lawmakers of that while they're home."

I must have missed that D&C editorial criticizing VP Biden for calling GOP Congressmen
"terrorists" who were wielding "nuclear weapons". And they must have missed the editorial by Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post that was published on the same editorial page today. The one where she likened the GOP to "carjackers" who were "holding a gun to the head" of the President.

The D&C has been reduced to spouting liberal talking points and shameless hypocrisy towards partisan politics. If not for Bob Mathews column in the sports page, I probably wouldn't bother reading the D&C anymore.

Reality Check

Victor Davis Hanson discusses the ways in which our country's debt crisis is causing us to think differently about the welfare state in this NRO piece.

His article details the changing perspectives that will affect us as the US simply runs out of money. Initially, it seems to be a rather sobering piece. But, as I read through it, I actually had a little epiphany. I had been suggesting that the country is lost to conservatives. But I think I agree with Prof. Hanson that as the effects of our debt crisis become widespread, our "tolerance" for PC and BS will drop.

Sadly, it may be our last hope for saving our economy.

Missing the Boat

That is how New York State is described in this Wall Street Journal opinion piece.

The article details the different ways the states of Pennsylvania and New York have dealt with natural gas extraction from the Marcellus Shale formation which sits below both states.

New York is foregoing billions in revenue and thousands of jobs. Why? Because rich environmentalists living in New York City and misguided editorialists like those at the Democrat and Chronicle, have decried the process known as hydraulic fracturing ("hydro-fracking") as a threat to the water table.

So Pennsylvania rakes in billions and lures our young people across the border for jobs and opportunity while New York dithers and spends time and energy debating whether wind farms can be located in Lake Ontario to meet our energy needs. Like the author of the linked editorial, I'm not holding my breath for the Green Energy revolution.

This is the conclusion of the piece:

"Governor Cuomo has said he wants to lift New York's moratorium, and the state's recently released draft rules are a step forward. But they must still undergo legal review and a public comment period that could bar New York drilling for the rest of this year, if not longer. New York will also still ban drilling in about 15% of the state's portion of the Marcellus and impose more onerous rules than other states on private property drilling. Such bows toward the obsessions of rich, big-city greens explain why parts of upstate New York are the new Appalachia.


As they look across their northern border, Pennsylvanians can be forgiven for thinking of New Yorkers the way Abba Eban once described the Palestinians: They never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity."

Link of the Week: Mark Steyn on the Debt Ceiling

Many aspects of the debt ceiling crisis have left people shaking their heads.

I am mostly amazed by the fact that the President and Congressional Democrats seem to have been given a pass by the media on the fact that they have made no actual proposals for debt reduction.

Mark Steyn discusses the situation in this great post from the National Review Online. As usual, Steyn makes his points with humor. I think, however, you can tell that Steyn actually finds the situation laughable, but not funny.

"Neither Explicit Nor Indecent"

That was the description from Congressman Weiner's spokesman regarding the nature of the Twitter communication between Weiner and a 17 year old girl.

Really?

How long will this farce continue? This man is a disgrace and clearly unfit to be in Congress. And lets not kid ourselves, you have to be quite a lowlife to be unfit to serve in Congress these days.

Another Reason I'm a Conservative

"Every sane person who eats bacon knows that bacon makes everything better".

That's the conclusion of this post, which discribes differing food preferences of liberals and conservatives.

I'd say that conclusion is indisputable!

I Have Some Questions

Reading and watching the news lately, I have been wishing that some reporter would ask some follow-up questions. Here are a few:

To Kathy Hochul and many other Democrats...You stated that the Ryan/GOP budget would "end Medicare as we know it".   Follow-up. Can you describe the services which constitute "Medicare as we know it" today and can you tell us how we can pay for those services going forward?

To Governor Cuomo and many Albany politicians...You stated that you support a 2% real property tax cap to reduce New Yorker's tax burden.  Follow-up. Why don't you start with a State government tax and spending cap? And, how can you support a local government tax cap without mandate relief?

To President Obama...You gave a series of speeches to Hispanic-American groups regarding immigration reform, which included claims that the "border fence is complete".  Possible follow-ups. Isn't it true that less than 20% of the US- Mexico border has an actual barrier? And why did you wait until you lost your Democrat majority in the House to begin your push for immigration reform? Is it because you are just pandering to Hispanics on the issue?

To Rep. Louise Slaughter...You told NRO that you are confident that Rep. Anthony Weiner, a fellow NY Congressman, did not share a lewd picture of himself via Twitter. You said “Why would he do a stupid thing like that? Anthony Weiner is as smart as a whip.” You also said “I don’t doubt for a moment that it was not him.” My follow up is, what do you know that makes you so certain?

To Rep. Anthony Weiner...You stated that you hired attorneys to find out who the "real sexters" were regarding your twitter post. My question, do you think they are the same people who really killed OJ's wife?

What's A Party To Do?

That's the question that the GOP is facing on the Ryan Medicare plan. As Jonah Goldberg put it here, the GOP needs to convince the public that they have the right plan, or face extinction as a party.

That may seem to be somewhat extreme, but I think its fairly accurate. The GOP owns the Ryan Medicare plan and the Democrats are determined (in light of the Hochul victory in NY-26) to try to ride the "Medi-scare" horse back into power. Goldberg analogizes the Medicare debate to Ceaser's crossing of the Rubicon. His view, "the die is cast" and the GOP, like Caesar, must win or die. Here is a portion of his post:

"The simple fact is that the Democrats have their battle plan. It’s going to be Medi-scare every day in every way for the next 17 months. They are on autopilot. They are committed. Their die is cast. They have crossed their Rubicon. They have no desire to defend Obamacare, high gas prices, high unemployment, and a third Middle East war. They want — no, need — to be on offense because they have so much they cannot defend.

The question now is, “What are Republicans going to do about it?” Are they going to play the role of Pompey, the dissolute leader who didn’t want to fight? Or will they don Cesarean robes and join the battle head-on because they know they have nowhere to retreat? That is the political choice for the GOP: Win or die."

I hope that GOP leadership has the stomach for this fight. Frankly, I'm halfway to believing that this is the battle that will determine the fate of the Republic. Once again, I know I sound extreme, but lets face it, Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, entitlement after entitlement, all broke. The report of the trustees was a real eye-opener (or, in a rational society, it would be). We don't have any more time to waste. This is a can that cannot be "kicked down the road". (For an interesting synopsis of the issue, check out this piece by Veronique de Rugy).

The GOP, in fact, the country, has crossed the Rubicon. There is no turning back. This is a battle which must be fought and must be won.

Very "Special" Election

Well the votes are in and Democrat Kathy Hochul was the winner in the special election to replace "Shirtless" Chris Lee in NY's 26th Congressional District. Hochul defeated Jane Corwin and Jack Davis for the seat.

I'm sure that by now, most of you have heard that (according to Democrats) Hochul's win was a referendum on the GOP's medicare plan or (according to Republicans) that the result was simply a matter of Corwin and Davis splitting the majority conservative electorate allowing Hochul to slip in.

There may be some truth to both sets of "talking points" but my main impressions of the election were somewhat different. First, Corwin really ran a crummy campaign. She had a significant GOP enrollment advantage, so she may have figured she didn't need much of an effort to win. Further, her campaign worker's "ambush" of Jack Davis backfired incredibly. The video of the encounter was a massive embarrassment to the Corwin campaign.

Most of all, however, I was astounded by the nature of the campaign ads. I'm not a "negative ad" naysayer. Some "negative" ads are appropriate for exposing particular flaws or positions of an opponent. In this race, however, I rarely saw a positive ad. There were three candidates and yet there were few ads giving voters affirmative reasons why they should vote for any one of them. The three candidates mainly went on a round robin of attacks against each other. If I had been in that district, I might have considered not voting at all.

A final word on the medicare "debate". I do not think that this election was a referendum on medicare although it was an important factor in the race. The reason I do not think it was a referendum was because Jane Corwin never defended or promoted the Ryan/GOP medicare plan after she fell under attack for saying she would have voted for it. The lesson the GOP ought to take from this election is that they need to have clear and direct defenses for their plans or the Democrat demagoguery machine will grind them up.

Memorial Day

I attended the annual Town of Gates Memorial Day service this morning.

I have been going to this event each year for over 20 years. I am happy to say that it has not become a "bother" but remains an event at which I am inevitably moved by a poignant story or two about men and women who gave that "final measure of devotion" to their country.

The numbers of veterans who attend have been dwindling. It appears that few Viet Nam era vets have joined the VFW's and Legion Posts around here. I imagine that the less than warm reception many of them received from their fellow citizens may have led them to keep their service history more private. I wonder if the veterans from our current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will feel differently, given that military is held in somewhat higher esteem today. I hope so.

I made sure to bring my kids go to this event, over the years, as well, (although my daughter now attends as a member of the High School marching band). I want them to hear the stories and see the aging veterans so that they may have some bit of appreciation for what these people did for us. Its so easy in our wired world to plug in to an ipod or laptop and ignore what is going on around us.

For 60 minutes, I am glad to take a break and quietly remember people who gave everything so that we could enjoy the many blessings of life. It is so very important not to forget what these people did for us.

Obama's Media Induced "Bounce"

Many pundits have speculated that President Obama's decision to kill Osama bin Laden would lead to an increase in Obama's poll numbers. Some have gone so far as to say that this act has guaranteed his re-election.

Not so fast, please.

Most polls have showed a smaller than expected "bounce" for the President. I guess that after everyone went home from the parties celebrating the take-down of bin Laden, many went to buy gasoline and realized that it still cost $4.00 + per gallon.

Well, the main-stream media can't let their favorite liberal President down. They said he would get a bounce, and dammit, they got him one. An AP/GFK poll was released today which showed the President's overall approval shooting up to 60%! One small problem, though, the poll was heavily skewed to get Democrat respondents. Check out this post which notes that the poll had almost twice as many Democrat as Republican respondents.

That's what I like about our current media. If the news isn't telling the story they want told, they'll just make something up that fits their worldview.

As I've written many times, somewhere, Thomas Jefferson is weeping over the demise of the fourth estate.

RCSB Strikes Again

The news  today that Bolgen Vargas would be named as interim Superintendent of Rochester City Schools is quite amazing. An outside observer would have to assume that the School Board members are incapable of making a good decision regarding school leadership.

Teacher's Union President Adam Urbanski welcomed the news. Frankly, that's about all you need to know regarding the wisdom of this choice. Vargas is a former President of the RCSB and is currently a guidance counsellor in the Greece School District.

I don't like Tom Richards much, but I'd say the time for Mayoral control of the City Schools has definitely come.

The D&C Wonders About Gas Prices

The opinion page of the Democrat and Chronicle often provides my first laugh or frown of the day. It was a laugh Monday morning with this editorial.

The editorial headline asked "what's behind rising gas prices?" The editorial board apparently thinks like the President that speculators are the culprits. I guess these guys never heard of supply and demand. The President's policies have made it virtualy impossible to explore for and/or drill for new oil in this country. That has an obvious impact. The President (and the D&C) do not want to accept that fact.

Meanwhile, President Obama congratulates Brazil on their new oil discoveries and suggests that we can't wait to be a customer. Why don't we look for our own oil? Oh, yes, I've heard the President say we only have 2% of the world's proven oil reserves. Of course, that's mostly because our domestic oil companies aren't allowed to explore in the US, once agin, due to left-wing politics.

President Obama is trying to distract the public from the high price of gas (and food) by blaming "speculators". I don't think its working. $4.00/gallon gas is dragging down the economy. It may well drag down the President, as well.

The Devil's Advocate

I often feel the heat being an attorney who represents mortgage lenders. But after reading this PowerLine post I don't feel so bad.

Unlike the lefty "white-shoes" at King and Spalding, I remain willing to zealously represent my unpopular clients.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

As you faithful (no pun intended) readers know, I am a Roman Catholic and I believe in the power of prayer.

I have made a prayerful request for intervention on my behalf by the Blessed Mother. The request includes a special prayer and calls upon the supplicant to announce his or her belief in the power of the prayer and in the Blesssed Virgin Mary, by "publishing" the prayer. The prayer follows:

O most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendour of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother.

O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in this my necessity. There are none that can withstand your power.

O, show me herein you are my mother, O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (three times).

Holy Mary, Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands (three times).

UPDATE: The prayer's power remains intact.

Failure of the Fourth Estate

I am really amazed by the complete abdication of journalistic standards by the mainstream media regarding coverage of President Obama and major political issues.

There are four items which really make me shake my head. First, the incredible turnaround by so many Obama apologists on his Libya war (or should I say  limited kinetic engagement) policy. Some of them, like Andrea Mitchell and Jonathan Alter were almost pathetic in their attempts to rationalize their praise for Obama's "measured" and "nuanced" policy with their prior views on pre-emptive war ala Bushitler.

The other three are things not being reported. Despite the calls for civility in the wake of the shooting of several persons in Arizona, the media has gone silent in the face of partisan violence, intimidation and insult in Wisconsin. Why, you ask? Because the violence is by progressive unionists, not Tea Partiers, so in the minds of today's leftist media, it isn't a story.

Similarly, there are hardly any stories dealing with the staggering increases in gasoline and food prices. The price of gasoline has doubled since Obama took office. When Bush was President, there were two Congressional investigations into "price gouging" by "Big Oil", widely chronicled by the press. Today, hardly a peep. Apparently, the nation is taking the price rise in stride.

Finally, there was the ridiculous spectacle of Senator Schumer schooling his colleagues in the "proper rhetoric" for a phone session with reporters. Unfortunately for Chuck, he forgot to push the mute button and the reporters heard him telling the assembled Senators to characterize the GOP as extremists and to use other pejorative terms whenever possible. Of course the story was page one news, right? No, barely a mention and then only under the headline "How News Is Made". That seems to be the problem. Our current leftist media doesn't mind reporting news made to fit their partisan views.

Somewhere, Thomas Jefferson is weeping.

In Over His Head

If you have ever read this blog, you know that I am not a supporter of Barak Obama. Despite that, I started off, like most Americans (including those who voted for McCain or others), wishing him well and hoping for positive results for the country. At this point, however, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that President Obama is not up to the job.

The simple fact is that we elected a man who did not have sufficient experience or sufficient skill to be President. He campaigned skillfully, but now that he has had two years in office, we see that it was all tightly scripted smoke and mirrors. Left to his own devices, forced to make tough decision, asked to lead on divisive issues, he has proven to be the proverbial "empty suit".

Lately, this has become clear to many people. I have collected a number of articles below, by writers much more skilled than I, which outline some of the main criticisms of the President. Granted, the writers are conservatives who are no fans of Obama, but if you read the articles, you will recognize that they ring true.

Victor Davis Hanson of NRO: March 17th.
Mark Steyn of NRO: March 19th.
John Hinderaker of PowerLine: March 15th, March 18th, March 19th.
Charles Krauthammer of Fox News/WaPo/ NRO: March 11th, March 18th.

There were many more articles I could point to, but they all lead to the same conclusion. Jimmy Carter is starting to look good to a lot of people.

No Surprise

The Democrat & Chronicle today endorsed Tom Richards for Mayor of Rochester. Why did they waste the ink? Was there anyone in the area who thought they might do otherwise?

The D&C has toed the party line since the beginning of the process to replace Bob Duffy. They touted the undemocratic "special election" plan that Democratic party bosses wanted, they kept silent when the City Council effectively decided on the plan during a non"Open Meeting" (oh, where was the "sunshine"?), and they have criticised Bill Johnson and his effort to derail the coronation of Richards.

Frankly, I don't really like Richards and I wonder what real accomplishments he has in government. He thinks highly of himself, but the problems Rochester is facing are going to require more than hot air to fix. While I don't care that much about the outcome, I am hoping that Johnson wins, because it will be a win for the democratic process over the Democrat party.

Finally, the D&C's performance on this issue, like so many other things it does, confirms that it is aptly named. Few would dispute that the D&C feels its high calling is to "chronicle" the Democrat party line on every issue.

Please, Sir, I Want Some More.

No, I'm not referring to Oliver Twist, instead my heading refers to John Halstead, the President of SUNY Brockport. He wrote this essay in todays Democrat & Chronicle suggesting that SUNY tuition should be allowed to increase.

His essay outlined his arguments justifying a tuition increase. He also described the potential negative ramifications of a failure to do so.

I don't have a big quarrel with his argument about possible service cuts, but I think there is an underlying question that his essay left begging. I would like an explanation from an educator like Mr. Halstead regarding the reasons that college education costs have outpaced inflation by a factor of four. Are there some unique factors which have necessitated such cost growth? Everything costs more than it did 20 years ago, but the costs of higher education have skyrocketed. Details, please.

Mr. Halstead's arguments are reasonable if the current cost structure is reasonable. I'd like a discussion in that vein before we simply agree to more of the same.

Selective Sunshine

Today's Rochester Democrat & Chronicle included a front-page story and an editorial dealing with open government issues.

Frankly, I have little sympathy for the D&C's sunshine agenda. Like almost all of its efforts, this one is partisan and is only aimed at targets that the Editorial Board thinks appropriate. As I noted in this recent post, the D&C only cares about openness when it will allow for a story critical of a GOP run entity.

Today, for example, the story and editorial deal with the difficulty of obtaining payroll information from local governments. For some reason, school districts were left out. If schools had been included, none of the 20 top earners listed in today's paper would have made the list. But school districts are one of the groups that are favored by the D&C, particularly since they fought Maggie Brooks and the FAIR plan.

As I noted in the post I referenced, the D&C's failure to criticise the City Council for its non-transparent decision to hold a special election, is proof that this paper's sun need only shine on its targets, not its friends.

Drowning In Red Ink

Charles Koch writing in the Wall Street Journal, outlined some shocking numbers regarding the massive debt Americans face.

Read the whole thing, but here is the stunning fact from the piece:

"Federal data indicate how urgently we need reform: The unfunded liabilities of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid already exceed $106 trillion. That's well over $300,000 for every man, woman and child in America (and exceeds the combined value of every U.S. bank account, stock certificate, building and piece of personal or public property)".

That's 1.2 million for my family!

Seriously, how can politicians continue to advocate more spending in light of this crushing debt? Nero was a piker compared to our so-called leaders.

The Battle For Wisconsin Is A Battle For The Nation

The effort by Wisconsin's Governor, Scott Walker, to rein in State Employee unions, has gripped the nation. It seems that most people grasp the significance of the struggle.

Frankly, many states, like New York, are going broke and one of the main reasons is compensation of public employees. At one time, public employees were underpaid versus the private sector, so enhanced fringe benefits made sense. Today, however, public employees have higher average compensation. Public employee wages and pensions threaten to bankrupt many states.

Clearly, the battle lines are being drawn. The Democrats strongly support the unions in this battle, because public employees, particularly teachers, are the backbone of the party. Republicans seem determined to get these unions under control, arguing that the system is broken and unsustainable. This fight may well be a defining moment for our nation.

Charles Krauthammer thinks so. Read his take on the issue from National Review Online.

Washington Claims Another Victim

Fox News is reporting that Congressman Chris Lee is resigning over the "topless" picture of himself which was posted on Craig's List.

Initially, Lee denied having posted the picture, indicating his e-mail account was hacked.

Lee would be the second Upstate NY Congressman who resigned due to "personal impropriety" in two years, following Eric Massa's exit early in 2010.

He's No Mr. Smith

Senator Richard Lugar, Republican (so called) of Indiana, had harsh words for Tea Party members who criticised his support of the new START Treaty with Russia and his votes in favor of confirmation of Obama nominees to the US Supreme Court.

Talking about how some tea partiers had criticized his support of the treaty, Lugar said, “I’ve got to say ‘get real’". He also suggested that votes against liberal justices would lead to difficulty in confirming conservative judges appointed by Republican presidents.

Wow, no kidding? Does he really think that might happen? Oh, yeah, it has been happening since Reagan nominated Bork. Has Senator Lugar been asleep?

Its pretty clear that Lugar has been in Washington too long. He is one of those "Washingtonians" who lose track of what the people who elected him really want. He "knows" more than "they" do. "They" just don't get it. "They" need to 'get real'.

No Senator, you're the one who doesn't get it. But I have a feeling that in 2012, you just may.

Super Bowl (Final)

One last Super Bowl post.

This one is from Crabbylami. She outlines the real reason the Steelers lost Super Bowl XLV here. Karma is everything, you know.

Make sure you check out the picture of the Primanti Bros.-like sandwiches we ate. The food and the Iron City beer were the only highlights for me.

Super Bowl II

Well, Aaron Rodgers is going to Disney World. And deservedly so.

Unfortunately, the Packers defeated my beloved Steelers in the big game. Rodgers was the main reason. He lived up to the hype and played a great game. Had his receivers not dropped several passes, he may have gone over 400 yards passing.

The Steelers never led, but they never quit. They fought right down to the wire and had a last chance to pull it out. Alas, it was not to be.

Congratulations to the Pack. They are deserving champions.  I'm rooting for a rematch in Indy next year!

Super Bowl

As you probably know, I am a long-time and dyed-in-the-wool Steelers fan.

Green Bay seems to be the favorite. I guess they are the trendy pick and Aaron Rodgers is the poster boy QB everybody wants to succeed.

I had wondered if I could root for the Steelers with Ben at QB. I found that I could and I do. Ben has proved to be a tough and tenacious leader on the field. I have found a way to respect that part of his persona, while reserving judgment on the rest.

I think that Ben Roethlisberger is the better quarterback. I agree with many, though, that he still has much to prove. Not on the football field, but in the field of life. He still needs to prove he has changed from the arrogant, boorish heel that he had been through his brush with the law in Georgia. According to many close to the team, he has changed his behavior. But the jury is still out.

I'll be rooting for the Black and Gold on Sunday. I hope they and Ben prevail. I also hope that Ben, like Michael Vick, has really had that sort of epiphany that allows a person to change for the better. I am rooting for Ben in that game, as well.

Gas Prices Going Up (Quietly)

I travelled to New York by car this week and noted that the price of gasoline is well over $3.00 per gallon. Funny, there hasn't been much news about the increase.

The last time gas prices rose to these levels, Democrats like Sen. Chuck Schumer called for investigations to insure that the oil companies were not price gouging. I wonder why so little news this time around?

Could it be that the Administration and its media and Congressional allies don't want people to focus on any bad economic news? Could it be that despite protestations to the contrary during the presidential campaign, Mr. Obama is just a traditional liberal who thinks the price of gas in the US is too low?

I heard the inflation numbers yesterday. inflation was up at a higher rate than it has been for quite some time. The news report sounded an optimistic note, however. The report stated that if energy and food prices were not included, inflation only went up 1/10th of one percent. Gee, there's some good news. As long as you don't need gasoline or food, you don't have to worry about inflation!

Seriously, though, the increasing price of gasoline is likely well derail any recovery that may be underway. it seems that the price of oil is increasing and will soon reach $100.00/barrel. There is great concern in England and Europe. So far, that concern has not leaked out in the US media. But the fact is we all use gasoline. As the price goes up, the effects will be felt and those effects will not be positive. Keeping quiet about it will not save us (or the Obama administration) from the pain.

All The World's A Stage

I realize that this post will go against the grain of the way we are supposed to act in the aftermath of the Tuscon tragedy, but I've never been that much of a PC guy anyway.

First, its been stated, ad nauseum, but all of the pundits who felt the need to blame the right for the shooting ought to be ashamed of themselves. They didn't wait to get any facts or even to learn of the final toll of victims. They just seized the opportunity to blame Palin, Limbaugh, Beck, the Tea Party and all of the other "usual suspects" for "inciting" the shooter due to "inflammatory rhetoric". Now that its clear that the shooter was not a right-winger, the lefty pundits have fallen back to their default position, gun control. They never tire of the same old stuff.

Second, the President's speech left me a little cold. Some have said that his speech was not the problem, but the crowd's "pep-rally" reaction that was to blame. But I have to disagree. This President cannot give a significant speech unless he has a large adoring crowd before him. The big difference between President Obama's speech and those given by Presidents Reagan and Clinton regarding the Challenger and Oklahoma City, was the setting. Reagan and Clinton gave their solemn but uplifting speeches from the Oval Office. No cheering crowds for them. Obama had to go to the scene, had to have t-shirts printed with a theme for his speech, had to give the speech in an auditorium. His words were fine, but the setting made the speech more about him than it should have been.

Third, the "no-aisle" idea for the State of the Union is pure BS. Maybe I'm a cynic, but I think its high time members of Congress spent their time and energy thinking up solutions to real problems, not trying to hold hands and sing "Kumbaya". This idea is nothing but show and is probably part of the Democrats' plan to keep the GOP from really trying to move its agenda. I expect to see efforts to do those things challenged as overly partisan, particularly in light of the "need to heal" after the Tuscon matter. Just do the job you were elected to do; leave the psychology to professionals.