Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Smelling Santorum's Goose

Rasmussen finally released the poll that we reported on last week, and it is worse than we thought for good old Senator Santorum. Casey is up by 23 points over Santorum -- 56 to 33 -- after falling, in some polls, to a little as 6 points ahead.

According to Rasmussen, only 67% of Republicans in the Commonwealth (which has majority Democratic registration), now say they will vote for the junior Senator's reelection. Even better for the Dems, Casey is now pulling 87% support from his majority party -- that is a ten-point gain since the last (pre-primary) poll put out by Rasmussen (and about equal to what Chuck Pennacchio pulled down in the May 16 face-off).

But wait, it gets worse for the Senator and better for the perennial Pennsylvania candidate, Bobby Casey Junior -- Senator Santorum's favorable rating is down to 42% and nearly half of his constituents view him unfavorably -- 47%. Nearly 6/10 Pennsylvanians have a favorable view of the challenger -- 59%.

Hard to see how things can get much better for Santorum -- according to Rasmussen, Pennsylvania voters -- by a wide margin -- prefer the Democrats over the Republicans on issues like the economy, energy policy, and Iraq.

Casey now has the race to lose and Santorum, well his anti-immigration policy makes more sense. Since he'll be looking for work soon, he needs to keep the competition out. (And, if I were a betting Slob, I'd give you 1,000 to 1 odds that, come December, the Santorum tribe will not be moving back into that little rental unit they own (and claim to live in) in Penn Hills. Boy, it was an incredibly stupid move for Santorum's boy-campaign manager to spend so much time on that faux incident -- all it did was remind people about Santorum's absentee representation.)

PS -- Just posted this on the Santorum Blog (worth checking into, they do one of the better jobs of covering the race), which wondered if this poll was a trend or an outlier:
Gee, didn't think I'd be going out [on] a limb to call it a trend. Basically, Casey has picked up support from about 2/3rds of the supporters of his primary opponents.

After the primary, the 70% or so who only vote in winter months start tilting a head towards the TV, just a bit, when "that politics stuff" leaks out. This is where the "trend" for Santorum is -- those just starting to pay attention are writing off the Senator. Absent some major national-security kind of event, I think it will be near impossible for the Senator to get that train back on the track.

The Rasmussen results, a little dramatic, but in line with the (even more dramatic) right/wrong track numbers which SurveyUSA came out with a week or so ago -- 57% disapproved of the Senator according to that one.

I think this may be a short campaign season.

So, think Rick will move into the Penn Hills home in January? (me neither)

Go Away

Now, Go Away so I can get some work done.

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Crossing "Geno's" offa my list

My son goes to college in Philadelphia. Being from The City, I prefer to go there for my fun -- museums, baseball, theatre; but I do enjoy the historical sites in Philly. I've been there on business quite a bit, but those tend to be day trips when I am in and out as quickly as business permits.

So, the upshot is I never really spent much time in Philly. I have been meaning, on one of these trips down to see my son, to check out the famous Philly sub places, including, of course, Geno's.

But now I'll be crossing that place off my list-- to my heart's delight (in every manner of speaking). The reason is simple, I don't give my business (or accept as clients) bigoted assholes like the owner of Geno's, Joseph Vento.

Vento's greasy spoon features a sign saying "This is America. When Ordering Speak English". According to the article in today's Inquirer, this Vento idiot's grandparents came to America and never learned to speak more than broken English. Guess he didn't realize that his own grandparents would not be acceptable customers under his silly policy. He also stupidly said that his grandparents came here legally and "why can't they?".

Vento is too stupid to realize that when his grandparents came here they didn't need an entry visa -- they could just walk right in. Oh, yeah, and this life-long American doesn't seem to know the difference between the 19th and 20th centuries -- referring to the century when his grandparents came here as the "19th". They arrived in 1921.

Philadelphia Will Do got it right when they headlined their blog about this consummate loser "Press 1 for Asshole"; See also: The 14th Windiest State and Philly on the same jerk.

Oh, and if you feel inclined, why not let Joe Vento know how you feel about bigoted assholes. You can reach him at Geno's Steaks, 1219 South 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, PHONE: (215) 389-0659 FAX: (215) 389-4166. Tell him that you don't do business with bigots.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Comparative Religions -- An Analysis by Dr. Liam McEneaney

(Stolen from GirlComic) If you've shopped around and still can't decide on which religion best fits your needs, look no further. We bring you Liam McEneaney's comparative analysis.

Choosing My Religion


By Liam McEneaney

As one who exists mostly in the world of show business, I find it easy to forget that religion is a serious topic. Most performers don't really adhere to any one particular faith. I ascribe this to ego; there's simply no room in their world for a being greater than themselves.

But for those of us who study religious thought, there are so many questions to be answered: How can God exist in a world where Pauly Shore is an international celebrity and I am not? Why do beautiful women find Pauly Shore attractive, but not me? How is it that Pauly Shore can pull together the funding to write and direct his own movie, while my own screenplay goes unread by a guy who claims he wants to represent me, just because it's "ten pages too long"?

These are the kinds of questions most religious thinkers will ponder, especially after they've spent some time on Pauly Shore's website. But I would say that the one question every human being needs an answer to is: "What if those religious nuts I grew up hating are right, and I'm going to end up in hell? Am I, in effect, partying with the right crowd? Or, when I die, will I try to get into the Great VIP Room in the Sky, only to be told by an angelic bouncer that I'm 'not on the list'?"

Indeed, it's not easy to know whether or not you've chosen the right religion. Luckily, I have my bases covered: My mother is Jewish, my father is Irish Catholic, and I was raised Buddhist. But not everyone can be so lucky. Don't despair, though, for today I bring you good news: It's not too late!

You can still change faiths out of a cynical desire to get out of going to hell. But which one is the right fit for you? Let's do some comparison-shopping:

Judaism

More than a religion, Judaism is a lifestyle. It has many special dietary rules and arcane rituals dictating that, for instance, you can't eat cheeseburgers and you're not allowed to do anything other than sit in a dark apartment all day Saturday. The good news, though, is that most Jews only follow those rules when they feel like it. (That's called being a "Reformed Jew." They aren't Jewish so much as Jew-ish.) The bad news is that if you're a guy, they will want a "piece of you."

The good news: Liberals who weren't lucky enough to be born black can still join an oppressed minority.
Big bonus: Hollywood connections.
Big drawback: Everyone else in the world will hate you.

Christianity

A true smorgasbord of religious possibilities. The basic tenet of Christian belief is that God sent his only son down to Earth, where he gave a message of peace and love to all mankind. Then he died, came back, and flew up into haven. This is the only thing Christians around the world can agree on. There are easily a dozen different sects of Christianity and they all hate each other:

Catholicism -- Do you love Jesus but hate the feel of condoms? You can tell your significant other, "Baby, I'd love to, but God says we shouldn't."

Protestantism -- Founded by people who felt that traditional Catholicism wasn't oppressive enough.

Baptism -- For people who like the oppressive nature of Protestantism, but like a little more show biz in their sermons.

Born-again Christianity -- For people who feel that the Spanish Inquisition was "too soft on crime." George W. Bush is one.

Big bonus: The Bible is so big, and filled with so many contradictory things, that it's possible to believe one thing while behaving completely differently.
Big drawback: Premarital sex is out, as is excessive drinking. So be prepared to feel very guilty.

Islam

Boy, oh boy, if there's one thing the whole Salman Rushdie thing taught us, it's that those Muslims sure have a real sense of humor about their religion, right guys? Basically, they believe everything the Christians do, only their Bible is "The Koran," and their savior is "The Prophet Mohammed." Also, Muslim countries tend to be harsher on women, but only because they can get away with it. Otherwise, they're pretty much the same, which is why the two religions hate each other so much.

Big bonus: You will never doubt for a second that you're completely right (men only).
Big drawback: If you're a Muslim in America, be prepared for the FBI to get to know you better.

Buddhism

The cool "alternative" religion. Remember, though, that this means that any hipster moron with a Tibetan tattoo will think he identifies with you. A peaceful path is always a good philosophy, especially in these times. Plus, reincarnation means no afterlife, which means no hell! However, chanting is dull. Also, you should be warned that saffron robes are good for "Autumns," but not for "Winters" or "Springs."

Big bonus: It's a good conversation starter.
Big drawback: People might mistake you for a Hari Krishna.

Scientology

The other religion of Hollywood celebrities. Too bad they won't want to have anything to do with you. Your friends will all think you're in a cult; worse, they'll be right. The German government hates Scientology, but they've been known to be wrong once or twice.

Big bonus: You will join in the only religion in the world with a team of attorneys on call.
Big drawback: Scientology's tenets are encapsulated in Battlefield: Earth.

Wicca

Hey, you've already lost your mind, why not your circle of friends too? The only people who want to hear about Wicca are other Wiccans. It's based on the worship of Earth and Nature; this is another way of saying, "prepare to be dirty." Its followers are mostly female, so if you're a dude who can nod convincingly while sitting cross-legged, you're in like Flynn.

Big bonus: Learn Earth magic and wreak havoc on those snotty cheerleaders from high school.
Big drawback: People are laughing at you.

Atheism and agnosticism

Atheism is the declaration that there is no God. Agnosticism is the same thing, but with the caveat that if there turns out to be a God, you believed in Him the whole time.

Be warned: For people who don't believe in anything, atheists sure spend a lot of time talking about it.
Big bonus: No beliefs equals no rituals, holidays, or ancient laws to follow.
Big drawback: Atheists are even preachier than hard-core born-agains.

Tell You Friends -- NYC Comedy Spectacular

Looking for something FUN to do Monday Evening? How about a REAL live, New York City Comedy Show, that's funny, thought-provoking, doesn't suck, and is FREE?

MONDAY, MAY 29

"Tell Your Friends!"
at The Lolita Bar
266 Broome St., off of Allen St.
Take the F train to Delancey St.
8:00pm - FREE SHOW

WITH

Todd Barry
has been seen on two "Comedy Central Presents" specials, "Late Night w/ Conan O'Brien," "The Late Show w/ David Letterman," "Wonder Showzen," and a truly delightful segment on "Sesame Street."

Christian Finnegan
has been seen on his own "Comedy Central Presents" half-hour special, he's your favorite commentator on VH1's "Best Week Ever," he was Chad The White Guy on Chappelle's Show's "Mad Real World Sketch," and much more.

Tom Shillue
has been seen on his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, Late Night w/ Conan O'Brien, and The Daily Show, as well as many commercials.

Liam McEneaney
is a writer for Standup Nation w/ Greg Giraldo, and has been seen on Best Week Ever and Premium Blend

Allison Castillo
has been seen on Premium Blend and Best Week Ever

AND OF COURSE, THE HOUSE BAND - A Brief View of the Hudson, a folk-rock duo that blows away audiences at every show they play.

Here's what the press has said:

* "BEST FOLK DUO"
"It's rare that we like a band from the first chord. Yet the first time we saw folk duo A Brief View of the Hudson play at the Bowery Poetry Club we were hooked.
Ann Enzminger and Nicholas Nace incorporate many of the best characteristics of both country music and classic rock without sounding derivative...Enzminger is a tiny woman, a hair taller than five feet, but with an opera-trained voice as big and sweet as a bowling ballsize Hershey Kiss. Nace's twangy talk-singing adds a quirky and ear-catching roughness; we crave the combination time and again." - The NY Press
* "It is not often that a band sounds like nothing you've ever heard & still sounds good. That's what you get from A Brief View of the Hudson." - The NY Sun
* "A Brief View of the Hudson features Ann Enzminger's arrestingly powerful vocals, which are well tuned to the duo's graceful songs of indie-folk heartbreak." -Time Out NY

WHAT THE PRESS HAS SAID ABOUT "TELL YOUR FRIENDS!"

* Time Out New York called it a "DON'T MISS" twice now, and said: "With a slew of talented stand-ups . . . and folk-rock duo 'A Brief View of the Hudson,' Liam McEneaney's new showand 'workout comedy room'is sure to please."
* The NY Daily News made it a Monday pick of the day.
* AM New York put it in their "Best Bets" section.
* "Editor's Pick!" - clubfreetime.com
* The Onion says, "Though it's pegged as a 'workout room' for comics to test their new(ish) material, Liam McEneaney's weekly show Tell Your Friends flexes enough comedic muscle to pull its weight alongside more established downtown shows. Demetri Martin, Slovin & Allen, and Late Night With Conan O'Brien writer Brian Kiley are among the stand-ups who have squeezed into Lolita's narrow space since the show's debut this summer, alongside the surprisingly tolerable resident folk duo A Brief View of the Hudson."

Produced by Mike Collins* & Liam McEneaney

Did I mention, it's a FREE SHOW?

And, it's damned funny, too.


(*-well, maybe not THAT Mike Collins)

Friday, May 26, 2006

Santorum Cowering Behind Wife and Kids to Avoid "An Inconvienent Fact"

Senator Santorum's "hometown" newspaper, the Pittsbugh Post-Gazette, has weighed in on the faux incident at the Senator's faux home (emphases in purple are mine, other in original):
[T]wo local Democrats, Ed and Erin Vecchio, tried to revive the residency issue on primary election day, which was covered by a subsequent KDKA-TV report. A radio ad for Sen. Santorum flagrantly distorts that report, suggesting that "operatives" for the Casey campaign had trespassed on the Santorum property. (It also sneeringly calls Mr. Casey "Bobby" -- as if the Democrat wore short pants.)

First, the couple criticizing Sen. Santorum have denied a connection to the Casey campaign, an assertion confirmed by Mr. Casey. (Perhaps Sen. Santorum thinks that just being a critical Democrat makes people "operatives.")

Second, no one has admitted to trespassing on the Santorum property or peering through windows. The KDKA report merely quoted Mr. Vecchio as saying the house was vacant, with no curtains or furniture. But you wouldn't have to be a trespasser to find that out; you could ask neighbors -- or the local mail carrier. After all, the senator's absence is not in serious dispute because he doesn't live here anymore.

Mr. Casey described Sen. Santorum's claims as "weird" and "bizarre." Actually, they are beyond weird and raise serious questions about the senator's ethics that go beyond the residency question. In a letter to Mr. Casey, he speaks of his "outrage" regarding the actions of the Casey campaign "which have put our six young children at a serious safety risk."

Though that suggestion is far-fetched to the point of absurdity, it would be a potential source of fear only if the senator actually lived in Penn Hills, but -- let us repeat one last time -- the Santorum family is at no risk because he doesn't live here anymore and the family is in Virginia most of the time. So what we have is the senator making untrue and outrageous comments while seeking to hide behind his wife and kids in order to get around an inconvenient fact.

We have a feeling that those who do live here may have something to say about this cowardly tactic at the November polls.

Hiding behind the wife and kids -- nice family values, Senator.

Lying your ass off, falsely accusing your neighbor -- nice christian values, there, Senator.

OMG, do you think, that maybe, Senator Santorum is a fraud and a hypocrite? Ya think?

Memorial Day -- The Costs of a Premptive War to Recover Non-Existent WMDs

From AntiWar.Com:

Casualties in Iraq
American Military Casualties in Iraq

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 2,458
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03) 2,321
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 1,993
Since Handover (6/29/04): 1,592
Since Election (1/31/05): 1,022
Total Wounded (Official): 17,648
Estimated Actual: up to 48,000

Other Coalition Troops 214
US Military Deaths in Afghanistan 295
Iraqi Body Count 37,918 - 42,288

I don't know about you, but this Memorial Day, I'd love to see that hilarious bit of Bush searching for the WMD in the White House.

Reminder: Max Cleland to Campaign with Carney this Weekend

From the Carney Campaign (see also):

MEDIA ADVISORY: FMR US SENATOR MAX CLELAND TO CAMPAIGN WITH CARNEY

Clarks Summit, PA-Former U.S. Senator Max Cleland will be Chris Carney's special guest at four campaign events over the Memorial Day weekend.

Sunday, May 28th

5pm - Sen. Clelend will be Chris Carney's special guest at a reception at the Abington VFW Memorial, $50/person

6pm - Veterans for Carney Kickoff @ Abington VFW, Free/Open to Public

Monday, May 29th - Memorial Day

1pm - Sen. Cleland will be Chris Carney's special guest at a lunch @ Molly Maguires in Olyphant, $50/person

4pm - Susquehanna County Reception at Montrose VFW Pavilion, $25/person

5pm - Bradford County Picnic in Wyalusing, Wyalusing Municipal Park behind the Dandy Mini Mart, $25/person

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Rasmussen: Big Casey Turnaround, Up 23 Points

The latest Rasmussen Poll will be out soon and the word is that is shows Bobby Casey is up in both support and approval over his numbers during the Primary. Rasmussen will show that 56% of respondents say they will vote for Casey versus only 33% for Santorum. Similarly, Casey's favorables are way up -- 59% favorable for Casey as against Santorum's 42%.

As we noted yesterday, Casey needed to come out strong in these numbers to give Democrats some comfort, and he has more than done that. This has become his race to lose.

More when we see the actual report.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

New Approval/Disapproval Numbers on Rick Are Really, REALLY Bad -- That's the Good News

Since December, Santorum's approval by voters who call themselves "pro-life" has fallen from 59% to 49%, while the percentage of "pro-life" voters approving disapproving of Santorum's job performance has gone from 33% to 44%, according to the most recent Survey USA poll results.

As The All Spin Zone points out, the same results show Santorum's overall approval numbers down to 36% and his disapprovals a whopping 57%.

Regular Church goers disapprove Santorum 51-42 today, as opposed to a 48% approval rating he had from that important Republican constituency in December.

He's also losing favor among Republicans who approved his performance at a 66% clip in December. Today, 52% approve and 41% of Republicans disapprove.

In the so-called "T", Santorum has a 53% DISapproval rating.

The bad news? Casey's favorables have been as low as Rick's approval numbers (Quinnipiac 25%, Rasmussen 18%, Keystone 30%), although no polls have been released since the May 16 primary.

In the face of Santorum's steady decline in approval ratings, it is inconceivable that Casey can remain in the sub-50% range of voter support in which he has been mired in while his lead over Santorum steadily declined. If the next few polls don't show Casey dramatically improving, the Democrats should start getting real worried.

This Just In: Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Liar

Where have I heard that before?

Okay, I get it that Limbaugh will lie about Clinton and Gore and, Biden, your turn is coming. And I get why -- he wants to advance his own perverted political agenda. But what I don't get is why these right-wing wackjobs lie about environmental issues. I mean, I understand having a Bush in the White House is good for their career advancement, but how does a sick, polluted planet help them?

Anyway, Limbaugh has done it again -- picking up on the recent big oil talking points and asserting that global warming is a myth. The proof? A report that says the Antartic ice sheet is growing. There, see, it's all a liberal lie.

Oh, good. We can all go home now and not worry.

Not quite. Limbaugh was regurgitating the talking points of television commercials put out by big oil's front, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), in response to Al Gore's new movie. The CEI claims are based on the conclusions of a 2005 academic study headed by Curt Davis, director of the Center for Geospatial Intelligence at the University of Missouri-Columbia. That study in fact noted that the interior Antartic ice sheets are indeed growing as the result of increased precipitation. But the report went on to say that this is predicted by global warming models and is a confirmation of global warming. Here's what Davis recently had to say in response to the CEI deliberate misstatement about his report:
"These television ads are a deliberate effort to confuse and mislead the public about the global warming debate," Davis said. "They are selectively using only parts of my previous research to support their claims. They are not telling the entire story to the public."

"The text of the CEI ad misrepresents the conclusions of the two cited Science papers and our current state of knowledge by selective referencing,"said Dr. Brooks Hanson, deputy editor, physical sciences, Science.

Prior to Davis' 2005 Science study, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that if global warming were occurring, increased precipitation in Antarctica's interior would likely result. In his study, Davis reported growth in interior East Antarctica. He said this growth was probably caused by an increase in precipitation.

Davis said that three points in his study unequivocally demonstrate the misleading aspect of the CEI ads.

- His study only reported growth for the East Antarctic ice sheet, not the entire Antarctic ice sheet.
- Growth of the ice sheet was only noted on the interior of the ice sheet and did not include coastal areas. Coastal areas are known to be losing mass, and these losses could offset or even outweigh the gains in the interior areas.
- The fact that the interior ice sheet is growing is a predicted consequence of global climate warming.

"It has been predicted that global warming might increase the growth of the interior ice sheet due to increased precipitation," Davis said. "All three of these points were noted in our study and ignored by CEI in a deliberate effort to confuse and mislead the public."
From Rumsfeld cooking the intelligence, to Cheney lying about our certainty of WMD, to Santorum lying about the faux house affair, to Limbaugh lying about the Antartic ice sheets, how is it that these guys are still around?

Thanks to Media Matters for bringing this to my attention -- go read the entire report they deal with more than just the Rush's crap.

Go Away

Some other places to get good stuff today . . . .

2 Political Junkies deconstruct the Santorum faux home faux incident.

Keystone Politics on progressive US House candidate Tony Barr, who scored the Dem nod with 1776 write-in votes.

Huck and Jim on the antichrist in the White House, and other fun stuff.

By Neddie Jingo on using a, err, male enhancement device, properly.

Blue Wren on McCain, the WSJ, and nasty liberals.

Santorum - "A Hint of Fear and a Touch of Crazy"

Wish I'd said that. From John Baer in the Philadelphia Daily News "Santorum's odd reaction to house story":
IS IT THE faint scent of political fear, a touch of crazy or paternal instinct gone wild?
Whatever it is, it's gripped the U.S. Senate race and pushed Rick Santorum close (OK, closer) to the edge.
The senator growled and spewed at me (as angry as I've ever seen him) when I asked about alleged trespassing at a house he owns in the Pittsburgh suburb of Penn Hills.
"That's garbage!" he barked, "If you want to support that kind of journalism... people are looking inside my house!"
Maybe. But sheesh.
* * *
Obviously agitated, he says a relative stayed in the house several months ago so perhaps someone looked in one room during "a transition period" when the relative was coming or going.
Ohh-kay.
But the mystery to me is three-fold.
Santorum got to Congress by beating then-incumbent Doug Walgren in 1990 hammering the fact Walgren lived in Virginia; why draw attention to the fact that he lives in Virginia?
Why, after a flap over Penn Hills cyber-school costs, remind voters of that controversy?
And why, if concerned for the safety of his kids (any parent's priority, and, I believe, Santorum's), draw attention to his house and his kids?
Could it be when one trails in a year primed to punish incumbents one seeks to shift attention from issues such as Iraq and support of President Bush to, oh, I don't know, charges that thugs are out to get his kids?
Could it be Santorum seeks any opportunity, however flimsy, to paint Casey in '06 as the negative campaigner he was in '02?
I'm thinking yes and yes - along with a hint of fear and just a touch of crazy.
Go read the whole thing.

Now, the Santorums are wasting tax money on having the Capital Police invesitgate the stupid affair. Says a lot about the Santorum's confidence in the Penn Hills finest, doesn't it. (Oh, wait, maybe it DOES -- maybe they are concerned that they won't be able to bully the Penn Hills Blues into doing their political bidding the way they can obviously work the Capital Police.)

I think Bobby got it right: "Santorum has obviously weirded himself out"

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Rick Tops on This List

More on Santorum, just because there's so damned much and he's such an easy target.

Attytood reports on reports on Santorum's lobbyist money and ties to Abramoff and, once more, the lies about his Penn Hills pretend home:
The folks over at the Congress Watch of Public Citizen have put out a report on the lobbyists who bankroll Congress. It features a list of the 20 biggest givers among lobbyists -- an interesting read, to be sure -- but they've also compiled a tally of the biggest "getters," the members of Congress who've pulled in the most money from K Street during the 1998-2004 election cycles.

Among current members of the U.S. Senate, guess who's No. 1.

Yeah, like you didn't already know. Anyway, to find out the answer and see a lot more good stuff, go read the rest. Thanks to Suburban Guerrilla for pointing this one out.

UPDATE: Rick May Be Tops, But Bobby Casey Ain't Too Far Behind

The Congress Watch list reported above covers a number of years. Bob Casey was out running for (a lot) of other state offices during most of those years. So, the Slob thought it appropriate to take a look at THIS election cycle, for an apples to apples kind of thing.

The devoted readers of this blog, both of you, will recall that Bobby Casey was the only one of the three Democrats in the primary this year who refused to take the pledge to turn back lobbyist donations.

The reason?

Well, until recently, he was on the list of the top-20 recipients of Lobbyist money for this election cycle -- at the time, he was the ONLY non-sitting member of Congress on that list. (Today he'd be about number 21 -- still impressively ahead of more than 500 sitting members of Congress.)

Still, today, in what the Center for Responsible Politics calls the "Lawyer & Lobbyist" segment, Bobby Casey is number 3 -- with nearly $1.5 million, compared to Santorum at number 8 with about $880,000. Most of Casey's money ($1.4 million) comes from the Lawyers/Law Firm PACs on that list. Same with Santorum ($600k).

On the list of all current Senatorial candidates receiving Lobbyist money in the current election cycle, Santorum is number one with $279k and Casey comes in at Number 16 with about $80k.

Not a huge percentage of either candidate's war chest. But, in comparison to the 500 or so sitting members of Congress -- the natural targets for lobbyist money -- it's pretty damned telling for Bobby Casey to be ahead of most nearly all of them. So I'd be a little surprised if Casey tried to make an issue out of that in the campaign. Unfortunately, his own conduct has removed, neutralized, or at least diluted, that major vulnerability for Santorum. (Thanks, again, Schumer.)

UPDATE Part Two: Rick No. 2 overall on '98-'06 list, No. 1 on '06 List

To further clarify, Attytood's report suggests that Santorum was the number one recipient of Lobbyist-connected money during the Congress Watch report period of 1998-2006.

Actually, Santorum was number TWO overall with $1.16 million; former Democratic Senator Tom Daschle holds the number one spot.

Santorum is number one current congressperson on the 98-06 list, and number one on the current-cycle list with $560,000. Hillary is number two on the current cycle list with $417,000.

The overall list is on page 18 of the report and the current cycle list is on page 20.

One, two, three, or twenty, that's a bunch of influence peddling.

(Yawn) Santorum Offers Up More Lies in First Ad

It's a good thing that this country doesn't have any substantive issues to deal with -- after all, there's no national debate on the appropriate extent of government snooping, no war to talk about, no threat of unstable despots developing nuclear weapons, no disputes over tax cuts for the wealthy, no genocide in Darfur, and no division in the country over stem cell research, abortion, discrimination against gays, gun control -- because, if there were substantive issues to deal with, then Rick Santorum's first ad of the campaign would have to address at least one of those things, right?

Sadly, no.

As The Hotline tells us, Rick Santorum's first radio advertisement after the primary deals with none of those issues. Instead, he goes negative, repeating the pac 'o lies he and his boy-campaign-manager have been chanting over the last week or so:
Announcer: Primary election night, in front of cheering supporters in Pittsburgh, Rick Santorum challenged Bobby Casey to ten debates, and Casey responded with a loud, "No," saying voters didn't care about issues and that campaigns are a contact sport. Now we know what Casey meant. According to a KDKA investigative report, a Casey operative admitted to trespassing at the Santorums' home in Penn Hills, peering into the windows, looking for campaign dirt. But we shouldn't be surprised. Casey has a long history of slinging mud. The Philadelphia Daily News has called Casey's tactics "slash and trash and little else." The chairman of the Democratic Party said Casey took negative campaigning to a new height. And one Philadelphia paper called Casey's campaign "dishonest and nasty." Apparently, that's what we can expect from Bobby Casey again. Santorum: I'm Rick Santorum, candidate for the U.S. Senate, and I approve this message. Announcer: Paid for and authorized by Santorum 2006.
While I wouldn't want to pimp out my own stuff, the Slob has already detailed the Santorum campaign lies in this matter. First on May 19 in "And it Starts -- Santorum Campaign Scores Nixonian Trifecta with False Release", and then more the next day in "Santorum Backs Up Galko Lies with Lies of His Own".

Casey has apparently issued at least one Press Release denying that the individuals involved -- who have been fighting with Santorum over his residency claims for longer than Bob Casey was a Senate candidate -- are part of his campaign, trespassed, etc. Quoting Hotline, quoting from the releases (the Casey campaign doesn't have the Slob on their list, imagine that!):
Casey spokesman Larry Smar: "Santorum has skipped out on two forums where he could have discussed the issues with Bob. In case we needed more proof, this seals it that Santorum was using this debate on debates as a political ploy."

And the Casey campaign, in a release, finds the mention of the KDKA investigation "bizarre." Per the release: "The people who challenged Santorum's residency -- who aren't Casey operatives -- said they haven't been on the property and offered to take a lie detector test to prove it."

Rick needs to grow up. He is fighting for his job and you'd think hope that his first attack ad would have something to do with that job. Guess not. But remember folks, Rick went negative first.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Shrub's Constitutional Theory

Casey Should Take the Bait -- Debate Rick NOW

Bob Casey needs to set the agenda. His primary campaign was based solely on his name recognition and his "bold" assertion that "I'm not Rick Santorum". No one is excited about Bob Casey -- half of Casey's support is only an anti-Santorum vote.

Worse for Casey, in most polls his favorables are no better than Santorum's!

How can that be?

This is the guy touted by Schumer and the DSCC because he scored so many votes in his three hundredth run for office in 2004, and Santorum is supposedly the most despised member of Congress. But Bobby Casey's favorables in Pennsylvania aren't any better than Santorum's?! In the latest Quinnipiac Poll, Casey's favorables were actually below Santorum's (Casey 25/Santorum27).

With Casey's favorables so low and with half of his support available to any box of rocks that runs against Santorum, the "sure thing" that the DSCC is counting on could quickly become ugly.

THAT'S why the frontrunner here needs to step up, take Santorum's challenge, and debate his butt ten times all over the state. Casey needs, first, to prove he can do it. There are people out there -- many of them -- like me, who don't think Casey has the intellectual wherewithal to stand toe-to-toe with Santorum. He needs to prove us wrong.

Casey needs to do it, second, to define himself. Isn't it pathetic, the guy has run for statewide office some five times in the last nine years, yet Pennsylvania voters say they don't know who he is and can only give him low approval ratings. To win this race he has got to be seen as more than "not Rick" to most people.

Third, he's got to do it to establish the argument. He keeps saying that Santorum is wrong because he voted with the President 98% of the time. This is bad strategy for a few reasons.

Bush isn't on the ticket. He is running against Santorum, who has served two terms as US Senator in Pennsylvania. Does he think that Pennsylvania voters expected Santorum NOT to support the President?

It is an easy charge to make when Bush's numbers are low, but Bush is leaving in two years (at the most) -- Pennsylvanians are choosing someone who is going to be around through the NEXT President.

Casey has got to make the argument that Santorum needs to be fired because his policies are bankrupting this Country -- because the Republican ideology hurts the middle class and ignores the lower class. He needs to argue that the Republican policies are strengthening corporate America at the expense of the worker. He needs to show Pennsylvania how Democratic ideals are at the heart of every success that this Country has had, socially, economically, and in foreign affairs. He needs to develop a positive message on how he intends to bring specific ideology to play to strengthen the middle class and to strengthen America's standing in the world. He needs to convince voters that, regardless whether Bush is there, having Santorum in office will continue to hurt us.

Casey needs to frame the argument in those terms, so that the voters will, by election day, go to the polls WANTING Casey -- not just looking to dump Santorum.

He can do that by accepting the call for many debates across the Commonwealth -- in all those places he avoided during the Primary, and more.

If he does that, and if he succeeds, he will also help other Democrats -- like Pat Murphy, Chris Carney, and Joe Sestak, who are all in tough but winnable races to replace Republican House members. He'll do that by promoting the Democratic ideology for its own value -- not simply because it "isn't Republican".

As every salesman in the world knows, the strongest selling point of any product is its inherent quality. Casey needs to sell Pennsylvania on the inherent quality of the Democratic product. If he continues to run against Bush, he is telling the voters that you want us only because we aren't them. THAT campaign builds no brand loyalty. (It may very well explain why, despite running for statewide office every other year for the last decade, Casey only has a 25% approval rating and 46% who say that they don't know enough about him yet!)

AND, it ignores the unthinkable -- that Bush recaptures enough momentum by November to negate the entire campaign. It is unlikely and remote -- but, considering the extent of the harm if it should occur, a strategy based on the assumption that it will not happen is, bluntly, stupid.

Former Santorum Aides Charged in FEC Ethics Complaint

Two former aides to Rick Santorum have been charged with multiple violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act in connection with their PAC and contributions, including to Santorum's campaign. In a five-count complaint filed by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington ("CREW"), Santorum's aides are alleged to have violated disclosure requirements, campaign contribution limits, PAC contribution limits, and solicitation regulations.

In February, 2001, John Dick and Joseph Kuklis, formed the lobbying company, GSP Consulting Corp. (GSP), to assist technology companies, non profit organizations and commercial real estate developers identify, chase and secure sources of government funding. Dick has deep ties to Santorum. Immediately before forming GSP, Dick was a Deputy Campaign manager for Santorum's 2000 re-election campaign. Kuklis was Deputy State Director for the same Santorum campaign.

GSP operates out of the same office building as Santorum's Pittsburgh operations and has managed to secure for its clients some $35 million in appropriations, according to an April 2006 report by the Philadelphia Inquirier.

CREW is a progressive not-for-profit with a history of filing ethics complaints against some of the more excessive or outrageous practices of (mostly-Republican) members of Congress. It was formed in 2001 by Melanie Sloan, a former aide to Democratic Representative John Conyers and Democratic Senator Charles Schumer.

John Kerry's Kenyon College Commencement Address



Senator John Kerry
Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio
Saturday 20 May 2006

Class of 2006 - fellow survivors of November 2, 2004. I'm happy to be here at this beautiful school, which had my admiration long before that night when the country wondered whether I would win - and whether you would vote.

Your website has a profile of a very smart math major in the class of 2006. Joe Neilsen. He said that once, after a statistics course here, he realized "the probability of any event in our lives is about zero." "I probably spent a week," Joe said, "annoying my friends by saying: "What are the odds?" Well Joe, what were the odds that we'd be linked by those long hours - not that I keep track - 560 days ago? Like everyone that night, I admired the tenacity of Kenyon students. But what you did went far beyond tenacity.

My wife, Teresa, is honored by the degree you grant her, today. But she's also here to honor you because when you grow up in a dictatorship as she did, when you don't get a chance to vote until you're thirty-one, when you see your father voting for the first time in his seventies, you know what a privilege it is to cast a ballot.

Through that long night, we in Massachusetts watched you in Gambier. We were honored. We were inspired. We were determined not to concede until our team had checked every possibility. If you could stay up all night to vote, we could certainly stay up that next day to make sure your vote would count. In the end, we couldn't close the gap. We would have given anything to have fulfilled your hopes.

And I also thank those who cast a ballot for my opponent. I wish all Republicans had been just like you at Kenyon - informed, willing to stand up for your views - and only 10 percent of the vote. Actually, all of you, through your patience, and good humor showed Americans that politics matters to young people. And so I really do thank every student here.

I especially want to thank someone who isn't a student. Because at the meeting Hayes was kind enough to mention - and I did take notes - the alums made it clear how much they'd been influenced by great friends, great teachers. Or a great coach.

I know what it's like to be on a team before an important game. I know how crucial that last practice can be. For the field hockey team, that November 2nd was the last day before the Oberlin game. Winning meant getting into the league championship - and from there to the NCAAs. So I can understand why players were upset after hours waiting in line at the polling place that afternoon. When Maggie Hill called her coach to ask if she should come back to practice - you'd expect the coach to say 'you better believe it.'

This coach had a different reaction. "I'll cancel practice," she said, "and I'm sending the whole team to vote." In that one moment she became a hero to me, and an example to many. It takes a special coach to know there are more important things than a big game. We should all express our gratitude to Robin Cash. Her values are the values of Kenyon. By the way, for parents who may not remember - Kenyon played brilliantly - and won that Oberlin game 3-zip.

Now, it's not as if seeing brilliance here at Kenyon is a surprise. Like everybody, I know that when you look at a resume and see a Kenyon degree, you think, "Smart. Committed. Good writer." And maybe, "Likes to see a lot of stars at night."

But there's more. The Kenyon alums I met with were so eloquent about what it meant to be here, where all your friends live, study, and play along a one mile path in a town surrounded by cornfields. One said, "I came here on a cold, rainy October, but after my interview I saw professors having coffee at the deli, and heard everybody so excited about the Tom Stoppard play they were putting on - I fell in love with the place." Someone else said, "Intelligent conversation permeates the whole campus." Another said - and I don't think he was kidding - "Nobody gets drunk at Commencement."

We talked until I got dragged into an intelligence briefing from the White House. Believe me, I learned more at the Kenyon meeting.

What they said sounded very familiar. And important. Because there are other places where you can find a small community - where the bonds you forge will never dissolve. You can find it on a tiny boat in the rivers of Vietnam's Mekong Delta. You can even find it in the Senate - sometimes.

Someone described to me what it's like walking into Gund for dinner after your girl friend breaks up with you. You see every single person staring to make sure you're all right. I thought, "Sounds like walking into the Democratic Caucus after that first New Hampshire poll."

The fact is, the Kenyon grads in Washington didn't agree on everything. But they agreed that Kenyon is a place where you have the luxury of examining an idea not for whether it sounds good but for whether it is good.

Actually, one Kenyon parent told me something that bothered him. His son took Quest for Justice his first semester here. That's not what bothered him. But, the class met early in the morning, and his son made every class. After years of pushing his kid to get out of bed, the father wanted to know, "What changed?" His son said, "Dad, I could disappoint you. But not Professor Baumann."

And that brings up one of the things I want to talk about. For the Election Day event that united us was a disappointment. There's no way around it. Even as we flew in over Columbus this morning, I was looking down at the Ohio landscape, thinking: we came so close. So what. You cannot go through life without disappointment. No team, no politician, no writer, no scientist - no one avoids defeat.

The question is: what do you do next?

It's simple: you pick yourself up and keep on fighting. Losing a battle doesn't mean you've lost the war. Whether it's a term paper, an experiment or a race for President, you will learn from experience, and experience breeds success.

That's important, because frankly there are so many things to fight for. By that, I don't just mean the things we fight over in the halls of Congress. Kenyon produces graduates that produce our literature and drama - like E.L. Doctorow did with The March, 54 years after leaving Gambier. Or Allison Janney did on West Wing - the first show ever to portray politics with something approaching the complexity it deserves. Your challenge is to produce and perform the rich imaginative works that move and illuminate your time. Kenyon has vastly expanded its science programs. And your challenge is to fight in laboratories against enemies like the tiny HIV virus that has created the most devastating epidemic in human history - killing more people every two hours than there are in this graduating class. At a time when we read about the high-tech jobs of a globalized world, your challenge is to find a way to educate the millions of Americans who can't get those jobs because they can't read well enough to understand how to get online.

And now, we are engaged in a misguided war. Like the war of my generation, it began with an official deception. It's a war that in addition to the human cost - the tragedy of tens of thousands of Iraqis and Americans dead and wounded - will cost a trillion dollars. Enough to endow 10,000 Kenyons. Money that could fight poverty, disease, and hunger. And so, your challenge is also to find a way to reclaim America's conscience. I have no doubt you will. For one thing you have great role models. Like your parents, sitting out there under the trees. You may laugh looking at the old photos of your dad in a ponytail, and your mom in bellbottoms and that crazy, tie-dyed shirt. But their generation too faced the task of ending a war. And they did.

And went on to invent Earth Day, march against racism, bring women into the workplace and become the first generation to usher in an acceptance for all people regardless of race, religion, gender or sexuality.

They honored democracy by making government face issues of conscience - and I ask you to applaud them for making the world better BEFORE they made it better by making you what you are!

And of course, in addition to those sitting behind you - you have great role models sitting among you. Students from this class who had a dream, took a chance, and have already achieved great things.

I know, because sitting here is a student who dreamed of being published, and felt ambitious enough to send a poem he'd written for class to the Chautauqua Literary Journal. And so Sam Anderson became a published poet at the age of 21.

I know, because sitting here is a student who, watched a cousin struggle with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, dreamed of finding a way to help - and designed a project that involved her with the leading DMD researcher in the world. Now Amy Aloe's been invited to work in his ground-breaking lab.

I know, because sitting here is a student who dreamed of returning to the country of her birth, the country that shaped a part of my life. And in Vietnam, Nhu Truong could examine not just issues, but the more difficult job of examining herself.

They all took a chance. If you ever despair of making a difference you'll have Kenyon people to remind you of what's possible if you take that chance.

And not just from the class of '06.

One of the alums mentioned that every week, a group of them meet to talk about issues. They don't think alike about every idea, he said. But they share a passion for ideas they learned here. Another asked me to tell those of you suspicious of government, that "it's made up of a lot of people like us, trying to make things better."

The group included one alum who's well known here - and getting well known in Washington. But a while back he was just a nervous 24-year old, sitting silently in a meeting with a new Secretary of State. Until he got up the nerve to raise his hand and make a point. "Who's that young, red-haired kid?" Condoleeza Rice said afterward, to an aide. "Keep your eye on him." No, she didn't mean he was a security risk. He'd said something that, as a Washington Post reporter put it, "crystallized her thoughts about foreign policy." And now Chris Brose, Kenyon 2002, travels everywhere with Secretary Rice, not just crafting her speeches but talking about policy. I wish the policies were a little different, but he's making a mark. He's making a difference. You know, during World War II, my father was flying planes in the Army Air Corps. While he was away on duty, my mother was volunteering to care for the sick and wounded. She sent him a letter about it. "You have no idea of the ways in which one can be useful right now," she wrote. "There's something for everyone to do." She was right about her time. And what she wrote is right about yours too.

In a few minutes you will walk across this stage for your diploma. You'll line up on the steps of Rosse Hall to sing for the last time. You'll turn in your hoods, go back and finish packing. Maybe sell that ratty sofa to somebody from the class of 2007. And then you'll watch the cars pull away. I know you've heard too many times the old saying that commencement is not an end but a beginning. The truth is, it's both. It is a day to feel sad about leaving Gambier. It's a day to feel eager about what lies ahead. Because you have a special mission. Those who worked to end a war long ago, now ask you to help end a war today. Those who worked to end poverty ask you to finish what we have left undone. We ask you to take a chance. We ask you to work for change. Promise yourselves, promise your parents, promise your teachers that you will use what you have learned. Don't doubt for an instant that you can. Only doubt those pessimists who say you can't. For all along the way, I promise, that while you leave the campus, Kenyon will never leave you.

You will be linked by the experiences vividly brought to life today by Hayes Wong, who experienced them with you.

As you fight for justice in this world, you will be linked by the insights you all had in courses like Quest for Justice. You will be linked to classmates whose success you predict will take the world by storm - and to some whose success takes you by surprise. You will be linked by the times you sat on a bench in Middle Path and argued about politics with people whose views you opposed - and learned you could disagree and still be friends. At some point you'll see that this small campus that changed you has already produced enormous change in the world.

But much more is urgently needed.

Remember that the bedrock of America's greatest advances-the foundation of all we take for granted today - was formed not by cheering on things as they were, but by taking them on and demanding change. No wonder Thomas Jefferson himself said that "dissent is the highest form of patriotism."

So if you're not satisfied with the dialogue today, if you feel your issues are being ignored, speak out, act out, and make your issues the voting issues of our nation.

You might say, "who's he kidding? We can't do that." Well, I remember when you couldn't even mention environmental issues without a snicker. But then in the '70s people got tired of seeing the Cuyahoga River catch on fire from all the pollution. So one day millions of Americans marched. Politicians had no choice but to take notice. Twelve Congressmen were dubbed the Dirty Dozen, and soon after seven were kicked out of office. The floodgates were opened. We got the Clean Air Act, The Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water. We created the EPA. The quality of life improved because concerned citizens made their issues matter in elections.

So it's up to you now to take up the challenge of your times if you want to restore a politics of big ideas, not small-minded attacks.

Make no mistake - you'll meet resistance. You'll find plenty of people who think you should just keep your mouths shut or that by speaking out you're somehow less than patriotic. But that's not really new either. When we protested the war in Vietnam some would weigh in against us saying: "My country right or wrong." Our response was simple: "Yes, my country right or wrong. When right, keep it right and when wrong, make it right."

Graduates of the Class of 2006, you know how to make it right - and you will see that it came from what you learned here: from a class so compelling you were awake at the crack of dawn to learn - from that night Teresa and I will never forget when you waited patiently till 4:15 at a polling place in Gambier - or from a coach who knew that her mission was to teach you how to win on and off the field.

Congratulations - and God Bless.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

"Aww, I got another write-in for Richard Hertz, whose Dick . . . "

Leave it to those wacky Wilkes-Barre voters.

The voting services director there is a little unhappy about some snarky write-in votes cast on his brand-new electronic machines. The old lever machines made write-ins hard to do. Apparently, faced with the easy write-in freedom provided by the new machines, things got, as Rummy tells us happens whenever things get free, a little "messy" in Upper Askem. Thanks to The Daily Rant for pointing out this bit in the Wilkes-Barre (soon to be defunct) Times Leader:

“I’m disturbed by some of the swear words,” said Luzerne County Election Bureau Director Leonard Piazza. He was most offended by a pair of “c” words which appeared several times.

“That’s disgusting. If that’s the kind of word you’re going to type into these machines, then you ought not to be bothering to vote because that’s an insult to the voting process,” Piazza said.

Piazza said he had a hunch he’d see profanity because voters spell out write-in votes on the new voting machines by touching letters on a keyboard screen. . . .

Piazza believes people found the new machines more fun to use, but he cautions that they shouldn’t forget that voting is serious business.

“It’s not a joke. These machines are not a toy.”

Yeah, yeah . . . it's all fun and games until Dick Hertz ends up a County Commissioner, then you'll be sorry. (A "pair of 'c' words"?)

Santorum Backs Up Galko Lies with Lies of His Own

Santorum must really be scared. Instead of joining issue on matters of subtance differentiating his politics from Bobby Junior's, he followed up his boy-manager's pack 'o lies yesterday by getting his wife and children involved in the mess and issuing more false claims over his own signature. Here's a hint to Galko -- it is harder to lie about stuff that isalready on video. Yesterday I wrote about the incident a a little detail, with links to the KDKA-TV report (text and video) in "And it Starts -- Santorum Campaign Scores Nixonian Trifecta with False Release", in response to the Press Release and e-mail put out by the 17-year old running Santorum's campaign (oh, okay, he's around 32, but has the judgment of a 17-year old).

Now, according to the Santorum Blog, a usually reliable source but given to occasional excess in support of the Senator (especially by posters other than AlexC), Rickie and Karen sent this letter to Bobby:
Dear Bob,

We are writing to express our outrage regarding the actions of your campaign, which have put our six young children at a serious safety risk. Last night, we learned with deep dismay that a Casey operative admitted on KDKA-TV to trespassing on our property and viewing the inside of our home. Further, your campaign issued a press release yesterday that falsely says that we do not stay in our Penn Hills home. This reckless statement is not only a lie, but alerts those who may want to enter the home illegally. Your despicable actions have greatly endangered our children's safety.
Blah blah blah . . . .there's more of the same. It is signed "Sincerely" by "Rick and Karen Santorum".

The Santorum lies:

"the actions of your campaign" -- Where is the evidence that this has anything to do with Casey? Because the neighbors challenging Santorum's stealing of money from their school district and falsely claiming to live in a too-small empty house are also Democrats? Santorum knows that this couple has been challenging Santorum's lies for years -- since before Casey even decided to run for Senate.

"put our six young children at a serious safety risk" -- How's that? The six little santorums were hundreds of miles away from their father's show hovel, nestled safely in their six little beds in their million dollar Virginia home. Pretty despicable to lie about the safety of your own children. Some family values on display there.

"we learned with deep dismay that a Casey operative admitted on KDKA-TV to trespassing on our property and viewing the inside of our home." Oh, how many lies in this one?

"Casey operative"? - see above.

"Admitted to trespassing"? No, he didn't. Readers can go to KDKA and view the actual report, not Santorum's lie about what it says.

"Trespassing"? -- well, not according to the police. And Ed Vecchio has offered to take a lie detector test to prove that he and his wife didn't trespass on Santorum's investment property:
Meanwhile, Penn Hills Democratic Chairwoman Erin Vecchio fired back, “If you want me to take a lie detector test to say I was never on that property. Go for it. I'll, myself and my husband, will take a lie detector test. Because, will you take a lie detector test, Rick -- to say you ever lived in that house?”
So, how about it Rick? I'll pay for the lie detector, to be admisitered by the Pennsylvania State Police, if you'll agree to take it. Lemme know.

"Home"? Please! There are no curtains, no furniture, the grass is overgrown, and there are two bedrooms for the 8-member Santorum tribe. Until recently, it was occupied by tenants. 'lil Ricky lives in luxury in Virginia.

Rick, Galko, grow up. Start talking about the ISSUES.

There will be more on this, according to the Penn Hills Progress,

The Vecchios obtained an attorney Tuesday.

They said they will submit a letter to Allegheny County Common Pleas Court today (Wednesday) to ask for a hearing to determine whether the Santorums can vote in Penn Hills.

"This has nothing to do with Bob Casey or Republican vs. Democrat," said Erin Vecchio, who is also a Penn Hills School Board member.

"The Santorum house is unoccupied. If everyone followed his logic, residential landlords in Penn Hills could switch their voter registration to Penn Hills and enroll their children in the school district."

Stay tuned, kids.



Friday, May 19, 2006

And it Starts -- Santorum Campaign Scores Nixonian Trifecta with False Release

Vince Galko, Santorum's 32-ish campaign manager, issued an immature email appeal to Santorum supporter's today which falsely accused Bobby Casey of sending someone around Santorum's home to look in the windows at his wife and 27 children (okay, he only has six kids), which were supposedly terrified.

According to KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, Ed Vecchio, the head of the Penn Hills Democratic Party said that the two-bedroom house owned by Santorum in Penn Hills, which Santorum claims as his residence, is vacant:
“He doesn't live here,” said Ed Vecchio of Penn Hills. “The house he's registered to vote out of, is vacant -- no curtains, furniture, nothing in there. It's abandoned for over a month. So, I feel it's my right to contest his vote.”
On election day, Vecchio had challenged Santorum's residency, but Santorum was permitted to vote without having to sign a residency affidavit. Vecchio apparently intends to pursue the matter. It was Vecchio's wife, a Penn Hills School Board member and Democratic committee woman, who blew the whistle on Santorum ripping off Penn Hills taxpayers in excess of $100,000 which the District paid to educate Santorum's children in Virginia, where they live.

After Ed Vecchio -- who lives near the Santorum property in Penn Hills -- made his comments about the home being empty ("no curtains, furniture, nothing in there"). Mrs. Santorum, who was at home in Virgina with their children, called the D.C. Police (NOT the Virginia, Pennsylvania State, or Penn Hills police, mind you), to say that someone had to have trespassed on the property to obtain that information.

KDKA says that the police say they have nothing to support Mrs. Senator's claim:
"Right now, Penn Hills Police don't know who, if anybody, trespassed on Santorum's property. No one has been charged."
But, the Santorum spin machine managed to turn it into a scary affair for the poor little Santorum tribe. From the way the story was fabricated by Santorum's campaign manager, it sounded like Casey ordered his staff to go peering into Santorum's home, scaring the crap out of the little Santorums and acting so badly that the police needed to immediately come running to protect their lives and property.

Here's what Santorum's snivelling little mouthpiece said:
Casey's crew violated the Santorum family's home in search of political ammunition, instilling fear in Rick Santorum's wife, Karen, their six children, his in-laws and their neighbors to the point where the police had to be called in to protect the home.. . . . [S]neaking around the Santorum home is an all-time new low! It's not only an assault on the Santorum family, but also on the democratic process and every Pennsylvanian and American.
THIS is the best that Santorum can come up with as their first attack against Casey?

Obviously, Santorum is running scared to put out this kind of garbage. It is a tactic dishonest, immature, and reeking of poor judgment all at once -- a Nixonian trifecta. And the freeking campaign is only a couple of days old.

The Sullen Wings of Fortune

The Sailor gave a least a try, but the lady, in this case, was unfaithful to her word.

Now, we all need to decide what next. A number of Chuck supporters are refusing to vote for Casey and that, to point out the obvious, is their choice. I think it is a mistake, however. They accomplished something meaningful with this campaign and now is the time for them to pull together and figure out if it's an end or the beginning. Casting off the Democratic Party will bring it closer to an end than a beginning, I fear.

Casey is terrible on many of the things most important to me and to most of the Pennacchio supporters -- stem cells, choice, gay rights, the war(s), standing up to BushCo, church and state issues. To be sure, his best friends in the Senate are likely to be other members of the same party -- Specter, McCain and Lieberman.

But, as my Cajun friend notes, Casey IS at least a reliable vote for Harry Reid as Senate Majority Leader. I hope Casey has that opportunity.

I have serious, serious reservations about whether the Democratic Party will take back the Senate this year. Sure, I see the polls that say how low the President's approval is, how low the Republican Congress's approval is, and how much the general electorate intends to vote for a change. But, the "general electorate" doesn't vote in these elections and "change" is not on the ballot.

Individual States, themselves made up of individual communities, themselves made up of indidividuals, vote, and they vote for their individual Senator. There is a long, long road separating an answer to a pollster's general question of discontent with "the Congress", to a decision, six months from now, to vote against Senator Talent or Senator DeWine or Senator Whomsoever. So, to me it is far from certain that a Senator Casey (just typing that makes me cringe) will have an opportunity to vote for the majority leader.

But, the upside is so great -- the investigatory power, the repeal of the worst excesses of BushCo (even without Casey's support on some of them -- like stem cells and the tax cuts), the return to sanity and balance in judicial appointments, a stiff-arm on the last floundering twitches of the Bush Administration, keeping us from invading Iran, just to name a few, that it would be foolish -- no, tragic -- if we let our anger and disappointment in our party (and fellow-citizens), and our disgust at the very idea of a Senator Casey, allow us to threaten all those great things which could be accomplished, and all those awful things which could be stopped, with a Democratic majority in the Senate.

Casey is nothing I would want to see in a Senator -- he is not smart, he is not principled, he favors appeasement over the good fight, he does not inspire, he has no vision (much less long range vision). A vote for Casey is a vote based on two things and two things ONLY -- he is not Santorum, and he has a "Dem" after his name. We deserve better, but we don't have anything better right now.

A write-in for Chuck or, even worse, a vote for Santorum, will do all sort of horrible things. It will help return Santorum and it will diminish the strength of the progressive voices that came together -- over 100,000 of them -- to say "enough!" We do not have to become another Joe H. and appease the Party. To the contrary, we need to fight the inertia of the party at every turn -- fight everywhere, at every level, to make your voices heard. Go to the ward meetings, run for County and State committee positions, run for convention delegate spots, become active in local and statewide campaigns. It takes work and dedication -- it is harder than voting for Casey, and it is more rewarding than voting for Santorum. Apart from his preference for blackened carp, Shlomo usually makes sense and here he is right on -- you can't change politics without changing politics -- we need to BECOME the Democratic Party:
[T]he Democratic party has already moved too far to the right, and Bob Casey's election will not change that fact. Whether it be supporting the bankruptcy bill, Hillary Clinton's cuddling up to Rupert Murdoch, or the 34 Democrats who voted to renew the USA PATRIOT act, the Democrats are not going to lurch rightward with Bob Casey in office; they are already there.

The only significant way for progressives to move the Democratic Party back to the left is by becoming the Democratic Party. By uniting us, Chuck Pennacchio's campaign has carried us a long way toward achieving that goal; but we must remain active in politics and shape and affect our local parties throughout the year--not just on election day. Those perched at the top of the Democratic hierarchy are supported by the roots of local politics that we must become. Go to your local Democratic functions, run for precinct chair, donate $50 to a candidate in whom you believe; do anything, but do it often. Through a concerted gradual effort we can become the change we want to see in the Democratic Party.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Max Cleland in PA to Support Chris Carney (PA-10th)

Max Cleland will be in Northeast Pennsylvania over the Memorial Day Weekend to support the campaign of Chris Carney (D), who is seeking to oust Don Sherwood as the US Rep for Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District. Sherwood deserves to be retired, for more reasons than having engaged in an abusive extra-marital affair.

Cleland is a true hero, having suffered grevious wounds in Vietnam, he returned to serve in the Georgia Senate, then as head of the Veteran's Administration in the Carter Administration. In 1996, Cleland won Sam Nunn's Senate seat when Nunn retired. Many of us were none-too-pleased that Cleland supported the odious Bush tax cuts in 2001 and the following year when he voted to authorize the Iraq war. His reward for supporting the President on these two measures was to be smeared as soft on terrorism by Republican ads linking him with bin Laden and Saddam. He lost his seat in what some would say was a questionable vote count (the day before the election a newspaper poll put him at + 3 or 4 points and he lost by a near landslide).

An early supporter of the Iraq war, he was appointed to the 9-11 Commission but resigned over the Administration's stonewalling of Commission requests. He is now a fierce opponent of the war and bluntly says that the adminsitration "duped" us into the war.

The Carney campaign has announced a busy schedule of events at which Cleland will Join Carney over the Memorial Day weekend. Some are public, some are semi-public, some require RSVPs. Go to the Carney web site for more information.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Prescott's Grandson and the Relics

Huck and Jim, which, not often enough, always gives us some smart observations of the goings-on in Washington, recently loosed on the Indian and the White House, a must read:

Remains to Be Seen

I drop acid a lot and think about history. Not the history ladled out by academics, though what with all the acid and thinking, I am a big reader too. No, the history that interests me is the weird stuff; that Geronimo, for example, viewed President McKinley's murdered body as it lay in state in Buffalo, New York in 1901. That sixteen years after that, Prescott Bush, the fatherand grandfather of presidents, bragged in a letter of stealingGeronimo's remains from a grave at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma and sendingthem to the Skull and Bones clubhouse in New Haven, Connecticut, the sleepy town where his squalid little grandson, the one who currently inhabits the White House, came into this world nearly sixty years ago.

Okay, maybe I don't drop *that* much acid, but everything else written above is true. The study of history is supposed to be an aid to understanding the present, I hear the brighter of my readers thinking, and you might rightly ask: so what's the big
deal with the indian?

To this my short answer is: You fuck with Geronimo at your peril.
Read the rest here.

Taking Donny Osmond Down

Priceless true story about the day Donny Osmond met his doom, from roxtar:

The truth can finally be told; I kicked Donny Osmond's ass and made him my bitch! . . . . The place: Jacksonville, Florida. The time: 1990, I guess. I was in the record business, on the road with one of our recording artistes, whose name it would be indelicate to divulge. The local slack-jaws had organized some sort of festival, featuring big tents, fried foods and live music. There may also have been a hot air balloon, and maybe a jet-ski, too.

This show was what we called a "track date". A stripped down recording of the set had been prepared, minus lead vocals and most of the drums. When the lights came up, the tape rolled, the drummer drummed, the Talent sang, and I, along with various crew members, pretended to play various instruments. (I always "played" bass. "Played" it on the Mickey Mouse Club a couple of times, in fact.) Orleans ("Still The One") opened, the Talent was next, and Donny Osmond was the headliner. It was a daytime gig, so we were finished around 5:00 or so. Instead of the usual backstage catering, the organizers had planned a dinner for the acts, the organizing committee, donors, etc. Attendance at the dinner was obligatory, kind of a grip & grin & meet & greet & eat.

Most of the crew blew off the dinner, succumbing instead to the twin temptations of cold local beer and hot local wimmin. My job, however, required me to stay with the Talent. Make introductions, field interview requests, tear him away from autograph seekers, etc. (I should mention that the Talent was, at the time, hugely popular as a result of his regular role on a "daytime drama.") So dinner is served, and we sit down at long tables laden with grub. At one end of the table, me, the Talent, some other of his "people" and a couple of local teevee reporter-babes. At the other end, the Osmond contingent. You never saw such white people in your life. The Continental Divide is the line which separates North America into the Atlantic and Pacific watersheds. Our table had a similar divide. At our end: Cokes, beer and iced tea. At the Osmond end: Seven-up, water, and milk. Donny and Company eschewed both alcohol and caffeine, suckling only at the bland, pale teats permitted by their Mormon religion.

Not bad, anyway, for a day in Jacksonville. Dinner was fine, the Talent was gracious, and I was making significant headway with one of the reporter-babes. My totally sincere line of bullshit, however, was rudely interrupted by raucous shouts from the Utah delegation.
Read the rest (and see the pics) here.