National Democratic Chair, Dr Howard Dean will be coming to Rochester for a reception to support our favorite Democratic candidate for the 29th congressional district, Eric Massa!

Here’s the scoop:

When: Thursday, May 15th, 2008

Where: The Inn on Broadway

26 Broadway, Rochester, NY

How Much: VIP Reception: 5:00-5:30 PM $1000.00

Reception: 5:30-7:00 AM $250.00

RSVP: Maryanne Hamilton email:

mhamilton@massaforcongress.com

I’m trying to decide if this is real. Did they really vote against Mother’s Day? Now as I recall-they voted in favor of Christmas last December. What gives? Voting in favor of mom seems even less controversial than voting in favor of Jesus, especially in a governmental body that values the separation of church and state.

On Wednesday, the House took up the seemingly uncontroversial H. Res. 1113, “Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother’s Day.” The resolution initially passed 412 to 0, until Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) rose in protest:

Mr. Speaker, I ask for a recorded vote because I’m sure every member wants their mother to know that they have supported the goals of Mother’s Day.

Tiahrt’s mother, however, may be disappointed to know that her son did not support Mother’s Day. He and 177 other Republicans decided to cast their vote against mothers.

From the Washington Post:

Republicans, unhappy with the Democratic majority, have been using such procedural tactics as this all week to bring the House to a standstill, but the assault on mothers may have gone too far. House Minority Leader John Boehner, asked yesterday to explain why he and 177 of his colleagues switched their votes, answered: “Oh, we just wanted to make sure that everyone was on record in support of Mother’s Day.”

And then there is Veto Vito Fossella:

There’s the case of one member of his caucus, Rep. Vito Fossella (N.Y.); the father of three from Staten Island yesterday announced that he has a fourth, a 3-year-old love child with a woman from Virginia. That admission was prompted by his drunken-driving arrest in Virginia last week, when he told police he was on his way to see his daughter. “I think Mr. Fossella is going to have some decisions to make over the weekend,” Boehner said at his news conference yesterday, cutting Fossella loose. Fossella was spotted on the House floor, in tears, speaking to the chaplain.

For the record, Fossella did not participate in the Mother’s Day vote.

You can head over to Think Progress and watch the video too.

I Wonder how Mr Kuhl voted.

(Dana Milbank seems to think puppies and kittens may be the next target)

Couldn’t let this one slide by:

Seneca Park Zoo opened a new exhibit today that cost more than 2-million dollars! County Executive Maggie Brooks and state Senator Joe Robach helped at a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday morning marking the opening of the new baboon exhibit, part of phase two of the zoo’s “A Step Into Africa Expansion Project.”

Musta been one big, sucker ribbon to require the efforts of both Joe and Maggie!  These are the photo-ops to die for, but where is the one of Maggie and the Baboon?

I found this little gem yesterday from C-SPAN.org/Capitol Hill, the White House and National Politics, and since stlo7 had asked, I thought I would present it to you:

 Also phoning in is Maggie Brooks (R), County Executive, Monroe County, NY to talk about a $1 million earmark sponsored by Rep. Randy Kuhl (R-NY) for the Monroe County, New York Office of Emergency Preparedness.

Now, take a look at our Emergency Preparedness Center.  Check out the facility-it almost looks like The Situation Room from the basement of The Whitehouse: 

Heck, it looks more like NASA Command Center:

I’m a little curious as to what more we need for $1 million dollars, and exactly how much duct tape will it buy?

(I never noticed before that the word, “analyze”, has the word, “anal” in it. Just an aside.)

Hillary-Barack, Barack-Hillary…What are the issues here? There really are none, unless you count their stands on the suspension of the “gas tax” as a major issue, because, other than that, their stances are very similar, which would explain why a culture war between the two is driving these supporters (especially in the Hillary camp) to become fanatical in the defense of their candidates.

Matt Taibbi addresses this in “Hillary’s Bitter Victory” from this week’s Rolling Stone.

Hillary made herself the champion of everything stylistically ordinary, superficially unimpressive and ignored. And while her opponent won all the attention and admiration, all the teen-idol gushings of the beautiful people, she went for something deeper — resentment at the lack of those same things. She took an opponent who was relentless in his attempts to remain genial, positive and unifying, and managed to turn him into a divisive villain, a symbol representing every oversexed winner who ever had it too easy at the pimply kid’s expense. It’s brilliant strategy, and it’s working so well that Hillary now has her crowds hurling catcalls at the mere mention of anything Obama. Moreover, she’s inspired such profound loyalty that her supporters no longer give a shit at all how they win, as long as they do. Like O.J. apologists who became overnight skeptics of DNA evidence, Clinton backers don’t see anything wrong with winning the nomination through a brokered convention, despite being behind in the popular vote and the delegate count.

Hillary has become the champion of every young girl, middle aged woman and grandmotherly type who has ever been wronged by a man (or the man). While Obama, on the other hand has made this mistake:

the Obama camp was so busy stewing over Bill Clinton’s comparison of Obama’s South Carolina win to Jesse Jackson’s and worrying about being painted as a “black candidate” that they forgot to worry about being painted as something even worse, in American political terms: the candidate of liberal intellectuals.

Taibbi ends with this sad summary which, contrary to what Exile wrote this morning, makes me fear for the reality that might greet us in November.

The result has been an epic clash, a war of cultural types that has nothing whatsoever to do with issues and everything to do with self-image. It’s become a pitched fight between the f***ed-over suburban little guy and the vilified intellectual, two groups that for years have felt put upon and dispossessed, for different reasons. The fact that their respective champions are identical superstar U.S. senators/multimillionaires makes the bitter hatred this schism is inspiring absurd, but it doesn’t make it any less real. Or likely to end anytime soon.

Now, I have a preference for who wins the nomination, but I will work my ass off for whoever gets the nod. I know, personally, several people who will stay home if their candidate is not nominated. I fear this headline on November 5th, Hillary (Obama) supporters stay home, McSame Wins Presidency.

It’s official! The appellate court’s decision stands in New York State. Read it and weep, oh Maggie of the Very Closed Mind:

Today, New York’s highest court handed down a victory for many gay and lesbian couples throughout the state by letting stand an appellate court’s groundbreaking ruling that recognized same-sex couples’ valid out-of-state marriages.

“Today’s decision represents another step in the ongoing fight for human rights,” said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. “Each time a gay or lesbian couple’s marriage is recognized, it is a victory for familes and for fairness in New York State.”

[snip]

The case raised the issue of whether the longstanding “marriage recognition rule,” which requires New York State to recognize marriages that were solemnized outside the state, applies to gay and lesbian couples’ valid marriages. The court held that it does and that Martinez and Golden’s valid Canadian marriage at issue in the case is entitled to recognition.

“If a marriage is valid in the state or country in which the marriage took place, New York law generally requires the recognition of that marriage,” said Arthur Eisenberg, the NYCLU’s legal director. “This case involved a straightforward application of that principle.”

I believe congratulations are in order here:

And here:

And to many others, whose pictures I did not, regrettably, get.  So, was that bus trip to Albany worth it, everybody?  I think so.  We’ve already had a party, but that’s no reason not to celebrate again.

Looks like Randy Kuhl is not the only one improving his golf game. From PGA.com transcripts:2008 Senior PGA Championship Media Day:

And now, ladies and gentlemen, it’s my pleasure to introduce our newly single-digit handicapper in government here, Maggie Brooks, the Monroe County Executive.

Maggie speaks:

Not only will golfers come from around the globe to compete for this prestigious title, but visitors will come from all over the globe to experience the great tournament, but also to experience Rochester and Monroe County and all that we have to offer.

So this really does put us on the map. It’s an economics boost, it is something that we should all be proud of. Monroe County is certainly pleased and honored to be a partner in this endeavor. So I just want to encourage everyone to come out. Tell your friends. Come out and enjoy the tournament here.

Well, Maggie, my darlin, we just had a fabulous event last Saturday night at the Riverside Convention Center with “Newlywed in New York” that put us on the map and that we, in the progressive community, are all very proud of. The economic boost that it could give to Rochester would be great if we could open up this new market to the businesses that cater to weddings.

Golf is great, I’m sure (if you like that kind of thing) and the revenue that it creates for Rochester and Monroe County is significant. But let’s open up our minds and hearts and not look a gift horse in the mouth when it’s staring you in the face.

Over at the D&C Blog, Amishjudy has this up about school vouchers. She appears pretty accurate in her assessment. (As opposed, of course, to this article where Petrena speaks.)

I remember my Dad telling me that the way to understand any issue was to “follow the money”. Well this advice served me well when it came to understanding school vouchers because I now understand the real motivation behind vouchers: To systematically dismantle the public school system and turn schools over to FOR PROFIT management companies. 

She then goes on to talk about Milton Friedman-the father of school vouchers.  From the Cato Institue website:

The problem is how to get from here to there. Vouchers are not an end in themselves; they are a means to make a transition from a government to a market system. The deterioration of our school system and the stratification arising out of the new industrial revolution have made privatization of education far more urgent and important than it was 40 years ago.

  She ends with this:

During the seven years of President Bush’s reign, we have seen some disastrous affects of privatizing government services. Certain services should NOT be profit-making ventures and the education of our children is most certainly one of these vital services. There are for-profit  companies which manage public schools. The best known of which is Edison Schools. Companies like these put profit for share holders ahead of service to students. This company has had ethical problems such as manipulating test data to make it look as though test scores are improving,

Should profit become the goal of our schools? Should our tax money go into the pockets of share holders? This is what is at stake when you hear people advocating for school choice and vouchers.  It is a scam. It is not about schools, students, or choices. It is about money and profit. It is about looting the public coffers for private gain.

You go, Judy!

So, let’s piggy back on my last post about the media’s fascination with trivial crap (lapel pins and crazy preachers) when it comes to the Democratic candidates, and talk about how John McSame gets to bypass that scrutiny and keep his foibles in the closet.

Seems as though McSame has his own crazy preacher, who makes Jeremiah Wright look like a Vienna Choir Boy, in the person of John Hagee. But, do we hear about this bat-shit crazy preacher, who McSame traveled to Texas to beg for his endorsement? No-because the media looooooves them some John McSame. Chris Matthews quote:

“The press loves John McCain. We’re his base.”

-Chris Matthews, MSNBC, Sept 10, 2006

Move on put up this list of facts a while ago. You may note that #9 mentions that sweetheart of a preacher:

10 things you should know about John McCain (but probably don’t):
1) John McCain voted against establishing a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he says his position has “evolved,” yet he’s continued to oppose key civil rights laws.
2) According to Bloomberg News, McCain is more hawkish than Bush on Iraq, Russia and China. Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan says McCain “will make Cheney look like Gandhi.”
3) His reputation is built on his opposition to torture, but McCain voted against a bill to ban waterboarding, and then applauded President Bush for vetoing that ban.

4) McCain opposes a woman’s right to choose. He said, “I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned.”
5) The Children’s Defense Fund rated McCain as the worst senator in Congress for children. He voted against the children’s health care bill last year, then defended Bush’s veto of the bill.
6) He’s one of the richest people in a Senate filled with millionaires. The Associated Press reports he and his wife own at least eight homes! Yet McCain says the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a “second job” and skip their vacations.
7) Many of McCain’s fellow Republican senators say he’s too reckless to be commander in chief. One Republican senator said: “The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He’s erratic. He’s hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me.”
8 ) McCain talks a lot about taking on special interests, but his campaign manager and top advisers are actually lobbyists. The government watchdog group Public Citizen says McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, more than any of the other presidential candidates.

9) McCain has sought closer ties to the extreme religious right in recent years. The pastor McCain calls his “spiritual guide,” Rod Parsley, believes America’s founding mission is to destroy Islam, which he calls a “false religion.” McCain sought the political support of right-wing preacher John Hagee, who believes Hurricane Katrina was God’s punishment for gay rights and called the Catholic Church “the Antichrist” and a “false cult.”

10) He positions himself as pro-environment, but he scored a 0—yes, zero—from the League of Conservation Voters last year.

And let’s not forget about the Keating Five.

It’s time to call a spade a spade. This man needs to be called out on the carpet for all his ignorance, his inconsistencies, his hubris and his errors in judgment. If the media isn’t going to do it, then it is up to us to get the word out there that this whack-job is the worst thing to come down the pike (that’s right-pike, not pipe) since George W Bush and, could very likely, be much worse.

Scream it from the roof-tops, Progressives!

From the NYTs, on April 27th-Elizabeth Edwards speaks out on the social commentary that passes for press coverage this campaign season:

I am saying that every analysis that is shortened, every corner that is cut, moves us further away from the truth until what is left is the Cliffs Notes of the news, or what I call strobe-light journalism, in which the outlines are accurate enough but we cannot really see the whole picture.

[snip]

The problem today unfortunately is that voters who take their responsibility to be informed seriously enough to search out information about the candidates are finding it harder and harder to do so, particularly if they do not have access to the Internet.

Did you, for example, ever know a single fact about Joe Biden’s health care plan? Anything at all? But let me guess, you know Barack Obama’s bowling score. We are choosing a president, the next leader of the free world. We are not buying soap, and we are not choosing a court clerk with primarily administrative duties.

Stlo7 wrote of the same thing in his “More on the ABC Debate” post.

I wrote on this in “Tim Robbins and Journalistic Responsibility” .

The public is hungry for this knowledge. We must hold reporters’ feet to the flames and insist on issue based reporting. This country, whose foundation is based upon the freedom of the printed word, cannot dismiss the importance of substance when deciding on the new leader of the free world. Let’s make this choice, not on bowling scores, lapel pins and embellishment of diplomacy under fire, but on the candidate’s stance on the economy, health-care, Global Warming, and torture. We are at a dire crossroads in this nation’s history. A frivolous choice will cost us our future and any hope for future generations.

Wow, Rochester continues the tradition in being the first for civil rights movements. This Gala Event offered a great opportunity for a night on the town, and to be part of history in the making. I want to thank the organizers for giving me the chance to document this important happening for RT and for giving Monroe county the shot in the arm that it needs to recognize the importance of marriage for everyone who values love and commitment as basic human needs, as well as essential to a community’s social and economic health.

Earlier in the day, several couples spoke their vows at church. From WXXI:

ROCHESTER, NY (2008-04-28) A dozen same sex couples renewed or said marriage vows for the first time after years of partnership this weekend at the First Unitarian Church of Rochester.

The group ceremony, though not legal marriage under New York State law, marked a court decision that’s been hailed by gay advocates trying to push the case for same-sex marriage rights in New York.

The reception for these couples, and all who wanted to participate, was held at the Riverside Convention Center later in the evening.

At the registration table we were graciously greeted and asked to sign the “Guest Book” which was actually a petition stating our support for the recognition of Same Sex Marriage in New York State. We were given shopping bags and raffle tickets to partake in the offerings of the raffles, silent auctions and vendor samples. The room for wedding vendors was packed, business people anxious to tap into this new market lined the room and the center court.

At 8: 15 PM an introduction and welcome was given by Jo Meleca-Voigt.

She thanked all the participants for signing the “guest book”. She spoke of those, locally in the government who supported the cause. She stressed that we need to stand up for those candidates that stand up for us and noted that not one state senator, representing Monroe County, supports same sex marriage.

“We need to work together and work smart and like Pat Martinez, not take ‘no’ for an answer.”

This was a great lead-in to Pat, who spoke next:

We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal………….

……..and the pursuit of happiness.

(I’m thinking they look pretty happy)

Pat and Lisa led with the first wedding dance (and, no Pat, the music does NOT move you ugly!)

I had the opportunity to speak with our friends, Anne Tischer and Bess Watts, who you will recall from previous posts:

I rounded out the evening by asking our County Legislature’s Minority Leader, Harry Bronson, for a quote. (I’m paraphrasing here, cause Harry talks fast and I write slowly-can I borrow your recorder next time, Stlo?):

“Celebrating diversity, like this, is a wonderful thing to do. I sincerely hope that Maggie Brooks reconsiders her decision to appeal and holds true to the ideals of the civil rights activists from this area since the days of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. It is disheartening that the current administration opposes same sex marriage. Our County Executive says it’s all about the taxpayers, but we are all taxpayers.”

Thanks, Harry-You’re right, of course.

She blames the schools for taking “her” tax money. She blames domestic partners for costing the taxpayers money. Now it’s time to blame the state for their unfunded mandates.

Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks is taking aim at unfunded state mandates, as so many others in her position have done.

[snip]

Unfunded state mandates, or programs that state government requires counties to provide but do not fully fund, include welfare, Medicaid and subsidized day care.

So, let me get this straight. Let’s stop paying for things where we help the poorest of the poor (isn’t government there for the purpose of helping those who cannot help themselves?) but let’s keep COMIDA fully funded and continue those free lunches for all of Maggie’s fat cat donor friends.

WTF?

RT has covered this story here and here and here, (and many other places) believing that Bill Smith was a foregone conclusion for this political appointment. Looks like we were wrong, and happily so. From today’s D&C, Bill Smith not recommended for MCC president. (h/t to Stlo7 for the lead here):

Monroe Community College faculty and student leaders today recommended that either Laurence Spraggs or local businessman Dennis Kessler be chosen the next president of the college. [snip]

Neither faculty nor student committees recommended that finalist Bill Smith, a former county legislator, be selected president.

The process to select MCC’s next president has been marred by claims of political favoritism.

[snip]

The full Board of Trustees met at 5 p.m. today but postponed the selection of a new president until May 17

Will truth, justice, and the American Way prevail here (along with some common sense) ? Stay tuned…….

Update: The Board of Trustees has the final say here, so there is still a possibility that we will be, sadly, right about all of this.

Dan Maffei has said that he would return the money immediately. A lending company who has been preying on senior citizens had donated a substantial amount to Maffei’s campaign. This, from The Post Standard:

Maffei’s campaign said it will refund the money to four employees of Upstate Capital Inc., a reverse mortgage lender with headquarters on Basile Rowe in East Syracuse.

Upstate Capital took advantage of seniors statewide through false advertising and portraying itself to be a nonprofit organization, according to state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. He announced a settlement with the company Thursday in which Upstate Capital agreed to reform its marketing practices and make clear that it is a mortgage/reverse mortgage broker.

[snip]

Daniel Krupnick, Maffei’s campaign manager in Syracuse, said the campaign decided it was best to return the money, even though there were no charges of wrongdoing involving the contributions.

I did this training last year and found it very comprehensive. If you have been volunteering for local campaigns and would like to sharpen your skills and learn what goes into the organizing of a campaign, don’t miss this opportunity…

Become a political animal:

You have the power, now learn the skills! The Democracy for America Training Academy is coming to Rochester, NY for two days of exciting campaign training.

How many votes will it take to win in November? How do you find the perfect message and get it out to voters in your district? How will you raise enough money to pay for it all?

The DFA Training Academy will help you answer these questions and more.

At the DFA Training Academy, top campaign consultants with decades of experience give you the skills to run a winning campaign. Topics include: field planning, voter contact, fundraising, communications, volunteer recruitment and more.

Training takes place:

Saturday, May 3 & Sunday, May 4, 2008
9 AM - 6 PM each day

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 86

2300 E. River Road

Rochester, NY 14623

$60 for general attendees (prepaid online)

$70 pay at door

$30 for students

$30 for attendees on a low income

For full details and to RSVP, please go to: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=26467

Register soon, it is filling up fast.