The Sunday edition of a dead tree newspaper is the most important edition of the week. Some people only read the Sunday paper, drawn in by the magazine section and the comics. When the editor decides to make a particular story front page of the Sunday edition, that editor is looking for maximum eyeballs on the story.
Sunday's New York Post, the flagship of the Murdoch's American fleet of media outlets, had a full page, front page, with huge photo, of a heretofore unfamous Assistant Attorney General working for NYS AG Eric Schniederman.
It exposed intimate details of her private life and a way clearly intended to hold her up to scorn and embarrassment. It is clearly meant to harass and terrorize her and by example terrorize everyone in the AG's Office, the NY County DA's Office and the US Attorney's Offices that might be looking into the misdeeds of the banking industry or even might be thinking of maybe looking into the crimes of the banksters.
You see, she worked on the Bank of America case brought by the NYS AG's office while Andy Cuomo was AG. The message could not be any more crystal clear, mess with the banksters and they will come after you, your family, your friends, your cat.
I was a big fan of Elliot Spitzer's tenure as AG. He was the canary in the coalmine trying to warn the American people of the reckless and criminal activities of the banksters and he used every bit of legal leverage he had to try to fight back, basically all alone.
For that, he was stalked until they found him to be, ahem, "associated" with a skank for hire calling herself Ashley Dupree. And that betrayal of his marriage vows, which should have been a private matter between Spitzer and his family, became front page news.
I read somewhere that his wife wanted him to fight back. I wish he had, because had he done so, perhaps this tactic would have been consigned to the rubbish heap. Instead, it is now back and more virulent than ever, being aimed at non public figures.
I can only guess at the horrible morale that will wafting through the halls at 120 Broadway, at Hogan Place, or at One St. Andrews Plaza. No longer does the boss, stand as a shield and defense against these kinds of attacks, taking the heat so the staff attorneys are free to do their jobs courageously. Nope, the bad guys are doing an end run around the boss, just to show him how powerless he is to protect his people from these terror tactics.
Unless.
Unless, you fight back. I disagree with Yves Smith. I think this young woman should sue Murdoch to within an inch of his trust fund if so much as one semi colon of that front page piece is incorrect. She may be a public employee, but that does not make her a public figure and she does not have to prove malice under NY defamation law.
Spitzer should have fought back and exposed his stalkers. This AAG should fight back and for that matter every prosecutor's office with plausible jurisdiction should be investigating the circumstances of this "outing", because if they don't, none of the staff attorneys or investigators in those offices will feel safe doing their jobs.
I have a ton of things on the desk at the moment, and I don't have the time to really run out this story before Election Day, but I want to bring to your attention something very strange that I found on the 2008 "Christine O'Donnell for Senate" MySpace page.
What it basically comes down to is that the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army are "Christine O'Donnell for Senate" MySpace friends, or that there are persons who have created United States Army and USMC MySpace pages that purport to be official that have "befriended" her candidacy. There's also a Navy page that appears to emanate from a US Navy recruiting office in California on her '08 campaign's "friends" list.
At a minimum, all of this would seem to be a combination of inappropriate behavior and poor management of social media; at worst, you have activity that is "some kind of unlawful", either on an administrative or civil level.
I'll make this fast...but I'll also make it interesting.
Follow along, and you'll see what I mean.
I have a story today that comes from my predilection to "self-syndicate", meaning that I post my stories far and wide, in the same way a newspaper columnist is syndicated nationally-or beyond.
After I post, I know others will also post my stories to their sites, a topic that was itself the subject of a recent conversation.
To keep track of it all, I use the Google...but I recently wondered if that's actually the most effective tool for the job-or not-so as an experiment I recently challenged several search engines to go out and seek the same search term.
We find out today...and the results are, indeed, interesting.
We can now actually see the signs that the end has come.
There are bleachers being built, there are rehearsals under way, and Senators are gathering to consider whether they'll offer advice and give consent.
There will be millions of words written about the past eight years and what has been wrought upon the world, but for today I have a simple thought to put upon the table:
So, I was making the rounds of the usual NY politics sites, and I came across an interesting post from someone I hadn't heard from in awhile. I'm going to provide the link to the post, but I'll also quote the whole thing for the lazy folks out there.
I like a lot of what Slothman8888 has to say, and I think this post brings up several pretty key points. I don't agree with everything, but on balance, I thought this was a pretty well presented argument against Caroline Kennedy taking over Hillary Clinton's Senate seat.
I've noticed there has been a lot of press recently, a lot of speculation about who will be tapped to replace Senator Hillary Clinton when she heads south to take over the Department of State. And as speculation goes, besides a smattering of usual suspects, I found this interesting:
Caroline Kennedy? Caroline, as in, JFK's daughter?
You know, don't get Slothman wrong: I DO like Caroline Kennedy as much as the next voter. And she has a really varied, eclectic background as well. She's been an intern, she's been an attorney, she's been an author, she's been a philanthropist, and she's headed an initiative for the NY Department of Education. But is that enough to be the United States Senator from New York? Is it enough to represent Wall Street, itself being hit hardest by the worst economic period in almost a century?
I do not think so.
If this were a general election year, then it'd be up to the voters. And that is appropriate: it should be up to us voters to determine whether - sorry to say it - these somewhat thin political credentials qualify her to take over one of the most visible seats in the Senate.
Now, I know another commentator has suggested that if Gov. Patterson selects someone with fewer kilowatts of name-recognition and celebrity standing, that the GOP would go heavily against them and maybe turn the seat in 2010:
I think the commentator is on to something, alright. But what is needed is not celebrity - what is needed is experience to hold the fort.
Look at this election year. In a brutal economy and against an erstwhile campaign (as John McCain's was), those arguments were not enough to sway the voters against Obama. But, let's imagine we are 2 years down the road. What if Obama has had a few slip-ups, as often happens when a party returns to power after an absence (recall the Health Care Defeat of 1994 for Clinton). Worse yet, what if the economy hasn't turned around markedly, as many are now predicting? I think in that kind of environment, Kennedy's inexperience would become a substantial obstacle for her actually winning election. And you only need to look at this historic General Election to see why.
If the economy had not tanked spectacularly, and if his opponent had not been so inept, does anyone think the McCain-Obama race would not have been closer - or dare I say it, that McCain might actually have won?
Facts are facts: the question over experience was the single greatest challenge to Obama this season, played out over, and over, and over, and over again in countless campaign statements and commercials. That is because for ANY politician, the question of experience is one you have to address.
So back to 2010 ...
If the economy doesn't turn around despite the Democrats' best efforts, that means in 2 years' time we'll have an already weak Senate candidate for the Democrats being lashed mercilessly by what would likely be a resurgent GOP. Because face it, that is what happens in Mid-Term Elections - it is no time to have your B- or C-String Players in the game.
I strongly believe Caroline Kennedy would land in an unenviable position. She will have 2 years during which she is going to have to spend virtually all of her time trying to focus on two finish lines - torn between trying to represent the people of NY and all those financial services professionals being let go in the worst economic climate since the Great Depression, and between campaigning and trying to grease the right palms so she can stay in power in 2010.
Making that more complicated is the fact that as a freshman Senator in an elite club of 100 egomaniacs, Kennedy won't get a free pass. They are not just going to let her waltz in and take the spotlight. Even Hillary Clinton had to put in her dues, and it took a helluva lot longer than 1 or 2 years.
You know, when Hillary first ran in 2000, a lot of these same criticisms were thrown around then. She was called an usurper. She was derided for moving to NY solely out of political expedience. The skeletons in her closet were again trotted out. Her credentials were challenged by the Right AND Left. It was argued that being First Lady and sleeping next to a President in NO WAY qualifies you to represent one of the biggest, wealthiest, and most important of the United States.
Yet despite all that - she was elected. And why?
Because the people chose her. The people - in one resounding voice - asserted that despite the risks, despite the doubts, she would do a good job for the people of the State of NY. And I think most would agree that she has.
But we're talking about a different situation here. We are talking about appointing a political novice to an extremely powerful Senate seat. Or more appropriately, a Governor who himself was not directly elected Governor being asked to appoint someone who has NEVER held elected office to one of the most powerful Senate seats there is?
I don't even see why this is a possibility.
And frankly, I don't care what your pedigree is, Kennedy or otherwise. Working for MOMA does NOT qualify you to fight in Washington for NY's social spending budget. Working for the State Department of Education does NOT prepare you for international affairs involving the United States and its allies (and enemies) abroad. Interning for Ted Kennedy does NOT give you some deep understanding of the back-room deals that are needed to win compromises and pass progressive legislation. I'm sorry, but they just aren't, period.
Hillary Clinton had way more experience, particularly in the realm of foreign affairs, than Caroline Kennedy does. And what that means is that for 2 years, NY will wind up with a lesser degree of representation and power in Congress. Furthermore, Kennedy has no exploitable network, no connections in Congress, and of course, no practical, intimate knowledge of how Congress actually works.
NY doesn't need an armchair politician with ambitions way above her experience. And Obama doesn't need an untested candidate representing Wall Street on the national scene, not while the good and decent workers of Wall Street are suffering (the CEOs and shady traders can go rot ;) ).
It would be as if Barack Obama launched his Presidential bid while still a State Senator. All of a sudden, at this point in her life, Caroline Kennedy wants to take up the family profession? I applaud that - I applaud anyone who willingly takes on the responsibilities of public service. But, why not the State House? Why not working her way up locally? Why does she need to shoot for the National stage? And more importantly, what "right" does she have to an unelected position anyway?
My biggest concern is that I feel that the US Senate has grown too accustomed to having a "Senator Kennedy." Given that Ted Kennedy has been, by all accounts in the media, ailing since the diagnosis of brain cancer, I hope this is not somehow expected to be a ceremonial passing of the torch from one Kennedy to another. We've seen how badly that can go, when you fall into thinking that a son or relative is somehow entitled to a position: George W. Bush.
I am all for improving women's representation in both the House and the Senate. But we should be picking good representatives regardless of their gender, not because of it. And I personally believe there are way better women out there who could do the job, and do it well. I know there's been a lot of press around Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney for instance, and I think she'd be a great pick for NY - as she's someone who understands the plight on Wall Street and can speak articulately for its workers in 2008 AND 2010.
It's time for America to break free of this sense of entitlement. Clinton, Bush, Kennedy - they are just names, and names have nothing to do with ability. NY needs someone strong to come in who understands national politics, who understands how government works from the inside-out, and who has the guts to take the torch from Hillary Clinton and carry on her good work. Caroline Kennedy has nothing in her career to show she could do that. Maybe someday, when she cuts her teeth on local issues. But not now.
When she ascends to the title of Senator Caroline Kennedy, it should be because she knows what it takes to represent the State of New York - not because of her last name.
So it's more or less 30 hours until Americans enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, and you're asking yourself the annual question: "Isn't there a simple way to cook a turkey?"
Well, America, there is...and it does not involve bags, or injections, or even stuffing. No fancy preparations and no fancy equipment are required (with the exception of a large flat pan with metal handles, a carving fork or large tongs, and a food thermometer).
Here's the cool part: this method for cooking turkeys isn't just a method for cooking turkeys...and if you follow the directions, you'll soon discover that not only have you learned a new way to cook a turkey, you've learned a new way to cook almost anything that can walk or fly.
We only have 30 hours, so we better get right to it...
With hundreds of thousands of requests for inaugural tickets pouring into legislators' offices just in the first week after the election, "first come first served" has pretty much gone out the window, forcing those who have the tickets to come up with a better way to give them out.
Those who follow this space closely will know that we, from time to time, scout around and see what the other members of my blogging community are up to.
The "Blogpower" bloggers are primarily based in the UK, but others are located in the US, Canada, Australia, Italy...and even the Sudan.
We'll see how they reacted to the US elections-and we'll discover that while many are happy, it's not all strawberries and cream out there.
We'll meet the happy, we'll meet the silly-and we'll meet the not-so-very-happy as well.
So with that said, let's head over to the UK, shall we?
Congressman Michael Arcuri and State Senate candidate Don Barber both swung through Dryden on this final day before voting. Barber supporters held a rally at Time Square at Dryden's Four Corners intersection, while Arcuri visited Tompkins-Cortland Community College and the Dryden Fire Station before going to a rally in Lansing (which I didn't, alas, get to.)
Barber Rally in Dryden.
Martha Ferger at Barber Rally in Dryden.
Mike Arcuri at Dryden Ambulance.
While it's sometimes frustrating to be in the southwest corner of creatively gerrymandered districts that stretch to our east, it was great to have these two great Democratic candidates bringing their campaigns to a strong conclusion here!
There are but three days to go, Gentle Reader, and the McCain campaign is now down to fear and Joe The Plumber.
Those who seek to spread The Fear are resorting to fantastic schemes and amazing leaps of logic in an effort to find something to make The Fear rise in voters.
But to be honest, the crazy speculation lacks...imagination.
I believe I can present crazy speculation that is at least as interesting as what they've put out-and funnier to boot-and with that and the Halloween just past in mind we present the final weekend edition of the 2008 campaign cycle's blogging.
So, ya wanna hear a few debunked made up rumors that, frankly, have a lot more creative style?
A Canadian radio station gives Ms. Teen South Carolina a call pretending to be French President Nicolas Sarkozy- he tells her how her saw the Hustler "documentary," about her life, tells her he has similar foreign policy views as her because he can see Belgium from his house, and asks her if Joe the Plumber is her husband. And she doesn't realize she's getting pranked until they tell her at the end of the call.
When last we met, Gentle Reader, we were talking about more or less $150,000 in clothing and beauty services that had been purchased mostly for Sarah Palin's use by the Republican National Committee.
Since then, we have learned that John McCain himself once tried to outlaw the very type of contribution that led to this situation, we've heard McCain's campaign offer a very non-maverick-y denial...and we've learned that the highest paid member of the McCain campaign staff-the person who presumably has the magic touch needed to turn this thing around-will be working her magic with a makeup brush.
As we discussed yesterday, I think I could have dressed Palin for 1/3 of what the RNC paid. Yesterday we "purchased" five of the outfits I think she needs...and with half the shopping done, we're $670 over budget.
Can she be dressed for a mere $43,000?
Let's see if we can pull it off...
Not that this was a surprise by any stretch, but it's nice to read:
Hyperbole is the currency of presidential campaigns, but this year the nation's future truly hangs in the balance.
The United States is battered and drifting after eight years of President Bush's failed leadership. He is saddling his successor with two wars, a scarred global image and a government systematically stripped of its ability to protect and help its citizens - whether they are fleeing a hurricane's floodwaters, searching for affordable health care or struggling to hold on to their homes, jobs, savings and pensions in the midst of a financial crisis that was foretold and preventable.
Good start.
Given the particularly ugly nature of Mr. McCain's campaign, the urge to choose on the basis of raw emotion is strong. But there is a greater value in looking closely at the facts of life in America today and at the prescriptions the candidates offer. The differences are profound.
(snip)
The American financial system is the victim of decades of Republican deregulatory and anti-tax policies. Those ideas have been proved wrong at an unfathomable price, but Mr. McCain - a self-proclaimed "foot soldier in the Reagan revolution" - is still a believer.
Mr. Obama sees that far-reaching reforms will be needed to protect Americans and American business.
(snip)
Mr. Obama was an early and thoughtful opponent of the war in Iraq, and he has presented a military and diplomatic plan for withdrawing American forces. Mr. Obama also has correctly warned that until the Pentagon starts pulling troops out of Iraq, there will not be enough troops to defeat the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
Mr. McCain, like Mr. Bush, has only belatedly focused on Afghanistan's dangerous unraveling and the threat that neighboring Pakistan may quickly follow.
(snip)
It will be an enormous challenge just to get the nation back to where it was before Mr. Bush, to begin to mend its image in the world and to restore its self-confidence and its self-respect. Doing all of that, and leading America forward, will require strength of will, character and intellect, sober judgment and a cool, steady hand.
Mr. Obama has those qualities in abundance. Watching him being tested in the campaign has long since erased the reservations that led us to endorse Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic primaries. He has drawn in legions of new voters with powerful messages of hope and possibility and calls for shared sacrifice and social responsibility.
(snip)
The nation's problems are simply too grave to be reduced to slashing "robo-calls" and negative ads. This country needs sensible leadership, compassionate leadership, honest leadership and strong leadership. Barack Obama has shown that he has all of those qualities.
As I said, none of this is surprising. But it still doesn't mean I don't love hearing it from what is perhaps the world's most influential newspaper.
Wow. Besides the strong whiff of anti-Semitism (see narrator's accent, Schumer being rained on by dollar signs), isn't it a little inaproppriate for a sitting Senate Minority Leader to openly bash one of the states of our union?
As for the anti-Semitism, if you are a Jewish reader, I would love to hear your opinion on this.
John McCain is all excited today, because, in his mind, Joe Biden has really Screwed It Up This Time by claiming that Obama will be tested by a foreign policy challenge, that Obama will act in a way we might not immediately trust, and that we should stand by him if it happens.
Oh My God You Have To Vote For Me, is the McCain response, because we can't afford someone who will be tested in office.
As it turns out, Joe Biden is the smarter guy in this argument, a few calm words are in order...and I'm here today to offer a response that will set McCain's foolishness right back on its heels.
The U.S. is in want of leadership that repairs a damaged economy, restores faith in government as an engine for the common good and returns competence to the White House after the spectacular failures of the Bush administration.
Barack Obama holds the greater promise of accomplishing the mission than does John McCain. The Daily News endorses the 47-year-old Democrat, the first black American to win a major party nomination, for President.
(snip)
McCain's misfortune is that he is the standard-bearer of a party whose leadership, starting at the top, ran the U.S. onto the rocks.
(snip)
Unfortunately, a centerpiece of McCain's economic plan is an extension of Bush tax policy - a bad idea anytime, but horrible in these newly dire circumstances.
As the fates would have it, now is simply not the moment for this fine public servant.
Millions of Americans vest great hope in Barack Obama - and there is good reason why. It has been a long time since many have felt the government was in their corner. And here came an accomplished, fresh figure - a black man, at that - with plans for restoring the faith.
The agenda is sweeping, but the theme is clear. Whether on tax fairness or health care or the cost of college, Obama pushes the balance toward the working and middle classes and those farther down the ladder.
(snip)
At this critical juncture, the nation must elect a President who will renew bipartisanship and hard-headed pragmatism to rescue America's standard of living, secure the country from global threats, whether of arms or of climate, and lay a foundation to meet 21st century challenges.
That is our hope for Barack Obama.
And it's not like the Daily News editorial board is a bunch of lefty partisans- they endorsed W in 2004.
