Haikuesday -- Mark Two!

Patty Ritchie:
"I have always been pro-life"
All I need to hear...

A great primer on our House Democrats

Special Thanks to the House Republican Committee for this educational, entertaining video primer on their democratic counterparts.

TEA Party - Friend or Foe?

According to a recent poll (link), New York's 23rd Congressional District is still as Republican as ever. When given the opportunity to vote for two candidates, the Republican wins. Throw a third party (TEA Party) candidate in there and what happens? The Democrats win.

Why is that?

As Sun Tzu said, "We can form a single united body, while the enemy must split up into fractions. Hence there will be a whole pitted against separate parts of a whole, which means that we shall be many to the enemy's few." VI:14 (link)

Think it over, TEA Partiers. What is more important - standing up for Glenn Beck's 9/12 principles and losing completely, or finding common ground behind a Republican candidate? Res ipsa loquitur.
 
That is what is so dangerous about Doug Hoffman resolving to run on the Conservative ticket Republican Primary or not.
 
YNN has an excellent piece about a North Country native who's seeking the nomination from the Republican Party (link).
 
Rain or shine, sink or swim, win or lose - the Republican Party cannot afford to be splintered for this race.
 
If Hoffman wins it, let's get behind him. If Doheny wins it, let's come together and kick some donkey.

2010 - The North Country's Last Stand Against Obscurity

Nestled between two of the greatest lakes ever fished by man (and the ocassional woman) lies New York State's North Country. With Lake Champlain to the east (link), Lake Ontario to the west (link), and the majestic Saint Lawerence River (link) keeping Canadian aggressors at bay (link), the North Country is the finest place to live, thrive, and survive (link) in all of New York State.

For as wonderful as the North Country really is, let's be real. It's a looong way to Albany (link). And even though Cape Air offers insane airfare between the two cities (link), regular air travel won't bring any more influence to our region.

The 2010 Census brings with it a reallocation of representation in Washington and Albany (link). With this Census comes the risk that New York will lose one representative in the House, and that other districts will be realigned to match the new populations (link)(link)(link).

Haikuesday!

Happy Haikuesday, everyone. Posted here for your enjoyment at "Hai Noon" every Tuesday.

A triptych for the NY State Senate (link)



the busy season
for democrat senators
the BUDGET SURPRISE!

one point four billion
less for our children's futures
teachers are betrayed

middle finger from
Aubertine to Sen. Little
"no prisons for you!"

2010: The most important election of your life?

Voting is a fundamental right here in America. More than 44 million Americans have shed their blood at home and on foreign soil to secure that right (link). Yet time and time again, abysmal voter turnout decides who represents us in Washington and Albany.

More after the jump.

Owens: "Aye" on Health Care and Bankrupting America

It's official!

Congressman Bill Owens voted for the single worst piece of legislation since Prohibition. Maybe he should add an interactive section to his Kids' Website showing them how long they'll need to work to pay for such a program.

The Watertown Daily Times' own Jude 'The Body' Seymour reports, "Mr. Owens' deliberations included reading and studying the Senate legislation, the reconciliation bill, the CBO report, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report on the cost of inaction." (link)

That bill is 2,409 pages. That's 100 pages PER HOUR for an entire DAY. Just to get through the bill!

There are 506 Amendments to that bill.

The CBO report is another 28 pages (link). In case you never got around to reading the Congressional Budget Office report on this bill, please note two things:

1. 
   
   The report repeatedly says that the report "Does not include effects on spending subject to future appropriation." No freaking duh. Is this bill a prime example of the "thin end of the wedge" or what?
2. 
   
   Page 12 of the report details the total cost of the bill without "future appropriation" - $875,000,000,000 - the better part of one TRILLION DOLLARS over 9 years. They hope to pay for it with taxes on "premium health insurance policies" to the tune of $150 billion dollars between 2010 and 2019. The rest of the money will be made up by fining you for not buying health care (link) and vast changes to Medicare. Don't believe me? Read the CBO report - Table 4.

Oh, and that Robert Wood Johnson (*juvenile snicker*) Foundation Report (link) he consulted operates under the assumption that absolutely nothing would change between now and 2020. Their "worst-case scenario" showed the group most likely to be uninsured would be those in excellent health. Why? Because they're in excellent health.

The local blogosphere has been split over the news:

Hizzoner posted an uncharacteristically brief news item (link) with just the facts, ma'am.

Oswego Tea Party hoisted the Jolly Roger and declared "the will of the people will be done." (link)

Buggs Buddy at totally-in-the-tank-for-Hoffman What's Up NY 23 called it yesterday, but had nothing to say as of the time of this printing. (link)

Nothing from Jefferson Democrat (link), pseudo-newspaper Gouverneur Times (link), and since Christmas, there's been nothing but the sound of wind rustling through the turbines over at Political IV (link).

So the question I pose to you, local freedom lovers - Has Congressman Owens driven the first and final nail into his 2010 campaign?

All this and more after your late, local news.