LEAVWORLD: GRAFFITI POLITTI

President Obama showed "masterful political skill" as he danced around Brett Baier's "deem as passed rule" question on FNC's Special Report Wednesday. He said he supported it, without actually saying it. Mr. Baier did a good job getting that much out of him, though it is actually a view expressed almost every night on Special Report (and other FNC shows) by AB Stoddard, one of the frequent panelists on Mr. Baier's show. It boils down to this: the vote on the rule is politically the same as a vote on the whole health care bill. It sounds like a good point, but how many Dems who previously voted "no" will try to run on that vote in November, instead of this "rule" vote, whether it passes or fails? Technically, they will be telling the truth. They voted "no" to Obamacare. When they are confronted with their "rule" vote, they will explain, as Pelosi is currently fond of doing, that the GOP has used this gimmick hundred...

According to the NY Post, there was a "secret" vote by NY's GOP senators last week, "to put party Chairman Ed Cox on notice that they want former US Rep. Rick Lazio - and not a turncoat Democrat - as their candidate for governor." That "turncoat Democrat" is Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, who is looking at running on the GOP ticket. This all seems like a flashback to the 23rd CD race, where a bunch of county chairmen "selected" a bad candidate, who ended up dropping out, and endorsing the Democrat, rather than the Conservative challenger. Now, Rick Lazio is no Dede Scozzafava, and I don't think Levy will run on the Conservative line, if Lazio gets the nod, without a primary. What concerns me is whether they will support a fair primary, or try to keep Levy off the ballot. These guys may be in the minority statewide, but they hold alot of power in the state party. NY State has a large emerging "grass roots" conservative move...

New York State is again in the corruption spotlight, wresting the dishonor back from Blago's Illiois. "The Accidental Governor," David Paterson, is not going to finish his term, I can confidently predict. There is a deeper story here than Gov. Paterson's downfall. The systemic political corruption in our state touches every politician and bureacrat in a leadership position, at every level of government. It deeply infects NYC, most counties, and permeates Albany. And yes, it's bipartisan. Still, examining Paterson reveals an insight into the mindset of our elected representatives, here in NYS. The NY State Police have a recurring role in our political scandals, going back to Gov. Pataki, at least. They seem to have a political function, beyond the power of their union in Democratic Albany. Of course, with so many other powerful interests being catered to, they are relatively "behind the scenes," except when it comes to gubenatorial scandals. While Spitzer...

This WSJ article about Sen. Jim Bunning's thwarting of the unemployment benefit extension is instructive, in that it doesn't once mention the "pay-go" rule, signed by Pres. Obama just weeks ago. The President went on youtube to announce it's passage, explaining that no new spending could go forward, without an offsetting cut in spending elsewhere. Why does no-one seem willing to enforce this law, except one retiring GOP Senator? It's almost comical, how Sen. Bunning is being attacked by the people who support the law he's basing his objection on. Just weeks ago, they all lined up to claim the mantle of "fiscal responsibility." Now, all that's gone "out the window," apparently. The media are not doing their job, either, if the WSJ article is any indication of the broader coverage of this story.