A few thoughts on Jeremy Lin

I’m not much of a sports fan, and I haven’t followed basketball for quite some time. A few weeks ago, I started hearing about a player for the New York Kicks named Jeremy Lin. Even then, I just heard blurbs, and didn’t read much further. I just didn’t care.

If I had told you that I didn’t notice he was Asian, I’d be lying. As a matter or fact, it was mentioned in a few stories, since there really haven’t been many high-profile Asian players in the NBA.

This week, the Jeremy Lin story took a turn in another direction. Rather than focus on athletic accomplishments, his story has been hijacked by perceived racism and hypocrisy.

» read more

New York votes to legalize gay marriage

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo

Finally, New York voted to legalize gay marriage yesterday. It’s a development that has been a long time coming, and should further embolden those who are seeking marriage equality.

“We made a powerful statement. This state is at its finest when it is a beacon of social justice,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Of course, not everyone agreed. Here are some words of wisdom from the Catholic Bishops of New York: » read more

Weinergate: Anthony Weiner admits he lied

New York Representative Anthony Weiner admits that he sent graphic pictures to women on the internet.

Representative Anthony Weiner admits that the picture of a crotch sent to a college student was him, and that he sent it. Besides that, he admits to exchanging photos with six women over the past three years. Weiner also said he won’t resign.

This story seemed fishy from the beginnning. First, the picture surfaces, and he claims he was hacked but refuses to involve the authorities. Next he said the picture “could” be of him. Now that Other women have come forward, he feels its time to tell the truth. Of course, now he says he’s telling the truth. Are there any other facts out there that he forgot to mention? He wasn’t honest before, so why should anyone believe him now? » read more

Michael Bloomberg is wrong again

Is it just me, or does Michael Bloomberg seem pretty quick to dismiss the idea of a foreign terrorist? Not only that, but he seems intent on pinning it on a conservative who might not like the recent health care bill. Not surprisingly, it looks like Mayor Bloomberg was 100% wrong.

Authorities have arrested 30 year old Faisal Shahzad who was trying to escape on a flight to Dubai. Shahzad came to the United States form Pakistan in 1999 and became a U.S. citizen in 2009. It seems that many officials, like Michael Bloomberg, are reluctant to admit that this terrorist act might have originated from a foreign country, even though there is some supporting evidence. » read more

Michael Bloomberg, national suicide, and illegal aliens

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg doesn’t like the immigration law passed by Arizona. Here are some of his comments on the law:

“This is not good for the country. I don’t agree with it,” he said. “We love immigrants here.”

“We have to get real about the 12 million undocumented here,” the mayor said. “We’re not going to deport them. Give them permanent status. Don’t make them citizens unless they can qualify, but give them permanent status and let’s get on with this.”

» read more

Illegal aliens and the 2010 census

Five states poised to add a congressional seat may end up losing out because of poor participation rates in the 2010 census. New York, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California are all lagging, and might have quite a bit to lose. As you probably know, the Census helps determine representation in the House and federal funding.

As I looked at the list, I noticed that 3 of the states are along the Mexican border and have a large number of illegal aliens entering the state. Well, it looks like New York and Florida are in the same boat. It turns out that California (1), Texas (2), New York (3), Florida (5), and Arizona (6) make up five out of the top six states with the most illegal aliens. Is this merely a coincidence? Could some other variable be at work? That’s certainly possible, but you must admit that it is some coincidence. » read more

John Corzine’s $131 million campaign expenditure

How much would you pay to be a U.S. Senator or Governor? For John Corzine, the answer is $131 million. That includes the amount of money spent on his Senate race and two gubernoatorial campaigns. As you might recall, Corzine lost a reelection bid to Republican Chris Christie.

If you take a close look at the 2009 New Jersey Governor’s race, one interesting fact stands out. Chris Christie spent $11.4 million, while John Corzine spent $27 million. Of that $27 million, $25.3 million was his own. Not only did he lose despite out-spending his opponent by nearly 3 to 1, but nearly 94% of his campaign was self-financed. This tells me that he would have likely lost in a landslide if he were a man of modest means. Actually, if he were a man of modest means, he probably wouldn’t even be looked at as a legitimate candidate. If you don’t think so, just look at his lack of fundraising. Most people would agree that a strong candidate also needs to be strong fundraiser. » read more

Michael Bloomberg’s expensive purchase

You often hear politicians say they want to win because of their desire to serve the public. There are a lot of ways someone can serve their community and make a huge difference. Political office is certainly one of them, or at least it can be, but helping in this capacity requires a tremendous amount of time and money. At some point, even the most dedicated public servant has to wonder if the resources spent on a campaign are actually worth it. After all, if your purpose in life is to truly serve the public, then isn’t it possible that the time and money spent to obtain office could be put to better use? Of course it can, but I’ll assume that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg disagrees.

After spending $74 million on his first mayoral campaign and $85 million on his second, Bloomberg went ahead and spent $102 million to win this years mayoral race. If you’re keeping track at home, that’s a whopping $183 for each vote. What would possess someone to do such a thing? » read more

New York governor David Paterson is correct.

“This is not a decision that I would have made. I think terrorism isn’t just attack, it’s anxiety and I think you feel the anxiety and frustration of New Yorkers who took the bullet for the rest of the country,”

I agree with the Governor, and I’m glad he had the courage to speak out. Every Democrat I’ve seen supports having the 9/11 trials in New York City. They seem to ignore a few facts: The trial will be a security nightmare, there is a greater chance of the defendants being set free on a technicality, and it has the potential of being a recruitment tool for terrorists. Plus, the 9/11 attacks were an act of war which call for a trial before a military tribunal. This should be common sense, but when you are interested in impressing foreign countries with your fairness, and also putting the Bush Administration on trial, judgement can sometimes be clouded.

I suspect that Governor Paterson’s remarks are at least partially related to some alleged problems between him and the President. That might very well be, but it’s hard to deny that this trial has the potential to risk the lives of many more Americans, and jeopardize convictions.

9/11 terrorists will be tried in New York: Are you kidding me?

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has announced that 5 terrorists, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will be tried in a federal court in New York, rather than a military court. I wish I could say I was surprised by this decision, but I’m not. The Obama administration is once again interested in how the United States appears to other countries, particularly those who have little use for America. This appeasement on Obama’s part risks American lives and flies in the face of logic.

The five terrorists are war criminals. They were part of the planning of the 9/11 attacks that resulted in the death of nearly 3,000 Americans. Since they are war criminals, they should receive military trials. Many liberals are thrilled with Eric Holder’s decision, since it will result in what they perceive as a process that is more fair and transparent. They seem to forget that the terrorists will turn the trial into a circus, a great deal of evidence won’t be admissable, and intelligence information could be exposed. » read more

Dede Scozzafava’s betrayl

In the space of about 24 hours, New York Congressional candidate Dede Scozzafava went from being considered a selfless hero for dropping out of the NY23 race, to a traitor for then turning around to endorse Democratic candidate Bill Owens. Based on her actions, Ms. Scozzafava should seriously consider leaving the Republican party.

It’s understandable that Ms. Scozzafava wouldn’t want to endorse Conservative candidate Douglas Hoffman, due to their differing political beliefs, but the same should be true of Bill Owens. I’m one of those rare people who seems to think a political pary in a two-party system needs to have a wide umbrella with some core issues that bring people together. One of those core issues should be increasing the number of GOP House seats to help Republicans gain control of the House and attempt to bring fiscal restraint. By offering an endorsement ot Bill Owens, Ms. Scozzafava has offered her support to Nancy Pelosi. » read more

Dede Scozzafava’s decision: Great for conservatives, not so great for moderates

I was surprised to hear about Dede Scozzafava’s decision to suspend her campaign for a Congressional seat in New York’s 23rd district. Since she is currently running third in the polls, her chances of winning were slim, and the chances of splitting Republican votes and handing them to the Democrat were likely. It’s important to pick up as many seats as possible in order to eventually remove Nancy Pelosi from power. Ms. Scozzafava realized that, and I commend her for her selfless decision. With that said, I’m also a bit worried.

While Dede Scozzafava’s decision will likely lead to greater unity for Conservative candidate Douglas Hoffman, it certainly doesn’t bode well for moderate Republicans in general. I’ve never been a big fan of the two party system, since it essentially forces people to pick the side that is closest, rather than a side that is close. That results in a certain ideological heterogeneity that you wouldn’t find in a multiparty system. Unfortunately, it seems that some on the far right don’t seem to get this, and have a tendency to lash out at moderates the same way they would at Nancy Pelosi. It’s similar to a “with us or against us” mindset. » read more