Author Archive

An argument is fast approaching in Congress about what to do with cable and satellite television pricing. As eloquently described in the Christian Science Monitor, there are two schools of thought: whether paying for TV channels should be like shopping at the supermarket, where customers choose the products they purchase, or like buying a newspaper, which comes packaged with the same sports, business, and comics sections regardless of whether readers want them all. And since we’re all slaves... Read More→

The confirmation hearings for Samuel Alito begin today, and his opponents will be doing their best to belittle his qualifications and experience in the most partisan way they know how. So, if you feel a rush of hot air during your commute to and from work, it’s not because of an unusually warm January day, it’s the Democratic blowhards on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Alito’s been given a “well qualified” rating by the American Bar Association. Of course it doesn’t... Read More→

Whatever role America plays in the eventual and (I believe) inevitable downfall of Chinese Communism, there will be little need to stop and thank Microsoft and Yahoo for playing their part. Just this week Microsoft removed a Chinese blogger’s Web site from its service because he posted comments critical of the Chinese government. Similar actions taken by Yahoo a short time back led to the jailing of another Chinese democratic activist. Top executives at Microsoft and Yahoo blithely state that... Read More→

It’s no big surprise that über-liberal Christine Quinn was going to become the next speaker of the New York City Council. She had a great relationship with former speaker Gifford Miller, and has steadily risen through the Demo ranks in NYC since working for State Senator Tom Duane when he served in the City Council. But did it have to happen while I still live here? I became aware of Quinn while managing Stephen Evans’s 2003 campaign to free the 3rd Councilmanic district from her grip.... Read More→

Finally got around to seeing Syriana, which has been getting raves reviews around the country, and I have to say I was pretty underwhelmed. This ensemble piece is meant to be an exploration into the state of affairs of the world’s oil industry, and was made by the producers and writer of Traffic, an ensemble piece meant to be an exploration into the state of affairs of the world’s illegal drug trade. There has been some political back and forth about whether Syriana is an indictment of... Read More→

I don’t know how it happened, or who is responsible for putting me on such a politically perverted mailing list, but I have recently received an invitation to join the American Civil Liberties Union. Naturally, I reject such an invitation outright. Far from being the even-handed organization seeking to redress legal greivances that it was originally intended to be, the modern ACLU is little more than a sounding board for the American Left. And the letter that accompanied a request for a donation... Read More→

Take a moment over the next few days to send warm holiday wishes to our brave men and women fighting overseas. They’re thousands of miles from home, but each thank you note brings them a little bit closer to us. Best wishes to everyone for safe and happy holidays.  Read More →

The Transit Workers Union Local 100 really screwed up on this one, I think. If you were Roger Toussaint, would you go on strike under the following conditions: It’s against the law and you will assuredly face crippling fines of up to $1 million for every day you remain on strike Your union members could each be fined individually and will lose two days pay for every day they remain on the picket line You didn’t have the backing of the wider International Transit Workers Union ... Read More→

It’s hard to say what the keyed Jeanine Pirro’s decision to drop her challenge to the Junior Dragon Lady from New York in 2006. It could have been Pirro’s husband, forthright though he may be, but embarrassingly public about it. It could have been State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, whose desire to maintain Republicans’ tenuous control in Albany has forced him to consider supporting Tom Golisano. And it may have been State GOP Chairman Stephen Minarik and the clatch of... Read More→

At yesterday’s GOP pow-wow in Albany Jeanine Pirro was asked to quit her race against Hillary Clinton and instead run for State Attorney General, a position that has her name written all over it. Frankly, many believed that was what she was going to do in the first place, and pundits and skeptics have continuously sounded off that running for U.S. Senate was just simply above Pirro’s pay grade. It’s a shame, really, that there appears to be this confusion as to what we should do... Read More→