Pray for Mayor Bob; Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O'Connor's condition Hour-to-hour
Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 11:13:25 PM PDT
On July 10th, Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O'Connor entered the hospital to be treated for flu-like symptoms and an intestinal ulcer. Days later, the city of Pittsburgh was stunned to learn that he suffered from a rare from of cancer -
primary central nervous system lymphoma.
He had begun receiving chemo treatments, the first of 3, and started physical therapy. He even continued to run the city from his hospital bed, before relenquishing most of his responsibilities to long time friend Dick Skrinjar.
My Letter
Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 09:25:50 PM PDT
About a week ago I wrote a letter to my local paper in response to another letter, which was just another chest-pounding screed trumping up the failed policies of the Bush administration.
Having written to the paper before, I waited for the confirmation e-mail, which I never received. Instead, there was a message on the machine when I came home from work this evening. I'm still considering whether to let them run it or tell them not to for a couple of reasons, but mainly because the letter it was in response to was more than a week ago and the moment seems to have passed to offer a rebuttal.
What Matters to Me
Sun Jun 25, 2006 at 07:58:26 PM PDT
With the Brooks column, Redstate exhibiting a
huge boner over Markos and Jerome, Rove setting his sights on the blogosphere and all the trivial and false claims swirling around, I think it's pretty clear that those folks are very, very concerned about the progressive, internet-driven movement.
We're making a difference. We're having an impact, and for some, notably the Republicans and conservatives who've run this country into the ground, we threaten their hold on power.
The most powerful thing we can do, and consequently the most likely to ensure that Republicans won't have the opportunity after November 2006 to continue running the country into the ground, is by doing what Trapper John suggests -
I'm going to turn my attention back to the shit that matters.
That's a sentiment we should all keep in mind - one person can make a difference, but one person does not constitute a political movement and a force for change.
[Updated]Fun with Electronic Voting - Pittsburgh Edition; Santorum locked out of polling place
Tue May 16, 2006 at 11:51:28 AM PDT
Today was the first day of electronic voting machines in Allegheny County and there are reports of
machines failing across the county.
County Chief Executive Dan Onorato today said 120 machines wouldn't produce "zero-count" printouts to start the day confirming there were no votes registered in the machines
Onorato received 400 calls before noon, and by 11 AM twenty polling places were still having problems -
World Champions can't wait to see White House; President not so much
Mon May 15, 2006 at 04:56:20 PM PDT
As it has become tradition, the Pittsburgh Steelers will visit the White House on June 2 on the heels of their World Championship victory this past February.
However, it seems some of the Steelers have little interest visiting the President. Their more excited about seeing the White House.
KDKA video
Some choice quotes, when asked what they might say:
Casey Hampton(NT) - "It's more about seeing the White House."
Marvel Smith(LT) - "I don't really have much to say to him. I just want to...I think it's going to be a good experience to go see the White House...meeting the President really is the last thing I'm worried about."
Brett Kiesel(DT) - "I hope we get our troops back soon."
And this great quote from trash-talking linebacker Joey Porter -
"Yeah, I got something to say to Bush, I'm going to have a swagger when I walk in there, too," Porter said, laughing loudly. "I'm looking forward to it. I have something to tell him, too. I don't like the way things are running right now. I feel like he has to give me some of my money back, so I got something to tell Bush."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Night Watchman: Bush SC Nominee to come Today
Mon Oct 31, 2005 at 01:55:50 AM PDT
CBS
Up to the Minute just reported that Bush will announce his Supreme Court nominee today to replace Harriet Miers. ABC is reporting it as well
LINK - Luttig & Alito are the top two candidates according to "sources close to the White House."
Abramoff comes to the White House
Sun Oct 23, 2005 at 10:41:51 PM PDT
It was only a matter of time. The Abramoff Scandal extends throughout the GOP, from the House Majority Leader all the way to
the White House.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Jack Abramoff, the GOP lobbyist under investigation by federal authorities for possible fraud, repeatedly sought the help of Bush strategist Ralph Reed to open doors at the White House for his business clients, according to e-mails made public Sunday.
The e-mails show that Abramoff pushed for intervention from deputy White House chief of staff Karl Rove on at least three occasions since 2001 to promote business opportunities.
Reed, former head of the Christian Coalition and a candidate in the 2006 race for Georgia's lieutenant governor, wrote back obliging responses, according to the e-mails obtained by Time magazine. The e-mails are now being reviewed by federal investigators, Time reported.
Gosh, I'm stunned Karl Rove would be associated with these sorts of people. But, oh, it gets better.
Trouble Ahead, Trouble Behind
Sun Sep 11, 2005 at 07:26:11 PM PDT
Goofy frontman for the GOP, Ken Mehlman, is quoted in
The Washington Post about the post Katrina fallout in Washington, D.C. :
The public is going to look in coming months and year and say how have leaders responded to this . . . and what have they done"to protect the nation.."
Apparently, Ken didn't get the memo. From the New York Times :
...Richard A. Falkenrath, a former homeland security adviser in the Bush White House, said the chief federal failure was not anticipating that the city and state would be so compromised. He said the response exposed "false advertising" about how the government has been transformed four years after the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks.
The Best Picture Ever
Thu Sep 08, 2005 at 11:16:43 AM PDT
(
From the diaries, edited for brevity. Bloggers, feel free to hotlink this image -- kos)
This one came to me from a friend, captured off a TV screen carrying Sky News Ireland:
Fallout from Pittsburgh Protest Questions Police Conduct and Use of Tasers
Tue Aug 23, 2005 at 06:33:24 PM PDT
Two stories have emerged following the incident between police and protesters on August 20th in Pittsburgh: what the police did to protesters and their justification for it
Several groups from Pittsburgh, including the one which organized the Saturday morning protest - the Pittsburgh Organizing Group, People Against Violence and the Thomas Merton Center - have called for an independent investigation into the incident and for a moratorium on the use of tasers by city police.
Bizarre Rush Rant From August 12th - WTF?
Fri Aug 19, 2005 at 10:38:32 PM PDT
Unfortunately I don't have a link to the transcript. Besides, to view it now, you'd have to become a member of Rush's site ( I tried to search for it and found it locked behind the 24/7 archives).
Anyway, it struck me as odd, and seems to fit in with the recent cataloguing of the Right's smear against Cindy and the increasingly bizarre statements they're making -
Honor Them by Bringing Them Home
Thu Aug 18, 2005 at 08:53:34 PM PDT
As the current effort to smear an honest and decent women unfolds, while she and her supporters keep vigil outside George W. Bush's Dirt & Brush farm, a word of advice to certain conservative banshees who have been leading the charge.
More Beyond the Fold
Scarborough to Challenge Harris? Trouble for GOP in Pensacola...
Wed Aug 17, 2005 at 01:00:40 PM PDT
From AP
Two local businessmen active in Republican Party politics say the GOP is courting cable TV host Joe Scarborough to replace U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris in the 2006 Senate race against incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson.
There's not much to this story yet, but it's apparent some in the Florida GOP are leary of Harris as a challenger to Sen. Nelson.
Scarborough has been approached but declined to comment.
But it seems the GOP is ready to eat it's own, if that's what winning takes.
Just like New York, where the conservatives are unhappy with Pirro(sp?), the GOP's got another loser on their hands.
NYT: Rove 2nd Sr. WH Official in Novak's 'Plame' Article
Sat Aug 06, 2005 at 09:24:37 PM PDT
In the wake of Bob Novak's stormy outburst on CNN, speculation has begun as to the real motivation behind a tired-looking Novak screaming, "Bullshit," in response to James Carville. Was he just responding to the ascerbic Carville? Or did it have more to do with Ed Henry's next question - about the infamous LEAK?
Or perhaps he finally realized that the price of being in bed with Karl Rove was high.
Sifting Through the Wreckage and Other Strange Ruminations
Tue Aug 02, 2005 at 11:18:57 PM PDT
It has been a considerably long time since I've crossed paths with that blubbering fool, Rush Limbaugh, and much to my disapppointment they crossed once more when I logged on to the DailyK this morning, greeted by Rush's cruel, twisted assault against the military record of Paul Hackett, who, at last check, had just barely lost to the Wicked Witch of the Ohio Republican Party, Jean Schmidt.
Chuck Grassley: Just Another Republican
Tue Jul 26, 2005 at 10:05:35 PM PDT
In 2001, the Bush Administration changed the policy requiring Judicial nominees "at any level" to submit their tax returns. Before then, they had to provide their three most recent returns. Now, the IRS will just put together a single page for Roberts.
The Washington Post has described it as
a break with precedent that could exacerbate a growing conflict over document disclosure in the confirmation process.
More below the fold...
The Unholy Lords of Swine at the Pentagon...
Fri May 27, 2005 at 09:26:41 PM PDT
The big question running through many circles the past several weeks is whether or not American military/intelligence personnel gave the Koran the mother of all swirlies. Having absolutely given up any hope of the Bush administration or its underlings showing any signs of decency or exhibiting any indication that they are redeemable, my first thought when this story broke was, "Of course...they stack naked Iraqi men five high. What would stop them from doing this?"
So, it was no real shock to learn that the Pentagon finally admitted that five instances occurred in which the Koran was desecrated...They still deny someone ever flushed it...but it's been recounted in an FBI memo, circulated through numerous newspapers for a solid year and obviously they will not admit what the Glorius Leader has denied.
