He's back!

Tell us how "Global Warming" has affected Your Life

ABC News is looking for viewers' help in "reporting" on "global warming":

Witnessing the impact of global warming in your life?

ABC News wants to hear from you. We're currently producing a report on the increasing changes in our physical environment, and are looking for interesting examples of people coping with the differences in their daily lives. Has your life been directly affected by global warming?

We want to hear and see your stories. Have you noticed changes in your own backyard or hometown? The differences can be large or small--altered blooming schedules, unusual animals that have arrived in your community, higher water levels encroaching on your property.

Show us what you've seen.

Essentially ABC is asking viewers to send in their anecdotes of warm weather, which it will claim are evidence of a warming climate. OpinionJournal reader Jeff Beliveau, writes:

Tharg and me used to hunt mighty mammoth but he scared to cross ice bridge. It now too thin to take weight of even saber cat. Only mouse or rabbit can cross.

Many of my people have left the caves in search of food.

Sister's daughter's husband says it because of He-Who-Tamed-Fire. He say smoke from fire anger gods and they make it hot. Medicine Man say he full of mastodon droppings.

Medicine Man say Sun God told him Sun God get belly ache every 200 lifes of man. Belly ache make Sun God hotter, like when Og ate red berries birds don't touch.

Sun God say it good thing. He say now we can go south past ice to land he call "Iowa."

He mumble "junk science" and "media hype" and "poorly educated reporters." We no understand these powerful magic words. We afraid to say words now that Moon God warn us. She say magic words make research grants dry up. We no understand.

Must go, little Ky-Rock need help flaking obsidian.

(H/T: Best of the Web-Today)

This blog a year ago

On April 28, 2005, I posted an entry on a NY Sun article quoting a speech made by Randy Daniels. Mr Daniels said:

I believe that we must harness the cost of government and bring it under control - I've said it before, I'll say it again: The government of New York is too big and spends too much of your money [applause]. And until we change that, until we change that, we cannot create the environment in which the investment will come into New York and create the new industries, and the new jobs, and the new hopes and opportunities of the future. We must change New York, we must and we can. ... We are capable of growing our way out of the economic hole that we are in; we have to make the decisions, do it, and move forward with the policies that will get us there. ...

The New York Sun added:

Right now, Mr. Daniel's and William Weld are possible Republicans that can run strong and successful campaigns against Eliot Spitzer. The Sun suggests they both run, along with perhaps John Faso, and give New Yorkers a Primary like the GOP is giving New Jersey voters. It is a smart move and Republicans shouldn't be afraid to hold competitive races for the most important office in the State.

On May 18, 2005, I came up with choices for the statewide offices and believe it or not, John Faso's name surfaces as the gubernatorial choice (You'll also notice I refer to his 2002 race with the wrong seat).

Governor. John Faso. He ran a strong and almost successful campaign in 2002 for Attorney General. Mr. Faso could certainly receive the endorsement of both the Republican Party and the Conservative Party (which would prove very important for a Gubernatorial race). A platform of fiscal discipline, non-partisan redistricting, Medicaid reform and pro-business initiatives could make him a winner over Elliot Spitzer. Other names floated are Sec. Randy Daniels and As. Patrick Manning.

The only downside is we aren't getting a primary. Is it good? Is it bad? It would probably be something the party would need if we were in New Jersey's situation where Republicans don't hold a majority to any particular branch or house. At least, this year, we have a chance to win some races and hopefully save New York.

The NY Times treatment of candidate John Faso

The New York Conservative Party endorsed John Faso as its nominee for governor yesterday, setting up a political fight within the far-larger Republican Party between Mr. Faso, a fiscal conservative who opposes abortion rights, and a second candidate seeking the Republican nomination, William F. Weld, a former governor of Massachusetts who supports abortion rights.

This is the opening paragraph on a May 24 report from New York Times journalist, Patrick Healy, on John Faso, when he won the Conservative Party nomination for governor the day before. Apparently, abortion is the litmus test for all politicians in New York. In its first paragraph, the New York Times makes it a point on where the Republican candidates supposedly stand on abortion.

We have a state budget that is exceeding $112 billion, almost $50 billion of the budget is on Medicaid alone (where the NY Times once reported on being anywhere from 10% to 30% mired in fraud). We have a state government in desperate need of election reform and in dire need of Initiative and Referenda, where the People decide through ballot initiatives what our elected officials should do for a specific matter. We have high taxes and exorbitant spending, but to Mr. Healy and the New York Times, it is all secondary to abortion.

Then, Mr. Healy proceeds to focus on William Weld, the other Republican candidate for governor, who was not even at the Conservative Party convention, for the next few paragraphs. Perhaps after the Republican Convention, the New York Times would approach candidate John Faso differently, especially if he wins the GOP nomination.

Think again.

William F. Weld, the former Massachusetts governor, suffered a major rebuke from his own party on Thursday when he lost his bid to win Republicans' backing in the race for governor of New York, though he still won enough support to remain on the Sept. 12 primary ballot.

Another victory for John Faso and another opening paragraph that focuses on ...the other guy. The June 2 Patrick Healy report on the GOP convention reads very much like his previous story on New York Republicans. I understand that William Weld was considered the front-runner, but he lost. The Conservative Convention story should've only mentioned Mr. Weld and not given him as much attention in an event he didn't attend. At the Republican Convention, the story should've been about the winner and not so much on the "supposed" front-runner losing.

Of course, what is a New York Times article on Republicans without the topic of abortion. Mr. Healy waits until the fourteenth paragraph to mention the topic.

Other Republicans, reflecting Mr. Pataki's private view, say that conservatives who oppose abortion rights, like Mr. Faso, can no longer win statewide elections in New York. Some delegates noted that Mr. Weld, a moderate on social issues and a supporter of abortion rights, had won before in Massachusetts, a heavily Democratic state.

Whatever happened to the terms, Pro-Life and Pro-Choice? Apparently, these archaic terms might confuse the New York Times reader. Or perhaps, they do not fuel as much resentment towards Republicans when you omit the word "abortion," the the new defining phrase for Republicans is opposing or supporting "abortion rights."

This is very misleading and is especially inaccurate for candidate John Faso. The moderate position on abortion is not William Weld's position. Moderates believe abortion should be legal, but putting restrictions on certain types of procedures and encouraging women against getting abortions is a moderate position. Abortions for all is a radical and exceedingly barbaric position that the majority of New Yorkers... Americans abhor.

John Faso has stated he is personally Pro-Life and wishes abortion wasn't practiced. Sort of believing that beyond the natural abortion process known as a "miscarriage," when the body rejects a pregnancy on its own terms, abortion should not be a medical practice. Even though miscarriages are emotionally difficult for women, it is something that happens and cannot always be prevented. Of course, as an elected official, a complete ban on the practice of abortion is not something politicians should be imposing. Every situation needs to be looked at carefully and Mr. Faso understands this.

In November 2005, NY Newsday carried an Associated Press story on John Faso's position on abortion. Now archived, the AP report was discusssed at two New York blogs: Urban Elephants and News Copy.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- John Faso, a conservative Republican considering a run for governor, said Friday that while he is personally opposed to abortion, he would not support legislation to outlaw it in New York state.

"I don't think such an approach would be appropriate," the former state Assembly minority leader told The Associated Press.

Faso, a Roman Catholic, said that even if he felt such legislation was appropriate, he did not think it would be "politically viable" in New York.

...Faso said he would favor limits on late-term abortions and requiring parental notification when minors seek abortions. He also said he remained opposed, as he was in the Assembly, to Medicaid funding to pay for poor women's abortions, expect in cases of rape or incest. ~ November 11, 2005

So all this clamoring from the New York Times and other media outlets are misleading the general New York public on John Faso's position. A position that, in my eyes, is the moderate position on abortion.

It would be unfortunate for any candidate to be branded by the media on one issue, especially if the media is reporting inaccurate information. There is constant debate on whether their is a liberal bias in our media and even through denials, the media continues to show its bias by reporting from one side of a debate, a side that can be viewed as a personal and private side where many people wish government stayed out.

Will our media start holding candidates, both Republican and Democrat to the same standards? Or will be continue to hold Republicans to different standards? Are we a nation who defines its elected officials on simply one social issue?

The Two Party System

I'm sure somewhere on my blog (or would it be on another one) I've argued the importance of a two party system. When one party has control of all aspects of government, the people lose power and are at the will of their elected officials. Ronald Reagan said in his 1981 Inauguration address,

"We are a nation that has a government--not the other way around. And this makes us special among the nations of the Earth. Our government has no power except that granted it by the people. ...All of us need to be reminded that the federal government did not create the states; the states created the federal government."

Today, in 2006, Democrats across the country try to present arguments to take back the Presidency, the Senate or the House of Representatives. In New York, the reverse is true and that is why advocating for reform is so important. New York City, a Democratic town, is overwhelmingly in one party control. New York State, which tilts to the Democratic Party, is on the verge of turning all it's power over to the Democratic Party because the NY GOP has put itself in a role of insignificance over the last six years.

New York is ignoring its impending crisis, because it tends to look at issues that have minimal importance when it comes to taxes and spending and government reform. The People of this State should be concerned with our government deciding matters for us. We are the People. And it is the People of this City and of this State that gives voice to government. If we stand idle and let the Government make decisions for us, then we fail to understand what our Fore Fathers gave us. A Nation that has a government. A People that has a State government.

What does this have to do with the Two Party System?
Balance. If the State Assembly is two-thirds Democrat and the State Senate is close to a 50-50 divide, The Executive posts should be controlled by fiscal conservatives. Namely, the Governor and the State Comptroller. I'm sure we could survive four years of one party control, but if we could avoid it, we should work to give the people a two-party system.

Sunday Morning Coffee -- Time For Catch-Up on NYGOP Politics

Where has the EV GOP been?

I took a mental sabatical from politics. It takes its toll on the mind, especially being a Republican in New York City. I did recently report for Urban Elephant's on the Conservative Party Convention, but aside from that, I've been keeping tabs on the New York Mets and reading the New York Sun.

My reporting at the Conservative Party Convention nominations can be found below:

John Faso - Governor designee
C. Scott Vanderhoef - Lt Governor designee
John Spencer - US Senate designee
J. Christopher Callaghan - Comptroller designee
Jeanine Pirro - Attorney General designee