NYT Damage Control
The Public Editor CLARK HOYT Sunday defended"The rumor mill has been running overtime in recent weeks about Paterson and the possibility that a major newspaper is about to drop a bombshell story about his personal life that will be far worse than his acknowledged extramarital affair with a former state employee." Protecting Paterson
After all Paterson has admitted to affairs before he became governor. It hard to see why a story that has embarrassed the NYT could not be finished in the 9 days since it became public and controversial. It makes one wonder who was really caught with their pants down Paterson or the NYT
As the NYT is caught in the Paterson investigation where the investigation of the council slush fund, the growing Aqueduct scandal and the missing money the mayor's campaign paid to the Independence Party? Are they waiting as the public editor said about the Paterson investigation until it is ready or are they just not doing or are clueless how to do their job of cleaning up the corruption in New York? Gov Paterson : Paul Levinson talks to Chuck Scarborough about NY Times "story" Does Hoyt blame the NYT's McCain scandal story on the Internet also? * New York Times and Lobbyist Settle Defamation Case Over McCain * NYT Addresses Paterson Profile In Op-Ed
Cover Up of a Cover Up Is Thompson using the Times story about the story to hid his involvement in the AEG Aqueduct scandal. The Public Editor said if the NYT commented about this story it might interfere with future investigation of public scandal. When was the last time the NYT broke a story about a public official that was not leaked by a prosecutor or in response of an indictment of an elected official?
Sunday Update Wall Street Helped to Mask Debts Shaking Europe ** Bloomberg News Files 'Extraordinary Lawsuit' To Crack Fed Secrecy Around Bank Bailout *** Battle Over the Bailout***Biden: Maybe military trial after all ***TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads*** "Albany’s real scandal is the utter disregard in which many of its politicians hold the public interest," writes the Financial Time *** Ford, Gillibrand Address Minority Caucus
Councilmember Hides and Speaker Spins Ghost Reforms
Have you seen this woman: Councilwoman Arroyo ducks criminal-investigation spotlight
Last night on NY1 (we cannot find any link - Why NY1) Speaker Quinn answered softball question from a reporter who did not do her homework on the council's slush fund scandal. Nothing was asked about Arroyo and it is not clear what reforms Quinn was talking about when she said that Seabrook would not be able to loot the budget today. The only reforms that we know about that Quinn pushed was pulled back after opposition from councilmember
What Slush Fund Reforms? "Quinn announced a series of budget process reforms. The reforms would definitively end the practice of putting funds into shell organizations and also subject a larger pool of roughly $20 million to $25 million in discretionary funds explicitly budgeted for the Speaker’s Office to a formal request for proposal, or R.F.P., process. Flanked by officials from two government watchdog organizations — Dick Dadey, executive director of Citizens Union, and Gene Russianoff, senior attorney at the New York Public Interest Group — the speaker, on April 11, 2008 also announced that she would recommend to the mayor’s Charter Reform Commission that it create an independent compliance officer at the Council, who would report directly to the speaker, but not serve at her or his pleasure." Not a peep from Quinn or the good government groups Citizen Union and NYPIG since that media event *Indicted Seabrook got help from see-no-evil union ** No State Reform Either In dishonor of Joe: Bruno law isn't much, but at least it outlaws pols' blatant thiever * New Law Bars 'Unwarranted Privileges' for NY Officials *** A Closer Look at Disclosure Exemptions (ReformNY) *** Sen. Gonzalez Withdraws Guilty Plea (Bronx News Network)
What New York's political scandals have in common How is it that so many — from Pedro Espada to Larry Seabrook to Malcolm Smith to Hiram Monserrate — have been able to so blatantly funnel taxpayer money to their own interests? Because they can
Mayorial Slush Fund? Mayor Bloomberg has yet to credibly explain what happened to $750,000 of his personal cash that passed through a political operative’s shady corporate outfit in the closing days of last year’s campaign. So maybe Manhattan DA Cy Vance Jr. can do it for him.Probing Mike’s mystery cash * Lisberg: Bloomy vol probed after money goes missing
Alice in Editorial Wonder Land It is sad to see how out of touch New York's Newspapers have become. After years of avoiding every major decision on the state budget and several NYT editorials on that subject today's NYT Editorial calls about the legislature acting with courage? Lost in Transit There are sound ideas for addressing New York’s mass transit problems, but only if Albany’s politicians are ready to finally show courage * Daily News owner throws up a trial balloon about running for senate Zuckerman Is Said to Be Weighing Bid for Senate * Zuckerman: 'Perfect record' of not running Meanwhile the Daily News today does an editorial that says Obama starts to get real: May hold 9/11 terror trial in a military tribunal after all but yesterday theWH squashes reports of military tribunal for 9/11 thugs * On the Daily News website Obama still favors civil trial for 9/11 masterminds, gov't officials say *** Holder Open To Holding Terror Trials Before Military Tribunal Sunday Update Obama committed to holding 9/11 trial in America: official
Facebook Joseph Mercurio "The Times is wrong again, the solution is getting New Yorkers back to work and riding the rails—increasing revenues by increasing commuter ridership. Much of the missing money causing the shortfall is a decline in riders. Not that I mind the legislature pumping in more money for mass transit and high speed rail."
Federal Takeover of New York's Government
Targeting corruption a top priority for U.S. att'y Bharara
Federal investigators have asked the state's anti-corruption watchdog to help with their probe into Gov. Paterson's selection of a politically wired consortium to run the Aqueduct slots "racino Aqueduct probers' secret stablemate New Direction Local Development CorporationAre Corrupt NY Politicians Cashing in on Aqueduct Gambling? from the National Legal and Policy Center
*** Feds subpoena $enate’s records *** Inspector general to probe awarding of Aqueduct pact *** Feds Seek Smith Member Item List (Albany Times Union) ***Weak Meeks blows hot air on Katrina $$ SUNDAY UPDATE Gov. Paterson refused to dish yesterday on the secretive process that handed the lucrative Aqueduct "racino" contract to a would-be political ally -- even as he admitted the final choice wasn't made on merit alone * A charity that lists Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Queens) among its board members claimed to have collected more than $200,000 for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, but tax records show only $10,000 was donated to, and spent by, the group's relief effort *** Aqueduct subpoena to probe Flake's wealthy empire***$$ links of mentor Flake & pupil Smith ***Charity big & her 145G gig ***'Cane fund's shamed lawman now a teach
Vance digs deeper into $750K Bloomberg donation * Mayor Mike declared Thursday that -- even though the promised traffic-flow improvements attending his grand shutdown of Broadway traffic at Times and Herald Squares weren't achieved -- the scheme is a success anyway.Let them drive cake
Background from True News
StuyTown manager is picked Background from True News Wall Street Hijacks Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for Stuy Town
Landlord Cited in Fatal Brooklyn Fire
Former Regulators Hired by Toyota Helped Halt Investigations - Bloomberg
TV’s Talking Heads Double as Lobbyists - The Nation
NYT Watch Day 8 Paterson Held Hostage Reluctantly, Paterson speculates on what NYT is working on
What They Say Harold Ford 'in the process' of paying N.Y. state taxes What They Mean Ford has never paid taxes in New York despite living here for three years. * NY1 Exclusive: Harold Ford Still Has Financial, Legal Ties To Tennessee *** Harold Ford, former Memphis congressman, will file first New York tax return for 2009 in spring
*** $2 Blackjack Tables Resurrected at AC Casino
Gov of La Mancha How it all went wrong for Dave: The inside story of the accidental governor's long downward spiral *** Casey Seiler makes a list of "People & Entities Less Popular Than David Paterson," which, in the governor's mind, includes Eliot Spitzer, the Legislature and reporters *** Paterson thinks Hiram Monserrate got off easy *** Paterson: 'They Will Not Stop Me'
*** Saturday*** Albany Dave the Camelot killer *DC's Kennedy era ending** NY's slap at schools that work *** Battle of babble explodes after Gov. rips Hiram *** Paterson Warns Other Public Figures Of New Era*** Cartoonist’s Take on Paterson Rumors (Matt Davies)
Inside City Hall $leazy 6' of rubber room *** Parking cheaters beat up on meters *** The Staten Island Advance would like to see someone truly independent of Bloomberg head the Charter Revision Commission.
*** Saturday*** Mayor Bloomberg sics snow patrol on home, biz owners *** TLC commissioner Matthew Daus steps down after 14 years *Yassky May Head Taxi Commission (City Room)** City potholes take longer to fix due to harsh weather, data shows *** Bushwick Trailer Park Busted By FDNY *** Efficient Transit Takes More than ‘Spiffy’ Tech (Regional Plan Association)
Law and OrderCop crashes into Tiffany's, booze eyed *Officer who drove drunk into Tiffany's storefront 'not a bad cop' ** She's a stealing beauty, DA says *** Gym rats 'lift' and run ***Germs on run from sure-handed cops *** A Glimpse Inside a Troubled Youth Prison *** Robber arrested just minutes after holding up 2 banks ** Cantor accused of scamming charities, in-laws *** Queens Man Arraigned In Connection With Deadly Hit-And-Run
*** Saturday*** Bust in fatal gem heist ***Church duo guilty as $in *** At Officers’ Trial, No Show of Blue, but Plenty of Dark Suits *** Longest tenured officer retires from NYPD at 63 *** Lieutenant John Wolf, NYPD's longest tenured officer, retires after almost 45 years with force *** PIC: Cops Seek Suspects in String of Queens Robberies (WINS) *** Off-duty officer involved in crash on East Side
More City News Lincoln Loses a Tower, but He Still Has the Tunnel *** The Met Roof To Be Overtaken By Bamboo This Summer *** Fewer black students attending elite city schools
Terror 'Stiff winds' hit O team over trial *** Obama Should Reverse Course on Terrorists - Michael Goodwin, NY Post *** It's Time to Target Iran's Gas Imports - Washington Post
*** Saturday*** King: White House can't find city to take terror trials ***Largest Push Against Taliban Since the 2001 Invasion *** WH squashes reports of military tribunal for 9/11 thugs *** The Jihad Against Jihadis - Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek * Don't Treat Terrorists Like Common Criminals - Senator Lindsey Graham *** New Uncertainty Surrounds Sept. 11 Trial (WCBS) ***
White House U.S. Envoy Is to Be Link to Muslims *** Poll Finds Edge for Obama Over G.O.P. Among the Public *** Democrats Run Away from Obama *** Joe Biden Tears Into Dick Cheney On 'Meet The Press' (VIDEO) *** Some Democrats Keep Distance From Obama - Peter Nicholas, LA Times *** Obama's Policies Give Him a Very Weak Hand - James Capretta, NRO *** President Obama's Troubling Budget - Gregory Mankiw, New York Times *** The Myth of the One-Term Wonder - Robert Merry, New York Times
*** Saturday*** Obama Making Plans to Use Executive Power *** What Obama Did Wrong - Eleanor Clift, Newsweek *** The Off-Center President - Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal *** Obama says new budget rules will rein in spending *** W.H. looking for new GOP partners *** Obama will campaign for Reid *** White House Press Secretary Joins Twitter
Congress Small Ideas Won’t Fix ItSome of the Republican ideas on health care reform are good, but they would barely make a dent in the system’s most critical problems (NYT Ed) *** R.I. Democrats Bid for Kennedy's Seat *Rep. Patrick Kennedy says he want to help others with substance abuse** Kennedy, Feeling Father’s Absence, Steps Aside *** Senate Confirms 2 Dozen Obama Nominees *** Deal on Jobs Shows Limits of Push for Bipartisanship ***Scott Brown backers already eye White House run *** Fox News Highlights Dianne Feinstein's Hand Notes From 1990 *** Dems Should Force Through Health Bill - George Curry, Philly Inquirer
*** Saturday*** Dems ax bipartisan jobs bill - dare GOP not to vote for new version *** As Kennedy Era Ends, They Continue to Serve - Boston Globe *** Most Lawmakers Haven’t Returned Allen Stanford’s Donations - Morning News *** Lobbying May Push Rules for Brokers Off Reform Agenda - Bloomberg *** In Black Caucus, a Fund-Raising Powerhouse *** Boxer Has a Fight in California *** Family feud: Pelosi at odds with Obama (Politico) *** Senate Republicans To Filibuster Everything To Boost Chances For November Win *** K Street Kickback: The Giveaway That Reid Stripped From The Jobs Bill *** Despite Recession, '09 Most Profitable Ever For Lobbying Industry
Political Parties Feeding the Blue Beast - Walter Russell Mead, The American Interest *** Republicans Should Stop Blocking Progress - Las Vegas Sun *** Palin’s Cunning Sleight of Hand (Rich NYT) *** Our Politics May Be All in Our Head Research hints that the roots of political judgments may lie in fundamental personality types and in the hard-wiring of our brains *** Is Palin Presidential Timber? - Dan Balz, Washington Post *** PA: A Battleground State Leaning Red - Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Trib-Review *** Feeding the Blue Beast - Walter Russell Mead, The American Interest *** Signs of GOP Resurgence in N.E. Districts - Brian Mooney, Boston Globe *** Time for Democrats to Get Loud and Fearless - Bob Cesca, Huffington Post *** Dissing Libertarians is Nothing New - Matt Welch, Reason
Wall Street It's Time to Target Iran's Gas Imports - Washington Post *** Big Problem for Small Banks: Trust-Preferred Securities - Wall Steet Journal ($)*** Future Bailouts of America - Gretchen Morgenson, New York Times *** The Growing Dependency Agenda - George Will, Washington Post *** US Debt to Keep Growing Even with Recovery - Tom Raum, Associated Pres
International Doctors Haunted by Haitians They Couldn’t Help *** Greece Derails: Is Europe Far Behind? *** China & the Cyber War - James Fallows, The Atlantic *** 1977 vs. 1979The Middle East today is the product of trends dating back to 1979, and reformers need to counter those trends and deconstruct the prevailing narrative of Islamists (Friedman NYT) *** Big answers to big lies: Israel refutes UN's despicable Goldstone Report
National Chris Christie: New Jersey's Mr. Freeze - Investor's Business Daily
Environment Global Warming's Snowball Fight - Dana Milbank, Washington Post
Media and New Tech Bits: Google Alters Buzz to Tackle Privacy Flaws
Google Buzz Enrages Privacy Advocates *** USA Today Mandates Furloughs To Save Money *** Media Power Couples: Who's The Ultimate Media Duo?
Blog Report What’s the Impact of Nets Area’s Alternate Entrance (Atlantic Yards Report)
Page 6 WATCH: Octomom Plays The Dating Game On Kimmel *** Princess Di Letters Up for Auction
