Free Republic

Prepare for a heat wave. The southern tier should see 20's next week.

---

This Afternoon Snow Showers Hi 8°F

Tonight Snow Showers Lo -2°F

Friday Mostly Sunny Hi 13°F

Friday Night Chance Snow Lo 4°F

Saturday Chance Snow Hi 14°F

Saturday Night Partly Cloudy Lo -5°F

Sunday Chance Snow Hi 22°F

Sunday Night Snow Showers Lo 7°F

Monday Mostly Sunny Hi 25°F

As budget deficits accumulate into ever-increasing National Debt, a greater proportion of the budget MUST be allocated to servicing interest payments on that debt.

Not necessarily. It depends on whether the rate of economic expansion keeps up with the debt. Also, inflation decreases the real value of debt.

At the end of WWII, gross federal debt was 100% of GDP. Deficit spending increased greatly from the 60's on, but there was also strong economic growth in the 50's, 60's, and hyper-inflation in the 70's. As a result, by 1980, gross federal debt was only a third of GDP. It was back up to two-thirds by the mid-90's, but today it's back down around half.

I'm not saying deficit spending is a good thing, and I'd like to see federal spending reduced in a lot of areas. But there are worse things, and most them are advocated by the Democrats (like repealing the tax cuts).

If the polls still look this good a year from now, Rudy should strike while the iron is hot.

Pataki's third term is up in '06. Rumor has it he wants to be Bush's running mate next year, but I'd much rather see him take on the Witch.

Marist poll, December 4-9, 2002
817 New York State registered voters, ±3.5%

If the 2004 election for U.S. Senate in New York were held today, whom would you support if the candidates are Charles Schumer and Rudy Giuliani?

Giuliani 58%, Schumer 37%

Has anyone told this guy that he could break a nail? This isn't boxing, it's entertainment (not that there's anything wrong with that.) It's part of a series called "White Collar Warriors". The promoter's site says: "Bouts are 3x2-minute rounds and generally non-decision, as you are a winner if you step into the ring and shouldn't be there with something to prove to anyone except yourself. ... White Collar Boxers ... use 16oz gloves, head guards, groin protectors ...". On second thought, it would be almost impossible for him to break a nail.

Here is a man who helped Saddam Hussein build a nuclear reactor and who knew very well what he wanted it for.

A nuclear reactor that was, in fact, used to produce material for a nuclear weapons program until it was destroyed by Israeli aircraft in 1981. It was ignored by the West, who were providing military assistance to Iraq at the time, on the theory that Iraq was a lesser evil than Iran.

My only criticism of Hitchens here is that he lets the Germans off too easily. Long after America and Britain wised up and stopped aiding Iraq, West Germany continued to provide them with weapons and technology (along with the French and Russians, of course).

The Witch isn't as beloved in Westchester as you might think. She only beat Lazio there 52-48.

Urban upstate was 48-48.
Non-urban upstate was 61-31.

Quinnipiac poll, December 19, 2002
999 registered voters in NY, ±3.1%

Suppose the general election for president were being held today, and the candidates were Hillary Rodham Clinton the Democrat and George W.Bush the Republican for whom would you vote?

NYC: Hillary 64, Bush 29
Suburbs: Bush 62, Hillary 29
Upstate: Bush 57, Hillary 36

rights, n. Anything involving a transfer from "haves" to "have-nots" (see above). As in, "Basic health care/a good education/decent housing/a secure retirement/etc. is a right of every American."

The catch is that the poll shows Bush would beat any Democrat, including Clinton. He'd defeat her by 52 to 41 percent. Lieberman would do a bit better, losing 49-43.

The poll also had her doing worse than Kerry and Gephardt, and about the same as Edwards (whom few people have heard of at this point.) Polls have consistently shown her to be a top choice of Democrat voters, and an also-ran among all voters. This is a good thing.

Quinnipiac did a similar poll in December of New York registered voters. Bush actually beat Hillary in New York by a few points.

While I wouldn't count the Witch out yet, she has a long way to go.

My regular brew. Can't beat it for the money.

Three feet is no big deal, but ten-foot drifts packed by hurricane-force winds is a different story. I've lived in New England and upstate NY my whole life, and this was by far the worst snowstorm I've ever seen.

According to Ann Coulter's Connecticut driver's license and voter's registration, Ann is 41 today.

What'd ya do, steal her purse?
That would make her 22 days younger than me. She certainly looks younger than I feel (or something like that).
Happy birthday Annie.

Gay-rights measure hits last-minute snag

ALBANY -- A landmark gay-rights bill, which last month appeared poised for passage when the state Senate returns to Albany on Dec. 17, now faces an uncertain fate.

Since Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, R-Brunswick, announced in October that he would allow a vote on the Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination Act, members of New York's transgender community and their supporters have launched an unprecedented campaign against the measure.

They say SONDA doesn't adequately protect some of the state's most marginalized residents, including transsexuals, cross-dressers and effeminate men, and should be amended.

Looks like SONDA may not pass after all. Unless Pataki hears that he has a chance to lock in the effeminate-men vote.

Clinton was never disbarred from the Supreme Court. After his law license was suspended in Arkansas (for 5 years), the Supreme Court suspended him and gave him 40 days to show why he should not be disbarred. He chose to resign from the Supreme Court bar instead, and they accepted his resignation.

In theory at least, if he regains his law license in some state, he could reapply to the Supreme Court.

Stevens was nominated by Nixon to the Court of Appeals, but by Ford to the Supreme Court.

Schumer, who is not a popular member of the Senate Democratic Caucus due to his love of the spotlight ...

As opposed to the shy and retiring Hillary? Maybe I'm wrong, but I get the impression she's not exactly beloved by her colleagues either. If she wasn't such a hero to liberal voters, they wouldn't be considering her for even a minor leadership position.

Never mind that he's just four years into his first term as a senator himself.

In Schmuck's defense, he did serve 18 years in the House, and 6 years in the NY Assembly, and he was born and raised in Brooklyn. Yes, he has an ego as big as all outdoors, but how many Senators don't? I can understand his not wanting the share the spotlight with the Witch, who is only looking to pad her resume before she goes for the White House.

Johnson might be getting less liberal, or his 32 last year might be an aberration. Right now, I put more stock in his lifetime 21. But even a 21 puts him to the right of 3/4 of the other Democrat Senators, so he could be worse.

There's a typo in Chafee's ratings. It says he's been rated twice, got a 44 both times, but his lifetime is 28. I emailed the ACU about it, but they never changed it.

McCain is definitely getting less conservative in his voting. He also got a 68 in 1998. I have less problem with his voting record than with the obvious joy he takes in obstructing his own party. He's going to continue to be a thorn in Bush's side on some important issues, not because he's a liberal, but because he enjoys the attention.

That was posted many times right after the election. Turns out it's not true. There's only an automatic recount if there is a tie after the official canvass is completed.