David Paterson Needs A Spreadsheet To Keep Track Of His Scandals
And then there's this: "The state Commission on Public Integrity charged Gov. David A. Paterson on Wednesday with violating state ethics laws when he secured free tickets to the opening game of the World Series from the Yankees last fall for himself and others…. In addition to violating the state's ban on gifts to public officials, the commission found that Mr. Paterson falsely testified under oath that he had intended to pay for the tickets for his son and his son's friend. The commission determined that Mr. Paterson had never intended to pay for the tickets and only did so after inquiries from the media, after which he submitted a backdated check as payment."
Can you imagine what things are like in Albany right now? They must be viewing this as a pleasant distraction. Good lord.
And how dreary is the weather today.
Maybe it was last weekend, or the one before, the two-page insert they stick in the Times here containing "Chicago News" included a column suggesting that we probably oughtn't get too lathered up about our endemic Illinois political scandals because, at the end of the day, it weren't so bad.
For example, the author contended, plenty of foreign countries have rulers who empty treasuries, or think nothing of feeding a few hundred thousand recalcitrant dissidents to the crocodiles after lunch.
So we could indulge, even laugh at, a Governor trying to buy a Senate seat; another Governor who took kickbacks for truck licenses that put drivers back of the wheel who ended up drunk and killing familes; or a comical Lt. Gov. candidate who maybe had a romantic misunderstanding or two while attempting to bulk up.
Perspective. It makes you stronger. At least resilient. I think it's saying that we, as a Nation, need to get over ourselves.
Chicago: Slightly Better than a Third-World Nation
Finally a scandal that DOESN'T involve the state police.
This is all fine and dandy, but I am sad to see the focus here shift from Silvio Berlusconi to Paterson. Silvio is my hero.
Maybe his son needs to get picked up for playing dice on the street again – he bounced back nicely from that.
Didn't the Mayor's office demand a full suite at their disposal any time? I mean, really…The people pushing crap like this will, of course, eat themselves sooner or later.
"…eat it themselves sooner or…"
For what it's worth, the Mayor's Office had to give that one up, but it sure looked bad when they asked for it.