Hey, Alice, thanks for the shout-out today!

I listened to the show today and here are my quick impressions:

1. Kudos to Dr. Hardwick for hosting what I thought was a good, fair, and substantive debate. I also have to praise his unrelenting criticism of Jack Davis’ absence, but also bringing up how uncouth he was to not bother to call Hardwick to let him know he’d skip the debate, but making insane demands through the press.

2. Jon Powers did very well deflecting the War Kids criticism and explaining what the money was spent on and what the purpose of the group was. On substantive issues, there was a bit of fumfering at times and he began answering some questions with talking points, which doesn’t fly in that studio. Time is very tight on that show, and if you’re asked a direct question, a direct answer is necessary. Powers wanted to give explanations or get into more detail with some questions, but that just doesn’t work. I liked the fact that he didn’t return fire when Kryzan was critical of him, and his grasp of the big issues affecting the district was excellent. He was detailed and informative on the state of the wars in the middle east; he made a great point with respect to 9/11 - that the Bush administration had squandered an opportunity to call people to service rather than go out and shop. On energy and trade/immigration, he set forth an overview of the plans he’s already released calling for renewable sources of energy, breaking our addiction to foreign oil, and leveling the playing field for American workers and products.

3. Alice Kryzan also did very well deflecting criticism of her dealings with respect to Love Canal and her referring to the surrounding “hysteria”. She took some shots at Powers, which he was able to respond to, but I thought that her overall tone when talking about or addressing Powers was condescending and arrogant. She came across like a scold, and Powers didn’t take the bait. She was better at answering the short-answer questions than Powers was, being direct and then launching into whatever explanations she wanted to bring up afterwards. There were some puzzling comments of hers, for instance she mentioned how she had signed on to the “Responsible Plan” to end the war in Iraq, and no one else had. That implies that Powers’ plan is somehow off the mark, but she never said that or explained why it might be. When Powers gave a response to a question may have been long-winded, but was responsive nonetheless, she said she didn’t know what Powers was talking about. I did, so either she was trying to be cute or she wasn’t listening.

4. Davis’ absence really underscores the fact that he doesn’t care what people think, and doesn’t think he needs to answer anyone’s questions. His failure to pick up the phone and tell Hardwick that he wouldn’t show up reveals that he’s a rude, petty little man and it calls into question how responsive he might be, if elected, to constituent concerns.

I thought Kryzan and Powers comported themselves quite well, and I’d call it a draw between them.

One thing, though - Powers made it quite clear in many of his answers that they were crafted after soliciting, receiving, and considering input from people throughout the district. When asked about trade policy, he talked about his discussions with Delphi workers. When asked about immigration, he talked about his discussions with farmers. When asked about education, he drew upon his own experience, but also talked about what he had been hearing throughout the district. He isn’t imposing his views on anyone; instead, he’s listening to real concerns and coming up with solutions to them that he pledges to go to Washington to work for. Kryzan, on the other hand, seemed to me to have a need to be the smartest person in the room, an expert on everything. The only time a discussion with a voter was brought up arose during a question about soldiers being redeployed repeatedly to Iraq.

As usual, the big loser today was Jack Davis.

I read this on a Republican blog (where Jack Davis has bought ad space, incidentally), and read this comment from its author:

The country was doing fine until the Democrats took control of congress.

The Democrats took control of congress in January 2007. I personally find the sentence quoted above to be so utterly ridiculous as to defy comment or explanation. Your thoughts?

Not only is Jack Davis refusing to debate his primary opponents Alice Kryzan and Jon Powers on Hardline with Hardwick on Sunday (tomorrow), but he’s also refusing to participate in a candidate’s forum in Geneseo. According to the Lockport Union Sun & Journal:

Now Davis says he won’t join them in joint campaign appearances unless they return the donations that they’ve received from those interest groups — as well as sign on with Davis’ self-created “pledge to protect Social Security,” and promise to run “clean” campaigns.

Interesting. Davis had no problems debating PAC-laden Tom Reynolds last season. Indeed, he had no problem accepting PAC money last season. It’s beyond unseemly for a self-funded millionaire candidate to set as a precondition to answering voter questions that his opponents return what he defines as “special interest” money. Naturally, as his own contributor, Jack Davis is his own special interest.

Kevin Hardwick, the WBEN show host who’ll moderate Sunday’s discussion, called Davis’ refusal to participate in candidate forums “disturbing.”

Hardwick, a political science instructor and past candidate for office himself, said the unwritten rule of campaigning is before you ask people for their votes, you’re supposed to make yourself available to answer their questions.

“If you’re too afraid to go into a debate for fear of saying something stupid, how can we expect you to stand up to the special interests in Washington?” Hardwick said. “If (Davis’) handlers don’t trust him … perhaps they ought not run him for office.”

In Geneseo…

The debate at Geneseo will begin at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday. Organizers said the National Public Radio affiliates in Buffalo and Rochester, wbfo-FM 88.7 and WXXI-AM 1330, will replay the session as regular programming.

According to debate co-organizer Ben DeGeorge, Independence Party nominee Anthony Fumerelle also will participate. Republican candidate Chris Lee declined the invitation.

Jack Davis has some incredible gall, using as an excuse for not debating that his opponents have campaigned negatively against him. Jack Davis created a phony website with a Powers-friendly URL that is not only negative, but meant to confuse and deceive. Advertising it all over the internet, including on Republican blogs, if Davis wants to learn about slimy campaign tactics, all he has to do is look in the mirror.

Jack Davis. Too afraid he’ll say something embarrassing (again) to debate his opponents.
Jack Davis. Hypocrite.
Jack Davis. Is intent on buying an election whether by hook or by crook.
Jack Davis. Unelectable.

This Sunday from 10 - 10:30 on WBEN 930-AM, Dr. Hardwick will speak with the Hamburg Sun’s Dan Meyer, and then at 10:30, the fireworks begin as the Democratic candidates for Congress from NY-26 debate.

Well, two of them will.

Kryzan and Powers are on board.

Jack Davis? His Highness the Duke of Losingham shan’t be bothered to discuss politics with the proles. He isn’t coming, and doesn’t care what you think. He doesn’t need to be bothered with pesky questions from Canisius professors, and can’t be bothered to “compete” in a “political campaign” because he has people to do that, and can pay for lit and ads.

UPDATE: And another thing. Illuzzi runs no ads for NY-26, yet he is running a cartoon that smacks Powers and Davis. Now, Illuzzi does just about nothing for free, and I strongly doubt he runs those shittily drawn cartoons for free. Illuzzi made a big deal about refusing Jack Davis’ money to smack Powers. I don’t suspect Kryzan is paying Illuzzi, either. There’s only one logical explanation.

Domagalski.

The Republicans must be paying Illuzzi to injure the Democrat they’re most afraid of running Chris Lee against, and that’s Jon Powers. Domagalski and Wojtaszek actually held a press conference a week or two ago to say very, very stupid things a couple of weeks ago, demanding that Jon Powers do exactly what he planned to do, and ultimately did.

Republicans sticking their nose in a Democratic primary race? It’s astonishing in its sheer transparent idiocy. But since they have absolutely nothing, evidently, to say or do to promote their own weak candidate, at least it kept them busy.

UPDATE: Professor Hardwick tells me that Davis’ camp isn’t even returning his phone calls, at this point.

UPDATE: To the top for the weekend.

People seriously sometimes bore me with their predictability.

Is anyone surprised that Republicans are super-duper thrilled with Palin and Democrats have serious questions about her? Of course not.

Is anyone doubting - even for a moment - that if Palin was a Democratic choice (regardless of who the nominee is), the Republicans would be all but calling her an outright traitor by now?

When I first heard that she was the pick, I instantly looked at it from a purely procedural posture. I think that Palin strips McCain of the “readiness” argument against Obama. Other than that, I couldn’t really care less whom McCain picks because a) I’m not voting for him; and b) People generally don’t vote based on who the Veep pick is.

There is something, though, to the idea of judgment and decision-making. Picking a veep is the first serious Presidential decision a candidate makes during the course of a campaign, and I think there’s no question that Barack Obama picked someone who is ready to pick up the reins from day one should anything happen to him. The same cannot, however, be said for McCain, I think. That pinko commie David Frum agrees that it’s a bad choice, and that Palin’s selection puts the lie to the whole “putting America first” line of McCain’s.

Instead, I think it is, in part, a cynical ploy to win over disgruntled female Hillary supporters. Fine, if those Democratic women are in favor of an anti-abortion candidate who supports teaching something not science in schools.

But I think the whole Hillary PUMA thing is way overblown. People were angry, their feelings were hurt, but they’ll come around. A transparent pander to them from the Republican side isn’t necessarily going to make them switch to McCain.

The other thing that people have been bringing up is Palin’s vast executive experience, first as mayor of a town of 9,000, and most recently as governor of a state that has 2/3 the population of Erie County. “Executive experience” as a must-have qualification for president is little more than a foolish cable news talking point, as far as I’m concerned.

We have separation of powers in this country, true. But in Canada and Great Britain, for instance, the head of state is simultaneously an executive and an elected member of the legislature. Based on the “Palin has executive experience” talking point, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair were each less qualified than John McCain to become head of state. So, I discount that argument completely.

I mean, I know she’s also been the singular bulwark against a Canadian and Russian invasion, but since both Alaska and Russia are more or less uninhabited for thousands of miles where they “meet” (I understand there are 170 inhabitants on American Little Diomede and zero residents on Russia’s Big Diomede Island), it’s hardly Department of State stuff.

Frankly, I think Obama proved his strength as an executive simply by defeating Clinton, who had a sheen of inevitability all the way up until January 2008.

In the wake of Palin’s selection, conservatives are simply playing Mr. Rogers make-believe with respect to their complete lack of enthusiasm for McCain. They finally have something to pretend to be enthusiastic about.

Here’s one Alaskan blogger’s take on the Palin pick.

In any event, from a fundamental standpoint I cannot fathom another 4 or 8 years of Republicans at the helm of the United States after the 7 years we’ve just gone through. There has been such a widespread dismantling of American values from day one of the Bush administration, and McCain went along with it all a vast majority of the time.

The race won’t be about Sarah Palin or Joe Biden. So, here’s the summary of the previous 100+ post thread:

REPUBLICANS: She’s Susan B. Anthony and Colin Powell wrapped up in an ultraconservative, hockey mom body. Her 2 years as executive of a state with 670,000 people is equal to 100 years as President of the World. As Alaska governor, she is the first line of defense against an imminent Russian invasion.

DEMOCRATS: She’s a lightweight who is embroiled in controversy, and has taken away several of McCain’s signature attacks against Obama. Although she satisfies the moose-hunter constitutional requirement to serve, she is a cynical ploy by McCain to try and attract female voters who still pine for a Hillary presidency. While people are concerned about Obama’s experience, he has selected someone with all the experience one would need. OTOH, McCain has experience but is quite old and has selected a veep with even less experience than Obama.

Even shorter thread:

REPUBLICANS: We love her! Obama sucks!
DEMOCRATS: Ha ha! Obama rocks!

And that’s the funny thing. The Republicans practically never talk up McCain, they always talk down Obama. So on issues Obama gets the win. And besides, Palin likes Obama’s energy plan:

If you’re going to close out an email to your anti-casino recipient list with this:

Meanwhile, we do not have the luxury of ignoring the battle for public opinion. The pro-casino talk show hosts and bloggers have been having a field day, spreading lies about our motivations and our sources of funding, along with the usual nonsense about the likely impact of a casino. It is up to us, that is, it is up to all of us including YOU, to set the record straight. Please do what you can to help win the battle for public opinion.

Perhaps you would then like to ask your benefactors at the Network for Religious Communities and allies at Citizens for Better Buffalo to open the books so we can all see who has received Wendt Foundation largesse?

Only then can we really determine who’s been “spreading lies”. And since I’m not aware of another blog that posted about the casino ruling yesterday, I’m assuming you were referring to me, in which case I’d love for you to show me the basis for your charge that I am “pro-casino”.

I know you’re all about the transparency and accuracy, so I eagerly await the Network’s and CBB’s financial disclosures. After all, you brought it up. Thanks so much.

Love, BP

UPDATE: I have pasted Joel Rose’s response in comments because he claims not to be able to post comments.

Sarah Palin is the 44 year-old Governor of Alaska. She has served there for two years, and has been selected by the 72 year-old McCain to be his running mate.

I’ll echo what Josh Marshall says:

John McCain’s central and best argument in this campaign is that Barack Obama simply lacks the experience to be President of the United States. And now John McCain, who is a cancer survivor who turns 72 years old today, is picking a vice presidential nominee who has been governor of a small state for less than two years and prior to that was mayor of a town with roughly one-thirtieth of the citizens that Barack Obama represented when he was a state senator in Illinois.

Whatever you think of Barack Obama’s qualifications to be Vice Presidential, Palin is manifestly less qualified. And that undermines the central premise of McCain’s campaign.

Great pick. I’m quite pleased with it. I look forward to Palin’s debate with Biden; it will be as useless as any other Veep debate, but I suspect quite entertaining. As an added bonus, Palin comes with pending scandal.

Someone has come forward claiming to be the person behind the whole Nicole-Kidman / Studio-Arena hoax. There was speculation that Studio Arena itself was responsible. That isn’t the case.

According to Editor & Publisher…

The prank is allegedly the work of one Adam Templeton. A man identifying himself as Adam Trumpleton, and pointing to the Buffalo News stories, claims, in an e-mail to E&P, that he has no connection to the theater involved and placed the false item on a public relations Web site in order to embarrass Buffalo News owner Warren Buffett.

The original News story on Monday had reported that Kidman was coming to the aid of the longtime local showcase, the Studio Arena Theatre. Other local news outlets, including the major TV stations, as well as entertainment sites, had published the false story before the News.

They all got punked by a press release on a anyone-can-post site. What was so amazing is that it wasn’t very hard to do. Here, however, comes the bizarre rationale. It was all designed (supposedly) to embarrass Warren Buffet into saving Studio Arena.

Right. WTF.

On Wednesday, someone claiming to be “Adam Trumpleton” (his identity has not been confirmed) wrote in an email to E&P, “The point of the prank is this: Buffalo has its own Nicole Kidman right under its very nose — and her name is Warren Buffett. Let Warren Buffett, who has taken so, so much out of the city of Buffalo and given back zilch save the theater. Instead of counting on Nicole Kidman, who has no connection to the city of Buffalo whatsoever, let the city turn for one single time to one of the individuals that it has enriched to such an astounding extent: Warren Buffett.”

In his e-mail to E&P, “Trumpleton” stated: “Someone needed to smack him, and I am okay with the fact that it was me who had to do it. And my apologies to the staff of the theater if they felt this was in any way intended to embarrass them — it was not. They are doing an amazing job in light of huge adversity.”

The News reacted thusly:

Buffalo News Editor Margaret Sullivan issued the following statement to E&P: “Whoever this person is doesn’t have his facts right and clearly has an axe to grind against the paper and its owner. In fact, Warren Buffett has been extremely generous to the community, both through the newspaper and through his own successful efforts to bring employment here other than at the paper.”

People really are strange.

But one interesting side note - notice how for just about everything, everything in this city, people assume some big silver bullet or generous gazillionaire will just swoop down and make Buffalo great again. Pathetic.

Obama’s speech was a 9 on a scale of 1 - 10. He effectively laid out why he is the better choice - why Democrats are a better choice - than whoever the Republicans are putting up. There were, naturally, some choice soundbites such as “It’s not that McCain doesn’t care. It’s that he doesn’t get it”, and “Eight is enough”, but there was a lot more beyond the soundbites.

He laid out the case for himself. Why his comparative lack of experience isn’t important in this election. As Hillary Clinton realized a little too late for herself, this is a change election, and the only candidate offering it up is Barack Obama. He set forth the singular truth of his candidacy - that it’s not about him and never has been. It is instead about average people who have become energized and active in politics. When he says change doesn’t come from Washington, it comes to Washington, he’s talking about those people who have had it with the way it’s been done up until now.

Last night those people were there in their thousands. While the cretins of cable and the Republicans mocked the “Greek Temple” and accused Obama of setting up a latter-day Nuremburg Rally, we instead had thousands of average people and committed delegates in one stadium together, waving American flags and cheering for a man who promised to help them bring change to Washington. This wasn’t some revival meeting or fascist rally. This was America.

The speech was aggressive, taking the fight to the Republicans, to McCain, to 8 years of failure, to 8 years of bellicosity, to 8 years of enrichment of the richest at the expense of the middle classes. He linked McCain effectively to Bush, reiterating that McCain votes with Bush 90% of the time, and 10% change isn’t enough.

It was substantive, explaining his platform in detail so as to silence critics who accused him of being all style. The McCain campaign’s idiotic accusations that Obama is some Hiltonesque ditz were rendered all the more ridiculous last night.

America the ideal, the example; the America we all grew up believing in, and which we always knew was just and right and free and true - that America has been systematically dismantled by the Bush Administration over the past 7 years. They can blame the use of torture, the unprecedented expansion of executive power, the invasion of sovereign states, the loss of domestic civil liberties, complete economic mismanagement, and fearmongering on 9/11 or whatever bogeyman they can select that day, but average people are not better off than they were 4 or 8 years ago.

You know it, and I know it. The question then becomes whether you go with the party that willingly went along and brought all of that about, or do you go with the guy who sees that things are broken and asks for your help to fix it. Do you go with the guy selling more fear, or with the guy selling hope.

I was with Obama when the snow was flying. Last night, he only further convinced me that I chose well. And so did the Democrats.

The Republicans? They’ve got a tough act to follow.

Also - we did the liveblog/chat thing last night, but it had a tendency to float off-topic and get bogged down in a lot of nonsense, so if I do it again during the Republican convention, I’m going to set some ground rules - not stronger ones, just any will do.

Live blog/chat begins at 9pm tonight. Join in the fun.

According to one of McCain’s former advisors, there are no people without health insurance in America because everyone has access to emergency rooms! (TPM reveals that McCain’s camp first denied the guy was an advisor, and when presented with evidence that they were lying, backtracked sorta). Hell, no better way to clear up a sinus infection or treat a bad flu than clogging up the ER, because they can’t refuse to treat you. What a brilliant suggestion.

But that’s not the best idiotic notion. This is:

“The next president of the United States should sign an executive order requiring the Census Bureau to cease and desist from describing any American – even illegal aliens – as uninsured. Instead, the bureau should categorize people according to the likely source of payment should they need care. So, there you have it. Voila! Problem solved.”

They not only don’t have a clue, they don’t really care.

Remember Tuesday night when Fracasso and I were at Channel 4 blogging the Clinton speech? I think maybe one person actually saw either of us on the teevee, so after the jump, (because the video auto-starts), you can see the raw video Channel 4 shot. B-roll until 2:30, at which point the audio kicks in. Read the rest of this entry »

The Senecas have halted construction on the Buffalo Creek Casino structure. The $300 million project is already well underway and the permanent structure was slated to open in 2010.

The Seneca Gaming Commission cites the slagging economy for leading to this decision, but some point to uncertainty with respect to the lawsuit that has been filed by certain citizens and groups seeking to shut the casino operation down altogether in Buffalo.

My only question is this. Will the casino remain on Mayor Brown’s master list of Buffalo projects that he trots out to rebut any and all negative press about the city?

I know personally that the addition of a Tim Horton’s to a B-Kwik on Seneca Street is what single-handedly convinces prospective developers that Buffalo is on the rise!

Bill & Biden speak tonight. This will go live at 9pm:

see more pwn and owned pictures

As seen on Transit in Clarence.

see more pwn and owned pictures

The Buffalo Spree’s annual best-of issue is out, and Jen14221 won best blog, quite deservedly so.

I did, however, get to participate in an “ask the expert” discussion and I talked about blogging, natch. Note the placement of the sign in the picture. K.C. and I had a good time with that.

In almost every major race locally, Republicans seldom hold a primary. Instead, the relevant party bosses get together and decide whom they will endorse and run, and any other potential challengers are cajoled and convince to step aside.

It makes for a cleaner summertime political season, but it’s not really giving Republican rank and file very much of a choice. So, for what it’s worth, when Republicans locally bemoan machine politics, keep in mind that they’ve got a machine that works quite well for them.

One notable exception this year is Volker’s seat. State Senator Dale Volker, a republican, is being challenged by several people this year, including David DiPietro, former mayor of East Aurora.

When DiPietro announced that he would run, the Republican machine came out with guns a-blazing to try and first convince, and then intimidate DiPietro into dropping out of the race. This all so that do-nothing Dale can go back to the Senate and do no-brainer, looks-good-on-lit shit like cracking down on sex predators.

Back in June, DiPietro took the unusual step of press releasing the threats he had received:

I recently let it be known that I would run for the Republican nomination for New York State Senate against Dale Volker. The Republican Chairman, Jim Domagalski, a Volker supporter, called me and said the campaign would be “nasty.” He was angry that I was running because he considered this seat to be his personal property after Volker retires. He asked repeatedly and pointedly, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

On June 3rd, at my opening campaign rally, a mysterious photographer appeared who wasn’t a member of the press and wasn’t to the best of my knowledge a supporter of my candidacy. Her photo–which can seen on the web at:

http://dipietro.apollo3.com/pictures/james1.jpg

–shows her aiming her camera at my supporters, not me. For legal purposes in these litigious times, we have modified the photo to prevent her from being identified.

The day after the rally, I was informed that a photo of one of my supporters and her daughter was being sent by email to various Republican officials. This woman was then personally threatened with political retaliation against her husband. Her husband was also threatened and warned not to support my candidacy. In this atmosphere of hardball tactics, I am not going to disclose the identity of my supporter or her husband.

It has also come to my attention that threats have been made to disrupt my business and my family if I continue this candidacy.

I do not allege that Chairman Domagalski was involved in these events. Rather, I am asking him and Senator Volker to join me in condemning these despicable and possibly illegal campaign tactics.

This is a critical campaign for the future of Western and Update New York. We are in the midst of 50 straight years of economic decline and population loss and general demoralization. Let Senator Volker defend his record of presiding over 35 straight years of decline. I will run on my record as a successful private sector businessman and budget-cutter as mayor of East Aurora.

Let the voters, not political thugs, decide this election.

It’s Dale Volker’s senate seat, for God’s sake. The Republicans are going to threaten people over it?

Two months later, there are more details available. DiPietro released this yesterday:

David DiPietro’s statement in response to charges against Volker staffer Harry Wahl

This morning, EastAurora.org published an investigative report by their editor Joe Logan which charges a member of Dale Volker’s Senate staff, Harry Wahl, with possible criminal misconduct.

The story alleges that Wahl made threats against me and my family and to David and Laura Gunner if the Gunners continued to support me for state senator.

Here is the link:

http://www.eastaurora.org/article.aspx?artno=831

The article reads in part:

“Gunner went on to detail more of the conversation. “He told my wife, ‘If you are friends with Theresa DiPietro you should start saving her moving boxes, because when I am done with her husband, she will be divorced. He will lose his house and his business.’ Then he told us he had the resources available to make it happen.”

Initially he thought it was a joke, but soon found out it was not. Who was the man that approached him? None other than Harry Wahl. Wahl is husband of Town of Aurora councilmember Kelly Wahl and an Aurora resident. He is also the Chief of Staff / Director of District Operations for State Senator Dale Volker according to his page on LinkedIn.

A prior report at NewWNYPolitics disclosed threats made by Republican Party Chair Jim Domagalski that the campaign would get “nasty” if DiPietro did not drop out of the race.

http://www.newwnypolitics.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=628&Itemid=1

These thug-like tactics are one of the reasons that most citizens refuse to run for office or even get involve in campaigns. This has to stop or we will never be able to reverse our half-century of decline in this region.

I call on Dale Volker to immediately fire Harry Wahl and to condemn the behavior of Jim Domagalski. If this kind of misconduct is allowed to continue, the Republicans will have little chance of retaining control of the state senate.

I am also calling on Majority Leader Dean Skelos to likewise condemn and repudiate these tactics.

And there’s a bit more from EastAurora.org:

Two days after this threat from Wahl, Gunner’s wife and four year old daughter attended DiPietro’s public announcement declaring his candidacy for the State Senate.

“You know, we almost did it out of spite. Here I am running for Highway Superintendent and some guy I don’t even know is telling me and my wife who we can and can’t support!”

Apparently someone from the party took pictures of Laura and their daughter at the DiPietro event and sent them to party leaders because only a few hours after the event he told us that Jann called him and told him ‘I warned you, you shouldn’t have been there… I’m looking at a picture of your wife at that rally right now. You were told not to go there.’ Later Ruffner called and told him ‘You’re done, you’re not gonna be on the ballot and we won’t sign your Wilson Pakula for what you’ve done,’ said Gunner. A Wilson Pakula needs to be signed by the head of the County Republican Party in order for a non Republican to get on the ballot. It is required. He also told Gunner that he wouldn’t give him petitions.

Ruffner told Laura that he got the pictures from Wahl and said he sent them to Jann. She was crying and yelled at him calling him a pervert for circulating pictures of a little girl on the Internet. “I demanded to know where he got them from and he said from Harry Wahl.”

This sort of thing is despicable; politics at its most base. I have no idea why the mainstream media haven’t picked up on this one, because it’s got everything - threats, politics, old men in the Senate, spies.

Naturally, because I think Volker is a joke, and because despise strong-arm tactics like those listed above, I wish DiPietro all the best.

At this point, I think we can all agree that the hottest drama in town is being staged about the Studio Arena, not in it.