From A Message from Lady Gaga to the Senate:

You know what's the difference between "queer loving" celebrities and Lady Gaga. When Lady Gaga says, "I love the gays" it doesn't mean, "I love the gays' MONEY". She does put herself out there as a crusader for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people; regardless of social economic or, for that matter, citizenship status.

This is an amazing piece of activism. Well thought out, well articulated and beautifully written. And wait until you see what happens when she calls the offices of Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. A disgrace that proves the point of why it is important to lay responsibility for this piece of legislation on the shoulder of all US Senators, especially those who pay lip service to queer politics but don't pick up the phone.  read more »

From The Washington Times :

An analysis conducted by the Center for Responsive Politics found that Madoff and his wife, Ruth, gave the bulk of their campaign contributions to Democrats. The couple donated $238,200 to federal candidates, parties and committees since 1991, and Democrats received 88 percent of those donations.

Madoff gave $11,400 to nine Republicans in the same time period. None of them is in office now. Former Rep. Jack Fields of Texas received the most - $5,000. Other recipients included former Sen. Alfonse D´Amato of New York, former Rep. Vito Fossella of New York and former Rep. Michael Oxley of Ohio.

And people wonder why one of the truisms of a progressive blogger is that mainstream media has always tilted to the right if not to the hard-right.  read more »

From AIG bonus checks may be taxed at up to 100%, says Sen. Chuck Schumer:

"They should voluntarily return them. If they don't, we plan to tax virtually all of it," New York Sen. Chuck Schumer declared on the Senate floor.

"To those of you getting these bonuses: be forewarned, you will not be getting to keep them."

Cuomo, in a letter to Congress, said he had learned that 11 AIG executives who got retention bonuses of over $1 million no longer even work there.

In total, Cuomo said, the top 10 bonus recipients at AIG shared a combined $22 million, 73 got more than $1 million and the most handsomely paid got a whopping $6.4 million.

Schumer called it "Alice in Wonderland business practices" to give bonuses to executives at a firm that lost nearly $100 billion last year and had to be rescued with $170 billion in taxpayer money.

"It boggles the mind," he said.

Isn't Schumer adorable when he gets all outraged?

So answer me this, because I feel like am missing something here : Where was he when TARP was being written up? What exactly did he do to ensure that the books of these financial institutions saw the day light and came under the scrutiny needed to prevent this kind of chicanery?

And for that matter, where was he along with the whole NY State Congressional delegation all these years? What were they doing to make sure Wall Street was accountable for their gains in good times and in bad?

This is not a rhetorical question. You guys know more about the trappings of the NY politicosphere way more than I do. Was he really a crusader?  read more »

Via an email release*, U.S. Senaor Chuck Schumer and Senate candidate Dan Squadron campaigning today in a senior center on the Lower East Side.

Cue the chorus of aggrieved, well-run-campaign-resenting lefties and various reactionary blog monkeys about what a bad person Chuck Schumer is, blah blah blabbity blah.

*Want your stuff published, campaigns? Try sending an email occasionally.

Ben has a new McCan't campaign spot up, and it's hilarious.

Senator Charles Schumer makes a brief cameo appearance, with the phrases 'Ready to Tax' and 'Ready to Spend' flashing on the screen along with his headshot.

Of course, during the Bush administration, federal spending increased more than under Carter and Clinton, as per - drumroll, please - the Cato Institute.