(Note: Cross-posted from my website.)

In show business a standard phrase is, “Timing is everything.” The same goes for many other fields, including politics. The timing on Mayor Bloomberg’s quest for a third term must be questioned, because it is so easily questionable.

It may be considered merely convenient that the financial meltdown that led to all the speculation of a third Bloomberg term occurred when it did. But the meltdown didn’t happen overnight, and speculation has built for months – even years. The convenience of the timing is clearly not coincidental, but the result of careful planning.

How is the timing convenient? It is too late to put a referendum on the ballot for this year’s general election, when most New Yorkers will go to the polls. Waiting until next November would be too late for this mayor. Setting up a special election is possible under New York law, but it would be expensive, and the activists who are far more likely to vote, and far more likely to vote against the mayor’s proposal, might just have enough to defeat the proposal.

(Note: Once again, cross-posted on my website)

March 4, 1801 was one of the greatest days in American history.

After serving four years, President John Adams had been defeated in his attempt at reelection - defeated by Thomas Jefferson, Adams' political enemy. The campaign was probably the most vicious, brutal and disgusting this country has ever seen. By contrast, Karl Rove's worst tactics still render him a pantywaist. Certainly, Adams had no desire to turn the keys to the Executive Mansion over to someone as venomous and hateful (to Adams) as Jefferson.

But on March 4, 1801, as Adams' term of office ended, he left town. Adams gave way to the still fairly new "American way" of doing things.

Today, Michael Bloomberg faces the end of his two-term limit, just over a year away. But instead of following the shining example of John Adams, Mayor Bloomberg has decided to change the law so that he can run again.

Bruce Springsteen rocking for Obama at a Voter Registration Rally in Philadelphia:

(Picture and video thanks to Daily Kos)

(Note: This is cross-posted on my website.)

During the several centuries of the Roman Republic, their constitution allowed for the occasional appointment of a Dictator, or Magister Populi ("Master of the People"). Dictators were appointed by one of two Consuls, who served together for a single one-year term. In times of emergency, when it was believed that a single person should be in charge, a Consul could appoint someone as Dictator for a single six-month term.

The first Dictator was Titus Larcius Flavus, appointed in 501 BCE. Over the next three centuries, dozens of Dictators were appointed, served their six-month terms, and then stepped down. After the Dictatorship of Gaius Servilius Geminus in 202 BCE, the practice fell out of favor for 120 years.

Then, in 82 BCE, Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix, known as Sulla, got himself appointed Dictator. This time, however, he didn't step down after six months, but extended his term. This marked the beginning of the end of the Roman Republic.

From the flyer:

The People Have Spoken Coalition

Join Us

Biodiesel is one of the most intriguing of those new possibilities...crops of soybeans and rapeseed and maybe even algae, grown by present day farmers, processed into a diesel fuel substitute that works just fine in modern Volkswagons and Mack trucks and school buses--even in the oil-burning furnace down in the basement. It is potentially a truely sweet solution, offering a new market for hard-pressed local farmers even as it begins to help solve some of our most pressing environmental problems. Greg Pahl's book...manages to raise the right questions (and raise them early enough) so that we can perhaps build a structure for this developing industry that serves local farmers and processors instead of simply corporate agribusiness giants.

--Bill McKibben in the Forward to Greg Pahl's Biodiesel

Biodiesel has been getting a bad name because of the potential for competition with food production. It has always struck me that some of the loudest voices criticizing biodiesel has come from the oil, coal and nuke lobbies. But it did seem like competition with food production may be a critical problem with biodiesel.

It's crunch time. One month until the election and your help is still appreciated for voter outreach in Pennsylvania. From a fellow Independent Neighborhood Democrats member:

Please join me Saturday, October 4th for a day of canvassing Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley. It is here that the battle for Pennsylvania will be decided, where it is literally being fought house by house, door by door.

In this Thursday night's Vice Presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin, we will hear A LOT from Sarah Palin. It is up to us, through our hard work, to see that after November 4th we will see THE LAST of Sarah Palin. I never thought we'd have a Republican Vice Presidential nominee who scared me more than Dick Cheney, or embarrassed me more than Dan Quayle. But the world recently is full of surprises. From the stunning collapse of our global economic system to the high-jacking of the Justice Department by neoconservatives and religious zealots, the time for enjoying the comforts of home and hearth must wait. We have work to do in Pennsylvania, and October 4th is time again to "Get on the Bus."

(Note: This is cross-posted from my website).

In light of the current economic difficulties, Mayor Bloomberg has proposed extending term limits so that he can keep his job past the end date set by voters. He should be ashamed of himself. Christine Quinn, the Speaker of the City Council, appears to be supporting this effort; she should be ashamed too.

Mayor Bloomberg is known for not making definite statements until he's ready to do so. It is difficult, therefore, to pin him down on opposing an extension of term limits. For example, he has been reported as saying that he doesn't remember how he voted on the two term limits referenda in the 90s.* In that same article, he was directly quoted as saying that he "always thought term limits were a good idea," but also that, "You can debate how many terms that should be."

The Iowa Independent hit the nail on the head when it comes to the Biden/Palin debate:

Palin’s forced folksiness falls flat in VP debate
By Douglas Burns 10/3/08 12:53 AM

For her part, GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin – speaking with the programmed cadence of a GPS navigation system — used forced folksiness to deliver crammed material in the manner of a high schooler looking to score a good grade on a Spanish test. The kid may escape with a B-minus, but he wouldn’t be able to order a cup of coffee in Spain a week later...

With weird winks and homespunisms, Palin worked in several “you betchas” and “darn rights” and even a “shout out” to family in an effort to appeal to just folks.

As a small-town Iowan I didn’t find it genuine at all. She actually talked down to us, figuring that references to hockey moms and the hacknayed phrase “Joe Six Pack” and her self-application of the word “maverick” would hold more sway with than a discussion of the issues...

Apparently, Mayor (or should that be "dictator"?) Bloomberg's plan to extend term limits would only apply to him, and his current cronies. This according to the NY Times.

In addition, he vetoed the 2002 bill that extended term limits (LA Times story), saying that "the proposed law was wrong because elected officials shouldn't be changing rules to benefit themselves politically."

And he apparently has some lap dogs at the NY Times editorial board.

I thought this image was appropriate.