Oh, choices. The Village Voice on the Bronx Gonzales-Espada primary:

When last in the senate, Espada picked up his chair and went and sat with the Republicans. His reward from then–GOP majority leader Joe Bruno was some $745,000 in member-item grants he was allowed to dole out to recipients of his choice. (Espada found the perfect home for the money: his own Soundview health-care centers. He was later forced to withdraw the gifts after the Times reported them.)

The Daily Politics on the SD-21 primary in Brooklyn:

[State Senator Kevin] Parker insisted he's not concerned. He accused [primary opponent Simcha] Felder of being a Republican plant.

"Simcha Felder has no interest in being in the state Senate," Parker said. "There was no way he decided to do this all by himself."

Before casting their votes on Tuesday, voters should inquire as to whether the "Democrat" on the ballot will work to pass a Democratic agenda if elected. or sell himself out to Dean Skelos. With Espada, Felder and Kendall Stewart, there's reason to doubt whether they'll vote with their professed party, or prolong the Albany stalemate between a republican Senate and a Democratic Assembly by switching sides.

Let’s start with a couple congressional races first. In the 13th Congressional (Staten Island/ Brooklyn) I am going to endorse Steve Harrison. I feel strongly that he is much more progressive a candidate than NYC councilman Michael McMahon; the current climate calls for one. Plus, I feel that McMahon will vote to prolong the Iraq War, and that’s the last thing we need from a member of the New York City delegation (or any delegation for that matter). I could only hope that the winner of this primary moves on to win this seat from the currently repugnant Republicans in November. Given Vito Fossella’s recent fall from grace, it should be easy pickings for Dems here. Truth be told: I expect McMahon to win this primary; but I can’t endorse him over Harrison.

In the 10th congressional, I emphatically endorse the re-election of Congressman Ed Towns. I have written extensively on this race over this past summer. All I will say now is that his opponent (Kevin Powell) is an apology for a congressional candidate. He has probably run the worse campaign in this district since Frank Seddio (1992) and Roger Green (2006). He flattered to deceive (again). Towns will win with relative ease.

As usual I focus on Brooklyn; and I do apologize to all my non-Brooklyn fans from the Denver convention. Truth be told: Brooklyn has been my stomping grounds for the past 35 years. Let’s start with a senate race in the 21st district. Another Kevin is going down. It is Kevin Parker. And I will take bets if Charles Hynes turns a blind eye/lol. This poster child for bad-behavior (Parker) ran the worst campaign of his three term tenure -this time around. I have no idea why. Maybe he intends to comeback for the city council seat (45) next year. The truth is that race already has twenty potential runners. Or maybe he thinks he can win in November on the line of the Working Families Party (WFP). To that, I can only say: no way, Jose. I am going to endorse the winner of this primary, the very next day. Watch.

Today, I have to endorse Kendall Stewart here. He was the only district leader to endorse me when I ran for the state assembly ten years ago; I will reciprocate (again) right here and now. Kendall ran a spirited race here, and my heart is with him all the way. He put his posters on MTA buses (like Uncle Roy Antoine did in 2005), and he never stopped trying to win this race -despite recent setbacks. My head (however) tells me that Simcha Felder will win this race. Simcha has run a tremendous race on all levels. He has a crack operative in Phil Goldfeder (campaign manager) running things. Don’t be surprised if this kid (Phil) is ranked amongst the top political operatives in New York within the next five years or so. A whole lot of people have come around to my original view that both black candidates will split up the black vote; thus giving Felder the breaks he needs to get the victory. If Felder wins he will be fine for this heavily Caribbean-American district. I also expect him to caucus with democrats in the senate.

There are two hotly contested primaries happening this Tuesday in our fair City's core, both of which feature young, Progressive reformers going up against well-established incumbents. In one case, we have Paul Newell and Luke Henry taking on Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, in what Errol Louis called the most important race in this state; in the other, former Senate Minority Leader Marty Connor is in the fight of his life against Progressive challenger Daniel Squadron.

Here's a map: light blue is the 64th AD, red, the 25th Senate District.

The Working Families Party has taken positions in both races. In the SD-25 race, they're backing Dan Squadron, saying:

"This district is in need of a State Senator who will champion responsible development and shake things up in Albany. Daniel Squadron has a proven record of fighting for change," said Rocky Chin a member of the Chinatown/Lower East Side Club of the Working Families Party.

In the AD-64 race, by contrast, WFP stuck with Silver, arguing:

I know that some of my fans on these here blogs will take umbrage with my choice of words for the title of this piece; let me apologize in advance. It is not meant to disrespect anyone. It is simply meant to highlight in plain and unambiguous language (at least on the streets of the hoods I peregrinate), a problem that not too many want to touch; an issue that few seem to care about: the double standard of justice that permeates the courts of this land. It is meant to shock a few more complacent people into reading this and commenting. Bon appetit!

[Ed. note: the original title, which contained a pejorative against females, has been altered. We don't have a lot of standards, but this is one of them.]

Let me preface this column by saying that I am in no way condoning or exonerating anyone in this article, especially those whose womanizing ways have caused pain to others; worse yet those who were married during their escapades. Their questionable proclivities must be condemned by me and others; and rightly so. The damage(s) caused by the actions of many in this column, have long lasting effects on families, friends, relatives, and also society at large.

About a dozen years ago or so, then president Bill Clinton, made a young White House intern (Monica Lewinsky) practice flute-blowing on his most private part. When he was caught with his pants down (so to speak) he lied to the American public in prime time and on mainstream media. At the point of this revelation, Bill Clinton was also embroiled in a court case, whereby he was being sued for sexual harassment by a government employee of the state of Arkansas (Paula Jones). The event in contention happened while Clinton was governor of that state, many years before becoming the president of the USA.

No one can say that Monica Lewinsky would have been credible against a lying president, if one of her friends hadn’t made her secure a blue dress, on which the former president’s semen stains were extractable -given contemporary technological advances relative to DNA. Ponder this for a moment before you read on.

From The New York Times:

Mitt Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, denounced the “Eastern elites” that he said dominated the television broadcasts and editorial pages.

It would be worthwhile for the Times to have extended their characterization of Romney just a bit further to make clear what a bald-faced hypocrite he really is. Mitt Romney is, indeed, a former governor of Massachusetts; his father was the governor of Michigan. Romney Junior was given his first name, Willard, after his father's best friend, J. Willard Marriott, of the hotel chain Marriotts.

Willard Romney proceeded to graduate from an exclusive private school, received a ministerial deferment from the draft, and went off to France for thirty months as a missionary - not Angola, not Paraguay, France. On his return, he graduated from both Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School.

His business career took place mainly at Bain and Company, the most white-shoe of consulting firms. Romney went on to co-found Bain Capital, a subsidiary that made money primarily via leveraged buyouts.

It really doesn't get more elite than that. What's startling here isn't just the absence of coverage of what is arguably an important qualifier to a speech given on live national television, it's this: how dumb are republicans that they wouldn't notice being played for fools?

Mitt Romney is the Eastern Establishment. That he could get away with his attack lines says everything you need to know about the credulity of republicans.

Congressional Quarterly quotes Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) calling the Obamas "uppity."

Spread the word.

Wednesday: Sarah Palin speaks to a newly invigorated rightwing fringe base and promises to reignite the culture wars.

Thursday: the stock market tanks, losing 300 points and wiping out hundreds of billions of dollars in value.

Coincidence? Or a sign that God doesn't like McCain/Palin?

We report, you decide.

Go say hello to Markos Moulitsas tonight. He's in town promoting his new book, Taking on the System.

September 04, 2008
7:00 PM

Barnes & Noble Booksellers
Court Street
106 Court St (between Schermerhorn and State Sts)
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
Subway: A, C, F to Jay St-Borough Hall; M, R to Court St; 2, 3, 4, 5 to Borough Hall

Then there's a McCain speech watching party at the Tank :
Special Guest Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, founder of Daily Kos, will be on hand to comment on the GOP nominee's address (and sign his new book "Taking on the System") - and drinks will be on hand to help wash McCain's speech down...as Drinking Liberally offers a drinking game to toast the end of Convention fever.

87 Lafayette Street at the corner of White Street
Subway: A, C, E, J, M, Z, N, Q, R, W, Z, or 6 to Canal Street

(h/t Albany Project)

As we pointed out yesterday, the Bronx Supreme Court dismissed a suit brought against Governor Paterson's executive order mandating that state agencies recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages.

That suit was brought by several respondents, including republican Senator Serph Maltese and the Alliance Defense Fund.

One of the founders of the Fund is James Dobson, founder of the national organization Focus on the Family, an extremist rightwing group.

It's hard to imagine a figure moe at odds with our values here in New York than James Dobson. He believes that men and women are inherently unequal, and that women should not work outside the home if they have minor children.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has accused Dobson of inciting violence against gays and lesbians.

Per his book, Dare to Discipline, he believes that children should be beaten regularly.

"It is not necessary to beat the child into submission; a little bit of pain goes a long way for a young child. However, the spanking should be of sufficient magnitude to cause the child to cry genuinely."

Slate.com described him in 2005 as the most powerful leader of the religious right and credited him with delivering Ohio and Florida to George Bush.

It might be worthwhile for the media to ask Maltese whether he shares Dobson's views, in especially given that Maltese is the prime sponsor in this state of extremist rightwing legislation.

While Mayor of Wasilla:
The budget grew by 40% in 7 years -- after adjusting for inflation.
She raised taxes to build a stadium.
When she became mayor, the city had no long-term debt; she left behind $19 million in debt.
She hired a lobbyist to bring in federal earmarks -- that lobbyist, Steven Silver, was a former chief of staff to Ted Stevens.
Among pork that McCain has found "objectionable": A 2001 earmark of $500,000 for a public transportation project in Wasilla; $450,000 for an agricultural processing facility in Wasilla in 2002; In 2002, $1 million for an "emergency communications center" in Wasilla that local law enforcement said was redundant and confusing.

As Governor: