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.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists recent newsletter, the antibiotic resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that has been an increasing problem in hospitals around the world is now infecting apparently healthy schoolkids outside of hospitals. This is a major development. Up until now anti-biotic resistance was only occasionally a problem outside of hospitals (so-called community-acquired" cases). This may be changing. According to the Centers for Disease Control, MRSA was responsible for almost 19,000 US deaths in 2005.

Another part of this development is also important. Evidence from Europe indicate that the community-acquired cases of MRSA are often associated with livestock operations. This is yet further evidence that the idiotic practice of pouring massive amounts of antibiotics into the feed of healthy animals is contributing to the public health risk of antibiotic resistant bacteria that treatens our children and people with a compromised immune system.

Tonight was the annual dinner of the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats (CBID), an organization my wife is an officer of. First off, let me say we missed the annual dinner of the club I am on the board of, the Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND), largely due to lack of time, money and a babysitter, and the fact that the IND dinner is much less convenient for us to get to. Generally I try to make it to both.

Joy and I arrived a bit late, so we missed some of the speeches. Yvette Clarke and Jerrold Nadler spoke before we made it. [CORRECTION: Nadler and Clarke were present for schmoozing purposes and did not give speeches]. Pity because they can both give a good speech and it would be interesting to have heard if either of them brought up impeachment, an issue dear to the club that Yvette and Jerrold disagree on.

Albany is the site of one of this nation's most dysfunctional state legislatures. It is well known for getting nothing done. This is one thing that cannot be completely blamed on the Republicans because Democrats like Shelly Silver are just as do-nothing as the Republicans. Winning the State Senate, and thus getting rid of the worst obstructionist, Joe Bruno, is a critical part of reforming Albany...and one I focus on at our NY State Act Blue Site, helping defend Andrea Stewart-Cousins' seat and supporting Jimmy Dahroug and Jim Gennaro in their State Senate bids. But there is more to reforming Albany than just electing more Democrats. We also have to defeat those Democrats who have become part of Albany dysfunction.

I am going on record as saying that my favorite NY newspaper is The Daily News. I read it I've never been too keen on Michael Goodwin. I am more of a EC Schipp kind of gal; although I also enjoy Michael Daly, Juan Gonzalez, Stanley Crouch, Errol Louis along with ... gasp! ... Gatecrasher. I mean, who doesn't love their gossip, right?

So Bob Fertik's email about boycotting New York City's newspaper of record came as a surprise. Here's what I got from Democrats.com :

The DSCC is sending out an email from Chuck Schumer expressing outrage over George Bush's latest abuse of power, the pardon of convicted perjurer and Bush-loyalist-with-stories-to-tell Scooter Libby.

I’m outraged. President [sic] Bush commuted Scooter Libby’s prison sentence wiping away two and half years of jail time with the stroke of a pen. President [sic] Bush ignored Libby’s felony conviction for lying to investigators, ignored the jury’s guilty verdict, and ignored the rule of law that governs our nation.

We expect more from our President [sic]. We expect honor and integrity, we expect moral leadership. We expect our President [sic] and his staff to be held to a higher standard.

Tell President [sic] Bush that you are appalled by his actions. Sign our petition today letting President [sic] Bush know that this outrageous conduct won’t be tolerated by the American people.

Sincerely,

Chuck Schumer