It seems that New York Governor David Paterson will announce today that he is appointing second term House member Kirsten Gillibrand to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate. No sooner had the news hit the wires than talk began about a revolt in the New York Democratic Party over Gillibrand’s blue dog credentials and support for 2nd Amendment rights. Representative Carolyn McCarthy of Long Island, a staunch supporter of gun-control laws, said in an interview Thursday that she would challenge...

It would seem that Caroline Kennedy has spared New York Governor a lot of political problems by removing herself from the equation. Who will replace Hillary Clinton now is still up in the air, but there may be some lessons to be taken from the Kenny heiress’ efforts to take the position. I examine some of these in my new column today at Pajamas Media. Caroline Kennedy: The Accidental Senator Who Wasn’t

The parties are mostly over and maintenance crews are cleaning up the streets in Washington. Since we gave the politicians and their supporters a brief break for frivolity, it’s only fair that we be allowed a few moments to observe some of the silliness surrounding the day’s events. Our first item comes from Amanda Carpenter over at Town Hall. For the record, I really like Amanda. We were just having some fun yesterday with her, in fact, during an interview on Ed Morrissey’s show....

While there are many dinners, balls and festivities to come, President Obama has been sworn into office and the White House Web page was quickly flipped over to the new administration’s needs. So many others have commented on the specifics of the new president’s speech and the surrounding activities that I will not dwell on it to excess. While Barack Obama wasn’t my first choice for president, (I was a Barr supporter) I will simply say that I thought the speech was beautifully written...

With apologies to the ladies, this story is primarily for the men. So, guys, if you’re in a relationship and your girlfriend indicates that she isn’t really all that satisfied with the, um… “physical aspect” of your union, the reason may be just what you already suspected. You don’t have a big enough… wallet. Money can’t buy you love – but it can lead to better sex, scientists say. A controversial study claims that a woman finds lovemaking more...

They were Hillary’s women, an estrogen fueled army which sought to put the first woman in the oval office. (That is to say, officially in office, rather than some nocturnal visitor bearing pizza or cigars.) They spurred the hopes of young girls everywhere while enraging huge swaths of their own party. They built the sisterhood of the traveling pant suits, very nearly succeeding in their goal, and when they fell short many swore they would vent their displeasure by putting John McCain in office....

I’m unsure whether it might be the bleak weather currently shrouding the Northeast or the fact that I watch far too much political news coverage, but this morning I’m finding myself exhausted by the emotional firestorm and soaring genuflection surrounding this Tuesday’s inaugural festivities. I get a similar sense from Bloomberg’s Hans Nichols in his article discussing how the big party is both inviting and straining comparisons to Abraham Lincoln. In ways big and small, Obama...

Following up on my earlier column, in which you learned to understand the basic concept of money, it is only natural that you would now wish to get a large supply of it for yourself. The problem facing many of you, of course, is that you haven’t the first hint of an idea where to begin. You might be laboring under the tired, old “conventional wisdom” which seeks to convince you that you either need to be born into a family with vast riches or you need to work hard your entire life,...

“Too many of us look upon Americans as dollar chasers. This is a cruel libel, even if it is reiterated thoughtlessly by the Americans themselves.” Albert Einstein As both the preceding quote and illustration would indicate, our thought experiment for the weekend shall involve the nature of money and man’s relationship to it. You are, as always, invited to explore this dark channel of human nature with us and share your reflective observations here. As we pace with great anticipation...

The local press here in the Empire State is reporting that Republicans are pushing to remove Governor David Paterson’s power to appoint a new senator for Hillary Clinton’s seat and force a special election for the position. Such a move would be perfectly legal under the U.S. Constitution but it will face some stiff opposition. Republicans in New York’s Legislature are pushing for a special election to fill the expected vacancy in the U.S. Senate instead of allowing Democratic Gov....

Many of you may be familiar with Tippi Hedren from her long and storied movie career, starting with her iconic role in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic horror film, The Birds. But you may be unaware that for the last 25 years she has also been heading up an important preservation project. Shambala is a sanctuary for big cats located north of Los Angeles. The Roar Foundation, founded in 1983 by Tippi Hedren, exists solely to support the Shambala Preserve. Our mission is to educate the public about...

Natalie Dylan is back in the news. The 22 year old student and aspiring Family and Marriage Counselor (!) had been seeking a way to pay for her Master’s Degree and decided to auction off her virginity to the highest bidder. The offers have now reached past $3.5M. Miss Dylan, from San Diego, California, USA, said she was persuaded to offer herself to the highest bidder after her sister Avia, 23, paid for her own degree after working as a prostitute for three weeks. She said she had had a lot...

As I’ve been predicting since the beginning, and in defiance of Harry Reid’s curious statements in the recent past, Roland Burris has cleared the last hurdles and will apparently be seated as the next U.S. Senator from Illinois later this week. WASHINGTON–Roland Burris won his battle to succeed Barack Obama as the junior senator from Illinois this afternoon as Senate Democratic leaders dropped their objections and said they expect him to be seated this week. The agreement came after...

Lately I’ve found it difficult to figure out precisely what might be motivating Harry Reid. You would think this would be a time for popping champagne corks and perhaps even some resting upon laurels. Sitting at the head of a newly enlarged Senate majority and with his party’s candidate poised to take the White House, things would seem to be fairly well under control for him. Still, as Sen. John Cornyn notes in this editorial, Reid can’t seem to get his tongue under control. But...

I found myself unloading a healthy dose of skepticism over the prospect of Joe Wurzelbacher taking on the role of Middle East war correspondent in my new column at Pajamas Media, “No-Joe. Wurzelbacher is not Edward R. Murrow.” I invite you to read and comment. For an opposing perspective, you are also encouraged to read the companion, contrasting piece by Bob Owens, “Pro-Joe: Plumber’s Trip to Israel Scares the Establishment Media.” As a bit of background – and...

Vandals and hatemongers never seem to go out of style. Such was the case again this week out in Chicago. Vandals spray-painted the words “Death to Israel’’ on two synagogues and a Jewish school early Saturday in three separate incidents police say could be linked and are being investigated as hate crimes. Moshe Perlstein, rabbi at Lubavitch Mesivta of Chicago, said cameras captured video of the men damaging his rabbinical school at 2756 W. Morse starting at around 4:40 a.m. The footage shows...

Rasmussen has released the results of a poll in New York pitting Democrat Caroline Kennedy against Republican Peter King in the 2010 special election to serve out the remainder of Hillary Clinton’s term in the Senate. For the moment, let us ignore the fact that the test question pits a person who has not yet been appointed to the seat against a Congressman who has not officially announced that he will even run for it. It still has a few useful tidbits of information which both parties will...

It’s been one of those days when I haven’t felt terribly inspired to write anything on politics for you, primarily because we’re dealing with a very serious medical issue regarding our basset hound. However, one story popped up over at Hot Air which took my mind off of things for a bit. Those of you who have been married, or know somebody who is married, understand that women can be hard to deal with, particularly if things go bad and you’re facing a divorce. Never has this...

Of the many complaints being registered regarding Rod Blagojevich’s Senate appointment (and, to a lesser extent, David Paterson’s upcoming choice in New York) perhaps one of the strangest showed up today in a New York Times guest editorial by Thomas Geoghegan. He wins points for originality, to be sure, by not arguing against the “taint” of the embattled governor or the specific selection of Mr. Burris, but rather claiming that any such gubernatorial appointments are illegal...

Depending on the final decision pending from New York Governor David Paterson regarding Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat, this could turn into a very interesting story. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn met today with Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), and intends on supporting him as the congressman strongly considers a run for the Senate in New York. “Senator Cornyn believes Peter King would be a very formidable candidate. He believes the seat could be in play, and is prepared...

The International Herald Tribune might be trying a bit too hard in the old watchdog department today as they “uncover” a connection between Hillary Clinton and one of the donors to Bill Clinton’s foundation. This one takes place nearly in my back yard, so I’ve gotten to watch some of the history here. A developer in New York state donated $100,000 to former President Bill Clinton’s foundation in November 2004, around the same time that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton...

Watching Morning Joe today, Scarborough’s guest came up with the perfect description of exactly how bad Roland Burris’ arrival in Washington will be for Harry Reid and the United States Senate. No matter how many times Reid and his colleagues insist that this isn’t about Burris, no matter how often they chatter on about how it is the process and the Governor that are the problem, no matter how frequently they insist that they hold no malice toward Burris but they are protecting...

“Since ancient times, almanackers sought the future from the stars and from animal entrails, forecasting the weather, the tides and the phases of the moon. This was valuable work, of course, but really only useful to farmers and sailors and werewolves.” John Hodgeman The Areas of My Expertise If you would like a fun, light read to start off your new year, pick up a copy of this book. Hodgeman is a clever comedian and an excellent writer.

If you’ve come here for a lucid explanation of why Israel must be supported and defended at all costs, you would do well to stop reading now. If you’re seeking a lengthy, breathless diatribe on how “we are all Palestinians now” then stop reading immediately. Should you, however, be in the mood for some dark, sisyphian introspection on Israel’s expanded ground war into the Gaza strip, read on. I’ve watched the coverage of the latest incarnation of the Middle East troubles over the last...

We shall file this one under the already crowded, “Careful what you wish for” category. CQ Politics reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pondering some rule changes designed to make it harder for the Republican minority to slow down the Democratic majority’s efforts to push through new legislation. An early partisan skirmish is likely in the House next week, when Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to move a rules package that would curb the GOP’s ability to derail legislation...