Year: 2007

AP has reported the following:

“President Bush commuted the sentence of former aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby Monday, sparing him from a 2 1/2-year prison term in the CIA leak case. Bush left intact a $250,000 fine and two years probation for Libby, according to a senior White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced.”

Watch the Republican Prez candidates back away even further from the Bush Administration.

PAD

UPDATED 7-3: THIS JUST IN…It has been announced that Scooter Libby will indeed go to jail since, as it turned out, Bush commuted the sentence in error: He thought he was guaranteeing no jail time for Phil Rizzuto.

UPDATED 7-4: Well, I have to admit, I underestimated the GOP candidates. Thus far, to my knowledge, they’ve lined up behind Bush. In fact, amazingly, they’re even managing to blame Bill Clinton. “Hey, Clinton pardoned people who the public thought shouldn’t have been, so why shouldn’t Bush?” The obvious answer is that because Bush set himself up as being morally superior to Clinton.

It seems that the GOP candidates are simply without shame. Or perhaps they want to preserve the option of extending clemency to their own people when they commit crimes.

PAD

Katherine Keller, editor of “Sequential Tart,” has asked me to post the following challenge:

“If I get 40 emails (kadymae at operamail dot com) with a proof
of a donation of at least $25 to the CBLDF since 6/10, I will
personally hand Charles Brownstein a cheque for $1000 at San
Diego.

I’ve got 30 people so far, as well as an amazing co-offer. A
gentleman by the name of Carl Rigney has offered to match my
$1000 if I get the 40 emails.”

She has ten more to go. It’d be cool if the remaining ten came from readers of this blog.

PAD

The conclusion of the X-Cell storyline. Whad’ja think?

PAD

Hey Paul (like we’ve met, right?), I see you’re getting hammered in the media lately. On Thursday, pressed for comments about your blow-up with the umpire,you said to reporters, “You need to start talking to other players….Some of these guys have to start talking. They speak English, believe me.” The result was that “Daily News” reporter Peter Botte began his story with “Paul Lo Duca announced…that some of his Spanish-speaking teammates need to be held more accountable by the media.” The article made you sound like a racist. Exasperated, you said the next day, “Right now I’m a gambler, a racist, and I like 18-year-old girls. That’s the perception of people in New York about me. Is any of it true? No. None of it. Yet no one knows that.”

Paul, as the self-appointed representative of people in New York, I’m here to say in this letter that you will likely never read that the people of New York are able to perceive shoddy journalism and passionate players when they see them.

Continue Reading “Open Letter to Mets Catcher Paul Lo Duca” →

I met Joel Siegel, the perpetually chipper TV movie critic, a few years ago during New York is Book Country. We were both going through a similar fatherhood experience, being fathers of youngsters at a much later point in life than we would have expected–he with his son, Dylan, and me naturally with Caroline. He, however, had written a book about it, “Lessons for Dylan.” I bought a copy of his book from him, he signed it for me, wishing me “Mazel Tov” on the birth of Caroline, and we also chatted for a few minutes over how “Casablanca” may well be the greatest movie ever made.

What a nice guy.

I just read he passed away from colon cancer at the age of 63.

That sucks.

PAD

Above is the cover to my latest novel. Those of you who have read it should feel free to use this space for coments.

Also, you guys can help me out with something: I’d like to know whose local bookstores are carrying it and, more particularly, not carrying it. I’m trying to get a feel for what sort of market penetration it’s gotten. So even if you’re not buying it, let me know if it is now, or ever has been, on your local shelves.

PAD