February 2, 2004

Hi There

Friday night I got together with the band formerly known as the Bronx D.A's office.
   
    Kim and Nisha are both working at the US Attorney's office now, but in my heart they'll always be the
crew from the Bronx. Anyway Mary, Ed and I joined Kim, Nisha, Dave, Adam, Cindy and her boyfriend
Bill, for drinks and apps at Barrow Street Ale House. It was the second time in 2 months I've been to one
of our favorite downtown haunts after having not been there in years.
    The thing that struck me was that it was fairly crowded until 9 o'clock or so, then it was practically
empty before it finally started to fill up again. I had never seen it so empty. It was strange. Maybe
because classes hadn't started yet or it was too cold, or who knows.
    But it was fun nonetheless. And it ended fairly early so that Saturday wasn't a total washout.
   
                                        PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2004
    One thing that never ceases to blow my mind is the amount of money these politicians spend on their
campaigns. Earlier this week, I read somewhere that Howard Dean had collected 40 million dollars in
campaign contributions, only to blow all but 4 million of it in Iowa and New Hampshire. Now, he's
reorganized his staff and asked his workers to wait on their paychecks for 2 weeks. Blowing through 36
million clams in two weeks sounds like something George Steinbrenner might do.
      I liked John McCain the last time because he was a Vietnam vet who seemed willing to buck his party
if need be. I felt that his mistake was that he focused on one issue that didn't resonate with the common
voter, Campaign Finance Reform.
     But I hear stories like the one above and how John Kerry needed to raise a few million to compete in
Tuesday's 7 state showdown, and I begin to realize that McCain had a point there too. President Bush
already has 140 Million to play with and that will only get bigger. That is an insane amount of money.
With thousands still out of work, and the economy still puttering along, who the hell wants to hear a
candidate complain that he needs to raise several million dollars?
    Tuesday night, South Carolina, Arizona, Missouri, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Delaware and New Mexico
are all holding primaries. According to MSNBC/Reuters tracking poll, John Kerry is leading in Missouri
and Arizona, and is tied with John Edwards in South Carolina.
    South Carolina is very interesting. For one thing, it's the first primary of the "deep South" and for
another, in many polls, Patti-Ann's favorite candidate, the Rev Al Sharpton is in third place there, trailing
Kerry and Edwards. It doesn't mean much, but a third place finish for him is huge.

The Super Bowl

   I didn't see much of the game, and avid readers know how I feel about the result. All I want to know is,
what the hell happened to Carolina's defense? Don't give me any baloney about Tom Brady. Marsha
Brady could have driven the ball downfield against that secondary. Twice on that last drive, the Patriots
receiver was wide open. What kind of crunch time D is that?
    So know Bill Belicheck, Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel will bypass, Canton and the Smithsonian and
go right to canonization. Two Super Bowls does not change the fact that the three of them are lying
dirtbags.

 Happy Birthday DJ Timmy Tubbs (Friday)
The rest of you, have a great week.
Wild B.