Lenihan’s job is to help select the best possible Democratic candidates to run for office.

He chose Jon Powers, a new face easily controlled by party bosses, to run for Congress.  If Lenihan wants Powers to win he must remove Powers’ two closest image makers and advisers. 

I have now heard Jon Powers speak at three various functions his answers are robotic.  His image is plastic and I’m wondering if he will break when tough times and questions come his way.

Powers’ advisers seem to be shielding him from the public for fear the public will recognize the real Jon Powers has transformed into a cardboard candidate.  At this point he is a charming, lost, non-thinking robot waiting to be told what to say and do.

They are attempting to do a job which is turning Powers into a Kennedy type of politician.  They will fail because Powers is a light weight who really doesn’t deserve to run for Congress.  Lenihan has been forced to choose Powers.

I feel if Powers stays with his advisers he will go down taking Lenihan with him.  This process of creating a man for the office and keeping him away from the public was last used successfully with President Warren Harding, the most crooked President America ever elected.

James Tricoli

On The View this morning Joy Behar offered that perhaps the Republicans were paying Rev. Wright to create all this distraction for the Obama campaign.  Could there be a seed of truth in that comic moment?

“Senator Barack Obama broke forcefully on Tuesday with his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., in an effort to curtail a drama of race, values, patriotism and betrayal that has enveloped his presidential candidacy at a critical juncture.”

“At a news conference here, Mr. Obama denounced remarks Mr. Wright made in a series of televised appearances over the last several days.”
[read whole story]

The domino effect continues on.  Farmers began selling their crops to factories to create new fuel sources.  The shortage of crops lead to people not getting the food they are used to.  The newest wrinkle is fertilizer.  There is a shortage of fertilizer and farmers around the world are scrambling to find new sources where ever they can.

“Just a few decades ago, crop yields here were far lower and diets much worse.”

“Then the widespread use of inexpensive chemical fertilizer, coupled with market reforms, helped power an agricultural explosion here that had already occurred in other parts of the world. Yields of rice and corn rose, and diets grew richer.”
[read whole story]

Congressmembers Higgins, Reynolds, and Slaughter learn that disabled soldier Jamie Raymond’s case will be reviewed

Congressmembers Brian Higgins (NY-27), Tom Reynolds (NY-26), and Louise Slaughter (NY-28) today learned that military orders calling disabled veteran U.S. Army Specialist James Raymond back to active duty will be postponed pending review of Raymond’s appeal to the U.S. Army Human Resources command. Higgins, Reynolds and Slaughter wrote to the Army Human Resources on April 18, 2008, asking that the Army delay Raymond’s reporting deadline until after he completes the semester at the University at Buffalo, where he is enrolled as a student.  The action taken today by the Army will allow SPC Raymond to complete the semester, delaying Raymond’s deployment for 1-3 months pending consideration of his appeal.   

“This is an important step in the consideration of SPC Raymond’s individual circumstances affecting his ability to safely return to military duty,” Higgins said. “I am encouraged that the Army’s actions will, at a bare minimum, allow for SPC Raymond to complete his semester at the University of Buffalo.” 

“This is good news and I am pleased to see that common sense has prevailed,” said Representative Thomas M. Reynolds.  ”In light of this decision, SPC Raymond will be able to complete his semester at the University of Buffalo.  I am hopeful that the Army will continue to review SPC Raymond’s appeal.”   

“I am pleased that the Army responded to our request and agreed to postpone Specialist James Raymond’s return to active duty,” said Rep. Slaughter.  “Even upon their return home, our brave service members are forced to put their lives on hold as they face repeated redeployments to sustain our overstretched military. America’s men and women in uniform deserve every consideration before they are returned to duty, especially if they have already been wounded in combat.” 

SPC Raymond, who served in Afghanistan, was honorably discharged four years ago after suffering a knee injury that required surgery.  During that same tour, SPC Raymond also lost complete hearing in one ear, injuries which earned him a ten percent disability rating by the Veterans Administration.  Congressmembers Brian Higgins, Louise Slaughter, and Tom Reynolds issued a joint letter to the Department of Defense urging an immediate postponement of existing orders which will allow for SPC Raymond to complete his courses at the University at Buffalo, and sincere considerations of what they believe will be a strong appeal by SPC Raymond against future activation.

April 29th, 2008 News 3 Comments

Talk about finding out about something too late.

Today - April 29th - is Albany “Reform Day”. Citizens from across the state will be converging on Albany to promote the following agenda:

Enough… of rules that concentrate Albany’s power in the hands of only three men.

Enough… of sham ethics investigations conducted by partisan boards.

Enough… of campaign finance rules that allow incumbents to scare off high-quality, first-time candidates.

Enough… of district lines drawn by a majority party, with nothing in mind but the preservation of that majority.

Enough… of campaign funds subsidizing the personal lives of elected officials.

I don’t care if you’re a Goldwater conservative or a Kennedy liberal, that’s the kind of Albany reform just about everyone can agree on. (Everyone, that is, who isn’t on Albany’s payroll).

Today is the 29th, and today is the first I’ve heard of this via this post at the Albany Project. People are even being bused to Albany:

Buses will leave from Binghamton, Ithaca, Kingston, Long Island, New York City, Oneonta, Rochester, and Westchester.

That’s correct. A bus is not leaving from the second-largest city in the state.

You know, if I had known about this I would have promoted the bloody hell out of it, and tried to organize a Buffalo contingent to go along. Western New York is in a world of hurt due to the mismanagement and dysfunction of state government, and it’d be important that we join in this effort.

Oh, well. Maybe next time.

April 29th, 2008 News

Um, hi.

Look - I was never that athletic in high school. I’m sure that comes as a jaw-dropping shock to you all. I participated in some junior varsity sports, and otherwise just did what the state required me to do in phys ed. That’s about it.

A lack of interest, speed, and coordination kept me out of sports.

I’ll tell you one thing I know for sure. No one on the varsity teams at my high school was ever sodomized as an initiation rite.

On the Wilson, NY baseball team, however, that’s exactly what happened.

Now, let’s look at the Buffalo News article through a lawyer’s lenses.

Varsity coach Tom Baia and junior varsity coach Bill Atlas were among at least three adults and about 30 students aboard a bus April 17 that was headed from a pair of baseball games in Niagara Falls back to Wilson when some of the varsity players took some of the JV players to the back of the bus, state police said.

At least two of the younger players were sexually abused when teasing turned into hazing and then spun out of control, troopers said during a Monday afternoon news conference.

Initially, the students were “subjected to physical abuse involving slapping, punching and kicking,” but then things “progressed to a level that rose to criminal activity,” said State Police Major Christopher L. Cummings.

Stop right there. Hold that thought. Now read on:

Three varsity baseball team members were arraigned Friday in Town Court on felony counts of third-degree aggravated sexual abuse and misdemeanor charges of endangering the welfare of a child. One of the players was charged with two counts of sex abuse.

The sex-abuse charges involve crimes in which an object is forcibly inserted into another person, according to troopers, who declined to elaborate on that aspect of the Wilson case.

According to the New York Penal Law,

120.00 Assault in the third degree

A person is guilty of assault in the third degree when:

1. With intent to cause physical injury to another person, he causes such injury to such person or to a third person; or

2. He recklessly causes physical injury to another person; or

3. With criminal negligence, he causes physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument.

Assault in the third degree is a class A misdemeanor.

The “slapping, punching, and kicking,” was in itself “criminal activity”.

Hopefully, the perpetrators of this senseless crime will be charged with:

Section 130.70 Aggravated sexual abuse in the first degree

1. A person is guilty of aggravated sexual abuse in the first degree when he inserts a foreign object in the vagina, urethra, penis or rectum of another person causing physical injury to such person:

(a) By forcible compulsion; or

(b) When the other person is incapable of consent by reason of being physically helpless; or

(c) When the other person is less than eleven years old.

2. Conduct performed for a valid medical purpose does not violate the provisions of this section.

Aggravated sexual abuse in the first degree is a class B felony.

I also hope they all get charged as adults, and I hope every one of them, if convicted, is added to the sex offender registry.

When a parent sends his kid to school, that kid is there to learn - whether it be academics or sports. A kid is not sent to school to be assaulted, menaced, or to have a baseball bat shoved up his ass. When something like this happens, there is a breakdown in civilization itself. Where did these kids get the idea that it’s ok to forcibly sodomize a younger classmate? What the eff were the “coaches” thinking when there was most likely a ruckus going on in the back of the bus with some kids probably screaming in terror?

When there is a breakdown in civilization like this, it is only fitting that the full weight of civilization’s laws be brought to bear against the perpetrators upon conviction. Just because they might be first offender teenagers from allegedly good homes in a good school ought not in any way ameliorate their punishment.

This is not a case of “boys will be boys” or “let’s let them off easy because ______”.

How frickin “good” could that home be if a kid doesn’t have it in his mind that shoving things forcibly up another kid’s ass is acceptable behavior? I need parents and teachers to cool it with the self-esteem, and instead start teaching basic human mother effing compassion.

If this happened to my kid, it would take all my effort not to take a baseball bat myself and beat the perpetrator about the head with it. In other words, it would take a tremendous effort to not meet barbarism with barbarism.

If I discovered that my kid did this, I would consider myself to be a grave and fundamental failure as a parent - a parent who raised a monster.

Update: This is Tom Bauerle’s topic today, and he makes the point (as do most callers) that the Wilson schools administration has reacted admirably to this incident. I think that’s right. The cops were called, suspensions were issued, and an investigation is underway. He also mentions that there were three other adults on that bus in addition to the coaches. Where was the parental supervision when these kids were having things shoved up their recta?

15 Responses to “Civilization Breaks Down on the Bus to Wilson”

1. indabuff Says:
   April 29th, 2008 at 10:44 am There have always been bad seeds…there will always be bad seeds…
2. hank Says:
   April 29th, 2008 at 11:25 am Hazing in ANY form is not the stuff that sportsmen or atheletes of ANY stripe should condone.
   Frankly I think it’s a backlash from the Uber-PC’ing of the school systems nationwide.
   When dodgeball becomes a sport outlawed, and principals don’t allow “tag” to be played in the schoolyard, outlets for these kids can be awfully narrow–so their imaginations give way–add in the media, and you end up with this kind of thing.The perpetrators need to learn, and their punishment an example to the rest, that which adults already know. Sometimes, certain acts should be relegated only to fantasy, not reality. There will always be sick minds. As long as they don’t act out, nobody is hurt.This wasn’t a “mistake” as the uber-liberal Juvenile justice system would see it. They knew what they were doing, and if they need to be labeled perverts for life as a result… well they could have always pulled away from the precipice before going over. Life’s about choices, and they made the wrong one, at the expense and pain and lifelong shame given to others.

   Let’s hope our flawed criminal justice system gets justice for both victim and perpetrator

3. Buffalopundit Says:
   April 29th, 2008 at 11:42 am Hank, I disagree. This isn’t a backlash against a banning of dodgeball (no evidence that this happened in Wilson), or the fault of the media.This is bad kids who did a very bad thing.
4. Mike Says:
   April 29th, 2008 at 11:45 am Sure Hank, turn every tragic story into some repubican talking point.
5. Mike Miller Says:
   April 29th, 2008 at 12:19 pm Amen, Alan.Wilson is a pretty little town that doesn’t deserve such a sordid thing to have happened. I think they need to take a serious look at their sports programs and who’s running them. These kids are getting their senses of limitation, or lack thereof, from somewhere very close.
6. Chris Smith Says:
   April 29th, 2008 at 12:27 pm Is this the Wilson Varsity Baseball Team or the Attica Men’s Basketball Team?
7. Buffalo Rox Says:
   April 29th, 2008 at 12:35 pm From what has been reported so far, I hope that the parents on board that bus as well as the coaches can somehow be criminally charged along with the kids involved. Until this is cleared up or charges formally brought, those coaches should be suspended from their teaching positions as well. There is no way that the adults on that bus didn’t know that something going on was wrong. I hope they shame those parents and kids by publishing their names. I bet there’s a PI lawyer out there who would sue the parents, coaches and school district…I disagree with you Hank. Where’d you come up with that conclusion? Blindly blaming it on uber-PC’ing serves to dismiss what appears to be actions by some kids who initiated hazing or raised it to a new level and harmed some younger kids as a result. Time for them to face the consequences of their actions without trying to justify it.
8. mike hudson Says:
   April 29th, 2008 at 12:54 pm the “adults” on the bus were there to supervise the “children.” what is their excuse? that they thought it was just “slapping, punching and kicking” and not shoving things up someone’s ass?that said, i am shocked, shocked that this seems to be the only political blog in north america that doesn’t have something posted on robert mugabe, uh, rev. jeremiah wright’s racist and unamerican speech before the national press club yesterday.barak obama’s “spritual advisor” for 20 years, the man who brought him to christianity, performed his wedding and baptised his children, stood guarded by nation of islam thugs and said the united states government deliberately spread the aids virus to eliminate minorities in this country.

   he said obama’s just pretending not to believe it publicly because he’s a “politician.”

   the concensus on the right and left is that this is the beginning of the end in terms of obama becoming president in november.

9. eriepressible™ » And the Adults Were Where? Says:
   April 29th, 2008 at 12:57 pm […] read this over on Buffalo Pundit this morning and was absolutely […]
10. Buffalopundit Says:
    April 29th, 2008 at 1:10 pm Mike - I didn’t watch or read any coverage of Wright’s speech because I was busy dealing with disciplinary issues of my own at home last night, and I haven’t had two seconds to read about it otherwise.My apologies to you and your creative spelling of “consensus”.
11. Patrick Krey Says:
    April 29th, 2008 at 1:20 pm Isn’t it ironic that when supposedly masculine guys try to out-macho each other, it eventually devolves into gay rape? What a terrible story.
12. hank Says:
    April 29th, 2008 at 3:10 pm Alan–You wrote
    This is bad kids who did a very bad thing.I don’t disagree.Let me tell you a story about a night I was doing stand-up at a comedy club in Va Beach. The punch line should make you think
    (Couple at a table in front)
    Hank–Are you two together?
    Girl–”yes”
    Hank–You two going out for a while?
    Guy–”yes”
    Hank–(to the guy) Have you slapped nasties with her yet?
    Guy–”yes”
    Hank–Is she any good?
    Guy–”yes she is”

    Hank—HOW DO YOU THINK SHE GOT THAT WAY???

    Well Alan–HOW DID THOSE KIDS GET THAT WAY?

    From “The Death of the Warrior Class”
    He was never allowed to get dirty or play with the other kids in the street or at the park, those kids are dirty and you might catch something, so his immune system never grew strong, he was unable to fight off infection, so he was always sick.

    He was never allowed to socialize with the other kids in the neighborhood, because those kids are not like us, their immigrants, their parents don’t speak English; they don’t make the same amount of money as us. So he never learned how to socialize.

    He was given video games that kept him glued to the TV screen for hours at a time and when his character died or was destroyed all he needed to do was hit the reset button and he was brought back to life, so he never learned about death or how to deal with it.

    He was never spanked for doing something wrong, and his parents could never agree how to punish him on a united front, so he was never punished, in sharp contrast he was rewarded, his parents thinking was that if we reward him, he will know not to do that again. He learns that if he’s a brat and do things wrong his parents will reward him. So he never learns right from wrong.

    He was never allowed to stand up for himself in a fight, his parents always got involved with lawyers so he was never taught how to defend himself or others that were around him. So as he grew he became another victim.
    He never went to church or was even allowed to believe in any organized religion, His parents were not even holiday worshippers, and they did not believe in God any God. So he never learned what it was like to have faith.

    Or,could be called “How Many Liberal Parents raise their kids”

    Now Mike, you ignorant liberal fucktard, THATS A REPUBLICAN TALKING POINT.

    He was never allowed to say the Pledge of Allegiance, his parents did not believe in what the U.S. stood for, and they were always fighting against the system. Yet they were more than willing to accept welfare, food stamps, and free government food. So he never learned to believe in his country and its values.

    He was never allowed to display the U.S. Flag, because it contradicted his parent’s belief, so he never learned to be a patriot.

    He did poor in school, his parents blamed the teachers and the school district for their child’s poor progress, but they were unwilling themselves to spend the time with him at home helping him with his homework. Never teaching him good study skills or the patience’s required to learn and stick with any project. His parents get the teacher fired and their child is passed to the next grade without learning anything. He can barely spell his name correctly.

    He learns to drink and do drugs, when he is arrested by the police, his parents fight the system, attempting to make it look like law enforcement was wrong, they will say anything to protect their child and not face the real problem, his parents get the police officer suspended. So he never learns to respect the law or those that uphold it.

    He gets his first traffic ticket before he even has a license and his parents turn a blind eye and just say boys will be boys. He never learns how to be humble or to take responsibility.

    His family belongs to organizations like Code Pink, they don’t believe in the military and they believe that our military should be tried as war criminals for doing the evil bidding of the government; he never learns that freedom has never been free.

13. Mike Says:
    April 29th, 2008 at 3:38 pm Wow hank, are the republican’s paying you by the word now? Please keep drinking the kool-aid, no one reads your blow hard posts anymore.
    Hudson the racist now blames this on O’bama too, see how close you two homo’s are Hank?
14. Jon Splett Says:
    April 29th, 2008 at 5:20 pm What I wouldn’t give to see you do stand up Hank.Talk about a heckler’s gold mine.
15. DJC Says:
    April 29th, 2008 at 9:58 pm Don’t usually post but always read this blog.Hank your points are as bad as your attempt at a joke.Always blaming being a “liberal” or “conservative” for a heinous act simply shows ignorance.

    How one can equate taking away dodge ball or tag as the impetus for sodomy simply defies logic. Many teens have vivid imaginations yet they don’t assault people because some “outlets” were taken away. Is dodge ball and tag really an outlet?

    Parents, teachers and coaches talking to and listening to their children will do more than any dodge ball game ever could.

Chris Drongosky has announced he will come out of retirement to run for Congress if Jack Davis doesn’t get the Democratic endorsement.  Terry Moore has stated he will run for the State Senate if Joe Mesi or Dan Ward don’t get the Democratic endorsement. 

 Both Drongosky and Morre are members of the INDEPENDENCE PARTY.

                                                                                          Written By: James Tricoli 

High school for many of us wasn’t the great time it appeared to be on TV shows like Happy Days.  There were always bullies who would degrade students.  Sometimes that student was you.

Bullies could affect how well you did in school and how you perceived yourself.  Incredibly, when high school was over they would seldom remember what they had done to you.

I would like everyone reading this editorial to close their eyes and try to imagine how the two Wilson junior varsity baseball team boys felt when, in the dark of night, on a full school bus returning from a game, three other baseball players, upper classmen, decided to rape them. That is what happened to them on April 17th. This story came to life on March  24th when one of the parents reported the incident.

There were adults and coaches on the bus who were supposed to serve as chaperones, but none heard their cries of pain and anguish.   The three upper classmen used the youngers boys back ends for their own enjoyment.  One can only imagine how they screamed in pain for mercy.  Those bullies raped not only their bodies but their minds as well.  As we know from the Catholic chruch abuse cases, this kind of cruelty has a long lasting effect on ones life.

These monsters enjoyed the rush of power, of treating their victims as swine who should have enjoyed the attention of the upperclassmen; the heroes of the school.  They cared nothing about destroying the dignity of the two boys.  They intended to brag about their prowess and how these “babies” cried and screamed like they didn’t love it.

The three Varsity players had no intention of keeping their actions a secret.  It is common knowledge among the students at Wilson High School that it is tradition to ”haze” the younger children.  This might be the first time they crossed the line into sexual assualt.   

Please pray that these children will be able to live a normal life and that those responsible for this carnal savage act pay a high price for their part in this act of disgust and degridation.

One candidate for the NYS Senate seat who has an advantage over two other Democratic opponents, Council member Dan Ward, and Joe Mesi, is Michele Iannello.  She has work experience as a paralegal having worked for one of the leading attorneys for the  developers, Jeff Palumbo. 

This experience has afforded her first hand experience on both sides of the situation.  She is aware of how the developers work against neighborhoods who fight back to save their homes.  This experience is very important.  

In Michele’s website she mentions a business she ran.  It was a pizza shop which is a very hard business to make into a success.   All her efforts couldn’t turn it around to be a money producing business.  Her hard work couldn’t keep her business from failing.

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright said Monday that he will  try to change national policy by “coming after” Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) if he is elected president.

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright said Monday that he will try to change national policy by “coming after” Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) if he is elected president.The pastor also insisted Obama “didn’t denounce” him and “didn’t distance himself” from Wright’s controversial remarks, but “did what politicians do.”

Wright implied Obama still agrees with him by saying: “He had to distance himself, because he’s a politician, from what the media was saying I had said, which was [portrayed as] anti-America

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright said Monday that he will    

tryto change national policy by “coming after” Sen. Barack

Obama (D-Ill.) if he is elected president.
The pastor also insisted Obama “didn’t denounce” him and “didn’t distance himself” from Wright’s controversial remarks, but “did what politicians do.”

Wright, who was Obama’s pastor for 20 years and performed his wedding, made the explosive comment during a chaotic question-and-answer session at the National Press Club in Washington, following the pastor’s remarks about the black church in America.

“I said to Barack Obama last year, ‘If you get elected, November the 5th I’m coming after you, because you’ll be representing a government whose policies grind under people,’ Wright said.

The minister was speaking as part of a tour that is drawing heavy news coverage and causing a huge headache for Obama’s presidential campaign.

Obama, seeking to distance himself from remarks by Wright that some have taken as anti-American, has emphasized that Wright has retired.

But Wright talks of their relationship in the present tense. “I’m a pastor; he’s a member,” he said. “I’m not a ‘spiritual mentor.’ “

In the Democratic debate on April 16, Obama referred to Wright as “somebody who is associated with me that I have disowned,” then clarified that to say he had disowned the comments.

But Wright objected to a question saying Obama had denounced him.

“Whoever wrote that question doesn’t read or watch the news,” Wright said. “He did not denounce me. He distanced himself from some of my remarks, like most of you, never having heard the sermon, all right? …

“He didn’t distance himself. He had to distance himself, because he’s a politician, from what the media was saying I had said, which was [portrayed as] anti-American. … He did, as I said, what politicians do.”