"Bits & Pieces" - Commentary by Tony Seton

Bits & Pieces

Bits and pieces from this reporter’s notebook.

Da-deet-da-deet-.....Michael Bloomberg, who was on everybody’s short list to be vice president, has decided to be mayor of New York City for another term, even though he’s termed out at the end of next year. He’s gonna try to get the city council to change the 15-year-old rule, and persuade New Yorkers to overlook his gaming of the game.

Da-deet-da-deet...Seeing a picture of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and some others who are referred to as “The Leadership” on Capitol Hill, I wondered if the term had lost its meaning.

Da-deet-da-deet...Speaking of the bailout, and most of those behind it preferred the term rescue – yeah, right – why is it that wrong people were being bailed out and the right people weren’t being rescued? It wasn’t political, it was special interests.

Da-deet-da-deet...Congress is a disgrace; it’s failure is wholesale. House Democrats are deadlocked with Senate Republicans, and it looks like the solar tax credit – which has widespread bipartisan support – won’t be renewed by the end of the year, all but burying that industry. Also being strangled in the crib of inept governance a measure to fix the alternative minimum tax problem.

Da-deet-da-deet...Medicare has announced that it won’t pay hospitals to rectify ten commonly-made mistakes, like giving patients the wrong blood or leaving sponges inside a patient.

Da-deet-da-deet... Maureen Dowd, the pre-eminent New York Times columnist has been barred from traveling with John McCain and Sarah Palin. This after 16 years of covering the Senator, often favorably. The campaign has declared war on the media. The media should stand up for the First Amendment and stop all coverage until everyone can cover the candidates.

And that’s SetonnoteS...I’m Tony Seton.