AZI PAYBARAH: Scott Stringer’s long-shot Republican opponent is trying, at least.

David Casavis, a locally well-known Republican personality on the East Side and a foreign service buff, emailed friends and reporters the layout of a flier he plans to hand out shortly, which includes a New York Post editorial about the departure of Lee Landor, who worked for Stringer. Below it, Casavis writes:

Why let politicians cut our jobs? Cut the politicians instead!

Like most informed observers, I was pleased when the NY Times replaced William Kristol as their back-up conservative pundit with Ross Douthat, largely because I figured Douthat, unlike Kristol, would not make the numerous errors that I & others pointed out Kristol did.

It’s my birthday, and the end of my second year of commuting to work by bicycle, sometimes three but generally four times each week. This year I had one of those bicycle speedometer/odometer/clocks, and it showed me something surprising. In 365 days I’ve ridden on the bicycle for 359 hours, nearly one hour per day, not for the sake of doing so, but simply to get from here to there and back. What a great deal riding a bicycle to work has been! Until I actually tried it and found a way to work around the usual objections – work clothing, sweat, weather, traffic—it hadn’t seemed practical to me. Now, good health seems impractical without it. How else would it be possible for an overweight, middle-aged non-athlete, with a sedentary office job, a family and other responsibilities, to get that much exercise, nearly an hour per day? No way that I can think of. Not without taking time and/or money from something else. I’m not sure I’ve ever done something so time and cost efficient, relative to the alternatives.

ROCK HACKSHAW: Look, I have always felt that the hard-core readers of the Daily Gotham blog are latte-drinking Park-slopers, who balance their lap-tops on their knees, as they sip on sidewalk cafes. My hard-core readers (not the same as readers of other contributors here on R8) are probably people who drink rum without chaser, in places where the tables are chained to the floor/lol.

ROCK AGAIN: Gatemouth is one-fifth black, four-fifths Jewish and usually full of Scotch.

Okay; confession time is here. My quest for the 40th council district seat has been rather challenging over these past six months (surprise…surprise…lol). Those of you, who have been following this race via both mainstream and non-conventional media, have probably kept score on my manager changes, fundraising obstacles (I limited any one contributor to only 200 dollars/ max), my fights with campaign staffers, lawyers and advisors, and the other issues that have swirled around this campaign. Those who have been following it through the grapevines probably have heard even more outlandish stories circulating the district: don’t believe the hype.

“I tried so hard to be true, like I promised I'd do…
Hey Jimmy, Jimmy, oh Jimmy Mack” — MARTHA REEVES (now a Detroit City Councilwoman, she understood politics even then ) AND THE VANDELLAS

It seems like only two days ago I reported on the unusual alliance between psychotic anti-Semitic lunatic Jimmy McMillan of the “Rent is Too Damn High Party” and Eugene Myrick, the “Chocolate Brides” publishing magnate attempting to challenge Marty Markowitz for Brooklyn Borough President.

It became clear today that I had to do a follow-up, so I blew off Shabbat services at my Reform congregation even though the Rabbi was schedule to give an important update on our Youth Group’s plan to blow up the Statue of Liberty (Yes, Jimmy you were right!).

Friday’s Daily News quotes Hiram Monserratte’s high-paid (by somebody) mouthpiece. Joe Tacopina as saying:

Over the past decade or so, the cable television station New York One (NY1) has emerged as a prominent source for local news in this city. They break many stories. They also highlight many pressing issues facing this city; plus they permanently keep their fingers on the pulse of New York’s politics: much more so than all the other news stations here. Political junkies in this city try not to miss Dominic Carter at 7pm on weekdays; it’s a political high most nights. The “Road to City Hall” program is definitely one of the best ways to find out about the citywide races for mayor, comptroller and public advocate. It is also informative as to races for borough president, district attorney and/or city council member. 

I have now heard and read all over the media that Congress is having difficulty passing a health care reform measure because Republicans and Democrats have become more ideologically cohesive internally, and therefore in greater conflict with each other, making bi-partisan cooperation more difficult. I do not believe for a moment this is true. Ideologies are points of view about what would be best, or fairest, for everyone. The political parties are not cohesive advancers of such ideologies, they are servants of powerful interests. And it is powerful interests that benefit from things as they are, even as inequity grows, the economy is wrecked, and the future borrowed against, that are blocking health care reform – unless the “reform” would be a system that rewards the powerful and diminishes the future even more. Want proof? How about Democrats in opposition to progressive taxation (and in favor of regressive taxation), and Republicans against curbing government spending? Well, that’s what we have.

THE BROOKLYN PAPER: Borough President Markowitz’s campaign now says that it must kick the Beep’s sole Democratic primary challenger off the ballot to ensure the “integrity” of the balloting process.

On Monday, three Markowitz allies filed objections against nominating signatures collected by political newcomer Eugene Myrick, who handed in roughly 6,000 signatures more than the 4,000 required to secure a spot on the Sept. 15 primary ballot… …Myrick…said last week that “it’s ridiculous that someone would challenge a virtually unknown newcomer.”

“Why not let the democratic process play itself out with campaigning, debates and allowing the people to vote?” he asked. “What are they afraid of?”…