I can't seem to find this diaried anywhere else, so here goes:

Mike McMahon, the Staten Island Democrat running for Vito Fossella's scandal-marred seat, has caught some flak on Dailykos for an Iraq position attributed to him by a member of the Staten Island Conservative Party. I have commented previously that McMahon should be allowed to speak for himself. Well, it turns out that he did back in early June, but it received very little press coverage. I think you'll like what you read. More below the fold.

Today, John McSame stated the following:

"So it's dangerous; it's dangerous to American national security if you sit down and give respect and prestige to leaders of countries that are bent on your destruction or the destruction of other countries. I won't do it, my friends."

Oh, really?  See below the fold.

Just a quick diary regarding our esteemed Congress critter. The Staten Island Advance, SI's local daily paper, in an email alert received this morning, has called for Vito to resign immediately.

Headline from from the email:

Advance calls on Rep. Vito Fossella to immediately step down
Saying he had irretrievably damaged his ability to represent Staten Islanders in Congress, the Staten Island Advance today

called for his immediate resignation!!

See below for today's editorial money quotes (from the email alert).

I posted a diary late yesterday that got mostly lost in the shuffle of some wonderful NC and IN returns.  Of the few folks who had a chance to read it, a couple got a kick out of the poll, which has been slightly modified and posted below.

Considering the tone of many of the comments in BarbinMD's front page story, I think we could all use a few laughs (and some snarks) on a sunny day.

What has clarified my understanding of Hillary's motivation is this: with the perfect storm of problems (Bush's poll numbers, the tragic Iraq war, the sinking economy, McSame's wearing the Bush mantle, etc) dragging down the Republican Party and predicting a Democratic victory in November, she (and I) believe that the Democratic nominee will absolutely become the next President of the United States.  If it's Hillary, she gets the Oval Office!

More below the fold.

I can't believe it's been 5 years. . .

Just saw this article on Yahoo’s front page news:  Artifacts stolen after Saddam's ouster returned to Iraq museum

The story harkens back to the April 2003 looting in Bagdad shortly after the fall of Saddam's government, non-stop looting that outraged many of us.  Here on our TV sets were grotesque images of the destruction of the ancient history - not only of Iraq - but of the cradle of civilation, and inability or unwillingness of U.S. force to lift a finger to stop it.

Iraqi and world culture officials have struggled to retrieve the treasures with little success. Between 3,000 to 7,000 pieces are still believed missing, including about 40 to 50 that are considered to be of great historic importance, Laurent Levi-Strauss of the U.N. cultural body UNESCO said last month.

There's more.

The Associated Press’ Nancy Benac filed a story today reporting on John McSame’s trip to New Orleans.  Referring to President Bush’s flyover of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, McSame was quoted as saying:

"If I had been president, I would have ordered the plane landed at the nearest base and I’d of been over here," implying that he would have done something different from President Bush.  However, when Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast of the United States on Monday morning, August 29, 2005 – and even prior to that day – McSame was in one of the best positions to have done something different.

More below the fold.

I had the good fortune to register for a half-day seminar in Philly the day of the Great PA Debate! So, I took the train down there this morning to attend a conference in a building - get this - across the street from the National Constitution Center, where the debate is going to take place tonight. Even at 7:45 am, there was electricity in the air (literally), as that street was filled with satellite uplink trucks from dozens of stations. I couldn't wait for the seminar to end so I could mingle with the Obama crowd that I was sure would be gathering later in the day. Keep reading - there's more.

I just read wiscmass' diary about voting for, and even volunteering for, a Democratic candidate who isn't ideal. . .but who is NOT a Rethug. It got me to thinking. . .

I live in NYC, but I am a native Cheesehead (translation: born in Wisconsin). Hence the moniker.

I wish I could vote for Russ (and Herb) instead of Chuckie and Hill. But, I vote for them anyway. . .

I wish I had an incumbent Democratic member of Congress to support like Tammy in WI-02. But, I donated money to Steve Harrison (NY-13), who is challenging our Rethug incumbent Vito Fossella. . . .

More below the fold.

Thoughts from John Murtha, from a MoveOn.org email I just received:

A year ago when I presented my plan for Iraq, I did it to provide leadership and protect our troops. The Republicans have spent their time name-calling while the situation for our troops in Iraq gets worse.

They've tried to smear me, other veterans, Democrats, you and anybody who stands up to them. Well, let me say one thing right now: screw them. Those gravestones at Arlington cemetery don't say Democrat or Republican on them.

We are all patriots.

But as long as Republicans are in charge, they're just going to keep playing politics instead of doing what needs to be done for the American people. And that's why we need to throw them out of power--as many of them as possible.

More below the fold.

A regular columnist for the Staten Island Advance, the daily paper for most of NY-13, had this take on the Foley scandal and the power-blind enablers who allowed it to go undetected for so long (10/9/2006):

Politicians had a worse week than the Yankees, wouldn't you say?

Of course, they deserved it.

Can you believe -- with the Mark Foley scandal growing instead of shrinking -- some of these folks are still arguing over who leaked the story and what their political motives were?

As if who spoke to the press matters when you have a sitting congressmen literally chasing teenage pages around Capitol Hill.

It's enough to make you wonder why we don't elect real, live regular citizens to public office, isn't it?

Here's a short piece from "First Glance," a teaser email I get daily from the Staten Island Advance, hometown of Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY 13); the piece is written by Tom Wrobleski:

Headline:  "Should Foley cover-up cost Hastert his job? Vito says no"

House Speaker Dennis Hastert was warned two years ago that fellow Republican Rep. Mark Foley of Florida was engaging in inappropriate sexual advances against young male House pages. He apparently turned a blind eye to the matter. Foley has lately resigned from the House and gone to public confession, saying he's a gay alcoholic who was molested, in his youth, by a clergyman. Now, as the mid-term elections loom, there are GOP calls for Hastert to step down for failing to take the Foley matter in hand. Staten Island Republican Rep. Vito Fossella is not one of those calling for Hastert's head.

More below the fold.

Perhaps the following analogy would be an easier way to frame the debate over whether or not Denny Hastert (and others) should resign their House leadership positions (and possibly their seats in Congress):

Let's say Denny Hastert lived on a residential street with a neighborhood filled with school-aged children.  And let's say Mark Foley was a drug dealer who worked the corner near Denny's house.

More below the fold.

You all know the one about a cornered animal being the most dangerous? Well, we've got this snake about as cornered as he can be, and if we're not careful, he's going to bite us in the ass - again.

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced this morning that he was in favor of breaking up the major oil companies.  In his remarks, made during a breakfast meeting with Staten Island business leaders, included his positions on conservation and increased oil production.  More below the fold.  (First-time diary.  In the words of my predecessors:  "Please be gentle."