Check out this site for a full accounting of the Senate version of the healthcare bill.  Should be a VERy interesting weekend as some in the Senate try to block debate on the bill - does Harry Reid have enough votes to defeat the block?  We shall see!

This is an actual picture taken by an actual customer in an actual bookstore.  I’m sure it was just some employee’s idea of a joke…but it is funny nonetheless.

Today is the LAST day to register to vote in the December 8 primary to determine who will square off for the right to fill the United States Senate seat vacated by the late Senator Kennedy.  PLEASE PLEASE REGISTER!!  All the information you need can be found by visiting this website.

I’ve been teasing it for a few weeks and now, finally, it is time to learn more about the only “Kennedy” in the race.  A member of the National Libertarian Party, Joe Kennedy has collected enough signatures and will be on the ballot as an independent.  Mr. Kennedy claims no relation to the Kennedy family and, in fact, has made quite clear that if any Kennedy had decided to run, he would have stayed out.  However, with none of Senator Kennedy’s family entering the race, Citizen Kennedy is in. (Confused yet?)

Kennedy is a pretty standard-issue Libertarian (if there is such a thing)  He believes in the government staying out of people’s lives (ie. same-sex marriage and, indeed, marriage in general, is not something for the government to legislate).  In fact, on his campaign website, he directs readers to the webpage of the National Libertarian Party for more detail on his positions.  Kennedy has arrived at his political perspective through concerns over the over-spending in Washington and is uncomfortable with what he sees as the long-term costs and risks of the federal government controlling so much.  Finally, this Kennedy would vote against the health care bill now in Washington in favor of free-market solutions.  He believes the increases in costs over the past 50 years have come as a result of government regulation and doctors having to insure themselves against medical malpractice cases. 

He will be on the final ballot so we will have more an opportunitiy to examine his exact positions on a variety of issues but, for now, check out his campaign website.

Today I give you a few links for a few different worlds.  I’ll try to keep my commentary to a minimum and just let you enjoy the link.  However, I do want to point out that I am very close to 100 comments – I think what I will do is give a little prize to the 100th person to post a comment on my blog…and it could be you  I think I’ve given you a wide enough range of subjects so everyone has something to say. 

If you read back a couple of entries, you will see that I said that I understood the rationale of the choice Belichick made to go for it on 4th and 2.  Now, statistics and percentages have proven me right!   (Sorry Tony Dungy)   This article does make the REALLY good point that, if you were planning to go for it on 4th down, running it on third down would have made more sense.

According to ABC news, the Congressional Budget Office is about to release their findings on the long-term costs associated with the health care bill and, according to sources, it will be good news for the majority party and the president.  We’ll have to wait and see for specifics but this may help some moderate senators get on board if they see it might actually reduce the deficit in the long-run.  Of course, the really interesting question becomes if those opposed to the bill will ignore the CBO findings and make up their own numbers about the impact of the bill on the economy.  Can’t wait!

Yeah right.

Oh, Senator Sessions.  Why must you go back on your word?    Senator Sessions is reportedly considering a filibuster of Judge David Hamilton, an Obama nominee to the 7th circuit court of appeals.  However, back in 2003, Sessions (who was denied a floor vote in 1985 for a nomination to be a Federal Judge) said ““Of the many reasons why we shouldn’t have a filibuster, an important one is the Article I of the Constitution. It says the Senate shall advise and consent on treaties by a two-thirds vote, and simply “shall advise and consent” on nominations.”  But now, with a Democrat in the White House, he has changed his mind.  This continues the long-standing practice of the majority party deriding the minority trying to block the business of the senate and impose their will, only to change their mind when they lose the majority.   It’s like not stopping for a pedestrian when you are driving, but then calling the police when a driver doesn’t let you cross at the EXACT same intersection.  It is so transparent and is one of the many reasons people don’t trust their congress is actually working for them.   Just look at this quote from another article addressing this important issue “Two dozen conservatives led by former Reagan-era Attorney General Edwin Meese have signed a letter calling on senators to invoke the justification of “extraordinary circumstances” to block Hamilton’s nomination…Nine of the individuals who signed the memo also signed the 2005 letter to GOP leaders calling for them to abolish the filibuster of judicial nominees…”  The explanation for the about-face might go something like this ‘See, uh, the thing is, uh, well Sarah Palin told us, no, I mean I got a letter from Bill Belichick telling me to always go for it.  Yeah, see the economy is in trouble and, well, I don’t want to be dramatic, but we have to filibuster sometime, otherwise how am I going to get in the news and then campaign that the majority doesn’t do anything….also what if Barack Hussain Obama nominated his cousin Osama?  What then.’

Because I want another sports link and this list is priceless! (fair warning, a few are a bit creepy)

Candidate Tuesday coming later today on Joe Kennedy…No, no, no.  Not that one.  The other one.

So we are still trying to figure out who the Massachusetts senator will be? Doesn’t matter, we can still look forward to 2010 and the all-important mid-term elections.  This site is one of the best at breaking down races and they have a nice preview of some of the hot races we should be watching.  Where these races become very relevent right now is that, for many of the vulnerable senators, they will have to think long and hard about how to cast their healthcare vote.  Like it or not, politics will play into that decision and some of these Senators will no doubt be thinking about the 2010 elections as they make their decision.

I remember stretches of days where I just LOVED being a sports fan.  You know that I’m talking about – those days where every team you root for manages to pull it out and it just seems like nothing can go wrong.  Here in Boston, this past weekend was the opposite.  From the Celtics to the Bruins to the Patriots, each team managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and it was hard to watch.  On the bright side, none of the teams were eliminated from anything and, even in defeat, there are some positive take-aways. 

Patriots: Let’s start with the most painful one first (and the one with the most to discuss).  Quite simply, this was a game we should have won.  We totally outplayed the Colts for 56 minutes, but couldn’t close the deal.  And it wasn’t just the ‘interesting’ clock management and decision making by the head coach.  With 4 minutes left we were up 13 and the Colts were 80 yards from the endzone.  Giving up the game at that point is inexcusable.   Looking back over the entire game, however, we see that the Patriots left, at best, 10 and, at worst, 18 points on the field because of failures to convert key plays and redzone turnovers.  Despite dominating throughout they let the Colts hang around and, in this league, when you do that you often pay for it. 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t touch on “the play.”  I am not one of those who is going to jump all over Belichick for going for it on 4th down at his own 28 with just over 2 minutes remaining.  I don’t agree with the call (and I said so before the play) but I do understand the rationale.  A first down seals the win and a punt allows one of the top 2 QBs in the league a chance to win it.  Think about it.  When the Pats were facing that 4th down, was there any doubt in your mind that Manning was going to be able to drive his team down the field and put them in a position to win?  None in mine.  Do I trust a banged-up and tired D vs. Manning or Brady to get two yards against a fairly inexperienced Colts D?  Tough choice. 

I’ve looked at replays and pictures of Faulk’s catch and boy is it close.  It seems to me that he initially made the catch somewhere around the 31 yard line and did bobble the ball momentarily.  However, he regained full control at the 30 yard line which would have been enough for the first down.  Either way, don’t you think it odd that the official who made the call was positioned in such a way that he could NOT have seen Faulk’s arms.  He made the call looking at Kevin’s back.  Sure, the Patriots should not have been so careless with their timeouts so they could have had the option to challenge the play, but that doesn’t excuse the official being in the wrong position to make that call.  However, I am pretty sure (and I’ve read a few others who agree) that Faulk did have enough for what should have been a game-winning first down.   One final note on this: If Coach Belichick knew he was going to go for it on 4th down (and I’m sure he did) why not run on third down to keep the clock moving and get you a bit closer.  I have more of a problem with that call than I do with the decision to go for it.

What are the ramifications?  Well the failure to put the Colts away will cost us any shot at the #1 seed and, because the Bengals are playing so well (I can’t believe I just wrote that), will make getting a first-round bye a real challenge. Does this mean we won’t go to the Super Bowl?  Absolutely not.  But it does mean that the road to Miami won’t go through cold and snowy Foxboro and that, my friends, will make the road much more difficult for Brady and company.

Bruins: The B’s have been tough to figure out all season.  They have some real talent on their roster yet have had trouble scoring.  They have one of the best goalies in the NHL, yet have had days where they seem to forget how to play defense.  However, they are still a fun team to watch and that is why I, and many other Bostonians, were so keyed up for the tilt against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.  Sadly, the incredible excitement when they scored twice in three minutes to take a lead with just over 2 minutes remaining was so cruelly dashed.  Even when Pitt. got possession of the puck in their defensive zone with about 10 seconds left, I NEVER thought there was any chance they could mount an attack in time.  But attack they did and, old friend, Bill Guerin put it past Thomas with a scant .4 seconds on the clock.  We were .4 seconds away from a HUGE win against one of the best teams in the NHL.  After that, it was no surprise we lost in OT and the one point we got was no consolation. 

Celtics: The Celtics are one of the best teams in the NBA and will certainly be one of the top seeds in the playoffs again this year.  However, this weekend, they played like they were all hung-over or thinking about something other than basketball.  Losing to Atlanta can be excused – the Hawks are a good team and seem to always play the Celtics tough.  However we have so much more talent than the Pacers and our sloppy and unfocused play pretty much handed them the game.  It is time to get back to fundamentals.  Losing 2 in a row and 3 out of 5 makes me nervous! 

With all that gloom out of the way, let’s end with some positive take-aways.

1. The Patriots were about 24 inches (or an official’s mistake) away from knocking off an undefeated team, on the road. Even in defeat we showed we are still among the top teams in the AFC and, by extension, the NFL.

2. The Brady to Moss connection worked a couple of times and, once again, we were able to establish a running game.

3. The Bruins showed that they can play in a high-scoring game against a very good offense.

4. The Celtics are, well, the Celtics. They will be fine.

5. Even with all the losses, the Pats still lead the AFC east by 2 games and are only 1 game behind the Bengals for the #2 seed in the playoffs.

6. The Celtics still have a 2.5 game lead in their division and are .5 game behind Atlanta for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

Finally, not to be cheesy, but I got to watch the games with some pretty awesome and fun people and had a really fun time watching the games. At the heart of it, isn’t that what sports are all about. Having fun watching with good people. Ok, you caught me. I’m just saying that because we lost, but it sounds good right?

So I am taking the lead from this blog and, since it is Friday, am posting an old entry for you to enjoy.  With the NFL season in full swing, I thought it appropriate to check in on our friend who is search of a team to root for.  As you may remember, I made a plea for him to choose the Patriots.  Here it is.

So there are a lot of  blogs out there.  Some are stupid.  Some are funny.  But some, and only a few, are absolutely brilliant.  This is one of those.  Long story short, this guy, Jason Spires, is a huge sports fan, but doesn’t have an NFL team (a crime if you ask me)  In an effort to remedy that sad situation, he has written a letter to all 32 NFL teams asking them to state their case on why he should root for them.  So far the Lions (congrats on their win btw), the Bills and the Titans are the only teams to respond. 

As a service to this poor lost soul, I would like to state the case for the New England Patriots.  To me there are four key reasons for the supporting the Patriots.

1. Present: It is well-accepted that the label “team of the decade” will either go to the Patriots or the Steelers.   Even if Pitt. does claim that mantle (though after losing to the Bengals, I like our chances) there is nothing like supporting a team you know will be competitive every year.  That drive to win starts at the top with our owner, Robert Kraft.  Mr. Kraft comes from the Rooney school of ownership.  He wants to win.  He needs to win.  He will stop at nothing to win.  He knew Belichick was his guy and was willing to give up draft picks to get him.  That commitment to winning means that, regardless of whether we are the team of this decade, we will be in the running for team of the next decade and the next decade and so on.

2. Future: The Patriots, perhaps better than any other team, don’t just play the current year.  They are always thinking about how they can be better in coming years.  All one has to do is look at the Richard Seymour trade to understand that.  The Pats Brass made the determination that they were unlikely to be able to resign him (because, when they grade players, they NEVER operate on emotion) and that the drop-off between him and Jarvis Green and Myron Prior was worth a first round pick (from the woeful Oakland Raiders).  But they didn’t stop there.  Aware of the contract negotiations and that there would likely be a rookie payscale in place by 2011 (but not by 2010) they took the 2011 first-rounder.  How many teams would have that foresight and patience?  Also, they are brilliant with moving around draft picks and still getting the player they want. 

3. Veterans: Two points here.  First, the Pats are a smart team and smart teams are fun to watch.  Watching players like Tedy Bruschi, Troy Brown, Tom Brady or Rodney Harrison who may not have been the most talented players work their butts off and win because they were always the most prepared and smartest is so much fun.  Also, something about the Pats culture allows vets in the “twilight” of their careers (Seau, Taylor) play like they are young men again and “problem players” (Moss, Dillon) be good citizens and huge contributors.  Also, they also have a scheme such that they can replace players who leave and barely miss a beat.  They went 11-5 with Matt Cassel who looks very human this year for heaven’s sake! 

4. Fan Base: Boston fans are passionate, knowledgeable, loyal and friendly (at least to each other)  Not to mention that, no matter what city you are in, you will find Patriots fans.  And, as I’m sure you know, there is nothing that compares to going to an away game with tons of like-minded fans.  Going to the Pats final regular season game in NY against the Giants in 2007 was easily one of the most fun sports experiences of my life. 

Well, there you go.  I can’t give you any Pats merch, but hopefully I have helped you make up your mind…Good Luck!

I have two links for you and they are sure to fit any mood.  If you want to laugh, I would suggest looking at Jon Stewart’s ‘touching’ farewell to Lou Dobbs.  If you want to think, the debate between the Democratic candidates for the open Senate seat in Massachusetts is for you.  (Just ignore where Mr. Pagliuca says he is in favor of a draft…he changed his mind about an hour later)

Enjoy and happy almost weekend!

Well that was quick.  Just days after voting for a healthcare bill that included a provision restricting the use of federal funds to pay for abortions AND strongly criticizing Martha Coakley for her “foolish” opposition, Congressman Capuano has reversed course.  Now he says that he will not vote for the bill when it returns to the house if it has the abortion clause in it.  

There is no doubt that this is an extremely difficult issue and, as a good friend of mine points out, “An inflexible politician is more dangerous than one who changes their opinions.”  However, such a major shift so soon after a vote and some strong statements is concerning.  This sure smacks of doing the right thing politically, rather than doing the right thing for the community.  Look, I’ve gone back and forth on where I stand on this question and have thought a lot about whether or not I’d vote for the bill in the current form.  However, before you make this important societal issue a part of your political game, it would be nice if you were comfortable with your position. 

Congressman Capuano, stick with what you believe in and, if you are going to change your mind, you better make sure you don’t call your opponent’s position “manna from heaven.”  I’ll tell you what manna from heaven would be – a politician who votes a certain way because it is the right thing to do and not because it is what will get them a promotion.