Can a Person Really Sue For This?

Not long after the Con Edison steam pipe explosion at Lexington Avenue and East 41st Street, the New York Post reports that a woman "filed a $400,000 negligence suit against Con Ed yesterday, saying she thought she was going to die - the way her sister did on 9/11."

I think nearly everyone can sympathize with her loss on that terrible day, but the question is: Can she actually sue for this?

Nevermind that anyone could probably file a suit against Con Edison for nearly any reason they want and that it's merely a question of whether it will get thrown out of court or not. But what grounds could she have to sue Con Ed on this basis?

From the Post:

"I can still see death," said Francine Dorf, whose sister, Maria LaVache, died at the World Trade Center. "I believe she was my guardian angel. She was there with me, but it wasn't my time to go.

"I can't sleep, I can't eat," added Dorf, 52, who works at a law firm on East 42nd Street. "I can see the smoke and I can see those people running and I think of my sister over and over again."

LaVache, 60, died at the World Trade Center. Her remains have never been found.

Dorf, who filed her suit in Brooklyn Supreme Court, said she is suffering from posttraumatic-stress disorder because of last Wednesday's blast at East 41st Street and Lexington Avenue.

Ms. Dorf may have a legitimate case against Con Edison if she were hit by debris from the explosion or if she later learned that she inhaled asbestos at the scene. There, she may have a case that Con Edison was negligent in keeping their system in good condition, if it is found that Con Edison had indeed been negligent. However, how could Con Ed possibly realize that someone who had lost a family member at the World Trade Center would be suffering (in her words, so far) PTSD from this accident? How could the coincidence between her loss and her being at the scene that day be Con Edison's fault? Was Con Edison somehow supposed to delay the explosion until she was out of the area?

This is the first of what may be many lawsuits against Con Edison, so surely we will hear more of it in the future. If Con Edison is found to be negligent, how would this impact this case that is based on those grounds? Certainly, we will find out in due time.

However, it seems that if Con Ed was negligent, they would have to worry about those injured by the explosion and the asbestos as well as the businesses affected before trying to determine how responsible Con Ed was in this person's harmful memories.

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Sharpton's Blood May Flow Through the Prominent Dixiecrat

Fairly humorous but at the same time deals a stark reminder to the legacy of slavery in this country, Al Sharptongue may be a distant relative of the late longtime Senator, Dixiecrat, and fierce defender of segregation with a sharp tongue of his own, Strom Thurmond.

Although this provided yet another opportunity for Sharpton to meet the cameras, it wasn't one of the patented rants of his that have let him become a well-known name in New York and across the country.

"I have always wondered what was the background of my family," he said. "But nothing - nothing - could prepare me for this."

And later in the piece:
"You know for real that you are three generations away from slavery," Sharpton would later remark.

As was explained to Sharpton:

"Julia Thurmond Sharpton's grandfather and Strom Thurmond's great-great-grandfather, William Thurmond, are the same man," Smolenyak explained. "Julia Thurmond Sharpton is Strom Thurmond's first cousin twice removed."

At the end of the article, Sharpton offered this remark:

"You have opportunities that they didn't have," he added. "It gives you a sense of obligation."

Hopefully he will keep those lines in mind in the future.

Sharpton is seeking to verify the link to Thurmond with a DNA test and also said a few words to the press that, although promoting himself (yet again), does highlight how far the country has come since Thurmond's 1948 run for President.

"It's important for America, because in the story of the Thurmonds and the Sharptons, there's the story of the shame and the glory of America," Sharpton told reporters and camera crews jammed into the lobby of The News.

"The shame is that people were owned as property, and the shame is that every time I write my name now, I will think about how I got that name. The shame is that I am the heir of those who were property to the Thurmond family," Sharpton said, with his daughter Dominique at his side.

"But the glory is that Strom Thurmond ran for President in 1948 on a segregationist ticket. I ran in '04 on a ticket of racial justice," Sharpton continued. "I got 10% of the vote in South Carolina. I beat [former Vermont Gov.] Howard Dean and [retired Army Gen.] Wesley Clark in South Carolina.

"I wonder what my great-grandfather would have thought about that."

Whether Sharpton is indeed related by blood or not, hopefully he does keep the progress made in America (especially that since Thurmond's presidential run nearly 60 years ago) firmly in his mind.

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2006: The Ending, the Beginning, and the Continuing

It is interesting to take note of where things stand now compared to where it was one year ago, when my 2005 year-end post was written. Some things were predictable and went on as planned. Other things have since come and delievered us surprises that not one person could have dreamed were possible.

The end of this year and the beginning of the next may well be more monumental than the previous one due to the changing of many guards, not just in New York, but across the country and on Capitol Hill. With these changes, we must forge onwards and take things in stride as we deal with this new reality.

As I said the previous year:
So here we are, ready to turn the counter once more for the year column. Some things may be coming to an end, still others are about to begin, and because life is never that simple, yet more things will transfer from this year to the next.

What is ending:


Governor George Pataki during an interview on the December 24, 2006 edition of NBC's News Forum
The era of Governor George E. Pataki. Of course, this was fosrseen one year ago when he decided against seeking a fourth term (with Eliot Spitzer in the rearview mirror already picking out the drapes for the Governor's Mansion; Sorry, Tom Suozzi...I did work on your campaign, but the Spitzer camp was in coronation mode from "Day One"). As I said last year, Pataki had already become a lame-duck Governor well before the election. With that future clear cut, Pataki spent the past year visitng areas vital to New York State such as Iowa, New Hampshire, and Iraq. He's been in presidential exploratory mode for the year, what ends at midnight tonight is his official title.

Okay, even if the past year was quiet on the Pataki front as far as New York is concerned, it is still the end of twelve years as Governor, which was the longest tenure for a Governor in the United States. It began with his overthrow of Democratic juggernaut Mario Cuomo, who himself occupied the Governor's mansion for twelve years, and continued through the events that have shaped New York's recent past and much of its near-term future. He was Governor while Wall Street took a beating from the stock markets, other markets, business scandals, et cetera. He was also the Governor when a hole was torn in New York's skyline on September 11, 2001. He oversaw a drive for New York to be more environmentally conscious. Whatever one thinks of Governor Pataki's performance as Governor, there is no question that his tenure will be one of the most historically significant in New York State history.

The New York Times also contemplates Pataki's legacy in office:

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The George Pataki Era
Published: December 31, 2006

Most politicians are fortunate if they’re remembered for one good thing. In the case of Gov. George Pataki, that will almost surely be his work for the environment. Mr. Pataki has earned his badge as an environmental governor by protecting wilderness, adding riverside parks, creating coalitions for cleaner air and alternative fuels and, most recently, announcing the fulfillment of his pledge to add one million acres of land to the public estate.

That is no small legacy. But beyond the environment, Mr. Pataki’s dozen years in office have produced mixed results. In many critical areas, his best efforts bump up against disappointing failures. What follows is an attempt to catalog the Pataki record at the end of his three terms. It is an early assessment, one that is bound to change over time.

Reform

There is a reason so many candidates ran for office this year promising reform in Albany: under Mr. Pataki, reform was a talking point, not a doing point. He had co-conspirators in the State Legislature. But failure began at the top. When Mr. Pataki assumed command in January 1995, he promised a full-throated revolution in state government. Instead, Albany suffered little more than a hiccup.

The year 2002 provided a disheartening example. Every decade, New York’s governor has one golden opportunity to effect change in a major way. That is when he is called upon to give his approval to redistricting and decide whether state legislators should be forced to compete for their jobs or be allowed to create weirdly shaped districts whose only purpose is to protect incumbents. Mr. Pataki could have demanded a fairer system. Instead, he signed another incumbent-protection plan, guaranteeing 10 more years of governmental dysfunction.

Mr. Pataki’s preference for confining his reform impulses to the realm of oratory was perhaps most pronounced when it came to campaign finance reform. Every year, he demanded restrictions on the power of big-money special interests to buy favors at election time; every year, the effort fizzled. By 2005, public and media pressure had inspired a few, first step reforms. But even then, Mr. Pataki wound up lagging behind the outcry, not leading it.

It’s not easy to remember, but this was a governor who came into office promising a new day and an open door. He left a system so hard to penetrate that his quarters in the State Capitol were known as Fort Pataki.

Health Care

Here the record is better. Mr. Pataki expanded Child Health Plus and created Family Health Plus, important entitlement programs offering care for many who could not otherwise afford it. He also pushed for the deregulation of hospitals.

While the governor did not have the power to reduce the size of an unwieldy health care system himself, he and others in Albany came up with a good end run, creating a commission whose recommendations would automatically become law unless the Legislature actively rejected the whole package. The result was a plan to close, merge and downsize hospitals and nursing homes.

Crime

Mr. Pataki puts crime-fighting at the top of his own bragging list. He pushed over 100 bills that toughened laws and lengthened prison sentences. New Yorkers will be arguing for years about whether these laws actually led to lower crime rates. New York’s crime rate has dropped and New York City is now ranked as the safest big city in the country. At a minimum, Mr. Pataki will have to share the credit with others — mainly New York City’s mayors and police.

Budget

Mr. Pataki came into office vowing to cut taxes, and on this he delivered. But as we have seen in Washington, it is fairly easy to persuade legislative bodies to cut taxes as long as they are not forced to restrain spending, too. Mr. Pataki may have wished for such restraint but he had neither the skill nor political muscle to achieve it. New York State’s budget has almost doubled on his watch, from about $62 billion in 1995 to over $114 billion this year. Long-term debt has almost doubled as well, soaring to $50 billion, and budget gaps of $3 billion to $4 billion a year could confront the next governor.

Mr. Pataki has also allowed the state to commit a fiscal conservative’s top mortal sin: borrowing to pay for continuing operating costs. These are the kinds of numbers that opponents will have a field day with if he moves into the presidential scrum.

Consolidating Power

Much of Mr. Pataki’s tenure was spent in budget fights with state legislators of both parties who, despite partisan differences, were united in a common desire to lavish money on their own favorite causes. In the end, a frustrated Mr. Pataki used a court ruling to seize control over the budget — and thus most of the state’s business — from the Legislature. Mr. Pataki and his staff have so whittled away the Legislature’s budgetary powers that even those who approve of a strong governor have begun to recognize a case of overkill.

Lower Manhattan

The prime example of the strengths and weaknesses of Mr. Pataki’s executive style is the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan after Sept. 11.

The governor chose excellent leaders for the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. But he did not feel compelled to follow their advice. When the decision came down to one of two first-rate master plans being considered for ground zero and the area around it, Mr. Pataki demanded Daniel Libeskind’s and won the day.

A second veto was less admirable. He melted in the face of criticism from a few vocal members of the victims’ families and their supporters and killed off plans for an International Freedom Center, bowing to concerns that the center’s mandate to encourage discussion might lead to debate about controversial ideas. Most troubling of all was the way Mr. Pataki’s focus on the city’s emotional rebuilding seemed to ebb and flow. He was not always there when he was needed. As criticism mounted, he would eventually appear and often do the right thing. But the lag times hurt.

Towards the end, Mr. Pataki pushed for tangible evidence that he had made his mark on ground zero. On Dec. 19, 12 days before leaving office, he celebrated the first column of the Freedom Tower with an emotional declaration that the steel “rises from the ashes of September 11.” If there was a sigh of relief in the Pataki household that something was finally happening at the World Trade Center site, there must also have been a sigh outside as well.

At moments when leadership was needed, this was a governor whose performance was always adequate. It is hardly the kind of summation that makes for a political legend, but New Yorkers are well aware that it is possible to do worse.

---

Also ending is the political career of former State Comptroller, Alan Hevesi. Hevesi pled guilty to a felony and admitted that he did not plan to reimburse the state for the time and duties of a state employee to be a caretaker and chauffeur for his ill wife. Although this kept him from prison, the deal forced Hevesi to give up any dreams that he would be able to retain his post as Comptroller. It does not seem likely that Hevesi would be able to find work as a lobbyist as other politicians would not want to touch him with a hundred-foot pole. What he does from here on out is his own business and his time stiffing the state's taxpayers is finally over.


Hevesi's mug shot.

The GOP's control of Congress is also finished, at least for now. The scare surrounding South Dakota's Senator Tim Johnson subsided along with chances that the Republicans would be able to control the Senate in the 110th Congress through a Republican replacement appointment and Vice President Dick Cheney's tie-breaking vote.


This brings to end the corruption, the spending, the earmarks, and the scandals surrounding the Republican Congress and its leadership. Whether the corruption, spending, earmarks, or scandals disappear when the 110th Congress is open for business remains to be seen.

Finally, the mess between the MTA and TWU Local 100 that was very much up in the air one year ago has finally ended with a contract. The rest from the transit labor wars is much appreciated.

What is beginning:



"Day One" begins. Already on Eliot Spitzer's plate as the incoming Governor will be to work with the Legislature to fill the vacant Comptroller's seat. There will definitely be changes as soon as the Spitzer Administration takes hold. Hopefully, for all of us, those changes are not merely different faces doing the same things.



Perhaps this is the beginning of the end of State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno's influence over Albany. With the investigation over his target="_blank">ties to horse racing advocates/lobbyists and the decline in GOP power statewide, many in the party are looking to clean house. Bruno, now the top Republican in the state, could find that he is a target by those who want to change the way the Republican leadership does business and also present a fresh face that may set the party back on track to win power.


The Democrats go to Washington and take Capitol Hill. Bipartisanship will likely not be on the menu by mutual agreement from both parties. Will the Democrats manage to stay true to the promises made during the camapign? We will see how quickly the honeymoon lasts. I expect the battle to begin very shortly after the Democrats begin the 110th Congress.

Also, the jockeying begins. Now that elected officials are not on the campaign trail stumping for their favored candidates, they can devote their attention towards exploring runs for other offices and fundraising. It has already begun very visibly for President and for various electeds citywide looking to 2008 and 2009. Expect even more people to join the fray. As the vast majority of the New York City government is term-limited out of office, the scramble to look for opportunities in the State Legislature, Congress, the Borough President offices, Public Advocate, City Comptroller, and Mayor. The coming year will only hold special elections for offices vacated, but there will be plenty of action behind the scenes in preparation for the couple of years after.

What is continuing:

Although I thought the City Council would make a move to try to extend or eliminate term limits, that did not happen in 2006. However, it can never be out of the question. The local media will be scrambling for stories in the coming year now that a lot of the election talk will not be on the air in this off-ear. It may well provide a perfect opportunity for the Council to make its case, if it were to go that route. We shall see.

The World Trade Center area is still in work. There is finally work underway towards building the Freedom Tower. There have also been searches for remains as some have been found recently by the western edge of the area. Hopefully there will be good progress here.

The city government is going to run as it has for the past year. Worrying about things like banning trans-fats aside, there has been remarkably little conflict between the Council and Mayor Bloomberg. Dare I say things are quite peaceful at City Hall. There is always work to be done. Hopefully the peace will continue.

The federal government remains a mess for now and it will now fall to the Democrats to look after it. Deficits, earmarks, and lobbying are still unfortunately par for the course.

The state government also remains in its shape until things actually change.

The war in Iraq continues. Some things have changed, including the end of Saddam Hussein's life, but the war is less popular now than it was a year ago. It will be a huge issue nationally in the coming year, just like it was in 2006.


But thinking of the new and old problems can wait until tomorrow, as I said one year ago. Tonight, we celebrate the arrival of a brand new year with brand new hopes. Wish us all good luck in this coming year, in our endeavors, in our lives, and with each other. For anyone reading this, do think about the new opportunities arriving with the new year.

Now is the time to celebrate! Have a very Happy New Year!

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What's Under the Tree?

Many gifts were exchanged throughout the country as millions of people celebrated this holiday season. Many of these people, either due to conflicts in schedules or just because they felt like it, exchanged those gifts early. Politicians and other important figures are no exception. Sorry, some of the gifts are non-returnable!

Alan Hevesi:

Of course, Hevesi had to do some of the legwork to receive the gift. But all he had to do was admit to a felony and vacate the State Comptroller's office.

Eliot Spitzer: Alan Hevesi's head on a platter.

The "Day One" Express is now pushing full-steam ahead now that Hevesi's mess has been removed from the tracks. Spitzer will also have the opportunity to mold the future of the Comptroller's office. While it is possible that he will butt heads with Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver, it is also likely that Spitzer can use his momentum to sway enough representatives in the merged State Assembly (for the purposes of confirming a new Comptroller) to pass his choice and undermine Silver's power.

Sheldon Silver: Alan Hevesi's head on a platter.

Hevesi's resignation places Silver in a commanding position when the time comes to install a new Comptroller. The State Assembly and Senate will merge to confirm the potential Comptroller, with each representative on equal footing, regardless of the chamber of the Legislature in which they were elected to office. Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno and his Senate Republicans are marginalized as Silver's Assembly Democrats consist of by far the largest faction.

This scenario gives Silver a path to reassert his power on the state government and prove that he is still very much a part of the Three Men in the Room.

The outcome of the selection will determine whether Spitzer or Silver is the victor and if they received the actual head on the platter, instead of the plastic fake.

Joe Bruno: An investigation into his ties with groups involved in horse racing and those that might have given him far too many perks in return for favors from the powerful Bruno.

From the Times' article:

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The trip, which included three aides to the senator and a veterinarian who has been close to Mr. Bruno for years, would become a catalyst for investigations into the business activities of Mr. Bruno, a thoroughbred enthusiast who has long raised horses on his farm in Brunswick, N.Y., northeast of Albany.

The trip to Kentucky was arranged by two officials at the Friends of New York Racing, a short-lived advocacy group formed by racing fans and executives intent on overhauling the Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga tracks, the centerpiece of an industry that generates $1.4 billion a year in economic activity in New York State.

After producing a 20-page report in December 2005, the group dissolved this year amid infighting, with many of its top directors and staff members joining a consortium that is now vying for the state’s lucrative horseracing franchise.

In recent months, the advocacy group and one of its founding directors, Jared E. Abbruzzese, have emerged as central elements of separate investigations by the state lobbying commission and a federal grand jury.

The lobbying commission is examining whether Mr. Abbruzzese, a businessman and longtime friend of Senator Bruno’s, violated state law by giving free or discounted flights to the senator.

Federal authorities are examining, among other things, whether substantial payments by Mr. Abbruzzese to Mr. Bruno’s private consulting firm were part of an effort to influence the senator, who is likely to have a major say over who gets the racing franchise.

The authorities have also issued a subpoena to Wayne R. Barr Jr., a lawyer and business associate of Mr. Abbruzzese’s, who helped arrange Mr. Bruno’s trip to Kentucky.

The person behind the Friends of New York Racing was Timothy G. Smith, a former executive at the P.G.A. of America, the golf association, and at the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

The new group was formed in late 2004 in response to the economic threat that video lottery terminals and casinos run by Indian tribes posed to the New York and national horse racing industries.

---

The trip is referring to a trip to Lexington, Kentucky that included a visit to a racetrack and auction and concluded with a fundraiser for Bruno's Senate Republican majority.

Michael Bloomberg: A very good year.

Aside from the Sean Bell incident and the ten-day Queens blackout in the summer (two large asides), Michael Bloomberg has had a pretty good year. Whether he runs or not, the speculation that he would run an independent bid for the White House in 2008 is keeping him popular.

Democrat State Senator Efrain Gonzalez: An indictment to match the previous one.

Republican State Senator Mike Balboni: A nice job with the Spitzer administration.

New York Democrats: Not only do they receive much-needed aspirin to treat a case of Hevesitis, but they also have the chance to pick up Balboni's seat and move one closer towards taking the State Senate.

New York Republicans: Not a very good holiday for them. However, Governor Pataki's reign at the top is ending. With complaints that Pataki did not maintain a strong Republican Party in New York State that led to the trouncing of most Republican candidates around the state, this is a chance to clean house.

New York City Council: Pay Day!

New York Residents: More of the same in the state governemt? That's Mickey Carroll's prediction.

Residents Surrounding the Atlantic Yards: Not quite what a lot of you wanted.

The plan to build office towers, the arena for the New Jersey Nets basketball team, et cetera, cleared Shelly Silver's possible objection and can proceed.

President George W. Bush: Well, he did get his new Defense Secretary through....

The New Democratic Congress: Lots of work.

Unfinished spending bills will have to go through for the current fiscal year to keep the government running. The Democrats are talking about ending the rule of the earmark on Capitol Hill, but with the Republicans opting to punt, the Democrats will have some tough battles ahead as individual representatives will fight to keep their projects, whether they are worthy or not.

Saddam Hussein: Death.

The Fox News story and their picture from last night.


The New York Daily News.


The New York Times.


Obviously big news, especially given the timing, coming at dawn on the day of a Muslim holiday, Eid ul-Adha. Historic as it is, KipEsquire warns not to overindulge in any celebrations. Hussein's fate was sealed once he was captured. However, his death does mark the end of an era in Iraq (whether you believe the new one is a good one or not) and the healing from his tyrannical rule can begin.

These are but the many gifts, whether they're good or not, that were found under the tree for many of the people that affect our lives daily.

As it is still within the Twelve Days of Christmas, Merry Christmas to all, and to all, Happy Holidays. Sorry, Bill O'Reilly, there are more holidays out there.


Picture of the 2003 Christmas Tree at the Capitol.

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President Gerald R. Ford (1913-2006)

The 38th President of the United States, Gerald Rudolph Ford, passed away on Tuesday, December 26, 2006. He was 93.

Ford was, to date, the only person to have served as President without having been elected as President or Vice President. His path to the top of the executive branch was ushered by the resignations of Vice President Spiro Agnew and President Richard Nixon. Ford was confirmed as Vice President on December 6, 1973 and was sworn in as President on August 9, 1974. Ford then survived a strong challenge within the Republican ranks by Ronald Reagan and was the Republican nominee for the 1976 election. He was defeated in a close election by Democrat Jimmy Carter.

Prior to his tenure in the executive branch, Ford led a distinctive career in the House of Representatives. First elected in 1948, Ford went on to win 12 re-election campaigns and served as the House Minority Leader from 1965 until his tenure in the House ended with his confirmation as Vice President.

Ford also served in the US Naval Reserve during World War II and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

Ford's biography comes courtesy of C-SPAN.

Additional reading is provided by The New York Times (free login may be required).

Whether one agrees or disagrees with some of Ford's decisions during his tenure, including the pardon of Richard Nixon and his decision not to give financial assistance to New York City as the city government faced bankruptcy (though he later guaranteed loans to the city in exchange for fiscal restraint), there is little doubt that Ford is seen in a better light today than he was three decades ago. A large factor contributing to such views is his pardon of Nixon and how far his decision to keep the Nixon scandals out of lengthy legal battles helped the country heal itself and prevented the erosion of trust in the government.


The famous New York Daily News headline following Ford's decision regarding New York City.


Certainly, on balance, Ford performed admirably during a particularly crucial time in American history and American democracy. While people may argue what direction the United States would have taken had Ford not stumbled during the election and had defeated Carter in 1976, there does not seem to have been a better person capable of taking on the role of the presidency following Nixon. Additionally, and a point that should not be overlooked, Ford was one of the most honest politicians, certainly more honest than most of the politicians of today.

Hopefully, the remembrance of Ford's presidency and his legacy will inject a renewed commitment to integrity as we face Democratic control of Congress and the continuation of the Bush 43 presidency as well as the campaign ahead for 2008.

Rest in peace, Mr. President.

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Merry War on Christmas!

Belated it may be but the greetings and well wishes of the season should always be welcome. Therefore, hopefully everyone has had, or continues to have, a very Merry Christmas, a very Happy Chanukah, and/or a very wonderful holiday season.

Whether one is on the side of Bill O'Reilly and believes that there is a conspiracy of anti-Christmas jihadists schemeing to undermine Christmas in the name of atheism or secularism or Communism or whatever dark side is behind the War on Christmas, or you're actually one of the Christmas War gladiators, or you believe the War on Christmas is just a way to fill up time and use up stored outrage and that Christmas is too commercial anyway, the spirit behind Christmas should apply to everyone, regardless of whether they celebrate the day or not.

For once, bitter partisan politics were cast aside and people renewed their faith in humanity. People wished others of different political affiliations, of different races, and of different religions well for the holiday. Nearly everyone extended those wishes to American soldiers stationed overseas, especially those engaged in combat.

That atmosphere will not last long after the new year. Already, there are news stories covering current and upcoming partisan battles. Such is the way of life these days but there is nothing wrong with trying to retain the spirit of Christmas even as we push ahead into those battles. Perhaps if everyone tried to retain that spirit, even the most partisan and pitched battles will not take such a toll on the morale and civility of the combatants and the observers.

With that said, another year has come and gone while Christmas survives once more. O'Reilly may tout this as a victory, but the spirit and goodwill of people across the country made the charm of the season possible.

Merry Christmas to all. And Happy Holidays as well (take that, O'Reilly!)

Now we can get on to the next campaign in the Culture Wars: The War on Orthodox Christmas.

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