Monica Conyers Resigns From Detroit City Council

Monica Conyers, the Detroit City Council president pro tempore who was convicted on Friday of taking bribes in a sludge deal, submitted her resignation today, effective July 6.

Conyers, the wife of John Conyers, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, had asked for more time to decide her future in the wake of her conviction. But City Council President Ken Cockrell Jr. told her that the council "would begin procedures to remove her from office if she does not quit immediately," according to the Detroit Free Press.

12:25 PM ET | 06-29-2009 | permalink

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Sanford Takes A Hike; Blogosphere Has Answers

In the bizarre and often surreal world of politics -- where we like to say we've seen it all -- the strange situation involving South Carolina's Mark Sanford seems to have touched a nerve.

Sanford, for those who haven't heard (or who got lost hiking in the woods), is the two-term Republican governor who disappeared on Thursday and hadn't been heard from for four days -- and that includes last Sunday, Father's Day. His wife Jenny said she has not been in contact with him either, which led to a whole assortment of rumors.

Continue reading "Sanford Takes A Hike; Blogosphere Has Answers" »

4:59 PM ET | 06-23-2009 | permalink

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N.Y. Defector Returns To Dems, Leaving State Senate Tied At 31

The bizarre saga of the New York state Senate just got bizarrer.

State Sen. Hiram Monserrate, the Queens Democrat who joined the Bronx's Pedro Espada last week to give the GOP control of the state Senate, is returning to the Democratic fold.

Continue reading "N.Y. Defector Returns To Dems, Leaving State Senate Tied At 31" »

10:10 AM ET | 06-15-2009 | permalink

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I'd Walk A Mile For A Cameral. But Not In Maine

On Tuesday, I wrote about an effort in Maine to abolish separate branches of the state Legislature -- the House and Senate -- and instead move to a unicameral legislature, the way Nebraska does it.

Well, it ain't happening.

Keith Shortall, the public affairs director at the Maine Public Broadcasting Network, reports that the Maine state Senate has killed the bill:

Senators on Wednesday stuck by their earlier vote against the bill. That kills it for the session, even though the House had endorsed the plan. The proposed constitutional amendment would reduce the Legislature to one, 151-member body. The present Legislature has a 151-member House of Representatives and 35-member Senate. The change would have been subject to voter approval.

4:16 PM ET | 06-11-2009 | permalink

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Deeds Wins Half Of Va. Gov. Primary Vote; Done Dirt Cheap

State Sen. R. Creigh Deeds won the three-way Democratic primary for governor of Virginia, an impressive showing for the candidate who was the least well-funded in the race. And while the momentum was clearly heading in his direction, his capturing of nearly 50 percent of the vote was the big headline of the night. Trailing well behind were former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe and former state Delegate Brian Moran.

Results with nearly all precincts reporting:

Deeds 159,284 49.73%
McAuliffe 84,588 26.41
Moran 76,376 23.84

Deeds will face former state Attorney General Bob McDonnell (R) in November. The winner will succeed Democrat Tim Kaine, who is barred by state law from succeeding himself. Four years ago, McDonnell defeated Deeds for the AG post by just 323 votes.

Deeds raised about $3.7 million for his campaign, less than Moran and far less than McAuliffe, who entered the race as the favorite, despite this being his first bid as a candidate. McAuliffe had long been associated with the Clintons, having raised money for both Bill and Hillary and having headed her presidential bid in 2008.

Deeds also benefited from sharp attacks aimed at each other by McAuliffe and Moran; Deeds mostly stayed out of the fray. Hailing from rural Bath County, near the West Virginia border, he was clearly the most conservative of the three Dems, supporting a loophole in state law that exempts gun show sales from background checks.

10:34 PM ET | 06-09-2009 | permalink

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Winners & Losers In New York Coup; Dems Not Giving Up

They are still pointing fingers and shaking heads in New York, one day after a legislative coup in which two renegade Democrats voted with Republicans to give the GOP control of the state Senate -- control it lost last November after four decades.

But if you listen to what Democrats are saying today, the fight ain't over yet.

Continue reading "Winners & Losers In New York Coup; Dems Not Giving Up" »

7:00 PM ET | 06-09-2009 | permalink

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Remember The Maine? State May Move To Unicameral Legislature

The Maine House of Representatives is backing a plan that would establish a unicameral (one house) legislature -- combining members of the state House (current number: 151) and the state Senate (35) into one body of 151 members.

Of all the states, only Nebraska has that system, which it adopted in 1937.

The Maine Public Broadcasting Network reports that it's not a done deal: "The measure requires more votes in both the House and Senate. Today's vote in the House fell short of the two-thirds majority that would be needed for final passage."

And why would Maine do this? "Supporters say the constitutional change would save the state millions of dollars during a typical, two-year legislative session, and improve the Legislature's efficiency. But opponents say a unicameral Legislature lacks checks and balances."

Check out the Maine Unicameral Legislature blog, especially -- as the blogger, Rep. Linda Valentino, states -- "if you are ready for a REAL CHANGE, and ready to achieve a TRANSPARENT, EFFICIENT, and ACCOUNTABLE State legislature."

2:02 PM ET | 06-09-2009 | permalink

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How The Va. Primary Will Affect The 2016 Presidential Race

Not really.

But we, the political cognoscenti, have this ingrained and annoying habit of over-interpreting elections. That's especially true of off-year elections, like this year's gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, or special elections, like the one earlier this year in New York's 20th CD to replace Kirsten Gillibrand.

Sometimes what happens does have repercussions. In 1991, for example, Harris Wofford (D) upset former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh (R) in the special Pennsylvania Senate election following the death of incumbent Republican John Heinz. Wofford was appointed to fill the seat, but few thought he could beat Thornburgh, who had been a popular two-term governor. But Wofford, with the help of Dem strategists James Carville and Paul Begala, effectively used the issue of health care to upset Thornburgh. The following year, Bill Clinton used health care as one of his issues to win the White House.

In the off-year elections of 1993, it was a clean sweep for the GOP. Republicans took governorships in New Jersey, where Christie Whitman ousted Gov. Jim Florio, and Virginia, where George Allen won easily. Rudy Giuliani was elected mayor of New York City, hardly a bastion of Republicanism, and they kept a congressional seat on Staten Island. The following year, Republicans won control of both houses of Congress for the first time since 1952.

So sometimes we do learn something in these isolated elections. But for the most part, attempts at reading tea leaves and extrapolating results into a BIG MESSAGE are often just silly.

Continue reading "How The Va. Primary Will Affect The 2016 Presidential Race" »

10:37 AM ET | 06-09-2009 | permalink

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Was Same-Sex Marriage The Impetus For N.Y. Senate Switch?

Regarding the shocking takeover of the New York state Senate by the Republican Party with the support of two Democrats from NYC:

Some are wondering what this does to the prospects of passing same-sex marriage legislation, which is supported by Gov. David Paterson (D) and already passed by the state Assembly.

Here's the take from Jeremy Peters and Danny Hakim of the New York Times:

Why Mr. Espada and Mr. Monserrate suddenly defected on Monday afternoon was not immediately clear.

One source of contention among Democrats recently has been Mr. Smith's support for same-sex marriage. Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., a Democrat from the Bronx, has been outspoken in his insistence that legislation allowing gay couples to marry not be allowed to come to a vote. Some had speculated he might leave the Democratic Party if Mr. Smith were to allow a vote.

But Mr. Diaz did not join Mr. Espada and Mr. Monserrate in the leadership vote on Monday. It was not immediately clear whether the same-sex marriage legislation played any role in the leadership dispute.

4:40 PM ET | 06-08-2009 | permalink

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New York Coup Returns State Senate Control To GOP

It's Jim Jeffords all over again, though on a smaller scale.

It looks like Republicans have managed to win back control of the New York state Senate.

They have apparently gotten two Democratic members, Hiram Monserrate of Queens and Pedro Espada of the Bronx, to vote with them. That gives Senate Republicans the 32 votes they would need to switch control ... thus electing Dean Skelos (R) as the new majority leader and ending Malcolm Smith's (D) leadership after just six months.

North Country Public Radio's Brian Mann reports that both Espada and Monserrate are "socially conservative" Dems who have "bristled" at Smith's leadership.

Democrats won control of the New York state Senate (by one vote) in 2008 for the first time since the 1960s, and thus giving the party complete control over state government.

The Albany Times-Union's Irene Jay Liu and Rick Karlin call it a "stunning move that could change the nature of electoral politics." Indeed.

4:08 PM ET | 06-08-2009 | permalink

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Bloggers, Polls Weigh In On Virginia Democratic Gov Primary

Virginia Democrats will choose their gubernatorial nominee in a primary tomorrow for the first time since 1977. The reason you are reading so much about Virginia is not that it's the state (commonwealth) with the most interesting race for governor. It's that, like New Jersey, it's the only game in town this year.

And that happens every four years. We watch Virginia, and New Jersey, closer than most, because they are the only two gubernatorial contests in the year after the presidential election.

There's a lot happening in the Old Dominion. I previewed the race on Thursday. Here's the latest.

Continue reading "Bloggers, Polls Weigh In On Virginia Democratic Gov Primary" »

3:05 PM ET | 06-08-2009 | permalink

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Kean Not Able To Run As Christie's LG In New Jersey

New Jersey is one of the few states in the country without a lieutenant governor; in fact, other than U.S. senators, the governor is the only person elected statewide in the Garden State. That is one reason New Jersey's governor is among the most powerful in the nation.

This year, however, comes a change. For the first time ever, this year's election in N.J. will bring in a lieutenant governor.

But who will it be? On Friday, state Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. said he's not interested in becoming Chris Christie's (R) running mate. Kean, the unsuccessful Republican nominee for the Senate in 2006 against Bob Menendez and the son of a former two-term GOP governor, said he is focusing on the state budget, and a statewide run would be too distracting.

Claire Heininger of the Newark Star-Ledger says other Republicans, such as Bergen County Clerk Kathleen Donovan and state Sens. Diane Allen and Jennifer Beck, remain possibles.

One Democrat, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, has already taken himself out of contention to be Gov. Jon Corzine's running mate.

10:22 AM ET | 06-08-2009 | permalink

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Hare & Tortoises In Virginia Democratic Gov Primary

At some point, we'll be talking about the race for governor of Virginia in larger political terms.

As in ... Is this the place where Republicans begin their long trek back? Will they win on the home turf of Gov. Tim Kaine, the Democratic National chairman? If so, will it portend vulnerability for the Democrats in 2010?

Or will Virginia continue the string of Democratic advances in the Old Dominion? Barack Obama won Virginia in 2008, the first Democratic presidential candidate to do so since LBJ in '64. Democrats have won back-to-back Senate and gubernatorial contests. Will that trend continue?

But it's too early for such lofty thoughts.

Right now, the focus is on the Democratic primary next Tuesday, June 9, where three candidates are running: former Democratic National Committee chair Terry McAuliffe, state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, and ex-state Delegate Brian Moran. (Bob McDonnell, who resigned as state attorney general back in February in order to focus full time on the race for governor, has already been selected as the Republican nominee.)

And for most of the primary campaign, of the three Dems running to succeed the term-limited Kaine, the spotlight has been on one man: McAuliffe.

Continue reading "Hare & Tortoises In Virginia Democratic Gov Primary" »

6:06 PM ET | 06-04-2009 | permalink

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History In The Making In New Jersey!

I'm as excited about this year's New Jersey gubernatorial race as much as anyone, maybe more. I can't wait to see how the two candidates define the contest and each other.

But I have to admit, I smiled at this breathless line in Associated Press reporter Angela Delli Santi's otherwise excellent analysis of the race:

Republican Christopher J. Christie and Gov. Jon S. Corzine are set to do battle in the only governor's race in the country to feature an incumbent Democrat [emphasis mine].

Sounds like a big deal -- the only gov race with an incumbent Democrat! But wait: There are all of two gov races in the country this year, New Jersey and Virginia!

That must mean there's more history in the making: Virginia is the only governor's race in the country without an incumbent running!

11:10 AM ET | 06-04-2009 | permalink

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Christie Wins NJ GOP Gov Primary, Will Face Corzine In Nov.

Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, a conservative backed by the party establishment, won the Republican gubernatorial primary in New Jersey, defeating an even more conservative candidate, ex-Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan. Another conservative candidate, state Assemblyman Richard Merkt, finished a poor third.

Christie, who touts his crime-busting record, goes into the November general election a favorite over Gov. Jon Corzine (D), whose popularity declined along with the state's economy.

Click here for more on the GOP primary.

Since New Jersey governors have been allowed to run for a second term starting in the late 1940s, only two incumbents have gone down to defeat: Bill Cahill (R), in the 1973 GOP primary, and Jim Florio (D), in the 1993 general election.

10:11 PM ET | 06-02-2009 | permalink

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Jersey GOP Needs To Sort Self Out Before It Faces Gov. Corzine

The New Jersey Republican Party has a golden opportunity this year to do something it hasn't done in awhile: elect a candidate to statewide office. Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, who left the Senate to become governor in 2005, has seen his numbers, along with the economy, tank, and he has responded by raising taxes and cutting services. The GOP would love to take advantage by ousting him in November.

But first the party will have to unite following today's contentious primary where, as Garden State Republicans have experienced before, the preferred candidate of the party establishment is being challenged by a conservative outsider.

Continue reading "Jersey GOP Needs To Sort Self Out Before It Faces Gov. Corzine" »

6:55 AM ET | 06-02-2009 | permalink

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Hoopla In Detroit: Dave Bing Is Elected Mayor

Dave Bing, the Hall of Fame basketball great who spent most of his career with the Pistons, was elected mayor of Detroit yesterday.

With 100 percent of the vote in, Bing received 49,054 votes (52.3%) to 44,770 votes (47.7%) for Kenneth Cockrel Jr., who had been serving as acting mayor since the resignation of scandal-tarred Kwame Kilpatrick.

Continue reading "Hoopla In Detroit: Dave Bing Is Elected Mayor" »

9:18 AM ET | 05-06-2009 | permalink

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Cockrell, Bing Vie For Detroit Mayor On Tuesday

It's hard to make the case that anyone can turn around the image of Detroit, at least in the short run.

But the case can also be made that, after the embarrassment of Kwame Kilpatrick, it can only get better.

Two candidates are running in tomorrow's special election hoping to create a new Detroit.

Kilpatrick, of course, was the two-term mayor who was forced out following published text messages between him and his chief of staff, Christine Beatty, that seemed to assert what they both had denied, under oath: that they were having an affair.

The view here is that the private lives of politicians should, for the most part, be off-limits. In fact, allegations aimed at Kirkpatrick went far beyond the affair. But apparently Kilpatrick used city funds to facilitate their relationship and used city officials to cover up the affair. In March of 2008, Kilpatrick and Beatty were hit with a 12-count of indictment, charging perjury and obstruction of justice. That same month, the City Council, by a vote of 7-1, passed a nonbinding resolution calling on the mayor to resign.

In September, after months of denials, Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to two felony counts, resigned as mayor and briefly served time in prison.

He was succeeded as mayor by Kenneth Cockrel, the City Council president. Cockrel faces businessman Dave Bing, the former NBA great with the Pistons, in Tuesday's nonpartisan runoff election. Cockrel is thought to have a slight edge, while Bing, more of a political outsider, has been endorsed by the Detroit News and the Free-Press. In the initial, multicandidate primary in February, Bing led Cockrel by about 2,000 votes.

4:56 PM ET | 05-04-2009 | permalink

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Will The Virginia GOP Unite In Time For November?

Here's the good news for the Republican Party of Virginia and its effort to get their candidate, former Attorney General Bob McDonnell, elected governor this fall:

In the past 30 years -- as we wrote in breathtaking detail last Dec. 5 -- every winner has been the candidate from the party opposite of the person who was elected president the year before. And since the guy in the White House, Barack Obama, is a Democrat, that could portend good things for McDonnell.

But before Old Dominion Republicans are going to take back the governorship after an eight-year absence, they are going to have to get their act together.

Continue reading "Will The Virginia GOP Unite In Time For November?" »

10:24 AM ET | 04-06-2009 | permalink

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Guest Blog: Will GOP Fratricide Help Dems in 2010 Gov Race?

Michael Olson left NPR's political unit after the 2008 elections to be a project manager for NPR in Austin, Texas. He offers this take on Democratic prospects in the Lone Star State's 2010 gubernatorial contest:

Democrat Tom Schieffer launched an exploratory committee for governor Monday in Austin. The announcement, which came 173 years (to the day) after Texas seceded from the Union, coincides with Schieffer's desire to have Texans leave the Republican Party. If Schieffer succeeds, he'd be the first Democrat to hold the office since Ann Richards lost the office to George W. Bush in 1994. Schieffer's relationship to Bush is getting attention in Austin.

Continue reading "Guest Blog: Will GOP Fratricide Help Dems in 2010 Gov Race? " »

9:18 AM ET | 03-03-2009 | permalink

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D.C. Vote? Not So Fast

I'm well aware of the irony in the header. After all, it's only been 200-plus years that residents of the District of Columbia have been clamoring for the right to have a voting representative in Congress. But Tuesday's vote that cleared the way for the Senate to begin deliberating on the bill -- the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act -- is only a first step. Or, maybe, a millionth step. Whatever, it's not the final step. (The Senate passed the measure today, 61-37. More on that below.)

Congressional passage may be the easy part.

 

First, how we got to where we are now. From the beginning, when Congress designed the District as the nation's capital, residents could not vote. They got the right to vote for president in 1964 and mayor in 1975, but their representative in Congress -- officially, a delegate -- cannot vote. (That was partially changed a few years ago when Congress voted to allow the delegate, since 1991 Eleanor Holmes Norton, to vote in committee, though still not on the House floor.)

Continue reading "D.C. Vote? Not So Fast" »

3:52 PM ET | 02-26-2009 | permalink

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Carolyn McCarthy, A Potential Gillibrand Primary Foe, Gave $ To Her Campaigns

We've long understood, even before God gave us Rod Blagojevich, that there are some things you just can't make up.

Here's another one.

Even before her appointment to the Senate became official, when it was still in the rumor stage, Kirsten Gillibrand was attracting enemies within her own party, and none more so than her fellow member of Congress from New York Carolyn McCarthy. McCarthy was the Long Island housewife whose husband was murdered by a deranged gunman in a mass killing on the Long Island Rail Road in 1993. The tragedy -- and her outrage that her congressman voted to lift the ban on semiautomatic weapons -- propelled McCarthy into politics and national attention.

On Thursday, when Gillibrand's name seemed to go beyond the rumor stage as the choice of Gov. David Paterson to fill Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, McCarthy went public with her opposition. Focusing on Gillibrand's 100 percent rating by the National Rifle Association, McCarthy said, "To have a senator representing the NRA for New York, that would be wrong. If it comes down to that, I will [run in the] primary in 2010."

On Friday, Paterson indeed did name Gillibrand. And McCarthy didn't back down.

McCarthy, in fact, was so outraged that ... wait for it ... she contributed $1,500 to Gillibrand's congressional campaigns in both 2006 and 2008. Tom Brune of Newsday has the details:

McCarthy's leadership PAC gave Gillibrand a $500 contribution for her first run for Congress in 2006, and doubled it to $1,000 for her re-election bid last June, according to federal campaign finance records.

McCarthy made the second donation June 5, months after Gillibrand had publicly signed on to a legal brief that drew attacks from McCarthy's friends among gun-control advocates because it urged the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Washington, D.C.'s, gun ban.

"Yeah, I gave her money. I didn't know what her stance was," said McCarthy, a Democrat from Mineola who has made gun control her signature issue since she first ran for Congress. ...

McCarthy said she was trying to help a Democrat win an uphill race in a conservative Republican district. She insisted she did not know about Gillibrand's strong pro-gun views.

Meanwhile, Brune reports that a new potential candidate for the seat has been added to the mix: former Gov. George Pataki (R). That may or may not be the reason why Rep. Peter King (R) "wavered a bit" as to whether he would run or not, saying Gillibrand "could be a tougher opponent than Caroline Kennedy," whom King was preparing to run against had she been appointed.

12:07 PM ET | 01-27-2009 | permalink

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Ex-Tiger Bunning No Hall Of Famer In Detroitland

Jim Bunning, now a Republican senator from Kentucky, once pitched a perfect game against the New York Mets when he was with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.

He also spent nine seasons pitching for the Detroit Tigers. In fact, he was scheduled to sign baseballs on Sunday in Taylor, Mich. At $35 a pop.

It seems a bit unseemly for a United States senator to be selling his autograph, baseball great or not. But that's not the point of this post.

Bunning opposes the government bailout of the U.S. auto industry and voted against the House-passed bill last night, causing the deal to fall apart. Whatever you think of that position, it does have deep implications for Michigan and those whose livelihoods depend on the health of the industry. Nonetheless, Bunning was scheduled to come to the city of Taylor — the "deepest part of UAW country," according to the Detroit Free Press — to sell his autograph.

Bunning has gotten a rough shake from the press in recent years. Time magazine once listed him as one of the Senate's five least effective members. Free Press columnist Brian Dickerson notes that when Bunning barely won re-election in 2004 (while President Bush had an easy go of it in Kentucky), it was because "many Kentuckians suspected his elevator no longer went all the way to the top."

Well, Mr. Bunning will not be signing balls on Sunday. Jim Koester, the president of the Gibraltar Trade Center in Taylor, canceled the appearance altogether, having read about the senator's position on the bailout in the Free Press. Said Koester, "I simply cannot support anyone who, in my opinion, votes against the economic well-being of our great state."

Bunning is 13th on the all-time list of pitchers who hit batters. Looks like he got, if nothing else, a bit of a brushback himself.

4:35 PM ET | 12-12-2008 | permalink

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Tough Road Back For Virginia GOP ... Maybe

It's not a fun time to be a Virginia Republican.

A state (oops, commonwealth) long dominated by the GOP, Virginia has elected Democrats in back-to-back gubernatorial elections — Mark Warner in 2001 and Tim Kaine in 2005. Democrats have replaced GOP senators in two successive elections — Jim Webb ousting George Allen in 2006, and the aforementioned Warner replacing retiring Republican John Warner, no relation, last month.

In addition, three Republican House seats went from R to D this year: the 2nd District, where Glenn Nye unseated Rep. Thelma Drake; the 5th CD, where Tom Perriello apparently defeated Rep. Virgil Goode Jr.; and the 11th CD, where Gerald Connolly won the seat left by retiring Rep. Tom Davis. Democrats will now have a majority of the Virginia House delegation for the first time in eight years.

Oh wait, did I mention that a Democratic presidential candidate carried the Old Dominion for the first time since 1964?

It's under that cloud that Virginia Republicans are meeting in Richmond this weekend. There's another gubernatorial election coming up. Their candidate will be Bob McDonnell, the state attorney general. Democrats, on the other hand, seem to be bracing for a three-for-all, as state Delegate Brian Moran, state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds and ex-DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe are all planning to run. There has already been some sniping among the candidates, mostly concerning McAuliffe's apparent candidacy. He's lived in McLean (Northern Virginia) for two decades, but he has hardly been involved in state government or politics. His name, in fact, had been floated not that long ago for governor of Florida.

Democrats have more to worry about than a bruising primary. There's that history stuff.

For the past 30 years — encompassing eight races for governor — the winner has always been of the opposite party of the person in the White House. That's good news for McDonnell and the GOP, now that Barack Obama will be president. Let's look at the record:

1977:
President — Jimmy Carter (D)
Elected governor — John Dalton (R)

1981:
President — Ronald Reagan (R)
Elected governor — Chuck Robb (D)

1985:
President — Ronald Reagan (R)
Elected governor — Gerald Baliles (D)

1989:
President — George H.W. Bush (R)
Elected governor — Doug Wilder (D)

1993:
President — Bill Clinton (D)
Elected governor — George Allen (R)

1997:
President — Bill Clinton (D)
Elected governor — Jim Gilmore (R)

2001:
President — George W. Bush (R)
Elected governor — Mark Warner (D)

2005:
President — George W. Bush (R)
Elected governor — Tim Kaine (D)

With this in mind, Republicans should relax. They've got the governorship in the bag.

1:15 PM ET | 12-05-2008 | permalink

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Guns, Bloomberg and Plaxico Burress

The charge is serious. And Mayor Michael Bloomberg is serious.

Plaxico Burress, the gifted and troubled receiver for the New York Giants, was arraigned yesterday for having an unlicensed (and thus illegal) gun in his possession early Saturday morning, when Burress accidentally shot himself in the thigh.

Anyone who knows Mayor Bloomberg knows that regardless of what football team he roots for, he is not a fan of guns. He hates them. He has campaigned around the country against them. He has a no-tolerance position on them. City law requires a minimum 3 1/2-year prison sentence for conviction on possession of a weapon. Bloomberg said that not prosecuting somebody like Burress would make "a sham, a mockery of the law."

There is a way out for everyone involved. I say this not only as a Giants fan. Well, actually, I say this as a Giants fan.

My solution: Have the City Council change the law, but just for Plaxico Burress. It's sort of like what Bloomberg did with the city's term-limits law, something that voters have twice passed. But since Bloomberg wants to run for a third term next year, and since he knows that the Big Apple without Bloomberg would cease to exist, he had the City Council change the law ... but just for him. It allows him to run for a third term. And then the city can resume its term-limits thing. And everybody will be happy

The law is important, as we all agree. Guns can be dangerous. But, like with term limits, sometimes the law is not absolute. Just ask Michael Bloomberg.

3:45 PM ET | 12-02-2008 | permalink

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