Scooter Unchained as Cory beset by Gnats

Terrorist MDs snared in London bomb plot - finally, now we understand why bombs left in Mercedes not Yugos.

W commutes Scooter sentence and As Good As News cheers. Those up in arms need to look at the big picture. First, commutation formally announces the death of the Cheney-Rove-W administration. Immigration loss and polls below sea level were death knell, but with the commutation even W concedes there will be no comeback. Unfortunately W's sole remaining effort to build a legacy seems to be friendship with Vlad Putin - Hitler not available? Second, commutation is no panacea for Scooter. He gets to keep his felony conviction, his quarter million dollar fine, his two year probation, his lost reputation and his lost license to practice law - just no end to the perks when you swear an oath of fealty to Darth Cheney. This might leave enough incentive for Scooter to line up a deal for a tell-all book if he loses his appeal. Third, Scooter devoted his life to public service, most of it before going to the dark side. He did not out Valerie Plame, he said "I don't remember" under oath to protect his boss and colleagues. Sentencing judge pointed to high office as justification for severe sentence. High office giveth prison term, high office taketh away prison term - Scooter is paying a big price here even without time in stir.

Cory Booker is the right person in the right place at the wrong time. Newark has all the ingredients to rebuild a vibrant city - highway, air, water and rail access second to none, a location minutes away from NYC, a cluster of college campuses, a new ball park and arts center, and developers foaming at the mouth. Mayor Booker is smart, dedicated, charismatic and has some credentials. Sadly for Booker, Mayors Gibson and James ran Newark as a patronage cookie jar for so long the grass roots pols don't even know anything else is possible. Ridiculous rumor campaign smacks of desperation, but seems to work anyway. Wake up Newark voters. Government is supposed to provide services, not feather bed jobs for every political hack. Newark government has taken a city with the assets to be Utopia and turned it into a poverty and homicide stricken Inferno. Why listen to rumors from the sore losers who created the mess Booker is trying to fix. Unfortunately for Cory Booker, the top priority of the old guard is recapturing a spot on the payroll, and the payroll needs to shrink before Newark can grow. Sorry Cory, looks like it may be the mayor after the mayor after James who gets to preside over Newark renaissance, but good luck anyway.