The debate of healthcare reform is starting to heat up now. I’m pretty sure what we’ll wind up with is lipstick on the pig of our current system that protects the insurance industry, costs a boatload of money, and makes things worse. I could be wrong, of course. While the debate rages, our freshman Congress critter has introduced his first piece of legislation. What issue is our intrepid Representative taking head on? Investigating the torturers? Putting an end to illegal wiretapping? Taking on the insurance industry? A real investigation into 9/11? Bringing to justice those who lied us into an illegal war? Nope, not so much.

Instead, he’s introduced the “Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act.” Yes, that’s right. He wants to make it illegal for Chrysler and GM to cancel their contracts with dealers, even though they’re in bankruptcy. 🙄 First he refuses to back HR676, and now this ridiculous piece of dreck. Oh, Dan, what a disappointment you’re turning out to be.

Well, it seems pretty clear that, with only two weeks left on the legislative calendar here in NYS and the Republicans having seized control of the State Senate, there will be no vote to make gay marriage legal here in NY. Our local (Republican) State Senator – John DeFrancisco – claims the plan was in the works for weeks.

The plan was in motion for five weeks, but Democrats remained in the dark — until Monday.

“I don’t think anybody on the Democratic side had any clue, judging from the shock that was displayed when this was happening,” said DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse.

Clueless Democrats? How unusual!

DeFrancisco and others said billionaire businessman Tom Golisano masterminded the plot. Monserrate and Espada said they flipped because Democrats failed to implement real reform in the Senate.

But Democrats accused Monserrate and Espada of turning out of anger toward Smith, who threatened them with disciplinary action. Monserrate was indicted in March of slashing his girlfriend’s face with broken glass, while Espada was reprimanded for failing to file campaign finance reports and pay resulting fines. Several GOP members at the time called for the senators to step down.

“There have been no convictions,” DeFrancisco said Monday. “All we needed were some brave souls from the other side of the aisle to make reform happen. They came forward. What are we going to say? We don’t want them?”

Ah, yes. Amazing how one can go from godless Democrat who should resign in shame, to brave soul and champion of reform. And let’s hear it for Tom Galisano, who just moved his official residence to Florida, because he doesn’t think billionaires should have to pay all those nasty taxes. Nice to know you can abandon the State and still stick your finger in the government (as long as you have a shitload of money).

There is some good news this morning, though. A beer truck overturned nearby (don’t worry, the driver is OK), spilling free brews across the highway. The bad news is that it was Bud Light.