Patrick Kennedy (D- RI) To Announce He Won't Seek Re-Election; Jersey Barriers in Rhode Island Hardest Hit

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Patrick Kennedy, son of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, will not seek re-election in November. A taped message with the announcement from the representative will air on Rhode Island TV stations this upcoming weekend.

Although a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Kennedy's political career was relatively uneventful- save for nearly running over a U.S. Capitol Police officer before crashing his vehicle into a traffic barrier in 2006. Although he appeared intoxicated at the time, a sobriety test was never administered.

Patrick Kennedy's retirement will leave the US Congress without a member of the Kennedy clan for the first time since 1946.

Bill Clinton Hospitalized In NY To Undergo Heart Procedure

Former President Bill Clinton was hospitalized Thursday to undergo a procedure where two stents were implanted after he had been complaining of minor but persistent chest pains.

According to Clinton Lawyer Douglas Band, the 63 year old former commander in chief was 'in good spirits' and is expected to be released sometime Friday from New York Presbyterian Hospital where he underwent the procedure.

I have to say, one of the most notable accomplishments in Barack Obama's first year as President was to make this particular coal-black hearted, bitter, clinging right-winger nostalgic for the Clinton years. I mean.....if the man had what turned out to be a bad policy proposal he was in favor of, he'd pursue it for awhile before either he or his advisors realized it would be a good idea to leave well enough alone instead of repeatedly trying to cram it down our throats while his spokesmen in the media would tell the American voting public that it really was a great idea and were were just too simplistic or reactionary to appreciate it. Granted in the later years of his administration he had a Republican-controlled Congress to deal with.....

We here at Not Another New England Sports Blog! would like to extend our best wishes for a speedy recovery for Mr. Clinton.

BREAKING: Pennsylvania Rodent Outperforms Al Gore, RFK Jr. In Climate Prediction Accuracy

Punxsatawney Phil sez: "Bundle up, SUCKAS!"

A little over a week ago, Punxsutawney Phil had predicted six more weeks of winter. Although somewhat ambiguous in his forecasting, the Western Pennsylvania resident probably didn't appreciate how right he had it when barely a week later, a series of winter storms moved in and dumped nearly 3 feet of snow in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and elsewhere in the Mid-Atlantic. Highways, railroads and airports in the region ground to a halt and the federal government shut down [altho' with this Congress and administration, that isn't necessarily such a bad thing- NANESB!]. A few days later, the reigon was hit by a second storm that dumped an additional foot of snow before moving on to New York and New England.

Spreading ManBearPig Awareness

Phil's intuitive forecast has called into question the longer-term predictions of climate experts Al Gore and Robert Kennedy Junior. Some scientists have questioned the more alarmist predictions the former Vice President made in his film An Inconvenient Truth while the total cumulative snowfall in the Washington DC area from this week alone has exceeded anything that Robert F Kennedy Jr. has seen in his lifetime.

So in these trying and turbulent times of record cold and snowfall throughout the nation, who should you trust? A Keystone State Rodent or various well-compensated 'experts' with private jets and multiple spacious homes who never miss an opportunity to remind us that commuting 20 miles to our $12 an hour jobs in a Nissan Sentra is eventually going to bring about Armageddon?

I'm going to have to say go with the groundhog. It's already been a pretty rough week for the 'experts'.

Former Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson Dead At Age 76

A former US Representative best known for his wild partying and covertly funneling weapons and money to the Afghan Mujahidein fighting the Soviets in the 1980s passed away in Lufkin, TX today. Charlie Wilson, sometimes known as 'Good Time Charlie' was 76 years old and served in the 2nd Congressional District from 1972 to 1996. Wilson was also a graduate of the US Naval Academy at Annapolis and served in the Navy from 1956 to 1960.

The Democrat Congressman's tenure was revisited on the silver screen in 'Charlie Wilson's War', a 2007 film with Tom Hanks portraying the playboy Texas politician working with a Houston socialite and CIA officer to train and arm the Afghan Mujahideen.

Besides arranging the funding and organizing for a proxy war against the Soviets, Wilson also had a VA Clinic in Lufkin named in his honor.

Today's Train of Thought- Green Mountains Turn To White; Febuary 10, 2010

Today's Train of thought brings us to a craggy rock cut in Cavendish, VT not even a year ago as Green Mountain Railway GP40-2 #304 struggles up the grade between Bellows Falls and Rutland with train 264 bringing cars picked up from New England Central and Pan Am Railways. Railpictures.net contributor Andrew Blaszczyk braved the elements on a cool Febuary 2009 day to make this quinessential New England Winter railroading scene possible.

Sports Chowdah Recap for Feb 3-9; Lassiez Les Bon Temps Roulet, Saints Win In 1st SB Showing; Original Sux, B's Skid Ends After 10th Straigh Loss

No doubt most of you had caught the big game with the week worth of hype and media frenzy leading up to it. And it no doubt lived up to its hype the other day as Boston College held off a late rally by the BC Terriers to win the Beanpot 4-3.

While I'm thinking about it, that damn poll is STILL up. -->
(Scott Boehm/Getty Images)

Oh yes....there was some sort of football game on Sunday, too. I actually had to work for a few hours during Super Bowl Sunday, but I caught alot of the pivotal plays later on in the game (as well as some of the ads being hyped).

Indianapolis came into the game as 5 point favorites according to the oddsmakers and not surprisingly, the Saints fell into an early 10-0 hole in the first quarter before kicking two field goals to make it a 10-6 game at halftime. Something tells me I didn't miss much by not seeing the halftime show. Now, granted I missed much of the third quarter, but I tuned in just in time to catch Jeremy Shockey haul in Drew Brees' short TD pass, the 2-point conversion attempt that was ruled incomplete and then reviewed by the officials and ruled a completion to put the Saints up 24-17. And wouldn't you know it- with the Colts driving, the man who had picked off Brett Favre to force overtime in the game that ultimately sent New Orleans to the Superbowl came through again when DB Tracy Porter picked off Peyton Manning and ran some 74 yards untouched to put the Saints up 31-17, which would be the final score.

So many clutch players for the Saints- a purportedly washed-up Jeremy Shockey hauling in the go-ahead TD, Tracy Porter making that pick 6 when Indy was putting together another long, methoidcal drive, Garret Hartley coming on mid-season to replace veteran kicker John Carney and making three FGs on three attempts; the closest of which was from 44 yards. But Drew Brees was 32-39 for 288 yards, 2 TDs and zero turnovers to garner the Super Bowl XLIV MVP award.

Congratulations, Crescent City. Put away those paper bags- you've got the best team in the NFl.

[I don't feel quite as bad about that beatdown the administered to New England back in November now- NANESB!]

After dropping a head-scratching 10 games in a row, the Bruins have been on a two-game mini win streak of late and it looks like we have Tukka Rask to thank for that. After shutting out the Canadiens 3-0 at Montreal on Super Bowl Sunday, Rask had 43 saves and was the shootout winner against the Buffalo Sabres at HSBC arena Tuesday Night. Danny Paille had both goals for the Bruins in regulation (both coming in the 1st period) while Derek Roy and Tyler Myers maaged to tie the game for Buffalo. Sabres netminder Ryan Miller faced 34 shots and gave up shootout goals to Marco Sturm and David Krejci, while Rask only gave up the one shootout goal to Jason Pominville to give the Bruins the 3-2 win. The Bruins will travel to Tampa to take on the Lightning Thursday Night.

The Celtics, on the other hand, are on a mini 2 game slide after losing to Orlando and on the road to New Orleans. Perhaps the highlight of Wednesday night's game was when coach Doc Rivers quipped that residents of the Big Easy might've mistaken Louisiana native Glen 'Big Baby' Davis for a Mardi Gras float when he went to see the Saints victory parade on Tuesday. Actually, no 'perhaps' about it, since the Hornets would go on to beat the Celtics 93-85. This was the last game before the All-Star break this weekend in Dallas. Kevin Garnett has been named a starter while Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce were also selected. After the break, the C's will travel to California's Capital to take on the Sacramento Kings.

Oh yes....and Truck Day is Friday!

Not Another New England Sports Blog! is unable to confirm at this time reports circulating that Lisa Kelly will in fact be responsible for moving the Red Sox equipment from Yawkey Way to Ft. Meyers.

Come to think of it, the last trucks I saw around Fenway were setting up for the broadcast of the 2010 NHL Winter Classic.

Also on Friday are the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Congressman and Blood Libel Purveyor John Murtha Dead at Age 77

The Pennsylvania Democrat who became the first Vietnam Veteran elected to Congress was suffering complications from earlier gallbladder surgery. After more than 30 years as a US Representative, he passed away at the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va today.

Already, misleading headline such as US Representative Murtha, Supporter of Troops, Dies at Age 77 or Pa. Dem Murtha Remembered as Military Advocate are circulating. I'm sorry, but selling out young Marines to get in good with Code Pink and the kook fringe of the anti-war American left negates whatever good he might've done as a representative.

Not surprisingly, many mainstream media outlets sugar-coated his 2006 blood libel of US Marines in Haditha, Iraq as 'being an outspoken critic of the Iraq War'. In their Sy Hersh-like urgency to find My Lai: The Next Generation in Iraq, TIME described a skirmish between United States Marines and insurgents outside the village of Haditha as a 'massacre' that left 24 Iraqis and one Marine dead. In May 2006, Congressman Murtha went on national TV and announced that the Marines involved were guilty of 'cold-blooded murder' before any official investigation or judicial procedures were concluded. All charges against the accused Marines were eventually dropped. One of the Marines- Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt- filed a slander suit against Murtha in September 2008.

Murtha was also known as an unindicted co-conspirator in the FBI's 1980 'Abscam' sting in which FBI agents posed as officials and businessmen from the Middle East, soliciting political favors in exchange for money.

More recently, the FBI raided the offices of a defense contractor in Murtha's district in January 2009. Murtha had provided the company with millions of dollars worth of earmarks to Winber, PA-based Kuchera Defense Systems. The company was being investigated by the FBI, Department of Defense and IRS Criminal Division over whether or not it was falsifying the number of employees working on projects to secure additional funding as well as skirting campaign contribution laws while regularly donating to Murtha's campaign.

Five Killed, Twelve Injured in Connecticut Power Plant Explosion

An explosion at an under-construction power plant in Middletown, CT on Sunday has killed at least five workers and injuring at least a dozen.

Officials at both the Middletown Police and Fire Departments said they received an e-mail that said testing was going be to conducted at the plant on Sunday morning. Officials said when they received the emergency call, they believed it was all part of the test. They did send crews to the scene and discovered it was not a test.

The explosion left huge pieces of metal that once encased the plant peeling off its sides. A large swath of the structure was blackened and surrounded by debris, but the building, its roof and its two smokestacks were still standing. Rescue crews had set up several tents alongside the site, which is a few miles from Wesleyan University on a wooded and hilly 137-acre parcel of land overlooking the Connecticut River.

Investigators are currently investigating to determine the cause of the blast and identify those killed.

Blue State Graft Watch: Issues Galore in Early Round of Illinois Elections

My my....just like I started up the 'Blue State Graft Watch' segment fully anticipating the loathsome Kwame Kilpatrick to make the headlines at some point, I figured it was only a matter of time before Chicago made an appearance as well.

Now.....where to start?

Illinois State Treasurer and one-time Obama fundraiser Alexi Giannoulias was the winner of this weeks Democrat Primary for the US Senate seat left vacant by President Obama's election.

While running for state treasurer, Giannoulias touted his experience as vice president and chief loan officer of Chicago-based Broadway Bank. However, records show that the financial institution loaned an estimated $12 million to convicted pimp and bookmaker Micheal 'Jaws' Giorango and another $10 Million to father and son Russian mobster duo Boris and Lev Stratievsky. Convicted influence peddler, developer and then-Senator Obama's personal real-estate agent Tony Rezko bounced a series of six-figure checks from his Broadway Bank account while in Las Vegas. Giannoulias' father, the Broadway Bank's CEO also donated $10,000 to disgraced former Governor Rod Blagojevich

However, the DNC candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois has some issues of his own. The Chicago Tribune revealed that the unelected Pat Quinn's running mate Scott Lee Cohen, aka the Pawnbroker, faced domestic battery charges in 2005 for holding a knife to the throat of this then live-in girlfriend prostitute. The Chicago Sun-Times also learned that Coen reportedly owes his ex-wife nearly $54,000 in child support, was taking steroids and had a restraining order filed against him by his ex-wife in 2005.

Correspondence Committee contributor 3wood thinks that this was more or less by design on the part of the Chicago press for the benefit of Pat Quinn's campaign:

Notice how the Chicago media did not break this story until the day after the election. They knew about it, but pretty much sat on it.

Also telling was the Chicago media's nearly mute reaction to Nobel Laureate and former Polish President Lech Walesa's visit to the city that's home to over 1 million Poles this week. While in Chicago, the anti-communist leader endorsed longshot Illinois GOP gubernatorial candidate Adam Andrzejewski, issuing the following statement:

“I still remember when some 30 years ago, my opponents were similarly critical of my lack of political background. History has shown, however, that in order to create real change, new factors are sometimes necessary.”

Maybe it was just a slow news week in Chicago, nothing more.

[Hat tip: 3wood, Friends of Ours]

UPDATE:Founding Bloggers has more on the Lech Walesa 'non-events' in Chicago.

Blatant Conflict of Interest Watch: GM's Majority Owner Bears Down on Toyota Motors

Already reeling from a massive recall underway concerning accelerator problems, Toyota Motors [NYSE: TM] has been contemplating a second recall over the brake-pedal in their Prius and Lexus hybrid vehicles. This comes on top of Obama Administration officials blasting the Japanese automaker for their slow response leading to last month's recall. Earlier this week, Toyota said the decision to stop manufacture and sales of the affected vehicles was entirely their own with no pressure from the government.

The Department of Transportation is reportedly considering civil penalties against Toyota.

"Since questions were first raised about possible safety defects, we have been pushing Toyota to take measures to protect consumers," [Transportation Secretary] LaHood said in a statement.
"While Toyota is taking responsible action now, it unfortunately took an enormous effort to get to this point."

Now, I should point out that I'm neither a Toyota Motors shareholder nor do I drive a Toyota. And while I do think some government oversight is necessary, the reaction from Washington so far has been to threaten and browbeat Toyota while trying to take credit for measures the automaker was already implementing.

Making matters even more convoluted is the fact that the United States Government is still the majority owner of competing automaker General Motors. In other words, one of Toyota's competitors in its biggest market has judicial and regulatory power over not just them, but other automakers.

Perhaps even more sinister and self-serving at first glance is the fact that Toyota's manufacturing and assembly facilities in Texas, Mississippi, Kentucky, West Virginia and Indiana are non-union. During the last election cycle, the United Auto Workers raised more than $2 Million in campaign contributions for a slew of Democrat candidates. The current crisis Toyota is experiencing could be exploited by some of the UAW's benefactors to pressure Toyota to unionize their plants in the USA [Anybody looking at this current situation and saying to themselves "Boy- Toyota could've just avoided all this trouble if their USA plants just went Union"?- NANESB!]. A sort of incremental Card Check, if you will.

Perhaps this is being seized upon by some as an illustration of why we need even more government in this era of expanding government. Or perhaps I'm reading too much into this. But what I see right now is an automaker with a reputation for long-term quality trying to fix a problem [of it's own making, granted] while being hounded by a government and media with long-standing credibility issues themselves.

[Hat tip: Lonely Conservative, Washington Examiner]