For one, he did bring plenty of attention to the area as he exited the office, although it may not quite have been the kind the Chamber of Commerce prefers.  Also, he at least didn’t spend his abbreviated term engaging in the deplorably shady legerdemain being attempted by his used-dentures-opposing former House colleague from a nearby district.

But we’ll end up remembering the bad things he did for some reason.  While it’s marvelous that he’s no longer representing Western New Yorkers in Washington, the downside is that he might return home.  If you see him and he offers a hug, politely refuse.

As for his personal goals, what will he do now for work?  Maybe I could help in the spirit of bipartisanship and compassion.  Specifically, I’ve scanned the want ads to help the former public servant find a post-congressional created and/or saved job suited to his interests and skills.  And I found one if he’s willing to make his way a little bit away from his congressional jurisdiction to Buffalo.  He might do so anyway on account of the city’s nightlife and such.

It’s naturally from Craigslist, everyone’s favorite site for finding employment listings and/or opportunities to acquire social diseases.  From his perspective, it’d be perfect, as long as he’s fine with acquiring the title “Men’s Locker Room Attendant.”

If you think slinging towels at a health club might be a step down for someone who just left the House of Representatives, you don’t follow politics in general or Massa’s career arc in particular.  And, while eight dollars per hour might not be enough to rent another townhouse, the fringe benefits for someone of his proclivities would be tremendous.  That said, they’d also be tremendously deviant, revolting, and illegal.

Come to think of it, he’d thankfully never get hired.  Of course, he wouldn’t pass a background check, especially if the potential employer has read a newspaper, watched cable news, or accessed the internet in the past few days.  The company in question will instead undoubtedly find a responsible, hard-working, non-sleazy applicant to fill the position as opposed to an utter creep.

But that won’t deter Massa from hanging out on Craigslist, as he’ll find numerous uses for the communal site.  For one, watch out for his posts in Missed Connections, especially if you’re male and notice a creepy, middle-aged man scoping you out in public.  And skip his smug, obnoxious, boring Rants and Raves based on his past video tirades.  Maybe he’ll use the venue to change his story yet once more.

And, for heaven’s sake, don’t answer any housing ad he posts.   Avoid any temptation of signing up to be his roomie: it’s not worth the cost regardless of how relatively cheap rent is.  In the meantime, Western New York males have a legitimate excuse for not working out, namely that they’re concerned Massa might join the same gym.  That’s true even if he doesn’t apply for the aforementioned vocation opportunity.

No matter his respective work, housing, and physical training situations, Massa’s icky transgressions serve as the latest example of how we’re living through transitionally momentous times.  By acting in an unbelievably repulsive manner, the disgraced less-than-one-term representative inadvertently helped to frame history.  Licentious sleazes from both parties have provided an endless string of benchmarks for our lives.

We’ve seen the shameful politician sexcapade euphemism du jour shift from “Pizza in the Oval Office” to “Wide stance” to “Instant messaging the page” to “Hiking the Appalachian trail” to today’s “Tickle fight.”  Oh, the times, they are a-changin’.

Although everyone from Mayor Bloomberg to Rep. Anthony Weiner to Paterson himself have rejected the suggestion floated by Republicans and some supporters of the governor that Cuomo is too conflicted to investigate abusegate, 58 percent of those polled say a special prosecutor should be appointed.

(For the record, that’s something only the governor can do).

Cuomo’s approval rating has dropped from 67 percent in the last Marist poll to 54 percent. The AG’s numbers suffered a particularly big hit among non-white voters – a 22 percentage-point drop. He also lost ground in the city, dropping 17 percent.

Okay, so what can we make of this? Obviously, Cuomo handing the investigation of Paterson raises big red flags among voters. While some see the conflict of interest, the 22-point drop among non-white voters suggests to me that some of these voters are making a racial connection to Cuomo’s actions. Which, if I am right, is absurd. Everyone ought to be concerned that Cuomo was involved in an investigation of someone who was his potential political opponent. Sure Cuomo has yet to declare his candidacy, but he’s been considered a potential contender for some time now. He could enter the race today and this will still hang over his head.

True enough, this poll ought to tell Cuomo to jump in or declare that he won’t run. His position in the polls is keeping others from possibly jumping in, and he owes it to the people of New York to officially get in or stay out.

UPDATE: Cuomo sees the writing on the wall and recuses himself.

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that he has recused himself and appointed an independent counsel to probe whether Gov. David A. Paterson illegally took World Series tickets or had improper contact with a woman who accused an aide of domestic violence.

He appointed former state chief judge Judith Kaye to the case.

Cuomo (D), who is widely expected to run for governor, had been criticized for investigating Paterson’s role in the case in which a woman accused a trusted Paterson (D) adviser of roughing her up. Some said a Cuomo probe would be a conflict of interest.

Rick Lazio released the following statement in response to the news.

“After calling for an independent prosecutor for weeks, I am glad that Andrew Cuomo finally agreed with me and recused himself from this investigation.  I have the utmost faith that Ms. Kaye will conduct an impartial and thorough investigation.  But it should not have required two weeks and a drop in the polls for Andrew Cuomo to recognize what he should have instinctively known from the beginning.”

Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) says the House ethics committee is investigating him for inappropriate comments he made to a male staffer on New Year’s Eve — and that he’s the victim of a power play by Democratic leaders who want him out of Congress because he’s a “no” vote on health care reform.

“Mine is now the deciding vote on the health care bill,” Massa, who on Friday announced his intention to resign, said during a long monologue on radio station WKPQ. “And this administration and this House leadership have said, quote-unquote, they will stop at nothing to pass this health care bill. And now they’ve gotten rid of me, and it will pass. You connect the dots.”

Do I think Massa’s claim could be true? Sure, we are seeing Democrats trying to force David Paterson to resign, so, at this point, it’s hard put anything past the Democratic Party when it comes to getting what they want. I totally believe Massa description of Rahm Emanuel.

“Rahm Emanuel is son of the devil’s spawn, Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY) said. “He is an individual who would sell his mother to get a vote. He would strap his children to the front end of a steam locomotive.”

Rep. Massa describes a confrontation with Emanuel in a shower: “I am showering, naked as a jaybird, and here comes Rahm Emanuel, not even with a towel wrapped around his tush, poking his finger in my chest, yelling at me.”

Let’s face it. Obama is desperate to get his government takeover of health care passed. He has said that he’d rather pass the bill then get reelected…  Whether or not you believe him is irrelevant, he is trying to appear selfless in this battle, as if he’ll take one for the team ot do the right thing for the country. The problem is, it is the wrong thing for the country, and members of Congres will support the bill at serious risk. Polls show the people don’t want it, and members of Congress are being bribed or strong-armed  into submission because that’s the only way to get them to go along. Well, Obama is going to have a hard time doing anything if he gets this thing pased because most of the suckers who vote for it will get voted out in November. Plain and simple.

The Hotel Lafayette will be closed and boarded up on April 1, The Buffalo News has learned.

And a developer who hopes to renovate the landmark said delays in Albany could derail his plan to turn the structure into apartments and a hotel.

This present-day wound cuts deep into the past.  As highlighted during a recent presentation at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, the august hotel was designed in 1904 by Louise Bethune, the American Institute of Architects’ first woman member.  But the structure’s one-time incomparable reputation may be relegated permanently to the olden days.  That’s despite one businessman’s efforts to ensure the building doesn’t become a memory:

Developer Rocco Termini delivered the jolting announcement today at a special meeting of the city’s Planning Board. He said delays in Albany involving needed reforms of a state historic tax credit law could doom his $35 million plan to turn the Hotel Lafayette into a boutique hotel, apartments, small restaurants and banquet facilities.

Termini blamed “bean-counters” in the state’s budget and finance offices for delays.

In short, a developer willingly attempted to bring commerce downtown, and Albany couldn’t be bothered to help him.  After all, why do the capital’s bureaucrats care?  They’re like 300 miles away and don’t have to deal with a post-apocalyptic cityscape out on the state’s western frontier.  They indifferently leave Erie County’s residents to sod off and cope with collective destitution, complimented by how we’re left with precious few places to shop and live downtown.

Locals are dealing with a rotten policy that subsidizes some at the expense of all.  Doling out credits to particular businesses is a particularly futile method for generating economic growth.  We can’t blame Termini for trying to get the benefits available: if the government is handing out candy that you helped pay for, it’s silly to deny yourself the sugar rush.

The problem lies with the process itself.  Then inherently crooked fixture should make anyone who wants to enliven Buffalo wonder if other rusting urban hulls are inhibited by similarly maddening ruses.  We should attempt to track down correspondents in Cleveland and Detroit for corroboration.

Subsidizing chosen businesses with incentives and bribes is sadly in vogue among numerous federal-level politicians.  But such conniving is nothing new in some states.  Particularly, New York has essentially been living under the Obama administration’s policies for far longer than the past year and change.  I hate to include spoilers, but Empire State residents already know the ending: imagine Angela’s Ashes wrapping up somewhere in the middle.  Just exaggerating, maybe.

If each state effectively conducts its own economic experiment, then New York is an exploding meth lab.  We should be letting businesses engage in commerce without channeling money through Albany in the hopes of getting blessed with a future tax credit.  Instead, we cope with a cloddish middleman who has mysteriously been granted the right to determine the cash’s recipient.

At best, the state government picks favorites as competing businesses suffer, much like with the feds and the inept car companies they’ve chosen to promote.  At worst, they don’t bother to give out the money at all, as seen in the negligence aimed at a fading building named for a most distinguished municipal visitor.

Either way, the reshuffling is funded by bleeding the private economy dry.  That’s in lieu of letting those who want to buy stuff or hire space interact with those who have goods to sell or empty flats to lease, respectively.  It’s not like that system would work infinitely better while costing the government nothing.

But it’s anti-business business as usual in New York.  As a result, a historically significant, architecturally notable, perfectly located building that was ready for a rebirth is instead going to be converted into a hotel for ghosts.  We can’t get even get a drink to drown our sorrows at a favorite spot: the Lafayette Tap Room closed along with the Hotel.  Albany owes us a drink, and a revitalized city center, too.

So many of the Empire State’s leaders show up in stories on ethical violations that the articles double as a prize selection guide.  But there are other worthy entrants for varying reasons.  Here’s a more comprehensive listing for the most prestigious award I’ve ever invented with each candidate’s attributes:

The Fake-Teeth Recycling Opponent: I’d like to go on record being anti-having-to-wear-your-dead-sister’s-dentures.  But I’m still not voting for Louise Slaughter.  Using tales of woe as manipulation is a common bleeding-heart tactic, as it’s easier to trot out an alleged victim than lay out a reasonable case.  But the Rochester import’s disgraceful attempt to sell Democraticare by exploiting a poor elderly woman at the D.C. Kabuki Theater went beyond parody.

The good news is that such brazenly cloying tactics reek of desperation: when government health proponents realize they can’t win on economic, quality, or liberty-based appeals, they trot out sob stories of vile Republicans forcing victimized citizens to degrade themselves.  If Slaughter cares so much about the lady in question that she had to shamelessly use the story in a pathetic attempt to win support, she should dip into her personal fortune, offer an example of private charity, and buy a set of dentures for the lady.  Then the congresswoman can go back to being one of the House’s biggest extremists, especially as a proponent of incessant abortions.

King Charles of Upper Manhattan: Rod Blagojevich has nicer hair, barely.  But he and Charles Rangel are still mutual corruption role models in style terms.  It’s not bad enough that Rangel is a bully who thinks taking care of his district means throwing federal money at it: simply, he also stinks horridly, especially as evidence one-party rule’s byproduct.  The only issue with his so-called temporary leave from the Ways and Means Committee is what took so long.

But his career arc could get much more amusing.  Thankfully, in Scott Brown’s America and with Rangel’s unbearably scummy behavior in mind, there’s also a possibility he might lose more than his chairmanship and be banished to the private sector. He’d have to learn to act utterly corruptly on a private employer’s time, although he’d presumably continue to cheat on his taxes.

Congressman One-and-Done: Did Eric Massa really do what they say he did?  Ew. One-term wonder Massa is the congressional equivalent of Kajagoogoo.  At least we didn’t have to cope with him for long.

Chuck Nasty: The only thing worse than Charles Schumer’s policies may be his personality.  Whether he’s calling his now-coworker something classy or dismissing a peasant with oh so courteous language, the utterly arrogant senator personally embodies his government-knows-best policies.  There’s no better way to punish him than to get him out of the Senate.  For notorious attention junkie Schumer, the only thing worse than losing power would be losing appearances in front of cameras.  Please, Larry, please. . .

The gubernatorial incumbent for now: Is he gone?  Do a Yahoo! news search for “David Paterson,” and reload every few minutes to see if he remains in charge.  The fact he’s a Yankees fan is bad enough for some people, but free tickets for a baseball game are a trifling benefit compared to the governor’s other troubles.  For one, maybe he should have spent less time having state workers making ominous phone calls to his aide’s alleged domestic abuse victim and more time running the state.

What’s really sad is that he could have governed in a novel style by resisting fiscal perfidy and/or ruin.  Every now and then he has seemingly advocated halting the insane spending levels that plague the state.  Of course, he already demonstrated how limp he was as a leader before he started acting shiftily.  That’s not to mention his fetish-level desire to tax soda pop.  Maybe it was for the best that he got scandalous: it has distracted him from conjuring new, frightening ideas for messing with our lives.

The last governor who resigned: The only thing that makes a sanctimonious lecture worse is when it emanates from a steaming pile of human hypocrisy.  Eliot Spitzer is a repulsive troll who coincidentally also wants the government meddling in every aspect of commerce possible. Getting hassled and burdened by officious twerps who think they can run industries and lives efficiently is a tedious folly, especially as the onerous view gets exposed as counterproductive nonsense every day in both this nation and state.

The White House and its congressional allies constantly prove why heavy manners don’t work when it comes to giving the government limitless jurisdiction.  Namely, the economy ends up sucking, and every entrepreneur is afraid to start new businesses, hire new people, or earn too much.  Spitzer will hopefully be relegated to moaning in theory and never again get to sanctimoniously browbeat free enterprise in actuality.  Someone please distract this man with a hooker.

Mario Cuomo’s kid: Set aside the ethical questions of investigating the aforementioned man he’s presumably out to replace. The real trouble is that Andrew will pursue the identical policies as his father.  If the present ruinous taxes and regulations aren’t enough, then please vote for the man whose dad’s reign epitomized everything noxious about trying to get by in New York.

Tracy Flick: Almost as equally well-known by her given name, Kirsten Gillibrand has been largely indistinct at job she was handed.  That’s true except for her strange willingness to stick with ACORN. That move offered proof that she’s the most obvious redundancy, namely a boringly liberal New York politician.  As with Paterson, Gillibrand wasn’t elected to her current seat; based on her similarly unmemorable stint, she hopefully will also never win her current office.  Compared to such an utter mediocrity, even the lukewarm George Pataki looks worthwhile to New Yorkers.

What’s-his-name from around South Buffalo: I checked- his name is Brian Higgins, and he in fact holds a federal office.  The most generic Democrat possible is notable for nothing notable.  Worst, if he’s going to be just another blandly meddling liberal, he could at least figure out how to knock down the damn Skyway.  Yes, it would involve federal spending, but only so the government can rectify the headaches caused by their obsolete monstrosity.  Higgins can’t even waste money correctly.

It’s considerably tough choosing the lot’s standout.  The contest for top New York Democrat is like picking the best beer or Ramones song: every time you think you’ve picked a definitive favorite, another worthy candidate pops into mind.  The politicians in question repulse with what they support, how they frame it, and in some cases through the way they act the rest of the time.

It’s up to voters to reduce the field for next year’s Democraties by casting out the leftists, scoundrels, and leftist scoundrels.  Meanwhile, I’m going to apply for a government grant to create a trophy.  We’ll naturally model the statuette on Hillary Clinton.

To fellow jaded New Yorkers who think they’ve heard it all, I humbly offer this: Rick Lazio is the new Scott Brown.

I say this not in a “gray is the new black” kind of way, but to suggest that if he wants to, and if New Yorkers care about who fills David Paterson’s seat, Lazio has the potential to run as a Scott Brown and, yes, win as a Scott Brown.

Allow me to refresh your snow- and scandal-addled memory: Brown was the overlooked Republican dark horse who delivered to Massachusetts Democrats the political equivalent of the Boston Massacre, unexpectedly defeating Martha Coakley for Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat.

Don’t believe that Lazio could do the same? Get in line. Democratic strategist Dan Gerstein told me only a rare kind of Republican can get elected governor of New York right now, and “Lazio’s not that guy.” Indeed, the idea that New Yorkers would vote for a right-winger like Lazio when there’s potentially (gasp!) a Cuomo heir to the throne is more than anathema – it’s absurd.

But Paterson’s long string of bizarre scandals, would-be scandals and nonscandals may keep Andrew Cuomo tied up in the attorney general’s office for the next couple of months, possibly precluding a run. To this, Gerstein scoffed, “There’s less of a chance of Eliot Spitzer being the next governor than of Andrew Cuomo not running.”

According to S.E.. it doesn’t matter who is running, Rick Lazio has a chance to win, and Lazio has a chance, “and Scott Brown is the reason why.”

I had faith in Rick Lazio before Scott Brown. I was impressed when I interviewed him last year, and I definitely agree that Scott Brown’s victory underscores the point that this year all Democrats are vulnerable. As Cuome lingers on as a non-candidate, Lazio is out their alone campaigning for the job Cuomo is apparently not interested enough in to pursue right now. Cuomo, if he runs, may not make teh same mistakes that Martha Coakley did, but he’s making other mistakes now, by not jumping in, and giving Lazio more press tim for being the only declared candidate.

In the past couple weeks, I have heard Lazio’s name on the radio a lot more than usual. He’s been vocal about the ethical cloud over Albany, and was calling on Paterson to quit days ago. His name is getting out there much quicker, and the longer Cuomo hides behind this investigation the more likely voters will be put off by his avoidance.

Time will tell what will happen. New York is definitely not GOP territory, but even Scott Brown didn’t surge until the last month of the campaign. Rick Lazio is only candidate in the race, and is the only person who has shown the leadership necessary to fix this state. I agree with S.E.,

For one, Turner surely recognizes that those who want a limited government that focuses upon national defense merely see things a little differently than him, and that such disagreement is actually healthy.  Or not:

The Conservative Political Action Conference is as close as you can get to a skinhead convention in a nice hotel.

Yeah, that’s reasonable.  Turner’s assessment would serve as a revelation to people like, say, Allen West and Michael Williams.  As for us cracker redneck whiteys, we thought we disagreed with the president because he’s attempting to impose a far-left agenda based upon income redistribution, governmental involvement in countless aspects of life, and a weak foreign policy that doesn’t take threats seriously.  But Turner knows that it’s Obama’s complexion we don’t like:

Frothing at the mouth, has-beens like former Vice President Dick Cheney and former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, railed against the nation’s first black president.

If they’re has-beens, why not ignore them?  Perhaps the temptation to point out they dislike a president who happens to be black was too strong.  Plus, it served as one more chance for him to toss cheap insults, which might be considered his hobby:

Nasty wannabes like Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S. C., whined that President Obama is a “socialist” and said he governs “from a teleprompter.” Fox News’ Glenn Beck, a real skinhead, also wowed the 10,000 attendees last week.

An editor should have noticed that Turner called Beck a “skinhead” a sentence after referring to a U.S. senator as “nasty” for the crime of being a conservative.  But, as with the general public, maybe it was too painful for other News staffers to read entire paragraphs at a time.  The writer himself apparently failed to recognize the irony of his own spitefulness, which can’t surprise any poor soul who’s encountered his previous work.

It’s hard to pick out the most fun example of Turner’s ludicrous hyperbole.  Phrases he used to classify CPAC, such as “embarrassing idiocy” and “hypocritical plunderers,” are among my favorites.  That said, such characterizations pale in comparison to his summarizing claim that, “Republicans hope to harness these fears, suburban resentment against Obama’s overreach and, let’s face it, a measure of racial antagonism this November.”  That’s the winner, as it confirms Turner is the saddest type of journalist: a Keith Olbermann wannabe.  Should we similarly invite The Buffalo News hack to a Tea Party?  We can explain to him in person why he’s not very good at uncovering duplicity: 

Speakers auditioning at CPAC called for smaller government, more tax cuts and less spending. At the same time, Republican congressional leaders, who are now in the minority, are in the lead when requesting earmarks.

Does Turner realize that “Republican” and “conservative” aren’t synonyms?  Yes, it’s a rhetorical question.  It’s unfortunate Turner didn’t actually listen to Beck’s speech instead of lamely tossing accusations of supposed racial, racist racism.  If he had bothered to pay attention, he would have learned why the Fox News host thinks GOP officeholders have contributed to the mess precisely by not acting with fiscal restraint.

Turner should in fact be happy when Republican leaders spend like liberals.  But he’s too busy pointing out how much they totally hate minorities to notice.  He’s got interesting company.  Meanwhile, even the quick aside with which he closes his column deserves shredding:

Two great Obama moves last week: meeting with Tibet’s Dalai Lama over the ChiComs protests, and offering government help for nuclear power plants.

Turner failed to notice that the White House figuratively bowed to the “ChiComs” by insultingly steering His Holiness out the back door past a garbage pile.  I’d expect to be ushered through the back entrance if I visited the White House; of course, I’m not quite a spiritual leader.

And it seems that Turner can only get excited about nuclear power when the feds guarantee loans for the conglomerates.  Everyone’s aware of what government involvement does for the economy.   On the other hand, letting the industry compete in the free market is probably racist for some reason.

It will just be more of the same.  We’ve given up hoping that the News will ever strive for genuine editorial balance.  But at least they could deploy liberal columnists who stick to policy disagreements.  Instead, the rag features the rantings of a sad, demonstrably hateful little man who accuses anyone dissenting from his leftist views of being a diabolical, treacherous, swastika-wearing caveman obsessed with hating the president solely because he looks different than the previous presidents.  And Turner thinks CPAC patrons are fearfully intolerant?

A scandal-scarred Gov. Paterson Friday pulled the plug on his short-lived election bid – but calls for his resignation continued to mount.

Paterson, who’s under investigation for contacting a woman who accused one of his top aides of attacking her, laid out his plans at his Manhattan office with wife, Michelle, by his side.

He said he would serve out his term without the distraction of a campaign.

He also stressed his achievements – and passionately defended his integrity.

“There are times in politics when you have to know not to strive for service, but to step back – and that moment has come for me,” Paterson said.

“It has become increasingly clear to me in the last few days that I cannot run for office and try to manage the state’s business at the same time.”

Troubling as the allegations are, I think this also raises questions about Andrew Cuomo and his role in the whole affair. Think about it… Given the fact that campaigns these days start a lot earlier, if Cuomo was running, one would think he’d have gotten in by now, officially anyways.. but he hasn’t. Meanwhile, with his office investigating, one can’t help wondering whether Cuomo has just been biding his time waiting for this or other potential scandals involving Paterson to be brought to light. All the while, Cuoma avoids the costs and efforts of cunning a campaign and being in a primary.

Who knows? But the real question is do people really think that given the illegal and unethical behavior in Albany that  Cuomo is the guy to clean things up? What’s his record? Consider me unconvinced.

Cuomo may have delayed his entry into the campaign to avoid accusations of conflict of interest, but it seems to me if it was his plan to run, the conflict of interest is there already.

Well, it’ll be interesting to see when/if he announces… I think the timing could raise a lot of questions.

As evidence, the fun police have banned tobacco consumers from indulging while frequenting wide open spaces.  Specifically, The Buffalo News notes that smokers in Orchard Park’s parks have had jonesing imposed upon them:

About the only places smokers can light up are at home and outside, since the state’s indoor smoking ban took effect in 2003.

But now they can strike the outdoors — at least the parts owned by the Town of Orchard Park — from that list.

The town has become the first in Erie and Niagara counties to ban tobacco in its parks, beach and recreation areas.

Nicotine users should also kindly refrain from taking breaths even if they’re not partaking in their hobby, as their exhalations may still contain hyper-toxic residue that could spread emphysema while provoking asthma attacks.  Hold your breath or go home, please: our respiratory systems thank you.

That’s unless the dangers of passive smoking have been exaggerated and won’t wreck others’ health.  In that case, at least the pathetic little tyrant responsible for the freedom grab is honest about wanting to gobble up your rights:

We’re looking for more opportunities to restrict smoking,” said (Erie-Niagara Tobacco-Free Coalition) coordinator Anthony Billoni.

Billoni is undoubtedly frustrated that he can’t confiscate the french fries off your McDonald’s tray or pour out your alcohol.  That said, he seems like the type who spends much of his day scheming about how to help you by restricting you. 

As sadly expected, nobody pointed out the absurd lifestyle infringement in the paper’s account.  In perfect Buffalo News style, reporter Barbara O’Brien couldn’t be troubled to gather and include criticism from a conservative or libertarian who finds the policy to be an unconscionable rights grab that takes away individual choice for dubious societal health benefits.  Naturally, she was more than willing to let the anti-smoking mob shamelessly drag The Children into the argument:

Billoni said the coalition is seeking more areas that will be smoke-free to help make smoking less prevalent in the community. It’s also trying to help the parks stay clean from dropped cigarette butts, while creating a better space for children.

The space is now better for orphaned puppies, too.  Plus, seeing tobacco being used hurts children’s eyes and scars their minds:

“We’d just like there to be one more place where they don’t see people smoking,” Billoni said, adding that the less often children see others smoke, the smaller chance they have of taking it up.

To clarify: adults should think twice about engaging in a legal activity they enjoy because someone else’s kid might see it.  The passing moment would then somehow compel the brat to reflexively smoke at a later date.  I didn’t realize today’s children are so impressionable, and I of course blame the public schools for churning out kids unable to make their own decisions and mentally resist.  At least children have an excuse.

The government-funded educational system is undoubtedly also responsible for promoting the view that exhaling smokers are slowly yet steadily murdering us all:

The issue of secondhand smoke exposure remains, (Billoni) said, but is less of a problem outside.

You mean walking past a smoker may not wreck your lungs?  They should’ve just claimed the science is settled, just as with anthropogenic global warming.  Spewing such a boast might allow health fascists to get everything they want without science, individual rights, or democratic procedures getting in the way.  As of now, they’re sadly not permitted to sentence tobacco users to summary execution, or any other punishment, for that matter:

While the signs will go up in Orchard Park, there are no penalties for smoking in the parks, beach and recreation areas.

The signs sound useful, as they’d be a perfect surface upon which to extinguish a cigarette or cigar.  Yes, that’s a joke: it’s not to encourage vandalism, of course, especially among the same suggestible children who turn to smoking because they once saw a grown-up do it.  But it’s symbolically what the rule deserves.

Regardless, the pipe-and-butt corps can’t be defeated, as they’re having exponentially more fun than the intolerantly healthy.  They will be fine despite the irritating Orchard Park ban: smokers will continue to get to take pleasure in consumption even if they’re ultimately only permitted to do so in dwellings.

Contrast them with Rob Reiner disciples who want to ban sitting on a bench or walking past trees while puffing, and it’s no contest.  Those with Cajun-style lungs are living far more worthwhile lives than joy-hating, officious twerps with charcoal souls.

This is good news for Rick Lazio, although the poll still show he has work to do.

Paterson is now lagging behind his erstwhile defender, GOP gubernatorial hopeful Rick Lazio, by seven points. The hypothetical head-to-head match-up here was dead even (42-42) in January. Cuomo continues to wipe the floor with Lazio, 63-26, compared to 66-24 last month.

Siena pollster Steve Greenberg manages to find one piece of “good news” for the beleaguered governor: Two-thirds of voters polled say they didn’t believe the rumors that a supposed bombshell Times story would force Paterson to resign.

Other than that, the outlook for Paterson is pretty bleak.

As for Cuomo, voters are starting to get a little tired of his Rose Garden routine. They’re split on whether he should declare his political intentions, 43-41, down from 49-37 in January.

Voters aren’t buying the whole “it takes an outsider to clean up the Capitol” line that Lazio is selling. Fifty-three percent say they’d prefer someone with experience on Planet Albany in the governor’s office.

Nevertheless, Lazio’s numbers are heading in the right direction. Even Cuomo’s numbers are dropping, albeit at a smaller rate.

Of course, the big question remains, what is Cuomo going to do? conventional wisdom says he’ll run. Naturally one has to ask why hasn’t he declared yet. I think the answer is that Cuomo knows that once he enters the race his numbers will drop even faster. As long as he is not a candidate, he doesn’t have to campaign, doesn’t have to talk issues… he’s just a contender who isn’t contending, and thus doesn’t have to throw or take any punches. His numbers are high enough that means he’s fairly safe to do that, but I don’t think he can keep it up much longer.

Lazio, as the sole GOP challenger, is free to travel the state and build up coalitions while most are looking at Paterson, how’s he’s doing as governor, and at Cuomo, and whether he’s jumping in or not. Pressure is on Cuomo to jump in the pool or get off the diving board. Without knowing for sure what his intentions are these polls only tell us so much.