Saturday, January 19, 2008

New Jersey: The King's Highways


New Jersey, Press of Atlantic City, Tornoe's Toons, Jon Corzine, asset monetization, wizard of trenton


This week, Corzine continued to push his financial restructuring plan throughout the state. I've already commented in the cartoon below that I think Corzine has his plan stuck in his head, and is willing to 'hear' other people's suggestions while not really 'listening' to them.

Jon Corzine, Asset Monetization
Click on image for full cartoon
An interesting side note is the size of our unmentioned behemoth state government, which won't be cut, and will probably grow under his plan. Everyone in the state might be po'd in different degrees by Corzine's plan, but the state workers prefer it over actually loosing their jobs, or having their job's eliminated. So it's "woo-hoo" by them.

Unless they live near the turnpike or the parkway.

As a side note, since 'The Wizard of Trenton' is a play off the popular "Wizard of Id', I always try to draw it as if it were on the comics page. This time around, the strip I've included below it is 'Cul de Sac,' one of my favorite new strips, by the very awesome Richard Thompson. If you've never reads it, check it out here, and go check out Richard's blog here.

Here's the sketch:

Friday, January 18, 2008

Vermont: Leahy picks Obama


Patrick Leahy, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton
Click on image for full cartoon
Wally Edge from PolitickerVT.com notes this:
The Senior Senators move marks a clear blow to the Clinton campaign in the endorsement department. One democratic insider said that “the Clinton’s early on assumed everyone would be with them, especially someone in Leadership and from a neighboring state”.

Here's the sketch:

Colorado: Bruce goes on kicking


Doug Bruce, The Karate Kid, kick, Colorado, colorado politics
Click on image for full cartoon
Antitax crusader and all-around nutjob Douglas Bruce kicked a newspaper photographer and was then sworn in as a state representative on Monday. According to Cbs4Denver, Bruce later said he wouldn't apologize and that photographer should be the one to say he's sorry.
"I think that's the most offensive thing I've seen a photographer do in 21 years," Bruce said. "If people are going to cause a disruption during a public prayer, they should be called for it. He owes an apology to the House and the public."

Judge for your self. Watch the video here.

And here are some addiontal Doug Bruce cartoons for your viewing pleasure:

Ed Stein
Rocky Montain News

Mike Keefe
Denver Post

Maine: NewPage to close Rumford paper mill


Jon Corzine, Asset Monetization
Click on image for full cartoon

New Page officials announced on Wednesday that they are shutting down the #11 paper machine in Rumford, Maine, and with it goes about 60 jobs. It's just the latest smack the Maine economy has had to endure.

A bit of silver lining may be Verso Paper's announcement that it's looking to beef up the work force at its Bucksport mill. According to the Bangor Daily News, officials at the mill are still trying to determine how many employees they will need to hire. It appears the mill will need between five and 10 employees.

Here's the sketch:



And here are some links:

View the full cartoon over at PolitickerME.com.

Papermaker cuts 60 jobs in Rumford
Portland Press Herald

New Page troubles put spotlight on Edwards, trade policy
PolitickerME

Housing market keeps cauing trouble


New Jersey, NJBiz


A lot of attention (justifiably so) has been given to the sub-prime market meltdown, and the affect it has on the ability for you and I to sell our homes. What the economists seem to forget is that this meltdown also has had an effect on all the "table-scrap" industries that depend on a healthy housing market to survive, everything from furniture stores to landscaping businesses, even mega-giants like Lowes and Home Depot.

And I'm now officially depressed.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Library of Congress' Flickr page




I'll have more cartoons later this afternoon, but for now, check this out. It's a photo from the Library of Congress's flickr page. There are over 3000 photos in two sets, 1930s-40s in Color and News in the 1910s. The photo above is by Buck Hezog taken for the Bain News Service, taken way back in 1911. Awesome.

Check out the collection here.

Hat tip to Gawker.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Maryland: Gwendolyn Britt: 1941-2008


Gwendolyn Britt, Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Click on image for full cartoon
Final respects to Prince George's County state Sen. Gwendolyn Britt can be paid at services for her Friday in Glen Dale.

The wake will take place Jan. 18 at 9:00 a.m., followed by the funeral at 11:00 a.m. at Reid Temple AME Church, 11400 Glenn Dale Boulevard in Glenn Dale.

On Thursday, her family will be present in the Senate Chambers for a 10 a.m. memoriam.

Gwendolyn Britt
Gwendolyn Britt's Senate homepage

Md. Senator Known for Putting People First
Washington Post

New Jersey: Corzine "listens" to people's suggestions about financial restructuring


Jon Corzine, Asset Monetization
Click on image for full cartoon

What is Corzine listening to on his iPod? Well, one this is for certain...he's not listening to people's suggestions about where he can put his toll road plan.

View the full cartoon over at PolitickerNJ.com.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Nevada: Tonight's debate put into perspective


Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Martin Luther King, Jr., Nevada debate


Here's today's cartoon over at PolitickerNV.com.

All right everyone, get ready. It's debate time again in Nevada!

And with Hillary and Obama going back-and-forth on race, I thought I'd invoke the words of an expert on the matter to interject and put things into perspective.

The race card has been dealt
Politico

Arizona: A woman scorned


Arizona politics, Arizona political cartoons, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Janet Napolitano


Here's today's cartoon over at PolitickerAZ.com.

So how many people out there are asking, "Who is Janet Napolitano?" Well, if you're not in the southwest, Napolitano is the Governor of Arizona, and her endorsement of Barack Obama could be significant in a state now regarded as winnable by a Democratic presidential candidate after decades as a near-lock for Republicans.

Granted, the endorsement might defy conventional wisdom. As a woman, you might assume that Napolitano would gravitate towards Clinton. (Also, Bill Clinton appointed Napolitano as a U.S. Attorney for Arizona in the 90s, you might think she owes it to the power couple.) But the results of the Iowa caucus, where Obama pulled in more female voters than Clinton, illustrated that for many women gender isn’t everything.

Here's the sketch:



More on the Napolitano endorsement
PolitickerAZ.com

Oregon: Kroger for Senate?


John Kroger, Oregon, Oregon politics, Oregon political cartoons


Click above to view today's cartoon over at PolitickerOR.com.

John Kroger loves telling everyone that he's "not a politician." But, recently he was caught telling some prospective supporters he wants to run for US Senate in six years because he doesn't think either Merkley or Novick have enough hutzpuh to take down Gordon Smith.

The Daily Kos touched on the idea of this way back in February:
Oregon is ripe for a genuine people-powered candidate. One name I'm hearing from locals is John Kroger, a former federal prosecutor who busted mafia kingpins and Enron execs. He's been a policy aide to Bill Clinton, Tom Foley and Chuck Schumer.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Condi loves her frozen drinks



Associated Press / Arizona Republic

I won't have any new cartoons until later on tonight into tomorrow, so to hold you over, here's Condoleezza Rice really getting into a strawberry slurpee during a visit to the Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday.

On the web: Arizona Republic photo gallery