Breaking: Tim Russert (RIP)

According to WIVB, Buffalo native and NBC Washington bureau chief Tim Russert is dead.

CBS' New York City affiliate confirms.

WIVB says they'll have further details on their 5 o'clock news.

Sabres new affiliate logo ...

I mentioned the other day that the logo for the Sabres' new affiliate, the Portland Pirates was really ugly.

Now, I'm no fashion guru. I don't know art - I just know what I like, yada yada yada.

But you tell me?

Looks like Long John Silver's mascot is learning to play hockey ....

Albany Update ...

Of course, each Monday, Bob Confer does the Albany Update on Dialog on Hometown 1340, WLVL ... but there's so much chaotic crap flying across the state wires, I'm not sure we could wait that long. So I thought I'd highlight a few stories here.

The Daily News reports today: Chaos reigned Thursday at what was supposed to be a news conference for Paterson and lawmakers to lay out priorities for the rest of the legislative session.

The story goes on to say that Paterson stood between Joe Bruno and Shelly Silver as the took potshots at one another - as you can likely tell in the photo.

The New York Sun, meanwhile, says: In a vivid illustration of the topsy-turvy world of state politics, the Senate Republican majority leader, Joseph Bruno, is siding with the teachers unions and blocking the measure, while the Senate Democratic leader, Malcolm Smith, is not only supporting a cap but says he wants to restrict taxes even more aggressively than the governor.

I've said hundreds of times before, it's like the Republicans in the State Senate don't know that they're Republicans. Or could it just be that being in the majority loosens up the purse strings?

Local blogger Rus Thompson says it's the unions that are killing the tax cap. Read his thoughts here.

I mentioned a story yesterday about a NYS judge ordering the legislature to give judges raises ... but then I forgot to put it in the show notes. Here's a post from NiagaraTimes, a Republican blog in Niagara County. I agree with them maybe half the time. This is one of those times.

And finally, this is from the Free New York Blog. It says that high taxes encourage mafiosa style business practices ... and terrorism.