The Times' Endorsements are up.

Out of the Box Money Endorsement: Martine Guerrier!!!

Secondary Storyline: The Times keeps hatin' on Adriano Espaillat. New York’s Odd Thursday Primary www.nytimes.com   

Not for nutin, but the Ethics Committee report on Lopez should have been referred to the full body and a committee appointed to deal with possible sanctions, up to and including expulsion. The failure to do so ultimately led to the criminal investigation now being undertaken.

But now that there is such a investigation, how does Vito Lopez participate in any Assembly proceeding if he wants to, as is his right?

His participation while a criminal inquiry is pending creates Fifth Amendment issues. Any removal proceeding, were it to include Lopez's option to utilize his right to due process, must now await the conclusion of the DA's work, as it did in the Monserrate case.

If this hurts Shelly, well he made this bed, did he not? A person’s due process rights, even those of Vito Lopez, should not have to bow to the political convenience of Shelly Silver.  Sheldon Silver changes his tune on dumping Vito Lopez after state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman www.nydailynews.com   

Vito running for City Council may qualify as the political equivalent of acid reflux, although it would probably spare us a run by Naomi Rivera's boytoy. Delusional Lopez is eyeing council run www.nypost.com   

Woman bites dog story: Naomi Rivera gets job for young man she didn't sleep with.

Her son (and his girl too)

Sez the son: “You caught me red handed while my hand was in the cookie jar/Gonna cop a plea know that’s not my cup of tea.” Bronx Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera also put son on payroll, records show www.nypost.com   

Although I support Lincoln Restler, I must say that the leadership of the Aroni Satmar community who support him continues to engage in tactics which are beneath contempt.

I join Orthodox Pundit in hoping that Lincoln disavows such Lincoln disavows such disgraceful tactics. Restler Supporters' Baseless Attack on Opponent As Nazi-Sympathizer Son | Orthodox Pundit: News & P orthodoxpundit.blogspot.com   

While as a liberal internationalist, I've sometimes been disappointed by the fact that cautious realism sometimes suppresses the President's democratic and humanitarian instincts to a point beyond the "first do no harm” dictate or a rational cost/benefit analysis (both of which are more than fair considerations), Judis paints a frightening portrait of Romney's contrasting foreign policy vision.

The difference between neo-cons and lib internationalists is that neo-cons embrace a big-footed unilateralism, but what Judis shows is that while Romney embraces the neo-cons worst aspects, he refuses to embrace their best ones.

True neo-cons are obsessed with imposing democracy and freedom (whether nations want it or not).

Romney isn't intent upon imposing democracy and freedom; he is merely intent on imposing American will. The Latter-Day Vulcan www.tnr.com   

There are two words to describe candidate who falsely implies his opponent and his opponent’s party are on a crusade against G-d. The first word is "blasphemous." The second word is "Un-American."

Why does Mitt Romney so hate what America stands for? Mitt Romney's Virginia speech heavy on religion - Ginger Gibson www.politico.com  

Romney says he wants to keep all the popular parts of “ObamaCare,” but eliminate all the elements of the plan that makes those things possible. The Republicans have now combined voodoo economics with voodoo health care.  Romney: I Won’t Cut Taxes for the Rich www.slate.com

Even this turns out to be a lie. Within Hours, Mitt Romney Takes Back Everything He Said About Preexisting Conditions www.motherjones.com   

Kinsley: During the Clinton years, temporary agreement between the parties, with help from the economy, actually did wipe out the deficit briefly. Then came President George W. Bush and his war in Iraq. Vice President Dick Cheney, concerned that alarm about the return of huge deficits might spoil the fun, declared that “deficits don’t matter.” Republicans began dismissing concern about the national debt as “Rubinomics,” a reference to Bill Clinton’s Treasury secretary, Robert Rubin. It was not intended as a compliment.

Now, in the latest chapter, Republicans have decided that deficits are heinous once again. No doubt they will continue to believe that for as long as there is a Democrat in the White House. Republicans Must Choose: Less Debt or More Jobs? www.bloomberg.com   

I love Ezra Klein, and one day hope to be invited to his Bar Mitzvah. The boy in the bubble www.cjr.org