Compare the realities of two worlds. One world is that of Lee Raymond, the recently-retired CEO of Exxon Mobil. From 1993 to 2005, he received $686 million in pay and benefits. In his final year of work in 2005, he raked in more than $400 million, including a $98 million pension payout.

The other world is that of millions of workers in the country and in our state. Those folks--our family members, neighbors and co-workers--have seen their wages stand still, health care coverage dwindle, pensions disappear and personal debt reach an all time high. Not to mention having to pay more in gasoline prices, partly to finance Mr. Raymond's obscene paychecks.

On this Easter Sunday, our campaign would just like to take a moment to say thanks to all our friends and supporters for everything you do for our campaign. Your support continues to inspire and motivate us everyday and remind us why our campaign and the issues we're raising must continue to be pressed all across the state. Happy holidays to all!

On Thursday, April 13, the Ithaca chapter of Progressive Democrats of America voted to endorse Jonathan Tasini for United States Senate. Tasini received two-thirds of votes by members required for endorsement. Incumbent Senator Hillary Clinton did not receive any votes.

The group agreed that Tasini would be the best candidate for Senator from New York, speaking out on the issues of peace, health care, and economics that concern us all.

Congratulations, Jonathan! Hope this is just the first in a series of victories leading to your representing the state of New York in the U.S. Senate next January.

Our campaign spends a lot of time discussing the failures of the Bush administration in bringing us into the Iraq war and Senator Clinton for her continued support of the Iraq war, but we should also take time to note how poorly executed the war has been. It's remarkable to me that three years after the Iraq invasion, with all the tactical errors we've seen (even Condoleezza Rice suggested last week that "thousands" of mistakes have been made) that the person most responsible for generating the strategy for the invasion, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, still has a job.

Generals are traditionally reluctant to criticize the governement, especially during times of war. But recently a string of retired generals have suggested that enough is enough, and called for Rumsfeld to step down. The article notes that amongst the many causes for anger from the generals:

Last week anti-war protestors heckled Hillary Clinton as she spoke at Brown University. After one man shouted, “Is it leadership to support the war?” other protestors joined in until they were escorted from the auditorium by police. Mrs. Clinton continued her speech.

Not to worry, though. The junior Senator has won over a bevy of new conservative admirers. This week William F. Buckley Jr., the ancient, lock-jawed, right-wing pontificator, called her a "contender."

Mrs. Clinton is "a very consequential woman with an extraordinary background," [Buckley] said in an interview with Bloomberg Television that was broadcast on Monday. "Her thought is kind of woozy left, not in my judgment threatening."