Yes I did attend the Joe Bruno sentencing Thursday this afternoon (yesterday, technically), and driving away from it I discovered the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus was in town at the TU Center, and animal rights demonstrators were protesting on Pearl Street. The sentencing in federal court had circus-like qualities, with Bruno making one rambling speech, which was to be expected, and Judge Gary Sharpe another.
Sharpe went on a tour of national politics, including disparaging remarks about the deal Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson made over the health-care bill, and about "the bridge to nowhere" in Alaska. Returning to this case, he talked about the "flabbergasting" testimony from a Senate lawyer (Kenneth Riddett) that members were advised not to mail in their financial disclosure forms so as to avoid federal prosecution, and said he was disgusted by Senate lawyers who had "prostituted themselves" to feather their own nests, e.g. by getting a promotion to the Court of Claims -- a reference to Francis T. Collins.
I'm late in posting because I was at another circus-like event, a rehearsal for the LCA show, to be performed this Friday and Saturday at the Crowne Plaza. It so happens that my Act One role is Joe Bruno, which makes me a little queasy in the circumstances. I don't think justice was ill served in this case, but Bruno does, and I can see where he's coming from. Sharpe made some comments about ongoing corruption in Albany, and asked, "Why is anyone worried about disclosure?" It is still the case that legislators are not required to disclose their private-sector income and clients and typically do not do so. In this respect, the current leaders of the Senate and Assembly are following in Bruno's footsteps.
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