Labor Day Open Thread [9.3.12]
Happy Labor Day, everyone! The annual Labor Day parade and picnic is definitely on in Wilmington and everybody who wants to be elected to something is there. The downpour isn’t stopping this event!
The big music event this weekend is the Made In America festival up in Philly which seems to have taken over the town. Not only is the mani festival down on the Ben Franklin Parkway, there are other concerts and afterparties all over. And it looks like it is a fun time, too. Here is Jay-Z and Pearl Jam doing 99 Problems:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZTs_HSNZwg[/youtube]
Remembering why we have off today and a reminder of who really built it:
What is going on in your part of the world today?
Sounds like Markell will be speaking at some point at the DNC! Should be pretty cool.
It was amazing to see all the candidates and elected officials today in the City of Wilmington braving it out in the rain. The one individual who I did not see was the Democrat Endorsed Candidate for Insurance Commissioner Mitch Crane. That was a big sign of disrespect toward all the workers and the union folks that walked in the parade today in the rain.
Mitch is busy trying to hide who he really is 🙂
Tomorrow’s the day for the parties to fill holes on their ballots. I’ve only heard of one appointment – Rich Eakle against Hocker for the 20th Senate seat. It’ll be interesting to see if any other sacrificial lambs come forward. The Dems now run the risk of crazies in the 1st District Sussex Council race – if Witzke beats Vincent – and the 19th Senate – if Bodie beats Booth – and the 18th Senate – if Opaliski beats Simpson. (Though no one would be more shitshocked than Opaliski himself.) Also no one’s running against that paragon of intellect Dave Wilson for the 35th House seat.
Sad all around. The party should require all RD chairs to automatically be put on the ballot just to give voters a choice if they can’t recruit a warm body for their races.
I don’t give a rats ass what politician matches in what parade
Rain or shine
KWS is responsible for insurance rates increasing and women of child bearing years having to pay more for insurance than men or older women
Instead of marching in a parade she should have marched her ass down to LEG HALL and gotten some legislation passed to protect the Insurance consumer
Mitch crane is that kind of person- KWS obviously is not
If what u want is fluff over substance then go with your girl- and I hope the increased premiums feel good as u watch her march in parades- actually I have seen her try to march in a parade where she specifically was not wanted and had no place being there- that is how dumb she is.
You really are a trifleing fool….you deserve KWS
sadly, the rest of us don’t
Well, SED, (not to be confused with well-said), Mitch Crane was at the Arden Fair on Saturday to greet the 10K or so fairgoers. So was Paul Gallagher. Does that mean that KWS ‘dissed’ the 10K who showed up? No, it just means that she missed out on an opportunity.
Jesus H. Christ, if you’re gonna be a political propagandist, aka ‘shill’, please be intelligent about it. Our readers are intelligent. Something your ‘contribution’ was not.
Keep drinking the kool aid Liberals.
Mitch Crane’s endorsement by the DSEA is tarnished by the
fact that the husband of another Democrat Party endorsed candidate
employed by the DSEA sat in on the Insurance Commissioner endorsement meetings. Prior to the interviews both candidates had already been endorsed by the party.
Crane being an attorney never should have allowed this conflict
to occur and the DSEA should be ashamed of the lack of transparency.
It must be the last week; Folks are starting to get desperate.
Yo. Charlotte- go spin your web elsewhere
That crap won’t fly here and by the way you say “Democrat Party” indicates u r actually a tea party type Republican- the readers in here pick up on those dog whistles – trying to outsmart us Democratic Party types takes a little more than what u brought.
Go post that shit on the Tea Party blogs
And like Idealist said- must be the last week and folks r desperate
Last week, folks are desperate and apparently they’ve got 2008 reruns to serve up.
Warning to all of you — if you are just here tagging the place you won’t be here for long.
Was this post about Labor Day Parade or the Arden Fair? El Somnambulo lol.
Labor Day Parade is so much bigger and is very important part of our country’s history. Labor is the backbone of this nation and especially should be the driving force for Democrats to support and champion going into the heart of the election season. You had all the state-wide elected officials (except Governor Jack Markell, who was on CNN and at the DNC Convention), and even Matt Denn was there too (Mitch Crane keeps saying is his pal). I thought pals talk to each other and watch each other backs? Matt Denn is only worried about himself, remember he wants to run for Governor 2016.
I repeat again: the fact “The Democrat” Endorsed Candidate for Insurance Commissioner of Mitch Crane was missing from the AFL-CIO Labor Day Parade was a huge sign of disrespect and union folks took note of it. No excuses for not being there. People traveled all over to be at the AFL-CIO Labor Day Parade in Wilmington yesterday and then walked in the rain.
SED: Thanks for reminding me why I hate Democrats just as much as Republicans. Only the truly brain-dead would base their votes on something as meaningless as a parade.
Just for the record, since you clearly had rain in your eyes, nobody except those people marching gives a flying fuck about a Labor Day parade.
Charlotte,
How is that a conflict by any stretch of the imagination?
And even if it were, what is a candidate supposed to do about it? The organization can do interviews however it wants.
Geezer,
So if you hate Democrats and Republicans? Then what are you? Angry Blogger? First off, do not be that way. You got some good points based from other posts here on Delaware Liberal.
An election is decided by a number of factors, but being visible to the people is extremely important. Your name being recognized on the ballot is also important and people remember it. If you do not believe me ask Senator Tom Carper how many elections he has won (13th is coming BTW), or how many parades Vice President Joe Biden walked in as U.S. Senator Biden during his time in Delaware. The formula is not hard to understand: Be visible and get to as many of events as possible. Also do not miss the big events in the State of Delaware. AFL-CIO Labor Day Parade is one of the big events before Primary Day in Delaware to meet and see people!
I just google Mitch Crane’s name and saw these two articles online. The Associate Press published this article, aka the oldest national news media/newspaper agency in the USA. I even attached another article from insurance journal too. There must be cloud or thunderstorm over Mitch Crane’s campaign right now, because the big boys know how to weather the storm and move forward through any challenge. Carper and Biden prime examples.
http://www.delmarvapublicradio.net/post/delaware-democrat-returns-campaign-contributions#.UEKRvQI-OEA.email
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2012/08/29/261080.htm#.UEKQzeOvXiY.email
See, I would point to Tom Carper and Joe Biden as the two biggest piles of bullshit in Delaware Democratic politics. So we’re never going to agree on that.
Angry blogger? Hardly. But the next candidate I vote for based only on the letter after his/her name will be the first. And the next candidate I vote for because she can’t find an actual job will also be the first.
Interesting that when you google his name those articles come up. I just googled Mitch Crane and got very different results. His website, endorsement by the DSEA, his speaking engagements, but not the articles you referenced.
Maybe by google you meant nancy willing’s blog?
Apparently SED is one of the vectors by which the smear campaign happens. How else would you explain someone who has never posted here before AND is a concert promoter (according to his Facebook page) pushing the same links that the usual KWS idiots are flogging?
When I google Mitch Crane’s name, I get:
Mitch Crane for Delaware
Mitch Crane Wins DSEA Endorsement
Mitch Crane’s Victory Fund Endorsement
In addition to lots of other endorsements and accolades for his work on college campuses. So let’s mark that up to reaching.
Anyone want to bet that this guy is cashing KWS checks too?
LOL, Idealist!
@Cassandra: “The annual Labor Day parade and picnic is definitely on in Wilmington and “everybody” who wants to be elected to something is there. The downpour isn’t stopping this event!” Your own words. Where was he?????Tick,Tock…
My own words. And even with my pronouncement, the parade had way few marchers than I’ve ever seen before, way fewer spectators and even some of the participants were pretty confused as to whether this parade would go off or not. At least according to the email that passed by me (and some Facebook entries).
Not exactly a good try, but we can see your flopsweat.
And he insulted all of the people there walking in the rain who endorsed him and gave him money. Good luck with that:) Keep making excuses it will get you ready for Tuesday night!
Tick, Tock…..
Some of the people in charge of organizations who did endorse him told him to go back because the parade wasn’t happening. In case you weren’t clear, that would have been the part where even some of the participants were pretty confused about whether the parade would go off or not.
More of your flopsweat.
Phil Bannowski has a huge set of photos up of the parade on fb. Check them out.
All of those beautiful shots of our Delaware school kids! They gladly came to Wilmington from all over the state and were happy to march and play and look their best. The unions also were representing and all marched proudly regardless of the weather. Just sayin’.
U realize that KWS is the epitome of a pro-corporation, anti-union politician, right?
The NJ has a bunch of nice pictures up too. Too bad the kids and the union folks (who got the message to come) didn’t have a better crowd.
The members walked. The political leaders who care about the members walked. Your guy took the cash and ran away. The rank and file know it and they will remember it. Tick, Tock…..
I just got the word that Mitch Crane’s past is going to come back to haunt him in a big way. Too bad I didn’t get the scoop on this one. West Chester, PA news archives tell one sordid story after another or so I’m told.
I’d actually break the story instead of just hinting around but I have only heard of it this morning from a source unrelated to any of Crane’s opponents (btw). I don’t have the articles at hand.
And in case anyone missed it on another post, KAREN was at the Arden fair. The lies out of this blog……
Oh wow! A breaking (made up) negative story one week before the election! This is unheard of!
Now, I wouldn’t make shit up just to irk you, idee. It is coming. Crane knows it too.
I doubt it’s made up, and of course if it was printed back during Mitch Crane’s days in Pa., it’s not a “scoop” now.
Anybody with a computer could have dug up plenty of material about Mitch Crane at any point in this campaign. He had a fairly long and often controversial career up there, and at least a few of the stories can be found by googling his name and the names of Pa. newspapers.
Here’s a question, though: What do KWS’ mud-stained partisans do to win the general election?
“The lies out of this blog”
And yet you turn to it day after day.
I’m not trying to give anyone pointers, but I’ve noticed that a candidates chances of winning are inversely related to the number of mud-stained partisans they have show up here to bleat at, bellyache to and basically beleaguer our readers.
All indications from KWS’s mud-stained partisans are that her campaign strategy was simply to wait until a week before the election to dredge up years-old, easily-Googled negative stories on her opponent.
And since the opponent knows the details of the mud that’s about to be slung, it’s reasonable to assume that he also has a response to it — and that he would not have sought election if there was substantial reason to belief the negatives would derail his campaign.
We can tell her strategy wasn’t to run on her record. Her radio ad distorts it in the very first line by claiming KWS has spent “24 years” at her job.
Ask her mud-stained partisans for her resume. AT least Crane has one.
Mediawatch: He doesn’t have to outrun the bear, just the other camper.
@Nancy I just got the word that Mitch Crane’s past is going to come back to haunt him in a big way. Too bad I didn’t get the scoop on this one. West Chester, PA news archives tell one sordid story after another or so I’m told.
Yeah, we got the same word. Apparently the themes KWS will trot out are:
He’s somehow racist and/ or “thin skinned” because he tried to get an African American Republican council president replaced — even though he was serving as VP and solicitor of the local NAACP.
He was too harsh on poor people while a sitting judge — while he was also serving on the board of the county ACLU.
He was “Not Qualified” to be a higher court judge when, in fact, the precise evaluation of the Bar found him “Not Presently Qualified”. An easy misrepresentation when you are not paying attention to the evaluation rules, which required one of these three: 1) a majority vote for “Qualified’; 2) a majority against to be “Not Qualified”; or 3) a finding of “Not Presently Qualified” if less than a majority were for or against you ( because a large number took no position).
Who, exactly, is surprised at this? More tired BS from the same tired Gene Reed playbook. Bet she tries to resurrect the old “he tried to assault me!” BS that she pulled on Reed 4 years ago. It wasn’t true then, but this is the playbook of a woman who lives by the crying wolf playbook. This is about all she has apparently — when you are working hard to obsure your resume, working VERY hard for the corporations who pay for your campaigns, living by pay to play and certainly not paying attention to real issues that real people have to manage without a regulator who cares about them, I imagine that this tired stupidity (stupidity that isn’t even recent — and I’m betting *alot* of money that KWS doesn’t want to talk about what she was doing in the late 80’s and 90’s) is about all there is in the quiver. You can hear largely the same thing from Romney/Ryan — when you don’t have a track record to talk about (or an agenda you try to obscure) then you try to undermine someone else’s. It is what KWS did to Gene Reed and now she and her handlers are working to do this to Mitch. How scared and unaccomplished do you have to be to — at this late date — continue to run away from the issues?
From KWS’ website: “For over 40 years I’ve been standing up for your rights …”
So … since she was in her 20s?
How’s that again, Nancy/Joe?
🙂 Tick, Tock
See how easy that was? None of that material was hidden or hard to find, and none of it is game-changing.
I suspect those behind this brilliant strategy must be Delaware natives, because they act as if Pennsylvania were as distant and impenetrable as Nepal. Or perhaps they don’t realize that, unlike Delaware, the Pennsylvania suburbs of Philadelphia have newspapers that cover political squabbles routinely, and when they’re big enough squabbles they even make the Inquirer, if only the zoned suburban pages. Some of the journalists who knew Crane then are still around.
It’s hard to miss the similarities among the mud-stained set. They specialize in “inside information” (what others call “gossip”) which they deliver with more spin than a Willie Mosconi cue shot. But not right away. Though they pretend they can’t wait to tell you the details, they only give them out after days of teasing. This technique allows them to make as big a deal as they can muster out of yet-unknown and almost invariably trivial information. Many people remember the thrill of the build-up and forget the let-down of the delivery, thus accomplishing the propaganda mission.
You’ll notice that the whole theme of the anti-Crane campaign waged by two KWS supporters, at least one of them an intimate, has been to create an air of mystery about Crane, and act as though he was somehow hiding his past. The whole notion is laughable, considering the coverage he got during his career in Pa.
Still, reading the old articles gives a much fuller picture of Crane than you’ll ever get from the candidate himself. A lot of it is entertaining reading. Remember the “Mitch is a Republican” meme? In one election, Crane had the Democratic nomination, and then waged a petition campaign to get himself on the ballot as a Republican as well. Yes, it was a stupid stunt, and if you want to take it as an indication that Mitch Crane is too clever by half, I won’t disagree.
He’s by no means a perfect candidate. I hear from people I trust that he’s gruff with the help, which is a strike against him for me. If his Pa. career convinces you he’s a grandstander, that’s strike two.
But he’s running against someone who can’t make the team. Karen Weldin Steward is the person who finally, after almost 30 years of efforts by various greed merchants, delivered more than 100 million dollars paid by Delaware insurance customers of Blue Cross/Blue Shield into private hands — and not even Delaware hands at that.
This act alone makes her the worst Insurance Commissioner in the history of Delaware. I would literally vote for JoJo the Dog-Faced Boy before I would vote for Karen Weldin Stewart.
And I say that with all due respect.
Joe: Congrats on finally figuring out how to make the emoticons work. Who says you can’t learn?
… with all due respect to JoJo.
And people complain I don’t write anymore. Well, one or two, maybe.
tick tock- one week until KWS is voted out of office.
yeah. I marched in the rain with my Union brothers,sisters and leadership. My leadership backed KWS and a couple brothers have not done their own research. I shook the hands of many politicians who will not get my vote, including Carper and KWS. I talk to every craft on the job and my own membership. Two words resound, “New Blood”. I support LABOR by walking down King St. in the rain. I want everyone else to not have to make that effort. If I want better for everyone else who remained warm and dry, I’m sure Mitch Crane does too.
Yes, because walking in the rain is an indignity and travail the likes of which Haywood and Debs suffered. Viva labor!
Give me a break. I’m as pro-union as the next guy, assuming the next guy is carrying a strike placard, but the whole poor suffering brothers and sisters shtick is really old. Get some new rhetoric, for fuck’s sake.
See, I told you Crane knows all about it. His surrogates here are delivering the spin as expected. I haven’t read any of the stuff first hand or I definitely would have written some blog posts about Crane’s character problem. I don’t understand the google it part. Which is it? First you say googling Mitch Crane turns up nothing by sweetness and light and then you say you can google this mess with a snap?
Dear kool aid drinkers. Judge Mitch has aligned himself with a political loser named Richard Korn. A bigger [Ed] you will never meet. I have met him several times and believe me HE IS A [Ed].
Tick Tock………
I don’t know who “JP Connor Jr” is but his infantile repetitive postings of “Tick Tock” together with his ad hominem attacks on Mitch Crane only show his total lack of understanding between “competence” and “incompetence” in the Insurance commissioner’s primary. Delawareans are extremely fortunate to have Mitch Crane run for Insurance Commissioner. As an attorney and a former elected Judge, Mitch has the experience, competence, integrity and understanding of what the Insurance Commissioner does and should be doing to protect the insurance consumer. There is NO comparison. End of story.
Eight day Reports……Tick Tock…
sussex asswipe, the rain is a blessing but your arrogance is insufferable. Debs and Haywood. Way to wiki. My post in no way portrayed suffering but determination. My post was in support of Mitch Crane, who wasn’t there, and opposition to those career politicians that did walk in the rain. And you were watching, not doing. Such affirmation from a mere watcher. Please come to 626 New Castle Ave. tomorrow night @ 6:50pm. You can expound on Haywood and Debs. I can pound some McGuire into you.
And Nancy Willing, having little or no knowledge about a subject has never stopped you. Way to embarrass yourself regarding Dewey Beach on WDEL.
Cass we never agree but now….Solidarity forever! Your opinion not so much:)
@JP I know you as a another fat do little. Your opinion of me means as much as mine of you. The big difference between me and all you putrid fucks, is I have the brains and the brawn. I can back it up! You are only bullshit on the internet.
Well I tried a while back you threatened me, take your best shot POS
Way to wiki? Go fuck yourself, little man. You know nothing about me. I grew up in a union household and tried to organize at one of my first jobs.
The union completely blew me off, which may account for my dismissive attitude toward labor’s whining nowadays. (Also contributing, I’m sure, is the fact that Delaware unions continue to put lard-ass fatheads like Sam Lathem in charge. The man deserves to be kicked on his ass, not reelected.)
These were your words: “I support LABOR by walking down King St. in the rain. I want everyone else to not have to make that effort.” Sounds pretty suffering-focused to me.I
Mitch Crane’s endorsement by the DSEA is tarnished by the
fact that the husband of another Democrat Party endorsed candidate
employed by the DSEA sat in on the Insurance Commissioner endorsement meetings. Prior to the interviews both candidates had already been endorsed by the party.
Crane being an attorney never should have allowed this conflict
to occur and the DSEA should be ashamed of the lack of transparency.
Charlotte: ‘Democrat Party’ = Epic Fail.
Plus I have no clue as to what you’re talking about.
Which puts me on equal footing with you.
Nancy: C’mon. I never said you could simply google “Mitch Crane” and find the stuff. But it wasn’t hard. Try adding a few words, one at a time, to the search field. Jeebus.
Meanwhile, the other item was about what you find when you DO simply google “Mitch Crane,” and it lied about it. Not the same. Again, Jeebus.
Our gal Charlotte here already said this yesterday.
Dear Charlotte:
Tell your handlers that you need new words. You can’t keep posting the same bull over and over again. It looks like spam and that gets you banned.
DL
sussex weeny, tried and failed? so now you are enjoying every benefit YOU’VE gained through OUR struggle? You wrote the book on whining.
The fail was on the part of the union, which was so disinterested in growing it did not respond to repeated requests to organize a shop ripe for the picking. Your loss.
All we are saying…… Is give peace a chance.
Fact is, you still watch as American middle class dwindles away. How limp of you. No one has closed you out. AFL-CIO is always willing to begin anew. It requires heart and loyalty. When you find someone in your shop with those qualities, please don’t report to management.
@Idealist I wish I was there. Hulk smash.
The fail was on the part of the union.
SW-It seems as if we can finally agree on something. I was a union member from ages 20-37. The union consistently acted against the interest of the “young” (read low-seniority) employees, and they protected the slugs, thieves and drug addicts.
I called out our corrupt POS B.A. at every opportunity. He didn’t like me very much; nor did the lazy, thieving, senior members of my local. These people, and their selfish attitudes are the reason that private sector union membership is now well below 10%.
Fact is, you still watch as American middle class dwindles away. How limp of you. No one has closed you out. AFL-CIO is always willing to begin anew. It requires heart and loyalty. When you find someone in your shop with those qualities, please don’t report to management.
You left out integrity, which, in my experience, union “leaders” and senior members lack in spades.
There are many reasons for the lack of interest in labor unions. Part of it is due to the shitty way unions treat younger members (2,3,4 tier agreements come to mind). Another part is that unions tend to protect the most useless, lazy and/or incompetent employees. Yet another part is that Business Agents, who allegedly represent the rank & file, typically DO NOT act in the best interest of the rank & file. Finally, the B.A.s are over-paid and under-worked in comparison to their working peers. That breeds jealousy and discontentment.
@joe. Cass- love ya brother- union heart and union soul
Mitch Crane is the candidate – for the state. For the unions. For the consumer
These are stories – as the Bard Sadi
” a tale told. By and idiot
Full of sound and fury
Signifying Nothing
KWS is done and we do need new blood. Keep throwing dirt U only look like fools
But then we knew that already
And Richard morn already has all your numbers- we saw this coming as Cass So deftly showed you!
Good work cass- putting it out there and getting in front of it
Move along folks nothing to see
Move along folks nothing to see
Aoine–that’s the labor movement’s problem in a nutshell.
Would you give us your real name, “roland”? If there’s nothing to see then there’s nothing to fear.
IAMAW local 447. And fuck off, Joe Cass. The 2 B.A.s I was talking about are both dead.
You’re part of the reason union membership has been declining for 40+ years if you don’t recognize that many locals and nationals are corrupt.
@ Joe Cass–Have you ever read Orwell’s Animal Farm?
Unions have become like the pigs in Animal Farm.
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”.
This is exactly what happened in the union environment I experienced.
@RDL “Unions have become like the pigs in Animal Farm.”
And yet without the unions to protect the workers from the excesses of management, the white middle class will die. We’re seeing its death already as the Gini index climbs and climbs as nearly all hourly jobs head for a race to the bottom.
Be careful what you wish for. You and yours are taking the same ride to nowhere.
You know what is funny about this post now, that in less than seven days, there is going to be sour thread posted up on this site. JP Connor Jr. saying “Tick Tock” is the sound of a bomb that will be ready to go off on Primary Night. Let the count down begin! Just remember the Democratic Process will decide the winners.
@LE–
I agree that unions are a good thing for the middle class. I’m not sure what skin color/race has to do with it. Our shop was multi-racial & everyone earned a decent wage and got along w/ one another.
I don’t wish for the demise of labor unions. I would simply like them to behave with integrity.
Some unions, such as the SEIU and UA, are great. Others, not so much.