Party Hacks on Parade
I am struck by how much Delaware politics are a mirror image of, or a negative image, of our national politics.
In Delaware recent events have made it abundantly clear that we have an incompetent and out of touch executive who relies on the loyalty of cronies and patronage job whores to get along. That also happens to describe George Bush to a “T”.
However, the similarities end when you consider the different responses Democrats and Republicans have had to the incompetence up top.
Locally, Democratic activist have never held back from criticizing the Minner/Carney Administration or the old boy network that props it up. Even today, Disbelief wrote a post that excoriated Minner & Co. for its betrayal of the public’s trust. Republicans, on the other hand, have a “circle the wagons” mentality when it comes to Bush.
For example, Dave Burris, a guy who has been honorable in his dealings locally is a flat out party hack when it comes to Bush. Similarly, Mike Castle, who is regarded, as a moderate has been absolutely silent on Bush’s many crimes and screw-ups.
In the final analysis, what is lacking is the ability for Republicans to put the country’s well being above the GOP’s. I know that it weakens us in the boxing match that politics has become – but I’m glad I belong to the party with members that put the country first and the party second.
Delaware and most states set the eligibility for SCHIP at or below 200% of Federal Poverty Level. The 2007 Federal Poverty Level for a family of 4 is $20.650.00 x 2 = $41.300.00. New Jersey sets the eligibility at 350% = $72,875.00, New York 400% = $82,600.00 and some state as little as 175%.
$82,600.00 get real , can you blame Bush for wanting stricter guidelines. Would you say its better to set the limit at 200% at or below federal poverty level then letting state goes as high as 400% = $82,600.00 for a family of 4.
Mr. Markell, why don’t we just have National Health Care for all?. Mr. Markell you suck at political poker because you don’t show all the cards and in this case the facts.
http://kilroyspmp.blogspot.com/2007/08/jack-markell-blows-it-out-his-ass.html
Thanks Kilroy.
I liked that comment better when I read it the first time over at FSP.
I liked that comment better when I read it the first time over at FSP.
No problem, information like this really needs to be shared.
Delaware isn’t a target of SCHIP cuts as Delaware uses the 200% formula. Even you have to give Bush a little credit for questiioning states like New York and New Jersey. I am made at Bush for Irag as you but don’t let that cloud your vision on home front issues that Minner’s Delaware’s George Bush has scewed up and Dick Chaney Markell sits back and says nothing.
“Republicans, on the other hand, have a “circle the wagons” mentality when it comes to Bush.”
Once again Jace….another flawed theory. They seem to come like clock work from you.
You see it as “circling the wagons” when in reality, you just have an inability to believe that anyone can disagree with you. Maybe we haven’t ripped Bush a new one because we don’t happen to agree that he is the “dumb inept moron” that you are all in this little liberal bubble, are convinced he is.
Is he perfect? No. He has made mistakes. But we disagree on what those mistakes are.
When he tried to float that God-awful Amnesty bill, it was mainstream republicans that fought him so hard it eventually died. We have also criticized him quite a lot for the No Child Left Behind Act. His first clue that it would be a disaster was when Kennedy got on board with it. If Kennedy is for something, it is usually wise to drop it.
Republicans pride themselves on cutting Government spending. He hasn’t done that. War spending aside, he has not cut wasteful spending like he promised to do, and WE CRITICIZE HIM regularly for that. I know the Democrats due as well, but in means nothing from their mouths, because if he had a D next to his name you would be praising him for “increased domestic funding”.
But if it still appears to you that we a circling the wagons, perhaps it is because we know next year is an election year. We have seen the slate of candidates the Dems are proffering. The thought of one of those whack jobs running this country, is extremely more frightening than the status quo.
We have also criticized him quite a lot for the No Child Left Behind Act. His first clue that it would be a disaster was when Kennedy got on board with it. If Kennedy is for something, it is usually wise to drop it.
All is all NCLB has it’s problems but no other time in the history of ESEA (1964) aka NCLB has the feds “demanded” results in student achievement. NCLB particularly Title 1 is core $$ program is a supplemental funding program that turned into a supplant program. Though it has it’s flaws, it has it’s merits.
Jason tends to forget that Bill Clinton was the keeper of the lighthouse when the World Trade Center was bombed the first time.
For sure we are in a mess in Iraq and for sure Jimmy Carter put us in a mess in Iran. However lets not tie local and national politics too close. In deed circle the wagon but let’s protect the fort called Delaware
Jason is too busy bashing Bush but stands by his party in Delaware as they screw this state up. Bush will be out of office after 2008 however, Jason will be happy with Minner cronies working under Jack Markell.
What happened to concern about the people? Innocent, helpless people are being abused and you turn it into some Bush bashing opportunity.
For one moment, can’t we try to solve a problem together?
Yeah…that’s why Dave is trying to use this to dirty up Markell. Because he is concerned about people.
Please.
“Yeah…that’s why Dave is trying to use this to dirty up Markell.”
That’s it you ban from this blog ~ Ops you blog, go to your room young man , you’re grounded
Huh?
We should have an English-only policy here…
somehow criticizing has turned into action on the Republican side. whooopeeee you “criticized” and “disagreed” with Bush, but when it comes down to vote on something…line up motherfuckers or lose election money.
gimee a break, criticism and disagreement doesn’t translate into anything but empty rhetoric.
there is a reason it was called a rubber stamp congress.
There are plenty of Republicans, national and local, who have criticized George Bush. Your hangup seems to be that I haven’t done so.
Oh, well. Here goes.
Chimpy McHalliburton.
Jorge Arbusto.
Enron! Enron!
Abramoff!
No WMDs! Liar, Liar!
Fry Scooter!
Cindy Sheehan is my hero!
Diebold!
New World Order!
It doesn’t change the fact that Jack Markell and John Carney are both guilty of enabling Ruth Ann through their silence, and both of them are going to have to answer for it.
it’s chimpy mcflightsuit not haliburton.
“Even today, Disbelief wrote a post that excoriated Minner & Co. for its betrayal of the public’s trust.”
Your holding up someone who posts from behind an alias as an example of speaking truth to power?
Jeez – the reformed anons are the worst.
Attacking anonymity is the sure sign of a lost argument.
No, it’s not.
He’s using an anon as an example of courage that he somehow says I don’t have.
It’s perfectly appropriate.
What? The rethugs aren’t in
goosesteplockstep?You want to see how you guys and your party are the Borg? Well, we can start first with the “Loyalty Oaths”. What’s this, the Mob? It reeks of fear, scared that the indoctrinated will realize how out-of-step they are and the party-faithful will use
Here’s another example (and it’s certainly revealing!)…. One false argument the Authoritarians make is: Since the polls show the Democratic-controlled Congress approval rating is lower than Bush, this somehow represents (in some sort of diluted way) that America is truly a conservative nation and the American people are just dissatisfied with Government in general.
Well here’s a telling reason on why it’s that low. Dems and liberals actually have the audacity to be upset and voice their displeasure of their party. Not thoroughly investigating the lead-up to Iraq and putting a stop to it, DoJ firings, FISA, and all the other crimes committed by this administration and the corrupt GOP have driven down the approval-rating because we voice our displeasure! Dems who approve is at 28%, whereas Republicans and Independents are at 24% and 23%, respectively. Compare that to Bush’s approval-ratings: Dem – 8%, Ind – 25%, and GOP – 64%.
A very comprehensive breakdown can be found HERE!
So when a GOPer says that they are not a sheep-like, partisan, party hack, more often than not, they’re lying or, at least, they don’t follow through on their displeasure….
Sorry, the 2nd paragraph should be this:
“What’s this, the Mob? It reeks of fear, scared that the indoctrinated will realize how out-of-step they are and the party-faithful will use these oaths as a tool to blackball dissenters from local and/or national party politics.”
Crackie’s finally lost it. He’s using Greenwald to back his argument.
I feel your pain, Crackie.
Reality hurts, don’t it, Dave?
What exactly is wrong with this analysis? It’s certainly not wrong just because you don’t like it. And can you actually say something constructive and/or critical say about what I wrote (and Greenwald’s original post)? Or is that all you got, which is a mentality used by 3rd graders – just ignore that’s it there or make fun because you don’t have the plausible reasoning to refute….
Which reminds me of that Gandhi saying…”First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.”
So, how about it, Dave? You’re halfway there! 😉
Well, considering I’m a party official, and I’ve never taken a “Loyalty Oath,” I think your point is ridiculous.
You wouldn’t know reality if it ran over your dog.
“So when a GOPer says that they are not a sheep-like, partisan, party hack, more often than not, they’re lying or, at least, they don’t follow through on their displeasure….”
Or, (perish the thought), they don’t see things through the twisted glass of liberalism. Did you ever think that 64% for of GOP’ers really DO support the president. I realize you are blinded by liberal elitism (unfounded elitism at that), but NEWSFLASH. Many Americans think your ideas are crackpot.
I read the numbers to mean 72% of Dems won’t be happy until their party is fully in charge. So that is 72% Dem hack vs. 64% GOP hack.
Thanks for proving my point for me.
I think I would, Dave.
So, can I take it that you got nothing, or can I just expect more insults, false equivalency, and specious rebuttals in lue of anything factual?
Chris, your response is only wishful thinking.
The Dems, as well, as many Independents, want investigations regarding the issues I mentioned before. They want out of Iraq. They don’t want the NSA spying on their own. They want Fredo nailed to the wall. And they are voicing their displeasure by saying the Dem-controlled Congress is doing a shitty job in implementing the people’s wants!
So, in effect Chris, you’re saying a majority of Americans are looking through “some sort of twisted glass”. Nice going in proving your pompous, outside-the-mainstream view.
Hard numbers and reality hurts when you realize you’ve been wrong all this time, Chris, so I understand your lame lashing-out.
BTW – I put my vote where my mouth is – I did not vote for Carper, and I did vote for Ferris Wharton. I just couldn’t vote for an AG who needed multiple attempts to pass the DE Bar.
And I’ll certainly vote for a progressive republican, if China allows Teddy Roosevelt to reincarnate! 🙂
Well, there’s what I said, which you conveniently ignored, and then there’s the absolute absurdity of Greenwald’s post.
Somehow, the fact that Congress is despised by R’s AND D’s and the President only by D’s makes Congress better?
Comparing Greenwald’s credentials and writings to yours, or any other stenographer within the right-wing noise machine, is a no brainer! Greenwald every time, buddy!
The funny thing, and very telling about the right’s MO, is that Greenwald has never offered his political affiliation. You, and your ilk, just assume that he’s a bleeding-heart liberal, but all you know for certain is that he’s a Constitutional Law scholar who writes about those issues, as well as commentary on the Beltway media. But since you, Dave, don’t like his analysis and findings, which are always backed-up up with empirical and first-source evidence, he must be a partisan liberal and therefore must not be taken seriously.
Just because you want it to be, Dave, doesn’t make it so….
And to your last point, it’s not my fault you can’t follow the conversation. The post is about the political hackery of the GOP, and how they will vote or agree along the party line, no matter how they personally feel about the issues at hand – Party over Country at its finest! The point is not that the Dem-controlled Congress is better, that’s up for debate, but it’s about how Liberals/Progressives will stand up to the party leaders and voice there displeasure, compared to the GOPers who’ll jump off a cliff for Dear Leader.
Got that?
Minner’s Delaware’s George Bush has scewed up and Dick Chaney Markell
er, KWH
Minner is to Bush as Carney is to Cheney…not Markell
~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are millions of Americans who voted for Bush who are now as pissed as hell and for good reasons # 1 being the constant attack on our constitutional rights.
All of the apologists in the rightwingosphere cannot offset the US citizen’s jaded ride through this administration’s spying, lying and plying of GOPer politics when they should have been serving all of us.
At DWA – Amy Olga says: “Please, Hube, DO NOT EXPOSE YOURSELF! At least not in public.
BTW, I think that you meant to say “all but” as opposed to “albeit”.
http://www.downwithabsolutes.com/index.php/2007/08/21/definitelynotgood/#comments
*
BAH
Hube tosses insults -“Frieda: “Hube” IS my name. Don’t like it, then stick it”- at one of Delaware’s most respected citizens, Frieda Berryhill and so, naturally, folks want to know “who the hell is Hube”….
by “the Burris measure” above-Your holding up someone who posts from behind an alias as an example of speaking truth to power?- Hube ain’t shit.
Hube comfortably ridicules only those whose views he despises, belittling us for grammatical and spelling errors and all the while, he refuses to disclose his identity.
Chicken shit.
Nancy: I like your comments most of the time. But I missed the last one.
Perhaps the references are only decipherable from within the beast that is Delaware politics.
Or, God forbid, I don’t read enough blogs…
Sorry if too cryptic Alan – the link was provided for enlightenment purposes!