Adams Lies to Us Again.
I love this “calling out” by “Speaker-elect” Bob Gilligan:
Rep. Bob Gilligan, D-Sherwood Park, predicts his party’s increased influence in the House won’t change its ability to get bills signed unless there is a further shakeup in the Senate, where hot-button legislation historically meets its doom.
“I said this before the election: The fact that we would be the majority party in the House wouldn’t make a whole lot of difference,” said Gilligan, the frontrunner for speaker of the house when Democrats caucus tonight to elect party leaders for the 145th General Assembly. “I still stand by that remark.”
Gilligan cited the House’s passage of open government, equal protection for homosexuals and reforms at the Delaware Psychiatric Center, all of which withered in a desk drawer in the Senate. All are back at the top of the House Democrats’ priority list for this year, he added.
The desk drawer those progressive priorities withered in belongs to a man who should really contemplate retirement rather than obstruction. For reasons passing understanding, the power to essentially veto all legislation that passes through the Senate rests in the hands of the Senate President Pro Tempore Thurman Adams (D-Bridgeville). Normally, the position and title of President Pro Tempore is an honorary one, given to the oldest or longest serving member of the majority party. In the U.S. Senate, the President Pro Tempore is Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), and Mr. Byrd really has no power except to sit up on the dais next to Speaker Pelosi when the President addresses Congress, but only if the Vice President (the real President of the Senate) can’t make it. Oh yes, the the President Pro Tempore is also third in the line of succession for the Presidency after the Vice President and the Speaker of the House. But here in Delaware, we have inexplicably given the oldest and thus most out of touch member of the majority party the power to thwart the will of the majority.
Intent on keeping his powerful position, Thurman Adams has once again lied to his fellow Democrats by saying that open government legislation will come up for a vote this year. But he said that last year too, and the old bastard put the bill in his desk.
Democrats in the Senate, if they wish to get anything done, need to neutralize the lying Adams. If they don’t, then Adams will remain the lone obstacle to progressive legislation in Delaware, and he will very quickly become Enemy No. 1 for all Delaware Democrats.
To Speaker-elect Gilligan’s credit, he is not shying away from a showdown with Adams. He is forcing it. Gilligan said the House’s top priority will be the open-government bill, followed by legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. Adams may think it is still the 1930’s, when deals were always made in a smoke filled back room, and where gays stayed in the closet if they knew what was good for them, but it is the 21st century, and either Adams gets out of our way on his own, or we will push him.
Adams is, like Terry Spence was, a genial (for the Senate) public face of the institution, covering for a more powerful man. In Spence’s case it was Wayne Smith. In Adams’, it is Tony DeLuca. Do not make the mistake of thinking that Adams acts alone or on whim.
You wouldn’t have to push hard. I’m thinking a feather would knock down ole cauliflower nose.
AMEN Geezer. D’OH!
I would like to see the Inspector General legislation (or whatever Beau Biden called it) come out of committee this session.
Time to get out the green tee-shirts and body markers! Meet me in the gallery of the Senate on opening day — January 6, 2009!
That would mean we get to write a message on Jason’s bare chest again. Whoopee!!
Calling out my ass. They’re making excuses in advance for why nothing will get done. It’s easy to pass legislation in the House knowing it will die in the Senate. Especially when you arrange the bill’s death in advance.
El Burrito Junior is once again going poco loco. El Somnambulo predicts that, while Adams will remain in place, it will only be if he agrees to cut back on the use of the desk drawer veto.
And when that happens, El Burrito Junior will find something else to holler ‘Ay Caramba’ about.
Oh, and when he says, ‘It’s easy to pass legislation in the House knowing it will die’ in the Senate, he knows what he’s talking about. It’s precisely the way his Rethug pals operated when they were in control of the House. This time, the bills will pass both houses and be signed by Governor Markell.
I will take el Beast-o Grande at his spanglish word.
Plenty of senators are making noises about actually doing something about FOIA and open government in the next session, but we need to be a fingernail on their blackboard to make sure this gets done. Call that Bridgeville bastard’s office every day if need be.
Adams said he was thinking of stepping down before the last election and didn’t. Now he wants to hold his post for 2 more years because he may step down in 2 years. Don’t trust him, don’t trust him, don’t trust him. Besides the obvious, the Pro-Tem should not be a reward for longevity. It should be the result of responsible decision making. Adams has clearly lost any inkling of being responsible. He has not earned the right to sit in that corner office.
People need to contact their legislators and insist they not endorse Adams for pro-tem. There are capable people who would make more sensible decisions. Tony DeLuca is not one of them. The senate must act on change now. There’s never been a better time with 3 new D’s.
Is there never any punishment for lawmakers who don’t represent the will of their consituents? Will Adams retain his status as the most powerful obstructionist in the government? I’m tired of all these spineless legislators who turn a blind eye to this behavior.
Just an FYI___ the 1st day of session is January 13. It is always the second Tuesday.
Much of Adams’ area is conservative – I fear he IS representing his constituents. Personally, I’d rather have a Republican in the seat than an elephant in a donkey suit. Isn’t there anyone that can force his hand and make him open his little cluttered drawer?
Thanks for the correction Jab. That gives us an extra week to get organized – whoo hoo!
El Somnambulo believes that the House, along with a strong Governor, can force Uncle Thurm’s hand. The technique, much beloved south of the border, is called a “Mexican Standoff”.
The high-and-mighty senators will want the House to pass their Senate bills. The Governor will want both houses to pass bills. Instead of the Rethugs doing their annual el-foldo, this dynamic, aided by shifting tides in the Senate, will enable the open government bills and HB 99 to pass.
Thus speaks El Beast-O-Grande! Those who know him know that El Somnambulo is nothing if not Grande. Mucho Grande. Especially the adoring senoritas.
Funny how this is being regarded by DD, Dana Garrett, and Al Mascitti as a “calling out.”
I think it was a pre-capitulation. El Som’s fancilfull scenerio can only play out if the house has a leader – which it does not appear to have.
Gilligan enters this session bent over with his pants down.
Gotta disagree on that Jason. Gilligan is making sure his colleagues in the Senate know that he’s got their back if they decide to actually do something about the Thurman situation. Right now Gilligan’s got the juice and Thurman is under threat, as he should be. A little prod on Gilligan’s part might give some of our New Castle County Senators the spine they need to stand up to Thurman, and all those Sussex County voters who have been running our state according to their Dixiecrat values for way too long. Times are changing and Gilligan is doing this the right way.
I hope events prove me wrong and the world right.
The voting has concluded.
Speaker Gilligan
Majority Leader Schwartzkopf
Majority Whip Longhurst
FSP // Nov 13, 2008 at 9:13 am
Calling out my ass. They’re making excuses in advance for why nothing will get done. It’s easy to pass legislation in the House knowing it will die in the Senate. Especially when you arrange the bill’s death in advance.
This.
I agree whole heartedly. They will not do away with this ass-saving tool anytime soon because of it’s functionality.
You’re just gonna hafta elect some representatives with some balls to stand up and invoke the override rule.