Uncle Thurm Still Holds the Keys
Thurman Adams has struck again. This time he and his committee failed to vote HB5 out of Thurm’s committee by a vote of 2-4. The Senators that are in favor of discrimination based on sexual orientation are:
- Tony DeLuca
- Thurman Adams
- Nancy Cook
- Gary Simpson
This vote will be remembered when it is time to answer for your actions.
And thank you Liane Sorenson and Patty Blevins for voting yes.
Of those four, only Adams and Cook are up for reelection in 2010.
Whether Adams runs again or not, his district is probably a lost cause on this issue.
But ‘bulo believes that Nancy Cook is ripe for a challenge from a serious Democratic opponent. She will have to rely on mail and media to run since she’s certainly not physically up to doing door-to-door.
And, the Beast Who Slumbers believes that, like Bill Oberle, someone more attuned with Dover than with his home district, Cook has become less in touch with her district as well.
It really is a shame that DeLuca wasn’t challenged by a progressive in 2008. His stance on HB 5 likely isn’t all that popular in his Newark area district, but he can’t be held accountable until 2012.
Keep in mind that anyone that DL supports in 2010 for the State Senate must publicly commit themselves to voting for a new leadership team in the Senate. That’s the real key to getting HB 5 finally enacted into law, IESHO.
Anyway, anybody know anybody willing to give Nancy Cook a run for her seat? That’d be a fun race to work on.
‘bulo….there’s a little glitch in the law that actually says senate/house leadership has to be elected every year. Seems no one knew about it until recently. Maybe it’ll be time to change leadership sooner than 2010.
Hell, it’s even a shame DeLuca wasn’t challenged by a moderate republican in the last election. They had enough on the guy to take him out then. The upstate republicans look a lot better in my eyes than Thurman, DeLuca and Cook. We should actually send them to the other side of the aisle and get some real democratic policy going on our side. Without them we’d still have a majority.
Sen. Peterson has 7 signatures on the discharge petition. Not sure who they are, but I’m sure a call to her office can shed some light. If your senator hasn’t signed on, put some pressure on them. My senator is Simpson, so he’s a lost cause. Unfortunately, his Democratic opponent last fall wasn’t any better on the issue.
PI, that’s really interesting. Sorenson, Cloutier and Connor vote with the more progressive legislators more than the Sussex neanderthals, for example.
El Somnambulo is not sure whether the President Pro-Tempore can be voted out during a legislative session, as he/she is elected by the entire body. He supposes it’s possible.
But, the Majority Leader or Whip and the Minority leadership can change at any time based on a vote of the respective caucus.
It actually happened fairly recently. Tom Sharp was deposed as Senate Majority Leader for a period of several months back in the 1990’s. (Unfortunately, the clueless Roger Martin was nothing more than a placeholder until Sharp made his comeback.)
Sharp had joined forces with Wayne Smith and others from the Dark Side to try to roll back the Federal desegregation order. He got into trouble with the caucus when he and the racists behind the effort leafletted and mailed into Sokola’s and Blevins’ districts.
You can’t work against your own people and not take a hit. It’d sorta be like…a would-be Party chair funding Rethuglican candidates and undercutting Democrats.
Bulo is nuts. Please find a challenger for Nancy Cook. I doubt if you could knock her off in a primary but if you did a Democrat could not win on this issue and would have no other in that district. We could get a conservative R in the district. No one R or D in rural Kent is going to vote the way you want. Just look at the votes of the Representatives in that district. Walls D, Thornburg R, and Carson D. All vote no.
It should have failed. I am proud that the Senate held an open hearing and a fair vote. I just wish that it waited until next year, but the result is the correct one and it puts this issue behind us. The senate should respect the vote of the committee and move on.
‘Bulo always appreciates it when David tells the Democrats what they should do. Because his advice works so well for his Rethugs.
You are welcome. It has in past. I really hope that you can follow through on this one. I will be busy playing in J. K.’s backyard to lay the groundwork for challenging taxpayer public enemy number 1. His district is one that should be very interested to know his plans for them.
David – you are well-advised to stay put in Kent County. John Kowalko is much loved in his district as evidenced by his huge margin in the last election. He is also one of the best at constituent services in the county.
But if you would like to throw good money after bad, have at it. But your song don’t play above the canal.
Hey!!!! What happened to my post??????
How many signatures does a discharge petition need? I’m calling my Senator in the AM even tho I never to talk to the guy.
How shameful is it that 230+ years after the Declaration of Independence we still have legislators who do not understand the essential human rights that they are not to interfere with. How do you vote against equal rights? That is what I want someone to make these guys answer.
He actually did something good last election by pushing the Windpower Bill and fortunately for him, his crazy healthcare bill which would triple taxes died in committee. Now he is making raising taxes his new signature issue. We will see how loved he will be. I am sort of rooting for him to be a little successful. 😉 Let’s see how loved he is making himself.
Sorry Susan — I don’t see your post in either moderation or spam queues…
I wonder how minority voters would feel about his bill targeting them for job opportunity elimination.
http://stoptaxing.wordpress.com/2009/05/13/representative-job-killer-aka-joe-kowalko-strikes-again/
Ugh, DeLuca is my Senator. Would it do any good to call him about the discharge petition?
Since he voted against releasing the bill from committee, it wouldn’t help. It would be good for him to know how constituents feel about his position, however.
Who is Joe Kowalko?
And I wonder why you think minorities ought to be exempt from the usual cosmetology licensing and training?
Shhh….Cassandra. I wanted David to spend a lot of money trying to take out a non-existent politician.
He just wants people to click on that unreadable site. Be like ‘bulo and don’t do it.
What the pro-discrimination folks don’t realize is that if I owned a business, and with me being gay, I could fire someone for being heterosexual, and there is nothing that person could do. Absolutely nothing!
Uhhh, any business can do that already.
H, you’re missing the point. Let’s say I buy a business, so the employees have a new owner. Let’s say it’s a restaurant. First day I’m there to meet the staff, I ask everyone what their sexual orientation is. Three people tell me they’re straight and 3 tell me they’re gay. I fire the 3 straight people on the spot. They cannot sue me for discrimination based on sexual orientation because it is not against the law.
What Thurm and the other haters don’t realize is that they would be protecting some of their own, straight, constituents if they passed HB 5.
NOTE: the above scenario is pure fiction. I don’t own a restaurant and would never discriminate against someone because of their sexual orientation. I am gay, though.
You could then sell the business to someone else on the second day with the sales pitch, “The whole staff is gay, so you know this is a great restaurant!”
The Bluewater Wind agreement sponsored out of DeLuca’s office, effectively killed all progressive opposition that was considering primary-ing him..
With that signed agreement, he took out their primary source of funding.
Maybe someday the story of ‘why’ DeLuca split from the other gang of four and chose to bring wind to Delaware, may see the light of day…..
If David runs v JK in my district I’ll quit my job and work for Kowalko gratis. I may pay him. David your brand of bullshit doesn’t fly up here.
Don’t worry I won’t run against John Kowalko. There are people in the district who already have ties to the district. You don’t need someone to move in. Keep your day job as long as JK (job killer) lets you.
David – Bring ’em. There isn’t a person in Dover that works harder for his constituents. All the slime you want to apply will only backfire.
I can’t wait.
MJ, there would be plenty of other jobs. If you wanted to have a gay catering establishment, that is your right for now. I don’t think that your right should be taken away. The government can’t control all outcomes.
Frankly, the HB 5 bill is not clear cut. It is attempting to address valid concerns of some, but I don’t believe that it is a well thought out bill. It takes solutions that have caused problems in other states and brings them to Delaware. I know that you all love over regulation, litigation, and want to undermine traditional marriage, but most Delawareans don’t. I believe a solution which would please 80% of Delaware could be reached.
The problem is not private individuals living their lives. It is certain laws which have a disproportionately negative impact on gays and lesbians. Allow and encourage household based insurance instead of family based insurance for health, disability and other applications. Allow people to transfer survivorship rights of their retirement to whom ever they want. That wouldn’t just solve gay’s problems, it would help a lot of others at the same time.
If you wanted to have a gay catering establishment, that is your right for now.
Right? I thought it was a requirement 🙂
Here we have David trying to make a case for the actions of Uncle Thurm.
Al Mascitti made an interesting comment this morning along the lines of “why aren’t we hearing the Delaware Senate on this?” All they do is vote no, and never comment on why or what problems they have with these bills.
The reason is obvious. They don’t like teh gays.
anon 28,
*rimshot*
The reason is obvious. They don’t like teh gays.
I looked into their eyes and read their minds.
Really Jason, have you even spoken to one of these senators about the subject and asked them how they felt about gays so you can get a response?
The truth is, the bill is a poor bill and the motivation for not passing it is meaningless.
As I recall, the laws mandated discrimination against minorities and women. It took affirmative law to undue the damage done. Show me the widespread discrimination and I will help find a solution. Are gays earning less than heterosexuals? Every study says no. Are gays being denied government contracts for their businesses like minorities were? No. Are there laws which prohibit gays from dining where they want? No. Are there police assaulting gays for rallying in support of legislation that they want? No. Does the law proscribe the rights of property for gays with the exception of some retirements which should be changed immediately. No. They already have the rights of similarly situated people.
I am not a fan of giving special right distinctions on the basis of lifestyle. Smokers rights are an example. You have a right to do what you wish but when does it become an obligation of others to support it?
I think that some laws/regulations disproportionately affect gays. I believe that household insurance would be a good move for many people including gays. I believe that people should have a right to transfer retirement benefits to whomever they want as their survivor. We don’t have to violate the rights of some to uphold the rights of others. I would also note that broad based bills like HB 5 have eventually been used to undermine traditional marriage. If we think through what we need to do, we can have legislation that 80% of Delaware supports. I believe that would do far more good for gays than a divisive bill. I do not favor institutionalized discrimination against anyone including gays.
David – astroturfing is subject to exposure. Just fair warning.
astro turfing? I am not psychic that was just a sarcastic point. You have to explain what you mean.
If you do follow the links, you’ll find that co-sponsors of the bill David dislikes include Pam Thornburg and Colin Bonini, two members of David’s conservative tribe who presumably would be more receptive to his points.
So why are you concentrating on Kowalko, David, when two of your own are standing with him?
Jason: They don’t want it on the floor because they want to prevent Dems from having to vote on it. The downstate contingent mostly would vote no, the bill would fail and Democrats all over the state would face the wrath of the GLBT community.
As noted by someone above, the only no vote in committee that might be the least bit vulnerable on this is DeLuca. The downstaters take the hit so the party doesn’t have to.
Who is a prime sponsor of the bill? That is why. It is the prime sponsor who introduced the bill and will guide it. I would also point out that this bill is in the hands of Democrats. Which party controls the General Assembly? That’s why.
You guys run the show. You have the burden of governing.
Yet, as usual, you have no burden to be consistent. Because, of course, you are An Ignorant Man.
Geezer–an add that to “I don’t want your laws in my bedroom”…well HB5 just might issue the invite.
Yes, and peas might grow out of your ears so you don’t have to buy them anymore … but not likely.
Do you Republicans ever get tired of try
Geezer: There are more than enough votes to pass the bill in the Senate. But the Executive Committee is stacked with neanderthals.
This is one case where the hateful minority have imposed their will on the majority.
…ever get tired of trying to scare people with these silly arguments? Do you have a shred of evidence that such has happened in any of the states that have passed this bill?
Here’s a list of the Senators and how they’re likely to vote:
YEA: Blevins, Bunting, Bushweller, Cloutier, Connor, Henry, Katz, McDowell, Peterson, Sokola, Sorenson: 11
PROBABLE YEA: Hall-Long (she voted yes when she was in the House)
POSSIBLE YEAS (50-50): Marshall, McBride
NAYS: Adams, Bonini, Cook, DeLuca, Ennis, Simpson, Venables. Even here, Ennis is a possible yes.
If there’s a vote, HB 5 will pass.
I asked this yesterday, Bulo — how many signatures are needed to petition this thing out of committee?
Is it OK for me to call David an asshole?
Cassandra – 11 signatures. Seven have already signed. And the old fairy tale (pun intended) that old Thurm will kill your bill if you sign a discharge petition can be shot down when he gets replaced as President Pro-tem. Let him go sit at Harrington putting his pennies in the slot machines.
‘Bulo’s not sure. He thinks it’s 11, since that is a majority of Senate members.
It is the nuclear option, and people are afraid of crossing the Pro-Tem. He can change committee assignments at the drop of a hat, and he can bury legislation. He can make sure that Nancy Cook doesn’t provide a dime to pet projects. Since he assigns bills to committee, a Senator could find all their bills in Uncle Thurm’s desk drawer.
In other words, it’s a scary proposition, which is why it’s rarely used.
And, ‘bulo sees that MJ has more definitive info and that the # is indeed 11.
And, while yes, Adams could theoretically be dethroned, it’s not always as simple as it may seem.
El Somnambulo recalls an in-session attempt by the R’s to overthrow then-House Majority Leader Joe Petrilli. It was at the peak of Republican dominance of the House, and they had something like 29 reps at the time. The challengers were sure they had the votes to oust Petrilli.
But, when the votes were counted, the challengers got something like 13, not enough.
Petrilli’s quote? “I’ve got 13 arrows in my back, and I’ve got names that go with each and every one of them.”
The moral of this tale: If you’re trying to take out the King, you’d better take him out. Or else.
It (petitioning from committee) is different this time. The Senate Rules passed in January includes new language that makes clear the path of petitioning a bill out of committee that has languished for 12 legislative days. By waiting until June 2nd (Petition Day) to get the 11th signature, the senators are using only a semi-nuclear option.
To address two other issues raised, short of a coma, I can’t see a circumstance that will lead our gutless senators to vote Adams out of pro-tempore. The vote for him in January was near unanimous, right?
I can’t see anyone, D or R, displacing Nancy Cook from her seat. She controls the purse strings in GA, and as such can build as large a war-chest as she needs. Rots of ruck!
Is it OK for me to call David an asshole?
Yes.
BTW, PBaumbach is right. There is no way that they’ll try to take down Uncle Thurm. First of all, a lot of deals were cut for him to keep the position in the first place. And, in addition, whatever rebellious streak the bulk of these Senators may have once had has long since been abandoned in the interest of ‘go along to get along’.
Sad, but true.
Thanks, Cassandra. Not that I was going to. I’m a changed man. I was just thinking out loud.
Here’s another concern, which Jack Markell wrote about several years ago in an op-ed :
In the 2002 book by Richard Florida, “The Rise of the Creative Class,” a statistical relationship is described between openness to the gay community and “the low-entry barriers to human capital that are so important to spurring creativity and generating high-tech growth.” Not just the large cities such as San Francisco, Boston and Seatttle — but also small gay-friendly cities such as Madison, Eugene, Iowa City and Bloomington “also rank among the nation’s top ten high-tech regions.” The so-called “Gay Index” represents a “leading indicator of a place that is open and tolerant. These qualities are important to high-tech workers and Creative Class people . . .” Immigrants to geeks to gays to people with extreme habits and dress . . . “all want places where they can fit in and live as they please without raising eyebrows.”
After a lack of venture capital (also a problem here), nothing quashes the entrepreneurial spirit like a perception of intolerance and cultural backwardness.