Is Sen. Venables An “Honored Guest” At A Fundraiser for Colin Bonini?
It sure looks like it.(pdf)
Now this pdf letter lacks any real official markings, but it is being circulated as an official invite. And now you are asking yourself why a Senator belonging to the Democratic caucus is an Honored Guest or a Sponsor or Host for a fundraiser for a Republican candidate for Treasurer, when his own party has two candidates running for the same position. And how does a Senator belonging to the Democratic caucus actually decide to look favorably on a run by Republican Senator with a known problem with innumeracy?
A letter (also in circulation) from prominent Sussex Co Democratic leader to the Senate Democratic Leadership asks precisely about this and called for — if true — that Senator Venables be relieved of his Senate Leadership positions. And quite rightly, too. In the meantime, I’m checking on the docs that I received to make sure that they are both the real deal. But I can’t imagine what Venables is thinking here, supporting Delaware’s Human Teabag.
(h/t anonymous commenter)
Tags: 2010 Election, State Treasurer
Celia has a post up where she called Venables and asked him herself. Kinda like, well, reporting.
but but but, when the republicans took acception to Jan Tings endorsement of Obama and asked him to give up his party postion… the DL collective railed about the evil purging republicans, purity tests and shrinking the tent, blah blah blah.
Venables claims that Bonini asked him if he would consider being a ‘special guest’ or something, for a fundraiser annoucement. The way it was written up makes it look like an endorsement which, the good conservative DEM claims he never granted. He is staying neutral – pretty much – sorta.
The Grapevine’s post had a freaky twist at the end where some of Bonini’s sign up sheets for supporters in Wilmington were ‘tainted’ with teh gay. Or was it? Not sure exactly what it was supposed to mean…not the clearest writing there, Cel.
I suppose it is a good thing that Celia is actually reporting, since she is one of the few bloggers in DE who has blogging as her real day job, huh?
Special Guest or no, it seems quite stupid of Venables to let his name be used for any purpose for a Republican fundraiser.
Nancy, if you want to pay me like Castle pays Celia, then I will be happy to quit my day job and make all the calls you wish.
That’s odd, I am reading Cassandra as the author, DD. Is there an error in the post attribution?
If not than WTF are you talking about?
Maybe not so much you, DD, but certainly it is a well inscribed tradition of DE LIB to scoff at Celia’s determined stance that she is not a mere blogger.
I guess everyone can agree that she is more in the vein of a Tommywonk insofar as taking things to that next level. I don’t know if Tom is paid for any of his blogging or even for his Guardian contributions but I would guess that his level of professionalism is why he gets the gigs he gets. Just sayin’.
So, what, I cannot comment on a post unless I wrote it, Nancy?
You were the one taking a little shot at us, implying that we are too lazy to pick up a phone like good ole Castle smokin Celia Cohen. It is a fact that Celia gets paid for what she does.
And this coming from the blogger too lazy to do much more than copy and paste what comes into her email.
What’s the big deal, in Delaware we go to each other’s announcements. I went to friend’s announcements of the other party. I went to wish well Bill Daisey, Rose Pritchird, Beau Biden, John Carney, Eddie Hemphill, and others with whom I had a personal connection. Mike Miller never seemed organized enough to get me an invite before hand. It is nothing wrong with wishing your friends well. A couple of them I actually voted for. I won’t tell you which ones. I never publicly endorsed cross parties, but I have made it clear to leadership when I did not support someone by excusing myself from discussions of their opponents so that I would not be in possession of propritary information or make decisions where I had a conflict. That was always respected especially by the candidate affected.
I was told that I was free to do so, everyone does it. In fact, it did happen often. For me I have voted over 99% my party. I just keep it private when I do not.
It’s Delaware. Personal relationships count. If Darryl Scott invited me to his announcement, I would go out of personal loyality even though both of us would know that I would not support him and would be at his opponents. It would be a respect thing so that he could say that he had a good number of people from across the spectrum. He helped me with legislation, I would respect his day.
The problem that I have is that it was a mistake to publish it on a flyer. I blame Senator Bonini’s campaign on that not Senator Venables. I believe it was a miscommunication. It was nothing sinister.
While Ted Kaufman takes it to the hoop on C-Span in colloquy with Amy.
“My state is one of the worst cases [for cost of health care premiums] … Medical bankruptcies.”
To Republican David: a sitting office-holder who lends his name to the letterhead of a fund-raiser for a statewide candidate of the other party is asking for sanction.
As I’ve said before, Venables and Joe Booth’s districts need to be merged in 2011.
Now I know how Ron Poliquin learned to “use” peoples names without really getting the OK. Bonini is a candidate worth listening to, however, I am trying to understand how the Treasurers Office is a place to cut spending. All he does is sign the checks. Didn’t they take all the real duties from that office before Markell ran.
Hey Republican Dave – you would be screaming bloody murder if it was a Republican on a flyer for a Democrat. Of course, you would say that isn’t so.
It is WRONG that he even agreed to be a special guest – stopping by because you are a friend is one thing, being a special guest at a fundraiser for someone from the other party that is running for an office that members of YOUR party are running for is WRONG. He should get in trouble for it.
Well, the two Democrats running for State Treasurer are black, Suzanne. And Sen. Venables is a Dixiecrat. Kind of makes perfect sense.
Just sayin’.
heh , still waiting for the secret anony submission with ‘Republican Dave’ as a special guest above the masthead for either party for any position…na gonna happen.
Now, Dave A. in meatspace, well that’s a different matter.
This whole thing points to how freakin’ desparate the DE GOP is for a foothold in statewide. Fact is that the DEMs have it by the numbers, black candidate or not, read John Tobin’s most recent post.
For Treasurer, I would think that Chip has the better resume and he has (as indicated) already started making a rather impressive round of the DEM committees.
Following what Paul B. said elsewhere on this blog, I got a report in the inbox from another Newark DEM committee person who said that Chip’s presentation was well delivered and well recieved. He is more than what would others would have him appear to be. (or what I would have guessed not knowing anything about him outside of an occasional viewing on WHYY).
A look at his resume is quite reassuring that he is 100% prepared to run the Treasury Dept. Plus, he is good on the stump.
No doubt, Chip has a jump on Velda. Both are pleasant enough and competent. Chip does do a nice job on the stump, but I suspect that Velda will pick up the pace as the season gets under way in January. I have already seen her doing the rounds at 2 fundraisers.
Either one will kill Bonini in the general.
Look closely at Flowers’ resume and you’ll see someone who’s “bounced around,” which is not a compliment.
Velda not only had nice long ascents at DuPont and MBNA but stepped in to help rescue the City Finance Department – real public service.
Ya gotta love Willing. Supporting Flowers against Velda. Cmon Nancy stop permitting your personal vendettas to paint a bogus picture. Flowers has nothing on Velda Potter. Flowers comes out of the wood work, but ask him what he has done for the public, where is his experience working and volunteering with citizens. Nancy is Harris supporting Flowers? Course he is.