Monthly Archives: January 2010

Chris Matthews – The New Harry Reid?

One of the biggest WTF moments of the night was Chris Matthews reaction to Obama’s speech.

Chris Matthews offered a strange analysis of President Obama’s State of the Union address on MSNBC: “I forgot he was black tonight.”

“I was trying to think about who he was tonight, and it’s interesting,” Matthews said. “He is post racial by all appearances, you know. Y’know, I forgot he was black tonight for an hour. He’s gone a long way to become a leader of this country and past so much history in just a year or two.”

Was he supposed to be giving a compliment because I couldn’t tell.

Justice Alito – The New Joe Wilson

Now we know why the Supreme Court doesn’t want cameras in the chamber.

Alito shakes heading, mouthing “not true,” as Obama says recent Supreme Court decision will let lobbyists and corporations own our elections. Highly inappropriate for Alito to do this. You’ll notice the Sup Ct doesn’t even clap when the president enters. They are not supposed to respond to anything, lest it show bias. Highly inappropriate. Alito’s “You Lie!” moment:

Sorry, Justice Alito, but Obama is right, the SCOTUS Citizens United ruling did overturn a century of law and will allow corporations (including foreign ones) to spend without limit in our elections.

SOTU Response Preview

Virginia governor Bob McDonnell is giving the response to the State of the Union speech. Some excerpts have already been released.

Excerpts from Governor Bob McDonnell’s Republican Address to the Nation
Excerpts as Prepared for Delivery

Washington, Jan 27 –

Below are excerpts from tonight’s Republican Address to the Nation, to be delivered by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell following President Obama’s State of the Union Address:

JOBS: “Good government policy should spur economic growth, and strengthen the private sector’s ability to create new jobs. We must enact policies that promote entrepreneurship and innovation, so America can better compete with the world. What government should not do is pile on more taxation, regulation, and litigation that kill jobs and hurt the middle class.”

**********

SPENDING: “The amount of this debt is on pace to double in five years, and triple in ten. The federal debt is already over $100,000 per household. This is simply unsustainable. The President’s partial freeze on discretionary spending is a laudable step, but a small one. The circumstances of our time demand that we reconsider and restore the proper, limited role of government at every level.”

**********

HEALTHCARE: “All Americans agree, we need a health care system that is affordable, accessible, and high quality. But most Americans do not want to turn over the best medical care system in the world to the federal government.”

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ENERGY: “Advances in technology can unleash more natural gas, nuclear, wind, coal, and alternative energy to lower your utility bills. Here in Virginia, we have the opportunity to be the first state on the East Coast to explore for and produce oil and natural gas offshore.”

**********

EDUCATION: “The President and I agree on expanding the number of high-quality charter schools, and rewarding teachers for excellent performance. More school choices for parents and students mean more accountability and greater achievement. A child’s educational opportunity should be determined by her intellect and work ethic, not by her zip code.”

**********

NATIONAL DEFENSE: “We applaud President Obama’s decision to deploy 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. We agree that victory there is a national security imperative. But we have serious concerns over recent steps the Administration has taken regarding suspected terrorists.”

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THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT: “Here at home government must help foster a society in which all our people can use their God-given talents in liberty to pursue the American Dream. Republicans know that government cannot guarantee individual outcomes, but we strongly believe that it must guarantee equality of opportunity for all. That opportunity exists best in a democracy which promotes free enterprise, economic growth, strong families, and individual achievement.”

**********

OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT: “Top-down one-size fits all decision making should not replace the personal choices of free people in a free market, nor undermine the proper role of state and local governments in our system of federalism. As our Founders clearly stated, and we Governors understand, government closest to the people governs best.”

Yawn. I guess it will all be in the delivery.

State Of The Union Preview

The White House has released excerpts of tonight’s SOTU speech:

Excerpts of the President’s State of the Union Address

We face big and difficult challenges. And what the American people hope – what they deserve – is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our differences; to overcome the numbing weight of our politics. For while the people who sent us here have different backgrounds and different stories and different beliefs, the anxieties they face are the same. The aspirations they hold are shared. A job that pays the bill. A chance to get ahead. Most of all, the ability to give their children a better life.

You know what else they share? They share a stubborn resilience in the face of adversity. After one of the most difficult years in our history, they remain busy building cars and teaching kids; starting businesses and going back to school. They are coaching little league and helping their neighbors. As one woman wrote to me, “We are strained but hopeful, struggling but encouraged.”

It is because of this spirit – this great decency and great strength – that I have never been more hopeful about America’s future than I am tonight. Despite our hardships, our union is strong. We do not give up. We do not quit. We don’t allow fear or division to break our spirit. In this new decade, it’s time the American people get a government that matches their decency; that embodies their strength. And tonight, I’d like to talk about how together, we can deliver on that promise.

…

By the time I’m finished speaking tonight, more Americans will have lost their health insurance. Millions will lose it this year. Our deficit will grow. Premiums will go up. Co-pays will go up. Patients will be denied the care they need. Small business owners will continue to drop coverage altogether. I will not walk away from these Americans. And neither should the people in this chamber.

…

Rather than fight the same tired battles that have dominated Washington for decades, it’s time for something new. Let’s try common sense. Let’s invest in our people without leaving them a mountain of debt. Let’s meet our responsibility to the people who sent us here.

To do that, we have to recognize that we face more than a deficit of dollars right now. We face a deficit of trust – deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years. To close that credibility gap we must take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to end the outsized influence of lobbyists; to do our work openly; and to give our people the government they deserve.

That’s what I came to Washington to do. That’s why – for the first time in history – my Administration posts our White House visitors online. And that’s why we’ve excluded lobbyists from policy-making jobs or seats on federal boards and commissions.

But we cannot stop there. It’s time to require lobbyists to disclose each contact they make on behalf of a client with my Administration or Congress. And it’s time to put strict limits on the contributions that lobbyists give to candidates for federal office. Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign companies – to spend without limit in our elections. Well I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, and worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that’s why I’m urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong.

I’m also calling on Congress to continue down the path of earmark reform. You have trimmed some of this spending and embraced some meaningful change. But restoring the public trust demands more. For example, some members of Congress post some earmark requests online. Tonight, I’m calling on Congress to publish all earmark requests on a single website before there’s a vote so that the American people can see how their money is being spent.

Other things to watch:
– DADT, the word is that Obama will call for its repeal tonight
– Health Care Reform

Greg Sargent is reporting that the message from the White House to congressional staff is that Obama will recommit to real reform tonight.

White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer told Capitol Hill staffers on a private briefing call that in his speech tonight, Obama will leave no doubt that his commitment to addressing health care is as strong right now as it was in his September speech, a White House official tells me.

The official also said Pfeiffer told Hill staff that Obama will offer “additional details.”

“We’re going to let the President’s words speak for themselves,” is the message Pfeiffer delivered to Hill staff, according to the official. “There will be additional details that he will share tonight, and he will make it clear that his commitment to addressing this challenge in a comprehensive way is as strong today as it was when he stood in the same spot in September to address the nation on health care.”

– MA election
– Bank reform

Markell is Beloved

Little noticed in the latest Rasmussen poll on the Castle-Coons Senate race is Governor Markell’s approval rating:

Fifty-seven percent (57%) approve of the job Democratic Governor Jack Markell is doing, with 15% who strongly approve. Thirty-six percent (36%) disapprove, including 12% who strongly disapprove. These numbers are basically unchanged from October.

That means, in a real poll (remember, Rasmussen has a Republican bias), Markell’s approval rating must be 67%.

Pregnant Woman Ordered (Yes, Ordered!) To Bed Rest

It boggles the mind.

Via Dkos:

Ms. Burton is pregnant. She has two children and in her current pregnancy she is at risk of a miscarriage. She was admitted to the hospital in Florida where her doctors advised bed rest as well until a C-section could be performed. They also insisted that she quit smoking as the affects of smoking complicate pregnancy and increase the chance of miscarriage.

Ms. Burton did not want to quit smoking. She said as much to the doctors. She also explained that with her two toddlers and a job she would lose if she was on bed rest for up to 15 weeks, she was going to get a second opinion. At that point the doctors took it to the State who went to court to have Ms. Burton ordered to bed rest and to undergo “any and all treatments” her doctor ordered in the best interest of the fetus.

Yes, you read that right. An adult woman has been ordered to stay in a hospital where her doctor is hostile to her wishes, to protect the interests of the fetus. The rights of an adult citizen  to refuse treatment is being denied because her busybody doctor and a state Judge who does not seem to have a basic  understanding of the law think the rights of a fetus trump the rights of an adult.

It gets worse, the court also ordered that Ms. Burton can not switch hospitals. She is being denied the right to choose who will treat her in every particular. To say this is a massive disgrace is to minimize the case. Ms. Burton had no representation at the hearing. She appeared by phone, and the Court did not look at the her medical history nor consider the effect on her two small children.

Before we continue, keep in mind that these fetus fighters are, for the most part, the same people screaming about how HCR will result in the loss of choice.  Needless to say, they’re all for what they consider the Right choice – which pretty much boils down to women (see: Palin, mother and daughter, and Tim Tebow’s Mom) who choose to have their babies.  Then, and only then, is it about choice.

But this case is simply amazing.  Let’s break it down point by point.

  • They insisted she quit smoking.
  • the doctors took it to the State who went to court to have Ms. Burton ordered to bed rest and to undergo “any and all treatments” her doctor ordered in the best interest of the fetus.
  • the court also ordered that Ms. Burton can not switch hospitals

This is the classic fetus trumps everything (and everyone) argument.  Forget about Ms. Burton’s wishes.  Forget about her having to work.  And, most importantly, forget about her two post-uterus children who I guess should have to fend for themselves, or be handed over to a relative, or, if that’s not possible, there’s always foster care.  None of that matters.  She has been ordered to bed, ordered to quit smoking, ordered to not switch hospitals, and ordered to undergo “any and all treatments” her doctor orders “in the best interest of the fetus.”

And if these “doctors” and courts get their way and Ms. Burton is forced to spend 15 weeks in the hospital and then loses her job… Hey, no problem.  Once the fetus is out of her womb she’ll simply be labeled as another lazy, welfare queen by the very same people screaming for her to take to her bed.  Nice little Catch-22 you got going there.

And then there’s the slippery slope that leads to pregnant women becoming property of the state.  Because, from where I’m standing, pregnant women eating at McDonalds and skipping fruits and vegetables are potential targets for the fetus fighters.  So are pregnant police officers, firefighters, and any other profession that involves risk.  Hmm… should pregnant women be allowed to ski?  Or, maybe, someone can introduce a bill stating that pregnancy = 9 months of temporary insanity, and therefore pregnant women are not capable of any decision making during this time.

And the fact that Ms. Burton’s situation reached a courtroom is chilling because it means someone views this government interference as justified.

Wednesday Open Thread

It’s Wednesday, Hump Day! Tonight is Obama’s 1st SOTU address and we’ll have coverage (liveblog, I think) of the address right here on Delaware Liberal. Stay tuned! All right, let’s open this thread.

Voters in Oregon approved two measures to raise taxes. One measure raised taxes on families with incomes >$250,000/yr and the other measure raised taxes on corporations. According to sources, Oregonians had not voted for any tax raises since 1930.

State Ballot Measure No. 66

Raises tax on household income at and above $250,000 (and $125,000 for individual filers). Reduces income taxes on unemployment benefits in 2009. Provides funds currently budgeted for education, health care, public safety, other services
Votes Percent
_________________ _________________
Yes Votes 647,478 53.75%
No Votes 557,039 46.25%
_________________ _________________
Totals: 1,204,517 100%

State Ballot Measure No. 67

Raises $10 corporate minimum tax, business minimum tax, corporate profits tax. Provides funds currently budgeted for education, health care, public safety, other services
Votes Percent
_________________ _________________
Yes Votes 638,566 53.12%
No Votes 563,529 46.88%
_________________ _________________
Totals: 1,202,095 100%

The dictionary is the devil’s tool:

Perhaps it’s not that surprising that a mother in Menifee, California, asked the Menifee Union School District to ban all copies of the 10th edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary after her child stumbled across the term “oral sex.” What is surprising, indeed horrifying, is that district officials immediately complied with her request, and pulled all dictionaries off classroom shelves throughout the Southern California school district, which serves 9,000 kids, kindergarten through eighth grade.

District officials said on Friday that they are forming a committee to consider a permanent classroom ban of the Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. District spokeswoman Betti Cadmus said that school officials will review the dictionary to decide if it should be permanently banned because of the “sexually graphic” entry. “It’s hard to sit and read the dictionary, but we’ll be looking to find other things of a graphic nature,” Cadmus said. (Isn’t that just what those fourth and fifth graders like to do?!)

This is a great idea! Ignorance of sex totally means that kids will never do it, right? Kids are not intrigued by the unknown. Great idea, Menifee, California!

[One thing I hate about this world – the squeaky wheel gets the grease. It works like a charm.]

Legislative Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Wed., Jan. 27, 2010

POST-GAME WRAPUP:

Lotsa brand new bills and brand new committee assignments for them. I’ll discuss the ones I find interesting (and/or worrisome) in my  Pre-Game Show report below.

As noted here yesterday, the Senate considered and passed a series of non-controversial house bills. Perhaps the most notable of the lot is HB 249 (Keeley), which requires pharmacists to provide patients with their records when requested. I have to assume that there must have been an incident which inspired this legislation, although I can’t imagine a pharmacist refusing to provide such information. Since all of the house bills were passed yesterday without Senate amendments being added,  they now go the the Governor for his signature.

In cases where amendments are added in the other house, the bill must return to the house of origin as the bill must be passed identically in both chambers before going to the Governor.

Which puts us smack-dab in the middle of yet another teaching opportunity. Yay!

Let’s mosey on over to the House to see this process in action, shall we? Rep. B. Short’s HB 140 originally passed the House unanimously. The Senate added an amendment to the bill, then passed it (with Sen. Bunting going ‘Not Voting’ b/c his insurance business could represent a conflict-of-interest), and sent it back to the House. An amended bill does not have to go back through the committee process, and the bill was again passed unanimously in the House. It now goes to the Governor’s office for final action.

In other House action, HB 300(Bennett), which requires prompt state responses to FOIA requests, passed unanimously. It really is hard to overstate just how far the General Assembly has come on open government issues the past couple of years. In times past, a bill like this very easily could have ‘disappeared’ into someone’s desk drawer. I predict that it won’t happen in the Senate, where it now heads.

There were a couple of revenue bills stricken. One, HB 265 (Longhurst), would have restored Delaware’s Estate Tax, which only impacts the Filthy Rich. I fully expect a new piece of legislation to replace this one. However, if this is yet another unilateral surrender on the part of the D’s, then it once again raises the question as to who represents the ‘Democratic wing of the Democratic Party’.

PRE-GAME SHOW

The Senate has an agenda, and at least one of the bills, SB 182(Hall-Long), is virtually guaranteed to be worked today as it has been scheduled for a Day Certain (today). Bills are generally scheduled for a Day Certain when there are a number of interested parties (in this case, probably the membership of the Delaware Nurses Association) who may wish to attend and/or comment upon legislation. A bill of this sort can be scheduled for the agenda days in advance of its actual consideration to enable people to make plans to participate. And, yes, I just slipped another teaching opportunity by you.

Speaking of slipping things by you, it appears that Del-Tech’s gremlins are at it again. SB 202(Venables) purports to be a revenue omnibus bill, clearing up a few fiscal odds & ends. Imagine my (lack of) surprise when I found this gift to Del-Tech tucked in there:

Section 4.  Owens Campus Energy House.  Delaware Technical & Community College shall apply for all State and local permits and approvals required by any applicable provision of the Delaware Code, or any ordinance, rule or regulation enacted pursuant thereto in connection with the design and construction of the Owens Campus Energy House; provided, nevertheless, that any such permit or approval shall be granted within 10 working days from the date upon which the College makes application therefor. If any required permit or approval is not granted within 10 working days as set forth above, the College may commence construction and shall be immune from any legal action or liability for failing to obtain such permit or approval.

Got that? They can’t be turned down even if warranted, and they can start construction with or without permits or approvals. Lonnie George sure earns his salary. It may be the greatest project of all time for all I know, but it’s a project with a legalized end-run around the permitting process. All  together now: The Delaware Way in action. BTW, SB 202 is on today’s Senate agenda.

*Sigh*.  OK on to today’s committee meetings. In the Senate:

SB 201(Bushweller) Senate Public Safety Committee-Codifies new structure of the Delaware Health Information Network. This bill deserves some serious questioning. First, state immunity is being extended to a ‘not-for-profit, public/private corporation’.  Also, while the synopsis talks about ‘patient advocates’ being represented in the process that led to this bill, it looks a lot like an  insiders’ reunion with ‘patient advocates’ serving as convenient window dressing.  Appearances could be wrong, but that’s why this bill requires clarification, IMHO.

Senate Executive Committee-The secrecy continues. Consideration of gubernatorial nominees. No names listed. Pathetic. Tony DeLuca says, “None of your bleeping business.” Maybe, just maybe, the Governor’s office would release the names of those being considered, if they even know who DeLuca has blessed.

Senate Judiciary Committee-Pete Schwartzkopf’s HB 310, legalizing and establishing table games in Delaware, has been assigned to a favorable committee and likely will be fast-tracked for a vote in the entire Senate tomorrow.

House Committee Meetings:

House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance/Commerce Committee-HB 303(Keeley)-Places restrictions and sanctions on predatory lenders.

House Gaming and Parimutuels Committee-SB 188(DeLuca)-The companion table gaming bill to HB 310. I expect both bills to head to the Governor by the end of session tom’w.

House Transportation/Land Use and Infrastructure Committee-HJR 8(Carson)-Determined to fix something (one of the few things) that ain’t broke, one of Dover’s worst legislators proposes a pilot program to have new car dealers perform auto inspections. Presumably because it works so well in Pennsylvania. A buncha Kent County/Middletown-area legislators are pushing for this. Must be some bucks being thrown around south of the Canal. Doesn’t that Willis guy have his car dealerships there?

Folks, bring your popcorn. Some interesting stuff going on in Dover today.

Be back tomorrow to clean up after the elephants and to see what they left behind…


Liveblogging the State of the Union Speech

Tonight, President Obama will give his State of the Union speech (hint, he will say that the state of the union is strong…).  As usual, we will be liveblogging the speech starting at 8PM. The speech is given this year as the reverberations of the Massachusetts special election are still being felt, Haiti has moved from search-and-rescue to recovery-and-burial, healthcare reform has moved from “possible in our time” to “cross your fingers”, Iraq is winding down while Afghanistan is ramping up and our economy has stopped falling and is poised for a recovery.

So stop by at 8 and you will see our link for the liveblog application.  And as always, it is BYOB.

Rasmussen Gives Castle A Big Lead

Rasmussen polled the U.S. Senate race in Delaware on Monday, and found a 30-point advantage for Mike Castle.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely Delaware voters shows longtime GOP congressman Mike Castle leading New Castle County Executive Chris Coons 56% to 27%. Five percent (5%) prefer some other candidate, and 13% are undecided.

Rasmussen’s last poll of the race was in October, when Castle first announced. At that time Castle led Biden 47%-42%. It will be a tough race for Coons if he decides to run, but I think there is real opportunity for him:

While 86% of Republicans support Castle, just 49% of Delaware Democrats back Coons. Thirty-one percent (31%) of Democrats favor the moderate GOP candidate. Sixty-one percent (61%) of the state’s unaffiliated voters choose Castle at this point.

Twenty-nine percent (29%) of Delaware voters have a very favorable opinion of Castle, while just seven percent (7%) view him very unfavorably. Only nine percent (9%) have no opinion of the Republican hopeful who has served as governor and lieutenant governor and been the state’s only congressman since 1993.

Coons is viewed very favorably by 10% and very unfavorably by nine percent (9%). But 23% don’t know enough about Coons to venture even a soft favorable or unfavorable opinion of him.

Coons will need to boost his name recognition. Hopefully jumping in the Senate race will give him a boost. He’ll also need to win back these Democrats who like Castle. I think that if he is aggressive enough in tying Castle to the national GOP, he’ll be able to win.

Will Sarah Get Scozzafava’d?

Former presidential candidate John McCain is facing a tough primary this year against uber-wingnut former Congressman J.D. Hayworth. The polls show McCain leading by more than 20% but he is vulnerable. Last week he announced that Sarah Palin would campaign for him in Arizona (oh how the might have fallen). Some Palin fans are not happy with this development:

On Friday, Paul Streitz, the co-founder of the 2012 Draft Sarah Committee — a group trying to get Palin to run for president in 2012 — sent out an e-mail slamming Palin for supporting McCain:

She has now chose to align herself with several bad actors. What should this be called, the Rinoization of Sarah Palin. […]

She is certainly entitled to write a book and make money for her and her family, but other than what has she has done to support Republican and patriotic candidates. … Perhaps, Sarah was too busy talking to her agent about her Fox deal. Where the hell was Sarah?

Streitz is no longer involved with the Draft Sarah Committee, which condemned his e-mail, but he is not alone in his view. Fox News contributor Michelle Malkin wrote on her blog that “Tea Party activists are rightly outraged by Sarah Palin’s decision to campaign for McCain, whose entrenched incumbency and progressive views are anathema to the movement.”

Yet more evidence that the GOP may find channeling the anger of the teabaggers more difficult than they thought.

I know Palin is the GOP rightwing darling, but have you noticed the successful Republicans – McDonnell, Christie and Brown all did not have Palin campaign for them?

Was He Dressed As A Pimp?

What’s up with this?

The FBI, alleging a plot to wiretap Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu’s office in downtown New Orleans, arrested four people Monday, including James O’Keefe, a conservative filmmaker whose undercover videos at ACORN field offices severely damaged the the advocacy group’s credibility.

FBI Special Agent Steven Rayes alleges that O’Keefe aided and abbetted two others, Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan, who dressed up as employees of a telephone company and attempted to interfere with the office’s telephone system.

I hope all Democratic offices check their phones.