Tuesday Open Thread
Welcome to your Thursday open thread. Is it just me or did I wander into spring today? I guess that’s o.k. since we skipped spring this year. So spill your secrets on this open thread.
Should conservative think tanks be called echo tanks instead? Another ideological purge at a conservative institution:
The libertarian Cato Institute is parting with two of its most prominent scholars. Brink Lindsey, the institute’s vice president of research and the author of the successful book The Age of Abundance, is departing to take a position at the Kauffman Foundation. Will Wilkinson, a Cato scholar, collaborator with Lindsey, and editor of the online Cato Unbound, is leaving on September 15; he just began blogging politics for the Economist.
I asked for comment on this and was told that the institute does not typically comment on personnel matters. But you have to struggle not to see a political context to this. Lindsey and Wilkinson are among the Cato scholars who most often find common cause with liberals. In 2006, after the GOP lost Congress, Lindsey coined the term “Liberaltarians” to suggest that Libertarians and liberals could work together outside of the conservative movement. Shortly after this, he launched a dinner series where liberals and Libertarians met to discuss big ideas. (Disclosure: I attended some of these dinners.) In 2009 and 2010, as the libertarian movement moved back into the right’s fold, Lindsey remained iconoclastic—just last month he penned a rare, biting criticism of The Battle, a book by AEI President Arthur Brooks which argues that economic theory is at the center of a new American culture war.
So could the GOP purge have anything to do with this?
Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) will come to Pennsylvania tomorrow, Aug. 24, to formally endorse Admiral Joe Sestak’s candidacy. The two-term Nebraska Senator will speak about Joe’s independence and focus on doing what’s right for Pennsylvania’s working families.
Hmmmm…I wonder how much this will help Sestak. What will probably help Sestak is Pat Toomey’s past as an advocate for killing Social Security and Medicare.
Tags: Open Thread
The most important question you can ask about a female candidate running for Congress: what kind of shoes does she wear?
well in Colorado as long as they’re not high heels, you’re ok
just ask candidate Buck!
hmmmm seems like DP (David Anderson) got slammed in the News Journal and is upset……..
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100824/NEWS01/8240340/Intricacy-of–hate–makes-crimes-hard-to-classify
so now they are taking pot-shots at DL
http://www.delawarepolitics.net/the-racist-charge-the-last-refuge-of-the-liberal-scoundrel/
hmmmmm – distractions – lets not deal with the issue – lets divert it – typical right-wing nut
Welcome to your Thursday open thread.
I thought I slept late, but I had no idea…
Heh, A1, I was just checking to see if people were paying attention. That’s the ticket…
Aoine, we don’t pay much attention to DP — people who can’t figure out a way to survive in this world without lying to themselves and everyone else aren’t much use except to point and laugh. They are routinely upset that they get called on their bigotry — and bigotry it certainly is — because it undermines one of the few remaining ways they can make themselves seem superior to other people. Personally, I take great comfort in the fact that they’ll have to explain themselves to their kids and grandkids, who not only won’t share their bigotries, but will certainly wonder what could have been wrong with parent or grandparent back in the day.
It’s not my idea of fun to figure out what the conservative poutrage of the day is.
U.S. Marine general essentially accuses Obomba of treason:
“The top U.S. Marine general in Afghanistan said President Barack Obama’s announced July 2011 deadline to start withdrawing troops from the country had given “sustenance” to the Taliban.
“We know the president was talking to several audiences at the same time when he made his comments on July 2011,” Gen. James Conway told reporters on Tuesday. “In some ways, we think right now it’s probably giving our enemy sustenance….In fact, we’ve intercepted communications that say, ‘Hey, you know, we only have to hold out for so long.’”
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/08/24/conway-us-withdrawal-deadline-boosts-taliban-in-afghan-war/
A1,
Another general becomes a private citizen.
“people who can’t figure out a way to survive in this world without lying to themselves and everyone else aren’t much use except to point and laugh.”
good one cassandra – that’s why i will read there sometimes – it’s exactly what I do – point and laugh
The FL Dem Senate primary has already been called for Kendrick Meek. He’ll be in an intriguing 3-way race with Independent Charlie Crist and Republican Marco Rubio.
I just figured out who Tennessee Walker is. Wonder why he won’t blog under his real name since he does so on numerous other sites.
No WDEL-sponsored debate in Democratic race for State Treasurer
Barring a miraculous turn-around, you won’t hear a broadcast debate between State Treasurer Velda Jones-Potter and challenger Chip Flowers.
After innumerable phone conversations and e-mails, it just won’t happen.
Not that we didn’t try. I first contacted both campaigns in late June and early July, the same time we initiated contact with the Democratic candidates for state Auditor. (The resulting Democratic Auditor’s debate is scheduled for Monday, August 30th, 6–7 p.m., at our studios here on Shipley Road.)
But, David Dix, Campaign Manager of “People for Velda”, didn’t seem very enthusiastic. He insisted Velda Jones-Potter’s campaign could not set a date until AFTER the July 14th meeting of the Delaware Democratic Party’s Executive Committee. He also strongly suggested Velda Jones-Potter’s opponent – Chip Flowers – might just disappear after the almost-guaranteed Executive Committeee’s endorsement of the Treasurer.
But, at my insistence, he promised to set a firm date AFTER that Executive Committee session, but BEFORE I went on vacation July 17th. Despite repeated calls, I could not get a commitment from Dix before I took off a week-and-a-half.
The very day I returned from vacation, July 28th, I again left messages for Dix.
After several days of messages, we set a mutually agreeable date, Monday, August 16th. We began promoting that debate here on WDEL.
Then, the afternoon of the debate, I received urgent voice-mails from Dix and from an official in the Treasurer’s office: The Treasurer has been sent to the hospital for tests after not feeling well. One of the two blamed dehydration. It was unlikely – but still possible – that she could make that night’s debate. Then, we received word: Jones-Potter had been ADMITTED to the hospital.
Still, we thought we might attempt to reschedule our WDEL debate later in the week, or perhaps Tuesday, August 24th, the day after our Democratic Sheriff’s debate.
That was NOT to happen. Dix sent me an e-mail about the Treasurer under “strict orders from her doctor to rest for a couple of days before resuming a normal schedule”. And when she returned to work, “her top priority” would be
“attending to her fiduciary responsibilities as Treasurer of the State of Delaware”.
Dix then offered possible dates for a re-scheduled debate: Monday, August 30th; Tuesday, August 31st; Thursday, September 2nd; and Friday, September 3rd.
(Chip Flowers had suggested earlier his opponent would try to postpone any debate as close to the Primary election as possible. He was already inclined to throw in the towel. I persuaded him to consider one final date.)
We had a conflict for Monday with the Auditor’s debate, already scheduled. Tuesday morning, we had scheduled a Republican U.S. House debate. We didn’t want to schedule two debates in one day for several logistical & practical reasons. Friday, September 3rd would lead into the Labor Day holiday weekend – with people’s minds elsewhere, and long Beach traffic reports.
That left Thursday, September 2nd. Chip Flowers agreed to that date. I phoned and e-mailed Dix to confirm that date for the Treasurer.
I was reasonably assured that we had “locked” a date when I received a phone call from Treasurer Jones-Potter. She informed me she could NOT do that date.
I e-mailed and called Flowers to cancel. By this time, he was accusing the Jones-Potter campaign of foot-dragging, and he was disinclined to try to schedule a debate that last week BEFORE the Delaware Primary.
Then, yesterday, Monday, the Treasurer called me. She insisted she REALLY wanted to have a debate. I told her that final week was simply unacceptable to the Flowers campaign after the previous false starts.
I repeated to her the complications for each night for that week of Monday, August 30th through Friday, September 3rd.
But, then, we talked about Wednesday. “Why hadn’t we talked about the possibility of debating that Wednesday?”
“…because your campaign manager never offered that date on the schedule of open nights”… I replied.
I repeated that date, Wednesday, September 1st. “I’ll call or e-mail Chip Flowers”, I told her.
I e-mailed a confirming message to the “People for Velda” campaign.
Then, this morning, another call from the Treasurer: She insisted we had been talking about the FOLLOWING Wednesday, September 8th… AFTER Labor Day. I said, no, didn’t you remember your opponent had ruled out that final week?
I also reminded her that I had been communicating with her campaign manager – trying to set up a debate – since late June and early July. Had we set up one in early August, we likely would’ve hosted that debate BEFORE her hospitalization. Jones-Potter claimed not to have been aware of those conversations.
———————————————————–
So we have no debate.
I easily spent more time TRYING to schedule a debate in this race than for any other political race since I came to Delaware in 1987. And, I’ve put together dozens of debates.
You be the judge.
Jones-Potter continues to insist she really WANTS to debate. (She says she’s keeping ‘open’ the evenings of Tuesday, September 7th & Wednesday, September 8th.) Flowers insists his opponent “has been dodging debates for the past three (3) months, and we can no longer change our schedule to accommodate her.”
Of course, let’s be clear. Candidates are under no obligation to debate. We’d like to think most voters attempt to inform themselves through debates, but it’s a minority of voters who are so civic-minded.
Incumbents – unless they’re running behind – have a vested interest in NOT potentially elevating their opponents through debates.
But, in Delaware, statewide candidates HAVE almost always agreed to broadcast debates with their opponents… even in Primaries.
(But as I recounted in an earlier blog, I don’t recall a G.O.P. Primary debate between Mike Castle and Janet Rzewnicki many moons ago – which Rzewnicki confirmed to me – and Castle hasn’t agreed to a Primary debate with Christine O’Donnell.)
LOUDELL’s ANALYSIS: Although the incumbent by appointment, not by an election, despite denials, the circumstances suggest the Treasurer has been running an incumbent’s campaign. With a gubernatorial appointment and a politically useful marriage (City Councilman Charles Potter), Jones-Potter can probably count on reasonably strong support in the city. The Democratic Primary vote downstate is apt to be anemic.
With rumors flying and candidates loaning to their own campaigns, this race has gotten emotional and personal.
Few ‘regular’ Dems care to burn bridges by opposing Jones-Potter. And you don’t have the old Markell–Carney split between ‘regular’ Dems and insurgent Dems, since Governor Markell appointed Jones-Potter. That is the dilemma for Flowers. And if he’s too acerbic and confrontational, he risks his position in the party for future elections.
No matter that he announced his candidacy BEFORE Jones-Potter. No matter that she had initially said she wouldn’t run.
It is discusting that the Treasurer can’t find time to debate. If Clinton and Obama could find time to debate, then so can Potter. She has never once spoke for herself. Nick Adams and David Dox answer all the questions for her. Someone please call her out!
No WDEL-sponsored debate in Democratic race for State Treasurer
Barring a miraculous turn-around, you won’t hear a broadcast debate between State Treasurer Velda Jones-Potter and challenger Chip Flowers.
After innumerable phone conversations and e-mails, it just won’t happen.
Not that we didn’t try. I first contacted both campaigns in late June and early July, the same time we initiated contact with the Democratic candidates for state Auditor. (The resulting Democratic Auditor’s debate is scheduled for Monday, August 30th, 6–7 p.m., at our studios here on Shipley Road.)
But, David Dix, Campaign Manager of “People for Velda”, didn’t seem very enthusiastic. He insisted Velda Jones-Potter’s campaign could not set a date until AFTER the July 14th meeting of the Delaware Democratic Party’s Executive Committee. He also strongly suggested Velda Jones-Potter’s opponent – Chip Flowers – might just disappear after the almost-guaranteed Executive Committeee’s endorsement of the Treasurer.
But, at my insistence, he promised to set a firm date AFTER that Executive Committee session, but BEFORE I went on vacation July 17th. Despite repeated calls, I could not get a commitment from Dix before I took off a week-and-a-half.
The very day I returned from vacation, July 28th, I again left messages for Dix.
After several days of messages, we set a mutually agreeable date, Monday, August 16th. We began promoting that debate here on WDEL.
Then, the afternoon of the debate, I received urgent voice-mails from Dix and from an official in the Treasurer’s office: The Treasurer has been sent to the hospital for tests after not feeling well. One of the two blamed dehydration. It was unlikely – but still possible – that she could make that night’s debate. Then, we received word: Jones-Potter had been ADMITTED to the hospital.
Still, we thought we might attempt to reschedule our WDEL debate later in the week, or perhaps Tuesday, August 24th, the day after our Democratic Sheriff’s debate.
That was NOT to happen. Dix sent me an e-mail about the Treasurer under “strict orders from her doctor to rest for a couple of days before resuming a normal schedule”. And when she returned to work, “her top priority” would be
“attending to her fiduciary responsibilities as Treasurer of the State of Delaware”.
Dix then offered possible dates for a re-scheduled debate: Monday, August 30th; Tuesday, August 31st; Thursday, September 2nd; and Friday, September 3rd.
(Chip Flowers had suggested earlier his opponent would try to postpone any debate as close to the Primary election as possible. He was already inclined to throw in the towel. I persuaded him to consider one final date.)
We had a conflict for Monday with the Auditor’s debate, already scheduled. Tuesday morning, we had scheduled a Republican U.S. House debate. We didn’t want to schedule two debates in one day for several logistical & practical reasons. Friday, September 3rd would lead into the Labor Day holiday weekend – with people’s minds elsewhere, and long Beach traffic reports.
That left Thursday, September 2nd. Chip Flowers agreed to that date. I phoned and e-mailed Dix to confirm that date for the Treasurer.
I was reasonably assured that we had “locked” a date when I received a phone call from Treasurer Jones-Potter. She informed me she could NOT do that date.
I e-mailed and called Flowers to cancel. By this time, he was accusing the Jones-Potter campaign of foot-dragging, and he was disinclined to try to schedule a debate that last week BEFORE the Delaware Primary.
Then, yesterday, Monday, the Treasurer called me. She insisted she REALLY wanted to have a debate. I told her that final week was simply unacceptable to the Flowers campaign after the previous false starts.
I repeated to her the complications for each night for that week of Monday, August 30th through Friday, September 3rd.
But, then, we talked about Wednesday. “Why hadn’t we talked about the possibility of debating that Wednesday?”
“…because your campaign manager never offered that date on the schedule of open nights”… I replied.
I repeated that date, Wednesday, September 1st. “I’ll call or e-mail Chip Flowers”, I told her.
I e-mailed a confirming message to the “People for Velda” campaign.
Then, this morning, another call from the Treasurer: She insisted we had been talking about the FOLLOWING Wednesday, September 8th… AFTER Labor Day. I said, no, didn’t you remember your opponent had ruled out that final week?
I also reminded her that I had been communicating with her campaign manager – trying to set up a debate – since late June and early July. Had we set up one in early August, we likely would’ve hosted that debate BEFORE her hospitalization. Jones-Potter claimed not to have been aware of those conversations.
———————————————————–
So we have no debate.
I easily spent more time TRYING to schedule a debate in this race than for any other political race since I came to Delaware in 1987. And, I’ve put together dozens of debates.
You be the judge.
Jones-Potter continues to insist she really WANTS to debate. (She says she’s keeping ‘open’ the evenings of Tuesday, September 7th & Wednesday, September 8th.) Flowers insists his opponent “has been dodging debates for the past three (3) months, and we can no longer change our schedule to accommodate her.”
Of course, let’s be clear. Candidates are under no obligation to debate. We’d like to think most voters attempt to inform themselves through debates, but it’s a minority of voters who are so civic-minded.
Incumbents – unless they’re running behind – have a vested interest in NOT potentially elevating their opponents through debates.
But, in Delaware, statewide candidates HAVE almost always agreed to broadcast debates with their opponents… even in Primaries.
(But as I recounted in an earlier blog, I don’t recall a G.O.P. Primary debate between Mike Castle and Janet Rzewnicki many moons ago – which Rzewnicki confirmed to me – and Castle hasn’t agreed to a Primary debate with Christine O’Donnell.)
LOUDELL’s ANALYSIS: Although the incumbent by appointment, not by an election, despite denials, the circumstances suggest the Treasurer has been running an incumbent’s campaign. With a gubernatorial appointment and a politically useful marriage (City Councilman Charles Potter), Jones-Potter can probably count on reasonably strong support in the city. The Democratic Primary vote downstate is apt to be anemic.
With rumors flying and candidates loaning to their own campaigns, this race has gotten emotional and personal.
Few ‘regular’ Dems care to burn bridges by opposing Jones-Potter. And you don’t have the old Markell–Carney split between ‘regular’ Dems and insurgent Dems, since Governor Markell appointed Jones-Potter. That is the dilemma for Flowers. And if he’s too acerbic and confrontational, he risks his position in the party for future elections.
No matter that he announced his candidacy BEFORE Jones-Potter. No matter that she had initially said she wouldn’t run.
I guess we’ll have to rely on DL’s coverage of some Democratic candidate forums to decide on the Treasurer’s race.
Well, UI, what makes you think VJP will stand up in front of questioning voters any time before the primary?
Her behavior through all of this speaks volumes, even if she won’t open her mouth. If she can’t debate a fellow Democrat, how will she face a Republican? Absolutely pathetic.
That is a pretty damming account of VJP’s behavior.
mediawatch,
She’s already answered questions from voters. I’ve been to at least 3 forums but she only had 10 minutes or so.
I figure she must have some polling that shows her ahead so she doesn’t feel like debating.
Sounds like she adopted the “Weldin-Stewart” philosophy of campaigning (also known as “duh”).
The only event I attended where VJP “answered voter questions” was your event, UI and all questions were limited to insiders on the DEM committees. No regular DEM-registered voter was allowed to say one word. I don’t know how “representative” that can possibly be.
WDEL is none too pleased that she and her cohorts dissed them and strung them along. Al Mascitti just got finished saying that she ungraciously stalled and should just have said no from the start if she had no intention of debating – polling or no. He is calling her a chicken and started Bkkkkk bkkkb kkkb kkkkbkkking. How is that helpful to her campaign again?
I will say that I was promised by her campaign office staffer, Jeremy Kriss last Wednesday, that she would give me the yes or no answer to my question: did she have a contract with the City of Wilmington last year as a consultant. He hasn’t answered my phone calls since then until today I phoned the number from a different phone. He said he was sorry but that he hadn’t really been in the office and she was up and down the state in the last few days. I asked why, if he ran her office, that he didn’t have phone contact with his candidate for a yes or no question. So he said he would definately have an answer for me by the end of this week.
If the Treasurer of the State of Delaware can’t or won’t answer a direct question about her finances, how can she expect to ask the public for her vote? She has concealed the funds from the City by filing the income as coming from herself – VJP, INC. but I have a FOIA in and will get the truth one way or another directly from the City Solicitor. Why she thinks she can play these kinds of stupid games is beyond me.
I agree with Mascitti that if she can’t face Flowers how the hell can she face Bonini. With a GOP operative, Nick Admans, as her picked Deputy and campaign guy, are we throwing this race to the GOP somehow. ACK Conspiracy mongering! never mind.
I have no doubt that Chip Flowers will make a formidable debate opponent — for Colin Bonini, if not for Velda. If she can’t debate Chip, I have to assume Bonini would talk rings around her, too.
“Why she thinks she can play these kinds of stupid games is beyond me.”
Because people generally ignore the office and all this stuff flies under the radar. We owe Chip some thanks for the attention to the office, if nothing else.
I will gladly vote Bonini just to see him spectacularly explode in two years when he tosses his hat in the ring for governor. There’s no other reason to run for treasurer these days. It’s a joke of a job that should have been abolished a decade ago. If anyone doesn’t think Chip or Velda has designs on higher office, they’ve got another think coming.
Nancy,
VJP also answered some questions at the PDD candidate meeting but it was also short. I don’t think the 10 minute candidate forum makes up for a debate but I’m just making the point that she has answered questions.
How come you took my post down….how many of you are being paid by Flowers?
You don’t have to be paid by Flowers to see that something doesn’t smell right with the Potter campaign. The way she handled this whole debate thing is mind-boggling.
Well, it looks bad and sounds bad. I’m not sure it smells bad, too.