Weekend Open Thread
Welcome to your weekend open thread. It looks to be a fine weekend. There are at least two great local festivals this weekend: the newly revived Brandywine Arts Festival and the Mushroom Festival. I plan on going to the Mushroom festival today.
Obama gave a really eloquent defense of the 1st amendment yesterday in his press conference. Listen to his answer when asked about the NYC Islamic Center.
Greg Sargent at WaPo has a good catch. Comments by Obama yesterday indicate that Elizabeth Warren is likely to be named the head of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Wall Street hates her, which is a good thing. Her job is not to worry about Wall Street profits.
Obama was careful to say that no decisions have been made. But he indicated that an announcement is coming, and if you read between the lines of what he said, it sure sounded like a strong hint that he’s leaning towards picking her:
The idea for this agency was Elizabeth Warren’s. She’s a dear friend of mine. She’s somebody I’ve known since I was in law school. And I have been in conversations with her. She is a tremendous advocate for this idea. his is a big task standing up this entire agency. So I’ll have an announcement soon about how we’re going to move forward.
I have had conversations with Elizabeth over these last couple of months. But I’m not going to make an official announcement until it’s ready.
Obama slightly emphasized the word “official,” suggesting the possibility that making it official is all that remains. The White House declined to comment to me when I asked whether Obama was leaning in her direction, beyond saying an announcement is coming. But this is the strongest endorsement of Warren Obama has yet offered in public.
I assume Wall Street is afraid of her because she is good at articulating how Wall Street has been screwing the American people for decades. Go Elizabeth!
Tags: Open Thread
People are getting robocalls from Sarah Palin today in support of Christine O’Donnell.
PPP is tweeting hints about the polls it’s seeing in Delaware: Coons is improving and that an upset is more likely in Delaware than in New Hampshire. I’m not sure how likely they mean. I guess we’ll see tomorrow when they release their numbers but I expect to see single digit races.
Markell wrote a ringing endorsement of Dennis E. Williams.
I am also hearing that the 3rd County Council District Republican Primary is getting very, very ugly. I guess candidate Protack is up to his usual. These folks take no prisoners. The field will be covered with blood by 8:00 Tuesday. If they’ve beaten each other to a pulp I wonder how many will feel like crawling to the polls on November 2nd.
In what sense, Auntie? I live up here and haven’t seen anything but a Protack mailer in which he refers only to his “opponent,” relying I suppose on his superior name recognition. The only ugliness I’ve seen is the usual character assassination of “his opponent” by his internet minions.
People are getting robocalls from Sarah Palin today in support of Christine O’Donnell.
I got that one, this morning. Immediately thereafter, I emptied a can of Lysol on my phone and then scrubbed my ear in the shower until it bled. I still can’t stop that voice in my head: “You betcha!” #goingpsycho
I heard that it is Protack’s opponent who got down in the mud yesterday. I thought he did much better at the debate in Hockessin. We are safe with Protack in county council where wingnuttery doesn’t apply to much of anything they do.
Nancy pickin Protack! What a scream. Protack is so far to the right he makes republican david look center right.
US to guarantee $1 billion for Mexican state oil company.
American Thinker ^ | September 12, 2010
This comes on the heals of an earlier deal where the Export-Import Bank of the US is going to loan $2 billion to Brazil’s state-owned oil company, Petrobras. This behavior underscores why Presidential approval ratings are down. Reforms from health care to banking are hurting private businesses. The fact that Obama was openly hostile to domestic energy production as a candidate and the overbearing drilling moratorium has demonstrated to many Americans that he doesn’t have their best interest in mind……
Erkel sure does love to pour our tax dollars into state owned companies…
Surprise on Ron Williams pick – not Korn. If Korn doesn’t take the day on Tuesday would it be because he decided not to spend any money on anything but mailers?
Not surprise Ron Williams pick – not Velda. Did anyone see her sorry ass photoshop treatment of Flowers in the weekend mailer? DESPARATE HUSSY!
I saw the mailing. It was pathetic and childish.
I didn’t get a copy. Someone want to scan it and send it?
Didn’t see the mailing,but if the theme is the contrast between a careful and competent bureaucrat and someone who wants to experiment with my money, then it’s an effective contrast.
My sole reason for (unenthusiastically) voting for Velda Potter-Jones is b/c, as a state retiree, I don’t want some totally unproven bright-eyed guy making wild bets with MY money. So, if the piece motivates people to vote based on their economic well-being, it’s an effective piece.
And I don’t want to hear any bleating from the Flowers’ folks about dirty campaigning. I frankly hope I never have to read anything from any of you who have made this site almost unreadable these last few weeks. Dirty campaigning? Look in the mirror.
El Som, why so angry? Did mommy forget to feed you your Mini Wheats today?
It didn’t help her cause that’s for sure. I found it juvenile and a pathetic attempt to scare people into voting for her. El Som, we get it, velda’s getting your vote. It’s a true shame that you construe someone with ideas as a person making “wild bets” with your money. Instead you’d rather someone who double dips into the taxpayer funds in a shady way and who has no ideas get your vote.
Funny how you blame Flowers supporters for making this site unbearable when the conversations of late haven’t had much to do with the treasurer’s race.
“It’s a true shame that you construe someone with ideas as a person making “wild bets” with your money.”
When one of those ideas is giving money to start-up businesses just because they’re in Delaware, it’s a recipe for favoritism and corporate crony shenanigans — in other words, for making “wild bets” with taxpayer dollars. Chip doesn’t do himself any favors when he criticizes giving financial incentives to Sallie Mae for moving jobs to Delaware.
Sorry, Flowers People, but if you want to swing the sword of “ideas,” be aware that it cuts both ways. There’s a reason nobody in positions of authority has signed off on those ideas, as I’ve been pointing out for weeks. I like the guy, don’t get me wrong, and he has my vote. But I’m counting on the grownups taking him in hand once he’s elected.
And here’s Geezer!
Seriously, did you read Educate Velda part 2? This may put your mind at ease about chip’s plan re: small businesses. At any rate, if he wins I don’t think he expects every aspect of his plan to be implemented. However, I do believe he will attempt to make this office relevant by fostering economic policy through cooperation with other government agencies – on top of writing and cashing checks of course…
Sorry, it doesn’t put my mind at ease. Some highlights:
On Valero: “Chip Flowers suggested that Gov. Markell consider the alternatives and he did, and the result was a workable solution that will lead to the reopening of the refinery.”
Golly. I, too, suggested Markell consider the alternatives. Does that mean I can take credit for this?
“It is the responsibility of every elected official, including the state treasurer, to assist the state in developing sound economic policies in times of crisis.”
As a statement of fact, this is false. If it is intended as a statement of opinion, it should be couched as such.
“Ms. Jones-Potter is attempting to create a false divide between Governor Markell, DEDO and Democratic candidate Chip Flowers and it is, quite frankly, a deplorable tactic.”
Yet it is, quite frankly, closer to the truth than the insinuation that there is NOT such a divide. You can ascertain the truth by talking to someone in the governor’s office about this. Have you?
“Chip Flowers supports the Governor’s effort to create jobs in Delaware (including the addition of jobs to Sallie Mae)…”
So I guess the shot taken at the governor’s office by one of his supporters back in July was someone straying off the candidate’s position. Fair enough. But then there’s the rest of the sentence…
“… and, in the best interest of Delaware taxpayers, will continue to offer strategic alternatives to every major state investment decision based upon sound economic principles.”
So he intends to second-guess every investment decision made by the governor and his appointees? Yeah, that sounds like freaking recipe for working without a “divide.”
At this point in the process, with the chances of gaining the Democratic nomination looking good, Chip should be doing everything he can to curry favor with the administration. He is, in essence, trying to shoulder his way onto the team; it would behoove him to act like a team player. He will need Markell’s help to win in November, and he won’t get it if he gives the impression that he’d be just as big a headache for the administration as a Republican would be.
Just my humble opinion. Feel free to refute it.
Ok. Thanks for the highlight reel! I swear with all these opinions perhaps you should take a shot at office, eh?
Anybody missing McNubbies yet?
I’m not. If the point was to get to the conference FHA
Championship game, McNubbins would have been in the pantheon with Montana and Bradshaw.
I am. Kolb is a joke!!
Geezer says . . .
“I’m counting on the grownups taking him in hand once he’s elected.”
Flowers is smart enought to know that all these plans aren’t going to play. Members of the General Assembly think they have a say in most of them, and there’s always the Governor who thinks it’s his job to run the State. Mr. Flowers is being deliberately misleading or pandering in this campaign. A lot of people have noticed this. Perhaps it isn’t in the bag yet?
I just read the CNBC rating of states’ business climate in 2010. Delaware came in at a miserable 42nd which, in my view, reflects the questionable abilities of the people ‘in charge’ of our state and county governments through the past few decades.
I, for one, welcome an outsider like Chip with some solid new ideas and some moxy who is a proven business leader.
We have more than doubled our debt in the last 9 years at 2 + billion. Coons and Markell are working overtime to continue Minner and Carper’s legacy: to force the citizenry to go even further into debt and on the hook for monsterous infrastructure projects. Federal GARVEE bonds are their last gasp effort to support the massive development plans still on the table from before the big bust. DelDOT is forced to use Federal backing for 301 because Wicks couldn’t convince the legislature that state bonds could carry the load – the numbers don’t add up. It is the wrong time to take on this superhighway across empty farm fields. At least it is not at all certain that the Feds will give us the go ahead either since the numbers really do not add up.
The CNBC analysis:
We ranked 36th for Cost of Business –
We ranked 17th for Workforce –
We ranked 47th for Quality of Life –
We ranked 44th for Transportation –
We ranked 33rd for Technology & Innovation –
We ranked 25th for Education –
We ranked 1st for Business Friendliness –
We ranked 20th for Access to Capital –
We ranked 32nd for Cost of Living –
Almost last for Quality of Life and first for Business Friendliness. Just say BEND OVER PEOPLE and take it?
Find the links here:
http://delawareway.blogspot.com/2010/09/delawares-pathetic-rankings-for-how-we.html
I am hoping that Kafka becomes the quarterback so we can have a Kafkaesque team.
You’re not allowed to use the phrase “purt’ near” unless you live south of Felton.
Reading the fine print shows that this study was purt’ near worthless. I fail to see how anyone can improve on a No. 1 ranking for business friendliness. And once you look at how they compiled their “rankings” (a glorified term, in this case, for “throwing a bunch of numbers in a blender”) it’s not surprising to find that the state that’s No. 1 in incorporations (us) at 42nd and the state with the most big businesses headquartered in it (New York) at No. 24. Golly, I guess the folks running businesses must be idiots, huh?
Chip is now a “proven business leader”? At what business? He’s a lawyer. Give us a break.
Geez, you say “I like the guy, don’t get me wrong, and he has my vote. But I’m counting on the grownups taking him in hand once he’s elected.”
I respect your First Amendment right to rant, and enjoy what you have to say, but your subsequent posts have continued to bash the guy you claim to be supporting. When I look to you for logic, sometimes it just doesn’t make sense.
I guess owning a successful business doesn’t mean a thing. The business just takes care itself…no one takes care of the financials, or gets clients, or manages employees, or pays the bills. Yep, Chip is just a lawyer.