Weekend Open Thread
Welcome to your weekend open thread. The Italian Festival starts this weekend. How many of you are planning to attend? It’s festival season!
I can certainly understand being fed up with the press feeding frenzy surrounding the teenager who communicated with Anthony Weiner, but this is the wrong response:
As Moton was preparing to do a live feed for Channel 6′s 11 p.m. broadcast, a man claiming to be a neighbor of the girl stood next to him wanting to speak to the on-site producer. When told there was no producer on site, the man told Action News — and other reporters — he wanted them to leave the public sidewalk they were on.
They did not and so the man left the scene muttering about returning with a bat. The man returned, this time shirtless and wielding an ax. The man stood next to Ruane motioning a strike with the ax. The man even tapped Ruane’s tripod and repeatedly banged the ax on the concrete ground — all while being photographed by other media.
As Moton went on with his segment, the man – ax in hand — walked behind the TV reporter, stopping a car and angrily shouting slurs.
No one was hurt and the neighbor was taken into custody. Hopefully the story will end here.
Sexist douche of the week award goes to Dan Rottenberg! You know you’re in trouble when the summary of your article is this:
Earth to liberated women: When you display legs, thighs or cleavage, some liberated men will see it as a sign that you feel good about yourself and your sexuality. But most men will see it as a sign that you want to get laid. Forewarned is forearmed.
That’s right ladies, men are just animals just ready to rape you! They just can’t control themselves, so it’s all your fault. Rottenberg uses the Lara Logan case to give advice:
Smullens argues that women need to speak up and speak out when they’re victimized, as Lara Logan has done, and of course she is right. But having stumbled across a CBS publicity photo for Lara Logan (above), I can’t thinking that women also need to take sensible precautions before they’re victimized.
For example: Don’t trust your male friends. Don’t go to a man’s home at night unless you’re prepared to have sex with him. Don’t disrobe in front of a male masseur. If you take a job as a masseuse, don’t be shocked if your male customers think you’re a prostitute. And if you want to be taken seriously as a journalist, don’t pose for pictures that emphasize your cleavage.
Yes, yes, I know: Each of us wears many personas. A woman journalist like Lara Logan should be able to celebrate herself as both a journalist and a woman, even a sexy woman. But the operative word in that sentence— should— is the sticky point.
That’s right – Logan was raped because she showed cleavage in a publicity picture. Excuse me while I go throw up in the corner.
Tags: Open Thread
Anyone else know if “schell cousin” @ 7:07 is telling the truth, or full of crap? If true, the issue of Pete’s son-in-law being employed by Schell is a huge concern. That would certainly seem to fall under the conflict of interest rules.
Your personal presentation can be tricky.
As a lad I asked this guy what his secret was for getting all the girls to dance with him when I constantly struck out?
He advised me to put a potato in my pants so the next week I did.
STILL no luck.
I asked him what I was doing wrong and he looked me over and told me I should put the potato in the FRONT of my pants.
“If true, the issue of Pete’s son-in-law being employed by Schell is a huge concern. That would certainly seem to fall under the conflict of interest rules.”
What conflict of interest rules? The ones that allow farmers on the ag committees, teachers on the education committees and DeLuca to chair the ethics committee?
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has released the first photos of herself since she was injured. I think she looks great. Hopefully her recovery will continue to make great progress. She still has trouble communicating, but it’s only been 5 months since her injury.
Pete’s Bio: http://legis.delaware.gov/legislature.nsf/52087754ec8b9261852569c10055df42/6844056079d6d05d852569d800535dfb?opendocument
Notice his daughter, “Brandi Townsend”
Pete’s Daughter: http://www.facebook.com/brandi.townsend
Notice, “married to adam pettengell”
Them together: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150233690045184&set=t.757930502&type=1&theater
Adam’s Bio at Schell Brothers: http://schellbrothers.com/blog/author/adam-pettengell/
I’m sure his vast experience teaching soccer is what got him the job though.
Geezer,
It’s my understanding that the conflict-of-interest rules say that you can’t take any action that would cause a significant financial benefit to yourself or a relative over someone else. But I’m no expert. Anyone else?
However, upon reflection, I’m fairly certain that this particular situation is considered OK because his son-in-law doesn’t work for the Del Pointe holding company, but for Schell Brothers. The entity of Schell Brothers isn’t proposing the casino.
lol
Would it be back on topic if we mentioned that Representative Schwartzkopf also took money from Chris Tigani?
Adam sells new homes. He has a winning personality, a polite manner, and is knowledgeable about his product. He works hard. What other qualifications are necessary to do his job, I’m not sure. He does not have a sales manager PHD, but then no one does because it does not exist. Whoever said he was unqualified is incorrect or ignorant of what the job entails. Selling is about establishing a relationship with people. Adam does that very well. As far as a conflict of interest goes, he holds no position of any particular influence in the company and if you know anything about the company you would know that Adam receives no special favors or consideration because of who his wife is. As has already been noted, Delaware is a small town and everyone either knows or is related to someone else in some form or fashion.
The apologists for Schwartzkopf don’t even realize how ironic their posts are IN THIS THREAD!
Dave,
You’re missing the point, perhaps deliberately. Any conflict of interest would not apply to Pete’s son-in-law’s conduct or activities. The issue is not that he’s getting favorable treatemnt because his wife’s dad is a state rep. The government can’t step into a private business’ affairs and say that you can’t hire a relative or whatnot.
The conflict arises if a legislator or other official takes an action that could benefit the legislator or a family member. The question here is clearly whether Pete’s push to expand gambling – which would plainly benefit the Schells – would benefit his son-in-law, as an employee of the Schells. I suspect not, as the two companies – Schell Brothers and Del Pointe – are only connected (I believe) through a common ownership.
Now, is it odd that a state rep who gets beaucoup campaign support from a company, and who advocates strongly for that company’s interests, has a relative who works for that company? Sure it is. But alas, it’s no more damning than any of the other hundreds of politically incestuous relationships that exist among other legislators and payrolls of state government and their political allies. To the victor go the spoils. It’s an axiom of politics.
It’s just that some of us really thought Pete and Jack (who also gets huge Schell support) were above that kind of old-fashioned scratch-my-back politics. Disappointing.
John Carney calls for Weiner to resign.
Still no call from Carney for Clarence Thomas to resign.
It’s not that he’s trying to get anything for his son in law (daughter) by being for del pointe, it’s that schell hired his son in law in an effort to get him to keep pushing so hard for the casino. it’s all just too disgusting.
When are they going to call for David Vitter to resign?
Pete Schwartzkopf is an ex-state cop. You will never find one of that contingent above scratch-my-back politics. Why do you think he “vouched for” John Atkins? Because he’s a swell guy who likes giving people second chances? Get real. John Atkins is a bought-and-paid-for go-to guy for state cops — remember whom he called when he was pulled over in Maryland?
As for Markell, he entered the game calling for more casinos, and he won’t need a single outside dime to win re-election. I will consider the fix in only when and if Schell, and not two other entities, get casino licenses, particularly if they don’t have to pay for them.
I call bullshit on “Schell Cousin.” My guess is he/she is not related and just has a bone to pick with Pete. Perhaps it Bill Wrong Wong awakening from his slumber. But the cuz’s post are complete and utter bullshit.
If this “relative” was actually telling the truth, they’d know that Adam was working for Schell BEFORE he married Brandi.
My comment was not on the accusation of conflict. It was on the judgment that Adam is “extremely unqualified” for his job (as if he is his position because of influence/nepotism). He is not unqualified and does his job well.
I don’t know who “Bill Wrong Wong” is, but Adam met Brandi when he was over here from the UK teaching soccer.
The sad thing about all this is that if Del Pointe ever gets its license, and Schwartzkopf decides not to run for re-election and falls into the contract to run security for Del Pointe, there’s absolutely no recourse.
Carney calling for Weiner to resign is a little pointless, isn’t it? Who really cares what Carney thinks about this?
I care what Carney thinks about the Bush tax cuts and about deregulating the banks so soon after they caused our economic implosion. I care what Carney thinks about ensuring that the safety net doesn’t get shredded while the DuPont Company pays $0 in corporate taxes.
More and more, it looks like Carney is simply trying to outCarper Carper. Not what I voted for.
Yes, I know how Adam and Brandi met. So does everyone else here in Rehoboth. I still call bullshit on you. You’re either a disgruntled employee or St. Bodie Girl.
The problem with the Schwartzkopf scenario woven by SC is — so what? So what if he gets a job at another casino? It’s more important to get another casino than to care who’s going to work there. It’s not as if the existing casinos haven’t done the same for some of the lawmakers in their pockets.
I see no reason to give a license to the Schell group as opposed to the several others angling for one. But I have a bigger problem with the DelDOT payoffs to Schell for the 113 bypass than I do with adding casinos.
More and more, it looks like Carney is simply trying to outCarper Carper. Not what I voted for.
But that was *exactly* what was on offer, unfortunately.
Why wouldn’t he ape Carper? He’s got the same rancid sack of self-interested advisers, doesn’t he?
” I still call bullshit on you. You’re either a disgruntled employee or St. Bodie Girl.”
A less blindly loyal person than you might say “whistleblower.”
The difference between a disgruntled employee and a whistleblower is that a whistleblower has something valuable to divulge, and isn’t out simply to screw someone he dislikes.
We already knew Schwartzkopf was in Schell’s pocket. What difference does the son-in-law’s job make?
Well, I tried. If all of you are ok with the relationship between Schell and Schwartzkopf (despite all the hand wringing about the shadiness between Tigani and other Dem politicos) then I guess..well, ok. Shame on us.
Boo hoo, now you’re wounded. You tried what? You pointed out a relationship that’s apparently widely known already. Shitting on Schwartzkopf is a Delaware Politics specialty. In case you hadn’t noticed, I can do a pretty good job of shitting on him myself.
And if you’re going to make this a partisan affair, begone. The only reason nobody’s buying Republicans these days is that they’re out of power. If you want to know how many R’s got payoffs, let’s see the travel expenses of House members during Spence’s reign.
I’m a Progressive. I’d just like for us to be about the people of delaware, and i dont think democrat leaders getting this grimy serves our cause or the people of delaware.
If the Tigani scandal doesn’t make us take a look in the mirror and hold our current representatives to a higher standard, then what’s the point? Tigani gets hosed and the beat goes on…
If you were a progressive, SC, you’d have written “democratic leaders,” not “democrat leaders.” You gave away your Western Sussex roots.
If you’ve got a progressive alternative to Schwartzkopf, run him or her.
“i dont think democrat leaders getting this grimy serves our cause or the people of delaware.”
Nor, strictly speaking, does Schwartzkopf’s advocacy for Schell hurt the people of Delaware. Indeed, to the extent that any new casinos will dilute the choke hold the existing racinos have over the legislature, it could help.
I, too want to break up the existing casino protection racket, but at what cost?
MJ, I don’t know where your hostility comes from, nor do I understand the implications of your parsing of my language. I have lived in Rehoboth my entire life, except for 4 years at College Park. How long ago did you discover the wonders of our little town and decide you could move here and take ownership of it?
No hostility, SC, just calling you out on your bullshit. And anyone who lives in Sussex knows that those in the western part of the county use “democrat” and not “democratic” when referring to the party. And I believe it’s safe to say that the eastern part of the county is a bit more progressive than the western section.
“John Carney – still a little bit better than a Republican.”
I dunno — what’s the cost of Schwartzkopf pushing his bill? To me as a Delaware resident, I mean?
There is no cost, so long as you support the building of the Del Pointe Complex. What was the cost of Christopher J. Tigani’s activities? Let’s say he was able to buy influence. If you support the things he was trying to accomplish, what was the harm to you?
I live in the 14th, and I don’t know about the validity of all this, but even I am a bit uncomfortable with the perception that is out there about the relationship between my Representative and Schell Bros.
They’re neighbors, Phil.
The difference is that Tigani got his favor directly from the governor. Schwartzkopf is in no position to deliver for Schell in the same fashion.
As for the relationship, it’s already there. If you want a reason to get rid of Schwartzkopf, it’s already there. He’s been pushing for Del Pointe for what, three years now?
I’m not looking for a reason to get rid of him. I just wish he couldn’t be described as “in the pocket of (insert anyone here).”