Senator Tom Carper supports the EPA’s Clean Air Good Neighbor Rule which would demand that the EPA better regulate air pollution. Senator Rand Paul hates clean air and wants to end the EPA. Senator Rand Paul has introduced Senate Joint Resolution, which disapproves of the rule and would prevent it from being enacted. Carper says he will fight for the rule…… in a debate on the Senate floor.

Pardon my French, Senator Carper, but fuck that. I fully expect you to filibuster Sen. Paul’s resolution, and I fully expect you make sure this rule never makes it to a full vote. If votes on creating American jobs are to be subject to cloture votes and blocked by your Republican friends, I expect you to return the favor.

This is the new normal, since you Senate Democrats were too cowardly to change the Senate Rules in January 2010. If you oppose a thing, you filibuster it to death. If you want to pass something, you must get 60 votes to even debate it. Make Rand Paul find 60 votes.

UPDATE from the News Journal:

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is bypassing the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and forcing a floor vote on his measure under a fast-track procedure.

Paul’s proposal will require a 51-vote majority to pass rather than the 60 votes required to overcome filibusters in the Senate. The House, which already has passed legislation to delay the EPA rule, also would have to pass the resolution.

The measure isn’t expected to pass the Senate. If it did, President Barack Obama probably would veto it.

So Carper cannot filibuster this. How convenient that Republicans get to have their resolutions fast tracked and not subject to the filibuster. Hey Democrats, how about using this fast track procedure for all of our legislation? Like creating jobs?

Ohio decisively rejected the evil Republican anti-worker anti-union law on Tuesday night, repealing Republican Governor John Kasich’s signature legislation in a referendum that could reverberate into 2012. Indeed, more on Ohio and 2012 in a minute. 63% of voters opted to restore bargaining rights for the state’s 350,000 unionized public employees. The margin of victory was even larger than the rout projected by several recent polls.

Mississippi rejected an anti-choice, anti-woman and anti-birth control constitutional amendment known as the “Personhood amendment,” which would have imposed the stiffest restrictions on abortion of any state. The amendment sought to define life as beginning at the point of fertilization, banned all abortions — including those to pregnancies caused by rape or incest — as well the morning-after pill. 57% of voters opposed the initiative.

Democrats also captured five of six statewide races in conservative Kentucky, including the battle for the governor’s mansion, where Democratic incumbent Steve Beshear coasted to a second term. In Arizona, Russell Pearce, the architect of the state’s fascist SB 1070, the anti-brown people law, became the first sitting senator to be recalled in the state’s history.

Maine voters approved a ballot initiative that restored same-day voter registration in Maine after the state’s teabagger fat Governor sought to take voting rights away since he took office. A Democrat won a special election for the state legislature in Iowa. A teabagger state legislator was recalled in Michigan.

Virginia seems to be the only negative spot, where Republicans took control of the State House and possibly the State Senate.

Meanwhile, as I alluded to earlier, good news regarding Ohio from the PPP poll done over the weekend:

Obama led all of his Republican opponents in the state by margins ranging from 9-17 points. After a very tough year for Democrats in Ohio in 2010, things are looking up.

Obama led Mitt Romney 50-41 on our poll. He was up 11 points on Herman Cain at 50-39, 13 on Newt Gingrich at 51-38, 14 on Ron Paul at 50-36, 14 on Michele Bachmann at 51-37 and a whooping 17 points on Rick Perry at 53-36. […]

The biggest thing Obama has going for him right now is an extremely unified Democratic base. Obama gets 88-92% of his party’s vote against the six Republican candidates. What makes that particularly notable is that his approval rating with Democratic voters is actually only 73%. But these numbers suggest that when election time comes around the party base will get around Obama whether they’re totally thrilled with him or not, and that’s a very good sign for his reelection prospects.

It’s Election Day in Philadelphia, where Mayor Nutter will be reelected easily; in Ohio, where God willing the anti-worker SB 5 will be rejected soundly by he voters; in Kentucky, where Democratic Governor Beshear is expected to win in a landslide; in Mississippi, where there is a gubernatorial election to replace Haley Barbor and a vote on that evil yet stupid personhood amendment; as well as legislative races in Virginia and New Jersey. If you live in any of those places, you have no excuse not to vote.

You know what the title of Jerry Sandusky’s auto-biography is? Touched: The Jerry Sandusky Story I am not joking.

Another poll confirms what we saw yesterday in Iowa. A new JMC Enterprises poll in Iowa shows Herman Cain and Mitt Romney tied at 20% each, with Newt Gingrich at 16%. The rest of the field is at 6% or below.

The latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows Mitt Romney leading by 1 point nationally over Herman Cain, 28% to 27%, followed by Newt Gingrich at 13%, Ron Paul at 10% and Rick Perry at 10%. The remainder of the field received less than 5% support. In the same poll, President Obama leads Romney by six points, 49% to 43%, and tops Cain by 15 points, 53% to 38%.

Democrats in North Dakota score a recruiting coup, and the race to replace retiring Senator Kent Conrad is now a toss up to lean Democratic. Former Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp (D) has announced she will run, The Hill reports.

John Daniello gave the introduction, noting the Union hall we are in has a roster of out of work members – and that jobs would be the key agenda of the night.

Gov. Jack Markell gave the key note, with an early acknowledgement of the Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Union. He then reviewed the Democratic Party’s electoral successes, and how many office we control now vs. in decades past (noting that John Burris was in attendance). This was followed by a comparison of politics and policies in Delaware vs. other states (and DC) – noting our bond rating, atmosphere of cooperation, teacher hiring, civil unions, etc. He generated significant applause inviting those who want to fight for something (jobs, equality, etc) rather than against someone to come to Delaware. He thanked his family and the attendees for all the work they do.

There are about 10-15 Occupy Delaware protesters outside on the other side of the driveway by the parking lot. They are holding signs and were having a polite conversation with some attendees who came out to note support for shared goals.

Pete Schwartzkopf honored Mitch Crane for the Sussex Democrats, although it was brief (as KWS was in attendance). Matt Denn praised Nancy Cook, the Kent honoree, at length, crediting her in part for Delaware’s bond rating. He also had a zinger about Republican being unable to find someone to run against Markell for “longer than Kim Kardashian’s marriage”. KWS was up next for Wilmington, honoring activist and committeewoman Judith Giofre (and generating only muted applause).

Chris Coons is up, and he’s on fire. Lots of zingers about how poisonous the political atmosphere is in DC (“any day in Delaware is better than a day in DC”) and his freshman classmates in the senate (He said he told his wife “Honey, in six other states they elected Christine O’Donnell”). He praised unions, the protesters (“they should be mad!”), and Delaware Democrats in general. He talked about compromise, but also emphasized that when Republican refuse to give up an inch (noting the Lucy-and-the-football quality to GOP negotiations), we have to fight for our principles; and that the president was “finally” learning that. He noted that he’d better get to the point (because the Eagles game is starting soon), and effusively praised the hard work and selfless attitude of Committeewoman Jayne Fernsler on behalf of New Castle County. Coons is a fantastic speaker and the highlight of the night.

Bob Gilligan delivered a moving eulogy for Rep. Hazel Plant, presenting an award which her daughter Mary accepted. Likewise, John Carney presented a posthumous award to Wayne John Pollari, former chairman of the Brandywine Hundred Democratic Party, who passed away last month. Carney’s speech was a bit muted but very heartfelt. Polari’s daughter Andrea accepted the award, emphasizing the Democratic values she was raised with.

Tom Carper presented the final award to Kristin Barnekov-Short, wife of Rep. Byron Short, for her campaign work on behalf of Coons, Carney, and numerous local Democrats. His introduction was folksy and mentioned the Eagles. After the award, Carper closed with a more somber note about how important the upcoming election is. He said if Republicans controlled all 3 branches of gov’t for the past 3 years, America would no longer have an auto industry, and noted other accomplishments of the current administration.

Photos of the protesters:

It was pretty dark out there, so you can see the signs about as well as I could.

The Gingrich surge begins in Iowa, but not at the expense of Cain. Herman the Harrasser still is the frontrunner for the GOP nomination at 22%. In second place is…. Newton Three Wives Gingrich at 18%!!! Establishment favorite and serial flip flopper Mitt Romney is THIRD at 15%, and Bachman and Paul both get 11%.

David Brody:

“Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich were on stage together in what was billed as a classic Lincoln-Douglas style debate. As I sat and watched the entire event, I came away with one vivid impression: Did I just finish watching the Republican presidential ticket in 2012? Cain/Gingrich? Don’t laugh. It could happen. Romney has a ceiling of support and Rick Perry seems stuck in neutral.”

“Herman Cain’s poll numbers continue to impress and like Ronald Reagan, he seems to have a Teflon quality to him. Gingrich is steadily rising in the polls due to the fact that voters are starting to realize that this guy is REALLY smart and is an idea factory. Could this be a ticket that provides both style and substance?”

Tomorrow looks to be a great day in Ohio. Public Policy Polling (PPP) found that 59 percent of voters oppose SB 5, and will vote to reject that bill tomorrow during the referendum, while just 36 percent plan to approve it during Tuesday’s election.

“What might be most remarkable about the 23 point margin in this poll is that it’s exactly identical to what we found the first time we polled on this issue all the way back in March,” PPP’s Tom Jensen noted. “Voters were furious then and that anger has continued all the way to November.”

It couldn’t happen to a “nicer” party.

This gave me a laugh:

“There is nothing appealing about him at all. The rule prohibits me to disclose names, but his initials are Dick Morris.”– James Carville, in an interview with Politico, on his least favorite person in Washington, D.C.

The Reyes Family of Lewes is hosting a meet & greet for Mitch Crane on Sunday, November 13 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM at Mariachi Restaurant in downtown Rehoboth Beach (14 Wilmington Avenue). This is a free event, but donations will not be turned down.

Come and meet Mitch, the only progressive running for IC next year, and see what he’s all about. Great food, too (Mariachi is the best place in Rehoboth Beach for Latin cuisine).

I sat here this morning thinking about how to put into words what I feel and think about the Occupy Delaware situation and the Markell Administration’s and the City of Wilmington’s response so far to it. And then I read Kavips and find that he has basically said everything that needs to be said.

I have a lot of sympathy for Brian Selander, Governor Markell’s chief strategy officer, primarily because he and I are a lot alike. Practical. Pragmatic. Progressive but not purist. And I do not envy his responsibilities and obligations and the balancing act that is taking place. But I have also sympathy for the protestors. And I am afraid that sympathy wins out. As Kavips says:

This is not some ragtag group of protesters. These are former professionals, people currently employed or not, who are scared to death, that their country is going down the wrong path, fast. As much as you [Brian] and Jack have been scrambling to bring jobs here to Delaware, YOU KNOW THEY ARE RIGHT!!

We ARE going down the wrong path, … and HAVE BEEN, ever since the 2000 elections! And the nuts who got elected from conservative districts in 2010, haven’t helped!

Kavips goes on to make what I think is an ill placed analogy of this situation to the early Revolutionary War days, with Brian Selander taking on the role of the Governor General of Massachusetts trying to balance the interests of the crown and the colonists. If that analogy were apt, that makes Governor Markell …. King George III? Nah. Not really. Maybe the corporate overlords are the mad King George? Perhaps then, yes. But I digress.

It is Kavips’ opinion that Brian’s statement to the press last night struck the wrong tone.

“The state made a very reasonable offer with the use of state managed properties at Brandywine and Fletcher Brown park,” Selander said. “It was an offer that respected constitutional rights to be heard and assemble. They’ve chosen a different path.”

That paints the protestors as unreasonable. I’m sorry, but that dog doesn’t hunt. I think the Occupy movement has been very reasonable in their statements. I thought a conflict over Fletcher Brown Park would be unwise because the PR battle would have been protestors v. children, a battle certain to be lost. But Peter Spencer Plaza next to the City/County Building? Hey, that’s fair. That’s reasonable. It may be inconvenient and not pleasing to look at, but neither is Occupy Philly, which I have to walk around every morning. But I grin and bare it because I support the larger message, the larger purpose.

Bringing guns to rallies where bigotry and calls to violence are espoused, that’s unreasonable. Wanting your tents and your signs seen and not hidden away north of I-95, I think that is reasonable. I imagine Brian and the Governor are concerned about precedent. That allowing Occupy Delaware to camp with out a permit sets the stage down the line for more egregious groups, like perhaps the KKK, to do the same. And that is why cities and states set up the permit and fee process to discourage such groups, or at least to control them.

I admit that is a concern, but not an overriding one. The thing about hateful groups is that they tend to be hateful, and violent groups tend to be violent, and thus the police usually clear these protests for those reasons. Occupy Delaware is not hateful. Occupy Delaware is not violent. So I think that concern should vanish.

Kavips offers up what the Governor and his office should say:

“These people are citizens of this nation. They are protected by the U.S Constitution like everyone else. We are a fee-based society. Sometimes, like the poll tax, those fees get in the way of pure democracy. Heaven forbid, that democracy could only exist, for those who could afford to pay a fee. In fact, the Stamp Act by the British, that event that triggered the American Revolution, was exactly that. A fee for a permit. Currently, the Occupy Movement is representing the revolutionary spirit that created this country. Likewise, they represent the moral equivalent of those who felt slavery, despite it’s being sanctioned by the Federal government, was intensely immoral, and an abomination. They too, like those who said it was wrong to have a second class citizenry, based solely upon the color of ones skin, even though that too, was approved and sanctioned by State governments around this nation.

For this reason, we are going to issue permits for this group. They have the same right as every citizen in America, to make their grievances known. When the wealthy lost an election, they had money to advertise, set up rallies, buy media spokespersons, pour unheard amounts of money into tiny local campaigns. But when the poor want to do the same, we say, sorry, you can’t because you don’t have cash…. and your checks come back stamped: insufficient funds.

One must wonder, if our current mayor, yes, that one who got his start during the Civil Rights movement right here in Wilmington, would be here today, if he, failed, yes, failed to lead a protest on some steps near here, because to do so, he would have first, had to pay a fee?

A fee/permit system is the surest method to silence the poor. Yet those who can’t afford it, were expressly given the same rights under the Constitution of the United States of America. They were given them, simply because, we were going to be a nation designed like no other, where each person, no matter his income, had the equal right to life, to liberty, and to their individual pursuit of happiness..

Like Philadelphia to the north of us, Baltimore to the south of us, New York to the northeast of us, we too will allow these citizens of the Occupy movement, to make their grievances known, in their own way. Their symbol of communication, is with tents. We ask, and have been given assurances, that they will respect every other citizen’s rights and property, in their pursuit of expressing their message.

We wish them luck with their endeavor.

Occupy Philly, as well as hundreds of other Occupy movements around the country have been going on without incident or controversy. The only places where there have been clashes are where has been disagreement between public officials and the protestors over the occupation, which led to the police trying to evict or chase out the protestors (i.e. Denver, New York City and Oakland), which led to public attention and increased media coverage.

The only place where the protestors could have been described as violent was in Oakland, and that is because some anarchists came in after a march and started vandalizing. If the same happens here in Wilmington, feel free to chase them down, evict them, and arrest them.

Otherwise it is a peaceful if inconvenient protest.

Don’t clash with it. Respect it. And if you disagree with it, then ignore it.