Archive for May, 2013

Wednesday Open Thread [5.15.2013]

Filed in National, Open Thread by Delaware Dem on May 15, 2013 • 5 Comments

Sorry for my absence in the open thread department the last two days. I had some family business to deal with and thanks to Cassandra for stepping in.

So it looks like the whole Benghazi Conspiracy Theory being embraced by Republicans is based on a phantom email created by a GOP source. Whomever that GOP source on Capitol Hill is, he or she should be imprisoned. You have to wonder why the GOP does this to itself. Sooner or later some kind of actual government wrongdoing was bound to come down the pike for the GOP to make hay out of. It always does. In some administrations more frequently than others. But the current Repubican opposition is so bereft of ideas and new policies, and so desparate to come up with anything to tarnish the President so that he in reality matches their fantasy version of him, that they have tried to turn either minor stories or tragedies into massive scandals, like Fast & Furious, like Solundrya, and now, like Benghazi. And the reason why they were so desparate is that the Obama Administration, up until now, has been relatively scandal free.

If only the GOP had waited….. because now they do have two stories that could turn into actual wrongdoing, at least on the parts of the agencies themselves, but the poor GOP already cried Wolf.

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., May 15, 2013

Filed in National by El Somnambulo on May 15, 2013 • 7 Comments

Just two more days before the Memorial Day 2-week recess.

Actually, during the two weeks, the Joint Finance Committee will meet to mark up the budget. Meaning, you’ll hear a lot of bitching by Gov. Walker’s Markell’s budgeteers. The more bitching, the better the budget, IMHO. I especially look forward to their outrage should state employees (and don’t forget us pensioners!) get raises. Governor, I’ve got three words for you: Tax your friends. Three more: Or shut up. Damn, that feels good.

I gotta say it: The Delaware General Assembly has done a great job of pushing back at the NRA. And its pigeon-maiming front man.

The House passed SB 16(Henry), which will help put an end to ‘straw purchases’ of firearms. The bill just squeaked through the Senate by an 11-10 vote, and the House passed it by a similarly-close 22-19 count. D’s voting no: Atkins, Bennett, Carson, Mulrooney(?), Paradee, and Walker(?). R'(s) voting yes: Ramone(!). The bill heads to the Governor for his signature. Great work all around here! If I were a wounded pigeon in Pa., I’d be veryvery afraid right about now. John Sigler has even more blood in his eye than usual.

Wednesday Daily Delawhere [5.15.13]

Filed in Delaware by Delaware Dem on May 15, 2013 • 0 Comments

A walkway through the woods at Winterthur Country Estate and Museum near Montchanin.

Wright wins Appo seat; sane candidates net 71% of the vote

Filed in National by jason330 on May 15, 2013 • 12 Comments

Kelly Wright upset two-term incumbent Edna Cale and two other challengers Tuesday to win a five-year term on the Appoquinimink school board.

Late Night Video — Anything You Want to Say to a White Guy?

Filed in National by cassandra_m on May 14, 2013 • 5 Comments

This is pure genius. From W. Kamau Bell’s TV show, Totally Biased, he goes to Harlem with a white guy to let black and brown people ask the questions they always wanted to ask a white guy:

Tuesday Open Thread [5.14.13]

Filed in Open Thread by cassandra_m on May 14, 2013 • 16 Comments

SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS TODAY! Polls are open 10 – 8. Please try to get to your polling place and vote today. Feel free to advocate for candidates in the comments of this thread. For more info:
Red Clay
Christina
Brandywine
Appoquinimink

The “War on Terror” Surveillance State Hits Journalists

Filed in National by cassandra_m on May 14, 2013 • 21 Comments

Yesterday, the AP disclosed that the DOJ obtained lists of “incoming and outgoing calls, and the duration of each call, for the work and personal phone numbers of individual reporters, general AP office numbers in New York, Washington and Hartford, Conn., and the main number for AP reporters in the House of Representatives press gallery.” Apparently this is in the service of an investigation of a leak — one that revealed an Al-Queda affiliate plot to blow up an airliner on the anniversary of the killing of Bin Laden. Except that it wasn’t a real plot –it was one cooked up by a CIA plant to try to discover the elements of this affiliate. The Obama Administration has been pursuing this leak — they seem to pursue them all — but there is a little extra impetus in this one:

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., May 14, 2013

Filed in National by El Somnambulo on May 14, 2013 • 34 Comments

While we were busy celebrating the passage and signing into law of Delaware’s Marriage Equality Act, the House effectively killed off legislation providing a modest hike in Delaware’s minimum wage. Make no mistake: the killing of SB 6 was deliberate and planned, and the co-conspirators were all Democrats: Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, Rep. Bryon Short, and Gov. Jack Markell.

Here’s how it happened. After bargaining in what he thought was good faith with Gov. Walker Markell, Sen. Robert Marshall agreed to amendments that significantly reduced the impact of SB 6. Specifically, he agreed to push back the effective date, to decouple subsequent rate increases from the rate of inflation, and to lower the amount of the increase. Markell praised the eviscerated finished product, and said he could support the bill. Which was the last ‘support’ he provided. And Speaker Pete got the memo loud and clear: Kill the bill!

And he did. How? By assigning it to the House Business Lapdog Committee, aka the House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance/Commerce Committee, instead of to the House Labor Committee. Chaired by Rep. Bryon Short. You may recall that this is precisely the same tactic that former Speaker Bob Gilligan employed when Markell wanted him to kill the bill last session. And, for the second straight session, Short did not disappoint. SB 6 was passed in the Senate on March 21. It did not receive its hearing in the committee until May 8, and that was deliberate. Short allowed the bill to languish until the last day that, according to House rules, it had to be considered in committee. Many of you are aware of the full-court press opposition led by the respective Chambers of Commerce in the past two weeks. By delaying consideration of the bill, the committee chair enabled that campaign to have optimal effect. To the point where empty tabula rasas like Andria Bennett were reciting Chamber talking points verbatim in opposition to as Democratic a bill as you’ll ever find.

Gov. Markell demonstrated some slickness here. By saying that he would sign SB 6, he eliminates any political stigma that Democrats would attach to him in a future run for political office for publicly opposing a minimum wage increase. And he gets Pete and his DLC house cronies to kill the bill. Just like he did last year. Just remember, Markell’s fingerprints are all over this. Cut’n save.

Tuesday Daily Delawhere [5.14.13]

Filed in Delaware by Delaware Dem on May 14, 2013 • 0 Comments

The reflecting pool at the Winterthur Museum and Country Estate near Montchanin.

Late Night Video — Deport the Hate

Filed in National by cassandra_m on May 13, 2013 • 6 Comments

Breaking down the ways anti-immigrant hate makes its way into the media and public policy for you — approx. 9:30 and worth every second:

Monday Open Thread [5.13.13]

Filed in Open Thread by cassandra_m on May 13, 2013 • 17 Comments

On Friday afternoon, Marcos at dKos posted up a great analysis of how the new gun safety groups — Mayor Bloomberg’s and the one headed up by Gabby Giffords — are changing the state of play over gun safety legislation. Kos’ piece focuses entirely on the money in the game, not on any of the organizing that might be done by either group, but if Bloomberg can keep this up, I’m hopeful: