Archive for June, 2013
True Confessions… Zimmerman Trial
Been crazy around here, but as I’m running around I’m listening to the George Zimmerman trial. Fascinating stuff. If you’re interested, it’s live streamed here.
Also, Charles Pierce has a great post on this. Check it out.
But they persist. How could Martin have been smothering Zimmerman at the same time Zimmerman was, as he claimed, screaming his head off for help? (This question will not be settled by the testimony of voice experts, thanks to the judge’s ruling, though the jury will hear the tape.) This was just before the fatal gunshot.
“It’s continuous screaming,” another officer asks, “how can you be smothered?”
Damn good question.
“You think he might have seen you had a gun before he punched you?” the first officer asks.
Another damn good question.
“What was the provocation for punching you other than you were following him?” another officer asks.
By this time, Zimmerman is losing his patience. “I’ve gone through it a million times.” Despite his passion for justice, repeated questions about the death of a 17-year-old boy at his own hands annoys him.
![Wednesday Daily Delawhere [6.26.13]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7451/9059469692_f07eb4d1cb_z.jpg "Wednesday Daily Delawhere [6.26.13]")
Tuesday Open Thread [6.25.13]
yesterday, Comprenshive Immigration Reform passed its first hurdle in the U.S. Senate. The Border Surge Amendment sponsored by Republican Senators Bob Corker (TN) and John Hoeven (ND), which provides approximately $40 billion over the next 10 years to bolster border security, doubles the endorcement agents to 40,000 and the completion of 700 miles of border fencing. Cloture was filed on the amendment, which means that the Senate was voting to end debate on the Amendment and proceed to a floor vote on the Amendment. The Cloture vote was 67 to 31, with two Democrats absent. So that gives us our first indication that immigration reform may garner as many as 69 votes in support (as it is hard to imagine that the 31 Republican Senators voting to filibuster the Border Security Amendment would vote in favor of the full package with they say endorses amnesty.
This caused Sarah Palin to rev up her bigotry machine, and she took to the airwaves (or Facebook pages) to rip Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and the Immrigation Bill.
Said Palin: “Just like they did with Obamacare, some in Congress intend to ‘Pelosi’ the amnesty bill. They’ll pass it in order to find out what’s in it. And just like the unpopular, unaffordable Obamacare disaster, this pandering, rewarding-the-rule-breakers, still-no-border-security, special-interests-ridden, 24-pound disaster of a bill is not supported by informed Americans.”
If by “Pelosi,” Sarah Palin means pass significant and comprehensive reform that improves the lives of many in an efficient manner, which Nancy Pelosi did as Speaker, then she’s right.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 25, 2013
On the subject of Jack Markell’s tactics, when it comes to state employees, he needs an intervention. Which the House D’s, who have bottled up legislation giving state employees a voice on the…State Employees’ Benefits Committee, seem prepared to offer him. Rather than let SB 21, which would give state employees two seats on the committee, come to a vote, the House has announced a ‘compromise’. Rather than just pass the bill, which I have no doubt would pass, or even let it out of committee, well, let’s let mealy-mouthed Valerie Longhurst spell out the ‘compromise’. Direct from a House of Reps press release:
House Majority Leader Rep. Valerie Longhurst, who chairs the Administration Committee, and Senate Bill 21 sponsor Rep. Larry Mitchell worked with union officials last week to reach a general compromise on the measure and will iron out details of an amendment during the legislative break.
“We know that the unions really want this bill to move forward, but we know there is opposition from the administration too,” said Rep. Longhurst, D-Bear. “There also is a good amount of support within our own caucus for the bill, so I have committed to Rep. Mitchell and the unions that we will work out an agreement during the break and come back in January, get the bill released from committee and put it on the floor for a full House vote.”
Allow moi to translate: “We’re gonna stick with the Governor’s anti-employee approach until we totally have to cave to our members.” I mean, what kind of ‘compromise’ is Governor Walker Markell willing to accept in January that he couldn’t accept today? One member instead of two? He’s already got the votes to outvote state employees on the committee if it comes to that. He simply doesn’t even want them to have a seat at the table. And he’s got Schwartzkopf and Longhurst running interference for him. Even though they’re supposed to lead a caucus that wants this bill.
![Tuesday Daily Delawhere [6.25.13]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7314/9059469716_0ab3bf1655_z.jpg "Tuesday Daily Delawhere [6.25.13]")
Monday Open Thread [6.24.13]
![Monday Open Thread [6.24.13]](http://delawareliberal.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DL.Thumbnail.png "Monday Open Thread [6.24.13]")
I am starting to have some respect for Senator Lindsay Graham, Republican of South Carolina. For it seems to me that he has decided, and has said as much, that he is going to do and say what he thinks is right and damn the radical tea party base of his party that is sure to primary him. He is saying things like this more and more:
“Schumer’s been incredible. He’s a worthy successor to Ted Kennedy, and that’s saying a lot.”
Now, in the neandrathal minds of the tea party, you don’t laud either Chuck Schumer or Ted Kennedy. You dance on the latter’s grave while you dig one for the former. So these comments are not going to go over well.
It’s Amateur Hour for Wilmington City Government — Again
Last Thursday, the Wilmington City Council introduced a bill to make the first amendment to the newly approved City Budget. This new amendment would restore the $300K that was eliminated from the Mayor’s Contingency Fund and adds back $80K for a position in the Finance Department, and:
The amendment also would restore $89,000 to the Human Resources Department and $18,000 to the Planning Department. A $250,000 allocation for an enhanced trash and recycling program will be reappropriated, while $142,000 earmarked for small business development will be reduced to $50,000.
Should the amendment pass, next year’s budget will increase by about $487,000 to $145.6 million and leave Wilmington with a surplus of $108,141.
![Monday Daily Delawhere [6.24.13]](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2830/9057245171_a3459a75e3_z.jpg "Monday Daily Delawhere [6.24.13]")
Sunday Open Thread [6.23.13]
![Sunday Open Thread [6.23.13]](http://delawareliberal.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/def-thumb-240x180.jpg "Sunday Open Thread [6.23.13]")
Bloomberg Businessweek takes a look at the business of private consultants working in the US spy business, by taking a look at Booz Allen. Big Government spending indeed:
Even so, spending can spin way out of control. According to the ODNI, a typical contractor employee costs $207,000 a year, while a government counterpart costs $125,000, including benefits and pension.
![Sunday Daily Delawhere [6.23.13]](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2840/9059470042_1220533100_z.jpg "Sunday Daily Delawhere [6.23.13]")
Saturday Open Thread [6.22.13]
The NYT takes a look at What Else Could a $30 Billion ‘Border Surge’ Buy?
Regardless of where it’s going, $30 billion is a staggering figure. But Republicans want to use the money to almost double the size of an already robust Border Patrol, to 40,000 agents from 21,000. They want to add 700 miles of fencing. And for good measure, they plan to throw in some infrared ground sensors and thermal imaging cameras, along with a fleet of drones.
Given that these are not exactly boom times, recent investment in other projects of major national consequence has been seriously inadequate. Infrastructure spending, for example, is now at its lowest point in 20 years. Excruciatingly expensive trains can barely make their way at anemic paces along the northeast corridor without breaking down, and we’ve all but abandoned talk of expanding to real high-speed trains. In the past month alone two bridges collapsed — in Washington State and Minnesota — and countless others desperately need repairs. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave this country’s bridges a C+ rating for 2013.
QOTW — What to Read This Summer?
QOTW = Question of the Weekend. So it is officially summer and I know some folks will try to catch up on their reading while the world slows down a little. Sometimes the reading is in taking up a challenge (like the Infinite Summer group reading Infinite Jest, or last summer’s OccupyGaddis group) or just moving something long intended to the top of the stack or some new summer blockbuster (there’s a new Dan Brown out) or escaping to some spy or romance world. So do we have any summer readers here?
Acting GOP Chair Nelly Jordan to fire staff if the Chateau Country money doesn’t start rolling in…
Since 2010, if not before, the battle between the old guard state GOP (i.e. the DuPonts, Castle, Copeland, etc). and the upstart downstate social conservatives (O’Donnell, Urquhart, Christopher, etc.) has been a fun one for us Democrats to watch. It kind of reminds us of the little flare up we Democrats had nationally in 2004-2005 (i.e. Howard Dean, 50 State Strategy), although on a much larger scale here in small First State. Any way, here is the background on the latest chapter….
Last month, State GOP Party Chair John Sigler resigned after having be reelected the month before. His resignation turned not on party business or party divisions but instead on conflicts of interest between his private career and his role in the state party. That meant that the newly elected Vice Chair, downstate activist (meaning downstate tea party social conservative activist) Nelly Jordan would ascend to the top spot, for a little while anyway. She would remain Acting Chairman of the Party until a special state convention could be held in 60 days to elect a new state chairman.
Well, it would seem that things are not going that well for Mrs. Jordan during her stewardship of the party. Delaware Liberal has obtained a copy of a letter sent out last night to State GOP Executive Committee members. A copy of the letter is below (I have redacted Mrs. Jordan’s personal contact information). As you can read, it would seem that party fundraising has dried up during her tenure as Acting Chairman and the state party is basically broke as of this moment, and there is the possibility that staff will have to be laid off and offices closed…
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