Archive for September, 2013
What can we drop (other than bombs) on Syrian weddings and funerals?
The Syria talks seems to assume that bombing or turning a blind eye to atrocities are our only two choices. That, obviously, isn’t true.
The best interim solution could be a UN-monitored ceasefire as briefly occurred under the Kofi Annan plan in 2012. All sides are dependent on outside backers, and even those who most want to fight need weapons, ammunition and money. Heavy pressure could be put on them to agree to a peace conference and a temporary ceasefire.
This would be a Lebanese-style truce – unsatisfactory but better than full-scale war. A peace conference on this basis could be the political and diplomatic counterpart to the limited US military strike President Obama is contemplating. In practice there has been a stalemate in most of Syria for the last year. If the Syrian army did use poison gas, it shows it does not have the strength to retake even the inner rebel-held suburbs of Damascus. It is better therefore for the battle lines to be frozen under some form of UN supervision. Long-term solutions will only begin to be feasible when Syrians are no longer at the mercy of what Northern Ireland politicians used to call “the politics of the last atrocity”.
Polling Report: Lt Governor
Absent anyone saying that they actually want to be Delaware’s next Lt Governor, “Other” (14%) had a pretty good showing in spite of a fairly long list of choices. (Nicole Poore in the house!)
Flowers (D) 31% appears to be Mr. Inevitable in the view of DL readers. Peterson (14%) and Biden (11%) round out the Dems top three. (Who thinks Biden is eyeing the Lt. Gov epaullets? Not me.)
The R’s historcally shallow bench (thanks again Christine O.!) forces Copeland (4%) to the top of the GOPeeps. Bonini (3%) Protack (2%) and Lawson (1%) all fail to come in last.
IRS declares married people are married
I’m going to call this ruling the “GO F-Yourself Alabama!” rule.
IRS Announces “State of Celebration” Rule to Determine Validity of Same-Sex Marriages for Federal Tax Purposes
As a follow-up to the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent DOMA decision requiring that same-sex marriages be treated like opposite sex marriages for purposes of federal laws, the Internal Revenue Service will apply a “state of celebration” rule for purposes of determining whether a couple is married. Same-sex couples legally married in jurisdictions that recognize their marriages will be treated as married for federal tax purposes[.]
Carper, Coons & Carney voice unequivocal support for Obama
It was refreshing to read of our congressional delegation’s open and unhedged support for the President in this morning’s News Journal. In the interest of balance, Delaware’s bipartisan-to-a-fault DC delegation usually finds something to like about the GOP’s spin on every issue. On NOT rushing to bomb Syria, however, there is uniform agreement. Obama is right. This is a Democracy. Let’s have a vote.
Obviously recent history supports the President’s decision to be wary of the intelligence and to wait for (even this worst ever) Congress to return to DC and do their jobs to debating the nation’s affairs. But that doesn’t stop the GOP from taking the contrary position for the hell of it.
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