Archive for November, 2013

Are the State House Republicans About to Flip on the Death Penalty?

Filed in National by Delaware Dem on November 14, 2013 • 5 Comments

The Delaware House Republican Caucus recently posed a question to Facebook page asking whether the House Judiciary Committee should vote to release Senate Bill 19, which repeals the death penalty in Delaware and converts existing death sentences to life in prison without parole, for a vote on the floor by the full House. The Senate has already passed the bill by a razor thin 11-10 margin, and in the House, there was both bipartisan support for and bipartisan opposition to the bill, leading to House Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Rebecca Walker to table the bill. But imagine that! Republicans possibly in favor of allowing votes on the floor on controversial bills. These Delaware House Republicans may have to teach their national counterparts a thing or two.

However, I suspect the motives of the GOP here are not pure.

Thursday Daily Delawhere [11.14.13]

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

BREAKING: Koch Brothers $$’s Behind Caesar Rodney Institute Funding

Filed in Delaware, National by El Somnambulo on November 13, 2013 • 7 Comments

People much cannier than I have been trying to unravel the money trail of the many dummy organizations used by the Koch Brothers to funnel money to propaganda machines.

Thanks to a state-by-state review of the Koch Brothers labyrinthine finances, we now know that the Koch Brothers have been the largest rainmaker for the Caesar Rodney Institute.

UPDATE: The Chip Flowers’ Travel Expenses Data Dump

Filed in Delaware by cassandra_m on November 13, 2013 • 39 Comments

State Treasurer Chip Flowers had his news conference this AM that preceded the release of travel documents from his office. You can see a clip of the news conference at WDEL plus their story. The NJ also has some video and a story. Both stories highlight the apology (from WDEL):

Wednesday Open Thread [11.13.13]

Filed in National by Delaware Dem on November 13, 2013 • 61 Comments

Sarah Palin says she’s disturbed that many of Pope Francis’ pastoral pronouncements have “sounded kind of liberal.” That is only because the new Pope is following Jesus’ example and teachings. Remember Mrs. Palin, Jesus did not hate.

Sarah Palin also says that the federal debt is like slavery. Interesting that she would put it like that, since debt is a prime component of capitalism and our free market economy. Businesses and people use credit and incur debt all the time all over our country to buy homes, to buy inventory for their businesses, to pay their employees, to make improvements to their house, to buy a car, etc. Is she saying that debt in those circumstances is slavery too? She has to be. And I guess that means Sarah Palin opposes capitalism. She is a dirty communist now. Probably happened when she saw Russia from her house.

John Carney, Your teletownhall last night was bullshit

Filed in National by jason330 on November 13, 2013 • 12 Comments

I got some shit for calling Carney a millionaire. Maybe it is technically true that his net worth isn’t a million today, but it will be tomorrow or next week sometime. It is simply inevitable.

What isn’t inevitable is that he become a Tom Carper clone in the house. He represents a solidly blue state and actually seems to have some decency and empathy that Tom Caper is wholly lacking. It is not a given that he have a mediocre career in Congress chasing the affection of fifty or so Klansmen in western Sussex county. […]

Wednesday Daily Delawhere [11.13.13]

Filed in Delaware by Delaware Dem on November 13, 2013 • 0 Comments

O’Keefe At It Again

Filed in National by admin on November 12, 2013 • 8 Comments

The infamous conservative James O’Keefe has now set his sites on Obamacare Navigators with video clips of their allegedly misinforming, or misleading or encouraging abuse of a federal program.

A church for atheists

Filed in National by jason330 on November 12, 2013 • 12 Comments

I always loved Church. The saying “hi” to people. The singing. The occasional thought provoking talk on living a life with meaning. I just couldn’t buy all the God and Jesus stuff. The Sunday Assembly would be perfect for me if I only lived in London or Melbourne or New York.

Why should churchies get to hog all the fun?

The 62 Project: #’s 25 & 37

Filed in Delaware by El Somnambulo on November 12, 2013 • 5 Comments

Mike Mulrooney is a salt-of-the-earth legislator, and I mean that as a compliment. While he doesn’t make splashes as a prime sponsor on much legislation, he is a quietly-effective supporter of (mostly) progressive legislation. He meandered from the fold on one gun bill, but that’s about it.

Rep. Don Blakey is a mild disappointment to me. He is a largely-moderate African-American who could be a bit more like Mike Ramonewithout harming his electoral position, IMHO. Especially within the R House caucus. While he doesn’t vote in lockstep with leadership, he does so far too much to warrant a higher ranking. For example, why would he stand with the obstructionist elements in his caucus in not supporting ‘no-excuses absentee balloting’? There’s, um, no excuse for that. All it does is help disenfranchise many of his constituents, some of whom work at the Dover Air Force Base. Why did he vote against gay marriage? Why does he oppose criminal background checks for private weapons purchases?

Tuesday Open Thread [11.12.13]

Filed in National by Delaware Dem on November 12, 2013 • 11 Comments

We have Sarah Palin talking about her version of healthcare reform, and it sounds very familiar. We have poll results from the first post reelection Christie v. Clinton poll, and the result will be surprising to those living in fear of the bully. We have Senator Tom Harkin bringing the truth about religions and bigotry. And did you now that the U.S. is not actually in debt. Actually, no where close to being in debt. Come inside…

Naked vote counting fraud in Virginia & why downballot races matter

Filed in National by jason330 on November 12, 2013 • 6 Comments

The race to decide Virginia’s next attorney general is still undecided. 3,000 Democratic absentee ballots that were “lost” have been found and now it is down to counting up the provisional ballots. Just in time to preserve Republican Mark Obenshain’s razor thin 100 vote lead, a new wrinkle to provisional ballot counting rules threatens to disenfranchise more Democratic voters.