Wednesday Open Thread [12.4.13]
Four candidates applied to be considered by Governor Markell for the vacant Chief Justiceship. The way the process works, qualified candidates apply for the job, and the Delaware Judicial Nomination Commission then reviews the applications and submits three qualified candidates to the Governor for his decision. In this case, however, the Commission is sending all four candidates through to the Governor: Supreme Court Justice Carolyn Berger, Superior Court Judge Jan Jurden, Court of Chancery Chancellor Leo Strine Jr. and Superior Court President Judge James T. Vaughn Jr.
My money is on Berger or Jurden. Remember the Markell Rule: you go left socially so they don’t realize you’re being screwed economically and educationally. Markell will appoint the state’s first female Chief Justice so as to burnish his progressive credentials in that department.
Polly Sierer was officially sworn in as Newark’s new mayor last night in City Council Chambers. I admit that that I did not follow Newark’s election very closely, since I do not live in Newark and it was a non partisan election focused on local issues. Indeed, I did not have to cover it since Nancy Willing at the Delaware Way did a fantastic job doing so, as she always does on local New Castle County matters. But the election took a turn to the interesting yesterday:
Roe and a small group of residents sought to delay the swearing in over questions that had regarding an outside advocacy group’s activities and confusion regarding polling place information.
Nancy has more. Kavips has much more on what he calls a power grab.
The election law is very clear and is designed to prevent an outside group with lots of money from dominating and one-siding an election before anyone has any idea it is being done…
This law was put in place for the protection of the majority of a municipality’s citizens. It has been a long standing tradition grounded in Delaware election law, that every candidate, PAC, or group trying to influence an election file finance reports. The first deadline is 30 days. The second one is 8 days. Then the final one gets filed at the end of the year.
There was still a window under old law, where a person could spend from the 7th day onward, and the election would be over two months old before any accountability would be mustered. One could then see that one’s official was not the real choice of the people, but perhaps the choice of someone willing to put up a lot of money…
That window was closed by Tony DeLuca last year. After the 7th day, every large expenditure has to be reported in 24 hours… thereby giving the public decent time to acknowledge its influence and use that as part of the electioneering decision.
Polly’s campaign spent $5000 on winning the election. The PAC spent $45,000… That is a big expenditure. Nine times what any other candidate spent.
The PAC did not acknowledge its existence until 14 minutes before the Election Office closed on the eve of the election….
If it smells like fish, it can be called fishy.
If Facebook is any indication, supporters of Roe are now looking for blame targets. So instead of trying to learn some organizing or electoral lessons, we have the pointing of fingers and the naming of enemies. Typical.
Amazon reviews of an 85″ Samsung TV. LOL — and definitely go read soon before they take them down!
How does an 85 inch TV cost 44k? In what world?
Those reviews are hilarious.
My favorite is
“My wife and I bought this TV after selling our daughter into white slavery.”
I love the guy who bought the TV to run his Atari 2600.
Just saw that Chris Mathews will be interviewing President Obama tomorrow. NBC is advertising that Obama will be answering some tough questions…….I’m still laughing.
What Obama is doing to the stock market is a supply side (trickle down) economics advocate’s wet dream….. and then he makes a speech today about income inequality……. I’m confused.
FBH-
Please explain exactly what Obama is doing to the stock market. I can’t wait to hear this one.
Stop that, LeBay. You know FBH can’t handle the tough questions.
FBH can’t handle ANYTHING that questions his preconceived notions.
I think Newarkers have every reason to be very worried about what happened in our local election. PAC’s formed to throw money at local candidates and claim they are “issues” PAC’s? Bad precedent, if you ask me. And, a PAC formed by Vince D’Anna? Anything, and I mean anything that Vince D’Anna is involved in reeks of shadiness.
I don’t know D’Anna. He might be the best person who has ever graced the earth in DE.
But Linda’s comment made me nearly piss myself.
Perhaps Vince needs to stop using the clown mirror when he’s engaging in self-reflection. Same goes for both elected Bidens.
“One could then see that one’s official was not the real choice of the people, but perhaps the choice of someone willing to put up a lot of money…”
Really? Money votes now? Because last time I checked it was people who vote, not dollars. If you don’t believe me, just ask Sen. Christine O’Donnell.
The election was lost by opponents of the power plant because the councilman decided to run, bringing the anti-plant faction to six candidates versus a single candidate for the proponents. Full stop.
Your standards are slipping if you quote kavips for anything other than laughs.
FBH-
“Please explain exactly what Obama is doing to the stock market. I can’t wait to hear this one.”
You’ve heard of the Fed’s 85 billion per month bond buying program I assume, or maybe you think that the administration has nothing to do with that policy, or could it be that you don’t think Obama is actually running his own administration. Which is it, LeBay?
Cat got your tongue?