Sonia Sotomayor Doesn’t Suffer Fools

On Monday, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor called out the racially insensitive comments of a federal prosecutor. Via TPM, here's what Mr./Ms. "Professional" Prosecutor said:
The prosecutor–whom Sotomayor refused to name–said during cross-examination of a drug conspiracy case: "You've got African-Americans, you've got Hispanics, you've got a bag full of money. Does that tell you–a light bulb doesn't go off in your head and say, This is a drug deal?"
Here's Sotomayor's response:
"It is deeply disappointing to see a representative of the United States resort to this basic tactic more than a decade into the 21st century," Sotomayor said. "We expect the government to seek justice, not fan the flames of fear and prejudice." "I hope never to see a case like this again," Sotomayor concluded.

QOTD — Have You Seen Your Congressional Delegation Weigh In on the Sequester?

Seriously -- the past week (especially this weekend) has send lots of legislators to the airwaves to weigh in on the sequester. Most of the Democrats are out making the case for their plan to replace the sequester. The GOP either: 1) aren't talking; 2) blaming Obama or 3) saying the sequester is no big deal. After a quick Google search and look at each of their websites, none of them has addressed the looming sequester at all.

Why Privatize the Port Now?

The Kinder Morgan proposal to privatize the Port of Wilmington ought to be much in the news this week -- their Bond Bill Hearing is set for 10AM this Wednesday (in Dover) and the Wilmington City Council will conduct a hearing into this action on Thursday 28 February at 5pm in City Council Chambers. I know that the Wilmington hearing will be live streamed online, and I don't know what access we'll have for the Dover hearing other than in person. One of the things I want to point out today, and I'm hoping that decision-makers keep in mind, is that while DEDO was publicly touting an investment partnership to build out the Port, their RFP (released approx 2 months prior to this article) included a privatization option that customers and businesses at the Port did not know until months later. And still, this privatization deal is quite different than from the talking points DEDO was using to promote this deal as an expansion opportunity.

Oscars Sunday Open Thread [2.24.13]

Let's talk about the Oscars! They'll be awarding film awards tonite -- who do you think should or will win tonite? Give us your predictions in the comments or talk about the movies you saw this past year.

Greg Schauer’s ‘Between Books’ To Close

This is depressing. Beyond depressing, really. Between Books, a superb Claymont book/game store that specializes in fantasy, horror, sci-fi, graphic novels, comics and related genres, will soon close. Owner Greg Schauer has lost his lease. Greg Schauer is so much more than a bookstore owner. He is a one-man support system for authors and artists. He is a voracious reader who always has great suggestions for his clients. He holds workshops and readings for writers and would-be writers. He reads manuscripts at no charge and provides incredibly helpful feedback. He actively supports other local businesses. We need people like Greg Schauer.