More ‘Horrible’ From John Carney

More ‘Horrible’ From John Carney

He has truly descended to the depths. Maybe somebody in the Democratic Party will pay attention to his latest outrage. Three days after Christmas, unemployment benefits are scheduled to end for 1.3 million Americans. 166 Democrats have signed a letter to Speaker Boehner demanding that the Honorables not leave for the holidays until long-time UI has been restored. I, uh, think you can guess where this is going.
Meet The Best Health Care, The VA

Meet The Best Health Care, The VA

Yes, the best health care in the USA is the VA. Not private, for profit care but the system owned and run by the people of the United States, via the federal government. Yes, government healthcare that is essentially socialized medicine.
The 62 Project: #’s 23 & 39

The 62 Project: #’s 23 & 39

Bethany Hall Long found herself in the spotlight this session as she was one of the identified 'undecided' votes on gay marriage. At first, she reportedly told confidants that her father would disown her if she voted for the bill. However, the right-wing evangelicals in her district spewed their hatred, and Hall-Long had had enough. She made clear that such intolerance was unacceptable and, along with Sen. Cathy Cloutier, her yes vote made the difference in passing HB 75 in the Senate. She also supported transgender equality later in the session. She voted against putting an end to the death penalty, but voted for the minimum wage increase. Her bill sponsorship is largely focused on health-related bills, which makes sense as she chairs the Senate Health & Social Services Committee. However, her knowledge of the intricacies of these issues enables her to be more than just a sponsor pushing through administrative initiatives. She is often involved in working groups developing consensus best-practices proposals. John Viola was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1998, defeating longtime incumbent and JFC co-chair Rich Davis, 1897-1802.  Davis, a classy guy, said that Viola won because 'he outworked me'. No recriminations, just a tip of the cap on his way out of Dover. Viola has not had serious opposition since, with the R's polling no more than 20.1% in those odd instances when they bothered to muster a challenge at all. The best that you can say about John Viola is that he 'does no harm'. Some people are confirmed bachelors, Viola is a confirmed back-bencher. Nothing especially wrong with that. He's generally a reliable vote for Democratic priorities. He supported gay marriage, transgender equality, payday loans, criminal background checks for gun purchases, and most other positive initiatives. My main issue with Viola is that he is a legislator who benefits from Delaware Way shenanigans.
The venerable Celia Cohen says that Coons, Carney and Biden may well run unopposed

The venerable Celia Cohen says that Coons, Carney and Biden may well run unopposed

Sure there will be some nutbags. And I can't imagine that Charles Lammot DuPont Copeland would be incompetent enough to let this come to pass, but so far nobody is whispering legitimate names into the ear of the Dean of Delaware political bloggers.
In the age of the perpetual campaign, Delaware looks like the place that politics forgot. ... So far it is nothing but a free ride at the top of the ballot for Chris Coons, John Carney and Beau Biden on the Democrats' 2014 statewide ticket, not a Republican opponent or a primary challenger in sight.
Charter Schools To Get City of Wilmington Bond Funding?

Charter Schools To Get City of Wilmington Bond Funding?

Inside we have the proposal that is on the agenda for tomorrow's City Council meeting -- an authorization for the City to help with the financing of the MBNA buildings that are supposed to be converted to Charter Schools. But take a look at this: Charter Schools that the City will have no control of and can't ask for any accountability from are looking for financial help from the City. Even though City residents certainly are paying school taxes already and provide additional funding via the income taxes we pay to the state. Besides, I thought that these schools are meant to operate more cheaply that public schools -- which apparently won't be asked for here, since they are asking for Bond funds from the City to get started.
Tom Carper and Chris Coons are behind recent attacks on Elizabeth Warren

Tom Carper and Chris Coons are behind recent attacks on Elizabeth Warren

Tom Carper and Chris Coons are co-chairs of "The Third Way" , a corporate Democrat's think tank in Washington that has been described as "oligarchy promoters pretending to be reasonable." Aside from Carper and Coons, the leadership of the Third Way is, "made up almost entirely of investment bankers and other Wall Street executives.[5] So it is not surprising that Caper's organization is going all out to undermine and discredit Elizabeth Warren.
Wednesday Open Thread [12.11.13]

Wednesday Open Thread [12.11.13]

Since the Conservative Outrage Machine is in real silly season outrage mode today over the fact that President 1) showed respect and civility by shaking another head of state's hand and 2) did not show respect and civility by posing for a funeral selfie with British Prime Minister David Cameron and the Danish Prime Minister, I feel a detour into music is warranted. I always love these DJ Earworm mashups every year, and inside is his attempt for 2013. My reaction is meh. For some reason the songs don't fit together as well this year. It's a shame too, since this decade (what do we call it, the Teens?) has a very distinctive sound to its pop music, and that is the first time that has happened to music since the 80's. I don't know how to describe the sound, but come inside and listen to some songs and tell me you don't hear it....
Please, Wilmington City Council, Do More Than This!

Please, Wilmington City Council, Do More Than This!

Last night, one more young person was shot and killed in Wilmington. It is one more tragedy in a city that can't really take much more of this. But the other thing that the city really can't take more of is its leadership not facing this issue head on. Last Thursday, the Wilmington City Council passed a resolution asking for the CDC to come to Wilmington to study the causes of violence here.
Tuesday Open Thread [12.10.13]

Tuesday Open Thread [12.10.13]

Alex Seitz-Wald says the Newtown school shootings last year derailed President Obama's second term agenda.
"Suddenly, priority No. 1 wasn't immigration reform but gun control. The base that had just elected Obama was clamoring for background checks and magazine-clip restrictions, threatening to desert the president before his second inauguration... That meant immigration would have to wait. The clock was ticking on both gun control and immigration, but Democrats moved ahead with gun control first, recognizing that as the memory of the tragedy at Sandy Hook faded, so too would the impetus for new laws. The Senate spent months on a bill, which eventually got whittled down to a universal background-check provision, before it finally died at the hands of a Republican filibuster in mid-April." "In the process, the administration fatally, and irrevocably, antagonized the populist libertarian Right, the same people whom mainstream Republicans and Democrats needed to stay on the sidelines for immigration reform to succeed. By engaging in such an emotional, polarizing issue so early on, Obama poisoned the (admittedly shallow) well of goodwill and the willingness to compromise by Republicans before his term even began in earnest."

The American South is a 3rd world hell hole, and they are dragging the rest of the country down with them.

The American south (with some help from trickledown economics) is literally killing this country.
The destruction of labor has been so comprehensive that first-world nations now offshore their jobs to the U.S. In other words, we’ve become the new India. Foreign companies now see us as the world’s cheap labor force, and we have the non-unionized South to thank for that.