Now Accepting Nominations for 2014 MVP (Most Valuable to the Progressive Cause) Awards…

Now Accepting Nominations for 2014 MVP (Most Valuable to the Progressive Cause) Awards…

Every year, I recognize those who were most valuable to the progressive cause in Delaware. The nominees can be progressives, but they don't have to be. In fact, they can be members of the Forces of Evil who unwittingly advanced the progressive cause. They can be elected officials, appointed officials, candidates, or any member of the general public. Maybe even a group as opposed to an individual. Knock yourselves out. I am putting together this year's list, and I need your help (but then, you already knew that). Deadline is Friday, December 12 at 11:59 p.m. Please don't just provide names, but rather, tell us how they advanced the progressive cause in 2014. You are now officially on the clock. Whaddayagot?
DL Exclusive: Rep. Bryon Short Considering Run for State Insurance Commissioner

DL Exclusive: Rep. Bryon Short Considering Run for State Insurance Commissioner

State Rep. Bryon Short (D-Highland Woods) today told Delaware Liberal that he is considering a run for State Insurance Commissioner. While he has not made a decision on the race, he told me that it's important that the IC's office does an effective job of 'setting the marketplace' to ensure competition and consumer choices, and to 'effectively address the concerns and problems facing consumers'. He also said that the work of the office 'is very important,  but unfortunately people aren't made aware as to just how important it is, and how it impacts them'. Short has attended the last two NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners) meetings in order to  extend his knowledge for both his House committee work and to possibly prepare for a statewide run.
Tuesday Open Thread [12.2.14]

Tuesday Open Thread [12.2.14]

E. J. Dionne, Jr.: "Now, it will be a Republican Congress vs. a Democratic president. Voters will have a much easier time seeing who stands for what...Obama and progressives should spend the next two years accomplishing as many useful things as they can, blocking regressive actions by Congress, and clarifying the choices facing the nation's voters. And they'll get much further by doing all three at once."
The 62 Project: Not Better Late Than Never. But It’s Finished. Just In Time To Change It.

The 62 Project: Not Better Late Than Never. But It’s Finished. Just In Time To Change It.

I was planning to finish this in time for...well, some time before now. However, sloth and other events intervened. So here we have it, 1-62, for each and every member of the 147th Delaware General Assembly, based on their careers, not just the past session. For those I previously profiled, you can click on the links. For the rest, the floor is open for questions and vitriol. 1. Sen. Karen Peterson: A fierce negotiator/advocate who successfully leverages her bargaining power to pass progressive legislation. Imagine that. Accruing power not for personal ambition, but to pass a progressive agenda. An easy choice for #1. 2. Rep. Mike Barbieri: Quietly does outstanding work on kids' issues, and has helped turn back the neanderthal mandatory sentencing excesses of the Sharp/Smith/Vaughn/Brady years. He's impressed me from Day 1. A thinker and a doer. We need more social workers in the General Assembly. 3. Sen. Bob Marshall: Has gotten better and more effective as he's gotten older. He serves as perhaps the leading Democrat from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party in challenging Jack Markell's DINO-ism. He's got at least one more minimum wage increase in him. 4. Rep. Melanie George Smith: Her work, along with Barbieri and others, on sentencing reform, was legislating at its best.  It wasn't easy, it required a tremendous attention to detail, plus political smarts. Forget her political roots, focus on her legislative skills. 5. Sen. Dave Sokola: Anyone who thinks it was easy for a legislator from the Pike Creek/Hockessin area to support progressive reform wasn't around when he got elected. That's what he did and that's what he does. And, while he gets criticism from some of our education people, he stood up to the 'forced busing' bashers, including his own Pro-Tem, Tom Sharp.  His sponsorship of civil unions reflects the kind of person he is.
Bob Stachnik, Delaware’s quiet lion of liberalism

Bob Stachnik, Delaware’s quiet lion of liberalism

Robert V. Stachnik, age 67, of Newark, DE, passed away on November 29, 2014. Bob was a founding member of the Howard Dean meetup in Newark. A member of the original core of 8 to 10, Bob saw early on that the Dean campaign was about more than simply promoting Howard Dean for the Democratic nomination. It was about reinvigorating and refocusing a political party around a simple ideal; that being a Democrat means you look out for the little guy. Later a founding member of Progressive Democrats for Delaware, Bob provided quiet but determined leadership as we attempted to get the Delaware Democratic Party to try and claw back some of its historic identity. This blog, in fact, is a testament to, and artifact of his leadership style. As the Dean campaign built momentum and the meetups grew from week to week, Bob spread the word, "If you have an idea, do it." We all did whatever suited our personalities and as spastic, loud and obnoxious as I was (am), Bob was diplomatic and calm. You could even say that he was thoughtful, scientific and plodding to a fault at times. I once made fun of him at a meeting by putting together a parody power point presentation called. "What to Have for Dinner." The comic pretense was that he used no fewer than 30 slides to convince his wife that roasted chicken and green beans would be a good choice for dinner. It was fun. Changing the Democratic Party seemed possible back then. We were insurgents. Now we are all scattered a bit. Demoralized, no doubt, by these times and this untimely loss. I miss him. His kind nature and full on nerdyness. I don't know now what I can do to honor this man whose loss will be felt by people who never knew him or never knew he ever lived. I'll have to think of something though.
Clueless Carper Courts Cajun Country Corpse

Clueless Carper Courts Cajun Country Corpse

What stupid shit did Senator for Life, Tom Carper, say today? Well, while campaigning for "dead woman walking" Mary Landrieu, a fake Republican about to lose to a real Republican, Carper said that he still expects his show of bipartisanship to be "reciprocated" by grateful Republicans. Also, the Keystone Pipeline is still the root cause of all DC dysfunction (in-case you were wondering).
Coming Tuesday: The Entire 62 Project Unveiled.

Coming Tuesday: The Entire 62 Project Unveiled.

The Bataan Death March of projects reaches its ultimate destination tomorrow. Both here on DL and on the Al Mascitti Show beginning at 10 am. You can listen right here. The entire 147th General Assembly legislative roster ranked from 1-62, based on legislators' careers, not just the past couple of months. I think the project got bogged down b/c, although it's really easy to write about the best legislators, the worst legislators, and the most eccentric legislators, there was a group of legislators ranked somewhere between 40 and 50 who were not particularly interesting to me. Legislators who were just there. I lost my mojo. Finally got my mojo workin' last weekend. Anyway, once the list is posted, I'll tweak the list before the start of the 148th to account for injustices, new info, and, of course, to address both the departed and the newcomers. Since the list is completed and will not change before tomorrow, feel free to predict your #1 and #62.
With All Eyes On Ferguson, Oil Gushes In The Caliph

With All Eyes On Ferguson, Oil Gushes In The Caliph

Reports from such sources as Pepe Escobar, Asian Times, tell us that the new Caliph is raking in $2million a day from their stolen refineries in Syria and Iraq. The bucks are being generated still on an oil black market run mostly from our ally Turkey.
We’re Back

We’re Back

Apologies to our loyal readers for the break we took over the past Thanksgiving week. Personally I had five days of real work packed into two and a half days, then we had thirty family members to visit and two Thanksgivings meals to attend and leaves to rake and Christmas decorations to put up and roofs to climb and lights to hang. Come to think of it, I need another week off. So since you did not have an Open Thread for some time, have this one....