Wednesday Open Thread [2.18.15]

In his article, "How Democratic Progressives Survived a Landslide: They ran against Wall Street and carried the white working class. The Democrats who shunned populism got clobbered," Bob Moser echos Jason330 that "mushy moderation has failed to convert many Republicans or Republican-leaning independents, even as it gives Democratic-leaners nothing special to get excited about." In short, either embrace your inner progressive, fight for Democratic ideals, or retire.
Game of Thrones, Episode Four: A Short Challenge?

Game of Thrones, Episode Four: A Short Challenge?

I know Representative Bryon Short wants to run for higher office. He told us so back in December, and then his focus was on the office of 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. In his capacity as chair of the House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance/Commerce Committee, Short has been particularly active in addressing problems with Delaware’s Workmen’s Comp laws.
Since then, he has expanded his scope beyond the Insurance Commissioner's office to that of Congress or Lt. Governor. Such an expansion of focus most likely is the result being threatened by higher up party powers-that-be to lay off Karen Weldin Stewart, the incumbent Insurance Commissioner and luckiest office holder in the mid-Atlantic. To which I say, fuck them, Bryon. Run anyway!
Guess Who Pocketed ALL Of Delaware’s Income Growth During the Recovery?

Guess Who Pocketed ALL Of Delaware’s Income Growth During the Recovery?

Inexplicably buried at the bottom of page A-3 of the News-Journal's dead tree edition is one of the most important stories of the year. This Jonathan Starkey story tells us the following:
Delaware's wealthiest residents hoarded all of the income gains as the state recovered from the recession, according to a study from the Economic Policy Institute that provided yet more evidence of an imbalanced economic recovery. From 2009 to 2012, the top 1 percent of Delaware earners saw income growth of 15 percent. The bottom 99 percent? Their incomes fell 1.6 percent. The study was based on Internal Revenue Service data of adjusted gross income.
Got that? Yet Jack Markell opposes a decent living wage and opposes restoring progressivity to the tax code. The policies he put into effect during the so-called 'recovery' led to more, not less, inequity in income growth. Actually, you can't call it income growth for the 99% who saw their income shrink by 1.6%. This is obscene.
Game of Thrones, Episode Three: The Understudies for the Role of Understudy

Game of Thrones, Episode Three: The Understudies for the Role of Understudy

From Top to Bottom, Left to Right, New Castle County Council President Chris Bullock (D), 2014 Democratic Treasurer Nominee Sean Barney (D), Senator Brian Pettyjohn (R-19th SD), former Sussex County Register of Wills Greg Fuller, Sr. (D), Senator Bryan Townsend (D-11th SD), Senator Bethany Hall Long (D-10th SD), Senator Ernesto Lopez (R-6th SD); Kent County Levy Court Commissioner Brad Eady (D), Senator Gerald Hocker (R-20th SD), Senator Nicole Poore (D-12th SD), Representative Quinn Johnson (D-8th RD), and Representative Jeff Spiegelman (R-11th RD). The office of Lt. Governor is so unimportant, with no imperative and necessary duties assigned to it, that it can, and will, remain vacant until January 20, 2017. When former Lt. Governor Matt Denn resigned to be sworn in as Attorney General, there was some talk about passing a new law to address the vacancy (to allow the Governor to appoint a replacement or to allow a special election), but that talk has died down, and the likely scenario is that Secretary of State Jeff Bullock will remain next in line to the Governorship until one of the people above is sworn in. Yet, this office is a platform is for future ambition. You don't run for Lt. Governor so you can just preside over the Senate and cast tie breaking votes. You run to advance issues and make a name for yourself, usually for a future race for Governor. Come inside to find out whom I think is running.
Three-Peat Joe?

Three-Peat Joe?

Imagine Joe Biden becoming Vice President for Life? Okay, not for life, but how about a third term?