Tuesday Open Thread [5.19.15]
First Read: “We can count as many as 18 potential GOP presidential candidates… So the questions become: How do you fit them all on one stage in the first debate set for August? Do you leave some out, including current and former governors and senators? Or do you hold two different debates in one night — with nine candidates in one hour, and another nine the next? Those are all questions after an earlier suggestion that Republicans might cap the first debate to nine to 12 participants, which would mean that some prominent names might be excluded. National Journal reports that the Republican National Committee is walking back the talk about a cap.”
American Idol is being cancelled next year. They should just have a singing and dancing competition for the GOP nomination.
It is Primary Election Day in Philadelphia. The current Mayor, Michael Nutter, has served two full terms and is term limited. So with this being an open election, we have several notable candidates: former longtime District Attorney Lynne Abraham, City Councilman Jim Kenney, State Senator Anthony Hardy Williams, former City Solicitor Nelson Diaz and insane crazy man Milton Street (entitled brother of horrible former Mayor John Street). Until recently, this looked like a close contest between ex-City Councilor Jim Kenney and state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams. While labor is heavily backing Kenney, Williams is benefiting from a super PAC funded by wealthy pro-charter school businessmen. However, a recent independent poll gave Kenney a massive 42-15 lead, with former District Attorney Lynn Abraham also at 15, and no one has released any contradictory numbers.
In addition to his labor support, Kenney scored some key endorsements from notable African-American politicians, even though Kenney is white and Williams is black. Indeed, Williams has badly fumbled racial politics, and his biggest blunder came when he called for the dismissal of the city’s very popular police commissioner, Charles Ramsey. Williams tried to attack Ramsey as the architect of Philadelphia’s stop-and-frisk policies, but Ramsey, who is black, has the support of two very prominent African Americans: outgoing Mayor Michael Nutter, who appointed him in the first place, and Barack Obama, who named him chair of a special panel to investigate police reforms in the wake of Ferguson. It would end up being a disastrous move for Williams, and it looks like this primary is Kenney’s to lose, but we’ll find out on Tuesday. Polls close at 8 PM ET.
This is what “really” happens when all out socialism is embraced.
http://healthpolicyandmarket.blogspot.com/2015/04/1-billion-in-federal-tax-dollars-and.html
Jesus H. Christ on a Medicaid card, Rusty. Would you care to look up the satisfaction ratings for private insurance providers?
Not to mention that this isn’t socialism in the first place.
What is socialism besides a slogan for you people?
John Street was so forgetable as mayor of Philly, that I had to jar my memory to recall he actually served two terms. What I have not forgotten is that Milton Street is not just John’s brother, but is “accomplished” in his own right. Milton Street was a powerful Pennsylvania state senator, before he was convicted of federal tax evasion.
Michael Nutter has been an excellent mayor, following in the traditions of Ed Rendell, Joe Clark and Richardson Dilworth. I hope his successor is in that group and not in with Street and Frank Rizzo’s group.
Rusty, if this country really did embrace all out socialism, I have to imagine you would have to kill yourself given the way you have reacted to a midly regulated free market capitalist plan to reform health insurance proposed by the Heritage Foundation in 1993-1994 and enacted into law by a Capitalist Businessman Republican named Mittens Romney in 2006.
I hope Nutter seeks higher office. Governor or Senator. He’s in Rendell’s mold.
And to think, this will pretty much be our acting first lady if her mother wins.
Can anyone recommend a good therapist if that happens?
http://pagesix.com/2015/05/18/chelsea-sends-clinton-foundation-staff-running/
Oh, I almost forgot…..Chelsea was there.
Rufus Y Kneedog wrote:
“I hope Nutter seeks higher office. Governor or Senator. He’s in Rendell’s mold.”
But not in Comcast’s pocket like Fast Eddie.
A meeting where the convenors will actually LISTEN to you:
Special event tonight, Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at 7:00 PM:
Barry Lynn
Executive Director
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
“Separation Anxiety: The First Amendment at Risk”
First Unitarian Church
730 Halstead Road
Wilmington, DE 19803
>John Street was so forgetable as mayor of Philly, that I had to jar my memory to recall he actually served two terms.
That just shows how little time you spent in Philly during the Street administration.
I don’t like John Street or his grifter brother, but you simply cannot deny that John Street’s Neighborhood Transformation Initiative improved the quality of life for Philly residents. Towing away abandoned cars and boarding up or knocking down vacant homes made a huge difference in quality of life for Philly residents.
Rendell did none of this. He focused on Center City ONLY.
But not in Comcast’s pocket like Fast Eddie.
El Som-
Do you remember who bestowed the “Fast Eddie” tag on Rendell? That would be Frank Rizzo Sr.
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
I was living in Philadelphia at the time. From what I recall Rizzo was leading in the polls and most likely would have beaten Rendell if he hadn’t passed on.
Say what you want about Rendell he changed the trajectory of Philadelphia.
@Rufus: Nutter has a thousand times more integrity than Ed Rendell.
FBH Do you really take the New York Post seriously? That could explain a lot.