Monday Open Thread [1.5.15]

Monday Open Thread [1.5.15]

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced on CBS’s Face The Nation that Senate Democrats have enough votes to sustain the widely expected veto that President Obama will issue after Republicans pass a bill authorizing the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
“I think there will be enough Democratic votes to sustain the president’s veto…Our Republican colleagues say that this is a jobs bill but that really is not true at all. By most estimates it would create several thousand temporary construction jobs and only 35 permanent jobs…Why create very few jobs with the dirtiest of energy from tar sands when you can create tens of thousands more clean jobs using wind and solar? Our Republican colleagues are doing what they always do: they’re appeasing a few special interests — in this case oil companies and pipeline companies and not really doing what’s good for the average middle class family in terms of creating jobs.”
I expect Chris Coons to vote no. I expect Tom Carper, the treasonous Republican, to vote yes.

A New Slogan for Delaware

The older "Small Wonder" signs have been replaced with even more generic "Welcome to Delaware, Jack A. Markell, Governor" signs ahead of a new Tourism and Marketing Project that will be revealed today at the Brandywine Creek State Park. What do you think Delaware's new slogan should be? Answer in the comments or take the poll on the front page.
Friday Open Thread [1.2.15]

Friday Open Thread [1.2.15]

Matt Taibbi on the news that the fascist police state loving NYPD has begun a work slowdown/stoppage:
“My first response to this news was confusion. I get why the police are protesting – they’re pissed at Mayor de Blasio, and more on that in a minute – but this sort of ‘protest’ pulls this story out of the standard left-right culture war script it had been following and into surreal territory.” “I don’t know any police officer anywhere who would refuse to arrest a truly dangerous criminal as part of a PBA-led political gambit. So the essence of this protest seems now to be about trying to hit de Blasio where it hurts, i.e. in the budget, without actually endangering the public. So this police protest, unwittingly, is leading to the exposure of the very policies that anger so many different constituencies about modern law-enforcement tactics.”
Indeed.

RIP, Mario Cuomo

As you've likely heard, 3 time governor of NY Mario Cuomo died yesterday. Cuomo was one of the best voices for progressive politics in my lifetime, and a frustrating leader who couldn't seem to commit to leading the charge to implement those politics -- turning down opportunities to run for President and to be on the Supreme Court. Still, he was a brilliant speaker, providing some of the best defenses and descriptions of liberal politics ever:

Happy New Year!!

I hope everyone had a safe yet enjoyable evening last night. And now a New Year begins, and I am very optimistic about this year. On a personal and politic level, I have a feeling that this year will be a very good one. Use this as an Open Thread. I will be posting pictures of the Middletown Hummers Parade later, especially the politically themed hummers (and that doesn't sound clean to me).