Archive for May, 2016
Architects of disastrous Iraq War still at large
Above this story about a British Inquiry into the Iraq war, this headline grabbed my attention.
Architects of disastrous Iraq War still at large
Tuesday Open Thread [5.17.16]
![Tuesday Open Thread [5.17.16]](http://delawareliberal.net//wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Divider.png "Tuesday Open Thread [5.17.16]")
Donald Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns could be seen as a process issue, perhaps even a vetting question so important that it’s “disqualifying,” as Mitt Romney has called it. But perhaps it could be something more than that. It might be the thin end of the wedge that opens up a powerful theme against the self-professed billionaire: that Trump is a total fraud.
Trump has repeatedly refused to publish his tax returns, and repeatedly lied about his intention to do so. He promised five years ago to release his returns when President Obama released his birth certificate, and reneged. He promised to release them in February 2015; again promised to do so last fall and then in January, then backed off on the grounds that he was under an IRS audit, an argument tax experts have unanimously dismissed as nonsensical. Now he insists there’s “nothing to learn from them.”
As many financial reporters have speculated over the years, based on whatever fragmentary information Trump has provided, he almost certainly has far less money than he claims. A reporter who has dug into the question estimates Trump’s actual worth at $150–250 million; Trump claims to be worth $10 billion, which is at least 40 times the journalist’s estimate. The reality of Trump’s business career is that he is not so much a great businessman but somebody who has figured out how to make money by convincing people that he is one. […] The particulars of his day-to-day message, to the extent he has one, barely matter. His entire appeal rests on the bedrock of his identity as a successful entrepreneur. The vast wealth Trump claims to have amassed allows him to supposedly fund his own campaign, escaping the influence of fundraisers who control his opponents. His alleged deal-making skill explains why he will be able to improve every trade deal, solve every legislative impasse, and finesse every diplomatic conflict. Trump’s endlessly repeated proposition is that he will take the skills that made him so rich and generously use them to make the country rich. Without that, he’s just a dumber version of Pat Buchanan.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., May 17, 2016
I’m back from Oregon, and I see that I didn’t miss much.
The General Assembly is currently in collective thumbs-twiddling mode. I now understand why they took a week off recently. It’s not like they have nothing to address (like minimum wage), it’s just that they’ve chosen not to address much of consequence. Cowardice in an election year, who’dathunkit?
Can we just talk about minimum wage? Please? While places across the country are passing $15 an hour minimum, idiot/legislators like Andria Bennett and Quin Johnson turn up their noses at a far less ambitious proposal by accepting Chamber talking points w/o even looking on their own at how higher minimum wages have impacted communities that have implemented them. Plus, if one of them should ‘falter’ and eventually go against the Chamber, there is always the no-longer-running-for-Congress business lackey Bryon Short waiting to deep-six the proposal. When it comes to minimum wage, Delawareans did better when the R’s controlled the House than they do now.
As to the notion of raising taxes on Delaware’s wealthiest, I wrote about this last year. If it wasn’t even gonna be considered in an off-year (thanks, Pete), it certainly isn’t gonna be passed in an election year. The General Assembly made the decision to give more to the 1%, hence the corporate bailouts that were rushed through in January. More and better Democrats are few and far between in Dover.
The State of the Statewides – with Early Predictions
Governor Democrats – John Carney. This is a snooze. Carney has been the consummate company man. His reward is this cakewalk election. So he’ll be the next up to “keep Delaware competitive” by cutting taxes and basically doing whatever the Chamber of commerce tells him to do. Republicans – Colin Bonini, Lacey Lafferty. Less boring […]
Brandywine’s Referenda: Take 2
So what’s all this mean? When a District goes out for an operating referendum they’re not going out because the Superintendent wants a raise or because they want gilded flatware in their cafeterias. They’re going out because they can’t keep paying for everything they currently have without more revenue -or- getting rid of existing staff and programs. The only way Districts get more operating revenue in Delaware is by asking residents to raise their own property taxes. Take a look at Christina this year and what changes we had to make because we failed twice to pass an operating referendum last year. Class sizes pushing 40, no librarians in our high schools, scaled back guidance services, no after-school transportation for extracurriculars, most extracurriculars cut. This will be a reality for BSD next year without passage tomorrow. Slashing $8 million out of an operating budget will pretty much decimate the same things.
To the Haters.
To all who want us to address the McDole shooting and the Howard beating: I know very little about it, and to the extent that I do know about it, I do not have a political opinion on it yet. I will check into it over the next few days, and if I am inspired to write about it, I will. But I won’t make any promise that I or any one here will.
I am not paid to do this. In fact, I pay to do this. This may sound kinda of crass, but this is my hobby. Politics. Local Politics. National Politics. When I get time to read and write, I do. As such, things that interest me, and that I have a political opinion about, are what I tend to write about. I don’t know how to write about the beating of a teenager to death in a high school bathroom.
This is not the News Journal or WDEL where we report the news and then analyze the news. I focus on politics, both Delaware and National. It is true, we have focused too much lately on national politics and the presidential race. Behind the scenes last week, I began to switch that national focus back to local by researching and writing up the Vote Tracker piece. El Som has his Pre Game Post Game General Assembly posts coming back this week. I am going to be writing more on the Congressional race, and I have a new entry coming tomorrow or Tuesday on who is running for each General Assembly seat.
But I and we cannot cover everything you want. So, I do want you to encourage any and all of you to submit guest posts on the topics you want to see covered. Email me at DelawareDem@delawareliberal.net. And I your writing is good, hell, we may just keep you around.
A Longhurst Always Pays Her Debts
I have heard that Valerie Longhurst was a little perturbed by Sean Barney taking some credit for passing the background check bill when he was in the Markell Administration. Apparently she warned Barney months ago to stop taking credit for gun safety legislation since allegedly he had no hand it helping get it passed. He didn’t listen. So now this:
Monday Open Thread [5.16.16]
![Monday Open Thread [5.16.16]](http://delawareliberal.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Red.Open_.Thread-240x180.png "Monday Open Thread [5.16.16]")
“Hillary Clinton is considering a running mate who could make a direct appeal to supporters of Bernie Sanders, bridging a generational and political divide,” USA Today reports.
“Clinton’s chief requirements include a candidate’s resume and a fighter capable of hand-to-hand combat with Trump. The campaign’s vetting also prioritizes demographics over someone from a key swing state as she seeks to unify the Democratic voting base, said the individuals coordinating with the campaign, who were not authorized to speak on the record about early deliberations.”
On that note, Warren’s audition for the job has been noticed by Hillary. Huffington Post: “One close Clinton confidant said that she and her aides were ‘thrilled to see Warren get under his skin.’ Another senior Clinton adviser, who is advocating internally for Warren as a vice presidential pick, said the senator has ‘very influential people in the campaign pushing for her.’” Said one longtime Clinton veteran: “You want a running mate who can take the fight to the other side with relish. Geography does not matter, but attitude and talent and energy and bringing excitement to the campaign, Senator Warren does all that.”
“The attributes that Warren would bring to the VP slot extend beyond vigorous mocking of Trump. Top Democrats increasingly see a dual-female ticket as a potent response to a GOP nominee with a well-documented past of sexist remarks.”
Clinton-Warren 2016!!!
2016 Vote Tracker: Still Waiting on that Minimum Wage Increase
The General Assembly spent a couple of hours, literally, at the start of the year giving corporate Delaware a massive tax break in passing House Bill 235, the Luntzly named Delaware Competes Act. But the state’s minimum wage workers still await their raise.
The Vote Tracker is back after a break. We are tracking bills that have some progressive or anti-progressive import. So, in other words, bills that we want to see passed or do not want to see passed. We don’t track all bills filed in the General Assembly.
Did GOP Moderates Just Become Relevant?
Stephen Greenberg, a Democratic pollster and author of American Ascendant, writes, “Moderate Republicans will have the last word in this dramatic presidential election year.” Greenberg believes that moderates make up 31% of Republican party.
Recent Comments