Kovach via Facebook, Nevermind

I feel very strongly that people deserve the best leadership possible from their elected officials. Providing a choice in that leadership is crucial to having the best representation possible, which…
The Vance Phillips Civil Suit Comes to an End With No Justice for the Woman He Assaulted

The Vance Phillips Civil Suit Comes to an End With No Justice for the Woman He Assaulted

It has been awhile since we heard anything about the lawsuit brought by Katelynn Dunlap against Vance Phillips seeking some accountability for raping her. We talked about this multiple times here at DL, but see here, here, here and here for a good recap.) Updating the story, Ms Dunlap has filed a stipulation of dismissal for the civil action filed against Phillips in Kent County court. This isn't quite the end of the story though. Ms. Dunlap took to the airwaves Wednesday to talk about this and released a statement about her decision to both the media and her Facebook page. This is what she published to Facebook:

Open Thread for Friday, September 30, 2016

Steven Shepard at Politico explains Trump’s terrible week:
For many insiders, Clinton’s good week was driven more by Trump's demeanor and behavior in the days after the debate — which included re-litigating his 19-year-old comments about the then-Miss Universe’s weight gain —as what happened on the stage at Hofstra University. [...] “The debate helped to stop the hemorrhaging in the Clinton campaign's messaging and management when Trump went off-script and went back to the Trump of the primary debates,” said a Wisconsin Republican. “Clinton should send him a thank-you note.” [...] “Any inroads Trump had made with suburban women is now gone after that debate,” said an Ohio Republican. “Also, I have to imagine the African-American community is getting more energized after his birther answer.”

Trump was right to violate the US embargo of Cuba

Henry David Thoreau wrote "Civil Disobedience" in response to his 1846 one night imprisonment for refusing to pay a poll tax that violated his conscience. "Civil Disobedience," became the blueprint for people like Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr and Donald Trump all of whom used principled, non-violence to battle injustice.
Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience then? I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right.
Thoreau's call to stand for what one thinks is right no doubt informed Trump's decision to break the immoral US embargo of Cuba in 1998.
Arson, Murder, Assault Charges for Resident of Wilmington Rowhome

Arson, Murder, Assault Charges for Resident of Wilmington Rowhome

I'll let the Delaware Online story speak for itself, because I know what else to say. This is just so sad all the way around. I know I speak for the entire Delaware Liberal community when I say our condolences, thoughts, and prayers are with the families of Lt. Christopher Leach and Senior Firefighter Jerry Fickes, as our collective hope and encouragement for continued strength and recovery is with Ardythe Hope and Brad Speakman.
Hopefully the Last New Adventures of Old Christine

Hopefully the Last New Adventures of Old Christine

Christine O'Donnell, the Delaware manifestation of the nationwide Tea Bagger Freakout over having a black President in 2010, was found guilty of federal election law violations last week in the case the FEC brought against her for using campaign contributions to pay her rent in her Greenville Place apartment home. The FEC is seeking a $25,000 penalty. Yesterday, in an unofficial capacity (i.e. not an official settlement offer in writing), O'Donnell and her campaign committee offered to settle the matter for $10,000. My back of the envelope reveals the following: Her apartment home was used as an "campaign office" for approximately a year, from early 2010 to March 2011. Her rent was $1410 a month. That is $16,920 for twelve months. She supposedly reimbursed her campaign committee $770 a quarter for the premises, or four payments of $770, or a total of $3080. I don't know the rules here about using a residence as a campaign office, like are the campaign and candidate in her personal capacity supposed to split the rent during the relevant time period? Or if the office space is a residence, is the candidate on the hook for the whole thing? From these questions, the she could owe in terms of rent anywhere between $5,380 (assuming a split in rent between the campaign and O'Donnell minus the $3080) or $13,840 (assuming that the campaign is fully on the hook minus $3080). In other words, I think the $10k offer is reasonable, the government should just take it and be done with her (assuming of course my reasoning and math is correct, and it may not be).
If You Ask Me

If You Ask Me

Interacting with Trump supporters has told me that they are not going to the polls in November to make an informed decision. They're going to make an emotional choice. They hate Hillary. They hate her because she's a woman, because she's white, because she's wealthy, because she's intelligent, because she's stupid, because she makes mistakes, because she thinks she's perfect, because she has secrets, because she's done shady things in the past, because people have died under her leadership, because the Clinton Foundation gives only 10% to charity for every dollar taken in. Because her husband's infidelities are *her* fault. The Republican Party of 2016.
Voter Registration Numbers Up for Dems and Others.

Voter Registration Numbers Up for Dems and Others.

According to the News Journal and the Department of Elections, as of September 1, there are 36,518 more voters registered now than there was on Election Day in 2012.
The number of registered voters on Sept. 1 already has surpassed the 2012 totals, with 671,043 registered voters, according to the Department of Elections. The total in 2012 on Election Day was 634,525.
Of that 36,518 number, 17,408 are new registered Democrats. Republicans only registered 6,000 new voters. And those voters who are either unaffiliated or are "Others" increased by 12,687.
As of Sept. 1, there were 318,991 voters registered as Democrats (compared with a total of 301,583 in 2012) and 188,491 voters registered as Republicans (182,491 in 2012). The number of registered voters under “others” has grown significantly – from 150,874 in 2012 to 163,561.