Delaware General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 22, 2016

Delaware General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 22, 2016

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Something rare: An important bill passes and goes to the Governor.  And the sponsors threaded the needle with this one. HB 325 (Osienski), which ends the ridiculous practice of automatically granting a gun permit if a criminal background check cannot be completed in three (!) days, barely passed the Senate with a Senate Amendment, and barely passed the House for a second time.  It now goes to the Governor.  For some reason, the bleeping legislative information system no longer enables me to provide a direct link to the roll calls.  So let me point out that, in the Senate, one R voted for the bill (Cloutier) and one D voted against the bill (Ennis).  In the House, not a single R voted for the bill, and the following D's (remember their names) voted against the bill:  Andria Bennett, Lumpy Carson, Mike Mulrooney, and Trey Paradee. Oh, and yet another important bill heads to the Governor.  SS1/SB 163 (Peterson) removes the requirement that those convicted of three non-violent felonies ('Three Strikes and You're Out') automatically be sentenced to life in prison.  Several R's voted yes during yesterday's House vote, and I salute them:  Hensley, Miro, Ramone, D. Short, and Yearick.  Only one D voted no: Lumpy Carson. Oh, and one notable bill was defeated or, more accurately, didn't achieve a 2/3 supermajority vote. SB 262 (Townsend)  would have created a regulatory framework for the Uber and Lyft networks, among others. Specifically, the bill would seek  'to ensure the safety, reliability and cost-effectiveness of rides provided by Transportation Network Company Drivers within the State of Delaware and to preserve and enhance access to these important transportation options for residents and visitors to the State.'  The bill had 13 yes (the 12 D's plus Cloutier) and 8 no. One vote short of a 2/3 majority. Guess which side is getting those campaign contributions.

Wednesday Open Thread [6.22.16]

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Regarding the American Chapter of ISIS's (otherwise known as Senate Republicans) refusal to pass common sense gun safety laws yesterday, USA Today pens a scathing editorial on the Senate’s inaction:
[I]n an extraordinary act of cowardice on Monday evening, 56 senators — 53 Republicans joined by three Democrats — threw away yet another opportunity to keep guns out of the hands of more felons, fugitives, the mentally ill or people prone to domestic violence. These spineless lawmakers voted against advancing a commonsense measure to expand background checks to virtually all sales of guns, not just those sold by federally licensed dealers. The existing gap allows buyers who purchase from private sellers at gun shows, online or from newspaper ads to simply avoid the federal background check system. [...] Those who want to prevent future mass killings apparently will need to look outside Congress for help. Monday’s votes showed, once again, that too many members are too cowed by the gun lobby to take the actions necessary to save lives.

Wednesday Daily Delawho [6.22.16]

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Tuesday Open Thread [6.21.16]

Tuesday Open Thread [6.21.16]

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There is this story in Politico that just has to be a set up. Apparently, anonymous Wall Street donors have told Hillary Clinton that she can either have their cash or she can have Elizabeth Warren, but not both. LOL. Ed Kilgore sniffs out what is going on:
If the Clinton campaign decided to plant a story to amplify the credibility-enhancing potential of a Warren pick to grieving Sandernistas, this is pretty much how it would read: The dozens of big-money donors all insisted on anonymity because “they feared Warren’s wrath”; they warn that a Vice-President Warren could jeopardize a deal on their preferred version of corporate tax “reform”; they suggest Warren doesn’t feel “comfortable spending time with the rich people you need to raise money from"; and they say there is a “chance for much better relations between business and the White House than during President Barack Obama’s tenure” — a tenure that was so unfriendly to business, it featured the bailout of the financial sector, a “free trade” agreement that actually offers trade protection to well-connected American industries, and a cabinet staffed with no small number of former Wall Street executives — but not if Warren is in the White House serving as the wet-blanket-in-chief.
The set up is that Wall Street says don't pick Warren and then Hillary says Screw You, I'm Picking Warren. There is no better way to prove her independence from Wall Street to Sanders supporters. In my mind, there is no way this story from Politico is not directly from the Clinton campaign. And to me it signals that Warren is definitely the VP pick.

Tuesday Daily Delawho [6.21.16]

So I am going to try out something different. Instead of Delawarean landscapes and landmarks, from now until the election, we will feature photos from the social media pages of Delaware's politicians. Hopefully these photos will be of them out and about at the various festivals and events this summer. Yes, I will even feature Republicans, because it is good to know what your opponent looks like at least.

Monday Open Thread, June 20, 2016

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Peter Bloom at Common Dreams says that What Progressives and Democrats Need is Coalition Not Unity:
While the media has called the Democratic race all but over, the supporters of Sanders are faced with a difficult decision. The mainstream opinion is for them to simply surrender to the “inevitability” of Clinton’s victory and embrace her as a candidate to unify the Democratic Party. However, for many progressives this option is both ethically and tactically problematic—forcing them into a familiar territory of voting for the “lesser of two evils.” Instead they have sought to send a distinct message to the status quo by proclaiming themselves “Bernie or Bust.” Sanders, for his part, is far from willing to go away quietly. While he admits that defeating Trump must be priority number one, he has vowed to continue his revolution to transform the Democratic Party and the country. The immediate goal is to amass enough delegates and momentum to progressively influence the Party’s present platform and future direction. However, is there an alternative option beyond the opposing poles of unity or bust? Is there a way for progressives to find a compromise with the Democratic Party without becoming compromised? The answer may be to fight for a coalition between progressives and the Democratic Party.
Well, in any realistic rather than fantastical view of our system of government and elections, the choice is binary. You either vote for Clinton, or you, whether directly or indirectly, vote for Trump. So I am not sure what Peter Bloom is talking about here. Further, the Democratic Party has always been a coalition of multiple groups that agree to come together to vote for a single Presidential candidate. There are trade unions, environmentalists, teachers, African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, liberals, moderates, progressives, etc., etc. The compromising he speaks of happens all the time: trading votes for President for policies. It will happen again in the crafting of the platform. The Democratic Platform will be the most progressive major party platform in all history.

Saturday Open Thread, June 18, 2016

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Politico: “By reserving time in key swing states — at least Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia — the Clinton camp is sending an unmistakable message to the presumptive GOP nominee that it intends to press into traditionally Republican territory without spending too much time worrying about defending traditionally Democratic destinations where Trump insists he will compete, said a handful of high-level Democrats close to the Clinton effort.”

The Weekly Addresses

In this week's address, President Obama reflected on his visit with the families of the victims of the Orlando terrorist attack. In his weekly message, Governor Markell remembers the victims of the shooting in Orlando and recognizes we have more work to do to ensure the freedom, dignity and safety of all people.