Gov. Carney’s budget is only a starting point for the Generous Assembly, and Sneaky Pete Schwartzkopf already is making noises about wanting more money to give away as grants-in-aid. An old Leg Hall reporter once told me that there’s more fighting in Dover when there’s too much money than there is when there’s not enough, so this could be a lively legislative session.
Dover Downs wants more money, too — when does it not? — and to that end massaged its books again this year to claim it lost $1 million in 2017. Given all the supposedly business-savvy lawmakers in Dover, you’d think one of them would eventually get suspicious about a company that manages to finish every fiscal year right around the break-even point but never actually rearranges its affairs, just begs for the state’s help every year.
The big national news was broken last night by the New York Times, which reported that Trump moved to fire Mueller back in June, but didn’t because lawyer Don McGahn said he’d resign rather than carry out the order. This led to some embarrassment for America’s Biggest Gaping Asshole, Sean Hannity, who was duly mocked by former Trump fluffer Joe Scarborough.
Alas, Republican suffering does not always translate into Democratic happiness. Billionaire Tom Steyer, the guy behind those “impeach Trump” ads imploring Democrats to do something they don’t have the power to do, is pulling his funding from the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, (DSCC) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).
In truth, Democrats were probably right to fold their losing hand on the government shutdown. The party’s problems go much, much deeper, as demonstrated by leadership’s choice to deliver the Democratic response to the Trump’s State of the Union address: Rep. Joe Kennedy of Massachusetts. Yeah, because nothing says we’re looking to the fucking future better than trotting out yet another scion of a long-past-its-sell-date political family. Jesus H. Christ on a bridge in Chappaquidick, is this really the best they can do?
You can find lots of stories reading tea leaves on the immigration fight in Congress, but the important thing to realize is that this is tied in with the GOP’s overarching civil war. The whole reason the dreamers ended up as hostages is that Paul Ryan can’t get a budget through his caucus.
The sentencing hearing for Dr. Larry Nassar, the serial molester who served as team doctor for U.S. Olympic gymnasts, has drawn a lot of attention, not all of it positive, for the judge’s handling of the case.
Among the odd little details in Stormy Daniels’ account of her affair with Trump, one stood out: the president’s fear of sharks. Inevitably, this has been good news for sharks. Donations to shark charities — yes, there are such things — have soared.