DL Open Thread 9/24

The impeachment watch is on, so mainstream media will relegate all other stories to the back burner for the foreseeable future. Pundits, even those who previously advocated caution, are falling…

TRUMP Is the State – State Secrets Must Be Protected – Keeping Trump’s Secrets are Vital Matters of National Security

Two things about the fact that Trump told his acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to hold back almost $400 million in military aid for Ukraine: 1) Get ready for nauseating rounds of this story being dumbed down, and forced into a horserace narrative which ignores the impact on the democracy and focuses on "Team Red" or "Team Blue" 2) If ANY Republicans anywhere, at any level of government win re-election, we have failed.

Poll Results

What is the highest grossing film set in Delaware? Fight Club (1999) Total Lifetime Domestic Gross: $37,030,102 Total Worldwide: $100.9 million Goosebumps (1995) Total Lifetime Domestic Gross: $80,080,379 Total Worldwide: $158.26 million In 1860 (on the eve of the Civil War) what percentage of Delaware's black population was free? According to wikipedia in 1869 92% of Delaware's blacks were "free" which is not to say that they had any rights.
Shifts in the agriculture economy from tobacco to mixed farming resulted in less need for slaves' labor. In addition local Methodists and Quakers encouraged slaveholders to free their slaves following the American Revolution, and many did so in a surge of individual manumissions for idealistic reasons. By 1810 three-quarters of all blacks in Delaware were free. When John Dickinson freed his slaves in 1777, he was Delaware's largest slave owner with 37 slaves. By 1860, the largest slaveholder owned 16 slaves.[27]

DL Open Thread 9/23

If you're looking for news that doesn't involve the Trump-Ukraine story, give up now. Reporters are asking only two things this morning: Are Democrats finally going to do their jobs,…

Developing – Cathy Cloutier Standing Down?

I don't know how much weight to give this, but there is chat going around that Cloutier is either not running for re-election or changing her party affiliation. The "standing down" chat sort of makes sense on its face. Along with Anthony Delcollo, she is the most endangered Republican this election, as her district is no longer a Republican district, and she will be facing a tough Democratic challenger after not really having to campaign for years. Additionally, she will be 70 years old in 2020. On the other hand, she is probably the one remaining Trump supporting Delaware Republican who could get a handful of Democratic voters to split their ticket for old time's sake. So maybe the Trump reverse coattails don't really apply? She has also featured prominently in recent wack-a-doo DEGOP fundraising emails. The only way the changing her party affiliation chat makes sense if John Carney or someone from the dying corporate wing of the Democratic Party is trying to throw a hail-mary to keep the seat from falling into the hands of someone who actually wants to accomplish something.

DL Open Thread 9/22

A new Des Moines Register poll has Warren 2 points ahead of Biden in the Iowa caucuses. A key element of the whistleblower story is being misrepresented. The media keep…

Coming Monday – My Interview with Madinah Wilson-Anton

Wilson-Anton's rock solid grasp of the issue, deep roots in the community, and passionate commitment are quickly building momentum for her campaign. Check back here tomorrow to read an interview in which we discuss what is motivating her to run and her vision for her district and the state.
We don’t need another working group, task force, commission or consortium to tell us what we already know: our school funding system is one of the least equitable in the country and our students are suffering because of it. There’s a reason why families are suing the Governor. State legislators shouldn’t be waiting for the courts to remedy this. With a growing number of teachers and education advocates in the legislature, we have no excuse not to take action.

Coons has a Challenger

Coons has a challenger, but unfortunately it isn't a progressive primary challenge. It is Mark Turley of Millsboro. I can't find any online footprint related to a going campaign, not even on the coo-coo-bananas IPod of Delaware website, but his filing email indicates that he is Mark Turley, Owner/President, of Projected Energy which is a renewable energy consulting firm. But that is not to say that Turley has any skin in the game. Filing fees are set by the parties and the IpodDE filing fees for this office appear to be $0.00. And BTW, I insist that you check out the Ipod's coo-coo-bananas web site. I'd post more screen shots, but you just don't get a feel for how WTF?!?! it is unless you visit it.