DL Open Thread: Sunday, July 17, 2022
Was kinda fried after canvassing for Becca Cotto yesterday. But not too fried to enjoy a sumptuous set from Cosmic Guilt at the Shady Grove Music Fest. The harmonies were gorgeous. I can see/hear why WXPN is playing them:
A Wilmington band, that shall remain nameless in order to protect their career, gave a shout out to their friend, Chris Coons. The response was, um, muted. Hey, they’re musicians, not politicians.
Who Runs If Biden Doesn’t? Here’s WaPo’s latest ranking of prospective contenders. I kinda like that Gretchen Whitmer.
White House Decides Not To Nominate Anti-Abortion Judge. But not for the reason you might think. More fecklessness from Biden:
“In considering potential District Court nominees, the White House learned that Senator Rand Paul will not return a blue slip on Chad Meredith,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement. “Therefore, the White House will not nominate Mr. Meredith.”
It is a tradition in the Senate Judiciary Committee that its chair will not advance a judicial nominee until both senators from that nominee’s home state turn in a so-called blue slip ― literally, a blue piece of paper ― signaling that they are on board with moving forward. Because Paul said he would not turn in a blue slip for Meredith, he effectively killed the nomination.
BTW, that’s one fucked-up tradition.
Did Secret Service Intend To Whisk Pence Away So That Trump Could Remain President? I’m not generally a conspiracy-theorist, but, I gotta admit, this theory checks a lot of boxes.
That Remarkable Legislative Freshman Class. Trey Paradee is right:
“It’s been really exciting over the last two election cycles,” said Sen. Trey Paradee, D-Dover, who was a part of the Senate’s 2018 freshman class. “There’s been a lot of new people that have come into the General Assembly who have brought a lot of new energy and new ideas, certainly in terms of really important issues.”
I’d be remiss if I didn’t quote from the amazing Marie Pinkney:
“I come from a history of social work on a micro level, working with families individually, and not in the massive kind of way that state policy impacts large amounts of people. Both incredibly important types of work, but two very different types of work,” Sen. Pinkney said. “Being in the legislature is like drinking from a fire hose. There’s always so much to learn and so much to do.”
“We came in to get things done, we came in at a time where we didn’t have time, we came in at a time where people’s lives had been completely altered by a pandemic, completely rocked by social injustice,” Sen. Pinkney said.
“This class of freshman legislators, we came in with a fire burning under us and a desire to get things done, and I haven’t seen it fizzle out. It really is amazing what we have been able to accomplish.”
Just wait until we usher in the Freshman Class of 2022!
What do you want to talk about?