DL Open Thread: Friday, June 13, 2025
Fascism On The MARCH! Let’s handcuff a United States Senator Edition:
When U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a news conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, it was almost as if Donald Trump’s most well-worn talking point came to life:
A bad hombre tried to go after a white American.
All Padilla did was identify himself and try to question Noem about the immigration raids across Southern California that have led to protests and terror. Instead, federal agents pushed the senator into a hallway, forced him to the ground and handcuffed him before he was released. He and Noem talked privately afterward, yet she claimed to reporters that Padilla “lung[ed]” at her despite them being far apart and video showing no evidence to back up her laughable assertion.
The manhandling of Padilla on Thursday and his subsequent depiction by conservatives as a modern-day Pancho Villa isn’t surprising one bit. Trashing people of Mexican heritage has been one of Trump’s most successful electoral planks — don’t forget that he kicked off his 2016 presidential campaigns by proclaiming Mexican immigrants to be “rapists” and drug smugglers — because he knows it works. You could be a newcomer from Jalisco, you could be someone whose ancestors put down roots before the Mayflower, it doesn’t matter: For centuries, the default stance in this country is to look at anyone with family ties to our neighbor to the south with skepticism, if not outright hate.
Might just go looking for a Mexican flag today…
Hey, Let’s Start A War. Trump responds by saying, ‘We’ll see what happens’. He’s now updated his reaction to Israel’s bombing of Iran as ‘excellent’. Rubio searches for his manhood:
US president Donald Trump has urged Iran to make a deal over its nuclear programme, saying in a post on his Truth Social platform that there was still time for the country to prevent further conflict with Israel:
“I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to “just do it,” but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done.
I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it.
Certain Iranian hardliner’s spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!
There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end.
Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!
Guess we’re in this war as well. Just in time for that military parade. Oh, Rubio?:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the United States had no involvement in Israel’s unilateral strikes on Iran but had been told that Israel considered the attack necessary for its self-defense.
President Trump, who has been pushing for a deal with Iran on its nuclear program, was hosting the annual White House picnic on Thursday evening when reports of the strikes emerged from Tehran.
Despite his expressed hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough, Mr. Trump had also acknowledged on Thursday that Israel might attack first.
In a statement, Mr. Rubio said: “We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense.”
Besides the use of, and I quote, “the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it”?
Neither Trump nor Rubio have anything approaching the diplomatic chops to do anything but to cheer-lead from the sidelines. Must be Biden’s fault.
Trump’s Cali Invasion In The Hands Of The Courts Now. By the time we get a final decision, the troops will either have been withdrawn, or they will have escalated what was a completely-manageable situation into a conflagration.
Delaware’s Speaker And House Democrats Demonstrate How Not To Do Crisis Management:
As CoastTV took to Dover on Thursday, paper was placed on the window of a door that leads to Parker Selby’s office.
I could link to yesterday’s video, but I don’t need to do it to demonstrate the complete and total disingenuous ‘defense’ by Speaker Mimi:
As CoastTV took to Dover on Thursday, papers were placed on the windowpanes of a door that leads to Parker Selby’s office. House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown did take the time talk to Anchor Madeleine Overturf, saying that her solution to Parker Selby’s absence is virtual voting.
“If someone’s been absent for six months and no one’s voting on their behalf, do you think that’s acceptable?” asked Overturf.
“We’re going to focus on getting virtual voting passed to our rules and then that way we can most likely see Rep. Parker Selby.” replied Minor-Brown.
Oh. Let’s see if I’ve got this timeline right:
November 2024: Rep. Stell Parker Selby wins reelection.
Somewhere between November 2024 and January 2025: Stell Parker Selby suffers massive stroke.
January 2025: The General Assembly convenes in Dover without Stell Parker Selby who, it is claimed, is recovering from an unnamed physical challenge.
March 24, 2025: Rep. Parker Selby is finally officially sworn in as a member of the House Of Representatives. The swearing-in takes place at her home in Milton. I may be overthinking it, but the fact that the swearing-in didn’t take place until March 24 suggests that the Representative was incapable of receiving the oath of office prior to then. An idle question–was she being paid for time she was not duly sworn in? I don’t care. My intent is not to trash Rep. Selby, but rather to focus on the continued prevarications and cover-up from the House leadership.
March 31, 2025: The Delaware General Assembly reconvenes following the Joint Finance Committee hearings. No Stell Parker Selby.
This Week: CoastTV Reporter Madaleine Overturf seeks answers as to the lack of representation for the voters in the 20th Rep. District. She is stonewalled.
June 12, 2025: Speaker Mimi Minor-Brown says that ‘virtual voting’ is the solution. Setting aside the question as to why this ‘solution’ didn’t occur to her until halfway through June (the answer, of course, being she hadn’t given it a moment’s thought until confronted by reporters), there’s no way in hell that this could ever be implemented during the remainder of this year’s legislative session, if at all. Virtual voting was implemented for the first time during COVID, and it was rescinded once the legislature deemed it safe to go back to Dover. Virtual voting is not a solution, it’s just an evasion of the truth by the Speaker. Bottom line: The House Democratic leadership has permitted a fraud to be perpetrated upon the voters of the 20th Rep. District.
What do you want to talk about?
Let’s state the fucking obvious: It is incumbent upon Rep. Selby to step down.
The Speaker faced a high bar to meet the level of incompetence and just plain meanness but she has raised the bar to new heights of pure awful. The Coast TV reporter Ms Overturf, has done a great job of showcasing the pure incompetence liberally seasoned by arrogance and really bad lying skills. Clearly Parker Selby needs to resign but we have no idea of her condition or who is advising her. This shit show falls squarely on the shoulders of the Speaker. She has handed the seat to the Republicans on a silver platter!
I know nothing about Parker Selby or her staff, but the paper on the windows tells me she is back in her office, and is perhaps attempting a return to work.
No. She’s not. It was designed to keep the prying press from peering in.
Really enjoyed the Rev’s interview with Frank Burns today. Burns comes across as one of the few truly decent Delaware public servants, which jibes with everything I’ve seen from him. Check it out:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/e350-beach-w-131311284?utm_campaign=patron_engagement&utm_source=post_link&post_id=131311284&utm_id=eec6af25-f566-487d-adb0-ab4d5af31ee7&utm_medium=email
You may not care if Parker Selby is being paid, but that would be flat out theft. Just as bad as the double dippers. She should resign, and if she is healthy enough in 2026 and wants to run for the office again, great.
You’re right. Probably should have rephrased that that’s not my main purpose in featuring this.
There’s no justification in her not resigning, although I’m nagged by the thought that she has been encouraged not to resign, at least early on, by the same people who covered up her condition.
It’s that cynical stuff that I just can’t stand.
My guess is that she will resign sometime after this year’s session concludes, and that there will be a Special Election.
By the way, great job by Madeleine Overturf of Coast TV, particularly in the second piece. It was 7 minutes long, which is an eternity in TV news. I don’t think the speaker could do a more complete job of looking incompetent, petty and pompous.
I’m not sure who the Democrats at Leg Hall have doing their PR, but they suck.
Couldn’t agree more about Madeleine Overturf. Dogged, complete mastery of the facts of the situation. Handles herself with unfailing professionalism.
Was so impressed I thought that she MIGHT be an SU Newhouse Alum (like me). Nope. NYU. Which, granted, is better than Penn State (with wan apologies to Nick Stonesifer, one of Spotlight Delaware’s stars despite having matriculated there. It’s a tribute to him that he has overcome his unfortunate choice of school).
Don’t knock Penn State. Two of my grandsons are recent grads and both landed great jobs. (Neither followed my footsteps.)
I’ve been very respectful.
Haven’t called it Pedo State or State Penn, um, in awhile…
Serious question : is she of sound mind to actually make that decision?
It seems from the law that, if someone were to go into a coma, they just get to keep the actual job? Because they can’t resign? I’m amazed this sort of thing hasn’t happened before but the founders never foresaw the Democratic Party in 2025 only running people who are on life support for office.
I assume she was of sound mind to be sworn in in March.
So, she should be of sound mind to resign.
Could be wrong on both counts, though…
Problem with too many politicians on life support is that SOME SOMEBODIES need to be able to vote. Share your cynicism, though.
This did happen before. To a Republican! Jack Peterman was the state representative from RD 33 (Kent part of Milford north to Magnolia). He was elected in 2010. He became ill and missed most all of 2015 and 2016. The Republicans were silent and the Democrats respectful. I guess the lower Delaware Republicans have conveniently forgotten what happened 9 years ago. Peterman passed away in August 2016 “from an undisclosed illness”. He should have resigned. Stell Parker Selby should resign unless she can release medical information that states she is recovering and should be able to return in January.
BTW, Parker-Selby announced in 2024 that she would not seek another term in 2026.
The R’s have actually been pretty respectful. Probably b/c of Peterman.
This whole thing has been handled badly and it’s sad to see people like Claire Snyder hall who also oddly defended Kevin Hensley now wrapping herself in a pretzel on social media to defend Mimi here? Can we say Claire is a Kerri Eve Harris 2.0
It’s amazing how quickly Dover ruins some of these people
No. I think you’re wrong about Claire. Although there is a certain tribalism at work among the Suxco D’s.
I’d give her more time, if I were you. That’s what I’m doing.
BTW, and I’m serious about this, you dropped an intriguing hint about the House Sergeant-At-Arms yesterday. I’d love to find out more. Uh, even if it comes via the tipline.
This is why so many people have a major problem with government and politicians.in any other profession if someone doesn’t show up to work they are fired. The residents of her district should be able to sue to have her removed and a new election held
Think of it more like someone in an executive position. You work with them to ease them out.
Is health care coverage better for members of the GA? Because having and recovering from a stroke is not cheap, even on Medicare.
Being a sworn in member of the ga isn’t a health program.
If it was an executive in a private industry there would be a succession plan, a time line, a buy sell and key employee insurance. This is a form of theft and fraud
I’m just wondering about possible motivations for clinging to the office.
It could be that extra pension.
It could also be that the ‘leadership’ doesn’t, or didn’t, want her to resign.
Y’know, that’s a good question. Because, this is actually only Parker Selby’s second term. Pretty sure that legislators only qualify for a pension and benefits after three or four years.
This is her third. Once she qualifies, her state bennies basically fill the donut hole in her Medicare plan.
With 34 years in public education, wouldn’t she already qualify for some kind of state benefits?
Yes. But you wouldn’t believe how many state legislators have more than one pension, some more than two.
I know of two who took the same career path–cop, legislator, director of security at Del-Tech.
Not as many as Carper racked up, but still more than enough to live lucratively ever after.