DL Open Thread: Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Just because we don’t get nearly as many readers the next two days as normal, that’s no excuse for me to just mail in the Open Thread.  If you’re gonna read, I’m gonna try.  Let’s start with ‘salacious’:

Well She Was Just Seventeen, You Know What I Mean:

Citing text messages, travel receipts, online payments and testimony, the bipartisan committee paints a picture of a lifestyle in which Gaetz and others connected with younger women for drug-fueled parties, events or trips, with the expectation the women would be paid for their participation.

The committee found that between 2017 and 2020, Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women “likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use.” He paid the women using through online services such as PayPal, Venmo and CashApp and with cash or check, the committee said.

The committee said it found evidence that Gaetz understood the “transactional nature” of his relationships with the women. The report points to one text exchange in which Gaetz balked at a woman’s request that he send her money, “claiming she only gave him a ‘drive by.’”

There’s lots more salacious detail for those so inclined.  Me?  It’s time for a nice double-entendre blues for Christmas:

‘This Is Nancy Pelosi, And My Car Is Getting Towed Unless You Send Me $20″:

We’ve all been there. You open your inbox to find it overflowing with political fundraising emails — bizarre subject lines, dire warnings and urgent pleas for your money. Then your phone dings. It’s another fundraising text. In 2024 alone, my inbox was bombarded with over 3,200 emails from Democratic campaigns, peaking at 48 in a single day. That doesn’t include what lands in spam or the stream of fundraising texts.

This relentless pursuit of cash isn’t just irritating — it also reveals a deeper issue within the Democratic Party. Fundraising has overshadowed genuine voter engagement, treating supporters as wallets rather than allies. As someone who studies money in politics, I know that fundraising is a reality of U.S. elections. But it’s clear we need a frank discussion about Democratic fundraising practices and their long-term consequences. Too often, Democrats’ current approach sacrifices loyalty for quick cash. It’s madness, and it needs to change.

Badgering your supporters in this fashion is disrespectful, annoying and, frankly, counterproductive. Imagine any reputable charity using these tactics — supporters would walk away. Yet in Democratic politics, this has become the norm.

The commodification of donor information only makes things worse. Once you donate, your contact details become currency — bought, sold and shared by campaigns eager to flood your inbox and phone. First-time donors often face an avalanche of fundraising requests, leaving them feeling unappreciated.

Amen, Brother.   I will also add that, when a candidate tells me they are x dollars short of their goal, all I think is “I don’t give a shit about your goal. Why should I?”

Why The Next DNC Chair Will Suck.  Because they’re being selected by every states’ version of Betsy Daniello Maron.  How good could the choice possibly be?  Ma-ron!

Guess Which Airline My Daughter Is Flying In On:

A “technical issue” disrupted American Airlines flights nationwide early on Tuesday, the airline said, at the start of a busy Christmas Eve for travelers around the country.

The Federal Aviation Administration said American requested a ground stop for all its flights.

The airline wrote that it didn’t yet have a “timeframe” but that “they’re trying to fix it in the shortest possible time.” (As opposed to the longest time possible.)

In a statement sent to ABC News, the airline added, “Our teams are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, and we apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”

Blahblahblah, fuck you.  (Have I mentioned that I’m perhaps not the biggest fan of the Christmas season?  Midnight Mass at the airport, anyone?)

Starbucks Strike Expands.  You know, you can get your caffeine fix elsewhere for, wait for it, a latte less:

Lynn Fox, the president of Starbucks Workers United, said in a written statement: “We were ready to bring the foundational framework home this year, but Starbucks wasn’t.

“After all Starbucks has said about how they value partners throughout the system, we refuse to accept zero immediate investment in baristas’ wages and no resolution of the hundreds of outstanding unfair labor practices,” Fox said. “Union baristas know their value, and they’re not going to accept a proposal that doesn’t treat them as true partners.”

A Suxco Republican Soon-To-Be Councilman Sounds–Reasonable:

Development has had its benefits, but newly elected Sussex County Councilman Steve McCarron thinks it has outpaced other sectors’ ability to compensate.

Approaching his swearing-in next month, he would like to see scales tip slightly in the other direction, to allow schools, roads and responders time to catch up.

“Who is really covering the cost of development because, right now, if you come in and build a community, you build at that community, but are you paying for your impact on schools? Are you paying for your impact to the fire service?” he asked. “That’s what the true cost of development is, but right now, that’s being borne by all the communities overall.”

Happy New Year!  Delaware’s Minimum Wage Rises To $15 An Hour:

Starting Jan. 1, Delaware will join a short list of nine states with a minimum wage of at least $15.

The First State will also claim the largest single increase in 2025, with a $1.75 per-hour hike from $13.25.

With the new $15 minimum wage, Delaware joins a growing list of states hitting this benchmark. However, it still lags behind leaders like Washington, D.C., where the minimum wage will go to $17.50 (with a second bump set for later in the year), and states like Washington, Connecticut and California, where rates will hit at least $16 in 2025.

Here’s wishing all of you the happiest of holidays!  Don’t forget, as my (dubious) gift to you, the countdown of my 50 Fave Tunes Of 2024 starts Thursday.

What do you want to talk about?