Good Morning Delaware – February 11, 2011

Looks like Derrick Powell has an issue for appeal, on two levels. A top witness against him apparently either misspoke or lied on the stand, saying he had no pending charges against him, with goes to his credibility if the prosecution had cut a deal for his testimony. However, the witness did have charges against him pending. And the prosecution did notify the court and defense council that he had charges against him. And the Defense did not cross examine the witness on it after he lied or misspoke on the stand. That’s what we call ineffective assistance of counsel.

The Deed Vote Fiasco on the New Castle County Council, which revealed the treachery of George Smiley and the incompetence of Tom Kovach, may spur reform. We’ll see.

Remember Michael Scanlon? The lobby executive who bought up $19 million dollars worth of beach front property in Rehoboth and would fly lifeguards to Florida on whims? Who also pled guilty ….. SIX YEARS AGO… to fraud,fraud, bribery and conspiracy in the Abramoff scandal? Well he will finally be sentenced today. I understand he was cooperating with the feds and the cooperation led to 19 other convictions, but that seems to be way too long between plea and sentence.

Today is Sarah Palin’s birthday. I have no further comment.

Our congressional delegation (Tom Carper, Chris Coons, and John Carney) introduced bills in the House and Senate that would finally give Delaware a national park, and end our streak of being the only state not to have one. The park sites designated in the bill are the Fort Christina National Historic Landmark, Old Swedes Church National Historic Landmark, Old New Castle Courthouse and the Old Sheriff’s House, the Dover Green, the John Dickinson Plantation National Historic Landmark, and the Ryves Holt House, the oldest standing house in Delaware. Given budget concerns and in an effort to get through the GOP controlled House, which wants to sell off all national parks to oil companies and logging interests, the bill does not include grants for preservation or restoration.

And people wonder why I do not give any money to the Catholic Church.