Tuesday Open Thread [5.5.15]

Tuesday Open Thread [5.5.15]

6 Comments
Ed Kilgore on why Hillary is pursuing a progressive campaign: It's because she can't reassemble the Clinton Coalition, so she is going to use the Obama Coalition instead:
So the thinking person’s empirically oriented conservative political analyst, Sean Trende of RealClearPolitics, has an interesting piece suggesting that the apparent decision of Hillary Clinton to run a progressive-leaning campaign is a sign not of any real confidence it’s the winning formula, but of the absence of any alternative. Sean’s playing off a TNR column by Brian Beutler suggesting that HRC has reason to believe she can keep the “Obama coalition” together and that it will continue to be enough for victory in a presidential election. Trende points to some reasons he thinks that calculation may be wrong, but argues HRC’s probably making the best of a bad hand because the “Clinton coalition,” which included many blue-collar white voters, is gone forever. I don’t want to put any words in Brian’s mouth, but I’d say Sean’s missing another possibility. Sure, the days are gone for good where any Democrat, even Bill Clinton’s wife, is going to try to appeal to white-working class voters on cultural grounds, as the 42d president famously did in 1992 and 1996. But appealing to some of them on a “populist” economic message, as HRC is showing every sign of doing, couldn’t do worse and might do better than the conventional Democratic pitch.
Vote Tracker Update — How are they voting?

Vote Tracker Update — How are they voting?

Bryan Townsend is the busiest legislator in Dover. The man's name is so omnipresent, as a lead or additional sponsor, on legislation of significance that I have to imagine either that he is running for higher office, or that he is just the best damn legislator period. The cynic and politician in me wants the former. The good government romantic in me wants the latter. Kim Williams is a close runner up too. So here is the updated Vote Tracker as of today, May 4, 2015. My focus on these vote trackers is to follow legislation of progressive significance, whether they be pro-progressive or anti-progressive. For example, we are following the Right to Work bill and the Estate Tax Repeal bill, not because we want them to pass, rather we want them to fail, and we are going to take note of any Democrat who votes for them so that we can work to replace them in the next election. I have reorganized the Vote Tracker this month. It's just one document now, and legislation with actual votes recorded is list at the top, followed by legislation that has been released by their relevant committees and are due for votes in one chamber of the General Assembly or the other. For the specific details of legislation that is being considered in committee, and also the whens, wheres, whys and wherefores, I encourage you to follow El Somnambulo's Pre-Game Post-Game series.
Hillary Clinton Watch Over… Beau Biden Watch Begins

Hillary Clinton Watch Over… Beau Biden Watch Begins

4 Comments
Well, we finally know that Hillary Clinton is running for President. Now we need to find out if Beau Biden is running for Governor. It is the central question in Delaware politics, and really, no one knows the exact answer to it, just like no one really knows what medical condition the former Attorney General suffered back in August 2013. But we finally got some Beau Biden news on Friday that may shed some light on some answers.
Monday Open Thread [5.4.15]

Monday Open Thread [5.4.15]

4 Comments
Republicans love to call themselves Christians and denounce anyone who doesn't vote for or follow them as un-American non-Christians, but the truth is it is all projection:
Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) was criticized by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) for "hiding behind Jesus to expand Medicaid" according to a report in The Atlantic. The two Republican governors confronted Kasich at a donor forum hosted by the Koch brothers in Palm Springs. A source at the event told The Atlantic, "It got heated."
If Bobby Jindal and Nikki Haley were Christians they would actually follow Jesus Christ and care for the poor, sick, elderly and the needy. Instead, they are fellating their rich benefactors and criticizing those who are following Christ's example. I hope they both go straight to Hell.
Time for a Separation

Time for a Separation

29 Comments
And by that I mean, a separation of Delaware's Democrats in the General Assembly from Governor Jack Markell (D). On Friday, the Governor went on Rick Jensen's show on WDEL and stated that he would veto House Bill 50 (the opt-out bill) if it passed the House and Senate. HB 50 would allow parents to opt their child or children out of state standardized testing. The bill cleared the House Education Committee last week and it awaits a vote by the full House, which may come this week.
"I never say what I'm going to do to a bill in advance, but I can say I absolutely do not support that bill," Markell said. Markell said it's his job to do what's best for Delaware kids, and he said opting out of the Smarter Balanced assessment isn't the way. "Civil rights communities across the country, the NAACP, the urban leagues have been very, very focused on not allowing opt out because they're concerned that if the kids are allowed to opt out they'll fall through the cracks," he said. Markell also stood behind Delaware's adoption of the Common Core standards.
They are falling through the cracks now because they are not learning. They spend all their time trying to prepare for an impossible test. But I digress. These standardized tests are very unpopular with parents across the country and here in Delaware. They are very unpopular with teachers, and educators. They are only popular with those who want to "reform" education so as to either 1) privatize it, or 2) enrich themselves or their benefactors, or 3) both. So General Assembly Democrats have a decision to make.

The (Late) Weekly Addresses

Sorry that this is being posted late, but I was away for my birthday weekend and away from the computer. Apologies... In this week's address, the President reiterated his commitment to expanding access to education. In his weekly message, Governor Markell explains how state grant funding, awarded earlier this week, will leverage over $100 million in private investments in Delaware’s Downtown Development Districts. Rep. Bryon Short discusses legislation he is sponsoring that would prohibit employers from requiring employees or applicants to give the employer access to their personal social media accounts. House Bill 109, crafted by the Attorney General’s office, respects both the employee and employer and will be an important step forward in social media privacy.
Thursday Open Thread [4.30.15]

Thursday Open Thread [4.30.15]

2 Comments
“I respect the courts, but the Supreme Court is only that — the supreme of the courts. It is not the supreme being. It cannot overrule God.” — Mike Huckabee, quoted by CNN, on the pending same-sex marriage ruling. Mike, the Supreme Court is the last word on constitutional rights bestowed upon American citizens by the Constitution and its Amendments. The case before the Supreme Court right now concerns the constitutional right of individuals to marry, which is currently being denied by a number of states. The case before the Supreme Court does not concern any rights bestowed in the Bible, or by heavenly decree. Mike, I am concerned about your intelligence. You seem to confuse man made law and Biblical law all the time. Indeed, I almost think you think they are, or should be, one and the same, much like Church and Government should be one and the same. Thankfully, much smarter people than you established a separation between Church and State many centuries ago during the Founding of our great nation.

It Can. It Did. It Will.

37 Comments
Yes, white people were arrested too during riots. And yes, some of them were held for two days without hearing or charges, only to be released with no charges. I am including this picture here and in the thumbnail on the front page of the site because sometimes, oh shit, most of the time, the privileged white people among us, including myself, cannot really and totally connect to a story unless we think it can happen to us. It can. It did. It will. Police Brutality is not just a problem for the black community. It is a problem for us all. From Facebook.....