El Somnambulo's Latest Posts
Delaware’s 10 Most Intriguing Primaries Of 2012: Part 1
Here are my ground rules. Intriguing to me. And races that I consider to be competitive. So much for the ground rules. I admit that I know little about the individual races for Wilmington City Council, and only a little bit more about Sussex County Council primaries. So, I’m counting on all of you to provide insight and perspective. Not to mention your bouquets and brickbats.
Filing Deadline Open Thread: The Final Hours
Once again, I’ll start. We can still look for another strong candidate to emerge in the 1st RD–one with the support of none other than our friend and colleague Mike Matthews himself. While noon today is the deadline for filing, it is not the deadline for withdrawals. There will almost certainly be some over the next few days. There are a lot of intriguing primaries on the docket. I’m gonna try to whittle them down to the “10 Most Fascinating Primaries” in a piece that will appear whenever I finish it. If I ever finish it.
We’ll talk about all of this on the Al Mascitti Show, this Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon on WDEL-1150 Newsradio.
Filing Deadline Open Thread
OK, folks, here’s where to bring your breaking news, rumors, speculation, etc., as to what will happen by 12 noon Tuesday, the filing deadline for individuals seeking to run in the September primaries and/or the November General Election. Updates from the respective Departments of Election most welcome. As are, of course, releases from announcing candidates.
I’ll start. Look for another quite credible candidate to get into the 1st RD Democratic primary (the seat being vacated by Dennis P. Williams). Look for a credible candidate to file against Sen. Harris McDowell in the 1st Senatorial District.
Delaware Political Weekly: June 30-July 6, 2012
Speaker Bob Gilligan’s announcement that he would not seek reelection has created quite a seismic shift in local politics. As soon as the election is over, you’ll see all sorts of machinations as to who will get what position in what is virtually certain to still be the House Majority Caucus. But that can wait. Within 36 hours of Gilligan’s announcement, two candidates had already filed for the 19th RD seat currently held by the Speaker.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Sat., June 30, 2012
To its credit, the House, as opposed to the shrouded-in-secrecy Senate, has an Agenda. Also to its credit, more specifically, Speaker Gilligan’s, the House has already gotten the retirement festivities out of the way. Former Speaker Terry Spence used to futz around for hours on end on June 30, with endless hosannas to retiring House members, said hosannas often sung by (I’m not making this up) an Elvis impersonator. Self-indulgence at its worst. I was working in the Senate at the time, and we used to stew at this turning the ‘people’s business’ into some freak sideshow for two hours every June 30.
Delaware Political Weekly: June 23-29, 2012
We get press releases from candidates all the time, as do every other media outlet. It is exceedingly rare, however, that someone’s campaign manager sends out a press release announcing that someone’s campaign manager will be someone’s campaign manager. And for good reason. Good campaign managers know that there is only one candidate and only one campaign manager, and that all the focus should be on the candidate. That, however, did not stop Ezra Temko from announcing that he, Ezra Temko, would be managing the campaign of Claudia Bock for State Representative in the 23rd RD. Perhaps fittingly, Temko spends at least the first 50% of the press release talking about himself, Ezra Temko, and his ongoing search for enlightenment.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., June 28, 2012
Four Senate grandstanders voted against the Budget Bill. Won’t stop ’em from bragging to their constituents about what they’re bringing home to the district. Hypocrites. The four nos: Bonini, Lawson, Katz, and Booth. Meaning that Booth voted against funding for his beloved Sussex Vo-Tech although, to be fair, there sure is some wasteful spending there. In this case, every penny being paid to double-dipper Joe Booth.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 27, 2012
The Senate defeated Rep. Longhurst’s ‘Fuck the Doomed’ bill yesterday. 9 Y, 10 N, 2 Hiding in the Restroom. My guess is that the votes are there. Especially once Delmarva breaks out its/their checkbooks. Perhaps in the rest room. Legislators have been known to stake out ‘wide stances’ on issues like this, and don’t object to manipulation. Joe Farley, Delmarva’s ‘Democratic’ lobbyist, will be working OT to earn his blood money today. BTW, is this really the kind of bill that a supposed member of the House Democratic Caucus leadership team should be sponsoring? Betcha it passes. Hope it doesn’t. Memo to Longhurst primary opponent James Burton: Make this a campaign issue. I’ll even toss off the ‘money’ sentence for you…”What sort of Democrat would sponsor the terminating of life-saving utilities to seriously-ill patients?” You’re welcome.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 26, 2012
They will also leave Dover with yet another revenue source: more dollars via degenerate gamblers thanks to the so-called online gaming bill. This is a particularly odious example of the Delaware Way. Provisions have been put into the bill to ensure that the racinos and the mom-and-pop stores that sell the lottery tickets don’t get screwed, but no such provision for the compulsive gamblers who will help fill the state’s coffers. No fiscal note is even required for this bill, which makes little sense to me. Neither a projection of costs to implement the system, nor a revenues projection? Really?
BREAKING: Sandusky Jury Reaches Verdict
Accused of 48 counts. I think he’s gonna be found guilty of the vast majority of them. Especially since his own defense attorney said he’d be ‘shocked’ and would ‘probably die of a heart attack’ if Sandusky wasn’t convicted on a preponderance of the charges. I’ll let you know as soon as the verdicts are […]
Delaware Political Weekly: June 16-22, 2012
Incumbent John Atkins, who is equally adept at burning tires and burning bridges, has an opponent. No, DL loyalists, this isn’t a cause for Bacchanalian revelry (something else with which John Atkins is reportedly not unfamiliar). His opponent is Richard G. Collins, Executive Director of the so-called ‘Positive Growth Alliance’, which of course, is dedicated to “Improving the Quality of Life Through Free Enterprise”. Feel free to read the empty rhetoric. It’s just a downstate spew of what Charles ‘Bouvier de Flandres’ Copeland puts forward upstate. In other words, dog whistles. With multimillionaire bucks behind them.
DIY Post-Game/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., June 21, 2012
Been a tough couple of days. Unnecessary drama (with more than a touch of farce), next-to-no sleep, and a summer cold. Plus, I’ve got obligations and then work today.
So, I’m gonna give you the raw materials, you can write today’s Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show. Hey one of you could emerge as the next Lou Gehrig to my Wally Pipp. Which is likely the last baseball reference you’ll see here for a long time.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 20, 2012
Three things happened yesterday that illustrate everything that is wrong with the Delaware General Assembly. Screw the defenseless b/c they don’t have money to fill your reelection coffers; essentially bribe a candidate into dropping out of a race by passing special interest legislation especially for him; and quell a legislator’s road rage by getting those pokey drivers out of his way. Some days, I just hate this (non-paying) job.
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