Delaware Political Weekly: June 23-29, 2012

57 Comments
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

16 Comments
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

22 Comments
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

14 Comments
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?

Delaware Political Weekly: June 16-22, 2012

18 Comments
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

6 Comments
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

12 Comments
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.

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 19, 2012

13 Comments
Hmmm, this one’s really interesting, at least politically. HB 363(Keeley) requires that bail bondspersons be residents of the State of Delaware. Say-y-y, Isn’t Robert Bovell, who ran against Helene Keeley in 2010 in a primary, a bail bondsman? Why, yes, yes he is. He also ran for mayor as an R, and has run on the so-called ‘Working Families’ Party line. And, isn’t Robert Bovell running for mayor of Wilmington in the Democratic primary this year? Why, yes, yes he is. And isn’t Dennis P. Williams, who is also running as a D, a co-sponsor of HB 363? Why, yes, yes he is. So, here you have a bill introduced on June 5, 2012 that just happens to address the occupation of one of the co-sponsor’s rivals for Mayor. And, as I read the synopsis, this bill would have the effect of eliminating out-of-state competitors of this erstwhile candidate from his profession. Sure as shit smells like a big stinky quid pro quo to me. Can Bovell’s withdrawal from the race and endorsement of Dennis P. Williams be far behind?

Delaware Political Weekly: June 9-15, 2012

23 Comments
Up until now, the calculus, at least as I saw it was simple: The more challengers who oppose an incumbent, the more likely the incumbent will win. However, the Democratic Party’s endorsement of Crane, and endorsement that, according to Party Chair John Daniello, “wasn’t close”, changes all that, IMHO. Crane had already built a strong grassroots organization, a lot stronger than Stewart’s. Crane had already raised a lot more money than Stewart. And now, the Party, and especially the district committees who strongly backed Crane, will line up behind his candidacy. The 10-15 people who gather on Harris McDowell’s porch can, in no way, counteract that. I’m speaking as an analyst here, not as a partisan (Crane partisans, of whom I’m admittedly one, no doubt will cringe when I say this), but, barring something unforeseen, I now see Crane as a strong favorite to win this race, and I’m not sure that even the combined ‘forces’ of Stewart, Spivack, and Gallagher can put up a serious threat.

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., June 14, 2012

45 Comments
Hoo boy, we're gonna have us a (figurative, one would hope) Shoot-Out At the Not OK Corral today. The Sheriff of Nuttingham and his Posse Comatosis will finally have to, um, face the law(makers). Thass raht. HB 325(Schwartzkopf) occupies the Top Gun position on today's Senate agenda. It'll pass, and I don't think it'll take Gov. Markell too long to sign it. Leaving only the  question: Will Sussex County's self-proclaimed top lawman honor the law of the land?

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 13, 2012

9 Comments
Internet gambling’s almost here. Guess it beats turning people upside down and shaking the coins into the seat cushions. And what would an internet gambling bill without even more sops to the racino industry? Hey, at least it’s a reverse-Robin Hood where the rich at worst don’t get their taxes increased and at best they get more blood money from the degenerates. HB 333(Viola) passed the House yesterday by a vote of 29 Y, 8 N, 4 Not Voting. There are no ideological lessons to be learned from the roll call, as supporters and opponents came from all political stripes. Did I mention even more sops to the racino industry? Yep, more $$’s for thoroughbred and harness purses. Oh, and something to do with waiving racinos’ licensing fees for slot machines.

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 12, 2012

2 Comments
The payday loan bill passed the Senate and the Governor says that he will sign it! No amendments, and only one no vote (Mike Katz, whose actions get more inscrutable by the day). Congratulations to sponsor Helene Keeley, Paul Calistro, and to a dedicated and politically-savvy group of supporters. If you contacted your elected officials on this bill, consider yourselves congratulated as well. No, the bill doesn't have everything supporters would have liked in it, but it's a major improvement, and it's more than I thought would get through this General Assembly. A rare victory for progressivism in Dover. Savor it.