Kowalko v Schwartzkopf continues

Kowalko v Schwartzkopf continues

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John Kowalko isn't shutting up, and for good reason. It isn't Pete Schwartzkopf's business to decide if someone can be an activist and a legislator. That's Kowalko's constituent's job, and Kowalko's constituents expressly hired him to be an activist and a legislator. Schwartzkopf may not remember, but John Kowalko sat in an Leg Hall energy committee meeting with a gag in his mouth in protest, and that was prior to being hired by his constituents. They knew what they were getting into. Which raises the question - does Schwartzkopf know what he is getting into by elevating Kowlako's status to that of a martyr for a transparent democracy? I sort of doubt it.
GOP Congress Signals Big Social Security Reforms (Cuts) On the Way

GOP Congress Signals Big Social Security Reforms (Cuts) On the Way

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There is no mystery anymore. We all know how this is going to play out. Republican austerity zealots are going to get 99% of what they want, and be able to pillory Democrats for gutting social security because "Democrats" like John Carney and Tom Carper suck outright and make the whole party look like a bunch of sniveling idiots and/or craven douche-bags.
The new House Budget Committee chairman hinted Monday that he had big plans for Social Security reform in the next two years, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Schwartzkopf names Cape Henlopen Senior Center a “Priority” Senior Center

Schwartzkopf names Cape Henlopen Senior Center a “Priority” Senior Center

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The Delaware Speaker of the House says that a low performing Senior Center in Lewes is failing, and the way to fix it is to make the board reapply for their jobs – and to replace the center's membership with seniors who are not such pains in the ass. Speaker of the House Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf says it’s necessary for board members to reapply for their jobs, and for the membership to turn over to ensure that every Senior Center member has the commitment to "not calling his office over this bullshit." "These Seniors are just a huge pains in the ass," Pete Schwartzkopf said. "I envision a Charter Senior Center that can select the best Seniors from this area to come here and play cards or do whatever it is they do." The center's board faces the cancellation of its liability insurance at the end of the month and a looming threat from the state to withhold the center’s quarterly grant-in-aid check unless significant changes are made. For more than two hours, Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, entertained questions from the 60 members in attendance and laid bare the severity of the situation facing the Rehoboth Beach center and the center’s board. The board’s actions haven’t yet driven the center off the cliff, but it’s getting close, Schwartzkopf said, pushing a piece of paper to the edge of a table as he spoke. While most of the information wasn’t new to the people in attendance, some found their complaints validated when the speaker of the House went through the center’s by-laws one by one, pointing out how, in his view, the board is violating the by-laws now or has violated them in the recent past. The by-laws are not there as a suggestion, said Schwartzkopf. They’re there to be followed, he said. [Note: this is tagged as satire, but whoever reads tags? Not me. When liability insurance is mentioned, it becomes a straight pickup from this Chris Flood story in the Cape Gazette.]
Carper’s keystone veto override vote should be a watershed moment for Delaware’s Democrats

Carper’s keystone veto override vote should be a watershed moment for Delaware’s Democrats

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When it comes to pass that Senator for Life, Tom Carper, sides with Republicans and votes to override the President's veto of the Keystone XL pipeline it could change things here in Delaware. At long last, all pretense will be set aside and even the most out of touch Democrat will know that Carper is not a member of the Democratic Party in any meaningful sense. It will be an undeniable break with public sentiment on the issue of the environment and the brazen opposition to the President will be impossible for him to hide from. It doesn't mean that he will lose the next election - he is the Senator for Life after all. But I think it does open up some room for actual Democrats to begin to assert what it means to be a Democrat, and perhaps begin rebuilding the Party's brand equity. It could take a generation for the party to recover from the damage that Tom Carper has inflicted on it, but I think a recovery is possible. Recovering our sense of what the Democratic Party stands for is therefor, something we should be preparing for. When this execrable vote happens, we need to be ready to use the public disgust with Carper to launch a larger movement to articulate Democratic values. Just this morning I was thinking that I might register as a Green Party, but just the prospect of this vote - this horrific inevitable vote has sparked something in me that I haven't felt for a while. It has reminded me of the fact that votes do matter. That Carper is in DC to represent me and my interests. That's his job. It has fired me up to demand that he do his job for a change.
Elizabeth Warren Calls out Senator for Life, Tom Carper by name (pretty much)

Elizabeth Warren Calls out Senator for Life, Tom Carper by name (pretty much)

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During her appearance at the AFL-CIO's Raise the Wages summit on Wednesday, Senator Warren said:
"Pretty much the whole Republican Party – and, if we’re going to be honest, too many Democrats – talked about the evils of 'big government' and called for deregulation," Warren continued. "It sounded good, but it was really about tying the hands of regulators and turning loose big banks and giant international corporations to do whatever they wanted to do—turning them loose to rig the markets and reduce competition, to outsource more jobs, to load up on more risks and hide behind taxpayer guarantees, to sell more mortgages and credit cards that cheated people. In short, to do whatever juiced short term profits even if it came at the expense of working families." But in the end, this whole approach failed, Warren said. "The trickle-down experiment that began in the Reagan years failed America's middle class," Warren said. "Sure, the rich are doing great. Giant corporations are doing great. Lobbyists are doing great. But we need an economy where everyone else who works hard gets a shot at doing great!"
Carper is a supply side/deficit hawk/austerity motherfucker after Grover Norquists own heart. I think we can all agree that when Warren says that too many Democrats have fallen for the GOP's 1%er oriented economic solutions, she is talking about Tom Carper.
Politics is Petty

Politics is Petty

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Nancy Willing at Delaware Way has been all over this and I'm sure El Som will be into the nitty gritty of how and why Kowalko was bounced from the Chairmanship of Energy and from the Education Committee. All I can really add is that Jack Markell seems to really hate John Kowalko on a personal level. I had heard stories from early in Jack's tenure and I chalked it up to hyperbole, but it gets hard to ignore stories when confirming evidence starts to pile up.
WDEL to Cover Wilmington “Die In” @ 4:30

WDEL to Cover Wilmington “Die In” @ 4:30

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This appears to be what is left for us, to die. With no apparent representation in the halls of power, our choice is to die - literally or symbolically. We are wild about calling ourselves and our country "free." Have you been to a football or baseball game lately? They have become nauseating exercises in self-congratulations over our great freedoms. But what are we really free from? Are we free from debt? Probably not. Are we free from being beaten or killed by cops? Are we free from anxiety? Hardly. Free from the indignity of institutionalized injustices? We have never been less free then we are today. When the majority of Americans are not represented by a political party, inch by inch, drop by drop freedom wanes.
Losers and Idiots heap praise on Senator for Life, Tom Carper

Losers and Idiots heap praise on Senator for Life, Tom Carper

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Sens. Tom Coburn and Mary Landrieu gave their farewell addresses on the Senate floor Thursday and were praised by colleagues. Coburn gave an emotional address about the power of individual senators and the importance of compromise and oversight. He praised Sen. Tom Carper, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee where Coburn is ranking member. “He has been a phenomenal chairman. … We do not agree on everything, but the one thing we agreed on was that we were going to work together to solve problems.” Carper returned the praise, citing the movement of cyber bills and others as a testament to his work. “Legislation is moving through this body and through the House this week — it is pretty amazing, — to strengthen our cyber defenses,” Carper said.
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