President’s Day Open Thread [2.16.16]

President’s Day Open Thread [2.16.16]

6 Comments
The conservative Wall Street Journal is less than pleased with the GOP Majority in Congress:
Republicans in Congress are off to a less than flying start after a month in power, dividing their own conference more than Democrats. Take the response to President Obama ’s immigration order, which seems headed for failure if not a more spectacular crack-up... If Homeland Security funding lapses on Feb. 27, the agency will be pushed into a partial shutdown even as the terrorist threat is at the forefront of public attention with the Charlie Hebdo and Islamic State murders. Imagine if the Transportation Security Administration, a unit of DHS, fails to intercept an Islamic State agent en route to Detroit. So Republicans are facing what is likely to be another embarrassing political retreat and more intra-party recriminations. The GOP’s restrictionist wing will blame the leadership for a failure they share responsibility for, and the rest of America will wonder anew about the gang that couldn’t shoot straight... It’s not too soon to say that the fate of the GOP majority is on the line...This is no way to run a Congressional majority, and the only winners of GOP dysfunction will be Mr. Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton.

Sunday Open Thread [2.15.16]

1 Comment
Today we have a big poll out from NBC Marist on South Carolina, New Hampshire, and Iowa. We have the primary and general election numbers, but I find the issue results most interesting. As for the GOP Primary, it's Bush and Walker as the frontrunners. That is the key takeaway:
“Seven different possible Republican candidates get double-digit support in at least one of the states. But only two candidates — Jeb Bush and Scott Walker — are in double digits in all three states.”
The “Just cut everything by 1% and meet me at Wild Quail by noon” plan

The “Just cut everything by 1% and meet me at Wild Quail by noon” plan

12 Comments
What to cut? What to cut? That is the question. In these days of bipartisanship, we can all agree the government is bloated. A huge festering blob of puss. It is disgusting really. Governments...yuck! All full of losers who couldn't hack it in the private sector, sponging up all our tax dollars. Lazy shitbag bus drivers, and stupid park rangers with their dumb hats. Christamighty, get a real job! And teachers, ugh...don't get me started. How can we pick "winners" out of this sad sack collection of losers? And yet, we need a balanced budget. What's that you say? Raise taxes? Oh please. How much can we really ask of smokers before they start leaving for Pennsylvania? It is a quandary. Enter Brian Pettyjohn. He is the man with the plan. And it is a plan you can fit on a Wawa receipt, even if you have large childish handwriting. 1) A 1% across the board cut to everything (but not jobs or state payroll). 2) A "right-to-work" law. I'm not sure how a right-to-work law that would allow non-union members to enjoy the benefits of being in a union, would help balance the budget, but Republicans seem to view "right-to-work" as some kind of economic development miracle cure.
DEGOP to call out Dems failure or something…?

DEGOP to call out Dems failure or something…?

7 Comments
According to John Fluharty Democrats lie. They are contemptible shitbags. Liars. Failures. Etc. If you are a Delaware Republican this news will move you to send money to the DEGOP. Or that seems to be the plan anyway. Substance doesn't seem to be Fluharty's strong suit.
Game of Thrones, Episode One: Rules of the Game and the Governor.

Game of Thrones, Episode One: Rules of the Game and the Governor.

19 Comments
The rumblings have started. The game of musical chairs begins as potential candidates start eyeing a particular chair and then nervously eye each other while the music plays. So in working through this, let's make some assumptions: 1. Governor Markell will not be a candidate for any of these upcoming races. This is because I assume, no matter who wins the Presidential election, Markell will be in the Cabinet. He is the perfect Democrat a Republican President would chose for Secretary of Education or Secretary of Commerce, and I can see President Hillary Clinton likewise tapping him for Commerce, Education or Treasury. 2. Treasurer Ken Simpler is not running for Governor, but for reelection in 2018. 3. In the same vein, and much to my personal chagrin, Attorney General Matt Denn will not be running for Governor either, but will run for reelection in 2018. For you see, Mr. Denn is the most progressive statewide official and has been since his arrival as Insurance Commissioner back in 2004. But, and this goes for Simpler too, two years on the job is not enough of a platform to run for a new one. Beau Biden recognized this back in 2010, back when he had been on the job of AG for 4 years, but spent 18 months of that in Iraq. And it is a shame too, since that was likely his last chance at higher office. But I digress. For Denn, and I am sure he is aware of this, a run for Governor so soon after a switch of office to AG from LG, coupled with his history of jumping from IC to LG after one term, an uncomfortable reputation might emerge. 4. Insurance Commissioner Stewart and Auditor Wagner will not leave their respective jobs voluntarily until they die. They will not retire. And they cannot be defeated in a primary. For Wagner, having an elected statewide Republican is still a rare enough thing that I am not sure another Republican can be found to challenge him. For Stewart, the only way she can be defeated is if you limit her primary challengers to 1. If she has more than 1 primary challenger, her 32% inexplicable base support in the party will allow her to win. But that will never happen because Tom Gordon and Dennis Williams will step again with their City-County-Stewart unholy tripartite alliance and save him with one or more primary challengers. 5. Beau Biden will not run for any office in 2016. His announcement that he was foregoing a 2014 reelection race and would instead run for Governor in 2016 was a smokescreen, a place-holding statement to preserve his political capital and position in the Party and politics should his health and/or prognosis improve. It was a wise, smart move on that front. But it is not our reality. Beau Biden is not running for Governor, or any office. And I am not going to pretend that he is. If he starts making public appearances, if he starts speaking at these public appearances, and if he releases information as to his health scare, treatment and prognosis, then I will take him seriously as a potential candidate. 6. Tom Carper has a one more election cycle in him before he turns into Bill Roth and someone Carpers him. And I say that wanting Carper to retire to the Florida beach with Castle with every fiber of my being. So, having said all that, let's look at who are the candidates for Governor first, because the candidates for this highest office will determine, in a trickle down that actually works, the candidates for the other offices.
DDOE Tells Christina To Close Or Restructure (Charter/Privatize) Its Priority Schools

DDOE Tells Christina To Close Or Restructure (Charter/Privatize) Its Priority Schools

28 Comments
There are actually three choices on the table: Closure, Charter Conversion/Privatization... and handing all 5 of Christina's city schools to Red Clay. No matter what, Christina loses these schools.
The Christina school board must choose by Feb. 27 whether to close its three Priority Schools or hand them over to charter schools or other education management organizations, the Department of Education said in a letter to district staff Tuesday. The letter leaves one possible alternative: If Christina works with the state on the possibility of redistricting schools so that it no longer operates city schools, it could be removed from the Priority Schools saga altogether.
The Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) is very good at closing down schools. Go speak with anyone at these six Priority Schools and ask them when DDOE showed up to "help" them. Surely DDOE has been in these schools for years - since these six schools have been struggling for a long, long time? Surely, DDOE can point to all the support they've given these schools over the years? I hear that DDOE didn't step foot in these schools or offer assistance prior to Governor Markell's Priority School announcement last fall. But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe DDOE has been working with the six priority schools for years and drastic action was needed because they exhausted all other options?