National

At Salon, Sean Illing takes on the lie about running the government like a business:

First, America isn’t a business. Businesses exist to turn a profit, to create wealth for shareholders; that’s their only reason for being. Countries exist to preserve a cultural identity, a way of life, of which the economy is a part. Conservatives often argue that this is an abstract distinction; that, practically speaking, overseeing a corporation and deciding national economic policy are fundamentally the same. [...] Business acumen is a terrible indicator of political ability, and for obvious reasons. Business and politics are separate spheres; they require different skill sets. CEOs are despots; they don’t persuade so much as dictate and they’re more inclined to fire those with whom they disagree. Presidents live in a non-zero-sum context, where cooperation is crucial and consensus is critical. Good presidents also tend to care about different things than successful CEOs. The only metric that matters in private industry is profit; this attracts a certain kind of person and cultivates a certain kind of disposition. There are no rewards for compassion and empathy in the corporate world. But compassion and empathy are precisely what we need in a president.

If the GOP justices on the Supreme Court get their partisan way, and rule to overturn key provisions of the ACA on completely bogus and trumped up grounds, Delaware will be ready.

The last Rick Perry reality show ended with a nail-biting cliffhanger. What will be the third federal agency closed on "day 1" of Perry's first term in the White House? Speculation ran rampant. Would it be Agriculture? Probably not. Farmer's need their welfare checks. Defense? Doubtful. Energy? There was a brief surge of support for that one. Health and Human Services? That was my guess. It just sounds liberal.

Ted Cruz made a little joke last night. Because, you know those Republicans, they are a fun loving comedic people.

"You know, Vice President Joe Biden," he said as a few chuckles emerged from the crowd, setting up the joke for him. "You know the nice thing. You don't need a punchline. I promise you it works. At the next party you're at, just walk up to someone and say, 'Vice President Joe Biden,' and just close your mouth. They will crack up laughing."

Former News Journal reporter Chad Livengood confronted the unmitigated pile of excrement that somehow had gained sentience and asked it how it felt to make fun of a grieving father who has now had to bury two children:

Q: Could you talk about the vice president losing his son this week? A: Heartbreaking and tragic, and our prayers are very much with Vice President Biden, with Jill. It's a tragedy no one should have to endure. Q: Why'd you tell a joke about the vice president tonight? A: Uh .... [walks away]

We have the video of his cowardice inside....

“In a remarkable reversal of national security policy formed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Senate voted on Tuesday to curtail the federal government’s sweeping surveillance of American phone records, sending the legislation to President Obama’s desk for his signature,” the New York Times reports. “The vote was a rebuke to Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, as lawmakers beat back a series of amendments that he sought that would have rolled back proposed controls on government spying.”

Just received this confusing release from the Governor's office:

Following an announcement by the Office of the Vice President today, Governor Markell’s office issued the following statement regarding planned services to honor the life of former Attorney General Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III. “President Pro Tempore Patti Blevins, Speaker of the House Pete Schwartzkopf, Senate Minority Leader Gary Simpson, House Minority Leader Danny Short and Governor Jack Markell earlier this week offered to Hallie Biden and the greater Biden family to have the Attorney General lie in honor at Legislative Hall on the afternoon of Thursday, June 4th. While further details will be forthcoming, the Legislative Hall ceremony will allow the General Assembly, other government officials, and the Biden family’s many friends the opportunity to pay their respects.”

The idea of a Dover ceremony was offered to Mrs. Biden, but was it accepted? I don't see that. [Yes it was.]

Orin Kerr: “If I understand the history correctly, in the late 1990s, the President was impeached for lying about a sexual affair by a House of Representatives led by a man who was also then hiding a sexual affair, who was supposed to be replaced by another Congressman who stepped down when forced to reveal that he too was having a sexual affair, which led to the election of a new Speaker of the House who now has been indicted for lying about payments covering up his sexual contact with a boy.” We've got tons of polling today. Come inside to check it out.

Mr. Taff is a late afternoon news anchor for Action News on Ch. 6. He often writes very eloquently written blogs that he posts to his Facebook page. On this occasion, he has written about Vice President Biden, and I want to share it with you:

I'll never forget the moment. It was a steamy summer night in Denver, Colorado, moments before Joe Biden took the stage during the Democratic National Convention in 2008. I was hustling to get back to my broadcast perch, but got stuck in one of the occasional lockdowns that accompany the movement of high profile people in the building -- like the soon-to-be-Vice-President-of-the-United-States. Somehow, I ended up standing in a doorway about 15 feet from Joe, with an unobstructed view as he collected his thoughts leading up to what was then the biggest speech he'd ever given. He struck me as, and I'm not sure how else to put it: human. That now-famous Biden smile never left his face -- but it was more than apparent that his ear-to-ear grin was only a mask, an attempt to underplay the huge amount of nervous energy coursing through him. Seconds later, he brushed off any last minute doubts, and delivered a speech that served as an exclamation point to a childhood spent overcoming a stutter and an adulthood spent trying to overcome unimaginable loss. When he was done, the thunderous applause shook the arena and sent the faithful voters that filled it to their feet. And that, I think, is why Joe Biden holds a particularly unique place on the American stage -- and in its heart. He is not the straight-from-central-casting-politican. He is, well, human.

Rick Klein: “The scrum to become the anti-Hillary candidate is now joined, with flaws and foibles evident in both men who seem best positioned to give the Democratic frontrunner a run for her money. While this is Martin O’Malley’s announcement moment, it’s an early Bernie Sanders momentum moment, with polls and press coverage casting the Vermont senator as on the move. It’s important to remember that Sanders has more of a built-in base, particularly without Elizabeth Warren running. He’s the candidate for the far left, and the even farther left beyond.” “O’Malley’s advantages would be more likely to stand out in a more traditional competitive primary. He has governing experience, a generational argument to make, and generally looks the part more than Sanders. The race’s dynamics could wind up driving its competitive nature. If Hillary Clinton cruises wire-to-wire, Sanders could easily be the default runner-up. But the moment Clinton looks vulnerable enough to actually be beaten, it might be time for O’Mentum.”