National – Page 590 – Delaware Liberal

Forced Birth Improves The Economy? Armed “young, hot little girls on campus” Will Stop Rape?

By pandora March 18, 201515 Comments

There's just so much of this nonsense. As a woman, who's also raising a teen daughter, it's overwhelming and frightening. It's also disheartening when issues that directly impact over 50% of the country are dismissed as single-issue votes. Women do not view abortion or contraception as a "pet" issue. These issues directly affect our economy. Having a child is one of the biggest economic decisions for both men and women. If only we treated these issues with the same freak out we display when it came to a gas tax and tax cuts - and, make no mistake, abortion and contraception are a way bigger deal than things like the gas tax and tax cuts. Mainly because cutting/raising taxes won't make a damn bit of difference to a woman's (who's forced to give birth) economy. And yeah, I'm going to keep writing about women's issues, mainly because it's really all the GOP talks about. They link controlling women to every flippin' bill they pen. It's almost impossible to discuss anything the GOP puts forth without discussing women - and religion and gay people. All Republican roads lead to controlling sex.

Sheriff Lee Gets Constable Powers Because He is not an Insufferable Asshole

By Delaware Dem March 17, 20158 Comments

It turns out that former Sheriff Jeff Christopher lied repeatedly when he said he and his office were "relieved of arrest powers." Why is this a lie? Well because the Sheriff's office had the power to arrest before as part of their constable powers. But the Sheriff have to reapply for that power over a period of time to the State Board of Examiners of Constables. Jeff Christopher refused to reapply for constable powers for his office in January 2011, and then went on a tea party tirade. The new Sheriff Lee got back those constable powers simply by reapplying for them.

Tuesday Open Thread [3.17.15]

By Delaware Dem March 17, 201510 Comments

Now that the General Aseembly is back in full swing, so is our political calendar. Come inside to learn about some important upcoming events. First Read: “It’s unclear the exact impact that Netanyahu losing on Tuesday could have on U.S. domestic politics, especially when it comes to the Iran nuclear debate. But it wouldn’t be good news for hawks. Think about it: Netanyahu comes to the U.S. Congress to make his final argument — on Iran, against President Obama’s foreign policy — and his party loses what had seemed to be a winnable election? Right or wrong, Netanyahu getting involved in domestic U.S. politics would be blamed for the surprising loss. So [today] is going to be a big story.” Meanwhile, Nancy LeTourneau of the Washington Monthly documents the numerous incidents of Republican failure to govern, noting that the Republican Party is in total disarray. And Fred Kaplan says "It is a useful thing when a political party reveals itself as utterly unsuited for national leadership."

Denn/Johnson/Henry bill would change what’s considered a violent felony

By jason330 March 17, 20153 Comments

Unwinding our idiotic, wasteful and (lets face it) racist "war on drugs" is going to take time. This isn't perfect, but it is a step in the right direction.

A bill that would soften the state's treatment of drug possession felonies and harden its stance on certain violent crimes will be introduced in the Delaware Legislature this week. Attorney General Matt Denn and a group of lawmakers unveiled Monday a bill that, if passed, would mark the first time specific crimes were taken off the state's 19-year-old list of violent felonies. Attorney General Matt Denn and a group of lawmakers unveiled Monday a bill that, if passed, would mark the first time specific crimes were taken off the state’s 19-year-old list of violent felonies. "We want to make sure the penalties are appropriate for the crimes," Denn said. "In seeking justice, we have an obligation to reduce statutory (sentences) when they do not fit the crime."

While the bill removes drug possession from the violent crime list, it adds certain crimes against children and police officers. These add on's feel like sops to conservatives to me. Protecting children is laudable, but with the way cops have been escalating their violence against citizens that they don't happen to like, I'm not crazy about that one. And yet, as Prince Otto said, politics is the art of the possible.

Not Satire.

By Delaware Dem March 16, 20159 Comments

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that former Republican nominee and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will be getting in the boxing ring and fighting Evander Holyfield in May as part of a charity fundraiser. I'm not making this up.

Monday Open Thread [3.16.15]

By Delaware Dem March 16, 201519 Comments

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told CNN that he plans to hold hostage the nomination of Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch until such time as Democrats capitulate on the Human Trafficking Bill.

Said McConnell: “This will have an impact on the timing of considering a new attorney general. I had hoped to turn to her next week, but if we can’t finish the trafficking bill, she will be put off again.” “Democrats are now holding up the trafficking bill, which glided through the judiciary committee, after they noticed an abortion provision embedded in the bill that would prevent victims of human trafficking from using restitution funds to pay for an abortion.”

Fine. All business in the Senate will now end until such time as the Republicans remove this anti-choice poison pill amendment from the bill. No other business can be considered. Eric Holder has no problems staying on as Attorney General, so that is not a concern. Yes, Mitch, we just shot your fucking hostage and took one of our own: your entire Senate. And go fuck yourself.

Sunday Open Thread [3.15.15]

By Delaware Dem March 15, 20151 Comment

Jonathan Chait on why there is no Republican Plan B for replacing Obamacare: “All the Republican predictions have failed. Just this week, the Congressional Budget Office once again revised down its cost projections for the law, which is now projected to cost 20 percent less than originally estimated. Given conservative certainty that the opposite would occur, you might expect some revision. But conservatives have not abandoned or even reduced their fervent opposition to Obamacare. This is because the right’s specific, measurable predictions about the law are subordinate to deeper, philosophical beliefs.” “They oppose the law’s methods (more taxes, spending, and regulation) on principle. They believe those methods will fail to achieve their stated goals, but even if they succeed, they oppose them anyway. Republicans cannot design a partywide health-care alternative because they cannot reconcile the specific things most Americans want from the health-care system (access to affordable insurance, protection from discrimination against preexisting conditions) with their ideological commitments.” And that is why I have always said the Republican Plan for Healthcare is exactly the situation Obamacare was passed to address: Republicans believe only those who can afford it should get healthcare, as it is a privilege in their eyes and not a right. And if you have a preexisting condition, or if you have met your illness or lifetime cap on insurance payments, or if you are a woman, tough shit.

Saturday Open Thread [3.14.15]

By Delaware Dem March 14, 2015

Jonathan Chait has a great exit interview with White House adviser Dan Pfeiffer. “The original premise of Obama’s first presidential campaign was that he could reason with Republicans—or else, by staking out obviously reasonable stances, force them to moderate or be exposed as extreme and unyielding. It took years for the White House to conclude that this was false… If you had to pinpoint the moment this worldview began to crystallize, it would probably be around the first debt-ceiling showdown, in 2011, when Obama tried repeatedly and desperately to cut a budget deal with House Speaker John Boehner only to realize, eventually, that Boehner did not have the power to negotiate. The administration has now decided that in many cases, even adversarial bargaining fails because the Republican leadership is not capable of planning tactically.” Explained Pfeiffer: “You have to be careful not to presume a lot of strategy for this group. I’ve always believed that the fundamental, driving strategic ethos of the Republican House leadership has been, What do we do to get through the next caucus or conference without getting yelled at? We should never assume they have a long game. We used to spend a lot of time thinking that maybe Boehner is saying this to get himself some more room. And it’s like, no, that’s not actually the case. Usually he’s just saying it because he just said it or it’s the easiest thing to solve his immediate problem.”

The Weekly Addresses

By Delaware Dem March 14, 20152 Comments

President Obama lays out his vision for quality, affordable higher education for all Americans.

Governor Markell speaks on his effort to reduce school testing.

“Did your God come down and do it with his beard?”

By jason330 March 13, 201535 Comments

Something interesting happened on the last episode of Survivor. A redneck's anthropomorphic God was mocked to his face. Yes, I am the last surviving Survivor viewer, and it is for moments like this. Mike, the classic redneck, was grousing about how much work he is doing compared to everyone else, while Lindsey the tattooed Gen-Xer thinks Mike is only aware of the work he does, and doesn't notice when other tribe members pitch in by collecting firewood and keeping the fire going. "Did your God come down and do it with his beard?" she asks pointing to the fire. I loved the addition of "...with his beard." A nice touch, as if to say, "Where is your God now, you ridiculous twit?" As it turns out I should not be surprised by the mocking of a redneck's shallow and stupid version of Christianity on TV or elsewhere. It is the new big thing, as Americans are opting out of religion (particularly Christianity) in droves.

Friday Open Thread [3.13.15]

By Delaware Dem March 13, 2015

The Republican Governors of Alabama, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Maine, Kansas and Iowa are all going to raise taxes and user fees. They have no problem raising taxes in the end. They only care about who the taxes are raised upon. Their tax raises will be regressive, focused on sales tax increases and fee increases, which will hurt the middle class and the poor more. They have no problem engaging class warfare. Only if Delaware had a Democratic Governor who likewise raised taxes and engaged in class warfare against the wealthy.

Warning: “Choreplay” Isn’t A Cute Phrase, So Don’t Use It. Really, Just Don’t

By pandora March 12, 201526 Comments

Even as a stay-at-home mom who handles almost all the household work, the term "choreplay" irritates me. Haven't heard it yet? Well, here's what it means: Men can get more sex if they do chores around the house. This NYT article makes a lot of good points, including the part about fathers and women's voices in business. (Note to beer and car manufacturers: I'm the one who buys most of the beer in our household. I don't drink beer, but I buy it for my husband since I'm the one who runs most of the errands. I'm also part of the car buying decision. So if your ad is sexist and I don't like it, I won't buy your product. Perhaps, you should cater to me, too. I swear, when I watch some of these commercials I know there aren't women, in positions of power, making decisions, because half this nonsense would never be aired if there were.) But here's where the NYT's article goes off the rails.....

Thursday Open Thread [3.12.15]

By Delaware Dem March 12, 20159 Comments

Republican senator and presidential hopeful Lindsey Graham (he can't be actually running, this is a joke, right?) said in Concord, New Hampshire yesterday that his first act of business as President is to deploy the United States Military to Washington, DC to surround Capital Hill and the Capital Building and force the House of Representatives and the Senate to pass his overly inflated military budget that does away with sequestration. Heil Hitler!!! Er ah, I mean Heil President Graham! You sir truly are a dictator. Or at least you want to be. You see Republicans, that is what a dictator would look like. You say Obama is a dictator? LOL, no. Actually deploying the military on US Soil (which is an impeachable crime itself under the Posse Comitatus act) to force Congress to pass your agenda. That's a armed coup d'etat.