Friday Open Thread [1.16.15]

Friday Open Thread [1.16.15]

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Sorry for my absence this week with the open threads. I was sent deep down south on business (and then my superiors complained about me not being in the office). But this time I didn't see any horrible evil signs or cross burnings, so maybe the region is improving, or maybe there is not a black President during an election anymore. I can't wait to see the white conservative reaction to Hillary Clinton, specifically whether it will be sexist on the part of self hating white conservative women. Here are some fun maps. Is Irish food really the preferred cuisine of Delaware? What is Irish cuisine? Steak and potatoes? Corned beef and cabbage?
John Carney on why he voted to weaken Dodd-Frank (annotated)

John Carney on why he voted to weaken Dodd-Frank (annotated)

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I found this early draft of Carney's HR 37 statement on line. "Many of you have asked me why I voted for H.R. 37, featured in the News Journal this morning. Dodd-Frank was passed before I came to Congress, but I support its goal of reining in Wall Street and protecting taxpayers.[Please note that "support" should be enclosed in quotation marks]
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.]

Late Night Video — NYPD #PMS

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This is Bill Mahar hilariously commenting on the NYPD snit over accountability:
Post by Bill Maher.
John Carney Mad About the Fight Over the Dodd-Frank Rollback

John Carney Mad About the Fight Over the Dodd-Frank Rollback

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We already know that a provision to roll back the Dodd-Frank provision that forbid banks from booking their deriviatives in the the parts of their business that is insured by taxpayers. They would have to keep them in the portions of their business where losses were borne entirely by the bank and their shareholders. Elizabeth Warren led what Bloomberg called The Great Swaps Rebellion during the Cromnibus negotiations. And John Carney was peeved: