Senate Set to Vote on Port of Wilmington Bill Today

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Senator Bob Marshall wants to make sure that any sale/partnership/call it what you will regarding the Port of Wilmington must have legislative approval. And why not? Jack Markell and Alan Levin have not publicly acknowledged any legislative prerogative when it comes to having their preferred partner, Kinder Morgan, an Enron spin-off with numerous environmental and labor violations on its record, take over the operations of the Port. In this case, silence is not golden, unless you are Kinder Morgan. Keep in mind that, had Markell and Levin committed to the legislative process for this proposed transaction, none of this would be necessary. Methinks an unforced error. You'd think, at least I'd think, that all 21 senators would vote yes on SB 3. I mean, why not? We're talking about a transaction that would have huge impact to the State, the City of Wilmington, and hundreds of port workers and their families. You're talking about the principle of three co-equal branches of government, and the possibility, should SB 3 not pass, that the General Assembly would be removed entirely from this momentous decision. You're talking about the whole notion of legislative oversight and the public disinfectant of sunshine.

Delaware General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., Jan . 15, 2013

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Delaware's top elected officials ensured that gun control would be front-and center during the 2013-14 legislative session by unveiling a bold and (IMHO) essential set of initiatives at a Monday news conference. You can check out the proposed package here. I can't praise Governor Jack Markell, Lt. Gov. Matt Denn and AG Beau Biden highly enough for this. I'll be more than a little intrigued to see how the timid souls who constitute Delaware's D. C. delegation respond to any initiatives coming from the White House. Delaware's proposed legislation includes: (1) a ban on the sale, manufacture, delivery, and unlawful possession of military-style assault weapons; (2) a ban on the sale, manufacture, delivery. and unlawful possession of large-capacity magazines; (3) requiring background checks for private purchase of firearms; (4) requiring the reporting of lost and stolen firearms; and (5) banning the possession of firearms within 1000 feet of a school, except for those exempted from this requirement. This package will inevitably draw the total opposition of the NRA and the oxymoronically-named Delaware Sportsmen's Association. Good.

Republicans May Need To Shut Down The Government Just To “Get It Out Of Their System”

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Getting something out of your system is never a sign of maturity. It can be a step towards maturity if the person survives the procedure, but it's rarely good in itself. We associate getting things out of your system to such things as youthful experimentation, sowing wild oats, drugs, alcohol, sex and obsessions. Know who else we say needs to get things out of their system? Toddlers having temper tantrums. Which brings me to this quote:
GOP officials said more than half of their members are prepared to allow default unless Obama agrees to dramatic cuts he has repeatedly said he opposes. Many more members, including some party leaders, are prepared to shut down the government to make their point. House Speaker John Boehner “may need a shutdown just to get it out of their system,” said a top GOP leadership adviser. “We might need to do that for member-management purposes — so they have an endgame and can show their constituents they’re fighting.” [emphasis mine] [...]
Starting Monday, Boehner will huddle with his leadership team to discuss his preliminary thinking on a spending strategy. A source who attended meetings to prepare for those private talks said GOP leaders are authentically at a loss on how to control members who don’t respond to the normal incentives of wanting to help party leaders or of avoiding situations — like default — that could be public relations nightmares.
So how do you think that huddle is going to work out? What exactly will John Boehner, worst Speaker in history, do? Why he's going to hold a class ("walk members through") on default. Don't get me wrong, the majority of Republicans need this class. They also need a sex ed class and one on Climate Change.

Two Good Bills

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Even for the first week of legislative session, this was the slowest first week evah for the Delaware General Assembly. However, the first worthy pieces of legislation of the 147th surfaced, and both deserve your attention.....

House GOP Priorities Include a Continuation of the War on Women

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Rescuing anon's comment from the Open Thread, Paul Ryan has decided that his first signature act of this new Congress would be to cosponsor a bill that would give legal rights to a zygote. Bills like this were roundly defeated everyplace they came up in 2012, if they even survived legal challenges. So this is the signal, right? That the GOP intends to beat their own record for the Worst Congress Ever.

The GOP’s radical embrace of nullification

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Last fall Steve Benen wrote about the GOP's attempts to nullify federal law related to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by refusing to vote on the nomination of Richard Cordray to lead the agency. My take is that the GOP's radical embrace of nullification has become their standard operating procedure and they flat out don't give a flying fuck about the effects that it could have on the country or the Constitution. If it "hurts" the President - they are for it. If it "helps" the President they are not only against it - but they are willing to go to war over it.