Open Thread

President’s Day Open Thread [2.17.14]

Filed in Open Thread by on February 17, 2014 32 Comments
President’s Day Open Thread [2.17.14]

Late on Friday, Michael Dunn (the middle-aged white man who shot a black teenager who wouldn’t comply with his demand to turn down his music) was convicted on 4 of the five charges:

Dunn, who is white, fired 10 shots into an SUV, killing Jordan Davis, 17, who was black. The shooting in a convenience store parking lot in Jacksonville erupted after Dunn asked the teenagers in the vehicle to turn down their music.

Dunn was charged with first-degree murder, three counts of attempted second-degree murder and one count of firing into a vehicle in the Nov. 23, 2012, shooting. The jury couldn’t reach a decision on the first-degree murder charge, but convicted on the other four.

Continue Reading »

Saturday Open Thread [2/15/14]

Filed in Open Thread by on February 15, 2014 10 Comments
Saturday Open Thread [2/15/14]

Even though Volkswagon had no issues with the formation of a union at their plant in Tennessee, the GOP lied and howled and threatened enough to help narrowly defeat a vote for a union yesterday. The take away, of course, is that every time you hear someone in the GOP talk about the middle class or a better deal for workers, you know that is a lie. Because the only people the GOP were defending here were themselves and their anti-union special interests. Of course, you won’t hear one word from the usual “Government should stay out of the way of business” crowd denouncing the GOP’s clear interference with Volkswagon here.

Continue Reading »

Valentine’s Day Open Thread [2.14.14]

Filed in Open Thread by on February 14, 2014 4 Comments
Valentine’s Day Open Thread [2.14.14]

This Open Thread *may* be late because DD decided to be early to his date with Frank Underwood and the House of Cards crew. Season 2 is on Netflix today and the early reviews strongly point to binge-watching. Apparently even President Obama is a fan, and tweeted a warning for No Spoilers:

Continue Reading »

Tuesday Open Thread [2.11.14]

Filed in Delaware, Open Thread by on February 11, 2014 2 Comments

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) sent us what they called a guest post, but it was more like a press release, concerning the General Assembly’s passage of SB 6, the Minimum Wage Bill. I am very happy that the DLCC is working up the state legislative races across the land, because, as we have seen across the country, when Republicans get control of them, they everything and anything they ever wanted to pass. Forced gun ownership. Complete abortion bans. Voter suppression.

So I wish them well in there efforts to link the state legislative into the Democrats’ overrall midterm narrative of income inequality.

But… sometimes these national organizations miss some of the local politics that take place. Come inside to see their guest post / release and what I mean by that…

Continue Reading »

Sunday Open Thread [2.9.14]

Filed in Open Thread by on February 9, 2014 5 Comments

VP Joe Biden tells CNN that he’ll make a firm decision about running for President Summer 2015:

Vice President Joe Biden joked this week that being able to drive his Corvette – is one good reason not to run. But, when asked to give another good reason not to run, Biden responded simply.

“I can’t.”

“There may be reasons I don’t run, but there’s no obvious reason for me why I think I should not run,” he said in the interview with Kate Bolduan on CNN’s “New Day.”

Biden went on to say he would make a decision “realistically, a year this summer.”

Is it me, or is this a little late? Realistically, there ought to be operations need to get stood up in Iowa and NH right around then right?

Continue Reading »

Saturday Open Thread [2.8.14]

Filed in Open Thread by on February 8, 2014 0 Comments

In a bit of good news for freedom of speech, Beau Biden’s office has withdrawn its subpoena to find out who Peaceful Rioters for Wilmington, Delaware is. The relevant bit:

“They decided it wasn’t essential to the investigation and that’s a good thing,’’ MacRae said. “They have to be very discriminatory when they seek private information like that.’’

Joseph S. Grubb, the chief New Castle County prosecutor, said Biden’s top supervisors decided this week to withdraw the subpoena because the information would not further the criminal case – not because of criticism or opposition.

“The investigation kind of took a turn,’’ Grubb said. “It’s proven less likely there’s a relevant connection’’ between the creators of Peaceful Rioters and the Hockessin-area missives about top county officials.

Translation: We got caught in a fishing expedition and we’re trying to put a good face on our backing out of this strategy.

Continue Reading »

Friday Open Thread [2.7.14]

Filed in National, Open Thread by on February 7, 2014 3 Comments
Friday Open Thread [2.7.14]

The American Nazi Party had more than 4,000 followers on Twitter, and at least two of were influential conservative and Republican organizations (I don’t call them ‘think tanks’ because thinking is the last thing that occurs there): The Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation. Yesterday, after being discovered, they quickly unfollowed the Nazis and apologized. But, why where they following the Nazis in the first place? Trying to find new ideas?

Continue Reading »

Thursday Open Thread [2.6.14]

Filed in Open Thread by on February 6, 2014 2 Comments

PPP does some interesting polling in Alaska, finding that Hillary Clinton leads Sarah Palin in a matchup for President (44-43), with Palin still having pretty awful approval ratings (39% approve). Alaskans overwhelmingly approve of legalizing pot for medical purposes (74-22) and by a smaller, but still majority margin for recreational use (55-39). I’m especially interested in the polling for a referendum measure that looks to repeal Senate Bill 21, the Oil and Gas Production Tax which provided a big tax cut to carbon energy companies. This was a controversial thing and right now Alaskans say they will vote to repeal 43-31%. People do know when they are being screwed over for special interests and maybe if more of these had to be voted upon by taxpayers, there’d be fewer efforts to pad the pockets of the people paying for elections. The caveat, of course, is who knows what will happen with the special interests ramp up their fear and loathing campaigns.

Continue Reading »

Wednesday Open Thread [2.5.14]

Filed in National, Open Thread by on February 5, 2014 5 Comments
Wednesday Open Thread [2.5.14]

What fresh hell is this? Teen killer George Zimmerman is boxing rapper DMX in some celebrity thing. Seriously, I don’t get it. Zimmerman has already told the world that he was powerless against a teenager who weighed less than he did, and was armed with only Skittles. Now he wants to fight a rapper. I guess he thinks there is more money and more notoriety at stake, but who does he expect to actually root for him here? There’s a petition to stop the fight, but frankly I hope DMX kicks his ass.

Continue Reading »

Tuesday Open Thread [2.4.14]

Filed in Open Thread by on February 4, 2014 2 Comments
Tuesday Open Thread [2.4.14]

Philip Klein is shocked at the House speaker’s decision to pursue immigration reform in the lead-up to midterm elections:

If immigration reform passes, it will boost Democrats’ prospects in 2014 by demoralizing the GOP base and elevating President Obama, who just delivered a State of the Union Address that tacitly acknowledged he could no longer achieve anything major. If it fails again due to a conservative backlash, then it will trigger another wave of Democratic attacks on Republicans for being anti-Hispanic

Excellent

Continue Reading »

Superbowl Sunday Open Thread [2.2.14]

Filed in Open Thread by on February 2, 2014 12 Comments
Superbowl Sunday Open Thread [2.2.14]

So are you ready? And who are you betting will win? Who is going to have the best ad? It is Superbowl Sunday (AKA for this matchup as the 420 Bowl), so use this thread to work out your trash talking and brag about your snacks.

Continue Reading »

Saturday Open Thread [2.1.14]

Filed in Open Thread by on February 1, 2014 5 Comments
Saturday Open Thread [2.1.14]

The NJ editorial this AM takes on the case of the subpoena to Peaceful Rioters (from Facebook). Frankly, I wished they would have called for all of the potential parties involved in this thing to cease and desist (I mean, who doesn’t see Setting’s claim of investigation the hateful material delivered to that Hokessin family as anything but a useful cover?). There are far too many Delaware Way hands who have their fingers in the pie here and I really hope that a judge gets to ask point blank exactly why Setting thinks there is a connection to Peaceful Rioters. Seriously, there are plenty of things for the AG to worry about — not the least of which is the illegal trafficking of guns to Delaware; an unfinished implementation of the Crime-Free Rental Housing Program or even the serious conflicts of interest present in Connections employees being on Wilmington City Council. Right?

Continue Reading »

Monday Open Thread [1.20.14]

Filed in Open Thread by on January 20, 2014 9 Comments
Monday Open Thread [1.20.14]

Over the weekend, the Christie Bridgegate scandal took a turn into a far more serious area, which, if proven true, will result in his removal from office and possible indictment on corruption charges. Steve Kornacki released a blockbuster story involving Hoboken, NJ, a city along the Hudson in North Jersey. Hoboken’s Mayor, Dawn Zimmer, says the Christie administration refused to provide Sandy Relief until the city approved a separate real estate project tied to Christie confidante, David Samson. Samson is also Chairman of the Port Authority.

Continue Reading »