President Obama’s Remarks In Honor Of Beau Biden
"A man," wrote an Irish poet, "is original when he speaks the truth that has always been known to all good men." Beau Biden was an original. He was a…
The percentage of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who describe themselves as both social and economic conservatives has dropped to 42%, the lowest level Gallup has measured since 2005. The second-largest group of Republicans (24%) see themselves as moderate or liberal on both social and economic issues, while 20% of all Republicans are moderate or liberal on social issues but conservative on economic ones.So even Republicans are becoming more liberal. But they still think Iraq was a good idea, so they are still idiots.
This photo is from the wonderful photography of Nick McNevich. McNevich's work was recently featured in the News Journal. McNevich is also part of the CreateInWilm Facebook community, which is a cooperative group of artists, photographers, and craftspeople dedicated to bringing change to the city of Wilmington through art and expression.
“Mrs. Clinton typically offers more muted criticism but was animated on the subject of voting rights… She took on four of her potential rivals by name. She attacked former Texas Gov. Rick Perry for supporting a law requiring voter identification to cast ballots that allows a concealed weapons license for identification but not a student ID. She said Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was wrong for cutting back early voting, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for vetoing a bill that would have extended early voting. And she said former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was wrong for purging voters from Florida’s rolls ahead of the 2000 election.”Good. Kick some ass, Hillary.
One topic is getting little attention as lawmakers attempt to close an $83 million budget gap: raising income tax rates. And, specifically, raising taxes on Delaware's wealthiest earners, who have seen most of the state's wage gains in recent years. Delaware's personal income tax is the largest source of state revenue, generating $1.2 billion this year - enough to fund almost 32 percent of total state government operations. Delaware's top income tax rate of 6.6 percent is charged on incomes $60,000 and above. Some lawmakers now say adding a tax bracket for wealthier Delawareans could help solve the state's budget problems, while more fairly spreading the state's income tax burden. Consider these potential scenarios, and their impact on annual state tax collections: 1. Raise rate to 7.6 percent on incomes > $125,000: $71.7 million 2. Raise rate to 7.6 percent on incomes > $250,000: $46.7 million 3. Raise rate to 7.1 percent on incomes > $125,000: $35.7 million *Source: Delaware Department of FinanceTime to lay down the gauntlet: If Delaware's Democrats do not add more tax brackets and rates above our current highest rate of 6.6% on incomes over $60,000, they cannot be considered Democrats any further. Not just progressive Democrats. Actual Democrats. Seriously, you all might as well become Republicans right now. And that will be especially true if they go for any of Governor Markell's Republican ideas of repealing the Estate Tax or lowering corporate or income tax rates. Repeat after me Democrats in the General Assembly: You will add tax brackets and rates on the wealthy. You will do it.
The interior of St. Anthony's of Padua Church, which will be the site of the viewing of former Attorney General Beau Biden today and his funeral mass tomorrow. This photo is from Tim Furlong's Instagram.
Sam Hoff, a political science professor at Delaware State University, said, "When you think of Joe, you think of someone whose own moral fiber and strength is on public display in times of trauma." Politically, Hoff said Biden's long career in the U.S. Senate and the vice presidency has helped strengthen Democratic politics in Delaware to the point that Democrats dominate here. "Would I say that Joe is singularly responsible for the strong Democratic emphasis we see? No, not singularly," Hoff said. "But we're in a strong Democratic trend in a state, and we have been since 1992. That coincides with a large part of Joe's career."Yes, not singularly. Delaware became deep blue the second the national Republican Party embraced extreme social conservatism. I wasn't sure if then Senator Biden's career in the First State had anything to do with it, but the deep emotional outpouring for Joe Biden and his family this week since the death of their son, Beau Biden, has me reconsidering it.
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.