Tim Carpenter, PDA Co-Founder, Has Died

Tim Carpenter, PDA Co-Founder, Has Died

Tim Carpenter, Co-Founder of Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), has died at 55. He suffered terminal cancer but I read he worked up to the very end this week leading PDA. He leaves a huge legacy and both a wife and two daughters to carry on his work.
Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tues., April 29, 2014

Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tues., April 29, 2014

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'Money, That's What I Want': Barrett Strong That's what the Governor wants, that's what the General Assembly wants, and that's what they will talk about. I don't know what kind of negotiations went on over the Easter break, but state government is facing a budget shortfall, largely due to revenue from 'abandoned property' (escheats) coming in lower than projected. BTW, you can't spell 'escheats' with out 'cheats'.  If you think you've started to notice a pattern of how much of our budget is built on gimmickry, you are not imagining things. Especially when an alternative is to make the wealthy pay their fair share. Not to mention that we've seen no movement on either the gas tax or proposed water assessment. Unless you count the Rethugs' putting up signs reading 'No New Gas Taxes' all over the New Castle County landscape. Might I suggest perhaps a more constructive project for Rethugs with time on their hands? Maybe fix bridges or fill potholes? You know, the types of repairs that will not be done if Dover denizens do not come to their respective senses? For the umpteenth time: Governor: Stop talking about castor oil. Start talking about the jobs this would create and the projects that would get done. Then go out there and sell it. If it's not too late. Democrats (and whatever Valerie Longhurst passes for this week): Do the same bleeping thing. You do want to create jobs, don't you? If so, govern like Democrats. If  you can't sell jobs and bridges that won't fall down, get outta town.

Monday Open Thread [4.28.14]

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"Usually when I get up this early, I get up to kill something." -- Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), at an early morning church service to a congregation not familiar with his passion for bowhunting. Yes, such a Christian thing to say. So is Sarah Palin's statement that that "Waterboarding is how we baptize terrorists." Out of all the dumb and offensive and idiotic things she has said since bursting onto the scene in 2008, this is the most outrageous.

Saturday Open Thread [4.26.14]

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Crystal Wright:
“The entire Bundy affair just makes the Republican Party look bad. Are all Republicans racist? Absolutely not. But many overwhelmingly came out in support of this lunatic. I think it’s an awful day for conservatives. I think we need serious reflection because we’re not going to win 2016 with this attitude, keep doing things the same old way. We have old white men saying offensive things to women and minorities, and I’m tired of it.”
These old white men just need to die off over the next two decades, then the Republican Party can win again once they are cleansed of their poison. Unless of course some unwise young white men get infected... But there is some hope, because here is a conservative old white man, Charles Krauthammer:
“It isn’t enough to say I don’t agree with what he said. This is a despicable statement. It’s not the statement, you have to disassociate yourself entirely from the man. It’s not like the words exist here and the man exists here. And why conservatives, or some conservatives end up in bed with people who, you know, he makes an anti-government statement, he takes an anti-government stand, he wears a nice big hat and he rides a horse, and all of a sudden he is a champion of democracy … Look, do I have the right to go in to graze sheep in Central Park? I think not. You have to have some respect for the federal government, some respect for our system. And to say you don’t and you don’t recognize it and that makes you a conservative hero, to me, is completely contradictory, and rather appalling. And he has now proved it."
Maybe most conservatives are just dumb. Not evil, just stupid as f*ck.

The Weekly Addresses

President Obama: I don't know if this is because of last week's holidays of Easter and Passover, but Governor Markell published his weekly message on Monday, April 21. So it may be that Markell is now publishing his message at the beginning of the week. Here is the message from April 21:

Cliven Bundy is Jeff Christopher, and vice versa.

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Rachel explains.... Harry Reid is right. They are domestic terrorists. Our Constitutional framework is structured such that Federal law, or laws passed by the Congress of the United States and signed into law by the President of United States, and the U.S. Supreme Court's rulings on said laws and the laws of the 50 states and local governments, are the fucking SUPREME law of the land. Nothing trumps it. Nothing. If you disagree with this notion, you are opposed to the Constitution of the United States, much less the Government of the United States. These sheriffs, including Jeff Christopher, are obligated to enforce the laws of the United States. If they do not, they are derelict in their duties and must be removed from office. They would not be patriots. They would be traitors.
Friday Open Thread [4.25.14]

Friday Open Thread [4.25.14]

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I haven't really been following the traitor Cliven Bundy saga closely, because I don't want to get too pissed off. To me, the issue is clear: this is federal land. The federal government as the owner of the land, allows ranchers to use the land as a grazing area for their livestock, for a price. The rancher has to pay a grazing fee for two reasons. One, if he doesn't, then he is a criminal trespasser. Two, if the federal government doesn't charge the fee and collect, or exercise some dominion and control over the land, then they are opening themselves up to claims of adverse possession, which is a fancy legal term for someone gaining legal title to your property after squatting on it in an open, continuous and hostile way for 21 years. So if the government allows Bundy and his band of armed traitors to possess this land without paying the grazing fee, the government could lose the land. That Bundy is a racist is of no surprise and no real importance to me. I assumed he was. Of course he was. All these conservative militia types are racist. The surprise would have been if he wasn't racist. The more important issue to me is the property issue. The federal government should issue an order to Bundy. He and his livestock and his militia shall vacate the federal lands by a date certain, unless Bundy agrees to pay the grazing fees. If Bundy refuses to pay, then he must vacate. If he does not vacate, his livestock shall be confiscated and he and his militia will be forcibly removed from the property. If any person interferes during this process, they shall be arrested. If any of these persons fire at federal officials or law enforcement officers, they will be taken out by professionally trained snipers. Done and done. Sure, it might lead to another Ruby Ridge or Waco, but who the fuck cares? Since when must traitors and cult leaders be coddled? Since when must we not offend law breakers? Since when does the federal government care if a crackpot doesn't recognize its authority?
Delaware Political Weekly: April 19-25, 2014

Delaware Political Weekly: April 19-25, 2014

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Yesterday, Hunter Biden emerged to tell us that Beau Biden, the new presumed frontrunner for Governor in 2016, is 'doing great'. The day before, it was Pete Schwartzkopf. Assuming that they speak the truth, can someone, anyone, explain to me why the Beaudhisattva is incommunicado? Is he absorbing more enlightenment beneath the Bo Tree? I'm serious, can someone please provide a plausible scenario that would explain his refusal to come out and say, "Hi, I'm here, I'm healthy, didja miss me?"  I honestly don't think I've seen anything quite like this. It defies explanation, at least to me. BTW, if you read Hunter Biden's statement carefully, he doesn't say that Beau's in great health. Come inside for the quote. As to 2016, while Matt Denn has said that he doesn't 'expect' to run for Governor then, neither has he ruled it out. He didn't expect to run for AG this year b/c he didn't expect Biden not to run. I think Matt will accomplish more in two years as AG as Beau has done in six, so he'd be well-positioned to run in 2016, especially if Beau surprises everyone again. Which, IMHO, would be no surprise at all.