O’Donnell was an anti-establishment candidate who ran to show that “career politicians and the establishment don’t own our country.” Thanks to the media coverage of her bizarre statements, O’Donnell’s name was much more recognizable in Delaware than her opponent. And as far as I can tell, Donald Trump isn’t a witch, either.
To quote Ron Burgandy, “That escalated quickly.”
Over the course of one weekend, Joe Biden went from lovable Onion character just trying to wash his Trans Am in the White House driveway to giant cartoon grand piano ready to crush an unsuspecting Hillary Clinton.
But should he run?
Let’s not mince words. Not since 2009 has the General Assembly entered June with so much uncertainty and so much unfinished business. I’d argue that it will even be a more difficult June than June of 2009.
Back then, everyone recognized that Delaware, like virtually every other state, was suffering from an economic downturn. The newly-minted governor was able to work with the General Assembly to craft a series of ‘revenue-enhancers’ to address the budget shortfall. R’s released just enough yes votes to enable bills to pass, in exchange for provisions sunsetting the revenue enhancers.
Fast-forward six years. This governor has lost a huge amount of political influence. So much so that his press flak has said that he’ll watch what the General Assembly does, and not actively participate. He has, in particular, lost a lot of leverage with Democrats. Some of this is inevitable. Lame ducks almost never have much political capital to spend by Year 7. Markell has also wasted political capital in ways that have earned him the enmity and distrust of D’s in particular. Whether it’s the disaster of Race To the Top, his attempt to bypass the General Assembly while looking to get rid of the Port of Wilmington, his sabotage of a meaningful minimum wage bill, his inability to rally support for his gas tax increase, his cheerleading for charter schools, his refusal to consider any tax increase on his wealthy pals, and so much more, he is as close to feckless as any governor facing a budget shortfall can be.
Except…he HAS, by Executive Order, created a panel to look at long-term changes to how Delaware funds government. Unfortunately, Markell has chosen to place a vast majority of DINO’s and Rethugs on the panel, ensuring that any recommendations it might make would not in any way address inequities in who pays what. The good news: the ideas that are being put forward by this group are likely to be DOA. I mean, eliminate the estate tax? Really? These are not serious proposals except in a world where ALEC is king.
The Rethugs, as usual, don’t appear interested in governing, just using the shortfall to try to screw workers. Many of the D’s are, per usual, afraid of their own shadows, and don’t want to risk political capital to do the right thing unless it’s politically neutral, at worst.
While there has been some movement on infrastructure spending in the form of proposed motor vehicle document fee increases, a proposal that has passed the House, the money raised would not close the infrastructure revenue gap, nor would it address last year’s shortfall.
Other than that, who knows? While it is not unusual for the JFC to delay finalizing a budget until some time in mid-June, especially until after the final DEFAC estimate, it is unusual for the key issues to be this muddled and unresolved at this time. It is also unusual for there to be so many unresolved budgetary issues this late in the game. And, it’s virtually unprecedented for the Governor to have voluntarily removed himself from the process. I fear that the so-called ‘Big Head’ Committee will take over and cut some pretty unsavory deals. For those who are new, the ‘Big Head’ Committee is the nickname for leadership. They generally step in when things are at an impasse. Me? I’d much rather have JFC, especially the co-chairs, playing the key role here.
My suggestion? With the governor taking himself out of the game, why not do what this governor has steadfastly refused to do? Craft an income bracket for the higher-earners. And look for other ways to restore equity to the tax system.
Tuesday’s House Agenda (Now linkable!! Many thanks to whomever made this possible.) features legislation that would decriminalize marijuana possession, at least to an extent. As it is currently constituted, HB 39(Keeley) would:
…decriminalize the possession or private use of a personal use quantity of marijuana. More specifically, persons who possess one ounce or less of marijuana shall be assessed a civil penalty that will not become part of a criminal record and must forfeit the marijuana. Likewise, the private use or consumption of less than an ounce of marijuana shall be punishable by a civil penalty. Persons charged with one of these civil violations are not subject to incarceration.
Over and above the question as to whether the bill will pass, the overriding concern is to what extent will amendments pushed by the police weaken the bill. So far, the only pre-filed amendment has nothing to do with the negotiations that have reportedly taken place. Let’s see whether reason will win out over relentless pushback from the cops. I am not optimistic. The police appear to be fighting any impositions on their ability to use, say, a whiff of marijuana (real or imagined) as a pretext to conduct searches that could lead to arrests on other offenses. Of course, people are supposed to be protected from unreasonable search and seizures. Making HB 39 an advancement for our constitutional rights, rights that have been routinely undermined by the police. The cops want to continue to undermine those rights. It’s time that the General Assembly stand up to them. Have a vote on the clean bill, let’s see where our representatives really stand.
HB 4(Bolden) is also noteworthy. I never would have thought that an employer would have acted so egregiously as to make this legislation necessary. But at least one did. This bill deserves to be on the Governor’s desk ASAP.
Today’s Senate Agenda features a humane bill that also addresses the state’s marijuana laws. SB 90(Lopez) enables a physician to prescribe the oils of medical marijuana for treatment of intractable epilepsy. One of Sen. Lopez’ youthful constituents has this condition, and Lopez has led a bipartisan effort to enable this child to get the treatment they need. I expect nothing less than a unanimous vote in both houses.
I’ll be back with a preview of this week’s committee meetings tomorrow as I just ran out of time to include it in today’s piece.
I’ll be on the Al Show today to discuss Beau Biden (that was a tremendously powerful piece that Pandora wrote) and all things legislative as session days get longer and the number of those days dwindle.
I wasn’t going to write about this, but, today, Al Mascitti made me cry. He was so choked up as he spoke about Beau and his family. So many memories came flooding back. Painful memories, but memories I wouldn’t give up for the world. I’m also publishing this today due to the comments on the other thread. We’ve obviously “gone there” so let me add my insight.
It’s no secret I was in the “medical privacy” camp, but I sorta stayed out of those debates because I could (sorta) see the other side. It was a different conversation because, imo, it removed the humanity of the obvious situation, and while I didn’t understand that side (and I’m not really here to debate that, altho that will probably happen given the comments on the “memorial” thread) my lack of understanding probably had a lot to do with how many times I’ve been up close and personal to this type of situation.
Dying trumps everything. There are no politics, no career moves, no family squabbles, no test scores – These. Things. Do. Not. Matter. At. All. If they matter to you, then that is your luxury.
Here’s the truth: There are no rules, no shoulds, no have tos, in regards to a terminal illness. Just like there are no rules to grief. Death is a solitary experience. No one can tell you how to handle this. There isn’t a “correct” way of doing this. The dying person gets to set the rules.
I’ve written about my experience with my best friend in 2011. Allow me to pull a passage from this post.
When a person faces a terminal illness their perspective changes. Instead of focusing on being “cured” – which they accept isn’t an option – they focus on how much time they can buy. As a 47 year old, divorced mother of two teenage boys my friend was obsessed with buying time. I completely understood.
Time Mattered.
And yet, time was the one thing not discussed. Not by her, or me, or her doctor. It was the elephant in the room. All of us knew time was running out. None of us discussed it. Sometimes saying things out loud makes them more real… too real?
Announcing you are dying is not a simple or easy thing to do – and you get to decide who you share it with and when. If you think it is easy then you have probably not experienced death up close – especially the death of a young person with children. Saying this truth out loud is nearly impossible. It changes everything. It is admitting defeat. Every day is precious. Every day is a fight and a gift. Every day might be your last.
And telling your children, or having them have to face this reality through the constant chatter of talking heads (“Joe Biden went to Delaware. Is he visiting his dying son?”) or newspaper articles, is the hardest thing you will ever experience. Dying people don’t care about “your” concerns or issues – nor should they, because in the big scheme of things any concerns other than their children, spouse and family are things they have moved beyond. Your and our concerns are petty. Politics is a silly issue they have moved beyond. (and I love politics, but it goes out the window in this situation.)
And the one thing that really matters is control. Control over how you die – over how you live your last days or months or years. And once everyone “knows” (or your illness progresses) you lose control. You become your disease. So, I can completely understand why Beau Biden held onto control as long as possible. That was his right. And in the end, it was his only right and the only thing he could control. He didn’t “owe” anybody anything. Sorry, but he didn’t.
Ugh. I’m rereading this and I know I sound preachy. I don’t mean to. It’s just when his illness first came to light and his public appearances diminished… I knew. I just knew. I had traveled this path before. It was so heartbreakingly familiar. Talk of politics in regards to his situation made me queasy. It just didn’t matter. There were more important things on the table. And no one – no one – gets to prioritize that for him.
I am not saying questions about politics didn’t matter (Okay, I sorta am). What I’m saying, as someone who has experienced impending deaths of loved ones, is that all this stuff simply doesn’t matter to those facing their own deaths. And the real reason it didn’t matter was because that issue would tragically resolve itself on its own – as it did. I knew that – and dreaded it. Those facing this prognosis know that. The only people a dying person should be concerned about is themselves and their loved ones. Everyone else, and what they think they should know, doesn’t matter. No one has a right to trump a dying person’s wishes on how they leave this world.
Yes, this is deeply personal to me. Call me out all you want, you won’t sway me. I have lived this too many times. And… when it comes to the political landscape and what would happen, anyone who claims they didn’t really know are probably too stupid (too harsh? probably.) to hold office, or else they should thank whatever god they pray to that this situation has never touched their life. Because that’s really the only reason for not understanding what was really going on. Sorry, but it is.
Rest in peace, Beau. You didn’t owe anyone but your family a damned thing.
Normally, I include an essay when I post my cartoons, which enables me to broaden the discussion and examine the nuance of a subject beyond the single-focus of a cartoon.
But this is different.
Well, we finally know that Hillary Clinton is running for President. Now we need to find out if Beau Biden is running for Governor. It is the central question in Delaware politics, and really, no one knows the exact answer to it, just like no one really knows what medical condition the former Attorney General suffered back in August 2013. But we finally got some Beau Biden news on Friday that may shed some light on some answers. From the News Journal:
[Biden is] expanding his role at Grant & Eisenhofer, the Wilmington law firm he joined in January. […] Grant & Eisenhofer said that Biden will expand his work on behalf of whistleblowers represented by the firm. Stuart Grant, a prominent Biden donor and political ally, is the firm’s co-founder and managing director.
“We’re really excited for Beau to grow his work in the whistleblower group,” Grant said by email. “It’s a natural continuation of what he did as attorney general, and is something he’s already been working on since he joined the firm in January.”
Grant said the new work “doesn’t change anything for him politically. He will make an excellent governor.”
A Biden spokesman did not respond as to whether that assertion was true. Stuart Grant has every reason to sugar coat the truth. Indeed, as soon as Biden announces that he is not running, a certain amount of ‘cache’ will depart both Biden and the firm of Grant and Eisenhofer. And that assertion doesn’t sit right. The election is in 18 months. Any campaign by Biden will have to officially soon. It will be an open race that may possibly involve a primary. Our last open race with a primary had Jack Markell officially announcing his candidacy in June of 2007. That would be analogous to Biden launching his campaign in June of this year, or in less than two months.
And yet, we get an official signal that he is increasing his workload in the private sector rather than decreasing it so as to begin focusing on staffing and organizing a campaign for the top job in the state. Yeah, that doesn’t feel right. Especially when it appears that Biden hasn’t taken any steps to prepare for a campaign. He has not held any public events. And especially when you read the last three paragraphs of Jonathan Starkey’s piece:
New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon, another political ally of the Bidens, spoke with Beau Biden by phone as recently as last month, he said. Gordon said he urged the former attorney general to speak publicly about his campaign plans, and has asked to be a member of a formal campaign committee. “I said, ‘You need to get out and let people know you’re still running,'” recounted Gordon, who is expected to seek the governor’s office if Biden does not run.
“I’ve talked to his close friends who will be running the campaign and they say they’re getting ready for him to run,” Gordon said. “At some point they’ve got to start announcing where they’re going with the campaign.”
That is Gordon speaking out of turn to the press, and when have you seen that happen before with respect to the Bidens? Sounds like Gordon is getting quite impatient, probably because he knows he needs to be fundraising right now and Biden’s inaction freezes the field, and the money.
The Gordon quotes are the biggest piece of evidence we have to date that Beau Biden is not running. If Biden was going to run, and Gordon knew it, I think all Gordon would say to Starkey is that ‘Beau has plenty of time to form a campaign.’
Deadbeat campaigns, committees and PAC’s currently owe the Delaware Department of Elections (long pause to change the batteries in my calculator)…$769,240. I count 258 individual fines that have been assessed, but never collected.
Some of the outstanding fines are gargantuan. Some appear to have close correlation to key political events, so the committees involved not only owe the money, they have some ‘splainin’ to do.
Since the largest fines have been imposed on the Sussex County Democratic Executive Committee, and since they date back to the year (2008) when an incredible array of resources were poured into the race to elect John Atkins to the General Assembly, possibly cementing a D majority in the House, and since not a nickel has been paid back, I can only ask, “Why?”. Why no action? (Late-breaking news: According to both the Commissioner of Elections and the current Sussex County chair, that $160,000-plus fine has now been labeled an ‘error’. Because, as we all know, $160,000 fines are levied in error every day. Where is Rose Mary Woods when we need her?)
Here’s how the system is supposed to work, according to sources both within the State Department of Elections and the Office of the Attorney General. After about 60 days or so, uncollected fines/violations are turned over to the Attorney General’s office for follow-up, according to Elaine Manlove, Commissioner of Elections. It is clear that little to no follow-up has occurred since, well, 2008, at least. Multiple sources have told me that they have not even received any notification from the AG’s office that they are in violation. Not that they shouldn’t already know, but still…
Here’s what Carl Kanefsky of the AG’s office says of the way it’s supposed to work:
“Under Section 8044 of the Elections Code, the State Election Commissioner is given authority to impose fines for the late filing or non-filing of campaign finance reports. Those decisions are assigned to the State Elections Commissioner. If the State Elections Commissioner imposes fines on candidates for late or non-filing of campaign finance reports, and is unable to collect those fines, the Department of Justice will seek to collect those fines via civil action upon request from the State Elections Commissioner, as the Department would do for any other state agency unable to collect fines that it had properly assessed. Because the Attorney General just took office in January, we have asked the Commissioner to let us know which fines it wishes the Department of Justice to pursue through legal action. There are some fines related to late filing of 2012 and 2013 campaign reports that are already the subject of civil action request from Elections.
Under Section 8043 of the Elections Code, the Department of Justice has the discretion to allege misdemeanor criminal charges for the late filing or non-filing of campaign finance reports. The decision whether to bring criminal charges is within the discretion of the Department of Justice. Although we are not aware of any instances where misdemeanor charges have been filed in the past for such violations, the Department will consider whether to bring such charges under appropriate circumstances for reports filed in 2015 and going forward.
Here’s what’s not clear to me. If all candidate committees, political committees and PACs in violation of the Code have had their files forwarded to the Attorney General, why is it then up to the Elections Commissioner to pick and choose which ones to go after? Hardly sounds like equal justice to me if indeed that’s the process. Manlove told me that all uncollected fines are forwarded to the AG’s office so, is that the end of it from DOE, or is subsequent contact required by the AG’s office to determine which fines DOE reallyreally want to collect? Or is the alleged ‘process’ just bureaucratese to maintain a system enforced jointly by Alfonse and Gaston?
Here’s what’s become clear to me: Somewhere between the Commissioner of Elections and the Office of Attorney General, there is a big black hole where election fines go to disappear. Meaning, there’s no enforcement of our laughably-weak statutes, at least there wasn’t during the ‘Beau Years’. Here are some of the biggest beneficiaries/scofflaws (over $10 K in fines not collected), according to the Department of Elections:
Sussex County Democratic Executive Committee, circa 2008: $162,700. Now labeled an ‘error’.
Friends for Becnel (2013): $11,700
Friends of Pam Thornburg (2012-14): $15,400
Short for State Senate (2013): $11,700
Citizens to Elect Vincent M. White (2013): $11,350
Friends of Ernest Trippi Congo (2013): $11,350. At least he’s consistent.
Opaliski Campaign (2013-14): $12,500. Law-abiding in every sense of the word.
Citizens for Fran Swift (2013-14): $11,750
Committee to Elect Karen Minner (2013-14): $12,050
Friends of Joseph O’Leary (2013): $11,500
Friends of Marion Jones (2013): $11,250
Victoria Kent Campaign Committee (2013-14): $11,600
Committee to Elect David R. Brown, Jr. (2013-14): $12,050
Friends of Tyler Brooks (2013-14): $12,050
Hovington for Senate (2013): $11,350
Denise 4 Dewey (2013-14): $12,050
Committee to Elect Rebecca Powers (2013-14): $14,000
LEADPAC (2013-14): $26,800. 5 separate violations. Charlie Copeland‘s signature is on the reports.
Delawareans for Economic Growth (2013-14): $31,000. 5 separate violations. Small PAC, headed by Chamber lobbyist Joe Fitzgerald.
Delaware Liberty: (2013-14): $12,050. A ‘Patriot’ organization.
EPIC PHARM PAC of Delaware (2013-14): $24,350
Wilmington’s Future PAC: $12,050 Would’ja believe that Tom Carper donated $25K to this PAC? He did. This PAC was active during the Wilmington mayoral campaign of 2012. Who did Carper support?
Republican State Committee of Delaware: $11,950. 4 separate violations.
34th Democratic Committee: $78,100 !!! Hmmm, yet another ‘error’?
10th RD Democratic Committee (2012-2014): $98,950!!!. 5 separate violations. The final one for the primary 2014 report. And here I thought Dennis E. Williams was an accountant.
There are scores of smaller fines. Just click on the first icon on the right at the bottom of the snippet we’ve provided at the top of this article (the icon with the down arrow), and you can open the entire file in Excel. Or, click the icon furthest to the right and the file should show up in Excel Online format. Find out how many of your favorite politicians are scofflaws. Come back and share your stories. BTW, why has this information not been made readily available to the public prior to this? And why are committees permitted to move forward as if they are not in violation even though they have not settled up?
This system is broken. The state is out somewhere between $600,000 and $760,000 of revenue that no one has taken steps to collect.
Matt Denn: You’re now on the clock.
Well, it looks like the State is gonna piss away $9.9 mill on the casinos. Even though not even its strongest proponent can make a reasonable case for it:
“We got half of it done today,” said Sen. Brian Bushweller, a Dover Democrat and sponsor of the bills that now go to the House. “At least I think we’ve sent them a package that does provide the Band-Aid that we need … and sort of lays the groundwork for a more permanent kind of effort to stabilize this industry so we lose as little as possible out of this situation.”
The ‘half’ they got done is passing bailout legislation in the Senate. This bill, and this bill. The only senators deserving praise are the five who voted no: Lopez, Marshall, McDowell, Peterson, and Sokola.
The bills contain no requirements that casinos cannot lay off workers. Nor should this graf from today’s News-Journal fill anyone with confidence that they won’t:
Indeed, there are no guarantees that there won’t be layoffs, said Denis McGlynn, President and CEO of Dover Downs Gaming and Entertainment and Dover Motorsports Inc., who said any decision about staffing will come after discussions with banks that must renegotiate loans with the casino and hotel. “I’m not going rule it one way or the other, in or out,” he said.
In fact, Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf gives the game away, that it’s the casinos extorting concessions from the General Assembly and the taxpayers while threatening layoffs that could well happen even if/when they get their money:
Spending the money on casino relief is worthwhile, he said. One of the things being talked about is eliminating the midnight to 8 a.m. shift Monday through Thursday if the legislation fails, at a loss of maybe 100 employees, Schwartzkopf said. (Gee wonder who’s talking about that?)
“I’m not a real smart guy, but I can tell you that spending $9.9 million to save over ten-point something is not a bad deal,” he said.
Fair use prevents me from quoting Karen Peterson, who points out that this magical discovery of $9.9 mill would have helped the Joint Finance Committee to do some actual public good with the money.
This was the Delaware General Assembly at its most venal and cynical. It should come as no surprise that Colin Bonini, who earlier this week voted against the Budget Bill and cited the need to make ‘hard choices’, (cuts for state employees and reduced healthcare spending, of course) voted for the bailout, as did the other two Rethug no votes on the budget.
Hey, folks, guess who didn’t show up in Leg Hall yesterday to push for what his own office calls a critical piece of legislation regarding new standards for bail? (Insert ‘Jeopardy’ theme.) That’s right. No-Show Beau, your Attorney General. The result? The same as with his bill to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally-ill. Ignominious defeat. Or, more specifically, 3 or 4 votes short of its required super-majority. ‘Acting Attorney General’ and spokesman Joe Rogalsky (I’d hate to have his job, no matter what it pays), per usual, was the only AG’s office employee available for comment:
“This is an important piece of legislation that will make our communities safer and is something many states and the federal government already have. Just like we did last year in the Senate, we will be working hard in the House until the end of the legislative session to get this passed.”
The ‘we’ does not include the Attorney General himself. But we’re not supposed to talk about that.
The Budget Bill passed the House and goes to the Governor. No dead-enders voted no. Unanimous with one absent.
‘Beer and a movie’ passed the Senate and goes to the Governor. Because, of course, this was something the public was clamoring for. Not. Special interest legislation, if you hadn’t figured that out by now. Hope you enjoy sharing the movie theatre with inebriated patrons. Should work wonders for the movie-going experience.
The Senate approved a new Supreme Court Justice, Karen Valihura, and David Small as DNREC Secretary. At best, one can hope for Small to be a competent bureaucrat. Just don’t look for the ‘vision thing’.
BTW, I can’t let this go without a comment about Justice Carolyn Berger‘s resignation from the Delaware Supreme Court and seemingly ‘injudicious’ comments. I don’t know it she’s right on the specifics of Markell not taking her seriously, but she’s right on point when it comes to, well, I guess the operative word is ‘paternalism’, when it comes to women appointees to judgeships. BTW, when I first started working in Dover, the operative word was ‘chauvinism’. I’ll leave it to others to decide whether paternalism is a step up from chauvinism. To me, it’s ‘same old wine in a brand new bottle’. From Philadelphia Business Journal:
Berger’s situation outlines a concern in some quarters in Delaware that women do not have enough of a role on the judicial branch. Berger said women have advanced on the state’s family court, superior court and court of common pleas. She is also the only female to serve on the Court of Chancery, which deals with business litigation.
“Family court is the only court ever to have a woman chief judge,” Berger said. “The court of chancery has had no women judges for the past 20 years, despite the fact that several well-qualified women have applied in the past. And I’ve been the only woman on the supreme court. Many other states have more than one woman justice, and in several jurisdictions, women justices outnumber male justices.”
Maybe it’s the same menfolk arguing that Delaware’s courts are the nation’s most prestigious who, in their own paternalistic minds, don’t want the wimmenfolk messing with that reputation. Perhaps the wimmenfolk who are assuming the leadership role in the State Senate just might have something to say about this moving forward. I hope so. But, I digress. You can as well. In the comments section.
Paul Baumbach’s midwifery bill finally passed the House, 27-12. I think a yes vote was the right vote. However, the roll call is all over the map. I hope this bill at least gets considered in the Senate before adjournment.
Here is Wednesday’s Session Activity Report.
We’ve already discussed many of the items on today’s Senate Agenda. I am, however, pleased to see that HB 198(Brady) has resurfaced after languishing for over a year since it passed the House. According to the synopsis, the bill ‘removes prohibitions targeting municipal action in the area of recycling. The sunset provision of § 6099A is also removed with a view toward the future crafting of legislation which will address reduction of plastic bag dissemination.’ The bill passed the House with no opposition. Hope the same thing happens in the Senate today.
Color me a little skeptical of SCR 62(Hocker), which ‘establishes the Delaware Waterways Management and Financing Advisory Committee to develop and submit recommendations for sustainable and dedicated funding for Waterway Management activities statewide’. The abundance of downstate sponsors suggests to me that, once again, Sussex County will look to foist off the costs of its deliberate serial pollution onto the state. I mean, more than they already do. Convince me I’m wrong.
As I suggested yesterday, the House will be working from three agendas today. The first agenda is comprised of bills that were not worked from yesterday’s agenda. House Agenda I consists of House bills, and House Agenda II consists of Senate bills. Future agendas could include nothing but charter changes, super-majority bills, and other themes.
I can’t wait for this session to end. Which is perhaps why I wrote yesterday that Sunday night was the final night. As Liberalgeek, who can read a calendar far better than I, pointed out, Monday night enjoys that dubious distinction.
Hmmm, might have to do something about my scheduled Tuesday Al Show appearance…need my beauty sleep, wanna look good on the radio.
If you haven’t heard the news, Beau Biden, our intrepid attorney general and holder of the royal Biden coattails, has decided not to run for re-election and will instead focus on becoming Delaware’s next governor.
State politicians have reacted predictably to the chosen one’s announcement. Lt. Gov. Matt Denn, presumably a front-runner for the governor’s chair, moved faster than Speedy Gonzales to file papers to run for Beau’s vacated attorney general seat (and hasn’t been able to stop posting all the great things people are saying about him on Facebook since).
1. Whither Beau?
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. Here’s the quote:
“And I think he’s one of the best public servants out there, so he’s doing great; he’s doing absolutely great. It was a scare, and you know as his brother, and you know how close I am to my brother, it was very scary. But he’s back to work, and he’s been back to work, and he’s doing great.”
He clearly wants to imply that Biden is in great health. But, what he says is that he’s doing great as a public servant. Nothing more. He leaves it to the reader to infer that it’s about his health. After Clinton, I’m not falling for such tactics.
2. Hither Matt.
OK, now that Matt Denn is in the AG’s race if, indeed, it ends up as a race at all, what does that mean for (a) the lieutenant-governor position and (b) any possible gubernatorial aspirations Matt might have. Delaware Dem has explained that Denn could conceivably resign as Lieutenant Governor before the September primary, which would enable a race for LT. Gov. to be on the ballot this year. Not sure who would want to run to fill out a 2-year term as LT. Gov., but you can bet someone would. As to 2016, while 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.
3. A Hot Legislative Rematch.
Real pleased to see that Lynne Newlin is gonna challenge Jeffrey Spiegelman in the 11th RD. Both are from Clayton. Although this southern NCC/western Kent County district is pretty darn conservative, (Romney carried the district in 2012, 4822-3989), Newlin easily outperformed the top of the ticket, narrowly losing to Spiegelman by 210 votes. Since that time, even Republicans have collectively been taken aback by Spiegelman’s performance in Dover, especially what practically everyone I’ve talked to characterizes as rudeness. The registration figures nominally favor the D’s, 5820 D’s to 4433 R’s. Newlin is a past president of the Smyrna Board of Education and is an IT coordinator at the University of Delaware. Spiegelman lectures on political science at Wilmington College and (dingdingding!) Del-Tech. Since the D’s already have such a strong advantage in the House, the 11th RD rematch represents perhaps the best possibility for an additional D pickup in the House. This could be a race where Obama not being on the ballot actually benefits the Democrat.
OK, what’d I miss?
1. Beau.
Beau Biden’s ‘letter to his supporters’ announcing that he would not run for reelection for AG but, rather, would run for Governor in 2016, was an act of breathtaking cynicism. So let’s make one thing totally clear: He is not running for reelection because of his health. Period. With perhaps a dollop of ‘I suck so bad as AG that maybe people will forget just how bad if I’m out of office for a couple of years’. Biden announced back in December that he would run for reelection as AG. Now, all of a sudden he just got to thinking that, “You know, since I’ve been planning to run for Governor in 2016, perhaps it would be injudicious of me to run for reelection as AG”? That thought never occurred to him before? Bullshit. To even throw that out there without even mentioning his health status, which he has resolutely refused to discuss since, what, August of 2013, defines the term disingenuous. And disrespectful. The Bidens must think we’re idiots. Even with this purportedly momentous announcement, Beau has remained completely out of sight. Who the fuck announces for Governor like this? Only somebody with something to hide. In this case, his physical condition. All the guy has is a last name, a crappy record as AG and…over $9 mill in the bank. You can bet that what passes for the Biden Brain Trust were high-fiving it when they found this way out of the problem of how to run somebody who is physically unfit to run. By the way he has completely lied to all Delawareans about the reason for his decision, I now believe he is morally unfit to run or serve.
2. Apres-Beau.
So, let’s first look at 2016 and work our way backwards, shall we? With all that money in the bank, Beau hopes to scare off would-be challengers. If Biden’s successful, this would make it almost a certainty that your Democratic nominee for governor in 2016 would either be Beau Biden or…Tom Gordon. You see, Tommy’s waiting in the wings with the implicit blessing of the Bidenistas. Either way, Joe Biden gets to play kingmaker. You like that? Neither do I. That’s why I find this maneuver so cynical. And so typical of all involved.
OK, let’s become Matt Denn for just a second. He’d like to be governor, but he’s enough of a realist to recognize that waiting for 2016 in (a) the oft-chance that Biden won’t run and/or (b) the hope that he’ll somehow be able to raise enough money to be competitive with Beau are possible but far from sure things. The position of AG has just opened up for this November. I betcha Matt Denn thinks he’d be a great AG. I agree. I also betcha that leaders in the Party are already beating a track to his door. I don’t think anyone could come close to defeating Denn, should he run for AG. With no information whatsoever, I think and hope that that’s what he’ll do. He’d be an effective and progressive AG. Which is better than what we have now.
3. Matt Denn.
It’s already being reported (things are breaking even as I write this on Thursday afternoon) that Denn is considering running for AG in 2014 and for Governor in 2016. Denn has the potential to demonstrate in two years what Beau could not in eight–that he can effectively enact progressive legislation that has a genuine impact on people’s lives. After all, he’s already done that as Insurance Commissioner. That’s a very important skill to have. If Jack Markell had that, he might have more influence in getting infrastructure improvements and waterway cleanups funded. Denn has none of the governor’s political tone deafness, and he seems determined to make a real difference. I kinda thought that Denn could end up as AG, since I was skeptical of Beau’s ability to carry on a campaign. I hope he runs and, should he not, I hope Lisa Goodman is waiting in the wings. One final point: Denn should be keeping his options open for 2016, regardless of whether he runs for AG this year or not. Biden has his name and a fat bankroll going for him, nothing else. If he’s unable to run for reelection this year, already a full eight months following whatever his medical emergency was, it’s far from a sure thing that he’ll run in 2016. The cynical attempt to clear the decks for Beau (or Tom Gordon) in 2016 could well backfire, and Denn could be the beneficiary. I think the Bidens’ hold on the state is waning, not growing stronger. God damn, I love being a political junky.
4. Townsend-Tackett.
No need to rehash this, we talked about it earlier this week. Except…to ask the question: Who are Tackett’s backers? There are whispers out there that a couple of undistinguished, if unjustifiably powerful, legislators, are backing Tackett. Is that true? Anyone have any info? Is DeLuca in any way involved? If so, it’s time for Markell to pull the plug on the Napoleonic martinet and his labor job.
5. Filings.
Rep. Ed Osienski (D-24th), who has been more than a pleasant surprise for progressives, he’s been great; County Councilperson Janet Kilpatrick (R-NCC-Dist. 3).
OK. what’d I miss?
It has been widely assumed that Beau Biden would coast to reelection for Attorney General this year, then set his sights on a gubernatorial run in 2016. Why else would he be sitting on a gargantuan campaign war chest? To defeat a non-existent Rethug challenger in November? No.
However, I think that anyone other than the terminally-gullible can recognize that there is a reason that Beau has remained largely out of the public eye since his emergency medical stop in Houston last summer.
I think someone needs to say it, after all, the election is less than seven months away: What if his condition, whatever it is, prevents Biden from running in both 2014 and 2016?
Who runs for Attorney General in 2014? Do the Rethugs even play? Who runs for Governor in 2016? Who runs for the seats of whomever runs for those seats?
And so on and so on.
This is not merely fantasy political speculation. This could really happen, and we could well know soon. In fact, we’d better know soon.
So, come on, pipples, speculate responsibly to your heart’s content.
1. Who will Run For Attorney General?
It’s time to recognize the possibility, perhaps likelihood, that Beau Biden will not be able to run for reelection. I think it’s pretty clear now that he’s battling a serious health challenge He is virtually invisible in public. When he does venture out, people are concerned about what they see. There has been no official update on his condition since August. His spokesman routinely makes statements that Beau previously would have made, most recently on the failure of the Senate to muster up enough votes to restore Beau’s signature legislation to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill. I wish our AG a full recovery and a long productive life.
However, someone will be elected Attorney General this November. If not Beau, then who? Matt Denn? Or some blinkered law and order type who only cares about talking tough on crime, not on protecting consumers and the public from getting ripped off? It’s time we have this conversation. I know that there may be great comfort in imagining the Biden name on the AG line. But it’s less likely to happen each passing day. Who will step up?
Beau is the only one who can talk me down on this. Right now, he’s not talking.
2. James Burton Takes on Valerie Longhurst Again.
I, for one, am totally on board. I hope you will also consider this race. You may recall that Burton, who raised next to no money, got 42.1% of the vote in a low-profile 2012 primary. That was not a resounding show of support for Longhurst, to say the least. Since that time, Longhurst has sacrificed constituents’ concerns while trying to build her power base in Dover. Just one example should suffice, although I’ve got plenty. Longhurst sponsored legislation cutting taxes on Delaware’s wealthiest citizens, virtually none of whom live in her 15th District. Just this week, Longhurst was on WDEL talking about across-the-board cuts while not even hinting at the possibility that it was time for the wealthy to bear more of the burden. Her district has a lot of people in need of services, but she prefers to push Markell’s draconian game of a thousand small cuts. Here’s hoping that a more experienced candidate this time around will be able to define Longhurst and take her out. So far, this is what I’ve found on Burton. He’s certainly well-qualified. Might not hurt to send some seed money his way. Might not hurt if he established a web presence, either.
3. A D Primary for State Auditor
Some people just have an inexplicable need to run for public office. Doesn’t matter what the office, any office will do. Ken Matlusky is looking more and more like one of those people. I like Ken, but I’m not sure why he runs for office. He’s not gonna win a primary against Brenda Mayrack, doesn’t really have a constituency on whom he can count, and doesn’t appear to have a reason for running. Yes, four years ago, he got 46.1% of the vote against Richard Korn in the State Auditor Democratic primary. I voted for him. Largely because he wasn’t Richard Korn. Two years ago, he ran for Wilmington City Council At-Large, and finished 4th in the primary, about 400 votes out of making it to November. He’s running again this time for State Auditor against Mayrack, who is close to the diametric opposite of the oleaginous Korn. I welcome Matlusky’s candidacy if, for no other reason, it will enable Mayrack to raise funds twice from the same donors (both for the primary and for the general), plus it will get Mayrack’s name out there earlier. I just don’t know why he’s doing it, though.
4. A Three-Way in the 22nd Rep?
Looks that way. Assuming Rep. Joe Miro runs again, we’re looking at a Miro vs. D John MacKenzie vs. Libertarian Steve Newton race. Even should Miro retire, which I consider unlikely, the R’s will fight hard to keep one of their few remaining above-the-canal house seats. I really like Steve Newton, plan to send him some money, but I understand why D’s are encouraging us to take a close look at MacKenzie. As a somewhat disaffected D, it’s easy for me to support Steve. YMMV.
5. A D Primary for the Right to face Sen. Simpson?
Yep. Last week, I mentioned that Gary Wolfe was challenging Simpson. Well, now we’ve got Patrick Jason Emory challenging Wolfe in a D primary for the right to challenge the Senate Minority Leader. Emory has served as a member of the Milford School Board for 13 years. He worked for DNREC for close to 30 years, don’t know if he still does. Here is a 2011 interview with Emory during a reelection run for school board. Emory appears to have more name recognition, at least to a clueless observer like me. What do those in the know think? Is Simpson vulnerable?
6. Sen. Venables’ Challenger Seeks Rematch.
This bears watching. In 2012, when everyone (including me) assumed that Bob Venables was running for one last two-year term, Venables defeated Bryant Richardson by a 56-43% margin. Much to the surprise of many of his own caucus members, Venables recently told them that he was going to run again in 2014. This is for a 4-year term. Bryant Richardson has filed for the seat, the 21st SD, and I think he’s got a good shot at winning it. I think there were quite a few voters willing to give Venables his two-year swan song who may well be pretty pissed off that he went back on his word. Venables had always been a man of his word. Now, not so much. I think Venables may have overstayed his welcome.