Tag: Featured
Moderate Allies In The Middle East? An Oxymoron.
The fruitless search for moderate allies in the middle east is absurd. I’m an optimist, but this idea is ridiculous. Moderate nations to create both a political and military front to stop and roll back the ISIL caliphate? Syria? Iran? They were “enemies” before being considered as future allies.
What’s Going On at the News Journal?
I heard today from an reliable Anon Tipster that the News Journal may be making its staff re-apply for jobs like some other Gannett newspapers have earlier this month. There may be even more (!)layoffs coming as they re-organize. If you’ve been following the Gannett news, they acquired a broadcasting company last year. Gannett is creating what they call the “Newsroom of the Future” (even though Jim Romanesko notes that they did this in 2006, too). Re-applying for their jobs has been done or in progress at other Gannett newspapers.
Delaware Political Weekly, Or An Approximation Thereof: August 16-22, 2014
This article got lost in the Chip Flowers Implosion, Version 4.0, but it shouldn’t have. House D’s facing primary challenges sending out thinly-veiled campaign lit on the public’s dime. A practice that was discontinued under Speaker Gilligan (Terry Spence was the Godfather of this practice), but reinstated by Speaker Schwartzkopf just in time for the primaries. Now here’s the rest of the story. Complaints regarding this practice were filed with Elaine Manlove of the State Department of Elections. She determined that she had no legal jurisdiction over the complaints, that they did not technically violate state law, and referred them to…The House Ethics Committee. Did I mention that the House Ethics Committee is chaired by Valerie Longhurst, one of the two legislators who it’s been confirmed have sent out these mailers on the taxpayers’ dime? Now, that’s the Delaware Way.
Anyone Notice the Silence from the NRA on Ferguson?
After most of America’s high profile shootings, you can count on the NRA to immediately get their PR Offensive on — using tragic incidents to extend their lobbying for the gun manufacturers who call the tune over there now and to do even more fundraising. All of this is focused around pushing back on any common sense controls on weapons and advocating that more of us carry — so that everyday can be the OK Corral or some such. But for this — a cop shooting an unarmed kid over jaywalking — they’ve been pretty quiet. It is a surprise, because you’d think that they’d see the government tyranny that they keep insisting that people need guns for and would be out defending this community that is clearly pushing back against that tyranny. As Cliff Schecter points out in the Daily Beast:
Countless Enemies At Home And Abroad: Dems, Awaken !
Do you dread opening your daily newspaper and internet news source each morning like I do? Ferguson, Wilmington, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and countless other hotbeds of conflict, hate and destruction. And America is at the center of it all.
QOD — Challenging Hillary for the Democratic Nomination
Who could do it? Andrew Sabl at Samefacts asks this question, and sets up what any challenger to Hillary Clinton (presuming again that she is running) would need to look like:
MORE BREAKING (x2): Pictures of Flowers at the Patriots Game
The NJ released video today of conversation with Erika Benner with her explanation of the Patriots tickets. Click through for the video. As of this writing, there is the video, no other reporting by the NJ. The much rumored picture of Chip Flowers at the game is shown here. Benner claims that Flowers not only knew about the charge on her state card for these tickets, he told her the charge was allowable since they were doing some State business.
Delaware 2014: The Statewides and the Senate [Pre-Primary]
![Delaware 2014: The Statewides and the Senate [Pre-Primary]](http://delawareliberal.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Statewides.2014-240x180.png "Delaware 2014: The Statewides and the Senate [Pre-Primary]")
Today, we will review the state of play in the statewide races, which are our US Senator and Representative, as well as the Attorney General, Treasurer and Auditor. As is Delaware custom, we have overwhelmingly favored incumbents facing off against token or insane opposition, and then we have a game of musical chairs producing an unexpected race (Attorney General), a race between a tired incumbent who has overstayed his welcome and a young competent whippersnapper (Auditor), and a vulnerable incumbent whose time in office has invited primary challenges on both sides of the aisle an open race between a competent Democrat, a Republican businessman, and a crazy person named after a singer and a South American country (Treasurer).
Then we move over to the State Senate, where the Democrats enjoy a 3 seat majority in the small chamber of 21 Senators (13 Democrats and 8 Republicans). Can the GOP take over the majority this fall?
Primary Election Finance Report Extravaganza.
The big race this year is of course the race everyone is talking about today. I wonder if some Republicans are crying into their coffees this morning, or adding some Bailey’s to ease the pain. For their easiest path to victory was a Flowers primary win, who would then be beat down by their strongest candidate, Ken Simpler. It does not seem all is going to plan now, as the road to victory for Flowers just got a little more difficult. And that was before we even talk about text messages.
It would seem that the only candidate actually raising the majority of their campaign coffers from actual people and not themselves… is Sean Barney? That kinda upends some perceptions. I thought Flowers was the People’s candidate, yet he is self financing like he’s a Ken Simpler or something. Just how rich is Treasurer Flowers anyway, if he has a half million to blow on two campaigns? And while he has the cash on hand advantage right now, will that last? I imagine Flowers will now have to spend heavily to keep the seat. And he will have to dirty Barney. That will cost money. Does he have more to give himself?
Onto the other races.
Another marquee primary is that between Senator Bryan Townsend and New Castle County Councilman David “DeLuca Promised Me” Tackett in the 11th Senate District. Tackett was too busy trying to get some lawyers to turn against Bryan instead of raising money during this last go round, as he only raised $900. But fortunately he has $17,170.74 cash on hand, and he seems to be sitting on that for a classic last minute mail drop. Oh, and you what Tackett used to entice these lawyers into turning against Bryan? The fact that Tackett is against marriage equality. These lawyers looked at him and said “We are for it.” As is every Democrat in good standing. The next time Tackett is up for election to his council seat, he must be thrown out of office as a bigot.
People Assaulted By Cops: Thats A Police State
So, cops with full blown military gear, weapons and vehicles? Yea, I know, bought on fire sales by locals from feds surplus. But really? Is this what our social order has come to? Press arrested, peaceful protesters arrested and battered with rubber bullets? Really ?
House Incumbents Spending Taxpayer $$’s To Fend Off Primary Challengers?
It sure looks that way. Both Valerie Longhurst and Dennis E. Williams have sent out official House correspondence to their districts that are little more than taxpayer-funded campaign pieces. There may well be others who have done the same.
The supposed deniability comes in that these are allegedly legislative updates to constituents. They are sent on their personal House letterhead, in House envelopes, and likely through state mail. And they are prepared in-house by state employees on state time. They tout the alleged accomplishments of the legislators, and, as campaign pieces are prone to do, try to mislead voters on issues where the incumbents are vulnerable. Oh, and so far, they’ve only been sent out by incumbent House members facing primaries.
When I worked in the Senate, we were forbidden from doing this. During the brief time that I worked for the House, then-Speaker Terry Spence allowed us to send such mailings. Of course, it’s likely not coincidence that this policy was set during the election season that the Rethugs were desperately trying to hold onto their majority, and if they did it, he had to let us do it. Truth be told, most of July and August were spent on preparing and sending these mailings.
Only one person can authorize such mailings: The Speaker of the House. It’s likely legal, as the General Assembly routinely exempts itself from laws that apply to everyone else. In fact, apparently it’s technically legal to send out these sorts of mailings up to 35 days prior to an election. But I submit that it’s a wasteful misuse of taxpayer funds.
Nukes & Missiles As Defense Systems? You’re Kidding
With the middle east aflame, isn’t it time to rethink what we in the U.S. have misled ourselves into believing, that we’ve got a Nuclear and Missile defense system? No, what we have is an aging, rusting Nuclear and Missile offense system. Specifically, a retaliatory offense system.
How to Handle the Walking Dead — or, The Casinos Are Coming for Your Tax Dollars
In the stuff I missed over the past couple of travel weeks, was this notice from the NJ that Delaware’s zombie casinos are still hanging around looking for more bailout effort from Delaware’s taxpayers:
One casino executive is hopeful lawmakers will provide relief for the state’s ailing casinos when they return to Legislative Hall in January. But don’t call it a bailout, says Dover Downs Hotel & Casino president Ed Sutor.
Talks about potential long-term fixes to keep the casinos competitive are set to begin by mid-September.
“They (the state) like the jobs created and the revenue,” Sutor said Tuesday afternoon during a quarterly meeting between casino stakeholders, industry professionals and state department of finance.
“They know that if something isn’t done, some of that is in jeopardy,” he said.
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