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So last Thursday, upon the Vice President returning home to Delaware with his son, the Attorney General, Beau Biden, the White House released a statement on his behalf, stating as follows:

Yesterday our son Beau underwent a successful procedure. He is in great shape and is going to be discharged [Thursday] and heading home to Delaware. He will follow up with his local physicians in the coming weeks.

I said at the time that I thought, based on earlier reporting, that this successful procedure was in fact the biopsy, and thus until we hear the results, this health crisis for the junior Biden was not concluded. Commenter Puck disagreed, saying:

It’s possible the “successful procedure” was in fact the treatment. There are minimally invasive radiosurgery procedures that could have been done in that timespan in Texas, and conceivably would have constituted full treatment. It’s also possible there is no issue of cancer, but rather some type of abnormal cluster of blood vessels which might require the same kind of treatment. I know this is just speculation, but I’m willing to indulge a little.

Could be. It would explain the very vague yet optimistic statement from the Vice President above and his statements on Friday in Scranton, PA:

“And I just want you all to know, since so many of you have asked me about my son, things are – it’s not only good to be here, but things are good at home in Delaware. My son Beau is fine,” he said, eliciting applause and cheers from a crowd of approximately 2,500 in the Lackawanna College student union.

The problem is though, with these vague statements and no further comment, is that Beau's recent medical crisis and his overall medical state remains unclear at best. You don't travel from Indiana to Chicago and then to Philly and then to the best cancer center in the country in Houston for a minor issue.

It was over two years ago that Delaware became of the growing number of states that allow medical marijuana. Senator Margaret Rose Henry's SB 17 passed the Senate 18-3 (and then inexplicably 17-4 the second time after the House amended it) and the House 27-14, and Governor Markell signed the bill a few days later, which is his custom if he really likes a bill. But then came the Federal roadblock, as Eric Holder's Justice Department threatened state officials with prosecution. Since I preemptively attacked the Governor this morning for a rumored but not yet taken action, it seems only fair to applaud the Governor to finally sticking up his middle finger to Attorney General Holder and President Obama for their illogical, unprogressive and hypocritical opposition to medical marijuana. The breaking news:

After a months-long delay, Gov. Jack Markell is moving forward with implementation of Delaware’s medical marijuana program despite threats from the U.S. Department of Justice that state officials could be subject to prosecution. The move comes after other states, including New Jersey and Rhode Island, have issued licenses for marijuana distribution centers. Markell told lawmakers in a letter today that the state will issue a request for proposal to open a marijuana cultivation and distribution center, or “compassion center,” in Delaware next year. The law that Markell signed in 2011 legalizing medical marijuana in Delaware called for compassion centers in each county.

I finally got already to going through all the bills that were plowed through by our General Assembly on June 30. Yes, it took over a month. No, not really, I've been enjoying the summer too. This time, the Vote Tracker is downloadable in PDF form, rather than the Excel spreadsheet. Further, the Tracker, or rather, the legislation we are tracking, is organized into the following categories: 1) Passed and Signed Bills, 2) Passed One House, But Not the Other, 3) Waiting for Votes, either in Committee or on the floor, and 4) Defeated and Tabled Bills. Now, remember, this Tracker only keeps track of legislation that is of a priority or of concern to those of us on the liberal and progressive side of the aisle. Indeed, the Tracker is a joint effort between Delaware Liberal and the Progressive Democrats for Delaware (PDD). The PDD announced their legislative priorities earlier this year, and it was and is a pretty good, and long, list (in no order of priority):

Minimum Wage Increase Opposing Cuts to Medicaid Marriage Equality Death Penalty Repeal Gun Control Legislation Progressive Tax Rates Single Payer Healthcare Lobbying Disclosure Reform Independent Redistricting Reform Amending the Anti-Discrimination Law to Include Transgendered Persons Charter School Reform No Excuse Absentee Voting Manufactured Home Rent Justification

So it is best to view the Vote Tracker in terms of the above priorities. That's 13 priorities. How many were achieved? How many were defeated? And how many are a work in progress? Come inside to see.

The state GOP is holding their special convention today, during which they will elect their new State Party Chairman. Former Chairman John Sigler resigned back in May, and the newly elected vice Chair, Nelly Jordan, a Sussex County tea party activist, took over as Acting Chairman. However, she has had some trouble fundraising and is not running in her own right for a full term. She has instead endorsed the only candidate for Chairman, former State Senator and du Pont heir Charlie Lamont Copeland. So really, today is more of a coronation than an election, but whatever. Copeland is viewed by others in the party as the ideal candidate to heal the civil war within the party between the Northern establishment business Republicans and the Southern radical tea party Republicans. And that is because Charlie embraced the tea party in 2010 while still having the literal bloodlines of the establishment.

“I think the rumors of the death of the Republican Party in Delaware have been wildly exaggerated,” [Copeland] said. “The myth is that there’s a big difference between Greenwood and Greenville.”

I guess he forgets the 2010 U.S. Senate Republican Primary. I guess he forgets Booth v. Bodenweiser. Rollins v. Urquhart. Copeland is your typical Republican. He doesn't like the facts, so he pretends that the facts and the reality are myths. But Copeland is pledging to do something that is sure to cause further division in his party....