Tag: Featured
“My Son Beau is Fine.” I’m sorry, I need more than that.
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.
Medical Marijuana… Remember that?
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.
Violence and Wilmington
Last night, there was a quickly called meeting by Herman Holloway, Jr. to get “community leaders” to discuss Wilmington’s violence problem. Specifically, Holloway wanted to talk about strategies to get more people to tell what they know about violent crime and illegal guns to the police. He also wanted to float a couple of other […]
How Progressive Priorities fared in the General Assembly – The Updated and Revised Vote Tracker
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.
GOP Bamboozlement on SNAP Benefits
SNAP benefits have been in the news over the past few weeks as Congress tries to pass a Farm Bill. The Senate passed a bill that made some cuts to the SNAP program, while the House separated SNAP from the Farm Bill and proceeded to cut SNAP so that 5 million people would no longer be eligible for food support. The GOP ( including the locals who don’t have much to say other than to repeat the talking points sent to them each day, and the media, unfortunately) are pushing messaging that tries to link the SNAP program with economic recovery. This messaging ignores some key points….
Sussex County As Key to Keeping Delaware Blue
This seems to be the thesis and part of the organizing motivation of Sussex County Democratic Chair, Mitch Crane. Mitch spoke to Don Flood at the Cape Gazette some days back, explaining why he thinks that focused effort now in establishing the Democratic Party and in getting more seats in local government is crucial to the long term health of the party:
The Lottery and Gaming Study Commission = The Fix Is In to Bail Out Casinos
This study commission — created when the GA and the Governor decided to help improve the balance sheets of our local casinos who are being hurt by rising costs (who isn’t, really?) and by a failed competitive stance in a market where we are surrounded by a glut of gaming options. This Commission met for the first time on Tuesday — and tell me if you can spot why I think the fix is in:
The Delaware GOP Is Waiting for What?
The NJ had an article in Tuesday’s paper with this misleading title: Republicans wait as O’Donnell weighs another campaign. That title gives you the impression that there is something weighty and momentous going on here — that party leadership is somehow deferring to their local wingnut welfare grifter to give her first shot at running for the U.S. Senate against Chris Coons.
Carper and Coons Give a Big Thumbs Up to TBTF
And a big thumbs up to letting banks put the money in deposit accounts in the same kind of risky bets that their investment accounts are in. I can’t say that I’m too surprised at this — banks do own the road here — but I’m still appalled at this position. It is a position that is ONLY good for banks — the rest of us with deposit accounts (and who pay taxes) are definitely the losers here. Because the point of a Glass-Steagall 2 is to separate the deposit accounts (the only part of the banking business explicitly guaranteed by the feds), from the investment business (which is not insured). The point of Glass-Steagall 2 is to dismantle one more part of the TBTF scheme — specifically the part where banks get to privatize their profits and get to socialize their losses. Until taxpayers get a say in the risks (and get a cut of the benefits) of the TBTF business, taxpayers should not backstop what the banks do here.
Charlie Copeland is going to get a new job today.
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….
Election 2014: Delaware’s Most Vulnerable Incumbents
I’m El Somnambulo, and I’m a listaholic.
Admit it: So are you.
Bearing in mind that incumbents need viable challengers in order to be vulnerable, here is a list of those with at least reason to be worried:
State Auditor Tom Wagner: A do-nothing R in an increasingly D state. Here’s the problem. If a do-nothing R is replaced by a do-nothing D, does it really make any difference? No doubt it does to Tom Wagner. But not to Patrick Harker or Lonnie George. Which is my point. And the problem.
State Treasurer Chip Flowers: While the R’s talk hopefully, and, IMHO, delusionally, about defeating him, I suspect that any real challenge would come from the Democrats. We’ll likely know in 6 months or so whether there will be a party-backed challenger. We might as well get used to Flowers being a polarizing figure by choice. Which would be fine if it was principle, not ego, driving that train.
State Senator Greg Lavelle (4th SD): Got 50.8% against Michael Katz. Probably less vulnerable this time, but he’s got two more years of anti-gay and pro-gun votes on his record. Will a credible challenger emerge?
I know that people expect me to have Ernesto Lopez on this list, but I don’t see him as particularly vulnerable. Feel free to make a case.
More inside….
Erick Erickson Reveals More of the Despicable Me Strategy of the GOP
Last night, the Texas legislature voted to approve a strict new abortion law, in spite of state polling that noted opposition to this bill and to special sessions to enact it. After an evening of confiscating tampons and maxipads from women entering the Capitol building, Texas Senators took their vote and decided that Texas Government needed to be big enough to interfere with women’s health decisions. After the vote, one of CNN’s stable of brain-dead conservative commentators posted this on Twitter:
Throwing Shade at the Sheriff Christopher
This is, I think, the best headline ever from the NJ: Legal brief throws shade at sheriff. Noting that the Sheriff is appealing to the Supreme Court to give him a job that no longer exists, the Sussex County brief definitely gets to the original intent of the Founders on Sheriffs:
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