Archive for January 19th, 2012

Governor Markell’s State of the State Address (Updated with video)

Filed in National by cassandra_m on January 19, 2012 • 1 Comment

The Gazillionth Republican Debate Open Thread

Filed in National by pandora on January 19, 2012 • 19 Comments

I’m thinkin’ this is gonna get interesting. Have at it.

An New Idea About Affording College

Filed in National by pandora on January 19, 2012 • 11 Comments

As most of you know, the Pandora household is preparing to send our first born off to college. We actually received our first second acceptance letter! For those of you not here yet… the cost of college is enough to take your breath away, which is why this article caught my attention.

Thursday Open Thread [1.19.12]

Filed in Open Thread by Delaware Dem on January 19, 2012 • 23 Comments

So long Rick Perry. We hardly knew thee. Thank God for that. What is with Presidential candidates quitting in the middle of the week, only days before the next primary. I understand dropping out right after a poor or less then expected showing in a primary, but why right before a primary? You would think that Perry and Huntsman would like to have see how they did in South Carolina. Meanwhile…. Newtmentum II?

Breaking: Rick Perry Dropping Out

Filed in National by pandora on January 19, 2012 • 7 Comments

And supposedly endorsing Gingrich. Poor Mitt.

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., Jan. 19, 2012

Filed in National by El Somnambulo on January 19, 2012 • 6 Comments

I don’t know whether the House will get to these bills today, because the highlight of the day, and often of the legislative session, is the Governor’s Annual State of the State Address to the General Assembly. In addition to proclaiming the ’state of the state’ (“The groundhog has seen his shadow!”), the address serves as the official unveiling of the Governor’s legislative priorities. Sometimes it’s a laundry list of specifics, sometimes it’s more an articulation of the principles that the Governor believes the General Assembly should embrace, usually it’s some combination of both.

Governor Markell is by far the best orator we’ve had as governor during my time in state government. He’s at his best when he speaks, or writes, from the heart. As he did on civil unions. And as he did on the Gattis decision. However, he tends to lose that human connection when he embraces the policy wonk side of his personality. We already know, based on this story, that the Governor intends to seek ’savings’ (meaning cuts) from Medicaid. Just so there’s no mistake, Medicaid=Health Care for the Poor. Last year, the Governor proposed a $92/month cut to services to the medically-indigent. I sure hope he has learned from that kamikaze mission that that’s both horrible policy and a political non-starter.

Santorum Wins!

Filed in National by pandora on January 19, 2012 • 5 Comments

Just thought he deserved the headline. The Republican party of Iowa has finished it’s recount of the January 3rd Iowa caucuses and the certified final results show Rick Santorum came out ahead by 34 votes.

Why Are President Obama’s Critics So Dumb?

Filed in National by cassandra_m on January 19, 2012 • 3 Comments

This cover line question teases Andrew Sullivan’s article in Newsweek titled How Obama’s Long Game Will Outsmart His Critics. It’s a longish read (so stick with it), but one of the fairer accounts of the Obama Presidency I’ve seen (and a better case for his Presidency that I think that even the Obama folks have made themselves). And this is written by a conservative ex-Republican (he claims to be an independent now), who has had more than his fair share of issues with Obama policy, politics and process throughout the last three years.