Delaware ADA Makes Their Endorsements
This is actually Round 2 of the ADA endorsements — and their complete list (from their Press Release) is listed below. This list (mostly) doesn’t surprise me:
DELAWARE – The Delaware chapter of Americans for Democratic Action has made its second round of endorsements. Delaware ADA has endorsed the following candidates:
Brenda Mayrack, running for State Auditor
Representative Helene Keeley, running in the 3rd Representative District
Representative Kim Williams, running in the 19th Representative District
John Mackenzie, running in the 22nd Representative District
Ted Yacucci, running in the 34th Representative DistrictDelaware ADA previously endorsed the following candidates in its first round of 2014 endorsements:
Senator Margaret Rose Henry, running in the 2nd Senate District
Councilwoman Sherry Dorsey Walker, running in the 3rd Senate District
Claire Snyder-Hall, running in the 6th Senate District
Senator Bryan Townsend, running in the 11th Senate District
Representative Charles Potter, running in the 1st Representative District
Representative Gerald Brady, running in the 4th Representative District
Representative Paul Baumbach, running in the 23rd Representative District
Representative Ed Osienski, running in the 24th Representative District
Representative John Kowalko, running in the 25th Representative District
Jonathan Gallo, running in the 30th Representative District
Paulette Rappa, running in the 37th Representative DistrictCandidates must complete Delaware ADA’s candidate questionnaire to be considered for endorsement; candidate responses and more information can be found here: http://delawareada.org/advocacy/electoral-politics/
I’m glad that the ADA posts the questionnaires competed by candidates, because I’m stunned that Sherry Dorsey-Walker would get the ADA endorsement over Marshall. Marshall has been working on and actually sponsoring and moving legislation that is completely in the ADA’s wheelhouse, while Dorsey-Walker couldn’t even produce City Council Resolutions (yes, I know they are useless) in support of any of this agenda. This has been an interesting year to observe so-called progressives.
h/t to Anon Tipster for this info.
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It’s the same group of Newark-area insiders who don’t play well with others who proclaim themselves the Good Guys Uber Alles.
Their influence is, um, waning.
At least they didn’t screw Bryan Townsend this time.
I can’t figure out why they didn’t endorse Mike Barbieri. He did complete their questionnaire but I’m guessing he wasn’t enough of a “purist” for them.
Endorsements are what they are, but I’d note that at the Hockessin GHADA candidates forum the T-shirts being worn by Mike Matthews (Pres. RCEA and Pres. DE ADA), Jackie Hillebrand Kook (VP Christina Education Association), Nancy Willing, and Red Clay school board member Adriana Bohm all read … Steve Newton for 22nd District State Representative.
“It’s the same group of Newark-area insiders who don’t play well with others who proclaim themselves the Good Guys Uber Alles.
Their influence is, um, waning.”
Isn’t this Ezra Temko’s mutual admiration society? How many members do they actually have?
“Isn’t this Ezra Temko’s mutual admiration society?”
SW: Yes it is.
I saw this posted on FB so figured I’d respond to a few comments…
When did ADA previously “screw Bryan Townsend?”
ADA’s board president and immediate past-president actually live in Marshall’s district. The endorsement of Sherry Dorsey Walker was unanimous. I would also note that Senator Bob Marshall’s questionnaire was submitted quite late and after we did our endorsement in this race. We were told it would be submitted and even delayed considering the endorsement for a month as we waited. Nevertheless, I think the vote would likely be the same. Folks familiar with the two and who have read past threads on DL are aware of the benefits and drawbacks of the candidates in the race.
Representative Mike Barbieri was recommended for endorsement by the Electoral Politics Committee, but specific concerns were raised at the chapter meeting that no one present could address and that led to the chapter not taking a vote at the time.
Your attempts to be dismissive and make this chapter about me rather than its mission and goals are off-putting. I would think progressives and liberals would be supportive of Delaware having an ADA chapter that actively works on progressive legislation. As some of you know I am now living in New Hampshire. ADA has two part-time organizers and a volunteer board that are doing their work because of their commitment to social and economic justice.
Propeller-heads with a single issue: public disclosure of ownership of private businesses, because law enforcement.
John Manifold, in May you commented on DL about the good advocacy ADA did on Ban the Box. How is ADA suddenly a single issue group? Also, I believe the issue you are referencing is anonymous companies. Why are you against transparency? Law enforcement is NOT the reason for public disclosure of ownership of private business, law enforcement is a mechanism to go after crooks who are hurting the world’s poor and engaging in other nefarious activities. The actual activities relating to the money laundering are the problem.
So what comes with the endorsement? A set of steak knives? A contribution?
Ezra, did anyone try to contact Mike Barbieri if there were specific concerns?
Ezra is getting his PhD now. (Good luck Mr. Smarty Pants!) You need to ask Mike Matthews. …i think
Everybody see this link that Sean Barney just tweeted out?
Require the unemployed to volunteer? Deregulation?
Are Barney’s Carperite stripes starting to show?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/garyshapiro/2013/01/23/six-ways-to-create-economic-growth/
AQC, what I know is that the concern was raised at our July 23 chapter meeting when we were considering endorsements. I believe this was the first chapter meeting that we considered endorsements after Representative Barbieri submitted his questionnaire. The chapter meetings are every other month so the next one is not until September 24 which is the earliest time after the July 23 meeting that we can make official endorsements, and the last time before the election. If you want to check in with our Board President or Electoral Politics chair, you can reach them at Mike@DelawareADA.org or Susan@DelawareADA.org. The Electoral Politics Committee did not meet in August so that committee members could spend their time volunteering for endorsed candidates instead of meeting. The next meeting is September 15 of this committee and I’m sure there will be discussion on electoral business and this is likely where someone would volunteer to reach out to Rep. Barbieri if no one has to date. If there is information to clarify the concern, I’m sure the chapter would consider that information, though I cannot speak for any members in terms of what they would do with it.
@anono
That link Sean Barney just tweeted doesn’t just say require unemployed to volunteer, it says to shorten the length of unemployment benefits.
Meet the new Delaware Democratic Party: getting rid of Chip Flowers so we can elect a candidate who advocates cutting unemployment benefits!?
Is there any context to this tweet we should know? I’m not on Twitter.
Ezra – I’m sorry for the strong language. You’re one of the good guys. We’re simply going to have to agree to disagree on the anonymity issue.
More important, I think, is the endorsement process. It sometimes takes a few rounds to perfect a system, particularly when friends and neighbors are concerned. I hope that ADA gets it down by ’16, because it can only play a good role in Delaware.
Sean Barney is not a progressive? Shocking.
John, if you have specific suggestions regarding the endorsement process to be considered for the next cycle, certainly share them with our Electoral Politics Committee. You can e-mail Susan@DelawareADA.org with your suggestions.
All filed candidates and incumbents whose seats were up for re-election knew of our decision-making process and deadlines for our endorsements well in advance of our first round of endorsement recommendations and endorsements. We do have a process both in our constitution and then a more detailed one that was developed by the Electoral Politics Committee.
ADA’s board president and immediate past-president actually live in Marshall’s district.
So do I. And I know how to count accomplishments, and Dorsey-Walker (while a very nice lady) has None. None. She has been at the forefront of trying to let the WPD off of the hook for the Koscusko Park rape case botch, she has been a supporter of Velda Jones Potter and her violation of city policy on behalf of her son’s concert, has no legislative accomplishments, she votes for tax increases with no effort at dealing with the city’s spending problems and has spent more time being vocal on behalf of the Death Penalty Abolition group than on any city issue that should be her work.
Wilmington has a real problem in not being able to bring forth genuinely progressive candidates and it doesn’t help when people who are no where near this ecology work from basically no information. If Marshall’s questionnaire was late, then that is a thing. But supporting someone who has No Track Record at all, over someone who has supported your issues on the regular isn’t even sensible.
Sorry, Ezra. Earlier this year, you beat your chest as to how (you said) Bob Marshall wouldn’t return the phone calls of the self-important Ezra Temko. And cited that as a reason to endorse Sherry Dorsey Walker. You know, because in the mind of Ezra Temko, Ezra Temko was more essential to the passage of the minimum wage bill than the FUCKING SPONSOR OF THE BILL.
The reason why you and the John/Connie team are losing influence is b/c a lot of people understand that certain people are excluded from that ‘privileged circle’ and see it for the clique that it is. Like Mike Barbieri, who is a much more effective legislator than Kowalko has ever been that I’m betting that’s why John/Connie/Ezra et al give him the cold shoulder. Ditto for Bryan Townsend.
You and they undermine any claim to a progressive mantle when you practice such petty politics. When the bleep are you leaving already? The cause of progressivism immediately improves upon your departure.
I apologize for the harshness of this comment, which is not intended just for you. But, when a small group self-select themselves as the be-all and end-all of the progressive movement when, in fact, they are more interested in their own relentless self-promotion, I have just reached the point where I’m totally sick of it. Why? Because it’s counterproductive to the progressive cause, that’s why.
Well I’m an actual constituent of Sen. Marshall’s and he’s never returned a phone call once since I began reaching out to him for various reasons in 2008. And in that time he’s only responded to one email — when I sent him a third request to please respond to Delaware ADA’s candidate questionnaire.
Now, to be sure, that’s not the only reason ADA endorsed Sherry Dorsey-Walker. And it was hardly my thoughts that caused the committee to recommend her endorsement. ADA has acknowledged the great works Sen. Marshall has done in recent years, but the committee felt it was time for some change. Our meetings are generally well attended and debate over certain endorsements has been fierce. Some votes have been very close and in some races we haven’t endorsed. We are an open group, so feel free to stop by sometime.
Mike Matthews: “…but the committee felt it was time for some change.”
What progressive ‘change’ would Walker bring that Marshall hasn’t? I have yet to hear any of her apologists mention one thing, other than perhaps returning Ezra’s phone calls.
Does anyone think she would be MORE effective in the Senate than Marshall is? How? I’d like to know. Maybe there’s some, what’s the word I’m looking for, rational reason for the endorsement. No one has provided it as of yet.
Don’t get me wrong. You’re not obligated to provide a rationale. It would just perhaps make some sense if you would.
I’d like to know the answer to that too — especially since one has a demonstrated (if imperfect) track record trying to advance progressive causes.
If progressive means that someone returns your phone calls (while carrying the ball on serious issues), then it seems to me that we need to rethink that definition. Because all you are counting is whether or not they acknowledge your existence.
Are the completed questionnaires posted anywhere?
1. AQC – completed questionnaires are available through links at: http://delawareada.org/advocacy/electoral-politics/
2. Cassandra – I cannot speak for ADA membership, but I can tell you I think process is important, and I believe Senator Marshall, who has championed progressive issues and I thank him for that, is somewhat old-school when it comes to process – I’ve heard him called “transactional” by some folks close to him and have also felt his support and championship for some issues (e.g. death penalty repeal, same day registration) has been motivated more by politics than by genuine values and interest. That being said, anyone who has championed minimum wage and other issues for 30+ years deserves recognition and gratitude, but also may end up seeing things from a less urgent or longer term perspective – and that’s understandable. However, when someone has also been doing so for 30+ years, sometimes new blood and a fresh perspective is timely. ADA as an organization is against term limits as being undemocratic but I can personally say I think they are a wonderful idea. I also can say about Councilwoman Sherry Dorsey Walker that some ADA folks do not necessarily share the same priorities as her, but did feel she was authentic, honest, and brought a perspective that is badly needed to our legislature (not to say her priorities were wrong, just that some folks, myself included, in our ADA group may have a privileged/limited perspective and thankfully are able to recognize that). I believe Councilwoman Sherry Dorsey Walker is deeply engaged with the community in her district and that she would be an outstanding representative for them in Dover.
3. El Somnambulo – you’re a jerk. There’s not much more to say. And people who know me well know that it is very rare for me to use such language and speak of people in that manner. But you’ve earned it. You don’t seem to know me as a person; people who actually genuinely know me can judge me, my motivations, and my sense of or lack thereof of entitlement. You also are coming completely out of left-field with completely inaccurate and baseless accusations – I’ve never given Rep. Mike Barbieri the cold shoulder, and I’ve been an early and constant supporter of Sen. Bryan Townsend. By the way, I left Delaware over a month ago, so I guess you can be happy on that front.
*brought should be would bring
have also felt his support and championship for some issues (e.g. death penalty repeal, same day registration) has been motivated more by politics than by genuine values and interest
Now you can read his mind and know his motivation.
All politicians are somewhat motivated by politics. How can you accomplish anything if you are not elected?
This bears some reflection…
There is some comedic gold. Physician, heal thyself.
Now back the regularly scheduled endorsement brouhaha, already in progress.
Yeah, ^^^^^, THIS.
is somewhat old-school when it comes to process – I’ve heard him called “transactional” by some folks close to him and have also felt his support and championship for some issues (e.g. death penalty repeal, same day registration) has been motivated more by politics than by genuine values and interest.
Seriously? SERIOUSLY? This is politics, not church, so why would you care about the “transactional” nature of what gets done when at then end of the day, it gets done? I can’t speak to whether the motivation is “just politics” or otherwise, but this is someone who is actually championing issues (mostly) I care about. If it gets done, why would I care about motivation? Why would YOU care? because certainly your questionnaire doesn’t ask about values or genuine interest. It just asks about the issues you care about.
I believe Councilwoman Sherry Dorsey Walker is deeply engaged with the community in her district and that she would be an outstanding representative for them in Dover.
There is no doubt that Sherry Dorsey Walker has been excellent at constituent service in her district. What she has not worked at is being a Change Agent in the city of Wilmington. Again — there is no legislation, no change to how the City works, no championing of big ideas in this city that badly needs Change Agents and could genuinely benefit from real progressive politics. Instead, she has been aligned with some of the usual destructive elements of the city, routinely enabling some of the business as usual here.
I could understand if, in fact, you had endorsed a proven progressive change agent. But once again, what I get is that the state’s progressives aren’t going to be useful in helping to change some of what badly needs changing in Wilmington. And fundamentally, this endorsement just breaks my heart. Because if this is what passes for progressive, then those of us who want to change the landscape in the city know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the ADA won’t be there to help us.
Ezra: Right back at’cha, pal.
At least the BS you posted above offers you a new career opportunity: exec at a Port-A-Potty company. Seriously, read what you wrote. If I had to, you should have to as well. I didn’t bitch about Marshall returning my calls, YOU did. YOU laid the motivations out there yourself:
“I’m Ezra Temko, dammit, and when I call, you’d better call back!”
And LG, gotcha. Because I’m the guy making sure that progressives like Townsend and Barbieri don’t get endorsed. Why don’tcha ask John ‘n Connie why shit like that happens on their watch? I know why. Because, in their minds, people like that just don’t measure up to the ‘gold standard’ of John Kowalko.
Which is utterly laughable.
Please provide some context… Who didn’t endorse Senator Townsend?
El Somnambulo is suggesting that there is no difference between the endorsement process of ADA Delaware and the Progressive Democrats for Delaware.
And ES – If you don’t see the irony in your attacking someone for self-aggrandizing themselves while holding people up as bad progressives on the regular, I can’t put it on a lower shelf.