Archive for March, 2015

Pence calls for legislation to invalidate Indy’s “right to discriminate” law

Filed in National by on March 31, 2015 8 Comments

This thing has turned into a huge pain in the ass for Pence. (And not the good kind of pain in the ass.)

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) said Tuesday that he wanted to see legislation on his desk this week clarifying that the controversial religious freedom bill he signed into law did not allow businesses to deny service to anyone.

“…the intent of the law when I signed it, was to give the courts in our state the highest level of scrutiny in cases where people feel that their religious liberty is being infringed on by government action.”

This should be called Pence’s MC Escher law. Since Indiana’s “religions freedom” law in was intended to explicitly allow discrimination, this law (a government action) proposed by Pence can be seen by wingnuts as infringing on their recently won religious liberty to discriminate against gays.

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Tuesday Open Thread [3.31.15]

Filed in National by on March 31, 2015 8 Comments

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds that by a nearly 2 to 1 margin, Americans support the notion of striking a deal with Iran that restricts the nation’s nuclear program in exchange for loosening sanctions.

“But the survey — released hours before Tuesday’s negotiating deadline — also finds few Americans are hopeful that such an agreement will be effective. Nearly six in 10 say they are not confident that a deal will prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, unchanged from 15 months ago, when the United States, France, Britain, Germany, China and Russia reached an interim agreement with Iran aimed at sealing a long-term deal.”

So while the GOP may freak the fuck out, remember that they desire war and the death of thousands of Americans so as to line defense contractor pockets. Remember that they do not represent the American people.

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A Modest Proposal

Filed in Delaware by on March 31, 2015 13 Comments
A Modest Proposal

I have been following the charter school/high-stakes testing/Priority Schools debacle for the past few years. My proposal is that we use the same model for another daunting and complex problem: Crime.

We have a major crime problem in Wilmington and other locales around the state. I think we can solve it with a few transformations of the way that we structure our public safety. The key is to use the invisible hand of the market to reduce crime.

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Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Week of March 31-April 2, 2015

Filed in Delaware by on March 31, 2015 10 Comments

Kids, imagine that you’re the governor of a state.  Assume that you’re, oh, around 54 years of age. Imagine that you’ve grappled with numerous issues of enormous complexity during both your private and public careers. Imagine that debate over the death penalty has been a constant during your entire adult life.  Is it plausible to […]

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Tuesday Daily Delawhere [3.31.15]

Filed in Delaware by on March 31, 2015 0 Comments
Tuesday Daily Delawhere [3.31.15]

The old New Castle County Courthouse, on Delaware Street in New Castle. The courthouse was built in 1730 on the site of the 1689 courthouse that was burned in a 1729 jailbreak. Now that’s badass. You break out of prison and then burn it to the ground. Probably easier back then when the jails were […]

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Monday Open Thread [3.30.15]

Filed in National by on March 30, 2015 4 Comments
Monday Open Thread [3.30.15]

In the event that Iran and the members of P5+1 group reach a preliminary agreement on Iran’s nuclear program this week, we can expect a release of sound and fury from conservatives about how it sets the world on fire. To prepare yourself for making your own determination about the value of any such agreement, read Jeffrey Goldberg’s list of the five questions you should ask.

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Monday Daily Delawhere [3.30.15]

Filed in Delaware by on March 30, 2015 1 Comment
Monday Daily Delawhere [3.30.15]

The last remaining lock of the original Chesapeake & Delaware Canal is in Battery Park in Delaware City. The lock was built in 1825, and was rebuilt in 1854 when it was widened and lengthened. In the distance is Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island, built in the 1850s with the threat of the Civil […]

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The Culture War Has Been Won

Filed in National by on March 29, 2015 35 Comments

By us. Progressives. If you doubt that, look at what is happening to Indiana. Sure, idiot racist theocrats can still pass discriminatory legislation into laws in Republican states, but those states will then be destroyed through boycott. Indiana Governor Mike Pence is in full panic mode now, because he knows that his state’s economy is […]

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What Am I Doing Today? Getting Ready For The Walking Dead Season Finale

Filed in Arts and Entertainment by on March 29, 2015 19 Comments
What Am I Doing Today? Getting Ready For The Walking Dead Season Finale

When The Walking Dead first aired I didn’t pay much attention. Hello? Zombies aren’t really my thing. I was a Game of Thrones addict. Loved Dexter. Orange Is The New Black is sooo good. Rome is still one of the best series I’ve seen. Everyone on House of Cards is scarier than TWD zombies. Sherlock is one of the most perfect, amazing, wonderful series EVER. (If you haven’t watched Sherlock I strongly suggest you do.)

I started watching The Walking Dead (TWD) with my son as a sorta mother-son bonding thing. He liked all things zombie and I’ll admit to rolling my eyes when he suggested we start the series on Netflix. Now, I can’t get enough. This series draws you in. So much so that I’m writing about tonight’s season finale.

If you’re not interested in TWD, I understand. But if you are, share your thoughts, hopes, dreams in the comments!

Note: I have not read the comics. Everything written below is just me guessing.

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DEGOP goes full on Malcolm X to support road builders and state workers

Filed in National by on March 29, 2015 8 Comments
DEGOP goes full on Malcolm X to support road builders and state workers

Apparently the DEGOP knows something about state workers that the DelDems don’t.  It knows….they vote.  It also knows that the people who build roads vote.  So while the  proposed “by any means necessary” across the board 5% cut in all departments foreshadows job cuts, the state workers remaining standing after the cuts would be economically […]

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Sunday Open Thread [3.29.15]

Filed in National by on March 29, 2015 2 Comments
Sunday Open Thread [3.29.15]

Scott Walker is the best candidate to bridge both the Establishment and the Tea Party. But he just did something that will give a huge opening to Ted Cruz.

“Likely GOP presidential candidate Scott Walker told a private gathering of New Hampshire business leaders earlier this month that he supports providing some illegal immigrants with a pathway to citizenship,” the Washington Post reports.

“The position would mark a significant shift from away from the hardline ‘no amnesty’ stance Walker has taken in public in recent weeks. The Wisconsin governor also told the small group that illegal immigrants seeking citizenship should not receive preferential treatment over applicants who are already in line, according to the person, who was not authorized to speak about it publicly.”

Remember, allowing any illegal to stay here is amnesty and unacceptable. The Tea Party cannot have that.

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Sunday Daily Delawhere [3.29.15]

Filed in Delaware by on March 29, 2015 0 Comments
Sunday Daily Delawhere [3.29.15]

A photo of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Wilmington earlier this month. Photo by xzmattzx.

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Saturday Open Thread [3.28.15]

Filed in National by on March 28, 2015 5 Comments
Saturday Open Thread [3.28.15]

So Rand Paul is giving up entirely any notion that he is a libertarian or has libertarians everywhere, if they are to have any credibility, must publicly condemn and disown him.

“The First Amendment says keep government out of religion, not religion out of government.” — Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), quoted by David Brody, speaking at a private prayer breakfast in Washington, DC. Uh, no Rand, that is not what the First Amendment says. It says, with regards to religion, the following:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof[.]

So yes, the Amendment says keep government out of religion, in that it prohibits any law interfering with the free exercise of religion. But Rand skips over the first part of the Amendment, that saying prohibiting any law respecting an establishment of religion. That means religion must stay out of government. No national religion. No law compelling people to attend religious services (attention Arizona). No law allowing people to use religion as a reason to discriminate (attention Indiana and Arkansas). Perhaps radical Christian Conservative Rand Paul means there is no law against mixing religion and politics. That’s true.

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