Archive for October, 2015
Saturday Open Thread [10.31.15]
![Saturday Open Thread [10.31.15]](http://delawareliberal.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Open.ThreadC-240x180.png "Saturday Open Thread [10.31.15]")
Next week, Des Moines, Iowa will host a National Religious Liberties Conference, where theocratic fascists will gather to tell attendees that birth control kills babies and how the gays should be put to death. Naturally, GOP candidates Ted Cruz, Bobby Jindal, and Mike Huckabee will be there.
Guest Post: Delaware’s Government Channels Its Inner Trump
Secretary of Finance Tom Cook’s recent op-ed epitomizes the strategy of hiding things in plain sight. Secretary Cook and Governor Jack Markell’s revenue review panel has concealed among its recommendations for making Delaware tax revenues more “elastic” an ideologically driven agenda of tax cuts for the wealthy and out-of-state corporations at the expense of our state’s middle class, senior citizens and local business owners. That our governor could sanction such recommendations is a prime example of how politics in Delaware has been hollowed out in favor of profit taking.
Let’s first notice that in a era of declining revenues and increasingly challenging budgets to balance Governor Markell’s instructions forbade raising new revenue: “if a recommendation was made that could be expected to generate additional revenue for the state, then a corresponding revenue reduction would also be proposed to offset it.” This means (in English) that Cook’s panel was not interested in providing more money to balance our budget, but in changing who pays the bills.
The Weekly Addresses
In this week’s address, the President spoke to the need for meaningful criminal justice reform in America.
In his weekly message, Governor Markell discusses statewide efforts to embrace the new economy and how those efforts support job growth, including a commitment by JP Morgan to hire 1.800 people in Delaware by 2019.
Halloween Daily Delawhere [10.31.15]
Pumpkins on Doorsteps on The Strand in New Castle. Photo by xzmattzx.
The RNC is pretty much done for – What does this mean for the DEGOP?
Grassroots “conservativism” with its radio shows and endless supply of outrage fodder is flourishing. The Republican Party, on the other hand, is a raging dumpster fire. With Jeb!’s campaign circling the toilet bowl, and the remaining Republican Presidential campaigns have taken over planning the future debates, the Republican National Committee (RNC) along with the establishment […]
Friday Open Thread [10.30.15]
![Friday Open Thread [10.30.15]](http://delawareliberal.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Open.ThreadD-240x180.png "Friday Open Thread [10.30.15]")
Paul Krugman’s take on the debate:
At one point during Wednesday’s Republican debate, Ben Carson was asked about his involvement with Mannatech, a nutritional supplements company that makes outlandish claims about its products and has been forced to pay $7 million to settle a deceptive-practices lawsuit. The audience booed, and Mr. Carson denied being involved with the company. Both reactions tell you a lot about the driving forces behind modern American politics.
As it happens, Mr. Carson lied. He has indeed been deeply involved with Mannatech, and has done a lot to help promote its merchandise. PolitiFact quickly rated his claim false, without qualification. But the Republican base doesn’t want to hear about it, and the candidate apparently believes, probably correctly, that he can simply brazen it out. These days, in his party, being an obvious grifter isn’t a liability, and may even be an asset.
Carson, Trump, Fiorina, Rubio and Christie were each caught in easily disprovable bold faced lies. Perhaps it’s because Republican just lie with more frequency and daring. And that is because Republican voters want to be lied to. They do not want to live in a world where a black man with a funny name is not only President, but a rather successful one who has turned the country around from the disaster left from the previous Republican President. They do not want to live in a world where “coloreds” and women don’t know their place. A world that has more orientation than straight, more religion than Christian.
Breaking News: Holy Bleep! Gordon Fires Grimaldi, Grimaldi to Primary Gordon?
Look what the News-Journal just published:
“It was in the spur of the moment because I questioned him about his risk manager, who I think is his girlfriend,” Grimaldi said. “It was just (expletive) you, David. You are fired.”
But here’s the money quote:
“I put lipstick on that pig for three years, but it is a … pig,” Grimaldi said.
I’m not a religious man but…“Thank you, Jesus.”
“Fuck You, David. You’re Fired.” [Updated]
![“Fuck You, David. You’re Fired.” [Updated]](http://delawareliberal.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Grimaldi.Gordon-240x180.png "“Fuck You, David. You’re Fired.” [Updated]")
Yeah, that sounds like our esteemed New Castle County Executive and former felon Thomas P. Gordon. And those were the words he allegedly said to former Chief Administrative Officer David Grimaldi yesterday afternoon after Grimaldi allegeldy questioned his choice of a risk manager, because the risk manager was actually Gordon’s girlfriend.
Yeah, this is going to get real ugly, really fast.
If You Are Okay With Officer Field’s Behavior Then You Are Part Of The Problem
There is no excuse. Not one. And if you think there is an excuse for Officer Field’s behavior then you really are part of the problem. Know who else is part of the problem? The teacher and the administrator. Not one of the adults involved demonstrated skill in deescalation. All of them demonstrated the art of escalation. Talk about an adult pissing contest. And I’m fine with all of them being fired. No loss there.
Not kidding. If you think kids don’t pull out their phones during class then you don’t know kids. (My daughter was so guilty of this in high school and yet no one laid a hand on her. They. Wouldn’t. Dare. And that is what privilege looks like.) Hell, this isn’t even a kid problem. Mostly everyone is guilty of this behavior. If you’re okay with Officer Field’s behavior, hope you’re okay if you’re flipped out of your chair and thrown across the room at a restaurant that doesn’t allow cell phone use. That’s okay, right?
The truth is this would never have happened to a white, middle class girl. Not. Ever. It’s why white boys accused of crimes are shown in their yearbook pictures while Tamir Rice (a 12 year old) is portrayed, not only as a potential criminal threat, but far older than his years.
And this incident is a flippin’ pattern that those parsing this horrendous video ignore.
Thursday Open Thread [10.29.15]
![Thursday Open Thread [10.29.15]](http://delawareliberal.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Open.ThreadE-240x180.png "Thursday Open Thread [10.29.15]")
Ted Cruz won. Bush lost and will end his campaign soon. Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen. But I did not foresee being swamped with work today and being out of the office at the same time. So have fun posting your own links today! I will make up for it tomorrow.
Quick GOP Debate Reaction
Disclaimer – I didn’t watch it. But judging from the AM TV news, Christie’s charm and wit carried the day.
Sussex County GOP Purity Caucus Doesn’t Believe in Free Speech, Thought or Discourse
Frank Knotts is a blogger over at DelawareRight — he previously blogged at DelawarePolitics until he was largely ostracized from there. I don’t agree with Frank over much (and have never met him, either), but he’s been the target of some really despicable actions by members of his party who don’t much like what he has to say about them, their views or political actions. Today, I am calling attention to the fact that 3 Sussex GOP members have decided to sue Frank — a blogger — for defamation. Just go here to see the letter.
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