Story from CNN.com
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/09/13/warner.virginia/index.html
This story is from CNN.com and reports that Fmr. Virginia Gov. Mark Warner is entering the U.S. Senate race to replace current Sen. John Warner (no relation to Mark). Gov. Warner announced his candidacy through an email video to his supporters yesterday. Gov. Warner in early 2007 flirted with the idea of running for President, deciding not to run. Many considered his decision not to run, as a move to place him on the ballot as the Vice Presidential candidate, but now that he has announced for Senate, that has effectively removed him from the Vice Presidential race of probable nominees Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.
Gov. Warner ran against Sen Warner several years ago and lost in a very close race, and after his election as Governor, Mark Warner decided to never run against John again. But last week Senator Warner announced his retirement from the Senate after three decades, and the speculation soon turned to Gov. Warner as a possible candidate to replace him; Mark Warner has since confirmed that speculation.
Warner left the Governor's mansion with one of the highest approval ratings of any Governor in America, in the high 70s and low 80s. Despite the Democrats holding a majority of the seats in the U.S. Senate, most of the seats up this year are held by Republicans, several are retiring, leaving competative races in Colorado, Nebraska and Virginia (all formerly solid red states). The only Democrat in trouble is Louisiana Senator Mary Landrou. With Warner in, it is looking even more probable that the Democrats will hold their majority in the U.S. Senate, and will likely add to it.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Markell v. Carney
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007709070346
This is a News Journal article that appeared about my former boss, State Treasurer Jack Markell and his Democratic primary opponent Lt. Governor John Carney. Both men are seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor of the State of Delaware.
The article outlined that fact that both men have been building up lists of supporters. Earlier the News Journal had compared Carney's list of public supporters (everyone from Governor Minner to John Smith-average citizen) which was 600 names long to Markell's list of Campaign Co-Chairs, not average supporters. This was gross incompetence on the part of the News Journal to compare two totally unrelated lists. But now, Markell has released his own list of grassroots supporters...1600 names long, compared to Carney's only 600.
This is surely going to be an exciting primary, one which has started months before normal races start. Markell is seen as the outsider with experience, Carney is seen as the insider, not prone to change, who has been waiting in line for the Governorship since taking over as Lt. Governor in 2001. In my view, it will come down to the man who has worked for it, and the man that has "waited in line for it."
This is a News Journal article that appeared about my former boss, State Treasurer Jack Markell and his Democratic primary opponent Lt. Governor John Carney. Both men are seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor of the State of Delaware.
The article outlined that fact that both men have been building up lists of supporters. Earlier the News Journal had compared Carney's list of public supporters (everyone from Governor Minner to John Smith-average citizen) which was 600 names long to Markell's list of Campaign Co-Chairs, not average supporters. This was gross incompetence on the part of the News Journal to compare two totally unrelated lists. But now, Markell has released his own list of grassroots supporters...1600 names long, compared to Carney's only 600.
This is surely going to be an exciting primary, one which has started months before normal races start. Markell is seen as the outsider with experience, Carney is seen as the insider, not prone to change, who has been waiting in line for the Governorship since taking over as Lt. Governor in 2001. In my view, it will come down to the man who has worked for it, and the man that has "waited in line for it."
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Take our new poll!
Copy the link below into your URL box to take our poll on Illegal Immigration:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=VMMjtfjIub7EVTtNM_2bDo6g_3d_3d
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=VMMjtfjIub7EVTtNM_2bDo6g_3d_3d
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Brother Against Brother
Here is the first entry for my Contemporary Political Issues Class:
LINK TO ARTICLE: HERE
I recently read a New York Times article chronicling the story of two New Jersey brothers, Bryan and Steve Lonegan. Both are American born citizens of the U.S., although they are the grandsons of two Italian Immigrants, and both have vastly differing views when it comes to the issue of Immigration. Bryan is the liberal, a 48 Immigration Law Attorney who views this as an issue of compassion. The conservative, Steve, is 51 and is the Mayor of Bogota, NJ.
Since childhood they have both been staunch opponents of each other when it comes to politics, climaxing when Steve was elected as the Mayor of their hometown. According to the brother's mother, the boys have not spoken since. Especially since Mayor Lonegan forced McDonald's to take down a billboard in spanish. But this rift really represents a much larger difference between the immigrant community and the first and second generation Americans who still have memories of their parents and grandparents who came here legally. According to polls, immigrants are rather divided on the topic of illegal immigration. Some taking the line that, "If they had to come here and go through the process, so should the illegals." While other relate to the troubles and bias' in the current Immigration and Naturalization Services in the U.S., and hold a more compassionate line.
It is interesting to see how hot this issue is; that it would separate a family which has no particular personal interest in it (not to mention a family who lives in New Jersey and not AZ, TX or NM) is unbelievable. The hatred between these two brothers is similar to the stories you hear from the Civil War, which pitted "brother against brother," too.
LINK TO ARTICLE: HERE
I recently read a New York Times article chronicling the story of two New Jersey brothers, Bryan and Steve Lonegan. Both are American born citizens of the U.S., although they are the grandsons of two Italian Immigrants, and both have vastly differing views when it comes to the issue of Immigration. Bryan is the liberal, a 48 Immigration Law Attorney who views this as an issue of compassion. The conservative, Steve, is 51 and is the Mayor of Bogota, NJ.
Since childhood they have both been staunch opponents of each other when it comes to politics, climaxing when Steve was elected as the Mayor of their hometown. According to the brother's mother, the boys have not spoken since. Especially since Mayor Lonegan forced McDonald's to take down a billboard in spanish. But this rift really represents a much larger difference between the immigrant community and the first and second generation Americans who still have memories of their parents and grandparents who came here legally. According to polls, immigrants are rather divided on the topic of illegal immigration. Some taking the line that, "If they had to come here and go through the process, so should the illegals." While other relate to the troubles and bias' in the current Immigration and Naturalization Services in the U.S., and hold a more compassionate line.
It is interesting to see how hot this issue is; that it would separate a family which has no particular personal interest in it (not to mention a family who lives in New Jersey and not AZ, TX or NM) is unbelievable. The hatred between these two brothers is similar to the stories you hear from the Civil War, which pitted "brother against brother," too.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
I wrote this personal political manifesto and it got some press after Mat Marshall posted it on his blog:
here are other blogs reporting on it:
Delaware Liberal:
http://delawareliberal.wordpress.com/2007/08/18/why-tim-is-a-democrat/
Kilroys Delaware: http://kilroysdelaware.blogspot.com/2007/08/new-kid-on-blogs-soapbox.html
Mat Marshall's Blog:
http://matmarshall.blogspot.com/2007/08/manifesto.html
THE MANIFESTO!
I am a Democrat because I because I believe that government should be proactive, not reactive. Because I believe that government should be a vehicle for progress in social, economic and foreign policy.
FOREIGN POLICY
I am a Democrat because I believe that a foreign policy rooted in the almost arrogant belief that "God is on our side," is wrong, but rather that we should hope, as [ironically Republican] President Abraham Lincoln said, "that we are on God's side." I believe that war should be a last option, only after all diplomatic opportunities have been exhausted; I believe this in word and deed, a difference between the Republicans and Democrats. I believe that wars based on intentional misrepresentation and lies are wrong. That when a policy has turned out to be a failure, to alter it. I believe that the United States, as the last remaining military superpower of the world, has a moral obligation to help end genocide around the world, and that includes the continent of Africa! But that this belief in our international responsibility isn't taken by the leaders of our country as an excuse to inflict our way of life on people who live in different types of cultures.
EDUCATION
I am a Democrat because I believe that education is a priority of our government, and that a free and excellent education is a right. I believe in investing in our schools, not offering vouchers for students to try to attend private schools, schools which are already turing away kids that can afford them...thus having the rejected students forced to return to an even more under funded public school. I believe in the arts, and that maintaining an arts curriculum is necessary in developing the creative side of our minds. I believe that the policy of "No Child Left Behind" is a failure, and that it promotes mediocrity, rather than excellence. That while it is important to measure success and progress, that high stakes testing have reduced each student to a mere test score.
HEALTH CARE
I am a Democrat because I believe that just as it is our responsibility to protect our citizens from the likes of Osama bin Laden, it is also our responsibility to protect our citizens from the smallest of enemies; disease and illness. I believe that the current health care system which promotes profit over health is the wrong one. I believe that the insurance companies have had ample time to address the issues of the 45 million Americans that are uninsured, and have failed, thus it is the governments turn (and responsiblity) to protect it's citizens- just as they have done in other major western countries. I am a Democrat, because I believe that it is the moral responsiblity to ENsure that all of our citizens are INsured.
EQUAL RIGHTS
I am a Democrat because I believe in equal rights and opportunity for all, regardless of race, gender, age, or sexual orientation. I believe that the 1500 state and federal rights not granted to same-sex couples is a severe breach in the rights of up to 10% of our nation's population. And while I believe that government should reflect the popular belief, it should also not infringe on the minorities rights just because the majority want to - why else do we have a Bill of Rights. A good leader does what is right when it is popular, but more importantly does what is right when at that point in time, it my not be politically popular. The cliche, "what is popular isn't always right," I believe, is something our leaders could learn when it comes to equal rights.
TAXES
I am a Democrat because I believe in a progressive tax, one which each citizen pays their fair share of their income - the rich paying a larger percentage of their income than the poor. If this means that a person making $15,000,000 can't get that extra car or pool that he or she wanted, so be it, I don't believe that a progressive tax reduces the incentive for someone to succeed...because in America, when it comes down to it, the incentive is not a flat tax, but the idea that we will leave our children a better country with more opportunities than we had.
PRIVACY
I am a Democrat because I believe that the overarching theme of the Bill of Rights and the Ninth Amendment (declares that the listing of individual rights in the Constitution and Bill of Rights is not meant to be comprehensive; and that the other rights not specifically mentioned are retained elsewhere by the people) grants the people of this nation a "right to privacy" and that under that right to privacy,the government should not be able to tap our phones without due process of the law (including the fifth amendment), should not infringe on a woman's ability to decide what she will and will not do with her body, and that what we do in our bedrooms is our own business, not the governments.
GUN CONTROL
I am a Democrat because I believe that guns are not the solution to the problem, guns are the problem. I don't believe that any citizen outside the police force and the military should need assualt weapons. In other countries with stricter gun control laws, we see a lower homocide rate (proportionally as well as in actual numbers). Need I remind you that the father of modern conservatism, Ronald Reagan, was shot while being surrounded by the "best trained ARMED guards in the history of the world." I am a Democrat, because I don't believe that guns are a deterrant.
WAGES
I am a Democrat because I believe that all of our working citizens deserve a livable wage. That the Republican Congress failed to raise the minimum wage while inflation went up 3X the level it was when the last wage hike was inacted is sad. I believe that it doesn't hurt small businesses when the minimum wage is increased, it only helps families - families who will now be able to spend more at those same businesses.
I am a Democrat because:
I believe in "Freedom of Speech"
I believe in "Freedom of Religion" and thus a "Seperation of Church and State"
I believe in "Due Process of the Law"
I believe in the "Freedom to Assemble"
I believe in "Equality"
I believe in "Respecting other nations"
I believe in "Honest and Open Government"
I believe in a "Right to Privacy"
I believe in "Education"
And most of all, I am a Democrat because I am patriotic. And while I certainly love our flag, what i love more are the ideals behind that flag. I believe the true meaning of patriotism isn't the kind of blind patriotism that liberals and Democrats are so often accused of lacking, but rather a coming together of our people and community to SACRIFICE in order to build a stronger, better nation.
For those, and other reasons, I am a Democrat.
here are other blogs reporting on it:
Delaware Liberal:
http://delawareliberal.wordpress.com/2007/08/18/why-tim-is-a-democrat/
Kilroys Delaware: http://kilroysdelaware.blogspot.com/2007/08/new-kid-on-blogs-soapbox.html
Mat Marshall's Blog:
http://matmarshall.blogspot.com/2007/08/manifesto.html
THE MANIFESTO!
I am a Democrat because I because I believe that government should be proactive, not reactive. Because I believe that government should be a vehicle for progress in social, economic and foreign policy.
FOREIGN POLICY
I am a Democrat because I believe that a foreign policy rooted in the almost arrogant belief that "God is on our side," is wrong, but rather that we should hope, as [ironically Republican] President Abraham Lincoln said, "that we are on God's side." I believe that war should be a last option, only after all diplomatic opportunities have been exhausted; I believe this in word and deed, a difference between the Republicans and Democrats. I believe that wars based on intentional misrepresentation and lies are wrong. That when a policy has turned out to be a failure, to alter it. I believe that the United States, as the last remaining military superpower of the world, has a moral obligation to help end genocide around the world, and that includes the continent of Africa! But that this belief in our international responsibility isn't taken by the leaders of our country as an excuse to inflict our way of life on people who live in different types of cultures.
EDUCATION
I am a Democrat because I believe that education is a priority of our government, and that a free and excellent education is a right. I believe in investing in our schools, not offering vouchers for students to try to attend private schools, schools which are already turing away kids that can afford them...thus having the rejected students forced to return to an even more under funded public school. I believe in the arts, and that maintaining an arts curriculum is necessary in developing the creative side of our minds. I believe that the policy of "No Child Left Behind" is a failure, and that it promotes mediocrity, rather than excellence. That while it is important to measure success and progress, that high stakes testing have reduced each student to a mere test score.
HEALTH CARE
I am a Democrat because I believe that just as it is our responsibility to protect our citizens from the likes of Osama bin Laden, it is also our responsibility to protect our citizens from the smallest of enemies; disease and illness. I believe that the current health care system which promotes profit over health is the wrong one. I believe that the insurance companies have had ample time to address the issues of the 45 million Americans that are uninsured, and have failed, thus it is the governments turn (and responsiblity) to protect it's citizens- just as they have done in other major western countries. I am a Democrat, because I believe that it is the moral responsiblity to ENsure that all of our citizens are INsured.
EQUAL RIGHTS
I am a Democrat because I believe in equal rights and opportunity for all, regardless of race, gender, age, or sexual orientation. I believe that the 1500 state and federal rights not granted to same-sex couples is a severe breach in the rights of up to 10% of our nation's population. And while I believe that government should reflect the popular belief, it should also not infringe on the minorities rights just because the majority want to - why else do we have a Bill of Rights. A good leader does what is right when it is popular, but more importantly does what is right when at that point in time, it my not be politically popular. The cliche, "what is popular isn't always right," I believe, is something our leaders could learn when it comes to equal rights.
TAXES
I am a Democrat because I believe in a progressive tax, one which each citizen pays their fair share of their income - the rich paying a larger percentage of their income than the poor. If this means that a person making $15,000,000 can't get that extra car or pool that he or she wanted, so be it, I don't believe that a progressive tax reduces the incentive for someone to succeed...because in America, when it comes down to it, the incentive is not a flat tax, but the idea that we will leave our children a better country with more opportunities than we had.
PRIVACY
I am a Democrat because I believe that the overarching theme of the Bill of Rights and the Ninth Amendment (declares that the listing of individual rights in the Constitution and Bill of Rights is not meant to be comprehensive; and that the other rights not specifically mentioned are retained elsewhere by the people) grants the people of this nation a "right to privacy" and that under that right to privacy,the government should not be able to tap our phones without due process of the law (including the fifth amendment), should not infringe on a woman's ability to decide what she will and will not do with her body, and that what we do in our bedrooms is our own business, not the governments.
GUN CONTROL
I am a Democrat because I believe that guns are not the solution to the problem, guns are the problem. I don't believe that any citizen outside the police force and the military should need assualt weapons. In other countries with stricter gun control laws, we see a lower homocide rate (proportionally as well as in actual numbers). Need I remind you that the father of modern conservatism, Ronald Reagan, was shot while being surrounded by the "best trained ARMED guards in the history of the world." I am a Democrat, because I don't believe that guns are a deterrant.
WAGES
I am a Democrat because I believe that all of our working citizens deserve a livable wage. That the Republican Congress failed to raise the minimum wage while inflation went up 3X the level it was when the last wage hike was inacted is sad. I believe that it doesn't hurt small businesses when the minimum wage is increased, it only helps families - families who will now be able to spend more at those same businesses.
I am a Democrat because:
I believe in "Freedom of Speech"
I believe in "Freedom of Religion" and thus a "Seperation of Church and State"
I believe in "Due Process of the Law"
I believe in the "Freedom to Assemble"
I believe in "Equality"
I believe in "Respecting other nations"
I believe in "Honest and Open Government"
I believe in a "Right to Privacy"
I believe in "Education"
And most of all, I am a Democrat because I am patriotic. And while I certainly love our flag, what i love more are the ideals behind that flag. I believe the true meaning of patriotism isn't the kind of blind patriotism that liberals and Democrats are so often accused of lacking, but rather a coming together of our people and community to SACRIFICE in order to build a stronger, better nation.
For those, and other reasons, I am a Democrat.
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