Home Local News News Archive WDEL Video Business AccuWeather SnoWatch TrafficWatch Sports - Scoreboard Program Schedule Morning/Afternoon       News Al Mascitti Allan Loudell Rick Jensen Laura Ingraham Jerry Doyle Coast to Coast AM Clark Howard The Money Pit Motley Fool Money Real Estate Today Saturdays with Spence The Money Guys Pathways to Service Into Tomorrow Cigar Dave Blogs Podcasts Dave Ross Delaware's Stories DE HealthWatch DE Hi-TechWatch Live Well Pets of the Week Gas Prices Lottery Results Box Office Report Sudoku Horoscopes Flight Tracker Ski Report WDEL Events Community Events WDEL Text Alerts Speakers Team Contest Rules Advertise on WDEL Links Awards Driving Directions Privacy Policy Internships EEO Statement WDEL Blog: Allan Loudell February 9, 2010 Costa Rica elects a Woman President; when will we? You probably missed it in the news, but the Central American republic of Costa Rica has just overwhelmingly elected a woman to its Presidency, center-right on the ideological spectrum... Continued -> 0 Comments February 8, 2010 Snow Removal is sapping Delaware's transportation budget One thing most of us haven't had time to THINK about, let alone talk about: If you've long awaited a DelDot road creation or road-widening project, you may have to wait a lot longer... Continued -> 4 Comments February 5, 2010 Snowstorm mania Please tell me: Why do people feel so compelled to hit grocery stores, convenience stores, etc. when a major winter storm has been forecast? (For some reason, I'd understand it more, if forecasters were predicting a major hurricane to make landfall in Delaware... Continued -> 11 Comments February 4, 2010 V.P. Biden - off script - lectures E.J. Dionne on America staying #1 Regular readers of my blog know I've reflected several times on the theme of an United States in relative decline, and how NEITHER major political party appears to have come up with a solution that would be palatable to a majority of Americans... Continued -> 5 Comments February 3, 2010 Chris Coons declares for U.S. Senate In an anti-climax, New Castle County Executive Chris Coons announces he's filed papers to run for Delaware's open U.S. Senate seat, the one long held by now-Vice President Joe Biden, and temporarily by Ted Kaufman... Continued -> 2 Comments February 2, 2010 New York Times analysis: "Deficits May Alter U.S. Politics & Global Power" The NEW YORK TIMES offers an analysis discussing the stakes for a United States with perpetually mushrooming deficits. (I would've posted this earlier, except I didn't want to detract from the lively death-penalty discussion in the "comments" section of my last post... Continued -> 3 Comments February 1, 2010 Executions to resume in Delaware The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled Delaware's execution method of lethal injection DOES pass Constitutional muster, and the Court lifted the stay on executions... Continued -> 12 Comments January 29, 2010 Coons to formally announce for Senate first week of February At week's end, all the arrows point to New Castle County Executive Chris Coons announcing a bid for U.S. Senator against Congressman Mike Castle (R-DE) early next week... Continued -> 2 Comments January 28, 2010 V.P. Biden: Administration's point-man to the middle-class POLITICO reports President Obama is turning to his Vice-President as the guy in the Administration who can communicate most effectively with middle-class voters... Continued -> 4 Comments January 27, 2010 Federal Judge denies DNREC request to postpone River dredging The Markell Administration's recent losing streak at the Federal court level continues... On the same day the State of Delaware submitted an appeal to the U... Continued -> 0 Comments January 27, 2010 Public Policy Polling: FOX most trusted TV news network Public Policy Polling asked a cross-section of Americans to identify their most trusted TV network for news. FOX News wins. You can hear my interview with Dean Debnam, Founder and C... Continued -> 1 Comment January 26, 2010 County Executive Chris Coons ponders his decision; Rasmussen snap poll has Castle crushing Coons New Castle County Executive Chris Coons let slip to The NEWS-JOURNAL that he's "leaning toward running" for the United States Senate. Before, he said he was "seriously considering" it... Continued -> 1 Comment January 25, 2010 Chris Coons "seriously considering" a bid for U.S. Senate New Castle County Executive Chris Coons tells POLITICO.com he's "seriously considering" a bid for United States Senator now that Beau Biden has said he won't run for his dad's old seat... Continued -> 2 Comments January 25, 2010 Beau Biden NOT running for U.S. Senate; will seek re-election to A.G. After that incredibly confusing exchange between The NEWS-JOURNAL and the Vice-President's office, Beau Biden sends a letter - relayed by Joe Rogalsky... Continued -> 4 Comments January 24, 2010 Beau Biden NOT running for U.S. Senate? An exchange between Vice-President Joe Biden and veteran NEWS-JOURNAL columnist Harry Themal suggests Delaware Attorney-General Beau Biden is quite unlikely to run for his father's Senate seat: Biden (to Themal): "If you run into Beau, talk him into running; he respects you... Continued -> 1 Comment January 22, 2010 Negotiations to resurrect Valero's Delaware City terminal at sensitive stage Valero issued a rather cryptic press release Friday morning. At first I thought it simply meant the San Antonio-based Valero was in the final stages of selling off the more lucrative parts of the carcass... Continued -> 0 Comments January 21, 2010 The State of the State Among some of the more interesting points, I thought, in Governor Markell's "State of the State" address: * The call for action to reduce health care and pension costs for FUTURE state employees, but NOT current state workers * Restating a commitment to cutting red tape for businesses, such as an initiative requiring DelDOT and DNREC to respond to permit applications within 2 months * Support for a bond bill which would include plans for a center for high-tech laboratories, health sciences, alternative energy research, etc... Continued -> 0 Comments January 20, 2010 Massachusetts G.O.P. Victory: Relevant for Delaware? Massachusetts' political tsunami arrives as some Delawareans have wondered aloud: Might the Scott Brown victory force Attorney-General Beau Biden to reassess the wisdom of running against Congressman Mike Castle (R-DE) for that U-S Senate seat long occupied by Beau's dad? This assumes Beau hasn't ALREADY decided to run, but has delayed a formal announcement, perhaps for family reasons, but also so he has time to get the Attorney-General's office in order... Continued -> 0 Comments January 19, 2010 Insider Advantage Poll: Republican Scott Brown leads Democrat Martha Coakley by 9 points in Mass. It now seems it'll take a miracle for the Democratic candidate to win today's special election for U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, the late Edward Kennedy's seat... Continued -> 0 Comments January 15, 2010 Surprise, surprise: Markell Administration to appeal Sports Betting constraints Just when many of us thought it extremely unlikely the Markell Administration would further challenge the August Appeals Court ruling against Delaware on expanded sports betting, seemingly out of the blue, the state of Delaware IS appealing... Continued -> 0 Comments January 14, 2010 Why does Rev. Pat Robertson make such incendiary comments? When certain nationally-syndicated talk-show hosts deliver headline-grabbing, outrageous bombast, I understand: It's all about ratings, and the ends justify the means... Continued -> 2 Comments January 14, 2010 Wide-ranging interview with Senator Kaufman I had a chance to talk to Senator Ted Kaufman (D-DE) about Harry Reid; health-care reform; unemployment & the economy; and that December bombing of the C... Continued -> 0 Comments January 13, 2010 New Delaware casinos not in the cards? It remains to be seen whether the recommendation of a state gambling commission against new casinos will inordinately influence other Delaware legislators -- or not... Continued -> 0 Comments January 12, 2010 We'd rather talk about Race, baseball players, etc., than what REALLY matters Tune across talk radio or the cable news channels, and the dominant story has been Senator Harry Reid's reported characterization of President Obama's skin pigmentation and speaking delivery... Continued -> 6 Comments January 11, 2010 "Game Change" portrays distant Obama--Biden Relationship during Campaign Mark Halperin and John Heilemann's explosive political book about the '08 Presidential campaign - GAME CHANGE - makes headlines in a number of areas. Understandably, snippets about Sarah Palin; Hillary Clinton; and Harry Reid's assessment of Barack Obama in racial terms have dominated the headlines... Continued -> 1 Comment January 8, 2010 Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Finnegan Biden (1917-2010) We inferred when we got word that the Vice-President had returned to Wilmington Thursday to be with his "seriously ill" mother that she was likely gravely ill... Continued -> 0 Comments January 8, 2010 Local Muslim professor known internationally When columns from the University of Delaware's Director of Islamic Studies - Dr. Muqtedar Khan - appear in the Wilmington NEWS-JOURNAL (periodically drawing scathing letters from staunchly pro-Israel readers), I'm not sure most local readers realize the professor's work periodically appears in a number of newspapers... Continued -> 2 Comments January 7, 2010 Vice President comes home for "seriously ill" mother Vice President Biden and family are here in the Wilmington area, where the Vice President's mother "has taken seriously ill in recent days". The matriarch of the family, 92-year-old Jean Biden, had a broken hip repaired last March... Continued -> 0 Comments January 6, 2010 Big Defender of Delaware's existing Casinos hangs it up I see some irony in the timing of State Representative Bill Oberle's announcement - to his Republican colleagues during a caucus meeting - that he won't seek re-election... Continued -> 0 Comments January 5, 2010 Could full body scanners at airports violate child porn laws? And full body scans... no quick fix anyway I've have yet to hear any U.S. politician or pundit argue this point, but in Britain, concerns that full body scanners at airports could violate child protection laws have complicated efforts to routinely subject all airline passengers to full body scans... Continued -> 0 Comments January 4, 2010 Free TV coming to an end? You may have read the article in Sunday's NEWS-JOURNAL about how increasing numbers of people - rebelling against escalating cable subscription fees - have cancelled cable, and returned to over-the-air reception of TV stations... Continued -> 9 Comments December 31, 2009 Markell Administration would allow River Dredging in "Environmentally sound" manner Just before Christmas, I posted a blog about the seeming divide among Delaware Democrats: The environmentalists who oppose river dredging (and who overwhelmingly supported Jack Markell in the Democratic gubernatorial primary) and the labor-oriented, "jobs" Democrats (who mostly supported primary rival John Carney)... Continued -> 1 Comment December 24, 2009 It ain't easy being Santa! We normally don't associate Santa with serious social issues. But, as we celebrate this Yuletide season, it's worth remembering that Santa at your department store or mall -- or especially in a smaller, more intimate setting -- doesn't always hear requests for toys and games... Continued -> 0 Comments December 24, 2009 The virtues of using Beet Juice on snow-covered roads! A spokesman for DelDot - the Delaware Department of Transportation - confessed to a little surprise and humor when I asked him to check if DelDot had ever considered using a salt-brine road treatment containing beet juice... Continued -> 0 Comments December 22, 2009 We'll see many more "Copenhagens" Did you think the Copenhagen climate conference turned out to be untidy and chaotic? Get used to it. (And this really has little to do with what you think about global climate change!) The influential foreign-policy thinker Leslie Gelb - President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations - writes in The DAILY BEAST about how China will inevitably create mischief for us, and how developing countries can be compared to Senators Nelson, Lieberman, and Sanders... Continued -> 0 Comments December 21, 2009 The Obvious Split among Delaware Dems The (then) impending snowstorm diverted attention, but Wilmington City Council members late last week voted in FAVOR of dredging in the Delaware River, echoing a similar vote by New Castle County Council... Continued -> 0 Comments December 21, 2009 The 2 Extremes in Winter Storm Driving Having anchored Saturday morning here on WDEL - as the winter storm gripped our region - I happened to drive on I-95 and Route 1 to get home. I also dug out from the snow Sunday morning, and had occasion to navigate on such arteries as Routes 7 and 40... Continued -> 0 Comments December 18, 2009 Innocent man freed after 35 years behind bars A Florida man who spent 35 years in prison for a rape he didn't commit has won his freedom, thanks to DNA evidence. 54-year-old James Bain, jailed at the age of 19, had been found guilty of kidnapping and raping a nine-year-old boy in 1974... Continued -> 1 Comment December 17, 2009 Mary & Joseph Bedroom Billboard in Auckland, New Zealand defaced in 5 hours Have you heard the story about the Mary & Joseph bedroom billboard put up by a "progressive" Anglican church in Auckland, New Zealand? It portrayed Joseph looking rather dejected and Mary somewhat sad as well... Continued -> 0 Comments December 16, 2009 Senators Carper, Kaufman in Pharmaceutical industry's corner on drug import vote You don't have to wait long in a pharmaceutical line these days to hear someone say that he/she didn't realize the high cost of a particular prescribed drug... Continued -> 2 Comments December 15, 2009 Yet another couple ends up at an Invitation-only event at the White House It's happened again... kind of. A Georgia couple visiting the White House ended-up at an Invitation-only, White House breakfast. Unlike the Salahi couple, it doesn't appear this Georgia couple INTENDED to "crash" the breakfast; in fact, they got an assist from the authorities... Continued -> 0 Comments December 15, 2009 Russia, China, Malaysia, others... winning Iraq's oil auction jackpot! I sense most Americans are simply too fatigued these days to argue what drove the George W. Bush Administration to invade Iraq after 9/11. But, for those with the stamina to still debate the issue, it doesn't take long to hear that the REAL motives were to create a new, democratized Middle-East in which the Israelis could live in peace AND to assure U... Continued -> 0 Comments December 14, 2009 The Lieberman Roadblock The Obama White House today tried to shoot down a report in POLITICO that the Administration was pressuring Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to gut the Medicare expansion to health care reform... Continued -> 0 Comments December 11, 2009 City of Wilmington challenges WHYY TV's Operating License! I see the Video & Telecommunications Commission for the City of Wilmington has voted unanimously to authorize the city to file a challenge of WHYY TV 12's operating license before the Federal Communications Commission... Continued -> 2 Comments December 10, 2009 Some conservative praise for President Obama's Oslo speech President Obama delivered a measured - but in many respects - muscular speech as he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in the Norwegian capital. Some conservatives (politicians, not necessarily the talk-show hosts) have praised the President's speech... Continued -> 0 Comments December 9, 2009 Do Federal judges have something AGAINST Delaware? Or do we take untenable positions? Federal Judge Sue Robinson suggests "the state of Delaware sat on its hands" when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers filed a request to begin dredging the Delaware River channel... Continued -> 2 Comments December 8, 2009 Playing the Ideal Vice President Entangled within President Obama's Afghanistan escalation decision, as discussed in this blog and elsewhere: Whether Vice President Biden suffered any loss of influence within the Administration because the President seemed to side much more with General McChrystal... Continued -> 4 Comments December 3, 2009 Castle leading Beau Biden beyond margin of error in latest poll A poll for Daily Kos may have found them running about even, but the latest Public Policy poll of a hypothetical Mike Castle--Beau Biden race for United States Senate has Castle maintaining the lead he enjoyed in an earlier Public Policy poll... Continued -> 0 Comments December 3, 2009 A shrinking Washington Times! Talk-show hosts - masters of hyperbole - have uttered a lot of claptrap over the years. On the Right (which has dominated A.M. talk radio in many parts of the country), one of the most easily refuted has been the oft-repeated assertion that the mainstream media, particularly newspapers (read "liberal media") were collapsing just because people turned to conservative media... Continued -> 0 Comments December 2, 2009 The Two Biggest Obstacles to President Obama's Afghanistan Plan Some time after 9/11, but before President George W. Bush ordered the U.S. intervention in Afghanistan, I remember talking to an Afghan with some understanding of America... Continued -> 0 Comments November 30, 2009 Washington state cop-killer story: Political disaster for Mike Huckabee If Sarah Palin stumbled early in her (probable) quest for the Republican Presidential nomination, I always assumed ex-Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee would be there to inherit many of those evangelical "true believer" voters, PLUS have a shot at winning over other Republicans as well... Continued -> 1 Comment November 27, 2009 Dubai debt crisis: Something to worry about? While many Americans continued to enjoy their Thanksgiving holiday, and converged on the malls and box-stores for Black Friday - oblivious to the paranoia in global markets - investors tried to discern the impact of the Dubai debt crisis... Continued -> 0 Comments November 25, 2009 Could G.O.P. "Purity Test" Ensnare Mike Castle? Rumblings that the Republican National Committee will approve a "purity" test for its politicians prompted The NEW YORK TIMES' Adam Nagourney to bring up the case of Mike Castle... Continued -> 1 Comment November 25, 2009 "Washington Whispers" in U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT: Buzz about Hillary Clinton replacing Biden as Veep for 2012 The "Washington Whispers" column in U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT notes a rumor about Secretary of State Clinton becoming President Obama's running mate for 2012... Continued -> 0 Comments November 25, 2009 How one other Catholic Diocese Bankruptcy case was settled Ever since the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington sought bankruptcy protection as a result of the clergy sex-abuse scandal, I've been paying closer attention to similar cases around the country... Continued -> 0 Comments November 24, 2009 President Obama's Slippage with "Independents" Exaggerated? University of Wisconsin professor and pollster Charlie Franklin makes the case that pundits and the media have exaggerated erosion of support for President Obama among "independent" voters in very recent months... Continued -> 0 Comments November 23, 2009 Complicating the End-of-Life Debate A story out of Belgium underscores the moral and medical complications in the right-to-die/right-to-life debate: A patient trapped in a 23-year "coma" appears to have been conscious... Continued -> 0 Comments November 20, 2009 "ACORN stole the election for Obama": Republican Majority view in new national poll Public Policy Polling offers a fascinating new poll: A majority of self-identified Republicans (52%) now believes ACORN stole last November's election for President Obama... Continued -> 2 Comments November 19, 2009 Watch out what you dream (or pray) for! With the release of her new book, many mainstream news outlets have been (seemingly) all-Sarah-Palin-all-the-time. It doesn't take a nuclear scientist or brain surgeon to figure out the reason: She SELLS magazines, news shows, etc... Continued -> 2 Comments November 18, 2009 Senator Carper's "Hammer" in the Health Care Reform debate TIME magazine's "Swampland" political blog is reporting how the national co-op proposed by Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) - which he's now calling the "Hammer" - could ease passage of SOME kind of health-care reform legislation, assuming the public option fails to clear... Continued -> 0 Comments November 16, 2009 Beau Biden edges ahead of Mike Castle in hypothetical U.S. Senate race The latest statewide poll conducted in Delaware of a hypothetical U.S. Senate race for Vice-President Biden's old seat gives the undeclared Beau Biden a 5% lead over Mike Castle... Continued -> 0 Comments November 16, 2009 Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's Gaffes Ask your average "Joe" who's been the leading gaffe-maker in this current Presidential administration, and doubtless our average citizen would blurt out Joe Biden's name... Continued -> 0 Comments November 14, 2009 Turmoil at The Washington Times The same days the Nor'easter was battering the East Coast, a Moon family feud was rocking The WASHINGTON TIMES... long a haven for conservatives escaping the "liberal" media... Continued -> 0 Comments November 12, 2009 Obama Commitment to Afghanistan troop escalation now in doubt! Just when you thought that all was a fait accompli - that President Obama had settled on a significant increase of U.S. troops in Afghanistan - comes this bombshell: U... Continued -> 0 Comments November 11, 2009 Dr. Coburn's "No" to Disabled Vets As the nation observes Veterans Day, it's worth noting that legislation to provide new health-care services for veterans remains blocked in the United States Senate... Continued -> 0 Comments November 10, 2009 Moderate = Independent ? Not! I think pollster John Zogby is onto something here, as he implores pundits and journalists to AVOID using the terms "moderate" and "independent" interchangeably... Continued -> 0 Comments November 9, 2009 Political fallout: Cong. Castle's Vote AGAINST House Health-Care Reform Measure The WASHINGTON POST's Chris Cillizza calls Congressman (and G.O.P. Senate candidate) Mike Castle's vote against the health-care reform legislation... one of the five toughest votes against the bill... Continued -> 2 Comments November 5, 2009 Low rates for students getting the H1N1 vaccine in their schools: Likely reasons The Delaware Division of Public Health is trying to assess why comparatively few public school students are getting the swine flu vaccine in their schools... Continued -> 0 Comments November 4, 2009 Election 2009: The Limits of $; Fickle "Independents"; Tea Party "victories" etc. What lessons do I take from Tuesday's off-year elections and referenda? (1). More evidence that a year is almost an eternity in politics. And some self-professed "independents" sway to and fro against the dominant party of the moment... Continued -> 1 Comment November 3, 2009 Surprise! SEPTA strike Some baby-boomers - and even more so, Generation X'ers and beyond - consider labor unions mostly irrelevant, something of a relic from the decades just after World War II... Continued -> 1 Comment November 2, 2009 Survey: Delaware, World's # 1 Haven for Financial Secrecy? You can expect the political pressure to build to oust Delaware from its vaulted position as a mecca for corporate incorporations. Even as the Obama Administration has lectured other countries and jurisdictions (The Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man, the Bailiwick of Jersey, and Ireland) about the need for more transparency, others are pointing fingers at Delaware... Continued -> 0 Comments October 30, 2009 Have Philadelphia sports fans become "warm & fuzzy"? Despite the widely-publicized July tragedy outside Citizens Bank Park - where three men fatally beat a 22-year-old man - a Philadelphia writer argues in The NEW REPUBLIC that Philadelphia sports fans are shedding their obnoxiousness... Continued -> 0 Comments October 28, 2009 Could Ford Motor Company - now riding high - fall victim to UAW rank-and-file? Interestingly, just as Fisker was embracing the United Auto Workers here in Delaware... U.A.W. workers at a number of sites were demonstrating their opposition to a proposed cost-saving contract... Continued -> 0 Comments October 28, 2009 "Vice-Presidentitis" - Is there such a thing? Richard Wolffe - the former NEWSWEEK magazine White House correspondent, now writing for The DAILY BEAST - takes a look at Joe Biden's declining poll numbers... Continued -> 0 Comments October 27, 2009 The Fisker Gamble in Delaware; How Eminent Domain greased Chrysler--U.D deal Everyone I interview about Fisker Automotive's hybrid auto start-up in Delaware calls it a great gamble, but NOT as much as it would be WITHOUT Federal largess... Continued -> 7 Comments October 26, 2009 President Obama moving toward Hybrid strategy in Afghanistan McChrystal + Biden. It appears the Obama Administration will implement a combined strategy in Afghanistan, part escalation of ground forces (as advocated by General Stanley McChrystal) and part aggressive counter-terror mission (as advocated by Vice President Biden)... Continued -> 0 Comments October 23, 2009 Waiting for Beau Biden The WASHINGTON POST today offers an article on the waiting game here in Delaware about Attorney-General Beau Biden's political intentions... http://www... Continued -> 6 Comments October 22, 2009 Chinese economy on a roll; U.S.--Japanese relations deteriorate It appears China will register an 8% growth rate for 2009. How's that for prospering in a global recession? See this article from The AUSTRALIAN... Continued -> 0 Comments October 21, 2009 The TELEGRAPH's Toby Harnden: "Joe Biden has been on the wrong side of history..." After NEWSWEEK's largely laudatory cover treatment of Joe Biden, it was inevitable a columnist for a mainstream newspaper or magazine would offer a contrarian analysis... Continued -> 2 Comments October 16, 2009 Where Beau Biden and his Dad - the Veep - are Exact Opposites! Whether on ABC's "Good Morning America" or on-the-air with me by telephone, Attorney-General Beau Biden religiously stuck to his "message". It didn't matter HOW I worded my questions; it didn't matter if I sought seemingly innocent ancillary information... Continued -> 7 Comments October 15, 2009 Pundit calls on Biden to Resign as Veep if Obama surges in Afghanistan!; George F. Will writes about Mike Castle; New Poll -- Castle vs. Beau Biden The irrepressible pundit - Ariana Huffington - has called on Vice-President Biden to step down if President Obama orders a troop escalation in Afghanistan... Continued -> 9 Comments October 13, 2009 Zero Tolerance vs. "Common Sense" Sometime during the fifth grade, another boy stabbed me in the rear - with his pencil -- totally unprovoked. I hadn't even thought about this in 45 years, but I happened to mention it in our newsroom today, prompted by the Zachary Christie story... Continued -> 8 Comments October 12, 2009 NEWSWEEK: "Joe Biden... An Inconvenient Truth Teller" The latest issue of NEWSWEEK magazine carries a major story about the Veep... A Vice-President whose main flaw / virtue is being TOO candid. http://www... Continued -> 0 Comments October 9, 2009 Could Nobel peace prize backfire on President Obama? Quick Trivia Question: Who was the last SITTING U.S. President to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize? Answer: Woodrow Wilson, for his efforts to form the League of Nations... Continued -> 3 Comments October 8, 2009 Bishop Michael Saltarelli (1933-2009) Our WDEL newsroom got the word just after 5:30 a.m. The 8th bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Wilmington - Michael Saltarelli - has died after battling cancer... Continued -> 3 Comments October 7, 2009 Secret moves to de-couple $ from oil trading Were it not for the Mike Castle story, I would've posted on this yesterday: One of the best-connected Middle-East correspondents -- Robert Fisk of The INDEPENDENT - reported behind-the-scenes negotiations, initiated by the Gulf Arab states, to end dollar dealings for oil... Continued -> 0 Comments October 7, 2009 By some accounts, President Obama rejects "Biden option" President Obama has ruled out a large reduction of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, or shifting the mission primarily to tracking down terrorists. This doesn't necessarily mean the President will grant General Stanley McChrystal's request for as many as forty thousand additional troops... Continued -> 0 Comments October 6, 2009 More on Mike Castle's decision to run for U.S. Senate In retrospect, perhaps too many people (especially opponents) tried to divine Mike Castle's intentions from his lack of fundraising over the summer. Big mistake... Continued -> 0 Comments October 6, 2009 Mike Castle IS running for U.S. Senate; "Castle-for-Senate" sign goes up at Wilmington Riverfront POLITICO.com has two Castle sources saying Delaware's Republican congressman WILL announce his candidacy for United States Senate, setting up (potentially) a Castle--Beau Biden race... Continued -> 0 Comments October 6, 2009 Mike Castle announcement at Noon Just after 7 a.m., we received this email from "mikecastlenews@gmail.com": MEDIA ADVISORY "Please join Congressman Michael N. Castle for a brief press conference Tuesday October 6, 2009 -- 12:00 P... Continued -> 5 Comments October 5, 2009 Biden spending a lot of time with House freshmen Your former U.S. senator from Delaware - now Vice-President of the United States - has been spending a lot of time with newly-elected Democrats in the U... Continued -> 0 Comments October 2, 2009 It's Rio! Presidents have good days and bad days. Friday, October 2nd, will most definitely go down as a BAD day for President Obama. First the unemployment stats come out, and the drift upward surprises some economists... Continued -> 0 Comments October 1, 2009 Could Wal-Mart's economic model ultimately threaten its OWN bottom line? I was very pleased this week to land an interview with labor historian Nelson Lichtenstein, author of The RETAIL REVOLUTION, about how Wal-Mart reshaped Corporate America... Continued -> 0 Comments September 30, 2009 Castle Watch: Waiting Almost Over - And Polling Results on a Hypothetical Castle--Biden Match-up I run the risk of having someone quote this blog post back to me in November, but the tea leaves suggest Congressman Mike Castle (R-DE) will announce his political plans very soon... Continued -> 0 Comments September 30, 2009 Polarized America When the BBC interviewed me a few weeks ago about the state of America, I believe I shocked my interviewer when I suggested a parallel with the United States before the Civil War... Continued -> 4 Comments September 30, 2009 Public Option on insurance rejected twice The story unfolded as I was going on-the-air Tuesday afternoon: The Senate Finance Committee's two votes against a government-run, insurance option as part of health-care reform... Continued -> 0 Comments September 29, 2009 Anticlimax: 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals Repudiates Delaware Again on Sports Betting No great shock, but the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Delaware's petition to review Delaware's bid for expanded sports betting. The one-paragraph response was terse and non-informative: "A majority" of the judges did not vote for a hearing before the full, twelve-judge panel... Continued -> 0 Comments September 28, 2009 Some things that will NEVER change about America! U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan - with backing from President Obama - proclaims U.S. students function "at a competitive disadvantage" with students from other countries because of the shorter school year... Continued -> 5 Comments September 23, 2009 By many accounts, V.P. Biden leading opposition to Afghan escalation; son Beau Biden comes home! In something of a role-reversal for the often "hawkish" Joe Biden, by several accounts the Vice-President leads the opposition - within the Adminstration - to a dramatic escalation of U... Continued -> 5 Comments September 22, 2009 Rise of the Biden Birthers! It was only a matter of time... Someone put together a parody video questioning Vice President Joe Biden's place of birth, unusual interest in foreign affairs, friendship with a certain "Kenyan", etc... Continued -> 0 Comments September 21, 2009 Obama Rethink on Afghanistan; Zbig suggests U.S. should shoot-down Israeli planes As I posted in my September 1st column, increasing U.S. casualties in Afghanistan have the potential to undermine President Obama in the mid-term Congressional elections... Continued -> 0 Comments September 18, 2009 FCC members all proclaim "No Fairness Doctrine" I've always perceived more heat than light as talk-show hosts warned their listeners about a revival of the FCC's Fairness Doctrine for broadcasters. Never believed it... Continued -> 10 Comments September 17, 2009 Delaware appeal on sports betting; icy reception to Baucus health-care reform; abandonment of missile-shield: All predictable! I'm back from my week-and-a-half vacation to the Midwest, and I can't say very much in the news has surprised me. I figured the Markell Administration would appeal the three-judge panel's rejection of an expansion of sports betting, even if that appeal - itself - represents a rather high-stakes gamble, with the legal expenses mounting... Continued -> 0 Comments September 4, 2009 Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill: President Obama's school speech If you ever wanted exhibit A of our toxic politics today, the uproar over President Obama's back-to-school address surely demonstrates. POLITICO.com reported: "School districts from Maryland to Texas are fielding angry complaints from parents opposed to President Barack Obama's back-to-school address Tuesday -- forcing districts to find ways to shield students from the speech as conservative opposition to Obama spills into the nation's classrooms... Continued -> 6 Comments September 3, 2009 In a complicated world... Some things never change! With the complicated, multi-layered debates over the economy, health-care reform, climate change, and Afghanistan... some stories don't change. Case in point: Public breastfeeding... Continued -> 4 Comments September 1, 2009 Afghanistan: Hex on the Obama Administration? Senator Ted Kaufman (D-DE) has embarked on another fact-finding mission to South Asia. Last time, he exuded relative optimism. Let's see what he says this time... Continued -> 1 Comment August 31, 2009 Three-Judge Appeals Panel delivers further setback to Delaware The Third Circuit Court of Appeals' written opinion on Delaware sports betting had to be even more discouraging to the Markell Administration - and the cause of finding new revenue sources - than the original ruling... Continued -> 4 Comments August 27, 2009 Still Guessing about Mike Castle... I must admit reading some of the arguments advanced by bloggers at Delaware Liberal in recent weeks... I was starting to think Congressman Mike Castle (R-DE) will - indeed - retire, rather than run for the U... Continued -> 7 Comments August 26, 2009 Senator Edward Kennedy (1932-2009) The story broke overnight after the morning newspapers had gone to press: Senator Edward Kennedy's battle with brain cancer came to an end late Tuesday night... Continued -> 4 Comments August 25, 2009 Pharmaceutical groups drop lawsuit against Delaware Delaware Health and Social Services Secretary Rita Landgraf called me on-the-air to announce two pharmacy groups would yank the lawsuit they had filed against the State of Delaware over Medicaid reimbursement cuts... Continued -> 0 Comments August 24, 2009 Appeals Panel rules AGAINST Delaware on Sports Betting Maybe the Markell Administration foresaw a very bumpy ride on sports betting, when it enlisted a second legal firm to represent the state. That three-judge appeals panel in Philadelphia has ruled AGAINST Delaware, and FOR the major leagues and the NCAA... Continued -> 11 Comments August 22, 2009 Wise or Stupid? Wilmington's new (hand-held) Cellphone ban It'll be interesting to see if Wilmington's new ban on hand-held cellphones while driving - to take effect January 1st - will become as much a battle royal as eminent domain... Continued -> 2 Comments August 21, 2009 Should newspapers give up the online emphasis? As newspapers struggle to rebound from sharp declines in ad revenue - added to the failure to reap profits from the Web - a few are revving their engines to reverse... Continued -> 5 Comments August 20, 2009 Any way to save the U.S. Postal Service? Despite the hemorrhaging, for the moment, no U.S. branch post office will close in northern Delaware. However, the U.S. Postal Service won't close the door to that possibility; USPS is still reviewing possible mergers of satellite branches in Wilmington and Newark... Continued -> 4 Comments August 18, 2009 L.A. TIMES: Biden more influential than Al Gore as Veep? The Los ANGELES TIMES carries a major analysis on Vice President Biden: "Despite fumbles, Biden's a player" Peter Nicholas and Paul Richter write that in spite of the gaffes: "... Continued -> 0 Comments August 17, 2009 Obama not the first U.S. President to have birthplace legitimacy questioned! We sometimes assume our current political debates are particularly nasty and vitriolic. We often forget (assuming we learned at all!) that political foes were quite capable of sliming each other in the early days of this nation... Continued -> 2 Comments August 14, 2009 Michael Vick: Rewarding Inexcusable Conduct Once upon a time, young Americans raised at the height of the Cold War had this pounded into their heads: "Communists believe 'the ends justify the means' and we don't... Continued -> 11 Comments August 14, 2009 Deception in the Health Care Debate If the truth is the first casualty in any war, the battle over health-care reform has become a war. One example from those who would derail health-care reform in the United States: Two British women whose stories became the centerpiece in adverts for the group "Conservatives for Patients' Rights" proclaim they were duped into agreeing to be interviewed... Continued -> 0 Comments August 13, 2009 Delaware Dem Leaders to Racetrack Casinos: "Say what? Special session? We never promised you..." Looks like casino table games will come to Delaware later rather than sooner. Delaware Democratic House leaders insist they never guaranteed the three existing racetrack casinos a special late summer or early fall legislative session to deal with the logistics of table games... Continued -> 0 Comments August 12, 2009 Why the End-of-Life Debate Won't Die It's easy for subtle points to get buried as the Right and the Left persist with their scorched-earth debate over health care reform. Missing in this white-hot debate: You can favor universal health-care and STILL have reservations about Government-funded, end-of-life "consultations"... Continued -> 3 Comments August 11, 2009 Walgreens--Delaware (almost) reach agreement on Medicaid prescriptions; Pharmaceutical trade groups refuse to drop lawsuit The war of words between Walgreens and the State of Delaware appears near resolution. The Chicago-area based pharmacy behemoth - which owns Happy Harry's stores in Delaware - is nearing agreement to keep filling Medicaid prescriptions... Continued -> 1 Comment August 10, 2009 Rumors about NCC Executive Chris Coons For a couple of weeks, rumors have circulated that New Castle County Executive Chris Coons would resign to take a post in the Obama-Biden Administration, and current NCC Council President Paul Clark would replace him... Continued -> 1 Comment August 7, 2009 Does Positive economic news represent only the "Eye" of the Hurricane? Wall Street investors rallied this Friday as we received some "positive" news on the unemployment front. Indeed, it's heartening to think the worst of the recession is behind us: Although jobs may lag, we're at the cusp of a recovery, and America will rally... Continued -> 2 Comments August 7, 2009 Justice Sotomayor: I predict she'll both surprise & disappoint the Right & the Left! Senate confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor was such an anticlimax, the major cable news networks seemed to spend most of their time on OTHER stories Thursday evening: The death of John Hughes; Senate passage of a $2-Billion extension for "Cash-for-clunkers"; more disruptions for Congressional "Town Hall" meetings; etc... Continued -> 0 Comments August 6, 2009 Deja Vu for the Cold War? And More... Not necessarily Page One news, but two Russian nuclear-powered, attack submarines have been operating off our East Coast. Unclear if they might have something to do with Russian operations in the Arctic... Continued -> 0 Comments August 5, 2009 What "pull" does Vince Meconi have? The NEWS JOURNAL reports on Page One that embattled ex Social Services Secretary Vince Meconi STILL draws a state paycheck "a month after Gov. Jack Markell's office said his temporary assignment would expire... Continued -> 0 Comments August 4, 2009 Republican State Rep. Joe Booth takes the late Thurman Adams' Senate seat I can't say I'm surprised by the outcome in the election for State Senator from District 19 in Sussex County: State Representative Joe Booth (R-Georgetown) received 63% of the vote, compared to Democrat Polly Adams Mervine's 30%, Independent Matt Opaliski's 6%, and Libertarian Wendy Jones' 1%... Continued -> 0 Comments August 3, 2009 Congressman Castle Interview: Town Hall Meetings, Future Political plans, "Cash for Clunkers", Showing up at Stimulus announcements for Delaware; etc. I tried to get Congressman Mike Castle (R-DE) to respond to all the major recent issues in the ten minutes I had with him today. Listen to my interview from Monday's "WDEL Delaware News at Noon" here... Continued -> 1 Comment July 31, 2009 Yes, that was Joe Biden in front of a mug of.... near-beer! If our former senator - now Vice President of the United States - is such a teetotaler, some were asking, how could Joe Biden participate in Thursday night's great beer "summit"? Well, turns out Mr... Continued -> 4 Comments July 30, 2009 The Missing Biden Portraits I haven't visited the Federal Building in downtown Wilmington lately, but I hear that while a photograph of President Obama has replaced the photo portraits of former President George W... Continued -> 0 Comments July 29, 2009 Wilmington's Mayor Baker COULD reject Federal $ for Cops Quick: What did Wilmington Mayor Jim Baker and the Governors of South Carolina and Texas (and the ex-Governor of Alaska) appear to have in common? Answer: A willingness to resist Federal stimulus dollars, especially if they come with the obligation that the state or city FUND the program if and when the Federal revenue evaporates... Continued -> 0 Comments July 27, 2009 Back in the Saddle I'm gone a week-and-a-half (a leisurely family vacation - drive - to South Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado), and I see Congressman Mike Castle's town meeting downstate was probably the biggest Delaware story during my absence... Continued -> 3 Comments July 14, 2009 Castle Still Not Acting Like a Candidate for U.S. Senate If Congressman Mike Castle (R-DE) is still seriously considering a race for United States Senate, he gives no indication in his latest fundraising report... Continued -> 0 Comments July 14, 2009 Chinese Crackdown on Uighur Muslims: Where are the Protests in the Islamic world? What appears here is the English rewrite of an article which first appeared in the Spanish-language newspaper EL PAIS of Madrid, and drew attention around-the-world... Continued -> 0 Comments July 13, 2009 Vice-President Biden's "Gaffes"... as Truth The non-partisan NATIONAL JOURNAL offers an interesting analysis on Joe Biden's "Gaffes"... as mirror into the soul of the Obama Administration. Read this analysis in The NATIONAL JOURNAL... Continued -> 0 Comments July 10, 2009 Axe falls at the (Wilmington) News Journal... again! Gannett announced another round of nationwide lay-offs BEFORE the Fourth of July weekend, leaving employees to have to agonize through the weekend. Finally, the word started to leak late Thursday: The NEWS JOURNAL terminated up to 28 people, including ten from the newsroom... Continued -> 8 Comments July 9, 2009 Analysis of Global Print & Electronic Media: Michael Jackson, Top Funeral You can bet media scholars will exhaustively research how modern media handled the death of Michael Jackson. An analysis of media outlets of all kinds concludes the wall-to-wall coverage elevated MJ to "Top Funeral" of the last dozen years in global print and electronic media... Continued -> 4 Comments July 8, 2009 Suspected North Korean Cyber Attack on South Korea, U.S. The mysterious North Koreans may NOT have launched a missile in Hawaii's direction on the Fourth of July, but it appears Pyongyang attacked South Korean and U... Continued -> 2 Comments July 7, 2009 Ethnic Strife in western China Overshadowed by the Michael Jackson memorial ceremony - and even President Obama's visit to Moscow - ethnic Han Chinese have sought revenge against the Turkic Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang Uighur 'autonomous' region of western China... Continued -> 0 Comments July 3, 2009 Should We Have Cancelled 4th of July Fireworks? In this recession, you have states, counties, and municipalities that are hurting. And then you have states, counties, and municipalities that are REALLY hurting... Continued -> 0 Comments June 30, 2009 Premature Euphoria over Twitter Democracy Movement in Iran While the U.S. news networks were mostly consumed with 24-7 Michael Jackson coverage, a familiar name in Iranian politics pounded the final nails into Iran's nascent, Twitter-driven, democratic uprising... Continued -> 0 Comments June 29, 2009 New Communications Technology, Fragile Technology Before we give up "old-fashioned" technology (i.e., over-the-air broadcasting), consider: The top websites last week struggled to absorb the massive traffic from folks seeking more news about Michael Jackson's death... Continued -> 1 Comment June 25, 2009 Michael Jackson & Farrah Fawcett dead on the same day If you're past a certain age, you suddenly feel older to learn of the passing of both Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. I can't say I watched "Charlie's Angels" more than once or twice, and I wasn't the kind of college kid to put up posters, but how could you not notice? I thought Farrah Fawcett showed a lot of class, especially in her later years... Continued -> 1 Comment June 25, 2009 Walgreens vs. Delaware: War of Words Intensifies The spat flares up again between Chicago area-based Walgreens (owner of Delaware Happy Harry's pharmacies) and the State of Delaware, just days before Walgreens says it'll withdraw from Delaware's Medicaid reimbursement program... Continued -> 0 Comments June 24, 2009 News Media Ethics Question: Portrayal of Victims The images of Iran's young people suffering in the streets have galvanized U.S. public opinion. And dare I suggest middle-class America probably has an easier time relating to Neda Agha-Soltan, the unwitting tragic icon for young Iranians in the streets, even though she may have been the observer who simply got into the wrong place at the wrong time... Continued -> 0 Comments June 23, 2009 State Senator Thurman Adams' Death Puts Legislative Business in Slo-Mo The death of State Senate President Pro Tem Thurman Adams crimped Delaware legislative business at a most critical time. Even the announcement of the senator's death seems to be coming out in slo-mo... Continued -> 1 Comment June 22, 2009 Iran: Tiananmen Square without the Tanks Perhaps Western media made too much out of the "Twitter revolution" in Iran. In the end, Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei allies have the guns. For now... Continued -> 0 Comments June 19, 2009 Delaware Legislative Gridlock For all who have complained about the "Delaware Way" - where 'D' and 'R' labels receded into some kind of consensus - we're getting a highly volatile demonstration of the reverse in Dover... Continued -> 2 Comments June 17, 2009 Good-bye to "Delaware Tonight" on TV 12 - WHYY After months of rumors, WHYY TV executives say they'll pull the plug on weeknight news broadcasts from Wilmington, "Delaware Tonight" Friday, July 17th... Continued -> 4 Comments June 16, 2009 Digital Conversion costing stations viewers Checking out newspapers around the country, the weekend's "cold turkey" digital TV conversion is NOT going as many FCC officials (and indeed, some engineers in the broadcast industry) had planned... Continued -> 2 Comments June 15, 2009 Obama Administration in a Box over the Iranian Election For all the distress shown in Western capitals over the Mahmound Ahmadinejad's "stolen" victory in the Iranian Presidential election, I can imagine many U... Continued -> 1 Comment June 12, 2009 The Undercurrents to the Walgreens vs. State of Delaware Collision I find it supremely ironic: On the same day The NEWS-JOURNAL editorialized against the State of Delaware severing all business with Walgreens, we heard about the pharmaceutical trade groups suing Governor Markell, the state Department of Health & Social Services, and DHSS Secretary Rita Landgraf... Continued -> 3 Comments June 11, 2009 Walgreens vs. Delaware War Escalates Ammo for those who want the State of Delaware to END the state agreement that allows Walgreens / Happy Harry's pharmacies to fill state employees' prescriptions: The National Association of Chain Drug Stores and another trade organization have just filed a lawsuit in U... Continued -> 0 Comments June 11, 2009 Congressman Castle shoots down Leadership post in House No sooner did The NEWS-JOURNAL report U.S. House Republicans would make Representative Mike Castle (R-DE) the ranking Republican on the House Education & Labor Committee - provided he pledged to run for re-election to the House - the Congressman's office emailed a special release to inquiring media outlets... Continued -> 0 Comments June 10, 2009 No Delaware High Schools in Top 100 in NEWSWEEK's Annual High School Rankings NEWSWEEK magazine has just released its controversial ranking of the nation's "top" U.S. public high schools. This year, NO public high school from Delaware - or immediately adjacent areas of Maryland, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania - made the Top 100... Continued -> 0 Comments June 9, 2009 Beer & Wine Grocery Store Legislation: Bigger Deal than Gay Discrimination Bill It may tell you volumes about northern Delaware's political climate that Senate Bill 121 - to outlaw discrimination on the basis of gender preference - has generated far LESS heat on WDEL's talk shows than House Bill 193, the legislation that would allow Delaware supermarkets to sell beer and wine... Continued -> 1 Comment June 8, 2009 Lebanese Election Result: No Grief for V.P. Biden Lebanese - including expatriates - delivered a big victory to the Western-backed, "March 14th" coalition over the Hezbollah-led coalition backed by Syria and Iran... Continued -> 0 Comments June 4, 2009 Walgreens vs. the State of Delaware Some of Delaware's neediest citizens will fall into the lurch as Walgreen's - Happy Harry's in Delaware - announces it will discontinue filling Medicaid prescriptions in all of its pharmacies... Continued -> 4 Comments June 3, 2009 Has the Chinese Century begun? I keep coming back to this theme: The U.S. "popular" media (I don't count "serious" newspapers here!) have been AWOL in showcasing THE international story of our time - the rise of China, and just behind it, India... Continued -> 2 Comments June 3, 2009 "Sunshine" over the Delaware General Assembly, but Beware the "Big Heads"! The story about the Delaware Senate passing the open-meetings legislation broke just as I was getting off the air at 5 p.m., so I could drive to North Broom Street to host our coverage from the Greek Festival... Continued -> 0 Comments June 1, 2009 New World Order: China, India, Indonesia, Brazil Prophets of great economic doom, or those predicting a return to 1990's-style prosperity, both need to inhale their smelling salts very deeply, in my estimation... Continued -> 0 Comments May 28, 2009 Delaware A.G.'s Office will NOT fight Judge's decision to throw out Murder charges The Delaware Attorney-General's office announced Thursday prosecutors would not challenge a judge's dismissal of the Loyer Braden murder case. You'll recall a Superior Court judge threw out the charges against Loyer Braden - who faced trial in the death of a 17-year-old Delaware State University female student - because a witness' statement disappeared... Continued -> 0 Comments May 27, 2009 Sotomayor nomination: Slam dunk? One 24-hour news cycle has passed, and so far I've seen no damning disclosures about President Obama's nominee for U.S. Supreme Court Justice - Sonia Sotomayor... Continued -> 2 Comments May 25, 2009 Beware Afghanistan As Americans observe Memorial Day - and Delaware's Senator Tom Carper, now on an international fact-finding trip to Afghanistan - declares his confidence, some U... Continued -> 0 Comments May 21, 2009 Botched prosecution in DSU murder case: Political damage to Beau Biden? At one level, you've got to sympathize with Attorney-General Beau Biden. The son of the Vice-President, serving his country overseas in harm's way.. while someone in his office made a mess of things... Continued -> 2 Comments May 20, 2009 COMCAST flips MS NBC to Digital: Way to get your hard-earned $? WDEL has received emails & phone calls (both on and off-the-air) from disgruntled COMCAST customers about the communications goliath's shift of three more TV channels to digital: Comcast's own network channel, the Turner classic movie channel, and MS NBC... Continued -> 3 Comments May 19, 2009 Biden Gaffe about "Undisclosed Location"? Some pundits and bloggers are having a field day with an Eleanor Clift account from NEWSWEEK on line: "Ever wonder about that secure, undisclosed location where Dick Cheney secreted himself after the 9/11 attacks? Joe Biden reveals the bunker-like room is at the Naval Observatory in Washington, where Cheney lived for eight years and which is now home to Biden... Continued -> 1 Comment May 18, 2009 Cutting Size of New Castle County Council: Good Idea? State Senator Karen Peterson (D-Stanton), who served two terms as New Castle County Council president, and State Representative Michael Ramone (R-Middle Run Valley) propose legislation to REDUCE the size of NCC Council from 13 seats to nine... Continued -> 0 Comments May 13, 2009 We KNEW V.P. Biden was in an Awkward position on Credit-card reform! The Obama Administration's pressure on financial institutions - particularly the credit-card companies - probably represents the area where Joe Biden, the Vice-President, finds himself twisting the most from Joe Biden, the U... Continued -> 1 Comment May 12, 2009 Governor Markell's 1st Big Legislative Victory: Sports Betting clears Delaware State Senate In what amount to a sort of anticlimax or a fait accompli, Delaware state senators overwhelmingly approved the sports betting legislation. That state senators would go along SEEMED to be in the cards... Continued -> 2 Comments May 11, 2009 Some Young People: Hope for Newspapers? I just returned to WDEL from Wesley College in Dover, where I took part in a seminar on the news media, part of a broader half-day seminar on politics and public affairs for high school students, hosted by U... Continued -> 0 Comments May 7, 2009 Reasons Mount to End U.S. Embargo of Cuba If you ever needed "exhibit A" of a U.S. ethnic lobby exercising disproportionate influence on American foreign policy - to the detriment of both the U... Continued -> 0 Comments May 7, 2009 Tying Sports Gambling to Cuts in State Employees' Pay Governor Jack Markell in recent days has taken hits, even from some of his supporters in the '08 election, for seemingly tying his quest to legalize sports gambling in Delaware, with what happens to state employees' paychecks... Continued -> 0 Comments May 6, 2009 Republican Slide to Regional Party or Resurgence in Our Neighborhood? With the Republican base insisting on ideological purity, and the Obama Democrats dominating among the young - and in so many demographic groups - it's easy to forecast further G... Continued -> 0 Comments May 5, 2009 Congressman Castle Doesn't Make The HILL's Top 10 Bipartisan Republican List; Dominates Beau Biden in Latest Poll It may surprise some Congressman Mike Castle (R-DE) didn't make The HILL newspaper's Top 10 list of the most bipartisan Republicans in the U.S. House; I'm told he DID get a mention... Continued -> 0 Comments May 5, 2009 V.P. Biden Addresses AIPAC: Defends U.S. Outreach to Iran Vice-President Biden has delivered his widely anticipated speech to AIPAC - The America Israel Public Affairs Committee - in which he defends the Administration's outreach to Iran... Continued -> 1 Comment May 5, 2009 NCC Council President Paul Clark Defends Not Posting Audio of Meetings on Website The controversy has percolated in the blogosphere and on talk radio for some days now. But I decided to give New Castle County Council President Paul Clark one more chance to respond to arguments on why he and Council have resisted posting audio and/or video of meetings on their website... Continued -> 0 Comments May 4, 2009 Congressman Castle's Decision getting National Attention NEWS-JOURNAL columnist Ron Williams speculated in his Sunday column about what would happen "if (Congressman) Castle got elected to the Senate he pulled a Specter and changed parties... Continued -> 0 Comments April 30, 2009 Biden Gaffe? (Or Just Stating the Obvious, although maybe the Veep shouldn't have said it?) The Obama White House - and indeed, Vice-President Biden's press secretary, Elizabeth Alexander - raced today to clarify comments from Vice-President Biden about using public transportation during this swine-flu outbreak... Continued -> 3 Comments April 30, 2009 No presumption of confidentiality with e-mails---When will people learn? The Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court - Myron Steele - e-mailed a sexually suggestive video to 38 male friends, including lawyers. So reports the NEWS-JOURNAL this morning... Continued -> 0 Comments April 29, 2009 More U.D. students believed to have Swine Flu It was only a matter of time before Delaware was to report its first probable cases of swine flu. First four, now ten, University of Delaware students are experiencing mild, flu-like symptoms... Continued -> 0 Comments April 28, 2009 Senator Specter Switches Parties; Biden was the 1st White House official whom Specter tried to call! The news broke as I was on-the-air in the Noon hour: Pennsylvania's Senator Arlen Specter decides to switch to the Democrats. It came very suddenly... Continued -> 0 Comments April 27, 2009 The NEW REPUBLIC: "Defusing the Biden bomb" Just as the "Sixty Minutes" piece on Vice-President Biden hit the airwaves, The NEW REPUBLIC magazine was showcasing this article on Delaware's former U... Continued -> 0 Comments April 24, 2009 Scenarios for Congressman Castle: Senate bid Most Likely -- Or Retirement; Pew Poll puts V.P. Biden's "Favorables" Below Cheney & Gore at 100 Days! The Inside-the-Beltway publication ROLL CALL's interview with Congressman Mike Castle (R-DE) falls in line with what I discerned from my recent interview with Mike Castle (See my April 16th blog)... Continued -> 0 Comments April 23, 2009 Remember the Monroe Doctrine? Sorry, I can't get my mind off China. While the cable TV news talking heads, radio talk-show hosts, and some members of Congress stammer and harrumph about whether President Obama should have shaken hands with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Bolivia's Evo Morales, it seems to me nearly everyone is missing the dragon in the room... Continued -> 2 Comments April 21, 2009 Senator Tom Carper's Peers: Carper one of the easiest senators to work with It often surprises strongly ideological conservatives and liberals that Massachussetts Senator Ted Kennedy has long received high marks from his peers for his willingness to work across the partisan divide... Continued -> 0 Comments April 20, 2009 Do Americans Lack the Discipline of the East? Wall Street stocks plunged this Monday, as investors worried whether banks' profit reports concealed lingering bad debt. Too early to say definitively if we've rounded the corner with this nasty recession... Continued -> 0 Comments April 16, 2009 Congressman Castle: "I really don't know!" I interviewed both Congressman Mike Castle and former Lieutenant-Governor John Carney about Carney's early public decision to seek Castle's U.S. House seat... Continued -> 0 Comments April 16, 2009 Owners of Christiana Mall file for Chapter 11; Wawa Flying High on its 45th Anniversary Another story we saw coming months ago: The country's second biggest operator of malls, General Growth Properties - which owns Delaware's Christiana Mall - filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Manhattan early today... Continued -> 3 Comments April 15, 2009 Carney for Congress -- What does this mean for Castle? Not exactly a bombshell, but Delaware's former Lieutenant-Governor John Carney has decided to run for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Representative -- Congressman... Continued -> 5 Comments April 14, 2009 Israel may NOT wait for the United States to Attack Iran Nearly every day - seemingly - we have another Administration official warn about perils of a pre-emptive strike on Iran's suspected nuclear sites. Last week, Vice-President Biden and Secretary of State Clinton... Continued -> 2 Comments April 13, 2009 Lessons of the Somali Piracy It could have ended up very badly for the Obama Administration off the Horn of Africa. Credit crisp decision-making by a President who chose to remain behind the scenes, and credit especially, luck... Continued -> 3 Comments April 10, 2009 The Significant Global News Story You Likely Missed: Swing to More Secular Parties in the Most Populous Islamic Nation To ponder the news about the resurgence of the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan; Iranian nuclear ambitions; areas of Pakistan imposing draconian Islamic law, and doubts about the very stability of Pakistan; the anti-U... Continued -> 1 Comment April 9, 2009 Should Wilmington print up its OWN currency? Not to draw parallels with the Great Depression, but more cities and towns have been putting out their own currency notes to encourage consumers to spend their $ within a community... Continued -> 1 Comment April 8, 2009 Where's the Outrage? (Over U.S. military-members electrocuted?) Americans have most certainly demonstrated their outrage over executive bonuses at A.I.G. and elsewhere. Regardless of where we stand on the political spectrum - Right, Left, in between, Libertarian, I don't care! - we should show even greater outrage, and demand action, from military contractors who have constructed and maintained deficient military installations overseas... Continued -> 1 Comment April 7, 2009 'Major League' Biden: The Veep hams it up! Then, Get Serious talking about Cheney! With President Obama in Turkey, it was left to the Vice-President to ham it up for baseball's opening day. Video courtesy of Politico.com http://www... Continued -> 1 Comment April 6, 2009 Obama Foreign Policy: "W" without the Hard Edges? By now, we're getting better insights into how the new Obama Administration sees the world. Paradox: Even as President Obama unveiled his dream - before an audience in Prague - of a world free of nuclear weapons, the North Koreans were shooting up their missile AND the President himself insisted the U... Continued -> 0 Comments April 3, 2009 The Downside to School Board Elections on the 'Regular' November Ballot State Representative Valerie Longhurst (D-Bear), the Delaware House Majority Whip, has introduced legislation to put school-board elections on the general election ballot every other November... Continued -> 6 Comments April 2, 2009 Little Doubt Newt Gingrich is Running for President in 2012 He converts to Catholicism, and he delivers rip-roaring speeches in the heartland. One must assume the former House Speaker of the United States - Newt Gingrich - has tentatively decided to run for President... Continued -> 0 Comments March 31, 2009 U.S.--China Interdependency: Can It Last Indefinitely? When Reverend Rick Warren last summer quizzed John McCain and Barack Obama about the beginning of life, or at least, "human rights" for the baby, then-Senator Obama famously replied that answering such a question was above his pay-grade... Continued -> 0 Comments March 30, 2009 Surreal moment in U.S. History: A President talks about Your Car Warranty! We witnessed something quite surreal as President Obama sought to reassure G.M.C. and Chrysler car-owners Uncle Sam would safeguard their warranties. But that's the territory we've entered as the Administration sent both General Motors and Chrysler back to the drawing board... Continued -> 3 Comments March 27, 2009 V.P. Biden in Chile, Costa Rica For the first time since the pre-9/11 Bush Presidency, Latin America is again getting some high-level attention from the United States. About time. Other than U... Continued -> 3 Comments March 25, 2009 Sports Betting Legalization in Delaware = NO NCAA Playoff Games in Delaware It turns out NCAA rules would prohibit any location in Delaware from hosting NCAA play-off games, in the event the state legalizes sports gambling. The NCAA aims to put up a wall between student athletes and gambling... Continued -> 4 Comments March 25, 2009 European / Chinese Challenges to Obama Stimulus Spending Anyone who's read my foreign policy posts on this blog - or heard me speak in public - knows I regard the economic/cultural/political/military challenges posed by East and South Asia, particularly China and India, as the biggest LONG-TERM issues of our time... Continued -> 0 Comments March 24, 2009 Predictable Controversy at Notre Dame University Notre Dame University has provoked a firestorm among Catholics - and among anti-abortion groups generally - with its announcement President Obama would be the university's commencement speaker, May 17th... Continued -> 0 Comments March 23, 2009 Recession Impact: More In-State Admissions to U.D. this year? The recession is taxing college & university admissions directors in ways not imaginable just a year ago. How does one predict how many young people will accept a university's offer of admission, when past models may be useless? It would seem the financial pressures might stop students everywhere from enrolling at institutions far from home... Continued -> 0 Comments March 23, 2009 People around-the-world monitoring U.S./Mexican Border On-Line! Feel strongly about policing the U.S./Mexican border? Do you feel so strongly that you'd like to do it personally? If you've got an Internet connection (which you presumably have, if you're reading this blog!), you can join the more than One Hundred Thousand web enthusiasts who've signed up on line to become virtual border-patrol deputies... Continued -> 0 Comments March 23, 2009 A Subtle Signal from General Petraeus? (A Presidential Run for 2012?) As Republicans face continued disarray - with no clear leader emerging at this time - and Mitt Romney's failure to make dramatic pronouncements during this economic downturn (some of his supporters think he should!), one wonders if an outside military man could redeem his party... Continued -> 0 Comments March 23, 2009 Potential Boost to Wind Power Industry: Saving the Bats! This is less of a problem for Delaware's projected off-shore wind farm (assuming it remains viable during these troubled economic times). But, wind-power advocates generally will welcome the news researchers have developed a technique they believe will make windmills less lethal to bats... Continued -> 0 Comments March 19, 2009 Meconi Hired Back: The 'Delaware Way' Returns? It's difficult to fathom WHY Governor Markell would have risked the ire of bloggers, talk-show hosts, and commentators - indeed some of his most idealistic supporters - by hiring back former Delaware Health & Social Services Secretary Vincent Meconi, even for a limited-time position... Continued -> 5 Comments March 19, 2009 New Pentagon media coverage policy at Dover AFB starts in April Secretary of Defense Bob Gates says the Pentagon will begin to allow media coverage of returning caskets for fallen military men and women next month, with the stipulation that loved ones approve... Continued -> 0 Comments March 18, 2009 Connecticut's Senator Christopher Dodd: He KNEW about the bonuses The story about Connecticut U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd's role in legislation regarding huge bonuses at AIG gives us a textbook example of the interaction between the blogosphere - conservative and liberal - and the "old" media... Continued -> 0 Comments March 17, 2009 (Probably) Outgoing Brandywine Schools Superintendent Jim Scanlon: Might Not Have Taken Job Here I've long contended it's NO accident that public school superintendents for the New Castle County districts come and go... that it's rare for a superintendent to make one of our districts a final career move... Continued -> 1 Comment March 16, 2009 Saving the U.S. Postal Service Guess which entity is the third-largest employer in the United States, after Wal-Mart and the U.S. Department of Defense? Well, you know the answer from the title to this post... Continued -> 0 Comments March 12, 2009 Public Policy Polling: Congressman Castle tops John Carney 49--32% in Hypothetical House race The North Carolina-based, Public Policy Polling releases its final installment of its Delaware polling. Here's the release from the polling firm: Raleigh, N... Continued -> 0 Comments March 11, 2009 Public Policy Polling: "Delaware loves its politicians" The North Carolina-based, Public Policy Polling releases more of its polling data of Delawareans. Not surprisingly, we tend to give high marks to our longtime, statewide politicians... Continued -> 1 Comment March 10, 2009 Congressman Castle tops Beau Biden in hypothetical Senate contest It's so infrequent that we in Delaware get neutral statewide political polls, it's always a treat when someone measures the relative standing of Delaware politicians... Continued -> 0 Comments March 10, 2009 Question posed in National Journal: "So, is Joe Biden at the center of things, or is he all over the map?" The respected, non-partisan, Inside-the-Beltway magazine, NATIONAL JOURNAL offered its paid subscribers a lengthy assessment of Joe Biden's first weeks as Vice-President of the United States... Continued -> 0 Comments March 9, 2009 President Obama to visit Turkey People with whom I've talked international politics over the years and decades KNOW that I've placed great emphasis on four Islamic countries, interestingly, all non-Arab countries: Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, and Indonesia... Continued -> 3 Comments March 6, 2009 Spring Forward to Daylight Saving Time I'm suffering a bit of a psychological disconnect recalling the bitter cold and snowstorm this past Monday; then, realizing we leap to Daylight Saving Time this weekend... Continued -> 2 Comments March 5, 2009 Middletown: When an Election isn't a Election! I'm thinking of the late actress Gilda Radner from "Saturday Night Live" here: "Well, never mind." So it is with Middletown's town election, originally scheduled for this past Monday, March 2nd; postponed a day because of the snow... Continued -> 2 Comments March 4, 2009 G.O.P. Second-Guessing about Michael Steele I think the day's most interesting political analysis has to be POLITICO's account of Republican worries that Michael Steele, the former Maryland Lieutenant-Governor, may not be up to the job of Republican National Committee Chairman... Continued -> 0 Comments March 3, 2009 Obama to Medvedev (In effect): We'll drop Eastern Europe missile deployment for effective Russian pressure on Iran During a brief press conference in the Oval Office with Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown, President Obama backpeddled a bit - but didn't really deny - Peter Baker's story in The NEW YORK TIMES about the President's letter to Russian President Medvedev... Continued -> 1 Comment March 2, 2009 If You're Gonna' Have Snow... I always get worried when the Wilmington area hasn't experienced a significant snowfall by late February. ...because then, we're almost destined to get slammed in March... Continued -> 2 Comments February 27, 2009 Newspaper with Glorious History Bites the Dust! A newspaper with a rich history - the Denver-based ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS - published its final editions Friday. See "Goodbye, Colorado"... http://www... Continued -> 0 Comments February 26, 2009 Pentagon Approves Media Photos of Returning Caskets at Dover A.F.B. -- If Families Agree We had some foreshadowing of this during President Obama's first news conference. Now, a new Pentagon policy will permit news organizations to photograph the arrival of flag-draped coffins at Dover Air Force Base... Continued -> 0 Comments February 26, 2009 In Much More Trouble than Mike Castle Delaware Congressman Mike Castle has taken his lumps for having joined his fellow House Republicans in voting AGAINST the economic stimulus package. (Of course, to Delaware's remaining ideological Republicans, it was heroic vote!) But whether any of this matters POLITICALLY, of course, depends on whether Democrats can produce a candidate with a "name" to challenge Mike Castle... Continued -> 1 Comment February 25, 2009 "Nobody Messes with Joe!" For all the speculation that Vice-President Biden was in a little trouble with his boss for minor gaffes, President Obama appears to have demonstrated his complete confidence in his Veep... Continued -> 1 Comment February 24, 2009 Enforcing Conservative Republican Orthodoxy When former Maryland Lieutenant-Governor Michael Steele fought to become the Republican National Committee's first African-American Chairman, some of his critics pounded him for being slightly too moderate... Continued -> 0 Comments February 23, 2009 Are Facebook, Twitter, etc. 're-wiring' Kids' Brains... for the Worse? I gotta confess I long feared "Sesame Street" re-enforced short attention spans in young minds. Little could I have imagined... Now we have all the social networking websites, and growing fears among psychologists and neuroscientists that these sites drastically cut attention spans and promote self-centeredness... Continued -> 0 Comments February 21, 2009 The Middle-East Story that got Lost in the U.S. Media! Unless you really scrutinize the world press, you probably missed this one: A seemingly incomprehensible war of words between the Islamic Republic of Iran and -- are you ready? -- the island-nation state of Bahrain... Continued -> 1 Comment February 17, 2009 Predictably, Delawareans Experience Problems with the Digital Television Conversion It started early Tuesday. A gentleman called me to say he had gotten the digital converter unit for his TV set, but he could only pick up a couple of Philadelphia TV stations with his existing attic antenna... Continued -> 0 Comments February 16, 2009 Hints on Fairness Doctrine President Obama's right-hand man David Axelrod, interviewed on "Fox News Sunday", refused to offer a straight answer on whether the the new Administration was committed to reimposing the Fairness Doctrine... Continued -> 0 Comments February 13, 2009 Azerbaijan speech delivers Grief to Delaware's Own David Plouffe! Evidently David Plouffe, one of the gurus of the Obama campaign, didn't take a decent global current events course at St. Mark's High School or the University of Delaware -- or else forgot what he learned... Continued -> 0 Comments February 12, 2009 The Limits to a 'Big Tent' Cabinet I suppose we should've seen the Judd Gregg political bombshell coming when the Republican Senator from New Hampshire didn't vote on the economic stimulus package... Continued -> 0 Comments February 11, 2009 What's YOUR 'Take' on these Delaware Stories? -- Russo fired; Brady switches parties; New Castle County workers face Unpaid Leave These developing local stories are clearly fodder for local talk shows and the blogosphere this week. On Ron Russo, ousted president of the Charter School of Wilmington: The complaints about sexual innuendo and double entendre had been 'out there' for months, despite the evident widespread support from many parents, students, and alumni... Continued -> 0 Comments February 10, 2009 Did President Obama throw V.P. Biden 'under the bus'? One of the few light-hearted moments at President Obama's first prime-time television news conference appeared to come at Joe Biden's expense. Fox News White House correspondent Major Garrett quizzed the President about a little reported Biden remark from Friday --- This is what the Veep said he told Mr... Continued -> 0 Comments February 9, 2009 Richard Williamson Holocaust Furor was Avoidable as Vatican Reconciled with Lefebvre Traditionalists From the moment his Papacy began, it should've been obvious to everyone that the former Cardinal Ratzinger - Benedict XVI - hoped to bring the Lefebvre "traditionalists" back into communion with Rome... Continued -> 0 Comments February 9, 2009 2010 Delaware U.S. Senate Race could eclipse 2000 Carper--Roth Senate Race Perhaps you read or heard over the weekend about the Kent County Republicans' annual Lincoln Day Dinner, and Republicans such as state Auditor Tom Wagner, referring to Congressman Mike Castle as "Senator"... Continued -> 0 Comments February 6, 2009 Digital TV's Hidden Obstacle Congress has postponed the date for complete conversion to digital TV. Good riddance. (Although it's not that simple: Some stations won't transmit any longer in analog than they have to, because of the $, so they STILL will switch over to digital-ONLY later this month... Continued -> 5 Comments February 4, 2009 Davos Verdict: The Sun is Setting on the American Era Remember when we Americans had a sense that - whatever our station in life - our kids and grandkids would have it better than us? Surely, immigrants labor here under that expectation... Continued -> 2 Comments February 3, 2009 President Obama's Middle-East---South Asia Foreign Policy Objectives Seemingly Beyond Reach I'm not sure it's getting through in the major popular U.S. media, but virtually anywhere you look in the Middle-East (except for perhaps, ironically, Iraq, but let's see for how long!), things appear to be getting bleaker from a U... Continued -> 0 Comments February 2, 2009 Deja vu: Charter School of Wilmington Board goes into 'Executive Session' February 10th Here we go again: The Charter School of Wilmington board of directors will go into 'executive session' (behind closed doors) February 10th. Of course, they won't talk publicly about their "personnel matter", but it appears they will try again to oust Charter School president Ron Russo... Continued -> 3 Comments January 30, 2009 All Eyes on Biden in Germany next weekend: Will the V.P. shake the Iranian official's hand? Britain's GUARDIAN newspaper Thursday reported the Obama Administration was working on a letter to Iranian officials seeking to revive relations between Washington and Tehran... Continued -> 0 Comments January 29, 2009 The Afghanistan Challenge I never cease to be fascinated when some people on both the political Right and the Left - usually for diametrically opposed reasons - end up on the same side of an issue... Continued -> 0 Comments January 28, 2009 Worrying About the Safety of Our Food Supply I remember when my late father always used to caution me against purchasing and consuming certain foods from overseas, particularly from Third World countries... Continued -> 0 Comments January 27, 2009 Demise of Political Dynasties an Omen for Delaware? Let's see: New York's Governor Paterson chose a fairly unknown upstate congresswoman over one of the BIG names - Caroline Kennedy or Andrew Cuomo - as Hillary Clinton's successor in the United States Senate... Continued -> 0 Comments January 26, 2009 Will Fiscal Note addition scuttle Open Meetings Legislation? Delaware Comptroller-General Russ Larson adamantly denies certain state senators pressured or persuaded him to attach a fiscal note to the 'Sunshine' legislation... Continued -> 1 Comment January 23, 2009 Upstate New York's Democratic "Blue Dog" Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand to the U.S. Senate! Well, New York's sometimes erratic Governor David Paterson DIDN'T pull a switcheroo at the last minute, and embarrass the media, by appointing someone other than Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand to Hillary Clinton's old U... Continued -> 0 Comments January 21, 2009 The Three Parts of Governor Markell's (Second) Inaugural Address -- And ex-Governor Minner again a No-Show! For the benefit of those who didn't make the Midnight ceremony - and to observe the long Delaware tradition - Jack A. Markell took the Oath of Office a second time & delivered his Inaugural address, as many of us shivered outside Legislative Hall in Dover... Continued -> 2 Comments January 20, 2009 President Obama And so Barack H. Obama has taken the Oath of Office as the 44th President of the United States. Even compared to some of his earlier speeches, such as that acceptance speech in Denver, I thought this was Barack Obama's most powerfully-delivered speech yet, with exceptional use of cadence, pitch, and level of volume... Continued -> 0 Comments January 19, 2009 Oops! Looks like Jill Biden spoke too candidly: Joe could've had Secretary of State OR V.P.! Here's a reversal: Looks like soon-to-be Second Lady Jill Biden got a little too relaxed on Oprah Winfrey's program. Jill Biden says Delaware's former longtime senior U... Continued -> 1 Comment January 19, 2009 Incoming Governor Markell fills tough-to-fill Secretary of Education post: Dr. Lillian Lowery! Almost at the eleventh hour, Delaware's Governor-elect Markell has announced the Christina school district superintendent - Dr. Lillian Lowery - has his confidence to be the new Delaware Secretary of Education... Continued -> 2 Comments January 17, 2009 Incoming President Obama's Courtship of Conservatives As the Obama-Biden Presidential Inaugural train comes through Wilmington and Newark, I think it's useful to reflect on Mr. Obama's deft courtship of conservatives... Continued -> 0 Comments January 15, 2009 Joe Biden: Neither Dick Cheney NOR Al Gore are Role Models for Veep The NEW YORK TIMES' Peter Baker landed an interview with Joe Biden. What does Mr. Biden see for his Vice-Presidency: "I want to be the last guy in the room on every important decision... Continued -> 0 Comments January 14, 2009 Happy Harry's Owner "the Most Defensive Company on the N.Y.S.E."? The man who built the Financial Relations Board LLC, and managing partner at Stevens Gould Pincus, merger & management consultants - Ted Pincus - writes about Happy Harry's Chicago-based owner, the Walgreens Company, in today's CHICAGO SUN-TIMES... Continued -> 2 Comments January 14, 2009 Death of the famed 'Desk Drawer Veto' in the Delaware Senate? The news came out in drips and drabs Tuesday as I was on-the-air. The Democratic Senate leadership had killed the 'desk drawer veto', the device by which recalcitrant chairman of committees could freeze controversial legislation without EVER having to bring it up for a hearing... Continued -> 0 Comments January 13, 2009 The Always Infuriating "Spengler" on President Obama & the Challenges Ahead I enjoy reading the mysterious columnist, "Spengler" on ASIA TIMES on line because he often turns the conventional wisdom on its head, and attacks both liberal and conservative orthodoxies... Continued -> 0 Comments January 12, 2009 Mr. Bush's Final News Conference President Bush held the final news conference of his Presidency (barring incredibly unforseen developments), at times wistful and defiant. As my friend at the Politico notes, Mr... Continued -> 0 Comments January 9, 2009 V.P.-elect Biden Visits Pakistan---Receives Pakistani Award! Our soon-to-be-former U.S. Senator Joe Biden arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan this Friday along with one other senator. I find it interesting that the Pakistanis bestowed on him their Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam award, typically given to foreign V... Continued -> 3 Comments January 8, 2009 Could Gaza Carnage Cost Israel its Most Cherished Relationship with an Islamic country: Turkey? For years, Israel and Turkey have closely cooperated in the military and intelligence spheres, to the benefit of both Jerusalem and Ankara. Even the election of an Islamist-leaning government in Ankara didn't throttle the relationship... Continued -> 0 Comments January 8, 2009 The Bush Legacy We can never REALLY know how a past President will fare at the hands of historians until we get to that future time. No "Back to the Future" DeLorean vehicles to transport us through time! But, surely, historians and journalists can make a gallant effort to size up a Presidency... Continued -> 0 Comments January 8, 2009 Looks like Biden's Trip to Iraq/Pakistan/Afghanistan will be 'Cozier' than First Thought! Remember the controversy over soon-to-be Vice-President Joe Biden's trip to south/southwest Asia, and whether he'd be seen there in his current capacity as Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee? When Joe Biden was going there with a number of other U... Continued -> 0 Comments January 7, 2009 Wilmington's Mayor Baker Truly an Original Despite the twin challenges of crime and economic uncertainly, Wilmingtonians (and some other Delawareans) showed their festive side at Tuesday's night's City Council Inaugural meeting at the Baby Grand... Continued -> 0 Comments January 7, 2009 AP: Senate Democrats to seat Burris -- But Later Backpeddling An Associated Press bulletin (in the 10 A.M. hour) WASHINGTON -- Senate Democrats plan to accept Roland Burris for President-elect Obama's vacant seat... Continued -> 0 Comments January 7, 2009 How should Asian leaders address Joe Biden during his trip? The Politico raises some interesting points about Joe Biden's trip to south or southwest Asia. He's going in his current capacity as Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, yet many will relate to him as the incoming Vice-President of the United States and a link to the incoming Administration... Continued -> 0 Comments January 6, 2009 Biden sees Parallels between Economic Meltdown & 9/11 Vice-President-elect and outgoing Senator Joe Biden reportedly compared America's economic crisis to the 9/11 attacks on America. Two sources told Politico about Biden's exchange with Congressional leaders of both parties: "We're at war"... Continued -> 0 Comments January 5, 2009 Assessing Ruth Ann Minner Some days after the exclusive, in-depth interview WDEL's Carl Kanefsky conducted with outgoing Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner, the Sunday NEWS-JOURNAL published the inevitable sum-up of Minner's eight years in office... Continued -> 1 Comment January 5, 2009 Senator Majority Leader Reid Appears to Leave Door Ajar to seating Roland Burris It seems Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid left open the door to a process that could catapult Roland Burris into that open U.S. Senate seat from Illinois... Continued -> 0 Comments January 2, 2009 The Death Penalty & Opportunisitic Politicians: Would-Be Senator Burris Failed the Test! Whether you're for or against the death penalty (or ambivalent), you'd have to admit it should represent one of the most sobering decisions for a district attorney, state attorney-general, or governor... Continued -> 0 Comments January 1, 2009 Maybe We Need this Blagojevich Story in the New Year! As appalling as the alleged conduct of Illinois' embattled Governor Rod Blagojevich is, this story may serve a useful purpose in early '09. The OTHER news is so downright frightening and fatiguing - the fate of U... Continued -> 0 Comments December 30, 2008 Governor Blagojevich creates Year-end Dilemma for U.S. Senate Democrats Further proof that 2008 has been an extraordinary year in U.S. politics: Political reporters and Capitol Hill operatives can't even get a break between Christmas and New Year's... Continued -> 1 Comment December 18, 2008 Good News for Parents: MillerCoors to Remove Caffeine from Sparks Energy Drinks Once in a while, public pressure and collective action can make a difference. Under pressure from Attorneys-General in about half the states, MillerCoors has agreed to remove caffeine from its alcoholic energy drinks... Continued -> 2 Comments December 17, 2008 Circumstances of Delaware's U.S. Senator Selection come up in New York Daily News column As New York DAILY NEWS columnist Michael Goodwin admonishes New York's Governor Paterson to open up the process for choosing a successor to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Goodwin cites both Delaware and Illinois as ways NOT to do it... Continued -> 0 Comments December 17, 2008 Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. in the Clear? The Rod Blagojevich story won't go away, in part, because you have so many fascinating angles. One involves Congressman Jesse Jackson, Junior. After all, it would be supremely ironic if the election of America's first black President, by opening up that Senate seat, in turn, precipitated the scandal which ensnarled the son of longtime civil rights crusader (and onetime Presidential hopeful himself) Reverend Jesse Jackson... Continued -> 0 Comments December 16, 2008 Americans' Love Affair with Cars -- Cooling? Because winter isn't the peak driving season, it's probably premature to gauge if the dramatically lower gas prices will encourage many Americans to return to their old ways - ignoring mass transit, ignoring fuel economy, returning to those SUV's and trucks... Continued -> 0 Comments December 15, 2008 Dennis Rochford Won't Be Governor Markell's Chief-of-Staff After All! It turns out the Chief-of-Staff post might have become TOO demanding, TOO time-consuming, TOO overwhelming for Dennis Rochford at this time. (And who knows about $?) So, for personal reasons, the longtime Delaware G... Continued -> 0 Comments December 12, 2008 Should the North 'Assist' the South the Next Time a Hurricane Hits? A simplistic question, of course, but DETROIT FREE PRESS automotive columnist Tom Walsh makes that parallel today: "Hey, Southerners: Detroit 3 helped you to survive" He argues that as inept as the local and Federal responses to the Katrina devastation may have been, you didn't hear many people argue that the United States should withhold assistance from the victims... Continued -> 3 Comments December 11, 2008 Governor Blagojevich: Exhibit 'A' of Family Connections over Competence Even before the Feds made public their case against Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, it had become increasingly clear that Blagojevich was a disaster... Continued -> 1 Comment December 10, 2008 Cardinal Ratzinger - Now Pope Benedict XVI -- Warned Long Ago about this Economic House of Cards! Theologians often get in trouble when they delve into the areas of secular economics and politics, and vice-versa. But, a growing number of secular pundits has recognized how the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger more than two decades ago saw an economic system in peril... Continued -> 0 Comments December 9, 2008 What was He Thinking? The question everyone in Illinois is asking about their embattled governor: Governor Rod Blagojevich KNEW he was under under investigation. He even knew that one of his aides had been wired... Continued -> 1 Comment December 8, 2008 U.S. Manufacturing Collapse Foretold It was a couple of weeks before the Swedish King & Queen visited Delaware in 1988, and I was sitting in a Swedish Government ministry office in Stockholm... Continued -> 0 Comments December 5, 2008 Congratulations: Charter School of Wilmington U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT magazine has released one of those national rankings of America's best high schools, and The Charter School of Wilmington places in the Top 100 in the nation, at # 42... Continued -> 0 Comments December 4, 2008 Guess Who's Lecturing Us? Further evidence of the psychological and real shift in global power, as the Chinese - the largest foreign holder of U.S. Government debt - lecture us on how we're handling our economic crisis... Continued -> 2 Comments December 4, 2008 Gov.-elect Markell's Selection of Alan Levin Underscores Markell--Obama Parallel Several times this past year, I've noted what I consider some of the similarities between Delaware's Governor-Elect and the President-Elect. Governor-elect Jack Markell's decision to tap Alan Levin (former CEO of the Happy Harry's drugstore chain, and once, the presumed Republican candidate for Governor) to be Secretary of the Delaware Economic Development Office provides the latest example... Continued -> 0 Comments December 3, 2008 Self-inflicted Political Damage: Karen Weldin Stewart Veteran political observers shake their heads. Why would Delaware's incoming Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart go out of her way to issue a press release about her transition team, including the name of former New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon? Let's face it... Continued -> 0 Comments December 3, 2008 A Beau Biden--John Carney Primary in 2010? One of the blogs at Politico.com has now seized on the John Carney tidbit in today's column from The NEWS-JOURNAL's Ron Williams. Williams cites a source who declares outgoing Delaware Lieutenant-Governor John Carney has decided "beyond a doubt" that he's "running for a federal office in 2010"... Continued -> 0 Comments December 2, 2008 Vice-President-elect Back in the Spotlight After all the media reportage about Vice-President-elect Biden's extremely low public profile since the election, we've had two Biden speeches in two days... Continued -> 0 Comments December 1, 2008 How We're Slipping Behind Forget the war on terrorism. Forget the recent terrorism in Mumbai, India (unless India-Pakistan tensions spiral so out-of-control, we see a nuclear exchange!)... Continued -> 0 Comments November 28, 2008 The Lessons of the India Terrorism Siege Remember when John McCain suspended his Presidential campaign to deal with the worsening economy, and Barack Obama responded essentially by saying a President would have to grapple with several crises simultaneously? The India terrorist attacks dramatically underscored that point Thanksgiving week... Continued -> 1 Comment November 26, 2008 New York Times: Joe Biden has YET to be given a defined Job Description The NEW YORK TIMES today carries a story headlined, "For Biden, No Portfolio but the Role of a Counselor" Helene Cooper goes on to write: "So far, Mr... Continued -> 0 Comments November 24, 2008 Rather Good Reviews for the Roll-out of Pres.-elect Obama's Economic team - And a Contrarian Judgment Most of the folks I interviewed today from mainstream and specialized media say President-elect Obama has done just about as much as he can to tackle the country's economic crisis, without having yet the Constitutional authority of the Presidency... Continued -> 0 Comments November 24, 2008 Ted Kaufman to Succeed Joe Biden in U.S. Senate Delaware's political blogosphere was full of stories and last-minute speculation that Edward "Ted" Kaufman would get the nod to succeed Joe Biden as a U... Continued -> 0 Comments November 24, 2008 Gov. Minner's 2:30 p.m. Announcement on Biden's Senate seat Outgoing Governor Minner has called a news conference at 2:30 this afternoon in the Governor's office in the Carvel state office building in downtown Wilmington to make an announcement about Joe Biden's seat... Continued -> 0 Comments November 21, 2008 The News Story that Will Affect our Kids Don't expect the cable news networks' prime-time shows to lead with this story, or devote ANY time to it at all. Don't expect the nationally-syndicated, talk-show hosts - conservative OR liberal... Continued -> 0 Comments November 19, 2008 Carney Wants It No Matter What The political blogosphere here in Delaware could overheat, for all the speculation about the circumstances surrounding the timing - and the name - of the person who will succeed Vice-President-elect Biden as Delaware's U... Continued -> 0 Comments November 19, 2008 Why It Makes No Sense for Obama Foes to Move to Canada! I read an AP story in The NEWS-JOURNAL which boggles my mind (although it shouldn't by now; we've long had evidence that ideologically-blinded Americans know little about our neighboring countries, let alone the world!) Here's the top of that story from the Associated Press: TORONTO -- "For Jeb Assaf, Barack Obama's election win and America's overwhelming vote for 'change' has forced him to seriously consider a long-feared change of his own: moving to Canada... Continued -> 3 Comments November 18, 2008 It's Official: Dennis Rochford becomes Chief of Staff to Gov.-Elect Markell; Pres.-Elect Obama picks 'Clintonite' African-American for Attorney-General What I reported more than a week ago is now official: Governor-Elect Markell has chosen Republican Dennis Rochford to be his Chief of Staff. I stand by my analysis of the political ramifications and reasons from my earlier blog posting... Continued -> 0 Comments November 14, 2008 Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State? I know some national journalists / pundits who, late Friday afternoon, still believe all the talk about Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State amounts to a feint, while the President-Elect has his eyes on someone else... Continued -> 1 Comment November 13, 2008 V.P.-elect Biden gets his Chief of Staff: Former Chief of Staff to V.P. Gore First ROLL CALL, now POLITICO.com reports the former chief of staff and counselor to Vice President Al Gore - Ronald Klain - has accepted the chief of staff position to Joe Biden... Continued -> 0 Comments November 12, 2008 Sobering economic analysis of Obama's challenges & Obama as the "smart hawk" Some interesting, but sobering, analysis from across the Pond: The FINANCIAL TIMES of London's chief economics commentator, Martin Wolf, on America's position in the world... Continued -> 0 Comments November 11, 2008 Owner of Christiana Mall May Seek Bankruptcy Protection General Growth Properties, Incorporated - one of the country's biggest shopping-mall owners - indicated it had failed to refinance, or extend nearly a Billion dollars in debt due this month... Continued -> 0 Comments November 10, 2008 Sources -- Governor Markell's Chief of Staff: Dennis Rochford One of my best sources says Governor-Elect Markell will pick Dennis Rochford - onetime Republican candidate for Lieutenant-Governor - to be his Chief of Staff... Continued -> 0 Comments November 10, 2008 New Line of Thinking: V.P. Biden would play "Good Cop" to "Bad Cop" Rahm Emanuel During last week's news conference, no reporter asked President-Elect Obama about Joe Biden's precise role in the new administration. (Although a CBS News radio correspondent tells me HE would've asked about Biden's role, if given the chance!) Anyway, the new evolving narrative has Joe Biden playing "good cop" to tough-guy chief-of-staff Rahm Emanuel... Continued -> 0 Comments November 7, 2008 Obama Supporters - African-Americans, Hispanics - vote FOR Same-Sex Marriage Ban in California I distinctly remember interviewing a middle-aged African-American man at the Nur Temple polling place north of the 13/40 split - repeatedly describing himself as a Christian -- who voted FOR Barack Obama, yet expressed distaste for Obama's positions for abortion rights and same-sex unions... Continued -> 0 Comments November 7, 2008 Interesting Trial-Balloon: David Plouffe to Fill Joe Biden's Senate Seat? The WASHINGTON POST's political blog - The Fix - has an intriguing bit of political speculation involving Delaware. That President-elect Obama's coveted political operative David Plouffe, of St... Continued -> 0 Comments November 5, 2008 Election Post-Mortem For as long as I can remember, NEWSWEEK magazine has managed to embed reporters into the two major parties' Presidential election campaigns, with the strict caveat that the embedded reporter cannot file ANYTHING until AFTER Election Day... Continued -> 6 Comments November 3, 2008 Remaining Election Questions I don't think ANY Delaware pundit would've predicted the statewide races for Lieutenant-Governor and especially state Insurance Commissioner would produce the most sparks in the final days before the election... Continued -> 0 Comments October 31, 2008 Obama Regains Most Traditional Democratic Jewish Support Something I've picked up in casual conversation seems validated in most recent polling: Jewish voters - at least center-left, liberal, and progressive Jewish voters (which accounts for the majority of Jewish people in the U... Continued -> 2 Comments October 30, 2008 Latest Poll on U.S. Catholic Voters: A Divided Flock Le Moyne College, a Catholic Jesuit college, and Zogby International, have released a poll on U.S. Catholic voters, perhaps the ultimate "swing" group in American politics... Continued -> 0 Comments October 29, 2008 Has the Obama Campaign Muzzled Joe Biden? And Biden Campaign Rally at U.D. Friday Morning The WASHINGTON POST's Dana Milbank has an Op-Ed today suggesting the Obama Campaign has put a big leash on Delaware's senior U.S. Senator. Milbank writes: "The muzzling of Biden seems unnatural and inhumane, like taking a proud lion into captivity... Continued -> 0 Comments October 28, 2008 Tightening Presidential Race? Perhaps the McCain--Palin Campaign's attacks on Barack Obama's economic plans are having the desired effect for the Republicans. Several late polls suggest a tightening of the race... Continued -> 0 Comments October 27, 2008 Open Invitation for Questions for WDEL-Sponsored, Lt. Governor's Debate Please submit questions you'd like me to ask our two candidates for Delaware Lieutenant-Governor: Insurance Commissioner Matt Denn (D) and State Senator and Minority Leader Charlie Copeland (R)... Continued -> 1 Comment October 24, 2008 Obama---Biden Win: Loss for Delaware's Status as U.S. Corporate Capital? Even since Barack Obama picked Joe Biden to be his running-mate, most Delaware political bloggers and pundits have focused on the likely political fallout here in Delaware: Who would get Joe Biden's Senate seat; would that person be a seat-warmer for Beau Biden; etc... Continued -> 6 Comments October 23, 2008 One Crisis for Our Next President While pundits on the U.S. cable news channels remain largely fixated on "Joe the Plumber" and "income redistribution", let's look at one crisis which will confront our next president from Day One: The likely implosion of the world's ONLY Islamic nuclear-power, Pakistan... Continued -> 0 Comments October 21, 2008 Too Early to say if latest Biden "Gaffe" will Impact Remaining Two Weeks! It's come out in bits and pieces, but, Joe Biden apparently told a Seattle fund-raiser over the weekend that the world would "test" the resolve of the newly-elected Barack Obama... Continued -> 3 Comments October 21, 2008 On Taxes, Lee Campaign in Delaware Starts to Parallel McCain Campaign The McCain Campaign increasingly seems to think appeals against taxes and "wealth redistribution" might get voters in the so-called "swing" states to take a second look... Continued -> 1 Comment October 20, 2008 The Colin Powell Endorsement: Will It Sway Anyone? Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama didn't exactly surprise me. For some time, now, the retired Army General and former Secretary of State has left hints he was somewhat less than thrilled with the Administration he served, not only on foreign policy, but also on the social issues... Continued -> 0 Comments October 16, 2008 And the Debate Winner Is: Joe the Plumber! (Assuming He's For Real!) Only in America would the personal situation of an individual voter become the focal point in a debate between/among candidates for President, Prime Minister, whatever... Continued -> 2 Comments October 15, 2008 Why did Bush Do It? A lot has been written over the past eight years about how George W. Bush has been an ideological captive of neo-conservatives and Christian conservatives (even as some conservatives have questioned W's ideological orthodoxy from almost the very beginning)... Continued -> 1 Comment October 14, 2008 Observing the Presidential Campaign Through a Road Trip I've just returned from a glorious "Class of '73" high school reunion in the Chicago area, and - in the process - drove through parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana... Continued -> 1 Comment October 8, 2008 Delaware 'Gaffe' in the Presidential Debate? Tuesday evening's second McCain--Obama Presidential debate ended up about as I expected. Obama partisans would declare a decisive Obama win; McCain partisans, the same... Continued -> 2 Comments October 6, 2008 Biden Compares running for Veep to being a "Cicada" NEWSWEEK's Jonathan Alter got a sit-down with Senator Biden at a coffee shop here in the Wilmington area. Biden unloads like the Biden of old. As Jonathan Alter writes, "No gaffes, but the level of detail won't thrill the Obamaniacal control freaks in Chicago... Continued -> 1 Comment October 3, 2008 Veep Debate Unlikely to Change Trends in Presidential Race For all the talk that Joe Biden was some sort of gaffe machine that would embarrass Barack Obama, his party, and Delaware, that did not happen. For all the talk that Sarah Palin would fall on her face... Continued -> 1 Comment October 1, 2008 Any Questions for the WDEL Delaware Insurance Commissioners' Debate? I'll be hosting the WDEL-sponsored, state Insurance Commissioners' debate Thursday evening starting at six. We're proud that our WDEL debates get significant exposure in the political community - and in other media - in part, because we strive for "real" debates... Continued -> 0 Comments September 30, 2008 Castle voted FOR Financial Rescue plan; Hartley-Nagle Would have Voted Against For what it's worth, Delaware's Republican Congressman Mike Castle voted (with many reservations) FOR the Monday draft of the financial rescue package... Continued -> 0 Comments September 29, 2008 Hot vs. Cool in Presidential debates -- "Cool" wins. Any "lesson" for Joe Biden? I generally rated the debate about even on points. But, media philosopher Marshall McLuhan lives! It appears Barack Obama's cooler style seemed "more Presidential" to those 'undecided' voters, especially women... Continued -> 5 Comments September 25, 2008 And the Winners Are: Biden (for Senator).. Markell.. Castle.. & Weldin Stewart! New Jersey's Fairleigh Dickinson University releases the other part of its Delaware poll: Democratic candidate Jack Markell leads Republican Bill Lee in the Governor's race (when "leaners" are counted), 61%--27%... Continued -> 2 Comments September 24, 2008 Two States, Two Women Governors New Jersey's Fairleigh Dickinson University has released the results of its poll of Delawareans and Alaskans: Not surprisingly, Alaskans favor John McCain by 55%--37% over Barack Obama, while Delawareans favor Obama over McCain, 56--36%... Continued -> 0 Comments September 24, 2008 Big Polling Uptick for Obama--Biden, but Mainstream Media Start to Summarize Biden Gaffes This could be a trend either to be cemented in the Presidential/Vice-Presidential debates, or to implode: The latest WASHINGTON POST/ABC News national poll gives Barack Obama a 9 percent lead over John McCain among the voters most likely to turn-out... Continued -> 0 Comments September 23, 2008 America's Incredible Global Challenges From the financial crisis, to America's competitive position in the world; from Iraq and Afghanistan to Pakistan, Georgia, Russia, and China... you gotta wonder if the 44th President of the United States is fated to be a one-term President... Continued -> 0 Comments September 23, 2008 University to Release Delaware Polling Results Get ready for a neutral poll on Delaware's major political races. Fairleigh-Dickinson University's "Public Mind Poll" should release results Thursday from its polling on major Delaware political races... Continued -> 0 Comments September 22, 2008 Some Good from the Financial Crisis Bet you haven't heard or read (lately) about anyone trying to apply lipstick to a pig. Or about mooseburgers. I'll say one thing about the financial meltdown... Continued -> 1 Comment September 17, 2008 Sarah Palin's E-mail Account(s) Hacked Unclear if this will become a big story: Someone hacked into G.O.P. Vice-Presidential candidate - and Alaska Governor - Sarah Palin's private Yahoo email accounts, and posted some of the contents... Continued -> 5 Comments September 17, 2008 In the Shadows of the U.S. Presidential Campaign & Financial Woes: Collision between U.S. & Pakistan It's perhaps understandable that the potential for a global financial crisis - and the incredible twists & turns in the U.S. Presidential campaign - have overshadowed Pakistan in the U... Continued -> 1 Comment September 12, 2008 Mike Protack Bows Out Surprise! Defeated Republican candidate for Governor Mike Protack - who still would have appeared on the November ballot as a nominee of the Independent Party of Delaware (an endorsement which prompted massive infighting within the Independent Party!) - has withdrawn from the race for Governor... Continued -> 4 Comments September 11, 2008 Palin's ABC News Interview: War with Russia? ABC News has aired the first of its interviews with Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. It'll be interesting to see if most of the media lead with Palin discussing her fitness to be Commander-in-Chief; her pivot to an Abraham Lincoln quote about God and war; or, the Alaska Governor's discussion of Georgia and Russia... Continued -> 5 Comments September 11, 2008 Joe Biden: Hillary Clinton might have been a Better Pick for Veep Premature to say if these comments will gain momentum in the political media and sidetrack the great "lipstick" debate. Responding to a question Wednesday in Nashua, New Hampshire, Joe Biden heaped praise on Hillary Rodham Clinton: "Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be Vice President of the United States of America... Continued -> 2 Comments September 10, 2008 Could Markell's Victory Be Instructive in Presidential Race? In Monday's blog, I wrote that if Jack Markell could prevail over John Carney in the race for the Democratic nomination for Governor, Markell's victory could produce a small lesson for the Obama-Biden ticket in the Presidential race... Continued -> 6 Comments September 9, 2008 Some Surprises Possible on Delaware Primary Night! After visiting more than a dozen Delaware pollings places - and logging about a hundred miles in New Castle County - I can tell you tonight should be more than interesting... Continued -> 2 Comments September 8, 2008 Could Carney--Markell Race in Delaware Give Us an Early Test of McCain-Obama? At first glance, how could one compare tomorrow's (Tuesday's) Delaware Democratic Primary for Governor with the U.S. Presidential race? Audacious, I know... Continued -> 5 Comments September 5, 2008 Postmortem on G.O.P. Convention & Introduction of Sarah Palin: Interviews Talking to a number of reporters and pundits - and reviewing press accounts - for all the dramatic developments over the past two weeks, it's rather amazing how little the Presidential race has moved! Listen to some of my interviews from the "WDEL Delaware News at Noon": Major Garrett, Fox News; Larry Eichel, the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER; and Linda Feldmann, The CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR... Continued -> 0 Comments September 5, 2008 New Bishop Unlikely to Try to Deny Communion to Biden Incoming Bishop W. Francis Malooly's first interview with the Wilmington Catholic Diocesan newspaper - The DIALOG - seems to confirm what I posted on this blog several weeks ago, based on my sources... Continued -> 0 Comments September 4, 2008 Sarah Palin Passes the Speech Test Because I had to get some sleep, I NEVER heard the punditry after Sarah Palin's speech, NOR have I read the political blogs or columnists (yet). So you're getting here my unvarnished assessment: From the perspective of execution and content, Sarah Palin delivered an effective, barn-burnin' acceptance speech... Continued -> 1 Comment September 3, 2008 Evidence of the Clash between G.O.P. 'True Believer' Delegates and the Political Pros over Palin I lived through the era when President George Herbert Walker Bush chose Dan Quayle as his running mate. It was surreal. No sooner did Republican delegates and operatives praise Quayle on-the-air, they seemingly couldn't wait to tell me OFF the air that George Herbert Walker Bush had stepped into some deep doo-doo with his Quayle selection... Continued -> 0 Comments September 3, 2008 Drip, Drip, Drip: Learning More about Sarah Palin -- Going After the Wasilla Librarian! As more and more of the national press corps makes the trek to the 49th state, we're learning more about Alaska's Governor Sarah Palin, Senator McCain's choice for a running mate... Continued -> 5 Comments September 2, 2008 Biden Comments on Palin without Reporters' Prompting: She's "Good looking" Looks like Joe Biden couldn't resist commenting about Sarah Palin's looks, the sort of thing that may indeed endear him with some voters, but also turn off some others... Continued -> 2 Comments September 2, 2008 New "Bounce" for Obama/Biden! The latest CBS News poll - the first to include the Veep candidates in the horserace question - has Barack Obama increasing his lead over John McCain since the Democratic convention, 48% to 40%... Continued -> 1 Comment September 2, 2008 Sarah Palin: Alaskan Nationalist? Now... the REAL Vetting begins Of course, the story about Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's unmarried 17-year-old daughter dominated the political news Labor Day (Just as well, cable-news network coverage of Hurricane Gustav washed out most of the political coverage anyway!) But, as much as we knew that Senator McCain impulsively chose Governor Palin at the last minute - much to the chagrin of his staff, which would've wanted more time to thoroughly investigate Palin - it still struck me to read this in The NEW YORK TIMES this morning: "Aides to Mr... Continued -> 2 Comments September 1, 2008 Uncharted Territory in Presidential race: A Hurricane... Palin selection Flattens Obama Convention Bump! As I keep saying, this Presidential race has more imponderables than any other in memory. Take Hurricane Gustav. The conventional wisdom held that a recurrence of a hurricane targeting Louisiana just three years after Katrina's nightmare would only resurrect memories of the Bush Administration's anemic response... Continued -> 0 Comments August 29, 2008 The Election of our Lifetimes! With John McCain's selection of Alaska's Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate, we truly enter unchartered waters. Who could have predicted Alaska and Delaware - two states with three electoral votes apiece - would be represented on the major party national political tickets? When Hillary Clinton looked nearly inevitable (unless John Edwards tripped her up!), who could have imagined that an African-American freshman senator from Illinois would take the Democratic nomination, and then choose as his running-mate the longtime senator from Delaware? Who could have crafted the story of a Republican Presidential hopeful and former P... Continued -> 4 Comments August 29, 2008 Obama "Bounce"; Reports: McCain chooses Sarah Palin for Veep; & How Gustav could affect G.O.P. convention Finally, the Obama--Biden ticket appears to have gotten some "bounce" from the Democratic convention (and this was BEFORE Wednesday's speeches from former President Clinton and Senator Biden)... Continued -> 2 Comments August 28, 2008 Barack Obama's Convention, Finally! And Differing Views on Joe Biden's Speech Sometime during former President Clinton's speech in Denver Wednesday night, and certainly during Joe Biden's speech, this finally became Barack Obama's convention... Continued -> 1 Comment August 26, 2008 Will Abortion Issue Haunt Biden? Even as Barack Obama was introducing Joe Biden in Springfield this past Saturday, abortion foes began to attack Joe Biden, the "practicing Catholic", who nonetheless supports Roe v... Continued -> 0 Comments August 26, 2008 Any Questions for Delaware's 2 Democratic candidates for Governor? I'll be one of two or three questioners at the WDEL-sponsored debate featuring the Democratic candidates for Governor in the moot court at Widener University's Delaware law school, 8 A... Continued -> 2 Comments August 25, 2008 Curious News on the Republican Vice-Presidential Front A reporter in Denver for The PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE just alerted me to this: Pennsylania's Governor Ed Rendell - addressing Pennsylvania delegates at the Democratic National Convention - declared John McCain would reveal his running mate Friday in Washington, Pennsylvania... Continued -> 0 Comments August 25, 2008 Zogby: Obama Gains Ground with Biden Pick Pollster John Zogby predicted this outcome in his interview with me Saturday, and now we see it: UTICA, New York -- "In a year when three-quarters of voters see the vice-presidential candidates as important to the Democratic and Republican tickets this year, Democrat Barack Obama scored good marks for choosing Delaware Sen... Continued -> 0 Comments August 23, 2008 It's Joe! As I said in my last post, I really thought it had to be either Clinton or Biden, or one of the Virginians. The Hillary balloon receded as we learned again that the Obama people hadn't vetted the Clintons, and earnings from Bill Clinton's overseas speaking engagements were partially shrouded in secrecy... Continued -> 0 Comments August 21, 2008 Final Veep Predictions Someone in our newsroom just asked me, "So, Loudell, if your life depended it, who would you pick to be Obama's running mate?" I responded, "50/50, Clinton or Biden"... Continued -> 2 Comments August 20, 2008 Reuters/Zogby Poll: McCain Makes his Move Even as Barack Obama is in the final stages of choosing his running-mate - and announcing that choice to the world -- the latest Reuters/Zogby TELEPHONE poll echoes some other polls showing Obama slippage: OBAMA LOSES GROUND AMONG DEMS, WOMEN, CATHOLICS & EVEN YOUNGER VOTERS UTICA, New York -- "As Russian tanks rolled into the Republic of Georgia and the presidential candidates met over the weekend in the first joint issues forum of the fall campaign, the latest polling includes drama almost as compelling - Republican John McCain has taken a five-point lead over Democrat Barack Obama in the race for President, the latest Reuters/Zogby telephone survey shows... Continued -> 2 Comments August 20, 2008 Bill Lee's Flawed Strategy Once again, a local group held a candidates' forum; once again Bill Lee was AWOL. In this case, a standing-room-only crowd saw candidates for Governor John Carney, Jack Markell, and Mike Protack respond to environmental questions at a Delaware Sierra Club forum at the Jewish Community Center in Brandywine Hundred... Continued -> 2 Comments August 19, 2008 NBC & CBS News quote Biden: "I'm not the guy" . But Source 'Close to Biden' offers Clarification After several hours of hearing political reporters - such as Howard Fineman - all but declare Delaware's senior Senator to be Senator Obama's running mate, Joe Biden emerged from his home... Continued -> 2 Comments August 19, 2008 Vice-Presidential announcement in a few hours? As I type this (2 p.m., Tuesday), some of the Capitol's top journalists suggest the Obama campaign should announce a running-mate in hours! And Joe Biden keeps soaring... Continued -> 0 Comments August 19, 2008 Lower the Drinking Age to 18? Have you read or heard the story about a group of college & university presidents calling on lawmakers to debate the merits of a lower drinking age? Technically, the college presidents seek "an informed and dispassionate debate"; they stop just short of calling for an 18-year-old drinking age... Continued -> 1 Comment August 15, 2008 Brilliant Move for Party Unity or Sign of Weakness? And New Zogby Polling So the Obama and Clinton camps have agreed that Senator Clinton's name be placed in nomination at the Denver convention "as a show of unity and in recognition of the historic race she ran, and the fact that she was the first woman to compete in all of our nation's primary contests"... Continued -> 2 Comments August 11, 2008 Better Veep Chances for Senator Biden? The Russia--Georgia bloodshed may be altering Barack Obama's calculus for selecting a running-mate. The longer the conflict makes headlines, the better the chances for a Veep pick with significant foreign policy credentials... Continued -> 0 Comments August 8, 2008 Let's Pray that This Little War Doesn't Escalate! With all the countries that had previously yanked their troops out of Iraq, bet you didn't know the THIRD-largest contributor of troops (after the United States and Britain) to 'Coalition forces' in Iraq: the former Soviet republic of Georgia... Continued -> 6 Comments August 8, 2008 ABC News: John Edwards Admits to Extramarital Affair It's now out in the open. ABC News reports former North Carolina U.S. Senator John Edwards has conceded that cheated on his wife Elizabeth. But he denies having fathered a child... Continued -> 0 Comments August 7, 2008 PETA: Manitoba Bus Beheading & Cannibalism = Meat Industry's Slaughter of Animals If only from the perspective of getting national attention with provocative tactics and comparisons, you've got to hand it to PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals... Continued -> 0 Comments August 6, 2008 End of an Era: Mitchell's Will Close Goodbye electric trains. Goodbye scouting supplies. Goodbye Halloween costumes. Another family-owned business in the Wilmington area will pull the plug... Continued -> 3 Comments August 5, 2008 If Not Panic, Concern in Obama-land Of all the pollsters, I pay the greatest attention to John Zogby. Except for California, Zogby had a great record during the primary season. That's why this poll just released may mark a tectonic shift in the Presidential race (With the caveat that sometimes summer polls bear little relation to the November outcome): From Zogby International UTICA, New York -- "A national Associated TV / Zogby International telephone poll of 1,011 likely voters conducted July 31--August 1 finds Republican John McCain taking a razor-thin 42%--41% lead over Democrat Senator Barack Obama in the race for the U... Continued -> 0 Comments August 4, 2008 Boscov's Files for Chapter Eleven Bankruptcy Protection Only days after denying it would have to do so, the family-owned, Boscov's department store chain has filed for Chapter Eleven. Boscov's three Delaware stores (Christiana Town Cente, Concord Mall, and Dover Mall) will remain open... Continued -> 0 Comments August 4, 2008 G.O.P. Committee Expels Jan Ting: Inconsistent Standard? I've interviewed Jan Ting on-the-air two, maybe three times, about the Presidential race and his preference for Barack Obama over John McCain. Ting has not been bashful about it... Continued -> 9 Comments August 1, 2008 Chick-fil-A's founder S. Truett Cathy: The Real Deal Did you hear the story about Chick-fil-A's founder S. Truett Cathy's reaction to the two young girls who vandalized his home to the tune of $30,000? (According to the police in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, the girls invaded Cathy's home two weeks ago, and sprayed fire extinguishers, threw eggs, left water running, and scrawled vulgarities... Continued -> 3 Comments July 31, 2008 Likely Fallout from Ehud Olmert's Exit from Israeli Prime Minister I believe the chances just increased that Israel will stage airstrikes on Iran -- with or without full U.S. approval. Why? Because Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu - the former Israeli Prime Minister who chairs the rightist Likud Party - is most likely to emerge as the next Prime Minister of Israel... Continued -> 2 Comments July 30, 2008 The Ron Russo Story The intrigue over the future of the Charter School of Wilmington's president, Ron Russo, appears to have ended (at least for now). With an assist from his attorney, Russo and the Charter school board appear to have resolved their differences... Continued -> 0 Comments July 29, 2008 Bennigan's Restaurants Closing Chain restaurants have seemingly popped up like toadstools in some of Delaware's fastest-growing areas, such as along Route 40 in Bear--Glasgow. But now witness perhaps the start of an opposite trend, courtesy of the tanking economy... Continued -> 1 Comment July 28, 2008 State Senator Peterson endorses Jack Markell I can't say I'm surprised State Senator Karen Peterson switched her support in the Democratic Governor's race from Lieutenant-Governor John Carney to State Treasurer Jack Markell... Continued -> 0 Comments July 28, 2008 Christiana Mall Update Christiana Mall's policy of excluding teens (without adult escort) took effect in early July, while I was on vacation. But I've since visited the mall on a weekend night on a couple of occasions (just as I did before implementation of the policy)... Continued -> 2 Comments July 23, 2008 Sleeper health issue of the Coming Decade? Everytime I see kids (or grown-ups) on cellphones seemingly hour after hour, I keep thinking it can't be good to have a radio transmitter juxtaposed against your ear (and brain) for such long periods... Continued -> 2 Comments July 23, 2008 Look for Freebery to take it to Court! And Thumbs-Down to Paul Clark! It wasn't close. New Castle County Council members voted 11-1 NOT to pay former County Executive Tom Gordon's top aide, Sherry Freebery, $3.7 million of the taxpayers' money... Continued -> 0 Comments July 22, 2008 State Senator Cloutier responds to Eminent Domain questions Finally, more than three weeks from the close of the Delaware state legislative session, I was able to get State Senator Cathy Cloutier to explain the reasons she voted FOR the original Eminent Domain bill, but AGAINST the effort to override Governor Minner's veto of the legislation... Continued -> 2 Comments July 22, 2008 Which Out-of-State Drivers are the Worst? I've never seen any polling on the subject in Delaware, but based on casual conversation and what I've heard on Delaware talk radio over the years, I'd guess more Delaware motorists rate New Jersey drivers the worst... Continued -> 5 Comments July 18, 2008 Troubling Government Surveillance I saw essentially the same story in both The WASHINGTON TIMES and in The PROGRESSIVE magazine this morning. This should be troubling to sincere people from ANY side of the political spectrum... Continued -> 2 Comments July 18, 2008 Media Coverage Disparity: Obama's Overseas Tour So will the new Batman movie or Barack Obama's overseas tour grab more airtime and column-inches over the next few days? Probably Obama. Especially on the all-news cable channels and on the three "traditional" evening network broadcasts... Continued -> 0 Comments July 16, 2008 Highway Speeders I've just gotten back from vacation... driving to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, home of my alma mater; then, the Chicago suburbs to see my mom; then, the "scenic" return trip, north through Michigan (and Michigan's Upper Peninsula), and then into Canada, through Sault Ste... Continued -> 8 Comments July 3, 2008 Energy Dependence, Detroit Bleeds, on U.S. Independence Day So the U.S. auto industry -- once the pride of U.S.A., Incorporated -- is bleeding bigtime with no resolution in sight. The price increases at the gas pumps make us dizzy... Continued -> 1 Comment July 2, 2008 Charter School of Wilmington Leadership Battle Is the governing board for the Charter School of Wilmington trying to sideline Charter School president Ron Russo by "kicking him upstairs"? It certainly looks like that... Continued -> 4 Comments July 1, 2008 Silence from the Carney Campaign So strange, usually it's been easy and painless to land a short live interview with one of Delaware's major candidates for Governor. In fact, at times I've had to turn down proposals from one campaign or the other to offer its candidate for some questioning... Continued -> 4 Comments June 30, 2008 Was Governor's Eminent Domain Veto Inevitable? This was just too neat -- too surreal -- to be coincidental. Delaware lawmakers pass the eminent domain bill by massive margins. Supporters celebrated... Continued -> 2 Comments June 26, 2008 Ralph Nader's Criticism of Obama for 'talking white' By now, you've probably heard or read the story -- first published in The ROCKY MOUNTAIN DAILY NEWS: "Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader accused Sen... Continued -> 3 Comments June 24, 2008 John Zogby on Oil-Drilling & the Presidential race The latest national telephone poll from Zogby International finds three in four 'likely' voters -- 74% -- support off-shore drilling for oil in U.S. coastal waters, and more than half (59%) also favor drilling for oil in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)... Continued -> 0 Comments June 23, 2008 Wind Power Deal! It finally happened. Delmarva Power and Bluewater Wind have agreed to a 25-year, 200-megawatt power purchase contract. We'll see those windmills nearly a dozen miles off the Delaware coastline... Continued -> 0 Comments June 18, 2008 Christiana Mall's Ban on 'Unaccompanied' Teens on Friday--Saturday Nights: Good Move? You've probably heard the news: Delaware's biggest shopping mall -- Christiana Mall -- will implement a "parental guidance" policy for Friday & Saturday nights that would bar teens under 18 from entering the mall... Continued -> 11 Comments June 16, 2008 Postmortem on Saint Anthony's Italian Festival So the biggest of the Wilmington's ethnic / church festivals has ended. Doubtless, the organizers will have to balance the revenue generated by the $5 entrance fee vs... Continued -> 3 Comments June 16, 2008 More Biden Veep-talk Chicago SUN-TIMES syndicated columnist BOB NOVAK had this over-the-weekend: "Before multimillionaire Democratic power broker James A. Johnson quit as Sen... Continued -> 0 Comments June 13, 2008 Tim Russert (1950---2008) So Friday's shocking news came not from the Presidential race itself, but from the death of a journalistic giant who played a disproportionate role in that Presidential race: NBC's Tim Russert... Continued -> 4 Comments June 10, 2008 1970: "Lola" (The Kinks); 2008: "I Kissed a Girl" (Katy Perry) As soon as our sister station WSTW added the song to its playlist, I was wondering if people would react, particularly since 93.7 avoids playlisting hip hop with vulgar content... Continued -> 7 Comments June 9, 2008 Lt. General William Odom (1932---2008) Before too much time passes, I want to acknowledge the death of a retired three-star general and scholar I consulted, and interviewed many times over the past two decades... Continued -> 0 Comments June 6, 2008 Just When the Democrats were Preaching Unity... It seems as though nearly every Friday afternoon, a seemingly bizarre story pops up out of left field to ricochet in the Democratic Presidential race. This Friday, just as the Clinton and Obama camps were talking unity, this story is bouncing around the blogosphere... Continued -> 1 Comment June 4, 2008 'Conventional Wisdom' Turned Inside Out Just last summer, some of the national media -- particularly the New York media -- trumpeted that Americans would likely see a Presidential election between two New Yorkers: Hillary Clinton vs... Continued -> 1 Comment May 30, 2008 Maybe THIS China story will (eventually) get America's Attention! I believe the rise of China and India arguably represents the central story of our century (apart from the environment), a story that will -- arguably -- eclipse the Middle-East and terrorism as the greatest influence on our kids... Continued -> 2 Comments May 28, 2008 When the White House Press Secretary is 'Out of the Loop' For all the hits former President Jimmy Carter has taken over the years, you couldn't accuse Mr. Carter's press secretary, Jody Powell, for being 'out of the loop'... Continued -> 2 Comments May 27, 2008 Barack Obama -- The "Anglophile" in the Presidential race? Something from the British papers, but which has received scant attention here: Barack Obama addressed a fundraiser attended by Americans in London at the home of Elisabeth Murdoch, daughter of Rupert Murdoch... Continued -> 0 Comments May 23, 2008 Hillary Assassination Gaffe Just as most us were thinking about the holiday weekend -- or driving to the beach Friday afternoon -- a Hillary Clinton gaffe ended the political week on an explosive note... Continued -> 0 Comments May 21, 2008 If you favor Tom Gordon, would you favor Hillary Clinton too? I was thinking some more about the Wilmington Democratic Committee's impasse on making an endorsement in the race for the Democratic nomination for New Castle County Executive... Continued -> 0 Comments May 20, 2008 State Rep. Vincent Lofink answers Questions on Sports Gambling I finally got 27th district State Representative Vincent Lofink (R-Glasgow/Bear) on-the-air to answer lingering questions about the pros and cons of sports gambling in Delaware... Continued -> 0 Comments May 20, 2008 Something Strange with Wilmington Democratic City Committee Endorsements The Wilmington Democratic City Committee emailed a press release about its endorsements Tuesday morning: Biden for Senate; Hartley-Nagle for U.S. Representative; Carney for Governor; Denn for Lieutenant-Governor; and Clark for County Council President... Continued -> 1 Comment May 20, 2008 Do you ever walk along a road at night WITHOUT a Flashlight? A seemingly routine police story -- a drug bust near Newark -- caught my attention last week. One of the charges: Walking along a roadway WITHOUT a light! Well, pardon me... Continued -> 0 Comments May 16, 2008 Ted Blunt "Suspends" Campaign for Lieutenant Governor Late word Friday evening: Wilmington City Council President Ted Blunt has "suspended" his campaign for Lieutenant-Governor of Delaware. I first got wind of this tonight NOT from Council President Blunt himself, but from the Delaware Democratic Party... Continued -> 0 Comments May 16, 2008 So what does John McCain REALLY think about dealing with Hamas? By now you've heard or read that President Bush took advantage of his speech before the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, to attack the notion of seeking diplomatic talks with outcast countries such as Iran, comparing it to the failed appeasement of Nazi Germany... Continued -> 0 Comments May 15, 2008 "Sweetie": Term of Endearment or Overly Familiar & Offensive? The political pundits marveled at how the Obama team produced the John Edwards endorsement just as the news networks were preparing to air one-on-one interviews with Hillary Clinton about her bushwhacking of Obama in West Virginia... Continued -> 13 Comments May 14, 2008 Edwards Endorses Obama Other than Al Gore and probably ahead of former President Jimmy Carter, the most coveted endorsement in Democratic Presidential politics was that of John Edwards... Continued -> 0 Comments May 14, 2008 Third Straight G.O.P. Loss in U.S. House Election; West Virginia Outcome Accentuates Demographic Schism for Democrats Even as the Democrats celebrate their third consecutive win in a special election for U.S. Congress from a conservative, Southern district, Hillary Clinton's romp over Barack Obama (67% to 26%) had to give Democratic Party strategists nightmares... Continued -> 0 Comments May 13, 2008 Bill Lee: Anticlimactic Candidacy. And Mike Protack = Bob Barr? In the biggest anticlimax of recent Delaware statewide politics, former Judge Bill Lee officially accepted the Delaware Republican delegates' "draft" by filing papers with the state elections department... Continued -> 0 Comments May 13, 2008 A Hillary Win by More than 30 Points in WV? Remember when many pundits declared a 'split decision' in the Indiana and North Carolina primaries would not radically alter the psychology of the Democratic Presidential race? Well, it did... Continued -> 0 Comments May 12, 2008 Have They No Sense of Shame? Just a few minutes ago, I received a phone call from a British journalistic friend who happens to be in Myanmar / Burma... in fact, in the capital, Yangon (Rangoon)... Continued -> 0 Comments May 12, 2008 Look Very Carefully at the Posted Prices for Gasoline As gasoline prices skyrocket, some service-station operators have resorted to two-tier pricing (a higher price for credit or bank-card purchases) to cut their losses... Continued -> 1 Comment May 9, 2008 Democratic Consultant: Why Obama Should Want Clinton to Stay in the Race Even as some Barack Obama supporters push for Hillary Clinton to exit the Democratic Presidential race ASAP, a Democratic Party strategist whom I've interviewed before has offered a compelling argument (I think) for why Obama should want Clinton to STAY in the race... Continued -> 6 Comments May 7, 2008 Look for the Pressure to Mount on Clinton Give Zogby credit. The Zogby polling firm absolutely nailed the outcome in North Carolina: A 14-point win for Obama, but voters polarized along the now-familiar racial, class, and education lines... Continued -> 4 Comments May 6, 2008 Ex-Judge Bill Lee on his (Presumed) Run for Governor, $, Staffing, Chateau Country 'Blue Bloods', Windpower, etc. I chatted with former Judge Bill Lee today about his response to the draft from Delaware Republican delegates; raising money; assembling a campaign staff; his regard for Charlie Copeland; whether he'd debate Mike Protack; the offshore windpower debate, and more... Continued -> 0 Comments May 6, 2008 Primary Day Outlook A 'split decision' remains the most likely outcome today. Based on all the polling I've seen or heard about, I'd say it would be more likely for Hillary Clinton to trounce Barack Obama in Indiana (despite all the polling about a neck-and-neck race in Hoosier country), than for Barack Obama to trounce Hillary Clinton in North Carolina... Continued -> 0 Comments May 5, 2008 Conflicting Polls; High Stakes The leading national polls are split on whether the Reverend Wright controversy has derailed Barack Obama or not: CBS News/NEW YORK TIMES: Barack Obama leads Hillary Clinton, 50% to 38% "Obama's margin has grown four points since last week... Continued -> 0 Comments May 3, 2008 Here comes the Judge! Dewey Beach -- If former Judge Bill Lee doesn't accept the Delaware Republican Party's "draft", the shock is apt to be as great as when Alan Levin dropped out of the race he never fully entered... Continued -> 1 Comment May 1, 2008 "Wright-athon" Nearly Over? A WDEL listener visiting our booth at St. Helena's Parish Carnival Wednesday night asked me if I thought a 'President' Obama would host Reverend Jeremiah Wright at the White House... Continued -> 0 Comments April 30, 2008 Did Reverend Jeremiah Wright Intend to Undermine Obama? What I've been arguing for three days finds its way into print in a 'sourced' article. From the NEW YORK POST today: "The Reverend Jeremiah Wright would be happy to see Barack Obama's Presidential campaign derailed because the pastor is fuming that his former congregant has 'betrayed' their 20-year relationship, The POST has learned... Continued -> 0 Comments April 25, 2008 Copeland Runs for Lieutenant-Governor... Waiting for Bill Lee to Declare for Governor Suddenly, the winner of the Democratic race for Lieutenant-Governor (presumably Matt Denn over Ted Blunt) doesn't have a free pass in the general election: State Senator Charlie Copeland (R-Brandywine Hundred) will run for the Republican nomination for Lieutenant-Governor... Continued -> 0 Comments April 25, 2008 Hoosier Quicksand for Obama My earlier experience away from home -- and the parents -- was on the campus of Indiana State University in Terre Haute. (I spent part of a summer there, between my junior and senior year of high school, attending a broadcast seminar for high schoolers, sponsored by the Indiana Broadcasters... Continued -> 0 Comments April 23, 2008 Buyers' Remorse on Barack Obama? Funny thing for the second tier of Democratic Presidential hopefuls who saw their ambitions go up in smoke as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama quickly made it a two-person race... Continued -> 5 Comments April 21, 2008 PA Presidential Primary Predictions Political columnist, editor at The NATION & The PROGRESSIVE magazines -- John Nichols (whom I've known for 20 years) -- likes to stick-out his neck on these things... Continued -> 1 Comment April 18, 2008 Where the Presidential Race (Apparently) Stands For the record, I come somewhere in the middle on the "debate over the debate". I DO believe the news media -- broadly speaking -- pulled some punches with regard to Senator Obama EARLIER in the campaign... Continued -> 0 Comments April 17, 2008 Biden's Response to Vice-Presidential speculation In recent days, Senator Biden has stated emphatically that he has no interest in the Vice Presidency and/or Secretary of State, despite speculation this week after he delivered his foreign-policy speech... Continued -> 0 Comments April 14, 2008 Bittersweet Political Lessons Day Four of the flap over Barack Obama's controversial comments about "bitter" small-town America, and the candidate today (Monday) tried to change the subject, assailing Hillary Clinton on free trade... Continued -> 0 Comments April 10, 2008 Offshore Wind Farm Doomed? After so many months of hearings and debate, spirited discussion on radio talk-shows, "Letters to the Editor", and blogs, proponents of Bluewater Wind's proposed offshore wind farm have reason to be blue... Continued -> 5 Comments April 9, 2008 22-year-old U.D. Grad Student Wins Newark City Council Election Normally, a political race in a single district in Newark wouldn't necessarily be suitable material for this blog. But I was waiting to see if 22-year-old Ezra Temko, a University of Delaware graduate student, would prevail in yesterday's Newark City Council election... Continued -> 2 Comments April 7, 2008 Rhode Island entertains Bids for Off-Shore Wind Farm I wonder if this bit of news will alter the wind power debate in Delaware any: Rhode Island's Governor Donald Carcieri announces the state of Rhode Island is seeking bids from private companies to construct and operate an off-shore wind farm designed to generate 1... Continued -> 1 Comment April 7, 2008 Good-bye Maryanne McGonegal If you listened to radio talk-shows with any regularity; if you attended public hearings on a variety of issues... you heard Maryanne McGonegal. Indeed, whatever the hot button issue -- open government, prisons & inmates' health-care, wind-power & other enviromental issues -- you could count on her to argue her issues with passion and conviction... Continued -> 2 Comments April 4, 2008 Third Party Candidates Could Play Pivotal Role in Close Presidential Contest It appears ex-Georgia Congressman Bob Barr could end up as the Libertarian Party's candidate for President in '08. As one of the leaders of the impeachment drive against Bill Clinton, Barr enjoys a fair level of visibility in conservative circles, if not in the country at large... Continued -> 1 Comment April 3, 2008 Attachment to Smoking Could Predict PA Presidential Primary Outcome Something in Thursday's Pittsburgh POST-GAZETTE -- seemingly completely unrelated to politics -- caught my eye, and perhaps underscores WHY Hillary Clinton should win Pennsylvania, barring a miraculous finish for Barack Obama! Let me quote from the smoking article: "Pittsburgh has a bigger smoking problem than most of the 14 similar cities to which it is compared by the non-profit, Pittsburgh Regional Indicator project... Continued -> 2 Comments April 2, 2008 Let's End the Confusion: If You Ever Run for Public Office, You're a Politician! The website, "Delaware Liberal" -- delawareliberal.net -- has had a spirited debate since April Fool's Day about the Obama commercial, in which the Senator from Illinois says he doesn't take money from oil companies... Continued -> 2 Comments April 1, 2008 Tibetan "Suicide Squads"? You may have missed it: The Chinese authorities in Beijing said Tibetan independence forces were planning to use suicide squads to trigger bloody attacks... Continued -> 0 Comments March 28, 2008 Why Should the Democratic Ethnic Catholic Vote Fall Disproportionately to Hillary Clinton? You've heard, doubtless, that endorsements don't matter; look at how little the Kennedys' endorsement helped Barack Obama in the Massachusetts Democratic Primary... Continued -> 10 Comments March 28, 2008 Newark District 5 Voters Have a Quality Choice I moderated a debate Thursday night between Ezra Temko and Mike Mullen, seeking Newark's 5th District City Council seat to replace Frank Osborne. If only all our political discourse could be this civil and respectful! Each candidate stuck to the issues, and matters of resume and personal experience... Continued -> 0 Comments March 25, 2008 Tibetan Dreams Trump China's Chance to Shine For years, the Chinese hustled for the opportunity to host the Olympics. To host such a unique global event -- with TV coverage beamed to tens of millions of households around the world -- would signal 'New' China's arrival among the ranks of nations... Continued -> 2 Comments March 25, 2008 Get used to Mike Protack, Republican nominee for Governor So now we learn House Speaker Terry Spence won't run for Governor, after all. An odd parallelism seems to unite Terry Spence on the Republican side "toying" with the Governorship; and the Reverend Chris Bullock on the Democratic side "toying" with a run for U... Continued -> 0 Comments March 21, 2008 Afro-centrism: A Different Slant Ever since some of Reverend Jeremiah Wright's more provocative comments have dominated the national media and talk radio, we've heard a lot about Afro-centrism in theology and education... Continued -> 2 Comments March 18, 2008 Obama's speech -- Content & Delivery -- Home Run? It still may not be sufficient to put the Reverend Wright genie back in the bottle. But, win or lose the nomination, and ultimately, the Presidency... Continued -> 1 Comment March 17, 2008 Does YOUR Pastor, Chief Rabbi, etc. Reflect Your Views Most of the Time? My header here may lie at the center of the heated controversy engulfing Barack Obama and his former Pastor. Would one attend a particular house of worship -- or seek out the head of that congregation as a spiritual adviser -- if that person consistently expressed contrary views? A year ago, I recall interviewing on-the-air the editor of an Illinois conservative publication who chastised the 'mainstream' media for NOT thoroughly investigating the views of one Reverend Jeremiah Wright, retiring pastor and departing spiritual adviser to Senator Barack Obama... Continued -> 1 Comment March 13, 2008 Does Anyone Care About the Plunging $? You Should! Tune in the prime-time cable news-shows tonight (or any other night); tune in most radio talk shows; go to most local or national political blogs, and you'll hear or see precious little about the precipitous decline of the U... Continued -> 1 Comment March 12, 2008 Bill Lee Won't Run No great surprise, but former Judge Bill Lee will NOT run for Governor. I talked with Judge Lee this afternoon, and he sounded relaxed, very much at peace with his decision... Continued -> 0 Comments March 11, 2008 A tale of two politicians: Tom Gordon & Eliot Spitzer Tom Gordon could hardly have foreseen it (although if he had a radio on, he might have HEARD the early bulletins), but I found some symmetry that Gordon filed for New Castle County Executive at the same time we were getting the reports of the incredibly dramatic fall of New York's Governor Eliot Spitzer... Continued -> 1 Comment March 5, 2008 Obama vs. Clinton: Protracted Struggle You see it in some blogs and hear it on talk radio all the time: "I don't see how those pundits -- or pollsters -- can predict how I'll vote, just because I grew-up in a certain part of the country, I'm of a certain ethnicity and racial background, I practice a certain religion, I did or did not go to college, and I make a certain amount of money... Continued -> 0 Comments March 4, 2008 Obama Surge Crests? For several weeks, I've predicted Barack Obama would win Texas (both popular vote and delegates), and Hillary Clinton would take Ohio. Some of the pundits, recalling how in February, Obama surged to decisive victories in the final days, or even hours, tended to discount polls which gave Clinton the lead, or had the candidates running neck-and-neck... Continued -> 0 Comments February 29, 2008 Did the Obama Campaign Try to Assuage the Canadians on NAFTA? This week finds the Obama campaign AND the Canadian Government denying stories from Canada's commercial television news network, CTV. CTV reported a "senior member" of the Obama campaign called Canada's Ambassador to the United States, Michael Wilson, to give a heads-up... Continued -> 0 Comments February 27, 2008 Delaware Republican "Regulars" Still Search for Candidate So much for blog reports that maybe the Delaware Republican Party had persuaded Superior Court Judge Susan del Pesco to run for Governor. Looks like an announcement of her retirement, and meetings with certain individuals, fed the rumor mill... Continued -> 1 Comment February 27, 2008 'Final' Clinton--Obama Debate Doesn't Appear to Alter Trends... The 'New' News: Both Candidates would Renegotiate NAFTA In this last most uneven of the Democratic Presidential Primary debates, it did NOT appear that EITHER candidate altered the chemistry of this showdown... Continued -> 0 Comments February 22, 2008 Dramatic end to Clinton--Obama Debate Even if you closely follow politics, with the predicted snow and sleet, perhaps you went to bed BEFORE the end of the Clinton--Obama debate on CNN. You missed a tidal wave of emotion, and perhaps, missed opportunities... Continued -> 0 Comments February 20, 2008 Obama's February Surge Many political pundits took a look at the February timetable of primaries and caucuses after 'Super Tuesday', and figured the rest of the month would be kind to Barack Obama... Continued -> 0 Comments February 15, 2008 Musings on Delaware Governor's Race, Presidential race Here on Friday evening, the 15th, it seems as though the Delaware Presidential Primary and "Super Tuesday" came ages ago. But it's only been two weeks... Continued -> 0 Comments February 13, 2008 Obama Train: Unstoppable? You know a candidate's on a roll when even the 'tiny' things go your way! I recall reading a Seattle newspaper account -- on the eve of the Potomac primaries -- that the one single county in Washington state that had gone Hillary Clinton's way did not... Continued -> 0 Comments February 7, 2008 Romney Out Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney bows out of the race for the Republican Presidential nomination. I hesitate to say "suspend" or "withdraw", because those terms have slightly different technical meanings, and media accounts so far vary... Continued -> 0 Comments February 3, 2008 Barack Obama's Visit to Wilmington; Even some DE GOP'ers came! Late Polling! I've covered a bunch of events on Rodney Square over the years, including Wilmington First Night, and the Tour duPont and Tour de Trump bicycle races. I don't think I've seen a bigger crowd than greeted Barack Obama this Sunday afternoon... Continued -> 0 Comments February 3, 2008 Rodney Square Filled for Obama The Obama people must have gotten a deal with our Accu Weather Service (or higher up) to deliver splendid early February weather. The sun is shining; a crowd has descended all around Rodney Square (extending to the steps of the old courthouse!); and the travelling press corps has arrived from around the world... Continued -> 0 Comments February 1, 2008 L.A. TIMES story datelined Dover, DE: "Democratic women NOT all for Clinton" The Los ANGELES TIMES today carries a story about Delaware female voters' attitudes about the Clinton--Obama contest... Continued -> 0 Comments January 31, 2008 A Major Presidential Hopeful is Coming to Delaware After All! Just when we thought tiny Delaware wouldn't prove a big enough magnet for any of the Presidential hopefuls on the days leading to Super Duper Tuesday, we're getting a visit from Senator Barack Obama... Continued -> 4 Comments January 31, 2008 Tom Gordon "Considering" Run Against Chris Coons for NCC Executive Tongues have been wagging about this for weeks: Will Tom Gordon seek to regain his old job? The NEWS JOURNAL this Thursday morning raises that possibility... Continued -> 1 Comment January 30, 2008 John Edwards Gives Up Quest for Presidency The Associated Press & MSNBC report former North Carolina Senator John Edwards has given up his race for the Democratic Presidential nomination. (CBS News now has just confirmed!) I confess I did NOT see this coming... Continued -> 0 Comments January 29, 2008 McCain's Win in Florida 9:10--9:15 p.m., Tuesday, February 29th, 2008 The Associated Press and most networks project Arizona's Senator John McCain, the winner of Florida's Republican Presidential Primary... Continued -> 0 Comments January 29, 2008 Delaware "Protection" for Hillary? No, your eyes did NOT deceive you, if you happened to watch President Bush's final "State of the Union" Address last night. Senators Biden and Carper sat on each side of Senator Clinton during last night's "State of the Union" Address... Continued -> 2 Comments January 29, 2008 Alan Levin Breaks His Leg; a 'No Show' at G.O.P. Dinner, but WILL attend Hispanic event It's probably not that much fun to be Alan Levin just now. First, he shocks the Delaware G.O.P. by announcing late that he would NOT be a candidate for Governor after all; then, he breaks his ankle! Interestingly, that gave Levin a good excuse to dodge the Friday night Republican Party dinner... Continued -> 0 Comments January 28, 2008 Toni Morrison reportedly to Join Kennedys in Endorsing Obama ABC News reports Nobel Prize-winning author, editor, and professor Toni Morrison will endorse Barack Obama for President. (ABC News cites a source in the Obama camp... Continued -> 0 Comments January 26, 2008 Big Obama Win in South Carolina, but Can it Alter Chemistry of Election Contest? As I type these words (8:30 p.m., Saturday night), Senator Barack Obama leads Senator Hillary Clinton 53% to 27%, a two-to-one margin, in South Carolina's Saturday Democratic Primary... Continued -> 1 Comment January 25, 2008 "Delaware-isms" Once in a while, I trade ideas with Dana McDonald, morning co-host from our sister station, WSTW (His desk is close to mine in our “computer room”). Dana and his co-host, Nancy Johnson, wanted to do a few segments on “Delaware-isms”, things which brand you a dyed-in-the-wool Delawarean (even if originally a transplant!)... Continued -> 3 Comments January 24, 2008 Should Delaware Presume You're an Organ Donor Unless You Opt Out? When I first heard about the donor legislation from State Representative Peter Schwartzkopf (D-Rehoboth Beach), I just assumed that this would be one of those "sleeper" issues likely to "explode" in Dover... Continued -> 5 Comments January 23, 2008 "All Good Things Must Come to an End" That's how Reverend Christopher Bullock describes his chances against Republican Congressman Mike Castle, assuming Bullock wins the expected Democratic Party primary for U... Continued -> 0 Comments January 22, 2008 A Fiery Debate---But Did Anything Change? I've tried to watch national political debates ever since I was in college in the mid-70's. (Of course, we have a lot more of them, than we used to!) I cannot remember a more acrimonious debate than what we saw last night with Senators Clinton and Obama, and former Senator Edwards... Continued -> 1 Comment January 17, 2008 House Speaker Terry Spence explores Run for Governor The NEWS-JOURNAL reported tonight that Delaware House Speaker Terry Spence will file preliminary papers to explore a run for Governor, now that Alan Levin has made his final intentions known... Continued -> 3 Comments January 17, 2008 Dave Burris Ponders Run for Governor As the aftershocks of Alan Levin's bombshell ripple through Delaware's Republican Party, Dave Burris is making some noises about going after that Republican nomination for Governor... Continued -> 0 Comments January 17, 2008 Alan Levin Decides AGAINST a Race for Governor! This statement arrived just after 9 a.m. from Alan Levin & Associates: STATEMENT of ALAN LEVIN 2008 Delaware Gubernatorial Race "As many of you know, I have spent the last couple of months traveling the state meeting with Delawareans... Continued -> 2 Comments January 16, 2008 Delaware Hispanics Mostly Favor Clinton I have long believed Barack Obama faced an uphill struggle to win over Hispanic American voters. Only if he could demonstrate -- over and over again -- the kind of across-the-board appeal he displayed in Iowa could an Obama juggernaut maybe erase that obstacle... Continued -> 0 Comments January 11, 2008 Gender vs. Race vs. Ethnicity -- Endorsements that Matter After Hillary Rodham Clinton's stunning comeback in New Hampshire's Democratic Presidential Primary, some observers wondered if the old double-standard -- absent in Iowa -- had resurrected in New Hampshire... Continued -> 0 Comments January 9, 2008 Minner Endorses Clinton A couple of days after State Treasurer Jack Markell, one of our Democratic candidates for Governor, touched-off a stampede of Democratic politicos' endorsements for Senator Obama, Governor Minner has endorsed Senator Clinton for President... Continued -> 2 Comments January 8, 2008 Obama Campaign Miscalculation? As I type these words, the outcome of New Hampshire's Democratic Presidential Primary remains in doubt. Senator Clinton maintains a three- or four-point lead over Senator Obama, but the college towns haven't been heard from... Continued -> 0 Comments January 7, 2008 Markell Endorses Obama; Carney follows Until the Iowa caucuses, Delaware's statewide Democratic officials pledged themselves to "favorite son" Joe Biden. Freed of that obligation, Democratic candidate for Governor Jack Markell emerges as the first statewide officeholder to endorse Barack Obama for President... Continued -> 2 Comments January 4, 2008 Reflections on Iowa & Biden's Demise The only thing that really surprised me about the Iowa results: That Fred Thompson managed to stay in double-digits (13%). May I suggest this about Iowa, long noted for its overwhelmingly white, and rural, demographics? Wouldn't it be ironic if Iowa served as a more effective springboard for Barack Obama than a 'more demographically representative' state would have? (Al Mascitti and I just discussed this... Continued -> 3 Comments January 3, 2008 Just Hours Before the Iowa Caucuses... a Final Poll! Reuters/C-Span/Zogby has just released their final Daily Tracking Poll for Iowa before tonight's caucuses. (Within the hallways of our radio station, I've been predicting this order of finish for several weeks... Continued -> 1 Comment January 1, 2008 Indefensible Journalistic Decision in Presidential race Supporters of Republican Presidential hopeful Ron Paul are besieging media outlets with emails to protest the exclusion of the Texas Congressman from the upcoming Fox Presidential debate... Continued -> 24 Comments December 27, 2007 Benazir Bhutto Assassinated Assassination and other tragic deaths have haunted the Bhutto family, like the Nehru-Gandhi family in India, and the Kennedys. And arguably, the Islamist undercurrent in Pakistan, probable Islamist infiltration of the Pakistani intelligence services and the military only heightened the dangers for Benazir Bhutto on her return to Pakistan... Continued -> 0 Comments December 20, 2007 Some 17-Year-Olds CAN Vote in the 2008 Presidential Primaries! Some young people register to vote at the same time they apply for a driver's license, yet may NOT realize they may be able to vote BEFORE they turn 18 in Delaware... Continued -> 4 Comments December 18, 2007 Stiff breeze derails Off-Shore Wind Farm As WDEL first reported, four state agencies put the ambitious plans for an offshore wind farm on hold. They COULD have ordered Delmarva Power to enter into an agreement with Bluewater Wind... Continued -> 2 Comments December 11, 2007 Why does the University of Delaware retain Edgar Johnson as Athletic Director? Will someone please explain? We've had a transition of presidents at the University of Delaware. In the not-too-distant past, men's football and basketball coaches too... Continued -> 10 Comments December 10, 2007 Public Service Commission releases proposed Delmarva Power/Bluewater Wind agreement Even as we were getting word from across the Atlantic that the British Government was about to embark on a huge expansion of offshore wind-power -- with plans for thousands of turbines -- the Delaware Public Service Commission offered details about the Proposed Power Purchase Agreement on wind power... Continued -> 1 Comment December 9, 2007 Is Huckabee the Republican "Jimmy Carter"? The more I see Mike Huckabee, the more I see Jimmy Carter (whom I covered several times), albeit the Republican equivalent: Both men are former Southern Governors (although Huckabee managed to win successive terms)... Continued -> 1 Comment December 3, 2007 The Great Pizza Trademark Flap By now, surely you've heard the story about Grotto Pizza's legal challenge to Gianluca Arienzo, the owner of "Grottino" Italian restaurant south of New Castle... Continued -> 2 Comments November 30, 2007 Only one Delaware high school gets the "Gold" in new National Rankings U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT magazine -- which has long ranked the nation's colleges and universities -- has decided to rank high schools as well, with criteria different from NEWSWEEK's... Continued -> 5 Comments November 29, 2007 Questioners in Presidential debates with the OTHER major party's agenda If you watched the CNN/You Tube G.O.P. Presidential debate Wednesday evening, you'll recall the retired General who asked about gays and lesbians in the military... Continued -> 5 Comments November 26, 2007 Energy Drinks + Alcohol: Dreadful mix Are you of the generation, or do you have kids, who are into energy beverages? The intense caffeine rush, not to mention other un-tested supplements, raises concern... Continued -> 4 Comments November 19, 2007 Modern Miracle: Delaware vs. Delaware State After the Hens dropped their final game to Villanova, I have to confess I didn't hold much hope for a UD/DSU match-up in the play-offs. But the Hens managed to get into the NCAA football playoffs... Continued -> 5 Comments November 15, 2007 Big School Fight at Mount Pleasant High School; 'Noose' Investigation at U.D. I've seen no official press releases about this, but Mount Pleasant High School had to deal with a big fight in the cafeteria area. I happened to have an engagement at 'Mount' last night, and picked-up the buzz... Continued -> 3 Comments November 12, 2007 Do You Believe the Story about Joann Christian's Missing Mail? I don't know about you, but, I can't really complain about delivery from the United States Postal Service over the years, and I've lived in three states... Continued -> 9 Comments November 9, 2007 Should Malinovskaya Be Tried a 4th Time? For a Delaware court story, you KNOW this saga has been going on forever, when many of us can say "Malinovskaya" and "Zlotnikov" just as easily as "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad"... Continued -> 0 Comments November 8, 2007 Two Monster Stories in Delaware! Ever since the story broke, you heard the buzz that the child or close relative of a state legislator was among the people under investigation for the reported theft of about one Million bucks from the state Department of Finance... Continued -> 2 Comments November 4, 2007 Special Election Reality Check I headlined my September 26th post: "Senator Vaughn's seat: Unlikely Republican pick-up." Unlikely indeed. But when I wrote those words, I hardly imagined the magnitude of the Democratic Party's victory: Two-to-one... Continued -> 1 Comment November 2, 2007 Diversity Backlash Go to the University of Delaware campus, and talk to students. You'll find a diversity of views about the university's residence life education program, which focused on diversity... Continued -> 0 Comments October 31, 2007 A Special Election with So Many Variables It's so difficult to call this weekend's special election for the late Jim Vaughn's Senate seat. On paper, State Representative Bruce Ennis (D-Smyrna) should win... Continued -> 2 Comments October 26, 2007 Furor Dies from Biden "Stumble" The commotion over what Delaware's Senator Biden told the WASHINGTON POST editorial board about minorities and education didn't even last through one 24-hour news cycle... Continued -> 6 Comments October 23, 2007 Cellphone use: Cancer trigger? Every broadcast consultant I know says the public is hungry for health news: Give folks news about the latest study linking a health threat to an everyday behavior or food preference, and you'll "hook" your listener or viewer for more time spent listening, or watching, your station... Continued -> 1 Comment October 22, 2007 Beyond Iraq & Iran: Pakistan & Turkey How many Americans could quickly identify the Islamic country with the already established nuclear program? From college onwards, I've thought three Islamic countries were pivotal... Continued -> 0 Comments October 17, 2007 Shift at Delaware Psychiatric Center As reported at mid-afternoon here on WDEL, the Hospital Director of the Delaware Psychiatric Center, Susan Watson Robinson, has announced her resignation from that post, effective November 18th, 2007... Continued -> 1 Comment October 16, 2007 A Second Good-bye to Dr. Joseph Wise As WDEL reported all through the day, the Duval County School Board in Jacksonville, Florida, voted 6-1 to terminate its superintendent Dr. Joseph Wise, the former Christina schools superintendent here in Delaware... Continued -> 0 Comments October 9, 2007 Spivack says it's 75% likely he'll run for U.S. Congress Reverend Christopher Bullock's seemingly sudden withdrawal from the U.S. House race he never even officially entered caught many Democrats by surprise... Continued -> 0 Comments October 8, 2007 No Longer Theoretical: Fully-veiled woman at Christiana Mall I blogged September 13th about Delaware's loose election rules, which technically would allow a fully-veiled woman (eye slits only) to vote in Delaware WITHOUT having to remove her facial covering for I... Continued -> 1 Comment October 5, 2007 Christiana Mall's Ambitious Expansion Plans: A Lesson in P.R. WDEL's attempts to get Christiana Mall's general manager, Steven Chambliss, or the mall's marketing manager, on-the-air Friday seemed to go nowhere. Christiana Mall's management told us to call an outside P... Continued -> 3 Comments October 4, 2007 Can Delaware Common Cause Survive? An organization that champions many of the issues dear to journalists -- Common Cause Delaware -- nears implosion. Common Cause's national president Bob Edgar has directed Common Cause Delaware basically to cease and desist: Suspend all operations, communications, etc... Continued -> 4 Comments October 1, 2007 Go See "The Kingdom" Even if you've gotten out of the habit of seeing movies at the theater -- if you like an action movie which nevertheless provokes deeper thought and soul-searching -- I recommend you see "The Kingdom"... Continued -> 1 Comment September 28, 2007 Feroce vs. Copeland The plot thickens. John Feroce, the Republican who ran unsuccessfully against Senator Vaughn in '06, says he purchased high-priced plane tickets to a family wedding in Florida this weekend, so he could STILL meet with the G... Continued -> 1 Comment September 26, 2007 Senator Vaughn's seat: Unlikely Republican pick-up No sooner did the word get out that State Senator Jim Vaughn (D-Clayton) would be resigning his seat this Friday, you had the inevitable speculation about the succession... Continued -> 1 Comment September 25, 2007 Congressman Castle's "Pledge" (on Iraq) The White House correspondent for The ALLENTOWN MORNING CALL (John Drobnyk) blogs about Capitol Hill lawmakers -- including Mike Castle -- who have been trying to get lawmakers to sign a "pledge" indicating consensus on principles, or goals, related to Iraq... Continued -> 1 Comment September 20, 2007 The Fragility of Modern Telecommunications As I write this (Thursday morning), it's been exceedingly difficult to access many websites on the Internet. Comcast reports a regional networking failure, which Comcast blames on A, T, & T... Continued -> 3 Comments September 19, 2007 Biden donates Houston oilman's $ to charity; New CBS Poll: Most Americans don't know Biden Maybe when you're running behind -- even though you need the money -- you can afford to take more principled stands. ... Continued -> 4 Comments September 13, 2007 Could a fully-veiled woman vote in Delaware? A story from Canada about veiled Muslim women NOT having to remove their veils to vote prompted me to inquire about what would happen – hypothetically – if a completely veiled woman tried to vote in Delaware... Continued -> 4 Comments September 10, 2007 Musings on Sherry Freebery sentencing; Delaware's U.S. House race Did you notice? Two things leaped at me from the Sherry Freebery stories: (1). That Freebery declared her attorneys completely "outlawyered" Federal prosecutors, and that's why prosecutors had to drop corruption charges against her... Continued -> 1 Comment September 5, 2007 The Larry Craig Story that Won't Go Away Blame Pennsylvania's U.S. Senator Arlen Specter. If you're tired of hearing about Idaho's senior U.S. Senator, and what may, or may not, have happened in the men's restroom at Minneapolis, you can blame the former District Attorney from Philadelphia... Continued -> 3 Comments August 29, 2007 Delaware Psychiatric Center: Hear from the Dems Who Would be Governor, and More The Delaware Psychiatric Center keeps unfolding. Could it be a big issue in the '08 Governor's race? In case you missed my interviews recently with Lieutenant-Governor Carney and Treasurer Jack Markell about the subject, you can hear them here... Continued -> 4 Comments August 23, 2007 Shredding Credibility: The Shredding Continued Thursday but One Building Off-Limits Now I have one more reason I don't think I could ever be a press secretary or media adviser for a Governmental agency. ...because if I WERE the Press Secretary to the Department of Health & Social Services, I think I'd be tearing out my hair (what little remains!) over the document shredding story... Continued -> 1 Comment August 22, 2007 What Can / Should Be Done at Christiana Mall? Considering how malls have replaced the public square or some neighborhoods as the place where young people gather, and given the general coarsening of our culture (I do NOT intend that as a political statement)... Continued -> 1 Comment August 21, 2007 Thoughts on the Blogosphere's Portrayal of the Governor's Race Gee… I’m gone on vacation for a week and a day and the Delaware blogosphere has erupted into heated debates over the races for Governor and U.S. Congress... Continued -> 1 Comment August 9, 2007 The Paradox of this Delaware Governor's Race The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) -- which many liberal, progressive types regard as a Clintonesque, centrist, even right-wing 'trojan horse' within the Democratic Party -- has named State Treasurer Jack Markell the "New Democrat of the Week"... Continued -> 2 Comments August 6, 2007 Delaware's Roads & Bridges: Big Issue for 2008? Remember a few short years ago, when some Delawareans had to cope with long power outages, and worse, flooding? Of course, natural disasters happen, but many of us vowed to hold our politicians accountable for that which could be prevented – for example, allowing haphazard development on flood plains (Exhibit ‘A’: A certain dormant hotel you see every time you pass near Newport on I-95!)... Continued -> 0 Comments July 27, 2007 Can you correlate likely Markell & Carney supporters with Presidential hopefuls? We were chatting in the newsroom this evening about the race for the Democratic nomination for Governor, and somehow got to talking about Presidential politics as well... Continued -> 1 Comment July 19, 2007 Could Pakistan Slide into the Abyss? I have known veteran Pakistani journalist Shaheen Sehbai for almost twenty years. He has been a valuable contact, and I think he's been nearly clairvoyant at predicting things in his part of the world... Continued -> 1 Comment July 17, 2007 Trying to Keep Delaware's Open Spaces & Wetlands Lovely! This past Sunday, I joined members of the Delaware Nature Society as we conducted our annual “census” of northern New Castle County’s butterfly population... Continued -> 1 Comment July 11, 2007 A Common Thread? From defeats of school referenda to demand for immigrants! This story from The CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR may partially explain everything from the defeat of school referenda, to business' demand for immigrants... Continued -> 0 Comments July 5, 2007 New Zogby Poll: Americans Not Happy with Current Two-Party Political System If you questioned passers-by on Rodney Square, or shoppers at a mall about fusion candidates, you’d likely get a blank stare from a lot of people. As much as we’d like it to be different, many folks simply don’t follow politics all that much, particularly local politics, unless they’ve been grounded in Delaware for several years or more... Continued -> 4 Comments July 2, 2007 Political Upheaval in Delaware I still remember interviewing Mikhail Gorbachev’s former press secretary Gennadi Gerasimov at the time of the Soviet coup-attempt against Gorbachev, and Boris Yeltsin’s public denunciation of the coup-plotters... Continued -> 2 Comments June 28, 2007 Could U.S. Supreme Court decision on Schools & Race impact northern Delaware's schools? I’ve been trying to find-out if the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that public schools in Jefferson County, Kentucky – and others across the nation – cannot consider students’ race in school assignments could impact our situation here in northern Delaware... Continued -> 0 Comments June 26, 2007 Delaware Common Cause's Internecine Struggle: As Bitter as a Religious Schism It must have its roots in human DNA: The tendency for people within a family, or from philosophically similar mindsets, to war amongst themselves. You can find examples throughout history... Continued -> 3 Comments June 21, 2007 Why Should a Woman Need a Guy to make a Transaction? If you’re a single woman, or don’t happen to have your husband with you, have you run-up against an infuriating male chauvinism in Delaware? My wife, Barbara, prompts me to write this post... Continued -> 1 Comment June 19, 2007 What would happen if a Church Carnival gave up the Games of Chance and the Booze? You know you’re days away from the first day of summer when the first batch of church carnivals – notably the Greek Festival at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, and Saint Anthony’s Italian Festival – are behind... Continued -> 3 Comments June 13, 2007 How idealistic are you about shelving those desk-drawers in Dover? So often, you’ll hear our talk-show hosts on WDEL rail against state lawmakers who resist a more open & transparent government. You’ll hear our hosts refer to the geriatric lawmakers downstate who “bury” legislation by simply placing it in one of their desk drawers... Continued -> 11 Comments June 7, 2007 The Delaware Primary which will Dwarf All Others? The slinging has already begun between supporters of John Carney and Jack Markell. Some Markell supporters deride Lieutenant-Governor Carney as someone who has fed from the public trough for years… a product of the Carper-Minner-Thurman Adams, ‘good ole boy’ Democrats... Continued -> 0 Comments June 6, 2007 Markell Will Go For It As I noted in my May 17th blog, Jack Markell had absolutely no incentive to reconsider a run for Governor. Look for the official announcement -- in hours -- that Markell will seek the Democratic nomination for Governor... Continued -> 1 Comment June 5, 2007 Biden Interview on his Presidential bid; Iraq; Anti-war critics; Darfur; & Russia With about a half hour’s notice before going on the air, I got word Senator Biden could join me on-the-air during our “WDEL Delaware News at Noon”. So we ditched our other guests, and tried to clear as much time as possible for a wide-ranging interview on Biden’s Presidential bid (and chances); critics of the Democratic-dominated Congress; liberal bloggers; Iraq; Darfur; and Russia... Continued -> 4 Comments June 5, 2007 Question about the School Referendum Outcome It's NOT for me to judge the Brandywine School district referendum outcome, or the arguments of the two sides. No doubt the anti-referendum people forced more transparency, creative thinking about utilization of building space and personnel in the face of declining enrollment; etc... Continued -> 0 Comments May 30, 2007 About Fusion candidates & Third Party endorsements: Good or Bad for Delaware? Next time you go to the polls for a major election in Delaware, it’s unlikely you’ll see a candidate who lost a Primary election re-appear on the November ballot as the candidate of a third party... Continued -> 3 Comments May 27, 2007 About Darfur; Rwanda; Vietnam; Journalism; Imus; & Cronkite! A week ago, I posted articles from Reuters and the Associated Press about Senator Biden's call for a commitment of U.S. forces to stop the reported genocide in the Darfur region of The Sudan... Continued -> 4 Comments May 25, 2007 Don't let Ticks ruin your summer -- or beyond! I see that New York’s U.S. Senator Churck Schumer is receiving treatment to prevent Lyme disease, after a tick ‘attached’ to the senator during a tour of the Hudson Valley dams... Continued -> 0 Comments May 24, 2007 Mitt Romney comes to Delaware to raise $ from the Party Faithful; Forget the Press! As first reported here on WDEL, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is coming to Delaware, Friday, June 1st for a shindig at Michele Rollins' estate in Chateau country! You can get into the event -- an outside barbecue -- for fiften dollars... Continued -> 4 Comments May 22, 2007 Biden calls for U.S. military in Darfur Delaware’s Senator Biden – leading a bipartisan delegation to the United Nations – urged the commitment of U.S. forces to stop the reported genocide in the Darfur region of The Sudan... Continued -> 7 Comments May 21, 2007 Congratulations to Charter, A.I. DuPont, Cab Calloway, Brandywine, Dover, Concord, & Mount Pleasant (I think...)! Congratulations to Delaware public schools which made NEWSWEEK magazine’s “The Top of the Class” list of the 1,200 top U.S. public high schools: # 72 The Charter School of Wilmington # 358 A... Continued -> 3 Comments May 17, 2007 Why Markell Won't Accept Lieutenant-Governor Any student of politics knows political parties HATE primaries. So you KNEW the Democrats were desperately trying to broker a deal where state Lieutenant-Governor John Carney and Treasurer Jack Markell would avoid a showdown for the Democratic nomination for Governor... Continued -> 2 Comments May 16, 2007 No Copeland Bid for Governor What State Senator Charlie Copeland had privately been telling people for weeks has now burst into the open: Copeland will NOT run for Governor. (I do believe family considerations -- two young children -- trumped all else in Copeland's decision-making!) So, even MORE than before, the G... Continued -> 1 Comment May 14, 2007 Brandywine's School Superintendent joins Rick & Gerry on-the-air: A civil discussion but two visions. But what about Delaware's school 'Vicious Circle'? As I write this post, Rick & Gerry are interviewing the Brandywine School District superintendent about the latest referendum to raise your property taxes (assuming you live in the school district)! The interview immediately began with Gerry pointing to teachers, whom he said were voting ‘no’, because they were “tired of the waste in the district”… also, the local legislators who have NOT voiced support for the referendum increase... Continued -> 20 Comments May 8, 2007 Who can more legitimately claim Victimhood: Sherry Freebery or John Atkins? Court papers filed on behalf of New Castle County’s former Chief Administrative Officer Sherry Freebery seek to tie the Gordon/Freebery case to the Capitol Hill—White House battle over the dismissals of eight Federal prosecutors... Continued -> 3 Comments May 6, 2007 Downstate Redemption? The voters in ex-Representative Atkins’ district have spoken. The Republican candidate, Gregory Hastings, prevailed… despite three candidates on the ballot plus the John Atkins write-in ‘candidacy’... Continued -> 4 Comments May 4, 2007 Delmarva Power may have touched off a Political Storm Have you been following the story about Delmarva Power’s absolute refusal to negotiate with a wind-power company, or a natural gas company… unless a judge orders DP to do so? The NEWS-JOURNAL first reported this story; and Tom Noyes on his blog, “Tommywonk” does some admirable follow-up... Continued -> 0 Comments May 3, 2007 Play Political Pundit: What do you predict for this weekend's special election for John Atkins' House seat? After hours and hours of spirited discussion on the radio, on the editorial pages, and in blogs, the special election for the 41st State Representative District is almost upon us... Continued -> 7 Comments April 30, 2007 Join me at St. Helena's Parish Carnival Tuesday, May 1st You know it’s mid-spring in Delaware with Church carnival season upon us! Look us up as we broadcast some nights from many of the Church carnivals and ethnic festivals in the Wilmington area this spring and summer... Continued -> 0 Comments April 30, 2007 Ferris Wharton's 'minor' hit-and-run accident No great surprise. Ferris Wharton, the former prosecutor & former candidate for Delaware Attorney-General, declined an opportunity to join me on-the-air live to discuss the minor hit-and-run accident in which he was involved... Continued -> 5 Comments April 29, 2007 'Potemkin mentality' in Wilmington and in Blacksburg, Virginia: Muzzling the Press Two recent cases – one local, one in the Mid-Atlantic region – vividly demonstrate how various forces try to “manage” the news media. In both cases, in my judgment, P... Continued -> 0 Comments April 26, 2007 Analysis suggesting Senator Biden has ensured that U.S. could continue war in Iraq's Sunni heartland Check out this contrarian analysis from historian and national-security analyst Gareth Porter in The Asia Times on line… He argues the language on a timetable for a U... Continued -> 8 Comments April 20, 2007 Write-in Candidacy doesn't require 'official' status to sway the Election outcome! Ex-State Representative John Atkins’ lawyer – former Delaware Attorney-General Charlie Oberly III – keeps insisting his client is NOT running as a write-in candidate to regain his seat in the May 5th special election... Continued -> 5 Comments April 18, 2007 Delaware's Political "Whack-a-Mole" story: A Republican Hammer on John Atkins Just like the wintery weather after the end of winter, the Atkins story won’t die. First you hear that ex-Representative John Atkins may mount a write-in campaign to claim his seat... Continued -> 5 Comments April 16, 2007 A few thoughts on that Brandywine Hundred special election! This April is as whacky as I can remember. Imagine. You waited until the last minute to do your Federal tax-return, and it’s SNOWING! And, a Democrat WINS that special election in Wayne Smith’s old seat in Brandywine Hundred... Continued -> 3 Comments April 11, 2007 How long will the Imus story be big news? Just when you thought the Imus story had run out of steam, we get a new development! Now, MSNBC says it’ll drop its simulcast of the “Imus in the Morning” radio program... Continued -> 5 Comments April 1, 2007 Despite Maryland & Virginia, Delaware slavery apology bill may NOT even be introduced! April has arrived, and State Senator Margaret Rose Henry (D-Wilmington East) has yet to decide if she’ll introduce legislation to apologize, or express regret for, Delaware’s history as a slave state... Continued -> 1 Comment March 20, 2007 Is this YouTube ad the future of our Politics? For all we talk about an intellectual debate on the issues, does this “Big Sister” YouTube ad attacking Hillary Rodham Clinton represent the future of American politics, especially American Presidential politics? To see the video, ... Continued -> 4 Comments March 15, 2007 Should Delaware mandate anti-HPV shots for young girls? The School 'Wellness Center' Loophole Like it or not, Delaware lawmakers will confront the ethical and emotional issues surrounding embryonic stem cell research. But it appears your legislators will AVOID – for now – the issue of whether to mandate routine vaccinations of 11- and 12-year-old girls to protect them against some strains of the sexually-transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer... Continued -> 1 Comment March 7, 2007 The Coming East Asian Crisis: Is Taiwan Worth Defending? In theory, the United States is committed to defend Taiwan against mainland China. Do you think we would? For decades, this question has remained theoretical... Continued -> 0 Comments March 1, 2007 Fairleigh Dickinson's Poll on Carney vs. Markell & leasing I-95 Compared to most states, Delaware has had a dearth of reliable, statewide, political polls, especially by impartial outside institutions. (Of course, during election season, well-heeled political campaigns do internal polls, and some numbers leak out... Continued -> 0 Comments February 25, 2007 Would you cut up your Bank of America cards? Will Delaware's Congressional delegation take a strong stand? Once in a while, an issue comes along with the emotional power to unite parts of the American Right and Left, as NAFTA—GATT, Dubai Ports World, and – to some extent – relations with mainland China... Continued -> 4 Comments February 21, 2007 Favorable Buzz for Biden in Nevada Even many (although not all) of Joseph Biden's critics will ruefully concede: When Senator Biden is 'on message', he can be an extremely effective public speaker -- in command of his facts, eloquent, humorous, and self-deprecating... Continued -> 2 Comments February 14, 2007 Parsing words: "Closing" vs. "Idling" the Newark Chrysler Plant Just about all the talking heads in Delaware purported to find a silver lining in Daimler-Chrysler’s announcement about the Newark plant… that the plant would be “idled” in 2009... Continued -> 3 Comments February 6, 2007 Overview of Biden Fallout Of all the reviews and Op-Ed pieces I reviewed about Senator Biden’s gaffe, NEWSWEEK columnist Eleanor Clift seemed to be the most scathing about Biden’s political future... Continued -> 0 Comments January 29, 2007 What do you think of reviving the Fairness Doctrine? Do you think the Government should restore the Fairness Doctrine pertaining to broadcasters? I get asked this question from time to time. Obviously, many conservatives fear a Fairness Doctrine would ruin talk radio as we know it... Continued -> 6 Comments January 25, 2007 You think Privatizing Roads is Audacious; How About Privatizing the State Lottery? Delaware's Governor Minner Thursday for the first time -- in answer to a reporter's question AFTER she delivered her budget-message -- said the state might look at the possibility of leasing I-95 to private interests... Continued -> 3 Comments January 19, 2007 Are Kids' Fitness-gram Report Cards the "Sleeper Issue" in Delaware? Wanna know the “sleeper issue” from Governor Minner’s “State of The State” Address? I go to the section of the speech, where the Governor notes the increase in childhood obesity rates, resulting in increases in Type II diabetes, heart disease, and circulatory problems among young people... Continued -> 4 Comments January 17, 2007 Do Any Delaware Democrats Support Obama? Given the big national political story that Barack Obama will run for President, I've been trying to find Democrats in Delaware willing to stick out their necks to support Obama over Senator Biden at this early stage... Continued -> 1 Comment January 12, 2007 Media treatment of President Bush addressing the troops Occasionally, I’ll take a hit from folks on the political Right or the Left because I try NOT to discriminate when I seek journalists and experts to interview... Continued -> 4 Comments January 5, 2007 Second North Korean nuke test? Just to remind us that the Middle-East and the Horn of Africa cannot totally preoccupy U.S. foreign policy, one of the networks reports the North Koreans appear to be on the verge of conducting a second nuclear test... Continued -> 0 Comments December 27, 2006 Reflections on President Ford Gerald Ford was the first President I ever covered. So I suppose, psychologically, President Ford’s demeanor and comportment have colored my assessment of his successors – and those who would be President... Continued -> 4 Comments December 22, 2006 The Christmas Paradox We had a rather surreal moment – I thought – on Al Mascitti’s show Thursday, December 21st. Al had Ken Grant as a guest, whose conservative Christian theological outlook leads him to banish any of the trappings of Christmas from his home... Continued -> 1 Comment December 20, 2006 David Duke Flashback Former KKK Imperial Wizard David Duke’s much-publicized appearance before that Iran Holocaust conference produced a torrent of flashbacks for me. Early in my career, I interviewed Duke twice on my Memphis radio talk show (1977, 78)... Continued -> 4 Comments December 19, 2006 Unreliability of conservative/liberal labels: From Iraq to the Episcopal Rift The labels “liberal”, “conservative”, even “libertarian” aren’t forever. Ditto for the political parties. I remember, as a kid, when we talked about the “conservative” high-school administration which wouldn’t acquiesce to a student smoking area, so we could get the smoking out of the restrooms! “Liberal” high-school administrations experimented with such smoking areas in the ‘70’s... Continued -> 2 Comments December 16, 2006 Time to review Lethal Injections & One Presidential hopeful bites the dust! Executions by lethal injection are on hold in two big states. But I would guess Delaware state lawmakers would revisit the procedure here only if something dramatic happened here... Continued -> 4 Comments December 13, 2006 Saudi Intrigue: Theories about the Saudi Ambassador's Abrupt Departure Talk about intrigue in the Middle-East. The sudden resignation of Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United States – and his abrupt departure from the U... Continued -> 1 Comment December 11, 2006 Middle-East Mirage even more Illusory The mirages and sands of the Middle-East can challenge even the most astute Middle-East observer these days. Consider: Just to show you that negotiations aren’t an elixir, “secret talks in which senior U... Continued -> 0 Comments December 6, 2006 Rebuttal to Rick Jensen's Example of Liberal Media Bias WDEL’s Rick Jensen, forever on his quest to find liberal media bias, blogs about an article from The Los ANGELES TIMES’ Peter Spiegel & Julian Barnes. You can go to Rick’s blog for the entire article... Continued -> 3 Comments December 4, 2006 Lessons for '08: Let's re-tune Delaware's political forums/debates! With the election a month behind, and passions presumably cooled, it may be time to dispassionately review candidates’ debates and forums here in Delaware with an eye to ’08... Continued -> 1 Comment November 28, 2006 Kahunaville follows LL Bean out of Wilmington! So another mainstay of the redeveloped Wilmington Riverfront has closed. (Actually, Kahunaville will have closed its doors the final time even BEFORE LL Bean's factory store at the Shipyard Shops) Although I might have been somewhat above Kahunaville's demographic target, I shall nevertheless miss some of the great concerts I saw there (Styx & REO Speedwagon, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, etc... Continued -> 6 Comments November 24, 2006 Context in the News: From Bush in Indonesia to Mike Castle's Dollar coins Often in the news business, I fear, time or space limitations get in the way of delivering valuable “context” to a story. Then, I hear a caller on a telephone talk-show, or I read a letter to the editor, about that story... Continued -> 2 Comments November 21, 2006 Reflections on the Priest Sex Abuse Nightmare I don’t believe one could exaggerate the momentous impact of Wilmington Bishop Michael Saltarelli’s decision to release the names of twenty Diocesan priests with ‘credible’ sexual allegations against them... Continued -> 9 Comments November 15, 2006 Glasgow Football Team scandal: Exhibit 'A' for the schools' unhealthy obsession with sports! Let's start with the obvious. I really feel for the student athletes who played out their hearts, only to see their season evaporate because of the adult -- or adults -- who allowed an academically ineligible student play the entire football season... Continued -> 7 Comments November 10, 2006 Post-Election Thoughts: Reflections on the role of Talk Radio We survived the election. All of us. As I visited polling places, I lost count of how many voters complained to me about negative ads, personal attacks, etc... Continued -> 8 Comments November 5, 2006 What a Weekend! Military papers want Rummy to Go, Saddam sentenced to Death, National Senate races tighten, & What About Delaware? Two days before the election, the Military Times Media Group (The Army Times, The Air Force Times, The Navy Times, and The Marine Corps Times) demanded the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld... Continued -> 0 Comments October 27, 2006 In Defense of Negative Ads Whether it be the race for Attorney-General here in Delaware, or Congressional races around the country, you'll confront "negative" ads. To be fair, many of us would differentiate between a hard-hitting commercial where one candidate assails the other over an ISSUE vs... Continued -> 0 Comments October 21, 2006 It's All About Perspective & Context You may have noticed Rick Jensen's blog, "Iraq, Vietnam, Bush, and the Media", which -- as I write this -- had already drawn fire from two critics. It is NOT my role here -- as a newsperson -- to give you a heated, passionate rebuttal, or defense, of ANY of our talk-show hosts... Continued -> 0 Comments October 17, 2006 An Unprecedented Muslim Letter to the Pope Islamic religious scholars and leaders from around the globe have written an open letter to Pope Benedict XVI. This represents a scholarly Islamic response to the Pope's lecture at the University of Regensburg in his native Bavaria... Continued -> 0 Comments October 14, 2006 North Korean Deja Vu Are you one of those folks who can watch certain movies over and over again, to the point that you can recite the lines to that Three Stooges or James Bond flick? Good thing those of us who follow international affairs are like that, because this North Korean script is getting very familiar... Continued -> 1 Comment October 9, 2006 North Korea Did It... Where Do We Go from Here? Even a U.S. surgical strike on suspected North Korean nuclear sites appears to be extremely unlikely. Forget our over-extension of U.S. forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc... Continued -> 0 Comments October 6, 2006 North Korean Nuclear Test Very Soon? If you read this blog AFTER Sunday, October 8th -- and we've had NO news of a North Korean nuclear test -- then the worst fears of Japan's Deputy Foreign Minister did not come to pass... Continued -> 0 Comments October 3, 2006 The World News That Got Buried! We've had an incredible cascade of events to dominate our national media, particularly, the networks and cable news channels, since Friday, September 29th: The Bob Woodward book; the Congressman Mark Foley scandal; and, closer to us, the incredible tragedy at that one-room Amish schoolhouse around Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania... Continued -> 2 Comments September 25, 2006 The riddle of Pakistan's General Musharraf CBS Television has aired its explosive interview with Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf, in which the General talks about the great pressure applied on his country in the days after 9/11... Continued -> 0 Comments September 21, 2006 The new Dubai Ports World controversy? Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf goes to the White House Friday (September 22nd). With the media coverage of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan President Jugo Chavez -- plus continuing fallout in the Islamic world from Pope Benedict's speech -- Musharraf's visit has gotten little media attention... Continued -> 2 Comments September 19, 2006 Allan Loudell's Blog Welcome to the Allan Loudell Blog! We recognize you, the typical WDEL listener, is very very busy, fully involved in your family and community. You've got so much going on in your life... Continued -> 4 Comments <- Back to latest posts

Copyright © 2010, Delmarva Broadcasting Company. All Rights Reserved.   Terms of Use. WDEL Statement of Equal Employment Opportunity and Outreach