Given our recent reports (one picked up by Richard Black of the BBC… “Up in Flames”) on the developing environmental disaster off Nawlins’, some may look at this title as an extension of that coverage.   They would be mistaken.  This piece, while not focusing on the flood of crude with its sights set on Magazine St, does carry an ominous metaphor that is currently drifting towards the shores of the Republican State Convention in less than a fortnight.  The once pristine waters of a unified party are being threatened by a slick comprised of fractured relationships and dissent amongst its very core – and those who feel they should be the core.  Right leaner’s, moderates, Tea’s; all on their own soapbox with a biased and dogmatic view of just what the party must now stand for.  It could get ugly; and at a time when solidarity would appear to be a most valued commodity.

Now for anyone who’s ever been to a political convention, National or State, they would then be familiar with the ancillary revelry, debauchery and hi jinx that accompany the (serious) nature at hand.  It’s a time for struttin’ one’s – and the party’s – stuff while the family elders and network of envoys debate agenda, construct platforms, choose its emissaries (candidates) , and move towards the goal of whuppin’ the Dems in November.  It’s when a party ought to be at its zenith.  On top of its game.  But if the memo sent to the GOP party leadership yesterday by one of its delegates was any bellwether,  there’s gonna be trouble in River City, and it rhymes with T and that stands for TEA.

Ah, the memo.  With residue of Tetley all over it, the manifest was rife with the 9-12 fingerprints: Free market, fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited Government,  and a constructing a platform the GOP and The Tea’s can agree on, and general intolerance for anyone with the temerity to hold one counter thought.   Actually it read more like a diaphanous threat; Like Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction when she chillingly tells Michael Douglas “That I won’t be ignored.” Yeah, it’s just like that.

Oh, but it gets better.  The said delegate, Evan Queitsch, goes on to Blast… and I mean BLAST… The King as a pert near conservative anti-Christ that stands in the way of true right wing constitutional ideology.  Now The King may be a ‘lil soft in the middle, but the Tea’s are steppin’ outta bonds with that one.  EQ proceeded to list vote after vote, Mike’s record as it applies to the “Global Warming hoax” (Castle siding with the environment), Omnibus Bill, the Wall St. bailout (the King voted in favour), Planned Parenthood; leveling him for voting against an amendment to withhold fed tax dollars from Planned Parenthood (oh, the horrors), and even attacking the King for voting for “Cash for Clunkers,” as they feel it would eliminate affordable wrecks better earmarked for the poor… for the poor now, huh?   This of course is a two way street these cars travel; one to supplying cars to those without; one to boosting the economy by Jump starting some sagging auto sales  Suffice to say, he (EQ) – and his followers – don’t care much for moderation in any form.  And directed at the venerable one!  Get out!  Coonsy’s gotta be turnin’ cartwheels.

And even though there exists some intelligent differences in the rant, his wheels fall off when he whole heartedly endorses Christine O’Donnell, referring to her as a Party Martyr (our words) that would be a player if only the King would debate her… which just ain’t gonna happen.  She is a non factor and a fraud candidate who due to her Tea leaf aura has been embraced as legitimate by those with the Grass Roots.  Maybe she ought to cut her teeth debating Rose.  Now that I would pay to see.

And the cherry on top of it all is the ringing endorsement of the now popular Papa U, who, if the chips fall just right could be the name at the top of the ticket.  But he cannot afford to piss off the very folks who are now pissed off at this shot over the bow.  This makes Mama Rollins a much more attractive candidate and unifier in the eyes of Prissy and Laird… and a bunch of other folks.   Yes, our political scene needs dissention to keep everyone honest, but a party also needs wins… not losses… and this fracture portents a big ‘ole “L” in November if the GOPer’s don’t straighten out their act.  Papa and his team better watch for the yellow light before it changes its mind.  Oh, and K-Wade (mentioned favourably to a T) ought to keep an eye on the yellow light as well… I’m just sayin’… somethin’ ‘bout the company you keep.

So there you have it Soap Fans.  Payton Place has returned for a new season with Chris Coons and John Carney calling Comcast for the full cable package.

Don’t worry if ya missed the original air date… they’ll replay the entire pilot on May 15^th.

If you were at Costco, Happy Harry’s, Wal-mart, or Rite Aid yesterday perusing the isles for any type of remedy for an upset stomach, you were probably taken aback by the empty shelving in front of you that once displayed a plenitude of indigestion products:  Pepto, Alka Seltzer, Milk of Magnesia, and Rollaids, er Rolaids.  WTF!…you might have said. “Who the hell would buy up all of these “getridoftheknotinyourgut” remedies?

Now had you’d been a lil earlier you might’ve caught a glimpse at some pretenders using what little war chest they had in attempts to settle down their tummy’s after learning that Mama and her black card had entered the race only to be followed by the news that Papa U had reached into his own back pocket and pulled out 500 G’s of his own loot.  Half a mil, baby… HALF A MIL. All in for Papa.  Rose Izzo in contrast has enough in her faux Louis V – $122.00 – for an evening at Toscana (with tip, of course).  Rose is not even close to being alone in her angst.   With most pretender campaigns running on Valero type fumes, and when faced with the fact that it will take in excess of 5 MILLION DOLLARS ( yes, Rose, Kevin, Scott, Brent…you heard right) to play at this table, one has to wander just what the hell they were thinking in the first place.   I mean, Rose can’t afford the cab fare for a trip from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Chelsea Pier off the West Side Hwy and back.   Seriously.  Can you spell delusions?

Now I just know we are gonna hear all about the haves and have not’s in the next few days, and how it shouldn’t ever be about the money; and we agree.  However, the facts are the facts, and money talks and it says that “those who cant raise it, walk… out of the picture.” This reality is no different from that of partisanship, hate, intolerance for the others views, fear mongering, and stretching any truth – or out right lying – to stroke a clueless public and keep one’s fanny in office.  It is what it is and part of the current landscape… so don’t complain as you all were witting accomplices in this ongoing drama.

But allow me to digress back to Mama and Papa.  We have to give Pops props here.  Half a mil is a hefty bet and he’s got the stones to place it on the table and watch the dealer whisk it right into the cash slot.  Gone!  You’re in now, Old man… up to your eye balls. His new best friends from MH Media must have convinced him he needed to tap his ATM as to not only show serious commitment – and the fact that he will gamble his own  - but to fire the first shot over the bow of Mama Rollins; who could catch that cannon shell with her hand and throw it back, yo.   Now securing that kind of cash included some liquidity scenarios for Pops… but who needs a retirement fund when you ain’t gonna retire anyway.  And the college fund for the grandkids?   That’s soooo far off… and hell, they may not even wanna go to college… right?  And the second Mortgage -should he go down in flames – might put him and the clan in a double wide (or upgrade to a mack daddy Sand Piper)  for awhile, but he ain’t bettin’ more than he can afford to lose.  But he is betting a lot.

And so is Mama Rollins.  She hopped in knowing precisely what the personal – and national – tab would be.   And let us not forget one Mr. John Carney who was sittin’ on half a mil himself… or close to it (has a few bucks left, we’re sure, but he is hitting up everyone he ever knew for donations.  He doesn’t possess the personal billfold to compete with Mama or evidently Papa, but he will tap the national MAC for some bread once he gets past Spencer.  But he cant match Rollins whatsoever in a general.  So he will pray for the upset.

And to all the wannabe’s?   Save what money you do have and take the fam out to the Charcoal Pit for a Pit Specials w/cheese.  You may have enough left over to go across the street to Rita’s afterwards.  And that Kitchen Sink on the menu wasn’t of the Jack and Jill variety; it was a stainless Kohler that just got thrown at your collective title hopes.

So here we go sports fans.   This Congressional primary just got a $500,000 injection of steroids.  Either Papa knows something or he just made a sucker’s bet.  It’s gonna be interesting.  And let’s not forget the filing deadline on Thursday.  She who else wants to go to Rita’s… lol.

Hey, Spencer.  You’re up this week… do hope you have more than $122.00 you can tap into.  Yes you have more political upside than most, but you gotta get a seat at the table.  We’ll see ya shortly.

A final note:  With all this talk of serious money, is it any wonder Miss Tetley was reportedly out sellin’ the NJ at the head of the ramp comin’ off 95.  The “help the homeless candidate… will run for food”  is about all the ad exposure she could hope for at this stage of the game.  What a train wreck.

Welcome to the Delaware beaches.  The nations vacation spot.  Fun in the sun.  Dolles and Grottos.   On lazy summer nights the sunburned mass of humanity cruises the boards in Coca Cola style lapping up their quickly melting mountain of Kohr’s frozen custard or with napkin in hand, inhaling entire “Nic-o-bolis”  with mouths opening just short of dislocation.  And on chance that the dolphins dance, there is a spectacle of fins and flapping kites much to the children’s delight.

Further up – or down – the coast the surf fisherman angle their Garcia’s and Penn’s in hope’s of landing a record “Blackfish”.   Whoa!  What, you may ask is a “Blackfish”?  You mean Bluefish, don’t ya?  Ain’t never heard of no Blackfish.

Well, the entire eastern seaboard may soon be one Capt. Hazelwood perfect storm away from painting the whole beach with one long black oily stroke.  Black Gulls and sandpiper’s and bathers no longer in need to oil up with Coppertone.  At least the colour is slimming… or is it sliming?

And what could cause such a Cimmerian scenario?  A hint: take a Black and Decker drill, put it on anabolic steroids and place it on a platform miles off the coast and away from the consciousness of the Suburban driving public.   Sarah Palin (remember her…lol) was crucified for uttering the words “Drill Baby Drill” during her ill fated campaign run.  We as a country were driving past our need for a pic line of foreign oil, weren’t we?  F$$$ the middle east crude pushers, we were goin green… weren’t we?    Hybrids, Solar roofs, Ethanol tax credits, Hydro and Wind.  Hell, we’re even recyclin’.

Seems we had another 180 in Washington as it applies to offshore drilling and now the left – at least on this issue – resembles more the right.  After battling tooth and nail Bush 43’s offshore petro agenda just two short years ago, The O’Biden’s have floated out their own derricks claiming they provide a more balanced ballast.  In Poli-speak; yes, we changed our minds, now support the drill; but it is better and safer and more “balanced” than W’s.  Uh huh.  Says you.  Come on guys, give us a Barack…er, I mean… break.

Against the irate and irascible opposition by those soon to be drilled coastal legislators, the White House is now proposing drilling for more than just oil.  They are drilling to see if they strike any strong and viable support for placing some really big albatrosses a mere 3 miles (is that nautical?… like it matters) off the coastlines of Florida, Georgia, SC, NC, VA, Maryland, Bethany, Jersey, Conn, RI, New Hampshire and Kennebunkport.   But hey, it’s something we need to do to help “reduce our dependence on foreign oil”.  Where have we heard that before?  Our own Sen. Ted Kaufman has broken with party oilers Biden and Carper to blast the proposal citing spill risks that affects could reek havoc to both the environment and tourism should the unexpected come calling.   He don’t believe these reserves are sufficient to stem any tide… just make the tide blacker.  He ain’t alone.  It also awoke a slumbering John Carney today and has him calling out the White House a lil… and we mean a lil.  He left some “we need to “reduce our dependence blah blah blah” wiggle room. But the O’Biden’s now got a civil skirmish brewin’ on Silver Lake.

God forbid we have those wind driven eyesores within a binoculars reach of Dewey.  But give me one of them Gulf of Mexico behemoths (that they evacuated during Katrina).  Now that is a postcard.  Especially if ya like your burger with some Thrasher’s and a lil pint of Havoline.

So we have another in the series of hot buttons rainin’ down on the mid-term boyz; favourites and pretenders alike.  This, like health care is a big one.  We’d like to hear from those who’s political engines are revvin’ up on the tarmac waitin’ for their Delaware to DC commuter flight to depart.  We would love to hear from King Mike, Mama Rollins (when she graces us all with her already made up mind) and Chris Coons; in addition to Urquhart, Cullis, Wade, Izzo (she carries a craftsman w multiple bits), Wangen, and Campbell, give us all the pleasure of knowing precisely where they come down on the issue.  We’d ask Miss Tetley, but we know she’s plannin’ on homesteadin’ on one of them bad boys… at least till the FEC leaves town.   And we know where Scott Spencer stands: out on the boat harassing the platforms construction efforts, looking every bit like Ahab, replete with fuel injected harpoons.  No, we can tell you all where Scott stands and you won’t need an ear to the ground to hear him.   At least he will tell you exactly where he stands… an it ain’t gonna be on the drilling platform.

Speak up candidates.  This is, as Joe likes to say; A BIG F’N DEAL.  The voters got their ears to the ground too.

It’s that time of year, folks.  The signs are all popping up.  Brackets…lots of brackets. Office pools, trips to the Mandalay Sports Book in Vegas, and 2 days of total immersion into ESPN and CBS Sports as to follow every 5-12 upset and budding Cinderella Story.  We are talking about the NCAA Basketball tournament aka MARCH MADNESS.  An event that transcends the sport and acts as a vortex in drawing – for two days anyway – millions of business Americans into its feverous climate.

It also produces 2 days that wont go down as contributing a F’n thing to the GNP as no one…I mean no one has as his or her mission on Thursday and Friday anything other than to log into ESPN, CBS SPORTS; hooking up their Blackberry’s, iPhones , and HTC’s to witness firsthand their hoops prognosticating prowess taking shape.  It is madness.  It is awesome.  It also has prompted many a business to shut off access to company computers in attempt to siphon a dollop of productivity from their employees.  It also produces a number of upsets that confound the pundits and ruin the brackets of even the most knowledgeable fan.

Now we thought that in the spirit of the tournament we would offer our own Delaware political version of March Madness replete with the bracketing, match-ups and the chance to pick some upsets.  There of course doesn’t exist 64 candidates or even a Sweet Sixteen (but give the repubs time and they might get there)  But we do have the what be believe to be fair seedings and pairings.  So have a look pour a beer and pick ‘em.

SENATE

It’s a short field in the Senate with prohibitive favourite Mike Castle the Class of the field.    The early round game with Miss Tetley will be like Kansas playing West Chester; no upset here.  Coons may have the other bracket to himself but there are rumblings that another soul may suit up.  So we’ll call this one for Coons setting up A Villanova – Georgetown 1985 scenario whereas a perfect game would be needed by Coons to upset the King… and we all know how that game turned out.

Seeds

1. Mike (The King) Castle
2. Chris (The ax man) Coons
3. Christine (I’m a real candidate) O’Donnell
4. Guess who?

Castle vs O’Donnell - An unlikely upset scenario.  Tetley’s got prettier Uniforms and looks the cheerleader herself.  The king’s got better scouts and executes to a tea.  He also has Cougars in the band.

Coons vs Guess Who – The mystery Candidate may remain a mystery… may not.  But Coons plays all 94’.

HOUSE

The repubs have made this an interesting bracket due to the number of players and the presence of the female Bobby Knight lurking in the locker room.

SEEDS

1. MICHELE ROLLINS
2. GLEN URQUHART
3. FRED CULLIS
4. KEVIN WADE
5. BRENT WANGEN
6. DOUG CAMPBELL
7. ROSE IZZO

Wade vs Izzo – the winner gets the right to face The Grande Dame in Round two

Urquhart  vs  Campbell – the Old man Conservative against the Constitution.  The Constitution was potent at one time  but in the shredder recently.  Plus Glenn has the storied past and a tougher schedule.

Cullis vs Wangen – Similar styles here but the nod goes to the rifleman

On the Dems bracket there is but one game on tap.

Carney vs Spencer  – this is a match-up that is reminiscent of any team who has ever faced a Petey Carril coached Princeton team in the first round.  The talent wasn’t always equal; but the pace, coaching, and intelligent deliberate style made the Tiger’s a tough out.  Spencer = UCLA?   Interesting possibility.

So we begin the Delaware March to Madness.

One could best describe the (candidacy) of Christine O’Donnell citing as reference Julia Louis-Drefus’ hit sit com of our title’s name.

Same ‘ole, same ‘ole.

How else can any of us who believe we possess a clue, take seriously this faux candidate who has yet to wake to the fact that she is in dire need of one.  Amidst the snickers and the cocktail jokes that follow – and have followed – Miss Tetley wherever she goes (especially through the back door with her date, Vic Meade), Miss O’Donnell remains in strut mode parading around as a legitimate player, all the while in rocking the latest empress’ political clothes (replete with the imaginary pockets that hold her imaginary financing).

So it is with a wink of an eye and a suppressed guffaw that we look to Wednesday morning’s 10:30  scheduled “Official” announcement at the Wilmington campus of the University of Delaware’s Goodstay House.

Now what this gal is going to announce is anyone’s guess, as she has been – at least in her mind – a candidate for sometime now.  We surmise we will get the coffee, TEA, and me speech with the usual rhetorical suspects in attendance: Fiscal sanity, family values, let’s take back our country, Mike Castle is a spoiled fat cat, and all democrats are demons blah blah blah.   She will look good (in an off the rack way) and flash her cutesy grin to make you think you’re watchin’ Sarah instead of her.  All the while attempting to convince us all she is the real deal.

She is not, and deserved to be placed at the top of our pretender’s list.  Our bad.

So tea time will come early on Wednesday and we once again will get introduced to the new, old Christine.

One lump or two, bro?

“No man is happy without a delusion of some kind.  Delusions are as necessary to our happiness as realities” – Christian Nevell Bovee

Christine O’Donnell  sporting a teal top and snappy white jacket stood for a photo op with a group of supporters; all in matching teal t-shirts.  We gather they were true fans as their smiles lacked any coercive turns, and besides, she most certainly didn’t have the funds to rent them all for the day.  It was a warm day (judging by the attire) which would make it a long time ago and two blizzards past.  What’s funny here is this photo is 4 years and an autumn past… so much for fresh content… lol – but since CO is still trotting it out as current we will assume it’s the visual she wants folks to remember.  What was the occasion, hence the Kodak moment?  Well, it was to announce, of course, that she, The big O,  was officially running to challenge the dems for the US Senate.

Well she is off and running once again and if the handicaps of the past remain unaltered, the results will be eerily similar.  She will forever be that good prospect of an outfielder who was hamstrung by a weak right arm, an anemic financial bat, and a crippling inability to connect with the fans.

But first back to the imagery.  This captivating megapixel snapshot was pretty – she’s pretty still; in that cougar kind of way; so very Palinesque – and it now adorns the homepage of her “soon to be overhauled” (SEE NO MONEY) website.  She looks like a super soccer mom sittin’ on a trunk full of Joe Corbie’s pizzas that she’d be off deliverin’ immediately post rally.  She bathes in that image.

One would swear, though, by the signage she is holding that she fashions herself a player; a force to be reckoned with.  Recent appearances on the bulwarks of tolerant thought; The O’Reilly Factor and Laura Ingraham, certainly make her look like a player.  She blusters like a player; got the bravado and look too.

There’s only one problem: She’s not – but she could be.

It’s all smoke and mirrors to date.  Enough to where she may get a gig replacing David Copperfield’s act at the Mirage in Vegas.  Oh, what a glorious segue: Mirage – Cause that’s what we have here folks.  David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear and Miss Tetley is attempting a similar ruse, only it’s not to hide a statue , but rather the fact that she has no money, campaign or chance of winning… really.  CO has perfected the non-run run.   She hops the globe on a “media tour?” – maybe she’d be better suited to save that money and put it into her website… or a stylist… lol,  She now challenges Castle to debates (like he’d afford her the time of day).  She excites her easily excitable paltry base with rousing rhetoric (See Fred Cullis), and with visions of what she’ll do as soon as there’s enough jingle in her pockets.  She even slipped a twit when she intimated that her website “would experience an overhaul when she raised the funds” – quickly catching her gaffe 4 minutes later with a slick “More funds”, I should say …I am thrilled at the level of support we’re getting” …blah blah blah wink wink  nod nod.

Now this begs the question: If, in fact there exists this legion of rabid disciples …don’t any of them have jobs?  Not one in the lot that’ll pay for a legit web presence?  Hell, one would think that if each one kicked in a couple quid then this pretty cup of tea could then actually think Media.  Not the Clear channel highway eyesores she adores so much – though they have their place – but legitimate and uber creative inbound (web 2.0 and viral) and outbound (print, radio, TV) stratagems that up till now were never a blip on her budget radar.

So we ask you Miss Tetley, when is when?  As in, when ya gonna really make a serious run?… and we mean Serious.  Ya can’t keep tryin’ to rattle your opponents with a tough talk smack-down sans any muscle behind it;  after awhile you become less of a threat and more of a cocktail party joke.  We also know you’re scattered, disorganized, and broke.  You really plannin’ on goin’ after the King with that trifecta?

Suggestion: Get your act together.  You do have some game and talent… Stay home, Tell your base to anty up,  Hire a real Media consultant, Get a real website, Distance yourself from Glenn Beck a lil, and become what you could’ve been all along… a contender.  Oh, and lose the snow wedgies, yo.   You have the look… now work it.  It may be the only thing ya got goin’ for ya.

A Final Note:  You wrote how short you are without 3” heels.  Well, if you don’t become a real and present danger you’re gonna fall waaaaay short and Prada don’t make a stiletto high enough to pump ya back up.

And your chances?  Once in a Blue Moon would be kind.  How bout a snowball’s chance in $$$.

And in the on deck circle and batting 3^rd… Brent Wangen

See ya tomorrow Brent.

Well, the the big snow event has passed leaving many an aching back and tummy’s full from a 36 hr diet of Milk, bread and eggs.  There was also spotted a Germanic hoard of motorists in Wilmington wandering the streets in search of any semblance of a temporary home for their vehicle;  raged, of course at, the cones, chairs, and armed guards standing sentinel over the arduously extricated and ominously staked out parking spots.  Not to mention the anger (what else is new) at the city (what else is new there too) for its dearth in any measurable effort to clear the streets.  All in all a genuine winter wonderland.

Now one would think that the heat generated by the respective political parties as the announcements, rumors, wishes, wannabes and clandestine meetings all circled and swirled in a sea of debate and conjecture, would raise the temperature to tropic levels and our collective eyebrows to our hair lines.  Metaphorically, yes, it has.  But that doesn’t help Mayor Baker clear the streets… lol.   What it all has done is to begin to lay the foundation as to just what Delaware’s Senate race is going to look like come November.   And just as the skies cleared this afternoon so have at least parts the political picture;  the operative word is “parts”.

King Castle  has his sword embedded in stone and it will take  Merlin-esque wizardry to release the blade.  A little talked about but generally known X-Factor in the person of Christine O’Donnell (aka lil Miss Tetley) continues her non-run run by inciting her base and hoping for a Browndian confluence of events to unseat the – word has it – “Moderate” King Castle.  She’ll need a lot more of everything to even get on the board.  Castle ain’t real popular amongst the downstate voters and they could rally to throw a monkey wrench on primary day.  While the King is not losing sleep over Miss Tetley, he certainly is taking  her downstate and women’s appeal seriously, hence appearing at a  Sussex County Council prayer breakfast and holding a “women’s only” fundraiser… way to Go Queen Jane.   Yes, far too much DRF, money, and organization for Tetley; that, and he has a friggin  “Bat Cave” campaign HQs.  Now that is cool.

The King in the meantime has been offered a sacrificial lamb by the dems in the form of Chris Coons as Chris evidently got sold something to make his announcement.  Knowing all too well the minefield – that has had the affect of an IED on County Council Pres’ that aspire higher – that lies ahead, Chris elected (whoops) to make the run, but not a run we suspect to beat Castle – and not in this election year.  2012 is the safe bet here and the buzz from Harry’s confirms it.  Also rumored that Chris will move soon to Kent or Sussex to properly set the table…  and besides, he don’t wanna stay as CCP [edited: CE] with empty county pockets and union ownership.  Can’t win widdat.   And from the Grapevine – (Sorry Celia) our grapevine – to add insult to injury, a cop who successfully sued Mr. Coons is running for Sheriff and during a successful fundraiser of over 200 (at 30 per head) one attendee opined that Coons couldn’t draw a crowd of 20.  That would suck… right Chris?

Chris will campaign well and is  good on the stump, but the mantra of Taxes, taxes, taxes will haunt him like Audrey Rose.

So the conventional wisdom  is that while the King keeps his throne, Coons will need to get 45% to avoid a 2012 primary for the US Senate.

That remains to be seen.

That’s the Saturday snow day buzz.

Stay tuned as we talk wannabes on Super Bowl Sunday.

For anyone who’s ever played poker, whether it be in a friendly – or not so friendly – basement Friday night game, testing your Texas Hold ‘Em prowess at Poker At the Beach, or facing down Doyle Brunson and Phil Ivey in the World Series Of Poker at the Bellagio in Vegas, you know that you have to pony up the cash to play and show your cards when called.

What’s the callers point?

That politics mirror poker in many respects i.e. needing the green to play, holding your cards close, the art of the bluff, and when to challenge your opponent with a sizable bet to force his/her hand.  It’s all part of the game and the really good players know when to go all in.

So with that said we turn focus to  the Federal Election Commission’s (FEC) release of it’s latest filing of the campaign finance reports; analysis of the campaign war chests as it applies to Delaware’s  Candidates (players who have officially announced) for both the House and Senate seats.  Here we see precisely where the various contributions emanate and provide us a map as to where the players support lies and how it might – or will – mirror their respective legislative agendas.  It gives us an idea as to who the players really are, and because filing as a candidate requires a nominal $5000 as a buy in, it kinda exposes those pretenders who couldn’t even come up with the scratch to play the first hand.   If one announces – which a few pretenders have – and don’t appear in this report it states for the record that they couldn’t see the 5 G’s…  Now how the hell ya gonna give the race a whirl if ya even get 5 grand?  Fair question.  Some may still be in the “testing the waters” phase but those that have pulled the trigger and are actively campaigning are highlighted below:

Senate Race

Mike Castle has raised a total of $1,337,001 and spent a total of $500,729, leaving him with a cash on hand total of $1,699,015. Mike has 50/50 split in PAC contributions vs individual contributions. Some top contributors include the law firm of Young Conway Stargatt & Taylor ($22K), BoA, E&Y, Deloitte, NY Life, PwC ($10K each). Finance, Insurance and Real Estate industries were most widely represented in Mike’s total reporting with the total contributions at $234K. PACs represented around $426K in total contributions.

Christine O’Donnell on the other hand has (surprise, surprise) missed the deadline yet again to file her report. Without going into the details and simply referring you to Judson Bennett’s latest tirade into the utter disorganization of her campaign (and personal life), we will simply say that she’s not sitting pretty, however her most recent filing from almost one year ago had $123K raised and $120K spent.

House Race

On over the US House race… John Carney is the only one to have a formal announcement and anything notable in the bank.  JC has raised a total of $714,897 and spent $183,569, leaving him with a cash on hand total of $531,327 as of December 31st. PAC contributions for John represent 26% of money raised leaving 73% representing the individual donors. Like King Castle, a top donor is the law firm of Young Conaway with $12K in the hole among the unions – pipefitters, plumbers, longshoremen, electrical workers, laborers, machinists, sheet metal, teamsters, etc.

A blip on the radar screen is Republican Fred Cullis, who loaned himself the $5100 filing fee but hasn’t raised any money as of the end of the year.

Our Analysis

What the most recent reporting illustrates is the disparity between the haves and have not’s – not necessarily a good thang – and that it requires gobs of booty to not only play the game but win it as well.   Castle has scared off most of the competition with a can’t miss tag and Grand Canyon pockets.  Miss Tetley  has raised some for certain but lacks the capacity to truly increase her war chest or her paltry mob appeal.  But we, like most every informed – or even uninformed – constituent are gonna beat Fox News to the punch and call the race for King Michael.   We know he hates to read that, but the facts are the facts, Mike.

Now the race for the House is another boiling kettle of fish entirely.  There blows the wind of an uber expensive and heated primary  – Wedo will match Copeland buck for buck and then some and threaten party unity – in what could be the most expensive and heated primary in our state’s history.  And that might just be the precursor to the most expensive – and heated –  general election for the House in the First State’s history,  so whoever emerges from the September war will have to refill their tank – and in a hurry – to compete with the well funded and popular front running Carney.  My, how money talks and it can be a rather loquacious and powerful ally.

If you wanna play, ya gotta pay the band.

A race – any race – isn’t always about the money… but it helps… BIG TIME.

This is a year that will once again see The Small Wonder rocket to the top of charts with candidates and races that matter; not just to the parochial Delaware “Hey Joe…Hey Beau…Hey Mike” political dynamic, but to the balance of power in DC and an Obiden White House now working desperately to repair the Emperor’s coattails and return him to relevance.

The names are all familiar as usual suspects as are their mugs – Biden (well, er, ah, maybe) Castle and Carney have no need for an American Express commercial,  and the provocative and seductive Christine O’Donnell –annoying political mosquito she is – has yet to meet a billboard that she hasn’t found to be her cup of tea.  There also may lurk a serious challenger for Mr. Carney who has yet to emerge from the shadows as well as a number of obligatory wannabes that are tossing their chapeaus into the ring as we write.

Will Beau chicken out?  Will John get a promotion without having to spend too much coin fighting off Scott Spencer? Can the dems get out of from under the cloud drifting in from the Potomac?  Will we ever get a peek at what’s under O’Donnell’s political skirt?  Is Castle spicy enough to beat Beau? We’ll get to the answers to these and many more queries, whether or not benign or highly controversial.  We are not going to back off and don’t want you, the reader, to back off either.  Chime in with your opinions, rants, and raves; whether you agree with us or not; we like a hot kitchen.

DE2010.com will be there for the weigh-ins through the Castle/O’Donnell undercard primary and onto November where we’re all gonna find out who the real players are.  Our take is unfiltered.  We call it like we see it and don’t have any stake in any candidate or party.  If they (the candidates) are doing something noble, we’ll call it; if they play patty fingers with the truth, bam!   Status quo politics isn’t gonna git er done here.

We will in addition be commenting on the general political (Global, national, and statewide) landscape.  It all ties into The Small Wonder at sometime, folks, so you ought to be paying attention.  We do.

So lace up the gloves and get ready for round one.