The News Journal, March 16, 2008

Last weekend’s CAI/Easter Seals Volleyball Challenge set a new fundraising record for the event – and no public officials got injured.

The weekend of charity played at the University of Delaware’s Carpenter Sports Building in Newark “raised an amazing $322,000,” said Easter Seals spokeswoman Verna Wilkins Hensley, “with more dollars coming in each day.”

The event was started in 1981 to support the nonprofit group’s services for all ages of Delawareans with disabilities. Last year, Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., injured his foot while playing in the event’s second annual political party match, and ended up spending weeks with crutches and a medical boot.

Democrats won the first year and Republicans won last year, making last weekend’s contest a political grudge match.

And in play spectators described as “intense,” the Republicans emerged victorious for the second year in a row, with team captain Rep. Greg Lavelle, R-Sharpley, taking possession of the event’s continuing trophy – and bragging rights.

“It was a humbling experience to see the hundreds of team members, volunteers and our top elected officials all join together over the weekend to help Easter Seals improve the lives of people with disabilities in our region,” Hensley said.

The annual Volleyball Challenge, sponsored by the CAI information technology consulting firm and supported by founding Canada Dry, is one of the biggest fundraisers that benefits the Easter Seals of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Looking back at another successful challenge weekend, involving more than 200 teams and hundreds of volunteers, Hensley said she especially enjoyed that Insurance Commissioner Matt Denn brought his sons when he came to play for the Democratic team.

“They had brought their own balls to play with during the political match and, remembering the infamous senatorial injury from last year, little Zach Denn [son of Insurance Commisioner Matthew Denn] had brought his toy ‘doctor’s kit’ in case Sen. Carper needed it this year,” Hensley said.

“Thankfully,” she said, “no medical assistance from Zach was required.”

I’m not going to spoil the surprise by telling you what it is. Just click here.

Don’t worry, I have every intention of addressing the House Republicans’ foray yesterday into the issue of health insurance reform when I have more time. Suffice it to say that I disagree with their plan to cut health insurance costs, which consists primarily of (a) offering people really crummy health insurance that doesn’t cover things like emergency room visits, cancer screening, and diabetes treatment, and (b) figuring out a way to take all the sickest people’s health insurance away so they aren’t bugging us with their pesky medical bills.

No, today I wanted to highlight a somewhat obscure article from this morning’s Washington Post that makes it clear why it is so important who we elect as Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Earlier this week, the federal Environmental Protection Agency was scheduled to release new limits on the amount of ozone that could be released into the air. The scientists had offered their recommendation, the regulation was written, and the EPA had announced a press conference to reveal the new, tougher environmental standards. Then, according to the Post (you can read the article here), the White House called on Tuesday morning and said something to the effect of “hey, we want you to change this thing to allow some more pollution.” The EPA scrambled, postponed the press conference by five hours, and (over the warnings of the United States Solicitor General) released a different set of ozone standards that allowed for more pollution.

What does this have to do with my race? The very same things can go on at the state level. A lot of the lawmaking that is done in Delaware, including in the environmental area, is done through agency regulations rather than in the General Assembly. Those agencies are headed by people who are appointed by the Governor, and these appointees consult regularly with the Governor and Lieutenant Governor about what they should be doing in their jobs. So the attitude of people like the Governor and Lieutenant Governor about issues such as the environment have a profound and sometimes unseen impact.

Don’t get me wrong–you could play the Beatles’ “Across the Universe” in describing the difference between the environmental attitudes of our state government and the Bush administration. But I have been clear during my campaign that I think our state needs to be even more serious about enforcing the law as it is written against environmental polluters. This article is good evidence of why that is important.

Last night, after a joint meeting of a number of Pike Creek and Wilmington area Democratic Representative District committees, the first of the 41 Representative Districts in Delaware to endorse candidates for statewide office made its endorsements. I am very proud that the 13th district, representing the Elsmere area, endorsed me for Lieutenant Governor.

One of the things that I took away from the meeting was that it really is remarkable how many good candidates the Democratic party has, up and down the ticket. Primary elections are hard on the party, but I believe more than ever after listening to the candidates last night that we are going to be in great shape in November.

Now that I have shared that good news, I am tempted to go back to bed. However, three year old Adam woke up at 2 a.m. with a bad fever, and after some medicine and a miserable lukewarm bath, came to sleep with mom and dad. Lenny saw this as unjust, so given the circumstances he was permitted out of his dog bed and into the marital bed. So now that I am up, there is no room for me. If you see me nursing a Wawa’s 20 oz. coffee today like it is a fine red wine, you will know why.

I always expected that my boys might one day compete for the affections of another. I just didn’t expect it to happen this early, and I didn’t expect the object of their competition to be a giant blue furry chicken.

Last Saturday, the boys came with me to the annual Easter Seals charity volleyball tournament. Easter Seals is a great organization, and this tournament is a fundraiser for it—dozens of teams get sponsors and play each other over the course of the weekend. The kick-off game is between Delaware Democrats and Delaware Republicans.

Before the opening ceremonies, YouDee—the giant blue chicken who is the mascot for the University of Delaware Blue Hens—strolled into the Carpenter Center gym, and the boys went nuts. They followed him around from court to court, they grabbed him, discoed with him, played ball with him, and tried to take his pulse with the medical kits they had brought along (in case Senator Carper broke another bone). As you can see from these pictures, during the opening ceremonies, they continued their antics—and I, shooting for Clueless Parent of the Month, gleefully took their pictures rather than telling them to knock it off and behave. When YouDee finally left, Zach actually stood vigil by the gymnasium door for him.

Now as to the game itself, we lost. My message to my fellow Democrats: it is ok! Let’s review the last eighteen months. On the plus side, we didn’t have a single incumbent lose in 2006, we won back so many House of Representatives seats that we are on the verge of taking over the majority in the House of Representatives, we won back the Attorney General’s office after twelve years in the desert, and the Republicans are stopping random people on the street and asking them if they want to run for Governor or Lieutenant Governor. On the negative side, we lost two charity volleyball games. I am still feeling ok about things.

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This morning I got up very early to watch my tape of American Idol (I missed it last night to attend Progressive Democrats President Rebecca Young’s birthday party), and while looking at my calendar I saw that I was delivering welcoming remarks to new American citizens at the naturalization ceremony in Wilmington this morning at 11:00 a.m. This presents a problem. It is a huge honor, but it has nothing to do with the only two things that I usually talk about: being Insurance Commissioner and running for Lieutenant Governor. So over the backdrop of would-be Kelly Clarksons belting out hits of the ’80s, I scribbled down the following. The speech is in four hours–if you see anything that is going to get me in trouble, send me an e-mail at mattdenn@hotmail.com.

Judge Shannon called me several days ago, and he said something to the effect of “Matt, I know you’re an elected official and I’d like you to welcome 70 new voters to Delaware. Are you around on March 6th?” I said, “let me see if I can free myself up.” It is an honor to be here with you.

On balance, I think it’s pretty clear that you have made a very wise choice in deciding to officially become part of our country. And I want to finish up by thanking you for making that choice—and here, I may need to throw in some clichés. But they are repeated so often in part because they are true, and they bear repeating at this time in our country’s history. It is true today, as it has always been, that many of those who love our country the most are those who have come here by choice rather than by birth; that many of those who work the hardest in our country are those who have been drawn here by the fact that hard work bears fruit; and that the diversity of ideas and cultures that has always been one of our country’s strengths is enhanced with each new person who becomes a citizen in this country of immigrants. So on behalf of our state, let me say welcome and thank you for becoming part of these great United States of America.

Last night, I spoke about my campaign at the Little Italy Neighborhood Association in Wilmington, a great group that I have appeared before several times in the past.  Rocky Bluewinkle, the large furry blue moose who serves as the Wilmington Blue Rocks mascot, was also in attendance.

Let me say from the outset that I am a huge Rocky fan–”Rocky” was one of Zach’s first words, and he screams it out plaintively from the Blue Rocks stands every time Rocky disappears into the dugout.  Last night, I saw another potential side of Rocky.  First of all, after being introduced and making his grand entrance, he took a seat up front rather than leaving, and sat through presentations by the Wilmington Fire Department and Police Department.  The police representatives started talking about how every suspected criminal they get a call about is described as wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans.  Well, Rocky wears a white Blue Rocks t-shirt and blue pants (or he may be naked from the waist down and simply covered in blue fur, but let’s assume blue pants for modesty’s sake).  Shortly after the “criminals in t-shirts and blue jeans” discussion, Rocky’s handler came up behind him, whispered in his moose ear, and both the handler and Rocky abruptly got up and left.   

You can draw your own conclusions here, but I’m a little concerned about Rocky is up to.

Adam (my three year old son, for those of you new to the web site) had an upset tummy over the weekend, so I told him when he woke up today that he could have whatever he wanted for breakfast if he ate.  He said “anything?”  I, overlooking everything I was taught in law school, said “anything.”  He wants cinnamon waffles.  There will be no blog entry this morning.

Heads-up to all people not running for Lieutenant Governor and (where needed) with access to babysitters: the great Jill Scott is coming home to Philadelphia this Friday, March 7th. I saw her at the Electric Factory several years ago and it was a great show, I got her new album for my birthday and it is also terrific–don’t take my word for it, watch the video for Hate On Me.

Think about it this way: if you don’t go to the concert, you’re just going to give me the money for my campaign, so you might as well go.