Tuesday Open Thread
It’s Tuesday, but not just any old Tuesday. It’s Jefferson Jackson Tuesday. It’s freaking Bill Clinton Tuesday! I’m beside myself with excitement for tonights event.
So let’s get started threading. I found this Politico article interesting. You might call it a moment of duh, but it is discussing the GOP’s “woman problem.” Ya think?
But the growing schism between the Republican Party’s ascendant right wing and its shrinking moderate core has clear gender undertones — and Scozzafava’s departure raises fresh questions about the GOP’s ability to recruit, elect and even tolerate the sort of moderate women who used to be part of its ruling mainstream.
[…]
Democrats have long maintained that the Republican Party is hostile to all but the most conservative women, and they cited last week’s rough-and-tumble House health care debate as proof that things are getting worse.
On Saturday, Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) repeatedly cited parliamentary rules in an attempt to shout down Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.), who was trying to deliver a speech defending abortion rights.
A day earlier, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) suggested that women who complained that their gender was designated a “pre-existing condition” by some insurers were on a par with smokers because both groups incur higher treatment costs.
Yes, both those incidents highlight the problem. All I have to say about Tom Price is WTF was he thinking? The stories that Olympia Snowe may be one of their next targets will probably not help with the perception that the GOP is purging women.
Mike Castle was interviewed by Stephen Colbert! The interview was aired last night.
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Better Know a District – Delaware’s Mike Castle | ||||
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Tags: Open Thread
If you haven’t had an opportunity to watch the Castle-Colbert segment, stop what you are doing now and watch. You cube mates will wonder why you are laughing so hard.
Does/should Beau announce tonight?
I watched on DVR this AM. Colbert cracked me up. All I can say is “cock blocking”.
Oh man, that was funny.
So, now the sitter tonight just pushed back to 6:15-ish. -ISH?! First of all, does she have a booking agent? 6:15? Why not 6:10 or 6:12? Then, I get an ‘-ISH.’ WTF-ish?!
JJ Dinner Cluster F**k – http://lowerslowerdelaware.blogspot.com/2009/11/democratic-party-clusterphoegk.html
I’ll still be there. Hell, maybe the fun is in giving Ellis and Daniello the finger.
OMG. I never felt so sorry for Mike Castle. I’m glad the election isn’t soon… if I was his team, I’d run that tape for the pity vote.
I am still impressed Colbert got Castle to say he is a Republican.
OMG – that clip was too funny. I can’t decide if the funniest joke was Castle cock blocking Delaware of him calling himself a Northeastern moderate.
thanks for the heads up, MJ. @@
I suspect that some of this is due to Secret Service requirements about protection. We will likely have the sitting Vice President and a former President both in the same room. They minimize the risk to their guys using last minute changes to the logistics.
You’re welcome, Brooke. I wonder with all the pot stirring I’m doing today with Ellis (there have been a number of email exchanges between me, her and the entire 14th RD Committee) if they’ll even let me into the dinner.
Announcements surrounding the Jefferson-Jackson dinner this evening.
Although doors were previously announced to open at 6:00pm, doors will now open at 5pm.
This year, tables are assigned. Tables have been assigned in the order guests purchased their tickets. You will receive your table number when you check in. (this sucks)
When you arrive and take your seat, your dinner will be served. This means you can technically eat as early as 5pm, if you choose. We still recommend that you arrive around 6pm.
Please be on time. President Clinton is scheduled to speak near the beginning of the program- please plan to be in your seat by 6:45pm.
Please bring your ticket with you.
Thank you for your patience, and we are looking forward to a great evening tomorrow! If you have any remaining questions, or if you have not received tickets in the mail (and have not been notified of wait list status), please call headquarters this evening at (302) 328-9036.
Thanks!
John D. Daniello, Democratic Party Chair
Josh Schoenberg, Executive Director
Katie Ellis, Deputy Executive Director
Geek – I can see that and see telling people to get there earlier. But the easiest thing to do is tell people to be inside and seated as the doors will be closed at a certain time. We have a person from the 14th who is being honored tonight – her ticket number is 14 and her husband’s is 862. They won’t even be near each other since Ellis and her group are seating people “in the order in which guests purchased their ticket.”
Yeah, thanks MJ. I didn’t get an email, I happened to go to http://www.deldems.org/ by dumb luck to see if there was any info. So it looks like you want to be there early. I can beat what you had in your post, MJ. My two tickets that I bought at the same time have different table numbers on them. Although it says you will get a table number when you check in, so maybe that’s different than what’s on the ticket. Either way, somehow I’m sitting with my wife.
Since this is an open thread…
Is there any interest in following up on this story about a UD physics professor arguing with a GOP know-nothing?
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2009/11/10/conservative-dustup-over-relativity-denialism/
One thing this shows is that Will Rogers’ axiom lives on in Delaware – “I don’t belong to any organzied political party. I’m a Democrat.”
To those attending — have a good time, and tell the Big Dog we all send greetings.
To Cognitive Dissident: That’s really an interesting story and thread. We do have (at least) one contributor with an accomplished scientific background, so there’s hope.
As for me, reading the level of scholarship in that thread has taught me one thing–I should never write in a purportedly-knowing manner about anything scientific. I’ll leave that up to my kids…
MJ, I’m not at the DL table either. From the sitting snafu to the last minute time change this event strikes me as very unprofessional. Wonder if they know there are people who plan events like this for a living – and, in a lot of cases, will do it for free for a benefit.
My plan: If we can’t switch seats (after Clinton speaks)… I’m heading to Harry’s or Timothy’s! 😉
The State Party lost quite a few experienced and top-notch staffers after the 2008 elections as opportunities to move on became available. So, this is likely being organized by less experienced people and, although they’re very competent, an undertaking like this, especially when you factor in the Veep and the Big Dog, would be very challenging for even their more experienced predecessors.
My suggestion? Revel in the chaos. Have fun with it. New York State Thruway’s CLOSED, man!
Katie still hasn’t been able to explain her comment about me eating someone else’s dinner if I sit at a different table. Yes, Pandora, very unprofessional. Hell, I did this type of thing as a volunteer for the Human Rights Campaign National Dinner for 3 years (assigned seating but we let people know that in advance and also tell us what table they wanted to be at). And we even had Sen. Clinton one year with her Secret Service detail. No offense to UI, but this isn’t rocket science.
Just lost our baby sitter, or lost the point of even having one as she just now told my wife not until 6:30, at best. It’s a conspiracy, I just know it!
Smitty – Protack is getting even with you for leaving the GOP.
Smitty, are you in NCC?
The Ft. Hood Memorial Service is live streaming on C-Span and on msnbc right now if you can watch online.
Scott P: The 2 tickets that I got had different table numbers also. I suspect, though, that even though it says “table number” it really means “ticket number” and we’ll get the actual table assignment during check-in. The numbers on my tickets were in the high 500s, and that would be a whole lot of tables if those were actually table numbers. I’m with you though, either way, I’m sitting with my fiancee.
It’s much more complicated than you might think. Does anyone really think that the only people that Katie is fielding calls from are the bloggers? People are now coming out of the woodwork from everywhere. You are coordinating with DC, the Secret Service, et al, for not one, but TWO of the three most prominent D’s in the country. And those plans change minute-by-minute.
Every narcissistic legislator/county official believes that he/she/they deserve preferential treatment because they are special. Try dealing with THOSE egomaniacs for any length of time. YOU tell George Smiley that his second cousin once removed can’t attend.
Seriously, like the Big Dog, I feel your pain. And, yes, it’s easy for me to say b/c I’m not attending. But (a) this is by far the most ambitious and complex JJ event that I can recall; (b) a new staff is trying to coordinate it, and (c) you’re bloggers, and it’s gonna be even more fun to blog about it the more chaotic that it is. Deal. With. It.
MJ – how did you know he was the sitter? 😯
I am, Brooke, but if I am reading into your comment correctly, Mrs Smitty and I are quite guarded about who watches our kids and this is too much into crunch time. Close friends and relatives obviously get a pass, but anyone else, even on a referral, takes time for us.
Given the way this thing has come together, I would just bring those kids along. They could sit in the middle of the table as the centerpiece.
Good call, and it would have been mine, too, Smitty. But sympathy.
Cass’ idea is a great one–as long as Smitty wins the raffle for the centerpiece at the end of the evening.
See now, Smitty. If you had just taught them to drive the last time, you could have them set up a valet service and make a few bucks in the deal. Gotta think ahead, man.
Ross: I can see now that you’re probably right. Mine are in the mid 400’s, and I was thinking the same thing. I get the impression that they’ll use the numbers on the tickets to then assign tables.
My plan: If we can’t switch seats (after Clinton speaks)… I’m heading to Harry’s or Timothy’s!
Pandora, I’m with you. Save us a seat!
Big Brother is watching you.
Justice Dept. Asked For News Site’s Visitor Lists
cbsnews.com ^ | November 10, 2009 12:01 AM | Declan McCullagh
In a case that raises questions about online journalism and privacy rights, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a formal request to an independent news site ordering it to provide details of all reader visits on a certain day.
The grand jury subpoena also required the Philadelphia-based Indymedia.us Web site “not to disclose the existence of this request” unless authorized by the Justice Department, a gag order that presents an unusual quandary for any news organization.
The subpoena (PDF) from U.S. Attorney Tim Morrison in Indianapolis demanded “all IP traffic to and from http://www.indymedia.us” on June 25, 2008. It instructed Clair to “include IP addresses, times, and any other identifying information,” including e-mail addresses, physical addresses, registered accounts, and Indymedia readers’ Social Security Numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and so on.
Let me just say that should we get such a request, we will resist, so you are completely safe sending us your bank account information.
I hope lizard realizes he/she inadvertantly put a link inside that copy/paste job. Granted, it probably was swept up within the copy/paste, but we all know a link wasn’t intentional. 😀
Oh, good, LG. I’m still waiting on that set of steak knives.
Okie dokie, I am now officially out. No babysitter for me, no centerpieces for you!
Tickets 430 & 431 were just released to Josh over the phone, so if you end up sitting next to the lucky bastids, you tell them, “I know RSmitty, and YOU, sir/madam, are NO RSmitty!” You also tell them that they also just paid for seats that were already purchased, so ha-ha on them. FTR, I didn’t ask for a refund, so no controversy there. It’s my problem and that’s how I roll (accountability, ya know).
While Obama dithers over Troops in Afghanistan, lots of other hot spots vie for attention:
In Iran The protestors chanted something new this time. As they dodged the blows of the militia, they chorused: “Obama! Obama! Either you’re with them or you’re with us.”
North & South Korea engaged in a gun battle at sea.
Chavez is threateneing war with Colombia
So Sorry Smitty, I was hoping to meet you tonight. Along with 1500 other of Bill’s BFF’s. ;o)
Like El Som says, Katie and Josh are coming to their first rodeo tonight and they’ve been dealing with gargantuan challenges — not to mention a few egos. Cut them some slack and try to understand that they thought they had all the issues settled at least 10 times and then somebody changed the rules. Things will be chaotic, but not because the staff hasn’t worked their tails off.
Relax, enjoy the other folks at your table. I’ve always found the JJ to be a great chance to meet some very interesting people and learn stuff. It’s an opportunity to climb out of my bubble and make some new friends.
Well, everyone better say hello to me. I’m a natural introvert but disguise it well, and I was counting on a support group. 🙁
We’re there for you, Brooke.
Whatever the problem might be, it doesn’t look like we can blame it on the VP’s Secret Service detail — Joe Biden is in Washington state at a memorial service, according to Politco:
http://www.politico.com/playbook/1109/playbook860.html
Angie Basiouny gets her funny on:
hers a little nugget to kick around the DL table tonight:
Glenn Beck’s “The Christmas Sweater: A Picture Book” will debut at the top of the New York Times children’s bestseller list tomorrow.
This, according to his publisher, “Makes Beck First Author in History to Have Books Debut at #1 On Four Different NYT Bestseller Lists.”
enjoy.
Did you reserve your copy yet?
No, for Christmas gifts I favor the classics… Dr Suess!
Not really a Beck fan, but I do love the way he drives the libs here crazy.
Beck doesn’t drive me crazy. I have children for that.
But I do not like him. I do not like him in a box. I do not like him with a fox. I do not like him in a house. I do not like him with a mouse. I do not like him here or there. I do not like him anywhere. I do not like Ben Gleck with ham. I do not like him, Sam I am.
“This, according to his publisher, “Makes Beck First Author in History to Have Books Debut at #1 On Four Different NYT Bestseller Lists.”
This is the equivalent of stating proudly, “My son not only reached into his diaper and fingerpainted with his shit, he did it on all four walls of his room!”
“While Obama dithers over Troops in Afghanistan, lots of other hot spots vie for attention:
In Iran The protestors chanted something new this time. As they dodged the blows of the militia, they chorused: “Obama! Obama! Either you’re with them or you’re with us.”
North & South Korea engaged in a gun battle at sea.
Chavez is threateneing war with Colombia”
How, precisely, does any of this affect you? Be honest, now — no Henry Kissinger realpolitik BS, your actual life.
Oh, goody, my first “in moderation” comment. I’ve always wanted to be a moderate, just like Tom Carper and Mike Castle.
Sorry Geezer, I released it. Not sure why the comment was held up.
🙂 PM love the ryme, suggest you change the second to the last line to “Beck the ham” … given his manic style, I think it works better.
and geezer, keep you hands out of your diaper and take your meds.
Maybe I missed this on the blog, but NRG bought Bluewater Wind Monday. I wonder how that will affect the cost of power in Delaware.