Labor Day Open Thread [9.1.14]

So now we have a new bit of right-wing foolishness to live through -- Right wing launches misguided protest against Labor Day. Got that? A protest against Labor Day, folks.
But to the Freedom Foundation, a business-backed Olympia think tank, the day is evidence of the power of unions, which to members equals the decline of America. Rather than stoop to taking a union-backed day off, they plan to fight the power by ... working all day Monday instead! “I can’t think of a problem in society that can’t be traced in some way back to the abuses of organized labor, so it would be hypocritical of us to take a day off on its behalf,” said Freedom Foundation CEO Tom McCabe, in announcing the “work-in.”

Weekend Open Thread [8.30.14]

The Audacity of Taupe: President Obama wore a summer tan suit at his press conference on Thursday and I gather that this is not only news, but something of a cause celebre in Tea Party Nation. A Tan Suit, people. If you are a journalist actually paying attention to this, I need you to ask yourself now if you are why Americans seriously distrust their media. But when Eternally Outraged Congressman (ed. Peter King) Not Trying to Be ‘Trivial,’ But Doesn’t Think Obama’s Tan Suit Was Appropriate is making a fuss, I guess knee jerk coverage is in store, laundering this thing into some legitimacy that just looks bad for the liberal media that is actually covering this. (Be sure to click the link to NY Mag to see Peter King rockin' his tan suit next to Gerry Adams. Then tell me who looks statesmanlike there.) And to all of the badly dressed teajhadists who think that a tan suit is a THING:
Thursday Open Thread [8.28.14]

Thursday Open Thread [8.28.14]

Two conservative groups commissioned a poll and found that women think that the GOP is "intolerant". Ya think? YA THINK???
The report found that women think the GOP is "intolerant" and "stuck in the past," and that women are "barely receptive" to Republican policies. Women think Republicans "fail to speak to women in the different circumstances in which they live." “This lack of understanding and acknowledgment closes many minds to Republican policy solutions,” the report reads, according to Politico.
Why Won’t Sher Valenzuela Debate?

Why Won’t Sher Valenzuela Debate?

This might not be a real debate, but the GOP candidates are gathering on stage in Dover on Thursday to be able to talk about their positions (no way am I calling them ideas) and field questions. Kevin Wade, Carl Smink and Ken Simpler have agreed to go, but Sher Valenzuela?
Meanwhile, treasurer candidate Sher Valenzuela has opted out of the event, with her campaign telling state GOP officials she would not feel comfortable.

Tuesday Open Thread [8.26.14]

Chris Christie demonstrates a perfect execution of the GOP Grift:
Gov. Chris Christie's administration openly acknowledged that more New Jersey taxpayer dollars were going to land in the coffers of major financial institutions. It was 2010, and Christie had just installed a longtime private equity executive, Robert Grady, to manage the state's pension money. Grady promoted a plan to put more of those funds into riskier investments managed by Wall Street firms. Though this would entail higher fees, Grady said the strategy would "maximize returns while appropriately managing risk." Four years later, New Jersey has secured only half the promised results. The state has sent more pension money to big-name Wall Street firms like Blackstone, Third Point, Omega Advisors, Elliott Associates and Grady's old firm, The Carlyle Group. Additionally, the amount of fees the state pays financial managers has more than tripled since Christie assumed office. New Jersey is now one of America’s largest investors in hedge funds.
Senator Bobby Marshall Sponsored Low Wage Worker Task Force Starts Wednesday

Senator Bobby Marshall Sponsored Low Wage Worker Task Force Starts Wednesday

Senator Marshall sponsored Senate Concurrent Resolution 60, creating the Low Wage Service Worker Task Force to:
study and make findings and policy recommendations about the growth and nature of the low wage service sector as compared to other job growth and sectors in the State of Delaware; the demographics and rate of poverty of workers in low wage industries, the impact of low wage jobs on children, families and communities; the cost to Delaware taxpayers caused by the impact of low-wage jobs and the cost of state services used by low-wage workers; and the effects on the local economy.
Why Black and White People See The Police Differently

Why Black and White People See The Police Differently

In the multiple threads we've had here in the Ferguson incidents and the operation and obligations of the police, we had a request to talk about the long-standing poor relationship of African Americans with the police. Frankly, I think that the long history of this poor relationship pretty well mirrors the status of African Americans in the American community. When you are subject to slavery and apartheid for most of your history here, you aren't going to see the country's police forces as allies and friends. On the other hand, throughout our history, newly immigrant populations have documented problems with over-policing as well. Irish and Italian immigrants in particular lived with the kind of policing that African Americans have always been subject to and that's reflective of the wishes and prejudices of the majority population that the politicians who direct the police are responsive to. Bu rather than rehash history, I'm going to post the Storify record of a series of Tweets from Gene Denby, the editor of NPR's Code Switch blog. In about 25 tweets, Denby breaks down why different demographics may view Ferguson and other incidents like it through very different lenses. I admire what he did here -- it is focused and too the point without fingerpointing that inspires defensive postures rather than conversation.
What’s Going On at the News Journal?

What’s Going On at the News Journal?

I heard today from an reliable Anon Tipster that the News Journal may be making its staff re-apply for jobs like some other Gannett newspapers have earlier this month. There may be even more (!)layoffs coming as they re-organize. If you've been following the Gannett news, they acquired a broadcasting company last year. Gannett is creating what they call the "Newsroom of the Future" (even though Jim Romanesko notes that they did this in 2006, too). Re-applying for their jobs has been done or in progress at other Gannett newspapers.

Cojones of the Day

I wish this kind of thing happened enough to make this a regular feature, but today we have James Woods, Democratic Congressional candidate for AZ-5 who has been targeted by a letter-writing campaign from an anti-abortion group (National Pro-Life Alliance), trying to get him to sign some anti-abortion pledge. The Woods campaign is responding to these letters to him with his own letter explaining why he is not supporting the position of the National Pro-Life Alliance:

Anyone Notice the Silence from the NRA on Ferguson?

After most of America's high profile shootings, you can count on the NRA to immediately get their PR Offensive on -- using tragic incidents to extend their lobbying for the gun manufacturers who call the tune over there now and to do even more fundraising. All of this is focused around pushing back on any common sense controls on weapons and advocating that more of us carry -- so that everyday can be the OK Corral or some such. But for this -- a cop shooting an unarmed kid over jaywalking -- they've been pretty quiet. It is a surprise, because you'd think that they'd see the government tyranny that they keep insisting that people need guns for and would be out defending this community that is clearly pushing back against that tyranny. As Cliff Schecter points out in the Daily Beast:

Wednesday Open Thread [8.20.14]

More Ferguson, to be filed in the Annals of Really Bad Policing -- video of a cop in last night's protests in Ferguson of a cop waving his weapon at peaceful protesters telling them that " I will fucking kill you!" There are two videos here -- one of the cop threatening the protester and a clearer one of the cop and the other cop who caught up to him to get him to lower his weapon. Seriously, this cop doesn't look angry -- he looks scared to death. In a group of people with their hands up (and often you can see the light of smartphones filming), folks. No wonder he didn't want to give his name.