NCCo. Civic League Candidates Forum Scheduled for 9/16

Put this on your calendar now. I'll be there. All of the candidates for offices in and for New Castle County will be invited, and I assume that includes offices from County Council and Recorder of Deeds to all the State House and Senate candidates. I wonder if it also includes Chris Coons and John Carney and the other statewide offices like Auditor and Treasurer.
Primary Day Open Thread [9.9.14]

Primary Day Open Thread [9.9.14]

Here is the state of play in the US Senate. The GOP needs to gain, or net, 6 seats to win 51 seats, which will be enough for a Republican majority. Remember, if they win just 50, chances are highly likely that Vice President Biden will have the tiebreaking vote and thus give the Dems the majority. They have three seats already in their pocket: West Virginia, Montana, and South Dakota. They need three more. Their targets, and of course, the competitive races are Arkansas, Louisiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Colorado and Alaska. The Dems have been doing well in Alaska and Colorado, so let's assume we win those two races. The recent poll out of Iowa looks good for Braley, so let's assume for now that the Dems retain that seat. That leaves North Carolina, which a recent poll paid for by the NRSC shows a tied race (which may mean that in actuality Hagan is leading), Arkansas and Louisiana. The GOP appears to have taken a consistent lead based on all the polls above in Arkansas, though it remains a toss up. In Louisiana, we have two polls showing both a Landreiu and a Cassidy win, so that is a toss up. The GOP needs to win all three. And they need to do so while retaining all their seats. They seem to be doing a good job of that in Kentucky recently, with McConnell taking a consistent lead over the Democrat Grimes, but that is still a competitive race that could go either way. And the Dems still lead in Georgia.
Wednesday Open Thread [9.3.14]

Wednesday Open Thread [9.3.14]

What concerns me more is this:
"As Ukrainian leaders warned on Monday of 'a great war' with Russia, NATO leaders meeting in Wales this week were expected to endorse their most concrete response yet to increased Russian military intervention in Ukraine: establishing a rapid-reaction force capable of deploying quickly to Eastern Europe[.] The new force of some 4,000 troops, capable of moving on 48 hours' notice, will be supported with logistics and equipment pre-positioned in Eastern European countries closer to Russia, with an upgraded schedule of military exercises and deployments that are intended to make NATO's commitment of collective defense more credible and enhance its deterrence."

Late Night Video — The List of Rules for Women

The incomparable Jay Smooth works in this new video (about 2 and a half minutes long) at trying to round up the current set of rules for women so that women can get their humanity respected. After trying to grapple with the ever changing rules that (mostly) men prescribe for women to be able to make their way unassaulted in the world for awhile, he does note that it might be easier to provide a list for men:"Hello, Asshole. Women are human beings." BAM! Still, let the mansplaining begin.
Bezos Promotes Politico Founder to Publisher of WaPo

Bezos Promotes Politico Founder to Publisher of WaPo

This is some bullshit.
Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos has replaced publisher Katharine Weymouth with a co-founder of the newspaper's competitor Politico, the company announced Tuesday. Weymouth's departure is the end of an era of Graham family involvement with the Post. Her great-grandfather bought the newspaper in the 1930s, and her uncle Donald Graham sold it to Bezos last August for $250 million. She'll be replaced by Frederick J. Ryan, the founding CEO of Politico and a former Reagan administration official.
Anyone who thought that Amazon ownership of the Post was going to be good for American journalism can put away that childish naivety.
Labor Day:  Honoring The Labor Leaders I’ve Known

Labor Day: Honoring The Labor Leaders I’ve Known

This 2014 Labor Day give me the opportunity to reflect on the labor leaders and organizers I've had the privilege to know. Few of those among us who are not union members appreciate the brutal, thankless work done by labor leaders in this country that make our working lives at least halfway tolerable. I want to honor the several such leaders who have impacted my life so positively.
California’s “Yes Means Yes” Bill

California’s “Yes Means Yes” Bill

The California state senate unanimously approved a bill on Thursday that defines when “yes” means “yes” to sex. Instead of “no means no” – the phrase commonly associated with sexual assault prevention – the law would require “affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement” by each party to engage in sexual activity. If Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs the bill into law – he has until the end of September – colleges and universities would have to adopt the so-called affirmative consent standard to continue receiving state funds for student financial aid. Under the proposed standard, the fact that a person didn’t say “no” is no defense in a campus sexual assault investigation.