Delaware Republican Senate Primary: Wade v. Smink

Delaware Republican Senate Primary: Wade v. Smink

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In a fairly surprising move the Delaware Republican party will have a primary in September between former Senate candidate Kevin Wade, who did phenomenal in 2012 with a whopping 29%, and Carl Smink, who is an 81 year old conservative from Sussex county. It's likely that Kevin Wade has the Delaware Republican party's backing, but simply wasn't going to file to avoid the $10,000 filing fee. Unfortunately for him, when Carl Smink filed, the party was no longer able to simply put up any candidate it wanted after the deadline, so there goes 10 grand for Wade in what looks like an interesting primary. I'm hoping for a fun debate.
Charlie Copeland’s DEGOP now 20% more reality-based ?

Charlie Copeland’s DEGOP now 20% more reality-based ?

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After years of trying to woo Sussex County teaparty lunatics with his aw-shucks appearances at angry spittlefests, Copeland seems to have called it quits. Here is the nut-graph from Celia.
Charlie Copeland, the Republican state chair, all but conceded the party is punting on the statewide races in the hope of making gains in the future from the bottom up. "Since 2010 the Republican Party has worked to undo the effects of a brutal and divisive primary election that wounded our party both politically and financially. At the top of the list . . . is the creation of a back bench of elected officials that can later go on to run for statewide federal and state offices," Copeland said in a statement.
Can this mean no more waving the bloody shirt and railing against the Kenyan Usurper's socialism from the DEGOP? I'll believe it when I don't see it.

Monday Open Thread [7.7.14]

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Think Progress has the take down of Governor Perry and his lies about immigration by ABC's Martha Raddatz. Indeed, during this current refugee crisis on the border and how it informs the immigration debate, every single conservative and every single Republican must answer this question: if our border is so insecure, then how is it that we have captured all these children and teens trying to cross it? If the border was as insecure as Republicans describe, we would not know about all these kids because they would stream across the border undetected.
My Anger With Stalling Immigration Reform

My Anger With Stalling Immigration Reform

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We’ll start with the simple popularity of immigration reform. This issue is the epitome of how entirely feeble America’s Congress is right now. By broad margins, Americans support the idea of immigration reform, easier pathways to citizenship, stronger border enforcement, and more. Unfortunately, because it’s an issue that people usually believe doesn’t affect them, why vote for candidates who have anything to do with it? Jobs, healthcare, the budget deficit, education, and security all rank higher than the only issue congress ACTUALLY has a semi-bipartisan proposal for. Congrats America.

Late Night Video — John Oliver Fixes the Flaw in Climate Change Journalism

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Climate change is always reported as two opposing views -- one side who *believes* and the other side that *does not believe*. Treating a science topic (it isn't a *belief* topic) as though it was a political topic is one of the worst journalistic offences we are subject to, and we are subject to quite a few of them throughout the day. John Oliver takes note that this topic is always addressed as one for and one against, as though there was an equal amount of scientific evidence that climate change does not happen. He brilliantly works at a fairer debate -- one that weights the conversation towards the evidence -- hilarious:
Thursday Open Thread [7.3.14]

Thursday Open Thread [7.3.14]

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The U.S. economy added 288,000 jobs in June, surprising some economists who only expected 215k. The economy has now added more than 200,000 jobs a month for five straight months, the best stretch since January 2000. The unemployment rate also dropped to 6.1%, the lowest it's been since September 2008.
Also encouraging: Job gains for April and May were revised up by a total 29,000. April's increase was revised to 304,000 from 282,000 and May's to 224,000 from 217,000. April's total marks the first time monthly job gains topped 300,000 since January 2012. Payroll additions have averaged 272,000 the past three months and 231,000 for the year, vs. 194,000 in 2013. Bob Baur, chief global economist of Principal Global Investors, says accelerating job growth is feeding into a virtuous cycle, in which stronger payroll gains lead to higher consumer spending and further employment advances.
The Hobby Lobby Ruling Is A Slippery Slope That Will Affect More Than Contraceptives

The Hobby Lobby Ruling Is A Slippery Slope That Will Affect More Than Contraceptives

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If you haven't read Justice Ginsburg's dissent in the Hobby Lobby case you really should.  She makes excellent points - points that demonstrate how this ruling will extend beyond contraceptives.
In a decision of startling breadth, the Court holds that commercial enterprises, including corporations, along with partnerships and sole proprietorships, can opt out of any law (saving only tax laws) they judge incompatible with their sincerely held religious beliefs.
She's correct, of course.  No matter how the majority opinion tried to limit this ruling to controlling women (and Alito didn't even bother to explain why this ruling was limited) it opens the door to every company's "sincerely held religious beliefs".  How could it not?