Last Call For 2015 Comes In With A Bang

What domestic terrorism problem?  I don't see any domestic terrorism problem.

An explosion outside an NAACP office building in Colorado on Tuesday morning that rattled neighbors was caused deliberately, officials say.

An improvised explosive device was detonated against the exterior wall of the NAACP building on South El Paso Street in Colorado Springs around 10:45 a.m. Mountain time. No one was injured, said Amy Sanders, a spokeswoman for the FBI in Denver.

A gasoline can had been placed near the device but did not ignite during the explosion, Sanders said.

FBI Denver and the Colorado Springs Police Department are on the scene. A 40-year-old man is a person of interest in the investigation. He may be driving a 2000 or older-model dirty, white pick-up truck with paneling, a dark colored bed liner, an open tailgate and a missing or covered license plate.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is also investigating the case, according to Christopher Amon, acting spokesman for the agency's Denver office.

Nope, no domestic terrorism problem here.

So, which gun-loving conservative is going to call for the NAACP to start making efforts to arm African-Americans in order to protect themselves from attacks like this?

I'll just wait a bit for that to happen.

The Game's On In New York From Day One

House Republicans from New York are already having major issues in the 114th Congress, and today's only the first day it's in session.  First, convicted tax felon Michael Grimm is immediately resigning today, leaving an open seat.  As I've said, Staten Island Republican prosecutor Daniel Donovan, the man who failed to indict the cop that killed Eric Garner, is running on the GOP side. The Democrats are going to try to make this seat competitive with the man Grimm originally beat.

The DCCC had high hopes for this race in 2014, though the party’s top recruits bowed out, reluctant to take on Grimm, even after his 20-count felony indictment. The party eventually backed Domenic Recchia, who struggled as a candidate and lost badly.

Democratic recruiting efforts are likely to be a little easier in an open-seat special election, and former Rep. Michael McMahon (D), who held the seat between Fossella and Grimm, has said publicly that he’s “definitely taking a look” at the race.

Meanwhile, up in the Hudson Valley, Republican Chris Gibson is expected to immediately announce his retirement.

The Republican, who was re-elected to a third term in November, will open a competitive seat in 2016 with his departure following this Congress. President Barack Obama carried the district with 52 percent, making it a must-win for House Democrats if they want to put a dent in the GOP’s historic majority this cycle.

Last year, Gibson annihilated venture capitalist Sean Eldridge, the Democratic nominee with deep pockets, by nearly 30 points. 

Initially, Democrats were optimistic about defeating Gibson in the lush and rolling Hudson Valley-based district north of New York City. But Eldridge’s candidacy quickly flamed out, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee never reserved airtime in the 19th District to support his campaign. 

Without Gibson on the ticket, Democrats will target the district as a pick-up opportunity.

And yes, Sean Eldridge ran arguably the worst House campaign for the Dems in 2014 in what was a miserable year for them anyhow.  He made no effort to hide the fact he was buying the seat as a techbro trophy, and managed to piss off everyone in the district doing it.  The good news is the Dems can basically run anyone and they'd do better than Eldridge.

But that leaves two open seats that the Dems pretty much have to win back in order to try to make any attempt at shifting the House.

Something Something Obama's Fault

Remember this greatest wingnut hit from the 2012 campaign?

In the lead-up to the 2012 presidential election, David Siegel, billionaire chief of Florida timeshare company Westgate Resorts, sent an email to all employees. “Of course, as your employer, I can’t tell you whom to vote for,” Siegel wrote, but offered “a few facts that might help you decide what is in your best interest.” These included that re-electing Obama would “threaten your job” and result in “less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.”

Obama carved a backwards letter B on my economic growth picture and if you minimum wage slaves vote for him well it would be a shame if something were to happen to your job and HOLY CRAP IS THAT OBAMA’S ENTRANCE MUSIC I HEAR JIM?

Just over two years after penning that company-wide email, Siegel informed Westgate employees that instead of layoffs, he would boost their minimum wage to $10 per hour beginning in 2015. 

In fact, according to Siegel, 2014 was a banner year. “We’re experiencing the best year in our history and I wanted to do something to show my gratitude for the employees who make that possible,” Siegel said in announcing the wage hike. He also recently told the Orlando Business Journal that “things have never been better.” 

Westgate currently employees about 12,000 people. Though the minimum wage increase won’t impact all workers, including those who receive tips, commissions, or work under a collective bargaining agreement, a company spokesman told Vegas Inc. that thousands of employees will receive a raise because of the move.

Oh. Well then. Must be President Eric Cantor’s doing.

StupidiNews!

• Two US Ski Team prospects were killed in Austria on Monday by an avalanche while training for a spot for the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.
• Commercial rocket company Space X will test the landing of their Falcon 9 rocket system on a large floating drone ship in the Atlantic.
• The CIA says the agency's chief internal affairs officer, Inspector General David Buckley, is resigning his position effective at the end of January.
• Mobile carrier Verizon Wireless is looking to either form a joint venture with or outright buy AOL in order to expand the company's mobile wireless offerings.
• Sony says it has sold 18.5 million PlayStation4 consoles worldwide after a strong holiday season, continuing a strong six-month sales period.