Sunday Linkage

I thought I'd have a chance to catch up on posting this weekend, but so far I haven't had the chance.  But since it's a long weekend, maybe tomorrow it could still happen.

Meanwhile check out these interesting sites.

Use this in case of accidental network news  exposure.

The drought in California is an election issue.

Appointed rounds.

Roasting marshmallows.

While ISIS rages on.

The myth of the melt.

You can't see a wave yet.

Saturday Learning Series - The first congress

Last week Part 10 of the Constitutional History lecture series dealt with state constitutions.  This week it continues with the first congress.

Busy week

Training has consumed most of this past week for me, causing me to fall well behind on commenting on events.  Catching up is mandatory since we are heading into the home stretch for the midterm elections.

More posts to follow this weekend.

Well, somebody's got to do something

Obama's fecklessness and disdain for his job aside, at least NATO is more than just considering action against Russian aggression.

Nato is to deploy its forces at new bases in eastern Europe for the first time, in response to the Ukraine crisis and in an attempt to deter Vladimir Putin from causing trouble in the former Soviet Baltic republics, according to its secretary general.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the organisations's summit in Cardiff next week would overcome divisions within the alliance and agree to new deployments on Russia's borders – a move certain to trigger a strong reaction from Moscow.

Good news.  Russia's slow roll invasion of sovereign Ukrainian territory cannot go unanswered.  An all out war is not a good option, but a few sanctions as applied by the Obama administration is wholly inadequate.  The administration has overseen billions of dollars in fines for banks for not following the letter of the law.  That a rogue nation gets a few individuals punished with sanctions has been a laugh.  I'm glad someone at NATO realized it and acted accordingly.  

Shirred Brown doesn't start from the beginning

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown calls for Burger King boycott over planned Tim Horton's deal.

Brown feel that Burger King is abandoning it's country and customers.  But for Burger King to even consider a tax inversion perhaps the U.S. government has abandoned American business, and that happened first.

Crystal Ball?

Look, I'm not convinced the GOP is going to do everything possible to win the Senate back from Democrats because they don't know how to campaign effectively.  But I think Larry Sabato might be off base on this:

A year ago, it was not hard to find Republican leaders who privately believed the party could score a dramatic breakthrough in the Senate, with the GOP emerging with perhaps 55 or 56 seats. This objective was vital not just for the jousting during President Obama’s final two years in the White House. At least as important is the fact that the GOP sees a much less friendly Senate map in 2016, when it will have to defend 24 of 34 seats, including incumbents elected in 2010 in Democratic states such as Illinois, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

I don't know that the GOP was thinking 55-56 seats in 2014 other than beyond wishing. While Larry Sabato is a quality prognosticator and interpreter of polling data, this seems a little more of political commentary in nature.

I for one do not buy the premise.  That makes buying the conclusion impossible.