Andy Stern Retiring

It's not official yet, but speculation has been fueled, by a wayward email, that Andy Stern is retiring from the top position of SEIU.

Whether you like Andy Stern or not, the best part of this news is in the potential candidates for his spot - They're both women, and either one would be the first woman to run SEIU.

Anna Burger, current Secretary-Treasurer for SEIU, came from the ground up, and is frequently named to "most powerful women" lists. According to her SEIU profile, she is invested in immigration reform and women's health.

Mary Kay Henry, current International Executive Vice President, may be the most interesting candidate, in that she comes from a Catholic background, and founded SEIU's Lavender Caucus for LGBT union members.

I'll wait for the official comments to come out for more information, but the idea of SEIU getting its first female president makes me inspired on such a deep level that I'm borderline giddy today.

Moscow metro hit by suicide bombers

Earlier today, the Moscow metro (subway) system was hit by two female suicide bombers. The attack seems to be connected to Chechen leader Umarov, but -as always- it is unclear whether he is simply claiming them, or whether they were actually part of his rebel fighters.

The bombers hit 45 minutes apart at Lubyanka and Park Kultury, killing 37. I'll be carrying a heavy heart today, thinking not only of my Muscovite friends and acquaintances, but also of the repercussion of this attack. Putin is already scaling up security measures. It will be interesting, and likely disheartening, to see how far he takes it.

TeaParty Foul

Great post at Feministe about the Tea Party - not only the GOP's acceptance of violence, racism, homophobia, but also the media coverage that allows the extreme views of the party to have equal weight with the rest of the world.

I commend my friends and some of the bloggers out there who are writing about times when the GOP wasn't so hateful, when you didn't have to go ape-shit about every little thing your party believed. But honestly, am I the only one who feels like we should be fighting fire with fire? The left is supposed to be the side with grassroots organizing skills. Why aren't we making massive steps to battle the Tea Partiers, and creating some balance in the war of the extremes? Are we that disappointed in Obama's neglect of ENDA, gay marriage and immigration, that we're willing to sit back while the Sarah Palin's of the world focus their rifles on the political seats of the left?