The Slate Political Gab Fest is brought to you by the Road Show for Growth, a special partnership between Slate and GE Capital.

The Roadshow is a six-month national tour addressing issues and opportunities for the middle market.

To follow the tour and get involved in the discussion, go to roadshow.slate.com.

And buy stamps.com.

Buy and print official U.S. postage using your own computer and printer

and have your postal carrier pick up the packages. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get up to

$55 in free postage when you visit Stamps.com and use the promo code GabFest.

Hello and welcome to the Slate Political GabFest. Hello and welcome to the Slate Political Gab Fest for August 9th, 2013.

The Actually We Don't Work for Jeff Bezos edition.

I'm David Plotz, the editor of Slate, broadcasting from a secret studio, not actually a secret studio, from Cliff House Audio in Montpelier, Vermont.

Joining me from New Haven is Slate Senior Under Emily Bazelon.

Hello, Emily.

Hey, David.

And at Emily's side, also New Haven is Jack Hitt, New York Times Magazine contributor, This American Life contributor, an author of a bunch of amateurs.

Welcome back to the Gab Fest, Jack.

Hi, David.

This week, the most exciting story about an American newspaper since the Pentagon Papers, Jeff Bezos, buys our sister newspaper The Washington Post. What does it mean for the future of the daily newspaper?

Then Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's very odd re-election fight in Kentucky and the battle for the Senate.

And also we'll talk about forfeiture, asset forfeiture, a national disgrace exposed in the New Yorker this week. Plus, we will have cocktail chatter, of course. Before we get started, though, an announcement. Our fantastic intern Jeff Friedrich is moving on up to a full-time job here at Slate, which means we're in the market for new intern.

It is a 10-hour-week position doing research, manning social media, helping organize live shows.

You'd have to be in Washington to do it or to be able to get to Washington Weekly.

Jeff actually flew to Washington Weekly because he was a flight attendant, amazingly.

...