Gerow: Nov. 6 will be a red-letter day in purple Pa. | PennLive

Twenty-three is still the magic number. That's how many seats the Democrats need to flip in order to take control of the House of Representatives in January.

History is certainly on their side. Through the past century and a half, the party that held the White House has typically lost more than 30 seats in the first mid-term election. That's obviously enough to get the Democrats into the majority in and of itself.

Read more: Gerow: Nov. 6 will be a red-letter day in purple Pa. | PennLive

Gerow: It's Labor Day weekend, and America is on the move again | PennLive

When I was a kid, Labor Day was a melancholy day. It marked the end of summer, the public pool was closing and the next day school began. Not much to thrill a kid.

But it was also a big celebration in my neighborhood. Most of my neighbors were members of labor unions and honoring the great contributions that American workers made to the strength, prosperity and vitality of our nation made them very proud.

Read more: Gerow: It's Labor Day weekend, and America is on the move again | PennLive