Uncharted waters

In a perfect world, the residents of MN Congressional District 4 (THIS MEANS YOU, MOM!!!) would wake up and say "My goodness, Betty McCollum is a lousy representative. Thank God for a candidate like Teresa Collett, for whom we can cast a vote." Of course, in a perfect world, Betty would have never been elected to Congress in the first place.

But I digress.

Even in an election year that is heavily leaning Republican, CD4 will be a tough nut to crack. But if it's ever going to happen, this year is the best opportunity we've had in a long, long time. Entrenched Democrat candidates like McCollum and Jim Oberstar have never really had to participate in a serious campaign. It's pretty obvious that Oberstar, an 18-term Congressman, is in the fight of his life against GOP upstart Chip Cravaack. And if Oberstar's body language is any indication, he's rather annoyed that he has to work so hard this time around.

Then there's McCollum, who agreed to debate Collett last week. Given that Betty hasn't had to participate in many debates over her 10-year Congressional career, it's apparent she needs to hone her skills in that department.

To wit:



A typical political gaffe is when a candidate or politician accidentally tells the truth about how they feel. I have no doubt McCollum actually believes that Al-Qaeda is no longer a threat. But I guess it's now up to the voters in CD4 to decide how important that is to them.

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Have a seat, Brett

In case you haven’t noticed, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre has been besieged from all areas of his life over the past two weeks. The investigation into the “sexting” scandal is ongoing, with Favre having met with NFL security last week and his accuser, former New York Jets employee Jenn Sterger, considering a meeting with the league to give her version of the saga. Then last Sunday, Favre was utterly inept in the stadium where he was revered for sixteen seasons, resulting in his head coach throwing him under the bus.

But the one reliable aspect of Favre’s career, his never missing a start under any circumstances (injuries, family tragedy, etc.), may come to an ignominious end this Sunday. After Favre fractured his left ankle in last Sunday’s games against the Green Bay Packers, there is serious doubt he will be allowed to continue his incomprehensible streak, which stands at 315 consecutive games (including playoffs).

It’s quite obvious that Favre’s on-field play has already been a detriment. He’s had two games this season where he has thrown three interceptions, both four-point losses (Week 2 to the Miami Dolphins and last week versus the Packers). You can also look at the game against the Jets on Monday Night Football a few weeks ago. With the Vikings trailing 22-20 in the fourth quarter, Favre overthrew a wide open Percy Harvin on a screen pass on third and short yardage. Had that play been successful, Harvin might have scored, or at least got the Vikes into field goal range.

A common retort would be that the Vikings wouldn’t have even been that close in any of those three games had Tarvaris Jackson been the starting quarterback. That’s a fair point. But who knows? Jackson has only had a total of nineteen career starts in his 4-1/2 NFL seasons. That’s barely more than one full season’s worth, which is hardly a fair gauge of the guy’s potential.

So am I saying it’s time to usher in the T-Jack era? Yes, at least in this Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots. It’s painfully obvious that Favre has been a liability thus far, and only the stigma of “the streak” has allowed him to continue playing when it’s plain to see that he is showing every day of his 41 years. Plus, Jackson is coach Brad Childress’s guy. Remember when Chilly was so insistent that the Vikes trade up to the second round of the 2006 draft just to land Jackson, even though few other teams projected him as high as the third round? The head coach must have seen something in Jackson to warrant such a move, so it’s high time Childress go with the courage of his convictions and finally give Jackson the start.

This doesn’t mean Favre should never start another game this season. But at least when he’s rehabbing his injured ankle in an effort to regain his starting job, he’s doing so for the sole purpose of helping his team and not fortifying his ego to continue an unprecedented record.

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Joy-less, Joy-less, we abhor thee

"Kill 'em with kindness" is a motto I've tried to live by for some time now. Nevada GOP Senate candidate Sharron Angle, who looks to unseat current Senate majority leader Harry Reid, exemplified that mantra recently. This past Tuesday, The View co-host Joy Behar, who reminds me of a post-menopausal Kathy Griffin, said Angle is "going to hell, this b**ch" after viewing one of her political ads.

Angle's retort?

On Wednesday, there was a large bouquet on (The View's) set. Behar said it came with a note from Angle that claimed the candidate raised $150,000 online Tuesday and added, "Thanks for your help."

And to show she doesn't have a dignified bone in her body, Joyless couldn't help but invoke the "b word" once more.

Behar aimed at Angle again, suggesting the flowers were picked by illegal immigrants and "they're not voting for you, b----."

So Joy is not only caustic but she's also flat out dumb. Illegal immigrants voting? Really?

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For the record

I'm picking the Texas Rangers to win the World Series in six games over the San Francisco Giants.

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Hear that? It's the other shoe falling

It really is about the economy, stupid. That is why the Duluth News Tribune, despite its center-left leanings, is advocating for a new direction in the US House.

Republican Chip Cravaack represents what Congress, including Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, needs at this critical crossroads in American history. A pro-business, fiscally conservative, former Navy captain, with a master’s degree in education, Cravaack has smarts. He is articulate, reasoned and composed. More critically, he has specific and promising strategies to pull the nation out of its financial funk.

“This is clearly unsustainable,” Cravaack said last week of our nation’s mounting debt and free-spending ways. “The best thing to correct the situation is to create a business-friendly environment where the private sector creates jobs.”

This is another hit for incumbent Congressman James Oberstar, who also lost out on an endorsement from the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, one which has served him well in a socially conservative district.

Upon learning of the DNT's nod for Cravaack, Oberstar stated he was “Disappointed but not surprised.” Yeah, I'm not surprised either, Congressman Oberstar. When one votes for health care legislation allowing federal funding for abortions or an environmental bill which would cripple the mining industry so prevalent in one's congressional district, I can't imagine how you could be stunned.

Ah, but look on the bright side. You no longer have to continue with the charade that you actually maintain a residence within Congressional District 8. Maryland is pretty nice year round, isn't it?

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Quick Hits: Volume XIV

-Meghan McCain is a vapid twit. Many of you politicos probably know that. What's sad is she's basically become a stooge of the liberal media because she professes to being a Republican while criticizing the "extreme right wing" of the GOP (Must have learned that from her dear ol' Dad, Senator John McCain). She also has anointed herself as the voice of the next generation of Republicans, even though there doesn't seem to be many young people proclaiming Meg as their standard bearer.

Many criticize young Ms. McCain because she really has accomplished little yet proclaims herself as an astute political pundit. However, when one criticizes Meg for her analysis, she claims it's because she's not taken seriously due to her....ahem...."top shelf."

Brittany Cohan of Red State weighs in:

Today, this came up in my Twitter feed and I about fell out of my chair. Meghan McCain had the nerve to attack Christine O’Donnell on (ABC TV's) This Week claiming she was making a mockery of running for office because she has “no real history, no real success in any kind of business”, and then claim that the backlash that came as a result of this absurd statement from someone with no real history and no success in any kind of business is because of the size of her chest? My message to Meghan: grow up.

Definitely read the entire post. I'm not certain which is better: the post itself or the title of Meghan McCain (D-Cup).

-As a Minnesota Twins fan, I'm still reeling from their having been swept away once again in the division series of the MLB playoffs. The more I think about the current state of professional Minnesota sports, the more queasy I become. As utterly dreadful and pathetic the NBA's Timberwolves have been over the past six seasons, they've actually won a playoff series more recently (2004) than either the Twins (2002) or the NHL's Minnesota Wild (2003).

-We saw some incredibly vicious hits in Sunday's NFL action, resulting in missed game action for Philadelphia Eagles' WR DeSean Jackson and Cleveland Browns' receiver Mohamed Massaquoi. As a result, the NFL is exploring the real possibility of suspending players who use their helmets as a weapon when making tackles. On the other hand, the league still looks to expand the regular season to eighteen games. If that happens, this great sport is definitely going to be watered down quite a bit because more games will merely increase the chances for additional serious injuries. As a result, the NFL is slowly attaining a reputation as an entity which looks to enhance its revenues but at the risk of the players' health which they insist is of grave concern to them.

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You had your time, you had the power, you've yet to have your finest hour

With Brian "Saint Paul" Ward and John "The Rocketman" Hinderaker out on assignment today, Derek Brigham and myself will be given the reins of The First Team broadcast of the Northern Alliance Radio Network.

With T-minus 17 days until Election Day, choosing show topics is the equivalent of shooting fish in the proverbial barrel.

In the 11:00 hour we will be joined in studio by local blogger Sheila Kihne. Sheila has rolled up her sleeves and performed the dirty work which the local mainstream media has been unwilling to do. That is, tell us about the real Mark Dayton, his somewhat bizarre past and how it could impact Minnesota's future. Check out Sheila's post from True North earlier this week.

In the Noon hour we will be joined by Ben Zierke, who is the Deputy Campaign Manager for Republican Congressional candidate Randy Demmer. Demmer is opposing incumbent Congressman Tim Walz in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. We'll put Walz's record under the microscope, including the fact that 97% of his votes are in line with that of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

We've also got a doozy for the weekly feature "Loon of the Week."

The festivities begin at 11:00 a.m. Central, and you can keep up with the broadcast in a myriad of ways.

-1280 on your AM dial.

-Stream it online at the AM 1280 The Patriot web site.

-Check out the official Northern Alliance Radio Network page on Facebook. We'll also set up our own hash tag on Twitter (#narn1).

-You can also be a part of the program by giving us a call at 651-289-4488.


Ah, but the fun doesn't stop there, as Mitch Berg and Ed Morrissey immediately follow Derek and I at 1:00 for the Headliners edition of the NARN.

And for those who prefer constitutional talk to be about as subtle as a chainsaw, Bradlee Dean and Jake McMillan are on from 3-5 with Sons of Liberty.

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Evacuatin' Dayton still scurrying

Someone once said that if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton has taken that to the extreme.

It all started six years ago while serving in the U.S. Senate, when Dayton feared for the safety of himself and his staff upon receiving a top secret intelligence report. As such, Dayton decided to close his D.C. senate office for the following few weeks. Never mind that the 99 other Senators didn't see fit to follow suit despite having access to the very same intelligence report. Dayton was a lone wolf in his insistence that evacuation was the proper strategy, yet never gave a coherent explanation as to why.

Now, in light of the former Senator's behavior over the past few weeks, that so-called isolated incident in 2004 appears to have been the beginning of a bizarre trend of ducking serious inquiries.

It started last month after the completion of a gubernatorial debate with fellow candidates Tom Emmer and Tom Horner. Upon the debate's conclusion, Sioux Falls, SD news station KSFY was granted permission to speak with each of the candidates. KSFY informed each campaign that they would inquire about illegal immigration as well as Minnesota's budget shortfall. Emmer and Horner complied. But for some unexplained reason, the Dayton camp did not cooperate. This made ZERO sense. I mean, it's not like KSFY was going to ask about Dayton's unexplained erratic behavior or the gaps in his resume. I mean, illegal immigration and state budgets are pesky little things called pertinent questions, especially when asked of a man who yearns to be chief executive of an entire state.

Then today it was reported that Dayton settled a lawsuit brought by a former Senate aide who claimed he was fired upon informing then Sen. Dayton he was suffering from a heart condition. Now when it's alleged that the lawsuit was settled with taxpayer money, it's only fair that concerned citizens be given the full story.

But as WCCO-TV political guy Pat Kessler reported, Dayton once again was less than complicit.





And here I thought Democrats were the party of transparency. Sorry. Won't make that mistake again.

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Gardy's Dozen

Look, I never had any delusion that the Minnesota Twins would rally from a 2 games to nothing deficit and beat the New York Yankees in their ALDS matchup. But I did hold out hope that they would go down with a fight. Alas, that too was overly optimistic of me. The Yankees completed another routine division series beatdown of the Twins with a 6-1 victory Saturday night.

After being swept in their third consecutive division series, the Twins postseason losing streak has now reached a stupefying twelve games (the record is thirteen). What's even more mind boggling is the Twins currently have a ten postseason game losing streak at home (2-11 overall under manager Ron Gardenhire). Now I'm not advocating that Gardy be fired. But something just doesn't compute when the Twins enter the postseason. In his managerial career, Gardenhire has averaged nearly 90 regular season wins per year in nine seasons. But in six postseasons, Gardy's clubs are a paltry 6-21.

But the worst part of losing to Yankees yet again is the vapid screeds on Facebook and Twitter. It's the same bull pucky every time about how the Yankees just buy up all the talent and that why the Twins can't compete. Sure, the Yankees are incredibly talented due in large part to the financial resources they have. But the bottom line is they still have to go out and compete. Nothing is handed to them. And guess what? Other seemingly overmatched teams have held their own against the Bronx Bombers in recent postseason history. The 2005 LA Angels of Anaheim, 2006 Detroit Tigers and 2007 Cleveland Indians all ousted the Yankees in division series. Other than perhaps the Angels, none of those clubs can be considered big money franchises.

One final thing. I recall a fair number of Twins fans suggesting that the club was better off with Michael Cuddyer playing first base and that Justin Morneau should be traded. Funny how that conversation has suddenly quelled now that the Twins have gone 0-6 in the past two postseasons, both of which Morneau missed due to injury.

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Uno Mas, Moss

I have to admit that it still hasn’t sunk in yet. Randy Moss is once again a member of the Minnesota Vikings. The main reason that it hasn’t resonated with me is it all happened so quickly. I watched Moss get shutout on Monday Night Football as his New England Patriots thumped the Miami Dolphins. Approximately 36 hours later, Moss is a member of the franchise with whom he spent the first seven seasons of his 12-year career.

When Moss was traded by the Vikings to the Oakland Raiders in early 2005, I endorsed the move. But it wasn’t because I felt Moss’s skills had diminished. No, it was quite apparent that Moss had become a huge distraction by continually undermining his head coach and Pro Bowl quarterback. It also didn’t hurt that then owner Red McCombs was looking to sell the team, so jettisoning the highly paid Moss increased the bottom line for the short-term future.

Another back story is this trade finally pairs Moss with quarterback Brett Favre, who coveted the highly talented wide receiver prior to the 2007 season when Favre was with Green Bay. In fact, many have surmised that’s when the relationship between Favre and Packers General Manager Ted Thompson was irretrievably broken when Green Bay failed to pull the trigger on a trade. Moss ended up in New England that season when the Raiders gave him up for only a fourth round draft pick.

So does this make the Vikings an instant Super Bowl contender? The jury is still out on that. However, the Vegas oddsmakers see it a little differently. Last week, the Vikings were listed as 25-1 odds to win in it all. Today they’re at 16-1.

But I believe one thing is certain: This levels the playing field in the NFC North.

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Help the Joel Demos campaign......

.....raise the $6,294 $5,576 $5,534.60 it will take to get this great ad on during the Vikes Monday Night Football game against the Jets!




Donate here.

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