2012 RNC recap

You know it must have been an effective Republican National Convention when all the lefties are having an in-unison freak out . Any dings at their dear leader Obama has resulted in more unhinged lunacy than normal.

Of course, MSNBC was leading the way with the kooky triumvirate of Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz and Rachel Maddow. As Ann Coulter mentioned via Twitter, Matthews likely has a "blood clot up his leg." Naturally, even more have their proverbial undies in a bunch over Clint Eastwood's depiction of talking to a chair as if President Obama were occupying it. Schultz called it "demeaning to the Presidency." Huh. I Wonder if Ed ever watched MSNBC before working there. If he had, he would have witnessed the nightly depravity dished out by Keith Olbermann while hosting his own prime time program. Not to be outdone, Maddow felt Eastwood's bit was the weirdest thing she's ever seen at a convention. Really, Rach? The Code Pink hags dressed as vaginas didn't strike you as a bit odd?

Another aspect which annoyed leftists (particularly NY Times guy Nicholas Kristof) was a line in Mitt Romney's speech where he said "President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet. My promise ... is to help you and your family." This was "troubling" to Nick because it gave him the impression that Romney is mocking the "seriousness" of global warming. Actually, it was more in reference to the pomposity of Obama than anything else, but no matter. In the minds of the elite media, Obama is not to be mocked.

Ah, but enough of the superficial stuff. How about some of those speeches, eh? Truth be told, after listening to some of the most stirring talks put forth by the likes of Paul Ryan, Condoleeza Rice and Marco Rubio, I was concerned that Romney would be largely overshadowed in Thursday's grand finale. And while Romney's speech wasn't Reagan-esque, he certainly exceeded my expectations and effectively mixed in personal anecdotes and policy stances into his address.

What really struck me about many of the keynote addresses was how today's Democrats couldn't give speeches like that. There was too much optimism and too many stories of eschewing dependency on govnerment in favor of rugged individualism. I mean, how can one not be moved by Condi Rice's story of her and her parents not being allowed to eat a hamburger at the Woolworth's lunch counter because of the color of their skin? Nevertheless, a young Condoleeza was convinced by her folks she could be President one day. As it turned out, in 2005, she became the first black woman named U.S. Secretary of State.

How about Paul Ryan's mom, who lost her husband when she was age 50? Despite being a grieving widow, she furthered her education and eventually started her own small business, all the while successfully raising her family.

But it was Marco Rubio who stole the show with his lead in to Romney's appearance. Talking about the very humble life he had as the son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio was also embedded with the belief that America is truly the land of opportunity and thus his dreams should be limitless. He talked about his parents' work ethic, and how "just a few decades removed from hopelessness, they made possible all the things for us that had been impossible for them."

With that, the 2012 RNC is in the books. So what happens from here? Well, now that Romney is the official GOP nominee for President, look for a major dent in the campaign coffers as the political ads will really start to ratchet up. The tone has been set: President Obama's first term, by his own standards, has been a failure. Romney-Ryan have a definitive plan to halt the record streak of 8+% monthly unemployment and address entitlement programs which may well bankrupt this country if adjustments aren't made.


It's your move, Mr. President.

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Same ol' song

In the third Presidential debate of the 2004 election cycle, Democrat challenger John Kerry invoked the name of Vice President Dick Cheney's daughter Mary, who is a professed lesbian, in a discussion about homosexuality. Moderator Bob Schieffer asked if Kerry felt being a homosexual was "a choice." If you recall the '04 campaign season, gay marriage was a hot button issue (arguably more so than today). Eleven states had on the ballot a proposed amendment to define "marriage" as solely between one woman and one man (it passed in all 11 states, including Oregon and Michigan). Since Kerry was getting trounced on social issues (which were very much at the forefront then), he looked to make some inroads with the following response:

"We're all God's children, Bob. And I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she's being who she was; she's being who she was born as. I think if you talked to anybody, it's not choice."

Now Kerry could have easily referenced fellow Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank, who had been a Congressman out of that state since the early '80s. I find it hard to believe that wouldn't be the first high-profile gay person to occur to Kerry. But by referencing a homosexual within the Republican ranks, Kerry was making a desperate attempt to perhaps dissuade "values voters" from voting for President Bush.

In the motif of Kerry's exploitation, President Barack Obama made it a point to invoke the religious practice of GOP hopeful Mitt Romney.

Policy differences aside, President Obama says he admires Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney for his family life, personal discipline and outward practice of his Mormon faith.

“He strikes me as somebody who is very disciplined. And I think that that is a quality that obviously contributed to his success as a private equity guy,” Obama said in an interview with TIME magazine ahead of the Democratic National Convention next week.

“I think he takes his faith very seriously. And as somebody who takes my Christian faith seriously (Except when it's politically expedient not to - ed.), I appreciate that he seems to walk the walk and not just be talking the talk when it comes to his participation in his church,” he said.

Yes, the Mormon faith currently is not held in the highest esteem, especially amongst some Evangelical Christians. In fact, the long desired hope of many on the left is that the southern Evangelicals would be turned off by a Republican Presidential candidate being a Mormon. From there, leftists surmise that it would cause enough ECs to stay home on Election Day, resulting in Obama possibly stealing a Southern state (like North Carolina, which he won in 2008). If that indeed were to happen, it's highly unlikely Romney could oust the incumbent President.

So even though Obama's senior strategist David Axelrod has declared talk of Romney's Mormon faith "not fair game," Obama has already planted a seed for his media lapdogs to nurture and fertilize.

In the end, we all know that faith and social issues will not be nearly as prevalent in this election cycle as they were in 2004. With the worst economic recovery in modern times, there will be two distinct visions put forth on how to best get America working again. At this point in U.S. history, perhaps even a Scientologist with a coherent economic plan may well have gotten a look.

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Quick Hits: Volume LIX

-To think, in early February many Americans were left with the impression that a certain iconic actor/director was a supporter of President Barack Obama. Such sentiments were derived from a Chrysler commercial during halftime of the Super Bowl telecast.

The lights faded and a man’s dark silhouette walked onto a giant screen as an ominous rumble swelled on the sound system. “It’s halftime in America, too,” intoned a familiar resonant voice. “People are out of work and they’re hurting.” Only in the closing moments did Clint Eastwood’s face fill the screen. “Detroit’s showing us it can be done,” he said as the music swelled. “This country can’t be knocked down with one punch. We get right back up again and when we do, the world’s going to hear the roar of our engines. Yeah. It’s halftime, America. And our second half is about to begin.”

Many assumed this was a quasi endorsement of Obama, who was a strong supporter of the auto bail outs and early February was the halfway point of his first term.

But that speculation was put to bed as Eastwood officially endorsed GOP Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney earlier this month. And now the rumored "mystery speaker" Thursday at the Republican National Convention is slated to be Eastwood.

Perhaps Eastwood could resurrect his  proclamation of this being "halftime in America" by conveying that America is equivalent to the early 80s San Francisco 49ers, specifically on December 7, 1980 when they trailed the New Orleans Saints 35-7 at halftime. The Niners rallied for a 38-35 win in that game. Any chance Romney can don a Joe Montana jersey Thursday?


-Given all the vapidity offered up by Hollywood celebrities with their political opining, Dennis Miller is a refreshing diversion. Watching Miller take apart Jay Leno on The Tonight Show recently proves that there's occasional clarity coming from the land moral depravity. At about 2:45 into the clip below, Miller backs Leno into a corner by asking him what he likes about Obama.



Poor Jay. You could tell he was offering up little more than the typical leftist talking points by referencing the GOP "War on Women" or Obama having "compassion for regular folks."

Regarding the factually deficient "War on Women" chanting point, I commend your attention to Katherine Kersten's piece in the Star Tribune recently (Yeah, facts are stubborn things). And this nonsense that President Obama has "compassion for regular people?" Since when is creating a society where capable people become dependent on government considered "compassionate?"


-The Twins are not going trade Joe Mauer. The fact he was put on "waivers" was merely a procedural move.

1500 ESPN's Phil Mackey explains.

.....[S]trategic reasons may include, but are not limited to the following:
• Just in case an offer is too good to pass up. If the Dodgers call 30 minutes before the Aug. 31 waiver trade deadline and offer three top prospects for Justin Morneau, the Twins would be handcuffed if they hadn't passed Morneau through waivers yet.
• As a blanket policy that all players are placed on waivers no matter if the team intends to trade them or not. This is the policy adhered to by the Twins front office.
• As a smokescreen to disguise who they really want to trade.
• To help gauge interest. If 10 teams put in a claim on a player, the Twins -- or any other team -- would know how many teams might have interest in acquiring him.

With a full "no-trade" clause, Mauer would have likely declined any deal had one occurred. He knows how good he has it in Minnesota despite what will be a second straight season of 90+ losses for the team. Sure, Twins fans get a little cranky with Joe when he's not hitting above .300 and/or sitting out with innocuous injuries. But what pebbles Mauer gets tossed at him in Minnesota pales in comparison to the Rock of Gibraltar size criticism he'd endure in, say, New York, Boston or Los Angeles.

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West. From far away, stays for a day....

Tune for the finale of the weeknight editions of The Closer, as this will be my final broadcast of the Minnesota State Fair. I will be on from 6:00 pm until 7:00 Central.

In the very first segment, I will welcome to the broadcast Karin Housley, who is the GOP candidate for State Senate in SD 39.

After that, we'll take a look at some of the news of the week thus far, including Ron Paul's swan song Sunday and how he ensured he'll personally never be relevant again.


If you happen to be out at the fair this evening, feel free to stop by and say hello. We're located on Machinery Hill, which is at the north end of the fairgrounds, specifically near the corner of Underwood Street & Murphy Avenue (see map here).

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area, you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link.

For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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So when the lights cut out I was lost standing in the wilderness downtown...

The Northern Alliance Radio Network will once again be broadcasting live from the Minnesota State Fair TONIGHT from 6:00 pm until 7:00 Central. I will be going solo for this one hour extravaganza.

Right at the beginning, I will welcome to the show Phil Krinkie, who is President of The Taxpayers League of Minnesota. After that, I'll take a look at the news being made in Tampa, FL as the 2012 Republican National Convention is set to begin. Also, desperation seems to be setting in for the Democrats and the Obama campaign as they're caught putting together yet another deceptive political ad.


If you happen to be out at the fair this evening, feel free to stop by and say hello. We're located on Machinery Hill, which is at the north end of the fairgrounds, specifically near the corner of Underwood Street & Murphy Avenue (see map here).

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area, you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link.

For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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Well the folk scene is dead, but he's holdin' out in the village....

It's Day Two of the Minnesota State Fair, which means yet another live and in person broadcast of the Northern Alliance Radio Network! From 5:00 until 7:00 PM Central, Mitch Berg and I will be on the air.

Right out of the chute, MN Congressman John Kline will be on the first segment of the 5:00 hour. Then in the 6:00 hour, we're tentatively scheduled to be joined by Christine Reitsma, who was crowned the 59th Princess Kay of the Milky Way Wednesday night.

From there, who knows? Given it's an election year, there are likely to be other political candidates who happen to drop by.


If you happen to be out at the fair this evening, feel free to stop by and say hello. We're located on Machinery Hill, which is at the north end of the fairgrounds, specifically near the corner of Underwood Street & Murphy Avenue (see map here).

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area, you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link.

For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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Box Score of the Week

May 1, 1991 - New York Yankees at Oakland Athletics.

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People are talkin', talking 'bout people.....

It's State Fair time again, which means the Northern Alliance Radio Network emerges from the Patriot bunker in Eagan for live, on-site broadcasts!Tonight from 5:00 until 7:00 PM, I will be live on the air for opening day of the "Great Minnesota get-together!" And since this is an election year, political guests will be in abundance.

Sometime in the 5:00 hour, I will be joined by John Rouleau with the organization Protect My Vote. PMV is doing yeoman's work to get the facts out about Voter Identification so Minnesotans have an understanding why they need to vote "Yes" on the MN Voter ID Amendment this Fall.

At 5:45, I will be joined by Jake Loesch, who is the deputy communications director for Minnesotans United For All Families, a non-partisan organization encouraging Minnesotans to vote "No" on the Marriage Amendment in November.

Then at 6:05, Janis Quinlan will be stopping by. Janis is a GOP candidate for MN State Senate in SD54, which covers Cottage Grove, Newport, St. Paul Park, Hastings and Afton.


If you happen to be out at the fair this evening, feel free to stop by and say hello. We're located on Machinery Hill, which is at the north end of the fairgrounds, specifically near the corner of Underwood Street & Murphy Avenue (see map here).

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area, you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link.

 For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!



And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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Did I call it or did I call it?

As soon as I heard that South Carolina financier Darla Moore and former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice were the first women ever to be admitted as members to Augusta National Golf Club, I predicted that lefty women's groups would kvetch about the inaugural members being a "one percenter" and a Republican.

Well, it wasn't a women's group who made an initial public statement (well, none that I know of), but rather Ed Schultz of the lefty haven that is MSNBC.

“Is this really change they can believe in,” Schultz said following a commercial break.

After reporting what most thought was good news to his viewers, Schultz noted presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s congratulations to Rice via Twitter.

“Mitt Romney has finally found a women’s rights issue that he can stand up for and support: Augusta National letting two rich women in to play,” Schultz snarked.

Ummm.....Ed? You do realize that Augusta National is one of the most prestigious golf clubs not only in the country but the entire world, right? With that being the case, it would stand to reason that membership dues would be quite exorbitant. So wouldn't it be logical that those who become members of said club would, y'know, have a few bucks.......REGARDLESS OF GENDER?!?!?!

“The boys out at Augusta could really break the glass ceiling a little bit better if they were to say bring in Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton.” he continued.

Let's see: Before Monday, women had never been allowed to become members at Augusta and blacks were excluded until 1990. Yet Ms. Rice, a black woman, being admitted isn't considered enough of a break in the proverbial glass ceiling? Oh, and another little factoid: both Rice and Moore are avid golfers. Given that Augusta is a golf club also seems to make it a pretty good fit.

Besides, it's pretty obvious that the husbands to the First Lady and the current Secretary of State play enough golf to make up for what little their respective wives partake in the sport.

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Distraction factions

I think it's been pretty well established that the "legitimate rape" comments of Missouri GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin were incredibly misguided. But aside from that, Akin also misrepresented the pro-life message, which is why he got virtually no support from any fellow Republicans in the way of backing him up.

Now that Akin has decided he will not drop out of the Senate race against incumbent Claire McCaskill, he is on his own in terms of finances and campaigning. This incident also led to the Democrats conjuring up this vapid "War on Women" chanting point and thus to try and link the GOP to Akin, even though several major party figures (including Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, current Missouri Republican Senator Roy Blunt and former GOP Missouri Senators Kit Bond, Jim Talent, John Ashcroft & John Danforth) have pushed for Akin to drop out of the race.

On a smaller scale here in Minnesota, Republican State Senator Dan Hall also caused quite a stir when he made the following inquiry via Twitter:

Why is it you never see an American flag where you see a Vote No for the Mn #Marriage Amendment sign?

Naturally, the MN Marriage Amendment opponents took this as having their patriotism questioned. As a result, this distracts from the real issue, which is how marriage is not a "right" and how voting 'yes' actually protects religious liberty. That debate should be easy for Hall, who has been in the ministry for 30 years. Instead, the Burnsville Senator might well have stirred up sympathy for the amendment opponents by insinuating they're anti-American. Some might extrapolate even further by throwing out the narrative that Hall believes homosexuals are unpatriotic. While such a ploy would be utter nonsense, leftists never rest when it comes to caterting to low information voters.

These are just a couple of examples of what can happen when politicos have a tendency to stray from the issues at hand and attempt to delve into punditry. It also takes away from the more pressing items on the agenda, like saving states (and America as a whole) from financial insolvency.

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Quick Hits: Volume LVIII

- I admit that this particular story sneaked up on me, especially given the high-profile rabble rousing over the issue within the past decade.

The home of the Masters now has green jackets for women.

In a historic change at one of the world's most exclusive golf clubs, Augusta National invited former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore to become the first female members since the club was founded in 1932.

"This is a joyous occasion," chairman Billy Payne said Monday.

For some, it was a long time coming.

Martha Burk and her women's advocacy group first challenged the club 10 years ago over its all-male membership. The debate returned this year when IBM, one of the top corporate sponsors of the Masters, appointed Virginia Rometty as its chief executive. The previous four CEOs of Big Blue had all been Augusta National members.

The battle ended in typical style for Augusta National, with an understated announcement that left even Burk stunned.

"Oh my God. We won," she blurted out when contacted by The Associated Press.

Personally, I am glad Augusta National is finally allowing female members. Not that I had an issue with an all male club (I didn't). But golf is one activity that is not dominated by one gender or the other, so Augusta's long time policy of "men only" seemed rather antiquated. Not to mention that said policy was loser from a business standpoint, whether it was corporate sponsors withdrawing advertising during The Masters or the loss of potential revenue which would have been garnered through female memberships.

Now the question I have is how are the lefty women's groups reacting to Augusta's inaugural female members, which consist of a "one percenter" and a Republican? Will there now be protests to call for more class and/or ideological diversity?


- Since Sarah Palin decided not to run for President, it was pretty well assumed she would play "King Maker" in many of the key GOP primary races for US Senate. Sure enough, those candidates who received Palin's endorsement in Utah, Nebraska, Indiana and Texas (Orrin Hatch, Deb Fischer, Richard Mourdock and Ted Cruz respectively) all emerged victorious in their given races.

Then on August 7th, the Missouri Senate primary saw Palin-endorsed candidate Sarah Steelman finish 3rd (29% of the vote) behind winner Todd Akin (36%) and runner up John Brunner (30%). As a result, Palin's usual lefty detractors emerged like poo-flinging monkeys with such reaction as "HAHA!!! Palin is teh stoopid for backing such a looser. Redeculous."

As it turns out, Palin's preferred Missouri candidate may well be back in play.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and the entire GOP national political apparatus launched a swift and relentless crusade against one of their own Monday, seeking to drive Rep. Todd Akin out of the U.S. Senate race in Missouri after his controversial comments on rape and pregnancy threatened the party with widespread political harm.

“Congressman Akin’s comments on rape are insulting, inexcusable and, frankly, wrong,” Romney told the National Review early Monday. His remarks were soon followed by calls from two GOP senators to withdraw and statements later from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), the chief Senate campaign strategist, meant to push Akin aside.

The Senate race in Missouri has been regarded as one of the most competitive in the country, and one of the best opportunities for the GOP to grab a seat from the embattled incumbent Democrat, Sen. Claire McCaskill.

Look, I'm inclined to go along with the sentiment that McCaskill's votes in lockstep with President Obama provide much more harm to this country than Akin's poorly chosen words. But that having been said, I just don't see any way Akin survives this. The political left will rely upon (and quite possibly sway) a good portion of the low information voters to accept the premise that Akin's sentiments are reflective of the GOP as a whole. It's an unnecessary (but, at this point in the game, a very avoidable) distraction.

As I write this on Monday night, there are rumors surfacing that Akin is likely to withdraw by Tuesday evening. If that's the case, the timing couldn't be more perfect.

Missouri state law allows a nominated candidate to withdraw his or her bid for office by 5 p.m. on the 11th Tuesday before the election which, as it turns out, is tomorrow. If Akin does drop his bid before tomorrow’s deadline, the state’s GOP central committee would pick his replacement.

No word on whom the committee would prefer, but that issue is secondary to the greater goal: putting forth a merely competent candidate to oppose a very vulnerable incumbent Democrat Senator.

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I used to dream all night of a day that was gone....

In what will be the last Sunday program in the Patriot bunker until after Labor Day, I've decided to bring in a co-host. From 1:00 until 3:00 PM on this week's edition of The Closer, my friend and blogging colleague Mark Heuring (he of Mr. Dilettante's Neighborhood) will be in studio!

In the first hour, we'll look back at the Tuesday primary races in both Minnesota and Wisconsin and then look forward to what implications they'll have on the general election in November. We'll also discuss bumbling VP Joe Biden and what his role may be going forward.

Also, the pro football season is upon us, so Mark and I will break down the only NFL division that matters, which is the NFC North. We'll take hour number two and spend one segment on each of the four clubs, going in alphabetical order with Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay and Minnesota.


So please give us a call at (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to discuss any of the topics I plan on addressing. You can also text comments/questions to (651) 243-0390.

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area, you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link.

For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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Box Score of the Week

The Twins cap Rod Carew's MVP season in 1977 with the a game in Milwaukee.

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In one of the most prolific offensive seasons in MLB history, Carew won the 1977 A.L. MVP with a .388 average. But Twins manager Gene Mauch desperately wanted Carew to cap this magical season by driving in his 100th run of the year. 

As told by Mauch's nephew Roy Smalley, who was a Twins infielder that year, Mauch used a few expletives to implore hitter Sam Perlozzo into getting on base with a triple to lead off the eighth inning so that Carew, the next hitter, could knock him in to reach the 100 RBI mark. And that's exactly what happened, as Perlozzo led off the 8th with a triple and scored on a Carew single. 

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Blundering Biden

Does anyone know what the level beyond caricature is called? Whatever it is, Vice President Joe Biden reached that point long ago.

Whether it's racial sterotyping of Asian Indians............



.....telling paraplegic Missouri Senator Chuck Graham to "stand up".....



....misspelling a simple little word....



....or flubbing basic American History,.....



.....Biden has proven to be one of the most inept politicians seen in the 21st century.

Yet despite all of that, he managed to top all prior idiocy with a cringe-worthy analogy regarding a Mitt Romney Presidency:



In the motif of Crash Davis in the movie Bull Durham, I can imagine the President is ready to take the Veep aside and simply say "Don't speak. It can only hurt the campaign."

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Again, I couldn't make it up if I tried

I've met David Carlson (no relation, as far as I know) a time or two. I couldn't help but be impressed with the gentleman given his honorable service to our country (three tours in Iraq to be precise). Above all that, he seemed most proud of his beautiful twin daughters, who are now age five.

Carlson's also taken a stab at political office, getting thoroughly trounced in 2008 in a run for MN State House (HD 67B - St Paul) and losing the GOP endorsement bid for state Senate in 2010 in SD 38 (Eagan and a portion of Burnsville).

So his latest exploits, putting up a primary challenge in the US Senate race against GOP endorsed candidate Kurt Bills, seemed most curious. I can only surmise that this is merely an attempt to garner name recognition statewide in the event he aspires to higher ambitions politically.

When my friends Jack Tomczak and Ben Kruse played a political ad from Carlson on their weekend radio show The Late Debate, I naturally assumed it had to be a bit. Unfortunately I discovered the actual clip and found that what sounded like a caricature of a Ron Paul endorsed candidate (which Bills is) is actually an "approved message" by candidate Carlson.




 I got nuthin'. 

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Now look at them yo-yos, that's the way you do it...

I'll be back this afternoon for my regular Sunday appearance on the Northern Alliance Radio Network from 1:00 until 3:00 PM Central Time today.

With the Saturday morning announcement of Paul Ryan as the running mate (which I predicted on the air on July 8) to GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, the first segment will likely be focused on that bit of news. After that, I've decided to devote at least a couple of segments to discuss how certain young people in America today provide hope for a bright future.

Speaking of bright futures, I will welcome local artist Amie Kieffer to the Patriot bunker at 2:30. Amie will be hosting her very first art show/sale on August 17-18 in Rosemount, so she will promote that event as well as discuss other future endeavors. By the way, if you'd like more information about her show, drop her an email - AK *at* AmieKieffer.com.


So please give me a call at (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to discuss any of the topics I plan on addressing. You can also text comments/questions to (651) 243-0390.

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area, you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link.

For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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Romney-Ryan 2012

I  received the news at about 6:00 this morning via the "Romney VP" app on my android.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney introduced Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his vice presidential running mate on Saturday, turning to the architect of a deeply conservative and intensely controversial long-term budget plan to remake Medicare and cut trillions in federal spending.

In the campaign to come, Republicans will present economic solutions "that are bold, specific and achievable," Romney said as he presented his political partner. "We offer our commitment to create 12 million new jobs and bring better take home pay to middle class families."

Of course, the Obama campaign is ratcheting up their rhetoric of how a Mitt Romney presidency will merely bring more goodies for the wealthy while middle class families continue to suffer. Heck, it's already been thrown out there by the Obama team a "Pro-Obama Super PAC" that Mitt Romney's tenure at Bain Capital resulted in a company closing which caused an employee to lose his health insurance and thus his wife died of cancer. BOOM! Romney killed the guy's wife.

Let's not forget the leftist response to Ryan's budget proposal, a proposal which included thoughtfully addressing entitlements that may well turn the USA in to Greece if left as is. BAM! Paul Ryan is trying to kill Granny.

Given the class warfare and race baiting being put forth by many leftists, the Romney-Ryan ticket offers a veritable buffet for the reelection campaign to demagogue. That is, the GOP ticket consists of two successful white guys. I guess we shouldn't be surprised if we see a campaign ad in the near future which depicts how race relations will go backwards in this country if Romney is elected President.

Oh, and have y'all ever heard the term "Rethuglican?" That's a word thrown out by the left which means a member of the GOP who uses scare tactics and fear mongering to get elected or implement an agenda.

Irony is fun, eh?



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Box Score of the Week

The California Los Angeles Anaheim Angels host the Kansas City Royals on August 4, 1999.

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With his team in the midst of a slump‚ Angels' batting coach Rod Carew suggests the club use a single bat through the starting lineup as a way of loosening up the players. When leadoff hitter Orlando Palmeiro strikes out in bottom half of the first inning‚ he drops the bat for the next hitter to use. Umpire Tim Tschida sees this as an act of defiance and ejects Palmeiro from the game. Anaheim manager Terry Collins eventually convinces Tschida that Palmeiro wasn't trying to show him up‚ and the umpire changes his decision and allows him to stay in the game.


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Showin' up

As my friend and Northern Alliance Radio Network colleague Mitch Berg pointed out earlier this week, the Minneapolis Star Tribune will occasionally dole out unqualified endorsements of local Republicans, provided said GOPers act like DFLers with better suits can prove they're "thoughtful and pragmatic." Steve Smith, who has been in the Minnesota House for 22 years, is (to put it mildly) a moderate Republican who was trounced by Chanhassen's Cindy Pugh in the House District 33B endorsement battle. From what I've been able to gather, Smith had zero delusions about receiving the nod from grassroots activists, so he decided immediately to take this battle to Tuesday's primary. I guess it's not a huge shock Smith would defy the endorsement, especially when you consider his attitude towards the Tea Party and its ilk (emphasis mine).

“The world is controlled by those who show up,” he acknowledged. “And my Tea Party opponent had my district and other districts targeted for their folks coming in and taking over. The ordinary Republicans stay home raising their kids, doing their jobs, coming home and having a beer and going to bed.”

Wow. What stunning condescension. So is Smith implying that those who sacrifice sleep, vacations and time with their respective families to work on campaigns, stay engaged in the political process and attend BPOU meetings are somehow second class citizens? I would argue that those who "show up" are genuinely concerned about the future of this state, especially if the most left-wing Governor in Minnesota's history is given a proverbial blank check in the form of a Democrat controlled Legislature. Therefore, some time away from the family may be a small price to pay when you consider the kind of future being left to the kids if that happens.

Yes, those who "show up" are willing to do their part to ensure that future generations can sufficiently raise their own kids, do their jobs, go home, have a beer and go to bed...and actually have a peaceful night's sleep.

It all starts this Tuesday. 

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Are the actual Olympic games the sideshow?

Full disclosure: I've paid very little attention to the Summer Olympic games which have been taking place in London over the past couple of weeks.

Nevertheless, I remain fascinated how the competition amongst amateur athletes from around the globe inevitably elicits political and/or cultural opinions. Then again, political tensions often seem to have intruded (if not completely overshadowed) the Olympics, whether it was the "Munich massacre" in 1972, the United States boycotting the 1980 Summer games in Moscow in protest of the Soviet Union invading Afghanistan or the Russians playing turnabout by eschewing the '84 Summer games in Los Angeles.

The 2012 games have proven to be no exception when it comes to political and cultural statements.


-For some inexplicable reason, Olympic officials declined to allow a moment of silence to pay homage to the Israeli athletes who were slain by a Palestinian terrorist group in Munich forty years ago. Ah, but that didn't deter American gymnast Aly Raisman, who is Jewish, from giving her own personal tribute, specifically the musical score used in her gold medal-winning performance.

The 18-year-old said choosing Hava Nagila — a traditional score used for wedding dances and bat mitzvah — was a response to the International Olympic Committee’s failure to mark the 40th anniversary of the tragedy.

And for Aly, from Needham, Massachusetts, she said it made her gold even more special.

‘I can only imagine how painful it must be for the families and close personal friends of the victims,’ she said.

-From the sublime to the ridiculous, there was a flap over the hairstyle of Gabby Douglas, another American gold medal winning gymnast.

After her victory, she reportedly logged online to find that people were mocking her pulled-back bun. “I don’t know where this is coming from,” she told the Associated Press. “What’s wrong with my hair? I’m like, ‘I just made history and people are focused on my hair? It can be bald or short, it doesn’t matter about (my) hair.” She continues: “Nothing is going to change. I’m going to wear my hair like this during beam and bar finals. You might as well stop talking about it.”

Now, Fashionista interviews Douglas' mother, Natalie Hawkins, about the controversy. "We made a huge joke out of it and I was quick to try to diffuse that situation. Because I thought, “How ignorant is it of people to comment on her hair and she still has more competitions to go," she said. "Are you trying to ruin her self confidence? She has to go out there and feel good about herself, and if she feels good about herself on that floor, who are YOU to criticize her?"

Hawkins, who famously allowed Douglas to move to Iowa to train at age 14 (and live with a host family), explained further: "She lives with a white host family and they don’t know anything about taking care of her hair. And there’s no black salons in their area [in Iowa]–not one. We had to work really hard to find a stylist to come and do her hair."

-Finally, hurdler Lolo Jones, who turned 30 this past Sunday, has openly professed her decision to remain celibate until marriage. Throughout this Summer's games, Jones has often shared her faith via Twitter, proclaiming that winning a medal isn't her top priority, rather it's to honor God by continuing to give Him all the glory.

"I never have prayed to win a gold medal at Olympics and never will. The Lord is my Shepard and I shall not want. May His will be done."

Whether you agree or disagree with the worldview of any Olympic athlete, there's no denying that having the rapt attention of tens of millions of people worldwide allows their respective viewpoints to be driven home effectively.


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Couldn't make it up if I tried.

The fact that President Barack Obama often cites the previous administration as the catalyst for the the difficulties our country faces today is lost on very few people. Heck, even a fair number of the folks who were sucked in by Obama's endless platitudes during the 2008 campaign have grown weary of the perpetual finger pointing.

Granted, it's not all that shocking that the President's own political party still blindly supports him. Nevertheless, you would think officials/staffers who work behind the scenes in the National Democrat party would be keenly aware of not saying or printing anything that could make the President look foolish (I mean, even more so than what Obama accomplishes in that arena himself).

With that in mind, I point you to a tweet the Democrats' official Twitter feed put out last month. They linked to an opinion piece stating how GOP Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney still has to overcome his supposed controversial tenure with Bain Capital. Of all the quotes the Democrats could have referenced in the aforementioned piece, they inexplicably included the following excerpt in the tweet:

"Everything bad that's ever happened under [Romney]…he blames on other people, and that just isn't very Presidential."

Do I really need to add anything else?

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You shut me down with a push of your button but yo, I'm out and I'm gone...

For the second time in the past four weeks, I will be taking a "rare and well-deserved" break from my radio program.

In my stead, Andy Cilek and the gang from Minnesota Voters Alliance will be broadcasting live from the Washington County Fair, 1:00 until 3:00 PM Central today on AM 1280 The Patriot. You'll definitely want to tune in, especially since the Voter ID initiative will be appearing on the ballot in Minnesota this November. Hear how you can combat the disinformation campaign being lanuched by Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and his leftist cohorts.



You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area, you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link.

For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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Special NARN broadcast: Washington County Fair edition

It's a special edition of the Northern Alliance Radio Network tonight at the Washington County Fair in Stillwater! Mitch Berg and myself will be broadcasting live from 6:00 pm until 8:00 on AM 1280 The Patriot.

Since it is an election year, we plan on chatting with several Minnesota GOP candidates. As of this post, we are scheduled to be joined State House candidate Stacey Stout, State Senate candidates Karin Housley & Eric Langness and US House hopeful (MN CD4) Tony Hernandez.



You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area, you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link.

For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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Box Score of the Week

The White Sox were in town this past week, which got me thinking of the many memorable Sox-Twins matchups over the past 10+ seasons.

With that in mind, let's check out a game from July 2009.

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When Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle got former teammate Joe Crede to ground out in the bottom of the 5th inning, it was the 42nd consecutive batter he retired, setting a MLB record (Buehrle pitched a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays in his previous start). He went on to extend the record to 45 before allowing a walk to Alexi Casilla with two outs in the sixth. 

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What Mark Twain said

For at least the past year-and-a-half now, political leftists have been floating the meme that the Tea Party is dead (except when there are mass shootings to be exploited).

Someone forgot to tell Texas voters on Tuesday.

Former state solicitor general Ted Cruz, a tea party-aligned conservative once regarded as a long-shot candidate, has won the Republican runoff in Texas, where he will be the GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate in the November election. The Associated Press has called the race for Cruz over Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Cruz will be a heavy favorite over Democratic nominee Paul Sadler, who also won a runoff on Tuesday.

Cruz, an emerging conservative star whose father emigrated to the United States from Cuba, has drawn comparisons to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and has been lauded by national conservative political pundits and groups for over a year. His victory is a major blow to the Republican establishment in Texas, which lined up squarely behind Dewhurst. It’s also a victory for the tea party and national conservatives who lined up behind Cruz even when a surprise win appeared unlikely.

Cruz’s win is a remarkable political feat and arguably the Senate upset of the cycle. In early 2011, when Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison announced her intention to retire, observers regarded Dewhurst as a virtual shoo-in to take her place in the upper chamber. Dewhurst is very well-known in Texas, enjoys immense personal wealth, and enlisted the help of Gov. Rick Perry’s top political hands. Perry endorsed Dewhurst during the campaign.

Leftists (and I daresay even some moderate Republicans) often cite the fact that Tea Party rallys are few and far between these days. Even when they do gather, the crowds are allegedly scant. But what we're seeing now is the fruit of the movement's labor. A little more than three years ago, in the wake of newly inaugurated President Barack Obama pitching a disastrous health insurance bill, Cap & Trade, Stimulus, etc., people began to become incredibly concerned at the growing monster that is the Federal Government. As such, many gathered at Town Halls and rallys at State Capitols to express their concerns that the very sovereignty of our nation was hanging in the balance. Not surprisingly there were several other people at said gatherings who echoed the same concerns, resulting in a unified political force with which to be reckoned. Hence the Tea Party was born.

Even though the rallys and town hall meetings are not quite as vigorous (or frequent), make no mistake that many of those who initially became involved in the Tea Party are now engaged at the grassroots level, whether it's voter contact, door knocking, lit drops, etc. All those activities may escape the bright lights of TV news but are nonetheless vital to a winning political campaign (see Wisconsin recall).

I imagine some may be thinking I'm being a bit heavy handed by citing (of all states) Texas as an example of the Tea Party's viability. Suit yourself. But those who choose to underestimate the Tea Party? Do so at your own peril.

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