Box Score of the Week

Kansas City Royals at Seattle Mariners - June 5, 1989.

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I wonder to myself "Could life ever be sane again?"

For the second time in less than 24 hours I will be broadcasting live from the Patriot bunker. My weekly radio program The Closer will get kicked off at 2:00 PM Central Time.

I'll look back at some big news items from this past week, including President Trump's continued ineptitude at conveying policy decisions. Also, a recent survey showed NFL fans tuning out of the sport due to players' political/social activism. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we 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, or check us out via iheart radio. If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

Even though I have a face for radio, there is a UStream channel where you can watch the broadcast if you so desire. Check it out here.

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

Until then.....

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'cause I know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams.....

With my friend and colleague Mitch Berg on assignment, I will assume the reins of The Headliner edition of the Northern Alliance Radio Network this afternoon. The 2-hour broadcast gets started at 1:00 Central Time.

In the first hour, I'll discuss national stories which include another Obamacare repeal failure, leftists and their media accomplices laying the groundwork for single payer support, etc.

Then in the 2:00 hour, I will welcome to the Patriot bunker Crystal city councilors/MN political activists/friends of the NARN Nancy LaRoche and Jeff Kolb. We'll discuss the Minnesota political scene, including the latest entrants into the 2018 gubernatorial race, news surrounding 2018 congressional races and what's happening in Nancy & Jeff's city.


So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we 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, or check us out via iheart radio. If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

Even though I have a face for radio, there is a UStream channel where you can watch the broadcast if you so desire. Check it out here.

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

Until then.....

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Browbeaten into dying with dignity

If Democrats get their way on health care reform, expect to see more instances of tragedies like this.

The parents of the terminally ill British baby Charlie Gard have given up their legal fight over treatment for their son in the United States.

Their lawyer Grant Armstrong told the UK High Court Monday that experts have said that the "window of opportunity no longer exists."

"For Charlie, it is too late ... treatment cannot offer a chance of success," he told the court.

Charlie's parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates made their decision following the latest medical reports and scans.

"Dark days lie ahead for these parents ... they want to spend time with Charlie," Armstrong said.

The general public had responded to this situation by donating generously towards experimental treatment for Charlie. Sure, the likelihood of success was less than favorable. But if the boy's parents were all in, what's the issue? Sadly, this is the perils of government run health care in that they become the moral arbiters as to who deserves treatment. And when people point to systems such as this as being the gold standard in saving money on care, they're at best being woefully misleading and at worst bald face lying. Of course less money is spent on those who are considered to have a terminal illness. Let them "die with dignity" or something.

In following the Charlie Gard saga, I couldn't help but ponder why no elected Democrats (at least none of which I'm aware) were ever asked what they thought of this tragic situation. Stephen Miller answered via Twitter what was probably a rhetorical question on my part.

Reason Dems weren't asked about Charlie Gard is because every single journalist out there knows how bad their answer is.

— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) July 24, 2017

Just another aspect of "The Resistance" I guess.

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Box Score of the Week

Tampa Bay Rays at Detroit Tigers - July 3, 2014.

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Are you familiar with how baseball positions are numbered? 

Here's a quick tutorial: 

1 (pitcher), 2 (catcher), 3 (first baseman), 4 (second baseman), 5 (third baseman), 6 (shortstop), 7 (left fielder), 8 (center fielder), and 9 (right fielder).

Technically a designated hitter doesn't have a number, but if it did, logic dictates it would be "0."

So with that, the Rays in this game probably generated the first ever Tommy Tutone "8-6-7-5-3-0-9 (Jenny)" lineup. 

Check out the first seven hitters and see for yourself!

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I found out long ago it's a long way down the NARN road.......

I will not be broadcasting live today on the Northern Alliance Radio Network as I am out on assignment.

Not sure who will be filling in (or if there will be the obligatory "best of...." broadcast), but tune in at 2:00 PM Central Time to find out.


You can listen 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, or check us out via iheart radio. If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.


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

Until then.....

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O.J. stands for "Outta Jail"

With wall-to-wall media coverage of a certain ex-NFLer's parole hearing, it felt like 1995 all over again.

O.J. Simpson was granted parole Thursday after more than eight years in prison for a Las Vegas hotel heist, successfully making his case in a nationally televised hearing that reflected America's enduring fascination with the former football star.

With the ruling, the 70-year-old Simpson, who was convicted in 2008 of an armed robbery involving two sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room, could be out of prison as early as Oct. 1 after serving the minimum nine years of a 33-year sentence.

When the final vote to grant parole was read after parole commissioners deliberated just over 30 minutes, Simpson lowered his head and then raised it up with a big smile.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," an emotional Simpson said while his sister, Shirley Baker, wept and hugged Arnelle Simpson, his daughter.

I believe Simpson being granted parole is the absolute correct decision. Yes I'm aware that he is most likely responsible for the 1994 murders of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, despite being found not guilty in a jury trial. But the idea that he was sentenced to thirty three years for a crime where he was merely present always smacked of a "karma" ruling. Sorry, but that's not how the American justice system should operate.

So how will Simpson adapt to life on the outside? Hard to say for sure. I've already heard some predictions that he'll do something to land himself back in jail within two years. One term of his parole which stands out is Simpson "is permitted to drink alcohol, but not to excess." So if his blood alcohol content ever reaches .08 or higher, that would be a parole violation. Since being acquitted of double murder in 1995, Simpson continued his reputation for living "fast and loose," whether it was womanizing, boozing it up, etc. It was much easier to get away with such activities in the late '90s/early 2000s before social media was truly prevalent. But now that smart phones are ubiquitous, it takes just one person to video an inebriated O.J. out on the town.

For Simpson's sake, let's hope he is able to spend the fourth quarter of his life just enjoying family and friends within the confines of whatever new home he'll reside. However, I'm skeptical he'll be able to maintain such a low profile after spending literally his entire adult life in some sort of spotlight.

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Quick Hits: Volume CLII

Closed circuit to Little Lord Fauntleroy Gov. Mark Dayton: we don't live in a monarchy and you're not a supreme ruler.

Gov. Mark Dayton violated the Minnesota Constitution when he vetoed funding for the Minnesota House and Senate this year, a Ramsey County judge ruled Wednesday.

“As a result of violating the Separation of Powers clause of the Minnesota Constitution, the governor’s line-item vetoes are unconstitutional, null and void,” Judge John Guthmann wrote.

He ordered the Legislature’s funding restored, but the final decision will be made by the Minnesota Supreme Court. Dayton said Wednesday that he’ll appeal Guthmann’s ruling.

In fairness to Dayton, he had nothing to lose. He doesn't have to face voters again, so enacting a "kitchen sink" strategy when not everything goes your way in a budget session, while petulant, will not damage him politically.

By the way, my friend Harry Niska called this nearly two months ago.

Governor Dayton's line-item veto of the entire budget for the Legislature is a blatant violation of the constitutional principle of separation of powers. In fact, this is the quintessential example a law professor could use to demonstrate the concept: one branch cannot eliminate another branch simply because it disagrees with the decisions of that branch.

This is why I'm running. The Attorney General must be someone who defends the Constitution, not someone who revels in the unconstitutional actions taken by their allies. We need an Attorney General who enforces and upholds the law for all Minnesotans.

Speaking of Harry for MN AG (nice segue, huh?), check out his site here.


- Given what we know about the officer involved shooting this past Saturday in Minneapolis, there are many aspects which don't pass the proverbial smell test. But as with all incidents such as this, I am willing to let this investigation play out.

I will say one thing though. If you're of the belief that the shooting was an act rooted in terrorism simply due to the fact the police officer is of Somali descent and the victim was a white woman, I'd strongly advise that you not verbalize that utterly asinine (not to mention baseless) assumption in any forum.


- Sad news regarding Arizona's senior U.S. Senator.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, his office said Wednesday, throwing into doubt when and if he will return to Washington to resume his duties in the Senate.

The Mayo Clinic said doctors discovered a tumor called a glioblastoma following surgery to remove a blood clot above McCain’s left eye last week. The senator and his family are considering a variety of treatment options, including a combination of chemotherapy and radiation, according to the hospital.

McCain, 80 has been away from the Senate this week, recovering from the surgery and undergoing tests. His office issued a statement describing him “in good spirits” and noting that his underlying health is excellent — but not indicating when he will return to the Senate.

McCain's daughter Meghan conveyed a very poignant statement via Twitter.

Statement regarding my father @SenJohnMcCain: pic.twitter.com/SMte9Hkwkq

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) July 20, 2017

While I may never have been in 100% alignment with Sen. McCain's politics, I have never doubted his love for America. The suffering he endured in Vietnam is perhaps the most high profile example of his willingness to put his country first. McCain has always been quick to eschew the "hero" label, but the fact is there are very few people alive today who have done more in service to the U.S.A.

My thoughts and prayers will definitely be with Sen. McCain and his family.

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Gutless

I'm not gonna lie to you by saying I'm shocked that the GOP Senate majority failed to pass a measure to repeal (or even reform) Obamacare. Despite controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress, the Republicans appeared to have found a way to bungle their 7-year quest to rid America of that monstrosity. Heck, they also controlled all of D.C. from 2003 thru 2007, yet managed to increase the size and scope of government in that span. Yes, there's definitely recent precedence for GOP ineptitude in Washington.

What I truly do not understand is why the GOP doesn't have confidence in their ability to carry a coherent message. It's obvious Obamacare is failing. That's not even debatable anymore. And the Congressional Budget Office's projections of 22 million people "losing" coverage via the AHCA is a chanting point which woefully lacks nuance and can be easily slapped down with facts. Despite that, some Republicans (particularly the moderate ilk of Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, John McCain et al) merely seem content to make O-care "suck less." Hardly an inspiring message.

Say what you want about the Dems, but they were willing to suffer catastrophic losses at the ballot box by passing Obamacare in early 2010. Some speculate that it was intentional this massive entitlement package (which took over 1/6 of the U.S. economy) would be such a bureaucratic nightmare that it could never be undone. But in the event O-Care did fail? Well then, the progressive dream of single payer can finally become a reality, which would indicate the left was willing to endure short-term election losses to achieve this long-term goal. If Republicans have even a scintilla of that type of conviction, they should be willing to do everything in their power to thwart any possibility that single payer will emerge.

In the end, it appears many Congressional Republicans only exert boldness and conviction when they're the minority party. Failure to make good on a promise which led to substantial victories 3 of the past 4 election cycles could well render them minority status for the foreseeable future.

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Box Score of the Week

Have a day, Tony Cloninger! Not only did the Atlanta Braves starting pitcher get a complete game victory in this July 1966 matchup against the San Francisco Giants, he also hit two grand slam home runs.

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In MLB history, 13 players have hit two grand slams in one game. Cloninger is the only pitcher to have accomplished such a feat. 

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Mephistopheles is not your name.....

It was definitely a "new-sy" week this past week, so we'll get to as much as we can on the one-hour edition of The Closer. We'll get started right at 2:00 PM Central Time.

Right at 2:00, I'll be joined by political wonk Matt Mackowiak. We'll obviously spend a fair amount of time discussing Donald Trump, Jr. revealing he did indeed meet with Russian officials last year regarding potentially damaging information on Hillary Clinton. We will also discuss the Senate Republicans' struggle to cobble together a replacement for Obamacare as well as the future of addressing tax reform.


So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we 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, or check us out via iheart radio. If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

Even though I have a face for radio, there is a UStream channel where you can watch the broadcast if you so desire. Check it out here.

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

Until then.....

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As one who occasionally caricatures leftists....

........, I don't know that I could do a more effective job of it than lefties themselves.


Whether it's on the issue of climate change.......

Having children is one of the worst things you can do for the planet. Have one less and conserve resources. https://t.co/8oP2SlL8Gj

— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) July 12, 2017

.....or feminism,.....






.....I can literally let their own words speak for themselves.

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The 25th ESPYs

The annual ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Awards show took place Wednesday evening. I didn't feel like indulging, mostly because so many athletes these days take on social and political causes that tend to be on the "progressive" side. As such, many award winners use their acceptance speeches as one big exercise in virtue signaling. Yeah, I'll pass.

That said, it's hard to deny that some of the more poignant speeches were given at this annual awards show, particularly by the those who were recognized for their courage in battling cancer. The inaugural ESPYs in 1993 featured a classic monologue from former NC State basketball coach Jim Valvano, who seized that moment to announce the beginning of the V Foundation, an organization which has since raised millions for cancer research. Jimmy V died merely eight weeks after delivering that incredible address.

A 2014 speech by ESPN anchor Stuart Scott and 2016 address by NBA sideline reporter Craig Sager (both of whom died within months of their respective appearances) were also just as memorable.

But for me, the one moment that still makes me piss myself laughing is an excerpt of host Norm MacDonald's opening monologue at the 1998 ESPYs. Upon seeing Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson in the audience, MacDonald invoked....well.....just watch.

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Hmmmm..... (UPDATE: Trump, Jr. confirms email and its contents)

So The New York Times came out with a rather explosive allegation regarding President Trump's eldest son.

Before arranging a meeting with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer he believed would offer him compromising information about Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump Jr. was informed in an email that the material was part of a Russian government effort to aid his father’s candidacy, according to three people with knowledge of the email.

The email to the younger Mr. Trump was sent by Rob Goldstone, a publicist and former British tabloid reporter who helped broker the June 2016 meeting. In a statement on Sunday, Mr. Trump acknowledged that he was interested in receiving damaging information about Mrs. Clinton, but gave no indication that he thought the lawyer might have been a Kremlin proxy.

Mr. Goldstone’s message, as described to The New York Times by the three people, indicates that the Russian government was the source of the potentially damaging information. It does not elaborate on the wider effort by Moscow to help the Trump campaign.

Like with the memo where FBI Director James Comey allegedly documented a conversation with President Trump regarding his desire for the FBI to drop the Michael Flynn-Russia matter, there was a mere allegation of documentation as opposed to the NY Times being furnished with a copy. But even if such an email exists, Matt Ford of The Atlantic cautions that we shouldn't jump to any definitive conclusions.

Some details about the email still remain uncertain. The precise contents of the email are not offered. Its exact tone and phrasing could produce different interpretations than what the sources told the Times; the report claims the email “indicates” that the source was the Russian government, but does not explain the nature of that indication. The Times report also says there is no evidence so far that Donald Jr. was informed the information could have been illegally obtained, or that he was offered the contents of hacked emails from either the Democratic National Committee or the Clinton campaign. If either of those things turned out to be the case, it would place the president’s eldest son in significant legal peril.

Let's say that Trump, Jr. received damning information about Mrs. Clinton from Russian connected sources and that said info was not obtained illegally. While it would appear the younger Trump would avoid any legal consequences, such a scenario would prove politically damaging to his father's administration. It would resurrect all the chatter of collusion with Russia, which would be especially tumultuous given the impression by some that President Trump came out looking rather feeble in his initial meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.

In the end, this may end up being the obligatory "nothing burger." However, just these mere allegations give extended life to the poo-flinging leftist media and their obsession with Russia.

Stay tuned.

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UPDATE: Trump, Jr. not only confirms email content but unwittingly admits to attempting to collude with Russian connections. Legally speaking it's not a crime but it is felony stupid.

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Awkward!

So I saw this headline on ESPN.com:

Michelle Obama to honor Eunice Kennedy Shriver at ESPYS

Mrs. Shriver of course was the founder of the Special Olympics.

For some reason all I could think of was Mrs. Obama's husband (some guy who used to be President) and his appearance on The Tonight Show in 2009.

Upon revealing he had bowled a 129 at the White House bowling alley, then President Obama remarked that his feeble effort "was like Special Olympics." 

Yeah, awkward!

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Box Score of the Week

It's the All-Star break, so naturally we'll feature an MLB All-Star Game this week. Let's check out the 1949 contest at Ebbets Field.

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Just over two years earlier, Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier. As such, this was the first All-Star Game which featured black players as Robinson, Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe and Larry Doby all participated. 

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See me ride out of the sunset on your color TV screen....

Tune in to the Northern Alliance Radio Network today for the latest edition of The Closer. The one-hour festivities get started at 2:00 PM Central Time.

Much of the show will be focused in large part of how the mainstream media (both TV and print) are flat out imploding due in large part to self-inflicted wounds.


So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we 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, or check us out via iheart radio. If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

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

Until then.....

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Using Howard Dean logic, .....

.....Mad How himself could be whisked away and jailed by agents of the government, a la the guy (falsely) blamed for the YouTube video causing the Benghazi terrorist attack (which it didn't) on 9/11/2012.

How so?

Go back to a tweet Dean posted 2-1/2 months ago.

Hate speech is not protected by the first amendment. https://t.co/DOct3xcLoY

— Howard Dean (@GovHowardDean) April 21, 2017

Then fast forward to an appearance he made on MSNBC this week where he called the NRA a "white supremacist group."




I'm being facetious of course. I am absolutely not calling for Dean to be arrested. I'm merely highlighting the fact a supposed mainstream Democrat has a flawed interpretation of the Constitution as well as sets a standard (i.e. the perils of "hate speech") which Dean himself is unable to meet.

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The obligatory #CNNblackmail post

Last weekend, President Trump posted a gif of himself smacking around a guy with a CNN logo for a head while participating in a WWE wrestling match sideshow (Y'all realize though that "pro wrestling" is fake, right?) The reaction was as you'd expect. Ardent Trump supporters loved it. The media and other left-wing establishments (including those who say GOP health insurance reform will kill millions) accused Trump of inciting violence towards media members. But the vast majority seemed to greet it with a collective eye roll, essentially saying that while it was incredibly juvenile and silly, no rational person should construe it as the President of the United States calling for acts of violence on media members. The video was more a symbolic clip in how Trump is rhetorically pounding away at "Fake News" CNN.

Instead of leaving well enough alone by having Trump coming off as nothing more than a high profile troll, CNN ended up stepping on the proverbial rake.

CNN and reporter Andrew Kaczynski are being accused of "blackmailing" the man who created a GIF showing President Donald Trump "attacking" the news network.

On Sunday, the president tweeted a GIF of himself wrestling and punching a man with the CNN logo superimposed over his head.

In an article Tuesday, Kaczynski wrote that he uncovered the identity of the Reddit user who created the GIF - user name “HanA**holeSolo” - by comparing information posted on Reddit to Facebook profiles.

Kaczynski said that the man sounded nervous about his identity being revealed, and he apologized.

Personally, I have no problem with this particular aspect of the story. CNN looked to track down and seek comment from the person responsible for the online creation used by a sitting President. And since Reddit and Facebook are public forums, Kaczynski used the tools which are at the disposal of literally millions of people.

That said, CNN's statement regarding its decision to not reveal the actual identity of "HanA**holeSolo" opened up the network to accusations of blackmail.

“CNN is not publishing HanA**holeSolo’s name because he is a private citizen who has issued an extensive statement of apology, showed his remorse by saying he has taken down all his offending posts, and because he said he is not going to repeat this ugly behavior on social media again,” the article stated. “CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change.”

Translation: We'll keep your name a secret unless you publish content which we, the moral arbiters at CNN, deem offensive.

It's obvious that CNN has had an adversarial relationship with Trump since before he was inaugurated. And since they've conceded that they're unable to inflict damage on their most high profile provocateur (i.e. admission of the Russia-Trump collusion cratering), why not go after those who they believe enable Trump's behavior?

With all the legitimate fodder the President hands these media outlets, they constantly overplay their hands and come off looking even more buffoonish than Trump. It's a vicious cycle.

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Box Score of the Week

Going real old school this week. It's a June 1932 game with the New York Yankees taking on the Philadelphia Athletics.

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Of all the legendary sluggers in Yankees history, only one player ever hit for a "natural cycle," which is hitting a single, double, triple and home run in order. Also, only one "Bronx Bomber" ever hit four home runs in a single game. 

Both feats occurred in that June 1932 contest against the Philly Athletics. 

Yanks third baseman Tony Lazzeri hit for the natural cycle while Lou Gehrig clubbed four homers.

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I like my job and I don't mind the work.....

It's technically a holiday weekend but the Northern Alliance Radio Network rolls on. Today's one-hour edition of The Closer starts at 2:00 PM Central Time.

I'll discuss some key U.S. Supreme Court rulings from this past week as well as look ahead to an important religious liberty case SCOTUS will hear later this year. 

Also, last week was one for the books in terms of the leftist media (pardon the redundancy) attempting to make itself the story. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we 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, or check us out via iheart radio. If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

Even though I have a face for radio, there is a UStream channel where you can watch the broadcast if you so desire. Check it out here.

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

Until then.....

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