Rep. Scalise returns

Approximately 3-1/2 months after being shot by a deranged "Bernie Bro," Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) returned to the U.S. House on Thursday.





When recounting the incident where he was shot at the Congressional Republicans' baseball practice last June, Scalise emphasized where his mind was.

"It starts with God," Scalise said. "When I was laying out on the ball field, the first thing I did when I was down and couldn't move anymore, was pray. It gave me an unbelievable sense of calm."

"The power of prayer is just not something you can underestimate," he continued. "I am a living example that miracles do happen."

How unified were both parties in the House today? Scalise's mention of God even drew applause from Democrats.

A great day all around!

-------------------------------------

The Twins are in!

After suffering a 4-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians Wednesday evening, the Minnesota Twins "magic number" stood at 1 to clinch the final American League playoff berth.

If the L.A. Angels of Anaheim lost to the White Sox that evening, the Twins would be in. As such, Twins players and coaches gathered around the TV in the visitors' locker room at Progressive Field to watch the final few innings of Angels-White Sox.

With the the score tied at 4 in the bottom of the 10th inning, White Sox left fielder Nicky Delmonico came to the plate with the winning run on second base. Delmonico crushed a 2-1 pitch to right for a two-run homer, saddling the Angels with a loss and elimination from postseason contention.

Here's the reaction from the Twins the moment they clinched a spot in the 2017 MLB playoffs:

A post shared by A.mejia pitcher MN twins⚾ (@adalbertomj_49) on Sep 28, 2017 at 12:42pm PDT

The Twins are the first team in MLB history to go from 100+ losses one year to a playoff berth the following season. Of course, one can make a solid argument that an asterisk can be placed next to that feat since 33% of teams in each league make the MLB playoffs these days. It's a much lower bar than, say, the 1960s when only the clubs which won the 10-team National League and 10-team American League made the postseason. Nevertheless, the achievement of the 2017 Twins is still impressive.

As it stands right now, the Twins will be traveling to New York to take on the Yankees in the wildcard game on Tuesday. Naturally people immediately point to the Twins' futility against the Yanks over the past 10+ years. Since 2002 (the year the Twins made the postseason for the first time in eleven seasons), the Twins have compiled an abysmal 31-78 record vs. the Yankees in the regular season and 2-12 in the playoffs. Combine that with the fact Ervin Santana, the Twins' projected started on Tuesday, is a career 0-5 with an ERA north of six at the new Yankee Stadium. So am I saying it's inevitable that the Twins will once again be the Yanks' postseason whipping boy? Not necessarily. If it comes down to one game, I definitely take my chances as opposed to having to win 3 out of 5 or 4 out of 7.

So with that, I say.......




------------------------------------------------

The new constitutionalists

With leftists suddenly declaring themselves hawkish on the First Amendment in light of President Trump's criticism of NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem, they may wanna use that same vigilance on other aspects of the Constitution. Namely towards   a sitting U.S. Senator within the Democrat party.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., attacked Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Friday for new guidelines released by the Department of Education intended to create a “fair and impartial” process for addressing sexual assault claims on college campuses.

DeVos announced Friday that two Obama-era guidance letters on the subject were being withdrawn. The letters had created a system denounced by many as giving those accused of sexual assault insufficient ability to defend themselves.

DeVos had said earlier this month that changes were coming.

Sen. Feinstein's reaction?

(1/2) Sec. DeVos is putting rights of the accused above those of sexual assault victims. Absolutely unconscionable. https://t.co/cx4aMYH0F0

— Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) September 22, 2017

(2/2) I’ll continue to work in the Senate to protect victims of campus sexual assault. We can’t give up the fight. #TitleIX

— Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) September 22, 2017

Quick, leftists! Without using Google, tell me how these statements from a member of the U.S. Senate are inconsistent with what's laid out in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution (Hint: something to do with that Due Process thingy). I'll wait.

-------------------------------------

Box Score of the Week

Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds - September 27, 1998.

-------------------------------------

In the Reds starting lineup were two sets of brothers: Bret and Aaron Boone as well as Barry and Stephen Larkin. This marked the first time in MLB history that two sets of siblings were on the field for the same team.

---------------------------------------

Enemies to be proud of.

The "Resistance" movement in a nutshell:

Political left in 2017
- Antifa are D-Day soldiers
- Jihad just means struggle
- Kim Jong Un is right
- Protest the national anthem

— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) September 24, 2017

------------------------------------------

Can't you feel to the town exploding?

Another Sunday, yet another edition of my radio program The Closer. The one-hour blitz gets started at 2:00 PM Central Time.

Politics intersected with the culture (i.e. via The Emmys and NFL) in a big way this past week, so we'll no doubt get in to that. 

At 2:30 we will be joined by Twila Brase, who is the co-founder of Citizens' Council for Health Freedom. Twila will no doubt weigh in on the latest attempt to repeal Obamacare via the Graham-Cassidy bill as well as what CCHF has in store to impact the future of health care regardless of what happens with the ACA. 

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.....

----------------------------------------

Our perpetually petulant governor - Part MMCDLV

Even though the Supreme Court of Minnesota ruled that Little Lord Fauntleroy's Gov. Mark Dayton's line item veto of MN legislative funding was constitutional, they also indicated that the matter needed to be settled via mediation. This was in part because the SCOM felt they couldn't order funding to be reinstated (as a lower court had), so an agreement between the two parties would have to be reached to ensure the legislature could operate properly.

So when mediation commenced and Dayton heard something he didn't like, his reaction was indicative of how he's behaved these past 6-1/2 years when things haven't gone his way.

What was supposed to be two long days of talks to came to a crashing halt when Dayton walked out of negotiations midday Friday.

“I was angry. I told them in my 40 years dealing with Minnesota government, I have never, ever been lied to — and I don’t use that word lightly,” Dayton said. “The people of Minnesota have been lied to and the Supreme Court’s been lied to. … That infuriated me and it deeply offends me.”

The governor said what brought him to the brink was the disclosure that both the House and the Senate had enough money in savings to fund themselves for months, despite his veto. That belies, he said, their longtime claim that they sued over his funding veto to save legislative staff and the very existence of the Legislature.

Actually, no, that is (per Dayton's personal standards) a lie. The Legislature filed the lawsuit over being de-funded because they believed this violated the separation of powers. It seemed rather dictatorial to cut off funding to one branch of government because another branch disagrees with them. Does this mean Dayton could cut off funding for the judiciary if they handed down a legal ruling which rankled him?

In the end, Dayton has nothing to lose. He's not seeking reelection in 2018 and the legislature will be comprised of the opposing party the remaining 15+ months of his gubernatorial term. Why not continue throw crap against the proverbial wall and see what sticks? After all, Dayton will be unable to achieve little of his agenda next legislative session, assuming he even has a coherent plan.

Man, what a s--t show.

----------------------------------

We're going full Idiocracy, man

Never go full Idiocracy.

For instance, consulting with late night TV host Jimmy Kimmel on how Congress should handle a law affecting one-sixth of the U.S. economy.

Or propping up elitist celebs, whose "carbon footprint" is multiple times that of the average American, regarding their thoughts on "climate change". 

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio says history will judge President Trump harshly for his inaction on climate change.

Speaking Tuesday at a Yale University climate conference (Where I'm sure Leo arrived by driving a Prius the 3,000 miles from his Hollywood abode - ed.), DiCaprio lashed out at Trump for pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accord.

"We are going to look back at this point in history, and frankly this administration, and certain people are going to be vilified for not taking action,” he said, according to the Hartford Courant.

"We should not have people in office who do not believe in facts and truths and modern science that are able to manipulate and risk the entire future of this entire generation," he told former Secretary of State John Kerry.

Not have people in office who "do not believe in facts and truths and modern science?" Is that a litmus test Leo really wants to impose? I ask because I have a feeling that many of the elected officials who agree with Leo's perspective on climate change are also folks who believe that men can become pregnant and that there are more than two genders. Disqualifying potential candidacies of likely allies seems rather counterproductive to one's cause, no?

--------------------------------

Leftist Circular Firing Squads ramping up

When "progressives" went all in on the "resistance" movement, a philosophy which sought to de-legitimize the Donald Trump presidency, they had no clue how untenable a position that would be become. So when Democrat leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi recently met with Trump in an effort to craft bipartisan legislation addressing DACA, angry leftists (particularly illegal aliens) berated them for "normalizing" a sitting President of the United States.

Then earlier this month, far left Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) was ripped by allies for merely having the audacity to suggest people exercise "patience" while Trump navigates his first term.

But what really caused many leftists to lose their collective minds had to do with former Trump Press Secretary Sean Spicer making an appearance at this past Sunday's Emmy Awards. Spicer entered the stage with a rolling podium, which was a direct reference to actress Melissa McCarthy's portrayal of him on Saturday Night Live. Despite being the butt of so many jokes for his, at times, buffoonish behavior during White House press briefings (especially his defense of Trump's laughable over-estimations of January's inauguration crowd), I lauded Spicer for being able to be self-deprecating. Ah, but as Bridget Phetasy at The Federalist notes, the leftist media (pardon the redundancy) didn't see the humor in it.

I have no problem with Spicy doing the talk show circuit and rehabbing his image; he was made a laughingstock and deserves to have a little fun, too. What I do take issue with is today’s host of journos and bloggers clutching their pearls about how damaging it is to have Spicer appear on the Emmys. To those people, I ask: have you been alive for the past, well, forever?

All politicians lie. All of them. That’s what makes them politicians. Maybe they don’t lie as blatantly or overtly about stuff that is easily disproven, but they all lie and use Hollywood to shill for their agenda. Remember when President Obama appeared on “Between Two Ferns” to sell millennials on Obamacare? Remember Bill Clinton playing the sax on “The Arsenio Hall Show”? I do. And they all use their press secretaries to make sure their administration stays on brand.

It’s all spin. Why is anyone acting like Spicy did anything other than exactly what his job description required? It’s the press secretary’s job to lie to the American public. We can dress it up however we want, but that’s essentially what they’re doing.

In America, at any given time, approximately half the population believes the lie and the other half doesn’t. Then the power changes hands, the pendulum swings and suddenly you’re on the side defending the lie instead of fighting it. Some of us in the middle shrug and realize it’s all a farce and do our best to ride the tide trying to pull people in one direction or another.

There was also heavy criticism directed towards Emmys host Stephen Colbert for indulging in the Spicer bit.

Hollywood types and other leftists can pretend to be all indignant over someone they deem as undesirable as a President Trump, but let's be honest here. Much of what is being celebrated in the entertainment industry today has, at minimum, a perceived anti-Trump tinge to it.

"The Handmaid’s Tale” would have most certainly been good, but if Hillary were president, it wouldn’t have packed the same punch of visceral terror fueled by a p-ssy-hat-wearing nation, high on fear-mongering blogs about our dystopian future.

SNL became relevant for the first time in years. Stephen Colbert’s show was floundering before he found a focal point in Trump. He would not have hosted the Emmy Awards last night. His current success goes hand in hand with the Trump presidency.

The other hard truth Hollywood doesn’t like to look at: they helped lay the groundwork for a President Trump. They shoved reality TV and “Jersey Shore” and the Kardashians and, yes, “The Apprentice” down our throats for a decade. They chose trashy, cheap non-scripted sensationalism over thoughtful, scripted content because it was less expensive to produce. What exactly did they expect to get? Informed voters? A generation of intellectuals?

No. Hollywood is just as complicit in turning this country into a nation of brain-dead morons determined to vote against their own interests as are the partisan pundits, the mainstream media, the NFL, the liberal colleges, the failing school systems and we, the lazy voters. That’s the dichotomy of Hollywood. It loves to get uppity about politics and shame the flyover states for not being woke, but doesn’t hesitate to bring us Honey Boo Boo, either. Trump might not be the president we want, but he’s the president we deserve.

Again, are we absolutely certain Idiocracy wasn't a biography?

---------------------------

Clueless Joe

Apparently former Vice President Joe Biden has had his fill of President Donald Trump's boorish behavior, particularly regarding Trump's latest retweet.

Just had the chance to see President Trump's golf swing tweet. Enough. This has to stop. Our children are watching.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 19, 2017

Uhhh....say, Joe? Did our children happen to be looking away all those years you were Vice President? Particularly during swearing-in ceremonies of U.S. Senators and Cabinet members?





I think you know what you can do with your faux outrage, Mr. Biden.

------------------------------

Kap in purple?

With Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford experiencing lingering issues with his left knee (the same knee which he tore his ACL in 2013 and 2014), the Vikes had to turn to backup QB Case Keenum in Week 2. Needless to say, Keenum's lackluster performance in the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers can't possibly have the Vikings organization brimming with confidence in the event Bradford has to miss multiple games. The only other healthy QB is someone named Kyle Sloter, who was activated from the Vikes' practice squad over the weekend.

But even before Bradford was ruled out of Sunday's game, I tweeted the following:

I feel further convicted in that opinion in light of the Vikings QB depth chart at the moment. Since Bradford's status is still very murky and Teddy Bridgewater, who was anointed the franchise quarterback before his own gruesome knee injury just over a year ago, won't be ready to play until mid-season at the earliest, there's no reason to not bring in Kaepernick for a workout. If on the basis of that workout the coaches/front office personnel determine that his skill set falls short of what is already on the roster, then fine. Not signing Kap can be written off as a "business decision."

Now let's address the proverbial elephant in the room.

Yes, Kap's decision to kneel during the National Anthem has rankled many patriotic NFL fans. And yes, his portrayal of America as oppressive while defending the regime of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro is outrageous if not stunningly ignorant. But should that preclude him from having a job in the National Football League? Of course not. On the other hand, should teams be compelled to offer employment? Again, no. So that begs the question of why isn't Kaepernick, at minimum, on a roster considering he's more talented than several QBs occupying spots today? Are NFL owners, GMs and coaches genuinely concerned over a fan backlash if Kap were signed by their team? If so, I'm skeptical that signing Kaepernick would have that dramatic an affect. I sincerely believe most NFL fans are able to compartmentalize.

Remember the shock and horror conveyed by some Vikings fans when seeing the whip marks Adrian Peterson left on his 4-year old son 3+ years ago? The initial reaction by some was that Peterson should be incarcerated, never mind ever resuming his NFL career. Yet when Peterson returned for the 2015 season and won the NFL rushing title, the horrific images of an abused child went down the memory hole for some (not all, but some).

How about when the Philadelphia Eagles took a flier on QB Michael Vick just prior to 2009. Vick had been out of the NFL the prior two seasons (even spending some time in jail) due to his role in participating in a dog fighting ring. Naturally, many animal rights protestors (some of whom were likely Eagles fans) demonstrated outside Philly's training camp facility, expressing disgust that a "dog killer" was given special dispensation. A year later, Vick took over the starting job from an injured Kevin Kolb and went on to have the best passing season of his NFL career, taking the club all the way to the postseason. Suddenly the visual of electrocuted canines became secondary to the excitement generated by a possible Super Bowl run.

The point I'm making is if fans are willing to forgive and forget literal crimes committed by guys who help their favorite NFL team win, why is it so unfathomable to consider signing a player whose social and political beliefs may be drastically different from theirs? Again, go ahead and savage Kaepernick's beliefs all you want (I know I certainly have). But if you believe he doesn't deserve an opportunity to play football based upon what you perceive as behavior disrespecting this country, then I question your moral code if you've ever rooted for an NFL team. Inevitably, every franchise in pro football at one time or another has employed a player who's had brushes with the law. Kap's only sin is he exercised the same First Amendment rights all Americans possess.

I guess this is my way of saying that I have zero issue with my favorite NFL squad bringing Kaepernick on board.

---------------------------------------

Box Score of the Week

Toronto Blue Jays at Baltimore Orioles - August 24, 1983.

-------------------------------------

Orioles pitcher Tippy Martinez picked off three runners off first base in the top of the 10th inning.  

-------------------------------------

Got the key to my city, it's over....

Today is the Vikings' first Sunday game of the 2017 NFL regular season but The Closer will still air live! The one-hour program gets started at 2:00 PM Central Time.

Is President Trump losing his base over a potential DACA deal with Congressional Democrats? Should ESPN's Jemele Hill be fired for calling Trump a "white supremacist?" And why does Hillary Clinton look everywhere but in the mirror for the reason she lost in the 2016 presidential race?

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.....

----------------------------------------

Quick Hits: Volume CLV

- Even some of the more high profile Donald Trump apologists (save for Sean Hannity) are having difficulty wrapping their heads around why the President would cut an immigration deal with the minority party without a Mexican border fence (his signature campaign issue) being part of the alleged agreement.

While Trump denies a definitive deal has been made with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the fact he went around his own party's leaders merely adds to the legend of the GOP showing utter ineptitude when it comes to actually governing. So why are Republicans unable to effectively govern despite having all levers of power in Washington?  Julia Azari at FiveThirtyEight shares her perspective in perhaps one of the more insightful pieces on this frustrating trend.

A snippet:

Much of the party’s stated governing ideology rests on the premise that “government is the problem,” which makes it difficult to develop a coherent agenda for determining what the government should be doing. And currently, there isn’t much else unifying a party fragmented along lines of ideology, openness to compromise and support for the president.

Trump’s own approach to policy, meanwhile, hasn’t helped the party set priorities. He hasn’t clearly articulated what *he* wants the GOP to focus on, jumping from infrastructure to taxes to health care to immigration, and from controversy to controversy. He has also promised a number of governing outcomes – better health care coverage, stronger national security, a better economy – but he’s often short on the details about what kinds of policies might achieve them. Legislation tends to die in the course of working out the specifics, and without a stable, widely shared set of priorities, it can be hard to achieve anything.

The entire thing's worth a read.


- Hillary Clinton wrote the book (literally) on how *not* to get over losing a presidential election.

As usual, the Washington Free Beacon perfectly summarizes Mrs. Clinton's delusion on how scores of factors outside her own corruption, dishonesty and arrogance were to blame for her loss.





- I agree with National Review's David French when he says the White House should not insert itself into the job status of ESPN personality Jemele Hill. WH Press Secretary Sarah Sanders recently indicated that Ms. Hill's comments (via Twitter) on President Trump being a "white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself with other white supremacists" is a "fireable offense."

Yes, ESPN management are flaming hypocrites over which employees have latitude to convey their political opinions and which do not (see Schilling, Curt). But if conservatives are going to stand firm and say it was wrong for Schilling to be fired just because he expressed right wing views, then we should also be on board with Hill being free to express her leftist opinions. Now if Hill's weeknight show SC6, which she co-hosts with Michael Smith, tanks in its ratings due to viewers boycotting the program over her opinions, then it makes sense to fire her from a business standpoint.

In the end, ESPN is becoming largely irrelevant when it comes to how consumers take in their sports news. Perhaps it's best to just let the network continue to circle the drain.

------------------------------------------

Tired of winning yet?

Of many memorable statements Donald Trump made on the 2016 campaign trail, one that is often recounted is his bold proclamation that America will be a perpetual winner under his watch.

"We're going to win so much, you may even get tired of winning."

Now that he's been President of the United States just shy of eight months, Trump has apparently grown so weary of victory laps that he's passing on an ample opportunity to conquer his signature campaign issue.

White House legislative affairs director Marc Short told reporters on Tuesday that President Trump would not demand that border wall funding is tied to a legislative replacement for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Speaking at a roundtable event hosted by the Christian Science Monitor, Short said the administration didn’t want to “bind” itself by making a demand that would likely be a nonstarter for many lawmakers.

“We’re interested in getting border security and the president has made the commitment to the American people that a barrier is important to that security,” Short said. “Whether or not that is part of a DACA equation, or ... another legislative vehicle, I don’t want to bind us into a construct that would make the conclusion on DACA impossible.”

There had been speculation that Trump would require any compromise on potential DACA legislation include money for a wall along the southern border. Short was adamant that his remarks are not an indication that the president is going soft on the wall.

Naturally many Trump cultists will find yet another way to dismiss this as the President "playing the long game" or that he's engaging in the proverbial chess match with Dems. It's bull pucky of course, as it's quite obvious that many of the statements Trump conveys likely weren't even on his mind 60 seconds before verbalizing them. The idea that he's implementing some sort of long term strategy seems dubious.

So if  the border fence is a nonstarter in a situation where the Dems are more hysterical than ever (i.e. the DACA phase out being on the clock), when does the Trump administration believe the issue can ever be broached?

When Trump reaches his 1-year anniversary as POTUS in January 2018, there's a very real possibility that the debt ceiling will have been increased yet again, some sort of amnesty legislation will be signed into law and no Obamacare repeal will have occurred. If that is "winning" then yes, I've definitely grown weary of it.

------------------------------------

Vikings' 2017 opener

Not sure which makes me happier:

The Vikings' impressive win over the New Orleans Saints Monday night or the fact former Vikes RB Adrian Peterson came off as a whiny b**ch.

Adrian Peterson is already pissed at Payton pic.twitter.com/F5waFK4K0t

— Carlton (@SlopingGiraffe) September 12, 2017

Call it a push.

------------------------------------------------

A 9/11 story

From the LinkedIn page of CEO Scott MacGregor:

I still don't really know why I kept this building pass for what seemed at the time just one of hundreds of sales calls I had been on.

Little did I know that all of the people at Cantor Fitzgerald I met with that day on the 103rd floor of the World Trade Center 2 1/2 months later would be gone.

I've kept this in my office now for (16) years to remind me of them and my friend Pete Gelinas who went to work that day and never came home. NEVER FORGET!

--------------------------------------

Box Score of the Week

St. Louis Browns at Boston Red Sox - September 14, 1951.

--------------------------------------------

In this game, Browns' outfielder Bob Nieman became the first player in MLB history to hit a home run in each of his first two big league at bats. 

--------------------------------------------

Will you have whiskey with your water or sugar with your tea?

After a two-week excursion to the MN State Fair, it's back to the Patriot bunker for today's edition of The Northern Alliance Radio Network. My weekly program The Closer gets started at 2:00 PM Central Time.

I'll spend the first couple of segments discussing the utter lack of critical thinking by Trump detractors, particularly in light of some big decisions handed down by the administration this past week.

At 2;30, I will attempt to connect with my pal J.T. A few months ago, J.T. and his family moved to Palm Harbor, Florida, which is about a half hour northwest of Tampa. As such, we hope to receive an on-the-ground update regarding Hurricane Irma.


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.....

----------------------------------------

The lawless left

Earlier this week, I commented on President Trump's decision to allow the program Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to begin a six-month phase out.

While I believe America would be better off with the beneficiaries of that program (i.e. children of illegal aliens who know no other life but living in the USA) remaining here, drafting a directive to the Dept. of Homeland Security (as then President Obama did) are not how laws are created in this country. Nevertheless, Trump's decision threw leftists into a snit fit. Yes, they essentially labeled the President as an intolerant bigot and ruthless dictator for wanting to uphold the separation of powers doctrine by having Congress craft legislation.

And let's not forget the leftists' insistence that someone placed on an arbitrary watch list should be deprived of their second amendment rights despite not being found guilty of an actual crime. So much for due process, innocent until proven guilty, etc.

But the latest issue leaving proggies frothing was the decision of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to put an end to on-campus "Kangaroo Courts."

DeVos indicated that she intended to withdraw Obama administration “guidance” on adjudicating sexual-assault claims on campus and replace it with a regulatory rulemaking process that is intended to protect students from sexual assault and preserve essential civil liberties.

It’s hard to overstate the legal and moral necessity of this action. First, let’s deal with the law. In 2011, the Obama administration issued a now-infamous “Dear Colleague” letter that required universities to lower the burden of proof in sexual-assault adjudication to a “preponderance of the evidence” standard (50.1 percent probability) without also adequately preserving essential due-process rights such as access to counsel, access to available evidence, and full and fair cross-examination of witnesses. At the same time, the administration commenced dozens of open-ended investigations of universities — acting on claims that they were insufficiently committed to protecting women from rape and applying the new guidance to evaluate university policies.

These actions were fundamentally lawless. No American administration has the ability to rewrite the law by merely issuing a letter. At the very least, the Obama administration should have conducted a notice-and-comment regulatory rulemaking process in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. Even then, the regulation would still have to be consistent with governing federal statutes and comply with the Constitution. But Obama’s Department of Education ignored these steps and instead violated the APA, Title IX, and the Constitution in an ideologically motivated trifecta of campus tyranny.

The web site Reason.com listed several cases where the ill-advised Obama administration policy was a hindrance, in large part because it deprived the accused and accusers the ability to retain legal counsel (again, so much for due process, eh?).

Why do "progressives" hate the Constitution?

------------------------------------

They told me....

.....that if I didn't support Trump for President, a repeal of Obamacare was dead and that amnesty for illegal aliens would likely happen.

And they were right.

----------------------------------------------

Quick Hits: Volume CLIV

- It's been rumored for some time that President Trump would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program instituted (unconstitutionally) via executive fiat during the Barack Obama administration. Said program allowed children of illegal aliens to remain in the country legally, thus not punishing them for the sins of their parents.

On Tuesday, Trump made it official.

The Trump administration on Tuesday announced the “orderly wind down” of the Obama-era program that gave a deportation reprieve to illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children – putting pressure on Congress to come up with a replacement.

“I do not favor punishing children, most of whom are now adults, for the actions of their parents. But we must also recognize that we are a nation of opportunity because we are a nation of laws,” Trump said, in a lengthy written statement explaining the decision.

The Department of Homeland Security formally rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, with a six-month delay for current recipients. According to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, the interval is meant to give Congress “time to deliver on appropriate legislative solutions.”

This issue adds to an already daunting workload for Congress this upcoming session as they look to tackle tax reform, address raising the debt ceiling and perhaps still look into the Obamacare mess. As such, I feel President Trump is in an advantageous position here, particularly when it comes to his signature issue.

In the House, senior Republicans still believe there’s a possible deal to be struck with Democrats: codifying DACA in return for Trump’s sought-after border wall.

This would appear to be the most expeditious method to resolving the DACA issue, thus allowing Congress ample time to address the other pressing items on their agenda. The question now is will the Democrats be willing to play along? I'm skeptical, if for no other reason then they'd no longer have this issue as the proverbial bloody shirt to wave around. We'll see.


- With headlines like this.....

Female hurricanes are deadlier than male hurricanes, study says

....is it any wonder why CNN's credibility has all but circled the drain?


-  I have not watched an entire episode of The Simpsons in more than 20 years (their 29th season begins next month). No reason in particular, just not all that interested. 

But with that said, I absolutely have to give credit where credit is due for the show's occasional brilliance. After predicting Donald Trump would be President 16 years before it actually occurred, the series producers recently did a bang up job depicting the whiny mindlessness of Social Justice Warriors on college campuses. 

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Box Score of the Week

Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds - June 21, 1968.

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The third inning run the Cubs scored halted a streak of 48 consecutive scoreless frames, which tied the all-time record set by the 1906 Phillies. Last month the Kansas City Royals threatened to break that mark but fell just short with 45 straight.

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I'm the closer, winner.....

In what has become a tradition in my six-year radio career, I will be broadcasting live from the Minnesota State Fair on the penultimate day of the 12-day extravaganza. Yes, The Closer will get started at 2:00 PM Central Time.

As with most State Fair broadcasts, this particular show will be guest intensive.


2:00 - Matt Dean, who is one of about 10 people vying to be the Minnesota Republican candidate in the 2018 gubernatorial race.

2:30 - Matt Pagano, Executive Director of the Republican Party of Minnesota.

2:45 - Minnesota state senator Carla Nelson.


If you happen to be out at the Fair today, 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 (next door to the Home Depot building; 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, or check us out via iheart radio.

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

Until then.....

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Putting the "fa" in Antifa

Let's be honest. The left wing group "Antifa" (short for Anti-Fascists) is as much against fascism as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (aka North Korea) is Democratic. To deny this is to completely isolate yourself from reality.

One could argue that leftists' blind defense of antifa jumped the shark with the utterly absurd comparison to soldiers who stormed the beaches of Normandy in World War II. But said memes now appear even more pathetic and stupid when the likes of Alan Dershowitz, Noam Chomsky and Nancy Pelosi call out the thuggish behavior of the antifa movement.

It'll be interesting to see if any of these developments serve to quell the borderline media fawning over these violent loons. Let's just say I remain skeptical that some media members will be unable to see past their disdain for President Trump in order to factually report on what is obviously a maniacal leftist faction.

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