Quick Hits: Volume CLXVII

- Thanks to their former leader Harry Reid and current leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Democrats have little to no hope in blocking Brett Kavanaugh from being confirmed as the next U.S. Supreme Court justice. The only legit chance would be for Sen. John McCain (who has expressed his admiration for Kavanaugh's credentials) to not be well enough to travel to Washington, D.C. to cast a "yea" vote and for Rand Paul to be unable to look past Kavanaugh's record on warrantless bulk collection of data. That would put the number of GOP senators at 49 supporting Kavanaugh, which would thwart his confirmation if all 49 Dems and Paul vote "nay."

Sadly for the Dems, the dream now appears dead.

After meeting Judge Kavanaugh and reviewing his record, I have decided to support his nomination. No one will ever completely agree with a nominee (unless of course, you are the nominee). Each nominee however, must be judged on the totality of their views character and opinions.

— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) July 30, 2018

Ah cheer up, Democrats. At least you still have Ruth Buzzi Bader Ginsburg for another 5 years.


- The Huffington Post Politics Twitter feed recently linked to an article about Barack and Michelle Obama enjoying life after the White House. They tweeted out the following to accompany said piece: "The Obama were spotted dancing to "N***as in Paris" at Beyoncé and Jay-Z's show on Saturday. "They are living their best life," one fan tweeted.

CNN's Jake Tapper in response:

The Democratic Party is the weakest it has been since the 1920s, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ https://t.co/ATqKBx4bq0

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) July 29, 2018

Indeed, the numbers don't lie.

In his eight years in office, Obama oversaw the rapid erosion of the Democratic Party’s political power in state legislatures, congressional districts and governor’s mansions. At the beginning of Obama’s term, Democrats controlled 59 percent of state legislatures, while now they control only 31 percent, the lowest percentage for the party since the turn of the 20th century. They held 29 governor’s offices and now have only 16, the party’s lowest number since 1920.

Instead of dancing to a Jay-Z song, perhaps Obama would have looked more natural playing the fiddle while a donkey symbol was set ablaze.


- Upon resigning in disgrace from his U.S. Senate seat, Al Franken always gave a sense that he wasn't going away quietly.

He all but confirmed that in a recent interview with a local TV station.

WCCO-TV reporter Esme Murphy asked, "Will you run for office again?"

"Well, see, if I say anything there, you'll put it in the story. I don’t know. I don't know," Franken replied. "I haven’t ruled it out, and I haven’t ruled it in."

He obviously misses the U.S. Senate. He also obviously thinks he was wronged by the #MeToo movement, which aims to call attention to sexual abuse and misconduct. Remember: When he resigned in December 2017, he was anything but contrite.

"All women deserve to be heard, and their experiences taken seriously,” he said just before claiming the allegations leveled against him "are not true."

In all honesty, I hope he runs again. Since I know for a fact that there are more women whom he touched inappropriately than the eight who have come forward, it's likely those untold stories will emerge. How can the political party who declares themselves "champions for women" continue to justify Franken's return to the Senate? Regardless, it would be fun watching proggies twist themselves into a pretzel over this, particularly if they drone on with the perpetual chanting point of "ALL WOMEN DESERVE TO BE BELIEVED!!!!'

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Box Score of the Week

Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees - August 13, 2016.

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

In their Major League Baseball debuts, Yankees hitters Tyler Austin (as of this week a member of the Minnesota Twins) and Aaron Judge hit home runs in their first big league at bats. This is the first time in MLB history where teammates homered in their debuts. 

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

What you say about his company is what you say about society.....

Wow, where did the month of July go??? Regardless, I am here to close out the final weekend of July with the latest edition of The Closer. Today's two-hour broadcast gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time.

At 1:30, the show's official political wonk Matt Mackowiak will join the program via phone. We'll discuss some House Republicans drawing up articles of impeachment against Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein, the latest in polling on the Congressional midterms, etc.

In non-guest segments there will be plenty of discussion regarding some progressives becoming even more loony (apparently it is possible).


So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM 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 #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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Back Asswards

Literally the only thing California has going for it is the nice weather.

As Ms. Panahi also astutely pointed out, this is the picture perfect example as to why the Electoral College needs to remain intact.

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What's good for the goose.........

Leftists: What an absolutely appalling tactic by CRTV host Allie Stuckey to pass off as real an interaction with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Rational thinking humans: I guess it's understandable that you can't tell the difference between satire and the real thing. Here, check out the original interview for yourself. 

Leftists (upon seeing the actual interview footage): 

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Don't Worry, Be Happy

In my entire adult lifetime, my happiness has never been based upon who our elected officials are at the time. Oh sure, I may feel a sense of dread at far left "progressives" influencing U.S. policy. But even when leftists are in power, I have to check myself to ensure my faith is not misguided. As a devout Christian, I'm able to maintain my peace and contentment despite being in a world which may be hostile to my worldview.

I guess this is why secular progressives, elitists, etc. are such miserable people. Putting hope and faith in a system of government headed up by fallible human beings will always leave us disappointed. Always. 

The trend I've noticed lately is many progs feel some sort of guilt for acknowledging and/or celebrating joyous occasions in their lives. The reason being is largely due to, in their minds, the horrifying reality of living in a country in which Donald Trump is president. Bethany Mandel noticed this as well. 

A fellow mom friend recently posted an idyllic picture of her kids online, writing about what a magical summer they’ve had so far. She ended the post by saying “even in dark times like these, my kids are such a bright spot.”

What dark times were these, I wondered? In the last week I’ve had a friend bury a brother, another returned foster children he’s had in his home for over a year and a third put their beloved family pet to sleep. So I messaged the friend concerned about the dark times facing her family, offering my prayers for whatever challenges they might be.

It turned out she just meant the presidency of Donald Trump. I say “just” not to dismiss the genuine distress many feel but to place it in its proper context. We’ve lost total perspective.

Indeed, it says something about how blessed we are that an unpleasant president counts as a dark cloud in one’s life, a trauma to be lived through. It seems Trump’s opponents feel that to properly signal their disapproval they must replace a healthy sense of perspective about American history with hyperbole.

A person born in 1911 experienced between their 18th and 40th years: The Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, World War II, the Cold War and the risk of nuclear war, the Korean War and the rise of Communist China. Perhaps we should keep that in mind the next time we refer to 2018 as “dark times.”

That's spot on. I'd also like to add that anyone who indulges in such outlandish rhetoric should perhaps go spend an extended period of time in a third world country where there's little to no hope of ever overthrowing someone in power. At least in this country, a president is up for election every four years.

Bottom line: Our standing as Americans are not and should not be reflective of whomever is President of the United States.

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Box Score of the Week

Houston Astros at Miami Marlins - May 17, 2017.

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The Astros' Jose Altuve became the first player in MLB history to have two doubles and two triple in one game yet fail to score a single run. 

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And now I'm serving time for mistakes made by another in another life time....

Round two of my back-to-back days of broadcasting on the Northern Alliance Radio Network. Today I'll be on the air for my regular show The Closer, which gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time.

At 1:30, IT Infrastructure expert Greg Scott makes an encore appearance. We spent a lot of yesterday's show talking about the specific hacks the Russians implemented during our 2016 election season. Today we'll discuss some high profile hacks on businesses & government agencies and what Greg recommends should be done to address the problem.

In the non-guest segments we'll discuss a lot of culture war stories, including the NFL freezing its national anthem policy, Brewers pitcher Josh Hader having appalling tweets from his youth being exposed and the Twitter mob claiming another scalp in actor Mark Duplass.


So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM 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 #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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Spending every dime for a wonderful NARN.....

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

In the first segment of the show, I'll discuss President Trump's disastrous performance at the Helsinki summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

At 1:15 I will welcome to the Patriot bunker cyber security expert Greg Scott. With a strong background in building IT infrastructure, Greg will discuss how vulnerable the U.S. is to another cyber attack and what has to be done to prevent such an incident.

Then for the 2:00 hour, I will be joined by local politicos and Crystal city councilors Jeff Kolb and Nancy LaRoche. We'll look to touch on all the key midterm races in Minnesota, including battles for all the statewide offices as well as the MN House.


So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM 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 #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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

Hader a hater?

When social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram hit critical mass, I was already in my late 30s/early 40s with a wife, career, etc. As such, I had the presence of mind to be judicious in what I posted on those various sites. My philosophy was one of not posting something which I wasn't willing to back up if questioned about it in person.

This is becoming more relevant today as millennials are starting to enter the workforce. While I certainly did and said a lot of incredibly dumb and insensitive things in my youth, I thankfully didn't have the wherewithal to leave a digital footprint behind. Unfortunately, the same can not be said of 20-somethings today, particularly those entering high profile professions such as the entertainment industry, politics, professional sports, etc.

A certain MLB relief pitcher learned this the hard way.

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Josh Hader will be required to take sensitivity training and participate in the league's diversity and inclusion initiatives after tweets from his past emerged during Tuesday's All-Star Game.

After a bumpy outing in his first All-Star appearance, some racist and anti-gay tweets that Hader sent when he was a teenager surfaced. He apologized after the game.

"During last night's game we became aware of Mr. Hader's unacceptable social media comments in years past and have since been in communication with the Brewers regarding our shared concerns," Major League Baseball said in a statement Wednesday. "After the game, Mr. Hader took the necessary step of expressing remorse for his highly offensive and hurtful language, which fails to represent the values of our game and our expectations for all those who are a part of it. The Office of the Commissioner will require sensitivity training for Mr. Hader and participation in MLB's diversity and inclusion initiatives."

The Brewers also issued a statement Wednesday, admonishing the pitcher for the tweets, but adding that they don't represent who Hader has become.

"His comments are inexcusable, and he is taking full responsibility for the consequences of his actions," the statement read. "Those of us that have come to know Josh do not believe that these posts are representative of his beliefs. He has been a good teammate and contributor to the team in every way. We will continue to work through this issue with Josh as we prepare to resume games after the break."

You can view screen grabs of Hader's old tweets here.

I'll admit to you that I was shocked and appalled at reading those posts from 6-7 years ago. But at the same time I'm not sure what will be accomplished by Hader partaking in "sensitivity training" other than MLB attempting to stem the tide of bad public relations. After all, the Brewers organization vouches for the now 24-year old Hader by indicating he does not at all resemble the impudent, immature youth who posted such gross content. If Hader had even a scintilla of the mindset he possessed six years earlier, I imagine he was scared straight by all the negative publicity he received Tuesday evening if not before then.

I'm sure a young man like Hader is willing to do whatever he can to clear his name, so he likely didn't strenuously object to MLB's directive. If nothing else, this serves as a cautionary tale for today's youth.

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

They can't help themselves

I recall a Twitter post put forth by Sean Davis of The Federalist just over a year ago. I can't seem to find the original tweet, but it essentially said this:

"President Trump's greatest asset continues to be the idiocy of his most fervent detractors."

An obligatory statement on the shocking nature of a U.S. President taking the word of a former KGB agent over the U.S. intelligence community would adequately sum up Trump's performance at the Helsinki meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Hell, the media could have merely played Trump's comments on an endless loop and not utter a word. That alone would have been an effective display of what a disgraceful performance it was.

Ah but as Davis said, anti-Trump folks just can't help but step on the proverbial rake.

Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of “high crimes & misdemeanors.” It was nothing short of treasonous. Not only were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???

— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) July 16, 2018

Opinion: "This is our Pearl Harbor, our 9/11. In the past, we have risen to the defense of our values, our ideologies and our institutions. It’s time for another fight." https://t.co/uOwFP3Lua2

— POLITICO (@politico) July 17, 2018

Quod. Erat. Demonstrandum.

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Quick Hits: Volume CLXVI

- When Barack Obama downplayed Russia as a geopolitical threat, GOP/conservative voters rightly criticized such flippancy. And when Obama didn't adequately address Russia's meddling in the 2016 U.S. elections, he again was appropriately excoriated by the same people.

So if Obama was wrong on principle, then those who were anti Obama but support Donald Trump need to acknowledge that Trump's statements at a joint press conference with Russian leader Vladimir Putin were just as disgraceful. Perhaps one of the more frustrating aspects is Trump could have easily shown how his administration has taken more substantive action than Obama ever did in responding to Russia's shenanigans. Instead, the President seemed to validate many leftist assertions (rightly or wrongly) that's he's little more than Putin's lap dog.

As such, I find myself agreeing with a certain former Speaker of the House.

President Trump must clarify his statements in Helsinki on our intelligence system and Putin. It is the most serious mistake of his presidency and must be corrected—-immediately.

Does it surprise you that Nancy Pelosi would say such a thing? Of course not. Except that's not the former House Speaker who said that. No, that quote is actually attributed to that scathing left winger Newt Gingrich.

All I wanna know is whatever happened to the "America First" mantra, Mr. President?


- During Sunday's game vs. the Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins manager Paul Molitor summoned closer Fernando Rodney in to the game with one out in the fifth inning. I mean, I know trends are changing in Major League Baseball with managers and front office guys looking to implement new, innovative techniques. But your late game specialist being called upon so soon? Was this an example of Molitor and Executive VP/Chief  Baseball Officer Derek Falvey trying out something new just before the All Star break?

Nah.

The reason Rodney got in the game earlier is because he had a late afternoon 
flight to Florida.

After 19 years in this wonderful country today I am blessed to say that I am an official US Citizen. Today I fly the American Flag but in my heart always hold my Dominican Flag. I want to thank all those who have been with me throughout the process and especially thank the @twins organizations for allowing me to catch my flight. Big thanks to the @tigers who made this dream possible 19 years ago. #USA #USCIS #bluepassport #dominicanamerican @mlb @mlb_dr

A post shared by Fernando Rodney (@fernandorodney3635) on Jul 16, 2018 at 8:28am PDT

Pretty awesome! Congrats, Fernando!!


- There's no question that in the GOP primary battle for Minnesota governor, Tim Pawlenty will raise significantly more money than his opponent Jeff Johnson. As such, the Johnson camp is looking for some creative ways to infuse more funding into its struggling campaign.

UPDATE: Jeff Johnson’s campaign makes direct plea in fundraising email for local #MNGOP party units to contribute directly to Johnson’s campaign. #mngov #mn2018 pic.twitter.com/K6KPmh39WH

— Michael Brodkorb (@mbrodkorb) July 16, 2018

Money raised at the BPOU level is typically doled out to state House and Senate campaigns. However, the Senate is not up this year but the entire House is. Even though the GOP has a strong majority in the House (77-57), Republicans can't take anything for granted in the event the party can't break its 12-year losing streak in statewide races. The GOP absolutely needs to hang on to both chambers of the Legislature. As such, I'm hoping the BPOUs receiving this plea respectfully decline Mr. Nadeau's request and thus properly fund legislative races.

I hope I'm wrong here, but it feels as though many of the same blunders which plagued the Johnson campaign in 2014 are rearing their ugly heads once again.

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Box Score of the Week

It's the All Star Break, so let's look back at the 1934 MLB All Star Game.

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Commenter Mr. D. nailed it regarding the National League's starting pitcher in 1934:

Carl Hubbell (struck out) five Hall of Famers in a row: Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx, Simmons, and Cronin.

The only comparable performance I can recall is Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez in the 1999 ASG. Of the six batters he faced, he struck out five, two of which were future Hall of Famers (Barry Larkin and Jeff Bagwell), one potential HOFer (Larry Walker) and two PED aided sluggers (Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa). 

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

They took the credit for your second symphony, rewritten by machine on new technology....

A lot to get to on this week's installment of The Closer. The 2-hour broadcast gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time.

We'll take the first hour to discuss the local political scene, including the MN gubernatorial race on the GOP side. Then at 1:30 we'll chat with longtime friend of the show Julia Schliesing (soon to be Coleman), who is seeking election to the Chanhassen City Council.

Then at 2:00 we will be joined by local legal expert David Asp, who will weigh in on President Trump's selection of Brett Kavanaugh as the latest nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court.


So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM 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 #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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

Just go away, Al

I guess it wasn't enough that then senator Al Franken embarrassed himself during last year's confirmation hearings of eventual Supreme Court justice Neil Gorsuch. No, he would apparently love another opportunity for self debasement with the latest SCOTUS nominee.

When Judge Brett Kavanaugh appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee, I wish I could be there. Because I have some questions I’d love to see him answer. Here they are: https://t.co/hLGuu4QW3w

— U.S. Senator Al Franken (@SenFranken) July 14, 2018

By the way, did you notice Al's still using the title of "U.S. Senator" in his Twitter name?




The fact that Franken believes a significant number of people even care what he has to say about anything political means reality is one of the few things he hasn't grasped.

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Upon witnessing....

....the various facial expressions of weasel FBI agent Peter Strzok at Thursday's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee,....

......I pictured off to the side two priests like the ones in The Exorcist. 




via GIPHY

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True life hero

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13

Miraculously, the 12 youth soccer players and their coach were alive and rescued after 2-1/2 weeks stranded in a flooded Thai cave. While we can rejoice in that outcome, it wasn't without a price. 

(T)here was one casualty — a former Thai Navy SEAL who died after entering the cave to lay oxygen tanks along the exit route.

Saman Gunan (alternatively spelled Kunan) has been remembered by his family and people around the world as a hero. The 38-year-old set out on Thursday night last week to deliver three oxygen tanks.

He completed his task, but lost consciousness on the return trip. His diving partner performed CPR but was unable to revive him.

While there is promising news from #Thailand cave rescue mission, I hope everyone takes pause to honor the former Thai Navy SEAL Saman Gunan. He volunteered to help the soccer team, and died underwater delivering oxygen canisters so the boys and their coach could breathe. #Hero pic.twitter.com/JkFL33fQYc

— Annie Yu (@AnnieYuFox5) July 8, 2018

It may be of little comfort to Mr. Gunan's loved ones at this point but his heroism is being celebrated as much (if not more so) as the 13 individuals being brought out alive. There aren't many who can leave this earth with that kind of legacy.

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Trump SCOTUS pick: Brett Kavanaugh

President Donald Trump made it official Monday evening by selecting a potential replacement for retiring U.S. Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy.

President Trump on Monday selected Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, a politically connected member of Washington’s conservative legal establishment, to fill Justice Anthony M. Kennedy’s seat on the Supreme Court, setting up an epic confirmation battle and potentially cementing the court’s rightward tilt for a generation.

The nomination of Judge Kavanaugh, 53, a federal appeals court judge, former aide to President George W. Bush and onetime investigator of President Bill Clinton, was not a huge surprise, given his conservative record, elite credentials and deep ties among the Republican legal groups that have advanced conservatives for the federal bench.

Given that Kavanaugh was rumored to be on a short list of the three most likely nominees, leftist groups no doubt had panicked prepared statements on each potential selection ready to blast out via email.

When you pre-write your press release slamming Trump’s SCOTUS pick but forget to add the name.... pic.twitter.com/5GiEJXMHUR

— Alex Pappas (@AlexPappas) July 10, 2018

Q.E.D.

There will be many opinion pieces written for and against Kavanaugh's nomination in the coming days. If you're a conservative, it's an encouraging pick from the standpoint of Second Amendment issues. However, The Federalist came out with a piece recently detailing how Kavanaugh devised the road map to make Obamacare constitutional. And for those in the pro life crowd who hoped the next SCOTUS justice would be the final piece of the puzzle in overturning Roe V. Wade, that doesn't appear to be a strong possibility.

At the end of the day, if all 50 GOP Senators (or 51 if Sen. John McCain is well enough to travel to D.C.) are unified in Kavanaugh being confirmed, the Dems' saber rattling will be an exercise in futility.

Let the games begin!

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That awkward moment.....

...when Minnesota's junior (and interim) U.S. Senator doesn't seem to grasp the concept on what she's a part of.

This tweet reads as if all of Congress has a say concerning a nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. The reality is SCOTUS hearings and the final up or down votes reside solely in one chamber of Congress. That would be the Senate. Y'know, the deliberative body of which Sen. Smith is a member.

And for the record, my vote in this poll would be a write-in: As soon as the Democrats' inevitable filibuster is ended by a simple majority vote, which is now all that is required to invoke cloture thanks to former Majority Leader "Dingy" Harry Reid.

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Box Score of the Week

San Diego Padres at New York Mets - May 12, 1992.

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

Say "uncle."

Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden saw a familiar face come to the plate with two outs in the top of the first inning in the person of his nephew Gary Sheffield. It was the first time the two ever faced each other in an MLB game. 

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It's a rough old life up here on the wagon.....

A lot to get to in today's edition of my radio program The Closer, so it's fortuitous we're back to a two hour broadcast. We'll get started at 1:00 PM Central Time.

With President Donald Trump scheduled to name a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court tomorrow, we'll discuss the rumored "short list" as well as explore how Democrats have rendered themselves virtually powerless to obstruct any nominee. 

Also, have we reached an all-time low when it comes to political incivility? 

At 2:00 CT I will be joined by conservative freelance writer Bethany Mandel. Having just returned from an excursion to Korea, Bethany will discuss her involvement with Liberty in North Korea, an organization which attempts to relocate NK refugees.


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 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM 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 #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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

I have a feeling....

.....that this is indicative of what many "progressives" believe.

Yeah, blatant identity politics is sure to win hearts and minds over to the left. After all, minority voters love nothing more than to be lectured by white proggies on how they're voting against their best interests. 

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Love the sinner, not their sin

Having attended a Christian church of one denomination or another since 1985, my deepest regret was how the church dealt with those who were professed homosexuals.

While it certainly is appropriate to call a spade a spade (i.e. homosexuality is sinful behavior), denigrating those who have fallen short of God's glory is perhaps the most hypocritical thing any human being can engage in. Think about it. We've all committed (and may still be committing) sinful behaviors in our lives. How do we expect to ever overcome and reconcile ourselves to God if members of His body ostracize we sinners from His house?

At a recent pride parade, one specific group of Christians looked to make amends.

(A)t a pride parade this past weekend in Marikina, a city just east of the Phillipines' capital of Manila, a group of Christians gathered to say something different: I'm sorry.

Members of the Church of Freedom in Christ Ministries stood at the main entrance of the parade holding signs that offered apologies for how the LGBT community has been treated by Christians.

Their banners read, "We're here to apologize for the ways that we as Christians have harmed the LGBT community."

In reading this story, I don't get a sense that this Christian group was sanctioning the homosexual lifestyle as much as they were attempting to embody the love of Jesus. I see this as something all Christians should aspire to.

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Beyond nutty

Richard Painter, who is challenging Tina Smith for the Democrat nominee for U.S. Senate, is little more than a cartoon character (see his literal dumpster fire campaign video). Nevertheless, he gained a lot of accolades from the fringe left when uncorking this gem via twitter:

Uhhh...circumstances? Justice Kennedy is 81-years old and served on the U.S. Supreme Court for 30 flippin' years. Heck, Kennedy himself was telling law clerk applicants last year that he may well be stepping down prior to the 2018-19 SCOTUS term which begins this fall.

Unfortunately, this is becoming commonplace when the Trump administration makes any move. The goal for "progressives" is to attempt to taint any routine appointments (judges or otherwise) in an effort to completely undermine this presidency, the good of the country be damned.

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Box Score of the Week

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees renewed their rivalry over the weekend. With that in mind, let's look at an April 2007 contest between these two bitter foes.

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

In the bottom of the third inning, the Red Sox hit four consecutive home runs, which was a first in the franchise's history. 

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Miss Minnesota 2018

I was remiss in not sharing the video from the crowning of Miss Minnesota 2018 two weeks ago. For the fourth consecutive year I had the honor of co-emceeing the festivities, though this year was quite unique. We were running parallel to the Miss MN competition the Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen pageant, which made for a lot of activity backstage. Thankfully, there was a separate emcee for the Teen competition.

Anyhow, the video for both Teen and Miss being crowned.





Before the pageant, I had a short list of three young ladies whom I felt had a legitimate chance to win. All three placed in the Top 5 with Michaelene Karlen (who was on said short list) being crowned. And as has been the tradition in my time as emcee, the new Miss MN makes her first media appearance on my radio program less than 24 hours after her crowning.

Sure, Michaelene is a beautiful young lady. But her talent is top notch. She is actually a professional ballerina dancer, for which she earned the overall talent award in night one of preliminary competition. There's no doubt in my mind that she should, at the very minimum, be among the top 15 at Miss America in September.

Regardless, Michaelene will be a tremendous ambassador for our state and I look forward to all she will accomplish over the next 50 weeks.

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

When you looked at me I should've NARN...............

I've decided to take today off of the Northern Alliance Radio Network in order to rest up after a grueling work trip to Indiana this past week.

Even if this past week wasn't so doggone news-y, my friend and NARN colleague Mitch Berg is more than capable of filling 4 hours of air time in a given weekend. As such, he'll be in for me from 1:00 until 3:00 PM Central Time today.

Hop over to his place to see what he has in store.

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