Mission accomplished?

With Republicans holding a razor thin majority (51-49) in the U.S. Senate, there was some concern whether they'd be able to hold the upper chamber despite Dems having 26 of the 35 seats up for election in 2018.

However, as time has gone on, Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) is essentially between rigor and mortis given Election Day is less than a week away. And with the GOP in a decent position to flip Dem held seats in Missouri, Indiana, Florida and Montana, it's all over but the crying in the Democrats' attempt to regain the Senate.

As such, the news out of what is typically a Democrat stronghold couldn't have come at a worse time for them.

How much does it cost for a senator to skip a debate? Around $1.1 million, apparently.

Tina Smith, the former Planned Parenthood lobbyist appointed to replace disgraced Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., didn’t show up for a televised debate with her Republican challenger, state Sen. Karin Housley. Now, the DSCC is apparently dropping a bucket of money in Minnesota to make up for the omission and make sure this doesn't become another Republican pickup opportunity.

The Democratic group Senate Majority PAC spent $400,000 on digital ads earlier this week, and now the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is opening up an insurance policy. According to a Minnesota media consultant, the DSCC is expected to spend $700,000 on local ads that will run from Nov. 1 until Election Day. All of this has Republicans giddy.

After debating an empty lectern on live television, Housley has reason to be optimistic. The outside money signals real fears that maybe a former Planned Parenthood lobbyist can’t get re-elected by blowing off constituents. New and old polling certainly confirms that the race is tightening.

Suppose the only GOP flip occurs in North Dakota. That means Dems would have to seize three GOP seats just to gain a slim majority. And there was a small window of opportunity given GOP incumbents were not seeking reelection in Arizona and Tennessee as well as Dean Heller (R-NV) being vulnerable. But with this news out of Minnesota, that's less resources which leftist I.E.s can spread to the three GOP toss up seats as well as the four Dem occupied seats (MO, IN, FL & MT) which are in real jeopardy of slipping away.

When Housley first entered the race, many felt the best case scenario would be for her to make the race against Smith competitive enough to divert attention and resources away from seats Dems needed to flip or hold. This news means those expectations, at minimum, have been met.

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

Quod Erat Demonstrandum

Upon the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that employee unions compelling fees from non-union members violated the First Amendment, you would think said unions would at least attempt to justify their relevance. For instance, eschewing naked political partisanship likely would go a long way in appealing to those who no longer want to fund the propping up of leftist political candidates.

Ah but Education Minnesota, the organization to which the fetching Mrs. Carlson used to (emphasis on used to) be a member, presses forward as if it's business as usual.

U.S. Senate candidate Tina Smith and Attorney General candidate Keith Ellison are specifically referenced here due to the fact the former isn't interested in allowing voters to hear from her in a televised debate and the latter vowed to politicize a non-political office as a weapon against President Trump.

So the next time Mrs. Carlson is asked why she left her union, she can merely hand over a copy of this mailer.

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

World Series champion Boston Red Sox

I don't like to brag.....

.....bah, who am I kidding? YES I DO!!!!

The Boston Red Sox won their fourth World Series in 15 years Sunday evening by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4 games to 1.....which I predicted. 

I'm going #RedSox in 5.

— Brad Carlson (@Brad_Carlson) October 21, 2018

And when Boston's Steve Pearce hit a two-run homer off Dodgers' starter Clayton Kershaw in the first inning of Game 5, I tweeted this:

You can't spell Steve Pearce without M-V-P.#WorldSeries

— Brad Carlson (@Brad_Carlson) October 29, 2018

That prognostication also came to fruition.

I took a little more interest in this series given I was in attendance at Fenway Park Game 1!

View this post on Instagram

IT'S HAPPENING!!!! ⚾️ #WorldSeries #Dodgers #RedSox

A post shared by Brad Carlson (@brad_carlson) on Oct 23, 2018 at 2:06pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

First pitch! #WorldSeries #Dodgers #RedSox

A post shared by Brad Carlson (@brad_carlson) on Oct 23, 2018 at 5:13pm PDT

I can hardly put into words the exhilaration I felt over my first Fenway experience. And, as promised, sang Sweet Caroline after the top of the 8th inning.

View this post on Instagram

Me: Wait, the sing along to Sweet Caroline at Fenway is still a thing??? Ugh. Also me: BAH BAH BAHHHHHHH!!!!! #SweetCaroline #WorldSeries

A post shared by Brad Carlson (@brad_carlson) on Oct 23, 2018 at 8:46pm PDT

 Only about 120 days until pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training!!

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

I work down at the Pizza Pit and I drive an old Hyundai......

We're in the stretch of the campaign season where many wish the midterm elections could be done already. But since there's nine days to go, the Northern Alliance Radio Network will be here for the final push. Today's 2-hour edition of The Closer gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time.

We'll discuss the horrifying incidents of bomb-like devices being sent to prominent Democrat politicos as well as CNN. Sadly, this devolved into little more than folks going to their political corners and battling it out. Also, a lot of political news out of Minnesota, some of which is drawing national attention. 

At 2:00 PM CT, MN Republican candidate for Secretary of State John Howe will stop by to tout his candidacy. Then at 2:30, Archway Defense founder Peter Johnson will check in to share his perspective on how places of worship can be prepared for random attacks particularly in light of Saturday's shooting incident at a Pennsylvania synagogue. 

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.....

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

Another in a series of friendly reminders

When Democrats declare moral absolutes (i.e. all women who accuse men of sexual assault/harassment deserve to be believed), they're wholly incapable of living up to those standards themselves.

Enter Minnesota DFL chair Ken Martin. When asked if he believes the domestic abused allegations brought by Karen Monahan against Democrat candidate for MN Attorney General Keith Ellison, Martin finally made a definitive statement.

"We took them seriously," he said of the allegations. "We conducted an outside, independent investigation, and that investigation showed we could not substantiate her claim of domestic abuse. And so I do not believe her, I believe our investigation."

Via email, Monahan's attorney Andrew Parker responded by saying the DFL investigation "was not objective, unbiased, or impartial..."

Wait, wait. You took the allegations seriously? Sure, that's a rational, common sense approach but it falls well short of the Dem mantra of "Believe women. Full stop."

This is yet another case of Dems being willing to declare moral absolutes unless it harms one of their own. You can pretty much set your watch by it.

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

More political terrorism

In my mind, this isn't difficult. While I couldn't be more adamantly opposed to the political worldviews of Bill & Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, George Soros and Eric Holder, the fact potentially explosive devices were sent to them truly sickens me. And it should be appalling to any individual who has some semblance of a conscience, regardless of political stripes. 

If it's ascertained that the devices were sent by a right winger(s) with a political ax to grind, he/she/they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If it's determined these were "hoaxes" ginned up by a leftist(s) in an effort to paint righties as enacting violence to settle scores with Dems, he/she/they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. 

Everything else, from charges that President Trump was insincere in his calls for unity in the face of this to CNN president Jeff Zucker essentially blaming POTUS and his press secretary for the bomb scare which occurred at his news network to debating moral equivalence on whose rhetoric results in more harm, is just background noise at this point. Unfortunately, it comes with the territory when there's violent crime or threats of violent acts. Too many people are uninterested in waiting for a substantive investigation to play, so we seem to play this game of whomever can score the most political points wins. 

At least the National Rifle Association didn't get blamed this time.....I think.

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

Guess who.....

.....is attending his first ever World Series game this evening, which happens to take place at historic Fenway Park in Boston?

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, there's a 100% chance you'll see photos and videos from the excursion. As stoked as I am to partake in the Fall Classic game itself, I'm almost equally excited to belt out Sweet Caroline after the top of the 8th inning with 37,000+ of my closest friends. Video of that moment will be.....interesting (particularly if my buddy Bryan and I indulge in too much Samuel Adams Octoberfest). 

Can. Not. Wait. 

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

Pivotal moment?

If interim U.S. senator Tina Smith (D-MN) ends up being defeated by her GOP opponent (and my pal) Karin Housley in two weeks, this photo will encapsulate the reason.

Photo courtesy of Max Rymer


Sunday evening was debate night for many of the key statewide races in Minnesota. It was the first opportunity for many voters to see a contrast between the two main candidates for the respective offices. Yet Smith, who is currently the junior U.S. Senator from MN despite not having earned a single vote for the position, didn't feel the need to show up and explain to her constituents why she deserves another two years. It's almost as if she feels she can run out the clock these next two weeks and emerge victorious.

Make no mistake that Housley has trailed throughout this campaign and her ultimately winning remains a very tall order. However, if Karin pulls this off, Sunday evening could easily be the defining moment of Smith's implosion.

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

Box Score of the Week (Final one of 2018)

The Boston Red Sox are back in the World Series for the fourth time in 15 years.

Let's look back at Game 4 of the 2013 series featuring the "Sawx" and St. Louis Cardinals. 

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

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and his team trailing by two, Cards' pinch runner Kolten Wong was picked off first base to end the game. This marked the first World Series contest where the final out was recorded via a pick off. 

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

We'll do it all, everything on our own......

T-16 days until Election Day, so it's crunch time on the Northern Alliance Radio Network. Today's edition of The Closer gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time.

For much of the first hour I'll weigh in on Sen. Elizabeth Warren's bad week where she laughably claimed a DNA test validated her claimed Cherokee affiliation.

Also, do Republicans now have a fighting chance to hold a majority in the U.S. House this election cycle?

In the 2:00 hour I will focus on the Minnesota political scene, including Republican candidate in MN's 7th Congressional District Dave Hughes appearing on the broadcast right at 2 PM.


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.....

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

The Heidi Heitkamp farewell tour

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) has been skating on thin ice pretty much all of 2018 when it came to her reelection prospects.

But a Heitkamp campaign ad published in the Bismarck Tribune which named sexual assault survivors without permission as well as misidentifying some women as survivors looks to be the final nail in the proverbial coffin. Even though Heitkamp has apologized and her campaign fired a staffer deemed responsible for the ad, it appears some of the women aggrieved are seeking legal counsel. What's even more egregious is one of the women named now lives in fear that her abuser may know of her location.

Given she voted against the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court despite a majority of North Dakotans supporting him, Heitkamp was likely laying the groundwork for her post-Senate career. Gotta curry favors with the lefty establishment y'know. However, after this resounding blunder, even those prospects may be in jeopardy.

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

Political terrorism

I'm pleasantly surprised that there's been solid media coverage regarding two MN House GOP candidates (Sarah Anderson in HD 44A and Shane Mekeland in 15B) having been physically assaulted over the past week. Thankfully there are people of interest whom the police are looking into.

In addition to those two disturbing incidents involving state House candidates, there are also shenanigans afoot in my home city of Ramsey. Richard Wulf, who is vying for mayor of Ramsey, has been the victim of some downright demented activity.

I decided to run for Mayor of Ramsey because I felt the city was not looking out for our best interest. However, I never expected my opposition's supporters to stoop this low.

Let me tell you how my week has gone. On Monday morning before work my wife found a beer bottle and I found a bottle of liquor on our property. We don't drink. Since then, someone wrote "F U"on the back of my truck, released air on my back tire, and stole one of my car magnets. 6 ducks and 3 chickens have mysteriously died which I believe there is rat poison by the duck coop. And today we had to rush one of our horses to the emergency vet hospital because she looked like she was dying. A lot of liquid was coming out of her nose, she was refusing to move and her eyes were glazed over. Luckily a vet came out and gave her meds. She is at the vet hospital right now and the next 12 hours will tell us if she is going to make it. All of this in less than one week.

If anyone knows something about this please tell the Ramsey police because this behavior cannot be tolerated.

While the mayoral race is technically nonpartisan, the local Republican party "recommended" Wulf over his opponent (and current Ramsey City Council member) John LeTourneau. I'm not 100% sold on Mr. Wulf's assertion that Letourneau's supporters are responsible for this despicable activity. However, my friend and fellow Ramsey resident Jason Tossey (who also served on the City Council 5+ years ago) I believe is on the right track regarding the perps.

(T)here are people in the shadows in Anoka County who do this stuff on behalf of people who have a financial interest in who gets elected. They are not part of any campaign, but are loosely affiliated with political action committees and special interests.

Indeed, it was the 2012 election cycle when the deep pockets of these special interests bought and paid for an entirely new city council and mayor. As a result, the new regime advocated for subsidized apartments to be built on the large swath of vacant land at the southwest end of town, right across from the Northstar Rail platform. The new apartments were earmarked for that location in an effort to lure young people who prefer to take the train to downtown Minneapolis as opposed to drive. In my opinion, it was a preposterous notion from the start given the Northstar limits its service mainly to workday commuting hours.

At the end of the day, the lust for power is turning people into subhumans. Some of you may believe that my description of these events as political "terrorism" is a bit heavy handed given that people normally reserve such a word for radical Islamists who are willing to die for a cause while taking scores of "infidels" with them. But given these awful activities likely dissuade many from seeking elected office, it's safe to say that it is due in large part to people feeling overcome with terror (i.e. terrorized).

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

Fauxcahontas chronicles

In the 1987 film Good Morning, Vietnam, hilarious radio disc jockey Adrian Cronauer (played brilliantly by Robin Williams) was brought to Vietnam to host a program on the U.S. Armed Services station. Upon becoming frustrated with being censored from reading news which reflected the dire situation in 'nam, Cronauer left the show for a time and was replaced by Lt. Steven Hauk. While Lt. Hauk fancied himself even more uproariously funny than Cronauer, the radio station staff vehemently disagreed. In fact, the staff was so horrified by Hauk's unfunny bits that they begged him not to go on the air.

Brushing aside their concerns, Lt. Hauk went on anyways. This is what ensued.





While the staff was embarrassed by Lt. Hauk's cringe worthy bit, Hauk himself was indignant over how the behind-the-scenes radio guys could have, in his mind, so blatantly underestimated his comedic prowess.

This is analogous to President Trump constantly chiding Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) over her declaration that she is of Native American ancestry. Trump was so skeptical of that claim that he offered to donate $1 million to Warren's favorite charity if she took a DNA test to prove her Indian heritage.

In an effort to put this controversy to bed, Warren took the DNA test and proclaimed via video that it validates what she has said all along.

However, like Lt. Hauk, Warren's indignant attitude appears unjustified.

The test found that she might be somewhere between 1/64th and 1/1,024th (!) "Native American," the definition of which included Mexican, Colombian and Peruvian DNA as a "stand in." Yes, really. Science says that she may actually be less Native American than the average white American.

This very much leaves open the wildly entertaining possibility that Donald Trump is, in fact, more "Native American" than Elizabeth Warren. But anyway, yes, she's obviously running for president, and she knows that this issue will cause headaches among not only right-leaning voters who already oppose her, but also among progressive voters who might hold certain Identity Politics infractions against her.

To add insult to injury, Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin, Jr. called b.s. on Warren's DNA test even having any relevance.

A DNA test is useless to determine tribal citizenship. Current DNA tests do not even distinguish whether a person’s ancestors were indigenous to North or South America. Sovereign tribal nations set their own legal requirements for citizenship, and while DNA tests can be used to determine lineage, such as paternity to an individual, it is not evidence for tribal affiliation. Using a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong. It makes a mockery out of DNA tests and its legitimate uses while also dishonoring legitimate tribal governments and their citizens, whose ancestors are well documented and whose heritage is proven. Senator Warren is undermining tribal interests with her continued claims of tribal heritage.

After such a brutal day on Monday, The Onion perfectly encapsulated another test Warren undertook.

Elizabeth Warren Disappointed After DNA Test Shows Zero Trace Of Presidential Material https://t.co/YrpY1AYgqF pic.twitter.com/u5OgHIKVYg

— The Onion (@TheOnion) October 15, 2018

Indeed.

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

Box Score of the Week (Postseason edition)

Game 5 of the 1977 ALCS -  New York Yankees at Kansas City Royals.

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

Both teams in the 2018 American League Championship Series (Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox) finished the regular season with more than 100 victories. The last time an ALCS game featured two teams with 100 or more regular season wins was Game 5 of the 1977 ALCS.

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

One foot on the brake and one on the gas.......

My friend and Northern Alliance Radio Network colleague Mitch Berg and I will be doing the ol' switcheroo this weekend. As such, I will be broadcasting today from 1:00 until 3:00 PM Central Time.

Right at 1:00 I will be joined by best-selling author David Limbaugh (Yes. His younger brother). David will be on to discuss his latest book entitled Jesus Is Risen.

Then at 2:00, MN House member Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa) will check in to discuss the alleged campaign finance violations against MN CD5 candidate Ilhan Omar.

In the non-guest segments, we'll discuss the escalation of lunacy on the political left (just don't call them a "mob") in the aftermath of Brett Kavanaugh being confirmed 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.....

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

Profiles in media gaslighting

mob
[mob]

noun
a disorderly or riotous crowd of people.
a crowd bent on or engaged in lawless violence.
any group or collection of persons or things.

adjective
of, relating to, or characteristic of a lawless, irrational, disorderly, or riotous crowd.
directed at or reflecting the lowest intellectual level of the common people.

SUPERcut of reporters telling people to not use the "mob" word cut with video of the mob. pic.twitter.com/o2tgNZMEv5

— Andrew Kugle (@AndrewJKugle) October 11, 2018

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

Leftists finally admit what we've known all along

Old & Busted: "When they go low, we go high."

New hotness: "When they go low, we kick them."


The former was uttered by then First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The latter by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday. Truth be told, I never bought Mrs. Obama's declaration of the Dems being above playing nasty politics. Hell, her husband was a very willing participant his entire political career. So what Holder is doing is merely verbalizing the sentiment that many leftists always held but were afraid to say aloud.

But what is somewhat shocking is how leftists these days are so politically tone deaf. Within the past 16 months, Rep. Steve Scalise was nearly killed by gun fire, Sen. Rand Paul had multiple ribs broken by his neighbor, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was verbally accosted in a parking lot near a Kentucky eatery, Ted Cruz & wife Heidi were harassed at a Washington, D.C. restaurant and a handful of elected officials were doxxed by a Congressional staffer. You know what all those elected officials have in common? They're Republicans of course. Despite that, you had Hillary Clinton just this week calling for Dems to exercise even less civility towards the GOP.

At a time when Republicans are being shot, stabbed, doxxed, beaten, mailed powder, run out of restaurants, and sent death threats, Hillary Clinton urges Democrats to be even more uncivil. What an irresponsible statement. Every Democrat should denounce. pic.twitter.com/TdEmISWnzM

— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) October 9, 2018

As usual, Stephen Miller sheds lights on leftists trying to excuse this idiocy by using their obligatory false equivalences.

Given there's a narrative to fulfill as well as an overwhelming hubris within the mainstream media, you can bet finger-wagging will continue in earnest, all without any sense of irony.

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

Quick Hits: Volume CLXXIV

- I'll be the first to admit that I didn't have high hopes for Sen. Mitch McConnell's tenure as Senate Majority Leader. However, I have been pleasantly surprised by his leadership, particularly over the past 2-1/2 years.

Whether it was standing firm in not allowing President Barack Obama a third Supreme Court pick to his declaration that the leftist mob would not intimidate his colleagues during the Brett Kavanaugh saga, McConnell has stood firm where previous leadership has buckled (oh hai, Bill Frist).

Now that Kavanaugh was confirmed as the latest U.S. Supreme Court justice, how would another vacancy on SCOTUS be handled, particularly if it occurred in the next presidential election year?

"Fox News Sunday" anchor Chris Wallace asked McConnell about his decision to block former President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland because it was a presidential election year, specifically asking if he would do the same thing if a vacancy opened on the high court in 2020.

"When you blocked Merrick Garland's nomination from President Obama, you basically said that we don't do this in a presidential election year and that we wait until the election and then whoever the people choose, they get to pick the Supreme Court nominee. But what you just said now, is it's a question of whether or not the party in control of the Senate is different than the president. The question I guess I'm getting to is, if Donald Trump were to name somebody in the final year of his first term in 2020, are you saying that you would go ahead with that nomination?" Wallace asked.

"I understand your question. And what I told you is what the history of the Senate has been. You have to go back to 1880 to find the last time a vacancy created in a presidential election year on the Supreme Court was confirmed by a Senate of a different party than the president," McConnell responded.

Ummm....that's definitely not a "no."

And you thought the leftist mob was unhinged during the Kavanaugh hearings? Just imagine if McConnell opts to fill a SCOTUS vacancy in 2020. Yikes!


-  In about a 48-hour span earlier this week, we saw actress Alyssa Milano appear on Meet The Press and a former American astronaut being bullied by the Twitter mob into apologizing for quoting Winston Churchill.

In what has become the ultimate evergreen sentiment: We live in very stupid times.


- So Taylor Swift endorsed the Democrat in the Tennessee Senate race. Whoop-de-do. Shake it off, righties (Sorry. I couldn't resist just one).

I've gone on record as saying that I'm not a big fan of the "shut up and sing" retort to any famous musical act declaring his/her political bent. While I don't give their opinions any more credence than that of my neighbors' viewpoints, I certainly welcome the discourse.

Besides, it's not like Swift is going on some sort of national "get out the vote" tour where she's stumping for proggie candidates all across the country. She's merely opining on the U.S. Senate and U.S. House races within the very jurisdiction she's eligible to vote. And while her critique of GOP Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn appeared as if it came directly from Think Progress chanting points, Swift at least conveyed the issues which are most important to her this election cycle.

All that said, I wonder if Tay-Tay had any idea that she endorsed a Kavanaugh supporter for U.S. Senate.

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

Box Score of the Week (Postseason edition)

Bitter rivals Yankees and Red Sox are currently battling it out in the ALDS. With that in mind, let's look back at their Game 3 matchup in the 2003 American League Championship Series.

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

A lot of ugly moments in this game: Bean balls, benches clearing and a brawl in the Yankees' bullpen. 

But this game is best known for Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez slamming Yanks' bench coach Don Zimmer to the ground. Zimmer had charged Martinez during a bench clearing melee, seeking retaliation for Pedro intentionally beaning Karim Garcia and threatening to hit Jorge Posada in the head.





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

She had a dream, and boy it was a good one......

With exactly 30 days until Election Day, the weekly political news is coming in fast and furious these days. As such, I'll be in the Patriot bunker for my 2-hour show The Closer this afternoon, beginning at 1:00 PM Central Time.

For the first hour we'll spend time talking about the continued fallout of the Brett Kavanaugh saga. While this particular ordeal appears to be over, it lays the groundwork for some dangerous trends in any future political battles. 

Then at 2:00 PM I will be joined by Pete Stauber, who is the Republican candidate in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District. We'll find out from Pete how his campaign is faring thus far in addition to hearing his impressions of President Trump's rally this past Thursday in Rochester. 

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.....

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

Up in smoke

Say, does anyone remember the sizable lead the Democrats enjoyed in their quest to regain a majority in Congress?

Those right wing nut jobs at National Public Radio break it down. 

Just over a month away from critical elections across the country, the wide Democratic enthusiasm advantage that has defined the 2018 campaign up to this point has disappeared, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.

In July, there was a 10-point gap between the number of Democrats and Republicans saying the November elections were "very important." Now, that is down to 2 points, a statistical tie.

Democrats' advantage on which party's candidate they are more likely to support has also been cut in half since last month. Democrats still retain a 6-point edge on that question, but it was 12 points after a Marist poll conducted in mid-September.

I'm certain you can ascertain as to why the sudden nosedive.

The results come amid the pitched and hotly partisan confirmation battle over Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. Multiple women have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct when he was in high school and college. He categorically denies all the allegations.

So you're saying that accusing a highly respected jurist of "gang rape" with zero corroborating evidence and expressing outrage over throwing ice in a bar are not things which resonate with the electorate? Huh.

As Steve Deace at Conservative Review so eloquently put it: Whoever is dumbest last will lose in November.

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

Quick Hits: Volume CLXXIII

- There's a decent possibility that US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will have his confirmation voted upon by the Senate this week. While Christine Blasey Ford's allegations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh seem to be collapsing due to a lack of corroborating evidence, there's still an air of believability to her story. Whether or not Kavanaugh was perpetrator remains the salient question.

With that said, it would be suuuuuuper helpful if President Trump, who appeared at a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday, didn't resort to commentary which some might construe as mockery of Dr. Ford's testimony.

It’s possible to criticize Ford’s testimony without mocking it, but that’s not what Trump’s doing here. He’s entertaining the crowd by making fun of her argument, and they’re eating it up. Given the tenor of the character assassination going on and the Democratic machinations that brought us to this point, it’s hardly the worst of what we’ve seen. Still, at this particular moment it’s notably impolitic and won’t make it any easier to get the needed votes from Senate Republican holdouts like Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Jeff Flake. Just to underscore that danger, Flake called Trump’s remarks “appalling” on NBC’s Today show.

Naturally, senators should judge Kavanaugh's confirmation based on merit as well as his testimony surrounding the assault allegations as opposed to punishing him for Trump's obligatory bluster. Unfortunately, the "guilt by association" mantra is ever-present in Washington today, particularly in the minds of "resistance" Dems and "#NeverTrump" Republicans.


- Imagine 20 years ago (heck, maybe even ten years ago) if satire publication The Onion had put forth the following headline:


Object to gender identity? Minnesota debuts ‘non-binary’ option on driver’s license


I don't know if satirical outlets even have editors. If they did, even they would have indicated this particular parody is too far-fetched.


- I, for one, wasn't overly shocked by this latest transaction made by the Local Nine.

The Minnesota Twins have relieved Paul Molitor of his duties as manager but hope to keep him with the organization in a different role next season.

Molitor, 62, compiled a 305-343 record over four seasons as manager. The Twins went 78-84 this season and finished 13 games behind the first-place Cleveland Indians after entering spring training with expectations of competing in the American League Central.

"This wasn't about our record this year. This is about what we think is best as we continue to grow a young team in the direction toward being a championship contender," said chief baseball officer Derek Falvey.

"I fully respect that decision," Molitor said in a statement distributed by the team. "I will forever be grateful for the opportunity they gave me to serve in the role as manager for these past four years. I'm going to consider their genuine offer to serve in a different capacity to positively impact the Twins from a different role."

When Falvey and General Manager Thad Levine assumed their roles after the 2016 season, they were told specifically by owner Jim Pohlad that Molitor was to retain his role as manager. Inexplicably, the Twins made the postseason in 2017 despite losing 103 games the year before. But even though he won American League Manager of the Year for the '17 campaign, Molitor almost was not brought back in 2018. The bottom line is any new front office is going to want to bring in their own people, so Molitor in a sense got a 2-year reprieve.

With that in mind, the Twins' brass of Falvey and Levine now has a clean slate. Not only do they get to decide whom their field manager will be but they'll have substantial money to spend on payroll. As of today, the Twins only have $32.5 million committed in guaranteed contracts for 2019. If indeed they're given authorization to have a payroll similar to 2018, that leaves approximately $70 million at their disposal for arbitration eligible players, free agents, etc.

It's not a stretch to say that this offseason will be what ultimately determines the Twins' on-field success over the next few years. Choose wisely, gents.

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

Troll game: A+++

When the Buffalo Bills were set to take on my Vikings in Week 3, their Twitter person put together a nice little graphic of their flight path.

One slight problem though.

Who put Josh Allen in charge of navigation?

(GIF’d before they delete it) pic.twitter.com/G0qHY1KfmF

— Sean Wagner-McGough (@seanjwagner) September 22, 2018

The Bills' geographically challenged social media employee had Minneapolis located in southwest Wisconsin as opposed to the state of Minnesota. As a result, many Vikings fans had a ton of laughs at the expense of this person. What's more is the general sentiment in Skol Country was that the Twitter flub would be the least of the Bills' concerns since there were likely to get beaten like a drum at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Well we all know how all that turned out, don't we? Not only did the Bills land at the correct airport, they also whipped the Vikes 27-6.

With Buffalo's next game actually taking place in the state of Wisconsin against the Green Bay Packers, the Bills' Twitter custodian clearly hadn't forgotten the barbs which Vikings fans mercilessly tossed towards the account.

We think we got it right this time. 😉

Your Bills have landed in Green Bay, Wisconsin. pic.twitter.com/hI1fm3ub0P

— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) September 29, 2018

As a Vikings fan, I feel as though I was kicked in the 'nads and funny bone with equal vigor.

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

Box Score of the Week

New York Mets at Minnesota Twins - August 19, 2013.

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

The Twins' Joe Mauer wrapped up the 2018 season (and quite possibly his career) this past Sunday by appearing behind home plate in ninth inning to catch one pitch. It was the first time Mauer donned catcher's gear since that game against the Mets in August 2013.

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