Separated at Birth: Brad Stevens and Pete Buttigieg

Brad Stevens (left) is head coach of the Boston Celtics.

Pete Buttigieg is Mayor of South Bend, IN and a Democrat presidential candidate.


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Yay, Kanye

Despite singer Kanye West being a huge name in the music business for more than a decade, I couldn't name one song of his. Truth be told, I'm much more familiar with the occasional controversy and tumult which has dogged him while in the spotlight.

Even though I've had a keen ambivalence towards Kanye since I first heard his name, I am heartened to learn that he recently dove back into his Christian faith. His rediscovery included the release of a new album this past week entitled Jesus Is King, which he said allowed to him to shift his focus from multiple gods (i.e. fame, money, ego and pride) onto the one true God. 

As a person of the Christian faith myself, I realize full well that God can use literally anyone for His glory. Someone with the name recognition of a Kanye West could definitely impact millions of lost souls if indeed he serves God with all his heart, soul and strength. But as Andrew T. Walker of National Review astutely observes, Kanye needs intercession over reverence. 

Time will only tell of what will come from his radical conversion to Christianity. But in the wake of this news, I have one message of warning to my fellow Christians about West: There will be a temptation by well-meaning Christians to make him a champion of Christianity. Christians could easily impute their own cultural insecurities onto West, who is the very definition of a cultural icon. Let’s not do that.

The Apostle Paul warns in the New Testament about vesting too much hope and confidence in new converts, fearing they would be puffed up with pride (something, let’s be honest, Kanye has no problem exuding). We need to let Kanye be a Christian Kanye without making him into a Christian celebrity.

Of course since he has not been shy about his support for President Donald Trump, Kanye is openly mocked by secular progressives over his recent life choice and thus they predict another public meltdown being imminent. While that's not the least bit surprising, what saddened me was the self proclaimed Christians (including men of the cloth) who cynically dismiss this chapter of Kanye's life as little more than opportunism given he's got a new album to sell.

If it's the goal of Christians to help the lost learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ and thus develop a personal relationship with Him, I'd like to believe the more prolific reaction to Kanye's conversion would be to support and pray for another warrior for God's kingdom.

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WaPo dignity dies in daylight

How emotionally scarred are butthurt leftists over Donald Trump being President of the United States? So much so that in their steadfast determination to oppose all things Trump, they inevitably prove how intellectually vapid they are. I mean, if one's "resistance" to an administration results in staunch defense of an anti-Semitic race baiter or opposition to drug free, physically fit youth, then one seriously needs to seek help from a mental health professional.

The latest in anti-Trump delirium comes courtesy of a Washington Post headline of the story detailing the death of the head of the Islamic State.

The Washington Post changed the headline of its obituary of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi from "terrorist-in-chief" to describe him as an “austere religious scholar.”

U.S. forces killed Baghdadi Saturday after a successful raid on a compound in northern Syria.

While many celebrated the death of the serial rapist and murderer, the Washington Post left many confused by giving him the title of “austere religious scholar at the helm of the Islamic State.”

The Post acknowledged Baghdadi led ISIS with “shocking brutality” but focused much of its obituary on his academic career. “The man who would become the founding leader of the world’s most brutal terrorist group spent his early adult years as an obscure academic, aiming for a quiet life as a professor of Islamic law,” the Post wrote.

The reasons behind the newspaper's decision to tout Baghdadi’s academic career rather than his brutal leadership were unclear. The first version of the story described Baghdadi as the “Islamic State’s terrorist-in-chief,” before it was changed to “austere religious scholar.”

I hate to be cynical, but there has been a concerted effort among media outlets to suppress or undermine any positive news in relation to the Trump administration. As such, you're not likely to convince me that this was not a blatant attempt to somehow humanize a subhuman in order to "own Trump."

Following backlash from the headline referring to Baghdadi as an "austere religious scholar," the Washington Post changed the headline a third time, calling Baghdadi an "extremist leader."

The headline was then changed again to read: "Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, extremist leader of Islamic State, dies at 48."

Regarding our al-Baghdadi obituary, the headline should never have read that way and we changed it quickly.

— Kristine Coratti Kelly (@kriscoratti) October 27, 2019

I honestly have no idea how the process works in regards to forming headlines for a story. I know it's independent of the actual story writers, but is drafting a headline a collaborative effort or done by an individual? It'll be interesting to find out if there will be any repercussions for anyone who formed something that "should never have read that way."

Since before he was inaugurated, Trump has labeled many mainstream news outlets as "fake news." In response, the WaPo crafted the slogan "Democracy Dies in Darkness." At the Post, prudence and common sense apparently get bludgeoned in broad daylight.

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I felt a little tired, so I watched Miami Vice....

With my friend and Northern Alliance Radio Network colleague Mitch Berg on assignment, I will assume the reins of The Headliner edition of today's NARN broadcast. The two-hour festivities get going at 1:00 PM Central Time.

At 1:30 I will be joined by Sarah Quale, who is part of the leadership team with Personhood Alliance. We will discuss the Guttmacher Institute’s latest Abortion Incidence and Service Availability Report, which examined abortion trends and rates from 2014–2017.

Then at 2:00 I will be joined by 2nd Amendment advocate and Washington Free Beacon writer Stephen Gutowski. In light of Dem presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke vowing to confiscate AR-15s, Stephen gauged reaction of several police groups if such a directive was handed down.

In the non-guest segments, I'll weigh in on House Dems and their "kangaroo court" regarding impeachment of President Trump. And on a local level, the MN Dept. of Human Services is still a mess, yet there doesn't seem to be any sense of urgency from Gov. Tim Walz's office.


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 as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). 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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The more things change......

As recently as two weeks ago I believed the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump was little more than grandstanding. Sure, with the Dems being the majority party they could easily approve any articles of impeachment and thus send onto the U.S. Senate for a trial. However, there's only 47 Dems in the Senate. Even if every single one voted to remove Trump from office, they would still require 20 Republicans to concur in order for that to come to fruition. I was quite confident that would not happen.

Now?

Most Republican senators refused to rule out voting to remove President Donald Trump from office in an impeachment trial over the Ukraine scandal when contacted by the Daily Caller this week.

The Caller contacted all 53 Republican Senate offices Monday and Tuesday to ask if senators would rule out voting to remove Trump from office, and received a variety of responses–seven senators explicitly rejected impeachment in their statement.

So of the 46 Republican Senators who did not rule out impeachment full stop, could there be 20 to support it? No way to know for sure, but, again, it seemed unconscionable in the very recent past that there would even be that level of uncertainty among the GOP caucus.

Conservative commentator Steve Deace didn't share my optimistic appraisal of the situation.

I think the notion GOP senators will never eject Trump because it will alienate the GOP base is way overblown. Republicans like Lindsey Graham, who says he's now open to conviction, have made a career out of getting re-elected (even in deep red states) despite decades of betraying the GOP base.

These guys fund Planned Parenthood year after year. Nothing. Did 50 show votes to repeal Obamacare and then didn’t when they actually could. Nothing. Don’t secure the border. Nothing. Base still takes it and shows up.

So now if they betray them on Trump, suddenly the GOP base is gonna cease being their booty call? I don't buy it at all. Sure, they’ll be pissed, and then five minutes later some nut bag Leftist will make “but the Democrats” great again.

Short of angry clicks and memes, history says there will be no price for team GOP to pay where it counts most — at the ballot box.

I begrudgingly agree with Deace here. "Conservatism" in Washington these days has less to do with attempting to shrink government and more to accept growth but at a slower pace than what leftists desire.

If indeed the Senate votes to remove Trump, you're delusional if you believe D.C. suddenly becomes a bastion of integrity and decorum.

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Box Score of the Week (Final one of 2019)

Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski ended the 1960 World Series with a homer in the bottom of the ninth inning against the New York Yankees.

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Last Saturday the Yankees were knocked out of the American League Championship Series when Houston's Jose Altuve hit a walk off two-run homer in the bottom of the 9th inning. The only other postseason the Yanks were "walked off?" That would be 1960, culminated by the Pirates' Bill Mazeroski hitting a game-winning home run in Game 7 of the World Series.  

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I was talking with a friend of mine, said a woman had hurt his pride....

Another Sunday, yet another edition of my radio program The Closer. A lot to get to this week, so the 2-hour blitz will begin at 1:00 PM Central Time.

I'll spend a couple of segments exploring NBA superstar LeBron James' ridiculous comments regarding Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey's support for protesters in Hong Kong. The NBA is definitely enduring a public relations crisis when arguably its biggest name is bungling questions about the leagues business relationship with China. 

I will also look back at the latest Democrat presidential debate where front runner Elizabeth Warren was the focus of other Dems' ire. And while she's hardly registering in the polls, Tulsi Gabbard made perhaps the biggest splash by hammering CNN during the debate telecast on......CNN. 

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 as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). 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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The jokes sometimes just write themselves

Former president Barack Obama waded into a certain foreign election on Wednesday.

I was proud to work with Justin Trudeau as President. He's a hard-working, effective leader who takes on big issues like climate change. The world needs his progressive leadership now, and I hope our neighbors to the north support him for another term.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 16, 2019

C'mon, y'all know what the first thought is that leapt to mind.

Well yes, Obama endorsing another black man over a white man isn't really something controversial. https://t.co/ZN10m9exR8

— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) October 16, 2019

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From woke to joke

I believe it was Abraham Lincoln who declared "I'd rather be silent and assumed a fool then to speak and remove all doubt."

That may not have been a bad philosophy for NBA coach Steve Kerr to adopt last week. When pressed about the human right abuses in China (with whom his league has a very lucrative business partnership), Kerr glossed over that in favor of America's own sins. In Kerr's mind, a kook going on a shooting rampage in an American mall is on par with a system of government which literally imprisons (and sometimes tortures) its own people for having the audacity to dissent.

Not to be outdone, the National Basketball Association's most recognizable player came off as even more tone deaf. When asked about Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey posting a tweet showing support for those protesting China's tyrannical government, LeBron James didn't exactly cover himself in glory.

I think when we all sit back and learn from the situation that happened, understand that what you could tweet or could say... We all talk about this freedom of speech. Yes, we all do have freedom of speech, but at times there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you're not thinking about others, and you're only thinking about yourself. I don't want to get into a word or sentence feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he wasn't educated on the situation at hand, and he spoke. And so many people could have been harmed, not only financially, but physically, emotionally, spiritually. So just be careful what we tweet and what we say, and what we do. Even though yes, we do have freedom of speech, but there can be a lot of negative that comes with that too."

Lakers’ LeBron James on NBA’s China controversy: “I don’t want to get into a ... feud with Daryl Morey but I believe he wasn’t educated on the situation at hand and he spoke.” pic.twitter.com/KKrMNU0dKR

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) October 15, 2019

There is so much to unpack in that awful statement that I don't even know where to begin. How about where LeBron indicated that Morey was only thinking about himself? Seems to me that Morey showing support for the citizens of Hong Kong who are literally putting their lives in peril for the sake of liberty (resulting in such support negatively impacting his employer's bottom line) is the antithesis of selfishness.

But the bit about "many people could have been harmed not only financially, but physically, emotionally, spiritually" is perhaps the most elitist thing said to date. I'm going to hope LeBron is just woefully ignorant of the literal physical and emotional harm being heaped upon the pro-liberty crown in Hong Kong. After all, to compare the plight of multi, multi millionaires (and, in the case of NBA owners governors, billionaires) being a tad lighter in the pocketbook isn't in the same stratosphere as those being shot at point blank range, having organs harvested, etc.

Finally, LeBron decries the fact that there "can be a lot of negatives" that come with free expression. Given what he's expressed in the past, it would stand to reason he believes its worth the risk.

Not only has the NBA been hampered financially in this whole kerfuffle, it has also gone from having a reputation as the most "WOKE!" pro sports league to a vast collection of elitist virtue signaling cowards. I hope whatever remains of the prosperous deal with China was worth it.

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Box Score of the Week (Postseason edition)

Back when the American League Championship Series was a "Best of 5," the Oakland A's defeated the Detroit Tigers in the fifth and deciding game of the 1972 ALCS.

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Oakland A's pitcher Vida Blue earned the save in this game. As such, he became the first reigning Cy Young award winner to notch a save in a postseason game. 

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"The problem is all inside your head", she said to me.....

It's only mid October but the weather feels as though it's Thanksgiving time. Regardless, we'll be in a festive mood for today's edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour festivities get started at 1:00 PM Central Time.

At 1:15, I will be joined by political wonk Matt Mackowiak. Among the topics Matt will address include the latest in the impeachment of President Trump as well as the Trump administration choosing to cease military operations in Syria.

In the non-guest segments I will weigh in on the NBA's kowtowing to the tyrannical Chinese government as well as look back at Trump's visit to Minneapolis this past week.


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 as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). 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.....

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

Bye, Beto

Let's get rid of the wiggle room: There is zero chance Robert Francis "Beto" O'Rourke (D-TX) will be the Democrat nominee for President, much less POTUS. In a way, that's incredibly liberating for him in that he can employ the obligatory "kitchen sink" strategy when outlining his "progressive" utopia.

We all recall his declaration last month of "Hell yes, we're going to take your AR-15," a stance he could not have taken when running for U.S. Senate out of Texas last year.

Then on Thursday when participating in something called a "Equality in America" town hall, Bobby emphasized further how he desires to toss the Bill of Rights into good ol' File 13.

When the former Texas congressman was asked if religious institutions -- "colleges, churches, charities" -- should be stripped of tax-exempt status Thursday night by CNN anchor Don Lemon during the LGBTQ town hall, he immediately responded, "Yes."

The crowd erupted in applause before O'Rourke further explained.

"There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America, that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us," he said. "So as president, we're going to make that a priority, and we are going to stop those who are infringing upon the human rights of our fellow Americans."

Ironic that he decries organizations which would deny human rights when he has consistently touted an agenda of infringing upon the majority of Americans' civil liberties. The fact of the matter is tax-exempt organizations have absolutely no ability to deny anyone's rights of any kind. But what Bobby is proposing here is to force religious institutions to bend the knee towards the almighty deity called government, essentially denying them their freedom of expression.

But like I said, Bobby has no shot be the next President, so he's basically become a useful idiot for Dem front runners Fauxcahontas Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. That is, he can convey the true goals of progressivism while the top tier candidates swoop in with a more incremental approach, thus coming off as slightly less insane.

Truth be told, I kinda echo the sentiment of Steve Deace if by some miracle Bobby emerges as our Commander in Chief.

This almost made me want to donate to Bobby's campaign. Almost.

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Trump in Minneapolis

While I was approved for a media credential to attend President Trump's Thursday evening rally in downtown Minneapolis, I'm going to forgo the event. While I'm as sociable and extroverted as they come (not to mention a chance to compile radio show fodder), that kind of atmosphere where it's a veritable mosh pit in the streets just isn't my thing. Not to mention the fact that violent left-wing hate group Antifa (they put the "fa" in Antifa) will be there for a protest entitled "America is Canceled." I pray that all rally attendees will be safe from the actions of these frothing kooks.

As a side story to the rally, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is looking to extort money from bill the Trump campaign more than $500,000 for what he claims is required heightened security for the President's visit. Since the vast majority (if not all) of the incidents of unrest and violence are due to Trump detractors showing up at rallies to create chaos, boy mayor should send them the bill.

Oh, that's right. Urban leftists believe the victims should bear the brunt of unrest.

In the end, I agree with my pal Jeff Kolb in that Mayor Frey is merely pining for a soundbite. As such, he's not all that serious in demanding the Trump campaign fork over that kind of money.

Well, any outrage cycle rarely lasts more than a week in this climate, so that's a pretty safe bet.

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Shallow woke-ness

The National Basketball Association has been lauded over the past several years for being the most "progressive" of the big four pro sports leagues (The NBA, along with Major League Baseball, National Football League and National Hockey League).

Some of the high profile stances the league has taken:

• Forcing L.A. Clippers owner er...uh..."governor" Donald Sterling to sell his franchise upon revelation of shocking racist statements. Sterling was also banned from the league for life. 

• Pulling the 2017 All-Star Game from the city of Charlotte, NC due to the state of North Carolina passing legislation which mandates a person use the public restroom only of their birth gender as opposed to how they identify. 

• No longer using the word "owner" to describe the individual who owns and NBA franchise, primarily because such a title conjures up memories of slave masters or something. 

Players and coaches also pride themselves as being "WOKE!!" due to their constant criticism of all things right-of-center, especially President Trump. And we're talking some of the bigger named players like LeBron James as well as championship coaches Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich.

Personally, I have zero issue with the stances the NBA has taken during the tenure of Commissioner Adam Silver, who assumed his post in early 2014. And even though I oppose much of the leftism espoused by many players and coaches, I'm perfectly fine with them speaking their minds.

Unfortunately, the league kowtowing to China in light of Houston Rockets' GM Daryl Morey standing up for the citizens of Hong Kong in their opposition to the tyrannical Chinese government has shown that the NBA's "woke-ness" has limits. The Atlantic writer Jemele Hill, a staunch leftist and former ESPN personality who believes the Trump administration is rife with white supremacy, is spot on in her assessment of the league's willingness to encourage social commentary until it impacts the bottom line.

It’s much harder to stand on principle when that principle interferes with business relationships worth billions of dollars. The NBA recently signed a five-year extension, reportedly valued at $1.5 billion, with the China-based digital giant Tencent Holdings, which now won’t be including the Rockets as part of its coverage. NBA players have found China to be fertile financial ground. Several NBA stars, including James, Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry, and the Rockets guard James Harden regularly visit China to promote their merchandise and pad their pockets. Players, including the recently retired superstar Dwyane Wade, also have signed lucrative shoe deals with Chinese brands. Likely wanting to protect his own business interests in China, Harden did not stand with his GM. He apologized to Chinese citizens following a team practice in Tokyo, where the Rockets are playing preseason games.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a detailed statement before today’s preseason games in Tokyo in an attempt to further clarify that the league is standing behind Morey’s right to free speech. Silver surely realized that the league’s initial characterization of Morey’s tweet as “regrettable” didn’t exactly denote support.

The problem for the NBA is that this isn’t just a free-speech issue. This is a test to see whether the NBA has the stomach to fight for certain values when doing so compromises business.

If the Chinese continue to take a hard-line stance with the NBA, the league must take a more forceful stand against them—maybe to the point where league officials must reassess whether it’s even possible to have a healthy business relationship with China without compromising the ideals that have made their brand unique in professional sports. If the NBA buckles to China, that merely shows that the league will fight for its values only if no real sacrifice is involved.

Yep. But if you think about it, this is classic progressivism. In prog land, many will laud what happens in brutal dictatorships like Venezuela and Cuba as well as clinging to the belief that a Middle Eastern woman donning a burka is empowering. But at the same time they'll contend that America is on the verge of resembling The Handmaid's Tale.

Say, speaking of coach Kerr, he's the proverbial Chatty Cathy on all matters Trump as well as impugning the character of law abiding American citizens who believe in the Second Amendment. But on China? Yeah, he's gonna need a little more time to research that one.

Steve Kerr has no comment on NBA’s China issues. He comments on every Trump tweet and can’t support democracy in China? What a complete and total coward. pic.twitter.com/Fr4FJIaOW0

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) October 8, 2019

I maintain that NBA players and coaches still have every right to speak out on any issue they desire as well as willfully remain silent on others. But there's no question that their self-anointed moral authority has taken a huge credibility hit this week.

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Box Score of the Week (Postseason edition)

Game 1 of the 1998 National League Division Series - San Diego Padres at Houston Astros.

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Padres' starting pitcher Kevin Brown struck out 16 batters, which is an LDS record.

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An age old song 'bout the home of the brave in this land here of the free...

Another busy news week this past week, so we'll get to as much as we can on this week's edition of my radio program The Closer. The 2-hour blitz gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time.

I'll weigh in on the verdict handed down in the killing of Dallas resident Botham Jean last year and how his family reacted in the aftermath. I'll also look ahead to President Trump's visit to Minneapolis on Thursday. Let's just say top city officials aren't exactly rolling out the red carpet.

Speaking of Trump, I will obviously discuss the latest in the impeachment inquiry. As such, John Malcolm of The Heritage Foundation will join me at 2:30 to share his perspective.


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 as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). 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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It's here!

Postseason baseball is back for my Minnesota Twins club!

For only the second time in nine seasons, the Twins have earned a playoff berth. However, they will face their dreaded nemesis the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series, starting tonight. While I hope the Twins can ultimately slay proverbial dragon that is the Yanks' dominance over them, I'm just hoping they can garner a single victory. Currently the Twins are tied for most consecutive postseason losses with 13 (ten have come courtesy of the Yankees). That means a loss in Game One would give the local nine the all-time record.


I've been a Twins fan for more than 40 years now. I can honestly say that this team is by far the best I've seen in how they handle adversity. Even if they lose tonight I have no doubt that they can (and will) rally to take this series. Yep, I said it. The Twins will finally exorcise the Bronx Bomber demons by winning this series in four games!!

Am I going with my heart more than my head with this prediction? You could make a case for that. But I believe I can make just as compelling an argument for why the Twins have the advantage this series. Let's just say I'm going all in on my club this postseason.

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Quick Hits: Volume CC (UPDATE: Guyger sentence handed down)

- If you live in the Twin Cities area, you've undoubtedly heard that President Trump is holding a rally in Minneapolis next week Thursday. In reaction to this announcement, boy mayor Jacob Frey expressed his displeasure with Trump's visit, going so far as to say Minneapolis "will stand not behind the President."

Naturally, some of the more right-of-center rags leapt to Trump's defense by condemning Frey's reaction.

Frey and (City Council President Lisa) Bender should also recognize that they represent all Minneapolis residents — not just those who support their party or preferred candidates or officeholders.

Trump’s rallies nearly always attract large, enthusiastic crowds — including in Minnesota. The Minneapolis rally will be the president’s fourth visit to the state in the past 16 months. He attended a Tax Day event in Burnsville in April, and visited Duluth and Rochester in 2018. The Rochester event drew an estimated 11,000 people.

Trump narrowly lost Minnesota in 2016 and has vowed to win the state in 2020. His campaign strategists know that news media coverage of his Minnesota visits is also closely followed in western Wisconsin counties that helped him capture the state in 2016 — and the Minneapolis rally will no doubt attract attendees from surrounding states.

Under a national spotlight, Frey and Bender had an opportunity to rise above partisan politics and showcase Minneapolis as a welcoming community — even for those with whom they disagree. It’s a shame they chose to convey a very different message.

Not surprising that a right wing organization like the Center of the American Experiment would so articulately convey how Minneapolis city officials erred in their statements. But it is rather shocking that the excerpt I cited is actually from a piece put forth by the Minneapolis Star Tribune Editorial Board. 

Blind squirrel, acorn and all that.


- Some shocking news on the presidential campaign trail.

Bernie Sanders experienced chest discomfort during a campaign event Tuesday evening and had two stents inserted to address a blockage in an artery, his campaign announced.

“Sen. Sanders is conversing and in good spirits. He will be resting up over the next few days," senior adviser Jeff Weaver said in a statement Wednesday. "We are canceling his events and appearances until further notice, and we will continue to provide appropriate updates.”

Stuff like this should transcend partisan politics. I hope you're back out on the trail soon, Senator.


- Just over a year ago, a white female police officer shot dead an unarmed black man in his own home. It was an incident so shocking that I had trouble believing Amanda Guyger's account, which was she mistook the apartment of Botham Jean (the victim) for her own. She then opened fire since she thought she was walking in on a burglary of her residence (Jean lived in the unit directly above Guyger's apartment).

I never really ascertained how someone could not be aware they were on a totally different floor from which they resided. Nevertheless, the jury in Guyger's case was told they could consider the "Castle Doctrine," which gives a resident immunity if it's determined they used justifiable force against an intruder in their home. Again, this too didn't make sense, as this incident did not occur in Guyger's home. Regardless, the jury obviously didn't give it much consideration as Guyger was found guilty of murder.

Given that police officers in the recent past have been exonerated on incidents similarly horrific, David French at NRO notes the Guyger decision is a welcome course correction.

No serious person argues that juries should be biased against cops. Indeed, it’s vital that they understand the full scope of the risks inherent in lawful encounters when rendering verdicts. But for too long juries have demonstrated bias for police officers, applying a level of grace and deference far beyond what the law permits. Today’s verdict in Texas isn’t just an act of justice, it’s a vital correction to a culture that has sometimes allowed men and women in uniform to abide by a lower standard of behavior than applies to the average citizen of the United States.

Now we await the actual length of the sentence.

UPDATE: Guyger given 10 years, which seems light. Regardless, Mr. Jean's family showed a kind of grace which only comes from knowing Jesus. 

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