Remember last week when President Trump was asked about a timeline for this COVID-19 pandemic that he expressed a desire for America to "get back to work" by April 12? The anti-Trump folks offered up the obligatory hyperbole, this time along the lines of "The President wants to kill off Grandma and Grandpa to save the stock market." As usual, these loons chose to merely glom onto a small portion of Trump's sentiment. The President said that while the Easter time frame was a worthwhile goal to see the country up and going again, he also conceded that he would weigh heavily the advice of the two medical professionals, Drs. Fauci and Birx, on his COVID-19 task force. Sure enough, within less than a week of his initial statement, Trump has re-calibrated expectations at the behest of.......SURPRISE!.....Fauci and Birx.
On Sunday, Trump indicated the Federal government's social distancing guidelines would be extended to April 30.
Dr. Fauci on how Trump decided to extend guidelines:
"Dr. Debbie Birx and I went in together in the Oval Office and leaned over the desk and said here are the data. Take a look. He looked at them. He understood them. And he just shook his head and said, I guess we gotta do it."
If the poo-flinging monkeys on the left (as well as the self-anointed "principled" "conservative" never Trumpers) had a scintilla of shame......BWHAHAHAHAHAHA. Yeah, I know. I crack myself up.
Truth is, these vacuous bobbleheads look for any reason to emit their impotent rage in hopes it will lead to Trump being defeated for reelection this November. I guess to them it's easier than helping their distressed neighbors in the midst of this pandemic.
There's no telling when (or if) a Major League Baseball season will occur in 2020. Nevertheless, I've decided to re-up this feature given the season was supposed to start late last week.
I decided to go with the proverbial layup (Yeah, I know. Different sport) and feature the game where Atlanta's Hank Aaron tied Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list with his 714th career homer. Aaron would hit his 715th four days later at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
So the month of March has really dragged on, eh? Nevertheless, radio stations are deemed "essential" in this COVID-19 outbreak, so I'll be in the Patriot bunker this afternoon for today's edition of my radio program The Closer. The 2-hour blitz will get started at 1:00 Central Time.
At 1:15, Minnesota State Senator Jim Abeler (R-Anoka) will check in to discuss the details of the MN Legislature's coronavirus relief package. He'll also weigh in on Gov. Tim Walz's executive orders concerning the outbreak.
In the second hour, I will come to bury the national media, not to praise it.
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 radioas 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.
This woman has been irretrievably broken. It's genuinely sad to watch.
In fairness, Shrill Hill is at least consistent in her personal worldview in America *not* being first. After all, as U.S. Secretary of State she was negligent in responding to calls for reinforcements from our consulate in Benghazi before the slaying of innocent Americans there in 2012. As you recall, it was then an *American* citizen who was thrown under the bus for the attack. The rationale by Clinton et al was the person's video on YouTube, which was not flattering towards Muslims, incited a spontaneous attack.
I digress.
Shrill Hill's tweet was in reference to a report that America now has the most COVID-19 cases in the world, which means she stupidly believes the spoon fed lies coming from the Chinese Communist Party claiming their country's coronavirus cases have drastically reduced. So the CCP thanks you for spreading their propaganda, Hill.
I don't really have a whole lot to add to the news of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz issuing a "stay at home" order for the next two weeks in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. I believe we know enough to ascertain that if merely a handful of people avoid infection that it could potentially spare hundreds if not thousands from obtaining it. Exponential growth is legit with this thing.
On a different note, I will say that I have been impressed with Gov. Walz's leadership in the midst of this pandemic. He has been matter-of-fact in assessing the seriousness of this coronavirus without engaging in fear mongering or using it as a cudgel against his political opponents. Can you imagine for a millisecond if we were still under the Mark Dayton administration?!?!? I'm not being flip when I say that I don't believe he would have lasted an entire week maintaining a modicum of dignity.
Personally, I'm OK staying at home since I have everything I need to fulfill the tasks of my day job. And in talking to management at the site of my side hustle, AM 1280 The Patriot, they have the technology which will allow me to broadcast my Sunday radio show from home!
In the meantime, I will pray fervently that we get through this pandemic with as few casualties as possible. Stay safe, all.
The University of Tampa announced on Saturday that five of its students have tested positive for coronavirus and are recovering after returning from a spring break trip.
The students were not identified and it’s unclear where they traveled or how many people were with them. None have been hospitalized and they are reportedly self-isolating now.
They traveled together with other UT students during the schools' break which took place from March 8 through 15.
"UT has been notified that five UT students, traveling together and with other UT students during Spring Break, have tested positive for COVID-19," the school said on Twitter. "We sincerely wish our students, and any others who may be affected, a full and rapid recovery."
Four of the five students who tested positive returned to campus after their spring break trip, while one did not.
- When it was reported that Gov. Tim Walz (now self-quarantined due to someone in his security detail having coronavirus) was going to be making an announcement Monday afternoon, I assumed it was going to be a shelter-in-place order. Despite that not being one of the Executive Orders handed down, my employer nevertheless felt it best to "thin the herd" at our corporate office and thus have as many people work from home as possible. As such, I was one of the chosen.
Starting Tuesday morning, I will be working from my home office. And then on Monday, March 30, the fetching Mrs Carlson (a Science teacher) will be holding class via e-learning, also from our house.
This is gonna be....uhhh....interesting.
- With the coronavirus outbreak in this country, I was very concerned how this would affect Americans who were already enduring mental health issues. With anxiety and depressions seeming to be an epidemic in our society, something like a pandemic to adversely impact one's physical and financial health would only serve to heighten such anxieties.
As such, many of our first responders on high alert.
Growing tensions over job loss and isolation measures are forcing police and paramedics to be prepared for an uptick in domestic violence and mental health calls.
As a result, police departments are ramping up their efforts. Minneapolis Police is one of them. They say they are already seeing a rise in calls related to domestic abuse issues and we are only heading into the second week of this new normal.
Police want people to realize there are plenty of options to reach out for help.
“People are facing major changes in their life,” said MPD spokesperson John Elder. “This adds to a heightened stress level.”
Elder wants residents to know they have outlets in these times of crisis.
First responders are fully prepared to deal with a rise in domestic violence and suicidal calls as people face job loss, staying indoors and an uncertain future.
My wife and I are blessed in that we're able to remain gainfully employed during these times. Heck, we're likely to save significant money given we won't be spending a heckuva lot on gas for the foreseeable future. But that said, we're keenly aware of those who feel helpless right now. These folks will definitely be in our prayers.
Despite the continuing coronavirus outbreak, I plan on being in the Patriot bunker for today's installment of The Closer. The 2-hour broadcast will get started at 1:00 PM Central Time.
Obviously we'll monitor the very fluid situation with the coronavirus pandemic, including MN Gov. Tim Walz weighing on whether or not to implement a "shelter-in-place" order for the state.
In non-coronavirus news, I'll opine on some primary elections from this past week, including in Illinois where a pro life incumbent Democrat was sent packing. Also, NFL free agency went ahead as planned with perhaps the greatest QB of all time saying goodbye to his 20-year home.
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 radioas 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.
Despite the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., some states this past week went ahead and held their primary elections as planned.
In Illinois' Third Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Dan Lipinski faced a primary challenge from a more "progressive" candidate named Marie Newman. Given how radicalized the Democrat party has become on the abortion issue, the pro life Lipinski faced an uphill battle to survive this primary. Unfortunately he was defeated by Newman, so his tenure in Congress will be coming to an end.
With Lipinski’s loss, there is no longer even the slightest bit of room for Democrats to give themselves cover on this issue, and they appear not to mind. The Democratic Party is, at the national level, filled with politicians who support abortion on demand, at any stage of pregnancy, for any reason, funded by the U.S. taxpayer.
This is dramatically out of step with most Americans, only 13 percent of whom favor allowing elective abortion in the last three months of pregnancy and nearly three-quarters of whom would limit abortion to the first three months or to cases of rape or incest, or not permit it at all. It is also out of step with most Democrats, only 18 percent of whom would allow third-trimester abortion. A full 30 percent of Democrats call themselves pro-life.
Instead of being accommodated or reassured, these Democrats are explicitly told by the politicians seeking to represent them that their views have no place in their own party — a curious election strategy.
In IL-03, this will be of little consequence given it's solidly Democratic (Cook Partisan Voting Index puts it at about D+6). However, many of the "swing districts" which were seized by Dems in 2018 could very much be back in play for the GOP in 2020, especially with turnout being higher in a presidential election year.
There was one issue that loomed especially large in this campaign: the fact that I am pro-life. I was pilloried in millions of dollars of TV ads and mailers. I was shunned by many of my colleagues and other Democratic Party members and operators because of my pro-life stance. The pressure in the Democratic Party on the life issue has never been as great as it is now. Over the years, I’ve watched many other politicians succumb to pressure and change their position on this issue. I have always said that I would never give up being pro-life and standing up for babies in the womb. Judy [Lipinski’s wife] and I, and tens of millions of Catholics, hold and live this belief. But it is not just based on religious belief. It is based on science, which shows us that life begins at conception. Knowing this, I could never give up protecting the most vulnerable human beings in the world simply to win an election. My faith teaches, and the Democratic Party preaches, that we should serve everyone, especially the most vulnerable. To stand in solidarity with the vulnerable is to become vulnerable. There is no higher calling for anyone.
To reiterate, the U.S. has outsourced a significant amount of its medical supply chain to China. As such, the Chinese Communist Party has already threatened to withhold critical supplies given the antagonistic rhetoric between the countries.
I'm certainly not saying we should kowtow to the CCP or even absolve them of responsibility for this current outbreak. But once America comes out on the other side of this pandemic (with what we pray are minimal casualties), we absolutely need to re-assess why we're not as self-sufficient as an alleged superpower should be.
You're the Governor of a large midwestern state. You've declared a State of Emergency and have broad emergency powers authorized by state statute.
The CDC issues a recommendation that events over 50 people be prohibited - your state commissioner of Public Health (a member of your cabinet that you have chosen and trust) strongly urges you to issue an Executive Order prohibiting events over 50 people in your state for eight weeks. Your attorney general assures you this is within your legal authority as Governor.
What do you do?
Why or why not?
I consider myself an unabashed capitalist, so I normally eschew the notion of government dictating how a private, legitimate business conducts itself. So if, in Minnesota's case, Gov. Tim Walz issued such an Executive Order (similar to what has been done in Ohio and Illinois), it would inevitably hurt bars and restaurants, thus adversely impacting many livelihoods. So my initial instinct would be for government to serve as the purveyor of information and then allowing public health officials to attach strong recommendations as to how citizens should approach this harrowing situation.
That said, we could also argue that we're dealing with a pandemic that is unprecedented in the modern age. With literally no human on the planet immune to COVID-19, the risk of exponential exposure and infection goes down significantly if an establishment is limited to 50 people as opposed to accommodating, say, 100. And with St. Patrick's Day on Tuesday, there is exactly zero chance of any social distancing occurring.
For me, I have no issues with hunkering down at home and avoiding big crowds. I literally have no pressing engagements (outside of my employment) for more than two months, so I would not be doing anything differently regardless of what action Walz takes. But not everyone is like me (and for that, we should all be grateful).
Given some of the sobering information that has come out about this outbreak, it's refreshing that many who underestimated the severity initially are no longer so cavalier about it. But when I'm tempted to say that people will, for the most part, act rationally in this crisis, I'm reminded of a conversation between Agents J & K in the movie Men In Black.
Edwards: Why the big secret? People are smart. They can handle it.
Kay: A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it.
If you've been to your local grocery store of late, Kay seems to be spot on in his assessment.
One thing I can say with certainty: I'm eternally grateful to not be in Gov. Walz's shoes at this point in time.
Whatta week, huh? Given the big news stories that happened this past Wednesday alone I could fill a 2-hour radio show. Fortunately I am back in the Patriot bunker at 1:00 PM Central Time today for the latest edition of The Closer.
I believe it's a safe assumption that there will be a significant amount of Coronavirus talk and how America is enduring what is officially a pandemic. At some point I'll be joined by D. Greg Scott, a cyber security expert who will weigh in on how, technologically, Americans are better equipped to deal with a possible quarantine.
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 radioas 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.
Of all the news stories surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, this one was particularly jarring.
China is emerging as a global public goods provider as the US proves unable and unwilling to lead.
This is an important development, and if the trend continues, it’s one with potentially serious consequences for the US role in the world. https://t.co/6n5Hlm6FY8
Sadly the coronavirus will result in short term and intermediate casualties in the U.S., particularly in terms of human lives as well as financial setbacks. But if China usurps America as the country which the rest of the world can fully rely upon it times of crises, then we're talking about having to grovel to a communist dictatorship in an effort to stem the tide of such future catastrophic events.
I will be gone on vacation thru Wednesday afternoon, so blogging may be lite to non-existent until late next week. Also, there will be no live radio show this Sunday.
If you've ever listened to policy proposals from the likes of Sens. Bernie Sanders & Fauxcahontas Elizabeth Warren as well as Reps. Tide Pod Evita Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez & Ilhan Omar, you likely wondered aloud where they come up with the numbers to fund their pie-in-the-sky initiatives. Apparently raising taxes a nominal amount on the top 1% income earners will fund their multi-trillion dollar pipe dreams.
On Thursday evening, leftist media types Brian (my helicopter was shot down in Iraq) Williams and NY Times Editor Mara Gay validated an egregiously false tweet put forth by journalist Mekita Rivas.
Uhhh.....two issues here.
First and most obvious: 500 million dollars into 327 million people is $1.53, not $1+ million.
And secondly, didn't you catch Joe Biden's comment at a recent Democrat presidential debate? 150 million people no longer exist due to being killed by violence since 2007. So mini Mike actually could have doled out $2.82 per American!
But I digress.
If we've learned nothing else, we now understand why "progressives" believe their multi multi trillion dollar policy proposals are so attainable. They're simply utter buffoons when it comes to basic mathematics and have willing accomplices in the media to validate it all. Not a bad gig, eh?
Just a few things as I empty a desk drawer in my mind:
- With Fauxcahontas Elizabeth Warren officially withdrawing from the Democrat nomination, that leaves the "diverse" "WOKE!" party with a matchup of Statler vs. Waldorf (closed circuit to anyone of the millennial generation and younger: just Google it).
- Yes, I took great pleasure in the crashing and burning of the Warren and Amy Klobuchar presidential campaigns. And naturally, people of my ilk were often scolded by progs for being so misogynistic as well as being an impediment to "progress."
Let's clear this up once and for all.
If in 2024 the presidential matchup is, say, Nikki Haley (female of Asian-Indian descent) vs. Robert Francis "Beto" O'Rourke (lily white, middle-aged male), I'll max out contributions to Haley and will actively work on her campaign.
Thanks for playing.
- Regarding the Democrats, I will give credit where credit is due. They didn't just pay lip service to wanting to prevent their party from becoming a socialist party by nominating Bernie Sanders. Middling candidates like Klobuchar, Mike Bloomberg and Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the race and then coalesced behind Joe Biden, the only perceived "moderate" who was competitive against Sanders.
In 2016, Republicans expressed a similar urgency to form an alliance to knock out frontrunner Donald Trump. However, the likes of Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush were unable to put aside individual hubris since each were convinced he was the most viable head-to-head vs. Trump. Hell, the dorky Kasich stayed in the race even after admitting his top goal wasn't necessarily to win the nomination.
In the end, Trump likely wouldn't have been stopped regardless, but it was all talk and little action with the non-Trump candidates.
- And finally.......
The 2020 Democratic primary is *so* *crazy* that (it's hard to believe this actually happened!!!) the candiates who were in 1st and 2nd place in national polls for basically all of last year are currently... 1st and 2nd place in delegates.
The woman tweeting about "solidarity" with those wanting to infect Trump supporters with the coronavirus? Yeah, she sits on the Denver City Council. Wretched human beings, all of 'em.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) has never faced significant opposition in her home state. Never in the person of a formidable political opponent for office. Never a local media willing to hold her proverbial feet to the fire. Never the majority of Minnesota voters. Never. Not once.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar returned to Minnesota on Sunday hoping to pivot to Super Tuesday after a distant sixth-place finish in the South Carolina primary.
But while hundreds of supporters gathered for her homecoming in a St. Louis Park High School gymnasium, dozens of protesters streamed in, chanting for her to exit the race over her handling of the case against Myon Burrell, a black teenager convicted in a 2002 child slaying when Klobuchar was Hennepin County attorney.
As protesters took over the stage shouting “Myon!” Klobuchar supporters shouted “Amy!” back. Klobuchar was not in the gymnasium as the protest unfolded, disrupting the start of a program of campaign speeches. The ongoing protest eventually forced the campaign to cancel the rally. “The campaign offered a meeting with the senator if they would leave the stage after being on stage for more than an hour,” a campaign spokesman said. “After the group initially agreed, they backed out of the agreement and we are canceling the event.”
Protest leaders said the campaign would not meet their demand to publicly acknowledge Burrell during the rally.
For the record, I typically oppose the tactics of protestors who seek to disrupt someone else's free assembly. But when Klobee continued to duck the local black community in the aftermath of Burrell's conviction being called into serious question (so serious that the Associated Press provided thorough coverage of the story), the protestors felt as though they had no alternative then to confront her at this rally. Normally the motivation for protests of this type are little more than to cause utter chaos. But not this particular one.
The Burrell case has become a rallying cry for Twin Cities’ civil rights activists who believe he was wrongly convicted. Klobuchar has called for any new evidence to be reviewed.
So if I am understanding this correctly, the protestors would have been more than placated had Klobuchar taken to the stage and conveyed that very sentiment. But there's no way Klobee was going to risk losing face in a public forum, especially since in her initial U.S. Senate run and current POTUS campaign she used the story of her prosecution of Burrell to prove that she is tough on violent crime.
With Super Tuesday fast approaching, Klobee was hoping to regain some of that "Klo-mentum" she foolishly thought was happening after a third place finish in New Hampshire. Now it's a strong possibility she may not even win her home state.
UPDATE: Within about 15 minutes of initially posting this, I got an alert that Klobee is dropping out of the race and will endorse Joe Biden. My oh my.
I'll be back in the Patriot bunker for this afternoon's installment of The Closer. The 2-hour blitz gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time.
Right at 1:00 I will be joined by Rob Doar, who is the Political Director with the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus. Rob will be on to discuss two "gun control" bills passed by the MN House this past week as well as promote Gun Owners Lobby Day taking place at the Capitol this Wednesday.
Then at 2:30, political wonk Matt Mackowiak will check in to break down the race for the Democrat nomination for President.
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 radioas 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.
