Quick Hits: Volume CCXVII

- Congressman Justin Amash, a self-proclaimed libertarian who switched party affiliation from Republican to Independent last year, has formed an exploratory committee for President on the Libertarian ticket. Certainly a group which refers to themselves as "Principled Conservatives" would consider Amash a viable alternative to a sitting Republican president whom they believe has distorted GOP party values....right?

Well......

We are in uncertain times. It is impossible to know what November holds or exactly how a campaign with a strong libertarian nominee like Amash would play out.

But while it may be true that nothing is quite certain in elections, or economics, or life, there is one thing that is certain about the current federal government:

The president is unfit and dangerous. He has “abused and violated the public trust.”

Anyone who shares that assessment of President Trump should focus on maximizing the possibility of his removal.

Such a calculus should preclude a third party run in 2020.

Translation: We "principled" "conservatives" must vote for Joe Biden this November.

To reiterate what I said about this lot in a previous post: such a stance is neither principled nor conservative.


- Failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who spearheaded a movement in 2016 that women who allege having been sexually assaulted have a right to be believed, officially endorsed Joe Biden for President on Tuesday (WARNING: Suuuuuuuper awkward).




How grateful was Biden that Mrs. Clinton conveniently suspended her "believe all women" mantra in the face of Tara Reade's allegations endorsed him?

Photo courtesy of Jon Gabriel

Speaking of egregious double standards on the "Believe All Women" issue, Amber Athey of Spectator USA compiled a handy list of other high profile Biden supporters who have disgraced themselves over this.


- Dave Hughes, who opposed longtime incumbent Congressman Collin Peterson (MN-07) each of the past two election cycles, appears to be making a third run in 2020. However, Hughes has a serious, well-funded challenger for the GOP nomination in former state senator Michelle Fischbach.

In securing the Republican nomination in 2016 and 2018, Hughes never really had a serious challenge.... and it shows. The Hughes campaign's attacks on Fischbach reek of desperation.

A recent post at a tacky looking website called "Do You Know Fischbach" (Paid for by Hughes for Congress 2020) takes issue with David Fitzsimmons, an incredibly experienced operative who was hired to manage the Fischbach campaign. Highlighted in the piece is Fitzsimmons voting to legalize gay marriage when he was a state rep in 2013. The post also points out that he "DONATED MONEY TO ANTI-TRUMP, PROGRESSIVE, PRO-CHOICE, PRO-LGBTQ, FORMER DFL STATE REP. MARGARET KELLIHER."

For a Congressional campaign that has been running almost non-stop for nearly five years, this is amateur hour. First off, Fischbach herself voted "no" on legalizing gay marriage as a state senator. And secondly, Fitzsimmons' support of Kelliher had more to do with ensuring the radical Ilhan Omar didn't become the DFL candidate in MN Congressional District Five. In a D+22 district, the Democrat primary is essentially the general election.

I've gotten to know Dave Hughes over the past few years and felt he was as cordial and upstanding a guy I've ever met. But the campaign he's running in 2020 just ensured that I am throwing my full support behind Fischbach to be the candidate to oppose Peterson. Just as President Trump did.

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Box Score of the Week

Oakland Athletics at Toronto Blue Jays - September 22, 1981.

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This would be the final MLB game in the pedestrian three year career of Toronto's Danny Ainge. About two months later he began a 13-year NBA career. Guess he shoulda stuck to basketball. 

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Still overseas, could it be the whole Earth opening wide.......

As always, a lot to get to on today's edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour extravaganza gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time.

We'll discuss the local and national angles regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, including many states revealing plans to methodically re-open. Also, presumptive Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden's Tara Reade problem is not going away. 

At 1:15, political wonk Matt Mackowiak will join the broadcast to discuss the presidential race (to the extent that there is campaigning) as well as the impact of COVID-19 on his home state of Texas. 

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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Separated at birth: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer & Megan Mullally

Gretchen Whitmer (left) is the governor of Michigan who has shown herself to be a domineering, petty tyrant in her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At right is actress Megan Mullally, who brilliantly portrayed wealthy booze hound Karen Walker on the sitcom Will & Grace. 

Ironically, some of Gov. Whitmer's detractors have referred to her as "Karen," but not because she resembles the W&G character.

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Elitist says what.....

During a Wednesday press conference to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was asked about protesters outside the building. Apparently these particular dissenters were expressing their dismay with New York's continued lock down of "non-essential businesses" and thus the inability to travel to their respective jobs. It's pretty simple. No job, no money.

Gov. Cuomo's response?

"Go take a job as an essential worker. Do it tomorrow."

Just like that, huh?





It's definitely a bizarro world when people are expressing a strong desire to work as opposed to relying on government assistance. And that is something "progressives" like Cuomo fear the most in that citizens are cued in to the ineffectiveness and inefficiency of big government.

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Quick Hits: Volume CCXVI

- You mean there's news in the world other than concerning the COVID-19 pandemic? Why yes, and big news at that.

The US is monitoring intelligence that suggests North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, is in grave danger after undergoing a previous surgery, according to a US official with direct knowledge.

A second source familiar with the intelligence told CNN that the US has been closely monitoring reports on Kim's health.

Kim recently missed the celebration of his grandfather's birthday on April 15, which raised speculation about his well-being. He had been seen four days before that at a government meeting.

Another US official told CNN Monday that the concerns about Kim's health are credible but the severity is hard to assess.

National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said the US is "keeping a close eye" on reports about Kim's health.

"We're monitoring these reports very closely," O'Brien said during an interview with Fox News Tuesday. "As you know, North Korea is a very closed society," he said.

If you thought certain media outlets loved parroting Chinese Communist Party propaganda, just imagine if Un's sister succeeds him as North Korean leader.


- House Speaker Marie Antoinette Nancy Pelosi has got to be the most tone deaf politician in Washington, D.C.....and that's saying something.

Check out this epic takedown.

This is a brutal ad. What an optics disaster that ice cream segment was for Speaker Pelosi pic.twitter.com/1KGPV38h8y

— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) April 20, 2020

Oof. Nance is gonna need some more botox after all that egg has to be chiseled off her face.


- Kudos to Minnesota Public Radio for their latest piece exposing the scam brothers behind Minnesota Gun Rights (NOT to be confused with this state's finest grassroots gun organization in the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus).

My friend and Northern Alliance Radio Network colleague Mitch Berg explains.

The Dorr Brothers - Aaron, Chris and Ben - are a trio of "fundraisers" from Iowa who've been fleecing Minnesota gun owners, pro-lifers and other conservatives for a long time.

The pattern is always the same:
- Move into a state.

- Establish a social media presence.

- Refer to pro-life, pro-2nd-Amendment and other legislators as "RINOs" and "Sell-outs" and, more often than not, "pro gun control" and "pro abortion".

- Claim credit for the actual work that real gun rights/pro-life groups do.

- Tell their supporters via an endless stream of Facebook videos that their only way of standing up for gun rights and life (among other "causes") against all the "Traitors" is to give them money. Lots and lots of money.

- Pay themselves nearly all of that money.

- Do virtually nothing on the ground for actual candidates (and that which DOES get done, almost invariably, is done by the work of well-meaning local followers, with virtually no investment by the Dorrs themselves). To be thorough and fair, some of the local activists, working under the Dorr banner (but nothing else - no funding, nothing but Facebook videos and a few boxes of the printed material that is the Brothers' stock in trade) have done good work for conservative candidates.

Money given to the Dorrs might as well be given to Mike Bloomberg, "Protect" Minnesota or Planned Parenthood.

So yeah, definitely check out Catharine Richert's entire piece at MPR.

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Box Score of the Week

Oakland Athletics at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - April 18, 2012.

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The game where Athletics pitcher Bartolo Colon threw 38 consecutive strikes, which is an MLB record.





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Watch out, you might get what you're after......

Another Sunday in lockdown, but the Northern Alliance Radio Network  rolls on. Today's edition of my 2-hour radio show The Closer gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time.

Now that Joe Biden is the presumptive Democrat nominee for President, all the other failed Dem candidates (as well as Biden's former boss) have fallen in line. Hey, speaking of Biden, he's been accused of inappropriate sexual behavior toward a woman yet has not faced the same intense media scrutiny as Brett Kavanaugh did in September 2018.

In Minnesota, there was a protest in front of the governor's mansion demanding the state be "re-opened." Was this a wise move?

Then at 2:00, Archway Defense founder Peter Johnson will join the broadcast to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on  his business as well as how the pandemic has resulted in record gun sales in the month of March.


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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Just an FYI.......

Because I believe social distancing and staying home as much as possible is an effective deterrent to the spread of COVID-19 does not make me a statist.

But I also believe it's perfectly acceptable to inquire how stay-at-home restrictions can be loosened. This is in order for the economy to receive a much needed boost as well as citizens to feel a sense of normalcy. As such, this does not indicate I am underestimating the seriousness of a virus of which no one is immune.

In short, this Venn diagram encapsulates perfectly my sentiments:

Glad I could clear that up.

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They may get it yet

Saw this pop up in my Twitter timeline:

Last month was the first March without a school shooting in the United States since 2002.

— robertklemko (@RobertKlemko) April 13, 2020

You know what else was notable about this past month of March, per NBC News?

Pandemic pushes U.S. gun sales to all-time high

Yes, I know. Schools were pretty much empty since the second week of March, thus no students susceptible to a mass shooter. But whenever there has been a school shooting, the focus of gun grabbers has been on the inanimate object (i.e. the firearm). So now that gun ownership has increased dramatically over the past month, why hasn't gun violence risen proportionally? Why it's almost as if it has more to do with the person in possession of a gun than the weapon itself.


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No, President Trump, you do not.

In response to the sh*t show that was President Donald Trump's press briefing on Monday.

TRUMP on possibility states won't want to relax social distancing as quick he would like: "The president of the United States calls the shots ... it's a decision for the president ... they can't do anything without the approval of the president." pic.twitter.com/a9f73Z8G3N

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 13, 2020

This is utterly false and should be rejected by those of all political stripes. Full stop.

As you might expect, one of many of Trump's fervent critics was quick to react.

The president of the United States' authority is not "total" in this or nearly anything else. If Obama ever said anything like that, talk radio conservatives would set themselves on fire.

— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) April 13, 2020

This is undeniable, but there is a key distinction. Then President Barack "I've got a pen and I've got a phone" Obama actively usurped separation of powers by essentially creating legislation unilaterally when Congress didn't bend to his whim. Trump, however, has been little more than insufferable bluster via his Twitter feed and off-the-cuff remarks at pressers. While it's unpresidential and deeply irresponsible, his saying such things don't equate to crafting policy.

All that said, the media and many leftists (but I repeat myself) would be best served to lay off the narrative of "ZOMG, WHY ISN'T TRUMP DEMANDING A NATIONAL SHELTER IN PLACE?!?!?!" They seem to want it both ways in that Trump needs to impose his will on the states in terms of demanding people stay inside during this COVID-19 pandemic but is borderline criminal if he even suggests a timeline for Americans to be able to get back to earning a living.

Why does everything have to be so stupid?

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Box Score of the Week

Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres - April 6, 2016.

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With this 7-0 victory, the Dodgers started the 2016 season by scoring 25 unanswered runs, which is an MLB record. 

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It was cheap at half the price, took a shovel where a spoon would suffice....

Happy Easter!

Yes, I will be conducting a live broadcast of my radio show The Closer 1-3 PM Central Time today.

We'll discuss the latest in local news surrounding COVID-19, specifically Gov. Walz's decision to extend Minnesota's stay-at-home order thru May 4. Also, we'll actually talk national politics, as Bernie Sanders suspends his presidential campaign.

At 1:30, I will be joined by Dr. Ralph Reed, founder of the Faith & Freedom Coalition. Dr. Reed will be discussing his book For God and Country. 


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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Bern out

Only in this constant news cycle of COVID-19 could a once top contender for President of the United States dropping out of the POTUS race be completely overshadowed.

Sen. Bernie Sanders ended his presidential campaign on Wednesday, clearing Joe Biden's path to the Democratic nomination and a showdown with President Donald Trump in November.

Sanders first made the announcement in a call with his staff, his campaign said.

"I wish I could give you better news, but I think you know the truth, and that is that we are now some 300 delegates behind Vice President Biden, and the path toward victory is virtually impossible," Sanders said in a livestream after the call. "So while we are winning the ideological battle and while we are winning the support of so many young people and working people throughout the country, I have concluded that this battle for the Democratic nomination will not be successful. And so today I am announcing the suspension of my campaign."

Sanders' exit caps a stunning reversal of fortune following a strong performance in the first three states that voted in February. The nomination appeared his for the taking until, on the last day of February, Biden surged to a blowout victory in South Carolina that set off a consolidation of moderate voters around the former vice president. The contest ends now as the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, which halted in-person campaigning for both Sanders and Biden and has led many states to delay their primary elections.

As Blaze TV's Steve Deace points out, the timing of Sanders' announcement is rather ironic.

We have grocery store rationing. We're locked in our homes. We have record unemployment. Criminals and illegal aliens have more freedom than we do. Government is buying up everything and "loaning" us back our money it already confiscated from us. In other words, all of Bernie Sanders' main objectives have been achieved! There's no need for him to be in the race. His candidacy is now a redundancy. Mission accomplished!

And even better for him is Sanders can continue to lie sideways in the public trough while watching America's plight from one of his three homes. Not bad a gig.

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Winkler being Winkler

I had a hard time expressing outrage over Minnesota legislator Ryan Winkler's latest shenanigans simply because they're as expected as the sun rising in the East.

In case you missed it, Sen. Scott Jensen was giving a speech on Tuesday regarding vital insulin legislation. Apparently unaware he was in view of the video recording, Winkler expressed his displeasure. 

Later in the day, Winkler responded to the backlash via Twitter.

Translation: OK, I'm sorry but......THEY STARTED IT!!!

Winkler is the House Majority Leader but it's highly unlikely he'll face any disciplinary action. That's the kind of perks which come with being in the majority party in that they control all the gavels and thus can determine what is or is not worthy of an ethics hearing.

Sure, what Winkler did was classless. But after referring to a black U.S. Supreme Court justice as an "Uncle Thomas" nearly 7 years ago, an incident like flipping off a fellow legislator is downright tame in comparison.

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New York State of Mind

With New York City now the epicenter of COVID-19, seeing stuff like this is downright infuriating. 

Shelter in place, Brooklyn! Unless it’s sunny and warm. Then let’s all meet at the park. pic.twitter.com/Q5mEdHedyV

— Michael C Moynihan (@mcmoynihan) April 5, 2020

But remember, it's sparsely populated states like Wyoming (one of eight that has no shelter-in-place order) which apparently is the scourge of America.

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Box Score of the Week

Milwaukee Brewers at New York Yankees - July 27, 1988.

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A game which Yankees pitcher Tommy John committed three errors on one play.





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I found out credit cards don't mean you're rich, and beer and gasoline don't mix....

Back in the Patriot bunker for today's edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour blitz gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time.

In the first hour, I'll look into some incidents of where government intervention and inefficiencies are hurting the response to COVID-19.

Then in the second hour, we'll look at some egregious examples of revisionist history by leftists and media (PTR) regarding President Trump's initial response to COVID-19, specifically before it became a pandemic in the U.S.

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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Just a reminder....

....for those who are revising history about President Trump's initial attitude towards COVID-19 not being a major threat to America.

I yield to no one in admiration of Dr. Fauci. But this comment from January 21 should be kept in mind by those accusing anyone in the U.S. of failing to act in time against Covid 19. Watch it all the way through: pic.twitter.com/wCBHT1wfdr

— Brit Hume (@brithume) April 3, 2020

To be clear, this isn't to denigrate Dr. Fauci's credentials. Quite the opposite in fact. It's for those who want to pretend that only Trump was flippant in his concern over a possible pandemic coming to the U.S.

By the way, are any of these revisionist historians also bringing up the fact that the presumptive Democrat nominee for President, Joe Biden, held a campaign rally on Monday, March 9? That was literally one week before many states issued orders to close bars and restaurants in response to COVID-19 cropping up in America. 

It's almost as if perpetuating falsehoods is the only way to validate certain worldviews.

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