Quick Hits: Volume CCLXXVIII

 - Tell us you're a struggling incumbent Democrat governor without telling us you're a struggling incumbent Democrat governor. 

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's first term will be defined partly by his response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, as his re-election looms, he's reframing the virus as less of an immediate threat.

Walz said the pandemic was transitioning to endemic as he toured St. Paul College's nursing training facilities Tuesday. The often-confused "endemic" term means COVID will be present but at more predictable levels. Variants make the future of the virus uncertain.

The DFL governor's administration has made a series of strategy shifts this week. Minnesota is winding down an at-home testing program at the end of March. Then, state officials said that Minnesota had finally hit a goal of recruiting 1,000 certified nursing students, making the state better prepared for future strains on the health care system.

This, in addition to a proposal of giving Minnesotans $500 stimulus checks (aka Timmy stimmies) to help alleviate the skyrocketing gas prices is giving off a clear vibe that Walz is pulling out all the stops to ingratiate himself to voters. 

It shouldn't be a high bar for Republicans to take advantage of this debacle, but these are Minnesota Republicans we're talking about.  

- I was OK with the overtime format the NFL had been utilizing since 2010 which was a team can only win after one possession by scoring a touchdown or the defense forcing a safety. While some fans claimed that the OT coin toss essentially determined the winner, I argued that defenses we're always more than welcome to prevent a team from reaching the end zone on the first drive (uh, hello? The Cincinnati Bengals in January's AFC Championship Game?). 

That said, the new rule adopted on Tuesday gives both teams an opportunity to possess the ball in OT (postseason only; regular season remains unchanged). And yes, I consider this an upgrade. 

I'm just grateful the NFL Competition Committee didn't attempt to pass something moronic like the NCAA football OT rule. 

- Despite leftist kooks' best efforts to gaslight, the Sunshine state has a new law on the books. 

(On Monday), Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill (HB) 1557, Parental Rights in Education, which reinforces parents’ fundamental rights to make decisions regarding the upbringing of their children. The bill prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through 3rd grade and prohibits instruction that is not age appropriate for students and requires school districts to adopt procedures for notifying parents if there is a change in services from the school regarding a child’s mental, emotional or physical health or well-being. The bill builds on the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which was signed into law in Florida last year, and is part of Governor DeSantis’ Year of the Parent focus on protecting parental rights in education.

In the aftermath, Walt Disney Co. continued with the sheer disingenuousness.  

Statement from The Walt Disney Company on signing of Florida legislation: pic.twitter.com/UVI7Ko3aKS

— Walt Disney Company (@WaltDisneyCo) March 28, 2022

Gov. DeSantis responded. 

 

Ron DeSantis fires back at Disney for opposing the parents rights bill:

"Corporate executives do not run this state... If we would’ve put in the bill that you are not allowed to discuss the oppression of the Uyghurs in China, Disney would’ve endorsed that in a second.” pic.twitter.com/VQ3rXY486K

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 29, 2022

It just absolutely shocks me how Disney caves to its woke employees but completely ignores the fact that the majority of its largest consumer base (i.e. adults of young kids) are likely on board with this legislation. 

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Will rocked Rock (UPDATE: staged?)

 This moment from Sunday night's Oscars broadcast went viral within minutes after it happened. 

Say, don't Will and Jada have an "open marriage?" I'm thinkin' other dudes have had worse things of Jada's in their mouths than her name, amirite?!?!?!

After winning the Best Actor Oscar for his role in King Richard, Will Smith apologized to pretty much everyone except Chris Rock.

"Love will make you do crazy things."

Will Smith offers a tearful apology after hitting Chris Rock on stage for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/ylDSgOAbFW

— Mediaite (@Mediaite) March 28, 2022

I didn't watch a millisecond of the Oscars live, but my understanding is Rock handled himself with more dignity in his little finger than Smith had in his entire body, yet Hollywood elites and other progs applauded Smith's tearful acceptance speech. What a bunch of ghouls. 

UPDATE: I'm starting to come around to the theory that this thing was staged. 

Judge for yourself (video NSFW). 

 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 3/27/2022

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Try to shake it loose, cut it free, just let it go......

It's the final Sunday in March, so I guess that means we're going out like a lamb or something. Anyhow, today's 2-hour installment of my radio show The Closer gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time.

In the first hour we'll discuss the SCOTUS confirmation hearings of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and the absurd rhetoric that followed. I'll also weigh in on the St Paul School board clinging to the COVID mandate cult. 

At 2:15, technology expert D. Greg Scott will stop by to discuss a Russian-Ukrainian hacking network and how conflict in that region has impacted it. Greg will also share safety tips on how to avoid elaborate phishing expeditions.

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, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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Christ-like grace

I'll admit I wasn't familiar with this hit-and-run incident which occurred last October in Blaine.

John Jones was sentenced in Minnesota's Anoka County Thursday morning after pleading guilty to criminal vehicular homicide charges in the deadly October 2021 hit-and-run crash in Blaine that killed local Pilates studio owner, Bridget Dunn.

Dunn was out for a midday walk with her dog when she was struck and left for dead on 109th Avenue Northeast on the edge of her Blaine neighborhood.

Typically an incident such as this results in significant jail time for the perpetrator. But that's not what is happening here. 

The sentence handed down by Judge Melissa Saterbak initially avoids prison time for Jones if he complies with conditions of probation. An agreement Dunn’s loved ones signed off on to give Jones a second chance.

At the sentencing, Bridget's sister and widower shared victim impact statements. Both seemed to be attempts to bring comfort to Mr. Jones as opposed to making him feel worse about his horrible mistake. 

"YOU CAN REALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE": Must watch this family's courtroom compassion. Bridget Dunn's loved ones sign off on deal helping deadly hit & run driver avoid prison, for now. If John Jones gets sober & follows law on probation, his 69-month prison sentence goes away. @FOX9 pic.twitter.com/CB664OhjNP

— Paul Blume (@PaulBlume_FOX9) March 24, 2022

Mercy is not receiving what you deserve (in this case, no jail time for Mr. Jones). But grace is receiving something you do not deserve. The family of Bridget Dunn (with an assist from the Judge of course) are extending grace. 

I have no intimate knowledge what the belief system of Bridget's loved ones entails. But whether they realized it or not, their grace and compassion is similar to what Jesus Christ showed all of us when he denied his own pain in order that we may be spared an awful plight. As Christians, it's up to us to utilize that gift God has given us (i.e. salvation) in order to not only be spared damnation but share the good news with others. 

On a lesser scale, Mr. Jones has a legitimate chance to better his life while not having to endure the wretched conditions of jail. In essence he's been given a gift. What he does with it is now his decision. 

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Separate but unequal

Of the many farcical statements made over the 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, none was more vapid and insulting than "We're all in this together."

Here's yet another reminder of how that sentiment was unequivocal bull pucky. 

After months of pressure, Mayor Eric Adams is exempting professional athletes and performers from the city's workplace vaccine mandate.

That means Nets fans could soon see Kyrie Irving play home games and the news came down right before Major League Baseball starts its new season, CBS2's John Dias reported Thursday.

Adams said the exemptions take effect immediately, regardless of the performers' and players' COVID vaccine status.

"Currently, only non-resident are exempt under this executive order. We are expanding it to residents of New York City," Adams said at a press conference at Citi Field.

It is a considerable reversal from his original position of honoring a de Blasio administration rule requiring COVID vaccines in the workplace.

How can this be interpreted any other way than there are separate rules for the elites of NYC? I mean, we're used to seeing elites and politicos flouting the rules, but in this case there is literally a separate standard for the upper crust. 

Remember former NYC Mayor Ed Koch's sentiment of "The people have spoken.....and they will be punished?" Kinda speaks for itself here, no?

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Quick Hits: Volume CCLXXVII

 - Despite the hysterics one sees on Twitter, the Senate confirmation hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson have been relatively routine, perhaps a tad boring. 

Then this happened: 

Senator Blackburn: "Can you provide a definition for the word woman?"

Judge Jackson: "No. I can't...I'm not a biologist." pic.twitter.com/TRlqUeDGs6

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 23, 2022

Part of me feels for Judge Jackson in that if she were to give the literal definition of "woman," she would have been rhetorically slaughtered by secular progressives. However, this is no time to bow to the woke mob given the very real possibility the U.S. Supreme Court will have to hear oral arguments regarding (you guessed it) women's issues. 

- Good news: Minnesota's rate of positive COVID-19 tests is below 3% for the first time since last July. 

Bad news: The St Paul School Board is anti-science. 

- Whenever there are Republican wave elections, Minnesota is often immune from such GOP success, particularly statewide. And this year will be no exception unless a certain grifter group is put out to pasture. 

Blois Olson from his Tuesday Morning Take newsletter: 

Political parties and organizations should have one goal – to win. Most work toward that with different strategies, and different levels of successes. Some tactics can always be questionable, but harassment and intimidation are out of bounds. However, after trying to challenge stalwart Republican incumbents, and losing, the goal (of) Action 4 Liberty is becoming less clear. They have run primary candidates previously and consistently lost. The one “success story” is Rep. Erik Mortenson who doesn’t even have a caucus after he was asked to leave the more disruptive New Republican caucus. The more worrisome story for them, is multiple stories where threats and even intimidation seems to be an “organizing” strategy. They even physically removed Rep. Nolan West from an “open to the public” training. However, as an organization that pitches conservative “purity”, the idea that their preferred candidate for Governor Dr. Neil Shah donated to Gov. Tim Walz in 2018 suggests they aren’t actually serious about their calling out conservative Republicans as “RINOs”. Did they do their own homework? Or they aren’t actually as pure as they suggest others should be? Fringe groups aren’t new in Minnesota political parties, but even the DFL rejected socialists and the DSA. It’s time for Republicans to call out Action for Liberty. If Republicans tolerate the behavior at their conventions, they are likely to tolerate it at polling places, and that is toxic and unacceptable for Minnesota.

Emphasis mine. If you wanna get an idea of what the goal of A4L is (or at least it's leader), this Twitter thread from Michael Brodkorb sheds some light. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 3/19/2022

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All I can manage to push from my lips is a stream of absurdities.....

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

In the first hour, I'll discuss big stories in Minnesota politics, including Congressman Jim Hagedorn's widow looking to serve the remainder of his term in the U.S. House. Also, another big name in the MN Legislature will not seek reelection. 

Right at 2:00 PM, Casey Mattox, who is vice president for legal and judicial strategy at Americans for Prosperity, will join the broadcast to discuss how Americans feel less free and have an increased distrust in government due to the response to the pandemic. 

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, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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Bakk not coming back

Huge development in the MN Senate. 

Minnesota Sen. Tom Bakk, once a powerful Iron Range DFLer who in recent years split from his party, has announced he will retire at the end of the year.

Bakk, a Cook Independent, is in his sixth Senate term and chairs the Capital Investment Committee. His retirement opens up the Senate District 3 seat representing Koochiching, St. Louis, Lake and Cook counties at a time when Democrats are struggling to keep their footing outstate.

In a statement, Bakk said representing the region "has been one of the greatest rewards of my life."

"I have always tried to do my best for the people I've served even if it was not always easy or popular with my own political party," he said. "The friendships and the memories I have made will carry with me forever."

Bakk trying to do what's "best for the people" did indeed run afoul of his party to the point where, in early 2020, he lost his title of DFL Senate Majority Leader when his party's members voted in favor of metrocrat Susan Kent of Woodbury. Less than a year later, Bakk and Chisholm Sen. David Tomassoni (who is also not seeking reelection this year) formed an Independent caucus, effectively strengthening the Republican majority in the Senate. 

There's no question that this bodes well for Republicans this election cycle as these two vacancies will be outstate, which has become a GOP stronghold. Given MN Republicans are in prime position to seize the House as well as retain control of the Senate, it is paramount the party get it right when selecting a gubernatorial candidate to unseat Gov. Tim Walz in November. But if the GOP nominee is left wanting in the eyes of independent voters? Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty spokesman Brian McClung floated an intriguing scenario. 

How about a Tom Bakk independent run for Gov? He did make a run as a DFLer back in 2010 before dropping out. (Where would that end up in the indy lane vs. Cory H.?) https://t.co/c4GrNXj6ES

— Brian McClung (@bmcclung) March 17, 2022

I won't say which ones, but there are some GOP gov candidates who could potentially cause me to pull the lever for a candidate Bakk.  

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Quick Hits: Volume CCLXXVI (MN sports edition)

 - The big NFL news on Sunday was QB Tom Brady announcing that he is "un-retiring" from the NFL and returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Literally minutes later, my favorite NFL club had a significant announcement of its own regarding their quarterback. 

The 2022 season will be Kirk Cousins' fifth as the Vikings' quarterback. He's got a new contract that could keep him around for a sixth season, too.

For the second time in three years, the Vikings agreed to a new deal with Cousins to lower the quarterback's salary cap figure while giving him a raise. The Vikings and Cousins' agent Mike McCartney announced the deal is a one-year extension, which puts the quarterback under contract with the Vikings through the 2023 season.

"Kirk was one of the first players I called when I joined the Vikings [in January], and it was immediately clear how much he cares about this organization and about winning," general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in a statement. "High-level quarterback play is a prerequisite to building a championship team, and we are confident Kirk will continue along that path."

Given Cousins' inflated salary combined with the fact Aaron Rodgers announced he was returning to the Vikes' division rival Green Bay Packers, it made sense for the Vikings to listen to trade offers for their quarterback. Given the QB market was scarce, there was a good chance some decent draft capital could've been sent the club's way in addition to creating significantly more salary cap space to reload the team. So in 2-3 years when Rodgers is likely gone from Green Bay, the Vikings would be in prime position to not only take over the NFC North but also make a deep playoff run with a retooled roster as well as a young franchise QB they (hopefully) drafted in either 2022 or 2023. But that's not the path they chose. 

I will at least give Adofo-Mensah and new head coach Kevin O'Connell this much: tying your new jobs to a QB who puts up nice stats but only wins half of his games is pretty ballsy. This means that the new regime has to be nearly perfect in their upcoming free agency signings and draft choices. No pressure there. 

- Dang, it sure is nice for the NBA to be relevant again in the Twin Cities. And it's even more satisfying to see the Minnesota Timberwolves' best player, Karl-Anthony Towns, continue to have monster games, but in a playoff push. 

On Monday evening against the San Antonio Spurs, Towns set a franchise record with 60 points, including a ridiculous 32 in the third quarter alone. After reflecting upon his performance, Towns tweeted these sentiments Tuesday morning. 

Yesterday was two years to the date that my parents walked into the ER at JFK Medical Center in Edison, NJ and were admitted with COVID-19. The same hospital that my mother gave me life, and tragically, the same hospital where I saw her life begin to slip away

— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) March 15, 2022

I say this to say…no matter what life throws at you, you can come out of it stronger. Tough times don’t last, tough people do. Miss you Momma. This game….my life…is for you ❤️🕊

— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) March 15, 2022

With the Wolves having five losing seasons in Towns' first six years in the league, it's nice to see KAT having the opportunity to enjoy a fun (and, more importantly, winning) season while he maintains that steady demeanor.  

- On Saturday, my Minnesota Twins traded catcher Mitch Garver (decent glove, but a really good bat) for Texas Rangers SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa. OK, fine. The Twins had some depth at catcher but needed solid shortstop play. Kiner-Falefa seemed to fit the bill. 

Then on Sunday, the Twins sent their 2021 first round draft pick Chase Petty to the Cincinnati Reds for veteran starting pitcher (and two-time All Star) Sonny Gray. Excellent! The Twins are showing us they're looking to win now. Keep it going!

Then later on Sunday, they flipped their newly acquired SS Kiner-Falefa, catcher Ben Rortvedt and veteran 3B Josh Donaldson to the New York Yankees for IF Gio Urshela and C Gary Sanchez. OK, now I'm confused. In a little more than 24 hours, the Twins brass downgraded the catcher position (Garver is a better defensive catcher than Sanchez while a comparable hitter; the trade of Rortvedt depleted catching depth) as well as the left side of their infield. And when it was announced that the Yanks would take on the remaining $50 million of Donaldson's salary, I was back to questioning whether the Twins were truly going for it in 2022. At that moment I pictured the Twins' war room looking like Charlie Kelly explaining a government conspiracy. 

The narrative now is the Twins are looking to dump salary in an effort to make a pitch to free agent SS (and two-time All Star) Trevor Story while placing Urshela at third. There are also reports the Twins are looking to add another starting pitcher.

I'm hoping the brain trust of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine make it make sense before too long. 

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Saw this coming

In perhaps the worst kept secret in Minnesota politics.....

The former chair of Minnesota's Republican Party is running for Congress just months after fellow GOP leaders helped force her from power.

Jennifer Carnahan (so it's back to "Carnahan?" What happened to "Caranhan-Hagedorn?" - ed.) announced Monday she is running in the First District Congressional race in hopes of winning the southern Minnesota seat her late husband Jim Hagedorn held.

Carnahan enters a crowded field of more than a dozen candidates for the First District seat, including a host of Republicans, Democrats and a third party candidate running under the Legal Marijuana Now banner.

In a press release, Carnahan referenced both Hagedorn and former President Donald Trump.

"I am committed to continuing my husband's legacy of fighting to secure the border, defending conservative values, safeguarding the integrity of our elections, and serving the people of Minnesota's First Congressional District," said Carnahan.

"Like President Trump, I am a businesswoman and fighter. Here in Minnesota, I disrupted the status quo and brought the Republican Party back to relevance. Now, I ask for the support of southern Minnesota to do the same in Washington."

Uh....brought the Republican Party back to relevance??? Last I checked, the GOP has not won a statewide race in Minnesota since 2006. Heck the only electoral success the MNGOP had in her 4-1/2 year tenure was shrinking the DFL majority in the MN House in 2020. The only other thing she could be referring to is the fundraising prowess she had as Chair, but that was only due to the generosity of some sugar daddy who was filming p*rn in his Minneapolis condo (and, as we later learned, sex trafficking minor females). 

The MN Democrat Party chair had a boilerplate response. 

In a statement, Minnesota DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin said that Carnahan resigned her role as state part chair "in disgrace" and highlighted the controversies she faced last August.

"Jennifer Carnahan's leadership ability has been entirely discredited by those who worked most closely with her," Martin said. "It is clear that Carnahan has no business serving in any elected office whatsoever."

Huh. He didn't use the word "extreme" here. Deviating from the template a bit, eh Kenny? 

Actually, I agree with everything Martin conveyed in his statement. That said, you know as well as I that he and his fellow progs are hoping Carnahan is the GOP candidate for the August special election. The reason being is it would be the Dems' only opportunity to flip that seat, albeit for five months. As such, Congressman Hagedorn's allies in the U.S. House want nothing to do with Jenny. 

One House Republican involved in the National Republican Congressional Committee, addressing Carnahan’s problems on condition of anonymity, said, “I guarantee Jim’s friends are going to end up endorsing someone else.” This GOP lawmaker added that colleagues are waiting to see if Carnahan tries to run on Hagedorn’s name or campaigns with her own on the ballot. “Just Carnahan? Is it Jennifer Carnahan-Hagedorn? Or is it just completely Jennifer Hagedorn?”

Whether or not she gets in the race, Carnahan would face a fight to claim Hagedorn’s seat. Already, six other Republicans have filed to run, and while former President Donald Trump won the district by more than 10 points in 2020, it is a battleground that a Democrat — specifically now-Gov. Tim Walz — held as recently as 2018.

One final thought: Trump has weighed in on several GOP Congressional candidacies ahead of state primaries. Don't think for one second that Jenny's shout out to the former POTUS was not a calculated move. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 3/13/2022

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You've been living underground, eating from a can......

I may be operating on one less hour of sleep, but I'll still be putting in a full two hours of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour broadcast gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour I'll discuss Minnesota politics, specifically GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen naming his running mate and DFL Congresswoman Ilhan Omar receiving a primary challenge. 

At 2:00, Dan Eberhart, who is CEO of one of the largest privately held oil companies in the U.S., will join the broadcast to give his take on the skyrocketing gas prices Americans are now facing. 

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, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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Two years ago

It was two years ago from the date of this blog post when the World Health Organization's official Twitter feed posted the following: 

🚨 BREAKING 🚨

"We have therefore made the assessment that #COVID19 can be characterized as a pandemic"-@DrTedros #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/JqdsM2051A

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 11, 2020

I think about that day often. My wife, mom and me were en route to the Phoenix airport after a four-day vacation in Sedona, AZ. Upon arriving at the terminal, it was pretty obvious that air travel was the first casualty. I'm certain I've never been through a TSA checkpoint faster in a comparable sized airport. 

So what have we learned in these past two years? Well, many Americans who were not politically engaged quickly ascertained that government is inefficient and doesn't have the best interest of its citizens in mind when making decisions. To people like me, that was more a confirmation than a revelation, so I was struck by the number of Americans who were shocked, SHOCKED I TELL YA by such ineptitude and corruption. 

As difficult as things are economically in the U.S. as a result of legislation and government mandates in reaction to COVID, the most significant damage is yet to come. It still angers me what we did to the kids by not doing everything in our power to have them back in the classrooms ASAP. But once they did return, keeping them in facemasks served to only stunt their social skills and communicative abilities. Sadly it will be years playing catch up for the children as they look to acquire the necessary acumen to be a productive member of the employment sector. It's impossible to put a number on the hit our GDP will take with today's generation 2-3 years behind where they otherwise could have been. If there is one silver lining to this awful period, it's that the sense of urgency for the civil rights issue of our time (i.e. school choice) is getting a much louder voice. 

Rahm Emmanuel once famously said that elected officials should "never let a good crisis go to waste." When it comes to the actions of American politicians over the past two years, it's obvious how much they heeded that advice. 

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It doesn't take a Harvard degree.....

 ......to be a Lt. Governor candidate. But it's not an impediment either. 

Former Minnesota Vikings center (and Harvard alum - ed.) Matt Birk  will be Scott Jensen's running mate in his bid to unseat DFL Gov. Tim Walz in November.

Jensen, a Republican, announced his lieutenant governor pick at a Tuesday rally in Eagan.

"We need to take back the field, but we can't do it alone," Jensen said in a football-themed video announcement Tuesday evening. "We need a teammate who isn't afraid to hit back."

Jensen is the first in a large GOP field of gubernatorial hopefuls to announce a running mate.

In a statement, Minnesota DFL Party Chair Ken Martin said Jensen's choice is a sign his campaign is "doubling down on far-right extremism (**drink** - ed.)."

"Matt Birk has campaigned to ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota, supports outlawing abortion, and is a vehement anti-vaxxer," Martin said. "The Jensen-Birk ticket's far-right extremism is out of touch with Minnesota's values, and the contrast with Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. [Peggy] Flanagan couldn't be clearer."

There have been others who have mentioned Birk's opposition to same-sex marriage, which I find.....odd. Despite Birk's advocacy to pass the MN Marriage Amendment (citing marriage as between one woman and one man) in 2012, it got shot down by voters. Less than a year later, gay marriage became legal in Minnesota and then was the law of the land nationwide in 2015. Unless the Jensen campaign platform includes overturning a codified law, I'm not certain why there's this obsession with a political stance from 10 years ago. 

That said, I will concede Martin has a point in that Jensen didn't pick a running mate with even a slight contrast in ideology from himself. Typically a gubernatorial candidate will select someone that can appeal to a group of voters of different ideological stripes (Hence, the perceived moderate Walz selecting the urban progressive Flanagan as his running mate in 2018). And with the COVID-19 pandemic waning with each passing day, what other positions outside of rightly panning Walz's unilateral decision making during said pandemic have the two even glossed over?

As of today, Jensen is the frontrunner among the GOP crop of candidates in that he is closest to Walz in the polls and has been the most prolific fundraiser. But what happens if COVID completely disappears this summer and into the fall, closer to Election Day? If indeed Jensen-Birk is the Republican ticket, they're definitely going to have to be better versed in other serious issues facing Minnesotans. 

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Shakeup in the Fifth?

While there have been some solid candidates declaring they would seek the GOP nomination in Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District, we need to face reality. The DFL primary in that dark blue CD is essentially the general election. 

Like she did in 2020, the incumbent U.S. House member will be facing a formidable challenge. 

Former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels is launching a bid to defeat U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, giving the Democrat a prominent challenge from within her own party.

In an interview with the Star Tribune, Samuels contrasted his leadership style with Omar's. He noted her support of last fall's Minneapolis ballot question that could have replaced the city's police department with a new public safety agency following the police killing of George Floyd.

The question divided some of Minnesota's leading Democrats before Minneapolis voters rejected the measure last November, with 56% voting against the change and close to 44% supporting the shift.

"Representative Omar has demonstrated she's out of touch with the residents of Minneapolis in the last election," said Samuels, 72. "And I've shown that I was very much in touch with the sentiments of the citizenry."

A spokesperson for Omar's campaign declined to comment Tuesday on Samuels' entry into the race.

Two years ago, Omar was opposed by relative unknown Antone Melton-Meaux, who raised a significant amount of money and was even endorsed by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. However, Omar still prevailed by 18 percentage points in that primary contest. I have no idea if Samuels will have the same fundraising prowess as Melton-Meaux, but he will definitely be more of a known commodity given his tenure on the Minneapolis City Council. And his advocacy in maintaining funding for the Minneapolis Police Dept. is far more inline with that city's residents than Omar's radical beliefs that the police should not only be defunded but abolished altogether. 

One thing working against Samuels is the Fifth got that much more blue after redistricting. Perhaps the "lightest blue" precincts in CD5 before 2022 (Hopkins and a portion of Edina) were swallowed up by the Third Congressional District. 

I haven't donated to a Democrat campaign in my entire life, but this is one race where I'd be tempted to do so. 

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Quick Hits: Volume CCLXXV

 - With the national average of gas prices at an all time high, left wing elitists are answering Americans' objections with a Marie Antoinette vibe. 

Pete Buttigieg wants people to simply buy an electric car so they don't have to worry about rising gas prices. pic.twitter.com/VBcIfRotvE

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) March 7, 2022

 

.@StephenAtHome: "Today, the average gas price in America hit an all-time record high of over $4/gallon. OK, that stings, but a clean conscience is worth a buck or two. It’s important. I’m willing to pay $4/gallon. Hell, I’ll pay $15 a gallon b/c I drive a Tesla" pic.twitter.com/my8Ukya5rQ

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) March 8, 2022

Of course, the Biden administration and his media accomplices continue their gaslighting campaign of how fuel prices are only on the rise due to the Russia invasion of Ukraine. 

 

BIDEN: "It's simply not true that my administration or policies are holding back domestic energy production." pic.twitter.com/Eth8IuVhfp

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 8, 2022

 

so it begins--Republicans demand ban on Russian oil, complain about high oil prices and blame Democrats for them. https://t.co/l4kpGLGY8L

— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) March 8, 2022

And because he's so terrified of upsetting the prog base, President Biden is now groveling to the likes of Venezuela in an effort to import more oil as opposed to utilizing vast American resources. 

Sleep tight. 

- The new head of programming at CNN, if a rumored report is true, is going to make a radical change that may yet save his floundering network. 

Incoming CNN boss Chris Licht plans to nix the network's left-leaning commentary when he assumes the role of president this May, insiders say, and has already engaged in talks with rival Fox News about halting its aggressive coverage of them.

Former CBS exec Licht, 50, who headed Stephen Colbert's Late Show for six years until it was announced he was replacing ousted boss Jeff Zucker last month, has already begun closed door conversations with key figures close to the conservative news network, two sources close to the matter told The Daily Beast Tuesday.

Licht reportedly told certain Fox reporters and agents to breathe a little easier because he is working towards a ceasefire after his network's unrelenting negative coverage of the competing news station.

Translation: Brian Stelter and Oliver Darcy better have their résumés updated.

- Mr. Rodgers opts to not move on from his longtime neighborhood. 

The beautiful mystery tour will continue. Aaron Rodgers is not done with the Green Bay Packers just yet, and now there really is a chance the four-time NFL MVP will finish his career in the same place it started.

Rodgers has decided he will return to the Packers for the 2022 season, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

The sides are working on a new contract that would lower his salary-cap figure for the 2022 season while giving Rodgers, 38, contractual clarity well into his 40s.

Pat McAfee and NFL Network were first to report news of Rodgers' return to Green Bay.

NFL Insider Ian Rapoport has reported that Rodgers' new deal is 4 years, $200 million, with an astounding $153M guaranteed. The vital part from the Packers' standpoint is it gets them out of salary cap hell in 2022, thus allowing them to retain, at minimum, Rodgers most productive offensive weapon in WR Davante Adams. 

A lot of my fellow Vikings fans were hoping Rodgers would move on so as to allow our favorite squad a more realistic chance to seize the NFC North. However, I'm a firm believer that the Vikes should take a year or two to re-tool so that they're in a position to go far beyond a division title come 2024. So in a way, Rodgers re-upping with the Pack for at least another season should make the decision easy for the Vikings' new brass since they're, as of today, a borderline playoff team at best. 

And now for the rest of the NFL dominoes to start tumbling.

UPDATE: There's the next domino.

Blockbuster: The #Seahawks and #Broncos have agreed in principle on a trade sending nine-time Pro Bowl QB Russell Wilson to Denver for a massive haul, including multiple first-round draft picks, plus additional picks and players, per sources

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 8, 2022

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 3/6/2022

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We don't need no thought control.......

We're officially into March, which means spring is around the corner.....I think. Anyhow, today's 2-hour edition of my radio show The Closer will get started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour I'll weigh in on the latest in the Minnesota gubernatorial race, including the emergence of a big name third party candidate. 

Then at 2:00, political wonk Matt Mackowiak will check in to discuss President Joe Biden's State of the Union address, the latest in Congressional campaign news, etc. 

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, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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Progs' new obsession

Without a President Donald Trump to kick around, leftist progs are focusing their ire on a new boogie man: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. 

The latest incident which has progs clutching their veritable pearls occurred this past Wednesday morning: 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by [SLIGHTLY] OFFENS*VE 🇺🇸🇦🇺 (@slightlyoffensive.tv)

In a story that didn't deserve to be breathing past Wednesday, NBC News included it in their Thursday evening newscast, which featured one of the students and his mother. 

So I guess we're just gonna gloss over the part where DeSantis said "If you want to wear it, fine....," huh. 

Look, it wasn't like DeSantis and his handlers browbeat the kid into removing his mask. He took it off on his own accord while the young man to his right kept his on. I mean, if secular progressives believe teens can now decide on their own to have an abortion or transition to a different sex, why are they getting the vapors over the kids making a personal choice here??? This is yet another classic example of narrative journalism where a leftist media outlet (in this case NBC News) declares DeSantis the "face of controversy" when the vast majority of the flippin' country agrees with him. 

In the end, this is just an attempt (albeit futile) to cripple DeSantis' electoral prospects in the event he ever chooses to run for President. It was sport for the media to ding Trump because they knew his response would be disproportional to the criticism lobbed his way. But DeSantis is the left's worst nightmare because he has a substantive bite in his responses to attacks levied towards him. 

In other words, bring it on, progs. 

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Amateur hour

Normally a third part candidate announcing his/her entrance into a statewide race draws little fanfare. However, this new candidacy has significant name recognition. 

Former WCCO Radio host Cory Hepola is joining the race for Minnesota governor as a third-party candidate.

Hepola, who also worked as an anchor for KARE 11, is running as a member of the Forward Party recently founded by former presidential candidate Andrew Yang.

"We hear you, Minnesota. You're tired, you're frustrated, you're exhausted with this broken, toxic two-party system that is pushing forward negative, hateful — not only speech — but inactivity," Hepola said at his campaign launch Wednesday at the State Capitol. "There's no collaboration. There's not compromise. We deserve better."

Hepola is the first third-party candidate to enter the governor's race and could sway the outcome in November. A long list of Republican candidates already joined the race to try and unseat DFL Gov. Tim Walz.

The former broadcaster declared himself a "purple" candidate and said he will focus on improving education, public health and economic opportunities.

He may be a third party candidate but he trots out the same vapid chanting points you hear from either of the major parties.

Let me tell you a story...#CoryforMN #wedeservebetter pic.twitter.com/9lvkvgSDel

— Cory Hepola (@CoryHepola) March 1, 2022

If first impressions are any indication, Hepola's bid has already assumed room temperature. 

Dear @CoryHepola this is the Cathedral not the Capitol.

Welcome to the arena. #mn2022#mngov https://t.co/TyDTFpARrz pic.twitter.com/1RMnejmLcx

— Blois Olson (@bloisolson) March 1, 2022

 

If you’re going to tell us a story about Minnesota, it seems fairly common sense to use imagery that’s actually *from* Minnesota.

We have lots of good-looking bridges, but this ain’t one of them. pic.twitter.com/RuODu0jJ0O

— Jake Loesch (@jakeloesch) March 2, 2022

The one thing Mr. Hepola does have going for him? He's scaring the bejeebers out of the DFL.

 

State DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin called Hepola a "spoiler" and said he could hand the governor's office to a Republican, noting that several recent gubernatorial elections in the state were decided by a narrow margin.

"A vote for Cory Hepola is a vote to help the GOP cut taxes for the rich, defund public schools, and force their anti-choice agenda on Minnesotans," Martin said in a statement.

Funny, but DFL leadership didn't show near this level of concern in 2010 when third party candidate Tom Horner siphoned off votes from GOP gov candidate Tom Emmer in a race where Mark Dayton prevailed by 0.5%. So suck it, Ken. 

Now if they would just invite Cory to the gubernatorial debates.........

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Baseball woes

With this being the first summer since 2019 of America being free of a global pandemic (**fingers crossed**), what was once the country's favorite pastime may not be available to us. 

Major League Baseball has canceled opening day, with commissioner Rob Manfred announcing Tuesday the sport will scrap regular-season games over a labor dispute for the first time in 27 years after acrimonious lockout talks collapsed in the hours before management's deadline.

Manfred said he is canceling the first two series of the season that was set to begin March 31, dropping the schedule from 162 games to likely 156 at most. Manfred said the league and union have not made plans for future negotiations, and that players won't be paid for missed games.

"My deepest hope is we get an agreement quickly," Manfred said. "I'm really disappointed we didn't make an agreement."

Uh, yeah, it shows.

This image is going to stick with me for a long time. pic.twitter.com/MnvUWywq4d

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) March 1, 2022

The fact of the matter is that MLB has not increased its fan support in any significant way over the past decade, whereas the NBA and NFL continue to be juggernauts. Former Twins third baseman Danny Valencia best encapsulated the disparity in fan partisanship. 

Mike Trout, the best player in the show, has 1.9 million followers on IG, playing in Los Angeles. Tyler Herro, good player for the Heat, no where near Mike trout good, has 2.3 million followers. Why?

— Danny Valencia (@dannyvalencia19) March 1, 2022

I don't believe it's an exaggeration to suggest that Trout is this generation's Mickey Mantle (in terms of talent and raw numbers), yet maybe half the country could positively identify him. And that's with orders of magnitude more exposure (i.e. via internet and cable TV) than was available to Americans in the 1950s and '60s. 

MLB owners and the Players Association may yet hammer out a new CBA this week and thus we'll miss out on only a handful of regular season games. But even if we attain that best case scenario, MLB still has dramatically improve the marketing of its game in addition to stemming the tide of anger among its loyalists. Moving on from Commissioner Manfred might not be a bad place to start. 

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