Pay your own debts, deadbeat.

The progs' brow-beating of our feeble President may finally be paying off for them.....but maybe not as much as they'd prefer. 

President Biden said he is "taking a hard look" into forgiving some federal student loan debt on Thursday, but the amount he is considering is less than $50,000 per borrower, lower than some top Democrats have been seeking since he took office.

"I am considering dealing with some debt reduction," Mr. Biden said in response to a question at the White House. "I am not considering $50,000 debt reduction. But I'm in the process of taking a hard look at whether or not there will be additional debt forgiveness."

The president said he would have an answer on forgiving additional debt in the "next couple of weeks."

If indeed there is even partial cancellation, there can be no other path forward outside of getting the Federal government out of the student loan business forever. I mean, what a racket! An 18-25 year old young adult can take out six figures worth of loans, backed 100% by the Federal government. And college tuitions can be hiked at a rate which easily surpasses inflation, so the universities make out like bandits. 

What's equally galling and depressing about the prospects of loan "cancellation" is the woeful misunderstanding of basic economics. Those who hold a large amount of student loan debt believe there's no consequence to the government just "forgiving" the debt. 

There’s no such thing as “canceling” student debt.

There are two real options.

1) The people who borrowed the money, affluent college graduates, pay back what they owe.

2) Taxpayers, including 2 in 3 adults who didn’t go to college, eat the loss & face more taxes/debt.

— Brad Polumbo 🇺🇸⚽️ 🏳️‍🌈 (@brad_polumbo) April 5, 2022

So y'see, such a policy would disproportionately hurt the poor and lower middle class, many of whom didn't even attend college. And those who lived up to their obligations by paying back all of what they borrowed will now be saddled with an extra burden. When this is pointed out to the biggest advocates of canceling student loan debt, they respond with invective similar to what they convey when they're told there are only two genders. 

Let's face it. This would be horrible politics and policy, and it should be hung around Biden's neck. 

Ultimately, our public officials have two choices: They can either allow the current situation to resolve itself via the time-tested method of supply and demand, or they can admit that there is a massive problem in American higher education and end the status quo as we know it. They cannot do both. To foist all of the existing debt on innocent taxpayers and then to start the same disastrous process all over again would be an act of incomprehensible vandalism. If, in a moment of dramatic cowardice, this president takes that course, he, and those who benefited from his folly, must be made to reap the whirlwind.

Lastly, I'd like to participate in this little exercise: 

 

Everyone change your profile pic to your student debt. Log into https://t.co/bLFpAXbQ1N and take a screenshot of your balance

Change your screen name to:
"$10K No Way! 🟥 Don’t Go Small Cancel It All" pic.twitter.com/gJtTFN51Nh

— The Debt Collective (@StrikeDebt) April 29, 2022

Here's mine: 

 

via GIPHY

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

NFL Draft memories

The NFL Draft begins this evening. 

To be honest, I haven't been following much draft speculation or indulging in "hot takes," so I have no idea what my Minnesota Vikings club has planned with the #12 overall pick. 

As someone who has been a Draft-watching junkie for nearly three decades, there are many intriguing storylines which come to mind, not the least of which is the drama surrounding the 2005 draft. Given the San Francisco 49ers had the top pick that year and needed a quarterback, the speculation was rampant about which QB they'd select. Given the two best prospects were Utah's Alex Smith and Cal's Aaron Rodgers, it was established it would be between one of those two. Given Rodgers grew up in proximity to the Niners' home stadium, he seemed to be the favorite.....until he wasn't. Yes, the 49ers did indeed select Smith, leaving Rodgers to wait. And wait. And wait some more. 

Rodgers was ultimately selected 24th overall by the Green Bay Packers. Given his comments upon being drafted so late, Rodgers' quest to become a Hall of Fame caliber QB was sparked that very day. 

So whenever Draft day rolls around, inevitably I see a variation of this: 

Sure, this is a bit of trolling from our friends to the east. And it wouldn't be such a kick in the nuts if the Vikings hadn't whiffed on their two first round picks (WR Troy Williamson and DE Erasmus James were busts). But what's most galling to me is the perpetual "woe-is-us" reaction from some of my fellow Vikings fans who believe our club should've selected Rodgers. Apparently a history lesson is in order. 

At the time, the Vikings QB was Daunte Culpepper. In 2004, the season before that fateful draft, Culpeper led the NFL in passing yardage (4,711) and was second in touchdown passes (39). He also finished second to Peyton Manning (now a Hall of Famer) in the voting for 2004 Offensive Player of the Year. Another thing to keep in mind is that Nate Burleson was Culpepper's top WR that season as Randy Moss missed 4 games due to a hamstring injury. And in a three season span from 2002 thru 2004, Culpepper's per season average was just over 4,000 yards passing and 27 TDs. However, the Vikes were merely a .500 team in that same timeframe, so it would stand to reason there were other pressing needs throughout the roster (particularly since Moss was jettisoned after the '04 campaign). But in a cruel twist of fate, Culpepper blew out his knee in Week 8 of the 2005 season. He would ultimately be traded to the Miami Dolphins prior to the 2006 campaign. 

In retrospect, it would have been the best thing for the Vikings to select Rodgers in 2005 given his enormous potential as well as keeping him away from the hated Packers. But the idea that the Vikings' brass at the time was somehow negligent in not taking the future Hall of Famer is revisionist history on par with the 1619 Project. 

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

Quick Hits: Volume CCLXXXII

 - It's official. Billionaire Elon Musk purchased Twitter.com for an estimated $44 billion. 

Once again, leftists are telling on themselves by declaring that Musk's vision of a platform for all viewpoints is steeped in authoritarianism. They then follow up that sentiment by saying content moderation is vital, and they do so without a scintilla of irony. 

While there are so many unhinged prog reactions to list, these two best sum up what I've been talking about. 

Once again it's former Clinton administration garden gnome Labor Secretary Robert B. Reich contradicting.....uh......Robert B. Reich. 

It’s perfect. pic.twitter.com/XgKibQEmOu

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) April 25, 2022

And then you have MSNBC guy Ari Melber describing a scenario that sounds all too familiar. 

 

“You could secretly ban one party’s candidate…secretly turn down the reach of their stuff and turn up the reach of something else and the rest of us might not even find out about it until AFTER the election.”

pic.twitter.com/yPMbtSN2wx

— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) April 26, 2022

The prog outrage machine being fueled by this Musk-Twitter saga has been yet another validation of Berg's 7th Law. 

- First it was an expletive laden "protest" in front of the personal residence of the then head of the Minneapolis Police union. Then it was an unwarranted accusation of racism towards a St Paul police officer who cited him for equipment violations. And now it appears this person may have interfered with St Paul police performing its duties. 

St. Paul police say Rep. John Thompson “bullied” and intimidated officers as they tried to investigate his adult daughter during a DUI traffic stop.

Thompson’s 26-year-old daughter was found to be driving without a license and apparently under the influence of drugs, but her father arrived on scene and officers allowed him to take her away rather than placing her under arrest, according to sources.

Thompson’s daughter was pulled over for a moving violation in St. Paul on Sunday. She refused to roll her window down and identify herself to police, according to a report obtained by Alpha News. However, officers learned who she was when Rep. Thompson arrived on scene, “stating that [the driver] was his daughter and [is] afraid of police,” per the report.

A source recalled Thompson’s chaotic arrival on scene to Alpha News: “Thompson drives up to the scene, parks illegally [and] starts yelling at officers right away.” He also reportedly handed out his business card to officers.

“Our officers were bullied by a state representative who tried to use his elected position and false claims of racism to intimidate,” St. Paul police spokesperson Steve Linders told Alpha News. Thompson’s behavior “put our officers, who were trying to keep our streets safe for everyone, in an incredibly difficult position,” he continued. “No one should ever be bullied by an elected official. No one should have to endure being called a racist without provocation or proof.”

Thompson denied the allegations he was "bullying" law enforcement. You know what'll settle this? Releasing video footage of the exchange, which was done in the aftermath of the July 2021 incident where Thompson accused an officer of profiling. 

MN Statute 13.82 Subd.15 permits the video's release to "...dispel widespread rumor or unrest." Since Thompson challenges Axtell's characterization, all video needs to be released to "dispel widespread rumor" about how Axtell described Thompson's behavior. Stay tuned for updates.

— Michael Brodkorb (@mbrodkorb) April 26, 2022

We definitely haven't heard the last of this. 

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

Box Score of the Week

 Tampa Bay Rays at Florida Marlins - June 20, 2003.

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

This past weekend, Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera collected his 3,000th career hit. As such, Cabrera is now one of only three players in Major League Baseball history to have a .300 career batting average to go along with 500 home runs and 3,000 hits (Hank Aaron and Willie Mays being the others). 

With that in mind, the game I referenced this week is Cabrera's MLB debut with the Marlins. In that game Cabrera collected his first career hit, which was a walk-off 2-run homer. If you watch the video of that hit, you'll see Rays rookie CF Rocco Baldelli (now Twins manager) running in vain toward the center field wall. 

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

The NARN Closer's playlist - 4/24/2022

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

You will never understand it, 'cause it happens too fast.....

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

In the first hour, I'll break down the reactions to a federal judge in Florida overturning the CDC's mask mandate for public transportation. Not surprisingly, COVID woke scolds flipped out. I will also weigh in on CNN+ assuming room temperature. 

At 2:15, I will air an interview with radio commentator/author Eric Metaxas, who will be in the Twin Cities this Thursday evening for a discussion entitled "Is Atheism dead?" 

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.....

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

Nonplus

This was about as predictable as the fate of '90s late night talk program The Chevy Chase Show. 

CNN+, the streaming service that was hyped as one of the most significant developments in the history of CNN (hyped *by* CNN. No one else - ed.), will shut down on April 30, just one month after it launched.

CNN+ customers "will receive prorated refunds of subscription fees," the company said. The decision was made by new management after CNN's former parent company, WarnerMedia, merged with Discovery to form Warner Bros. Discovery earlier this month.

The prior management team's vision for CNN+ runs counter to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav's plan to house all of the company's brands under one streaming service. Some CNN+ programming may eventually live on through that service. Other programming will shift to CNN's main television network.

Well, maybe the comparison to Chevy Chase's ill-fated foray into late night talk was a bit unfair....to Chase that is. He at least squeezed six weeks outta his venture. 

Speaking of catastrophes.....

  

didn’t think i’d live long enough to see something replace new coke as a byword for business disasters

— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) April 21, 2022

This is a solid take given that New Coke lasted 2-1/2 months before the original formula (relabeled as Coca-Cola Classic) was brought back. 

In all seriousness, I probably shouldn't be dancing on the proverbial grave of the CNN+ debacle. After all, there are working stiffs (i.e. production workers, stage hands, etc.) who are now out of a job whereas the highly paid on-camera talent can better navigate employment interruptions. 

In his National Review piece last week, Charles C.W. Cooke pointed out the obvious reasons why a ratings deficient network couldn't make a go of it in the streaming genre. 

.....CNN will limp on as it has before — devoid of purpose, bereft of understanding, confused by its situation, blinded by hubris, the last man in the room to realize that he is slowly destroying himself. The harsh truth is that CNN needs to go back to basics. It doesn’t need a plus, but a series of minuses — minus the sanctimony, minus the bias, minus the self-rationalization, minus the witless caricaturing of its rivals.

Not everyone remembers this, but, once upon a time, one of those “N”s stood for “News,” you know.

Oh, I remember. Their coverage of the Gulf War back in the early '90s was top notch, especially the journos who were reporting from a hotel in Baghdad, Iraq while cruise missiles flew by their location. Today, their top evening programming consistently riffs on the reporting of a rival network. A stunning descent indeed. 

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

Quick Hits: Volume CCLXXXI

- This past fall, members of the mounted patrol at the southern U.S. border were accused of using whips to control Haitian migrants. Given that D.C. elites can barely spell "reins" much less understand how they're used when riding horseback, Press Secretary Jen Psaki immediately condemned the actions (based on video footage and still photos) of the mounted patrol as "horrible" and "horrific" without the slightest concept of what was actually occurring. 

So once an investigation occurred and the border agents were cleared of any wrongdoing, Psaki certainly issued a mea culpa on behalf of the Biden administration for jumping to conclusions, right? 

Jen Psaki refuses to apologize for the White House's smear campaign against border patrol agents who were accused and have now been cleared of whipping migrants at the southern border. pic.twitter.com/8dclkPIEWb

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) April 18, 2022

Her excuse for not apologizing was that the Dept. of Homeland Security has yet to "announce any conclusion of that investigation." Ah, but Little Red Lying Hood Psaki had no such reservations last fall when casting aspersions before the initial investigation even occurred. 

You're gonna make a perfect MSNBC hack, Jen. 

 - On Monday, a federal judge based in Florida ruled that the Biden administration's mask mandate for  airlines and all other public transportation was unconstitutional. Within hours, the TSA announced they would not enforce said mandate and multiple major airlines also indicated masks were now "optional." 

Like Elon Musk's proposal to buy Twitter, the overturning of the mask mandate is exposing the utter derangement of "progressives" in that another "safe space" is being upended.

With each passing day, we're seeing more and more chilling signs of what could happen if progs ever attain the absolute power they desire. 

- With the Fox News late night program Gutfeld! providing a rare (and welcome) exception, there is definitely a dearth of comedic conservative content on prime time and late night TV. Admittedly it's difficult for there to be a conservative version of, say, The Daily Show, given that it's near impossible to satirize a movement (i.e. leftism) that is so self-parodying. 

Here's a classic example: 

Wow so this blew up, cash app is in the bio for my son’s legal defense fun. We are suing for intentional infliction of emotional distress

— Jared Rabel (@JradRabel) April 19, 2022

Obvious satire, right?

Well, not in the eyes of a certain New York Times reporter. 

 

Just got messaged by a NYT journalist about my previous tweet. This is what happened. pic.twitter.com/Dr5fHBnLCm

— Jared Rabel (@JradRabel) April 19, 2022

The biggest threat to The Babylon Bees these days? The mainstream media itself.  

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

Box Score of the Week

Subway series game with the New York Mets hosting the New York Yankees - July 2, 2004. 

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

Mets rookie Kazuo Matsui hit two home runs this game, becoming the first Japanese born rookie to accomplish such a feat. 

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

I can't see much of a future unless we find out what's to blame....

Most radio shows take off Easter weekend, but not the Northern Alliance Radio Network. While today's edition of my radio show The Closer is technically an original broadcast, I prerecorded it yesterday. Regardless, the 2-hour bonanza gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time.  

In the first hour I chat with two GOP candidates vying for Minnesota statewide offices. At 1:00, it'll be Dennis Smith, who is seeking the Republican nomination for MN Attorney General. Then at 1:30 we'll play my interview with Kim Crockett, who is seeking the office of Secretary of State. 

In the 2:00 hour, I'll weigh in on Elon Musk's attempted purchase of Twitter and the ensuing derangement of leftists. I will also discuss Alpha News' exclusive story on two DFL office holders allegedly receiving special treatment from law enforcement after their August car accident. 

 

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.....

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

Ain't enough popcorn in the world.

If there is one Twitter post that would result in the little bluebird social media site melting down, it would be this: 

I made an offer https://t.co/VvreuPMeLu

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 14, 2022

After recently becoming Twitter's largest shareholder, Musk declined an offer to become a board member and instead showed he's playing a much larger game. 

 

Elon Musk is literally attempting to own the libs.

— Frank J. Fleming (@IMAO_) April 14, 2022

While the powers-that-be at Twitter continually denied it, there's no question their enforcement of the company's "terms of service" were overwhelmingly more harsh in censoring conservative speech. I've doggedly maintained that, as a private enterprise, it is their right to do so, but quit pretending that the site is a maven of free expression. 

Whenever discussing the virtues of social media in general, Musk has maintained a philosophy that everything should be free and open. The idea being that you don't defeat bad, objectionable speech with censorship but rather with more speech (i.e. winning in the arena of ideas). 

.@elonmusk: "Is someone you don't like allowed to say something you don't like? If that is the case then we have free speech." pic.twitter.com/BI9zaNmzlb

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) April 14, 2022

 

.@elonmusk Today During Ted2022 On Why He Is Offering to Buy Twitter

“My strong intuitive sense is that having a public platform that is maximally trusted & broadly inclusive is extremely important to the future of civilization.”

“I don’t care about the economics at all.” pic.twitter.com/AxYsHEPY68

— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) April 14, 2022

All that said, the reactions to this prospective purchase (and who's most traumatized) are very telling. 

First up is the former garden gnome in the Clinton administration: 

When I criticized Musk for worker violations at Tesla, he blocked me.

When a college student started a Twitter account to track Musk’s private plane, Musk tried to buy him off, before blocking him.

Does that sound like a "free speech absolutist" to you? https://t.co/5BU3sGv7oq

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) April 12, 2022

 

Utterly incoherent. Y'see Bob, Musk made personal choices on which speech he personally wanted to tolerate. Unlike the current Twitter brass, he wouldn't impose his personal standards on all Twitter users by determining what they are and are not exposed to. And yeah, when I think of the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Castro, Mussolini, etc., the first thing that leaps to mind is expansion of liberty. Great take there, Bobby. 

This next tweet perfectly encapsulates those who believe the little bird site is a barometer for the world. 

Today on Twitter feels like the last evening in a Berlin nightclub at the twilight of Weimar Germany.

— Jeff Jarvis (@jeffjarvis) April 14, 2022

In other words, being exposed to more diverse opinions is on par with a virtuous city about to be overrun with Nazism. 

Perhaps the most traumatized was thumb-sucking Never-Trumper Max Boot. 

I am frightened by the impact on society and politics if Elon Musk acquires Twitter. He seems to believe that on social media anything goes. For democracy to survive, we need more content moderation, not less.

— Max Boot 🇺🇦 (@MaxBoot) April 14, 2022

Say, you know who else has more content moderation? Russia! So in Max's little world, democracy survives by becoming...uh....less democratic. 

One interesting take I've seen floating about is that Twitter will reject Musk's offer which would result in his dumping his shares of stock and thus everything would go back to the way it was. That is a very plausible scenario and may have been Musk's endgame all along. And if indeed that is how this plays out, a lot of very prominent blue check progs on Twitter told on themselves Thursday. That alone makes this whole saga worth it. 

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

Quick Hits: Volume CCLXXX

 - In addition to using her late husband Jim Hagedorn's legacy in Minnesota's First Congressional District, Jennifer Carnahan's candidacy in CD1 has consistently featured her inflating her record as Republican Party of Minnesota chair. One of the more dubious assertions she's made is under her MNGOP leadership, Minnesota flipped three Congressional Districts (CDs 1, 7 and 8) to the red column (she conveniently leaves out the fact that the 2nd and 3rd flipped blue on her watch). While that's technically correct, the fact is state political parties have very little (if any) impact on Federal races.

The current officeholders in the Seventh and Eighth would concur. 

“Minnesota Congressional Members U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach (MN-7) and U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (MN-8) today endorsed Brad Finstad for Congress in MN-1.”

Upon hearing this, I suspected that Carnahan would declare these endorsements as some sort of "establishment conspiracy" against her. 

Sure enough.... 

"After tonight, it has become clear that I am the America First candidate in this race. While other candidates were bashing President Trump or even working against Republicans in Minnesota, I was working alongside President Trump and my husband, Congressman Jim Hagedorn, to Make America Great Again. Nothing has changed. I have taken on the Establishment and won three times before. It will soon be four.”

If indeed Carnahan is defeated in the GOP primary on May 24, I'm giving you an ironclad guarantee she's going to declare the election was "rigged" or outright stolen. Book it. 

- A scary scene Monday afternoon on Hwy 10 eastbound in Blaine.  

It was downright frightening to see the cab of that truck dangling over the bridge above Hwy 65. There would have undoubtedly been multiple fatalities had it gone over. Thankfully no one was killed in this whole quagmire. 

I am very familiar with that stretch of Hwy 10 since I drive over that bridge every weekday morning en route to my workplace. In fact, I was heading home on the westbound side of 10 as the remnants of the accident were being cleared. As you can imagine, the truck appeared as though it was caught in a nuclear blast when all was said and done. 

- Inflation numbers released Tuesday indicate the highest year-over-year CPI increase (8.5%, including a whopping 48% hike in gasoline) since 1981. Naturally, the Biden administration is dismissing this as a direct result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has been taking place over the past month. 

A couple of simple graphs show how that take is complete bull pucky. 

"It's Putin's price hike."

Sure, Jen. pic.twitter.com/5geGSzK6kh

— Brad Polumbo 🇺🇸⚽️ 🏳️‍🌈 (@brad_polumbo) April 11, 2022

 

The dotted line is Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Oh, wait, it's not.

It's Biden's inauguration. pic.twitter.com/4JYsxGBqDd

— Brad Polumbo 🇺🇸⚽️ 🏳️‍🌈 (@brad_polumbo) April 11, 2022

To be fair, there were trillions of dollars of emergency "COVID stimulus" passed during the Trump administration, which is certainly not an innocuous factor in what's happening today. That said, those progs who wanna jump around like poo flinging monkeys with their "BUT TRUMP!" what-aboutism most certainly didn't object to said legislation being jammed through two years ago. If anything, leftists' biggest beef was the already outlandish spending wasn't enough. And the left's continued obsession with climate orthodoxy prevents utilizing our own natural resources which could mitigate skyrocketing fuel costs. 

I'll leave ya with this. 

"Elect me because I'll beat Putin."

"Putin is wrecking our gas & food prices."

Pick one. pic.twitter.com/zSqk4YriMw

— Mrs. Brassenstein (@MBrassenstein) April 12, 2022

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

Box Score of the Week

Let's continue with the Opening Day theme. This week it's Opening Day 2005, featuring a game between the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies. 

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

In this his rookie season with the Rockies, Clint Barmes became the first rookie in MLB history to hit a walk off homerun on Opening Day. 

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

The NARN Closer's playlist - 4/10/2022

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

From head to toe I'm rather drab, except my patent shoes......

Spring is here.....I think. Regardless, the 2-hour broadcast of my radio show The Closer will get started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour I'll discuss some big national news stories, including the Sacramento, CA mass shooting that is suddenly swirling into the memory hole. Also, Ketanji Brown Jackson was officially confirmed to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Then in the 2:00 hour, I'll weigh in on the bizarre candidacy of Jennifer Carnahan, who is looking to replace her late husband Jim Hagedorn in Minnesota's First Congressional District. 

Finally at 2:30, Republican candidate for MN Attorney General Jim Schultz will check in to tout his candidacy. 

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.....

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

Creepy and bizarre

Shortly after he appeared on my radio show on April 2018 to tout his candidacy in Minnesota's First Congressional District, Jim Hagedorn, who would be elected to his first term in Congress later that year, sent me a friend request on Facebook. I accepted, and we have been connected ever since. 

This past week, less than two months after Congressman Hagedorn passed away, I saw in my FB news feed that he had "updated his cover photo." 

It's a lovely photo of Jim and his wife Jennifer Carnahan from their wedding three years ago. I assumed it was Jennifer making the change. Kinda weird, but whatever. 

As the day wore on, independent journalist Michael Brodkorb noticed that someone (**koff** Jennifer **koff**) was actively tinkering with the deceased Congressman's personal Facebook account. 

UPDATE: According to Facebook, “Jim Hagedorn limited who can comment on the post” about the recent change to his Facebook cover photo. This is becoming more and more bizarre. See the picture below. #MN01 pic.twitter.com/ydklq8ytjQ

— Michael Brodkorb (@mbrodkorb) April 5, 2022

So it appears that Carnahan was doing this more to enhance her campaign for the Congressional seat vacated due to her husband's death than to post poignant memories. 

If all that weren't creepy enough, Jenny then drafted a bizarre fundraising letter essentially co-opting the accomplishments of Hagedorn's Congressional tenure. 

 

NEW: Below is a ludicrous fundraiser letter from Jennifer Carnahan, running for Congress in #MN01. In her letter, she takes credit for the defeat of ISIS, passing trade agreements, and cutting taxes. I've never read anything like it before. It's delusional and devoid of reality. pic.twitter.com/dvwFgaiVJm

— Michael Brodkorb (@mbrodkorb) April 7, 2022

At the end of the day, Carnahan's actions are making it very clear that she believes the voters in CD1 are incredibly naïve.  Here's hoping GOP voters remember this lunacy come primary day on May 24. 

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

Today's a good day

 - It's Opening Day of Major League Baseball.

- The Masters is underway, and Tiger Woods is playing well in round one. 

- The NHL and NBA are nearing postseason play.

via GIPHY

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

Quick Hits: Volume CCLXXIX

 - A mass shooting in a state containing arguably the strictest "gun control" laws in the entire country? How can this be???

This particular tweet unwittingly indicts California's draconian gun measures. 

For those who downplay the role of guns in mass shootings and say just focus on policing: the cops see it differently.

Shootings are often over in seconds, before police arrive.

The Sacramento mass shooting occurred near one of the most heavily protected sites in California. pic.twitter.com/fuptlO8WuY

— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) April 5, 2022

Given how heavily regulated firearms are in Cali, the average citizen doesn't bother to go through the rigmarole of purchasing a gun. But since police physically can't respond to a shooting incident in the mere seconds it takes a perp to start bustin' off some shots, it would behoove citizens to have the wherewithal (i.e. a gun) to protect themselves. Sadly that right has essentially been stripped from law abiding Californians. 

In short, Cali lawmakers might as well have shot those six victims themselves (am I doing demagoguery correctly????). 

-Just a friendly reminder that it is not at all intellectually inconsistent to believe Black lives matter while calling out the (to be charitable) questionable tactics of the organization "Black Lives Matter."

Glad I could clear that up.

- I'll admit that I was kinda taken in by Jared Poils, the Democrat Governor of Colorado. He was one of the first Dem govs to decry the continuation of ham fisted COVID mandates in addition to being considered one of the top five fiscally conservative governors in the U.S. 

Unfortunately, all that goodwill has been blown to smithereens with his signing of ghoulish abortion legislation. 

Polis signed H.B. 22-1279, the "Reproductive Health Equity Act," which the governor said "codifies a person’s fundamental right to make reproductive health-care decisions free from government interference."

But perhaps the most despicable aspect of this new law?

  

The law sets forth "fundamental reproductive health-care rights," creating rights for all individuals, rights for "a pregnant individual," and explicitly denying rights for the unborn.

Denying rights for the unborn. 

A.K. "Black Republican" Kamara lays out some unintended (or perhaps intentional) consequences of a baby, say, one week from being born not possessing any human rights. 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by AK Kamara (@ak50k)

Beyond sickening. 

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

Box Score of the Week

About two months ago I was concerned there may not even be a 2022 MLB season. Thankfully Opening Day is a go this Thursday, so it's appropriate to kick off this weekly feature today.

With that, check out this Opening Day game from 1980 when the Milwaukee Brewers hosted the Boston Red Sox. 

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

On Opening Day 1978, Milwaukee's Sixto Lezcano hit a grand slam homerun. Two years later in that 1980 opener, Lezcano belted a game winning grand slam in the bottom of ninth, making him the first player in MLB history to hit a grand slam on Opening Day twice. 

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

The NARN Closer's playlist - 4/3/2022

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

Maybe I've been the problem, maybe I'm the one to blame......

Welcome to April!

Hard to believe the first quarter of 2022 is gone, but we at the Northern Alliance Radio Network soldier on. This afternoon's edition of my radio show The Closer will be on from 1:00 until 3:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour I'll discuss the passage of Florida H.B. 1557 and the subsequent freak out of secular progressives. I will also weigh in on the Minnesota Attorney General candidate forum I had a chance to attend this past Thursday. 

Then at 2:00, Archway Defense founder/firearms expert Peter Johnson will stop by to discuss the sudden momentum for Constitutional Carry 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, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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

MN AG forum

On Thursday evening, I had my first opportunity to hear from some of the 2022 Republican candidates for MN Attorney General. Of the five which are currently vying for the nomination to defeat incumbent AG Keith Ellison, three (Tad Jude, Jim Schultz and Doug Wardlow) spoke at a candidate forum in Plymouth. Candidate Dennis Smith is not abiding by the endorsement of MNGOP delegates, so he declined the invite. The fifth candidate, Lynne Torgerson, was scheduled to appear but, for reasons no one could explain, she was a no-show. 

My impressions of the three who were present? First, the obvious. Any of them would be orders of magnitude more effective than Ellison. But if we're serious about winning a statewide election for the first time since 2006, then we have to look at electoral viability. As such, Torgerson with her (to be charitable) wildly eccentric personality is a nonstarter. And as much as it pains me to say it, Wardlow can't be the GOP nominee like he was in 2018. Yeah, I know. He came the closest of all our statewide candidates in '18 to emerging victorious and (as he touted multiple times Thursday) he garnered the most votes of any MN Republican in a single midterm election. However, it was against a terribly flawed candidate in Ellison who was also being dogged by serious allegations of domestic violence at the time. And being so closely tied to MyPillow founder (and stolen election conspiracy theorist) Mike Lindell may aid Wardlow among GOP delegates who still consider the 2020 election results fraudulent, but it's a sure loser in the general election.

Jude is certainly the most experienced politico, having won his first election in 1972 at the age of 20. In fact, he went out of his way several time to emphasize he's won 10 elections (whether as a state legislator or judge) to just a combined one for the other two candidates on stage.

As we saw in the state of Virginia five months ago, never holding elected office is a feature, not a bug. If that's the mentality among MN voters, then Schultz is someone who will get serious consideration. 

Smith is the one AG candidate who has appeared on my radio show this cycle. He appeared to be a sharp guy and believes he is making inroads in the DFL strongholds that are the inner cities. Unfortunately, he is being dogged by some issues with his law license, something that will certainly be held against him if he's the candidate (This despite the fact that Ellison himself is not licensed to practice law in Minnesota). 

With violent crime continuing to skyrocket in Minneapolis and St Paul as well as first ring suburbs, the MN Attorney General race may be the one contest where Republicans have a legit chance to emerge victorious. This is especially in light of the likely GOP gubernatorial candidate (Scott Jensen) putting all his campaign eggs in the COVID basket. If the pandemic continues to wane like it has over the past year, COVID-19 may well be a non-issue by November. However, given the current climate, violent crime will likely get worse. It's unfortunate that it took sheer ineptitude and incompetence from our legal system for a Republican to finally get serious consideration for the state's "top cop, " but it is what it is. Let's not blow it.

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