The NARN Closer's playlist - 4/13/2025

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He has trampled down the enemy and has given us the victory.........

It's a guest-a-palooza on today's edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour bonanza gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time.

Today's guest lineup:

• 1:30 - Phil Magness, economist and Senior Fellow at the Independent Institute, will be on to discuss the latest on President Donald Trump's trade policies.. 
• 2:00 - Jim Schultz, President of Minnesota Private Business Council and the 2022 GOP candidate for Minnesota Atty General, will join the broadcast to discuss AG Keith Ellison's questionable handling of the Feeding Our Future scandal. 
• 2:30 - Minnesota Family Council CEO Jeff Evans and Public Policy Director Becca Delahunt will be in studio to promote MFC's annual dinner, discuss their work at the Minnesota Legislature, 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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Quick Hits: Volume CCCLXX

- Bill Glahn of American Experiment has, for about a decade now, been doing yeoman's work with his investigative journalism of Minnesota politics. His latest reporting has to do with a certain high ranking elected official. 

Keith Ellison, Minnesota’s Attorney General, can clearly be heard pledging his support to individuals who would soon become his family’s campaign donors and later Feeding Our Future criminal defendants.

His recorded statements flatly contradict his contemporaneous public statements and raise uncomfortable questions about the intersection between political fundraising and constituent services.

American Experiment has exclusively obtained the complete 54-minute, 44-second audio file of a private December 2021 meeting between state Attorney General (AG) Keith Ellison and key figures in the Feeding Our Future scandal.

As I wrote last week, the audio file was named as Exhibit 710 on the evidence list presented to the court by Aimee Bock’s defense attorney, Kenneth Udoibok. The recording was not offered into evidence during the six-week trial that concluded last month, with Bock’s conviction on all seven counts she faced.

Definitely check out Glahn's entire piece, which includes audio conversations featuring Ellison himself.  

We'll see where this goes. Blois Olson on his Thursday edition of Morning Take at least gave it a mention. Will it ultimately get so hot that the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press ultimately have to give it coverage? If so, that's when you'll know Ellison is in a sticky wicket. 

- Meanwhile, Ellison's replacement in Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District had an announcement regarding her own political future. 

Rep. Ilhan Omar will run for re-election to her House seat next fall, closing the door on a possible run for retiring Sen. Tina Smith’s U.S. Senate seat.

“At a time when our rights are under attack, it is more important than ever to fight back against the chaos, corruption, and callousness of the Trump Administration,” Omar, a Democrat, said in a statement.

“I am excited to announce I am running for reelection for Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District to keep standing up for our rights in the face of authoritarianism.”

In essence, she's embracing the role that her predecessor decried 8+ years - “All there is to do is to vote ‘no'.”

- Major League Baseball needs to be fixed. And if losing an entire season to a work stoppage results in a leveling of the playing field, then I will live with a year sans baseball. 

MLB owners as well as Commissioner Rob Manfred’s office have begun privately contemplating what a new league economic structure could look like as the league heads toward a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with players, according to people familiar with the matter. The league’s current CBA expires on Dec. 1, 2026.

MLB officials have discussed adding both a salary cap and a salary floor, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. The Major League Baseball Players Association, however, has long been against a salary cap, and the group says its position hasn’t changed.

The result is a potential lockout in December of next year when the current CBA expires — one that appears increasingly likely given the opposing positions of both sides.

As I've said many times previously, the highest payroll doesn't necessarily mean championships (the L.A. Dodgers' World Series title last year was only their second in 35 years; the Yankees have one championship over the past 24). But teams like the Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays. Oakland Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates may literally have to cease operations if the current system remains in place. 

And if you're a a fan of the Minnesota Twins (like I am), I'm afraid they're going to be in the desert these next two seasons. Since the current ownership group comprised of the Pohlad family is exploring a sale of the club, they're likely to shed payroll before the July 31 trade deadline in an effort to keep operational costs down. With the organization already saddled with nearly a half billion dollars of debt, it's going to be that much more challenging to find a willing buyer, especially with the uncertainty of there even being a baseball season in two years. 

This is a definite tipping point for the sport. 

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Maniacal Martin

When Ken Martin was chair of the MN Democrat party (aka the Minnesota DFL), he had the luxury of going all in on far left progressivism. The party never lost a statewide election on his watch and rarely went without controlling at least one chamber of the Minnesota Legislature. 

Within the past couple of months, Martin was elected to head up the Democratic National Committee in hopes he could bring that same electoral magic to the national level. But given that far left policies were soundly rejected across the country this past November, I often wondered whether or not Kenny could dial back the fringe rhetoric in his new role.

Well........

Robert Kennedy Jr. has murdered another child in Texas. https://t.co/N1ZhZmPoKG

— Ken Martin (@kenmartin73) April 7, 2025

Wait'll Kenny finds out that one of his party's largest donors takes out literally 1,000 times more than that on a daily basis. 

It's also pretty ballsy of Martin to make such a wildly outlandish statement while utterly ignoring the fact his own side is essentially creating an assassination caucus. 

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Box Score of the Week

Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays - September 30, 1988.

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This was the second consecutive start in which Jays pitcher Dave Stieb lost a no-hitter in the ninth inning. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 4/6/2023

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There is this old man who spent so much of his life sleeping......

Welcome to April!

It's Sunday, so that means another edition of my radio show The Closer. Today's 2-hour broadcast gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour I'll discuss national politics, particularly President Donald Trump's decision to slap tariffs on pretty much every import coming into America. The early returns indicate this is a calamitous decision. We'll look back over the past half century where leading economic voices sounded the alarm on such tariffs. 

The in the 2:00 hour I'll weigh in on the strange and hypocritical takes from Minnesota progs on Wisconsin's Supreme Court election from this past week. And finally, what was the purpose of this weekend's #HandsOff protests???

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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Just gonna leave this here.......

President Ronald Reagan called it nearly 40 years ago. 

My only hope at this point is this is some sort of effort by President Trump to engage other countries in revising trade agreements. 

Sometimes the best strategy in a negotiation is convincing the other side that you are crazy.

— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) April 3, 2025

Now that would legitimately be Trump playing 3D Chess. 

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Goodness, these people are gullible

Despite the fact President Donald Trump likely believes a good number of the untrue things he says, I'm convinced there's another facet to his ramblings. Specifically, he'll say something that is so outlandish that not even he believes it but he knows it'll get a rise out of his top adversaries in the prog media. 

Hence the headline from an NBC News story this past Sunday: 

Trump won’t rule out seeking a third term in the White House, tells NBC News ‘there are methods’ for doing so.

All the media would have to do in this case is roll their collective eyes and cite the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. 

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.

Instead, several "think pieces" and prog podcasts have wasted countless words on how Trump is some authoritarian mad man hellbent on upending our Constitutional order. And it wouldn't shock me in the least if Trump himself were sitting back and laughing his orange arse off at all the leftist flailing that has ensued, as if that were his endgame all along. 

As Erick Erickson notes, this collective freak out just underscores the left's lack of faith in our institutional controls. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Erick Erickson (@ewerickson)

In reality, you'd think progs would desire to see Trump attempt to run for a third term. If he flatly refused to leave the White House on January 20, 2029, he would literally be frogged marched outta the joint, thus fulfilling a prog fantasy they've been fetishizing over since the days of George W. Bush.

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Box Score of the Week

New York Mets at Colorado Rockies - April 26, 1995. 

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In their third season of existence, the Colorado Rockies christened their new stadium in grand style. In the first ever game at Coors Field, the Rockies won on a walkoff home run by Dante Bichette. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 3/30/2025

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You've been running and hiding much too long.....

Closing out March with another power-packed edition of my radio show The Closer. Today's 2-hour festivities get started at 1:00 PM Central Time.

In the first hour I'll weigh in on "Signal-gate" and how leftists' outrage is hypocritical and kinda hilarious. Speaking of leftists, their preferred political party is still an absolute mess. 

In the 2:00 hour, former Crystal city councilman and current political observer Jeff Kolb will join the broadcast to discuss all things Minnesota politics. 

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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Hanging by a thread

Republican candidates for U.S. House won 220 seats on Election Day 4-1/2 months ago. Given 218 is required for a majority, the GOP was working with a razor thin edge going into this session of Congress. But with the resignations of GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz (FL-01) and Michael Waltz (FL-06), both of whom were tapped by Donald Trump for positions in his second presidential administration, the GOP was down to 218 members. Further complicating the Republicans' standing was when Elise Stefanik (NY-21) was Trump's choice to be the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. However, her confirmation had been delayed so as to allow Republicans to stay right at 218 members.

Given that Gaetz (who was nominated for Attorney General but then withdrew due to being a sleazebag) and Waltz (now Trump's National Security Advisor) won their respective races by 30+ points in what have been traditionally safe GOP districts, conventional wisdom says Republicans should be back up to 220 after Tuesday's special elections in both Congressional Districts. But if we've learned anything about specials in the era of Trump, Democrats have been far superior at turning out their side. 

With all that in mind, I can't help but think that's why Stefanik will remain in Congress. 

The Trump administration is withdrawing its nomination of Representative Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) to serve as the next Ambassador to the United Nations to help protect the slim Republican majority in the House.

“With a very tight Majority, I don’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise’s seat. The people love Elise and, with her, we have nothing to worry about come Election Day. There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations. Therefore, Elise will stay in Congress, rejoin the House Leadership Team, and continue to fight for our amazing American People,” President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social.

This ensures the Republicans will keep a majority, regardless of what happens on Tuesday in the Florida contests. But if the unthinkable happens and the GOP drops both races, that puts Trump's agenda in grave danger given Thomas Massie (R-KY) isn't afraid to go rogue. And since the opposite party of POTUS typically gains seats in the House in the midterm elections, it's a safe bet Dems will regain a majority in 2026 despite the fact they're completely nuts right now. 

Long story, short - there's a nonzero chance that Trump's entire second term (from a legislative standpoint) could be a lame duck session. 

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Quick Hits: Volume CCCLXIX

 - With Minnesota State Sen. Justin Eichorn (R-Grand Rapids) having resigned last week, his seat in MN Senate District 6 is now up for grabs. Given it's a safe GOP area, there are a good number of Republican candidates looking to vie for the party nod in an upcoming special election. Included among that group is the current mayor of Nisswa who also happens to be a former mutli-term chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota. 

My friend Jeff Kolb states the obvious since Jenny appears to be utterly obtuse as to the parallels. 

I’m not sure the best way to move on from a guy who was charged with federal sex crimes against minors is to elect a lady who had to resign as MNGOP chair for her friendship with a guy convicted of federal sex crimes against minors. https://t.co/t06zGvW5wT

— Jeff Kolb (@jpkolb) March 24, 2025

Yet Carnahan dismissed that connection in the video saying that convicted felon Anton Lazzaro was merely a "past Republican donor, who was one of over 30,000 (donors) to the party and gave to Republican candidates all over this country."  Well, unless all the other 30,000+ donors to the MNGOP attended her 2019 wedding to Jim Hagedorn or co-hosted a podcast with her, that rationale ain't gonna cut it. And I'm certain GOP voters in SD 6 will agree. 

- Update: the Democrat party remains a raging dumpster fire. 

Top Democrats tell us their party is in its deepest hole in nearly 50 years — and they fear things could actually get worse:

• The party has its lowest favorability ever.
• No popular national leader to help improve it.
• Insufficient numbers to stop most legislation in Congress.
• A durable minority on the Supreme Court.
• Dwindling influence over the media ecosystem, with right-leaning podcasters and social media accounts ascendant.
• Young voters are growing dramatically more conservative.
• A bad 2026 map for Senate races.
• Democratic Senate retirements could make it harder for the party to flip the House, with members tempted by statewide races.
• There are only three House Republicans in districts former Vice President Harris won in 2024, a dim sign for a Democratic surge. There were 23 eight years ago in seats Hillary Clinton won.
• And, thanks to the number of people fleeing blue states, the math for a Dem to win the presidency will just get harder in 2030.

Other that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln? 

- If the media reported on Republican presidential administrations like they do Dem presidencies, the headline regarding the latest saga involving Team Trump would be something along the lines of "Democrats pounce on Trump's national security team texting out plans of a military strike." 

But in all seriousness, this was a major screw up. 

Maybe you've seen this already. It seems to be everywhere today so we might as well talk about it. Just over a week ago the Trump administration announced a series of strikes on the Houthis in Yemen.

Planning for the strike had been carried out secretly the week before but in this case something appears to have gone wrong. Mike Watlz, the Trump administration's national security adviser, accidentally added Atlantic journalist and editor Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal chat where the strike was being discussed. Today Goldberg wrote about the experience, describing in detail how he was added to the chat and initially thought it was a hoax.

Unfortunately, it was not a hoax. And to his everlasting credit, Goldberg removed himself from the chat as soon as he ascertained that fact. The frightening thing is what if this had gotten into the hands of one of the plethora of lefty journalists infected with TDS to the nth degree? People like that would be willing to go all scorched earth even if it only slightly dinged Trump. 

This incident also underscores a bigger problem in that high ranking government officials are so wary of the susceptibility of telecommunications being intercepted by China that this caused the National Security team to use a messaging app to communicate. Granted it's a totally secure app, but adding someone to the chat who shouldn't be seeing such sensitive information kinda renders that moot. 

In the end, the lesson here is simple: always assume online chats are susceptible. In this case, use code for military operations and then if specifics need to be discussed, meet in person at an undisclosed location. 

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Box Score of the Week

Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season is set to occur this week! Yeah, I know, it technically happened in the Tokyo series last week with the Cubs & Dodgers squaring off for two games. However, it feels more legit with games on North American soil. 

Anyhow, let's go back to Opening Day 1973 when the Cleveland Indians hosted the Detroit Tigers. 

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The 74,420 fans in attendance marks the largest opening day crowd in MLB history. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 3/23/2025

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And if it's bad, don't let it get you down......

Is it officially spring now? Doesn't exactly feel like it, but it'll get here soon enough. 

Regardless, my radio show The Closer will indeed be airing today, with the 2-hour blitz getting started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour I'll discuss Minnesota political news, including the sleazy incident which led to the resignation of Minnesota State Sen. Justin Eichorn (R-Grand Rapids). Also, Gov. Tim Walz takes his dorky shtick on the road, and (SURPRISE!) it didn't go well. 

Then in the second hour, I'll react to the Democrats appearing determined to go even lower than their current absurdly low approval rating. 

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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Caving to woko haram?

Despite being a Massachusetts lefty at heart, comedian Bill Burr has never been afraid to ding his own side of the political aisle. Part of being a successful stand up comedian is to combine the funny lines which contain at least a grain of truth. 

Like his riff on abortion. 

Bill Burr On ABORTION pic.twitter.com/Dd7pG7Hfh4

— Daily Dose Of Masculinity (@ManlyDose) August 19, 2023

And given the pain of leftists was still pretty raw less than a week after the 2024 presidential election, Burr's monologue on Saturday Night Life that weekend definitely poked at that active wound. 

 

This is one of the funniest sets I’ve seen on SNL. Bill Burr talks about Trump’s big win. pic.twitter.com/Gdcj7lhKjk

— Justin Hart (@justin_hart) November 10, 2024

Yeah, I know Burr still took gratuitous shots at Donald Trump, but those were standard fare lines one would hear regularly from the late night leftist triumvirate of Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers. Hardly shocking. But what was eye-opening was Burr's willingness to put a hilarious spin on the left's dysfunction. 

After I indulged in that monologue the weekend after the election, I theorized that Burr had reached a point where he was "un-cancelable" since a lesser known comedian may have been drummed out of the business altogether. And while I don't know how much (if any) blowback Burr received for that performance, I feel as though he started to go from edgy comedian to frothing leftist. 

Stephen Miller at The Spectator noticed this as well. 

Beginning some time last year, however, Burr’s act started to risk taking a backseat to his media armchair-political scolding, whether it’s Israel, Ben Shapiro or now Elon Musk. It’s one thing to work material about any of those topics into a stand-up routine, as Burr has done with Israel, when he spoke about “launching missiles at people using kids as human shields.” Last year, he had a spat with Bill Maher on Maher’s podcast over the Middle East and Maher’s defense of Israel. He fired volleys back at Ben Shapiro, who criticized that back-and-forth and in several promotional appearances has decided to target Elon Musk and his “shitty cars.”

Look, if Burr really believes all this and appears on TV shows and/or podcasts to convey these viewpoints, so be it. But if spewing prog invective is what his standup act will ultimately devolve into, then I don't see that having much of a shelf life. 

As Miller points out, we've already seen what's happened to late night "entertainment" when it chose that path.   

Late-night comedy shows are a great case study. Hosts would often poke fun at the politics of the moment or a president, but around the time Obama entered the stage, and Trump after, late-night hosts turned into self-affirming lecturers. Jimmy Kimmel, for instance, built a career on crude, male-driven humor, only to go on and take over ABC’s late-night spot, which he transformed into a grievance vessel for Hollywood liberals. In place of comedic monologues and jokes are political diatribes that have driven away a good part of the audience to places like Greg Gutfeld and Fox News. Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers and to a certain extent even Jimmy Fallon have followed suit.

On a recent appearance on The Breakfast Club, Burr lamented that Musk threw out several “Sieg Heil” salutes and was at a loss at how the Democratic Party just let him get away with it. Burr here is sourcing his material from the bowels of ActBlue Twitter/X influencers. He can do far better than ripping off Harry Sisson and JoJofromJerz.

Trump has broken a lot of high profile entertainers, media types and elected officials. Given how Burr has railed so hard against "cancel culture" over the past decade, I genuinely thought he'd be able to resist going full TDS. I'm not saying he's there yet, but a recent interview on NPR where he went off on Elon Musk sounded quite deranged. 

Bill Burr blasts Democrats for cancelling comedians over jokes, but doing absolutely nothing to stop Elon Musk & the rise of neoliberal proto-fascism pic.twitter.com/yJPfQ8HIPk

— Psychedelic Socialist (@Acid_Communist) March 11, 2025

Between that and his appearance on The View, Burr seems to be actively seeking out platforms to spew his leftist rhetoric. And the hosts of those programs are A-OK with him being a useful idiot, especially since he's one of the biggest names in comedy. 

Miller concludes his piece with what could be considered a stern warning regarding Burr's career, to the extent he still cares about it. 

 

Burr should not have to temper his comedy for anyone, or any moment, and Donald Trump and Elon Musk are certainly fair game; however, when you turn into just another Hollywood liberal ranting into a microphone during an interview, people will simply move on. It would be a shame if that happened to a great talent such as Burr.

As someone who has seen Burr in person, I'm hoping that doesn't happen. 

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From dorky to deranged

While campaigning for Vice President of the United States in 2024, Gov. Tim Walz came off as a giant doofus. Basically, the rest of the country got to see what we in Minnesota have been enduring since he was elected our state's top executive in 2018. The most hilarious part of that campaign was he and running mate Kamala Harris trying to pawn it off as being "joyful."

Since that election loss last November, Harris has at least had the dignity to slink off into exile. However, Walz doesn't have that luxury given he has two years remaining in his gubernatorial term. But instead of staying in Minnesota where he might have to be reminded of the nearly $1 billion in government waste, fraud and abuse which has occurred under his watch, Walz has decided to take his goofy schtick on the road. And in a recent townhall gathering, he's apparently eschewed the dorkiness to portray himself as the very type of person he accuses President Donald Trump of being. 

Tim Walz says the one thing that brings him joy during the day is watching Tesla stock go down.

The Democrat VP candidate is openly rooting for the destruction of a top 10 American company while his supporters destroy its cars.

Whatever you thought life would look like with… pic.twitter.com/V4BDzjFCle

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 19, 2025

A few thoughts: 

- How tone deaf is Nebraska Fats Walz when he openly roots for a stock to tank, not to mention one which is part of many Americans' retirement portfolios? Democrats were basically drummed out of office this past election cycle due in large part to working class folks feeling as though government didn't much care about their struggles. This was borne out when leftist politicians would basically tell us not to believe our lying eyes when pointing out the unaffordability of daily life. 

- You would think an immigrant to this country who started multiple successful ventures (including an environmentally friendly automobile line), which resulted in the creation of thousands of private sector jobs, would be someone the left would edify to the hilt. But since his name is Elon Musk and he's associated with Trump, it's axiomatic that he will be the target of progs' vile rhetoric and behavior. 

- Finally, how utterly irresponsible of Walz to give tips on how to remove the Tesla logo from vehicles. Said cars have been the target of excess vandalism lately, yet you have the most recent Democrat VP candidate (and a sitting governor) essentially sanctioning the destruction of private property. Yeah, I get that he was telling Tesla owners how to do that to their own cars, but how much ya wanna bet this kind of destruction will soon be happening to unwilling participants? 

The first two months of President Trump's second term has been (to be charitable) uneven. But I'll take the general chaos over orchestrated lunacy six days a week and twice on Sunday. 

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Gross

Just reading this story gives me the creeps. 

Minnesota Republican Sen. Justin Eichorn has been arrested on suspicion of soliciting a minor for prostitution, according to Bloomington police.

Bloomington police said in a press release that detectives communicated with Eichorn, who thought he was talking to a 16-year-old female, and arranged to meet him at a location near the 8300 block of Normandale Avenue in Bloomington Monday.

According to police, Eichorn was observed arriving in the area in a pickup truck and was arrested without incident outside of his vehicle by uniformed officers.

Police said he was booked into the Bloomington Police Department’s jail and will be transported to the Hennepin County Adult Detention Center. Felony charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution are pending from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, the press release said.

“As a 40-year-old man, if you come to the Orange Jumpsuit District looking to have sex with someone’s child, you can expect we are going to lock you up,” Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said. “I have always advocated for stiffer penalties for these types of offenses. The recent case involving Michael Gillis who was arrested in Bloomington is a prime example of why we need stronger penalties. We need our state legislature to take this case and this type of conduct more seriously.”

Literally within minutes after this story broke, the MN Senate Republicans called on Eichorn to resign.  

I'd like to think that GOP activists would universally agree that Eichorn needs to move on in order to focus on his legal troubles, so I'm hoping I don't hear of any of 'em invoking the Dems' lack of principle regarding Sen. Nicole Mitchell's legal woes. If you believe that the DFL woefully lacks strong moral character by not having their caucus call on Mitchell to resign, then we ought not be playing the same game with Eichorn's situation.

Politics aside, my heart breaks most for Eichorn's wife and four children. Just an awful situation for them all around. 

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Are the Dems trying to tank the 2026 cycle?

Recent public polling shows the Democrat party is experiencing record low approval ratings. On top of that, their prospects for regaining a majority in the U.S. Senate is in peril with incumbents not seeking reelection in swing states like Michigan and New Hampshire. Also, reliably red state Georgia is definitely ripe for a GOP flip with Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff facing a tough reelection battle. 

I guess this would explain why Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer chose to appear with the shrill hags on The View and proceed to mock regular Americans (many of whom are still struggling with an increased cost of living) for wanting to be more financially secure. 

Dem Senate leader Chuck Schumer mocks Americans who want to keep their hard-earned income and praises the government as a "barrier" to them:
"You know what their attitude is, 'I made my money all by myself. How dare your government take my money from me?' ... They hate… pic.twitter.com/vb4oDxPQ3V

— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) March 18, 2025

Again, the only rationale for doing this is Schumer believes a Senate majority is out of reach for Dems in addition to members of his own party turning on him for his CR stunt. Might as well burn it all down. 

It's impossible to overstate how much Donald Trump has broken these people. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 3/16/2025

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Kids want a savior, they don't need a fake.......

A lot to get to on today's edition of my radio show The Closer. My 2-hour stint in the Patriot bunker begins at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

I'll discuss the latest happenings in Minnesota politics in the 1:00 hour, including another Democrat entrant into the 2026 U.S. Senate race. Also, elected DFLers are still ghoulish. 

Then in the second hour I'll weigh on President Trump getting a win on avoiding a government shutdown but taking some L's on the economy. 

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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Again.....sadly predictable

The next time Dems use the labels "extreme" and "weird" to describe Republicans, just remember this. 

(On Thursday) the Minnesota House of Representatives failed, on a party-line 67-66 vote, to pass a bill to require medically appropriate lifesaving care for infants who survive abortion (68 votes were needed for passage). The House also voted down, 67-65, a measure to provide grants to organizations that assist new mothers, babies, and families.

When elected Minnesota progs passed the most radical abortion legislation in the U.S. (and arguably the entire world) back in 2023, they had shot down every single solitary amendment the GOP offered, including a measure requiring basic medical care for a newborn surviving an abortion. Their rationale for voting down a seemingly common sense proposal was that such an instance is so very rare that a solution such as lifesaving techniques for an actual human being is irrelevant. Funny, but these same people use the philosophy of "if it saves just one life" whenever they put forth draconian gun control proposals, but can't be bothered to bring that same energy to preserving the life of an innocent baby. 

But I digress. 

Just you watch: during the 2026 election cycle, House DFLers will use the occurrence of this particular vote in campaign ads by essentially saying "Welp.....Republicans once again tried to ban abortion." Book it. 

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

Sadly predictable

Welp.....the GOP majority in the MN House was fun while it lasted. 

As expected, DFL candidate David Gottfried ran away with a victory in Tuesday’s special election for District 40B, securing shared power for his party in the Minnesota House.

Gottfried won 70% of the vote against Republican challenger Paul Wikstrom and will represent the Roseville-Shoreview area. The victory will lock the two parties into a 67-67 tie in the House.

“It feels great,” Gottfried said of the results. “This has been a really, really hard-fought election. We knocked on doors every day. It feels good that we can get back to the substantive work.”

The election comes four months after DFLer Curtis Johnson won the same seat against the same opponent with 65% of the vote. But a judge later found Johnson ineligible to serve because he failed to meet state residency requirements, which ultimately prompted Tuesday’s special election.

It was probably only a decade ago where a district such as this was a "toss up," maybe even leaned GOP. But now? Well, this is who represents that area as of Tuesday evening (pardon the language). 

 

DFL 40B candidate David Gottfried compares getting stiffed as a waiter to being enslaved in antebellum America:

“Ironically enough it is me suffering from the last vestiges of slavery in America, which I suppose is appropriate in America, being that I am a white guy.” pic.twitter.com/ZlDZY8XXyt

— MN Up North Lake Guy (@MNUpNorthLakeG1) March 10, 2025

No word on whether or not the first bill he drafts is to a proposal to award menial servants like himself reparations. 

-------------------------------- 

Quick Hits: Volume CCCLXVIII

 - I've been reading the writings of Twin Cities sports scribe Patrick Reusse for 40+ years, whether it was his time with the St Paul Pioneer Press, the Minneapolis Minnesota Star Tribune or his tenure on Twitter. In all that time I've viewed him as a top notch, Grade-A agitator who dings overzealous Minnesota sports fans as well as his political opposites on the right. 

But when I heard of a blowup over the weekend accusing him of being a racist, my first inclination was to summarily dismiss it. The following tweet is what got the ball rollin': 

As it turns out, the Beastie Boys tune Brass Monkey was what Reusse was referring to, specifically the lyric "Brass Monkey, that funky Monkey." Given the nearly 80-year old Reusse is not the target demographic for such a tune, it's not at all implausible he heard "f****** monkey." Upon the severe backlash he received (in addition to the Strib Sports Editor reacting), Reusse put out a statement on a friend's Twitter account, essentially saying he was leaving the platform. 

In the end, I believe the invective towards Reusse was completely misguided and I'm sorry to see he deactivated his account. However, he now has some keen insight as to the oversensitivity (and faux outrage) his allies on the political left put forth on a regular basis. 

- At that end of the 2024 Minnesota Legislative session, I pointed out how former DFL Senator Melisa Lopez Franzen appeared to be a voice of reason when her party ran roughshod over procedure in order to pass a massive spending bill (without anybody having a chance to read it) before the clock struck Midnight. 

But then I realized that even though she didn't hold political office at the time, the ol' "once a politician, always a politician" mantra was likely in play. Is there an ulterior motive to this sudden reasonableness? 

Yep. 

Former Democratic state Sen. Melisa López Franzen announced on X early Monday morning that she will be running for U.S. Senate.

“I’m running for the United States Senate to protect our Minnesota values, restore sanity and bring decency and common sense back to Washington,” she said in a video announcement.

The U.S. Senate bid comes after her Feb. 21 announcement to step down as executive director of Government and Community Relations at the University of Minnesota. López Franzen formerly served in the Minnesota Senate for District 49 from 2012 to 2022, representing parts of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, as well as parts of Edina, Eden Prairie, Bloomington and Minnetonka.

I'd been hearing for nearly two years that Sen. Tina Smith was unlikely to seek reelection in 2026, so I'd be willing to bet López Franzen was hearing the same rumor. Hence her kumbaya sentiments at the end of the '24 session was a preemptive strike ahead of a possible Senate bid. 

Cynicism in politics makes for a great b.s. detector. 

- Ever since the end of the 2024 NFL season, I've had several back and forths with fellow Minnesota Vikings fans over the fate of QB Sam Darnold. Despite Darnold being in MVP conversation as late as Week 17, I felt it was a fait accompli that he was moving on after his unexpectedly stellar year. When I expressed that sentiment, I got a lotta pushback from many fans incredulous over the possibility the team would let a "proven commodity" walk away and then pivot to a guy (JJ McCarthy) with zero NFL game reps. It never did much good to have a nuanced discussion since most never appeared interested in that. 

Regardless, I was proven correct. 

 

The Seattle Seahawks have found their replacement for Geno Smith, agreeing to a three-year, $100.5 million deal with former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The deal includes $55 million guaranteed, sources told Schefter.

Given his new deal is a $33.5 million average annual value, it now makes sense why the Vikings opted not to place the franchise tag on Darnold and then attempt to trade him. A franchise tag would have carried a $41 million cost, which Darnold's representation would have set as the floor for AAV in a mutli-year pact. It's obvious now that this year's QB market isn't as robust as the past few seasons when the likes of Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love, Jalen Hurts, Trevor Lawrence and Dak Prescott got north of $50 million per season. As it turned out, QB needy teams this offseason weren't even going to approach $40M AAV for Darnold, much less throw in a 2025 draft pick on top of that.

With that......bring on the JJ McCarthy era! 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 3/9/2025

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

Remember the time we realized "Thriller" was our favorite song?

 Has spring finally sprung? Regardless, I'll be in the Patriot bunker for today's edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour festivities get started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour, I'll weigh in on the disgraceful performance by Democrat members of Congress during last week's address given by President Donald Trump. It was so pathetic that many fellow Dems were abhorred. 

At 1:30, Vice President of Legal Affairs at Landmark Legal Foundation Michael O'Neill will join the broadcast to discuss how legal challenges to President Trump's executive orders can be overcome. 

Then in the second hour I will weigh in on Minnesota political news, specifically the upcoming budget forecasts being worse than initially thought. Also, Minnesota Dems (like their national counterparts) continue to show how out of touch they are with regular folks. 

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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He's running

Let's face it. Gov. Greaseball Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is gearing up for the 2028 presidential race. Heck, had Joe Biden declared in 2022 or 2023 that he was not seeking reelection, Newsom likely would've thrown his hat in the ring for 2024. But since Biden waited until about 100 days before election day to bow out, the Dems were saddled with VP Kamala Harris. 

Anyhow, Newsom knows full well his far left Cali progressivism is a loser in a national race, so he figures he needs to moderate his positions a bit. He began his quest earlier this week on the debut of his podcast This is Gavin Newsom, where he had a discussion with Turning Point USA founder (and uber MAGA loyalist) Charlie Kirk. 

...Newsom, a pioneer for LGBTQ+ rights who decades ago upset leaders in his own party when he defied state law and issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples, suggested Democrats were in the wrong in allowing transgender athletes to participate in female college and youth sports.

“I think it’s an issue of fairness, I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness — it’s deeply unfair,” Newsom said in his debut podcast episode of “This is Gavin Newsom.” “I am not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you.”

This isn't the first time he tried to appear less insane than his fellow progs on the trans issue. Back in the fall of 2023, the California Legislature overwhelmingly passed legislation to allow judges to consider a child's gender identity when litigating a custody dispute. Basically, a judge could have used a parent's refusal to acquiesce to their kid's desire to transition as a black mark against them. Newsom shocked many by vetoing the bill, though it was a clear signal that he was looking to exercise political expedience in the event of a presidential run. 

Expect Newsom to officially announce his aspirations about 5 milliseconds after the 2026 midterms. 

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

I'll see your incoherence and raise you utter derangement

I don't recall the exact quote from Sean Davis of The Federalist, so I'll paraphrase: "President Trump's greatest asset continues to be the idiocy of his most fervent detractors."

Never was that more apparent than during (and after) Trump's speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. 

The thing is, there was plenty to critique about Trump's rhetoric, specifically his dubious comments about the economy. But the increasingly deranged and out-of-touch Democrats (as well as their media lapdogs) continue to show their stunning disdain for regular Americans. 

First off, their intention to hold up protest signs when Trump said something they felt was objectionable. 

Now, the staffers for these Dem members of Congress are likely of the Millennial and Gen Z generations, right? So why didn't said staffers alert their bosses that these are some of the most humiliating, meme-able optics on the internet? Well, maybe these Dems were given a heads up but because they're so blinded by their anti-Trump rage they simply didn't care. That stunt was such an exploding cigar in the face that even an MSNBC panel called it out. 

Symone Sanders and Michael Steele HATED the Democrats' "bingo signs."

SANDERS: "This is an indictment, in my opinion, on the Democratic leadership... The visuals are not taking back the House in 2026."

STEELE: "I don't know who thought up the bingo signs, but they should be… pic.twitter.com/oi89ZQBg4V

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 5, 2025

How clouded is the progs' vision due to anti-Trump hysteria? They couldn't even stand and applaud for a young man being surprised with an announcement of his acceptance into West Point......

This is Jason. His dad, grandfather and great grandfather were veterans. Jason lost his dad when he was young. His dream is to go to West Point. And guess what, it’s where he’s going.

Watch till the end. Your heart will melt. pic.twitter.com/HUUxSOLuF5

— Mish 🎗️ (@Mish_K_) March 5, 2025

......or honoring a 13-year old kid battling cancer. 

❤️ This touched my heart.

President Trump honored a 13 year old boy who was diagnosed with Brain Cancer 6 years ago!

He was given 5 months to live and survived

He dreamed of becoming a Police Officer

Trump & the Secret Service Director made him an official Agent of the… pic.twitter.com/kYRrUo3zt5

— Terrence K. Williams (@w_terrence) March 5, 2025

Not to be outdone, MSNBC gal Nicole Wallace with a rather deranged take on DJ's career aspirations. 

 

JUST IN: MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace politicizes young DJ’s moment at Trump’s speech, says she hopes he doesn’t k*ll himself because of something like Jan 6.

Holy sh*t

“I hope he has a long life as a law enforcement officer, but I hope he never has to defend the United States… pic.twitter.com/2wHSzECggL

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 5, 2025

I don't know that it was Trump's intention to show how firmly entrenched in a bubble these Democrats seem to be. If indeed that wasn't his motivation, I'm not sure an actual concerted effort could have achieved a better outcome. 

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

Quick Hits: Volume CCCLXVII

 - One of the issues which catapulted Donald Trump to being reelected President this past November was the economy. Given the Biden administration was busy gaslighting the public on how the economy was actually sound despite prices of everyday goods spiraling out of control, voters began to realize that for all of Trump's flaws when he was POTUS, trips to the grocery store weren't a stomach churning endeavor. 

Unfortunately, Trump's obsession with tariffs is undermining the trust voters placed in him. 

As JP Morgan's David Kelly observes -  “The trouble with tariffs, to be succinct, is that they raise prices, slow economic growth, cut profits, increase unemployment, worsen inequality, diminish productivity and increase global tensions. Other than that, they’re fine.”

I'm the furthest thing from an expert on any political advantage tariffs may garner, but it doesn't take a King Banaian to ascertain that there's no upside for the American consumer. 

- One undeniable advantage President Trump has over his political opposites? The Dems continue to show how woefully out of step they are with regular Americans. 

At the state level here in Minnesota as well as both chambers of U.S. Congress, every single solitary Democrat voted against legislation barring biological males from participating in female sports. This in spite of the fact that recent polling shows 79% of Americans supported Trump's executive order banning trans women from women's sports (including a majority of Democrat voters). 

It never ceases to amaze how progs sell their political souls on these niche issues. 

- After a shockingly great season that had him in legit MVP discussion late, Vikings QB Sam Darnold will likely be moving on to another team this season. I was holding out hope that the Vikes would place the franchise tag on Darnold and then trade him to the highest bidder. However, that meant they would have to find another team willing to not only pay him market value (likely $40-$50 million AAV) but also surrender a draft pick or two. My guess is the Vikings' brass had back channel discussions with quarterback needy teams at the NFL Combine last week but found no takers. 

NFL insider Adam Schefter pretty much confirmed that Tuesday afternoon as the tag deadline approached. 

Vikings officially will not be tagging QB Sam Darnold, per sources.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 4, 2025

There are still national reports circulating that the Vikings would like to retain Darnold on a short term deal, like 2-3 years maximum. As a Vikings fan, I am ready to usher in the McCarthy era, so I will be extremely disappointed if they bring back Darnold. However, that frustration will be tempered by the fact I have the utmost confidence in the decision making of head coach Kevin O'Connell. Given he coached up several QBs in his three seasons at the helm, I will trust that he can elevate Darnold to the next level, which would be him not pissing down his leg in, say, a game that determines the top overall seed in the NFC or in an actual postseason contest. 

By this time next week we'll know how this has all shaken out!

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 3/2/2025

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Look ahead as we pass, try and focus on it..........

It's March! 

So much to get to today on this week's edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour extravaganza begins at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

Right at 1:00, Senior Legal Fellow at The Heritage Foundation Sarah Parhsall Perry will join the broadcast to discuss a federal court ruling that schools can hide kids' gender identity from parents. Ms. Perry has also been on the frontlines regarding the issue of biological men being allowed to participate in women's sports. 

In the non-guest segments I will react to some of the support (yes, support) that the accused murderer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson is receiving, where some loons are outright justifying the act. 

In Minnesota news, Gov. Tim Walz will not run for U.S. Senate in 2026. Also, the Northstar commuter rail which runs from the northwest suburbs to downtown Minneapolis may be going away. 

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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Mercy killing?

Even at the height of its ridership (pretty much throughout the 2010s), the Northstar commuter rail was a financial boondoggle. But when the COVID-19 pandemic occurred in 2020 it was the first domino to fall in what resulted in the train being an irreversible money pit. 

The powers that be who oversee public transportation in this state can no longer bury their collective heads in the sand. 

The long-struggling Northstar Commuter Rail line between Minneapolis and Big Lake may be shut down and replaced with bus service, according to a joint announcement Monday from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and the Metropolitan Council.

“As the world and consumer demand changes, we must be willing to be flexible and innovative to offer better service while saving dollars,” the two bodies said in a statement.

A firm timeline for a possible closure has not been determined.

The news comes after a MnDOT report released Monday found that transitioning to bus service between Minneapolis and St. Cloud would cost millions less than the status quo. It costs about $12 million annually to operate Northstar, a budget that would shrink to $2 million if buses were used.

When I worked in downtown Minneapolis from 2012 thru 2014, I rode the Northstar rail on a daily basis. Even though it was quite busy during commuting hours it, the per rider subsidy was still sky high. I would often ask local politicians why we just didn't cut our losses and shut the thing down completely. I was told that turning it off would be even more of a financial calamity than continuing with the subsidies. The fact shuttering the Northstar is even being considered now gives us the clearest indication of it being in dire straits.  

Another issue the Northstar faced was the unrealistic expectations (or perhaps delusions of grandeur) of planners and elected officials. Many of those folks expressed a belief that young people would occupy luxury apartments built near the train's multiple platforms, thus making it easy to hop aboard the train to downtown Minneapolis and indulge in a night on the town. Problem was there was no service to downtown after about 7 PM and the only service out of downtown in the evening was 30 minutes after the final pitch of a Minnesota Twins baseball game. So unless you wanted to party in downtown Mpls on the night of a Twins game (and plan do be done carousing by about 10:30 PM), you were outta luck. 

In order for a commuter rail to be even remotely successful, major employers would have to be located near the rail lines. Given the largest Twin Cities companies' headquarters are predominately located in suburban areas meant there wasn't nearly the demand for such a mode of transportation (short of it being force fed to us like the various light rail lines). 

In the end, the pandemic didn't kill the Northstar line as much as it just put out its misery. 

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

Quick Hits: Volume CCCLXVI

 - With Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan announcing her intention to run for U.S. Senate next year, there was significant intrigue over whether her boss would also enter the fray. 

Turns out, he will not. 

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz won’t seek Minnesota’s open U.S. Senate seat next year and is instead considering a run for a third term as governor, the Democrat’s spokesman announced Wednesday.

“He loves his job as governor,” Walz’s spokesman Teddy Tschann said in a written statement.

The former vice presidential candidate announced his decision nearly two weeks after U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, a Democrat, announced she would not seek reelection in 2026. Walz was among a flurry of those from both major political parties who then began testing the waters for the state’s first open Senate race since 2006.

Within literally hours after Smith made her announcement, those close to Walz indicated he was seriously considering his candidacy for that Senate seat. But a mere 13 minutes later, Flanagan announced her intention to run, thus stealing her boss's thunder and giving further validation to a report the two are on the outs. 

Walz not vying for U.S. Senate keeps the rift with Flanagan from playing out in public. But if he runs for a third gubernatorial term, he's now going to have to answer for referring to the opposite political party as "fascists and nazis." 

- I don't believe I have felt more "seen" in my entire life: 

The very last bit about being jealous of the neighbors re-doing their roof? Yep, it played a small part in us getting our roof replaced 2-1/2 years ago. 

- As the (alleged) murderer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson stands trial, he has a contingent of "fans" showing up outside the courthouse. 

Part II, protestors explain why/how much they support Luigi and are asked insightful questions like:

"Who is hotter, Luigi or George Floyd"

and

"Is Luigi up there with Nelson Mandela?"

I love @Nocapongod_ so much 😂 pic.twitter.com/4mUBLQ8JU3

— Brad Polumbo 🇺🇸⚽️ (@brad_polumbo) February 26, 2025

Notice those loons aren't proclaiming Luigi Mangione as innocent. No, they're warped worldview has them believing that his actions were justifiable. 

Absolute ghouls, all of 'em.

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 2/23/2025

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Would someone please let me know how we have spun out of control?

So much to talk about from this news intensive week that I'm tempted to broadcast a third hour on the Northern Alliance Radio Network Facebook page. Alas, the normal 2 hours of my radio show The Closer will have to suffice. I'll get started right at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

I'll discuss Minnesota stuff the first hour, specifically the rumor mill surrounding the open U.S. Senate seat now that Sen. Tina Smith is not seeking reelection. Also, the Star Tribune seems awfully concerned about Minnesota-based Federal government employees losing their jobs but never show the same concern over private sector layoffs. 

In the second hour, I'll weigh in on President Donald Trump's moral incoherence on Ukraine. Also, is Israel prepared to turn Gaza into a parking lot? 

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.....

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

Quick Hits: Volume CCCLXV

 - Of the many criticisms I've had of President Donald Trump over his time in and out of the White House, I never joined the collective who've suggested he's a puppet of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. But if indeed Trump does not have Putin's mythical hand up his back, how would his justification for ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict be any different were he a Putin stooge?

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky decided not to join in on the negotiations in Saudi Arabia this week, Trump's response was shockingly ignorant. 

“Today I heard, ‘Oh, well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years. You should have ended it—three years. You should have never been there. You should have never started it. You should have made a deal.”

Hot Air's Ed Morrissey, as intellectually honest a conservative writer out there, was incredulous over such bilge.

Been where? In their own country? And what deal did Putin offer them, except subjugation to Moscow?

Now, we can have a long debate over whether Ukraine has some political fault in its dealings with its ethnic-Russian population, and whether pursuing closer economic and military ties to Europe was a bad idea. However, none of those issues negates the fact that Russia conducted a full-on, unprovoked military invasion with the intent to conquer all of Ukraine three years ago, and have conducted themselves like a barbarian horde during the entire "special operation."

Look, I get it. It was a pretty safe assumption that Ukraine was never going to prevail in this war, so there was never going to be a clean break. And I understand that had Trump told the truth about Putin's decision to engage in this hostile takeover, that would further complicate a porous Russia-America relationship (yes, despite what Tucker Carlson claims, Russia is not a peaceful country). But this is yet another disturbing Trump tendency in that he may have a solid idea (i.e. ending the destructive Russia-Ukraine conflict) but goes about executing it in an incoherent and destructive fashion. My concern is the fallout will be felt for years to come. 

- This from the Strib's X account earlier this week. 

If you are a federal employee in Minnesota and recently lost your job, we'd like to talk to you. Please contact JMooreStrib.60 on the encrypted messaging app Signal. You can also email us at whistleblower@startribune.com. We strongly encourage you to use a personal device.

— The Minnesota Star Tribune (@StarTribune) February 17, 2025

This was reminiscent of the government shutdown which occurred in the state of Minnesota back in 2011. With so many state workers potentially being laid off (albeit temporarily), the local media conducted interviews with some of those affected, and of course took aim at the all-GOP Legislature. The media also spoke with owners of eating establishments in downtown St Paul who were likely to feel the pinch of government employees not being around. But when prominent private sector businesses have layoffs, those same issues are prevalent but not nearly as amplified by media outlets. Why? 

- When then Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced last year he was stepping down as caucus leader, that set off strong signals that he would not be seeking reelection for his Senate seat in 2026.

On Thursday it became official. 

“Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate,” McConnell said in prepared remarks on the Senate floor. “Every day in between I’ve been humbled by the trust they’ve placed in me to do their business here. Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.”

The Kentucky Republican has experienced several medical episodes in recent years, most recently including two falls inside the Senate chamber earlier this month that have left him using a wheelchair to get around the Capitol. He has also frozen at least twice during press events, sparking concerns about his deteriorating health.

McConnell has had polio since he was a youngster, a disease which has hampered the upper portion of his left leg. As one stricken with polio becomes older, frailty sets in and falling becomes an issue. The multiple falls McConnell has endured over the past few years have taken a significant toll. But while his physical health has worsened, McConnell still appears to have solid mental faculties. Laugh if you want, but I challenge you watch his appearance at Erick Erickson's The Gathering event last summer. There aren't a lotta 80-somethings who can share such wisdom and insights. 

I'm certain there are a significant number of Trumpkins who reacted to this news with "gOoD rIdDaNcE, cOcAiNe MiTcH" or "bYe, TuRtLe." But if these same people had any ounce of intellectual consistency, they would at least concede that were it not for McConnell denying to replace Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia with then President Barack Obama's nominee Merrick Garland in early 2016, Trump may not have even been elected that November. McConnell was also key in keeping together a unified Senate majority in 2017 when perhaps Trump's signature piece of legislation, the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, was able to get passed. Trump himself even lauded McConnell's efforts. 

Godspeed, Senator. 

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