Quick Hits: Volume CCCLXXIV

- I'm genuinely befuddled by a few things which regularly occur in the political arena, but one question which I've never asked myself is "Gee, I wonder why Minnesota Republicans can't ever break through and win a statewide race?" 

In case any of y'all want an answer, the latest circular firing squad is a perpetuation of nearly two decades of dysfunction. 

Hundreds of conservatives across Minnesota gathered in Bloomington on Monday evening for one of the state Republican Party’s biggest fundraising events of the year.

But none of the state‘s highest-ranking Republicans attended the event amid disagreements with the direction the party is going under the leadership of its new chair Alex Plechash and executive director Jennifer DeJournett, who they believe are associating too closely with conservative grassroots factions of the party, several Republican sources told the Minnesota Star Tribune.

It’s a stark contrast from last year, when President Donald Trump headlined the fundraiser and the state‘s highest-ranking GOP Rep. Tom Emmer, the No. 3 Republican in the U.S. House, pledged to donate $100,000 to the party.

“I think the congressional folks want to see a strong party and want to see a party that they can work with,” said former Minnesota GOP Chair David Hann, who lost the leadership position to Plechash in December. “It seems that they’re not finding that in the current administration.”

Plechash denied that there‘s friction between the state party and congressional delegation, calling it “simply false.”

The target of the elected MN Republicans' ire is a group called Action 4 Larceny Liberty. This organization is little more than a grift operation which cares more about undermining elected Republicans (in their minds, anyone who has won an election is part of the "establishment") as opposed to actually working towards a GOP majority. That said, if A4L chair Jake Douchebag Duesenberg is to be believed, his group doesn't have a whole lotta love for the MNGOP these days. 

Jakey is probably still pissed that Plechash discouraged GOP candidates from using the tedious term "RINO" since it alienates some potential Republican voters from participating in the process. Given there aren't enough committed Republicans in the state of Minnesota, it's probably not a great idea to turn away someone who agrees with you "only" 90% of time, thus allowing a Democrat to prevail in elections. So while Plechash may not have received a full-throated A4L endorsement to be party chair, he was warmly received by the grift group simply because he was not David Hann. 

If I can offer Jake any advice I would say let people who have actually helped win elections do the heavy lifting, thus allowing him more time to update his organization's filings with the IRS. 

Oof. Might wanna get on that posthaste. 

- It took 'em a while, but mainstream media outlets are finally looking into a problem which has been plaguing Americans since about 2021.

NBC News is tracking changes in the prices of eggs, bread, ground beef, chicken and other grocery items to monitor the impact on consumers’ food bills. https://t.co/pb7PMJZYXv

— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 12, 2025

As NBC et al know by now, this was a salient issue during the presidential campaign, but they were too busy telling Americans not to believe their lying eyes. 

What's even more amusing about NBC's tweet it is was rather ill-timed. 

 

🚨Even CNN couldn't ignore that inflation just hit its LOWEST point since 2021.

"It's an unexpected and very welcome development that's defying economists' expectations..." pic.twitter.com/ywW4WYXGME

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 13, 2025 

Egg prices down 12.7%, biggest drop since March 1984, second biggest drop on record pic.twitter.com/AWcuDPb8qh

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) May 13, 2025

They still think you're stupid. 

- After appearing in the NBA's Western Conference Finals just once in their first 34 years of existence, the Minnesota Timberwolves are now one win away from their second consecutive trip to that round. After a 117-110 win over the Golden St. Warriors on Monday, the Wolves now have a commanding 3-1 series lead. 

Perhaps may favorite aspect of the Wolves potentially dispatching the Warriors is the toxic Jimmy Butler being sent packing. If you recall, Butler played 1-1/2 seasons for the Timberwolves, demanding a trade after year one. When his request wasn't granted, Butler verbally assaulted teammates, coaches and executives during a scrimmage at practice. That's been a trend throughout Butler's career in that he makes a favorable initial impression only to wear out his welcome within a year or two. 

SKOR North's Judd Zulgad is also ecstatic to see Butler humbled, but articulated it better than I could have ever dreamed. 

"I love this, this is karma come full circle. There's no better team to put his lights out than the Minnesota Timberwolves" 🙌

- @jzulgad is LOVING watching Jimmy Butler having karma handed to him by the #Timberwolves pic.twitter.com/ab1feEbzYX

— SKOR North - Minnesota Sports (@SKORNorth) May 13, 2025

Just finish the job Wednesday, boys. 

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Box Score of the Week

Houston Astros vs Pittsburgh Pirates - May 8, 1992.

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Astros pitcher Butch Henry became the first player in MLB history whose first career hit was an inside-the-park home run. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 5/11/2025

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I was once out strolling one very hot summer's day.....

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

I visited with my mom yesterday, so I'm rarin' to go for today's edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour broadcast gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour, I'll talk about Minnesota right wing grift groups who claim they want to help Republicans win elections but their actions tell a different story. Also, journalist Liz Collin was vindicated by a judge in regards to her documentary The Fall of Minneapolis.

At 2:00, writer, author and "undisputed king of stuff" Jon Gabriel will join the broadcast to discuss the encouraging trend of more and more Americans flocking to traditional faith.

And finally......Habemus Papam. 

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 CCCLXXIII

 - America's favorite octogenarian commie is OK with you standing in long lines to wait for commercial flights, but don't you dare ask him to do it. 

WATCH: @BretBaier challenges Bernie Sanders on why he spent $221k using private jets during his ‘fighting oligarchy’ tour pic.twitter.com/lMii8D4HC1

— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) May 7, 2025

I love the bit how Sanders considers it abhorrent that "people on top are doing phenomenally well" as if he hasn't used his position in government to enrich himself, thus catapulting to "the top." 

Back to the excessive private jets usage. This rationale from one of  Bernie's staunch defenders falls flat.

 

Bernie Sanders is 83 and had to be in multiple states in the same day. In that situation you fly private.

— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) May 8, 2025

Uhhhh...he "had to be?!?!?!" Why, exactly? This demagoguery tour with Tide Pod Evita Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was something he's *chosen* to do, yet the insinuation here is that if he doesn't travel to multiple states in a day, he'll lose out on some sort of livelihood (which, come to think of it, may be partially true; demagoguery can be lucrative).

Ironically, exempting yourself from a group you decry despite having so much in common with them might be something an oligarch would do. 

- I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the only political organization to which I donate money regularly is the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus. 

In a recent statement, they called out the grifter group MN Gun Rights. 

Once again, Minnesota Gun Rights is pushing out a misleading email claiming the “Assault Weapons Ban” (SF 1596 / HF 2449) is heating up and about to pass.

Let’s be clear:

❌ This bill has had zero hearings. 

❌ It has no support from DFL leadership this session. 

❌ We’ve spoken with nearly every GOP legislator, including the so-called “soft” ones — none of them support this bill.

This legislation is not moving. It is not a current threat.

This is yet another example of MGR’s tired playbook: 

➡️ Stir up panic with alarmist rhetoric 

➡️ Target low-information gun owners 

➡️ Fundraise off fear and falsehoods

They’ve done it before. They’re doing it again. And it’s hurting the real fight to defend gun rights in Minnesota.

We’ll continue to oppose this bill, and we’ll keep the pressure on at the Capitol - where we are today (and they are not).

But misleading supporters with lies to line your pockets? That’s not activism. That’s a grift.

It's similar to what PAC Action 4 Liberty does. 

A4L yearns for another Democrat trifecta.

It's their best fundraising environment.

They betray conservatives while pretending to be their champions.

My RTing them will get more engagement than they could get on their own.

But I'm happy to expose their treachery. https://t.co/kTGln1Ks71

— Walter Hudson (@WalterHudson) May 8, 2025

Just a friendly reminder that when an organization makes its biggest fundraising haul when the political side they supposedly support is in peril (real or perceived), these people can not be credibly seen as "allies." 

- Habemus Papam!

Never in the history of the Roman Catholic Church has there been an American pope, until now. Cardinal Robert Prevost is originally from Chicago, and served as the head of the church's Dicastery for Bishops.

He was elected to be the successor to Pope Francis by the College of Cardinals Thursday, May 8, 2025. He has chosen the papal name Pope Leo XIV.

As is custom (particularly in America), people want to look at the papal election through their own political bent. It's somewhat understanding now, given that Leo XIV is the first ever American born pope. But as Matt Walsh of The Daily Wire points out, a papal election is not something that can be (or should be) viewed in that context. 

If you aren't Catholic then you don't believe that this Pope was elected through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so you'll troll through his Twitter feed and analyze his selection through a modern political lens, as if he was just elected to a seat in the US senate rather than the Chair of Saint Peter.

If you are a believing Catholic then you do (or should) believe that his election is ordained by God. You view it through the lens of 2,000 years of Church history and the eternal will of the Almighty God. From that perspective, playing the gotcha game with old tweets is silly and bizarre.

This is why any conversation about the Pope on this site is destined to be disjointed, confused, and ultimately useless.

My own very early impression (as someone in the second category) is that there are some good signs and bad signs with this new Pope. I want to see what he actually does with his papacy before I pass any kind of judgment. If he does things I don't like, I'll say so. As I did with Pope Francis. In the meantime, I'll pray for him and for the Church.

One final thought: If Saturday Night Live doesn't address this historic event with a sketch about Da Pope (in the motif of Da Bears), then it's a dereliction of duty. 

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An orange Bernie?

Barack Obama - "I mean, I do think at a certain point you’ve made enough money."

Bernie Sanders -  "You don’t necessarily need a choice of 23 underarm spray deodorants or of 18 different pairs of sneakers when children are hungry in this country."

Donald Trump - "Well, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, and maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally. But we’re not talking about something that we have to go out of our way. They have ships that are loaded up with stuff, much of which — not all of it — but much of which we don’t need." 

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Box Score of the Week

Chicago Cubs at Brooklyn Dodgers - September 18, 1950. 

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Ron Northey of the Cubs hit his third career pinch hit grand slam home run in this game, which is the most in an MLB career. Since then, three other players have achieved that feat, but Northey was the first. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 5/4/2025

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The way the plants are dyin' you'd swear its fall......

Happy Star Wars Day!

While I'm a Star Wars fan, we're not gonna spend any time commemorating this "holiday." No, there's too much to get to on today's edition of my radio show The Closer, which will get started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the 1:00 hour, I'll be joined by NASCAR Kelly Gunderson, who is a regular member of The Jack Tomczak Show. Kel and I will be chatting about myriad topics regarding Minnesota politics, including Congresswoman Angie Craig deciding to run for U.S. Senate, the ripple effect in MN CD2 from Craig's decision, Gov. Tim Walz's latest bizarre statement, etc. 

At 2:00, writer, author and "undisputed king of stuff" Jon Gabriel will join the broadcast to discuss the encouraging trend of more and more Americans flocking to traditional faith. Also, he'll weigh in on President Trump's first 100 days.   Jon forgot about his guest appearance. He'll be on next Sunday.

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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