After a week 8 loss to the Cleveland Browns in the 2002 NFL season, the New York Jets found themselves floundering with a 2-5 record. That Wednesday (October 30, ten years ago today), Jets head coach Herm Edwards took to the podium for his regularly scheduled midweek press conference. Edwards was then asked by Judy Battista of the New York Times if he had to talk to his team about not giving up on the season.
What ensued was a rant for the ages (not to mention fodder for one of myriad Coors Light commercials).
From that point on, the Jets won seven of their final nine regular season games and hosted a first round playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts. The magic continued as the Jets throttled the Colts 41-0 (what is it about 41-doughnut playoff contests at the Meadowlands?). Alas, the run would come to an end the following week in a 30-10 defeat at the hands of the eventual AFC Champions, the Oakland Raiders.
In a subplot to all of this, Indy kicker Mike Vanderjagt questioned the leadership of Colts QB Peyton Manning and first year coach Tony Dungy after the embarrassing loss to the Jets. Manning, when being interviewed by ABC sideline reporter Lynn Swann during the Pro Bowl a month later, didn't pull any punches when asked about Vanderjagt's comments.
How ironic that Manning praised Adam Vinatieri (who was with the New England Patriots in 2002) in that particular soundbite. In an odd twist, Vinatieri joined Manning and Dungy in Indianapolis in 2006, where they went on to win a Super Bowl that season. And Vanderjagt? After missing a potential game-tying kick for the Colts in a 2005 home playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was allowed to leave via free agency after that season. He then signed with the Dallas Cowboys where he was their kicker for ten games in '06 before being released due to ineffectiveness. He would never kick in the NFL again.
I guess one could surmise that Edwards' rant served to fire up his Jets club for the 2002 season as well as indirectly determining the fate of the Colts franchise.
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Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
Random prediction of leftist demagoguery
OK, I suppose such a prediction is the equivalent of forecasting that the sun will rise in the East. You may not see it shining everyday but it will take place again in the near future.
Anyhow, at the Republican National Convention this past Summer, Mitt Romney invoked a line Barack Obama emitted during the 2008 Presidential campaign.
Never let a good crisis go to waste.
------------------------------------------------
Anyhow, at the Republican National Convention this past Summer, Mitt Romney invoked a line Barack Obama emitted during the 2008 Presidential campaign.
“President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet. My promise ... is to help you and your family”Prediction: The leftists and mainstream media (pardon the redundancy) will cite Romney's mocking of Obama as a sign that he's not serious about "global warming" and that we should expect more "Sandy" type hurricanes if he's elected President.
Never let a good crisis go to waste.
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Sunday, October 28, 2012
There I was completely wasting, out of work and down...
It's getting ever closer to Election Day which means there is plenty to get to on this week's edition of The Closer. Today from 1:00 until 3:00 PM Central Time we'll discuss myriad issues that have continually cropped up this election season.
For the entire 1:00 hour, Vikings punter Chris Kluwe will join me in studio. As I mentioned in a post recently, Kluwe has been very outspoken against the Minnesota Marriage Amendment which, if passed on election day, will permanently define marriage in MN strictly as a union between one woman and one man. There's also a chance that, as a Vikings rube, I will broach the subject of the NFL.
Then in the 2:00 hour, I will be joined by Bill Glahn, who is the GOP candidate for MN House District 49A (Edina).
So please give us a call at (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to discuss any of the topics I plan on addressing. You can also text comments/questions to (651) 243-0390.
You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 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.
For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!
And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.
Until then.....
--------------------------------------
For the entire 1:00 hour, Vikings punter Chris Kluwe will join me in studio. As I mentioned in a post recently, Kluwe has been very outspoken against the Minnesota Marriage Amendment which, if passed on election day, will permanently define marriage in MN strictly as a union between one woman and one man. There's also a chance that, as a Vikings rube, I will broach the subject of the NFL.
Then in the 2:00 hour, I will be joined by Bill Glahn, who is the GOP candidate for MN House District 49A (Edina).
So please give us a call at (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to discuss any of the topics I plan on addressing. You can also text comments/questions to (651) 243-0390.
You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 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.
For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!
And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.
Until then.....
--------------------------------------
Saturday, October 27, 2012
It was four years ago today
On Monday, October 28, 2008, then Senator Barack Obama was in the midst of the final week of his Presidential campaign. He kicked off the final eight days with a campaign event in Canton, OH. Like 2012, the state of Ohio was considered a big "get" in 2008, though we now know Obama would have won handily even without securing the Buckeye state.
In the middle of his speech delivered to the crowd in Canton, Obama asked a question of the audience that, unbeknownst to him, would also become a tenet of the 2012 election cycle.
And if the latest polls are to be believed, the majority of the 2012 electorate are going to give President Obama an answer he will not like.
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In the middle of his speech delivered to the crowd in Canton, Obama asked a question of the audience that, unbeknownst to him, would also become a tenet of the 2012 election cycle.
The question in this election is not are you better off than you were four years ago. We all know the answer to that. The real question is, will this country be better off four years from now?We also know the answer to that.
And if the latest polls are to be believed, the majority of the 2012 electorate are going to give President Obama an answer he will not like.
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Friday, October 26, 2012
Any Given Sunday......
I normally don't promote my Sunday radio show before the day of, but this weekend I will have on perhaps the most high profile guest in the brief history of The Closer.
Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe will join me in studio for the entire 1:00 hour! Sure, we could take the entire hour (and then some) to talk football, his band Tripping Icarus or his obsession with online games. Instead we're going to discuss a subject that's hardly been broached over the past decade: same-sex marriage (yes, of course I'm being facetious).
Kluwe caused a stir in September when leaping to the defense of Baltimore Ravens player Brendon Ayanbadejo, who had spoken out in favor of Maryland legislation looking to legalize gay marriage. In response, Maryland state delegate Emmett C. Burns, Jr. requested that Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti "inhibit such expressions" from Ayanbadejo. This resulted in Kluwe going nuclear on Burns in an open letter he posted to the site Deadspin (WARNING: This linked post contains very strong language).
The whole saga which lead to Kluwe eventually agreeing to appear on my radio program started with this tweet last Thursday:
I then responded with this:
Mr. Kluwe obviously understood my movie reference and thus responded in kind with his own quote from The Princess Bride.
From there, a Twitter follower of Kluwe's suggested that he had found his debate partner. For some time, local radio personality Tom Barnard had been trying to arrange a debate between Kluwe and former Viking (and current Raven) Matt Birk, who has spoken out in favor of the MN Marriage Amendment. I haven't heard if Birk had ever officially responded, but he would have been available this week since the Ravens are on a bye. While I don't have a Harvard degree like Birk, I have some very strong opinions on my support of the MN Marriage Amendment, so I invited Kluwe to appear on Sunday's program for a discussion on the issue. And since the Vikings will be off that day, the timing couldn't be better given the fact Minnesotans vote on the marriage amendment in a week-and-a-half. Upon receiving my invitation, Kluwe sent me his personal email address via Twitter direct message. We corresponded over a few days and then earlier this week confirmed the booking!
Given that Kluwe is a very intelligent and passionate individual, it's possible I could be setting myself up to get verbally hammered (After all, the guy did ace the verbal section on his SAT in the late '90s). However, I've gotten to the point where I'm fed up with the fact that there's rarely any nuance assigned to the same-sex marriage debate. Either you get on board and accept gay marriage or you're nothing more than a freedom-stealing bigot. I'm merely inviting Mr. Kluwe in to convey that I am not in any way trying to inhibit the homosexual lifestyle nor am I concerned that my marriage will be adversely impacted. And since Kluwe has become such a high profile advocate for gay marriage, it's quite possible that his promoting Sunday's guest appearance will bring along a lot of his supporters. That in turn will allow me to hold a nuanced discussion while many of Kluwe's fellow advocates are listening in.
I don't expect to change anyone's mind on the issue. However, I at least want to state my case why a "yes" vote on the MN Marriage Amendment doesn't necessarily equate to homophobia.
-------------------------------------------
Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe will join me in studio for the entire 1:00 hour! Sure, we could take the entire hour (and then some) to talk football, his band Tripping Icarus or his obsession with online games. Instead we're going to discuss a subject that's hardly been broached over the past decade: same-sex marriage (yes, of course I'm being facetious).
Kluwe caused a stir in September when leaping to the defense of Baltimore Ravens player Brendon Ayanbadejo, who had spoken out in favor of Maryland legislation looking to legalize gay marriage. In response, Maryland state delegate Emmett C. Burns, Jr. requested that Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti "inhibit such expressions" from Ayanbadejo. This resulted in Kluwe going nuclear on Burns in an open letter he posted to the site Deadspin (WARNING: This linked post contains very strong language).
The whole saga which lead to Kluwe eventually agreeing to appear on my radio program started with this tweet last Thursday:
Every time they say "same-sex marriage" in this piece, mentally replace it with "desegregation". youtube.com/watch?v=YqO9_I…
— Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft)
I then responded with this:
.@chriswarcraft Desegregation? You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
— Brad Carlson (@Brad_Carlson)
Mr. Kluwe obviously understood my movie reference and thus responded in kind with his own quote from The Princess Bride.
@brad_carlson You wish to make a wager with a Sicilian when death is on the line? Best of luck to you sir.
— Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft)
From there, a Twitter follower of Kluwe's suggested that he had found his debate partner. For some time, local radio personality Tom Barnard had been trying to arrange a debate between Kluwe and former Viking (and current Raven) Matt Birk, who has spoken out in favor of the MN Marriage Amendment. I haven't heard if Birk had ever officially responded, but he would have been available this week since the Ravens are on a bye. While I don't have a Harvard degree like Birk, I have some very strong opinions on my support of the MN Marriage Amendment, so I invited Kluwe to appear on Sunday's program for a discussion on the issue. And since the Vikings will be off that day, the timing couldn't be better given the fact Minnesotans vote on the marriage amendment in a week-and-a-half. Upon receiving my invitation, Kluwe sent me his personal email address via Twitter direct message. We corresponded over a few days and then earlier this week confirmed the booking!
Given that Kluwe is a very intelligent and passionate individual, it's possible I could be setting myself up to get verbally hammered (After all, the guy did ace the verbal section on his SAT in the late '90s). However, I've gotten to the point where I'm fed up with the fact that there's rarely any nuance assigned to the same-sex marriage debate. Either you get on board and accept gay marriage or you're nothing more than a freedom-stealing bigot. I'm merely inviting Mr. Kluwe in to convey that I am not in any way trying to inhibit the homosexual lifestyle nor am I concerned that my marriage will be adversely impacted. And since Kluwe has become such a high profile advocate for gay marriage, it's quite possible that his promoting Sunday's guest appearance will bring along a lot of his supporters. That in turn will allow me to hold a nuanced discussion while many of Kluwe's fellow advocates are listening in.
I don't expect to change anyone's mind on the issue. However, I at least want to state my case why a "yes" vote on the MN Marriage Amendment doesn't necessarily equate to homophobia.
-------------------------------------------
Box score of the week (Final one of 2012)
It's World Series time, so let's check out Game Three of the 1983 Fall Classic featuring the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies.
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In the first game of the 2012 World Series, San Francisco Giants starting pitcher (and 2002 AL Cy Young award winner) Barry Zito was relieved by Tim Lincecum, who won the NL Cy Young in 2008 and 2009.
It was the first time in a World Series game that one former Cy Young award winner relieved another since Baltimore Orioles hurler Jim Palmer relieved Mike Flanagan in the game I referenced above.
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In the first game of the 2012 World Series, San Francisco Giants starting pitcher (and 2002 AL Cy Young award winner) Barry Zito was relieved by Tim Lincecum, who won the NL Cy Young in 2008 and 2009.
It was the first time in a World Series game that one former Cy Young award winner relieved another since Baltimore Orioles hurler Jim Palmer relieved Mike Flanagan in the game I referenced above.
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Thursday, October 25, 2012
25 years ago today: Twins capture first ever World Series!
Being a baseball fan, there’s not a more magical phrase than “Game 7 of
the World Series.” And that is where I found my Minnesota Twins on this
date twenty five years ago.
I was confined to watching the game in the basement at home on this Sunday evening. Twins ace Frank Viola was making his third start in the series against the St Louis Cardinals. He was the winning pitcher in Game 1 but got shelled in Game 4.
In Game 7, Viola was touched for two runs and four hits in the second inning. However, he hunkered down and gave up only two more hits (and 0 runs) over his last six innings.
Unlike their previous three games at home, the Twins offense was scuffling in this one. While they were able to answer with one run in their half of the second inning they were hosed out of another. Replays showed that Don Baylor scored from second base on a Tim Laudner base hit. However, Baylor was called out, denying the Twins a run. I’m sure the neighbors heard me express my dismay.
Later in the game, the Twins received that run back courtesy of a blown call in their half of the fifth inning. With one out, Greg Gagne hit a chopper to first base. With Cards pitcher Joe Magrane covering, the umpire called Gagne safe saying Magrane never touched the base. However, replays showed that Magrane did indeed swipe his foot across the base ahead of Gagne. The next batter, Kirby Puckett, greeted new pitcher Danny Cox with a double to center, scoring Gagne and tying the game. From there, wackiness ensued. After Gary Gaetti walked, Cox threw a pitch in the dirt with Baylor at the plate. Both Puckett and Gaetti attempted to move up a base but Puck was thrown out at third. With Gaetti now at second and two outs, Baylor looped a single to left. Gaetti charged towards home plate in an attempt to give the Twins the lead. But the throw beat him there. Gaetti then rammed full bore into catcher Steve Lake in an effort to jar the ball loose. While Lake got the worst of that hellacious collision, he somehow hung on to the ball. Three outs, game still tied, and I’m practically bouncing off the walls due to the intensity of the game.
The Twins finally took their first lead of the evening in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Gagne hit a ground ball behind third base off cards pitcher Todd Worrell. Third baseman Tom Lawless made a diving stop, threw a one hopper to first but not in time to get the speedy Gagne. Tom Brunansky scored giving the Twins the 3-2 lead!! They would tack on another run in the eighth and closer extraordinaire Jeff Reardon faced the Cards in the ninth, leading 4-2.
With two outs and nobody on, my brother had a bottle of champagne ready to open upon the third out. We made a promise to our Mom that we would merely have a nice, celebratory drink when the Twins won it all. Nothing too raucous, we assured her. But once Willie McGee bounced out to Gaetti at third and Kent Hrbek squeezed the throw for the final out, bedlam ensued!! My brother immediately popped the cork on the champagne but it wound up on my head instead of in my glass. I hardly noticed as I was jumping up and down in pure delirium at what my Twins just accomplished. Of course, my mother was perturbed that we trashed her basement in celebration. But the laborious clean up we endured afterwards was well worth it. For the first time in over thirty years, a professional sports team in Minnesota won a championship!!
How sweet it was!!
----------------------------------------------
I was confined to watching the game in the basement at home on this Sunday evening. Twins ace Frank Viola was making his third start in the series against the St Louis Cardinals. He was the winning pitcher in Game 1 but got shelled in Game 4.
In Game 7, Viola was touched for two runs and four hits in the second inning. However, he hunkered down and gave up only two more hits (and 0 runs) over his last six innings.
Unlike their previous three games at home, the Twins offense was scuffling in this one. While they were able to answer with one run in their half of the second inning they were hosed out of another. Replays showed that Don Baylor scored from second base on a Tim Laudner base hit. However, Baylor was called out, denying the Twins a run. I’m sure the neighbors heard me express my dismay.
Later in the game, the Twins received that run back courtesy of a blown call in their half of the fifth inning. With one out, Greg Gagne hit a chopper to first base. With Cards pitcher Joe Magrane covering, the umpire called Gagne safe saying Magrane never touched the base. However, replays showed that Magrane did indeed swipe his foot across the base ahead of Gagne. The next batter, Kirby Puckett, greeted new pitcher Danny Cox with a double to center, scoring Gagne and tying the game. From there, wackiness ensued. After Gary Gaetti walked, Cox threw a pitch in the dirt with Baylor at the plate. Both Puckett and Gaetti attempted to move up a base but Puck was thrown out at third. With Gaetti now at second and two outs, Baylor looped a single to left. Gaetti charged towards home plate in an attempt to give the Twins the lead. But the throw beat him there. Gaetti then rammed full bore into catcher Steve Lake in an effort to jar the ball loose. While Lake got the worst of that hellacious collision, he somehow hung on to the ball. Three outs, game still tied, and I’m practically bouncing off the walls due to the intensity of the game.
The Twins finally took their first lead of the evening in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Gagne hit a ground ball behind third base off cards pitcher Todd Worrell. Third baseman Tom Lawless made a diving stop, threw a one hopper to first but not in time to get the speedy Gagne. Tom Brunansky scored giving the Twins the 3-2 lead!! They would tack on another run in the eighth and closer extraordinaire Jeff Reardon faced the Cards in the ninth, leading 4-2.
With two outs and nobody on, my brother had a bottle of champagne ready to open upon the third out. We made a promise to our Mom that we would merely have a nice, celebratory drink when the Twins won it all. Nothing too raucous, we assured her. But once Willie McGee bounced out to Gaetti at third and Kent Hrbek squeezed the throw for the final out, bedlam ensued!! My brother immediately popped the cork on the champagne but it wound up on my head instead of in my glass. I hardly noticed as I was jumping up and down in pure delirium at what my Twins just accomplished. Of course, my mother was perturbed that we trashed her basement in celebration. But the laborious clean up we endured afterwards was well worth it. For the first time in over thirty years, a professional sports team in Minnesota won a championship!!
How sweet it was!!
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Wednesday, October 24, 2012
It happened 25 years ago today!
With this being World Series time I always look back to 1987
& 1991 with fond memories. Those are the years my beloved
Minnesota Twins won the Fall Classic.
In fact, it was twenty five years ago today on a Saturday afternoon that the Twins were hosting the St Louis Cardinals in Game 6 at the Metrodome.
After winning the first two games at home, the Twins found themselves down 3 games to 2 after getting swept in the middle three games in St. Louis. This was typical of a club who went a stellar 56-25 at home during the regular year but a pathetic 29-52 on the road.
Things didn’t look good early in Game 6. The Cards knocked around Twins starting pitcher Les Straker and led 5-2 in the fifth inning. For a split second, I tried rationalizing with myself that it was an honor just to get to the Series. Of course, I was kidding myself. After witnessing some wretched baseball over the previous few years I desperately wanted my club to be #1.
Before I knew it, the Twins were mounting a comeback.
Kirby Puckett reached base in the fifth inning. Gary Gaetti doubled to left, scoring Puck to make it 5-3. Then late-season acquisition Don Baylor came to the plate as the tying run. BOOM!!! A two-run homer off Cards starter John Tudor and the Twins had tied it up. I was at my buddy Todd’s place in Vadnais Heights. There were four of us in the basement that day hanging on every pitch. We were going crazy when the Twins tied it. They would eventually take the lead later in the fifth when Steve Lombardozzi knocked in Tom Brunansky with a run-scoring single. It was 6-5 Twins after five innings.
But it was the next inning which many fans remember most. The Twins had loaded the bases with one out. Twins slugger Brunansky had a chance to put the game out of reach facing reliever Bob Forsch. Bruno popped out to shortstop. Now there was two outs, bases still loaded and Kent Hrbek coming up. Cards manager Whitey Herzog came out to summon lefty Ken Dayley to face the left-handed hitting Hrbek. Since there was a commercial break during the pitching change, we decided to watch some excerpts of comedian Louie Anderson on VHS. We figured we’d kill a couple of minutes until the game came back on. All of a sudden we heard the words “GRAND SLAM” come from Todd’s brother upstairs. We quickly flicked off the video and saw Kent Hrbek rounding the bases with his arms raised in elation. The hometown kid made good with a grand slam homer, giving the Twins a 10-5 lead. The four of us were literally huddled together jumping up and down in unison, all the while yelling in elation!!
The Twins would go on to tie the Series with an 11-5 win. I remember that evening driving around my neighborhood. On many a street corner, there were vendors selling Twins merchandise. Whether it was caps, pennant flags, homer hankies, etc., every corner was packed with people getting in on the fun. My brother and I drove home with both of us waving our homer hankies out the window. Not one single car had passed us by without honking in acknowledgement.
Ah, but there was work to be done. Game 7 would take place the next evening. My stomach was all tied up in knots anticipating the winner-take-all contest. Yes, I had definitely come down with a state-wide epidemic.
It was called “Twins fever”.
-----------------------------------------------
In fact, it was twenty five years ago today on a Saturday afternoon that the Twins were hosting the St Louis Cardinals in Game 6 at the Metrodome.
After winning the first two games at home, the Twins found themselves down 3 games to 2 after getting swept in the middle three games in St. Louis. This was typical of a club who went a stellar 56-25 at home during the regular year but a pathetic 29-52 on the road.
Things didn’t look good early in Game 6. The Cards knocked around Twins starting pitcher Les Straker and led 5-2 in the fifth inning. For a split second, I tried rationalizing with myself that it was an honor just to get to the Series. Of course, I was kidding myself. After witnessing some wretched baseball over the previous few years I desperately wanted my club to be #1.
Before I knew it, the Twins were mounting a comeback.
Kirby Puckett reached base in the fifth inning. Gary Gaetti doubled to left, scoring Puck to make it 5-3. Then late-season acquisition Don Baylor came to the plate as the tying run. BOOM!!! A two-run homer off Cards starter John Tudor and the Twins had tied it up. I was at my buddy Todd’s place in Vadnais Heights. There were four of us in the basement that day hanging on every pitch. We were going crazy when the Twins tied it. They would eventually take the lead later in the fifth when Steve Lombardozzi knocked in Tom Brunansky with a run-scoring single. It was 6-5 Twins after five innings.
But it was the next inning which many fans remember most. The Twins had loaded the bases with one out. Twins slugger Brunansky had a chance to put the game out of reach facing reliever Bob Forsch. Bruno popped out to shortstop. Now there was two outs, bases still loaded and Kent Hrbek coming up. Cards manager Whitey Herzog came out to summon lefty Ken Dayley to face the left-handed hitting Hrbek. Since there was a commercial break during the pitching change, we decided to watch some excerpts of comedian Louie Anderson on VHS. We figured we’d kill a couple of minutes until the game came back on. All of a sudden we heard the words “GRAND SLAM” come from Todd’s brother upstairs. We quickly flicked off the video and saw Kent Hrbek rounding the bases with his arms raised in elation. The hometown kid made good with a grand slam homer, giving the Twins a 10-5 lead. The four of us were literally huddled together jumping up and down in unison, all the while yelling in elation!!
The Twins would go on to tie the Series with an 11-5 win. I remember that evening driving around my neighborhood. On many a street corner, there were vendors selling Twins merchandise. Whether it was caps, pennant flags, homer hankies, etc., every corner was packed with people getting in on the fun. My brother and I drove home with both of us waving our homer hankies out the window. Not one single car had passed us by without honking in acknowledgement.
Ah, but there was work to be done. Game 7 would take place the next evening. My stomach was all tied up in knots anticipating the winner-take-all contest. Yes, I had definitely come down with a state-wide epidemic.
It was called “Twins fever”.
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Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Final Presidential debate: My two cents (24 hours later)
Last evening was the first Presidential debate in 2012 that I watched live. It's a lot less tense and even a little raucous when you're in a bar/restaurant with scores of fellow patriots watching the festivities on multiple TVs.
My immediate reaction was that I was disappointed in Mitt Romney's performance early on but he seemed to pick up steam as the debate went on. As a conservative who often becomes quite enraged at the arrogance and condescension consistently displayed by President Barack Obama, I was hoping Romney would poke the proverbial bear to the point Obama would become flustered and incoherent. But as I took a step back, I feel Romney conducted himself the right way. After all, it's not easy to retort in a respectful (but firm) and measured tone when one's opponent is telling half truths and launching vapid (and sometimes false) attacks on one's character. From that standpoint, my respect and admiration for Governor Romney grew immensely.
Having said all that, my favorite Romney zingers at the expense of the President were these gems:
In the end, Romney didn't need to cater to me or the rest of the crowd gathered at the Blue Fox Bar & Grill for the AM 1280 The Patriot debate party. He has our votes. What Romney needed to do was convey to undecided voters that he is indeed Presidential and that he has America's best interest when it comes to Foreign Policy. In that vain, he was successful.
With that in mind, it's now a two week sprint to the finish line. Game on!
------------------------------------------
My immediate reaction was that I was disappointed in Mitt Romney's performance early on but he seemed to pick up steam as the debate went on. As a conservative who often becomes quite enraged at the arrogance and condescension consistently displayed by President Barack Obama, I was hoping Romney would poke the proverbial bear to the point Obama would become flustered and incoherent. But as I took a step back, I feel Romney conducted himself the right way. After all, it's not easy to retort in a respectful (but firm) and measured tone when one's opponent is telling half truths and launching vapid (and sometimes false) attacks on one's character. From that standpoint, my respect and admiration for Governor Romney grew immensely.
Having said all that, my favorite Romney zingers at the expense of the President were these gems:
- When Obama claimed Romney said the biggest geopolitical threat facing America is Russia, Romney's retort was "First of all, Russia I indicated is a geopolitical foe...It's a geopolitical foe, and I said in the same — in the same paragraph I said, and Iran is the greatest national security threat we face. Russia does continue to battle us in the U.N. time and time again. I have clear eyes on this. I'm not going to wear rose-colored glasses when it comes to Russia, or Mr. Putin. And I'm certainly not going to say to him, I'll give you more flexibility after the election." (Emphasis mine). This final sentence was of course in reference to Obama's "hot mic" moment in March when meeting with Russian President Medvedev.
- When calling out the President for taking an "apology tour" across the Middle East (again, emphasis mine): "Mr. President, the reason I call it an apology tour is because you went to the Middle East and you flew to Egypt and to Saudi Arabia and to Turkey and Iraq. And by the way, you skipped Israel, our closest friend in the region, but you went to the other nations. And by the way, they noticed that you skipped Israel. And then in those nations, and on Arabic TV, you said that America had been dismissive and derisive. You said that on occasion America had dictated to other nations. Mr. President, America has not dictated to other nations. We have freed other nations from dictators." Even though Obama steadfastly claimed last evening that Israel is such a close ally, he hasn't visited the country since he went there as a candidate in 2008.
In the end, Romney didn't need to cater to me or the rest of the crowd gathered at the Blue Fox Bar & Grill for the AM 1280 The Patriot debate party. He has our votes. What Romney needed to do was convey to undecided voters that he is indeed Presidential and that he has America's best interest when it comes to Foreign Policy. In that vain, he was successful.
With that in mind, it's now a two week sprint to the finish line. Game on!
------------------------------------------
Monday, October 22, 2012
Are you gonna wait for a sign, your miracle? Stand up and fight!
This evening the final Presidential debate of the 2012 campaign cycle will take place. Why not spend the time with scores of fellow patriots?
Typically AM 1280 has thrown a soiree to commemorate the third and final debate of a Presidential race. As such, the gatherings have been legendary in Northern Alliance Radio Network lore. My friend and colleague Mitch Berg recalls the 2004 get-together, back when the NARN was a mere seven months old.
Mitch & I will be MCs of this event. We hope you can join us!
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Typically AM 1280 has thrown a soiree to commemorate the third and final debate of a Presidential race. As such, the gatherings have been legendary in Northern Alliance Radio Network lore. My friend and colleague Mitch Berg recalls the 2004 get-together, back when the NARN was a mere seven months old.
Back then, the station used some trade with the Marriott downtown to get one of their banquet rooms, and advertised it as a debate party with the NARN. The fun part? We started with 100 seats in one room. They had to open up two more rooms and set up a second jumbotron and second porta-bar; we drew a total of 700 that night.We don't look at it as a bad thing if we're faced with such a challenge this time around.
Mitch & I will be MCs of this event. We hope you can join us!
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Sunday, October 21, 2012
Dawn is breaking everywhere; light a candle, curse the glare.....
Since I filled in for The Headliners yesterday, I figure I'd go with a guest intensive show to help me through today. With that in mind, I opened my "binder full of women", which contains an embarrassment of riches when it comes to local conservatives who are smart, funny and engaged in the issues of the day. Alas, when one has the studio only slightly bigger than a phone booth, I had to keep the guest roster to three.
So on today's edition of The Closer, which airs 1:00 PM until 3:00 Central, I will be joined by the following conservative stalwarts:
Amongst the topics we'll discuss is the flap over Mitt Romney's use of the phrase "binders full of women", the contentious Fields-Ellison debate in MN CD5, Sec. of State Hillary Clinton accepting responsibility for the attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Presidential politics in general and Erin herself exposing voter fraud.
So please give us a call at (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to discuss any of the topics I plan on addressing. You can also text comments/questions to (651) 243-0390.
You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 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.
For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!
And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.
Until then.....
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So on today's edition of The Closer, which airs 1:00 PM until 3:00 Central, I will be joined by the following conservative stalwarts:
- Erin Haust, who's a wife, a mother of three, Editor in Chief at Resistance 44 and writer for Conservative Daily News. You can follow her on Twitter at @ErinHaust.
- Laura Gatz is the founder of Red, Right and Brew as well as the proprietor of the blog Princess Politics. She can also be found on Twitter at @GOPrincess.
- "NASCAR" Kelly Gunderson is a wife, a mother to first grade twins, and perhaps the most prolific caller in to Twin Cities talk radio shows (none of whom, other than mine, will be mentioned here). Feel free to follow Kelly on Twitter at @Talkette.
Amongst the topics we'll discuss is the flap over Mitt Romney's use of the phrase "binders full of women", the contentious Fields-Ellison debate in MN CD5, Sec. of State Hillary Clinton accepting responsibility for the attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Presidential politics in general and Erin herself exposing voter fraud.
So please give us a call at (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to discuss any of the topics I plan on addressing. You can also text comments/questions to (651) 243-0390.
You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 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.
For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!
And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.
Until then.....
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Saturday, October 20, 2012
Well, if it rains, I don't care. Don't make no difference to me...
It's a special edition of The Headliners edition of the Northern Alliance Radio Network today as we will be sans Headliners. With Mitch Berg and Ed Morrissey both out on assignment, I will be filling in from 1:00 PM until 3:00 Central time.
For the first segment, I will chat with Ken Parker, who is the writer/director of the dramatic musical Favored Nation. Ken will be on to discuss his inspiration for this production, which will feature performances at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center on Friday, October 26 (showtime 7:30) and Saturday, October 27 (two shows; 3:00 pm and 7:30 pm).
At 1:15, MN GOP State Senate candidate Karin Housley will join me in studio. She is running in Senate District 39, which includes Forest Lake, Scandia, Marine on St. Croix, Grant, Oak Park Heights, Bayport, Stillwater, Lake Elmo, Lakeland and St. Mary's Point. I personally spoke SD 39's DFL candidate, Julie Bunn, and invited her to appear for a one-on-one debate with Karin. Ms. Bunn declined so we will pay homage by placing an empty chair next to Karin.
Then in the 2:00 hour we will be joined via phone by Katy Abram of Lebanon, PA. Katy gained national notoriety back in August 2009 when she confronted Senator Arlen Specter at a Town Hall meeting during the contentious Obamacare battle.
Katy has since been a staple on Sean Hannity's radio show as well as having regular stints on Fox News and MSNBC.
We'll obviously discuss with Katy the legacy of Senator Specter, who passed away this past Sunday, as well as her take on the latest in the Presidential race.
So please give me a call at (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to discuss any of the topics I plan on addressing. You can also text comments/questions to (651) 243-0390.
You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 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.
For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!
And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.
Until then.....
--------------------------------------
For the first segment, I will chat with Ken Parker, who is the writer/director of the dramatic musical Favored Nation. Ken will be on to discuss his inspiration for this production, which will feature performances at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center on Friday, October 26 (showtime 7:30) and Saturday, October 27 (two shows; 3:00 pm and 7:30 pm).
At 1:15, MN GOP State Senate candidate Karin Housley will join me in studio. She is running in Senate District 39, which includes Forest Lake, Scandia, Marine on St. Croix, Grant, Oak Park Heights, Bayport, Stillwater, Lake Elmo, Lakeland and St. Mary's Point. I personally spoke SD 39's DFL candidate, Julie Bunn, and invited her to appear for a one-on-one debate with Karin. Ms. Bunn declined so we will pay homage by placing an empty chair next to Karin.
Then in the 2:00 hour we will be joined via phone by Katy Abram of Lebanon, PA. Katy gained national notoriety back in August 2009 when she confronted Senator Arlen Specter at a Town Hall meeting during the contentious Obamacare battle.
Katy has since been a staple on Sean Hannity's radio show as well as having regular stints on Fox News and MSNBC.
We'll obviously discuss with Katy the legacy of Senator Specter, who passed away this past Sunday, as well as her take on the latest in the Presidential race.
So please give me a call at (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to discuss any of the topics I plan on addressing. You can also text comments/questions to (651) 243-0390.
You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 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.
For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!
And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.
Until then.....
--------------------------------------
Friday, October 19, 2012
Box Score of the week (Postseason edition)
The Boston Red Sox were still enduring the "Curse of the Bambino" when they took on the Cleveland Indians in Game 1 of the 1998 American League Division Series.
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If you're a baseball fan, certainly you're familiar with Game Six of the 1986 World Series when the Red Sox were one strike away from winning it all only to lose in heartbreaking fashion. That loss was the first in an MLB record thirteen game postseason losing streak. The game I referenced above snapped that ignominious streak.
In case you're wondering, the longest active postseason game losing streak is 12 ----- held by my Minnesota Twins.
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If you're a baseball fan, certainly you're familiar with Game Six of the 1986 World Series when the Red Sox were one strike away from winning it all only to lose in heartbreaking fashion. That loss was the first in an MLB record thirteen game postseason losing streak. The game I referenced above snapped that ignominious streak.
In case you're wondering, the longest active postseason game losing streak is 12 ----- held by my Minnesota Twins.
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NFL trivia - 2012 debut
After several excursions to various sports bars last year to show off my knowledge on NFL trivia, I made by 2012 debut last evening at Champps in Maplewood!
The local ESPN radio affiliate (along with Coors Light) put on the event with sports guys Tom Pelissero and Phil Mackey as MCs.
The first round entails answering 10 questions conveyed by the guys. Since some questions have multiple answers, there was 19 total points available in this round. From there, the top sixteen scores advance to the tournament bracket. Having earned 17 of a possible 19 points, I drew the #3 seed and a first round bye (there were only ten participants).
In the quarterfinals, I faced a duo that called themselves "Bucky" since they were donning Badger red. This round was a best two of three.
First question: How many AFC teams currently have a winning record?
Bucky (buzzing in first): Two. Correct!
Next question: Kevin Kolb has started the past five games at QB for the Arizona Cardinals. Prior to coming to Arizona.....
Brad (buzzing in early): Philadelphia Eagles. .....in 2011, for which team did Kolb play? Philadelphia Eagles is correct.
Final question to move on to the semifinals.
For what other franchise did Don Shula serve as head coach prior to the Miami Dolphins?
Brad (buzzing in a split second before Bucky): Baltimore Colts. Correct!! Brad moves on to the semis.
It was in the semis where I faced the Rain Man of NFL Thursday night trivia, Brendan Byrne. Brendan won the ultimate prize ($100) 10 times last year and had both weeks thus far this season.
In the semis, it's also 2 out of 3, but the questions have multiple answers and are answered alternately by the contestants until someone gets it wrong.
Question 1: Name the player selected with the #1 overall pick in the NFL draft over the past 11 seasons.
Brendan (buzzing in first): Mario Williams. Correct.
Brad: Carson Palmer. Correct.
Brendan: Andrew Luck. Correct.
Brad: Alex Smith. Correct.
Brendan: Jamarcus Russell. Correct.
Brad: Sam Bradford. Correct.
Brendan: Cam Newton. Correct.
Brad (thinking, thinking, thinking, using up 14 of allotted 15 seconds): Philip Rivers. Incorrect.
D'OH!!! I remembered a few seconds later that the San Diego Chargers did indeed pick #1 overall in 2004, the year Rivers was drafted. However, the Chargers drafted Eli Manning with the top pick and then traded him to the NY Giants for Rivers (whom the Giants selected at #4) and draft picks.
1-0, Brendan.
Question 2: Name the players who have appeared on the cover of Madden NFL since 2000.
Brendan (buzzing in first): Calvin Johnson. Correct.
Brad: Larry Fitzgerald. Correct.
Brendan: Peyton Hillis. Correct.
Brad (I don't play Madden, so I'm totally guessing): Reggie Bush? Incorrect.
Brendan moves on to the Finals.
Did I also mention that this event is sponsored by Coors Light? Such sponsorship comes with more perks than just lower prices of the beer.
Yes, I got over my defeat rather quickly.
----------------------------------------
The local ESPN radio affiliate (along with Coors Light) put on the event with sports guys Tom Pelissero and Phil Mackey as MCs.
The first round entails answering 10 questions conveyed by the guys. Since some questions have multiple answers, there was 19 total points available in this round. From there, the top sixteen scores advance to the tournament bracket. Having earned 17 of a possible 19 points, I drew the #3 seed and a first round bye (there were only ten participants).
In the quarterfinals, I faced a duo that called themselves "Bucky" since they were donning Badger red. This round was a best two of three.
First question: How many AFC teams currently have a winning record?
Bucky (buzzing in first): Two. Correct!
Next question: Kevin Kolb has started the past five games at QB for the Arizona Cardinals. Prior to coming to Arizona.....
Brad (buzzing in early): Philadelphia Eagles. .....in 2011, for which team did Kolb play? Philadelphia Eagles is correct.
Final question to move on to the semifinals.
For what other franchise did Don Shula serve as head coach prior to the Miami Dolphins?
Brad (buzzing in a split second before Bucky): Baltimore Colts. Correct!! Brad moves on to the semis.
It was in the semis where I faced the Rain Man of NFL Thursday night trivia, Brendan Byrne. Brendan won the ultimate prize ($100) 10 times last year and had both weeks thus far this season.
In the semis, it's also 2 out of 3, but the questions have multiple answers and are answered alternately by the contestants until someone gets it wrong.
Question 1: Name the player selected with the #1 overall pick in the NFL draft over the past 11 seasons.
Brendan (buzzing in first): Mario Williams. Correct.
Brad: Carson Palmer. Correct.
Brendan: Andrew Luck. Correct.
Brad: Alex Smith. Correct.
Brendan: Jamarcus Russell. Correct.
Brad: Sam Bradford. Correct.
Brendan: Cam Newton. Correct.
Brad (thinking, thinking, thinking, using up 14 of allotted 15 seconds): Philip Rivers. Incorrect.
D'OH!!! I remembered a few seconds later that the San Diego Chargers did indeed pick #1 overall in 2004, the year Rivers was drafted. However, the Chargers drafted Eli Manning with the top pick and then traded him to the NY Giants for Rivers (whom the Giants selected at #4) and draft picks.
1-0, Brendan.
Question 2: Name the players who have appeared on the cover of Madden NFL since 2000.
Brendan (buzzing in first): Calvin Johnson. Correct.
Brad: Larry Fitzgerald. Correct.
Brendan: Peyton Hillis. Correct.
Brad (I don't play Madden, so I'm totally guessing): Reggie Bush? Incorrect.
Brendan moves on to the Finals.
Did I also mention that this event is sponsored by Coors Light? Such sponsorship comes with more perks than just lower prices of the beer.
Yes, I got over my defeat rather quickly.
----------------------------------------
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
The narrow path
There have been only four candidates in U.S. Presidential election history where the winner did not garner the the majority of popular votes. Those four were John Quincy Adams (1824), Rutherford B Hayes (1876), Benjamin Harrison (1888) and of course George W. Bush in 2000.
If the latest presidential polling is any indication, that scenario has a fair chance of occurring yet again.
In 2008, Barack Obama flipped nine states which went to President Bush in 2004. Obama's '08 opponent, John McCain, didn't flip a single state that went to Senator John Kerry four years earlier. With that in mind, we can safely assume that Romney has sewn up the 22 states McCain captured in '08. If you factor in the one electoral vote Obama won in Nebraska (a state which allocates its electoral votes by Congressional District), then Romney starts off with a base of 179 EVs (270 are needed to win).
From there, it's pretty much a certainty that the Republicans will take back two states (plus the one Congressional district in Nebraska seized by Obama) which normally are in the "R" column but switched to "D" in 2008. Those would be Indiana and North Carolina, which now increases the EV total to 206.
In addition to NC, the two other key swing states of Florida and Virginia have been declared "red" by David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. Paleologos was so confident in this declaration that he stated his organization is not even "polling any of those states again." If that's the case, Romney makes a huge leap to 248.
New Hampshire is the one state in New England where Republicans are typically competitive if not victorious. Bush won it in 2000 by a scant 1.27% whereas Kerry emerged victorious in 2004 with a 1.37% margin (Obama's 10-point win in '08 was an anomaly). Romney has made such significant gains in NH over the past month to the point where the latest Real Clear Politics average show him within less than 1% of the President. Colorado went to Bush in '00 and '04 with Obama claiming the Rocky Mountain state with a 10-point win in '08. Despite trailing in Colorado throughout the summer, Romney started to escalate in the polls prior to the first debate. In fact, he now has a slight lead! With those two states very much in play, that inches the tally to 261.
From there, it appears to be a very narrow path for Romney to get to 270. If all of the above scenarios play out to allow Romney to get to at least 261 electoral votes, snagging the state of Wisconsin (10 EV) would effectively put him over the top. The problem is Romney has never lead the President in head-to-head polling there, which has been tracked since January. Even though Romney is within striking distance in Wisconsin (down 2 points as of today), the fact he's never been ahead, combined with today being less than three weeks from election day, makes winning that state rather tenuous (Although I'm ripe for a surprise).
Winning Nevada (6) and Iowa (6) could also allow Romney to declare victory. But like Wisconsin, Obama has never trailed in either of these states and is still up 2-3% in both.
Finally we arrive at Ohio. Since 1944, the Buckeye state has only once sided with the loser (1960, choosing Richard Nixon over John F. Kennedy) in a Presidential election. If Romney could secure this state and its 18 electoral votes, it would allow him a margin for error if he were to fall short in, say, Colorado or New Hampshire. And while Romney has lead in a couple of different polls recently (Gravis Marketing and ARG, both by a mere 1%), the RCP average once again shows him as having never lead in 2012. However, Romney's at least still within the magical 2-3% margin.
Bottom line: We have a fair chance to witness history one way or another this election cycle. It could be merely the fifth time in 224 years where a candidate won an election despite not garnering the majority of popular votes. Or it could be only the second time in 68 years a Presidential candidate has emerged victorious without winning the state of Ohio.
If history has to be made, I'm of course hoping for the latter outcome.
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If the latest presidential polling is any indication, that scenario has a fair chance of occurring yet again.
The University of Colorado (CU) prediction renowned for perfect accuracy will predict a popular-vote win for Mitt Romney later this month, Campus Reform has learned.Again, the referenced model is only a predictor of popular votes. It doesn't account for the electoral college, which is what determines the winner.
The poll has accurately predicted every presidential election since it was developed in 1980. It is unique in that it employs factors outside of state economic indicators to predict the next president.
CU Political Science Professor Dr. Michael Berry, who spoke with Campus Reform at length on Tuesday, said there is at least 77 percent chance that Romney will win the popular vote.
That number is significant, not only in its size, but because of the fact that only four presidents since the nation’s founding have won the presidency without capturing the popular vote, the last being George W. Bush in 2000.
Berry noted his model has never been wrong at predicting the outcome of a presidential election.
“For the last eight presidential elections, this model has correctly predicted the winner,” he said.
In 2008, Barack Obama flipped nine states which went to President Bush in 2004. Obama's '08 opponent, John McCain, didn't flip a single state that went to Senator John Kerry four years earlier. With that in mind, we can safely assume that Romney has sewn up the 22 states McCain captured in '08. If you factor in the one electoral vote Obama won in Nebraska (a state which allocates its electoral votes by Congressional District), then Romney starts off with a base of 179 EVs (270 are needed to win).
From there, it's pretty much a certainty that the Republicans will take back two states (plus the one Congressional district in Nebraska seized by Obama) which normally are in the "R" column but switched to "D" in 2008. Those would be Indiana and North Carolina, which now increases the EV total to 206.
In addition to NC, the two other key swing states of Florida and Virginia have been declared "red" by David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. Paleologos was so confident in this declaration that he stated his organization is not even "polling any of those states again." If that's the case, Romney makes a huge leap to 248.
New Hampshire is the one state in New England where Republicans are typically competitive if not victorious. Bush won it in 2000 by a scant 1.27% whereas Kerry emerged victorious in 2004 with a 1.37% margin (Obama's 10-point win in '08 was an anomaly). Romney has made such significant gains in NH over the past month to the point where the latest Real Clear Politics average show him within less than 1% of the President. Colorado went to Bush in '00 and '04 with Obama claiming the Rocky Mountain state with a 10-point win in '08. Despite trailing in Colorado throughout the summer, Romney started to escalate in the polls prior to the first debate. In fact, he now has a slight lead! With those two states very much in play, that inches the tally to 261.
From there, it appears to be a very narrow path for Romney to get to 270. If all of the above scenarios play out to allow Romney to get to at least 261 electoral votes, snagging the state of Wisconsin (10 EV) would effectively put him over the top. The problem is Romney has never lead the President in head-to-head polling there, which has been tracked since January. Even though Romney is within striking distance in Wisconsin (down 2 points as of today), the fact he's never been ahead, combined with today being less than three weeks from election day, makes winning that state rather tenuous (Although I'm ripe for a surprise).
Winning Nevada (6) and Iowa (6) could also allow Romney to declare victory. But like Wisconsin, Obama has never trailed in either of these states and is still up 2-3% in both.
Finally we arrive at Ohio. Since 1944, the Buckeye state has only once sided with the loser (1960, choosing Richard Nixon over John F. Kennedy) in a Presidential election. If Romney could secure this state and its 18 electoral votes, it would allow him a margin for error if he were to fall short in, say, Colorado or New Hampshire. And while Romney has lead in a couple of different polls recently (Gravis Marketing and ARG, both by a mere 1%), the RCP average once again shows him as having never lead in 2012. However, Romney's at least still within the magical 2-3% margin.
Bottom line: We have a fair chance to witness history one way or another this election cycle. It could be merely the fifth time in 224 years where a candidate won an election despite not garnering the majority of popular votes. Or it could be only the second time in 68 years a Presidential candidate has emerged victorious without winning the state of Ohio.
If history has to be made, I'm of course hoping for the latter outcome.
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Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Captiol Hil
In the 34 days since the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, one could surmise the Obama administration was trying desperately to lay blame for said attack at the feet of the Bush presidency, as has been their wont for nearly four years. Alas, they've gone to that well all too often.
So who in the administration could take the fall without the President and Vice President looking any more foolish than they do already?
Another shrew observation by D :
By the way, did you notice which members of the Obama administration have been put out front the most on the Benghazi issue? Hillary Clinton and Susan Rice. Nearly twenty years earlier, AG Janet Reno was the key figurehead in the investigation of the tragedy in Waco, TX. Throw in the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the late 1990s and you have the past two Democrat presidencies who have waged a "War on Women."
Irony is fun.
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So who in the administration could take the fall without the President and Vice President looking any more foolish than they do already?
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the bucks stops with her when it comes to who is blame for a deadly assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi.Over at his place, may pal Mr. D makes a couple of savvy observations.
"I take responsibility" for what happened on September 11, Clinton said in an interview with CNN's Elise Labott soon after arriving in Lima, Peru for a visit. The interview, one of a series given to U.S. television networks Monday night, were the first she has given about the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
Clinton insisted President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are not involved in security decisions, Clinton said.
"I want to avoid some kind of political gotcha," she added, noting that it is close to the election.
The attack killed Chris Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, and three other Americans at the consulate.
I assume this is a Janet Reno-style taking of responsibility, in which the head of the bureaucracy in question takes "responsibility," but doesn't actually have any accountability afterward.D is of course referring to the US Attorney General in the Bill Clinton administration. In Waco, TX in early 1993, cult leader David Koresh was leader of a religious compound where there were allegations of child abuse. As such, the Clinton administration authorized the use of tear gas to force the "Branch Davidians" out of the compound. The final standoff took place in April '93 when the FBI launched a second assault. As a result, a fire engulfed The Mount Carmel Center, resulting in the deaths of more than 70 men, women and children. Reno ultimately assumed responsibility for the raid gone bad but still served out a full two terms as US Attorney General.
Another shrew observation by D :
There's one question that remains unanswered, however -- who directed Susan Rice to go on the Sunday chat show circuit and blame the attack on the YouTube video? Did Clinton? Did someone else in the White House? If I am not mistaken, the Ambassador to the U.N. is these days a cabinet-level position and Rice reports directly to the President, not through State. If Rice made the decision to make these assertions herself, she either (a) did not know the truth 5 days after the fact or (b) knew it and told the country something that she knew not to be true. Either way, her position is untenable. This question needs to be resolved, and quickly.This is an issue that The Weekly Standard's Stephen Hayes addressed recently.
There are two possibilities. Either the intelligence community had a detailed picture of what happened in Benghazi that night and failed to share it with other administration officials and the White House. Or the intelligence community provided that detailed intelligence picture to others in the administration, and Obama, Biden, Clinton, Susan Rice, and others ignored and manipulated the intelligence to tell a politically convenient—but highly inaccurate—story.Another question I have: Will this conveniently timed mea culpa (one night before the second Presidential debate) by Sec. of State Clinton absolve the President in the eyes of the undecided voters? We know for dang sure the likes of the New York Times et al will be complicit in attempts to make it so.
If it’s the former, DNI James Clapper should be fired. If it’s the latter, what happened in Benghazi—and what happened afterwards—will go down as one of the worst scandals in recent memory.
It seems far more likely that it’s the latter. After all, is it conceivable that White House officials at the highest levels were not actively engaged in interagency meetings to determine what happened in Benghazi? Is it conceivable that intelligence officials, knowing there was no evidence at all of a link between the film and Benghazi, would fail to tell the president and his colleagues that their claims were unfounded? Is it conceivable that somehow the latest intelligence on the 9/11 attacks was left out of Obama’s intelligence briefings in the days after 9/11? It would have been a priority for every professional at the CIA, the State Department, and the National Security Council to discover exactly what happened in Benghazi as soon as possible. Is it conceivable that the information wasn’t passed to the most senior figures in the administration?
No, it’s really not. And therefore, the fact that these senior figures misled us—and still mislead us—is a scandal of the first order.
By the way, did you notice which members of the Obama administration have been put out front the most on the Benghazi issue? Hillary Clinton and Susan Rice. Nearly twenty years earlier, AG Janet Reno was the key figurehead in the investigation of the tragedy in Waco, TX. Throw in the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the late 1990s and you have the past two Democrat presidencies who have waged a "War on Women."
Irony is fun.
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Monday, October 15, 2012
Arlen Specter: 1930-2012
I heard the news of the passing of former Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter literally 30 seconds before I went on the air yesterday.
I don't know if it was coincidental or not, but Specter seemed to become rather unhinged after he became a Democrat.
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Specter died Sunday died at his home in Philadelphia from complications of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, said his son Shanin. He was 82. Over the years, Specter had fought two previous bouts with Hodgkin lymphoma, overcome a brain tumor and survived cardiac arrest following bypass surgery.Ironically, I invoked Specter's name last week on my radio program. As part of a prize giveaway, my listeners had to answer a political trivia question to win. My question was which US Senator, in April 2009, helped the Democrats attain a 60-seat "super majority" by flipping parties? The answer of course was Specter. Seeing that he would not even going to survive a Republican primary challenge from Pat Toomey, Specter fled to the Democrat party to help them ram through the monstrosity that is Obamacare and thus continue his political career. One of the perks promised to Specter for switching parties was that he would maintain his seniority on all the committees which he served. Naturally weak character Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, reneged on that pledge. In the end, it turned out to be a moot point, as Specter was defeated in Pennsylvania's Democrat Senatorial primary by Joe Sestak in 2010.
I don't know if it was coincidental or not, but Specter seemed to become rather unhinged after he became a Democrat.
- Specter was an advocate for government run health care even as a Republican. However, it was when he was on the Dem side that he essentially blamed his former party for the death of longtime GOP politician Jack Kemp.
- In January 2010, he acted like a complete buffoon when conducting a radio interview alongside Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.
- Then earlier this year, while conducting an on air interview with Jason Lewis, Specter became agitated that he had to hold through commercial breaks and ended up cutting his time short with an abrupt hang up.
Specter took credit for helping to defeat President Bill Clinton's national health care plan - the complexities of which he highlighted in a gigantic chart that hung on his office wall for years afterward - and helped lead the investigation into Gulf War syndrome, the name given to a collection of symptoms experienced by veterans of the war that include fatigue, memory loss, pain and difficulty sleeping. And following the Iran-Contra scandal, Specter pushed legislation that created the inspectors general of the CIA, which later exposed Aldrich Ames as a Soviet spy.The former Senator is survived by his wife, Joan, and two sons, Shanin and Steve, and four granddaughters.
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Sunday, October 14, 2012
I heard it on the NARN
It was an honor to broadcast aboard the Majestic Star this afternoon. It turned out to be a crisp, sunny Fall day, which made the jaunt up and down the St. Croix River that much more enjoyable.
But what made the day so memorable was the guest lineup. All but one segment featured prominent guests, all of whom are patriots making a difference not only in their community but all across America.
With that, I would like to acknowledge today's guest appearances and I encourage my readers to check out each and every one of their endeavors via the links I provide.
John Larkin - Founder of The 56 Club.
Twila Brase - President and Founder of Citizens' Council for Health Freedom.
Tom Coulter - Member of Club For Growth.
Norann Dillon - Chair of the Minnesota chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus.
John Cooney - Minnesota State Director of Americans for Prosperity.
Richard Glasgow - Chair of Dear American Hero.
Kim Fuhrmann - RTS: Remembering Their Sacrfices.
Patricia Boyd - Creator of the MN Fallen Heroes calendars. They can be purchased online at the Military Heroes Foundation web site.
Mary Amlaw - Author and media event speaker.
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But what made the day so memorable was the guest lineup. All but one segment featured prominent guests, all of whom are patriots making a difference not only in their community but all across America.
With that, I would like to acknowledge today's guest appearances and I encourage my readers to check out each and every one of their endeavors via the links I provide.
John Larkin - Founder of The 56 Club.
Twila Brase - President and Founder of Citizens' Council for Health Freedom.
Tom Coulter - Member of Club For Growth.
Norann Dillon - Chair of the Minnesota chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus.
John Cooney - Minnesota State Director of Americans for Prosperity.
Richard Glasgow - Chair of Dear American Hero.
Kim Fuhrmann - RTS: Remembering Their Sacrfices.
Patricia Boyd - Creator of the MN Fallen Heroes calendars. They can be purchased online at the Military Heroes Foundation web site.
Mary Amlaw - Author and media event speaker.
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Used to feel we had it made, used to feel we could sail away....
In the 8-1/2 year stint of the Northern Alliance Radio Network, we've done many remote broadcasts. That said, this may be the first live on air excursion aboard a cruise ship. Yes, from 1:00 until 3:00 PM Central Time today, we'll broadcast aboard the Majestic Star for The 56 Club's annual Fall Cruise.
As I write this, we're tentatively scheduled to be joined by The 56 Club founder John Larkin in the first segment. In addition, Twila Brase of the organization Citizen's Council for Health Freedom will also join the broadcast to talk about the organization's annual fundraiser taking place in November as well as the latest exploits in the Obamacare law.
I'm also told there are other potential prominent guests who may join the program. If not, we'll look back at the news of the week, including the Vice Presidential debate, the continuing unraveling of the Obama administration's spin on the 9/11/12 attack on our consulate in Benghazi, the Minnesota leftists' continual pleas for Senator Amy Klobuchar to spend her accumulating political capital, etc.
So please give me a call at (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to discuss any of the topics I plan on addressing. You can also text comments/questions to (651) 243-0390.
You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 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.
For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!
And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.
Until then.....
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As I write this, we're tentatively scheduled to be joined by The 56 Club founder John Larkin in the first segment. In addition, Twila Brase of the organization Citizen's Council for Health Freedom will also join the broadcast to talk about the organization's annual fundraiser taking place in November as well as the latest exploits in the Obamacare law.
I'm also told there are other potential prominent guests who may join the program. If not, we'll look back at the news of the week, including the Vice Presidential debate, the continuing unraveling of the Obama administration's spin on the 9/11/12 attack on our consulate in Benghazi, the Minnesota leftists' continual pleas for Senator Amy Klobuchar to spend her accumulating political capital, etc.
So please give me a call at (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to discuss any of the topics I plan on addressing. You can also text comments/questions to (651) 243-0390.
You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 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.
For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!
And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.
Until then.....
--------------------------------------
Friday, October 12, 2012
Box Score of the week (Postseason edition)
The Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees will play in the decisive Game 5 of the ALDS this afternoon in Yankee Stadium.
The last time these two franchises met in the postseason was the 1996 American League Championship Series. With that in mind, let's check out Game 1 of that series.
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This could be simply dubbed "The Jeffrey Maier game."
With the Orioles leading the Yankees 4-3 in the bottom of the 8th inning, rookie Derek Jeter hits a home run to right field to tie the game. However, replays clearly showed that a fan, 12-year old Jeffrey Maier, reached over the wall onto the field of play and corralled the ball into the seats. As the play happened RF Tony Tarasco protested vigorously with umpire Richie Garcia, who made the home run call.
The Yankees would go on to win this game with a Bernie Williams home run in the 11th. The Yanks eventually won the ALCS 4 games to 1, moving on to the World Series where they won their first championship in 18 years.
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The last time these two franchises met in the postseason was the 1996 American League Championship Series. With that in mind, let's check out Game 1 of that series.
-------------------------------------
This could be simply dubbed "The Jeffrey Maier game."
With the Orioles leading the Yankees 4-3 in the bottom of the 8th inning, rookie Derek Jeter hits a home run to right field to tie the game. However, replays clearly showed that a fan, 12-year old Jeffrey Maier, reached over the wall onto the field of play and corralled the ball into the seats. As the play happened RF Tony Tarasco protested vigorously with umpire Richie Garcia, who made the home run call.
The Yankees would go on to win this game with a Bernie Williams home run in the 11th. The Yanks eventually won the ALCS 4 games to 1, moving on to the World Series where they won their first championship in 18 years.
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Clueless Joe
Didn't watch the Vice Presidential debate last evening. Again, it wasn't going to change my vote and there was no sense in ruining my fine mood.
Nevertheless, I did duck in and out of Twitter, and the prevailing sentiment seemed to focus on Vice President Joe Biden's incessant smirking, laughter and peanut gallery commentary while VP hopeful Paul Ryan was speaking. More than a few folks opined that Biden's disgraceful behavior would end up on a loop on You Tube. Sure enough, the GOP pounced on such an opportunity.
Oh, and the clear indication that Ryan triumphed in the debate? The mainstream media declared it a "draw."
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Nevertheless, I did duck in and out of Twitter, and the prevailing sentiment seemed to focus on Vice President Joe Biden's incessant smirking, laughter and peanut gallery commentary while VP hopeful Paul Ryan was speaking. More than a few folks opined that Biden's disgraceful behavior would end up on a loop on You Tube. Sure enough, the GOP pounced on such an opportunity.
Oh, and the clear indication that Ryan triumphed in the debate? The mainstream media declared it a "draw."
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Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Standing outside the fire
The 1995 flick The American President was a liberal utopia which pitted above-the-political-fray idealistic Democrats (including the President himself) against nasty and divisive country club Republicans seeking to undermine the Dems' noble causes. The Prez, played by Michael Douglas, was an unabashed member of the ACLU who was encouraged by his administration to use his high approval rating to further a liberal agenda. Among said agenda was a tough-as-nails gun control bill as well as legislation to thwart the imminent threat of global warming by enacting a law reducing fossil fuel emissions by 20%.
At the beginning of the movie, the following exchange took place between President Andrew Shepherd and Lewis Rothschild (played by Michael J. Fox), the President's senior domestic policy advisor.
Lewis: Sir, we may never have an opportunity like this again. Let's take this 63 percent (approval rating) out for a spin and see what it can do.
Shepherd: We can't take it out for a spin, Lewis. We need it to get re-elected.
While this is merely dialogue in a movie, it is sadly indicative of politics today. Once a politician gets so firmly entrenched in the "high likeability" category they are loathe to move off of it.
Welcome to the world of Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar.
Ever since her resounding 20-point victory in the 2006 election, Klobee has always played it safe. But as she's about to conclude her first term, certain left-of-center bloggers have begun to implore the Senior Senator to take her approval rating "out for a spin."
Four months ago, after Klobee's breezy endorsement at the DFL convention, blogger Jeff Rosenberg of the now defunct MNPublius encouraged Klobuchar to spend her political capital to helpGovernor Mark Dayton obtain a proverbial blank check the DFL regain control of the Minnesota State Legislature. Surely with her clout, Klobee could go into some of these local swing districts held by a Republican and assist in putting a DFLer over the top. Rosenberg also begged groveled encouraged Senator Klobuchar to come out against the two ballot initiatives (Voter ID & Marriage) which Minnesotans will vote on in November. Not surprisingly, the pleas went unanswered.
Then this past Tuesday, former Star Tribune columnist Nick Coleman (he's a scurrilous "buh-law-ger" now) also lamented how Senator Klobuchar has failed to user her clout, specifically when it comes to the aforementioned ballot initiatives.
Come January, it appears Klobee will be riding off to Washingtonon her unicorn in her Saturn, en route to another six-year term.
-------------------------------------------
At the beginning of the movie, the following exchange took place between President Andrew Shepherd and Lewis Rothschild (played by Michael J. Fox), the President's senior domestic policy advisor.
Lewis: Sir, we may never have an opportunity like this again. Let's take this 63 percent (approval rating) out for a spin and see what it can do.
Shepherd: We can't take it out for a spin, Lewis. We need it to get re-elected.
While this is merely dialogue in a movie, it is sadly indicative of politics today. Once a politician gets so firmly entrenched in the "high likeability" category they are loathe to move off of it.
Welcome to the world of Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar.
Ever since her resounding 20-point victory in the 2006 election, Klobee has always played it safe. But as she's about to conclude her first term, certain left-of-center bloggers have begun to implore the Senior Senator to take her approval rating "out for a spin."
Four months ago, after Klobee's breezy endorsement at the DFL convention, blogger Jeff Rosenberg of the now defunct MNPublius encouraged Klobuchar to spend her political capital to help
Then this past Tuesday, former Star Tribune columnist Nick Coleman (he's a scurrilous "buh-law-ger" now) also lamented how Senator Klobuchar has failed to user her clout, specifically when it comes to the aforementioned ballot initiatives.
With the election just four weeks away, grumbling has begun among activists who have been campaigning hard against passage of the amendments — one that would outlaw same-sex marriage, the other that would require citizens to produce a photo ID for voting. Both amendments are favorites of Republicans trying to amp up the conservative base and divide the opposition. And both, at this point, seem likely to pass, in part because there is confusion among many Democrats as to how they should vote (Is Nick implying "many Democrats" are ignorant? - ed.).Sounds like a role that the late Senator Paul Wellstone would have been willing and able to fulfill. But Klobuchar? She's the proverbial kid on ice skates who won't head out to the middle of the rink. Why risk falling down when one can cling safely to the rink's side boards?
Confusion that might be clarified if a popular, charismatic, persuasive Democratic leader carried the fight to the Democratic base and rallied the anti-amendment vote.
Come January, it appears Klobee will be riding off to Washington
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Monday, October 08, 2012
Quick Hits: Volume LX
- In this Presidential election cycle, there are no shortage of serious issues to discuss/debate.
With those scenarios a mere snapshot of the myriad issues facing this country, where does President Barack Obama and his minions choose to direct their focus? Yep, you guessed it. Big Bird.
Apparently the leftists are in an uproar over GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney declaring the following in last week's debate:
- My Minnesota Vikings are 4-1 and tied for first place atop the NFC North Division.
Just typing that sentence leaves me utterly stupefied.
I had my favorite NFL club winning five, maybe six games the entire season. Barring an epic collapse, they will exceed my expectations. With the nice start, does this mean the Vikings are playoff bound? Eh, I'm not quite ready to make that proclamation. While their defensive unit (which, in my opinion, was the biggest concern coming in to the season) has more than held their own thus far, they have very little depth. A significant injury to, say, a Jared Allen, Chad Greenway, Harrison Smith or Chris Cook would present a very difficult (if not untenable) situation.
On the offensive side of the ball, you take away Percy Harvin and the Vikes would be fortunate to eclipse 300 yards of total offense per game. While I believe QB Christian Ponder is progressing fine, he doesn't seem to take a lot of shots down the field (not that the Vikings have a lot of receivers who can gain separation from defenders). Whether that's due to the game plan of Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave or Ponder himself checking down too quickly is open for speculation.
Whatever the case, I'm just going to enjoy this implausible start for as long as possible. Oh, and I'm trying not to even think about the final six regular season games when the Vikings schedule is as follows: at CHI, at GB, vs CHI, at STL, at HOU, vs GB.
Yikes!
- The 56 Club, an organization founded in the spirit of the 56 very courageous signers of our magnificent Declaration of Independence, will be convening their annual Fall Cruise this Sunday, October 14 aboard the Majestic Star. My radio station, AM 1280 The Patriot, will be sponsoring this event with the Northern Alliance Radio Network's own Ed Morrissey as M.C. and yours truly conducting my Sunday broadcast live from 1:00 pm until 3:00 CT. And did I mention a very special guest speaker to help us "Celebrate America?"
Here's some more good news: There are still tickets available for this event, which includes a cruise around the scenic St. Croix River Valley, great food, door prizes, a cash bar and, best of all, association with great Americans!
For more information on how you can partake in the festivities, click this link.
Hope to see you there!
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- Our country is currently running $1 trillion deficits annually, with the National Debt now a staggering $16 trillion.
- The September jobs report just released showed a second consecutive month of the U-6 unemployment rate at an abysmal 14.7%.
- In addition to the awful scene at our consulate in Benghazi, Libya last month, the Middle East looks continually unstable with rising tensions between Syria and Turkey.
With those scenarios a mere snapshot of the myriad issues facing this country, where does President Barack Obama and his minions choose to direct their focus? Yep, you guessed it. Big Bird.
Apparently the leftists are in an uproar over GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney declaring the following in last week's debate:
What things would I cut from spending? Well, first of all, I will eliminate all programs by this test, if they don't pass it: Is the program so critical it's worth borrowing money from China to pay for it? And if not, I'll get rid of it. Obamacare's on my list.Leave it the indomitable Mark Steyn to put this whole saga in to perspective.
I'm sorry, Jim (Lehrer of PBS - ed.), I'm going to stop the subsidy to PBS. I'm going to stop other things. I like PBS, I love Big Bird. Actually like you, too. But I'm not going to -- I'm not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for.
Mitt's decision to strap Big Bird to the roof of his station wagon and drive him to Canada has prompted two counter-arguments from Democrats: 1) half a billion dollars is a mere rounding error in the great sucking maw of the federal budget, so why bother? 2) everybody loves Sesame Street, so Mitt is making a catastrophic strategic error. On the latter point, whether or not everybody loves Sesame Street, everybody has seen it, and every American under 50 has been weaned on it. So far this century it's sold nigh on a billion bucks' worth of merchandising sales (that's popular toys such as the Subsidize-Me-Elmo doll). If Sesame Street is not commercially viable, then nothing is, and we should just cut to the chase and bail out everything.Is it that big of a surprise that Obama and his ilk look to keep people looking at life through a Sesame Street prism? After all, these are the same folks essentially encouraging young people to live at home until age 26.
Conversely, if this supposed "public" broadcasting brand is capable on standing on its own, then so should it. As for the rest of PBS's output – the eternal replays of the Peter, Paul & Mary reunion concert, twee Brit sitcoms, Lawrence Welk reruns and therapeutic infomercials – whatever their charms, it is difficult to see why the Brokest Nation in History should be borrowing money from the Chinese Politburo to pay for it. A system by which a Communist Party official in Beijing enriches British comedy producers by charging it to American taxpayers with interest is not the most obvious economic model. Yet, as Obama would say, the government did build that.
- My Minnesota Vikings are 4-1 and tied for first place atop the NFC North Division.
Just typing that sentence leaves me utterly stupefied.
I had my favorite NFL club winning five, maybe six games the entire season. Barring an epic collapse, they will exceed my expectations. With the nice start, does this mean the Vikings are playoff bound? Eh, I'm not quite ready to make that proclamation. While their defensive unit (which, in my opinion, was the biggest concern coming in to the season) has more than held their own thus far, they have very little depth. A significant injury to, say, a Jared Allen, Chad Greenway, Harrison Smith or Chris Cook would present a very difficult (if not untenable) situation.
On the offensive side of the ball, you take away Percy Harvin and the Vikes would be fortunate to eclipse 300 yards of total offense per game. While I believe QB Christian Ponder is progressing fine, he doesn't seem to take a lot of shots down the field (not that the Vikings have a lot of receivers who can gain separation from defenders). Whether that's due to the game plan of Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave or Ponder himself checking down too quickly is open for speculation.
Whatever the case, I'm just going to enjoy this implausible start for as long as possible. Oh, and I'm trying not to even think about the final six regular season games when the Vikings schedule is as follows: at CHI, at GB, vs CHI, at STL, at HOU, vs GB.
Yikes!
- The 56 Club, an organization founded in the spirit of the 56 very courageous signers of our magnificent Declaration of Independence, will be convening their annual Fall Cruise this Sunday, October 14 aboard the Majestic Star. My radio station, AM 1280 The Patriot, will be sponsoring this event with the Northern Alliance Radio Network's own Ed Morrissey as M.C. and yours truly conducting my Sunday broadcast live from 1:00 pm until 3:00 CT. And did I mention a very special guest speaker to help us "Celebrate America?"
Here's some more good news: There are still tickets available for this event, which includes a cruise around the scenic St. Croix River Valley, great food, door prizes, a cash bar and, best of all, association with great Americans!
For more information on how you can partake in the festivities, click this link.
Hope to see you there!
------------------------------------
Sunday, October 07, 2012
Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea....
It's another Sunday in the Fall, which means plenty of football and The Closer on AM 1280 The Patriot! As per usual, I will be on from 1:00 until 3:00 PM Central Time.
At 1:15, GOP political strategist Matt Mackowiak will join the program to recap this past Wednesday's Presidential debate as well as what to expect from the Romney camp over the next 30 days until Election Day.
I'll also look back at the big news stories of the week, including the monthly job numbers, another NFL player sounding off on gay marriage and a LaCrosse, WI news anchor responding to an insulting email.
So please give me a call at (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to discuss any of the topics I plan on addressing. You can also text comments/questions to (651) 243-0390.
You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 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.
For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!
And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.
Until then.....
--------------------------------------
At 1:15, GOP political strategist Matt Mackowiak will join the program to recap this past Wednesday's Presidential debate as well as what to expect from the Romney camp over the next 30 days until Election Day.
I'll also look back at the big news stories of the week, including the monthly job numbers, another NFL player sounding off on gay marriage and a LaCrosse, WI news anchor responding to an insulting email.
So please give me a call at (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to discuss any of the topics I plan on addressing. You can also text comments/questions to (651) 243-0390.
You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 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.
For mobile phone users, there are cool apps available for iphone, Blackberry and Android!
And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #narn or "Like" our Facebook page.
Until then.....
--------------------------------------
Friday, October 05, 2012
Box Score of the week
The Arizona Diamondbacks hosted the Florida Marlins on August 22, 2008.
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At 6'10", Arizona pitcher Randy Johnson became the tallest pitcher in MLB history to be relieved by a pitcher even taller than he. In this game, upon Johnson's departure, the 6'11" Jon Rauch came on in relief.
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At 6'10", Arizona pitcher Randy Johnson became the tallest pitcher in MLB history to be relieved by a pitcher even taller than he. In this game, upon Johnson's departure, the 6'11" Jon Rauch came on in relief.
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Thursday, October 04, 2012
Describe Obamacare in one sentence
"Impossible" you say?
I thought so, too. Until I viewed the following:
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I thought so, too. Until I viewed the following:
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Wednesday, October 03, 2012
Debate night
Yes, I'm aware the first Presidential debate is tonight. No, I will not partake in the festivities for a couple of key reasons.
a) It will not change my vote for President.
b) Everyone (especially the mainstream media) views these things through their own political prism anyhow. There's no point in trying to glean any insights regarding either candidate's performance.
One thing that has always bugged me about these debates: What is the criteria for "winning?" Is it the candidate who makes the most persuasive arguments or the candidate who actually has grasp of the issues and facts? Unfortunately, those two traits are often mutually exclusive. For instance, President Obama can make a compelling case for why 3+2 = 6 (and given his budget proposals, that scenario may not be so hypothetical). While that's factually wrong, the chattering likely to ensue in "spin alley" after the debate would lead one to believe that Obama wiped the floor with challenger Mitt Romney.
Here's a question I'd like to pose. What would be your dream outcome of an Obama-Romney debate? I know how I'd like to see it play out. After Romney makes a compelling and fact-based case for his becoming the next Commander in Chief (thus leaving the thin-skinned Obama flustered), I would love to hear him make an allusion, in his closing statement, to Operation Fast and Furious, an ATF "gun walking" scandal that has riddled the current administration yet hasn't received nearly enough media scrutiny.
Specifically, I'd like to hear Romney refer to slain U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, who was killed with a gun planted (and subsequently lost) in the operation. He could start off saying something like "You know, if I had another son, he'd look like Brian."
My night would be made!
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a) It will not change my vote for President.
b) Everyone (especially the mainstream media) views these things through their own political prism anyhow. There's no point in trying to glean any insights regarding either candidate's performance.
One thing that has always bugged me about these debates: What is the criteria for "winning?" Is it the candidate who makes the most persuasive arguments or the candidate who actually has grasp of the issues and facts? Unfortunately, those two traits are often mutually exclusive. For instance, President Obama can make a compelling case for why 3+2 = 6 (and given his budget proposals, that scenario may not be so hypothetical). While that's factually wrong, the chattering likely to ensue in "spin alley" after the debate would lead one to believe that Obama wiped the floor with challenger Mitt Romney.
Here's a question I'd like to pose. What would be your dream outcome of an Obama-Romney debate? I know how I'd like to see it play out. After Romney makes a compelling and fact-based case for his becoming the next Commander in Chief (thus leaving the thin-skinned Obama flustered), I would love to hear him make an allusion, in his closing statement, to Operation Fast and Furious, an ATF "gun walking" scandal that has riddled the current administration yet hasn't received nearly enough media scrutiny.
Specifically, I'd like to hear Romney refer to slain U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, who was killed with a gun planted (and subsequently lost) in the operation. He could start off saying something like "You know, if I had another son, he'd look like Brian."
My night would be made!
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Tuesday, October 02, 2012
Why yes, as a matter of fact.....
.....it is an election year!
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Monday, October 01, 2012
Compare and Contrast
The 2012 Major League Baseball regular season is about to come to a close. Once again, my Minnesota Twins will go out with a whimper as they will finish with 90+ losses for the second consecutive season.
One consolation for me is it appears the hated Chicago White Sox will also miss the postseason! Just two weeks ago, theSux Sox had a three game lead over the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central division. However, over the next 12 games, the Sox went 2-10, turning a three game lead into a three game deficit. Since there are only three games remaining as I write this, it will require a minor miracle for the White Sox to take the division title.
Yes, the White Sox and my Twins have had quite a rivalry over the past 10+ seasons, but my disdain for the Pale Hose has nothing to do with their roster itself. Insufferable shill Ken "Hawk" Harrelson is the TV voice of the Sox and is, by far, the biggest (and most contemptible) "homer" in the game today. Nothing in sports brings me greater joy than listening to Harrelson when his boys are going down to defeat.
But when the "good guys" win? Harrelson is off the charts, sounding as though he is being....ahem...."pleasured."
The greatest example of this can be found in a July 2009 game when then White Sox hurler Mark Buehrle tossed a perfect game at the Tampa Bay Rays.
Fast forward the video below to about 5:10, as the final out is recorded.
We good?
Now compare that to a scene in the movie When Harry Met Sally (fast forward to about 1:13).
Uncanny, isn't it?
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One consolation for me is it appears the hated Chicago White Sox will also miss the postseason! Just two weeks ago, the
Yes, the White Sox and my Twins have had quite a rivalry over the past 10+ seasons, but my disdain for the Pale Hose has nothing to do with their roster itself. Insufferable shill Ken "Hawk" Harrelson is the TV voice of the Sox and is, by far, the biggest (and most contemptible) "homer" in the game today. Nothing in sports brings me greater joy than listening to Harrelson when his boys are going down to defeat.
But when the "good guys" win? Harrelson is off the charts, sounding as though he is being....ahem...."pleasured."
The greatest example of this can be found in a July 2009 game when then White Sox hurler Mark Buehrle tossed a perfect game at the Tampa Bay Rays.
Fast forward the video below to about 5:10, as the final out is recorded.
We good?
Now compare that to a scene in the movie When Harry Met Sally (fast forward to about 1:13).
Uncanny, isn't it?
----------------------------------