"Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?" - epitaph of Leonard Ravenhill
New York Yankees at Philadelphia Athletics - May 24, 1928.
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There was a total of 12 future Hall of Fame players to play in this game, which is the most in a single game in MLB history.
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It's Memorial Day weekend, but my radio show The Closer will be live today. The 2-hour blitz will get started at 1:00 PM Central Time.
In the first hour I'll weigh in on some noteworthy primary elections from this past Tuesday, specifically in MN CD1 as well as key statewide races in Georgia.
Then in the 2:00 hour, our resident expert in firearms and crisis management Peter Johnson will stop by to discuss the multiple layers of the horrific school shooting in Uvalde, TX.
So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.
I can't lie: this week took a lot outta me. I mean, I wouldn't be human if Tuesday's senseless slaughter of 19 elementary school aged children and two teachers didn't have an impact on me. And I broke my own rule of not perusing social media in the aftermath of a national tragedy when I engaged ghouls who used this Robb Elementary School shooting to attack law abiding gun owners. As such, I became emotionally spent by the end of the week., particularly when I learned of the ineptitude of Uvalde, TX law enforcement in their response to the scene.
I think I reached my breaking point Thursday when the nephew of Irma Garcia, one of the two teachers killed, announced the family suffered even more loss 48 hours after the school shooting.
EXTREMELY heartbreaking and come with deep sorrow to say that my Tia Irma’s husband Joe Garcia has passed away due to grief, i truly am at a loss for words for how we are all feeling, PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY, God have mercy on us, this isn’t easy pic.twitter.com/GlUSOutRVV
— john martinez ❤️🔥 (@fuhknjo) May 26, 2022
The Garcias leave behind four children.
I know God's ways are much higher than ours and that He sees the end from the beginning. I guess I'd just like to be cued in on this one.
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Tuesday featured some noteworthy primary races, including here in Minnesota.
In Minnesota's First Congressional District, there were party primaries to determine which candidates would compete in the special general election this August to replace the late Rep. Jim Hagedorn. There was extra scrutiny on the Republican side given Hagedorn's widow (and disgraced former chairwoman of the Republican Party of Minnesota) Jennifer Carnahan was one of the 10 candidates. Thankfully, the residents of CD1 saw her as little more than a political opportunist, evidenced by her finishing a distant third.
Candidate Brad Finstad emerged victorious in the GOP race, besting Jeremy Munson by 1.2%, which equates to just over 400 votes. Finstad's most serious challenger in the August general will be Democrat Jeff Ettinger, who easily bested 7 other DFLers.
On a national level, the state of Georgia had remarkable turnout despite the scurrilous Republicans passing "voter suppression" legislation last year. I'm being facetious of course. Any rational thinking person knew the "Jim Crow 2.0" chanting point (or as President Joe Biden called it - "Jim Eagle") was bully pucky and the number of votes cast this primary season certainly bore that out.
Another storyline out of Georgia was how former President Donald Trump's personal vendettas had no sway in the minds of voters. Conservative commentator (and Georgia resident) Erick Erickson explains.
Trump went after three Georgia Republicans more aggressively than any other candidates in the nation: Governor Brian Kemp, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Attorney General Chris Carr.
That Brad Raffensperger won without a runoff tells me voters have had enough of Trump’s stolen election grievances. They are ready to move on. They want to look forward, not be pawns to Trump’s ego. Raffensperger’s win is the big indicator this really had more to do with Trump than I was first willing to believe.
Donald Trump literally told Brad Raffensperger that Trump would destroy him and Raffensperger even exceeded fifty percent of the vote in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s district. Raffensperger was the scapegoat, the villain, and the responsible party who cost Trump Georgia, according to Trump. And Georgia’s Republican voters just re-nominated him. His race was so close and there was a Democrat cross-over. So Trump could argue Democrats made it happen. But it does not matter. Trump failed to persuade enough Republicans to reject him.
Oh, and remember how Kemp challenger David Perdue guaran-damn-teed us that he would not lose by 30 points as polling had suggested? Well, he was right. He lost by 50-plus.
Kemp moves on to a rematch with Stacey Abrams, who was unchallenged in the Democrat primary. Given Kemp defeated Abrams 3-1/2 years ago in a Democrat wave year, has a strong conservative record as governor and is entering a favorable political environment for Republicans, he should be reelected handily. I believe even Abrams knows this, as the only definitive message she's had is how her home state, despite being good for business, is the "worst state in the country" in which to live.
— Mike Hassinger (@MikeHassinger) May 25, 2022
A mass shooting at a Uvalde, TX elementary school claimed the lives of at least 21 people, 19 of whom were children. The 18-year old gunman was ultimately killed by law enforcement.
Since this incident took place late Tuesday morning, I'm choosing to follow the guidance of Mitch Berg's 18th Law:
Nothing the media writes/says about any emotionally charged event – a mass shooting, a police shooting, anything – should be taken seriously for 48 hours after the original incident. It will largely be rubbish, as media outlets vie to “scoop” each other even on incorrect facts.
As such, I will have much more to say on this Sunday's radio show.
For now, I mourn the losses and pray for the surviving family members, especially the parents of young children who were submitting DNA samples in the school parking lot so as to assist officials in positively identifying the bodies. I've been told there was audible wailing as positive matches were made.
I'd like to think we could put aside the bitter partisanship engulfing this country by coming together for the families of those killed as opposed to using their loved ones as political pawns.....but I know that's downright Pollyanna-ish.
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Texas Rangers at Minnesota Twins - May 19, 2008
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As the Twins ran out of bench players in extra innings of this game, relief pitcher Bobby Korecky came to bat in the 11th inning and singled to right field. In the 28 seasons the Twins played at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Korecky was the only Twins pitcher to collect a base hit in that stadium.
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I'll be back in the Patriot bunker this afternoon for my 2-hour radio show The Closer. The fun and frivolity begins at 1:00 Central Time.
I'll definitely weigh in on the GOP race for MN Attorney General, specifically Doug Wardlow breaking his pledge to abide by the party endorsement. If time permits, I'll also discuss former MNGOP chair (and current First Congressional District candidate) Jennifer Carnahan once again drawing negative attention.
At 1:30, former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya will join us via phone to promote her new podcast Sideline Sanity, which will air on the Salem network.
Finally at 2:00, firearms expert and Archway Defense founder Peter Johnson will stop by to weigh in on the misguided calls for "gun control" in the aftermath of the Buffalo, NY & Santa Ana, CA shootings.
Former President Donald Trump has been batting around .500 when endorsing Republicans in this year's GOP Congressional and gubernatorial primaries. But if there was one race which Trump would consider the crown jewel, it would be the Georgia gubernatorial primary where he desires to upend incumbent Brian Kemp in favor of David Perdue. It's not so much that Perdue is a solid MAGA candidate as much as it is Trump having personal animosity towards Kemp.
It all started at the end of 2019 when Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson retired from the U.S. Senate due to poor health. With Kemp having the purview to appoint a successor, then President Trump lobbied the Governor to appoint Congressman Doug Collins, who just happened to be an ardent supporter of Trump's. However, Kemp opted to name Kelly Loeffler as Isakson's successor, thus infuriating Trump.
A few months after Loeffler assumed office, the U.S. was about six weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite most of the country sheltering in place, Kemp was one of the first Governors to start relaxing restrictions by allowing some businesses to reopen. Naturally there were many detractors (including a maniacal, hyperbolic piece in The Atlantic saying Georgia was experimenting in "human sacrifice"). But you would think that if anyone would laud Kemp it would've been Trump given how alarmed he became over America's suddenly cratering economy. But Trump indicated he disagreed with Kemp's decision, not so much because he feared it wouldn't validate his desire to cautiously reopen things but more because Trump's pettiness knows no bounds. And the fact that Kemp ended up being vindicated on his decision really had to irritate Trump.
But Trump's disdain for Kemp likely grew into a full blown hatred when the Governor would not acquiesce to his demands to call a special session of the Legislature in order to overturn Joe Biden's victory in Georgia in the 2020 presidential election. It was about at that point where Trump started accusing Kemp of being in cahoots with Stacey Abrams (the Democrat whom Kemp defeated in the 2018 GA gubernatorial race) to rig the election against him.
So when the opportunity came along to further undermine Kemp, you knew Trump would seize. Enter Perdue, the former U.S. Senator out of Georgia who lost to empty suit Jon Ossoff in the January 2021 runoff elections (ironically, Perdue's defeat was in no small part due to Trump sowing doubt in the electoral process). Perdue then ran with the Trump rhetoric of the 2020 election in Georgia being stolen, including his own race 16+ months ago.
After all this, I'm beginning to suspect Trump just isn't that well liked among Georgia Republicans. Despite being within single digits of Kemp early in the primary campaign, Perdue's efforts now look to be in vain ahead of Tuesday's primary -- even Trump concedes that.
Trump isn’t planning to make any more personal appearances in Georgia in Perdue’s behalf, having sunk enough of his own political capital in a race that looks like a lost cause, said a fourth source, a person close to the former president, speaking on condition of anonymity to talk more freely about Perdue’s prospects.
“David either has a bunch of geniuses working for him — because he’s basically spent no money — or he’s run the most flawed campaign in America,” this person said while noting that Perdue still has an outside shot at forcing a runoff.
“At the end of the day, Donald Trump doesn’t care about David Perdue winning. He just cared about Brian Kemp losing,” said Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a Republican who chose not to run for re-election and incurred Trump’s wrath for defending the state’s 2020 election. “And that was a very shallow attempt at trying to unseat a perfectly fit conservative governor.”
The fact of the matter is there is no reason to kick out Gov. Kemp. Georgia has one of the more thriving state economies in the nation due to Kemp's prudence in dealing with COVID. In addition to that, the peach state became the 25th in the nation to pass Constitutional Carry and it was just announced that Hyundai will be building a $5.5 billion electric vehicle plant in the southeast part of the state. No amount of Trump's bluster can counter Kemp's phenomenal conservative record.
In the end, I kinda feel bad for Perdue. Trump played a factor in him losing his old job and then threw Perdue under the bus when he couldn't compete with a popular incumbent governor. You gotta wonder if Trump's rage toward Kemp is so deep that he would throw his support behind the Democrat candidate Abrams. Unlikely, but the chances are nonzero.
Next Tuesday's special election primary in Minnesota's First Congressional District can't come soon enough. One GOP candidate in particular needs to be retired from ever running for anything again.
Family members of the late U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn are suing his widow, Jennifer Carnahan, to recoup medical expenses related to treatments he received in Arizona before his death.
Two lawsuits filed in district court Monday by Hagedorn's mother, stepfather and sister allege they helped pay for cancer treatments he received at Envita Medical Centers after he was told he had exhausted his options at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
If those treatments weren't successful, Carnahan made a "clear and definite promise" to use the inheritance she was to receive after his death to reimburse his family members, according to both lawsuits.
Carnahan has yet to deny that such a promise was made. But her attempts to explain her lack of accountability were (to be charitable) met with skepticism.
Carnahan, who is running to replace her husband in Congress, said in a statement that her husband's estate is required to go through the probate process in the courts to "determine the disposition of assets in accordance with Minnesota law."
"There is nothing further we are allowed to do at this time," she added. "I wish Jim's family well and know this time has been very difficult for all of us."
I have been reliably informed by an acquaintance who is a family law attorney that life insurance proceeds do not go through probate. Given the safe assumption that Carnahan was the beneficiary of her husband's $174,000 life insurance policy, she likely received those funds very soon after Hagedorn's passing.
So while Carnahan has apparently stiffed her husband's family by not fulfilling her obligation to them, she somehow has the wherewithal to generously fund her Congressional campaign.
UPDATE: Carnahan's recent campaign finance report shows she loaned her campaign $200K. But according to the lawsuit, she hasn't repaid Hagedorn's family for his cancer treatment. If true, she lent her campaign money before paying for cancer treatments -> https://t.co/vF05Awgmzo pic.twitter.com/zMicqrWpuG
— Michael Brodkorb (@mbrodkorb) May 18, 2022
The date of that $200K loan to her campaign (not including another $27,500 worth of loans made over the past week) was May 4, which is 2-1/2 months after her husband passed. So there's little doubt she received the $174,000 life insurance payout by that point, of which a payment of less than $15,000 to Hagedorn's family would have settled the matter. In short, Carnahan prioritized what is likely to be a failed Congressional run over a promise made to her late husband's family.
With ten Republicans competing in Tuesday's primary, it would be an utter disgrace at this point if Carnahan breaks 10% of the vote.
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After vowing to abide by the Republican Party of Minnesota's endorsement even if he didn't receive it, Attorney General candidate Doug Wardlow is abandoning that promise.
Thank you all for your kind messages, well-wishes, and prayers. I’d like to let you know about my plans to continue the fight for Minnesota. It is time to drain the swamp! https://t.co/TMrbGrCoBz
— Doug Wardlow (@doug_wardlow) May 17, 2022
As you might expect, this flip flop was not well received by neither the endorsed AG candidate Jim Schultz......
With his decision to go to primary, Wardlow has lost my respect and that of the hundreds of thousands of Republican Party faithful who took him at his word.
— Jim Schultz for Minnesota Attorney General (@JimForMN) May 17, 2022
There is nothing more representative of the establishment swamp than a career politician who fails to honor his promises. pic.twitter.com/VMRwMwDhG4
.....nor the MNGOP.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The Republican Party of Minnesota released the statement below in response to Doug Wardlow's decision to continue his campaign for attorney general:
"Not only did Doug Wardlow publicly commit to abiding by the party’s endorsement, Wardlow promised the MNGOP Nominations Committee that he would abide by the party’s endorsement. At the time, we assumed Doug Wardlow to be sincere, but sadly it seems it was an empty promise. We ask Doug Wardlow to honor the commitment he made to delegates and respect their decision by ending his campaign for Attorney General. If he does not, the Republican Party of Minnesota is 100 percent committed to defending our endorsement in the primary.” – Republican Party of Minnesota Executive Director Mike Lonergan
And if all that isn't bad enough, some of Wardlow's key allies are abandoning ship.
Longtime @doug_wardlow adviser @RealBillyGrant and @ArsenalMediaGrp will part ways with Wardlow over his primary campaign. #mnag #mn2022
— Morning Take (@morningtake) May 17, 2022
I have said for months now that if MN Republicans are to break their 16-year losing streak in statewide elections, this year's AG race is statistically the best opportunity they've had in years. But if Wardlow upsets that applecart (like he did in the 2018 AG election with his loss to a vulnerable Keith Ellison) due to his lack of integrity, it would be sadly indicative of the dysfunction that has dogged this party for two decades.
UPDATE: Good for Dennis Smith on putting the state's needs ahead of his own personal ambition.
-------------------------------------------My statement on the AG race. @JimForMN pic.twitter.com/58SB4VE4nr
— Dennis Smith For Attorney General (@DennisSmithMN) May 18, 2022
Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox - June 5, 1929.
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At 42 years, 225 days old, Chicago's Lena Blackburn pitched 1/3 inning this game, thus becoming the oldest player in MLB history to make his pitching debut.
Blackburn was actually the White Sox manager at the time, but he was appearing as a player in a game for only the second time in 10 years. He had a mediocre playing career as a utility infielder where he was in the big leagues for parts of six seasons from 1910-1919.
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After 3 hours on the air yesterday, I'm back at it today for my regular weekly edition of The Closer. The 2-hour bonanza begins at 1:00 PM Central Time.
The first hour will be a recap of this past weekend's MNGOP convention. I've reached out to multiple endorsed candidates to invite them on the show, so it's TBD who will join us.
In the second hour I'll weigh in on some national stories, including Fauxcahontas Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) not knowing the difference between a majority and minority, the White House bringing on an even more vapid Press Secretary, etc.
Mitch Berg & I will be broadcasting live this afternoon from the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, MN, site of the Republican Party of Minnesota state convention. The 2-hour broadcast gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time.
We'll break down the bizarre pre-convention festivities as well as the party endorsements which have taken place thus far. The gubernatorial endorsement is the only one which remains, and that is slated to begin at 9:00 this morning. Perhaps by the time we leave the airwaves, we'll know who the GOP endorsed candidate for MN governor will be.
You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out Mitch's podcast page for the latest show post.
The Republican Party of Minnesota state convention is slated for this Friday and Saturday but State Central delegates are already causing a stir.
First was their desire to not allow media of any kind to attend Thursday's meeting of the State Central Committee delegates. The natural question was ---- why? We soon found out.
Let’s be clear: the @MNGOP State Central Committee voted to prevent filming at their meeting so they could secretly kick LGBTQ+ members out of the party. Every @MNGOP candidate for statewide office seeking the party’s endorsement needs to condemn this decision.
— Michael Brodkorb (@mbrodkorb) May 12, 2022
Not just the LGBTQ members (i.e. Log Cabin Republicans) but all affiliates.
I've heard from multiple sources that not only the @mnlogcabin have been unaffiliated, but ALL affiliates, including the @MNCRs and @minnesotayrs #mngop pic.twitter.com/5747uYwuzz
— Rob Doar (@robdoar) May 12, 2022
Party chair David Hann responded to the intense criticism which ensued.
Due to time constraints, the State Central Committee was unfortunately not able to complete its work today in recertifying our statewide partner Republican organizations. We value the contributions these organizations have made to our party and want to continue our relationship with them to build and grow the Republican Party in Minnesota.
While this is technically true, those is attendance have suggested a minority number of SCC delegates who desired to decertify these affiliates deliberately "ran out the clock" so as to not allow an opportunity for a vote. All indications are that there were enough votes to recertify.
This is definitely not over as several angry delegates plan on bringing a motion to the floor in an effort to get the affiliate delegates seated. While some have pointed out that the MNGOP constitution clearly states affiliate recertification is under the purview of SCC delegates, there is a legit workaround.
The mngop constitution says that affiliate recertification happens from state central. However, state statute trump's mngop constitution. Section 202A.12 subdivision 1 is what you'll want to use.
— David Paul Pascoe (@DavidPaulPascoe) May 13, 2022
Sure enough.....
Well played State Central, well played.
— Rob Doar (@robdoar) May 13, 2022
Let's see how the convention feels.
"The final authority over the affairs of each major political party is vested in the party's state convention" #mngop pic.twitter.com/SIv04Q6cVl
Mitch Berg and me will be broadcasting live from the MNGOP convention this Saturday from 1-3 PM on AM 1280 The Patriot. There will definitely be lots to cover as this all unfolds.
UPDATE: Delegate Rob Doar will propose amendments Friday morning two recertify affiliates and seat their delegates.
--------------------------------------------------------If you are a delegate to State Convention today, I ask you to support the addition of these items to the agenda. Even if you are not supportive of all affiliate groups, the decision belongs to the body.
— Rob Doar (@robdoar) May 13, 2022
A small handful of people should not be able to override the will of the body
- MN House Rep. Erik Mortensen (R-Shakopee) is a unifier. That is, he's pretty much disliked by elected officials of all political stripes (he, like Rep. John Thompson, is a "caucus of one"). While I'm certain Mort wears that as a badge of honor, it would behoove someone who has his ear to strongly encourage him that consistently beclowning himself is a fruitless exercise.
This may be one of his most vacuous stunts:
— Erik Mortensen (@RepMortensen) May 9, 2022
Never mind that Republicans in the motif of Liz Cheney or Mitt Romney would stand a better chance of winning a statewide election in Minnesota than anyone who Mort's Action 4 "WIBERTY!!!!" lapdogs would put forth. No, the bigger issue is how many egregious errors he spouted in a mere 23-second time frame.
That’s my office, you absolute dolt.
— Andrew Wagner (@andrewwagner) May 9, 2022
Missed one…
— Anne Neu Brindley (@anneneu) May 10, 2022
4. I’m not the minority leader. 🤷♀️
And here was an interaction Mort had with Gov. Tim Walz on the House floor 3+ months ago.
.@POTUS strongly believes in the Constitutional right to protest. But that should never include violence, threats, or vandalism. Judges perform an incredibly important function in our society, and they must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety.
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) May 9, 2022
Where was this definitive statement last week? And why the sudden concern?
- Speaking of Psaki, this Friday will be her last day as Press Secretary as she departs for a gig on MSNBC.
Psaki's replacement is a woman by the name of Karine Jean-Pierre, who:
And as has been the Biden administration's m.o., they looked to check off multiple boxes on the "intersectionality scorecard." Given that Jean-Pierre is a black female and a lesbian, Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy will be hit with a trifecta of ad hominem attacks (racist, misogynist and homophobe) upon emitting his usual tough line of questioning.
It's almost as if President Biden makes these appointments in an effort to insulate his administration from substantive criticism on core issues.
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Tampa Bay Rays at San Diego Padres - August 12, 2019.
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A handful of MLB players have hit a home run in their final career at bat (Ted Williams being the most notable). In this game, Padres' infielder Ian Kinsler accomplished that very thing in addition to pitching one inning in mop up duty.
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Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there!
We celebrated my mom yesterday, so I'll be rarin' to go for today's radio show. My 2-hour broadcast of The Closer gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time.
In the first hour I'll weigh in on some Minnesota news, specifically how incumbent Attorney General Keith Ellison is very much vulnerable this election cycle. Then at 1:30 I will welcome to the Patriot bunker Kelly Fenton, who is running for MN State House in the newly formed 47B (Woodbury area).
In the 2:00 hour, I'll obviously discuss the leaked U.S. Supreme Court decision that will throw out Roe v. Wade. As usual, "progressives" are all feelings over facts.
Progs have been playing this game for the past 16 months that if your view of the 1/6/2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol is anything less than condemning it as a "coup" or "insurrection," then you're basically complicit in domestic terrorism.
But when White House Press Secretary Little Red Lying Hood Jen Psaki is asked if her boss condemns people showing up at the private residences of U.S. Supreme Court justices in anger over Roe v. Wade possible being overturned?
Doocy: "Activists posted a map with the home addresses of the Supreme Court justices. Is that kind of thing this president wants?"
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 5, 2022
PSAKI: "I don't have an official U.S. government position on where people protest." pic.twitter.com/kpqF1FUGVF
One part of her response which really struck me? When she said President Biden's view is "that there's a lot of passion..." among the protestors, so perhaps we shouldn't be so outraged at their tactics. This kind of flippant, dismissive attitude seems to be the modus operandi of Biden and his administration whenever people protest overzealously on their behalf.
Remember last fall when Democrat Sen. Kyrsten Sinema wouldn't vote for legislation which would've added even more trillions to our national debt? Activists stood outside a bathroom stall she was using to demand she acquiesce. Back then, Biden brushed it off as "part of the process." A few months before that, Democrats in the Texas Legislature shirked their taxpayer funded responsibilities by fleeing the state to go to Washington, D.C. in protest over a bill shoring up voter integrity. Their dereliction of duty was lauded by Vice President Kamala Harris.
As has been said in this space before, the albatross of a tanking economy, supply chain issues and gutless foreign policy will be hung around the Democrats' neck. As such, this pearl clutching over Roe possibly being tossed is a feeble attempt to gin up leftist passion ahead of the midterms. But this effort will most likely fail for two reasons. One, voters are more concerned about the aforementioned issues which impact their everyday lives. And two, people will quickly realize overturning Roe will not result in a flat out ban on abortions, rather it allows states to codify their own abortion laws.
Who would've guessed that a party constantly shrieking their desire to stop the alleged trampling on our democracy would be so overwrought about a SCOTUS decision fortifying....uh....democracy?
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Speech is violence.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) June 3, 2020
Misgendering is violence.
Burning stores to the ground is not violence.
They're really going to run with this one, huh?
It's pretty clear what the motivation is. If conservative speech is "violence" and thus leftists believe they're being "violently" attacked by rhetoric, then they feel justified responding with physical violence.
Comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked on stage by an audience member armed with a fake gun that had a real knife inside Tuesday night at the Hollywood Bowl, authorities said.
The comic, 48, was performing as part of the Netflix Is a Joke festival when the mayhem unfolded around 10:45 p.m. toward the end of the stand-up show, according to witnesses.
Shocking video footage shows Chappelle standing on stage as an audience member, identified by authorities as Isaiah Lee, 23, charges and slams him to the floor. Seconds later, the attacker was tackled by security.
Lee, who lives in Los Angeles, was arrested for felony assault with a deadly weapon, the Los Angeles Police Department said Wednesday.
Chappelle has been under some serious heat from the trans community and their allies over jokes targeting transgenderism. So if I were a bettin' man, my guess is Mr. Lee was responding to what he perceived as the "violence" in Chappelle's comedy. Combine that with the fact that comedian Chris Rock was physically assaulted by actor Will Smith over a joke about Smith's wife's bald head, many entertainers are wondering aloud if they can feel safe in performing their art. It's now a legit fear that an agitated audience member may seek retribution by charging entertainers on stage.
Regardless, this isn't going to stop Chappelle from doing his thing. In fact, after the dust settled and the attacker was ushered off the stage (but not before getting his ass kicked), Chappelle quipped "It was a trans man." Given that we live in very stupid times, that little barb sparked more outrage in certain circles than a the comedian himself being attacked with a deadly weapon.
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The Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito circulated inside the court and obtained by POLITICO.
The draft opinion is a full-throated, unflinching repudiation of the 1973 decision which guaranteed federal constitutional protections of abortion rights and a subsequent 1992 decision – Planned Parenthood v. Casey – that largely maintained the right. “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” Alito writes.
“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” he writes in the document, labeled as the “Opinion of the Court.” “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”
Regardless of what you think about the potential decision to overturn Roe (and FYI, I believe it's a good decision), the idea that justices within the highest court in the land can't privately deliberate without fear of their drafts/conversations being leaked is on par with the terror members of Congress felt during the January 6, 2021 "insurrection." (Yep, I said it). Think about it. Abortion is considered sacrosanct by so many on the far left that the mere suggestion it could be outlawed (more on that in a bit) would result in white hot rage to the point that leftists may storm the doors of SCOTUS (like they did when Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed). Ever since 1/6/2021, we've been told ad nauseum that attempting to interfere in the government's legitimate, constitutional role is downright treasonous. It's gonna be interesting to hear the distinctions made by progs on this one.
While many speculated at the outset that the leak was possibly a "false flag" operation, Chief Justice John Roberts ultimately confirmed the authenticity of the document.
JUST IN: The Supreme Court confirms the authenticity of the draft opinion revealed last night by Politico. The chief justice has ordered an investigation into the leak. pic.twitter.com/XZweHdyhCG
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) May 3, 2022
Let's get one thing straight: An overturning of Roe v. Wade doesn't immediately criminalize abortion. What this does is simply turn the matter back over to the states (remember that Federalism thingy? The U.S. being composed of 50 laboratories of Democracy?). As such, some of the more radical state abortion laws (i.e. Colorado and New York) would stay in place.
Y'know there's been a lotta talk of late regarding the questionable curriculum in the public school system. The strongest case for it to be reformed is due to parents strenuously objecting to some of its content. Perhaps the second best rationale? Given progs' reaction to this SCOTUS decision, there needs to be a much bigger emphasis on basic American civics within our classrooms.
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Washington Senators at Kansas City Athletics - August 3, 1958.
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In this game, Roger Maris of the KC Athletics became the first MLB player in the modern era to have a double, a triple, a grand slam and at least 4 runs scored in a game.
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