Overplaying their hand

For the record: I do not believe Donald Trump is fit to be President of the United States and thus should not make a run for the White House in 2024. 

I do believe there has been enough established by the January 6 Committee to show that Trump should be nowhere near the nuclear codes. But just as all others who have sought the fantasy of witnessing Trump being frog marched out of Mar-a-Lago, the prog media overreached when reporting on the testimony of former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. 

Conservative commentator Erick Erickson explains: 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Erick Erickson (@ewerickson)

Combine that with the fact that a supposed straight news reporter tweeted this after Ms. Hutchinson's testimony: 

 

Thank you, Cassidy Hutchinson

— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) June 28, 2022

Again, just laying out basic facts about Trump's behavior after Election Day 2020 and on 1/6/2021 is sufficient to dissuade enough Republican voters to back a more viable candidate in 2024. But if the J6 Committee et al try to leap (and fall short of) the proverbial high bar to justify criminal charges, there's a nonzero chance Trump could emerge victorious in '24, especially if President Biden somehow stays upright and seeks reelection. 

Sh*t or get off the pot, gang. 

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

Leftist bigotry

On this blog over the years I've provided countless examples of leftists citing right-of-center politicos as "racists" for any reason they see fit. The main reason for such slander is progs simply cannot compete in the arena of ideas given how whacked out their ideology has become. As such, it is the left's belief that righties not only have to prove they're not racists but that they're sufficiently anti racist. And any objections to such a charge of "racism" is also used against the accused as "protesting too much methinks." 

Meanwhile, leftists like good ol' Shrill Hill are free and clear to flaunt their own bigotry. 

.@HillaryClinton: "I went to law school with [Justice Thomas]. He’s been a person of grievance for as long as I have known him — resentment, grievance, anger … Women are going to die, Gayle. Women will die.” pic.twitter.com/nUGWGFVJ3m

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) June 28, 2022

The persona with which Mrs. Clinton labels Justice Thomas doesn't seem to square with the sentiments of someone who knows him orders of magnitude better. 

 

“Justice Thomas is the one justice in the building that literally knows every employee’s name, every one of them. . . . he is a man who cares deeply about the court as an institution, about the people who work there — about people.” - Justice Sotomayor pic.twitter.com/Pz4TKWeFi3

— JCN (@judicialnetwork) June 17, 2022

By the way, why is it Thomas is being singled out in the overturning of Roe? He didn't even write the majority opinion. And his views on decided cases like Obergefell are not really relevant since no other Justices likely concur with his viewpoint and, most importantly, THERE ARE NO FLIPPIN' CASES BEING BROUGHT BEFORE THE COURT SEEKING TO OVERTURN IT. 

I guess it's just an excuse for progs (particularly of the lily white ilk) to assuage their consciences in using the full "N" word. Check out the Twitter thread Dr. Wilfred Reilly has compiled: 

 

I'm seeing a ton of this, and may do a thread. https://t.co/RHlyPFELLV

— Wilfred Reilly (@wil_da_beast630) June 25, 2022

So when indignant progs shriek "RACISM IS ALIVE AND WELL!!!!!!!!," it's highly likely they're providing further validation of Mitch Berg's 7th Law of Progressive Projection.

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

Box Score of the Week

 New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox - April 9, 1993. 

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

Bo Jackson hit a home run for the White Sox his first at-bat this game, making him the first player in the Expansion Era (since 1961) to homer in four consecutive ABs vs the Yankees. Given Jackson missed most of the 1991 season and all of 1992 due to a hip injury suffered while playing in the NFL, this record was compiled from 1990 thru this game in early 1993.

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 6/26/2022

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The bubble floats so madly, will it stay sky-high?

I am taking off the entire month of July, so today will be my final radio show until August 7. What a way to go out, huh? Today's 2-hour edition of The Closer will get started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

A bevy of U.S. Supreme Court decisions were handed down this past week, so we'll weigh in on a few. Obviously I'll have a lot to say about the big kahuna (i.e. the overturning of Roe v. Wade).

At 2:30, newly crowned Miss Minnesota Rachel Evangelisto will be in studio to discuss her new title. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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

SCOTUS finally releases *that* decision

We've been bracing for a certain U.S. Supreme Court decision. It finally dropped Friday morning. 

The Supreme Court on Friday eliminated the constitutional right to obtain an abortion (Which was never in the U.S. Constitution - ed.), casting aside 49 years of precedent that began with Roe v. Wade.

The decision by Justice Samuel Alito will set off a seismic shift in reproductive rights across the United States. It will allow states to ban abortion, and experts expect about half the states to do so.

In one of the most anticipated rulings in decades, the court overturned Roe, which first declared a constitutional right to abortion in 1973, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which re-affirmed that right in 1992. The decision followed the leak in early May of a draft opinion showing that a majority of the justices were privately poised to take that step. On Friday, they made it official.

First off, this isn't an outright ban on abortion. It simply allows states to determine their own abortion laws. As such, Mississippi's strict abortion law (the one which ultimately led to Roe being overturned) of banning such a procedure past fifteen weeks is allowed to stand. On the other extreme, radical pro abortion legislation as passed in New York and Colorado (essentially abortion until moments before birth) will still be recognized. 

In the end, this decision isn't being made on the basis of morality as it is addressing of how Roe v. Wade was instituted (i.e. abortion as a Constitutional right). Even far left Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg acknowledged back in 2013 that, while she supported a right to an abortion, Roe itself had flaws. 

“My criticism of Roe is that it seemed to have stopped the momentum on the side of change,” Ginsburg said. She would’ve preferred that abortion rights be secured more gradually, in a process that included state legislatures and the courts, she added. Ginsburg also was troubled that the focus on Roe was on a right to privacy, rather than women’s rights.

“Roe isn’t really about the woman’s choice, is it?” Ginsburg said. “It’s about the doctor’s freedom to practice…it wasn’t woman-centered, it was physician-centered.”

Make no mistake. This decision has resulted in a seismic shift in America and thus a lot of emotion will be spilled over the weekend. While I welcome this decision, I plan to extend a lot of grace towards those who are having genuine freak outs over this. I will never understand the thought process of viewing the dismemberment of a baby as sacrosanct, but my prayer is God will allow more eyes to be opened. 

This is just the beginning of a greater awakening. 

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

The Second Amendment is still a thing!

 Another big U.S. Supreme Court decision (again, not *that* decision) was announced Thursday. 

Liberal states cannot require Americans to show “some special need” to exercise their constitutional right to carry guns in public for their own protection, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday morning. Instead, the court ruled, the Constitution recognizes each citizen’s right to self-defense in public places.

The 6-3 ruling struck down a New York state gun regulation that forced citizens to prove they had a “proper cause” before obtaining a concealed carry license. New Yorkers Brandon Koch and Robert Nash brought the case after the state denied their applications, even though they fulfilled all other legal stipulations, because they could not show they had a specific threat to their lives.

The 63-page ruling, authored by Justice Clarence Thomas and issued on his 74th birthday, affirms that the Constitution respects American citizens’ right to self-defense in public.

“[T]he Second and Fourteenth Amendments protect an individual’s right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home,” wrote Thomas in the plurality opinion in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.

“The constitutional right to bear arms in public for self-defense is not ‘a second-class right’” that requires Americans provide a justification to exercise it, he wrote. 

Just gonna put this here. I will not be taking questions. pic.twitter.com/azm79DoYSe

— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) June 23, 2022

New York is one of nine "may issue" states, which means even if a gun permit applicant passes a background check, the local jurisdictions within the state reserve the right to deny said applicant from being approved. Seems to me such a law could potentially be rife with abuse, perhaps even discriminatory. And given that the state has such draconian gun laws with some of the highest rates of gun violence, law abiding citizens ain't the problem here. 

 

Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the dissent on behalf of the court’s liberal bloc, citing numerous mass shootings.

“How does the dissent account for the fact that one of the mass shootings near the top of its list took place in Buffalo?” retorted (Justice Samuel) Alito. “The New York law at issue in this case obviously did not stop that perpetrator.”

Here's another "mic drop" moment, this one courtesy of Justice Thomas: 

I love that Justice Thomas went there. LOL. pic.twitter.com/011Tb0X57x

— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) June 23, 2022

One of the prog chanting points that has been so prolific in the gun debate is that if more black people own guns, 2A advocates will start to tout gun control real quick. But today's ruling on Bruen will make it easier for all New Yorkers (including the state's black citizens) to own a firearm, yet it's proggies who are the most bothered by this decision. Huh.

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

It keeps getting worse

The more we learn about Uvalde, TX law enforcement's actions (or inactions, as it were) in response to the May 24 spree killing at Robb Elementary School, the more heartbroken and infuriated we become. 

It's been reported that there was a large enough police presence to thwart the gunman within a few minutes (as opposed to nearly an hour) of his opening fire. However, the on-scene commander “chose to put the lives of officers before the lives of children,” according to Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw. 

A few key findings from this investigation reveals a leadership vacuum:

• No security footage from inside the school showed police officers attempting to open the doors to classrooms 111 and 112, which were connected by an adjoining door. Arredondo told the Tribune that he tried to open one door and another group of officers tried to open another, but that the door was reinforced and impenetrable. Those attempts were not caught in the footage reviewed by the Tribune. Some law enforcement officials are skeptical that the doors were ever locked.
• Within the first minutes of the law enforcement response, an officer said the Halligan (a firefighting tool that is also sometimes spelled hooligan) was on site. It wasn’t brought into the school until an hour after the first officers entered the building. Authorities didn’t use it and instead waited for keys.
• Officers had access to four ballistic shields inside the school during the standoff with the gunman, according to a law enforcement transcript. The first arrived 58 minutes before officers stormed the classrooms. The last arrived 30 minutes before.
• Multiple Department of Public Safety officers — up to eight, at one point — entered the building at various times while the shooter was holed up. Many quickly left to pursue other duties, including evacuating children, after seeing the number of officers already there. At least one of the officers expressed confusion and frustration about why the officers weren’t breaching the classroom, but was told that no order to do so had been given.
• At least some officers on the scene seemed to believe that Arredondo was in charge inside the school, and at times Arredondo seemed to be issuing orders such as directing officers to evacuate students from other classrooms. That contradicts Arredondo’s assertion that he did not believe he was running the law enforcement response. Arredondo’s lawyer, George E. Hyde, said the chief will not elaborate on his interview with the Tribune, given the ongoing investigation.

If all that isn't bad enough, it was also revealed that the husband of slain teacher Eva Mireles was prevented from tending to his wife while she was still alive. 

Ruben Ruiz is a police officer for the school district and was on the scene after the gunman entered the school and opened fire.

McCraw said Mireles called Ruiz and told him that “she had been shot and was dying.”

“And what happened to him, is he tried to move forward into the hallway,” McCraw said. “He was detained and they took his gun away from him and escorted him off the scene.”

The dereliction of duty and utter incompetence on display should, at minimum, result in multiple people losing their jobs. As I've said ad nauseum to those who support banning AR-15s in the aftermath of this incident: if even a semi competent shooter has a hour to commit atrocities, a mere handgun could also result in 21 deaths as long as said shooter had enough ammunition. 

As it stands today, we're on the brink of having significant gun regulations pass through the U.S. Senate before even one officer is fired. 

Not only have there been multiple Supreme Court decisions essentially saying Americans have no legal right to police protection, we now have the legislative branch of our government looking to undermine the actual right to protect ourselves. We are a deeply unserious country. 

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

Major decision handed down by SCOTUS (no, not *that* decision).

The First Amendment is still a thing!

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Maine can't exclude religious schools from a program that offers tuition aid for private education, a decision that could ease religious organizations' access to taxpayer money.

The 6-3 outcome could fuel a renewed push for school choice programs in some of the 18 states that have so far not directed taxpayer money to private, religious education. The most immediate effect of the court's ruling beyond Maine probably will be felt next door in Vermont, which has a similar program

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for a conservative majority that the program violates the Constitution's protections for religious freedoms.

"Maine's 'nonsectarian' requirement for its otherwise generally available tuition assistance payments violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. Regardless of how the benefit and restriction are described, the program operates to identify and exclude otherwise eligible schools on the basis of their religious exercise," Roberts wrote.

The court's three liberal justices dissented. "This Court continues to dismantle the wall of separation between church and state that the Framers fought to build," Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote.

A couple of prog reactions were totes predictable. 

 

Where #SCOTUS is heading: all parents get vouchers and they can send their kids to public or parochial schools. "Separation of church and state" is a vanishing concept at the Supreme Court.

— Jeffrey Toobin (@JeffreyToobin) June 21, 2022

It appears Mr. Toobin, CNN's top legal analyst, doesn't...uh....grasp what this decision is all about. The fact of the matter is there are no public secondary schools in that area of Maine, hence their government implementing a tuition assistance program for private education. Yes, the Constitution prohibits government from establishing a state religion (which some label as "separation of church and state") but they also can't interfere with citizens' free exercise of religion. And that's how SCOTUS ruled. 

Private Islamic schools and Jewish schools should open up all over Maine. The state has to fund you now so take advantage of it. Move your communities there as well. Let's see what the Supreme Court says...

— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) June 21, 2022

I'm certain Mr. Ali believes he totally owned school choice advocates (specifically those of the Christian faith) with that take, but the vast majority (myself included) will find these terms acceptable. Perhaps he should reread Chief Justice Roberts' majority opinion to find out "what the Supreme Court says." 

I'll leave you with this: 

That’s just public school…

— Ross Schumann (@RossSchumann) June 21, 2022

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Box Score of the Week

Brooklyn Dodgers at Pittsburgh Pirates - September 18, 1947. 

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

The Pirates' Wally Westlake hit a walk off home run this game, his second such HR in the month of September 1947. Westlake was the first ever rookie to have multiple walk off homers in a calendar month. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 6/19/2022

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This state is elevating as the hurt turns into hating.......

Happy Father's Day! In the midst of your celebrations, I hope you take the opportunity to check in to today's edition of my radio show The Closer. We'll be on air 1-3 PM Central Time. 

I'll weigh in on the latest in Minnesota statewide races, particularly how GOP candidates for Governor and Attorney General are within striking distance. 

Regarding national news, I'll discuss the framework of a bipartisan Senate deal on gun control that appears more like capitulation from Republicans. Also, President Joe Biden is angry over the narrative that his administration is a disaster. 

At 2:30, James Varney of Real Clear Investigations will join the broadcast to discuss dozens of incidents across the country where pro-lifers are being targeted. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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

Deep-Six

I haven't watched a millisecond of the January 6 Committee hearings. I don't believe I will. It's not that I don't take seriously that awful incident where kooks stormed the U.S. Capitol on 1/6/2021. I absolutely do. In fact, I firmly believe Donald Trump's defiant behavior while that was taking place should (in the minds of voters) disqualify him from ever again serving as President of the United States. 

All that said, I find it difficult to believe that the Capitol riot was somehow coordinated ahead of time. If indeed there is hard evidence of that, then people (including Trump) need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But you'll forgive me for my deep skepticism given that Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) promised us for months and months that there was irrefutable evidence that Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 presidential election. As we now know, when Robert Mueller released his findings after a year-plus of investigations, Schiff's claims turned out to be complete bull pucky. 

One final thing: I'm on record as saying that Trump's outlandish claims about the 2020 election being "stolen" (yes, there were irregularities, but there was no "stealing") were utterly delusional. But the J-6 Committee doesn't have a lotta moral credibility in my mind when Congressman Bennie Thompson (the committee Chair) actually refused to certify George W. Bush's 2004 reelection victory. So spare me the indignation about it being a stain on our democracy to question legitimate election results. 

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

This is huge

If Republicans flip 35 seats in the U.S. House this November, they will have their largest majority in that body since the Great Depression (for context: the Democrats flipped 41 seats in their wave year of 2018).

What happened Tuesday evening in Texas is a harbinger of things to come. 

 

Republican Mayra Flores has flipped a U.S. House seat in deep blue south Texas in what is a likely indicator of the coming red tsunami that could hit the Democrat Party this fall during the midterm elections.

Flores beat Democrat Dan Sanchez in the special election for Texas’ 34th Congressional District. The seat was previously held by Rep. Filemon Vela (D) who stepped down earlier this year to become a lobbyist as all signs pointed to a brutal upcoming midterm election season for Democrats.

Flores is now “the first GOP candidate to represent that area of the Rio Grande Valley since 1870,” the Houston Chronicle reported, adding that she is now “the first congresswoman born in Mexico.”

Dave Wasserman, U.S. House editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, tweeted: “I’ve seen enough: Mayra Flores (R) defeats Dan Sanchez (D) in the #TX34 special election, flipping an 84% Hispanic Rio Grande Valley seat red.”

While the 2020 election cycle has been overshadowed by Donald Trump and some of his ardent supporters crowing about a "stolen election," that cycle also showed Republicans making inroads with Hispanics as the GOP garnered their highest support ever among that demographic. It's clear they haven't lost that momentum, a prospect which is freaking out Democrats. 

Republicans are winning D+25 districts because of Latino voters. Democrats have a real problem and lecturing people about using LatinX isn't going to solve it.

— AG (@AGHamilton29) June 15, 2022

How about citing "white supremacy" for literally anything that somebody does in support of a Republican candidate? 

 

Elon Musk is not a leader. He’s just another Republican billionaire who supports white supremacy and authoritarianism because he doesn't want his workers to unionize or to pay his fair share in taxes.

The GOP just tried to end democracy and now he’s supporting them. https://t.co/WArBQQsHK5

— Jamaal Bowman (@JamaalBowmanNY) June 15, 2022

Sorry Congressman Bowman, but voters are no longer buying what y'all are selling, including that bit about democracy. 

 

This is going to cause some heads on Twitter to absolutely explode

Republicans are winning the “preserve Democracy” argument with votershttps://t.co/BeZaeYMQLU pic.twitter.com/hdX5oC0AZT

— Logan Dobson (@LoganDobson) June 16, 2022

Pauline Kael called from the great beyond. She said progs are far too embedded in their bubble. 

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

Quick Hits: Volume CCLXXXIV

 - The only way any modicum of "gun control" would pass in the U.S. Senate is if 10 GOP Senators were willing to put up votes. It was announced Sunday which ten it will be: 

They are conspiring against you!

Step up now at https://t.co/LjT5lXUI6d! pic.twitter.com/Miqw6BUdov

— Firearms Policy Coalition (@gunpolicy) June 12, 2022

Word is the Senate is looking to pass this legislation within the next two weeks (check out the basic framework here). 

Of the 10 Republicans, four (Blunt, Burr, Portman and Toomey) are retiring after the 2022 midterms while the other six are not up for reelection this year (only Romney is up before 2026). I get a sense the GOP believes they can't thwart any "gun control" legislation this time around due to the fact that gun grabbers are going to continually demagogue 19 children being killed. While I believe Republicans have the facts on their side and thus could propose meaningful reforms without restricting gun rights, they're likely too concerned how the leftist media will portray them. 

Once again the GOP chooses to play defense despite being in a prominent position to make historic gains this midterm election cycle. Same song, different verse. 

- President Joe Biden is mad and he's NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!

From a Philadelphia speech in front of the AFL-CIO:

 

Biden, visibly angry: "I don't want to hear anymore of these lies about reckless spending. We're changing people's lives!" pic.twitter.com/0I3OgmIJGD

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

He's technically correct....but not in the way he believes.

Oh, and in case you're wondering whether or not Biden believes the majority of Americans are either stupid or woefully ignorant: 

 

BIDEN: "I'm doing everything in my power to blunt Putin's gas price hike. Just since he invaded Ukraine, it's gone up $1.74/gallon. Because of nothing else BUT that!" pic.twitter.com/122e7uLR30

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

Translation: My war on the fossil fuel industry has NOTHING to do with any of this.  

- After stalling for about a week, the U.S. House of Representatives finally got around to voting on a Senate passed bill providing enhanced security for U.S. Supreme Court justices in the wake of an assassination attempt on Brett Kavanaugh. The finally tally was 396 Yea, 27 Nay, with all 27 nay votes being Democrats. 

The 27 House Democrats who voted against the Supreme Court Police Parity Act to provide protection to justices. https://t.co/CozCxzuoqG pic.twitter.com/if5lq3GRGD

— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) June 15, 2022

Five members of the six person "Squad" are represented on that list. The only one who voted "yea?" Minnesota's own Ilhan Omar. Hmmm. 

Not surprisingly, St Louis Congresswoman Cori Bush voted "nay." Remember, this is the same person who in one sentence defended having her own private security at taxpayer expense while expressing a desire to defund the police. 

Security for me, not for ye......or something.

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

Box Score of the Week

Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees - September 8, 1975. 

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

This game featured the final pairing of Tigers starting pitcher Mickey Lolich and catcher Bill Freehan as battery mates. The two paired up a MLB record 324 games over a 13-season span (1963-1975). There's a possibility this record could be eclipsed this year as current St. Louis Cardinals teammates Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina are tied for second with 316 games together.

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 6/12/2022

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

They say I gotta be half crazy to be doing what I do.....

Dang, I sure could use a third hour on the radio show today. Alas, the usual 2 hours will have to suffice as today's edition of The Closer will get started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour I'll discuss the thwarted assassination attempt of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and how the media was eerily silent. Also, leftist elected officials at the national and local levels diligently continue the gun grabbing efforts.

Then at 2:00 PM, Ricochet.com Editor-in-Chief Jon Gabriel will join us to discuss the internal squabbling at the WaPo, the Jan. 6 Committee going prime time, the battle for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in his home state of Arizona, etc. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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

Vapid View

Joy Behar is a shrill, vapid hag. OK, that's not exactly a new development. However, she's gone the extra mile of late to emphasize those traits on the daily screech-fest The View. 

When the show's panelists took on the subject of gun violence this past week, Behar had this to say in response to Lindsey Granger's points on gun owner demographics. 

Joy Behar: "Once Black people get guns in this country, the gun laws will change. Trust me." pic.twitter.com/gaweZf483X

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 8, 2022

Look, I get it. The predominately leftist panel has always been long on knee-jerk statements, chanting points and slogans while short on facts. This is just the latest example given that Behar is so woefully ignorant regarding the latest trends in gun ownership. 

From the Washington Times this past January: 

 

Black Americans are a big reason behind the surge, according to data from the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Black gun ownership increased 58.2% through the first six months of 2020, and the foundation expects that number to be similar for 2021, given the trends in purchases.

Overall, Blacks outpaced every other demographic in the increase of gun purchases in the first half of 2020, including Whites (51.9%), Hispanics (49.4%) and Asians (42.9%), the national organization said.

“The Second Amendment and gun rights have been the Black community’s right, and a lot of Black people are starting to realize it,” said Kourtney Redmond of the 761st Gun Club, a Black firearms education group based in the Chicago suburbs. “The police department and government isn’t going to save the Black community, and a lot of Black people are realizing the first line of defense is yourself.”

Amazing what happens when citizens see their neighborhoods destroyed (a la the summer of unrest in 2020) while getting little to no assistance from law enforcement or elected officials. 

Again, the aforementioned data seems to fly in the face of Behar's premise that gun laws will change "once black people get guns." The data shows that black people have been acquiring firearms in record numbers over the past 2+ years, yet the only calls for "gun control" have been coming from the left. 

Why are Democrats so hellbent on denying minorities their civil liberties? 

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

Inevitable

Upon last month's leak of a U.S. Supreme Court document referencing the "Dobbs" decision (one which would effectively end Roe v. Wade), the reaction among leftists was more deranged than usual. It soon escalated to protests outside the homes of conservative SCOTUS justices, a practice which is, by the letter of the law, illegal but the Feds dragged their feet in enforcing it.

With that in mind, is it any wonder that something like this was the next logical step up?

The Supreme Court said Wednesday that an armed man who made threats against Justice Brett Kavanaugh was arrested near the justice’s house in Maryland.

The man was arrested about 1:50 a.m., court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe said in an email.

The California man, in his 20s, was armed with a gun and a knife, according to a law enforcement official. The man, whose identity has not been released, arrived in a taxi early in the morning and told law enforcement officers he wanted to kill Kavanaugh, the official said.

The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The Washington Post initially reported the arrest, quoting sources who said the man also was carrying burglary tools. He told police he was upset by a leaked draft opinion suggesting the court is about to overrule Roe v. Wade, the court’s landmark abortion case, the Post reported. He was also said to be upset over recent mass shootings, according to the newspaper.

Never forget then White House Press Secretary Little Red Lying Hood Jen Psaki's dismissive response when asked if it was appropriate for people to be milling around the justices' homes. 

 

FLASHBACK: Jen Psaki refused to condemn pro-abortion activists posting a map with the HOME ADDRESSES of Supreme Court justices pic.twitter.com/MKoDJLr8CW

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 8, 2022

Not to be outdone, here's rhetoric from March 2020 when then Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was speaking at a pro abortion rally. 

 

Seems relevant this morning...

“I want to tell you Gorsuch, I want to tell you Kavanaugh: You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won't know what hit you." - Democrat leader Chuck Schumerpic.twitter.com/57khor0ya5

— Nathan Brand (@NathanBrandWA) June 8, 2022

Hmmmm. Perceived threats towards two sitting SCOTUS justices if they issue a judgement in which the left would disapprove? Seems insurrection-y, no? 

I recall the early 2011 Tucson, AZ shooting of Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ) et al, an incident where Sarah Palin was held responsible by many on the left (including media types) because her PAC placed a crosshair symbol on a map of Giffords' Congressional District. Even though the Tucson shooting could not be tied directly to political rhetoric, there's little question the motive of eliminating one of the sure affirmative votes to overturn Roe v. Wade. However, progs will never hold themselves or their allies (specifically the group who doxxed the justices) to the ridiculous standard to which they attempted to hold Palin and other right-of-center politicos. And neither will the media. 

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Resist virtue signaling

Advocacy is fine. Compelled advocacy is not. And compelled virtue signaling is vacuous. 

Five players on the Tampa Bay Rays roster opted not to wear a patch the team added to its uniforms intended to celebrate Pride month in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox. During the team's 16th annual Pride Night celebration Rays caps and uniforms had logos colored in the style of the modern LGBTQ+ pride flag, but not everyone in the clubhouse chose to participate.

Pitchers Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs and Ryan Thompson were among the players who did not wear the patch on their uniforms and chose to wear the team's standard caps for the June 4 home game.

Adam was selected by the organization to speak on behalf of the players who opted out, and called it a "faith-based decision" and that the decision wasn't "judgmental," per the Times.

"So it's a hard decision. Because ultimately we all said what we want is them to know that all are welcome and loved here. But when we put it on our bodies, I think a lot of guys decided that it's just a lifestyle that maybe — not that they look down on anybody or think differently — it's just that maybe we don't want to encourage it if we believe in Jesus, who's encouraged us to live a lifestyle that would abstain from that behavior, just like [Jesus] encourages me as a heterosexual male to abstain from sex outside of the confines of marriage. It's no different."

I applaud Adam for taking this stance, but his rationale is likely to fall on deaf ears. In today's "WOKE!" culture, your fealty is to be to the church of progressivism or you're a hateful bigot. There's no in-between. 

While I obviously don't know the five individuals who declined to wear the "pride" symbol, I would venture a guess that their respective worldviews would compel them to love others as God has loved us, especially since we all fall short of His glory. Wearing a vapid symbol is irrelevant in comparison to one's actual works. 

The woke mob's reaction to these Rays players is an embodiment of an episode of the TV show Seinfeld where Cosmo Kramer was an avowed supporter of ending AIDS despite not wanting to don a ribbon showing said support. 

While I disagreed with the rationale for NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem, I stopped well short of my desire that they be required to stand. And those players were making an effort to be noticed whereas the "Rays Five" weren't interested in bringing attention unto themselves. 

Like I essentially said earlier, there are no compromises with the "WOKE!" mob. 

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Box Score of the Week

Cleveland Naps pitcher Addie Joss tossed a perfect game against the Chicago White Sox on October 2, 1908.

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Joss struck out three batters, which is the lowest number of strikeouts ever recorded by pitcher throwing a MLB perfect game.

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 6/5/2022

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Makin' you feel the rhythm is my occupation.......

Welcome to June! I'll be back in the Patriot bunker for today's 2-hour edition of my radio show The Closer. The broadcast gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour I'll weigh in on the MN primary election's candidate filing deadline from this past Tuesday, which included a few mild surprises. 

Then in the second hour I'll have plenty to say about Congressional Democrats' gun grabbing efforts in the aftermath of the Uvalde, TX elementary school shooting. As usual, Dems are long on demagoguery and woefully short on facts. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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Democrats don't really wanna stop gun violence

Whenever there's a high profile mass shooting, elected Democrats immediately shriek "GUN CONTROL NOW!!!" or "WE NEED TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE!!!" literally (and I do mean literally) before all the bodies are cold. And then when Republicans offer actual common sense solutions (most of which do not involve restricting civil liberties), progs then accuse the right of offering nothing more than "thoughts and prayers."

Here's the dirty little secret: Dems don't really want a solution to gun violence, particularly in the aftermath of last week's tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX. Anticipating that they're going to get shellacked in this year's midterm elections, Democrats are taking a page outta Rahm Emmanuel's playbook of not letting a good crisis go to waste. So when their draconian and often unconstitutional proposals are rightly rejected, Dems feign indignation in an effort to construct campaign ads. 

On Thursday, New York Congressman Mondaire Jones gave up the game. 

Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY):

"You will not stop us from passing [gun control]. If the filibuster obstructs us, we will abolish it. If the Supreme Court objects, we will expand. We will not rest until we've taken weapons of war out of our communities." pic.twitter.com/0x3t1aJXBn

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) June 2, 2022

Keep in mind that the laundry list of items Rep. Jones says the Democrats will enact if they don't get their way here are what they have been aiming at for some time. The urgency merely ramped up in the aftermath of then President Donald Trump getting a third Supreme Court Justice seated just prior to the 2020 presidential election. But now Dems believe this latest tragedy is the cudgel they need to stave off a red tsunami this November. They're gravely mistaken of course, but they'll continue to dance on the grave of gun violence victims nonetheless. 

The only wildcard here is Republicans Senators. As long as there are less than ten Rs willing to vote for cloture on debate over gun legislation, any proposals can be thwarted right then and there. As such, Republicans ought not cave in to our incoherent President with the 39% approval rating. Like it or not, gun violence will not be in the top ten of voters' concerns this fall. Remember, social media raging does not nearly constitute a majority. 

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Primarily Minnesota.....(UPDATE: Benda out in CD1)

This past Tuesday at 5:00 PM Central Time was the deadline for candidates to file the necessary paperwork to compete in Minnesota primary elections on August 9. 

A few observations: 

- There were mildly surprising developments, particularly in the First Congressional District where endorsed candidate (and winner of the special election GOP primary in pre-redistricting CD1) Brad Finstad is receiving a challenge from fellow Republicans Jeremey Munson and Matt Benda. Both gentlemen were defeated by Finstad in the May 24 special primary, with Munson losing by just over 1%. Munson's concession the morning after the special primary seemed to suggest he was moving on from politics. Obviously not. 

- Local journalist Michael Brodkorb conveyed last week that the kooky Michelle MacDonald (who has failed multiple times to be elected to the Minnesota Supreme Court) would file to challenge endorsed GOP candidate for Secretary of State Kim Crockett. Thankfully that didn't happen. Truth be told, I was kinda hoping Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, who is not seeking reelection in the MN Senate, would vie for her old job. Alas, she is not. 

- Failed 2018 MNGOP candidate for Attorney General Doug Wardlow was true to his word in essentially saying he was going back on his initial word of abiding by the MNGOP endorsement: He filed to challenge endorsed candidate Jim Schultz in the AG race. I've said many times before that this is the best opportunity for the MNGOP to finally win its first statewide race since 2006, but Wardlow's pettiness may serve to undermine that. 

- When Dr. Scott Jensen received the MNGOP endorsement for governor a few weeks ago, all candidates at the party's state convention vowed to abide. The only mystery remaining is whether former Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek (a no-show at the convention) would opt to challenge Jensen. About five hours before the filing deadline, Stanek announced he would not run for governor after all. While two other Republicans are challenging Jensen, they're little more than the proverbial speedbump in his path to the GOP nomination. 

- But perhaps the biggest news story regarding the gubernatorial race was Forward party candidate Cory Hepola deciding not to file his candidacy. 

No go for @CoryHepola in #mngov

Wow. pic.twitter.com/4xe234yxQ2

— Blois Olson (@bloisolson) May 31, 2022

This is definitely good news for the DFL as they were very concerned Hepola would siphon off votes from Gov. Tim Walz, thus possibly enabling the GOP candidate for governor to prevail. This isn't to say Walz is a shoo-in for reelection, but this definitely makes the path easier. 

UPDATE: Benda has withdrawn his candidacy in CD1. 

New: Matt Benda says in a news release he's withdrawing from the First District August GOP primary after filing earlier this week. Benda: "There were unprecedented federal election commission details that needed to be resolved prior to me formally withdrawing from this race." pic.twitter.com/kMcpPxHxu0

— Hunter Woodall (@HunterMw) June 2, 2022

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Pride or die

 The calendar just flipped to the month of June, so you know what that means: 

Of course, there are certain areas of major corporations which are exempt from this virtue signaling: 

It’s nearly time for our annual dose of performative corporate hypocrisy pic.twitter.com/3IUYrSln5u

— Eric (@The_OtherET) May 31, 2022

Some will cite the chiding of "Pride month" as little more than bigotry on display, particularly from those they dub "the Christian right." But if we're to put aside the snark and address the matter at hand, the issue isn't what people are proud of, rather the pride itself (see 1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

I leave you this quote from C.S. Lewis: 

"As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you."

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