Time For Impeachment Hearings Against Barr In Light of Mueller Letter

A scathing letter from Special Counsel Robert Mueller to Attorney General William Barr has been leaked taking issue with Barr's four page summary of the Mueller Report released more than five weeks ago.

The letter, dated March 27th, written four days after the Barr released his summary states:

The summary letter the Department sent to Congress and released to the public late in the afternoon of March 24 did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this office’s work and conclusions. There is now public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation. This threatens to undermine a central purpose for which the Department appointed the Special Counsel: to assure full public confidence in the outcome of the investigations.

In other words, Bill Barr lied. He also lied to Congress. When testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 10th, he was asked by Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen if Mueller supported his conclusions. Barr replied he did not know if Mueller supported his conclusions. Van Hollen has now called upon Barr to resign while other Democrats have called for Barr's impeachment. 

Barr is actually scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow and the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday. I suspect both these appearances will be delayed. I also suspect that President Trump will soon tweet about illegal leaks, presidential harassment, witch hunts, coups, treason among the other things he generally likes to tweet about on a Wednesday morning.

Under the circumstances, the time has come for Democrats to begin impeachment hearings. I still don't think President Trump would be impeached, but his Attorney General would be a good place to start. Who knows? Perhaps Barr will admit that Trump directed him to write the four page summary. That still might not be enough to impeach the President, but those Republicans seeking re-election in 2020 will begin to jump ship. Somehow I don't think Barr is the only cabinet member who has seen fit to lie for Trump. 

If there is one rat then dozens are bound to surface. Unfortunately, the dirtiest rat of them all could survive and continue his parasitic behavior for another four years. But at this point I don't think Democrats can afford to look the other way when Trump and his subordinates obstruct justice and make mockery of the rule of law. 

Sabathia Strikes Out 3,000th Batter

C.C. Sabathia of the New York Yankees has become the 17th pitcher in MLB history to strike out 3,000 batters. Sabathia fanned former battery mate John Ryan Murphy in the second inning of this evening's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Among left-handed pitchers, only Steve Carlton and Randy Johnson have more strikeouts than Sabathia. The burly lefty, who is in the final year of his MLB career, has just punched his ticket to Cooperstown.

Sabathia becomes the first pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts since John Smoltz did it with the Atlanta Braves in 2008. As of this writing, there are five pitchers who have a viable shot at 3,000 strikeouts - Justin Verlander (2,759) Max Scherzer (2,503) Zack Greinke (2,478) Cole Hamels (2,445) and Clayton Kershaw (2,296). Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez has 2,488 strikeouts but he is not the strikeout threat he was once was. Verlander will likely get to 3,000 in 2020 with his former Tigers teammate Scherzer getting there in 2021. It is worth noting that Greinke is Sabathia's mound opponent tonight. But beyond this group this mark might not be attained for many, many years to come so Sabathia's achievement tonight is quite special. 

This won't be Sabathia's only landmark in his last big league season. He is three wins away from 250 for his career. However, despite his historic achievement, the Yankees are currently down 2-1 in the fifth inning (UPDATE: The Yankees lost 3-1). But win or lose, Sabathia deserves all the congratulations in the world.

Renewing Acquaintances with Glenda Jackson at The 92 St. Y

Tonight, I spoke with Glenda Jackson for the first time in 24 years.

Now you might ask how I managed to be acquainted with a two time Academy Award winner, Tony Award winner and star of the Broadway production of King Lear got to know Glenda Jackson in the first place.

My acquaintance with Glenda in her early days as the Labour MP for Hampstead & Highgate. I spent the early part of 1995 in London working as a parliamentary intern for two Labour MPs, the first of which was Tessa Jowell (who sadly passed away nearly a year ago of a brain tumor). Glenda's office was opposite of Tessa's.

I knew Glenda was an Academy Award winner and had remembered her as a guest host on The Muppet Show. My proximity to her made me want to initiate some sort of conversation, but I wasn't sure how to break ice.

As it turned out, Glenda broke it for me. She came by Tessa's office and addressed Andy Burnham (who is now the Mayor of Manchester). "Do we have a foreigner in our midst?" she asked Andy. Upon replying that I hailed from Canada, Glenda, "Ah, a colonial no less."

Naturally, I recounted this story tonight during the all too brief Q&A session during an appearance at the 92nd Street Y too much uproarious laughter. I aroused further laughter when Glenda asked me, "What you are doing now?" "Not much," I retorted. But I did manage to thank her for taking the time to talk with me and being one of the best experiences I had during my time in London. It was a very nice moment.

One of the things we did discuss while I was in London was her time on The Muppet Show and I asked her to share her experiences on the show. She said she was and remained awed at how the Muppeteers managed to manipulate their characters whilst lying on their backs and in other equally uncomfortable positions for extended periods of time and in the course of their work making the Muppets the most human part of the show.

Glenda's voice is as powerful and resonant as ever and the stage is a better place now that she's back on it. That voice was on full display as she was interviewed by film historian Annette Insdorf who tried to steer the conversation into a women in film/feminist theme and Glenda wasn't having it. Of course, while Glenda is certainly a left-wing feminist, she has the ability to look at the bigger picture. Glenda said, "Human nature is immutable. While we should certainly try to change for the better there are Shakespeare's three questions we cannot answer. Who we are? What we are? And why we are here? Acting is about life and death."

A vast majority of the questions from the audience were about politics. More than five years after her death, Glenda still loathes Margaret Thatcher and said that she decided to run for the House of Commons when Thatcher proclaimed "there is no such thing as society." However, she was far more compassionate towards current British PM Theresa May and was appalled by the treatment she is currently receiving from Tory and Labour MPs alike calling her "the only adult in the room" where it concerned Brexit. However, when it came to American politics, she diplomatically declined to answer stating that she is "a guest in your country." Whatever her views of American politics, she has nothing but kind words for Americans themselves calling us, "The kindness, warmest, more generous people I have known."

Frankly, I don't think she remembered me. This is understandable. After all, the events I described occurred nearly a quarter century ago. Glenda turns 83 a week from Thursday. In her time as an actress and a parliamentarian, she has literally encountered thousands of admirers and detractors and it would be a lot to ask for her to remember one fellow from Thunder Bay, Ontario who crossed paths with her when John Major was Prime Minister. Indeed, as time goes on, I find it difficult to remember things which took place last week much less in 1995. But some things aren't so easily forgotten. If nothing else, about a half dozen or so members of the audience approached me to tell me they appreciated my contribution.

In the grand scheme of things, I'm glad I got the chance to renew acquaintances with Glenda Jackson, to share my experiences that I had with her with a large group of people, to get a good laugh and a few words of kindness from strangers.

King Lear is playing at the Cort Theatre through July 7th. I shall certainly take in a performance for the thrill of seeing her on stage and any other experiences and new acquaintances which may come of it.

Prediction: AOC Will Endorse Elizabeth Warren for 2020 Democratic Race

One of the most closely scrutinized aspects of the 2020 Democratic race will be who Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ends up endorsing (if anyone).


AOC worked as an organizer for Bernie Sanders during the 2016 campaign. But this doesn't necessarily mean much. Symone Sanders (no relation) was Bernie's national press secretary in 2016 is now Joe Biden's chief campaign strategist. Now I don't think AOC will endorse Biden given her very public lack of enthusiasm for his candidacy a fortnight ago. So who would she endorse?


I would put my money on Elizabeth Warren. First, I can't see AOC endorsing "an old, white male" even if he is Bernie Sanders. Second, I don't see her endorsing a young, white male either - gay or straight, white or black. So this means the candidate will be a woman and/or a person of color. This leaves the quarter of Warren, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobachur and Kirsten Gillibrand. Neither Klobachur and Gillibrand aren't radical enough for AOC and would be easily overshadowed by her. As for Harris, her law and order past won't give her street cred with the Bronx based Congresswoman.


This leaves Warren who of the current presidential candidates has come out the strongest in support of President Trump's impeachment, support of the AOC backed Green New Deal and has also come out with a series of detailed economic policy proposals including the forgiveness of student debt and higher taxes on the wealthy which will resonate with AOC's Millennial demographic base and ideological wheel house. Then there's the fact that AOC and Warren met for lunch on Capitol Hill in late March and got along famously. Shortly thereafter, Warren wrote an endorsement for AOC on the Time 100 list. It wouldn't be a stretch if AOC were to give an endorsement in return.


As it stands now, Warren's poll numbers are weak and is polling behind both Bernie and Biden in Massachusetts and barely ahead of Pete Buttigieg. An endorsement from AOC would not only boost Warren, but could put her over the top. I also believe AOC would endorse Warren with the confidence that she won't defeat Trump in 2020 giving her room to run in 2024. Indeed, if Warren loses the mainstream media won't say that AOC can't pick a winner, but go to that old "voters are sexist" standby which Hillary Clinton has been dining out on for the past two and a half years.


For her part, AOC has said she won't make an endorsement until after the New York Primary. But that date has yet to be scheduled. Depending on when it is scheduled, AOC might break with tradition if Warren is still in the race. If President Trump won by breaking every rule in the book why wouldn't AOC do the same?

Why Seeing Elvis Costello Perform With Spinal Tap Bummed Me Out

On Saturday night, my Dad and I went to the Beacon Theatre to watch a 35th anniversary screening of This is Spinal Tap sponsored by the Tribeca Film Festival.

On hand were director Rob Reiner (who introduced the film) and the members of the fictional band - Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer. Following the screening, there was a brief panel discussion between the four men before Spinal Tap performed an acoustic set of their songs.

I was having an absolutely delightful evening until towards the end of their set when they brought out a surprise guest to join them on "Give Me Some Money" - Elvis Costello.

While this certainly was a surprise it was not a pleasant surprise. You see I made a point of vowing to never see Elvis Costello in concert after he cancelled a performance in Israel back in 2010 at the behest of the BDS Movement. Israeli concert promoter Marcel Avaraham later stated that Costello "never liked Israel."

Now I did not walk out on the show. I was with my Dad and it was the next to last song of the evening. There would not have been much point in leaving then and there. But had I known Costello was going to be a part of the show I would not have attended.

Thoughts on The Poway Synagogue Shooting & Anti-Semitism in America

As you probably know by now, one woman and three others were injured yesterday on the last day of Passover during a shooting at the Chabad Way synagogue in Poway, California, a suburb of San Diego.

A 19-year old white male suspect was taken into custody. Before the shooting, he posted racist and anti-Semitic views online The shooter also claimed responsibility for an arson at a mosque last month in Escondido, another San Diego suburb. Apparently, the shooter was inspired both by the Christchurch mosque shootings and the Pittsburgh synagogue shootings. Yesterday's shooting took place on the six month anniversary of the Tree of Life massacre.

It is tempting for some to blame President Trump for this mess. After all it was only yesterday he defended his infamous "very fine people on both sides" comment following Charlottesville. It's very clear that the only people "on the other side" were white supremacists who very much hate Jews.

But the Poway shooter clearly stated he did not support Trump because of his support for Israel. It is also a matter of public record the perpetrator in the Tree of Life massacre thought Trump was "a globalist" controlled by Jews.

While there has been a rise in anti-Semitism since Trump took office the evidence does not support a causal relationship. Most of that increase can be attributed to incidents on college campuses and schools. Some of this revolves around the BDS Movement whose activities go well beyond vilifying Israel. The BDS movement has also deliberately targeted Jewish groups and Jewish students for harassment.

Of course, we cannot ignore white supremacists who have caused the loss of life at two synagogues in the past six months. While President Trump's defense of his remarks following Charlottesville are unhelpful, it would be irresponsible to put the bloodshed at Pittsburgh and now Poway at his doorstep.

It Turns Out Kate Smith Plead For Racial Tolerance

Well, it turns out that Kate Smith wasn't a racist after all.

John Timpane of the Philadelphia Inquirer revealed a May 1945 radio address by Smith calling for racial tolerance:

Race hatreds — social prejudices — religious bigotry — they are the diseases that eat away the fibers of peace. Unless they are exterminated it’s inevitable that we will have another war. And where are they going to be exterminated? At a conference table in Geneva? Not by a long shot. In your own city — your church — your children’s school — perhaps in your own home.

You and I must do it – every father and mother in the world, every teacher, everyone who can rightfully call himself a human being. Yes, it seems to me that the one thing the peoples of the world have got to learn if we are ever to have a lasting peace, is — tolerance. Of what use will it be if the lights go on again all over the world — if they don’t go on … in our hearts.

So will this be good enough for the New York Yankees to bring back her rendition of "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch?

Will this be good enough for the Philadelphia Flyers to re-erect the statue they torn down?

Probably not.

It would require The Left admitting they were wrong or at the very least didn't have the whole picture.

Indeed, they didn't have the whole picture in the first place. "That's Why Darkies Were Born", one of the songs in question, was also sung by singer and Communist activist Paul Robeson. As I asked just over a week ago, if Kate Smith was a racist then what does that make Paul Robeson?

Let me follow up with these questions. If Kate Smith was a racist then why can't we acknowledge that she changed her mind?

But if we acknowledge that she changed her mind then we also must acknowledge that we banished a woman who plead for racial tolerance.

Lynch mobs, online or otherwise, never acknowledge their mistakes.

John Havlicek, R.I.P.

Boston Celtics legend John Havlicek passed away today from complications of Parkinson's disease. He was 79.

Although best remembered for stealing the ball during the 1965 NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, Havlicek was a mainstay with the Celtics for 16 seasons during which he would be a part of 8 NBA championship teams on both offense and defense. Havlicek bridged the generations playing with Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Dave Cowens and Jo-Jo White becoming a Boston sports legend and one of the greatest NBA players who ever lived. R.I.P.

Will The Third Time Be The Charm For Biden?

Former Vice-President Joe Biden has formally declared himself a candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States.


This is the third time Biden, 76, has sought this office. The longtime Senator from Delaware did so previously in 1988 and in 2008. He withdrew during the '88 campaign amidst revelations of plagiarizing speeches of British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock. Two decades later, his campaign would come to end after he finished a distant fifth in the Iowa caucuses. Not only did Biden finish behind Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, but John Edwards and Bill Richardson as well.


There is no way in the world Biden would be given any serious consideration now if he hadn't been Obama's number two for eight years. Despite his longstanding association with Obama, there is a significant segment of Democrats who are completely unenthusiastic about his presence in the campaign (i.e. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) and who are generally discontented about "old, white males".


However, what Biden does have going for him is that he is a brawler. If there is one Democrat who counterpunch President Trump, it would be Biden. Trump is going to draw blood and Democrats will need someone who can bloody Trump. But when I hear Biden claim, “I get calls from people all over the world — world leaders are calling me — and they’re almost begging me to do this, to save the country, save the world,” I hear Trump in his voice.


But sounding like Trump is very different from acting like Trump. For all his gaffe proneness, I don't think Biden would behave in a criminal manner and repeatedly lie and demand others lie on his behalf nor do I believe he would accuse the FBI of treason while giving Russia and North Korea a pass on their behavior.


With that said, should Biden get the Democratic Party nomination I won't rule out voting for him. But we are a very long, long way from crossing that bridge. Because that bridge could be burned down by Democrats who want a change in their guard.

Franklin Graham's Homophobic Comments Will Help Buttigieg

I think Franklin Graham just helped Pete Buttigieg - even though it certainly wasn't his intention.

Graham tweeted:

Presidential candidate & South Bend Mayor @PeteButtigieg is right—God doesn’t have a political party. But God does have commandments, laws & standards He gives us to live by. Mayor Buttigieg says he’s a gay Christian. As a Christian I believe the Bible which defines homosexuality as sin, something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, praised or politicized. The Bible says marriage is between a man & a woman—not two men, not two women. The core of the Christian faith is believing and following Jesus Christ, who God sent to be the Savior of the world—to save us from sin, to save us from hell, to save us from eternal damnation.

This is from the same man who said President Trump is "a changed person" and "more interested in who a person is today".  Changed how? When has Trump repented for anything? Trump is the man who boasted that he had never asked G-d for forgiveness. Trump's lies and his orders to his subordinates to lie are far more damning than any transgression Buttigieg has ever committed. 

These comments from Graham put Republicans such as Vice-President and fellow Hoosier Mike Pence into a position of defending his statements while ignoring or rationalizing the sins of President Trump. While it will appeal to hardcore Trump supporters, it won't go over well with moderate and independent minded voters who have family and friends who are part of the LGBT community. If a red state like Arizona can elect an openly LGBT person to the U.S. Senate then why wouldn't they choose Buttigieg for the White House?

If Trump's surrogates make Buttigieg's sexual orientation an issue in the campaign then they have done far more flaunting and politicizing about it than Buttigieg. Mayor Pete can also go toe to toe with Graham and company on Scripture. As long as Graham and pro-Evangelical Trumpers use sexual orientation to define Christianity, Buttigieg will crush their attempts at fastballs right out of the park.

Before it is all said and done, Pete Buttigieg might send Franklin Graham a bouquet of flowers.

Canada's Stanley Cup Drought Continues As Leafs Eliminated

Canada will have to wait until next year.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were defeated by the Boston Bruins 5-1 in Game 7 of their first round playoff match up tonight. The loss means that Lord Stanley's Cup will travel south of the border for the 26th consecutive year. The last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup was when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Los Angeles Kings in 1993. To put this number in perspective, the second longest Canadian Stanley Cup drought was between 1936 and 1941. This drought was broken by the Leafs in 1942. The Leafs, of course, have not won a Stanley Cup since 1967.

There is something unnatural about having a Canadian team not winning a Stanley Cup. Hockey means more than life itself in Canada. I don't begrudge an original six city like Boston, Chicago or Detroit winning it or a northern city that regularly gets snow like Pittsburgh. But many of the residents of cities that have won Stanley Cups over the past quarter century such as Dallas, Tampa Bay, Raleigh, Anaheim, Los Angeles and even Washington, D.C. wouldn't know a hockey puck from a kumquat. Life is not fair. But it will make things that much sweeter once this drought is broken.

Liberals Lose P.E.I., But Will It Go Tory Blue or Green?

As widely expected, the Liberal government in P.E.I. has lost power after 12 years in office with Premier Wade MacLauchlan losing his seat.

But it remains to be seen who will form the new government.

Thus far the Tories have won the most seats with 12, but are two short of winning a majority government although this has not prevented the CBC from projecting a minority government for novice Progressive Conservative Party leader Dennis King.

But no so fast. The Green Party under leader Peter Bevan-Baker have won 9 seats. At worst, they become the Official Opposition. But the Liberals are the key here. Despite losing government, they still won six seats and hold the balance of power. Who can say the Liberals won't back the Greens in a minority government?

Complicating matters is that there is one seat left to be decided. Green Party candidate Josh Underhay and his young son were killed in a canoeing accident last Friday. The election in this Charlottetown constituency will be determined in by-election which has yet to be scheduled. When it is scheduled, there is a good chance the Greens will have 10 seats when all is said and done.

If I'm Bevan-Baker I wouldn't be making any concession speeches right now.

Will Democrats Defend Omar's Black Hawk Down Tweet?

Democrats have been making a habit of defending Congresswoman Ilhan Omar whether it is her anti-Semitism or her declaration the 9/11 attacks were "something some people did".


But will they defend her when it comes to the death of American troops?


A 2017 tweet from Omar regarding the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in which 19 U.S. soldiers were killed, 73 wounded and two Blackhawk choppers were shot down during the second phase of the UN Operation in Somalia has resurfaced. Omar tweeted, “In his selective memory, he forgets to also mention the thousands of Somalis killed by the American forces that day! #NotTodaySatan.” While it is not known how many Somalis were killed that way, it wasn't in the thousands and most of those who did die were armed terrorists.


Omar's tweet was too much for retired Sgt. Major Kyle Lamb, who served in the Battle of Mogadishu. Lamb wrote a rebuttal of Omar's tweet in The Federalist. Here is a portion of his essay:


On June 5, 1993, two dozen Pakistani soldiers working for the United Nations peacekeeping effort were attacked and killed by forces loyal to Farah Aidid (three Americans were injured in that attack as well). The next day, the U.N. passed a resolution condemning the attack and calling for the arrest of those responsible and of those inciting and organizing other attacks against U.N. forces. The man most responsible for the violence was Aidid himself, who unilaterally declared himself president (he was never recognized as a legitimate political leader).


Task Force Ranger was the 1993 military effort ordered by President Bill Clinton to capture Aidid and his lieutenants so the U.N. could deliver food and medical aid without fear of being attacked or killed by Aidid’s forces. The American soldiers Omar attacked in her tweet — the men of Task Force Ranger –weren’t sent to Somalia for fame or fortune. They weren’t there because of a deep desire to visit the God-forsaken nation of Somalia. They were deployed to support peacekeepers who were desperate to rescue the country from starvation and the ravages of civil war. To do that, they had to capture the men responsible for it.


By the time Task Force Ranger had been launched, Aidid’s network of drug-addled, Khat-dealing gun runners had taken over Mogadishu and were doing everything they could to oppress any and all rival clans, including that of Omar, the Majeerteen. In other words, we were sent halfway across the world to help protect people just like Omar and her family. Nineteen incredible men gave their lives defending her country while serving ours. They deserve to be lauded for their service, not attacked for it.


I am thankful Omar and her family and countless others were able to escape to neighboring Kenya while we fought to protect those left behind, but I simply cannot comprehend her attitude towards those of us who fought to protect her country and countrymen from warlords who plunged Somalia only further into violence and starvation. I am glad that Omar can now enjoy the very freedoms we fought to protect, like the freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion affirmed in the U.S. Constitution, but I don’t understand why she uses those freedoms to slur the men and women of the U.S. military who made her security and liberty a reality.


At what point do Democrats stop defending Omar? If Democrats insist on defending her then it is incumbent to ask them, particularly those running for President, if they agree with her view that American soldiers are killers. It is particularly important to ask since some Democrats seem to think that terrorists who murdered Americans on our soil should have the right to vote. The longer Democrats wait to distance themselves from Omar or take action against her then the more likely it is Donald Trump will win a second term in office.

Buttigieg Says No Vote For Boston Marathon Bomber; Bernie Says Yes & Kamala is a Maybe

As a former resident of Boston, I take all matters pertaining the Boston Marathon Bombing six years ago very, very seriously.


Dzhokar Tsarnaev placed a backpack of explosives next to an eight-year old boy which killed upon detonation. He and his brother murdered an MIT police officer in cold blood. He was found guilty on four counts of murder and 26 other charges related to conspiracy, possession and use of firearms and weapons of mass destruction, carjacking and destruction of property resulting in death. He is currently awaiting his own execution. The voting rights of the Boston Marathon Bomber isn't a tough call.


But for Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris, it evidently is. Fortunately, Pete Buttigieg is another story.




During a series of CNN Town Hall Meetings with various Democratic presidential candidates last night, several weighed in on the question.


Bernie Sanders not only thinks Tsarnaev should have had the vote, he all but asked for his endorsement:

If somebody commits a serious crime, sexual assault, murder, they’re going to be punished,” Sanders said. “They may be in jail for 10 years, 20 years, 50 years, their whole lives. That’s what happens when you commit a serious crime.

But I think the right to vote is inherent to our democracy. Yes, even for terrible people, because once you start chipping away ... you’re running down a slippery slope. ... I do believe that even if they are in jail, they’re paying their price to society, but that should not take away their inherent American right to participate in our democracy.

This is what I believe. Do you believe in democracy? Do you believe that every single American 18 years of age or older who is an American citizen has the right to vote?

"Once you start chipping away at that ... that’s what our Republican governors all over this country are doing. They come up with all kinds of excuses why people of color, young people, poor people can’t vote. And I will do everything I can to resist that.

Uh, I hardly think mass murder is an excuse in denying Tsarnaev his right to vote for Bernie. Tsarnaev doesn't have the right to vote now so his disenfranchisement argument is specious and irrelevant.


But at least Bernie made it clear where he stood. Kamala Harris hemmed and hawed before stating, “I think we should have that conversation.”


Rubbish!!! There is nothing to discuss here. The Boston Marathon Bomber is going to be executed. If he is to forfeit his life for his crimes, he has most certainly forfeited his right to vote. As Cam Edwards tweeted this morning, "Kamala Harris has talked tougher about America’s legal gun owners than the Boston Marathon bomber." This is not a good look for her. For me, it is a deal breaker.


The only Democrat who came out looking good on this question was Pete Buttigieg. He was the only Democrat who said no stating, “Part of the punishment when you were convicted of a crime and you’re incarcerated is you lose certain rights, you lose your freedom." For these remarks, Buttigieg drew huge applause.


If Democrats want to regain the White House this is the kind of language they need to deploy where it concerns the rights of terrorists who kill Americans. There can neither Bernie's full throated defense of "terrible people" nor can we tolerate Harris' suggestion it be put on the table for discussion. There is only one right answer on this question and Buttgieg is the only one who got it right.

Sri Lanka Attacks Prove Islamic Extremism is Still a Global Problem

The Sri Lankan government has formally declared the bombing incidents at several churches and hotels throughout the country on Easter Sunday which has now claimed the lives of 290 people was carried out by an Islamic extremist group known as National Thowheeth Jama’ath. The government added that National Thowheeth Jama'ath had assistance from an "international work" to carry out the attacks. This is most likely ISIS as NTJ members have traveled to Iraq and Syria to be trained and to fight with ISIS.


Yesterday's attack in Sri Lanka once again demonstrates that Islamic extremism remains a global problem that isn't going away. Since September 11, 2001, there have been attacks inspired by Islamic extremism in 41 countries - Muslim and non-Muslim alike covering five of seven continents save for South America and Antarctica.


Unfortunately, not only is polite society unwilling to acknowledge the existence of Islamic extremists it is also unwilling to acknowledge the existence of its victims, in this case Christians as was demonstrated by former President Obama and Hillary Clinton. What are Easter worshippers anyway?


Of course, President Trump's Muslim ban doesn't help matters. It is immoral in principle and unworkable in practice. It amounts to collective punishment and it doesn't address Islamic extremists born and raised in this country.


There are no easy answers. But there will be no answers unless the world recognizes it has a problem on its hands.

Seth Moulton's Democratic Presidential Bid is DOA

Congressman Seth Moulton is the but the latest Democrat to enter the 2020 presidential campaign. Notwithstanding his four tours of duty in Iraq, Moulton is perceived as yet "another white male" a la fellow Congressman Tim Ryan.


The biggest thing Moulton, who was first elected to Massachusetts' 6th District in 2014, has working against him is his ill-fated attempted to oust Nancy Pelosi from the House leadership. Given her success in dealing with President Trump in the partial government shutdown, this challenge will not help his cause. It also doesn't help to be running in the same year that Elizabeth Warren particularly when she has now found her cause in leading the charge for President Trump's impeachment.


I suppose Moulton could be VP material for certain candidates (i.e. Kamala Harris). But the best Moulton can hope for is to be appointed Secretary of Defense in a Democratic administration. If Trump is re-elected, however, perhaps he will set his sights on the Massachusetts gubernatorial race in 2022. But barring multiple miracles, Moulton's 2020 presidential bid is dead on arrival.

Thoughts on The Easter Sunday Terrorist Attacks in Sri Lanka

More than 200 people have been killed in a series of suicide bombings across Sri Lanka. Three bombings took place at churches during Easter Sunday services while another three bombings occurred at hotels in Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital. There were also two other bombings carried out at housing complexes. At least 27 of those killed today were foreign tourists.

Of course, the Sri Lankan government was in civil war with the Tamil Tigers for more than 25 years and the Tamil Tigers were known for utilizing suicide bombers. They are probably best known for the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991. However, the Tamil Tigers disbanded in 2009.

At this point, no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks. However, Sri Lanka's top police chief warned government officials 10 days ago that Islamic extremists that suicide bombers were planning to target "prominent churches" on Easter Sunday. However, the Sri Lankan government is only describing the attackers as "religious extremists."

I'm aware that extremists among Sri Lanka's Buddhist majority have been responsible for attacks against Muslims and Christians. Notwithstanding this history, if the "religious extremists" in question were of any religion other than Islam the whole world would know about it by now.

With that said, whoever is responsible for this attack, what we know for certain is that Sri Lankan Christians were murdered in worship on Christianity's holiest day.

Could The Green Party Come to Power in Prince Edward Island?

Could there be a political sea-change in Canada's smallest province?


Voters in Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) are set to go to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new provincial government. The Liberals have been in power for a dozen years, voters are tired and Justin Trudeau's troubles aren't helping things.


Normally when the Liberals are out of favor, P.E.I. turns to the Conservatives. But these aren't normal times. The Green Party, led by Peter Bevan-Baker, are leading the Tories by double digits in the polls and were leading at the time election was called late last month.


The one caveat here is that a quarter of voters are undecided. It wouldn't be a total shock if Islanders revert back to normal voting patterns and oust the Liberals in favor of the Tories. But even if that does happen, the Greens will certainly have more than member sitting in the provincial legislature.


The Green Party, which has been a force in European politics for decades, has grown in influence in Canada during the 2010s. It's federal leader, Elizabeth May, was elected to the House of Commons in the 2011 election and twice shared the debate stage with the Liberals, Tories and NDP in the 2015 election. In British Columbia's provincial election in 2017, the Greens led by Andrew Weaver helped end more than 15 years of Liberal rule by supporting the NDP led by John Horgan in a minority government. Last year, in neighboring New Brunswick, the Greens led by David Coon won three seats to the provincial legislature. But PEI could represent the party's biggest gains yet.


I suppose P.E.I. needs a shakeup from the back and forth between the Liberals and the Conservatives that has prevailed for more than 150 years and the time has come for fresh ideas. But the Greens have a strong anti-Israel streak and strongly support BDS. The issue very nearly prompted May's resignation in 2017. To be fair, I don't know if the P.E.I. branch has delved into the issue. But given the support for flaky ideas at a national level I'm inclined to think P.E.I. won't be immune from such flakiness. Of course, it's their election. They are free to elect the Greens. Sometimes you have to learn the hard way just as Albertans did when they rebuked the NDP earlier this week after electing them four years ago.


There's no doubt the 2019 election in P.E.I. is the most interesting in the province's history. Should they elect the Greens, they might wish for a less interesting election next time around.

If Kate Smith Was a Racist Then What Does That Make Paul Robeson?

A couple of days ago, Dad and I were watching the Red Sox-Yankees game. During the 7th inning stretch, we noticed the Yankees public address system wasn't playing Kate Smith's rendition of "God Bless America" and couldn't figure out why. It had been a fixture at Yankee Stadium since the 9/11 attacks.


Then came yesterday. From The New York Daily News:

The Yankees have taken a stand against racism for their seventh-inning stretch.

For 18 years, Yankee Stadium regularly used Kate Smith’s 1939 recording of “God Bless America” in the middle of the seventh inning. But they ditched it altogether this season, replacing Smith’s rendition with different versions of the song. Why? As the Daily News learned, the Yankees were made aware of Smith’s history of potential racism.


What exactly is potential racism?


Smith was a famous singer before and during WWII who recorded the offensive jingle, “Pickaninny Heaven,” which she directed at “colored children” who should fantasize about an amazing place with “great big watermelons,” among other treats. She shot a video for that song that takes place in an orphanage for black children, and much of the imagery is startlingly racist. She also recorded, “That’s Why Darkies Were Born,” which included the lyrics, “Someone had to pick the cotton. … That’s why darkies were born.”


The Yankees are investigating these claims and there are some conflicting notions regarding the song “That’s Why Darkies Were Born,” in particular, because it was considered satire at the time and recorded with African-American artist Paul Robeson. Still, her shocking lyrics from 1939 are neither humorous nor ironic in 2019 — and the Yankees acted swiftly.


Well, for starters, Smith didn't write the song. But if Smith is a racist for singing "That's Why Darkies Were Born" then what does that make Robeson? Does it make him the late civil rights activist a racist? Should Rutgers University rename The Paul Robeson Cultural Center? What about the Paul Robeson High School in Chicago? Somehow I don't think either of things is going to happen.


But the Philadelphia Flyers have covered Smith's statue in front of the Wells Fargo Center. Generations of Flyers' fans have heard her rendition of "God Bless America". And now she is being expunged from polite society and from our cultural history. What exactly does any of this accomplish?

The Mueller Report Won't Result in Trump's Impeachment or Resignation

As written previously, I haven't dealt much with Robert Mueller's investigation into the 2016 election. In the wake of the long awaited release of the Mueller Report today (albeit in heavily redacted form) has seen calls for the impeachment of President Trump. Indeed, two of the top trends on Twitter are #ImpeachTrump and #TimetoImpeach.

I doubt this is going to happen. This isn't to say that Congress shouldn't summon Mueller to testify and conduct its own hearings on the matter and bring it all out in the open and, if possible, hold Trump and his minions to account. No doubt the Democratic dominated House of Representatives will vote to impeach Trump just as the GOP dominated House voted to impeach President Clinton 20 years ago. But as with Clinton, the Senate will acquit Trump as long as Mitch McConnell is running the show. Even if Democrats controlled the Senate they would never get the two thirds necessary for impeachment.

Perhaps most importantly, there are no Republicans with the stature of Barry Goldwater who can tell Trump that he must leave office. John McCain is dead and Mitt Romney is like the rest of the GOP which is afraid of crossing Trump. It also must be remembered that Trump isn't of the GOP. He is his own brand who co-opted Republicans into worshipping the ground on which he walks. So not only won't Trump be impeached, he isn't going to resign either.

The only way to end Trump's presidency is to defeat him at the polls in November 2020. Aside from all the inherent advantages that come with incumbency, if this country still has a 3.8% unemployment rate in 18 months time it will be nearly impossible to oust him even if the Democrats nominate the best possible candidate. Like it or not, people vote with their pocketbooks and what's going on in their lives. If voters conclude that life is all right then they will stick with Trump.

I realize the above paragraph will make anti-Trump adherents pursue impeachment all the more, but there is a key difference between impeachment, resignation and Trump losing the election. There is absolutely no chance Trump will be impeached. There is absolutely no chance Trump will resign. There is a slim chance he will lose in 2020. That might be an inch of difference, but it is an inch that is well worth living.

Astros Win 10 in a Row & Now Lead AL West

After losing five of their first seven games of the 2019 season, the Houston Astros have been on a roll and this evening earned their 10th straight victory with a 9-1 blowout win over the Oakland A's. The victory puts the 2017 World Series champions a half game ahead of the Seattle Mariners for first place in the AL West. 

The Astros began the season losing three out of four to the Tampa Bay Rays (who own MLB's best record at 13-4) and two out of three to the Texas Rangers. But Houston has no problem since then sweeping the A's, the New York Yankees and the Mariners on the road before tonight's triumph against Oakland in front of their home fans. 

I don't think it comes as a shock to anyone that the Astros would win 10 in a row just as the Kansas City Royals recently lost 10 in a row. But it is a surprise thus far that the AL West has been quite competitive. The only team under .500 is the Los Angeles Angels and they are 8-9. The AL West might be the best division in MLB, but the Astros are at the head of the class.

Alberta Ousts NDP After One Term In Favor of UCP

On July 7, 2016, I wrote the following in a blog post in The American Spectator titled, "Can Jason Kenney Revive Conservatism in Alberta?":

If Kenney can unite the Tories and Wildrose just as Stephen Harper united the Progressive Conservatives and the Reform Party then Notley’s NDP would very likely be a one term wonder. 

Less than three years later, this scenario has come to pass tonight with Kenney's United Conservative Party (UCP) ousting Rachel Notley's NDP government out of power after only one term in office. The UCP won 62 out of 87 seats in the Alberta legislature with the NDP losing 32 seats although Notley retained her Edmonton area constituency. That is small consolation as the UCP also won 53.7% of the  popular vote. Make no mistake, Alberta expressed buyer's remorse and has rebuked the NDP. 

Of course, no one is surprised by this result. After all, as at least one commentator in this country observed, the election of the NDP in Alberta in 2015 was akin to Bernie Sanders being elected Governor of Texas. It was one thing for Albertans to be fed up with 44 years of Tory rule and making a radical change, but it was always going to be a challenge for the NDP to do it a second time. When you combine falling oil prices, Notley's ill-fated alliance with Justin Trudeau and just plain old inexperience, it is a recipe for a one term government. It was not unlike what the NDP experienced when it governed Ontario between 1990 and 1995 despite Notley's assurances to the contrary.

With Notley's defeat, it leaves only NDP government in the country in neighboring British Columbia where John Horgan holds a minority government with support from the Green Party. However, there was little love lost between Notley and Horgan over their disagreement on the expansion of the TransMountain Pipeline. I don't think Horgan is any sorrier to see her go than most of Alberta. 

As for Kenney, given his vast experience as a federal cabinet minister when the Tories were in power under Harper, I have every reason to believe he will govern Alberta with competence. Kenney did hold views less than sympathetic to the LGBT community, but he isn't about to overturn same sex marriage. While NDP circles view Kenney as another Donald Trump, Kenney has never been a fan of Trump and is particularly critical of Trump where it concerns trade. Had I lived in Alberta, I probably would have voted for UCP. Now let's see what they do in office.

Red Sox Push Panic Button With DFA of Swihart

In a shocking move which resembled reckless panic instead of careful planning, the Boston Red Sox designated catcher Blake Swihart for assignment. It is very likely Swihart has played his last game in a Red Sox uniform.

The move is a knee jerk reaction to the Red Sox slow start during which their starting pitchers have struggled (with only David Price having an ERA below 7.00). After Swihart was DFAed, the Sox called up Sandy Leon from Pawtucket. Despite Leon's familiarity with Red Sox ace Chris Sale, the Sox were annihilated 8-0 by the New York Yankees this evening dropping their record to 6-12. They are currently in last place in the AL East, seven and a half games back of the Tampa Bay Rays. A year ago, the Sox began the season 17-2 en route to 108 wins and a World Series title. Lightning seldom strikes twice. Still, while I predicted the Sox wouldn't make the post-season, I wasn't expecting this either.

Swihart was the Red Sox's top draft pick in 2011 and reached the majors in 2015. But the Sox never seemed to know what to do with him. Of course, injuries (particularly to his ankle and hamstring) haven't helped matters. Although a catcher by trade, the Sox were not satisfied with his defense and tried to turn into something of a super utility player. Swihart saw time at first base, second base, third base, left field and right field before returning him behind the plate prior to the start of this season. To expect Swihart to be 100% behind the plate after playing him anywhere but for the past three seasons was to set him up for failure and, in this case, be the scapegoat for the team's inability to replicate a once in a lifetime season.

This might very well be the best thing that could happen Swihart, who turned 27 earlier this month. He will now have a chance to start fresh in a new organization that has a clear path for him.

As for the Red Sox, a 6-12 start is not insurmountable. But they have dug themelves a hole and haphazard roster moves won't turn things around. And if they lose to the Yankees again tomorrow night then I suspect things are going to get worse before they get better.

Weld Won't Beat Trump, But He Can Damage Him in NH

Former Massachusetts Governor and 2016 Libertarian Vice-Presidential candidate William Weld formally challenged President Trump for the 2020 GOP nomination.

Weld says he's in it to win it, but he won't. But he can do damage to Trump in New Hampshire and that's where he seems to be concentrating his efforts. A primary challenge is key if Trump is to be a one term President.

Nevertheless, a primary challenge would have been more effective coming from the Right. Two months ago, I made the case that Ann Coulter should have challenged him for not being able to deliver The Wall. But whatever anger there might have been with Trump on this not so small promise of his was merely a blip which shall go unacknowledged.

But I'm fine with Weld throwing down the gauntlet. If he can get under Trump's thin skin and force him to spend time, money and energy in the Granite State then this is a good thing. It would be even better if he could get Trump to agree to debate him.

Again, I have no illusions. The Republican Party at large now subscribes to Trump rather than to conservatism. But if Weld can raise reasonable doubt in New Hampshire then perhaps a Democrat (i.e. Pete Buttigieg) can carry that reasonable doubt throughout the rest of the country.

What Jackie Robinson Did on April 15, 1947

On April 15, 1947, Clyde Sukeforth put Jack Roosevelt Robinson number two in the batting order playing first base as the Brooklyn Dodgers would begin Opening Day facing off against the Boston Braves. Sukeforth was the man who scouted Robinson on behalf of Dodgers' President Branch Rickey nearly two years earlier and was now being pressed into service as the team's manager following the suspension of Leo Durocher by MLB Commissioner "Happy" Chandler. He would happily hand over the reins to Burt Shotton three days later. However, I suspect he rather enjoyed penciling in Robinson's name in the lineup.


Robinson and the Dodgers had a tough task ahead of them as they would face Johnny Sain who had a breakthrough season in 1946 with his first of three consecutive 20-plus win campaigns after missing three years due to military service. The following year, it would be "Spahn & Sain and pray for rain" as the Braves would win their first NL pennant 34 years.


Sain would get Robinson to ground out to third base in his very first at bat in the bottom of first. Playing third base that day was Bob Elliott. Acquired by the Braves from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the off-season, Elliott would win that year's NL MVP. Robinson was no more successful in the bottom of the third when Sain got him to fly out to left field. When Robinson came up against Sain in the bottom of the fifth, the game was tied 1-1. Robinson had a RBI opportunity with runners on first and third with one out. However, Robinson would hit into an inning ending double play and was now 0 for 3.


The Braves took a 3-1 lead in the top of the sixth on a single by Braves second baseman Connie Ryan off Dodgers' starter Joel Hatten, but the Dodgers would get a run back in the bottom of the inning on a RBI groundout by Brooklyn third baseman Spider Jorgensen.


The bottom of the seventh began with Sain issuing a lead off walk to Dodgers' second baseman Eddie Stanky. Robinson's plan was to sacrifice himself to advance Stanky to second despite the fact that Stanky had told him the night before, “You’re on this ballclub and as far as I’m concerned that makes you one of 25 players on my team. But before I play with you, I want you to know how I feel about it. I want you to know I don’t like it. I want you to know I don’t like you.” This notwithstanding, Robinson bunted Stanky over to second, but Robinson reached first when Braves' first baseman Earl Torgeson dropped the ball. For this, Robinson was awarded second while Stanky strode onto third. The injury prone Pete Reiser, who was among the few Dodgers who refused to sign a petition calling for Robinson's removal from the team, doubled home both Stanky and Robinson giving number 42 his first career run scored. More importantly, it gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. This would finish off Sain who bowed out in favor of Mort Cooper. The Dodgers added another run on a Gene Hermanski sacrifice fly which scored Reiser. That is how things stood in the middle of the 9th inning with the Dodgers winning 5-3. It was the first of 94 wins for the Dodgers who would win their first NL pennant in six years, but would fall in seven games to the New York Yankees in the World Series. As for Robinson, he would win the inaugural NL Rookie of the Year while finishing fifth in NL MVP balloting.


If one looks at the box score of the Braves-Dodgers game on April 15, 1947 one sees that Jackie Robinson went 0 for 3 in four plate appearances with one run scored. But the box score does not show the hell he had to go through to get there and the hell he would endure after. Being a pioneer for racial justice came with a price. Robinson would die in the fall of 1972 at the age of 53. Yet if not for that box score 72 years ago today baseball would not have become better and nor would the country. All because a black man got to cross the white lines.

A Lament For Notre-Dame Cathedral

For Bostonians, April 15th will forever mark the day of the Boston Marathon Bombing. For Parisians, April 15th will forever mark the day the Notre-Dame Cathedral was devastated by a massive fire. Its tower spire has collapsed and workers are scrambling to save what they can including priceless works of art.


The first thing I thought upon hearing the news is that it might been an intentional act of arson. I thought this given spate of Islamic terrorist attacks that have taken place in France in recent years and the violence of the Yellow Jacket movement. But the 850-year old Cathedral has fallen into disrepair and is currently being renovated. At this point, the cause appears to be accidental and there are no reports of casualties. Nevertheless, Notre-Dame Cathedral was one of the most important institutions in France and in the Catholic Church and its loss is incalculable especially with Easter approaching.

I Suppose Omar Thinks The Boston Marathon Bombing Is Something Some People Did

At this hour, the 123rd Boston Marathon is being run as it is the third Monday of April. But it is also April 15th and it was six years ago today that the Marathon was interrupted by a terrorist attack near the finish line on Boylston Street which claimed the lives of three people. Three days later, a MIT police officer was killed by the perpetrators.


While the Marathon must go on we can never forget what happened on this day six years ago. Nor can we trivialize it. But if Congresswoman Ilhan Omar can casually dismiss the attacks of September 11, 2001 that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 as "some thing some people did" then what of an attack which claimed four lives?


Of course, there were the 264 people who were hospitalized for injuries; sixteen of whom lost limbs. Most of Boylston Street remained closed until 10 days after the attack. I remember standing on Newbury Street looking upon people in white hazmat suits perform the painstaking investigative and restorative work.


But to the Omars of the world it is her fellow Muslims who are the victims. Her supporters like AOC can tweet about the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund all they want. The fact is that she is incapable of acknowledging 9/11 as anything more than something some people did and incapable of placing the responsibility where it belongs. The same can be said of the Boston Marathon Bombing.


Unfortunately, nearly all of Omar's fellow Democrats are circling the wagons around Omar. David Frum convincingly argues that Democrats will pay for such foolishness:


It cannot be pleasant for Omar’s colleagues to have to wonder and worry what that next remark will be—knowing that Donald Trump and his Twitter feed will be waiting to blame all Democrats for the provocations of one. But by not putting themselves on record about Omar when they could, Democrats now find themselves bound to her for the duration. This problem will get worse, and its political consequences will become ever more costly for Democrats who want to win national elections and govern the country.


I can tell you from firsthand experience that the Boston Marathon (especially the area in and around Boylston Street) is guarded the way the Secret Service would guard the President. There will probably never be another terrorist attack in Boston on the third Monday in April. There will probably never be another terrorist attack in Lower Manhattan. But one of these days there will be another terrorist attack in this country and the people responsible for it will have pledged allegiance to an Islamic terrorist organization. What are Democrats going to do when Omar characterizes it as something some people did?

An Evening With Tony Bennett at Radio City Music Hall

Last night, my Dad and I went to Radio City Music Hall to see Tony Bennett perform in concert. It was an early birthday present for my Dad who celebrates his 78th birthday today.

Neither of us had ever been to Radio City Music Hall. It is a grand tribute to Art Deco. Just being in the building is a grand experience.

The audience was warmed up by the Tony Bennett Quartet and his daughter Antonia who sang several songs such as "Bye Bye Blackbird" and "Someone To Watch Over Me". She was a serviceable opening act although her voice is better suited for pop rock than jazz standards.

Her Dad is quite something else. Tony Bennett is twice is old as I am and just might have twice the energy. Although he has been singing the same tunes for sixty years, he sings them with the same passion sixty years later. Before he came on stage, there was an audio recording of Frank Sinatra calling Bennett the best singer in the world. Blue Eyes description was apt 60 years ago, it is apt today. Bennett retains a remarkable ability to emote, hold and phrase lyrics and notes whether it's "This Is All I Ask", "Steppin' Out With My Baby" (which introduced him to the MTV generation a generation ago), "How Do You Keep The Music Playing?", "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and "Fly Me to the Moon".

I have seen several acts of Bennett's vintage perform (i.e. Dave Brubeck and Toots Thielemann). They had to be helped to the stage due to their advanced age. The same cannot be said of Bennett who not only walked unassisted, but walked around stage to various members of the band throughout the night. He sang about two dozen songs one right after the other without taking a break. At the end of the show, he walked on and off the stage about half a dozen times teasing the audience with an encore. Let's just say his level of energy is atypical for a 92 year old man. But it's easy to see and hear why. He loves what he does and why should he stop what he loves to do? How else can you explain someone who can keep pace with Lady Gaga?

Tony Bennett has resonated with live audiences for generations. It would come as no surprise to me if in 20 years from now he will be alive, well and continue to resonate with a new generation of an audience at the ripe old age of 112. One can only hope.

A Thought for Ron Darling

New York Mets broadcaster Ron Darling announced during last night's Mets-Braves game that he will be undergoing surgery next week to remove a mass in his chest and will take a leave of absence. Doctors have told him he could return to the broadcast booth in a month's time if all proceeds as planned. 

Darling who pitched primarily with the Mets during a 13-year big league career which also stops with the Montreal Expos and the Oakland A's has been a fixture on TV since 2000 and has been part of the Mets broadcast crew since 2006 along with former teammate Keith Hernandez and play by play man Gary Cohn. 

Recently, Darling made headlines earlier when his former teammate Lenny Dykstra sued him for claiming he had made a racist tirade at Boston Red Sox pitcher Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd during the 1986 World Series in his forthcoming book 108 Stitches. Upon learning of Darling's illness, Dykstra sent out a tweet stating "karma is a bitch", but deleted it after a backlash. When you consider their respective character and reputations, I must go with Darling in this dispute.

That mess aside, it is always a pleasure to hear Darling in the broadcast booth. In an era where baseball broadcasters discuss almost everything under the sun except for the game, it is refreshing to hear someone so knowledgeable and well spoken discussing baseball. Put him in with the curmudgeonly Hernandez and the straight man Cohn and you have baseball's best broadcasting trio. 

Darling is not the first broadcaster to deal with cancer. Longtime Boston Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy has been dealing with cancer for over a decade having been diagnosed with the disease four times. Yet somehow he continues to do what he loves. If Darling has any challenges in the course of his recovery, Remy can show him the way. 

Needless to say, I hope Darling makes a speedy recovery and returns to the broadcast booth ASAP.

Imagine if Chris Davis Were To Go On a 57 Game Hitting Streak UPDATE

I was happy to see that Chris Davis broke out of his MLB record 0 for 54 slump by going 3 for 5 with 4 RBIs even if it was at the expense of the Boston Red Sox as the Baltimore Orioles beat them at Fenway Park 9-5 yesterday afternoon. Davis snapped his drought with a first inning two run single off Rick Porcello.

I told my Dad, "Imagine if Chris Davis goes on a 57 game hitting streak."

To which Dad replied, "That would be the only story in baseball. It would be the only story period."


UPDATE: No streak. Davis went 0 for 4 on Sunday, but did hit his first home run of the season today during the Orioles' 8-1 victory over the Red Sox on Patriots' Day.

Ilhan Omar Compares Her 9/11 Remarks to President Bush's 9/11 Remarks at Ground Zero

Is Ilhan Omar really this stupid?


After rightly being lambasted for claiming the attacks of September 11, 2001 as "some people did something", the freshman Minnesota Democrat is on the defensive.


Now she is likening her remarks to those of former President George W. Bush at Ground Zero three days after the attacks. Omar tweeted:


“The people — and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!” President George W. Bush Was Bush downplaying the terrorist attack? What if he was a Muslim


Good Lord!!!


Well, let's take a look at what he actually said:

President Bush: Thank you all. I want you all to know -- it [bullhorn] can't go any louder -- I want you all to know that American today, American today is on bended knee, in prayer for the people whose lives were lost here, for the workers who work here, for the families who mourn. The nation stands with the good people of New York City and New Jersey and Connecticut as we mourn the loss of thousands of our citizens.

Rescue Worker: I can't hear you!

President Bush: I can hear you! I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people -- and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.


Never mind that President Bush was speaking amidst the ruins of the Twin Towers where. Not only was President Bush not downplaying the attacks, he was telling the world that the United States was ready to go to war. The very war the very organization she was speaking before (CAIR) claimed was undermining the civil liberties of Muslim Americans.


The fact that Omar could make this comparison shows several things - an excess of vanity, a complete lack of self-awareness and delusions of grandeur. Bush was speaking to raise the morale of the people conducting the rescue efforts of the deadliest attack on American soil against civilians. Omar was speaking at a fundraising event for an organization that excuses Islamist terrorism. There is simply no comparison.


The fact that Omar would ask "What if he was a Muslim?" demonstrates that she thinks only of herself and not the nearly 3,000 Americans killed that day. She is in no position to question the loyalty of Americans, Jewish or otherwise.


Given that she has now compared her 9/11 remarks to that of President Bush, the time has come for the media to step up and ask her to elaborate her views of the attacks of September 11, 2001. Was President Bush right to go to war? Or does she think America invited this attack? I would like to know and so would a lot of other Americans. But we can't get the answers if no journalists are prepared to ask the questions.

Royals Lose 10 in a Row as Merrifield's Hitting Streak Ends at 31

After winning their first two games of the 2019 season, the Kansas City Royals have lost 10 games in a row falling 7-6 to the Seattle Mariners (who happen to own MLB's best record at 13-2).

This is not an unfamiliar experience for the Royals who had a 10 game losing streak right before the All-Star Break last year en route to losing 104 games. This team is a far cry from the one that won back to back AL pennants in 2014 & 2015 along with a World Series title in 2015.

To make matters worse, Whit Merrifield's 31-game hitting streak (going back to last season) came to an end. Merrifield, a super utility player, was the only reason Royals' fans had to come out and watch their games. Things don't get any easier as the Royals host the defending AL Central champion Cleveland Indians this weekend in what promises to be another very long season.

Scott Sanderson, R.I.P.

Former MLB pitcher turned agent Scott Sanderson has passed away at the age of 62. No cause of death has been given although his former Montreal Expos teammate and current Miami Marlins bench coach Tim Wallach indicated Sanderson had cancer. Baseball writer Danny Gallagher added that Sanderson had his voice box removed last year and had suffered a stroke which rendered him bedridden.

Sanderson enjoyed a 19-year big league career which began in 1978 with the Montreal Expos where he spent the first six seasons of his career. Although Sanderson would be part of two Chicago Cubs teams to make the post-season (1984 & 1989), pitch in a World Series with the Oakland A's in 1990 and earn his lone All-Star selection with the New York Yankees in 1991, I will always remember him as an Expo where he was a pivotal member of their starting rotation and was part of the team's lone post-season appearance in 1981.

My favorite memory of Sanderson came not on the mound, but at the bat. In a game at Wrigley Field on September 11, 1982, Sanderson belted a grand slam home run. A career .097 hitter, it was only one of two home runs he hit in his entire career

Sanderson also had stints with the Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants and two tenures with the California Angels. In 472 appearances on the mound, Sanderson compiled a 163-143 record with a 3.84 ERA along with 1611 strikeouts. After his playing career concluded in 1996, Sanderson became an agent and represented the likes of Frank Thomas, Lance Berkman and Josh Beckett.

Sanderson was well regarded in the baseball community. Cubs manager Joe Maddon who got to know Sanderson while on the Angels' coaching staff called Sanderson "kind" and "thoughtful." R.I.P.

The NY Post Is 100% Right to Call Out Ilhan Omar For Dismissing 9/11

The Left is all in a tizzy because The New York Post told it like it is concerning Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's dismissal of the 9/11 attacks as "that some people did something" during a speech last month before the Hamas inspired Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Today's NY Post cover showed an image from the 9/11 attack with the headline, "Here's your something - 2,977 dead by terrorism."


But instead of being outraged at Omar's casual dismissal of the deadliest attack against civilians on American soil, the Left defended Omar full throttle.


Rep. Rashida Tlaib: "The NY Post knows exactly what it's doing - taking quotes out of context and evoking painful imagery to spread hate and endangering the life of Rep. Omar. Shame on them, and shame on Rupert Murdoch."


Ed Krassenstein: "It's disgusting that the NY Post is attacking Illhan Omar, somehow trying to link her for 9/11. If anything, this is Islamophobia at its worst. @nypost, you should be ashamed of yourselves."


Chris Hayes of MSNBC: "Not gonna link to it but that NY Post cover is despicable."


As far as I'm concerned the only people being despicable are Omar and those who make excuses for her. In any case, one cannot judge a newspaper by its cover. The Post also put out an editorial explaining its displeasure with the freshman Congresswoman. Here's a portion of said editorial.


No one expects Muslims to “hide” after an attack by Islamist terrorists. No group should be blamed for the deeds of a few of its members. But defeating terrorism requires facing the facts of who’s behind it and why.


Instead, Omar claimed Muslims are being “terrorized” by the nation’s response to 9/11.


By the way: CAIR wasn’t founded post-9/11, but in 1994. And the feds later named it an unindicted co-conspirator in a plot to steer US funds to the terror group Hamas.


Yet Omar upped the obscure-the-facts ante Wednesday, declaring criticism of her “some people did something” line to be “incitement,” on the grounds that she has received death threats.


Huh? She’d rightly be outraged if anyone minimized those threats as merely “some words from some people.”


Omar’s cavalier brushing off of the murder of thousands of innocents on 9/11 should shock all Americans, Muslims included.


The New York Post is 100% right here. They took absolutely nothing out of context. There is no danger to Ilhan Omar's life. There is no Islamphobia, only the cold hard facts. They have nothing for which to be ashamed. The shame is Ilhan Omar's trivialization of 9/11 and those on The Left who make excuses for her.

Stephen Miller & Ilhan Omar Both Represent The Worst of American Politics

I might very well be the only person in this country who believes that both White House advisor Stephen Miller and Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar represent the worst in American politics.




The two have been in the spotlight together since Omar called Miller "a white nationalist" on Twitter. A number of conservatives such as New York Congressman Lee Zedlin have come to Miller's defense on the grounds of his Judaism. But when you spend your formative years at Duke University palling around with white supremacists like Richard Spencer while bullying Spanish speaking students into speaking English then you are a xenophobe. It also doesn't help when his own uncle arrived at the same conclusion.


But I harbor no illusions about the motives of Ilhan Omar. The only reason she is directing her attack at Miller is because he is Jewish. The fact that he is a xenophobe is irrelevant to her. Given how Omar has questioned the loyalty of American Jews, it is no surprise she has reserved her harshest attacks for Jewish officials such as Miller and Elliott Abrams.


Unfortunately, politics is a team sport. Republicans cannot acknowledge Miller's xenophobia (nor Trump's for that matter) while Democrats deny Omar's anti-Semitism (but are quick to accuse Trump of the same). Hatred is hatred. If it's OK for your guy or gal to do it then it is only a matter of time before hatred becomes tolerated and then codified. This is what the Stephen Millers and the Ilhan Omars have unleashed on this country.

Memo to Trump: U.S. Presidents Don't Name Monuments After Themselves

One need not look far to see the degree of President Trump's vanity. Eliana Johnson and Daniel Lippman demonstrate this in an article they wrote for Politico documenting Trump's behavior while he and First Lady Melania Trump were hosting French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte during a visit to George Washington's Mount Vernon estate a year ago:


President Donald Trump had some advice for George Washington.


During a guided tour of Mount Vernon last April with French president Emmanuel Macron, Trump learned that Washington was one of the major real-estate speculators of his era. So, he couldn’t understand why America’s first president didn’t name his historic Virginia compound or any of the other property he acquired after himself. 


“If he was smart, he would’ve put his name on it,” Trump said, according to three sources briefed on the exchange. “You’ve got to put your name on stuff or no one remembers you.”


The VIPs’ tour guide for the evening, Mount Vernon president and CEO Doug Bradburn, told the president that Washington did, after all, succeed in getting the nation’s capital named after him. Good point, Trump said with a laugh.


Along with Trump's later claim that he would have built Mount Vernon better and for less money, this is an astonishing statement. While some Presidents now wallow in obscurity (i.e. John Tyler, Chester Arthur and the much maligned Millard Fillmore) this cannot be said of George Washington. Aside from the Nation's Capitol, he is the only President for whom a state is named after. He is honored in every state of the union. Perhaps he has been away from New York City too long because there is the George Washington Bridge and Washington Square Park. He is on our dollar bill, but I guess Trump only deals in Benjamins.


Great men need not name things after themselves. Trump Tower is no Mount Vernon. That honor is bestowed upon them by others. When Trump's presidency is said and done, there will be far fewer monuments to him than to George Washington.

Netanyahu Wins Re-Election; Poised to Become Israel's Longest Serving PM

Benjamin Netanyahu has earned his fifth mandate from Israeli voters during a national election which took place. Netanyahu faced a tough battle from the centrist Blue and White alliance led by former IDF Chief Benny Gantz. In fact, both Netanyahu's Likud and Gantz's Blue & White each won 35 seats in the Knesset. But the smaller, predominantly Orthodox Jewish parties are most likely to align with Netanyahu to give him yet another mandate.


Assuming Netanyahu is in office in a year from now, he will surpass Israel's first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion as the Jewish State's longest serving Premier. Of course, there are bribery and corruption charges pending and he could face the same fate of his predecessor Ehud Olmert and land in jail.


For now, Netanyahu remains in office. By virtue of winning, Bibi will remain the bête noire of Beto O'Rourke, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and parts of the Democratic Party who see fit to turn Israel into public enemy number one. This is a foolish gambit.


Whether The Left likes it or not, Israelis have made their choice and they have done so freely. The same cannot be said for the Palestinians who have not voted since 2006.

Does Swalwell Have a Shot at the Democratic Nomination?

California Congressman Eric Swalwell has become the 18th Democrat to announce he is running for President during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. 

Swalwell, 38, was first elected to Congress in 2012. He has a little over half a million followers on Twitter. A decent following, but well shy of the nearly 3 million followers of freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

I'm not sure why Swalwell decided to announce on Colbert. It didn't exactly do wonders for Kirsten Gillibrand. Swalwell is also focusing his campaign on gun control. But it's not like he stands out significantly from any of his Democratic opponents on that issue. What's more his district is just outside of San Francisco and methinks that Kamala Harris has that state pretty much wrapped around her finger and given her history as a DA and the state Attorney General, she also outflanks him on the gun control issue.

Swalwell has a pretty good record on Israel. Good enough that he drew the ire of local Palestinian activists during the Israel-Gaza war in 2014. The question is will he distance himself from his past position to curry favor with so-called progressives on Israel. While I don't think he'll go all Beto and call Benjamin Netanyahu a racist, I don't think he'll go out of his way to be so vocal in his support of Israel.

Even if Swalwell concentrates his efforts on gun control, he chances of winning the Democratic Party nomination are more than a long shot.

Chris Davis Sets MLB Record He'd Rather Forget

Tonight, the Baltimore Orioles' offense broke out scoring a season high 12 runs against the Oakland A's.

Unfortunately, Chris Davis once again did not join the hit parade. He went 0 for 5 with two strikeouts. In so doing, he set a MLB record he'd rather forget. Davis is hitless in his last 49 bats dating back to 2018 breaking the previous record held by Eugenio Velez who went hitless in 46 straight at bats in 2010 and 2011 while with the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers. As for 2019, Davis is 0 for 28 with 15 strikeouts.

Even if Davis manages to get a hit soon how much longer will the Orioles stick with him? The O's still owe him $92 million from a $161 million contract signed after the 2015 season when he led the AL with 47 home runs. At what point do the Orioles cut their losses? Honestly, it would probably do Davis a world of good. He could get a way from baseball for awhile and, if he is so inclined, try to make his way back. At 33, there's enough time for Davis to pull off a third act. But it won't be at Camden Yards.

I Hope Bibi is Re-Elected If No Other Reason Than To Piss Off Beto

Let me begin by saying that it is entirely up to Israelis when they go to the polls tomorrow to decide whether they want Benjamin Netanyahu to remain as Prime Minister of it they want to change the guard and give Benny Gantz a go.


But I would like to see Bibi re-elected if for no other reason than to piss off Beto O'Rourke as the former Texas Congressman is calling him a racist.


Of course, Beto has been attacking Bibi on the campaign trail for sometime now. Clearly, O'Rourke has calculated that bashing Israel will earn him left-wing street cred. So when in doubt call Bibi a racist. Never mind that Assad gassed thousands of Syrians. The Left doesn't give a shit about Syrians. It's Israel and Jews that get under their dander. Jews are to Democrats what Mexicans are to Republicans. I wouldn't expect anything less of someone who likens climate change activists to those who sacrificed their lives on D-Day.


By all means let Beto continue attacking Bibi. Should Beto somehow be elected President then he is going to be in the awkward position of having to working with Bibi. If U.S.-Israeli relations deteriorate then Beto will have only himself to blame for his own stupidity. Beto is causing a traffic accident and when it happens there's every reason to believe he will leave the scene of the crime leaving others to clean up his mess.