Harris Claims Netanyahu "Pulled" Trump Into War with Iran

During an appearance at Michigan Democratic Party event yesterday, 2024 Democratic nominee Kamala Harris claimed that Israeli Prime Minister "pulled" President Trump into war with Iran.

When Harris says that Bibi pulled Trump into war does she mean by puppet strings?

If she does, then Harris is promoting an anti-Semitic trope. 

Let's keep in mind that it was Harris' campaign who in vetting Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as her running mate questioned his loyalty to this country on account of his Jewish faith.

Of course, Harris remarks concerning Iran were utterly incoherent. While accusing Netanyahu of pulling Trump into military actions, Harris also claimed Trump was using the war to distract the country from the Epstein files.

So, which is it? Are we at war with Iran because Trump is doing Bibi's bidding or because Trump is trying to distract us from the Epstein files?

Trump's actions in Iran certainly warrant criticism and I have given my share of it. But if Harris and Democrats insist on responding to Trump's demagoguery with demagoguery of their own, they will not inspire my confidence.

It is also difficult to take Harris' claims about Bibi seriously when we consider Trump's public admonition on Friday that Israel refrains from any military action against Lebanon even if fired upon by Hezbollah. 

Yet it would appear that Harris is serious about another White House bid. If this is the case, Harris (and probably every other Democratic Party hopeful) is going to make Israel public enemy number one and, by extension, make it clear that America's Jewish community is not welcome in the Democratic fold unless they renounce Israel.

Unlike 2024, Kamala Harris will not have my vote however revolting Trump, Vance & company are. At this point, I do not trust anyone, Democrat or Republican. Those who do not have my trust are not entitled to my vote.

Mets Lose 10 Straight After 7-4 Start; Is Mendoza Nearing The End of The Line?

The New York Mets have lost their 10th consecutive game falling 4-2 to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

The Mets began the 2026 MLB season winning 7 of their first 11 games and actually had a ½ game lead in the NL East following an extra inning victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 7th. They are now 7 games back of the Atlanta Braves. During this 10-game skid, the Mets have been outscored 60-16 and shutout thrice.

Although we are scarcely into the second inning of the season, it is reasonable to wonder if Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza is nearing the end of the line.

For starters, the Mets have the second highest payroll in MLB. This means the Mets are expected to win and to win now.

Let us also consider Mendoza himself. Hired prior to the 2024 season on a three-year deal with a club option for 2027, the Mets would earn a NL Wild Card berth and reach the NLCS falling to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. But then there was last year. Things were looking very good for the Mets. In mid-June, the Mets had the best record in MLB with a 45-24 and had a 5½ game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. The Mets were not so amazin' going 38-55 the rest of the way. As Mets announcer Gary Cohen put it at the time, "And the Mets agonizing, three-and-a-half-month, slow-motion collapse, is complete."

Of course, the Mets underwent a significant overhaul during the offseason. Pete Alonso signed a free agent contract with the Baltimore Orioles with closer Edwin Diaz doing the same with the Dodgers while Jeff McNeil was traded to the Athletics. Brandon Nimmo was shipped to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Marcus Semien. The Mets did acquire the services of former Toronto Blue Jays infielder Bo Bichette but really wanted Kyle Tucker who signed with (who else?) the Dodgers as well as Luis Robert, Jr. from the Chisox not to mention Devin Williams from the crosstown Yankees. They also acquired Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta.

Much of this is beyond the control of Mendoza. But Mendoza did lift Peralta in favor of Brooks Raley this afternoon who promptly gave up a pinch hit 3-run HR to Carson Kelly. Losing to the Cubs must add an extra sting when you consider that current Cubs skipper Craig Counsell was their top choice after they dismissed Buck Showalter following the 2023 season, but Counsell didn't want a bite of the Big Apple.

Bichette (.227 1 HR & 9 RBI) and Semien (.216 1 HR & 8 RBI) are struggling at the plate along with Francisco Lindor (.214 1 HR & 1 RBI) and Brett Baty (.190 0 HR & 7 RBI) who are hitting at or the below the Mendoza Line. That would be Mario, not Carlos. Still, Mario Mendoza isn't sitting on the hot seat.

Their pitching hasn't been much better. Although Peralta (1-2 4.05 ERA), Nolan McLean (1-1 2.28 ERA) and Clay Holmes (2-2 1.96 ERA) have pitched serviceably, both David Peterson (0-3 6.41 ERA) and Kodai Senga (0-3 8.83 ERA) have been getting hammered. Williams has been ineffective in the closer role with his 6.75 ERA, and the Mets are now relying on Craig Kimbrel. While Kimbrel is a future Hall of Famer, he has not saved a game since 2024.

As Jeff Passan noted, only four teams in MLB history have reached the post-season following a losing streak of 10 games or longer although one of those teams was the Cleveland Guardians from last season. Indeed, the Guardians were 15½ games back of the Detroit Tigers on Fourth of July weekend only to win the AL Central.

The Mets aren't that deep in the hole, and they are expected to get Juan Soto back off the injury list before the end of the month. Let us also consider that the rest of the NL East outside of the Braves isn't exactly lighting the world on fire. The Philadelphia Phillies, who are coming off four straight post-season appearances including back-to-back NL East titles and the NL pennant in 2022, have had an almost equally disappointing start. The Miami Marlins have lost 7 of their last 8 games following an 8-5 start. Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals could be headed for their 7th straight losing season after winning the World Series in 2019.

So, with a scant 141 games to play, the Mets have time to turn the corner. However, there remains a question if that will happen with Carlos Mendoza in the dugout.

Tom DiMenna Could Have Read Gordon Lightfoot's Mind

 

For those who have the privilege of truly knowing me will be aware that my musical wheelhouse is centered firmly in the early 1970s with a special emphasis on singer-songwriters - Harry Chapin, Cat Stevens and Gordon Lightfoot among others.

This afternoon, I ventured to the Church of the Presidents in Quincy, Massachusetts (just south of Boston) to see and hear Maine based folk singer Tom DiMenna pay homage to Chapin, Stevens and Lightfoot in a spring edition of the Story Songs of the 70s. 

I did have some slight trepidation in attending this event. In September 2024, I saw an outfit called Wild Taxi perform a tribute to Cat Stevens and Harry Chapin at City Winery in Boston. The experience was a mixed bag. Their set for Stevens was remarkable but decidedly lackluster with Chapin despite having his longtime drummer Howie Fields in their group. I should note that Wild Taxi is part of a larger group called Satinwood which also has a fine tribute show for Gordon Lightfoot and Jim Croce called Rainy Day People which I attended at City Winery's Haymarket Lounge in August 2022.

During DiMenna's 16-song, 75-minute set, there were only three Chapin songs - "Taxi", "I Wanna Learn a Love Song" and "Cats in the Cradle", the latter of which he noted is his 2-year-old son's favorite song. DiMenna also noted that many in his audience firmly believe that Stevens, not Chapin wrote "Cats in the Cradle". This is something that Stevens (a.k.a. Yusuf) has also debunked apparently to no avail.

As for Stevens, DiMenna sang five of his songs - "The Wind", "Moonshadow", "If You Want to Sing Out", "Oh Very Young" and "Father and Son". Whereas Wild Taxi covered much of the Tea for the Tillerman album, "Father and Son" was the only song from that album which made the cut during DiMenna's set.

A very amusing thing happened before DiMenna played "If You Want to Sing Out". DiMenna recounted a story from the set of Harold and Maude where Stevens saw Ruth Gordon play the song on piano. Stevens then pulled director Hal Ashby aside and said her rendition was terrible. Ashby reminded Stevens that he missed the point of his own song, a point which Stevens had to concede. After telling this story, the MC came on the microphone in the back of the room and informed DiMenna that Gordon was born in Quincy. To which DiMenna replied, "Thank you, G-d!!!", to uproarious laughter.

After the song, I shouted out "Rest in Peace Bud Cort" in tribute to the Harold and Maude star who passed away in February. This proved to be a mistake. A woman sitting in the pew to my right shot me an angry, dirty look. Perhaps some things are best left unsaid. Or perhaps I'm not the right person to say it.

DiMenna is definitively closest in both sound and in spirit to Gordon Lightfoot. Indeed, DiMenna has Lightfoot's vocal inflections and made a point of saying he was in "a Gordon frame of mind." When I heard DiMenna's renditions of Chapin and Stevens, I heard a lot of Lightfoot in there. In all, DiMenna sang eight Lightfoot songs: "Pussywillows Cattails", "Early Morning Rain", "If You Could Read My Mind", "Rainy Day People", "The House You Live In" and a rousing rendition of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" before ending the show with a two-song encore of "Carefree Highway" and "Race Among The Ruins".

DiMenna confessed that he was unfamiliar with "The House You Live In" until he was approached by someone at a gig in Vermont to play the song. When DiMenna told the fan he was not familiar with the song, the fan whispered in his ear, "You need to learn this song." DiMenna then asked why and the fan whispered. "I think it speaks to the times," and then promptly walked away.

Before playing "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", DiMenna mentioned there was a recently a show in which a couple was dancing to the tragic epic. For his part, DiMenna said if the audience chose to dance to "The Wreck" "there was no judgment from this side of the stage." Ably accompanying DiMenna onstage were Dan Clayderman on bass and harmonies and Frank Fotusky on guitar.

If you are a fan of early 1970's singer-songwriter music, then you will enjoy your time with Tom DiMenna especially if you're a Gordon Lightfoot. It was as if he could read his mind.

Maine Democratic Senate Candidate Platner is a Nazi Tattoo Wearing Hamas Apologist

 

(WGME)

Last week, I focused on Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed's excusing the terrorist attack against Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township last month.

Sadly, El-Sayed is not the only Democratic Senate hopeful with dubious views.

Graham Platner, who is seeking the Democratic Party nomination for the U.S. Senate in Maine, has a long history anti-Semitic words and deeds.

A few days ago, it was revealed the Platner had praised Hamas in 2014. During a Hamas raid which killed five Israeli soldiers, Platner posted on Reddit, "I dig it."

Platner also recently amplified a social media post by white supremacist Stew Peters (before deleting it). What is not so easily deleted was his interview in January with anti-Semitic podcast host Nate Cornacchia who has claimed that Israel is responsible for the assassination of both JFK and Charlie Kirk. Platner describes himself as "a longtime fan" of Cornacchia.

And there is the Nazi tattoo. Platner says the tattoo is now covered. But his hate for Jews is plain to see.

In a different time, civilized society would have shunned Platner.

But in most polls, Platner is leading sitting Governor Janet Mills by a 2-1 margin.

Platner has earned the endorsement of Arizona Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego and will be campaigning with Massachusetts' own Elizabeth Warren this weekend.

From where I sit, this makes Platner far more dangerous than El-Sayed in Michigan at the moment. The only Senate endorsement El-Sayed has received is from Bernie Sanders who is technically an Independent although he caucuses with the Democrats and has twice sought the party's presidential nomination.

If Democratic voters nominate either Platner or El-Sayed then they are no better than the ICE supporting MAGA who make up Trump's base.

What good is accomplished by replacing one set of hateful bigots with another?

If Democrats in Maine do choose Platner, he will face Republican Susan Collins who is seeking her sixth term in office. She cannot be said to be true MAGA. Although one can reasonably criticize Collins for not learning her lesson when it comes to President Trump she has been effective in working behind the scenes in minimizing the impact of his administration's budget cuts. However, this might not matter in mid-term elections where anti-Trump sentiment is running high and deservedly so. 

Collins knows how to govern. All Platner is good at it is being a performative asshole who digs Hamas while trying to hide an anti-Semitism which can never be removed.

Garret Anderson May Have Been The Greatest Player to Wear an Angels Uniform

 

Former MLB player Garrett Anderson passed away suddenly yesterday of an apparent heart attack. He was only 53.

On a personal note, I am also 53. This is the sort of thing which makes one sit up and take notice and take stock.

Anderson played 17 MLB seasons - 15 of them with the Angels. Whether it was the California Angels, Anaheim Angels or Los Angeles Angels, Anderson wore the uniform well and, outside of Mike Trout, might have been the greatest Angel of them all. 

Drafted out of high school by the Angels in the fourth round of the 1990 MLB Draft, Anderson would have a cup of coffee with the big-league team during the strike shortened 1994 season. In 1995, Anderson finished second in AL Rookie of the Year balloting to Minnesota Twins slugger Marty Cordova. That 1995 season was marred by the late season collapse which resulted in the Seattle Mariners' first ever post-season appearance.

Anderson reached the peak of his career between 2000-2003 driving in 100 plus runs each of these seasons. In 2002, Anderson would be a crucial figure in earning the Angels' lone World Series title. Anderson's bases loaded double off Livan Hernandez in Game 7 of that Fall Classic against the San Francisco Giants proved to be the game winner. He would finish fourth in AL MVP balloting that season hitting .306 with 29 HR and 123 RBI along with a league leading 56 doubles. In 2003, Anderson would again lead the AL in doubles with 49 and also earned the All-Star Game MVP going 3-for-4 with a two-run HR off Woody Williams en route to a 7-6 AL victory at Chicago's Comiskey Park.

Anderson played with the Halos through 2008. He spent 2009 with the Atlanta Braves and finished his career in Southern California in 2010 with the cross-town rival Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2228 career games, Anderson collected 2529 career hits for a lifetime batting average of .293 with 287 HR and 1365 RBI. Those 1365 RBI ties him with Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda for 87th on MLB's all-time list.

Those totals will likely be surpassed by MLB's active RBI leader Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers later this season. Freeman enters tonight with 1336 RBI, one ahead of Hall of Famer Mike Piazza and one behind Hall of Famer Johnny Mize. As it happens, Anderson was Freeman's favorite player growing up. The two became friends and Freeman remembered Anderson as "a beautiful man." 

While it has been nearly 20 years since Anderson last wore an Angels uniform, he remains the team's all-time leader in games played (2,013), hits (2,368), RBIs (1,292), doubles (489), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796) and grand slams (eight). Anderson's 2529 hits place him 96th on MLB's all-time list while his 522 career doubles place in a three-way tie for 50th on MLB's all-time list with Johnny Damon and Hall of Famer Ed Delahanty. Anderson hit only 2 fewer doubles than Ken Griffey, Jr. He was in some very, very good company.

Alas, Anderson would only receive a single vote on the 2016 BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot. There's a crowded outfield in Cooperstown. Perhaps there isn't a spot for him but surely, he warranted more than a single vote. Perhaps the Contemporary Era Committee will give him a look one of these years. 

Hall of Fame or not, Garret Anderson will always be an Angel in the outfield. R.I.P.

Carney Cobbles Together a Liberal Majority Government Nearly a Year After Canadian Federal Election

Tonight, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has gone from a Liberal minority to a Liberal majority government.

Thus far the Liberals have earned two by-election victories in the Toronto area - one in the riding of University-Rosedale which is in downtown Toronto and the other in Scarborough Southwest which is situated east of downtown. The latter riding was won by Dolly Begum who began 2026 as the Deputy Leader of the Ontario NDP before she jumped from provincial to federal politics and in the process jumped ship to the Liberals. 

The Liberals could win one more byelection in Quebec having pulled ahead of the Bloc Quebecois in the constituency of Terrebonne, a north shore suburb of Montreal. In last year's election, the BQ won the seat, but a recount gave it to the Liberals by a single vote until the Supreme Court of Canada annulled the result in February and ordered the by-election. If the Liberals sweep that will give them 174 seats - a two-seat majority but a majority just the same.

But the journey from minority to majority has been months in the making. Nearly a year ago, the Liberals hung onto a minority parliament under Carney's leadership. President Trump's jingoistic gave the Liberals a lifeline with Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

In the year since the election, the Liberals have cobbled together a majority government primarily through defections from both the Conservatives and the NDP. Between November 2025 and February 2026, three Tory MPs jumped ship to the Liberals - Chris d'Entremont from Nova Scotia, Michael Ma from Markham, just northeast of Toronto and Edmonton area MP Matt Jeneroux.

Last month, the Liberals earned a defection from the NDP in Lori Idlout, who is an MP from the Nunavut territory. Then last week, another Conservative MP joined the Liberal ranks. Marilyn Gladu, an MP from Sarnia, Ontario situated on the bottom of Lake Huron about three hours southwest of Toronto, became the latest and most surprising defection. A former federal leadership candidate for the Tories, Gladu is known for her socially conservative views on LGBTQ issues.

There are those who question the legitimacy of the Liberals getting to a majority government primarily by floor crossings. Many moons ago there was a NDP MP from Nova Scotia named Peter Stoffer who vigorously opposed floor crossings and proposed a private members bill which would not permit floor crossings. Any MP who left his or her party would either have to sit as an independent or if they wished to join another party, resign their seat and run in a by-election under their new party affiliation.

On a personal note, I twice interviewed with Stoffer for job in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Needless to say, I was not selected but found him to be an affable fellow. 

While I am not unsympathetic to Stoffer's argument, as Michael Barone has long argued, "All process arguments are insincere." 

Poilievre rails against floor crossings. But if Poilievre had the chance to lure Liberal, NDP and maybe even a Bloc Quebecois MP into the Tory fold so he could become Prime Minister, does anyone honestly think he would pass up the opportunity?

The fact is that Mark Carney is better than Pierre Poilievre at politics. If Poilievre had done a better job of building relationships within his caucus, then perhaps there would not be a Liberal majority today. Meanwhile, the NDP is a sinking ship at the federal level. Avi Lewis might excite the far-left grassroots, but he literally accepted his party's leadership in front of a Palestinian flag, not a Canadian one. 

The Liberals under Carney want to govern while the Tories and NDP want to appeal to their lunatic fringes. So long as this is the case coupled with Donald Trump's presence in the White House then the Liberal majority is staying put for the foreseeable future.

This isn't to say that I don't have concerns about Carney. I am deeply concerned about Carney's priorities where it concerns Israel and Canadian Jews and their institutions being expelled from civil society. Alas, the NDP is even worse when it comes to Israel and the status of Canadian Jews while I'm afraid the Tories are merely paying lip service.

As it stands, Carney gets the Liberals back into the majority government column. We'll see if Canadians will want to keep this Liberal majority in 2029. If Trump decides to create a constitutional crisis and run for a third term or if we choose another Republican President hostile to Canada, then Mark Carney will call 24 Sussex Drive home for years to come.

Orban Concedes After Being Ousted by Hungarian Voters; Trump Would Never Do The Same

After ruling Hungary with an iron fist for more than 15 years, its voters have decidedly ousted Viktor Orban's Fidesz Party in favor of Peter Magyar, a one-time ally of Orban who broke with him a couple of years ago.

Most crucially Orban, an ally of both Vladimir Putin and President Trump, conceded defeat. Considering the amount of control Orban had in Hungary and his alliance with both Putin and Trump, this is a remarkable development. If nothing else, it demonstrates that Hungarians can still choose their own destiny and that the will of the people counts for something.

Of course, it is entirely possible that Magyar will prove to be every bit as autocratic as Orban. And who can say Orban, who is only 62 (but looks decades older) won't be returned to power in a few short years as we in America chose to return Trump to power despite his incompetence and corrupt ways.

Nevertheless, I cannot emphasize Orban's concession enough. Because this is the crucial difference between Trump and Orban. Trump will never publicly accept the results of the 2020 election much less acknowledge that Joe Biden was the President of the United States. Indeed, Trump will never accept the result of any election which he does not win. What complicates matters is Trump may very well contest the 2028 presidential election despite the 22nd Amendment. And even if he doesn't run, should we elect a Republican President then Trump will be the defacto President much in the way Putin was when he held the position of "Prime Minister" when Dmitri Medvedev held the title of Russian Federation President.

For many years, the MAGA crowd has held Orban with deep affection. Indeed, Orban was warmly received at CPAC in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Both Vice-President Vance and Secretary of State Rubio gave what amounted to campaign speeches for Orban during this election not to mention Trump's full-throated support on Truth Social. 

Given today's results, it is clear their intervention did Orban more harm than good. The Hungarian people simply had enough and Orban could not reject their verdict much less suggest it was fraudulent in any way. 

The same cannot be said for Trump who by tomorrow might tell us he didn't know Orban very well. It is inconceivable that Trump would utter the words Orban spoke when he said, “The responsibility and possibility of governing was not given to us.” Such words are not part of Trump's vocabulary, nor would they be a part of any Republican seeking the White House in Trump's stead should he choose not to run. Trump has never let the facts or truth get in the way of what he says or posts on social media. Why would he start now?

Unfortunately, a plurality of the American people has never let the facts and truth get in the way of their support for Trump and probably never will.