When White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was defending President Trump's exclusion of Jews in his Holocaust Remembrance Day statement it reminded me of when his predecessor Josh Earnest defended President Obama when he said the January 2015 attack on Jews at Hyper Cacher was a "random attack".
After all what's the difference between Spicer saying that there were people other than Jews who suffered during The Holocaust and Earnest saying there were people other than Jews in that deli?
Let's be clear. The principle targets of the Nazis were Jews and the principle targets of that terrorist in the Paris deli were Jews. The failure to recognize this demonstrates not only that history teaches us nothing and that politics, be it Left or Right, is devoid of morality.
Monday, January 30, 2017
Is Trump Naming His SC Pick Tomorrow To Distract Us From His Muslim Ban Clusterf#*k?
President Trump has announced he will name his Supreme Court pick in a prime time address tomorrow night two days ahead of schedule.
There's only one reason for shifting this timetable and that would be to take focus off the clusterf#*k his Muslim immigration and travel ban has been. The only thing that animates liberals more than Islamophobia and racism is the Supreme Court. This will especially be true if Trump throws a curve and appoints Ted Cruz to the bench.
I know Trump released a shortlist of William Pryor, Neil Gorsuch and Thomas Hardiman last week. But this is Trump we're talking about here. He's impulsive and can change at a moment's notice. If he can change when he announces his Supreme Court appointment who can say he wouldn't change who his Supreme Court appointment will be?
Regardless of who Trump appoints it looks like he will get what he wants. The same cannot be said for his Muslim ban. Come to think of it the sooner he appoints a justice the more likely Trump's Muslim ban will be able to withstand any judicial challenges that have already been launched.
There's only one reason for shifting this timetable and that would be to take focus off the clusterf#*k his Muslim immigration and travel ban has been. The only thing that animates liberals more than Islamophobia and racism is the Supreme Court. This will especially be true if Trump throws a curve and appoints Ted Cruz to the bench.
I know Trump released a shortlist of William Pryor, Neil Gorsuch and Thomas Hardiman last week. But this is Trump we're talking about here. He's impulsive and can change at a moment's notice. If he can change when he announces his Supreme Court appointment who can say he wouldn't change who his Supreme Court appointment will be?
Regardless of who Trump appoints it looks like he will get what he wants. The same cannot be said for his Muslim ban. Come to think of it the sooner he appoints a justice the more likely Trump's Muslim ban will be able to withstand any judicial challenges that have already been launched.
Why Won't Quebec Authorities Release The Names of The Two Shooters Responsible For Mosque Attack? UPDATE
As I write this it has been at least 12 hours since the two suspects in the Quebec City mosque shooting which left six congregants dead and yet authorities have not been forthcoming in releasing their names.
At the time of the shooting a witness reported he heard shouts of "Allahu Akbar". As such it is only natural to wonder if the perpetrators were Muslim as I did last night. There has been speculation on social media that the perpetrators were Syrian refugees. If this turns out to be a case it would not only put a black mark on Prime Minister Trudeau's Syrian refugee program, but could also have the effect of vindicating President Trump's executive order barring travel and immigration from Syria along with six other Muslim majority countries. The Islamophobia narrative would be shot to hell. It would certainly go a long way in explaining the delay.
Still, speculation has been rampant. The Daily Beast got fooled by a fake Reuters website and erroneously identified the suspects as white supremacists. By the same token, it is certainly possible that the perpetrators aren't Syrian refugees either.
Of course it is possible that this could have been a Muslim on Muslim attack with the perpetrators being born and raised in Quebec and possibly converts as was the case in the 2014 Parliament Hill shooting in Ottawa.
I say let the chips fall where the may and sooner the authorities release the names the better. The longer they wait the more speculation will abound and that is unhealthy. If the perpetrators are non-Muslim then we have to deal with that fact. But if they are Muslim we also must deal with that fact too.
Whoever is responsible for this act what is beyond dispute is that six people were killed in prayer. It is something all reasonable people ought to abhor.
UPDATE: Although Quebec authorities arrested two Laval University students, Alexandre Bissonnette and Mohamed el Khadir, police eventually said one of the men was a witness although declined to be more specific. CBC News didn't exactly cover itself in glory when it tweeted, "Only one of the two men detained in the#QuebecShooting is considered a suspect. Because of this, we are deleting posts with their names." The tweet had all the makings of a whitewash.
However, authorities are now confirming that Bissonnette is the shooter and el Khadir is the witness. Obviously a hatred of Muslims was the motive although it isn't clear what precisely set him off last night. No doubt there will be an examination of any social media posts made by Bissonnette or any subsequent statements he might make to the authorities.
In the interim, I fully expect Prime Minister Trudeau to speak out against Islamophobia and quite possibly introduce more gun control legislation to give the appearance of doing something.
Of course, nothing can justify this heinous act. But as Groucho Marx said, "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies." Just as with President Trump, I have no doubt Trudeau will look for trouble, find it, diagnose it incorrectly and apply the wrong remedies.
At the time of the shooting a witness reported he heard shouts of "Allahu Akbar". As such it is only natural to wonder if the perpetrators were Muslim as I did last night. There has been speculation on social media that the perpetrators were Syrian refugees. If this turns out to be a case it would not only put a black mark on Prime Minister Trudeau's Syrian refugee program, but could also have the effect of vindicating President Trump's executive order barring travel and immigration from Syria along with six other Muslim majority countries. The Islamophobia narrative would be shot to hell. It would certainly go a long way in explaining the delay.
Still, speculation has been rampant. The Daily Beast got fooled by a fake Reuters website and erroneously identified the suspects as white supremacists. By the same token, it is certainly possible that the perpetrators aren't Syrian refugees either.
Of course it is possible that this could have been a Muslim on Muslim attack with the perpetrators being born and raised in Quebec and possibly converts as was the case in the 2014 Parliament Hill shooting in Ottawa.
I say let the chips fall where the may and sooner the authorities release the names the better. The longer they wait the more speculation will abound and that is unhealthy. If the perpetrators are non-Muslim then we have to deal with that fact. But if they are Muslim we also must deal with that fact too.
Whoever is responsible for this act what is beyond dispute is that six people were killed in prayer. It is something all reasonable people ought to abhor.
UPDATE: Although Quebec authorities arrested two Laval University students, Alexandre Bissonnette and Mohamed el Khadir, police eventually said one of the men was a witness although declined to be more specific. CBC News didn't exactly cover itself in glory when it tweeted, "Only one of the two men detained in the
However, authorities are now confirming that Bissonnette is the shooter and el Khadir is the witness. Obviously a hatred of Muslims was the motive although it isn't clear what precisely set him off last night. No doubt there will be an examination of any social media posts made by Bissonnette or any subsequent statements he might make to the authorities.
In the interim, I fully expect Prime Minister Trudeau to speak out against Islamophobia and quite possibly introduce more gun control legislation to give the appearance of doing something.
Of course, nothing can justify this heinous act. But as Groucho Marx said, "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies." Just as with President Trump, I have no doubt Trudeau will look for trouble, find it, diagnose it incorrectly and apply the wrong remedies.
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Five Muslims Killed in Quebec City Mosque; Were They Killed By Other Muslims? UPDATE
Tonight, two gunmen opened fire at the Islamic Cultural Center in Quebec City killing five congregants. The two gunmen are in custody but have not been identified.
A witness reports the gunmen shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the attack, a calling card of far too many Islamic terrorist attacks. The question, of course, is whether Muslims killed fellow Muslims or if non-Muslims were adding insult to injury.
Of course, Muslims are the frequent victim of Islamic terrorism in the Muslim world. I suppose it was only a matter of time before there was a Muslim on Muslim attack in the West.
Regardless of who perpetrated the attack, five people engaged in prayer were taken away from those families in an act of terrorism.
UPDATE: The death toll has now risen to six. Although the suspects have been in custody for some time now the authorities have not been forthcoming in releasing their names. I have some further thoughts here.
A witness reports the gunmen shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the attack, a calling card of far too many Islamic terrorist attacks. The question, of course, is whether Muslims killed fellow Muslims or if non-Muslims were adding insult to injury.
Of course, Muslims are the frequent victim of Islamic terrorism in the Muslim world. I suppose it was only a matter of time before there was a Muslim on Muslim attack in the West.
Regardless of who perpetrated the attack, five people engaged in prayer were taken away from those families in an act of terrorism.
UPDATE: The death toll has now risen to six. Although the suspects have been in custody for some time now the authorities have not been forthcoming in releasing their names. I have some further thoughts here.
American Born Muslims Are More Likely to Commit Terrorism Than Muslims From The Seven Banned Countries
Let's consider what President Trump said when he introduced his executive order barring immigration and travel from seven Muslim majority countries:
I am establishing new vetting measures to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America. We don't want them here.
We want to ensure that we are not admitting into our country the very threats our soldiers are fighting overseas. We only want to admit those into our country who will support our country and love deeply our people.
Yet when we look at the terrorist attacks that have occurred in the United States since September 11, 2001 a good many of them were perpetrated by American born Muslims. Among them were the DC Snipers, the Fort Hood shooter, the Little Rock Army recruiter shooter, the beheading at the Oklahoma food processing plant, one of the San Bernardino shooters (which precipitated Trump to establish this policy) and the Orlando nightclub shooter.
Over this same period, there were only two incidents concerning the countries affected by the ban. The perpetrator of the March 2006 car ramming at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill was born in Iran while the perpetrator of the Ohio State University car ramming was a Somali refugee.
Aside from the two attacks I've described, the foreign born who have perpetuated terrorist attacks in this country have been from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Egypt, Pakistan, Chechnya, Kenya and Kuwait. This encompasses 9/11, the Boston Marathon attacks, the El Al counter shooting at LAX, the Chattanooga military shooting and San Bernardino.
I'm not saying that immigration and travel from the seven countries in President Trump's ban shouldn't have extra scrutiny. However, if the aim here is to prevent terrorism I simply don't see how barring immigration and travel from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen will accomplish much of anything. It seems to me that if we want to address Islamic terrorism we need to look on our own soil first.
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Trump Pulls a Trudeau on Holocaust Remembrance Day
For all of the Trump Administration's public efforts to mend fences with Israel, I was astounded to learn that the White House statement on Holocaust Remembrance Day omitted any mention of the Jews. As John Podhoretz writes in Commentary:
After reading it, I thought to myself, “The Trump White House is an amateur operation, understaffed and without much executive-branch experience, and whoever wrote the statement and issued it blew it out of ignorance and sloppiness.”
I won’t be making that mistake again.
Jake Tapper of CNN reported Saturday night that Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks defended and even celebrated the White House statement. The decision not to mention the Jews was deliberate, Hicks said, a way of demonstrating the inclusive approach of the Trump administration: “Despite what the media reports, we are an incredibly inclusive group and we took into account all of those who suffered…it was our honor to issue a statement in remembrance of this important day.”
No, Hope Hicks, and no to whomever you are serving as a mouthpiece. The Nazis killed an astonishing number of people in monstrous ways and targeted certain groups—Gypsies, the mentally challenged, and open homosexuals, among others. But the Final Solution was aimed solely at the Jews. The Holocaust was about the Jews. There is no “proud” way to offer a remembrance of the Holocaust that does not reflect that simple, awful, world-historical fact. To universalize it to “all those who suffered” is to scrub the Holocaust of its meaning.
This episode reminds me of when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau omitted any mention of Jews in his Holocaust Remembrance Day statement last year. Suffice it to say, Trudeau did not make that mistake this year.
With this in mind, it will be interesting to see what the Trump Administration will have to say about The Holocaust next year.
Trump Has Only Himself To Blame For The Chaos He Has Unleashed With Muslim Ban
President Trump's Executive Order banning immigration and travel from seven Muslim majority nations has predictably resulted in global chaos when the White House overruled DHS and indicated the executive order applies to both permanent U.S. residents and dual citizens (although late on Saturday National Security Adviser Michael Flynn indicated that dual Canadian citizens would be exempt after all).
All of this is on top of the betrayal of Iraqis who put their lives on the line for American soldiers who have been left in the cold including interpreters as well as academics who were refused entry into the country. This resulted in protests in airports all over the country. Eventually a federal judge slapped a temporary injunction stopping deportations of those who still have valid visas but the rest of the ban remains intact.
For this President Trump has only himself to blame and for what. None of this is going to stop Islamic terrorism. It won't stop homegrown terrorism nor will it prevent anyone from a country like Yemen from contacting a terror cell in Europe and send them to this country to carry out a terrorist attack. What Trump has accomplished today is to engender anger and alienation as well as left a stain on this country's legacy of freedom and liberty.
All of this is on top of the betrayal of Iraqis who put their lives on the line for American soldiers who have been left in the cold including interpreters as well as academics who were refused entry into the country. This resulted in protests in airports all over the country. Eventually a federal judge slapped a temporary injunction stopping deportations of those who still have valid visas but the rest of the ban remains intact.
For this President Trump has only himself to blame and for what. None of this is going to stop Islamic terrorism. It won't stop homegrown terrorism nor will it prevent anyone from a country like Yemen from contacting a terror cell in Europe and send them to this country to carry out a terrorist attack. What Trump has accomplished today is to engender anger and alienation as well as left a stain on this country's legacy of freedom and liberty.
Friday, January 27, 2017
Barbara Hale, R.I.P.
Actress Barbara Hale, best known for playing Della Street on Perry Mason from 1957 to 1966 and again in the Perry Mason TV movies from 1985-1995, has passed away at the age of 94.
Some of Hale's other TV credits include The Millionaire, Lassie, Adam-12 and Marcus Welby, M.D. Hale would reunite with Perry Mason himself Raymond Burr in a 1971 episode of Ironside and would also appear in The Greatest American Hero which starred her son William Katt. Hale and Katt would also appear together in the Perry Mason TV movies.
I did not know Hale was a member of the Bahai faith.
Here's a clip of a pre-Perry Mason Barbara Hale singing in the 1956 movie The Houston Story with Gene Barry. R.I.P.
Some of Hale's other TV credits include The Millionaire, Lassie, Adam-12 and Marcus Welby, M.D. Hale would reunite with Perry Mason himself Raymond Burr in a 1971 episode of Ironside and would also appear in The Greatest American Hero which starred her son William Katt. Hale and Katt would also appear together in the Perry Mason TV movies.
I did not know Hale was a member of the Bahai faith.
Sir John Hurt, R.I.P.
Actor Sir John Hurt has passed away of cancer less than a week after his 77th birthday.
Hurt's career spanned half a century and he managed to find popularity with each succeeding generation. He first gained notice in 1966 for his portrayal of Richard Rich in A Man For All Seasons. Hurt would gain acclaim on British TV for his portrayal of Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and Caligula in I, Claudius.
In the late 1970's and early 1980's, Hurt's popularity made its way to this country gaining Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor Oscar nominations for Midnight Express and The Elephant Man. In between those films, Hurt gained cinematic immortality in Alien (even if it did turn his stomach and ours).
Other film credits include the unfairly maligned Heaven's Gate, History of the World, Part 1, Nineteen Eighty Four, Spaceballs, Scandal and Rob Roy. Younger movie and TV fans remember Hurt from his portrayal of Mr. Ollivander in the Harry Potter movies, the Hellboy movies, the War Doctor in Doctor Who.
But when I hear John Hurt's name what immediately springs to mind is his appearance on Paul McCartney's video for his 1982 hit "Take It Away". R.I.P.
Check Out My First Article at National Review Online on Curt Schilling, Cooperstown & Trump
Today is a happy day. I got my first ever article published at National Review Online.
In the piece, I make the case that Curt Schilling's support for President Trump shouldn't keep him out of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
You can read it here.
In the piece, I make the case that Curt Schilling's support for President Trump shouldn't keep him out of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
You can read it here.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Mike Connors, R.I.P.
Actor Mike Connors, best known for starring in the CBS TV series Mannix from 1968-1975, has died of leukemia at the age of 91.
Born Kreker Ohanian, he earned the nickname "Touch" for his basketball prowess in high school. Following a stint in the U.S Army Air Forces, he would earn a basketball scholarship to UCLA and played under the legendary John Wooden. It was while playing basketball at UCLA that he was discovered by Hollywood director William A. Wellman (best known for earning the first Best Director Oscar for Wings). During his first years as an actor, he was credited as Touch Connors (including a small role in The Ten Commandments) before becoming Michael Connors in 1957 and eventually shortened to Mike Connors during his Mannix success.
Following Mannix, Connors appeared in shows like Police Story, The Love Boat, The Commish and Murder, She Wrote. His final TV appearance came in 2007 on Two and a Half Men.
Of Armenian heritage, here is a short video of Connors describing how Christmas is celebrated in Armenia.
Born Kreker Ohanian, he earned the nickname "Touch" for his basketball prowess in high school. Following a stint in the U.S Army Air Forces, he would earn a basketball scholarship to UCLA and played under the legendary John Wooden. It was while playing basketball at UCLA that he was discovered by Hollywood director William A. Wellman (best known for earning the first Best Director Oscar for Wings). During his first years as an actor, he was credited as Touch Connors (including a small role in The Ten Commandments) before becoming Michael Connors in 1957 and eventually shortened to Mike Connors during his Mannix success.
Following Mannix, Connors appeared in shows like Police Story, The Love Boat, The Commish and Murder, She Wrote. His final TV appearance came in 2007 on Two and a Half Men.
Of Armenian heritage, here is a short video of Connors describing how Christmas is celebrated in Armenia.
Trump's Muslim Immigration & Travel Ban Is More Likely to Exclude Dissidents Than Terrorists
According to a document obtained by Bloomberg News, the seven Muslim majority countries from which will be excluded from travel and immigration to the United States are as follows: Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen.
As Bloomberg has further noted it excludes Muslim majority countries such as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates where Trump has business interests. Quel surprise. Last I checked, there is every bit as much terrorism in Turkey as there is in Iraq or Libya. Of course, Trump admires Erdogan for putting down last summer's aborted coup.
Although it's possible the list could expand it is worth noting it does not include Saudi Arabia from where 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers called home nor does it include Pakistan where Osama bin Laden met his maker.
I don't object to the countries in question getting far higher vetting than they presently do, but an outright ban is hopelessly impractical. Let's assume a terrorist in Yemen wants to do this country harm and sees fit to plot a terrorist attack against this country. What is to prevent him from reaching the United States from Europe or recruiting others to do the same? And as our soldiers in Fort Hood and office workers in San Bernardino found out Muslim terrorists can be just as easily born and bred in the United States.
When it is all said and done, the ban is far more likely to exclude dissidents than it is terrorists. There are many Iranians living in exile in the United States and throughout the West who have absolutely no sympathy for the Mullahs. While the regime may chant "Death to America", Iran might very well be the least anti-American country in the Muslim world.
And what of the future Ayaan Hirsi Alis of the world? Not surprisingly, Hirsi Ali did not care for Trump's proposal when he unleashed it on the world in December 2015. Yes, it is true that Hirsi Ali is an atheist. But when she arrived The Netherlands a quarter century ago, she was a devout Sunni Muslim who believed that Salman Rushdie deserved to die and once participated in a rally in Kenya to burn The Satanic Verses, a book she hadn't read. Hirsi Ali and Rushdie are now close friends. She has come a very, very long way.
Trump's proposed ban virtually guarantees that we will not see the likes of another Hirsi Ali and the West will be poorer for it.
As Bloomberg has further noted it excludes Muslim majority countries such as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates where Trump has business interests. Quel surprise. Last I checked, there is every bit as much terrorism in Turkey as there is in Iraq or Libya. Of course, Trump admires Erdogan for putting down last summer's aborted coup.
Although it's possible the list could expand it is worth noting it does not include Saudi Arabia from where 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers called home nor does it include Pakistan where Osama bin Laden met his maker.
I don't object to the countries in question getting far higher vetting than they presently do, but an outright ban is hopelessly impractical. Let's assume a terrorist in Yemen wants to do this country harm and sees fit to plot a terrorist attack against this country. What is to prevent him from reaching the United States from Europe or recruiting others to do the same? And as our soldiers in Fort Hood and office workers in San Bernardino found out Muslim terrorists can be just as easily born and bred in the United States.
When it is all said and done, the ban is far more likely to exclude dissidents than it is terrorists. There are many Iranians living in exile in the United States and throughout the West who have absolutely no sympathy for the Mullahs. While the regime may chant "Death to America", Iran might very well be the least anti-American country in the Muslim world.
And what of the future Ayaan Hirsi Alis of the world? Not surprisingly, Hirsi Ali did not care for Trump's proposal when he unleashed it on the world in December 2015. Yes, it is true that Hirsi Ali is an atheist. But when she arrived The Netherlands a quarter century ago, she was a devout Sunni Muslim who believed that Salman Rushdie deserved to die and once participated in a rally in Kenya to burn The Satanic Verses, a book she hadn't read. Hirsi Ali and Rushdie are now close friends. She has come a very, very long way.
Trump's proposed ban virtually guarantees that we will not see the likes of another Hirsi Ali and the West will be poorer for it.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh Made a Brilliant Political Move By Offering Illegal Immigrants Sanctuary at City Hall
In response to President Donald Trump's executive order yesterday to strip sanctuary cities of federal funding, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh responded by calling a press conference in which he declared he would turn Boston City Hall into a sanctuary for illegal immigrants.
Deep down I think Walsh is thanking Trump from the bottom of his heart because this is an absolutely brilliant political move on the Mayor's part. I say this for two reasons. First and foremost, Walsh is up for re-election in November and was recently challenged by Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson (who is African-American). Second, Walsh's administration is in the midst of scandal. Two of Walsh's top officials were indicted last year for allegedly extorting organizers of the Boston Calling Music Festival to hire union labor. The Boston Calling Music Festival used to be held on Boston City Hall grounds on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends but last year moved to the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston as a result of the controversy. Hours before Walsh's press conference, new court filings revealed that Walsh attended two of the meetings with Boston Calling organizers.
But with Walsh's press conference yesterday all people are talking about is Walsh offering City Hall as a sanctuary instead of focusing on the possibility he might have been involved in intimidating the Boston Calling organizers. Whatever support in the African-American community Walsh might lose to Jackson will be more than offset than support he gains from Boston's Latino community as well as white liberals who oppose President Trump's immigration policies. Unless Walsh is indicted between now and November, I believe his re-election has been secured. Not only that but in becoming a champion of illegal immigrants Walsh becomes a national figure and a potential Democrat presidential candidate in 2020. It also doesn't hurt that Walsh has the support of Massachusetts Republican Governor Charlie Baker in these efforts.
I work right across from Boston City Hall. I have a feeling things are going to get exciting around here.
Deep down I think Walsh is thanking Trump from the bottom of his heart because this is an absolutely brilliant political move on the Mayor's part. I say this for two reasons. First and foremost, Walsh is up for re-election in November and was recently challenged by Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson (who is African-American). Second, Walsh's administration is in the midst of scandal. Two of Walsh's top officials were indicted last year for allegedly extorting organizers of the Boston Calling Music Festival to hire union labor. The Boston Calling Music Festival used to be held on Boston City Hall grounds on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends but last year moved to the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston as a result of the controversy. Hours before Walsh's press conference, new court filings revealed that Walsh attended two of the meetings with Boston Calling organizers.
But with Walsh's press conference yesterday all people are talking about is Walsh offering City Hall as a sanctuary instead of focusing on the possibility he might have been involved in intimidating the Boston Calling organizers. Whatever support in the African-American community Walsh might lose to Jackson will be more than offset than support he gains from Boston's Latino community as well as white liberals who oppose President Trump's immigration policies. Unless Walsh is indicted between now and November, I believe his re-election has been secured. Not only that but in becoming a champion of illegal immigrants Walsh becomes a national figure and a potential Democrat presidential candidate in 2020. It also doesn't hurt that Walsh has the support of Massachusetts Republican Governor Charlie Baker in these efforts.
I work right across from Boston City Hall. I have a feeling things are going to get exciting around here.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Mary Tyler Moore, R.I.P.
Actress Mary Tyler Moore has died in a Connecticut hospital at the age of 80. She had been out of the limelight in recent years due to diabetes.
After cutting her teeth as a dancer, Moore started getting roles in TV shows such as Richard Diamond: Private Detective, Johnny Staccato (starring John Cassavettes), Overland Trail and Wanted: Dead or Alive.
Moore would attain stardom in 1961 when she was cast by Carl Reiner as Laura Petrie in The Dick Van Dyke Show for which she would win an Emmy. But her greatest success came during the 1970's after forming a production company with her husband Grant Tinker. You know it as MTM Enterprises (complete with meowing cat). MTM Enterprises first and greatest production was the eponymous Mary Tyler Moore Show in which she was cast as single career woman Mary Richards. Not only it is arguably the greatest TV comedy show of the 1970's, but arguably the best TV comedy ever even 40 years after it went off the air.
Over the next two decades, Moore returned to TV with four different series none of which lasted beyond a season. Her most successful acting venture post-Mary Tyler Moore Show was when in 1980 Robert Redford cast her against type as an unsympathetic grieving mother in Ordinary People for which she garnered her only Oscar nomination.
The best tribute I can think of would be to play the funeral scene from "Chuckles Bites The Dust" where Mary Richards makes us both laugh and cry at the same time. Then again Mary Tyler Moore could always turn the world on with her smile. R.I.P.
After cutting her teeth as a dancer, Moore started getting roles in TV shows such as Richard Diamond: Private Detective, Johnny Staccato (starring John Cassavettes), Overland Trail and Wanted: Dead or Alive.
Moore would attain stardom in 1961 when she was cast by Carl Reiner as Laura Petrie in The Dick Van Dyke Show for which she would win an Emmy. But her greatest success came during the 1970's after forming a production company with her husband Grant Tinker. You know it as MTM Enterprises (complete with meowing cat). MTM Enterprises first and greatest production was the eponymous Mary Tyler Moore Show in which she was cast as single career woman Mary Richards. Not only it is arguably the greatest TV comedy show of the 1970's, but arguably the best TV comedy ever even 40 years after it went off the air.
Over the next two decades, Moore returned to TV with four different series none of which lasted beyond a season. Her most successful acting venture post-Mary Tyler Moore Show was when in 1980 Robert Redford cast her against type as an unsympathetic grieving mother in Ordinary People for which she garnered her only Oscar nomination.
The best tribute I can think of would be to play the funeral scene from "Chuckles Bites The Dust" where Mary Richards makes us both laugh and cry at the same time. Then again Mary Tyler Moore could always turn the world on with her smile. R.I.P.
Butch Trucks, R.I.P.
Butch Trucks, one of the founding members of the southern rock band The Allman Brothers, passed away suddenly yesterday. He was 69.
Trucks made rock 'n roll history as he was one of two drummers in The Allman Brothers Band. Trucks and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson were the foundation of the band's power and rhythm for more than four decades before the band decided to call it quits in 2014.
Following the break up of The Allman Brothers, Trucks continued to be busy with two bands - Freight Train Band and Les Brers. Younger fans may be familiar with Trucks' nephew, Derek Trucks of the Trucks Tedeschi Band. His other nephew Duane Trucks is a drummer with both Widespread Panic and the Hard Working Americans. Trucks also had a baseball connection. His uncle Virgil "Fire" Trucks pitched in the major leagues during the 1940's and 1950's primarily with the Detroit Tigers. He is notable for throwing two no-hitters during the 1952 season and had a reputation as Yankee killer (the Bronx Bomber variety, of course). Trucks died in 2013 at the age of 95. At the time he was the oldest living player in MLB.
I leave you with my favorite Allman Brothers song - "Jessica" an instrumental which showcased why the band has left an imprint on rock 'n roll.
Trucks made rock 'n roll history as he was one of two drummers in The Allman Brothers Band. Trucks and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson were the foundation of the band's power and rhythm for more than four decades before the band decided to call it quits in 2014.
Following the break up of The Allman Brothers, Trucks continued to be busy with two bands - Freight Train Band and Les Brers. Younger fans may be familiar with Trucks' nephew, Derek Trucks of the Trucks Tedeschi Band. His other nephew Duane Trucks is a drummer with both Widespread Panic and the Hard Working Americans. Trucks also had a baseball connection. His uncle Virgil "Fire" Trucks pitched in the major leagues during the 1940's and 1950's primarily with the Detroit Tigers. He is notable for throwing two no-hitters during the 1952 season and had a reputation as Yankee killer (the Bronx Bomber variety, of course). Trucks died in 2013 at the age of 95. At the time he was the oldest living player in MLB.
I leave you with my favorite Allman Brothers song - "Jessica" an instrumental which showcased why the band has left an imprint on rock 'n roll.
Monday, January 23, 2017
Will Trump Cause Collateral Damage to Canada With NAFTA Renegotiation?
After President Trump announced he would renegotiate NAFTA, Canada's Ambassador to the United States David MacNaughton indicated that assurances were given that it is not the target of the renegotiation. But MacNaughton also acknowledged Canada could experience "collateral damage" as a result of the renegotiation.
I am far more convinced by the latter than I am the former. If NAFTA is to be renegotiated then how can Canada not be adversely affected? Canada isn't a minor party to the agreement. In fact, it was Canada which initiated the agreement when then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney proposed to President Reagan that Canada and the United States have a bilateral free trade agreement in 1985. The Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement was negotiated in 1987 and went into effect in 1989 after Mulroney's Tory government was re-elected in the 1988 election which will forever be known in Canada as the free trade election.
My guess is this will cause the Trudeau government to accelerate their embrace of China. Of course, the Obama Administration did its share when it jettisoned the Keystone Pipeline X which forced the then Tory government of Stephen Harper to turn to Beijing for greater energy opportunities despite strong reservations about their human rights record.
As for the United States, I fear Trump's renegotiation efforts will cause significant economic disruptions and return us to recessionary times.
I am far more convinced by the latter than I am the former. If NAFTA is to be renegotiated then how can Canada not be adversely affected? Canada isn't a minor party to the agreement. In fact, it was Canada which initiated the agreement when then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney proposed to President Reagan that Canada and the United States have a bilateral free trade agreement in 1985. The Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement was negotiated in 1987 and went into effect in 1989 after Mulroney's Tory government was re-elected in the 1988 election which will forever be known in Canada as the free trade election.
My guess is this will cause the Trudeau government to accelerate their embrace of China. Of course, the Obama Administration did its share when it jettisoned the Keystone Pipeline X which forced the then Tory government of Stephen Harper to turn to Beijing for greater energy opportunities despite strong reservations about their human rights record.
As for the United States, I fear Trump's renegotiation efforts will cause significant economic disruptions and return us to recessionary times.
Spicer Asks Forgiveness For His Trespasses But Does Not Forgive Those Who Trepass Against Trump
I was struck by this account from Fox News of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's "reset" with the press after his disastrous debut on Saturday:
Spicer joked Monday that he wouldn’t be claiming his predecessor Josh Earnest’s title as most-popular press secretary any time soon, and went on to acknowledge he made a factual mistake.
“Knowing what we know now, we can tell that WMATA’s numbers are different,” Spicer said, referring to the agency that controls the Metro system. He said he was operating off stats given to him, and didn’t pull them from “thin air.”
He also noted the media routinely publish corrections, and said the administration “should be afforded the same opportunity.”
Of course, that didn't stop Spicer from berating Time Magazine during Saturday's presser after one of their reporters corrected a story which stated that Trump had removed a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. from the Oval Office. Instead of acknowledging the correction, Spicer called it "irresponsible and reckless." It would appear that the Trump Administration has erected a one way sign in the White House Press Room.
In The Lord's Prayer we ask God to "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." So while Spicer asks the press to forgive his trespasses he is not so quick to forgive those who trespass against Trump.
Spicer joked Monday that he wouldn’t be claiming his predecessor Josh Earnest’s title as most-popular press secretary any time soon, and went on to acknowledge he made a factual mistake.
“Knowing what we know now, we can tell that WMATA’s numbers are different,” Spicer said, referring to the agency that controls the Metro system. He said he was operating off stats given to him, and didn’t pull them from “thin air.”
He also noted the media routinely publish corrections, and said the administration “should be afforded the same opportunity.”
Of course, that didn't stop Spicer from berating Time Magazine during Saturday's presser after one of their reporters corrected a story which stated that Trump had removed a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. from the Oval Office. Instead of acknowledging the correction, Spicer called it "irresponsible and reckless." It would appear that the Trump Administration has erected a one way sign in the White House Press Room.
In The Lord's Prayer we ask God to "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." So while Spicer asks the press to forgive his trespasses he is not so quick to forgive those who trespass against Trump.
Please Stop Giving Trump Supporters Attitude at High Altitudes
First, Ivanka Trump was berated by an anti-Trump passenger on her flight in December forcing his eviction.
Now another anti-Trump protester has been removed from a flight after berating her pro-Trump seatmate.
Like it or not, people voted for Donald Trump in sufficient numbers to elect him President of the United States and all the screaming in the world isn't going to change it.
Sure, one can protest as I and about 175,000 of my closest friends did at the Boston Common this past Saturday. But there's a time and place for everything and there's absolutely no reason for those of us who oppose Trump to flip out on people who voted for Trump. All that accomplishes is reinforce that person's loyalty to Trump. The fact of the matter is that in order for Trump to be defeated in 2020 is for his supporters to abandon him. That isn't going to happen if we shout in people's faces.
There's nothing with debate, discussion and (polite) disagreement. In fact, it's quite healthy. What's not healthy is getting angry with people in public solely because they did not vote as you did.
So please I beg of you to stop giving Trump supporters attitudes at high altitudes. Yes, the same applies at land and at sea as well.
Now another anti-Trump protester has been removed from a flight after berating her pro-Trump seatmate.
Like it or not, people voted for Donald Trump in sufficient numbers to elect him President of the United States and all the screaming in the world isn't going to change it.
Sure, one can protest as I and about 175,000 of my closest friends did at the Boston Common this past Saturday. But there's a time and place for everything and there's absolutely no reason for those of us who oppose Trump to flip out on people who voted for Trump. All that accomplishes is reinforce that person's loyalty to Trump. The fact of the matter is that in order for Trump to be defeated in 2020 is for his supporters to abandon him. That isn't going to happen if we shout in people's faces.
There's nothing with debate, discussion and (polite) disagreement. In fact, it's quite healthy. What's not healthy is getting angry with people in public solely because they did not vote as you did.
So please I beg of you to stop giving Trump supporters attitudes at high altitudes. Yes, the same applies at land and at sea as well.
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Alternative Facts is a Fitting Motto for The Trump White House
It was bizarre enough to see White House Press Secretary Scott Spicer blast the media about its reporting on the size of the crowd at President Trump's inauguration. Kellyanne Conway added another dimension of weirdness in a defensive interview with Chuck Todd of Meet the Press when she claimed that Spicer was presenting "alternative facts." The interview has to be seen to be believed.
I realize that all administrations have spin and present alternative versions of reality. The Obama Administration did this with "man-caused disasters", "creating or saving jobs", "overseas contingency operations", "workplace violence", "if you like your health insurance, you can keep it" and "red lines" in Syria.
But what Conway is doing is telling us that 2+2=5. She is also telling us is if that the media doesn't say 2+2=5 they will be held accountable. That the Trump Administration admires Vladimir Putin is bad enough. It now looks like they wish to emulate him.
"Alternative facts" is a fitting motto for the Trump White House.
MLB Players Yordano Ventura & Andy Marte Killed in Separate Car Accidents in The Dominican Republic
Absolutely horrible news of the Dominican Republic.
Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura and former MLB third baseman Andy Marte were killed in separate car accidents this morning. Ventura was 25 while Marte was 33.
Signed by the Kansas City Royals when he was 17, Ventura made his MLB debut late in the 2013 season. He was an integral part of the Royals' 2014 AL pennant winner and 2015 World Series champions. In 2016, Ventura went 11-12 with a 4.45 ERA in 32 starts. His career ends with a 38-31 record and a 3.89 ERA with 470 career strikeouts.
Ventura did have something of temperamental reputation and was involved in several on-field brawls most notably with Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles. But Ventura had a compassionate side. When St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras was killed in a car accident during the 2014 post-season, Ventura paid tribute to him during his start of Game 6 of the 2014 World Series. That he was killed in the same way just over two years later is the cruelest of ironies.
Marte signed with the Atlanta Braves in 2000 at the age of 16. He would reach the majors with the Braves in 2005. He would be traded twice that off-season. First, Marte was dealt to the Boston Red Sox in the Edgar Renteria deal. The Red Sox in turn traded Marte to the Cleveland Indians in a six player deal that brought Coco Crisp to Boston. Marte played for the Indians from 2006 through 2010. After bouncing through the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Los Angeles Angels organizations, Marte resurfaced in the majors in 2014 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In parts of seven seasons, Marte collected 186 hits, had a .218 lifetime batting average with 21 HR and 99 RBI. In 2015 and 2016, Marte played baseball in South Korea.
R.I.P. to both men.
Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura and former MLB third baseman Andy Marte were killed in separate car accidents this morning. Ventura was 25 while Marte was 33.
Signed by the Kansas City Royals when he was 17, Ventura made his MLB debut late in the 2013 season. He was an integral part of the Royals' 2014 AL pennant winner and 2015 World Series champions. In 2016, Ventura went 11-12 with a 4.45 ERA in 32 starts. His career ends with a 38-31 record and a 3.89 ERA with 470 career strikeouts.
Ventura did have something of temperamental reputation and was involved in several on-field brawls most notably with Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles. But Ventura had a compassionate side. When St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras was killed in a car accident during the 2014 post-season, Ventura paid tribute to him during his start of Game 6 of the 2014 World Series. That he was killed in the same way just over two years later is the cruelest of ironies.
Marte signed with the Atlanta Braves in 2000 at the age of 16. He would reach the majors with the Braves in 2005. He would be traded twice that off-season. First, Marte was dealt to the Boston Red Sox in the Edgar Renteria deal. The Red Sox in turn traded Marte to the Cleveland Indians in a six player deal that brought Coco Crisp to Boston. Marte played for the Indians from 2006 through 2010. After bouncing through the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Los Angeles Angels organizations, Marte resurfaced in the majors in 2014 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In parts of seven seasons, Marte collected 186 hits, had a .218 lifetime batting average with 21 HR and 99 RBI. In 2015 and 2016, Marte played baseball in South Korea.
R.I.P. to both men.
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Why I Took Part in The Boston Women's March
Although I fiercely oppose Donald Trump, I had not taken part in any demonstration against him. I'm generally not the demo type and I have no interest in blocking highways, destroying property or assaulting police officers. But perhaps most importantly it's because I generally disagree with the left-wing politics of those who organize and participate in these demonstrations.
So I hadn't given much thought to attending the Boston Women's March. But then I listened to Trump's inauguration speech yesterday. "When you open your heart to patriotism," said Trump, "There is no room for prejudice."
Whatever lurks in Donald Trump's heart there is ample room for prejudice. After all, Trump had plenty of room for prejudice when it came to Judge Gonzalo Curiel, a man he judged by his parents' national origin not by the content of his character. Trump has never shown a moment's remorse for that statement. How can anyone believe Trump has no prejudice in his heart?
I stewed about it for a few hours. Then when I told my roommate I was strongly thinking of taking part he told me he was going to the march with members of his church. That clinched it. My roommate isn't generally one for demonstrations either. The last one he attended was 14 years ago at the beginning of the War in Iraq.
Sure I could have written yet another blog post against Trump, but under the circumstances I wanted to do something a little more public and the Boston Women's March seemed like an opportune forum. It was aimed at a broad spectrum of society so it would be a family affair. Something I would feel comfortable being a part of for a few hours.
Again, I knew I would have little in common with most of the other marchers. When I arrived at my roomie's neighborhood church in Jamaica Plain, I saw a sign which read, "God isn't a boy's name." There were other signs that left a great deal to be desired such as "Ask me about my feminist agenda" (no thank you), "White Silence=Violence" and "Paul Ryan Needs to Have a Period"(that one should have included a question mark). But there were some amusing ones such as the one with Trump and Rod Serling or the one with the caption, "We Shall Overcomb". I was also grateful I couldn't hear most of Elizabeth Warren's speech.
This demo included the usual suspects - Planned Parenthood, ACLU and various LGBTQ groups. Chances are such a gathering would have taken place if Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio or even Jim Gilmore had been elected President, But I don't think those crowds would have been so large. Organizers were originally estimating 25,000 people. More like 125,000 people.
The organizers clearly weren't expecting these numbers as the crowd in Boston Common could barely move to the demonstration route on Charles Street. Eventually, a number of us broke away from the crowd and headed to the other side of the Common where we marched on a short stretch of Boylston Street.
I do believe the anger towards Trump is genuine. His "grab them by the pussy" remark on the Access Hollywood tape hits close to home for a lot of women and it was reflected in their homegrown signs such as "This Pussy Fights Back" or "My Country Isn't Your Locker Room".
Say what you will about the people who attended the Boston Women's March and their views. They came to protest peaceably. There were no roads blocked, no property damaged and no police officers injured. Their reasons for coming might have different than mine. But that's alright. We don't have to agree on everything and maybe even most things. What we share is a mutual distaste for a man whose character and temperament is unfit for the office to which he has been elected. The best we can hope for is that the people who supported Donald Trump in November will eventually come around to that view.
So I hadn't given much thought to attending the Boston Women's March. But then I listened to Trump's inauguration speech yesterday. "When you open your heart to patriotism," said Trump, "There is no room for prejudice."
Whatever lurks in Donald Trump's heart there is ample room for prejudice. After all, Trump had plenty of room for prejudice when it came to Judge Gonzalo Curiel, a man he judged by his parents' national origin not by the content of his character. Trump has never shown a moment's remorse for that statement. How can anyone believe Trump has no prejudice in his heart?
I stewed about it for a few hours. Then when I told my roommate I was strongly thinking of taking part he told me he was going to the march with members of his church. That clinched it. My roommate isn't generally one for demonstrations either. The last one he attended was 14 years ago at the beginning of the War in Iraq.
Sure I could have written yet another blog post against Trump, but under the circumstances I wanted to do something a little more public and the Boston Women's March seemed like an opportune forum. It was aimed at a broad spectrum of society so it would be a family affair. Something I would feel comfortable being a part of for a few hours.
Again, I knew I would have little in common with most of the other marchers. When I arrived at my roomie's neighborhood church in Jamaica Plain, I saw a sign which read, "God isn't a boy's name." There were other signs that left a great deal to be desired such as "Ask me about my feminist agenda" (no thank you), "White Silence=Violence" and "Paul Ryan Needs to Have a Period"(that one should have included a question mark). But there were some amusing ones such as the one with Trump and Rod Serling or the one with the caption, "We Shall Overcomb". I was also grateful I couldn't hear most of Elizabeth Warren's speech.
This demo included the usual suspects - Planned Parenthood, ACLU and various LGBTQ groups. Chances are such a gathering would have taken place if Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio or even Jim Gilmore had been elected President, But I don't think those crowds would have been so large. Organizers were originally estimating 25,000 people. More like 125,000 people.
The organizers clearly weren't expecting these numbers as the crowd in Boston Common could barely move to the demonstration route on Charles Street. Eventually, a number of us broke away from the crowd and headed to the other side of the Common where we marched on a short stretch of Boylston Street.
I do believe the anger towards Trump is genuine. His "grab them by the pussy" remark on the Access Hollywood tape hits close to home for a lot of women and it was reflected in their homegrown signs such as "This Pussy Fights Back" or "My Country Isn't Your Locker Room".
Say what you will about the people who attended the Boston Women's March and their views. They came to protest peaceably. There were no roads blocked, no property damaged and no police officers injured. Their reasons for coming might have different than mine. But that's alright. We don't have to agree on everything and maybe even most things. What we share is a mutual distaste for a man whose character and temperament is unfit for the office to which he has been elected. The best we can hope for is that the people who supported Donald Trump in November will eventually come around to that view.
Friday, January 20, 2017
Trump Should Give Scrapping Iran Nuclear Deal Priority Over Moving Embassy to Jerusalem
As much as I would love to see President Trump moved the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, I would prefer he give priority to scrapping the Iran nuclear deal.
What good is moving the embassy to Jerusalem if Iran attacks Israel with a nuclear weapon?
I have a bad feeling the price Trump makes Israel pay for moving the embassy to Jerusalem is acceptance of the Iran nuclear deal.
That is too high a price.
What good is moving the embassy to Jerusalem if Iran attacks Israel with a nuclear weapon?
I have a bad feeling the price Trump makes Israel pay for moving the embassy to Jerusalem is acceptance of the Iran nuclear deal.
That is too high a price.
Will President Trump Practice Patriotism Without Prejudice?
If there's one good thing I can say about President Donald Trump's inaugural speech is that it was brief.
It clocked in at just over 15 minutes.
President Obama would have drone on for an hour. His farewell address earlier this month was more than three times as long as Trump's inaugural.
In the course of Trump's brevity, however, he came across an amalgam of Huey Long (he actually used the phrase "share in its wealth"), Pat Buchanan ("America First") and Mussolini (he essentially promised to make the trains run on time).
When Trump vowed to protect our borders "from the ravages of other countries" I thought to myself, "From Canada?"
However, the line in the speech which struck me the most was when Trump declared, "When you open your heart to patriotism there is no room for prejudice."
That is all well and good but what will happen if Trump is taken to court once again and his case is presided by an American born federal judge with a Hispanic surname?
I can only hope Trump practices what he preached today about patriotism, but I have my doubts.
The onus is now on him to earn my support.
It clocked in at just over 15 minutes.
President Obama would have drone on for an hour. His farewell address earlier this month was more than three times as long as Trump's inaugural.
In the course of Trump's brevity, however, he came across an amalgam of Huey Long (he actually used the phrase "share in its wealth"), Pat Buchanan ("America First") and Mussolini (he essentially promised to make the trains run on time).
When Trump vowed to protect our borders "from the ravages of other countries" I thought to myself, "From Canada?"
However, the line in the speech which struck me the most was when Trump declared, "When you open your heart to patriotism there is no room for prejudice."
That is all well and good but what will happen if Trump is taken to court once again and his case is presided by an American born federal judge with a Hispanic surname?
I can only hope Trump practices what he preached today about patriotism, but I have my doubts.
The onus is now on him to earn my support.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Will Canada's Tories Be Dumb Enough to Choose Kevin O'Leary?
If I were to describe a businessman/reality TV star with an abrasive manner and no previous political experience seeking the country's highest office you would probably think I'm talking about Donald Trump.
In most instances you would be correct. But in this instance I'm talking about Kevin O'Leary who wants to become Canada's next Prime Minister. Yesterday, he entered into the Conservative Party leadership race. People in this country will know O'Leary from the ABC TV show Shark Tank. But he is also a Canadian media figure with his appearances on Dragon's Den and the Lang & O'Leary Exchange both which aired on CBC.
O'Leary, of course, assures us that he is not Trump, but then basically proceeds to stay all of Canada's leaders are stupid and that he will hire the best people. Where have we heard that before?
I should mention that O'Leary lives in Boston. That the Tories would even consider O'Leary after they spent years excoriating the Liberals when they picked Michael Ignatieff, then a resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to be their leader is utterly precious. Perhaps the NDP should pick its next leader from somewhere in the vicinity of the 128/95 corridor.
Let's suppose the Tories choose O'Leary. I can't see him beating Justin Trudeau. Not after one term in office. If Canadian voters think O'Leary bears any resemblance to Trump they will close ranks behind Trudeau. For his part, O'Leary says the Tories can fire him if he can't lead the Tories to a majority government in the 2019 election. Of course, he could change his mind, but I can't see him sticking around for the long haul attending rubber chicken dinners in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
On the other hand, I could be wrong about O'Leary. I was wrong about Trump. If I am wrong about O'Leary then Canadians will be no further position to criticize Americans for electing Trump. And the Americans who fled to Canada because of Trump will have to pick their poison.
Miguel Ferrer, R.I.P.
Actor Miguel Ferrer has passed away of complications of esophogeal cancer. He was 61.
Ferrer was born into Hollywood royalty. His father was Oscar winning actor Jose Ferrer and his mother was singer Rosemary Clooney. Ferrer would make his own name in Hollywood during the 1980's. His breakout role took place in Robocop. Ferrer was generally cast as a heavy, but I remember him best from his role as Dr. Garrett Macy in the NBC TV series Crossing Jordan with Jill Hennessy and Ken Howard (who passed away last year).
In recent years, Ferrer appeared in Iron Man 3 and would join the cast of NCIS: Los Angeles. Later this year, he will been seen posthumously in the Twin Peaks revival reprising his role of FBI pathologist Albert Rosenfield he made famous in the early 1990's.
What I did not know was that Ferrer played drums on Keith Moon's version of The Beach Boys' classic "Don't Worry Baby" on his only solo album Two Sides of the Moon. Ferrer is an honorary member of rock 'n roll heaven.
Ferrer was born into Hollywood royalty. His father was Oscar winning actor Jose Ferrer and his mother was singer Rosemary Clooney. Ferrer would make his own name in Hollywood during the 1980's. His breakout role took place in Robocop. Ferrer was generally cast as a heavy, but I remember him best from his role as Dr. Garrett Macy in the NBC TV series Crossing Jordan with Jill Hennessy and Ken Howard (who passed away last year).
In recent years, Ferrer appeared in Iron Man 3 and would join the cast of NCIS: Los Angeles. Later this year, he will been seen posthumously in the Twin Peaks revival reprising his role of FBI pathologist Albert Rosenfield he made famous in the early 1990's.
What I did not know was that Ferrer played drums on Keith Moon's version of The Beach Boys' classic "Don't Worry Baby" on his only solo album Two Sides of the Moon. Ferrer is an honorary member of rock 'n roll heaven.
Could Trump Refuse To Leave Office Like Gambia's Ex-President?
I am fascinated by the political situation in Gambia.
In December, the country's longtime President Yahya Jammeh, who assumed power in a 1994 military coup, lost a bid for re-election to a newcomer named Adama Barrow. Jammeh initially conceded, but a week later refused to recognize the election results and remains in office. Barrow has been sworn into office, but his inauguration took place in neighboring Senegal.
I realize the United States is far removed from West Africa geographically, historically and politically. But I cannot help but wonder if something like this couldn't happen here given Trump's mercurial personality. After all, this is a man who openly bragged he would defy international law and order our soldiers to kill the families of terrorists.
There are a couple of possible scenarios.
First, as with Jammeh, Trump could be defeated at the polls in 2020 and after conceding the election do an about face and refuse to leave the White House.
Second, let's suppose Trump is re-elected in 2020. I could see a scenario in which Democrats gain control of both Houses of Congress in the 2022 mid-terms. Upon taking over Congress, the Democrats impeach Trump and he refuses to leave office.
Could you imagine Trump's successor being inaugurated in Canada or even Mexico?
I realize both scenarios are far-fetched but so was the idea of Donald Trump being sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.
In December, the country's longtime President Yahya Jammeh, who assumed power in a 1994 military coup, lost a bid for re-election to a newcomer named Adama Barrow. Jammeh initially conceded, but a week later refused to recognize the election results and remains in office. Barrow has been sworn into office, but his inauguration took place in neighboring Senegal.
I realize the United States is far removed from West Africa geographically, historically and politically. But I cannot help but wonder if something like this couldn't happen here given Trump's mercurial personality. After all, this is a man who openly bragged he would defy international law and order our soldiers to kill the families of terrorists.
There are a couple of possible scenarios.
First, as with Jammeh, Trump could be defeated at the polls in 2020 and after conceding the election do an about face and refuse to leave the White House.
Second, let's suppose Trump is re-elected in 2020. I could see a scenario in which Democrats gain control of both Houses of Congress in the 2022 mid-terms. Upon taking over Congress, the Democrats impeach Trump and he refuses to leave office.
Could you imagine Trump's successor being inaugurated in Canada or even Mexico?
I realize both scenarios are far-fetched but so was the idea of Donald Trump being sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.
I Can't Picture Barack Obama Spending His Post-Presidency Painting Portraits
Today marks President Obama's last official day in office. At this time tomorrow, he will be an ex-President.
Somehow I can't picture Barack Obama spending his post-presidency pursuing quiet pursuits such as painting portraits as George W. Bush has done. Aside from his painting and a handful of public appearances including during brother Jeb's ill-fated White House bid, the 43rd President has largely kept out of the limelight and was not critical of his successor during his two terms in office.
This will surely not be the case with Obama. He loves the spotlight too much to give it up. He loves the sound of his voice too much to go silent. Nor will he resist the temptation to criticize Donald Trump (even if some of his criticisms will probably be justifiable).
Naturally, Obama does have a large audience with whom he will resonate for the rest of his life (which could be a good 35 to 40 years). But there will also be a large segment of America who wishes he would just go away. Beginning tomorrow this segment of America now won't mind it so much if he plays a round of golf after an ISIS beheading. The golf course is where Barack Obama will do the least amount of harm to America's national security.
Somehow I can't picture Barack Obama spending his post-presidency pursuing quiet pursuits such as painting portraits as George W. Bush has done. Aside from his painting and a handful of public appearances including during brother Jeb's ill-fated White House bid, the 43rd President has largely kept out of the limelight and was not critical of his successor during his two terms in office.
This will surely not be the case with Obama. He loves the spotlight too much to give it up. He loves the sound of his voice too much to go silent. Nor will he resist the temptation to criticize Donald Trump (even if some of his criticisms will probably be justifiable).
Naturally, Obama does have a large audience with whom he will resonate for the rest of his life (which could be a good 35 to 40 years). But there will also be a large segment of America who wishes he would just go away. Beginning tomorrow this segment of America now won't mind it so much if he plays a round of golf after an ISIS beheading. The golf course is where Barack Obama will do the least amount of harm to America's national security.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
In Final Press Conference, Obama Defends Manning Commutation, Invokes Jim Crow & Slavery on Voter ID & Sticks It To Israel One More Time
President Obama was in self-righteous form in his final press conference on Wednesday.
Obama began by defending his decision to commute the sentence of Bradley Manning (a.k.a. Chelsea Manning). He claimed that Manning had "served a tough prison sentence" and even said the sentence "was very disproportionate relative to what other leakers had received." Manning's "leaks" endangered the lives of American diplomats and soldiers and our Allies.
I still suspect Obama commuted Manning's sentence due to his gender reassignment surgery. But if I'm an American soldier, diplomat or American ally I am glad Obama is leaving because it is clear he does not have their interests at heart.
If that weren't enough Obama said voter ID laws "traces directly back to Jim Crow and the legacy of slavery" claiming these laws make it harder to vote. I defy Obama to present me with one person who has been deprived of the right to vote because of voter ID laws.
Of course, Obama wouldn't be Obama if he didn't take a pot shot at Israel. He called President-Elect Trump's proposal to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as "explosive". I think Obama made things in the Middle East plenty "explosive" be it in Iraq, Syria or Libya. I was also struck by the fact that Obama said "if you're going to make big shifts in policy...you want to be intentional about it." Well, I think Obama has been plenty intentional where it concerns Israel, the Iran nuclear deal and the Russian reset and all have been, to quote Trump, a disaster.
As much as I am not looking forward to Trump's reign, I am glad we will be rid this meddlesome President in less than 36 hours from now.
Obama began by defending his decision to commute the sentence of Bradley Manning (a.k.a. Chelsea Manning). He claimed that Manning had "served a tough prison sentence" and even said the sentence "was very disproportionate relative to what other leakers had received." Manning's "leaks" endangered the lives of American diplomats and soldiers and our Allies.
I still suspect Obama commuted Manning's sentence due to his gender reassignment surgery. But if I'm an American soldier, diplomat or American ally I am glad Obama is leaving because it is clear he does not have their interests at heart.
If that weren't enough Obama said voter ID laws "traces directly back to Jim Crow and the legacy of slavery" claiming these laws make it harder to vote. I defy Obama to present me with one person who has been deprived of the right to vote because of voter ID laws.
Of course, Obama wouldn't be Obama if he didn't take a pot shot at Israel. He called President-Elect Trump's proposal to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as "explosive". I think Obama made things in the Middle East plenty "explosive" be it in Iraq, Syria or Libya. I was also struck by the fact that Obama said "if you're going to make big shifts in policy...you want to be intentional about it." Well, I think Obama has been plenty intentional where it concerns Israel, the Iran nuclear deal and the Russian reset and all have been, to quote Trump, a disaster.
As much as I am not looking forward to Trump's reign, I am glad we will be rid this meddlesome President in less than 36 hours from now.
A Thought for George & Barbara Bush
As you know by now former President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush have been hospitalized forcing them to miss Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday.
In their case, 72 years of marriage isn't enough. I hope the Bushes recover swiftly and we see them at a ballpark near you soon.
In their case, 72 years of marriage isn't enough. I hope the Bushes recover swiftly and we see them at a ballpark near you soon.
Bagwell, Raines & Pudge Rodriguez to Enter Baseball Hall of Fame in July
You can add three more players to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The results of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) was released this evening and Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez each exceeded the required 75% threshold necessary to be inducted in July. Bagwell, Raines and Rodriguez garnered 86.2%, 86% and 76% of the vote respectively.
Just missing the cut were Trevor Hoffman and Vladimir Guerrero who received 74% and 71.7% of the vote respectively. Hoffman fell exactly five votes short of induction. Expect them to lead the Cooperstown Class of 2018.
Players who fell well short but made significant gains in the balloting include Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina as well as Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds who all exceeded 50% of the vote. However, as I suspected, Curt Schilling saw his vote decline because of his controversial statements and support for Trump while Lee Smith in his 15th and final year on the ballot could not expand beyond a third of the BBWAA.
In 15 big league seasons, all with the Houston Astros, Jeff Bagwell hit .297 with 449 HR and 1529 RBI and also had a lifetime OBP of .408. Bagwell scored 100 or more runs seven times leading the NL in that statistic thrice. He won NL Rookie of the Year in 1991, was named NL MVP in 1994, earned a Gold Glove at first base and was a four time NL All-Star.
Tim Raines was one of the most dominant offensive forces in the 1980's during his tenure with the Montreal Expos. Raines stole 70 or more bases six consecutive seasons and led the NL four consecutive seasons. In all, Raines stole 808 career bases, fifth on the MLB all-time list. In 23 seasons, he compiled a .294 batting average with 170 HR and 980 RBI. He won a NL batting title in 1987, earned a World Series ring with the New York Yankees in 1996 and was named to seven consecutive NL All-Star Teams.
Ivan Rodriguez becomes only the second catcher in MLB history to be inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot. Johnny Bench was the other. Arguably the greatest defensive catcher in MLB history, "Pudge" earned 13 Gold Gloves for his defensive work and 14 AL All-Star appearances. He won 10 straight Gold Gloves and was named to 10 straight All-Star games between 1992 and 2001. In 21 seasons, I-Rod hit .296 with 331 HR and 1332 RBI. Rodriguez also won a World Series ring with the Florida Marlins in 2003.
Bagwell, Raines and Rodriguez will be inducted on July 30th along with former MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and Atlanta Braves President John Schuerholz.
Just missing the cut were Trevor Hoffman and Vladimir Guerrero who received 74% and 71.7% of the vote respectively. Hoffman fell exactly five votes short of induction. Expect them to lead the Cooperstown Class of 2018.
Players who fell well short but made significant gains in the balloting include Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina as well as Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds who all exceeded 50% of the vote. However, as I suspected, Curt Schilling saw his vote decline because of his controversial statements and support for Trump while Lee Smith in his 15th and final year on the ballot could not expand beyond a third of the BBWAA.
In 15 big league seasons, all with the Houston Astros, Jeff Bagwell hit .297 with 449 HR and 1529 RBI and also had a lifetime OBP of .408. Bagwell scored 100 or more runs seven times leading the NL in that statistic thrice. He won NL Rookie of the Year in 1991, was named NL MVP in 1994, earned a Gold Glove at first base and was a four time NL All-Star.
Tim Raines was one of the most dominant offensive forces in the 1980's during his tenure with the Montreal Expos. Raines stole 70 or more bases six consecutive seasons and led the NL four consecutive seasons. In all, Raines stole 808 career bases, fifth on the MLB all-time list. In 23 seasons, he compiled a .294 batting average with 170 HR and 980 RBI. He won a NL batting title in 1987, earned a World Series ring with the New York Yankees in 1996 and was named to seven consecutive NL All-Star Teams.
Ivan Rodriguez becomes only the second catcher in MLB history to be inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot. Johnny Bench was the other. Arguably the greatest defensive catcher in MLB history, "Pudge" earned 13 Gold Gloves for his defensive work and 14 AL All-Star appearances. He won 10 straight Gold Gloves and was named to 10 straight All-Star games between 1992 and 2001. In 21 seasons, I-Rod hit .296 with 331 HR and 1332 RBI. Rodriguez also won a World Series ring with the Florida Marlins in 2003.
Bagwell, Raines and Rodriguez will be inducted on July 30th along with former MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and Atlanta Braves President John Schuerholz.
My Ten Picks for Cooperstown's Class of 2017 UPDATE
At 6 p.m. EST, the results of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) 2017 Hall of Fame Ballot will be announced. In order to get enshrined, a player needs to get at least 75% of the vote. An individual player can remain on the ballot for 10 seasons provided they maintain a minimum of 5% of the vote (it used to be 15 years). If a player fails to obtain 75% during the 10th year on the ballot then they can be considered for induction by the Veterans Committee. BBWAA members can vote for up to ten players. The last couple of years at The American Spectator I put forward my own ballot.
It is a tradition I wish to maintain. So without further adieu here are my ten picks for Cooperstown's class of 2017:
Tim Raines - This is his final year on the ballot and support has been growing for him every year. In 2016, he obtained just under 70% of the vote. With Rickey Henderson's 1,437 stolen bases, it's easy to overlook Raines' 808. He was one of the most dominant players of the 1980's during his tenure with the Montreal Expos leading the NL in stolen bases four consecutive years and stealing 70 or more bases six straight seasons. Throw in seven NL All-Star appearances and a NL batting title and you have someone worthy of a plaque in Cooperstown.
Jeff Bagwell - In 2016, Bagwell fell just shy of the required 75% to get into Cooperstown (71.6%). Bagwell ought to have been inducted with his Houston Astros teammate Craig Biggio in 2015. Unfortunately, Bagwell has been maligned with accusations of PED use even though there isn't a hint of evidence against him. There is ample evidence of his offensive production. Thrice he led the NL in runs scored, drove in 100 or more runs seven times and also walked 100 or more times in seven different seasons finishing with an OBP of .408. Throw in a NL Rookie of the Year in 1991, NL MVP in 1994, a Gold Glove and four NL All-Star appearances and you have one of the two greatest players in Houston Astros history and worthy member of the Hall of Fame.
Trevor Hoffman - In his first year on the BBWAA ballot in 2016, Hoffman drew 67.3% of the vote. He is the greatest closer in NL history with 601 career saves, mostly with the San Diego Padres. The BBWAA can't keep him out much longer.
Lee Smith - The same cannot be said for Lee Smith who is in his 15th and final year of eligibility (when the BBWAA lowered the eligibility period from 15 to 10 years, Smith was grandfathered). Despite the fact that he and Hoffman are the only two closers to save 200 or more games in two different decades, Smith will be lucky if he breaks 40% of the ballot (he received 34.1% in 2016). His 478 saves surely count for something. Perhaps the Veterans Committee will give him the respect he deserves.
Curt Schilling - In 2016, Curt Schilling received 52.3% of the BBWAA vote in his fourth year on the ballot. That total is likely to go down despite the fact he is still the man who earned three World Series rings, 3,000 plus strikeouts, 200 plus wins and led the NL in complete games four times. His various social media controversies not only rankled the sports media's liberal pieties but cost him his gig at ESPN. The fact that Schilling was vocal supporter of Donald Trump won't help matters. Of course, that shouldn't matter. He belongs in Cooperstown.
Fred McGriff - Despite being one of the most feared sluggers in the 1990's and early 2000's, the Crime Dog struggles to get 20% of the vote. That total is not likely to improve in his 8th year on the ballot. McGriff finished his career with 493 career home runs. If not for the 1994 Players' Strike, McGriff would surely be a member of the 500 club and have a plaque in Cooperstown. Seven home runs should not keep him out.
Jeff Kent - This is another player who gets very little respect despite being the greatest second baseman to ever swing a bat. Despite 377 home runs and 8 100 plus RBI seasons, Kent only garnered 16.6% of the vote in his third year on the ballot. Kent was never popular with the media. It would be a shame if this kept him out of Cooperstown.
Larry Walker - It is a mystery to me why a player of Walker's caliber couldn't manage more than 15.5% of the vote in his sixth year on the ballot. Three NL batting titles and seven Gold Gloves demonstrate Walker could get it done with both the bat and the glove. That he did the bulk of this with the Colorado Rockies shouldn't be held against him.
Mike Mussina - This is the first time I've included The Moose on my ballot. In 18 seasons, Mussina compiled a 270-153 record with the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees for a solid .638 career winning percentage. He was the best AL pitcher of the 1990's and 2000's never to win a Cy Young Award. To the shock of many, he retired after the 2008 season after posting his only 20 win season. Had he pitched two or three more season he would have likely reached both 300 wins and 3,000 strikeouts. Honestly his career is good enough without these achievements to warrant enshrinement. It won't happen in 2017, but I do think he will improve on the 43% of the vote he got in his third year of eligibility last year.
Vladimir Guerrero - The man could plain hit. Guerrero batted .300 or better in 13 seasons, drove in 100 or more runs in 10 seasons, earned 9 All-Star selections (4 in the NL and 5 in the AL) and won the 2004 AL MVP. He might not get in during his first year of eligibility, but I cannot see the BBWAA excluding him for very long.
UPDATE: Congratulations to Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez!!! Read my thoughts here.
It is a tradition I wish to maintain. So without further adieu here are my ten picks for Cooperstown's class of 2017:
Tim Raines - This is his final year on the ballot and support has been growing for him every year. In 2016, he obtained just under 70% of the vote. With Rickey Henderson's 1,437 stolen bases, it's easy to overlook Raines' 808. He was one of the most dominant players of the 1980's during his tenure with the Montreal Expos leading the NL in stolen bases four consecutive years and stealing 70 or more bases six straight seasons. Throw in seven NL All-Star appearances and a NL batting title and you have someone worthy of a plaque in Cooperstown.
Jeff Bagwell - In 2016, Bagwell fell just shy of the required 75% to get into Cooperstown (71.6%). Bagwell ought to have been inducted with his Houston Astros teammate Craig Biggio in 2015. Unfortunately, Bagwell has been maligned with accusations of PED use even though there isn't a hint of evidence against him. There is ample evidence of his offensive production. Thrice he led the NL in runs scored, drove in 100 or more runs seven times and also walked 100 or more times in seven different seasons finishing with an OBP of .408. Throw in a NL Rookie of the Year in 1991, NL MVP in 1994, a Gold Glove and four NL All-Star appearances and you have one of the two greatest players in Houston Astros history and worthy member of the Hall of Fame.
Trevor Hoffman - In his first year on the BBWAA ballot in 2016, Hoffman drew 67.3% of the vote. He is the greatest closer in NL history with 601 career saves, mostly with the San Diego Padres. The BBWAA can't keep him out much longer.
Lee Smith - The same cannot be said for Lee Smith who is in his 15th and final year of eligibility (when the BBWAA lowered the eligibility period from 15 to 10 years, Smith was grandfathered). Despite the fact that he and Hoffman are the only two closers to save 200 or more games in two different decades, Smith will be lucky if he breaks 40% of the ballot (he received 34.1% in 2016). His 478 saves surely count for something. Perhaps the Veterans Committee will give him the respect he deserves.
Curt Schilling - In 2016, Curt Schilling received 52.3% of the BBWAA vote in his fourth year on the ballot. That total is likely to go down despite the fact he is still the man who earned three World Series rings, 3,000 plus strikeouts, 200 plus wins and led the NL in complete games four times. His various social media controversies not only rankled the sports media's liberal pieties but cost him his gig at ESPN. The fact that Schilling was vocal supporter of Donald Trump won't help matters. Of course, that shouldn't matter. He belongs in Cooperstown.
Fred McGriff - Despite being one of the most feared sluggers in the 1990's and early 2000's, the Crime Dog struggles to get 20% of the vote. That total is not likely to improve in his 8th year on the ballot. McGriff finished his career with 493 career home runs. If not for the 1994 Players' Strike, McGriff would surely be a member of the 500 club and have a plaque in Cooperstown. Seven home runs should not keep him out.
Jeff Kent - This is another player who gets very little respect despite being the greatest second baseman to ever swing a bat. Despite 377 home runs and 8 100 plus RBI seasons, Kent only garnered 16.6% of the vote in his third year on the ballot. Kent was never popular with the media. It would be a shame if this kept him out of Cooperstown.
Larry Walker - It is a mystery to me why a player of Walker's caliber couldn't manage more than 15.5% of the vote in his sixth year on the ballot. Three NL batting titles and seven Gold Gloves demonstrate Walker could get it done with both the bat and the glove. That he did the bulk of this with the Colorado Rockies shouldn't be held against him.
Mike Mussina - This is the first time I've included The Moose on my ballot. In 18 seasons, Mussina compiled a 270-153 record with the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees for a solid .638 career winning percentage. He was the best AL pitcher of the 1990's and 2000's never to win a Cy Young Award. To the shock of many, he retired after the 2008 season after posting his only 20 win season. Had he pitched two or three more season he would have likely reached both 300 wins and 3,000 strikeouts. Honestly his career is good enough without these achievements to warrant enshrinement. It won't happen in 2017, but I do think he will improve on the 43% of the vote he got in his third year of eligibility last year.
Vladimir Guerrero - The man could plain hit. Guerrero batted .300 or better in 13 seasons, drove in 100 or more runs in 10 seasons, earned 9 All-Star selections (4 in the NL and 5 in the AL) and won the 2004 AL MVP. He might not get in during his first year of eligibility, but I cannot see the BBWAA excluding him for very long.
UPDATE: Congratulations to Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez!!! Read my thoughts here.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Would Obama Have Commuted Chelsea Manning's Sentence If He Was Still Bradley Manning?
President Obama's decision to commute the sentence of Chelsea Manning is a puzzling one.
If not for Manning's leak of U.S. military and diplomatic secrets in 2010 would WikiLeaks have become a household name?
At the time of the leaks in July 2010, the Obama White House strongly condemned them stating the documents "could put the lives of Americans and our partners at risk, and threaten our national security". In December of that year, President Obama phoned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and called the leaks "deplorable" and made similar statements to then Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
Manning was ultimately court-martialed and charged with nearly two dozen offenses pleading guilty to 10 though he would not be convicted of aiding the enemy which could have resulted in a death sentence. In 2013, Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Including time served, Manning would not have been released until 2045. Instead, Manning will be released in May.
So what has changed between the time Manning leaked the documents and now?
If Manning had leaked these kind of documents in 2017 would they not have risks the lives of Americans and our allies? Would they not have been a threat to national security? Of course they would have.
The only thing that has changed between 2010 and 2017 is that Bradley Manning is now Chelsea Manning.
Given the Obama Administration's strong support for transgender rights one must wonder if the President would have issued such a commutation had Bradley Manning remained a man.
I do not believe Obama would have issued the commutation if Manning were still a man. In which case, Obama has put identity politics (in this case the rights of the transgender community) above national security and the lives of American diplomatic and military personnel and our allies.
This isn't to say that transgender people don't or should not have civil rights. But their advancement should not come at the expense of those who put their lives on the line for our national security. The fact that Obama would commute Chelsea Manning's sentence renders Obama's previous condemnation of WikiLeaks absolutely meaningless.
If not for Manning's leak of U.S. military and diplomatic secrets in 2010 would WikiLeaks have become a household name?
At the time of the leaks in July 2010, the Obama White House strongly condemned them stating the documents "could put the lives of Americans and our partners at risk, and threaten our national security". In December of that year, President Obama phoned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and called the leaks "deplorable" and made similar statements to then Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
Manning was ultimately court-martialed and charged with nearly two dozen offenses pleading guilty to 10 though he would not be convicted of aiding the enemy which could have resulted in a death sentence. In 2013, Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Including time served, Manning would not have been released until 2045. Instead, Manning will be released in May.
So what has changed between the time Manning leaked the documents and now?
If Manning had leaked these kind of documents in 2017 would they not have risks the lives of Americans and our allies? Would they not have been a threat to national security? Of course they would have.
The only thing that has changed between 2010 and 2017 is that Bradley Manning is now Chelsea Manning.
Given the Obama Administration's strong support for transgender rights one must wonder if the President would have issued such a commutation had Bradley Manning remained a man.
I do not believe Obama would have issued the commutation if Manning were still a man. In which case, Obama has put identity politics (in this case the rights of the transgender community) above national security and the lives of American diplomatic and military personnel and our allies.
This isn't to say that transgender people don't or should not have civil rights. But their advancement should not come at the expense of those who put their lives on the line for our national security. The fact that Obama would commute Chelsea Manning's sentence renders Obama's previous condemnation of WikiLeaks absolutely meaningless.
Maine Governor LePage Pours Gasoline on The Trump-Lewis Feud
If President-Elect Donald Trump can be viewed as someone who sets fires then Maine Governor Paul LePage can be viewed as someone who pours gasoline on them.
During a radio interview, LePage commented on Georgia Congressman John Lewis' criticism that Trump is an illegitimate President:
How about John Lewis last week? Criticizing the president. You know, I will just say this. John Lewis ought to look at history. It was Abraham Lincoln that freed the slaves. It was Rutherford B. Hayes and Ulysses S. Grant that fought against Jim Crow laws. A simple 'thank you' would suffice.
Now that LePage has emptied the gasoline can let me make three points.
First, Lewis was only criticizing the legitimacy of Trump's presidency, not that of his Republican predecessors (although it's certainly true that in the 19th Century Republicans were considerably more progressive than Democrats on the issue of ending slavery). Had LePage simply disagreed with Lewis' assessment of Trump's election that would have been fine (i.e. Mike Pence). Indeed, I think Lewis is like of lot of liberals who cannot accept the fact that American voters freely chose Trump to be the next President. The Russian angle enables Lewis and others to rationalize Hillary Clinton's defeat. But LePage's commentary on past Republican Presidents was simply irrelevant.
Second, to even suggest Lewis ought to "look at history" is incredibly patronizing and condescending considering Lewis' own firsthand experience. Is Lewis above criticism? He certainly isn't. But if one is to critique Lewis then critique him on the merits of what he actually said and do so with the utmost courtesy and respect. Right or wrong, John Lewis is pretty much the last living link we have to Martin Luther King, Jr. This is a link that should be honored and treasured and not dismissed so lightly even if his argument against Trump isn't particularly compelling.
Third, LePage's incendiary nonsense keeps the fight between Trump and Lewis alive. As I argued the other day, this is not a fight Trump nor his allies should choose. But choose it they have and nothing good can come of it.
Given that LePage cited Lincoln it is a shame he didn't follow his advice. "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
During a radio interview, LePage commented on Georgia Congressman John Lewis' criticism that Trump is an illegitimate President:
How about John Lewis last week? Criticizing the president. You know, I will just say this. John Lewis ought to look at history. It was Abraham Lincoln that freed the slaves. It was Rutherford B. Hayes and Ulysses S. Grant that fought against Jim Crow laws. A simple 'thank you' would suffice.
Now that LePage has emptied the gasoline can let me make three points.
First, Lewis was only criticizing the legitimacy of Trump's presidency, not that of his Republican predecessors (although it's certainly true that in the 19th Century Republicans were considerably more progressive than Democrats on the issue of ending slavery). Had LePage simply disagreed with Lewis' assessment of Trump's election that would have been fine (i.e. Mike Pence). Indeed, I think Lewis is like of lot of liberals who cannot accept the fact that American voters freely chose Trump to be the next President. The Russian angle enables Lewis and others to rationalize Hillary Clinton's defeat. But LePage's commentary on past Republican Presidents was simply irrelevant.
Second, to even suggest Lewis ought to "look at history" is incredibly patronizing and condescending considering Lewis' own firsthand experience. Is Lewis above criticism? He certainly isn't. But if one is to critique Lewis then critique him on the merits of what he actually said and do so with the utmost courtesy and respect. Right or wrong, John Lewis is pretty much the last living link we have to Martin Luther King, Jr. This is a link that should be honored and treasured and not dismissed so lightly even if his argument against Trump isn't particularly compelling.
Third, LePage's incendiary nonsense keeps the fight between Trump and Lewis alive. As I argued the other day, this is not a fight Trump nor his allies should choose. But choose it they have and nothing good can come of it.
Given that LePage cited Lincoln it is a shame he didn't follow his advice. "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
Monday, January 16, 2017
Did Jimmy Snuka Get Away With Murder?
Although Jimmy Snuka has now left this mortal coil a shadow remains over him.
Snuka's death yesterday from stomach cancer and complications of dementia at the age of 73 comes less than two weeks after third-degree murder charges against were dismissed because he was deemed incompetent to stand trial in the 1983 death of his girlfriend Nancy Argentino. Charges were not brought against Snuka until 2015 by which time the former professional wrestler's health was already in serious decline.
Naturally one wonders why it took so long for the DA in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania to bring charges against Snuka. Was it because of his celebrity? Did they just refuse to take domestic violence seriously? Or was it just plain incompetence?
Whatever the reason there must always be a question as to whether Jimmy Snuka got away with murder. Regrettably, this overshadows his spectacular accomplishments in the ring.
Snuka's death yesterday from stomach cancer and complications of dementia at the age of 73 comes less than two weeks after third-degree murder charges against were dismissed because he was deemed incompetent to stand trial in the 1983 death of his girlfriend Nancy Argentino. Charges were not brought against Snuka until 2015 by which time the former professional wrestler's health was already in serious decline.
Naturally one wonders why it took so long for the DA in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania to bring charges against Snuka. Was it because of his celebrity? Did they just refuse to take domestic violence seriously? Or was it just plain incompetence?
Whatever the reason there must always be a question as to whether Jimmy Snuka got away with murder. Regrettably, this overshadows his spectacular accomplishments in the ring.
MLK, Jr. & The Decline of Our Character
If you mention Martin Luther King, Jr. to me the first thing I think of is this passage in the "I Have a Dream" speech:
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
There is little doubt that America is in many respects has come a long way since that hot August day in Washington, D.C. in 1963 when Dr. King uttered those words.
But in other respects I believe we have taken many a step back over the past 53 plus years especially where it concerns our character.
Don't get me wrong. There are millions of Americans who give their time in service of others and do so with a quiet dignity. They lead by example and this example is followed by others.
Yet it was only 10 weeks ago that Americans freely chose Donald Trump to be our next President, a man who can only be described as of being devoid of scruples and values other than those that promote his vanity.
Of course, this is no endorsement of Hillary Clinton either. She is equally unscrupulous and like Trump believes that the rules don't apply to her.
One could argue that Americans weren't given much in the way of choice. But Democrats and Republicans all over the country put their faith in Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump with viable alternatives all around them especially in the case of the GOP. That Trump and Hillary ascended to these heights with Trump ascending to the ultimate height is a reflection of the descent of our character. A nation with better character would have decisively dismissed both Trump and Hillary. There is no way the country would have taken either seriously 30 years ago. Unfortunately, our character has changed and not for the better. Naturally, it took a long time for our character to be diminished and it shall take a long time for our character to be restored. With this in mind things are bound to get worse before they get better.
So what is the solution? More religion. If it is utilized in the service of others instead of one's own glory then yes. Unfortunately, many an Evangelical fawned over Trump without a moment's consideration to his boorish behavior. The prospect of power as an end rather than using power as a means to a greater end proved to overwhelming an opiate. An opiate that was not confined to those with strong religious convictions.
The Left is far from blameless here too. Democrats breathe and eat racial identity politics with its incessant cries of white privilege. Take a look at this "10 Way You Can Actively Reject Your White Privilege". It tells Caucasians "to take up minimal space during anti-racism dialogues and protests". If that isn't judging people by the color of their skin then I don't know what is.
Indeed, there is a friend of mine who during the week of MLK, Jr Day who would recite a portion of the "I Have a Dream" speech at a poetry club in the Boston area. When he did so a year ago, he was told he was causing "cross-racial discomfort". Why? Because he accurately quoted Dr. King's use of the word Negro. Well, good to know those who speak in the name of diversity judge people by their color of their skin.
Be it Left or Right and many points in between and beyond, Dr. King's words are lost on far too many Americans and our character is poorer for it.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
There is little doubt that America is in many respects has come a long way since that hot August day in Washington, D.C. in 1963 when Dr. King uttered those words.
But in other respects I believe we have taken many a step back over the past 53 plus years especially where it concerns our character.
Don't get me wrong. There are millions of Americans who give their time in service of others and do so with a quiet dignity. They lead by example and this example is followed by others.
Yet it was only 10 weeks ago that Americans freely chose Donald Trump to be our next President, a man who can only be described as of being devoid of scruples and values other than those that promote his vanity.
Of course, this is no endorsement of Hillary Clinton either. She is equally unscrupulous and like Trump believes that the rules don't apply to her.
One could argue that Americans weren't given much in the way of choice. But Democrats and Republicans all over the country put their faith in Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump with viable alternatives all around them especially in the case of the GOP. That Trump and Hillary ascended to these heights with Trump ascending to the ultimate height is a reflection of the descent of our character. A nation with better character would have decisively dismissed both Trump and Hillary. There is no way the country would have taken either seriously 30 years ago. Unfortunately, our character has changed and not for the better. Naturally, it took a long time for our character to be diminished and it shall take a long time for our character to be restored. With this in mind things are bound to get worse before they get better.
So what is the solution? More religion. If it is utilized in the service of others instead of one's own glory then yes. Unfortunately, many an Evangelical fawned over Trump without a moment's consideration to his boorish behavior. The prospect of power as an end rather than using power as a means to a greater end proved to overwhelming an opiate. An opiate that was not confined to those with strong religious convictions.
The Left is far from blameless here too. Democrats breathe and eat racial identity politics with its incessant cries of white privilege. Take a look at this "10 Way You Can Actively Reject Your White Privilege". It tells Caucasians "to take up minimal space during anti-racism dialogues and protests". If that isn't judging people by the color of their skin then I don't know what is.
Indeed, there is a friend of mine who during the week of MLK, Jr Day who would recite a portion of the "I Have a Dream" speech at a poetry club in the Boston area. When he did so a year ago, he was told he was causing "cross-racial discomfort". Why? Because he accurately quoted Dr. King's use of the word Negro. Well, good to know those who speak in the name of diversity judge people by their color of their skin.
Be it Left or Right and many points in between and beyond, Dr. King's words are lost on far too many Americans and our character is poorer for it.
Sunday, January 15, 2017
In Germany, Bombing Synagogues is a Legitimate Act of Criticism of Israeli Policies
A German court has ruled that three men who attempted to firebomb a synagogue in 2014 was a justified expression of criticism of Israeli policies and not by anti-Semitism. The attack occurred during Israel's Operation Protective Edge. The three men received suspended sentences.
This ruling effectively gives those in Germany who hate Israel and Jews a license to commit violence with little or no consequence. The court's denial of anti-Semitism also legitimizes anti-Semitism.
Ancient hatreds never truly die. There is always a new generation of cowards and fools who allow evil to flourish.
This ruling effectively gives those in Germany who hate Israel and Jews a license to commit violence with little or no consequence. The court's denial of anti-Semitism also legitimizes anti-Semitism.
Ancient hatreds never truly die. There is always a new generation of cowards and fools who allow evil to flourish.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Trump Takes John Lewis' Bait & Proves He Cannot Choose His Battles Wisely
I am entirely not surprised that President-Elect Trump went after Congressman John Lewis for questioning his legitimacy. I am only surprised it took him so long. He tweeted this at around 5 a.m. instead of his usual 3 a.m.
Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk - no actions or results. Sad!
No, what's sad is that Trump doesn't know how to choose his battles. Nearly losing one's life on the Edmund Pettus Bridge isn't talk, talk, talk. It is also demonstrably untrue that Lewis' district is falling apart. Clearly, Trump hasn't bothered to pay a visit.
It isn't to say that Lewis isn't above criticism. I criticized his testimony against Jeff Sessions the other day.
But as I argued yesterday, "If Trump attacks Lewis then the mainstream media will come out with headlines, "Trump Attacks Civil Rights Icon". It will dog him between now and the inauguration." Well, today The New York Times reads, 'All Talk, No Action,' Trump Says in Attack on John Lewis, A Civil Rights Icon."
Donald Trump might not care for The New York Times but he supplied them with the rocks.
Trump gains absolutely nothing from this spectacle. But can what one expect of a 70-year man with the mind of a 7-year old?
Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk - no actions or results. Sad!
No, what's sad is that Trump doesn't know how to choose his battles. Nearly losing one's life on the Edmund Pettus Bridge isn't talk, talk, talk. It is also demonstrably untrue that Lewis' district is falling apart. Clearly, Trump hasn't bothered to pay a visit.
It isn't to say that Lewis isn't above criticism. I criticized his testimony against Jeff Sessions the other day.
But as I argued yesterday, "If Trump attacks Lewis then the mainstream media will come out with headlines, "Trump Attacks Civil Rights Icon". It will dog him between now and the inauguration." Well, today The New York Times reads, 'All Talk, No Action,' Trump Says in Attack on John Lewis, A Civil Rights Icon."
Donald Trump might not care for The New York Times but he supplied them with the rocks.
Trump gains absolutely nothing from this spectacle. But can what one expect of a 70-year man with the mind of a 7-year old?
Friday, January 13, 2017
Will Trump Resist The Temptation to Bash John Lewis on Twitter? UPDATE
The biggest headline in the country is Georgia Congressman John Lewis declaring, "I don't see Trump as a legitimate President."
I am not so much fascinated by the fact Lewis made the statement, but rather how Trump will respond to him on Twitter.
I can see it. Trump tweets that Lewis is overrated, needs to retire or got in the head too hard.
If Trump attacks Lewis then the mainstream media will come out with headlines, "Trump Attacks Civil Rights Icon". It will dog him between now and the inauguration.
I'm sure Kellyanne Conway is telling him to let this one go. Will Trump be smart enough to follow that advice?
He got out of the way when James Comey reopened the e-mail investigation against Hillary Clinton.
But it's one thing for Trump to get out of the way when his opponent is vulnerable. It's another thing for Trump to get out of the way when he's the target of someone's ire (i.e. Meryl Streep).
I know Trump prides himself on being a counter puncher. But Trump has never learned how to choose his battles. Getting into a fight with John Lewis is a fight he can't win.
Well, we should find out at about 3 a.m.
UPDATE: I was off by about two hours.
I am not so much fascinated by the fact Lewis made the statement, but rather how Trump will respond to him on Twitter.
I can see it. Trump tweets that Lewis is overrated, needs to retire or got in the head too hard.
If Trump attacks Lewis then the mainstream media will come out with headlines, "Trump Attacks Civil Rights Icon". It will dog him between now and the inauguration.
I'm sure Kellyanne Conway is telling him to let this one go. Will Trump be smart enough to follow that advice?
He got out of the way when James Comey reopened the e-mail investigation against Hillary Clinton.
But it's one thing for Trump to get out of the way when his opponent is vulnerable. It's another thing for Trump to get out of the way when he's the target of someone's ire (i.e. Meryl Streep).
I know Trump prides himself on being a counter puncher. But Trump has never learned how to choose his battles. Getting into a fight with John Lewis is a fight he can't win.
Well, we should find out at about 3 a.m.
UPDATE: I was off by about two hours.
Mattis Says Tel Aviv, Not Jerusalem is Israel's Capital
During his confirmation hearing for Secretary of Defense yesterday on Capitol Hill, Senator Lindsey Graham asked retired General James Mattis what city he considered to be Israel's capital.
Mattis said Tel Aviv. He told Graham, “The capital of Israel that I go to, sir, is Tel Aviv, sir, because that’s where all their government people are.”
Uh, last I checked, Israel's Knesset is in Jerusalem.
When Graham asked Mattis if he supported moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem he deferred that question to Rex Tillerson, Trump's nominee for Secretary of State who is also currently in hearing for his confirmation.
Mattis' likening Israel to an Apartheid state, his support for the Iran nuclear deal and his unwillingness to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital make me disinclined to take Trump seriously when it comes to improving relations with Israel.
Mattis said Tel Aviv. He told Graham, “The capital of Israel that I go to, sir, is Tel Aviv, sir, because that’s where all their government people are.”
Uh, last I checked, Israel's Knesset is in Jerusalem.
When Graham asked Mattis if he supported moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem he deferred that question to Rex Tillerson, Trump's nominee for Secretary of State who is also currently in hearing for his confirmation.
Mattis' likening Israel to an Apartheid state, his support for the Iran nuclear deal and his unwillingness to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital make me disinclined to take Trump seriously when it comes to improving relations with Israel.
Trump Needs to Shit or Get Off The Pot on Hillary's E-Mails
This is utterly annoying.
During the election campaign, Donald Trump went after Hillary Clinton regarding her e-mails and even told her during one of their debates that he was going to appoint a special prosecutor.
But two weeks after he won the election, Trump told The New York Times, “I don’t want to hurt the Clintons, I really don’t. She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways, and I am not looking to hurt them at all. The campaign was vicious.”
However, in light of the DOJ's Inspector General decision to review FBI Director James Comey's conduct in the Hillary e-mail investigation, Trump once again took to Twitter:
What are Hillary Clinton's people complaining about with respect to the F.B.I. Based on the information they had she should never have been allowed to run - guilty as hell. They were VERY nice to her. She lost because she campaigned in the wrong states - no enthusiasm!
Enough!!! Either Trump thinks Hillary is guilty of a crime or she isn't. If he does then appoint a special prosecutor. If he doesn't then shut the hell up and move on. The decision of the DOJ's Inspector General to review Comey has no bearing on Hillary's conduct and shouldn't have any bearing on Trump's either.
I wouldn't be surprised if in a couple of months time Trump says he has no plans to investigate Hillary and says the Clintons are wonderful people. And a couple months later, he'll go back to saying she's guilty as hell. This is Trump's standard operating procedure.
Frankly, where it concerns Hillary Clinton's e-mails, President-Elect Trump needs to shit or get off the pot.
During the election campaign, Donald Trump went after Hillary Clinton regarding her e-mails and even told her during one of their debates that he was going to appoint a special prosecutor.
But two weeks after he won the election, Trump told The New York Times, “I don’t want to hurt the Clintons, I really don’t. She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways, and I am not looking to hurt them at all. The campaign was vicious.”
However, in light of the DOJ's Inspector General decision to review FBI Director James Comey's conduct in the Hillary e-mail investigation, Trump once again took to Twitter:
What are Hillary Clinton's people complaining about with respect to the F.B.I. Based on the information they had she should never have been allowed to run - guilty as hell. They were VERY nice to her. She lost because she campaigned in the wrong states - no enthusiasm!
Enough!!! Either Trump thinks Hillary is guilty of a crime or she isn't. If he does then appoint a special prosecutor. If he doesn't then shut the hell up and move on. The decision of the DOJ's Inspector General to review Comey has no bearing on Hillary's conduct and shouldn't have any bearing on Trump's either.
I wouldn't be surprised if in a couple of months time Trump says he has no plans to investigate Hillary and says the Clintons are wonderful people. And a couple months later, he'll go back to saying she's guilty as hell. This is Trump's standard operating procedure.
Frankly, where it concerns Hillary Clinton's e-mails, President-Elect Trump needs to shit or get off the pot.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
How Is Trump Calling CNN "Fake News" Any Different From Obama Admin's Attacks on FOX News?
I have no doubt President-Elect Donald Trump's supporters absolutely loved it when he refused to take a question from CNN reporter Jim Acosta & shouted, "You are fake news."
Yet how exactly is Trump's attempt to delegitimize CNN any different from the Obama Administration's efforts to delegitimize FOX News?
Wasn't it former White House Communications Director Anita Dunn who said FNC was "opinion journalism masquerading as news"?
Wasn't it White House Chief of Staff turned Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel who said that FNC was "not a news organization" because of its "perspective"?
Wasn't it David Axelrod who said that FOX News is "not really a news station"?
Wasn't it the Obama Administration who tried to exclude the network from an interview with "pay czar" Kenneth Feinberg in October 2009?
Wasn't it President Obama who made a concerted effort to ignore questions from FOX News reporters?
If anyone thinks what the Obama Administration did in those instances was unacceptable then why is it acceptable when Donald Trump does it?
Yet how exactly is Trump's attempt to delegitimize CNN any different from the Obama Administration's efforts to delegitimize FOX News?
Wasn't it former White House Communications Director Anita Dunn who said FNC was "opinion journalism masquerading as news"?
Wasn't it White House Chief of Staff turned Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel who said that FNC was "not a news organization" because of its "perspective"?
Wasn't it David Axelrod who said that FOX News is "not really a news station"?
Wasn't it the Obama Administration who tried to exclude the network from an interview with "pay czar" Kenneth Feinberg in October 2009?
Wasn't it President Obama who made a concerted effort to ignore questions from FOX News reporters?
If anyone thinks what the Obama Administration did in those instances was unacceptable then why is it acceptable when Donald Trump does it?
Republicans Turn a Blind Eye to General Mattis' Anti-Israel Views
Why are Republicans turning a blind eye to President-Elect Trump's Defense Secretary nominee retired General James Mattis' anti-Israel views?
This has been bothering me for weeks.
Republicans have been righteous in their criticism of the Obama Administration's anti-Israel views as demonstrated by their strong disapproval of the U.S. abstention in the recent UN Security Council vote on Israeli settlements and Secretary of State John Kerry's defense of that action.
Kerry's animus to Israel is well known. In April 2014, Kerry said Israel could become "an Apartheid state". That didn't sit well with Republicans like Ted Cruz who called upon Kerry to resign.
Yet nearly a year earlier General Mattis invoked the term Apartheid when it came to Israel. To date, Ted Cruz has raised no concerns about Mattis' anti-Israel views. Mind you this is the Ted Cruz that nearly derailed Obama's appointment of Chuck Hagel for the same post because of his anti-Israel views. Instead, Cruz looks forward to supporting his nomination.
What makes it even more difficult to rationalize Republican silence on Mattis is his support of the Iran nuclear deal.
Had President Obama appointed Mattis to be Secretary of Defense does anyone doubt for a moment that Republicans would be opposing his nomination tooth and nail? But when Donald Trump says jump, Republicans ask, "How high?"
This has been bothering me for weeks.
Republicans have been righteous in their criticism of the Obama Administration's anti-Israel views as demonstrated by their strong disapproval of the U.S. abstention in the recent UN Security Council vote on Israeli settlements and Secretary of State John Kerry's defense of that action.
Kerry's animus to Israel is well known. In April 2014, Kerry said Israel could become "an Apartheid state". That didn't sit well with Republicans like Ted Cruz who called upon Kerry to resign.
Yet nearly a year earlier General Mattis invoked the term Apartheid when it came to Israel. To date, Ted Cruz has raised no concerns about Mattis' anti-Israel views. Mind you this is the Ted Cruz that nearly derailed Obama's appointment of Chuck Hagel for the same post because of his anti-Israel views. Instead, Cruz looks forward to supporting his nomination.
What makes it even more difficult to rationalize Republican silence on Mattis is his support of the Iran nuclear deal.
Had President Obama appointed Mattis to be Secretary of Defense does anyone doubt for a moment that Republicans would be opposing his nomination tooth and nail? But when Donald Trump says jump, Republicans ask, "How high?"
Tommy Allsup Dies But He Survived The Day The Music Died
Guitarist Tommy Allsup, who played with Buddy Holly, passed away yesterday at the age of 85.
Allsup's life very nearly came to an end on the early morning of February 3, 1959. After a concert in Clear Lake, Iowa on the Winter Dance Tour, Allsup had been scheduled to fly to their next gig in Moorhead, Minnesota when Ritchie Valens asked Allsup if he could have his seat on the flight. Allsup and Valens agreed to a coin toss. Allsup picked heads, Valens got his seat. Hours later Valens, Holly and J.P. Richardson a.k.a. The Big Bopper (who had taken the seat originally intended for Waylon Jennings) perished in a plane crash along with pilot Roger Peterson shortly after take off.
Losing that coin toss saved Allsup's life. Allsup never did achieve fame, but he was able to play music for nearly 60 more years as a session musician and at the annual Winter Dance tribute concert in at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa for Holly, The Big Bopper and Valens.
In 1994, Allsup met with Valens' relatives. Allsup feared they would be angry at him because of the coin toss, but as it turned out they welcomed him with open arms because he was the only living link to Valens and remained in touch with them during the last two decades of his life.
Allsup's son Austin followed in his father's musical footsteps and in 2016 was a contestant on NBC's The Voice.
I leave you with Allsup doing what he did best. Here he is in 2011 at the Winter Dance tribute concert performing Buddy Holly's "It's So Easy".
Allsup's life very nearly came to an end on the early morning of February 3, 1959. After a concert in Clear Lake, Iowa on the Winter Dance Tour, Allsup had been scheduled to fly to their next gig in Moorhead, Minnesota when Ritchie Valens asked Allsup if he could have his seat on the flight. Allsup and Valens agreed to a coin toss. Allsup picked heads, Valens got his seat. Hours later Valens, Holly and J.P. Richardson a.k.a. The Big Bopper (who had taken the seat originally intended for Waylon Jennings) perished in a plane crash along with pilot Roger Peterson shortly after take off.
Losing that coin toss saved Allsup's life. Allsup never did achieve fame, but he was able to play music for nearly 60 more years as a session musician and at the annual Winter Dance tribute concert in at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa for Holly, The Big Bopper and Valens.
In 1994, Allsup met with Valens' relatives. Allsup feared they would be angry at him because of the coin toss, but as it turned out they welcomed him with open arms because he was the only living link to Valens and remained in touch with them during the last two decades of his life.
Allsup's son Austin followed in his father's musical footsteps and in 2016 was a contestant on NBC's The Voice.
I leave you with Allsup doing what he did best. Here he is in 2011 at the Winter Dance tribute concert performing Buddy Holly's "It's So Easy".
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Why John Lewis' Testimony Against Jeff Sessions is Not Compelling
With great fanfare, longtime Georgia Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee to speak against the confirmation of Senator Jeff Sessions as Attorney General.
I have read Lewis' testimony and find it unconvincing. Here is a sample of what I mean:
We can pretend the law is blind. We can pretend it is evenhanded. But if we are honest with ourselves we know we are called upon daily by the people we represent to help them deal with unfairness in how the law is written and enforced. Those who are committed to equal justice in our society wonder whether Senator Sessions’ calls for law and order will mean today what it meant it Alabama when I was coming up back then. The rule of law was used to violate the human and civil rights of the poor, the dispossessed, people of color.
At no point in his testimony did Lewis cite any statements and acts on Sessions' part that would disqualify him from consideration much less give pause to the members of the committee. All Lewis did is lump Sessions with George Wallace era Alabama. This is grossly unfair.
But I cannot say that I am surprised at Lewis' behavior. After all, this is a man who compared John McCain and Sarah Palin to George Wallace not long after McCain said he was one of three Americans he most admired. In fact, when I asked Lewis about it during an appearance at Harvard University a few years ago, he told me flat out that he stood by his statement.
This is a man who falsely accused Tea Party activists of hurling racial epithets at him at the height of the Obamacare debate. This is also the man who suggested that African-Americans would be wantonly assaulted at bus stations if Mitt Romney. And for you progressives out there, Lewis even questioned Bernie Sanders' to civil rights less than a year ago. For someone who experienced racism at its worst, it is unbecoming that John Lewis so eagerly accuses others of this same ugliness. It is a shame that he sees fit to take the easy way.
There may be a reasonable argument to be made against confirming Jeff Sessions and chances are I will probably be quite skeptical of the policies he advances in the Trump Administration. But if one is going to testify against a man and his fitness to hold office then I am going to need something a lot more compelling than John Lewis' blanket besmirching of Jeff Sessions' character.
I have read Lewis' testimony and find it unconvincing. Here is a sample of what I mean:
We can pretend the law is blind. We can pretend it is evenhanded. But if we are honest with ourselves we know we are called upon daily by the people we represent to help them deal with unfairness in how the law is written and enforced. Those who are committed to equal justice in our society wonder whether Senator Sessions’ calls for law and order will mean today what it meant it Alabama when I was coming up back then. The rule of law was used to violate the human and civil rights of the poor, the dispossessed, people of color.
At no point in his testimony did Lewis cite any statements and acts on Sessions' part that would disqualify him from consideration much less give pause to the members of the committee. All Lewis did is lump Sessions with George Wallace era Alabama. This is grossly unfair.
But I cannot say that I am surprised at Lewis' behavior. After all, this is a man who compared John McCain and Sarah Palin to George Wallace not long after McCain said he was one of three Americans he most admired. In fact, when I asked Lewis about it during an appearance at Harvard University a few years ago, he told me flat out that he stood by his statement.
This is a man who falsely accused Tea Party activists of hurling racial epithets at him at the height of the Obamacare debate. This is also the man who suggested that African-Americans would be wantonly assaulted at bus stations if Mitt Romney. And for you progressives out there, Lewis even questioned Bernie Sanders' to civil rights less than a year ago. For someone who experienced racism at its worst, it is unbecoming that John Lewis so eagerly accuses others of this same ugliness. It is a shame that he sees fit to take the easy way.
There may be a reasonable argument to be made against confirming Jeff Sessions and chances are I will probably be quite skeptical of the policies he advances in the Trump Administration. But if one is going to testify against a man and his fitness to hold office then I am going to need something a lot more compelling than John Lewis' blanket besmirching of Jeff Sessions' character.
Trump's Trust of The Kremlin Over U.S. Intelligence is Troubling
It's very possible that the dossier on President-Elect Trump published by BuzzFeed which, for all intents and purposes, accuse him of being Russian spy, are false.
Predictably, he unleashed a flurry of tweets denouncing the story.
Two of those tweets in particular stood out for me:
Russia just said the unverified report paid for by political opponents is "A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FABRICATION, UTTER NONSENSE." Very unfair!
Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to "leak" into the public. One last shot at me.Are we living in Nazi Germany?
First, Trump accepts Russia's word on the matter at face value.
Second, without a shred of evidence, he accuses our own intelligence agencies of trying to ruin him.
Third, he invokes the ugly specter of Nazi Germany.
What does it say about Trump when he publicly states that Russia is a beacon of truth while our intelligence cannot be trusted?
Yes, our intelligence has made its share of mistakes. But I would remind people that Russia also thought Saddam had WMDs.
Whatever the faults of U.S. intelligence, it is not rounding up people on trains and placing them into gas chambers. Comparing our intelligence operatives to the Nazis not only undermines public confidence does not help their morale.
The fact that Trump so eagerly, enthusiastically and instinctively defends Russia and Russian interests makes me think that where there's smoke there's fire.
Of course, Trump is scheduled to have his press conference in less than an hour and no doubt he will come out swinging. This is what his fans love and as long as his fans adore him I suspect that Trump will probably survive this even if some of the allegations turn out to be true.
Predictably, he unleashed a flurry of tweets denouncing the story.
Two of those tweets in particular stood out for me:
Russia just said the unverified report paid for by political opponents is "A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FABRICATION, UTTER NONSENSE." Very unfair!
Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to "leak" into the public. One last shot at me.Are we living in Nazi Germany?
First, Trump accepts Russia's word on the matter at face value.
Second, without a shred of evidence, he accuses our own intelligence agencies of trying to ruin him.
Third, he invokes the ugly specter of Nazi Germany.
What does it say about Trump when he publicly states that Russia is a beacon of truth while our intelligence cannot be trusted?
Yes, our intelligence has made its share of mistakes. But I would remind people that Russia also thought Saddam had WMDs.
Whatever the faults of U.S. intelligence, it is not rounding up people on trains and placing them into gas chambers. Comparing our intelligence operatives to the Nazis not only undermines public confidence does not help their morale.
The fact that Trump so eagerly, enthusiastically and instinctively defends Russia and Russian interests makes me think that where there's smoke there's fire.
Of course, Trump is scheduled to have his press conference in less than an hour and no doubt he will come out swinging. This is what his fans love and as long as his fans adore him I suspect that Trump will probably survive this even if some of the allegations turn out to be true.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
10 Annoying Things From Obama's Farewell Speech
I watched President Obama's final speech as President of the United States earlier this evening. Predictably, I was annoyed by much of it notwithstanding the fact his tenure in office will soon be down to single digits.
With that, here are the 10 things from the speech which really annoyed me.
1. Keeping Him Honest
President Obama claimed that conversations with everyday Americans kept him honest. Somehow that didn't stop him from telling everyday Americans if they liked their health insurance, they could keep it.
2. Shutting Down Iran's Nuclear Weapons Inspection Program Without Firing a Single Shot
Well, actually he gave away the store not to mention $400 million in exchange for American hostages without telling Congress & the public humiliation of our Navy sailors on Iranian state television. Of course, Iran has been violating the terms of the deal with regard to heavy water. A normal President would have ripped up the deal, but since the deal is the centerpiece of his foreign policy his administration loosened the terms. Unless Trump reverses the deal the only thing that will be let loose is an Iranian nuclear weapon.
3. Obama is Still Bragging About Killing Osama Bin Laden
None of which stopped the rise of ISIS which he dismissed as the "jayvee squad". That jayvee squad controls vast amounts of territory in Iraq, Syria and Libya and has launched attacks in this country and throughout the West. More on this later.
4. Race
President Obama said that "race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society." And no one has used race more divisively over the past 8 years than President Obama whether it was calling his own grandmother "a typical white person", accused the Cambridge Police Department of "acting stupidly" even while acknowledging he didn't have all the facts, saying Trayvon Martin could have been his son and his encouragement of the racist Black Lives Matter movement. Sure he paid lip service to the white middle class, a group of people he characterized as bitterly clinging to guns and religion.
5. Ethical Lapses
Obama did pose this interesting question:
How do we excuse ethical lapses in our own party, but pounce when the other party does the same thing? It's not just dishonest, it's selective sorting of the facts. It's self-defeating because, as my mom used to tell me, reality has a way of catching up with you.
But when it came to Hillary Clinton's ethical lapses concerning her e-mails, President Obama was perfectly happy to undercut the FBI investigation by telling 60 Minutes it wasn't a matter of national security or when he invoked executive privilege to cover then Attorney General Eric Holder's behind in the Fast & Furious scandal (something which a federal judge ruled he could not do) or his protection of Lois Lerner in the IRS-Tea Party scandal. Talk is cheap but reality never caught up with Obama.
6. Obama Actually Claimed No Foreign Terrorist Organization Had Successfully Launched a Terrorist Attack In This Country During His Tenure
And then in the next breath mentioned the Boston Marathon bombing, Orlando nightclub attack, San Bernardino shooting and the shooting at Fort Hood. I seem to recall something about the Russians warning us about Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Nidal Malik Hasan communicating with Anwar al-Awlaki, the then leader of al-Qaeda in Yemen and the Orlando and San Bernardino attackers pledging allegiance to ISIS.Last I checked ISIS means the Islamic State of Iran & Syria. For Obama to suggest no foreign terrorist organization committed a terrorist attack under his watch is an insult to those who died at Fort Hood, in Boston, San Bernardino and in Orlando.
7. Russia & China Can't Match Our Influence Around The World
Russia seems quite happy to conduct peace talks in Syria without us while China is building man made islands in the South China Sea in a matter reminiscent of Japan prior to Pearl Harbor. Soon they plan to place missiles on those islands. Obama is delusional if he thinks Russian and Chinese influence haven't grown at our expense under his watch.
8. Obama Claims It Is Harder To Vote
For all the rhetoric that Republicans are suppressing the vote, I defy Obama to show me one person eligible to vote in an election who was deprived of doing so.
9. Obama Pays Lip Service To The Constitution
The President referred to the Constitution as "a remarkable, beautiful gift". Yet this didn't stop him from making recess appointments when Congress wasn't in recess (something the Supreme Court rebuked him on in 2014), unilaterally legalizing illegal aliens and announcing changes to Obamacare from the podium of the White House press room without Congressional approval.
10. Obama Lectures Us About Political Discourse
This is typical Obama:
America, we weaken those ties when we allow our political dialogue to become so corrosive that people of good character aren't even willing to enter into public service. So course with rancor that Americans with whom we disagree are seen, not just as misguided, but as malevolent. We weaken those ties when we define some of us as more American than others.
This from the man who said Republican opposition to Syrian refugees was a recruitment tool for ISIS. Somehow I don't think Mitch McConnell is powerful enough to compel one person to behead or burn alive another human being. Obama is the last person we need lecturing us on the state of our political discourse.
No, I am not looking forward to the Trump presidency, but I'm more than happy to bid Obama goodbye and good riddance.
With that, here are the 10 things from the speech which really annoyed me.
1. Keeping Him Honest
President Obama claimed that conversations with everyday Americans kept him honest. Somehow that didn't stop him from telling everyday Americans if they liked their health insurance, they could keep it.
2. Shutting Down Iran's Nuclear Weapons Inspection Program Without Firing a Single Shot
Well, actually he gave away the store not to mention $400 million in exchange for American hostages without telling Congress & the public humiliation of our Navy sailors on Iranian state television. Of course, Iran has been violating the terms of the deal with regard to heavy water. A normal President would have ripped up the deal, but since the deal is the centerpiece of his foreign policy his administration loosened the terms. Unless Trump reverses the deal the only thing that will be let loose is an Iranian nuclear weapon.
3. Obama is Still Bragging About Killing Osama Bin Laden
None of which stopped the rise of ISIS which he dismissed as the "jayvee squad". That jayvee squad controls vast amounts of territory in Iraq, Syria and Libya and has launched attacks in this country and throughout the West. More on this later.
4. Race
President Obama said that "race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society." And no one has used race more divisively over the past 8 years than President Obama whether it was calling his own grandmother "a typical white person", accused the Cambridge Police Department of "acting stupidly" even while acknowledging he didn't have all the facts, saying Trayvon Martin could have been his son and his encouragement of the racist Black Lives Matter movement. Sure he paid lip service to the white middle class, a group of people he characterized as bitterly clinging to guns and religion.
5. Ethical Lapses
Obama did pose this interesting question:
How do we excuse ethical lapses in our own party, but pounce when the other party does the same thing? It's not just dishonest, it's selective sorting of the facts. It's self-defeating because, as my mom used to tell me, reality has a way of catching up with you.
But when it came to Hillary Clinton's ethical lapses concerning her e-mails, President Obama was perfectly happy to undercut the FBI investigation by telling 60 Minutes it wasn't a matter of national security or when he invoked executive privilege to cover then Attorney General Eric Holder's behind in the Fast & Furious scandal (something which a federal judge ruled he could not do) or his protection of Lois Lerner in the IRS-Tea Party scandal. Talk is cheap but reality never caught up with Obama.
6. Obama Actually Claimed No Foreign Terrorist Organization Had Successfully Launched a Terrorist Attack In This Country During His Tenure
And then in the next breath mentioned the Boston Marathon bombing, Orlando nightclub attack, San Bernardino shooting and the shooting at Fort Hood. I seem to recall something about the Russians warning us about Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Nidal Malik Hasan communicating with Anwar al-Awlaki, the then leader of al-Qaeda in Yemen and the Orlando and San Bernardino attackers pledging allegiance to ISIS.Last I checked ISIS means the Islamic State of Iran & Syria. For Obama to suggest no foreign terrorist organization committed a terrorist attack under his watch is an insult to those who died at Fort Hood, in Boston, San Bernardino and in Orlando.
7. Russia & China Can't Match Our Influence Around The World
Russia seems quite happy to conduct peace talks in Syria without us while China is building man made islands in the South China Sea in a matter reminiscent of Japan prior to Pearl Harbor. Soon they plan to place missiles on those islands. Obama is delusional if he thinks Russian and Chinese influence haven't grown at our expense under his watch.
8. Obama Claims It Is Harder To Vote
For all the rhetoric that Republicans are suppressing the vote, I defy Obama to show me one person eligible to vote in an election who was deprived of doing so.
9. Obama Pays Lip Service To The Constitution
The President referred to the Constitution as "a remarkable, beautiful gift". Yet this didn't stop him from making recess appointments when Congress wasn't in recess (something the Supreme Court rebuked him on in 2014), unilaterally legalizing illegal aliens and announcing changes to Obamacare from the podium of the White House press room without Congressional approval.
10. Obama Lectures Us About Political Discourse
This is typical Obama:
America, we weaken those ties when we allow our political dialogue to become so corrosive that people of good character aren't even willing to enter into public service. So course with rancor that Americans with whom we disagree are seen, not just as misguided, but as malevolent. We weaken those ties when we define some of us as more American than others.
This from the man who said Republican opposition to Syrian refugees was a recruitment tool for ISIS. Somehow I don't think Mitch McConnell is powerful enough to compel one person to behead or burn alive another human being. Obama is the last person we need lecturing us on the state of our political discourse.
No, I am not looking forward to the Trump presidency, but I'm more than happy to bid Obama goodbye and good riddance.
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