Anthony Rendon Renders Us Speechless

Put this under the "What a Difference a Day" makes file.

Consider Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon.

From April 3rd thru 29th: .226 BA 0 HR 5 RBI

Today, April 30th, Rendon went 6 for 6 with 3 HR and 10 RBIs in a 23-5 shellacking of the New York Mets. His batting average went up 52 points to .278. 

He will probably never have another day like this ever again. But then again he might.

As the late Joe Garagiola would say, "Baseball is a funny game."

Memo to Pope Francis: Refugee Centers Are Not Concentration Camps

Pope Francis raised eyebrows last week when he called Syrian refugee centers concentration camps. There were those who hoped it was something lost in translation.

It wasn't.

The Pope told a German reporter yesterday,“There was no linguistic lapse: There are concentration camps, sorry: refugee camps that are true camps of concentration.” The pontiff added that refugees are "closed in and can't leave."

Memo to the Pope: refugee centers are not concentration camps.

While the conditions in refugee centers are squalid and dangerous those who end up there aren't being deliberately sent there to die.

Those in who live in the refugee camps have a chance for a better life.

Six million Jews had no such possibility.

Congratulations Pope Francis. You've just minimized The Holocaust. Disgraceful.

A Thought for Allison Warmuth

It was a year ago today that Allison Warmuth's life was cut short by a Duck Boat near Boston Common.

Although others knew her far better, nevertheless her sudden death hit me hard. She was a colleague of my mine when I worked at AIG and was one of the kindest people I've ever met. The least I could do was attend her funeral and pay tribute to her kindness in the best way I knew how.

In the 17 plus years I've been in Boston I've never taken a ride in a Duck Boat and I never will. I can't look at them without thinking of Allison. This can be difficult when working downtown as they are a frequent site.

With this in mind, I have done my best to think about all the good she did in her short time here. A few months back at the Massachusetts Paralegal Association holiday party, I met Liz Harrington of the Women's Lunch Place of Greater Boston where Allison volunteered serving meals to homeless women. Evidently, Allison had just finished volunteering there shortly before her accident.

I spoke with Liz about Allison and although she did not know her well she told me she was adored by the guests and staff alike and her passing had inspired others to donate money and volunteer time. Liz told me about a fundraiser which took place this past Thursday evening which I attended.

From this point forward should I see a Duck Boat I will instead try to think of a woman Allison helped at the Women's Lunch Place.

The 10 Worst Things Trump Said or Did in His First 100 Days as President

So let me get right to it.

 1. The Muslim Ban

This measure is immoral in principle and unworkable in practice. Trump's defenders say it isn't a Muslim ban. Gee, I wonder how many Presbyterians were affected by this executive order. It did affect thousands of permanent residents and dual citizens forcing the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense scramble. After all, Trump didn't bother to tell them about the executive order.

And for what? This won't save a single life from an act of Muslim terrorism. Last I checked, the persons responsible for San Bernardino and Orlando were born in the United States.

2. The Holocaust Remembrance Day Fiasco

President Trump commemorated Holocaust Remembrance Day - without acknowledging the fact Jews were Hitler's principle target. When the obvious was pointed out the Trump Administration dug in it heels.

To be fair, Trump has improved in this regard since his joint address to Congress. The same cannot be said for his Press Secretary.

3. He Doesn't Hire The Best People (Sean Spicer & Michael Flynn)

The White House Press Secretary is the face of any presidency. Sean Spicer's is a most ugly one. His tenure has been marked by misinformation (or should I say alternative facts), outright hostility to the press and general incompetence.

Michael Flynn is no longer National Security Adviser, but his brief tenure will haunt the Trump Administration for a long time to come. It appears the Trump Administration was aware of his lobbying efforts for Turkey after all. True to form, Trump is blaming Obama for not vetting Flynn.

4. Nor Does He Keep The Best People (The Firing of Preet Bharara) 

I realize U.S. Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President. But Trump really should have kept Bharara. He didn't play favorites bringing New York's top Democrat Sheldon Silver for corruption. All of which proves Trump was never serious about draining the swamp.

5. Accusing President Obama of Wiretapping Trump Tower

I'm no fan of President Obama. But Trump has no evidence that Obama did any such thing nor does anyone else. Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump need to keep the President away from Twitter.

6. MSM = The Enemy of the American People

There is no doubt the mainstream media has a strong left-wing bias. This is nothing new under the sun. For a sitting President to say they are the enemy of the American people is another thing altogether. If the MSM is the enemy of the American people then what does that make ISIS?

7. "We've Got a Lot of Killers."

When the now departed Bill O'Reilly pointed out Russia's human rights abuses to President Trump, he retorted, "We've got a lot of killers. You think our country's so innocent?" Who are these killers exactly? Would that be our brave men and women in uniform? If it is then Trump is unfit to be Commander in Chief of our military.

8. Bombing Syria & Afghanistan

It can be argued that President Trump was merely enforcing President Obama's red line where it concerned chemical weapons. But beautiful babies can and will be killed by conventional weapons as well. Nor does Trump have a change of heart where it concerns Syrian refugees. Depending on who you talk to in his Administration, Bashar Assad is staying (Rex Tillerson) or is going (Nikki Haley).

As for Afghanistan, Trump bombed the shit out of ISIS. So now what?

Methinks Trump is bombing these countries not for any national security purpose, but because he can.

9. Contempt For Our Allies (Australia, Britain, Canada & South Korea)

One can argue that our enemies should be kept guessing where it concerns Trump. But what about our friends?

In 100 days, Trump has berated Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull over the phone, accused the U.K. of spying on him at the behest of President Obama, appears to be trying to start a trade war with Canada (despite earlier assurances that it was not being targeted in renegotiating NAFTA) while claiming South Korea was once a part of China, accusing it of not paying its fair share for military defense and threatening to terminate the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement amid aggression by North Korea.

None of this inspires the confidence of our Allies in the United States of America.

10. He's More Apt at Breaking Deals Than Making Them

If Trump had his way he would have announced today that he was abrogating NAFTA, sandbagging Canada and Mexico and throwing our economy into recession. Fortunately, cooler heads in the White House prevailed upon to retreat from this foolishness. But next time we might not be so lucky.

Remember when Trump said repealing and replacing Obamacare would "be so easy"? With a Republican in the White House and a Republican Congress you might think it would be. But Republicans weren't sold on the alternative being put forward and Trump wouldn't sell the deal leaving it to Steve Bannon to tell them to take it or else. If this is Trump's idea of the art of the deal then he's not going to be making any deals.

At this point, 96% of those who voted for Trump would do so again. Most of my objections (save for 7 and 10) wouldn't phase this group. If Trump doesn't deliver though it will be interesting to see if a portion of this group blames Trump or if they blame anyone but Trump. As usual only time will tell.

A Short Excerpt of My Life as a Paralegal

Here is a short interview I did last week with Joe Spada, Director of the Paralegal Studies Program at Boston University.

I completed the program a year ago and was offered my first paralegal position only two months later.

If you live in the New England area and aspire towards a career as a paralegal and would like more information about the BU Paralegal Studies program then click here.

Thomas Frank Offers Some Frank Advice to The Democratic Party

What's The Matter with Kansas? author Thomas Frank has written an article for The Guardian which can charitably be described as, well, frank. He excoriates the Democratic Party for its contempt of America's working-class and calls upon it to disavow its "Davos ideology.":


Pretending to rediscover the exotic, newly red states of the Midwest, in the manner of the New York Times, is not the answer to this problem. Listening to the voices of the good people of Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan is not really the answer, either. Cursing those bad people for the stupid way they voted is an even lousier idea.


What we need is for the Democratic party and its media enablers to alter course. It’s not enough to hear people’s voices and feel their pain; the party actually needs to change. They need to understand that the enlightened Davos ideology they have embraced over the years has done material harm to millions of their own former constituents. The Democrats need to offer something different next time. And then they need to deliver.


Frank doesn't specifically define "Davos ideology" although from the tenor of his writing it would be one in its simplest terms that embraces free trade and deregulation. Of course, this is easier said than done. Suppose Bernie Sanders is somehow elected President in 2020. Is he anymore likely to abrogate NAFTA than President Trump? And if he does what good does withdrawing from global markets? China will surely be happy to fill the void.


Nevertheless, Frank is right to say that Democrats must not make enemies with those who voted for Trump:


People in the labor movement that I met in my turn around the midwest expressed complicated feelings about Donald Trump. On the one hand, everyone understands that he is an obvious scoundrel and they fear that his administration will bring about (via a possible supreme court ruling against public-sector unions) an epic defeat for organized labor.


In the union hall of the Steelworkers local that represents workers at the Indianapolis Carrier plant – a union hall where you might expect Trump to be venerated – I spotted instead a flyer depicting the billionaire president with his famous pompadour on fire. The headline: “Lying Con and Volatile Gasbag is Enemy of the Working Class.”


On the other hand, Trump at least pretended to be a friend of the working class, and it was working-class people in this part of America who turned against the Democrats and helped delivered him into the White House. By a certain school of thought, this should make working-class people the Number One swing group for Democrats to court.

Of course it isn’t working out that way. So far, liberal organs seem far less interested in courting such voters than they do in scolding them, insulting them for their coarse taste and the hate for humanity they supposedly cherish in their ignorant hearts.

These sentiments were put on full display by Hillary Clinton last September during her infamous basket of deplorables speech. There were certainly Trump supporters who behaved deplorably, but for her tar half of Trump supporters was a wound she cannot blame on James Comey.

Of course, Barack Obama was plenty condescending in the 2008 election when he spoke of those clung bitterly to their guns and religion. Did Obama get away with this because of his race? Or is it because he knows how to work a room and Hillary Clinton doesn't? Whatever the reason, Obama is the exception which proves Frank's argument. While Obama got two terms, Democrats lost 13 Senate seats, 12 governor's mansions and nearly 1,000 state legislative seats. Back to Frank:

Ignorance is not the issue, however. Many midwesterners I met share an outlook that is profoundly bleak. They believe that the life has gone out of this region; indeed, they fear that a civilization based on making things is no longer sustainable.


They tell me about seniors falling prey to Fox News syndrome and young people who are growing up without hope. And just about everyone I talked to believes that the national Democratic party has abandoned them. They are frustrated beyond words with the stupidity of the party’s leadership.


In a way, "so much winning" was to Trump what "hope and change" was to Obama. As I argued the other day, if Trump convinces voters that they are winning then he will win in 2020.


Thomas Frank has offered Democrats some frank advice. Frankly, I doubt they will take up him on it.

Will The Secret Service Have to Tackle Trump One of These Days?

From The Washington Post regarding President Trump's decision not to abrogate NAFTA after all:


“I was all set to terminate,” Trump said in an Oval Office interview Thursday night. “I looked forward to terminating. I was going to do it.”


There was just one problem: Trump’s team — like on so many issues — was deeply divided.
 
As news of the president’s plan reached Ottawa and Mexico City in the middle of the week and rattled the markets and Congress, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and others huddled in meetings with Trump, urging him not to sign a document triggering a U.S. withdrawal from NAFTA.


Perdue even brought along a prop to the Oval Office: A map of the United States that illustrated the areas that would be hardest hit, particularly from agriculture and manufacturing losses, and highlighting that many of those states and counties were “Trump country” communities that had voted for the president in November.


“It shows that I do have a very big farmer base, which is good,” Trump recalled. “They like Trump, but I like them, and I’m going to help them.”


By Wednesday night, Trump — who spent nearly two years as a candidate railing against the trade agreement — had backed down, saying that conversations with advisers and phone calls with the leaders of Canada and Mexico had persuaded him to reconsider.


The above scenario reminds me of Billy Crystal's joke that Trump will be the only President to ever have to be tackled by his own Secret Service.


It also reminds me of the 1990's movie Dave starring Kevin Kline. If you've never seen it, Kline plays a man named Dave who is a doppelganger for the President of the United States. When the President has a stroke, Dave is called upon to take his place unbeknownst to the public. While the media is being told the President is recovering and being briefed, Dave is being instructed on the three branches of government. I have a funny feeling this has occurred more than once in the Trump White House.


With that said, it is assuring that someone other than Ivanka Trump can tell her father the answer is no. I had worried Trump would listen to no one else. It is good to know there are others who can rein him in. But unfortunately this won't be the last time this happens. In fact, I'm pretty sure this is a daily occurrence. It is a chaotic and exhausting way to govern and its breeds instability and uncertainty. America's allies had enough instability and uncertainty with President Obama. We do not need more. In which case, under no circumstances, should President Trump ever be left alone with the nuclear codes. Especially when he is on Twitter.

An Evening With Steve Winwood: Wonderful Concert, Horrible Venue

I may stop going to concerts for awhile. At the very minimum, I will stop going to concerts at The Orpheum Theatre in Boston.

Getting in there was like going through security at an airport. Yes, I understand concert venues fear another Bataclan, but they are more likely to confiscate your water than any actual weapons.

I could perhaps understand if The Orpheum was a jewel. But The Orpheum makes 1970's porn theaters look respectable by comparison. It was hot, the chair in front of me was broken, there was no leg room so I had to sit with my backpack on my lap and the floor was uneven, The talking in the audience during Lily Winwood's set didn't help matters much either.

Winwood's 22-year old daughter opened the evening with a seven song acoustic set. She has just released her first EP and this is her second tour with her father to whom she referred as "an old friend." Born and raised in Nashville, her voice has hints of an English accent on words such as "ode and "perks". It is a very lovely voice, but several people in the audience loudly said, "She's not her Dad."

The comparison is an unfair one. After all, Steve Winwood has a 50-year legacy with which to work and put it on full display with fare from the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith and his solo work. Winwood, who turns 69 next month, has lost none of his voice's power and is equally good on the keyboards as he is on guitar.

I must admit my mood improved considerably when Winwood played Traffic's "Pearly Queen". The crowd really got into it when he got to the Blind Faith portion of the show - "Can't Find My Way Home" and "Had to Cry Today", earning Winwood his first standing ovation of the evening.

I'm not sure how I've overlooked "Empty Pages" all these years, or for that matter Traffic. Now Traffic is jamming my ears.

The only musical disappointment was Traffic's "Light Up or Leave Me Alone". I know Winwood co-wrote the song, but it isn't the same without the late Jim Capaldi's vocal. Most of Winwood's songs lend themselves to jamming including "Light Me Up", but it just didn't move me and I couldn't wait for it to end.

I didn't catch the names of Winwood's touring band, but they were tight. One member played flute, sax, clarinet and also keyboards when Winwood was on guitar.

Winwood brought daughter Lily back on stage to sing "Higher Love". Winwood and company bid adieu but returned to close the show with Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and The Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'".

As I descended the stairs, the crowd was absolutely raving about the concert.

All things considered, I would see Steve Winwood again. I just wouldn't see him at The Orpheum.

Will Trudeau Enlist Mulroney To Intercede With Trump on NAFTA?

Back in December, Lawrence Martin wrote about how former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney could play a critical role in Canada-U.S. relations with President Trump in office:

Brian Mulroney has always been a foremost admirer of American presidents. Flatters them, cultivates them. Ingratiates himself. And to beneficent effect. For himself and, many would say, for his country.

But Donald Trump? Him, too! “The Donald Trump I have always known,” Mr. Mulroney observed last week without gulping, is “a gentleman.” Has five wonderful kids, he pointed out, who don’t drink, smoke or do crack. “For me, if someone is able to make $10-billion and raise five children like that, it speaks well of him.”

Gentleman Trump shouldn’t be a problem for Canada, added the former Tory prime minister who’s known him for decades. No matter if he’s protectionist, jingoistic, boorish, heapingly erratic – and many other things un-Canadian. “My impression is that he views Canada with favour.”

With the exception of Conrad Black, precious few other Canadians speak highly of Mr. Trump, and many are irked that Mr. Mulroney would do so. It’s typical Mulroney, they say. Currying favour with big-shot Americans.

But more important now is the possibility that, given the potential Trumpian dangers to Canadian interests, Mr. Mulroney can use his persuasive powers to drive some sense into this man’s head and rein him in. Who better to defend free trade, for example, than free trade’s architect?

Given that President Trump very nearly abrogated NAFTA yesterday, Justin Trudeau is going to want to play this card. Whether Trudeau plays it now or later is a matter of discretion. So too as to whether he seeks Mulroney's assistance formally or informally. But if Trump is prepared to behave so rashly, Trudeau should keep the Mulroney card close at hand - even if it means Mulroney serenades Trump.

For Americans tempted to blame NAFTA squarely on Bill and Hillary Clinton must realize there would be no NAFTA without the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. That means Brian Mulroney and Ronald Reagan. I can remember a time when conservatives would say, "Trade is Nirvana."

Trump's NAFTA Saber Rattling is Good Politics, But Bad Economics

President Trump does resemble cat during an impending thunderstorm when he hints towards abrogation of NAFTA before saying, "Oh! Never mind I'll renegotiate."




Trump's manic behavior makes markets nervous.




The upside for Trump is that this is good politics. It's a rare opportunity for Democrats to be on board with Trump (i.e. Ron Wyden) and Republicans normally critical of him (i.e. Lindsey Graham). It's also an opportunity for Trump to shore up support in states which flipped from blue to red. In the case of objecting to Canada's supply management system for dairy producers, it is Wisconsin as attested by the support of Democrat Senator Tammy Baldwin. Even if Trump is unsuccessful, if voters believe Trump is fighting for them then this behavior will have been reinforced and it will continue.


But Trump eventually needs to get results. Canada and Mexico aren't about to roll over and play dead on NAFTA because Trump says so. Whether Trump likes it or not, we are in a global economy and if America wants to retreat for that global economy, China is more than happy to fill the void. A prolonged engagement in protectionism is bad economics which will result in less investment, fewer jobs and financial instability. These are not the kind of things which will make America great again.

Trump Should Offer to March in Portland, Oregon's Rose Parade

First it's freedom of speech. Now its freedom of assembly.


It's bad enough that the absurdly named anti-fascists forced Ann Coulter to cancel her speech at Berkeley, now they have forced Portland, Oregon to cancel its annual Roses Parade.


Why?


Because a few Republicans were going to participate in the parade.


From The Oregonian:


This year's parade was once again set to feature the Multnomah County Republican Party as one of the many groups slated to march, but that inclusion drew ire from some of the city's left-leaning protest groups.


At least two protests were planned for the day of the parade, one by Oregon Students Empowered and another by Direct Action Alliance. Both events were mentioned in an email sent to parade organizers on Saturday, threatening to shut down the event with hundreds of protesters in the street.


"You have seen how much power we have downtown and that the police cannot stop us from shutting down roads so please consider your decision wisely," the anonymous email said, telling organizers they could cancel the Republican group's registration or else face action from protesters. "This is non-negotiable."


The Washington Post reports that if local Republicans were to march that 200 anarchists would “rush into the parade” and “drag and push” GOP marchers.


In other words, nice parade you have. Too bad if anything were to happen to it.


Once again, the threat of violence has prevailed against law and order.


If President Trump were clever, he would call the organizers of the parade and ask them to reconsider with the offer to come to march in the parade.


No doubt the Left would see that as a provocation. Indeed, it is.


The First Amendment is being challenged by violent means. What better way for the President of the United States to come to its defense by offering to march with the good people of Portland, Oregon?If the President of the United States isn't safe to march then no one is.


Let's be honest. If Democratic Party activists were threatened in this manner who would have hesitated to call upon President Obama to intercede?


Such an intervention on Trump's part could help embolden everyday Americans and law enforcement to stand up to these hooligans and terrorists.


Then again Trump is the man who said there could be riots if he didn't get the Republican nomination. But coming to Portland, Oregon would not only make up for that sin, but it would be a powerful statement in favor of freedom that has, for lack of a better phrase, made America great.

Kevin O'Leary's Abrupt Withdrawal From Canada's Conservative Party Leadership Race is a Blessing

Yesterday, to the surprise of many, Shark Tank co-host Kevin O'Leary abruptly dropped out of Canada's Conservative Party leadership race and endorsed Quebec MP Maxime Bernier.


O'Leary's withdrawal took place hours before the final leadership debate. As of now, there are 13 candidates vying to succeed former Prime Minister Stephen Harper who resigned following his election defeat to Justin Trudeau's Liberals in October 2015. Conservatives will select a new leader one month from today. O'Leary said he could have won the contest, but could not have defeated Trudeau because of a lack of support in Quebec.


Frankly, his presence in the race amounted to a publicity stunt. If you're serious about becoming Canada's next Prime Minister you don't do it by hawking wares on QVC. Besides, the Tories would have been absolute hypocrites to support the Boston based O'Leary after slamming the Liberals for choosing the Cambridge based Michael Ignatieff a few years back.


O'Leary's decision to withdraw from the race is a blessing. Now Canada's Conservatives can choose a leader who won't take the job on a part-time basis.

Jonathan Demme, R.I.P.

Acclaimed film and documentary filmmaker Jonathan Demme, best known for directing The Silence of The Lambs and winning a Best Director Academy Award for it, has died of complications of esophageal cancer and heart disease. He was 73.


Demme cut his teeth with B-movie director Roger Corman and in the early 1970's directed several "women-in-prison" films - Hot Box, Black Mama White Mama and Caged Heat. In the 1980's, Demme graduated to more mainstream fare such as Melvin & Howard, Swing Shift, Swimming to Cambodia and Married to the Mob before becoming a household name with Silence of the Lambs. It would be his only Oscar nomination.


After Silence of the Lambs, Demme directed Philadelphia, the remake of The Manchurian Candidate and Rachel Getting Married. His last major motion picture release was Ricki & The Flash starring Meryl Streep.


Demme did direct several documentaries mostly with musicians including three with Neil Young as well as with The Talking Heads, Robyn Hitchcock and most recently Justin Timberlake. He also directed controversial Man from Plains featuring former President Jimmy Carter promoting his anti-Israel book Peace Not Apartheid. I saw the film and let's just say it wasn't one of his better works.


One piece of work that does stand the test of time was his work behind the camera for the Columbo episode "Murder Under Glass" featuring Louis Jourdan which you can watch here. It just happens to be Breaking Bad creator and Better Call Saul co-creator Vince Gilligan's favorite Columbo episode.


That is quite a tribute to Demme's work. R.I.P.

Trump Takes Aim at Canada Over Softwood Lumber & Dairy Farmers

During the election campaign, Donald Trump reserved much of his ire towards Mexico not only on immigration, but with NAFTA. Of course, Canada is a signatory as this was originally known as the Canada-U.S Free Trade Agreement.


When Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau visited Trump at the White House in February, Trump gave assurances regarding NAFTA stating, “We have a very outstanding trade relationship with Canada. It’s a much less severe situation than what’s taken place on the southern border.” With regards to any trade imbalances concerning NAFTA, Trump said he only sought to be “tweaking it".


Trudeau has been a frequent visitor to the U.S. and has been friendly with First Daughter Ivanka Trump, even attending the Broadway debut last month of "Come From Away" - the story of Gander, Newfoundland - the little town which welcomed thousands of American travelers as planes made emergency landings in the hours after the attacks of September 11, 2001. All seemed peachy.


But this is Donald Trump we're talking about. Trump has now changed his tune about Canada and is aggressively pursuing America's largest trading partner where it concerns softwood lumber and its supply management system for dairy farmers. The Trump Administration has imposed duties on softwood lumber imports ranging from 3% to 24%. With regard to pricing supports for dairy farmers, Trump has characterized them as a “disgrace” and “another typical one-sided deal against the U.S.”


To be fair to Trump, he isn't the first U.S. President to complain about Canadian softwood lumber or the supply management system and he won't be the last. In the case of the latter, the EU would also like Canada to do away with supply management. The issue very nearly jettisoned the Canada-European Trade Agreement (CETA) which was signed last fall.


With this in mind, Trump has a far stronger case against supply management (which is also used by Canadian egg and poultry farmers) than softwood lumber. While American forests are privately owned, Canadian ones are Crown owned in their respective provinces, particularly B.C. International trade bodies have consistently upheld Canada's right to state ownership of its forests for years and I don't see that changing. There was a softwood lumber agreement in place between Canada and the United States but it expired in October 2015 just as Trudeau's Liberals came to power. For whatever reason, the Trudeau government didn't make negotiating a new agreement a priority during President Obama's last year in office assuming Hillary Clinton would be his successor. Now Trump has brought the splinters.


President Trump is planning to announce proposed changes to NAFTA within the next couple of weeks. It will be interesting to see how Trudeau responds. I suspect Canada-U.S. relations are going to get a whole lot worse.

Jeb Bush Is Going To Have More Fun Hanging With Out Derek Jeter Than Donald Trump

It looks like former Florida Governor and 2016 Republican presidential aspirant Jeb Bush and future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter will be the new owners of the Miami Marlins subject to approval from Major League Baseball.


I think Jeb Bush is going to be a lot happier hanging out with Derek Jeter than he was with Donald Trump.


Bush gets a small measure of revenge against Trump as a group led by Jared Kushner's family had also made a bid for the team. The Marlins have been owned by New York art dealer Jeffrey Loria since 2003. Loria previously owned the Montreal Expos.


The Bush family, of course, is no stranger to baseball ownership as George W. Bush purchased the Texas Rangers in 1989 and ran the team until elected Governor of the Lone Star State in 1994.


The Marlins came into existence in 1993 and have only appeared in the post-season twice in franchise history - 1997 and 2003 winning the World Series on both occasions. So far early in the 2017 season the Marlins are in second place in the NL East only 2½ games back of the Washington Nationals. The Marlins are my pick to win the 2017 World Series.

Trump's Re-Election Depends On Whether Voters Think They Are Winning

Over at NRO, Jonathan S. Tobin cautions those in the mainstream media who are predicting President Trump's demise:


Trump has had no traditional post-election honeymoon. But he has done something remarkable. A stunning 96 percent of those who say they voted for him in 2016 would do so again. This stands in contrast to the buyer’s remorse of Hillary Clinton voters, with 15 percent saying they would not vote for Clinton again if given the chance. Together these numbers explain why the poll shows Trump winning the popular vote in a rematch with the Democratic nominee.


How is that possible with such low popularity ratings for Trump? It all comes down to the stark partisan divide in our current political culture. As was plainly illustrated in 2016, right- and left-leaning voters not only disagree; they also don’t listen to/watch/read the same media and thus draw vastly different conclusions from the same events.


Why are Republicans so pleased with Trump? Justice Neil Gorsuch and a kept promise about the Supreme Court is a big part of it. So, too, are his moves on regulatory reform and his nominating the most conservative cabinet in recent history. A more sensible foreign policy than was anticipated also helps. But the main thing is that whatever they may think of Trump’s character or shortcomings, almost everyone on the right thinks him superior to any possible Democratic president.


Tobin is correct to say that Republicans aren't experiencing buyer's remorse. Indeed, the Gorsuch appointment alone might be sufficient to mollify Republican voters for the next four years. If no Republican sees fit to challenge Trump in the 2020 primaries, his re-election is all but assured.


However, Tobin's analysis does not take into account the white working class voters in Iowa, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania (and for that matter in Maine and Minnesota) who voted for Barack Obama in 2012. As this recent New York Times article suggests while voters in Pennsylvania are willing to give Trump the benefit of the doubt they haven't seen any winning and their patience isn't endless.


If Democrats truly want to evict Trump from the White House then they ought to pay attention to the aspirations of these white working class voters. Trump promised "so much winning." Well, the first question the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee should be asking these voters is, "Have you been winning in the past four years?" If the answer is a resounding no then Democrats have a chance. If the answer is yes and people do feel like they are winning then Trump gets a four year lease extension at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.


Trump's chances improve if Democrats see fit to exclude pro-life voters which is what DNC Chair Tom Perez and Senator Dick Durbin are suggesting. Given that Democrats have lost nearly a 1,000 state legislature seats, 13 Senators, 12 Governors and now the White House since 2009 they don't exactly have the luxury to be picky about their voters. This doesn't mean Democrats should jettison their pro-choice views. They just shouldn't expunge pro-life voters and instead find common cause with them on economic issues and other domestic policies. It very much remains to be seen if Democrats will have the wisdom to do such a thing.

On Sean Hannity's Accuser

When I read this morning that Debbie Schlussel had accused Sean Hannity of inviting her to his hotel room I had a feeling this would unravel quickly. Now she's saying he only invited her to his hotel and that it wasn't sexual harassment. This was not long after Hannity forcefully denied Schlussel's claims and threatened legal action.


Although I have never met Schlussel in person I can attest that she has only a passing relationship with the truth. Back in 2011 during the Arab Spring in Egypt, my then American Spectator colleague John Guardiano and I had quite the debate over it. He was very optimistic while I was far more skeptical.


Enter Debbie Schlussel and her bat shit craziness. She made this bizarre claim that I had stated the mob who attacked CBS journalists Lara Logan were operatives of then Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and approvingly quoted Nicholas Kristoff of the New York Times in this regard. I did no such thing and invited her to correct the record. Well, it's been over six years and I'm not holding my breath.


I realize there were those who were chomping at the bit to get Hannity after the fall of Bill O'Reilly last week. While I think Hannity is insufferably annoying for his support of Trump that isn't cause to automatically supporting this kind of allegation. Schlussel has had a vendetta against Hannity going back a decade and it seems strange that she is only mentioning this incident now. Allegations like these are not to be leveled lightly and under the circumstances I view it with a great deal of skepticism and I am far from alone.

Will Sanders & Ellison Get a Backlash For Defending Coulter's Freedom of Speech?

Right-wing firebrand Ann Coulter found herself defended by two unlikely sources - Bernie Sanders and Keith Ellison.


Coulter is due to speak at Berkeley on April 27th. The administration cancelled the speech amid threats of violence, but then re-invited her to speak on May 2nd. But Coulter says she is coming to Berkeley on Thursday.


In an interview with The Huffington Post following a speech in Omaha, Nebraska last Thursday, the Vermont socialist said:


Obviously Ann Coulter’s outrageous ― to my mind, off the wall. But you know, people have a right to give their two cents-worth, give a speech, without fear of violence and intimidation.


But Sanders wasn't done there:


To me, it’s a sign of intellectual weakness. If you can’t ask Ann Coulter in a polite way questions which expose the weakness of her arguments, if all you can do is boo, or shut her down, or prevent her from coming, what does that tell the world?

What are you afraid of ― her ideas? Ask her the hard questions. Confront her intellectually. Booing people down, or intimidating people, or shutting down events, I don’t think that that works in any way.


Minnesota Congressman & DNC Deputy Chair Keith Ellison echoed Sanders' sentiments:


Absolutely protest these people you don’t like, absolutely write against them, denounce them,” the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee advised progressives angry at right-wing speakers. “But the solution to bad speech is good speech, the solution to bad speech is more speech. Once you start saying, ‘You can’t talk,’ then whoever’s in power gets to impose that on whoever’s not in power and that’s not good.


This was exactly my approach when I went to hear public speakers whose views I did not share. I asked them questions - including Ann Coulter. I saw her speak at Boston College in December 2004, asked her a question & the world did not end.


What I wonder is if Sanders and Ellison will get blowback for their defense of Coulter's right to speak. Will they have to apologize like Martin O'Malley did after he had the gumption to say "All Lives Matter?"


If Sanders and Ellison apologize or walk back their comments then their words in defense of freedom of speech will ring hollow. But if they stand their ground then it demonstrates there is hope for The Left. It won't stop them from imposing speech codes on college campuses, but it might give some campus activists pause before rejecting the principle of freedom of speech altogether.

Will Macron Be Harmed By Fillon's Endorsement?

No sooner that it became clear Emmanuel Macron would face Marine Le Pen in next month's French presidential runoff, Republican candidate François Fillon promptly endorsed Macron.


Of course, Fillon was the odds on favorite to succeed the deeply unpopular François Hollande after he ousted former President Nicolas Sarkozy as well as former Prime Minister Alain Juppe in the Republican primary last year. But Fillon's support collapsed in January following a nepotism scandal. This resulted in Macron's surge. While Fillon finished third in yesterday's vote, he finished only 0.3% ahead of the far left Jean-Luc Mélenchon.


While I suspect most Republicans will follow Fillon's lead and support Macron, I cannot help but wonder if his endorsement could hurt Macron. After all, the investigation into Fillon is still ongoing. What happens if charges are pressed against Fillon between now and May 7th? Perhaps this is a remote possibility, but you can be sure that Le Pen will tie Macron to Fillon's corruption and argue they are both part of the same corrupt system and try to put Macron in the awkward position of distancing himself from the man who just endorsed him.


With that being said, there is no accusation of corruption on Macron's part. The only real complaint against him is that his wife is old enough to be his mother. But let's remember that when François Mitterrand died, both his wife and mistress were in attendance at his funeral. So the best Le Pen can do is guilt by association. But it could be good enough. While there is a 99 out of 100 chance that Macron will prevail in 13 days one cannot estimate the level of anger towards globalization, elitism and the EU. Who can say Melenchon's supporters won't turn out for Le Pen? The point is that Macron should take nothing for granted.


Keep this in mind. If Macron does defeat Le Pen it probably won't be by the 82-17 margin, Jacques Chirac had over her father 15 years ago. In which case, if Macron messes up then come 2022 Madame Le Pen might be residing in Elysée Palace. But that it is a bridge to be crossed later. Right now it is more important to make sure she doesn't move into Elysée Palace in 2017.

Erin Moran, R.I.P.

TMZ is reporting that actress Erin Moran has passed away at the age of 56. No cause of death has been given as of this writing.

Moran was best known for playing Joanie Cunningham on Happy Days and its short-lived spinoff Joanie Loves Chachi. Her post-Happy Days life wasn't a happy one mired in problems with alcohol and drugs, health issues, money troubles and even homelessness.

Despite her troubles, it's hard to believe Shortcake is gone. R.I.P.

Giants Fans Are Bummed About MadBum

San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner is expected to miss 6-8 weeks after injuring his pitching shoulder and his ribs following an accident on his dirt bike.

Although MadBum was 0-3 on the season, he had a respectable ERA of 3.00 (his lifetime ERA is 2.99(. He will be sorely missed by a Giants club that is currently in last place in the NL West.

Entering this season, MadBum had 100 career wins and three World Series rings. Given that he sustained an injury to his pitching shoulder one wonders if he will ever be the same again.

The Giants cannot be pleased with him. What is he doing riding a dirt bike during the baseball season? Or at anytime? I'm surprised there isn't a provision in his contract that forbids such a thing. He is being paid $11.5 million this season.

Interestingly, the Giants have a $12 million option on him in both 2018 and 2019. Until today, there wasn't any question that the club wouldn't exercise that option. But if he returns and doesn't pitch effectively MadBum might join former teammate Tim Lincecum in baseball exile.

Isn't Trump Sitting on an Island in The Atlantic?

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is being deservedly pilloried for saying that federal judge Derrick Watson was "sitting on an island in the Pacific". Specifically, Sessions objected to Watson blocking portions of President Trump's second Muslim immigration and travel ban last month. To be precise, Sessions said, “I really am amazed that a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific can issue an order that stops the president of the United States from what appears to be clearly his statutory and constitutional power.”

Well, if Judge Watson is sitting on an island in the Pacific then hasn't President Trump been sitting on an island in the Atlantic for the better part of his life?

Or let's put it another way. Does Sessions think Judge Gonzalo Curiel is a Mexican?

That Sessions questions the judge's legitimacy is a sure sign that the law doesn't pass constitutional muster. I know Sessions would prefer federal judges to be a rubber stamp for Trump's policies. It would make his job a lot easier. That is not their job. Trump isn't above the law. He is merely being kept in check. A federal judge's ruling is just as valid in Honolulu as it is in Manhattan. This is a federal system, Mr. Attorney General. That would be 50 states. All 50 states.

Cuba Gooding, Sr., R.I.P.

Cuba Gooding, Sr., lead singer of the '70's soul group The Main Ingredient and father of Oscar winning actor Cuba Gooding, Jr. was found dead in his automobile of an evident alcohol or drug overdose. The elder Gooding was 72.

It was in 1972 that The Main Ingredient scored their biggest hit "Everybody Plays The Fool" which reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 that October. The Main Ingredient would have one other Top 10 hit "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely" which charted in early 1974.

On a personal note, I got see Gooding, Sr. perform with The Main Ingredient here in Boston in the mid 2000's as part of the '70's Soul Revue along with The Spinners, The Stylistics, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes and The Delfonics. I remember that he was in fine form that evening.

"Everybody Plays The Fool" is one of those songs that makes one feel better after each listen. Life can go sour on you, but it doesn't have to stay sour. R.I.P.

Could The Champs-Élysées Attack Put Le Pen Over The Top on Sunday?

I realize that things are still being sorted out, but the Champs-Élysées in Paris is closed off as of this writing following the shooting death of a police officer. The assailant has evidently been shot dead although it is unclear if another assailant is at large. It is also unclear if this is another act of Islamic terrorism although it is unlikely a run of the mill thief would use a Kalashnikov. But given everything France has been through over the past two years plus - the Charlie Hebdo/Hyper Cacher attacks in January 2015, the November 2015 Paris bombings and the Bastille Day attack in Nice last year, this particular attack might be the final straw 72 hours before the polls open in France's presidential election. If this incident is the work of Islamic terrorists, ISIS or otherwise, it could be what puts the National Front's Marine Le Pen over the top - at least in the first round.


If Le Pen does finish at the top then she is unlikely to get 50% of the vote. In which case, there will be a runoff vote on May 7th. In which case, it is likely French voters would coalesce around her opponent who will probably be centrist Emmanuel Macron with the collapse of Socialist support due to the legacy of Francois Hollande and the corruption of Republican candidate Francois Fillon. But Communist Jean-Luc Melenchon's Unsubmissive France movement has been surging. If the runoff is between Le Pen and Melenchon then France is truly doomed. But assuming it's Le Pen vs. Macron, look for Le Pen to paint Macron as soft on terrorism. If another attack should take place between now and the runoff vote on May then all bets are off. France has a serious problem with Islamic terrorism, but Le Pen cannot discern between Islamic extremists and law abiding Jews. Nothing good can come from her election.


I know Le Pen has been supposedly modernizing the National Front, even expelling her own father National Front founder Jean-Marie Le Pen. But so long as Le Pen insists France was not responsible for deporting Jews during WWII then the stench of anti-Semitism remains. To suggest this is like suggesting Hitler didn't use chemical weapons.


I remember being in France on the eve of the 1995 presidential election. I was accompanying the late Scottish Labour MP Jimmy Wray to a Council of Europe meeting in Strasbourg. We spent the evening at a hotel in Reims with plans to take a train to Strasbourg the following morning. As I lay in bed, I heard a commotion outside. Peaking through the window I saw that National Front supporters had gathered outside. Soon they would chant, "La Mort Aux Juifs!!!" So far as I am concerned nothing has changed. Madame Le Pen is nothing more than lipstick on a pig.

President Trump Lied to South Korea Then Disrespected Her

South Korea is angry with President Trump and for good reason. From CNN:

In the face of antagonism from North Korea last week, Trump had said the USS Carl Vinson carrier group was being deployed to waters off the Korean Peninsula.

"We are sending an armada. Very powerful," Trump told Fox Business Channel's Maria Bartiromo. "We have submarines. Very powerful. Far more powerful than the aircraft carrier. That, I can tell you."

It turns out the carrier group was never actually steaming towards the peninsula, but rather heading to joint exercises with the Australian navy. US officials insist it's now on its way to the Sea of Japan, known in South Korea as the East Sea. It still hasn't arrived.

Of course, upon hearing the letters CNN, Trump supporters will immediately cry "fake news." They will have to do better than that because the anger in South Korea is real and raw. What can be worse than an American President publicly proclaiming he will come to your country's defense, not show up and having no intention of doing so. Well, I can think of one. Trying telling your average South Korean that their country used to be part of China. Could Trump have got that idea after his grandchildren serenaded Chinese President Xi Jinping?

In short, President Trump lied to South Korea. Then he disrespected her.

Unless Trump acknowledges his error and makes amends, the South Korean government has no reason to trust anything he or any other member of his administration has to say ever again.

The same could be said of America's allies and of the American voter.

President Trump & Ted Nugent Are Two Peas in a Pod

It doesn't surprise me that President Trump would give an audience in the Oval Office to Ted Nugent.


The former Amboy Duke visited Trump along with fellow rocker Kid Rock and Sarah Palin.


Although Palin and Kid Rock are much maligned their presence in the Oval Office is no skin off my nose. But the Motor City Madman is another matter.


I suppose Trump and Nugent are just two peas in a pod. Perhaps Trump and Nugent shared a good laugh over their retweets. Perhaps they reminisced about Nugent retweeting an image of Jewish Americans who support gun control including Michael Bloomberg who was referred to as the mayor of "Jew York City." Perhaps Trump told him that was nothing compared to his retweet of Hillary Clinton with the Star of David with money in the background.


Now it's certainly true that Trump treats Israel with more respect than President Obama ever did. But that is a very low bar to clear. Making statements about the Holocaust without acknowledging it targeted Jews, a White House Press Secretary who last week erroneously claimed Hitler didn't use chemical weapons and now meeting in the Oval Office with Nugent. Can David Duke be far behind? No wonder the White House wants to keep its visitor logs a secret.


At best, Trump is two-faced and at worst legitimizing anti-Semitism as a form of political discourse.

The Iran Nuclear Deal Isn't Going Anywhere

I never believed for a moment that Donald Trump was going to scrap the Iran nuclear deal. Instead the Trump Administration is going to "review" the deal. Here's Michael Warren from The Weekly Standard:


On the campaign trail, Donald Trump blasted the deal and promised he would renegotiate it when elected. But multiple figures within the Trump administration, from Tillerson to United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley have said since the transition that the deal deserves a review before the United States takes any action. There are some working in the administration who view the deal itself as fundamentally flawed and who prefer pulling out as soon as possible. Other say the problem could be solved by enforcing the deal more rigorously than the Obama administration had so that the Iranian are the first to break away from the agreement. Still others—chiefly career officials at the State Department—are mostly uninterested in pushing for any significant changes to the deal.


Bottom line? There's currently no plan from the Trump administration about how to proceed. Without a deputy secretary of state and under secretary of state for international security (both politically appointed positions) to shape and enforce the administration's viewpoint within a hostile State Department, the Iran deal is one area where the permanent administrative state is likely to win out.


When governments say they are going to "review" something it means that something isn't going anywhere. While it's true the apparatchiks at the State Department want the deal to remain, I don't think Trump ever had any intention of doing away with the Iran nuclear deal. Whalid Phares, who advised Trump during the 2016 campaign, stated in July 2016 and again days after the election that Trump would not scrap the Iran nuclear deal and would instead, you guessed it, review the deal. Phares said, "He will take the agreement, review it, send it to Congress, demand from the Iranians to restore a few issues or change a few issues, and there will be a discussion.”


In other words, Trump wants to make a deal. But how does one deal with a regime whose mantra is "Death to America!" & "Death to Israel!"? Naturally one wonders what Israel thinks about all this state of affairs. No doubt they were aware of Phares' comments. Given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a far more cordial relationship with President Trump than he did with President Obama perhaps they have concluded they can live with an Iran nuclear deal during a Trump Administration. But what happens when a future Democratic administration comes in? What if Keith Ellison becomes Secretary of State? Iran can simply wait out any pressure brought to bear by the Trump Administration knowing that a Democratic administration will put its thumb in Israel's eye.


Frankly, the Trump Administration's review of the Iran nuclear deal merely forestalls the inevitable. Iran will develop a nuclear weapon. Even if they never use it against Israel, Iran becomes the North Korea of the Middle East. So long as Iran's regime remains in place it will seek to destroy both the United States and Israel. There will be no Persian Gorbachev. President Trump might seek to deal with the devil, but there is no reasoning with evil.

Thoughts on The Decline & Fall of Bill O'Reilly

I've always had mixed feelings about Bill O'Reilly. So I think it appropriate that I have mixed feelings about his forced departure from FNC.


To start with, I began watching O'Reilly before FNC when he hosted the syndicated tabloid show Inside Edition. Then as now he had a dynamic, magnetic presence, but less confrontational. But confrontation is what made O'Reilly big & he kept viewers tuning in even in the midst of revelations he had settled numerous sexual harassment lawsuits.


I stopped tuning in two or three years ago. It wasn't any one thing. For me, it was just the same one note song to which I no longer wanted to listen. Someone recently asked me what I thought of O'Reilly. I said that I could take or him or leave him and that I had decided to leave him.


Part of me always thought he was a jerk and a bully. I remember years ago when he invited a gay student onto his show only to berate him exclaiming, "Shut up about your sexuality". Perhaps O'Reilly should have shut up about his own.


But he was a jerk and a bully who was right from time to time. I also liked the fact he would interview the likes of Peter Falk, Harvey Korman and Dick Martin of Laugh-In at a time when other media outlets no longer cared, much less knew about their show business contributions. I also liked the fact he used words like perspicacious and ninnyhammer and did his best to put them back to the rightful place in the English lexicon.


There is also an element of hypocrisy in those who delight in his fall. The people who condemn O'Reilly turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to the Juanita Broadrricks of the world because Bill Clinton supported the right politics. If O'Reilly had been a staunch supporter of Hillary Clinton or the "secular-progressive agenda" I have little doubt the people casting stones would be erecting walls in his defense.


With that being said, O'Reilly has only himself to blame for his actions and Fox News was complicit in letting him get away with behavior that would not be tolerated if it was done by one of us. That would be "The folks". To borrow a word of the day, Bill O'Reilly was a miscreant.


When it is all said and done I do not feel sorry for Bill O'Reilly. Your humble correspondent will leave the spotlight and retire to a not so humble abode in Montauk. All things considered, he will pay for a small price for his transgressions.

What if The Fresno Shooter Had Posed With a Confederate Flag?

As you know by now, three people in Fresno, California lost their lives yesterday at the hands of Kori Ali Muhammad shouting "Allahu Akbar!!!" as he gunned them down before surrendering to police. Muhammad also used the phrase on social media prior to the incident. For good measure, Muhammad despised white people and praised the murder of Dallas police officers last July.


Authorities in Fresno state Muhammad was motivated by racism, not Islamic terrorism. With all due respect I'm not buying it. With perhaps the possible exception of the Quebec City mosque shooting in January, if you shout "Allahu Akbar" in the act of killing someone then you are doing it in the name of Islam.


Let me put it another way. There were voices (many in the Muslim community) clamoring for Dylann Roof to be charged with terrorism following the murder of nine parishioners at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina in June 2015. Although Roof was ultimately not charged with terrorism related offenses it is fair to say that most Americans would consider Roof a terrorist - myself included.


If nothing else, because Roof posed with the Confederate Flag it was effectively banished from polite society up to & including re-runs of The Dukes of Hazzard. If the mainstream media considers the Confederate Flag synonymous with racism then why isn't "Allahu Akbar" synonymous with Islamic terrorism? Let's just say the mainstream media would be paying fare more attention had Kori Ali Muhammad posed with a Confederate Flag.

Thoughts on Aaron Hernandez's Suicide

Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was found dead in his jail cell this morning after hanging himself.


His suicide comes four days after being acquitted in a 2012 double homicide which occurred in Boston's South End. When I heard of Hernandez's death I asked myself why he would take his own life after his courtroom triumph. But upon further thought the answer is obvious. His victory was a pyrrhic one. Hernandez's reward was to return to his jail cell where he would spend the rest of his life. What does a man of 27 have to look forward to under those circumstances? If one does not wish to live like that as a 27 year old one certainly won't wish to live like that as a 77-year old. So Hernandez decided to call one last audible.


Don't get me wrong. Hernandez was a bad dude who brought misery everywhere he went. He took one human life and very probably took others lives (even if it couldn't be proven in a court of law). Our sympathy should be reserved for the families of victims, particularly the family of Odin Lloyd. I shed no tears at his passing.


But Hernandez had better opportunities than most and he threw them away just as he would eventually throw his life away. That is worthy of lament.

A Not So Sterling Moment for Starling Marte

Pittsburgh Pirates centerfielder Starling Marte has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for PEDs.


In 13 games for the Bucs this season, Marte hit .241 with 2 HR and 7 RBI. In 2016, Marte was named to his first NL All-Star Team and won his second career Gold Glove. Earlier this year, Marte was part of Team Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. This is his sixth season with the Pirates. Marte would be eligible to return July 18th, a week after the All-Star Game. Should the Bucs make the post-season, Marte would not be eligible to play.


Of course, finding a player to fill Marte's spot will be easier said than done. With 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen's stats declining, Marte was expected to step up this season. He still can, but there will be a cloud that follows him. In the meantime, the Pirates will probably move McCutchen back to center and, for the time being, have the triumvirate of John Jaso, Josh Harrison and Adam Frazier play right field unless they decide to pick up someone outside of the organization. Absent Marte's bat and glove, the Pirates have a tall task in a NL Central division which includes the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs and an improved Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers clubs.


Should Marte test positive again, the suspension is a full season. A third suspension would result in a lifetime banishment from MLB. Former New York Mets closer Jennry Mejia would suffer this fate. Given the high risks involved one wonders why MLB players are still willing to risk it. Because with high risks come high rewards. In the grand scheme of things there are only 750 spots on MLB rosters and it doesn't take much to lose that spot. I'm sure Marte didn't think he would get caught or thought he was using chemicals that would mask a positive test.


The bottom line is this has not been a so sterling moment for Starling Marte.

Will Theresa May Rue Calling An Early UK Election?

I was shocked to learn that British PM Theresa May had called a snap election for June 8th.


Naturally, I can understand why she did it. The Tories are comfortably ahead of Labour in the polls. Besides who the hell is crazy enough to send Jeremy Corbyn to Number 10?


But for months May has stated there would be no early election. In my experience, people resent early elections especially if they are repeatedly assured there will be no election. Just ask the Ontario Liberal Party in 1990 or, more recently, the Alberta Tories in 2015. Keep in mind that Britons went to the polls only two years ago albeit when David Cameron was still PM.


It must also be considered that May has called an election in an era of considerable electoral volatility. The Brexit vote took place less than a year ago, the election of Donald Trump took place less than six months ago. In a matter of days, it is entirely conceivable that French voters could choose between the National Front''s Marine Le Pen and Communist Jean-Luc Melanchon to be their next President. Should that come to pass perhaps May is counting on British voters to choose stability. But in this day and age I wouldn't bet on it.


Of course with the SNP dominating Scotland, it would be impossible for Labour to form a majority government. But Labour, SNP and Lib Dems could certainly cobble together a coalition government. In which case, we could see England and Wales leave the EU with Scotland choosing to remain.


Now I think 99 times out of 100, May will get her mandate, this gamble will pay off and she will be ensconced at Number 10 until at least 2022. Nevertheless, I also think May has pissed off a lot of voters who are wondering what the rush is all about. If that is the case, they will take out their resentment on her forcing her to change addresses and forcing the Tories to have yet another bitter, backstabbing leadership contest while Jeremy Corbyn and Nicola Sturgeon run ramshod over everything.


We may live in interesting times, but there are times when we need boredom. Theresa May is counting on boredom. The next seven weeks might turn out to be the most exciting of her life and for all the wrong reasons.

Media Coverage of Trump WH Easter Egg Hunt Isn't What It's Cracked Up To Be

There is a certain absurdity of President Trump standing next to the Easter Bunny. The Easter Bunny appears far more statesman like by comparison.


With that said, I do think the mainstream media is making a bit much out of this year's White House Easter Egg Hunt. Case in point would be Andrew Husband at UPROXX:




For starters, what was supposed to be a celebration of the Easter weekend felt more like a campaign event. As CNN’s Brian Stelter remarked, a Fox & Friends interview with Eric Trump sounded like a stump speech when U.S. actions in Syria and North Korea were brought up. “He will protect America, make no mistake about it,” said Eric. “He will protect our country.” The president’s own remarks, which he delivered while standing next to the Easter Bunny, weren’t all that different:

“This is the 139th Easter Egg Roll. Think of it… 139. It began a long time ago. 1878. And we will be stronger and bigger and better as a nation than ever before. We’re right on track. You see what’s happening, and we are right on track. So thank you, everybody, for being here.”

But let's compare President Trump's remarks with what former First Lady Michelle Obama said last Easter:


So we just want you to have fun. And the theme this year in our final year is pretty simple. It's: Let's celebrate. Let's celebrate all the good work that we've done, all the great messaging we've had. All the amazing change that we've seen in this country. And we want to celebrate our families. We want to celebrate our nation -- everything that makes us strong. It's our diversity, it's our values. That's what makes us strong.


Great messaging? All the amazing change we've seen in this country? That sounds pretty political to me. But the mainstream media agreed with those politics. So naturally they see nothing wrong with what the former First Lady said.


Aside from that the only difference between President Trump and former First Lady Obama is that the former said "stronger" while the latter said "strong." All in all, mainstream media coverage of the White House Easter Egg hunt isn't what it's cracked up to be.


Yes, there is plenty cause for concern when it comes to the Trump Administration. Bombing Syria and Afghanistan immediately come to mind. But this is a triviality. So is how Kellyanne Conway sits on a couch in the Oval Office, First Lady Melania Trump's official portrait and Vice-President Pence not having dinner alone with a woman other than his wife. None of these things matter in people's lives or in the well-being of our nation.


Those of us who want Trump out of office in 2020 must focus our energies on things that are of actual consequence. Because if Trump's opposition insists on concentrating on trivialities then there is a good chance we will have eight years of Trump instead of four.

Trump Bombed The Sh*t Out of ISIS; So Now What?

Remember when Donald Trump had this to say about ISIS in November 2015?:

Well, I guess President Trump just bombed the sh*t out of ISIS:


The U.S. military dropped the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in its arsenal Thursday on a cave and tunnel complex that it said was used by Islamic State fighters in eastern Afghanistan, a stark reminder of a U.S. war now in its 16th grinding year.


The behemoth bomb, officially called the Massive Ordnance Air Blast, or MOAB, is 30 feet long, weighs nearly 11 tons and is nicknamed the "mother of all bombs" for its devastating explosive power and the roiling mushroom cloud it sends high in the sky.


Originally developed for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the MOAB has never been used in combat before.
President Trump praised the attack as a "very, very successful mission." He indicated that he had given the Pentagon a free hand to use the weapon as part of his vow to step up the war on Islamic State.


"We have given them total authorization and that’s what they’re doing and frankly that’s why they’ve been so successful lately,” he told reporters at the White House. “If you look at what’s happened over the last eight weeks and compare that really to what’s happened over the past eight years, you’ll see there’s a tremendous difference, tremendous difference.”


I feel the same way about this bombing that I do about his bombing of Syria a week ago today. (Is the Trump Administration planning to engage in military attacks every Thursday?) The Left hates it because they hate anything Trump does. But if Obama did it they wouldn't have batted an eyelash.


On the other hand, as with Syria, it isn't clear to me what Trump wants to accomplish? Is Trump showing force for the sake of showing force or is he actually trying to destroy ISIS? If it is the latter then that is an accomplishment. But I have a feeling it's more likely the former. In which case, I don't think Trump will be anymore successful in Afghanistan than either Bush or Obama.

NATO Was Never Obsolete

After meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House yesterday, President Trump said this about the 70-year old organization:


The Secretary General and I had a productive discussion about what more NATO can do in the fight against terrorism.  I complained about that a long time ago and they made a change, and now they do fight terrorism.  I said it was obsolete; it's no longer obsolete.


This is, of course, rubbish.


NATO invoked Article 5 for the first and only time the day after the attacks of September 11, 2001. You know the one where Trump erroneously claimed there were thousands of Muslims in New Jersey cheering the attacks.


Article 5 is the clause which states an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all NATO members. After NATO invoked Article 5, it stated, ''If it is determined that this attack was directed from abroad against the United States, it shall be regarded as an action covered by Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.''


The idea that NATO made a change after Trump complained about it is a complete fabrication. Frankly, the only reason Trump is singing this tune is because he was talking out of his ass and cannot admit he was wrong.


With that said, I am glad that Trump now sees the value of NATO - at least for now. With Trump you never know. In a week or a month, he could change positions yet again.

Jeffrey Lord Compares President Trump to MLK, Jr.; Is He Auditioning To Be The Next WH Press Secretary?

My former American Spectator colleague Jeffrey Lord raised the ire of Symone Sanders by calling President Trump "the Martin Luther King of health care."


Of course, this is absolutely absurd thing to say. But Jeff Lord is an absurdity and I mean that affectionately.


When I see this video I can't help but wonder if Jeff is auditioning to be President Trump's next White House Press Secretary. Notwithstanding Sean Spicer's "Hitler Didn't Use Chemical Weapons" apology, I think his days are numbered.


Now you would think with a clusterfuck like Spicer, Trump would appoint someone not vulnerable to clusterfucks. But this is Trump we're talking about. Trump says the mainstream media is the enemy of the American people so he is going to probably pick someone who is confrontational, full of drama and has previous White House experience. Jeff certainly fits that bill.


Of course, Jeff is taking care of his mother who is 97 and has dementia so that might not be in the cards. At least for now.

In Five Months Trump Goes From Knowing Bannon A Long Time to Not Knowing Him At All

What a difference five months makes.


In an interview published by The New York Post yesterday, President Trump said of Steve Bannon:


I like Steve, but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late. I had already beaten all the senators and all the governors, and I didn’t know Steve. I’m my own strategist and it wasn’t like I was going to change strategies because I was facing crooked Hillary.


But Trump was singing a very different tune shortly after his election in November. When asked by The New York Times if Bannon was racist or anti-Semitic, Trump said:


Um, I’ve known Steve Bannon a long time. If I thought he was a racist, or alt-right, or any of the things that we can, you know, the terms we can use, I wouldn’t even think about hiring him.


So in the afterglow of his victory, Trump says he's known Bannon "a long time." But now that Bannon has caused him grief now its "I didn't know Steve."


At this point, I'd be surprised if Bannon is still in the White House by the end of the month, possibly the end of the week.


I don't feel sorry for Bannon at all. You swim with sharks sooner or later you're going to get bit.


Now when is Trump going to get around to saying he doesn't know Sean Spicer?