He Gone: Hawk Harrelson to Retire From Chisox Broadcast Booth After 2018 Season

It is fitting that I am watching the Chicago White Sox host the Boston Red Sox with Ken "Hawk" Harrelson's announcement that he will depart the broadcast booth after the 2018 season.

Despite never having worn a White Sox uniform during his 9-year playing career which took him from the Kansas City A's to the Washington Senators back to the Kansas City A's to the Boston Red Sox to the Cleveland Indians, Harrelson is synonymous with the Chisox. After seven seasons in the Red Sox broadcast booth, Harrelson succeeded Harry Caray in the White Sox broadcast booth in 1982.

After a curious stint as the White Sox GM in 1986 and two seasons in the New York Yankees broadcast booth, Harrelson returned in 1990. It was then Harrelson made his mark nicknaming Frank Thomas "The Big Hurt" and with catchphrases such as "he gone" after a strikeout and "you can put it on the board" after a White Sox home run. Harrelson is the anti-Vin Scully. He is an unabashed homer. With most people it would be annoying, but with Harrelson its endearing as was the case when he called Jim Thome's 500th home run in 2007 and the last out of Mark Buehrle's perfect game in 2009 with genuine, unbridled emotion.

Harrelson, who turns 76 in September, has been working a reduced schedule since last year and will only work 20 home games in 2018. So let's enjoy him while he can because soon he gone.

Bush & Jeter Have Falling Out Over Purchase of Miami Marlins

Well, so much for Jeb Bush having more fun with Derek Jeter than Donald Trump.


Bush is no longer involved in the purchase of the Miami Marlins amidst a report of dissension between the former Florida Governor and the future Hall of Famer. Evidently Jeter wanted to be involved with the both the business side & baseball operations. Initially Bush was to run the former while Jeter would be in charge of the latter.


For his part, Jeter wants to be owner of the Marlins. One wonders if he will collaborate with other failed bidders such as Tagg Romney or the Kushner family.


It is being reported that Bush and Jeter are still good friends. I have my doubts. When this much money and power are involved things are never quite the same. As the old adage goes, never go into business with your friends.

I Am a Conscientious Objector in Dennis Prager's Civil War for Donald Trump

Dennis Prager demands conservatives report for duty & salute General Donald Trump. That's right General Trump, not President Trump. Prager implores conservatives to "acknowledge we are in a civil war, and that Trump, with all his flaws, is our general."


It is a civil war in which Trump has declared the mainstream media to be an enemy of the American people. Was the first shot of this civil war fired when Greg Gianforte decked Ben Jacobs? Let's put it another way. If Prager believes the mainstream media is in fact the enemy of the American people then what does that make ISIS?


Prager praises Trump for appointing Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. How long will that praise last if Gorsuch should declare Trump's Muslim immigration and travel ban unconstitutional?


Prager praises Trump for bombing Syria after it used chemical weapons. But what of the beautiful babies Assad kills with conventional weapons?


Prager praises Trump for labeling the Iran regime evil in front of 50 Muslims heads of state. But last I checked the Iran nuclear deal remains intact.


Prager praises Trump for wearing a yarmulke at The Western Wall. But the Trump Administration cannot bring itself to admit The Western Wall is in Israel.


Prager praises Trump's appointment of Nikki Haley as Ambassador to the UN. But Trump has publicly mused that she "can easily be replaced."


Prager praises Trump for beginning "the process of replacing Obamacare." I hate to break it to Prager, but Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell have done the heavy lifting there.


Curiously, Prager does not praise Trump for firing James Comey as FBI Director. Of course, Trump was within his right to do so. But just because Trump can do something doesn't mean he should especially when he makes a point of firing him despite assurances he wasn't under investigation. This the act of someone with something to hide.


If Prager wants to fall on his sword for General Trump that is his prerogative. I choose to remain a conscientious objector. I will not report for duty. I will not fight for Donald Trump.

From JFK's Idealism to Trump's Fatalism

As we mark the 100th anniversary of John Fitzgerald Kennedy's birth, I cannot help but contrast JFK's idealism with President Trump's fatalism.

In a little over half a century we have gone from asking what we can do for our country to asking what we can do for Trump. We have gone from a New Frontier back to America First. We have gone from standing with the people of Berlin to telling Berlin it is on its own. We have gone from standing up to Russia to appeasing it. Despite the threat of nuclear war, America had an optimistic outlook when it elected President Kennedy in 1960. This cannot be said of the America which elected Donald Trump in 2016.

Of course, JFK wasn't without his flaws. But JFK possessed a discretion in his 40's that Trump doesn't have in his 70's. Even in the age of Twitter, I believe JFK would have utilized social media as wisely as he excercised the power bestowed upon him. JFK's amorous preoccupations would have spared us those 3 a.m. Tweetstorms. Could anyone imagine JFK comparing this country unfavorably with Turkey much less uttering "how bad America is."

The presidency of John F. Kennedy is one Americans can be proud of on the 100th anniversary of his birth however short-lived. Will Americans feel the same pride in the presidency of Donald J. Trump in 2046? Will America still be a free country in 2046? Only if we ask what we can do for Her.

Gregg Allman, R.I.P.

Singer-songwriter and organist Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers passed away on Saturday following complications of liver cancer. He was 69.

His death comes only a month after Allman released a statement denying he was in hospice care. It also comes only four months after Allman Brothers drummer Butch Trucks took his own life. This leaves Dicky Betts and Jaimoe Johanson as the last surviving original members of the group.

The Allman Brothers formed in Macon, Georgia in 1969 quickly becoming the cornerstone of Southern Rock while developing a reputation as a formidable live band (as attested by At Fillmore East) and one of the most popular acts of the 1970's despite the deaths of older brother Duane Allman and bassist Berry Oakley in traffic accidents in the space of just over a year.

The younger Allman's best known contributions to the group were "Whipping Post", "Melissa" & "Midnight Rider". He was also instrumental in getting Jimmy Carter elected President performing many fundraisers on behalf of his fellow Georgian. Allman's music was sometimes overshadowed by his drug problems and his marriage to Cher shortly after she divorced Sonny Bono.

Allman would enjoy modest success with The Gregg Allman Band most notably with his 1987 album I'm No Angel earning a hit with the title track. At the time of his death, Allman had completed his final solo album Southern Blood which is due to be released later this year.

Allman would re-establish his musical reputation along with the rest of The Allman Brothers with their annual series of concerts at the Beacon Theatre in New York City from 1989 through 2014. I regret never taking in one of those concerts.

Well, Gregg Allman has finally joined his brother in rock 'n roll heaven for a long overdue jam of "Whipping Post". R.I.P.

Jim Bunning, R.I.P.

Former Hall of Fame MLB pitcher and ex-GOP Congressman and Senator Jim Bunning passed away on Friday at the age of 85. Bunning's health declined last year following a stroke.

Bunning pitched in MLB for 17 seasons primarily with the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies with brief stints with both the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Los Angeles Dodgers. While Bunning was never the top pitcher in the game from the late 1950's through the late 1960's he was one of the best. Bunning was named to seven All-Star teams (five in the AL and two in the NL). He only won 20 games in a season once, but won 19 games four times. In 1967, he finished runner up in NL Cy Young balloting to Mike McCormick of the St. Louis Cardinals. He threw a no-hitter for the Tigers against the Boston Red Sox in 1958. Six years later, Bunning threw a perfect game in his inaugural season with the Phillies against the hapless New York Mets on Father's Day. It was the first perfect game in regular season play since Charlie Robertson's in 1922 and first in NL competition since John Montgomery Ward threw one for the Providence Grays in 1880.

However, 1964 would end badly for Bunning as the Phillies collapsed in the final two weeks of this season were overtaken by the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. Bunning thrice led his league in strikeouts fanning 200 or more batters six times in his career. When Bunning retired his 2,855 strikeouts were second only to Walter Johnson on the all-time strikeout list. Despite his accomplishments, Bunning was not selected to the Hall of Fame until he was elected by the Veterans Committee in 1996.

At the time of his selection, Bunning was serving his fourth term in the House of Representatives. Bunning began his stint in politics as a member of the Kentucky state legislature in 1975 later moving to the state Senate. After an unsuccessful bid for Governor in 1983, Bunning was elected to Congress three years later. In 1998, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, narrowly re-elected in 2004 and retired prior to the 2010 election. Bunning was both a fiscal and social conservative, yet did not become a favorite in the conservative movement and had an uneasy relationship with fellow Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell. On occasion he was gaffe prone (especially with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg), but generally stuck to his principles as was the case when towards the end of his career insisted that unemployment benefits be paid for by the Stimulus Bill on pay as you go basis.

It is worth noting that Bunning's accomplishments in baseball weren't properly recognized until 25 years after his retirement. It is quite possible that Bunning's contribution to American politics won't be properly recognized until 25 years after his passing.

It didn't help matters that Bunning lacked President Reagan's sunny disposition. But there sure was joy on his face when he achieved perfection that Sunday afternoon in 1964. R.I.P.

Trump Praises Duterte For a Drug War Which Has Killed Children

Last month, President Trump took the time to call Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to praise his drug war. Trump told Duterte:


I just wanted to congratulate you because I am hearing of the unbelievable job on the drug problem. Many countries have the problem, we have a problem, but what a great job you are doing and I just wanted to call and tell you that.


Trump would also formally invite Duterte for an Oval Office visit.


Duterte earned his White House invitation by arbitrarily arresting and detaining people and killing the rest. More than 7,000 people have been murdered including children as young as four. For a moment there I thought Mr. Trump didn't like the murder of "beautiful little babies." To Duterte they are "collateral damage." Indeed, Duterte also changed the law to allow children as young as 9 to be targeted in the drug war.


No doubt Duterte has further endeared himself to Trump when he imposed martial law on the island of Mindanao a couple of days ago and is considering extending the decree nationwide. The Philippines has a ISIS problem, but if his tactics in his war against ISIS are anything like his war against drugs a lot of innocent people are going to die. Which means Duterte can probably expect another phone call & invitation to the White House from Trump.

Montana Voters Are OK With Gianforte Beating Up a Reporter

Despite having been charged with assaulting Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs, voters in Montana's 1st Congressional District have elected Greg Gianforte to Congress. Gianforte was elected with just over 50% of the vote.


It's true that half of the voters cast their ballots prior to the incident which occurred the evening before the special election. But let's be honest. A lot of voters in Montana were just fine with what Gianforte did. Many of these voters cast their ballot for Donald Trump and were delighted when he said he'd love to punch a protester in the face. No doubt some of these voters were buoyed by comments from the likes of Laura Ingraham who tweeted the following:


Politicians always need to keep their cool. But what would most Montana men do if "body slammed" for no reason by another man?


Did anyone get his lunch money stolen today and then run to tell the recess monitor?


I'll remember that the next time she speaks out against campus violence towards conservative speakers.


Conservatives not only didn't deny what Gianforte had done, but went out of their way to defend him just because he has a R in front of his name.


Gianforte doesn't deny his behavior. He apologized for assaulting Jacobs (at the urging of House Speaker Paul Ryan). Of course, that apology will be an empty gesture unless he pleads guilty to the charge and accepts legal responsibility for his actions.


Even if Gianforte is genuinely sorry for his actions it is clear the voters rewarded Gianforte for his boorish behavior. There is a time in this country when such a thing wouldn't have come to pass. Evidently that time has now past and I'm not sure if there's any going back.

Canada Will Have To Wait Another Year For The Stanley Cup

I just saw Chris Kuntz score a game winning goal in double OT to send the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Stanley Cup. The goal eliminated the Ottawa Senators who took the Penguins to seven games.

The elimination means Canada will have to wait another year for the Stanley Cup to come home. No Canadian team has won Lord Stanley's Cup since 1993 when Jacques Demers led the Montreal Canadiens to its 23rd Stanley Cup championship besting Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings.
So if a Canadian team wins next year it will end a 25-year drought.

As for this year, the Penguins host the Nashville Predators who are making their first Stanley Cup appearance starting on Monday night. Nothing against the people of Music City, but when I think of Nashville I do not think of hockey. The same cannot be said for Penguins who are the defending Stanley Cup champions who defeated the San Jose Sharks in six games in 2016. Fans of the Senators, Canadiens, Leafs, Oilers, Flames, Jets and Canucks will have to wait until next year.

Former DNC Chair Wasserman-Schultz Obstructs Justice

From The Daily Caller:


Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz threatened the chief of the U.S. Capitol Police with “consequences” for holding equipment that she says belongs to her in order to build a criminal case against a Pakistani staffer suspected of massive cybersecurity breaches involving funneling sensitive congressional data offsite.


The Florida lawmaker used her position on the committee that sets the police force’s budget to press its chief to relinquish the piece of evidence Thursday, in what could be considered using her authority to attempt to interfere with a criminal investigation.


The Capitol Police and outside agencies are pursuing Imran Awan, who has run technology for the Florida lawmaker since 2005 and was banned from the House network in February on suspicion of data breaches and theft.


“My understanding is the the Capitol Police is not able to confiscate Members’ equipment when the Member is not under investigation,” Wasserman Schultz said in the annual police budget hearing of the House Committee On Appropriations’ Legislative Branch Subcommittee.


“We can’t return the equipment,” Police Chief Matthew R. Verderosa told the Florida Democrat.
“I think you’re violating the rules when you conduct your business that way and you should expect that there will be consequences,” Wasserman Schultz said.


Wow!!!


Where does one begin? Can you say conflict of interest? Intimidation? Obstruction of justice?


And where is House Appropriations Committee Chair Rodney Frelinghuysen on this matter? Why didn't he put the kibosh on it? If Wasserman-Schultz genuinely believes she has a grievance in this matter she should recuse herself from the proceedings and let her colleagues address the matter?


Of course, this incident won't get a fraction of what Greg Gianforte got and for good reason. Wasserman-Schultz didn't punch or choke Chief Venderosa.


Nevertheless, this matter deserves greater scrutiny. How can we be expected to have confidence that the justice is applied equally when an elected official is permitted to use their position to obstruct its service?

Trump Pushes Around NATO Allies - Literally & Figuratively

From The Washington Post:


President Trump exported the confrontational, nationalist rhetoric of his campaign across the Atlantic on Thursday, shaming European leaders for not footing more of the bill for their own defenses and lecturing them to stop taking advantage of U.S. taxpayers.


Speaking in front of a twisted shard of the World Trade Center at NATO’s gleaming new headquarters in Brussels, Trump upbraided America’s longtime allies for “not paying what they should be paying.” He used a ceremony to dedicate the memorial to NATO’s resolve in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States as a platform from which to exhort leaders to “focus on terrorism and immigration” to ensure their security.


And he held back from the one pledge NATO leaders most dearly wanted to hear: an unconditional embrace of NATO’s solemn treaty commitment that an attack on a single alliance nation is an attack on all of them.


Instead, European leaders gazed unsmilingly at Trump while he said that “23 of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they are supposed to be paying,” and that they owe “massive amounts” from past years — a misstatement of NATO’s spending targets, which guide nations’ own domestic spending decisions.


The harsh tone had a toll, as Trump was left largely on his own after the speech as leaders mingled and laughed with each other, leaving the U.S. president to stand silently on a stage ahead of a group photo.


And if the stereotype of the big, ugly American standing in isolation wasn't enough, Trump reinforced it by doing this to Montenegro's Prime Minister Duško Markovic:

President Trump spent his time in Brussels literally and figuratively pushing around our NATO allies. What good can come of it? With a friend like Trump who needs enemies?

Trump's "Impractical" on Reporting Profits From Foreign Gov'ts Equals Hillary's "Convenience" For Her EMail

From Russell Berman in The Atlantic:


Days before taking office, Donald Trump said his company would donate all profits from foreign governments to the U.S. Treasury, part of an effort to avoid even the appearance of a conflict with the Constitution’s emoluments clause.


Now, however, the Trump Organization is telling Congress that determining exactly how much of its profits come from foreign governments is simply more trouble than it’s worth.


In response to a document request from the House Oversight Committee, Trump’s company sent a copy of an eight-page pamphlet detailing how it plans to track payments it receives from foreign governments at the firm’s many hotels, golf courses, and restaurants across the globe. But while the Trump Organization said it would set aside all money it collects from customers that identify themselves as representing a foreign government, it would not undertake a more intensive effort to determine if a payment would violate the Constitution’s prohibition on public office holders accepting an “emolument” from a foreign state.


“To fully and completely identify all patronage at our Properties by customer type is impractical in the service industry and putting forth a policy that requires all guests to identify themselves would impede upon personal privacy and diminish the guest experience of our brand,” the Trump Organization wrote in its policy pamphlet, which the company’s chief compliance officer said had been distributed to general managers and senior officials at all of its properties.


I suppose a Sheikh having a dalliance with a blonde, American escort at the Trump International Hotel in Dubai would want to keep his business private and, ahem, not diminish his "guest experience."


But when I hear the Trump organization that complying with The Constitution is "impractical" I hear Hillary Clinton saying she set up her State Department email on her private server out of "convenience."


In other words, the law is only for us regular folks. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are above the law. It is yet another reminder of why I could not cast a vote for either candidate last November and why I refuse to lower myself to their standards and legitimize their contempt for the law. In an earlier time, this state of affairs provokes the Magna Carta, the French Revolution and The Declaration of Independence. But as long as we can binge on food and TV and have an internet connection we are content. Or we express outrage at one side while giving the other a pass and vice versa. We should be better than this, but we are not.

Fox News Reporter Confirms Montana GOP Congressional Candidate Attacked Guardian Reporter

Ben Jacobs, a reporter with The Guardian, accused Montana GOP congressional candidate Greg Gianforte for bodyslamming him and breaking his glasses after trying to ask him a question about the Congressional Budget Office's scoring of the Republican health care bill. The incident occurred the night before voters in Montana's lone Congressional district vote for a successor to Ryan Zinke who President Trump appointed as Secretary of the Interior.

Gianforte's spokesman Shane Scanlon claimed Jacobs was engaging in "aggressive behavior" and accused him grabbing the candidate's wrist. However, Fox News Reporter Alicia Acuna says different:

At that point, Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him. Faith, Keith and I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the man, as he moved on top the reporter and began yelling something to the effect of "I'm sick and tired of this!"

Jacobs scrambled to his knees and said something about his glasses being broken. He asked Faith, Keith and myself for our names. In shock, we did not answer. He then said he wanted the police called and went to leave. Gianforte looked at the three of us and repeatedly apologized. At that point, I told him and Scanlon, who was now present, that we needed a moment. The men then left.

To be clear, at no point did any of us who witnessed this assault see Jacobs show any form of physical aggression toward Gianforte, who left the area after giving statements to local sheriff's deputies.

With this firsthand eye witness testimony, Gianforte should be sent to jail. Instead, there is a good chance he will be sent to Congress.

After all President Trump has declared the mainstream media to be an enemy of the American people. Hell, this incident might motivate people to vote for Gianforte. If American voters were prepared to elect a President who joked about shooting people in the middle of Fifth Avenue then why wouldn't voters in Montana be prepared to vote for a Congressman who assaulted a reporter? 

Of course, I hope the people of Montana will exceed my expectations and rebuke Gianforte's violent behavior. But this is an America that has lowered its standards. As such I must expect the worst possible outcome.

Islamism Is An Ideology Which Transcends Borders

When Islamic terrorism strikes there is certain preoccupation in conservative circles to focus on immigration. It's not entirely without justification, but misses the bigger picture. Here is part of David French's commentary in NRO following last night's attack in Manchester:


After the end of the Bush administration, the numbers skyrocketed, with 68 plots or attacks recorded since. A number of them, including the Fort Hood shooting, the Boston Marathon bombing, the San Bernardino mass murder, and the Orlando nightclub massacre, have been terrifying successful. Indeed, there have been more domestic terror plots and attacks since the rise of ISIS in the summer of 2014 than there were in the entirety of the Bush administration after 9/11. And make no mistake, jihadist terrorists are disproportionately immigrants and children of immigrants.


Except that those children of immigrants were born and raised in the United States. They are American citizens. This is the case in three of the four attacks he cites. In the case of the Boston Marathon bombing, the younger Tsarnaev brother came to the U.S. when he was 8-years old and grew up immersed in the American way of life. Of course, the Manchester bomber was born and raised in the UK.


My point here is the Trump Administration can close its borders to all Muslim immigration and it wouldn't stop a single terrorist attack. What is to prevent an American born person from converting to Islam and killing in its name? Ask the family of military recruiter Private William Long or Vaughan Foods employee Colleen Hufford. Indeed, the same question could be put to the families of those died in March's Westminster attack as the perpetrator was also a Muslim convert.


Islamism is an ideology which transcends borders. All an aspiring jihadi needs is an internet connection. If American and the West want to defeat Islamist terrorism then the Islamist ideology must be defeated first. While some restrictions on immigration and refugee claims are necessary shutting down borders won't shut down the Islamist ideology.

Roger Moore Was My Favorite Bond

As you probably know by now Sir Roger Moore has died following a short battle with cancer at the age of 89.


Of course, Moore is best known for his portrayal of James Bond in seven 007 films beginning with Live and Let Die in 1973 and ending with A View to a Kill in 1985. Personally, he was my favorite Bond. Nothing against Sean Connery, but I found Moore's portrayal to be smoother and more engaging.


No doubt his years as Simon Templar on the 1960's British TV series The Saint (which also aired on NBC) made his transition into Bond seamless. Moore was not unfamiliar to American TV viewers with his roles in Ivanhoe, The Alaskans and replacing James Garner in Maverick.


Once Moore became Bond his work outside of that role was fairly undistinguished with the notable exceptions of his appearance in Cannonball Run playing a character obsessed with Roger Moore and his turn as Inspector Closseau in the otherwise horrid The Curse of the Pink Panther which was the antithesis of his Bond portrayals.


During the last three decades of his life, Moore was extensively involved with UNICEF as a Goodwill Ambassador and was knighted for his work in 2003.


I leave you with Roger Moore & Johnny Carson having way too much fun with helium. The YouTube clip indicates this is from 1986, but Moore did not appear on the show that year. It is more likely from May 1985 when A View to a Kill was released. Whenever it was aired it was damn funny. R.I.P.

ISIS Claims Responsibility For Manchester Terrorist Attack Which Claimed 22 Lives Including an 8-Year Old Girl

As of this writing, 22 people have died and 119 people have been injured as a result of the suicide bombing at the end of the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester including an 8-year old girl. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack although CNN suggests there is no evidence to support this claim.


The fact that ISIS has no compunction about bragging about taking the lives of children should tell us there is a very distinct possibility they were involved. There may have been only one individual who committed this act of evil but the fact British authorities have begun to make arrests indicates he is no lone wolf.


No Islam does not equal terrorism. But there are a critical mass of Muslims, be they affiliated with ISIS, al Qaeda or other organizations, who are organizing these attacks on multiple continents. This is a global problem and it's bloody time we treat it like one.

Was There An Islamic Terror Attack at Ariana Grande's Concert in Manchester, UK? UPDATE

Several hours ago an explosion occurred at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England. This has resulted, as of this writing, 19 fatalities and 55 persons injured.. Given Grande's young fan base it is quite possible that children and young adolescents are among the dead.

At this point, CNN, MSNBC and FNC are reluctant to suggest that it was Islamic terrorism. Of course, given what occurred last week in Times Square wasn't a terrorist attack, there is always a possibility this was a horrible accident.

But given the attack at the Bataclan in Paris in November 2015, given the number of attacks in the UK most recently outside Westminster and given President Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia and Israel, one cannot discount the possibility that this is an Islamic terrorist attack.

A few moments ago I heard someone on CNN say that UK authorities were operating on the assumption that this event was a terrorist attack until the evidence shows otherwise.

Some will say we should feel sorrow for the victims. We absolutely must. Yet it is entirely possible to both feel sorrow for those who died and want to make those responsible for this act of evil to pay for their crime.

UPDATE: It is now believed the explosion was the result of a suicide bombing.

Check Out My Article on Johnny Carson at NRO

It was 25 years ago today that Johnny Carson bid America adieu in his final turn as host of The Tonight Show ending a 30-year run on NBC.


In honor of the occasion, I have written my third article for NRO which can be found here.

So-Called Reformist Rouhani Praises So-Called Reformists Rafsanjani & Khatami in Victory Speech

After garnering a decisive "re-election" victory, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, a so-called reformist, praised two of his predecessors - the late Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami both of whom were also so-called reformists.

What of the scores of Iranian dissidents and opposition figures murdered in exile during Rafsanjani's era? What of the brutal crackdown on Iranian students at Tehran University in 1999 resulting in the deaths of several students and the disappearance of nearly 80 students?

With increased executions and arbitrary imprisonments during his reign, Rouhani is following into Rafsanjani and Khatami's "reformist" ways.

Why Anderson Cooper Shouldn't Have Apologized to Jeff Lord

During an exchange about President Trump last night on CNN between Anderson Cooper and Jeff Lord, Cooper told Lord, "If he took a dump on his desk you would defend it."

Cooper later apologized both on air and on Twitter stating, "I regret the crude sentence i spoke earlier tonight and followed it up by apologizing on air. It was unprofessional. I am genuinely sorry."

Honestly, I don't see why Cooper should have apologized to Lord. Not only would Lord have defended Trump defecating on his desk, but if Trump had thrown the excrement and hit a CNN reporter with it, he would have praised Trump's aim.

As for being crude, Cooper has nothing on Trump in that department.

Rangers Win 10th Straight, But Have Barely Gained on The Astros

The Texas Rangers won their 10th consecutive game with a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers featuring home runs from Joey Gallo and Mike Napoli. Prior to this streak, the Rangers had been struggling have lost 10 of their previous 14 games.

Yet the Rangers have only gained two games on the Houston Astros during this streak going from 8.5 to 6.5 games back of the pace. The Astros, who won MLB's best record, have won 8 of their last 10 games. But given the Rangers have won back to back AL West Division titles one ought not to count out any club managed by the vastly underrated Jeff Banister.

Will Trump Invoke Executive Privilege to Prevent Comey Testifying Before Senate Intelligence Committee?

The big topic of discussion tonight is former FBI Director James Comey's impending public testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee after Memorial Day.

But why are we assuming that Comey's testimony is a fait d'accompli. What if President Trump might invokes executive privilege to prevent Comey from testifying?

This, of course, doesn't advance Trump's interests. Stopping Comey from testifying will leave the impression he has something to hide. But Trump has been doing a great job digging a hole over the past week - firing Comey, admitting it had to do with Russia, leaking Israeli intelligence to the Russians, the Comey memo and Trump telling the Russians that Comey was "a nut job." Is it beyond the realm of possibility that Trump would try to stop a "nut job" from giving testimony?

Invoking executive privilege could would give Republicans an opportunity to remind voters that President Obama invoked executive privilege to prevent Eric Holder from turning over emails concerning Fast & Furious scandal to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

This might be a far fetched scenario, but this has been a far fetched presidency.

Iran Isn't a Democracy & Rouhani Isn't a Reformist

One of my pet peeves is how the mainstream media treats Iran as if it were a genuine democracy as evidenced by coverage of Iranian "election" which is now underway. From The Washington Post:


In the balance was Iran’s international outreach — as well as its national identity as a state either moving toward more social and political openness or turning inward to assuage Iranians troubled by reforms and economic stagnation.


Also at stake was the legacy of the incumbent president, Hassan Rouhani, who ended more than a decade of U.N. sanctions as part of a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, including the United States.


His top challenger is hard-line cleric Ebrahim Raisi, who views the West with suspicion and insists that the easing of sanctions under the nuclear pact has done little to help ordinary Iranians. Two other candidates remained in the race but were considered also-rans. If no one wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff would be held in a week between the two leading candidates.

Iran’s top authorities — the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his circle of ruling clerics — have so far stood behind the nuclear accord that calls for limiting Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Any possible changes to the pact would likely take time to evolve.


Later in the article it is acknowledged that the Guardian Council, which reports directly to the Ayatollah, determines who gets to run and who doesn't. There are few things in life which annoy me more than when I hear current Iranian President Hassan Rouhani characterized as a reformist. I was annoyed when 60 Minutes did it, I was annoyed when the Obama Administration did it and I was annoyed again earlier in the month when I heard former State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns do the same. If Rouhani was a genuine reformist do you honestly think the Guardian Council would have permitted him to run? I don't think the families of those held in Iran's notorious Evin prison would regard Rouhani as a reformist.


Iran might have elections, but they aren't free and fair. Let's stop pretending they are.

In Honor of David Hedison's 90th Birthday, I'll Be Hosting a Special Voyage To The Bottom of The Sea Viewing Party on Twitter

Tomorrow actor David Hedison turns 90. He is remembered for starring in the 1950's sci-fi classic movie The Fly as well as playing Captain Lee Crane on the TV classic Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea during the 1960's. Fans of James Bond in the 1970's and 1980's will remember him as Felix Leiter in both Live and Let Die and License to Kill with Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton, respectively. I also remember his appearances as Spencer Harrison on Another World in the early 1990's. (Yes, I watched soap operas while I was in university and I don't care who knows.)


In honor of the occasion, I will be hosting a special viewing party (or should I say Seaviewing party)of The Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episode "The Fossil Men" on Twitter on Saturday at midnight EST. You can join the viewing party at #vttbots. For your convenience you can link to the episode here.

For Better or Worse, Roger Ailes Shaped Both American Politics & Media

Former Fox News Channel CEO Roger Ailes died following complications from a head injury sustained in a fall at his home last week. His death came three days after his 77th birthday.


Few people remember that Ailes cut his teeth as the producer of The Mike Douglas Show from its day as a local show in Cleveland before it aired nationally. It was on the set of The Mike Douglas Show that Ailes met Richard Nixon. If not for that meeting, Nixon would have never been elected President. It was Ailes who became Nixon's media adviser and would be responsible for his appearance on Rowan and Martin's Laugh In in which he said, "Sock it to me?"




Say what you will of that moment. But if Nixon hadn't said, "Sock it to me? would Bill Clinton have played sax on The Arsenio Hall Show during the 1992 election? Would we have seen the spectacle of President Obama slow jamming the news with Jimmy Fallon? Probably not even if it did mean going through the long national nightmare that was Watergate.

Ailes played a role in getting Nixon elected and re-elected President, getting Reagan elected and re-elected President (who could forget his "It's Morning Again in America" ad during the 1984 campaign). After getting George H.W. Bush elected in 1988, Ailes gradually withdrew from electoral politics. One wonders if Bush would have won a second term had Ailes stayed in his corner. Perhaps we could have avoided Whitewater and the whole Monica Lewinsky spectacle.


Instead, Ailes would return to TV first as the President of CNBC during the early Clinton years before Rupert Murdoch tapped him to be the CEO of Fox News in 1996. As Charles Krauthammer put it, “What I’ve always said about the genius of Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch is that they found a niche… that is half the American people.” Of course, the other half of the country hated Ailes for it even in death.


Of course, one cannot extol Ailes' virtues without acknowledging his vices. Unfortunately success has a way of not keeping one grounded. When one acquires as much power as Ailes did it is easy to treat people with utter disregard because of the belief there will be no consequences. Such beliefs become tragic flaws. His persistent sexual harassment of various female staff at FNC would prove to be his undoing last year when he stepped 10 months ago.


Nevertheless, Roger Ailes shaped American politics and media for the past 50 years and even his harshest critics play by the rules he wrote. R.I.P.

When I Think of Chris Cornell, I Think of Jeff Buckley

When I learned of Chris Cornell's sudden passing following a concert last night in Detroit, I thought of the audience that had seen him a short time before. There's a good chance they went from experiencing a moment never to be forgotten to experiencing a moment they would have rather not remembered.


While one could not have lived through the early 1990's without hearing the grunge sound Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Blind Melon and, of course, Soundgarden. But when I think of Chris Cornell, I think of his friendship with Jeff Buckley.


It was 20 years ago this month that Buckley drowned in the Wolf River in Memphis at the age of 30. Cornell paid tribute to his friend in many ways over the years. During a 2011 solo concert tour, Cornell had a red telephone on stage. The phone belonged to Buckley and was given to him by his mother Mary Guibert. Naturally, Cornell also paid tribute to his friend in song. On his 1999 debut solo album, Cornell recorded "Wave Goodbye". When listening to it, one can hear Cornell imitate Buckley's vocal inflections. It lyrics begin:


Words get tangled on your tongue
And you stumble on your feet
When you miss somebody
And everywhere you think you see them
Walking down the street
When you miss somebody


No doubt many of Cornell's friends are experiencing these very feelings at this very moment. R.I.P.

Times Square Vehicle Incident Doesn't Appear To Be Terrorism But Let's Understand Why People Would Think It Is

The first thing I did when I learned of the massive car crash in Times Square which has claimed one life and injured 19 others was to call my Dad. Fortunately he was working out in the gym watching the spectacle on TV.


The second thing I wondered was if terrorism had hit New York City again. At the moment, it appears this is not the case. The person in custody is a Hispanic male from the Bronx who had two previous DWI arrests although witnesses did indicate the driver seemed to be deliberately targeting people.


But now that it appears not to be a terrorist incident, lefties are taking to Twitter to say things such as:


"Pretty sick that the alt-right (far-right) are crying big fascist tears because the Times Square accident wasn't a terror attack."


"If you're disappointed that the Times Square incident appears to be a DWI and not terrorism, look at your life and look at your choices."


"The name of the Times Square driver is Richard Rojas. So it's safe to say the incident in NY is NOT Muslim Terrorism. Stop freaking out."


"Regarding the horrible heartbreaking crash in Times Square, please be careful about shouting terrorism the moment anything happens."


I don't think any reasonable person wishes this was a terrorist attack. Indeed, it is entirely reasonable to think this was a terrorist attack. First, Times Square is one of the most well known places in the world and thousands of people are there at any given moment. Second, let us not forget the would be Times Square Bomber seven years ago this month. If not for an alert T-shirt vendor there would have been enormous bloodshed. Can we really say someone won't try to target Times Square again. Remember the World Trade Center saw not one, but two terrorist attacks. Third, ramming attacks have become Islamic terrorists preferred weapon be it in Israel, Nice, Berlin and in London outside the Houses of Westminster less than two months ago.


It is worth remembering that London's Muslim Mayor Sadiq Khan stated following the attack that terrorism was "part and parcel of living in a big city." If elected officials in the West are telling us that terrorism is a fact of life then why can't people consider Islamic terrorism as a possibility without being called Islamophobic?


So even if today's events at Times Square aren't terrorism one cannot blame a reasonable person for considering the possibility.

Mueller Will Lead The Russia Probe, But Who Will Lead The FBI?

A palatable sigh of relief came to be when it was announced that DOJ handed over the Russia probe to former FBI Director Robert Mueller in the capacity of Special Counsel.

Of course, Mueller is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. But he's the best person for this awful job. Then again if Trump hired the best people we wouldn't be in this mess.

All the more reason to wonder who Trump will name to head the FBI. Although Mueller's investigation is supposed to be independent and arms length who can say the new FBI Director won't run interference if a Trump sycophant is appointed. One can only hope that Trump makes a Gorsuch like appointment to the Bureau.

If This Is How Erdogan's Thugs Treat American Protesters Then Imagine How They Treat The People of Turkey

Protesters demonstrating against the regime of Recep Tayyip Erdogan got a taste of what life is like in Turkey as President Erdogan's guards beat peaceful demonstrators near the residence of the Turkish Ambassador in Washington, D.C. last night.


Erdogan is in DC to meet with President Trump. So don't expect any condemnation from the White House. If anything, Trump is apt to praise Erdogan's thugs. After all, not only did Trump praise the manner in which Erdogan thwarted last summer's coup attempt but said Americans were in no position to criticize Erdogan. As such its no surprise Trump didn't raise human rights abuses in Turkey when he met with Erdogan. If anything, Trump is even chummier with Erdogan than President Obama and they were very friendly. But in Trump, Erdogan has met an authoritarian kindred spirit.

The 25th Amendment Will Never Be Invoked Against Trump

Ross Douthat makes the case in The New York Times that the 25th Amendment ought to be deployed to remove President Trump from office:

This will not get better. It could easily get worse. And as hard and controversial as a 25th Amendment remedy would be, there are ways in which Trump’s removal today should be less painful for conservatives than abandoning him in the campaign would have been — since Hillary Clinton will not be retroactively elected if Trump is removed, nor will Neil Gorsuch be unseated. Any cost to Republicans will be counted in internal divisions and future primary challenges, not in immediate policy defeats.

Meanwhile, from the perspective of the Republican leadership’s duty to their country, and indeed to the world that our imperium bestrides, leaving a man this witless and unmastered in an office with these powers and responsibilities is an act of gross negligence, which no objective on the near-term political horizon seems remotely significant enough to justify.

There will be time to return again to world-weariness and cynicism as this agony drags on. Right now, though, I will be boring in my sincerity: I respectfully ask Mike Pence and Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell to reconsider their support for a man who never should have had his party’s nomination, never should have been elevated to this office, never should have been endorsed and propped up and defended by people who understood his unfitness all along.

Now is a day for redemption. Now is an acceptable time.

I entirely agree that it isn't going to get better. But I don't think that will be enough to move Pence, Ryan and McConnell much less the majority of his cabinet to act. The Republicans control the White House, Congress and have kept a majority on the Supreme Court. Removing Trump in this manner would surely put an end to that. Trump's supporters would cry betrayal and Democrats would reap the benefits. If Trump goes down then Pence, Ryan and McConnell are going down with him. They aren't putting party ahead of country, they are putting power ahead of country. There might be a better chance of this coming to pass with a Democrat controlled Congress but I doubt the Trump White House would aid and abet them. Impeachment would be their preferred option.

Douthat writes, "A child cannot be president. I love my children; they cannot have the nuclear codes." But where are the adults to tell Trump they are going to take the nuclear codes away from him?

Mike Pence Is As Expendable As Anyone Else in Trump World

Today at NRO, Jonah Goldberg writes what amounts to an open letter to Vice-President Mike Pence:

Much of the president’s power is derived from what Teddy Roosevelt called the “bully pulpit,” or what legendary political scientist Richard Neustadt called the “power to persuade.” In today’s media landscape, you have an especially potent bully pulpit, because you’re the one person the president cannot fire.

I don’t think you should resign in response to the president hanging you out to dry in the Comey affair, but threatening to do so if he plays you for a patsy again might — just might — help the president get his act together, which would be good for you, the party, and the country. You are also the tiebreaker in the Senate, which means something given the GOP’s precariously thin majority.

The president claims to value loyalty, but we know he respects strength. For your sake and the country, maybe it’s time to show some.

President Trump could most certainly fire Pence. Who can say that Pence will be Trump's running mate in 2020? Let's remember that Trump was calling around asking if he could replace Pence on the ticket within hours of picking him. While it's true Trump ultimately stuck with Pence there is no guarantee he will do so in three years time. Honestly, there's very little risk in Trump dumping Pence. His hardcore supporters care about Trump and only Trump. Hell, Trump could name Nancy Pelosi as his running mate and they wouldn't bat an eyelash even in Indiana.


If Pence threatens to resign then what is to stop Trump from accepting his resignation or asking him to resign? Loyalty and strength are a one way street with Trump. If Trump perceives Pence as a threat he wouldn't give him a second's thought. How long would it be before Trump would go on Twitter to say that Pence was overrated?


The only person who isn't expendable in Trump World is Ivanka and that is a good thing. I suppose one can include Jared Kushner in that mix, but if he runs afoul of Ivanka then hell hath no fury like a father-in-law.


As for Pence, I don't think he will stand up to Trump in private much less in public. He's made his choice and as long as Pence remains a smaller than life figure then Trump will stick with him.

 

Can Pujols Become MLB's All-Time Home Run & RBI Leader?

Last night, Albert Pujols of the Los Angeles Angels drove in three runs in an extra inning victory over the Chicago White Sox. Those three runs bring his RBI total up to 1847 passing Carl Yastrzemski for 11th on MLB's all time list. Next up is Mel Ott who had 1860.


Pujols needs exactly 451 RBI to pass Hank Aaron, MLB's all-time RBI leader at 2,297. The Angels' slugger is also four home runs shy of 600 and needs 167 to pass Barry Bonds for tops on MLB's all-time HR list. Can he pass one or both of these records?


Pujols has an outside shot. He is 37 and isn't the perennial MVP he was during his days with the St. Louis Cardinals days. If he hit 35 home runs and drove in 120 runs in 2017 and maintained that pace through 2020 he could do it. But this would require Pujols staying healthy. He has a long history of plantar fasciitis and had surgery on his foot this past off season.


Although it would be wonderful if Pujols attained one never mind both of these records it wouldn't be necessary. If Pujols retired today he would be a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Will Trump Burn White House Staff Again With The Comey Memo?

The New York Times is claiming that former FBI Director James Comey wrote a memo in February following a meeting with President Trump in which Trump told Comey to shut down its investigation into former NSA Michael Flynn. The meeting took place the day after Flynn's resignation. 

Naturally, the Trump White House is denying this happened.

Of course, the Trump White House denied that Comey's firing had anything to do with Russia. But then Trump told Lester Holt it had everything to do with Russia.

Of course, the Trump White House also denied that Trump had divulged classified information during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. But then Trump not only admits he divulged classified information to the Russians, but boasted he had every right to do so.

What are the odds that Trump discloses he told Comey to drop the Flynn investigation by this time tomorrow?

Suppose Obama Had Shared Israeli Intelligence With The Russians

As it turns out it is Israel is the ally whose intelligence President Trump shared with Russia (no doubt to the delight of Iran).


Of course, conservatives like John O'Sullivan are trying to argue nothing to see here. Forgive me if I don't take National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster at his word when he says the Washington Post story is false. This is the same H.R. McMaster who won't say if The Western Wall is in Israel. As someone who has prayed at The Western Wall let me him assure him that it is.


Let me put it this way. If it had been revealed President Obama had divulged Israeli intelligence to Russia how do you think conservatives would have reacted? They would have gone apeshit.


Conservatives who would have been happy to criticize Obama for such a transgression but not Trump are just as hypocritical as the liberals who bemoaned the firing of James Comey, a man who deemed responsible for Hillary Clinton losing the election.


The long and the short of it is that our Allies trust President Trump at their own peril.

Rush Should Regret Boasting About Trump's Meeting with Lavrov

Here's how Rush Limbaugh began his monologue the morning after President Trump fired James Comey:

Hi, friends. This is great. I have been laughing all morning long. I have been laughing starting with last night. Can we agree that Donald Trump is probably enjoying this more than anybody wants to admit or that anybody knows? So he fires Comey yesterday. Who’s he meeting with today? (laughing) He’s meeting with the Soviet, the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov! I mean, what an epic troll this is. The Democrat Party is going bananas — completely, totally unhinged — on the road to literal insanity.

Well, according to The Washington Post, during that meeting Lavrov Trump revealed highly classified information to him and the Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak:

President Trump revealed highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador in a White House meeting last week, according to current and former U.S. officials, who said Trump’s disclosures jeopardized a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State.

The information the president relayed had been provided by a U.S. partner through an intelligence-sharing arrangement considered so sensitive that details have been withheld from allies and tightly restricted even within the U.S. government, officials said.

The partner had not given the United States permission to share the material with Russia, and officials said Trump’s decision to do so endangers cooperation from an ally that has access to the inner workings of the Islamic State. After Trump’s meeting, senior White House officials took steps to contain the damage, placing calls to the CIA and the National Security Agency.

Would President Reagan have ever divulged classified information to Eduard Shevardnadze in the Oval Office? Better still how would have Rush reacted if President Obama had disclosed plans for for the bin Laden raid before informing his cabinet? Rush Limbaugh should regret boasting about President Trump's meeting with Lavrov. But he won't. Like most conservative talk radio hosts, his brand is tethered to Trump. He worships at his altar and must render unto him without question or doubt. 

As of right now, the liberal reaction to Trump's firing of Comey should be the least of his concerns. Because when it is all said and done, President Trump can no more be trusted handling classified information than Hillary Clinton. 

White House Won't Allow Netanyahu to Accompany Trump to Western Wall Because "It Is Not In Your Territory"

From The Jerusalem Post:


A dramatic rift was created between Washington and Jerusalem as US President Donald Trump's team as well as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's team both issued harsh statements on Monday evening less than a week prior to the president's much-expected visit to Israel.

The drama unfolded when a senior White House official said that the Western Wall was part of the West Bank and not part of Israel's territory, as Channel 2 reported on Monday.


"The Western Wall is not in your territory," the official reportedly said.

It seems that the official was prompted to make the statement after members of Netanyahu's team asked if Netanyahu could join Trump on the visit to the Western Wall and whether Israeli photographers could document the event, to which the Americans replied that the Western Wall was a "disputed territory."


According to Channel 2, the same official told members of Netanyahu's team that Trump's visit to the Western Wall was a private visit and also added: "No way, why is this your business?"

The official allegedly went on to say: "This is not your territory but rather part of the West Bank."


This is bad. This is a disgrace.


Will someone please tell the Trump Administration The Western Wall is the holiest site in Judaism?


For the Trump Administration not to permit Netanyahu to join him at The Western Wall where thousands of Jews from Israel and all around the world pray every day is a gross discourtesy and yet another example of the infantile incompetence that has become their standard.


Trump is set to become the first sitting President to visit The Western Wall. But what good is such a visit if the Trump White House says Israel's Prime Minister isn't welcome to join him? In so doing, Trump is effectively giving Netanyahu the Obama treatment.

Steve Palermo, R.I.P.

While watching the Tampa Bay Rays-Boston Red Sox game yesterday afternoon, Red Sox play by play man Dave O'Brien announced the death of former AL umpire Steve Palermo at the age of 67. Palermo died of cancer.


Between 1976 and 1991, Palermo was arguably the best umpire in MLB. Tragically, his career was cut short just before the All-Star Break in 1991 when he was shot in the back while trying coming to the aid of two women who had been attacked outside a Dallas restaurant. The injury paralyzed Palermo from the waist down. Although he would never umpire again, he did learn to walk with the aid of a cane. In 2000, MLB named Palermo as an umpire supervisor serving as a liaison between the Office of the Commissioner and the MLB Umpires Association.


A year after the shooting incident, Palermo made the cover of Sports Illustrated. The story inside is even more compelling. R.I.P.

Corbyn Plays His Trump Card in UK Election

It appears that British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has played his Trump card - literally.


In a speech at Chatham House on foreign policy, Corbyn lambasted President Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May's hands-on closeness to him:


Britain deserves better than simply outsourcing our country’s security and prosperity to the whims of the Trump White House. While Theresa May seeks to build a coalition of risk and insecurity with Donald Trump, a Labour government will refocus Britain’s influence towards cooperation, peaceful settlements, and social justice.


Heading for electoral disaster, at this point, what does Corbyn have left to lose? Far better for Corbyn to set his sites on Trump than have to talk about snubbing war veterans at Labour Party rallies where soldiers are booed. After all, Trump is not a popular man in the UK. In a poll released in February by The Guardian, 65% of voters called him a threat to international stability while 50% of voters called him dangerous. Donald Trump might very well be the one man even less popular in Britain than Jeremy Corbyn.


Corbyn has long odds, but if he can convince the British public that May is "a poodle" of Trump then he has a shot at moving into Number 10 Downing Street. The election will take place on June 8th, less than four weeks away. As the late Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson famously put it, "A week in politics is a lifetime." Four weeks might be a millennium.

The FBI Director Takes an Oath to Support & Defend The Constitution, Not The President

It appears that President Trump fired James Comey as FBI Director because he wouldn't commit to being loyal to him. Evidently, Trump asked this of Comey during a one on one White House dinner several days after Trump announced that Comey would remain on the job. Comey would only commit to being honest with Trump.


But Trump doesn't want to be told he's not wearing any clothes. No doubt Trump had buyer's remorse from that point on and was looking for a reason to dump him. Comey's misstatement of facts of the Hillary Clinton email investigation during congressional testimony gave Trump his reason. But Trump could not stick to the script from the moment he wrote of Comey's assurances that he was not under investigation.


No President of the United States should ask the FBI Director or any other civilian or military official within the federal government for loyalty to him. The FBI Director takes an oath to support and defend The Constitution of the United States, not the President of the United States. If Trump's next FBI Director is required to give an oath of loyalty to him, whether done in public or in private, is yet another leap taken from democracy to authoritarianism.

Trump Should Find a New FBI Director Instead Taunting The Old One UPDATE

President Trump, true to form, can't let well enough alone where it concerns former FBI Director James Comey. This morning Trump tweeted, "James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!"


When asked about Trump's tweet, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said, "The president has nothing further to add on that." President Trump should have nothing further to add the moment he sent his letter informing Comey his services were no longer required. Trump humiliated Comey in front of the whole world and is now rubbing it in for the enjoyment of it.


For good measure, Spicer also said Trump wasn't threatening Comey. Well, when the most powerful person in the world tells the whole world that the man he just fired had better hope there are no tapes should he be moved to let word out is by definition a threat.


President Trump's time would be better spent finding a new FBI director instead of taunting the old one. Of course, given Trump's treatment of Comey, who is going to want the job outside of a flunky like Chris Christie?


UPDATE: It appears that Christie is not on Trump's shortlist of 11 potential successors. They include former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly, former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, Senator John Cornyn and Congressman Trey Gowdy. The only one that inspires any confidence is Kelly. If Trump appoints anyone else, especially the other three, the anger over Comey's firing will only deepen as the others will be perceived as a Praetorian Guard around the President.

Kyle Smith Slagging of "In The Heat of The Night" Minimizes 1960's Racism

Kyle Smith of NRO makes the case that the Motion Picture Academy of Arts & Sciences decision to bestow Best Picture honors in 1967 to In The Heat of The Night instead of either The Graduate or Bonnie & Clyde "an undeniable example of proto-virtue-signaling."


If this was the intent of the Motion Picture Academy then couldn't the Best Picture statue have just as easily been bestowed upon Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? Also starring Sidney Poitier, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is the story of a white couple (played by Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy in what proved to be their final collaboration before Tracy's death)who find themselves in the awkward position of confronting their latent prejudices when their daughter (Katharine Houghton) brings home her future husband (Poitier). It is well worth noting Guess Who's Coming to Dinner was released less than six months after the U.S. Supreme Court declared miscegenation laws to be unconstitutional in Loving v. Virginia. Curiously, Smith makes no mention of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner in his piece.


Smith dismisses In The Heat of The Night as "cinematically undistinguished" with "fewer twists and turns than average episode of Law & Order." He concludes, "The only remotely noteworthy aspect of the film is that it has a message to declare: It's against racial prejudice." By this reasoning, Smith could also argue that the Motion Picture Academy was "proto-virtue signaling" two decades earlier when it bestowed the Best Picture honor upon Gentlemen's Agreement, a film against anti-Semitism starring Gregory Peck and John Garfield. 


I would remind Smith that being against racial prejudice was still a pretty radical concept in 1967 as was as the concept of a black man and a white man working together as equals even if not always easily as demonstrated by Detective Tibbs and Chief Gillespie. Let's keep in mind that In The Heat of The Night was released just over three years after Andrew Goodman, Mickey Schwerner and James Chaney were murdered in cold blood by the KKK with the cooperation of local authorities in Mississippi. Despite Poitier's international acclaim, he did not want to travel south of the Mason-Dixon for fear of his life. While a majority of the film was shot in Sparta, Illinois, Director Norman Jewison convinced Poitier to do one exterior scene near Dyersburg, Tennessee. Notwithstanding the Civil Rights Act of 1964, there was only one hotel in the area which would allow Poitier to stay on its premises. Even then Poitier felt the need to carry a gun for his own protection.


Let us also remember that neighboring Alabama was governed by Democrat George Wallace who was in the midst of launching a presidential campaign which the following year would net him five states in reaction to the passage of the Civil Rights Act. One of those states was Georgia which in 1966 had elected a Democrat named Lester Maddox as Governor. Maddox was the owner of Pickrick restaurant and refused to serve African-Americans. Those who attempted to patronize his establishment were met with guns and pick axes. He eventually chose to close Pickrick instead of integrating it. Maddox called integration "un-Godly, un-Christian and un-American." It must also be remembered In The Heat of The Night received its Best Picture Oscar only six days after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. In fact, the ceremony itself was pushed back two days out of respect for King.


Now one can certainly make the case that Bonnie & Clyde or The Graduate (and perhaps even Guess Who's Coming to Dinner) were greater cinematic works and more deserving of the honor. (Personally, I am partial to The Graduate while I find Bonnie & Clyde violent for the sake of being violent.) But for Smith to suggest the Motion Picture Academy was engaging in "proto-virtue signaling" in honoring In The Heat of the Night demonstrates a lack of historical perspective while minimizing and trivializing the racism that was so prevalent in America half a century ago.

War Veteran Jeered at Labour Party Rally & Snubbed By Jeremy Corbyn

The Labour Party and its leader Jeremy Corbyn seem to be trying to do everything they can to lose next month's UK general election.


At a Labour Party rally in York yesterday, a British war veteran named Rob Gray was heckled by supporters when he attempted to ask Corbyn a question about the prosecution of British soldiers in Northern Ireland. Corbyn initially agreed to answer Gray's question, but then inexplicably walked away from him. Meanwhile, the crowd got unruly with Gray. When a woman interjected that Gray had served his country, a man responded, "It doesn't matter."


Gray later said, "Sorry but that's just lost him four million votes."


At the rate the Labour Party is going they'll be lucky to get four million votes.


Oh well. At least Corbyn got the much coveted Noam Chomsky endorsement.

Some Questions For Those Students Who Booed Betsy DeVos

As you know by now, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos was booed and heckled by the graduating class of Bethune-Cookman University, a historically black college in Daytona Beach, Florida. Many also turned their backs on her.

I'm sure these students feel pretty good about themselves right now. So let me ask a few questions of these newly minted college graduates.

What if former Attorney Generals Eric Holder or Loretta Lynch or for that matter President Obama had spoken at Liberty University and the predominantly white student body had treated them in this manner how you would react?

Would you call them racists?

Would you say the student body of Liberty University was exercising its right of free speech?

I think we know the answer to these questions.

Dislike the Trump Administration all you want, but stunts like this will only serve to entrench his support thus increasing his chances for re-election in 2020.

Unfortunately, some people learn the hard way.

If The Trump WH Thought Sally Yates Was a Partisan Hack Then Why Was She Named Acting Attorney General?

I find it absolutely fascinating that Sean Spicer acknowledges that Sally Yates warned the Trump White House about former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, but dismissed her advice because, in his words, she was "appointed by the Obama administration and a strong supporter of Clinton."

Yet it was President Trump who chose to appoint her Acting Attorney General. If her appointment by the Obama Administration and strong support for Hillary Clinton were disqualifying factors then why wasn't she shown the door beforehand? Yes, the Trump Administration was within their rights to fire her for not enforcing the Muslim ban before the courts overturned it. But if the Trump Administration held her legal advice in such low regard then why elevate her to the top post in the DOJ even on a temporary basis?

There's a simple explanation really. Sally Yates gave the Trump Administration prudent advice. They chose to ignore it and now they have egg on their face and must resort to saying they never trusted Yates even as they appointed her Acting Attorney General.

Andy McCarthy can dismiss Sally Yates all he wants, but she has the Trump Administration on the defensive, a posture in which they would remain as long as she is on the front pages. So, when in doubt, fire the FBI Director.

Trump to Comey: Thanks For Not Investigating Me, You're Fired

Perhaps President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey because it was Tuesday afternoon.

Perhaps President Trump fired James Comey to divert attention away from Sally Yates testimony to Congress.

Perhaps President Trump fired James Comey because he could.

But most likely President Trump fired James Comey because he feared being put under investigation.

How else does one explain a sentence like this one?

While I appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgement of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau. 

In other words, thanks for not investigating me, but you're fired. Couldn't Trump merely have said he had accepted the DOJ's recommendation? Why mention Comey thrice assuring him he wasn't being investigated much less once?

Charles Cooke is right. It all depends on who Trump picks to succeed Comey. If it's David Petraeus then fine. But if it's Chris Christie then we've got problems.

Of course, Democrats are being their usual hypocritical selves. 12 hours ago most Democrats wanted Comey hung, drawn and quartered for costing Hillary Clinton the election. In less than a year, Democrats when from lionizing Comey to wanting to feed him to the lions and are now back to lionizing him. I'm tired of Democrats' lion eyes. Which is a shame because with a President Trump you need an effective and loyal opposition and Democrats aren't providing it.

The question now is what happens to the next FBI Director who tells Trump he isn't under investigation.

The Zombies Were Well Worth The Wait

Tonight, I finally got to see The Zombies in concert at the Wilbur Theater here in Boston. I was supposed to see them six weeks ago, but only hours before the show lead singer Colin Blunstone fell ill with a stomach virus and had to be hospitalized resulting in the show being cancelled as well as two others in Western Massachusetts and Connecticut. Fortunately, I was reassured that the show would go on by The Zombies themselves when they responded to my tweet.

Blunstone's voice was strong when he sang the first bars of "I Love You." At song's end, he received a standing ovation. Blunstone apologized for being a bit late. He was in good humor and so was the audience.

The first set was a mixture of 1960's singles and cuts from their 2015 album Still Got That Hunger. It is a shame that a band of The Zombies' stature had to rely on crowdfunding to get the album made. Then again, in so doing, they had the freedom to do what they wanted with no record company breathing down their neck. They re-recorded "I Want You Back Again" because Tom Petty had recorded it. As Rod Argent put it, "We're going to do a cover of a Tom Petty covering a Zombies' song."

Speaking of Argent, the most enthusiastic response of the night with the playing of "Hold Your Head Up". He noted that audiences loved to sing along with it but got the lyrics wrong. Argent said the chorus is "Hold Your Head Up Woman" adding, "For God's sake, get it right." Argent then demonstrated why he is arguably the greatest keyboard player in the history of rock 'n roll. Don't get me wrong. You've got the late Keith Emerson, the late Ray Manzarek as well as Alan Price. But while most bands are defined through guitar, The Zombies were defined through the keyboard.

The second half of the show was devoted to playing the Odessey & Oracle album in its entirety note for note. It was recorded 50 years ago at Abbey Road Studios, but not released until 1968 by which time the band had already broken up. Odessey & Oracle bore their biggest hit, the Argent penned "Time of The Season".

I must confess that until tonight I perceived The Zombies as essentially a two man band - Argent and Blunstone. During the Odessey & Oracle set, Argent and Blunstone were joined by drummer Hal Grundy and bass player Chris White. Odessey & Oracle would not have been possible without Chris White who wrote 7 of the 12 songs including the anti-war "The Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)" and "Brief Candles" both of which feature vocals from White. Odessey & Oracle has held up remarkably well as evidenced by the 20 and 30-something's singing along with it. My personal favorites are "Maybe After He's Gone" and "Hung Up On a Dream".

Following Odessey & Oracle, Argent spoke at length about the challenges recording the album on a 1,000 pound budget from CBS and "borrowing" John Lennon's Mellotron. Argent then gave a lengthy introduction to each member of the band. I've seen many shows where band members are barely acknowledged or recognized at all. Rod Argent could lecture at the Berklee School of Music on the history of rock 'n roll.

But why lecture when you can play. The show ended with "She's Not There". The Zombies had played it during the first set, but this time they did an extended jam with Argent seguing into a couple of Spencer Davis songs ("Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'm a Man") which briefly took me back to the Steve Winwood concert scarcely a fortnight ago.

Good things come to those who wait and The Zombies were well worth the wait.

Nicholas Burns Reminds Me Why Trump Was Elected

This evening I attended a presentation by former Ambassador and State Department official R. Nicholas Burns at Congregation Kehilath Israel in Brookline. The subject of Burns' discussion was President Trump's first 100 days in office (it's now been 109 days in office).

Burns was a career diplomat who served in every administration from Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush (and briefly serving John Kerry in an advisory capacity when President Obama appointed him Secretary of State). Now a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, Burns argues that Trump represents a dangerous break from American foreign policy set from FDR onward especially because Trump inherits such a complicated global situation stating that Trump takes "crude, narrow view of America's responsibilities and interests." Burns cited Trump's disdain for our allies, particularly NATO characterizing it as "an ultra real estate view of the world." He also was critical of Trump's views on immigration and refugees as well as trade. Burns also expressed concern about the state of the State Department noting that during a recent visit to Foggy Bottom, the only person around was Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Trump has not seen fit to appoint any Undersecretaries apparently by design.

Although I agreed with some of Burns' critiques, his language was also a reminder of why Trump was elected in the first place. When Burns spoke of global issues he put climate change at the top of the list and proclaimed he was "a climate change accepter" adding that he believed in science. Sorry, but science is not and never been a religious belief system nor should it be. Perhaps not surprisingly he made no mention of terrorism as a global threat. Last I checked ISIS controls territory the size of the United Kingdom. Burns also went out of his way to praise the EU, particularly German Chancellor Angela Merkel whom he repeatedly praised as "the leader of the free world." No doubt Trump supporters would cast Burns as a globalist.

While I share Burns' disdain of Trump's "America first" view of the world, the foreign policy establishment of which Burns has long been a part has exercised plenty of poor judgment. He repeatedly spoke of the need to contain Iran's nuclear power. Well, such a policy would have been unnecessary if the Obama Administration hadn't insisted on a nuclear agreement with Iran. Not surprisingly, Burns supports the Iran nuclear deal. The fact Burns views Iranian President Rouhani as a "reformist" should tell one a great deal.

Although Burns is skeptical of Hamas' exercise in moderation, he said he has "trust and faith" in Mahmoud Abbas despite acknowledging the Palestinians haven't had an election in a decade. More troubling is Burns' moral equivalence of conservatives in Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet with Hamas terrorists. He characterized them as "equally insidious, equally wrong." Last I checked, Hamas throws LGBT people off roofs. No such thing happens in Israel. While Trump's foreign policy outlook and actions might not inspire confidence, the Nicholas Burns' of the world don't have much to brag about either.

Burns left the door open for Trump to be "adaptive". He praised Trump's decision to strike Syria following the chemical weapons attack last month and his willingness to stand up to North Korea. Burns also expressed confidence in Jared Kushner as a potential broker for peace between Israel and the Palestinians as well as figure of influence on other foreign policy matters. While I share Burns' assessment on Kushner, I think Burns is trying to have his cake and eat it.

Even if President Trump's Muslim immigration and travel policy is foolish and misguided, I don't think anyone who is supported Trump in November will abandon him because of that shortcoming or any other foreign policy matter unless we get ourselves into another unpopular war which results in American casualties.

The more I hear the likes of Nicholas Burns speak against Trump, the more I think Trump will be elected to a second term in 2020.

Obama Deserves a Profile in Courage Award As Much As He Deserves His Nobel Prize

Tonight former President Barack Obama was bestowed with the Profile in Courage Award at the JFK Presidential Library & Museum.

He deserves a Profile in Courage Award about as much as he deserved his Nobel Peace Prize.

According to the JFK Library:

The award recognizes a public official (or officials) at the federal, state or local level whose actions demonstrate the qualities of politically courageous leadership in the spirit of Profiles in Courage, President Kennedy’s 1957 Pulitzer prize-winning book, which recounts the stories of eight U.S. Senators who risked their careers by embracing unpopular positions for the greater good.
When did Barack Obama ever risk his career by embracing an unpopular position?

Obama isn't the only former President to receive the Award. Gerald Ford received it in 2001 while George H.W. Bush received it in 2014. In the case of Ford there was his pardoning of Richard Nixon.

Of course, the Kennedys are the first family of American liberalism and as such this is more at dig at President Trump than it is about anything Obama actually achieved. His prepared remarks focused on Trump's efforts to reverse Obamacare.

It very much remains to be seen whether Trumpcare will be an improvement over Obamacare and those who gained health insurance are understandably anxious. But the fact that Obama's minions bragged in their lies about "if you like your health insurance, you can keep your health insurance".

In the past, the Kennedy family has honored deserving recipients such as John Lewis in 2001 or in 2002 when they honored the FDNY, NYPD and the U.S. military following the 9/11 attacks or former Ukraine President Victor Yushchenko in 2005 following the Orange Revolution. I don't think Barack Obama possesses an ounce of their courage.