MLB Notes for June: Red Sox Nation Unimpressed With First Place Team

The Boston Red Sox end the month of June atop the AL East. But living in Boston you would never know it. If you check out Twitter, Red Sox Nation want John Farrell fired for everything under the sun, want to drive Pablo Sandoval, Rick Porcello and David Price out of town and think Hanley Ramirez should be benched.

Yes, it's true that a number of Red Sox players are having subpar seasons, but this hasn't prevented them from winning. They've gone 16-12 in back to back months and have a one game lead over the New York Yankees who were 13-15 in June including a seven game losing streak. The Tampa Bay Rays played .500 ball in June, but are only four games back and only a percentage point back of the Minnesota Twins for the second AL Wild Card spot. Both the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays took a step backwards in June going 12-17 and 11-15, respectively, with the Jays losing 7 of their final 10 games of the month.

The Cleveland Indians supplanted the Minnesota Twins for the lead in the AL Central following a four game sweep on Father's Day Weekend and have been in the top spot since (save for a single day) and currently hold a two game lead. But the team to look out for in the AL Central is the Kansas City Royals. After a horrible April, the Royals played above .500 ball in May and then went 17-9 in June to reach the .500 mark. Now a .500 team might not be impressive on paper, but the in the AL Central it puts you three games back. Both the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox struggled in June going 10-15 and 11-16, respectively. At one point, the Tigers went on an 8-game losing streak. One wonders if Brad Ausmus will be the first managerial casualty of the 2017 season.

After going 22-7 in May, the Houston Astros came down to earth a bit. But a 16-11 mark still gives them a 13.5 game lead over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Astros still own MLB's best record at 54-27 winning two out of every three games they play. Meanwhile, the Angels remain a .500 club. Being a .500 club in the AL West still gives you a shot at the AL Wild Card. The Angels, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers all have a legitimate claim to the second AL Wild Card spot. Meanwhile, the Oakland A's wish they were in the AL Central. Their 35-45 record puts them 18.5 games back of the Astros. Contrast that with the Chicago White Sox's 35-44 which puts them 7.5 games back of the Tribe.

The Washington Nationals played .500 ball in June, but maintain a 8.5 game lead over the Atlanta Braves who went 16-12 in June. But the Braves wish they were in the NL Central. Their 38-41 record is identical to that of the St. Louis Cardinals, but they are only 3.5 games back of the Brewers (more on them shortly). The New York Mets also played .500 ball and the Miami Marlins played slightly above .500, but remain 9.5 and 11 games back respectively and have no real shot at the NL Wild Card. It could be worse. The Philadelphia Phillies 9-18 record in June puts them 20 games back of the Nationals. Their 26-52 record is the worst in MLB. In contrast to the Astros, the Phillies have lost two out of every three games they've played this season.

The Milwaukee Brewers enjoy a two game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. The defending World Series champions are now a .500 club. One wonders if the Cubs would have been so eager to release catcher Miguel Montero for chiding the Cubs pitching staff for their slow delivery if they were on pace to win 100 plus games again this season. But the Cubs nor anyone else is completely out of it in the NL Central. Despite going 13-16 in June, the St. Louis Cardinals are only 3.5 games back of the Brew Crew. The Pittsburgh Pirates are five off the pace and the Cincinnati Reds are 7.5 games back despite a 10-17 record in June. The Cardinals, Pirates and Reds are grateful not to be playing in the NL West.

The Los Angeles Dodgers had the best record in MLB during the month of June going 22-7 which included a 10-game winning streak. Their 54-28 record only puts them half a game back of the Astros for the best overall record in MLB. The Dodgers' performance has overshadowed that of the Arizona Diamondbacks who went 17-9 in June. Despite having 50 wins, the D'Backs are 3.5 games back of the Dodgers. But the D'Backs could very well have a lock on one of the NL Wild Card spots. The same could be said for the Colorado Rockies even though they just snapped an 8 game losing streak this evening. The Rockies have a seven game lead over the Cubs for the second NL Wild Card spot which softens the blow of falling 5.5 games back of the Dodgers. Unfortunately, the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants are 20 and 23 games back of the Dodgers, respectively. The best they can do is play spoiler the rest of the way.

I'll be back for an All-Star Break edition in a couple of weeks.

Republicans Will Never Stand Up to Trump

Commenting on President Trump's vicious personal attack against Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, David French at NRO writes:

The election is over. Trump isn’t running against Hillary Clinton anymore. Americans are no longer faced with the awful choice of either pulling the lever for an unfit candidate or voting for someone who has no chance of winning. If there were ever a time for Republicans to show some backbone, to tell their president that some conduct is out of bounds, it’s now, early in his first term, when he has time to turn the page and put his past misconduct in the rear-view mirror. Instead, the desire to cozy up to power, the desperate need to win each news cycle, and frantic efforts to rationalize and justify their own moral compromises mean that people continually choose to enable the president’s worst conduct.

Actually, Republicans should have been standing up to Trump en masse from the moment he denigrated John McCain's service to this country.


Republicans should have been standing up to Trump en masse when he spoke ill of Megyn Kelly.


Republicans should have been standing up to Trump en masse when he mocked Serge Kovaleski's disability.


Republicans should have been standing up to Trump en masse when he cast aspersions on Carly Fiorina and Heidi Cruz's physical appearance.


Republicans should have been standing up to Trump en masse when he said Ted Cruz's father was involved in the plot to assassinate JFK.


Republicans should have been standing up to Trump en masse when he cast aspersions on Judge Gonzalo Curiel's Mexican heritage.


Republicans should have been standing up to Trump en masse when the Hollywood Access tape came out.


Republicans should have been standing up to Trump en masse when he besmirched the Khans, a Gold Star Family.


Republicans should have been standing up to Trump en masse when he lied about thousands of Muslims cheering the attacks of September 11, 2001.


Republicans should have been standing up to Trump en masse when he heaped praise upon Alex Jones.


Republicans should have been standing up to Trump en masse when he refused to condemn David Duke.


Don't get me wrong. There were honorable exceptions like Ben Sasse and John Kasich. But most Republicans who criticized Trump still supported him last November. What does Trump care if Marco Rubio criticizes him for his remarks against Judge Curiel, but ends up supporting him anyway?


If Republicans weren't willing to stand up to Donald Trump en masse during the election what makes David French think they will be prepared to put their newfound power on the line to stand up to Donald Trump now?

Anthony Young Maintained a Winning Attitude Even When The Losses Piled Up

I was saddened to hear of the passing of former MLB pitcher Anthony Young. He succumbed to inoperable brain cancer at the age of 51.

Young pitched in the bigs from 1991 to 1996 with the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs before ending his career in his hometown with the Houston Astros.

With a career record of 15-48, Young might have been the best losing pitcher in MLB history. While with the Mets during the 1992 and 1993 seasons, Young lost 27 consecutive decisions both as a starter and a reliever. He wasn't a bad pitcher at all. In fact, he filled in as the Mets' closer for the injured John Franco in '92 and compiled 15 saves. But the losses kept piling up. Yet he maintained a winning attitude. In an interview with The New York Daily News in 2009, Young said, "Everything that could happen, happened. It was just destiny, I guess."

But as you can see in the video above, Young and his Mets teammates were happy for him when he broke the streak on July 28, 1993 courtesy a walk-off single by future Hall of Famer Eddie Murray against the Florida Marlins.

It just goes to show that even the worst of times eventually pass. R.I.P.

The Dodgers Win 10 in a Row Thanks to Cody Bellinger

The Los Angeles Dodgers won their 10th straight game yesterday with a 12-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies completing a three game sweep. The Dodgers 52-25 record is the best in the NL and the second best in MLB behind only the Houston Astros (who are the only other MLB franchise to have a double digit winning streak this season).

At the center of this 10-game winning streak is Dodgers rookie first baseman-outfielder Cody Bellinger. During this surge, Bellinger has gone 15 for 42 (.362) with 6 HR and 15 RBI. Overall, in the month of June, Bellinger is hitting .307 with 13 HR and 26 RBI. If that doesn't make him NL Player of the Month then nothing will. Bellinger now leads the NL with 24 home runs including two in yesterday's finale against Colorado.

Is it conceivable that we could have not one, but two Rookies of the Year win the NL MVP? New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge is putting up Triple Crown numbers, but Bellinger isn't far behind.

Of course, the Dodgers don't live by Bellinger alone. You've still got Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, Yasiel Puig, Corey Seager and Justin Turner. But Bellinger might be the final piece of the puzzle that gets the team to its first World Series since 1988.

With that said, the NL West is MLB's elite division. The Arizona Diamondbacks, under new manager Torey Lovullo,  are only two games back of the Dodgers and have won 8 of their last 10 games. And despite the fact the Rockies have lost five straight games they are only 4.5 back of the Dodgers and still own a better record than the NL East leading Washington Nationals. Chances are all three teams will make the post-season. It is a shame one of these three teams will likely have to exit after the NL Wild Card Game while the weaker NL East and Central division winners advance. But life isn't fair except if you're Cody Bellinger.

Trump's Muslim Ban is Constitutional But Stupid

In a 2013 interview with New York Magazine, the late Supreme Court Justice Anton Scalia said:

“I gave a talk once where I said they ought to pass out to all federal judges a stamp, and the stamp says—Whack! [Pounds his fist.]—STUPID BUT ­CONSTITUTIONAL. Whack! [Pounds again.] STUPID BUT ­CONSTITUTIONAL! Whack! ­STUPID BUT ­CONSTITUTIONAL … [Laughs.] And then somebody sent me one.”

Perhaps the current justices on the Supreme Court were using the STUPID BUT CONSTITUTIONAL stamp when they saw fit to restore a majority of President Trump's travel ban from six Muslim majority countries (Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen).

While the President of the United States has the authority to restrict the entry of foreign persons into this country, just because the President can do something, doesn't necessarily mean he should.

After all, the Muslim travel ban was initiated by President Trump as a counterterrorism measure.

So how many Americans have died at the hands of foreign nationals in terrorist attacks on U.S. soil from the six Muslim majority countries in question since 9/11?

None.

You read that correctly.

In fact, during this period, there have been exactly two terrorist incidents in the United States carried out by nationals from these countries. Both incidents were vehicular attacks which occurred at universities more than a decade part. In March 2006, an Iranian national named Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar injured 9 students when he rammed his SUV at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Taheri-azar is currently serving a 33-year prison sentence (It should be noted that Taheri-azar came to the United States with his family when he was two years old.) Then in November 2016, only weeks after the presidential election, a Somali refugee named Abdul Razak Ali Artan rammed his vehicle at Ohio State University and then got out of his vehicle and began stabbing people before he was shot dead by a campus police officer. Thirteen people were injured.

Meanwhile, the attacks in Fort Hood, San Bernardino, Orlando, the Little Rock Army Recruitment Center and the Vaughan Foods beheading were carried out by American born Muslims or Muslim converts. No travel ban could have prevented these acts of terror.

The stupidity of the Muslim travel ban lies in the fact that radical Islam is an ideology without borders. One need never leave the comfort of one's bedroom to become radicalized and carry out a jihadist attack.

If President Trump truly wants to stop jihadist attacks he would be better served to stop Islamic radicalization among those born and raised in the United States.

He would also be well served to read the words of Justice Scalia.

The Flint Terrorist Attack Brings Out Stupidity From Both Michael Moore & Scott Presler

There was an act of Islamic terrorism at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan resulted in a police officer being wounded.

And stupidity ensued.

Flint native Michael Moore tweeted, "Any media calling Flint airport stabbing an"act of terror" when you've NEVER referred 2 the Governor poisoning ppl of Flint as terrorism: FU."

Well, it wasn't Governor Snyder who chose to take Flint off the Detroit water supply. That lay with the municipal government in Flint. That's incompetence and recklessness, but it isn't intent to kill. That Moore is unable and unwilling to recognize this demonstrates his foolishness yet again.

But the foolishness isn't confined to The Left.

Prominent Donald Trump supporter Scott Presler tweeted, "You know who's against President Trump's travel ban? Terrorists who want to come here to murder US. Also...democrats.#Flint #AllahuAkbar."

Except that the terrorist was a Canadian resident. Although Tunisian born, Amor Ftouhi was very likely radicalized in Montreal. No travel ban would have stopped what happened in Flint today.

There will be more Islamic terrorism to come and the stupidity from both The Left and The Right is sure to follow.

"Officer" Yanez Is a Murderer & Should Be Treated As Such

The dash cam video of Philando Castile's death was released yesterday. But I put off watching it until a few minutes ago.

It is beyond any dispute. "Officer" Jeronimo Yanez is a cold-blooded murderer and should be treated as such.

I have an even dimmer view of Yanez after his interview with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in which he justified his actions by stating:

I don’t remember how many rounds I let off. Um, I remember seeing the last two rounds go off and I remember seeing one of those rounds hit him in the arm. Uh, his glasses flew off. I’m not sure if it was from gunfire or from him, uh, whipping his head back or anything like that. Uh, but, uh as that was happening, as he was pulling at, out his hand, I thought I was gonna die and I thought if he’s, if has the, the guts and the audacity to smoke marijuana in front of a five-year-old girl and risk her lungs and risk her life by giving her secondhand smoke and the front-seat passenger doing the same thing then what, what care does he give about me? And, I let off the rounds and then after the rounds were off, the little girls [sic] was screaming. I held the suspect at gunpoint. His arms came up into view. And they were up by his chest. I can’t remember what I said. But I acknowledged this little girl first. Cuz I wanted her to be safe and I told Officer Kauser or I told her one of the two to go run out of the car and run to Office Kauser or Officer Kauser to get her.

Well, I think it's pretty audacious for "Officer" Yanez to shoot a man to death in front of his five-year old daughter. If he really wanted her to be safe he wouldn't have cocked his gun much less fired it.

Frankly, I think Yanez should be put to death for what he did. But as it stands he won't serve a day in jail. Instead, he gets a nice severance package.

Yanez should be ostracized by polite society, deprived of earning of living. be consigned to begging for change and have what's left of his soul tortured until the day he dies.

Am I being harsh? Put yourself in the position of that Philando Castile's daughter. She will have to live the rest of her life with the image of her father's execution. For that, Jeronimo Yanez deserves every punishment that comes his way.

Will The Death of Otto Warmbier Finally Make Americans Understand The Evil of North Korea's Regime?

Late this afternoon my boss came to my desk and informed me that Otto Warmbier had died. She was quite upset by it all. I could see why. She has two teenaged daughters and I'm sure she could picture them in that situation.

Honestly, I hadn't paid all that much attention to Warmbier's plight especially with the recent spate of Islamist terrorist attacks (and, of course, last night's terrorist attack outside of London's Finsbury Park Mosque).

It's all too easy to overlook the evil of the North Korean regime. Despite the fact they have nuclear weapons, Kim Jong-un is often portrayed as a comic buffoon as demonstrated by his occasional association with former NBA star Dennis Rodman or his portrayal in the Seth Rogen/James Franco movie The Interview a couple of years back.

Then there's the fact that very few Americans and Westerners have set foot in North Korea by choice. In an online world, North Korea remains very much off the grid. We have never been treated to meaningful images of their labor camps or of their starving populace. Christopher Hitchens has written about North Korea likening it to George Orwell's 1984 and there have been a handful of dissidents such as Kang Chol-hwan (the author of Aquariums in Pyongang).

But this is different. Otto Warmbier may have died after returning to American soil, but make no mistake he was killed in North Korea. I suspect that my boss isn't the only parent who reacted to viscerally to Warmbier's death. It's a shame a young American had to die, but perhaps his death won't have been in vain if Americans truly recognize the evil nature of North Korean regime and with that recognition one day put an end to it.

Muslims Appear To Have Been Targeted in London Vehicle Attack Near Finsbury Park Mosque

There has been another ramming attack in London. But this time it appears the Muslim community was the target as the attack occurred near the Finsbury Park Mosque.

If this is the case was the attack carried out in retaliation for the London Bridge attack earlier this month not to mention the Manchester Arena and Westminster Bridge? Was the attacker a white supremacist? Or was the attacker a fellow Muslim?

At one time, the Finsbury Park Mosque was a hotbed of Islamic fundamentalism. Its imam was
Abu Hamza al-Masri and its attendees included Zaccarias Moussaoui (the 20th 9/11 hijacker) and the shoe bomber Richard Reid. In 2004, al-Masri was arrested by UK authorities on terrorism charges and extradited to the United States in 2012 where faced trial and was sentenced to life in prison. There's no evidence the current leadership at the Finsbury Park Mosque has engaged in terrorism.

It is not known how many casualties resulted in this attack.

Trump's New Cuba Policy Is More About Hotels Than Human Rights

President Trump's new policy on Cuba is more about hotels than human rights.

From CNN:

Even Americans traveling legally to Cuba, according to the new Trump policy, would not be able to stay in any hotel connected to the Cuban military, including the Four Points by Sheraton in Havana.

The Trump proposal would include exemptions to this policy, but none appear to include hotels like the Sheraton or future projects.

Trump told CNN in 2016 that he was interested in opening a hotel in Cuba "when we're allowed to do it." But Trump's company pledged before his presidency that they would not pursue any foreign deals while he was in the White House, putting off any possible entry into the Cuban market.

But the decision to prohibit business with GAESA to direct tourists to private companies and AirBnB is an example of Trump's ability to impact his business' competitors while in the White House. Trump's prohibition, in effect, puts other hotel companies on equal footing with his personal company -- not allowed to pursue future business in Cuba.

Let's remember that Trump isn't closing any embassies here, just a few embassy suites. 

A future Democratic President will surely undo Trump's Cuba policy. But no sooner than the ink is dry on this new policy than Trump will announce the construction of a Trump Hotel in Havana. 

Helmut Kohl Was Reagan's Most Important Cold War Ally

When I learned that former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl passed away today at the age of 87, I thought that a case could be made that he was President Reagan's most important Cold War ally against the Soviets.

Now there's no doubt that Reagan was closer in ideological terms with Britain's Margaret Thatcher. But the nexus of the Cold War was in the divided Germany. In order to counter the Soviet buildup of SS-20s, it was necessary for West Germany to accept U.S. Pershing II Missiles. Although Kohl's predecessor Helmut Schmidt supported the plan he could not get support within his own Social Democratic Party and this would contribute to Schmidt's downfall and Kohl's rise. Despite overwhelming protests in West Germany and throughout Europe, Kohl's government approved the Pershing IIs and they proved to be the beginning of the end of the Cold War.

If not for this fact I doubt Reagan accepts Kohl's invitation to Bitburg two years later where he laid a wreath on the grave of a SS soldier. It was not Reagan's finest hour as he caused much unnecessary pain. Nevertheless, if not for Kohl's acceptance of the Pershing IIs the Cold War would have lasted much longer.

Reagan might have said, "Tear down this wall,", but it was Kohl who reunified Germany and was the co-architect of the European Union along with Francois Mitterand. The fact that Kohl was close with both Reagan and Mitterand is a testimony to his political skills.

But even the best politicians aren't infallible. Kohl failed to win a fifth term in 1998 as he fell to Gerhard Schroeder of the SDP. Although the CDU would regain power under Angela Merkel in 2005, Kohl was critical of his fellow Christian Democrat particularly in her policy of rapid absorption of Syrian refugees. If Kohl had been in power, I don't think he would be Trump like in his refugee policy, but he would surely have exercised more restraint in admitting migrants.

Despite the claims by the likes of former State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns that Merkel is the leader of the free world, it is Kohl who remains Germany's most significant post-war Chancellor. R.I.P.

Do Police Have a License to Kill?

I am not surprised that the Minnesota police officer who shot and killed Philando Castile last summer was acquitted, but I am disturbed. Indeed, I was disturbed that Castile was pulled over more than 50 times in last 15 years of his life. Was Castile just the unluckiest motorist in Minnesota history or is this state of affairs commonplace? Regardless, Castile had yet another injustice done against him today. He is hounded in death as he was in life.

Don't get me wrong. I'm in no mood for the mob justice practiced by Black Lives Matter against Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson or by Marilyn Mosby following the Freddie Gray shooting in Baltimore. And given the occupational hazards involved with policing there will be occasions when lethal force must be used. Regrettably, however, we are arming too many police officers who aren't fit to be police officers, You can ask the family of Tamir Rice.

Just for once I would like to see an officer convicted for murdering an innocent African-American civilian. Because as it stands police effectively have a license to kill in this country, especially African-Americans. Hell, a police officer can shoot someone eight times in the back on camera, plant a taser on his victim and still not be convicted of murder.

If police officers don't get convicted of killing innocent civilians there's going to be a lot more of it. And why wouldn't there be? If there are no consequences for the taking of another life if you wear a badge then a lot of bad cops with bad intentions are going to be feeling pretty smug right about now.

How can the police enforce the law if they are deemed to be above it?

Can Baseball Bring Congress & The Country Together Again?

I caught some of the Congressional Baseball Game on C-SPAN earlier this evening.

The Democrats beat the Republicans 11-2 with Louisiana Congressman Cedric Richmond pitching all 7 innings and hitting a triple to boot. It is fitting that Richmond was the star of the game given his close relationship with his fellow Louisianan, the wounded Congressman Steve Scalise.

It is worth remembering that when Scalise came under fire from the Obama White House in late 2014, early 2015 for unwittingly speaking at an event hosted by a white supremacist group, it was Richmond who rushed to Scalise's defense and probably saved his political career as a result.

Despite the Democrats' decisive win they donated their trophy to Scalise and it will sit in his office ready to greet him upon his recovery. A very classy move indeed.

I cannot help but wonder if there would have been this much goodwill if it weren't for baseball. The fact that this horror occurred on a baseball field brought it home in a way that it might not have if the attack had occurred at Capitol Hill or in his constituency. Nearly every American has played baseball at least once in their life, has held a bat or worn a glove on their hand. In essence, everyone has walked in Steve Scalise's shoes and what happened to Scalise could have happened to anyone of us.

Of course, there will be disagreements in Congress and in the country. But nobody should have to die because of them. In baseball, there is a winning and losing team. But everybody comes back to play another day.

Perhaps Steve Scalise will come back and play another day. If nothing else, let's hope he throws out the first pitch at next year's Congressional Baseball Game. This would be a good opportunity for both Congress and the country to come together.

Democracy Dies Not in Darkness, But in Our Inability to Disagree

A Republican Congressman is shot on a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia along with several others and some individuals on the Left think this is OK because he wants to repeal Obamacare.

A Republican Congressional candidate assaults a reporter who asked him a question about the CBO score on Trumpcare and some individuals on the Right think this is OK because they think the reporter is a liberal.

In light of the fact that the man who shot Steve Scalise and four other individuals (including two Capitol Police officers) was a campaign volunteer for Bernie Sanders there is a great temptation for the Right to do to the Left what the Left did to the Right 6½ years ago when former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was shot while six other individuals were killed in Tucson, Arizona. But conservatives would be just as wrong to vilify every supporter of Bernie Sanders as many liberals were wrong to vilify all Tea Party members after the Tucson shooting.

Complicating matters is President Trump. Although up to this point, he has not said anything untoward concerning what happened in Alexandria. Indeed, he was quite eloquent yesterday when he stated:

We may have our differences, but we do well, in times like these, to remember that everyone who serves in our nation’s capital is here because, above all, they love our country.

But for how long will Trump exercise restraint on this matter?

What happens the next time Trump takes to Twitter?

 

After all, Trump is on public record as characterizing the mainstream media as an "enemy of the American people." If Trump considers the mainstream media to be an enemy of the American people then what does that make ISIS?

Democracy dies not in darkness, but in our ability to disagree with each other in a civil and proper manner.

Democracy cannot survive without differences of opinion and the ability to tolerate those differences.

Debate and dialogue can be healthy, but the manner in which we are doing it in 2017 is not healthy and must change for the sake of our survival as a democracy.

Megyn Kelly Can't Legitimize Alex Jones Anymore Than Donald Trump Has Already

NBC's Megyn Kelly is under fire for interviewing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, mostly from the families of those who died at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. Jones has long alleged that the shooting which claimed the lives of 28 people including 20 children never happened.


Naturally these families are aghast at Kelly for giving Jones a platform. As should the families of those who died in the Oklahoma City Bombing, 9/11 and the Boston Marathon attacks.


While one can reasonably criticize Kelly for legitimizing Jones, it can also be reasonably argued that Jones was already legitimized by none other than Donald Trump.  An argument Kelly her has advanced.


Lest we forget that in December 2015, during his presidential campaign, Trump gave Jones a 30-minute plus interview.


During this interview, Trump described Jones' reputation as "amazing."


That anyone would describe Jones' reputation as amazing is annoying. That the man who is now President of the United States would describe Jones' reputation as amazing defames the memory of those who died during Oklahoma City, 9/11, the Boston Marathon Bombing and Sandy Hook.


So how can Megyn Kelly elevate Alex Jones' reputation when President Trump beat her to it?

An Appreciation For The Unappreciated Curt Boettcher

It was 30 years ago today that Curt Boettcher passed away at the age of 43.


Chances are you've never heard of Curt Boettcher, but if you are a Baby Boomer or an aficionado of 1960's and 1970's music then you've probably have heard his musical imprint but just don't know it.


Boettcher produced The Association's debut album including "Along Comes Mary" and "Cherish".


He sang back up vocal on Elton John & Kiki Dee's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart".


He worked as a producer and recording engineer for the likes of The Beach Boys, Tommy Roe and Gene Clark of The Byrds.

I must confess I did not come across Boettcher's name until I became a fan of Emmitt Rhodes, another artist who has spent decades wallowing in obscurity (though he is still among us.) Boettcher did some engineering work on Rhodes' 1973 album Farewell to Paradise and Rhodes would not release another record for more than 40 years. That same year, Boettcher released his only completed solo album There's An Innocent Face. Have a listen to "I've Been Wrong" which is in the video above.


Perhaps his two greatest musical legacies were two albums both released by Columbia Records in July 1968 - Present Tense by Sagittarius and Begin by The Millennium. Sagittarius wasn't as much a band as it was a vision by fellow Columbia producer Gary Usher with Boettcher carrying out the music. This album would produce a minor hit called "My World Fell Down" which featured a lead vocal from an anonymous Glen Campbell, but was the one track where Boettcher had no involvement. To give you a sense of Boettcher's sweet presence have a listen to "Song To The Magic Frog (Will You Ever Know)".

Whereas Begin was Boettcher's baby and, at the time, the most expensive album Columbia had ever produced. Unfortunately for Boettcher it did not sell and he would produce only sporadically afterward. This is a shame because Boettcher was way ahead of his time. If you listen to some of the songs on the album you would not think they were recorded in 1968. Case in point - "It's You" and "The Know It All."

I realize this appreciation only scratches the surface of Boettcher's musical output. But if you are unfamiliar with Boettcher's music and this heightens your curiosity sufficiently to get you listen to more then I have done my job. If only Curt Boettcher were around to hear the appreciation. R.I.P.

The Alexandria Shooting Appears To Be Politically Motivated UPDATE

At least five people have been wounded at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia this morning where Congressional Republicans were practicing for a baseball game with Democrats at Nationals Park on Thursday evening. Among the wounded is House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. Also injured are a couple of congressional aides and two members of the Capitol Police. The suspect has yet to be identified.


The shooting appears to be politically motivated. According to Florida Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis, he and another Congressman were approached by a man who asked them if they were Republicans or Democrats. Not long after telling the man they were Republicans this same man began shooting.


Obviously more information will emerge in the coming days and that information will be spun politically both Left and Right.


Of course, one cannot help but think of the shooting of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords in Tucson resulting in the deaths of six people including a child back in January 2011. In the weeks that followed a concerted attempt was made to blame the Tea Party for the shooting despite the fact the assassin had no such political affiliation and were treated to the usual lectures by President Obama on civility and gun control.


If DeSantis' account is correct then no doubt Trump supporters and Republicans at large will spare no effort to vilify the Left. While some of it might be just desserts and sweet revenge it will invariably involve a broad brush. People of sincere political convictions without a violent bone in their body are sure to be vilified. Whatever the facts of this incident they will probably not get in the way of any argument which comes forth


At this point, let us hope all those who were injured recover swiftly.


UPDATE: The alleged shooter has been identified as James T. Hodgkinson. An acquaintance has informed The Washington Post that Hodgkinson was a campaign volunteer for Bernie Sanders in Iowa.


I hope conservatives will refrain from painting all Sanders' supporters as terrorists or supporters of terrorists. By the same token should another shooting take place I hope that The Left won't be so eager to blame conservatives as they did with Gabby Giffords. But this hope is a faint one.


UPDATE II: President Trump revealed during his statement to the nation that Hodgkinson had died during his confrontation with Capitol Police.


Trump added, "We may have our differences, but we do well, in times like these, to remember that everyone who serves in our nation’s capital is here because, above all, they love our country."


I can only hope that Trump lives up to those words, but I have my doubts.

Golden State Leads The NBA in a Golden Age

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers last night 120-109 in Game 5 of the NBA Final to win their 2nd NBA championship in three years and avenge last year's loss to the Cavaliers.


Kevin Durant was named the NBA Finals MVP. Previously with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Warriors signed Durant as a free agent in the off-season and it made the difference. The Warriors were already unworldly with two time NBA MVP Stephen Curry. Throw Draymond Green, David West and Klay Thompson into the mix and you have a dynasty.


The Warriors are to to the NBA in the 2010's what the Chicago Bulls were in the 1990's and the Los Angeles Lakers were in the 2000's. And yet they could exceed both of those dynasties. Golden State is leading the NBA into a golden age.

Jerry Remy's Cancer Has Returned for a Fifth Time

Last week, he was at the center of controversy.


This week, he is in everyone's prayers.


Longtime Boston Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy announced today on Twitter that his lung cancer has returned for a fifth time. Treatment is scheduled to begin in two weeks and he will likely require surgery. He was first diagnosed in 2008. In recent years, Remy has been working a reduced schedule.


Remy, of course, made headlines last week for suggesting that Yankees pitcher Mashiro Tanaka shouldn't have a translator. The Red Sox and NESN distanced themselves from Remy's remarks and he subsequently apologized. Here is my take on the whole affair.


A cynic or conspiracy theorist might be inclined to suggest that the Red Sox told him, "We need to take you off the air. Let's say your cancer came back." But that would be extraordinarily cruel and I don't think the Red Sox would stoop to that level.


In any case, I hope Remy overcomes this battle with cancer as he has all his others and hope to see him back in the broadcast booth soon. Red Sox games aren't the same without him.

Penguins Become 1st Team to Win Back to Back Stanley Cup Championships in Nearly 20 Years

A belated congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins for winning their second straight Stanley Cup besting the Nashville Predators in six games. A year ago, the Penguins defeated the San Jose Sharks.


This marks the first time a team has won back to back Stanley Cups since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998. Can the Penguins three-peat?  The Montreal Canadiens won four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1976 through 1979 while the New York Islanders matched that mark with four of their own from 1980 through 1984.


Since 2009, the only teams to have won the Stanley Cup are the Penguins (thrice), the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings (twice apiece) and the Boston Bruins. 


It is also worth noting that Sidney Crosby earned back to back Conn Smythe trophies. The last to accomplish that feat was another Penguin - Mario Lemieux. He did it when the Pens won back to back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992. But this Crosby's third Stanley Cup championship. Even the legendary Lemieux can't make that claim.

Trump Supporters Are In No Position To Complain About Comey's Leaks

Supporters of President Trump are aghast at former FBI Director James Comey's leak of their one on one conversations.

Case in point: Fox News host Jeanine Pirro who described Comey as "a predator"for his leak. A curious choice of word given Trump's predatory behavior with women.

That being said, Pirro certainly didn't describe WikiLeaks as predators when they leaked John Podesta's e-mails a scant seven months ago. Pirro stated Podesta's e-mails revealed Hillary Clinton's "dark world of secrecy" and indeed they did. Is it any wonder that Trump famously said, "I love Wikileaks."

So let's be clear here. Trump apologists love leaks when they make Trump look good or his opponents looks bad. Trump apologists hate leaks when they make Trump look bad.

Trump supporters can't have it both ways. But this is what happens when you insist on two scoops of ice cream at every meal.

Adam West, R.I.P.

Adam West, best known for his portrayal of Batman in the 1960's TV series of the same name, died yesterday after a brief battle with leukemia. He was 88.

West's acting career spanned six decades doing everything from The Young Philadelphians with Paul Newman and TV Westerns like Laramie and The Rifleman to The Big Bang Theory and Family Guy. 

But West will be remembered first and foremost as Batman. Give me the campy shark repellent bat spray over this Dark Knight nonsense at any and all times. His quirky interpretation has been endearing for half a century and will continue to be endearing for another half century while all the Batmans who followed will be forgotten.

When acting work was sparse, West often made personal appearances as Batman. Here he is in the mid-1970's appearing in Memphis' United States Wrestling Association cutting a promo with Jerry "The King" Lawler in a Superman costume. Wrestling promos don't get campier than this one. R.I.P.

Glenne Headly, R.I.P.

I was saddened to read of actress Glenne Headly's sudden death yesterday at the age of 63. Her cause of death is unknown as of this moment.

Headly, who cut her teeth as a founding member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company and is best known for roles in movies such as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Dick Tracy and Mr. Holland's Opus, has worked sporadically in recent years. But she was recently cast as the female lead in the Hulu TV series Future Man with Ed Begley, Jr. and was evidently shooting an episode at the time of her passing.


She had a very tender quality about her which made her endearing whether onscreen or in an interview as demonstrated with this April 1991 interview with Charlie Gibson of Good Morning America in which she discusses her role in Mortal Thoughts with Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. R.I.P.

Trump Claims Comey Lied to Congress, Will He Instruct DOJ to Pursue Perjury Charges?

While President Trump claims much of former FBI Director James Comey's testimony to Congress vindicates him, he also is claiming "some of the things that he said just weren’t true."


If Trump is making this claim then he is claiming that Comey lied to Congress. Thus he is accusing Comey of committing a crime. So will Trump see fit to instruct the DOJ to pursue perjury charges?


Chances are its bluster. After all, Trump told Hillary Clinton during the debates he would appoint a special prosecutor to look into her e-mails, but after he was elected he reversed course and said she had been through enough.


But then again if Comey's testimony threatens Trump's hold on office he could surely retaliate.


And for what? Because Comey wouldn't kiss his ring. Sheesh!!!

The Tories Will Probably Survive in The U.K., But Will Theresa May?

I am watching the UK election results on BBC World. As of this moment, here are the standings:

Conservatives - 292
Labour - 250
Scottish National Party - 34
Liberal Democrats  - 11
Democratic Unionist Party - 10

If these margins hold, the Tories will fall short of a majority government, but with the support of the DUP will likely form a minority or coalition government. Helping matters is the Tories' increased strength in Scotland with the popularity of Ruth Davidson at the expense of the SNP with longtime leader Alex Salmond falling in defeat.

But if the Tories are to continue to govern, it is very likely Theresa May will move out of 10 Downing Street. When May called the snap election back in April I thought she was taking a risk she might regret. Yes she had a 20 point lead in the polls and wanted to proceed with Brexit from a position of strength. But she repeatedly said there would be no early election only to have a vote three years early. I concluded, "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."

Much of this excitement was of May's own making - the dementia tax, an unwillingness to talk to voters. Of course, the terrorist attacks in Manchester and London were of ISIS' making, but her government's response didn't inspire much confidence either.

Even if he doesn't become Prime Minister, Jeremy Corbyn is the most powerful man in the U.K. for the moment The Labour Party that didn't want him is now kissing his ring. Of course, Corbyn is still a loon who has never met a terrorist whose murderous acts he couldn't blame on Britain, America or Israel.

Thus it is incumbent upon the Tories to pick a leader who is not afraid to stick up for British values and is not afraid to talk to the people. Is Boris Johnson's ship sailing in on The Thames? Whoever becomes the captain of the Tory ship needs to be able to keep Britain afloat.

Brent Bozell & Laura Ingraham Should Match Greg Gianforte's $50K Donation to The Committee to Protect Journalists

If not for James Comey's testimony on Capitol Hill this would be a much bigger story.


Yesterday, newly elected Montana GOP Congressman Greg Gianforte issued a written apology to Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs and donated $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Last month, Gianforte body slammed Jacobs on the eve of the election when he attempted to ask the candidate a question about the CBO score of the AHCA. Gianforte still faces criminal charges for the incident later this month, but this act of restitution will likely go a long way in impeding any serious consequences of his actions.


Of course, at the time, many conservatives wrongfully blamed Jacobs for the incident. Laura Ingraham tweeted, "Did anyone get his lunch money stolen today and then run to tell the recess monitor?" while Brent Bozell tweeted, "Jacobs is an obnoxious, dishonest first class jerk. I'm not surprised he got smacked."


I wonder what Ingraham and Bozell think of Gianforte's apology and $50,000 donation to the Committee to Protect Journalists. As a matter of common decency they should match Gianforte's donation.

Comey's Testimony Reinforces Why Senators Should Ask Wray Whether He's Loyal to Trump or The Constitution

I have read the testimony that former FBI Director James Comey will give to the Senate Intelligence Committee tomorrow and it confirms my argument from earlier today that the Senate Judiciary Committee must ask his potential successor Christopher Wray whether his priority is loyalty to the Constitution or loyalty to the President of the United States.


Consider Comey's January 27th dinner with President Trump:


The President began by asking me whether I wanted to stay on as FBI Director, which I found strange because he had already told me twice in earlier conversations that he hoped I would stay, and I had assured him that I intended to. He said that lots of people wanted my job and, given the abuse I had taken during the previous year, he would understand if I wanted to walk away.


My instincts told me that the one-on-one setting, and the pretense that this was our first discussion about my position, meant the dinner was, at least in part, an effort to have me ask for my job and create some sort of patronage relationship. That concerned me greatly, given the FBI’s traditionally independent status in the executive branch.


I replied that I loved my work and intended to stay and serve out my ten-year term as Director. And then, because the set-up made me uneasy, I added that I was not “reliable” in the way politicians use that word, but he could always count on me to tell him the truth. I added that I was not on anybody’s side politically and could not be counted on in the traditional political sense, a stance I said was in his best interest as the President.


A few moments later, the President said, “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.” I didn’t move, speak, or change my facial expression in any way during the awkward silence that followed. We simply looked at each other in silence. The conversation then moved on, but he returned to the subject near the end of our dinner.


I think Comey was in trouble from the moment Trump asked him if he wanted to stay on as FBI Director after his previous assurances. I further think that when Trump told him, "I need loyalty, I expect loyalty," Comey ought to have replied with, "My loyalty is upholding the United States Constitution."


John Podhoretz of Commentary Magazine tweeted, "So Trump said "I need loyalty, I expect loyalty." Sorry, but that's not a crime. It's crass and vulgar and obnoxious. Not a crime."


Except if the President tells the FBI Director not to investigate the President or people who were in his employ:


The President then returned to the topic of Mike Flynn, saying, “He is a good guy and has been through a lot.” He repeated that Flynn hadn’t done anything wrong on his calls with the Russians, but had misled the Vice President. He then said, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.” I replied only that “he is a good guy.” (In fact, I had a positive experience dealing with Mike Flynn when he was a colleague as Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency at the beginning of my term at FBI.) I did not say I would “let this go.”


President Trump has no business telling the FBI Director to "see your way to letting this go." To do so is an act of intimidation and compromises the independence of both his office and the agency at large.


But unless Comey drops a bigger bombshell nothing will ultimately come of this testimony. It will be up to the voters to rid ourselves of Trump and somehow I don't think that is going to happen.

Mike Schmidt & Jerry Remy Get Lost in Translation

Yesterday, within hours of each other, two former MLB players get into hot water over language.




First came Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt who now serves as an occasional color analyst for televised Phillies games. While appearing on a local radio show, Schmidt said he didn't think Phillies could build the team around outfielder Odubel Herrera because English isn't his first language. Although Herrera has a working knowledge of English he prefers to use a Spanish language interpreter for media interviews. Following an uproar on social media, Schmidt apologized to Herrera over the phone which the Venezuelan born Herrera graciously accepted. Herrera's teammate and fellow countryman Freddy Galvis also came to Schmidt's defense.


I did think Schmidt's comments were odd. After all, the Seattle Mariners seemed to do a pretty good job building their team around Japanese speaking Ichiro Suzuki. Schmidt himself also played Winter Ball in Latin America early in his big league career. But I didn't believe they were malevolent. Herrera and Galvis struck the right chord and hopefully that will abate matters. But perhaps not.


Then came longtime Red Sox broadcaster and former player Jerry Remy (a.k.a. RemDawg) during last night's game between the Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Masahiro Tanaka was the starting pitcher for the Yankees and after a mound visit, Remy's broadcast partner Dave O'Brien noted that Tanaka's translator was part of the visit. To which Remy replied he didn't think a translator should be "legal" and that Tanaka should learn "baseball language." Again there was an uproar on social media and Remy issued an apology on Twitter although there is no word if he has communicated with Tanaka or his interpreter. For their part, both the Red Sox and NESN (which broadcasts most Red Sox games) have distanced themselves from Remy's remarks. Remy, who has had a long battle with cancer and other health problems, has been working on a reduced schedule for several seasons. I hope the Red Sox don't use this incident as a pretext to phase him out altogether. Remy has been with the organization for too long to warrant that treatment.


As with Schmidt, I also think RemDawg's comments were odd. It wasn't so long ago the Red Sox had Japanese pitchers such as Daisuke Matzusaka, Hideki Okajima and, more recently, Koji Uehara on their staffs all of whom managed to collect World Series rings while using interpreters. It makes me think that it might be a Yankees thing with RemDawg. I also disagree from a civil rights perspective. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 allows individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) to access an interpreter to receive services from agencies which receive funding from the federal government. Of course, the Boston Red Sox are not a government agency. But given that a large number of their employees have limited capacity in English it is useful for those teams to employ interpreters including during game time. The presence of the interpreters does nothing to disrupt the game and frankly I wouldn't paid the interpreter much attention until Remy called attention to it.


In the final analysis, while I think Schmidt and Remy were wrong in their commentary I don't either deserved to be tarred and feathered in any language. They just got lost in translation.

To Whom Will Wray Be Loyal? Trump or The Constitution?

President Trump announced his appointment of Christopher Wray to be the new FBI Director on Twitter.


People had been wondering what was keeping Trump in picking a successor. In hindsight, it would seem that Trump wanted to make the announcement as close to Comey's testimony on Capitol Hill as possible in an effort to minimize its impact. Of course, all of this will depend on what Comey has to say tomorrow.


It is worth noting that Wray worked under James Comey during the Bush 43 Administration from 2003 to 2005 when he worked at the DOJ as Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division. His most notable work was heading up the Enron Task Force. I am curious as to what kind of relationship Wray had with Comey.


Since leaving government, Wray has been in private practice at King & Spalding in Washington, D.C. Prior to his appointment, Newsweek noted that Trump has made several appointments from King & Spalding and that a partner in the firm is an ethics adviser to the trust that holds Trump's business assets. No doubt Democrats will try to make something of it, but King & Spalding is a huge international law firm. Unless Wray worked in a direct capacity for Trump I don't think there's even an appearance of a conflict.


Democrats will also try to make hay of the fact that Wray personally represented New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in the Bridgegate scandal. Well, even Chris Christie has the right to best legal representation.


With that said, there is this concern. When Trump interviewed did Wray give him the pledge of loyalty that Comey would not give? If I were serving on the Senate Judiciary Committee this would be the question I would ask Wray. My support for him would hinge on his reply. But, of course, I am not a U.S. Senator and realistically Wray will be confirmed and once confirmed will take the oath to uphold The Constitution of the United States. But will this public oath be superseded by any private oath he made to Trump


Let us assume for argument's sake that Wray turns out to be an outstanding FBI Director. That still doesn't justify Trump's decision to sack Comey much less the manner in which he did it.

Scooter Gennett May The Unlikeliest Player To Ever Hit 4 HRs in a Game

I did a double take when I read that Cincinnati Reds utility man Scooter Gennett hit four home runs in a game. Gennett drove in 10 of the Reds' 13 runs in a 13-1 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals. Going into tonight, Gennett had been hitless in his last 19 at bats. Gennett went from .270 BA, 3 HR and 20 RBI to .302 BA, 7 HR and 30 RBI in a single game.

Gennett becomes the first MLB player to hit four home runs in a game since Josh Hamilton did it as a member of the Texas Rangers in 2012. He also become the first NL player accomplish it since Shawn Green did it when he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002.

When you think of the MLB players who have hit four home runs in a game - Lou Gehrig, Chuck Klein, Willie Mays, Gil Hodges Mike Schmidt, Bob Horner and Josh Hamilton, They're all home run kings. But Gennett?

Priot to tonight, in a big league career that has lasted four plus seasons, Gennett had hit 38 career home runs. After spending four season with the Milwaukee Brewers, the Reds claimed him off waivers at the end of spring training.

The only player less likely to be a 4 HR game candidate would be Pat Seerey. He played seven seasons as an outfielder during the 1940's primarily with the Cleveland Indians. The Tribe would trade Seerey to the Chicago White Sox in June 1948. Unfortunately for Seerey, he would miss a chance to be part of their World Series championship team. But Seerey would have his moment in the sun on July 16, 1948 when he slammed four home runs in a 12-11 victory over the Philadelphia A's in 11 innings. Unfortunately, Seerey had a weight problem and got sent to the minors never to see the big leagues again. His career was over at 26.

Well, Scooter Gennett is 27 and can avoid this fate. But if he can't there will always be this day.

Roger Smith, R.I.P.

Actor, screenwriter and manager Roger Smith passed away on June 4th after years of poor health. He was 84.


Smith rose to TV stardom in the late 1950's co-starring in 77 Sunset Strip alongside Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. He would later have the lead in the short lived sitcom version of Mister Roberts.


Fifty years ago, Smith married actress Ann-Margret and put acting to the side to manage her career. It was he who persuaded her take roles in movies like Carnal Knowledge and Tommy, both of which earned her Academy Award nominations. He also co-produced the biker film C.C. & Company in which Margaret co-starred with NFL great Joe Namath. Not long ago I saw an interview Smith, Margret and Namath did to promote the film on an October 1970 episode of The Dick Cavett Show. Smith didn't seem to object to the love scenes between Margret and Namath.


Evidently, he saw no reason to worry. She nursed Smith through poor health as he had a long history with Myasthenia Gravis. Smith, in turn, saw Margret through alcoholism. There is much to envy in their half-century union. Here are Smith and Margret together in a 1987 PSA for Jerry Lewis' Muscular Dystrophy Telethon. R.I.P.

Why Is Trump Taking Credit For The Diplomatic Crisis in Qatar?

President Trump is taking credit for the diplomatic row which resulted in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, the Maldives cutting ties with Qatar earlier this week.


Trump tweeted, "During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar - look!"


Aside from the fact some of these other Arab nations have funded their share of terrorism (the Saudis in particular) why is this something Trump wants to tout as a triumph? Our largest military base is situated in Qatar. Why would Trump want to endanger the lives of our military personnel? Trump has long been fond of crisis, but this isn't Celebrity Apprentice. Trump's words could put targets on the back of our military. If something happens at al-Udeid Trump is going to have blood on his hands.


If anything, the United States should be resolving this dispute. Instead, our President pours gasoline on a fire that is already burning high. So this task falls to Kuwait.


Our country can ill afford to put up with this fool for the next 3½ days let alone the next 3½ years.

More Islamist Attacks: A Hostage Taking in Melbourne & A Hammer Attack at Notre Dame

I keep telling everyone that Islamist attacks are a global problem.


Yesterday, police in Melbourne, Australia shot and killed Yacqub Khayre, a Somali born immigrant, who killed one man and took a woman a hostage proclaiming, "This is for IS, this is for al-Qaida.” Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull is now demanding to know why Khayre was released on parole six months ago. Khayre had a long criminal record and had been accused of a 2009 terror plot against an Australian military facility in Sydney, but was acquitted of that charge. It would be interesting to know if Khayre was radicalized in prison.


Today, at Notre Dame Cathedral, a man with a hammer attacked police shouting, "This is for Syria!!!" before being shot. Fortunately, there were no fatalities in this incident.


Paris is more than 10,000 miles away from Melbourne and yet the two attackers might as well have lived next door to each other. They spoke the same language we've heard in New York, Boston, Ottawa, Chattanooga, Orlando, San Bernardino, Fort Hood, Bali, Madrid, Nice, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Sousse, Ankara, Istanbul, throughout Israel and most recently Manchester and London.


When are we going to finally understand what we are being told?

White House Says Trump Won't Stop Comey From Testifying - Or Is He?

Forgive me if I am not assured by White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders statement that President Trump will not exert executive privilege to prevent former FBI Director James Comey from testifying before Congress later this week.


How many times have we seen White House staffers say one thing only to be contradicted by Trump himself?


Of course, White House officials denied Comey was fired because of the Russia investigation. Then Trump told Lester Holt it was because of Russia.


White House Press Secretary said in January said the Muslim travel ban was not a travel ban.


His tweets suggest otherwise.


Would it come as a surprise to anyone if Trump were to tweet tomorrow morning that Comey will testify over his dead body?
Put another way, I'll believe it when I see it.

Is Canada's New Conservative Leader a Scheer Genius?

Last month, Canada's Conservative Party chose Andrew Scheer as its new leader and now the leader of Canada's Official Opposition. It was something of a surprising choice. Maxime Bernier, a Quebec MP, had been the frontrunner and his odds of winning increased after Shark Tank host Kevin O'Leary's abrupt withdrawal from the race in April. But Bernier could not reach the 50% plus one threshold and Scheer's support grew on every ballot until he eclipsed Bernier in the 13th and final round.


Scheer is an interesting choice in that he is well known to Canadians as the former Speaker of the House, a position he held from 2011 to 2015. Unlike in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Speaker is a non-partisan position and maintains order in the Canadian House of Commons.


It is also interesting that Conservatives chose another leader from Western Canada as opposed to the Quebec based Bernier. Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper hailed from Alberta while Scheer is a native of Saskatchewan. Scheer will have a challenge to keep the Quebec wing of the Conservative Party happy and not tempt voters to run into the arms of the Bloc Quebecois. Scheer also has youth on his side turning 38 a week before his triumph. He is 7½ years younger than Prime Minister Trudeau.


Scheer will have tough odds against Trudeau. The last time a majority government only served a single term in office was R.B. Bennett's Tory government of 1930-1935 and that was, of course, because of The Great Depression. Trudeau's father Pierre won three majority governments (and one minority parliament) and given Trudeau's personal appeal, it will be tough for Scheer to overcome.
The short term goal for Scheer is to increase the number of Tory seats in the 2019 federal election. This will be a marathon, not a sprint.

Will Bringing Back Hank Williams, Jr. Help ESPN Bring Back Its Former Viewers?

This is very interesting. ESPN is bringing back Hank Williams, Jr. for Monday Night Football in September to ask America, "Are you ready for some football?"


Williams, Jr. was fired by ESPN in October 2011 after he likened then President Obama to Adolf Hitler. The country legend was disgusted by the sight of then House Speaker John Boehner golfing with Obama and likened it to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu golfing with the Fuehrer. I wrote about it on two occasions. I did not care for his remarks but thought there was a double standard at work when CNN did not sanction Janeane Garofalo for likening the Bush Administration to the Third Reich when she guest hosted Crossfire.


The reason I think ESPN's decision to bring back Williams, Jr. is very interesting is because it is an effort to get viewers back. Let's face it. ESPN has been hemorrhaging viewers in no small part due to its overtly left-wing slant particularly when it went all out to defend Colin Kaepernick's refusal to stand for the Star Spangled Banner. It annoyed a lot of viewers who a) found ESPN's politics abhorrent and b) who want sports to be an escape from real life - especially politics. Then came the massive layoffs which were announced in late April and continue up to the present including beloved NFL analyst John Clayton last week.


Needless to say I think bringing back Hank Williams, Jr. is an attempt to lure back viewers with more conservative and traditional views as well as those who are apolitical. Will it work? I think there will be a lot of viewers when Williams, Jr. returns on September 11th - already a day full of emotion. But whether those viewers will stick will depend on how committed ESPN is from eschewing left-wing politics or politics of any kind over the long term.

Astros Win 10th Straight Game

The Houston Astros won their 10th straight game with a 7-2 victory over the Texas Rangers completing a weekend sweep.

Since May 21st, the Astros have won 12 of their last 13 games. Over this same period, the Rangers have lost 10 of their last 13 games (after winning 10 straight last month). In this time, the Astros have expanded their lead in the AL West from 5.5 to 13.5 games over the Los Angeles Angels and the Seattle Mariners. At 41-16, the Astros own the best overall record in MLB and have been atop the AL West since April 14th.

The Astros deserve far more fanfare than they are getting.

Are The London Bridge Terrorists UK Born? UPDATE

At this hour, the London Bridge terrorists have yet to be identified.

We know they are Muslims. Neighbors of one of the terrorists have said he tried to convert school children to Islam.

The question I have is whether they were born in the UK.

I am betting they are.

Three of the four London tube bombers were born in the UK. The fourth emigrated to the UK from Jamaica when he was five.

One of the two men who beheaded a British soldier in broad daylight was born in the UK and converted to Islam.

The man responsible for the car ramming on Westminster Bridge in March was a UK born convert to Islam.

The man responsible for the bombing attack at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester last month was UK born.

With this history in mind, the odds are very good.

If this is the case it makes President Trump's promotion of the Muslim Travel Ban all the more inappropriate. A Muslim Travel Ban could have no more stopped these attacks than it could have stopped the attacks in San Bernardino or Orlando.


UPDATE: Two of the three attackers have been identified by British authorities. They are Khuram Shazad Butt and Rachid Redouane. There is some dispute as to where Butt was born. CNN states he was born in Pakistan while the Watford Observer states he was born locally. Butt had actually been profiled in a Channel 4 documentary called The Jihadis Next Door which aired last year. As for Redouane, it is believed he is of Moroccan or Libyan origin, but it is not clear where he was born.

Jimmy Piersall, R.I.P.

Former MLB player and broadcaster Jimmy Piersall passed away yesterday at a long term care facility outside of Chicago. He was 87.

A native of Connecticut, Piersall signed with the Boston Red Sox in 1948. Piersall debuted with the club late in the 1950 season. His career ended almost as soon as it began. During his rookie season of 1952, Piersall experienced a nervous breakdown after being moved from the outfield to shortstop. Piersall would be committed to Westborough State Hospital. Piersall would document his struggles in the 1955 book Fear Strikes Out: The Jim Piersall Story which was adapted for the silver screen with Anthony Perkins playing Piersall and Karl Malden portraying his father although Piersall would take issue with the movie particularly where it concerned the depiction of his father.

When Piersall returned to the Red Sox in 1953 he would establish himself as a centerfielder with defensive skills that rivaled those of Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider. Piersall's best overall season was in 1956 when he led the AL in doubles with 40 and drove in a career high 87 runs. The Red Sox traded Piersall to the Cleveland Indians prior to the 1959 season for Vic Wertz. Piersall also had stops with the Washington Senators, New York Mets and Los Angeles/California Angels. Piersall may be best remembered for running the bases backwards when he hit his 100th career home run off Phillies' pitcher Dallas Green. I guess Green didn't mind that much because he would later hire Piersall to be a minor league outfield instructor for the Chicago Cubs during the 1980's. In 17 big league seasons, Piersall collected 1,604 hits for a .272 lifetime batting average with 104 HR and 591 RBIs earning two Gold Gloves and two AL All-Star Team selections.

After his playing career, Piersall did a stint as an executive for an amateur football team and a stint in the Oakland A's front office with the volatile Charlie Finley. He also managed the Orangeburg Cardinals in the Western Carolina League for one season before finding a career as a broadcaster first with the Texas Rangers and later with the Chicago White Sox. While with the Chisox, he formed a tandem with Harry Caray. His blunt manner did not endear Piersall to White Sox management and he would be terminated early in the 1983 season. His 1987 memoir The Truth Hurts deals largely with his experiences with the Chisox. Piersall would run afoul of Cubs management and be dismissed from his minor league outfield instructor job following the 1999 season. Piersall would never work in baseball again although the Red Sox would induct him into their team Hall of Fame in 2010.

The above video shows Piersall telling one of his colorful stories. Piersall could be accused of many things. Boring wasn't one of them.

Albert Pujols Hits 600th HR

Los Angeles Angels DH Albert Pujols has become the 9th man in MLB history to reach 600 career home runs hitting a grand slam off Minnesota Twins pitcher Ervin Santana.

Next on the all-time HR list are Sammy Sosa and Jim Thome at 609 and 612 home runs, respectively.

Pujols' 4 RBI tonight brings him to 1859 RBI. He is one behind Mel Ott who is 12th place on the all-time list.

As I pointed out a couple of weeks ago, Pujols has an outside shot at both passing Barry Bonds on the all-time HR list, but of passing Hank Aaron on the all-time RBI list. Pujols now needs 163 HR to pass Bonds and 439 RBI to pass Aaron who collected 2,297 RBI in his storied career. But even if he doesn't reach those lofty heights, Pujols has punched his ticket to Cooperstown.

Edinson Volquez Tosses No-Hitter on What Would Have Been Yordano Ventura's 26th Birthday

At least there is joy in some part of the world today. Miami Marlins pitcher Edinson Volquez tossed a no-hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks today en route to a 3-0 victory. Volquez faced the minimum 27 batters striking out ten. He dedicated his no-hitter to his close friend and former Kansas City Royals teammate Yordano Ventura would have turned 26 today. Ventura was killed in an automobile accident during the off-season. Volquez also dedicated the no-hitter to the late Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez who was killed in a boating accident last season.

Volquez had been struggling in a Marlins uniform this season. Entering today, Volquez was 1-7 with 4.44 ERA in 10 starts. Indeed, Volzquez's 7 losses were tied for the lead the NL along with Jeff Samardzija of the San Francisco Giants and Tyler Chatwood of the Colorado Rockies. But today Volquez dug deep and raised his game for his departed friend.

London Under Siege From Islamic Terrorists -- Again UPDATE

London Police have confirmed terrorist attacks on London Bridge and in Borough Market. Authorities have determined a stabbing in Vauxhall has been determined not to be related to the attacks.

The London Bridge attack involved a vehicle ramming approximately 20 people while the Borough Market attack involved multiple attackers with knives stabbing people in a restaurant. Borough Market is a short distance from London Bridge. At this point, only one fatality has been confirmed, but surely there will be more. It does not appear if the persons responsible have been captured or killed.

The attack comes only 11 days after the bombing at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester and two and a half months after the Westminster Bridge attack. I don't think anyone doubts that Islamic terrorists are responsible.

The attack also takes place six days before the UK goes to the polls. Will this attack make voters stick with Theresa May and the Tories or will it drive people to Jeremy Corbyn and Labour. In this respect, this attack reminds me of the 2004 Madrid train bombing which occurred three days before the Spanish general election which saw the incumbent Popular Party ousted in favor of the Socialists. Whatever occurs on June 8th, no doubt security will be tightened at the ballot box. The temptation to carry out attack on election day must be in the back of British authorities' minds.

While President Trump expressed sympathy for the people of London and the UK, he took the opportunity to promote his Muslim Travel Ban. Never mind that San Bernardino and Orlando wee perpetuated by American born Muslims, Given that the Westminster Bridge attack and Manchester attack were committed by persons born in the UK there is a very distinct possibility this is the case today. On the other end of the spectrum we will invariably be told that this has nothing to do with Islam when it has everything to do with it. Clowns to the left, jokers to the right and we're stuck in the middle with the deaths of innocent people.

UPDATE: As this hour, six people have been killed and 30 people have been injured. Police have killed the three attackers.

The Left & Trump Supporters Are Trying To Blame Ben Sasse For Bill Maher's Racial Epithet

Near the outset of the conversation between Nebraska Republican Senator Ben Sasse and Bill Maher, Sasse invites Maher to come "work in the fields". To which Maher replies, "Work in the fields? Senator, I'm a house nigga."

But because a liberal comedian uttered the N-word, the blame must be placed on the conservative Senator. To wit:

Headline from The Daily Beast: "Bill Maher Drops the N-Word on ‘Real Time,’ Sen. Ben Sasse Laughs".

No, Sasse did not think Maher was a hoot for using the N-word. Indeed, Sasse's laughter and that of the audience was nervous and awkward as if to wonder if they heard what they actually heard. Would it have been better if Sasse told Maher to knock it off? Probably. But let's not pretend that Sasse actually thought Maher's use of the N-word was funny.

Symone Sanders, former press secretary to Bernie Sanders (no relation) tweeted, "BEN SASSE MADE THE FIELD COMMENT. Folks shouldn't let him off the hook either."

Now this is just plain stupid. Why does Sanders think Sasse should be on the hook? Sasse invited Maher to work in the fields because Nebraska, get ready to be shocked, has a lot of farmland. It was Maher who turned it into a racial matter.

Then there are the Trump supporters going after Sasse on Twitter:

Yes #NeverTrump idiot Ben Sasse should resign immediately for cowardice and supporting racism by just sitting there laughing wi/ Bill Maher.

Hi @GOP! Do you support Senator Sasse's comments about working in the fields?

EVERYONE LAUGHED Including Ben Sasse & the audienceSo they are ALL GUILTY of using the N-word#MAGA Bill Maher.

Interesting to see how Trump supporters are suddenly concerned with racism when their man publicly cast aspersions on a federal judge because of his parents' Mexican heritage. Sorry, I ain't buying it.

Of course, Trump supporters are lashing out because they hate Sasse because he spoke out against Trump and refused to buy in. This is what made me write in Sasse's name as my presidential candidate last November. 

The shame of all of this is that Sasse and Maher actually a reasonably intelligent conversation much of which focused on climate change and President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Maher's liberal audience was receptive to Sasse. Perhaps not to his politics, but to his humor and earnest manner in the public policy arena. But all of that will be for naught because of Maher's lapse of judgment and the effort to shift the blame onto Sasse. By discrediting Sasse one not only rids Trump of a potential primary opponent, but impedes the Republican Party from regaining its sanity. 

I suspect the next several days are going to be the biggest test of Sasse's character in his public life. If he somehow manages to overcome the white hot scrutiny of both the Left and Trump supporters then there is a future for him and perhaps a better future for this country.

Memo to Future Presidential Candidates: Stop Promising to Move U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem

Lost in the hoopla of President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, is his decision not to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.


Of course, this isn't a surprising development. If the Trump Administration cannot move itself to state The Western Wall is in Israel why would it move our embassy?


To be fair to Trump, Ted Cruz would have pulled this stunt too.


Indeed, Trump now joins the ranks of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush who promised to move the embassy to Jerusalem only to get cold feet.


I would like to make the following suggestion to future presidential candidates, be they Democrats, Republicans or otherwise.


Stop promising to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.


Oh, I think the embassy should be moved.


But it is nothing more than a promise they have no intention of keeping. It's just a platitude to get Jewish and/or pro-Israel voters.
Should any future presidential candidate make this promise, I will not believe them.


NRO's Jim Geraghty notes that Barack Obama never made such a promise. In a way this is a credit to Obama. Don't get me wrong. Obama behaved like a jerk towards Israel, especially to Netanyahu. But for Obama to have made such a promise would have been utterly disingenuous and I am glad he didn't go down that road. Obama is clear where he stood with Israel even if it was on the wrong side.


I realize politicians will make and break promises until the end of time. But going forward I would much rather have a presidential candidate not promise such a move and make it unexpectedly than the presidential candidate who promises it and knows he/she cannot deliver.

Thoughts on the NDP-Green Party Minority Government in British Columbia

Voters in British Columbia went to the polls on May 9th, but it was nearly three weeks before they learned who would form their next government.


The Liberal Party had been in power since 2001 and was Canada's longest standing provincial government. The Liberals would win the most seats in the B.C. legislature with 43, but this was not enough to ensure their fifth consecutive majority government. The NDP won 41 seats while the Green Party won three seats. Despite their three seats, in a parliamentary democracy, the Greens emerged as the power brokers and would determine if they would extend Liberal rule or go with the NDP.


It should be understood the B.C. Liberals have no formal relationship with the federal Liberals led by Prime Minister Trudeau. After the collapse of the Social Credit Party following the 1991 election which brought the NDP to power, the province's conservative vote coalesced around the Liberals. (The Tories haven't been a force in B.C. politics since The Great Depression.)


Given that the B.C. Liberals are more free enterprise oriented than their distant federal cousins in Ottawa, it is little surprise the Greens could find little common ground with them particularly where it concerned the Kinder-Morgan Pipeline expansion.


The B.C. Liberals didn't help matters when Christy Clark, who has been the province's Premier since 2011, didn't meet face to face with Green Party leader Andrew Weaver. NDP leader John Horgan met face to face with Weaver on a day to day basis.


The NDP-Green minority government isn't official. Clark has to reconvene the legislature and hold a vote of confidence in the government. But this is a formality and it is a question of how long Clark wishes to delay the inevitable.


It should be clear this isn't a coalition government. The Greens will not be getting cabinet posts. Instead, the NDP will make a few concessions to them in exchange for their support. This minority government is supposed to last for four years. The biggest challenge with the NDP-Green alliance is that the interests of organized labor and environmentalists clash as was the case with the practice of clear cutting in Clayoquot Sound on Vancouver Island, a controversy which plagued the NDP government of Mike Harcourt in the early 1990's. Could Kinder-Morgan or Site C reignite those tensions? If the NDP should decide to proceed with the construction of B.C. Hydro's Site C Dam construction project or flip-flops on Kinder-Morgan then B.C. voters would go to the polls early.


The Green Party is currently at its zenith not only in B.C. politics, but in Canadian politics at large. But this could be short-lived. Junior partners in minority governments have a way of getting shafted in the next election. If the NDP-Green minority proves popular, voters will likely reward the NDP with a majority leaving the Greens in the red. If it doesn't prove popular, voters would further marginalize the Greens.


This election is also a boost to the NDP which now controls not only Canada's two western most provinces, but two of its wealthiest. In 2015, the Alberta NDP shocked the world when it ended the Tories' 44-year stranglehold on power under the leadership of Rachel Notley. This could be short-lived as the NDP has been trailing both the Wildrose and the Tories in the polls. The only saving grace is that Alberta's conservative vote could be split allowing the NDP to come up the middle which has prompted talks of a merger between the two parties. Should that come to pass who would lead it? Wildrose leader Brian Jean or new Tory leader Jason Kenney? But for the time being, the B.C. and Alberta governments led by Horgan and Notley could become very powerful allies among themselves and with the Trudeau Liberals in Ottawa who probably won't be sorry to see the B.C. Liberals gone from power.