Why Clay Buchholz Will Thrive With The Blue Jays

Clay Buchholz is returning to the AL East as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. Specifics of the deal haven't been fully disclosed. But it appears to be a one year deal where Buchholz could earn up to $6 million with incentives. OK, this isn't as monumental a signing as Bryce Harper joining the Philadelphia Phillies, but this could turn out be a nice free agent signing.

Buchholz, 34, is familiar with the Jays having spent most of his career with the Boston Red Sox. His 10 seasons at Fenway were an enigma. He threw a no-hitter in his second big league start in 2007. In 2008, his ERA was 6.75. Buchholz would enjoy his finest season in 2010 when he won a career high 17 games earning his first AL All-Star selection. A second AL All-Star selection and a World Series ring would follow in 2013 when he went 12-1 with a 1.74 ERA in 16 starts. Although Buchholz had stretches of brilliance, he was frequently injured making five trips to the DL during his tenure in Boston for a variety of injuries and ailments.

By 2016, Buchholz had been banished to the bullpen and was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies at season's end for minor league infielder Josh Tobias. Buchholz's tenure in Philly was short. After only two starts in 2017, Buchholz would have a season ending injury in his forearm that would require surgery.

Buchholz began 2018 with the Kansas City Royals, but the team would release him during spring training. He would hook with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in 16 starts went 7-2 with a 2.01 ERA before injuries caught up with him yet again.

Despite his history with injuries, Buchholz is a good risk for the Blue Jays as a number four or five starting pitcher. Buchholz does his best pitching at Rogers Centre. In 17 appearances (16 of them starts) at Rogers Centre, Buchholz is 11-3 with a 2.63 ERA. If Buchholz can sustain that level of success in a Blue Jays uniform he will help make them competitive in a very tough AL East. If nothing else, he can mentor younger pitchers on the challenges of pitching in the hothouse flower environment of Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium.

Bryce Harper is Phinally a Phillie

Well, that took long enough. On the last day of February and with spring training games already under way, the Philadelphia Phillies have finally landed Bryce Harper to the tune of $330 million over 13 years. The contract contains no opt out clause and no deferred payments.


The Phillies are making a big investment in Harper. But as Rian Watt put it, "When Bryce Harper gets his final paycheck from the Phillies in 2031, Bobby Bonilla will still be four years away from his final paycheck from the Mets." The question is how many World Series titles will the Phillies win with Harper. In his seven seasons with the Washington Nationals, Harper never reached the NLCS.


Yet Harper has not been without triumphs. He joins the Phillies having made the NL All-Star Team six times in seven seasons, earned the NL MVP in 2015 and in 2018 drove in 100 RBIs for the first time in his career and led the NL in walks with 130. At 26, the best is very probably yet to come. But what happens come 2025, never mind 2030? Both Harper and the Phillies are taking an enormous risk here.


But there will be plenty of excitement in Philly in 2019. The Phillies have had a busy off-season. In addition to Harper, the Phillies have added J.T. Realmuto, Andrew McCutchen, David Robertson and Jean Segura with the very real possibility of adding Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel. If doesn't make them the favorite to win the NL East then nothing will. If nothing else this will put a lot of people in Citizen's Bank Park and Harper will be lustily booed when he returns to D.C. on April 2nd. Those feelings will probably only intensify when the Phillies play the Nats during the last week of September and are fighting for the NL East and/or a NL Wild Card spot.


Of course, things could easily go south. Harper could get hurt or he could bat .220 in April. In which case, Harper will find out how intense Phillie boo-birds can be. In which case, Harper might not be so Phanatical to be in Philadelphia.

Thoughts on The Indictments Against Benjamin Netanyahu

Today, Israel's Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will face trial on three counts of fraud and breach of trust and one count of bribery. The charges come in the midst of Israel's general election which is to take place on April 9th.




Netanyahu, who has been Israel's Prime Minister since 2009, has yet to make a formal response to the charges, but the Likud Party taking a Trumpian approach to the matter accusing "the media and the left" of pressuring Mandelblit to filing the charges and characterizing the charges as a "witch hunt". Bibi does have the option of requesting a hearing to contest the indictments. This could delay any criminal proceedings against Netanyahu by up to a year.


With or without the indictments, Netanyahu was facing a tough re-election against the newly formed centrist coalition by former IDF Chief Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid, who once served as Minister of Finance under Netanyahu. This might accelerate the momentum against Netanyahu. That is unless this story of sexual misconduct against Gantz stops it dead in its tracks and Gantz's lawsuit against his accuser raises the ire of the #MeToo movement.


In many respects this shows Israel is no different than any other country. Politicians engage in corruption and inappropriate behavior. Let's not forget that Netanyahu's predecessor Ehud Olmert resigned his office and was later charged, convicted and imprisoned for bribery. But because it is Israel there will be a level of anger directed at Netanyahu that would not be directed at him if he wasn't Jewish and wasn't leading the world's only Jewish state. Of course, when it comes to anti-Semites, it doesn't matter who leads Israel. The very existence of Israel is an affront to anti-Semites and the tandem of Gantz and Lapid won't mollify their hatred one bit.


I'm not sure how I would vote if I were living in Israel. But Israelis are perfectly capable of rendering a decision. They've been doing it for seven decades and much of the world hates them for it. The indictment of Netanyahu is most lamentable and unfortunate, but Israel will carry on.

Trudeau Won't Resign: Will He Be a One Term Prime Minister?

Yesterday, the world's attention was focused on President Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen's testimony to Congress.


But there was another hearing yesterday which might prove even more damning to a world leader. About 600 miles north of Washington, D.C., Jody Wilson-Raybould, Canada's former Minister of Justice, testified before the House of Commons Justice Committee revealing the extent to which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his Minister of Finance and his senior advisers for pressuring her not to prosecute SNC-Lavalin, a Quebec based construction company accused of bribery and corruption. The Trudeau government was trying to protect the provincial Liberal government from defeat. Quebec voters decided to toss out the Liberals last October anyway in favor of the conservative Coalition Avenir Quebec. Wilson-Raybould did not care about political considerations and would not bow to their pressure. Trudeau retaliated by demoting Wilson-Raybould to Minister of Veterans Affairs in January. Wilson-Raybould resigned from cabinet earlier this month, but remains a member of the Liberal Party caucus although Trudeau could remove her. For his part, Trudeau denies Wilson-Raybould's testimony. But these days his word is no better than that of President Trump.


The scandal did claim one casualty as Trudeau's principal secretary Gerald Butts resigned earlier this month. But in light of Wilson-Raybould's testimony, Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer has called upon Trudeau to resign.


Whatever the damage, it is unlikely Trudeau will resign. But an election is due by October 21st of this year. Could he be tossed after a single term? If an election were held today, he certainly would. As of now, the Tories have a seven point lead over the Liberals in the polls. But Trudeau will delay and a lot can happen in eight months. Trudeau also has history on his side. One term majority governments are very rare. The last time a majority government only lasted a single term was the Conservative government of R.B. Bennett which held power during the height of the Great Depression between 1930 and 1935.


Trudeau also has the advantage of a potential splinter in the Conservative vote. Scheer is bound to lose votes to ex-Tory Maxime Bernier's People's Party of Canada which could help the Liberals retain seats in Ontario. The NDP has also been in a weakened state under Jagmeet Singh although he won a by-election in Vancouver earlier this week. A strong NDP vote would be of great benefit to the Tories. Singh could strengthen his hand if he could persuade Wilson-Raybould, who also represents a Vancouver area constituency, to defect from the Liberals.


As horrible as President Trump is, the SNC-Lavalin affair demonstrates that U.S. Republicans do not have a monopoly on corruption, cruelty, foolishness and stupidity. If we are to replace Trump next year, we will have to be sure that the person we choose conducts him or herself with the utmost honesty, integrity and respect. For all of Trump's faults, Trudeau's conduct proves that our search might be more difficult than we want to admit.

Trump Probably Still Thinks He Should Get Nobel Peace Prize Despite North Korea Debacle

To use one of President Trump's favorite words, the Hanoi Summit between him and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un was a disaster.

Trump dropped a key demand that North Korea make a full accounting of its nuclear program. And in return Trump got nothing. If this wasn't bad enough, Trump exonerated Kim for any responsibility of the death of American student Otto Warmbier who was taken hostage in North Korea in 2016. "He tells me he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word," Trump incredulously claimed. Just like when he believed Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman feigning ignorance about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. BTW, guess who Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner met with yesterday.

This isn't America First. It isn't even America Second. It's America Dead Last. But I'm sure Trump probably still believes he deserves that Nobel Peace Prize for which he pleaded with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe to nominate him.

This sums up the Trump presidency perfectly. Trump arrived in Hanoi with zero and now he has left with less than zero. You could say that Trump has hit a wall.

Three Thoughts on Michael Cohen's Testimony to Congress

As of this writing former personal attorney to President Trump, Michael Cohen is wrapping up his testimony to the House Oversight Committee. Here are three quick thoughts.


First, Cohen's testimony demonstrates how working for a man like Trump eats away at your soul and one's ability to discern from right and wrong, truth and lies and looking the other way at immoral, unethical and illegal conduct. Of course, Cohen is no angel. He wanted to work for Trump, was well paid for it and thought he was untouchable. That is until Trump touched Stormy Daniels and other women and Cohen paid them hush money. Now he is paying the price for his life's work. At this point, all Cohen can try to do is redeem himself and make amends with others. Whether this comes to pass very much remains to be seen.

Second, most of the House Republican caucus seems to aspire to be the Michael Cohen of old. With the exception of Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, the GOP contingent made every effort to rationalize Trump's behavior and worship at his altar. As Cohen told Ohio Republican Jim Jordan who was leading the charge against him:

I'm responsible for your silliness because I did the same thing that you're doing now for ten years. I protected Mr. Trump...I can only warn people the more people that follow Mr. Trump as I did blindly are going to suffer the same consequences that I'm suffering.

As Peter Daou put it, "You know the GOP is morally bankrupt when #JimJordan makes #MichaelCohen look like a model of ethics and integrity."


Third, and most importantly, I doubt Cohen's testimony will change anything even if it made for good TV and social media activity. The people who think Trump a fool will still think he is a fool and those who think he is a god will still think he is a god. Despite Cohen's firsthand knowledge of the Trump Tower in Moscow deal, he did not produce any further evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government during the 2016 election. The Mueller Report will be damning, but probably not damning enough to indict Trump, his family or anyone else currently in his inner circle. All of which means that those who wish to see Trump out of the White House would best direct their efforts towards the 2020 election and picking a viable candidate to unseat him.

Can Trump Credibly Condemn Maduro For Detaining Univision's Ramos?

Venezuela's "President" Nicolas Maduro briefly detained Univision's Jorge Ramos and his crew when Maduro wasn't pleased with his questions. While Ramos and his crew were released their equipment and notes were confiscated.

This brings me to two questions.

Will President Trump condemn this act?

But if he does will his condemnation have any credibility?

There does exist a possibility that Trump will condemn Ramos's detention given his recognition last month of opposition leader Juan Guiado as the country's interim President. Trump (along with 50 other governments including Canada's Justin Trudeau) have questioned the legitimacy of Maduro's "re-election" in May 2018 which the opposition boycotted.

It was only a week ago that Trump called for a peaceful transition of power in Venezuela and condemned Maduro for not allowing U.S. humanitarian aid from reaching the oil rich, but impoverished South American nation.

But Trump has a complicated relationship with Ramos. It was in August 2015 that Trump had Ramos ejected from a press conference in Iowa for asking tough questions about his views on immigration. Trump told the Mexican born Ramos to "go back to Univision."

As recently as February 17th, President Trump tweeted in all caps, "THE RIGGED AND CORRUPT MEDIA IS THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!"

So while Trump would be correct to condemn Maduro for his treatment of Ramos given his personal hostility to Ramos and repeated declarations of the media being an enemy of the people would make such a condemnation hollow.

Notwithstanding Trump's repeated condemnations of Maduro and his regime I cannot help but think that a part of him was delighted with Maduro's actions against Ramos and his Univision crew. I strongly suspect the only thing Trump regrets about this episode is that he does not have Maduro's powers where it concerns the news media.

Amy Klobuchar Should Be in Anger Management Therapy, Not The White House

The New York Times has become the third media outlet to do a story on Minnesota Senator and 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Amy Klobuchar's temper. Both The Huffington Post and BuzzFeed posted stories about Klobuchar's treatment of her staff earlier this month. Here's an excerpt from the NYT article:

Some former aides who were frequent targets of her ire acknowledged that the senator often had a point, praising her intelligence and political antenna. She has been re-elected in two landslides, including a 24-point victory last year in a state President Trump lost narrowly.

But her blistering feedback to staff was often substantially out of proportion to the offense, these former aides said. Word choice or grammatical issues could make Ms. Klobuchar especially furious, not only in prepared text but also in office meetings or common speech. Words like “straight-shooting” and “absolutely” were known to invite her scorn. She urged staff members never to say that another senator “led” something and asked them to call her a “co-sponsor” of legislation instead of a supporter, suggesting that the latter sounded weak.

Ms. Klobuchar’s exasperation often appeared connected to two factors: an abiding fear of being embarrassed in front of colleagues or in the press and the conviction that she works harder than her staff.

In one message, in which she said she had not been prepared properly for an event, Ms. Klobuchar reminded her team of the hours she kept.

“Please don’t claim lack of time,” she wrote, asking what else might explain their failure. “I flew in at one in the morning. I don’t have that luxury to blame lack of time. Unless YOU were up working at one am, and up again five am the next day, please don’t claim lack of time. That was when I was up.”

In private, she could deliver slashing remarks without particular provocation. Parched one day in the Capitol, she turned to a member of her team and said, “I would trade three of you for a bottle of water,” according to a person who witnessed it.

The article also notes how Klobuchar made a staff person clean a comb which she had used to eat a salad on a flight where no utensils were available as well as an incident where she threw binders and phones at her staff. She would also make staff who had taken family leave pay back the money earned upon their return to work.

People like former Hillary Clinton campaign manager Jennifer Palmieri can play the sexism card all she wants. It is intellectually dishonest and she knows it. But unless there is an audio tape of Klobuchar berating her staff a la Bobby Knight then there will be a critical mass of Democrats who will casually dismiss this serious matter.

If Klobuchar had behaved in this manner in any other workplace in America, she would be out of a job. But in Washington, D.C. it qualifies her to run for President. If Klobuchar's abuse were sexual in nature, Democrats and the #MeToo crowd would not abide it much less degrade her accusers. But evidently making history (or should I say herstory) is more important than behaving like a decent human being.

Fortunately, Helaine Olen of The Washington Post rejects this view and argues we can do better and that character matters:

Let’s not let the desire for a female president blind us to the reality of all this. When it comes to the matter of treating others with respect, we should seek to raise the standard men need to meet, not lower it so women can join in our nation’s bullyfest. We don’t need to replace one bully with another. We deserve better than that.

As long as Amy Klobuchar campaigns for the White House, we should campaign for her to seek anger management therapy.

Marwin Gonzalez Signs 2-Year, $21 Million Deal with Twins

Free agent super utility man Marwin Gonzalez has signed a 2-year, $21 million contract with the Minnesota Twins.

The Venezuelan born Gonzalez had spent his entire 7-year MLB career with the Houston Astros. Gonzalez enjoyed his finest season in 2017 when he hit .303 with 23 HR and 90 RBI en route to the team's first World Series championship. In 2018, Gonzalez's offensive numbers declined (.247 BA, 16 HR and 68 RBI) while playing 11 more games with nearly 40 more plate appearances.

Gonzalez, who turns 30 next month, is the latest of several fine additions the Twins have made this off-season. The Twins have also added the likes of Nelson Cruz, Jonathan Schoop, C.J. Cron and Ronald Torreyes. I would make the case the Twins are the most improved team in the AL, if not in all of MLB and someone as versatile as Gonzalez can be the key to a championship team. Look for the Twins to go far in 2019.

Peter Tork, R.I.P.

Peter Tork, bassist and keyboard player for the 1960's pop rock group The Monkees, passed away today at the age of 77. A cause of death was not released although Tork was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer ten years ago. It is possible the illness recurred as The Monkees are due to begin a concert tour next month which features a stop at New York City's Beacon Theatre and only Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith were listed as performers. The Monkees' other alum Davy Jones died of a heart attack in 2012.

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to see Tork perform with Dolenz in May 2016 at the Wilbur Theater in Boston. I remember Tork playing a rendition of Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher" on the banjo which he described as "Motown meets The Appalachians".

Tork became a Monkee in large part due to the fact his friend Stephen Stills had bad teeth. Stills let Tork know about this TV show being developed by Don Kirshner and the rest is pop culture history. Unlike his bandmates, Tork was an accomplished musician as a veteran of the Greenwich Village folk scene. More than any other Monkee, he resented not being allowed to play instruments.

By their third album, The Monkees had taken control of their destiny. Perhaps Tork's most significant musical contribution to the band was the piano intro on "Daydream Believer", their final number one hit.

Tork would struggle to find his way after leaving The Monkees in 1969. Efforts at a solo career didn't get off the ground and neither did a record/movie production company. For a time, Tork worked as a high school teacher in Southern California. By the mid-80's, with interest in The Monkees renewed with reruns on MTV, Tork would participate in various Monkees reunions and the group even had a Top 20 hit in 1986 called "That Was Then, This Is Now". During the 1990's, Tork recorded his only solo album Stranger Things Have Happened and made a couple of guest appearances of Topanga Lawerence's father on Boy Meets World. 

I leave you with Tork performing "Higher and Higher" during his final tour with The Monkees in 2016. R.I.P.

Longtime Pirate Josh Harrison Signs 1-Year Deal With Tigers

Josh Harrison, who has played his entire 8-year MLB career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, has a new address. Harrison, 31, signed a one year, $2 million contract with the Detroit Tigers and is expected to be their everyday second baseman - for now.

I say for now because Dawel Lugo is expected to be the Tigers' second baseman of the future, but needs seasoning with the Triple-AAA Toledo Mud Hens. How much seasoning depends on both Harrison and the Tigers. If Harrison plays well and the Tigers don't then expect Detroit to trade Harrison to a contender and to bring up Lugo in mid-season.

In his eight seasons with the Pirates, Harrison played 842 games, collected 773 hits for a lifetime batting average of .277 with 52 HR and 269 RBI. Harrison was named to the NL All-Star Team in both 2014 and 2017. A fractured left hand last April limited Harrison to 97 games in 2018 during which he hit .250 with 8 HR and 37 RBI.

Harrison has a penchant for breaking up no-hitters. Former Tiger Justin Verlander would have three no-hitters on his resume if Harrison didn't break it up with two outs in the 9th inning back in May 2012. More than five years later, in August 2017, Harrison hit a walk off home run in the 10th inning off Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill who had thrown 9 no-hit innings against the Bucs.

When Harrison isn't breaking up no-hitters, he has a penchant for avoiding getting tagged in rundowns.

Harrison will probably only be in Tiger uniform for a year - if that. But I suspect he will leave Detroit fans with a positive impression before moving on.

Democrats Would Be Foolish To Turn Away Disgruntled Trump Supporters

Over the weekend, Arthur Delaney penned an article for The Huffington Post detailing the sticker shock that has come with the Trump tax cut and how it could potentially adversely affect support for Trump's re-election bid in 2020. Delaney highlighted the plight of one disaffected Trump supporter:

Beth Callori of Long Island, New York, said she was thrilled to receive about $90 more in each paycheck last year. Thanks to the new lower federal income tax rates, Callori’s employer, a financial services firm, was withholding less from her paycheck for federal tax purposes.

“I thought, ‘Wow, Trump is great, I love him,’” Callori said.

But last week Callori heard from her tax preparer that she owes the federal government more than $5,000 ― almost five times as much as she had to pay in previous years.

“I almost fell out of my chair. I could not believe it,” she said. “I voted for Trump. I thought he was going to be good for this country, but when I got that phone call, that’s it, I’m done.”

Now one would think those who oppose President Trump (especially Democrats who want Trump out of office) would jump for joy at this particular development. But judging by Twitter this isn't the case. After Kyle Griffin, producer of MSNBC's The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, tweeted Callori's quote from the Delaney article, she would trend on Twitter on Presidents' Day. Unfortunately, when one trends on Twitter it is seldom for good.

Amee Vanderpool, Girls Really Rule: "Beth Callori just found out the actual cost of her bigotry and hatred: it's $5,000, with interest, to be paid over the next 10 years."

Nick Jack Pappas, "Comedian": "Beth Callori, Trump voter: "I thought he was going to be good for this country, but when I got that phone call [about the taxes I owed], that's it, I'm done." Beth Callori, translated: "Racism, misogyny, treason, kids in cages... that's all fine! But MY taxes? I'm done!"

Mayday Mindy: "Let’s all give Beth Callori a trump supporter who’s upset that her taxes are so high a Nancy Pelosi F*#k You Clap 1, 2, 3 Go."

If this is what Democrats have to say to Callori for abandoning Trump then I can only begin to imagine what they would have said to her if she was still supporting Trump.

Let me pose three questions to Democrats who pillory Callori for abandoning Trump because of her tax bill.

First, do you want President Trump defeated in 2020?

Second, do you want the Democratic candidate for the White House to get every vote he or she possibly can?

If Democrats answer yes to both the first and second questions then here is a follow up question.

Does it really matter why voters choose not to support Donald Trump in 2020?

Yes, there is no doubt Trump has said and done many horrible things when it comes immigration, tolerating bigotry and his acquiescence to Russia. But whether Democrats like or not, a majority of voters cast their ballots on pocketbook issues and always will. People look out for themselves and their families and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that at all. This is the real world. It is part of the reason why reliably Democratic voters in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania turned to Trump in 2016. However, if these same voters in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania feel the same sticker shock on their tax bill then chances are they will abandon Trump in 2020 and return to the Democratic fold. That is unless Democrats think they can do without their votes and insist on insulting Trump supporters who have buyer's remorse and see fit to revive Hillary Clinton's "deplorable" and "irredeemable" tags. Unless Democrats prefer four more years of Trump then they ought not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Democrats need all the Beth Calloris they can find.

Three Tory MPs Resign to Join Ex-Labour MPs in Independent Group

Three Conservative MPs have left their party to join the newly formed Independent Group. Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston and Heidi Allen defected from the Tories over Theresa May's handling of the Brexit crisis and have joined 8 former Labour MPs also quit their party amidst their wish to remain in the EU and support a second referendum in addition to Jeremy Corbyn's tolerance of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.


With 11 MPs in the Independent Group, they are already as large as the Liberal Democrats and have one more seat than the DUP, the party based in Northern Ireland which is propping up May's Tory government. The question now is whether more Tory MPs will follow their lead. As it stands, May's majority in the House is only eight seats.


Should there be a sufficient number of Tory defections to the Independent Group would they force a vote of non confidence in an effort to force early elections? Or would they bide their time? Britons aren't scheduled to go to the polls until May 2022. This will be tricky. While it is clear the Independent Group would campaign on a second referendum what would they call themselves? I cannot see them sticking with the Independent name. The Independent Group might wish to remain in the EU and might stand against anti-Semitism, but what else do they have in common? Would the party have a raison d'être beyond a second referendum assuming they get one? I suppose there is little distinction between New Labour and Tory modernizers and one could argue it is why we have both the UKIP and the rise of Corbyn. But neither is healthy for the stability of Britain. And with both the Labour and Tories in turmoil, perhaps the best resolution is for rational Labour and Tory MPs to join forces. The question is if there will be enough of them.

Joan Ryan Likens Corbyn to Trump in Becoming Eighth Labour MP to Resign Over Anti-Semitism

Yesterday, longtime Labour MP Joan Ryan quit the party she has belonged to for over 40 years joining seven other Labour MPs in the newly formed Independent Group.


Ryan's resignation statement does not hold back. Here are some excerpts.


On anti-Semitism in the Labour Party under Corbyn:


That requires and demands that we stand up to racism in all its forms; a principle which all previous Labour leaders and the Labour governments of Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown upheld and honoured.


Over the past three years, however, the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn has become infected with the scourge of anti-Jewish racism. The problem simply did not exist in the party before his election as leader. No previous Labour leader would have allowed this huge shame to befall the party.


I have always believed that we must be especially vigilant against the oldest hatred; history teaches us the tragic and horrific results of a failure to do so.


I have been horrified, appalled and angered to see the Labour leadership's dereliction of duty in the face of evil.


On why she cannot remain in Labour:


I cannot remain a member of the Labour Party while its leadership allows Jews to be abused with impunity and the victims of such abuse to be ridiculed, have their motives questioned, and their integrity called into doubt.


I cannot remain a member of the Labour Party while its leadership singles out for demonization and delegitimization the world's only Jewish state.


And I cannot remain a member of the Labour Party while this requires me to suggest that I believe Jeremy Corbyn - a man who has presided over the culture of anti-Jewish racism and hatred for Israel which now afflicts my former party - is fit to be Prime Minister of this country. He is not.


On likening Jeremy Corbyn and Labour to Donald Trump and the GOP:


The anti-Semitism crisis has thrown a harsh light on the values and behavior of Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party.


Like its populist ideological bedfellows, it evinces a disdain for the rights of minorities, and adopts a bullying, aggressive attitude to those who dare to question its cult-like received wisdom.


It engages in bizarre, offensive and dangerous conspiracy theories - ones often founded on classic anti-Semitic tropes evoking the powerful hidden hand of "Rothschilds", Zionists and the "Israel lobby" - and sets aside the truth when politically inconvenient.


And it has replaced Labour's traditional message of openness, hope and optimism with an all-consuming narrative founded on rage, betrayal and the hunt for heretics.


I do not believe that such an attitude -- one that is all too reminiscent of Donald Trump's Republican Party, the European far right and some, but by no means all, Brexiteers - is in the least bit healthy for society or for our democracy.


It was a point I tried to make with Trump supporters earlier this month when I pointed out that Corbyn's statement about Jews not being fully British was no different than Trump denigrating Judge Curiel as "a Mexican". Not surprisingly, this fell on deaf ears as expected. Trump supporters are every bit as irrational as the Cult of Corbyn.


I'm glad that Joan Ryan has a clear understanding of fanaticism whether it comes from the left or the right. Whatever fate befalls Ryan, she has made her stand and is prepared to die in that position rather than live on her knees. At this point, I can only hope that Ryan's words will inspire more defections by Labour MPs.

I Can't Support Bernie Anymore in 2020 Than I Could in 2016

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders today officially launched his second bid for the Democratic Party's nomination for President.

After giving Hillary Clinton an unexpected run for her money in 2016, Sanders is running against five  Democratic Senators - Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Cory Booker as well as Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard with former Vice President Joe Biden, former Congressman Beto O'Rourke and others yet to be heard. While not an establishment candidate, Sanders can no longer be viewed as the underdog he was before.

There is no doubt that Bernie is largely responsible for the Democratic Party turning left, if not openly socialist. Yet for a socialist, Bernie has a way of raising money and a lot of it. But I suspect Bernie will continue to have trouble attracting minority voters especially if Democrats coalesce around someone like Harris or Booker. Warren could help split the left wing vote with Sanders. However, should Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorse Sanders then all bets are off. Although AOC organized for Bernie in 2016, she has been coy about who she will endorse. Whatever her ties to Bernie, it wouldn't shock me if AOC were to endorse another candidate with stronger Democratic Party ties be it Warren or even Harris and possibly Booker.

As for myself, I can no more support Sanders now than I could in 2016. While Sanders isn't the pathological liar that Trump is (no one is), he looks for easy answers and blaming "millionaires and billionaires" for all of our problems is not much different than Trump blaming Mexicans and Muslims for all of our problems. Nor do I care for Sanders' position on Israel. It is heartbreaking that the only Jewish candidate in the Democratic presidential race is the most anti-Israel. In 2016, Sanders had no qualms of getting James Zogby appointed to the DNC Platform Committee, a man who claimed Israel is committing a Holocaust against the Palestinians and supports the BDS Movement. Back in September, Sanders claimed Israel was part of "a new authoritarian axis."

As with Warren, Klobuchar and Gabbard, I cannot bring myself to vote for Sanders if he won the Democratic Party's nomination.

Don Newcombe, R.I.P.

Don Newcombe, best known for his days as the ace pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, passed away following a long illness at the age of 92.

Newcombe began his career in the Negro Leagues in his native New Jersey with the Newark Eagles in 1944 and 1945 before signing with the Dodgers in 1946. After working his way through the Dodgers system, Newcombe would make his big league debut in May 1949 as among the first African-Americans to pitch in MLB. In 38 appearances with the Dodgers, including 31 starts, Newcombe went 17-8 with a 3.17 ERA with a league leading five shutouts. It was enough to earn Newcombe NL Rookie of the Year and the first of four NL All-Star appearances.

Newcombe would follow his rookie campaign with a 19 win season in 1950 and a 20 win season in 1951 during which he led the NL in strikeouts. But 1951 would be overshadowed by the Dodgers' collapse against the New York Giants. Newcombe took a 4-1 lead into the 9th inning against the Giants during a best two out of three playoff series, but would be lifted in favor of Ralph Branca who gave up the shot heard 'round the world to Bobby Thomson to give the Giants the pennant.

Newcombe would not pitch in the majors until 1954 missing two seasons due to military service in the Korean War. After a mediocre 9-8 effort in '54, Newcombe returned to form in 1955 winning 20 games and being part of Brooklyn's only World Series champion. Newcombe would have his greatest season in 1956 when his league leading 27 wins earning him the inaugural Cy Young Award (which covered both leagues) and the NL MVP.

Unfortunately, Newcombe was never the same pitcher after 1956. After falling to 11 wins in 1957, Newcombe went 0-6 with a 7.86 ERA after the Dodgers went to Los Angeles in 1958. During that season, the Dodgers would trade Newcombe to the Cincinnati Reds. After a respectable 1959 campaign during which he went 13-8, Newcombe split the 1960 season between the Reds and Cleveland Indians calling it a career at the age of 34 although he would play one year in Japan primarily as a position player. Newcombe was actually a good hitter blasting 15 HR with a respectable lifetime batting average of .271 in just under 900 at bats.

Alcoholism would cut Newcombe's career short. It became so bad that he pawned his 1955 World Series ring for a drink and very nearly cost him his family. Newcombe spent the rest of his life working for the Dodgers in various capacities and counseling young players against alcohol and drug abuse. His last public appearance took place last fall at Dodger Stadium in attendance for the 2018 World Series against the Boston Red Sox.

Newcombe's alcoholism and his war service impeded his Hall of Fame chances. He appeared on the BBWAA ballot for 15 years but never received more than 15% of the vote which he received in his final year on the ballot in 1980.

I leave you with Newcombe discussing his career in the context of the civil rights movement. R.I.P.

Machado Signs With San Diego For 10 Years, $300 Million

Free agent shortstop/third baseman Manny Machado has signed a 10 year, $300 million contract with the San Diego Padres. There is an opt out provision after the 2023 season.


Machado, who made his MLB debut with the Baltimore Orioles at the age of 19 in 2012, is coming off the best year of his career which he split with the Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he hit a combined .297 with 37 HR and 107 RBI and played in his first World Series albeit in a losing effort and not without controversy. Machado made headlines during the postseason for his dirty play and declaration that he was not "Johnny Hustle".


But at age 26, Machado's best years may be yet to come and the Padres are a franchise that needs a shot in the arm. The Padres haven't been in the post-season since 2006 and haven't had a winning record since 2010. With Machado, the Padres have that chance. He joins a lineup which includes promising hitters like Hunter Renfroe, Austin Hedges, Christian Villanueva and Franmil Reyes and Machado's presence could help former World Series winner Eric Hosmer rebound. With the Dodgers losing Machado not to mention Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp and Alex Wood, the NL West has opened up for the Padres it hasn't in nearly a decade.


With Machado off the market, the question is if Bryce Harper can exceed Machado's contract. The Washington Nationals offered him what Machado signed for in San Diego back in November, but he declined. Does Harper reconsider the Nats' offer or will the Philadelphia Phillies offer him "stupid money"? Or will the Dodgers pull off an 11th hour deal with only days before spring training games begin?


Until then, Machado and his $300 million is the man of the hour. Well, perhaps not to the Chicago White Sox who signed his brother in law and all his friends. But San Diego is nicer in April than the South Side of Chicago.

Bochy to Retire as Giants Manager After 2019 Season; Belongs in Cooperstown

Bruce Bochy has announced he will retire from managing following the 2019 season. Bochy has managed the San Francisco Giants since 2007. During his tenure, Bochy guided the Giants to three World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Those World Series titles were the first for the franchise since 1954 when the team still played in New York. Bochy also managed the San Diego Padres from 1995 to 2006 guiding the team to a NL pennant in 1998. 

Bochy enters the 2019 season with a sub-.500 record (1926-1944). However, he does have a chance to reach 2,000 career wins as a manager. Should the Giants win 83 games in 2019, Bochy would pass Leo Durocher (2,008) for 10th place on the MLB all-time managerial win list. Even if he doesn't, Bochy has a very good shot at being inducted into Cooperstown in the not too distant future. 

When Bochy departs the dugout at season's end, the Giants will have some very big shoes to fill. 

Trump Sullies Presidents' Day With Talk of Treason

On a day set aside to honor him and the 44 other men who held the office previously, President Trump casually claimed former Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe and former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein were "planning an illegal act" calling the potential invocation of the 25th Amendment to have Trump removed from office "an illegal and treasonous insurance policy".

All of this comes 24 hours after Trump, angry over a SNL skit in which Alec Baldwin lampooned his National Emergency declaration, tweeted:

Nothing funny about tired Saturday Night Live on Fake News NBC! Question is, how do the Networks get away with these total Republican hit jobs without retribution? Likewise for many other shows? Very unfair and should be looked into. This is the real Collusion!

Without retribution? Should be looked into? Evidently, Trump has been spending too much time with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un.

Mind you, this is the man who less than a fortnight ago during the SOTU proclaimed "we must reject the politics of revenge, resistance and retribution." Of course, I didn't believe a word he said. As I wrote at the time, "This coming from the master of revenge, resistance and retribution. In truth, Trump only rejects the politics of revenge, resistance and retribution when it is directed against him."

Now it could be the case that Trump knows his Wall will never be erected and with the Ann Coulters of the world mad at him he needs to do something to rally his base. His most ardent supporters might call it seven dimensional chess, but any President who publicly demands "retribution" of those who lampoon him and invokes treason against those who are upholding the Constitution is neither fit nor worthy of his office and only reinforces the viability of the 25th Amendment. 

With that said, I don't think the 25th Amendment is such a hot idea. We are still a free people with free elections (however Russia might try to interfere). If we want to restore Presidents' Day to its former glory it would be far better to defeat Trump at the polls rather than pursue the 25th Amendment or impeachment. While there is still a chance of defeating Trump in 2020 those other options should be taken off the table. Better to elect than install a new President.

Seven Labour MPs Resign Over Corbyn's Handling of Anti-Semitism & Brexit

This morning, seven Labour MPs announced they were resigning from the party and forming their own Independent Group. The seven in question - Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Angela Smith, Mike Gapes, Gavin Shuker and Ann Coffey - cited Corbyn's handling of anti-Semitism within the party as well as Brexit. All seven MPs favor remaining within the EU and want a second referendum.

But anti-Semitism seems to be the main driving force here. Berger has been a direct target of anti-Semitism among Labour Party activists and spoke about her experiences about it in the House of Commons in April 2018 declaring that anti-Semitism within the party had become "corrosive."
Things have not improved within the past year. Berger has become increasingly critical of Corbyn's handling of anti-Semitism with Labour Party members within her own Liverpool constituency responding with more anti-Semitism while attempting to deselect her.

Naturally there are those who believe these defections will help re-elect the Tories. But this assumes the seven MPs would be re-elected in their constituencies. There is no guarantee of that and others have argued the seven MPs should resign their seats and contest a by-election. Most Labour members are as blind in their devotion to Corbyn as Republicans are to President Trump. They will dig in their heels. Expect even more anti-Semitism from Labour Party activists and more tolerance of by Corbyn and senior Labour Party officials.

There are two other things to watch for in the coming weeks. First, if more Labour MPs follow suit. Second, if Tory MPs dissatisfied with May's bungling of Brexit will also defect. Would these ex-Labour and Tory MPs join forces to form, for lack of a better word, a third way?

Would Ann Coulter Challenge Trump in GOP Primary Over National Emergency Declaration?

This morning President Trump declared a national emergency to get The Wall built along the Southern border.


It was a predictable course of action after the debacle that ensued for Trump after the partial federal government shutdown which lasted for five weeks. Although he reserved the right to shutdown the government after agreeing to reopen it two weeks ago I didn't think he would go ahead with it unless he wanted Nancy Pelosi to give him a spanking and send him to bed without his ice cream. To have shutdown the government again would have been the definition of insanity by repeating the same behavior and expecting a different result.


Even if the national emergency is successfully challenged in court, Trump can tell his supporters that he fought for the wall. But at least one former supporter isn't buying. Ann Coulter, who in 2016 wrote the book In Trump We Trust: E Pluribus Awesome!, blasted Trump for his decision on Twitter:


The goal is to get Trump's stupidest voters to say "HE'S FIGHTING!" No he's not. If he signs this bill, it's over.


Clearly, Coulter isn't over with Trump these days either. During his national emergency announcement in the Rose Garden, Trump gave Coulter the "I don't know her well" treatment.


Earlier today, former Massachusetts Governor and 2016 VP candidate for the Libertarian Party Bill Weld declared he would a form an exploratory committee with the intent of challenging Trump in the 2020 GOP primaries. While I would personally support Weld in his efforts as a primary challenge would weaken Trump the way Ted Kennedy weakened Jimmy Carter in 1980 and Pat Buchanan weakened George H.W. Bush in 1992, he wouldn't take very many votes away from Trump outside of New Hampshire. Aside from the Live Free or Die state, the people who would vote for Weld are the people who wouldn't vote for Trump for all his money.


Things bring me back to Coulter. If it is truly over between them then what other card can she play? How else is she going to put 2016 Ann Coulter in the rearview mirror aside from launching a GOP primary challenge against Trump? Unlike Weld, Coulter could take away votes from the very core of his MAGA empire. So Trump vs. Coulter. What would Fox News and talk radio do? That alone is worth a big bag of popcorn. While Trump would most likely survive a primary challenge from Coulter, she would do enough damage to him that all his Democratic opponent need to do is pick away at the scraps.


Then again, Trump broke every political rule in the book in 2016. One cannot discount the same possibility in 2020. Even if Coulter were to challenge him by September 2020 they could very well have kissed (with tongue) and made up.


This caution notwithstanding, a Coulter primary challenge would very likely represent the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency. In which case, for once, liberals will stand up and cheer for Ann Coulter.

AOC Claims Victory Over Amazon, But What Did New Yorkers Win?

Since news came down today that Amazon had cancelled plans to build its HQ2 in New York City, I've heard nothing but anger and dismay at work and on the street for all the jobs and opportunities that it will cost. The cancellation comes scarcely three and a half months after the company awarded Long Island City and Crystal City, Virginia their two new headquarters.

Much of the credit for this reversal belongs to newly elected Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who gleefully tweeted:

Anything is possible: today was the day a group of dedicated, everyday New Yorkers & their neighbors defeated Amazon’s corporate greed, its worker exploitation, and the power of the richest man in the world.

It isn't to say AOC doesn't have valid concerns. Why does the richest man in the world need millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies to build new headquarters? Why doesn't Amazon treat its workers more fairly? These are the kinds of question however that warrant negotiation and compromise, not dogmatic demagoguery. 

So there won't be an Amazon HQ in Long Island City. There are plenty of other cities that would be plenty happy with having a second Amazon HQ in their city. At the moment, Amazon says it's not planning to build a second headquarters. That isn't stopping Connecticut's Democratic Governor Ned Lamont from persuading Amazon to set its sight an hour north in Stamford. AOC didn't defeat Amazon's "corporate greed". Amazon will just take that "corporate greed" somewhere else. 

While Amazon's NYC pullout is undoubtedly a political victory for AOC, what did New Yorkers win actually win today? 

Sabathia To Retire After 2019 Season; Should Be a Hall of Famer

New York Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia is expected to announce his retirement from MLB after the 2019 at a press conference scheduled for Saturday at the club's spring training facility in Tampa.
Sabathia underwent a heart procedure in December and will take things slow.

Sabathia, 38, is entering his 19th big league season and his 11th with the Bronx Bombers. The large left-hander began his big league career with the Cleveland Indians in 2001 finishing runner up in AL Rookie of the Year balloting to fellow future Hall of Famer and later Yankee teammate Ichiro Suzuki. While with the Indians, Sabathia earned the AL Cy Young Award in 2007. After splitting the 2008 season between the Tribe and the Milwaukee Brewers, Sabathia signed a long term contract with the Yankees prior to the 2009 season and earned a World Series ring in his inaugural season. He has been a mainstay of the Yankees rotation ever since although his form has declined since the 2013 season.

Despite his performance over the past five seasons, I think Sabathia will be a Hall of Famer. He is four victories shy of 250 (he reached double digits in wins in his first 13 MLB seasons) and only 14 strikeouts shy of 3000. Aside from his World Series ring and Cy Young, Sabathia was also named to six AL All-Star teams. If he wasn't the best pitcher in the AL during his decade plus peak, he was always in the top five and 13 years is a long time to be at or near the top of anything. Sabathia might not get in during his first year of eligibility in 2025, but I don't think he will have a very long wait.

Would Ilhan Omar Give a Damn About Elliott Abrams If He Wasn't Jewish?

Scarcely 48 hours after apology for anti-Semitic tweets, Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar made waves on Capitol Hill by going after Elliott Abrams, President Trump's special envoy in Venezuela while testifying before the House Foreign Relations Committee.

But instead of questioning Abrams about Venezuela (or anything at all), Omar did some grandstanding attacking Abrams for his foreign policy involvement in Latin America during the Reagan Administration specifically in El Salvador, Guatemala and in the Iran-Contra affair (for which Abrams did plead guilty to withholding information to Congress in 1991).

Of course, these are reasonable grounds for questions. But again Omar didn't ask Abrams any questions; she engaged in demagoguery. She ought to have been ruled out of order. If only Nancy Pelosi had stripped her of her committee responsibilities instead of settling for an apology she didn't mean.

Given Omar's anti-Semitic tweets, I doubt she would give a damn about incidents in Central America that occurred when she was in diapers if Abrams wasn't Jewish.

I have a feeling Abrams won't be the last Jew she will publicly excoriate from her platform on the House Foreign Relations Committee.

Trump Calls on Omar to Resign: Right Message, Wrong Messenger

During remarks at a cabinet meeting, President Trump called upon Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to resign over her anti-Semitic tweets. "I think she should either resign from Congress or she should certainly resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee," said Trump. The President went on to call her apology "lame" and that her anti-Semitic views were "deep seated in her heart."


I agree with the substance of President Trump's comments. While Pelosi's rebuke was good and angered many progressives, Omar's transgression warranted tougher action. However, given Trump's animus towards Mexicans, Muslims and "shithole countries", he lacks credibility to deliver this message.


Anti-Semitism is wrong whether it is expressed by someone wearing a hijab or carrying a tiki torch. You cannot condemn the former without condemning the latter.


With this in mind, Omar's anti-Semitism will rear its ugly head. While it is unlikely that Omar would ever resign, Pelosi will very likely have no choice but strip her of her committee assignments or expel her from the Democratic caucus altogether. It is only a matter of time.

What Are The Odds Trump Will Scuttle The New Congressional Border Deal?

From The Associated Press:

WASHINGTON — Congressional negotiators reached agreement Monday night to prevent a government shutdown and finance construction of new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border, overcoming a late-stage hang-up over immigration enforcement issues that had threatened to scuttle the talks.

Republicans were desperate to avoid another bruising shutdown. They tentatively agreed to far less money for President Donald Trump’s border wall than the White House’s $5.7 billion wish list, settling for a figure of nearly $1.4 billion, according to congressional aides.

That means 55 miles of new fencing — constructed through existing designs such as metal slats instead of a concrete wall — but far less than the 215 miles the White House demanded in December. The fencing would be built in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.

“We reached an agreement in principle,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., appearing with a bipartisan group of House and Senate lawmakers who concurred.

“Our staffs are just working out the details,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y.
Sounds good, right?

But the devil is in the details. The devil in question here is, who else?, President Trump. Let's read the fine print:

Asked if Trump would back the deal, Shelby said: “We believe from our dealings with them and the latitude they’ve given us, they will support it. We certainly hope so.”

I'm going to need a lot more that "we certainly hope so." This is Trump with whom we are dealing. He must create another crisis.

Why would he go along with it? If he does, the Ann Coulters of the world will be screaming for neck and carp about a primary challenge. 

Of course, a government shutdown would be insane. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. If Trump wants to make Pelosi even more popular by all means, but he will hurt a lot of people in the process many of whom have already been greatly harmed.

He could impose an emergency order which would immediately be put on hold by the courts. Trump could at least tell us supporters that he's fighting for the wall. But I suspect that if Trump had the authority to impose an emergency order then he would have done so already. 

It would be prudent if Trump were to agree to this deal and then make fun of Democratic presidential candidates on Twitter. But to paraphrase Ike & Tina Turner, Trump never makes anything easy or nice. There's a very good chance that we're in for another bumpy ride.

Omar To Share Stage With Man Who Praised The Killing of Jews

Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has a funny way of being "unequivocal" in her apology for writing anti-Semitic tweets.

Later this month, on February 23rd, Omar will share a stage in Tampa Bay with Yousef Abdallah of Islamic Relief USA who has praised the killing of Jews:

Abdallah, who serves as Islamic Relief USA's "operations manager," shared a "very beautiful" modernized version of a Palestinian folk story about a 'resistance hero' named Zharif al-Tawl, who took revenge against Jewish "gangs" - which had purportedly attacked a Palestinian village - by providing guns to "kill more than 20 jews" and "fire rockets at Tel Aviv."
Other posts referred to Jews as "stinking," and claim "the Jews put the outside wall of Al Aqsa [the mosque in Jerusalem] on fire." Abdallah also 'liked' a comment on his Facebook post that calls on God to wreak "revenge on the damned rapists Zionists. O God they are no challenge for you . Shake the Earth beneath their feet and destroy them as you destroyed the peoples of ʿĀd, Thamud and Lot."

If it is Omar's intention not to offend Jews in the future then it would be a good idea not to share a stage with an anti-Semite who supports violence against Jews.

Should Omar proceed with her appearance at this gathering then it is incumbent upon Nancy Pelosi to strip her of her committee assignments or perhaps even expel her from the Democratic Party caucus.

Omar Apologizes For Anti-Semitic Tweets After Pelosi Lays Down The Law

Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar apologized for anti-Semitic tweets after being publicly rebuked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and members of the House Democratic leadership. Pelosi wrote:


We are and will always be strong supporters of Israel in Congress because we understand that our support is based on shared values and strategic interests. Legitimate criticism of Israel's policies is protected by the values of free speech and democratic debate that the United States and Israel share. But Congresswoman Omar's use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israel's supporters is deeply offensive. We condemn these remarks and we call upon Congresswoman Omar to immediately apologize for these hurtful comments.


Not long after Pelosi's admonition, Omar took to Twitter to issue an apology:


Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes. We have to always be willing to step back and think through criticism, just as I expect people to hear me when others attack me for my identity. This is why I unequivocally apologize.


Omar then proceeded to equivocate:


At the same time, I reaffirm the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics, whether it be AIPAC, the NRA or the fossil fuel industry. It's gone on too long and we must be willing to address it.


The only problem Omar has is lobbyists who have views contrary to their own. Nothing would make her happier if these groups ceased to exist, particularly AIPAC and, for that matter, the State of Israel.


Be that as it may, Omar was publicly rebuked and put in her place. The Democratic Party stood firm and acted fast when one of its own engaged in anti-Semitism. If only Republicans did the same with Steve King or President Trump.


With that said, I'm not optimistic that Omar has learned her lesson and there will come a time her anti-Semitism will come to the fore once again. Should this come to pass, Pelosi will have to impose far stricter measures against Omar. These measures would consist of stripping her of her Committee responsibilities, suspending or entirely expelling her from the Democratic Party caucus altogether.

Chelsea Clinton Calls Out Ilhan Omar For Anti-Semitic Tweets

Chelsea Clinton took Minnesota freshman Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to task for some anti-Semitic tweets she composed today.

Omar responded to a tweet by Glenn Greenwald who had criticized House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for calling out the anti-Semitism of Omar and Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib proclaiming, "It's all about the Benjamins," - an obvious reference to $100 bills and the classic trope about Jews and money.

Batya Ungar-Sargon, the editorial page editor of the Jewish Daily Forward, replied: ‘Would love to know who Omar thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel, though I think I can guess." Omar took the bait and tweeted, "AIPAC."

Enter Chelsea Clinton who tweeted, "Co-signed as an American. We should expect all elected officials, regardless of party, and all public figures to not traffic in anti-Semitism."

She subsequently tweeted that she would reach out to Omar's office and "call out anti-Semitic language and tropes on all sides, particularly in our elected officials and particularly now." To which Omar replied, "Chelsea - I would be happy to talk. We must call out smears from the GOP and their allies. And I believe we can do that without criticizing people for their faith. I look forward to building an inclusive movement for justice with you."

Of course, Omar displayed not a hint of contriteness and turned it back on "smears from the GOP and their allies." Some expressed concern that Clinton was letting Omar slide as demonstrated by conservative blogger Ashley Rae Goldenberg who tweeted:

Come on, @ChelseaClinton. You outright said there is a problem with antisemitism on both sides and @IlhanMN clearly said she only cares about what she can do to depict it as only a problem with the GOP. Are you going to hold her to what you said, about “all sides?”

Clinton replied, "Hi Ashley - I am looking forward to talking to the Congresswoman about the cancer of anti-Semitism in our country and why her comments trouble me and more."

Good for her. Granted, I don't think it will change Omar's mind one bit. But unlike Britain's Labour Party, prominent Democrats are speaking up about anti-Semitism when it comes from among their own ranks.

With that said, I do wish House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would sanction Omar for her behavior possibly including expelling her from the party's caucus or at the very minimum strip her of committee assignments.

Sooner or later, Pelosi will have to act because somehow I don't think this will be the last time Ilhan Omar tweets out her anti-Semitic beliefs.

Klobuchar's Temper Towards Staff Raises Red Flag After Presidential Announcement

As widely expected, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar entered the 2020 Democratic presidential field today making her announcement during a snowstorm.

Klobuchar's announcement come several days after a story in The Huffington Post and BuzzFeed documented her abuse towards her staff. An excerpt from the HuffPost:

But some former Klobuchar staffers, all of whom spoke to HuffPost on condition of anonymity, describe Klobuchar as habitually demeaning and prone to bursts of cruelty that make it difficult to work in her office for long.

It is common for staff to wake up to multiple emails from Klobuchar characterizing one’s work as “the worst” briefing or press release she’d seen in her decades of public service, according to two former aides and emails seen by HuffPost.

Although some staffers grew inured to her constant put-downs (“It’s always ‘the worst,’” one said sarcastically, “‘It was ‘the worst’ one two weeks ago”), others found it grinding and demoralizing. Adding to the humiliation, Klobuchar often cc’d large groups of staffers who weren’t working on the topic at hand, giving the emails the effect of a public flogging.

The BuzzFeed story described an incident where Klobuchar threw a binder which hit a staffer although not intentionally. A follow up story by the HuffPost reports that former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had taken Klobuchar to task about her temper in 2015.

Instead of being concerned about such behavior, left-wing activists play the gender card and become downright Trumpian. Case in point is author Amy Siskind:

These attacks from anonymous sources on Amy Klobuchar are a bunch of gendered bullshit. On any given day at the White House, Trump is doing ten times worse, but for him he’s a “strong man.” Women reporters you especially should know better. This is no better than is she likable.

In other words, Klobuchar is above criticism because she is a woman and because Trump is worse. Yes, Trump is a horrible boss who humiliates his staff and has a high turnover rate. But do we really want to elect a President who humiliates her staff, has a high turnover rate and throws things at people? That's workplace violence. If someone did that at any workplace in this country then they would be fired on the spot. 

It troubles me that left-wing activists who would tolerate such behavior from the Senator because she happens to agree with their point of view. Surely they can do better than this?

It also well worth noting that Klobuchar hasn't denied the allegations against her. After making her presidential announcement Klobuchar told reporters, “Yes, I can be tough, and yes I can push people. I have high expectations for myself, I have high expectations for the people that work for me, but I have high expectations for this country.”

There is a very fine line between tough and cruel. If Klobuchar has as high expectations of herself as she does her staff then she might be wise to spare her toughest words for herself.

Another separate but interesting dynamic about Klobuchar's entry into the race would be her interactions with Senate colleague and now presidential rival Kirsten Gillibrand vis a vis former Senator Al Franken. While Gillibrand led the charge in ousting Franken from the Senate amid sexual misconduct allegations, Klobuchar defended her fellow Minnesotan and publicly stated in April 2018 that Franken had "a third act." It will be interesting to see if Franken comes up during the Democratic debates and if Klobuchar unleashes her famous temper upon Gillibrand.

Brewers Give Brett Lawrie a Second Chance

Brett Lawrie announced on his Instagram account that he had signed a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. Originally a first round draft pick by the Brew Crew in 2008, Lawrie spent six seasons in the majors playing both third base and second base with the Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland A's and Chicago White Sox. Lawrie was released by the Chisox during spring training in 2017 and has not played professional baseball since.

It is a mystery why Lawrie has been out of the game the past two seasons. The Canadian born Lawrie is still young having just turned 29 last month. Despite being limited to 94 games in his only season with the Chisox, his production was decent (.248 BA, 12 HR, 36 RBI) and he has versatility. The only thing I can think of is that he made enemies and burned bridges somewhere along the way. A portion of his Instagram post seems to indicate that something went awry:

Life has been a little weird for me this past couple years. To be honest, it’s lonely. I worked my whole life to achieve my dreams. I’ve shared a locker room with 25+ me ever since I’ve been 19 years old & I blinked and it all disappeared. I’ve put more effort into finding the people I thought knew what was best for me than any of you could understand.

I do remember Lawrie as a very intense player during his tenure with the Blue Jays and this is likely the crux of the problem as illustrated in the blog Everything Bluebirds after the White Sox parted ways with him:

He was showing flashes of the power hitter that made him such a force in the minor leagues, and he appeared to be Toronto’s 3rd baseman for years to come. After a little while though, you began to pick-up on strange behavioural things with him that weren’t the sort of stuff you’d normally see from a professional ball player. He had a weird energy about him…far too erratic and intense for a sport like baseball. Every little thing he did, whether it be making a routine play at 3rd base or taking the turn at 1st after hitting a single had to be done in this overblown and grandiose style to try and make the play appear that much better than it really was. Lawrie also displayed a temper which quickly earned him a poor reputation amongst umpires throughout the league.

The trade to the A's prior to the 2015 season didn't help Lawrie because the Blue Jays got Josh Donaldson in return. All Donaldson did was beat out Mike Trout for the AL MVP and help the Jays to their first post-season appearance since winning the 1993 World Series. While's Lawrie's .260 BA, 16 HR and 60 RBI were decent they paled in comparison to Donaldson and Lawrie would be sent packing to the South Side of Chicago.

Yet Donaldson exhibited the very same tendencies as Lawrie. Consider this excerpt from an April 2017 Toronto Life article on Donaldson:

For all of Donaldson’s eccentricity, he’s deadly serious on the field. He stalks the diamond with seething intensity, his jersey frequently untucked and dirt streaked, not exactly looking for a fight but not averse to joining one, either. When Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor clocked José Bautista in the jaw during a brawl last May, the blur you saw chasing after Odor, fist cocked, hair flapping in the breeze, was the team’s fiery third baseman. And when then–Los Angeles Angels third-base coach Mike Butcher and Donaldson got into a heated exchange during a game, Donaldson, in full view of the dugout camera, chopped an X at his crotch and invited Butcher to “suck my cock.” In Toronto, a city raised on hockey, this truculence plays well. (His mother, who draws the line at lewdness, did not approve.)

I don't if Brett Lawrie's mother approves of his conduct, but I suspect that if Lawrie hit 30 HR, drove in 100 runs, won an MVP and reached the post-season, he would still be a Jay and the team would be just fine with his intensity.

But what's past is past. Hopefully, this exile from baseball will motivate Lawrie to make the most of his opportunity and rein himself in just enough that he can smell the roses and his teammates can smell them with him.

Could We Please Stop Pretending Elizabeth Warren is Native American?

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren officially launched her 2020 presidential bid at a rally in Lawrence, MA today.

No one is more delighted with this news than President Trump who tweeted, "Today Elizabeth Warren, sometimes referred to by me as Pocahontas, joined the race for President. Will she run as our first Native American presidential candidate, or has she decided that after 32 years, this is not playing so well anymore? See you on the campaign TRAIL, Liz!"

Trump was immediately criticized for making mocking reference to the Trail of Tears, the forced relocation of Native Americans during the mid-19th century which resulted in the deaths of an estimated 4,000 people. It's a dumb thing to for Trump to trivialize the Trail of Tears, but what does the Trail of Tears have to do with Warren? Could we please stop pretending Warren is Native American?

After all, Warren has had to "apologize" for this twice in the past week. First, when she apologized to the Cherokee Nation for undergoing a DNA test last fall to determine any Native American heritage and for a second time when a 1986 card to the Texas bar revealed that Warren had identified herself as Native American. Her second "apology" was particularly galling. Warren stated, "I am sorry for furthering confusion on tribal sovereignty and tribal citizenship and harm that resulted." She didn't confuse anyone. Warren outright lied.

Could anyone tell me how exactly this is any different than when Rachel Dolezal passed herself off as a black woman? This is going to be a problem for Warren from now until the conclusion of her campaign. If Democrats are foolish enough to nominate her they will guarantee Trump a second term.  For all of Trump's lies, he can make mincemeat out of her over one lie told over many decades.

Of course, Trump is going to target any Democrat he faces in 2020, but Warren represents his easiest target by far. As I recently argued, Trump is going to have a much harder time going after Kamala Harris than he would Warren and he has been treading lightly around her.  Whether Harris is the Democrats' best option remains to be seen, but it would seem to me that for all of Trump's lies that Democrats would be wise not to nominate someone with a propensity towards lying and other deficiencies in character.

A Double Dose of Art Carney

Following work, I took the MTA to the Film Forum in The Village to see a double dose of Art Carney - Harry & Tonto (for which he won the Best Actor Oscar in 1974) and the 1977 film The Late Show co-starring Lily Tomlin.

Much to my surprise, there was a standby line outside the theatre for those who wanted to see Harry & Tonto. I was lucky to get a seat in the theater because it was packed. Then again perhaps I shouldn't have been because Harry & Tonto is one of my favorite films and I shouldn't be surprised that others would share that opinion. 

Prior to the film, the audience was treated to a presentation by the Film Forum's program director Bruce Goldstein (no relation). He showed some clips from The Honeymooners and also showed the clip where Carney won his Best Actor award. Two things stood out about that clip. First, the presenter was Glenda Jackson who had won Best Actress the previous year for A Touch of Class. I got to know her when I was a parliamentary intern in London in 1995 when she was a Labour MP so seeing her on screen brought back memories. Second, Carney beat out a who's who of actors - Jack Nicholson for Chinatown, Al Pacino for The Godfather, Part II, Dustin Hoffman in Lenny and Albert Finney in Murder on the Orient Express. Sadly, Finney passed away yesterday and never did win an Oscar despite five nominations. 

For those unfamiliar with Harry and Tonto, it is about a retired teacher and his orange tabby who are forced out of their New York City apartment and proceed to go on the road through Chicago, the American Southwest (Arizona, Colorado and Vegas) before arriving in Los Angeles. The America of the early to mid 1970's was kind of like Carney and his cat - aging, decrepit and trying to get on with life. Although I've watched this movie multiple times this viewing resonated with me because I recognized the benches down the medium of Broadway on the Upper West Side. 

It also resonated with me in that I wonder how long can my Dad and I live in New York City. Oh, the building in which I live might not get torn down. But it could get sold and where would we go? Barring a windfall, there will very likely come a time when I have to leave NYC. What path would I take? Would I stay in the Northeast or would I follow Harry and "go west, old man"? But these days California is every bit as expensive as New York. But for the moment I am in NYC. Unlike last night when I was surrounded by Trump worshippers, this evening I was in more familiar territory among neurotic, left-wing Jews. 

While Carney would receive critical acclaim, there were an array of great actors in this movie - Ellen Burstyn and Larry Hagman being the best known. But there was also Geraldine Fitzgerald, Philip Bruns (who appeared on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and was also the murder victim in the Columbo episode "An Exercise in Fatality"), Barbara Rhoades (who also appeared in a Columbo episodes "Lady in Waiting" and "Identity Crisis"), Chief Dan George (who my mother once met in Thunder Bay), acting teacher extraordinaire Herbert Berghof, a young Josh Mostel (son of Zero Mostel) and a young Melanie Mayron who would later star in thirtysomething. 

Then there was Tonto. Have I mentioned that I love orange tabbies? I'm not a fan of keeping cats on leashes. Most cats who spend any extended period of time on leashes lose their marbles. But Tonto somehow did it. He deserved to win an award as much as Carney.

At the conclusion of Harry and Tonto, a majority of the theater emptied. I opted to stay on and watch The Late Show. I knew that Carney and Tomlin had done a movie together, but had never seen it. Released in 1977, The Late Show is a send up of the film noire pulp detective movie. Carney plays a retired detective who tries to find the person responsible for murdering his former partner while Tomlin plays an eccentric woman who is looking for her cat. I can't help but think that Robert Benton and  Robert Altman were playing a rib on Carney as Tomlin's first line to him was, "Do you like cats?"

Although not as poignant as Harry and Tonto, there is an odd yet sweet romantic chemistry between Carney and Tomlin which fortunately never gets consummated. As with Harry and Tonto, there is a strong supporting cast with William Macy (best known for his work on Maude starring Bea Arthur), Joanna Cassidy, Eugene Roche, John Considine and veteran stage actress Ruth Nelson. But the pace was inconsistent, the chase scene won't make anyone forget Bullitt and there was a lot of no so subtle product placement advertising. Nevertheless, the film is weird enough to see once. 

While Art Carney will always be remembered for playing Ed Norton, his 1970's film renaissance represents a far more dynamic phase of his career.

Albert Finney, R.I.P.

British actor Albert Finney passed away yesterday of a chest infection. He was 82.

An alumnus of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Finney would make his debut on the London stage in 1958. Two years later, Finney would make his debut on the silver screen alongside Laurence Olivier in The Entertainer. The year 1960 also saw him in his first lead role in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. That film would label Finney among a cadre of British actors known as "angry young men."

International superstardom would come in his third film Tom Jones. Released in 1963, it would become one of the few comedies to ever win a Best Picture Oscar. Finney would receive the first of his four Oscar nominations for Best Actor. That year he was beaten out by Sidney Poitier in Lillies of the Field. Finney also failed to win Best Actor for his portrayal of Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express as well as in back to back years in the early 1980's for The Dresser and Under The Volcano. He would also receive a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Erin Brockovich starring Julia Roberts, but again did not win the statue. Finney also appeared in films such as Miller's Crossing, Before The Devil Knows Your Dead and the various Bourne films with Matt Damon. Millennials will likely best remember Finney's portrayal of Daddy Warbucks in the 1982 film Annie. His final film appearance was in the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall. Here is an interview Finney did in promoting this film.

Many lament the fact that Finney never won an Oscar. This very evening, I saw the 1974 film Harry & Tonto starring Art Carney at the Film Forum in NYC. Before screening the film, a video clip of Carney's Best Actor Oscar win was played. This was the year Finney was nominated for Murder on the Orient Express. The other three actors who didn't take home an Oscar that night were Jack Nicholson for Chinatown, Al Pacino for The Godfather, Part II and Dustin Hoffman for Lenny. That's some competition. One must be awfully good to be mentioned among the company of those actors. I'm equally sure Nicholson, Pacino, Hoffman and Carney were honored to be in Finney's company as well. R.I.P.