London Council Cancels Chanukah Celebrations Because It Would "Inflame Tensions"

The local council for the Borough of Havering, situated in East London, has cancelled Chanukah celebrations this year because it would "inflame tensions". The Council issued this statement:

We appreciate this is a hugely sensitive issue but in light of escalating tensions from the conflict in the Middle East, installing the candelabra now will not be without risk to the Council, our partners, staff and local residents.

We would also be concerned with any possible vandalism or other action against the installation.

As the English like to say, what a load of bollocks. British filmmaker Tony Klinger summed it up well:

How shameful, how low can Havering Council go than to limit the public celebration of Chanukah. It is an ancient Jewish religious festival going back over 2,200 years. It is nothing to do with any other religion or anything to do with politics. I ask the question, are other religions to be limited in their public holidays such as Eid or Diwali or Christmas? Is it just our Jewish community who are at risk? There is a name for this – anti-Semitism.

The Jewish community in Havering has done no wrong. Yet its town council is collectively punishing it because it fears a Menorah might be sufficient provocation for vandalism or worse. If this were to come to pass, the fault lies not with the Jewish community but those who commit such acts. 

Today, the Havering Council refuses to display a Menorah. Tomorrow it will ask synagogues to shutter. 

One can only hope Havering is the exception to the rule. Yet I have a bad feeling other town councils in the U.K. may choose to follow Havering's lead.

Oakland Stands With Hamas

On Monday night, Oakland City Council passed a unanimous resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The Council also rejected an amendment to the resolution condemning Hamas for its murder, kidnapping and rape of Israeli and citizens from other countries. 

When the amendment was introduced, a torrent of pro-Hamas and anti-Semitic commentary followed which has gone viral:

"There's not been beheadings of babies and rapings. Israel murdered their own people on October 7th."

"Calling Hamas a terrorist organization is ridiculous, racist and plays into genocidal propaganda that is flooding our media and that we should be doing everything possible to combat."

"I support the right of Palestinians to resist occupation, including through Hamas, the armed wing of the unified Palestinian resistance." 

"As an Arab asking with this context to condemn Hamas is very anti-Arab racist." 

"Question - Did anyone else notice that those who oppose this resolution are old white supremacists?" 

So, we have denial that there have been beheadings and rape and if there was then Israel did it.

We have the argument that criticism of Hamas is racist and aligns with white supremacists. In point of fact, the white supremacists are their allies when it comes to Israel and Jews. 

And we also have overt support for the Palestinian right of resistance up to and including killing Jewish civilians be they men, women or children. When that woman called Hamas "the armed wing of the unified Palestinian resistance" I remember a time when the PLO were declared "the sole legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people." Well, the organizations might change, but their objectives are the same.

California Governor Gavin Newsom replied to the pro-Hamas sentiment at the Oakland City Council meeting, declaring, “Hamas is a terrorist organization. They must be called out for what they are: evil.”

And Oakland, both its City Council and its residents, must be called out for giving aid and comfort to Hamas and its evil. 

New York School Chancellor Minimizes Anti-Semitism & Violence Directed at Teacher Who Attended Pro-Israel Rally

Last week, students at Hillcrest High School in the Jamaica section of Queens rioted and caused property damage because one of their teachers attended a pro-Israel rally.

However, New York Schools Chancellor David Banks is minimizing the incident. Banks claimed the teacher "never in direct danger." He also added:

So many of students who were running or jumping had no idea what was even going on. They were doing what 14 or 15-year olds do. The notion … these kids are radicalized and antisemitic is the height of irresponsibility, and I for one will not accept that at all.

They consume their information through social media. And what they are seeing on a daily basis are children and young people in Palestine … being blown up.

When they all of a sudden saw this image of the teacher that says, ‘I Stand With Israel,’ the students articulated to me they took that as a message that I’m affirming whatever is happening to the Palestinian family and community. That made sense to me.

Excuses, excuses.

If the teacher was never in direct danger, then why did more than two dozen NYPD officers have to be called onto the scene? 

Banks is trying to have it both ways. On the one hand, Bank tells us 'boys will be boys' and that the teens had no idea what they were doing. On the other, he tells us that the students devour social media and that their reaction to their teacher attending a pro-Israel rally "made sense" to him.

If, as Banks claims, the students are consuming their information through social media then isn't it possible the disseminators of his information are anti-Semitic and seek to spread hatred against Jews?

At the end of the day, Banks has sent the message the teacher was never in any real danger and has absolved the students at Hillcrest High School of their behavior. 

All of which means, anti-Semitic violence is now tolerated at New York City high schools and it will happen again. Only next time, Jews are going to be killed and David Banks will have blood on his hands.

The UN Partition Plan for Palestine Was a Two State Solution

It was 76 years ago today that the UN General Assembly voted in favor of the UN Partition Plan for Palestine. On November 29, 1947, Resolution 181 was passed with 33 countries in favor, 13 countries against along with 10 abstentions for the establishment of a Jewish and an Arab state along with Jerusalem effectively being a city-state under international control.

For all of the epithets directed towards Israel as a settler colonial state, the UN Partition Plan was in fact an example of decolonization as Palestine was under British control for nearly 30 years after the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of WWI. 

Indeed, the UN Partition for Palestine was a two-state solution. While the Jews accepted their state, the Arabs rejected it out hand, unwilling to share land with the Jews. It is remarkable to me how many people, especially those who champion the Palestinian cause, are simply unaware of this fundamental fact. Not that it stops pro-Palestinian high school students from trying to lynch a Jewish teacher. 

Had the Arabs said yes in 1947 then there would have been a 75th anniversary of a Palestinian state just as there was a 75th anniversary celebration for Israel this year. 

Whether they refer to themselves as Arab or Palestinian, the simple fact is they did not want a Jewish state in 1947 and they do not want a Jewish state now. In point of fact, they do not want Jews around at all. Indeed, Palestinians are taught to view Jews as apes and pigs. 

Alas supposedly learned people like Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren call for a two-state solution as if it was a new idea. Somehow, I doubt Senator Warren has ever read the UN Partition Plan for Palestine, much less heard of it.

When Greta Thunberg Says "Crush Zionism" She Means Crushing Israel & Crushing Jews

A few days ago, Greta Thunberg, who is best known for climate change activism, participated in a pro-Hamas demonstration in her native Sweden during which she chanted (translated into English), “What are we going to do? We will crush Zionism.”

This is not the first time the 20-year-old Thunberg has made her views on the subject known. Last month, she was pictured holding a sign which read, "Stand With Gaza".

Well, when you stand with Gaza you stand with Hamas.

But when you declare that you will crush Zionism, this means you intend the crush the aspirations of Jews to live in their own state. If you crush Zionism, then you intend to crush Israel.

And if you intend to crush Israel then you intend to crush Jews the world over with the objective of rendering us a second class, stateless people tolerate upon the fickle sufferance of others.

In which case, Jews are in danger of returning to very familiar and treacherous terrain. The danger is augmented when people known the world over give the hatred which drives anti-Semitism the veneer of respectability.

It is every bit as dangerous coming from the likes of Greta Thunberg as it is from the likes of Elon Musk.

Elon Musk Should Not Have Been Welcomed in Israel By Benjamin Netanyahu Nor Anyone Else

Given my recent comments concerning what I view as the stench of Elon Musk's anti-Semitism, I am appalled that he was welcome with open arms in Israel by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

Esther Solomon, editor-in-chief of Haaretz, very nearly took the words out of my mouth when she proclaimed on X (which is of course owned by Musk):

Blatant antisemite & publisher of antisemitism Elon Musk should be persona non grata in Israel. Instead, Netanyahu - plumbing new depths of amoral sycophancy - gifts him a PR visit to the kibbutzim devastated by Hamas. Profane, venal, bilious, both of them.

Netanyahu took Musk on a tour of Kfar Aza, a kibbutz near Gaza which was attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7th resulting in the deaths of 52 kibbutz members with 13 others missing.  

Musk said it was "jarring to see the scene of the massacre." But I do not believe him. In a week from now, he'll like or reply positively to a statement on X from a white supremacist willfully promoting hatred against Jews.

It is also curious that Netanyahu finally visits a kibbutz that was attacked more than seven weeks after the fact. Haaretz journalist Amir Tibon, whose family survived a Hamas massacre at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, took Netanyahu to task over the weekend in an interview with Mona Charen of The Bulwark for not uttering the word kibbutz much less visiting one.

While better late than never to Bibi for visiting a kibbutz which was attacked, taking along a vile anti-Semite like Elon Musk added insult to injury. Frankly, Bibi might as well have invited Rashida Tlaib while he was at it.

Now Elon Musk has spread his brand of anti-Semitism into Israel and Netanyahu aided and abetted him. So too has Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Shame!!!

The Anti-Semitism of an Irish Prime Minister, a BBC Journalist & a New York High School

Since Hamas attack of Israel back on October 7th, we have seen anti-Semitism come out in the open the world over. 

This anti-Semitism has taken many forms. Here are but three examples which have taken place in recent days.

First, is from Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. In response to the release of 9-year old Israeli-Irish hostage Emily Hand, Varadkar issued a statement calling Hand “an innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned.”

As a great many people pointed out, Emily Hand was not lost. She was kidnapped and held hostage by Hamas. Among those who made this point was Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen:

Mr Prime Minister, It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check. Emily Hand was not ‘lost’, she was kidnapped by a terror organisation worse than Isis that murdered her stepmother. Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, and you @LeoVaradkar are trying to legitimise and normalise terror. Shame on you!

Second is BBC "journalist" Jeremy Bowen. While acknowledging he was wrong for blaming Israel for attacking the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, he has no regrets. Bowen said in an interview, "I don't regret a single thing in my report, because I think I'm measured all the way, I don't feel bad at all."

Finally, closer to home, there were the actions of students at Hillcrest High School the Jamaica section of Queens in New York City last week. Upon learning a Jewish teacher at the school had attended a pro-Israel rally, hundreds of students stormed the school in an attempt to physically attack her. Chants of "Free Palestine" were heard as extensive property damage was done to the school. More than two dozen NYPD officers were summoned to the school to quell the riot.

These incidents merely scratch the surface of the overt anti-Semitism which has occurred in the wake of Hamas attack. But they are emblematic of the different ways which anti-Semitism manifests itself.

In the case of Irish Prime Minister Varadkar, we have a statement of denial as to what happened to Emily Hand and why it happened. Surely, had Emily Hand been held hostage by ISIS there would have been no attempt by Varadkar to claim that she had been lost. But when the victim is Jewish, and the perpetrators are Palestinians the facts are whitewashed.

In the case of Jeremy Bowen (and by extension the BBC) although we have an admission of error, it is clear he is not sorry for the error and will not ensure it doesn't happen again. Thus, Bowen does not care about the facts and he and the BBC will invariably falsely accuse Israel of killing Palestinian civilians despite all evidence to the contrary. Then again what can we expect from an organization which prohibited its Jewish employees from attending today's march in London against anti-Semitism?

In the case of the Hillcrest high school students in New York City, we see a mob of children using force and intimidation to physically remove a teacher and cause grievous harm because she peacefully expressed a view about Israel contrary to their own. 

So, what we have is a head of government who is minimizing Jewish suffering, a prominent journalist who engages in defamation and a group of students prepared to use violence and engage in terrorism to exclude Jews from their school.

As long as heads of government and journalists all the way down to schoolchildren persists in these words and eeds, the future does not bode well for Jews wherever we might live.

No Kidney Stone Unturned

I have endured a hellish ordeal over the better part of a month. 

This ordeal began nearly four weeks ago on the morning of October 30th. It was a Monday morning, and I was preparing to start another week of work. 

Shortly after getting out the shower, I felt an intense pain on the left side of my back which would soon travel to my front left side. 

It was a kidney stone.

I am no stranger to kidney stones. Prior to this year, I have had three kidney stones - February 1998, September 2003 and July 2012. The first kidney stone occurred while I was living in Ottawa and other two occurred in Boston. 

But this kidney stone would prove to be a very different beast. 

After informing my manager that I would need to go to the emergency room, I managed to make my way to the T and took the Red Line to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Given my previous experiences, I suspected that I would be filled with fluid, given some pain medication and would be released within a few hours and perhaps take a day or two off of work to rest and recuperate. The problem was the pain kept coming back and coming back and coming back. As a result, I was kept overnight for observation. 

Although both an ultrasound and a CAT scan revealed I had an 8 mm kidney stone, the team examining me thought this was a GI issue. Complicating matters was that I was irregular. Despite my irregularity and feeling a fair amount of pain, I was released from the hospital at about 5:30 p.m. on Halloween and was told there was no reason I couldn't go back to work tomorrow. I had a very strong feeling that I would soon be back to the ER.

Indeed, on the evening of November 1st, the pain was absolutely unbearable. I would return by cab for my second ER visit. This time around I was in the hospital for only three hours or so. Working on the premise that this was a GI issue, I was given some Magnesium Citrate which I was to take in concert with Miralax, Colcate and Senna. I would return home via the T at about 1 a.m. on November 2nd.

Things appeared to be looking up. The aforementioned cocktail helped with my regularity and my pain appeared to have subsided. At about 3 p.m. on November 2nd, I spoke with my landlady and was optimistic about returning to work the following day. An hour later, the pain had once again returned. My landlady seeing that I was in distress offered to drive me back to MGH for my third ER visit.

Still working on the premise this was a GI problem, I was prescribed Bentyl as well as some Lidocaine patches and another bottle of Magnesium Citrate. Once more I would return home at around 1 a.m. on the morning of November 3rd.

I would get another attack before dawn, but the Bentyl helped subside my pain. The rest of November 3rd would be uneventful. I was hopeful that I could rest for the weekend and resume work the following Monday. 

Alas, the relief would be short-lived. By the afternoon of November 4th, the pain was as bad as it had ever been. The Bentyl did not work this time around. Nor did the Lidocaine patches. I also noticed my pain would get aggravated after taking Tylenol. 

So I took yet another cab and along came my fourth ER visit. Unlike my three previous ER visits, the urology team was consulted. After taking yet another CAT scan, the urology team concluded it was in fact the kidney stone which was causing my aggravation and that it would likely require surgical intervention. But before making that determination, they decided to keep me for observation overnight once more. I ended up back in the same hospital room I had been in on October 30th and 31st, but this time in the other bed. 

There was a possibility that surgery would be done as soon as November 5th. However, this was determined not to be feasible. A lithotripsy, which is a procedure to blast out the kidney stone, would be undertaken on November 8th. But there were two catches. First, the procedure was to be done at MGH's day surgery center in Danvers which is about 25 miles north of Boston. Second, I would have to schedule the procedure myself as it was a Sunday, and their offices were closed. Until then, I would be discharged yet again on November 5th. 

So, on Monday morning (November 6th), I had to call the MGH Urology Department to schedule the procedure. I was flat out told that this could not happen without a consultation with a doctor in the Urology Department. Now I had scheduled such a consultation which would have been scheduled to take place on November 27th (tomorrow). However, I made it very clear that we were well beyond the consultation phase, that I had spoken extensively the members of the urology department who were present on the evening of November 4th and morning of November 5th and had already signed a surgical consent form. 

After pleading my case, I was of course proven correct. Surgery would proceed on the morning of November 8th at MGH Danvers by Dr. Dyer. But I had to be there at 6 a.m. This would mean I had would give to make my way to the North Shore on the evening of November 7th and seek overnight accommodations. I called upon my friend Don Hammontree and he and his wife agreed to let me stay at their home in nearby Salem overnight to facilitate this procedure. I have promised them dinner at the restaurant of their choice once I am fully recovered. 

Don drove me to MGH Danvers at the appointed hour on the morning of November 8th. I was seen almost immediately as the procedure itself was scheduled for 7:30 a.m. The nurses felt badly for me when they saw my arms. They were beaten and bruised. I should mention that I am what they call "a hard stick". Drawing blood from me is not an easy task. On top of that, I am queasy as you can imagine. But they were very understanding and made things as comfortable as possible before meeting with Dr. Dyer.

I wish I could say things ended there. Unfortunately, Dr. Dyer could not get to the kidney stone. Thus, she had to put in a stent. I ought to mention that I was given the option of having a stent put as an intermediary measure before the lithotripsy, but I wanted to get it over with and done. The main reason I wanted to avoid the stent because it could be every bit as painful as the stone itself - at least where it concerned urination. Put bluntly, following the procedure, I felt like I was pissing razor blades. I also felt the full impact of the stent when it came time go to the bathroom. All of this was going to continue to happen the hard way.

A second procedure would need to be scheduled and it would be for November 21st - two days before Thanksgiving. This time around the procedure would take place at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. As with my first procedure at MGH Danvers, I would need someone to take me to and pick me up from the facility. Unfortunately, this was not feasible with anyone that I knew. However, I was given the option of contacting a medical transport service at the cost of $200. 

In the meantime, arrangements had been made for me to work from home beginning November 13th until the day before the second procedure. There were the inevitable problems of remotely connecting with my desktop at the office. But the bigger problem concerned my pay. Because I was out for an extended period, I could not claim my regular PTO. 

Instead, I had to apply for both short term disability through my employer as well as paid medical leave through the Massachusetts Department of Paid Family and Medical Leave. The process was complicated as my employer required Dr. Dyer to be very specific about my condition and as a result the letter which she wrote had to be revised on her end several times. As of this writing, this process has not been finalized as Massachusetts is awaiting a response from my employer and it might be some time before I receive any disability pay. 

I am happy to report the second procedure took place as scheduled on November 21st and the kidney stone was blasted. Because of these medical issues, I had to cancel my Thanksgiving plans to my visit Dad in New York. Fortunately, I was able to reschedule my bus ticket for Dad's 83rd birthday next April. I would instead use the Thanksgiving holiday to recuperate from the second surgery. My strength is coming back, and I shall be resuming working from home tomorrow (November 27th). On December 4th, a week from tomorrow, I plan to return to the office after more than a month away.

Naturally, I wish the duration of this illness had been shorter. To be precise, I wish the urology department had been brought aboard sooner. While I understand that there was a possibility there could be another explanation for my pain, the fact that urology was not brought into the picture sooner caused unnecessary delays and a lot of unnecessary pain.

Of course, even if the urology department had been brought into the picture earlier, I don't think it should have been left to me to schedule my first surgery. There ought to be someone on call in the event that patients seen in the ER during the course of the weekend should require surgery during the week in order to coordinate such matters. 

In these respects, I don't think I was well served. Mind you, however, MGH is considered among the best hospitals in the country. What would have happened had I been at a hospital of lesser quality? During my first ER visit, I overheard some of the nurses complain about South Shore Hospital in Weymouth. Last summer, I was having lunch with a friend whose wife has been rather ill. He took her to South Shore, waited 12 hours to be seen and when he tried to plead his wife's case, he was confronted be security and informed he was being kicked out of the hospital. Oh, his wife could stay. But he had to go. They would both leave.

Of course, hospitals are very unpleasant places. During the course of my four ER visits, I shared a waiting room with an Afghanistan military veteran who threatened to shoot people. However, he was well known by hospital staff and one of the guards quickly deescalated the situation. I also shared waiting room with a husband and wife whose relationship was strained because the husband was in constant pain and the wife couldn't deal with it. I also shared a waiting room with a drug addict who demanded syringes and his every other word was fuck. I also shared a waiting room with a young Muslim woman who was aggravating the nursing staff every five minutes as to when her doctor would be seeing her. Despite the nursing staff's best efforts, this particular patient was not amenable to reason.

Given my repeated visits, I did not want to be viewed as a problem. Despite my often-excruciating pain, I did not want to make anyone's job harder and did my best to maintain as pleasant a disposition as possible. For the most part, I succeeded. It also doesn't hurt to have a handlebar mustache as a source of amusement.

Although the worst of it is hopefully over (knock on wood and other solid substances), there will be a follow up ultrasound next month. While this might not result in complications, the hospital bill probably will notwithstanding my health insurance. I suppose I can be grateful all of this is occurring at the end of the year rather than the beginning of next year when my already high deductibles go even higher. Still, these are expenses I would have rather not incurred.

In any case, I can only hope that no kidney stone has been left unturned.

Phillips Says It's "Delusional" To Think Biden Can Beat Trump; It's Delusional That Phillips Thinks He'll Be President

Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips, who is challenging President Biden for the Democratic Party nomination, claimed it is "delusional" to think that Biden will prevail against defeated, former President Trump next year. 

Phillips cited Biden's falling numbers against Trump this month in a piece published today by Politico in which Trump leads in 11 out of 13 polls taken this month. 

On X (formerly known as Twitter), Phillips claimed:

As a member of House Democratic Leadership, I supported and promoted the Biden agenda. I campaigned for him, voted for him, and respect him. But how can anyone read this and conclude he’s positioned to defeat Donald Trump? It’s delusional.

For starters, if Phillips respected Biden he wouldn't be running a vanity project of a presidential campaign that he launched nearly a month ago in the first place.  

Secondly, only one of the 13 polls utilizes likely voters. That was the Rasmussen poll which actually had Biden ahead by 4 points. Eleven other polls use registered voters while the Reuters-Ipsos poll simply surveyed adults. These polls are misleading and not actually representative of what likely voters think.

Thirdly, it is Phillips who is being delusional. While it remains to be seen if Biden can beat Trump again, there is no way in hell that Phillips is going to beat Trump let alone beat Biden. If Phillips believes in these polls so strongly then he ought to check out the most recent Emerson poll. While Trump leads Biden by four points among registered voters, Biden leads Phillips among Democratic primary voters by 64 points.

Hell, Phillips is three points behind Marianne Williamson for cryin' out loud.

Dean Phillips will be but a footnote in American political history. Yesterday, Phillips announced he would not seek re-election to Congress.

His 15 minutes cannot come soon enough.

When I Met Geert Wilders

Two days ago, there was an election in The Netherlands. To the shock of all of Europe, the Party for Freedom led by Geerts Wilders won the most seats in the Dutch Parliament. 

Wilders is a right-wing populist who has reserved most of his ire towards Islam. He wants a ban on immigration from Muslim countries, ban the Koran (which he has compared to Hitler's Mein Kempf) and opposes the construction of new mosques. 

Wilders has been a member of the Dutch Parliament for 25 years and has led the Party for Freedom since 2006. But no one imagined it would be possible for Wilders to actually become the next Prime Minister of the Netherlands.

Although the Party for Freedom won more seats than any other political party, they are far short of attaining a majority. Dilan Yesilgoz, who is leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (a center-right party which had been the main ruling party), stated, "It is up to Wilders to show he can form a majority. I don't see it happening." 

Indeed, her party has formally ruled out being part of a governing coalition with Wilders at the helm. However, even if Wilders doesn't become Prime Minister, he will certainly become more powerful. And then there's always the next election whenever that might come to pass.

On a personal note, I met Geert Wilders in February 2009 when he spoke at the Ahavath Torah Congregation in Stoughton, Massachusetts, a little over 20 miles south of Boston. At the time, I was a Republican and had just begun contributing to The American Spectator although an article on Wilders would not come to pass.

Wilders was promoting his documentary short Fitna which depicted Muslims committing acts of terrorism while quoting the Koran. Wilders appearance came only a couple of weeks after he was denied entry into the U.K. despite being an elected parliamentarian from a then neighboring EU state. 

Unlike other right-wing populists, Wilders' love for Israel was unambiguous. He stated that he had visited Israel more than 25 times and had spent a year volunteering on a moshav on the West Bank. Wilders made it clear he thought little of other right-wing populists in Europe such as the National Front in France as he had done in other fora:

My allies are not [France's Jean-Mari] Le Pen or [Austria's Jorg] Haider. We'll never join up with the fascists and Mussolinis of Italy. I'm very afraid of being linked with the wrong rightist fascist groups.

But by 2013, Wilders was collaborating with Le Pen on an anti-EU bloc in the EU Parliament. 

If nothing else, Wilders is a politician. Although I did not get a chance to ask Wilders a question during the Q&A, I did meet with him following the event and asked him his thoughts about President Obama whose presidency was a little over a month old at the time. Wilders gently told me that he was a guest in the United States and did not think it appropriate to comment on American politics. 

However, by December 2016, Wilders had no problem criticizing Obama for failing to veto a UN Security Council Resolution calling for a halt to Israeli settlements. Indeed, Wilders made a point of stating, "Obama betrayed Israel. Thank God for Trump. My advise (sic) to my Israeli friends: ignore the UN and keep building more and more settlements." Of course, I suspect Wilders would likely become more circumspect on such language should he become Dutch PM.

While I believe there is a critical mass of the Muslim world which seeks to commit murder and mayhem in the name of the Koran, I don't think a democratically elected government can ban the Koran any more than one can ban the Torah or the New Testament. Most Muslims manage to go through life observing the teachings of the Koran without killing anyone. Wilders' proposal to ban the Koran is impractical and I think Wilders knows this to be true. Whether or not Wilders is the next Prime Minister of The Netherlands, I do believe the next Dutch government is going to put significant curbs on immigration and asylum from the Arab/Muslim world.

If Wilders does become Prime Minister, it will be interesting to see if he has the authoritarian impulses of Hungary's Viktor Orban. For his part, Orban praised Wilders' performance as part of the "winds of changes."  I don't think Wilders has Orban's obsession with culture war issues. Unlike Orban, Wilders is pro-LGBTQ and has long argued that Islam is a threat to the LGBTQ community.

It must be emphasized there is no guarantee that Wilders will become Dutch Prime Minister. But if he does, he doesn't give me the same sense of trepidation of an Orban or Marine Le Pen would in the event she is ever be elected President of France. 

Is it because of his friendliness towards Jews? Is it because I met him once for five minutes almost 15 years ago? Yes, on both counts.

Is it possible I could be very, very wrong? Yes, on both counts.

My Memories of Israel's JFK Monument

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas.

JFK was killed nearly 9 years before I was born. But the significance of his assassination was well remembered by my family and passed on down to my siblings and myself. Dad told me how my grandmother lit a candle in honor of JFK on the night of his death. While this is a tradition generally bestowed upon other Jews, my grandmother bestowed the honor upon our first Catholic President without hesitation or reservation.

As time goes on and fewer people who were alive when it happened are still among us, much of the discussion on JFK centers around his assassination, more specifically the conspiracies surrounding it. During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump made a point of connecting Ted Cruz's father to Lee Harvey Oswald. After a brief revolt, Cruz has since rewarded Trump with his undying loyalty.

The more talk there is about conspiracy theories, the less talk there is about the man himself, legacy and what he meant to people the world over.

In the summer of 1988, I made my only visit to Israel. I was there for six weeks as part of tour sponsored by the Canadian Jewish Congress aimed at teenagers who lived in communities with small Jewish populations. 

One of my memories of that trip was a visit to the John F. Kennedy Peace Forest which is situated less than 10 miles from Jerusalem. The centerpiece of this forest is a monument called Yad Kennedy. 

The monument is formed by 51 columns representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia surrounding a bronze relief of JFK and an eternal flame. The encirclement is shaped like a tree stump.

When we sat near the monument, one of our leaders asked us, "Why is this monument shaped like a tree stump?"

To which I replied, "It represents a man cut down in the prime of his life."

This drew a positive response from both the other leaders and my peers participating in the trip.

After all, Kennedy remains the youngest man ever elected President and second youngest to assume the office. Of course, Theodore Roosevelt was a year younger than JFK when he assumed the presidency in 1901 following the assassination of William McKinley. 

JFK was only 46 when he was felled by an assassin's bullet. Had he lived he would have very likely won a second term. It is impossible to know what this would have meant for the Vietnam War and the Cold War. We'll never know if this would have precluded a Nixon presidency or if it would have accelerated it. Perhaps Republicans would have turned to Ronald Reagan years sooner. 

Whatever the case, there was work to be done and the promise of the New Frontier to be fulfilled. Alas this promise would never come to pass. 

ADL President Greenblatt Should Not Be Praising Elon Musk For His "Leadership" Against Anti-Semitism When He's Engaging in It

Anti-Defamation League President Jonathan Greenblatt has been under criticism for praising Elon Musk's "leadership" in combating online anti-Semitism while engaging in anti-Semitism.

Last week, Musk came under fire for praising an anti-Semitic posting on X in support of White Replacement Theory which has prompted several prominent corporations to stop advertising on Musk's platform. 

Indeed, Greenblatt was among those who was critical of Musk:

At a time when antisemitism is exploding in America and surging around the world, it is indisputably dangerous to use one's influence to validate and promote antisemitic theories. #NeverIsNow

However, Greenblatt's tone towards Musk would change when Musk announced he would suspend accounts which used the term "from the river to the sea" and "decolonization" because they "necessarily imply genocide".

Greenblatt replied, "This is an important and welcome move by @elonmusk. I appreciate this leadership in fighting hate." 

This praise of Musk garnered considerable dismay including from ADL Advisory Board Member Peter Fox who wrote an open letter to Greenblatt in The Forward:

I can imagine that leading the ADL in today’s polarized climate is no easy task, to say the least. But aligning with someone like Musk, who repeatedly dabbles in conspiracy theories and white nationalist rhetoric, is a misstep that undermines the ADL’s credibility and core principles.

What Musk called “the truth” on Thursday is the same conspiracy that motivated the Pittsburgh shooter to murder 11 Jews at the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history. This is nothing you don’t already know. Following his vile tweet, Comcast/NBCU, Paramount Global, Apple, Disney, Warner and Lionsgate have all paused advertising on X.

There’s no justification for playing sycophants with an unhinged leader who frequently engages in conspiracy theories and dangerous rhetoric that puts Jews and all marginalized groups at risk.

Fox stopped short of calling for Greenblatt's resignation or offering his own, but he went on to state:

I commend you for trying to walk the tightrope of finding consensus and common ground with problematic public figures. I’m a firm believer in pluralism and dialogue, which includes building relationships with people with whom we disagree.

But Musk consistently violates the basic tenets of decency, integrity and respect that ADL stands for.  There comes a time when it’s just not worth it. And acquiescing to Elon Musk’s ego is certainly not worth compromising the organization’s integrity for.

We can be diplomatic without excusing vile, dangerous antisemitism — especially when it comes from a repeat offender like Musk. He’s not worth giving any further credibility to when he’s repeatedly violated our trust. 

At best, Greenblatt is sending mixed messages. At worst, he is undermining ADL's credibility. Whether this will lead for calls for his resignation remains to be seen for the moment. 

Because the next time Musk amplifies right-wing anti-Semitism (and he surely will) when Greenblatt criticizes him, he will throw his praise back in his face and then renew his threat to sue ADL.  

It also remains to be seen if Musk will actually keep his promise and suspend accounts which use the term "from the river to the sea".

So how should have Greenblatt replied to Musk's post?

Perhaps something along these lines:

"This is a step in the right direction. However, @elonmusk has more work to do where it concerns anti-Semitism. If he is truly committed to combatting anti-Semitism, then he must never again amplify and give comfort or credibility to anti-Semitic posts from white supremacists/nationalists on X."

Of course, I am not the President of the ADL nor am I dealing with the richest man in the world much less the richest man in the world who is threatening a lawsuit against the ADL. 

Perhaps all of this has intimidated Greenblatt and he is throwing Musk a bone. 

But the dog is always going to want more. 

Padres Name Ex-Cardinals Skipper Mike Shildt as New Manager

On Tuesday, the San Diego Padres have named Mike Shildt to be their next manager. 

This hiring probably would have happened sooner if not for the death of Padres owner Peter Seidler last week. His passing cast a pall during an otherwise joyous day for Shildt.

Shildt had previously managed the St. Louis Cardinals. After serving in various capacities with the Cardinals since 2003, Shildt replaced Mike Matheny as the team's manager during the 2018 season. Shildt then guided the Redbirds to three consecutive post-season appearances between 2019 through 2021. The 2021 season included a spectacular 17-game winning streak to clinch a NL Wild Card berth.

Despite this success, the Cardinals shockingly fired Shildt after the 2021 season owing to so-called "philosophical differences". The Cardinals would name Oliver Marmol to succeed Shildt. Although the Cardinals would win the NL Central under Marmol in 2022, they fall all the way to last place in 2023, their first in over 30 seasons. 

Fortunately, Shildt was not out of a job for long. In January 2022, the Padres hired Shildt to their player development staff. Over the past two seasons, Shildt has also occasionally returned to the field as a third base coach, first base coach and bench coach most notably when Matt Williams had colon cancer surgery during the 2022 season. 

Shildt succeeds Bob Melvin who sought greener pastures with the San Francisco Giants following a contentious relationship with GM A.J. Preller. After reaching the post-season in 2022, the Padres underachieved in 2023. They did manage to finish with a winning record of 82-80 and only two games behind the NL champion Arizona Diamondbacks but had to win 14 of their final 16 games to get over that hump. 

There is the question of if the Padres will trade Juan Soto this offseason. Closer Josh Hader will likely be gone to free agency. Can Blake Snell replicate his Cy Young season? 

I suspect Shildt will roll with all of this and work with what he has and motivates the Padres to be a better team with the objective of winning their first World Series in franchise history.

Guillermo "Willie" Hernandez, 1954-2023

Former big league reliever Guillermo "Willie" Hernandez, best known for winning both the AL Cy Young and MVP Awards in 1984 for the World Series champion Detroit Tigers, passed away on Monday at the age of 69. 

Following his playing career, Hernandez had a history of diabetes and heart and stroke troubles and nearly died during a pacemaker procedure in Boston in 2007. 

A native of Puerto Rico, Hernandez signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent following the 1973 season as a left-handed pitcher. After three years in the Phillies organization, the Chicago Cubs acquired Hernandez in the Rule 5 Draft. This meant Hernandez had to stay on the big-league roster with the Cubs or be sent back to the Phillies. 

Hernandez spent 6½ seasons in the Cubs bullpen as a steady if unspectacular presence. In May 1983, the Cubs would return Hernandez to the Phillies in a trade for veteran starting pitcher Dick Ruthven. Hernandez would make 63 appearances out of the bullpen as a setup man in tandem with Ron Reed for closer Al Holland en route to the NL pennant. Although the Phillies fell short in the World Series to the Baltimore Orioles, Hernandez pitched four scoreless innings fanning four batters in three appearances.

Shortly before the conclusion of spring training in 1984, the Phillies traded Hernandez along with first baseman Dave Bergman to the Detroit Tigers for veteran utility man John Wockenfuss and up and coming outfielder Glenn Wilson. 

Few could have expected what was to follow. The 1984 Detroit Tigers began the season with a roar starting out 35-5 and never had a serious challenge in the AL East. While Lance Parrish, Kirk Gibson, Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker were a core part of the offense/defense and Jack Morris, Dan Petry and Milt Wilcox were an above average starting three, it was Hernandez who was the independent variable.

After pitching his entire career in the NL, few AL hitters had seen Hernandez's screwball and were overmatched. Hernandez made a league leading 80 appearances out of the bullpen, logging 140.1 innings pitched striking out 112 while walking only 36 boasting a 1.92 ERA with 32 saves. Hernandez turned the 1984 Detroit Tigers from a great team to a one of the greatest teams in MLB history. For this, Hernandez earned both the AL Cy Young Award and MVP. The only other AL relievers to attain this feat is Rollie Fingers with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1981 and Dennis Eckersley with the Oakland A's in 1992. He would also earn the first of three consecutive AL All-Star Team appearances.

Following his historical 1984 season, the Tigers gave Hernandez a four-year contract extension worth $4.5 million. Hernandez would post 31 and 24 saves for Detroit in 1985 and 1986, respectively. The Tigers would also win the AL East in 1987 though by this time, the Tigers had moved to a bullpen-by-committee approach with Hernandez closing games along with Mike Henneman, Eric King and Mark Thurmond. Hernandez only recorded 8 saves that season. By 1988, Henneman had emerged as the team's primary closer.

After a poor season in 1989 in which he posted a ghastly 5.74 ERA, the Tigers released Hernandez. Comeback attempts with the Oakland A's, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees but would never pitch in another MLB game. In 744 career appearances, all in relief, Hernandez compiled a 70-63 record with a 3.38 ERA with 147 saves. In 1044.2 innings pitched, Hernandez struck out 788 batters while walking 349. 

Rosalynn Carter, 1927-2023

Earlier this afternoon I read about former First Lady Rosalynn Carter's passing at the age of 96. 

Carter had entered hospice care 48 hours earlier as a result of dementia which her family announced last May. 

She was married to former President Jimmy Carter for 77 years.

Of course, Carter made public contributions in her own right focusing on mental health both in her capacity as First Lady of Georgia and later as First Lady of the United States. Aside from Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rosalynn Carter is probably the most notable First Lady in American history given that she would represent President Carter aboard as she did when she led the U.S. delegation to Pope Paul VI's funeral in 1978 as well as acting as an envoy in Latin America. Of course, she was an equal partner in the work of the Carter Center and in Habitat for Humanity. 

Yet she was married to Jimmy Carter as long as most people are alive. Keep in mind that former President Carter himself has been in hospice care since February and somehow hung on to reach his 99th birthday last month. He has shown a very remarkable constitution. However, now that he has lost his wife of more than three quarters of a century, it is difficult to see how much longer he can carry on. Under the circumstances, it would not come as a shock if he were to join Rosalynn beyond the sky in only a matter of days. R.I.P.

The Stench of Elon Musk's Anti-Semitism

It's no secret Elon Musk is an anti-Semite because he keeps telling us he is one. 

However, in view of Hamas' attack against Israel and the surge of anti-Semitism in the United States and the around the world, his willful promotion of hatred against Jews gets more dangerous every time he marks his spot on X.

On Wednesday an X user who goes by The Artist Formerly Known as Eric stated:

Okay. Jewish communities have been pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them. I'm deeply disinterested in giving the tiniest shit now about western Jewish populations coming to the disturbing realization that those hordes of minorities that support flooding their country don't exactly like them too much. You want truth said to your face, there it is.

To which Musk replied: 

You have said the actual truth.

Of course, none of it is true and all of it is defamatory which is precisely the point.

When one says Jewish are promoting hatred against whites what is actually being said is the old blood and soil argument that Jews aren't white and therefore deserve everything that is coming to them.

And Elon agrees.

When the richest man in the world openly promotes anti-Semitism at a time when anti-Semitism is already surging, he is throwing gasoline onto the fire.

There are some companies who cannot stand the stench of Musk's anti-Semitism. Companies like Disney, Paramount, Comcast, Lionsgate and Warner Bros. Discovery have pulled their advertising from X.

In another time, Musk might have been contrite or at least attempted an apology. On the contrary, Musk is now threatening to file "a thermonuclear lawsuit" against these companies who have the temerity to choose to discontinue their advertising with X in the name of freedom of speech. Of course, X isn't entitled to advertising dollars. These companies are free to choose whether to advertise with his platform or not.

Of course, this threat of a lawsuit is little more than sound and fury. Musk threatened legal action against the Anti-Defamation League back in September and nothing came of it. Next thing you know he'll threaten to sue the Biden Administration for criticizing him. The threat is but to distract from the fact that Musk is an anti-Semite and is using his platform to spread anti-Semitism. It is kind of anti-Semitism which resulted in the massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh five years ago.

And he will continue to do so even if it means Jews are murdered.

Why We Shouldn't Believe George Santos When He Tells Us He Isn't Running For Re-Election

Shortly after the release of the House Ethics Committee Report, New York Republican Congressman George Santos announced he will not seek re-election. 

However, given his propensity for lying, I am not inclined to believe Santos.

After all, when all his lies came to the surface before being sworn into Congress in December 2022, Santos told New York Republicans he wouldn't seek a second term only to announce he would seek re-election in April 2023. 

Yes, Santos has been indicted under 23 federal charges. Still, that's a quarter of the federal and state charges against defeated, former President Trump and this isn't deterring him one iota. Granted, only Trump can be Trump. But Santos is nothing if not brazen when it comes to lying with (among many other things) his repeated claims he is "Jew-ish."

We should not be shocked if (and probably when) George Santos announces he will run for re-election after all.

If Young People Stand With Hamas, Then We Shouldn't Be Surprised They Stand With Bin Laden

Much has been made about Osama bin Laden's 2002 "Letter to America" going viral on TikTok with many of its young users standing in agreement with the late al Qaeda leader and for understandable reasons. 

After reading bin Laden's letter, one TikToker claimed, "everything we learned about the Middle East, 9/11, and 'terrorism' was a like." That video garnered nearly 1 million views.

Another TikToker, in a video with 100,000 plus views, stated, "If we're going to call Osama bin Laden a terrorist, so is the American government."

Other TikTokers said of bin Laden, "He was right."

So, what exactly was bin Laden "right" about? 

As you can imagine much of bin Laden's rhetoric is directed against Jews and Americans for supporting Israel. Case in point:

          Why are we fighting and opposing you? The answer is very simple:

(1) Because you attacked us and continue to attack us.

a) You attacked us in Palestine:

(i) Palestine, which has sunk under military occupation for more than 80 years. The British handed over Palestine, with your help and your support, to the Jews, who have occupied it for more than 50 years; years overflowing with oppression, tyranny, crimes, killing, expulsion, destruction and devastation. The creation and continuation of Israel is one of the greatest crimes, and you are the leaders of its criminals. And of course there is no need to explain and prove the degree of American support for Israel. The creation of Israel is a crime which must be erased. Each and every person whose hands have become polluted in the contribution towards this crime must pay its price and pay for it heavily.

For starters, the British did not "hand" over Palestine to the Jews. The United Nations General Assembly voted to establish a Jewish and an Arab state in 1947 under the auspices of the UN Partition Plan. This is also known as UN Resolution 181. The long and the short of it is that the Jews said yes and the Arabs (now the Palestinians) said no.

Of course, the facts are immaterial to bin Laden. In bin Laden's view, the State of Israel is a crime and Americans must die because of their support for it just as Hamas killed Jews for living in a Jewish homeland. 

As appalling as it is to know there are young Americans praising Osama bin Laden, we shouldn't be surprised. If young people in this country are cheering on Hamas for killing Jews is it really a stretch of the imagination that young people who find solidarity and solace with the man responsible for 9/11? While their organizational objectives might be different both organizations are fine with murdering Jews and killing Americans for allegedly aiding and abetting Jews.

Most frightening of all is that within 20 to 25 years, barring a sea change in attitude, these pro-Hamas and pro-al Qaeda sentiments will become mainstream opinion in the United States or what is left of it.

The Palestinian Flag is Being Flown in North Andover, Massachusetts Until December 7th

On Monday night, the Select Board in North Andover, Massachusetts approved a proposal to fly the Palestinian flag over the North Andover Town Common through December 7th. 

These days shall live in infamy.

The Select Board claims this is a free speech issue. But alas no Israeli flag will be allowed to fly over the North Andover Town Common because the town now prohibits its residents from requesting to fly flags in the Common. 

So much for free speech.

Flying a Palestinian flag in the town square is akin to flying an ISIS flag or a Nazi flag. 

I cannot imagine the North Andover Select Board would have entertained a proposal to fly either flag. But a Palestinian flag is evidently O.K.

It tells the Jewish community of North Andover they are not welcome. 

Contrary to their claims, if one flies the Palestinian flag then the Select Board of North Andover condones kidnapping and murder of Israeli civilians by Hamas.

Of course, anti-Semitism is everywhere in America. If it can be found just down the road at Harvard University, then it can be found 25 miles north of Boston and all points between and beyond.

For shame.

If The March For Israel Was a Hate Rally Then What Does Make Pro-Hamas Marches?

I was heartened to hear nearly 300,000 people attended the March for Israel in Washington, D.C. yesterday. 

Had I been there I suspect I would have felt better than I did when I attended the Anti-Semitism March and Rally in New York City in January 2020. That rally occurred amid a wave of violent anti-Semitic attacks against Jews in New York and New Jersey. 

Now Israel is under attack and a critical mass of the world has chosen to proudly display its hatred of Jews. 

A friend of mine who lives in the D.C. area estimated that 4% of the U.S. Jewish population was in attendance. Mind you, there were many non-Jews in attendance. Still there was a safety in numbers that has not existed for Jews since Hamas' attack on October 7th. 

With this much hatred towards Jews, there were bound to be those who objected to the march. Sadly. some who object the strongest are Jews. Case in point: Dave Zirin of The Nation:

It was a political event like nothing I’ve seen in two decades of covering rallies in this town. In the incessant calls to keep bombing Gaza, it was a celebration not just of war but of war crimes. (Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David) Friedman’s joy over such a showing is not surprising. What turned the stomach was watching the leadership of the Democratic Party—Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Hakeem Jeffries—join in the revelry just hours before Israel Defense Forces captured Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital, and it came amid another round of killing civilians and targeting journalists trying to show these horrors to the world. 

No, what is stomach turning is accepting Hamas propaganda at face value. Of course, the BBC fell for it yet again and evidently so did Zirin. 

If yesterday's March for Israel was a hate rally and celebration of war and war crimes, then what does make pro-Hamas marches?

What of the pro-Hamas marchers in Sydney, Australia who chanted, "Gas the Jews!!!"?

What of the pro-Hamas supporters who chanted, "We are Nazis and we are proud!!!" on the Paris Metro?

What of the pro-Hamas marchers in London who threw projectiles and shouted anti-Semitic statements at Jews leaving a synagogue near Abbey Road Studios?

Then again, Dave Zirin was among those Jews arrested at the U.S. Capitol last month demanding a ceasefire without a care in the world for hostages being held by Hamas?

Well, I guess Hamas are Dave Zirin's kind of people.

Sunak Sacking Braverman as Home Secretary & Bringing Back Cameron as Foreign Minister is Bad News For Israel

Most people were not particularly shocked when U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sacked Home Secretary Suella Braverman on Monday. 

However, people were tremendously shocked when Sunak shifted James Cleverly from Foreign Secretary to Home Secretary and then appointed former Prime Minister David Cameron his new Foreign Secretary. This required Cameron to be appointed to the House of Lords.

There is no question that Braverman says many dubious things and is not known for her prudence. After all, Braverman had been forced to resign as Home Secretary a little over a year ago by then Prime Minister Liz Truss for sharing an official document with another MP using her personal email. However, Sunak saw fit to reappoint Braverman less than a week later.

Braverman is known for her overwhelming desire to send asylum seekers to Rwanda and recently described homelessness as "a lifestyle choice." This is cruelty for the sake of cruelty. In which case, she might be more aptly named Cruella than Suella. 

However, the Palestinians are rapidly becoming the third rail of British politics. In an editorial for the Times of London, Braverman accused London Metro Police of favoritism towards pro-Hamas demonstrators despite their blatant anti-Semitism. Braverman described these demonstrations as "hate marches". Indeed, some of these pro-Hamas demonstrators confronted Jews leaving a synagogue in the St. John's Wood neighborhood in the northern part of London near Abbey Road Studios by shouting anti-Semitic sentiments and spraying smoke in their direction. 

For once, Suella Braverman told the truth. But it was a truth which cannot be heard. For this, she has been banished - for now.

Sunak's appointment of Cameron not only reeks of desperation, but it is a reminder of Cameron's anti-Israel views. In July 2010, while on a state visit to Turkey, Cameron condemned Israel's blockade of Gaza describing it as a "prison camp." Mind you, Cameron made no mention of the fact the blockade has been jointly administered by Israel and Egypt nor did he hold Hamas responsible for bleak conditions in Gaza. 

Frankly, with Cameron in charge of Foreign Affairs, we can expect far more hectoring of Israel while humanizing Hamas. In so doing, Sunak risks losing ground on his pro-Israel credentials to Labour Party leader Keir Starmer despite the fact that Starmer has his own problems with anti-Semitism within his ranks as the cancer of Corbyn does not so quickly recede. 

Both Espada and Murphy Have Big Shoes to Fill As New Managers for Astros & Brewers

Two new MLB managerial hirings to note with the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers.

Both teams took the internal route with the Astros hiring bench coach Joe Espada who succeeds Dusty Baker who retired after the 2023 season. Meanwhile, Milwaukee has promoted their bench coach Pat Murphy who will replace Craig Counsell who jumped ship to their NL Central rival Chicago Cubs last week. 

Espada has been the bench coach for the Astros since 2018. He began his professional baseball career as a minor league infielder in the Oakland A's, Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Devil Rays organizations over nine seasons in the 1990's and 2000's. His coaching career began in 2010 with the Marlins organization. In 2014, Espada joined the New York Yankees front office as a special assistant to GM Brian Cashman before returning to the dugout for three seasons until joining the Astros.

Espada does not have an enviable task ahead of him. The Astros have reached the ALCS for seven consecutive seasons under A.J. Hinch and Dusty Baker winning four AL pennants and two World Series titles albeit one which deserves an asterisk. If the Astros fail to make the ALCS during his first two seasons in the dugout, then I don't think he'll be back for a third. 

Murphy is not without similar pressures. No, the Brewers have never won a World Series. However, Counsell is the franchise's winningest manager and took the team to five post-season appearances. Murphy does have previous big league managerial experience when he served as interim manager for the San Diego Padres after the team fired Bud Black in the middle of the 2015 season. The Friars went 42-54 under Murphy. 

Following the 2015 season, Murphy joined the Brewers coaching staff at the behest of Counsell whom had been coached by Murphy at Notre Dame. Before joining the Padres organization in 2010, Murphy had spent more than 20 years on the collegiate circuit with Notre Dame and later Arizona State University. Murphy was briefly a minor league pitcher in the Padres organization in 1983 before pitching with the independent Tri-Cities Triplets in 1985 and 1986 before turning his attention to college baseball. The jury is still out on whether a college baseball coach can make it in MLB. Will Murphy break new ground? Or will he be another Bobby Winkles? Winkles, like Murphy, also coached at Arizona State University, but couldn't translate that success with either the California Angels or the Oakland A's during the 1970's. 

As for the Padres, they now remain the last MLB club without a manager. However, a decision is expected this week.

Scott Drops Out of GOP Race; Is DeSantis Next?

Last night, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott suspended his presidential campaign to the surprise of his own staff. 

However, given that Scott barely qualified for last week's GOP debate, the writing was on the wall. 

Scott had nothing compelling to say and when he did say something, it made him look small like when he claimed President Biden had "blood on his hands" concerning Hamas' invasion of Israel. President Biden certainly isn't viewed this way in Israel.

As to the future, Scott denies wanting to be Trump's VP, I viewed his presidential campaign as little more than a bid to be Trump's number two:

While it is more likely than not that Trump will pick a woman to be his running mate (i.e. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kari Lake, Kristi Noem or perhaps even someone like Marsha Blackburn) I don't think it is beyond the realm of possibility that Trump could pick an African-American male like Scott to be his running mate. Aside from the fact that his profile will be increased considerably, should Trump pick Scott it could offset accusations of racism which have often been leveled at Trump. I think Haley is out of the picture because Trump does not perceive her as being loyal. At this point, Trump does not have such a problem with Scott. 

Following January 6th, Haley briefly broke with Trump. By contrast, Scott said that Trump "is the one person I don't blame" for the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Who do you think Trump would rather have as his running mate?

Let me put it this way. If Trump asked Scott to be his running mate, I don't think he would say no even with the chance Trump supporters would prepare a noose for him if he ever went astray. Yes, I understand the racial connotations and so do Trump supporters.

So where does this leave the rest of the GOP field?

Prior to the first GOP debate back in August, I stated point blank that they don't matter.  

Indeed, one must ask will any of them make it to Iowa?

Well, Chris Christie's focus is New Hampshire so he'll stick around. Nikki Haley has gained ground. Not nearly enough to supplant Trump, but she won't drop out until before South Carolina. Haley can ill afford to lose to Trump by 30 points on her home turf. But as long as Haley is around, Vivek Ramaswamy (or Ramaslimy depending upon your point of view) will nip at her heels and continue to be a pest. Ramaswamy will only exit when it is down to him and Trump. 

This leaves Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as the most likely GOP presidential aspirant to drop out. He might stick around for Iowa as their GOP Governor Kim Reynolds recently endorsed him. But Reynolds word has less standing in Iowa than that of Trump so that likely to put him ahead of Trump much less Haley or Ramaswamy. 

If I were to venture to guess, I think DeSantis drops out before NH. After all, DeSantis is best known in the Granite State for sicking his security on a 15-year old boy asking him questions. If DeSantis can't handle questions from a 15-year-old boy, then how can he handle Trump's barbs much less saber rattling from Russia and China?