Israelis Passengers & One Brave Indian Pilot Avert Another October 7th In The Air

One week away from the third anniversary of the October 7th attacks, it can be said that the Israeli passengers aboard and Indian born pilot on Flydubai FZ Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv prevented another October 7th and quite possibly another 9/11.

The pilot, identified as Captain Smit Machchhar was repeatedly stabbed by his co-pilot in an effort to crash the plane. Despite his wounds, Captain Machchhar managed to open the door thus allowing several Israeli passengers to access the cockpit and subdue the assailant and quite possibly getting the plane back under control. All of this happened as the plane plummeted 18,000 feet in 90 seconds. Eventually, two other pilots who were aboard the plane would make a safe landing in Saudi Arabia.

Of course, Jew hatred runs so deep there were invariably charges of a false flag operation. At heart, these people are conspiracy theorists and anti-Semitism is the world's oldest conspiracy theory. So, conspiracy theorists are going to spread conspiracy theories. Unfortunately, with AI accelerating the internet these conspiracy theories are going to spread faster than they can be debunked. 

The important thing is that everyone aboard survived.

This is good news and good news is in short supply.

Red Sox Overmatched By Yankees in AL Wild Card For Second Year in a Row

To quote the late Yogi Berra, "It's deja vu all over again."

For the second year in a row, the Boston Red Sox were overmatched in the AL Wild Card Series by the New York Yankees. 

Only this time it was worse. A year ago, the ALWC went the full three games.

This year the Yankees swept the Red Sox outscoring them 18-2.

Yankees ace and likely 2026 AL Cy Young Award winner Cam Schlittler was a big part of the deja vu as he fanned 10 batters in 6.1 innings pitched while Ben Rice hit 2 HR and knocked in 6 runs en route to a 9-0 win in Game 1. Both Yankees are natives of Massachusetts.

Things looked better tonight. In the middle of the sixth inning, the Yankees were up 2-1 with the Red Sox scoring their first run of the ALWC on a solo HR by Wilson Contreras. But then the Yankees scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth highlighted by a 3-run HR by Cody Bellinger who had 4 RBI tonight. The Sox would score one other run on a solo HR by Nick Sogard in the 8th inning. But the Red Sox simply could not put together a rally.

Methinks that Red Sox manager Chad Tracy didn't help matters by lifting starting pitchers Peyton Tolle and Sonny Gray before five innings were in the book and with gas in their tanks. Of course, it might not have made a difference. Tracy could have left them in and had either of them been lit up, Red Sox Nation would demand to know why he didn't lift his starters.

In the grand scheme of things, it is a small miracle the Red Sox reached the post-season at all given the early dismissal of Alex Cora and having the worst record in the AL in late June. Tracy exceeded all expectations in the regular season and justly earned a chance to manage the team on a full-time basis.

However, in this series, the Yankees were once again the better team. 

The Bronx Bombers advance to the ALDS against the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays starting Friday evening in St. Petersburg. In the other ALDS, the Chicago White Sox will face the AL Central champion Cleveland Guardians after sweeping the Houston Astros in their ALWC matchup.

As always, anybody but the Yankees.

Maine Democrat Senate Candidate Jackson Scolds Jews for Not Using Term Genocide re: Gaza

Maine Democrat Senate candidate Troy Jackson got himself in hot water yesterday for lecturing his state's tiny Jewish population for not being prepared to use the term "genocide" where it concerns Gaza:

It’s unfortunate that there are people here in Maine that don’t like to use that term only because they’re Jewish and what that means to them with the Holocaust. It fits that description, and it is [a genocide].

Jackson would "apologize" for his remarks today:

I believe what’s happening in Gaza is genocide, and I also understand that word carries particular weight for many Jewish families given the Holocaust—the genocide of six million Jews. In trying to acknowledge that, I misspoke and made a generalization about Jewish Mainers’ views that doesn’t reflect what I meant to say.

Yeah, whatever.

Jews comprise less than 1.5% of the population in Maine. That's fewer than 20,000 people. Jackson knowingly and willingly saw fit to scold and publicly shame Jews in his state for being unwilling to accuse Israel of committing genocide.

Jackson is entitled to his opinion, but he is not entitled to his facts. 

To accuse Israel of genocide is to willfully ignore Hamas' genocidal intentions and actions.

To accuse Israel of genocide is to willfully ignore Hamas imbedding themselves within Gaza's civilian population.

To accuse Israel of genocide is to deliberately not making any distinction between Hamas and the civilian population.

To accuse Israel of genocide is to deliberately ignore Israel's efforts to pour in food aid which is stolen by Hamas.

To accuse Israel of genocide is to willfully ignore the fact that Gaza's population has grown.

It is very clear that Jackson knows nothing about the Holocaust, and I don't think he is willing to learn. A visit to the U.S. Holocaust Museum would be wasted on him.

Troy Jackson isn't interested in the facts where it concerns Israel. He simply wished to pillory Maine's Jewish community.

In so doing, Jackson has given Maine's Jews a reason to vote for Susan Collins.

Burnham Claims of "Strictest Possible Bail Conditions" for Suspects in Iranian Terrorist Plot at RAF Fairford Doesn't Inspire Confidence

Notwithstanding UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham's disclosure that Iran was involved in the plot to attack RAF Fairford over the weekend, he defended the release of the five suspects on bail.

Burnham claimed the five British nationals were subject to the "strictest possible bail conditions."

Sorry, this simply does not inspire confidence.

Of course, based on personal experience, nothing Andy Burnham says inspires my confidence.

If there are people arrested in connection of being involved in a terrorist attack and are known to the authorities, then it is in public interest that these people be held indefinitely. 

There is no margin for error here.

Besides, what the hell does "strictest possible bail conditions" mean?

These men are free and they are free to commit murder and mayhem.

If these men end up being part of a successful terrorist attack on UK soil, then Burnham will not be residing at 10 Downing Street for very long.

Mamdani Fighting Anti-Semitism is Like Asking The KKK to Combat Racism

 

If nothing else, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani has chutzpah.

A man who is one of the leading causes of the rise of anti-Semitism in this country announced a citywide initiative to combat it.

Let's be serious for a moment. I would never ask Mamdani to launch an initiative to combat anti-Semitism. It would be like asking the KKK to unveil a strategy to combat racism.

After all, this is a man who has excused the behavior of anti-Semitic mobs who have blocked entrances to city synagogues, refers to American Jews as "monsters". His rants against Israel have led to Jews being stabbed outside NYC synagogues and congregants being attacked inside NYC synagogues.

As the kids like to say, this is a hard pass.

Schmitt's Creek

 

Missouri Republican Senator Eric Schmitt has become a household name for all of the wrong reasons.

Schmitt, a former Missouri Attorney General, had planned to nail former Special Prosecutor Jack Smith for perjury. In anticipation of this slam dunk, Schmitt's name was bandied about as a running mate for JD Vance come 2028. 

Schmitt asked Smith if he had attended an NBA game between in Atlanta between the Atlanta Hawks and the Golden State Warriors. Smith had no recollection of attending said game nor being in Atlanta. To which, after holding up a sign of Smith with former Fulton County DA Fani Willis and some text messages, Schmitt accused Smith of perjury before calling him a "dirtbag."

The problem was that while Smith was indeed at a basketball game, it was a college basketball game and a women's college basketball game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Iowa Hawkeyes at that. At the time, the Hawkeyes star player was none other than Caitlin Clark. So, the Hawks in question were the Hawkeyes. Also, Smith lives in Maryland.

But even if Smith had been in Atlanta, that would not have established that Smith had met with Willis or her staff. It would have also been peculiar had they conducted their business during an NBA game.

Yet we must keep in mind that Schmitt has demonstrated he cannot discern the NBA from NCAA, men's basketball from women's basketball, Hawks from Hawkeyes and it would seem Steph Curry from Caitlin Clark. How could he discern between Jack Smith being in Atlanta and Jack Smith meeting with Fani Willis? After all, discernment requires diligence and neither Schmitt nor his staff care to exercise it.

And must also keep in mind that he even after his arrogance, dishonesty and hubris was exposed Schmitt kept repeating his lie on The Charlie Kirk Show and with TMZ. So, there will be a portion of the MAGA base who will believe that Schmitt caught Smith in a lie.

Yet I think any aspirations Schmitt might have had to be VP much less President went afoul today. At most, he can either remain in the Senate as a Trump sycophant or perhaps return to Missouri to run for Governor. He'll continue to enjoy the trappings of office and whatever sinecures await after his public service has concluded. But any higher ambitions will be impeded by virtue of being up Schmitt's Creek.

A Belated Thought for PAC

 

Sunday evening came the news of the sudden death of professional wrestler PAC (born Benjamin Satterley) at the age of 40. No cause of death has been released as of this writing though he was found unresponsive in his car outside a restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois. No foul play is suspected.

His passing came less than 24 hours after wrestling in the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) PPV All Out in Chicago in a losing effort against Andrade. 

But what I found really eerie was that PAC was one of many AEW wrestlers who paid tribute to Andy Williams (a.k.a. The Butcher) who passed away earlier this month. 

While there were many emotional tributes to The Butcher, PAC's stood out for its brevity and for saying so much in less than 30 seconds:

We always knew you were an anomaly. Too good for this world. So, Andy, I just want to say I love you, man. And you always made sure I knew you loved me too. I miss you my friend. 'Til we meet again. 

Sadly, PAC and The Butcher have met again and far too soon. 

I first remember PAC during his WWE days when he was known as Adrian Neville and later Neville. The match that I remember best was his shot at the WWE Title held by Seth Rollins in 2015. His skill and commitment to his craft was undeniable. While he was never booked to win the big prize he certainly more than held his own whether as the man gravity forgot when he was cheered or as the Bastard when he was jeered. 

AEW will formally pay tribute to PAC on its programming this coming Wednesday. R.I.P.

My Thoughts on The 2026 MLB Post-Season

 

The 2026 MLB post-season picture is complete. 

Let's begin with the AL.

The Tampa Bay Rays won the AL East. It is their first post-season appearance since 2023 & first AL East title since 2021. With the best record in the AL, the Rays earn a first-round bye.

The Cleveland Guardians won their third consecutive AL Central title. It is the Guardians' third consecutive AL Central title and fourth in five years. Since 2016, the Guardians have won 7 AL Central titles but have no World Series rings to show for it as they are in the midst of a drought which goes back to 1948. The Guardians also get a bye in in the AL Wild Card round.

After missing the post-season a year ago on a technicality, the Houston Astros have won their 8th AL West title since 2017. Granted, the Astros finished with a record of 81-81 with manager Joe Espada not returning to manage in 2027 regardless of what they do in the post-season. To put that into perspective, the Astros would have finished 22 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers were they back in the NL Central where they were from 1994 to 2012. Hell, they even finished a game behind the Pittsburgh Pirates. But the Astros live to fight another day and will face the Chicago White Sox in the AL Wild Card Series.

The Chisox are a remarkable story with their first post-season appearance since the COVID shortened 2020 season. They are two years removed from losing an MLB record 121 games which they did exactly two years ago today. Last year, the White Sox lost 108 games under first year manager Will Venable. To say, the Chisox exceeded expectations would be an understatement. They won 30 more games than they did a year ago. 

Still, I'm sure the Chisox are disappointed they didn't win the AL Central having led the division for most of the second half of the season. Should the Chisox prevail against the Astros they would get another shot at the Guardians. A footnote on the upcoming White Sox-Astros matchup. The two teams faced each other in the 2005 World Series when the Astros were still an NL team with the Chisox sweeping the Astros and earning their first World Series title since 1917.

The other AL Wild Card matchup will see the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees face each other for a second year in a row. The Yankees prevailed a year ago. But this time there's no Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton. But Ben Rice has picked up where they have left off. Still, they face a resilient Red Sox squad which fired Alex Cora in early April and had the worst record in the AL in late June before winning 32 of 37 games. The winner will face their AL East rival the Rays in the ALDs. 

Now let's turn our attention to the NL.

After missing the post-season last year, the Atlanta Braves won the NL East for the 7th time since 2018 under new skipper Walt Weiss. The Milwaukee Brewers set a franchise record 103 wins en route to their fourth consecutive NL Central title and fifth in six seasons. Meanwhile, the defending back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers won their 14th NL West title in 15 years. With 100 wins of their own both the Dodgers and Brewers earn byes in the NL Wild Card round while the Braves will face the Philadelphia Phillies who reached the post-season by the enamel of their teeth.

The 2026 Phillies have had a season for the ages. The team fired manager Rob Thomson after a 9-19 start replacing him with Don Mattingly. Within three weeks, Mattingly had righted the ship. However, the Phillies were on the verge of a 1964 like collapse following a surge from the Arizona Diamondbacks but Mattingly righted the ship once more. If Mattingly navigates the waters against the Braves, the Phillies will face the Dodgers in the NLDS. Of course, Mattingly was Dave Roberts' predecessor at Chavez Ravine managing the club from 2011 to 2015 winning those first three NL West titles. 

The other NL Wild Card matchup will see the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres face each other. As with the Red Sox and Yankees, they will face each other for the second year in a row. The Cubs won last year avenging their collapse against the Friars in the 1984 NLCS. Whoever prevails in this matchup faces the Brew Crew in the NLDS.

So here are the possible World Series rematches.

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2024, 1981, 1978, 1977, 1963, 1956, 1955, 1953, 1952, 1949, 1947 & 1941)

Houston Astros vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2022)

Houston Astros vs. Atlanta Braves (2021)

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2020)

Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2018 & 1916)

Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2017)

Cleveland Guardians vs. Chicago Cubs (2016)

New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2009 & 1950)

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2008)

New York Yankees vs. Atlanta Braves (1999, 1996, 1958 & 1957)

New York Yankees vs. San Diego Padres (1998)

Cleveland Guardians vs. Atlanta Braves (1995 & 1948)

Chicago White Sox vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (1959) 

Cleveland Guardians vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (1920) 

Boston Red Sox vs. Chicago Cubs (1918) 

Boston Red Sox vs. Philadelphia Phillies (1915)

Chicago White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs (1906)

There are two World Series matchups which have not previously taken place which would fascinate me.

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Milwaukee Brewers or San Diego Padres

Should either of these teams face each other in the Fall Classic it would mark the first World Series matchup where neither team had previously won a World Series since 1980 when the Phillies bested the Kansas City Royals to win their first championship.

While I do not follow baseball with the same rigor and enthusiasm, I still keep an eye on the standings and still care who will end up winning it all. It would be nice to attend another Red Sox World Series parade if at all possible. Whatever the outcome, let the games begin tomorrow.

Dan Wilson Won't Manage Mariners in 2027 After Disappointing Season

Prior to today's 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels, Dan Wilson announced he would not return to manage the ballclub in 2027.

After winning the AL West and coming within heartbeat of their first AL pennant in 2025, the Mariners took a huge step backwards this season finishing with a 76-86 record with 14 fewer wins despite only being 5 games back of the Houston Astros. While Randy Arozerena led the AL in runs scored, Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez and Josh Naylor struggled at the plate. Raleigh hit a paltry .177 with 23 HR and 68 RBI. While the power numbers were decent, consider that he finished runner up in AL MVP balloting last year with 60 HR and 125 RBI.

Wilson took over the club in August 2024 following an in season collapse under his predecessor Scott Servais. He had never had any prior managing experience though Wilson had spent 12 out of 14 MLB seasons as the Mariners catcher plus 13 additional seasons in the team's front office. It is unclear if Wilson will return to the Mariners' front office.

Given that Wilson was promoted within the organization, one wonders if Mariners' brass will look for an external candidate and try to lure the likes of former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora. 

Then again even if the Mariners had won the AL West, that might not have been enough for Wilson to keep his job. After all, Astros manager Joe Espada won't be back in the dugout in 2027 despite winning the division. 

Sometimes winning isn't enough. But in Wilson's case it was case of not being able to replicate lightning in a bottle. There was no spark in Seattle this season and Wilson couldn't ignite it.

Angels Lose 100 Games in a Season for 1st Time in Franchise History

The Los Angeles Angels have officially reached their nadir. This afternoon the Angels ended the 2026 MLB season with a 7-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

The loss leaves the Angels with a 62-100 record marking the first time in franchise history that they have reached triple digits in losses in a single season.

Since debuting in 1961, the Angels had 35 losing seasons prior to 2026. Yet the team only had five last place finishes and only three seasons with 95 or more losses. The closest the Angels came to losing 100 games was in 2024 when they lost 99 games under Ron Washington. Their last winning season was in 2015.

Earlier this month, Arte Moreno announced plans to sell the team to Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke.

While this is good news, it could take several more seasons before the Angels are contenders let alone play their home games in a half decent ballpark. This might mean some more losing seasons with the possibility of additional 100 loss campaigns. Perhaps the Angels won't start winning again until after Mike Trout's contract expires following the 2030 season.

Next year will mark the 25th anniversary of the Angels' lone World Series title. That championship seems a lot farther removed and far away than a quarter century ago.

Pirates Enjoy First Winning Season Since 2018

The Pittsburgh Pirates finished the 2026 season on a positive note with a 4-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers. 

This positive gives the Pirates an 82-80 record marking their first winning season since 2018.

I am sure that the Bucs are annoyed that they will have a better record than the AL West champion Houston Astros and have go to home.

Nevertheless, the Pirates are heading in the right direction despite a subpar season from 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes whose ERA nearly doubled. But Braxton Aschraft stepped up with 14-6 record along with a 3.46 ERA in his first full big-league season although he ended the season on the IL. Bryan Reynolds led the NL in doubles while Brandon Lowe led the team with 35 HR and 96 RBI though he is heading to free agency. But Konnor Griffin and O'Neil Cruz still have their future ahead of them.

To give you an idea of how rare a winning season has been for the Pirates, Don Kelly is only the second Bucs manager since Jim Leyland's departure after the 1992 season to lead the club to a winning record. The other is Clint Hurdle who led the club to three consecutive NL Wild Card appearances between 2013-2015 after 20 consecutive losing seasons as well as the 2018 team.

Of course, there is tremendous uncertainty as to whether part or all of the 2027 season will be lost due an owner-imposed lockout. But this is uncertainty is true for all 30 MLB teams. The Pirates might be sailing in choppy waters, but they are afloat.

UK Green Party Leader Polanski Blames Jews for Anti-Semitism

(UK Green Party leader Zack Polanski seated second from left)

Zack Polanski, the leader of the UK Green Party, is seeking a seat in the House of Commons vacated by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The by-election is set for October 8th.

During a candidates' forum last week in the London constituency of Holborn and St. Pancaras sponsored by the Board of Deputies for British Jews, Polanski received a deservedly cool reception when he claimed that Jews are responsible for the rise of anti-Semitism in the UK:

Many genocide scholars around the world recognise it [Israel’s war in Gaza] as a genocide and calling it that is not antisemitic.

And I think, I think as a Jewish community, we need to come together to recognise that when we call that antisemitic, we are making ourselves as Jewish people less safe.

For starters, characterizing Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza as a genocide is certainly anti-Semitic when actual genocides such as China's genocide against Uyghur Muslims or Myanmar's genocide against Rohingya Muslims are ignored. It is also anti-Semitic when the definition of genocide itself is changed for the expressed purpose of justifying such claims against Israel.

If in fact calling out anti-Semitism, be it concerning false accusations of genocide against Israel or any other act which singles out Jews, makes Jews less safe, then that says more about those who engage in anti-Semitic behavior than it does about Jews.

Basically, it's like saying, 'Don't call us anti-Semitic or we will commit violent acts of anti-Semitism against you.'

It's no different than when Elon Musk and Megyn Kelly have publicly blamed Jews for anti-Semitism.

That Polanski himself is Jewish is immaterial. After all, he presides over a party whose candidates openly refer to Jews as cockroaches, justify the October 7th attacks and other acts of violence against Jews such as the Temple Israel attack in Michigan earlier this year.

Despite Polanski's high profile, Holborn and St. Pancaras is Labour's seat to lose. Its candidate is Sagal Abdi-Wali, who is the leader of the Camden Borough Council. For her part, while Abdi-Wali does not identify as a Zionist, she has publicly rejected the notion that Zionism is racism which, of course, Polanski supports. 

But even if Polanski loses the by-election by a decisive margin, the UK Greens have institutionalized anti-Semitism under Polanski's leadership. I suspect this institutionalization is unlikely to change with his successors.

Why El-Sayed Won't Condemn The Iranian Regime

(Screenshot from Instagram)

During a townhall at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed could not bring himself to condemn the Iranian regime after being confronted by an Iranian student named Iman Dashti whose family members were killed and detained by the regime.

Instead of condemning the Iranian regime, El-Sayed turned his ire against the United States:

While I stand with freedom and democratic movements, I also worry that once you start putting our resources toward regime change in foreign countries, more often than not, the regimes that we seek to change are the ones in which there is a natural resource interest, and it becomes a ploy for the interests of our corporations.

This amounts to a copout. After all, it is President Trump who is on public record as stating, "I never cared about regime change."

El-Sayed casually and falsely accuses Israel of genocide but cannot condemn a regime which gleefully murdered their own populace.

Well, it has to do with the fact the Iranian regime has long supported Hamas, another entity which El-Sayed cannot bring himself to condemn. He cannot condemn Hamas because he is Hamas and Hamas is a proxy of the Iranian regime. Thus El-Sayed's criticisms are confined to the United States and Israel. 

For his part, during a subsequent interview on Fox News, Dashti said:

It's so simple. Say it. Just say you're against the world's largest sponsor of terror. Just say you're against the government who's killed hundreds of thousands of Persians and Americans. But he didn't.

El-Sayed didn't because he doesn't care about Persians and Americans. They are not part of his agenda. As I have previously argued, El-Sayed is "an Islamist with a leftist facade."  

Unfortunately, being an Islamist with a leftist facade might get El-Sayed elected to the U.S. Senate.

Verlander Ends MLB Career By Walking Off Field Hand-in-Hand with His Daughter

(Screenshot of Justin Verlander walking off the field for the last time with his daughter Genevieve)

This afternoon, Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander made his 557th & final MLB start at Comerica Park before a sellout crowd against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Verlander returned to the Tigers back in February with the hope that he would help Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez and company get over the hump and earn their first World Series title in 42 years.

But it was not to be. Verlander was plagued with injuries all season, Skubal would be traded to the Dodgers and Valdez did not endear himself to his teammates. The Tigers proved to be one of the biggest disappointments in MLB in 2026. By the All-Star Break, Verlander announced this would be his last season.

Verlander pitched serviceably. In 5.1 innings, Verlander surrendered 2 runs on 5 hits, striking out 6 and walking only a single batter. Unfortunately, when Tigers manager A.J. Hinch came to get the ball from him, the Tigers were trailing 2-0 on account of two solo HRs Verlander surrendered to Brandon Lowe in the fourth and Jacob Gonzalez in the fifth.

But the score didn't matter when Verlander's 7-year-old daughter Genevieve ran out onto the field to give her father a hug. The pair walked off the field hand in hand.

Still, the Tigers didn't want to end the day on a losing note. Enter Tigers DH Eduardo Valencia who hit a walk off HR off Pirates closer Mason Montgomery to cap off a 3-run 9th inning to give Detroit a 4-3 win.

In 557 MLB starts, Verlander went 266-159 with a 3.33 ERA along with 3560 career strikeouts in 3576.2 innings pitched. Those 3560 strikeouts are good enough for 8th place on MLB's all-time list. Although that might not be good enough for Verlander's former Tigers and Mets teammate Max Scherzer who is 9th on the list with 3550 strikeouts. Scherzer is scheduled to start for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Cincinnati Reds on the final day of the regular season tomorrow. He has not made a decision whether he will pitch in 2027 pending a possible lockout by the owners.

There might be uncertainty regarding 2026 and 2027 but come 2032 Justin Verlander will be giving a speech in Cooperstown. By then his daughter will be a teenager. I am sure the pair will walk hand in hand.

Some Thoughts on The Snap Election in B.C.

(From left to right: OneBC Leader Dallas Brodie, CentreBC Leader Elenore Sturko, B.C. Premier and NDP leader David Eby, Interim Conservative Party Leader Lorne Doerkson & Green Party Leader Emily Lowan)

When it comes to politics in British Columbia, if you blink you might miss something. 

Lo and behold, B.C.'s NDP Premier David Eby called a snap provincial election on Wednesday for October 17th - 2 days shy of the last election 2 years ago. 

This election will be part of a busy month in Canadian politics with voters in Quebec going to the polls on October 5th. A fortnight later (and 2 days after the B.C. election) Albertans will vote on whether they want a referendum on separation. 

Eby claims he is calling the election because President Trump presents "an existential threat" to B.C. and to Canada. 

Oh, it's true that Trump is a threat to Canada and its provinces with his desires of annexation. 

But this isn't the reason Eby called the election.

Eby called the election because of disarray in the opposition. Earlier this month, I wrote about the implosion in the B.C. Conservative Party after former federal Tory MP and cabinet minister Kerry-Lynne Findlay became party leader last May. At the time, 9 Conservative MLAs left caucus.

In the weeks that followed, several Tory MLAs were expelled from caucus including John Rustad who came within a heartbeat of unseating Eby's government in 2024. However, Rustad couldn't keep his caucus together leading to his ouster and Findlay succeeding him. Findlay would resign as party leader after only four months on the job last Sunday.

Most of the Tory MLAs who left caucus would join the CentreBC Party including Peter Milobar who would become the party leader. But once Findlay was of the picture, Milobar and most of the defectors rejoined the Tories when Lorne Doerkson was named interim leader. Elenore Sturko remained and, by default, became the new leader of CentreBC.

Got that?

Whatever disarray there was among the Conservatives might be over long enough to unseat the NDP which has been in power since 2017. While recent polls have had the NDP in the lead, a new poll conducted by Angus Reid now gives the Conservatives an 8-point lead. 

Now this poll could be an aberration. But if it isn't then it would voters are angrier at Eby calling an early election under false pretenses than at the chaos with Conservative ranks.

In this day and age, debates don't have the same impact as they once did. But in this instance, the leadership debate could make a big difference. I am not sure if CentreBC's Sturko or OneBC's Dallas Brodie (another ex-Tory MLA) would make the debate stage. 

If they do not make the stage, then the spotlight is on Doerkson. If Doerkson comes off as a reasonable alternative to Eby then the anti-NDP vote could coalesce around him B.C. would see its first Conservative government in nearly a century. 

The wild card in all of this is Green Party leader Emily Lowan. Only 26, Lowan could help siphon off NDP votes to facilitate a Tory win or could win a sufficient number of seats for the NDP ask it once again to form a minority government as it did when the NDP returned to power in 2017 under the late John Horgan.

Actually, there is another wild card scenario should Doerkson and the Tories prevail. The B.C. Conservative Party Constitution does not allow interim leaders to serve as Premier. The Tories can try to change their constitution, but this might very well end up in court. 

As with 2024, I would not want to be a B.C. voter. It would be a question of choosing between imbeciles and morons. 

Whatever the quality of the people running, the election will take place three weeks from today. With everything which has already happened, who knows what could happen by then.

CBC Reporter Taken Off The Air For Exposing Anti-Semitism

Last night, I read a dispatch from Warren Kinsella of the Toronto Sun concerning the decision of the CBC to take journalist Neil Herland off the air for exposing anti-Semitism:

A few days ago, CBC management quietly pulled Herland off the air – because he had documented a newsworthy event. One they apparently didn’t want documented.

On Monday evening, Herland was walking to a Yom Kippur service near where he lives in Toronto. The synagogue service was being held at the Meridian Centre at Yonge and Sheppard Sts. in Toronto by The Song Shul, because a large number of congregants were expected.

Upon arriving, Herland and the other Jewish attendees saw about two dozen protestors blocking the entrance to the synagogue service, waving Palestinian flags and yelling epithets and abuse. The mob yelled “free Palestine” and “Zionist alert” when Jewish congregants came near.

Herland started filming.

One man, wearing a mask, repeatedly yelled “You’re going to Hell” using a bullhorn pointed at Herland and others. Another man screamed “baby killer.” Elsewhere, a woman was called an “ugly Jewish bitch” – and, when the cantor at the service went outside and smiled at a protester, another yelled: “The Jew smiles while he kills babies in Gaza.”

A Toronto Police officer told the cantor to stop “antagonizing” the protestors.

Herland posted his video clip on social media, and it has been watched more than three million times around the world.

In his post on his personal X account, Herland writes: “I’m a journalist. And I happen to be Jewish. On Yom Kippur I went to a synagogue service in Toronto and was met by protesters trying to taunt and intimidate me from entering the building.”

And for this, the CBC sees fit to discipline Herland. On what grounds? Is the CBC claiming his account is false? Or is Palestinian anti-Semitism simply a taboo subject? Is it taboo just like declaring the attacks of September 11, 2001, to be a terrorist incident, an incident also exposed by Kinsella. The CBC sheepishly walked back its policy.

It seems the CBC never learns. At the very minimum, there is a double standard when it comes to Jewish and Muslim journalists describing their "lived experiences". More from Kinsella:

CBC’s actions seem unfair, say CBC veterans who spoke anonymously, because their journalists are explicitly permitted to write about “lived experiences,” just as Herland did. Following the tragic 2021 mass-murder of a Muslim family in London, Ont. – and after a Muslim CBC journalist gave her personal opinion about the terror attack on a national broadcast – CBC’s Ombudsman decreed that no rules were broken.

“We will reinforce that lived experience and being a part of any one community does not constitute a conflict of interest when covering those communities. We will remind all that we value lived experience and community connections in our journalists because it helps us to broaden and deepen our journalism.”

So why do Muslim journalists’ “lived experience … broaden and deepen” CBC journalism, and Jewish journalists’ “lived experience” do not?

My guess is that the CBC will quietly place Herland back on the air rather than explain the double standard. Because there is no explanation they can possibly give. 

Should this come pass, it will only be a matter of time before the CBC engages in a cowardly manner when it comes to anti-Semitism and/or terrorism committed by groups with Islamist ideologies. 

But by removing Herland from the airwaves, the CBC is basically saying anti-Semitism is an acceptable form of political discourse and that Jews ought not to complain about it unless they wish to be disciplined. 

El-Sayed is Basically "Creating Stories" When It Comes To Accusing Israel of Genocide

In an interview on the Raging Moderates podcast yesterday with Jessica Tarlov and Scott Galloway, Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed revealed his thoughts on genocide, the Holocaust and accusing Israel of committing it. After stating the word genocide was created to explain the "murder of 6 million Jews", El-Sayed added:

But the whole point of creating that word isn’t that you have to wait until the crime is that big again to be able to use it, otherwise it loses its power. Its power is in naming a thing before it gets that big, so we could do something about it.

El-Sayed is wrong, of course.

It was Raphael Lemkin who coined the term "genocide" in his 1944 book Axis Rule in Occupied Europe. Although the subject was Nazi rule, it was the mass murder of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during WWI that would inspire Lemkin's work. Indeed, it wasn't until the following year that the world would fully know of Hitler's efforts to exterminate Europe's Jews. Genocide did not become a legal term until 1948 when the UN adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. 

Indeed, the notion that the term genocide loses its power unless you use it is absolute rubbish. Decent people understand the horror of the Holocaust and of genocide. Decent people also understand such words shouldn't be used casually.

El-Sayed has no such reservations. Genocide is indeed a powerful word and in accusing a people of committing it without any factual basis or with dubious claims serves the purpose of promoting hatred against that people as demonstrated by the global surge of anti-Semitism since October 7th. 

You could call it a big lie. Say the word genocide loud enough and often enough then people will come to believe it.

You can also, to borrow a phrase from VP JD Vance, create stories. From where I sit, both men are one in the same.

El-Sayed isn't using the word genocide as a statement of fact. He is using it to engage in demagoguery. 

Unfortunately, he appears to be succeeding.

Don Cooper Deserved Better From The Chicago White Sox

Former MLB pitcher and coach Don Cooper passed away on Tuesday at the age of 70.

A native of New York, Cooper pitched parts of four seasons in the early to mid 1980s with the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees.

But for Cooper coaching was his calling and he would join the Chicago White Sox organization in 1988 with the Single-A South Bend River Hawks. Fourteen years later, Cooper would become the Chisox's big league pitching coach and would remain in that position for 18½ years serving under four managers - Jerry Manuel, Ozzie Guillen, Robin Ventura and Rick Renteria. Cooper would earn a World Series ring with the Chisox in 2005 which included a starting rotation of Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia, Jon Garland, Jose Contreras and Orlando Hernandez. 

After more than 30 years with the organization, the White Sox abruptly dismissed Cooper along with Renteria following the COVID shortened 2020 season despite making it to the post-season. 

Yes, managers and coaches get fired. It is a part of baseball. But in view of Cooper's long service to the organization, he deserved a better fate. The team should have promoted him to the front office and made him a special pitching adviser. 

Barring a weekend collapse, the White Sox will reach the post-season for the first time since 2020. Should they survive the Wild Card round and host ALDS games, they should formally honor Cooper's memory now. It doesn't make up for not giving him his due while he was still here, but it could give his family some measure of comfort. R.I.P.

Macron Minimizes Hamas at UN Despite Their Killing of a French Citizen

French President Emmanuel Macron sparked considerable anger at the UN General Assembly when he claimed Hamas "never caused trouble" in the West Bank. 

In point of fact, Hamas killed Netanuel Shukron, a dual French Israeli citizen, on the eve of Yom Kippur in the West Bank.

Not that Macron gives a shit about such details. No apology has been forthcoming. The French government is claiming Macron's statement was mistranslated claiming that what he said was that Hamas has never governed the West Bank. While the West Bank is nominally ruled by Fatah, Hamas does operate in the territory and carries out attacks.

I suspect that Macron is mad at the Trump Administration for not permitting Mahmoud Abbas to travel to New York. Mind you, Macron lavished praise upon Abbas during a state visit to France in 2022 despite his term of office ending more than 15 years ago.

Let us not forget it was Macron who spearheaded the effort at last year's UN General Assembly for formal recognition of a Palestinian state. Indeed, just over a month after the October 7th attacks, Macron derided Israel for "bombing ladies, babies and old people" without a word of concern for the hostages being held in captivity by Hamas.

Macron chooses his words very deliberately and has made it abundantly clear that he is an apologist for Hamas even if they murder French citizens.

Mets Make Andy Green An Offer He Can't Refuse

I am delighted to hear that Andy Green has decided to accept the New York Mets' offer to make him their full-time manager with a three-year contract through the 2029 season. 

Green, a former manager for the San Diego Padres who was working in the Mets' front office, only intended to finish out the season wanting to spend as much time as he can with his family.

The Mets evidently made Green an offer to stay beyond this season that he couldn't refuse. It would also appear that Green spoke with his family about the subject at length and they are on board with him managing. Perhaps the Mets are prepared to accommodate family visits during the season. Whatever led to the decision, I'm glad Green is getting a second chance at managing.

Entering tonight, the Mets are 39-39 under Green after a 34-47 start under Carlos Mendoza. Although the Mets will likely finish in last place in the NL East, there is a semblance of order on the team and that they are headed in the right direction in 2027 barring any significant labor stoppage. 

Of course, as with any New York team, there are naysayers. But Green has earned his chance. Let's see what he does with it.

Belleville Synagogue Shooter Blamed Jews For COVID

To the surprise of no one, the man responsible for trying to kill Jews at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario harbored hatred towards Jews. 

He evidently became radicalized when he began subscribing to conspiracy theories blaming Jews for COVID. Because of these beliefs, the gunman refused to be vaccinated and would be discharged from the Canadian military in 2022.

Those same beliefs would drive him to try to kill Jews, and he might have succeeded if not for Constable Jeff Smith who ended up killing the assailant. Smith was seriously wounded and his wife says he faces a long road to recovery.

But I have no doubt that Belleville's Jewish community, the Jewish community across Canada and non-Jewish Canadians will see to it that Constable Smith gets everything he and his family needs for his valor. 

Of course, the congregants of Sons of Jacob Synagogue should not have needed to have police protection for being Jewish. Unfortunately, so long as Jew hatred flourishes and public officials tolerate anti-Semitism in our political discourse such as the belief that Jews are somehow responsible for COVID and all other of society's ills then we can expect more violence and more brave souls like Constable Jeff Smith to put a stop to it.

Chad Tracy Becomes Red Sox Full-Time Manager with 3-Year Contract with Option for 2030

 

Nearly five months after he was named interim manager of the Boston Red Sox following the abrupt dismissal of Alex Cora, Chad Tracy has officially become the team's full-time manager.

Tracy has been given a 3-year contract with a club option for the 2030 season. The team has also extended Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow through 2030.

It took a while for the Red Sox to get going but in the space of less than a month went from having the worst record in the AL to climbing their way to one of the AL Wild Card spots. From June 25th through August 7th, the Red Sox went 32-5. During this streak, they tied an 80-year-old club record with a 15-game winning streak.

Now, the team has cooled off considerably. Since August 7th, the team has been treading water with a 20-22 record. But the Red Sox did clinch an AL Wild Card berth over the weekend albeit indirectly with the help of Atlanta Braves slugger Mike Yastremzski, the grandson of Red Sox legend Carl Yastremzski. 

How far the Red Sox will go in the 2026 post-season remains to be seen. But in the grand scheme of things, Tracy has exceeded all expectations much like the recently departed Joe Morgan did when he took over the team midway through the 1988 season. Regardless of what happens in October, Tracy certainly deserves to win AL Manager of the Year. 

Megyn Kelly's Inhumanity Towards Cindy Crawford After Her Son's Death

My opinion of Megyn Kelly has diminished considerably since she started engaging in anti-Semitism.

Generally speaking, it is difficult to descend below anti-Semitism, yet Kelly has succeeded in doing so by publicly lambasting a mother following the death of her child. 

Yesterday, Kelly saw fit to berate Cindy Crawford after the death of her 27-year-old son, Presley, from an apparent drug overdose:

Let’s face it, both kids were commercialized. He said he was signed when he was 15. And Cindy Crawford of all people should have known the dangers of that. She should have known the dangers.

You’ve got a teenage boy being sent over to New York, to Europe, Hollywood, and he remarked several times about how bizarre it was to grow up in Hollywood. And you better watch him. There are predators in that industry, predators in modeling, in music, in Hollywood. I mean, honestly, can you imagine putting your 13-year-old and 15-year-old in modeling?

I just think it’s a reckless decision. The odds are overwhelmingly against them growing up to be well people.

If that wasn't enough Kelly further claimed that Crawford and her husband Randy Gerber are "by all accounts aren’t drug addicts themselves, but we don’t know that to be honest."

What kind of person would say such a thing to millions of people?

I suspect it would be the sort of person who doesn't care what she says and who she harms as long as she draws her attention to herself and that her name is spelled correctly.

There is nothing a parent dreads more than the thought of their child predeceasing them. That Kelly would see fit to kick Crawford while she is going through the worst moment of her life says a great deal more about Kelly than it does about Crawford. Kelly has demonstrated she is devoid of any humanity.

It ought to be said that Kelly has three children of her own. One would think a mother of three children would be the last person to publicly castigate Crawford in her darkest hour. But perhaps Kelly simply believes she is better than Crawford or perhaps simply jealous of her. It would go a long way in explaining her lack of humanity.

I certainly hope none of Kelly's children should die before she does. Were such an awful thing to come to pass, I suspect that Cindy Crawford would be the first to offer her condolences.

Thoughts on German Chancellor Merz Declaring "Jewish Life is No Longer Safe in Germany"

On Sunday, Germany's Christian Democratic Union suffered massive defeats in state elections in both Berlin and in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

In Berlin, the far left Linke Party garnered the most votes while Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania proved to be another triumph for the far Right AfD. Earlier this month, the AfD triumphed in Saxony-Anhalt.

In response to this electoral disaster, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated, “The fact that Jewish life is no longer safe in Germany is the heaviest burden of recent years.” 

As you can imagine, when the German head of state tells the world that his country is no longer safe for Jews then all bets are off.

Merz's pledge that his government will do "everything possible to ensure that Jewish life in Germany, and here in the capital, Berlin, is safe,” is a day late and a Deutschmark short when he has already concluded it is no longer safe to be a Jew in Germany. This reality is reflected in the vote.

Of course, it is less safe to be a Jew all over the world. Yet the declaration of Jews no longer being safe in Germany takes on a whole other meaning. 

Merz's grip on power is on tenterhooks. It is only a matter of time before the Far Left & Far Right rule Germany and Jews will once again be public enemy number one.

No good can come of it. I can only hope it can be stopped but it seems that Germans don't want to stop it. It would seem that Germans are in the mood to kill Jews again.

Just Another Sunday for ICE: Assaulting a U.S. Citizen in Evanston & Shooting a Door Dash Driver in The Back in Austin

For ICE it was just another Sunday as its hoodlums assaulted a U.S. citizen on the streets of Evanston, Illinois while shooting a Door Dash delivery driver in the back in Austin, Texas.

In Evanston (just north of Chicago), the man "resembled" a person sought by ICE and since he was in front of a Mexican restaurant came to the conclusion that he could be wantonly abused. The man in question has not been publicly identified.

Meanwhile, the Door Dash driver has been identified as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a Venezuelan national. Despite being shot in the back, ICE insisted he be placed in custody where he slept on a floor and was denied medical attention until being given a pill before being taken back to the hospital this evening.

What else can be said about ICE which hasn't already been said?

Yet so long as ICE persists in engaging in violence against American citizens and immigrants alike, attention must be paid to their cruelty and inhumanity.

There are certain harsh realities. In any nation has which defined borders there will be circumstances under which people will be deported. Under such circumstances, there must be an agency of the government that will perform this role. 

But ICE in its present form cannot go on. It has long ceased to be immigration enforcement agency and has become a domestic paramilitary organization intent on intimidation, injury and death. 

ICE will need to be replaced with another agency and with a new mandate. Of course, even if this comes to pass, it will take years, possibly decades to undo the damage which has been done by the Trump Administration.

Thoughts on The Shooting Outside a Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario on Yom Kippur

When I awoke this morning, I saw a text from my mother notifying me of the shooting which took place in front Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario during Yom Kippur services.

No one inside the synagogue was injured although windows were broken. The gunman, who has been identified as Sean Ward, wounded a police officer guarding the synagogue. That officer has been identified as Constable Jeff Smith who returned fire along with another officer who arrived on the scene striking the assailant. 

Belleville is situated on Lake Ontario about halfway between Toronto and Ottawa. When I took trips on VIA Rail between the two cities I would pass through Belleville. Sadly, such violence can happen anywhere at any time.

As such, I could not help but think of the attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester, UK on Yom Kippur last year which claimed the lives of two Jewish congregants. A day later, a mob descended upon 10 Downing Street to cheer the attack. It would come as no surprise to me if there are those who will see fit to publicly praise the attack.

Unfortunately, I believe we can expect more attacks on synagogues not only during the High Holidays, but during Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim and Passover and perhaps this coming October 7th. Of course, for anti-Semites anytime will do when it comes to killing Jews.

I can only hope Constable Smith makes a full recovery and gets every honor that is coming to him. Presuming that Mr. Ward survives his injuries, I hope that he will never see the light of freedom ever again.

Alex Bregman's On Deck Circle Injury Gave Me Flashbacks to Juan Encarnacion

 

During this afternoon's game between the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds, Cubs third baseman lex Bregman was hit in the face with a foul ball near the on deck circle and has been hospitalized. 

In the fourth inning, Cubs first baseman Michael Busch was facing Reds reliever Luis Mey when Busch fouled off a pitch which bounced and struck Bregman in the face. Bregman ran towards the Cubs dugout grabbing his face and was met the team's training staff who took him into the clubhouse. 

When I learned about what happened to Bregman, I immediately thought about one player - Juan Encarnacion. 

On August 31, 2007, Encarnacion, who was playing for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Cincinnati Reds (coincidentally), was standing in the on deck circle to pinch hit for reliever Randy Flores. Sadly, Encarnacion would never get to the plate as his teammate Aaron Miles lined a foul ball to his face off Reds reliever Jon Coutlangus.

Encarnacion's left eye socket was crushed. The Cardinals medical director, Dr. George Paletta, called Encarnacion's injury "the worst trauma I've seen." In an instant, Encarnacion's 11-year MLB career was over.

I can only hope that Bregman can avoid Encarnacion's fate. It is worth noting that Encarnacion was hit by a line drive whereas the foul pitch which hit Bregman bounced first. However, Bregman was standing a lot closer to the batter than Encarnacion who was standing in the on deck circle. 

In the grand scheme of things, I am surprised that these sorts of injuries don't happen more often given the close proximity between home plate and the on deck circle.

While the Cubs beat the Reds 9-1 and could earn the top NL Wild Card berth, it is cold comfort with the possibility that Alex Bregman's 11-year MLB career might have come to an abrupt end. At the very minimum, I would be surprised if Bregman would be able to play in the post-season. And even if Bregman does come back this post-season, he might do himself more harm than good in the long run even if he does earn another World Series ring.

Every Time I See All the President's Men There is a Further Erosion of Freedom of the Press

 

Yesterday, I went to the Brattle Theatre to attend a screening of All the President's Men starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford.

The film was being screened as part of the Brattle's Freedom of Speech Festival which is organized in conjunction with the Foundation of Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).

The screening of All the President's Men was actually part of a double feature with Spotlight, the 2015 film about the Boston Globe's coverage of the sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. However, I opted not to see this film partially because I didn't want to look at Mark Ruffalo's anti-Semitic face for two hours and partially because I planned to observe Yom Kippur a day early. 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I saw All the President's Men at the Brattle last December during its tribute to Robert Redford. Of course, the anniversary of Redford's passing took place this past Wednesday which happens to be my birthday. So, I wanted to see the film to pay homage to Redford. 

Although truth be told, I don't really need a special reason to see a Redford film. Indeed, I saw The Natural at the Kendall Square Cinema less than a month after the Redford tribute at the Brattle. 

It must be said that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the release of All the President's Men. The film serves both as both a historic reminder of the Watergate scandal and the ongoing erosion of freedom of the press in this country. 

Only hours after I saw All the President's Men in December, Bari Weiss killed the CECOT story on 60 Minutes on the basis the report did not get on air commentary from the Trump Administration. When I saw All the President's Men yesterday, the Trump Administration had revoked the press credentials of CNN, MSNOW and Politico because Trump finds their coverage insufficiently fawning. Trump claims these outlets are "reporting Fake News" with "other Fake News media outlets to follow". 

This is not the first time the Trump Administration has pulled these shenanigans as when then CNN reporter Jim Acosta's press credentials were suspended in November 2018 when the Trump Administration falsely claimed that Acosta put his hands on a White House staffer. In point of fact, the Trump Administration doctored the video evidence. 

A federal judge would order the restoration of Acosta's credentials. As of this writing, CNN, MSNOW and Politico have not sought legal action to restore their press access. It very much remains to be seen if they will do so for fear of further incurring Trump's wrath.

Wyoming Republican Senator John Barrasso has defended Trump's decision claiming it isn't a breach of the Constitution arguing the press has an obligation to be fair. Barrasso also argued that Facebook and other social media entities had banned Trump from their platforms.

This is nonsense and Barrasso knows it. First, the Constitution says the government shall not abridge freedom of speech. The government doesn't get to decide what constitutes fair speech. Second, Facebook and other social media entities are not the government and are free to choose what appears on their platforms and what doesn't, right or wrong.

It is worth noting that All the President's Men does delve into the tension between media and government with clips of Vice-President Spiro Agnew and White House Press Secretary Ron Ziegler decrying the Washington Post's opposition to President Nixon's agenda. While Agnew, Ziegler and other figures within the Nixon Administration may have not liked the WaPo's coverage of Watergate, they did not attempt to abridge their right to publish the story.

During a speech at Colgate University yesterday, former President Obama made these comments:

My imagination could not foresee some of the stuff that's going on right now. I'm trying to think what would have happened if I had said, ‘You know what, Fox News? You're out of here.

Well, that's not true. In October 2009, during his first year in office, the Obama Administration saw fit to ban Fox News from a press pool interview. Consider this account from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press:

Tension between the White House and Fox News continued to mount this week after broadcast bureau chiefs in Washington refused to go along with the Obama’s administration’s attempt to squeeze Fox News out of an interview.

Despite the administration’s pledge to play nice earlier this week, the White House tried to exclude Fox News – alone among the five White House “pool” networks – from interviewing executive-pay czar Kenneth R. Feinberg on Thursday.

After CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC balked at the plan Tuesday, ABC News’ Jake Tapper asked White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs about the appropriateness of the administration’s saying that Fox News, which he called “one of our sister organizations,” is “not a news organization.”

Gibbs said, “We render an opinion based on some of their coverage and the fairness that, the fairness of that coverage.”

When Tapper asked how Fox News was different than other media organizations, Gibbs invited him to watch the network with him one evening.

On Wednesday, NBC’s Savannah Guthrie interviewed Obama about the propriety of his administration’s stance on Fox News. “We’re going to take the media as it comes,” Obama said. “And if media is operating basically as a talk radio format, then that’s one thing, and if it’s operating as a news outlet, then that’s another. But it’s not something I’m losing a lot of sleep over.”

Robert Gibbs is no different than Senator Barrasso in critiquing the fairness of Fox News' coverage as grounds to hinder press access to the White House. Obama decrying Fox News as "talk radio" is not substantially different than Trump crying "fake news." Again, the White House, whoever the occupant, does not get to decide what is and isn't fair coverage. While it is true that the Obama Administration hasn't gone nearly as far in restricting press freedom than the Trump Administration, it certainly opened the door.

A few words about Watergate are also in order as it pertains to the present day. Back in June, Vice-President JD Vance spoke at the Nixon Library and downplayed Watergate:

If Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be a 12-hour news story. The idea that it would have taken down a presidency is crazy.

If you look at the story of how the deep state took down Richard Nixon, it’s not all that different from what the same groups of people, the same institutions, tried to do to Donald Trump in the first administration. There is a parallel.

Loathe as I am to say it, Vance is partially correct. Then again, Nixon himself believed the break-in at the DNC would be forgotten within a matter of days. Nevertheless, Vance is right to say that if Watergate were to happen now, it would essentially be a footnote. After all, the twice impeached Trump has done far worse things up to and including preventing the peaceful transition of power. I don't think there is any force on Earth that would compel Trump to resign his office. Not if one is building an addition to the White House which is three times the size of the White House.  

But Vance is completely bonkers to suggest the so-called deep state tried to take down Nixon. On the contrary, Nixon and the CIA were in cahoots to coverup the Watergate burglary because it was larger part of covert operations in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War as revealed in the Pentagon Papers.

Nixon was the author of his own demise just as Trump was for both of his impeachments. The only difference is there was no Republican delegation led by Barry Goldwater to tell Trump he needed to leave. Not that Trump would have listened. After all, Goldwater and company were telling Nixon to resign to spare him from impeachment. Trump wears his two impeachments as badges of honor and the country let him get away with it.

While All the President's Men is an important film with historical significance, I am afraid that this country is not good at teaching history much less learning or understanding it. I shudder to think what could happen to freedom of the press the next time I see All the President's Men in a theatre.