Kamala Harris' Defamatory & Disgraceful Treatment of Josh Shapiro

(Tyger Williams/Philadelphia Inquirer)

In an excerpt from his forthcoming memoir Where We Keep the Light, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro revealed that while he was being vetted as Kamala Harris' possible running mate, he was asked if he was "an agent of the Israeli government."

Shapiro indicated that the question was posed to him by Dana Remus, who served as White House Counsel during the Biden Administration and previously worked for the Obamas both during and after their time in the White House.

When Shapiro told Remus he found the question offensive, she said, "Well, we have to ask. We have to check." Remus then pressed Shapiro if he had ever communicated with an undercover Israeli agent. Shapiro retorted, "If they were undercover, how the hell would I know?"

So why was it necessary for the Harris campaign to ask such a question of Shapiro. Does Harris think all Jews work as Israeli double agents?

Deborah Lipstadt, who served as the anti-Semitism envoy during the Biden Administration, denounced the treatment Shapiro received:

This report is extremely distressing. When vetted by the White House for my position as special envoy, I was not asked anything akin to this. Had I been, I would have responded that the question is an example of why an envoy is necessary. It is classic antisemitism.

If that wasn't enough, Harris herself asked Shapiro if he would apologize for condemning campus protests at UPenn. Shapiro declined to do so.

Harris was essentially asking Shapiro to apologize for demanding an end to the encampment of UPenn by pro-Hamas students so all students could feel safe on campus. The fact that she believed this warranted an apology by Shapiro says a great deal more about Harris and her attitudes towards Jews than it does about Shapiro.

Under the circumstances, a Harris-Shapiro ticket would have never worked. In this sense, Shapiro dodged a bullet when Harris picked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to be her running mate instead.

But the fact the Harris campaign team saw fit to presume a Jewish elected official was automatically an Israeli double agent and that Harris herself thought Shapiro ought to apologize for bringing order back to UPenn guarantees that I will absolutely not vote for her should she be chosen as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee yet again in 2028.

Harris' retrospective bashing of President Biden was bad enough. Her personal conduct and that of her campaign towards Josh Shapiro is both defamatory and disgraceful. Above all, it is anti-Semitic.

My 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot (If I Were a BBWAA Member)

Tomorrow the Baseball Writers Association of America will announce who they have elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the Class of 2026. To gain entry into Cooperstown, a player must earn 75% of the vote. Members of the BBWAA can enter up to 10 names on their individual ballots.

If I were a BBWAA member, this would be my list from the 2026 ballot:

1. Francisco Rodriguez

2. Andruw Jones

3. Torii Hunter

4. Jimmy Rollins

5. Chase Utley

6. Felix Hernandez

7. Dustin Pedroia

Six of the seven names on this ballot were on my 2025 ballot.

The only addition I have made is Dustin Pedroia who is in his second year of eligibility. I think his offensive stats are comparable to those of Chase Utley who is projected to make a dramatic surge in his support after attaining just under 40% of the vote in his third year on the ballot in 2025. Pedroia was also a better defensive second baseman than Utley. Yes, seeing Pedroia play in person during his prime is a factor. 

It is curious to me why Utley is gaining momentum, but not his double play partner Rollins whose offensive stats are considerably better than Utley's and was also the better defender of the pair. But, as I argued last year, I view Rollins and Utley as the Whitaker and Trammell of their era. They belong in the Hall, and they should go in together. 

Of the names on the list, the most likely to go in is Andruw Jones who earned 10 Gold Gloves while patrolling center field for the Atlanta Braves. Jones, who is in his penultimate year of eligibility garnered just over 66.2% of the vote last year. Yet Torii Hunter, who earned 9 Gold Gloves for his outfield play, only earned 5.1% of the BBWAA vote last year and nearly fell off the ballot.

I should note that I left Carlos Beltran off my ballot. However, after earning just over 70% of the vote last year, will likely get a plaque in Cooperstown in his fourth year of eligibility. I remain uneasy over his involvement in the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal as he willfully disregarded efforts to stop it. His election to Cooperstown sends a bad message in our troubled times. I'll be especially troubled if Beltran is the only person elected by the BBWAA tomorrow.

Trump Demands NATO Give Him Greenland Because Norway Wouldn't Give Him the Nobel Peace Prize

(Saul Loeb AFP)

Here is an actual communique from President Trump to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Støre:

Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a “right of ownership” anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT.

The hubris, insanity and stupidity are utterly breathtaking.

The Nobel Peace Prize is not bestowed by the Norwegian government. Despite this fact, Trump sees fit to blame the Norwegian government for not being handed one and because of this blame now tells us he no longer feels on obligation to peace. 

From there, Trump not only asserts that Denmark cannot protect Greenland from Russia and China but also questions the legitimacy of its claims to the world's largest island.

Trump then claims he has done more for NATO than anyone ever and now NATO should do something for the United States. Of course, when Trump says the United States, he means himself. 

He concludes by making the preposterous claim that the world is not safe unless he has "Complete and Total Control of Greenland."

These are not the words of a rational man. 

They are also certainly not the words of a man operating in good faith.

I would be tempted to call for the invocation of the 25th Amendment. But such an invocation would bring us JD Vance who is every bit as committed to this madness as Trump.

Well, I knew Maria Corina Machado gifting him her Nobel Peace Prize would only make him want the award for himself even more.

I also predicted that before the end of this year that Trump would launch a military invasion of Greenland and launch strikes against Denmark. Given his anger at Norway for not bestowing him with a million Nobel Prizes, I guess we can expect bombs to drop on Oslo too. 

Simply put, there was no issue with Greenland until Trump decided to make it one. As with his obsessive imposition of tariffs, this is a crisis of Trump's own making. Yet it is quite possible that Greenland will fly under a U.S. flag before the end of 2026.

Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of his second term back in the White House. The damage Trump has done has only scratched the surface and is going to get worse with untold bloodshed, carnage and death. Most frightening of all is that 40% of this country will gladly go along with it.

Wilbur Wood Was the Greatest Left-Handed Knuckleball Pitcher in MLB History

Former MLB pitcher Wilbur Wood passed away yesterday at the age of 84.

Wood was born here in Cambridge, Massachusetts and grew up in neighboring Belmont where he excelled in baseball, football and hockey. 

Prior to the 1960 season, Wood signed with the hometown Boston Red Sox and would make his MLB debut in 1961 at the age of 19. However, in 36 appearances with the Bosox over four seasons, Wood went 0-5 with a 4.85 ERA. 

The Red Sox sold Wood's contract to the Pittsburgh Pirates late in the 1964 season and he would not earn his first MLB win until August 29, 1965, during a one inning relief appearance against the Houston Astros. It proved be Wood's only win in a Bucs uniform as he would spend the entire 1966 season with the Pirates' Triple-AAA affiliate in Columbus, Ohio.

Late in 1966, Pittsburgh traded Wood to the Chicago White Sox where his fortunes would be dramatically reversed. It was in Chicago that Wood had the good fortune to be acquainted with future Hall of Fame knuckleball pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm. Although Wood had learned the pitch from his father who had pitched semipro baseball, it wasn't until Wilhelm became his mentor that he became comfortable and confident with the pitch.

Wood's breakout season came in 1968 when he appeared in then MLB record 88 games as a pitcher (86 of which came in relief) posting a 1.87 ERA in 159 innings pitched. He would lead the AL in appearances again in both 1969 and in 1970 with 76 and 77, respectively. 

In 1971, the White Sox would hire Johnny Sain as their pitching coach. Three years earlier, Sain was the pitching coach on the 1968 Detroit Tigers which would win the World Series featuring a staff of 30-game winner Denny McLain and Mickey Lolich. However, Sain would clash with Tigers manager Mayo Smith, and he would be out of a job the following season. Sain had similar trouble with Minnesota Twins manager Sam Mele after the team won the AL pennant in 1965.

When Sain joined the Chisox, among his first decisions was to move Wood to the starting rotation. With the blessing of manager Chuck Tanner, Sain reasoned that a knuckleballer like Wood required fewer days of rest and could start more frequently. Over the next four seasons, often working on two days of rest, would enjoy 20 plus win campaigns. 

Aside from these 20-win seasons, Wood would lead the AL in starts four times, wins and innings pitched twice and was named to three AL All-Star Teams. In 1971, Wood would finish third in AL Cy Young balloting behind Vida Blue and Mickey Lolich. In 1972, Wood would finish runner up in AL Cy Young balloting to future Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry. That season Wood pitched an astounding 376.2 innings. In 1973, despite losing 20 games against 24 wins, Wood still managed to finish fifth in AL Cy Young balloting. That year, Wood would win both ends of a doubleheader and lose both ends of a doubleheader.

For nine seasons, Wood was the White Sox's workhorse first out of the bullpen and then the starting rotation. This would come to an abrupt end during the 1976 season when Wood's kneecap was shattered on a line drive by Ron LeFlore of the Detroit Tigers. This would put Wood out of action for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, Wood was never the same pitcher after returning from the injury struggling with his control in both the 1977 and 1978 seasons. 

In 17 MLB seasons, Wood made 651 appearances (297 of them as a starting pitcher) and went 164-156 with a 3.24 ERA striking out 1411 batters while walking only 724 over 2684 innings pitched. All but one of his wins came in a Chicago White Sox uniform making him one of the best pitchers in team history. 

Wood's most significant baseball legacy was that he was the best left-handed knuckleball pitcher to wear a big-league uniform. R.I.P.

Will MAGA Continue Charlie Kirk's Mission to Discredit MLK, Jr.?

With Martin Luther King, Jr. Day taking place tomorrow, I cannot help but think of Charlie Kirk.

I cannot help this for two reasons.

First, because both men were struck down by the bullets of an assassin.

Second, because in the final years of his life, Kirk went from admiring King to launching an effort to discredit his name. 

During his remarks at TurningPoint USA's AmericaFest in December 2023, Kirk said this about King:

MLK was awful. He's not a good person. He said one good thing he actually didn't believe.

Mind you, in 2015, Kirk described King as a "hero" and even as late as 2022 called him "a civil rights icon." By the following year, Kirk had changed his tune considerably:

I have a very, very radical view on this, but I can defend it, and I’ve thought about it. We made a huge mistake when we passed the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s.

In reality, Charlie Kirk's thought was that if he could discredit Dr. King then he could delegitimize the Civil Rights Act.  

On MLK, Jr. Day in 2024 Kirk said that King is "not worthy of a national holiday" describing such an honor as "harmful."

Alas, Kirk did not live to see his plan come to pass.

The question remains whether MAGA or specific figures within MAGA will pick up Kirk's cudgel to bash King and ultimately eliminate the Civil Rights Act.

I suspect that someone will pick up the mantel at some point although at the moment I think MAGA is more fixated ICE rounding up and deporting as many people as possible, be they here illegally or not, and those who get in the way of said fixation.

For its part, while the Trump Administration cannot unilaterally end MLK, Jr. Day, it has tried to diminish its status such as ending "fee-free" days with the National Parks Service. Still, it is a far cry from not recognizing MLK, Jr. Day at all.

Yet who can where we will be in 2040 or in 2050? Will the United States exist as we have previously understood it? By mid-century, anyone who was around when Dr. King was alive will be next to no one. At which time, Charlie Kirk's successors might have a far easier time to discredit Dr. King and to delegitimize the Civil Rights Act.

Why I Believe Trump Will Launch a Military Attack on Both Greenland & Denmark Before The End of The Year

Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump announced that 8 European countries including Denmark will be subjected to new tariffs "until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland,”

The 10% tariff takes effect on February 1st with an increase to 25% on June 1st. 

Given how frequently Trump has arbitrarily imposed new tariffs, Denmark and its European allies will stand firm.

In which case, I believe that before the end of the year President Trump will seize Greenland by military force. Not only do I believe that Trump will begin an occupation of Greenland but that it will drop bombs in Copenhagen.

This, of course, would mean the end of NATO and I believe this is precisely what Trump wants. Or should I say what Vladimir Putin wants. 

Let us consider several statements.

The first was made by Trump in an interview with the New York Times in which he was asked if there were any limits to his global powers. To which Trump replied, “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me."

In the context of Greenland, Trump has said, "We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not."

When VP Vance visited Greenland in March 2025, he remarked:

Well, the president said we have to have Greenland. And I think that we do have to be more serious about the security of Greenland. We can't just ignore this place. We can't just ignore the president's desires.

In other words, the destiny of the people of Greenland is based solely on the desires of Donald Trump. In which case, Trump is giving Greenland the E. Jean Carroll treatment. 

Now let's consider remarks made by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller in an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News concerning Denmark's ability to control Greenland:

To control a territory, you have to be able to defend a territory, improve a territory, inhabit a territory. Denmark has failed at every single one of these tests.

In a previous interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Miller said, “Nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland.” 

So, what do these statements tell me?

First, Trump views himself as a dictator along the lines of Putin and China's Xi Jinping accountable only to himself and his own sense of morality. In the words of his Vice-President, that morality centers around his desires. Needless to say, Trump's view of morality diverges a great deal from that of most people. But most people do not have the power he has and the willingness to use it as he sees fit.

Second, Miller does not believe Denmark can militarily defend Greenland nor does he believe anyone will come to its defense. Loathe as I am to agree with Miller, I cannot dispute his assessment. While it is true that Miller has denied that an American military response is necessary, for all intents and purposes there is nothing to stop Trump from launching a military takeover of Greenland outside of his mind and his morality such as they are. While such an attack would spark global outrage, it would also very likely expose NATO as a paper tiger.

However far-fetched you might think a military occupation of Greenland coupled with an attack on Denmark might be, let us keep this in mind. The Trump Administration has seen fit to bomb ships off Venezuela it believes to be shipping drugs and has seen fit to kill survivors. The Trump Administration has seen fit to murder an American citizen protesting ICE's actions in Minneapolis, smear her as a terrorist and launch an investigation against her widow. 

If the Trump Administration is prepared to do these things, then what makes anyone think they aren't capable of dropping bombs on Copenhagen in pursuit of taking control of Greenland? Especially if there are no meaningful consequences to be faced for their actions. 

Walz & Frey Are Trump's Newest DOJ Targets for Retribution

It would seem that the DOJ, not content to investigate a grieving widow, is now seeking to investigate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for impeding ICE through, wait for it, making public statements.

In which case, Trump's DOJ wants to make publicly disagreeing with ICE a crime. Well, if President Trump thinks ICE was warranted in shooting and killing Renee Good because she was "disrespectful" can we really be surprised that they would see fit to prosecute public officials for having the temerity to criticize ICE.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche (who was once President Trump's personal attorney) telegraphed the DOJ's plan when he took to X scarcely 48 hours ago:

Minnesota insurrection is a direct result of a FAILED governor and a TERRIBLE mayor encouraging violence against law enforcement. It’s disgusting. Walz and Frey - I’m focused on stopping YOU from your terrorism by whatever means necessary. This is not a threat. It’s a promise.

This isn't a legal opinion; it's a wrestling promo.

Well, at least Walz and Frey have Jesse Ventura on their side. 

I also suspect Walz and Frey will have the law on their side as well if past prosecutions (or perhaps persecutions) of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James are any indication. When you also consider the fact DOJ is also investigating Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates on Trump's demand, their latest salvo against Walz and Frey demonstrate that Trump should just go ahead and rename the DOJ the DOR (Department of Retribution) for that is what he promised.

Because when it comes to the Trump Administration there is no justice.