Corazon Aquino, 1933-2009. R.I.P.

Corazon Aquino, who served as President of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992, has died of colon cancer. She was 76.

She considered herself "a plain housewife." But she was different from the other housewives in Newton, Massachusetts. Her husband was Benigno Aquino, a Philippine Senator and arch rival of Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos.

The Aquinos lived in exile in the Boston area for three years after he underwent heart surgery. But Aquino wanted to return to the Phillipines despite being well aware of the risks. As he got off the plane in Manila on August 21, 1983 he was assassinated by a gunshot to the head.

But instead of killing the Filipino opposition it was merely re-mobilized around his widow Corazon who had no previous political experience. Yet just over 2½ years after the assassination of Begnino Aquino, Marcos was driven from power by his own corruption, disaffection from the populace, defection from amongst his own ranks, the legacy of Begnino Aquino and the transparent decency of Corazon Aquino who was to become the new President of the Philippines. For this she was named Woman of the Year by TIME Magazine.

Aquino and her story hit a raw nerve with people around the world. Her husband was killed in her presence and she stood up to the man who had the most to gain from his death. She did so with a grace and humility that is rare in politics. To be sure governing was not an easy task. Frequent coup attempts accompanied by natural disasters and a weak economy are not the ingredients for a successful presidency. Perhaps her greatest legacy was that she was truly a democrat. When it came time for her to leave office in 1992, she did. No military coups. No rewriting of the constitution. She just left office without fanfare. The likes of Hugo Chavez and Manuel Zelaya should take note.

Thoughts on MLB Trade Deadline Deals

Well, Roy Halladay is still pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays but there were some deals made today.

While the Jays didn't deal Halladay they did trade third baseman Scott Rolen to the Cincinnati Reds for third baseman Edwin Encarnacion, pitcher Josh Roenicke and minor league pitcher Zach Stewart. I've mixed feelings about this deal. The Jays traded one injury prone third baseman for another injury prone third baseman. Granted, Encarnacion is eight years younger than Rolen but he's also hitting more than .100 points below Rolen.

The saving grace of this deal is Roenicke who struck out 14 batters in 13 and one thirds innings pitched with the Reds this season. Roenicke could be the Jays future closer. As for Stewart, he pitched very well in Triple A with Louisville. He needs to work on his control but I wouldn't be surprised if the Jays give him a long look in September. I think Toronto comes out ahead in this deal.

The Boston Red Sox were busy as well making two trades. After acquiring Adam LaRoche from the Pittsburgh Pirates last week today they traded him to the Atlanta Braves for first baseman Casey Kotchman. The Bosox also acquired catcher-first baseman Victor Martinez in exchange for pitcher Justin Masterson and two minor league pitchers (Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price.)

LaRoche returns to the Braves where he played from 2004 through 2006. Kotchman returns to the AL after being traded a year ago from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in exchange for Mark Teixeira. Kotchman doesn't have as much power as LaRoche but is a better defensive first baseman. On the other hand, Kotchman won't play everyday. Kevin Youkilis will still play a lot at first as will Victor Martinez.

The presence of Martinez will largely affect Sox team captain Jason Varitek. Look for Martinez to assume the lion's share of catching duties. Will he develop the same rapport with the pitchers as Varitek? It's doubtful but that is a wisdom that Varitek can impart to Martinez. Most importantly he is a much bigger threat at the plate than Varitek and will help the likes of Jason Bay, Kevin Youkilis and, of course, Big Papi.

It will be interesting to see what the Indians do with Masterson. I assume he'll become Kerry Wood's set up man but I wouldn't be surprised if he takes Wood's job before the end of the season. Then again Masterson might be a candidate for the starting rotation.

Several interesting trades made by AL Central clubs. The Detroit Tigers acquired lefty pitcher Jarrod Washburn from the Seattle Mariners for pitchers Luke French and Mauricio Robles. In light of Seattle acquiring Jack Wilson and Ian Snell from the Pirates I thought the M's might hang onto Washburn. After struggling in his first three seasons in Seattle, Washburn has been respectable in 2009 and just respectable enough to fill out a starting rotation with Justin Verlander, Edwin Jackson and 20-year-old Rick Porcello.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Twins obtained the well-traveled shorstop Orlando Cabrera from the Oakland Athletics. Given the big error made by Brendan Harris in extra innings against the Angels tonight, Cabrera cannot arrive soon enough. The Twins need veteran leadership in the pennant run and if they make it into the post-season and Cabrera can provide it.

However, I do not get Chicago White Sox GM Kenny Williams giving four pitchers to the San Diego Padres for Jake Peavy. At present, Peavy is rehabing from an ankle injury. Cy Young winner or not, Peavy might not be the same pitcher he was in 2007.

I saw Clayton Richard pitch for Chicago on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball last weekend and defeated the Detroit Tigers in convincing fashion. It was the only game the Chisox won against Detroit last weekend. Not only do I think the Chisox will rue giving up Richard but the same can be said of the three minor league pitchers surrendered in this deal - Aaron Poreda, Adam Russell and Dexter Carter. Williams gave up the store for a guy who might not be healthy enough to pitch.

The Washington Nationals meanwhile traded the injury prone Nick Johnson to the Florida Marlins as well as dealing left-handed reliever Joe Beimel to the Colorado Rockies.
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Perhaps Ahmadinejad Should Hire Pat Buchanan as a Presidential Advisor

I have read Pat Buchanan's latest column and had to do everything in my power to keep from bursting out with laughter.

In the article, Buchanan praises the Obama Administration's policy in Iran and argues that an Israeli strike in Iran would "destroy a policy that is visibly succeeding."

And what policy is that you might ask?

Buchanan replies, "America's policy of patience is working."

More like sitting on its hands. The Obama Administration seeks engagement with Iran not patience. Indeed, it was President Obama who said we must not "meddle" in Iran's affairs. But with Iran crumbling at the seams it would be foolish for the Obama Administration to pursue engagement at this time. Yet it doesn't want to take a harder line either. So they are staying quiet for now.

There are a lot of factors that have led to Iran's current state of affairs but the Obama Administration's policy towards it isn't one of them.

Now, this doesn't preclude a debate on whether Israel should strike Iran. There are legitimate arguments to be made against Israel carrying out such a strike. But we should not pretend that Iran's regime, however unstable, doesn't have bad intentions towards Israel. However, Buchanan seems to think otherwise:

There is no evidence Iran has built the cascade to raise LEU (low enriched uranium) to highly enriched weapons-grade uranium, or that the facilities even exist to do this. The Iranian regime has declared it has no intention of building nuclear weapons, indeed, that their possession would be a violation of Koranic law.

So Buchanan declares there's no Iranian nuclear weapons program because the mullahs say so. It is astonishing, yet not altogether surprising, that Buchanan would accept the word of Iran's leaders who declared Ahmadinejad the winner in last month's "election" at face value. If building a nuclear weapons program is against Koranic law then surely arresting protesters and beating them to death is also against Koranic law. But such an argument would never have occurred to Buchanan.

In arguing against an Israeli strike on Iran, Buchanan writes, "Iran is even more pleased with the Shia regime we brought to power in Baghdad than we are."

Um, this is the same Pat Buchanan would six years ago argued the War in Iraq was Israel's war.

So is Buchanan now saying the War in Iraq is Iran's war? If so then he cannot have it both ways.

Finally, here's what he writes about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:

Ahmadinejad is not so tough a customer as Stalin, Khrushchev or Mao, who talked of accepting 300 million dead in a nuclear exchange. Moreover, Ahmadinejad has no nukes, no authority to take Iran to war, and is looking like a very lame duck before his second term has begun.

Perhaps Ahmadinejad should hire Pat Buchanan as a presidential advisor.

Sgt. Crowley Has A Drink With The President, Vice-President & A Harvard Professor

So some beer was consumed on the White House grounds and Vice-President Biden even joined in the reverie.

I noticed Sgt. Crowley and Professor Gates kept a healthy distance from each other with Biden sitting next to Gates while President Obama sat beside Crowley.

O.K., so President Obama got his photo-op.

But look at it this way. This would never have come to pass had a) President Obama not interjected himself so imprudently into a routine 911 call and b) Sgt. Crowley not stood his ground and said Obama's comments were way off base.

How often does a police sergeant get invited to sit at the same table with the President of the United States, the Vice-President of the United States and a prominent academic from Harvard University as an equal? It's a moment few of us will ever experience and I'm sure this isn't lost on Crowley.

Sgt. Crowley stood tall with his dignity intact. He later told the press that he and Professor Gates agree to disagree. Thus he comes out as the big winner in this whole row.

If there is a "teachable moment" for President Obama perhaps he has learned not to sully the men and women who risk their lives every hour of every day to ensure our well being. Should a similar circumstance arise in the future perhaps he will refrain from passing judgment until he has all the facts before him. People didn't elect him so he could malign local police officers who are just doing their job.

Now unless Gates decides to sue or make his documentary on racial profiling perhaps this tale has now run its course and will recede into the recesses of the past. If so then I'll drink to that.

Orioles Trade Sherrill to Dodgers

The Baltimore Orioles have traded pitcher George Sherrill to the Los Angeles Dodgers for two minor leaguers (third baseman Josh Bell and pitcher Steve Johnson.)

Sherrill was the Orioles closer and recorded 20 saves for them this season. However, don't expect Sherrill to be used as a closer in L.A. The Dodgers have Jonathan Broxton who has 23 saves in 2009. Sherrill will most likely be Broxton's set up man. It is a role Sherrill had when he pitched with the Seattle Mariners from 2004 through 2007. After the Mariners dealt Sherrill to Baltimore in the Erik Bedard deal, Sherrill had the opportunity to close. In 2008, Sherrill saved 31 games and was named to AL All-Star Team and pitched two and one thirds scoreless innings.

After getting off to a slow start in 2009, he quickly regained his form. The 32-year-old southpaw is affectionately known as The Brim Reaper because the bill of his cap is flat.

NY Times Reports Manny & Big Papi Tested Positive For Steroids in '03

According to The New York Times, both Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz tested positive for steroids in 2003 when Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association engaged in anonymous drug testing.

They are allegedly on the same list of 104 players that also included Alex Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa.

The presence of Manny on the list is not a bombshell given that he tested positive for HGH earlier this season was suspended for 50 games. But this is the first time David Ortiz has been linked to steroids. It is worth noting that Ortiz's career took off during the 2003 season.

So needless to say Yankees fans will chant "Steroids!!! Steroids!!!" the next time Big Papi bats at Yankee Stadium in the same way Red Sox fans chanted "Steroids!!! Steroids!!!" at A-Rod during the Yankees last visit to Fenway Park.

Speaking of Fenway, one wonders what the reaction Ortiz will receive when he steps up to the plate during this afternoon's game against the Oakland Athletics. For his part Ortiz has said, "I'm not talking about that anymore. I have no comment."

I think all of this is very unfair to Ortiz. Of course, Yankees fans are chiming in, "Yeah, you're a Red Sox fan." Well, I thought this was unfair to A-Rod as well and said so when the story broke last February.

MLB and the MLBPA did this testing which was to be kept anonymous. This list was supposed be destroyed but was seized by the federal government. The MLBPA has taken the feds to court over this matter. Little by little the names of players are being released. It violates both the letter and spirit of the agreement under which the testing was done. Either keep it confidential or make it public. Right now we have a situation where it is OK to violate the privacy of some elite players but are prepared to respect the privacy of others until they want to grab some more headlines. Privacy belongs to all of us and this is something about which Red Sox and Yankees fans ought to agree.

Giants Acquire Sanchez From Pirates

No sooner than the Pittsburgh Pirates had dealt longtime shortstop Jack Wilson to the Seattle Mariners they turned around and traded second baseman Freddy Sanchez to the San Francisco Giants for minor league pitcher Tim Alderson.

Conveniently, the Pirates happened to be playing in San Francisco where they finished a three game series this afternoon en route to being swept. Sanchez joins a team that has a ½ game lead in the NL Wild Card standings over the Colorado Rockies.

Sanchez began his big league career with the Boston Red Sox in 2002 but would be dealt to the Pirates in mid-season of 2003. He became an everyday player for the Bucs in 2005. His best season with the Pirates was in 2006 when he won the NL batting title with a .344 average. He has been named to the NL All-Star Team three of the past four seasons.

In the past 24 hours, the Giants have significantly improved the right side of their infield. Yesterday, the Giants acquired first baseman Ryan Garko from the Cleveland Indians. The Giants have great pitching but weak offense and the presence of Garko and Sanchez should improve it.

As for the Pirates, they have now traded five players who were in their starting lineup on Opening Day. Catcher Ryan Doumit, third baseman Andy LaRoche and right fielder Brandon Moss are the only position players in the lineup still wearing a Bucs uniform. Or will they too walk the plank?

Phillies Acquire Cy Young Winner Cliff Lee

So I guess the Philadelphia Phillies are out of the Roy Halladay sweepstakes.

This is because the pitching starved Phillies have acquired 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee as well as outfielder Ben Francisco from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for minor league pitchers Carlos Carrasco and Jason Knapp, shortstop Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson.

Last year, Lee went 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA to win the AL Cy Young for the Tribe. Lee got off to a slow start in 2009. He went 7-9 with the Indians in '09 but had a very respectable ERA of 3.14.
The highlight of Lee's season occurred last month when he took a no-hitter into the 8th inning against the St. Louis Cardinals (a game I saw on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball). Lee pitched a complete game three hit shutout.

Lee's presence in the starting rotation will be a welcome addition when you consider that the starter with the lowest ERA on the Phillies staff is Joe Blanton at 4.11. It is really amazing the Phillies are leading the NL East by seven games over the Florida Marlins. But they will need quality starting pitching down the stretch and Lee can fill that bill quite nicely.

I also like the addition of Francisco. He should compliment the great outfield of Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth. He'll be valuable down the stretch off the bench as a fourth outfielder.

As for the Tribe, the only player with any big league experience amongst them is Marson. He'll see some playing time especially if the Indians should trade Victor Martinez. The Indians are looking to 2010 and beyond. The key player for the Tribe is Carrasco. He has struggled with the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs (I kid you not) in 2009 with a 6-9 record and a 5.18 ERA. But he has struck out 112 batters in 114 and two thirds innings pitched. That's basically a strikeout an inning. Although Carrasco is presently a starter I wouldn't be surprised if he is converted into a reliever. I don't think Kerry Wood is viable as the Indians closer in the long term.

So where does that leave Roy Halladay? In Toronto? If the Red Sox are interested in him the Yankees will be interested as well. But don't count out the Angels and Rangers either. The trade deadline is 4 p.m. on Friday.

Pirates Send Wilson & Snell to Seattle

Here is what the opening day lineup for the 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates looked like when they faced the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on April 6th:

LF Nyjer Morgan
2B Freddy Sanchez
CF Nate McLouth
C Ryan Doumit
1B Adam LaRoche
3B Andy LaRoche
RF Brandon Moss
SS Jack Wilson
P Paul Maholm

Less than four months later, four of those nine players listed are no longer members of the Pirates. McLouth was sent packing to the Atlanta Braves in June. Earlier this month, Morgan was dealt with pitcher Sean Burnett to the Washington Nationals for Lastings Milledge and John Hanrahan. Last week, Adam LaRoche was traded to the Boston Red Sox.

Today, you can add Jack Wilson to the list. He and starting pitcher Ian Snell were traded to the Seattle Mariners for Ronny Cedeno and four minor leaguers (catcher-first baseman Jeff Clement and right-handed pitchers Aaron Pribanic, Brett Lorin and Nathan Adcock.)

Put another way, two-thirds of their outfield and half their infield are no longer with the team.

Wilson has been with the Bucs since 2001. He is good fielding shortstop with a decent bat. His best season came in 2004 when he batted .308, led the NL in triples with 12 and was named to the NL All-Star Team.

But Wilson was vocally unhappy when the Bucs traded Morgan stating he was "beyond tired of such moves." However, he later apologized for his remarks. Yet it was probably the best thing he could have done because it gave him a one way ticket out of the Siberia of Major League Baseball. Don't be surprised if former NL batting champion Sanchez is on the way out as well.

The Seattle Mariners are a longshot for the postseason. At 52-48, they are 7½ games back of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the AL West and 6½ games back of the Red Sox in the AL Wild Card standings. But there are two months plus of baseball to be played and it looks like the Mariners are going to give it a shot. In which case, they will likely hold onto starting pitcher Jarrod Washburn whose name has been bandied about in trade rumors. Good for them. If nothing else, the Mariners are a much better team under Don Wakamatsu and their 102 losses in 2008 will likely prove an anamoly. I think Wilson will be quite happy to play in the Pacific Northwest.

The change of scenery will probably do Snell some good as well. Debuting with the Bucs in 2004, he pitched well for them in 2006 and 2007. But he has struggled for the past season and a half. In 2009, Snell was 2-8 with a 5.36 ERA. Last month, Snell requested a demotion to the Pirates Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis where he has pitched effectively.

As for the Pirates, they got a journeyman shortstop and four unknown quantities who will probably be traded if they bear any fruit. Cedeno was once a top prospect with the Chicago Cubs but he doesn't have much of a bat. He'll stand in at short in place of Wilson for 2009 and then make room for Argenis Diaz (who was acquired in the LaRoche trade) in 2010.
Clement could see some time at first now that LaRoche is out of the picture but pitching is always a crapshoot.

The bottom line is that unless the Pirates sign their young players to long term contracts they will not contend. Which is a shame because the Cardinals won the NL Central (and the World Series) in 2006 with an 83-79 record. In 2007, the Cubs won the division with an 85-77 record. I would be very surprised if the NL Central Division winner in 2009 win more than 90 games.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a beautiful ballpark. But no one has a reason to go there.

I Feel Sorry For Lucia Whalen

I just saw a good chunk of Lucia Whalen's press conference on WCVB-TV, the ABC affiliate here in Boston.

I feel sorry for Lucia Whalen.

Not only was she was ill at ease in front of the microphones and cameras she had a very difficult time answering the questions posed by reporters. It was the last place she wanted to be. As the conference wore on I wondered why this whole spectacle was even necessary other than to give her attorney Wendy Murphy an opportunity to grandstand.

The only thing I really learned from all this was that an elderly woman initially saw what was going on and not having a cell phone got the attention of a passerby. As it happened that passerby was Whalen. This was the last place she expected to be when she made the 911 call nearly two weeks ago.

As I have written previously given that she works at Harvard she has more than likely incurred the wrath of her colleagues not to mention her neighbors. The presence of the media doesn't help much either. I can't imagine she's accustomed to such scrutiny. You can see the burden written all over her face. I don't think this press conference did much to alleviate her burden. I hope she has some vacation time available to her because this is surely the time to use it.

As for Sgt. Crowley, if this was the liberal media's last ditch effort to discredit him it failed miserably.

New York Times Has Link To My Crowley Article

I just wanted to mention The New York Times has a link to my latest article, "Sgt. Crowley Is Being Judged By The Color Of His Uniform."

You can find the link underneath the caption "From Around The Web."

I Stand By Sgt. Crowley

A couple of days ago I wrote, "The liberal media knows both Gates and Obama were wrong. But the liberal media can't bring themselves to admit that white police officer was right."

Here's a response from a reader: "Care to rephrase that, now that the tapes are out showing Crowley lied on his arrest report?"

No, I do not care to rephrase anything.

The 911 call to Cambridge Police does nothing of the sort.

If one reads Sgt. Crowley's report the race of the alleged assailants is identified when he is in conversation with Ms. Whalen at the scene not on the 911 call.

It is worth noting Whalen is also denying that she spoke to Sgt. Crowley at the scene. But what occurred at the scene is separate from what occurred on the 911 call. I find it hard to believe Sgt. Crowley would make up an entire conversation out of whole cloth. It would be interesting to see what the other officers on the scene have to say about what Ms. Whalen said or did not say.

Let me be clear. I think Ms. Whalen has been under enormous pressure. The fact she made the call cannot sit well with her colleagues at Harvard or her neighbors and she is trying to draw the heat away from herself. Her attorney Wendy Murphy said she is calling a press conference tomorrow because she wants to get back to a normal life. Well, I wonder who it is that is making Ms. Whalen's life abnormal?

If Ms. Whalen succeeds in drawing scrutiny away from herself it will bring about more heat towards Sgt. Crowley. Well, should that come to pass, I will continue stand by Sgt. Crowley. The liberal media wants to crucify a white cop because he's a white cop.

Shatner on Palin

William Shatner read a passage from Sarah Palin's farewell speech on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien last night as only he can.

This is the first Sarah Palin bit on a comedy show that hasn't denigrated her in I don't know how long. Conan himself said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I watched it a couple of more times and it suddenly dawned on me this morning it's a poem. It was always meant to be a poem."

Since Alaska is a frontier state it is perhaps fitting that someone who has traversed the final frontier like Captain Kirk should be the one person who can serve as a medium between Palin and the parts of America who do not yet understand her.

Whatever she decides to do Sarah Palin has the makings of a naturalist poet. Denali, the great one, soaring under the midnight sun. What a line. It's an homage to Mount McKinley.

Biden & Holder Dole Out $1 Billion For Police Officers

Vice-President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder today announced the federal government was doling out $1 billion to local law enforcement agencies to hire approximately 4,700 more police officers.

Almost $30 million of that amount is being allocated to Massachusetts. While Cambridge isn't getting any of the money I find the timing of this announcement very interesting in light of President Obama saying Sgt. James Crowley and the Cambridge Police Department had "acted stupidly" in arresting Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. earlier this month and the backlash that followed.

It is also interesting that Biden was tapped to make the announcement. Perhaps Obama is heeding advice that he is overexposed.

After all familiarity breeds contempt.

Village Voice Cites My Gates Article

The Village Voice has a section written by a fellow named Roy Edroso who monitors the conservative blogosphere.

This week Edroso focused his attention on the arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Edroso mentions my article, "Is Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Above The Law?" He writes, "Intellectual Conservative finally offered what we may take as the definitive rightblogger legal analysis: "Being a 'black man in America' does not grant you the right to be obnoxious."

Imagine what Edroso could write if he actually read my article.

Hey, at least he spelled the name of our website right.

Lawyer For Gates 911 Caller Claims She Never Used The Term "Black"

Lucia Whalen, the woman who made the 911 call, is claiming she never identified any of the parties allegedly breaking into Professor Gates residence as black.

Her attorney Wendy Murphy said:

Let me be clear: She never had a conversation with Sgt. Crowley at the scene. And she never said to any police officer or to anybody 'two black men.' She never used the word 'black.' Period." I'm not sure what the police explanation will be. Frankly, I don't care. Her only goal is to make it clear she never described them as black. She never saw their race. ... All she reported was behavior, not skin color.

She just wants to clear her name. She doesn't want to create more controversy. She falls outside the plain lines of race, and I think she wanted people to know that.

Clearly, the liberal media is still trying to discredit Sgt. Crowley.

There are two issues here.

There is a dispute as to whether Ms. Whalen had a conversation with Sgt. Crowley.

There is a dispute as to whether Ms. Whalen identified the alleged assailants as black.

Well, if Sgt. Crowley didn't talk with Ms. Whalen then who did? If Sgt. Crowley didn't get his information from Ms. Whalen then with whom did he speak at the scene?

I cannot help but think that Ms. Whalen might be getting a lot of heat from her neighbors and co-workers at Harvard for having made the 911 call and now trying to distance herself from it. Believe me I know what attitudes are like in the People's Republic of Cambridge. Of course, there could be something else in play altogether.

But here's what I don't get. Why does Ms. Whalen feel the need to clear her name? What was it that she did wrong? Let's suppose she did, in fact, tell Sgt. Crowley or one of the other officers on the scene that she saw two black people trying to enter Professor Gates home. I hardly think describing what one sees as being a crime much less racist.

But even if Ms. Whalen never described the alleged assailants as black, Sgt. Crowley still had to ascertain if there was a break in taking place at the residence. Sgt. Crowley determined Professor Gates was in fact in his home. That should have been the end of it. But then Professor Gates escalated the situation and we all know what happened next.

It will be interesting to see what, if any, effect this has on the meeting scheduled between Sgt. Crowley and Professor Gates at the White House with President Obama later this week. It will be interesting to see if President Obama does an about face and postpones the meeting indefinitely.

Crowley Accepts White House Beer Invite

It appears that Sgt. James Crowley will be joining President Obama and Professor Gates for a beer at the White House.

I hate to see Sgt. Crowley be used as a political prop by President Obama.

The last thing we need is more grandstanding from Professor Gates.

But I can understand Crowley's reasons for accepting the President's invitation.

If he declines he appears ungracious and anti-social. He would open himself to accusations that he is unwilling to bury the hatchet. It would become yet another chapter in the saga.

Yes, the press will write glowing articles about Obama the peacemaker. But they'll write glowing articles about Obama whether he deserves it or not.

If Crowley does this then I think this will begin to recede. That is, unless, Gates decides to bring a lawsuit or pursue his racial profiling documentary.

Besides Sgt. Crowley has demonstrated he can handle both Professor Gates and President Obama.

Hillary Says She's Not Interested in the White House

So that's what she says. Kind of.

The day Hillary isn't interested in the White House is the day I am no longer interested in baseball.

If I were President Obama I would prepare for a frontal attack by wearing a cup made of Kevlar.

Rickey, Rice & Gordon Inducted Into Cooperstown

Rickey Henderson, Jim Rice and the late Joe Gordon were today inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Rickey is in a class all by himself. His 1,406 stolen bases will never be matched. Neither will his 2,295 runs scored.

Throw in 3,000 plus hits as well as two World Series rings, an AL MVP trophy, 10 All-Star Team selections and you have a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Jim Rice did accomplish something that Rickey never could. Play with one team his entire career. The Red Sox legend finally got his day in the sun after being voted in by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) in his final year of eligibility.

Rice was one of the most feared hitters in the AL in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He thrice led the AL in home runs and twice led the league in RBI. In all, Rice drove in more than 100 runs eight times in his stellar career. He was also selected to the AL All-Star Team eight times. He won the 1978 AL MVP.

His career declined abruptly after 1986. However, given how steroids have been perceived to taint power numbers in the 1990s and beyond, Rice's power numbers have been viewed with greater respect with the passage of time.

Rice will receive another honor on Tuesday when the Red Sox retire his number 14 prior to their game with the Oakland Athletics. Rice will join Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Joe Cronin, Carl Yazstremski, Carlton Fisk and Johnny Pesky as the only Red Sox players ever so honored.

Joe Gordon was also posthumously inducted today. He was voted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. Gordon played 11 seasons in the big leagues with the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians. He earned nine AL All-Star appearances, five World Series rings (four with the Yankees and one with the Tribe) and was the AL MVP in 1942. Like many players of his era, he served in WWII. Gordon missed two seasons in what would have been the prime of his career because of his military service. Gordon also tended to be overshadowed by Joe DiMaggio.

One could make the case that Gordon is the greatest second baseman in Yankees history. Others though would say Tony Lazzeri who also won five World Series rings with the Yankees. He, too, got overshadowed by a couple of guys named Ruth and Gehrig. Lazzeri would not be inducted into Cooperstown until 1991. Like Gordon, Lazzeri was also posthumously inducted.

Bob Schieffer Gets Crowley-Gates-Obama Wrong

Bob Schieffer made the following commentary on the row amongst Sgt. Crowley, Professor Gates and President Obama on the CBS Program Face The Nation.

He got it wrong.

Not surprisingly he played the moral equivalency card saying all parties were at fault.

Schieffer said of Sgt. Crowley:

A cop trained not to let such things bother him, let some smart remarks get under his skin. Inexcusable, sure, but aren't cops human too, sometimes?

Let's see here.

Professor Gates accused Sgt. Crowley of being a racist police officer.

President Obama called Sgt. Crowley stupid.

Sgt. Crowley, meanwhile, didn't accuse either Professor Gates or President Obama of anything.

He just did his job.

The liberal media knows both Gates and Obama were wrong.

But the liberal media can't bring themselves to admit that a white police officer was right.

Beach Boy Mike Love Compares John Stamos to President Obama

Tonight, my roomie Christopher and I attended a free concert by The Beach Boys.

These days the only original member of the group is Mike Love.

But in recent years actor John Stamos, best known for his roles on TV shows like Full House and E.R., often tours with the Beach Boys during the summer months as their drummer and also sings lead on a couple of songs.

Love and Stamos have some witty banter between them.

At one point, Love compared Stamos to President Obama.

Love said, "John Stamos is making as much money (from re-runs of Full House) as Obama is printing."

What a hoot.

Great New Blog: Poems in support of Iran

A few days back I mentioned a woman who goes by the name Nanehlala who translated a poem I wrote in honor of Neda Agha Soltan into French.

Well, Nanehlala has launched a new blog called "Poems in support of Iran." The poems are written both in English and in French.

And by poems in support of Iran she doesn't mean poems in support of the Mullahs & Ahmadinejad.

Gates Accepts Obama's Invitation to the White House for Beer

Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has accepted President Obama's invitation to the White House to share a beer with Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley.

Somehow I don't think it would be the first time Obama and Gates have shared a brewski.

However, this puts Sgt. Crowley in a difficult position.

I personally think he should decline the invitation. Why be used as a prop in a photo op?

But if he does decline the invitation then the Gates camp and other African-American leaders will say that Crowley is part of "the nation of cowards" who are uninterested in a "conversation on race."

Sgt. Crowley could say that his family, vocational and community obligations render him unable to accept President Obama's invitation.

Now that Gates has accepted Obama's peace offering methinks Crowley will do the same. He doesn't strike me as a disagreeable sort.

Of course, my fear is that Crowley will be used not only to advance Obama's agenda but Gates' as well.

Gates said, "I am pleased that [Obama] is eager to use my experience as a teaching moment. And if meeting Sgt. Crowley for a beer with the President will further that end, then I would be happy to oblige."

Gates just doesn't get it.

Then again if Crowley can hold his own against President Obama he can certainly do so with Professor Gates.

If Crowley takes up Obama's offer it will be interesting to see if Gates will still sue the City of Cambridge. It will also be interesting to see if Gates still plans to make that PBS documentary about racial profiling with Crowley cast in the role of the villain.

An Evening With Michael Lang

In a couple of weeks, I plan to write an article about the 40th anniversary of Woodstock.

Michael Lang (pictured below) was one of the four men who organized the Woodstock Music & Arts Festival. He made an appearance in the Boston area tonight to promote his new book The Road to Woodstock along with his co-author Holly George-Warren.

If one is going to write an article about Woodstock one might as well as go directly to the source.

As you can imagine he is quite enthusiastic about President Obama. In fact, he called Obama's inauguration "a Woodstock moment." Hey, he's entitled to his opinion. Even if you disagree with it.

But don't let the curly hair and his soft-spoken manner fool you. The man has a keen sense of entrepreneurship and has a way with people.

He also looks very good for someone about to turn 65 this December. It was interesting to contrast Lang with some of the people in the audience who were clearly showing both their age and the after effects of consuming one too many hallucinogens.

I had the opportunity to ask Lang a couple of questions.

The first question is the subject of my article so I will leave it for now. You'll have to wait for the article. I know the suspense is unbearable but.....

The second question (which I also directed to George-Warren) was which version of the song, "Woodstock" did he prefer? Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young or Matthews Southern Comfort? The same song but two radically different arrangements.

George-Warren was surprised at the question but told me in a whispered tone that she preferred MSC's version (as do I.) She asked me what Iain Matthews was up to and I replied that he was based in Holland had recently recorded a jazz album with the jazz combo known as The Searing Quartet.

As for Lang, he noted that he liked Joni Mitchell's version. After all she did write the song. However, he also told me that he Stephen Stills and Dallas Taylor (who was CSN&Y's drummer) played it for him before recording it on their 1970 album Déjà Vu. Not many people can make that claim. So I can understand how he would be partial to their version of the song.

Bill Hanley, the sound engineer at Woodstock and Boston area native, was also on hand.

The only comment I'll make about the article is that it will surprise everyone who reads it.

Athletics Trade Holliday to St. Louis

Twenty-four hours ago I pondered if the Oakland Athletics would trade outfielder Matt Holliday to the San Francisco Giants.

Well, instead of sending Holliday across the Bay, the Athletics have sent him to the Gateway to the West. Holliday is now a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. In exchange for Holliday, the Cardinals gave up three minor leaguers including Brett Wallace, who was the Athletics top draft pick in 2008. Wallace could be Oakland's everyday third baseman as early as next season.

Holliday will provide protection for reigning NL MVP Albert Pujols. The Cardinals now have a power trio Pujols, Holliday and Ryan Ludwick. Holliday will supplant Rick Ankiel in left field who has struggled at the plate and hasn't been the same player since colliding head first into the outfield wall during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies in May.

The one disdvantage is that all three of these players bat right-handed. I'm surprised the Cardinals wouldn't have sought a left-handed power hitter instead. But perhaps there wasn't one readily available or who have fit into the Cardinals lineup. Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres comes to mind but he's a first baseman like Pujols and this isn't the AL so no DH (except for interleague play in AL ballparks but interleague is done for 2009.) Nonetheless, Holliday should be a good fit in the Cardinals lineup. It will be interesting to see if Holliday stays in St. Louis beyond 2009 as he is a free agent after this season.

The Cardinals currently lead the NL Central Division by not a large margin. The Chicago Cubs and the surging Houston Astros are only 1½ games back while the Milwaukee Brewers are 2½ games back. The Cardinals have the unenviable task of visiting the defending World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies this weekend. The Phillies have been playing their best baseball of the 2009 season having won 11 of their last 12 games.

Whatever impact Holliday has in St. Louis, I think the San Francisco Giants missed out on an opportunity to add a right-handed power hitter. Then again sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make.

Obama Won't Apologize to Sgt. Crowley; Would Like To Have a Beer With Him & Gates Instead

President Obama, having stepped into it by claiming that Sgt. Crowley and Cambridge Police Department had "acted stupidly", tried to weasle his way out of it by saying he should have chose his words differently.

Obama spoke during an unscheduled appearance at the daily White House briefing. He stated that he had spoken to Sgt. Crowley over the phone. "Because this has been ratcheting up and I helped contribute to ratcheting it up, I want to make clear that in my choice of words I unfortunately gave an impression that I was maligning the Cambridge Police Department or Sgt. Crowley specifically and I could have calibrated those words differently."

Well, when you refer to an individual or an organization as having behaved stupidly you are by definition maligning them.

President Obama could have simply said to Sgt. Crowley, "I did not have all the facts surrounding the incident before me. Therefore, I would like to apologize to Sgt. James Crowley and the Cambridge Police Department for my remarks on Wednesday night."

Instead, Obama wants to have a beer with Crowley and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. at the White House.

When trying to deescalate a volatile situation between two opposing parties it is never a good idea to introduce alcohol into the mix.

But it is clear what Obama wants. A photo op. I'm sure David Axelrod can see it now. A photo of the three of them smiling together with the headline, "Barack Obama: Healing The Racial Divide."

A racial divide whose chasm he cut deeper.

I suspect Sgt. Crowley will have the good sense to politely decline any such invitation and not be used as a propaganda tool.

Boston Globe Readers Think Obama Should Have Kept His Mouth Shut About Cambridge PD

The Boston Globe put forward a question to its readers: Should the president have spoken out on the Gates arrest?

A majority of the readers who have responded indicated they believe President Obama should have kept his mouth shut or at the very least reserved judgment to a later date.

OK, it isn't a scientific poll but given how liberal this part of the country is it is clear that Obama struck both a raw nerve and the wrong chord.

It isn't the place of the President of the United States to second guess a local police department especially when by his own admission he doesn't have all the facts before him.

As time goes on other matters of state will come to fore and memories will recede. However, I think President Obama's ill-advised comments will create a lasting impression in the Boston-Cambridge area. The seeds of doubt have been planted and Obama is fertilizing them.

Put it this way. Somewhere Hillary Clinton is sitting up, taking notice and biding her time.

Cambridge Police Chief Defends Crowley; MA Governor Patrick Defends Gates

Robert Haas, the Chief of the Cambridge Police Department, has publicly defended Sgt. James Crowley.

On the other hand, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is defending Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Haas said he did not believe Sgt. Crowley "acted with any racial motivation at all." When asked about President Obama's comment last night that the Cambridge Police Department had "acted stupidly", Haas replied the Department is "deeply pained."

Governor Patrick, for his part, had no comment on President Obama's remark other than to say Obama "was quite capable of speaking for himself.” Patrick said he emphasized with Gates in "feeling powerless" while he attended Milton Academy in the 1970s and being "stopped for no reason than just being on the sidewalk." The Governor did not elaborate further.

Patrick did say, "I guess I would say you ought to be able to raise your voice in your own house without risk of arrest.”

Ahem, Governor. Gates was arrested outside his home. I guess the Governor didn't have all the facts before him. Just like his good friend President Obama.

Mark Buehrle Tosses Perfect Game

Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle made history this afternoon by tossing a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The White Sox 5-0 win moves them into a tie with the Detroit Tigers for the lead of the AL Central Division. The Chisox travel to Detroit tomorrow to play a four games series against the Tigers.

As for Buehrle, he becomes the 16th pitcher to throw a perfect game since 1900. His perfect game is the first in MLB since May 2004 when Randy Johnson accomplished the feat while a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks against the Atlanta Braves.

This is also Buehrle's second career no-hitter. In April 2007, Buehrle fired a no-hitter for the Chisox against the Texas Rangers. He has pitched his entire 10-year MLB career on the South Side of Chicago.

In between decimating our country's health care system and defaming the Cambridge Police Department, Chisox fan and President of the United States Barack Obama called Buehrle to congratulate him on his triumph. It is worth noting Obama met with Buehrle prior to the All-Star Game last week in St. Louis. Obama suggested in jest that Buehrle threw the perfect game because he wore the White Sox jacket when he threw out the first pitch. Gee Barry, I thought everything wasn't all about you. Well, today it's about Buehrle.

Sgt. Crowley Taught Racial Profiling Classes

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. offered to educate Sgt. James Crowley about the issue of racial profiling.

Professor Gates, your services are not required.

It turns out that Sgt. Crowley has been teaching a class on racial profiling at the Lowell Police Academy for the past five years and he was handpicked to do by Ron Watson, the former Chief of Police for the City of Cambridge. It is worth noting that Watson is African-American. Would Watson have tabbed Crowley if he thought Crowley was a "racist officer" much less a "rogue cop"?

Can you hear it? It's the sound of Professor Gates' credibility going out the window.

Obama Opens Mouth & Inserts Foot; Has Vendetta With Sgt. Crowley

So it seems President Obama has a grudge against Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambridge Police Department.

He defended his remarks last night claiming that Sgt. Crowley "acted stupidly" in arresting Professor Gates last week. In an interview with Terry Moran of ABC News, Obama stated:

I have to say I am surprised by the controversy surrounding my statement because I think it was a pretty straight forward commentary that you probably don't need to handcuff a guy, a middle-aged man who uses a cane, who's in his own home.

I think that I have extraordinary respect for the difficulties of the job that police officers do. And my suspicion is that words were exchanged between the police officer and Mr. Gates and that everybody should have just settled down and cooler heads should have prevailed. That's my suspicion.

It doesn't make sense to arrest a guy in his own home if he's not causing a serious disturbance.

How does Obama know Gates wasn't causing a serious disturbance? Remember this is the guy who said he didn't have all the facts on the case but was willing to state the Cambridge Police were "acting stupidly."

Well, let President Obama continue to defend his remarks. Let President Obama continue his personal vendetta with Sgt. Crowley and the Cambridge Police Department. Because if he insists on going down that road he is going to lose a lot of people who jumped on his bandwagon last November. Law abiding people don't like police being unjustly criticized much less being characterized as stupid.

Will The Giants Acquire Matt Holliday?

With the Oakland Athletics going nowhere in 2009 it appears that Matt Holliday's tenure there will end after less than one season. The Athletics acquired Holliday from the Colorado Rockies in the offseason for relief pitcher Huston Street.

I have a hunch that he will end up across the Bay in San Francisco and finish the season as a Giant.

The Giants are abundant in pitching but are in need of offense. Specifically, they need a right-handed power hitter and Holliday fills that bill. The Giants rank at or near the bottom of the NL in several offensive categories. They rank last in the NL in both walks (211) and on base percentage (.307). No surprise there. They are next to last in the NL in OPS (which is a combination of on base and slugging percentage) at .690, in runs scored (379) and home runs (63). In fact, Pablo Sandoval and Bengie Molina account for more than 40% of the Giants home runs this season.

Yet they made into the All-Star Break leading the NL Wild Card. But now they've slipped 1½ games behind the Colorado Rockies in the NL Wild Card race and they will be facing off this weekend in Denver. Wouldn't Matt Holliday love an opportunity to face his old team in a pennant race? After a slow start with Oakland, he is hitting a respectable .287 with 11 home runs and 54 RBI. The question is what are the Giants willing to give up in exchange for Holliday especially since he is a free agent at the end of 2009 and might be inclined to sign elsewhere.
Then again Holliday is 29 and in the prime of his career. If the Giants want to reach the postseason this year then this is the time and the player with whom to take a roll of the dice.

Holliday's best season came in 2007 when he nearly won the Triple Crown leading the NL in batting average and RBI during the Rockies improbable run to the NL Championship. He would finish runner up in the NL MVP balloting to Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Sgt. Crowley Stands Up To President Obama

Sgt. James Crowley is no shrinking violet.

After being called out by President Obama last night, Crowley today rebuked the President in an interview with WBZ Radio in Boston.

While Sgt. Crowley did say he "supports the President of the United States 110 per cent" he was nonetheless critical of President Obama:

I think he's way off base wading into a local issue without knowing all the facts, as he himself stated before he made that comment. I don't know what to say about that. I guess a friend of mine would support my position, too.

Even if they never admit it both Professor Gates and now President Obama might come to realize that they picked on the wrong guy.

Obama Claims Cambridge PD Acted "Stupidly"; Admits He Doesn't Know Facts of Case

During tonight's press conference on health care, President Obama was asked a question about last week's arrest of Harvard University Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

While President Obama admitted he did not know all of the facts behind the case he nonetheless concluded the Cambridge Police Department had "acted stupidly" in arresting Gates because "there was already proof that they were in their own home."

Well, if President Obama had known the facts of the case he would have known that Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct not for breaking & entering.

His statement does a disservice to law enforcement and the principle of equal justice for all.

But what do you expect of a President who remarks he would be shot if he tried to force the locks at the White House?

The joke was in poor taste and so were his misinformed comments about the Cambridge Police Department.

At least Sgt. James Crowley is standing his ground and refuses to apologize for doing his job.

Police Unions Sticking Up For Sgt. Crowley

Well, at least someone is sticking up for Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambridge Police Department.

Police unions in both Cambridge and across the Charles River in Boston are speaking up in support of Sgt. Crowley.

Jim Carnell, a union representative for the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association, put it this way:

The officer's mindset when is going in there is 'why was he breaking down the door?' Maybe there is a restraining order in place. Maybe Harvard University, who owns the house, changed the locks for some reason. The officer's job is to make sure everything is on the up-and-up.
Mr. Gates should be grateful that the police responded and explained himself with some civil discourse. It would have ended there. Instead, his arrogant, combative behavior gave the cops cause to wonder that something else going on.

Hugh Cameron, President of the Massachusetts Coalition of Police, put it more succinctly. Cameron said, "Sergeant Crowley was carrying out his duty as a law enforcement officer protecting the property of Professor Gates and he was accused of being a racist. The situation would have been over in five minutes if Professor Gates cooperated with the officer."

But Professor Gates didn't want it over in five minutes. Gates is pondering the possibility of bring forth a lawsuit against Crowley, the City of Cambridge and the Cambridge Police Department.

To quote the late Sonny Bono, "The beat goes on."

Red Sox Acquire Adam LaRoche From Pirates

The Boston Red Sox have acquired first baseman Adam LaRoche from the Pittsburgh Pirates for minor league shortstop Argenis Diaz and minor league pitcher Hunter Strickland.

Well, this means a lot less playing time for third baseman Mike Lowell. Look for Gold Glove first baseman Kevin Youkilis to play the lion's share of third base (which happens to be Youk's original position) while LaRoche becomes the everyday first baseman.

LaRoche was batting a modest .247 but does have 12 home runs and 50 RBI and he is known for playing his best baseball after the All-Star Break. However, the flipside of this is that he hasn't seen a lot of American League pitching outside of interleague play.

This is LaRoche's sixth big league season. He spent his first three seasons with the Atlanta Braves. LaRoche's best season was in 2006 with the Braves when he hit .285 with 32 home runs and 90 RBI. He was traded to the Pirates that off season for relief pitcher Mike Gonzalez.

The Red Sox have lost a season high four consecutive games and last night fell out of first place in the AL East and are now a game behind the New York Yankees. So much for my prediction that the Yankees would finish in last.

Will LaRoche's left-handed bat give the Red Sox offense some spark? Will LaRoche have the same impact on the Sox as his former Pirates teammate Jason Bay? LaRoche is a free agent at the end of the season. Is LaRoche a short term fix or will the Sox try to sign him beyond 2009? Lowell has one more year on his contract but it remains to be seen if his hip can hold up? Will Theo Epstein eat Lowell's contract? Or will Lowell graciously retire? Then again, if LaRoche hits .215 and the Sox somehow miss the postseason then those questions are academic.

The problems Red Sox fans face are miniscule when compared to Pirates fans or what's left of them. In the past seven weeks, the Pirates have traded away Nate McLouth, Eric Hinske, Nyjer Morgan, Sean Burnett and now Adam LaRoche. Can his younger brother Andy be far behind?

It is possible that Diaz could be the Pirates starting shortstop in 2010. But that is of little consolation to Bucs backers. If you are somehow still cheering for the Pirates you are cheering a team that is on its way to its fifth last place finish in six years and hasn't finished better than fourth place in ten years. A team can develop players and trade for prospects. But if that team is not willing to sign those players to long term contracts and are just going to trade them away two or three years down the road why should fans come to PNC Park? A stunning view of the Allegheny is simply not reason enough.

Another View on the Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Incident

Last night, I wrote a piece on the the arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Hopefully, it should be up on IC in the next day or two. However, if you cannot endure the suspense any further this column can be read here.

In the meantime, I came across an interesting take on Gates' arrest by Glenn McNatt of The Baltimore Sun. McNatt, who is African-American, found himself in a similar predicament as Gates. However, unlike Gates, he behaved very differently towards the Baltimore Police and not surprisingly the situation ended with a very different outcome:

A similar mix-up happened to me about 10 years ago, shortly after we moved into a house in Baltimore's Homeland neighborhood. Someone saw me emptying the trash out back one night and called the police.

I was in the kitchen finishing up the dinner dishes when they knocked on the back door; when I opened it they entered and asked if I lived there.

In the end I had to show my driver's license, then call my wife and daughter downstairs to vouch for me.

Unlike Mr. Gates, however, I didn't automatically assume the two officers were racists; one of them was white, but the other was African-American. I figured they were just doing their job, and that they were probably as wary of me as I was of them.

They both managed to stay civil, if professionally cautious, until my story checked out. And I was ever the mild-mannered editorialist, though I didn't mention where I worked or what I did.

Eventually they satisfied themselves that everything was OK and left. I didn't demand an apology, and they didn't offer one.

Afterward, I wondered whether I should have been more indignant, as Mr. Gates apparently was. But I figured there was no point in escalating a situation with a potential to turn nasty, especially with my family in the house.

If Gates had adopted the demeanor and disposition of McNatt with Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambridge Police Department he would never have been placed under arrest. Unless, of course, Gates adopted that demeanor deliberately to draw attention to himself and his cause. But to be fair I cannot read Gates mind. McNatt writes further:

We all bring to these encounters our unique personal histories and agendas; that evening I just wasn't inclined to make a federal civil rights case out of an obvious misunderstanding, even if the misunderstanding did hinge on the ever touchy subject of race.

Now, this assumes the person who called the Baltimore Police did so because McNatt was black. Unless, McNatt has additional information that for whatever reason he is disclined to share one cannot assume the person who made the call was motivated by race. We only know the caller saw something out of the ordinary and contacted the authorities who responded and determined there was nothing out of the ordinary after all. McNatt understood.

This is what police officers do in this country every day and it is what Sgt. Crowley was doing when he responded to the 911 call of a possible breaking and entering at Gates' residence last Thursday. Gates, however, does not or chooses not to understand.

Priests for Life: ACT NOW to stop stealth-FOCA!

Dear Friend,

This is without question among the most urgent messages I've ever sent you.

Unless you want to pay for abortionists to kill the youngest members of our human family, you must take these two actions immediately:

1. Contact your lawmakers in Washington!
2. Click here and rush Priests for Life the largest gift you can send today so that we can lead the people of life to DEFEAT the gravest threat to our unborn brothers and sisters since Roe v Wade!

In case you don't know, under the guise of "health care reform" Congress is about to pass a stealth version of the Freedom of Choice Act! And to make matters worse, they will force YOU to pay for the killings that will follow!

Make no mistake. The "health care reform" bills being finalized in Congress will set off a chain reaction that will result in a massive expansion of abortion!

That's because unless Congress explicitly states that abortion is excluded, it will be regarded as "an essential benefit" for Americans. Once that's done, insurance companies would be forced to cover elective abortions which would in turn force local health networks to recruit and hire abortionists.

And to make matters even worse, because these would be federal mandates ...

... state laws that now restrict abortion will probably be overturned!

As I said, this is FOCA in disguise!

Which is why it is so critically important that you:

àContact your lawmakers in Washington … RIGHT NOW!
àClick here and rush Priests for Life the largest gift you can send today.

Your action is needed because Barack Obama and the Abortion Congress want to ram this through Congress BEFORE the people of life can rise up to stop it.

And they will succeed unless YOU take action. Don't leave this up to "someone else." Call your two U.S. Senators and your House Representative and urge them to explicitly exclude abortion funding from health care reform legislation.

I know we can win this fight. We proved that earlier this year when we helped mobilize the people of life to oppose the Freedom of Choice Act.

We won that battle ... and we can win this one, too.

But only if we ACT NOW and make our voices heard in Washington. Time is of the essence!

Obama is putting enormous pressure on Congress to pass his "health care reform" as quickly as possible. He originally wanted it passed before lawmakers left on their August recess. Only fast action by Priests for Life and other pro-life activists kept that from happening.

Stung by that setback, the pro-abortion leaders of Congress are now out there selling the "health care reform" package to voters. But one thing they aren't telling anybody is how this measure will all but mandate abortion-on-demand ... and force you and every other taxpayer to pay for it!

So we've got to sound the alarm far and wide and convince our fellow Americans to DEMAND that Congress keep any "health care reform" bill abortion-neutral!

Priests for Life is sparing no expense to do just that. We are using every means of communication at our disposal to rally pro-life America to action: TV, radio, Internet, parish visits, resources for clergy, newspaper articles, tele-conferences, letter writing campaigns, postcards ... you name it.

To be successful it is critically important that you TAKE THESE THREE ACTION NOW:

1. Contact your two U.S. Senators and Representative. You can either click here to send them an email, or call them, or both. You'll need to make three calls: One to your Representative in the House (switchboard 202-225-3121) and one to each of your two U.S. Senators (switchboard 202-224-3121). Ask the operator to connect you to the appropriate lawmaker's office.

2. Click here to join our prayer campaign. Let's join prayer power to our lobbying voices, and let us know on this page that you have contacted your lawmakers and that you will say the daily prayer we've prepared. In this way, when I visit our lawmakers in Washington, I will know how many of our Priests for Life family members have already contacted Congress.

3. Click here to rush Priests for Life the largest contribution you can send Priests for Life at this critical time.

Your dollars are desperately needed so that Priests for Life can alert our fellow Americans to the fact that "health care reform" is really "stealth FOCA" ... and then rally them to join us as we fight to DEFEAT every attempt to include abortion in any "health care reform" package.

Again, though, the key is for you TAKE ACTION NOW ... before you move on to your next email. Believe me, there is nothing that is more important for you to do right now than this.

And if I may ask you one more favor. Each year I survey our supporters to learn how we can serve their needs more effectively. After giving your donation, would you take a moment and fill out the short survey I've placed at www.priestsforlife.org/survey. It is very important to me to know what you're thinking about our ministry!

Thank you and God bless.

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life and Gospel of Life Ministries

PS. In case you think I'm exaggerating the situation, pro-life Congressman Chris Smith calls Obama's so-called "health care" plan the "greatest threat to the unborn since Roe v. Wade." He is so concerned, in fact, that he sent a letter to his fellow Congressmen in which he cited quotes from pro-abortion groups that state their goal of using health care reform as a tool to expand access to abortion. He also quoted Barack Obama from a Q&A session at a Planned Parenthood Action Fund Event in July 2007: "In my mind reproductive care is essential care, basic care so it is at the center, the heart of the [health care] plan that I propose." Now that you know the truth ... TAKE ACTION!

Click here and help Priests for Life STOP this grave threat to the youngest members of our human family!

NOTE: If you prefer to send a check, please make it out to Priests for Life and send it to us at PO Box 141172, Staten Island, NY 10314. If you have any questions, call us toll-free at 888-735-3448. x 232.

Thoughts on Chappaquiddick @ 40

With all the discussion about the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, Quin Hillyer of The American Spectator (where some of my articles have appeared) notes that no one, not even National Review, has saw fit to mention the 40th anniversary of Chappaquiddick.

You know the incident that claimed the life of Mary Jo Kopechne but did not claim the political career of Senator Edward Kennedy.

Of course, much of it has to do with the fact that Kennedy is dying of brain cancer. Then again if Kennedy were in perfect health I don't think the MSM would be eager to revisit Chappaquiddick.

Pardon me for saying it. But as far as the MSM is concerned Chappaquiddick is water under the bridge.

President Obama, Edmund Burke & Iran

I was reading Jack Kerwick's column, "Classical Conservatism: A Return to a Politics of Humility."

In the piece, Kerwick praises President Obama's approach concerning Iran in the aftermath of the "election" as being in the finest traditions of classical conservatism as personified by Edmund Burke.

It is quite possible Burke would have had little enthusiasm for the protesters in Iran. His disdain for revolution is well known and slogans like "Death to the Dictator!!!" would probably hold little appeal to him.

On the other hand, it was Edmund Burke who said, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." So it is hard to fathom Burke endorsing Khamenei and Ahmadinejad much less President Obama's clarion call that we not meddle. If what is happening in Iran isn't evil then nothing is.

I also cannot imagine Burke being supportive of a policy of engagement of a regime that has no interest in engaging us and is, in fact, keen on doing us harm never mind its malignant designs for genuine friends.

An Obama Poem: Doing It On The Fly

I think Barack Obama's greatest singular achievement in his six months as President of the United States was swatting that fly during a television interview. FDR never had reflexes like that.

But I don't think President Obama has dealt with more dangerous members of the insect world quite as well:

Doing It On The Fly

As you spoke about global strife
That buzzin’ fly came into your life
You couldn’t let it just float away
How dare it interrupt your interview on Today
When you kicked it with your shoe
Were you thinking of Netanyahu?

That moment enhanced your narrative
Yet what really was the imperative
Flies pose no threat, are no source of doom
Unless they are played by Jeff Goldblum
When confronted by more dangerous insects
Your conduct is more circumspect

Take the Venezuelan cockroach
Who took a direct approach
Giving you a very big book
You grabbed its tentacles & shook
Triumphantly it crawled away
Dissidents looked at you with dismay

The North Korean mosquito
Its intention isn’t incognito
When it takes a firm stand
You’re not so quick to raise a hand
Your response to its missiles
Has thus far been futile

Then there are Iranian killer bees
You know the ones you aim to appease
When the worker bees clamored for reform
The queen bees closed ranks and swarmed
You were unwilling to do the right thing
Well because they might sting

Casting a wide net
Is no sure bet
You might wish to catch them with honey
But you spent all our money
I know you have your reasons why
Or are you just doing it on the fly

So when you speak about making global strides
And something else comes into our lives
That just won’t float away
What are you going to do today?

Thoughts on Apollo 11 @ 40

Forty years ago today, Neil Armstrong and "Buzz" Aldrin walked on the surface of the moon for 2½ hours. Those 2½ hours changed the lives of both men and, of course, mankind.

This event occurred three years before I was born. I'm part of the generation that saw the first launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia. However, I remember the landing better. It took place on April 14, 1981 at 1:20 EST. I remember this because it was my Dad's 40th birthday. There was a time when we would watch every single Shuttle launch and landing and record it on the school's Beta Max.

When I think of Apollo 11 and the moon landing I think of Bob Costas and Marilu Henner. Why them? I'll explain. But a word of warning. The story is a wee bit bawdy. Yet I think you will find it amusing just the same.

Costas used to host a show on NBC called Later. I enjoyed the show because it had no band or audience. It was just Costas one on one with a guest for an entire hour. I had been exposed to Costas as a result of his work in baseball on NBC's Game of the Week.

One night he interviewed actress Marilu Henner. Of course, she is best known for playing Elaine Nardo on Taxi - one of my favorite TV shows ever. By this time she was on Evening Shade with Burt Reynolds.

Henner apparently has the uncanny ability to remember what she was doing on every day of her life. Costas, however, was skepitcal of Henner's claim and decides to test her. He picks out a random date - July 20, 1969. The day of Armstrong and Aldrin took one small step for man. But Henner becomes flummoxed and flustered and demands to know if someone put him up to mentioning that date. Now Costas is perplexed.

Long story short. It turns out while Apollo 11 was landing Henner was being taken to new heights. It was the night she lost her virginity. But here's the best part of the story. Without missing a beat Costas retorts, "At least we know Neil Armstrong wasn't the culprit."

That interview must have taken place about twenty years ago. I still find it funny now.

I should mention that I met Marilu Henner at Macy's here in Boston almost a decade ago. But that's a story for another day.

Frank McCourt, 1930-2009. R.I.P.

Frank McCourt, the author of Angela's Ashes, has died of malignant melanoma. He was 78 years old.

Angela's Ashes was released in 1996. It was a memoir of McCourt's childhood in Limerick, Ireland. McCourt would win the National Book Critics Circle Award and a Pulitzer Prize for Angela's Ashes. In 1999, it would be adapted into a movie starring Robert Carlyle and Emily Watson. Not bad for someone who had been a New York City school teacher and was essentially working on a retirement project.

However, some in Limerick disputed McCourt's account of his childhood. But this did little to deter the affections of the chattering classes on the Upper West Side.

McCourt followed Angela's Ashes with another memoir Tis (1998) which documented his life in New York City. His last book Teacher Man (2005) documented his career as a New York City public school teacher.

What Annoys Me About The ESPY Awards

Since 1993, ESPN has broadcast The ESPY Awards.

Think of the ESPYs as the sports equivalent of the Emmy Awards.

It used to be broadcast live in February or March. But since 2002, it has been broadcast on the third Sunday of July following ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Usually, ESPN Sunday Night Baseball begins at 8 p.m. EST. But on this weekend the game begins at 6 p.m. EST.

It's very annoying. I don't understand why ESPN Sunday Night Baseball has to be moved back two hours to accommodate a show that isn't even broadcast live. The ESPYs are taped the day after the MLB All-Star Game.

Here's what I would do if I were in charge of programming at ESPN. Air the ESPYs on Sunday night at 8 p.m. on ESPN and broadcast ESPN Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN2 at the same time which happens to be its normal time. That way everybody wins. Viewers have a choice between the ESPYs or ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.

I mean what were they broadcasting on ESPN2 this evening while the ESPYs were on? Soccer and drag racing.

O.K., it isn't the biggest problem in the universe. But it is a pet peeve of mine and now I've spoken my peace.

It's Still a Heck of a Story for Tom Watson

Tom Watson was a putt away from becoming the biggest sports story of 2009.

Watson would have become the oldest golfer to win a major championship. He is less than two months shy of his 60th birthday. If he had won the Open Championship it would have been his first major since winning the Open Championship in 1983.

But he didn't sink that final putt and it forced him into a playoff with Stewart Cink who had never before won a major championship on the PGA Tour. Cink won the four hole playoff and the Open Championship by six strokes.

I remember when Jack Nicklaus won the Masters in 1986 at the age of 46. That was unbelievable. But a Watson win this weekend would have literally been one for the ages. It would have also been the sixth time he had won the Open Championship.

Watson himself said it best, "It would have been a heck of a story, wouldn't it?"

Yet it was a heck of story. How often does Tiger Woods not make the cut? How often do older athletes get a chance to return to their prime? What a thrill it was for the fans to see Tom Watson at the top of his game. Even if Tom Watson came up short for a few days he was the best golfer in the world again.

Poèm pour Neda

Last month, in the wake of the assassination of Neda Agha-Soltan in Iran which was seen around the world, I wrote a poem in her memory.

Today, I received an e-mail from a woman named Nanehlala. To my absolute surprise, she translated my poem into French and sought my permission to put it up online. I have never had a poem of mine translated into another language. So I am deeply honored by the gesture. Permission granted.

I asked Nanehlala to tell me a little more about herself. Understandably, she is guarded. But I can tell you this much. She is Iranian but left the country during the midst of the Islamic Revolution thirty years ago and now lives elsewhere.

Needless to say, she is pained by what has transpired in Iran and is trying to do her part in drawing attention to it. In addition to translating poems, Nanehlala also writes her own poetry as well as novels and short stories for children. She is hoping to have some of her works adapted into animated films.

So without further adieu here is Nanehlala's French translation of Poem for Neda:

Poème pour Neda

Elle vint au centre ville

Se joindre aux milliers, déjà là ;

Eux voulaient dire au monde entier

Ce qu’il coûte de gagner

Une révolution Islamique

Dans les Persans joueurs de flûtes

Il y avait sur les toits, des tireurs lâches qui attendaient.

Dans l’espoir de mettre fin au mouvement qui se levait,

L’un d’eux visa Neda au cœur.

Alors que sa vie s’écoulait de son visage

Neda débusqua le silence

Pour que l’erreur n’ait plus sa place

Pour montrer au monde entier

Ce que ce régime fait

Et pourtant, la Maison Blanche ne veut pas le renverser

Pour que le trouillard en chef se trouve dans ses bons papiers

Nous resterons liés au diable

Pour des raisons d’état minables

Ça n’est vraiment pas croyable

Que vous restiez sans bouger devant l’appel de Neda

Assurez vous d’être prêt à nous expliquer pourquoi

Vous ne pensez toujours pas que l’heure de l’Iran est là.

Car, dès que vous nous proférez que ça n’est pas notre affaire

Un pétale tombe des bourgeons en fleurs de la liberté.

Walter Cronkite, 1916-2009. R.I.P.

Legendary CBS News Anchor Walter Cronkite died this evening. He was 92.

He is best known as the anchor of the CBS Evening News, a position he held from 1962 until his retirement in 1981.

It was Cronkite who told the world that President Kennedy had died on November 22, 1963 with tears in his eyes.

Less than five years later he declared the Vietnam War could not be won.

Of course, I was not yet born. But I am old enough to remember when he read the news. I would have been no more than four or five years old. But I would remember him leading with, "President Carter today...." and not understanding anything else he said until the time came for him to say "and that's the way it is...." Even as a child I recognized both a resonant and reassuring tone in his voice. This as much as anything else was the key to his enduring appeal.

In recent years, Cronkite was far more vocal in his support of liberalism. He wrote an open letter to Democratic Presidential standard bearer John Kerry in 2004 chastising him for being unwilling to embrace his inner liberal. In 2006, echoing his sentiments on Vietnam nearly three decades earlier, he declared the War in Iraq was also unwinnable.

Cronkite was not a fan of the Fox News Channel and appeared in Robert Greenwald's 2004 documentary Outfoxed to condemn the network. However, this did not prevent the Fox News Channel from dedicating Greta Van Susteren's program this evening on the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission in Cronkite's memory due to his passion for space exploration.

Gordon Waller, 1945-2009. R.I.P.

Gordon Waller, one half of the 1960s British pop duo Peter & Gordon, died yesterday of a heart attack. He was 64 years old.

Peter and Gordon had a string of hits in the mid-1960s all of which were written by Paul McCartney with the exception of "I Go To Pieces" which was penned by Del Shannon. At the time, McCartney was dating Peter Asher's sister, Jane. Peter and Gordon's biggest hit was "A World Without Love." However, my favorite P & G song is "Woman." This song was written by McCartney but was credited to one of his aliases, Bernard Webb.

Beginning in 2005, after not performing together for nearly thirty years, Peter and Gordon reunited for a series of concerts on the oldies circuit as well as playing some Beatles conventions.

Watertown, New York Gets No Respect

Like many people, I first heard about Watertown, New York when the late Harry Chapin infamously said that he "had spent a week there one afternoon" on his Greatest Stories Live album.

Then when I moved to Ottawa in 1991 I discovered the PBS affiliate eminated from Watertown. Before being renamed WPBS it was known as WNPE-16 Watertown/WNPI-18 Norwood. I watched the channel occasionally as I have always occasionally watched PBS. It had a nice small town charm to it. It's not WGBH here in Boston but had its own little niche.

That niche was found in Canada. Although most of its viewers are located in upstate New York most of the money it raised during its pledge drives were from Canada in places like Ottawa, Kingston and Pembroke. Because of this WPBS geared a lot of its programming to its Canadian viewers. It even plays both national anthems when it signs off.

Well, Rogers Cable will no longer feed Watertown's PBS station into homes in Eastern Ontario effective August 18th. These Canadian viewers will get their PBS from Detroit.

Given that PBS from Watertown has been a fixture in Eastern Ontario since 1971 you would think that Rogers would have notified WPBS of its decision. Nope. WPBS found out about Rogers' decision courtesy of an e-mail from a viewer. That's pretty lame on the part of Rogers. Advising WPBS of their decision is the least they could have done.

I mean the slogan of WPBS is "The Two Nation Station." No Canadian viewers means no WPBS.

Rogers argues that its viewers like PBS but want a PBS affiliate that has a stronger signal. That's where Detroit Public Television comes into the picture.

For its part, WPBS is urging viewers to contact Rogers Cable in the hope it will reconsider the decision. Good luck though. Rogers has a virtual monopoly on cable TV in Canada. As such it thinks it can acts how it wants without consideration to viewer demand.

Now one might argue that in the grand scheme of things PBS isn't that important. If the programming on PBS is so good it should be able to survive in the private sector. But who really wants to be known as the person who killed Big Bird? I didn't think so.

So let's look at it another way. Let's look at this particular PBS station. If WPBS is taken off Canadian airwaves then WPBS would probably turn to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and by extension the federal government for help. It's a better deal for the American taxpayer if WPBS continues broadcasting in Canada and paid for primarily by Canadian viewers.

Then everyone, be they American or Canadian, can enjoy a week's worth of WPBS in one afternoon.

Jim Chapin, 1919-2009. R.I.P.

I just learned that Jim Chapin died on the Fourth of July. He was only a few weeks shy of his 90th birthday.

He was the father of Harry Chapin (one of my favorite musicians as noted on my Wikipedia page) and nine other children. The elder Chapin was a musician in his own right. He was a drummer of great renown in the big band era and was a contemporary of legendary drummers such as Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. He wrote two books on jazz drumming which are utilized by jazz drummers to this day.

If you click on the link that begins this post you'll see the remarkable resemblance between father and son. If Harry Chapin had lived to 90 that is probably what he would have looked like. Tom Chapin, one of his other sons and also a musician, had said his father had been ill in recent years and did not look so well. But he noted that things changed when you put him behind a drum kit. “We got him behind the drums, and he shed 30 years.” If Harry were still amongst us I am sure he would say his father died "good tired."

Yet it is peculiar that I should learn of Jim Chapin's passing today. It was on July 16, 1981 (28 years ago today) that Harry Chapin lost his life in an automobile accident.

Terrorist Attacks in Indonesia

Tonight, there were simultaneous explosions at two hotels in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

The attacks took place at the Ritz-Carlton and the Marriott hotels. As of this writing nine people have been killed and 50 have been injured.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks but it is most likely the work of Jemaah Islamiyah, a Sunni Muslim terrorist organization that seeks to establish an Islamic caliphate in Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia. Jemaah Islamiyah has also been known to have a working relationship with al-Qaeda. Indeed, al Qaeda's number two Al Zawahiri announced in 2006 the two organizations had formally joined forces.

Of course, this is not the first terrorist attack in Indonesia although it is the first since 2005. Jemaah Islamiyah attacked Bali in 2002 and 2005 and the Australian Embassy in 2004. Tonight, is the second time the Marriott has been attacked by Jemaah Islamiyah. They attacked it previously in 2003 resulting in 12 deaths and 150 injured.

Could this terrorist attack be a message to President Obama? This attack could serve as a reminder to Obama that Jemaah Islamiyah is still here and they don't like the increased U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan. Let us also remember that President Obama spent four years of his life in Indonesia as a child. It will be interesting to see what he has to say about attacks in a city he once called home.

Israeli Human Rights Group Slanders IDF Operation in Gaza

Breaking The Silence, an Israeli human rights group, has accused Israeli Defense Forces of shooting first and asking questions later as well as using Palestinians as human shields during its operation in Gaza last December and January in a new report.

The report is based on the testimony of 26 Israeli soldiers. The problem is that the testimony in anonymous and these claims cannot be verified. The IDF has described the report as "slanderous."

According to Breaking The Silence, one Israeli soldier said "there was not much said about the issue of innocent civilians." This rings false to me. It is inconsistent with Israel's ethos and practices.

But sadly a report like this gains traction especially when its Israelis leveling the charge at other Israelis. It feeds into an appetite by some people who want Israel to be at fault for human rights violations regardless of the facts on the ground. Just as people wanted to believe the IDF "massacred" 500 civilians in the Jenin Refugee Camp in 2002.

It makes one wonder why Palestinians want to kill Jews when Jews are often their best advocates. Yet its hard to find reason in places it doesn't exist.

Kerry Replies to Palin - Twice

Massachusetts Senator and 2004 Democratic presidential standard bearer John Kerry has repliedto Sarah Palin's editorial in The Washington Post - twice.

He did so on The Huffington Post yesterday and today on The Daily Kos.

For someone who a couple of weeks ago wished she would disappear like South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford he's sending out some awfully mixed messages.

I was struck by a couple of passages in his piece on The Kos:

Palin’s column ignored the entire problem and didn’t even get right the things it did cover.

For example, she said, "Job losses are so certain under this new cap-and-tax plan that it includes a provision accommodating newly unemployed workers from the resulting dried-up energy sector, to the tune of $4.2 billion over eight years. So much for creating jobs."

This is wrong. The pieces of energy reform legislation are job-creation machines. A joint report by PERI Center for American Progress Report calculated that $150 billion in clean-energy investments would create upwards of 1.7 million jobs. These include construction and manufacturing employment for wind- industry turbine manufacture, building retro-fitting, high speed rail development and infrastructure build out and improvement. These are all domestic and community based local jobs. And a joint CAP/UMass study estimated that the legislation would bring down the national unemployment rate from 9.4% to 8.4%.

Kerry would have you believe the Center for American Progress is some kind of objective, empirical organization without a political agenda. It is a left-wing think tank which is part funded by George Soros. Many of its staff now have jobs in the Obama Administration. I guess Kerry just forgot to mention it.

Then there's this passage:

She also says, ""For example, the cost of farming will certainly increase, driving down farm incomes while driving up grocery prices."

This is wrong. Farmers are in position to benefit both from providing a broad variety of sustainable fuels to power generators and from land-use fee income associated with wind farms and other sources. The DOE estimates that if 5% of US energy is derived by 2020 from wind power, rural America could see $60 billion in capital investment. Rural landowners could also derive $1.2 billion in new income and see 80,000 jobs over the next two decades.

So rural America could see $60 billion in capital investment if 5% of U.S. energy is derived from wind power by 2020. That's an awfully big if. As big an if as $1.2 billion in new income and 80,000 new jobs for rural landowners.

But please by all means let John Kerry continue to respond to Sarah Palin's op-ed. This keeps her name in the news on matters of public policy. It can only help her in the long run.

Zelaya Calls For "Insurrection" in Honduras

Former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has called for an "insurrection" to take place on that country's streets so that he can return to power.

Hmmm, that sounds like a guy committed to the rule of law.

It's nice to see that Costa Rican President and Hillary appointed mediator Oscar Arias has Zelaya well under control.

Dissension Between Obama & Hillary?

Here's an interesting item from CNN.

It asks if Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is being backbenched.

The article cites a statement from Jim Hoagland of The Washington Post who says Obama's top advisers David Axelrod and Rahm Emmanuel are crafting the Obama Administration's foreign policy message.

Tina Brown of The Daily Beast writes, "It's time for Barack Obama to let Hillary Clinton take off her burqa."

Of course, Hillary's staffers dismiss any notion of her being backbenched as "wholly false."

Well, what else are Hillary's people going to say? "Yeah, Obama is backbenching Hillary."

Assuming this story has only a kernel of truth to it President Obama had better be careful. He can ill afford to alienate Hillary. If he doesn't sufficiently accord her due respect then she will resign her office and challenge him for the party's nomination in 2012. If she does that his Presidency is as good as dead. Oh, Obama will survive Hillary's challenge. He just won't survive the general election. Just ask Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush.

The cracks in the Obama Administration have formed.

Phillies Add Pedro

Three time Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez has reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. The contract is worth $1 million and Martinez can earn up to $1.5 million in incentives.

Martinez had pitched for the New York Mets for four seasons before becoming a free agent at the end of 2008. There were no takers in the off season. He did pitch for the Dominican Republic during the World Baseball Classic last March but they were unceremoniously jettisoned by The Netherlands. Before joining the Mets, Pedro had pitched previously with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos and, of course, the Boston Red Sox.

One of my greatest memories at Fenway Park was watching him pitch a complete game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (as they were then known) on my 31st birthday. It is the only complete game I've seen in nearly a decade of watching games at Fenway. He was nearly taken out of the game in the ninth inning by manager Grady Little but he decided to stick with Pedro. This move would not serve Little so well a few short weeks later in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the New York Yankees. But hey Pedro did get his World Series ring with the Red Sox the following season. So it is, as they say, all good.

Although the defending World Series champions are in first place in the NL East their pitching has been atrocious. Starting pitchers Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton have been disappointing. Brett Myers got hurt and is gone for the season while 46-year-old Jamie Moyer is showing his age. Rookie J.A. Happ has been the bright spot of this hapless starting rotation with a 6-0 record. As good as Happ as been the Phillies need another credible starting pitcher.

Hopefully, the Phillies aren't looking to Pedro Martinez to become the ace of the Phillies staff at 37. He's past his prime but he could pitch some key games for the Phillies down the stretch. But if they are expecting the Pedro of ten years ago or even five years ago then they are asking for trouble.

Still, I'm sure Pedro would be motivated to pitch against the Mets.

Thoughts on Obama at The 2009 All Star Game

I arrived home in time to watch President Obama throw the first pitch before the 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis.

President Obama was getting some jazz from the faithful in St. Louis. However, I think this had more to do with the fact he was wearing a Chicago White Sox jacket in Cardinals country than with his appointment of Sonia Sotomayor. That was rather gauche.

Speaking of which it turns out that President Obama is a lefty in both his pitching and his politics. I wanted to see his pitch but the camera crew on FOX only showed him delivering the ball from the mound. It didn't show where the ball ended up. Naturally, I wondered if Obama had uncorked a wild one and if FOX had something to hide.

However, my father saw the pitch and he said it was a strike. FOX called it a perfect strike. I later saw the pitch. It was a 55 foot curve ball. OK, I've seen worse first pitches. Can you say Mariah Carey? Well, she did throw a first pitch wearing high heels and booty shorts.

The FOX sports crew was fairly giddy about Obama even if he wasn't wearing high heels and booty shorts. Ken Rosenthal said that Seattle Mariners perennial All-Star Ichiro Suzuki was "like a 12-year-old" around Obama. I was thinking, "Oh come on." But if you click on the link to Obama's first pitch the video evidence seems to support Rosenthal's statement.

Obama joined FOX broadcasters Tim McCarver and Joe Buck for the bottom of the 2nd inning. AL starter Roy Halladay got two quick outs. I thought maybe this will be over and done with painlessly. However, the NL collected four straights hits and scored three runs. While the NL rallied, McCarver and Buck continued to suck up to Obama not wanting the moment to end. As it turned out it was the only runs the NL scored tonight.

Obama was still wearing the White Sox jacket in the booth. He made a point of saying that he was "not a Cubs hater." Rather he just doesn't root for them. I suppose that's how he feels about conservatives.

McCarver and Buck invited Obama to stay for another half inning but the President said he was being told to move on. I must say I agree with Obama on this one. I, too, would try not to be in the company of McCarver and Buck for any extended period of time.

AL Wins 2009 All-Star Game 4-3

The National League tried to win its first All Star Game since 1996. But again it came up short as the American League won the 80th All-Star Game in St. Louis tonight 4-3. For the fourth consecutive year, the NL lost the game by one run.

The AL scored two runs in the top of the first off NL starter Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants. The first run was scored by New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter on an error by St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols in front of the hometown fans. Another run scored when Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton hit into a fielder's choice scoring Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer.

However, the NL stormed back to take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the 2nd. AL starter Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays retired the first two hitters but then gave up four consecutive hits. St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina drove in the first run with a single scoring New York Mets third baseman David Wright. A throwing error by Hamilton scored Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino to tie the game. Milwaukee Brewers slugger Prince Fielder, who won last night's Home Run Derby, hit a pinch hit double scoring Molina to give the NL the lead.

Interestingly, the NL would score all their runs while President Obama was in the booth with Tim McCarver and Joe Buck. More on President Obama's presence in St. Louis in my next post.

The game proceeded rather quickly. The AL tied the game in the top of the 5th on a double by Mauer scoring Jeter off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley.

The NL nearly took back the lead. When Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon came on in the 7th his first pitch to Colorado Rockies outfielder Brad Hawpe nearly went over the fence but Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Carl Crawford robbed Hawpe of a home run.

This gave the AL the opening they needed. In the top of the 8th with one out, Detroit Tigers outfielder Curtis Granderson hit a triple off San Diego Padres reliever Heath Bell. The way the ball bounced off the left field wall I thought Granderson had a chance at an inside the park home run but Phillies center fielder Jayson Werth cut off the ball. Granderson would later score on a sacrifice fly by Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones.

New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his record fourth save at an All-Star Game. The AL won 4-3 and for the seventh straight season they get home field advantage in the World Series. It is, however, worth noting that NL teams have won three of the past six World Series.

Carl Crawford was named the 2009 All-Star Game MVP for his spectacular catch.

The 2010 MLB All Star Game will be hosted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Andrew Sullivan Can't Have a Civil Disagreement With Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin and Andrew Sullivan have a disagreement.

Palin wrote an editorial in The Washington Post today critical of the Obama's Administration's cap and trade legislation recently passed by the House of Representatives and awaiting approval by the Senate. She believes cap and trade will inflict permanent damage to our economy arguing that it will increase unemployment and raise the cost of living for people least in the position to afford it.

However, Andrew Sullivan sees cap and trade differently. While acknowledging cap and trade will impose some costs he believes cap and trade will not destroy America's economy but make it "several times more prosperous than it is now." Sullivan cites a study from the Congressional Budget Office stating those with lower and modest incomes are better off under cap and trade. It is worth noting The Wall Street Journal begged to differ last March. In fact, I am sure the editorial board of the WSJ would be inclined to agree with Palin.

But hey. Palin says potato. Sullivan says potato. That's America for you.

Yet Sullivan's headline reads, "Sarah Palin Does Not Understand Cap and Trade."

In other words, Sullivan is telling his readers that Sarah Palin is stupid. His headline suggests she doesn't understand cap and trade in the same way she supposedly didn't know Africa is a continent. This is the objective of Sullivan's post. I'm sure this won't be the last sort of headline we see from Sullivan where it concerns Palin. This after all is the guy who wondered aloud if Sarah Palin was really pregnant with her youngest son Trig.

Sarah Palin isn't above criticism. One can reasonably disagree with her editorial. But one can do so without trying to insinuate she's stupid. Andrew Sullivan seems unwilling to demonstrate even a modicum of decorum when it comes to Sarah Palin.

Obama Will Throw Out First Pitch at MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis

President Obama will be throwing out the first pitch at the 2009 MLB All-Star Game tomorrow night at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman and reigning NL MVP Albert Pujols will catch Obama's pitch.

I am naturally curious about a) how Obama will be received and b) if he throws a wild pitch.

If you will recall Missouri actually went with McCain last November. Although there will be many Cardinals fans in attendance there will be fans from all over the country and around the world. I am inclined to think Obama will hear more cheers than booes.

That could change though if Obama pitches as well as he bowls. He could uncork a wild one as bad as Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory did at the Great American Ballpark on Opening Day in 2007.

But even if Obama's aim is thirty feet off home plate and plunks Stan Musial in the process I'm sure Keith Olbermann (who at one time hosted the pre-game show for Fox Saturday Baseball) and his acolytes at MSNBC will declare Obama threw the ball 100 miles per hour.

The pitching is probably best left to reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants and Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays (for now) who have been named as the All-Star Game starters in the NL and AL, respectively.

On the other hand if Obama does throw a 100 MPH fastball for a strike I would rather he pitch for the Washington Nationals than run the country into the ground.

Nationals Fire Manny Acta

Last month, I wondered who would face the axe first - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown or Washington Nationals manager Manny Acta.

Well, Gordon Brown is still working out of 10 Downing Street.

Last night, the Nationals fired Acta. Going into the All-Star Break, the Nats had the worst record in MLB with a mark of 26-61, 22½ games behind the defending World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies.

It appeared Acta was out the door a month ago but he got a reprieve when the Nats unexpectedly won three out of four games against the New York Yankees in the Bronx. The euphoria was shortlived however. The Nats have lost 15 of their last 20 games and while they might not be as bad as the 1962 New York Mets they are not nearly as interesting.

Nationals bench coach Jim Riggleman will manage the team for the rest of the 2009 season. Riggleman found himself in a similar role a year ago after he took over the reins of the Seattle Mariners in June after the firing of John McLaren. Riggleman has also managed the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs. He led the Cubs to the NL Wild Card in 1998.

Riggleman has the annoying habit of employing a five man infield. It's a move that almost never works.

In any event, methinks Riggleman will be a caretaker manager with someone else calling the shots in 2010. When it appeared Acta was done last month there was talk about former Texas Rangers and New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine shaking things up. Valentine currently manages in Japan for the Chiba Lotte Marines. Valentine is many things. Boring is not one of them. He has also has a habit of turning losing teams into contenders.

The only way I see Riggleman remaining as the Nats skipper beyond 2009 is if he somehow keeps the team from losing 100 games this season. Now that would be an accomplishment.

Setting The Record Straight on Frank Ricci

A reader made this comment concerning my post yesterday about New Haven firefighter Frank Ricci who is scheduled to testify at Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill this week:

Ricci was hired by the dept based on a special accomodation (sic) for his learning disability. I hope he doesn't need extra time to fight the fire at my house.

Cute. Make fun of a person with disabilities. How progressive and enlightened. Well, that's liberal tolerance for you.

The reader is referring to a lawsuit filed by Ricci in 1995 against the City of New Haven. Ricci alleged he was denied employment with the New Haven Fire Department because he disclosed his learning disability during a job interview. He would eventually be hired in exchange for dropping the lawsuit.

Brian Beutler writes on the liberal blog Talking Points Memo:

If you were Frank Ricci, you might say something like, "Frank Ricci got a job and somebody who wasn't dyslexic didn't." Remember, this is the same Frank Ricci who took his reverse discrimination suit all the way to the Supreme Court, where lower court rulings against him--including one by Sotomayor's Second Circuit--were overturned.

Ricci will testify against Sotomayor before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week--this despite the fact that his views on jurisprudence seem to begin and end with the proposition that legal protections against discrimination are great when they work in his favor, and unconscionable when they don't.

Beutler misses the point. Ricci is being remarkably consistent in that he is arguing that discrimination is discrimination. The term reverse discrimination seems to imply that some groups are supposed to be discriminated against namely white males. So is Beutler suggesting that Mr. Ricci be prohibited from filing more than one discrimination lawsuit in his lifetime? Isn't it possible both lawsuits had merit? If a person genuinely believes they have been discriminated against on more than occasion why should they prohibited from seeking a legal remedy? Somehow I don't think Beutler would object to an African-American filing multiple discrimination lawsuits. Unless, of course, that African-American were a conservative.

The fact is that in preparing for these promtional tests, Ricci paid a friend $1,000 to read textbooks onto audio tapes as well as made flash cards, took practice tests, participated in mock interviews and in a study group. Liberals might choose to see Frank Ricci as a malingerer and a malcontent. I and other conservatives choose to see Frank Ricci as a person who worked diligently for his dream, earned it only to have it unjustly taken from him.

Frank Ricci isn't testifying on Capitol Hill as a legal or constitutional expert. President Obama appointed Sotomayor to the Supreme Court because of her "empathy." So where was Sotomayor's empathy where it concerned Frank Ricci and the other firefighters in New Haven? If empathy is now a qualification to be a Supreme Court Justice it would certainly be fair to ask Sotomayor why it was absent in this matter.

Red Sox-Giants World Series Still a Possibility at The All Star Break

Back in March, I picked the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants to face off in the 2009 World Series.

Well, we are now at the All-Star Break. The Boston Red Sox have a three game lead in the AL East over the New York Yankees. Yay.

I also predicted the San Francisco Giants would win the NL West. OK, the Giants are seven games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, at 49-39 they are currently leading the Colorado Rockies by two games in the NL Wild Card standings.

Now there's two and a half months left in the regular season and much can happen between now and October. Yet a Red Sox-Giants World Series is certainly not out of the question. It is certainly more viable than my Toronto Blue Jays-Washington Nationals Fall Classic prediction in 2008. Not to mention that Texas Rangers-Houston Astros showdown I conjured up in 2007.

We'll see how the Red Sox and Giants hold up. The Red Sox are 8-0 against the Yankees this season. However, the Sox and Yankees will face off ten more times in 2009. Seven of those games will be at the new Yankee Stadium. I would be very surprised if the Sox managed to go 18-0 against the Yankees. The two teams have been evenly matched for too long. If that is the case then look for the Yankees to start evening things out. So much for my last place prediction for the Bronx Bombers and Joe Girardi being kicked to the curb.

As for the Giants, I wonder if Matt Cain has any long term damage done to his elbow after he got hit with a line drive yesterday against the Padres. Cain is unable to attend the All Star Game on Tuesday and has been replaced on the NL roster by Zach Duke of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

If Cain is damaged goods methinks the Giants should join the Roy Halladay sweepstakes. Blue Jays General Manager J.P. Ricciardi let it be known this past week that the team is ready to trade their ace starter. Imagine Halladay the best starting rotation in baseball. On the other hand, the Giants might be better served by getting an extra bat in the lineup like Matt Holliday or Grady Sizemore.

We'll see.

A Really Brave Artist From China

During the "dark days" of the Bush Administration artists like The Dixie Chicks were considered brave because they spoke "truth to power."

Whatever that means.

Sure they got hate mail and death threats. Certainly not cool. But they were still able to earn a living. There was no possibility of them seeing the inside of a jail cell.

Occasionally, when I read conservative poetry at the Cantab Lounge people will approach me and tell me how brave I am.

Bravery is a label I reject out of hand. The worst that can happen to me is that I will never be invited as a featured poet anywhere. I can live with it. I get to go home at the end of the night.

However the same cannot be said for Chinese artists like Ai Weiwei. He has known trouble from the day he was born. His father was Ai Qing, a Chinese poet who was branded as a "rightist" by Mao and spent a better part of two decades in a labor camp. Ai Weiwei spent some time there as a child.

He spent a dozen years in the U.S. where he honed his craft in architectural design but would return in 1993 to tend to his ailing father who died in 1996. It was back in China that his reputation as an artist grew by leaps and bounds.

Although never a friend of the Chinese Communists he was asked to participate in the design of Beijing National Stadium (a.k.a. Bird's Nest) for the 2008 Olympics. Ai did so but would later distance himself from the project and declined to attending the opening ceremonies.

Ai's ire was raised in May 2008 after the earthquake in Sichuan Province which is estimated to have claimed the lives of 68,000 people. Many of those killed were schoolchildren in what have been described as "tofu-dreg schoolhouses."

Ai began his own investigation of the earthquake and collected the names of more than 5,000 schoolchildren who perished. He has asserted the deaths of these children were a direct consequence of corruption on the part of local Communist Party officials who were pocketing monies intended for the construction of schools.

Now China has shut down his blog and Twitter account. The police are a constant presence in his life and that of his elderly mother.

Could prison be in Ai Weiwei's future? Could he face the same fate as his father?

Needless to say, no Hollywood liberal was ever subjected to this sort of treatment by the Bush Administration.

Obama Needs To Rein In Holder

Attorney General Eric Holder is considering appointing a criminal prosecutor to investigate interrogation techniques practiced during the Bush Administration.

Of course, President Obama had said previously he desired no such investigations. However, last April he did say that decision was ultimately up to Holder. I guess this decision is above his pay grade.

President Obama would be wise to rein in Holder. This is not a fight he wants on his hands.

President Obama is going to have to decide what is most important - the security of this country or the heads of Bush Administration officials on a stick.

A decision is expected within the next few weeks.

People For The American Way Targetting Ricci

Two days ago, Senate Republicans announced that New Haven firefighter Frank Ricci would testify at Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearing next week.

I wrote that Senate Democrats would be gunning for him.

Well, it looks like People For The American Way are doing Senate Democrats dirty work for them.

PFAW has been circulating an e-mail concerning Ricci's "troubled and litigious work history."

In the mid-1990s, Ricci was fired by the fire department in Middletown, Connecticut. Ricci contended he was fired for raising safety concerns. The Middletown Fire Department was subsequently fined for safety violations.

If Ricci were an obstacle for a Supreme Court nominee picked by George W. Bush and Republicans were putting the heat on Ricci you can be certain what Democrats and liberal activists would do. They would lambaste their treatment of Ricci as the machinations of the Republican attack machine and accuse them being out of touch with working class Americans as well as being insensitive to persons with disabilities. Democrats and liberal activists would hail Ricci's service as firefighter and his courage as a whistleblower.

But since Ricci is a thorn in the side of the "wise Latina" and by extension President Obama, Democrats and liberal activists instead focus on Ricci as a troubled, litigious malcontent not as a patriotic, courageous whistleblower.

Again, Senate Republicans had better prepare Frank Ricci to the nines because Democrats and organizations like People For The American Way are going to turn his life upside down.

Obama Rules Out Second Stimulus - For Now

There had been talk this week of a second stimulus package to be put forward by the Obama Administration.

However, President Obama rejected the idea during his weekly radio/internet address this morning.

At least for now.

Obama said the stimulus needed more time to work.

Merriam-Webster defines stimulus in part "as something that rouses or incites to activity: as a: incentive."

By that standard the stimulus bill has failed. But Obama is making the right political move by not endorsing a second stimulus bill at this time. There will be less political ammunition directed his way if he does nothing.

This helped Obama tremendously during the Presidential campaign last September when John McCain abruptly suspended his campaign while Obama did, well, nothing. Since McCain's suspension didn't yield any proposals from him it was an empty gesture. Meanwhile,, Obama appeared calm, cool and collected. This more than anything else cost McCain the election.

However, I was struck by one thing Obama said today. He said the stimulus "was not designed to work in four months. It was designed to work over two years."

The key phrase is "over two years." By that Obama means not exactly two years but over the course of two years. What this tells me is that we can expect to see a second stimulus package or at least the promise of one in the Fall of 2010. Just in time for mid-term elections.

Jonathan Sanchez Tosses No-Hitter

San Francisco Giants pitcher Jonathan Sanchez has struggled during the 2009 season. Going into tonight, Sanchez had a record of 2-8 with an ERA of 5.30. He had been demoted to the bullpen last month to work out his struggles. But tonight the 26-year-old southpaw was getting another chance to earn a spot in the starting rotation. It's a starting rotation that consists of reigning NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain who have both been selected to the NL All Star Team. Let's also not forget 300 game winner Randy Johnson and Barry Zito who are also Cy Young winners.

Tonight Sanchez earned his spot in the starting rotation.

He threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres. The Giants won the game 8-0.

In fact, Sanchez had a perfect game into the 8th inning. However, third baseman Juan Uribe made an error on a ball hit by Chase Headley. However, rookie catcher Eli Whiteside deftly went to the mound to put Sanchez at ease. Headley would be the only base runner for the Padres in the game.

The toughest at bat for Sanchez was that of Edgar Gonzalez in the top of the 9th with one out. Gonzalez hit the ball deep into straight away center field. But Aaron Rowand never met a wall he didn't like and he made an amazing catch to preserve the no-no.

That left Everth Cabrera as the only thing standing between Sanchez and baseball immortality. Sanchez struck out Cabrera looking on a 2-2 slider. It was one of 11 strikeouts Sanchez recorded tonight. Jonathan Sanchez has etched his place in baseball history.

Sanchez's no-hitter also happened to be both his first major league complete game and shutout. He becomes the first Giants pitcher to toss a no-hitter since "The Count" John Montefusco did so in September 1976 against the Atlanta Braves. It is also the first no-hitter in MLB in 2009.

But perhaps most impressive of all was that he accomplished this in the presence of his father. Sanchez flew in his father from Puerto Rico to watch him pitch in the majors for the first time.

Needless to say neither Jonathan Sanchez nor his father will ever forget this day.

Peggy Noonan's Parting Shot at Palin

Peggy Noonan has disliked Sarah Palin from the word go.

Let's remember it was Noonan who described her selection as "political bulls#*t" into an open mike on MSNBC upon learning of her selection.

Last October, Noonan wrote of Palin, "She was a dope and unqualified from the start."

But Ms. Noonan considers you a dope if you cannot come up with the equivalent of the Marshall Plan in seven weeks. I guess she thinks President Obama can bring peace in the Middle East without breaking a sweat.

A week after Palin announced her resignation as Governor of Alaska, Noonan cannot resist a parting shot:

"The elites hate her." The elites made her. It was the elites of the party, the McCain campaign and the conservative media that picked her and pushed her. The base barely knew who she was. It was the elites, from party operatives to public intellectuals, who advanced her and attacked those who said she lacked heft. She is a complete elite confection. She might as well have been a bonbon.

"She makes the Republican Party look inclusive." She makes the party look stupid, a party of the easily manipulated.

The elites made her? The elites, be they in the Republican Party or not, didn't make Sarah Palin anymore than they made Tim Pawlenty who was also strongly considered to be McCain's number two. Aside from Bill Kristol and some polite mentions in National Review, I don't think there was any serious push from conservatives to get McCain to put her on the ticket.
McCain's selection of Palin was as surprising to conservatives as her sudden resignation.

She might as well have been a bonbon? Well, I suppose it's a step up from being a dope.

Or perhaps not?

She made the party look stupid? So the ten of thousands of people that went to hear her speak at rallies throughout the country are stupid? What of the estimated 20,000 people who came to Auburn, New York to hear her speak? Does Noonan consider them the gum base to Palin's elite confection?

Sarah Palin didn't make the Republican Party look stupid. Sarah Palin did however make The Left and a cadre of condescending conservatives appear to be motivated by a hatred steeped in irrationality.

Peggy Noonan's disposition towards Sarah Palin is both guttural and visceral.

Put simply Peggy Noonan hates Sarah Palin.

I pity Peggy Noonan.

Why I Think People Would Line Up To Slap Joe Jackson Around

I don't want to dwell on Michael Jackson's death any more than I already have.

But his father Joe Jackson is being so abnoxious that it warrants comment.

In an interview with Good Morning America, Jackson said his grandchildren should go into the family business.

The elder Jackson said, "I don't know -- I keep watching Paris (MJ's daughter). She … wants to do something. And as far as I can see, well, they say Blanket (MJ's son), he can really dance."

Ah yes, now that his son his dead he is looking to his grandchildren as cash cows.

And who should raise Michael Jackson's children? Why Joe Jackson of course.

We see what wonders Joe Jackson's parenting did for Michael. Joe Jackson made Ike Turner look like a pacifist.

If that wasn't enough Jackson believes his son's death was as a result of "foul play."

A vulture and a conspiracy theorist all rolled into one.

Time for some fresh air.

Will Senate Democrats Bork Frank Ricci?

Frank Ricci, the New Haven firefighter who sued the city for discrimination by refusing to promote him and several other white firefighters and one Hispanic firefighter, will be testifying in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee during Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings which begin on Monday.

Sotomayor, of course, was part of a three judge panel with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that rejected Ricci's claims. However, Sotomayor's decision was overturned by the Supreme Court late last month.

Look for Senate Democrats to villify Ricci. Look for Senate Democrats to accuse him of racial insensitivity if not racism straight up. Look for Senate Democrats to dredge up any indiscretions from his past. Look for Senate Democrats to make fun of his learning disability. Look for Senate Democrats to call him Frank the Firefighter. With Al Franken now a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee don't put anything past them. Anyone who stands in the way of Sotomayor and by extension President Obama will be made an example of.

So I hope Senate Republicans prep Ricci to the nines. Ditto for Ben Vargas, the Hispanic firefighter in the Ricci suit, who will also appear on Capitol Hill.

What a Difference a Year Made for Andruw Jones

Tonight, Andruw Jones of the Texas Rangers hit three home runs against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to put the Rangers in first place in the AL West.

Jones hit three home runs all of last season while he was in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform. Jones hit a career low .158 with 3 home runs and 14 RBI.

In 46 games played this season, Jones is hitting .250 with 14 home runs and 34 RBI.

Jones is a strong candidate for AL Comeback Player of the Year.

Baker Joins Mihos in Seeking GOP Nomination for Massachusetts Governor in 2010

Charlie Baker today announced his resignation as the CEO of Harvard Pilgrim effective later this month to seek the Republican nomination for the gubernatorial race here in Massachusetts next year.

Baker joins businessman Christy Mihos in the Republican effort to unseat Democratic Governor Deval Patrick. Mihos ran as an independent in 2006 garnering just under 7% of the vote.

However, complicating matters is Massachusetts State Treasurer Tim Cahill. He is expected to launch his own bid for Governor as an independent. Cahill is considered a moderate to conservative Democrat and his candidacy could siphon votes away from the GOP nominee be it Baker, Mihos or any other Republican who jumps into the ring.

Governor Patrick has been a disappointment given his lofty rhetoric. If it sounds familiar it should. Both Patrick's and President Obama's election campaigns were run by David Axelrod. Unlike Obama though Patrick's poll numbers aren't good even amongst liberal Democrats.

However, Patrick has time on his side as the election is 16 months away. Keep in mind the odds favor Patrick in a three horse race even if he is gimpy.

NY Times Bewildered at Absence of "Swooning" for Obama in Russia

The New York Times is baffled that Russians weren't "swooning" before President Obama during his visit.

The caption read, "No one was swooning as President Obama gave the graduation speech at the New Economic School in Moscow on Tuesday." Above the caption was a picture of seemingly indifferent Russians in the audience. I particularly liked the expression of the stoic blond gentlemen who had his arms folded.

The Gray Lady is equally puzzled as to why Obama's speech to graduates at the New Economic School in Moscow wasn't covered on Russian TV:

The Kremlin tightly controls Russian television, and it was not clear why officials chose to disregard the speech.

They may have believed that there would be little public interest, or they may not have wanted to provide Mr. Obama with unfettered access to the country, which might have allowed him to overshadow Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin or President Dmitri A. Medvedev.

Or it could be that Putin and Medvedev think Obama is a lightweight and not worth being taken seriously.

Sotomayor vs. Estrada: So Now American Bar Association Ratings Are Good Enough For Democrats

The American Bar Association has given Sonia Sotomayor its highest rating of "well qualifed."

The Los Angeles Times notes:

The ABA traditionally has played a role in the vetting of Supreme Court nominees. Most have received the "well-qualified" rating by a unanimous vote, but in 1991, then-nominee Clarence Thomas was given a simple "qualified" tag. Supporters of failed nominee Robert Bork were outraged in 1987 when he received several "unqualified" votes from an ABA panel.

Curiously, the article makes no mention of Miguel Estrada. He was nominated to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals by President Bush in May 2001. Despite having a rating of "well qualified" from the ABA, the Senate did not give Estrada an up and down vote. Estrada withdrew his name from consideration in September 2003.

Here's the text of a letter that Alberto Gonzales, then White House Counsel, wrote to California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein in February 2003. Gonzales concluded his letter by writing, "This is an historic nomination, as Miguel Estrada would be the first Hispanic to serve on the D.C. Circuit. We urge you to vote to confirm him."

But I guess Feinstein and Senate Democrats didn't think Estrada had enough rich experiences.

Hillary Appoints Arias To Be Honduran Mediator

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has asked Costa Rican President Oscar Arias to mediate the current political crisis in Honduras.

Apparently, interim Honduran President Roberto Micheletti is agreeable to this arrangement.

I've mixed feelings about Arias involvement.

On one hand, Arias did win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for similar work he did in Guatemala.

On the other hand, Arias himself might have a conflict of interest. Costa Rica's constitution also prevented Presidents from serving more than one term. Arias challenged this provision in the Costa Rican constitutional courts. He lost.

But Arias saw to it that the composition of the court was changed and when he petitioned them again in 2003 - presto - he was allowed to run for President again and he was elected to that office in March 2006 after a recount.

Surely, Micheletti has to be aware of how Arias managed to get back into office. And surely so does President Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Would Obama and Hillary have appointed Arias if they didn't think this would result in Manuel Zelaya's return to the Presidency in Honduras?

Gore: Climate Change Is The New Nazi

Speaking in London today, former Vice-President Al Gore compared the struggle against climate change to the struggle against the Nazis.

Gore said, "Winston Churchill aroused this nation in heroic fashion to save civilisation in World War II.”

I am shocked Gore actually came out and said it. But all things considered I am not surprised.

Climate change (formerly referred to as global warming) is a huge part of the left wing mantra. Those who might be skeptical of either man's impact on climate change or what we ought to do about it are likened to Nazis.

Let's recall what Ellen Goodman of The Boston Globe wrote in February 2007:

I would like to say we're at a point where global warming is impossible to deny. Let's just say that global warming deniers are now on a par with Holocaust deniers, though one denies the past and the other denies the present and future.

Of course, it is worth noting that even Gore prefers to use the term climate change rather than global warming these days.

But climate change is such a generic term. Our climate is in constant change be it day to day or over seasons or over many centuries. Climate change does affect how we produce food, medicines, build our neighborhoods, the overall quality of our soil, water and atmosphere as well as plant and animal species.

Climate change presents challenges. But no weather system, no matter how harmful, can write a manifesto calling upon the rain to wipe out Jews from the face of the earth. Thus Gore's analogy is odious and has the effect of trivializing the Nazis reign of terror. His statement is irresponsible and does little to advance his cause.

Obama Rebukes Biden on Israel

I am generally disclined to take Vice-President Joe Biden seriously.

So when Biden, during an interview on ABC News This Week this past Sunday, said, "Israel can determine for itself - it's a sovereign nation - what's in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else," I figured someone in government would distance themselves from that remark.

Sure enough yesterday, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly denied U.S. approval was being given for an Israeli attack on Iran.

Today, President Obama himself weighed in on the matter while in Moscow. While Obama said the U.S. couldn't dictate Israel's security interests he said, "What is also true is, it is the policy of the United States to try to resolve the issue of Iran's nuclear capabilities."

Well, we know how Iran likes to resolve its domestic disputes.

No matter. President Obama has spoken. So long as Obama is committed to engagement with Iran there will be no attack coming from Israel.

So the next time Joe Biden speaks have a salt shaker handy.

Nomar Garciaparra Returns to Fenway Park

For the first time in nearly five years, Nomar Garciaparra set foot in Fenway Park.

Nomar played with the Red Sox from the tail end of the 1996 season until he was traded to the Chicago Cubs in July 2004. Tonight, he returned to Fenway Park in an Oakland Athletics uniform as a DH.

Nomar was greeted with a standing ovation from the Fenway faithful. He acknowledged the crowd by tipping his cap several times and clapping along with them. Nomar went 2 for 4 with a RBI as the Athletics defeated the Red Sox 6-0 on a two-hit complete game shutout by Brett Anderson.

When Nomar was with the Red Sox he was amongst the best players in MLB. As a shorstop, he was talked about in the same breath as Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. After winning AL Rookie fo the Year in 1997, Garciaparra played on three AL Wild Card teams (1998, 1999 and 2003), captured two AL batting titles (1999, 2000), had four 100 plus RBI seasons and was named to five AL All Star teams.

However, a poor performance in the 2003 ALCS and injuries in 2004 soured relations with the fans and media alike. After the trade to the Cubs, the Red Sox went on to win their first World Series in 86 years. Some thought Nomar's trade was key. Hence the formula 1918 + 34 + 33 + 24 - 5 = 2004. Translation: 1918 (the last year the Sox won the World Series) plus 34 (David Ortiz) plus 33 (Jason Varitek) plus 24 (Manny Ramirez) minus 5 (Nomar) equals 2004.

Nomar's post-Red Sox career has been a decisively mixed bag. After playing well with the Cubs in 2004, he missed 100 games in 2005 with a groin injury. Nomar would sign as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to the 2006 season. He would enjoy a resurgence hitting .303 with 20 home runs and 93 RBI and earn his first All Star selection in three seasons. Nomar was named 2006 NL Comeback Player of the Year and the Dodgers awarded him with a two year contract extension.

However, Nomar's numbers slipped in 2007 and in 2008 he was sent to the disabled list thrice missing 107 games (once for a microfracture on his hand, another for a strained calf muscle and another still for a knee sprain.) He signed a one-year contract with the Athletics this past off season as a free agent. Nomar has already made one trip to the DL this season reaggravating his calf. Nomar has played in less than half their games this season and is thus far hitting .270 with 2 home runs and 11 RBI. A far cry from his hey day here in Boston.

Nomar turns 36 later this month and one wonders if he will hang it up after his contract with Oakland expires.

But at least for one more night Nomar received the superstar treatment.

Sarkozy: The Iranian People Deserve Better Leadership

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has condemned Iran.

While hosting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Sarkozy said. "We believe the Iranian people deserve better than the leadership they have today."

He also said he was "shocked" by Iran's actions in last month's "election"

Now that's what I call meddling.

But what else would you expect from a President who is more pro-American than our own?

Robert McNamara, 1916-2009. R.I.P.

Robert McNamara, who served as Secretary of Defense under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson and considered the architect of the Vietnam War, died today at the age of 93. The cause of death is unknown.

It could be said that McNamara, as much as even LBJ, was responsible for the creation of not only the anti-war movement in this country but also brought about the New Left which is now the mainstream of American politics up and to including President Obama.

As with every war this country has been involved in things did not go according to plan. But unlike any other war this country had been in up to that point never had public support been so severely tested. The saddest part was the scorn received by our troops when they came home.

So the New Left got what it wanted. America withdrew from Vietnam with its head between its and legs and the killing fields in Cambodia were soon open for business. Yet the New Left raised barely a peep. If America wasn't at fault it had nothing to say.

For a different assessment of the Vietnam War, I would recommend IC's Special Section on the Vietnam War. Most of the contributions to that section were written by the late Nathan Alexander.

Jon Miller Absent From ESPN Sunday Night Baseball....Again!!!

OK, what is going on here?

For two decades Jon Miller and Joe Morgan have broadcast ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.

This season Steve Phillips joined the broadcast crew. A three man broadcast crew is just unwieldy. I don't like it. Joe and Jon are a success. Why mess with success?

For two weeks in June, Miller was out of the ESPN broadcast booth and veteran broadcaster Dan Shulman pinch hit for him.

Miller returned to the broadcast on June 21st when the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hosted their crosstown rivals the Los Angeles Dodgers.

One reader who responded to my lament for Miller offered the opinion that perhaps Miller, like Dodgers broadcasting legend Vin Scully, prefers to stay out on the west coast.

But if that was true why then was Miller in the broadcast booth last Sunday to host another crosstown rivalry between the New York Mets and the New York Yankees at the Mets new ballpark Citi Field?

Something else is amiss. Because for the third time in the past five weeks Miller was absent from the Sunday night telecast. Once again, Dan Shulman filled in for Miller as the Texas Rangers hosted the Tampa Bay Rays.

Something is rotten in Bristol, Connecticut. I wish ESPN would clarify Miller's status.

Federer Wins Sixth Wimbledon in Seven Years

Roger Federer won his sixth Wimbledon title in seven years by beating Andy Roddick in the Gentlemen's Final.

It took five sets and the fifth set lasted 90 minutes and needed a grand slam record 30 games to complete Federer's triumph.

This match ranks up with last year's Wimbledon Final in which Federer lost a thrilling five set final against Rafael Nadal. The loss snapped his Wimbledon winning streak at five. Regrettably, Nadal withdrew from this year's Wimbledon tournament due to tendonitis in both knees. In recent years, Federer and Nadal have established the greatest rivalry in mens tennis since Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe. Well, even in defeat, Roddick made for another worthy rival for Federer.

The win at Wimbledon puts Federer back at the ATP's number one ranking in mens tennis. This triumph also gives Federer 15 career Grand Slam titles surpassing Pete Sampras record of 14. Federer needs one more Wimbledon championship to tie Sampras for the most wins at Wimbledon.

Interestingly, Federer first gained notice when he beat Sampras in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in five sets back in 2001. Sampras had won the tournament four years in a row and was looking to match Bjorn Borg but the then unknown 19-year-old Swiss got in the way. It was the only time they met up and the match represented both Sampras decline and Federer's ascension.

As amazing as Federer's run at Wimbledon his performance at the U.S. Open might be even better. Federer has won the last five U.S. Open tournaments. If he should win again this September he will become the first man to win six U.S. Opens in a row since Bill Tilden did it between 1920 and 1925. Richard Sears won the first seven U.S. Opens between 1881 and 1887.

Needless to say, Federer is in some rarified company. At this point, if Federer isn't the best mens tennis player of all time then who is?

Zelaya Fails to Return to Honduras

Former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya failed in his bid to return to Honduras today.

Instead of arresting Zelaya, Honduran authorities simply blocked the runway and prevented him from landing in a plane supplied to him by Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez.

There were also clashes between the Honduran authorities and pro-Zelaya supporters resulting in one fatality.

Meanwhile, Honduras' Interim President Roberto Micheletti has accused Nicaragua of moving its troops towards Honduras.

As for Zelaya, he intends to go to Washington for help.

Translation: Look for more meddling from President Obama.

Sick, overly fundamentalist Christian preachers

This is sick stuff, I am from a strong Bible church background, and consider myself born-again and evangelical, but this is wrong. Nobody heals people but God. And God would never hurt women in order to heal them.

OAS Unaminously Suspends Honduras

The Organization of American States (OAS) has voted unanimously to suspend Honduras as a member due to Manuel Zelaya's removal from office last weekend.

Honduras' new President Roberto Micheletti had previously announced Honduras was withdrawing from the OAS. Micheletti has also vowed to have Zelaya arrested should he return to Honduras.

I can't say I blame Micheletti. The Hondurans have done everything by the book. But when Barack Obama says jump, the OAS and UN say how high.

Then again why would any country worth their salt belong to the OAS when it suspends democratic Honduras while welcoming totalitarian Cuba back with open arms last month?

Take a look at whom Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is sharing a smile.

Allen Klein, 1931-2009. R.I.P.

Allen Klein, an accountant who would become the manager of acts such as Sam Cooke, the Rolling Stones and later The Beatles, died today after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. He was 77.

In the 1960s, Klein won over the aforementioned artists and other artists by getting his clients more favorable deals with record companies which was almost unheard of in those days. Klein, in particular, helped artists win control of their master recordings. Klein founded ABKCO Records which primarily owns or administers the publishing rights of many of the artists managed by Klein in the 60s.

However, many of the artists Klein represented would become discontent with Klein because of his business practices. Paul McCartney never trusted Klein but he would be outvoted by the three other Beatles. George Harrison would particularly come to regret his relationship with Klein as it would take a decade for funds raised for The Concert for Bangladesh to be disseminated to the victims because Klein had not applied for tax exempt status.

While many blame Yoko Ono for the break up of The Beatles others blame Allen Klein.

Klein was at the center of controversy in 1997 over The Verve's hit song "Bitter Sweet Symphony." The Verve had asked ABKCO permission to sample The Rolling Stones "The Last Time" from a recording made by the Andrew Oldham Orchestra. ABKCO granted such permission. But after the song became a hit, ABKCO turned around and sued The Verve claiming the group had used too much of the sample. ABKCO won the suit and all royalties for "Bitter Sweet Symphony" go to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards even though Richard Ashcroft wrote the song's lyrics.

Needless to say the music business is very cut throat. With Allen Klein it could cut both ways.

Steve McNair, 1973-2009. R.I.P.

While Christopher and I were having supper this evening I heard someone mention "the guy who used to be the quarterback for the Tennessee Titans."

Steve McNair came to mind but I thought nothing further of it. That is until I got back home and learned McNair and a woman named Sahel Kazemi had been shot and killed in a Nashville condominium which was rented by McNair and another man. McNair was only 36 (my age) while Kazemi was only 20.

Autopsies are scheduled to be performed tomorrow. Two days ago, Kazemi and McNair were stopped by police in their vehicle. Kazemi, who was driving the vehicle, was arrested and charged with DUI while McNair was not detained and escorted away by taxi. Whether this incident is related to this tragedy remains to be seen.

McNair had been arrested for DUI in 2007 (when he was also the passenger in the vehicle) and for DUI and illegal gun possession in 2003. However, none of the previous arrests resulted in convictions.

It might be worth noting that McNair was shot multiple times while Kazemi sustained a single shot to the head. I cannot help but wonder if this is a murder-suicide rather than a double homicide. Again, we will know soon enough.

McNair played 13 seasons in the NFL. He was a first round draft pick of the Houston Oilers and the third overall pick in the country in the 1995 NFL Draft. McNair did not become a number one quarterback until the team moved to Nashville in 1997 becoming the Tennessee Oilers.

Two years later, the team was renamed the Tennessee Titans. McNair would lead the team to the AFC championship but came up a yard short of winning of Super Bowl XXXIV against the St. Louis Rams.

McNair never returned to the big game but enjoyed several more solid seasons with the Titans. In 2003, McNair and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning shared NFL MVP honors.

Injuries caught up with McNair and reduced his effectiveness. He spent his last two seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens before announcing his retirement in April 2008.

It was only last month that McNair had opened a restaurant in Nashville.

Tonight, four children lost their father.

Fourth of July Celebrations in Boston

Christopher and I traversed all over this great city today in observance of the birth of our country. It was the perfect day to have done this after having experienced nearly a week's worth of rain.

We began in the morning with a trip to the Old State House in Downtown Boston where the Declaration of Independence was read. Unfortunately, the sound was not too good. But the sights were.

From there we proceeded down State Street to the Long Wharf. We bought ferry tickets to the Charlestown Navy Yard to watch the U.S.S. Constitution turn around. However, these ferries were being delayed due to security reasons as the U.S.S. Constitution was being accompanied by the Coast Guard. After waiting nearly half an hour we decided to walk to the Charlestown Navy Yard.

Upon our arrival, the U.S.S. Constitution was not yet back in port. But the U.S.S. Cassin Young, a WWII Navy Destroyer deployed in the Pacific, was present and well worth the look.

Here's a photo of one of the ship's torpedoes.

Here is Christopher striking a pose in front of the ship's gunner.

The U.S.S. Constitution eventually made its way back to the Charlestown Navy Yard. Here it is as it is about to dock in the bay.

Here's the U.S.S. Constitution from the front and with a better view of our flag.

We then walked a short distance to the Bunker Hill Monument. No, we did not ascend the stairs. If we did we would have no energy to do anything else. Believe me I've done it.

At this point, we were peckish. Even without having climbed the stairs. So we decided to have lunch at the Warren Tavern which was established in 1780. Here's a picture of this establishment with the Bunker Hill Monument in the background. Could you imagine living in this neighborhood?

We took a cab ride back to the Long Wharf so we could catch a boat to go to Georges Island in the Boston Harbor. Georges Island is home to Fort Warren. Built between 1825 and 1850, its purpose was to fend off a second British invasion. However, it would end up being used as a prison for high profile Confederate Army personnel during the Civil War. A 19th Century Gitmo if you will. Here is a panoramic view of the facility.

Today, Georges Island is a recreational facility that offers a spectacular view of Boston Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean.

After spending several hours on Georges Island, we took a boat back to the city. We had supper and then made our way towards the Esplanade. For the second night in a row we heard Craig Ferguson, the Boston Pops and Neil Diamond. As for the fireworks, it was our plan to watch them from the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge which I did in 2006 and 2007. But we found a much better and less crowded location. We will back here next year. I hope.

If you have never had the opportunity to spend Fourth of July in Boston it is well worth the time.

I hope you enjoyed your Fourth of July wherever you may be.

Manny Returns

Manny Ramirez returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup tonight having completed his 50 game suspension after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs on May 7th.

The Dodgers were 21-8 at the time of Ramirez's suspension. Could the Dodgers win without Manny? Without Manny the Dodgers went 29-21. They own the best record in MLB and have a 7½ game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.

Manny received a more favorable reception than one might have expected at Petco Park. But a lot of Dodgers fans made the short trip down to San Diego to see Manny being Manny. After walking in the 1st inning, Manny went hitless in his next three at bats and left the game in the 6th in favor of Juan Pierre, who filled in admirably in left field during Ramirez's absence. The Dodgers beat the Padres 6-3.

Fourth of July Concert With The Boston Pops & Neil Diamond (On July 3rd)

You are probably aware that CBS broadcasts the Fourth of July Concert with the Boston Pops every year.

What you might not be aware of is that the dress rehearsal takes place the preceding evening and is open to the public. It is also generally broadcast on Armed Forces Radio.

In 2004 I saw such a dress rehearsal. Harry Smith was the host and David Lee Roth was the featured musical guest. Roth didn't quite jump. It was more like he kicked.

Tonight, Christopher and I found some space along the Charles River with an obstructed view and listened to the Boston Pops featuring Neil Diamond. Craig Ferguson of The Late Late Show hosted the proceedings. Diamond sang "Cracklin' Rosie", "Forever in Blue Jeans", "Sweet Caroline" and, of course, "America." Actually, Diamond had to sing "America" for a second time because the sound cut out during the middle of his first try. When he reintroduced the song, Ferguson said, "I know we haven't heard this song in a very time long time but...." No one seemed to mind hearing it again. How often does one get to see Neil Diamond in concert for free?

Of course, no Fourth of July Concert would be complete without the "The 1812 Overture" and "Stars & Stripes Forever." Even if it did take place on July 3rd.

Sarah Palin to Step Down as Governor of Alaska

Sarah Palin today announced she would step down as Governor of Alaska at the end of this month.

I had hoped that she would run for re-election next year. That way if she were butting heads with Mitt Romney she could tell him that she was Governor of Alaska longer than he was Governor of Massachusetts.

Is she doing this in preparation for a bid to become the Republican nominee in 2012? If so it will give her an opportunity to turn her weaknesses into strengths. It would be an opportunity for her to sharpen her critique of the Obama Administration. It would also be a means by which she could run for the White House as an outsider. It would be Sarah Palin with her old charm and a new arsenal.

Or is this a retreat from public life altogether? The last 10 months have been the craziest of Sarah Palin's life. In these 10 months she's gone from relatively unknown Governor to Vice-Presidential nominee to a cultural icon either loved or loathed. Even though the election took place eight months ago those who loath her do so with every bit as much intensity as they did during the campaign. It's one thing for the loathing to happen to her but when the loathing is directed at her children it may have been too much to bear. In which case her piece of mind and that of her family is more important any office she could hold. Sure there will be those who would follow her to the end of the earth with their scorn. But for most people memories fade with time and with time perhaps Sarah Palin and her family can live a life resembling normalcy.

Personally, I hope it is the former. If she should run for the 2012 GOP nomination I would do everything I could to see to it that she becomes the next President of the United States.

But if it should be the latter then I wish her all the happiness she can find. After the election, my Dad told me he didn't want to see Sarah Palin as President. Not because he didn't like her. Hell, last October while on the phone with Dad he flipped Game 7 of the ALCS between the Red Sox and Rays to watch her appear on the opening skit of SNL. I have never seen that happen before and will never see it happen again. On the contrary, Dad quoted a lyric from Don McLean's song "Vincent" which was, of course, a tribute to Vincent Van Gogh:

this world was never
meant for one
as beautiful as you

It pained him to see her treated with such cruelty and does not want to see anymore.

In life one has a limited amount of control on how people will perceive you. You can be the kindest most considerate person in the world and there will be those who despise you and wish you grievous harm.

Speaking from my own experience I have become used to the idea of people not liking me or the things for which I stand. So be it. Stick to your guns. If you do so you will find admirers and even some of your detractors will grudgingly respect you. This is living life on one's own terms.

So whatever road Sarah Palin takes in life let it be on her terms.

Red Sox Rebound Against Orioles

Last night, the first place Boston Red Sox blew a 10-1 in the middle of the 7th against the last place Baltimore Orioles who prevailed 11-10.

A colleague asked me if the loss would be any long term impact. I replied that every game is a separate test of a team's ability, cunning and perseverance. OK, so they blew a 10-1 lead. That was yesterday. What are they going to do today?

Orioles rookie pitcher Brad Bergeson outmatched Red Sox ace Josh Beckett. Bergeson pitched 8 strong innings giving up only one run on four hits with six strikeouts and no walks.

The Orioles carried a 5-1 lead in the 9th inning. Jim Johnson came on in relief of Bergeson. He walked Dustin Pedroia and then gave up a two run home run to Kevin Youkilis. The Orioles lead was cut to 5-3.

Orioles manager Dave Trembley removes Johnson in favor of closer George Sherrill who earned the save in last night's comeback win. Sherrill strikes out both Jason Bay and David Ortiz. The Orioles needed only one more out to win two straight over the Red Sox.

Sherrill never got that third out.

He surrendered a single to Jacoby Ellsbury and issued back to back walks to Jeff Bailey and Jason Varitek. The bases were now loaded. Rocco Baldelli came up to pinch hit for Nick Green. An interesting choice given that Green hit a walk off home run for the Sox last Sunday against the Atlanta Braves. But Baldelli delivered with a two run single scoring Bailey and Julio Lugo (who was pinch running for Varitek.) The game was tied at 5-5 and onto extra innings.

Lugo would supply the go ahead run for the Sox with a single in the top of the 11th to give the Sox a 6-5 lead. Jonathan Papelbon recorded the save in the bottom of the 11th to give the Red Sox a come from behind win. The Sox lived to fight another day.

Papelbon's save was the 20th of the season and 133rd of his major league career. He passed Bob Stanley to become the Red Sox all-time saves leader. When you consider that Papelbon attained his first major league save in 2006 his achievement is that much more remarkable. It took Stanley 13 seasons to get 132 saves. Of course, Stanley spent time as a starting pitcher while Paps has only made three career starts (including his MLB debut on July 31, 2005 against the Twins which I saw in person.) To be fair, closers in the late 1970s and early 1980s weren't necessarily expected to get 35-40 saves a season. Stanley's high water mark in saves was 33 in 1983. Meanwhile, Papelbon has never saved fewer than 35 games in a season. A classic case of apples and oranges.

So the Red Sox put last night behind them. The only way that game would have any long term impact is if the Red Sox do not make the postseason. At 48-30, the Sox have the best record in the AL and second best in MLB (only the Los Angeles Dodgers have a better record.) The only way the Sox do not make the playoffs this season is if the team experiences a long term wholescale collapse. In one game maybe but not for any prolonged period.

Yes, I am mindful that it is a long season so we'll see how the next 84 games for the Sox pan out.

As for the Orioles, whatever momentum they had last night evaporated in scarcely half a day.

Canada Day

Today is Canada Day.

Canada is 142 years old.

I have not been to my home and native land for more than two years now. But I hope I will have a chance to do so before the summer ends.

Although I consider myself a proud American I take as much pride in my heritage and upbringing as a Canadian. Even if I travel there infrequently Canada is never far from my thoughts.

Karl Malden, 1912-2009. R.I.P.

Actor Karl Malden died today. He was 97.

He is probably best known to baby boomers and some Gen Xers as the man who said of the American Express card, "Don't leave home without it!"

Before starring with Michael Douglas in Quinn Martin's The Streets of San Francisco, Malden was a mainstay of American movies for two decades.

Malden won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Mitch in the 1951 movie adaptation of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. He had played the role on Broadway.

He also appeared in movies such as Fear Strikes Out, Birdman of Alcatraz, How The West Was Won and Patton.

But I remember him best in On The Waterfront with Marlon Brando and Eva Marie Saint. I saw a 50th anniversary reissue of the movie in 2004 and Malden's performance as Father Barry is the best thing about a very extraordinary movie with some very extraordinary actors.

Thoughts on the Sarah Palin Article in Vanity Fair

I have just read Todd S. Purdum's article on Sarah Palin in Vanity Fair.

Methinks that Purdum went to a recycling bin before writing this article as it is mostly a rehash of what was already in the public domain (i.e. Bristol Palin's pregnancy, Troopergate, money spent on her wardrobe, etc.) Throw in a couple of unflattering photos, an elitist bias against Alaskans plus accusations of mental illness (both post-partum depression and narcissistic personality disorder are discussed) and, voila, you have a major magazine article.

I was struck by three statements Purdum makes in the article.

1. What does her prominence say about the importance of having (or lacking) a record of achievement in public life?

If Purdum wasn't talking about a woman I would have thought he was referring to Barack Obama.

2. During the presidential campaign, Palin's deep ignorance about most aspects about foreign and domestic policy provided her with a powerful reason not to submit to interviews.

Yes, it was really unfortunate how she told Katie Couric that FDR went on TV in 1929 after the stock market crash in 1929. Not to mention when she said in the Vice-Presidential debate that Hezbollah was no longer in Lebanon.

Oh wait!!! That wasn't Sarah Palin. It was Joe Biden.

Purdum's assessment that Palin would not submit to interviews is odd considering the MSM themselves acknowledged that Palin was far more accessible to them than was Biden by mid-October.

3. Because Palin had taken particular umbrage in the fall campaign at any effort to criticize her children or invade their privacy, her willingness to mix it up in public with an 18-year-old, who is after all the father of her only grandchild, struck many in Alaska as odd.

So how does Purdum think Palin should have reacted when Levi Johnston went on The Tyra Banks Show? If Palin hadn't responded to Johnston, Purdum and the MSM would have wanted to know what she had to hide.

It is also interesting that Purdum takes Palin for "her willingness to mix it up in public with an 18-year-old." Yet Purdum himself is more than willing to mix it up with an 18-year-old, if her name is Bristol Palin. Purdum took Governor Palin's daughter to task for her campaign in support of abstinence.

Sarah Palin truly is the Israel of American politics. As I wrote back in November:

If Sarah Palin were a member state of the UN she would be condemned daily by the General Assembly for transgressions both real and imagined. This, in part, makes Sarah Palin the Israel of American politics.

Those who hate Israel are prepared to believe any unkind word said about it. If Israel-haters are told that Israelis use the blood of Palestinian children to make Purim pastries they accept it as the gospel truth. Those who hate Sarah Palin are prepared to believe any unkind word said about her.

Let me conclude with this thought. Todd Purdum and all those who write about Sarah Palin with such disdain about her intellect and other personal qualities would not do so unless they believed she was a credible political threat. Why else write such vitriol unless Purdum and his ilk think Sarah Palin can beat Barack Obama in 2012? This is the what they are afraid of and they know it but don't know how else to react.

Alexis Arguello, 1952-2009. R.I.P.

Former champion boxer turned politician Alexis Arguello has died of an apparent suicide. He was 57.

It was only last November that Arguello was elected the mayor of Managua, the capital city of Nicarauga as an ally of President Daniel Ortega. Ironically, Arguello had took up arms against the Sandinistas in the early 1980s after they had seized his bank account and property. However, he would become disenchanted with the Contras.

Accusations surfaced concerning corruption and this evidently motivated Arguello to end his life.

Arguello is best remembered as one of the best boxers who put on a pair of gloves. Turning professional at the age of 16, Arguello would become a world champion in three different weight divisions - featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight.

I remember watching his matches on CBS Sports with my Dad in the early 1980s and immediately noticed how he stood a notch above everyone else. There was another fighter that impressed me as well. If you're a boxing fan you are undoubtedly thinking of Aaron Pryor. Of course, I liked Pryor because of his first name.

Arguello wanted to become the first boxer to win a championship in four different weight divisions. He would twice challenge Pryor for the WBA Light Welterweight Title in 1982 and 1983 but came out on the losing end on both occasions. However, Arguello and Pryor had tremendous mutual respect for each other and were friends with him until the very end.

Like many fighters, Arguello periodically came out of retirement throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s but never won any other championships. He finished his boxing career in 1995 with a record of 82-8 with 65 knockouts.

Prior to being elected mayor of Managua, Arguello was Nicarauga's flag bearer during the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

There's a part of me that feels suspicious. Nicarauga is a rough place to do politics. I cannot help but think that Arguello might have angered the wrong people and paid the price for it. On the other hand, Arguello did have a history of drug abuse and depression so it isn't inconceivable that he couldn't cope with the scrutiny, fair or not, that comes with being a public official.