The Detroit Lions did something this afternoon they haven't done in a very long time.
Win a game.
The Lions defeated the Washington Redskins 19-14 at Ford Field snapping a 19-game losing streak. The last time the Lions won a game was on December 23, 2007 in Week 16 of the 2007 season when they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 25-20. That victory snapped a six game losing streak. So the Lions have won only twice in their past 27 regular season games.
The Lions did not win a single game in the 2008 season. As the Lions were preparing to face the Green Bay Packers in the final game of the regular season, I wrote:
With the federal government now prepared to bail out America's automobile industry, it is now clear the only thing in worse shape in Detroit than GM, Chrysler and Ford is the Detroit Lions.
The Lions roar will be likely short lived. Next Sunday, they go to Chicago to face the Bears. The week after that they host the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Yankees Clinch AL East
The New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-2 to win their 100th game of the 2009 season and clinch the AL East Division in the process. Although it is the Yankees 11th AL East title since 1996, it is the first they've won under manager Joe Girardi.
And yes, I'm the guy who predicted the Yankees would finish in last and that Luis Sojo would be managing the team by mid-June.
The Yankees did get off to a slow start in 2009. They were 13-15 before Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup in early May after having off season hip surgery. While Derek Jeter or Mark Teixeira are favorites to win the AL MVP, the Yankees returned to their winning ways only when A-Rod was put in the cleanup spot. Teixeira was hitting under .200 and feeling the heat in the new Yankee Stadium before A-Rod returned to third base. The Yankees won nearly 70% of their games after the return of A-Rod and that as much as anything else warrants the baseball writers giving him votes for the AL MVP.
Of course, C.C. Sabathia gave the Yankees a bonafide ace and with a league leading 19 wins he could win his second AL Cy Young Award in three seasons (although Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals is considered the frontrunner.) Although I think the case can be made that Mariano Rivera should win the AL Cy Young.
At the age of 39, Rivera has saved 44 games (tying him with Joe Nathan of the Minnesota Twins and Brian Fuentes of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.) Rivera has never won a Cy Young. Relief pitchers traditionally don't win Cy Youngs. The last American League relief pitcher to win the Cy Young was in 1992 when Dennis Eckersley did it with the Oakland Athletics. It should be noted that Rivera finished runner up to Bartolo Colon in 2005 and finished third in the balloting in 1996, 1999 and 2004. So he'll get votes. As some believe Jeter winning the AL MVP would be sort of a lifetime achievement award the same argument could be made for Rivera regarding the AL Cy Young.
The emergence of Phil Hughes as Rivera's set up man somewhat quieted talk of why Joba Chamberlain was in the Yankees starting rotation. Robinson Cano had a much improved season with 200 hits and counting. Nick Swisher also proved to be a nice addition to the Yankees outfield and the clubhouse.
The Yankees will face the winner of the AL Central Division which will either be the Detroit Tigers or the Minnesota Twins. The Tigers currently have a two game lead over the Twins. However, the Twins and Tigers will play four games in Detroit beginning tomorrow. Honestly, I don't think it matters who wins the Central because the Yankees will smoke either team.
In which case, the Yankees would face either the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS. The Angels have given the Yankees fits over the years and have twice eliminated them from post-season play (2002 and 2005.) A Yankees-Red Sox ALCS would be the first since the Red Sox came back down three games to none.
I was uneasy when the Red Sox won their first eight games against the Yankees this season. Traditionally, the season series is nearly even and there would inevitably be a correction. Sure enough, the Yankees have beaten the Red Sox nine out of their last ten games. Yet at the end of the day the season series will read 9-9 and the ALCS will start out at 0-0 as it always does. But as usual I am getting ahead of myself. So I will stop here.
And yes, I'm the guy who predicted the Yankees would finish in last and that Luis Sojo would be managing the team by mid-June.
The Yankees did get off to a slow start in 2009. They were 13-15 before Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup in early May after having off season hip surgery. While Derek Jeter or Mark Teixeira are favorites to win the AL MVP, the Yankees returned to their winning ways only when A-Rod was put in the cleanup spot. Teixeira was hitting under .200 and feeling the heat in the new Yankee Stadium before A-Rod returned to third base. The Yankees won nearly 70% of their games after the return of A-Rod and that as much as anything else warrants the baseball writers giving him votes for the AL MVP.
Of course, C.C. Sabathia gave the Yankees a bonafide ace and with a league leading 19 wins he could win his second AL Cy Young Award in three seasons (although Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals is considered the frontrunner.) Although I think the case can be made that Mariano Rivera should win the AL Cy Young.
At the age of 39, Rivera has saved 44 games (tying him with Joe Nathan of the Minnesota Twins and Brian Fuentes of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.) Rivera has never won a Cy Young. Relief pitchers traditionally don't win Cy Youngs. The last American League relief pitcher to win the Cy Young was in 1992 when Dennis Eckersley did it with the Oakland Athletics. It should be noted that Rivera finished runner up to Bartolo Colon in 2005 and finished third in the balloting in 1996, 1999 and 2004. So he'll get votes. As some believe Jeter winning the AL MVP would be sort of a lifetime achievement award the same argument could be made for Rivera regarding the AL Cy Young.
The emergence of Phil Hughes as Rivera's set up man somewhat quieted talk of why Joba Chamberlain was in the Yankees starting rotation. Robinson Cano had a much improved season with 200 hits and counting. Nick Swisher also proved to be a nice addition to the Yankees outfield and the clubhouse.
The Yankees will face the winner of the AL Central Division which will either be the Detroit Tigers or the Minnesota Twins. The Tigers currently have a two game lead over the Twins. However, the Twins and Tigers will play four games in Detroit beginning tomorrow. Honestly, I don't think it matters who wins the Central because the Yankees will smoke either team.
In which case, the Yankees would face either the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS. The Angels have given the Yankees fits over the years and have twice eliminated them from post-season play (2002 and 2005.) A Yankees-Red Sox ALCS would be the first since the Red Sox came back down three games to none.
I was uneasy when the Red Sox won their first eight games against the Yankees this season. Traditionally, the season series is nearly even and there would inevitably be a correction. Sure enough, the Yankees have beaten the Red Sox nine out of their last ten games. Yet at the end of the day the season series will read 9-9 and the ALCS will start out at 0-0 as it always does. But as usual I am getting ahead of myself. So I will stop here.
William Safire, 1929-2009. R.I.P.
Former Nixon speechwriter turned New York Times columnist William Safire has died of pancreatic cancer. He was 79.
Safire began his association with Nixon during the 1960 Presidential campaign and would resume the association eight years later. During his time in the White House, Safire wrote speeches for both Nixon and Vice-President Spiro Agnew. Indeed, it was Safire who coined the phrase "nattering nabobs of negativism." Agnew first uttered this phrase at the 1970 California Republican Convention in San Diego in reference to the liberal media.
Ironically, Safire would join The New York Times, the epicenter of the liberal media, as a columnist in 1973 where he would remain until his retirement in 2005. Once Safire left there was really no reason to read the pages of The Gray Lady (although one could make a case for David Brooks amongst the Sarah Palin haters.) President Bush would bestow him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom the following year.
Safire wrote many books on politics and language. I have a book of his called Lend Me Your Ears. It is a collection of speeches delivered from Ancient Greece to the present day. It includes a draft of a speech he wrote in the event the Apollo 11 mission to the moon was not successful. The memo would be later put on display at the National Archives in Washington.
I think Safire's greatest contribution was to keep the liberal establishment on its toes. Conservatives might find the idea of working at The New York Times abhorrent but conservative ideas have to be expressed in unfriendly terrain. Conservatism is strengthened when it asserts itself in the lion's den of liberalism. Unafraid to stick his head in the lion's mouth, William Safire was a contrarian in the lair of American liberalism.
Safire began his association with Nixon during the 1960 Presidential campaign and would resume the association eight years later. During his time in the White House, Safire wrote speeches for both Nixon and Vice-President Spiro Agnew. Indeed, it was Safire who coined the phrase "nattering nabobs of negativism." Agnew first uttered this phrase at the 1970 California Republican Convention in San Diego in reference to the liberal media.
Ironically, Safire would join The New York Times, the epicenter of the liberal media, as a columnist in 1973 where he would remain until his retirement in 2005. Once Safire left there was really no reason to read the pages of The Gray Lady (although one could make a case for David Brooks amongst the Sarah Palin haters.) President Bush would bestow him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom the following year.
Safire wrote many books on politics and language. I have a book of his called Lend Me Your Ears. It is a collection of speeches delivered from Ancient Greece to the present day. It includes a draft of a speech he wrote in the event the Apollo 11 mission to the moon was not successful. The memo would be later put on display at the National Archives in Washington.
I think Safire's greatest contribution was to keep the liberal establishment on its toes. Conservatives might find the idea of working at The New York Times abhorrent but conservative ideas have to be expressed in unfriendly terrain. Conservatism is strengthened when it asserts itself in the lion's den of liberalism. Unafraid to stick his head in the lion's mouth, William Safire was a contrarian in the lair of American liberalism.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Cardinals Clinch NL Central
I just watched the St. Louis Cardinals clinch the NL Central Division with a 6-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies in Denver. Adam Wainwright pitched eight strong innings and struck out eleven batters. Back up catcher Jason LaRue (filling in for an injured Yadier Molina) broke a 3-3 tie in the 7th with a solo homerun. Ryan Ludwick added some insurance in the 9th with a two run shot. Ryan Franklin came on and earned the save.
It is the first time the Cards have reached the post-season since 2006 when they went on to win the World Series. It is also the eighth team in fourteen seasons with Tony LaRussa at the helm the Cardinals have reached the post-season (1996, 2000-2002, 2004-2006.) It is also their seventh NL Central Division title (they won the NL Wild Card in 2001.)
The Cardinals jumped out of the gate going 19-8 in April but would play around .500 ball from May through July. It was in August when the Cardinals began to run away with the division with a 20-6 record.
If things remain as they are it would appear the Cardinals will play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. I think the Cardinals starting rotation is better than the Dodgers especially with Wainwright and Chris Carpenter as arguably the two best starting pitchers in the NL. 15-game winner Joel Pineiro is no slouch either. However, Franklin has struggled in the bullpen of late and his struggles could offset the effectiveness of their starting pitching against Dodger bats.
But then again things might not remain as they are. With the Cardinals victory over Colorado tonight, the Rockies now only have a 2½ game lead in the NL Wild Card over the surging Atlanta Braves. The Braves have won five in a row and 14 of their last 17 games. If the Braves overcome the Rockies then the Cardinals would play the defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. If you think the Cardinals have bullpen problems they have nothing on the Phillies.
Suffice it to say, I cannot wait for the post-season to begin.
It is the first time the Cards have reached the post-season since 2006 when they went on to win the World Series. It is also the eighth team in fourteen seasons with Tony LaRussa at the helm the Cardinals have reached the post-season (1996, 2000-2002, 2004-2006.) It is also their seventh NL Central Division title (they won the NL Wild Card in 2001.)
The Cardinals jumped out of the gate going 19-8 in April but would play around .500 ball from May through July. It was in August when the Cardinals began to run away with the division with a 20-6 record.
If things remain as they are it would appear the Cardinals will play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. I think the Cardinals starting rotation is better than the Dodgers especially with Wainwright and Chris Carpenter as arguably the two best starting pitchers in the NL. 15-game winner Joel Pineiro is no slouch either. However, Franklin has struggled in the bullpen of late and his struggles could offset the effectiveness of their starting pitching against Dodger bats.
But then again things might not remain as they are. With the Cardinals victory over Colorado tonight, the Rockies now only have a 2½ game lead in the NL Wild Card over the surging Atlanta Braves. The Braves have won five in a row and 14 of their last 17 games. If the Braves overcome the Rockies then the Cardinals would play the defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. If you think the Cardinals have bullpen problems they have nothing on the Phillies.
Suffice it to say, I cannot wait for the post-season to begin.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Venezuelan TV Will Have More Chavez, Less Family Guy
The Venezuelan government will begin fining TV stations that air the animated comedy Family Guy.
It is all part of new set of sweeping media regulations.
Those who suffered through Hugo Chavez's speech to the UN General Assembly will be delighted to know that one of the new provisions will require Venezuelan TV stations to carry more of Hugo Chavez's speeches.
Oh goody.
Let's hope this doesn't give President Obama any bright ideas.
It is all part of new set of sweeping media regulations.
Those who suffered through Hugo Chavez's speech to the UN General Assembly will be delighted to know that one of the new provisions will require Venezuelan TV stations to carry more of Hugo Chavez's speeches.
Oh goody.
Let's hope this doesn't give President Obama any bright ideas.
Ken Howard Elected President of Screen Actors Guild
Ken Howard has been elected President of the Screen Actors Guild. The Los Angeles Times describes Howard as "a moderate."
Of course, I'm not sure what passes for moderate in Hollywood these days.
Nonetheless, I offer my congratulations to Howard who is one of my favorite actors. I enjoyed watching The White Shadow when I was a kid and in more recent years I enjoyed watching him in a supporting role on Crossing Jordan. That show was never the same after he left.
It was just this past Sunday, Howard won an Emmy in the television adaptation of Grey Gardens.
In July 2008, my older brother and I saw Howard do a one man show in Watertown, Massachusetts called According to Tip which was based on the life of the late House Speaker Tip O'Neill. You can read my review of the show here.
Of course, I'm not sure what passes for moderate in Hollywood these days.
Nonetheless, I offer my congratulations to Howard who is one of my favorite actors. I enjoyed watching The White Shadow when I was a kid and in more recent years I enjoyed watching him in a supporting role on Crossing Jordan. That show was never the same after he left.
It was just this past Sunday, Howard won an Emmy in the television adaptation of Grey Gardens.
In July 2008, my older brother and I saw Howard do a one man show in Watertown, Massachusetts called According to Tip which was based on the life of the late House Speaker Tip O'Neill. You can read my review of the show here.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Thoughts on MacKenzie Phillips
Well, if actress MacKenzie Phillips was seeking attention she sure got it when she revealed that she and her late father, John Phillips (founder of The Mamas & The Papas) had an incestuous relationship on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Her book, High on Arrival, which documents the alleged affair is set to be released on September 29th.
Michelle Phillips, the last surviving member of The Mamas & The Papas who was married to Phillips from 1962 to 1970, isn't buying it.
However, Phillips is due to return to Oprah tomorrow with her half sister, Chynna Phillips (of Wilson Phillips fame.)
Obviously, I don't know if she is telling the truth or she isn't. Either way it's all very disturbing.
The one thing that bothers me about this whole matter is that John Phillips is dead and cannot defend himself.
Michelle Phillips, the last surviving member of The Mamas & The Papas who was married to Phillips from 1962 to 1970, isn't buying it.
However, Phillips is due to return to Oprah tomorrow with her half sister, Chynna Phillips (of Wilson Phillips fame.)
Obviously, I don't know if she is telling the truth or she isn't. Either way it's all very disturbing.
The one thing that bothers me about this whole matter is that John Phillips is dead and cannot defend himself.
Jim Rice vs. Andre Dawson
Quin Hillyer of The American Spectator has an interesting article about media bias where it concerns sports.
Specifically, Hillyer is critical of sportswriters for bias towards professional athletes who play in "big markets." To make his case, Hillyer points towards how New England Patriots linebacker Andre Tippett got into the Pro Football Hall of Fame while Rickey Jackson of the New Orleans Saints has not. He also makes a case in baseball concerning Boston Red Sox slugger Jim Rice (who was inducted in Cooperstown in July) and Andre Dawson who played a significant part of his career with the Montreal Expos.
While I think Hillyer makes a convincing case for Dawson's inclusion in the Hall I'm not sure his exclusion has much to do with media bias.
While Dawson did play his first ten seasons with the Expos he also played six seasons with the Chicago Cubs. Dawson won his first and only NL MVP during his first season with the Cubs in 1987.
It isn't exactly the case Dawson was overlooked by the sportswriters when he played with the Expos. He did finish runner up in NL MVP voting in 1981 and 1983 (losing to Philadelphia Phillies slugger and future Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt and Dale Murphy of the Atlanta Braves, respectively.)
I think Dawson was hurt cause he stayed in the bigs too long. His last four seasons in the majors which he spent with the Red Sox (1993-94) and the Florida Marlins (1995-96) were less than productive. He would have better off retiring after his final season with the Cubs in 1992.
Hillyer argues that Rice should not have been inducted into the Hall before Dawson. But what Hillyer doesn't mention was that Rice was in his last year of eligibility to be inducted by the BBWAA while Dawson has eight more years of eligibility.
I also take issue with Hillyer when he writes:
Finally, by reputation at least, Dawson was a better teammate, gregarious and generous, while Rice was by reputation surly and perhaps selfish. It was passing strange that the Sox made so few playoff appearances during Rice's tenure, despite an abundance of talent; the word always was that its clubhouse was almost never a happy one. Last I checked, baseball remains a team game.
Rice was not popular with the sports media during his playing career in Boston. But then again neither was Ted Williams. In fact, his unpopularity was such that one sportswriter left off him the AL MVP ballot in 1947 despite winning the Triple Crown (leading the league in batting average, homeruns and RBIs.) So I'm not sure that's such a great argument.
Rice also played on two AL pennant winners in 1975 and 1986 and an AL East Division champion in 1988. His post-season stats might have been more impressive if he didn't miss the 1975 post-season with a wrist injury. Dawson, meanwhile, only made two post-season appearances in his 20 year big league career. He made those appearances with the 1981 Expos and the 1989 Cubs where he hit .186 in 59 post-season at bats.
But Hillyer is right. Andre Dawson does belong in the Baseball Hall of Fame. I suspect that the BBWAA will do the right thing and vote in Dawson (as well as Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin who becomes Hall of Fame eligible) in January.
Specifically, Hillyer is critical of sportswriters for bias towards professional athletes who play in "big markets." To make his case, Hillyer points towards how New England Patriots linebacker Andre Tippett got into the Pro Football Hall of Fame while Rickey Jackson of the New Orleans Saints has not. He also makes a case in baseball concerning Boston Red Sox slugger Jim Rice (who was inducted in Cooperstown in July) and Andre Dawson who played a significant part of his career with the Montreal Expos.
While I think Hillyer makes a convincing case for Dawson's inclusion in the Hall I'm not sure his exclusion has much to do with media bias.
While Dawson did play his first ten seasons with the Expos he also played six seasons with the Chicago Cubs. Dawson won his first and only NL MVP during his first season with the Cubs in 1987.
It isn't exactly the case Dawson was overlooked by the sportswriters when he played with the Expos. He did finish runner up in NL MVP voting in 1981 and 1983 (losing to Philadelphia Phillies slugger and future Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt and Dale Murphy of the Atlanta Braves, respectively.)
I think Dawson was hurt cause he stayed in the bigs too long. His last four seasons in the majors which he spent with the Red Sox (1993-94) and the Florida Marlins (1995-96) were less than productive. He would have better off retiring after his final season with the Cubs in 1992.
Hillyer argues that Rice should not have been inducted into the Hall before Dawson. But what Hillyer doesn't mention was that Rice was in his last year of eligibility to be inducted by the BBWAA while Dawson has eight more years of eligibility.
I also take issue with Hillyer when he writes:
Finally, by reputation at least, Dawson was a better teammate, gregarious and generous, while Rice was by reputation surly and perhaps selfish. It was passing strange that the Sox made so few playoff appearances during Rice's tenure, despite an abundance of talent; the word always was that its clubhouse was almost never a happy one. Last I checked, baseball remains a team game.
Rice was not popular with the sports media during his playing career in Boston. But then again neither was Ted Williams. In fact, his unpopularity was such that one sportswriter left off him the AL MVP ballot in 1947 despite winning the Triple Crown (leading the league in batting average, homeruns and RBIs.) So I'm not sure that's such a great argument.
Rice also played on two AL pennant winners in 1975 and 1986 and an AL East Division champion in 1988. His post-season stats might have been more impressive if he didn't miss the 1975 post-season with a wrist injury. Dawson, meanwhile, only made two post-season appearances in his 20 year big league career. He made those appearances with the 1981 Expos and the 1989 Cubs where he hit .186 in 59 post-season at bats.
But Hillyer is right. Andre Dawson does belong in the Baseball Hall of Fame. I suspect that the BBWAA will do the right thing and vote in Dawson (as well as Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin who becomes Hall of Fame eligible) in January.
Patrick Appoints Kirk Interim Senator
Today, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick appointed Kennedy confidante and former DNC Chair Paul Kirk, Jr. to take over the seat held by Ted Kennedy on an interim basis.
A few days ago, the Massachusetts legislature amended the law so that Governor Patrick could make the interim appointment.
All things considered I don't have a problem with Governor Patrick making this appointment. This is the way such things are done in most states. Where I have a problem is the double standard the Massachusetts legislature applies to Democratic and Republican Governors. This situation would never have come to pass had Ted Kennedy let sleeping dogs lie. After all, if not for Kennedy's overconfidence in John Kerry he would not have seen fit to get the Massachusetts legislature to have changed the law in the first place. Had Kerry been elected President in 2004 then Mitt Romney would have made an interim appointment and presumably would have appointed a Republican. Neither Kennedy nor the Democratic controlled Massachusetts legislature could permit such an intolerable development.
Of course, the Kerry Administration never came to pass. But when death came knocking on Kennedy's door he did a 180. Now that Deval Patrick sat in the corner office it was O.K. for him to appoint his successor. Such a thing was also now acceptable because after all President Obama needed 60 Democratic Senators to get Obamacare passed come hell or high water. And after Kennedy passed on, President Obama saw to it that Patrick and the Massachusetts legislature would say how high when he told them to jump.
I just hope if Massachusetts elects another Republican Governor that he or she will be allowed to make such appointments should they arise without interference from Washington.
A few days ago, the Massachusetts legislature amended the law so that Governor Patrick could make the interim appointment.
All things considered I don't have a problem with Governor Patrick making this appointment. This is the way such things are done in most states. Where I have a problem is the double standard the Massachusetts legislature applies to Democratic and Republican Governors. This situation would never have come to pass had Ted Kennedy let sleeping dogs lie. After all, if not for Kennedy's overconfidence in John Kerry he would not have seen fit to get the Massachusetts legislature to have changed the law in the first place. Had Kerry been elected President in 2004 then Mitt Romney would have made an interim appointment and presumably would have appointed a Republican. Neither Kennedy nor the Democratic controlled Massachusetts legislature could permit such an intolerable development.
Of course, the Kerry Administration never came to pass. But when death came knocking on Kennedy's door he did a 180. Now that Deval Patrick sat in the corner office it was O.K. for him to appoint his successor. Such a thing was also now acceptable because after all President Obama needed 60 Democratic Senators to get Obamacare passed come hell or high water. And after Kennedy passed on, President Obama saw to it that Patrick and the Massachusetts legislature would say how high when he told them to jump.
I just hope if Massachusetts elects another Republican Governor that he or she will be allowed to make such appointments should they arise without interference from Washington.
Obama Invokes FDR During UN Speech
I won't comment at length about President Obama's speech before the UN General Assembly yesterday. Others such as former U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton and Nile Gardiner have commented on the substance of Obama's remark (or lack thereof) with their usual eloquence. However, I was struck by his invocation of FDR:
Sixty-five years ago, a weary Franklin Roosevelt spoke to the American people in his fourth and final inaugural address. After years of war, he sought to sum up the lessons that could be drawn from the terrible suffering, the enormous sacrifice that had taken place. "We have learned," he said, "to be citizens of the world, members of the human community."
Ah yes, citizens of the world unite!!!
Yet if one actually reads FDR's final inaugural one will also find this ditty:
In the days and in the years that are to come we shall work for a just and honorable peace, a durable peace, as today we work and fight for total victory in war.
Total victory in war.
Somehow that part of FDR's speech never made it into President Obama's remarks.
Sixty-five years ago, a weary Franklin Roosevelt spoke to the American people in his fourth and final inaugural address. After years of war, he sought to sum up the lessons that could be drawn from the terrible suffering, the enormous sacrifice that had taken place. "We have learned," he said, "to be citizens of the world, members of the human community."
Ah yes, citizens of the world unite!!!
Yet if one actually reads FDR's final inaugural one will also find this ditty:
In the days and in the years that are to come we shall work for a just and honorable peace, a durable peace, as today we work and fight for total victory in war.
Total victory in war.
Somehow that part of FDR's speech never made it into President Obama's remarks.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Proud To Be Canadian
I have now lived in the United States for nearly 9½ years and consider this country my home.
However, today I am proud of being Canadian in a way that I have not in a very long time.
The Canadian delegation at the UN General Assembly walked out on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as he was about to give his speech. Judi McLeod of Canada Free Press (where my articles also appear) has the details.
It was only this past Friday that Ahmadinejad called the Holocaust "a lie." White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Ahmadinejad's comments "only serves to isolate Iran further from the world." If that was true then the United States would have led the way with Canada's noble protest.
President Obama has behaved in a cowardly manner where it concerns Iran. President Obama insists on engaging with a madman despite his intentions to destroy Israel. President Obama also insists on engaging with a madman who has no qualms about killing and imprisoning his own people for expressing their opinions.
I am proud to be Canadian. I am proud to be American. I am ashamed of my President.
However, today I am proud of being Canadian in a way that I have not in a very long time.
The Canadian delegation at the UN General Assembly walked out on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as he was about to give his speech. Judi McLeod of Canada Free Press (where my articles also appear) has the details.
It was only this past Friday that Ahmadinejad called the Holocaust "a lie." White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Ahmadinejad's comments "only serves to isolate Iran further from the world." If that was true then the United States would have led the way with Canada's noble protest.
President Obama has behaved in a cowardly manner where it concerns Iran. President Obama insists on engaging with a madman despite his intentions to destroy Israel. President Obama also insists on engaging with a madman who has no qualms about killing and imprisoning his own people for expressing their opinions.
I am proud to be Canadian. I am proud to be American. I am ashamed of my President.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Helpful guide: Are you racist?
CNN and the New York Times have helpfully put this together for America.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Thoughts on Obama's Appearance with Letterman
Several observations about President Obama's appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman.
First, did anyone notice that Letterman didn't make any jokes about President Obama's daughters?
Second, Obama didn't make fun of people with developmental disabilities this time.
Third, with regard to health care, Obama actually said that Canadians "are perfectly happy with their system." Yes, I'm sure that's exactly what those Canadians who are waiting for MRI exams, surgery and cancer treatment are thinking.
First, did anyone notice that Letterman didn't make any jokes about President Obama's daughters?
Second, Obama didn't make fun of people with developmental disabilities this time.
Third, with regard to health care, Obama actually said that Canadians "are perfectly happy with their system." Yes, I'm sure that's exactly what those Canadians who are waiting for MRI exams, surgery and cancer treatment are thinking.
Astros Fire Cecil Cooper
The Houston Astros have fired Cecil Cooper as their manager with 13 games remaining in the 2009 season. Third base coach Dave Clark has been named interim manager.
The Astros were 70-79 this season under Cooper and are 16½ games back of the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. The had lost seven straight games and eight of the last ten before today's announcement. Cooper replaced Phil Garner as Astros skipper late in the 2007 season and went 171-170 over parts of three seasons.
I didn't think Cooper did that bad of a job. Their offense is respectable with the likes of Michael Bourn at the top of the order, Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee, Hunter Pence and a resurgent Miguel Tejada. But when you only have one starting pitcher (Wandy Rodriguez) in double digits in wins you are not likely to contend. It doesn't help that Roy Oswalt had an off year battling back pain. It is the first time in a major league career that began in 2001 in which he has failed to win at least 10 games in a season. That really isn't Coop's fault. But since when is life fair?
The Astros were 70-79 this season under Cooper and are 16½ games back of the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. The had lost seven straight games and eight of the last ten before today's announcement. Cooper replaced Phil Garner as Astros skipper late in the 2007 season and went 171-170 over parts of three seasons.
I didn't think Cooper did that bad of a job. Their offense is respectable with the likes of Michael Bourn at the top of the order, Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee, Hunter Pence and a resurgent Miguel Tejada. But when you only have one starting pitcher (Wandy Rodriguez) in double digits in wins you are not likely to contend. It doesn't help that Roy Oswalt had an off year battling back pain. It is the first time in a major league career that began in 2001 in which he has failed to win at least 10 games in a season. That really isn't Coop's fault. But since when is life fair?
A New Obama Poem: Look At Me
Unable to turn on a TV without seeing President Obama on it this poem poured out of me as I sat down to eat lunch today.
Look At Me
As the cameras are rolling
With our undivided attention
You take out a mirror
And tell the world
To look at you
Standing behind you
While you gaze at yourself
In amazement
I look at you not in wonder
Nor to rob you of your thunder
That left the bottle long ago
When I look at you
I see neither black nor white
But rather a bitter green
Comprised of envy and vanity
Covering a skin too thin
And not wise enough
To know that we can see
The bottle is empty
Of the spark that ignited
The world in your image
Sunday, September 20, 2009
A Note to Bob Schieffer on Interviewing Obama
Today, I returned home to Boston from New York and was thus spared the bombardment of all Obama all the time on the Sunday news shows.
However, while in a cab en route to the Port Authority, I did hear some commentary on the radio from Bob Schieffer, host of Face The Nation on CBS:
My job is to show up and ask questions. The president's job is to hold himself accountable to the people who elected him. That means answering questions.
Why would I want to stop him?
It works out better when we both stick to our basic assignments. We ask, he answers.
Do I like the round robin of interviews? Not as much as I like exclusives.
But the president - any president - is the world's number one newsmaker. When he invites me over to ask him questions, I'll be there.
Not to offer advice, but to take notes.
With all due respect to Mr. Schieffer, I think journalists are little bit more than mere note takers. I want our journalists challenging politicians when they give answers they cannot possibly back up. How can President Obama say he'll implement health care reform without adding a dime to the deficit? Today, President Obama told Schieffer he'll implement health care reform without raising taxes. Schieffer ought to have channeled John McEnroe and told him, "You cannot be serious!!!" I am not suggesting Schieffer should have thrown a water bottle at Obama but act as something other than a note taker. If journalists are nothing more than note takers then CBS should have sent some freshly minted journalism graduates to interview President Obama.
However, while in a cab en route to the Port Authority, I did hear some commentary on the radio from Bob Schieffer, host of Face The Nation on CBS:
My job is to show up and ask questions. The president's job is to hold himself accountable to the people who elected him. That means answering questions.
Why would I want to stop him?
It works out better when we both stick to our basic assignments. We ask, he answers.
Do I like the round robin of interviews? Not as much as I like exclusives.
But the president - any president - is the world's number one newsmaker. When he invites me over to ask him questions, I'll be there.
Not to offer advice, but to take notes.
With all due respect to Mr. Schieffer, I think journalists are little bit more than mere note takers. I want our journalists challenging politicians when they give answers they cannot possibly back up. How can President Obama say he'll implement health care reform without adding a dime to the deficit? Today, President Obama told Schieffer he'll implement health care reform without raising taxes. Schieffer ought to have channeled John McEnroe and told him, "You cannot be serious!!!" I am not suggesting Schieffer should have thrown a water bottle at Obama but act as something other than a note taker. If journalists are nothing more than note takers then CBS should have sent some freshly minted journalism graduates to interview President Obama.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Obama to Host Netanyahu & Abbas @ WH on Tuesday
President Obama will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House on Tuesday.
This is mostly a photo op for President Obama. It will also be an opportunity for Obama to once again stick it to Netanyahu on settlements, the security fence or whatever happens to be the flavor of the month amongst the Rashid Khalidi's of the world.
I don't expect anything good to come of this meeting. I just hope nothing bad comes of it.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Patrick Admits Talking to Obama About Appointing Kennedy Successor
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick admits he has spoken extensively to President Obama about changing the Massachusetts law regarding succession in the U.S. Senate. Patrick first spoke with Obama regarding the issue of succession during Ted Kennedy's funeral last month. This despite the fact the Obama Administration had said previously it was a matter for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to address.
The breach of propriety by Obama aside, the irony of it all is that Obama and Patrick would never have had any such discussion if Kennedy hadn't seen to it that the Massachusetts legislature strip then Governor Mitt Romney of the power to appoint a successor. If not for Kennedy's overconfident belief that John Kerry would win the 2004 Presidential election, Governor Patrick could have appointed anyone he saw fit to sit in the Senate after Kennedy passed away.
Ahmadinejad Calls The Holocaust a Lie
Iranian "President" Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Friday prayers at Tehran University and spoke this pearl of wisdom:
The pretext for the creation of the Zionist regime is false. It is a lie based on an unprovable and mythical claim. Confronting the Zionist regime is a national and religious duty.
Oh goody. The Obama Administration has played nice with Ahmadinejad for eight months and this is what we get for their efforts.
To be sure, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Ahmadinejad's statement "only serves to isolate Iran further from the world." This is the same Robert Gibbs who less than seven weeks ago called Ahmadinejad Iran's "elected leader."
How isolated can Iran be when President Obama won't criticize them for killing their own people? How isolated can Iran be when President Obama's decision to abandon missile defense was done in part because of Iran? How isolated can Iran be when the Obama Administration wants Iran's help in Afghanistan?
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Nothing good can come of the Obama Administration's policy of engagement with Iran.
Obama Say Race Isn't "Overriding Issue"
After Jimmy Carter had said race was a significant factor in hostility towards President Obama, the sitting President today said that race was not "an overriding issue." He said that his opposition was driven by an "anti-government" philosophy.
I'm glad Obama said that. But I think he could have gone much further. He should have told liberals to refrain from calling conservatives racist. Because I believe it is only a matter of time before another liberal is going to accuse a conservative of racism because he or she has the temerity to disagree with President Obama.
Irving Kristol, 1920-2009. R.I.P.
Many years ago while attending a workshop on Israel a woman described "neoconservatives as liberals who've been mugged."
She got the quote wrong. The correct quote is, "Neoconservatives are liberals who were mugged by reality." Irving Kristol, the man who coined that phrase, died today at the age of 89.
Kristol, along with Norman Podhoretz, is rightly thought as one of the founding fathers of neoconservative thought. While Podhoretz shaped neoconservative thought on foreign policy, Kristol shaped neoconservative thought on domestic policy. His best known work was Two Cheers for Capitalism. While Kristol praised capitalism for advancing individual liberty and for improving the human condition he could not give capitalism unequivocal praise. Kristol argued that capitalism did not address the moral, religious or spiritual dimension. Perhaps most importantly, while Kristol recognized capitalism's merits he did not consider it a perfect theory.
I would be remiss if I didn't share a couple of Kristol's amusing quips:
The danger facing American Jews today is not that Christians want to persecute them but that Christians want to marry them.
An intellectual may be defined as a man who speaks with general authority about a subject on which he has no particular competence.
The second pearl of wisdom describes President Obama to a tee.
British Trade Unions to Boycott Goods From Israeli Settlements
The Trades Union Congress (TUC), the British equivalent of the AFL-CIO, passed a resolution at its annual conference yesterday calling for a boycott of goods originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Originally, the TUC wanted an across the board boycott of all Israeli goods. The TUC objects not only to the settlements but the separation fence and the IDF's defensive operations in Gaza last December and January. Narrowing their focus on the settlements, I fear, has given anti-Israeli forces a stronger hand.
By confining their protests to the settlements anti-Israeli forces in the trade union movement and elsewhere can argue they object only to the settlements and nothing else. That isn't true of course. But yet the settlements are unpopular amongst those who normally support Israel. President Bush had little sympathy for the settlements and neither did former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the late William F. Buckley. It would come as no surprise me if similar protests targeting the settlements are made by other trade unions around the world as well as college and university campuses where divestment movements were so popular earlier this decade.
As I have argued before the settlements are a red herring. After all there are no settlements in Gaza and yet the rocket attacks into Israel escalated. I have no reason to believe the Palestinians nor the Muslim world will be mollified in the least should the settlements in the West Bank be abandoned.
Douglas Fisher, 1919-2009. R.I.P.
Former Canadian Member of Parliament turned journalist Douglas Fisher has died. He was a day shy of his 90th birthday.
Fisher cut his political teeth in Port Arthur, Ontario (now known as Thunder Bay - my hometown). He was a high school teacher at Port Arthur Collegiate Institute (the high school I attended many decades later) when he did the impossible. Fisher dethroned C.D. Howe, the so-called "Minister of Everything" under the CCF (Co-operative Commonwealth Federation) banner in the 1957 general election. Ousting Howe would be roughly equivalent to a Republican ousting Charlie Rangel.
However, Fisher grew disenchanted with politics when the CCF struck up an alliance with the CLC (Canadian Labour Congress) to form the NDP in 1961. He vigorously opposed organized labour having a disproportionate influence in the party. Fisher began writing newspaper columns a short time thereafter to supplement his modest income as an MP and by 1965 had left electoral politics and joined the Canadian Press Gallery. He did have a rapprochement with the NDP and ran for them in 1968 in a Toronto riding but was not successful and Fisher remained in journalism thereafter. Always considered on the right-wing of Canadian social democracy his political inclinations gradually became more conservative. Consequently, Fisher is not so fondly remembered in NDP circles. In 1971, Fisher joined The Toronto Sun where he remained until his retirement in 2006.
Several of his children have also embarked upon careers in journalism no doubt inspired by their father's rich life of experiences.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Obama Sells Out Eastern Europe, Emboldens Iran
I cannot say I'm surprised that President Obama scrapped missile defense in Poland and the Czech Republic. He's been trying to mollify the Russians since the election campaign when he played the moral equivalency card when Russian troops went into Georgia last year. Appeasing authoritarian Russia at the expense of democratic Eastern Europe sends a very bad message indeed.
Aside from selling out Eastern Europe, Obama is lulling us into a false sense of security. One factor in the abandonment of this project was predicated on the assumption that Iran doesn't have long range missile capacity. This is not an assumption I would be prepared to make. It also might have the unintended consequence of forcing Israel's hand because a missile defense system in Europe was the one deterrent we had. Simply put, if Israel launches a preemptive strike against Iran it will be a direct consequence of Obama abandoning his allies in Eastern Europe. But what can one expect of an American foreign policy that rewards our enemies and punishes our friends?
Gingrich starts new Hispanic conservative online magazine, Americano
Started with the help of my friend Alberto Acereda, who is content editor, this new magazine should be a great asset for bringing Hispanics into the GOP.
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