Winston Spenser Churchill, 1940-2010. R.I.P.

Winston Spenser Churchill, the grandson of the legendary British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, died today after a two year battle with prostate cancer. He was 69.

Churchill was born less than six months after his grandfather moved into 10 Downing Street. After a stint in journalism, Churchill would follow in his grandfather's footsteps and was elected to the House of Commons in 1970 and would remain there until 1997. Like his grandfather, he found himself out of favor with the Conservative Party. Unlike his grandfather, he never ascended to higher office. He never held a ministerial portfolio.

His grandfather was not taken seriously by the British establishment when he warned them of the evils of Nazism. Sadly, his grandson was not taken seriously by the British establishment when he warned them of the evils of Islamic fundamentalism. While visiting the United States in 2006, Churchill warned America against losing our resolve against evil:

Precipitate withdrawal is the counsel of defeatism and cowardice, which, if it holds sway, will immeasurably increase the dangers that today confront, not just America, but the entire Western world. It is something for which we shall pay a terrible price in the years ahead. When great nations go to war — and they should do so only as a last resort — they must expect to suffer grievous losses and must commit to war with an unconquerable resolve to secure victory.

In Iraq the United States has lost some 2,200 men and women, Britain just over 100. Compare that to the first day of the Battle of the Somme — 1 July 1916 — when the British Army in a single day, nay, before breakfast, lost 55,000 men killed, wounded or missing in action. Did we talk of quitting?

Of course, Churchill speaks a language that President Obama cannot understand. But what would you expect of someone who returns a bust of Sir Winston back to the Brits? Alas some people will never learn.

Muslim Cleric Issues Fatwa Against Terrorism

Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri, a prominent Sufi Muslim cleric based in Pakistan, today issued a 600-page fatwa against terrorism and suicide bombing during an appearance in London.

The highlight of this fatwa is Qadri's edict that terrorism is not an act of matyrdom and that suicide bombers are destined for hell rather than for a rendezvous with 72 virgins.

The folks at Jihad Watch however received Qadri's fatwa with much skepticism. In addition to inquiring about Qadri's definition of terrorism and what constitutes an innocent person the edict comes under criticism for not getting to the root of jihad itself:

But here, as ever, the question remains: What about jihad? Without addressing the ideology and its roots in the Qur'an, ahadith, and Sira, acts of violence in the name of jihad -- offensive or "defensive" (jihad in search of an excuse) -- remain untouched by this edict. Thus, even despite the ruling on suicide attacks, this fatwa is not a game-changer, so to speak. There is more than one way to wage a jihad.

A good indication of whether Qadri's words will mean anything is if threats of violence by Islamic fundamentalists are directed towards him and his followers. Should such threats bemade one must wonder how and he and his followers will respond to them. If Qadri sticks by his words and is prepared to lay down his life for them in the face of intimidation then they deserve our attention.

But how many times have we seen a Muslim spokesperson condemn all forms of terrorism unless it is Muslims "exercising their right of resistance" against Israel?

If You Jam it Down Our Throats, We Will Stick it Up Your A…

Pictures of tee shirts with the above title (or some variant) on them have been circulating on the Internet since last summer. I saw one at the 9/12 event in Washington. Yet the defiant complaint still has legs—I saw a fresh posting last week. I think its popularity and longevity signal two important points.

1. It expresses the widespread sentiment—as much as 60-65% in some polls—that a strong majority of the American people is vigorously opposed to Obamacare. Americans have a very clear view of the issue and the conclusion they have arrived at is overwhelmingly at odds with the content of the two monstrosities that have passed the houses of Congress. People recall that whenever truly major changes to American society were enacted by Congress, the changes were supported by substantial majorities of the people. One can call into question the wisdom of the opinion of those majorities, but there is no denying that Social Security and Medicare were passed with the support of the people. One is hard pressed to think of an instance in which Congress voted and the President approved a major society-changing law that did not enjoy the support of a significant majority. Even the illegal immigrant amnesty of the 1980s was widely popular. Not this time. Despite the clear and vocal opposition of most segments of the population, the Obama-Pelosi-Reid gang is intent on ramming their budget-busting, pork-laden, guaranteed to diminish the quality of health care version of socialized medicine down our throats. Which brings me to the second point.

2. The less than polite tone of the message reflects the increasing dismay and frustration the American people feel about a federal government that they see as totally out of control. History is catching up with the liberal philosophy that has steered our government for most of the last century. Outraged by the perceived excesses of "robber barons" during the Industrial Revolution; seduced by progressive ideas imported from Europe; assaulted by a Depression whose magnitude and length were exacerbated by the progressive methods deployed to combat it; wary of Nazi and Soviet thrusts toward world domination; and further seduced by a 1960s movement, which preached that tradition is stultifying and progressive change is liberating and equitable; the American people succumbed to leftist propaganda and went along with radical changes to our society. But the failures of the radical philosophy are now too glaring to ignore. They are legion, but the one that the people seem to care most about is the profligate and irresponsible manner in which the federal government is bankrupting our country. At a time when the budget deficit, national debt and unsustainable financial obligations have us speeding toward a brick wall, Barack Obama has stepped on the accelerator. It is no wonder that people are angry.

Regarding Obamacare, the people have spoken clearly—they don't want it. Nevertheless, the Obama-Pelosi-Reid gang insists that they are going to jam it down our throats. They will richly deserve their reward at the next two elections when we stick it up their a….

My Interview with Frank Scaturro for NY Congress

Canada Wins Gold in Men's Hockey in OT

The Vancouver Olympics have ended in a spectacular manner for Canada.

The Canadian Men's Hockey team defeated the United States 3-2 in OT on a goal by the NHL's premier player Sidney Crosby. The goal comes less than a year after Crosby got the game winning goal in the Stanley Cup for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The win gave Canada its 14th gold medal which was top for the Vancouver Olympics. Canada finished third overall in the Olympic standings with 26 medals behind the United States and Germany.

Canada came within 24 seconds of winning the game in regulation but Zach Parise of the New Jersey Devils tied the score. If Canada had lost to the United States on Canadian soil it would have been a source of wounded pride for years to come. Three hundred million Americans aren't going to wake up angry tomorrow morning because their team lost the gold medal game to Canada. Believe me it would have been much different story north of the border. Let's also remember that Canada lost to the United States 5-3 exactly one week ago. Losing to the U.S. on Canadian soil once would have been bad enough but to lose twice with the gold medal on the line would have been embarrassing. It would have overshadowed the gold medal won by the Canadian Women's Hockey team against the United States on Thursday.

Instead, Canada ends the Olympics in golden triumph.

1-year anniversary of Tea Parties

Happy Birthday Fellow Tea Party Activists!

It was exactly one year ago today - February 27th - that the first 'organized' round of tea parties took place across America. And look how far we've come in just one year!

*The government-run heath care push has been stalled and/or stopped countless times. Obama, Pelosi and Reid have put forth deadline-after-deadline and been forced to walk away sheepishly with their tail between their legs for each failure to advance their push towards socialized medicine.

*Scott Brown's historic victory over the liberal Democrat establishment in Massachusetts.

*Stopping Congress - thus far - from forcing through the Big Government, junk-science, anti-capitalism fiasco known as Cap-And-Trade.

*The forced resignations of some of Obama's most radical "czars" including most notably his "Green Jobs Czar," Van Jones.

*The stunning election results in the governor's races in New Jersey and Virginia.

*The giant "Townhall" pushback where politicians were finally confronted about their failures, their out-of-control deficit-spending, and big-government programs and push towards a more socialized economy.

*The forced resignations of prominent politicians who were under fire from the tea party movement and in jeopardy of losing their seats - such as Senators Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota) and Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut).

*Thousands of tea party rallies across America, attracting millions of participants, to challenge the failed political establishments in both the Republican & Democrat parties. Notable highlights including the April 15, 2009 "Tax Day Tea Parties," the series of Tea Party Express rallies & cross-country tours, and the 9/12 mass tea party rally in Washington, D.C.

*A victory over the Republican political establishment that nominated a liberal, big-government "RINO" (Republican In Name Only), Dede Scozzafava for Congress in the NY-23 Special Election. The tea party movement mobilized behind Conservative Doug Hoffman, forcing the GOP to pull their support for their own nominee (Scozzafava), and catapulting a little-known candidate into a national figure who nearly beat the political machines of both the Republican & Democrat parties.

And that's just a partial list of some of the tea party movement's accomplishments in one year.

Last week, RNC Chairman Michael Steele sat down with a few dozen tea party activists and held a 4-hour long "summit" to hear the grievances of tea party supporters.

That event in itself should speak volumes about the power of this movement. A movement born from citizen activism just one-year ago held court with a national party chair for 4-hours, because the voices of the people in this movement proved so powerful that they could not be ignored.

As Governor Palin recently said in her speech at the Tea Party Nation's convention:

"The tea party movement is not a top-down operation, it is a ground-up call-to-action that is forcing both partiesto change the way they do business and that's beautiful! This is about the people!" [Emphasis added]

And yes - both sides are paying attention.

The San Francisco Chronicle (not exactly known as a bastion of right-wing political propaganda) published an article on January 19th of this year - yes exactly one year ago after Rick Santelli's historic 'tea party' rant on CNBC - that included a mea culpa from none other than liberal San Francisco Mayor, Gavin Newsom, calling for Democrats to take the tea party movement seriously:

Regardless of the outcome ... this should be a gigantic wake-up call to the Democratic Party - that we're not connecting with the needs, the aspirations and the desires of real people right now," said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

"We better get our act together - and quickly," Newsom said. Voters "are so angry. They don't feel that we're paying attention to their needs, in terms of their jobs, and what's going on at the grassroots, in their neighborhoods."

And we must remember, it was that famous rant by CNBC's Rick Santelli that inspired those first rounds of organized tea parties. Millions of Americans have now heard and seen the inspirational video of Santelli, on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, speaking plainly and forcefully for free market principles that reward hard work and success, and not government-mandated redistribution of wealth.

Motivated to follow Santell's call-to-arms, we posted his 'rant' on our blog at the Our Country Deserves Better MySpace page and attended the February 27th tea party rally in Sacramento, California that was organized by the local Free Republic chapter.

From that point forward we here at the Tea Party Express plunged head-first into the tea party movement, helping to promote rallies, organize events, support good candidates, oppose bad candidates, and do all we can to help take our country back!

We've been proud to share Lloyd Marcus's "American Tea Party Anthem" with the world. We came across the Rivoli Revue's "A Bailout Song" and began promoting that too.

Through it all, we here at the Tea Party Express have always approached this movement with a sense of joy and positive energy. That strikes some in the media as odd - they look at us and see only anger and frustration. And yes, we are angry at the failures of our leaders. And yes, we are frustrated at how defiant they have been to We The People.

But we have chosen to approach this movement by celebrating the greatness of America. We celebrate the freedom we have to question our government. We celebrate the freedom of speech and right to assemble. We celebrate the principles our nation was founded on as extolled by the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights.

And, yes, we proudly, loudly and enthusiastically celebrate the freedom to organize politically so as to defeat those failed Big Government politicians and replace them with constitutional conservatives!

There are many different groups, leaders and activists within this movement. That is a sign of strength, not weakness, as our opponents mistakenly allege. Each of the groups we have worked with in this movement have brought their own talents and abilities to the table.

*The Tea Party Patriots have assembled a network of local tea party groups that is unrivaled.

*The American Liberty Alliance has a greater sense of tech-savvy and knowledge of online activism than just about any other group in this movement.

*The National Precinct Alliance has worked steadfastly to change the political parties from within, by taking over the local structure of the political parties.

*The fine folks at ResistNet have empowered their activists to achieve success from direct action and drills better than any other group.

*Our friends at Free Republic helped launch this movement and have used their own network to help boost the tea party movement.

*The team at Smart Girl Politics have engaged in some of the best work to get patriots involved in voter registration drives.

*The team at FreedomWorks organized the historic 9/12 march and have helped to make the GOP establishment take the tea party movement seriously in a way few others have been able to do.

*The team at American Majority have conducted the most comprehensive series of candidate and activist training seminars and workshops.

*The group at the Tea Party Nation put together the first national conference for tea party activists and secured the support of Gov. Sarah Palin who helped bring a huge round of media coverage for the tea party movement.

*The American Grassroots Coalition has unleashed a tidal wave of phone calls, emails and FAXes to Members of Congress, and helped to give voice to our movement to those in Congress who are supposed to represent us.

And again, that's just part of the story. There are so many other groups and individuals (from the National Tax Limitation Committee, to the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, to the National Taxpayers Union and Club for Growth, to Americans for Prosperity and so many more) who have helped to propel this movement forward.

Friends, our strength is in our numbers. We all have different styles, different strategies and different approaches. And we're going to disagree with one another in this movement at times. That's all good! Those who fear this tea party movement - and what it might mean to their own hold on power or how it might threaten their own more liberal ideological movements - will try to exploit our differences at times.

But what our critics fail to understand is that try however hard they might, they will never be able to silence the growing majority in this country who recognize that our country is off-track, and that we've lost our ways from the American ideals that our great nation was founded on.

We here at the Tea Party Express will continue our efforts, focused on what *we* can bring to the table and what we do best: our bus tours, rallies, Action Alerts, petition drives and most importantly our ability to rally hundreds of thousands of Americans behind political campaigns to take our country back!

Happy Birthday fellow tea party activists. You all have so much worth celebrating in your first year of existence! Let us work hard to make our 2nd year an even bigger success!

NY Governor's Race Now Cuomo's to Lose

With David Paterson announcing today he will not seek election in his own right as Governor of New York this fall the gubernatorial election in the Empire State is Andrew Cuomo's to lose despite the fact he has not announced his candidacy.

Cuomo is currently New York's Attorney General. That helped Eliot Spitzer get into office but it didn't help him stay there. However, the Cuomo name still does have some cache amongst New Yorkers who elected his father Mario governor thrice before losing to George Pataki in 1994.

Assuming Cuomo does run he will likely do so against former Congressman Rick Lazio who is best known for being the GOP consolation prize in the 2000 New York Senate race against Hillary Clinton after Rudy Giuliani withdrew because of prostate cancer. Believe me when I was in New York City ten years ago everyone wanted to see Hillary vs. Rudy. In 2008 not so much.

Lazio got trounced by Hillary and at this point it would appear that he would get trounced by Cuomo even in a fall election that doesn't look good for Democrats. A Sienna College poll has Lazio polling at 26% compared to a whopping 63% for Cuomo. But the election is more than eight months from now. Only fifteen days before the miracle in Massachusetts, a Rasmussen poll had Martha Coakley leading Scott Brown by 19 points. Lazio does have the luxury of time. On the other hand, I'm not sure Rick Lazio is Scott Brown.

Another Study Claims Conservatives Are Dumb

I just came across this article by John Cloud in Time regarding a paper written by Satoshi Kanazawa, a professor of evolutionary psychology at the London School of Economics which makes the claim there is a correlation between liberalism and intelligence.

All things considered, Cloud writes a reasonable article. It must be remembered he wrote the article on Ann Coulter when she appeared on the cover of Time in April 2005 and was less than amused with the criticism he received from liberals over it. One of the studies cited by Kanazawa claims that adolescents who identify themselves as liberal have a far higher IQ than their conservative counterparts. Cloud pointedly asks, "Do kids really know what it means to be liberal?" He could also ask academic researchers if they really know what it means to be intelligent?

Quite frankly I have no use for these studies. It kind of reminds me of those studies which argue that conservatives are mentally ill. Nor do I like studies that assert liberals are mentally ill as was the case when I critiqued Dr. Lyle Rossiter's book The Liberal Mind a couple of years back.
I far prefer evaluating people as individuals rather than to classify them into some narrow group I might like or dislike. It makes life so much more enriching.

MLB Players Speak Out Against Clubhouse Gun Ban

Baltimore Orioles DH Luke Scott has spoken against MLB's ban on guns in the clubhouse although he does plan to abide by the edict.

The ban actually took effect in the middle of last season after the incident involving former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress in which he accidentally shot himself in a New York City nightclub. Burress was subsequently charged with two counts of illegal gun possession and reckless endangerment and was sentenced to two years in prison following a plea agreement. However, MLB has sent reminders to each player and has signs posted in every MLB clubhouse.

"I don't think that everyone else should be pay for the mistakes of a few," said Scott who is entering his third season with the Orioles. I found this statement from Scott particularly interesting:

We have good security. It's hard to get in here. Barring a tactical entry where terrorists come in and hold us hostage, that's about the only thing that could possibly warrant me carrying a gun in the clubhouse. That's highly unlikely and I admit that. But my personal belief is I don't want to suffer from the poor choices of others.

Now I know MLB instituted the move not only in response to the Burress situation but what occurred between Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton over a gambling debt. They pulled guns on each other in the Washington Wizards clubhouse. As it turned out they were unloaded but it was a stupid thing to have done. After all I'm sure other personnel in the clubhouse might not have been aware of the fact they were unloaded at the time. Both Arenas and Crittenton were suspended for the balance of the season by NBA Commissioner David Stern.

I'm sure their lawyers told them that if anyone be it player or non-player personnel were to get injured or killed in the clubhouse it would make the Orioles and all other MLB teams suspectible to a civil lawsuit. One can certainly make an argument for such a restriction on those grounds.

But it is well worth remembering that the incident involving Burress did not occur at the Meadowlands. It happened off the field. So why should a responsible gun owner like Scott have his liberties diminished because of something that happened at a New York City nightclub? As for Arenas/Crittenton I wonder how often in the history of professional sports that has happened? I'm sure not enough to warrant this kind of ban.

Now Scott isn't the only MLB player who objects to this rule. St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Franklin, who is an avid hunter, also expressed his displeasure. He echoed Scott's sentiments stating that "a few guys screwed it up for everybody." Franklin has been around firearms since his youth:

If you grew up around it, being in the outdoors and stuff, I was taught as a young kid how to respect firearms. First of all, you don't get stupid with it. Always treat a gun like it's loaded. That's what I taught my son and daughters. There's a place for them.

However, it seems MLB doesn't believe its players are capable of behaving like responsible adults.

Happy 60th Birthday, Emitt Rhodes!!!

Up until a few months ago I was in the dark about Emitt Rhodes.

The fact that I am no longer in that state is an indication of the greatness of YouTube.

I use YouTube as a device to listen to music rather than to watch videos.

Not only can I listen old songs I haven't heard in years I can also discover the work of artists I never knew existed. Enter Emitt Rhodes.

As a teenager, Rhodes was a member of a short lived pop group called The Merry Go Round. One of the songs Rhodes wrote for that group was a song called "Time Will Show The Wiser." It was later recorded by Fairport Convention, a British folk-rock group whose original male lead singer was Iain Matthews. If you are familiar with my Amelia Earhart poetry you will know that it was Matthews' music that spurred me to write it. So too did Matthews lead me to Emitt Rhodes.

After leaving The Merry Go Round, Rhodes recorded four solo albums in the early 1970s for the Dunhill label. Dunhill featured such artists as The Mamas & The Papas, The Grass Roots and Three Dog Night. Although he was compared favorably with Paul McCartney, he would not experience the kind of success those aforementioned artists did.

Rhodes signed a six album contract over three years. The problem was Rhodes truly recorded solo albums. He wrote, arranged and produced all the songs. He recorded all the vocals and played all the instruments and did so in a shed on his parents' property. But this kind of creativity did not lend itself to being able to churn out an album every six months. Let us also not forget that Rhodes had to tour constantly as well. This raised the ire of Dunhill who sued Rhodes and withheld his royalties. The acrimony that arose from this dispute has meant Emitt Rhodes has not released an album of new material since 1973.

Now one can fault Rhodes for having signed the contract in the first place. On the other hand, Dunhill set up him for failure and instead of finding a way to work with his creativity they effectively silenced a musical genius. Today, recording artists routinely go three to four years between albums. Who can tell how Rhodes career might have flourished had he been given the room he needed.

But there's a possibility Rhodes will have a second act. He's been at work recording a new album. It'll be out when it is good and ready.

Why is Rhodes making a new album now? Possibly because of a documentary made last year about Rhodes by Italian filmmaker Cosimo Messeri called The One Man Beatles.

Well, today is Emitt Rhodes' 60th birthday and I thought I'd share some of his songs with you. The first three songs are from his 1970 self-titled debut album - "With My Face On The Floor", "You Take The Dark Out Of The Night" and "You Should Be Ashamed".

But my favorite of all is "Golden Child Of God." It appears on his follow up album Mirror. When I couldn't find it on YouTube I asked beatlefan64 if he or she could post it. I must say that beatlefan64 was more than obliging. YouTube might be the greatest online innovation of the 21st century.

Even if Emitt Rhodes never releases another album the quality of his music will stand the test of time. Happy Birthday Emitt!!!

Thoughts on the Tragedy at Sea World

As you probably know by now an orca whale at Sea World in Orlando, Florida killed its trainer, Dawn Brancheau yesterday in front of horrified spectators.

Kate Santich of The Orlando Sentinel writes the tragedy "is a sobering reminder of why creatures as large and majestic as killer whales simply should not live in captivity."

But is it really that simple?

On February 24, 2007 (exactly three years to the date before Brancheau's death), a female zookeeper at the Denver Zoo named Ashlee Pfaff was killed by a jaguar.

One could make the same argument that jaguars should be exhibited in zoos.

Now I don't doubt there are drawbacks in keeping animals in captivity. But this assumes there aren't risk to animals being kept in the wild namely from poachers.

One significant difference between the two incidents is that the jaguar (who was named after former President George W. Bush) had no history of violence. Brancheau's death marks the third time that the orca whale named Tilikum had caused the death of a person. One could make the case that the continued presence of Tilikum constituted an unreasonable safety risk to the public and to staff at Sea World and thus should have been either released back into the wild or placed in safer captivity.

Obviously I cannot speak for Dawn Brancheau. But given that working with orcas was her "dream job" I think it is reasonable to believe she knew the dangers involved. It is also reasonable to believe that the possibility of being on the wrong end of those dangers crossed her mind. If that was case it is further reasonable to believe that she would not have wanted her death to be the reason killer whales and other animals are no longer kept in captivity.

Dr. David Benke, Teacher of the Year

It could have been another Columbine.

A gunman began shooting students leaving Deer Creek Middle School in Littleton, Colorado yesterday afternoon. The school is situated only a few miles away from Columbine High School.

Dr. David Benke, a math teacher, saw the gunman and acted. Without regard to his own life he tackled the gunman and subdued until authorities arrived.

Bruco Eastwood was arrested and has been charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder. Eastwood, who has had a long history of arrests, shot two students one of whom was released from hospital while the other remains in critical condition.

As for Benke, he wishes he could have done more. The expression on his face says it all.

I'm sure the students of Dear Creek Middle School and their families believe their Benke did everything that could have been done.

The Storm at ESPN Over Kornheiser

Tony Kornheiser, co-host of ESPN's PTI, has been suspended by the network for two weeks after he made remarks about the wardrobe of Hannah Storm, an ESPN colleague.

Last Friday, during his ESPN radio show, Kornheiser described Storm's attire as a "horrifying outfit" with "red go-go boots." He went to say her skirt was skirt "way too short for somebody her age" (Storm is 47). The coup de grace came when he said, "She's what I would call a Holden Caulfield fantasy at this point."

Now I could understand Storm not being amused with his comments. Kornheiser subsequently apologized both on air and in person to Storm. I think that should have been sufficient.

Frankly, I'm sure there are those who agree with Kornheiser's opinion about Storm's wardrobe. When I look at the photo I'm thinking, "Who shot the drapes?". Not that I agree with Kornheiser entirely. I happen to think she's gorgeous. If she can wear a short skirt at 47 then more power to her. Of course, if Kornheiser had said Storm looked hot I cannot help but think that would have earned him a suspension as well. Or let's put it another way. Would ESPN have suspended Storm if she had criticized Kornheiser's wardrobe or appearance?

I think ESPN is taking political correctness way too far. I remember when they abruptly fired Harold Reynolds from Baseball Tonight in 2006 due to allegations of sexual harassment. Reynolds sued ESPN and settled out of court for $5 million in 2008. The former Seattle Mariners second baseman is now an analyst for The MLB Network.

Orlando Zapata Tamayo, 1967-2010. R.I.P.

Cuban political prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo has died as a result of a hunger strike he began back in December 2009. He was only 42.

Zapata was one of the 75 Cuban dissidents jailed by Fidel back in March 2003 shortly after the War in Iraq begun. He was sentenced to 36 years in prison. Initially his sentence was only three years for "disobedience" but increased twelvefold after "acts of defiance" while in prison.

Zapata took these measures not to bring attention to his own plight but that of other Cuban political prisoners. Unfortunately, Zapata is not a cause célèbre amongst limosuine liberals. The only "political prisoners" in Cuba they care about are at Guantanamo Bay.

I cannot imagine being put in the kind of situation where I would be compelled to deny myself sustenance especially in an environment where I would require all of my physical and mental strength. But when one has nothing left to lose men will go to lengths even they had not imagined.

Yet it also illustrates the difference between noble martyrdom and ignoble martyrdom. Zapata sacrificed himself for what he believed to be a greater good. But he didn't take anyone else with him. The burden was his alone. Islamic terrorists by contrast not only sacrifice themselves but take as many people as they possibly can with them including women and children. Most of the people they take with them are those simply going about their business.

But has Zapata died in vain? Will his sacrifice spur other Cuban dissidents into action generating the international support necessary to bring pressure to bear against Raul Castro? Based on precedent, it is more likely that this will not come to pass. Yet often raw nerves are struck when you least expect it.

Aaron "Bleeping" Boone Retires

Aaron Boone officially announced his retirement today ending a 12-year MLB career that saw him play with the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros.

Boone is a third generation MLB player who when he began his career with the Reds in 1997 was a teammate of his older brother Bret. Later he would be managed by his father Bob. His grandfather, Ray played in the big leagues in the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s. The younger Boone had his best seasons with the Reds in 2002 and 2003. In '03, Boone was named to the NL All-Star team.

But Boone is best remembered for one at bat he had as a member of the New York Yankees. Acquired by the Yankees at the trade deadline in July 2003, Boone had an otherwise indistinguished stint with the Bronx Bombers. But that all changed when Boone hit a Tim Wakefield knuckleball into the left field upper deck in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. The home run put the Yankees into the World Series and sent the Boston Red Sox home hanging their heads. The Red Sox, of course, had a three run lead with one out in the top of the 8th inning when Grady Little decided to leave Pedro Martinez in the game.

Red Sox Nation, who had never paid much attention to Boone as a National Leaguer, began referring to him as Aaron "Bleeping" Boone. OK, it's not bleeping but you get the idea. Boone's blow was softened when the Red Sox came back from a 3-0 deficit against the Yankees the following year en route to their first World Series title since 1918. Still, the name stuck despite the fact he was no longer a Yankee by then.

The Yankees released Boone after he tore a knee ligament in an off season basketball game in violation of his contract. It was the injury to Boone that provided the Yankees with the impetus to acquire Alex Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers. So yes, he will always been known as Aaron "Bleeping" Boone in these parts.

Nonetheless, Boone showed considerable courage last season after undergoing open heart surgery to repair an aortic valve, a condition he had since childhood. Boone returned to the big leagues last August with the Houston Astros less than six months after his surgery. Boone was hitless in 13 at bats with the Astros.

Boone has been hired as an analyst for ESPN. Gabe Lacques of USA Today writes:

(i)f Sox fans dare stray from the friendly confines of NESN or MLB Network, they'll be greeted almost daily by Boone's smiling mug. Think ESPN will replay that 2003 homer much? Our early over/under for the year is 426.

Well, while Boone's blast doesn't get much airplay on NESN the same cannot be said for the MLB Network. In fact, I saw his home run on the MLB Network, oh, last night. Boone's home run was ranked number 8 in the Greatest Home Runs of All-Time on the program Prime 9. Occasionally, the MLB Network reairs that game in its entirety. In fact, the outcome of Game 7 of the ALCS was my sole criticism of the MLB Network on its first anniversary.

Otherwise I wish Aaron Boone well in his future endeavors.

The Overreaction to Scott Brown's Vote

Senator Scott Brown has drawn cries of betrayal after he voted to let Obama's Jobs Bill (a.k.a. The Stimulus, Part II) proceed to the Senate floor. Tammy Bruce writes:

The people of Massachusetts send a message that resonated with the entire nation–we do not like the Democrat agenda and we want the grotesque liberal destruction of this nation, as embodied by the Obama agenda, to be stopped. Voting for another Crap Sandwich is not honoring the conservatism expected of him.

Methinks Ms. Bruce doth protest too much. It's not like Brown hasn't said he wasn't always going to vote with the GOP on every matter. All Brown has done is to permit the bill to come to the floor of the Senate. This doesn't preclude Brown from voting against the bill once it comes up for a final vote.

Conservatives are entitled to disagree with Brown but we ought not pillory Brown on the basis of a single vote. Now if this becomes a pattern over the next couple of years then that is a different matter. But until then I think conservatives would be prudent to reserve judgment on the junior Senator from Massachusetts.

Re: The Best of CPAC

Rachel, thank you for providing a first hand account of CPAC 2010.

There are two questions I have for you.

First, you noted your enjoyment of Glenn Beck's speech. What are your thoughts on Bill Bennett's rebuke of Beck's remarks?

Second, what is your reaction to Mike Huckabee's critique of CPAC during his appearance with Geraldo Rivera?

The Best of CPAC

I have been watching some of the featured CPAC speeches online. I liked Rubio, Gingrich and Pence. I really liked Beck. As usual, he was very entertaining, and I particularly appreciated his quip that America needs "less Marx and more Madison." There were many other interesting speakers who enunciated the frustrations that conservatives feel at the radically left administration of Barack Obama, and who also proposed conservative solutions for the problems that Obama is creating and exacerbating. But for my money, the best speaker by far was George Will.

Mr. Will has been at this game for several decades but he has lost none of his insight, humor or droll wit. In a devastatingly clever half hour, he skewered statists, lambasted liberals, pounded progressives and damned the dependency agenda of the Obama administration. I cannot do him justice with selective quotes, but here are a few of my favorites (paraphrased, of course): (i) thanks to one of our nanny-state regulatory agencies, you can now buy a letter opener with "requires safety goggles" stamped on it; (ii) a hysterical Agriculture Department bureaucrat explained to a colleague that he was crestfallen "because his farmer died"; (iii) the Obama administration can imagine a world without the internal combustion engine, but not without Chrysler Corporation; (iv) Democrats encourage envy as social policy, oblivious to the fact that it is the only one of the seven deadly sins that entails not even momentary pleasure for the sinner; (v) VAT is a French word for huge government; and (vi) Americans could honor Jack Kennedy's request to "ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country" by creating a spacious portion of their lives for which the government is not responsible. I urge the reader to go to http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/4830692 to view the whole speech.

Thoughts on Gordon Brown

A new book on British Prime Minister Gordon Brown alleges that he was so abusive to his staff that he received a reprimand from the head of Britain's civil service. The book End of the Party by Andrew Rawnsley is presently being excerpted in The Observer. For his part, Brown has denied being physically abusive to anyone.

These revelations are both unsurprising and surprising. In the winter and spring of 1995, I was a parliamentary intern in the British House of Commons as part of an exchange program between Carleton University and the University of Leeds. One of the female interns was placed with Gordon Brown who was at that time the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. In plain English, Brown was the opposition critic to what is the equivalent of the Secretary of the Treasury or the Minister of Finance.

Now most interns, especially with MPs of senior rank, are relegated to making coffee and other such things. When a young man subsequently joined his staff as a new intern it was assumed the new guy would be making the coffee. However, Brown intervened and demanded the female intern make the coffee on the grounds that "she's just a girl." Now this young woman didn't suffer fools gladly and let Mr. Brown have it. Apparently she got the better of him.

Long story short. The young woman ended up being assigned far more meaningful work. I recall being in attendance at a gathering of the Fabian Society where he was the featured speaker. He made a point of thanking "my research assistant." This illicited much laughter as the story had made the rounds.

In light of Brown's comment to the young woman fifteen years ago I'm not surprised he would behave in such a way to other people. But what does surprise me is that apparently no one else has saw fit to stand up to him. Could it be it's because he's now Prime Minister? But Prime Minister or not, if you are being treated badly and unjustly there's comes a time when you have to stand your ground. If you do stand firm your adversary will be more inclined to respect you even if he works out of 10 Downing Street.

Damon Signs With Detroit

The Johnny Damon saga is over.

The free agent outfielder has signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Detroit Tigers pending a physical.

The Chicago White Sox appeared to making a run for Damon but yesterday Chisox GM Kenny Williams said they couldn't meet his salary demands. The same was true for the Atlanta Braves.

Damon had been making $13 million a season for the New York Yankees. He wanted to stay at that salary but he's pretty much a one dimensional player and isn't worth that kind of money. In year's past that might not have been an obstacle but even the Yankees have tightened their belts. Even $10 million a season was too rich for the Bronx Bombers who invested in Nick Johnson and Randy Winn with $2.5 million to spare.

I thought Damon might get the kind of deal Bobby Abreu got in Anaheim for $5 million. I'm sure that's what the Chisox and the Braves had in mind and for that matter the Tigers. But I guess the Tigers are really desperate for a leadoff hitter and were willing to shell out more. Yet Abreu can play both offense and defense whereas Damon is best used as a DH. He'll have to adapt his game. I don't think Damon hits 24 home runs in 2010. Not in Comerica Park. The right field line is deeper. I think he'll have to hit more doubles in Detroit.

But even if Damon enjoys a productive season I'm not sure the Tigers will be that good in 2010. They are weak up the middle. Justin Verlander hasn't demonstrated he can win from season to season and Rick Porcello has sophomore jinx written all over him. I also think they gave up on Edwin Jackson way too quickly. I do like Jose Valverde in the bullpen and Austin Jackson will be interesting to watch. Yet somehow I don't think the Tigers will be as good as the Twins or the White Sox this year.

Ken Blackwell & Saul Anuzis at the Victory Solutions lounge at CPAC

Alexander Haig, 1924-2010. R.I.P.

Alexander Haig died today after being admitted to John Hopkins Hospital last month. He was 85.

Haig is best remembered as Ronald Reagan's first Secretary of State. After the attempted assassination of Reagan in March 1981, Haig held a press conference at the White House and said, "I am in control here, in the White House, pending return of the vice president." Of course, all that is remembered are the first five words.

It might very well have sealed his fate. Less than 18 months later, Reagan accepted Haig's resignation and was succeeded by George Shultz who would remain in the post for the duration of the Reagan presidency. Haig wanted to succeed Reagan in the Oval Office but his campaign for the GOP nomination in 1988 never got off the ground.

Haig spent most of his adult life in the military. He served under Douglas MacArthur in Korea, worked under Robert McNamara at the Pentagion and would eventually command a batallion of the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam. It was while in command of that batallion that Haig would earn the Distinguished Service Cross for his valor during The Battle of Ap Gu. He was subsequently promoted to Colonel.

Despite his high profile association with Reagan, Haig was much closer to President Nixon. This began with his role as a military advisor to Henry Kissinger. Haig was later promoted to General and became Vice Chief Staff of the Army, the second highest ranking officer in the U.S. Army.

Haig would eventually become Chief of Staff but not of the Army. Nixon appointed Haig as White House Chief of Staff in the spring of 1973 right in the midst of the Watergate scandal and would shepherd him to his resignation. He remained in that role briefly when Gerald Ford ascended to the Presidency but would go to Belgium where he assumed charge as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. Toward the end of his tenure, Haig survived an assassination attempt by the terrorist Red Army Faction. After a stint in the private sector, Reagan appointed Secretary of State apparently on the advice of Nixon.

In 1984, Haig published an account of his time at the Reagan White House titled Caveat: Realism, Reagan & Foreign Policy. Needless to say, Haig did not have kind words for the Reagan Administration. But that didn't stop Reagan from winning 49 out of 50 states that November.

In more recent years, Haig hosted World Business Review, a series of paid advertisements profiling business leaders. He would later host a similar program called 21st Century Business.

Obama Treats The Dalai Lama Like Garbage

I was hoping that President Obama's meeting with The Dalai Lama would make amends for his snub of the Tibetan spiritual leader last October.

It didn't.

Lee Vanden Brink's caption is worth a thousand words and then some. It's no way to treat a fellow Nobel Laureate.

Kelley Currie has all the sordid details at The Weekly Standard. As she so eloquently asks:

If the American president can't manage to treat the Dalai Lama with an appropriate level of dignity and respect, how can we seriously ask the Chinese to sit down and negotiate with him on matters of core national interest?

Or put another way, how can the Obama Administration ask China to treat The Dalai Lama with respect if they treat him like garbage?

Romney vs. Rapper

It appears the man with whom Mitt Romney had an altercation on the Air Canada flight out of Vancouver earlier this week was rapper Sky Blu.

He claims that Romney applied a "Vulcan grip" on his shoulder.

Sky Blu's claims might be illogical.

Gordon Lightfoot Isn't Dead Yet

On Wednesday night, during a break at poetry night at the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge, I took a walk around the block and was listening to "Summer Side of Life" by Gordon Lightfoot.

The thought occurred to me that he could just suddenly pass away. He is in his early 70s and did come close to death a few years ago. You never know when your time is up. If that were to happen I would probably jettison my own poems and read the lyrics to "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" in tribute.

Well, yesterday there were multiple news reports that Lightfoot had died after it had been "reported" on Twitter. This news came as quite a surprise to Lightfoot who says that he feels fine.

In fact, Lightfoot will begin a tour of the southeastern United States next month beginning with a performance in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on March 3rd.

I think there's a poem in all this somewhere.

In the meantime, check out this Lightfoot performance on the CBC nearly forty years ago. The song is called "Saturday Clothes."

You might also enjoy this interview he did on Bill Bennett's radio show back in August 2006.