The Slav's Baseball Blog - BASEBALL 24-7-365
The Slav's Blog about anything relating to the great game of baseball
- and other less important issues from outside the diamond.
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As much as I love the National League over the A.L., why did you have to pick this year to send a team over that was capable of winning the World Series?
The Rays still have a bright future ahead of them.
I'm not quite to the "maybe the Phillies should vote the umpiring crew a WS share" level, but Jamie Moyer I can justify getting the old pre-Questec, Maddux-Glavine strike zone. He's earned it. He's been pitching there forever. But when it's Cole Hamels v. Scott Kazmir? Both are young and have amazing stuff. When one is getting a little extra off the black and the other is not, well you can do the math.
That's as far as I'll go with it, because once the Pena-Upton-Longoria troika went into windmill mode, you could make the case that maybe the Rays didn't earn the right to complain about anything.
Add in some untimely and uncharacteristic defensive gaffes and some ??-able base running boners and maybe it is fortunate the Rays were not swept home in four games. As far as the base running goes, there's a thin line between aggressive base running and stupid base running--the Rays straddled that line, and maybe would not have had to if the Big Three bats were delivering as usual.
ANYWAY BRACE YOURSELF PHILADELPHIA - PARTY LIKE IT'S 1980:
But listen to your mayor.
Mayor Michael Nutter cautioned fans against the scattered vandalism that marred the revelry after the Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays for the title late Wednesday. Police reported 76 arrests and several vandalized businesses; they are also examining photos and video of the crowds to identify and arrest additional offenders.
"You can be joyous; you cannot be a jackass," Nutter said. "That kind of idiotic, destructive behavior will not be accepted in the city of Philadelphia."
"I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious." ~ Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson's wisdom seems to transcend the ages. And if it was bad then, what must it look like now, and how is it going to look in the future? YIKES!!!!
Here is a sample of some of the stuff that was used to paint Arnold Schwarzenegger as some sort of right-wing wack-job. Judging by some of his policies, you might be able to make the opposite case.
Why, on the one hand is it perfectly acceptable to use "guilt by association" tactics when they benefit your agenda, but on the other hand complain that they are unfair, smear tactics with possible racial undertones when the tables are turned. And this type of dichotomy is supposed to bring people together?
Good Luck with that one.
Plus, all this comes from a campaign that has profited the most from being able to link McCain to Bush. Why is that not considered "guilt by association" as well. Common street logic indicates that if you can dish it out, you ought to be able to take it. Or, as momma used to say, "what's good for the goose is good for the gander".
I guess if you're keeping score, the people in Sen. Obama's neighborhood include:
Reverend Wright
William Ayers
Tony Rezko
and now the piece de resistance Rashid Khalidi
The reason I think Khalidi is the piece de resistance is because now you have agents in the media (Los Angeles Times) acting openly in a role as campaign manager/cheerleader would to promote/protect an individual candidate rather than as a conduit of information to the people. This is the role the media is supposed to play. Edward R. Morrow must be spinning in his grave.
An editorial endorsement is one thing, but to extend that out to biased coverage is another, and then to further the bastardization of the role of the media in America to suppressing relevant information is pretty much beyond the pale.
I'm not sure who it is they feel they are protecting (actually I do). If the source of the tape was anonymous, then the only one left to protect is the candidate. You can't protect ANONYMOUS. There's too many people who go by that name. They post opinions on message boards and comment sections everyday.
If the tape contains nothing that would embarrass the "chosen" candidate at this point, then to release the tape would embarrass his opponent greatly. Great motivation to release the tape.....IF it doesn't contain anything embarrassing.
If the tape doesn't contain anything embarrassing, then McCain will be TOAST on Election Day. That's if he isn't already. SO WHAT'S THE HARM IN RELEASING THE TAPE?
For these media whores to get up on their high horses now and say their motivation is some lofty, idealistic motivation would be laughable, if the consequences were not that serious.
Sorry media whores, you have long ago lost the ability to claim any moral high ground. It sounds as long ago and far way as Madonna crooning "Like a Virgin".
Momma always told me you are judged by the company you keep. I still consider those wise words. To the extent that it goes to determining the levels of a person's trustworthiness and character, I think most people understand that these are time-tested litmus tests.
I remember when similar "scurrilous" charges were levelled against one Sen. Clinton from Arkansas character regarding the number of "bimbo eruptions" there were in his past. They were casually dismissed by most in the media and were not given the same digging that has gone into say "Joe the Plumber" or Sarah Palin's background. The problem is next thing you know the President is keeping world leaders waiting in the Rose Garden while he's getting "it" from an intern in the Oval Office.
LET'S NOT HAVE HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF!!! RELEASE THE TAPE!!!!
Another quote I use as a guide to try and sort through all the nonsense comes from the philosopher/football coach/GM Bill Parcells: "You are what your record says you are."
And I wonder most about what this means when I hear/see that leaders from around the world including, but not limited to:
The Castros
Hugo Chavez
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Kim Jong-Il
are simply salivating at the prospects of an Obama administration. The reason seems to be because he speaks the language--the lexicon--of his new-found BFF's. To my knowledge, he has never visited the countries of those leaders. None of those leaders, to my knowledge has ever lived in Obama's neighborhood. But they speak a common language of socialism. People in certain fields or walks of life, recognize other kindred spirits--without ever having met them before--by certain key phrases and word choices.
This is why Joe the Plumber recognized or was suspicious of the Obama tax plan. These other world leaders have access to the Internet, they know where both candidates have been and more importantly, where they are likely to go in the future. The fact that these nut-jobs openly endorse one candidate over the other is a clear sign.
It's a shame that Obama wouldn't require restrictions before a sit-down with Ahmadinejad, but the Iranian leader has pre-conditions before HE is willing to sit-down with an American leader: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/11/content_10180898.htm
------------ TEHRAN, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iran's president media consultant Mehdi Kalhor said here Saturday that Iran has two conditions for talks with the United States, the official IRNA news agency reported.
"If the United States does not move out of the middle east and the U.S. government does not give up its support for the Zionist regime, we do not think the talks between Iran and the United States would be advisable," Kalhor said.
"Today, it is the United States that needs to have relations with Iran," Kalhor told IRNA, adding that "We believe that our religion accepts repentance."
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What's wrong with this picture? If it were me, I would have only one pre-condition for meeting with Ahmadinejad--positive confirmation of his death.
A pre-condition that may be closer to reality than the Iranian leader is willing to let on: http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2008/10/28/neil-hrab-ahmadinejad-wears-himself-out.aspx
------------ Rattling sabres, constantly irritating Washington, speculating darkly on Israel's future -- the life of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran, is a busy one. You think it's easy being the highest-profile member of the Axis of Evil? Think again. There are reports that Ahmadinejad is burning himself out through over-work and has been admitted to hospital.
The National, a daily newspaper published in Abu Dhabi, reported that Ahmadinejad hadn't been seen in public in days and needs regular hospitalization for low blood pressure.
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See, there is good news in the papers these days. Maybe he will take Kim Jong-Il with him. Then perhaps the North Koreans will be able to figure out how to feed the 2/3 of their population they are neglecting to care for today. But they sure can test fire missiles and build nuclear reactors, huh. Great country--we should look for their approval, right?
APPEASEMENT OF ENEMIES OF FREEDOM DIDN'T WORK AGAINST THE NAZI'S - IT DIDN'T WORK AGAINST THE RUSSIANS - IT DIDN'T WORK FOR JIMMY CARTER - IT PROBABLY WILL NOT WORK TODAY.
--------------------------- WORDS OF WISDOM FROM EDWARD R. MURROW:
Quotes
"This instrument [television] can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire, but it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box."
"No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices."
"We proclaim ourselves as indeed we are: The defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world. But we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home."
"A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves."
"Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar."
"To be persuasive, we must be believable; to be believable, we must be credible; to be credible, we must be truthful."
Where do you begin to document the details of the collapse?
A pitching staff that seems to constantly be pitching from behind in the count and allowing the lead off batter to get on base.
Kazmir vs. Hamels clearly favors the Phillies, especially with Lidge well rested. He could go 2 innings tonight and turn this into a six inning game for the Phiilies.
This puts even more pressure on the Rays hitters, who are doing their best windmill imitations in this series. Longoria and Pena are not seeing the ball well and continue to flail away. Upton by contrast is a bit too patient, especially late in counts, allowing umpires to do the backwards-K dance.
Crawford seem to be the only one having decent AB's. After that, there's not much to look forward to in the Rays lineup.
They have to really grind one out and hope to bring it home to St. Pete and change the momentum. The home cooking might help the younger Rays relax a bit. I think Philly fan has done an excellent job in their role as tenth man.
Blanton pitched masterfully last night, but I couldn't help thinking about the Dodgers Jay Howell when I saw that spot of pine tar he kept going to on the bill of his cap. Maddon took the Tony LaRussa route--when Kenny Rogers pine tarred and feathered the Cardinals, LaRussa refused to make an issue of the stains on his hand and that is his prerogative, I'm not so sure I would have been quite as generous.
GO RAYS!!! BRING IT BACK HOME!!! ------------------- UPDATE:
Apparently Maddon did take note of the spot. I don't remember if the broadcasters brought it up, but I might have missed it.
P.S. - Kudos to Fox for showing their PitchTrak results for virtually all ??-able ball/strike calls. Let the people decide. Most times, the umps are correct. But, Oh those other times!!!
Maybe you could say that this balances out the Jamie Moyer to Ryan Howard toss and catch that should have retired Carl Crawford, but in both cases, umpires are not in great position or flat out missing the calls. They've been fortunate in that the calls are not having direct influence on the outcome of the games they occurred in, but we are not exactly inspiring confidence here, are we?
If anybody is having a more disappointing showing as a team than the Rays in this series, it's TEAM BLUE.
A couple of other unexpectedly surprising news items this week that did not include the Tampa Bay Rays:
The "MLBPA says teams acted in concert against Bonds" story is located at http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3647779
----------------------- NEW YORK -- The baseball players' union says it has found evidence teams acted in concert against signing Barry Bonds but it reached an agreement with the commissioner's office to delay the filing of any grievance.
The union expressed concern in May about the lack of offers to the home run king. Filing a grievance would trigger proceedings before arbitrator Shyam Das.
Weiner said the section that had been violated was Article XX (e) of the collective bargaining agreement, which states, in part: "Players shall not act in concert with other players and clubs shall not act in concert with other clubs." Weiner would not say how long the agreement runs to allow the union to file a grievance.
"I am convinced based on MLB's actions in 2008 that they will never let him wear a major league uniform ever again," he said.
The players' association won three collusion grievances in which owners were found to have conspired against free agents following the 1985, 1986 and 1987 seasons. Management agreed in 1990 to settle those cases for $280 million and also agreed to a provision that future collusion would be subject to triple damages.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
----------------------------------------
Apparently this will come as a surprise to many of the bobble-heads in the media and pablum-swilling fans, but this is actually a surprise coming from a union that Bonds very openly and publicly distanced himself from prior to concluding his all-time HR record chase. The union certainly would have a "grievance" with Bonds himself based on that action. So in a sense, they have less incentive today to carry water for Bonds, except to the extent that this type of collusion could affect other players down the road if the owners pattern of behavior went unchallenged.
MLB teams could all paying into a fund to compensate Bonds for lost salary (maybe $10M per season) for 1-3 seasons multiplied by potential treble damages.
Jose Canseco, whose book "Juiced," which focused attention on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball and led to congressional hearings on the subject, now says he never should have written the book and named names of alleged steroid users.
During the A&E Network's one-hour documentary, "Jose Canseco: The Last Shot," Canseco said he "regrets mentioning players [as steroid users]. I never realized this was going to blow up and hurt so many people."
During the program, the 44-year-old Canseco said he "wanted revenge" on Major League Baseball because he believed he had been forced out of the game. The book was his means of getting even, and he named names "to show I was telling the truth" about steroids in baseball, he said.
"If I could meet with Mark McGwire and these players, I definitely would apologize to them," Canseco said, according to the New York Daily News. "They were my friends. I admired them. I respected them."
The Philadelphia Daily News reported Tuesday that Canseco, still seeking steady work, has agreed to fight Danny Bonaduce in January as part of a Celebrity Boxing Federation bout. In July, Canseco was knocked out by former Philadelphia Eagles return man Vai Sikahema in Atlantic City, N.J.
--------------------
The surprise is Canseco's admission that he wrote the book with "revenge" as one of his main motives. He seemed so sincere and altruistic at the time. I can't believe that I fell for his line. I feel so dirty and used.
Jose, good luck to you in:
- getting any of the players you named to accept your apology
- getting your dignity back (what's left of it) if you get knocked out by Danny Bonaduce
I'm on the record as hoping that Bonaduce knocks him out. COLD!!
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This fight is going to be drug-tested right??
Aw hell, who cares? Make it a fight to the death and we can waive the drug testing, what do you say?
Maybe we can thin the herd a little bit, huh?
LET'S GET READY TO RUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMBBBBBBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!!!!!
You can't take anything away from them. With all the emphasis placed on blowing the 7-run lead in Game Five in Boston, what was lost was the fact that this team went up there, in a meaningful series, and took two out of three from the champs on their home turf. Everyone wanted to look at the potential choke angle and the inevitable gushing over all that is Sox Nation, but if anyone gagged up a fur ball in this series it would have to have been Boston.
I'd rather leave it at: THE BETTER TEAM WON.
Sorry break it to Sox fan and all the sycophants in the the mainstream media (led by the ultimate cheerleaders in Bristol), but I'm sure the truth hurts this morning.
Interesting Google tidbit: This morning if you Google RAYS and WORLD SERIES you get 11,800,000 hits in 0.22 seconds.
If you Google RED SOX and WORLD SERIES you get 905,000 hits in 0.25 seconds.
How soon they forget. I'll bet a similar search for RAYS and WORLD SERIES before yesterday would have produced a significantly lower number.
LOOKING FOR HELP FROM ABOVE?? - IT COULDN'T HURT - REMIND HIM YOU GOT RID OF THE DEVIL
The Red Sox have responded and pushed the series to a Game 7. They showed the heart of a champion and, in many respects, have taken advantage of the Rays inexperience in these matters. That's to be expected. The surprise would have been if the Rays had finished the deal in Boston in Game 5.
From the moment Joe Maddon lifted Scott Kazmir to start the seventh inning of Game 5, momentum has shifted to the Sox side. Not to second guess Maddon but in that situation, unless Kaz had a history of arm difficulties after a long inning, he's in there until the Sox hitters tell you he's done or his arm comes flying out of it's socket. Kaz had shut them down until that point and he may have done it the rest of the evening if allowed. He should have been allowed to start the inning, if the hitters catch up to him, fine, lift him. But not until then. Bad move. Serious momentum shifter, both within the game and for the series overall. Rays will have a tough time getting old Mo back on their side now. Old Mo is a serious front-runner.
It's strange and almost inconceivable that the Rays could take two of three from Boston in Fenway and come back disappointed, but that may be where we stand. When the teams left St. Pete to head up there, the best most Rays fans were hoping for was to come back to St. Pete at all. If you're down 3-2, with the chance to play at home again, that's still not a bad deal. But they came back UP 3-2. In a sense, they are still playing with house money. That may sound like it's whistling past the graveyard, but that's how players need to think.
The Rays have to believe that the Sox may have grown weary from the uphill climb from 3-1 to 3-3 and have used up their reservoir of clutch, two out hits. Because whereas Old Mo is a consistent front-runner, Clutch is a fickle mistress. As predictable and fair as a seeing eye single that scores two late in the game or a hump back liner off the fists that wins the game. Sox fans are hoping for old Mo to continue to be on their bench and clutch to continue to embrace their hitters. The Rays want to lure clutch back knowing that Old Mo will follow. That's the way I see tonight.
Now, about last night.....
Game 6 was a disaster from the start, but mainly due to TBS. "The Steve Harvey Show"???? Instead of Game 6???? I'd have rather have watched twenty minutes of a test pattern. And thanks for not posting a trailer explaining the blackout for at least ten of the twenty minutes. That had to be good for ratings as casual viewers across the nation assumed rain-out or cancellation. I know, I know, the game's being played in a Dome, but casual fan doesn't know that.
I'm not going to go all Oliver Stone on TBS here either but, if you're going to show the Pitch Trak results when they confirm the umps made the right call on controversial ball-strike calls by Derryl Cousins, then you simply MUST do the same to show when the Trak shows he may have blown the call. Otherwise I think we're on safe ground assuming that since you didn't show it, the ump missed it.
We know from MLB's own reports using Questec that the umps blow somewhere between 5-10% of the ball-strike calls. Given Cousins recent history with the Rays, I'm not sure having a close eye paid to the calls is unwarranted. By positioning yourselves as watchdogs and then only showing a one-sided view puts your integrity and credibility as a network--and that of your announcers--at risk.
You'll either be a watch-dog acting on behalf of the fans or a lap-dog acting on behalf on Major League Baseball. Pick a side and stick with it. Stop dancing from side to side like a spasmodic ballerina
I don't like to see anyone get hurt but I'm just saying Cousins getting drilled in the mask, forcing his removal from the game was a sign. That's all I'm saying.
POETIC JUSTICE?? - WHO'S TO SAY??
None of that matters once tonight's game starts and none of it will matter once the game is over. The potential story lines of a Rays gag job or the phenomenal comeback saga of the Sawks have BOTH been written in the minds of most sportswriters and whichever way the game eventually plays out will determine which copy we see Monday A.M. In a sense neither story line in entirely true, but it makes for the best reading.
I don't think you can make a case that the Rays have done anything more than outperform and over deliver this season. If they don't do it on one night in October it doesn't wash away 162+ games worth of achievement. As Bobby Bowden once said, you have to experience a few "wide right" type of disappointments on the way to becoming a championship caliber team.
If you had mentioned to Rays fan at the beginning of the season that in late October the Rays would be playing at home for the right to advance to the World Series, they would be more than happy. You might have received very generous odds in Vegas on such an event occurring and you would be a bit wealthier today as a result.
This is still a young, talented team on the ascent with more talent in the pipeline. The Sawks are in the midst of a reloading effort similar to the Yankees, albeit they are continuing to win while they retool the franchise. What we are seeing in the Sawks is a proud, veteran team that is well aware of the fact that the clock is ticking on the core members that remain from the first World Series winner. They are making a gallant last stand on this season confident in the knowledge that future Sox teams will likely have a different look and feel to it for Sox Nation.
Sox Nation will not see Manny anymore. Schilling, Lowell and maybe Varitek and Ortiz are soon to follow to other teams or retirement. It's a Custer's last stand for the Sox vets. A last hurrah. Of course they want to milk it for all it's worth.
There's always been a rule of thumb in heavyweight title fights that you have to knock out the champ in order to take the crown. The Rays clearly had the champs on the ropes in Game 5 and couldn't put them away. In Game 6, the Rays did not find the knockout punch. They better find a way to put them back on the ropes early in Game 7, because a decision goes to the Sox.
P.S. to Joe - I've seen enough of Balfour and Wheeler out of the pen. Go to Edwin Jackson early and Bradford and/or David Price to close. Why not find out what you have in Price? You spent a lot of money on him, if he's Rick Ankiel, he's Rick Ankiel. But you need to find out. One of the earlier games might have been a chance to get his feet wet. Wheeler hits too many bats and Balfour seems to be trying too hard not to hit ANY bats. Neither will get the job done for you tonight, both are pitching with fear.
The Sawks will show the heart of a champion at some point in this series. Maybe some point tonight.
I understand and have enormous respect for the theory that the Champ is the Champ until he's knocked out. But the KO is coming, likely tonight and if not Big Game James Shields or Matt Garza down the tracks.
Sorry, but from my POV the Sawks will run out of pitching before the Rays do.
I like the tinkering with the rotation by Maddon, who has pushed all the right buttons. The ??'ng of the strategy and the rearranging of the decks chairs is almost comical.
If it was strictly to avoid having Kaz throwing with Cousens behind the dish that would be insane. Cousens was the umpire Kaz openly criticized after his first start for "making up calls" or some other such nonsense. He was scheduled to be behind the dish for Game 6, so the theory is the change is to avoid Cousens. Does who believes this theory consider that Cousens' crew mates might back him? That they didn't hear what Kaz said about one of the brethren? That the rest of the crew can't read the papers? Ever hear of the blue wall?
More likely Shields being a better pitcher at the Trop while getting pounded at Fenway and having Kaz pitching fairly well at Fenway was the main consideration, maybe the only one. You think?
Anyway it seems a little crazy for the Sawks Nation to be ??'ng any move Joe Maddon makes while they are down to his team 3-1 and facing elimination. As they say, check the scoreboard.
I'm getting the same feeling about this stock market situation as I did when 9/11 occurred. At the time I felt like, "Wow, this must be what it felt like when Pearl Harbor was attacked". You knew that you were experiencing an event that would be in the history books of the future.
The same type of event continues in the stock market today. We experienced this as a nation in 1929 and 1987. The 1929 event was cataclysmic and changed this nation forever with the subsequent Depression and the ushering in of the New deal policies of FDR.
We will apparently go through similar changes today, which will cause government to bring about policy changes that will change our lives, and our children's lives forever.
Luckily, this time we have Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, an acknowledged student of the Depression, to guide us. In fact, one of his famous quotes is that we learned the lessons of the Crash of 1929 and won't repeat the mistakes that were made then which drove the nation into depression.
------------------- http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/innovation/2008/1006/1222959318754.html
ON THE occasion of the 90th birthday of the Nobel-prize-winning economist Milton Friedman - celebrated at a symposium at the University of Chicago, in November 2002 - Ben S Bernanke, then governor of the US Federal Reserve Board, lauded Friedman and his longtime collaborator, Anna J Schwartz, for their seminal work, A Monetary History of the United States 1867-1960.
In this classic tome of American economic history, Friedman and Schwartz lay the blame for the Great Depression squarely at the doorstep of the Federal Reserve by arguing that, at the point of acute crisis, its tight policies caused the failure of more than 40 per cent of banks in the US and led to massive deflation.
At the very moment when capital should have flowed into the economy, they argue, the Fed staunched it and by its policies unleashed instead the pervasive suffering that followed.
Friedman's and Schwartz's insights about the role of the Fed contradicted the conventional wisdom at the time, but have stood up well. "This achievement is nothing less than to provide what has become the leading and most persuasive explanation of the worst economic disaster in American history," Bernanke said in his speech. He praised the book for its "development of historical detail" and for its "previously untapped" use of primary resources to craft its argument. "Let me end my talk by abusing slightly my status as an official representative of the Federal Reserve," Bernanke said. "I would like to say to Milton and Anna: Regarding the Great Depression. You're right, we did it. We're very sorry. But thanks to you, we won't do it again."
-------------------
Unfortunately, Bennie Boy, that doesn't preclude you as the Fed Chairman and some combination of the Treasury Department and the Congress from making new and improved mistakes that will change this nation forever.
At the rate old "Helicopter" Ben is dropping money on the financial system, he's clearly due for a nickname upgrade along the lines of "C-130 Cargo Plane" Ben.
In seeking to steer the nations monetary policy since he took over from the equally incompetent Alan Greenspan, Bernanke has shown all the skills of a hallucinogenic, teenage diver would exhibit in his first foray down the highway in a high performance sports car.
All of these clowns were only too happy to sit back and watch the Greenspan "housing bubble" deflate when the only apparent losers were homeowners. Now that the blood has splattered closer to home, and by home I mean on the pin-striped suits of the bankers they serve, the crisis reached proportions requiring emergency actions.
And by emergency actions, I mean grabbing for the taxpayers wallet and the savings of middle-class Americans, as well as their children and grand-children.
All of these destructive events happened under the Fed's watch:
- The Great Depression, through monetary expansion of the 20's which burst in the 30's (sound familiar)
- The S&L crisis (sound familiar)
- Long Term Capital Management (a hedge fund, sound familiar) failure of 1998 almost crippled the financial system
- The dot.com bubble burst in the 90's
- The 90's easy money era under Greenspan, brought about the housing current housing bubble that just burst and is spilling blood all over the street
And as we can see, some of the events are clearly repeating. Maybe we should treat the Fed like a dog that continually pees on the carpet. Nah, too good for them.
The first responsibility the Fed has, and the only one the European central banks concentrate on, is inflation, Why is this?: BECAUSE INFLATION IS A THIEF. BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE.
- Inflation destroys savings making it impossible to save funds for life purchases like a home, college for he kids and retirement
- Inflation moves wealth from the poor and middle-class to the rich.
- Inflation distorts the economy by providing "easy money" to those who haven't earned it and since it is not "their own" money, they waste it on bad investments.
Think of people who were "flipping" houses and condos because of easy monetary policy. Where are those "flippers" now? Probably hanging out with the "day-traders" from the 1980's in some bar talking about the fortunes they made and lost.
- This economic distortion leads to subsequent unemployment, which affects the middle-class and poor disproportionately. Countries that have low inflation and solid economic policy tend to have very low unemployment (think Switzerland).
- Inflation allows governments to deficit spend. Borrow first, then print money out of thin air to attempt to eliminate or pay-back the borrowed dollars with cheaper dollars down the road.
- Inflation is a hidden tax on future purchasing power and the government spends the money in advance.
I don't even want to get into how the government distorts (hell, why don't I just say it - LIES ABOUT) the CPI figures released to the public. Why would they do this? To keep the public docile and many government payments are tied to the CPI. Think Social Security payment to grandma and grandpa.
It just seems like we get into some of the problems because the Fed also worries itself about economic growth as well. If someone can't handle one task very well, asking them to do two tasks simultaneously seems to be a stretch, right?
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES, SEPTEMBER 30,1999: In a move to help increase home ownership rates among minorities and low-income consumers, the Fannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans that it will purchase from banks and other lenders. The action will...encourage those banks to extend home mortgages to individuals whose credit is generally not good enough to qualify for conventional loans.
This step by the Clinton Administration, along with groups like ACORN and armed with provisions of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRIA), openly badgered and threatened banks with lawsuits (charging red-lining or racial discrimination) and with threats to block any future mergers the bank might entertain if they did not allow this type of lending to explode.
Combine this with the repeal of Glass-Stegall and the Graham-Leach-Blilley Act that the Republicans in Congress promoted allowed banks and Wall Street firms to run wild. They promoted the "casino" mind-set that we see in the market today that is dominated by short-sellers, hedge funds and other speculators.
The SEC under Chairman Christopher Cox has been almost as incompetent and possibly corrupt as the Federal Reserve. To allow short-selling with little or no restriction (no uptick rule), much less-naked short-selling (you don't even have to borrow the stock anymore) has allowed wanton speculation and wild, irrational trading that we still see daily. There are margin requirements to actually BUY a stock, but no requirements on the short-side. This is completely irrational.
Equally irrational and throwing more gasoline on the growing fire the SEC allowed investment banks to increase their profits by taking on more leverage (risk). We're suffering the consequences of that unwinding of leverage today.
I don't even want to scratch underneath the Federal Reserve and the SEC and get down the Federal Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the mark to market rules that exacerbated the problem. If the above failure do not occur, then mark to market is not even an issue, in fact it's a positive.
So to review, we had:
- The GSE's (Fannie and Freddie) running wild
- The Federal Reserve provide the elixir of easy money
- Wall Street unshackled from regulators
- Government blessing provided by CRIA and the destruction of the regulatory walls provided by Glass-Stegall.
- Lowered mortgage underwriting standards
- Corrupt credit rating agencies violating the public interest
- Predatory borrowers AND lenders
And from our leaders we get finger-pointing, with neither side willing to look in the mirror and point the finger at themselves.
And then we wonder why Congress has a lower approval rating then the President.
From the fiasco of the first Hank Paulson-Ben Bernanke "rescue bill", to the subsequent new-and-improved Pelosi-Frank-Dodd-Paulson bill to the G-7 or 8 or however many clowns-stuffed-into-small-car measures there were, we've seen the market spit all measures back into the bureaucrats collective faces like a colicky new-born.
Is there any wonder why I think the following video would be an accurate depiction of the effectiveness of our leaders fiscal problem-solving abilities?
Nobody is arguing that some of these steps were taken with the best of intentions. Who doesn't want to own a home? In hindsight, now I know how I was able to qualify for a mortgage when--at the the time I applied--using some of the old-school underwriting standards, I was probably not the best candidate for mortgage approval.
But we didn't go for any of those exotic mortgages, using the rationale that if the terms sound to good to be true they probably aren't, we went for a traditional 30-year mortgage with a 10-15% down payment. So, we had some equity stake in the house. It wasn't given to us freely or too easily. People don't value things that are given to them as much as things they have to earn.
The unintended consequence was they devalued the American Dream of home ownership for everyone by turning it into something that was almost as easy to achieve as the prize at the bottom of a Cracker Jacks box. Thanks again, leaders.
NO MONEY DOWN, INTEREST ONLY PAYMENTS, NO INCOME VERIFICATION, NO JOB, NO PROBLEM--HECK, WE DON'T EVEN CARE IF YOU PAY THE MORTGAGE--WE'RE GOING TO PACKAGE IT AND SELL IT ANYWAY.
That's what some of the radio ads sounded like from some of these fly-by-night mortgage companies, and where was the Fed or any of the regulatory bodies when these spiels were flying around the airwaves. I know I thought, "How the heck are these guys going to stay in business?" Now we know, on the backs of Uncle Sam and his seemingly bottomless pit - the taxpayers wallet.
They've all collectively pissed on the American Dream of home ownership.
They've all collectively and continuously pissed on the faith and confidence of the public in our JUSTICE SYSTEM, OUR FINANCIAL SYSTEM, AND FINALLY, OUR ENTIRE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT.
My only question is when are we a nation going to say - NO MAS, NO MORE?
There's an election coming up, we have a chance to put our money (what's left of it) where our mouth is, so to speak.
I have to say, under the circumstances--if any incumbent gets re-elected to go back and FINISH THE JOB--then we do deserve the government we continue to get.
My advice to guys like Bush, Greenspan, Bernanke, Paulson, Cox and their newest best-est buddies in the Congress Pelosi, Reid, Dodd, Frank and others I'm sure I am leaving out should just quietly leave D.C., quietly go home and retire.
Don't write any books documenting your sorry-ass legacies.
Don't go out on any public-speaking tours, telling lies about what you did. We can see and feel the results better than you. We have to live with the consequences.
For all those guys, my enduring thoughts regarding their legacy can be summed up by former Tampa Bay Bucs coach John McKay's famous quote.
When asked about his team's execution during one of their many consecutive losses during their initial season, McKay replied, "I think it's a good idea".
SAME HERE.
I just have one simple question, just one. When do we get to this point, are we there yet?:
Washington (AP)- Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on Thursday expressed regret for the many errors made that led to the biggest financial crisis in seven decades, but he insisted the administration is pursuing the correct course now to end the debacle.
"We're not proud of all the mistakes that were made by many different people, different parties, failures of our regulatory system, failures of market discipline that got us here," Paulson said in an interview on Fox Business Network.
Well, at least we have that. I'll give him credit, he's the first one I've heard take some sort of ownership of the crisis. Of course he should. When he was in charge at Goldman Sachs, he advocated heavily for the SEC to loosen the purse strings on the leverage restrictions under the guise of keeping our financial system competitive with international markets. To which of course is the "Mom's Wisdom" logic: "If everyone else was jumping off a bridge would you? Do the right thing, NOT what everyone else is doing"
-----------------------------
Can somebody tell me what is wrong with McCain? Is the Republican strategy to NOT WIN the election?
It seemed in last nights debate as if somebody had to tell him he should be angry and had to coach him up as to what he needed to be angry about. Something like this:
Campaign Flukie: John, tonight we need you to show some anger, some passion about this economic situation we're in. The markets are tanking, people's 401K's are melting away faster then the polar icecaps.
John McCain: That's OK, my friend. That just means they'll need more beer. Did I tell you my wife Cindy is a beer magnate. And she's pretty hot too. ;) ;)
Campaign Flunkie: JOHN, THIS IS SERIOUS. PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT LOSING THEIR HOMES.
John McCain: Well my friend, I'll just explain to them that maybe they should have 7 or 8 homes like me and they wouldn't be so worried. In any event there's still lot's of beer. That should appeal to Joe Six-Pack. It shows I'm a regular guy, except for the glut of homes.
I think he has demonstrated that he's not much more than Bob Dole with a better personal story. And if it wasn't for Sarah Palin, he would have been down by 20 points and this election would have been over a long time ago. Good luck back in the Senate John.
------------------ SPEAKING OF MOM'S WISDOM: YOU'RE JUDGED BY THE COMPANY YOU KEEP. CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS WISELY
Although I am really happy for the success of the Rays this season, it strikes me as sad that I have to hope that an organization with a history and tradition as rich as the Giants may have to follow the Rays path to success.
Lord knows the current game plan of searching out every washed up, has-been, aged free-agent veteran and overpaying him has not been working lately. Unfortunately, the latest rumors have the Giants interested in Derrek Lee, Paul Konerko and Dan Uggla.
Now Uggla might make an impact and he is still young enough, but not if the G-men have to give up any young pitching. PLEASE!!!
A small ray of hope for the organization is contained in the most recent edition of Baseball America (Oct 19th) minor league post season scouting reports. The cover of the issue features "teen sensation" lefty Madison Bumgarner. Great, first a romance novel name and now the term "teen sensation". With all this attached to his name, is this guy destined to flame out like Leif Garret or what?
Seriously though, BA has him ranked as the top Sally League prospect this year. Other quotes I liked attached to his name were "94-95 MPH fastball", "ever-improving breaking ball and change up", "pounds both sides of the plate", "hits his spots with precision" and exhibits a killer instinct".
All good things to hear about the organizations top pitching prospect.
Others mentioned:
Arizona Fall League Participants:
Kelvin Pichardo, P (AA)
Kevin Pucetas, P (A-San Jose)
Ben Copleand, OF (AAA-Fresno)
Emmanuel Burris, INF
Ryan Rohlinger, INF
Nate Schierholtz, OF - 13th ranked PCL (AAA) prospect
Tim Alderson, RHP - 6th ranked California League prospect
"best attribute is impeccable command", "dominates without overpowering stuff", "fastball sits at 88-92", "aggressive and willing to work inside", "changeup is developing".
Pablo Sandoval, C/1B - 7th ranked California League prospect
"equally adept from either side of the plate", "can pull the ball to hit for power or take pitches the other way", "shows good discipline", "looks less comfortable on defense", "threw out 46% of base stealers".
Angel Villalona, 1B - 6th ranked South Atlantic League prospect
"showed tremendous raw hitting ability", "several observers questioned conditioning", "hitting will improve once he gets a better grasp of the strike zone".
Nick Noonan, 2B - 9th ranked South Atlantic League prospect
"sweet swing that produces line drives to all fields", "plus runner", "sound offensive mechanics", "plate discipline slipped", "going to hit for more power".
Conor Gillaspie, 3B - 5th ranked Northwest League prospect
"consistently put the barrel of the bat on the ball", "should hit for average with gap power", "speed and athleticism play up thanks to his instincts and aggressiveness", "so-so range", "soft hands and solid arm strength", "has necessary work ethic to get better defensively".
Ehire Adrainza - SS 4th ranked Arizona League prospect
"terrific instincts, quick first step, above average range and soft hands", "switch hitter with smooth stroke and good bat speed","extreme contact hitter..can develop enough power to hit 12-15 homers per year".
Jose Casilla, RHP - 9th ranked prospect Arizona League
"90-95 MPH fastball", "pitches down in the strike zone", "hard, late braking slider.
Kyle Nicholson, RHP - 17th ranked prospect Arizona League
Maybe in the future, with all these prospects, I'll have something more constructive things to write about the Giants season into October.
FROM ST. PETE TIMES STORY - MICKEY MOUSE GETS TO VOTE??
MAYBE IF ACORN HAD THEIR WAY HE WOULD
This is the type of cheating that the media should be exposing.
This is the type of cheating our congressional leaders should be holding hearings on.
This is the type of cheating that people should get worked about and yet apparently they do not. If you want to use terms like "sacrosanct" about the right to vote, I'm with you. People fought and died for the right to vote and many have fought and died to protect that right. Nobody died so Babe Ruth would have the right to set A FREAKING HOME-RUN RECORD.
In fact, people also marched and died fighting for the rights of those who were excluded from having the right to vote to eventually gain that right. As an aside, some of those same citizens were eventually allowed to participate in the game of baseball.
So let's get our priorities straight once and for all, shall we?
Instead, what do we get from our congressional leaders? They wanted to fund the organization responsible for this type of mischievous behavior with the proceeds from the original House bailout bill.
Instead, we get media coverage that seeks to exonerate this type of practice of watering down every one's right to vote because it benefits those who continue to believe that the 2000 election was "stolen" from them. Tit for tat, I guess. That makes sense to a lot of people on some level, but I guarantee you the jails are filled with people who employed similar logic.
I hate to say I told you so, but my goodness, sometimes it's just too easy.
While the idiots in Washington were holding the dog and pony show steroid hearings, our economy was sinking and our financial system was pushed to the brink of Armageddon.
And some of us were asking suspiciously, "Don't these guys have anything better to do with their time?". Apparently not. And so we have an economic meltdown because these clowns don't focus on the things they need to focus on and stick their nose in where it doesn't belong or what it will do little or no good.
It was good to see Rep. Henry Waxman and his committee hold hearings with the principals from AIG ad Lehman after the damage to our financial system had already reached historic, crisis proportions. A case of too little, too late.
Now we have the same people turning a blind eye to the right of every American to have the right to vote, to expect that their vote will be counted and that everyone will play by the same rules and the same principle of one-person, one-vote.
When behavior like this is encouraged or condoned, it puts the faith and confidence of all citizens in our system of representative democracy at severe risk.
We've already seen recently what disastrous consequences follow when there is a diminished confidence in our banking and financial system. It destroys it. And what would follow would be the kind of civil unrest and chaos none of us have ever had to live through. The same type of destructive crisis will follow if there is a similar erosion of confidence in our right to vote.
I don't think we really want to find out what happens when we continue to tear away the fabric of confidence in our voting system. This goes right to the heart of our representative governmental system. And the type of behavior we see here is an attempted knife stab at that heart.
These people are not just playing games here. They are, in effect, counterfeiting votes and lowering the value of the every citizens vote. THEY ARE CHEATING EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN. We deal very harshly with those who attempt to debase the nations currency by counterfeiting because of the potential dire consequences to the nations economy, why do we not place the same value on individual voting rights?
"The best way to destroy the capitalist system is to debauch the currency." - Vladimir Lenin
The currency of our representative system of government is the theory of one-man, one-vote. We can't allow criminals and lunatics like this to turn our system into a plural voting system. We shouldn't allow this cheating to continue any longer. I would feel cheated when I register ONCE, and vote ONCE--AND ONCE ONLY--and I see instances where these ACORN knuckleheads are registering people to vote multiple times (as many as 50 times??). What a coincidence that the activity seems to be focused in the key battleground states. Or in areas where they can manipulate or intimidate the polling place employees to allow multiple votes to be cast. I know this is Chicago where the phrase "vote early and often was born" but this is getting to be beyond ridiculous. At least now we don't have to ask what community organizers do anymore.
Our so-called leaders need to look into this quickly and thoroughly to ensure that law-abiding people aren't punished again by people who not only fail to play by the rules but end up profiting by their anti-societal behavior.
This is too important an issue to ignore. Our future as a nation depends on it. We may be on the cusp of turning over to future generations a nation that doesn't look or act anything like the nation that which we grew up in, never mind one that is based on the principles a majority of us still hold dear. God help us if we can't get some of these issues straightened out.
"The goal of socialism is communism." - Vladimir Lenin
The socialists currently plying their trade--from both parties--in the House, the Senate and within the administration need to be fired from their jobs ASAP. It's not enough for Congress to lay all of the blame at Bush's doorstep, when this has been without a doubt the worst Congressional class in the history of the country.
Failure by the electorate to accomplish this governmental housekeeping is to give our implied approval to the path they are taking this country. We will get the type of government we deserve.
If Wakefield's knuckler is dancing consistently like it did two or three years ago, the Sox have a chance to get back in this. If not, the Rays can and will take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
Maybe now the nation (and I'm excluding the delusional Red Sox Nation) will start to believe that the Rays have in fact been the better team all season. Maybe now the commentators will stop looking for the "deer in the headlights" look in the eyes of the youthful Rays players and enjoy the immense talent and athleticism that has been a hallmark of their play all season. They did win 97 games this season, that is not a fluke.
Maybe tonight we should begin looking for the look of resignation in the Sox players eyes. After they pound Wakefield's knuckler into the night, all we may have to look forward from this series is a "don't let them celebrate on our turf" type of last stand in Game 5 by the Sox. After that it will be back to St. Pete for a cow-bell ringing, Rays fans singing celebration as the Rays finish them off at home
Where is Schilling and his bloody sock when you need him?
Why not, they've been going at it all year for supremacy in the AL East.
The Rays were in the enviable position of being a visiting team facing an opponent in the playoffs, but having the overwhelming support of a majority of the opposing city's baseball fans.
Cubs fans turned instantly into Rays boosters after being once again unceremoniously dumped in the first round. Their pain would have been compounded exponentially if the White Sox would have been allowed to advance past the Rays.
The Rays have been the best team in the AL virtually the entire season. Their 97 wins is actually an artificially low number based on their pre-season decision to send Evan Longoria down to the minors to start the season. If you'll recall, the move was made to kick a year of service time down the road to benefit the team. The logic of the move was subsequently made moot when the Rays signed Longoria to a long-term deal after seeing him in action for a whole month after recalling him.
This was about the only loony-tunes type move I can recall Rays management making since taking over, and yet it appears to have worked out in spades for them.
The series against the Sox is for all the marbles. I believe the team that wins should be the overwhelming favorite to win the World Series. The Cubs were likely the best team the NL had to offer, and we know the results. The Phillies and Dodgers shouldn't scare either AL team. I think the Rays may be listed by Vegas as the underdog should they get there, but does anyone believe that after beating the Red Sox, either of the two NL teams would pose as much of a threat to them? The high they would be on might carry them to a WS sweep, much like the W-Sox in 2005.
FROM RASMUSSEN REPORTS:
In his first inaugural address, President Ronald Reagan delivered a line succinctly capturing the sentiment that elected him:
“Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”
A generation later, that attitude still resonates with a solid majority of Americans. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of voters agree with Reagan, and just 28% disagree.
Based on the results of last weeks vote on the "bailout bill" it's too bad that 59% of the House and Senate don't recognize this sentiment.
Once again, we see how by creating a chicken-little like crisis and demonizing a select group of bad guys, our leaders can shape the agenda and transfer huge amounts of money and power from one select, favored group to another. SIMPLY AMAZING.
Once again, as usual, some of the same players who failed miserably and worked to create the huge hole we are in are rewarded by having more money thrown at them. But isn't that how government traditionally works? If the initial solution doesn't work, just keep throwing more money at it until it does work. A gross violation of the simple but elegant Rule of Holes:
Rule #1 - When you're in a hole, stop digging.
And so we are left with the poor choices of a candidate on the one hand who advocates a Robin Hood-esque tax policy and a socialist model as the mantra of the kind of change we need. Which is to say: the government to the rescue. And on the other hand, we have a more of the same policies approach that got us to this point in the first place. IT'S INSANE, ISN'T IT?
Maybe I'm the crazy one, but it seems to me that the one person on either ticket that the media likes the least--that the establishment feels is the least qualified to be the VP, much less President--is the one I would most like to see in charge.
And they are giving her the same dismissive treatment they gave to Ron Paul in the primaries. Why? Because both are candidates that the party-elitists on both sides fear will shake the establishment to its core. They will excise the dead, useless tissue from the bloated, necrotic bureaucratic body of our federal government and move power closer to the people where it belongs.
And the elitists fear this result greatly and will do everything they can to avoid it. Don't kid yourself, every candidate has tipped his cap to the "little people" who live on "Main Street" as part of the playbook to get elected. But not one of them achieved their status or feel they can maintain it, without continually prostituting themselves to the so-called "seat of power" in this country.
They may tip their caps to you every four years and pat you on the head and say "There, there now, don't worry. I'll take care of you when I get in". Then they give you a cookie and figuratively expect you to go away and leave them alone for four years so they can take care of the people that put them in their positions of power in the first place.
And trust me, there are no "little people" in those meetings. Nobody that lives on "Main Street". And they don't go to PTA meetings or soccer games or hockey games for that matter either. Have you ever seen them there? I haven't. That's part of the problem and it needs to be worked into the solution.
What we need eventually need is a ticket that is more dedicated to and capable of delivering KICKS to the seat of power and less is likely to have to deliver KISSES to it.
Then maybe we can talk about REAL CHANGE in this country and not the phony artifice we have been getting and will continue to get--REGARDLESS OF WHO WINS.
I get sick when I hear this CHANGE mantra from both sides, because neither side represents real change. And it's silly to hear one side parrot "More of the same" when anyone with slightly more brainpower then a parrot can see that regardless of the eventual winner, we will get a healthy dose of more of the same. There will just be a different name on the White House stationary.
Maybe we need something radical--like a Jesse Ventura-Ron Paul third-party ticket in 2012.
Yeah, that's the ticket!!!
My only fear is that by the time this option is available to us, the powers that be will not only continue to dig us deeper into the hole we find ourselves in--but instead of stepping back and figuring out how to get out of the hole they've dug--will blunder their way into burying us all with the dirt they have excavated.
-------------------------- UPDATE - Once again from Rasmussen Reports polling:
Coming Soon: 59% Would Vote to Replace Entire Congress
Much like that old lawyer joke, this would be a good start. It would change the tone and the atmosphere in Washington and get these knuckleheads acting like the public servants they are supposed to be.
When you see some of these tools speak to you through the media, do any of them sound as if they view their role as one of "serving the public"? Maybe in the old Twilight Zone - "To Serve Man" episode sense (a truly classic episode), but not in the sense most of us expect that phrase to be applied.
Think of that quality in your elected official the next time you vote and remember one of the popular definitions of character: doing the right thing even when you think nobody is looking.
-------------------------- HOW WASHINGTON WORKS O'REILLY VS. BARNEY FRANK:
--------------------------- NOTE TO SARAH PALIN AND THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN STAFF - STOP CRYING:
Katie Couric didn't really engage in a gotcha question by asking you to provide an example of historical Supreme Court decisions other than Roe vs. Wade that you did not agree with. She actually teed one up for you to respond as follows:
The worst Supreme Court decision ever and the one that illustrates the philosophical difference between the two tickets would have to be Helvering v. Davis (1937) which redefined the General Welfare clause of the Constitution and upheld the constitutionality of the Social Security Act.
This allowed the federal government to engage in the type of redistribution of wealth policies which we see today in our opponents tax and economic policy.
James Madison argued the the General Welfare Clause was not an additional power granted to the government but a restatement of the powers enumerated in Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution which were to "provide for the common Defense and General Welfare."
Alexander Hamilton held that the General Welfare clause was a distinct source of additional authority which allowed Congress to "lay and collect Taxes" and spend the proceeds for purposes including, but not limited to the enumerated or stated powers. Essentially, this view holds the Congress' powers are nearly all-inclusive.
Madison's view was that only those powers specifically stated or enumerated in the Constitution were intended by the founders and that if the General Welfare clause was intended to be all-inclusive, then the exercise of stating specifically enumerated powers to be granted to Congress would be useless, excess verbiage added to the Constitution.
The broader, Hamiltonian interpretation makes a mockery of the notion of a limited federal government intended by the founders and opened the floodgates for the type of redistributive, overreaching federal government we see today.
Further, this erroneous decision was made by the Supreme Court under the duress of FDR's attempt to pack the Court with New Deal supporters. The Supreme Court erroneously rewrote the Constitution with this decision, which highlights the need to have judges and Supreme Court nominees who would not stray from the Constitution and write laws from the bench.
You would have been able to highlight many of the fundamental differences between a McCain and Obama administration in regards to tax policy, economic policy and judicial philosophy.
In fact you were given a second bite of the apple with your interview with Chuck Cameron of Fox News the day after the VP debate and, although you did cite a couple of other grievous errors by the Supremes, this fundamentally flawed decision remained unmentioned.
I'm not sure who is running the campaign over there, but let me give you guys and gals a word of advice. The idea is to try to WIN. (Unless you are affiliated with the Chicago Cubs baseball team). OUCH!!
To quote Herman Edwards, "You play to win the game. HELLO!!"
HERMAN EDWARDS SHOULD BE IN CHARGE OF THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN:
I will say though, you guys forfeit the right to complain about "gotcha" questions from now on. Be better prepared and do your homework.
One-hundred and sixty-two games worth of hope and optimism all dashed in two games? Perhaps.
This is not a good time to be in Chicago.
The Cubs face a sweep in LA-LA land.
The Sox might be in trouble against the Rays unless Mark Buerhle can turn the clock back to 2005 and throw zeroes up for eight innings.
And the Bears.....Well it's still too early to turn to football at this point.
Baseball still owns October. At least that's my hope.
What's with the cowbells St. Pete? I would guess there isn't a freaking cow anywhere within the city limits, unless one hitch-hikes down from Pasco County.
And what's with your boom mikes TBS? Are they engineered by the same folks who designed the two tin cans and a string communication system back when we were kids? The former ThunderDome was rocking, but you couldn't tell that from the TV broadcast. TBS's soundproof booth made the place sound like a mausoleum. We want to feel the noise. If it makes your ears bleed--that's just an unanticipated bonus--we have volume control on the remote, we're OK.
Remove the cone of silence TBS. Don't you know that most fans do not care if they miss an occasional pearl of wisdom that your vaunted announcers drop down on us from on high? We want the atmosphere of the game and the moment washing over us, not the constant chatter of your announcer/analysts. We have eyes, we can see the game. I wish the games were on Fox at this point.
My wife is wearing her Evan Longoria jersey into work today--diving headlong into a White Sox shop with a reminder of the Ray who stuck the biggest dagger into the Sox effort yesterday. I do hope she returns home safely tonight. She's a brave soul and an unabashed Rays fan.
Yesterday, some of her cheering when Longoria went yard was misinterpreted as anti-Sox euphoria coming from a Cubs fan. When you're in Sox country, that kind of diplomatic mis-step can be met with a fate similar to an individual Crip being discovered by a gang of Bloods. Once, they found out she was in fact merely a Rays fan, it was all good. Kicking a Rays fan is kind of like kicking a puppy at this point. That may soon change however.
Good to hear Harold Reynolds is out of the penalty box.
With one mighty swing, Jim Thome lifted the White Sox over the Twins and into the ALDS playoff series against the Rays.
I like this match-up for the Rays much better than the Twins. Both teams offenses have shown a tendency to disappear at times, but the Twins can manufacture runs better when they are not bopping the ball. The Sox experience under the heat of the playoffs could be a factor, but this is a team that has seemingly been playing the season on cruise control waiting to flip the switch once the playoffs begin.
The Sox are hurt missing Joe Crede at 3B and Carlos Quentin in LF. These two injuries may be too much for the pitching staff to overcome. Carl Crawford appears to be ready to return for the Rays, hopefully at full strength.
The pitching match-ups should be the key: Kazmir, Garza and Shields/SonnanStine vs. Buerhle, Vasquez and Floyd/Danks
The series should be decided by the set up men and closers of the two teams: The Rays staff of Trevor Miller, J.P. Howell and Jason Hammel, setting up the trio of Grant Balfour, Dan Wheeler and Troy Percival--if he is healthy--gives the Rays a bit of an depth advantage. The Sox offer Scott Linebrink, Matt Thornton and Ocatavio Dotel setting up the ninth inning for Bobby Jenks. The Sox set up men have been relatively inconsistent this season. That may tip the series in favor of the Rays.
Watch out if the Rays advance, especially if they do so easily over the Sox. They have played the Red Sox and the Angels very tough this year, both at home and on the road. If a scenario develops where the Rays sweep or win in four and the Sox-Angels go the distance, I like the Rays to advance to the Series, and hopefully face the Cubs. If that were the case, you might see Cubs fans treat the Rays as conquering heroes for eliminating the White Sox. Just don't expect the loving feeling to last for too long.
I like the Cubs to handle the Dodgers and the Brewers to bop the Phillies setting up a Midwest showdown in the NL between the Cubs and Milwaukee. If that develops, the Cubs advance to their first World Series in 100 years.
