Morning Links
- This would be just awful for the Democrats
- Worse than it looks for the Democrats
- Hot Stove Talk from MLB
- Mark Cuban on the music industry
- Kerry as Wilson and Bush as Jackson - sounds right (via Betsy's Page)
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Heh Heh
Pinocchio was receiving complaints from his girlfriend about consummating their passions. "Every time we make love," she said, "I get splinters!" So he went back to his maker, Gipetto, the carpenter, to ask for advice. "Sandpaper my boy, that's what you need," was the carpenter's response. A couple of weeks later the carpenter saw Pinocchio again, "How are you getting on with the girls now?" "Who needs girls?" replied Pinocchio.
Pinocchio was receiving complaints from his girlfriend about consummating their passions. "Every time we make love," she said, "I get splinters!" So he went back to his maker, Gipetto, the carpenter, to ask for advice. "Sandpaper my boy, that's what you need," was the carpenter's response. A couple of weeks later the carpenter saw Pinocchio again, "How are you getting on with the girls now?" "Who needs girls?" replied Pinocchio.
Ray Bourque
Ray Bourque was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last night and I would be remiss if I didn't say a few words on his behalf. Ray Bourque was a great player (some would argue him over Bobby Orr as the greatest defenseman of all-time) but he is an even greater person.
In fact three of my top memories of Ray aren't from action in a game. The first was the night Phil Esposito had his number retired. For those who don't know the story, Esposito was a Boston great but he was traded to the Rangers and there was some rancor involved. Esposito wore number 7 and that number was then given to a young stud rookie named Ray Bourque. Over the years the rancor disappeared and the Bruins decided to retire Espo's 7. That night Bourque presented Espo with a jersey and then shocked both Espo and the crowd by taking off his own jersey to reveal his new number of 77. Those number 77 jerseys immediately became the best selling jerseys in Boston.
The second memory is of Ray Bourque attending the funeral of Reggie Lewis as the unofficial representative of the Bruins. It always struck me as a pure class move. It was the right thing to do but the thing is - nobody ever had to tell Bourque what the right thing to do was - he always just did it.
The final memory is of Bourque bringing the Stanley Cup back to Boston after winning it with the Avalanche. No other athlete in Boston history could have had thousands of people turn out to honor him after the athlete leaving the hometown team to pursue a championship. We wanted that championship for Ray as much as he wanted it for himself because we loved Ray.
And we still do.
Ray Bourque was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last night and I would be remiss if I didn't say a few words on his behalf. Ray Bourque was a great player (some would argue him over Bobby Orr as the greatest defenseman of all-time) but he is an even greater person.
In fact three of my top memories of Ray aren't from action in a game. The first was the night Phil Esposito had his number retired. For those who don't know the story, Esposito was a Boston great but he was traded to the Rangers and there was some rancor involved. Esposito wore number 7 and that number was then given to a young stud rookie named Ray Bourque. Over the years the rancor disappeared and the Bruins decided to retire Espo's 7. That night Bourque presented Espo with a jersey and then shocked both Espo and the crowd by taking off his own jersey to reveal his new number of 77. Those number 77 jerseys immediately became the best selling jerseys in Boston.
The second memory is of Ray Bourque attending the funeral of Reggie Lewis as the unofficial representative of the Bruins. It always struck me as a pure class move. It was the right thing to do but the thing is - nobody ever had to tell Bourque what the right thing to do was - he always just did it.
The final memory is of Bourque bringing the Stanley Cup back to Boston after winning it with the Avalanche. No other athlete in Boston history could have had thousands of people turn out to honor him after the athlete leaving the hometown team to pursue a championship. We wanted that championship for Ray as much as he wanted it for himself because we loved Ray.
And we still do.
Monday, November 08, 2004
Strange Bedfellows
Just like the peccadilloes of Bill Clinton were a Godsend to Rush Limbaugh's ratings - the re-election of George W. Bush seems to be a boon to the stock price of the New York Times.
Consider that even while they print stories that seem to be begging for an "act of God" (i.e. assassination) to rid the country of Bush - their stock price has gone up every single day since the election:
Nov. 2nd - $40.06 per share
Nov. 3rd - $40.63 per share
Nov. 4th - $40.99 per share
Nov. 5th - $41.16 per share
Nov. 8th - $41.45 per share
By the end of Clinton's first term - listeners to Rush's program were derided as "ditto heads" - is it at the point were readers of the Times can be derided as "moonbats" ready to grasp at any theory that makes them feel comfortable in their perceived superiority?
Many readers of the Times like to believe that the more educated a person is - the less likely they are to be Republican but the fact is (according to Gallup) the more educated the voter - the more likely they were to vote for Bush. 58% of college graduates voted for Bush this year along with 56% of the voters who had "some college". I guess the more educated a person - the less likely they are to buy into the spin of the New York Times (sort of like Pravda in the former USSR - only the facts that fit).
In any case, the credibility of the New York Times may be shot (at least among the educated) - but their stock seems to be doing OK (that doesn't mean they won't continue to editorialize about a rotten economy).
Just like the peccadilloes of Bill Clinton were a Godsend to Rush Limbaugh's ratings - the re-election of George W. Bush seems to be a boon to the stock price of the New York Times.
Consider that even while they print stories that seem to be begging for an "act of God" (i.e. assassination) to rid the country of Bush - their stock price has gone up every single day since the election:
Nov. 2nd - $40.06 per share
Nov. 3rd - $40.63 per share
Nov. 4th - $40.99 per share
Nov. 5th - $41.16 per share
Nov. 8th - $41.45 per share
By the end of Clinton's first term - listeners to Rush's program were derided as "ditto heads" - is it at the point were readers of the Times can be derided as "moonbats" ready to grasp at any theory that makes them feel comfortable in their perceived superiority?
Many readers of the Times like to believe that the more educated a person is - the less likely they are to be Republican but the fact is (according to Gallup) the more educated the voter - the more likely they were to vote for Bush. 58% of college graduates voted for Bush this year along with 56% of the voters who had "some college". I guess the more educated a person - the less likely they are to buy into the spin of the New York Times (sort of like Pravda in the former USSR - only the facts that fit).
In any case, the credibility of the New York Times may be shot (at least among the educated) - but their stock seems to be doing OK (that doesn't mean they won't continue to editorialize about a rotten economy).
It's The Length - Not the Size
Many people have a problem with the Yankees giving out the richest contracts but it hasn't served them well (no championships in this century). To me what will really kill them is the length of contract that they routinely give out. Here are the people on the Yankee roster who have guaranteed contracts for 2005 and beyond:
10 year - Roger Clemens basically gets $1 million a year until 2014
6 year (2) - Jeter, A-Rod
4 year - Giambi (with option for 2009)
3 year - Vazquez
2 year (5) - Contreras (even though he was traded away - Yankees still picking up large part of that contract), Mussina (with option for 2007), Posada (with option for 2007), Rivera (with option for 2007), Sheffield (with option for 2007)
Compare that to the Red Sox who have one 4-year deal (Manny Ramirez), one 3-year deal (Keith Foulke) and three 2-year deals (Nixon, Schilling and Ortiz with Ortiz also having a 2007 option).
The Yankees have depleted their farm system and if they continue to take on long bad contracts - then they will run out of both money and roster spots. Even the Yankees have a limit to what they can spend and I think they are getting close to that limit.
BTW - the only other 6-year contract in the AL belongs to Eric Chavez of the A's but it should be noted that he's 2-years younger than A-Rod and 4-years younger than Jeter.
Many people have a problem with the Yankees giving out the richest contracts but it hasn't served them well (no championships in this century). To me what will really kill them is the length of contract that they routinely give out. Here are the people on the Yankee roster who have guaranteed contracts for 2005 and beyond:
10 year - Roger Clemens basically gets $1 million a year until 2014
6 year (2) - Jeter, A-Rod
4 year - Giambi (with option for 2009)
3 year - Vazquez
2 year (5) - Contreras (even though he was traded away - Yankees still picking up large part of that contract), Mussina (with option for 2007), Posada (with option for 2007), Rivera (with option for 2007), Sheffield (with option for 2007)
Compare that to the Red Sox who have one 4-year deal (Manny Ramirez), one 3-year deal (Keith Foulke) and three 2-year deals (Nixon, Schilling and Ortiz with Ortiz also having a 2007 option).
The Yankees have depleted their farm system and if they continue to take on long bad contracts - then they will run out of both money and roster spots. Even the Yankees have a limit to what they can spend and I think they are getting close to that limit.
BTW - the only other 6-year contract in the AL belongs to Eric Chavez of the A's but it should be noted that he's 2-years younger than A-Rod and 4-years younger than Jeter.
Miscellaneous Thoughts
On one of my fantasy football teams I had Vinnie Testeverde and Chad Pennington as my QB's. Vinnie had -4 points (3 INT's) and Pennington had just 4 points - so I got 0 points from my QB position this week (woe is me).... For Rookie of the Year honors - I would pick Jason Bay for the NL and Bobby Crosby for the AL... Wow! I didn't realize that Travis Hafner finished second (above Vlade Guerrero but behind Manny Ramirez) in OPS. Even more impressive is that in adjusted OPS+ - Hafner actually led the AL with a 158 mark (Vlade was second with 154 and Manny had 152)... Mark Bellhorn was acquired from the Rockies for a player to be named later but I can't find who that player ended up being. Maybe "later" hasn't come yet?... Happy 52nd birthday to Jerry Remy - the best TV color guy in baseball... Hey Afghanistan has two Burger Kings - no idea how many McDonalds...
On one of my fantasy football teams I had Vinnie Testeverde and Chad Pennington as my QB's. Vinnie had -4 points (3 INT's) and Pennington had just 4 points - so I got 0 points from my QB position this week (woe is me).... For Rookie of the Year honors - I would pick Jason Bay for the NL and Bobby Crosby for the AL... Wow! I didn't realize that Travis Hafner finished second (above Vlade Guerrero but behind Manny Ramirez) in OPS. Even more impressive is that in adjusted OPS+ - Hafner actually led the AL with a 158 mark (Vlade was second with 154 and Manny had 152)... Mark Bellhorn was acquired from the Rockies for a player to be named later but I can't find who that player ended up being. Maybe "later" hasn't come yet?... Happy 52nd birthday to Jerry Remy - the best TV color guy in baseball... Hey Afghanistan has two Burger Kings - no idea how many McDonalds...
Sunday, November 07, 2004
TV Tourettes
Most people are familiar with Tourettes Syndrome and it’s most well known symptom of uncontrolled cursing. Many times a person with Tourettes will just start swearing with no ability to control him or herself or what they are saying. There is another malady that is much less severe than Tourettes but more widespread. It is a sickness I call – TV Tourettes.
Many people have had their brains infected by their TV watching. What they see and hear sinks into their brains and consciously or unconsciously it surfaces seemingly beyond the ability of the sufferer to control it.
TV Tourettes is not life threatening but it can be very annoying. I am among the millions of people who suffer from TV Tourettes.
The other day I was driving with a friend. I passed a Plymouth Duster on the highway and suddenly I couldn’t help myself. I turned my head toward the car I just passed and yelled, “Hey – that thing got a hemi?” My friend (who also suffers from the sickness) simply answered, “Sweet!” It was then that I realized that I was a victim of TV Tourettes.
The first recorded case of TV Tourettes was back in the ‘50’s when a stranger with a broken wristwatch asked someone if they knew what time it was. The person - without thinking responded, “It’s Howdy Doodie time!” The person responding thought they were being funny but he was just a sick man without even knowing it.
TV Tourettes probably became an epidemic back in the late 70’s when Happy Days ruled the airways. People would do something they thought was good and then give a dual thumbs up signal while saying, “Heeeeyyyyy” - like the Fonz. It was everywhere.
Anyone can have TV Tourettes. The disease cuts across all age and ethnic groups. Grandmothers out for a night of Chippendale Dancers have been known to uncontrollably yell out “Where’s the beef?” Little kids have been known to say “We make holes in teeth” (from the Crest Cavity Creeps) to their parents while they eat candy bars. Middle-aged men have been known to blurt out for no reason, “As God as my witness – I thought turkeys could fly.” Jimmy Walker’s “Dyno-MITE!” and Re-Run’s “Hey hey hey” were heard just as often in the early 80’s in leafy suburbs as in inner cities.
The list of examples can go on and on.
Here is a short test to see if you may suffer from TV Tourettes:
· Have you ever used lines from Seinfeld instead of trying to think for yourself? Examples could be mentioning “shrinkage”, “man-hands”, “close-talkers”, “Jimmy legs” or the phrase “no soup for you!”
· Have you ever thought of food and had a Homer Simpson response of “Hmmmmm [insert name of food here]”?
· Have you ever used the Cartman from South Park phrase “Respect my author-it-EYE!” to try and get someone to follow your directions?
· Have you ever asked someone to “Kiss your grits” Flo from Alice style?
· Have you ever been in a car that ran over a small animal and responded by saying “You bastard! You killed Kenny”?
· Have you ever said to yourself or another “Make it so” as if you were Captain Jean-Luc Picard?
· Have you ever responded to a blatantly obvious statement with an Ed McMahon fake laugh and a “You are correct sir!”?
If you answered “Yes” to any of the above questions – then you may have TV Tourettes. The Simpsons are normally a good gauge of the severity of your affliction. If you only occasionally use the Homeresque “D’oh!” then your case is probably mild. If you have ever been in trouble and uttered the phrase “Help me Jeebus” – then you have full-blown TV Tourettes.
It saddens me to report that very little is being done to study this illness but we can change that. I am asking you to send your hard earned cash to The Chris Lynch Study of TV Tourettes (please make checks payable to Chris Lynch or Cash). The first step in the study will be to get the proper equipment for my den - I mean lab. Money donated will go toward the purchase of a large screen plasma TV.
Most people are familiar with Tourettes Syndrome and it’s most well known symptom of uncontrolled cursing. Many times a person with Tourettes will just start swearing with no ability to control him or herself or what they are saying. There is another malady that is much less severe than Tourettes but more widespread. It is a sickness I call – TV Tourettes.
Many people have had their brains infected by their TV watching. What they see and hear sinks into their brains and consciously or unconsciously it surfaces seemingly beyond the ability of the sufferer to control it.
TV Tourettes is not life threatening but it can be very annoying. I am among the millions of people who suffer from TV Tourettes.
The other day I was driving with a friend. I passed a Plymouth Duster on the highway and suddenly I couldn’t help myself. I turned my head toward the car I just passed and yelled, “Hey – that thing got a hemi?” My friend (who also suffers from the sickness) simply answered, “Sweet!” It was then that I realized that I was a victim of TV Tourettes.
The first recorded case of TV Tourettes was back in the ‘50’s when a stranger with a broken wristwatch asked someone if they knew what time it was. The person - without thinking responded, “It’s Howdy Doodie time!” The person responding thought they were being funny but he was just a sick man without even knowing it.
TV Tourettes probably became an epidemic back in the late 70’s when Happy Days ruled the airways. People would do something they thought was good and then give a dual thumbs up signal while saying, “Heeeeyyyyy” - like the Fonz. It was everywhere.
Anyone can have TV Tourettes. The disease cuts across all age and ethnic groups. Grandmothers out for a night of Chippendale Dancers have been known to uncontrollably yell out “Where’s the beef?” Little kids have been known to say “We make holes in teeth” (from the Crest Cavity Creeps) to their parents while they eat candy bars. Middle-aged men have been known to blurt out for no reason, “As God as my witness – I thought turkeys could fly.” Jimmy Walker’s “Dyno-MITE!” and Re-Run’s “Hey hey hey” were heard just as often in the early 80’s in leafy suburbs as in inner cities.
The list of examples can go on and on.
Here is a short test to see if you may suffer from TV Tourettes:
· Have you ever used lines from Seinfeld instead of trying to think for yourself? Examples could be mentioning “shrinkage”, “man-hands”, “close-talkers”, “Jimmy legs” or the phrase “no soup for you!”
· Have you ever thought of food and had a Homer Simpson response of “Hmmmmm [insert name of food here]”?
· Have you ever used the Cartman from South Park phrase “Respect my author-it-EYE!” to try and get someone to follow your directions?
· Have you ever asked someone to “Kiss your grits” Flo from Alice style?
· Have you ever been in a car that ran over a small animal and responded by saying “You bastard! You killed Kenny”?
· Have you ever said to yourself or another “Make it so” as if you were Captain Jean-Luc Picard?
· Have you ever responded to a blatantly obvious statement with an Ed McMahon fake laugh and a “You are correct sir!”?
If you answered “Yes” to any of the above questions – then you may have TV Tourettes. The Simpsons are normally a good gauge of the severity of your affliction. If you only occasionally use the Homeresque “D’oh!” then your case is probably mild. If you have ever been in trouble and uttered the phrase “Help me Jeebus” – then you have full-blown TV Tourettes.
It saddens me to report that very little is being done to study this illness but we can change that. I am asking you to send your hard earned cash to The Chris Lynch Study of TV Tourettes (please make checks payable to Chris Lynch or Cash). The first step in the study will be to get the proper equipment for my den - I mean lab. Money donated will go toward the purchase of a large screen plasma TV.
Hot Stove League - Third Base (Part 2)
You can find Part 1 of the third base analysis here.
These are the teams that should be all-set at third in 2005 and who most likely won't be looking fo do anything in the offseason at this position:
AL: Boston, New York, Cleveland (although with both Aaron Boone and Casey Blake - the Indians may make a trade), Anaheim (good-bye Glaus - hello McPherson), Oakland, Texas
NL: Florida, New York, Philadephia (David Bell is not a strength but he is under contract for 2 more years), Chicago, Houston, Pittsburgh (assuming Mackowiak is regular 3B), St. Louis, San Diego
These are the teams that will definitely be looking to upgrade or replace their third baseman this offseason:
AL: Minnesota (they have to act on Coskie because he's a free agent - they also have Michael Cuddyer ready to take over), Detroit (Eric Munson is not their answer and Tigers may go after a big name), Kansas City (they have to act because Joe Randa is probably gone - as usual, look for KC to try and find a "cost-effective" solution), Seattle (Jolbert Cabrera is not the solution)
NL: Montreal / Washington, Cincinnati (same boat as the Expos), Colorado (they have to act because Vinnie Castilla is a free agent), Los Angeles (they have to act because Andrian Beltre is a free agent)
These are the teams that are in the middle. They may look to upgrade or make a change but third is probably not a priority:
AL: Baltimore (Melvin Mora had a career year in 2004 but he is 32-years old and his glove work is awful), Tampa Bay (BJ Upton? No money to spend on free agents is the problem - they may try to get lucky with the cheap dregs), Toronto (Hinske should be all set but rumors persist that he might be traded), Chicago (Crede is young and cheap but White Sox may look to make splash with free agent)
NL: Atlanta (they have Chipper Jones but Jones can also play OF - with Andy Marte coming up through the system - the Braves won't go after a big name or a long deal with any 3B), Milwaukee, Arizona, San Franciso (Alphonso is under contract for two more years but at a total of $15.5 million - the Giants may want to move that contract)
It should be noted that of the top 10 payroll teams in MLB - only Seattle and Los Angeles will be in the market for a third baseman.
Predictions:
1. The Dodgers either sign Adrian Beltre or they make a trade for Casey Blake of the Indians to fill 3B. Beltre was their MVP this year and he can hit HR at Chavez Ravine (not all players can). I see a 4-year $48 million contract for Beltre from the Dodgers. Who's going to out-bid them? Yankees - they have A-Rod. Red Sox - they have Mueller. Mets - they have Wright. The Dodgers may decide against a big contract and if they do - look for them to trade for Blake from the Indians. The Indians have Boone at 3B in 2005 and they need young starters and the Dodgers have some young starters.
2. Troy Glaus goes to the Mariners. I'd guess 3-years $33 million with an option. Glaus gets to stay on the West coast and the Mariners need a 3B (and if Glaus' body gets cranky - he can DH). The problem may be in Glaus' past performance at SAFECO. He's hit just .176 in 39 games there. If not Seattle - Detroit is a possible landing spot for Glaus.
3. Vinnie Castilla re-signs with the Rockies. He's maybe their most popular player with the fans but he hits poorly outside of Coors Field.
4. If the Diamondbacks cannot sign Richie Sexton - look for them to go after Corey Coskie for 3B and have Shea Hillenbrand become the regular 1B.
5. If the Dodgers don't re-sign Beltre - look for him to wind up with the Tigers. Eric Munson is not the answer for the Tigers and the Tigers get back Damian Easley's money for 2005 to help pay for Beltre.
You can find Part 1 of the third base analysis here.
These are the teams that should be all-set at third in 2005 and who most likely won't be looking fo do anything in the offseason at this position:
AL: Boston, New York, Cleveland (although with both Aaron Boone and Casey Blake - the Indians may make a trade), Anaheim (good-bye Glaus - hello McPherson), Oakland, Texas
NL: Florida, New York, Philadephia (David Bell is not a strength but he is under contract for 2 more years), Chicago, Houston, Pittsburgh (assuming Mackowiak is regular 3B), St. Louis, San Diego
These are the teams that will definitely be looking to upgrade or replace their third baseman this offseason:
AL: Minnesota (they have to act on Coskie because he's a free agent - they also have Michael Cuddyer ready to take over), Detroit (Eric Munson is not their answer and Tigers may go after a big name), Kansas City (they have to act because Joe Randa is probably gone - as usual, look for KC to try and find a "cost-effective" solution), Seattle (Jolbert Cabrera is not the solution)
NL: Montreal / Washington, Cincinnati (same boat as the Expos), Colorado (they have to act because Vinnie Castilla is a free agent), Los Angeles (they have to act because Andrian Beltre is a free agent)
These are the teams that are in the middle. They may look to upgrade or make a change but third is probably not a priority:
AL: Baltimore (Melvin Mora had a career year in 2004 but he is 32-years old and his glove work is awful), Tampa Bay (BJ Upton? No money to spend on free agents is the problem - they may try to get lucky with the cheap dregs), Toronto (Hinske should be all set but rumors persist that he might be traded), Chicago (Crede is young and cheap but White Sox may look to make splash with free agent)
NL: Atlanta (they have Chipper Jones but Jones can also play OF - with Andy Marte coming up through the system - the Braves won't go after a big name or a long deal with any 3B), Milwaukee, Arizona, San Franciso (Alphonso is under contract for two more years but at a total of $15.5 million - the Giants may want to move that contract)
It should be noted that of the top 10 payroll teams in MLB - only Seattle and Los Angeles will be in the market for a third baseman.
Predictions:
1. The Dodgers either sign Adrian Beltre or they make a trade for Casey Blake of the Indians to fill 3B. Beltre was their MVP this year and he can hit HR at Chavez Ravine (not all players can). I see a 4-year $48 million contract for Beltre from the Dodgers. Who's going to out-bid them? Yankees - they have A-Rod. Red Sox - they have Mueller. Mets - they have Wright. The Dodgers may decide against a big contract and if they do - look for them to trade for Blake from the Indians. The Indians have Boone at 3B in 2005 and they need young starters and the Dodgers have some young starters.
2. Troy Glaus goes to the Mariners. I'd guess 3-years $33 million with an option. Glaus gets to stay on the West coast and the Mariners need a 3B (and if Glaus' body gets cranky - he can DH). The problem may be in Glaus' past performance at SAFECO. He's hit just .176 in 39 games there. If not Seattle - Detroit is a possible landing spot for Glaus.
3. Vinnie Castilla re-signs with the Rockies. He's maybe their most popular player with the fans but he hits poorly outside of Coors Field.
4. If the Diamondbacks cannot sign Richie Sexton - look for them to go after Corey Coskie for 3B and have Shea Hillenbrand become the regular 1B.
5. If the Dodgers don't re-sign Beltre - look for him to wind up with the Tigers. Eric Munson is not the answer for the Tigers and the Tigers get back Damian Easley's money for 2005 to help pay for Beltre.
Morning Links
- Mark Steyn skewers the EU opinion of the Bush victory
- Ray Borque going into NHL Hall of Fame - Good piece by Kevin Paul DuPont
- Gordon Edes' baseball notes
- Ron Borges' NFL notes
- Red Sox and Pedro begin talks
- The Belmont Club on the murder of Theo van Gogh
- Victor Davis Hanson reviews the biography of Ulysses S. Grant by Josiah Bunting III
- Mark Steyn skewers the EU opinion of the Bush victory
- Ray Borque going into NHL Hall of Fame - Good piece by Kevin Paul DuPont
- Gordon Edes' baseball notes
- Ron Borges' NFL notes
- Red Sox and Pedro begin talks
- The Belmont Club on the murder of Theo van Gogh
- Victor Davis Hanson reviews the biography of Ulysses S. Grant by Josiah Bunting III
Saturday, November 06, 2004
Morning Links
- MLB Hot Stove Report
- Color me very surprised on this move. Lieber was their most effective starter down the stretch and in the playoffs.
- Arlen Specter (whose name I always thought came straight from a Stephen King novel) violated one of Don Vito's cardinal rules - "Never tell anyone outside the family what you're thinking."
- I agree with the central point of this article at the Ayn Rand Institute but would argue about this:
I would also strongly argue that Iraq is not a "debacle". We have enjoyed tremendous success in Iraq but it gets little fanfare. Judging the situation in Iraq on what has happened in Fallujah would be like judging the war on crime in the US on what is happening in Washington DC and Detroit.
Please also note how the author mentions Iraq in the first paragragh and then Somalia, Bosnia and Haiti in the second - was this lumping together conscious or unconscious on the part of the author? Iraq is no more like those other three than it is like Vietnam. One final observation - note that the author never mentions the US action in Afghanistan. Could that be because Afghanistan has been a precedent setting success and the author prefers to dwell on failures? I let you be the judge.
- MLB Hot Stove Report
- Color me very surprised on this move. Lieber was their most effective starter down the stretch and in the playoffs.
- Arlen Specter (whose name I always thought came straight from a Stephen King novel) violated one of Don Vito's cardinal rules - "Never tell anyone outside the family what you're thinking."
- I agree with the central point of this article at the Ayn Rand Institute but would argue about this:
Any element of self-sacrifice in war is a betrayal of our soldiers and the American freedom they fight for. Witness the ongoing debacle in Iraq, where the Bush Administration has forced American soldiers to fight with self-crippling restrictions, leading to hundreds of unnecessary American deaths and enabling a militarily puny insurgency to take over Iraqi cities--all in the name of saving Iraqi civilians and mosques.The United States does not ask its soldiers to die for it - it asks its soldiers to FIGHT for it. There is a big difference. Contrast the US military mindset that makes Senator John McCain a hero for preserving both his life and dignity during years of captivity vs. the Japanese who looked at surrender even under the worst circumstances as a matter of shame.
Our heroic fighting men and women are not to blame for these disasters. It is the politicians who are responsible. It is they who believe that our soldiers are sacrificial fodder to fulfill the politicians' desire for "prestige-enhancing" adventures. They believe that our armed forces can be sent to aid Somalia--or Haiti or Bosnia--in order to be able to show the world how "humanitarian" the politicians are.
I would also strongly argue that Iraq is not a "debacle". We have enjoyed tremendous success in Iraq but it gets little fanfare. Judging the situation in Iraq on what has happened in Fallujah would be like judging the war on crime in the US on what is happening in Washington DC and Detroit.
Please also note how the author mentions Iraq in the first paragragh and then Somalia, Bosnia and Haiti in the second - was this lumping together conscious or unconscious on the part of the author? Iraq is no more like those other three than it is like Vietnam. One final observation - note that the author never mentions the US action in Afghanistan. Could that be because Afghanistan has been a precedent setting success and the author prefers to dwell on failures? I let you be the judge.
Friday, November 05, 2004
Heh Heh
"This new phenomenon is largely due to a new drug cocktail that causes men to lose awareness of their surroundings, while at the same time maintaining a massive erection."I shouldn't laugh at this but after all the stress of the Red Sox and then the election - well...here's the rest of the story.
Miscellaneous Thoughts
What if they cancelled the entire NHL season and nobody noticed?.... I think this thing is called a Zimmer (all it needs is a Yankee cap)... I find Peggy Noonan very attractive... Now you don't have to be Lavar Arrington to see Serena Williams' boobs (NSFW)... I hope you're happy... Abe Vigoda is still alive!
What if they cancelled the entire NHL season and nobody noticed?.... I think this thing is called a Zimmer (all it needs is a Yankee cap)... I find Peggy Noonan very attractive... Now you don't have to be Lavar Arrington to see Serena Williams' boobs (NSFW)... I hope you're happy... Abe Vigoda is still alive!
Whither Pedro?
Sportsbetting.com has an interesting futures bet - where will Pedro Martinez play next year? Here are the odds. (I am somewhat surpised that the odds on Anaheim are so short.)
Anaheim Angels..........4-1
Baltimore Orioles.......15-1
Boston Red Sox..........6-5
Chicago White Sox.....30-1
Florida Marlins..........35-1
Houston Astros..........40-1
Los Angeles Dodgers....10-1
New York Mets...........20-1
New York Yankees.......10-1
Philadelphia Phillies.....20-1
Washington DC...........15-1
Sportsbetting.com has an interesting futures bet - where will Pedro Martinez play next year? Here are the odds. (I am somewhat surpised that the odds on Anaheim are so short.)
Anaheim Angels..........4-1
Baltimore Orioles.......15-1
Boston Red Sox..........6-5
Chicago White Sox.....30-1
Florida Marlins..........35-1
Houston Astros..........40-1
Los Angeles Dodgers....10-1
New York Mets...........20-1
New York Yankees.......10-1
Philadelphia Phillies.....20-1
Washington DC...........15-1
Cowboy Up
Red Sox fans are very rarely happy - so just days after winning the World Series many were busy complaining about Kevin Millar and his claims that the team did good luck shots before every game since the sixth Yankee game.
The whole episode is just a tempest in a teacup (or shot glass as the case may be). Besides don't the sports people in Boston know that "Cowboying up" is bar slang for doing a shot?
From the pages of Modern Drunkard:
Red Sox fans are very rarely happy - so just days after winning the World Series many were busy complaining about Kevin Millar and his claims that the team did good luck shots before every game since the sixth Yankee game.
The whole episode is just a tempest in a teacup (or shot glass as the case may be). Besides don't the sports people in Boston know that "Cowboying up" is bar slang for doing a shot?
From the pages of Modern Drunkard:
cowboy up v. to order a shot of whiskey.So there you have it. What's the big deal?
Thursday, November 04, 2004
No Way to Run a Campaign - Hindsight 20/20
OK - let's not get too carried away with Bush's victory.
The fact of the matter is that the result of the election hung on just 68,000 voters in Ohio. That's just 1.25% of the total Ohio vote. If 68,000 people in Ohio voted for Kerry instead of Bush - then we would have had a dead heat and the Ohio ballots would be in the courts today - giving us the 2000 election all over again.
John Kerry came within 68,000 votes of possibly winning the Presidency. Let that sink in for a moment.
Personally, I think John Kerry screwed up in a big way. His campaign was an embarrassment of poor decision making. Looking back - here are the 10 things Kerry should have changed which would have won him the election.
1. Swift Boat ads: Kerry ignored the ads when they first came out. The ads were seized upon by the right and the book Unfit for Command became a number 1 best seller. Kerry handled this all wrong.
First - let's assume that Kerry didn't want to release his military records for a reason. He easily could have dismissed this matter by signing his 180 release form. The fact he did not is pretty good evidence that his military record is not what he was cracking it up to be.
Still, all Kerry had to do was release a statement saying something along the lines of, "As a Vietnam veteran and as an American, I acknowledge both the service these men gave to our country and their right to voice their opinions. Obviously - we disagree about many things and I am resigned to the fact that I probably won't be getting John O'Niell's vote. What I won't do is re-open old wounds that would serve no purpose other than further dividing this nation."
That statement would have turned the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth into just another partisan group instead of a group of US veterans that Kerry was hiding from. The whole episode left many with the idea of "If he can't stand up to 270 elderly veterans - how is he going to stand up to Osama bin Laden and those who wish us dead?"
2. Kerry got nothing but trouble from his foreign policy advisors. Sandy "document burglar" Berger, Robert Rubin suggesting giving Iran nuclear fuel, Joe Wilson of questionable veracity - all trouble. Most people didn't know who these people were until they brought negative press to the campaign. Then to top it off Madeline Albright and Richard Holbrooke? Yuk.
Kerry would have been so much better served by trying to keep answers to questions on foreign policy short and focusing much of the attention of the campaign on domestic issues like jobs. Foreign policy was not where the votes were for Kerry in this election. Americans really are insular and care about what's happening here. Kerry got in trouble because of his focus on global tests instead of domestic ones.
3. "Reporting for Duty." That was awful. Someone pointed out that real heroes never point out the fact that they are heroes because they don't have to. Instead of saluting the crowd and reporting for duty - Kerry should have gone after Bush.
4. Bush was vulnerable on Homeland Defense - especially our porous borders. Kerry could have pounded home the idea that "How can Bush say he's keeping us safe if he hasn't even secured our borders?" The Texas border counties from Laredo to Brownsville all voted for Kerry. Any of the major networks could have done features on the boarder that would have been much more damaging to Bush than the phony Reserve documents.
5. Kerry was all over the place on where he stood on Iraq. He should have had a simple story and stuck with it. I would have suggested, "I don't agree with how the President got us into Iraq but now that we are there we have to do everything possible to make sure we win. The men and women of Iraq deserve our support. They want to be free and under my leadership - we'll make sure that happens."
Doesn't that sound much better than "Wrong war, wrong place, wrong time"?
6. John Kerry was on the campaign trail instead of in Washington for the historic visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. This was a tremendous lapse in judgment. Allawi was here to say "Thank you" to the American people.
7. Stop equating everything with Vietnam. Enough was never enough for Kerry but this turned off many people. You never hear John McCain mention that he was a Vietnam veteran unless he is asked about it.
8. John Kerry should have stayed away from throwing a football or baseball. If he knew he couldn't reach home plate (even from in front of the mound) he should have declined offers to throw out the first pitch. Campaign pictures of him playing catch football just made him look goofy.
9. Kerry should have not only kept his distance from Jimmy Carter and Michael Moore - he should have distanced himself from them. Nobody says "failed President" better than Jimmy Carter. Nobody longs for the good old days of the Carter Presidency. The people who like Carter and Moore were voting for Kerry anyway (because mainly Kerry isn't George Bush) - associating himself with Carter and Moore was a negative for Kerry for the middle of the road voter (both Democrat and independent).
10. Kerry never should have mentioned Dick Cheney's daughter at the final debate. Kerry won the final debate but all anyone will ever remember is Kerry mentioning Dick Cheney's daughter "who is a lesbian". At the time I said that who ever suggested this as a campaign strategy should have been fired on the spot.
If Kerry had done just a few of the above the way I suggest instead of the way he did handle it - then we may have had a new President of the United States today. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Kerry lost - very glad Kerry lost. The way he bungled the campaign day after day showed that he was incapable of running the country.
I firmly believe that historians will look back at the way Kerry ran his campaign and shake their heads. I'm shaking my head now (and have been since August).
68,000 votes. 1.25% of the total Ohio vote. The truth is John Kerry lost this campaign just as much as George Bush won it.
OK - let's not get too carried away with Bush's victory.
The fact of the matter is that the result of the election hung on just 68,000 voters in Ohio. That's just 1.25% of the total Ohio vote. If 68,000 people in Ohio voted for Kerry instead of Bush - then we would have had a dead heat and the Ohio ballots would be in the courts today - giving us the 2000 election all over again.
John Kerry came within 68,000 votes of possibly winning the Presidency. Let that sink in for a moment.
Personally, I think John Kerry screwed up in a big way. His campaign was an embarrassment of poor decision making. Looking back - here are the 10 things Kerry should have changed which would have won him the election.
1. Swift Boat ads: Kerry ignored the ads when they first came out. The ads were seized upon by the right and the book Unfit for Command became a number 1 best seller. Kerry handled this all wrong.
First - let's assume that Kerry didn't want to release his military records for a reason. He easily could have dismissed this matter by signing his 180 release form. The fact he did not is pretty good evidence that his military record is not what he was cracking it up to be.
Still, all Kerry had to do was release a statement saying something along the lines of, "As a Vietnam veteran and as an American, I acknowledge both the service these men gave to our country and their right to voice their opinions. Obviously - we disagree about many things and I am resigned to the fact that I probably won't be getting John O'Niell's vote. What I won't do is re-open old wounds that would serve no purpose other than further dividing this nation."
That statement would have turned the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth into just another partisan group instead of a group of US veterans that Kerry was hiding from. The whole episode left many with the idea of "If he can't stand up to 270 elderly veterans - how is he going to stand up to Osama bin Laden and those who wish us dead?"
2. Kerry got nothing but trouble from his foreign policy advisors. Sandy "document burglar" Berger, Robert Rubin suggesting giving Iran nuclear fuel, Joe Wilson of questionable veracity - all trouble. Most people didn't know who these people were until they brought negative press to the campaign. Then to top it off Madeline Albright and Richard Holbrooke? Yuk.
Kerry would have been so much better served by trying to keep answers to questions on foreign policy short and focusing much of the attention of the campaign on domestic issues like jobs. Foreign policy was not where the votes were for Kerry in this election. Americans really are insular and care about what's happening here. Kerry got in trouble because of his focus on global tests instead of domestic ones.
3. "Reporting for Duty." That was awful. Someone pointed out that real heroes never point out the fact that they are heroes because they don't have to. Instead of saluting the crowd and reporting for duty - Kerry should have gone after Bush.
4. Bush was vulnerable on Homeland Defense - especially our porous borders. Kerry could have pounded home the idea that "How can Bush say he's keeping us safe if he hasn't even secured our borders?" The Texas border counties from Laredo to Brownsville all voted for Kerry. Any of the major networks could have done features on the boarder that would have been much more damaging to Bush than the phony Reserve documents.
5. Kerry was all over the place on where he stood on Iraq. He should have had a simple story and stuck with it. I would have suggested, "I don't agree with how the President got us into Iraq but now that we are there we have to do everything possible to make sure we win. The men and women of Iraq deserve our support. They want to be free and under my leadership - we'll make sure that happens."
Doesn't that sound much better than "Wrong war, wrong place, wrong time"?
6. John Kerry was on the campaign trail instead of in Washington for the historic visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. This was a tremendous lapse in judgment. Allawi was here to say "Thank you" to the American people.
7. Stop equating everything with Vietnam. Enough was never enough for Kerry but this turned off many people. You never hear John McCain mention that he was a Vietnam veteran unless he is asked about it.
8. John Kerry should have stayed away from throwing a football or baseball. If he knew he couldn't reach home plate (even from in front of the mound) he should have declined offers to throw out the first pitch. Campaign pictures of him playing catch football just made him look goofy.
9. Kerry should have not only kept his distance from Jimmy Carter and Michael Moore - he should have distanced himself from them. Nobody says "failed President" better than Jimmy Carter. Nobody longs for the good old days of the Carter Presidency. The people who like Carter and Moore were voting for Kerry anyway (because mainly Kerry isn't George Bush) - associating himself with Carter and Moore was a negative for Kerry for the middle of the road voter (both Democrat and independent).
10. Kerry never should have mentioned Dick Cheney's daughter at the final debate. Kerry won the final debate but all anyone will ever remember is Kerry mentioning Dick Cheney's daughter "who is a lesbian". At the time I said that who ever suggested this as a campaign strategy should have been fired on the spot.
If Kerry had done just a few of the above the way I suggest instead of the way he did handle it - then we may have had a new President of the United States today. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Kerry lost - very glad Kerry lost. The way he bungled the campaign day after day showed that he was incapable of running the country.
I firmly believe that historians will look back at the way Kerry ran his campaign and shake their heads. I'm shaking my head now (and have been since August).
68,000 votes. 1.25% of the total Ohio vote. The truth is John Kerry lost this campaign just as much as George Bush won it.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Vazquez for the Unit?
Ben Jacobs at The Hardball Times piqued my interest with speculation of a Javier Vazquez for Randy Johnson deal. Jacobs just mentions the possibility but the idea has stuck in my head and I think it makes sense.
This year Vazquez faded badly down the stretch. Post All-Star game he was just 4-5 with a 6.92 ERA. More importantly - this season he was just 1-2 with a 5.56 ERA vs. the Red Sox. Strike three on Vazquez as a Yankee may have been his 9.53 post-season ERA (even though he was 1-0 in 11 plus innings).
Randy Johnson is a big game stud. Do you think Steinbrenner cares that he's 40? Do you think he cares that Johnson will probably want a 2-year $30 million extension to approve the trade?
Vazquez has been decent in his career at the BOB (Bank One Ballpark) going 2-1 with a 3.41 and a 1.17 WHIP. The Diamondbacks would be getting an NL Cy Young caliber pitcher back for Johnson. What's not to like from both sides?
This is one of those thoughts that will gnaw at me for days.
Ben Jacobs at The Hardball Times piqued my interest with speculation of a Javier Vazquez for Randy Johnson deal. Jacobs just mentions the possibility but the idea has stuck in my head and I think it makes sense.
This year Vazquez faded badly down the stretch. Post All-Star game he was just 4-5 with a 6.92 ERA. More importantly - this season he was just 1-2 with a 5.56 ERA vs. the Red Sox. Strike three on Vazquez as a Yankee may have been his 9.53 post-season ERA (even though he was 1-0 in 11 plus innings).
Randy Johnson is a big game stud. Do you think Steinbrenner cares that he's 40? Do you think he cares that Johnson will probably want a 2-year $30 million extension to approve the trade?
Vazquez has been decent in his career at the BOB (Bank One Ballpark) going 2-1 with a 3.41 and a 1.17 WHIP. The Diamondbacks would be getting an NL Cy Young caliber pitcher back for Johnson. What's not to like from both sides?
This is one of those thoughts that will gnaw at me for days.
The Bushes vs. the Adames
Lost in the shuffle so far has been the fact that the father / son tandem of George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush have exceeded the historical accomplishment of the other father / son duo to hold the office of the President.
John Adams was a one term President (1797-1801) as was his son John Quincy Adams (1825-1829). With W's re-election the Bush tandem will now have three terms in office to the Adames two.
Lost in the shuffle so far has been the fact that the father / son tandem of George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush have exceeded the historical accomplishment of the other father / son duo to hold the office of the President.
John Adams was a one term President (1797-1801) as was his son John Quincy Adams (1825-1829). With W's re-election the Bush tandem will now have three terms in office to the Adames two.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Presidential Odds
This morning I noticed that the line had move a bit in Bush's favor to Bush -$155 and Kerry +$125. Now it is back to where the line started yesterday morning - Bush -$165 and Kerry +$135 (meaning you would have to risk $165 on Bush to win $100 or risk just $100 to win $135 on Kerry).
Yesterday the line dropped as low as Bush -$135 and Kerry +$105. I get the feeling that betting on a Bush win is as close to a sure thing as I'll see for a long time.
This morning I noticed that the line had move a bit in Bush's favor to Bush -$155 and Kerry +$125. Now it is back to where the line started yesterday morning - Bush -$165 and Kerry +$135 (meaning you would have to risk $165 on Bush to win $100 or risk just $100 to win $135 on Kerry).
Yesterday the line dropped as low as Bush -$135 and Kerry +$105. I get the feeling that betting on a Bush win is as close to a sure thing as I'll see for a long time.
Election Day
I'm helping out at The Command Post today - I'll be manning the Massachusetts election info section along with Jennifer from Cup and Saucer.
The Command Post will have the best election day coverage available on the web - be sure to check out their Election Day Coverage several time during the day. New things are being added every several minutes.
As far as Massachusetts is concerned - honestly it's pretty boring.
I'm helping out at The Command Post today - I'll be manning the Massachusetts election info section along with Jennifer from Cup and Saucer.
The Command Post will have the best election day coverage available on the web - be sure to check out their Election Day Coverage several time during the day. New things are being added every several minutes.
As far as Massachusetts is concerned - honestly it's pretty boring.
Monday, November 01, 2004
Presidential Odds
In what is likely to be the final update on the betting line on the Presidential election - today President Bush's lead continued to shrink. Earlier in the day the line had shrunk from Bush -$165 and Kerry +$135 to Bush -$150 and Kerry +$120. Now the new line is Bush -$135 and Kerry +$105 (meaning you would have to risk $135 on Bush to win $100 or risk just $100 to win $105 on Kerry).
Keep in mind that in betting a line of -$120 is considered even (bet $120 to win $100 - with $20 going to the "house").
EDIT: What an active line! It's back up to Bush -$150 and Kerry +$120 (meaning you would have to risk $150 to win $100 on Bush or risk $100 to win $120 on Kerry).
In what is likely to be the final update on the betting line on the Presidential election - today President Bush's lead continued to shrink. Earlier in the day the line had shrunk from Bush -$165 and Kerry +$135 to Bush -$150 and Kerry +$120. Now the new line is Bush -$135 and Kerry +$105 (meaning you would have to risk $135 on Bush to win $100 or risk just $100 to win $105 on Kerry).
Keep in mind that in betting a line of -$120 is considered even (bet $120 to win $100 - with $20 going to the "house").
EDIT: What an active line! It's back up to Bush -$150 and Kerry +$120 (meaning you would have to risk $150 to win $100 on Bush or risk $100 to win $120 on Kerry).
No Way to Run a Campaign
Below please find a timeline of how the Kerry campaign has been run since August 1st. This is just three months but I think the incompetence, deceit and meanspiritedness exhibited show why John Kerry should not be trusted to run the country for four years.
Aug. 1 - Normally a candidate gets a "bounce" in the polls immediately after his convention - not so for Kerry.
Aug. 2 - Kerry advisor says Kerry will make world safer by giving Iran nuclear fuel and hope that they use it for good. Sane people everywhere say, "Are you friggin' kidding me?" Meanwhile the Kerry campaign suffers some guilt from association after Howard Dean questions the timing of terror alerts in New York - claiming they could be politically motivated. Again, sane people everywhere ask, "Are you friggin' kidding me?"
Aug. 3 - Swift Boat Veterans for Truth explain their version of the real story of John Kerry's military history - this picture was interesting
Aug. 4 - The Kerry campaign and DNC lawyers threaten legal action against any stations that air the Swift Boat ads. Instead of addressing the allegations made by the vets - Kerry decides that threat of legal action would be better. The campaign slogan is officially amended to "Bring it on.....and we'll sue!" Meanwhile Senator Kerry announces:
Aug. 5 - Kerry tells reporters that he would not have waited around like Bush did for 7 minutes on 9/11. He states:
This claim comes back to bite him in the ass when his actual reaction to the morning of 9/11 is revealed - over 40 minutes of not being able to think or act.
Aug. 6 - Former New York Mayor - Rudy Giuliani notes that it is sad that a man running for the president seems to be getting his clues from Michael Moore and Rudy adds for good measure:
On the Swift Boat front - the now controversial Michael Kranish pens a piece for the Boston Globe that claims that George Elliot has recanted his criticism of John Kerry. George Elliot responds under oath saying "I said no such things."
Aug. 7 - Kerry's wife Theresa contradicts Kerry's claim that the President did not act properly on the morning of 9/11 by saying:
Aug. 8 - At the DNC Theresa Heinz-Kerry claimed to be active in anti-Apartheid protests but evidence suggests that she attended just a single protest.
Aug. 9 - A Rueters article notes that; "Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry said on Monday he would have voted for the congressional resolution authorizing force against Iraq even if he had known then no weapons of mass destruction would be found." This goes over well with the Deaniac base.
Aug. 10 - The Mary Ann Knowles story about having to work through chemotherapy that Kerry used at the DNC turns out to be untrue.
Aug. 11 - The Kerry Campaign changes its story on Christmas in Cambodia. I don't think "seared into my memory" means what I think he thinks it means.
Aug. 12 - Quiet day for the Kerry Campaign. Whoever was in charge today should get a promotion.
Aug. 13 - Grumbling from the Kerry Press Corps. Oh and an article by Kathleen Antrim in the ultra liberal San Francisco Examiner leads with, "John F. Kerry's campaign for president is imploding. And he knows it."
Aug. 14 - Dave Kopel examines media bias on the Swift Boat Veterans issue. The Kerry Campaign takes another guilt by association hit when Senator Tom Harkin calls VP Dick Cheney a "coward" for not serving in Vietnam. It is quickly pointed out that Harkin has lied about his service (actually lack of service) in Vietnam in the past. Harkin is supposed to be an integral part of the campaign but is now nowhere to be found.
Aug. 15 - The Christmas in Cambodia claims are examined in of all places - The Seattle Times
Aug. 16 - It is noted that the Kerry / Edwards Campaign site touts that "Kerry is an Experienced Leader in the Intelligence Field - John Kerry served on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is the former Vice Chairman of the Committee" - the problem is that was actually Bob Kerrey. John Kerry was never Vice Chairman (maybe there was an attendance requirement?). The claim was later removed from the site but it is strange that Kerry doesn't even seem to know his own resume.
Reports that David Alston never served with Kerry on a Swift Boat turn out to be false but the truth is that it is likely that Alston only served a week with Kerry. Alston is quietly dropped by the Kerry campaign. Bonus - Christmas in Cambodia gets coverage in the Wall Street Journal.
Aug. 17 - FactCheck.org researches a Bush ad claim that Kerry missed 76% of the meetings for the Senate Intelligence Committee (a committee on which Kerry sat and something on his resume that he touts as reason to vote for him). After checking the available data - FactCheck.org says that the amount of meetings missed or skipped by Kerry was probably higher than 76%. Kerry refuses to release records on his attendance at "closed" meetings
Aug. 18 - Swift Boat vets respond to a counter ad by MoveOn PAC
Kerry receives a less than overwhelming reception from the VFW National Convention in Cincinnati. At the same event Kerry criticized the President's announcement of troop redeployment out of Europe and Korea. The fact is that just two weeks earlier Kerry was quoted as wanting to reduce the number of troops in Korea himself. After the flip-flop is pointed out - troop redeployment is dropped as a campaign talking point.
Aug. 19 - Veterans from the USS Gridley (who served with Kerry on his first tour of Vietnam) come forward as not real enamored of the Senator and the words "just another goofy Ensign" enter the national consciousness.
Aug. 20 - A second ad from Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is released. This ad deals with Kerry's testimony in front of Congress in which he alleges war crimes were rampant in Vietnam. The Veterans in the ad are none too happy with Kerry.
Aug. 21 - The Washington Post profiles William Ferris (who was severely wounded in action and who watched John Kerry's 1971 Senate testimony about war crimes from his hospital bed) and other Swift Boat veterans. The article reminds the reader that Kerry has not released his medical or military records.
Aug. 22 - Bob Dole says something that probably many were thinking:
Aug. 23 - Kerry Campaign "alleges" illegal connection between Bush Campaign and Swift Boat Vets for Truth but ignores the fact that proof of illegal contact between Kerry Campaign and 527 MoveOn.org is literally hosted on their Campaign Website.
Aug. 24 - The Kerry Campaign backpedals on Kerry's first Purple Heart - quote from Fox News' Major Garrett:
The "stunt" may have double back-fired when the Bush Campaign presents their own letter which reads in part:
Aug. 26th - This ranks up there with Kerry's "Manny Ortiz" quote about the Red Sox:
Aug. 28th - Earlier Kerry had told a mostly Cuban crowd in Florida that he voted for the get tough on Castro Helms-Burton Act. But when fact checked - it turns out that Kerry voted against Helms-Burton (only one of 22 nays). The Kerry campaign tried to explain the "discrepancy":
Aug. 29th - The Kerry campaign is going so poorly - even the Kerry girls get booed.
Aug. 30th - It seems like even the Democratic consultants realize that Kerry's message of "things are bad and have to change" isn't selling.
Aug. 31st - It seems like the Kerry campaign finally acknowledges what has been obvious to most everyone else for a long time and changes in the campaign staffing are in the works.
Sept. 1st - After an awful August - a furious Kerry orders a shakeup of his campaign leadership. Meanwhile - the San Francisco Chronicle lauds the GOP as the party of inclusiveness? That can't be welcome news for the Kerry campaign. At the RNC the Democrats get hell from one of their own - Zell Miller:
Sept. 3rd - The Kerry campaign has to settle for Joe-mentum as all the "momentum" goes to President Bush.
Sept. 4th - The town of Steubenville, Ohio gives Kerry the cold shoulder. Doesn't this campaign have any advance people who can sniff out problems like this? Meanwhile Newsweek also shows Bush with an 11 point lead over Kerry.
Sept. 5th - The Kerry campaign can stonewall the Swiftboat Vets but I'm pretty sure that they'll have to answer the questions from the Inspector General of the Navy regarding false claims. The Kerry campaign posts what they call "lies, mischaracterizations, distortions, and half-truths" from the four days of RNC. (NOTE: the original page on the Kerry website is "disappeared" like Soviet airbrushing of history but Charles at LGF kept a copy - God bless Charles.) Reading through the list leaves you scratching your head thinking WTF? For example - is the Kerry campaign agreeing with this or disputing it? It's hard to tell:
Sept. 7th - Kerry's attempt to appear as a regular guy backfires when it is reported that the shotgun he accepted as a gift is among the guns he cosponsored a bill to ban. Kerry's "wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time" sounds like something Howard Dean would say and something that Kerry would have attacked Dean for saying. The name Steve Pitkin surfaces - keep this in mind for future reference because I think you may be hearing more about him later in the campaign (especially if the Kerry campaign tries something stupid like trying to pass off forged documents about Bush's guard service).
Sept. 8th - Kerry loses the endorsement from both the VFW and the American Legion to President Bush. This is normally not that big a deal but Kerry made his status as a veteran of a foreign war a cornerstone of his campaign. Meanwhile even media outlets who favor Kerry are having trouble figuring out who's in charge of the campaign. Could it be that nobody wants the "credit" for this disaster of a campaign?
Sept. 9th - The much anticipated Washington Post / ABC poll numbers are released and it is pretty much all bad news for the Kerry campaign. Major collateral damage to the Kerry campaign is suffered when FOK-er (Friend of Kerry) Dan Rather uses documents to smear President Bush that are almost immediately widely denounced as forgeries.
Sept. 10th - Speculation that the forged documents are tied to the DNC. CBS not releasing its sources will only further the idea that this is true. Meanwhile - it has been 41 days since John Kerry last allowed himself to be questioned in an interview. Maybe the idea is to never allow the candidate to answer any more questions until election day?
Sept 11th - Kerry uses a solemn day of remembrance to play the race card.
Sept. 12th - The Kerry campaign's collateral damage from the 60 Minutes fraud continues.
Sept. 13th - Zell "I will never trust John Kerry with my family's safety" Miller keeps firing away and damaging the Kerry campaign among NRA Democrats. John Kerry tries to get his message out but nobody is listening because all the attention is on Dan Rather and his dubious documents.
Sept. 14th - Kerry continues to trail in the major swing states. The DNC ties itself to Dan Rather in a big way. Republicans ask "is this the best they got?"
Sept. 15th - Things are so bad for the Kerry campaign that both New Jersey and Illinois are now in play. First Jon Stewart and now Don Imus. At least Kerry is heading in the right direction. At this pace he won't do Tim Russet's show until November 6th (which of course will be too late).
Sept. 16th - Possibly the low point for the Kerry campaign. I must say that the tenor of the campaign is set at the top and with Kerry on the attack, attack, attack with no substance - this particular attack may come to symbolize the campaign without dignity. I'm just glad that the Union leadership acted in an adult fashion. The Kerry Campaign suffers collateral damage as MoveOn.org comes out with an ad showing a defeated American soldier in Iraq. The ad is immediately attacked by people like Bob Dole who calls for John Kerry to condemn the ad. Does MoveOn.org really think they are aiding John Kerry's chances with ads like this?
Sept. 17th - CBS's new poll shows Bush ahead by 9 points - but people are now taking anything from CBS with a grain of salt.
Sept. 18th - John Kerry thinks that President Bush is reaching into the Richard Nixon playbook of secret plans to end the war. This time Kerry alleges that Bush will call up even more National Guardsmen after the election. Meanwhile Kerry's sister chips in with her $.02 - telling Australians that siding with the US has only served to make them targets.
Sept. 19th - Football Fans for truth come out against Kerry. The 2004 campaign for President in a nutshell - Dick Cheney visits Green Bay and campaigns with Packer legend Bart Starr meanwhile Kerry campaigns in Green Bay and calls Lambeau Field "Lambert Field." The Kerry campaign drops the ball yet again.
Sept. 20th - Will future historians blame Dan Rather for killing the Kerry Campaign? Will future historians decide that the Kerry Campaign was an active participant in the fraud? Real reporters don't have the opportunity to ask Kerry about any connections because Kerry only does softball shows like The Daily Show and The Late Show with David Letterman.
Sept. 21st - It's gotten so bad that even Michael Moore is basically calling Kerry a loser.
Sept. 22nd - Kerry tries to pass off the idea that if Bush is re-elected then Bush will bring back the draft. Kerry also faces some reality and concedes Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana and the birthplace of Harry Truman - Missouri. The Kerry campaign concedes those states by pulling all their advertising. Wisconsin may be next on the list. Lambert Field indeed!
Sept. 23rd - The Kerry campaign calls Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi a liar and a puppet. People keep waiting for today's version of Joseph Welch to ask him, "Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?" Instead we get "Oh who cares!"
Sept. 24th - John Kerry praises the UN and criticizes the US and our allies. Foreign policy and building bridges was supposed to be a Kerry strength. I've been doing a daily timeline of the Kerry campaign and I'm having trouble deciding when it passed from a joke to a disgrace.
Sept. 25th - Public backlash about biased media coverage via RatherGate, polls that show almost no hope for Kerry, disappointment in how the candidate attacked the Prime Minister of Iraq who simply came to this country to say thank you, a feeling that less than 2 months till the election nobody yet knows where the candidate stands on the issues - all these things pervade the Kerry campaign but no one new example stands out. So no link for today.
Sept. 26th - With nothing else working - Kerry blasts Bush for saying Mission Accomplished - the only problem being Bush never said Mission Accomplished. Meanwhile Joe Biden has to do a clean up in aisle Kerry over Kerry's earlier slamming of Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.
Sept. 27th - As Homer Simpson would say - it's funny because its true - "He [Kerry] probably could spend 90 minutes debating himself. It's been a little difficult to prepare because he keeps changing positions on the war on terror." Meanwhile the Democrats demonstrate the difference between humor and political scare tactics by sending out Ted "The war in Iraq has made the mushroom cloud more likely, not less likely" Kennedy
Sept. 28th - Tan in a can? Oompa-Lumpa-Gate? Issues take a backseat today while the nation describes Kerry's sudden change in appearance. Personally I think it makes him look like this.
Sept. 29th - CBS News hits bottom and digs with a story about possible re-instatement of the draft. The urban legend has been debunked many times but that doesn't keep CBS from running a very sloppy piece of journalism. It also leads to re-examination of a John Kerry proposal for mandatory government service.
Sept. 30th - John Kerry finally has something go good for him as he performs very well in the first Presidential debate. Unfortunately - it seems to be too little too late. The phrase "Global Test" is sure to make all the Republican talking points from here on in too.
Oct. 1st - Terry MacAuliffe's email spam campaign may have sounded like a good idea at the time but in hindsight no so much.
Oct. 2nd - If I was in charge of the Kerry campaign - the first thing I would do is ban any footballs from getting within 100 yards of the candidate. In addition to footballs - I would also try to keep Theresa out of the public eye as well - it seems like the real managers may have the same idea.
Oct. 3rd - The Lowell Sun (of Massachusetts) endorses President Bush. Kerry still has the Boston Globe in his back pocket though. "Global Test" is turning into this year's "where's the beef" punchline. Oh and about that nuclear fuel for Iran - the mullahs (or in Bush-speak "Moo-lahs") say no thanks.
Oct. 4th - The Kerry campaign's plans to keep Theresa under wraps go awry. Theresa claims that the Taliban is back in power in Afghanistan and that Iraq was a simple matter of "blood for oil".
Oct. 5th - Cheney and Edwards square off at the VP debate. We want Cheney on that wall. We need Cheney on that wall. John Edwards, "Do I seem soft to you?" Babs from Animal House, "Honey is it supposed to be this soft?" Oh and just for good measure:
Oct. 6th - Kerry takes the day off and admits that there's no way France or Germany will be sending troops to Iraq even if Kerry is elected. Both things are good news for the Kerry campaign because most Americans really don't want French or German soldiers in Iraq (we are already busy training the Iraqi soldiers and we don't have time to train others) and Kerry's numbers go up whenever he's out of the public's sight. On another front - the House overwhelmingly votes down Rangel's (D-NY) Draft proposal - hopefully this puts to bed the rumors / smears of a secret draft plan.
Oct. 7th - Kerry's foreign policy plan falling apart. Kerry's plan for mandatory service for high school age students is "disappeared" from the Kerry website coincidently just before the second debate and right after a proposal to reinstate the draft is soundly defeated in the House. When John Kerry says he has a plan and that it is on his web site - check it quick before the campaign deletes it (thank heaven for web archiving).
Oct. 8th - The second debate is viewed as either a draw or a Bush win by most commentators (I had it as a Bush win)
Oct. 9th - ABC tries to give Kerry an assist but instead just joins CBS among those not to be trusted to tell the truth. Rassmussen puts Bush at 50% - not good news for the Kerry campaign.
Oct. 10th - The elections in Afghanistan go smoothly with the first voter being a 19-year old woman. Good news for the United States - bad news for the Kerry campaign. This is probably why Kerry stopped doing interviews: In an interview with the NY Times Kerry calls terrorism a nuisance and compares it to gambling and prostitution. A nuisance? Are you friggin' kidding me?
Oct. 11th - The "nuisance" comment has legs and Rudy Giuliani hammers Kerry for not understanding the threat of terrorism.Meanwhile, after a rash of office break-ins and a seemingly co-ordinated strategy of intimidation and disruption - the Bush Cheney Campaign complains to the AFL-CIO. The public image of union members has certainly taken a big hit in this campaign. Busy day, General Tommy Franks (who was in charge of both the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq) sums up Kerry thusly:
Oct. 14th - What does Dick Cheney think of John Kerry using Cheney's daughter as a campaign prop?
Oct. 16th - Cops who want nothing to do with Kerry:
Oct. 17th - Gallup poll has Bush up by touchdown and two point conversion.
Oct. 18th - Terrorist Yasser Arafat endorses Kerry. The Kerry campaign tries to deflect the news with more silly sports photo ops. Meanwhile, the idea to mention Mary Cheney was not a good one. The Kerry campaign heads to its logical conclusion.
Oct. 19th - The Kerry campaign will have to deal with a very emotional commercial on behalf of President Bush. The Ashey ad debuts today. Meanwhile Kerry speaks French on the campaign trail (maybe he was telling people that he served in Vietnam in a different language just for a change?). Kerry also has to deal with General Tommy Franks taking the hammer to him in a frank comparison between Bush and Kerry.
Oct. 20th - Hmmm...another relatively quiet day. Is there irony in the fact that Kerry spent this relatively quiet day in Waterloo, IA?
Oct. 21st - The "youth" vote chooses Bush by a 55% to 40% margin. A Kerry aid is rumored to respond "Don't they know that Bush has a secret plan to draft them?" Meanwhile Al Gore goes on the stump for Kerry in Florida (and Oliver Stone goes on record as saying this is a Karl Rove conspiracy by the Republicans aimed at annoying independent voters).
Oct. 22nd - The new Bush ad "Wolves" debuts today. The Kerry campaign says they will counter with their own animal ad - one showing an ostrich with his head in the sand and a soaring eagle. Problem is - most people associate Kerry with the ostrich.
Oct. 23rd - The election in a nutshell - Kerry thinks of Osama bin Laden as the world's "number one criminal" while Bush thinks of him as vermin to be exterminated.
Oct. 24th - The New York Times reports that Bush has a higher IQ then Kerry. Questions abound in regard to who is to blame for the failure to get out the "over the hill Diva" and "lesbian talk-show host" vote. Rosie blames Tom Selleck and the NRA. Maybe the October surprise is that Democratic Hawaii is in play?
Oct. 25th - Ouch! This has to hurt Kerry in Wisconsin. Meanwhile Elizabeth Edwards promises / threatens "no riots if we win". In related news - John Edwards sues all you can eat buffet on behalf of wife (sorry cheap shot - I know - but my road to hell is already paved). Oh and those members of the UN Security Council that Kerry claimed to have met with - seems like that meeting most likely occurred in Kerry's Swift boat in Cambodia maybe even over Christmas vacation. Meanwhile Kerry hammers Bush over "disappearance" of explosives from a place that is phonetically called AL - Caa - Caa (later revealed that US Army removed and destroyed munitions - oops Kerry's bad!).
Oct. 26th - Bad news for Kerry - will he be terminated in Ohio on Friday? More bad news from Hollywood - and the rumor surfaces that Kerry /Edwards enjoy gladiator movies.
Oct. 27th - Won't you think of the children! (As free get out the vote labor.)
Oct. 28th - Ouch - the German paper BILD (the largest paper in Europe) endorses Bush - at least Kerry still has the French. Double ouch - the Cape Cod Times also endorses Bush.
Oct. 29th - Is "Wake Up!" the new Kerry campaign slogan? Did it beat out "time for school" or "don't forget to bring a jacket"? Oh and about those munitions at Al Qaqaa - the US Army has them. Meanwhile Osama bin Laden sends election greetings (apparently the words - "I'm John Kerry and I approved this message" were edited out at the last minute).
Oct. 30th - The latest poll numbers are all pretty much bad news for Kerry.
Oct. 31st - John Kerry's stepson Chris Heinze bemoans the "Israel lobby" and call Bush a "cokehead". Yup - the Kerry campaign - all class right till the very end. Jack Welsh - former CEO of GE - has five questions you should ask before casting your vote. The New York Daily News endorses Bush.
Below please find a timeline of how the Kerry campaign has been run since August 1st. This is just three months but I think the incompetence, deceit and meanspiritedness exhibited show why John Kerry should not be trusted to run the country for four years.
Aug. 1 - Normally a candidate gets a "bounce" in the polls immediately after his convention - not so for Kerry.
Aug. 2 - Kerry advisor says Kerry will make world safer by giving Iran nuclear fuel and hope that they use it for good. Sane people everywhere say, "Are you friggin' kidding me?" Meanwhile the Kerry campaign suffers some guilt from association after Howard Dean questions the timing of terror alerts in New York - claiming they could be politically motivated. Again, sane people everywhere ask, "Are you friggin' kidding me?"
Aug. 3 - Swift Boat Veterans for Truth explain their version of the real story of John Kerry's military history - this picture was interesting
Aug. 4 - The Kerry campaign and DNC lawyers threaten legal action against any stations that air the Swift Boat ads. Instead of addressing the allegations made by the vets - Kerry decides that threat of legal action would be better. The campaign slogan is officially amended to "Bring it on.....and we'll sue!" Meanwhile Senator Kerry announces:
I believe I can fight a more effective, more thoughtful, more strategic, more proactive, more sensitive war on terror that reaches out to other nations and brings them to our side and lives up to American values in history.
Aug. 5 - Kerry tells reporters that he would not have waited around like Bush did for 7 minutes on 9/11. He states:
"Had I been reading to children and had my top aide whispered in my ear, 'America is under attack,' I would have told those kids very politely and nicely that the president of the United States had something that he needed to attend to -- and I would have attended to it."
This claim comes back to bite him in the ass when his actual reaction to the morning of 9/11 is revealed - over 40 minutes of not being able to think or act.
Aug. 6 - Former New York Mayor - Rudy Giuliani notes that it is sad that a man running for the president seems to be getting his clues from Michael Moore and Rudy adds for good measure:
John Kerry is an indecisive candidate [with] an inconsistent position on the War on Terror, who voted against funding for our troops and who cannot give a clear answer on his position concerning the decision to remove Saddam Hussein
On the Swift Boat front - the now controversial Michael Kranish pens a piece for the Boston Globe that claims that George Elliot has recanted his criticism of John Kerry. George Elliot responds under oath saying "I said no such things."
Aug. 7 - Kerry's wife Theresa contradicts Kerry's claim that the President did not act properly on the morning of 9/11 by saying:
"I think the president behaved correctly in terms of being quiet amidst stunning news like that in a classroom of kids," she told the host of MSNBC's "Hardball With Chris Matthews" during an interview before the Democratic National Convention last month. "You know, what can you do? It takes you a couple of minutes to digest what you have just heard. And then he was . . . not in his White House and in his office with all of his people. He was in the school in Florida."
Aug. 8 - At the DNC Theresa Heinz-Kerry claimed to be active in anti-Apartheid protests but evidence suggests that she attended just a single protest.
Aug. 9 - A Rueters article notes that; "Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry said on Monday he would have voted for the congressional resolution authorizing force against Iraq even if he had known then no weapons of mass destruction would be found." This goes over well with the Deaniac base.
Aug. 10 - The Mary Ann Knowles story about having to work through chemotherapy that Kerry used at the DNC turns out to be untrue.
Aug. 11 - The Kerry Campaign changes its story on Christmas in Cambodia. I don't think "seared into my memory" means what I think he thinks it means.
Aug. 12 - Quiet day for the Kerry Campaign. Whoever was in charge today should get a promotion.
Aug. 13 - Grumbling from the Kerry Press Corps. Oh and an article by Kathleen Antrim in the ultra liberal San Francisco Examiner leads with, "John F. Kerry's campaign for president is imploding. And he knows it."
Aug. 14 - Dave Kopel examines media bias on the Swift Boat Veterans issue. The Kerry Campaign takes another guilt by association hit when Senator Tom Harkin calls VP Dick Cheney a "coward" for not serving in Vietnam. It is quickly pointed out that Harkin has lied about his service (actually lack of service) in Vietnam in the past. Harkin is supposed to be an integral part of the campaign but is now nowhere to be found.
Aug. 15 - The Christmas in Cambodia claims are examined in of all places - The Seattle Times
Aug. 16 - It is noted that the Kerry / Edwards Campaign site touts that "Kerry is an Experienced Leader in the Intelligence Field - John Kerry served on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is the former Vice Chairman of the Committee" - the problem is that was actually Bob Kerrey. John Kerry was never Vice Chairman (maybe there was an attendance requirement?). The claim was later removed from the site but it is strange that Kerry doesn't even seem to know his own resume.
Reports that David Alston never served with Kerry on a Swift Boat turn out to be false but the truth is that it is likely that Alston only served a week with Kerry. Alston is quietly dropped by the Kerry campaign. Bonus - Christmas in Cambodia gets coverage in the Wall Street Journal.
Aug. 17 - FactCheck.org researches a Bush ad claim that Kerry missed 76% of the meetings for the Senate Intelligence Committee (a committee on which Kerry sat and something on his resume that he touts as reason to vote for him). After checking the available data - FactCheck.org says that the amount of meetings missed or skipped by Kerry was probably higher than 76%. Kerry refuses to release records on his attendance at "closed" meetings
Aug. 18 - Swift Boat vets respond to a counter ad by MoveOn PAC
"We find it odd that MoveOn PAC would question the right of a group of veterans to voice an opinion on a legitimate issue-an issue first raised by John Kerry-and now the centerpiece of his campaign," said Rear Admiral Roy Hoffmann, U.S. Navy (Ret.), founder and chairman of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (www.swiftvets.com). "The 300-plus veterans who make up the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have every right to participate in a public debate concerning the controversy surrounding John Kerry's military service record. We were there. We served alongside John Kerry and we know the history of his service. We will not be silenced."
Kerry receives a less than overwhelming reception from the VFW National Convention in Cincinnati. At the same event Kerry criticized the President's announcement of troop redeployment out of Europe and Korea. The fact is that just two weeks earlier Kerry was quoted as wanting to reduce the number of troops in Korea himself. After the flip-flop is pointed out - troop redeployment is dropped as a campaign talking point.
Aug. 19 - Veterans from the USS Gridley (who served with Kerry on his first tour of Vietnam) come forward as not real enamored of the Senator and the words "just another goofy Ensign" enter the national consciousness.
Aug. 20 - A second ad from Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is released. This ad deals with Kerry's testimony in front of Congress in which he alleges war crimes were rampant in Vietnam. The Veterans in the ad are none too happy with Kerry.
Aug. 21 - The Washington Post profiles William Ferris (who was severely wounded in action and who watched John Kerry's 1971 Senate testimony about war crimes from his hospital bed) and other Swift Boat veterans. The article reminds the reader that Kerry has not released his medical or military records.
Aug. 22 - Bob Dole says something that probably many were thinking:
"One day he's saying that we were shooting civilians, cutting off their ears, cutting off their heads, throwing away his medals or his ribbons," Dole said. "The next day he's standing there, 'I want to be president because I'm a Vietnam veteran.
"Maybe he should apologize to all the other 2.5 million veterans who served. He wasn't the only one in Vietnam," said Dole, whose World War II wounds left him without the use of his right arm.
Dole added: "And here's, you know, a good guy, a good friend. I respect his record. But three Purple Hearts and never bled that I know of. I mean, they're all superficial wounds. Three Purple Hearts and you're out."
Aug. 23 - Kerry Campaign "alleges" illegal connection between Bush Campaign and Swift Boat Vets for Truth but ignores the fact that proof of illegal contact between Kerry Campaign and 527 MoveOn.org is literally hosted on their Campaign Website.
Aug. 24 - The Kerry Campaign backpedals on Kerry's first Purple Heart - quote from Fox News' Major Garrett:
GARRETT: And questions keep coming. For example, Kerry received a Purple Heart for wounds suffered on December 2nd, 1968. But an entry in Kerry's own journal written nine days later, he writes that, quote, he and his crew hadn't been shot at yet, unquote. Kerry's campaign has said it is possible his first Purple Heart was awarded for an unintentionally self-inflicted wound.John Kerry comes out of his media semi-seclusion to appear on Comedy Channel's Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Kerry manages a "Daily" double of both alienating the main stream media by appearing on the Comedy Channel instead of say - NBC, ABC or CBS while at the same time appearing less Presidential than host Jon Stewart. Even the normally "Kerry friendly" Slate rips into the appearance:
Kerry's charisma was less than zero: It was negative. He was a charm vacuum, forced to actually borrow mojo from audience members. He was a dessicated husk, a tin man who really didn't have a heart. His lack of vibrancy, his utter dearth of sex appeal made Al Gore look like Charo. . . .Aug. 25th - Kerry sends triple amputee Max Cleland to Bush's Texas ranch to demand the President denounce the swift Boat Veteran ads. The event seems staged (and is even reportedly filmed by Michael Moore) and reminds people of a quote from Kerry from back in 1971.
"I called the media. . . . I said, 'If I take some crippled veterans down to the White House and we chain ourselves to the gates, will we get coverage?' 'Oh, yes, we will cover that.' "--John Kerry, testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, April 22, 1971
The "stunt" may have double back-fired when the Bush Campaign presents their own letter which reads in part:
We’re proud of our service in Vietnam. We served honorably in Vietnam and we were deeply hurt and offended by your comments when you came home.The letter is signed by by among others - two Congressional Medal of Honor recipients.
You can’t have it both ways. You can’t build your convention and much of your campaign around your service in Vietnam, and then try to say that only those veterans who agree with you have a right to speak up. There is no double standard for our right to free speech. We all earned it.
Aug. 26th - This ranks up there with Kerry's "Manny Ortiz" quote about the Red Sox:
As he [Kerry] was taking questions from the audience, he referred to the legendary Packers stadium, Lambeau Field (which has been called that for 39 years) as "Lambert Field."Aug. 27th - The story of Kerry's first Purple Heart becomes murkier. And murkier. The Campaign strategy was to use Kerry's military experience to bolster his standing as Commander in Chief but what it has done is greatly undermine his credibility.
Aug. 28th - Earlier Kerry had told a mostly Cuban crowd in Florida that he voted for the get tough on Castro Helms-Burton Act. But when fact checked - it turns out that Kerry voted against Helms-Burton (only one of 22 nays). The Kerry campaign tried to explain the "discrepancy":
Asked Friday to explain the discrepancy, Kerry aides said the senator cast one of the 22 nays that day in 1996 because he disagreed with some of the final technical aspects. But, said spokesman David Wade, Kerry supported the legislation in its purer form -- and voted for it months earlier.I really don't think they understand that "I voted for it before I voted against it" has already become a national joke. Plus more questions on the Silver Star. Oh - and even more questions on Kerry's Silver Star. The also Kerry campaign allows itself to fall victim of a prank (my personal favorite)
Aug. 29th - The Kerry campaign is going so poorly - even the Kerry girls get booed.
Aug. 30th - It seems like even the Democratic consultants realize that Kerry's message of "things are bad and have to change" isn't selling.
Aug. 31st - It seems like the Kerry campaign finally acknowledges what has been obvious to most everyone else for a long time and changes in the campaign staffing are in the works.
Sept. 1st - After an awful August - a furious Kerry orders a shakeup of his campaign leadership. Meanwhile - the San Francisco Chronicle lauds the GOP as the party of inclusiveness? That can't be welcome news for the Kerry campaign. At the RNC the Democrats get hell from one of their own - Zell Miller:
What has happened to the party I've spent my life working in? I can remember when Democrats believed that it was the duty of America to fight for freedom over tyranny. It was Democratic President Harry Truman who pushed the Red Army out of Iran, who came to the aid of Greece when Communists threatened to overthrow it, who stared down the Soviet blockade of West Berlin by flying in supplies and saving the city. Time after time in our history, in the face of great danger, Democrats and Republicans worked together to ensure that freedom would not falter. Motivated more by partisan politics than by national security, today's Democratic leaders see America as an occupier, not a liberator. And nothing makes this Marine madder than someone calling American troops occupiers rather than liberators.Sept. 2nd - Another luke-warm reception for Kerry by a veteran's group - this time from the American Legion in Tennessee. Kerry also completely breaks with the age-old gentleman's agreement of not campaigning during the opposition's convention to deliver a midnight speech in Springfield, Ohio in response to the Bush acceptance speech. The Kerry speech does not go over well with - well anyone.
Sept. 3rd - The Kerry campaign has to settle for Joe-mentum as all the "momentum" goes to President Bush.
"The Democrats are eviscerated," says Jay H. Leve, Editor of SurveyUSA. "Even in the most solidly Democratic corners of this country, a majority of adults suddenly believe that George W. Bush will win in November."Time Magazine backs up this survey with a poll of their own that shows Bush leading by 11 points. Kerry's Ace in the hole - Bill Clinton is suddenly unavailable as it becomes necessary for him to have emergency bypass surgery. Meanwhile Ralph Nader gets on the ballot in Michigan despite Kerry's and the DNC's best efforts.
Sept. 4th - The town of Steubenville, Ohio gives Kerry the cold shoulder. Doesn't this campaign have any advance people who can sniff out problems like this? Meanwhile Newsweek also shows Bush with an 11 point lead over Kerry.
Sept. 5th - The Kerry campaign can stonewall the Swiftboat Vets but I'm pretty sure that they'll have to answer the questions from the Inspector General of the Navy regarding false claims. The Kerry campaign posts what they call "lies, mischaracterizations, distortions, and half-truths" from the four days of RNC. (NOTE: the original page on the Kerry website is "disappeared" like Soviet airbrushing of history but Charles at LGF kept a copy - God bless Charles.) Reading through the list leaves you scratching your head thinking WTF? For example - is the Kerry campaign agreeing with this or disputing it? It's hard to tell:
John Kerry Has No Clear, Consistent Vision of Terrorism.Sept. 6th - Kerry gets advice from Bill "Ace in the hole" Clinton and a further shakeup of campaign staffing seems immanent. In a Pennsylvania campaign stop John Kerry clearly veers into Howard Dean territory stating that he would want to bring the troops in Iraq home within 4 years (his first term). In addition:
35. Rudy Giuliani: President Bush sees world terrorism for the evil that it is. John Kerry has no such clear, precise and consistent vision.
Faulting Bush on almost every aspect of his move toward war, Kerry said the United States is carrying the burden in casualties and cost. He called the president's coalition ''the phoniest thing I ever heard.''To date 131 non-US colalition soldiers have lost their lives in Iraq. I am sure the leaders of England, Australia, Portugal and Italy among others are just thrilled with Kerry's latest slur.
Sept. 7th - Kerry's attempt to appear as a regular guy backfires when it is reported that the shotgun he accepted as a gift is among the guns he cosponsored a bill to ban. Kerry's "wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time" sounds like something Howard Dean would say and something that Kerry would have attacked Dean for saying. The name Steve Pitkin surfaces - keep this in mind for future reference because I think you may be hearing more about him later in the campaign (especially if the Kerry campaign tries something stupid like trying to pass off forged documents about Bush's guard service).
Sept. 8th - Kerry loses the endorsement from both the VFW and the American Legion to President Bush. This is normally not that big a deal but Kerry made his status as a veteran of a foreign war a cornerstone of his campaign. Meanwhile even media outlets who favor Kerry are having trouble figuring out who's in charge of the campaign. Could it be that nobody wants the "credit" for this disaster of a campaign?
Sept. 9th - The much anticipated Washington Post / ABC poll numbers are released and it is pretty much all bad news for the Kerry campaign. Major collateral damage to the Kerry campaign is suffered when FOK-er (Friend of Kerry) Dan Rather uses documents to smear President Bush that are almost immediately widely denounced as forgeries.
Sept. 10th - Speculation that the forged documents are tied to the DNC. CBS not releasing its sources will only further the idea that this is true. Meanwhile - it has been 41 days since John Kerry last allowed himself to be questioned in an interview. Maybe the idea is to never allow the candidate to answer any more questions until election day?
Sept 11th - Kerry uses a solemn day of remembrance to play the race card.
Sept. 12th - The Kerry campaign's collateral damage from the 60 Minutes fraud continues.
Sept. 13th - Zell "I will never trust John Kerry with my family's safety" Miller keeps firing away and damaging the Kerry campaign among NRA Democrats. John Kerry tries to get his message out but nobody is listening because all the attention is on Dan Rather and his dubious documents.
Sept. 14th - Kerry continues to trail in the major swing states. The DNC ties itself to Dan Rather in a big way. Republicans ask "is this the best they got?"
Sept. 15th - Things are so bad for the Kerry campaign that both New Jersey and Illinois are now in play. First Jon Stewart and now Don Imus. At least Kerry is heading in the right direction. At this pace he won't do Tim Russet's show until November 6th (which of course will be too late).
Sept. 16th - Possibly the low point for the Kerry campaign. I must say that the tenor of the campaign is set at the top and with Kerry on the attack, attack, attack with no substance - this particular attack may come to symbolize the campaign without dignity. I'm just glad that the Union leadership acted in an adult fashion. The Kerry Campaign suffers collateral damage as MoveOn.org comes out with an ad showing a defeated American soldier in Iraq. The ad is immediately attacked by people like Bob Dole who calls for John Kerry to condemn the ad. Does MoveOn.org really think they are aiding John Kerry's chances with ads like this?
Sept. 17th - CBS's new poll shows Bush ahead by 9 points - but people are now taking anything from CBS with a grain of salt.
Sept. 18th - John Kerry thinks that President Bush is reaching into the Richard Nixon playbook of secret plans to end the war. This time Kerry alleges that Bush will call up even more National Guardsmen after the election. Meanwhile Kerry's sister chips in with her $.02 - telling Australians that siding with the US has only served to make them targets.
Sept. 19th - Football Fans for truth come out against Kerry. The 2004 campaign for President in a nutshell - Dick Cheney visits Green Bay and campaigns with Packer legend Bart Starr meanwhile Kerry campaigns in Green Bay and calls Lambeau Field "Lambert Field." The Kerry campaign drops the ball yet again.
Sept. 20th - Will future historians blame Dan Rather for killing the Kerry Campaign? Will future historians decide that the Kerry Campaign was an active participant in the fraud? Real reporters don't have the opportunity to ask Kerry about any connections because Kerry only does softball shows like The Daily Show and The Late Show with David Letterman.
Sept. 21st - It's gotten so bad that even Michael Moore is basically calling Kerry a loser.
Sept. 22nd - Kerry tries to pass off the idea that if Bush is re-elected then Bush will bring back the draft. Kerry also faces some reality and concedes Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana and the birthplace of Harry Truman - Missouri. The Kerry campaign concedes those states by pulling all their advertising. Wisconsin may be next on the list. Lambert Field indeed!
Sept. 23rd - The Kerry campaign calls Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi a liar and a puppet. People keep waiting for today's version of Joseph Welch to ask him, "Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?" Instead we get "Oh who cares!"
Sept. 24th - John Kerry praises the UN and criticizes the US and our allies. Foreign policy and building bridges was supposed to be a Kerry strength. I've been doing a daily timeline of the Kerry campaign and I'm having trouble deciding when it passed from a joke to a disgrace.
Sept. 25th - Public backlash about biased media coverage via RatherGate, polls that show almost no hope for Kerry, disappointment in how the candidate attacked the Prime Minister of Iraq who simply came to this country to say thank you, a feeling that less than 2 months till the election nobody yet knows where the candidate stands on the issues - all these things pervade the Kerry campaign but no one new example stands out. So no link for today.
Sept. 26th - With nothing else working - Kerry blasts Bush for saying Mission Accomplished - the only problem being Bush never said Mission Accomplished. Meanwhile Joe Biden has to do a clean up in aisle Kerry over Kerry's earlier slamming of Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.
Sept. 27th - As Homer Simpson would say - it's funny because its true - "He [Kerry] probably could spend 90 minutes debating himself. It's been a little difficult to prepare because he keeps changing positions on the war on terror." Meanwhile the Democrats demonstrate the difference between humor and political scare tactics by sending out Ted "The war in Iraq has made the mushroom cloud more likely, not less likely" Kennedy
Sept. 28th - Tan in a can? Oompa-Lumpa-Gate? Issues take a backseat today while the nation describes Kerry's sudden change in appearance. Personally I think it makes him look like this.
Sept. 29th - CBS News hits bottom and digs with a story about possible re-instatement of the draft. The urban legend has been debunked many times but that doesn't keep CBS from running a very sloppy piece of journalism. It also leads to re-examination of a John Kerry proposal for mandatory government service.
Sept. 30th - John Kerry finally has something go good for him as he performs very well in the first Presidential debate. Unfortunately - it seems to be too little too late. The phrase "Global Test" is sure to make all the Republican talking points from here on in too.
Oct. 1st - Terry MacAuliffe's email spam campaign may have sounded like a good idea at the time but in hindsight no so much.
Oct. 2nd - If I was in charge of the Kerry campaign - the first thing I would do is ban any footballs from getting within 100 yards of the candidate. In addition to footballs - I would also try to keep Theresa out of the public eye as well - it seems like the real managers may have the same idea.
Oct. 3rd - The Lowell Sun (of Massachusetts) endorses President Bush. Kerry still has the Boston Globe in his back pocket though. "Global Test" is turning into this year's "where's the beef" punchline. Oh and about that nuclear fuel for Iran - the mullahs (or in Bush-speak "Moo-lahs") say no thanks.
Oct. 4th - The Kerry campaign's plans to keep Theresa under wraps go awry. Theresa claims that the Taliban is back in power in Afghanistan and that Iraq was a simple matter of "blood for oil".
Oct. 5th - Cheney and Edwards square off at the VP debate. We want Cheney on that wall. We need Cheney on that wall. John Edwards, "Do I seem soft to you?" Babs from Animal House, "Honey is it supposed to be this soft?" Oh and just for good measure:
In 2002, John Edwards told CNN’s Late Edition:His story has seemed to have flip-flopped.
“I think Iraq is the most serious and imminent threat to our country. And I think Iraq and Saddam Hussein present the most serious and most imminent threat.”
Oct. 6th - Kerry takes the day off and admits that there's no way France or Germany will be sending troops to Iraq even if Kerry is elected. Both things are good news for the Kerry campaign because most Americans really don't want French or German soldiers in Iraq (we are already busy training the Iraqi soldiers and we don't have time to train others) and Kerry's numbers go up whenever he's out of the public's sight. On another front - the House overwhelmingly votes down Rangel's (D-NY) Draft proposal - hopefully this puts to bed the rumors / smears of a secret draft plan.
Oct. 7th - Kerry's foreign policy plan falling apart. Kerry's plan for mandatory service for high school age students is "disappeared" from the Kerry website coincidently just before the second debate and right after a proposal to reinstate the draft is soundly defeated in the House. When John Kerry says he has a plan and that it is on his web site - check it quick before the campaign deletes it (thank heaven for web archiving).
Oct. 8th - The second debate is viewed as either a draw or a Bush win by most commentators (I had it as a Bush win)
Oct. 9th - ABC tries to give Kerry an assist but instead just joins CBS among those not to be trusted to tell the truth. Rassmussen puts Bush at 50% - not good news for the Kerry campaign.
Oct. 10th - The elections in Afghanistan go smoothly with the first voter being a 19-year old woman. Good news for the United States - bad news for the Kerry campaign. This is probably why Kerry stopped doing interviews: In an interview with the NY Times Kerry calls terrorism a nuisance and compares it to gambling and prostitution. A nuisance? Are you friggin' kidding me?
Oct. 11th - The "nuisance" comment has legs and Rudy Giuliani hammers Kerry for not understanding the threat of terrorism.Meanwhile, after a rash of office break-ins and a seemingly co-ordinated strategy of intimidation and disruption - the Bush Cheney Campaign complains to the AFL-CIO. The public image of union members has certainly taken a big hit in this campaign. Busy day, General Tommy Franks (who was in charge of both the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq) sums up Kerry thusly:
“If his voting record ruled the day, Saddam Hussein would not only be running Iraq but Kuwait,” Franks told about 200 people Sunday at a Reno rally.Oct. 12th - Sinclair Broadcasting decides to run the documentary Stolen Honor. The DNC threatens to sue to stop the broadcast. The Kerry campaign just threatens:
Kerry Senior Advisor Chad Clanton to SINCLAIR Broadcasting: 'They better hope we don't win' [said on FOX NEWS DAYSIDE]..Oct. 13th - Unfortunately for Kerry - the only thing that people will remember from the third Presidential debate is the fact that he tried to use Dick Cheney's daughter for political gain. Whatever campaign advisor suggested that as a strategy should be fired on the spot.
Oct. 14th - What does Dick Cheney think of John Kerry using Cheney's daughter as a campaign prop?
You saw a man who will say and do anything in order to get elected. And I am not speaking just as a father here, though I am a pretty angry father, but as a citizen.Oct. 15th - Kerry continues to use the myth of a draft on the campaign trail. Maybe Kerry wants a draft because the volunteer armed forces overwhelming don't like him? Meanwhile Teresa uses a home remedy (i.e. gin and white raisins) to deal with the aches and pains of the campaign trail. Teresa's snake oil is probably better than what Edwards and Kerry are offering - at least in the eyes of Charles Krauthammer.
Oct. 16th - Cops who want nothing to do with Kerry:
"As the elected leader of the largest organization representing America's Federal, State and local law enforcement officers, I believe it's important to point out yet again that we do not support his candidacy for President," [Fraternal Order of Police President Chuck] Canterbury said. "And to be perfectly frank, the groups which do support him actually share the same membership rolls and, taken together, probably comprise less than one-quarter of our nation's police officers."Remember Kerry claiming 56 pieces of legislation during the debate? (In my best Maxwell Smart voice) "Would you believe 11? How about 5?"
Oct. 17th - Gallup poll has Bush up by touchdown and two point conversion.
Oct. 18th - Terrorist Yasser Arafat endorses Kerry. The Kerry campaign tries to deflect the news with more silly sports photo ops. Meanwhile, the idea to mention Mary Cheney was not a good one. The Kerry campaign heads to its logical conclusion.
Oct. 19th - The Kerry campaign will have to deal with a very emotional commercial on behalf of President Bush. The Ashey ad debuts today. Meanwhile Kerry speaks French on the campaign trail (maybe he was telling people that he served in Vietnam in a different language just for a change?). Kerry also has to deal with General Tommy Franks taking the hammer to him in a frank comparison between Bush and Kerry.
Oct. 20th - Hmmm...another relatively quiet day. Is there irony in the fact that Kerry spent this relatively quiet day in Waterloo, IA?
Oct. 21st - The "youth" vote chooses Bush by a 55% to 40% margin. A Kerry aid is rumored to respond "Don't they know that Bush has a secret plan to draft them?" Meanwhile Al Gore goes on the stump for Kerry in Florida (and Oliver Stone goes on record as saying this is a Karl Rove conspiracy by the Republicans aimed at annoying independent voters).
Oct. 22nd - The new Bush ad "Wolves" debuts today. The Kerry campaign says they will counter with their own animal ad - one showing an ostrich with his head in the sand and a soaring eagle. Problem is - most people associate Kerry with the ostrich.
Oct. 23rd - The election in a nutshell - Kerry thinks of Osama bin Laden as the world's "number one criminal" while Bush thinks of him as vermin to be exterminated.
Oct. 24th - The New York Times reports that Bush has a higher IQ then Kerry. Questions abound in regard to who is to blame for the failure to get out the "over the hill Diva" and "lesbian talk-show host" vote. Rosie blames Tom Selleck and the NRA. Maybe the October surprise is that Democratic Hawaii is in play?
Oct. 25th - Ouch! This has to hurt Kerry in Wisconsin. Meanwhile Elizabeth Edwards promises / threatens "no riots if we win". In related news - John Edwards sues all you can eat buffet on behalf of wife (sorry cheap shot - I know - but my road to hell is already paved). Oh and those members of the UN Security Council that Kerry claimed to have met with - seems like that meeting most likely occurred in Kerry's Swift boat in Cambodia maybe even over Christmas vacation. Meanwhile Kerry hammers Bush over "disappearance" of explosives from a place that is phonetically called AL - Caa - Caa (later revealed that US Army removed and destroyed munitions - oops Kerry's bad!).
Oct. 26th - Bad news for Kerry - will he be terminated in Ohio on Friday? More bad news from Hollywood - and the rumor surfaces that Kerry /Edwards enjoy gladiator movies.
Oct. 27th - Won't you think of the children! (As free get out the vote labor.)
Oct. 28th - Ouch - the German paper BILD (the largest paper in Europe) endorses Bush - at least Kerry still has the French. Double ouch - the Cape Cod Times also endorses Bush.
Oct. 29th - Is "Wake Up!" the new Kerry campaign slogan? Did it beat out "time for school" or "don't forget to bring a jacket"? Oh and about those munitions at Al Qaqaa - the US Army has them. Meanwhile Osama bin Laden sends election greetings (apparently the words - "I'm John Kerry and I approved this message" were edited out at the last minute).
Oct. 30th - The latest poll numbers are all pretty much bad news for Kerry.
Oct. 31st - John Kerry's stepson Chris Heinze bemoans the "Israel lobby" and call Bush a "cokehead". Yup - the Kerry campaign - all class right till the very end. Jack Welsh - former CEO of GE - has five questions you should ask before casting your vote. The New York Daily News endorses Bush.
Sunday, October 31, 2004
No Way To Run a Campaign - October Timeline - Update
October Timeline
Full September Timeline
Full August Timeline
Oct. 30th - The latest poll numbers are all pretty much bad news for Kerry.
Oct. 31st - John Kerry's stepson Chris Heinze bemoans the "Israel lobby" and call Bush a "cokehead". Yup - the Kerry campaign - all class right till the very end. Jack Welsh - former CEO of GE - has five questions you should ask before casting your vote. The New York Daily News endorses Bush.
October Timeline
Full September Timeline
Full August Timeline
Oct. 30th - The latest poll numbers are all pretty much bad news for Kerry.
Oct. 31st - John Kerry's stepson Chris Heinze bemoans the "Israel lobby" and call Bush a "cokehead". Yup - the Kerry campaign - all class right till the very end. Jack Welsh - former CEO of GE - has five questions you should ask before casting your vote. The New York Daily News endorses Bush.
Hot Stove League - Third base (Part 1)
Hot stove time may actually be my favorite part of the baseball season. I'm going to take a look at position by position using the following as a guideline for my posts:
- Where do the Red Sox stand (the Sox are my primary interest - so most or all posts will start with the Sox)
- Who's the best at the position in MLB
- Who are the available free agents at the position
- Predictions
Red Sox - Third Base
On Friday, the Sox announced that they had picked up the 2005 option for Bill Mueller. The official press release says that it was a $2.1 million otion but I'm pretty sure that it got boosted to $2.5 million because Mueller met a plate appearences clause in the contract. Either way - it's a bargain.
Mueller (if healthy) will give the Sox a solid glove at third plus about 15-20 HR, 35-40 2B, .300 BA and an OPS btween .810 and .860. In addition Mueller is a switch hitter and is the most solid of clubhouse guys. What's not to like?
Mueller is backed up by 25-year old Kevin Youkilis who will give you similar offensive numbers to Mueller but who has the added benefits of being both young and cheap. Third base will cost the Red Sox just about $3.0 million in 2005 (which is important for a team that needs to spent those salary dollars elsewhere like catcher, short stop and starting pitcher).
Second baseman Mark Bellhorn can also play third if the need arises. The Red Sox are well covered at third.
Top Third Basemen in MLB
1. Scott Rolen - Cardinals (best all-around)
2. Alex Rodriguez - Yankees (I don't like him but no denying the talent)
3. Adrian Beltre - Dodgers (free agent)
4. Eric Chavez - A's (maybe the best glove at third and 40+ HR potential)
5. Mike Lowell - Marlins
6. Hank Blalock - Rangers
7. Aramis Ramirez - Cubs (often overlooked)
8. Troy Glaus - Angels (if healthy - he's higher up the list - free agent)
9. Chipper Jones - Braves
10. Melvin Mora - Baltimore (just awful with the glove - was going to put Mueller here)
(Just missing the cut - Bill Mueller, Aaron Boone, Casey Blake, Shea Hillenbrand, Vinnie Castilla and Corey Koskie)
Top Free Agent Third Basemen
1. Adrian Beltre - Dodgers (may be re-signed - he was their MVP this year)
2. Troy Glaus - Angels (won't be re-signed - Angels going with Dallas McPherson)
3. Corey Koskie - Twins
4. Vinnie Castilla - Rockies (only batted .218 away from Coors Field - he should stay with the Rockies if he knew what's good for him)
5. Tony Batista - Expos (32 HR in 2004 but just .728 OPS)
6. Joe Randa - Royals (I always though Randa was over-rated)
Hot stove time may actually be my favorite part of the baseball season. I'm going to take a look at position by position using the following as a guideline for my posts:
- Where do the Red Sox stand (the Sox are my primary interest - so most or all posts will start with the Sox)
- Who's the best at the position in MLB
- Who are the available free agents at the position
- Predictions
Red Sox - Third Base
On Friday, the Sox announced that they had picked up the 2005 option for Bill Mueller. The official press release says that it was a $2.1 million otion but I'm pretty sure that it got boosted to $2.5 million because Mueller met a plate appearences clause in the contract. Either way - it's a bargain.
Mueller (if healthy) will give the Sox a solid glove at third plus about 15-20 HR, 35-40 2B, .300 BA and an OPS btween .810 and .860. In addition Mueller is a switch hitter and is the most solid of clubhouse guys. What's not to like?
Mueller is backed up by 25-year old Kevin Youkilis who will give you similar offensive numbers to Mueller but who has the added benefits of being both young and cheap. Third base will cost the Red Sox just about $3.0 million in 2005 (which is important for a team that needs to spent those salary dollars elsewhere like catcher, short stop and starting pitcher).
Second baseman Mark Bellhorn can also play third if the need arises. The Red Sox are well covered at third.
Top Third Basemen in MLB
1. Scott Rolen - Cardinals (best all-around)
2. Alex Rodriguez - Yankees (I don't like him but no denying the talent)
3. Adrian Beltre - Dodgers (free agent)
4. Eric Chavez - A's (maybe the best glove at third and 40+ HR potential)
5. Mike Lowell - Marlins
6. Hank Blalock - Rangers
7. Aramis Ramirez - Cubs (often overlooked)
8. Troy Glaus - Angels (if healthy - he's higher up the list - free agent)
9. Chipper Jones - Braves
10. Melvin Mora - Baltimore (just awful with the glove - was going to put Mueller here)
(Just missing the cut - Bill Mueller, Aaron Boone, Casey Blake, Shea Hillenbrand, Vinnie Castilla and Corey Koskie)
Top Free Agent Third Basemen
1. Adrian Beltre - Dodgers (may be re-signed - he was their MVP this year)
2. Troy Glaus - Angels (won't be re-signed - Angels going with Dallas McPherson)
3. Corey Koskie - Twins
4. Vinnie Castilla - Rockies (only batted .218 away from Coors Field - he should stay with the Rockies if he knew what's good for him)
5. Tony Batista - Expos (32 HR in 2004 but just .728 OPS)
6. Joe Randa - Royals (I always though Randa was over-rated)
No Way To Run a Campaign - October Timeline - Update
October Timeline
Full September Timeline
Full August Timeline
Oct. 27th - Won't you think of the children! (As free get out the vote labor.)
Oct. 28th - Ouch - the German paper BILD (the largest paper in Europe) endorses Bush - at least Kerry still has the French. Double ouch - the Cape Cod Times also endorses Bush.
Oct. 29th - Is "Wake Up!" the new Kerry campaign slogan? Did it beat out "time for school" or "don't forget to bring a jacket"? Oh and about those munitions at Al Qaqaa - the US Army has them. Meanwhile Osama bin Laden sends election greetings (appearently the words - "I'm John Kerry and I approved this message" were edited out at the last minute).
October Timeline
Full September Timeline
Full August Timeline
Oct. 27th - Won't you think of the children! (As free get out the vote labor.)
Oct. 28th - Ouch - the German paper BILD (the largest paper in Europe) endorses Bush - at least Kerry still has the French. Double ouch - the Cape Cod Times also endorses Bush.
Oct. 29th - Is "Wake Up!" the new Kerry campaign slogan? Did it beat out "time for school" or "don't forget to bring a jacket"? Oh and about those munitions at Al Qaqaa - the US Army has them. Meanwhile Osama bin Laden sends election greetings (appearently the words - "I'm John Kerry and I approved this message" were edited out at the last minute).
Morning Links
- Mark Steyn - Justifications for backing Kerry fall flat
- The economy is in good shape - despite what Kerry tell ya
- Jackie MacMullan on Curt Schilling
- Boo hoo - the AL has all the money and gets all the good free agents
- Excellent piece by George Will
- Peter Gammons - chock full of baseball goodness
- Curt Schilling goes to bat for Bush
- Mark Steyn - Justifications for backing Kerry fall flat
- The economy is in good shape - despite what Kerry tell ya
- Jackie MacMullan on Curt Schilling
- Boo hoo - the AL has all the money and gets all the good free agents
- Excellent piece by George Will
- Peter Gammons - chock full of baseball goodness
- Curt Schilling goes to bat for Bush
Saturday, October 30, 2004
No Way To Run a Campaign - October Timeline - Update
October Timeline
Full September Timeline
Full August Timeline
Oct. 24th - The New York Times reports that Bush has a higher IQ then Kerry. Questions abound in regard to who is to blame for the failure to get out the "over the hill Diva" and "lesbian talk-show host" vote. Rosie blames Tom Selleck and the NRA. Maybe the October surprise is that Democratic Hawaii is in play?
Oct. 25th - Ouch! This has to hurt Kerry in Wisconsin. Meanwhile Elizabeth Edwards promises / threatens "no riots if we win". In related news - John Edwards sues all you can eat buffet on behalf of wife (sorry cheap shot - I know - but my road to hell is already paved). Oh and those members of the UN Security Council that Kerry claimed to have met with - seems like that meeting most likely occurred in Kerry's Swift boat in Cambodia maybe even over Christmas vacation. Meanwhile Kerry hammers Bush over "disappearance" of explosives from a place that is phonetically called AL - Caa - Caa (later reveiled that US Army removed and destroyed munitions - oops Kerry's bad!).
Oct. 26th - Bad news for Kerry - will he be terminated in Ohio on Friday? More bad news from Hollywood - and the rumor surfaces that Kerry /Edwards enjoy gladiator movies.
October Timeline
Full September Timeline
Full August Timeline
Oct. 24th - The New York Times reports that Bush has a higher IQ then Kerry. Questions abound in regard to who is to blame for the failure to get out the "over the hill Diva" and "lesbian talk-show host" vote. Rosie blames Tom Selleck and the NRA. Maybe the October surprise is that Democratic Hawaii is in play?
Oct. 25th - Ouch! This has to hurt Kerry in Wisconsin. Meanwhile Elizabeth Edwards promises / threatens "no riots if we win". In related news - John Edwards sues all you can eat buffet on behalf of wife (sorry cheap shot - I know - but my road to hell is already paved). Oh and those members of the UN Security Council that Kerry claimed to have met with - seems like that meeting most likely occurred in Kerry's Swift boat in Cambodia maybe even over Christmas vacation. Meanwhile Kerry hammers Bush over "disappearance" of explosives from a place that is phonetically called AL - Caa - Caa (later reveiled that US Army removed and destroyed munitions - oops Kerry's bad!).
Oct. 26th - Bad news for Kerry - will he be terminated in Ohio on Friday? More bad news from Hollywood - and the rumor surfaces that Kerry /Edwards enjoy gladiator movies.
I'm So Proud
If you Google
Tim McCarver sucks - indeed!
If you Google
"tim mccarver sucks" foxa column I wrote for Sportspages.com comes up as the fourth web site and A Large Regular comes up as the 11th choice.
Tim McCarver sucks - indeed!
Presidential Odds
The betting line on the Presidential race continues to be a roller coaster ride. Today Bush is at -$165 and Kerry +$135 (meaning you would have to risk $165 on Bush to win $100 or risk just $100 to win $135 on Kerry). Just yesterday the line was Bush -$145 and Kerry +$115. Thursday the line was also Bush -$165 and Kerry +$135. The line Monday was Bush -$175 and Kerry +$145.
It seems like -$165 / +$135 is about the level although Osama's new video may have bumped up Bush's odds. It should be noted that Bush has always been the favorite in this race. The closest the line has been was even just after the DNC but that only lasted a couple of days.
The betting line on the Presidential race continues to be a roller coaster ride. Today Bush is at -$165 and Kerry +$135 (meaning you would have to risk $165 on Bush to win $100 or risk just $100 to win $135 on Kerry). Just yesterday the line was Bush -$145 and Kerry +$115. Thursday the line was also Bush -$165 and Kerry +$135. The line Monday was Bush -$175 and Kerry +$145.
It seems like -$165 / +$135 is about the level although Osama's new video may have bumped up Bush's odds. It should be noted that Bush has always been the favorite in this race. The closest the line has been was even just after the DNC but that only lasted a couple of days.
Miscellaneous Thoughts
Will 2004 be remembered as the year of the Dynamite Monkey or the year of the Silky Pony?... I wonder if more people will be at the parade for the Red Sox today than will vote in Massachusetts on Tuesday... Theo Epstein, the GM of the Boston Red Sox has reached rock star status in Boston... BALCO VP - Bonds used steroids... The crowd for today's parade is estimated to be 5 million strong. This has to be sort of culture shock for the Dominican players on the team. The entire nation of the Dominican Republic has a population of just 8.8 million...
Will 2004 be remembered as the year of the Dynamite Monkey or the year of the Silky Pony?... I wonder if more people will be at the parade for the Red Sox today than will vote in Massachusetts on Tuesday... Theo Epstein, the GM of the Boston Red Sox has reached rock star status in Boston... BALCO VP - Bonds used steroids... The crowd for today's parade is estimated to be 5 million strong. This has to be sort of culture shock for the Dominican players on the team. The entire nation of the Dominican Republic has a population of just 8.8 million...
Friday, October 29, 2004
Osama's New Tape
So Osama has put out a new tape.
Many people are saying that it's a fake and that Osama has been dead for quite some time. Others are saying "It's October- surprise!"
I had been one of those who firmly believed that Osama has been food for worms and I actually still believe that. However, there is no arguing that a tape with a new message supposedly from Osama has been released. People are saying that the message has been released now in order to affect Tuesday's election. I think it was released now for a different reason.
On October 17th - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was pledging allegiance and fealty to Osama bin Laden but just a few days ago Abu Musab al-Zarqawi proclaimed himself the new head of Al Qaeda. I think this tape was released now to refute that claim and to keep the power in the hands of those around Osama (or his corpse) instead of shifting over to the up and coming Zarqawi.
Al Qaeda is no longer the rich organization it was before the US went after their base in Afghanistan and their funding worldwide but it still has enough cash to make men greedy for control and for power. If Osama is still alive - he needs to reassert himself in order to prevent a power vacuum. If Osama is dead - then the people wielding power today want to protect that power from the likes of Zarqawi. What better way to reassert his power or prove that Osama is still alive than by releasing a tape?
One thing I would look for is for either Zarqawi to be betrayed or for one of his top lieutenants to be suddenly killed or captured publicly as a message (like this maybe? - or maybe this?). If there is a power vacuum - look for things to get bloody quick and look for the US Special Forces start to become very busy following up on the leads provided by one lieutenant selling out another with hopes of filling upward openings.
Why did Zarqawi pledge fealty on the 17th? Shouldn't that have been a given? Is Zarqawi staking a claim as "head of the family" as the new Al Qaeda Godfather? Like Joey Zasa? Or is he a loyal lieutenant like Clemenza?
So Osama has put out a new tape.
Many people are saying that it's a fake and that Osama has been dead for quite some time. Others are saying "It's October- surprise!"
I had been one of those who firmly believed that Osama has been food for worms and I actually still believe that. However, there is no arguing that a tape with a new message supposedly from Osama has been released. People are saying that the message has been released now in order to affect Tuesday's election. I think it was released now for a different reason.
On October 17th - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was pledging allegiance and fealty to Osama bin Laden but just a few days ago Abu Musab al-Zarqawi proclaimed himself the new head of Al Qaeda. I think this tape was released now to refute that claim and to keep the power in the hands of those around Osama (or his corpse) instead of shifting over to the up and coming Zarqawi.
Al Qaeda is no longer the rich organization it was before the US went after their base in Afghanistan and their funding worldwide but it still has enough cash to make men greedy for control and for power. If Osama is still alive - he needs to reassert himself in order to prevent a power vacuum. If Osama is dead - then the people wielding power today want to protect that power from the likes of Zarqawi. What better way to reassert his power or prove that Osama is still alive than by releasing a tape?
One thing I would look for is for either Zarqawi to be betrayed or for one of his top lieutenants to be suddenly killed or captured publicly as a message (like this maybe? - or maybe this?). If there is a power vacuum - look for things to get bloody quick and look for the US Special Forces start to become very busy following up on the leads provided by one lieutenant selling out another with hopes of filling upward openings.
Why did Zarqawi pledge fealty on the 17th? Shouldn't that have been a given? Is Zarqawi staking a claim as "head of the family" as the new Al Qaeda Godfather? Like Joey Zasa? Or is he a loyal lieutenant like Clemenza?
Interesting Observation
Something I did not realize - nice observation from Mike Ganis:
Something I did not realize - nice observation from Mike Ganis:
It turns out that the last time a team from St. Louis made it to the championship round in each of the four major sports, it was a team from Boston (New England) that beat them.
In 2004, the Cardinals lost to the Red Sox in the WS.
In early 2002, the Rams lost to the Patriots in SB 36.
In 1970, the Blues lost to the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals.
In 1957, the Hawks lost to the Celtics in the NBA Finals.
It seems that St.Louis has become Boston’s “bitch”, as Jim Rome would say.
And to add insult to injury, the first time that St. Louis became Boston’s bitch was back in 1956, when they drafted Bill Russell and traded the rights to him to St. Louis for Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan. The Celtics went on to win eleven NBA Championships from 1957 to 1969 with Russell at the center position.
Presidential Odds
Yikes! Yesterday I said that I didn't think that the betting line would deviate much over the final six days and today I see it has moved a great deal.
The new line is Bush -$145 and Kerry +$115 (meaning you would have to risk $145 on Bush to win $100 or risk just $100 to win $115 on Kerry). Just yesterday the line was Bush -$165 and Kerry +$135. The line Monday was Bush -$175 and Kerry +$145.
The line seems to be inching toward a dead-heat - which on the betting line would be -$120 for both Bush and Kerry (bet $120 to win $100 with $20 going to the house as "vig"). The last time (and only time) the line was even was just after the DNC in early August.
Yikes! Yesterday I said that I didn't think that the betting line would deviate much over the final six days and today I see it has moved a great deal.
The new line is Bush -$145 and Kerry +$115 (meaning you would have to risk $145 on Bush to win $100 or risk just $100 to win $115 on Kerry). Just yesterday the line was Bush -$165 and Kerry +$135. The line Monday was Bush -$175 and Kerry +$145.
The line seems to be inching toward a dead-heat - which on the betting line would be -$120 for both Bush and Kerry (bet $120 to win $100 with $20 going to the house as "vig"). The last time (and only time) the line was even was just after the DNC in early August.
Morning Links
- Brian Gunn looks at the Series from the Cardinals point of view - good stuff
- Here's the list of potential free agents in baseball (hot stove league has begun!)
- Curt Schilling to stump for Bush
- Victor David Hanson - a Friday staple
- Brian Gunn looks at the Series from the Cardinals point of view - good stuff
- Here's the list of potential free agents in baseball (hot stove league has begun!)
- Curt Schilling to stump for Bush
- Victor David Hanson - a Friday staple
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