Ann Coulter Opens Her Mouth… And Says Something Silly

It is official; Ann Coulter and the rest of the Far-Right-Wing-Nuts have lost their marbles. (Not that they had far to go to begin with) I’m surprised that Ms. I-Would-Eat-My-Young-If-They-Were-Liberals’ head didn’t explode when she said she would vote for Hilary over McCain in the general election. To say this revelation is shocking is one of the biggest understatements this year.

I mean come-on. Has it gotten that bad for the extreme conservatives of the world? Is Ann Coulter serious about voting for an avowed enemy over a moderate conservative? I think somebody needs a time-out.

Ann Coulter is acting like a child. (Even more than usual) More accurately, like a child that has gotten her way for far too long, that now, is having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that it is someone else’s turn. Ms. Coulter and her fellow uber-conservatives have had their hero in the White House for 8 years. But apparently, that’s not enough.

What shocked me the most about Coulter’s statements was the sheer idiocy of her shortsightedness. The American Electorate is in no mood to elect another fiercely conservative ideologue as their Commander-In-Chief. If the Republican Party is going to win the Presidency this November, its only chance is with a moderate conservative like McCain. There is little to no chance that the Republicans will win the general election if the party bows to Coulters wishes, and nominates Romney (who has questionable conservative credentials himself) or Huckabee (Who has some fanciful and potentially disastrous tax reform ideas).

McCain is the conservatives’ best, and in my opinion only, hope for victory this November. But if they continue with this senseless hand-wringing and nashing of their collective conservative teeth, conservatives face the possibility of having little or no input in the next administration.

But hey, what do I know? I predicted Edwards over Giuliani.

(Ideological) Boxing for Beggars

Yesterday everyone’s favorite conservative bully, Katherine Kersten set her sights on Minneapolis’ panhandlers. She preemptively blamed them for the downfall of downtown Minneapolis. She cited extreme examples of rude and aggressive behavior and drew the conclusion that all beggars need to be rounded up by an already over-worked police force. “With the right tools and the political will, a city can banish livability crimes quickly.”

Then, today, her favorite ideological sparing parter, Nick Coleman gave his take. Coleman seemed a little fired-up by Ms. Kersten’s collumn. He assutely pointed out that there are, in fact, bigger fish to fry. The Minneapolis Police department does not need to be chasing panhandlers around. He also tried (tried being the key word) to draw begging parallels with the stadium tax or “tip jars” on blogs.

Unfortunately, no amount of hand-wringing will remove panhandlers from our lives. There have always been poor, and there will always be poor among us. There were beggars in Biblical times, in Acient Eygpt, and even in the “good old days.”

Sometimes it is their own fault. Sometimes people are lazy, and/or sometimes they made very poor choices. And yes, sometimes it is a mater of cemical dependency.

But while society is quick to forgive many sins of the rich and the famous if they appoligize and go to rehab; those who cannot afford a trip to Hazelden or Betty Ford are condemend for their short-commings. I know that just like the less fortunate among us, there will always be doulbe standards for the rich and the poor.

It will be interesting to see what the Minneapolis City Council ends up doing on this issue.

Other thoughts:

+ Ambular and I were lucky enough to to dine at Manny’s Steakhouse on Tuesday. It was terrific. Crabcakes, Tomato and Mozarella salad, Baseball Steaks filled with garlic butter, and Tiramisu the size of a basketball for dessert. MMMmmm good. I’m just glad Ambular’s boss was picking up the tab.

+ I have to give Bush credit for trying to find a realistic solution to the immigration problem. Yet, his Republican “allies” appear willing to block him every step of the way.

+ Too much time caddying and playing golf have left me little time or energy to blog. Bear with me, The MN Life will once again rise from the ashes…

Bunggling Bush Strikes Again, And Again...

It’s beyond comical, it’s down right sad. The Bush Administration continues to bungle through the “death-throws” of its tenure. Gaff after gaff, Bush and Co. have maintained their unwavering dedication close-minded stubbornness. Bush has taken his my-way-or-the-highway attitude to new levels, undaunted by his abysmal approval rating. The Attorney General and the Wolfowitz / World Bank brew-ha-has are the latest examples of Bush’s inept leadership.

I think it is safe to say that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales either did know about the politically motivated firings of U.S. Attorneys, or, at a minimum, should have known about them. After listening to some of the congressional hearings, I’m convinced someone should have put a limit the amount of times Gonzales can say, “I serve at the pleasure of the president.” He has waffled between “I had no idea” and “That’s the nature of the job.” Either way, Gonzales is to blame, he should be fired. (or have the dignity to resign)

But then again, I don’t think Bush is even giving him the option of resigning. Bush and Rove have no interest in picking a new Attorney General at this point. They would have to bend to the will of a Democratic controlled Congress, against the backdrop of the recent scandal and the failed Harriet Meyers Supreme Court nomination. There is no way that Bush and Rove would be able to get one of their cronies through. I guess they have decided that a wounded, embattled Gonzales is better than anyone the Democrats would confirm.

And while the Gonzales controversy rages domestically, the Wolfowitz / World Bank fiasco is coming to an unceremonious end.
Paul Wolfowitz has resigned as president of the World Bank, after it became known that he used his position to give his girlfriend a large, unearned raise. (Well, maybe she earned it.) At least Wolfowitz has the good sense to step-down.

In the past week, before Wolfowitz’s resignation was announced, the Bush administration refused to back-down on its public support of Wolfowitz. The Wolfowitz and Gonzales scandals are similar in a lot of ways. In both cases, a “Bush’s guy” was embroiled in an embarrassing debacle. In both cases the administration plugged its proverbial ears and yelled “LA-LA-LA-LA…. WE’RE NOT LISTENIG…. LA-LA-LAAAAAAA.” And the administration knew that if either Gonzales or Wolfowitz were canned they would be undoubtedly be replaced by someone less sympathetic to the Bush platform.

I can’t wait until these clowns are out of office. I really don’t care who is next, they HAVE to be better than this. I’m just tired of feeling embarrassed. I’m tired of all the double-standards. I’m tired of the gross mismanagement.

And I think (hope) most of America is tired of it too.

2008: At The Starting Gate

Since it is never too early to start talking about the 2008 presidential election, I’m going to give you my take. Those of us who have been through the Greek tragedy of 2000 and the “inept-off” of 2004 are definitely ready for the next chapter of presidential politics. And I don’t care what side of the aisle you are from; everyone (other than Michele Bachman) appears ready to shovel the Bush Administration out the door. With no incumbent to spoil the show, ’08 will have showdowns in both primaries as well as the general election. (’08 With 50% more mud)

Currently, Hillary Clinton is the odds on favorite at 3.25 to 1. Rudolph Giuliani is next at 4 to 1, followed by Barack Obama at 5 to 1, and John Edwards and John McCain are both 6 to 1. At this point it is hard to imagine someone out side of these five as the next President.

Hilary has tons of experience and the priceless ‘Clinton political machine’ (for better or worse.) Rudy still was the mayor of NYC on 9/11, and America still loves him for it. Obama has the charisma, he’s the rock star, he’s soooo hot right now. Edwards possesses a nice mix charm, experience, empathy, and fundraising ability. And although McCain is getting cozier with Republicans by the day, most American centrists still respect the straight-talking former POW.

But as good as it may look for these front-runners; each of them has serious questions surrounding their campaign. Will Hilary be able to dodge the “Ice Queen,” “Old Guard,” “Special Interest Panderer” characterizations? Does Rudy have the conservative chops to make the conservative base forget about his divorced-filled, Pro-Life past? Will Obama be able to sustain his momentum and overcome his lack of experience? Can Edwards shake-off the stigma of 04 and carve-out a substantive platform. Will McCain be able to maintain his hawkish stance on Iraq and still create enough individual velocity to escape the political blackhole created by the Bush Administration’s incompetence?

And we can’t forget about potential wild card Al Gore. He has enough money, name recognition, and experience to make him a legitimate contender no mater how late he gets into the action. His new found personality and sense of humor would have come in handy in 2000, but better late than never.

I think it will go like this:

Edwards over Obama and Clinton by the slimmest of margins for the Democratic nomination

Rudy over McCain in a landslide for the Republican nomination

And…

Edwards over Rudy in the General Election.

So there it is, feel free to leave your own predictions… or mock mine.

Tim Hardaway: “I Hate Gay People”

Former NBA player Tim Hardaway uttered those very words while being interviewed on a radio show this week. He went on to add, “I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States.”

WOW!

No active NBA player has ever come-out, and until recently neither had a retired player. That was until John Amaechi, who played for the Cleveland Cavs, Orlando Magic, & Utah Jazz, came-out 3 weeks ago. It set off a flurry of questions and discussion about homophobia in the NBA specifically, and in sports more generally. In the last couple of weeks, nearly every major NBA star has been asked about how he would relate to a gay teammate.

As soon as Amaechi revealed he was gay, I knew that someone would get in trouble for saying something inflammatory. Before Mr. Hardaway opened his mouth, there had been a couple of minor missteps, but nothing that could be characterized as homophobic or hateful.

For example, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said, “From a marketing perspective, if you’re a player who happens to be gay and you want to be incredibly rich, then you should come out, because it would be the best thing that ever happened to you from a marketing and an endorsement perspective. You would be an absolute hero to more Americans than you can ever possibly be as an athlete, and that’ll put money in your pocket.”

Considering the source, this statement seems even less inflammatory. Cuban is known for causing controversy. In this case, he appears clairvoyant. (Although, anyone with half a brain could have seen this shit-storm on the horizon) He went on to say, “On the flip side, if you’re the idiot who condemns somebody because they’re gay, then you’re going to be ostracized, you’re going to be picketed and you’re going to ruin whatever marketing endorsements you have.”

Ooops-sie Tim.

Unsurprisingly, the NBA and Commissioner David Stern have cut Tim Hardaway out of the weekend festivities. So instead of doing promotional work for the NBA in Vegas for the All-Star game, Tim Hardaway was told to go home. An instant hit to the pocket book. I can't imgaine Tim Hardaway has a lot of endorsement revenue coming in at this point, but any that he did have will soon be gone. And he should start tipping better, or he should expect to have more valets send him to gay clubs.

"I hate gay people" will follow Tim Hardaway just like Fuzzy Zoeller's racist stereotyping at the 1997 Masters follows him.

“That little boy (Tiger Woods) is driving well and he's putting well. He's doing everything it takes to win. So, you know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year. Got it?"

Then Zoeller smiled, snapped his fingers, and walked away. Then he turned and added, "or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve."

Tim Hardaway and Fuzzy Zoeller both have had very fine careers in their respective sports. But their various accomplishments will forever be overshadowed by their insensitive and ignorant quotes. The comments will follow them forever.

Zoeller has done a good job rehabbing his image. But no matter how nice Fuzzy is, he will never shake the stigma of what he said. And neither will Tim Hardaway.

And that is the price you pay for thoughtless speech.

Hypocrisy + Blind Greed = Bruce Lambrecht

As a Twins fan, I was giddy when last year’s legislature allowed Hennepin county to impose a county-wide sales tax to finance the construction of an outdoor stadium behind the Target Center, thereby freeing the Twins from the Metrodome. It was the culmination of years of effort by team officials, county commissioners, and state officials. Finally, the Twins would have a baseball park.

But some recent developments have cast doubt about not only when a new Twins ballpark will open, but if it will open at all. From what I understand, county officials failed to secure the land before a $12.95 million purchase option had expired. Now, the land owners, an investment group lead by Bruce Lambrecht, has reportedly requested somewhere between $40-60 million for the same piece of land. With an already tightly budgeted stadium project, that’s just not going to work. But unfortunately, as it exists today, the stadium deal is site specific so the investment group and Bruce Lambrecht have the Twins and Hennepin County over a barrel.

Yesterday, I was IM-ing with Joe about these recent Twins stadium developments. I suggested that someone should publish the names and addresses of the investment group so that the public can *ahem* tell them what they think about their “negotiation” tactics. For that mater, the Hennepin County officials who dropped the ball on the original purchase option should also get a heaping helping of public ire for creating the mess to begin with.

Then today, I got my wish. Patrick Reusse wrote a column ripping the investment group for their suddenly inflated demands. He also pointed-out how hypocritical Bruce Lambrecht has been throughout the whole process. It seems that Lambrecht

“was the co-founder of Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility. Among the ideas that he opposed vociferously was the creation of a train line, the North Star Line, from St. Cloud to downtown Minneapolis.

Then, Lambrecht discovered that the train would run through land that he owned with others on the northern edge of downtown Minneapolis.

Uff-da! Lambrecht had an epiphany and started attending pro-North Star meetings and showing his support.”

So now, a one time “fiscal responsibility” advocate, Lambrecht is attempting to stick it to Hennepin county tax-payers by fleecing them over the land needed to build a Twins stadium. Greedy AND hypocritical is no way to go through life. I hope that Lambrecht and his fellow investors get what they so richly deserve… nothing, other than public shame.

If you’d like to send Mr. Bruce Lambrecht a note, his address is:
2841 Ella Lane
Minnetonka, MN 55305*

Or if you’d rather give him a call, his phone number is:
(612)349-2775*

Sid's Take: Stadium Site Landowners Undermining Twins Plans

Downtown Journal story: Has Twinsville Struck Out?

*According to his 2005 Campaign Finance Board Filing

Globalization and the New Robber Barons

I’ve always been interested in economic analysis, especially at the macro-level. I would have majored in Economics if I had been better at math, but I wasn’t, so I didn’t. The concepts and theories of Economics are easy to understand, creating the models and testing hypothesis are where Economists make there money.

There is no better example of this than “Globalization.” Most people can intuitively comprehend the ins-and-outs of a shift from national markets to a global market. But it is extremely difficult to accurately measure or even quantify many of the effects of global integration. Globalization works in amorphous and mysterious ways. It slowly erodes traditional modes of economic organization and produces new ones at break-neck speed.

Globalization is, on balance, a good thing. But in the current geo-political landscape it could create a large number of “losers.” I am not about to argue against the gains freer trade and more efficient allocation of labor activities produce. Global trade has no doubt increased the absolute wealth of the world. Ultimately everyone will be better off if countries resist the urge to engage in various forms of protectionism. But I do have a problem with unflinching faith in free markets, especially on a global scale. Until there is a powerful independent form of global governance, I am skeptical that the global community will be able to avoid repeating some of the most disastrous mistakes of our past.

America’s economic experience since the Industrial Revolution illustrates a couple of free-market-evils. The average America has been defrauded numerous times by the “Robber Barons” of the 19th century, Ken Lay, Bill McGuire, and many, many other like minded shysters. And while Capitalism is without a doubt the most efficient and productive form of economic organization, it has its flaws too.

Federal Anti-Trust law was created to battle monopolistic tendencies that are inherent in Capitalism. With out anyone looking over their shoulder, robber barons got ahead by using any and all means necessary to dominate their industry. If one company was better situated economically, its leader would leverage that power against rivals until they collapsed. Eventually the remaining company (or companies in the case of cartels) had tremendous power over its piece of the economic pie. This is why independent governance is necessary. Without the ability to break-up capitalism’s “winners,” monopolies wield a frightening amount of power.

As those at the top concentrate power, they typically concentrate wealth. Twenty-five, thirty years ago CEOs made 20 times the average laborers salary. Today, CEOs make 400 times the average laborers salary. This growing disparity is driven by both the devaluation of labor, and a second coming for the “robber baron mentality.”

Strong, independent governance is needed to prevent widespread corruption. Business people are, by their very nature, competitive. And competition is the engine that drives Capitalism. But without proper oversight, competition entices many to bend the rules. Ken Lay and his Enron cronies thought they could get away with pencil-whipping Enron investors. Bill McGuire and a host of others thought they could back-date their stock options without anyone noticing. Both of these scams were wildly successful, even with the SEC around.

Unfortunately neither the WTO, nor the UN are equipped to assume oversight or redistribution responsibilities. Nor is the United States ready to retrain or compensate those who have lost their jobs to cheaper sources of labor abroad. Until these systemic problems are solved, or at least somewhat mitigated, the rich will get richer and labor will get poorer.

It’s good to be a baron.

"20,000 men on the dead man's chest- Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!”*

The Iraq war has reached a tipping-point… or so George Bush would have us believe. Wednesday night he presented his case to the American people. Stead-fast in his pursuit of “victory,” 20,000 more soldiers will be sent to Baghdad to sweep-out and hold the neighborhoods of the Iraqi capital. Will the additional man power tip the scales in favor of the Iraq government? Will the Iraqi security forces finally “step-up?” I hope they do. But no mater how sure Bush is, he has to be feeling hot under the collar.

Almost immediately after the Iraq war began, the congressional and popular support for the President began slipping. Sure, Bush still has John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and a handful of others in his corner. But when former Presidential lap dogs like Norm Coleman (R-MN) and Sam Brownback (R-KS) start to turn… Bush must be worried.

Bush is the captain of a pirate ship and the mutiny is brewing. He is attempting to keep the crew working toward the “treasure,” but day by day the subordinates are losing moral. Yet Bush will not, or cannot, come to terms with either the scope or nature of the problem. There was a recent ray of hope that he had turned the corner. When Bush commissioned a bi-partisan panel to look at the worsening situation in Iraq it looked like he was finally beginning to grasp the problems inherent in his current Iraq policy.

But the Iraq commission now appears to be little more than another attempt to rally support for an unpopular war. Bush is doing everything he can to keep up the façade, as if admitting defeat is worse than defeat itself. He knows that his presidency will be judged by the perceived success or failure in Iraq. And Bush either honestly believes that “winning” in Iraq will set-off a domino effect in the Middle East, ending terrorism and installing democracy through out the region. Or he has resigned himself to the battle of perception. Either way, putting 20,000 more American lives in the balance is both reckless and desperate.

Forgive me if I don’t believe that Bush thoughtfully considered all the advice that he was offered. Until he acknowledges that we are fighting a cultural battle with military forces, there can be little hope for any meaningful progress in Iraq. Meanwhile, more families will have to deal with the loss of loved ones, more soldiers will come back injured and deformed, and the battle for Iraq hearts and minds will be won by insurgents with a radical religiosity that will keep them on the battlefield long after U.S. troops have left.

George Bush does not understand the enemy, he does not understand the culture, and he does not understand the lessons of our past. Yet he sails on undaunted, unwilling to level with the nation. This maybe his last chance, after that… all bets are off.

*Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson

It's Getting Hot In Here... So Take Off All Your Clothes

This past week Ambular and I watched “An Inconvenient Truth.” It is scary. Al Gore lays-out a rock-solid case. There is no getting around the fact that the human race is negatively affecting the earth’s atmosphere.

I had always harbored doubts about global warming. It seemed so distant and theoretical. It could be cyclical; I doubted the existence of a constant warming trend. Besides, as a Minnesotan, I would be fine with turning the global thermostat up a few degrees.

If you have doubts watch “An Inconvenient Truth.” If you have family, friends, co-workers, or Presidents who doubt global warming (or coyly refer to it as “climate change”) try your best to get them to watch it. This is not a partisan issue. This is our latest and greatest challenge as a human-race. (Sorry for the drama, but we absolutely MUST solve this problem. Or at least collectively acknowledge its existence.)

Besides, the coasts are nice places to visit.

Bush, Morneau, KG, and Samuel L. Jackson Walk Into A Bar

There are a couple of things I need to get out…

First, there are new reports out about the Bush administration’s use of domestic surveillance. It appears that “Big Brother” didn’t stop at wiretapping. Maybe I was naïve, but I never gave much thought to the possibility that a modern American government could/would go all 1984 on us. I carelessly dismissed those who expressed paranoid fear of “the man.” Boy was I wrong. This administration has treated accusations of civil rights abuse like most people treat parking tickets. There is always some excuse, and they haven’t changed their behavior.

With Rumsfield’s exit, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales moves to the top of my list of people I want out of authority. I’m not saying there aren’t some valid and enticing aspects of his unwavering “for American security” shtick. I freely admit that I allowed myself to go down that ideological road for a long time; but once Bush tapped the phones it all changed. Because in my mind, what’s the point of protecting the physical integrity of the United States if we allow social freedoms to be eroded that far?

Domestic Surveillance: Who’s eyes are watching you?

On a lighter note…

Canada native Justin Morneau, of the Minnesota Twins, was named MVP of the American League yesterday. Awesome. The Yankees’ Derek Jeter finished second. Double awesome. Finally, I have a reason to respect baseball sportswriters again. Like any good Twins fan, I hate the Yankees. It stems from Minnesota’s inferiority complex, I’ll admit that. But nevertheless, when a small market hero beats out the mega-star it makes me smile. Both players put together MVP-caliber years, but the Yankees would have faired much better without Jeter than the Twins would have without Morneau. And that’s what the MVP should be all about.

Third, It pains me to say it. But I think Bill Simmons is right. Kevin Garnett deserves the chance to play for a winner. He’s trapped by his own loyalty. Too bad the Wolves can’t find a way to keep from tripping over them selves. *Sigh* what could have been.

And finally, because I’m addicted to YouTube, and I’m on a sports-kick right now… Chris Chelios reflects on his junior days where he was coached by Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson's character in Pulp Fiction) Enjoy: (Warning: Not work friendly)

So Now What?

As expected, the Democrats took control of both the House and the Senate. For all the criticism heaped upon the Republicans, at least they had a plan. That plan may have been to over-spend, roll-back taxes willy-nilly, demonize gays, and generally piss-off the rest of the world; but at least the party seemed united in their effort. They all called the same hot-line to get the days talking-points, again at the very least uniform.

It has gotten so bad for the Republicans that even Rush Limbaugh is jumping on the ousted-Republican-bashing-bandwagon. Everyone’s favorite “the obese drug-addled gasbag”* said that he feels “almost relieved” that the Democrats have taken control of the legislature. Rush is glad that he no longer has to defend the terrible legislation that his ideological cronies had been producing. OUCH! As a conservative, you know you are in trouble when Rush Limbaugh flips on you.

But now what?

Will the Democrats be able to form a cohesive and rational platform? Or will they squander their new found political gains by failing into their old habit of in-fighting? Will power and the desire to keep it cloud their judgment, like their Republican colleagues?

Forgive me if I am less than confident with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid in charge. I’m afraid that they will not reach-out and build the consensus that a split of control between the legislature and executive demands. I hope it will not (but am afraid it will) turn into pissing contest between Congress and Bush.

Here’s to hoping for good governance for a change.

* On Election night, CNN Democratic pundit Paul Begala spoke these very words on the air. I laughed. Thanks Cristy for preserving that moment of pure punditry perfection.