Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Ideas to Reverse Obama's Slide in Polls
Obama's poll numbers keeping sinking. He is down to 41 percent favorability. But I think these numbers are bound to improve. At the current rate by sometime next year Obama will be polling at zero favorability, which means that not one person in America will well disposed toward the President.
I don't see that happening. If he scraps the current healthcare overhaul and comes up with a more modest reform plan that both Republicans and Democrats can get behind, his numbers will rebound.
Also if he captures and tortures a few terrorists his numbers will begin to soar. He may lose some of the angry soft-on-terror left but just imagine how that will play with Independents. Even some right-wing kooks who will have no choice but to give him credit.
Instead of closing Guantanamo he should it into a Terrorist Zoo, a place where vacationers can go and see real live terrorists in a safe setting.
On second thought, scrap that. Too many people will see terrorists looking forlorn and demand they be released back into the wild.
Nevermind.
I don't see that happening. If he scraps the current healthcare overhaul and comes up with a more modest reform plan that both Republicans and Democrats can get behind, his numbers will rebound.
Also if he captures and tortures a few terrorists his numbers will begin to soar. He may lose some of the angry soft-on-terror left but just imagine how that will play with Independents. Even some right-wing kooks who will have no choice but to give him credit.
Instead of closing Guantanamo he should it into a Terrorist Zoo, a place where vacationers can go and see real live terrorists in a safe setting.
On second thought, scrap that. Too many people will see terrorists looking forlorn and demand they be released back into the wild.
Nevermind.
Bloodless Coup at Gun Club
Dottie Berry was the first female president of the Delaware County Field and Stream Gun Club until she was impeached. The story get screwier from there.
My print column is up.
My print column is up.
Mr. Softee on Terror
Dan Henninger on the Obama Administration's war on the War on Terror.
If there is another significant terror attack the Democratic party generally and the Obama Administration specifically will have to defend their self-proclaimed more enlightened approaches to combating terrorism. Liberals have a reputation for being soft on national security issues.
Despite all the gnashing of teeth on the left about the rights of terrorists, the American people are not nearly as upset that the man who cut off Daniel Pearl's head and engineered 9/11 was waterboarded 183 times before becoming an "asset" to the CIA.
As long as Al Qaida and other anti-American terrorist groups lay low, the Obama team may be able to muddle through. But should terrorists succeed in carrying out another attack against this country, there will be hell to pay and Obama and his fellow softies will quite deservedly be stuck with the bill.
To supervise future interrogations, the administration is creating something called a High Value Detainee Interrogation Group. Interrogation techniques will be limited to those in the Army Field Manual or that are "noncoercive," which suggests more constrained than a big-city police department. Authority is being moved from the CIA to the FBI.Democrats and liberals viciously attacked the Bush Administration and the CIA as being war criminals and torturers the last four years. Obama and his party are taking a softer, more legalistic approach to protecting the country.
This means that the class of person who blows up skyscrapers, American embassies or the USS Cole would spend less time under a bare light bulb than a domestic robbery suspect. The Los Angeles Times reported in May that the goal of a proposed administration "global justice initiative" would be to get all terror suspects into a U.S. or foreign court.
If there is another significant terror attack the Democratic party generally and the Obama Administration specifically will have to defend their self-proclaimed more enlightened approaches to combating terrorism. Liberals have a reputation for being soft on national security issues.
Despite all the gnashing of teeth on the left about the rights of terrorists, the American people are not nearly as upset that the man who cut off Daniel Pearl's head and engineered 9/11 was waterboarded 183 times before becoming an "asset" to the CIA.
As long as Al Qaida and other anti-American terrorist groups lay low, the Obama team may be able to muddle through. But should terrorists succeed in carrying out another attack against this country, there will be hell to pay and Obama and his fellow softies will quite deservedly be stuck with the bill.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Base Hits: September Plans, Andy Pettitte and The Oriole Advocates
Lots of stuff in this Dan Connolly/Jeff Zreibec notebook entry for The Baltimore Sun.
First, Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman will only make 2-3 more starts before being shut down for the season. It may be ugly on the field but given their youth and the fact that the future of the rotation hinges on these guys, I think that's a prudent move.
Second, Brad Bergesen will not return this season. I was watching as the line drive rocketed off his leg and he limped, hopped, stumbled and ultimately collapsed in the tunnel heading toward the locker room. I figured that he would not be back at that moment...damn Oriole luck. And although I am generally an optimist, consider this; an unconventional control pitcher like Bergesen needs everything to go right for him to have success and a lot of that comes from a repeatable delivery. Chien-Ming Wang was one of the best pitchers in the AL for a couple seasons, hurt his leg and was never the same. Cross you fingers for Mr. Bergesen.
Chris Waters and Chris Lambert will be recalled from Norfolk to pick up the leftover starts. Buy your blindfolds now.
Speaking of blindfolds, Alberto Castillo, Matt Albers and Dennis Sarfate are being recalled today to provide "relief" for the overworked bullpen. For some reason, I like all these guys enormously. If they had recalled Bob McCrory, they would have been my full set of "favorite marginal big league relievers" that keep bouncing back and forth from Norfolk (or the DL) to Baltimore. All are flawed but I can't shake the feeling that they will all contribute to the success of the Oriole bullpen next season.
Norfolk pitching coach and former Oriole hurler Mike Griffin will finish out the season in Baltimore once IL play wraps up. Interesting...
Good to see Screech coming back to Baltimore. He's put together a fantastic season at Norfolk and I love to see guys rewarded who hang in there and overcome adversity in the minors.
*****
Speaking of overcoming adversity, former Oriole top pick Darnell McDonald has been playing for the Reds this season and hit his first major league homer last week against the Brewers.
McDonald was sent down in May but was called up a week ago and has been tearing it up. It probably won't last and he probably won't stick but it's nice to see a guy ride the buses for 12 years and finally get some limelight.
*****
It's rare that a New York sports reporter would write a thoughtful, informed piece about the Baltimore Orioles without a hint of arrogance or indifference. But Tyler Kepner has done just that.
*****
Mark Teixeira article on being booed at OPACY:
"The 29-year-old, who once listened to Camden Yards fans call him out for wearing a Don Mattingly T-shirt, said that the jeers in this ballpark don't register. "
Still waiting for photographic evidence of Teixeira wearing a Don Mattingly t-shirt. That sight must have been more elusive than the Loch Ness monster...
*****
By the way, I consider Jerry Hairston's botched play on an Adam Jones grounder to spoil Andy Pettitte's perfect game bid a cosmic universal shoutout to the club that drafted him.
And no, I didn't want to see a perfect game. Not by him, not against my team, not in Baltimore. The less Yankee celebrating in Charm City, the better. Hell, I would've been OK if Trembley had somebody lean into one to spoil it.
And can we stop it with the "near perfection" crap already. He didn't even make it into the 8th with a no-hit bid. That old man wasn't throwing a perfect game...he didn't even come that close.
*****
How have The Oriole Advocates escaped my attention for so long? Among many other things, they created the O's Dugout Club, a product which I have actively endorsed. Lots of other cool stuff at the site. I wonder if they would accept members from the Oriole Diaspora?
First, Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman will only make 2-3 more starts before being shut down for the season. It may be ugly on the field but given their youth and the fact that the future of the rotation hinges on these guys, I think that's a prudent move.
Second, Brad Bergesen will not return this season. I was watching as the line drive rocketed off his leg and he limped, hopped, stumbled and ultimately collapsed in the tunnel heading toward the locker room. I figured that he would not be back at that moment...damn Oriole luck. And although I am generally an optimist, consider this; an unconventional control pitcher like Bergesen needs everything to go right for him to have success and a lot of that comes from a repeatable delivery. Chien-Ming Wang was one of the best pitchers in the AL for a couple seasons, hurt his leg and was never the same. Cross you fingers for Mr. Bergesen.
Chris Waters and Chris Lambert will be recalled from Norfolk to pick up the leftover starts. Buy your blindfolds now.
Speaking of blindfolds, Alberto Castillo, Matt Albers and Dennis Sarfate are being recalled today to provide "relief" for the overworked bullpen. For some reason, I like all these guys enormously. If they had recalled Bob McCrory, they would have been my full set of "favorite marginal big league relievers" that keep bouncing back and forth from Norfolk (or the DL) to Baltimore. All are flawed but I can't shake the feeling that they will all contribute to the success of the Oriole bullpen next season.
Norfolk pitching coach and former Oriole hurler Mike Griffin will finish out the season in Baltimore once IL play wraps up. Interesting...
Good to see Screech coming back to Baltimore. He's put together a fantastic season at Norfolk and I love to see guys rewarded who hang in there and overcome adversity in the minors.
*****
Speaking of overcoming adversity, former Oriole top pick Darnell McDonald has been playing for the Reds this season and hit his first major league homer last week against the Brewers.
McDonald was sent down in May but was called up a week ago and has been tearing it up. It probably won't last and he probably won't stick but it's nice to see a guy ride the buses for 12 years and finally get some limelight.
*****
It's rare that a New York sports reporter would write a thoughtful, informed piece about the Baltimore Orioles without a hint of arrogance or indifference. But Tyler Kepner has done just that.
*****
Mark Teixeira article on being booed at OPACY:
"The 29-year-old, who once listened to Camden Yards fans call him out for wearing a Don Mattingly T-shirt, said that the jeers in this ballpark don't register. "
Still waiting for photographic evidence of Teixeira wearing a Don Mattingly t-shirt. That sight must have been more elusive than the Loch Ness monster...
*****
By the way, I consider Jerry Hairston's botched play on an Adam Jones grounder to spoil Andy Pettitte's perfect game bid a cosmic universal shoutout to the club that drafted him.
And no, I didn't want to see a perfect game. Not by him, not against my team, not in Baltimore. The less Yankee celebrating in Charm City, the better. Hell, I would've been OK if Trembley had somebody lean into one to spoil it.
And can we stop it with the "near perfection" crap already. He didn't even make it into the 8th with a no-hit bid. That old man wasn't throwing a perfect game...he didn't even come that close.
*****
How have The Oriole Advocates escaped my attention for so long? Among many other things, they created the O's Dugout Club, a product which I have actively endorsed. Lots of other cool stuff at the site. I wonder if they would accept members from the Oriole Diaspora?
Declare Victory and Depart the Field
George Will waves the white flag in Afghanistan. His argument is bracing and powerful.
UPDATE: Pete Wehner forcefully disagrees with George Frederick Will
UPDATE: Pete Wehner forcefully disagrees with George Frederick Will
CIA Witch-Hunt Begins With Barack's Blessing
Ralph Peters on the Obama-approved witch-hunt of the CIA.
And let's get real: Attorney General Eric Holder (whose top career achievement was finessing the presidential pardon of a criminal Clinton donor) is not acting independently.
Anyone who believes that Holder didn't pre-brief the president and get the nod prior to announcing his determination to crucify high-achieving CIA agents probably believes that government-run health care will balance the federal budget.
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