March 12-17, 2018
Mar 12 10:33 Saletan's perversion Mar 12 16:37 Rambling Rose on Academic Balance vs. Indoctrination Mar 13 07:52 Conor Lamb's disguise Mar 13 16:26 Gov. Dayton vs. Sen. Newman? Mar 14 09:55 Kirk Cousins' Vikings visit Mar 15 08:18 Shaquille O'Neal speaks out Mar 15 18:11 Xavier Becerra's dishonesty Mar 16 05:20 Vikings just got significantly better Mar 17 10:02 Indicting Gov. Dayton's OHFC
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Saletan's perversion
William Saletan is attempting to rewrite history. His latest column attempts to paint over President Obama's history by saying that President Trump "rewards America's enemies and punishes its friends." No president rewarded its enemies more or punished America's allies more than President Obama. Let's remember the multiple times that President Obama attempted to punish Israel. Think of how, during the Arab Spring, he threw Egypt under the diplomatic bus. Think of the time early in his administration when he got rid of Winston Churchill's bust from the Oval Office.
In terms of rewarding friends, President Trump is great at it. He's the candidate that promised to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He's the president that moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. To the Jewish people, there's no quicker way to endear yourself to them than by doing that. There's no greater ally to the United States than Israel. Especially considering where it's located and its history, Israel hasn't survive without help from the United States. Watch the effusive praise Israeli PM Netanyahu lavished on President Trump during their recent meeting:
[Video no longer available]
On the premise that President Trump "rewards America's enemies and punishes its friends," Saletan wrote "On Monday, in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump took credit for recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. 'Many presidents' had talked about doing that, said Trump, but 'I was able to do it.' He seemed unaware that this supposed feat was a concession to Netanyahu, which previous presidents had held back as a bargaining chip."
Actually, President Trump did it for a reason that DC elites can't grasp. President Trump did it because he's into keeping promises. Here's something else that Saletan doesn't comprehend:
That's how Trump sees the meeting with Kim. It's not about confronting North Korea. It's a chance to upstage previous presidents.
Bulletin to Saletan: yes, it's about confronting Kim. In fact, it's all about confronting Kim Jung-Un. Next, Saletan said:
Trump ridiculed the idea that "Obama could have done that." Obama "would not have done it," he jeered. "Neither would Bush, and neither would Clinton. And they had their shot, and all they did was nothing."
I don't see this as being a controversial statement. The history is clear. Clinton, Bush and Obama kicked the can down the road. Now that NoKo is on the verge of getting deliverable nuclear weapons, President Trump has determined that there isn't any more road left to kick that can down. He's decided, totally unlike Susan Rice, that North Korea can't get a nuclear weapon.
Not only didn't Saletan prove his statement correct. It's that there's abundant proof that he's just plain wrong.
Posted Monday, March 12, 2018 10:33 AM
Comment 1 by Chad Q at 12-Mar-18 05:03 PM
Actually, Clinton and Obama gave N. Korea the ability to do what they have done with their nuclear weapons program to date. Talk about rewarding your enemies.
Comment 2 by eric z at 14-Mar-18 11:40 AM
Is Canada selling steel a friend or enemy? That terminology is simplistic. And are the Saudis friends, or enemies? Who bankrolled IS, and how was IS armed?
Are the Turks friends, or is it the Kurds? Either? Neither? Both?
Was Saddam a friend when warring with Iran, then an enemy when taking over Kuwait? Why was that our concern anyway?
Why are troops in Niger and in Syria? We have friends in either place? Name one. If Israel wants to fight somebody that's their decision. Not our responsibility. And who is a friend when Broadcom merging with Qualcomm gets stymied? Simplistic terminology leads to simplistic bombast.
Rambling Rose on Academic Balance vs. Indoctrination
( Editor's note: This is the first of many posts on LFR by Rambling Rose .)
Academic Balance: Education vs. Indoctrination
No one need be surprised when educational topics are discussed/debated that there are divergent views. 'Controversial' is the term chosen by the Pioneer Press to describe a bill (SF 2487) introduced by State Senator Carla Nelson (R-Rochester). She states 'it is necessary to protect students from being forced to express political viewpoints, to require that teachers present a variety of opinions on curriculum and to prohibit discrimination based on political or religious beliefs.'
The need arose following a lawsuit by high school students against the Edina school district as reported by the Star Tribune. The high school's Young Conservative Club charged that their free speech rights were violated when they protested : . and the district revoked their status as a school-sponsored organization (denied by the school district). Five students exchanged private chats about the students who refused to stand for the national anthem at a Veterans Day program. A YouTube video was produced by an anti-fascist group demanding an apology. The district denies any evidence that the video was produced by Edina students. The lawsuit was dropped in early March without the district admitting guilt or paying damages. However, the Young Conservative Club may be re-instated as a school-sponsored club, or not, but has assurances that they may organize 'with the ability to exercise free speech without consequence.' However, they are denied the possibility of future legal actions against the school district.
Edina's school district has also sparked controversy with its 'All for All' program for the past 4 years. While touted to increase student learning, the state-wide test scores reveal different results.
While black students' reading scores did increase from 45.5% to 46.6%, that is still less than 50% and their scores in other academic areas, according to state assessments, declined. Scores for all students declined. Data from the Minnesota Department of Education reveal that Edina has dropped from 5th to 29th in reading proficiency scores and from 10th to 40th in math. The Edina program bespeaks an ideology of indoctrination and not one of creative and critical thinking.
With the revisions approved last session by the Minnesota Legislature for teacher licensure requirements, this type of leftist, progressive ideology will be the norm across all schools in Minnesota. The label is 'cultural competency.'
The statute is 8710.0310 DEFINITIONS AND GENERAL RULES FOR TEACHING LICENSES, Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.30, 1.23 subdivision 1, paragraph (q). (q) For purposes of statewide accountability, "cultural competence," "cultural competency," or "culturally competent" means the ability of families and educators to interact effectively with people of different cultures, native languages, and socioeconomic backgrounds is non-offensive and an admirable goal for all classrooms. However, the application of the training as defined in Subpart 1. D. is not producing the declared goals. It targets problems by turning cultural competency into programs of indoctrination rather on the focus of improving student learning and test scores.
D. "Cultural competency training" means a training program that promotes self-reflection and discussion on all of the following topics: racial, cultural, and socioeconomic groups; American Indian students; implicit bias; systemic racism; gender identity, including transgender students; sexual orientation; language diversity; and individuals with disabilities.
Democrats on the Senate Education Policy Committee in response to Senator Nelson's bill claimed that it would restrict district's local control. Please refer to the preceding paragraph and study the topics to be required by the State in K-12 curricula.
Take a look at some of the materials included in Edina's program. The Weekly Standard reported in early February, 2018 that Black Lives Matter posters and gay-pride rainbow flags are common in the schools. An ABC book for small children is entitled A is for Activist (F-feminist; T-trans, for example). A required English course for 10th graders focuses not on literature and improved communication skills but rather on the themes of colonization, immigration, race, class and gender. An 11th grade literature and composition class lists applying Marxist, feminist, post-colonial and psychoanalytical lenses to literature.
It is their stated policy to hire teachers who are willing to implement such a curriculum. 'The Edina school district's All for All plan mandated that henceforth 'all teaching and learning experiences' would be viewed through the 'lens of racial equity,' and that only 'racially conscious' teachers and administrators should be hired. District leaders assured parents this would reduce Edina's racial achievement gap, which they attributed to 'barriers rooted in racial constructs and cultural misunderstandings'.' (Weekly Standard)
Not all parents agree with these policies and materials. They have lost their voice.
One parent reported ' teachers routinely pushed politicians and political positions they favored, shamed and browbeat students with dissenting views, and forced them to defend themselves against baseless allegations of racism. According to his son, he says, classroom discussions were often 'one-sided indoctrination sessions,' and students feared their grades would be penalized if they spoke out.' (Weekly Standard)
Parents agree that controversial topics should be included in class discussions and critical thinking skills promoted, but indoctrination is not to be tolerated. Following Donald J. Trump's election, one teacher told the students that a Trump presidency was worse than 9/11 and the Columbine massacre. (more details, data and parental reactions: Thinking Minnesota , Issue 9, Fall 2017)
In other institutions of learning (PreK-20), teachers are typically mandated to refrain from the inclusion of personal political and religious views when working with students, parents and the community where they are seen as teachers. Neither students or teachers are allowed to display the Bible. Students have been suspended for praying in the cafeteria. Coaches have been fired for praying privately in the locker room or on the playing field. Faculty have lost their positions for having the Ten Commandments hanging above the desk in a private office. Unfortunately, double standards are now the norm!!
While some may think that charter or private schools, or even homeschooling, may be an alternative, it may not be so. The extreme ideologies are also the foundation of the ACT and SAT college entrance exams. Young people will be admitted to higher education on their ability to regurgitate the political and cultural views of the leftists. This is an echo of Common Core. It did not die with the change of administration and the Secretary of Education. The previous administration carefully moved it to the states before leaving office.
Testimony last Thursday included views on both sides of the bill (SF 2487).
Katherine Kersten, senior policy fellow for the conservative Center for the American Experiment, argued in favor of the bill, pointing to the indoctrination practices of the Edina schools. 'Events in Edina make clear what happen when school officials and a core group of teachers, bent on imposing a narrow ideological framework on public education, are allowed to proceed unhampered: Today in Edina, students are under intense pressure to adopt and express a very specific set of social and political views.'
Teacher and education advocates opposed the bill. Josh Crosson, senior policy director for the education equity advocate Ed Allies, challenged the belief that equity programs were the same as indoctrination and disputed the claim of lower student achievement. He added that this type of legislation will produce unintended consequences if passed. The report did not include what he defines as 'unintended consequences.'
Senator Eric Pratt (R-Prior Lake), chair of the committee, summed up the current status of the debate between conservatives and liberals on many societal issues. 'Sometimes as conservatives we often feel as if we're being asked to be empathetic to one side and one side is never asked to be empathetic to us.' Unfortunately, it's true.
Posted Monday, March 12, 2018 4:37 PM
Comment 1 by Crimson Trace at 13-Mar-18 09:55 AM
Education has become mostly indoctrination. Having faculty teaching diversity courses at SCSU publicly stating in class that white male students will not get anything higher than a C grade is grossly unethical. Where is the outrage?
Comment 2 by eric z at 14-Mar-18 11:29 AM
Gary, you seem to cite local control as against a statute, but when a local school makes a decision, you criticize it despite it being locally controlled.
Are you saying parents should set curricula? That's a loaded bomb shell, with most parents busy elsewhere, working long hours, parenting, and such. And some parents are fence-post stupid, but intransigent about some backwards beliefs. Indoctrinating is a problem, but isn't that what the questionnaire Aplikowski filled out when he ran against Abeler a few years back about nothing besides chapter and verse of an indoctrinated Koolaid litmus test?
Doesn't Goldman Sachs indoctrinate, wasn't Pawlenty's job in DC for which he was paid millions to be constantly indoctrinating Congressional members about what's wanted by big banks?
It seems you guys yell "indoctrinating," if you dislike a direction local control takes, and "education" when evolution is discounted in a curriculum. You meet yourselves going both ways.
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 14-Mar-18 09:00 PM
I didn't say anything. This was a contribution from a longtime reader of LFR.
Conor Lamb's disguise
When he's campaigning, Conor Lamb attempts to sound like a Lindsey Graham Republican. One trip to his campaign website priorities page, though, exposes him as a hardline progressive.
On the subject of health care, Lamb says "I believe that every American has a right to go see a doctor when they're sick, and that means every American has a right to health insurance they can afford. The Affordable Care Act has flaws, but it has provided affordable coverage to more than a million Pennsylvanians who were previously uninsured. Our representatives in Congress should be working together to build on that progress, fix what isn't working, and make the law better. Instead, Republicans in Congress spent the past year trying to take health insurance away from people with no plan to replace it. Now, costs are likely to go up for many of us, especially those with preexisting conditions. That is unacceptable, and it's a failure of leadership."
The ACA isn't "flawed." It's a disaster that, until tax reform was passed, forced people to buy a product or pay a hefty fine if they didn't buy health insurance. Further, Republicans didn't spend "the past year trying to take health insurance away from people." They gave people the option to not buy insurance if they didn't like their options. Hopefully, sometime soon, we'll get rid of QHPs, aka Qualified Health Plans, which is how Democrats forced people to buy insurance policies they didn't like.
On energy, Lamb is wishy-washy at best:
In short, Lamb isn't as hardline progressive as Bernie Sanders but he isn't who he's pretending to be, either.
Posted Tuesday, March 13, 2018 7:52 AM
Comment 1 by Chad Q at 13-Mar-18 05:12 PM
These politicians make it sound like people flocked to Obamacare when it was rammed down their throats when in reality, people were forced to go onto Obamacare either because their employers dropped them due to costs of providing insurance or through the government mandate. Only those who are getting their health insurance for free are benefitting from this horrible law.
Comment 2 by eric z at 14-Mar-18 09:45 AM
Conor Lamb showed how to run in a blue collar suburban/rural district that had been deep red. The guy who was anti-abortion but resigned when it came out he knocked up his girlfriend and counseled her to have an abortion resigned, so it was an open seat with tons of GOP cash and Donald Trump Sr. and Jr. showing up to cause frenzy which failed to happen.
Lamb is taking the Schumer Conjecture, pick up moderates in suburban districts, and is chapter/verse of saying "Build on Romneycare/Obamacare" when progressives say throw the crap out and with it the privateers profitting off sickness and death, the UnitedHealth bandits. Curb big pharma via single payer, the strongest position being cradle to grave coverage as a right and not a privilege, government financed, government run; and that has real traction you can dance around, but it's there.
Conor Lamb's biggest contribution - the necessity of paper ballots, a paper trail, if/when a recount is needed. In Minnesota it got Coleman out and Franken in, because the truth comes when a recount is needed.
Beyond that, Our Revolution is backing candidates, Pelosi and Feinstein are being primaried, and we wait to see if the grassroots preferences of the majority of citizens will be successful - universal coverage, income equity, relief of student debt impediments, a living minimum wage, strong unions, and taxing the rich nationwide and not where they can weasel state-to-state.
We wait. We see. Craig and Erdmann in CD2 and Phifer in CD8 can be more a barometer than Conor Lamb. Not to play down that district and Roy Moore's defeat, but there is still months, and there may be a mood among your party's office seekers that Air Force One should stay out of the district. Perhaps not, but, just saying . . .
Comment 3 by eric z at 14-Mar-18 09:49 AM
Do you guys have any insight from the GOP side about the CD2 pair, Craig and Erdmann, and which Lewis might do best against? And what would Lewis need to have as a primary focus and message to make his strongest case for reelection? In effect, how would you run his campaign?
Response 3.1 by Gary Gross at 14-Mar-18 09:08 PM
First, neither DFL candidate is that strong. Lewis should emphasize the fact that he voted for the Trump/GOP tax cuts that has the economy growing at a rate that Obama never accomplished. Further, I'd highlight the fact that we're now energy independent, something that Democrats talked about & never accomplished. Finally, I'd highlight the fact that AC hasn't differed from Pelosi on a single major issue. Ever.
Comment 4 by eric z at 16-Mar-18 09:42 AM
Pelosi is NOT for single payer. Craig is. You implicitly are discounting Erdmann. He's my favorite, not being in CD2 but watching candidate forums on YouTube. Two further questions, unrelated: Do you see the union effect Lamb had behind him as generically strong, or unique to the district? Second, Strib this morning had Flake running a primary challenge if the idea grows legs; so, do you see any real chance of any GOP establishment challenge to Trump? I do not, but you're more attuned to the GOP players.
Pelosi has a progressive primary challenger, so the GOP candidates up and down the line are not the only ones running against Pelosi as a collective. Any thoughts there? Pelosi and Feinstein are both middle of the road multi-millionaire Clintonian corporatists who are taking on age and set in their ways. Ripe for progressives to be challenging. The Bern has not quelled.
Response 4.1 by Gary Gross at 16-Mar-18 09:21 PM
Yes, Pelosi is for single payer. She just doesn't say it in public.
Lamb ran a great campaign but he's a phony. I've heard that he might get primaried in the new district.
Jeff Flake is full of himself. As for an establishment Republican giving Trump a serious challenge, I don't see it happening.
Gov. Dayton vs. Sen. Newman?
The Minnesota Senate Transportation Committee passed legislation that likely won't put a smile on Gov. Dayton's face. The Committee "advanced legislation Monday to provide $7.3 million for ongoing repairs and improvements to the state's motor vehicle licensing system and to establish a new layer of legislative oversight for future funding."
Further, "Sen. Scott Newman, R-Hutchinson, the transportation committee chair, said he left out money the agencies wanted for staff to handle MNLARS complaints. 'I reject the idea that we should be hiring more folks at this point to answer the telephone, principally because I think we ought to be spending the money on getting the program up and running,' Newman said."
Sen. Newman's point should be highlighted. Why spend money on people whose job is to spin what's happening at MNLARS? That's like spending money on rebranding universities. It's wasting money. Fixing MNLARS is important.
It's apparent that Gov. Dayton is doing his best to limp this project across the finish line. There's little confidence it'll get fixed before Gov. Dayton leaves office. That's what makes this fight pathetic:
It's time for a change in governing philosophy. It's time to infuse state government with competence. That isn't found in any DFL gubernatorial candidates.
Posted Tuesday, March 13, 2018 4:26 PM
No comments.
Kirk Cousins' Vikings visit
Last year, the Vikings got shredded in the NFC Championship Game by the now-world championship Philadelphia Eagles, finishing the season 13-3 while handily winning the NFC North. On the plus side, they finished far better than the Sporting News predicted. They predicted that Detroit and Green Bay would both finish 11-5, with the Vikings finishing 8-8 and the Bears finishing 3-13. NFL.com predicted that the Lions would win the NFC North. It wasn't just that they predicted this outcome.
It's what they didn't say, writing "Admittedly, this is a tough sell. Predicting the Lions will win a division they haven't ever won (the NFC North was formed in 2002) already feels shaky after two sentences. Yet, there are reasons to think Detroit could pull off beating out Green Bay for the top spot. Start with addition by subtraction, as the Lions signed former Packer guard T.J. Lang in free agency. General manager Bob Quinn further bolstered the offensive line by adding tackle Ricky Wagner. Each should help running back Ameer Abdullah stay on course. Abdullah merely needs to stay healthy. This team was on its way toward winning the NFC North last year until Matthew Stafford injured his middle finger. How many teams can survive their starter hurting his throwing hand in the midst of a playoff run? No major injuries and no Hail Marys might mean an end to the days of merely sneaking into the postseason."
They didn't even mention the Vikings. (That's the definition of a snub.)
Going into the 2018 season, everyone will have their eyes on the Vikings. Kirk Cousins is their starting QB. For the first time in his career, he'll play behind a rock-solid O-Line. For the first time in his career, he'll have a plethora of weapons to attack with. Never has he had the opportunity to throw to Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Kyle Rudolph and Dalvin Cook. Never has he had a running game featuring Dalvin Cook.
With this collection of weapons, though, comes high expectations. Winning the NFC North is a worthy goal but it isn't the only expectation. Paying $84,000,000 guaranteed over 3 years gives the Vikings the reasonable expectation of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at least once in those 3 years.
Posted Wednesday, March 14, 2018 9:55 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 14-Mar-18 11:14 AM
KC could get injured. It happened to Teddy. Also, what if neither is injured and Teddy has a better year with the Jets and KC breaks the bank in a mediocre way?
I think Josh Rosen has the best quarterback-in-the-draft potential, and the Louisville quarterback next.
Also, the Vikings are quiet about the practice squad QB but they are protecting him from other clubs after paying him high, for a practice squad player. They may be confident that way, should KC be a bust or be hurt.
Do you see the Vikings taking an OL or a defensive tackle in the first round of the draft, and where do you think Suh ends up? Staying put but at lower pay, back at Detroit, or doing a one year contract somewhere to prove something is still in the tank. One year did okay for Keenum. He has cashed in and could make the playoffs a second year straight.
And last, the Vikings do not have an elite OL. Working that way, toward that goal, but you watched the same Philly game I did.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 14-Mar-18 09:03 PM
The Vikings traded for Trevor Siemian to be Cousins' backup.
Comment 2 by Chad Q at 15-Mar-18 05:34 PM
Ah another Vikings fan who has already drank the KC Kool-Aid. You talk like He's been playing for the Brown's his entire carrier where they've always had squat when in reality, he's played with some top notch receivers and RB's. Good/great QB's (Rodgers, Brady) will elevate the people around them but Kirk hasn't been able to do that and he got smoked in his only playoff game. I'm not saying he can't take the Vikings to the Super Bowl but if he doesn't, who will Vikings fans blame next because this was supposed to be the last piece of the puzzle. Only time will tell.
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 16-Mar-18 05:34 AM
You forgot to mention that Washington has consistently been one of the most dysfunctional teams in the league. Their front office has been willing to spend money but they haven't figured out how to build a team. As for those "top-notch" RBs, that list was Alfred Morris in Morris' rookie season. BTW, that's the year when RG III was the NFC Rookie of the Year.
I don't know if Cousins will win a Super Bowl. Few QBs do. What I'm certain of, though, is that he's a significant upgrade over Case Keenum.
Shaquille O'Neal speaks out
Saying that it took courage for Shaquille O'Neal to speak out against gun violence is understatement. Nonetheless, that's precisely what he did when he said the solution isn't to ban guns.
In an interview with WABC, O'Neal said "The government should give law enforcement more money. Give more money, you recruit more people, and the guys that are not ready to go on the streets, you put them in front of the schools. You put 'em in front of the schools, you put 'em behind the schools, you put 'em inside the schools. And we need to pass information. I would like to see police officers in schools, inner cities, private schools."
I totally agree with one stipulation -- that those officers not be like the cowards from the Broward County Sheriff's Office.
What happened yesterday, what's been happening for weeks, is that liberal cowards like Chuck Schumer and Richard Blumenthal have hidden behind kids that've been propagandized by anti-gun groups like Everytown and Moms Demand Action. Yesterday, Sen. Schumer and the other cowards pandered to these kids :
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) both spoke to the demonstrators, while other Democrats such as Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Rep. Ted Deutch (Fla.) and Rep. Keith Ellison (Minn.) were spotted in the crowd. "[We are] representing in Congress the students who have sacrificed so much, spoken so eloquently, commanded the attention of the nation," Pelosi told the crowd. "We are all moved by your eloquence and fearless insistence on action to prevent gun violence." "Don't give up the fight! We will win," added Schumer.
Watch the stupidity on parade from these 'moral authorities':
[Video no longer available]
It's sickening to listen to these liberal blowhards pledge their allegiance to know-nothing kids. One minute, Democrats say these students are wise beyond their years and that their moral authority is absolute. The next minute, Democrats (and the students) say they're too immature to buy weapons that they'd use to protect themselves with.
Shaquille O'Neal is right. Protecting students is a matter of hardening targets. Taking guns away from law-abiding citizens won't make a dent. I know this because we tried it before. Dana Loesch got it right in this interview:
[Video no longer available]
Here's what she said:
Sheriff Israel had the best day yesterday because nobody was talking about him and I think that's how he wants it. No one was talking about his incompetency. No one was talking about his failure to stand up for those kids by answering the 45 calls that came into his department, including calls from the murderer's mother herself, who was warning law enforcement that he had put a gun to her head.What's sickening is that these students don't know that former US Attorney General Eric Holder is partially responsible for this shooting because he put a higher priority on sending violent students to touchy-feely classes than he put on stopping the violence.
Shaq is right. It's time to harden schools. If that hurts these youthful activists' feelings, perhaps we should send students with hurt feelings to touchy-feely training.Shaquille O'Neal speaks out
Posted Thursday, March 15, 2018 8:18 AM
No comments.
Xavier Becerra's dishonesty
Xavier Becerra's op-ed isn't just dishonest. It's also filled with Democrat propaganda.
Early in his op-ed, Becerra wrote "The Trump administration and California can agree on this point: Public safety must be a top priority. But in California, we believe our communities are safest when we have trust between our law enforcement and the communities they serve." Thus far, California's approach has failed. Just ask Kate Steinle's family. Thanks to Becerra's policies, they'll never get to talk with Kate again. Suffice it to say that Democrats haven't put a high priority on keeping communities safe.
Later, Becerra wrote "Just ahead of visiting California for the first time as president Tuesday, President Trump tweeted misleading claims about California's public-safety policies, suggesting that our state laws put people at risk. In fact, our laws are in place to protect our families and strengthen public safety." That's a non sequitur answer. California's laws have put people at risk. It's entirely possible that the California legislature wanted to protect people. It's also possible that their laws have failed to accomplish what they wanted to accomplish.
The proof that Gen. Becerra is utterly dishonest comes in this video:
[Video no longer available]
First, the video highlights the fact that Becerra was a member of Congress "for almost 25 years" and that he was part of the House Democratic leadership team. Then it shows Becerra saying "You can trace all of this back to the fact that Washington, DC, the Trump administration as the Governor said, has just failed utterly to help us fix a very broken immigration system."
What a liar. President Trump has put together a totally reasonable offer to fix the US immigration system. Further, it's Becerra and the Democrats who've failed. In 2009, Democrats had a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, a supermajority in the House and a Democrat president. They had the perfect opportunity to fix the US immigration system. It's stunning that Becerra thinks that it's Trump's fault for not fixing the immigration system. Becerra had a quarter of a century and didn't fix it. President Trump has been in office 18 months.
None of our state's laws regulate immigration or interfere with the ability of federal immigration authorities to do their jobs. Rather, California is acting on its own turf by regulating its own law enforcement officers, detention facilities and workplaces to ensure that the confidentiality of the state's residents is safeguarded and their constitutional rights protected.
That's a lie. One of California's 'immigration laws' prohibits employer cooperation with immigration enforcement:
AB 450, Chiu. Employment regulation: immigration worksite enforcement actions.
Existing law prohibits an employer or other person or entity from engaging in, or to directing another person or entity to engage in, unfair immigration-related practices against a person for exercising specified rights.
That law is unenforceable because it limits an employer's right to free speech. If an employer wants to work with, for instance, ICE, that's their right under the First Amendment. Period. AB 450 interferes "with the ability of federal immigration authorities to do their jobs."
Simply put, Xavier Becerra isn't skilled at telling the truth.
Posted Thursday, March 15, 2018 6:11 PM
No comments.
Vikings just got significantly better
Prior to the Vikings signing Kirk Cousins, I wasn't totally sold on him. From a skills standpoint, I thought he was better than Teddy Bridgewater and significantly better than Case Keenum. After watching his introductory press conference, though, and watching film of Cousins, I'm totally thrilled he's the Vikings' QB for the near future.
What's most obvious is the fact that he's a leader. Questioning whether he'll be the face of the franchise shouldn't take much time. He's straight from central casting. Vikings GM Rick Spielman perhaps put it best when he said "I spent two-and-a-half hours with him and his family and then got a chance to meet his parents last night before we went to dinner, spent some time with them, and you knew right off the bat. I didn't need to spend two-and-a-half hours; I needed to spend 10 minutes with him and his family to know what they mean, what they're about and what's important to them - and it's everything that checks the box here with the Minnesota Vikings."
From an arm talent standpoint, Cousins is high quality. From an intangibles standpoint, he's outstanding. Watch this video of Thursday's introductory press conference at TCO Performance Center and you'll see what I mean:
[Video no longer available]
Something that jumped out for me was that Cousins said he'd met a bunch of Vikings at the Pro Bowl after the 2016 season and that he immediately knew that they were genuinely a tight-nit group. He said all 32 teams talk a good game that way but that the Vikings immediately showed that it wasn't talk. The impression I got from Thursday's press conference is that this guy is CEO smooth and he can't wait to put in the hours to become this team's leader.
As for the people who've highlighted Cousins' record as a starter, that's the past and it's irrelevant. This guy is the definition of a leader. Keenum knew how to maximize his performance despite his less-than-impressive arm talent. Cousins' arm talent is light years better than Keenum's. Cousins can drive the ball down the field with velocity whereas Case Keenum had to put everything he had into his deep throws.
Mentality-wise, Cousins plays with a chip on his shoulder because he's been underestimated all his life. He was drafted in the 4th round in 2012, the year when Andrew Luck, RG III were the first 2 picks and Russell Wilson was drafted in the third round. In fact, he and RG III were picked by the Redskins. RG III was an instant celebrity whereas Cousins went to work learning the playbook. Now RG III's career is virtually over and Cousins just signed the richest contract in NFL history.
I have no doubt that Mr. Cousins will be the impressive face of the Vikings franchise for years to come.
Posted Friday, March 16, 2018 5:20 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 16-Mar-18 09:31 AM
He looks like Kevin Love's shorter brother. It's a big gamble, the Simien backup decision was easy. What do you see as the priority in the draft? It will not be to trade up for a quarterback of the future, but what if one is available, second or third round, one the Vikings like but not on other teams' radar?
I see them looking at OL and DT in the draft rather than in free agency, although this Richardson player did visit.
CB in the slot might be a need if the braintrust has lost faith in Alexander. And with the bundle dropped on Cousins, Suh is going elsewhere. Let's hope the offense is tailored to Cousins' strengths, and that there's not a single Ponder bone in the man. If the OL protects and there is no Teddy-like freak non-contact injury, it could be an interesting season. The schedule is harder than last year.
Do you see Keenum having a duplicate year with Denver? He could. Depending on the offensive game planning.
Comment 2 by Chad Q at 16-Mar-18 06:31 PM
Man, you're putting a lot of pressure on a QB who hasn't proven a thing his entire career.
While I'm neither for nor against Keenum and wish him luck in Denver, he at least holds the NCAA passing and TD record. All Cousins holds is a chip on his shoulder for some reason. A lot of good/great QB's were drafted in later rounds. Montana and Young were drafted in the 4th like Cousins. Heck, Brady was drafted in the 6th round and Kurt Warner and Tony Romo weren't even drafted. Lots of number ones and first rounders never panned out, Ryan Leaf and Ponder come to mind.
If he's everything you and the rest of the purple Kool-Aid drinkers think he is then the $84 million guaranteed is going to be well spent but if he's another dud like Ponder or number 1 overall pick Bradford, then they are going to look pretty foolish. The smooth talker has a lot to prove.
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 16-Mar-18 09:17 PM
Actually, Montana was drafted in the third round. Young would've been the top overall pick if he hadn't signed a contract to play in the USFL. Your comparison to Ponder is foolish. It isn't a serious argument. During Christian Ponder's best season, he threw for 2,900+ yards & 18 TDs. How is that remotely similar to Cousins?
Anyone that thinks Cousins doesn't have the skills to be a top-10 QB isn't paying attention. Yes, he has lots to prove. Let's check back in a year. I suspect the conversation will be different.
Response 2.2 by Gary Gross at 16-Mar-18 09:35 PM
I think this is worth checking out.
Indicting Gov. Dayton's OHFC
One thing that's obvious from Gov. Dayton's proposal to prevent elder care abuse is that he isn't willing to admit that his administration didn't do its job.
Included in Gov. Dayton's proposal are "streamlin[ing] reports of abuse, increase licensing requirements for long-term care facilities and strengthen penalties for those who hurt seniors and vulnerable adults." Nowhere is it mentioned that the Dayton administration failed its oversight responsibilities. State Sen. Karin Housley noticed:
"Nearly all the governor's recommendations come from his handpicked working group, which I believe only reflect one side of an extremely emotional, complex situation," said Housley, who chairs the Senate long-term care committee and has her own legislative proposals. "While many of the working group recommendations are incorporated into my legislation, it will not ignore the critical oversight role played by the state."
Later, Sen. Housley issued this statement :
While the governor and I share the same goal of making sure elderly and vulnerable Minnesotans are cared for with dignity and respect, I believe his proposal falls well short and ignores many of the realities of the problem. Nearly all the governor's recommendations come from his handpicked working group, which I believe only reflect one side of an extremely emotional, complex situation. In fact, the governor's proposal does not consider any of the recommendations of the senior care facilities, which were almost entirely left out of the conversation.
Instead of taking responsibility for the shortcomings and negligence of his own state agencies - one of the main drivers of this issue - the governor placed the blame wholly on the care providers. Despite a well-documented culture of intimidation and neglect that prevented the governor's Office of Health Facility Complaints (OHFC) from serving its function, the governor refuses to accept accountability for the failings of the executive branch. The many hardworking care providers across Minnesota depend on the OHFC for oversight, but it did not live up to its end of the bargain.
I will be introducing legislation tomorrow that I believe moves us in the right direction and brings all stakeholders to the table. While many of the working group recommendations are incorporated into my legislation, it will not ignore the critical oversight role played by the state. I have been working on this issue for over a year, bringing all stakeholders to the table and searching for a solution that works for all - and those conversations have virtually all pointed toward an urgent need to fix the OHFC.
I look forward to working with the governor's office, my colleagues, and stakeholders in passing substantive change this session.
Here's the tape of Housley's press conference on her new bill:
[Video no longer available]
Follow this link to read the Elder Care and Vulnerable Adult Protection Act. The first question from the press asked what disappointed Sen. Housley about Gov. Dayton's proposal. Here's her reply:
SEN. HOUSLEY: I felt it was a one-sided -- he appointed his working group. I admire and I've listened to everyone in that working group from AARP to Elder Justice to Elder Voices. It was just one side and you also have the huge problem within the OHFC and that wasn't addressed and that is his administration and that is where he failed. I know that Sheila van Pelt has been emailing the government since 2013, the governor and his administration trying to get answers on why she wasn't getting answers so to not look in the mirror is disappointing.
Gov. Dayton's administration failed to investigate these abuses. According to the OLA report, they didn't even put a plan in place to investigate. After the crisis was exposed, Gov. Dayton's proposal didn't include anything to hold his administration accountable.
Technorati:
Karin Housley , Oversight , Republicans , Mark Dayton , OHFC , Accountability , Legislative Auditor , Mismanagement , DFL
Posted Saturday, March 17, 2018 10:02 AM
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