Yesterday, Massachusetts voters elected Republican Scott Brown to the United States Senate. Brown will take the seat that belonged to the late Edward Kennedy, who served the people of Massachusetts for 47 years.
Brown becomes the first Republican senator from Massachusetts since Edward Brooke in 1972. The defeat for Democrats is sure to be felt around the country. Mid-term elections are approaching and many Democratic senators are wondering if the frustration felt by Massachusetts voters will be echoed from sea to shining sea.
My opinion: Scott Brown was the lesser of two evils. I wanted to see what Liberty Party candidate Joseph Kennedy (who is of no relation to the late Senator) could do but he did little, if any campaigning. It's hard to vote for someone when you don't know where they stand on the issues.
Coakley was leading by a comfortable margin in preliminary polls going as far back as November. Polls mean nothing. What means something is the slew of attack ads that came out as the campaign wore on. These messages were put out by outside groups and were not endorsed by any candidate. Coakley should have distanced herself from the hate ads showing Brown as this evil force. In all fairness, the ads showing Coakley getting cozy with lobbyists were no better. I also think the electorate was tired of seeing the Kennedy family everywhere on the television whenever a Democratic candidate had a television spot running.
Republicans everywhere are rejoicing and somewhere in Utah, Mitt Romney is lamenting his decision to get out of the political jungle of Massachusetts. The backlash of Massachusetts voters is being felt by lawmakers in Washington, who somehow thought President Barack Obama was going to rescue and repair the country in less than a year with hope and hype. It hasn't happened. Luckily, there is still some time before the crucial mid-term elections for everyone to get back to work.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Mark McGwire
Earlier this week, former baseball player Mark McGwire told fans what they didn't want to hear but needed to know: He used steroids.
McGwire finally came out with the truth. He admitted to the Associated Press that he used anabolic steroids and during the 1998 season in which he broke Roger Maris' record of 61 home runs in a 162-game season. The record has since been broken again by Barry Bonds' 73 home runs in 2001.
McGwire is now the hitting instructor for the Cardinals. Spring Training is less than six weeks away. McGwire should either step down from the position or be removed by the team.
It won't happen. McGwire has been shrewd in this. He has said all the right things. How hard the ordeal has been for his family. He's so sorry. He'll face up to it now. What about when Spring Training starts?
My prediction: McGwire will face the media on his first day on the job and tell the press, "It's over. I addressed the siutation earlier and that's all I'm going to say about it. You guys should focus on the team we have for the 2010 season. I'm not going to be a distraction."
Yes you are.
Mark McGwire cheated. There was no way Major League Baseball was going to let the epic Home Run Chase be tainted with rumors of players injecting themselves with performance-enhancing drugs. The 1998 season was just four seasons after a labor dispute cancelled the World Series; something two world wars and an earthquake couldn't do.
Say what you want about Bud Selig. The man is shrewd. He knew something like this would be just the thing Major League Baseball needed to get the fans back and it worked. Years later ballparks are enjoying record attendences. Now is the time to take the high road and tell the public something must be done.
Something must be done. Mark McGwire must be suspended for at least one year. The Commissioner's Office must look into this matter and see if McGwire should be allowed to work in Major League Baseball. If Selig does not do this, he will continue to fail to convince the fans that Major League Baseball is doing all it can to protect the integrity of the game. And somewhere at a baseball card show, Pete Rose is calling his lawyer with a new sense of hope.
McGwire finally came out with the truth. He admitted to the Associated Press that he used anabolic steroids and during the 1998 season in which he broke Roger Maris' record of 61 home runs in a 162-game season. The record has since been broken again by Barry Bonds' 73 home runs in 2001.
McGwire is now the hitting instructor for the Cardinals. Spring Training is less than six weeks away. McGwire should either step down from the position or be removed by the team.
It won't happen. McGwire has been shrewd in this. He has said all the right things. How hard the ordeal has been for his family. He's so sorry. He'll face up to it now. What about when Spring Training starts?
My prediction: McGwire will face the media on his first day on the job and tell the press, "It's over. I addressed the siutation earlier and that's all I'm going to say about it. You guys should focus on the team we have for the 2010 season. I'm not going to be a distraction."
Yes you are.
Mark McGwire cheated. There was no way Major League Baseball was going to let the epic Home Run Chase be tainted with rumors of players injecting themselves with performance-enhancing drugs. The 1998 season was just four seasons after a labor dispute cancelled the World Series; something two world wars and an earthquake couldn't do.
Say what you want about Bud Selig. The man is shrewd. He knew something like this would be just the thing Major League Baseball needed to get the fans back and it worked. Years later ballparks are enjoying record attendences. Now is the time to take the high road and tell the public something must be done.
Something must be done. Mark McGwire must be suspended for at least one year. The Commissioner's Office must look into this matter and see if McGwire should be allowed to work in Major League Baseball. If Selig does not do this, he will continue to fail to convince the fans that Major League Baseball is doing all it can to protect the integrity of the game. And somewhere at a baseball card show, Pete Rose is calling his lawyer with a new sense of hope.
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