Democrat Paying Starvation Wages To Staff

Thanks to the draconian policy of reducing slightly the rate of  the federal government’s growth, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz’s staff is becoming svelter.  We could call it the K Street Diet.

I now have a book idea; nobody steal it from me.

A Politician Through And Through

One former Republican candidate for office, unable to steal through the State, tries to get a little more personal.

Today In North Korea

The North Korean government continues sabre-rattling, probably because that’s the only way anybody would ever care about North Korea.  On the other hand, they have this totally-realistic documentary of life in the US.  Presumably, this is post-sequester, when the government collapsed and even Steve Rattner’s family suffered.

BBWAA = Sanctimonious assholes

Nobody got elected. Rob Neyer has a great break down. Deadspin has a fun little article on relationships among votes for players.  Jonah Keri has some interesting thoughts as well. Even Bill Livingston, who normally writes like a moron, thinks people are dumb for ignoring steroid era stars.

Here’s what baffles me. Five years ago, when some of these guys retired, we all would have agreed they’d be first ballot HOFers. No question. Barry Bonds is the greatest offensive player in baseball history; only Babe Ruth comes close, and only if you count his years as a pitcher. (The introduction to Baseball Between the Numbers covers this argument better than I can.) Roger Clemens is arguably the best pitcher in baseball since 1950, certainly since 1975. (I’d call Greg Maddux the clear #2, with Randy Johnson, Tom Glavine, Pedro Martinez, and a few others jockeying for best pitcher since 1975; Clemens was more dominant and performed better in the postseason.) Mike Piazza is the greatest offensive catcher of all time.

None of them even got 60% of the vote. Bonds and Clemens got less than 40%. The most popular candidate of the first balloters? Craig Biggio. Biggio was an excellent player, and deserving of the Hall of Fame. He was not the most deserving person on the ballot; not even close. Here’s what you have to ask yourself: why on earth would you not vote for Bonds or Clemens? Here are some potential reasons.

1. You’re an idiot or don’t cover baseball. This is, by far, the best excuse.

2. You legitimately think that all steroid users are evil. I’m tired of arguing about this point, so I’ll just direct you here and let you read for yourself. This is where the sanctimony comes in: cheating is a part of every professional sport. The only one who’s honest about it is pro wrestling. I’m not saying you shouldn’t condemn cheaters, but here’s what you need to grasp. Clemens and Bonds got it away with it. No matter how angry you get, you’ve lost your chance. Sorry.

3. “I refuse to vote for first ballot guys because Joe DiMaggio (insert name) didn’t make it.” I’m sorry that Joe DiMaggio didn’t make it. I happen to think he’s a bit overrated, but a worthy Hall of Famer. That has nothing to do with Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens, both of whom were much, much better players than DiMaggio. We’ll have this same argument next year, when Greg Maddux is on the ballot, and Greg Maddux is 100% clean and a nice guy to boot.

4. Going along with point #3, you might not like Clemens or Bonds because they’re jerks. I offer you this counterpoint: every athlete in the history of the planet has acted like a jerk at some point, because every human being has acted like a jerk at some point. (Now, not all athletes are humans, but nobody’s arguing Air Bud belongs in the Hall of Fame anyway.) Bonds and Clemens are exceptionally huge jerks, but they’ve also been badgered pretty relentlessly for various reasons. But you know what? Let’s pretend like we don’t like jerks (and we do). What about Piazza, who had the one feud with Clemens and was a model citizen otherwise? What about Craig Biggio, who is David Eckstein if David Eckstein had talent? How can you leave them off?

Every other argument is a variation on those four, because there is no way to argue that, statistically, Bonds/Clemens/Piazza don’t belong in the Hall of Fame. (Biggio is less open and shut, mostly because he was a meh defender.)

Do we need to fix the voting process? Maybe. I don’t see how, unless you either a) drastically alter the voting pool, b) let fans vote (and G_d help us if that ever happens), c) forbid voters from sending in blank ballots (I fully support this; if your ballot is blank, you lose your membership in the BBWAA), or d) force all voters to take a test before permitting them to vote. Until we firmly establish the Steroid Era’s place in baseball history, one way or the other, these arguments will keep coming back.

A second American Civil War…

… is not going to be the response to these lovely online petitions. Legally, the White House has to respond if there are 25,000 signatures, and Texas is already over the limit. Texas may be viable economically if it were to secede, but I honestly think Obama’s response will be along the lines of “lol Texas.”

There is no legal right to secede in the Constitution. None. Want to argue it’s implied? It isn’t: the Civil War handled that. Louisiana’s pretty close too, although Texas may be economically viable as independent (whereas Louisiana is not).

Look, I’m not delighted Obama won, but revisiting the worst crisis in American history is probably not the best way to register your opposition.

Dear Mike Florio: Um, we don’t need your help.

Profootballfocus’s Mike Florio had this gem of an article today. He’s arguing that, since Bruce Arians (the interim head coach of the Colts) included “faith” in what he looks for in a football player, he’s immediately against atheists.

What? I’m as atheist as the next guy (no, more atheist. Take that, jerk), but when I read the statement he’s quoting, I didn’t even react. (Actually, far stupider is the fact he mentions “football” twice. If you have passion for football, don’t you by definition also care about it? Unless you’re passionately against football, in which case, being a football player is a poor choice of profession.) To use a baseball term, I think all Bruce Arians wants is “make-up”, or players who are less likely to go to prison. Now, I’m not sure faith has anything to do with being a good or bad person, but it’s generally understood that people of faith are “better” people than those without faith. While it’s an unfortunate association, it’s one most Americans would make.

I do understand Florio’s point, kind of, but let’s recap. An interim head coach for a football team, who doesn’t even make hiring decisions, is being criticized for using the word “faith.” Is it a potential legal minefield? In any country but the United States, probably. Of course, nobody would have noticed it if Florio hadn’t pointed it out. And now me, I guess. With my giant blog audience. If we (meaning atheists) don’t want people to think we’re dicks, getting hot and bothered over this isn’t the way to do it, especially since Florio isn’t an atheist either.

Only A Flesh Wound

Michael Mann is threatening to sue National Review and Mark Steyn.  I don’t want a lawsuit to happen, but honestly, the entertainment value would be tremendous.  So would, as Rich Lowry points out, the value of discovery.  We would get an opportunity to see just how fraudulent Michael Mann really has been.

Insert Punter Joke Here — although he’s absolutely right this time.

This article, from Deadspin, is from Vikings Punter Chris Kluwe. It’s laced with profanity, but it’s absolutely on point. Some idiotic politician in Maryland has no business coming down on a football player for speaking his mind. None. Doesn’t matter the topic. (I also quasi-support gay marriage, in the sense that it really doesn’t matter to me.)

Now, if politicians want to ban the Ravens? I’m right on board with that.

(In a related matter: ha ha, you sniveling bastard! You’re dead!)

Man Cannot Live On Subsidy Alone

Solar plants are going out of style faster than disco.  It’s like the government isn’t very good at picking winning technologies or something…

Photocopiers

This is a hilarious exchange.  Ah, Ohio government workers…  Even at trying to cover up corruption, you suck at your jobs…

By the way, I’m totally stealing the line “If you feel stupid, it’s not because I’m making you feel that way.” and using it in as many cases as I can.