BASEBALL DIARY: the Tigers lose a forgettable one, 11-0 to the Yankees. A great start from Edwin Jackson, who held the Yanks scoreless for 6...but then the bullpen gave up 10 runs in the 7th. One of those nights--and the Tigers could do nothing with Phil Hughes. One of those games...
But the Texas Rangers had a better night--they edged Oakland, 5-4. The Rangers have now evened their season record at 10-10 and have won 4 of their last 5. Tonight's keys: a decent outing from Kevin Millwood; a perfect 9th inning worked by closer Frank Francisco; and some big hits from Hank Blalock, who's coming back strong from last year's injury-filled campaign.
And the Cubs blasted Arizona, 11-3, for a much-needed win. Every Cub starter had at least one hit--but the key to the game was Carlos Zambrano, who pitched 7 good innings, and had a homer, double, and single. The Cubs just need to play more consistently...
Elsewhere today--trouble in Iraq:
"Six car bombings in four hours killed 48 people and wounded 81 in various Baghdad neighborhoods Wednesday, according to Iraq's Interior Ministry."
We're seeing a definite uptick in attacks and violence, much of it apparently coming from Al Qaeda in Iraq. Are they testing the resolve of the Obama administration? If so, what will the administration's response be?
By the way, don't worry, Obama family--US Magazine assures you that they want to cover you, but not like they cover Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie; they only want to discuss the important stuff:
"They’re not Brangelina — we’re not covering the minutia of (the Obamas') lives,” said Lara Cohen, news director for Us. “In 2008, it was about telling our readers who Michelle was, that she’s a mom who shops at Target, and doing ‘Barack, he’s just like us.’ We’re covering the big moments now. Moments like the inauguration, getting the dog.”
Yes, yes, the "big moments"...gosh, what if the Obamas next get a cat???
Moderate Republican Senator Olympia Snowe is not happy about Arlen Specter's departure from the GOP:
"We can’t continue to fold our philosophical tent into an umbrella under which only a select few are worthy to stand. Rather, we should view an expansion of diversity within the party as a triumph that will broaden our appeal."
In other words, social conservatives drove Specter and others out of the party. Or so many think. But it's not true. Conservatives in the party don't say argue that those who are pro-choice on abortion can't be Republicans. They don't demand silence from moderates; they don't shy away from debates on the social issues and what should be the Republican Party's stand on them--far from it, they welcome them. Snowe should read National Review Online's The Corner for a week or so.
But we conservatives, too, have our beliefs; and we, too, are going to express them; and when it comes to the party's platform, we're going to continue to fight to have the party continue to stand for that which is important: a culture of life, and traditional, enduring values on issues such as marriage. That's not a lack of diversity--that's standing up for what one believes in.
On Snowe's column, Ramesh Ponnuru at NRO rightly adds:
"Senator Olympia Snowe writes that "it was when we began to emphasize social issues to the detriment of some of our basic tenets as a party that we encountered an electoral backlash." Really? Abortion, marriage, and the courts were much bigger issues in 2002 and 2004 than in 2006 and 2008. Like Davis, she says she wants Republicans to concentrate on restraining government spending. Apart from everything else that might be said about this prescription, didn't Snowe just vote for the stimulus bill a few weeks ago?"
But the Texas Rangers had a better night--they edged Oakland, 5-4. The Rangers have now evened their season record at 10-10 and have won 4 of their last 5. Tonight's keys: a decent outing from Kevin Millwood; a perfect 9th inning worked by closer Frank Francisco; and some big hits from Hank Blalock, who's coming back strong from last year's injury-filled campaign.
And the Cubs blasted Arizona, 11-3, for a much-needed win. Every Cub starter had at least one hit--but the key to the game was Carlos Zambrano, who pitched 7 good innings, and had a homer, double, and single. The Cubs just need to play more consistently...
Elsewhere today--trouble in Iraq:
"Six car bombings in four hours killed 48 people and wounded 81 in various Baghdad neighborhoods Wednesday, according to Iraq's Interior Ministry."
We're seeing a definite uptick in attacks and violence, much of it apparently coming from Al Qaeda in Iraq. Are they testing the resolve of the Obama administration? If so, what will the administration's response be?
By the way, don't worry, Obama family--US Magazine assures you that they want to cover you, but not like they cover Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie; they only want to discuss the important stuff:
"They’re not Brangelina — we’re not covering the minutia of (the Obamas') lives,” said Lara Cohen, news director for Us. “In 2008, it was about telling our readers who Michelle was, that she’s a mom who shops at Target, and doing ‘Barack, he’s just like us.’ We’re covering the big moments now. Moments like the inauguration, getting the dog.”
Yes, yes, the "big moments"...gosh, what if the Obamas next get a cat???
Moderate Republican Senator Olympia Snowe is not happy about Arlen Specter's departure from the GOP:
"We can’t continue to fold our philosophical tent into an umbrella under which only a select few are worthy to stand. Rather, we should view an expansion of diversity within the party as a triumph that will broaden our appeal."
In other words, social conservatives drove Specter and others out of the party. Or so many think. But it's not true. Conservatives in the party don't say argue that those who are pro-choice on abortion can't be Republicans. They don't demand silence from moderates; they don't shy away from debates on the social issues and what should be the Republican Party's stand on them--far from it, they welcome them. Snowe should read National Review Online's The Corner for a week or so.
But we conservatives, too, have our beliefs; and we, too, are going to express them; and when it comes to the party's platform, we're going to continue to fight to have the party continue to stand for that which is important: a culture of life, and traditional, enduring values on issues such as marriage. That's not a lack of diversity--that's standing up for what one believes in.
On Snowe's column, Ramesh Ponnuru at NRO rightly adds:
"Senator Olympia Snowe writes that "it was when we began to emphasize social issues to the detriment of some of our basic tenets as a party that we encountered an electoral backlash." Really? Abortion, marriage, and the courts were much bigger issues in 2002 and 2004 than in 2006 and 2008. Like Davis, she says she wants Republicans to concentrate on restraining government spending. Apart from everything else that might be said about this prescription, didn't Snowe just vote for the stimulus bill a few weeks ago?"
