New York Yankees

One would think it would be impossible to screw up voting on a nonbinding resolution congratulating a sports team, but Mr. Arrogance, Congressman Chris Murphy, succeeded in the politically impossible.

He insulted his constituents across a majority of his district. 

U.S. Rep. Christopher Murphy voted against a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives that congratulated the New York Yankees on recently winning the World Series

Now why would a politician do this? OK, there were a few members from Massachusetts, metro Philadelphia, and one sore Anaheim Angel fan out there who voted no. But a Connecticut congressman? 

The 5th District is located primarily in Fairfield and New Haven counties.  As the Quinnipiac poll demonstrates, not only are the Yankees the most popular baseball team in CT, they are especially popular in that part of the state.

In fact, the largest city completely within the 5th District is only 56 miles from Yankee Stadium

I haven't seen any polling on this point, but I strongly suspect Derek Jeter is hell of a lot more popular than some Nancy Pelosi lapdog in Congress

So back to the point, why Chris?, Why anger your constituents who are celebrating a well earned victory?

As a lifelong diehard Sox fan, I have too many scars from Bucky Dent to Aaron Boone to add another from casting a vote to congratulate the Yankees for winning this year’s World Series," Murphy said. 

Sounds like a whole lot of sour grapes and arrogance, Mr. Murphy.  You would think a liberal Democrat would appreciate a team that wins even after paying a "luxury tax". Oh boo hoo, Chris.

That's Ok Chris, we'll let all your constituents in southwestern Connecticut know you are a petty little man who saw fit to insult a team they've rooted for all their lives.  Perhaps your career will then emulate that of this brilliant Red Sox legend

Let's take a second and imagine a hypothetical Major League Baseball Team:

Said Team's best hitter missed the first month of the season...

Said Team's marqee free agent signings got off to slow starts...

Said Team's #2 Starter and Starting Catcher are currently hurt...

Said Team lost the first five VERY close games to it's main rival...

Said Team has issues with it's bullpen...

Said Team is playing in the toughest division of the wild card era...

and, finally, said team has a new staduim with quirks it must get used to.

Given the adversity listed above, one might logically conclude said team was mired in last place, 10 games under .500 and 15 or so games out of first place.

What if, instead of that happening, said team was actually 2 games over .500 and only 4.5 games out of first place (2.5 in the wild card).  Under the circumstances, any fair minded person would have to conclude that said team had actually weathered some pretty serious storms was in a good position considering that it's only May 17th.

Of course, if you're a fair minded person, that means, by definition, you can't get hired as a drive-by journalist.

What does the drive by media (even in said team's hometown) have to say about said team:

- Their New Stadium Will Fail (when it's barely a month old and everyone I know, including myself, who's been there has LOVED it.)

- Their Lefty Free Agent Pitcher is a Bust

- Said team is a National Shame

- Their New Stadium is Too Rich for It's Own Good

- Said Team's General Manager is Incompetant

- Forget the stadium, the very survival of America requires the Team to Fail

- And, finally, an unsubstantiated, hit-piece, book on Said Team's Best Hitter.

What are we to make of this Media Corruption?  To be sure, this sort of coverage is par for the course for the drive-by media.  Part of it is probably laziness, considering that class warfare and class envy are the easiest storylines to peddle.  Drive-by journalists rarely make more than $75,000 a year.  At the same time, given their own self-rightousness, they can't handle it when someone else makes real money for performing a real job. 

Still, that's not good enough.  While said coverage, as it relates to baseball, isn't the end of the world, it epitomizes a deeper threat the corrupt drive-by media poses to America's core values.  Class envy and class warfare poison American society against successful achievers.  When the corrupt drive-by media is allowed to trash America's most successful baseball team, should we be surprised when the President of the United States threatens a private company with the wrath of the the White House Press Corps?  Should we be surprised when the President of the United States wants the successful to bailout the mortgages of people who shouldn't have been given mortgages in the first place?  Should we be surprised when the President of the United States wants to raise our taxes in order to ration our Health Care?

Whatever your feelings on Baseball, we all have a stake in allowing the successful to be successful.

UPDATE: Make that 3 games over .500

UPDATE II: Make that 1.5 Games out in the Wild Card

I hope this helps.

That is all.

Cahnman out.

Greetings from New York City;

First things first, the New Stadium is AMAZING.

Secong things second, holy shit, today was an AMAZING GAME!!!

That is all.

Cahnman out.

Having quoted Rush earlier today, I can't help coming up with my own self-indulgent 35 undeniable truths of life:

1) The New York Yankees represent everything that is right with America.

2) The Chicago Cubs represent everything that is wrong with America.

3) The Greatest Threat to World Peace comes not from a strong America, but from a weak America.

4) The only way to acheive real Peace is by having superior firepower vis a vis our enemies.

5) Conservatives revere the United States Military.  Liberals are, at best, ambivalent.  At worst, liberals express outright contempt for the U.S. Military.

6) Karl Rove was right: After 9/11, liberals offered therapy to our enemies; conservatives prepared for war.

7) The Prision at Guantanamo Bay has (quite literally) saved American Lives.

8) Liberals are more concerned with conferring rights upon terrorists and criminals than with protecting decent people.

9) Over the Long Run, dictatorships kill far more people than the wars that end dictatorships .

10) Iraq proves undeniable truth # 9.

11) Since 2003, more people have been killed in Iran, North Korea, Zimbabwe, Sudan, and Burma than have been killed in Iraq.

12) There are only two ways to end wars: Victory or Defeat.

13) The Man who threw his shoe at George W. Bush would never have done that to Saddam Hussein.

14) Persons who whine about alleged U.S. torture have no idea what real torture is.  Such persons will whine about anything the U.S. Miltary does to give meaning to their insignificant lives.  They are best ignored.

15) Israelis are morally superior to Palestians. 

16) Palestinians cannot be trusted until they suffer overwhelming military defeat.

17) Free-Market Capitalism is the best, and only, path to prosperity.

18) The American Consumer is the greatest force for good in human history.  The American Military is second.

19) Free Trade creates jobs and prevents wars.

20) Taxes are not too low; government spending is too high.

21) When Investment Tax Rates are lowered, the government collects more tax revenue.

22) Joe the Plumber knows more about economics than President Obama.

23) Paul Krugman is a pathological liar.

24) When politicians talk about "investments," they're coming for your wallet.

25) Targeted Tax Cuts are a euphemism for welfare.

26) Reprductive Freedom is a euphemism for murder.

27) Medicare Part D is the model for all future entitlement reform.

28) Californians ruined California.

29) Rudy Giuliani personally saved New York City.

30) Motley Crue is the Greatest Band of All Time.

31) Dave Matthews sucks.  If you listen to Dave Matthews, you suck.

32) See undeniable truth #31; ditto Jack Johnson, John Mayer, The Killers, or Fallout Boy.

33) Instant Replay is Good for the NFL; Major League Baseball should incorporate it.

34) Any country that allows fans of the New York Mets to marry already practices Gay Marriage.

35) Liberals want to make America more like Cuba.  Their reason for wanting this will always baffle me.