New Hampshire Statehouse Evacuates

Second City wants you!
Marcia Lieberman's life was remembered yesterday at her funeral.

Krasnogor recounted an anecdote in which Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy, when asked whether he wanted to be like Joe Lieberman, said no -- he wanted to be like Marcia Lieberman.

Several eulogies given by family members, friends and Rabbi Emeritus Joseph Ehrenkranz touched on Lieberman's kindness, wit, community charity work, and her thirst for life and meeting people. Rabbi Mark Dratch led the service.

"Just a few weeks ago when her pulse suddenly surged to 190 and the doctors rushed (mom) to the ICU, she asked the cardiologist, 'What causes such palpitations?' " Sen. Lieberman recounted in his eulogy. "And he said, 'Sometimes it's love.' And she said, 'But I just met you.'

Not a surprise. Randolph Morris is selfish if he just played at UK for a year just so he can jump to the NBA. Shame on him. Azubuike had a reason (his father) but Morris has no excuse. Go back to school and get your degree.

Biden says he can win red. I doubt it. The plagarism scandal will forever haunt him. Saddening but true.

New Hampshire's Statehouse was evacuated today. The cause: lightening strike.

Jason Isringhausen is closing in on 200 saves as a Cardinal.

Sick day

Blogging is late today due to a doctor's appointment.

Bayh keeps his options open as he travels on the road.

Rothenberg said that Bayh's reputation as a fiscal conservative and his opposition to higher taxes are part of Indiana lore, "and he can point to enough moderate votes on foreign policy and so-called social issues to make it difficult for Republicans to brand him as a stereotypical liberal Democrat."

According to Rothenberg, "Bayh's biggest challenge in 2008 isn't winning the White House. It's winning the Democratic nomination for president."

Raising money has not been a problem for Bayh, whose $6.8 million in cash on hand puts him third behind Clinton, ($8.7 million) and Kerry ($8.5 million) according to FEC reports.

What is it that we don't know yet?

While some Republicans in the delegation blamed media coverage for dropping public support of the war, Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., says Bush needs to level with the American public tonight and present "an unvarnished version of the situation in Iraq."

"The president needs to be clear...about the current situation in Iraq and outline a strategy for success with clearly defined goals so that we can succeed and bring our troops home," Bayh said. "We need to hold people accountable when our efforts aren't working, not for scapegoating, but for fixing them and finding a method that works."

A tribute to the late Marcia Lieberman. State merit employees were on Fletcher's hit list and many were Democrats! V for Vendetta's new poster is revealed. Gov. Tom Vilsack is expected to be the next DLC chairman when Sen. Bayh is expected to step down this year.

RIP: Dr. Thomas Clark 1903-2005

Cardinal ballplayers are doing great for the ballots.

Monday Monday

Summerland is heading down the stretch.

Chris Carpenter dominated this month in major league baseball with a .90 ERA and a 3-1 record. Pujols leads the league in runs. The Cardinals are off tonight.

My condolences to Senator Joseph Lieberman and his family on the death of his mother, Marcia Lieberman. Marcia Lieberman was 90 years old and suffered from congesstive heart failure. It should be noted that both he and VP Gore have seen their mothers die in the past year. Hadassah Lieberman lost her mom within the past year. It's been a sad year for the Lieberman family and I wish them the best as they go through the mourning process.

Marcia Lieberman loved sharing stories from her Stamford home, but she did her best work on the campaign trail.

"Whatever he does I will support him," she told reporters back in December of 2002.

She was a proud mother and seemed to know her son Joe would take a political path. "Even when he was high school president I was proud," she told us.

Health problems meant she needed the assistance of a wheelchair, yet in 2000 she was in Los Angelos seeing her son accept the Democratic nomination for vice-president.

"Thanks mom, I Love you," the senator said when he made his acceptance speech.

Mrs. Lieberman did hit the national campaign trail, but admitted to us since her son was then the first Jew to run for vice-president she knew it brought risks.

"I just worry about his safety."

Marcia Lieberman didn't worry about herself in 2004 when the senator decided to run for president and took part in the New Hampshire primary. His then 89-year old mother braved the cold to campaign.

Senator Lieberman would often touch base with his mother when it came to issues affecting senior citizens. The Lieberman's grew up with modest means, and Marcia Lieberman never let her son forget where he came from, though she could hardly believe how far he got.

Another in the series about The Blues Brothers. Scratch that.

I am against burning the flag. I support an amendment to protect it from being burnt. Fort Wayne article dealing with the amendment.

Sen. Richard Lugar is a consistent supporter of the amendment, a spokesman said. Sen. Evan Bayh, on the other hand, expressed his ambivalence in an e-mail Friday: " support giving the flag special protections because it’s the symbol of our country. However, the flag amendment has often been used as a political wedge issue to divide people and question their patriotism, and that’s not right."

I also highly agree with Congressman Nadler and his recent speech of how Congress should value the freedom the flag represents.

Philly Live 8 performers and presenters. Natalie Portman is on the list. I hope that the concerts are released on DVD or CD. I'd buy them in an instant!

With the new artists announced today, artists scheduled to perform at the Live 8 concerts around the world include:

-- Philadelphia - Alicia Keys, Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, Destiny's Child, Jars of Clay, Jay-Z, Kaiser Chiefs, Josh Groban, Keith Urban, Linkin Park, Maroon 5, Rob Thomas, Sarah McLachlan, Stevie Wonder, Toby Keith, Will Smith;

-- London - Annie Lennox, Coldplay, Dido, Elton John, Joss Stone, Keane, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Ms. Dynamite, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Razorlight, REM, Robbie Williams, Scissor Sisters, Snoop Dogg, Snow Patrol, Stereophonics, Sting, Travis, U2, UB40, Velvet Revolver, The Who, Youssou N'Dour;

-- Paris - Andrea Bocelli, Axelle Red, Calogero, Cerrone, Craig David, The Cure, Diam's Dido, Disiz Lapeste, Faudel, Florent Pagny, James Brown, Jamiroquai, Johnny Hallyday, Kool Shen, Kyo, Louise Bertignac, Manu Chao, Muse, Nile Rodgers, Pascal Obispo, Placebo, Raphael, Renaud, Youssou N'Dour, Yannick Noah, Shakira, Sheryl Crowe, Tina Arena, Zucchero;

-- Berlin - A-ha, Audioslave, Bap, Brian Wilson, Chris De Burgh, Die Toten, Hosen, Green Day, Herbert Gronemeyer, Joana Zimmer, Juan Diego Florez, Juli,Katherine Jenkins, Renee Olstead, Sasha, Silbermond, Sohne Mannheims, Wir Sind Helden, Reamonn, Roxy Music;

-- Rome - Claudio Baglioni, Faith Hill, Irene Grandi, Jovanotti, Laura Pausini, Nek, Tim McGraw, Articolo 31, Gemelli Diversi, Le Vibrazioni, Max Pezzali, Negramaro, Tiromancino, Negrita, Libague;

-- Tokyo - Bjork, Def Tech, Dreams Come True, McFly, Good Charlotte, Rize;

-- Cornwall/England - Ayub Ogada (Kenya), Shikisha (South Africa), Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited (Zimbabwe), Angelique Kidjo (Benin), Tinariwen (Mali), Daara J (Senegal), Modou Diouf & O Fogum (Senegal), Marian Mursal (Somalia), Akim El Sikameya (Algeria), Chartwell Dutiro (Zimbabwe), Geoffrey Oryema (Uganda), Siyaya (Zimbabwe), Coco Mbassi (Cameroon);

-- Toronto - African Guitar Summit, Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo, Bruce Cockburn, Bryan Adams, The Bachman Cummings Band, Celine Dion, Deep Purple, Doba Caracol Featuring Kna'an, Gordon Lightfoot, Great Big Sea, Jann Arden, Jet, Les Trois Accords, Motley Crue, Our Lady Peace, Sam Roberts, Simple Plan, Tom Cochrane, The Tragically Hip;

-- Johannesburg - 4Peace Ensemble, Jabu Khanyile and Bayete, Lindiwe, Lucky Dube, Mahotella Queens, Malaika, Orchestre Baobab, Oumou Sangare and Zola.

Now, that is an all-star lineup.

Evan Bayh backs changes to the energy bill.

Bayh, along with Senators Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) and Ken Salazar (D-CO), offered the plan to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and to encourage further development of new fuels and technologies.
"America’s dependence on foreign oil is one of the gravest threats to our economy and national security. We cannot confront the challenges of the future without a real strategy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil," Senator Bayh said. "This amendment will give us a realistic goal for gradually reducing our oil consumption while giving Americans more choices in alternative fuels such as ethanol to power their cars."
Bayh’s amendment establishes a coordinated system to plan and monitor America’s oil savings, allowing the nation to move toward oil reduction efficiently and systematically.

Newsday obituary for Marcia Lieberman.

The Red Sox play Cleveland tonight. They have a 7 game winning streak.

Weekend Update

I've been busy this weekend, mainly playing my guitar and writing some original songs that will never get posted online until after they get copyrighted.

Yep, this is truly a weekend update as I have not blogged since Thursday. So, in addition to movies I want to see and CD's I still need, I am truly on backup. I knew I should have blogged last night but I chose to play my guitar instead. I'd be done with this earlier if my family did not have dial-up.

Kentucky is raising the license renewal fee to $20. It was at $8. This is a tax hike if you ask me. I didn't think Republicans raised taxes. Twenty bucks is outrageous. For those making minimum wage, that's like four hours wage! It would make more sense to raiise to $10-$12 but $20 is flat out absurd.

Dan Aykroyd celebrates a birthday this week. He'll be 53. Speaking of which, the car chase stunts were real!

To pursue the Blues Brothers, filmmakers bought more than 60 old police cars at $400 apiece, according to news reports at the time, and also hired real police to participate in some chases. They reinforced them with steel cages and ran a 24-hour body shop on the Near West Side to fix them for later use. Most of those cars were destroyed by the end of filming.

Chicago and State Police shut down countless city and suburban streets -- even the interstate and Lake Shore Drive -- for filming. The only thing that slowed production? Pope John Paul II's October visit -- and the Chicago Bears. "They told us when the Bears lose and the fans are pissed off, even the Chicago Police can't stop them," Sosna said

For more, check out the special section here.

Where would we be without improv? Probably as far as we'd be without Elvis or Bill Haley.

I'll do all the game notes at once here for a change. Matt Morris has started out as good as Daffy Dean...almost. Dean started 9-0 in 1944. Morris was looking good until he got the loss the other night. Chris Lambert was selected for the All-Star Futures game. Raul Gonzales, Chris Gissel, and Kevin Jarvis were selected to the PCL All-Star team. Jim Edmonds had his 22nd multi-HR game.

Citzens Bank Park was the 60th Park where the Red Sox have played at. The Sox now own 1st place.

On with the show...Democrats tell Rove to apologize or resign. I'll tell you right now, I am no traitor to this country. Where has the civility in this country gone?

Speaking Wednesday at a fundraiser for the New York Conservative Party near the World Trade Center site in New York City, Rove said conservatives and liberals had differed over how to respond to the terrorists.

"Liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers," he said. "Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war."

Democrats responded by noting their enthusiastic support for the war against the Taliban regime that harbored al-Qaida terrorists in Afghanistan. They also released statements from President Bush in 2001 praising Congress, including Democratic leaders Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Dick Gephardt of Missouri, for their support.

"Our entire country came together after the 9/11 terrorist attacks," Pelosi said Thursday. "His shameful comments trying to revise history insult the victims of 9/11 and all of us who support them."

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., called it "an insulting comment."

Dean, now the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said Rove was trying to distract attention from the failure to capture terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.

"Given the miserable failures of Bush's foreign policy, it's no wonder Rove would launch this desperate attempt to deflect from the real issues and distort what Democrats say than admit what Republicans have done," Dean said.

A group of families whose relatives died on Sept. 11 issued a statement condemning the politicization of the tragedy. "We are calling on Karl Rove to resist his temptations and stop trying to reap political gain in the tragic misfortune of others. His comments are not welcome," their statement said.

Exploiting 9/11 and the events of that day is the tragedy.

Shana Alexander has died. She invented point/counterpoint.

“Point-Counterpart” was so popular it was frequently parodied in a “Saturday Night Live” skit. Jane Curtin played the liberal Alexander role and Dan Aykroyd, in the Kilpatrick role, began his remarks with the line, "Jane, you ignorant slut."

Evan Bayh and Susan Collins introduce new legislation dealing with trade practices.KentuckyDem.com has opened up a CafePress store. The items on there look fantastic!

Evan Bayh knows how to win a red state.

"It's one of the things I really don't like about the culture in Washington - so acrimonious and divisive. I've always tried to be more of a force for reconciliation and consensus building. My sense is that that's something the Midwest has always embraced - I know in Indiana we embrace it. I think the country would be better off if Washington embraced it. You're reaching out trying to bring people together to move us forward rather than all of these ideological disputes or partisan bickering."

And as to the current governors of Wisconsin and Iowa, he agrees with their centrist leanings. "Well, I don't know too many governors who are flaming ideologues. Being governor, at least from my experience, is a pretty practical undertaking."

But being a New Democrat doesn't mean he's afraid to criticize Republicans and Bush. Bayh says Bush lost a golden opportunity to lead on energy independence and other key issues after 9-11. He's also against changing the Senate filibuster rule.

Will he run for president? Bayh won't set odds, but he admits he may be following in the footsteps of father Birch Bayh (presidential candidate in 1976) and make a run for the highest office in the land.

Democratic lawmakers keeping up fight to prevent Amtrak cuts. Northern Kentucky family held a DFA house party last week. Had I been in the area, I would have definitely been there.

Rumor has it that both Dave Armstrong and John Yarmuth are considering runs for Congress. Ed Hatchett might be running for State Auditor. Billy Ray Smith is eyeing the Treasurer's post.

BlueGrass Report has uncovered a possible scandal in addition to the merit one. It appears to be that Ernie Fletcher made a deal with Chief Justice Joseph Lambert.

As most people now know, John Roach was nominated by Governor Fletcher last week to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Supreme Court Justice James Keller. Today, Fletcher issued a press release announcing Deckard as Roach’s replacement. Deckard, 35, has served as general counsel to Chief Justice Joseph E. Lambert for the past seven years.

What the press release conspicuously fails to mention is that Deckard was the person responsible for receiving all nominating forms for Keller’s replacement, that he attended, along with Chief Justice Lambert, all meetings of the Judicial Nominating Commission, the group charged with determining the three finalists to be sent to Governor Fletcher, and Deckard and his staff were responsible for providing the seven Commission members with the nominating applications, information, and any other materials they might need during their deliberations.

This could get very messy.

Jon Stewart issues a warning: "Do not break DVD."

Bush losing support. Why am I not the least bit surprised? Oh, and he thinks about Iraq every day, every single day.

Pujols leading NL in voting

Albert Pujols leads the National League in all-start balloting. Tony LaRussa tied Sparky Anderson the other night for 4th all-time on games managed. Jim Edmonds has returned to the lineup from a rib injury. In more solemn news, I'd like to pay tribute to the late Darryl Kile. He died three years ago yesterday on June 22, 2002. It was a sad day for Cardinals fans as we had lost Jack Buck within the week. Darryl is missed. As a personal note, after he died, I wrote #57 on my St. Louis hat.

Is Tucker Carlson moving to Jersey?

Will he play in New Hampshire?

Soon, Granite Staters will be able to hear this centrist Democrat for themselves. The Status has learned that Bayh will be in the state on July 10 and 11. A schedule has yet to be finalized.

Manchester's Steve Bouchard heads Bayh's All-America PAC and is planning the visit. In '04, Bouchard worked first with Florida Sen. Bob Graham, and then, after Graham dropped out, with retired Gen. Wesley Clark.

Also, Joe Lieberman is coming to New Hampshire next month as well.

Chances are, Joe Lieberman won't be running for President in 2008. But in '04, unlike some of the other candidates, Lieberman appeared to have a good time in, and to have genuinely liked, New Hampshire.

He'll return on July 6 for a fund-raiser for his Connecticut U.S. Senate campaign at the home of two major '04 supporters, Dick and Katrina Swett.

The flag amendment has passed in the House.

The House on Wednesday approved, for the sixth time since 1995, a constitutional amendment that would let Congress prohibit the physical desecration of the American flag.

The measure now goes to the Senate, which has consistently rejected similar proposals. But this year, both supporters and opponents of the amendment say that passage in the Senate could be extremely close -- within a vote or two.

This week in 1980, The Blues Brothers opened nationwide which explains the articles in the Chicago Sun-Times as of late.

GOP Treasurer vacates his capitol office. He was a volunteer with a state-paid secretary. Now, wouldn't it make sense to have a volunteer secretary?

Dave Disponett, the Kentucky Republican Party treasurer who had a Capitol office as a volunteer in Gov. Ernie Fletcher's office has given up the first-floor space so Lt. Gov. Steve Pence's office can use it, Disponett said.


Disponett's name has figured prominently in a complaint filed with the state Personnel Board alleging that the Fletcher administration had based hiring of Merit System workers on politics, in violation of state law.

Administration officials said Disponett interviewed applicants for political jobs and board appointments and handled special assignments for Fletcher.

A Fletcher spokeswoman said neither the complaint nor objections raised by Democrats had anything to do with Disponett's move.

Walter McCarty offers his advice on basketball. He tells them to keep trying.

McCarty lives in Boston with his wife and their two young daughters. But he returned home on Wednesday for the start of his three-day camp at the Evansville Basketball Academy. During a break for lunch, he talked to the 80-some campers about basketball and about life.

One message he tried to get across was the same lesson his mom taught him 20 years ago. "If some of you don't get to play much, don't get discouraged. You're all gonna grow some; you're all gonna get better."

But they need to work at it.

"The fundamentals you're learning today are the same ones we practice in the NBA," said the Phoenix Suns' 6-foot-10 forward. "No matter what level you're playing at, the fundamentals remain the same. Make sure you learn to do things the right way."

McCarty developed his love for basketball when he was a young teen. "I practiced and played all the time; it's all I wanted to do. I never went to any proms. I was too busy playing."

Not that he'd advise them to spend every waking minute on the court. "But if you want to get better, you have to practice."

That's what McCarty did. In college, he shot 500 3-pointers a day. "I'd shoot 'em till I couldn't shoot no more."

In other basketball news, Rex Chapman does not think Randolph Morris will get drafted at all. Even I don't think Morris has the skills for the pros yet. He's making the worst mistake of his life. He needs to stay in school.

Happy Birthday, Peter Asher

Peter Asher celebrates a birthday today. He was a member of Peter and Gordon. They had a hit song, "A World Without Love," written by the Lennon/McCartney duo, With Paul McCartney, he discovered James Taylor.

Liz Everman signed off during the 6:00 news on WLKY-32 (CBS) tonight for the last time. Personally, I try to be unbiased when it comes to the local news and watch all four networks. However, I wish her the best of luck in future endeavors.

Did the Blues Brothers influence the Chicago blues scene? I have great respect for blues music, especially that of Chicago Blues.

"It made the blues come alive," said James Wheeler, a local blues musician who goes by the stage name Piano C. Red.

"It turned a lot of people on to the blues," said Wayne Baker Brooks, a local guitarist and son of blues great Lonnie Brooks.

Jim O'Neal, who founded Living Blues magazine in Chicago in 1966, said the movie "was one of the factors that contributed to a blues boom" in the 1980s.

The movie soundtrack sold more than a million copies.

"It was the original that set the bar," said Angela Mclain, director of soundtracks for Atlantic Recording.

For artists Aretha Franklin and John Lee Hooker, who already had accomplished careers, it was nevertheless the first time they were featured on the big screen.

"It broadened my audience and it certainly introduced people to me who were not aware of who I was," Franklin said in a 1998 documentary.

Still, Mike Kappus, Hooker's agent at the time, said Hooker greatly appreciated the high-profile appearance, but "the impact of the movie on his career was almost nonexistent."

And O'Neal said there is a downside. Now, "The image of blues bands to many people are two white guys in hats," he said.

But Blues Brothers creator Dan Aykroyd said the movie, along with the House of Blues that he directs, is designed to shine a spotlight on "America's primary export."

"I want people to fill their showrooms and bars and buy their records. That's my mission," Aykroyd said.

Hollywood News

Katie Holmes dropped from the Batman franchise. It's sad news,too, but I'll side with Warner Bros. on this one.

Is this the smoking gun? If so, I'm very saddened by the actions of Tom Cruise, formerly of Louisville.

Scarlett Johansson pulled out of appearing in the second Mission: Impossible sequel after Tom Cruise tried to convert her to scientology, according to reports. Cruise, who produces the action adventures, met with Johansson ahead of casting for the upcoming Mission: Impossible 3 and took her to one of the controversial religion's headquarters, claims Radarmagazine.Com. A source tells the website, "After two hours of proselytizing, Cruise opened a door to reveal a second room full of upper-level Scientologists who had been waiting to dine with the pair, at which point the cool-headed ingénue politely excused herself." Officially Johansson quit the film because of scheduling conflicts after the film was delayed so Cruise could make War Of The Worlds.

Is Cruise that bad off? I feel like I did when reading that Southern Baptists were trying to convert my people.

Hugh Jackman joins Woody Allen's new movie. His scenes will be shot "for the movie before her stars as superhero Wolverine for the third time in X-Men 3." Allen and Johansson are also cast for the new untitled movie.

Speaking of X-Men 3, Alan Cumming will not return as Nightcrawler. Brett Ratner is the new director. Unlike what was mentioned months ago, everyone will be returning. Rumor was that any involved with Superman wouldn't be returning but the director has confirmed otherwise.

Biden for President?

Biden has some being cautious. I still think that Biden lost his shot at the White House.

Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said Biden's appeal crosses state and party lines.

"In the Senate, he is both liked and admired by both Democrats and Republicans," Carper said. "They see him as a voice of reason."

He said Clinton is the obvious front-runner but will be a tough sell in the South and the West, where Biden is well-liked by voters.

"Joe appeals to them across the board," Carper said. "Joe can talk to those folks."

Al From, founder of the Democratic Leadership Council, welcomed Biden's announcement. The earlier candidates start getting their messages out, he said, the sooner the Democratic Party can begin setting the agenda for 2008.

"I'm a big believer in kind of getting the message working three and four years out," he said. "We've got to go to the American people with an agenda and with conviction. People need to know what we stand for. Senator Biden has a lot to contribute."

Jersey Matters. In 2008, it will. Coming to a Presidential Ballot earlier than 2004!

Sarah Michelle Gellar has booked Alice, an adaptation of a popular video game.

Of 27 parks, Albert Pujols has homered in 22 of them.

What a day!

I think I actually got an idea for a song. Not an Evan Bayh song...though that is a good idea if I wanted to get something on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. A man can dream, can he not?

Tim Roemer vs. Dick Lugar? All signs point to a possible race and Roemer would bring it close. If he loses, he could finish Evan's term as a Senator.

Q. Do you think the Lugar poll was an accurate snapshot of what would happen if voters had to choose now between Lugar and Roemer?

A. Yes, for an election right now. It showed these percentages: Lugar, 58; Roemer, 24. Lugar long has been shown in polls and at the polls to be the most popular political figure in Indiana. He remains so. Roemer is not nearly as well known as Lugar in most parts of the state.

Q. Well, is it likely that any professional poll without any pushing to identify Roemer could find him as close as in the Democratic poll: Lugar, 41; Roemer, 39?

A. Is it likely that Russell Crowe will write a book on telephone etiquette, that Paris Hilton will be honored with a best-dressed award, that Michael Jackson will be named father of the year?[...]

Q. OK. Will Roemer run against Lugar?

A. Possibly. Roemer is looking at the race, including such considerations as losing time with his family and, if he won, taking a pay cut. Odds seem against Roemer running, primarily because the odds would be against him in the race. But Roemer wouldn't necessarily have to win in order to be a winner. Lugar in his last three Senate races carried 91 of Indiana's 92 counties and got two-thirds of the vote. Roemer could look good in defeat if he carried 30 or more counties, including some of the biggest, and got 46 percent or so of the vote.

Q. So what? Isn't a loss a loss?

A. If Roemer wanted then to run for governor, he would get strong consideration from Democrats for having taken on the tough race, and he would have high statewide name recognition. If Sen. Evan Bayh was elected president or vice president, Roemer could be in the picture to finish Bayh's Senate term.

Q. Could Roemer actually beat Lugar?

A. Doubtful. But upsets occur. Otherwise they wouldn't have to bother to hold the election.

I'm optimistic. Right now, Lugar has it as a lock.

What about Second City? I'll be there this summer.

Admit it, the comedy is funnier when you get to share the laugh with friends. At Second City they can accommodate groups up to 300 for an individual show at either the main stage or Second City e.t.c. A dinner/show package can be arranged by the staff where you can dine at a nearby restaurant.

Joe Biden says he intends to run in 2008. One, he had to pull out in 1988 over plagarism. That's an automatic loss of votes in 2008. I can see him as a cabinet member in a Democratic administration.

"My intention now is to seek the nomination," the six-term Delaware Democrat announced on CBS' Face the Nation Sunday morning.

Biden has been testing the waters for months now, stumping through swing states and meeting with state party officials and key interest groups to see how his message plays outside Delaware. He said he will give himself until the end of this year to decide whether launching a formal campaign is worthwhile.

"I'm quite frankly going out, seeing whether I can gather that kind of support," he said.

On Saturday, he flew to Cincinnati to address labor leaders. Later this week, he will be in Kentucky to speak to the National Sheriff's Association.

Some advice from writers on how to deal with embarassing situations. Me? I just write comedy. If it were a depressing situation, I'd write a song.

call their bluff
Tell others you can't attend because you have no money or nowhere to stay. The ball's in their court: Unless they're willing to shell out for your transportation or put you up themselves, you won't be able to make it.

The risks are obvious but the potential payoff is huge. If others fail to come through, you'll have a guilt-free weekend. They, on the other hand, might be too guilt-ridden to invite you to the next gathering.

rock solid
With once-in-a-lifetime events like christenings and funerals, you need something rock-solid: the grave illness or death of an immediate family member or, possibly, yourself. After missing your aunt's funeral, tell your relative, "I was deathly ill. It's lucky you didn't have two funerals to go to."

2. being asked to appraise someone's boyfriend/girlfriend
If a guy asks you for your opinion of his girlfriend, it's a bad sign. Nine times out of ten he's looking for a reason to dump her. But that one time can really bite you. Even if you've been pals for twenty years, if he sticks with this loser chick you'll never water-ski at his summer house again.

There's always "damning with faint praise," but for most of the dumb or weak-willed types who want your opinion, such subtlety won't cut it. You'll need something stronger.

The teaser for X-Men 3 will be featured before Ghostrider with Nicholas Cage. X-Men 3 is scheduled for a May 2006 release.

Movie still remembered after 25 years.

Even the movie's climax transcended the farcical car chase on the screen. Former Mayor Jane Byrne says that by allowing the Bluesmobile to plow through Daley Plaza and crash through the glass walls of the Daley Center lobby, she was striking a blow at the heart of the Democratic machine.

Landis said in light of how Chicago Police treated protesters at the 1968 Democratic convention, "it gave me great pleasure to drive through the Richard J. Daley Center."

Despite that knock on his father, the current Mayor Daley calls the movie "classic" and "fun."

But while the Daley Plaza scene occurred at the center of the city, the movie also took viewers around the world to parts of Chicago rarely seen on the big screen before. Many will never be seen again. The original Maxwell Street Market, prominently featured, is gone. The Plymouth Hotel, where the Blues Brothers slept as L trains rumbled by, was demolished in 1991, signaling the end of the Loop's seedier side. Most of Harvey's closed Dixie Square Mall, site of an over-the-top car chase, has been undeveloped for a quarter-century.

It also showed off the dark streets below the L, Lower Wacker, the steel mills, Lake Shore Drive and that funny-looking Picasso.

"Chicago is one of the stars of the movie," said Dan Aykroyd, who played Elwood and co-wrote the movie. "We wrote it as a tribute."

It also hailed rhythm and blues. It was the first feature for Aretha Franklin and John Lee Hooker. It showcased such blues favorites as "Sweet Home Chicago."

The movie is the sixth-highest-grossing musical of all time, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. And the $400 million House of Blues live music empire can be connected to the characters' popularity. There are dozens of Blues Brothers tribute bands around the world.

The Blues Brothers began while Aykroyd and Belushi were at Second City.

Four new shows are family friendly. I'll give them a chance.

In addition, the networks ultimately picked up to series a record of four forum-backed shows for next season: Commander-in-Chief, which stars Geena Davis; the Chris Rock-produced comedy "Everybody Hates Chris; the WB Network's drama Related; and CBS' midseason comedy Old Christine, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Ringo Starr will be on Jon's show tonight. Starr is not my favorite Beatle (McCartney is) but he drummed in my favorite band!

David Spade quick to get a new job. He was on 8 Simple Rules.

The Showbiz Show with David Spade, slated to premiere in September, is billed as Comedy Central's satirical answer to such syndicated TV programs as Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood.

"It will do for Hollywood and the entertainment media what The Daily Show does for news and politics," Comedy Central spokesman Steve Albani said, referring to the network's popular newscast satire hosted by comedian Jon Stewart.

The new half-hour series aims to skewer the inflated egos, shameless self-promotion and mediocrity of Hollywood with a mix of on-location field pieces, actual footage, celebrity guests and a cast of faux critics and correspondents, the network said.

My condolences go out to the family of Richard A. Sutphin, 61, who died this week. He was a partner in the St. Louis Cardinals ownership.

Tony LaRussa has passed Bucky Harris for the sole spot of 4th place in all-time managerial wins (2,158). LaRussa needs 2 games to pass Sparky Anderson for forth place with regards to all-time games managed (4,030). LaRussa needs 36 more wins to tie Sparky for 3rd all-time managerial wins (2,194). Tony will take care of that this season or next.

Sad news today. Democrats were accused of creating a war...

Earlier in his remarks, Hostettler discussed the drive by Democrats to erase every "vestige" of Christianity from America; he also prefaced his remarks by noting that "The long war on Christianity today continues on the floor of the House of Representatives." During a meeting of the House Armed Services Committee on May 18th, while debating a similar amendment by Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY), Hostettler referred to "the mythical wall separation (sic) between church and state that's been erected by the courts."

"Enough with the religion-bating already; the GOP and conservatives must stop attacking Democrats as being against Christians and against faith in America. Such ludicrous assertions and stereotypes coarsen our political debate, they have no place in civil discourse in this country, and they are utterly beneath one of America's two major political parties," said National Jewish Democratic Council Executive Director Ira N. Forman. "The heroic efforts by Representatives Obey and Israel supporting religious expression by people of all faiths at the Air Force Academy -- including people of no faith -- are hardly an attack on Christians, as Mr. Hostettler disturbingly alleged.

"In fact, Reps. Obey and Israel are working to protect the religious liberty of every American, which is exactly what our military has fought to protect again and again. If anything, Rep. Hostettler's shocking display demonstrates just the type of religious intolerance that Reps. Obey and Israel were seeking to address. But the GOP has had their say today, and sadly voted down the Obey amendment.

Sorry for not ending on a happier note.

Happy Father's Day

To fathers around the around the world (and even those lovable pooches and horses)!

Jerry Brown ties knot at 67. It's his first marriage.

Some bad news for Evan:

Bayh, however, ranked behind Feingold, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and former vice presidential nominee John Edwards. He did get 15 more votes than John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee.

He'll do better next time. He needs to get his name out there.

That's all for now. I'll be at the track later today. Yes, I have a gambling addiction but I like to live...dangerously, as they say.

Recapping part of the weekend

Lorne Michaels made his way to Chicago recently. He was personally scouting the troupe at Second City and some of the long-form improvisational teams. Does this mean some cast members and writers will leave the show during the summer? Maybe, as SNL needs some funny back.

No less than Lorne Michaels, creator and executive producer of the NBC show, has been in town this week checking out the talent. It's a rare visit for the SNL top dog, who usually sends underlings on the scouting missions.

On Wednesday, Michaels saw a Second City troupe and a selection of teams at ImprovOlympic. Return visits were scheduled for Thursday. It's likely some players will be called to New York to try out for acting and writing jobs.[...]

And it may be time to move on for several veteran cast members, among them Chris Parnell and Horatio Sanz (seven seasons each) and Darrell Hammond (who just completed his 10th season, an all-time show record).

For his part, Michaels told GLARE he expects to make changes during the summer hiatus, but "no more than usual."

What makes this town such a great source of talent for "SNL"? He pondered a bit before deciding he couldn't do the question justice: "It's too long an answer."

Georgetown is the second city in the state to ban smoking indoors. The city joins Lexington, KY. I hope Louisville is next.

Georgetown's ban, which also applies to outdoor arenas and stadiums, is stricter than the Lexington law. The ban will take effect Oct. 1.

Georgetown Mayor Everette Varney, who had opposed a ban in the past, cast the tie-breaking vote for it, saying, "I've got an obligation to my grandkids" to do so.

Thank you, Mayor Varney. Even is tobacco is a major cash crop, I cannot tolerate the smell at all.

Tracy Morgan likes being an acquired taste. I enjoyed his years on SNL and I almost saw him during spring break.

Like his characters, Morgan can be a little over the top, too. He's friendly, but loud and crude when the mood strikes him. And he's not lacking in confidence. When asked if he sees himself living bicoastal with his wife and three kids as a star of stage and screen, Morgan's voice rises. Of course he does.

"It's a vision, it's like Brian Fellow was a vision that I had," he says. "It's Noah when he was building the ark, baby, he had a vision."

Part of that vision comes from people-watching in his native New York, where Morgan has been known to take the mannerisms of friends and even strangers and turn them into characters. Brian Fellow was a family friend. Spoonie Luv, the character he voices on Comedy Central's Crank Yankers, was a high school football teammate.

"Sometimes you can go outside and find some stuff," he says. "As long as you walk slow and drink a lot of water, you won't miss anything. And that's the type of person I am -- I don't like to miss anything. I love details."

Translating his vision from Saturday Night Live to film and prime-time television hasn't been a totally smooth ride. In late 2003, Morgan got his shot at a network sitcom, The Tracy Morgan Show, which died, after constant tinkering, before it reached a second season.

"I don't think we got a fair shot, but I think that we came around at a time when reality TV was at its height," he says. "I just don't think that we were able to compete with that."

Morgan knows he's something of an acquired taste, and he doesn't see himself compromising to make himself more accessible.

"Just keep doing what you do, they're either going to love you or hate you," he says. "There's no in-between with me. Either you love me or you hate me."

On to sports news from Friday...Cardinal player Al Reyes and Coach Hal McRae used to be on the Tampa Bay team that they play over the weekend. The Red Sox take on Pittsburgh. The Sox have over 175 sellouts now. It is the 3rd longest streak and I expect they will break the 455 sellouts that Cleveland had from 1995 to 2001. The Sox topped 1 million in attendence this season.

Is Bayh testing the waters? I say he might be. As far as I know, no decision has been made.

Politician works the bathroom. Any politician that plans to do that would probably end up on The Daily Show.

Dan Aykroyd signs on to host Live 8 concert in Canada. London is the place to be on July 2 this summer. I hope they put the concert out on DVD. I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Time-Life releases some exclusive DVD's that NBC refuses to do so. If I'm wrong on the latter, I'll post something about that as soon as I get it confirmed. Another DVD to get would be Paul McCartney in Red Square.

Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack gives felons the right to vote.

The governor's order, which he plans to sign on July 4, will make an estimated 80,000 ex-felons eligible to vote. Advocates hope that the order, which comes after a similar restoration of voting rights in Nebraska, will encourage other states with similarly restrictive laws to broaden voting privileges for ex-felons.

Nationally, about 4.7 million people are ineligible to vote because of felony convictions, about 500,000 of them war veterans, according to the Sentencing Project, a nonprofit organization that promotes alternatives to incarceration. About 1.4 million are black men.

I hope this works out for the better.

Karen Linn's campaign for Kenton Circuit Clerk is looking for volunteers. Some events are for parades or cookouts.

Uh, oh. Jim Edmonds got an MRI exam and he has a small non-displaced hairline fracture in his middle rib. He's day to day and he's on my fantasy baseball team. Crap! Tony LaRussa should tie Bucky Harris for 4th all-time in managerial wins tonight with his 2,157th win. Tony is a Tampa native. He went to Jefferson High School before graduating from University of South Florida with a degree in industrial management.

The Red Sox have a 5 game winning streak.

The following article was reported in the Washington Post and was not anywhere to be seen in the New York Times:

The session took an awkward turn when witness Ray McGovern, a former intelligence analyst, declared that the United States went to war in Iraq for oil, Israel and military bases craved by administration "neocons" so "the United States and Israel could dominate that part of the world." He said that Israel should not be considered an ally and that Bush was doing the bidding of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

"Israel is not allowed to be brought up in polite conversation," McGovern said. 'The last time I did this, the previous director of Central Intelligence called me anti-Semitic."

Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.), who prompted the question by wondering whether the true war motive was Iraq's threat to Israel, thanked McGovern for his "candid answer."

At Democratic headquarters, where an overflow crowd watched the hearing on television, activists handed out documents repeating two accusations -- that an Israeli company had warning of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and that there was an "insider trading scam" on 9/11 -- that previously has been used to suggest Israel was behind the attacks.

The event organizer, Democrats.com, distributed stickers saying "Bush lied/100,000 people died." One man's T-shirt proclaimed, "Whether you like Bush or not, he's still an incompetent liar," while a large poster of Uncle Sam announced: "Got kids? I want yours for cannon fodder."

This is not what I need to read. Israel was NOT the reason we went to Iraq! If I hear that one more frickin' time, I will not be happy and might switch parties. I don't want to but there's that rising faction in the Democratic party that is anti-Semitic (which includes anti-Zionists. Read Why the Left Hates Israel. 30 Members of Congress were at the hearing held by John Conyers. Jewish members of Congress were there and they included Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, New York Congressman Jerry Nadler, New York Congresswoman Nita Lowey, and Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowski, etc.

According to the American Thinker, Barney Frank was out of the room when the mess occured. Howard Dean denounced the hate literature that was being distributed.

Gephardt joins DLA Piper

Former Congressman Gephardt joins DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US LLP. He will be located in the Washington, DC office.

Gephardt joins DLA Piper’s powerful Government Affairs practice group which includes two other former Congressional leaders -- Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell and House Majority Leader Richard K. Armey. Mitchell also serves as the non-executive chairman of the firm’s global board. The group also includes former Michigan governor and U.S. ambassador to Canada James J. Blanchard, former Washington Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn, and Office of the United States Trade Representative general counsel John K. Veroneau. Leading the Government Affairs group is Thomas F. O’Neil III, former senior vice president and general counsel of the MCI Group and a former federal prosecutor and legislative assistant to a congressman.

What Gephardt also did:

-Created a strategic consulting firm, Gephardt & Associates, that will offer assistance to clients on a variety of issues.
-The investment firm of Goldman Sachs, where Gephardt will serve as a consultant specializing in pensions and investments.
--- U.S. Steel, which Gephardt joined a couple months ago as a member of the board.

Is Tucker a right fit? I've seen him live in person but opted to get a photo with Paul Begala.

The following was emailed via the Upright Citizens Brigade mailing list and I plan to watch it. You should to if you enjoy SNL and The Daily Show.

On Wednesday, September 7 at 10pm Bravo will air an hour-long special taping of ASSSSCAT filmed earlier this year in NYC. Catch Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh of the Upright Citizens Brigade improvising with Kevin Dorff, Rachel Dratch and Horatio Sanz based on the monologues of Tina Fey and Andy Richter.

Speaking of comedy, I need to get back to writing comedic bits on here.

Bill Scheft has ended his column for Sports Illustrated. He'll be missed. That's the one thing I look forward to each issue.

George Washington University students have an exciting weekend to look forward to as comedian Jon Stewart is heading their way. He'll be performing the weekend of October 21-23 as a part of the Colonial Weekend festivities. This will be his first appearance on campus since the incident in 2004.

The difference between me and Andy Goldfarb is that I'm not using the internet to seduce Natalie Portman. Goldfarb is the creator of Date Me, Natalie!.

Oh, and Gen. Wes Clark is now an analyst for FOX News. Yes, that Fox News.

Keith is back

Back again. Olbermann is back. Tell a friend.

MSNBC Countdown host Keith Olbermann is returning to the "total sports" network for a weekly radio show that will begin airing in August.

Olbermann had a long running feud with the network during 1990's where he hosted the highly rated Sportscenter.

Shame on the following pro-lynching Senators:
Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Robert Bennett (R-UT)
Christopher Bond (R-MO)
Jim Bunning (R-KY)
Conrad Burns (R-MT)
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Kent Conrad (D-ND)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Michael Crapo (R-ID)
Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Trent Lott (R-MS)
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Richard Shelby (R-AL)
John Sununu (R-NH)
Craig Thomas (R-WY)
George Voinovich (R-OH)

Not that it is my business, but disclosure reports have come out.

Sen. Evan Bayh (D., Ind.), a potential presidential candidate, derived the bulk of his personal income from his Senate salary of $158,100. The business dealings of his wife, Susan, overshadowed that.

A former pharmaceutical attorney at Eli Lilly, Susan Bayh listed salary payments of more than $1,000 from 10 corporations - mainly in the pharmaceutical industry - at which she is on the board of directors.

The companies, including Anthem Inc., Dyax Corp., and E-Trade Financial Corp., offered her stock or stock options worth up to $250,000. She also cashed in a sizable amount of her accumulated holdings.

Jeers to Arnold. Seriously.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's return to his alma mater turned into an exercise in perseverance when virtually his every word was accompanied by catcalls, howls and piercing whistles from the crowd.

Tom Delay gets $400,000 for legal expenses. How soon before Fletcher asks him for a loan?

Financial disclosure forms released Wednesday described the deep-pocketed, the politicians existing on salary alone and the well-traveled.

The forms also capture House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's financial fight against various ethical allegations.

The Texas Republican accepted $439,300 in contributions to his legal expense fund in 2004, a year in which the House Ethics panel investigated DeLay and rebuked him for his conduct. Separately, he faces questions about his ties to Jack Abramoff, a lobbyist under federal criminal investigation.

DeLay still owes three law firms between $125,003 and $315,000 combined for his legal expenses.

More on finances.

Honoraria: None for speeches, but Bayh donated $3,804 from sales of his memoir, "Evan Bayh: From Father to Son. A Private Life in the Public Eye," to the Evan and Susan Bayh Foundation.

I always admire politicians that don't want to be paid to give a speech.

The joke is on Jackson? Or is it our media's constant nagging on him for saying he is guilty.

Comics were all over the verdicts, aiming barbs at Jackson and other key figures in his trial. David Letterman, Jay Leno and Jon Stewart, among others, leaped on the acquittals as comic fodder.

On The Late Show with David Letterman on CBS, Letterman quipped, "How about this for a point of interest? The jurors, after they handed down the decision, said the accuser's mother made them uncomfortable. Wow! I mean, you know your case is in trouble when Michael is the second creepiest person in the room."

Leno, on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno joked, "I'm sorry if I'm a little groggy today. I was up all night at a big sleepover victory party at Michael Jackson's place. Just Jesus juice all night long. Just crazy!"

And on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the host kiddingly asked, "So what's next for Michael Jackson? Apart from hunting down the real multi-millionaire manchild boy-touchers?"

Leno added, "Legal experts say the key was the defense team did not play the race card. Well, duhh, they didn't know which race to play!"

Continued Stewart, "One woman released a snow white dove for each of the 10 innocents declared by the jury. It was a touching gesture. Ironically, all 10 of those doves wound up beheaded by the overhead throng of news choppers."

And Lettermasn wrapped up a Top Ten list with this crack: "The number one message left on Michael Jackson's answering machine? 'Hi, it's Saddam Hussein. How do I get one of them idiot juries?'"

Boston swept Cincinnati unlike what happened in 1975 but they did name the left field foul pole the Fisk pole. St. Louis has an off day tomorrow as does Boston.

An FEC commissioner resigns.

A Republican who drew frequent criticism from government watchdogs for opposing campaign finance restrictions announced Wednesday that he is resigning from the Federal Election Commission.

In a letter to President Bush, Commissioner Brad Smith said he views the commission as a "fairer, more efficient, more streamlined organization" that it was when he joined it five years ago.

However, Smith added that he worries campaign finance regulations are driving people from politics. With nearly 400 pages of rules for candidates, parties and political donors, "political activity is more heavily regulated than at any time in our nation's history," he wrote.

Smith will join the law school faculty at Capital University in Columbus, OH.

Aykroyd keeps busy these days.

Dan Aykroyd is expanding his business activities. The Blues Brother and Ghostbuster is also a founding Director of House of Blues Entertainment Inc. which is North America's third largest purveyor of live entertainment. Through friend U.S. entrepreneur J.P. Dejoria, Aykroyd has acquired the rights to bring the Patron Spirits line into Canada.

This is being posted closer to 11:30 than 5:30 PM due to a much needed evening nap.

Rep. John Conyers will hold a June 16 Hearing on the Downing Street Memo. Is an impeachment bound to happen?

Back from hiatus and Happy Flag Day!

Emails pooring in since Sunday evening and it doesn't look pretty.

Bluegrass Report is open. It's the blog of Ben Chandler's former campaign manager, Mark Nickolas (not Mark Riddle).

Tim Roemer makes it a contest but he wouldn't win. I'd like to think that Congressman Roemer has a shot at taking Dick Lugar's seat.

Roemer, the former congressman from South Bend, has been in the national spotlight as a 9/11 Commission member. Now, he ponders a possible candidacy for the U.S. Senate in Indiana next year. Roemer is a Democrat with the centrist record and rhetoric that a majority of Hoosiers find appealing. He is similar in that respect to Sen. Evan Bayh.[...]

Description of Lugar's long service in Washington could encourage respondents to think of an alternative at a time when the poll also found a majority of Hoosiers believing the country is on the wrong track.

Similar dissatisfaction is found as well elsewhere in the nation, with President Bush's performance ratings down, patience with the situation in Iraq dwindling, disdain for Congress growing, dislike of the president's Social Security privatization proposal increasing and a dour view prevailing over gas prices and economic expectations.

Moods like that can bring upsets. Hoosier political history includes such upsets for the Senate as when Birch Bayh, Evan's father, defeated the "unbeatable" Republican incumbent Homer Capehart and then when the elder Bayh, by then the "unbeatable" one, was upset by Dan Quayle.

Three days of game notes for the Red Sox and Cardinals. St. Louis is doing as good as the 1944 team by this time of year.

Tucker Carlson has a new show on MSNBC. If Jon Stewart goes on it, I give him less time than his contract calls for but I'm calling this one at six months.

Bad news on the doorstep for Senator Robert Byrd. This might not be good but we'll see in due time.

He's up for election in 2006, and the latest polling in West Virginia indicates that an attack of sanity and judgment may, at last, be hitting an electorate that has routinely elected the 87-year-old Byrd to the Senate eight times with never less than 59 percent of the vote. A survey by RMS Strategies, a West Virginia firm, shows Byrd barely ahead of Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, 46 percent to 43 percent.

Byrd, who still boasts a 62-28 favorable-unfavorable ratio, may have met his match and master in Capito, who has a statewide rating of 57-35.

Because it's better news than 24/7 of Michael Jackson fan's screaming...

During the presidential campaign, Carlson had a widely publicized run-in on Crossfire with comedian Jon Stewart, who said partisan debates on such shows were "hurting America." In January, CNN chief Jon Klein canceled Crossfire, saying that he was tired of loud political talkfests and that noise had overtaken substance.

There's some truth to that, generally, in cable news, Carlson says. "There's nothing wrong with expressing passion, but at some point it can become like watching your parents argue. It's uncomfortable."

Author gets close to the late Del Close. Del was the be-all, end-all of improv.

A review of Jim Belushi and the Sacred Hearts.

Back to game notes, these deal with last night's games. Larry Walker is considering retirement. St. Louis has over forty wins this season. Tony LaRussa is very close to tying for 4th place all-time. We see a rematch of the 1975 Red Sox-Reds world series. Johnny Damon got his 1,000 career run in Chicago this weekend. Congrats to Jason and Karen Varitek on the birth of their daughter, Caroline.

This is my first blog post in which I lost my dial-up connection.

News on Bayh and Feingold.

In an interview with reporters, Senator Bayh said he hasn't officially decided about a run for president. "No I haven't. And that process starts way too early. You know, we need to focus upon moving this country forward, and if we do that, the politics will take care of itself. I've done some practical things to keep that option open, but, you know, look, I'm a long way from making that decision."

So, how does Bayh feel about Feingold? "I think Russ Feingold's a great guy, and I'm glad the people of Wisconsin reelected him last year. He's one of the most idealistic and thoughtful members of the Senate."

How about a President Feingold? "Oh I defer to him on that. I'd be presumptuous of me to comment on something like that."

Is The Daily Show really that influential? Maybe they'll get Jonathan Miller to appear whenever he decides to promote the book he is writing (or is it just looking for a publisher now?).

It was an incredible relief when The Daily Show began severely decreasing the number of celebrities trotted out for the show’s interview segment. George Clooney would appear with a well-rehearsed tale with the sole purpose of making him look a regular kind of guy, and I would use the opportunity to brush my teeth. Dignitaries, policy makers and journalists began to appear with regularity, and then, about a year ago, the authors started showing up.

G-d Bless James Cameron. Lynching is wrong and I am ashamed of the 20 or so members of the Senate that did not agree to sponsor the resolution.

A Marion, Ind., resident during his youth, Cameron was 16 when he was dragged from the Grant County Jail in 1930 to the courthouse lawn, where a mob already had lynched his two friends. He was spared when a man in the crowd proclaimed his innocence.

Cameron was later convicted of robbery and was pardoned in 1993 by then-Gov. Evan Bayh.

At Kamit, he told how he and two acquaintances, Abram Smith and Thomas Shipp, drove to a place known as Lover's Lane in rural Grant County. He told about how he pulled a gun on a young white couple parked by the Mississinewa River but ran away when he recognized the white man.

Now for your moment of zen:

THE NEW African and African-American history requirement in Philadelphia public high schools will almost certainly end up on The Daily Show.

WEll, that's not something you read every day now, is it. It's up to Jon Stewart and Ben Karlin to get it on the show.

Finally got to tonight's game notes. Boston and Cincy are playing right now as I type. Boston goes for a three-game winning streak for the 1st time in a month. Cardinals have two former Jays: Dave McKay and Chris Carpenter. Tony is three wins from fourth all-time.

Happy Flag Day!

Quote of the Day

"Listen, the thing you've got to know about Katie is that she's an incredibly bright and self-determined woman. She makes her own decisions."
--Tom Cruise on Katie Holmes, Entertainment Weekly, June 17, 2005

LINK

Cruise earlier dissed Brooke Shields for using anti-depressants.

Shavuos Hiatus

I'll be offline til Tuesday night for the Jewish holiday celebrating the giving of the Torah.

Last Sane Man revealed

Last Sane Man reveals himself to be Ralph Long. Looks like I was the last to know on this one. I'll update my blogroll soon.

Finally, some press!

In reading today's Courier-Journal's Notes from Washington by James R. Carroll, I was surprised to read the following paragraphs.

On the Web
Evan Bayh hasn't officially said he will run in 2008, but he hasn't slowed those who want it to happen.

Americans for Bayh has a Web site, americansforbayh.com, though the site is quick to say it's not a formal organization. There's also a blog connected to the same group.

I post on that blog. A Yahoo group is also connected with it as well. It's finally time that we got the press we deserved. No, I did not email James Carroll.

Mr. Bill's quits a campaign. Clinton was unavailable for comment. In all seriousness, the character's creator pulled out.

Saturday Night Live icon Mr. Bill is saying a resounding "Nooooo!" to further appearances in a public awareness campaign aimed at saving Louisiana's wetlands.

In recent months state residents have watched as Mr. Bill, the animated clay character of 1970s TV fame, lent a hand to ads for the America's Wetland campaign.

But now Mr. Bill's creator, Walter Williams, is yanking his character, saying he believes the campaign is selling out to big oil companies -- the very people accused of having a hand in destroying wetlands.

Bayh is priming it up for 2008. He may not say it orally but you know he is running.

Although he has said he won't make a decision about whether to run until after the 2006 elections, Bayh has acknowledged that he's laying the groundwork.

He has spoken to groups of Democrats in the potential swing states of Wisconsin, Ohio and Colorado. He addressed Iowa business and civic leaders meeting in Washington last week and in August will head back to the state, which has the nation's first presidential caucus. He likely will go later this year to New Hampshire, which holds the nation's first presidential primary.

"I'm doing some of the practical things that you think would be necessary to make that decision (to run) when the time comes," Bayh said, "if it's the appropriate thing to do."

He told about 1,000 Democrats at the Park Plaza Hotel and Convention Center on the banks of the Fox River that lawmakers are embroiled in "constant acrimony and fighting" rather than focusing on ensuring children get the education they need, senior citizens can afford health care and workers aren't losing their jobs to unfair foreign competition.

"All too often, Washington just doesn't operate the way we do in Wisconsin or Indiana," he said. "I can't tell you how often I get up in the morning and go to work and wonder if in fact I'm not really an ambassador to a foreign country."

Bayh's appearances are "what you do," said Chris Gates, the former chairman of the Democratic Party in Colorado, where Bayh spoke in March. "You make friends. You meet people and you make sure you've got a good staff person with you that can collect cards from everybody."

"I guarantee you, if Senator Bayh is the candidate, he made a lot of friends when he came here this early," said Dan Gattermeyer, chairman of the Democratic Party in Butler County, Ohio. Bayh spoke at a May party fundraiser to a crowd of 300, double last year's attendance. "And there'll be more people working for him harder because he did it."

Why so early?

One reason the 49-year-old senator and other potential candidates are gearing up so early is that the 2008 election could be one of the most wide-open in recent history. For the first time since 1952, the job is expected to be open without a vice president in pursuit of it.

More than a dozen Democrats and Republicans are viewed as potential candidates, and many are traveling the circuit. Wisconsin Democrats, for example, earlier this year met with Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and former vice presidential candidate John Edwards.

Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, who is considering a bid, spoke before Bayh on Friday and got a standing ovation when he said: "Who knows? One of the speakers tonight might be the next Democratic president of the United States."

Former California Governor Gray Davis admits errors. Didn't they buy from Enron?

Davis would not comment on Schwarzenegger's performance, but noted his successor has eclipsed his old record for campaign fund-raising from special interest groups. Davis was roundly criticized for his fund-raising while in office.

"I always knew those criticisms that I was a world-class spender would be eclipsed by someone, and it was eclipsed by Arnold," Davis said. "I'm delighted someone has passed me."

Even the guy that she replaced hated Hilary. It's the Clinton ambitioness if you ask me even though I respect the former President.

The late New York Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan may have endorsed Hillary Clinton to succeed him in the Senate.

But he and his wife privately hated Clinton, according to a new book on the presumptive 2008 presidential candidate. Edward Klein's "The Truth About Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It, and How Far She'll Go to Become President" will be excerpted in the July issue of Vanity Fair.

The New York Post reported last week that according to the excerpts, Moynihan's wife, Liz, told a friend that Hillary is "duplicitous."

"She will say or do anything that would forward her ambitions," Liz Moynihan reportedly said.

A Clinton spokesperson said the senator will always be proud at having had the support of the Moynihans.

You have questions, they've got answers. Where does Evan Bayh stand on issues important to you? Click the link now.

On partisanship: "All too often, Washington just doesn't operate the way we do in Wisconsin or Indiana. Constant acrimony and fighting rather than focusing on progress...I can't tell you how often I get up in them morning and go to work and wonder if in fact I'm not really an ambassador to a foreign country."

Another article dealing with the Wisconsin visit.

Question: How does this speech help Bayh if he wants to run for president?

Answer: It gives him exposure to Democratic activists, generates media coverage, hones his speaking skills and helps him test themes.

In sports, great-nephews of a few Hall of Fame ballplayers were drafted last week by the St. Louis Cardinals. Coach Red Schoendienst's nephew, Jesse Schoendienst, and Mickey Mantle's nephew, Blake King. Joe Torre, who returned to Busch Stadium this weekend, used to play and coach there.

Every player on the Red Sox 25-player roster has played at Wrigley Field now. In their 100 years, the Red Sox have played at 59 ballparks.

Back to Evan Bayh in Wisconsin...

Bayh, a Democrat from Indiana and that state's former governor, said politics in Washington has become so obsessed with idealogy that the country has become as divided as it was during the Vietnam era.

"I am desperately concerned if we don't change the path we're on, the country our children will inherit from us will be less than what we inherited from our parents. We must not let that happen," Bayh said to applause.

The Fletcher scandal

We have yet to see the worst of this. There is now an ethics board commissioner who is involved. This will get messy.

Backlash to Dean's comments. I may be a Democrat but I will call bull as I see it.

"You don't criticize the electorate here," said Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., speaking on CNN's "Inside Politics." "You criticize, obviously, the administration."[...]

Dean, whose 2004 presidential candidacy sank amid a series of intemperate comments, said he would continue his outspoken ways after winning the Democratic Party chairmanship earlier this year.

He's kept his word.

On Jan. 29, during the chairmanship campaign: "I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for."

On Feb. 11, to members of the Congressional Black Caucus: "Do you think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room? Only if they had the hotel staff in here."

Last week, commenting on voters who had to wait in long lines: "Well, Republicans, I guess, can do that, because a lot of them have never made an honest living in their lives."

While Dean said that last comment applied only to Republican leaders, it drew rebukes from fellow Democrats, including Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del. Appearing Wednesday on Don Imus' radio show, Biden seemed of two minds about the Dean style.

"It's probably good that there's a guy out there that's this kind of lightning rod, making the point in the extreme," Biden said, though he later added: "I think the rhetoric is counterproductive."[...]

That last allegation drew a sharp response from Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who has led recent efforts to tighten border enforcement.

"In recent days," Sensenbrenner wrote, "your delusional outbursts have forced senior members of your own party to distance themselves from your comments."

Either distance themselves or have Howard Dean's speechwriters get speechwriters. I'm embarrassed to see such rhetoric coming from the elected chairman.

Unlike a few years ago, Clinton stopped short of endorsing Evan Bayh.

Clinton also spoke briefly with reporters, and among other things, said that Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh would make a great president.

More leaders distancing themselves from Dean...

But the Christian comment has the potential of repelling millions of voters, and it had many Democrats running for cover. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California told reporters Wednesday, "I don't think the statement [Dean] made was a helpful statement" and attributed it to "the exuberance" of being in the job.
Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, one of Dean's 2004 Democratic primary opponents, said the comment was "way over the top" and said he will ask Dean to explain himself during a previously scheduled meeting with Senate Democrats today. "I'm sure I won't be the only one," Lieberman said.

Joe, you were not the only one.

Bayh has plans for 2008? The Indy Star seems to think so. Plus, he is working to raise his profile.

The Hartford Advocate:

George W. Bush is facing his Nixon Moment. Indeed, the revelation of the identity of Deep Throat this past week was a national wake-up call. It was a reminder of just how far "investigative journalism" has fallen in this nation, where the best of that formerly celebrated breed are working at cartoon magazines (Sy Hersh at the New Yorker), as an exile in England (Greg Palast), as a satirist (Jon Stewart and The Daily Show) or wielding a camera (Michael Moore).

The fall, though sadly, cannot come sooner.

Natalie's schedule for upcoming films.

But before her departure, Portman revealed that it won't be long before her tresses are back: "I really like it, but I'm simultaneously aware that it takes a really long time to grow back, so the sooner, the better!"

I think I'll end it on that note.

Happy 24th Birthday, Natalie Portman

The Harvard graduate turns 24 today.

My Two Cents on the Fletcher Scandal

If his administration were innocent, they WOULD NOT BE pleading the fifth amendment. They would tell the special grand jury exactly what happened and would not stay quiet. Basically, by not talking, they hurt themselves more than they think. Pleading the fifth amendment really means, "hey, I am guilty but I'd rather not tell you what happened." Guilty as charged. Ernie Fletcher should resign while he still has his pride and dignity with his poor approval ratings.

Gov. Bill Richardson made a visit to New Hampshire. The New Mexico governor just might be running for president. I know he has his disagreements with Howard Dean.

Officially Richardson is in the state because of his role as chairman of the Democratic Governor’s Association. In that position he is charge of recruiting Democratic gubernatorial candidates and meeting with incumbent, like Lynch, who face re-election in 2006.

But by the time Richardson leaves he will have also have participated in a statewide live radio call in program, visited the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and keynoted a Democratic fund-raising dinner.

"I want to be very clear to the media in the back of the room. No I will not run for president in 2008," Richardson said right before saying in Spanish to the Latino Summit audience: "But, yes I am."

Richardson is the third Democrat to visit New Hampshire since last fall’s election. Preceding him have been John Kerry and John Edwards.

Richardson appeared to be largely joking with his comment in Spanish. In English, earlier in the day he said he was focusing on his re-election in New Mexico next year and after that "we’ll see. I am not ruling out anything."

Is he or is he not?

Fletcher's office has missed minority goes. I might start referring to the Governor as Fletch but I think that insults Chevy Chase (Chase played a character called Fletch one time). I'm pleased to say that the State Treasurer's office appears to be unbiased and has hired minorities--something all state offices should be doing.

The constitutional office that came closest to meeting the minority employment goal _ and that also hit its female employment goal _ was state Treasurer Jonathan Miller's office. With 33 workers during the reporting period, the treasurer's office had three minority employees, or 9.09 percent. The treasurer's office had 22 women, or 66.67 percent of the work force.

"I'm not going to pat myself on the back for doing something that we all should be doing," Miller said.

Is Newt Gingrich running for president in 2008? Or does he just want to look at cows?

Gingrich mentioned that he was in Iowa recently, asking voters their opinions on the issues. Stewart pounced on that: "You were in Iowa because..." urging Gingrich to fill in the blank.

Gingrich stopped just short of saying that he would run, saying "the last person to announce his candidacy for president on your show came in fourth."

Disney now lets the fans decide what they want to watch. This week is the "Click It to Pick It" campaign to kick off the summer long "So hot Summer." Two of my friends will host it sometime between June 10 and August 27, 2005. The newest movie, Go Figure premieres on Friday evening.

Tonight is the last game of the Cardinals-Red Sox series...thank G-d! Chris Carpenter takes on David Wells. I have both pitchers on the same fantasy baseball team. Johnny Damon will probably not get his two runs he needs to make 1,000 career runs until this weekend. Manny Ramirez picked up his 900th walk. St. Louis did manage to draft a cousin of Albert Pujols, Wilfrido Pujols. They also drafted A.J. Van Slyke (Kansas), son of former ballplayer Andy Van Slyke. Overall, they picked up 12 pitchers, 6 outfielders, two infielders and two catchers. St. Louis has won 8 straight interleague games and has not lost one of those in Busch Stadium since June 22, 2003. Reggie Sanders has over 275 home runs/steals (283 Home runs, 292 steals). The Cardinals and the Cordish Company are partnering up for Ballpark Village.

For this weekend's convention in Wisconsin, here are some key speakers:
8:20pm - Senator Russ Feingold
8:38pm - Governor Jim Doyle (to introduce Senator Bayh)
8:44pm - Senator Evan Bayh

As usual, Bayh keeps options open. Not surprising.

"Am I doing the practical things that would allow me at some point to make that decision?" he replied. "Yes, I'm doing the practical things to keep that open as an option."

Bayh told reporters afterward he will be in Iowa in August, and while he said he has visited in the past, he also acknowledged this trip will be viewed in a different context as the race for the presidency slowly unfolds.

"It's only natural there's some significance attached to it and I think that's appropriate," he said.

First Day picks of the 2005 MLB Draft:
1. Colby Rasmus OF
1. Tyler Greene SS
1a. Mark McCormick RHP
1a. Tyler Herron RHP
2. Josh Wilson RHP
2. Nick Webber RHP
3. Daryl Jones OF
4. Bryan Anderson C
5. Mitchell Boggs RHP
6. Wilfrido Pujols OF
7. Nicholas Stavinoha OF
8. Jason Cairns RHP
9. Zachary Zuercher LHP
10. Randy Roth OF
11. Steve Gonzalez C
12. Daniel McCutchen RHP
13. Malcolm Owens OF
14. Michael Repole
15. Adam Daniels LHP
16. Matthew Lane RHP
17. Michael Cooper RHP
18. Brandon Garner SS

The thunder starts. The PC shuts down.

A Day Off

Two days off of work in a row. This gives me more time to get work done in my spare time.

My remarks on the upcoming NBA finals? Preferably the Pistons but there is a UK alumnus on both teams.

Albert Pujols was last week's NL co-player of the week.

Bayh to speak with Iowans.

Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., also will speak. Their presence renewed D.C. conversation about 2008 presidential aspirations. Bayh is interested. Thune says he is not. But Roll Call headlined an item on the speeches "Calling all would-be presidents."

That's because any time anyone does anything with Iowans present, presidential curiosity is piqued because it is the first presidential test.

Shame on Murgatroyd for invoking the Fifth Amendment. If he was not guilty, he would have spoken. My feelings tell me he's guilty.

Richard L. "Dick" Murgatroyd, deputy chief of staff to Gov. Ernie Fletcher, declined to answer questions yesterday before a special grand jury investigating allegations of political hirings in the Fletcher administration.

Louisville attorney Jack Smith, representing Murgatroyd, told reporters that his client followed his advice not to testify, invoking his Fifth Amend-ment right against possible self-incrimination.

Besides Murgatroyd, three other state officials -- Dan Druen, commissioner of administrative services in the Transportation Cabinet; Vince Fields, chief of staff for the Personnel Cabinet; and Cory Meadows, executive director of the Transportation Enhancement Program -- appeared separately and briefly before the grand jury.

Each witness spent less than five minutes in the grand jury room and then proceeded with his attorney and lead prosecutor Scott Crawford-Sutherland to meet privately with Franklin Circuit Judge William L. Graham, who had empaneled the grand jury earlier in the day.

Dave Baker was named to a sex crime panel by Gov. Fletcher. This move comes as a surprise.

WLAP radio talk show host Dave Baker, an outspoken supporter of Gov. Ernie Fletcher and his administration, was named to an 11-member sex offender task force yesterday by Fletcher.

Baker said yesterday that the appointment to a panel comprising mostly criminal justice leaders and victims rights advocates was an outgrowth of his concern for child safety, not because of political connections or favors.

"First and foremost, we're citizens, and when citizens have an opportunity to serve, we should do that," Baker said. "This is a situation of making things safer for my kids and kids all over the commonwealth. And that is something I can't see anyone having a problem with."

The appointment comes two weeks after Baker interviewed Lt. Gov. Steve Pence regarding the hiring scandal in Fletcher's administration and about a month after he went through the governor's office to buy $1,076 worth of hard-to-get tickets for the Kentucky Oaks and Derby horse races.

Pence said in a statement yesterday, "Dave Baker, as each member of the coalition, brings a unique perspective to the group. He is a father of four children all under the age of 7, active in charities involving children, and has been a passionate, outspoken advocate on this subject."

When Fletcher or Pence are guests on his show, Baker says, his membership on the committee won't prompt him to "lay off" asking any questions or reserve criticism for the administration.

As for the race tickets, Baker said anyone could request them and that he attended the Oaks but not the Derby. He said he gave his Derby tickets to a "business associate," though he declined to name the person.

Media experts say there aren't ethical guidelines for talk show hosts. While most journalists would be ethically barred from serving on a panel for a group they cover or accepting favors from them, the experts said, talk show hosts are in a different category.

The MTV Movie Awards air this Thursday on MTV. Your host? Jimmy Fallon.

Bonus Quote of the Day

"[Dean is] a voice. I don't agree with it."
--John Edwards, Tennessee Democratic Party fundraising dinner, June 4, 2005

Quote of the Day

"[Dean] doesn't speak for me with that kind of rhetoric and I don't think he speaks for the majority of Democrats."
--Senator Joseph Biden, This Week with George Stephanopoulos, June 5, 2005

Mike Ward's show ends

Congressman Mike Ward's radio show has sadly come to an end. I called in to his show on the first day. America 2000 held a bloggers panel which I was invited to speak at. I had to, sadly, decline. It was mentioned afterwards that Congressman Ward wanted to interview me on his radio show. Due to the time that it was on, I knew that I couldn't do it during college. I had planned on doing it this summer but never really followed up on it. Sadly, it fell through with the recent news. This comes from the Bridge, an email service offered by Dr. Ted Schlechter.

The Mike Ward Show has ended after a three year run. Ward said, "It was great fun, but not financially sustainable." He added, "I have truly enjoyed all the old friends who have been a part of the show and have especially enjoyed making so many new ones. Thanks so much."

Dr. Ted believes Charlie Owen might be running for governor in 2007. Now, Owen has been running for years and never winning to where one can call him a "frequent candidate." I'm not saying I wouldn't campaign for him but I'm still waiting for Jonathan's decision.

This is some good news dealing with the Jonathan Pollard case:

A U.S. congressman asked the attorney general to release classified information relating to Jonathan Pollard’s life sentence.

The judge set aside a plea deal in issuing a sentence on charges of spying for Israel, relying on classified information to sentence Pollard to life in 1987. In his letter last Friday to Alberto Gonzales, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) said Pollard’s sentence was disproportionate to his crime and that his lawyers deserve to examine the classified information so they can challenge it.

Here is an article on the legendary Jewish boxer, Max Baer.

But Baer’s greatest fight was in June 1933, when he faced a heavily favored German, Max Schmeling. Hitler had come to power a few months earlier and the Nazis were busy smearing Stars of David on Jewish-owned stores.

When Baer strutted into the Yankee Stadium ring, his trunks sported a prominent Star of David, and he then proceeded to demolish Schmeling, knocking him out in the 10th round.

This pugilistic victory, coming in the depth of the Great Depression and amid rising anti-Semitism in Europe and the United States, lifted the spirits of Jews throughout the world, regardless of Baer’s actual Jewishness.

Under Ron Howard’s direction and in the screenplay by Cliff Hollingsworth and Akiva Goldsman, Baer is portrayed as the designated bad guy to deepen the contrast to the gutsy, family-loving, Irish-American Braddock.

Though the realistically staged boxing scenes in Cinderella Man — which opened nationally last Friday — carry the action, the movie essentially is the story of a man overcoming defeat and poverty through his own courage and the devotion of a loving wife.[...]

According to sports historians and Baer’s son, this kind of cruelty was not characteristic of the champion.

Except for fleeting glimpses of the Star of David on Baer’s trunks, which the boxer displayed in every fight after the victory over Schmeling, the movie does not touch on his ethnic background.

His genealogy has been frequently debated and misconstrued, but was clarified by the fighter’s son, Max Baer Jr., better known to 1960s TV audiences as Jethro in The Beverly Hillbillies.

Speaking from Las Vegas, the younger Baer said the champ’s father, Jacob Baer, was a German Jewish immigrant, who worked as a butcher, cattle dealer and rancher in Colorado and California.

Jacob Baer married a Catholic woman and their children were raised in her faith, though the household wasn’t particularly religious.

"When I was around 10 and living in a Jewish neighborhood in Sacramento, I came across a boy wearing a yarmulke," Baer recalled. "So I went home and asked my mother why that kid was wearing a beanie without a propeller."

The idea of wearing a Star of David for the Schmeling fight, said Baer, "came from my father’s Jewish manager. At that time, the great boxers were Italian, Irish or Jewish, and there was a lot of ethnic pride and rivalry among the fans, especially in New York. I think it all started as a publicity ploy, but over time my father might have convinced himself that he was defending the Jewish people."

The younger Baer described his late father as cocky, "sort of like Muhammad Ali," who liked to clown around and would rather party than train.

But Baer trained hard for the Schmeling match. After watching that fight, the legendary Jack Dempsey observed that Baer was so good that night he could have beaten anybody in the world.

Whatever could be said against Baer, he was never petty or mean-spirited, contrary to the movie depiction, said his son.

"My father hardly ever bore a grudge, and after he and another fighter would beat each other to a pulp, my father would go to the other guy’s dressing room and invite him to a party," said the junior Baer.

"After he lost the world championship to Braddock, my father said he was glad that the title went to a guy who had to support a large family."

Such a better story than the one in the movie.

New GOP chair is staying out of the spotlight for now.

The new Kentucky Republican Party Chairman, Darrell Brock Jr., has been scarcely seen or heard from around the capital city over the past three weeks, even as his governor's administration was taking a heavy public relations hit.

That's not to say the GOP structure itself has been silent. The party's longtime general counsel Spencer Noe has been issuing regular press releases lambasting Attorney General Greg Stumbo for "playing politics" with the investigation.

Once again, Senator Bayh does not say he is running.

US Senator Evan Bayh walked past a row of "Bayh 2008!" campaign signs as he headed into an Indiana Democratic Party fundraiser. But he still remains noncommittal as to whether his name would be on the ballot for President in three years.

The Indiana senator told the 1,100 Democrats who attended Saturday's dinner at the Indianapolis Marriott that it's far too early for a serious candidate to acknowledge a decision to run for president. He says a decision would likely come sometime after the 2006 midterm elections.

Bayh also said he did not know the signs, made up by the state Democratic Party, would be there.