Lincoln and the Jews: A History by Jonathan Sarna and Benjamin Shapell
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (March 17, 2015)
Abraham Lincoln is one of my favorite presidents and being a member of the tribe, I very much looked forward to reading and enjoying this book. Enjoy it I did--except for the part where it is said that Lincoln's killer was the son of a member of the Tribe.
From the time that Lincoln was born in 1809 until his tragic assassination in 1865, the number of Jews living in America skyrocketed from 3,000 to 150,000. This is mostly due to Jews escaping horrid conditions in Europe.
Because of Jonathan Sarna (When Grant Expelled the Jews) and Benjamin Shapell, we know a lot more about President Lincoln's meetings with those in the Jewish community and the consequences of said meetings. The duo have managed to uncover the complex relationships between the president and the Jews of his era. The effects of these connections continue to be felt to this day. Lincoln was the first president to really give the Jews the respect and courtesy that they deserved.
Their discoveries are accompanied by a number of photographs and original manuscripts--letters, appointments, pardons, personal notes, and humble requests. Because of President Lincoln, the Jewish people living in America were able to overcome the prevailing anti-Semitism of the Civil War period. This was a president who befriended, protected, and admired Jews despite the tense climate in which Jews were seen as suspicious or scapegoats.
This is the same president who overturned General Orders No. 11 when Jewish leaders came to him with complaints.
Almost 150 years to the day after Lincoln's death, this book gives us a new perspective on one of American history's dynamic time periods in which there was a fight over slavery. Lincoln's relationship with the Jews is one that should offer lessons in history, tolerance, and the development of our current society.
For Jews with an interest in politics, this book being a must-read is a no-brainer. It's a chapter in our freedom that has so rarely been explored. This book is a classic that will be looked upon for years to come.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Peace in the Middle East
The comments from the White House today are not surprising given the President's remarks of late. All I have to say in response is this:
No
duh. Arafat and Abbas both walked away from the best deals that they
were ever going to get. No Israeli Prime Minister will ever agree to
any deal with a Palestinian government that includes Hamas in its
government.
There was a point in time in which I did support a two-state solution but that went out the window the moment that Hamas joined the PA unity government. Time and time again, Hamas has shown that they have no interest in peace with Israel. If the Palestinians are truly committed to peace, they ought to arrest every member of Hamas and put them in jail.
There was a point in time in which I did support a two-state solution but that went out the window the moment that Hamas joined the PA unity government. Time and time again, Hamas has shown that they have no interest in peace with Israel. If the Palestinians are truly committed to peace, they ought to arrest every member of Hamas and put them in jail.
White House at odds with Jewish Establishment
The rhetoric coming from the White House is leading to a rift with the Jewish Establishment, be it the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League, Rabbical Assembly, and Orthodox Union.
It's certainly one thing to see rhetoric coming from the left but when it comes from the White House, it makes me start to seriously consider whether pro-Israel Democrats such as myself still have a home in the Democratic Party. I'm going to keep an eye on the Democratic Party platform and see if there's another fight relating to Israel like there was in 2012.
It's certainly one thing to see rhetoric coming from the left but when it comes from the White House, it makes me start to seriously consider whether pro-Israel Democrats such as myself still have a home in the Democratic Party. I'm going to keep an eye on the Democratic Party platform and see if there's another fight relating to Israel like there was in 2012.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Book Review - You Can't Make This Up by Al Michaels
You Can't Make This Up: Miracles, Memories, and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television by Al Michaels with Jon Wertheim
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: William Morrow; First Edition/First Printing edition (November 18, 2014)
Al Michaels is one of the legendary broadcasters of our time. A longtime sports broadcaster for ABC and NBC Sports, Michaels takes to print as he shares his memories of a career in broadcasting.
Michaels takes us on a highly entertaining and insightful behind-the-scenes tour as he takes us back through time through some of the most memorable sports telecasts of which he was on the call. It isn't just the thrilling games that Michaels revisits, it's also those figures who had an impact on Michaels career.
Michaels has been on the call for eight World Series, two NBA Finals, nine Super Bowls, eight Olympics, and hosted three Stanley Cup Finals. He's never taken his eye off the ball in forty years as a broadcaster. He's never become jaded nor has he taken his career for granted. It was almost over before it begun. Michaels was hired by the Los Angeles Lakers as a broadcast partner for the great Chick Hearn but it didn't last at all. This false-start would soon lead Michaels to broadcast Minor League Baseball games in Hawaii.
We all grow up dreaming of a sports career. Not Al Michaels. He knew from a young age that he wanted to broadcast sports for a career. His career took him to Hawaii and that was followed by a brief stay with the Cincinnati Reds, where Michaels became friends with both Pete Rose and Johnny Bench. From Cincy, Michaels moved cross country to broadcast the San Francisco Giants. It was with San Francisco where Michaels would be hired to be a broadcaster for ABC Sports' Monday Night Baseball. Working with ABC Sports later led to a full time career, including years on Wide World of Sports and two decades as the voice of Monday Night Football. Working for ABC also meant working with Howard Cosell. Cosell wasn't the easiest person to get along with and if you crossed him, you likely never talked with him again.
When NBC Sports won MNF, Michaels would go with them. He's now been there for nine seasons but he shares his thoughts on what it was like to work with John Madden for seven years. There was the brief Dennis Miller era and Michaels writes about those years, too.
Michaels' work at the Olympic Games saw him in the broadcast booth for the greatest hockey game ever played and it wasn't even aired live! The 1980 hockey game between Team USA and Russia was aired live to tape and Michaels shares the stories behind his call of the gold medal run.
Michaels was in the booth for the 1989 World Series and he takes us behind the scenes of the earthquake that hit.
Because of the earthquake and O.J. Simpson, Michaels wasn't limited to just sports reporting. He also did a bit of journalism, too. He's no fan of the "You heard it here first" type of broadcasts, which often leads to misinformation.
Through it all, Michaels covers his broadcasting philosophy and the nuances that come with the trade. He shares what it was like to work with Cris Collinsworth, Bob Uecker, Bob Costas, Jim McKay, Roone Arledge, Tim McCarver, Doc Rivers, Frank Gifford, and Dick Ebersol, to name a few.
This book is highly recommended for sports fans.
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: William Morrow; First Edition/First Printing edition (November 18, 2014)
Al Michaels is one of the legendary broadcasters of our time. A longtime sports broadcaster for ABC and NBC Sports, Michaels takes to print as he shares his memories of a career in broadcasting.
Michaels takes us on a highly entertaining and insightful behind-the-scenes tour as he takes us back through time through some of the most memorable sports telecasts of which he was on the call. It isn't just the thrilling games that Michaels revisits, it's also those figures who had an impact on Michaels career.
Michaels has been on the call for eight World Series, two NBA Finals, nine Super Bowls, eight Olympics, and hosted three Stanley Cup Finals. He's never taken his eye off the ball in forty years as a broadcaster. He's never become jaded nor has he taken his career for granted. It was almost over before it begun. Michaels was hired by the Los Angeles Lakers as a broadcast partner for the great Chick Hearn but it didn't last at all. This false-start would soon lead Michaels to broadcast Minor League Baseball games in Hawaii.
We all grow up dreaming of a sports career. Not Al Michaels. He knew from a young age that he wanted to broadcast sports for a career. His career took him to Hawaii and that was followed by a brief stay with the Cincinnati Reds, where Michaels became friends with both Pete Rose and Johnny Bench. From Cincy, Michaels moved cross country to broadcast the San Francisco Giants. It was with San Francisco where Michaels would be hired to be a broadcaster for ABC Sports' Monday Night Baseball. Working with ABC Sports later led to a full time career, including years on Wide World of Sports and two decades as the voice of Monday Night Football. Working for ABC also meant working with Howard Cosell. Cosell wasn't the easiest person to get along with and if you crossed him, you likely never talked with him again.
When NBC Sports won MNF, Michaels would go with them. He's now been there for nine seasons but he shares his thoughts on what it was like to work with John Madden for seven years. There was the brief Dennis Miller era and Michaels writes about those years, too.
Michaels' work at the Olympic Games saw him in the broadcast booth for the greatest hockey game ever played and it wasn't even aired live! The 1980 hockey game between Team USA and Russia was aired live to tape and Michaels shares the stories behind his call of the gold medal run.
Michaels was in the booth for the 1989 World Series and he takes us behind the scenes of the earthquake that hit.
Because of the earthquake and O.J. Simpson, Michaels wasn't limited to just sports reporting. He also did a bit of journalism, too. He's no fan of the "You heard it here first" type of broadcasts, which often leads to misinformation.
Through it all, Michaels covers his broadcasting philosophy and the nuances that come with the trade. He shares what it was like to work with Cris Collinsworth, Bob Uecker, Bob Costas, Jim McKay, Roone Arledge, Tim McCarver, Doc Rivers, Frank Gifford, and Dick Ebersol, to name a few.
This book is highly recommended for sports fans.
Monday, March 16, 2015
Book Review - The Secret Game by Scott Ellsworth
The Secret Game: A Wartime Story of Courage, Change, and Basketball's Lost Triumph
by Scott Ellsworth
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (March 10, 2015)
The Secret Game is a book that comes highly recommended by the likes of Bob Ryan, Mike Krzyzewski, and Roland Lazenby. Ryan says that it "is much more than a story about basketball."
A full decade before the Civil Rights movement began, Ellsworth exposes not just the history of basketball but the bravery of the African Americans and whites fighting against segregation in the South, especially North Carolina.
At the North Carolina College for Negroes, John McLendon, the future Hall of Fame coach, was borrowing from James Naismith as he worked to invent a fast-paced form of basketball. A group of former college players at the all-white Duke University had formed a team at the medical school and didn't just defeat the Duke varsity team, they beat everybody that played them. All but one team.
Standing in Duke's way was McLendon's team in the spring of 1944. These two teams were risking it all--their futures, their freedom--to play a game that was unheard of in the South. Think about it. Brown had yet to be decided. The bus boycotts in Montgomery hadn't started yet. Jackie Robinson's Major League debut was a full three years away from happening. Before all those events even happened, two teams of basketball players made history on their own.
Until now, there story hadn't been told. Ellsworth tells their story in the vein of Seabiscuit and The Boys in the Boat. This book is researched and sourced. In both daring and dangerous ways, two groups push back against segregation in order to play basketball. Ellsworth reminds us who heroes are and what they can be.
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (March 10, 2015)
The Secret Game is a book that comes highly recommended by the likes of Bob Ryan, Mike Krzyzewski, and Roland Lazenby. Ryan says that it "is much more than a story about basketball."
A full decade before the Civil Rights movement began, Ellsworth exposes not just the history of basketball but the bravery of the African Americans and whites fighting against segregation in the South, especially North Carolina.
At the North Carolina College for Negroes, John McLendon, the future Hall of Fame coach, was borrowing from James Naismith as he worked to invent a fast-paced form of basketball. A group of former college players at the all-white Duke University had formed a team at the medical school and didn't just defeat the Duke varsity team, they beat everybody that played them. All but one team.
Standing in Duke's way was McLendon's team in the spring of 1944. These two teams were risking it all--their futures, their freedom--to play a game that was unheard of in the South. Think about it. Brown had yet to be decided. The bus boycotts in Montgomery hadn't started yet. Jackie Robinson's Major League debut was a full three years away from happening. Before all those events even happened, two teams of basketball players made history on their own.
Until now, there story hadn't been told. Ellsworth tells their story in the vein of Seabiscuit and The Boys in the Boat. This book is researched and sourced. In both daring and dangerous ways, two groups push back against segregation in order to play basketball. Ellsworth reminds us who heroes are and what they can be.
Book Review - The Global War on Morris by Steve Israel
The Global War on Morris: A Novel by Congressman Steve Israel
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (December 30, 2014)
When a member of Congress pens a book, it usually means that they are running for higher office, mainly President. This is not the case for Steve Israel. Instead, he writes a political satire that isn't just witty but also ripped from the headlines.
This is a guy that's met the characters and heard the conversations, not to mention the government dysfunction, too.
In The Global War on Morris, Israel takes us back on a time machine to 2004 when George Bush was running for re-election against Democratic nominee John Kerry. President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, and Scooter Libby play a big role in the novel. It may be fiction but I could certainly see them using such dialogue.
The principal character in the book is Morris Feldstein, a pharmaceutical salesman that lives and works on Long Island. He loves the Mets, Turner Classic Movies, and his wife, Rona. Morris prefers things stay how they are. He's not a guy who prefers to watch the news and he hates to argue. His wife, Rona, may want to change the world but he prefers life as it is.
"If Morris clung to any philosophy," Israel writes, it is "'Don't make waves.'"
Seduced by a lovesick receptionist while making a visit to a doctors' office on his sales route, Morris succombs to a moment of weekness and ends up charging a non-business expense on his company credit card. It's easy to see how this isn't a big deal. Not in the eyes of the government. It's a very big deal and changes Morris' life as he knows it.
NICK, the giant supercomputer that is part of a top-secret government surveillance program, has other plans for Morris. NICK puts Morris' life together--friends, family, friends' friends, traffic violations, his daughter's political activism, his wife's patients, and even failures in romance--and suddenly, Morris is the target of every federal agency with an acronym.
This debut novel from Congressman Israel is hilarious and the rights have been acquired by Rob Reiner and Royal Pains co-creator Andrew Lenchewski and they will develop it as a cable comedy series.
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (December 30, 2014)
When a member of Congress pens a book, it usually means that they are running for higher office, mainly President. This is not the case for Steve Israel. Instead, he writes a political satire that isn't just witty but also ripped from the headlines.
This is a guy that's met the characters and heard the conversations, not to mention the government dysfunction, too.
In The Global War on Morris, Israel takes us back on a time machine to 2004 when George Bush was running for re-election against Democratic nominee John Kerry. President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, and Scooter Libby play a big role in the novel. It may be fiction but I could certainly see them using such dialogue.
The principal character in the book is Morris Feldstein, a pharmaceutical salesman that lives and works on Long Island. He loves the Mets, Turner Classic Movies, and his wife, Rona. Morris prefers things stay how they are. He's not a guy who prefers to watch the news and he hates to argue. His wife, Rona, may want to change the world but he prefers life as it is.
"If Morris clung to any philosophy," Israel writes, it is "'Don't make waves.'"
Seduced by a lovesick receptionist while making a visit to a doctors' office on his sales route, Morris succombs to a moment of weekness and ends up charging a non-business expense on his company credit card. It's easy to see how this isn't a big deal. Not in the eyes of the government. It's a very big deal and changes Morris' life as he knows it.
NICK, the giant supercomputer that is part of a top-secret government surveillance program, has other plans for Morris. NICK puts Morris' life together--friends, family, friends' friends, traffic violations, his daughter's political activism, his wife's patients, and even failures in romance--and suddenly, Morris is the target of every federal agency with an acronym.
This debut novel from Congressman Israel is hilarious and the rights have been acquired by Rob Reiner and Royal Pains co-creator Andrew Lenchewski and they will develop it as a cable comedy series.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Book Review: Dirty Rush by Taylor Bell
Dirty Rush by Taylor Bell
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books (January 13, 2015)
The creative minds behind the best-selling White Girl Problems are back with an all-new book, described as being the first true glimpse of "real" sorority life in all it's fucked up glory. Co-creators Tanner and David Olivier Cohen have manged to write another hit book.
Rebecca Martinson, responsible for a very harsh email, pens the foreword, authenticating the book's depiction of what it means by "going Greek." Her original email is included in the book.
To put it lightly, if Mean Girls were set in a college sorority instead of in high school, it would be this book. Tom Rothman’s TriStar has optioned the film rights with Brownstone Productions’ Elizabeth Banks & Max Handelman set to produce.
Author Taylor Bell gives us an account of her freshman year at Central Delaware University and gives us an unfiltered look at what goes on behind closed doors in Greek Life. The Beta Zeta legacy has no interest in becoming the fifth member of her family to pledge the sorority but the BZ sisters aren't about to let her not join. The sisters might drink, act crazy-cool, and come off as hilariously bitchy but they somehow are able to lure her in to the jacked-up world with one party after another.
She finds a way to deal with the fast-food ban and even some of the other rules imposed on her by Collette Winter but still finds herself having the time of her life. Some of the BZ sisters turn out to be true friends.
During winter break, Taylor finds out what really happened to her sister in college and that paves the way for the final third of the book, where things start to become really interesting. A sex tape is leaked and the girl looks like Taylor and shit--go figure--hits the fan. Her boyfriend doesn't have her back. Collette wants her to resign. Taylor has to find a way to survive the scandal and she soon finds out which of her sisters are her true friends.
I'll be honest. This book isn't really something that I would normally read but when I saw that Elizabeth Banks was set to produce a film adaption and the Mean Girls comparisons, I knew that I had to give it a chance. I'm glad I did because it was one of those books that you just can't put down. Call it a guilty pleasure but what Cohens did here is genius.
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books (January 13, 2015)
The creative minds behind the best-selling White Girl Problems are back with an all-new book, described as being the first true glimpse of "real" sorority life in all it's fucked up glory. Co-creators Tanner and David Olivier Cohen have manged to write another hit book.
Rebecca Martinson, responsible for a very harsh email, pens the foreword, authenticating the book's depiction of what it means by "going Greek." Her original email is included in the book.
To put it lightly, if Mean Girls were set in a college sorority instead of in high school, it would be this book. Tom Rothman’s TriStar has optioned the film rights with Brownstone Productions’ Elizabeth Banks & Max Handelman set to produce.
Author Taylor Bell gives us an account of her freshman year at Central Delaware University and gives us an unfiltered look at what goes on behind closed doors in Greek Life. The Beta Zeta legacy has no interest in becoming the fifth member of her family to pledge the sorority but the BZ sisters aren't about to let her not join. The sisters might drink, act crazy-cool, and come off as hilariously bitchy but they somehow are able to lure her in to the jacked-up world with one party after another.
She finds a way to deal with the fast-food ban and even some of the other rules imposed on her by Collette Winter but still finds herself having the time of her life. Some of the BZ sisters turn out to be true friends.
During winter break, Taylor finds out what really happened to her sister in college and that paves the way for the final third of the book, where things start to become really interesting. A sex tape is leaked and the girl looks like Taylor and shit--go figure--hits the fan. Her boyfriend doesn't have her back. Collette wants her to resign. Taylor has to find a way to survive the scandal and she soon finds out which of her sisters are her true friends.
I'll be honest. This book isn't really something that I would normally read but when I saw that Elizabeth Banks was set to produce a film adaption and the Mean Girls comparisons, I knew that I had to give it a chance. I'm glad I did because it was one of those books that you just can't put down. Call it a guilty pleasure but what Cohens did here is genius.
Monday, February 09, 2015
Book Review: Funny Girl by Nick Hornby
Funny Girl: A Novel by Nick Hornby
Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover; Unabridged edition (February 3, 2015)
Acclaimed novelist and screenwriter Nick Hornby is back with a new novel. This time, he takes us back to London in the 1960s.
Starring the intrepid Sophie Straw, Funny Girl is a charming tale of ambition, creativity, and self-identity with an interesting cast of characters including actor Clive Richardson, producer Dennis Maxwell-Bishop, and comedy writers Bill and Tony.
Straw, formerly Barbara, is the winner of Miss Blackpool but she quickly decides that she wants to move to London and become an actress. She becomes a television comedienne and gets cast in a leading role on her first audition. Crazy, right?
Hornby has given us a book with both humor and heart. He has managed to endear us to a small cast of characters--flawed, funny, and unforgettable as they may be--by doing what he does best.
I don't know whether this book will be adapted into a movie or television series. Given the amount of behind the scenes that take place over a period of a few years, it's really hard to see this as a movie.
Hornby's wit and storytelling has proven time and time again that he can do no wrong. Funny Girl is no exception.
Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover; Unabridged edition (February 3, 2015)
Acclaimed novelist and screenwriter Nick Hornby is back with a new novel. This time, he takes us back to London in the 1960s.
Starring the intrepid Sophie Straw, Funny Girl is a charming tale of ambition, creativity, and self-identity with an interesting cast of characters including actor Clive Richardson, producer Dennis Maxwell-Bishop, and comedy writers Bill and Tony.
Straw, formerly Barbara, is the winner of Miss Blackpool but she quickly decides that she wants to move to London and become an actress. She becomes a television comedienne and gets cast in a leading role on her first audition. Crazy, right?
Hornby has given us a book with both humor and heart. He has managed to endear us to a small cast of characters--flawed, funny, and unforgettable as they may be--by doing what he does best.
I don't know whether this book will be adapted into a movie or television series. Given the amount of behind the scenes that take place over a period of a few years, it's really hard to see this as a movie.
Hornby's wit and storytelling has proven time and time again that he can do no wrong. Funny Girl is no exception.
Wednesday, February 04, 2015
Book Review - Veronica Mars (2): An Original Mystery by Rob Thomas: Mr. Kiss and Tell
Veronica Mars (2): An Original Mystery by Rob Thomas: Mr. Kiss and Tell by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Vintage; Mti edition (January 20, 2015)
Our favorite private investigator returns with a case that takes us into the Neptune Grand and exposes the hidden workings of the hotel.
The Neptune Grand is the ritziest hotel in Neptune, California even though there have been shady dealings and high-profile scandals that somehow seem to follow the hotel's guests.
When a women claims that a staff member assaulted her and left for her dead, the hotel hires Veronica Mars to disprove or prove her story. It's a complicated case and not helping are those witnesses that refuse to cooperate. The hotel doesn't want to turn over their reservation list and the victim refuses to say who she was meeting that night.
The attack happened months ago and the victim claims to have a fuzzy memory of the night. The hotel's surveillance system doesn't really give us a complete idea of what happened.
It's a mess of a case for Veronica and she is consumed by it. She knows that somebody is lying but doesn't know who.
I don't want to say too much. After all, we're talking about a mystery here but it was a quick read for me. I started on a Friday and finished on a Sunday. Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham leave us waiting for more.
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Vintage; Mti edition (January 20, 2015)
Our favorite private investigator returns with a case that takes us into the Neptune Grand and exposes the hidden workings of the hotel.
The Neptune Grand is the ritziest hotel in Neptune, California even though there have been shady dealings and high-profile scandals that somehow seem to follow the hotel's guests.
When a women claims that a staff member assaulted her and left for her dead, the hotel hires Veronica Mars to disprove or prove her story. It's a complicated case and not helping are those witnesses that refuse to cooperate. The hotel doesn't want to turn over their reservation list and the victim refuses to say who she was meeting that night.
The attack happened months ago and the victim claims to have a fuzzy memory of the night. The hotel's surveillance system doesn't really give us a complete idea of what happened.
It's a mess of a case for Veronica and she is consumed by it. She knows that somebody is lying but doesn't know who.
I don't want to say too much. After all, we're talking about a mystery here but it was a quick read for me. I started on a Friday and finished on a Sunday. Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham leave us waiting for more.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Book Review: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
The Girl on the Train: A Novel by Paula Hawkins
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover (January 13, 2015)
There are some books that one cannot put down until they are finished reading them. The Girl on the Train is one of them. For her debut novel, Paula Hawkins has written a page turner that very well could be the next Gone Girl. As I spent the past week devouring page after page, I was imagining a movie playing in my head. DreamWorks Pictures has already optioned the film rights.
If this book is not being heavily requested at libraries or bookstores, I'd be surprised since it is very impossible to put down. I went into 2015 with The President's Shadow by Brad Meltzer as the book that I was most looking forward to. There's still a chance that Meltzer's book wins the 2015 Solzy Award for Best Fiction Novel but Paula Hawkins' debut novel is going to give him a run for the money. I say that with all seriousness, too.
With its dark themes of obsession, isolation, and loneliness, Hawkins gives us a book that will remind readers of the Alfred Hitchcock thrillers, most specifically Rear Window. Our narrator, Rachel Watson, has secrets of her own as the plot zigs and zags through the 322 pages. She rides the train every day and one day, she notices something is off. From the moment she gets involved, readers are in for a heck of a ride.
With An unreliable narrator, an intricate plot, and a huge payoff of a surprise ending that NOBODY can see coming, the suspense grows by the minute. Pages will turn fast. Trust me. I spent most of Shabbas reading rather than schmooze at the Shabbas table just to finish reading this book.
This may just be the thriller of the year. You won't be able to put it down.
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover (January 13, 2015)
There are some books that one cannot put down until they are finished reading them. The Girl on the Train is one of them. For her debut novel, Paula Hawkins has written a page turner that very well could be the next Gone Girl. As I spent the past week devouring page after page, I was imagining a movie playing in my head. DreamWorks Pictures has already optioned the film rights.
If this book is not being heavily requested at libraries or bookstores, I'd be surprised since it is very impossible to put down. I went into 2015 with The President's Shadow by Brad Meltzer as the book that I was most looking forward to. There's still a chance that Meltzer's book wins the 2015 Solzy Award for Best Fiction Novel but Paula Hawkins' debut novel is going to give him a run for the money. I say that with all seriousness, too.
With its dark themes of obsession, isolation, and loneliness, Hawkins gives us a book that will remind readers of the Alfred Hitchcock thrillers, most specifically Rear Window. Our narrator, Rachel Watson, has secrets of her own as the plot zigs and zags through the 322 pages. She rides the train every day and one day, she notices something is off. From the moment she gets involved, readers are in for a heck of a ride.
With An unreliable narrator, an intricate plot, and a huge payoff of a surprise ending that NOBODY can see coming, the suspense grows by the minute. Pages will turn fast. Trust me. I spent most of Shabbas reading rather than schmooze at the Shabbas table just to finish reading this book.
This may just be the thriller of the year. You won't be able to put it down.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls: Strong Denunciation of Anti-Semitism
Following is a translation of the remarks on antisemitism
delivered by French Prime Minister Manuel Valls to the National Assembly
on January 13, 2015:
…The first question that has to be clearly dealt with is the struggle against antisemitism. History has taught us that the awakening of antisemitism is the symptom of a crisis for democracy and of a crisis for the Republic. That is why we must respond with force. Since Ilan Halimi in 2006, after the crimes of Toulouse, antisemitic acts in France have grown to an intolerable degree. The words, the insults, the gestures, the shameful attacks, as we saw in Creteil a few weeks ago, which I mentioned here in the Chamber, and which did not not produce the national outrage that our Jewish compatriots expected.
There is a huge level of concern, that fear which we felt at the HyperCacher at Porte de Vincennes and in the synagogue de la Victoire on Sunday night. How can we accept that in France, where the Jews were emancipated two centuries ago, but which was also where they were martyred 70 years ago, how can we accept that cries of “death to the Jews” can be heard on the streets? How can we accept these acts that I have just mentioned? How can we accept that French people can be murdered for being Jews? How can we accept that compatriots, or a Tunisian citizen whose father sent him to France so that he would be safe, is killed when he goes out to buy his bread for Shabbat because he is Jewish? This is not acceptable and I say to the people in general who perhaps have not reacted sufficiently up to now, and to our Jewish compatriots, that this time it cannot be accepted, that we must stand up and say what’s really going on.
There is a historical antisemitism that goes back centuries, but there is also a new antsemitism that is born in our neighborhoods, coming through the internet, satellite dishes, against the backdrop of the loathing of the State of Israel, and which advocates hatred of the Jews and all the Jews. It has to be spelled out, the right words must be used to fight this unacceptable antisemitism.( …)
Without its Jews France would not be France, this is the message we have to communicate loud and clear. We haven’t done so. We haven’t shown enough outrage. How can we accept that in certain schools and colleges the Holocaust can’t be taught? How can we accept that when a child is asked “Who is your enemy” the response is “the Jew?” When the Jews of France are attacked France is attacked, the conscience of humanity is attacked. Let us never forget it.
And to how to accept the indignity of a serial hater having a full house on Saturday night, when the country was mourning for what happened in Porte de Vincennes? Let us never pass over these matters in silence, and let justice be implacable with those who preach hate. And I say that emphatically here at the National Assembly.
And to finish my remarks, Ladies and Gentleman, when someone, a young man or woman, a citizen, has doubts and approaches me or the Minister of Education with the question: “But I don’t understand, how come you want to silence this comedian, and you put the Charlie Hebdo journalists up on a pedestal?” There is a fundamental difference – and this is the battle that we have to win, educating our young people – there is a fundamental difference between the freedom to be insolent – blasphemy is not a crime and never will be – there is a fundamental difference between that liberty and anti-Semitism, racism, excusing terrorism and Holocaust denial, which are crimes that the courts must punish with ever greater severity.
…The first question that has to be clearly dealt with is the struggle against antisemitism. History has taught us that the awakening of antisemitism is the symptom of a crisis for democracy and of a crisis for the Republic. That is why we must respond with force. Since Ilan Halimi in 2006, after the crimes of Toulouse, antisemitic acts in France have grown to an intolerable degree. The words, the insults, the gestures, the shameful attacks, as we saw in Creteil a few weeks ago, which I mentioned here in the Chamber, and which did not not produce the national outrage that our Jewish compatriots expected.
There is a huge level of concern, that fear which we felt at the HyperCacher at Porte de Vincennes and in the synagogue de la Victoire on Sunday night. How can we accept that in France, where the Jews were emancipated two centuries ago, but which was also where they were martyred 70 years ago, how can we accept that cries of “death to the Jews” can be heard on the streets? How can we accept these acts that I have just mentioned? How can we accept that French people can be murdered for being Jews? How can we accept that compatriots, or a Tunisian citizen whose father sent him to France so that he would be safe, is killed when he goes out to buy his bread for Shabbat because he is Jewish? This is not acceptable and I say to the people in general who perhaps have not reacted sufficiently up to now, and to our Jewish compatriots, that this time it cannot be accepted, that we must stand up and say what’s really going on.
There is a historical antisemitism that goes back centuries, but there is also a new antsemitism that is born in our neighborhoods, coming through the internet, satellite dishes, against the backdrop of the loathing of the State of Israel, and which advocates hatred of the Jews and all the Jews. It has to be spelled out, the right words must be used to fight this unacceptable antisemitism.( …)
Without its Jews France would not be France, this is the message we have to communicate loud and clear. We haven’t done so. We haven’t shown enough outrage. How can we accept that in certain schools and colleges the Holocaust can’t be taught? How can we accept that when a child is asked “Who is your enemy” the response is “the Jew?” When the Jews of France are attacked France is attacked, the conscience of humanity is attacked. Let us never forget it.
And to how to accept the indignity of a serial hater having a full house on Saturday night, when the country was mourning for what happened in Porte de Vincennes? Let us never pass over these matters in silence, and let justice be implacable with those who preach hate. And I say that emphatically here at the National Assembly.
And to finish my remarks, Ladies and Gentleman, when someone, a young man or woman, a citizen, has doubts and approaches me or the Minister of Education with the question: “But I don’t understand, how come you want to silence this comedian, and you put the Charlie Hebdo journalists up on a pedestal?” There is a fundamental difference – and this is the battle that we have to win, educating our young people – there is a fundamental difference between the freedom to be insolent – blasphemy is not a crime and never will be – there is a fundamental difference between that liberty and anti-Semitism, racism, excusing terrorism and Holocaust denial, which are crimes that the courts must punish with ever greater severity.
Friday, January 09, 2015
Book Review - Called Out but Safe: A Baseball Umpire's Journey
Called Out but Safe: A Baseball Umpire's Journey by Al Clark with Dan Schlossberg
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (May 1, 2014)
Al Clark worked as an umpire in more than 3,000 games for thirty years. He was lucky enough to work two All-Star Games, seven playoff series, and two World Series.
Clark was the umpire behind the plate during a game in 1991 when there were three Jews all wishing each other a happy new year when Shawn Green stepped up to the plate and Jesse Levis was the catcher. How many times has that happened in baseball history?
Al Clark provides an entertaining memoir. He shares his stories of managers Earl Weaver, Billy Martin, and Dick Williams. Some of these folks were not friendly to the umpires. Clark tells of how he tore his hamstring while ejecting a player or manager (I meant to put this review up a while ago after I read the book). Heck, he even ejected his own father, a sportswriter who made his way into the dressing room.
It was Clark who was there for Nolan Ryan's 300th win, Cal Ripken's 2131st game, and the "earthquake" World Series of 1989. He shares stories from all these games and many more.
Clark opens up about the scandal he was embroiled in. This is what led to his retirement from baseball. Had he realized what he was doing was wrong, he would have never done it.
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (May 1, 2014)
Al Clark worked as an umpire in more than 3,000 games for thirty years. He was lucky enough to work two All-Star Games, seven playoff series, and two World Series.
Clark was the umpire behind the plate during a game in 1991 when there were three Jews all wishing each other a happy new year when Shawn Green stepped up to the plate and Jesse Levis was the catcher. How many times has that happened in baseball history?
Al Clark provides an entertaining memoir. He shares his stories of managers Earl Weaver, Billy Martin, and Dick Williams. Some of these folks were not friendly to the umpires. Clark tells of how he tore his hamstring while ejecting a player or manager (I meant to put this review up a while ago after I read the book). Heck, he even ejected his own father, a sportswriter who made his way into the dressing room.
It was Clark who was there for Nolan Ryan's 300th win, Cal Ripken's 2131st game, and the "earthquake" World Series of 1989. He shares stories from all these games and many more.
Clark opens up about the scandal he was embroiled in. This is what led to his retirement from baseball. Had he realized what he was doing was wrong, he would have never done it.
Outspoken and hilarious, Clark's book provides the rare opportunity at what life is like for an umpire.
Thursday, January 08, 2015
Book Review - The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter
The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter by Ian O'Connor
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Mariner Books; Reprint edition (April 3, 2012)
The Captain is the definitive biography of future Hall of Fame member Derek Jeter.
This book is not an authorized biography in the sense that O'Connor sat down for hours at a time with the shortstop. Instead, as one who covered the Yankees, O'Connor drew upon his prior interviews with Derek. It's because of O'Connor's covering of the Yankees that he was able to draw on that unique access to The Captain.
With over 200 interviews, O'Connor is able to tell us how the biracial baseball player from Michigan started on his journey to become the shortstop of the New York Yankees. The interesting thing? Jeter was always telling people how he would be the future Yankees shortstop. A funny thing happened on the way to the Bronx...
We go behind the scenes to when Jeter was struggling in the minors. Despite being homesick and making an abundance of errors in the playing field, Jeter willed his way. He had coaches and managers who served as mentors while he played in the minors.
It wouldn't be a Jeter book without discussing the whole rivalry with Alex Rodriguez. Jeter has a one strike and you're out policy...of which Rodriguez broke the cardinal rule by talking bad about Jeter.
It may have looked easy for Jeter but it never was. He worked hard to become the player he became. He struggled along the way.
The paperback version of the book includes a new chapter on the chase for his 3,000th career hit--the first Yankees player ever to accomplish the milestone with the Yankees. True, there have been other members of the 3,000 hit club that played for the Yankees like Wade Boggs and Dave Winfield but they didn't join the exclusive club with the Yankees.
When people talk about the definitive biography of Derek Jeter, they will be talking about Ian O'Connor's book for years to come. It's an incisive, exhilarating, and revealing look at one of the best players in the game.
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Mariner Books; Reprint edition (April 3, 2012)
The Captain is the definitive biography of future Hall of Fame member Derek Jeter.
This book is not an authorized biography in the sense that O'Connor sat down for hours at a time with the shortstop. Instead, as one who covered the Yankees, O'Connor drew upon his prior interviews with Derek. It's because of O'Connor's covering of the Yankees that he was able to draw on that unique access to The Captain.
With over 200 interviews, O'Connor is able to tell us how the biracial baseball player from Michigan started on his journey to become the shortstop of the New York Yankees. The interesting thing? Jeter was always telling people how he would be the future Yankees shortstop. A funny thing happened on the way to the Bronx...
We go behind the scenes to when Jeter was struggling in the minors. Despite being homesick and making an abundance of errors in the playing field, Jeter willed his way. He had coaches and managers who served as mentors while he played in the minors.
It wouldn't be a Jeter book without discussing the whole rivalry with Alex Rodriguez. Jeter has a one strike and you're out policy...of which Rodriguez broke the cardinal rule by talking bad about Jeter.
It may have looked easy for Jeter but it never was. He worked hard to become the player he became. He struggled along the way.
The paperback version of the book includes a new chapter on the chase for his 3,000th career hit--the first Yankees player ever to accomplish the milestone with the Yankees. True, there have been other members of the 3,000 hit club that played for the Yankees like Wade Boggs and Dave Winfield but they didn't join the exclusive club with the Yankees.
When people talk about the definitive biography of Derek Jeter, they will be talking about Ian O'Connor's book for years to come. It's an incisive, exhilarating, and revealing look at one of the best players in the game.
Thursday, January 01, 2015
2014 Solzy Awards
I started tweeting these the other day but here are the 2014 Solzy Awards.
Best Comedy Album: 2776: A Levinson Bros. and Rob Kutner Presentation
Best Musical Album: Jukebox the Ghost
Best Motion Picture Soundtrack (Tie): Begin Again: Music From and Inspired by the Original Motion Picture, Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix, Vol. 1
Best New Television Comedy (tie):
Broadcast: Marry Me
Cable: Sirens, Playing House
Best New Television Drama: The Flash
Best Breakout Star on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Jordan Klepper
Best Comedic Memoir (Tie): Dirty Daddy: The Chronicles of a Family Man Turned Filthy Comedian by Bob Saget, Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Best Biography: Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History by Joseph Telushkin
Most Anticipated Book of 2015 (Tie): The President's Shadow by Brad Meltzer; Lincoln and the Jews by Jonathan Sarna and Benjamin Shapell
Best Kentucky Sportswriter: Larry Vaught
Best National Basketball Writer: Mike DeCourcy
Best Baseball Writer (Tie): Derrick Goold, Rick Hummel
Best Group of Sports Bloggers: United Cardinal Bloggers
Best Kentucky Broadcaster (Tie): Tom Leach, Bob Valvano
Most Annoying Person on Television...Period: Skip Bayless (ESPN)
Best Comedy Album: 2776: A Levinson Bros. and Rob Kutner Presentation
Best Musical Album: Jukebox the Ghost
Best Motion Picture Soundtrack (Tie): Begin Again: Music From and Inspired by the Original Motion Picture, Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix, Vol. 1
Best New Television Comedy (tie):
Broadcast: Marry Me
Cable: Sirens, Playing House
Best New Television Drama: The Flash
Best Breakout Star on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Jordan Klepper
Best Baseball Book: The Hall: A Celebration of Baseball's Greats: In Stories and Images, the Complete Roster of Inductees
Best Basketball Book: Players' First: Coaching from the Inside Out by John Calipari, Wildcat Memories: Inside Stories from Kentucky Basketball Greats by Doug Brunk, Fightin' Words: Kentucky vs. Louisville by Joe Cox and Ryan Clark
Best Sportswriting Memoir: Scribe: My Life in Sports by Bob Ryan
Best Sportswriting Memoir: Scribe: My Life in Sports by Bob Ryan
Best Comedic Memoir (Tie): Dirty Daddy: The Chronicles of a Family Man Turned Filthy Comedian by Bob Saget, Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Best Biography: Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History by Joseph Telushkin
Best Fiction Novel: Veronica Mars: An Original Mystery by Rob Thomas: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
Most Anticipated Book of 2015 (Tie): The President's Shadow by Brad Meltzer; Lincoln and the Jews by Jonathan Sarna and Benjamin Shapell
Best Kentucky Sportswriter: Larry Vaught
Best National Basketball Writer: Mike DeCourcy
Best Baseball Writer (Tie): Derrick Goold, Rick Hummel
Best Group of Sports Bloggers: United Cardinal Bloggers
Best Kentucky Broadcaster (Tie): Tom Leach, Bob Valvano
Most Annoying Person on Television...Period: Skip Bayless (ESPN)
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Book Review - Scribe: My Life in Sports by Bob Ryan
Scribe: My Life in Sports by Bob Ryan
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (October 7, 2014)
You can't call yourself a sports fan and not know who Bob Ryan is. I've had the pleasure of emailing back and forth with the Hall of Fame sportswriter for quite a few years now. He's one of the best in the business.
For 46 years, Ryan worked as a beloved Boston Globe sportswriter and columnist and later made regular appearances on both Around the Horn and Sports Reporters on ESPN. Long before he was placed on the Boston Celtics bear in 1968, Ryan picked up the nickname "Scribe" from his high school football coach as he put so many hours into the school newspaper. Suffice it to say, the Hall of Fame writer has lived up to the nickname.
Ryan writes of growing up in Trenton, New Jersey and his path to becoming a Boston mainstay. To say that Ryan is a sports institution would be an understatement. A sports fan first and foremost, Ryan has a passion and enthusiasm for the game, no matter what sport or where its taking place. Without such passion or enthusiasm, it's hard to tell if he would be the writer we know that he is today.
For over four decades, Ryan regularly covered baseball, basketball, golf, boxing, and eleven Olympic games. He retired as a regular columnist following the 2012 Summer Olympics in London but he has written an engaging memoir infused with the same insight and journalistic prowess that he used when writing his columns.
We get the behind-the-scenes stories with personal anecdotes, unbelievable encounters, and photos of his priceless memorabilia.
If you call yourself a sports fan, do yourself a favor and read this book.
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (October 7, 2014)
You can't call yourself a sports fan and not know who Bob Ryan is. I've had the pleasure of emailing back and forth with the Hall of Fame sportswriter for quite a few years now. He's one of the best in the business.
For 46 years, Ryan worked as a beloved Boston Globe sportswriter and columnist and later made regular appearances on both Around the Horn and Sports Reporters on ESPN. Long before he was placed on the Boston Celtics bear in 1968, Ryan picked up the nickname "Scribe" from his high school football coach as he put so many hours into the school newspaper. Suffice it to say, the Hall of Fame writer has lived up to the nickname.
Ryan writes of growing up in Trenton, New Jersey and his path to becoming a Boston mainstay. To say that Ryan is a sports institution would be an understatement. A sports fan first and foremost, Ryan has a passion and enthusiasm for the game, no matter what sport or where its taking place. Without such passion or enthusiasm, it's hard to tell if he would be the writer we know that he is today.
For over four decades, Ryan regularly covered baseball, basketball, golf, boxing, and eleven Olympic games. He retired as a regular columnist following the 2012 Summer Olympics in London but he has written an engaging memoir infused with the same insight and journalistic prowess that he used when writing his columns.
We get the behind-the-scenes stories with personal anecdotes, unbelievable encounters, and photos of his priceless memorabilia.
If you call yourself a sports fan, do yourself a favor and read this book.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Searching for the Hirschfeld Family
My 3rd great-grandmother, Liba/Libby Schindler, had a brother named Nisan Hirschfeld. In the 1897 All-Russia census, they were listed as living in Talsen, Latvia. Libby and Nisan's father was named Isaac/Itzik.
According to the census, Nisan was living with his wife, Zira, and stepson, Mendel Lewensohn.
Ages in 1896-97:
Nisan, 56
Zira, 46
Mendel, 25
I don't know if Nisan and Zira had other children.
According to the census, Nisan was living with his wife, Zira, and stepson, Mendel Lewensohn.
Ages in 1896-97:
Nisan, 56
Zira, 46
Mendel, 25
I don't know if Nisan and Zira had other children.
Thursday, November 06, 2014
Jerry Abramson resigns, Crit Luallen to become new Lt. Governor
Kentucky Lt. Governor Jerry Abramson has resigned to take the position of Deputy Assistant to President Barack Obama and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs in the White House.
The announcement was made today by Governor Steve Beshear. Former state Auditor Crit Luallen has been named as Abramson's replacement.
Beshear:
Beshear on appointing Crit Luallen:
Crit Luallen:
The announcement was made today by Governor Steve Beshear. Former state Auditor Crit Luallen has been named as Abramson's replacement.
Beshear:
“This is a bittersweet moment for me and for our administration. Jerry and I have been friends for more than 30 years, and I chose him as my Lieutenant Governor because I knew that his extensive experience as longtime mayor of Louisville, his contagious enthusiasm and his knack for building momentum around new ideas would make him a great partner in leading our state. But the White House noticed all those skills, too, and realized that he will take those same gifts and put them to work on our nation’s domestic agenda. He will be an outstanding addition to the President’s administration, and we will miss him terribly.”Abramson:
“The challenges that face America’s local communities – such as workforce training, education, infrastructure investment, shrinking budgets, affordable housing, public transportation, and emergency response – are the issues that I’ve worked on for more than 30 years in local and state government. I’m honored to be in a position to help this country’s mayors, county executives, governors and other local officials tackle these issues and work to find innovative solutions. “I’m grateful to Gov. Beshear for bringing me on board three years ago, and I’m proud of the work we’ve done together to bring jobs to our state and to strengthen Kentucky families. My experience in the Kentucky Capitol will be vital as I step into my new role.”
Beshear on appointing Crit Luallen:
“Crit is a well-known and beloved public servant, respected by members of both parties for her resolute pursuit of clean, ethical government,” said Gov. Beshear. “She was my first and only choice to serve as the new Lieutenant Governor, and I know Kentuckians will be confident that she is more than up to the task. I’m glad she agreed to return to state government, and I’m certain she will bring that same tenacity and grit to the Lt. Governor’s office.”
Crit Luallen:
“It is a high honor to stand here today in partnership with this Governor. Serving as Lieutenant Governor gives me an opportunity to continue to serve Kentucky and offer my experience and perspective to Gov. Beshear and the fine team he has assembled. It will be my personal goal to help the Governor end his term in office with the state in as strong a position as possible to face the challenges the future holds.”The resignation and transfer of power will take place on November 13.
Wednesday, November 05, 2014
Saving the Horse Industry in Kentucky means to expand gambling
Kentucky's
horse industry is dying a slow death. Owners and trainers will
continue to send their horses where the money is--sadly, it won't be
Kentucky because of the religious conservatives so afraid of expanded
gambling. Just because they don't like it doesn't mean that their
beliefs should be forced upon those who disagree with them.
We can't win when potential tax revenue is leaving Kentucky and going to Missouri, Indiana, and Ohio, wherever the casinos are.
We can't win when potential tax revenue is leaving Kentucky and going to Missouri, Indiana, and Ohio, wherever the casinos are.
2015 Kentucky Statewide Primary Election - Democratic Candidates
Governor/Lt. Governor (Open)
Jack Conway/Sannie Overly
Secretary of State
Alison Lundergan Grimes
Attorney General
Andrew Beshear
State Auditor
Adam Edelen
State Treasurer
Daniel Grossberg
Neville Blakemore
Possible candidates:
Colmon Elridge
Dee Dee Ford
Chris Tobe
State Agricultural Comissioner
Jean-Marie Lawson Spann
Jack Conway/Sannie Overly
Secretary of State
Alison Lundergan Grimes
Attorney General
Andrew Beshear
State Auditor
Adam Edelen
State Treasurer
Daniel Grossberg
Neville Blakemore
Possible candidates:
Colmon Elridge
Dee Dee Ford
Chris Tobe
State Agricultural Comissioner
Jean-Marie Lawson Spann
Southern Democrats need a New Strategy
Chris Cillizza puts it the best when he called Southern Democrats a loser in the 2014 election:
The Kentucky Democratic Party has a lot of work to do over the next few years.
Southern Democrats: Both Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky and Sen. Mark Pryor in Arkansas did everything they could to run away from President Obama and insist they were their own independent voices. Ditto Michelle Nunn in Georgia. Didn't work. Grimes lost minutes after polls closed in Kentucky. Same for Pryor in Arkansas. Nunn wasn't able to push David Perdue (R) to a runoff. And even Sen. Mark Warner, long considered to be impregnable, found himself in a tight race with former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie. The results affirmed just how difficult it is for Democrats to win federal races in the South -- particularly in an election cycle like this one where a Democratic President is decidedly unpopular in the region. (And NBC/Marist poll released on Sunday showed Obama with a 32 percent approval rating in Kentucky.)It may be easy to when statewide for state elections but in Kentucky, nobody has been elected statewide to the United States Senate since Wendell Ford. In 2011, the Steve Beshear/Jerry Abramson slate won with 55.72% of the vote.
The Kentucky Democratic Party has a lot of work to do over the next few years.
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