“I’ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.” - Ronald Reagan
Enter Sandman(n)
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
January 22, 2019
In 1991 Metallica released “Enter Sandman,” a song dealing with the nightmares of a child. Nicholas Sandmann, a junior attending Covington Catholic High School is enduring a nightmare, not of his own choosing, thanks to the dastardly rush to judgment by members of both the left-wing media, and supposedly sophisticated celebrities.
Supposed for their profession places them, by choice, in the eyes of the media on an almost constant basis. Yet their behavior toward and treatment of children from Covington, Kentucky has been more than reprehensible.
Branded the face of hate by the media and others, including members of the so-called ruling class, teenagers, boys, like Sandmann and his fellow travelers - literally, as they were in Washington, DC for the March for Life, have received threats of physical violence, the outing of their personal information via doxxing, and even death threats.
What heinous crimes did these boys perpetrate to earn themselves and even their parents death threats? Their crimes were numerous: they are white males; they are Catholic; they are pro-life - after all they were on the Washington Mall participating in the 46th Annual March for Life; they stood silently in the face of adversity thrust upon them by adults; and most egregiously they wore red Make America Great Again caps. Apparently those MAGA caps are such the lightning rod to make people apoplectically lose their minds. (More on those MAGA caps below.)
Additionally, these boys from Kentucky - Covington is across the Ohio River from Cincinnati - were accused of mocking, jeering, disrespecting, and even accosting an American Indian elder. Reality proved those accusations to be patently false, thanks to video footage both exonerating the students and demonstrating who the bona fide culprits were. Yet, even video proof the boys were not behaving like miscreants did not dissuade many of their accusers from reversing their language and tone. Even guilty until proven innocent was not sufficient enough for the pompous and the preening.
For those who actually held judgement until viewing the video in its entirety saw an entirely different picture, commencing with the despicable verbal assaults unleashed on the boys by a group calling itself Black Hebrew Israelites. This group of unctuous rabble rousers has no connection to anything Hebrew or Israel, are virulently anti-Semitic, and condemned by both the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group. When the the ADL and the SPLC agree on anything, take it to the bank.
The Black Hebrew Israelites is an organization defended by freshman Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN), in spite of its unconscionable vitriol directed at the Covington youths. Tweeting with utter malfeasance, Omar wrote:
“-The boys were protesting a woman’s right to choose & yelled ‘it’s not rape if you enjoy it’
-They were taunting 5 Black men before they surrounded Phillips and led racist chants”
This coming from the same person, Omar, who not only is an anti-Israel supporter of the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) movement, but wrote in 2012, “Israel has hypnotized the world.” None of what Omar Tweeted was true. If Omar bothered to watch the video, she would have heard the Black Hebrew Israelites shouting to the Covington students that they are “babies made out of incest, child molesting faggots, terrorists, and dirty ass crackers.” That seemed to have gone completely unnoticed by the left-wing media, perhaps with one exception.
The Washington Post referred to the Black Hebrew Israelites as “goading” the Covington teens. But that wasn’t good enough for the likes of Laura Wagner from Deadspin, who offered up a cadre of lies - the complete antithesis of reality, even after the longer video went viral.
As for Omar’s Tweet regarding the surrounding of Phillips, she is referring to American Indian Nathan Phillips, 64, and an elder of the Omaha Tribe, originally from Lincoln, Nebraska. The Covington students did not surround Phillips, in fact, he approached them banging his drum. This was in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Sandmann stood silently and motionless for several minutes with his classmates behind him. Neither Phillips nor the students violated any laws, but apparently Phillips told the teens to go back to Europe. Phillips, a political activist having made false claims of harassment in the past, also lied repeatedly about serving in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. While Phillips did, in fact, serve in the United States Marines, he was disciplined for going AWOL three times.
Phillips knew he could stoke some flames by approaching white males wearing MAGA hats, and that is precisely what transpired. Actress Alyssa Milano called the MAGA hats the “new white hoods,” alluding to KKK garb. White hoods? The Covington students are Catholic - the KKK isn’t recruiting Catholics. I could wear a MAGA hat, and I know the Klan isn’t recruiting Jews. I have dear friends who are black Trump supporters, and I’m certain the Klan won’t be breaking bread with them any time - ever. But according to Milano, we’re all Klansmen.
The MAGA hat was also subject of an interview conducted by Savannah Guthrie on NBC’s Today show. She asked Nicholas Sandmann if wearing his MAGA hat was the impetus of the fracus. Is it now a crime to don a political hat, t-shirt, or any other supportive paraphernalia? Would Guthrie have asked a victim of rape or sexual assault if her clothing were the cause of her attack? I’d bet heavily against it.
On the other hand, actress Jamie Lee Curtis initially wrote disparaging comments about the Covington Catholic students, then later wrote an apology - lesson learned about rushing to judgement. Sadly, this lesson has not been learned by many, and a possible lawsuit could be forthcoming.
Perhaps a lawsuit will be the one thing to get people thinking about the repercussions of their actions and words, about the repercussions of jumping to conclusions and rushing to judgement. Unfortunately, society has become less civilized and the extreme progressives are seeking, in the most desperate, worst possible manner, to remake the United States in ways even our parents’ generation would never recognize.
Verbal and physical attacks on those with whom one disagrees, silencing and censoring those with whom one disagrees, safe spaces on college campuses, wealth redistribution and now confiscation, political correctness to the point of thought control, support of illegal immigrants to the detriment of American citizens, abortion on demand through birth in some places, a rejection of American history in schools, a rejection of the Constitution, and a rise in overt anti-Semitism are what we the people are facing. If the forces of good and decency don’t fight this head on the Republic will be lost.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Friday, January 18, 2019
Start to Finish, Halladay, Martinez, Rivera Head to Hall
Start to Finish, Halladay, Martinez, Rivera Head to Hall
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
January 17, 2019
Once again, baseball fans, it’s that time of year where the shovels come out, not because some politician is giving a speech, but because enough snow is expected to fall this weekend to make us forget that in only three weeks pitchers and catchers report for duty in the sunny climes of Arizona and Florida.
In the interim, in frigid central New York, a little business will be attended to as the telephone will ring for a few Major League Baseball greats from the Village of Cooperstown, home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
However, dispensing with the bad, the steroid/HGH-addled balloteers should only be admitted to the Hall of Fame with a paid ticket for admission to the museum.
“We hope the day never comes when known steroid users are voted into the Hall of Fame. They cheated. Steroid users don’t belong here,” wrote Hall of Famer Joe Morgan in a November 2017 letter to the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), hoping to influence their Hall votes in 2018
The cloud of controversy has been dark and heavy, while initially eliminating some from Hall of Fame contention; yet in the cases of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens the BBWAA voters’ support of Bonds rose from 53.8 percent in 2017 to 56.4 percent in 2018, and Clemens’ totals jumped from 54.1 percent in 2017 to 57.3 in 2018. Fortunately, trending downward, are Sammy Sosa and Manny Ramirez. Sosa’s support dropped from 8.6 percent in 2017 to 7.8 percent in 2018, while voting for Ramirez fell from 23.8 percent in 2017 to 22 percent in 2018, his second year on the ballot. Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa are on the ballot for the seventh year, and hopefully they will not reach the vaunted 75 percent by 2021.
The voting results are due to be released on Tuesday, January 22. What is not released are the ballots of the voting members of the BBWAA. I think they should be disclosed to the public. Let the BBWAA voters defend their votes as I defend mine, even if not as a member of the BBWAA.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame has a so-called character clause. “Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contribution to the team(s) on which the player played.” So-called because it has existed since 1945 and more than a fair share of miscreants have found their way to Cooperstown. (https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/bbwaa-rules-for-election)
With voting in mind, were I a privileged member of the BBWAA charged with the task of electing the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2019, seven former major leaguers would earn my votes - three first ballot candidates, and four holdovers. Of those seven, I expect only one to be enshrined on July 21, along with two others for whom I would not vote, but deserve induction. Candidates must receive at least five percent of the vote in order to remain on the ballot should they not attain 75 percent the previous year.
The lone realistic freshman on my ballot would be the late Roy Halladay, who pitched his 16 year career with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Toronto Blue Jays. Halladay compiled a 203-105 won-lost record with a 3.38 ERA - one of six pitchers to win more than 200 games with a .650 winning percentage amongst hurlers whose careers began after 1900. In 2010 Halladay pitched a perfect game during the regular season, and adding to that gem, a no-hitter in the playoffs - only the second no-hitter in postseason history.
Along with eight all-star team selections, Halladay thrice won 20-plus games, won two Cy Young Awards with two runner-up placements, and tossed 67 complete games, leading the league in that category seven times. Halladay’s 67 complete games are the most from 1998 to the present, besting Hall of Famer Randy Johnson by 13.
Should Halladay earn admission into the Hall of Fame, it will be posthumously, as on November 7, 2017, at only age 40, he was killed when his plane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.
There are four holdovers from 2018 for whom I would vote, three of whom would have earned my vote last year and one I am giving a fresh look. Neither pitchers Mike Mussina nor Curt Schilling are likely to reach 75 percent this year, but I continue to support their candidacies. Mussina’s stock rose as he earned 63.5 percent of the vote in 2018, up nearly 12 points from 51.8 percent in 2017. Should he jump another 12 points Mussina would be Cooperstown bound. Schilling reversed a losing trend, adding more than six points to 51.2 percent in 2018, up from 45 percent in 2017.
With 270 career wins, six-time ballot occupant Mussina spent 10 years with the Baltimore Orioles and eight with the New York Yankees. A big fan of “Moose,” an economics graduate from Stanford University as an Oriole, it hurt my eyes to see him donning pinstripes. Mussina made five All Star teams and won seven Gold Gloves. While overshadowed by Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz in 2015, Mussina garnered more victories than Hall of Famers Carl Hubbell, Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal – with whom Mussina was compared, and Whitey Ford. Mussina ended his career at age 39, the oldest to record his lone 20-win season, going 20-9 with a 3.37 ERA.
Schilling, bloody sock and all, is a six-time All Star who pitched 20 seasons in the big leagues – three with the Orioles, one with the Astros, eight-plus with the Phillies, three-plus with the Arizona Diamondbacks, then calling it a career with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling tossed 83 complete games, appeared in three World Series, and had three 20-plus win seasons within a four year span at ages 36, 38, and 39. Schilling should have his ticket stamped this summer – was my mistaken prediction the last five years, and while he probably won’t reach 75 percent this year, Schilling still belongs among those earning a plaque in Cooperstown.
Omar Vizquel, was the quintessential shortstop of a generation, having won 11 Gold Glove awards during his 24 year career, second most at that position all time. Vizquel was also the oldest shortstop to win a Gold Glove, having done so at age 39 in 2006. After five years with the Seattle Mariners, Vizquel took his talents to Cleveland continuing to be the defensive gem that will vault him into Cooperstown.
Vizquel was three times an All Star, overshadowed by Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees, who will no doubt be elected to Cooperstown in a near-unanimous vote next year. On the field, Vizquel led the league in Fielding Percentage six times as a shortstop and is the all time leader in Fielding Percentage at .985. Vizquel shares the season record with Cal Ripken, Jr. for committing the fewest errors by a shortstop playing in at least 150 games with a paltry three. Additionally, Vizquel is first all time in double plays turned by a shortstop, third all time in assists at shortstop, and 11th all time in putouts made by a shortstop.
At bat, Vizquel compares rather favorably to Hall of Fame shortstops Ozzie Smith, Luis Aparicio, and Luke Appling. Vizquel hit more home runs than Smith and Appling, trailing Aparicio by only three. Vizquel drove in more runs than Smith and Aparicio, stole more bases than Appling, hit for a higher batting average than Smith and Aparicio, while collecting more hits than all three.
In his ninth, and penultimate year on the ballot, I’m rethinking Larry Walker. More accurately, this is the closest look I have given Walker at all, but his numbers demonstrate a level of excellence and consistency on the field and at bat that should award him his plaque in Cooperstown.
Walker played 17 years for the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Cardinals. During that time, his career batting average was an exemplary .313, having won three batting titles, and batted .366 in 1997 while not winning the batting title. Walker slugged 383 home runs, drove in 1,311 runs, while stealing 230 bases - a solid combination of hitting, slugging, and some speed. Walker batted over .320 seven times, and won seven Gold Glove Awards. Walker compares more than favorably with his contemporaries, and more so when examining Hall of Famers from prior generations, yet with just 34.1 percent of the BBWAA votes in 2018, it’s less than likely that number will more than double over the next two years. (Perhaps the Today’s Game Committee will be an avenue for Walker further down the road.)
Because members of the BBWAA are permitted 10 votes, I’m throwing one vote each to first time candidates Kevin Youkilis and Michael Young. I like both players, they each had solid careers, just not Hall of Fame caliber, and neither is expected to survive the process beyond January 22.
On the other hand, the two candidates I expect to gain induction, but for whom I would not vote are Mariano Rivera and Edgar Martinez. I have been consistent in not supporting Martinez, ostensibly a career Designated Hitter, who garnered 70.4 percent of the vote in 2018 - five votes short. In this, his 10th and final year on the ballot, it seems a certainty Martinez, who played his entire 18 year career for the Mariners, will finally reach 75 percent. Martinez is one of only nine players to hit more than 300 homers, more than 500 doubles, bat over .300 with a greater than .400 On Base Percentage, and a greater than .500 Slugging Percentage. Ultimately, he will pave the way for more career designated hitters, such as David “Big Papi” Ortiz, who could be a first ballot inductee in 2022.
The answer to how does one vote against Rivera, is simple - pinstripes - the same answer I will write next year when not supporting sure fire first ballot inductee Jeter. Both absolutely belong in Cooperstown. Rivera, who played his entire 19-year career with the Yankees, could be a unanimous selection - here’s why: 652 saves, first all-time; 2.21 ERA, 11 years under 2.00; and an almost unconscious postseason record of eight wins, one loss, 42 saves, and a 0.70 ERA in 141 innings.
While it is important to not sully the Baseball Hall of Fame with the likes of Bonds, Clemens, Ramirez, and Sosa, the focus must be on the greats who will be enshrined this July and how they will continue to be the true ambassadors to the community as so many before them have been.
Ambassadors such as Doug Harvey, Red Schoendienst and Willie “Stretch” McCovey, who sadly died in 2018 – Harvey at age 87, on January 13, Schoendienst at age 95, on June 6, and McCovey at age 80, on October 31. Harvey, inducted in 2010, was named second greatest umpire in history. Inducted in 1989, Schoendienst, at the time of his death, was the oldest living Hall of Famer. A first ballot electee, McCovey, inducted in 1986, was the first player to hit two home runs in an inning twice in a career. May their memories be for a Blessing.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN. He has been a Patron-level member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame since 2007.
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
January 17, 2019
Once again, baseball fans, it’s that time of year where the shovels come out, not because some politician is giving a speech, but because enough snow is expected to fall this weekend to make us forget that in only three weeks pitchers and catchers report for duty in the sunny climes of Arizona and Florida.
In the interim, in frigid central New York, a little business will be attended to as the telephone will ring for a few Major League Baseball greats from the Village of Cooperstown, home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
However, dispensing with the bad, the steroid/HGH-addled balloteers should only be admitted to the Hall of Fame with a paid ticket for admission to the museum.
“We hope the day never comes when known steroid users are voted into the Hall of Fame. They cheated. Steroid users don’t belong here,” wrote Hall of Famer Joe Morgan in a November 2017 letter to the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), hoping to influence their Hall votes in 2018
The cloud of controversy has been dark and heavy, while initially eliminating some from Hall of Fame contention; yet in the cases of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens the BBWAA voters’ support of Bonds rose from 53.8 percent in 2017 to 56.4 percent in 2018, and Clemens’ totals jumped from 54.1 percent in 2017 to 57.3 in 2018. Fortunately, trending downward, are Sammy Sosa and Manny Ramirez. Sosa’s support dropped from 8.6 percent in 2017 to 7.8 percent in 2018, while voting for Ramirez fell from 23.8 percent in 2017 to 22 percent in 2018, his second year on the ballot. Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa are on the ballot for the seventh year, and hopefully they will not reach the vaunted 75 percent by 2021.
The voting results are due to be released on Tuesday, January 22. What is not released are the ballots of the voting members of the BBWAA. I think they should be disclosed to the public. Let the BBWAA voters defend their votes as I defend mine, even if not as a member of the BBWAA.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame has a so-called character clause. “Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contribution to the team(s) on which the player played.” So-called because it has existed since 1945 and more than a fair share of miscreants have found their way to Cooperstown. (https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/bbwaa-rules-for-election)
With voting in mind, were I a privileged member of the BBWAA charged with the task of electing the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2019, seven former major leaguers would earn my votes - three first ballot candidates, and four holdovers. Of those seven, I expect only one to be enshrined on July 21, along with two others for whom I would not vote, but deserve induction. Candidates must receive at least five percent of the vote in order to remain on the ballot should they not attain 75 percent the previous year.
The lone realistic freshman on my ballot would be the late Roy Halladay, who pitched his 16 year career with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Toronto Blue Jays. Halladay compiled a 203-105 won-lost record with a 3.38 ERA - one of six pitchers to win more than 200 games with a .650 winning percentage amongst hurlers whose careers began after 1900. In 2010 Halladay pitched a perfect game during the regular season, and adding to that gem, a no-hitter in the playoffs - only the second no-hitter in postseason history.
Along with eight all-star team selections, Halladay thrice won 20-plus games, won two Cy Young Awards with two runner-up placements, and tossed 67 complete games, leading the league in that category seven times. Halladay’s 67 complete games are the most from 1998 to the present, besting Hall of Famer Randy Johnson by 13.
Should Halladay earn admission into the Hall of Fame, it will be posthumously, as on November 7, 2017, at only age 40, he was killed when his plane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.
There are four holdovers from 2018 for whom I would vote, three of whom would have earned my vote last year and one I am giving a fresh look. Neither pitchers Mike Mussina nor Curt Schilling are likely to reach 75 percent this year, but I continue to support their candidacies. Mussina’s stock rose as he earned 63.5 percent of the vote in 2018, up nearly 12 points from 51.8 percent in 2017. Should he jump another 12 points Mussina would be Cooperstown bound. Schilling reversed a losing trend, adding more than six points to 51.2 percent in 2018, up from 45 percent in 2017.
With 270 career wins, six-time ballot occupant Mussina spent 10 years with the Baltimore Orioles and eight with the New York Yankees. A big fan of “Moose,” an economics graduate from Stanford University as an Oriole, it hurt my eyes to see him donning pinstripes. Mussina made five All Star teams and won seven Gold Gloves. While overshadowed by Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz in 2015, Mussina garnered more victories than Hall of Famers Carl Hubbell, Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal – with whom Mussina was compared, and Whitey Ford. Mussina ended his career at age 39, the oldest to record his lone 20-win season, going 20-9 with a 3.37 ERA.
Schilling, bloody sock and all, is a six-time All Star who pitched 20 seasons in the big leagues – three with the Orioles, one with the Astros, eight-plus with the Phillies, three-plus with the Arizona Diamondbacks, then calling it a career with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling tossed 83 complete games, appeared in three World Series, and had three 20-plus win seasons within a four year span at ages 36, 38, and 39. Schilling should have his ticket stamped this summer – was my mistaken prediction the last five years, and while he probably won’t reach 75 percent this year, Schilling still belongs among those earning a plaque in Cooperstown.
Omar Vizquel, was the quintessential shortstop of a generation, having won 11 Gold Glove awards during his 24 year career, second most at that position all time. Vizquel was also the oldest shortstop to win a Gold Glove, having done so at age 39 in 2006. After five years with the Seattle Mariners, Vizquel took his talents to Cleveland continuing to be the defensive gem that will vault him into Cooperstown.
Vizquel was three times an All Star, overshadowed by Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees, who will no doubt be elected to Cooperstown in a near-unanimous vote next year. On the field, Vizquel led the league in Fielding Percentage six times as a shortstop and is the all time leader in Fielding Percentage at .985. Vizquel shares the season record with Cal Ripken, Jr. for committing the fewest errors by a shortstop playing in at least 150 games with a paltry three. Additionally, Vizquel is first all time in double plays turned by a shortstop, third all time in assists at shortstop, and 11th all time in putouts made by a shortstop.
At bat, Vizquel compares rather favorably to Hall of Fame shortstops Ozzie Smith, Luis Aparicio, and Luke Appling. Vizquel hit more home runs than Smith and Appling, trailing Aparicio by only three. Vizquel drove in more runs than Smith and Aparicio, stole more bases than Appling, hit for a higher batting average than Smith and Aparicio, while collecting more hits than all three.
In his ninth, and penultimate year on the ballot, I’m rethinking Larry Walker. More accurately, this is the closest look I have given Walker at all, but his numbers demonstrate a level of excellence and consistency on the field and at bat that should award him his plaque in Cooperstown.
Walker played 17 years for the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Cardinals. During that time, his career batting average was an exemplary .313, having won three batting titles, and batted .366 in 1997 while not winning the batting title. Walker slugged 383 home runs, drove in 1,311 runs, while stealing 230 bases - a solid combination of hitting, slugging, and some speed. Walker batted over .320 seven times, and won seven Gold Glove Awards. Walker compares more than favorably with his contemporaries, and more so when examining Hall of Famers from prior generations, yet with just 34.1 percent of the BBWAA votes in 2018, it’s less than likely that number will more than double over the next two years. (Perhaps the Today’s Game Committee will be an avenue for Walker further down the road.)
Because members of the BBWAA are permitted 10 votes, I’m throwing one vote each to first time candidates Kevin Youkilis and Michael Young. I like both players, they each had solid careers, just not Hall of Fame caliber, and neither is expected to survive the process beyond January 22.
On the other hand, the two candidates I expect to gain induction, but for whom I would not vote are Mariano Rivera and Edgar Martinez. I have been consistent in not supporting Martinez, ostensibly a career Designated Hitter, who garnered 70.4 percent of the vote in 2018 - five votes short. In this, his 10th and final year on the ballot, it seems a certainty Martinez, who played his entire 18 year career for the Mariners, will finally reach 75 percent. Martinez is one of only nine players to hit more than 300 homers, more than 500 doubles, bat over .300 with a greater than .400 On Base Percentage, and a greater than .500 Slugging Percentage. Ultimately, he will pave the way for more career designated hitters, such as David “Big Papi” Ortiz, who could be a first ballot inductee in 2022.
The answer to how does one vote against Rivera, is simple - pinstripes - the same answer I will write next year when not supporting sure fire first ballot inductee Jeter. Both absolutely belong in Cooperstown. Rivera, who played his entire 19-year career with the Yankees, could be a unanimous selection - here’s why: 652 saves, first all-time; 2.21 ERA, 11 years under 2.00; and an almost unconscious postseason record of eight wins, one loss, 42 saves, and a 0.70 ERA in 141 innings.
While it is important to not sully the Baseball Hall of Fame with the likes of Bonds, Clemens, Ramirez, and Sosa, the focus must be on the greats who will be enshrined this July and how they will continue to be the true ambassadors to the community as so many before them have been.
Ambassadors such as Doug Harvey, Red Schoendienst and Willie “Stretch” McCovey, who sadly died in 2018 – Harvey at age 87, on January 13, Schoendienst at age 95, on June 6, and McCovey at age 80, on October 31. Harvey, inducted in 2010, was named second greatest umpire in history. Inducted in 1989, Schoendienst, at the time of his death, was the oldest living Hall of Famer. A first ballot electee, McCovey, inducted in 1986, was the first player to hit two home runs in an inning twice in a career. May their memories be for a Blessing.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN. He has been a Patron-level member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame since 2007.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Dems Build Wall Out of Hypocrisy
Dems Build Wall Out of Hypocrisy
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
January 8, 2019
From upon high, the Democrats continue to look down on the American people from their ivory towers and behind their gated communities, as they push the envelope of protestation against the border wall as far left as the Progressives will sustain them.
The likes of current and former senators Joe Biden (D-DE), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Barack Obama (D-IL), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR), voted, on September 29, 2006 in favor of the Secure Fence Act, which passed overwhelmingly 80-19. More than a dozen years later, all currently argue against a wall, fence, physical barrier - call it what you will - semantics be damned, but with hypocrisy looming large.
Biden, Clinton, Obama, and especially Schumer are most vociferously haranguing against this structure and are willing to further the current partial government shutdown all the while blaming President Donald Trump. This is purely vengeful by the aforementioned Democrats adding to the mix newly installed Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), calling such a wall “immoral.” Are the gates around your mansion immoral, madam speaker?
Is it immoral to protect the citizens of the United States from the slaughter that has befallen Kate Steinle, Mollie Tibbetts, and most recently police Corporal Ronil Singh - himself a legal immigrant from Fiji, at the violent hands of illegal aliens? There are thousands of names that could be added to this list of those who will never see or be seen by their families and friends. These Democrats are putting their animus toward Trump ahead of the safety of the American people, as well as the financial well being of the nearly one million government workers who are currently working under paycheck furlough conditions.
Whether concrete, steel, or electric barbed wire, some physical structure is vital for the protection of the American people on the southern border of the United States. But, more than, preferably an American made wall, increased technology and manpower is needed as called for by President Trump in his address to the nation this evening.
Trump rightfully continued his clarion call for the wall, as he has since he began his campaign for the White House in 2015, reminding the American people of the continuing invasion by illegals; also why he called for more immigration judges. With the multi-fold increase in asylum seekers, most of whom do not have legitimate claims, more judges are required to adjudicate these cases at a speedier rate.
With the chaos at the border, legitimate complaints by Mexican nationals about the crime and trash on their side of the border, the heinous amounts of drugs pouring across the border, the murders, rapes, human smuggling and trafficking, for Schumer to look the American people in the eyes and accuse of Trump of “manufacturing a crisis” is simply obtuse. And again, hypocritical, as Schumer voted to fund border security and a wall on more than one occasion. As for Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), who Tweeted her ignorance calling this Trump’s “self-made crisis,” she is testing the waters for a possible 2020 presidential campaign, along with about three dozen other Democrats.
To be fair, this crisis did not manifest itself out of thin air. Trump, the Republicans, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico are complicit with the Democrats. Trump’s complicity is based upon a strong economy that he has led, which strengthens people’s resolve to emigrate to the United States.
The violence and abject poverty in Mexico and the aforementioned Central American nations is pushing people north without regard for American law. Quite frankly, if I lived on one of those countries, I would want out, but there is a right way and a wrong way in which to accomplish the goal of immigrating to the United States. I stood witness to my mother-in-law’s swearing in as an American citizen, having come from Peru, where she was presented with an American flag that flew over the US Capitol.
That flag is a source of pride for my mother-in-law, which is more than can be said for newly inducted Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who, on the night of her election, wrapped herself in a Palestinian flag. (Tlaib is a strong supporter of the anti-Israel BDS movement and has written Palestine on a map in her office to replace Israel. Tlaib recently bellowed for Trump’s impeachment, calling him a mother-f-er, in front of her young son. My mother-in-law, by the way, couldn’t wait to vote for Trump for president.)
As for the GOP, their fault lies in not having enough intestinal fortitude to do the right thing while they had the majority in the House of Representatives. They had the opportunity to turn the wall from the campaign promise garnering Trump myriad votes into his signature piece of legislation that if ever brought to fruition, will save countless lives. But this is the same Republican Party that, with the Democrats, has turned a blind eye to illegal immigration for decades, save for some lip service for the base of the party. The Democrats want the illegals to be granted amnesty and citizenship with the hopes of creating millions of new, loyal party voters. The Republicans, with support from big business, are helping create cheap labor. Both parties are wrong, and those Americans on the lowest rungs of the economic ladder are suffering most.
The shutdown needs to end, sooner rather than later; not for political purposes, but for economic purposes as nearly a million government employees are the political football in a game for which they did not sign up. The Democrats need to fund some form of structure as part of comprehensive border security that includes technology, manpower, and an increase in judges to more quickly hear the cases of asylum seekers. Grant the legitimate ones asylum, send the rest back to their country of origin.
Border security legislation needs to include a change in laws that disincentivize illegals from either coming to America, or staying here, by denying them jobs, drivers licenses, welfare, education, medical and health care, all at the expense to American taxpayers. Punish, financially, employers who hire illegals. Cut federal funding to colleges and universities who admit and allow to matriculate, illegals. Put those funds toward border security. While we’re at it, let’s solve the DACA problem by granting them permanent resident status - the Democrats will be happy for legalizing the so-called “dreamers,” and the Republicans will be happy by not giving the “dreamers” voting rights. Additionally, the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution must be amended to end birthright citizenship of children born to illegals once and for all.
Let the open borders failure witnessed in France, Germany, Holland, and the United Kingdom be a lesson to the United States. Walls work - just ask Israel. In fact, Nehemiah was ordered by G-d to build a wall around Jerusalem to protect its citizens from enemy attack. If a wall is good enough for G-d, it is most certainly good enough for us, mere mortals on His planet.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
January 8, 2019
From upon high, the Democrats continue to look down on the American people from their ivory towers and behind their gated communities, as they push the envelope of protestation against the border wall as far left as the Progressives will sustain them.
The likes of current and former senators Joe Biden (D-DE), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Barack Obama (D-IL), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR), voted, on September 29, 2006 in favor of the Secure Fence Act, which passed overwhelmingly 80-19. More than a dozen years later, all currently argue against a wall, fence, physical barrier - call it what you will - semantics be damned, but with hypocrisy looming large.
Biden, Clinton, Obama, and especially Schumer are most vociferously haranguing against this structure and are willing to further the current partial government shutdown all the while blaming President Donald Trump. This is purely vengeful by the aforementioned Democrats adding to the mix newly installed Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), calling such a wall “immoral.” Are the gates around your mansion immoral, madam speaker?
Is it immoral to protect the citizens of the United States from the slaughter that has befallen Kate Steinle, Mollie Tibbetts, and most recently police Corporal Ronil Singh - himself a legal immigrant from Fiji, at the violent hands of illegal aliens? There are thousands of names that could be added to this list of those who will never see or be seen by their families and friends. These Democrats are putting their animus toward Trump ahead of the safety of the American people, as well as the financial well being of the nearly one million government workers who are currently working under paycheck furlough conditions.
Whether concrete, steel, or electric barbed wire, some physical structure is vital for the protection of the American people on the southern border of the United States. But, more than, preferably an American made wall, increased technology and manpower is needed as called for by President Trump in his address to the nation this evening.
Trump rightfully continued his clarion call for the wall, as he has since he began his campaign for the White House in 2015, reminding the American people of the continuing invasion by illegals; also why he called for more immigration judges. With the multi-fold increase in asylum seekers, most of whom do not have legitimate claims, more judges are required to adjudicate these cases at a speedier rate.
With the chaos at the border, legitimate complaints by Mexican nationals about the crime and trash on their side of the border, the heinous amounts of drugs pouring across the border, the murders, rapes, human smuggling and trafficking, for Schumer to look the American people in the eyes and accuse of Trump of “manufacturing a crisis” is simply obtuse. And again, hypocritical, as Schumer voted to fund border security and a wall on more than one occasion. As for Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), who Tweeted her ignorance calling this Trump’s “self-made crisis,” she is testing the waters for a possible 2020 presidential campaign, along with about three dozen other Democrats.
To be fair, this crisis did not manifest itself out of thin air. Trump, the Republicans, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico are complicit with the Democrats. Trump’s complicity is based upon a strong economy that he has led, which strengthens people’s resolve to emigrate to the United States.
The violence and abject poverty in Mexico and the aforementioned Central American nations is pushing people north without regard for American law. Quite frankly, if I lived on one of those countries, I would want out, but there is a right way and a wrong way in which to accomplish the goal of immigrating to the United States. I stood witness to my mother-in-law’s swearing in as an American citizen, having come from Peru, where she was presented with an American flag that flew over the US Capitol.
That flag is a source of pride for my mother-in-law, which is more than can be said for newly inducted Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who, on the night of her election, wrapped herself in a Palestinian flag. (Tlaib is a strong supporter of the anti-Israel BDS movement and has written Palestine on a map in her office to replace Israel. Tlaib recently bellowed for Trump’s impeachment, calling him a mother-f-er, in front of her young son. My mother-in-law, by the way, couldn’t wait to vote for Trump for president.)
As for the GOP, their fault lies in not having enough intestinal fortitude to do the right thing while they had the majority in the House of Representatives. They had the opportunity to turn the wall from the campaign promise garnering Trump myriad votes into his signature piece of legislation that if ever brought to fruition, will save countless lives. But this is the same Republican Party that, with the Democrats, has turned a blind eye to illegal immigration for decades, save for some lip service for the base of the party. The Democrats want the illegals to be granted amnesty and citizenship with the hopes of creating millions of new, loyal party voters. The Republicans, with support from big business, are helping create cheap labor. Both parties are wrong, and those Americans on the lowest rungs of the economic ladder are suffering most.
The shutdown needs to end, sooner rather than later; not for political purposes, but for economic purposes as nearly a million government employees are the political football in a game for which they did not sign up. The Democrats need to fund some form of structure as part of comprehensive border security that includes technology, manpower, and an increase in judges to more quickly hear the cases of asylum seekers. Grant the legitimate ones asylum, send the rest back to their country of origin.
Border security legislation needs to include a change in laws that disincentivize illegals from either coming to America, or staying here, by denying them jobs, drivers licenses, welfare, education, medical and health care, all at the expense to American taxpayers. Punish, financially, employers who hire illegals. Cut federal funding to colleges and universities who admit and allow to matriculate, illegals. Put those funds toward border security. While we’re at it, let’s solve the DACA problem by granting them permanent resident status - the Democrats will be happy for legalizing the so-called “dreamers,” and the Republicans will be happy by not giving the “dreamers” voting rights. Additionally, the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution must be amended to end birthright citizenship of children born to illegals once and for all.
Let the open borders failure witnessed in France, Germany, Holland, and the United Kingdom be a lesson to the United States. Walls work - just ask Israel. In fact, Nehemiah was ordered by G-d to build a wall around Jerusalem to protect its citizens from enemy attack. If a wall is good enough for G-d, it is most certainly good enough for us, mere mortals on His planet.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Botulism Beats Benihana
Botulism Beats Benihana
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
December 27, 2018
Before dining at the Indianapolis Benihana on Keystone Crossing Road, I strongly recommend committing hara-kiri. From start to finish, with little exception in between, calling this an unpleasant experience is an understatement.
Having a 9:30 PM reservation, and arriving on time, I fully expect to be seated no later than 9:35. Judging by the absolutely filthy appearance of the floors in both the main dining room and bar, as well as the report given me by my daughter about the ladies room, leaving would have been the right move. Foolishly, we waited.
At 9:45 I asked to speak with the manager. Without an apology for our wait, he proceeded to regale me with excuses - a staff member got sick (probably ate what my wife ate), the restaurant got slammed with walk-ins, and because it was Christmas. We were told our wait would be just a few more minutes. The correct answer would have been to offer us seats in the bar with a round of drinks/appetizers on the house. Or comping us one of our three meals, yet no such offer was forthcoming.
Finally ushered to our seats at 10 PM, still no apology from the same manager. The hibachi table, at which we were seated, was not nearly as clean as it could have been, in spite of the fact that the table would reach 500 degrees in order to cook our food.
The apron worn by Matt, the cook, was filthy. Does Benihana not provide their cooks with clean aprons throughout their shifts? And his must have been a very long shift, as Matt complained while preparing the meals as to how many hours he worked in the previous several days, how many days in a row he had been working, while going through his shtick flipping shrimp tails into the top of his even more filthy chef’s hat. The inside of the top of that grungy hat also included old eggshells.
The food was fair, at best, for most of us, except for my wife who spent the remainder of the evening making repeat visits to the bathroom upon returning home.
Because we had been seated so late, by the time the cook was done cooking each course and serving us, the time was pushing 11:30 and the waitress who served us soup, salad, and refilled our water glasses, brought us the bill and demanded we pay at once even while we were still eating. I commented that we clearly, were still eating. Jonesha said they wanted to cash out, and thus the rush to collect as we continued eating.
During that visit to the table, Jonesha took it upon herself, with no prompting from anyone at the table, neither the three of us nor the five people in the other party, to offer an opinion on her animus of President Donald Trump and the border wall. Completely inappropriate. If I want political commentary I’ll either read it in the newspaper or watch it on television; or better still, write it myself (www.sanfordspeaksout.blogspot.com). This monologue lasted about two minutes.
Upon returning, when just the three of us in our party remained, Jonesha once again took to her soapbox, this time telling us former President George W. Bush was personally responsible for the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 - something she claimed she learned in school from her fifth grade teacher. She added that Bush was personally “buddy-buddy” with Osama bin Laden, and this diatribe lasted a painfully long four to five minutes before I slammed my hands on the table declaring that this was just wrong. My wife mentioned that we lost friends on 9/11 in the Twin Towers, and Jonesha excused herself from the table. I held my tongue the entire time, yet remained livid throughout this entire Twilight Zone experience. Those who know me, know that was the Christmas miracle of all miracles.
Not only did we lose friends on that fateful date, I grew up in North Jersey, in the shadow of the towers, and was a working journalist in Northern Virginia, just 10 minutes from the Pentagon on September 11. While that is my personal story, it is actually irrelevant because the opinion of a restaurant worker, or any employee involving customer service is uncalled for. If my wife, daughter, or I mouthed off on a job like that we would have been fired, and rightfully so. (Truth be told, even had the server extolled the virtues of Trump, the wall, Bush, etc., it still would have been inappropriate while working representing the restaurant.)
In relating this story to the manager, and noting I planned to share the entire evening’s experience with Benihana corporate, he told me that corporate would merely “bounce this back” to him to handle. While he agreed Jonesha was wrong and he would review restaurant policies with her, we left the restaurant completely unsatisfied, with no plans to return again.
By the way, in addition to the miserable experience, and waste of time and money, Benihana has failed to live up to their advertised “Chef’s Table” promotion found on their website. Registering with the restaurant is supposed to net patrons a $30 certificate during the month of one’s birthday. In my five years of membership, I have yet to receive even one email providing me the appropriate birthday certificate.
Customer service, etiquette, and cleanliness are just as important as the food itself in ensuring the entire restaurant experience start to finish are worth of a return visit. Benihana in Indianapolis failed on all counts and for my money we will go elsewhere - anywhere else. (This column has been shared with Benihana Corporate, as well as posted to Yelp.)
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
December 27, 2018
Before dining at the Indianapolis Benihana on Keystone Crossing Road, I strongly recommend committing hara-kiri. From start to finish, with little exception in between, calling this an unpleasant experience is an understatement.
Having a 9:30 PM reservation, and arriving on time, I fully expect to be seated no later than 9:35. Judging by the absolutely filthy appearance of the floors in both the main dining room and bar, as well as the report given me by my daughter about the ladies room, leaving would have been the right move. Foolishly, we waited.
At 9:45 I asked to speak with the manager. Without an apology for our wait, he proceeded to regale me with excuses - a staff member got sick (probably ate what my wife ate), the restaurant got slammed with walk-ins, and because it was Christmas. We were told our wait would be just a few more minutes. The correct answer would have been to offer us seats in the bar with a round of drinks/appetizers on the house. Or comping us one of our three meals, yet no such offer was forthcoming.
Finally ushered to our seats at 10 PM, still no apology from the same manager. The hibachi table, at which we were seated, was not nearly as clean as it could have been, in spite of the fact that the table would reach 500 degrees in order to cook our food.
The apron worn by Matt, the cook, was filthy. Does Benihana not provide their cooks with clean aprons throughout their shifts? And his must have been a very long shift, as Matt complained while preparing the meals as to how many hours he worked in the previous several days, how many days in a row he had been working, while going through his shtick flipping shrimp tails into the top of his even more filthy chef’s hat. The inside of the top of that grungy hat also included old eggshells.
The food was fair, at best, for most of us, except for my wife who spent the remainder of the evening making repeat visits to the bathroom upon returning home.
Because we had been seated so late, by the time the cook was done cooking each course and serving us, the time was pushing 11:30 and the waitress who served us soup, salad, and refilled our water glasses, brought us the bill and demanded we pay at once even while we were still eating. I commented that we clearly, were still eating. Jonesha said they wanted to cash out, and thus the rush to collect as we continued eating.
During that visit to the table, Jonesha took it upon herself, with no prompting from anyone at the table, neither the three of us nor the five people in the other party, to offer an opinion on her animus of President Donald Trump and the border wall. Completely inappropriate. If I want political commentary I’ll either read it in the newspaper or watch it on television; or better still, write it myself (www.sanfordspeaksout.blogspot.com). This monologue lasted about two minutes.
Upon returning, when just the three of us in our party remained, Jonesha once again took to her soapbox, this time telling us former President George W. Bush was personally responsible for the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 - something she claimed she learned in school from her fifth grade teacher. She added that Bush was personally “buddy-buddy” with Osama bin Laden, and this diatribe lasted a painfully long four to five minutes before I slammed my hands on the table declaring that this was just wrong. My wife mentioned that we lost friends on 9/11 in the Twin Towers, and Jonesha excused herself from the table. I held my tongue the entire time, yet remained livid throughout this entire Twilight Zone experience. Those who know me, know that was the Christmas miracle of all miracles.
Not only did we lose friends on that fateful date, I grew up in North Jersey, in the shadow of the towers, and was a working journalist in Northern Virginia, just 10 minutes from the Pentagon on September 11. While that is my personal story, it is actually irrelevant because the opinion of a restaurant worker, or any employee involving customer service is uncalled for. If my wife, daughter, or I mouthed off on a job like that we would have been fired, and rightfully so. (Truth be told, even had the server extolled the virtues of Trump, the wall, Bush, etc., it still would have been inappropriate while working representing the restaurant.)
In relating this story to the manager, and noting I planned to share the entire evening’s experience with Benihana corporate, he told me that corporate would merely “bounce this back” to him to handle. While he agreed Jonesha was wrong and he would review restaurant policies with her, we left the restaurant completely unsatisfied, with no plans to return again.
By the way, in addition to the miserable experience, and waste of time and money, Benihana has failed to live up to their advertised “Chef’s Table” promotion found on their website. Registering with the restaurant is supposed to net patrons a $30 certificate during the month of one’s birthday. In my five years of membership, I have yet to receive even one email providing me the appropriate birthday certificate.
Customer service, etiquette, and cleanliness are just as important as the food itself in ensuring the entire restaurant experience start to finish are worth of a return visit. Benihana in Indianapolis failed on all counts and for my money we will go elsewhere - anywhere else. (This column has been shared with Benihana Corporate, as well as posted to Yelp.)
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.
Friday, December 14, 2018
Greed Killed the Bowls
Greed Killed the Bowls
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
December 14, 2018
“Greed, for lack of a better word, is good,” quipped Michael Douglass’s Gordon Gekko in the 1987 film Wall Street.
Yeah, not so much, where the college football bowl games are concerned.
In “Missing From Bowls: Top Players,” a column penned by Brian Costa in the Wednesday, December 12 Wall Street Journal, coincidentally, at least a dozen NFL probables reported they would not take a knee, but instead, they would take a seat - declining to participate in their teams’ grand finale. The paramount reason for opting not to play is to avoid the risk of injury and potentially damage their chance at a big payday suiting up at the next level.
As for the team’s grand finale, they’re just not that grand anymore. There are 40 bowl games plus a national championship, meaning 80 schools are participating in this cavalcade of high priced advertising, high priced sponsorships, and high priced tickets. When 80 schools “earn” postseason berths, this year 10 of which enter their game with break even records of six wins and six losses, there is most certainly a diminished importance to these games. Most of the 80 teams will play in front of thousands of empty seats masquerading as fans not willing to travel or shell out a small fortune when they can enjoy numerous games at one time with remote in hand on a comfy couch adorned with less expensive, warmer, and tastier snacks.
As mentioned above, 10 teams enter their bowl at .500 and a chance to end their season with a losing record. Drop half the bowls to make them relevant again. Add four more teams to the championship playoff - akin to the Elite Eight of March Madness. Raise to seven wins, the requirement for earning bowl eligibility. Six wins worked when the regular season consisted of 11 games - 6-5 is still a winning record. If a team can’t do better than breaking even, they should be home watching the bowls instead of playing in one.
And as for the players themselves, skipping the bowl seems a double-edged sword. By not playing, they are protecting themselves and their future. After all, it is their lives, and as many point out, the universities are making millions of dollars over the span of the collegiate player’s career on campus, while the student-athlete does not see a penny. Make no mistake, I have never endorsed paying student-athletes.
Quite frankly, if these student-athletes were truly concerned about their economic future and well being, they would focus more on the “student” aspect of student-athlete and take full advantage of their academic scholarship. Barely two percent will play football on Sundays, and 98 percent will need to find employment that does not require donning a football uniform.
The scholarship is a form of payment along with its concomitant perks. When players choose to leave school early, they should be required to pay back that scholarship. That is money that could serve an economically disadvantaged, yet academically deserving student.
On the other hand, by accepting a scholarship, players are agreeing to provide a service to the school - playing football. In effect, the scholarship is a payday - tuition, room, board, insurance, and myriad other expenses that the player is not paying out of pocket. Players sitting out of bowl games are diminishing their team’s chance of success on the gridiron, and losing could affect future recruitment to the school.
Don’t forget, without the schools, these players wouldn’t have a venue in which to showcase their talent - and it’s still a team sport where the quarterback needs the guards and the running back needs the blockers - many of whom are unsung.
Then there is the issue of loyalty. What happens when the collegiate player who heretofore bailed on the bowl game decides not to play in a seemingly meaningless end of season NFL game for his 2-13 team, for fear of sustaining an injury? Will his team garnish his wages? Suspend him without pay? Trade him for being a malcontent? And if attempting a trade, perhaps no other team will take a chance on such a player who lacks loyalty and the desire to be a team player. Even in a seemingly meaningless bowl game, there are still life lessons to be learned. Hopefully these players will learn those lessons before they adversely impact their future.
Perhaps without the greed of an overly aggressive 40 game bowl schedule, if there were but 20 such games, players would work harder and strive to qualify for one of those 20 games which would be more meaningful. Perhaps requiring seven wins would also make the achievement of postseason more meaningful and the gratitude of such an accomplishment the impetus of potential NFL players finishing what they started at the collegiate level. There used to be a time when a limited number of bowl games sparked a level of competition that drove players and teams to reach beyond their potential and not settle for break even. Perhaps driving the level of competition back to those days would instill a greater desire to not only succeed on the gridiron, but in life after football. It used to be the American way, and perhaps it can be once again.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN. His Maryland Terrapins finished out of postseason with a 5-7 record.
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Acosta Not the Hill Press Should Die On
Acosta Not the Hill Press Should Die On
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
November 8, 2018
As a working newspaper reporter, I was, and am still, an American first and a member of the Fourth Estate second. I am of the belief that news reporters should do just that - report the news and not inject themselves into the news. When a source says something is off the record, it stays off the record. Issues of national security should be protected and not reported, especially where troop movements and people’s lives are at stake.
Being a member of the White House Press Corps is a privilege, not a right. In modern times, never has a president been so disrespected as President Donald Trump is right now. A president is not required to meet with the press, field press questions, or even acknowledge the media. It is, however, the right thing to do.
Certainly previous presidents have had challenging relationships with the media. Ronald Reagan and Sam Donaldson would verbally spar from time to time.
Richard Nixon told the media after losing the California governor’s race in 1962 “You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore…”
And Harry Truman wrote a scathing letter to Paul Hume, taking issue with Hume’s poor review of Truman’s daughter Margaret’s singing. In the 1950 letter, Truman wrote, “Some day [sic] I hope to meet you. When that happens you’ll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below!”
Jim Acosta, Chief White House correspondent for CNN, on more than one occasion has been brazenly disrespectful to President Trump and more than just a little truculent in his behavior. After asking several questions during Trump’s press briefing on Wednesday, November 7, following the midterm election, Acosta was told to surrender the microphone in order for the next reporter to ask his or her question. In refusing to do so, the intern attempted to take the mic and Acosta again refused to yield. Later that day, Acosta’s White House press credentials were stripped and his hard pass revoked for an indefinite period.
Acosta is a pedantic, miserable, self-aggrandizing, blowhole. He frequently attempts to insert himself into his reporting with his impolite manner and is often scolded either by Trump or White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and rightfully so.
There are times when the press briefings sound like the Wild West because of the lack of decorum and respect, either to Trump or to Sanders. Pulling Acosta’s credentials should be a message to the press corps that disrespectful behavior is not going to be tolerated. To be fair, I am not suggesting the press behave like the fawning obsequious weasels they were during the Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy administrations. There is most definitely a happy medium.
For the press community and the White House Correspondents’ Association to react apoplectically to the Acosta suspension is, while not surprising, more than just a little over the top. CNN’s response was particularly melodramatic. “This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better. Jim Acosta has our full support.”
“Threat to our democracy?” The White House press room will not go dark due to Acosta’s absence. Not only is he not the only member of the White House press corps, he is not even the only reporter at CNN. Jim Acosta is not the hill on which the press should go to die. CNN, as an active member of the White House press pool will not leave Acosta’s seat unfilled in some memorial cloak of martyrdom. Instead, while they will moan and groan, they will also insert another reporter to no doubt do a better job as both a reporter and a human being.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
November 8, 2018
As a working newspaper reporter, I was, and am still, an American first and a member of the Fourth Estate second. I am of the belief that news reporters should do just that - report the news and not inject themselves into the news. When a source says something is off the record, it stays off the record. Issues of national security should be protected and not reported, especially where troop movements and people’s lives are at stake.
Being a member of the White House Press Corps is a privilege, not a right. In modern times, never has a president been so disrespected as President Donald Trump is right now. A president is not required to meet with the press, field press questions, or even acknowledge the media. It is, however, the right thing to do.
Certainly previous presidents have had challenging relationships with the media. Ronald Reagan and Sam Donaldson would verbally spar from time to time.
Richard Nixon told the media after losing the California governor’s race in 1962 “You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore…”
And Harry Truman wrote a scathing letter to Paul Hume, taking issue with Hume’s poor review of Truman’s daughter Margaret’s singing. In the 1950 letter, Truman wrote, “Some day [sic] I hope to meet you. When that happens you’ll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below!”
Jim Acosta, Chief White House correspondent for CNN, on more than one occasion has been brazenly disrespectful to President Trump and more than just a little truculent in his behavior. After asking several questions during Trump’s press briefing on Wednesday, November 7, following the midterm election, Acosta was told to surrender the microphone in order for the next reporter to ask his or her question. In refusing to do so, the intern attempted to take the mic and Acosta again refused to yield. Later that day, Acosta’s White House press credentials were stripped and his hard pass revoked for an indefinite period.
Acosta is a pedantic, miserable, self-aggrandizing, blowhole. He frequently attempts to insert himself into his reporting with his impolite manner and is often scolded either by Trump or White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and rightfully so.
There are times when the press briefings sound like the Wild West because of the lack of decorum and respect, either to Trump or to Sanders. Pulling Acosta’s credentials should be a message to the press corps that disrespectful behavior is not going to be tolerated. To be fair, I am not suggesting the press behave like the fawning obsequious weasels they were during the Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy administrations. There is most definitely a happy medium.
For the press community and the White House Correspondents’ Association to react apoplectically to the Acosta suspension is, while not surprising, more than just a little over the top. CNN’s response was particularly melodramatic. “This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better. Jim Acosta has our full support.”
“Threat to our democracy?” The White House press room will not go dark due to Acosta’s absence. Not only is he not the only member of the White House press corps, he is not even the only reporter at CNN. Jim Acosta is not the hill on which the press should go to die. CNN, as an active member of the White House press pool will not leave Acosta’s seat unfilled in some memorial cloak of martyrdom. Instead, while they will moan and groan, they will also insert another reporter to no doubt do a better job as both a reporter and a human being.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.
Monday, November 5, 2018
Predictions 2018 - Pure and Simple
Predictions 2018 - Pure and Simple
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
November 5, 2018
Predictions - that’s it; not who I am rooting for; not why someone will win - just predictions. Now, if you have not already done so, go vote! NOW! (Or at the very least, after reviewing the following.) I intend to vote substance over style - not a straight ticket.
Governor Races:
Alabama: Governor Kay Ivey (R) over Walter Maddox (D)
Alaska: (open seat) Mike Dunleavy (R) over Mark Begich (D)
Arizona: Governor Doug Ducey (R) over David Garcia (D) and Angel Torres (G)
Arkansas: Governor Asa Hutchinson (R) over Jared Henderson (D)
California: (open seat) Gavin Newsom (D) over John Cox (R)
Colorado: (open seat) Jared Polis (D) over Walker Stapleton (R)
Connecticut: (open seat) Bob Stefanowski (R) over Ned Lamont (D)
Florida: (open seat) Ron DeSantis (R) over Andrew Gillum (D)
Georgia (open seat) Brian Kemp (R) over Stacey Abrams (D)
Hawaii: Governor David Ige (D) over Andria Tupola (R)
Idaho: (open seat) Brad Little (R) over Paulette Jordan (D)
Illinois: J.B. Pritzker (D) over Governor Bruce Rauner (R)
Iowa: Governor Kim Reynolds (R) over Fred Hubbell (D)
Kansas: (open seat) Kris Kobach (R) over Laura Kelly (D) and Greg Orman (I)
Maine (open seat) Janet Mills (D) over Shawn Moody (R)
Maryland: Governor Larry Hogan (R) over Ben Jealous (D)
Massachusetts: Governor Charlie Baker (R) over Jay Gonzalez (D)
Michigan: (open seat) Gretchen Whitmer (D) over Bill Schuette (R)
Minnesota: (open seat) Tim Walz (D) over Jeff Johnson (R)
Nebraska: Governor Pete Ricketts (R) over Bob Krist (D)
Nevada: (open seat) Adam Laxalt (R) over Steve Sisolak (D) and Jared Lord (L)
New Hampshire: Governor Chris Sununu (R) over Molly Kelly (D)
New Mexico: (open seat) Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) over Steve Pearce (R)
New York: Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) over Marc Molinaro (R)
Ohio: (open seat) Richard Cordray (D) over Mike DeWine (R)
Oklahoma: (open seat) Kevin Stitt (R) over Drew Edmondson (D)
Oregon: Governor Kate Brown (D) over Knute Buehler (R)
Pennsylvania: Governor Tom Wolf (D) over Scott Wagner (R)
Rhode Island: Governor Gina Raimondo (D) over Allan Fung (R)
South Carolina: Governor Henry McMaster (R) over James Smith (D)
South Dakota: (open seat) Kristi Noem (R) over Billie Sutton (D) and Kurt Evans (L)
Tennessee: (open seat) Bill Lee (R) over Karl Dean (D)
Texas: Governor Greg Abbott (R) over Lupe Valdez (D)
Vermont: Governor Phil Scott (R) over Christine Hallquist (D)
Wisconsin: Governor Scott Walker (R) over Tony Evers (D)
Wyoming: (open seat) Mark Gordon (R) over Mary Throne (D)
IF, and that's a big if, my predictions are rock solid, there will be 30 GOP governors and 20 Democrat governors when we wake up Wednesday morning.
Senate Races:
Arizona: (open seat) Martha McSally (R) over Kyrsten Sinema (D)
California: Senator Dianne Feinstein (D) over Kevin de Leon (D)
Connecticut: Senator Chris Murphy (D) over Mathew Corey (R)
Delaware: Senator Thomas Carper (D) over Rob Arlett (R)
Florida: Senator Bill Nelson (D) over Rick Scott (R)
Hawaii: Senator Mazie Hirono (D) over Ron Curtis (R)
Indiana: Senator Joe Donnelly (D) over Mike Braun (R)
Maine: Senator Angus King (I) over Eric Brakey (R)
Maryland: Senator Ben Cardin (D) over Tony Campbell (R)
Massachusetts: Senator Elizabeth Warren (D) over Geoff Diehl (R)
Michigan: Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) over John James (R)
Minnesota: Senator Amy Klobuchar (D) over Jim Newberger (R)
Minnesota: (special election) Senator Tina Smith (D) over Karin Housley (R)
Missouri: Josh Hawley (R) over Senator Claire McCaskill (D)
Mississippi: Senator Roger Wicker (R) over David Baria (D)
Mississippi: (special election) Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) & Mike Espy (D) will go to a run-off, eliminating Chris McDaniel (R)
Montana: Senator Jon Tester (D) over Matt Rosendale (R)
Nebraska: Senator Deb Fischer (R) over Jane Raybould (D)
Nevada: Senator Dean Heller (R) over Jacky Rosen (D)
New Jersey: Senator Bob Menendez (D) over Bob Hugin (R)
New Mexico: Senator Martin Heinrich (D) over Mick RIch (R) and Gary Johnson (L)
New York: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D) over Chele Farley (R)
North Dakota: Kevin Cramer (R) over Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D)
Ohio: Senator Sherrod Brown (D) over Jim Renacci (R)
Pennsylvania: Senator Bob Casey (D) over Lou Barletta (R)
Rhode Island: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D) over Bob Flanders (R)
Tennessee: (open seat) Marsha Blackburn (R) over Phil Bredesen (D)
Texas: Senator Ted Cruz (R) over “Beto” O’ Rourke (D)
Utah: (open seat) Mitt Romney (R) over Jenny Wilson (D)
Vermont: Senator Bernie Sanders (I) over Lawrence Zupan (R)
Virginia: Senator Tim Kaine (D) over Corey Stewart (R)
Washington: Senator Maria Cantwell (D) over Susan Hutchison (R)
West Virginia: Senator Joe Manchin (D) over Patrick Morrisey (R)
Wisconsin: Senator Tammy Baldwin (D) over Leah Vukmir (R)
Wyoming: Senator John Barrasso (R) over Gary Trauner (D) and Joseph Porambo (L)
IF, and that's a big if, my predictions are spot on, there will be 53 Republicans in the Senate and 46 Democrats with one seat up for grabs in a run-off come Wednesday morning.
Select House Races:
CA-10: Rep. Jeff Denham (R) over Josh Harder (D)
CA-22: Rep. Devin Nunes (R) over Andrew Janz (D)
CA-39: (open seat) Young Kim (R) over Gil Cisneros (D)
CA-45: Rep. Mimi Walters (R) over Katie Porter (D)
CA-48: Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R) over Harley Rouda (D)
CA-50: Rep. Duncan Hunter (R) over Ammar Campa-Najjar (D)
CO-6: Jason Crow (D) over Rep. Mike Coffman (R)
FL-18: Rep. Brian Mast (R) over Lauren Baer (D)
FL-25: Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R) over Mary Barzee Flores (D)
FL-26: Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R) over Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D)
FL-27: (open seat) Maria Salazar (R) over Donna Shalala (D)
GA-6: Rep. Karen Handel (R) over Lucy McBath (D)
IL-6: Rep. Peter Roskam (R) over Sean Casten (D)
IA-1: Abby Finkenauer (D) over Rep. Rod Blum (R)
IA-4: Rep. Steve King (R) over J.D. Scholten (D)
KY-6: Rep. Andy Barr (R) over Amy McGrath (D)
ME-2: Jared Golden (D) over Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R)
MD-1: Rep. Andy Harris (R) over Jesse Colvin (D)
MI-11: (open seat) Lena Epstein (R) over Haley Stevens (D)
NV-3: (open seat) Susie Lee (D) over Danny Tarkanian (R)
NV-4: (open seat) Cresent Hardy (R) over Steven Horsford (D)
NJ-3: Rep. Tom MacArthur (R) over Andrew Kim (D)
NJ-7: Rep. Leonard Lance (R) over Tom Malinowski (D)
NJ-11: (open seat) Mikie Sherrill (D) over Jay Webber (R)
NM-2: (open seat) Yvette Herrell (R) over Xochitl Torres Small (D)
NY-1: Rep. Lee Zeldin (R) over Perry Gershon (D)
NY-22: Rep. Claudia Tenney (R) over Anthony Brindisi (D)
NY-27: Nate McMurray (D) over Rep. Chris Collins (R)
OH-1: Rep. Steve Chabot (R) over Aftab Pureval (D)
OH-12: Rep. Troy Balderson (R) over Danny O’ Connor (D)
PA-1: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) over Scott Wallace (D)
PA-16: Rep. Mike Kelly (R) over Ronald Di Nicola (D)
PA-17: Conor Lamb (D) over Rep. Keith Rothfus (R)
TX-23: Rep. Will Hurd (R) over Gina Ortiz Jones (D)
TX-32: Rep. Pete Sessions (R) over Colin Allred (D)
UT-4: Rep. Mia Love (R) over Ben McAdams (D)
VA-7: Rep. Dave Brat (R) over Abigail Spanberger (D)
VA-10: Jennifer Wexton (D) over Rep. Barbara Comstock (R)
WA-3: Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) over Carolyn Long (D)
WA-5: Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) over Lisa Brown (D)
WA-8 (open seat) Kim Schrier (D) over Dino Rossi (R)
WV-3 (open seat) Carol Miller (R) over Richard Ojeda (D)
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
November 5, 2018
Predictions - that’s it; not who I am rooting for; not why someone will win - just predictions. Now, if you have not already done so, go vote! NOW! (Or at the very least, after reviewing the following.) I intend to vote substance over style - not a straight ticket.
Governor Races:
Alabama: Governor Kay Ivey (R) over Walter Maddox (D)
Alaska: (open seat) Mike Dunleavy (R) over Mark Begich (D)
Arizona: Governor Doug Ducey (R) over David Garcia (D) and Angel Torres (G)
Arkansas: Governor Asa Hutchinson (R) over Jared Henderson (D)
California: (open seat) Gavin Newsom (D) over John Cox (R)
Colorado: (open seat) Jared Polis (D) over Walker Stapleton (R)
Connecticut: (open seat) Bob Stefanowski (R) over Ned Lamont (D)
Florida: (open seat) Ron DeSantis (R) over Andrew Gillum (D)
Georgia (open seat) Brian Kemp (R) over Stacey Abrams (D)
Hawaii: Governor David Ige (D) over Andria Tupola (R)
Idaho: (open seat) Brad Little (R) over Paulette Jordan (D)
Illinois: J.B. Pritzker (D) over Governor Bruce Rauner (R)
Iowa: Governor Kim Reynolds (R) over Fred Hubbell (D)
Kansas: (open seat) Kris Kobach (R) over Laura Kelly (D) and Greg Orman (I)
Maine (open seat) Janet Mills (D) over Shawn Moody (R)
Maryland: Governor Larry Hogan (R) over Ben Jealous (D)
Massachusetts: Governor Charlie Baker (R) over Jay Gonzalez (D)
Michigan: (open seat) Gretchen Whitmer (D) over Bill Schuette (R)
Minnesota: (open seat) Tim Walz (D) over Jeff Johnson (R)
Nebraska: Governor Pete Ricketts (R) over Bob Krist (D)
Nevada: (open seat) Adam Laxalt (R) over Steve Sisolak (D) and Jared Lord (L)
New Hampshire: Governor Chris Sununu (R) over Molly Kelly (D)
New Mexico: (open seat) Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) over Steve Pearce (R)
New York: Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) over Marc Molinaro (R)
Ohio: (open seat) Richard Cordray (D) over Mike DeWine (R)
Oklahoma: (open seat) Kevin Stitt (R) over Drew Edmondson (D)
Oregon: Governor Kate Brown (D) over Knute Buehler (R)
Pennsylvania: Governor Tom Wolf (D) over Scott Wagner (R)
Rhode Island: Governor Gina Raimondo (D) over Allan Fung (R)
South Carolina: Governor Henry McMaster (R) over James Smith (D)
South Dakota: (open seat) Kristi Noem (R) over Billie Sutton (D) and Kurt Evans (L)
Tennessee: (open seat) Bill Lee (R) over Karl Dean (D)
Texas: Governor Greg Abbott (R) over Lupe Valdez (D)
Vermont: Governor Phil Scott (R) over Christine Hallquist (D)
Wisconsin: Governor Scott Walker (R) over Tony Evers (D)
Wyoming: (open seat) Mark Gordon (R) over Mary Throne (D)
IF, and that's a big if, my predictions are rock solid, there will be 30 GOP governors and 20 Democrat governors when we wake up Wednesday morning.
Senate Races:
Arizona: (open seat) Martha McSally (R) over Kyrsten Sinema (D)
California: Senator Dianne Feinstein (D) over Kevin de Leon (D)
Connecticut: Senator Chris Murphy (D) over Mathew Corey (R)
Delaware: Senator Thomas Carper (D) over Rob Arlett (R)
Florida: Senator Bill Nelson (D) over Rick Scott (R)
Hawaii: Senator Mazie Hirono (D) over Ron Curtis (R)
Indiana: Senator Joe Donnelly (D) over Mike Braun (R)
Maine: Senator Angus King (I) over Eric Brakey (R)
Maryland: Senator Ben Cardin (D) over Tony Campbell (R)
Massachusetts: Senator Elizabeth Warren (D) over Geoff Diehl (R)
Michigan: Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) over John James (R)
Minnesota: Senator Amy Klobuchar (D) over Jim Newberger (R)
Minnesota: (special election) Senator Tina Smith (D) over Karin Housley (R)
Missouri: Josh Hawley (R) over Senator Claire McCaskill (D)
Mississippi: Senator Roger Wicker (R) over David Baria (D)
Mississippi: (special election) Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) & Mike Espy (D) will go to a run-off, eliminating Chris McDaniel (R)
Montana: Senator Jon Tester (D) over Matt Rosendale (R)
Nebraska: Senator Deb Fischer (R) over Jane Raybould (D)
Nevada: Senator Dean Heller (R) over Jacky Rosen (D)
New Jersey: Senator Bob Menendez (D) over Bob Hugin (R)
New Mexico: Senator Martin Heinrich (D) over Mick RIch (R) and Gary Johnson (L)
New York: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D) over Chele Farley (R)
North Dakota: Kevin Cramer (R) over Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D)
Ohio: Senator Sherrod Brown (D) over Jim Renacci (R)
Pennsylvania: Senator Bob Casey (D) over Lou Barletta (R)
Rhode Island: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D) over Bob Flanders (R)
Tennessee: (open seat) Marsha Blackburn (R) over Phil Bredesen (D)
Texas: Senator Ted Cruz (R) over “Beto” O’ Rourke (D)
Utah: (open seat) Mitt Romney (R) over Jenny Wilson (D)
Vermont: Senator Bernie Sanders (I) over Lawrence Zupan (R)
Virginia: Senator Tim Kaine (D) over Corey Stewart (R)
Washington: Senator Maria Cantwell (D) over Susan Hutchison (R)
West Virginia: Senator Joe Manchin (D) over Patrick Morrisey (R)
Wisconsin: Senator Tammy Baldwin (D) over Leah Vukmir (R)
Wyoming: Senator John Barrasso (R) over Gary Trauner (D) and Joseph Porambo (L)
IF, and that's a big if, my predictions are spot on, there will be 53 Republicans in the Senate and 46 Democrats with one seat up for grabs in a run-off come Wednesday morning.
Select House Races:
CA-10: Rep. Jeff Denham (R) over Josh Harder (D)
CA-22: Rep. Devin Nunes (R) over Andrew Janz (D)
CA-39: (open seat) Young Kim (R) over Gil Cisneros (D)
CA-45: Rep. Mimi Walters (R) over Katie Porter (D)
CA-48: Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R) over Harley Rouda (D)
CA-50: Rep. Duncan Hunter (R) over Ammar Campa-Najjar (D)
CO-6: Jason Crow (D) over Rep. Mike Coffman (R)
FL-18: Rep. Brian Mast (R) over Lauren Baer (D)
FL-25: Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R) over Mary Barzee Flores (D)
FL-26: Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R) over Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D)
FL-27: (open seat) Maria Salazar (R) over Donna Shalala (D)
GA-6: Rep. Karen Handel (R) over Lucy McBath (D)
IL-6: Rep. Peter Roskam (R) over Sean Casten (D)
IA-1: Abby Finkenauer (D) over Rep. Rod Blum (R)
IA-4: Rep. Steve King (R) over J.D. Scholten (D)
KY-6: Rep. Andy Barr (R) over Amy McGrath (D)
ME-2: Jared Golden (D) over Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R)
MD-1: Rep. Andy Harris (R) over Jesse Colvin (D)
MI-11: (open seat) Lena Epstein (R) over Haley Stevens (D)
NV-3: (open seat) Susie Lee (D) over Danny Tarkanian (R)
NV-4: (open seat) Cresent Hardy (R) over Steven Horsford (D)
NJ-3: Rep. Tom MacArthur (R) over Andrew Kim (D)
NJ-7: Rep. Leonard Lance (R) over Tom Malinowski (D)
NJ-11: (open seat) Mikie Sherrill (D) over Jay Webber (R)
NM-2: (open seat) Yvette Herrell (R) over Xochitl Torres Small (D)
NY-1: Rep. Lee Zeldin (R) over Perry Gershon (D)
NY-22: Rep. Claudia Tenney (R) over Anthony Brindisi (D)
NY-27: Nate McMurray (D) over Rep. Chris Collins (R)
OH-1: Rep. Steve Chabot (R) over Aftab Pureval (D)
OH-12: Rep. Troy Balderson (R) over Danny O’ Connor (D)
PA-1: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) over Scott Wallace (D)
PA-16: Rep. Mike Kelly (R) over Ronald Di Nicola (D)
PA-17: Conor Lamb (D) over Rep. Keith Rothfus (R)
TX-23: Rep. Will Hurd (R) over Gina Ortiz Jones (D)
TX-32: Rep. Pete Sessions (R) over Colin Allred (D)
UT-4: Rep. Mia Love (R) over Ben McAdams (D)
VA-7: Rep. Dave Brat (R) over Abigail Spanberger (D)
VA-10: Jennifer Wexton (D) over Rep. Barbara Comstock (R)
WA-3: Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) over Carolyn Long (D)
WA-5: Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) over Lisa Brown (D)
WA-8 (open seat) Kim Schrier (D) over Dino Rossi (R)
WV-3 (open seat) Carol Miller (R) over Richard Ojeda (D)
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.
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