A review of the baseball season so far!

We spoke with Paul Greco about the 2011 baseball season.  

We are roughly 54 games into the season, or one-third of the season.

So far, our pre-season predictions are holding out.

In the AL East, it's New York, Boston and Tampa Bay.  I still think that the "wild card" will come from this division.

In the AL Central, Cleveland is a huge surprise, specially their .620 winning pct.  Chicago and Minnesota are huge disappointments.  I do expect that the Indians will come down and it will be a lot more exciting in September.   

In the AL West, we predicted a competitive division and that's about right.  Texas is in first place but this is going down to the last weekend of the season.

Over in the NL East, Philadelphia will win 100 games but Florida and Atlanta can not be underestimated.

In the NL Central, St. Louis leads but I expect Milwaukee to pass them in the 2nd half.

In the NL West, I expected a lot better play from Colorado.  I think that the Rockies will make it very exciting down the stretch.

My biggest AL surprise:  I did not predict that Bautisata of Toronto would hit 20 home runs by Memorial Day.

My biggest NL surprise:  I did not see Berkman of St Louis leading the NL with a .354 batting average.

Check out our chat with Paul Greco:

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Congratulations to the Texas A&M baseball team for winning The Big 12 tournament!

The Aggies were down 6-0 in the 3rd inning, came back, lost it agan and then won in the 10th inning:

"Senior Andrew Collazo ended a drama-filled title game at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Texas A&M Baseball team a 10-9 victory over Missouri."  

It was a crazy game, specially for those of us trying to keep up with the score! 

The Aggies will now move on to the NCAA regionals and try to get to Omaha!

Congratulations to the Aggies and we wish them well in the next round!

This is a video from the post game celebration:

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Sec Gates's farewell message is correct!

Sec Gates is leaving soon.  We will miss him a lot.  He was a great Sec of Defense for Pres Bush and then Pres BO.

Sec Gates has a great message for all of us:  

"America can be a superpower or a welfare state, but not both."  (WSJ)

Sec Gates is right.  We can not be the superpower that defends democracy or defends our interests around the world unless we wrestle out of control spending.  

We are either a military superpower or will turn into another European nation that can not defend itself.

We are facing a critical choice:  Do we cut entitlements or do we cut military expenditures?

We need to cut or reform entitlements for another reason.  We won't be a prosperous nation if we run deficits of 10% of GDP.

Listen to Sec Gates.  I have a feeling that Sec Gates's farewell will be one that we wil remember for years.

We spoke a bit about Sec Gates on Sunday night with Bill Katz:

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Are you surprised that Pres BO has so little support from veterans?

This is a remarkable Gallup poll, specially since Pres BO is the commander in chief of our armed forces:

"U.S. military veterans and those currently on active military duty are less likely to approve of President Obama's job performance than are Americans of comparable ages who are not in the military."

Again, this is amazing!

Why the difference between the general public and those who've served in the military?

It starts with the reality that veterans are very proud of US and military traditions.  I think that most veterans think that Pres BO's "America" is a bit different from their "America".

Second, Pres BO said a lot of silly things during the campaign to appease the party's left wing base.  For example, his calls to close GITMO or give terrorist civilian trials did not fly well with veterans.

Third, Pres BO's investigation of CIA personnel that protected the country is another one of those issues that separates Pres BO from all of those who've worn the uniform.

It's a bad thing when the commander-in-chief has lower approval from veterans than the population as a whole.

Check out some of our recent shows:

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We remember many on Memorial Day!

We take a minute from blogging and political opinions to remember all of the heroes on Memorial Day.

Over the years, we've heard many messages on Memorial Day.  I like this one from Pres Bush in 2003:

"On Memorial Day, Americans place flags on military graves, walk past a wall of black granite in Washington, D.C., and many families think of a face and voice they miss so much. 

Today, we honor the men and women who have worn the nation's uniform and were last seen on duty. 

From the battles of Iraq and Afghanistan, to the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, to the trials of World War, to the struggles that made us a nation, today we recall that liberty is always the achievement of courage."

Happy Memorial Day and remember the real meaning of this "day off" from work!

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The Sunday night chat with Bill Katz of Urgent Agenda

We spoke with Bill Katz of Urgent Agenda.  

Our agenda included the situation in Libya, the Arab spring and "the media in the tank" for Pres Obama.

Click here for the show:

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Move over William & Kate! We have Tony & Candice in Dallas!

Tony Romo and Candice Crawford got married yesterday.   

It wasn't a royal wedding but it did get a lot of attention around here.

We wish Tony and Candice a wonderful life and let's hope that they give us a lot of little "cowboys and cowgirls" to enjoy.

We call on Candice to get Tony ready for the season that hopefully will start in September.

Yesterday, Beatriz and I attended a very nice wedding at our church.  Maria and Nathan, a very nice  young couple, were also married yesterday.  

I was reminded of this song because of the bible reading during the mass.

We dedicate the song to Tony & Candice PLUS Nathan & Maria.  This is Paul, of the legendary Peter Paul & Mary, singing "The wedding song":

"He is now to be among you at the calling of your hearts

Rest assured this troubador is acting on His part.

The union of your spirits, here, has caused Him to remain

For whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name

There is Love. There is Love.

Well a man shall leave his mother and a woman leave her home

And they shall travel on to where the two shall be as one.

As it was in the beginning is now and until the end

Woman draws her life from man and gives it back again.

And there is Love. There is Love.

Well then what's to be the reason for becoming man and wife?

Is it Love that brings you here or Love that brings you life?

Or if loving is the answer, then who's the giving for?

Do you believe in something that you've never seen before?

Oh there's Love, there is Love.

Oh the marriage of your spirits here has caused Him to remain

For whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name

There is Love. Oh there's Love...."

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Welcome to the first weekend of summer!

We know that summer officially starts in a few weeks.  However, Memorial Day weekend has always been the unofficial start of summer!

Who recorded the best summer songs ever?  My vote is The Beach Boys.  It's always hard to pick a favorite but "California Girls" always puts me in a summer or beach mood:

"Well East coast girls are hip I really dig those styles they wear
And the Southern girls with the way they talk 
They knock me out when I'm down there

The Mid-West farmer's daughters really make you feel alright
And the Northern girls with the way they kiss
They keep their boyfriends warm at night

I wish they all could be California I wish they all could be California
I wish they all could be California girls

The West coast has the sunshine And the girls all get so tanned
I dig a french bikini on Hawaii island Dolls by a palm tree in the sand

I been all around this great big world And I seen all kinds of girls
Yeah, but I couldn't wait to get back in the states
Back to the cutest girls in the world

I wish they all could be California I wish they all could be California
I wish they all could be California girls..."

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Come in Rudy Giuliani!

We just heard that Rudy Giuliani is thinking about running for president.  

We also learned that he tops all GOP candidates in a new CNN poll.   Actually, Rudy-G is at 16% and Romney at 15%, or a virtual tie.

Rudy Giuliani has been one of my heroes since 9-11.  he showed tremendous leadership that day and after.

He also turned around NY City.  Just ask anyone who lives in NY City.

On the negative side, Rudy-G has personal issues and his positions on abortion and same-sex marriage are outside the GOP mainstream.

As I posted in '08, I'd voted for Giuliani because he is a leader.  He is also a fiscal conservative and correct on national security issues. 

Don't we need a leader today?  Just look at Pres BO's lack of leadership on budget issues!

It's a long shot but I'm happy that Rudy-G is thinking about it.  We need more people and more debate.   Check out Saturday's show:

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Yes, it's great to have Gov Perry run for president!

We got great news today that Gov Perry of Texas may run for president:  Perry says he will consider White House run

We need a lot of good candidates, debates, ideas and then unity after the convention.

Gov Perry brings very special qualities to the race:

1) He will win the Texas primary and that's a chunk of votes;

2) He is the "anti-Obama" from the most "anti-Obama state" in the union; and

3) He is a passionate supporter of states' rights and pushing back the unwise expansion of the federal government under Pres BO.

Beyond that, he also represents Texas, the best economy in North America:  Texas adds 732,800 jobs in 10 years; no other state tops 100,000

Why is Texas growing and Pres BO's Illinois isn't? 

Why do we see so many NY license plates in Texas? (NY May Bid Farewell to 36% of Young Residents)

To be fair, Gov Perry did not create the pro-business climate by himself.  You can credit Gov Bush and both Dems and Republicans in Texas. 

Let's give credit to Texas Dems, too.  Unlike Pres BO, Rep Pelosi and other national Dems,  our version of the Dem party understands that businesses create jobs and should not be taxed or regulated to death.  (Are you listening BO?)

Gov Perry has also been a critic of Pres BO's indifference toward the US-Mexico border.  He understands the border, and the importance of trade with Mexico, a lot better than Pres BO.

Last, but not least, Texas is another "right to work" state in the South.  In Texas, employers do not have to deal with the out of control public and private sector unions killing much of the North and Midwest.

Yes, bring Gov Perry into the presidential race!.  I guarantee that he will make it interesting.  Check out Saturday show:

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On my birthday, I say thanks for a wonderful wife, sons, parents, family and nice friends!

(This is a great picture after football practice many years ago.  My late cousin Landi to the left, my brother Joaquin in the middle and yours truly to the right.)

Thank you for all of your birthday messages.  

As I get older, birthdays are more about appreciating your family and a lot less about gifts or material things.

My wife and sons have made my life so complete.  My parents sacrificed everything so that we'd grow up in a free country.  My family has always supported me.  And my friends are also very important!

Thanks to all.

P.S. There are two great things about being born on May 27th:

1) Your birthday is often a 3-day weekend because of Memorial Day; and,

2) You share a birthday with Henry Kissinger and Hubert Humphrey. 

Click here for today's show:

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Congratulations to Dirk & Mavs! Good luck in the NBA Finals!

On Wednesday, the Mavericks gave the fans something to cheer about.  They had back-to-back victories and put the younger Oklahoma team away.

I am very happy for Dirk Nowitzki, one of the best players in the NBA.  He had to endure all of those years of post-season disappointment. 

I am also happy for Mark Cuban, who has done his best to take care of the local fans.

The good news is that they won.  The bad news is that they will play Miami.

Go Mavs!  Undo 2006 and win one against Miami!

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Will Pres BO & Dems ever present a budget to debate and vote for or against?

Yesterday, the US Senate (53-47 Dem majority) voted down the Ryan budget.  

A few minutes later, they voted down the Obama budget, 97-0.

So where are we? We are now in the 3rd year of living without budgets. 

I agree with Power Line:

"The Democratic Senate has not come up with a budget in two years, thereby violating federal law. 

President Obama has not proposed a replacement for his laughable FY 2012 budget, which not a single member of Congress is willing to support. 

The Democrats have no budget; no plan; no path out of the fiscal disaster into which they have led the United States. 

They are bystanders and political opportunists, utterly unfit to govern."

Let me add this.  We have a president who is not willing to call in the congressional leadership and tell them to pass a budget, make the tough class and govern. 

They are a disgrace.  Or should I say: They are Democrats!

P.S. Check out some of our recent shows:

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Arizona wins in The Supreme Court: A common sense decision!

In a perfect world, the federal government would protect our borders and actually enforce immigration laws.

However, we live in "BO's world".   

On Thursday, the Supreme Court said "yes" to an Arizona law going after employers who hire illegal immigrants:

"In the 5-3 ruling the majority said that while federal law says the national government can’t make electronic checks of employees’ work-eligibility mandatory, the law does not bar states from doing so. 

And since Arizona’s law deals with business licensing — an area states are allowed to control — it does not impinge on the federal government." (WashTimes)

This is a sensible decision, specially in light of the Obama administration's total disregard for the situation on the border.

Arizona, like Texas, has been left alone to deal with illegal immigration and the cartels who walk over with AK-47s!  Also, the states are the ones who end up paying for the social services and the additional police expenses.  

A big win for common sense!  

We will wait for the next big decision regarding the more controversial Arizona law.  However, today's decision suggests that 5, or a majority, of the Court is open to granting more flexibility to the states on matters of immigration.

P.S. Check out our chat with Mario Yngerto and Israel Ortega: 

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Another update on that stimulus that did not stimulate!

Welcome to the real world:  The Obama Stimulus of 2009 did not stimulate anything, or precisely what so many economists said when it passed about 27 months ago.

Today, we got some bad news about the US economy:

"New claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly climbed to 424,000 last week from a revised 414,000 in the prior week, pointing to a painfully slow improvement in the nation's job markets."  (FOX)

And there is more:

"Last week marked the seventh straight week in which claims topped the 400,000 level, indicating that payroll growth is soft and may continue to be so for some time. 

A department official said there were no exceptional factors to account for the rise in last week's claims."

Sorry but this is an embarrassment for the Obama administration.  Who is going to get fired for this embarrassment?

And there is more:

"Real gross domestic product — the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States — increased at an annual rate of 1.8 percent in the first quarter of 2011, (that is, from the fourth quarter to the first quarter), according to the “second” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  

In the fourth quarter, real GDP increased 3.1 percent." (via EdM of Hot Air)

Again, this is another embarrassment.  Our GDP growth went down to 1.8%!

So who is going to get fired over this?

We put a plan in place in March 2009 and it promised to keep unemployment under 8%. 

Instead, we have 9% unemployment, a very sluggish economy and more people are filing for unemployment claims! 

We can't fire Pres BO until Nov '12.  However, will we see Pres BO fire his economic team and replace it with people who actually understand how a capitalistic economy works?  

Or people who have actually created jobs rather than organize communities? 

We need some leadership rather than another "I killed Bin Laden" speech or more "pandering to mexicanos" like we saw in El Paso!

Check out our interview with Mario Yngerto, DFW businessman, and Israel Ortega of The Heritage Foundation:

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Happy # 24 to #1 son!

This is our Texas son cheering the Rangers at Yankee Stadium during the ALCS.  A week later, he was cheering the Cowboys against the Giants.  

I guess that he always puts Texas first and that's great!

We send a very happy birthday greeting to Silvio, our oldest son.  He is currently living in NY City until July.

Silvio graduated from Texas A&M in '09, accepted a job as a financial analyst and will return to Texas in July to work in the Houston office.

We are proud of him.  He is doing well.  Yet, it does not seem that long ago that he was the shortstop on the local little league team.

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The lesson of NY-26 is that 3rd parties often elect Dems

Yes, the Dems picked up a seat last night that we had no business losing.

Yet, we fumbled! 

We did because a 3rd candidate divided the conservative majority.

Mr. Davis, the 3rd party candidate and Tea Party "pretender", beat up NAFTA and other free trade deals. He blamed these deals for job losses and the economic decline of New York.

Unfortunately, no one blamed New York's "high taxes" and "regulatory climate" for driving businesses out of the state.

They should have read Why New York's future is fleeing

"For one thing, according to a recent survey in Chief Executive, our state has the second-worst business climate in the country. (Only California ranks lower.) People go where the jobs are, so when a state repels businesses, it repels residents, too."

Where was the GOP candidate? Why didn't we fight Mr Davis's demagoguery on "free trade" or the Dems' lies about Medicare?

Losing NY-26 won't change Congress or mean that much. After all, the new Dem representative will find that she must vote in a district that voted 52% against her.

What's the lesson? We need GOP candidates who defend free trade and fight back when Dems engage in Medicare demagoguery.

P.S. Click here for my thoughts on NY-26:

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What about Romney-Rubio in 2012?

Four years ago, I called for a McCain-Romney ticket?  It did not happen when Sen McCain picked Gov Palin.

Today, I call for a Romney-Rubio GOP ticket in 2012.

Gov Romney is the strongest and most qualified of all GOP candidates.  He brings a rare combination of public and private sector experience.  He is also capable of appealing to independents who are focused on the economy, and specially the debt crisis. 

And he looks very presidential!

Sen Rubio is the most interesting politician in the GOP.  He will deliver Florida, the 3rd largest state.  He will energize the base like Gov Palin did in '08.  He will appeal to Hispanics disenchanted with "hope and change". 

Rubio's tribute to his Cuban parents, and their love for freedom, is one of the best political speeches ever delivered.  It is effective because it comes from the heart and touches millions of us who are immigrants.

Romney-Rubio sounds like a very good ticket to me.

I should add that Gov Tim Pawlenty is also a very talented candidate.  He will win Minnesota and put Wisconsin plus Iowa in play. 

The wild card could be Gov Perry of Texas.  He will run an anti-Washington campaign and speak about Texas's economic performance.

Click here for our chat with Jason Villalba, DFW Hispanic leader.  We discussed the 2012 GOP field:

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Why is FOX News # 1 in ratings and confidence?

Suffolk University in Boston has a very interesting new poll about the media and public trust.  

Frankly, it is going to shock those who've been peddling (or drinking) the nonsense that FOX News is some right wing organization.

First, you can read the entire poll here.

Like most polls, it is long and tedious.  

So let me summarize it for you:  The viewing audience trusts FOX a lot (a lot) more than their competitors.

Here are the numbers:  28% trust Fox News the most, CNN is 2nd with 18%, NBC is at 10% and the rest are in single digits.  

This is not good, specially if you in the business of selling prime time advertising.

Beyond the business factor, this is a terrible news for the US media.  

Why are people watching and trusting FOX News?  Let me tell you why I watch FOX News:

1) Debates.  Yes, you will actually hear a lot of liberals on FOX News.  Watch the weekend or daytime news coverage and you will see lots of liberal vs conservative debates.  

The liberals are represented by strong personalities like Juan Williams, Allan Colmes, Susan Estrich, Prof Hill and others.  They speak passionately for their side and the debates are often heated but fascinating.

2) Aggressive journalism: Yes, FOX News is asking the tough questions, specially the tough questions that the "media in the tank for Obama" is not asking.

For example, FOX News is actually covering the "BO-Care waivers", one of the most obnoxious abuses of power in recent memory.

3) Interesting programs, such as O'Reilly or Greta.  I should add that O'Reilly was selected as the most trusted media personality in the poll.

This is not a shock to me because O'Reilly hits both sides very hard. 

I am not surprised that FOX News is leading the way. 

P.S. We discussed this on the Tuesday show:

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Israel & Hamas agree: Pres BO's speech stinks!

It took many years but Hamas & Israel finally agree on something.  They have publicly said that Pres BO's "1967 border speech" makes no sense! 

In fact, Hamas wants more, according to a story in The Jerusalem Post:

"Hamas leader says 1967 borders not enough, asks Obama why he wouldn't be willing to discuss 1948 borders."

Why not 1948?  Let's have Pres BO give another speech when he gets back from Europe.  He is over there trying to get the Europeans to send troops to Afghanistan!

Once again, we repeat that Hamas does not want peace.  They want the destruction of Israel.

We support (once again) Israel's right to defend itself against terrorists who blow up buses and fire missiles at little children.

We regret that so many people who voted for "change" did not take the time to learn a bit more about candidate BO, or the man raised by a minister who belted anti-Jewish sermons frequently.

We agree with Bret Stephens's column:  An Anti-Israel President

We like Ed Koch, a Dem who voted for Pres Bush in 2004 because he did not think that the Dem party was serious about fighting terrorism.  It looks like Mr Koch will vote GOP again. 

He just posted two correct attacks on Pres BO:  Obama´s Hostility to Israel Continues 

We don't know what led Pres BO to throw Israel under the bus. 

I don't know but he made peace a lot harder to achieve in the region.

P.S. We spoke about Pres BO's speech with Frank Burke:

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PM Netanyahu is right: Israel is NOT the problem!

PM Netanyahu spoke before the US Congress today.  I have never seen a foreign leader get a reception like this.  

He was cheered and given standing ovations several times.  

He was polite but clearly rejected Pres BO's "1967 border" statement. 

Based on the Congressional reaction, I think that our Congress rejected it too. 

PM Netanyahu's address reminds us of certain realities:

Israel is not the problem.  It is the only democracy in the region.  It respects women's rights and it does not fire missiles at its neighbors.  

P.S. Frank Burke discussed Pres BO's speech today.  Click here for our Tuesday show:

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Frank Burke on Dylan, the GOP field and a few other things

We spoke with Frank Burke about the 2012 GOP field and Bob Dylan's 70th birthday.

Click here for Tuesday's show:

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