Wednesday's video: Debate and fact checking, Political rhetoric and more

Governor Abbott looking to derail "el tren"

 

Governor Abbott looking to derail "el tren" - American Thinker https://t.co/ViOpGyCcRx

— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) September 18, 2024

 They call it "El tren de Aragua" or literally the train of Aragua, a region of Venezuela. And they've turned into a multinational crime organization. You may have heard about them in the stories of apartments in Aurora or New York City. There are also allegations of killing people and fentanyl distribution. In other words, they’ve gotten around.

Enter Texas. On Monday, Governor Greg Abbott made an announcement in Texas:

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced the state is going to target a Venezuelan gang that he said was notorious for brutal violence and murder and posed a threat to Texans’ safety.

Well done, Governor. Good to see that someone is taking the matter of crime seriously in the country.

I'm curious if the Biden DoJ will challenge Texas' authority to jump into international crime. My guess is that Texas would win in the Supreme Court, but who knows when that happens.

The larger point is that this organization has literally walked into the country thanks to open border. "Tren" has also benefitted from operating in Democrat jurisdictions where they have not met anything like what Governor Abbott will unleash in Texas.

Last, but not least, we are watching Governor Abbott lead, a rare talent these days in the political class.

P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.

 

Happy # 84 Frankie Avalon

We say happy birthday to Frankie Avalon, one of the greatest teen idols of all time.   He was born in Philadelphia on this day in 1940.   His big hit was “Venus” and then he made a bunch of movies with Annette Funicello.   Great talent and loves cooking too.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

1960: A visitor to the UN became an issue in the presidential election

(My new American Thinker post)
A post from 2016......

President Obama, and other world leaders, will be making their visits and speaking before the UN.     

In 2007, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela came and caused quite a controversy calling President Bush ‘the devil”. Not long ago, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the leader of Iran came to New York and said some rather bizarre things.

By mid-September 1960, the Nixon-Kennedy campaign was underway. Everyone was talking about the debates around the corner. And both candidates were talking about a visitor to the UN.  

Cuba’s Fidel Castro arrived in New York on September 18, 1960:

“In September 1960, Castro led a delegation to New York City to address the United Nations General Assembly. He and his entourage caused an immediate sensation by deciding to stay at the Theresa Hotel in Harlem. While there, Castro met with a number of African-American leaders, including Malcolm X from the Nation of Islam and the poet Langston Hughes.

On September 26, Castro delivered a blistering attack on what he termed American “aggression” and “imperialism.”

For over four hours, Castro lambasted U.S. policy toward Cuba and other nations in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. The United States, he declared, had “decreed the destruction” of his revolutionary government.

Castro’s visit and lengthy public denunciation marked the final breaking point in relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

In January 1961, the Eisenhower administration severed all diplomatic relations with Cuba.”

Cuba also became a hot topic in the Kennedy-Nixon debates. Kennedy took a very tough posture toward Castro and criticized the Eisenhower policy. I recall that my parents, and many Cubans, followed these debates with keen interest. Cuba had never seen such an important issue in a U.S. presidential election.

Unfortunately, President Kennedy did not support the men of Brigade 2506 at the Bay of Pigs. It turned into a huge victory for the Castro regime and the invasion was followed by severe repression against anti-Castro Cubans on the island.

The Missile Crisis followed 18 months later!

My guess is that no one years ago thought that the bearded Cuban would become such a headache for the winner of the election.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

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Castro arrived in New York in the middle of the 1960 presidential election

Fidel Castro arrived in New York on this day in 1960.    

Castro delivered a long speech at the UN focusing on US "aggression" and "imperialism." 

A few months later, or January 1961, the Eisenhower administration broke diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Cuba also became a hot topic in the Kennedy-Nixon debates.  Kennedy took a very tough posture toward Castro.   

Unfortunately, President Kennedy did not support the men of Brigade 2506 at The Bay of Pigs.  It turned into a huge victory for the Castro regime and the invasion was followed by severe repression against anti-Castro Cubans in the island.  The Missile Crisis followed 18 months later!

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

1960: A visitor to the UN became an issue in the presidential election

By mid-September 1960, the Nixon-Kennedy presidential campaign was underway but everyone was talking about a certain visitor to the UN.   

Fidel Castro turned the visit to the UN into a first-rate show.  First , he stayed at the Theresa Hotel in Harlem and met with Malcolm X from the Nation of Islam and the poet Langston Hughes.      Then he spoke for almost four hours and delivered an attack on US “aggression” and “imperialism”.

Cuba also became a hot topic in the Kennedy-Nixon debates.   Senator Kennedy took a very tough posture toward Castro and criticized the Eisenhower policy.  VP Nixon, on the other hand, could not reveal existing plans.  I recall that my parents, and many Cubans, followed these debates with keen interest. Cuba had never seen such an important issue in a U.S. presidential election.  

Unfortunately, President Kennedy did not support the men of Brigade 2506 at the Bay of Pigs.  It turned into a huge victory for the Castro regime and the invasion was followed by severe repression against anti-Castro Cubans on the island.   (My father’s cousin was arrested at that time)  

The Missile Crisis followed 18 months later and you know the rest of the story.

My guess is that no one years ago thought that the bearded Cuban would become such a headache for the winner of the election.  

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

Happy # 65 Ryne Sandberg

We say happy birthday to Ryne Sandberg, one of the very best players of the last 50 years.   He was born in Spokane, Washington, on this day in 1959.

Ryan broke with the Phillies in 1981 but was traded to the Cubs in the off season.    He spent the next 16 years in Chicago:    .285, 2,306 hits, 282 HR & 1,061 RBI over 2,164 games.    

In 1984, Sandberg was the NL MVP leading to the Cubs to the post season.    He was elected to The Hall of Fame in 2005.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

Happy Chile Independence day

Our friends down in Chile will enjoy another anniversary of their independence in 1810.  

Cheers to Chile.  You've earned this day of celebration. 

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

September 1967 and the last 'old school' pennant race

(My new American Thinker post)

By September 1967, our family was settling in Wisconsin and figuring out that it got very cold in November.  As my late mother used to joke, the snow and the freezing temperatures didn't feel so cold on the movie screens of her little town in Cuba.  She and her sister were paying more attention to Ginger Rogers's hairstyles and wardrobe than the snow in the scenes.  Honestly, leaving the tropical climate of Cuba and moving to the U.S. was probably the last thought in her head.

We fell in love with the Minnesota Twins for three reasons.  First, they four had Cuban players.  Second, we could pick up the games from a central Wisconsin FM station that came in really clear on my father's Telefunken radio.  And third, the Braves had left Wisconsin, so we had to look out of state for a team to follow.  The Twins became our team with perennial All Star and now Hall-of-Famer Tony Oliva, ex-MVP Zoilo Versalles, outfielder Sandy Valdespino, and back-up catcher Hank Izquierdo.

It was 1967, and there were two leagues.  So the A.L. and the N.L. champs met in the World Series.  No LCS or wild cards.  Just two teams playing in October.  Fair or unfair, but a lot of great teams didn't get to play in the post-season.

As the season was counting down, there were four teams in contention for the A.L. pennant after 158 games or the last weekend of the season.  They were Boston, Minnesota, Detroit, and Chicago.

What an amazing pennant race, as you can read in this article by Tim Wendel:

With two weeks left in the 1967 season, the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Minnesota Twins were tied for first place in the American League, with the Chicago White Sox a half-game back.

Through the years, baseball has enjoyed plenty of memorable pennant chases and epic finishes. Back in August of 1948, four teams—the Yankees, Indians, Red Sox, and Athletics—were in a virtual tie for the lead.

Eleven years later, the Dodgers, Giants, and Braves battled to the end, with Los Angeles winning a best-of-three playoff.

All great moments, but they cannot surpass 1967, which baseball historian Rob Neyer calls the "best four-team race in major-league history."

As Mr. Wendel explains, most experts had picked the Orioles to repeat as A.L. champs.  Unfortunately, the O's had injuries and never got going.

Chicago was eliminated Friday night.  Detroit was eliminated on Sunday.

It came down to game #162 between Boston and Minnesota.  The Red Sox won, and they went on to the World Series.

It was very exciting, and I remember watching the last two games between Boston and Minnesota on TV.  Our hearts were with the Twins, who lost to Boston.  Carl Yastrzemski had one of the most unbelievable Septembers in history:

In the final fifteen games of the season, Yaz batted an incredible .491 (27-for-55) with five homers and 18 RBIs, not only locking up his Triple Crown and MVP, but also guaranteeing the Red Sox would play in the postseason. It seemed that the more clutch the situation, the better Yaz played, as he performed even more spectacularly in the final ten games of the season, hitting .541 (20-for-37) with four home runs and 14 RBIs. And in the final six games, he hit .619 (13-for-21).

With two games left in the season, the Red Sox were a game behind the Twins with two to play against them. In those games, Yaz played the greatest games of his life, going 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs in the first game, helping the Sox win, 6-4, and 4-for-4 with a double and two RBIs in the final game of the season, helping the Sox win, 5-3. In all, he hit .875 (7-for-8) and knocked in six runs in the final two games of the season.

Again, my brother and I saw it on TV.  I hated Yaz with the kind of youthful hate that only a baseball fan can understand.  The season was over, and it was time to watch Bart Starr lead the Packers to a Super Bowl win.  I felt a lot better with that result.

Let me leave you with this note: Boston beat the Twins, and the game lasted 2 hours and 25 minutes.  Who thinks that MLB needs a pitch clock?  Just play baseball as we used know it.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

September 1964: Memories of The Beatles in Dallas

Back in 2014, we remembered the 50th anniversary of "Beatlemania" in the US and Dallas was no exception.

On September 18, 1964, The Beatles played in Dallas, as Robert Willonski reports in The Dallas Morning News:

"Jan Howes, who was 10 at the time but already deeply in love with The Beatles, did not see the band when it played Dallas on Sept. 18, 1964, but her father did.It was, after all, his job: John Mazziotta was chief photographer at the Dallas Times Herald, assigned to cover John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr from Love Field arrival to Memorial Auditorium blastoff."

Mr Mazziotta's photos will go on auction soon and the world will get to see them!  It's a cool Dallas memory of the one and only visit by The Beatles to Dallas. 

In 2014, we spoke with Dave Michaels about The Beatles in Dallas and their influence on US radio.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.