Bold Predictions for 2019 Michigan Football: 13-1 or 14-1!!! 50 Years After Bo

Michigan’s football season begins August 31 at home against Middle Tennessee State. Enough about that for now. Let’s go back 50 years to November 22, 1969. The arrogant, brutish, cocky Ohio State Buckeyes came to Michigan Stadium. They were the returning national champions, having defeated USC and O.J in the Rose Bowl. They were on a 22 game winning streak. Some were calling them the greatest college football team of all team. They had destroyed Michigan 50-14 in 1968. They poured salt into open wounds near the end of the game when the Buckeyes scored a touchdown and then went for a two point conversion. Coach Woodrow Wilson Hayes, when asked why he want for 2, replied, “Because I couldn’t go for 3.” Michigan football was in the pits. The glory days of Fielding Yost and Fritz Crisler were ancient history. Michigan Stadium was far from selling out. Coach Bump Elliott was fired. Don Canham, the athletic director, hired Glenn “Bo’ Schembechler from Miami of Ohio as the new coach. The anguish cry went out: “Bo Who?” Bo whipped the returning players in shape. Many dropped out. Bo posted the famous sign: “Those who stay will be champions.” He also painted a sign on the floor as they entered practice. It was OSU 50, Michigan 14. The players had to daily walk on it. Michigan started out 3-2. Oh No, more of the same with Bo. The Wolverines jelled, caught fire and ran the string. And yet, they were penciled in as the next human sacrifices for the Mighty Buckeyes. I was not at the game. I was in my last year of law school at the University of San Francisco, working Saturday morning, got back at halftime. The score was 24-12 Michigan. What! 24-12 Michigan. Someone forgot to tell Bo, also known as “Little Woody,” the Michigan players, and the 103,588 fans that Michigan was supposed to roll over for the greatest team of all time. The final score was 24-12. Little did I know on November 22, 1969 that 9 months later on August 28, 1970 that I would arrive in Ann Arbor as a graduate student/ Michigan out-toughed TOSU. The vaunted Buckeyes offense committed 6 interceptions and one fumble. Bo was no longer Bo Who? November 22, 1969 restored Michigan football to the pinnacle of Big Ten football. Bo went 5-4-1 against his mentor. The UM-OSU seesaw went back and forth between Michigan and Ohio State with Michigan going 10-2-1 against John Cooper, who was fired on 2000 for consistently losing to Michigan. Jim Tressel was hired as the Buckeye’s coach, and begin Ohio State’s mastery of Michigan. Michigan only won one game against Ohio State from 2001 to the present. Michigan’s sole victory was in 2001 against a scandal ridden depleted, demoralized Ohio State team. Even then Michigan had to hold on to a 34-28 victory. A W is a W. Urban Meyer was then hired as TOSU’s coach and went 7-0 against Michigan. Some games close – some blowouts Last year was a blowout Short slants over the middle Little pressure from defensive line September 1, 2007 marked the collapse of Michigan football. The pre-season 5th rank Wolverines lost at home 34-32 to Appalachian State as their few fans in attendance yelled: “It’s great to be a Mountaineer.” Lloyd Carr resigned as coach at the end of the season, defeating Florida in the 38-30 in the Outback Bowl. Lloyd retired a winner. The decision was made to hire an inventive coach with a vastly different non-smash mouth football approach. Rich Rod was a master of the spread offense, which often bedeviled Michigan’s defense. The experiment was a disaster with Michigan only winning three games the first season and losing to Toledo. Rich Rodriquez was Three and Done, to be replaced by Brady Hoke. Coach Hoke’s first year was great. Michigan went 11-2 defeating Ohio State and then Virginia Tech in the Bowl. Michigan was back. Or not! Brady was Four and Done as each season was progressively worse. The really nice guy was too soft on the players. Then came Jim Harbaugh 4 years ago. He’s gone 38-14 in four years with three 10 game winning seasons. The Michigan family has been patient, but have higher expectations. Michigan is on the cusp of college football greatness. I predict this is the year. Michigan will sweep the regular season, defeating Notre Dame, Michigan State, and Ohio state at home as well as Penn State and Wisconsin on the road. This year’s team has purely Harbaugh recruits. The Wolverines will surmount their multiple problems since the Appalachian State debacle. The first is a consistently weak offensive line. There’s been good, and even great players, on the line, but never a consistently great line. They have been unable to play Jim Harbaugh’s power game, smash mouth, which he was able to do at Stanford. The result has been quarterbacks and running backs banged up by the Ohio State game. On a couple of occasions the fleet, elusive Denard Robinson was physically unable to pass. That also happened with Devin Gardner. The result was that Ohio State would defend against the run, ignoring the pass. This year’s line is said to be at the level of the offensive lines of a decade ago. A third problem was being unable to win on the road, especially against powers such Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin. Harbaugh’s Wolverines have shown they can defeat the Spartans in East Lansing. This is the year to step up on the road at Penn State and Wisconsin. A fourth problem is a constant change of systems, especially on defense. Stability has set in on the defense. Michigan has a new offense this year – much more wide open than in the past. The quarterbacks and wide receivers love it. One of the problems Michigan faces in the big game is that Ohio State knows it will win. Michigan hopes it will win. The Wolverines can only get back the swagger that wins close games by defeating by defeating the Buckeyes, not to mention Notre Dame in the same year. This is the year. Ryan Day is the new head coach of TOSU. He was last year’s offensive coordinator who created the game plan that was devastating to Michigan’s vaunted defense. Michigan’s defensive coordinator, Don Brown, learns from defeat. He will not be defeated the same way twice, and usually not once. Michigan will be prepared for the Buckeyes. Michigan will never fully be back until they defeat Ohio State – not just once, but regularly. This is the year they begin the process. Why this year? Because I’m sick of saying “Wait Till Next year.”

Today's Democratic Candidates for President Lack the Political Genius and Good Fortune of President Obama

Today’s Presidential Democratic candidates are trying to reunite the Obama Coalition based on identity politics. They failed to understand the political genius of President Obama. He ran an optimistic campaign. He understood Americans like to vote for a positive, reassuring candidate. His campaign was the positive, “Hope and Change,” without being too specific. Senator Joe Biden in his usual transparency gaffes said of Senator Obama during the 2008 campaign He is “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.” Senator Biden was right. Senator Obama did not come across as an angry, radical, flame throwing firebrand. The future President was moderate, reassuring, non-threatening. He knew the American public was not yet ready for gay marriage or government run healthcare. He knew America did not want a black power candidate. He projected a campaign of unity. He was not going to express his anti-Jewish, anti-Netanyahu bias. He had been careful over the years not to leave a paper trail. He voted present 129 times, often on sensitive issues, as a state senator. Professor, now Supreme Court Justice, Elena Kagan recruited Obama to the University of Chicago Law School. The young lawyer would only accept a contract position rather than a tenure track position because as a tenure track professor he would have to publish articles that might haunt later in political campaigns. He subordinated his radical views of socialized medicine, gay marriage, liberation politics, disdain of the police and military, and his view of America as an oppressor nation. He disavowed The Reverend Jeremiah Wright even though he sat in the pews for 20 years soaking up liberation theology. The future President was moderate, reassuring, non-threatening. He knew the American public was not yet ready for gay marriage or government run healthcare. He knew America did not want a black power candidate. He projected a campaign of unity. He was not going to express his anti-Jewish, anti-Netanyahu bias. President Obama’s concealed views are not unusual. President Lyndon Baines Johnson as a Representative and Senator from Texas was a segregationist. He befriended the rabid Senate segregationists. They thought he was one of them. Yet, LBJ never forgot growing up poor. He never forgot the students he taught at age 20. Welhausen School in Cotulla, Texas 69 miles from Mexico was a segregated school for the children of Mexican American farmers. LBJ was saddened they wouldn’t be going to college because of their poverty. LBJ never forgot. President Johnson got the Civil Rights Act of 1964 enacted followed the next year by the Voting Rights Act. Both Presidents Johnson and Obama dropped their masks when they were in a position to act as President of the United States. Voters don’t like gloom and doom politicians. Not today’s Democrats. They are spewing out hatred, yelling racist and white privilege at President Trump’s supporters and whites in general. Let me summarize their campaign themes: America has never been great, but has always been racist. Today’s Democratic candidates, preaching the politics of identity, are vengeful apostles of hate. They espouse hatred of America. Even the white candidates are ashamed of their whiteness in a field that despises white privilege. That’s not the way to the white vote, which is still a majority, albeit shrinking majority. They are campaigning on Medicare for All, meaning you lose your doctors, health insurance and hospitals. Most are arguing for reparations for the descendants of slaves. Senator Elizabeth “Pocahontas” Warren, who passed herself off as an affirmative action Native American is seeking amends by promising them everything. She has a plan and freebies for everyone. The Democrats also don’t understand Senator Obama won the Iowa Caucuses because the community organizer out-organized the over-confident Senator Hillary Clinton. The American people took a hard and close look at the junior senator from Illinois once he won Iowa. They liked what they saw and heard. President Obama spoke in warm tones with the voice and cadence of great African American ministers. It was a wow moment, and yet when you looked at the substance of his talks, there was often, to use Gertrude Stein’s famous line, “there is no there, there.” President Obama was lucky throughout his political rise. He won the Democratic nomination for the Senate in the 2004 primary. His Republican opponent, Jack Ryan, was a successful businessman and popular politician. Barack undoubtedly would have won, but a stroke of political lightning struck Jack Ryan. The Chicago Tribune and the local Chicago ABC TV station successfully petitioned a judge in Los Angeles to open the sealed Ryan divorce files. Jack’s ex-wife, Jeri, is an actress. She made the allegation that he had tried to coerce her into having public sex in New York City, New Orleans, and Paris. Are the allegations true? I don’t know. Some divorce lawyers are known to create fanciful allegations in divorce proceedings to improve their client’s position, but I don’t know. I know that Jack Ryan had to quickly drop out. Senator Obama defeated Alvin Keyes, Ryan’s replacement, in a landslide, 70%-27%. Senator Obama was on his way. He ran for President 4 years later. He was fortunate in timing. Any Democrats would have won the Presidency in 2008 because of the Great Recession and public displeasure with the war in Iraq. President Obama was immune from many of the vicious attacks on the president, any president because people were scared of being labeled a racist. A sycophantic media would have crucified any vicious criticism of President Obama by Republican office holders and candidates. The Democrat who limps to the nominated regardless of race or gender will lack President Obama’s immunity. Their campaign promises and statements will be hurled at them. Senator Obama would have won anyway, but he benefitted from the inept campaign of Senator John McCain. Governor Romney ran a poor campaign four years later. Not so next year with President Trump. The New York street fighter will run a no-holds barred campaign. President Obama needed 60 Democratic votes to break a filibuster. He was politically lucky in 2009. He had 60 Democratic Senators, including Senator Bernie Sanders, technically an independent, who caucused with the Democrats, because of a rare chain of events. Senator Arlen Spector (R. Pa.) converted to the Democrats. Al Franken defeated incumbent Senator Norm Coleman (R. Minn.) by 312 votes in a rigged recall, and Anchorage Mayor Paul Begich defeated incumbent Senator Ted Stevens (R Alaska) by 3,953 votes after Senator Stevens was convicted of federal corruption charges due to gross prosecutorial misconduct. Senator Stevens was belatedly vindicated. President Obama prioritized his legislative goals with 60 Senate votes to break through a filibuster. His priority was ObamaCare. He ignored the Dreamers. Identity politics, anti-Trump animus, and negativity will not win the 2020 election.

Hong Kong's Fate Was Settled on June 9, 1898!

An increasingly disruptive “uprising” is underway in Hong Kong. It will fail with increasingly sad results for the people of Hong Kong. The current disruption is by a shrinking, but violent, minority of the population. They temporarily won a victory with the withdrawal of the extradition proposal to China. That was almost two months ago; yet the increasingly violent protests continue. They are doomed to fail; indeed, they never had a chance. Their fate was sealed on June 30, 1897. They just didn’t know it. The British Empire was a mercantile empire based on free trade between the colonies. Much of the trade was sordid, especially the Slave Trade between Africa and the Americas. Just as corrupting was the shipment of opium to China. The Chinese rulers rebelled. The First Opium War ended with the Treaty of Nanking. Hong Kong was ceded to the British as a Crown Colony in perpetuity. The Second Opium War gave the British a perpetual lease on the Kowloon Peninsula. The British were not satisfied. They wanted more – a grant of the New Territories. China refused, granting the British a 100 year, rent-free lease on June 9, 1898. 100 years seemed like an eternity at the time. The New Territories comprise 86.2% of Hong Kong’s land and half its population. The British increasingly incorporated the New Territories into Hong Kong proper and its port. Hong Kong was one unit except for preexisting boundary lines. Hong Kong residents include refugees and their descendants who fled the Communist takeover of China. They are not looking forward to becoming part of China. Cantonese is the prevailing language of Hong Kong, but China mandated Mandarin become the official language. The Honk Kong population still resents that. The British were an occupying force, but they basically left the people alone, including the freedom to get rich. Their Hong Kong was a successful entrepot, along with Singapore. Singapore is independent. Hong Kong was never independent. 1997 was approaching with the New Territories leasehold coming to an end. The odds Beijing would renew it were ZERO. The odds that the United Kingdom had either the will or means to force a renewal were equally ZERO. The UK could in theory hold onto the original grant of the island and Kowloon Peninsula. But that was realistically impossible. Granting independence to that part of Hong Kong was also impossible. Singapore was an island onto itself. Hong Kong was not. England negotiated the best deal possible under the circumstances. China agreed to a one country, two systems policy, recognizing for 50 years the independent economic and political structure of Hong Kong. Hong Kong residents retained the British legal system, due process, freedom of speech, press, religion and the right to protest – none of which are available in China. Hong Kong has its own currency, culture and immigration and visa rules. It does not have true democracy, and will not – demonstrators not-withstanding. About half a million residents and billions in capital fled Hong Kong prior to the turnover. Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia were major beneficiaries of the flight. China has generally honored the agreement for the past 20 years, but has gradually increased its power over Hong Kong. The spark of the riots was a proposed extradition agreement to quickly extradite residents to China. The residents are resentful. They were never going to be independent. Even if the British had obtained a lease in perpetuity over the New Territories, they could not have held onto Hong Kong in perpetuity. Any modus vivendi with China would have given China effective control over Hong Kong. It was increasingly integrated into the Chinese and not British economy. Today’s Hong Kong rioters are accelerating the end of the One Country – Two Systems relationship. The Chinese have proven through millennia their patience. Beijing is showing patience, knowing it can outlast the dissidents. It can be subtle in exerting control, but it too can be pushed over the line. Democracy is not in the cards for Hong Kong.

The Charm of Baltimore, President Trump, Senator Sanders, Mayor Pugh, and Representative Elijah Cummings

Baltimore, The Charm City, was once one of America’s Greatest Cities; it has seen better days, but there’s much too highlight about the city: Johns Hopkins University and Medical School, among the best in the country and world; Camden Yards B&O Railroad Museum The National Aquarium The Inner Harbor Fort McHenry Fells Point U.S.S. Constellation Nancy Pelosi’s childhood home Little Italy Crab Cake Baltimore is often known today for the highest homicide rate among the largest cities, a major drug problem, high unemployment, rampant rats, and great inequality with a 22% unemployment rate. Baltimore’s population peaked at 905,787 in the 1950 Census. It’s been declining ever since. Today’s population is estimated at slightly over 602 thousand. Baltimore is a mini version of Detroit’s decline. America mostly forgot about Baltimore in recent decades as its economics situation declined. Baltimore was one of America’s great industrial cities. It is a city of both beauty and squalor. Americans learnt of Baltimore from two TV series and the tragic death of a prisoner: “Homicide: Life on the Street, and “The Wire.” Freddie Gray, after being transported in a police cruiser, died from trauma to his head while in the back of the cruiser. Riots ensued after the “alleged” act of police brutality. The public watched on national TV as parts of Baltimore, especially a CVS, burnt to the ground while police stood down. The order was given to stand down, but no one in authority admitted to it. Fire Fighters did not enter these areas without police protection, which was not provided. Six officers were indicted by an incompetent district attorney. None were found guilty or copped a plea. All are innocent in the law. Baltimore is a dysfunctional city with a high crime rate: 309 homicides in 2018, the fourth straight year with over 300 homicides; 185 homicides so far this year; 5 police commissioners in 5 years; 3 mayors in 4 years. Orkin’s Rat Rates of Top 50 Cities ranks Baltimore #9. Chicago(#1), New York City (#2), and the District of Columbia (#4) set the pace for America. Baltimore’s major problem over the past half-century is deindustrialization with high paying factory jobs giving way to lower paying service jobs, if available. Baltimore is also a victim, like many American cities, of past housing segregation with African Americans squeezed into ghettos, continuing poor education in the inner city, and too many non-traditional families. Congressman Elijah Cummings has represented West Baltimore for seemingly eternity. He chairs the powerful House Oversight Committee. Congressman Cummings exercised his prerogatives, both as a member of Congress and as Chair of the Committee, as the Grand Inquisitor to harangue and Crucify Kevin McAleenan, the acting director of ICE, who under the understood rules of Washington, had to sit back, suck it up, and demurely object. Representative Cummings got his national soundbite. President Trump does not play by Washington’s rules. He had the balls, bluster, brass, chutzpah, effrontery, gall, and nerve to call out Representative Cummings. He lambasted Cummings and Baltimore, never directly tweeting or uttering a racist remark about either. However, whenever President Trump criticizes a member of a minority, such as “The Squad,” he is viciously attacked by Democrats and the media as racist. The premise is if President Donald Trump says it, it’s racist. Identity politics in the main Democratic strategy to defeat President Trump’s Reelection in 2020. The economy is booming with record low unemployment among African Americans and Hispanics. Therefore the Democrats and mainstream media have to paint President Trump as a racist. The President tweeted about Baltimore and Representative Cummings: “Rep. Elijah Cummings has been a brutal bully, shouting and screaming at the great men & women of Border Patrol about conditions at the Southern Border, when actually his Baltimore is FAR WORSE and more dangerous. His District is considered the worst in the U.S.A.” He added “If he spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous & filthy place.” He further tweeted Baltimore is a “Disgusting rat and rodent infested mess” and said “No human being would want to live there.” Remember, Baltimore lost 300,000 inhabitants, 1/3 of its population since 1950. What is racist about those statements? Representative Cummings house as broken into last Saturday. Daniel Murphy was recently hired as Deputy Police Commissioner of Baltimore. He and his wife were walking Friday night, July 19 around 9:00pm near Patterson Park when two 16-year minors at gunpoint robbed them. The culprits took a purse, wallet, cash and cell phones, but fortunately did not physically harm the victims. The Lexington Market is a famous, historic public market a short distance from downtown and the Inner Harbor. Tourists are told it is unsafe to go there. A 20-year old tape recently emerged of Representative Cummings saying : “This morning, I left my community of Baltimore, a drug-infested area, where a lot of the drugs that we’re talking about today have taken the lives of so many children. Was African American Representative Cummings racist when he said that? Mayor Catherine Pugh walked through abandoned buildings in East Baltimore on September 11, 2018 and exclaimed: “What the hell? We should just take all this XXX down.” A short time later she said “Whoa, you can smell the rats,” and “Oh my God, you can smell the dead animals.” Was the African American Mayor Pugh being racist? Senator Bernie Sanders echoed the racism refrain against President Trump. He found it unbelievable that we have a President who attacks American cities, who attacks Americans, who attacks somebody is a friend of mine.” Is this the same Senator Sanders who during his 2016 presidential campaign walked the streets of West Baltimore? He was moved by the pathos (my word – not his) of Baltimore: “Anyone who took the walk that we took around this neighborhood would not think you’re in a wealthy nation. You would think that you were in a Third World country.” He noted that Baltimore is “a community in which half of the people don’t have jobs,” and that “We’re talking about a community in which there are hundreds of buildings that are uninhabitable.” He found it disgraceful that “Residents of Baltimore’s poorest boroughs have lifespans shorrter than people living under dictatorships in North Korea. That is a disgrace.” Was Senator Sanders, who recently called President Trump a racist, a racist himself in his comments about Baltimore? How is it racist to tell the truth? Baltimore, The Charm City, is sadly a microcosm of many of America's inner cities.

Robert Mueller Is No John Dean

Robert Mueller is No John Dean John Dean, former Counsel to the President, was the star of the Watergate Hearings. John Dean was young, telegenic, informative, and knowledgeable He named names, times, and places by memory. He knew where the Nixon skeletons were buried. John has been extremely loyal to President Nixon until he realized that he would probably the next Presidential aide to be thrown under the bus by President Nixon. He also knew the Watergate Tapes would be totally incriminating. He thus became a state witness, substantially reducing the prison time he otherwise would have received. Americans watched John Dean testify live. I was at a computer conference at Stanford. TV’s were placed outside the meeting room to watch the Watergate Hearings. Attendees were glued to the TV’s. Forget the conference. I heard John Dean speak about a decade ago. He was just as riveting and informative as five decades earlier. Robert Mueller was the opposite today. Age has caught up to the distinguished 74 year old public servant. Robert Mueller has a distinguished career. He has served his country for decades, starting as a Marine in Vietnam. He sadly looked his age. (By way of full disclosure I’m 73, still teaching). His memory wasn’t good. He had to often ask for the precise paragraph in the report when asked specific questions. He had to have several questions repeated. If one is trying to sell a product or idea though TV, they need good optics. Robert Mueller's optics were poor. Why did the Democrats hold the two hearings when he had nothing to add to the published Mueller Report? The Special Prosecutor made it clear he would only answer questions within the report. He had nothing to add, and little to provide? He professed ignorance of Fusion GPS. What did Representatives Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler hope to achieve? Were they blinded by their animus towards President Trump? Robert Mueller was never going to give them a smoking gun (a Watergate term). Those who were not in favor of impeachment before today will not be in favor of impeachment tomorrow, or next week, next month, or next year. Ardent liberals, such as filmmaker Michael Moore and Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Tribe were dismayed by the hearings. Even main stream media commentators were disappointed. I felt sorry for Robert Mueller in the time I spent watching. He deserved better in the twilight of his career. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Let's look at the bigger picture. The program of the Democratic House of Representatives was to investigate, impeach, and indict President Trump. They were salivating the past year over the upcoming Mueller Report. It would provide the smoking gun to destroy President Trump. It was a dud: no Russian collusion and no obstruction. The report said they could not exonerate the President. That was a political call to arms - not a statement of law. Prosecutors do not exonerate. They indict and prosecute, or not. They don't exonerate. We know after Robert Mueller's testimony yesterday that he was not heavily involve in the preparation and writing of the report. That would be the work of his assistant, Andrew Weissmann, who hired the partisan staff of liberals, one of whom was at Hillary's victory party and another who represented the Clinton Foundation. Robert Mueller did not forget what was in the 448 page Mueller Report. He didn’t know because he did not write it. It was staff written and he signed off on it.

Boris Johnson is the New Prime Minister of the U.K.; Jeremy Hunt fortunately is Not!

Boris Johnson is the New Prime Minister of England; Jeremy Hunt Would Have Been Incompetent Every once in a while a country is at a crossroads. It has a critical leadership decision to make. England had two in the 20th Century. The first occurred in 1940 when England was losing World War II. Neville Chamberlain, the once popular Apostle of Appeasement, resigned as prime minister on May 10, 1940. The two potential successors were Winston Churchill and Lord Halifax. The Lord had been a backer of appeasement and was willing to seek a peace treaty with Hitler. Winston Churchill steeled the British people and led them through the dark months of 1940 and 1941 when all seemed lost. The second was in the 1970-1990’s. The British economy was in the tank. The coal miner strikes were crippling the economy. Much of the economy was government owned or controlled. The Torys on February 11, 1975 selected Margaret Thatcher as their leader, defeating Edward Heath. She became prime minister on May 4, 1979. The daughter of a grocer became the Iron Maiden. Her policy was called Thatcherism. She broke the coal miners and let people purchase their homes. She privatized much of the economy. Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, a British off-shore territory of the United Kingdom, on April 2, 1982. She sent a fleet to recapture the Falklands and kick the Argentines out. Total victory was won in 10 weeks. Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait on April 2, 1990. Prime Minister Thatcher said to President George H. W. Bush: “Remember George, this is no time to go wobbly.” Iraq surrendered within 100 days. Margaret Thatcher, The Iron Lady. Theresa May – not so much! Boris Johnson is not universally popular with a mixed reputation as irascible, fiery, lothario, semi-Trump. He loves beautiful women and been divorced twice, just like President Trump. Boris Johnson was a journalist, as was Winston Churchill Churchill was a student of history and the classics. So is Johnson, who even published a book, “The Churchill Factor.” . Winston Churchill, the quintessential British stalwart, was half America, being the son of an American mother. Boris Johnson was born on June 19, 1964 to his British parents on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, making him both an U.S. and U.K. citizen. He renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2016 for tax purposes. U.S. law requires all citizens, including those residing overseas, to pay U.S. taxes on overseas income. That’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Then we have Jeremy Hunt. Jeremy Hunt was simply unqualified to be prime minister. Qualified on paper? Yes, on paper A graduate reading Philosophy, Politics, and Economics with first honors from Magdalen College, Oxford. Member of Parliament since 2005. Minister of Culture, Health, and now Foreign Secretary. In his ministry, he led the successful British Olympics in 2012. He’s described as affable. Therein lies the problem; Jeremy Hunt is an affable soul – not a leader. The Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister May have gone wobbly with the seizure of the British tanker Stena Impero by the Iranians on July 19. Worse than that, they were totally unprepared even though they had plenty of forewarning. Gibraltar with the assistance of Royal Marines seized the Iranian tanker Grace I on July 4 for violating the sanctions. Iran vowed retaliation. H.M.S. Montrose, a British frigate, saved a British tanker, the British Heritage, from Iranian attack on July 11. The Montrose was 60 miles away when the Sterna Imperio was seized. Jeremy Hunt was opposed to Brexit, then supported it is now lukewarm on it, and wants a revote. Prime Minister May was anti-Brexit, then pro-Brexit, but then went wobbly trying to negotiate with the EU. His views of Iran’s seizure of a British tanker echos the weakness of Chamberlain 80 years ago. Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood said the British Navy was too small to manage Britain’s interests around the globe. He also said: “It isn’t possible simply to escort each and every single vessel.” Surely the British Admiralty understands the concept of warships protecting convoys! Once upon a time the British could proudly sing “Rule Britannia. Britannia Rule the Waves.” No more – decades of budget cuts. Rumors are that the U.S. offered assistance to the U.K. in ships traversing the Gulf of Hormuz. Rumors are that the British declined the American assistance. Like Theresa May, his Prime Minister, he was dealt a poor hand with the Sterna Imperio, and played it poorly. Theodore Roosevelt a century ago said “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” Jeremy Hunt is speaking softly with a small stick. The Foreign Secretary’s response to the seizure of the Stena Impero was “Our priority continues to be to find a way to de-escalate the situation.” He was extremely disappointed with Iran’s action. He acted “We are not looking at military actions.” The British Empire was built on the British Navy and freedom of the seas. The U.K. cannot even protect its ships in the Gulf of Hormuz! No wonder the Mullahs are not AFRAID of the Western powers. They have fond memories of Presidents Carter and Obama. The Iranians were hardly shaking at the Foreign Secretary’s outrage: “That is totally and utterly unacceptable.” President Trump scrapped the Iran accords. The western Europe economic powers are fighting to save the accords to preserve their business with Iran. Foreign Secretary Hunt is a firm supporter of the Accords. He apparently would not let British sovereignty intrude and freedom of the seas interfere with the commerce. Yet, the Foreign Secretary called Boris Johnson a “coward” for ducking a debate. That’s stronger language than he used against the seizing of a British ship. Jeremy Hunt will not get a friendly greeting from Prime Minister Johnson. Jeremy Hunt would have been a prime example of the Peter Principle in Action. The U.K. is facing one of those critical moments in history with Brexit and Iran. Jeremy Hunt may be a good person, but he is not a decisive leader. We will see what the mercurial Boris Johnson will accomplish. He has an advantage – a backbone.

A Recall Campaign is Underway Against Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti for Mishandling the Homeless Problem

A notice of intent to recall Mayor Eric Garcetti was filed on June 19. It is the first step in a recall campaign against the Mayor. The recall is based on his failure to control the exploding homeless population and the resulting public health crisis in the City of Angels. He quotes statistics to show what LA has done. Here’s the question: Do you believe your eyes or him? Piles of trash Proliferating rats Homeless camps Filth Feces Needles City attorney contracting typhus from fleas accompanying the rat infestation with no response from the Mayor’s office. Police officers sickened at the Downtown Central Police Station. I was wondering when voters in LA, San Francisco, and Seattle would rebel. Voters in blue cities will put up with a lot from their leaders, but pervasive public health, sanitation and safety problems tilt the scales. Homeless encampments, tent cities, drugs, needles, rats, typhus, crime, hepatitis with police looking the other way, failing to arrest, or even ticket, for quality of life offenses. No easy answers exist for the homeless problem in America, but to residents Enough is Enough. They see the homeless encampments expanding out of the skid rows (origin Seattle) into commercial and residential neighborhoods. San Francisco is inundated with urine and poops on the city streets. Check the interactive app for San Francisco. The problem is public health and safety, especially sanitation. Politicians such as Mayor Garcetti and Governor Gavin Newsom are empathetic, warm, fuzzy, feel good politicians. They are great when the good times are rolling. They can be all things to all people. They lack leadership ability when crisis arise. Mayor Garcetti and Governor Newsom were eyeing the presidency. They took their eye off the ball. Garcetti visited Iowa and said they are just like us Angelenos. I’m not an Angeleno living in The O.C.) Mayor Garcetti’s father, District Attorney Gil Garcetti, failed during the O. J. Simpson trial. He made a number of poor decisions resulting in the acquittal of OJ. Mayor Garcetti promised to solve the homeless problem in LA. He convinced the voters to approve a ¼ cent increase in the sales tax to fund $350 million annually, and a $1.2 billion bond issue to fund 10,000 units for the homeless. The Mayor said in 2016: “we can bring these numbers down.” He added “This could be the year we bring the numbers down.” He followed up in 2017: “Our city is in the midst of an extraordinary homeless crisis that requires an extraordinary response.” 2½ years have passed, and no units have been completed as of June 2019. $1.2 billion for ten thousand units = $120,000/unit. What are they building? Shelters don’t cost that much! It’s even worse. LA has now reported that $810 million has been committed for 5,388 units, which comes out to $148,474.10 per unit. 1200 of the units will be low income residents. Absolutely no control over money in the city – a common problem for public expenditures in California. We have an example of poor leadership. Bill Bratton was Police Chief of Los Angeles from 2002-2009. He said the homeless was “the worst situation in America.” It has escalated during Mayor Garcetti’s administration. He didn’t even respond when the homeless hung out at City hall, with the trash and rats piling up and stench pervasive. Steve Lopez, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, wrote about downtown Los Angeles: “A mountain of rotting, oozing, stinking trash – stretching a good 20 yards along a skid road alley. Rats popped their heads out of the debris like they were in a game of Whack-a-Mole, then scampered for cover as a tractor with a scoop lurched towards them ….” Mayor Garcetti did not utter a peep. Leadership has two components. The first is public and the second is private. Winston Churchill during World War II and Mayor Rudy Giuliani were the epitome of public leadership in crises. The private aspect of leadership is following through, to be personally involved, to make something happen. Liberals believe the panacea to most problems is money – just spend throw money at the problem – problem solves, time to move on to the next issue. Mayor Garcetti’s approach to the homelessness problem was to periodically listen to reports of his political appointees and bureaucrats. There was no follow through or personal involvement. It’s shocking that after 2½ years not one unit has been completed. It’s more shocking that in answer to a reporter’s question, the mayor did not know what the status was. He ignored the escalating crisis, focusing his eyes on Iowa and a possible run for the Presidency. The state declared unsanitary the 42 year old LA PD Central Division Station, where officers had become ill. The police union – not the city- bought a $5,000 robot to clean the facility. Having shown an inability to handle over a billion dollars for the homeless, Mayor Garcetti is now leading a mayoral campaign for Congressional enactment of a $13 billion Ending Homelessness Act, sponsored by President Trump hater Representative Maxime waters. This is a typical liberal act. The solution to every problem is ever more money with little accountability. Mayor Garcetti and Governor Newson is true political shifting the blame modus operandi have attacked President Trump for “political cheap shots” from criticizing the homeless problem in their jurisdictions Homelessness is a crisis and a modern American Tragedy (to steal from Myrdal), with little understanding of the problem and its causes. The filing of a notice to recall is the first step in the process. The next step is to file a petition with roughly 315,000 valid signatures to trigger the recall. Then comes the election. Will voter fury coupled with the radio support of John and Ken recall the ineffective Mayor Newsom? A warning shot was fired last May to big city mayors. Denver voters faced Proposition 300, the Right to Survive proposition which would have allowed the homeless to camp on public property. They soundly defeated it by a 5 to 1 margin. Mayor Garcetti responded to the recall petition: “People know the difference between political games and actually doing the work – and I’m doing the work.” Who do you believe? Your eyes and nose? Or The ineffectual mayor” Too early to predict, but it is a necessary step in sending a message to the political leadership in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle that the time to take effective measures is now.