Count me in with everyone else who will be waking up early this morning to see if Greg Norman can defy all the odds and win the British Open. It is no fluke like I thought it was after one round - he is hitting the ball very well and his putting is solid. With no top tier Americans in contention, it is a real easy decision to pull for Norman. I was never a huge fan of his back in the day, but this is a great story.

Would be one of the most improbable wins in golf history. If not the most.

Senate 2008: Colorado (4 of 35)

Two term Senator Wayne Allard, a favorite of the Keeler Report, announced last year that he would keep his pledge and only serve two terms. Running to replace him are Mark Udall and Bob Schaffer. Udall is my former Congressman. Bad times.

Schaffer formerly represented Colorado's 4th District, but stepped down in 2003 after serving only three terms, which he had said he would. Schaffer competed for the GOP nomination in 2004 when Ben Nighthorse Campbell stepped aside but lost to Pete Coors. Udall is based out of Boulder in the 2nd District.

Last week: When asked about why the United States went to war, Schaffer responded by reading excerpts from House Joint Resolution 118 introduced on October 7, 2002. The war resolution authorizing the use of force outlined Iraq’s refusal to comply with the United Nations Security Council’s call for the need to remove Saddam Hussein and Iraq’s record as a state sponsor of terror.

Schaffer then asked the crowd to raise their hands if they agreed with the resolution. Udall supports sneered and chuckled until they were told the resolution was introduced by Congressman Udall. An audible gasp was heard from the crowd.

Colorado is turning from red to purple in a hurry. It is probably actually there now. For Republicans to win this race they are going to have be more effective and getting Udall's liberal voting record out there and have more events like the recent debate. All recent polls have shown Udall in the lead. In 2004, Bush won the state by around 4.5% but the Democrat, Ken Salazar won the open Senate contest.

LEANING DEMOCRATIC TAKEOVER

Next Time: Delaware

A real tear jerker of a story from Fostoria courtesy of NPR.

Joe Blanton? Ehhhhh. I guess he is better than Adam Eaton. Gave up quite a bit prospect wise to get him.

Anyone else expect Greg Norman to be leading the British Open after the first two rounds?

Thought I would wake up today and see he shot around +13 and miss the cut. Nope.

Yesterday I had the chance to interview Governor Strickland for Ohio.com.



Here is the link to the videos and write up. Part I was just posted and Part II will be posted over there tomorrow.

As I wrote over there: I have to say that I was very impressed with Governor Strickland. He knew that I did not vote for him in 2006 and am a Republican blogger but still took time to meet with me. He took the time to show us around the office (while pointing out many fascinating things) and talk to the two of us off camera afterwards for a good length of time when he could have just skipped out when the filming stopped. It was one of those days you will always remember.

Bizzy Blog offers up an introductory post to a series he is going to run against Mitt Romney to be John McCain's VP. Tom's a great blogger, and we definitely have different opinions on Romney. That said, still I don't know if he is right pick for McCain. There are some positives and some negatives. Tom only sees the negatives, and there are some out there. But in an election when you are running against a strong headwind, sometimes you do have to take risks.

I'll be looking forward to reading what he has to say, though not necessarily agreeing with it.

I swear I am going to start carrying my camera around to take pictures of absurd personalized license plates I see. It is becoming an epidemic in Northeast Ohio. I have seen some of the worst ones the last few days day. It is time to start documenting them.

Phillies Limp to the Break

Well here we are. The MLB All-Star Break.

The favorite team of the KPR, the Philadelphia Phillies, are a half game ahead of the Mets and 1.5 ahead of the surprising Marlins. Not too far back, the Phillies had a healthy lead. But then interleague play came and the Phils got destroyed. Then they kept playing bad. At the same time, the Mets got hot (have won 9 in a row).

The season has been a struggle at times. Opening Day starter Brett Myers is currently in the minors. Adam Eaton is Adam Eaton. Tom Gordon is old. Ryan Howard waited until July to start hitting. Zero production from either catcher. Jimmy Rollins doesn't seem like last year's MVP. However, the team with the exception of Rollins's early injury have stayed pretty much healthy, which is the complete opposite of last year.

On the flip side, Cole Hamels has been great. Kyle Kendrick has shaken off a tough start and been a solid pitcher. Jamie Moyer keeps on going. Pat Burrell should have been an All-Star and is the team's MVP of the first half. The bullpen has been outstanding, which is a stark contrast to last season. Chase Utley will be in the running for the MVP. Of course, great managing as usual by Charlie Manuel.

Let us look at this year's newcomers: Geoff Jenkins (D). Jenkins had a couple of decent moments in April but has been terrible since. He was supposed to be part of a platoon in right, but the problem is that he can't hit righties like he was expected to. The Phillies signed him to a 3 year contract. Bad times. So Taguchi (F). Just awful and should be cut. Moving on, Eric Bruntlett (C). Got off to a really rough start but has been decent since. Makes too many baserunning mistakes. Brad Lidge (A+). The major off-season acquisition has been lights out at the back end of the bullpen. Great trade. Recently signed a three year contract extension. Yeah! Pedro Feliz (C+). We got we expected - a great fielder, a below average bat with some pop. Better than the Helms / Dobbs / Nunez trio at third from last year.

Prognosis: Nervous. Last year (and 2005 and 2006) I felt they would rally in the second half and make the playoffs. I wrote about it practically every day. This year, it just seems like something is missing. Obviously still winning the World Series, but still. I don't know.

Nice to enter the break with a win Sunday.

Top 6 Games of the Year:

April 3: Down 5-0 before they even batted, the Phillies rally to win 8-7 in the 10th. Down 6-1 entering the 6th and staring at yet another 0-3 start, the Phillies come back with 6 in the inning. Jayson Werth pinch hit in the 10th and forced in the winning run with a bases loaded walk.

April 15: Phillies enter the 9th trailing 3-0 against the Astros and win 4-3 as Geoff Jenkins scores from first base to win the game on Pedro Feliz's double. Chris Snelling and Pat Burrell each homered in the 9th.

April 22: Phillies win 8-6 in Colorado to sweep the abbreviated 2 game series at Coors Field. Chase Utley knocked in two runs in the top of the 9th to cap off the team's 3 run 9th. I was in attendance in the 2nd row.

May 2: Pat Burrell hits a walk off two run homer in the 10th inning after former Phillie Aaron Rowand hits a solo blast in the top of the inning. It was Burrell's first walk off homer or hit since the team moved to Citizens Bank Park.

July 4: Victory over the Mets. Shane Victorino singles in the winning run in the bottom of the 9th. Phillies overcome a 2-0 defecit early on to defeat Johan Santana by a score of 3-2.

July 13: Tied 2-2 entering the 8th against the Diamondbacks and Brandon Webb. Needing a win to stay in first at the All-Star Break, the team erupts for 4 in the inning led by a 3 run homer by Pat Burrell. Phillies win 6-3.

Worst 6 Games of the Year:

March 31: Opening Day. After a late rally, the game enters the 9th inning tied against Washington. Tom Gordon gives up 5, and the Phils lose on Opening Day. Again.

April 2: Phillies lose 1-0 to the Nats to start the season 0-2 for what seemed like the 9,000th straight time. The only hit for the good guys was a single in the 2nd inning.

April 27: Brett Myers serves up more homers and the Phillies manage only 2 hits against a putrid Pirates team. I was there. It sucked.

May 17: Adam Eaton remains winless. And he gives up a grand slam to last year's worst Phillie, Rod Barajas of the Blue Jays. Toronto wins 6-3.

June 15: Phillies fall in extra innings to the Cardinals. Tom Gordon a play in the 10th trying to cover first base, allowing the winning run to score. Phillies had a golden chance to go ahead in the 9th but couldn't. I was complaining for about two hours after the game before my dad told me shut up.

July 12: On FOX national television, Adam Eaton gets rocked for the second game in a row, giving up 8 ER in 3 2/3 innings. Arizona scores 8 in the 4th, and it all started with no one on and two outs. The Diamondbacks rally included a 2 run double by pitcher Randy Johnson, his 2nd and 3rd RBIs of the year. His first RBI was against Eaton earlier in the year.

Adam Eaton or Brett Myers started 5 of these 6 games. Probably not a coincidence.

Last season's mid season review: 2007

Enjoy the home run derby. Great Phils site Beerleaguer will have coverage all week of the team at the break.

I was going through old posts, and found this from July 25, 2006:

Even though oil prices fell over $1 today, I am sure gas will go up again. Nothing worse than seeing gas at $3.09. I miss my Explorer, but I would be in tears everytime I had to get gas. I know I complain about this a lot. But still. I wish I owned a gas station and got free gas. Well it wouldn't be free, but you know what I mean.

Turns out there is. Seeing gas for $4.09 today.

Good decision by Craig Kilborn to leave the Daily Show. Things have really picked up for his career since he made that move.

Senate 2008: Arkansas (3 of 35)

Not much to say here.

Democrat Mark Pryor is up for his second term. Pryor defeated incumbent Tim Hutchinson in 2002, winning 53% of the vote.

Amazingly enough, Pryor is facing no Republican challenger. That's right. The Republican Party is letting a freshman senator run for reelection unopposed in a state that George W. Bush won twice. Pretty damn stunning. There was speculation Mike Huckabee would challenge Pryor once he gave up his White House dreams, but he never wanted to run. I get mad talking about this Senate race.

So, it is pretty clear cut.

SAFE DEMOCRATIC RETENTION...

Next Time: Colorado, an actual real race

Saw this at The Hedgehog Report:

Amazing numbers from the new poll from Newsweek. Just three weeks ago, Newsweek reported that the partisan breakdown of registered voters in the United States was 38% D / 23% R/ 35% I. Just three weeks later, Newsweek is reporting in their new poll that Republicans have made major gains and closed the gap with the Democrats. According to Newsweek, in just three weeks, YES IN JUST THREE WEEKS, Republicans now only trail Democrats among registered voters by 7% - 35% D / 28% R / 33%. You have to give major credit to the Republican party for being able to register so many Republicans or persuading as many Democrats to switch sides as they did in just three weeks according to the gang at Newsweek. If Republicans can keep up this torrid pace, according to Newsweek, they could actually outnumber Democrats by the end of July! That is amazing considering that we are constantly being told how bad the Republican brand is. Of course, this is all according to Newsweek.

Funny.

Now whenever I dismiss a poll as an outlier I am laughed at and mocked. But like I said back then when the original Newsweek poll came out showing Obama +15, the sample was off. Indeed it was. McCain really didn't gain that much ground, Newsweek just decided to offer up a better sample.

As of this writing, the Real Clear Politics average has Obama +3.8, which is closer than it has been in some time. It may jump up a point or two in the next couple of days, as McCain has had a couple of good sample days in the tracking polls, but this is probably where the race will remain through the rest of the month, barring something major.

Senate 2008: Alaska (2 of 35)

The longest serving Republican in the Senate, Ted Stevens, has a fight on his hands he probably never thought he would have. Stevens has served since 1968. Since his first election to a full term in 1972, Stevens has never received less than 66% of the vote. He will not get 66% of the vote this time....

On May 29, 2007, the Anchorage Daily News reported that the FBI and a federal grand jury were investigating an "extensive" remodeling project at Stevens' home in Girdwood, Alaska. Stevens' Alaska home was raided by the FBI and IRS on July 30 of last year.

Stevens will most likely face off against Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, who has been in that job since July of 2003 (officially a non-partisan post). Stevens almost got a serious primary challenge, but that went instead to Republican Congressman Don Young.

If this was 2006, Stevens would probably lose. Polls have been close and shown varied results. It is hard to believe that if Stevens is not indicted that he will lose in a presidential election year, but it is certainly possible.

LEAN REPUBLICAN RETENTION

This site has audio interviews with both Stevens and Begich.

Next Time: Arkansas

Probably the only way I could dislike Adam Eaton more than I do is if he pitched for the Mets and he was good.

McCain Raises $22 Million in June

Good sign. I don't know how much Obama will raise, but I am happy to see McCain doing so well. He will have what he needs to win, now he just needs to go out and make the case. That case is laid out pretty clearly today by Richard Baehr of the American Thinker.

Speaking of that presidential race, what do you think of Obama telling Americans we should learn Spanish? This while totally blowing off concerns that some people have and calling Americans embarrassing.

Pat Burrell loses out to Milwaukee's Corey Hart in the balloting for the final NL All-Star slot. Here is hoping that Burrell takes the place of the injured Alfonso Soriano - and hopefully shoplifter Clint Hurdle (Rockies Manager who will make the pick) agrees. Burrell is having an All-Star year and deserves the nod.