Withholding Judgement

Name the ‘Stros players who were on the 2017 World Series roster who won’t be in a ‘Stros uniform on Opening Day this season?

Just so you know, Ash Wednesday is on Valentine’s Day this year and Easter Sunday is on April Fools’ Day this year. Got it? Kind of confusing if you ask Commentary.

Unlike some fellow Dems, Commentary is going to withhold judgement on Sen. Chuck Schumer and his strategy. I don’t know where they are going on this and I don’t think they know either. Like I said yesterday, I don’t see the GOP going against their base on a DACA deal.

Some were not happy with Sen. Schumer. See this from Politico:

Murshed Zaheed, political director of the liberal group CREDO Action, said Democrats’ decision shows Schumer’s willingness to betray progressives.

“Call it the #SchumerSellout,” he said in an interview. “Hashtagged.”

Here is the entire read: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/22/government-shutdown-deal-liberals-angry-357268.

Here is what Stace said yesterday:

Obviously, some of us are upset at Democrats…again. Dems agreed to a weak promise from Mitch McConnell to re-open the government in exchange for more DACA talk in a few weeks. DREAMers are pissed, allies like myself are pissed, and even some Dem loyalists and a few elected officials. But it’s the Demsplaining by many that will probably cost Dems more votes than spineless Congressional Democrats.

There’s nothing like being pissed off and being told:

• “We can’t put party before country.”
• “If DREAMers keep complaining, the polls are going to go against them.”
• Shutdowns “is how systems end up in disaster.”
• “You can wait three weeks.”
• “If McConnell doesn’t come through, it’s bad for Republicans.”
• Now, I’m waiting for, “These DREAMers whining about Democrats are probably Russian agents.”

I’m sure there are other excuses out there. All of these excuses point to Democrats wanting a complaint-free campaign toward November. Party before country is all about portraying Dems as loyal to the flag and faux bipartisanship to get elected; bad polls for DREAMers is all about shutting them up; disastrous systems are about people wanting to keep the status quo; making people wait (for 17 years, not just 3 weeks) is about power; and hoping McConnell fails is all about keeping the issue alive toward November. The Russian thing will come after election day, obviously.

As far as systems are concerned, I was taught by an emeritus professor of political science, after suggesting that some of us more liberal brown folks needed to get inside the system to change it, that the problem is that it’s not our system. And damn, are we constantly reminded of this fact.

I’m at a point where I’m ready to turn in my secret decoder ring to the Dem Party HQ (after 13 primaries of involvement)–not that it’s ever worked. Again, not my system. But when I hear people whine about Hillary losing and blaming “third parties,” I’m reminded why my parents left the Democrats for La Raza Unida Party. I’m also reminded of those that sell us out just for a title.

I don’t feel good about where we are today on this.  Show me the strategy, please? What is the end game? Stay tuned for sure.

It looks like Sen. Schumer will be coming to H-Town to attend an event with one of the CD 29 Dem candidates.   I wonder if Sen. Schumer will endorse or embrace the Dem candidate. Here is from the Chron:

Just days after playing a key role in shutting down the government, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is heading to Houston this weekend to raise more campaign money to help some of the Senate’s most vulnerable Democrats running for re-election.

On Saturday morning, the New York Democrat is expected to be joined by U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, and Joe Donnelly, D-Indiana, at the Houston Marriott South for a fundraiser. Nelson and Donnelly are two of the most vulnerable Democrats running for re-election to the Senate.

Also expected at the fundraiser, according to an invite through Schumer’s U.S. Senate campaign and an invite obtained by the Houston Chronicle, are Democrats Beto O’Rourke and Jacky Rosen, a Nevada Democrat. O’Rourke is running for the U.S. Senate in Texas and Rosen is running for the Senate in Nevada.

The fundraiser is being hosted by Tahir Javed, a Houston Democrat who is running for Congress himself in the 29th Congressional District. Javed has become on of the biggest fundraisers for Democrats in southeast Texas. In 2016 he helped raise about $500,000 at a fundraiser with Hillary Clinton in Beaumont. Javed himself ultimatedly donated $171,000 to Clinton’s campaign or a political committee that supported her campaign called the Hillary Victory Fund.

Here is the entire read: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/Straight-from-shutdown-Chuck-Schumer-heads-for-12517720.php.

Money talks for sure.

I said this a week or so ago:

In “All the President’s Men”, Jason Robards won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Ben Bradlee. Tom Hanks will for sure get a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Bradlee.

I was wrong. Hanks didn’t get a nomination today.

Carlos Beltran (retired), Juan Centeno (Rangers), Luke Gregerson (San Luis), Francisco Liriano (free agent) Cameron Maybin (free agent), and Joe Musgrove (Pirates) won’t be wearing a ‘Stros uniform of course on Opening Day this March.

The ‘Stros sent me an email yesterday asking me to pick two items for being a very, very loyal fan. I passed on taking ten swings out of the batting cage at The Yard. I think the last time I took a cut at a hardball was in high school. A fast pitch softball, a few years after that. A slow pitch softball, maybe about 30 yeas ago. Yeah, I know, some fans think it is cool to walk out on a major league ballpark and take a few swings and try to knock it into the Landry’s Crawford Boxes, I get that. I settled for redeemable points and a STH polo.