CBS News: 'Tony La Russa Retires as St. Louis Cardinals Manager'

Source:CBS News- Tony La Russa: Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals (1996-2011) announcing his retirement as manager after winning the MLB World Series.

Source:The Daily Press 

"Tony La Russa announced his retirement as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals three days after winning a seven-game world series against the Texas Rangers." 

From CBS News 

The only thing keeping Tony La Russa out of the Hall of Fame as a manager was himself, because he's been managing for 33 years consecutively, his whole career, and I believe he's been the best manager in Major League Baseball that whole period, and that includes people like Tommy Lasorda, Billy Martin, Earl Weaver briefly, Bobby Cox. Joe Torre, Roger Craig, Jim Leyland, and many others.   Some may say Joe Torre because of the championships:  4 World Series Championships, 6 American League Championships, 11 Eastern Division Championships, and 13 playoff appearances.  Only Tony La Russa and Bobby Cox come close to those accomplishments in this time period.

But when Joe Torre was with the New York Yankees from 1996 to 2007, you could make a case that he had the best team in MLB every year he was there, especially from 1998 to 2007, but they came up short several times, as in 2001 losing to the underdog Phoenix Diamondbacks, 2003 losing to the underdog Miami Marlins, both in the World Series, 2002 losing to the underdog Anaheim Angels in the American League Championship, and 2004 blowing a 3-0 Series lead to the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship, something that will always be hated by Yankee Fans and loved by Red Sox Fans.  I know a few of those fans myself. And of course the Yankees always had the most money in this time period and could always basically put all-star teams together to win the World Series.

Other than the time period during which Tony La Russa was with the Oakland Athletics from 1988 to 1990 or 1991, he was there from 1986 to 1995, but in those 4 years you could make a pretty good case that the Athletics should have won at least three World Series if not four, because from 1988 to 1990 they had the best three teams in baseball.  And they only won one World Series.  Of course, one is better then nothing but in the two World Series that the Athletics lost in 1988 and 1990, they won a total of one game.

They lost 4-1 in the 1988 World Series to, I believe, the worst World Series Champion since 1969, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who only won something like 85 games that season.  And of course you had the famous Kirk Gibson home run in game one to win that game against the best closer in baseball at the time, Dennis Eckersly.  When Tony La Russa was in St. Louis with the Cardinals from 1996 to 2011, he didn't always have the best team and he still won 7-8 Central Division Championships, three National League Championships, and two World Series, and made the playoffs 9-10 times again. When only four teams make the playoffs in each league, they may go up to 5-6 teams in 2012, but we'll see. 

Tony La Russa was the best manager in MLB in his era as well as today because of what he got out of his players for the most part, not including his time in Oakland, but definitely in St. Louis, a midsize market. But with a great fan base, if not the best in MLB, it was just a matter of when Tony La Russa would retire.  That would determine when he was going into the Hall of Fame, because he's a first ballot Hall of Famer in waiting.

VOA News: Jim Bertel-U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy Dead at 77: The Dream Shall Never Die

Source:VOA News- U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy (Democratic Massachusetts) The Lion of the Senate.

"Senator Edward Kennedy was the last of the Kennedy sons born to Rose and Joseph Kennedy. He followed the trail blazed by his brothers, President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General and Senator Robert Kennedy, both assassinated in the 1960s. Ted Kennedy was known as the Lion of the Senate and was respected for his long-term commitment to health care for all Americans.  On Tuesday night, at his home in Massachusetts, he lost his hard fought battle with brain cancer.  VOA's Jim Bertel has more on the career of this Democratic icon."

From VOA News 

“(WWLP) – A look back at Senator Ted Kennedy, who died at the age of 77, as well as an interview with political consultant Tony Cignoli, and Kennedy’s visit to Western Massachusetts in 1980.”

Source:WWLP-TV News- U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy (Democrat, Massachusetts) The Lion of the Senate.

From WWLP-TV News

When I think of the late Senator Ted Kennedy Edward M. Kennedy, I think of someone who represents the heart of the Democratic Party. Someone who represents the best of the Democratic Party as far as the things that we as Democrats have been fighting for going back at least to the 1930s or longer. Individual liberty, the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, equality of opportunity for all, civil rights for all, workers rights, the little people, health care and health insurance for everybody. Retirement security for everybody, a foreign policy that represents the best of America. Basically a quality shot at the American Dream for everyone. Now we as Democrats don't always agree on how to accomplish these things.

Democrats tend to have the same goals, but differ in how to accomplish those goals. Some times we don't agree on any of those things as far how to accomplish them. We've always been a very diverse party. Politically, racially, different ethnicity's and everything else. We are basically a political party of three different parties in one. And thats what happens when you have a two-party System in a country as large and as diverse as we are. But its that progressive agenda of the party that brings us together when we come together. And a lot of that credit goes to Senator Ted Kennedy who's been the heart of the Democratic Party at least since 1980. When he unsuccessfully ran for President in 1980 and sort of took that mantle from Lyndon Johnson. When he left the White House in 1969 and when his brother Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in 1968.

Ted Kennedy didn't represent the Democratic agenda as far as exactly what the policy's would look like. Which is what Ron Reagan did for the Republican Party. he represented their agenda as well as policy's. Even though Senator Kennedy had his own policy's for all the key issues he cared about. The Democratic Leadership or the party as a whole, wasn't always behind the bills that Senator Kennedy wrote. But they shared the same goals on a lot of bills that Senator Kennedy got passed out of Congress. He did that by working with the Democratic Leadership, Senate Republicans like Orrin Hatch, Bob Dole, John Chaffee, Arlen Spector and others. And then working out a compromise with the House whichever party was in charge.

Senator Kennedy, was also good at working out agreements with the White House. This is how legislating works in Washington and Senator Kennedy is about as good or the best legislature we've ever produced. But Ted Kennedy has been a big reason why the Democratic agenda has always been the same for the last 45-50 years. And a big reason why they've been able to pass a lot of that agenda, including health care reform which they passed in 2010. And still serves as the inspiration for the Democratic Party today. If the United States had a system where each party had their own official leader, whether they are the ruling party or not, meaning they run the executive, which is what most democracy's have, then Ted Kennedy would've been that guy for the Progressive Party. Because he was the person that could bring the party together when times were good or bad. And is a big reason why he's the Heart of the Democratic Party. 

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Council on Foreign Relations: James M. Lindsay- Rob Quartel: 'Funding U.S. Infrastructure Improvements'

Source:Council on Foreign Relations- Rob Quartel from NTELX.

"Rob Quartel, Chairman and CEO of NTELX, discusses the need for  investment in renewing U.S. infrastructure with CFR's James M. Lindsay.  "We really have to focus on alternative means for paying for  infrastructure," argues Quartel." 

From the Council on Foreign Relations

There are so many things that America needs to do to rebuild its economy, get strong economic growth going again which would lead to job growth and then we can finally bring down our high unemployment rate of 9.1% or so. Which hopefully will be lower after the October jobs report, but of course thats no guarantee. 

We've been at 9% or higher in unemployment because of lack of economic growth for over a year now. And rebuilding our infrastructure, manufacturing industry, and creating a national energy policy are all things we need to do again, so we start building things in America again, made by Americans, sold in America as well as abroad. 

Foreign trade is also a key component to this so we can sell American products to as many customers as possible. We have right now in America what we need to rebuild our economy. We have things in America that we can sell here as well as abroad, that would create more American jobs. And the three trade agreements that Congress just passed and President Obama just signed, will be a big help for our manufacturing as well as auto industry. Infrastructure investment would also benefit our economy and manufacturing industry. 

A national energy policy would also benefit our economy and manufacturing industry. The good thing about tall of these things, even though it's a lot of work, but thats also a good thing, it means a lot of work, meaning the need to hire a lot of people to do all of this new work, the American auto industry is recovering. Meaning that will be a boost to our manufacturing industry, because of all the parts that would be needed to build the new autos. More people driving meaning more of the need for a national energy policy. 

And we have all the energy that we need in America to be developed and sold in America that we just need to produce and sell ourselves, again which means more jobs. And more energy industries being created to go along with oil and gas, nuclear power, and electric power. 

What also would help our economy is more infrastructure investment, which again would be a boost to our manufacturing industry, because again of all the new parts that would be needed to rebuild and build new infrastructure. 

So we have right now what we need in our country to rebuild our economy, the question is whether we are going to do it or not. Can the House and Senate come together and pass what we need to get to rebuild our economy, that the President would sign into law. 

Three great things we can do for our economy right now and again they all relate to each other. Infrastructure investment with a National Infrastructure Bank to finance our infrastructure investment. A national energy policy that would move America to energy independence, but developing our own natural resources. And foreign trade that Congress and the President have just passed and signed into law. The only question is will we do what we need to do or not.

VOA News: 'Indiana Town's Economy Benefits from Canadian Oil Boom'

Source:VOA News- Steve Kozel, being interviewed for this piece.

"Voice of America (VOA) is an American international broadcaster funded by the United States Congress. It is the largest[2][3][4] and oldest U.S. funded international broadcaster.[5][6] VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content in 47 languages which it distributes to affiliate stations around the globe. It is primarily viewed by foreign audiences, so VOA programming has an influence on public opinion abroad regarding the United States and its people.

VOA was established in 1942,[7] and the VOA charter (Public Laws 94-350 and 103-415)[8] was signed into law in 1976 by President Gerald Ford.

VOA is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and overseen by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent agency of the U.S. government.[9] Funds are appropriated annually under the budget for embassies and consulates. In 2016, VOA broadcast an estimated 1,800 hours of radio and TV programming each week to approximately 236.6 million people worldwide with about 1,050 employees and a taxpayer-funded annual budget of US$218.5 million.[10][11]

Some commentators consider Voice of America to be a form of propaganda." 

From Wikipedia 

"The town of Whiting, Indiana, is home to the largest inland oil refinery in the United States.  The energy company BP operates the Whiting Refinery, which originally was built by the Standard Oil Company in 1889.  Now with heavier crude oil piped into the facility from Canadian tar sands, the facility is getting a multi-billion dollar upgrade.  BP's investment in the refinery is an economic windfall for the small town, but environmentalists say the improvements bring increased pollution." 

From VOA News

When it comes to getting our economy going again and fully recovering from the Great Recession that we are now three years into, there are a lot of things that we need to do as a country. Like paying down our private as well as public debt which I covered last night, encouraging more consumer spending, infrastructure investment, creating a national energy policy, expanding foreign trade, which Congress did a couple of weeks ago, reforming our public schools where the Senate made some progress last week in at least getting a bill reported out of committee. 

So we have enough or more than enough well-educated workers in the future and be able to to keep more American jobs here in America where they belong b rebuilding our manufacturing industry, with the American auto industry is now recovering, which will help, and infrastructure investment, and a national energy policy would also help us rebuild our manufacturing industry, tax reform by eliminating most if not all tax loopholes and lowering tax rates and debt and deficit reduction. 

But we are not going to be able reduce our debt and deficit in the short and long-term until we get the Great Recession finally behind us, now three years into it. We are going to need a strong economy with solid economic and job growth that we sustain in order to pay down our debt and deficit, decrease our high poverty rate thats actually over 20%, but 17% officially. 

What looks like is going on in this town in Indiana, is that they are trying to get oil production there and bring in oil from Canada and sell it in Indiana. Which I fine if that creates a lot of jobs in Indiana. And is well-regulated to keep waste to a manageable level, but what we really should be doing as a country instead producing American energy in America. 

We do have the most (if not all) the natural resources in the world. We should be using them so we can create more jobs in America, we can't drill our way to energy independence. But it's a start and something we should be doing, in the safest way possible of course. But this is something that we should be doing and we should've been doing. 

America has being talking about the need to get to energy independence going all the way back to Arabian oil embargo of the early and mid 1970s. And getting OPEC off of our backs by producing our own American energy, including oil and natural gas. Eliminating those big oil subsidy's in exchange for allowing American oil company's to drill for more American oil. And using some of those resources through leases and taxes to finance a National Infrastructure Bank. And finally getting some infrastructure investment back going in America. 

There's so much work that we need to do as a country to get the Great Recession behind us and finally get our economy going again. And with this political climate with both parties seemingly more interested in having all of the power in the Federal Government than rebuilding our economy, that makes it very difficult to make that happen. But its not about resources thats why our economy isn't working but getting around to finally using our resources to put people back to work.

Associated Press: President Obama- 'Offers Mortgage Relief on Western Trip'

Source:Associated Press- President Barack H. Obama (Democrat, Illinois) speaking about the economy in Las Vegas.

"President Barack Obama offered mortgage relief on Monday to hundreds of thousands of Americans, his latest attempt to ease the economic and political fallout of a housing crisis that has bedeviled him as he seeks a second term. (Oct. 24)" 

From the Associated Press

The two main problems with our economy right now are our housing market and the lack of consumer spending and they relate, because people who are underwater in debt right now, as a result of the housing market and the lack of value of their homes. As well as credit card debt they may have piled up because they were out-of-work or took a steep pay cut, aren't spending money right now because they are drowning in debt right now or they owe more on their home then its worth or both factors. 

So to get the economy going again, we have to retire a lot of our consumer debt, get that debt going again so people have money to spend, which would lead to economic growth and then job growth. Which would lower our unemployment rate and also allow us to start paying down our national debt and deficit. Because we would then have the resources to do so. I believe President Obama understands that. 

Tax cuts like payroll tax holidays and others are good as well, but if you have a high debt burden or you owe more on your mortgage then you can afford to pay back or you are unemployed, you are going to use whatever extra revenue you may get to pay down your debt or if your worried about losing your job, your are going to use whatever extra money you may have and put that money in your savings in case your laid off. 

We have a lot of issues with our economy right now, with our lack of infrastructure investment the need for a national energy policy, education reform, and are crumbling schools being part of that. Our huge debt and deficit, the need for more foreign trade so we can sell more products made by Americans in America creating more Americans jobs, as well as the need for tax reform. But none of those things mean anything if people don't start spending money again. 

The middle class where most of the country lives, but for them to be able to spend money they need to be out of debt or at least not drowning in debt by having a manageable debt. And whatever economic package that Congress may or may not pass needs to include debt relief for consumers to get a lot of our consumer debt retired, so the people have the money to start spending again buying things that they've been putting off. So we can create more consumer demand in the economy right now. So business's feel the need to hire additional workers to meet the new consumer demand for their business.  

There just isn't enough Consumer Demand in our economy right now to create enough Economic Growth to lead to Job Growth. That would bring down our Unemployment Rate. And allow us to start paying down our Federal Debt and Deficit and a way to do that. Is to start retiring our Consumer Debt which would help lead to stronger Consumer Spending and Economic Growth.

Learn Liberty: Pavel Yakolev- What Are The Limits of Liberal Democracy?

Source:Learn Liberty- Pavel Yakolev, talking about freedom and democracy. Which aren't the same things.

"People often associate freedom with electoral democracy. According to Prof. Pavel Yakovlev, the freedom to vote is an inherently limited tool for fostering a free society. Although majority vote can serve as a useful tool for expressing the will of the people, it can be taken too far.

Imagine a world governed entirely by majority votes—including your personal decisions! Would you be happy if a majority vote determined who you could date? What you could eat? Now consider the world you currently live in, where you make decisions and purchases in the context of a marketplace. In a market, you can choose goods, services, and activities that diverge from majority trends. Moreover, markets also provide a greater number of choices.

Free markets and limited government depend upon and facilitate individualized and decentralized choices; they create the conditions necessary for a truly free and democratic society.

Watch more videos at:Learn Liberty."

From Learn Liberty

What’s the best way to guarantee individual liberty for the people so they can be free to live their own lives as they see fit short of hurting anyone else with their liberty and not be harassed by government?

One, you need a constitution that guarantees individual liberty. And limits what government can do.

Two, you need rule of law to limit what government can do. But also how people interact with each other. But it’s not just a constitution that you need but constitutional rights that are in that constitution.

Like freedom of speech and expression, freedom of religion, or not practice religion.

Right to vote but through a multi-party system.

Decentralization of government, a Federal Government, but state, or provincial governments as well as local governments. That all have enough power under the Federal Constitution to govern themselves and handle their own affairs. As well as again to limit what the Federal Government can do. You don’t have to have a weak Federal Government either. That they have to be able to defend the country and to a certain extent look after its people’s welfare. But it needs to be limited so it doesn’t become too powerful.

You need a republic not a monarchy, or theocracy, but a republic. Where civilians are running the government. Again to limit the power of government and you also need checks and balances, separation of branches. Executive, legislative and judicial.

I just laid out a lot what the United States Government looks like. Some people say especially Conservatives and Libertarians that the best way to insure individual liberty is with a republic. But I counter that argument by say that there are also authoritarian republics. Like the People’s Republic of China, the Communist Republic of Cuba, or Baathist Republic of Syria, Iraq under Saddam Hussein was a republic and still are.

The difference being that under the Hussein Regime, Iraq was an authoritarian Baathist Republic. Today they are basically a democratic republic and a federal republic, but with some flaws. There good republics like America and bad republics like Syria. A republic basically lays out what type of powers the federal or central government have. In a liberal democracy like America, those powers are very limited, but in an authoritarian republic not to pick on Syria, but their government’s powers are basically unlimited.

Which is one reason why we see such an intense democratic opposition in Syria right now. The Syrian people are good-by in large, but their government is bad. My argument as a Liberal Democrat for what’s the best way to insure individual freedom is with a republic, but in the form of a liberal democracy. A liberal democratic republic with a liberal amount of individual rights and freedom. Not a liberal amount of government, which is very different. Which is what we have in the United States, with a Federal Constitution, separation of powers and checks and balances. With the individual liberty to live our own lives and be successful economically. 

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Associated Press: Mark Smith- 'President Obama: Moammar Gadhafi's Death Opens New Chapter'

Source:Associated Press- Mark Smith, the Associated Press.

"President Obama says Moammar Gadhafi's death heralds a new chapter for Libyans, and shows the world how allies working together can succeed in ending the rule of a tyrant. (Oct. 20)" 

From the Associated Press

The death of former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi does close another chapter in Libyan history. The chapter where Gadhafi can no longer brutalize his country and the chapter before that which was closed in March with Gadhafi being thrown out-of-power by the Libyan rebels. Where Gadhafi could no longer rule his country because he was thrown out-of-power. 

And hopefully this is the start of a new chapter or new day (if you prefer) where the Libyan People can start building their own country and build it the way they want to hopefully a peaceful, responsible democracy with free and open elections, that respects human rights, including minority and women's rights. 

But again Libya is going to have to build Libya and they have the resources to do this. But may need help maximizing their resources and their people: like training their new military, national law enforcement, justice system, writing a national constitution, setting up their general elections. And these are all things that NATO the United Nations, European Union, and the Arab League can help them with. As well as the United States with foreign aide to help them set up their new national government. Until they can get their economy going again and set up their tax system to pay for their new national government. 

But the United States can't do this on their own and shouldn't put troops and other people on the ground. These other organizations need to step up and play a big role here. The NATO mission in Libya as well as the Libyan rebels, is an example of what foreign policy looks like when it works. When the international community especially the West working with the Libyan rebels and the Arab League. 

At risk of sounding partisan: this is what liberal internationalism looks like. Instead of a unilateral neoconservative policy where you try to do everything on their own. Which is what the Bush Administration attempted to do in Iraq in the last decade. That instead when you isolate a dictator with economic sanctions, recognize the opposition party, block the dictatorship from access to resources to brutalize their own people, put the opposition down and to defend themselves, that instead you give a nation, especially it's people the ability to fight for their own freedom, they can do that for themselves.

The West working together with economic sanctions and what happened with the NATO no fly zone over Libya to protect the Libyan rebels from their own government as they do the work risk their own lives to take down the dictatorship. 

Instead of invading a large country like Iraq on your own, taking all of the risks, borrowing all of the money to do it and piling up your own debt, that other Americans are forced to pay back, the death of Moammar Gadhafi is a good day for Libya and closes another ugly chapter in Libyan history. And a big opportunity for the Libyan people to build their own country the way they want to with their own resources and develop their own country the way they want to. And be able to join the rest of the world.