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I wasn't planning on posting this today, but then I realized -- how could I not?? After all, today is the first World Series game to be played in Wrigley Field in 71 years. I have no idea what will happen, the Series is tied one game apiece, and so I hope. And this is a song of hope. It's "All the Way," written and sung by major Cubs fan Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. If you saw the video I posted the other day of the final out when the Cubs clinched the National League pennant, there was footage of team president Theo Epstein celebrating with his wife in his Skybox -- but if you look off to the side, there was Vedder with him. In fact, in recent years, as the team has improved, Vedder has worked out Pearl Jam's concert touring schedule so that the band won't be on the road during the baseball playoff. A mistake he made a few years ago. Not to be repeated. There are a lot of versions of this song, some performed movingly in Wrlgley Field itself, one only two months ago, another with the children of Cubs great Ron Santo and Vedder's favorite player Jose Cardenal on stage with him, and another still last year surrounded by current Cubs players, team president Epstein and manager Joe Maddon. But I'm going with this one. It's the official video and not only has the best sound, but also footage from teams past, and fans and Ron Santo, Ernie Banks and more. It's spot on. It's about hope. And so, we hopes. Someday, we'll go all the way...
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Tonight, PBS is broadcasting his pre-recorded Mark Twain Prize ceremony. I would normally be watching it, except that's why God created the DVR. Because the Cubs are back home at Wrigley Field for the first World Series game there in 71 years -- and, live, Bill Murray is scheduled to be the "guest conductor" for the 7th inning stretch, singing "Take Me Out to Ballgame." So, even he won't be at home watching himself at the Kennedy Center.
About a month ago, I sent out a note on Twitter with a suggestion. It was that if Hillary Clinton was elected president, she should nominate Joe Biden to be Secretary of State. I liked the thought so much that I sent out a similar tweet a little latter. And over the next few days I kept tweeting the same thought. Quite a few people liked the idea, and re-tweeted it to make it's way around.
That brings us to yesterday, and this article on Politico. The headline is -- Clinton Eyes Biden for Secretary of State. You read it here first. (Well, okay, "there," since officially Twitter isn't "here" per se...) Hey, we tries nots to steer you wrong. As you might imagine, I like to think that my suggestion is where the idea came from, augmented my my relentless repetition. Mind you, I also like to think that pizza is low-cal and non-fat. And I like to think, too, that they'll bring back the TV show Frank's Place any day now. So, clearly, what I think doesn't hold a great deal of water. The article notes a few things that hardly make this a done deal, starting of course with the fact that Secretary Clinton hasn't been elected president yet. Also, when she was Secretary of State herself, she and Biden often found them on opposite sides of the debate, with Biden generally recommending more cautious action. That said, Hillary Clinton knows that she was a political rival of Barack Obama, and he named her Secretary of State, and the relationship worked out very well. And one other uncertainty is that Joe Biden hasn't been contacted yet about his interest. The Clinton team is said to be trying to figure out how to best approach him. However, Biden's expertise has long been foreign affairs, having served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. And he's expressed an interest to stay involved with politics. So...who knows? But first, of course, she has to win the election. You can read the whole article here. And any other Great and Wise thoughts that might pop into my head on rare occasion, I'll be sure to mention them. Like, I think it would be great if the Chicago Cubs won the World Series... Every once in a while, James Corden brings in a big film star and does a pretty entertaining sketch that's a frenetic montage of the actor's career. The show hit a pretty high bar on their very first program with Tom Hanks that, for me, remains their best. But they've all been fun and well-done. The other day, they added a new one to the list -- Tom Cruise. He seems a bit wary about diving in, but eventually the energy of it all takes over, and it works well. Also, unlike the others, there's a fun surprise in the middle. It's worth noting, as well, that whoever plans these out does a terrific job. It's no easy task, most especially at this pace, yet comes across as pretty seamless.
I got a phone call yesterday from my pal Jack Moline. Jack, as some readers here may recall, is proudly a member of the board of directors of Elisberg Industries (where you can read about his responsibilities here under the "About Elisberg Industries" link above). He is also a huge Chicago Cubs fan, and my former broadcast partner at New Trier High School for a comedy show on the school's WNTH radio station. And he hit me with a pie as part of our in-class research presentation at Northwestern University for our study of "What Makes People Laugh." Among his other accomplishments, Rabbi Moline is also president of the nationally-acclaimed Interfaith Alliance.
Why Jack was calling was to let me know that I wasn't alone in getting a tweet from Curt Schiling, which I wrote about here. (My Twitter reply from the former major league baseball pitcher and possible Senate candidate against Elizabeth Warren came after I noted how he had lost the support even of "Fox News" following yet another of his grossly offensive public comments, He wanted it known that the far-right wasn't far-right enough for him and had left the far-right long ago. Apparently, he is now so far-off-the-charts right that it's not measured.) It turns out that the Interfaith Alliance sent out press release yesterday, taking Breitbart media and Schilling to task for the company hiring Schilling on the heels of his egregiously problematic comments on CNN the other day. That was when he just couldn't understand how those "practicing the Jewish faith." were Democrats, since Democrats hate Israel, and kept asking host Jake Tapper for help explaining to him on behalf of Tapper's religion, because Schilling was so bewildered by it and just didn't understand. And went on into a deeper hole from there, showing almost more than anything wrongheaded a willful ignorance and lack of even surface insight. In the Interfaith Alliance's press release, Jack called Schilling's comments, "Tone deaf" -- and described a detailed "long line of offensive statements." Rabbi Moline's full statement read -- “Curt Schilling may have been a major league pitcher, but he’s a bush league commentator. His tone-deaf remarks about Jewish Americans are just the latest in a long line of offensive statements that call into question his judgment and values. His Facebook page alone, where he has compared Muslims to Nazis and praised the Confederacy, renders him unfit for public office. Sadly we should expect no better from Schilling after he joins on with Breitbart – an outlet that wears its bigotry as a badge of honor.” The reaction from Interfaith Alliance, as well as responses to Curt Schilling by other Jewish leaders, was covered in an excellent article on Media Matters, which you can read about here . It was great to read Jack's words on behalf of the Interfaith Alliance and bring more attention to the matter. In fact, as I told him, almost more than Schilling's fatuous comments on CNN, I was bothered by his response later on MSNBC. That's where Curt Schilling did what he always does, play the woe-is-me poor, innocent victim. How all the mean, disgusting liberals attacked him for doing nothing more than just asking some questions. As it happens, it was a result of Jack's public comments that he got a response on Twitter by Mr. Schilling. (Welcome to the club!!) I laughed when Jack told me that he heard from the dear fellow -- but even more when he explained what Curt Schilling had tweeted to him, and I could only laughed again -- albeit with clenched teeth, because once again, as he so often seems to, the former pitcher played the put-upon victim.
One is so tempted to write back, "Well...yeah, you are the one who doesn't know history. I mean, seriously, guy, you do know that you're the one who asked what people 'who practice the Jewish faith' think -- because you said you didn't know. And now, here's an actual Rabbi who actually has spent years actually studying the Talmud and actually ministering to congregations for decades answering you because, yes, he actually does know history and, no, you don't. So, really, why are you playing the put-upon victim again??" But that would have exceeded the 140-character Twitter limit.
In fairness, I completely understand why their communication was brief, and why Jack didn't bother to reply. (Others did, so it was covered.) But still, I was a little bothered. After all, as long as Jack had Curt Schilling's ear, the very least he could have done is get some insight about how the Cubs would do in the World Series. But then, for all I know, he'd have been told by the too far-right for the far-right hopeful politician that the results of all the games were rigged. And it was the damn liberals who hate America did it. Or the Muslims. Still, I'm pleased to welcome Rabbi Jack Moline to the "I Got a Whiny Put-Upon Woe-is-Me Tweet By Curt Schilling" Society. Our board of directors will be planning a little luncheon for him, and the Society will have a representative there for the presentation of a lovely lapel pin.
Last night, on the Comedy Central program, @midnight, hosted by Chris Hardwick, Will Ferrell made a surprise appearance re-creating his portrayal as George W. Bush to talk about the current election -- and defend his cousin Billy Bush. It's a pretty amusing sequence.
For reasons I can't explain, the video appears twice. Rather than try to figure it out -- since I just pasted in their embed code -- maybe they just figure it's double the fun... |
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. 
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