OPINE POTPOURRI — The Weekly Opine

Politics, sports, current events

We open today’s 200th edition of The Weekly Opine with commentary regarding the soon-to-be vacant position on the Supreme Court, followed by thoughts about the National Football League, and war games in Eastern Europe.

Democrats, the party of righteousness and inclusiveness, act like a Lamborghini stuck on one of those access roads running parallel to the highway. Dems search for the fast lane on-ramp but can’t quite get up to speed, no matter how many times they shift gears.

Whether announcing a nominee for the impending opening on the Supreme Court, indicting Trump, or playing a game of high stakes chicken with Vladimir Putin, Democrats’ judgment suggests they are not getting their money’s worth from advisors and consultants on their payroll.

Seemingly overwhelmed by the should-have-been-anticipated enormity of governing and leading, Dems too often appear unprepared for the moment, wandering around as if they left home without a map or compass.

Take, for example, the Supreme Court opportunity. During the 2020 presidential primary candidate Biden, desperate to attract Black voters, promised to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. Good enough, now just go ahead and do it.

Yes, there are multiple qualified candidates (unlike Trump picks Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney-Barrett), however, the person who rises to the top is South Carolina U.S. District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs.

Democrats are already fussing internally over the lead candidate to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Even wimpy Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) speaks effusively about Childs’ professional qualifications and personal integrity. Yassa bossin’ Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) also expresses support for Child’s. And Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), the architect responsible for Biden winning the Black vote and Democratic primary, is all-in with Judge Childs, too.

Rather than forcing us to listen to MSNBC hosts gush on and on about his options for nominating a Black woman during Black History Month, President Biden needs to immediately announce his choice, check the box, and get on to the next thing. (Unfortunately, and true to form, some progressive Democrats are complaining, bringing up that Childs defended management during labor disputes when she practiced law years ago. Unable to see the big picture, these progressives unintentionally sabotage their own cause[s]).

Considering there has been talk - since the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg - that Justice Stephen Breyer would do the right thing and step aside, allowing the (presumptive) Democrat president to fill his seat, vetting should have been completed months ago. Behind-the-scenes, under-the-radar background checks, to be ready for this moment. It’s called preparing for an eventuality.

A Senate split 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris giving Dems the slightest edge with her tie-breaking vote, leaves no margin for error. Plus, MAGA sympathizers Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) often tilt the Senate in Republican’s favor. Consequently, Democrats should not tempt fate when it comes to Biden’s Supreme Court nominee.

This became more evident last week when Sen. Ben Lujan (D-N. Mex.) suffered a mild stroke. Lujan is expected to be working again in a month. Nonetheless, Lujan’s situation is an example that proves Biden should put aside deliberative, institutional traditions and make his move. Do not allow the GOP ample time to create doubt by attacking his choice – before Biden even reveals her name.

My free advice to Biden is act purposefully, without delay, and name J. Michelle Childs his Supreme Court nominee. Check.

Low impact

Any football fan paying attention the past decade (or two or three) knows the NFL has a problem. Sixty percent of the players are Black yet, not-quite-literally, but virtually all head coaches are White. Same with team ownership. Other than Jacksonville’s Shahid Khan, I am not aware of an NFL owner who is not White.

The NFL does a fine job hiring Black musicians, who’ve earned platinum records, to perform during halftime at the Super Bowl. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

After fumbling the Colin Kaepernick situation, the NFL decided to allow players to remain in the locker room during the national anthem, to save the league the embarrassment of players publicly taking a knee. Predictably, the NFL piled onto nationwide protests following the murder of George Floyd by a thug cop.

Responding to activists and critics of all races, who expressed dissatisfaction with the league conspiring to blackball Kaepernick, the NFL hired music mogul Jay-Z’s company, Roc Nation, to advise the NFL on matters of social justice. A rapper turned businessman, Jay-Z purportedly provides the NFL cultural guidance, presumably to help the league do right by Black folks and promote league initiatives like “Inspire Change.”

One result has been a sophomoric campaign of rote slogans (“Inspire Change”) on the back of players’ helmets, and slogans (“End Racism”) painted on the field along the back line of the end zone. Nice try, NFL, but many of us would rather see Colin Kaepernick playing in the NFL than slogans on helmets. This attempt to placate is easier to see through than a clear plastic shower curtain. I’m surprised the league hasn’t forced cheerleaders to yell “Black Lives Matter” on the sidelines.

As part of his advisory role with the NFL, Jay-Z curated the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show. Performers include Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Mary J. Blige. A cast clearly appealing to the NFL’s Black fans as well as all devotees of rap and R&B music.

However, considering last week’s news that recently fired Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores’ filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and several teams, I wonder if the music artists will reconsider performing for a league that so blatantly accommodates bad behavior by many of its team owners. (Of course, the musicians won’t reconsider. They getting paid!)

In too many cases, when it comes to hiring head coaches, NFL owners play a game of pretend. The league’s Rooney Rule forces teams to interview at least one Black candidate. Consequently, Black candidates are interviewed by teams that have no intention of hiring them. Owners check a box and it’s obvious.

For example, the Chicago Bears interviewed former Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell. Really? No chance the Bears would’ve hired Caldwell, whose name conjures up the word relic. The Bears should have interviewed Tampa Bay’s and Tom Brady’s offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, or Kansas City’s and Patrick Mahomes’ offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Leftwich and Bieniemy are modern, legit candidates. (To their credit, the Bears once hired a Black head coach, Lovie Smith, from 2004-2012.)

Presto, on Monday it was reported the Houston Texans, one of the worst teams in the NFL, hired borderline relic Lovie Smith as their head coach. Smith was the Texans defensive coordinator and replaces David Culley, the Black head coach the Texans just fired. Culley was given only one year at the helm, without his star quarterback playing a single play, before being handed his hat.

Regarding systemic racial bias among its owners, the NFL approach is, it’s a public relations issue to be managed rather than a problem that must be fixed.

If only the troops amassing near Ukraine’s border were toy soldiers. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Outnumbered

President Biden, having walked back his (uninformed?) prediction that a Russian invasion of Ukraine was days away, is now doubling down, with government officials again sounding alarm bells that an invasion is imminent. This follows confirmation the U.S. is sending 3,000 troops to Eastern Europe. According to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the troops will provide a strong deterrent and persuade Putin not to move on Ukraine.

This episode of back-and-forth highlights a transparency and communication clarity problem that continues to hamstring the Biden administration.

At the State Department, spokesman Ned Price is in over his head, proving so during last week’s heated exchange with a reporter. Price said the U.S. has intelligence that Russia has begun a false flag film campaign. When asked for evidence to back up the false flag claim Price wilted, clumsily trying to deflect basic questions with disingenuous, mumbo jumbo answers.

Furthermore, in a break from longstanding tradition, the Pentagon refuses to allow journalists to imbed with the 3,000 U.S. troops gathered near Ukraine’s border.

Putin, with more than 100,000 Russian troops positioned near Ukraine’s border, has created a situation whereby his actions have unintentionally caused NATO to become more unified than at any time since the Cold War. If Putin’s worst nightmare is American and allied troops setting up in Eastern Europe, he must be tossing and turning at night. Dummkopf.

A few days ago, French President Emmanuel Macron demonstrated his statesman chops when he met with Putin. Macron’s comments reflect an understanding of sensitive security issues important to both sides. He did not budge with respect to Putin’s demand that NATO stay out of Eastern Europe. Facing reality, Macron admits he does not believe in instant miracles. Instead, Macron faces the situation planted on a foundation of practical diplomacy.

If Putin invades Ukraine the allies should follow through with hardcore sanctions. Biden says the Russian gas pipeline to Germany will not happen if Ukraine is invaded. The pipeline is already built but has not yet been activated because it does not meet German standards.

I wonder if this is the best we can do, stop a Russian pipeline but simultaneously impact the Germans negatively? A better idea would be to invoke sanctions that lead to the demise of Putin’s authoritarian regime.

Turnabout is fair play, after all, and Putin is hellbent on toppling western democracies.