The Scapegoat?

Earlier this week the Chicago Cubs traded catcher Michael Barrett to the San Diego Padres for back-up catcher Rob Bowen and minor league outfielder Kyle Burke. The trade did not come as a surprise to most Cubs fans due to the fact that Barrett had been struggling behind the dish and his offensive numbers were down, at least in comparison to the last few years. Coupled with the fact that Barrett had not been getting along with the very men he was catching for; notably the scuffle with ace Carlos Zambrano and a heated discussion with Rich Hill.

Cubs GM Jim Hendry admitted that Barrett had “regressed” in his performance on the field and that a trade was the best move. Barrett had been catching a lot of the blame for the Cubs well documented impotence on the field, but to many, including me a trade was a bit rash, especially for two “no names.” Barrett has been a constant source of leadership the past few years on and off the field. I understand the business aspect of the trade, but Hendry needs to realize that baseball is a team sport. Yes, Barrett has cost the Cubs a few games this year, but what about the offense that has failed to drive in runs in key RBI situations?

Hendry might as well have traded the entire team if he is running the team along those lines. A leader is supposed to be contentious if you ask me, exactly what Michael Barrett was to the Chicago Cubs. As we know, the Cubs have had a long and rather ironic past when it comes to trading or letting players get a way. Do you remember a man by the name of Maddux? Yes, I realize that the Cubs also have had a bad history of waiting for players to come around (Wood and Prior) to no avail. But my gut tells me that they will end up eating this marvelous "business transaction."

Border Security and Immigration: My Two Cents

It seems as if everyone these days has an opinion concerning two transient issues pervading America: Border Security and Immigration. The most recent fire storm concerning these two issues has burnt down Capitol Hill and is about to enter the White House. President Bush was counting on a recent immigration bill to revive what was left of his political capital, but the measure was killed in the Senate by Democrats and Republicans a like. But the bill is back on the table and it is all Bush has to cling to.

Countless conservatives are foaming at the mouth over the focal point of the measure, which is to grant all illegal aliens amnesty. If you can recall, the last time that amnesty was granted to all illegal aliens occurred in 1986 under President Reagan. Under Reagan’s measure, all undocumented individuals who had been working in the U.S. prior to January 1, 1982, were now full U.S. citizens. This pathetic attempt by President Bush to bring back recollections of Reagan politics has done nothing but insight anger on both sides of the aisle and for good reason.

Immigration and border security have always been at the heart of many heated arguments over the past 200 years. But just like economic depressions, the arguments become more vital and heated. Conservatives want the president to concentrate more on border security, which the president has obliged by pledging $4.4 billion in the recent reform measure. Conservatives and liberals (for the most part) both disagree on any idea of amnesty, as it would depress wages and harm American workers. What is the solution to all of this you ask?

While I agree with Bush’s conservative critics that the president lacks credibility in both border security and immigration, the answer though, is not to strengthen border security. The president needs to understand that the only way to solve a problem is to go to the root of the problem: The Mexican Government. The Mexican Government has shown a blatant disregard for our sovereignty by encouraging their citizens to cross into U.S. territory illegally; the logical solution would be to put pressure on Mexico City to help resolve the issue.

Maybe using the “money and might” on Mexico that we are wasting in Iraq could help the situation? Sadly, even Mexico has lost respect for the Bush Administration and he cannot do a damn thing about it. But we need to remember that logic has no place in this current administration. Logic has been replaced by sheer futility. The president needs to check his political bank account before he suggests anymore “bright” ideas.