Tea Party Debate

Tea partiers get a little street cred tonight in Des Moines. The Des Moines Tea Party hosts its first debate for the 7 Republican candidates for Iowa's 3rd District. Although, only 4 of the 7 candidates plan to show up: Pat Bertroche, Scott Batcher, Brad Zaun and Dave Funk. Jim Gibbons, Mark Reese and Jason Lee Welch notified organizers they would not attend. Funk would seem to have the home-field advantage. Funk's political director, Ryan Rhodes, was the chairman of the Tea Party Patriots.

(Tea partiers, if you go to the debate tonight, please get on here and let us know who impressed you and who didn't.)

What kind of impact will the tea partiers have this year? They are definitely a passionate bunch. Can they channel that anger toward the primary? And even more challenging, perhaps, can they stay engaged all the way through the November election? If so, and, if, they unite people who haven't been voting recently, they could affect close races at the ballot box.

ETC...
For the Love of the Game...

O.K., seriously, my Cardinals stink! It is beyond me why they can't hit better than they do. Is it time for a shakeup? It feels too early for that, but something needs to jar this team a bit. Perhaps, Felipe Lopez will offer something when he comes off the disabled list as early as Monday. They need someone to offer a spark. I hope he can do it. Brendan Ryan is an automatic out right now. Although, Skip Schumaker does seem to be finding his swing. And what about Matt Holliday? Get a hit with someone on base! Isn't that why you make $17 million a season?