The Beer Summit

Much has been written and said about "The Beer Summit" held at the White House this week. Much curiousity surrounds the attendance of Vice President Joseph Biden. Much ado about nothing. The Vice President wasn't there to offer perspective or even to support his boss. He was there for one reason and one reason only. Without him the picture would be of two black men and a white guy. And because those black men were the first African-American President and a celebrated African American scholar and professor and the white man was a working stiff cop, well you can figure out the rest. Vice President Biden was added for balance, Plain and simple. Because that is the REAL reason for Mr. Biden's appearance, we still have a long way to go.

Don't Quit Your Day Job.

Dear Mr. President, I didn't vote for you, but I support you and unlike some of the other people who didn't cast their vote for you, I really want you to succeed. I watched the Baseball All-Star Game last night and I saw you throw out the first pitch. I did so with much anticipation. Mr. President, with all due respect, please don't do that again. You throw like a girl, a nancy, a big time sissy mary.
It was pretty apparent that FOX had a clue this wasn't going to be pretty. Instead of shooting the pitch from the center field camera, we saw a close-up of you; field level third base side. We at home weren't sure your pitch made it to home plate. But then you pumped your first and well everything was OK.
But it wasn't.
I was on the phone with my son KC almost immediately. He too was surprised we didn't see the pitch to the plate. And then we found out why.
Your pitch didn't make it to the plate. A very gracious Albert Pujols plucked it off the ground with an out stretched glove.
Two things bothered me deeply. First you said you practiced in the Rose Garden of the White House. With whom did you practice? Was it a newly appointed Baseball Czar? Did the Czar tell you, you were ready. You may want to reconsider that appointment. You weren't ready.
Secondly, on your way to the game in St. Louis, you stopped in Michigan and picked up Willie Mays to take him to the game.
WILLIE MAYS!
The Greatest Living Baseball Player WILLIE MAYS!
He gave you advice. He said, "Follow through." You got advice from Willie Mays and didn't take it. You couldn't have. That pitch was just terrible.
Now you did have some big shoes to fill. President George W. Bush threw a bee-bee to the plate to start the 2001 World Series in New York. It was a seminal moment for baseball and the country after 9/11. He threw a perfect strike. And he was wearing forty-five pounds of body armor under his jacket. Don't tell me he had an advantage because he used to own a baseball team. Like your pitch, "that ain't gonna fly."
And while I'm at it, what was the deal with the White Sox jacket? It did give the spinmeisters a reason to blame the smattering of boos on the jacket. But let's face it, we all know better.
Mr. President, if you get a chance to flip the coin at the Super Bowl, do it. Drop the puck on the Stanley Cup Finals, yes sir. You could even shoot threes at the NBA All-Star Game. But please Sir, I beg you. Don't throw out the first pitch at a baseball game ever again...ever.