For expert analysis of the President's State of the Union, check www.realclearpolitics.com. Of course, my local newspaper (Star Tribune) did not like it. If they did like anything the President said or did, I would be concerned.
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The non-binding resolution the US Senate will be considering, criticizing the commitment of 21,000 additional troops to Iraq, is garnering a lot of attention, and for good reason. Over at www.hughhewitt.com, Hugh is very adamant that GOP Senators who support this resolution, or any subsequent one, will not be forgotten on his show, and will have absolutely no chance at winning reelection in the future.

It appears that virtually all Democrat Senators will support this resolution. Disappointing is the support it is receiving from GOP'ers (Warner, Snowe, Brownback, Collins, Smith, Coleman). Norm Coleman should know better. I appreciate the fact he is in a difficult position, given that a good number of the 21,000 troops will come from Minnesota. However, he is a responsible voice in the Senate on the war, and has not wavered in his support in the past. Plus, he will be in a reelection fight in 2008 against the likes of Al Franken. Along with Gordon Smith, Coleman will face perhaps the stiffest challenge in holding a seat in a state which is purple, at best. Alienating the base of his party, not to mention bunkering in with the cut-and-run crowd, won't help his chances.
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You will find out that I am a sports fanatic. My loyalties are primarily limited to the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, University of Minnesota Men's Hockey team, and the New York Islanders. However, during the past season, I have become more of Minnesota Timberwolves' fan, mostly because I love watching Kevin Garnett play. Therefore, I have watched more T-Wolves' games the past year than in all other years combined.

The team fired its coach, Dwane Casey, yesterday with a 20-20 record. Although the team has been maddeningly inconsistent all season long, it has a roster which is ill-suited to having a .500 record. The team has 7 guards and 5 small forward types, yet Casey has somehow managed to get this team to play well at times. No more evident is the play of center Mark Blount, who is among the league's leaders in field goal percentage, after several teams and coaches have grown frustrated with his lack of production.

Casey got fired yesterday because his team was inconsistent. The wrong man was fired. Kevin McHale, the man who assembled the cast of misfits, should have been dismissed. I'm not saying Casey is without fault. However, some culpability has to fall upon McHale. After all, he's the one who stockpiled the 7 guard roster, traded for and signed Marko Jaric long-term (and is now trying to get rid of him for nothing, after giving up Sammy Cassell AND a first-rounder), lost another first-rounder in last year's Wally Szczerbiak trade, has lost (Joe Smith deal) or given up 5 first-rounders in his regime, etc. The team fired the wrong guy, and they continue to drift without a compass.