Classics

At the end of the regular baseball season, allow me to mention a couple of heroes of mine, a particular pitcher and a first baseman.
Few baseball players come anywhere near heroism. Too many are deficient in talent, in dedication, in consistent performance, even in common, every-day deportment.
So a few words are due about Mariano Rivera of the Yankees and Todd Helton of the Rockies.
Rivera, now 41, was born in Panama and was signed as a free-agent by the Yankees in 1990. He made his debut in May 1995 and has been a Yankee ever since. This season he set a major-league career record for games 'saved' by a relief pitcher.
Helton, now 38, was born in Knoxville, Tenn., was drafted by the Rockies out of the University of Tennessee in 1995 and has been the 'face' and the deeply respected player-leader of the team ever since. He has been an expert fielder, a career hitter of plus .300 and a multiple-year all-star
But beyond star performances, Todd Helton and Mariano Rivera have shown a couple of qualities that others tend to lack: Humility. And that indefinable something called class.

Fraud V

We Democrats know exactly what Secretary of State Scott Gessler is doing with his law suit challenging so-called 'inactive' voters of Denver. He is helping push a furtive and persistent nationwide Republican campaign to whittle down the number and influence of Democratic voters.
The Republicans warn eternally of election "fraud." Well, the truth is that there is no significant election fraud in Denver or anywhere else in Colorado, at least by Democrats. (The only person I know of who was convicted in recent times of double voting here was a suburban Republican.)
Gessler has filed suit to block the Denver election commission from mailing absentee ballots to voters who failed to t cast ballots in the general election of 2010 or in any election since. And they failed to return postcards asking them if they wanted to get a ballot.
So what?
Maybe they just had no interest in an unexciting congrssional election in 2010 or in later local ones. And maybe they don't bother with postcard solicitations in general.
I say if they were in good standing in the poll books after the 2008 presidential election, they're still in good standing and they deserve to get a ballot.
Who and where are these people? Denver Post maps show clusters in parts of the city that have concentrations of minority voters -- voters more likely than not to be Democrats. Many won't be voting absentee this time.
Well, shucks, in Gessler's GOP-establishment world, that's just how it goes. It can't be helped, and he accuses his critics of playing the "race card."
Gawd. That's brass for you. Gessler and the Republicans have been using a deck of race cards for years.

Fraud IV

That old scarecrow known as "voter fraud" has popped up in the news again. But this time it's the real thing.
Historically -- at least in recent history -- stern warnings about wholesale fraudulent voting have been issued regularly in pre-election periods. It's a Republican thing to do, locally and nationally. Possible prosecution and jail are mentioned.
Why? Well, it's aimed at potential minority (and likely Democratic) voters , who already may feel less comfortable than they should feel about this whole confusing election system.
You know, maybe it will discourage them a little bit more from going down to the clerk's office to register or turning out to vote on election day.
I've always answered these vague GOP warnings with a simple question. If fraud is such an awful problem, how come nobody gets prosecuted for it?
Well, hey, someone has. Finally.
An Aurora man has been found guilty by a jury of voting twice -- twice -- in metropolitan ares counties in 2008 and 2009.
His party?
Wouldn't you know? He's a Republican.