Signs and Wonders 04.30

Lesbian leaders and the Boy Scouts. The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has spent millions of dollars defending its right to require Scouts to pledge duty to God and to pick leaders who reflect the organization's values. That may be why the left hates the Scouts so much. The latest assault on the Boy Scouts comes from a lesbian who wants to be a den mother. Jennifer Tyrrell knew about the BSA's policy, but she signed up for a leadership role anyway. When other parents complained, the BSA asked her to step aside. Tyrell is using the controversy to launch a nationwide campaign-backed by pro-homosexual groups-to "get her pack back." The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is turning her into a celebrity with online videos and petition drives. But don't expect the Scouts to cave. The BSA took a case to the Supreme Court a dozen years ago-and won. The BSA issued a statement that included the following: "Our focus is on delivering the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. Our mission does not include teaching young people about sex or sexual orientation, and we do not believe it is Scouting's role to introduce this topic in our youth development program." The good news is that the BSA is getting support from pro-family groups, including the Family Research Council. FRC President Tony Perkins said, "In a world desperate for courageous role models, I can't think of a better one than an organization that sticks to its principles like this one."

Defending our defenders. Rep. Tim Huelskamp has introduced a bill that will help military chaplains maintain the integrity of their religious beliefs in the post "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" era. His bill, H.R. 3828, will allow clergy to say "no" to duties, ceremonies, or services they find religiously objectionable. The bill also says that military property or facilities can only be used for the marriages of a man and woman. In his testimony before the House Armed Services Committee last week, Huelskamp said, "It is … disingenuous for people within the Obama administration to claim that there are no reports about opposition to implementation of new policies, when voicing those concerns are strictly prohibited."

Economic Obama-ter. I've been saying (perhaps "warning" is the right word) that despite major structural problems with our economy, and the real risk that European debt poses for a global meltdown, the superficial indicators here in the United States continue to move President Obama's way. The Associated Press reports, "The improving economy is swinging the pendulum in President Barack Obama's favor in the 14 states where the presidential election will likely be decided. A resurgence in manufacturing is helping the economy-and Obama's chances-in the industrial Midwestern states of Ohio and Michigan. And Arizona, Nevada, and Florida, where unemployment remains high, are getting some relief from an uptick in tourism." In Michigan, a state in which Mitt Romney hopes to compete, unemployment fell to 8.5 percent in March from 10.5 percent in March 2011. Ohio's unemployment is down to 7.5 percent. A Fox News poll released last week showed Obama leading Romney 45 percent to 39 percent among registered voters in Ohio. Unemployment is down over the past year in 10 other states the AP identifies as swing states: Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

McCarver-isms. Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra is known for his Yogi-isms, malapropisms that at first seem nonsensical but upon reflection reveal a homespun wisdom. (My favorite: "Predictions are dangerous, especially predictions about the future.") Tim McCarver, another former major league catcher who is now a Fox Sports commentator, is also becoming known for malapropisms that seem nonsensical but upon reflection are, well, unfortunately, still nonsense. This past weekend, for example, he blamed the increasing number of home runs in the major leagues not on steroids, or improved fitness and training programs, or more tightly sewn balls. No, he rejected all of these plausible explanations and suggested the reason for the Long Ball Era is (I'm not making this up) global warming. Here are his exact words: "It has not been proven, but I think ultimately it will be proven that the air is thinner now, there have been climatic changes over the last 50 years in the world, and I think that's one of the reasons balls are carrying much better now than I remember." I was a huge Tim McCarver fan when I was growing up in Memphis (his hometown, too) and he was playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, listening to Cardinals games on the radio. He accumulated two world championship rings and made two All-Star game appearances before retiring after 22 years. He's had an equally illustrious broadcasting career, though he has a reputation for over-analyzing games and situations, and for hogging the microphone. He's guilty of what pros in that business call "not allowing the game to breathe." It won't take many more McCarver-isms like this one to have people calling for Fox to take the breath out of his broadcasting career.