Belling, Doyle, and Mine That Bird

The spiteful Lefties, including Tim Cuprisin, are really enjoying the outcome of the Kentucky Derby.

It's not because Mine That Bird was a 50-1 long shot and pulled off a stunning upset by winning the race.

It's because Mark Belling wrote on his website that Mine That Bird had no chance. He was so certain Mine That Bird wouldn't win that he said he would stop betting on horse racing and vote for Gov. Jim Doyle if the horse won the Derby.

On his show on Monday, Belling addressed the matter.

MARK BELLING: As usual, I was shooting my mouth off prior to the race. That's what I do if you haven't noticed. I shoot my mouth off and make all sorts of bold statements.

On my website, on Belling.com, I declared that Mine That Bird really had no chance of winning the race, and I did so in the way that only a blowhard gasbag like myself would do. I vowed to do certain things if he won the race, and he, in fact, won the race.

...I make comments like this all the time about all sorts of horses. Never has any of them won. Never would I have dreamed that this horse would win.

Where do I put this in the history of horse racing upsets? I consider it the greatest upset in the history of the sport. Not the history of the Derby, the greatest upset in the history of horse racing in the United States....

Belling goes into some detail giving background on Mine That Bird, explaining just how unbelievable and unexpected his victory was.

BELLING: Now, there are a couple of personal things that involve me with regard to all of this. I have, I think, made the decision that I'm not going to be posting picks on Belling.com anymore.

Paul says, 'Why?'

Here's why: It has nothing to do with the fact that I was wrong about this race.

It has to do with the following: I did receive some comments from people who say that 'I bet on your picks on the Derby and I lost money.' Well that's your own damn fault. Virtually everybody who bet on the Derby lost money. That's why the payouts were as high as they were. If you are going to take my advice on betting money, and get upset when you lose, and you're going to come back to me, well then I'm not going to provide this as a service. I do it because I have had tremendous history when posting these picks in the past.... I've got a pretty good history here.

Nonetheless, if some people are going to get all upset if the picks don't work out, I don't see any point in doing it if people are thinking that I'm providing something here. I'm charging nothing for it and I just don't need the hassle....

I don't want to be in a position where people think that I'm costing them money, even though nobody's forcing them to bet anything.... I'm just not going to do it, unless I change my mind.

Belling offers his analysis of the horses. If people listen to him and bet accordingly, that's completely their choice. It's nuts to hold him accountable.

Belling isn't responsible in any way. What a bunch of whiners!

Then there's the other matter -- Belling's "vow."
Tim Cuprisin, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, writes:

WISN-AM (1130) talker Mark Belling is a guy who knows his way around a horse track, being part owner of a horse that came in second in the 1997 Kentucky Derby.

So when Belling blogged last week with predictions on Saturday's big race at Churchill Downs, his forecast on the No. 8 horse got some notice:

"If this horse wins, I'll never bet on another race and will vote for Jim Doyle for re-election."

That horse, of course, was Mine That Bird, who won at odds of 50-to-1.

Belling's blognostication was copied all over the Web, most frequently by bloggers on the other end of the spectrum from the conservative Belling.

Cuprisin, like those of his Lefty ilk, are relishing this.

State Democratic Party Chairman Joe Wineke e-mailed Belling a party membership card: "Unlike the other side, we are a big tent party that welcomes people of all political leanings - and we are glad to have you."

Here's the text of Wineke's e-mail.

What a load!

The Dems aren't a big tent party. If you believe in protecting the weak, the vulnerable, and the unborn, the Dems are most definitely NOT glad to have you.

If you're against the government seizing YOUR earnings to spread YOUR wealth around, the Dems don't want you under their tent.

If you don't believe that America should be held responsible and apologize for the world's ills, the Dems don't welcome you.

That big tent stuff is such a crock.

Belling continues to explain.

BELLING: However, in my analysis of Mine That Bird, I declared that if the horse won I would never bet on a horse race again and I would vote for Jim Doyle for reelection for governor. That's what I put on the website....

Now, as for the not betting on horse racing again, that vow has been made by me at least 95,000 times. It has been broken each time so I can easily dismiss that. I vow to give up betting on horse racing three times a week. So, that one I'm going to renege on as I always do.

This claim that I'm going to vote for Jim Doyle, however, is problematic. And a lot of people are making a big deal about it.

Belling goes on to read the e-mail he received from Joe Wineke.

Instead of being trapped by what appears to be a problem, Belling turns it into an opportunity. Belling answered all the Dems insisting that he make good on his pledge to vote for Doyle.

Belling replied to Wineke with the following letter:

Dear Mr. Wineke (aka "Joe"),

In 2003, Gov. Jim Doyle said, "My mind will be open to every solution -- except one. We should not -- we must not -- and I will not -- raise taxes."

I fully intend to honor my commitment to vote for Gov. Doyle if he honors his.

If Governor Doyle withdraws his support for: the oil franchise tax, the landfill tax, the income tax hike, the RTA taxes, the cigarette tax, the digital download tax, the 911 phone tax, and vetoes any increase in the gasoline tax or the sales taxes and cancels the new hospital tax and the new combined reporting tax and imposes no new tax of any kind between now and the next election, I will indeed vote for Governor Doyle for reelection.

If he does not honor his commitment, I will not honor mine. If that makes me a liar, I will be in the company of the governor of the State of Wisconsin.

It is, however, nice to know that the party of Bill "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" Clinton, and Jim "I am opposed to all expansion of gambling" Doyle, has suddenly reversed decades of course and is now in support of telling the truth.

Regards,

Mark Belling

P.S. If Doyle actually does kill all his taxes, I'll even donate to his campaign.

It's funny that Cuprisin and his comrades are jumping on the fact that Belling changed his pledge.

What about Doyle's failure to honor his?

Belling simply blogged about his picks for the Kentucky Derby. He didn't make PROMISES to the people of Wisconsin and ask them to entrust him with the responsibility of governing the state.

The "vows" made by the two men are in entirely different leagues.

Naturally, the Lefties don't want to see it that way.

They should regret making an issue out of Mine That Bird. They're drawing attention to the many broken promises and the string of lies that trail Doyle.

Belling definitely was the one to make the most of the opportunity. The Dems are left with the problem.
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UPDATE, May 5, 2009: Belling, Doyle, and Mine That Bird -- Part II