SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET:

IS IT ACCURATE? – From Fox:  Donald Trump has been knocked from his perch atop the GOP presidential primary field by Sen. Ted Cruz, according to a new national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Wednesday evening.  The poll showed Sen. Cruz of Texas leading the New York businessman by two percentage points, 28-26, among Republican primary voters. Cruz’ lead is within the poll's 4.9 percent margin of error.  Florida Sen. Marco Rubio came in third, garnering 17 percent, followed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Dr. Ben Carson and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.  We don't know yet if this poll has caught a trend, or if it's just an outlier.  Fox comes out with a national poll and a South Carolina poll tomorrow, Thursday.

ANOTHER U.S. APOLOGY COMING? – From ABC News:   President Obama is planning a trip to Cuba some time next month, marking the first time in more than 80 years a sitting U.S. president will visit the country, according to sources with knowledge of the plan.  A National Security Council official plans to make the announcement tomorrow at the White House briefing.  The trip is planned for March 21-22 before the president flies to Argentina.  How exciting – an embrace of the Castro brothers, probably Obama's heroes.  I wonder if the great "leader of the free world" will visit any political prisoners.  Oh, he's also scheduled to visit Vietnam.  Just be grateful that this world traveler has only 11 months left in office.

REAL CLASS – From Mediaite:   President Obama will not be at the funeral for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Saturday.  The president will go to the late justice’s wake on Friday to pay his respects, but he will not attend the funeral on Saturday.  Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden will be attending Scalia’s funeral.  Obama just lacks class.  He wouldn't even send a high-level delegation to Margaret Thatcher's funeral, but personally attended Nelson Mandela's.  He should go to Scalia's funeral simply to pay tribute to a great and civilized legal scholar, agree with him or not.  French President Charles deGaulle, despite differences with the United States, walked behind John F. Kennedy's coffin after Kennedy's assassination.  There are big men and small men.

February 17,  2016