SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:51 P.M. ET: 

NO MILITARY SALUTE FOR OBAMA – FROM THE DAILY MAIL:   Obama's farewell salute from the military, as poll shows most are unhappy with his years as commander-in-chief - and less than a third voted for Hillary  More than half the troops have an unfavorable opinion of President Obama's military leadership, according to a new poll.  The survey says 49 per cent of service members voted for Donald Trump.  Just 36 registered support for Obama's conduct as commander in chief.  A majority said the U.S. troop drawdown in Afghanistan has made the nation less safe.   Just 29 per cent backed Hillary Clinton.  That pretty much tells the story.  The military gets it.  Obama has been an inadequate, indifferent commander-in-chief.  He deserves his numbers.

DEMS' SLOGAN FLOPS – FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER:   The Democrats' new healthcare slogan, "Make America Sick Again," is a clunker with a majority of voters, according to fresh data from a Republican pollster.  The national survey, conducted for a GOP political group, asked 1,000 likely voters if they agree that, "If Republicans repeal the Affordable Care Act, it will make America sick again." Overall, only 32.1 percent of voters agreed, including, at 57.1 percent, a majority of Democrats; 64.8 percent of Independents disagreed, as did 85.9 percent of Republicans.   "Nearly 70 percent of respondents support repeal of ACA with a realistic modest transition period and letting people keep their coverage while they wait for the new law to be in place," read the polling memo prepared for American Action Network, a political nonprofit organization aligned with House Republican leaders. Even Democrats support this by a [48 percent to 43 percent] margin. Additionally, respondents disagree with the Democratic claim that if Republicans repeal ACA that it will make America sick again."  The people have spoken, but Democrats in Congress listen only to other Democrats.  That may explain why they lose elections.

HOW CLASSY – FROM PJ MEDIA:   WASHINGTON -- A Missouri congressman and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus plan to rehang this week a student painting depicting a police officer with a boar-type head after an angry GOP congressman took it down.  The annual Congressional Institute art competition solicits entries from high school students each spring. Students submit works of art to their congressional offices, and teams of artists representing the district pick the winners, which are displayed in the Capitol for a year.  The controversial winner is from Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay's (D-Mo.) district, which includes the city of St. Louis and northern areas of St. Louis County.  The painting, "Untitled #1" by Cardinal Ritter High School grad David Pulphus, had been hanging in a House walkway among other contest winners since June. On Friday, after learning about the painting's depiction from Twitter, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) took it down.  But Joe Kasper, chief of staff for Hunter, told the San Diego Union-Tribune that despite the "very strong statement" and "outpouring of support" surrounding the painting's removal, the congressman wouldn't take down the painting again if his colleague decided to put it back up.  What's so sad is that a congressman thought the painting appropriate in the first place.  Precisely how does it advance the lives of people of color?

January 9, 2017