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

RUDY? – FROM FOX:   Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was the favorite to be secretary of state in President-elect Donald Trump's administration, a senior Trump transition official said Monday.  The official told the Associated Press there was no real competition for the job and that it was Giuliani's if he wanted it. However, a second official cautioned that John Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, remained in contention for the job.  Gee, I never saw Rudy in that role, and his manner doesn't exactly shout "diplomat."  But Rudy has a way of succeeding.  Don't sell him short.

MORE MADNESS ON CAMPUS – FROM POWERLINE:   You would think that after the Rolling Stone rape hoax fiasco, the University of Virginia, which Thomas Jefferson founded, would be wary of beclowning itself further. And you would be wrong. From the Cavalier Daily:  Several groups on Grounds collaborated to write a letter to University President Teresa Sullivan against the inclusion of a Thomas Jefferson quote in her post-election email Nov. 9.  In the email, Sullivan encouraged students to unite in the wake of contentious results, arguing that University students have the responsibility of creating the future they want for themselves.  “Thomas Jefferson wrote to a friend that University of Virginia students ‘are not of ordinary significance only: they are exactly the persons who are to succeed to the government of our country, and to rule its future enmities, its friendships and fortunes,’” Sullivan said in the email. “I encourage today’s U.Va. students to embrace that responsibility.”  Some professors from the Psychology Department — and other academic departments — did not agree with the use of this quote. Their letter to Sullivan argued that in light of Jefferson’s owning of slaves and other racist beliefs, she should refrain from quoting Jefferson in email communications.  “We would like for our administration to understand that although some members of this community may have come to this university because of Thomas Jefferson’s legacy, others of us came here in spite of it,” the letter read. “For many of us, the inclusion of Jefferson quotations in these e-mails undermines the message of unity, equality and civility that you are attempting to convey.”  What jerks.  It was the vision of Thomas Jefferson, among others, that gave these "scholars" their freedom.  But Jefferson is out of fashion, which is all that counts among the trendies.  Trump said he'd take on political correctness.  I hope he does.

NOTHING CHANGES – Much talk these days about the role of the press in the campaign, with many voices complaining about the blatant press bias, especially at outlets like The New York Times and CNN.  So, I've monitored several news organizations, trying to find out if any corrective policies are in place.  They aren't.  The press will probably learn nothing from the debacle.  The Times, whose publisher actually made a statement late last week recommitting the paper to quality journalism, is still obsessed with "get Trump" stories.  The editors apparently didn't read the publisher's letter.  And CNN is hopeless.  You can feel the sneer toward Trump in much of its reporting.  No greater respect for the man than before the election.  Both organizations are hammering Trump's appointment of Steve Bannon as White House strategist, whatever that means.  They are desperate to prove that Trump is a bigot, and Bannon's controversial history at Breitbart is their current route.

November 14, 2016