SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:56 P.M. ET: 

WELL SAID – The great African-American scholar Thomas Sowell periodically publishes his "random thoughts."  They're always worth reading.  Here's one from this week:  "Republicans complain when Democrats call them racists. But when have you ever heard a Republican counterattack? You don't win by protesting your innocence or whining about the unfairness of the charge. Yet when have you heard a Republican reply by saying, "You're a lying demagogue without a speck of evidence. Put up or shut up!"  He's right.

A GENERATION OF SHEEP – From the College Fix:  "A growing number of law students are complaining to their professors about lectures on rape law, saying the subject is too traumatic to learn about or discuss, according to at least two prominent law professors.  Harvard Law Professor Jeannie Suk detailed the trend in The New Yorker earlier this month, and this week George Washington University law professor John Banzhaf, in an interview with The College Fix, said he has found the same thing in his classroom.  'We are going to be raising a wussified generation of lawyers,' Banzhaf said. 'Students are saying, "I don’t want to hear anything that disturbs me."  How are these lawyers going to do what lawyers have to do, which is to stand up to judges for clients and causes?  This is our basic heritage,' he continued. 'If they’re so wussified that they can’t hear the term rape, it sends tremors down their spine – who’s going to stand up for us?'"

BOEHNER WEAK IN GOP POLL – From NRO:  "Nine percent of self-identified Republicans and self-described independents who say they lean closer to Republicans say they feel 'strongly favorable' about Boehner, and another 34 percent say 'somewhat favorable.' Another 23 percent say they’re 'somewhat unfavorable,' and another 11 percent say strongly unfavorable. An entire 11 percent say they’ve never heard of John Boehner.  Asked, 'If it were up to you, would you elect John Boehner to continue as Speaker of the House or would you elect someone new?' 11 percent of respondents said 'definitely' Boehner, 15 percent said 'probably,' 26 percent said 'probably' someone new, and 34 percent said someone new, definitely."  Mr. Speaker has some work to do.

January 2, 2015