SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:57 P.M. ET: 

GUTSIER THAN US – From Fox:  "A new proposal in Denmark could result in the Charlie Hebdo shooting and cartoons of the Islamic Prophet Mohammad being taught in schools.  The country’s opposition leaders are in agreement that the controversial cartoons first printed in Jyllands-Posten newspaper should appear in school textbooks, The Washington Post reports. Both the Conservative People's Party and Danish People's Party, the latter commanding the third-largest level of support in Denmark, have voiced their support for the idea.  'It would be natural for the cartoons to become part of the material that the teachers can choose to use,' Conservative People’s Party spokeswoman Mai Mercado told DR Nyheder."  Let's see how many "academic freedom" committees back this courageous stand.  I'm still waiting.

THIS IS IMPORTANT? – From the Houston Chronicle:  "Celebrated Texas politician Barbara Jordan could be the new face of the $20 bill, if a movement called Women on 20s gets its way.  The nonprofit selected Jordan as one of 15 finalists to be the new face on the $20 bill by 2020 – the year marking the centennial of women's suffrage. (Vote here.)  The Houston-born Congresswoman became the first southern black woman elected to Congress after Reconstruction in 1972. Six years earlier, she had become the first African American elected to the Texas Senate."  Look, I have no problem with honoring Barbara Jordan, if that's what people want to do.  But we're talking currency here.  We honor U.S. presidents and major statesmen.  True, there are no women currently honored with a picture on U.S. currency, but I'm sure appropriate candidates are available.  There have been great female American writers and scientists, and, in the political realm, one can mention Eleanor Roosevelt on the liberal side, and Margaret Chase Smith, a conservative.  I'm not sure Barbara Jordan is exactly in that league.

MAJOR COMPASSION NEWS – From CNS:  "CNSNews.com) - Many people are living longer, but not to age 112 or beyond -- except in the records of the Social Security Administration.  The SSA's inspector general has identified 6.5 million number-holders age 112 -- or older -- for whom no death date has been entered in the main electronic file, called Numident.  The audit, dated March 4, 2015, concluded that SSA lacks the controls necessary to annote death information on the records of number-holders who exceed 'maximum reasonable life expectancies.'"  Turns out people are using these numbers for all kinds of fraudulent purposes.  I wonder how many of these numbers are attached to voters in Chicago.

WHEN IN TROUBLE, SEND OUT THE DAUGHTER – From The Hill:  "Chelsea Clinton says she respects her parents now more than ever.  The new mom, who gave birth to daughter Charlotte with husband Marc Mezvinsky last September, told 'Live with Kelly and Michael' hosts Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan that caring for her daughter helped changed her view of her famous parents.  'I have always been so close to both my parents and I didn’t know that I could be even more grateful for them and respect them more, until I became a mom,' Clinton said Monday.  'I thought about all the times, particularly my mother, worried about me. And now, I’m so worried about Charlotte,' Clinton said, while appearing on the show to promote her work with her family’s Clinton Foundation gender equality initiative, called No Ceilings. The 35-year-old former first daughter said of baby Charlotte, 'She’s just rolling over and I’m like, "What if she like rolls all the way into the kitchen counter?" I mean I don’t even know how that would happen!'  On second thought, maybe it's better not to send out the daughter.

March 9, 2015