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

DISGRACEFUL – From The Politico:   Senate Democrats on Thursday successfully blocked a measure meant to kill President Barack Obama's nuclear deal with Iran, dealing a decisive defeat to Republicans’ attempts to derail the controversial agreement and ensuring its survival.  With a 58-42 vote, Democrats filibustered the disapproval resolution that Republicans and other deal opponents had tried to send to Obama's desk, where it would have been vetoed. But with more than enough support from Democrats to sustain that veto, the fight largely turned to the minutiae of Senate procedure and the suspense of whether Democrats would halt the bill from reaching the White House altogether.  This is democracy?  This is what America is all about?  The American people, whose support for the Iran deal has sunk to 21%, can't even get an up-or-down vote on the issue in the Senate, even though opponents of the deal are in the majority.  It is astounding, and a disgrace to this country.  It is also a disgrace to the once-great Democratic Party, which now acts as the private plaything of a dictatorial president.

GREAT MOMENTS IN JOURNALISM – From CBS: NEW YORK -- Former NBC News anchor Brian Williams will return to the air on Sept. 22 as part of MSNBC's coverage of Pope Francis's visit to the United States.  The network pinpointed the date on Thursday. It had been looking toward coverage of the pope's visit as the place to start him in his new job of covering breaking news stories during MSNBC's daylight hours.  Williams lost his job as anchor of NBC's "Nightly News" and was suspended for six months after a pattern emerged that he had lied about his role covering certain news stories.  I hope Williams doesn't say that he personally selected Francis for the job.

COME ON, DONALD, GROW UP – From CNN:  Washington (CNN) Donald Trump said Thursday that when he suggested Carly Fiorina's face would make her unelectable, he wasn't talking about her looks.  "I'm not talking about looks. I'm talking about persona," Trump told CNN's Chris Cuomo on "New Day."  That's how Trump defended the remarks he made about his fellow GOP presidential contender in a Rolling Stone profile published Wednesday.  "Look at that face!" Trump told the magazine while sitting with a Rolling Stone reporter as Fiorina appeared on TV. "Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?"  "I mean, she's a woman, and I'm not s'posedta say bad things, but really, folks, come on. Are we serious?" Trump said, according to the magazine.  Trump may be leading in the GOP polls right now, but I have a hunch he'll wear out his welcome with his rudeness and abrasive personality.  To a degree, that's what's happened to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.  He also attracted initial attention for his bluntness and take-no-prisoners rhetoric.  But, eventually, that kind of style starts driving people away.  Trump's crazy attack on Carly Fiorina reflects his sledgehammer approach.  I don't too many voters who could take that personality in the Oval Office.

September 10, 2015