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AUGUST 8,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:54 P.M. ET: 

BERNIE BURNED – From the Seattle Times:  A Seattle speech by Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was pre-empted in a chaotic confrontation Saturday afternoon with a handful of Black Lives Matter protesters, who took the stage and refused to let him speak.  The Vermont senator, who has drawn huge crowds around the country, was to be the star attraction and final speaker for an hourslong rally to celebrate the 80th birthday of Social Security, as well as Medicare and other anti-poverty programs.  But protesters were determined to turn attention instead to Sunday’s anniversary of the shooting by a white police officer of Michael Brown, an unarmed black man in Ferguson, Mo.  Three protesters were permitted to shut down a speech by a presidential candidate.  Welcome to the Third World.  This is where the Obama crowd has taken us.  And shame on Bernie Sanders for allowing this to happen.

OH THOSE EMINENT SCIENTISTS – From The New York Times:   Twenty-nine of the nation’s top scientists — including Nobel laureates, veteran makers of nuclear arms and former White House science advisers — wrote to President Obama on Saturday to praise the Iran deal, calling it innovative and stringent.  The letter, from some of the world’s most knowledgeable experts in the fields of nuclear weapons and arms control, arrives as Mr. Obama is lobbying Congress, the American public and the nation’s allies to support the agreement.  And I'm sure we can find 29 on the other side.  I wonder if any of these eminent scientists has ever dealt with the Iranian government.  Scientists can measure many things, but trust and verification are not two of them. 

ABOUT TIME – From Fox:   The Navy is preparing to arm sailors at its reserve centers across the country in the aftermath of the attack last month at a Navy Reserve Center in Chattanooga that resulted in the deaths of 4 Marines and 1 sailor, officials said late Friday.  The Navy has authorized arming personnel at reserve centers that are not on military installations, such as the Chattanooga center, a Navy spokesman told Fox News.  Cmdr. William Marks said armed guards will be posted at the centers as “a matter of prudent and necessary action toward protecting our personnel.”  If he were smart, which he's not, Barack Obama would have publicly ordered this step as a sign of his commitment to his military personnel.  He did not, which tells me what I have to know.

August 8, 2015       Permalink

GREAT PATRIOTS – AT 12:46 P.M. ET:   There are always groups in society, usually groups that fancy themselves as great intellectuals, who don't feel any obligation to national defense.  We have a prime example.  From The New York Times: 

TORONTO — The American Psychological Association on Friday overwhelmingly approved a new ban on any involvement by psychologists in national security interrogations conducted by the United States government, even noncoercive interrogations now conducted by the Obama administration.

The council of representatives of the organization, the nation’s largest professional association of psychologists, voted to impose the ban at its annual meeting here.

The vote followed an emotional debate in which several members said the ban was needed to restore the organization’s reputation after a scathing independent investigation ordered by the association’s board.

Its reputation with who?  The political left?

That investigation, conducted by David Hoffman, a Chicago lawyer, found that some officers of the association and other prominent psychologists colluded with government officials during the Bush administration to make sure that association policies did not prevent psychologists from involvement in the harsh interrogation programs conducted by the C.I.A. and the Pentagon.

Nadine Kaslow, an association board member and head of a special committee established by the board to oversee the investigation into the organization’s role in interrogations, said she was pleased by the overwhelming vote in favor of the measure. “This is a very resounding ‘yes,’ ” Ms. Kaslow said. The ban was approved by the association’s council by a vote of 156 to 1. Seven council members abstained, while one was recused.

COMMENT:  I'm sure all these fools will now feel good about themselves, like the "anti-war" activists before World War II, who worked against military preparedness.  These miniature intellectuals never apologized for the number of men killed in part because we weren't ready to defend ourselves.

Even the Obama administration isn't left-wing enough for the current crowd of self-proclaimed good people.  May this group be sentenced to watching five years of Bill Moyers re-runs.

Participation in the common defense is a basic requirement of citizenship.

August 8,  2015     Permalink

AND ANOTHER ONE – AT 11:08 A.M. ET:  But where is the public outcry?  I guess this life didn't matter.  From Fox:

A California lawman whose department is investigating the brutal rape and bludgeoning death of a 64-year-old Air Force veteran pointed the finger Friday at state and federal policies he said allowed the illegal immigrant suspect to roam the streets despite a lengthy arrest record.

“I think this is a national issue - it starts with administration and their policies,” Santa Maria Police Chief Ralph Martin said days after Marilyn Pharis died from injuries suffered in the July 24 attack. “You can draw a direct line to this governor and Legislature.

“I am not remiss to say that from Washington DC to Sacramento, there is a blood trail to Marilyn Pharis’ bedroom,” he added.

Pharis, of Santa Maria, was asleep in her bed after working the night shift at a satellite office for the Vandenberg Air Force Base when two men allegedly broke into her home at 9:45 a.m., bashed her head with a claw hammer, strangled and raped her with a foreign object and left her for dead, according to police. Pharis survived to call 911, but died days later in a local hospital.

Two suspects have been arrested, including Victor Aureliano Martinez Ramirez, 29, an illegal immigrant from Durango Canatlan, Mexico. Ramirez has been arrested six times in last 15 months, for crimes including sexual assault, possession of methamphetamine and weapons and driving without a license. His most recent arrest occurred just eight days before the attack on Pharis.

COMMENT:  Please note the silence of "women's" groups.  They are equally silent when Muslim women are beaten and killed.  Those women don't matter either.  The party line of the left doesn't allow them to matter.

This situation will not get better.  The Democratic Party is basing part of its political future on illegal immigrants, who will be turned into voters.

August 8, 2015       Permalink

JOE? – AT 10:46 A.M. ET:  The drama on the Republican side played out well during the debates.  But there is real drama on the Dem side as well.  Will Joe Biden jump in?  If so, will he derail Hillary, or will he flop?  From AP:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Joe Biden and his wife are retreating from Washington for a week in South Carolina with little on their schedule but a momentous decision to make: whether he should run for president.

Biden's advisers say he hasn't indicated which way he's leaning. The vice president is still mourning the death of his son barely two months ago. But since reports surfaced saying he was taking a fresh look at running, potential campaign staffers have begun sending in their resumes, aides said, and longtime Biden donors have offered to help if he gets in the race.

And while Biden has yet to ask staff to organize on his behalf, he has started showing interest in details like filing deadlines and what it would take for him to raise enough money to build a campaign structure in the limited time left, said the aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to comment publicly.

So shortly after Biden returns from his vacation, his aides and supporters are expecting a decision about his political plans.

COMMENT:  Well, he's vacationing in South Carolina, a key primary state.  He could have gone to Hawaii, or Puerto Rico.  I can't believe the choice of South Carolina was based entirely on the quality of its fine beaches.

Biden knows the risks of jumping in.  He could fail to dent Hillary and live out his term as vice president in humiliation.  He could damage her, and she could limp to the nomination and lose the general election, and he could be blamed.  Or, he could win the nomination and lose the general, and spend the rest of his life hearing people say that Hillary would have won.

So, it's not an easy choice.  Biden doesn't poll particularly well.  There's no "wanting" of Joe, except by those who see Hillary as a disaster. 

And yet, this is his last chance for the prize.

August 8,  2015     Permalink

AUGUST 7,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:54 P.M. ET: 

ECONOMIC SHOCK – From the Washington Examiner:   All of the employment gains among women since the recession hit in December 2007 have been taken by foreigners, even at a time when the numbers of U.S.-born women surged more than 600,000, according to new federal statistics.  The jobs data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed gains in the "employment level" among "foreign born women" and losses among "native born women."  I certainly have nothing against the foreign born.  Most of us are descended from immigrants.  But the predicament of native-born American women cannot be denied.  Maybe the "women's" organizations will start showing some interest in this.

ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL REST – From the Washington Free Beacon:  President Obama will depart the White House with his family for a vacation on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard Friday afternoon, one day earlier than his original scheduled departure date.  The Associated Press reported that the Obama family moved up the date of departure, extending their summer vacation to 17 days, more than four times the length of the average American vacation. In fact, Obama’s summer break is one day longer than the total amount of vacation time the average American worker is allotted for an entire year.  The first family will reside in the same $12 million mansion in Chilmark that they rented last year. Positioned on 10 acres of land, the 8,100-square-foot home houses seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms. The estate is enhanced by a dual basketball/tennis court and an infinity pool.  He kind of throws it in our face, doesn't he?  Just another man of the people.

VULGAR – From AP:  HAVANA (AP) — A $3 million yacht left Key West this week with two barbeque grills, 250 channels of satellite TV and a just-in-case plan for rescuing stranded Cuban rafters encountered in the Florida Straits.  After four hours smooth sailing, the Still Water tied up at Havana's Hemingway Marina. The well-heeled passengers breakfasted on smoked salmon and pastries, then boarded an air-conditioned Cuban government bus for a day of touring the city.  The Cold War made the Florida Straits into a stage for nuclear showdown and a graveyard for thousands of Cuban rafters seeking better lives in the United States. Now, normalization of the long-tortured U.S.-Cuba relationship is transforming the 90 miles between the U.S. and Cuba back into a playground for hulking cruise ships and sleek luxury yachts.  I'm sure the Cuban people, who live in a total dictatorship, will benefit enormously from the arrival of the well-dressed American chattering classes.  I can't wait to see the home movies, can you?

August 7, 2015       Permalink

BIDEN AND CLINTON – AT 10:56 A.M. ET:  The GOP got all the attention last night, but there's real drama in the Democratic Party as well.  If Joe Biden jumps into the presidential race, the coronation of Queen Hillary might have to be canceled, and the gown sent back.  How do voters feel about the Dem contest?  From Rasmussen:

Worried that the controversies surrounding Hillary Clinton are wounding her chances for the presidency, some Democrats have begun pushing Vice President Joe Biden’s candidacy. Democratic voters are closely divided over a Biden presidential bid, but voters in general think he’d make a better president than Clinton.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 40% of Likely Democratic Voters believe Biden should run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. Slightly more (45%) think the vice president should sit this one out. Fifteen percent (15%) are undecided.

Among all likely voters, 36% say Biden should run, but 46% disagree. Eighteen percent (18%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Thirty-eight percent (38%) think Biden would make a better president than Clinton. Twenty-nine percent (29%) say Clinton would be a better chief executive. One-in-three voters (33%) is undecided.

Among Democrats, however, the numbers are reversed. Forty-four percent (44%) of these voters believe Clinton would be the better president, while 32% say Biden would do a better job. Twenty-four percent (24%) are not sure.

Rasmussen Reports last pitted Biden against Clinton and several other prominent national Democrats in November, and he earned just seven percent (7%) support among likely Democratic voters to her 62%. In August of last year without Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren in the mix, Biden ran a distant second to Clinton- 63% to 12%.

COMMENT:  I don't sense much enthusiasm for either Hillary or Joe among the Democratic base.  I mean, neither is a member of an oppressed minority.  Both are here legally.  And neither has shouted "Death to America."  How good could they be?

August 7, 2015       Permalink

VENEZUELA DESCENDS – AT 10:15 A.M. ET:  We haven't been covering this closely, but Venezuela's economy is collapsing, and the country is descending into chaos.   From panampost.com:

According to the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict, markets throughout the country have been looted over 50 times in the first half of the year. (Entorno Inteligente)

EspañolIt’s the law of the jungle in Venezuela, as shopping for groceries becomes an increasingly dangerous activity. As the shortage crisis worsens, more and more angry mobs are raiding the nation’s supermarkets, looting whatever basic goods they can find.

During the first half of 2015, the Venezuelan Observatory for Social Conflict (OVCS) registered no fewer than 132 incidents of looting or attempted looting at various stores throughout the country. In addition, Venezuelan consumers staged over 500 protests that condemned the lack of available products at state-run grocery stores, markets, and pharmacies.

COMMENT:  Notice that Hollywood stars, like Sean Penn, no longer rush to Venezuela to express solidarity with the revolution.  The revolution is going south. 

What happens in Venezuela is important.  Instability can affect the countries next door.  And Venezuela has been a kind of informal Iranian base in the Western Hemisphere. 

There does not seem to be much of an American policy to address the instability and violence.  But remember, it's Cheney's fault.

August 7, 2015       Permalink

CLOSELY WATCHED CHUCK – AT 9:21 A.M. ET:  One of the most influential Democratic members of Congress has come out against the Iran nuclear deal.  From CNN:

Washington (CNN) New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, an influential Jewish Democrat who's poised to assume leadership of his party in the Senate, will oppose President Barack Obama's nuclear deal with Iran, he announced on Thursday evening.

"After deep study, careful thought and considerable soul-searching, I have decided I must oppose the agreement and will vote yes on a motion of disapproval," Schumer wrote in a 1,600-word post on the website Medium.

"I will vote to disapprove the agreement, not because I believe war is a viable or desirable option, nor to challenge the path of diplomacy," he added later. "It is because I believe Iran will not change, and under this agreement it will be able to achieve its dual goals of eliminating sanctions while ultimately retaining its nuclear and non-nuclear power."

Schumer's thinking on the deal has been closely watched since the plan to loosen sanctions on Tehran in exchange for access to potential nuclear sites was announced in early July.

He said in public comments over the past several weeks he was going through the deal with a "fine-tooth comb" and received briefings from top administration officials to digest the deal's inner workings.

His decision quickly provoked criticism from several former White House aides.

Former speechwriter Jon Favreau tweeted: "Chuck Schumer, who said it was a mistake to pass Obamacare, now comes out again the Iran Deal. This is our next Senate leader?"

COMMENT:  Schumer's vote was the most closely watched in Congress.  He has clout, at least for now.  There is already a rebellion on the Democratic left, led by the mental cases in moveon.org, to depose Schumer as heir apparent in the Senate.  Whether it succeeds may depend in part on whether Obama now tries to destroy Schumer.  If he were smart, and he's not, he'd show some graciousness toward a man who presumably acted on principle.  It's a good novel.

Of course, there's also the cynical interpretation – that Schumer's announcement was coordinated with the White House itself, that Schumer waited until enough Dems declared their support for the deal to insure that a presidential veto of a rejection would be upheld, then announced his opposition, giving him protection in New York while leaving the deal intact.

My own gut sense, and nothing more, is that Schumer did in fact act out of conviction.  Occasionally political people do.  If so, and if it costs him the Democratic leader position in the Senate, he will become a profile in courage.

August 7, 2015       Permalink

WRAP-UP – AT 8:52 A.M. ET:  Who won last night?  We haven't gotten serious polls last night, so it's all speculation.  The feeling among most commentators is that Donald Trump hurt himself, and that Marco Rubio had a good night.

But there's one name that does stand out.  I admit to being biased, but the fact is that Carly Fiorina made a strong impression across the board.  Her name lit up social media.  She was on the morning shows.  She's gotten more publicity from last night than she's gotten from the entire campaign thus far.  From the Washington Examiner: 

CLEVELAND -- About an hour into the primetime debate of the top 10 candidates in the Republican presidential race, the conservative actor Nick Searcy tweeted, "I'm afraid @CarlyFiorina is winning the second debate too."

He was on to something. Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO, shone earlier in the evening, when seven GOP candidates who didn't make the cut for the primetime session gathered for the night's first faceoff. For about an hour after that debate, the big story was Fiorina winning what was sometimes called the undercard session.

That news was not going to last long, because then came a primetime debate that was hugely entertaining but at times seemed in danger of veering off the rails with loopy and sometimes embarrassing answers from Donald Trump. A few of the candidates, like John Kasich, did well, but only Marco Rubio turned in a truly standout performance.

It was hard to declare a clear winner of the primetime debate. Combine the two sessions into one, however, and Fiorina emerged as the likely winner of the entire evening.

Fiorina has impressed crowds in Iowa, New Hampshire, and other key states. Wherever she speaks, audience members who've never seen her before express almost uniformly positive reactions. Those friendly receptions, however, have not translated into rising national poll numbers; hence Fiorina's appearance at the early, rather than the primetime, debate.

When the debate structure was first announced, Fiorina confidently predicted she would qualify for the primetime session. It didn't work out that way. So she made the best of the opportunity she had. She gave a biting commentary on Donald Trump. (She did it when asked, not volunteering.) A solid answer on cyber-security. A good, if oft-repeated, answer on Iran. A compelling explanation of her own conservatism. And in her final statement, a concise statement of her main focus, which is her pledge to fight Hillary Clinton every day of every week of every month in the coming campaign.

COMMENT:  A Rubio-Fiorina ticket?  Winning combination, but I don't know if the Republicans will get there.

This debate will be forgotten quickly.  We'll look to see the field narrowing, as it's much too unwieldy right now.  The next Republican debate will be September 16th at the Reagan Library in California. 

August 7,  2015    Permalink