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JUNE 14,  2013

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

ON TARGET, WE HOPE – From Fox:  "The U.S. military launched an airstrike that targeted and 'likely' killed the Al Qaeda leader behind the attack on a gas plant in Algeria in 2013 that killed 35 hostages, including three Americans, a senior defense official told Fox News Sunday.  Libyan government and U.S. officials say warplanes targeted Mokhtar BelMokhtar and several others in the eastern city of Ajdabiya. The U.S. filed terrorism charges against BelMokhtar last year in connection with the Algeria attack. Officials have said they believe he remained a threat to U.S. and Western interests."  It's always good to get news of a success.  The other kind of news has been too common recently.

SHE HAS AN OPINION? – From The New York Times:  "DES MOINES – Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday urged President Obama to listen to congressional Democrats – particular the House minority leader, Nancy Pelosi – and make changes to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal that reflect their concerns about protecting American jobs and wages.  In her first detailed comments on the trade deal since the House of Representatives refused on Friday to allow Mr. Obama to negotiate it freely, Mrs. Clinton laid out a far more calibrated position on the deal than many Democrats and Republicans have taken. She declined to take sides on the Friday vote itself but instead allied herself with Democratic critics of the deal — without actually opposing it."  Typical Hillary Clinton.  Doesn't actually take sides, and expresses an opinion only after the House Dems voted against the deal.  Real leadership.  Right.  A real Joan of Arc.

WHOSE SIDE IS BILL CLINTON ON? – Is Bill really trying to torpedo his wife's chances?  From CNN:  "New York (CNN) Bill Clinton said in an interview set to air Sunday on CNN's 'State of the Union' that he is impressed by many of the Republicans considering a presidential run in 2016, offering praise for a group that has made attacking his wife a badge of honor.  'They've got a lot of youth, they've got a lot of energy, they've got some significant diversity and they're no dummies' the former president said during an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper at the annual Clinton Global Initiative America meeting in Denver.  'And they believe what they believe,' Clinton continued, teasing them."  Hmm.  They have youth.  They have energy.  And they believe what they believe.  No one ever said that about Hillary.  I wonder which Republican Bill will be voting for.

June 14, 2015       Permalink

WHY ARE WE NOT SURPRISED? – AT 12:14 P.M. ET:   The prime minister of Israel is claiming what had been feared, that the United States is making further concessions to Iran just to have a nuclear agreement by June 30th.  It's not surprising.  It is the regular pattern of this administration.  From Reuters:

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused world powers on Sunday of stepping up concessions to Iran to enable a deal by June 30 on curbing its nuclear program even as Tehran balks at demands for heightened U.N. inspections.

Netanyahu has argued that the agreement in the works would not deny Iran - which says its nuclear projects are peaceful - the means of making a bomb, while granting it sanctions relief that could help bankroll its guerrilla allies in the region.

"To our regret, the reports that are coming in from the world powers attest to an acceleration of concessions by them in the face of Iranian stubbornness," Netanyahu told his cabinet in broadcast remarks on Sunday. He did not offer further details.

Netanyahu's point-man on the Iranian talks, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, said it appeared that world powers were prepared to accommodate Tehran's resistance to expanded, short-order U.N. nuclear inspections and demand to continue research and development of uranium centrifuges that make nuclear fuel.

On Saturday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country, in the name of protecting state secrets, could reject stepped-up inspections - even at the cost of missing the June 30 deadline. Western diplomats had sought the right to carry out inspections with as little as two hours' notice.

But in a televised address on Sunday, Rouhani played up the benefits of easing Iran's international isolation and pledged to reach a deal that would end the hardship of sanctions.

COMMENT:  That, of course, is exactly what Iran is aiming for – a weak agreement that would not prevent Iran from developing the bomb, but would ease sanctions.  Looks like the "negotiations" are heading in exactly Iran's direction.

June 14, 2015       Permalink

THE MESS IN BALTIMORE – AT 11:23 A.M. ET:  I'm shocked, shocked, that this is happening in the peaceful city of Baltimore.  From the Baltimore Sun: 

Baltimore police arrested fewer people in May than in any month for at least three years, despite a surge in homicides and shootings across the city — triggering safety concerns among residents.

Several neighborhoods saw declines of more than 90 percent from April to May, while arrests in the West Baltimore area where Freddie Gray was arrested dropped by more than half during the same period, according to a Baltimore Sun analysis of police data. Citywide, arrests declined 43 percent from April to May.

"I've noticed fewer police," said Steve Dixon, program director for the Penn North Recovery Center in West Baltimore. "We're having robberies at the playground in broad daylight. All these murders and shootings, we're having them in broad daylight."

The dramatic citywide decline — which has sparked a debate about police pulling back on enforcement efforts — came in the aftermath of the death of Gray. Six officers have been charged in the death of the 25-year-old, who suffered spinal injuries while in police custody and died a week after his April 12 arrest.

City leaders and police union officials have provided explanations for the slowdown.

Officers have been hesitant to make arrests since the rioting that followed Gray's funeral, union and police department officials have said. Officers also have been surrounded by camera-wielding residents recording their every move, according to the police commissioner. And since Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby filed the criminal charges in Gray's death, many officers are afraid that they risk being charged with crimes for trying to do their jobs, union leaders say.

COMMENT:  This is what happens when the racial arsonists go to work, and prey on low-information voters.  If there's a problem with police action, face it.  But don't destroy the incentive and morale of a police force that was heavily praised in a White House report just last year. 

The fact is that racial arsonists like high crime rates.  People feel vulnerable, and who do they turn to?  Too often they turn to those same racial arsonists.

June 14, 2015       Permalink

HILLARY'S LATEST DEBUT – QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 10:58 A.M. ET:  Philip Klein, of the Washington Examiner, absolutely nails Hillary Clinton's launch/comeback/do-over/I deserve a second chance speech yesterday: 

Clinton revealed all of her vulnerabilities as a candidate. Despite decades of practice, she remains a weak public speaker. It was a long, meandering, and flat speech, topping 40 minutes — highlighting her painfully bad sense of humor. "You won't see my hair turn white in the White House — I've been coloring it for years," she joked.

Back in 1996, her husband ran for re-election against a septuagenarian promising to build a bridge to the 21st century. Here she was, 20 years later, running for office building a bridge back to Roosevelt.

Beyond that, the speech demonstrated that despite claiming decades of experience, she has little to show for it in terms of actual accomplishments — and those accomplishments she does take credit for can be easily exposed as fantasy.

"I've stood up to adversaries like Putin," she said, even though her time as secretary of state started with a botched "reset" with Russia. Is her argument going to be that Putin waited until after she left office to invade Ukraine?

She also said she "reinforced allies like Israel" even though she was harshly critical of the Israeli government as secretary of state, even having the department brag about how she berated Prime Minister Netanyahu during a phone call.

Then she offered this sad boast: "I was in the situation room on the day we got bin Laden."

I was in my apartment, and deserve just as much credit for the bin Laden operation.

COMMENT:  Very well stated.  And yet, Hillary will have the support of the press and the academic establishment.  She will not be easy to beat, assuming she's the nominee.  But she must be defeated to reverse our national decline.

June 14, 2015       Permalink

JUNE 13,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:52 P.M. ET: 

HOW SAD – From Breitbart:  "In the midst of a heated lawsuit alleging Harvard holds Asian students to a much higher standard during its admissions process, some college admissions counselors in California and elsewhere are coaching Asian American students to appear 'less Asian' in an attempt to help them be accepted into the nation’s most elite schools.  The Wall Street Journal recently dubbed Asians 'The New Jews of Harvard Admissions,' referring to the antisemitism the school practiced in order to keep Jews out of the school during the early 20th century.  'I try to do things [to] steer away from the stereotype of the piano-playing, tennis-playing Asian applicant,' James Chen, the founder of Alameda-based Asian Advantage College Consulting, said in an interview with Sacramento-area ABC News affiliate News10."  I find this outrageous – one of most accomplished communities must compromise its identity because they're so excellent that "too many" are getting into the best colleges.  What have we come to?

CRAZY – Just how far left can the Democratic Party go?  From The Politico:  "After holding prominent positions in the House Democratic caucus for 17 years, California Rep. Barbara Lee is hoping to make the jump to leadership.  The lawmaker told POLITICO on Friday that she’s formally launched her campaign for the No. 5 position among House Democrats — even though the election is nearly 17 months away.  The vice chairman position will come open after the 2016 elections, as its current occupant, New York Rep. Joe Crowley, is term limited from serving a third term and will likely move up in the ranks. The race will attract a significant number of contenders as many rank-and-file members are eager to advance in a caucus that has been dominated by more senior leaders."  Barbara Lee is a Marxist, a supporter of Fidel Castro.  She was the only member of Congress to vote against military action after 9/11.  And she keeps moving up the leadership ranks.  The Dems are going nuts.

GUIDE TO BAD TELEVISION – From The Hill:  "Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton finally launched her 2016 campaign on Saturday after months of anticipation.  A day later, she will have a surrogate on all five Sunday talk shows, as pundits will analyze the attention-grabbing event and its impact on next year’s presidential election."  We just wanted to warn you.  Television to avoid.  We're happy to perform a public service.

HILLARY FLOPS – There are many reviews of Hillary Clinton's performance on Roosevelt Island, relaunching her campaign.  This is my favorite quote, from Roger Simon at PJ Media:  "Forget that she lies incessantly and stands for virtually nothing that’s discernible other than her own self-interest, Hillary Clinton is one of the most boring public speakers extant. I have heard better speeches at high school, maybe even grammar school, graduations than HRC gave in New York Saturday in the second — or is it the third — debut speech of her campaign.  It was problem after problem, cliché after cliché until you couldn’t listen anymore. Needless to say, there wasn’t a fresh idea. No new solutions to these problems on offer, only generalities. (In case you didn’t know it, she’s for equal pay for women and supports people with disabilities.) This was a generic speech out of the last twenty years. I kept wondering who were these automatons waving their flags in the audience. Maybe they were worried about the high cost of Ambien. Elect Hillary and we won’t need a sleeping pill ever again."   That says it.

June 13, 2015       Permalink

OUR NEWS MEDIA – ALWAYS RIGHT – AT 12:14 P.M. ET:   It's very hard to make this stuff up.  However, this story should be posted above the desk of all journalists in America, to remind them that good journalism begins with humility, an understanding of what you don't know.  From Newsbusters:

New York City underwater? Gas over $9 a gallon? A carton of milk costs almost $13? Welcome to June 12, 2015. Or at least that was the wildly-inaccurate version of 2015 predicted by ABC News exactly seven years ago. Appearing on Good Morning America in 2008, Bob Woodruff hyped Earth 2100, a special that pushed apocalyptic predictions of the then-futuristic 2015.

The segment included supposedly prophetic videos, such as a teenager declaring, "It's June 8th, 2015. One carton of milk is $12.99." (On the actual June 8, 2015, a gallon of milk cost, on average, $3.39.) Another clip featured this prediction for the current year: "Gas reached over $9 a gallon." (In reality, gas costs an average of $2.75.)

On June 12, 2008, correspondent Bob Woodruff revealed that the program "puts participants in the future and asks them to report back about what it is like to live in this future world. The first stop is the year 2015."

As one expert warns that in 2015 the sea level will rise quickly, a visual shows New York City being engulfed by water. The video montage includes another unidentified person predicting that "flames cover hundreds of miles."

Then-GMA co-anchor Chris Cuomo appeared frightened by this future world. He wondered, "I think we're familiar with some of these issues, but, boy, 2015? That's seven years from now. Could it really be that bad?"

COMMENT:  No.

June 13, 2015       Permalink

ANOTHER ONE? – AT 11:52 A.M. ET:  Governor John Kasich of Ohio is preparing to enter the race for the Republican presidential nomination.  He's an effective campaigner, and he brings with him the prospect of carrying the key state of Ohio for his party.  From The Hill:

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) said Friday he’s getting “closer and closer” to making a decision about whether to run for president.

“I wouldn’t be out here if I wasn’t interested, and we’re getting closer and closer to making a decision. It’s a discipline process because I don’t want to do this just for the sake of it. I need to know that I could win and look at what I bring is a record that’s unique,” Kasich said in an interview on Fox Business Network.

Kasich expressed confidence he has the necessary qualifications to lead the White House by touting his records in Congress and as governor of Ohio on both defense and fiscal issues.

“I served on the Defense Committee. I was Chairman of the Budget Committee in Washington when we balanced the budget, and Ohio has had a massive turnaround, and I was in the private sector for 10 years. No one has all of that," he said...

...The Ohio governor is hinting further at a 2016 run with a June 24 trip to the early-voting state of Iowa.

COMMENT:  There'll soon be more Republican candidates than voters.  But there won't be more Republican candidates than Clinton scandals.  That's a relief.

Kasich is a man to watch.  He's very effective and is a fine communicator.  He did a stint as a Fox News contributor.  A recent poll matchup showed him beating Hillary Clinton in Ohio.  Not bad.

June 13, 2015       Permalink

WE AWAIT – AT 11:14 A.M.  ET:  We await Hillary Clinton's big appearance today in New York.   I'm not sure if it has a formal name.  We're told she's "kicking off" her campaign.  But wait, didn't she do that already.

Yeah, she did.  Several months ago.  And it was a disaster.  All she does is slip in the polls.  Even Bernie Sanders, a socialist, is gaining on her.  Even in a "no name" poll matchup against a generic Republican, she's slipping.  She not only needs a second kickoff, she needs an occasional touchdown.  A field goal maybe?

I saw her communications director on Fox News this morning.  This woman couldn't communicate with a grocery clerk.  She mumbled and stumbled, and had nothing to say.

The danger is great for Hillary.  There's a rule-of-thumb in politics that, if you're very well known and slipping, it's disastrous...for there is no up side.  You're already well known.  Hillary is one of the best-known people in America.  She's been a national figure for as many years as Franklin D. Roosevelt was on the day of his death.  She must create an up side, and there is no evidence that she can do it.

If truth be told, she's a terrible campaigner.  You can't listen to her for more than a few minutes.  I heave earmuffs at the ready in case Hillary shows up.   Today she will speak on Roosevelt Island in New York City.  It's supposed to be a "symbolic" location because of the name.  Not a good idea.  Hillary, you're no FDR, and everyone knows it.

We will examine the kickoff.   What she needs is the game.

June 13,  2015    Permalink