Please note that you can leave a comment on any of our posts at our Facebook page.  Subscribers can also comment at length at our Angel's Corner Forum.

SEPTEMBER 1,  2015

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

ANOTHER DROP – The Dow went down almost 470 points today, hardly a way to greet a new month.  There is still plenty of apprehension about bumpy economic conditions around the world, from Greece to China.  A Dow downturn several weeks ago led to a brief recovery, but we're in the doldrums again.  We'll watch the market closely tomorrow, Wednesday.

CARLY VICTORIOUS – Carly Fiorina has won her battle to have CNN revise its criteria for who gets into the "senior" Republican debate on September 16th.  From the Washington Times:  Mrs. Fiorina, the lone woman in the GOP presidential field, waged a public campaign skewering CNN and the Republican National Committee for selection rules she argued might keep her off the next presidential debate’s main stage, even as she was rising in the polls.  On Tuesday, the pressure tactic paid off for her, even if it ruffled some inside the GOP.  CNN announced it was revising the criteria it plans to use for Republican candidates to participate in the second party-sanctioned debate this month at the Reagan Library in California, acknowledging the change could open the door for Mrs. Fiorina to participate.  It isn't a lock, but the new criteria will almost certainly mean that Carly, a terrific campaigner, will be in the prime-time "senior" debate, rather than in the also-ran session earlier in the evening.  She's earned the spot.

ANOTHER GREAT SOCIAL ADVANCE – From Reuters:   The number of U.S. college students smoking marijuana every day or nearly every day is greater than it has been in 35 years, according to a study released on Tuesday.  Nearly 6 percent of college students reported using pot daily or near-daily in 2014, up from 3.5 percent in 2007 but less than the 7.2 percent recorded in 1980, the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future study found.  Less frequent pot smoking was also on the rise, according to the study, although not as sharply.  "It's clear that for the past seven or eight years there has been an increase in marijuana use among the nation's college students," said Lloyd Johnston, the study's principal author. "And this largely parallels an increase we have been seeing among high school seniors."  Yet, there seems little public concern.  Hey, man, how can a little pot hurt?  Y'know what I mean, man?  I wonder if this trend is affecting our auto accident rate.

September 1,  2015     Permalink

LIBERAL POLICIES MATTER – AT 11:06 A.M. ET:   This was bound to happen, with the Obama administration in power.  From The New York Times: 

MILWAUKEE — Cities across the nation are seeing a startling rise in murders after years of declines, and few places have witnessed a shift as precipitous as this city. With the summer not yet over, 104 people have been killed this year — after 86 homicides in all of 2014.

More than 30 other cities have also reported increases in violence from a year ago. In New Orleans, 120 people had been killed by late August, compared with 98 during the same period a year earlier. In Baltimore, homicides had hit 215, up from 138 at the same point in 2014. In Washington, the toll was 105, compared with 73 people a year ago. And in St. Louis, 136 people had been killed this year, a 60 percent rise from the 85 murders the city had by the same time last year.

Law enforcement experts say disparate factors are at play in different cities, though no one is claiming to know for sure why murder rates are climbing. Some officials say intense national scrutiny of the use of force by the police has made officers less aggressive and emboldened criminals, though many experts dispute that theory.

Rivalries among organized street gangs, often over drug turf, and the availability of guns are cited as major factors in some cities, including Chicago. But more commonly, many top police officials say they are seeing a growing willingness among disenchanted young men in poor neighborhoods to use violence to settle ordinary disputes.

“Maintaining one’s status and credibility and honor, if you will, within that peer community is literally a matter of life and death,” Milwaukee’s police chief, Edward A. Flynn, said. “And that’s coupled with a very harsh reality, which is the mental calculation of those who live in that strata that it is more dangerous to get caught without their gun than to get caught with their gun.”

COMMENT:  In other words, culture also matters. 

September 1, 2015       Permalink

HOW JUICY – AT 10:31 A.M. ET:  Joe Biden met with Elizabeth Warren last week.  We don't know if Joe was aware of Liz's past statements about him.  From The Hill: 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote scathingly of Vice President Biden while she was on the faculty of Harvard Law School, mocking his White House ambitions while slamming his support for a bankruptcy bill that she said “hurts women.”

“With his presidential aspirations growing, Senator Biden must be delighted ... with the halo effect that suggests that he is one public official politically active women can trust,” Warren wrote in a 2002 Harvard Women’s Law Journal article.

Biden recently met with Warren — seen by many as wielding a powerful endorsement in the Democratic primary race — as he considers launching a presidential campaign.

Warren, who was elected to the Senate in 2012, has become a leading voice for the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. In 2002, years before her political career began, she criticized then-Sen. Biden (Del.) as siding with big credit card companies over working-class women in the debate on bankruptcy reform.

“The group that will be most affected by the changes in the bankruptcy legislation Senator Biden so forcefully supports will be women, particularly women heads of household who are supporting children,” Warren wrote.

“Not a single women’s group that has spoken publicly about the bankruptcy bill agrees with him, but his public position as a champion of women seems untarnished,” she continued.

The International Business Times first reported on Warren’s criticism of Biden in the law journal.

Warren also questioned at the time whether Biden believed women were financially literate enough to understand what was in their interest.

COMMENT:  Those words will come back to haunt if Biden and Warren are on the same ticket, which is possible.  I'm surprised this didn't come out sooner.  Warren is to the left of Biden, which could cause serious friction.  The left is not tolerant, or flexible.

September 1, 2015      Permalink

BE ALERT – AT 9:55 A.M. ET:  Threats like this are made all the time, but we should be especially wary because the 9-11 anniversary is coming up.  From the Investigative Project on Terrorism: 

Several tweets from an Islamic State follower identifying himself as Abu Mohammed al-Khorasani hint that the terror group could be plotting new attacks inside the U.S. on the upcoming anniversary of 9/11.

A tweet featuring the Twitter hashtags ILLINOIS#, #11septmber and #KillAllAmericans went out at 12:04 p.m. Monday Aug. 31 saying, "Peace on the P.K. [a kind Russian machine gun] Its shots are thematic (rhymes) It strikes America. Our State is victorious." A photo of the second airliner just before it hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001 appeared in the tweet.

Six minutes later, al-Khorasani tweeted the same hashtags together with a muddled Arabic phrase saying, "If you say to me, Dushka (a kind of Russian machine gun) Oh God, You have a petitioner (Masha, rhymes with Dushka) He strikes America [sic] and our State is victorious." A graphic saying, "every American citizen is a legitimate target for us," followed the text.

On Sunday, al-Khorasani wrote a similar threat, saying "SOON," accompanied by an image of Osama Bin Laden and images of the Sept. 11 hijackers.

He showed his affection for Bin Laden in a tweet today, taunting Americans, "When you killed Sheikh Osama thrown his pure body in the sea for fear of Dead But U did not know that we have millions of #Sheikh Osama."

Talk and images of what appeared to be a suicide vest or vests immediately followed the threats which included the #ISIS and #IslamicState hashtags.

COMMENT:  It is impossible to know without hard intelligence whether these are serious threats, or the usual bluster.  Remember – Benghazi occurred on the anniversary of 9-11.  So, vigilance is in order, but not craziness.

September 1, 2015       Permalink

HOPELESS IN TEHRAN – AT 9:18 A.M. ET:  Every new statement out of Iran confirms that the nuclear deal about to be implemented will have no effect on Iranian foreign policy.  The cheese who speaks in this piece is a very big one indeed.  From AFP:

The United States remains Iran's "number one enemy" despite a recent nuclear deal with world powers, the chief of Tehran's top clerical body said Tuesday, Iranian media reported.

The Assembly of Experts is among Iran's most influential institutions, comprising 86 elected clerics who appoint and can dismiss the country's supreme leader, led by ultraconservative Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi.

The nuclear agreement should not "change our foreign policy" of opposition to the United States, "our number one enemy, whose crimes are uncountable", Yazdi said in a speech opening the annual two-day assembly meeting.

"The US and Israel are the source of the situation in the region and (their) goal is to protect the Zionist regime in the Middle East," he was quoted as saying, blaming the two countries for the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, who as a cleric is also a member of the Assembly of Experts, took office in 2013 and has since reached out to the West for better relations.
The nuclear agreement reached on July 14 with six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany -- has helped revive Iran's political stating with the European countries.

Several high-level European delegations have visited Tehran since the deal.

But despite the nuclear talks and the intricate role US Secretary of State John Kerry played in getting the deal across the line, there is currently little prospect of normalisation between Iran and the United States.

The two severed ties in 1980 after the hostage taking of US diplomats by Islamist students.

COMMENT:  We are helping Iran to become the dominant regional power, and a world power.  What a great contribution to peace and security.

September 1,  2015     Permalink

AUGUST 31,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:53 P.M. ET:

HUH? – From NRO:   Though this election cycle was supposed to feature the most impressive field of Republican presidential candidates in decades, a handful of the party’s major donors and bundlers remain underwhelmed by their options. They are longing for the bad old days, and Mitt Romney is still their man. These holdouts continue to hope that the former Massachusetts governor, who said in January he would not run for a third time, will change his mind. They believe he could dispel the chaos that has reigned over the Republican field for months. Though they gave plenty of money to Romney’s presidential campaigns, this year they’re keeping their wallets shut, waiting for him to reenter the fray.  Do they really believe Romney can win?  He was underwhelming last time, although he'd make a much better president than anyone the Dems can offer.  I do think, though, that there are solid prospects among the GOP field.  If Romney gets in, it would be a statement that the GOP is weak on presidential talent, which it isn't.

WHAT BUSINESS IS COLBERT IN? –   Further illustrating how little difference there will be between CBS’ Late Show host Stephen Colbert and Comedy Central late-night host Stephen Colbert, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will be Colbert’s guest during his second week hosting on the CBS program...And, of course, Colbert in July told reporters attending TCA he plans get into politics on Late Show to a greater degree than have his broadcast competitors because it’s in his DNA. True to his word, he’s not only booked Breyer to guest on Monday, September 14, but will chat with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon three nights later and Dem White House hopeful/Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders that Friday. And, of course, Colbert already had tweeted that GOP White House hopeful Jeb Bush would be a guest when the host makes his debut taking over for David Letterman on Late Show, on September 8.  Oh, I just can't wait.  We really don't have enough politics on TV.  I'm sure the audience is just yearning for Ban Ki-moon to do Colbert.  And Stephen Breyer?  Show-business gold.  Snore.

THE CHILDREN'S REVOLT – From CBS:   HARTFORD (CBS Connecticut) — Though many students may be loading up fruits and vegetables on their lunch trays, a lot of those aren’t actually being eaten.  New federal guidelines that require healthier school lunches are in effect, but a lot of children are simply throwing out fruits and vegetables instead of eating them, according to a new study.  University of Vermont researchers conducted a small study using digital photos to capture students’ lunch trays after selecting food, as they were leaving the lunch line, and then again after they passed their lunch trays to the food disposal area, as reported by CBS News. The study indicates that while more children are placing fruits and vegetables on their trays, they’re consuming fewer of them, with food waste increasing by 56 percent.  This is what happens when the federal government tries to dictate to kids.  The discarded food could have been used to great benefit.

August 31, 2015       Permalink

OH, JUST WORDS – NOTHING TO HEAR, NOTHING TO HEAR – AT 10:32 A.M. ET:  There was a "black lives matter" march in Minnesota.   And there was an ugly chant.  From CBS: 

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) — Traffic disruptions and loud messages aren’t the only things memorable about Saturday’s Black Lives Matter march to the gates of the Minnesota State Fair.

One of the chants heard from protesters is being called “disgusting” by rank and file St. Paul Police officers. Police Federation President Dave Titus says the threatening refrain is divisive, dangerous and won’t lead to improved police relations.

By many accounts, Saturday’s march was a peaceful gathering. Although it was intended to disrupt leisure to deliver the group’s message of justice for those killed at the hands of police.

“We weren’t surprised it was peaceful, but we were glad everything worked out right,” March organizer Rashad Turner said.

But along the way, protesters broke into a pointed refrain that has St. Paul police officers upset.
Marchers chanted in unison, “Pigs in a blanket, fry ’em like bacon.”

What officers and many others find offensive is also protected free speech. But in this particular case what is ironic is that those voicing the chant were also being protected by very officers targeted.

“Statements and chants like that are just ignorant – I find it absolutely disgusting,” Officer Titus said.
Titus called the protester’s chant both dangerous and outrageous. All the more so Titus says, because it came just hours after a Texas deputy was gunned down in cold blood.

“I don’t think chanting or singing what’s basically promoting killing police officers is peaceful,” Titus said.

Black Lives Matter organizer Rashad Turner says there’s a big difference between rhetorical chanting and somebody’s actions.

COMMENT:  It's the rhetoric that leads to the action, dummy.  We have, by the way, heard no statement from the White House on the Texas shooting.  That has become typical of an administration that has done its best to divide the nation along racial lines.

August 31, 2015       Permalink

BIAS IN THE LAW – AT 9:53 A.M. ET:   Who is educating young people?  What does it mean for our future as a nation?  The legal profession is critical to our standing as a nation of law, so those who educate lawyers are also critical, by definition.  And who are they?  Guess.  From College Fix: 

Legal scholars educating the next generation of attorneys and judges are mostly Democrats, according to a wide swath of research, a troubling trend that some say hinders academic freedom, unduly influences judicial rulings and scholarly work, shortchanges students, and is antithetical to the notion of diversity.

Republicans – as well as right-leaning women and Christians of both genders – are vastly underrepresented among law school faculties, a trend that spans much of the last two decades, according to a recent study published by a Northwestern University law professor.

Law Professor James Lindgren found that in 1997, women and minorities were underrepresented among law professors compared to some populations, but Republicans and Christians were vastly underrepresented. Today, Republican women remain “almost missing from law teaching,” according to his survey, published in March.

“In the 2010s, the dominant group in law teaching remains Democrats, both male and female. Democrats make up nearly 82 percent of law professors,” Lindgren stated.

“Affirmative action has succeeded so thoroughly that, compared to lawyers, the largest underrepresented groups in law schools today are white Christians, Christians, white Republicans, and Republicans,” he adds. “In terms of absolute numbers, the dominant group in law teaching today remains Democrats, both male and female … a disappointing result after four decades of hiring intended to make law professors more representative of American society.”

COMMENT:   Always be careful when the left launches its code words and code phrases.  When they say they want a group to look "more like America," they're really saying that they want that group to look more like the America they wish existed.  The left is getting its way in the colleges and universities, including the law schools.  That bodes ill for our future.

August 31, 2015       Permalink

CHENEY SPEAKS – AT 9:24 A.M. ET:  No man has been more smeared by the McCarthyite left than Dick Cheney.  In my view, Cheney is an ideal public servant who has served this country well, with honor and integrity.  His comments about Hillary Clinton are choice, are true, and reflect Cheney's common sense.  From the Washington Times: 

Former Vice President Dick Cheney described former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s handling of her private email through a private server as “sloppy and unprofessional.”

“Maybe she was ignorant, but I find that hard to believe. She’s an intelligent woman. She spent a lot of time in the White House,” Mr. Cheney told CNN. “I think she should have known better.”

Asked if he thinks the Russians and Chinese could have copies of the emails of Mrs. Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential front-runner, Mr. Cheney said: “They’ve gotten my personnel records. How can they not have her emails?”

Mr. Cheney and his daughter, Liz Cheney, are out this week with a new book called “Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America.”

Mr. Cheney also said he’d “love” to see Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. jump into the 2016 Democratic presidential nominating contest.

“He’s tried twice before. He obviously is interested. I think there’s a lot of support for him in the Democratic Party. I think it would stir things up. They’re short of candidates on their side. So I would urge Joe to have a shot at it,” Mr. Cheney said.

COMMENT:  Cheney will continue to be ridiculed by the left, blamed for the Iraq War, even though it was Obama who snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in Iraq.  But in the fullness of time, it will be the wisdom of Dick Cheney that will be proved correct, even though that may never be taught in our universities.

August 31,  2015     Permalink