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SEPTEMBER 21,  2015

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

WALKER OUT – Scott Walker, not many months ago a leading Republican prospect for the presidency, has dropped out, after consistent declines in poll numbers.  It's a crying shame.  The two dropouts from the GOP race thus far have been two of the most qualified candidates – former Texas Governor Rick Perry and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.  Perry could not overcome the poor impression he made when running the first time in 2012.  Walker never seemed quite ready for a presidential run, especially when foreign policy came up.  And his soft, measured personality didn't help in an age of reality-show television. 

THINGS TO COME – From Gateway Pundit:   In September 2014 the Danish Muslim Party claimed that Denmark would be the first Muslim Country in Europe. In their press release the Muslim party website claimed their party would be the largest in Denmark.  “Muslim party will be biggest party of Denmark – and it may be soon. First day after Turkey becomes EU member country – about one million 20-50 year old Muslims [may] move to Denmark, and after that Denmark [may] be a muslim country. Be ready!”  Now this…A video posted this weekend shows Muslims with police escort marching in Denmark screaming and demanding a caliphate.  This will happen more and more in Europe, as refugees – and non-refugees – flood in.  I'm afraid that European civilization as we know it is coming to an end. 

NOT MY KIND OF TOWN ANYMORE – I used to love Chicago.  I went to the University of Chicago.  But Chicago has fallen on hard times.  I'm not so sure I'd love it today.  From AP:   CHICAGO — After watching for years as their city's financial troubles piled up, Chicago homeowners will be told this week that it's time for them to start paying the tab.  Mayor Rahm Emanuel is expected to propose a large increase in property taxes to help eliminate billions of dollars in pension and other municipal debt and to repair the school system's low credit rating. Residents also may face more taxes and fees on garbage collection, sugary drinks and other services.  The steps would help reverse the city's financial slide but could dent Chicago's reputation for a relatively affordable cost of living. Median home prices in the nation's two larger cities, New York and Los Angeles, are double Chicago's.  "There's no way around it," said Alderman George Cardenas of the additional taxes. "If we don't face the consequences, you pay more (later), your children will pay more and that's no way to run a city."  Chicago used to be "the city of broad shoulders."  Now it's the city of broad taxes.  The business environment is considered marginal already.  A tax-caused exodus is possible.  The Democrats will blame Bush and Cheney.

September 21, 2015     Permalink 

CARLY RISING – AND DEFENDING – AT 11:18 A.M. ET:  Carly Fiorina is rising in the polls.  With that are coming increasing scrutiny and attacks from everywhere.  She has a controversial business history.  How she will hold up in the weeks ahead will be a key test, and will determine whether her rise in the numbers will continue.  From Fox: 

Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina on Sunday again backed a government shutdown to defund Planned Parenthood and said she wasn’t “afraid” to be the rising star in the GOP field.

“I’m not afraid,” the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive said in a “Fox News Sunday” interview. “I’ve battled cancer. I’ve buried a child.”

Fiorina vaulted into second place in a CNN/ ORC International poll released Sunday, after a strong debate performance Wednesday night.

She barely qualified for the CNN main debate of top-10 candidates and had until now often polled in the single digits.

Fiorina, whose personal story includes a breast cancer diagnosis in 2009 and losing a stepdaughter to drug addiction, is now at 15 percent, up 3 percentage points from a CNN poll last month.

“It’s obviously a very important moment because now more people know who I am,” she said Sunday. “As people come to know me and they understand who I am and what I've done and, most importantly, what I will do, they tend to support me.”

Fiorina will have to continue to defend her corporate record, including her tenure at Hewlett-Packard, from 1999 to 2005, during which she laid off 30,000 employees and outsourced jobs. She was fired by the company’s board of directors amid sharply declining stock prices.

Fiorina says she navigated the company through the most tumultuous time in U.S. history for the tech industry.

COMMENT:  She is being challenged not only on her HP record, but on her management style, her alleged rigidity, and the fact that, since Hewlett-Packard, she hasn't been offered another CEO position.

The heat will be on.  She's a spectacular debater.  The challenge now will be to face down and defeat her critics. 

A Republican attribute has turned into a challenge.  There are too many candidates up there, and narrowing the field will take longer than it normally does.  That means we will not be able to focus early on choosing the best ticket. 

September 21, 2015       Permalink

THIS IS MADNESS – AT 10:25 A.M. ET:  They use a lot of reassuring lingo, but it's madness just the same.  From AP:

VIENNA — The chief of the UN nuclear agency insisted Monday that a probe of a suspected nuclear weapons research site in Iran does meet strict agency standards, while acknowledging that Iranian experts provided samples from the site for analysis.

Such sampling is usually done by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s own experts. But IAEA chief Yukiya Amano told reporters that Iranians carried out that part of the probe at Parchin, where the agency suspects that explosive triggers for nuclear weapons might have been tested.

The samples, on which no details were given, were taken under “established procedures,” Amano said, noting that “significant progress” was being made in its long-running probe that Iran had sought to develop nuclear weapons in the past.

The arrangement was first revealed in confidential draft agreement between the sides seen last month by The Associated Press. The draft said that Iranian experts, monitored by video and still cameras, would gather environmental samples at the site and hand them over to the agency for analysis.

Iran’s atomic energy agency spokesman, Behrouz Kalmandi, said IAEA experts were not physically present during the sampling. But Amano said the procedure meets strict agency criteria that ensure “the integrity of the sampling process and the authenticity of the samples.”

COMMENT:  How could this joke meet "strict agency criteria"?  If the Iranians have nothing to hide, why would they bar UN inspectors from the actual collection of samples?

This looks very bad.  Looks like the fix is in.

September 21, 2015       Permalink

IF YOU'RE LOSING YOUR HOME STATE... – AT 9:55 A.M. ET:  To demonstrate the extent of Hillary Clinton's decline, one need only look at a new poll in her claimed home state of New York.  It's pretty stunning.  From The New York Times: 

A rough political summer has left Hillary Rodham Clinton with negative favorability ratings in a New York State poll for the first time, a low mark in the state she represented as a senator for eight years.

Mrs. Clinton was viewed unfavorably by 51 percent of the voters polled, compared with 46 percent who see her in a favorable light, a new Siena College survey showed. That is a change from a 56 percent favorable rating and a 40 percent unfavorable rating she had in the same survey in July.

Mrs. Clinton is still viewed positively by 70 percent of Democrats, the poll shows. But even in the state she adopted and represented from 2001 through 2008, her poll numbers have followed the same trend as her national numbers, suffering after a summer of questions about her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.

COMMENT:  And yet, one new national poll shows her increasing her lead over Bernie Sanders.  The numbers are less important than the perception, and the perception is that 1) her political position is deteriorating, and 2) that she's a terrible candidate who rarely handles a moment well. 

With news that Joe Biden will almost certainly enter the race, there is cause for serious concern in the Clinton camp.  The cloud of FBI investigations still hangs over her.  She can, of course, still win the nomination, but damaged goods don't look well on any shelf.

September 21, 2015       Permalink

DR. CARSON – AT 9:06 A.M. ET:  Oh the fire, oh the brimstone!  I see the lightning flashes outside my window.  Dr. Ben Carson has stumbled in a manner that outrages the select order of mainstream journalists, and the tumult is great indeed.

Appearing on "Meet the Press," and goaded by moderator Chuck Todd, the politically inexperienced world-class physician committed what, in baseball, is known as an unforced error.  He said something he shouldn't have said, and didn't have to say. "I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that," Carson said.  He elaborated on the show, and later in the day, by expressing the belief that Sharia law (Muslim law) is inconsistent with the Constitution.

First, he shouldn't have gone there.  Second, he should have phrased his answer far differently by saying that he agrees with the Constitution that there should be no religious test for the presidency, but that, of course, citizens may evaluate a candidate's religious commitments to determine whether they violate Constitutional principles. 

The left has now gone bonkers.  The bonkerism is led by CNN, which considers it a religious commandment to prove that all Republicans are racists.  

The hypocrisy flows.  The very people who are in deep anguish over Carson's "bigoted" remarks are the very same souls who regularly mock Christians and Jews who've asked for religious exemptions from certain requirements of, say, Obamacare, because they violate religious principles.  CNN, and others, both find religion and mock religion, depending on the political circumstances.

If a Catholic organization asks for an exemption for a requirement that it cover abortions in its health plan, that organization is called "anti-woman" or charged with "trying to inject religion into government."  I well recall how Senator, and presidential candidate, John F. Kennedy had to appear before a group of Houston ministers in 1960 to assure them that, in public office, he would never let his personal religious beliefs interfere with his public duties.  His 14-year record in Congress proved his claim.  Political figures regularly have differentiated between private belief and public responsibility.  

Religious authorities often clash with government, and government must, on occasion, overrule religious authorities.   I remember, as a journalist, interviewing Dr. Milton Halperin, the legendary medical examiner of New York City, in his office, when he received a call from an orthodox rabbi.  The rabbi asked that a deceased parishioner not be subjected to autopsy because autopsy is barred by Jewish law.  Dr. Halperin, himself Jewish, explained to the rabbi that the civil law must prevail, and that the autopsy had to go forward because the parishioner had died at home, not in the presence of medical personnel.  Therefore, the death had to be investigated.  The rabbi understood and withdrew his request.

It is a complicated subject.  Dr. Carson should have avoided it or made clear his specific concern.  But we cannot grant to Islam a pass that we would not give to any other religion.  Voters have a right to know whether a Muslim candidate would try to impose Sharia law, especially if that candidate had a history that suggested that he would.  When raised tastefully, with evidence and respect, questions about the intersection of religion and public policy are appropriate.  Dr. Carson failed, and it is hurting him, but he is no bigot.

September 21, 2015     Permalink 

SEPTEMBER 20,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:46 P.M. ET: 

DEBATE POLLS – We're starting to get "scientific" poll responses to the Republican debate.  From the NY Post:   WASHINGTON — Carly Fiorina surged to second place behind Donald Trump in a new national poll after her blockbuster debate performance.  Trump’s lead has eroded from 32 percent in early September to 24 percent after the second Republican debate, while Fiorina jumped from 3 percent to 15 percent, according to a new CNN/ORC poll.  In third place is Ben Carson at 14 percent, while Marco Rubio jumps to fourth at 11 percent followed by Jeb Bush at 9 percent.  Rounding out the top 10 are Ted Cruz (6 percent), Mike Huckabee (6 percent), Rand Paul (4 percent), Chris Christie (3 percent) and John Kasich (2 percent).  The worst news was for Scott Walker. Once the front-runner in Iowa, the Wisconsin governor now registers less than 1 percent after the debate watched by 23 million people.   Another poll says that Trump's lead actually increased, and that Fiorina's improvement was more modest than in the poll we just cited.  It will take several more debates before the numbers shake out.  The Walker collapse is tragic.   The next debate is October 28th.

CULTURAL CHANGE – From AP:   CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Standing in a small, sterile booth high above the turf at Memorial Stadium, David He's voice reaches a near-shout any time the Illinois football team makes a big play against Kent State.  He is a Chinese student at the University of Illinois, and with partner Bruce Lu, part of a new and very experimental online Mandarin Chinese-language broadcast team for Illini football.  They are, best as anyone on campus can tell, the only Chinese-language college football broadcasters in the country. And they're a small piece of the University of Illinois's effort to reach a large segment of their student population and perhaps help crack a problem at colleges around the country: how to get students back into football stadiums on Saturdays.  That's unique.  I'd love to hear a broadcast, although I won't understand it. 

ANOTHER STEP FOR BIDEN – From London's Daily Mail:  Joe Biden has gained another supporter in his potential run for president, and this one might be the most important yet - his wife, Jill.  While rumors had it that Jill Biden was against her 72-year-old hubby running for the position of most powerful man in the world - NBC News reports that Jill is '100 percent on-board' with a Biden bid for POTUS.  Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Biden was edging closer to joining the already-crowded race, saying that it was a matter of 'when not if.'  I wonder how the Bernie Sanders run is being seen by the Biden people.  They may think Bernie will just fold, but I don't think he will.  He's tasted rising poll numbers, and his movement has taken on a religious fervor. 

September 20, 2015       Permalink

MIDEAST REALITY – SUPERB – AT 9:24 A.M. ET:  If you read one article on the Mideast this week, read this one.  It is one of the best expositions on what's happened to the Mideast that I've read...and it isn't even long.  From the Jerusalem Post: 

The Arab Muslim world has been going through a civilizational crisis for decades with low economic and educational performance, but the chaos in recent years has brought the region to a nadir.

The refugee crisis in Europe is evidence that the Arab world cannot deal with or contain what appears to be the collapse of the regional order.

For a region that is quick to blame the West or colonialism for its ills, it now appears that without a helping hand, the region will sink even further and bring Europe down with it.

“At bottom, we are witnessing the consequences of a civilization’s failure either to overcome or to accommodate the forces of modernity,” argued Walter Russel Mead in The Wall Street Journal over the weekend.

Historian Bernard Lewis, trying to explain this crisis more than 20 years ago in What Went Wrong? described it this way: “The proud heirs of ancient civilizations had got used to hiring Western firms to carry out tasks that their own contractors and technicians were apparently not capable of doing.

Now they found themselves inviting contractors and technicians from Korea – only recently emerged from Japanese colonial rule – to perform these same tasks.

COMMENT:  Please read the whole thing.  It is clear and convincing.  It also gives the lie to the standard line that "it's someone else's fault."  But articles like this will not, I guarantee you, find their way into college courses on the Mideast.

September 20, 2015       Permalink

A MAJOR SCANDAL – AT 9:14 A.M. ET:  The scandal over the rigging of intelligence information, which could affect the lives of millions of Americans, is growing.  It should become, if Republicans are smart and alert, a major issue in the presidential campaign.  I said if Republicans are smart and alert.  From Fox:   

The alleged manipulation of intelligence to downplay the strength of terror groups is far more extensive than previously reported and goes back to at least 2012, according to the Republican chairman of the House intelligence committee.

The Defense Department inspector general and congressional investigators are reviewing claims that intelligence on the Islamic State was manipulated to present a more positive picture of the U.S. strategy's effectiveness. Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., said these practices, though, extend to how intelligence on Al Qaeda was handled as well.

"I know for a fact this was going on in 2012, because I was told by informants that this was going on back then," Nunes, head of the intelligence committee, told Fox News. "We thought this was foolish, to pull all of our troops out of Iraq, because we thought, just from our own work, that this would be bad, but the administration was able to say, 'No, well, this is what the intelligence says.'"

COMMENT:  Recall that the Bush administration was accused of rigging intelligence on Iraq's WMD.  It was a huge story.  There were outcries and anguished television interviews.  And yet, no proof of impropriety ever turned up.

Here there appears to be direct evidence that intelligence was rigged.  But the lapdog media seems little interested.

September 20, 2015       Permalink

IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG – AT 9:05 A.M. ET:  One great fear in Europe is that the refugees pouring in from the Mideast will try to change European culture.  It's happening already.  From the American Mirror: 

It was only a matter of time before the “refugees” pouring into Europe and their sympathizers would begin to impose their Islamic will.

Morad Almuradi, writing from the Netherlands, has created a petition on Change.org asking that the city council of Munich, Germany end the traditional 16-day Oktoberfest event.

He writes:

Dear City council of Munich,

I am writing this letter to bring to your attention something that I and many Muslims believe is unfair and requires attention.

I would like to inform you that the Oktoberfest is an Intolerant and Anti-Islamic event. We tried to ignore the event, but there too many Un-Islamic acts done at the Oktoberfest. Such as alcohol consumption, public nudity etc.

We understand that the Oktoberfest is a yearly German tradition, but we, Muslims, can not tolerate this Un-Islamic event, because it offends us and all Muslims on the earth.

We are requesting the immediate cancellation of the upcoming Oktoberfest event.

We also believe that the Oktoberfest might also offend all the Muslim refugees coming from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan. The cancellation of the Oktoberfest event will help refugees not to forget their Islamic history. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Morad Almuradi

So far, Almuradi’s petition has over 250 signers.

Munich has been inundated with refugees, with 13,000 arriving Saturday alone, the Independent reports. The city, in the south of Germany, has been a main entry point for the refugees. City leaders say they are at capacity. Munich mayor Dieter Reiter has been described as “trembling with rage” because other cities haven’t helped him.

Now, he’s contending with those who are trying to change his culture.

Munich began holding Oktoberfest in 1810.

COMMENT:  We will have the same problem here.  The issue is not whether we should be kind to refugees, many of whom are fleeing desperate conditions.  The issue is whether they are willing to accept the traditional conditions of citizenship in their new countries

In America, we've always expected immigrants to want and work for American citizenship.  But some immigrant groups don't want to integrate into American society.  They want to change it to their specifications.  The same is true in Europe.  Left-wing groups, which already despise their own countries, are enthusiastic about this new immigrant philosophy.  They call it "multiculturalism," and it's already a disaster in many European nations.

We have a right to impose reasonable standards of loyalty and respect on new immigrants.  We are, after all, giving them a new home and a new chance at life.  And it is not "bigotry" to say so. 

September 20,  2015     Permalink