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JUNE 14,  2018

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

A NATION OF CHILDREN? – FROM NATIONAL REVIEW:   Netflix has reportedly banned workers from looking at each other for more than five seconds as part of its new anti-harassment rules.
The new policy also bans the company’s film crews from asking their colleagues for their phone numbers, according to an article in the Sun.  “Senior staff went to a harassment meeting to learn what is and isn’t appropriate,” an on-set runner told the Sun. “Looking at anyone longer than five seconds is considered creepy.”  “You mustn’t ask for someone’s number unless they have given permission for it to be distributed,” the source continued. “And if you see any unwanted behaviour, report it immediately.”  Other new rules include: “Don’t give lingering hugs or touch anyone for a lengthy period of time,” “Don’t ask out a colleague more than once if they have said no,” “Steer clear of a colleague once they have said they are not interested in you,” and “Don’t flirt.” The rules also encourage employees to “Shout ‘Stop, don’t do that again!’ if a colleague has been inappropriate.”  The stench of fascism is in the air.

THE PUPPY CONSPIRACY – FROM THE COLLEGE FIX:   If you’re a dog owner, maybe, just maybe, a couple of things that come to mind when you take ‘ol Spot to the dog park are rape culture and non-heterosexual “performativity.”  What’s that? You don’t consider such things when you’re walking the pup? No worries, then. The Portland Ungendering Research Initiative’s Helen Wilson is here to clue you in.
Her paper, “Human reactions to rape culture and queer performativity at urban dog parks in Portland, Oregon,” discusses the “emerging themes in human and canine interactive behavioral patterns in urban dog parks” in order to gain a better understanding about people’s decisions and “emergent assumptions around gender, race, and sexuality.”  The PhD in feminist studies writes that dog parks are “petri dishes for canine ‘rape culture.’” Never mind that dogs are, y’know, animals. Just go with it.  I feel so enlightened now.

THE REAL WORLD – FROM THE NEW YORK POST:   The city of Paris on Thursday debuted the 10-foot-tall panes of bulletproof glass that’ll partially surround the Eiffel Tower – as part of a plan to protect the landmark against terror attacks.  Parisian authorities approved the $36 million plan to install a wall around the monument in February 2017.  In all, 450 2.36-inch-thick clear panes will make up two walls to the north and south of the tower. The other two sides will be closed by wire mesh grids, meant to match the tower’s design style. Bollards to protect against vehicles will also surround the tourist-attraction.  The glass panes were designed to replace unsightly metal fences and to allow visitors to get a good view of the City of Lights, officials said.  The bulk of the work will be completed by mid-July and finalized by September, Bernard Gaudillère, President of the Eiffel Tower Operating Company told 20 Minutes Paris.  And we in this country don't even protect most of our schools.  The French are just recognizing reality.

June 14, 2018       Permalink

AND NOW...THE REPORT – AT 7:31 P.M. ET:  So the Justice Department's inspector-general, Michael Horowitz, released his report today (https://oig.justice.gov/reports/all.htm) detailing FBI behavior before the election.  It's pretty damning.  Activity by Director Jamey Comey and some subordinates might not have been illegal, but the IG concluded some of it was improper, as was some behavior by Attorney General Loretta Lynch.  From Fox: 

The Justice Department inspector general has referred five FBI employees for investigation in connection with politically charged texts, revealing in its report on the Hillary Clinton email case that more bureau officials than previously thought were exchanging anti-Trump messages.

The long-awaited report largely dealt with the Justice Department and FBI's handling of the Clinton case but uncovered numerous messages that “appeared to mix political opinion with discussions about the MYE investigation."

MYE, or "Midyear Exam," was the code used in the FBI to refer to the investigation into Clinton’s private email server.

“Some of these text messages and instant messages mixed political commentary with discussions about the Midyear investigation, and raised concerns that political bias may have impacted investigative decisions,” the report read.

The report noted that it was specifically concerned about text messages exchanged between FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page that “potentially indicated or created the appearance that investigative decisions were impacted by bias or improper considerations.”

Strzok and Page, who were romantically involved, both served for a short period of time on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation team. Strzok was reassigned following the revelations of his anti-Trump texts. Page resigned last month.

But while many of those texts were made public in late 2017, the IG report revealed a new one in which Strzok vowed to "stop" Trump from becoming president -- and made clear that as many as five total FBI employees exchanged politically charged messages. "The text messages and instant messages sent by these employees included statements of hostility toward then candidate Trump and statements of support for candidate Clinton," the report said.

And, from Fox: 

Horowitz also charged that (then Attorney General Loretta) Lynch similarly made multiple errors in judgment during the probe.

The DOJ watchdog was especially critical not just of Lynch's decision to hold court with the president (former President Clinton) on the Phoenix tarmac, but also her decision to retain involvement in the probe despite the appearance of bias.

"Although we found no evidence that Lynch and former President Clinton discussed the Midyear investigation or engaged in other inappropriate discussion during their tarmac meeting on June 27, 2016, we also found that Lynch’s failure to recognize the appearance problem created by former President Clinton’s visit and to take action to cut the visit short was an error in judgment," the IG wrote.

And...

But the IG's most substantial criticisms of Comey centered around his decision to stage a dramatic press conference in the summer of 2016, in which he announced that "no reasonable prosecutor" would bring criminal charges against Hillary Clinton, even as he acknowledged she had been "extremely careless" in her handling of classified information."

"Comey’s unilateral announcement was inconsistent with Department policy, usurped the authority of Attorney General, and did not accurately describe the legal position of the Department prosecutors," the IG report said.

The ex-FBI director made a similarly "serious error in judgment" by sending a letter to Congress announcing the reopening of the Clinton probe just days before the 2016 presidential election, according to the report.

"We found that it was extraordinary and insubordinate for Comey to conceal his intentions from his superiors, the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General, for the admitted purpose of preventing them from telling him not to make the statement, and to instruct his subordinates in the FBI to do the same."

COMMENT:  That's the gist of it, but there are hundreds of pages to the report, and more will come out in the next few days.   My sense is that the report damages the image of the FBI, and that corrective action is needed.  It certainly substantiates the charge that some in the FBI hierarchy were substantially biased against President Trump during the campaign.

However, it is too much of a stretch to suggest that the activity of some FBI personnel, and some of the antics of Attorney General Lynch, actually influenced voters.  That will require further study and maybe some creative polling.

The best comment I heard today was by Bret Baier of Fox, who noted that we're becoming exhausted by all the investigations.  We are, and I think these probes are having less and less impact on the way Americans see events.

June 14, 2018       Permalink 

EDITOR'S NOTE:  The actual Justice Department's inspector-general report, dealing with FBI and department behavior before the election, is just being released.  We will report on it later, when we get a chance to see what's actually there, rather than what is being guessed at.

ALERT FROM GERMANY – AT 11:21 A.M. ET:  We must always remember that there are still terrorists around the world plotting destruction, as we go about our other business, political and otherwise.  From AP:

BERLIN — German prosecutors said Thursday they’ve thwarted an Islamic extremist plot to launch an attack with the deadly toxin ricin.

They said a 29-year-old Tunisian, identified only as Sief Allah H., who was arrested Wednesday, started procuring material online, including seeds needed for the creation of ricin, in mid-May.

The suspect succeeded in creating the toxin this month and investigators found it in a search of his Cologne apartment, federal prosecutors in Karlsruhe said in a written statement.

“He procured 1,000 castor bean seeds online as well as an electronic coffee grinder,” they said. The shell of the castor bean plant seed is highly poisonous and can be used to create ricin.

The authorities are still investigating exactly how the suspect planned to use the toxin, but said he was working on a “biological weapon” attack in Germany.

Prosecutors said they currently have no evidence of a connection with any extremist organization...

...He supposedly used instructions for the making of a ricin bomb that had been posted online by the Islamic State extremist group.

COMMENT:   Appears to be a very serious story.  One question I have is why any internet provider would permit instructions for a ricin bomb to be posted online. 

The fact that the alleged bomber used an Islamist website to guide him in construction of the bomb is, I think, sufficient evidence that he was acting politically.  He'll be called a "lone wolf" by some reporters, but there's really no such thing as a lone wolf.  He was radicalized by someone, and instructed by the website.  The terrorist is rarely a lone actor.

Eternal vigilance.

June 14,  2018     Permalink 

JUNE 13,  2018

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

THE THREE CALIFORNIAS – FROM FOX:  An initiative to divide California into three states has received enough signatures to qualify it for the November ballot, the California secretary of state's office confirmed Tuesday.  The three-states campaign, dubbed “Cal-3,” submitted more than 600,000 signatures.  Tim Draper, a billionaire Silicon Valley venture capital investor, sponsored the ballot measure to divide America’s most populous state into three jurisdictions, the Mercury News of San Jose, Calif., reported.
-- California would be made up of six mainly coastal counties, including Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
-- Northern California would include 40 counties from Santa Cruz to the Oregon border, including San Francisco and Sacramento, the state’s current capital.
-- Southern California would comprise 12 counties, including Fresno, Kern, Orange and San Diego counties.  All I can think of is the pain it would be to change all those current California addresses on the Urgent Agenda mailing list.  At any rate, only 17% of Californians favored the division in a recent poll.  I don't see much of a chance. 

A VICTORY FOR COMMON SENSE? – FROM COLLEGE FIX:  A program at the University of Texas meant to encourage “healthy masculinities” and discourage “restrictive masculinity” has been put on hold and is currently under review after negative media coverage brought it to the public’s attention.  The university’s “MasculinUT” program is “currently being reviewed by a steering committee that will make recommendations to the Vice President for Student Affairs to assure the program’s mission remains clearly defined,” according to the program’s website.  The program was referred for further clarification when it became clear that “some of the communication and discussion surrounding MasculinUT did not convey” the full intent of the initiative.  Last month PJ Media reported that the campaign “treats masculinity as a mental illness,” something the university denied on its website.  Why do I think we can do without this?  And if federal aid is involved, Congress should investigate.

THE NEXT THING – FROM FOX BUSINESS:  Microsoft is taking aim at Amazon.com with the development of technology that would eliminate the need for cashiers and checkout lines.  It’s a challenge to Amazon’s automated grocery shop, according to Reuters.  Microsoft has shown the idea to retailers around the world and has had talks with Walmart about a potential collaboration on the technology that tracks what shoppers add to their carts.  In January, Amazon introduced Amazon Go, an automated brick-and-mortar store that opened in Seattle.  Technology used at the store scans customers’ smartphones at a turnstile as they enter. Sensors then keep track of items that enter or leave a customer’s cart.  As customers leave the store, Amazon automatically bills their credit card.  Seems logical to me.  Checkout is always a pain.  But what if the technology breaks down and you're billed a thousand dollars for an egg?  Will there be a human there to comfort you?

June 13, 2018       Permalink

MIKE SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT – AT 11:22 A.M. ET:  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made clear the American position on nuclearization after never-Trumpers tried to disparage what we gained from the Singapore summit.  From BBC: 

North Korea will not get any sanctions relief until it has demonstrated "complete denuclearisation", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said.

Mr Pompeo was speaking at a press conference in Seoul with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts.

He said Pyongyang was committed to giving up its nuclear programme.

The conference comes days after President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un held a historic summit in Singapore.

The leaders signed a statement pledging to establish a new relationship. North Korea reaffirmed previous promises to work towards the "complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula".

There has been deep scepticism about the agreement, with observers saying it lacked detail on how North Korea would give up its nuclear weapons and how that process would be verified.

Mr Trump had earlier said that sanctions would "remain in effect" until "the nukes are no longer a factor", but it was unclear exactly what that meant.

"At a certain point I look forward to taking them off and they will come off when we know we are down the road," he told a news conference after the summit.

Mr Pompeo has travelled to South Korea to brief the US's regional allies on the agreement, and on Mr Trump's surprise announcement that he was ending the routine US-South Korea military drills which have so angered North Korea. 

The secretary of state dismissed a report by North Korean state media that Mr Trump and Mr Kim had agreed to a "step-by-step" process of nuclear dismantling.

This has been taken to indicate that the US would grant concessions to Pyongyang along the way.

"We believe that Kim Jong-un understands the urgency [of denuclearisation]," said Mr Pompeo. "That we must do this quickly."

COMMENT:  A rather clear statement.  I suspect we'll have a crisis in the negotiations pretty soon, generated by President Trump, who will make it clear that things are not moving fast enough.  That will be the acid test for Kim – move more quickly and more completely to denuclearize, or go back into his box.

June 13, 2018       Permalink

WHAT? – AT 11:35 A.M. ET:  Is it possible there's good news out of, of all places, Turkey?  From Bloomberg:   

Turkey’s election this month could go down to the wire, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan facing a tougher battle to cement power or even an upset, according to a poll commissioned by Bloomberg.

Erdogan can win the presidential vote in the first round on June 24 with 50.8 percent support and get the backing of a majority in parliament, the survey by Foresight Danismanlik of 500 people on June 7-11 found. But a surprise victory for the opposition is also within the margin of error.

The key takeaway is that any array of options is possible and the only certainty is that it will be very close. Erdogan and his AK party can’t win alone, and in previous elections they got the support of religious conservatives, free-market liberals or Kurds to govern. Now success hinges on how voters identifying as nationalist cast their ballot, the poll found.

COMMENT:  I'd love to see that little worm knocked out of power.  You'll recall that Obama said that Erdogan was his closest friend in the Middle East.  The comment stunned observers because Erdogan was, and is, an anti-American Islamist fanatic.  Of course, for Obama that never posed a problem.

I doubt if Erdogan will go down.  But the election will be close, and maybe some sober-minded Turks, traditionally friends of the United States, will take heart and come back to fight another day.

June 13,  2018     Permalink

PLEASE DON'T SAY THIS – AT 11:20 A.M. ET:  President Trump made a dramatic statement on North Korea this morning.  I wish he hadn't.  From CNBC:

North Korea no longer poses a nuclear threat, nor is it the "biggest and most dangerous problem" for the United States, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday on his return from a summit in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The summit was the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader and followed a flurry of North Korean nuclear and missile tests and angry exchanges between Trump and Kim last year that fuelled fears of war.

"Everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office," Trump said on Twitter.

"There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!"

COMMENT:  Oh, Mr. President, please shut up.  You did well in Singapore.  Don't ruin it by exaggerated statements and grandiose bragging. 

This, of course, is the part of Donald Trump that makes us wince.  After skillful handling of an issue, he blows it away with wild statements and claims.

To the White House staff:  There's an AC cable connected to the president's computer.  At the end of the cable is a plug.  Please snip same.

June 13,  2018     Permalink