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MAY 17,  2017

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:18 P.M. ET: 

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? – FROM NJ.COM:   Jersey City-based Goya has pulled its sponsorship of the New York City Puerto Rican Day Parade, the Associated Press reported.  The largest Hispanic business in the United States, Goya has sponsored the parade every year of its 60-year existence. Parade organizers told the Associated Press that Goya's decision will jeopardize the 100 college scholarships the parade provides.  Other sponsors for the parade include AT&T, Coca Cola and the New York Yankees.  This year, the June 11 parade is honoring Oscar Lopez Rivera, a convicted terrorist whose group, the Armed Forces of National Liberation, or FALN, claimed responsibility for more than 100 bombings across New York, Chicago, Washington and Puerto Rico in the 1970s and early 1980s.  His sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama before he left office. Parade organizers told the AP that they do not condone violence.   Hooray for Goya..  Thumbs down to the "parade organizers," who obviously have been influenced by some very bad elements. 

A NEW FORM OF RECOGNITION – FROM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, COCA-COLA:   It should come as no surprise that iconic investor Warren Buffett is one of the world’s best-known fans of Cherry Coca-Cola. At almost every public appearance for a generation, Buffett has been seen taking a swig of his favorite drink.  What may come as a surprise is that Buffett’s likeness is gracing the front of Cherry Coke cans in China to promote the drink’s official Chinese launch.  “Chinese consumers love new flavors and crave excitement from brands like ours as we launch new products,” said Shelly Lin, Coca-Cola China’s Marketing Director for Trademark Coca-Cola. “As we thought of the most creative ways to bring the great taste of Cherry Coke to China, we thought who better to celebrate the launch of this special drink than its best-known fan.  “We honestly were surprised when Mr. Buffett agreed to the idea. But we’re thrilled, and he’s selling well,” Lin continued.  Hillary must be going crazy.  And Barack.  Those two will figure out a way to get on those Coke cans.  And they'll charge for it.

TRULY OUR BEST FRIENDS – FROM THE TELEGRAPH:   Dogs have a surprising ability to make humans understand what their barks and growls mean, a study has shown.  Women were better than men at recognising when a dog was being playful or threatening, or feeling fear, scientists discovered.  For the study, 40 volunteers listened to different growls recorded from 18 dogs that were guarding their food, facing a threatening stranger, or playing a tug-of-war game.  Overall, participants correctly classified 63 per cent of the growl samples - significantly more than would be expected by guesswork alone, said the researchers.  Each growl type was also recognised above chance level.   And I personally can identify many of the growls of Democrats.

May 17, 2017       Permalink

DEMS NOT SHINING – AT 2:18 P.M. ET:  You'd think the Democratic Party would be gaining as a result of all the disarray surrounding Trump.  But just a second.  From CNS:   

CNSNews.com) – Neither the Democrat Party nor the Republican Party are popular with Americans, but a new Gallup Poll indicates that the rating for Democrats has slipped five points since November, while the low rating for the Republican Party remained about the same.

The May 3-7 Gallup poll asked Americans whether they have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of each party.

Forty percent of Americans said they view Democratic Party favorably, down from 45 percent in November. The Republican rating dropped one point, to 39 percent this month from 40 percent in November.

The decline in Democratic Party favorability is mostly a result of lower ratings from self-identified Democrats, Gallup said. And both parties’ ratings are below their historical norms.

Gallup notes that historically, Democrats’ ratings usually exceed Republicans' ratings -- by six percentage points, on average.

COMMENT:  Democrats may think the Trump "scandals" will produce an electoral windfall in 2018.  Of course, they might help in that.  But, on the other hand, the unpopularity of the Democratic Party may reduce the windfall to a light breezefall.  Let us hope.

May 17, 2017       Permalink

TRUMP SEEKING AN "ARAB NATO" – AT 12:31 P.M. ET:   The left-wing press is spinning this week's presidential trip to the Mideast and the Vatican as a way in which Trump can escape the "scandals" of Washington.  In fact, planning for the trip began months ago. 

And the president has serious objectives.  From the Washington Post, via Reading Eagle: 

When President Donald Trump arrives in Riyadh this week, he will lay out his vision for a new regional security architecture White House officials call an "Arab NATO," to guide the fight against terrorism and push back against Iran. As a cornerstone of the plan, Trump will also announce one of the largest arms-sales deals in history.

Behind the scenes, the Trump administration and Saudi Arabia have been conducting extensive negotiations, led by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The discussions began shortly after the presidential election, when Mohammed, known in Washington as "MBS," sent a delegation to meet with Kushner and other Trump officials at Trump Tower.

After years of disillusionment with the Obama administration, the Saudi leadership was eager to do business. "They were willing to make a bet on Trump and on America," a senior White House official said.

In that meeting and during a follow-up meeting three weeks later, the Saudis proposed a broad elevation of the U.S.-Saudi relationship and proposed various projects to increase security cooperation, economic cooperation and investment, White House officials said. The Trump team gave the Saudis a list of Trump priorities, calling on the kingdom to step up actions to combat radical Islamic extremism, intensify the fight against the Islamic State and share the burden of regional security.

COMMENT:  This has to be looked at with two eyes.  There have been many attempts in the past to organize Arab "unity," and they have mostly failed.  The full story reports huge arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and there have to be ironclad guarantees that the arms won't be used against Israel. 

Saudi Arabia is still a dictatorship, with a horrible record on women's rights.  However, there are signs that it has tried to make progress in recent years.

We'll see.  Trust but verify.

May 17,  2017     Permalink

SHOULD WE CALL IT NEWS? – AT 10:18 A.M. ET:  Day by day, the bombshells come, sending the media into an uncontrolled frenzy.   The administration is collapsing!  Trump is giving away secrets!  Oh me god, it's the end for the Land of Lincoln!

Look, I don't know the full facts, and, as we've said here before, Trump can be his worst enemy.  But I'm more than a little suspicious of the drip, drip, drip, of leaks, parts of memos, parts of transcripts.  The leaks seem well timed to come at regular intervals, and their common appearance in the Washington Post and The New York Times, two wildly anti-Trump papers, is more than suspicious.

I'd like to see some facts.  I'd also like to see some of our "journalists" point out that because something appears in a memo does not make it accurate.  Self-serving memos, diaries, books, are all over the place. 

This morning Vladimir Putin offered to "help" put some of our concerns to rest.  From CNN: 

Moscow (CNN) Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to provide a transcript of a controversial Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, raising the stakes in an affair that has sent the White House into a tailspin.

Speaking at a press conference in Sochi, Russia, Putin dismissed allegations that Trump had shared top-secret security intelligence with Russian diplomats as "political schizophrenia."

"If the US administration finds it necessary, we are ready to provide the record of the conversation between Trump and Lavrov to the Senate and Congress," Putin said.

The intervention by Putin could turn up the pressure on the White House to provide its own transcript of the meeting. The Senate intelligence committee has already demanded a briefing on what was said at the meeting from members of the Trump administration who were present.

The episode is the latest woe for Trump, whose administration is engulfed in a series of scandals linked to Russia.

COMMENT:  The latest "bombshell," of course, is a report in The New York Times that former FBI Director James Comey wrote a memo after a meeting with President Trump, alleging that Trump asked him to go easy on then National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. 

Was the memo accurate?  Was a tape made of the meeting?  What else was in the memo?

The screamers are already yelling "obstruction of justice."  No, probably not.  As FBI director, Comey would have had an absolute obligation to report any obstruction of justice to the Justice Department.  The fact that he did not do so indicates that he didn't think the president's comments met the test.

But there are so many leaks and so few facts.  This is dangerous for the country, but good business for
CNN.

May 17,  2017     Permalink

MAY 16,  2017

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

BLUNT TALK – FROM COLLEGE FIX:  At colleges across the country, some students — and especially students of color — increasingly say that their experiences on campus are “traumatizing.” The claim has almost become ubiquitous it’s used so often.  But one professor of psychology says if these students are truly “traumatized” by their lessons, they require medical or professional help.  Dr. Jordan Peterson, a research and clinical psychologist at the University of Toronto, said the word trauma should not be tossed around casually by students.  “If you’re that vulnerable, then you’re in no position to be exposing yourself to challenging dialogue,” Peterson said in an interview with The College Fix. “You’re not fit, in a psychological sense, for any complex activity. To be traumatized by a discussion you have to be teetering on the edge of intrapsychic disintegration.”  I'm glad someone finally said it, although he'll probably now be accused of racism.

THIS ACTUALLY RAN – FROM THE WRAP:  It smells like The Rock is cooking up an election victory, should he go ahead and throw his hat into the ring in the 2020 presidential race.  According to Public Policy Polling, wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would lead the current chief executive in a potential match-up in 2020.  Public Policy Polling released a report Tuesday stating that Johnson would lead Trump 42/37 in a prospective race, given current data.  According to the report, Johnson is viewed favorably by 36 percent of voters, while only 13 percent view him negatively.  There is a big question mark mixed in with the numbers, however, as 50 percent of voters have no opinion of the “Baywatch” star (though, frankly, we don’t know how that’s possible).  This is what it's come to. 

GREAT MOMENTS IN THE LAW – FROM ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:   According to the Austin American-Statesman, 37-year-old Brandon Vezmar of Austin is suing a Round Rock woman for texting during their movie date last week. He’s seeking $17.31, the price of a ticket to a 3D screening of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.  Describing the outing as “a first date from hell,” Vezmar told the newspaper that his date began texting about 15 minutes into the movie. According to a petition filed in small claims court, Vezmar’s date “activated her phone at least 10-20 times” until he asked her to stop. When he suggested she go outside to text, the woman departed the theater altogether and left Vezmar without a ride home, he said.  Vezmar said the woman subsequently refused to reimburse him for the ticket, and his petition described her behavior as “a threat to civilized society.”  You know, I'm inclined to agree with him. 

May 16,  2017     Permalink

PROBABLY TRUE – AT 1:55 P.M. ET:   It appears from reports, which we cannot independently confirm, that Israel was the source of the classified information that President Trump passed on to the Russians.  From The New York Times: 

WASHINGTON — The classified intelligence that President Trump disclosed in a meeting last week with Russian officials at the White House was provided by Israel, according to a current and a former American official familiar with how the United States obtained the information. The revelation adds a potential diplomatic complication to the episode.

Israel is one of the United States’ most important allies and a major intelligence collector in the Middle East. The revelation that Mr. Trump boasted about some of Israel’s most sensitive information to the Russians could damage the relationship between the two countries. It also raises the possibility that the information could be passed to Iran, Russia’s close ally and Israel’s main threat in the Middle East.

Israeli officials would not confirm that they were the source of the information that Mr. Trump shared. In a statement emailed to The New York Times, Ron Dermer, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, reaffirmed that the two countries would maintain a close counterterrorism relationship.
“Israel has full confidence in our intelligence-sharing relationship with the United States and looks forward to deepening that relationship in the years ahead under President Trump,” Mr. Dermer said.

COMMENT:  We're looking for more confirmation, but the story sounds logical.  Donnie will meet Bibi later this week.  I'd love to be a fly on that wall.

May 16, 2017       Permalink

THE GENERAL SPEAKS – AT 12:31 P.M. ET:  General McMaster gave his briefing this morning.  The first part was devoted to a preview of President Trump's upcoming trip to the Mideast and the Vatican.  Standard stuff.

Then McMaster was asked about the current controversy involving the president's alleged release of classified information to the Russians at a White House meeting.  He said, as he'd said Monday, that all information used by Mr. Trump in that now-famous meeting was appropriate.   The controvery was based on a false premise, McMaster said.

That was it.  This will sizzle for a time, but, unless we get some clear, sourced, documented information, there's really nowhere to go.  My own sense is that the Washington Post ran with its story because it trusted its sources.  It may have been a mistake.

The story will shift later this week to the president's trip, which will take nine days.  We should hope that he does well, and gets results.  The press, though, will be watching his every word and gesture.

That wasn't the case early in Obama's presidency, when he went to the Mideast, snubbing Israel, and delivered a speech in Cairo filled with factual errors.  The media didn't care.  He was Barack, come to save us.  He could do no wrong and was wise beyond his years.  We'll be paying for that "wisdom" for a long time.

We await the president's trip and the next Trump controversy.

May 16, 2017       Permalink

BIG DAY – AT 10:55 A.M. ET:  We're starting late this morning because I've had to monitor all the coverage of the story that exploded late yesterday – the charge that President Trump released classified information to the Russians during a White House meeting, possibly putting in jeopardy sensitive sources.

Late yesterday afternoon, H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser, appeared outside the White House to deny the story, noting that he had been at the meeting.

But, overnight, the president started tweeting, and seemed to acknowledge that the story was true.  Well, maybe he didn't.  I'm not sure, but I am sure that he ought to shut up occasionally.

Now we await another briefing by McMaster, a highly respected Army lieutenant general, scheduled for 11:30 or so.  We won't speculate, but once again the White House seems in chaos, with the president acting, to use an old expression, like a bull who brings his own china shop with him.

Stand by.

May 16, 2017       Permalink