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MAY 25,  2017

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:57 P.M. (OR LATER):

MONTANA RESULTS – The Republican candidate in Montana's special Congressional election has won, despite an incident last night in which he is alleged to have assaulted a reporter.  Greg Gianforte defeated Democrat Rob Quist by about six points for the seat vacated by Ryan Zinke, who resigned to become secretary of the interior.  In his acceptance speech Gianforte apologized for slamming a reporter for Britain's Guardian newspaper last night.  Gianforte may still be criminally charged in the incident.  Still, his victory shows that a Democratic rebound from last November's election has still not materialized. 

BRITISH NIGHTMARE?  And no, I don't mean the horrible attack in Manchester or the possible new attacks that are feared.  I mean the fact that Britain votes in a national election in two weeks and that the Labour Party, led by the most extreme leftist leader in its history, Jeremy Corbyn, is catching up in the polls.  What had been considered a sure blowout victory by the Conservatives, led by Theresa May, now looks much closer.  But won't the horror of the terror attacks turn voters away from the appeasing, anti-American, pro-Islamist, Labour leader?   We hope so, but Britain is not America.  Many British voters could easily decide that appeasement is the way to go, simply to buy a year or so of peace.  That was the policy in the late 1930s, and it nearly prevailed.  As we've said here before, there's a Great Britain, and a not-so-great Britain.  Remember that Churchill was thrown out of office as soon as victory over Germany was achieved in 1945, and the Communist-appeasing Labourites were then installed. 

GROWTH IN THE SOUTHWEST – FROM FOX:   Phoenix has officially edged out Philadelphia to become the fifth biggest city in the U.S.  The total population of the city is 1,615,017, according to estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday. The new population count allowed the city to surpass Philadelphia, its closest population rival, for the first time since dropping behind in 2010.  Phoenix is also the quickest-growing city in the country, according to the Census Bureau. The city added an average of 88 people per day between July 2015 and July 2016.   Hard to know what the political implications are.  Arizona generally is Republican, but Democratic strength has been growing.

May 25, 2017       Permalink

TRUMP RESPONDS TO INTELLIGENCE FLAP – AT 11:14 A.M. ET:   This is related to the post just below.  President Trump has responded strongly, and correctly, to the intelligence leaks that have damaged our relationship with the U.K.  From Fox: 

President Donald Trump lashed out at diplomatically damaging leaks from the U.S. about the Manchester bombing probe, after British authorities, including British Prime Minister Theresa May, criticized American officials for loose talks about the ongoing investigation.

The name of the bomber, Salman Abedi, was disclosed to U.S. media just as raids were underway both in Manchester and in Libya, where the bomber's father lives. 

"The alleged leaks coming out of government agencies are deeply troubling," Trump said in a statement the White House released. "These leaks have been going on for a long time and my Administration will get to the bottom of this. The leaks of sensitive information pose a grave threat to our national security." 

Trump ordered the Justice Department to launch a full investigation into leaks from the Manchester bomb probe. Following the release of crime scene photos from the bombing, President Trump has asked for "a complete review" of leaks from U.S. government agencies.

The president is expected to get an earful from May following the apparent leak at the NATO summit. The British prime minister said she planned to "make clear to President Trump that intelligence that is shared between our law enforcement agencies must remain secure."

In the statement, Trump said "there is no relationship we cherish more than the Special Relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom," and promised that his administration would get to the bottom of the matter.

COMMENT:  Trump should see this as an opportunity.  As he said, this problem has been going on for a long time.  I want names named.

May 25, 2017       Permalink

ENDANGERING AN ALLIANCE – AT 10:33 A.M. ET:  An intelligence flap has shaken the US-UK alliance.  This must be nailed down on our side, and there should be prosecutions.  From CNN:

Manchester, England (CNN) Britain has suspended intelligence sharing on the Manchester bombing with the US after American officials leaked information to the media, an issue that British Prime Minister Theresa May will raise with US President Donald Trump later Thursday.

US officials released the suspected bomber's name and other details of the investigation into the deadly attack at the Manchester Arena Monday night, irking British investigators scrambling to keep details of the probe confidential.

May said Thursday she would raise leaks with Trump when the pair meet at a NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium.

Arriving at the summit she told reporters the "special relationship" with the US on intelligence sharing is based on trust.

"I will be making clear to President Trump today that intelligence that is shared between law enforcement agencies must remain secure."

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said that only intelligence relating to this particular probe had been suspended, adding that "we quite frankly can't afford to risk it any more."

"It has been compromised by the leaks and we can't afford anymore, so we've taken a temporary decision to say let's clear it out and draw a line, let's not have a row that lingers on. Nobody wants that. But equally we have to make our opinions clear so we can get this relationship back to where we all want it to be," Burnham told CNN.

COMMENT:  The Trump administration has a critical problem with leaks.  We don't know yet whether this series of leaks came from Trump officials eager to show what they know, or other officials eager to undermine President Trump.  We should turn the White House and the intelligence agencies upside down to find the leakers.  They are committing crimes, and must be punished.

Earlier this week we learned that a full transcript of a phone conversation between Trump and the Philippines president had been leaked.  Who will trust us if this keeps happening?

May 25, 2017       Permalink 

AFTERMATH – AT 9:43 A.M. ET:  British authorities are engaged in massive searches and raids, following this week's horrible attack in Manchester.  They are finding a great deal.  From the Independent: 

Police and security services have found bomb-making materials which could be primed for imminent attacks in the extensive raids following the Manchester suicide bombing, The Independent has learned.

One suspect device was blown up in a controlled explosion and security sources say that there is a real possibility that there are other materials yet to be found. The law agencies are convinced that a terrorist network had been established to carry out a sustained assault and further arrests are likely in and outside Manchester.

Meanwhile family members of the Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi have been arrested in Libya and the UK. The bomber’s father, Ramadan Abedi, was taken away in Tripoli by masked gunmen from a government militia as he was giving a television interview declaring that his dead son was innocent. Another son living in the city with him, Hashem, was detained soon afterwards, with Libyan officials stating that he had links with Isis. Salman Abedi’s mother, Samia Tabbal, and another son, Ismail, have been arrested in Manchester.

Three arrests were made on Tuesday night, and a further three arrests followed on Wednesday of a man in Wigan, a man in Nuneaton and a woman in Blackley, north Manchester. 

The focus is now very much on the Libyan connection. Abedi’s father was a fighter with an Islamist group banned by the UN’s Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee after the 9/11 attacks in New York. The Independent has learned he once worked for the Gaddafi regime’s security apparatus before turning towards hardline Islam: one of his associates once ran a group called the Islamic Martyrs’ Movement. 

COMMENT:  Let us also note that the British national election is two weeks away.  Clearly, the government wants to show that it is on top of things.  The oddsmakers give Theresa May's Conservative Party a strong chance at a sweeping victory.

May 25,  2017     Permalink

MAY 24,  2017

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

MAJOR NATIONAL SCANDAL – FROM REASON.COM:  If you're a white person, you have no business running a restaurant that serves Asian, Latin, African, or Indian cuisine.  That's according to the creators of a "white-owned appropriative restaurants" list, which accuses several Oregon establishments of engaging in cultural appropriation—a tool of "a white supremacist culture."  The list, a Google Docs spreadsheet, includes about 60 Portland-area restaurants, the names of their white owners, and the kind of cuisine they serve. (For example, the list informs us that Burmasphere "was founded by a white man who ate Burmese food in San Francisco.") The spreadsheet also lists competing restaurants that are owned by people of color and urges customers to try them instead.  "This is NOT about cooking at home or historical influences on cuisines; it's about profit, ownership, and wealth in a white supremacist culture," wrote the spreadsheet's authors. "These white-owned businesses hamper the ability for POC [people of color] to run successful businesses of their own (cooking their own cuisines) by either consuming market share with their attempt at authenticity or by modifying foods to market to white palates. Their success further perpetuates the problems stated above. It's a cyclical pattern that will require intentional behavior change to break."  I certainly intend to look into the racial ownership of every restaurant we visit.  It may take a couple of days before we're seated, but it's important for social justice. 

DOPE – FROM THE POLITICO:  HELENA, Mont. — Montana Republican congressional candidate Greg Gianforte was issued a citation late Wednesday after he allegedly “body-slammed” a reporter at a campaign event on the eve of a hotly contested special election.  Ben Jacobs, a reporter for The Guardian tweeted that Gianforte “body-slammed me and broke my glasses” at a campaign event in Bozeman, Montana — minutes before what was to be the last campaign rally of the campaign. Jacobs said he had asked Gianforte about a new budget analysis of House Republicans' effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.  Other reporting pretty much concludes that the story is entirely accurate.  Hey, nothing like a Congressional candidate engaging in an act of personal violence.  Where did the GOP get this jerk?  The Congressional seat, Montana's only House seat, should be safely Republican.  But watch the party blow this one.  They're so good at it.  To be sure, the reporter is a left-wing, obnoxious guy, but you never assault someone.  Never.

PERSONAL GROWTH IN THE DIGITAL AGE – FROM ORLANDO.COM:  A student wasn't happy with his "F" grade in his engineering class so he logged into a faculty computer and changed it, according to University of Central Florida police.  Sami Adel Ammar, 22, was arrested Tuesday on a warrant after detectives linked him to the grade change.  A UCF engineering professor said he received an email on May 4 from the university’s electronic grade book program thanking him for approving his grade roster, but the professor said he had approved the roster much earlier in the day and had already received that confirmation email.  The professor checked the grade roster and said he was surprised to find that the class grade for Sami Ammar was changed from an “F” to a “B,” according to the arrest warrant.  The professor tried to change the grade back, but received an error message.  Question:  If this kid is so good at hacking, how come he got an F in the class?  Probably lack of motivation.  Clearly, the college's computer system needs to be upgraded.  Maybe the kid can be ordered to do it, rather than suffer a penalty.

May 24, 2017       Permalink

ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN – AT 11:48 A.M. ET:   You'd think, from what we read, that all college students are whackjob leftists.  In fact, there's a small but growing movement of conservatives on American college campuses, including elite campuses.  These are heroic students, fighting back against the mob, sometimes at their own risk.  From AFP: 

Boston (AFP) - US universities are often bastions of progressive Democrats, but Donald Trump's election has spurred a growing number of conservative students to step out of the shadows and become increasingly vocal.

Even though both right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos and conservative firebrand Ann Coulter cancelled planned appearances at the University of California, Berkeley in the face of threats and violent protests, Democrats don't always have a stranglehold on campus.

"Conservative students are becoming less hesitant to speak out," says Sterling Beard, editor-in-chief of Campus Reform, which supports young conservatives in denouncing progressive bias on campus.

The recent violence at Berkeley, he says, makes the job easier "because so many of their liberal peers have become hysterical."

Two of these new conservative voices are Nick Fuentes at Boston University and William Long at Harvard, who are finishing the school year happy to go into battle to defend their ideas to peers in the majority opposing camp.

Both voted for Trump, if for different reasons.

COMMENT:  Read the whole piece.  It's a start, only a start, and the left will push back with threats, gimmicks, and attempts to label conservative statements as "hate speech."  But these kids will inspire others, and possibly bring some balance to our campuses. 

May 24, 2017       Permalink

BRITAIN ON EDGE – AT 10:32 A.M. ET:  At least the Brits are taking the latest outrage seriously, and not making cultural excuses for the murderer.  The country is mobilizing.  From Powerline: 

In the aftermath of yesterday’s terrorist attack in Manchester, British Prime Minister Theresa May has raised the nation’s threat level from “severe” to “critical,” the highest rating. The threat level hasn’t been set that high in Britain since 2007. Stating that another attack “may be imminent,” May ordered that the military be deployed to guard concerts, sports matches, and other public events.

The Prime Minister’s actions are predicated, she said, on the view that the latest attack — unlike, say, the mowing down of pedestrians by a car on a London bridge earlier this year — may well be the product of a network of terrorists. If so, it’s reasonable to fear that the network will produce more terrorism in the coming days.

There are grounds for believing that the Manchester attack is, indeed, the product of organized terrorists. For one thing, the method of the attack suggests a collaborative effort. As one terrorism expert puts it:

Getting a car or a knife is easy. Making a bomb that works and goes off when you want it to go off takes preparation and practice. And it usually involves other people.

Moreover, the suicide bomber, Salman Abedi, traveled frequently between Libya and England, according to a family friend. ISIS has become quite active in Libya. This suggests that Abedi may have received training by ISIS. If so, it’s reasonable to suspect that he is part of an ISIS network of indeterminate size operating in England.

For what it’s worth, ISIS has claimed “credit” for the Manchester attack. It said that “one of the soldiers of the caliphate was able to place an explosive device within a gathering of the crusaders in the city of Manchester.” Under different circumstances, describing teenagers, mostly teenage girls, at a pop concert as “crusaders” would be hilarious. 

COMMENT:  There will be a national election in Britain June 8th.  Terrorists often strike just before elections to disrupt the nation.  Britain is bracing itself, and France may well extend the current State of Emergency in the country because the terror threat is so severe.

President Trump has spent the last week, on his foreign trip, warning about terror.  We haven't heard much from the Democrats.

May 24,  2017     Permalink

TRUMP MOVES UP – AT 9:52 A.M. The left was gleeful last week over President Trump's bumpy ride, and some of the president's domestic missteps, and apparently dreamed of a President Trump whose approval ratings would dive into the thirties (a point that, by the way, Obama reached in one phase of his presidency).

Not so fast, lefties.

The president's foreign trip, a triumph in every respect, and a major victory for American influence, is having its impact.  We always stress that polls are tentative, snapshots in time, and that they will very one from the other, but the Rasmussen numbers for this president are starting to rise again:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Fifty-two percent (52%) disapprove.

The latest figures for Trump include 31% who Strongly Approve of the way Trump is performing and 42% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -11. (see trends).

The Islamic State (ISIS) took credit for this week’s horrific bombing attack at a concert venue in Manchester, England that killed 22 people. Before the latest incident, 53% of Americans said the United States and the international community can do more to help Europe fight these terrorists.  

Rasmussen Reports is in the process of surveying voters about the threat ISIS poses to the United States and will release those results on Thursday.

During his visit to Saudi Arabia this week, President Trump called on the Saudis and others in the Muslim-majority world to lead the fight against terrorism globally. Voters still say the Saudis have not been aggressive enough in fighting terrorism.

COMMENT:  The president has made many, many mistakes, and he can still blunder away this new momentum.  Also, he's under constant investigation over real or imagined misdeeds, with the mainstream media egging on the investigators.  It's the old drip, drip, drip of destruction.

But if he learns, he can still be a fine, even a great president.  It's really up to him.

One thing he must do is seal the leaks coming from the White House, leaks that probably violate the law.  If he has to go through the White House with polygraphs, I'm all for it.

May 24,  2017     Permalink