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MAY 20,  2018

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

HOW NICE – FROM CAMPUS REFORM:   A Georgetown University student group recently barred white students from attending a community discussion on a proposal to arm campus police.  The “Community Dialogue on Racism & [Georgetown University Police Department]” was hosted by the Georgetown United Against Police Aggression (GUAPA) student group on April 24, and despite describing the event as an evening of “community and discussion,” the organizers specifically stated that “allies” were “not welcome” to attend the event.  "This space will center the voices and experiences of students of color...allies are not welcome to attend this preliminary dialogue."  “It's time to talk. All of us have a story about GUPD. All of us know someone who has been targeted. Let's do something about it,” the event description stated, urging students to “Come this Tuesday for community and discussion.”  The event page stipulated, however, that “this space will center the voices and experiences of students of color,” informing “allies for the safety of students of color” that “allies are not welcome to attend this preliminary dialogue” before mentioning that “food will be provided.”  And of course these dimwit "allies" will accept their exclusion.  And the school administration will remain silent.  Please note that we the people give federal aid to this institution.

VENEZUELA "RESULT" – FROM FOX:   Venezuela's election officials say socialist leader Nicolas Maduro has won a second six-year term as president of the oil-rich South American country, while his main rivals are disputing the legitimacy of the vote and calling for a new election.  The National Election Council announced that with almost 93 percent of polling stations reporting, Maduro won nearly 68 percent of the votes in Sunday's election, beating his nearest challenger Henri Falcon by almost 40 points.  If this were two years ago, Obama would be flying to Maduro's inauguration, and Jimmy Carter would be swearing him in.

THE ALLY WHO LECTURES US – FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES:   There are so few German army helicopters available for the troops that pilots have been forced to train in bright yellow civilian choppers leased from the German Automobile Club.  A chronic shortage of spare parts and assorted technical woes have grounded 29 of the Bundeswehr's 130 camouflage-green helicopters. Acute shortages of parts have also left only 39 of the Luftwaffe's 128 Eurofighter jets combat-ready — idled along with nearly half of the armed forces' 224 Leopard tanks and five of its six submarines.  No country in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance has savored the "peace dividend" as much as Germany, which slashed military spending in half after the Cold War. And no country in NATO has drawn more criticism from President Trump for not carrying its own military weight than Germany.  And no leader has lectured Trump more than Angela Merkel.  And no nation has groveled more to the Iranians, hoping for trade deals, than Germany.

May 20, 2018       Permalink

AN ELECTION? – AT 2:40 P.M. ET:   There is an election, of some kind, in Venezuela, democracy capital of the world.  From AP:

Caracas (AFP) - Venezuelans, reeling under a devastating economic crisis, began voting Sunday in an election boycotted by the opposition and condemned by much of the international community but expected to hand deeply unpopular President Nicolas Maduro a new mandate.

Maduro, the political heir to the late leftist firebrand Hugo Chavez, has presided over an implosion of once wealthy oil producer Venezuela's economy since taking office in 2013.

Hyperinflation, food and medicine shortages, rising crime and broken water, power and transportation networks have sparked violent unrest, and left Maduro with a 75-percent disapproval rating.

Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have fled the country in a mass exodus in recent years as the country descends into economic ruin.

Latest polls put Maduro neck-and-neck with his main rival Henri Falcon, a former army officer who failed to gain the endorsement of the main opposition, which is bitterly divided and has called for a boycott. A third candidate, evangelical pastor Javier Bertucci, is further back.

A low turnout, however, is expected the give Maduro, who has a tight grip on the electoral and military authorities, a comfortable victory.

COMMENT:  Maybe we can get some of the movie actors who went down to Venezuela to kiss the ring of Hugo Chavez to write some large checks to help the people.  Why do I think this will never happen?

May 20, 2018       Permalink

OH PLEASE – AT 1:46 P.M. ET:   In the alternative universe known as the American college campus, Hillary Clinton is still queen.  It's embarrassing, but the academic crowd isn't embarrassed at all.  From The Hill: 

Hillary Clinton will reportedly receive a prestigious award from Harvard University this week.

Clinton will be presented with the Radcliffe Medal, which Harvard says is given to those whose life and work have had a “transformative impact on society,” The Associated Press reported.

The former first lady, senator, secretary of State and first female Democratic presidential nominee was chosen for her record as a “champion for human rights,” a “skilled legislator” and “an advocate of American leadership,” according to the news service.

Past recipients of the award include Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.

Clinton is also set to address graduates at Yale University on Sunday.

She recently traveled to New Zealand to promote her book on the 2016 election, "What Happened."

Clinton joked during an appearance there that she thought about leaving the U.S. after President Trump won.

COMMENT:  In what way has this woman had a "transformative impact on society"?  I can't think of one area that hasn't been handled better by other women.  She is ruthless, treats many people around her horribly, fronted for her philandering husband, and kept an insecure email system operating while secretary of state.  She blew an election through sheer political incompetence, and referred to hard-working Americans as "deplorables."  What a gal!

May 20, 2018       Permalink

CHINA TALKS – AT 1:18 P.M. ET:  We are making progress with China on trade.  We're not getting everything we want, we never will, but we're getting important things.  Compare please with that legendary negotiator, John Kerry.  From Fox: 

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Sunday that the U.S. and China -- the world’s two biggest economies -- have reached a tentative deal to cut trade deficits that includes the U.S. putting China tariffs on hold, an agreement that potentially averts an economic standoff that would have global impact.

“We have made very meaningful progress, and we agreed on a framework,” Mnuchin told “Fox News Sunday” after weekend talks in Washington with Chinese officials about cutting the U.S. trade deficit with China, which last year reached $337 billion. “We’re putting the trade war on hold.”

Mnuchin, who was the country’s lead negotiator in the talks, said the tariffs will be put on hold while the countries try to execute the framework agreement.

Mnuchin also said the tentative agreement includes China buying “substantially” more U.S. goods to cut the deficit, structural changes to the Chinese economy to help make the U.S. more competitive in that market and “protections on technology, which have been very important to the president.”

Trump, since his 2016 presidential campaign, has argued that the United States must renegotiate trade agreements with China and other countries to become more competitive in the global economy. And he has complained about China violating international property laws.

Trump on Friday called the existing U.S.-China agreement "bad for our country” and said, “We're changing it around."

On Saturday, the White House said, in what it called a joint statement, that the U.S. and China had agreed to take steps to reduce the deficit.

COMMENT:  It is remarkable to see what the Trump administration has already accomplished.  It won't mean anything to a media obsessed with ideology and with race, gender, and ethnicity, but I'll bet it means a great deal to most Americans.

May 20,  2018     Permalink

MAY 19,  2018

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

OUR FUTURE LEADERS – FROM COLLEGE FIX:  A Gallup poll on Pomona College’s “Perceptions of Speech and Campus Climate” has been released, and if you’re a regular reader of The College Fix you’ll find the results not at all surprising.  As reported by the Claremont Independent, almost 90% of students surveyed said “the campus climate prevents them from saying something others might find offensive.” Nearly two-thirds of faculty feel the same.  When it comes to political ideology, 75% of conservative and moderate students strongly agree that the school climate hinders free expression — “nearly 2.5 times higher than very liberal students.”  In effect, they're living in a dictatorship, or learning to live in one.  The political left is creating this atmosphere, and thoroughly proud of it.

HEY MAN, DIG IT – FROM THE HILL:  Illinois senators this week overwhelmingly voted to allow sick children to bring medical marijuana with them to school, the Chicago Tribune reported.  The state Senate passed the measure 50-2 on Thursday, approving qualified students to consume medical marijuana on school premises.  Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) now has 60 days to act on the bill.  According to the bill, students would not be allowed to smoke medical marijuana on campus and school officials would have to ensure marijuana's usage wouldn’t disrupt other students, the newspaper reported.  Hip kids all over the country are applying to attend Illinois schools.  Parents are applying too.

EXPOSED – FROM THE NEW YORK POST:  A Cambridge professor with deep ties to American and British intelligence has been outed as an agent who snooped on the Trump presidential campaign for the FBI.
Multiple media outlets have named Stefan Halper, 73, as the secret informant who met with Trump campaign advisers Carter Page and George Papadopoulos starting in the summer of 2016. The American-born academic previously served in the Nixon, Ford and Reagan administrations.  The New York Times line is that the good professor was simply checking out reports of Russian interference with our electoral process.  The Trump camp believes he was sent to get information that would be useful to Trump's competitors.  Great movie here. 

May 19, 2018       Permalink

GOP NOT IN BAD SHAPE – AT 11:53 A.M. ET:  The Republican side is doing remarkably well in the latest polls, negating the conventional wisdom, enthusiastically peddled by the press, that it faces impending doom.  First, the president is at 50% in Rasmussen, which is the only daily tracking poll remaining:   

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 50% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Forty-nine percent (49%) disapprove.

The latest figures include 33% who Strongly Approve of the way the president is performing and 40% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -7.

Don't be surprised if the president's number is a bit lower on Monday.  I've noticed a pattern – Mr. Trump declines between two and three points over the weekend, then makes it up during the week.  I have no idea why that is, but it may have something to do with the fact that the Monday number reflects weekend polling, which may be done using a slightly different sample than the weekday survey employs.

The generic ballot represents preference for party in the upcoming midterm elections.  Here again, Republicans, while behind, are in much better shape than they were several months ago.  See this, from RealClearPolitics.   The Dems lead by only four points, whereas several months ago their lead, in most surveys, was in double digits.

I suspect the reasons for the Dem decline are, first, that the president is doing better and bringing his party up with him, and, second, that the Democratic Party is a mess, provides no policy alternatives, and increasingly is seen as a left-wing lunatic bin. 

Of course, polls are snapshots in time.  The Dems can get their act together (unlikely), or the pro-left bias of the press can have a stronger effect.  Also, the first midterm election after a new president takes office usually produces a windfall for the opposition.  If that happens this year, it would be consistent with history.  If it doesn't, the Dems might need to be replaced by a real political party.

May 19, 2018       Permalink

REVOLT IN IRAN – AT 11:08 A.M. ET:  You'd never know it from the mainstreamers, but there have been small revolts in Iran since December.  There are reports that some have been growing in recent days.  Now, our secretary of state is responding.  From Fox: 

As protests continued for a third day in the southern Iranian city of Kazerun, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted his support for the protesters in that country.

Pompeo, who is due to give his first major policy speech on Iran next Monday, tweeted, “We support the Iranian people who are demonstrating against an oppressive government. Three deaths and internet interruption show the regime’s true nature."

Following Pompeo’s tweet, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio followed suit.

Iran analyst Benham Ben Taleblu, a research fellow at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News that “Secretary Pompeo’s tweet is spot-on. At every juncture, the Islamic Republic continues to prove that it does not care about the interests or well-being of the Iranian people.”

Ben Taleblu continued, “I hope concrete actions in support of the freedom of communication for the Iranian people, and against the interests and assets of the regime, complement the Secretary’s tweet.”

Lisa Daftari, an Iran affairs expert and founding editor of The Foreign Desk, said it was significant that the secretary of state would tweet out such a message.

She said: “For almost four decades Iran’s people have believed that any political movement, including regime change, would have to be supported by the West. For that reason, statements made in support of recent protests, including Pompeo’s tweet, cannot be underestimated.”

COMMENT:   When the Iranian people rose up in 2009, it took Barack Obama four days to shuffle to a microphone and vaguely suggest some general support for democracy.  The press, of course, gave him a pass.  After all, revolts in Iran were beneath the great thinker.

Now times are different.  We look forward to Secretary Pompeo's Iran speech.  May the Europeans be thoroughly irritated.

May 19, 2018       Permalink