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NOVEMBER 18,  2016

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

SUCH CLASS – FROM FOX:    Vice President-elect Mike Pence was booed on Friday night as he attended the Broadway musical “Hamilton” in New York.  The cast had a message for Pence after the show as he was walking out saying, “We sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights, sir.”  Pence was booed  at various times during the performance, demonstrating once again the arrogance and immaturity of the "cultured" class.  He would have done better to stay home and read a good book.

VOTER FRAUD?  WHERE? – FROM REUTERS:   WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Reuters) - North Carolina's gubernatorial race was undecided 10 days after the Nov. 8 vote and new allegations by the Republican incumbent's campaign about felons and dead people casting ballots could leave the outcome in limbo for weeks.  Republican Governor Pat McCrory, trailing Democratic challenger Roy Cooper by about 6,300 votes according to the state elections website Friday afternoon, has not conceded. Under state law, Friday was the deadline for counties to certify their results.  But challenges over the validity of hundreds of votes and reviews of provisional ballots were expected to delay the reports from many, if not all, of the state's 100 counties, elections officials said.  The uncertainty has been punctuated this week by a war of words, with McCrory's campaign accusing Cooper of being lax on voter fraud and Cooper's campaign calling the incumbent dishonest and desperate.  I don't personally know the facts, but I'm glad to see some attention to voter fraud.  I've always believed it's much greater than the media imagines.  Some have estimated that as many as three million illegal votes were cast in last week's election. 

A CHRISTMAS STORY – FROM ORLANDO.COM:   SANFORD, Fla. - A Santa Claus at Seminole Towne Center in Sanford has been removed from his duties after an Oviedo woman claimed that he told her child Hillary Clinton was on his naughty list.  The mother told Towne Center management the incident happened Tuesday night when she brought two of her children to see Santa.  She said when her 10-year-old daughter told him what she wanted for Christmas, he told her she was on his nice list.  She said he then asked her, "Do you know who is on my naughty list? Hillary Clinton." The girl said he then laughed.  The girl's mother called management, and a representative told News 6 that mall officials called the company that hired Santa....Spokesman Charlie Russell said his company apologized to the girl's family.  He also said the Santa in question was sent to counseling in human resources.  Counseling?  What kind of counseling does this require?  Will they counsel Santa to add diversity to his reindeer crew?  Will he be required to observe Rudolph's pain at Hillary's loss?  Amazing what modern medicine can do.

November 18,  2016     Permalink

IT BEGINS – AT 11:05 A.M. ET:  Regarding our first post this morning, Democratic opposition to the selection of Senator Jeff Sessions to be attorney-general is already building.  Clearly, this will be a central fight for the Democratic Party.  From The Hill:

If confirmed, Sessions would succeed Attorney General Loretta Lynch, the first African-American woman to serve as the nation's top law enforcement official.

But Democratic opposition to Sessions is already beginning, signaling the potential for a rocky path to confirmation.

Past controversies touching on race will dominate the discussion surrounding Sessions, who would preside over an agency with responsibilities to protect civil rights.

Thirty years ago, Sessions was denied a federal judge position over allegations that he had called the NAACP and American Civil Liberties Union "un-American" and said he thought the Ku Klux Klan was "OK, until he learned they smoked marijuana."

Sessions has vehemently denied the claims, but Democrats are already pointing to the accusations as disqualifying.

David Axelrod, President Obama's former senior adviser, blasted Sessions’s selection on Twitter, arguing the appointment will "send chills to advocates of civil and immigrant rights."

The leader of the liberal Democracy for America issued a statement that said Sessions was barely more qualified to lead Justice than a member of the Ku Klux Klan.

“The handful of people who might be even less equipped than Jeff Sessions to dispense justice on behalf of the American people typically spend their weekends wearing pointy hats and burning crosses,” Democracy for American executive director Charles Chamberlain said.

The wildness of those comments defies description.  The Trump people point out that Sen. Sessions voted for the confirmation of Eric Holder to be attorney-general.  He voted for extension of Civil Rights Act, and filed a number of desegregation suits while working in the Justice Department.  These things will not matter to the Democrats.  Race and gender are their lines of work, and they have a new project – Jeff Sessions.

November 18, 2016       Permalink

A GOOD PHONE CALL – AT 9:55 A.M. ET:  Is President-elect Trump's campaign to keep jobs in America starting to have some effect?  Corporate executives read election returns.  From Bloomberg:

President-elect Donald Trump suggested on Twitter that he convinced Ford Motor Co. to keep production of a Lincoln sport utility vehicle in the U.S. instead of moving it to Mexico. And the automaker doesn’t dispute that.

“Just got a call from my friend Bill Ford, Chairman of Ford, who advised me that he will be keeping the Lincoln plant in Kentucky -- no Mexico,” Trump wrote in a Twitter post.

Ford builds the Lincoln MKC small SUV at its Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky alongside the Ford Escape SUV. Ford had never said it was considering shifting MKC production south of the border. But the company confirmed Friday that it had been “likely” to move the work to Mexico in 2019 when its current contract with the United Auto Workers union expires.

“We had planned to move the Lincoln MKC out of Louisville Assembly Plant," probably to the Cuautitlan factory in Mexico, Christin Baker, a Ford spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.

Trump has criticized Ford for planning to move all its North American small-car production to Mexico, where wages are 80 percent lower than in the U.S. Ford also builds the Lincoln MKZ sedan at a factory in Hermosillo, Mexico. During the campaign, Trump threatened to slap Ford’s Mexican-built cars with a 35 percent tariff. He also said he would terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement, which lets goods flow between Mexico, the U.S. and Canada without tariffs.

Ford, which has expressed a willingness to work with Trump since he was elected, confirmed late Thursday it told the future president the Lincoln SUV will stay in Kentucky.

COMMENT:  It won't be an easy task to convince American manufacturers to keep jobs in the USA, but Trump has pledged to do just that.  If he can keep that pledge, he'll be a genuine hero to American workers.

November 18, 2016       Permalink

NEW TRUMP PICKS – AT 9:31 A.M. ET:  Official announcements have not been made, but all major news organizations are reporting these selections.  From Reuters:

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has tapped three conservative loyalists and Army veterans to lead his national security and law enforcement teams, including Senator Jeff Sessions for attorney general and Representative Mike Pompeo as CIA director, a transition official said on Friday.

The official said retired Lieutenant General Mike Flynn was chosen as the president-elect's national security adviser, a position that does not require U.S. Senate confirmation.

All three men have accepted Trump's offer, and the announcements will be made formally later on Friday, according to the transition team member, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Pompeo, 52, a third-term congressman from Kansas, was a surprise pick to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. He was on the House of Representatives intelligence and energy and commerce committees, as well as the committee investigating the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya.

Pompeo has echoed Trump's criticism of the Iran nuclear deal. In a tweet on Thursday, Pompeo wrote: "I look forward to rolling back this disastrous deal with the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism."

Pompeo graduated first in his class from West Point and was a cavalry officer in Europe, according to his official biography. He graduated from Harvard Law School, where he was editor of the law review, and later founded an aerospace company that provided parts for commercial and military aircraft.

COMMENT:  We're going to withhold judgment on these nominees until the official announcements and until we can do more detailed research.  However, first impressions:  All three are highly qualified, but have controversial pasts.  Flynn is considered a master of intelligence.  However, he was fired from his post as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in the Obama administration amidst charges that he was a poor manager and was abusive.  Reactions to his probable appointment by Trump have been mixed, especially among military officers. 

Mike Pompeo is a brilliant man and fine congressman.   He may be dogged by some controversial comments about Muslims and terrorism, but I can't see any real threat to confirmation as CIA director. 

The most controversial of the three potential appointees is Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who was the first senator to back Trump for president.  Sessions has been a capable, conservative senator, but an incident in his past may doom his nomination, if some Republicans in the Senate choose to abandon him.  In 1986 President Reagan nominated Sessions, at that time a U.S. attorney in Alabama, to the U.S. District Court, but his nomination failed to pass the Senate Judiciary Committee due to charges of racism and racist comments.  Ironically, Sessions went on to be elected to the Senate, and sits on that very committee today.  Past accusations of racism are sure to be brought up. 

It is almost unheard of for the Senate to reject one of its own for a Cabinet position, but it has happened.  The Senate, in 1989, rejected the nomination by newly elected President George H.W. Bush of former Texas Senator John Tower to be secretary of defense, over alcoholism and personality concerns.  Sessions may well have some problems, but he is a sitting senator, which may make potential opponents less likely to rise up against him.

Because of the controversies, none of these nominees raise Trump's stature, and the appointments of Sessions and Flynn are likely to be seen as reflecting loyalty to Trump himself.  Trump needs some stars.

November 18,  2016     Permalink   

NOVEMBER 17,  2016

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

FORGET SOMETHING, BARACK? – FROM FOX:   President Obama, speaking at a press conference in Germany, passed up the opportunity Thursday to tamp down the anti-Donald Trump protests back home -- urging those taking part not to remain "silent."  The president fielded a question on the protests during a joint news conference in Berlin alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel.  "I suspect that there’s not a president in our history that hasn’t been subject to these protests," he answered. "So, I would not advise people who feel strongly or who are concerned about some of the issues that have been raised during the course of the campaign, I wouldn’t advise them to be silent."  He added: “Voting matters, organizing matters and being informed on the issues matter.”  He could have said something about protesting peacefully and without obscenity. I think he's enjoying the protests almost as much as he enjoyed Hillary's loss.

VERDICT ON MEDIA BIAS – FROM NEWSBUSTERS:   RESTON, VA – The Media Research Center (MRC) announces the findings of a new post-election poll on what actual voters thought about the media’s influence on the 2016 presidential race. The MRC/YouGov poll was conducted on November 9 and 10. Key findings:  7 in 10 (69%) voters do not believe the news media are honest and truthful.  8 in 10 (78%) of voters believe the news coverage of the presidential campaign was biased, with nearly a 3-to-1 majority believing the media were for Clinton (59%) vs. for Trump (21%). Even 1/3 (32%) of Clinton voters believe the media were “pro-Clinton.”  8% of Trump voters said they would have voted for Clinton if they had believed what the media were saying about Trump.  97% of voters said they did not let the media’s bias influence their vote.  And what will the media do about this verdict?  Probably nothing.  Too many journalists believe they're on a mission to save the world, not to report the news.  Facts are unimportant.  Only the mission is important.

THE TROOPS ARE RESTLESS – FROM FOX:   Ohio Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan on Thursday became the first lawmaker to formally challenge House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for her post, a move that comes as the California power-broker faces growing unrest inside the Democratic caucus in the wake of last week’s election.  Ryan, who had been publicly considering mounting a leadership bid for days, announced his decision in a letter to colleagues.  He said he was “disheartened” by the election results and Democrats “must not let this opportunity for change pass by without a fight.”  Ryan wrote: “Over the last 18 years, Democrats have only been in the majority of the House of Representatives for two terms and last week’s election results set us back even further. We have lost over 60 seats since 2010. We have the fewest Democrats in state and federal offices since Reconstruction. At this time of fear and disillusionment, we owe it to our constituencies to listen and bring a new voice into leadership.”  Pelosi last faced a challenge in 2010 after the party’s midterm clobbering that cost them the House. Then-Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., ran and only got 43 votes.  Things might be different this time.  However, Pelosi still has enormous clout – she is a world-class fundraiser. 

November 17, 2016       Permalink

THANKSGIVING REPORT – AT 10:28 A.M. ET:  An economic picture of the big holiday next week.  From CNBC:

Americans can thank a drop in the average price of turkey and general food deflation for bringing down the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner this year.

Along with the turkey, other food items showing decreases this year are pumpkin pie mix, milk and a vegetable tray of celery and carrots, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual price survey of classic items found for the Thanksgiving feast. Among the biggest increases in holiday meal fixings this year were bread rolls, pie shells, cubed stuffing and fresh cranberries.

"The average cost of this year's feast for 10 is $49.87, a 24-cent decrease from last year's average of $50.11," the Farm Bureau said Thursday. The traditional holiday dinner's cost was down less than 1 percent this year from 2015 and it marks only the third time in a decade that the annual survey shows an overall price decline.

A 16-pound turkey — the biggest single ticket item in the meal — averaged $22.74 this year, or 1.3 percent below 2015. The survey was conducted in 40 states with price checks on roughly a dozen items.

COMMENT:  Reminds me of the true story of the old Tammany bosses in New York, in an age when there were high poverty rates in the city.  Each year they'd give families a Thanksgiving turkey so that family could have a happy holiday.  The precinct captains would make it known to the family that this might not continue if the opposition ever gained power.  Guess who won the elections?  It was one of the factors that kept people voting in the bosses year after year. 

November 17, 2016       Permalink

DRAINING THE SWAMP – AT 9:43 A.M. ET:  President-elect Trump is starting to make good on his pledge to drain the Washington swamp.  From the Daily Mail: 

Donald Trump's staff has announced a tough new anti-lobbying for all members of his transition team and all other officials who work for the President-elect.

People who work with Trump must sever all their ties to the lobbying industry, and they are not allowed to lobby on behalf of anyone for five years after they leave the Donald's side.

The ban also applies to the transition team members charged with helping to find, vet and hire for the incoming Republican administration, Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said late Wednesday in New York.

Additionally, neither the transition advisers nor incoming officials are permitted to be registered federal or state lobbyists, Spicer said. He described the measures as helping to ensure people won't be able to use government service 'to enrich themselves.

COMMENT:  I wonder what The New York Times and CNN will say about this.  They'll probably find a way to call it racist, sexist, anti-gay. 

It's a positive move, and sets the right tone.  However, there could be negatives – removing from government service some extremely talented people.  There should be some way in which waivers can be granted in special circumstances.

November 17, 2016       Permalink

WARNING FROM EUROPE – AT 9:24 A.M. ET:  Gee, doesn't some of this sound familiar?  Is this Trumpism?  From Reuters: 

BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union is in danger of breaking apart unless France and Germany, in particular, work harder to stimulate growth and employment and heed citizens' concerns, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said in the German capital on Thursday.

Valls said the two countries, for decades the axis around which the EU revolved, had to help refocus the bloc to tackle an immigration crisis, a lack of solidarity between member states, Britain's looming exit, and terrorism.

"Europe is in danger of falling apart," Valls said at an event organized by the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. "So Germany and France have a huge responsibility."

He said France must continue to open up its economy, not least by cutting corporate taxation, while Germany and the EU as a whole must increase investment that would stimulate growth and job creation, as well as boosting defense.

As Britain seeks to negotiate its post-Brexit relationship with the EU, hoping to restrict immigration from the EU while maintaining as much access as possible to the EU single market, Valls said it must be prevented from cherry-picking.

"If they are able to have all the advantages of Europe without the inconveniences, then we are opening a window for others to leave the European Union," Valls said.

COMMENT:  Maybe there are some people in Europe, perhaps stimulated by political trends in the United States, who are starting to understand the decline of the West, and what must be done to halt it.

November 17,  2016     Permalink