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SEPTEMBER 5,  2016

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:46 P.M. ET: 

CHEERS FOR TRUMP – He and Mike Pence were together in Ohio for Labor Day.  From NBC Local:   YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -  Days of rumor turned into reality on Labor Day, as Donald Trump and running mate Mike Pence stopped by the Canfield Fair. Two planes, one with the Trump logo and other marked "Trump Pence" landed at the Youngstown Warren Regional Airport shortly after 1:30 p.m., arriving from Cleveland where the Republican candidate attended a previous campaign event.  The entourage carrying the two members of the GOP presidential ticket arrived to crowds of people at around 3 p.m.  Donald Trump was greeted by a crowd of thousands as he pulled into the Canfield Fair.  Many people just happy to get a glimpse of the man who could be the next President of the United States.  While some people wore Trump 2016 shirts, others chanted Trump 2016 as his motorcade pulled into the fair grounds.  Clearly, Trump is in a different place from where he was three weeks ago.  He's beginning to sound like a real presidential candidate.  If he can maintain his discipline – a big if – he may take this all the way.  But as he gains, watch the mainstream media push back.  They're probably looking through his family's garbage cans right now.

IS SHE CRAZY? – FROM REUTERS:  US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Monday she will not accept an invitation by Mexico's president, Enrique Pena Nieto, for a visit after rival Donald Trump created what she called a "diplomatic incident" in his foray there.  In a written excerpt from an interview with ABC News that will air Tuesday morning, Clinton simply said "no" when asked if she would travel to Mexico before the election on Nov. 8, without elaborating further.  What?  That is the strangest response.  You'd think she'd want to go to Mexico and try to upstage Trump, who went just recently.  Certainly she'd get a warmer reception, something to take home to Hispanics in the United States.  Her refusal raises serious questions about the kind of judgments being made inside her campaign.  Or is there a health issue?

GOOD FOR HIM – FROM REUTERS:   U.S. President Barack Obama cancelled his first meeting with Philippines counterpart Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday after the blunt-spoken Duterte described him as a "son of a bitch," casting a shadow over a gathering of Asian leaders in Laos.  Duterte, who has been roundly criticised abroad for a "war on drugs" that has killed about 2,400 people since he took office two months ago, said hours later that he regretted his comments "came across as a personal attack" on the U.S. president.  "President Duterte explained that the press reports that President Obama would 'lecture' him on extrajudicial killings led to his strong comments, which in turn elicited concern," the Philippines government said.  "He regrets that his remarks to the press have caused much controversy," it added in a statement released at the summit in Vientiane, the capital of Laos.  We don't normally praise Obama here, for there's so little to praise.  But for once he showed some backbone.  Of course, the vile words were directed at him personally, rather than at the United States, which is probably why he showed the backbone.  But at least it's something.

September 5, 2016       Permalink

WE FOUND SOMETHING WORSE THAN LIBERALS – AT 1:48 P.M. ET:   Look, it's Labor Day.  There isn't much news.  A lot of it is padded – one more election prediction based on a poll taken in Ms. Attanas's sixth-grade class.  Shows Nixon slightly ahead.

But there's this, filed under freak-out news.  From London's Mirror: 

Robotic weapons have become so advanced that top military experts in the US fear the plot of the sci-fi film 'Terminator' could come true.

Huge technological leaps forward in drones, artificial intelligence and autonomous weapon systems must be addressed before humanity is driven to extinction by mechanical overlords like in the 1984 Arnold Schwarzenegger classic, according to Pentagon chiefs.

Air Force General Paul Selva, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the US Defense Department, said so-called thinking weapons could lead to: "Robotic systems to do lethal harm... a Terminator without a conscience."

When asked about robotic weapons able to make their own decisions, he said: "Our job is to defeat the enemy" but "it is governed by law and by convention."

He says the military insists on keeping humans in the decision-making process to "inflict violence on the enemy".

"That ethical boundary is the one we’ve draw a pretty fine line on. It’s one we must consider in developing these new weapons," he added.

Selva said the Pentagon must reach out to artificial intelligence tech firms that are not necessarily "military-oriented" to develop new systems of command and leadership models, reports US Naval Institute News.

COMMENT:  Soon we'll have robots as presidential candidates.  Wait.  Maybe that would be an improvement.  I can't imagine a robot mishandling classified information.  Or forgetting whether it got briefed on security arrangements.

And a robot wouldn't fall and get a concussion.

I want a robotic president.  I want to hear that oath of office.

September 5, 2016       Permalink

JUST AWFUL – AT 11:46 A.M. ET:  How does it feel to have had a president for almost two full terms who doesn't even like his own country?  To me, it feels awful, and it smacks of betrayal by the highest office in the land.

Barack Obama has now been asked about the defiance shown by San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who refuses to stand for the national anthem as a means of protesting the "oppression" of African Americans.  Obama answered during a press conference in a foreign dictatorship, China.  His answer put on full display his arrogance and his condescending attitude toward his country.  From the New York Post:

President Obama on Monday defended San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision not to stand during the playing of the national anthem.

“[H]e’s following his constitutional right to make a statement,” Obama said at a press conference in Hangzhou, China, responding to a question about the quarterback. “I think there’s a long history of sports figures doing so.”

The president added, “I don’t doubt his sincerity. I think he cares about some real, legitimate issues that have to be talked about. And if nothing else, he’s generated some conversation around some topics that need to be talked about it.”

Kaepernick has refused to stand for the pre-game playing of the national anthem, citing racial injustice and the oppression of minorities in America.

At Monday’s press conference, Obama reiterated his call for an “active citizenry” and praised the 28-year-old professional athlete for speaking out: “I would rather have young people who are engaged in the argument and trying to think through how they can be part of our democratic process than people who are just sitting on the sidelines and not paying attention at all.”

Obama didn’t encourage standing for the playing of the national anthem, but signaled that others might not respect Kaepernick’s move.

“I think there’s a lot of ways you can do it. As a general matter when it comes to the flag and the national anthem and the meaning that it holds for our men and women in uniform and those who fought for us, that is a tough thing for them to get past, to then hear what his deeper concerns are,” he said.

COMMENT:  Mr. President, why should they get past it?  That's the real question.  It goes to the heart of who our men and women in uniform are, and who YOU are.   And it's something you don't understand.

I, too, believe that this pathetic, overpaid athlete has a perfect right to protest.  That right has been bought by the blood of those he insults by refusing to show regard for flag and anthem.  A real president might have said that if Kaepernick wants respect for his views, that he might show some respect for others.

But we don't have a real president.  For eight years we've had a leftist in the White House, protected by the media, and he's messed things up pretty badly. 

September 5, 2016       Permalink

I'M SHOCKED, SHOCKED, THAT OUR RUSSIAN FRIENDS WOULD DO THIS – AT 11:09 A.M. ET:  After Hillary Clinton's "reset" with the Kremlin?  Once again the great right-wing conspiracy is trying to tell us that the Russkies are the bad guys.  From the sinister, Nixonian Washington Post: 

U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies are probing what they see as a broad covert Russian operation in the United States to sow public distrust in the upcoming presidential election and in U.S. political institutions, intelligence and congressional officials said.

The aim is to understand the scope and intent of the Russian campaign, which incorporates cyber-tools to hack systems used in the political process, enhancing Russia’s ability to spread disinformation.

The effort to better understand Russia’s covert influence operations is being spearheaded by James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence. “This is something of concern for the DNI,” said Charles Allen, a former longtime CIA officer who has been briefed on some of these issues. “It is being addressed.”

A Russian influence operation in the United States “is something we’re looking very closely at,” said one senior intelligence official who, as others interviewed, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. Officials are also examining potential disruptions to the election process, and the FBI has alerted state and local officials to potential cyberthreats.

The official cautioned that the intelligence community is not saying it has “definitive proof” of such tampering, or any Russian plans to do so. “But even the hint of something impacting the security of our election system would be of significant concern,” the official said. “It’s the key to our democracy, that people have confidence in the election system.”

COMMENT:  Any actions that disrupt or cast doubt on our electoral system are serious.  We do not want a situation where people question the accuracy on the count on election night.  Since we now expect a close election, that would be especially damning.

September 5,  2016     Permalink

SEPTEMBER 4,  2016

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

A POSSIBLE FUTURE CANDIDATE? – FROM TRUTH REVOLT:   In light of 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s outrageous accusation that the United States is a country that oppresses people of color, it's worth noting that NBA legend Charles Barkley gave an interview recently to a local Philadelphia radio station in which he stated that “unintelligent,” “brainwashed” African-Americans, not whites or cops, are the ones keeping successful blacks down.  As Blue Lives Matter reports, Barkley was posed a question on the radio show Afternoons with Anthony Gargano and Rob Ellis about a rumor that Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was being accused by his teammates of not being “black enough.” Barkley responded this way:  “Unfortunately, as I tell my white friends, we as black people, we’re never going to be successful, not because of you white people, but because of other black people. When you’re black, you have to deal with so much crap in your life from other black people. It’s a dirty, dark secret; I’m glad it’s coming out.” I'm sure Barkley will be warned about his "treason."  But of course he's not alone in his views.  It's pretty clear that problems within the black community play a disproportionate role in the black tragedy.

POOR HILLARY, SO CONFUSED – FROM TRUTH REVOLT:   On Friday, just before a long holiday weekend, the FBI released the notes from its interview with Hillary Clinton over her e-mail scandal. The revelations couldn’t be more problematic.  Even NBC News couldn’t defend Clinton: "Documents reveal that Clinton, who as secretary of State bypassed her State Department email and installed a private email server at her home in Chappaqua, New York, was not aware of the challenges, questions and problems that could result from a high level U.S. official sidestepping security and archival guidelines.  But they also show Clinton's lack of understanding or acknowledgement of basic standards that govern government officials, especially those with top security clearances. For instance, she was unaware of what a 'c,' short for classified, meant next to some paragraphs in notes and memos."   Why, she's just a little girl from Little Rock.  How could little ole her know?  If a Republican woman acted this way, she'd be called pre-feminist and hopeless.  But Hillary gets the Clinton family pass.

WHY ARE CHURCH GROUPS SO SILENT? – FROM FOX:    The Obama administration hit its goal this week of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees -- yet only a fraction of a percent are Christians, stoking criticism that officials are not doing enough to address their plight in the Middle East.  Of the 10,801 refugees accepted in fiscal 2016 from the war-torn country, 56 are Christians, or .5 percent.  A total of 10,722 were Muslims, and 17 were Yazidis.  The numbers are disproportionate to the Christian population in Syria, estimated last year by the U.S. government to make up roughly 10 percent of the population. Since the outbreak of civil war in 2011, it is estimated that between 500,000 and 1 million Christians have fled the country, while many have been targeted and slaughtered by the Islamic State.  The indifference to the genocide of Christians is sickening.  It reminds me of the indifference toward the Holocaust in World War II.  Where are the church groups?  Why aren't they screaming?

September 4,  2016     Permalink

DISGRACEFUL – AT 12:31 P.M. ET:  Considering his slick style, it's easy to forget that Barack Obama is a Chicago machine politician who slings mud with the worst of them.  There is plenty to criticize in Donald Trump, but Obama goes over the top.  He was interviewed by one of his CNN sycophants, Fareed Zakeria.  From the Daily Mail:

President Barack Obama said in an interview broadcast Sunday that American voters will say 'no' to Donald Trump in the November election, in part because of anti-immigrant sentiments that recall a 19th Century nativist political party nicknamed the 'Know Nothings.'

Trump has embraced a hard-line policy against illegal immigration but has said he favors the legal entry of immigrants with job skills needed in U.S. industry.

Still, Obama blasted the Republican presidential nominee for promoting 'intolerance' and government policies 'that are contrary to our values, banning certain classes of people because of who they are or what they look like, what faith they practice.'

'We have to be pretty hard about saying no to that,' the president said. 'And I think that America will do that this time as well.'

Trump last year advocated a total ban on Muslims entering the United States, in reaction to a series of deadly Islamist terror attacks around the world.

Since then he has amended that proposal to focus on nation-specific immigration bans on terror-rife countries where it's impossible to vet incoming people.

Zakaria is among the most strident anti-Trump political hosts on cable television. During one broadcast last month he branded the GOP nominee 'a bulls*** artist' on live TV.

He asked Obama about 'the support that Donald Trump has' and 'where it comes from,' referring to white middle-class Americans 'who seem to have the most suspicion about you.'

Obama replied that there's a historical trend in America of citizens becoming less enthusiastic about new immigration the longer they are in the United States.

COMMENT:  Obama is really wormy.  At one time his comments would have been called "McCarthyism," questioning the patriotism, or, in this case, the decency, of anyone who disagrees.  But in the loving hands of Fareed Zakaria, Obama is untouched, unchallenged. 

He's also unemployed.  Four months and a few weeks from now, he's out.  Finally.

September 4, 2016       Permalink

THIS IS THE NEW YORK TIMES? – AT 11:48 A.M. ET:  The Times is devoted to the election of Hillary Clinton, perhaps worrying at times that she's too conservative.  And yet, the paper has just run a devastating piece on the style of the Clinton campaign.

At a private fund-raiser Tuesday night at a waterfront Hamptons estate, Hillary Clinton danced alongside Jimmy Buffett, Jon Bon Jovi and Paul McCartney, and joined in a singalong finale to “Hey Jude.”

“I stand between you and the apocalypse,” a confident Mrs. Clinton declared to laughs, exhibiting a flash of self-awareness and humor to a crowd that included Calvin Klein and Harvey Weinstein and for whom the prospect of a Donald J. Trump presidency is dire.

Mr. Trump has pointed to Mrs. Clinton’s noticeably scant schedule of campaign events this summer to suggest she has been hiding from the public. But Mrs. Clinton has been more than accessible to those who reside in some of the country’s most moneyed enclaves and are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to see her. In the last two weeks of August, Mrs. Clinton raked in roughly $50 million at 22 fund-raising events, averaging around $150,000 an hour, according to a New York Times tally.

And while Mrs. Clinton has faced criticism for her failure to hold a news conference for months, she has fielded hundreds of questions from the ultrarich in places like the Hamptons, Martha’s Vineyard, Beverly Hills and Silicon Valley.

“It’s the old adage, you go to where the money is,” said Jay S. Jacobs, a prominent New York Democrat.

Mrs. Clinton raised about $143 million in August, the campaign’s best month yet. At a single event on Tuesday in Sagaponack, N.Y., 10 people paid at least $250,000 to meet her, raising $2.5 million.

If Mr. Trump appears to be waging his campaign in rallies and network interviews, Mrs. Clinton’s second presidential bid seems to amount to a series of high-dollar fund-raisers with public appearances added to the schedule when they can be fit in. Last week, for example, she diverged just once from her packed fund-raising schedule to deliver a speech.

COMMENT:  Add that to our first post today, just below.  What is remarkable is that Hillary feels or exhibits no shame at all.  Most presidents at least have some concept of appearances.

When even The Times notices...

September 4, 2016       Permalink

THE CLINTON STYLE – AT 10:58 A.M. ET:  The formal election campaign starts in two days, with the oddsmakers still favoring Hillary Clinton.  Ah, just thinking of how she does things, the Clinton style, the Clinton manner, the Clinton greed.  From The American Mirror: 

Maybe the media should pose as children with a stacks of 27 $100 bills in little their outstretched hands so they, too, can have an audience with the queen.

The New York Times revealed in the 21st paragraph of a Saturday story that while it’s now been 23 days since Hillary Clinton last held a press conference, one group of nonvoters is getting to quiz her, given they have a wad of cash to hand over:

For a donation of $2,700, the children (under 16) of donors at an event last month at the Sag Harbor, N.Y., estate of the hedge fund magnate Adam Sender could ask Mrs. Clinton a question. A family photo with Mrs. Clinton cost $10,000, according to attendees.

The Times didn’t report what questions the children were allowed to ask, but they were likely more than anything the media’s been allowed to ask lately.

COMMENT:  It's either "pay to play" or "pay to ask."  But with the Clintons, the word "pay" always seems to be included. 

What an administration hers will be.  The Clintons have become multimillionaires selling access to the United States Government.  But you may be sure they're after that "B" word.  Just to be up there financially with Bill Gates.

You know, maybe Hillary should try to get Mexico to pay for that wall.  She can get cash out of a stone.

September 4,  2016     Permalink