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SEPTEMBER 17,  2016

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:51 P.M. ET: 

BOMBING IN NEW YORK – FROM THE NEW YORK POST:   A “deafening’’ explosion rocked Chelsea Saturday night, injuring 29 people, blowing out scores of windows and forcing the evacuation of at least two buildings.  The blast went off in a 4-by-4-by-3-foot construction Dumpster outside the Townhouse Inn of Chelsea at 131 W. 23d St.  Mayor de Blasio called the explosion an “intentional act,’’ but not believed to be connected to terrorism.   No, of course not.  Why would anyone think it would be?  Oh, a second device was found blocks away, built around a pressure cooker, as was the device that was set off during the Boston Marathon.  No terrorism, no terrorism.  Probably just a marginalized citizen striking back against capitalism.

THE EGO HAS LANDED – FROM THE HILL:   President Obama called on the black community to show Hillary Clinton the same support they did for him in an impassioned speech at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation gala Saturday night.  “We have achieved historic turnout in 2008 and 2012, especially in the African-American community. I will consider it a personal insult and an insult to my legacy if this community lets down its guard and fails to activate itself in this election," he said. "You want to give me a good send-off?  Go vote."  Yes, he actually said that.  It's all about Barack (come to save us), not about the country.   You are my people, I am your king.  Honor me.  Oh, go away already.

AND ANOTHER – FROM FOX:   A knife-wielding man who injured eight people at a mall in central Minnesota Saturday evening asked at least one victim whether they were Muslim and referenced Allah during the assault, authorities said Wednesday.  St. Cloud Police Chief William Blair Anderson said the suspect, whom he did not identify, was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer from another jurisdiction. All but one of the eight victims had been treated and released from a local hospital and all were expected to survive their injuries.  Nothing to see, nothing to see.   No chance it's terrorism.  Let's talk about global warming.

September 17, 2016       Permalink

OH, THAT'S JUST DUCKY – AT 1:17 P.M. ET:  Absolute gross negligence.  From CNS: 

At a House Homeland Security Committee hearing Wednesday, a top Transportation Security Administration official admitted that federal air marshals are not currently allowed on non-chartered commercial flights between the U.S. and Cuba, despite reports to the contrary.

Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.) questioned Dr. Huban Gowardia, deputy administrator for the Transportation Security Administration, about a draft agreement between the TSA and the Cuban government which would allow federal air marshals on commercial flights.

Gowardia admitted that the agreement, which was sent to the Cuban government in August, has not yet been signed.

“There was timeline that was produced by the Department of Homeland Security. Do you have that in front of you?” Katko asked Gowardia.

“I just received it, sir,” Gowardia said.

“And accompanying that timeline—and it lists various events happening with Cuba since 2010, various security-related events and what they’ve done in that regard – TSA and Homeland Security. Is that right?” Katko asked.

“Yes, sir,” Gowardia said.

COMMENT:  That is disgraceful.  We shouldn't even have flights between the U.S. and Cuba unless there are air marshals assigned.  The relationship between the two countries is still toxic, and airline passengers are being put at risk.

Not much sense of urgency, is there?

September 17, 2016       Permalink

THE SHOWMAN SHOWS – AT 11:56 A.M. ET:  No matter what you might think of him, Donald Trump is a consummate actor.  Indeed, Ronald Reagan once said he couldn't understand how anyone without acting training could be president.  From London's Daily Mail:   

Donald Trump unveiled a new visual campaign theme in Miami on Friday – a mashup of the Broadway musical 'Les Misérables' and an epithet Hillary Clinton leveled at his supporters one week ago.

He took the stage, introduced by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, as the 'Les Mis' anthem 'Do You Hear the People Sing' blasted through loudspeakers.

The video screen behind the podium flashed to an artistic rendering of 'Les Deplorables,' complete with USA and 'Trump' flags replacing the French colors, and a bald eagle soaring over the revolutionary scene.

'Welcome to all of you deplorables!' Trump boomed as thousands screamed 'Trump! Trump! Trump!' and 'We love you!'

COMMENT:  Great political theater.  Trump will be criticized for it, of course, and I look forward to the writers of "Les Mis" demanding that he stop using their music, but the man attracts attention. 

What he must concentrate on is attracting the right kind of attention.   In the last few days, in the midst of his climb upward, Trump has blundered twice.  First, he brought up the so-called "birther" issue, an argument he once embraced that Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States.  The Clinton press seized on that, even though there's ample evidence that Clinton herself, during her 2008 primary fight against Obama, hinted at the same belief.  Second, in trying to illustrate his support for the Second Amendment, in contrast to Clinton's support for gun control, Trump suggested, in jest no doubt, that Clinton lose the armed protection of her Secret Service detail, and he wondered out loud what would happen to her then.

We don't joke about assassination.  Trump has done that before.  When he's on-message, he's terrific.  But in the last few days he's slipped and become Donald again.  His staff must get him back on track, or the old worries about him will start to surface.

September 17, 2016       Permalink

TRUMP CLOSES IN ELECTORAL COLLEGE – AT 11:37 A.M. ET:  Reports on Trump's dramatic rise in the popular-vote polls usually end with, "...but in the electoral college..."  Now the "but" is fading away.  Trump is also closing in battleground states, where elections are usually decided  From Reuters:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An election analysis conducted in the Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation project shows that the race has tightened considerably over the past few weeks, with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump projected to win Florida, an essential battleground state, if the election were held today.

The project, which is based on a weekly tracking poll of more than 15,000 Americans, shows that the 2016 presidential race could end in a photo finish on Nov. 8, with the major-party candidates running nearly even in the Electoral College, the body that ultimately selects the president.

The States of the Nation project, which delivers a weekly tally of support for the candidates in every state, shows that the race has tightened in several traditional battlegrounds. Pennsylvania has been moved from a likely win for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to a tossup; Ohio has been moved from a tossup to a likely win for Clinton.

And Florida is now considered a likely win for the Republican nominee, with 50 percent support for Trump to 46 percent support for Clinton. If the election were held today, the project estimates that Clinton has a 60 percent chance of winning by 18 electoral votes. Last week, the project estimated that Clinton had a 83 percent chance of winning the election.

In a separate national Reuters/Ipsos tracking poll, Clinton continues to lead Trump by 4 percentage points, and her recent bout with pneumonia doesn’t appear to have scared away her supporters.

The national Sept. 9-15 tracking poll showed that 42 percent of likely voters supported Clinton while 38 percent backed Trump. Clinton, who has mostly led Trump in the poll since the Democratic and Republican national conventions ended in July, regained the advantage this week after her lead briefly faded in late August.

COMMENT:  I don't necessarily agree with all the figures.  Reuters has Ohio as a likely win for Clinton.  I wonder if the writer meant Trump, who's been leading in the latest Ohio polls.  Also, the latest polls show the race as essentially even, not with Clinton ahead by four.

However, Reuters gets the trend right.  But I wonder if that trend can continue.  We'll know more after the first debate, a week from Monday.

September 17,  2016      Permalink

SEPTEMBER 16,  2016

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

ENDORSEMENT – FROM THE HILL:    The nation's largest police union on Friday endorsed Donald Trump for president, lauding his commitment to police officers.  The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) gave the GOP presidential nominee its endorsement after he received support from more than two-thirds of the group's national board.  "[Trump] has seriously looked at the issues facing law enforcement today. He understands and supports our priorities and our members believe he will make America safe again," said Chuck Canterbury, the FOP's national president.  "He's made a real commitment to America's law enforcement and we're proud to make a commitment to him and his campaign by endorsing his candidacy today."   Good.  The Democratic Party's contempt for law enforcement has become obvious, so this endorsement is no surprise.

KERRY, LIKE CLINTON, INSULTS THE PEOPLE – FROM CNS:  (CNSNews.com) - Secretary of State John Kerry says, climate change skeptics believe that with “the melting of the ice and the rise of sea level, all that extra water is just going to spill over the sides of a flat Earth.”  Kerry made the comments Wednesday at the Global Fishing Watch reception in Washington, D.C.  If the Democrats don't stop insulting regular Americans, they will eventually run out of voters to vote for them.  How many coastal elitists with pictures of Barack Obama on the wall are there?

SICKENING – FROM THE NEW YORK POST:   PARIS — French officials say three men have been charged and jailed after a woman was allegedly lured on Facebook by one of them and then gang-raped near the Eiffel Tower.  A police official said Friday that three Algerian men were arrested earlier this week in a Paris hotel under suspicion of taking part in the rape of the French woman in the Champ-de-Mars garden, close to the famous tower.  The official says one of the men is suspected of chatting with the woman on Facebook before the alleged rape and then arranging a date with her in Paris.  The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation.  The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that three men have been given preliminary charges in the case and jailed. It wouldn’t elaborate.   There is an epidemic of sexual assault in Europe committed by Mideast immigrants.  But notice the silence of "women's" groups.  They have been captured entirely by the Marxist left, where multiculturalism trumps women's rights and safety.  On the left, you take your orders.  Sexual assault?  What sexual assault?

September 16, 2016       Permalink

IS THIS OUR FUTURE? – AT 10:51 A.M. ET:   This is creepy.  If I have to stand in line for a long time, I like having conversations with the people around me.  Is this, too, to be taken away?  From mashable.com: 

People all over the world are lining up for the iPhone 7 (and iPhone 7 Plus, if they pre-ordered) Friday. But it might surprise you to learn that a bunch of stand-in robots probably got one before you did.

New Zealand-based Apple carrier Spark used robots to queue for the much coveted device, so their human counterparts didn't have to line up for days.

Clive Ormerod of Spark said the project was born of invention and necessity, saying "technology these days is so much more advanced than it used to be, so why shouldn’t our customers have their tech queue for them instead?"

The 100 Alpha 1 robots were purchased by Spark for this specific purposes, and have been chilling outside the store since Sept. 9.

The humans assigned to each robot had the option of watching a live stream of the queue from the comfort of their warm, dry home.

Controlled through the customers' soon-to-be-replaced phone (via an app), the robots can be commanded to do pushups, kung fu, yoga and even have a casual boogie.

COMMENT:  Oh, bring back record changers, film cameras and Pan Am clippers.  This new stuff is getting too spooky.

September 16, 2016       Permalink

THE LEGITIMATE HEALTH ISSUE – AT 10:18 A.M. ET:  It seems ridiculous to argue over whether Hillary Clinton's health is a "legitimate" issue.  Of course it is.  Presidential health has been a legitimate issue ever since Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke during his second term, a fact hidden from the public, with his wife essentially running the presidency for many months afterward.

It was an issue in Washington in 1944 when visitors to President Roosevelt were horrified by his obvious deterioration...also kept from the public.

It was brought up by liberal deity Adlai Stevenson when he ran for president in 1956 against incumbent Dwight D. Eisenhower, who'd suffered a heart attack during his first term.

It was an issue, although whispered, in the 1960 campaign, when John F. Kennedy held back the fact that he had Addison's Disease.

And there have even been questions, although they were asked after he left office, about whether Ronald Reagan suffered the onset of Alzheimer's Disease late in his presidency.

It is a legitimate issue when there is an issue at all.  But some are trying to suggest that bringing it up in Hillary Clinton's case is "sexism."  That is rubbish, as Andrea Peyser points out in the New York Post: 

“Hillary Clinton Isn’t Sick. You Are.”

So reads a mind-blowing headline published in The Daily Beast over a column by feminist journalist, author and TV pundit Eleanor Clift — a piece so out of touch with reality, it could drive one of Clinton’s “deplorables” to lie down in a safe space to escape triggering microaggressions.

Clift dismisses the notion that the Democratic presidential candidate nearly passing out and falling on her face in public Sunday is proof that she may be ill.

Rather, she casts shame on anyone who worries, I think understandably, that America’s voters may soon elect a physical and possibly cognitive basket case as commander in chief.

She whines that “ageism and sexism can combine in a double whammy undermining her candidacy.”

So Clinton, 68, isn’t sick. You’re a knuckle-dragging, misogynistic, ageist creep if you think so.

Were it only Clift who felt that way. The Clinton Chick Protection Racket is working double-time.

Last month, BC — Before the Collapse — Glamour magazine declared: “Yes, It’s Sexist to Speculate About Hillary Clinton’s Health.” Now, AC, it’s gotten worse. My Facebook feed is littered with crazed dames and dumb dudes writing stuff such as, “The Media Owe Hillary Clinton an Apology.” For expecting her to do something completely alien to her DNA: tell the truth? Stunning.

COMMENT:  Eleanor Clift is one of the worst, a party liner posing as a journalist.  We must ask about Hillary's health, and it's entirely appropriate to ask about Trump's as well.

At least Trump has released the full results of his latest physical.  He should release his medical history, but only if Hillary does. 

If you watch CNN, as I am forced to do as part of my work, you'll find the usual suspects demanding full disclosure by Trump, but insisting that the Clinton episode is just a "blip."  If she died in office they'd probably say she was "biologically inconvenienced."

September 16, 2016       Permalink

LATEST POLLING – AT 9:14 A.M. ET:  One poll after another shows that the presidential race is going in one direction – toward Trump.  From The Politico: 

After weeks of maintaining a more focused tone on the campaign trail as his opponent has struggled to maintain her post-convention momentum, Donald Trump is locked in a statistical tie nationwide with Hillary Clinton, according to a poll released Thursday night.

In a four-way race that also includes Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, Clinton leads Trump among likely voters by just a single percentage point, 41 percent to 40 percent, a margin that lies within the Fox News poll’s margin of error. Johnson polled at 8 percent and Stein at 3 percent.

In a head-to-head race that excludes Johnson and Stein, Trump pulls ahead of Clinton among registered voters, 46 percentage points to 45, the first time since January that the Manhattan billionaire has held a two-way lead over the former secretary of state in the Fox News poll.

After leading in some polls by double-digits in the wake of the nominating conventions, Clinton’s lead appears to have shrunk in recent weeks amid health concerns (she took three days off this week after being diagnosed with pneumonia) and the release of the FBI’s notes from its investigation into her personal email server.

COMMENT:  No doubt about it.  But no guarantees for the future either.  As we've noted, the first presidential debate will take place a week from Monday.  All prognostications should be suspended until that's over.

September 16,  2016     Permalink