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I appeared on Silvio Canto's great talk show from Dallas.   It's here. 

May 10,  2025

A WEEK OF DRAMA, WITH MORE COMING

First, today's major bulletin.  The United States, in the person of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has arranged a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, the two nuclear powers that have been in a rapidly escalating war for weeks.  This is a major triumph for President Trump, who made the announcement.   It is also a triumph for Secretary Rubio, a skillful negotiator who is becoming a star of this administration.  The Great Mentioners of Washington are already talking Rubio '28.

Another drama is building, and you can be sure that Marco Rubio is on it.  We've been saying here for many weeks that the real crisis to come will involve the nuclear talks between the United States and Iran.  Iran's nuclear weapons program is a life-or-death matter. We know that the Iranians can, with the progress they've already made, put together a nuclear bomb in a matter of weeks.  They are also working rapidly on intercontinental ballistic missiles, which would be capable of carrying an atomic bomb to the United States.   

The next session in the nuclear talks will take place tomorrow in Oman.  Just days ago there were leaked reports that the discussions were "going well," and that there was guarded optimism that there would be some kind of agreement. But the atmosphere has changed. In the last few days, both the president and his chief negotiator, Steve Witkoff, have made it clear that if tomorrow's talks do not make sufficient progress, the United States will end the negotiations and choose another course.  That other course could easily turn out to be military action against Iran's nuclear sites. 

The stakes couldn't be higher.  Be sure to follow tomorrow's events carefully.

The president has said that he will make a major announcement this weekend. Will it involve Iran?  I don't know, but I wouldn't be shocked if it did.

More coming...

May 5,  2025

THE RESULTS ARE CLEAR

If this doesn't convince the Woke crowd, then nothing will...and nothing will.  Sometimes one story can end a dispute among rational people. only rational people.  From BizPacReview.com:

Biological male swimmer Ana Caldas absolutely dominated in the women’s races at the U.S. Masters Swimming Spring National Championship in Texas.

The races, which took place last weekend, saw 47-year-old Ana Caldas wipe the floor in the 45-49 category of five races, including the 100-yard individual medley, the 50- and 100-yard breaststroke, and the freestyle.

This quickly sparked outrage on social media, where Libs of TikTok and others remarked on the “insanity” of the situation.

“Ana Caldas, a man pretending to be a woman, recently won ALL FIVE RACES he entered in the WOMEN’S division for the US Masters Swimming Spring National Championship in TX. INSANITY,” the account wrote.

U.S. Masters Swimming also acknowledged the backlash in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“USMS is aware of allegations regarding the eligibility of a swimmer who competed at our Spring National Championship. We have received an eligibility review request and will follow our formal process to make a determination,” their statement read. “USMS exists to empower adults to improve their lives through swimming. The health and fitness benefits of swimming are the primary focus of that mission, but we also strive to create a community that values fairness, competition, and inclusion. In that spirit, USMS has had a longstanding policy on transgender swimmers that was created, and periodically reviewed and updated, by relevant member committees with input from subject matter experts. The policy includes procedures to address questions of eligibility.”

EDITOR'S COMMENT:  Blah, blah, blah.  The battle among thoughtful people is over. The numbers speak for themselves.  Our non-trans American women are having their sports lives destroyed by a ridiculous, radical left movement that has gained operational control of the Democratic Party, and other segments of the nation, who laughingly claim to be defenders of women's rights.  Include centers of "higher learning" among them.

Where is the press, guardian of the nation?  I just choked. 

THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE

You have, by now, like all intelligent creatures, tired of the endless chant, "the first hundred days of the Trump administration."

Who cares?

I'm more interested in the first hundred days of my headphones. 

This hundred-day bit is a journalistic invention to evaluate a new president, and allow journalists to do what they're already doing, express their opinions rather than report anything original.  Ignore most of it.  

Much more important is the one issue, in my view, that can make or break the Trump presidency.  We've been following it every day.  It is the series of negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.  It is a life and death matter, literally. 

And we have a right to be seriously concerned, even frightened.

President Trump has stated, openly, many times, that Iran will never have the atomic bomb.  He has stated, openly, many times, that if we cannot come to terms with Iran to end and destroy its nuclear weapons program, that he will launch, or help Israel to launch, an attack that will wipe out that program.

A few weeks ago Trump revealed that we are already in talks with the Iranians.  They had not been revealed.  He made the statement in the presence of the Israeli prime minister, who had not been informed. 

The talks began.  Knowledgeable experts on our side made clear their serious apprehension.  Iran sent its A-team.  The Iranians are superb negotiators.  In the talks over the first agreement with Iran over nuclear weapons, in 2015, the Iranians had President Obama for lunch, without dessert.  The agreement Obama made was so weak that he didn't even have the support of his own party.  Obama wanted a treaty, which would have needed Senate approval.  He couldn't get it. Not even close.  He turned the deal into an executive agreement, which, unlike a treaty, effectively died when he left office. 

Now, another set of talks. Facing Iran's experienced negotiators, Trump sent a weak team headed by his pal and confidant, Steve Witkoff, a respected special envoy who is vastly overstretched in that he's also handling the Ukraine-Russia talks.  His negotiating team for Iran is small, and nowhere near the team the Iranians produced.

And remember, the good word of the president is front and center here. If he breaks it, and doesn't carry through with the pledges he made, he becomes a weak player in international politics, and maybe even a joke, today's version of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who never got over his appeasement of the Nazis at the Munich talks of 1938. His name is still used today to define diplomatic disgrace. 

The little news we're getting from the secret Iran talks is not encouraging.   True experts point out that Witkoff seems more in line with Biden's policies than with Trump's.  That is an opinion, of course.  They fear that any agreement will turn out to be merely a modification of the 2015 pact with Obama, and that Trump will never be able to claim real success.  Faker.  Bully.  All game, no win.

Either we win a clear victory in the talks, or we will be left with the choice of going to war to destroy Iran's nuclear sites, or helping Israel to do it.  And Trump's fate lies in the balance. 

O CANADA!

At the start of this year the conservative party in Canada was 24 points ahead in the polls.  We looked forward to a Canada that wasn't run by the Trudeau dynasty.

But a funny thing happened on our way to political bliss.   President Trump, out of the blue, announced his belief that Canada should be part of the United States.  The idea that an American president could say such a thing stunned the Canadians.  They started flying their flag again.   And the Canadian party most supportive of Trump, the conservatives, took a nose dive.  Further, the conservatives, having thought they would coast to an easy victory, ran a terrible campaign that further damaged their numbers.

So, today, we have another liberal government on our borders.  The lesson we learn is a classical one:  If you're 24 points up in the polls, run as if you're 24 points down.  And..any American president should occasionally keep his mouth shut.

April 28, 2025

WELCOME TO CHAOS, PARKING INCLUDED

We are assured by the pundit class that the next two weeks will be especially tumultuous.  It's a reasonable assumption.  The fun begins today with the national election in Canada.  At one time Americans showed little interest in Canadian politics.  But then Donald Trump came into town and announced that he wanted to make Canada part of the United States.  Suddenly, Canadian politics became very interesting indeed.  Will Canada elect a bunch of America haters in reply to the Trump insult, or will more frigid heads prevail, and we'll see a return to a sane situation?  Results tonight.

More later. 

April 25, 2025

This story, from Wisconsin, is just developing.  It is important. The FBI has just arrested a county judge for aiding the escape into the streets of an illegal immigrant, with a long rap sheet,who was being tried before her for a violent offense. Cheers to the FBI!  A judge is not above the law, and this judge allegedly broke the law bigtime.  Now watch this become a major case, with national implications.  Let the left-wing demonstrations begin!!  Indeed, I see from Fox that they already have.   

Remember, the key word here is solidarity. The leftist mimics, or, as they are called, our brothers and sisters, will now stand in solidarity with the accused judge, and, with even more passion, the escaped defendant.  Watch what the collapsing Democratic Party has to say.  Watch the comrades at Columbia and Harvard.

Watch President Trump smile.

April 23, 2025

A TIME OF DOUBT AND APPREHENSION

A FEW NOTES.  We mark the passing of Pope Francis, and the decision by the president to attend his funeral, departing from the tradition of just sending a high-ranking delegation.  The president is correct.  His presence at the funeral will emphasize his commitment to fighting religious bigotry, including bigotry against Christians, which has reached alarming levels in our own country.  His presence will also emphasize America's standing as a country with true religious freedom.

SECOND NOTE:  Aren't you surprised, as I am, that no one has come forward with a plan for a new center left to center right political party, to replace the train wreck that is the Democratic Party?  This would seem to be the right time, but the new group would have to come forward with a set of principles and an army of winning candidates.  That may be where the problem is.  The Dems have no ideas and no candidates who can light up the sky, or even a tiny crawl space.  They have gone into political bankruptcy. 

What the Dems need is a modern Dwight D. Eisenhower, and I can't think of one.   I really feel we are in danger of becoming a one-party nation.  And where's the fun in that?

April 16, 2025

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE

We've said here that the most critical issue facing the United States is Iran.  You wouldn't know it by the kind of news reporting we're getting. You'd think that the most important issue is how to get justice for hardened murderers allowed into this country by the Biden administration.   Keep your eyes on Iran.

President Trump has said clearly that he will not allow Iran to have an atomic bomb.  He couldn't be more direct.  He prefers negotiations to achieve his clearly stated goal, but military force is on the table if Iran refuses.

The United States has moved substantial military power to the region in recent weeks, to back up the American position. 

But there are rumblings coming out of our renewed and surprising talks with Iran, and they aren't good.  According to solid sources, Iran has no intention of ending its nuclear programs, but may be willing to modify them a bit.  Hurrah, hurrah.  And, according to some sources, there are elements in the Trump administration who might be happy to go along, to settle for an updated version of the original agreement with Iran, brought to us by Barack Obama in 2015. 

Are you believing this?

So now comes the test.   Will Trump stand his ground, or capitulate to the superb Iranian negotiator in order to get a quick piece of paper, and prove that he's the greatest deal maker in human history? 

The two sides will meet again Saturday, presumably to lay out their minimal demands.  And then the president will have to make some decisions.  I hope my concerns are proved wrong.

April 12, 2025

A DAY IN HISTORY

We note that today, April 12th, is the 80th anniversary of the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  The year was 1945.  World war II was still blazing.  Roosevelt died of a stroke at his southern home in Warm Springs, Georgia, less than three months after being inaugurated for a fourth term.  His vice president, Harry S. Truman, had been inaugurated for his first term as vice president on the same day.  At the moment of FDR's death, Truman became president.

My father was on a railroad train that April 12th.  He told me that a conductor came into his car and announced that President Roosevelt had just died. My dad said that half the car burst into applause.  And they talk about a divided country today.

President Roosevelt never lived to see the surrender of Nazi Germany, which occurred less than four weeks after he died.  Nor did he live to see the surrender of Japan on September 2nd.

FDR's death stunned the nation.  Many, if not most of the American troops fighting in Europe and the Pacific had never known another President.  

Love him, or dislike him, Roosevelt was one of the most important presidents in our history, and one of the most important world leaders in the Second World War. 

I wonder how many of our high school students today even know his name.  I wonder how many have heard of World War II.

April 11, 2025

THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND – HISTORY IS ABOUT TO BE MADE

These will be momentous days, and tariffs have nothing to do with the drama about to unfold.  The issue is Iran.  More specifically, Iran is clearly on the verge of having an operational atomic bomb, according to respected sources.  President Trump, and President Biden before him, have pledged to the American people that Iran will never get the bomb, and must never get the bomb.  If Trump fails to uphold that solemn pledge, he will be international toast, the proverbial paper tiger.  And it can happen.

Tomorrow, Saturday, American negotiators, led by presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, will interact in some way with Iranian representatives in the Middle East nation of Oman.  Whether they will sit down with each other, sit in the next room at the start, or maybe send emails, has yet to be decided.  The Iranians prefer indirect talks at first, America prefers something more chummy.  These silly points are common in international negotiations.  The talks to end the Vietnam war started with a debate over the shape of the table.

The issue can be simply put and incredibly complex to negotiate:  Is Iran prepared to give up its nuclear weapons program, to include the actual, physical destruction of all equipment, with vigorous monitoring to follow?  You ask, why would they give it up?  The answer:  To survive.  The implication is that the Iranians would have to give it up to avoid a military attack that would undoubtedly kill the Iranian team doing tomorrow's negotiating.  Not a good thing to bring home to the spouse. 

I can't deny being apprehensive.  The Iranians are legendarily good negotiators.  President Trump is a respected negotiator as well, but we're talking here about human life, and about the possible future of our civilization should Iranian fanatics get and use nuclear weapons.   Is the president up to that level of negotiation?

When the Iranians negotiated the original nuclear agreement with President Obama, they had Obama for lunch.  The resulting agreement was so awful that Obama couldn't submit it the Senate for ratification as a treaty because it had virtually no support.  He made it an executive agreement, which he had the power to do. 

You're next, Mr. Trump.

SUNDAY - GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER

Why, why, it's Bibi.  The prime minister of Israel is traveling to Washington to meet with President Trump.  And the subject?  According to the White House, it's mostly about tariffs.  Tariffs. 

Are you kiddin' me?  I mean, really.  The prime minister of Israel, in the middle of a shooting war, with the lives of hostages at stake, is coming to Washington to talk mostly about tariffs?  Aren't there telephones for that?  Or email?  Or a lovely letter?  Or a junior official in the Commerce Department?

I'm sure Bibi and Trump will mention tariffs, but this meeting has all the earmarks of a war council. It comes amidst a huge buildup of American forces in the Mideast.  The latest action is the movement of Patriot defense missiles from the Mideast to South Korea, something that's never been done. 

The Iranian regime is still on notice that if it doesn't back an agreement ending its nuclear weapons program, it will pay a stunning military price.  This White House meeting may well be decisive.  The president is clearly runnning out of patience with the Iranian government.

The meeting is tomorrow, Monday.  Refreshments are served.   

HAD A BIT OF TECH BOTHER, BUT I THINK WE'RE ALL PATCHED UP.  IT'S FRIDAY, ISN'T IT?

First, a question for readers.  We all know that news stories are repeated by TV outlets.  Stories develop and material is sometimes re-used.  But...have you noticed something recently?  Check me out on this.  It seems to me that whole sections of programs, or the entire programs themselves, are sometimes repeated. You turn on a program on Wednesday, and you could swear you saw the same program, or large chunk of the program, the night before.    And this is during the week, in prime time.  Am I imaging something here?  Let me know.

And in the news – We remind our readers – see the piece just below – to keep eyes on the Middle East.  If there's a real blowup, one possibly involving American forces, it might well be there.   President Trump has said, many times now, that if Iran does not agree to negotiate an end to its nuclear weapons program, the U.S. will have to use military power.  The president will have to honor his pledge, and several presidents before him, that we will never let the mullahs have an atomic bomb.  And, in addition to the bomb, they are developing ICBM's with the ability to strike much of the United States.  As of today there are no new talks scheduled.  There is reason for alarm.  And, if, the president caves, or shows weakness, he could easily be portrayed as a paper tiger.

But please note how little attention this is being given on television news.  How could the possibility of a major war compete with the angry opinions of Washington's Democratically appointed judges?

Watch the Mideast.

We also note the near suicidal behavior of what's left of the Democratic Party.  Please mark your calendars.  The 2026 Congressional campaigns begin in September, only five months away, and the Democrats we see most often on the news are the kind who think the Constitution was written by "dead white men."  They have little love for their own country, yet few of their fellow, more moderate Democrats are actively challenging them. 

That doesn't mean it will be easy for our side.  It will be hard.  The GOP only leads in the House by five seats.  If the Dems, or semi-Dems, get their game in order, they could win the House, which would be a governmental disaster.   It's time we saw some real urgency in the GOP ranks.  Let's have the spirit of 2024!!

More later.

OUR MIGHTY PRESS IS MISSING THE ENTIRE POINT, AS USUAL:

Saturday.  Why do I think that, 50 years from now, no American student will be reading about the 2025 security breach that allowed a Trump-hating journalist from the Atlantic to get high level, but not classified, comments about a military operation?  Because, as embarrassing as it was, in the end it didn't amount to much.  The operation went on to be a success.

But it did another, much more important, kind of damage.  While major "journalists" were huffing and puffing about the leak leak, America was, and is, engaged in a great military buildup in the Mideast.  A second carrier group was sent to join the one already there. Some of our most advanced fighters and bombers, which rarely fly in the region, are flying in the region.  Other forces are being strengthened.  This is happening as President Trump is making it very clear that Iran is the potential target, and that he is growing increasingly angry with that nation's refusal to engage us diplomatically about its growing nuclear program.   The message he is sending is that this can't go on...not in the face of our firm belief that Iran is only weeks away from an operational atomic bomb.

Trump has pledged, as Biden before him, that Iran will never get that bomb.  He hasn't got much time to back up the pledge.  If he doesn't back it up, he is international toast.  If he does, look for the movie at your favorite theater. 

The buzz is that we are about to launch an attack that will take out Iran's entire nuclear program.  Trump would love to be the man who does it.  That's a ticker tape parade down Broadway. 

Watch the Mideast closely.  It's the real story.  The question is how, or if, Iran strikes back. 

SUNDAY, I THINK. WAIT, IS HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF?

Highly unlikely.  History never repeats itself.  It's the psychology of history that repeats itself.   We often see references to the Munich agreement of 1938, which started the major European nations on the horrible road of appeasement toward Nazi Germany.  What fascinates us is not the specifics of the agreement, but the psychology that allowed experienced diplomats to accept appeasement of the Nazis as a perfectly acceptable policy, even though some of them surely understood where this policy would lead.  It led directly to World War II.  Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain of Great Britain returned from Munich boasting that he had brought "peace in our time."  He actually brought disaster, which is why is name is, even today, held in such low esteem.  To be called a "new Neville Chamberlain" is to be called a man of weakness and self-delusion.

And today we have a new question:  Is the psychology of history repeating itself? 

Go back to 1948, the administration of Harry Truman.  He won an unexpected victory for his presidency in the 1948 election, but the real truth is that he was never particularly popular, and ultimately left his office with a 25 percent approval rating.  Why?  Because many people just didn't like him.  Coming after the elegant Franklin Roosevelt, he seemed coarse and often petty.  One critic wrote, "He did the biggest things in the biggest ways and the littlest things in the littlest ways."  He simply lacked the style that many Americans wanted in their president.

Does this sound familiar?

Donald J. Trump has been president, for the second time, for two months.  Objectively, his performance has been incredible. But we're starting to hear the same things about Trump that we've heard many times before.  "He has good ideas, but I think he's obnoxious.  I can't stand the man." 

This is happening again, as it happened in the first term.  Some people seem to feel that they must give apologies for voting for the president.  "I voted for him, but only because I couldn't see Kamala Harris handling an emergency."  Or, "He's good on the issues, but I wish he'd shut up.  Even when he's right he ruins it with his mouth." 

And so forth. 

Did Trump take lessons from the legacy of Harry?  I really doubt it.  But there is a psychological reaction to Trump that is so similar.  The reason, of course, is that the American people have an image of what they want in an ideal president – the presidential style.  It may come more from movies than from reality, but they want it.

One of the best things said about Ronald Reagan is that he knew how to be president.  He knew how to speak to the American people.  He was called "the great communicator" for a reason.  He had the touch.  He would, for example, never enter the Oval Office without putting on a jacket first.  He explained that was out of respect for the presidency.  If he had to criticize an opponent he'd often say, "Well, there you go again."  That's about as severe as it got.

You can say, "That's show biz."

And I will say, "Yup.  It's part of the game."

I worry about Trump.  He is doing so many things right, and his values align with those of most Americans.  If things go well, his already high approval numbers with grow even higher.  But if we run into trouble, we could easily see a repeat of Truman's decline.  Mr. Trump, like Truman, may have little to fall back on. 

There is work to do at the White House.

THE MESS - MARCH 19,  2025

We look out the political world, if we must, and what do we see?  Despite all the efforts of the legacy printed press and their partners in the still using tubes legacy TV networks, we see one man at work.  His name is Trump, or, as the more excitable Dems call him, "worse than Hitler."

And that's the point. The incredible day-by-day pace of events, unlike anything we've ever seen before, proves the idea that America is now a one-party nation.  There really is no Democratic Party.  The party of Roosevelt, Truman and Kennedy is long gone.   Jack Kennedy couldn't get into the Democratic Party today.  He was too patriotic.  Read his inaugural address.  Today's Democrats would call it right-wing colonialist propaganda.

We have one party, only one, that is fully operational.  Even in the Trump era the GOP has a deep bench of governors, senators, even businessmen, who can take over when the Trump era ends.  The Democrats have AOC.

There used to be a political idea that the party that smiles, that has the most fun, will always win because we are an optimistic country.   I think it's largely true.  Who wants a party that is always predicting the worst future, and then makes it happen?

While Trump can't run in 2028, he can make his party even stronger in the upcoming midterms, moving it toward a Trump successor in 2028.

Smile GOP.  Be happy and welcome the new era.

As to the jJ, a wise editor once said that your have to know when something is over.

Dems, take the hint.

WEDNESDAY

MORE ON THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

So, earlier we were examining the current state of the Democratic Party and asking whether America has become, or is becoming, a one-party nation.  It does appear that the term "one party nation" applies more and more.  The Dems are a sinking ship with no lifeboats.

Strange, but this has happened before, however the Dems knew how to save themselves, and did.  In 1948 the Democratic Party was in serious trouble.  It was splintered among competing factions, it was old and tired, President Truman was seen as a certain loser in the presidential election.  There was serious talk of third parties.

The Republicans were already measuring the drapes in the Oval Office.

But the Democrats of 1948, unlike the Democrats of today, went to work to save their party. 

First, Harry Truman ignored the polls and decided to fight, and to fight to win the presidency.  I don't recall any Washington pundit who took him seriously.  He took himself seriously.  And he knew how to fight.  He was the only president in the 20th century who hadn't gone to college.  He had learned a great deal in the school of hard knocks.

Second, working with Eleanor Roosevelt and others, the Truman Democrats decided they had no chance of winning if they continued to allow each faction in the party, no matter what that faction believed, to make demands on the rest of the party, and get them honored. 

The experienced Democrats in what might be called the Truman/Roosevelt coalition handed down a blunt edict to the special-interest crowd:

SO FAR AND NO FURTHER.

They were making history.  For the first time, a major party was telling some of its members that there was a limit to what they could get from the party leadership. 

It was gutsy.  The Dems knew that a faction, if disappointed, could bolt the party, and even form its own.  Some did bolt.  This in a year when the Washington cocktail crowd thought the Democrats were sinking anyway.

But the old Dems prevailed.  They sent a message:  We are a political party with a great history.  We stand for something.  Our members expect us to be consistent and brave.  If you try to force us to go beyond our policies, we will say no.  We understand that you might walk out.  We will help you to the door.

Was this suicide or Lincoln's new birth of freedom? 

Henry Wallace, who'd been FDR's vice president through most of World War II, was the most famous person to walk through the exit door, taking his many followers – members of the party's militant left – with him.

So far and no further. 

What happened next was political drama of the most entertaining and inspiring sort.

Truman fought with spirit.  He became known as "give 'em hell Harry."  He replied, saying that he was only telling the truth, but that the Republicans thought it was hell.  He jumped on a train and traveled the country.   Those in the Democratic party who had doubted him quickly changed their minds.  Democrats were still the underdogs, but they were developing a strong bite.

The Democratic Party, minus the defectors who had left, remained wounded by division, but had something to fight for, something to stand for, and had a punching candidate. 

As for the Republicans of 1948, they soaked in the dishwater of overconfidence.  As in 1944 they had as their presidential candidate the governor of New York, Thomas E. Dewey.  He was a man who made dullness a profession. He stood there, never smiling, with his little mustache, leading one writer to say that he reminded the public of the man on the wedding cake.  He never lived that line down.   Of course it was true.  He was the best gift Harry Truman ever received. 

Truman won his election, considered the greatest American political comeback up to that time.   And the Democratic Party won a future.

Three lessons for the present:  You have to be willing to fight, you have to have a cause, and you have to be willing to send some members out the door to prevent your party from becoming a bad joke.

Consider today's Democratic Party, if there is one.

"So far and no further."  Are you serious?  This is a party with no limits, no guard rails, no wise counselors.  It has allowed a small group of ultra-leftists to intimidate the rest of the party.  The Democratic Party of 1948 would be horrified.

"You have to fight."  Did you see the campaign they just ran?   The people at the top of the party lost, and flew to Hawaii.  Name a real fighter, a gut fighter, anywhere near the top of the party for 2028. 

"You have to have a cause."  This is a party that stands for nothing.  They're afraid to offend anyone except a right-to-life group.  Party discipline consists of telling House members that they shouldn't have shouted at the president during last week's speech to Congress.   Or maybe they should have shouted in a softer voice.

"You have to be willing to send members out the door."  Only to get a hamburger and fries for the candidates.

More coming.

A CLEAR JUDGMENT:

We now enter a new week at the Trump Speedway.  We're barely over the last one.  No new presidential administration has ever moved as quickly as Trump's.  He dominates American politics as no president since FDR.  That does not automatically make him right, and success is not guaranteed.  But there is a new spirit in America that cannot be denied.

However, we must ask the question:  Have we become a one-party country?  The answer may well be yes.  The Democratic Party of Roosevelt, Truman, and Kennedy is long gone.  It was a party filled with political giants.  In 1960, when Jack Kennedy won his party's presidential nomination, the fact is that any of his opponents were equally or even more qualified. 

But today, Kennedy could not even get into the Democratic Party.  He was too patriotic, too American.  His inaugural address would be considered right-wing propaganda.  And yes, he would probably have to be a Republican. 

So what is the Democratic Party today? 

Today it is a party that has drifted too far to the left, outside the political mainstream, a party in the wilderness.  It is  party that has permitted a small group of left-wing fanatics to have veto power over the middle, easily a fatal mistake.  It is a party of mediocrity that has neglected to build a new generation of leaders that could actually win elections.  It is a party that often leaves the impression that it doesn't like its own country, a legacy of the pseudo-thinking of Barack Obama.  It is a party without stars.  Stars are important in presidential politics as they are in Oscar races.  Name one Democratic star who is a front runner for 2028.  I certainly can't.

Finally, it is a party where group identity is more important than any other factor.  What a comedown from the Constitution of the United States, and the nation for which it stands 

The Democratic Party is nowhere.  And nowhere means no program and no power.

More on this later.   There's more to say.

THE SPEECH

President Trump will address Congress and the American people tonight.   Ordinarily, this would be the State of the Union message, required by the Constitution to be delivered in either spoken or written form.  But the feeling at the White House was that Mr. Trump has not been in office long enough to truly assess the state of the union, and thus this will simply be a presidential speech. 

I urge you to watch and listen carefully.  Nothing but personal instinct tells me that this will be a memorable speech, and perhaps historic. 

Donald Trump knows the moment.  He knows his audience.  He can read any room.  Like many political figures, he is part showman, in his case a superior showman.  He will make this his night, to be talked about and written about.

He can and probably will make a major announcement.

He can and probably will reveal a new action that will affect the American pocketbook quickly and directly.  Show them the money.  That's what he ran on.

Nothing small tonight.  Whatever happens will be Trump-sized.

We may be in for the totally unexpected, something not in the prepared speech.  It would be Trump-like to make the speech, go to Andrews and take off in Air Force One for an undisclosed location, with the speculation exploding. 

And yes, it would Trump-like to end the speech, call for the sergeant-at-arms to bring in a couple of tables, and sign a big international peace agreement right before our eyes.  What would the Democrats say?

Big night tonight.  Be there.  Send us your feelings about the whole thing.

LATEST...

Please note that I haven't posted in the last few days.  We had a medical emergency in the family, but not immediate family.  Major heart surgery, now favorably resolved. Moral of story:  See a physician regularly and follow the advice.  

Should be posting again in day or so. 

SUNDAY AND AFTER...

Sunday is now completely over, as I understand it, with another major deadline that the United States laid down passing with humiliating silence.  Last week President Trump, in public and before TV cameras, said that unless Hamas released all the prisoners it was holding by Sunday noon "all hell would break loose."

Sunday noon passed several days ago.   A few prisoners were released, and a few the next day.  Hell did not break loose.  A few more are promised this week.  Hamas ignored the president's threat.  When asked about it, Mr. Trump merely said that a response would be Israel's choice, removing all public responsibility from himself. 

We noted that, in the past, when an American president backed down, the United States was called "a paper tiger," unreliable and deceptive.  It never did us any good.

One of Urgent Agenda's distinguished readers, Dr. Michael Melcher, sent us a note saying this:

Quite right Mr. Katz. Trump made a threat and those on the other end are waiting to see if he has anything behind it. Something dramatic must be done to let Hamas know that Trump is not the empty gasbag that Obama and Biden are.
And, more importantly, if there is no follow up by the US then China, a potent enemy, will understand that Trump has “lost face," of which there is nothing worse. China only respects and fears strength and sees any weakness as a potential chance to take Taiwan. Trump cannot be seen as weak in any sphere. The world depends on it.

That says it.

When a president speaks, he speaks to the world.  The answer may not always be pleasant.

More coming...

February 18,  2025

SATURDAY

Ah Saturday.  We all like Saturday, don't we?  Well, not always.  I mean we all liked Sunday at one time, but for our parents' generation Sunday meant Pearl Harbor. 

And this Saturday, meaning today, we wait.  President Trump, in what some might regard as an impetuous  act, said earlier this week that if all the hostages held by Hamas were not released by twelve noon today, "all hell will break loose."

That's a pretty direct statement. It is a war warning, and should not be regarded as anything else.  The deadline has passed.  No American action has been taken.  The latest news is that The United States will leave it up to Israel to decide how to respond to the breached deadline. 

This is not a great way to implement foreign policy.  There is an old saying in diplomatic circles:  "If you say you're going to take Vienna, take Vienna."  Nothing is worse than making a threat of force, and then backing away.  Who will take you seriously?  The Russians are watching, so are the Chinese, and the Iranians.  And both houses of Congress.

Of course, the subject is not closed.   There are apparently some negotiations going on.  We may know as early as tomorrow whether they're serious.

But we're well behind in this round. The president demanded that all hostages be released.  Donald Trump is not a man who accepts losing.  So far he's gotten about four hostages.

How does Trump win?  I really don't know.  But he'd better patch up this situation, or pretty soon we'll be hearing references to Neville Chamberlain and Munich.

Stand by for tomorrow.

February 15,  2025

FEBRUARY 12-13, and a bit of 14

Robert Kennedy Jr and Tulsi Gabbard have now been confirmed by the Senate, he for secretary of health and human services, she for director of national intelligence.

Both nominations were controversial, and along the way it seemed that both could easily go down in flames.  But the Trump operation is mighty, and went into action.  Amazing how smooth the final vote was.

Other nominations remain, some of them critical.  The most explosive is that of Kash Patel, a strong Trump loyalist, to run the FBI.  Patel has an extensive legal and law-enforcement background, but has many enemies in Washington.  Some say he's too close to the president and will simply be a puppet.  Others say he is reckless and might destroy the FBI rather than reform it.  There is no question that he will be an activist director, picked to carry out Trump's wish to see the Bureau improved and free of politics, if that's possible.

American politics:  What baffles me is that no one of significance has come forward to launch a new center-left party.  The Democratic Party is declining fast, but its "leaders" seem to believe it was only slightly dented in the last election.  They're looking at the wrong side of the car.  In fact the Democratic Party is sinking into a kind of no-man's land.   It polls badly on the major issues of the day, and doesn't seem to care.  It has no obvious candidates for president in 2028, and, even if a possible name came up, that person would have to survive the party's identity politics murder squad. 

We'll be discussing this at Urgent Agenda a great deal.  But I submit that our two-party system is in the worst shape it's ever been.  And the Democrats do not have practiced professionals to fix the problems. 

They may not be fixable.   More later.   

FEBRUARY 10 - 11

Since the start of the Reagan administration there has not been as exciting a time in American politics than right now.  You can feel it in the air, you can see it in the dramatic manner in which President Trump is rolling out his program, day by day.  This was planned, even rehearsed, and the planners deserve applause.  Enjoy, enjoy.

A new CBS News poll shows Mr. Trump's approval is the highest of his political career.  The opposition is in disarray, having not been told that they lost the election.  When they understand the reality we should expect serious psychological trauma.  That could have international consequences.   Be careful walking in neighborhoods where there are lots of Volvos.

Words of caution, however, are required.  Political adults know that the current mood will not last. It never does.   History tells us that the party out of power almost always gains votes in midterm elections.  Our next midterm is 2026, and, if they show some sanity, the Dems may take over both houses of Congress. 

And there are events and conditions outside our control.  We constantly advise our readers to look way beyond the headlines, and way outside our shores.  The most important words the president spoke this week had nothing to do with his domestic agenda, where the cheers are.  They were spoken to warn Hamas not to carry out its threat to end release of the hostages. Trump said that if Hamas carries out its threat, and does not release all hostages by this Saturday, he favored canceling the temporary truce between Hamas and Israel.  And he cautioned that all hell could then break loose.  We will know by Saturday whether Hamas is serious.  Please watch this situation carefully. 

FEBRUARY  8 - 9

Speed.  The word seems to define what is happening in America, and much of the world, right now.   It is a major part of the technique of Donald Trump. Overwhelm all opposition with lightning speed.

Events are occurring far to fast for us to absorb.  It is clear that the Trump crew planned, with superb precision, the events of the last three weeks.  Executive orders were signed that will change the direction of the nation.  New policies were launched.  Old names, like the Panama Canal, came back to become major news stories.  The opposition Democrats were caught napping, something they do very well.

Institutions are being challenged, and questioned.  Why do we need a Department of Education? 

Is all this good?  Bad?  Are we heading for President Trump's new golden age of America?  Or are we headed for a collapse?

Can any of us actually remember, day by day, what is happening?

In times like these the American people turn to one institution, made free and privileged by our Bill of Rights, which are the first amendments to our Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

There it is – the birth certificate of America's free press. 

But what do you believe the founders of our country would think of today's press, or "media."  Just as we need it most, the American press has essentially collapsed.  Virtually every poll suggests that it has lost the confidence of the nation.  And reader or viewer confidence is the mother's milk of journalism. 

We have seen our media, over the last decades, take a nosedive to the left, often reflecting what is taught in our leftist universities.  My own belief is that most of the legacy news organizations are beyond saving, and that they have no intention of learning anything from the recent election.

It is time for major contributors who normally send their money to hopeless universities to step up and contribute to the building of new news organizations that will return journalism to the principles of Joseph Pulitzer – to report the news without fear or favor, and to separate fact from opinion.

Let us build the journalistic future before it's too late.

WHENEVER: 

What time is it?  What day is it?  What year is it?  I duck away from commenting for 72 hours and the whole world seems to change.   Who is this Musk they talk about?  Brilliant, they say.  Inventive, they say.  One of the great geniuses of our time.  Is that why everyone seems to hate him?

Now, you will ask why I was away.  Not that you're so interested, but ask anyway.  It's the courteous thing to do. 

Excuse 1 (almost all true):  We had a catastrophe.  Well, all right, maybe a semi-disaster.  Several of our sharp-eyed, loyal readers noticed early in the week that something was wrong with our email system.  Readers who write us always get a return email, but strange things were happening.  I swung into action and, with remarkable skill and poise, found the problem and fixed it.  So, if you've written to us recently and not gotten a reply, please try again.  All should work.  I appreciate applause.

Excuse 2 (generally true but exaggerated):  Trump was throwing things at us so fast that I realized I needed some brushing up.  I declined to write for a day, sat down with my Oxford atlas (recommended) and learned more about Greenland, Denmark, Canada and the new Gulf of America than I ever wanted to know.  I can now pass any geography test and give advice to visiting tourists.  As you know, I speak six languages and read most of one. 

Excuse 3 (If given time I could locate something true here):  I rescued a young woman from a kidnapping predator, took down the culprit, and dragged him to the police station, although scratched and bloody.  A crowd gathered around me waiting for autographs.  (Don't say I didn't warn you.) 

Okay, end of excuses.  Coming later today will be my regular post.

LAST WEEK

We are on news overload.  Many things seem to be happening at once.  We now have two major air accidents within days of each other, with news networks giving each one massive coverage.

It's entirely understandable that TV news would give such coverage to accidents.  They are, in a tragic way, fascinating.  They are about the loss of human life, about mysteries, technical and otherwise, and about investigations.  The accident over the Potomac happened in a city packed with TV journalists.  Both Fox and CNN have large bases in Washington, fully equipped with equipment and portable video.

But, as I've noted many times at Urgent Agenda, be careful not to ignore all the other things that are happening, events that could be dramatically important. So I'll take this space to play a bit of catch-up, and note some stories that deserve attention.

Because of the crush of news I did not get to give my profound impression of the new White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, aged 27.   The press secretary is one of the most important officials in the White House, perhaps the most important.  Whether giving news to the press, or advising the president on what reactions she's getting, the press secretary can have a critical impact on a presidency. 

So, about Ms. Leavitt.  I'd never heard of her before Trump's election victory in November.  Now I've heard of her:  She's terrific.

I've never seen a press secretary so prepared, so informed, so charming - and so tough - and, possibly most important, so close to the president. 

She appears on the press briefing platform without any thick binders or stacks of folders.  Everything is in her head.  At first, many couldn't believe it.  Now they believe it.

If you think I'm exaggerating, watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikAPTs3xUGs

See what I mean?

Ms. Leavitt is still a bit rough around the edges.  That will change as she eases into the job.  She has made a great impression.  She is a pleasure.

Moving on, we note that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has left Israel for Washington, where he will be President Trump's first foreign visitor.  They will meet Tuesday.  It is a critical meeting because the two will be discussing, not only the situations in Gaza and Lebanon, but future negotiations to end the wars and establish a permanent peace. Not an easy mission, and there are no guarantees.

My assumption is that the prime minister will be met by large anti-Israel demonstrations, although I've not seen any formal announcements.  There is also the chance of terrorist acts.  Be aware. 

More later today. 

THURSDAY - FRIDAY

The Potomac crash story is that 67 people died.  That is what we know.  We know very little else. 

Fox and CNN were on the air for hours, giving us update after update on the search for possible survivors.  They did a solid job under difficult circumstances.  But it's well known in the aviation community that collisions between flying aircraft, as opposed to collisions on the ground, rarely produce any survivors.  That was the case here.

I urge you not to get ahead of the story.  The National Transportation Safety Board is highly respected, and, barring any improper interference with its work, should have a preliminary report within 30 days.  The Board can also issue an urgent advisory sooner should it discover something that requires immediate correction within the air transport system. 

That being said, the crash itself has encouraged whistle blowers, experts, retirees and others with special knowledge of aviation to come forward with concerns and stories.  We are likely to learn much about the actual state of American air travel, and some of the stories might be very troubling.  Consider this, from Fox:

An internal preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reportedly showed that the number of staff members working at the air control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia, was "not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic."

On Wednesday night, an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter collided near Reagan National Airport outside of Washington, D.C., and all 67 people on board both aircraft are presumed to be dead.

The Associated Press obtained a report which showed one air traffic controller was working two positions at the time of the crash. 

Typically, the two assignments are split between two air traffic controllers.

"The position configuration was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic," the report says.

And...

The air control tower at Reagan National has been understaffed for years with 19 fully certified controllers as of September 2023. However, staffing targets set by the FAA and the controllers’ union call for 30.

The FAA’s air traffic controller shortage is nothing new at Reagan National or most of the country’s air traffic control facilities.

Last year, Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle appeared on FOX Business Network’s "The Claman Countdown" and warned that shortages could cause issues during the summer season if they were not addressed.

And...

The FAA's National Airspace System (NAS) safety review team created in April 2023 following several close runway incursions during takeoffs or landings at busy airports, determined that year that the concurrence of several challenges such as the air traffic control staffing crunch, insufficient funding and outdated technology "results in an erosion of safety margins that must be urgently addressed."

"The current erosion in the margin of safety in the NAS caused by the confluence of these challenges is rendering the current level of safety unsustainable," the team's report said.

The cause of the shortage has been attributed to employee turnover and other factors like tight budgets, and ultimately, it has resulted in many controllers working 10-hour days and as many as six days a week, the New York Times reported.

COMMENT:  Look for many more stories like this.  And worse.   Certainly makes you want to rush to the airport for that trip to Hawaii, doesn't it? 

The American air system is the safest in the world right now, but that edge is being frittered away by negligence and bureaucratic sludge. 

January 31,  2024

TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY:

BULLETIN: We were going to discuss the new White House press secretary and overall press operation.  But there's been a report of an air accident at  Reagan National airport.  I want to follow that.  We may have to delay the press material.

The White House has just rescinded part of the presidential order freezing for a time some but not all federal benefit programs:  The order created mass confusion, and near panic in some organizations that dispensed federal aid.

This is a major blunder by the Trump administration, the first since taking office.  We marveled at how well things were handled in the first week of Mr. Trump's presidency, brilliantly prepared and rehearsed. The president was seen almost as a miracle worker, with a superb, experienced staff.

But this is a setback, and requires a full internal investigation.  You cannot tamper with benefit and health programs unless you get everything right and explain immediately what's being done. 

There's an old saying in politics that any benefit once given to a person cannot be taken back without losing a voter. 

I have confidence that Trump, being Trump, will make sure this never happens again.

WEEKEND

This is written early Monday morning.  I was thinking that, exactly one week ago, we had different president.  I don't remember much about him.  Maybe you or CNN could fill me in.  Nice enough guy.  Not too swift on management and boring stuff like that.  Had nice suits.  I liked the ties.

We also had a different vice president.  What was that name?  Pamela?  Vanilla?  Camelot?  Oh yeah, it was Kamala.  I do remember her.   She did a show with Oprah, I think.  I don't know where Kamala is today.  Last I heard she was in California, considering whether to run for governor.  Very quiet reaction to that, if I read it correctly.   I'll try to get on her mailing list, just in case there's news.

And last week, at this time, we had a different country.  Rudderless, in steady decline, wondering what happened to the America we knew, constantly told by a certain class to shut up and learn from those who went to the proper schools.

That was last week.

And a couple of guys took an oath, and it became this week. 

And we don't even recognize what we were last week. 

The nation is moving again.  It is alive again.  The left-wing press is in an uproar, as if Donald Trump took away their lollipops and their copies of "Karl Marx's Funniest Lines."  There's a whole new atmosphere, and there are smiles.  We've got what Lincoln called "a new birth of freedom."  And we ain't goin' back. 

WEDNESDAY - THURSDAY

BULLETIN:  PETE HEGSETH CONFIRMED AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE.

In a tense, drama-filled vote, and after a dramatic confirmation hearing, Pete Hegseth was confirmed as the nation's new secretary of defense.  The Senate, at the end of the vote, was divided 50-50.   Vice President J.D. Vance, in his Constitutional role as president of the Senate, broke the tie.  Hegseth should be sworn in within a few days.

It is expected that Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota will be confirmed over the weekend to be secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

THE SHRINKAGE OF CNN:   You can only carry the anti-Trump game so far.  From CNBC:

Warner Bros. Discovery’s  CNN announced Thursday it is cutting about 6% of its total staff, or about 210 employees, as it refocuses the business around a global digital audience.

CNN CEO Mark Thompson announced the job losses in a memo to staff Thursday, confirming CNBC’s reporting Wednesday that cuts were coming. In the memo, Thompson noted CNN doesn’t expect total headcount to fall “much” this year because the company plans to invest $70 million in new digital plans.

“I know that whatever the total number of job losses, the impact on the individuals involved can be immense,” Thompson wrote in the memo, obtained by CNBC. “The process of change is essential if we’re to thrive in the future, but I both acknowledge and regret its very real human consequences.”

The layoffs come as CNN is rearranging its linear TV lineup and building out digital subscription products. The cuts will help CNN lower production costs and consolidate teams, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic thinking. Certain shows that are produced in New York or Washington may move to Atlanta, where production can be done more cheaply, said the people.

COMMENT:  Yeah, right.  CNN has some very good people, but the overall impession is that of a relentlessly left-wing operation.  CNN loses a good chunk of its potential audience every time it goes on the air. 

January 24,  2024

TUESDAY - PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FIRST 24 HOURS

I try to keep things well below the shouting level at Urgent Agenda, but I must observe that Donald Trump's first 24 hours of his second term was the most successful first day of any presidency I've seen.

The oath of office and inaugural address, as you know were moved inside because of weather, giving the proceedings a warmer, more personal feel.  I hope they're all indoors from now on.

The address itself, while not great, featured a more subdued Trump than we've seen, still tough but more "presidential" than in earlier addresses.  That was all to the good, although I would have liked to hear some greater eloquence, some lines at the end that were memorable, as with Kennedy or Reagan.  But few presidents do "memorable" very well.   

The president and first lady attended some of the social events of the evening, and we saw something new – the emergence of Melania Trump as a confident, assertive, superbly dressed first lady.  She'd played the part during Trump's first term, but now she's more firmly in the spotlight than ever, with her modeling skills on full display.  She will clearly become a fashion icon.  The snooty "women's" magazines who snubbed her during Trump's first term will not, if they are smart, try the same thing again.  That's if they are smart. 

By the way, you may have noticed that President Trump used the hand salute during the national anthem.  All other civilians used the hand-over-heart salute.  I don't know why Trump did that.  I've never seen a president render anything but the hand-over-heart tribute.  I haven't been able to find anything on this in my research sources.  If any of you out there know the answer, please email me at allmatters@urgentagenda.net

President Trump, it seems, needs little sleep.  He got up this morning, a sworn-in president, and went right to work.  He signed huge numbers of executive orders, and Americans watched him  do it.

More on that later...

MONDAY - LIBERATION DAY

EARLY MORNING

I have a special source in the White House who sends me whispered phone calls.  He tells me that Joe Biden woke up early to pack his Lionel trains.  They will be set up in the basement of his Delaware mansion.  He has the old Erie diesel and the log loader.  Joe has given his little engineer's cap to the White House.

Dr. Jill has awakened.  She started the day in her usual manner – throwing darts at a picture of Nancy Pelosi.   She is also expected to paint glue on all the hangers in Melania's closet.

As a gesture of warmth, the Bidens are giving each member of the White House staff a dollar bill with Joe's picture on it. 

More later.

FRIDAY - SATURDAY - SUNDAY

Actually, it's Sunday morning.  The major news today is that the ceasefire/hostage release agreement that Hamas made with Israel is going into effect.  We have, however, not yet seen an actual hostage.  And let's not forget that, in order to get back an eventual hundred or so hostages, Israel is releasing many hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, a good number of them convicted of horrible murders. 

That's the way most of these deals work in the Mideast.  The bad guys win on the numbers, but the good guys, who actually love life, win on their commitment to their own people, to value each one.

The deal, understandably, is controversial in Israel.  There is bitterness.  How many of the released Palestinians will go on to kill again? History tells us it will be many.

A WEEKEND OF CHANGE IN AMERICA:  Donald J Trump will be inaugurated as president for the second time at noon tomorrow Monday.  Because of severe cold, the actual swearing-in will be conducted indoors, in the Capitol rotunda.  The evening celebrations, including the inaugural balls, will apparently go on as scheduled. 

Security will be the heaviest in inaugural history.  I suspect that most of us have the same concerns, and they are reasonable, even if left unspoken.  Let us hope for peace and calm.

WEDNESDAY - THURSDAY

NOT SO FAST, LADIES AND GENTS: 

A funny thing happened on the way to eternal peace in the Mideast,  which we were promised just yesterday.  Please notice that Urgent Agenda did not jump on the peace bandwagon when the "agreement" between Israel and Hamas was breathlessly announced.  I remembered that it was the great producer, Sam Goldwyn, who reportedly said that "a verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on."

And, sure enough, it isn't. 

It's Thursday .  The Israeli Cabinet was supposed to meet this morning to ratify the agreement, a legal requirement for overall Israeli ratification. But Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that the meeting would be delayed at least until this afternoon because Hamas is trying to pull back on things that it had agreed to.

I am so shocked.  Hamas?  Trying to cheat? 

Now, this may just be a brief blip, and maybe things will go ahead as planned.  But there is no signed agreement, and maybe the media should be a lot more cautious today then it was yesterday.

Please note that President-elect Trump has made it clear that if the American hostages held by Hamas aren't delivered by his inauguration, Monday at noon, "all hell" will break out.  Trump knows that he must carry out that threat or immediately lose credibility.  And he will carry it out.

Stand by.  The tensions are only starting.  We can easily imagine Mr. Trump raising his right hand, the other on his Bible, and starting the presidential oath, with no hostages released. 

What words would he speak?

SUNDAY - TUESDAY

LATEST:  Pete Hegseth, selected by President-elect Trump to be secretary of defense, appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee today (Tuesday)  part of the confirmation process required of some presidential appointments.  Reaction to Hegseth was split along party lines, but there is a clear feeling among experienced Washington observers that he did extremely well, and that he helped himself in the face of a severe Democratic attack.  His confirmation vote in the Senate can come as early as next week. 

CALIFORNIA:  Hats off to the many brave reporters who have covered the Los Angeles fires.  However, it's clear that, as a news story, the tragedy is losing steam.  Not surprising.  Unless there is a new upsurge in flames, the public moves on.  Over the years, and decades, the attention span of American viewers and readers has been considerably shortened, probably the partial result of television journalism, where "in depth" means a minute.  However, we still will be eager to see whether these horrible conflagrations have a permanent impact on California's one-party political system. 

COUNTDOWN:  The Biden administration has about five days to exist.  Can you just feel the gloom on the political left?  But five days can be a lifetime in politics, depending on the way they're used.  I do have that uneasy feeling that some group or individual, foreign or domestic, or some outside source, will try to disrupt the inauguration.  I also have that uneasy feeling that Biden will announce, at the last minute, some reckless policy initiative that will be hard for Trump to reverse.

More coming...

FRIDAY - SATURDAY

It is hard to find any ray of light in the California disaster...except for this.  The nightmare is already producing a future star.  For years the people of Los Angeles had suffered under their district attorney, the George Sores - financed, softer than butter on crime George Gascon.  But the terminally mediocre Gascon was defeated in the November election by Republican Nathan Hochman.  This is how Hochman described how he's approaching the problem of looters during the current fire crisis:

“Justice will be swift. It will be firm, and the maximum punishment will be sought,” Hochman said during an appearance on NewsNation’s “Banfield.”  

“Our goal is to send this warning,” Hochman added. ”Whether it’s looting, these internet scams, robbery or future arsons. … the day and age of a DA’s office standing on the sidelines is over. We want to bring justice, and we will.”

I've watched Hochman on television.  He's superb, a vast contrast with Gascon.   He's dynamic, tough and articulate.  If he delivers what he promises, I wouldn't be shocked to see him in the governor's chair.  Watch for him.

More coming...

MONDAY - THURSDAY

Former President Jimmy Carter's state funeral occurred today at Washington National Cathedral.    All the former living presidents and their wives were in attendance.  While proper reverence was maintained, the face of each president and spouse was examined by noted journalists for signs of gossip.  The possibilities were evident. 

At the same time, the horrible fires in California have intrigued and horrified us all.  The frustration is that this nightmare was avoidable.  Any decent investigation will show a state in the lock grip of the left wing of the Democratic Party.  That left wing has clearly put environmental worship ahead of common sense and, through budgetary choices, has stripped California of the means to respond quickly and effectively to the kind of disaster we're now seeing. 

There appears to be no chance that the California left will change its tune.  Their beliefs constitute a religion, the worship of a false god.  If this is right, California is in for a grim time or a takeover by the federal government. 

But I ask you to take your eyes off California for a moment, and focus on something larger, and potentially more momentous.

President-elect Trump has said publicly that if Hamas does not release all the prisoners it is holding by inauguration day, that's a week from Monday, "all hell" will break loose.   Those were Trump's words. He repeated them again just a few days ago. 

I think Trump means it.  In his league, if you make a threat and don't follow through on it, you're considered a coward, a loser, and a laughing stock.  Trump knows the unwritten rules.  He would have no credibility left. 

We'll be spending next week building up to High Noon.  Gary Cooper is ready to walk down that dusty Western street.

Take it very seriously.  Yes, it's possible that Trump already has a deal for the prisoners, and just wants to create suspense that will end with a grand announcement, or even his rushing to the Mideast after inauguration to bring the prisoners home himself.  I hope so.

But Trump can also fail.

He can be completely humiliated.

What then?

SATURDAY - SUNDAY

Terrific.  In a surprise move, President-elect Trump has named commentator Tammy Bruce to be spokesperson for the Department of State.

This is a fine move, once again showing how comfortable Trump is with smart, accomplished women.  During the campaign, he was accused by the Democrats of avoiding them.

Spokesperson for the State Department has a critical role.  She speaks to the world on behalf of the United States.  You've probably seen Tammy Bruce on television, where she's a regular at Fox.  She's 62 and, like Ronald Reagan, began her political life as a liberal.  She actually was head of the NOW chapter in Los Angeles.  But eventually she saw the light, and the damage the left was doing, and, also like Reagan, went rightward.  Today she is one of the most prominent conservative voices.

I have confidence she'll do a great job.  She is whip smart, and knowledgeable.  Good choice.

January 4,  2025

THURSDAY - FRIDAY

BULLETIN:  IN A TUMULTUOUS, TENSE AND EXCITING VOTE, REPUBLICAN MIKE JOHNSON HAS JUST BEEN RE-ELECTED SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.  JOHNSON, WHO FACED OPPOSITION FROM SOME OF THE MORE RIGHT-LEANING MEMBERS OF THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS, GOT THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF VOTES NEEDED TO WIN, 218.  BUT HIS WORK IS CUT OUT FOR HIM IN KEEPING THE REPUBLICANS FROM GOING TO WAR WITH EACH OTHER.

THE VOTE WAS A MAJOR VICTORY FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP.  THE HOUSE IS NOT PERMITTED TO OPERATE WITHOUT A SPEAKER.   IF THE VOTE FOR SPEAKER HAD GONE ON FOR MANY BALLOTS, MR. TRUMP'S LEGISLATIVE PLANS WOULD HAVE COME TO A DRAMATIC HALT.  NOW HE CAN HIT THE GROUND LEGISLATING WHEN HE BECOMES PRESIDENT IN THREE WEEKS.

WEDNESDAY:

9: 31 P.M.  A TRAGIC DAY FOR AMERICA, WITH ONE NEWS BULLETIN AFTER ANOTHER PROVING THAT NEW ORLEANS WAS A MAJOR TERRORIST ATTACK, PROBABLY LINKED TO ISIS.  THIS IMMEDIATELY TELLS US THERE CAN BE OTHER ATTACKS BEING PLANNED.  THUS FAR, 15 ARE DEAD, WITH THE NUMBER EXPECTED TO GROW.  DOZENS HAVE BEEN WOUNDED, MANY CRITICALLY.

THE SUGAR BOWL GAME BETWEEN GEORGIA AND NOTRE DAME, SCHEDULED FOR TONIGHT IN NEW ORLEANS, WILL BE PLAYED TOMORROW.  OBVIOUSLY, THERE WILL BE EVEN HEAVIER SECURITY THAN HAD BEEN PLANNED.

THE TERROR SUSPECT, NOW IDENTIFIED AS SHAMSUD DIN JABBAR, WAS KILLED IN A SHOOTOUT WITH POLICE MOMENTS AFTER THE ATTACK. THERE WERE ISIS FLAGS IN HIS FORD 150.  HE WAS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN WITH YEARS IN THE US ARMY BEHIND HIM, BUT HAD LEFT THE SERVICE YEARS AGO.  POLICE AND FBI AGENTS ARE TRACKING DOWN POSSIBLE ASSOCIATES.  THE FBI NOW OFFICALLY STATES ITS BELIEF THAT JABBAR DID NOT ACT ALONE.

PRESIDENT FOR THREE MORE WEEKS JOE BIDEN MADE BRIEF SPOKEN COMMENTS, BUT ADDED NOTHING.  ALLEGED VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS, TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, HAS NOT BEEN HEARD FROM.

MORE LATER...

11:14 A.M. FORD PICKUP USED IN THE NEW ORLEANS ATTACK ENTERED THE US THROUGH THE SOUTHERN BORDER TWO DAYS AGO.

11:11 A.M.  THE FBI HAS ANNOUNCED IT IS PROBING THE NEW ORLEANS ATTACK AS AN ACT OF TERRORISM

BULLETIN: TEN WERE KILLED AND MORE THAN 35 INJURED IN A PROBABLE TERRORIST ATTACK IN NEW ORLEANS THIS MORNING WHEN A MAN, SO FAR UNIDENTIFIED, PLOWED A PICKUP TRUCK INTO A CROWD ON BOURBON STREET.

THE SUSPECT THEN FIRED  SHOTS AT POLICE, WOUNDING TWO OFFICERS, AND WAS HIMSELF THEN KILLED BY OTHER OFFICERS.

NEW ORLEANS IS THE SITE OF THE SUGAR BOWL GAME, SCHEDULED TO BE PLAYED LATER TODAY BETWEEN GEORGIA AND NOTRE DAME. 

THERE WERE REPORTS, SO FAR UNCONFIRMED, THAT AT LEAST ONE EPLOSIVE DEVICE WAS FOUND IN THE PICKUP.

THE FBI IS IN OVERALL CHARGE OF THE INVESTIGATION.

OF COURSE WE'LL BE FOLLOWING THIS CLOSELY.   

MONDAY - TUESDAY - WEDNESDAY

FRIDAY - SATURDAY- SUNDAY

PRESIDENT CARTER HAS DIED

He was 100.  We have little to add to all the print and verbiage available, except to try to answer one question:  Why did President Carter lose his campaign for re-election in 1980 to Ronald Reagan, in a landslide?  Reagan received 489 electoral votes to Carter's 49. 

After all, at the start of the campaign, most of the so-called pundits didn't give Reagan much of a chance.  And they seemed to be right for most of the campaign.  But then...here is this, from Gallup, written in 2008: 

PRINCETON, NJ -- There have been only 2 instances in the past 14 elections, from 1952 to 2004, when the presidential candidate ahead in Gallup polling a week or so before the election did not win the national popular vote: in 2000 (George W. Bush) and 1980 (Jimmy Carter). And in only one of these, in 1980, did the candidate who was behind (Ronald Reagan) pull ahead in both the popular vote and the Electoral College and thus win the election.

Reagan's late-breaking surge is generally attributed to the only presidential debate between Carter and Reagan -- held one week before the election, on Oct. 28 -- which seemed to move voter preferences in Reagan's direction, as well as the ongoing Iran hostage crisis, which reached its one-year anniversary on Election Day. After trailing Carter by 8 points among registered voters (and by 3 points among likely voters) right before their debate, Reagan moved into a 3-point lead among likely voters immediately afterward, and he won the Nov. 4 election by 10 points.

COMMENT:  For Carter, the debate was devastating.  In Hollywood the classic definition of a star is someone who has that indefinable something extra.  In the debate,  Americans saw President Carter as they had known him - a relatively decent and quiet man, and that was all.  But when the camera panned over to Reagan, Americans saw a star.  He had that indefinable something extra.  We liked him, we wanted to see him again.  There was something about him that made us trust him, to make us feel that he really did love his country.  This was the only time Americans saw Carter and Reagan on the same stage.  And Americans made their decision.

December 29,  2024

FASHION NEWS OF THE WEEK - FROM THE NEW YORK POST:

They’re “Wirkin” their fake Birkins.

Fashionistas are clamoring to get their hands on a “Walmart Birkin,” also known as a “Wirkin,” after discovering that the budget-friendly retailer hawks purses seemingly inspired by the costly Hermès handbags.

Authentic Birkin bags — beloved by A-listers and exceedingly difficult to come by — cost a pretty penny, with prices estimated to range from $9,000 at a Hermès boutique to upwards of hundreds of thousands for resale and auctioned pieces.

At Walmart, a convincing dupe will cost you less than $100.

COMMENT:  The Pentagon would gladly pay the higher price.

WEDNESDAY - THURSDAY

We are again urging our readers to look outside the fluff passing for news this holiday week.  Look especially at the Mideast.  Israel, with the obvious, and correct, support of the U.S., is roughing up the dear, brotherly allies of Iran pretty well. 

The Jerusalem Post tells us that "Israeli airstrikes targeted a host of Houthi infrastructure near the airports of Hodeidah and the Yemeni capital of Sana'a, sources confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Thursday. The strikes targeted Sana'a International Airport's main runway, control tower, and aircraft, some of which subsequently caught fire."

Capital of Yemen.  This is not small potatoes.  We're also learning that Iran itself, the source of the region's problems, fears that it will soon be hit by a major Israeli airstrike, which will be a threat to the existence of the Iranian regime.  Iran's anti-aircraft capability reportedly has been largely destroyed by the Israelis, with American help.   We anxiously await word that the ayatollah is checking hotel rates near Harvard.

And remember that President-elect Trump has told Hamas that if all the hostages aren't released by his inauguration, all hell will break loose. 

Trump gives good hell.  It's a quality product.

December 26,  2024

MONDAY - TUESDAY

I can think of nothing better on this night than quoting the words of Winston Churchill from his remarkable Christmas message to the people of the United States, delivered December 24th, 1941.  The speech was delivered in the White House itself, only a few weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which plunged this country into World War II.  Mr. Churchill had come to Washington to meet with President Roosevelt, and plan victory in the bitter conflict ahead:

I spend this anniversary and festival far from my country, far from my family, yet I cannot truthfully say that I feel far from home.  Whether it be the ties of blood on my mother’s side, or the friendships I have developed here over many years of active life, or the commanding sentiment of comradeship in the common cause of great peoples who speak the same language, who kneel at the same altars and, to a very large extent, pursue the same ideals, I cannot feel myself a stranger here in the centre and at the summit of the United States.  I feel a sense of unity and fraternal association which, added to the kindliness of your welcome,  convinces me that I have a right to sit at your fireside and share your Christmas joys. 

This is a strange Christmas Eve.  Almost the whole world is locked in deadly struggle, and, with the most terrible weapons which science can devise, the nations advance upon each other.  Ill would it be for us this Christmastide if we were not sure that no greed for the land or wealth of any other people, no vulgar ambition, no morbid lust for material gain at the expense of others, had led us to the field.  Here, in the midst of war, raging and roaring over all the lands and seas, creeping nearer to our hearts and homes, here, amid all the tumult, we have tonight the peace of the spirit in each cottage home and in every generous heart.  Therefore we may cast aside for this night at least the cares and dangers which beset us, and make for the children an evening of happiness in a world of storm.  Here, then, for one night only, each home throughout the English-speaking world should be a brightly-lighted island of happiness and peace.

Let the children have their night of fun and laughter.  Let the gifts of Father Christmas delight their play.  Let us grown-ups share to the full in their unstinted pleasures before we turn again to the stern task and the formidable years that lie before us, resolved that, by our sacrifice and daring, these same children shall not be robbed of their inheritance or denied their right to live in a free and decent world. 

COMMENT:  I wish we had that kind of rhetoric today.  Good night.

December 24,  2024

SATURDAY - SUNDAY

As you can plainly see on your TV screens, the phrase of the week is "sitting in for."  The first team is taking the week off, and, for most of them, the vacation will extend into next week as well.

As for Washington, it is clearing out, as members of Congress rush home.  Within a few days of their return to D.C. we will have a new Congress sworn in.  It's proper to say that a new Republican era will start.  So will the campaigns for the 2026 congressional elections.

I hope that Republicans understand that they've now got to deliver, or risk losing their already slim majorities.  I'm not so sure some actually do understand.  And I see that their loyalty to President-elect Trump is very much an "iffy" thing. 

As for the current president, he's barely in the game.

As for the vice president, she may not know there's a game.

As for the journalists, many appear to know that they've already lost the game, at least for 2025. 

We should be good sports, and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and happy holidays. 

But we're also mature enough to realize that these next few weeks bring with them serious danger.   Some understandably don't want to talk about it, but we all know the realities.  Much of the world is a tinderbox.  In this country alone we've seen two assassination attempts against Mr. Trump.  We've seen violent incidents on college campuses.  Cities are gripped with fear of crime. 

Ukraine can blow up into a larger war in a matter of hours.  Terrorist attacks are rising in number.   Just days ago a disgruntled immigrant to Germany plunged his car into a Christmas crowd, killing at least five. And the Israel-Arab war can suddenly flare up despite ceasefire talks underway.

Take an active interest in the national defense of the United States.

December 22,  2024

THURSDAY - FRIDAY

This is written Friday, December 20th. One month from today, Donald Trump becomes president, for the second time.  And, in the first week of January, the new Republican House and Senate will be sworn in.  I have to believe things will get better.

It appears at this hour that we will avoid a government shutdown.   As Johnny Carson used to say, "Notice the difference?" 

IS NOTHING SACRED?  Have you thought about privacy recently?  Forget about it.  Soon the new technocrats will figure out a way to let your neighbors know how you voted.  From International Business Times: 

A new real estate platform will allow users to look at the political leanings of the different areas to which they might consider moving.

The tool is being launched by tech startup Oyseey and will initially be available in South Florida and New York City, according to Axios.

Users will be able to see consumer and political data for each block, drawn from election results, campaign contributions and licensable commercial data, the outlet explained.

It will also show average housing trends.

The launch comes weeks after a survey from Realtor.com showed that about a quarter of Americans are highly influenced by local and national politics in their decision to buy real estate.

The survey showed that 38% of respondents believe their political views align with those of their neighbors and that 17% have considered moving over such differences.

The figure rose to 28% for millennials, with one-third of members of the demographic saying their decisions of where to live are highly influenced by politics.

COMMENT:  Can you imagine what a block party sounds like in some of these  neighborhoods?  I don't want to know. 

December 20,  2024

TUESDAY - WEDNESDAY

THE COUNTDOWN:  Donald Trump becomes president in a month and two days.  So far he and his transition team have been largely thorough and careful, paving the way for a new administration.  Trump, who has been through this before, wants to take office with the wind at his back. 

But there are plenty of people who will try to ruin it for him, to destroy Trump's current image of near-invincibility.  We have a sudden budget crisis that will require the federal government to shut down on Friday unless the problem is solved.  Trump should have been on this earlier, but he wasn't.  True, he's not yet president, but he's seen as the real power in Washington.  If the government closes, it will be viewed as a major Trump blunder, whether that's accurate or not.  Once a single knife is plunged in his back, others will follow.   He is not widely loved, even within his own party.

It will be a very tense two days.  The Trump magic is on the line.

THE MOST IMPORTANT STORY:  Make no mistake about it.  It's the Mideast.  Biden wants to leave office with a peace deal in his pocket - a final shot at a respectable presidency.  And Trump will help him.  The president-elect does not want to be inaugurated and have to wade back into a shooting war between Israel and its enemies.  That's political quicksand. 

Remember that Trump promised to quickly bring peace to the Mideast and to Ukraine through his negotiating skills.  If he succeeds, great.  If he doesn't, the public, with a bloodthirsty press leading the way, can viciously turn on him.

Right now the diplomacy in the Mideast is more intense than I've ever seen it.  There is high expectation that some kind of deal will be announced by an overjoyed Biden, and endorsed by a relieved Trump. 

December 18,  2024

SUNDAY - MONDAY

A GOOD GUY.  This will probably be one of President-elect Trump's best appointments.  Rick Grenell specializes in shaking things up and making it clear that he represents the United States of America, period.  From Breitbart:

President-elect Donald Trump has selected former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell to serve as the Presidential Envoy for Special Missions.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump highlighted Grenell’s previous roles during Trump’s first term as president, such as his role as former United States Ambassador to Germany. Trump added that Grenell would “continue to fight for Peace through  Strength, and always put AMERICA FIRST.”

“I am pleased to announce Richard Allen Grenell as our Presidential Envoy for Special Missions,” Trump wrote. “Ric will work in some of the hottest spots around the World, including Venezuela and North Korea.”

Trump added: “In my First Term, Ric was the United States Ambassador to Germany, Acting Director of National Intelligence, and Presidential Envoy for Kosovo-Serbia Negotiations. Previously, he spent eight years inside the United Nations Security Council, working with North Korea, and developments in numerous other Countries.”

COMMENT:  Grenell has been controversial in the best possible way.  He is seen by the Washington dinner-party circuit as too pro-American.  I love watching them squirm.   If we get into trouble, send Ric.

December 16,  2024 

HELP IS ON THE WAY.  REALLY?  Apparently, someone picked up a phone in Washington.  And took the call seriously.  It does occasionally happen.  From the New York Post:

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer on Sunday called for the federal government to deploy recently declassified radar technology to finally identify the mysterious swarms of drones alarming the tri-state region.

The Senate Democratic leader addressed mounting frustration at the response soon after Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the feds were finally “deploying a state-of-the-art drone detection system” to New York.

Hochul did not elaborate on exactly what that system was, nor how or where it would be used, but stressed that the area still needs more help to address the baffling sightings.

However, Schumer specifically called on the Department of Homeland Security to send in the Robin, a 360-degree radar that can quickly identify drones and track them back to their landing zones.

“New Yorkers have tremendous questions about [the drones]. We are going to get the answers,” Schumer said Sunday.

“You should not have to shake an eight ball to see what it is. There ought to be better technology — and there is. We need it here in New York,” he said.

“We’ve talked to Homeland Security and the FBI, and told them, ‘We need answers quickly.'”

The initial need is for the Robin, Schumer said, noting that the recently declassified radar technology can be quickly mounted to another drone or an airplane and “can go anywhere” to trace the unidentified flying objects.

COMMENT:  Why wasn't this done sooner?  The important thing here is to provide a satisfactory answer to public concern.  Many "experts" say that the drones are actually manned aircraft.  I hope that's true.  But why did they suddenly appear?  Why weren't they seen three months ago?

We await answers from Robin, and maybe even Batman.

December 15,  2024

FRIDAY - SATURDAY

WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT:  Well, we tried to give out accurate information.  After a week of hyping today's appearance by President-elect Trump at the Army-Navy game as the political show of the year, the TV news business let us down.  CBS barely mentioned Mr. Trump or his throng of associates, and Fox, promising to report the heavy politics, gave us a view through a fogged window of the president-elect, and a few lame interviews.  Maybe there'll be more later on Fox's regular news shows.  I apologize for misdirecting you. 

  IMPORTANT UPDATE:  WATCHING THE GAME.  What's going on? CBS has barely mentioned the presence of Trump and Vance.  Seems they're sticking entirely to the football.  But Fox has announced that it will cover the politics.  Strange way of doing things, but at halftime you might want to switch to Fox for the political show.

RECOMMENDATION for Saturday:  The Army-Navy game.  Broadcast at 3 p.m. ET on CBS.

The game itself is an American classic, but today's is shaping up to be a truly great show for political junkies and Trump watchers.  President-elect Trump will be there, as will Vice President-elect Vance.  Trump has invited a ton of major political figures, Cabinet appointees, celebrities and other of the biggest shots to attend.  Kind of a command performance.  We're told that major discussions will be held off-camera.  In other words, if you're invited, you'd better show up.

We're informed by Trump watchers that this is a very big deal, and unprecedented.  I'm watching.

WEDNESDAY - THURSDAY

MAJOR MYSTERY THRILLER:  I refer, of course, to the drones over the northeast and now other parts of the country.  Can you believe what is going on?  Our federal government assures us that the drones pose no risk to the people of the United States, but that we can't nail down where they're from.  Is this a serious response?  If our guys don't know where they're from, how can our experts assure us that all is okay?

Maybe those in authority should call FedEx.  They know where everything is. 

In the end, it isn't funny.  Maybe the US government knows more than it is saying, but can't reveal the rest for security reasons.  Or, unlikely but possible, the "drones" are legitimate, manned aircraft. But that's almost absurd.   The sound of the aircraft would be different from the sound of drones. 

The horror scenario is that the drones are foreign, controlled by an enemy nation or group, and are on a test run in preparation for the real thing.  What makes that even more horrible is that it would tell us that someone else out there is substantially ahead of us in drone technology. 

Members of Congress are furious that they haven't been told more than the general public.  This calls for a major congressional investigation, with added powers given to the investigators. 

Right now we are in the period between presidents.  We are especially vulnerable.  Heads of agencies are preparing to leave.  Newcomers can't take office until the inauguration.  There is friction.  There is resentment.  We even note that many major news programs are running with fill-ins in the anchor chairs.

As said earlier, this isn't funny.

December 12,  2024

MONDAY - TUESDAY

MURDER:  So the guy who allegedly murdered the health industry executive in Manhattan has been caught in Pennsylvania.  Good work by the NYPD and associated law enforcement agencies. 

And who does the alleged culprit turn out to be?  A young, Ivy League, University of Pennsylvania science graduate, both bachelor's and master's degree.

What is with these geniuses?  As soon as I saw the story I thought back to the 1920s, when two University of Chicago brains, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, murdered a young boy as a means of demonstrating that superior intellects could commit murder and get away with it.  They didn't.

Then there was the Unabomber, who had taught at the University of California at Berkeley, and rose to fame planting bombs for years before the law caught up with him.

We see again that a "prestigious" academic record is no guarantee of sanity or good government.

TALK ABOUT THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT:  This is a worthy candidate.  Start worrying and tell your friends.  From The New York Post: 

More mysterious drones were spotted “pacing back and forth” above New Jersey, new video shows — as government officials assured Garden State residents that there’s nothing to fear. 

The footage, captured by a New Jersey mom and shared on X, shows blinking lights buzzing over Bergen County on Sunday night.

“They’re just pacing back and forth going very slow,” the mom said in the clip.

“It doesn’t sound like a plane… no, no, it’s too quiet. That’s a drone,” she said, adding that she counted five or six flying machines hovering overhead.

The spate of drone sightings across New Jersey has raised alarms among locals — who in recent weeks have filmed and posted countless videos of the unidentified aircraft to social media — and left local officials scratching their heads.

But even as the sightings continue to confound authorities, Gov. Phil Murphy said residents need not worry — the drones pose “no known threat to the public at this time,” he wrote last week in a social media statement. 

“We are actively monitoring the situation and in close coordination with our federal and law enforcement partners on this matter,” he added. 

That provided little comfort to the frazzled residents of the Garden State, including Rachel Campos-Duffy, wife of Sean Duffy, President-elect Donald Trump’s next nominee for transportation secretary. 

“If you live in Morristown, Mendham, Summit, Bedminster, Far Hills — that whole area, that’s all you’re talking about,” she told Ainsley Earhardt on Fox & Friends on Monday, referencing a cluster of wealthy Morris County suburbs.

COMMENT:  As in William Goldman's remark about Hollywood, "Nobody knows anything."

Come on, guys.  These drones have been up over New Jersey and a part of New York for the better part of a week, and governmental big shots are telling folks that they haven't yet been able to trace them?

Do we have a Coast Guard?

Do we have a US Air Force?

Do we have a Department of Homeland Security?

Sound familiar?  Remember that huge Chinese espionage balloon that floated over our country several years back?  No one got held responsible for that one either.

These drones could be carrying bombs or remotely controlled machine guns.

Congress, get involved and get us answers!!

December 9,  2024

SATURDAY - SUNDAY

Once again, on December 7th, we mark the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, in 1941, which plunged the United States into World War II.  I doubt very much if most young people today have ever heard of Pearl Harbor.  Indeed, I doubt if their teachers have.  But for our fathers, mothers, and our grandfathers and grandmothers, December 7th was the central date of their generations.  From then on, America emerged as the most powerful nation in the world.  Will it remain so?  It is up to Donald Trump to insure it, and I think he will succeed.

A REMARKABLE DAY:  Aside from it being Pearl Harbor Day, this December 7th will be recalled for a stunning event in Paris, France.  The symbolism cannot be ignored.  This was the day that Notre Dame, one of the great cathedrals of the world, was reopened, glistening and strong, five years after being nearly destroyed in a huge fire.  Many heads of state were present.  Ours was not.  I don't know what Joe Biden was doing, but he sent his wife, Jill.  No one was impressed.

If Joe wasn't up to it, the proper move would have been to send the vice president of the United States, one Kamala Harris, who was busy lounging in Hawaii, still mourning her election loss, which occurred more than a month ago.  I assume she remains on the federal payroll, still one heartbeat away from being president.   I'm sure she left a current phone number, or email address.

But all was not lost for the U.S. in Paris.  A car suddenly pulled up to Notre Dame, and out stepped former President and President-elect Donald Trump.  It was all smiles, greetings and warm welcomes for our guy.  He was the strong America, survivor of assassination attempts, vicious legal campaigns and press hatred.  He had returned in triumph to France.  Now the day was his.  Who remembered Joe or Kammy?

I don't think there's been a day quite like this in the history of American politics.  Trump isn't actually in office, but it's being said in Washington that he's already president, and is being treated as such.  That is true, and it was certainly true in Paris.  America makes it official on inauguration day, only a month and a week away.  A new era begins.  Actually, it's begun, and we feel it.  So does the world.

December 7,  2024

THURSDAY - FRIDAY

Can you believe this?  Can you believe that not many people seem upset?  From Townhall.com

The Department of Justice announced the arrest of Chinese national Shenghua Wen Tuesday on a series of weapons trafficking and illegal possession charges. Wen is in the U.S. illegally after overstaying a student visa. 

"According to an affidavit filed on Nov. 26 with the complaint, Wen obtained firearms, ammunition, and export-controlled technology with the intention of shipping them to North Korea — a violation of federal law and United States sanctions against that nation. Wen and his co-conspirators allegedly exported shipments of firearms and ammunition to North Korea by concealing the items inside shipping containers that were shipped from Long Beach through Hong Kong to North Korea," DOJ released in a statement. "On Aug. 14, law enforcement seized at Wen’s home two devices that he intended to send to North Korea for military use: a chemical threat identification device and a hand-held broadband receiver that detects eavesdropping devices. On Sept. 6, law enforcement seized approximately 50,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that Wen allegedly obtained to send to North Korea."

"A review of Wen’s iPhone revealed to law enforcement that in December 2023, Wen smuggled items from Long Beach to Hong Kong with their destination being North Korea. Messages retrieved from Wen’s cellphones revealed discussions he had earlier this year with co-conspirators about shipping military-grade equipment to North Korea," the details continue. 

COMMENT:  I'm sure this is some kind of misunderstanding, confusion among friends.  (You can choke now.)

No, it isn't.   There seems to be a kind of willful looking away by people we select to stare right at the problem and crush it.  It reminds me of the situation that existed before World War II, when we sold scrap iron to Japan and saw it come back to us in the form of artillery shells.  Japan an enemy?  Why, who could have thought it?

And of course there were the many American companies, including Hollywood studios, who had no problem maintaining a "businesslike" relationship with the Nazis before the war, and some, allegedly, during the war. 

History doesn't repeat itself.  The psychology of history repeats itself.  We see the same pattern today. 

December 5,  2024 

TUESDAY - WEDNESDAY, OR THEREABOUTS

READ CAREFULLY.  THIS HAS YET TO BE CONFIRMED.  FROM CBS NEWS:   

President-elect Donald Trump is considering selecting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as his pick for defense secretary to potentially replace embattled Fox News host Pete Hegseth, three sources familiar with the transition told CBS News Tuesday night. 

This comes after Trump and DeSantis attended a memorial for fallen law enforcement officers Tuesday in Florida. 

The Wall Street Journal was first to report this story. 

A spokesperson for DeSantis had no comment when reached by CBS News. A spokesperson for Trump also declined to say whether DeSantis was under consideration. 

This comes as Hegseth, who has been meeting with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill this week to try to build support ahead of his confirmation hearings, has faced a round of negative stories involving allegations of sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement at veterans' charities, repeated intoxication and infidelity. 

At least four Republican senators would likely withhold support for Hegseth if a vote were held today, two sources close to the situation told CBS News.  

"Some of these articles are very disturbing. He obviously has a chance to defend himself here, but some of this stuff is, it's going to be difficult," Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told reporters Tuesday. "Time will tell." 

Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, who noted he has also read the reporting and is aware of the allegations, said Hegseth will have to address them. 

"I want to know if they are true and I want to hear his side of the story and he is going to have to address them," he said Tuesday, adding that he wasn't sure if Hegseth's nomination would face headwinds.

COMMENT:  It would have been very easy for the Trump people to deny the story, but they have chosen not to.  Ouch.

The Trumpers can count, and it is clear that they have no assurance that Hegseth can be confirmed.   A possibly leaked story like this might be a delicate way to send a message to the potential nominee that it might be best to get out now rather than face the withering fire of a confirmation hearing.

From the start, Hegseth's selection has been controversial.  He has never run a large (or small) agency, and the allegations of personal misconduct began as soon as his name came up.

The choice of DeSantis would seem odd.  He has been an opponent of Trump's for years, and his anti-Trump comments are easy to find and quote.  His military experience is limited to a tour of duty as a Navy legal officer. 

However, most of us remember the learned advice given by prominent members of the underworld:  "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." 

That's enough said.  We await confirmed details, if any.

December 3,  2024

You want to know what's more important than Hunter's pardon?  Well, this certainly is.  From Reuters:

The risk of Iranian nuclear proliferation is a serious threat in coming months and Britain and France are working out strategies to prepare for such an event, the head of France's foreign intelligence service said on Friday.

"Our services are working side by side to face what is undoubtedly one of the threats, if not to say the most critical threat, in the coming months - the possible atomic proliferation in Iran," Nicolas Lerner said at the British embassy in Geneva.

His rare public comments come as Iran and European powers meet in Geneva to discuss Iran's nuclear program, the situation in the Middle East, and Tehran's ties with Russia amid the war in Ukraine.

"The intelligence will be crucial to enable our authorities to make the right decisions and define the right strategies," he said.

COMMENT:  Short and direct and chilling as can be.  While we casually go through Cabinet nominees, every good source we can find is warning that the Iranians are within weeks of building an atomic bomb.  Iran is actually a mediocre military power, but "the bomb" changes that in an instant.  In Trump's first term he broke Iran's back economically, only to see that progress reversed by the leftist and Obaman elements in the Biden administration. An Iranian bomb in the hands of the mullahs would be an international crisis of major proportions. 

Where is the urgency?  I hope the incoming Trumpers will nail this problem immediately, even if it takes breaking the Iranian economy, which would go against the trading policies of some of our European "allies."

December 2,  2024

It is Sunday night.  It is dark.  The holiday is over.   The ads saying that Black Friday has been extended into next April are finished.  The stores with the best sales are closed for at least two hours. 

And now we must return to our normal reporting.  And what do we get for our waiting?  We get this, from Fox: 

President Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, after the first son was convicted in two separate federal cases earlier this year.

The announcement was made by the White House on Sunday night. The pardon applies to offenses against the U.S. that Hunter Biden "has committed or may have committed" from Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 1, 2024.

"Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter," Biden wrote in a statement. "From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted."

Where have I heard those words before?  Hmm.

The president went on to claim that his son was "treated differently" by prosecutors.

"Without aggravating factors like use in a crime, multiple purchases, or buying a weapon as a straw purchaser, people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form," Biden added. "Those who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions, but paid them back subsequently with interest and penalties, are typically given non-criminal resolutions. It is clear that Hunter was treated differently."

Biden also referenced his son's battle with addiction and blamed "raw politics" for the unraveling of Hunter's plea deal.

"There has been an effort to break Hunter – who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution," the 82-year-old father wrote. "In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough."

"I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision," Biden's statement concluded.

And...

President Biden pardoning his son is a departure from his previous remarks to the media over the summer, declaring he would not pardon the first son.

"Yes," President Biden told ABC News when asked if he would rule out pardoning Hunter ahead of his guilty verdict in the gun case. 

Days later, following a jury of Hunter’s peers finding him guilty of three felony firearm offenses, the president again said he would not pardon his son. 

"I am not going to do anything," Biden said after Hunter was convicted. "I will abide by the jury’s decision."

COMMENT:  What can we say?  What can we really say?  The actual story here will be how the leftist press will find a way to defend the president, after what they've done to President-elect Trump.  They will find a way.

December 2,  2024

EARLY THURSDAY - FRIDAY

First, happy Thanksgiving to you all, and to yours.

The holiday is packed with news, and some serious speculation.  Various law enforcement agencies are concerned about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, and the possibility that it could become a target.  The parade will be heavily guarded by the NYPD.

I recall the parade from earlier years.  We have two daughters, and their piano teacher lived on Central Park West, the street the parade comes down before entering mid-Manhattan.  She would invite her students, and their parents, to come over on Thanksgiving Day and watch the parade from their fourth-floor apartment.   It was terrific.  The kids were at eye level with the massive balloons. 

Now we hope the parade will be peaceful.

In other news:  The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah seems to be holding.  There is much informed comment from good sources that the agreement could lead to intensified talks to produce a similar pact ending the war in Gaza.  Joe Biden is clearly fighting for it.  He'd like nothing better than to end his presidency with a major diplomatic victory.  Maybe even a Nobel Peace Prize.

In my view, another person fighting for it is President-elect Trump.  Wait, you say.  Why would Trump want Biden to get the credit?  My reply:  He doesn't need the credit.  He won the election, a much more important fact.  And besides, many people will note that the peace agreements were reached only after he was elected.  Surely, his presence, and probably fear of him, influenced the talks, many will say.

But there's a bigger reason, in my view, why Trump would want the deals made before he takes office.  He would become president without being bogged down with a shooting war in the Mideast.  He could focus on getting his agenda moving right here at home, and produce fast results for a waiting public.  It would be a smart move.

On another matter, you've read the news that a number of President Trump's senior picks for his administration have been threatened by presumed terrorists.  It is not yet known whether these threats are coordinated, or the work of crackpot copycats.  Whatever the truth, we must assume that this kind of chilling behavior will continue, and may discourage some people from taking government jobs or working in high-risk agencies. like the Defense Department.

Terrorism is with us, and actually has been for some time.  Our security services and local police will need plenty of help if the threat escalates.  And yet, the left is already mobilizing to paralyze or frustrate the very forces who work to keep us safe.  This story is just building.

November 28,  2024 

MONDAY - TUESDAY

We are watching with care and hope the start of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.  It was largely arranged by the United States, and proper credit must be given to President Biden and his diplomatic team.   The issue now is whether the ceasefire holds and leads to new talks to end the fighting in Gaza.

The timing is interesting.  Talks have been going on for months, but only after Donald Trump won the election did they come to fruition.  Is there any connection?  It's hard to believe there isn't, but I have no direct evidence.  I am also assuming that the president-elect has been speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he knows well.

There is cautious hope that the ceasefire will lead to new talks with Hamas to stop the fighting in Gaza.  Biden would love to leave office as the man who ended the Mideast war, but it may be a bridge too far.

One person absent from the scene today was Vice President Kamala Harris.  Coincidence or intentional?  Harris is on vacation in Hawaii, which I guess is the excuse.  The ceasefire announcement is the most important foreign policy moment in Biden's presidential history, and one might assume that he wanted to make it alone, especially considering the tension between the two. 

Stand by.  We're monitoring the first hours of the ceasefire.  It is fragile.

The fading away of a bad idea, from Fox Business: 

FIRST ON FOX: Walmart is making a slate of changes to its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, becoming the latest in a growing list of major corporations to halt the so-called "woke" initiatives.

Anti-woke activist and filmmaker Robby Starbuck, who has been leading a campaign exposing major corporations' woke policies, said on X on Monday that he warned Walmart executives last week that he would be doing a story on "wokeness" at the retail giant.

"Instead," Starbuck shared, "we had productive conversations to find solutions."

Starbuck outlined the changes Walmart agreed to make, including working to remove sexual and transgender products inappropriately marketed toward children and reviewing grants to Pride events to avoid funding sexualized content targeting kids. 

Walmart clarified that these changes have been in the works for a few years and were not a result of the conversation with Starbuck.

Walmart confirmed to FOX Business that it plans to change how it monitors products within its marketplace and reviews the funding of grants. 

The company said some products that violated its policies have been removed, such as chest binders – products designed to flatten the chest – when marketed to children.

The company also confirmed it will review all grants, especially for community events, to ensure they promote an appropriate environment for children. However, Walmart will continue to support Pride celebrations.

The company has also decided not to extend the Racial Equity Center it launched in 2020 as a five-year initiative and will ditch the terms "LatinX" and even "DEI" altogether in official communications. It will instead focus on the term "belonging" for all associates and customers.

COMMENT:  The Trump victory is clearly having a widespread impact.  We want to see that impact extended to public schools and WOKE-absorbed universities.  Let us get universal school choice.  Our fight has just begun.  Prepare now for the 2026 midterms.

November 25,  2024 

FRIDAY - SATURDAY - BIT OF SUNDAY

THE REAL CRISIS:  We've had our November fun.  But a good part of the world is boiling.  Please watch the foreign situation each day, for that is what President-elect Trump will be dealing with officially once he takes office, and is probably dealing with unofficially now.  Pay particular attention to Ukraine, where Russian troops are being augmented by ground troops from North Korea, the first time we've seen that in Europe.  Missiles are being supplied by Iran, and China is clearly taking the side of our adversaries.  A new axis of evil is being formed, made possible by one incident after another of American weakness under the outgoing administration. 

Some people speak openly of World War III in Europe, as the sides are already fighting the largest European ground battle since World War II.  One flash, whether intentional or not, can slide us into war, with American troops involved.

Americans are still asleep.  An older generation was napping on December 7, 1941, awakened by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Another generation was somewhat awakened by the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.  But we are not ready, psychologically or otherwise. 

Russia is already threatening the use of nuclear weapons.

China is making dangerous naval moves in the western pacific, near Taiwan, at a time when the Chinese navy is larger than ours.  China also has nuclear weapons.

In the Mideast, Iran, though humbled by Israeli action, and weakened by the near destruction of its employees, Hamas and Hezbollah, is talking nuclear weapons as well.

Have a peaceful night.  Remember, Kamala is on guard from her bunker in Hawaii. 

November 24,  2024

Look who's been running the ship.  From Fox:  

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., took aim at Secretary of State Antony Blinken after it was reported that the State Department held therapy sessions for employees who were upset by President-elect Trump’s election victory.

"I am concerned that the Department is catering to federal employees who are personally devastated by the normal functioning of American democracy through the provision of government-funded mental health counseling because Kamala Harris was not elected President of the United States," Issa said in a letter to Blinken last week.

The letter comes after a Free Beacon report earlier this month that detailed two alleged therapy sessions that were held at the State Department after Trump’s victory, with sources telling the outlet that one such instance amounted to an information "cry session."

In another instance, an email went out to agency employees and touted a separate  "insightful webinar where we delve into effective stress management techniques to help you navigate these challenging times" after Trump’s victory, according to the report.

"Change is a constant in our lives, but it can often bring about stress and uncertainty," the email said. "Join us for an insightful webinar where we delve into effective stress management techniques to help you navigate these challenging times. This session will provide tips and practical strategies for managing stress and maintaining your well being."

COMMENT:  Whatever happened to the word "grown-up"?  For too long we have put up with childlike objects running our policies.  Allies and enemies notice these things.  Domestic leftists cheer.  Many journalists have watched with approval.  Ditto college professors. 

But change is in the wind.  A new administration will be sworn in within two months.  I suspect we'll feel a jolt immediately.  A good jolt. 

November 24, 2024

WEDNESDAY - THURSDAY:

GAETZ OUT, BONDI IN:  President-elect Trump quickly named a replacement for Matt Gaetz, after Gaetz withdrew as Trump's choice for attorney general.   She is Pam Bondi, whom you've probably seen on television.  She was Florida's first female attorney general, and built an enviable reputation for the quality of her work.  She is a close friend of Trump and has been one of his lawyers.

Bondi will be a far harder target for Democrats than Gaetz, who was immersed in controversy.  The Dem militants, especially the left-wing fringe, will find something, and make her out to be daughter of Hitler, but she should easily win Senate confirmation.

Two months from now, Donald Trump will be in the second day of his presidency.  Can't come too soon.

November 21, 2024

BULLETIN:  Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn as President-elect Trump's choice for attorney general.

Gaetz has been the most controversial of Trump's choices for the president's Cabinet.  Intensely disliked even by many of his fellow Republicans, the subject of several ethics investigations, and a man given the blame for destroying the House speakership of Republican Kevin McCarthy, Gaetz's confirmation by the Senate as attorney general was much in doubt.  There was no immediate  informed mention of another Trump candidate for the job.  Only speculation.  Beware of speculation.

My feeling is that Gaetz's withdrawal is a good thing for Trump.  It relieves him of controversy he doesn't need.  We note that other nominations are also facing serious opposition – Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense and Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, to name but two.  Then there is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to be secretary of health and human services.  I would not be shocked if Hegseth's candidacy drops away, as he is faced with past allegations (but no convictions) of sexual assault. 

Some of Trump's other picks for public positions have raised eyebrows as to suitability, so Trump must proceed with caution.  How much political capital is he willing to expend, right at the start of his term, when he wants maximum support and unity behind his presidency. 

We'll have more on this later on.  Trump has proved himself a master politician, and I have some confidence that he'll maneuver his way through these bumps. 

November 21, 2024

MONDAY, A LITTLE OF TUESDAY:

It appears that the Democrats have now accepted the fact that Trump won the election.  The new line is that he won, but has no mandate because he won by itsy bitsy amounts in many states.

Let us look at what Trump actually accomplished.  From the New York Post:

Deep blue New York and New Jersey saw the largest shifts nationwide toward President-elect Donald Trump in the 2024 election, according to a top analyst. 

Dave Wasserman, a senior editor and elections analyst with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, found an 11.5% swing toward Trump in the Empire State and a similarly impressive 10.1% movement in the Republican’s favor in the Garden State compared to the 45th president’s 2020 results.

Florida (9.8%), Massachusetts (8.7%), California (8.4%), Texas (8.3%), Mississippi (7.7%), Rhode Island (7.0%), Tennessee (6.5%), and Illinois (6.4%) rounded out the top ten.

A Republican presidential candidate hasn’t won the Democratic stronghold of New Jersey since 1988. 

It’s been even longer in New York, where the last Republican to win was Ronald Reagan, in his 1984 landslide over Walter Mondale. 

“NJ has become a SWING STATE!,” the New Jersey GOP tweeted shortly after Trump’s Election Day win over Vice President Kamala Harris.

Garden State GOP Chairman Bob Hugin credits Trump support from working-class voters with the party’s inroads in the reliably blue state. 

“The Democrats have abandoned them, and it’s our opportunity to govern now,” Hugin told the New Jersey Monitor. 

Meanwhile, New York GOP Chairman Ed Cox credited Trump with redefining “what it means to be a Republican in the 21st century” and expanding the party’s appeal “across demographic lines.”

“Under President-elect Donald Trump’s leadership, Republicans have broadened our coalition and brought a once-in-a-lifetime shift in our voter base, drawing in working-class Americans, voters of color, and younger citizens disillusioned with the status quo,” Cox wrote in an essay for Newsday. 

“New York may be a blue state, but it is a working-class blue state, not a progressive, ‘woke’ blue state,” he added.

COMMENT:   Read the rest.  Please.  There is opportunity here.  New York City elects a mayor next year - 2025.  The current guy, a Dem, is in deep trouble.  If our side works hard and finds a solid candidate, and gets behind that person, we have a shot at a miracle.  Pass it on.

November 19,  2024

FRIDAY NIGHT/LATE SATURDAY/AND A BIT AFTERWARD

You're probably overloaded with endless TV panel discussions about the president-elect's appointees.  I will not bore you with much more, except to say that some appointments, like Marco Rubio as secretary of state and Elise Stefanik as UN ambassador are brilliant – indeed Mr. Trump may have nominated two future presidents – and others are very high quality, like the appointment of Lee Zeldin of New York as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.  A few may be problematical, and there may be serious trouble in the confirmation process for a few more.  We'll get to that.

Rather, I think it's important that readers know more about the confirmation process itself.  There is a certain category of nominees who, by law, must be confirmed by the full Senate before being permitted to take office.  The US Senate itself has published a fine document on this process, as follows.  Please read.  You'll get a lot out of it.

The Senate has formally rejected only a handful of cabinet nominees over the past two centuries. The 64-year period between 1925 and 1989 produced just one rejection. It occurred on June 19, 1959. 

President Dwight Eisenhower called it "the second most shameful day in Senate history," second only to Andrew Johnson's impeachment trial. Time magazine pronounced it a "stinging personal slap . . . U.S. history's bitterest battle over confirmation of a presidential nomination." Others debated whether it was a "legislative lynching or political suicide." 

When Eisenhower gave Admiral Lewis Strauss a recess appointment as secretary of commerce two weeks before the 1958 midterm congressional elections, neither man expected the cataclysm that awaited the Republican Party on election day. Strauss had served for the previous four years as chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. His tenure there had been particularly stormy. On one occasion, he angrily stated that New Mexico's Democratic Senator Clinton Anderson, chairman of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, had "a limited understanding of what is involved" in cold-war atomic energy policy. Although Anderson never forgave Strauss for that remark, he told the White House he would not stand in the way of his confirmation to the lower-profile post as commerce secretary. 

The 1958 elections, however, dramatically changed the Senate's composition and outlook. An economic recession, White House influence-peddling scandals, and concerns over Soviet breakthroughs in outer space produced the largest transfer of seats from one party to another in the Senate's history. Democrats gained 13 Republican seats, plus two seats from the new state of Alaska. This added up to 64 Democrats and 34 Republicans. 

With the 1960 elections nearing, congressional Democrats sought issues on which they could conspicuously oppose the Republican administration. The Strauss nomination proved tailor made. During confirmation hearings that quickly turned sour, Strauss displayed a condescending and disdainful attitude toward members of the Senate. His insistence on remaining at the witness table to cross-examine hostile witnesses—and senators—angered his supporters and delighted opponents. Anderson abandoned his earlier hands-off pledge and vigorously lobbied his Senate colleagues to reject the imperious admiral. 

At 35 minutes past midnight, on June 19, 1959, in a packed Senate Chamber, the Strauss nomination died on a cliff-hanging roll-call vote of 46 in favor, 49 opposed. The Strauss rejection heralded a period of legislative stalemate for the remaining 18 months of the Eisenhower presidency. 

COMMENT:  That's real history, and important history, the kind we used to learn in our generation, when careful historians were venerated. 

I urge you to watch the confirmation process.  Some of the hearings will be televised.  Some will produce a great deal of information about the nominee.  Some will undoubtedly produce real fireworks.  Oh, the joy of it all.  Out of these hearings will come the president's Cabinet.  The confirmed nominees will go to their jobs.  And, since we'll have President Trump in office, a small number may be out within a year.  They serve at the pleasure, or displeasure of the president.

November 16,  2024

WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY NIGHT

A week filled with news.  The new/old president forms his second administration. 

But the most important thing to happen this week is that the Republicans hit the magic number of 218 in House elections, meaning they will control both the House and Senate.  The House majority in the end may be very small – maybe three or four votes – but control of the body means control of the all-important committees, and committee chairs. And remember that all money bills originate in the House.  And please recall also that the speaker of the House is second in line for the presidency, right behind the vice president, should a disaster occur. 

Something else happened, or didn't happen.  World reaction to the election of Donald Trump was resoundingly quiet.  Yes, we had some expressions of defiance from the usual suspects.  You can't expect the ayatollahs to be pleased.  But voices were largely muted, possibly because Trump's election had been expected, and possibly because he'd already been president and didn't blow up the world, as assumed by the Democrats.

Indeed, some reports said that many foreign leaders were pleased that America would once again have a strong hand on the rudder. 

Behind all of this there is the rumble of major political change.  The voting statistics tell the story.  It is the Republicans who more and more represent and understand the working American.  It is the Democrats, who once proudly called themselves the party of the people, who now are part of a declining elitist class who often seem to despise the very citizens they claim to represent. 

On that note, there is a wonderful, instructive story of the first days of John Kennedy's administration.  The Vice President was Lyndon Johnson, former majority leader in the Senate.  After attending his first Cabinet meeting, Johnson headed over to his old political home, the Capitol, and paid a visit to the speaker of the house, Sam Rayburn, known as Mr. Sam.

Johnson told Mr. Sam how astounded he was by the meeting.  Why, he said, there was a guy from Harvard, a couple of men from M.I.T., some lawyers from Yale, and some political scientists from Berkeley.

Mr. Sam was unimpressed.  "Lyndon," he was quoted as saying, "I only wish that one of them had run for sheriff."  In other words, he wished that at least one of them had spent his career with real, ordinary Americans.

Last week, in America, the sheriffs won. 

You can feel the change.

November 14,  2024

LATE MONDAY/TUESDAY

I apologize for lateness.  We're still with you.  However, the sheer amount of news coming in, especially about presidential appointments, has been overwhelming.  I try to get as much background as possible before posting anything.  I don't want to repeat what you already know.  We'll catch up.

In the meantime, please consider this:  We just went through a presidential campaign without a single, serious debate on foreign and defense policy.  In Jack Kennedy's time, that would have been impossible.  If a candidate didn't have foreign policy chops, he didn't apply for the job.

Who do you think is responsible for this?  How can we get it changed?  The world is a dangerous place.  And we're taking great risks.  Please send any ideas to allmatters@urgentagenda.net 

SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY

Nothing new on the vote count.  I guess they don't count on Sundays.  The GOP is still within two votes, according to RealClearPolitics, of controlling the House.  I don't know if some states won't count tomorrow, Veteran's Day. 

Within the Democratic Party is deep and philosophical thinking (not really) about what went wrong in this election.  The party, if there is to be one, might devote this precious time to the midterms two years from now.  True political professionals, if they lose, start planning for the next election the next day. 

A legitimate question about the Democratic Party is whether there will be one.  For some time there have been murmurs that the party has no purpose and no agreed-upon platform and that a new center-left party should be formed.  The party also has a very thin bench.  The elders, like Nancy Pelosi, keep holding on.  The party's top vote getters, like Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, face opposition from the Democratic far left's ready-for-the-asylum fringe. 

The founders of any new party would have to start by repeating the 1948 maneuver that added enormously to the to Democratic voting power.  Democratic giant Eleanor Roosevelt, widow of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and sitting Democratic President Harry Truman, combined to defeat an attempt by the "progressive" left to take over the party.  They announced, "so far and no further," refusing to bend to the progressives' demands.  Many progressives revolted, left the party and, in a new party, ran Henry Wallace for president against Truman in 1948.  Wallace was demolished and his party was shredded.

That's what you have to do.  You have to risk losing some members in order to demolish the fringe that is holding the party back.  Not everyone should be accepted by a political party.  Today, the remaining sane Democrats must vigorously take on "the squad" and its Leninist allies and show them the door.  Free of that burden, the Dems will become more attractive to most voters.  It is difficult, and much political blood will be spilled, but party survival has its price.

Donald Trump, whether you like him or not, took on a branch of the GOP, as did Ronald Reagan.  Both went on to be called "Mr. President."

More coming.

November 10,  2024

FRIDAY NIGHT/SATURDAY

CORRECTION:  Thanks to reader Dennis Halpin, I can apply to return to respectability. Turns out that the Harris campaign raised over a billion dollars and wound up with about twenty million in debt.  I deeply regret the error.  Halpin is promoted to editor extraordinare.

LATE FRIDAY

It is now being widely reported that the Harris campaign is more than a billion dollars in debt.  Three days after the vote they are still begging for money, and admitting they have a serious problem.  Apparently the campaign got taken to the cleaners by movie and TV stars, set designers and the like.  It was more show biz than good politics.

THE COUNT:  The vote count in close states and districts goes on.  Republicans are assured of taking the Senate, with 53 solid seats.  Two states are out, Nevada and Arizona.  Both are potential GOP pickups, but the razor-close numbers appear to lean slightly Democratic.

The House is exciting.  RealClearPolitics has Republicans solid in 214 districts, with 218 needed to have a House majority.  The Dems are at 204.  Most of the uncalled seats lean Republican, and the GOP is increasingly confident that they will control the new House.  If that becomes the case, the GOP will have run the table, controlling the White House and both houses of Congress.  On Monday that was only a dream.  Some dreams come true.

More coming.

THURSDAY MORNING TO EVENING

First, let me thank our readers for your patience.  As you can well understand, Urgent Agenda has been swamped this week.  I pledge to answer all the emails we've received.  They are appreciated, and show what an informed readership we have.  I will answer all in as short a time as possible.

We are still following the Senate and House races.  I think we can say with certainty that the GOP will have 53 Senate seats, with the hope of possibly one or two more.  That is critical.  It is the Senate that confirms judges and Cabinet officials, and ratifies treaties.  President-elect Trump must be deeply relieved that the Senate will be behind him.

As for the House, it is too early to be definitive.  There are many House seats still being counted.  We see guarded optimism within the Trump forces that, when the counting is complete, our side will maintain control of the House, with a small majority.  But that is not certain at this time. We may not know the actual result until next week.

As you see and hear on your TV sets and car radios, the main news organizations are, with some exceptions, trying to do a decent job of measuring public reaction to the election.  Given the scandals and disturbances on college campuses in the last year, I thought you might be interested in the scene at Harvard – kind of a symbol, for now, of American higher, or lower, education.  This is direct from the Harvard Crimson, and I recommend that you read it all:

At 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Sophia R. Mammucari ’28 woke up to a phone call from her mom — and the news that Donald Trump had been officially reelected.

“I still had some hope that she was going to win by a small amount. And then I woke up this morning, and that’s not what happened,” Mammucari said. “I probably cried for like an hour.”

On election night, students gathered at viewing parties hosted by friends, House tutors, the Institute of Politics, and the Harvard Republican Club to watch results roll in.

The next morning, they woke up to a somber campus.

When Samantha M. Holtz ’28 googled the presidential election’s outcome before her Wednesday morning swim practice, her “heart dropped a little bit.”

“Being at Harvard, I was surrounded by a lot of people who were very pro-Harris, so in my mind it was already a decided election,” Holtz said. “It was a little bit shocking to me.”

Luke P. Kushner ’27 said he was “really, really disappointed” by the presidential election results.

“Very early on in the night, it became pretty clear that it was going to go in the direction of Trump,” Kushner said. “I went to bed before they called it, and at that point I was pretty resigned.”

In Harvard’s freshman dining hall Wednesday morning, Holtz joined a teammate to eat breakfast with College Dean Rakesh Khurana.

According to Holtz, Khurana told students to “let yourself feel a bunch of emotions about how this is going to impact us in the future, and listen to other people and how they feel about it too.”

Some professors also encouraged students to process in the aftermath of the election, adjusting course requirements in kind.

Courses such as Sociology 1156: “Statistics for Social Sciences” and Applied Math 22a: “Solving and Optimizing,” as well as several General Education courses — 1074: “The Ancient Greek Hero” and 1111: “Popular Culture and Modern China” among them — canceled their Wednesday classes, made attendance optional, or extended assignment deadlines.

The move echoes the aftermath of Trump’s first win in 2016, when professors postponed exams and changed lesson plans to lighten students’ schedules.

COMMENT:  Oh, the poor dears.  I weep, I weep.  How can we do this to our own children, the future leaders of the world, and even more than that?  It's time to call in the ideology counselors, who will bring in beautifully recorded soft quotes from the Squad.  I hope you get emotional, as I did. 

Please stop laughing. 

More coming later.

November 8,  2024

ELECTION DAY

Well, it's actually 3:50 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

As planned, we will have comments after Kamala Harris delivers what should be her concession speech. 

THE STRANGEST ELECTION

Sunday:  We really do get absorbed in the last few days of a presidential campaign.  This morning, for the first time in my "adult" life, I forgot to set the clocks back.  Such a boring task, and I still haven't gotten to the car.  Remember, though:  Your iphone is always right, as is the time on your cable box.  Both get their settings from precise, electronic sources which adjust for daylight savings time, and back.

Before I get to today's very thin news report, here is something that might interest you:  One of the phrases we've heard often during this campaign is "word salad."  It's been applied to Kamala Harris, who gets the first sentence of her comments correct, then goes into an explosion of words that go on and on without making sense – a word salad.  I wrote recently that it might win one of those awards for "new phrase of the year," and might even find its way into Guiness.  I assumed it was original.

I assumed wrong.

We have a wonderfully informed readership here at Urgent Agenda, and I received the following from a distinguished physician:

"Mr. Katz, the term 'word salad,' used lately to describe Vice President Harris's typical locution has been in use medically for some time to describe the manic babbling and loose associations seen in some patients during psychotic episodes and is therefore not 'new.'  What is new is the individual involved with this type of subterfuge doesn't have an obvious psychiatric diagnosis excluding sociopathic shamelessness and delusional self perception."

I'm delighted to have this contribution.  Use it among friends. You'll sound terrific.

I cannot honestly say that there's anything truly dramatic and verified happening in the election campaign, these two days before election day.  The "verification" will come when the votes are counted.

But several things do stand out a bit.  The last week shows that the 24-hour news cycle has become pretty much useless.  It's too much time chasing too few ideas.  We have seen the constant repeat of news stories, panel discussions stuck on trivia and theory...and very little attention paid to international stories that might soon involve this nation in a shooting war.  The world does not stop because we're having an election. 

And I would add that the absence of a full discussion of foreign policy during this campaign has been a disgrace to the candidates, their political parties, our election system, and American journalism. 

A few other things that stand out, but cannot yet be proved:

There appears to be a closing in the gender gap, with more women than expected voting for Trump.  Some of the pundits attribute this to the patronizing statements and ads run by the Harris side in the past week, including accusations that Trump is never surrounded by accomplished women, a plain-out lie, and ads urging women to lie to their husbands about whom they voted for.  Not nice.  Treats women like children.

Finally, for now anyway, there clearly is unease among pollsters and people who read polls, that something is off about this year's presidential polls.  How, some experienced people are asking, can so many polls be so close, and constantly so?  The needle has barely moved for weeks.  Doesn't look on the level.  Many states have the numbers one and two points apart.  This strange showing will be looked at carefully Tuesday night and later.  Maybe it's coincidence, maybe there's something corrupt going on.  I stress that I make no charges.

More coming.   

IS THIS THE EXPLANATION FOR CURIOUS POLLS?

Friday:  The election is four days away, and you may have noticed that the news networks have gone desperate, trying to find real news stories. Our boredom builds.

"Here's a bulletin from CNN, folks.  CNN's Blather Bumstead reports exclusively that Donald Trump left a comma out of a public statement today, stunning political observers.  Experts say that the catastrophe is a sure sign of cognitive decline and may drive the former decrepit president out of the race.  CNN will have an emergency panel of doctors, health experts and phonies to discuss this issue.  It's a must see."

Yeah, that's about it.

But wait.  There was one thing today that hit me, and it's the election story of the day.  Have you wondered why so many "respected" polls seem to be moving in a kind of unison, resulting in almost identical results, where you usually get more of a spread?  Is this the answer, from the New York Post?

Polling guru Nate Silver lashed out at other survey junkies in his field for “cheating” in the final stretch of the 2024 presidential election — accusing them of recycling some results to keep the race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris close.

The FiveThirtyEight founder said irresponsible pollsters were “herding” their numbers, or using past results to affect current ones, to keep Vice President Harris and former President Trump within a point or two of each other each time.

“I kind of trust pollsters less,” Silver said on his podcast, name-checking Emerson College. “They all, every time a pollster [says] ‘Oh, every state is just plus-one, every single state’s a tie,’ no! You’re herding! You’re cheating! You’re cheating!” he fumed.

“Your numbers aren’t all going to come out at exactly one-point leads when you’re sampling 800 people over dozens of surveys,” Silver vented.

“You are lying! You’re putting your finger on the scale!'”

Silver’s own vaunted model puts Trump ahead of Harris, 55% to 45%, as voters prepare to head to the polls in just three days.

His scorn also extended to “all these GOP-leaning firms” showing the former president narrowly ahead each time to project that they’re “not going out too far on a limb.”

“If a pollster never publishes any numbers that surprises you, then it has no value,” he said.

Silver blasted most other pollsters except for the New York Times, saying the rest were “just punting on this election for the most part.”

“But look, all seven swing states are still polling within it looks like a point and a half here,” he hedged.

“It doesn’t take a genius to know that if every swing state is a tie, that the overall forecast is a tie.”

Trump, 78, is currently leading Harris, 60, in both the national (+0.3%) and swing-state (+0.9%) averages of recent polls aggregated by RealClearPolitics.

COMMENT:  Fascinating.  If Silver is right, we have a major political scandal.  We should know if he's correct on election night.  Oh, this is juicy!!

November 1,  2024

THE OCTOBER SURPRISE? 

It's Thursday.  There is not much to report that you don't already know. The polls continue to show a slight lead for Trump, but it could disappear with a sneeze.   Kamala's great speech to the nation, delivered from the Mall in Washington, has not moved the needle at all, so far, and had no content that was in any way original.

But there may be news.  There may be an "October surprise," launched by the Dems.  It is a common last-minute shock technique to draw just enough votes to win, while the other side scrambles to defend. 

Consider this, from Reuters:

Lebanon’s prime minister expressed hope on Wednesday that a ceasefire deal with Israel would be announced within days as Israel‘s public broadcaster published what it said was a draft agreement providing for an initial 60-day truce.

The document, which broadcaster Kan said was a leaked proposal written by Washington, said Israel would withdraw its forces from Lebanon within the first week of the 60-day ceasefire. It largely aligned with details reported earlier by Reuters based on two sources familiar with the matter.

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said he had not believed a deal would be possible until after Tuesday’s US presidential election. But he said he became more optimistic after speaking on Wednesday with US envoy for the Middle East Amos Hochstein, who was due to travel to Israel on Thursday.

“Hochstein, during his call with me, suggested to me that we could reach an agreement before the end of the month and before Nov. 5,” Mikati told Lebanon’s Al Jadeed television.

“We are doing everything we can and we should remain optimistic that in the coming hours or days, we will have a ceasefire,” Mikati said.

The draft published by Kan was dated Saturday, and when asked to comment, White House national security spokesperson Sean Savett said: “There are many reports and drafts circulating. They do not reflect the current state of negotiations.”

But Savett did not respond to a query on whether the version published by Kan was at least the basis for further negotiations.

The Israeli network said the draft had been presented to Israel‘s leaders. Israeli officials did not immediately comment.

COMMENT:  Imagine.  A ceasefire deal announced by the White House next Monday, the announcement made by Kamala Harris in her capacity as vice president, and simultaneous leaks to the press about her "full participation" in shaping the deal.  Yes, most Americans would probably see it for what it would be – a last-minute gimmick.  But for others it could easily be the thing that convinces them that Kamala could handle the presidency.

We'll see, but watch Lebanon carefully.

October 31,  2024

ONE WEEK TO THE RIDICULOUS ELECTION

The one-week mark has been reached.  In one week we will, we assume, elect a new president.  I write "we assume" because we're now told that it might actually takes weeks for some states to certify their own results.  There are also whispers that, if Trump wins, some radical Dems might try to have the election declared null and void on some procedural grounds.  We could have post-election chaos.  We could even hear "Bring Back Biden" chants.  Hillary Clinton could announce her availability.

Where does the race stand?  I don't know, and an increasing number of respectable commentators are giving the same answer.  If we believe the polls, which are remarkably close to each other, the race has been slowly trending toward Trump, both nationally and in the seven or so key states.  But the margins are narrow.  One jolt, or a major, drenching storm in a large section of the country, can change the numbers in a flash. 

Some pollsters worry that their methodology may not be working in this divided and tumultuous year.  Remember, not many months ago Kamala Harris was an unpopular, unproductive vice president who was widely seen as a drag on Joe Biden's presidential ticket.  Now she is portrayed by the mainstream media and her own party as America's first queen.  "Kamala," they moan, "we hardly knew ye."

Pollsters also say that they're having trouble reaching men, and they aren't completely sure why once-loyal Democratic voter groups appear to be going rightward.

Remember that a week is a lifetime in politics.  Some huge event can happen.  I dread the thought.  Play this hour by hour, and insist to yourself that no one has this election put away.  Because no one does.

More coming.

October 29,  2024

HOW LOW DO THE DEMS WANT TO GET? 

With Hillary involved, the bottom's the limit.  The sorest of the sore losers, who never forgets that she was denied the office that she told herself she deserved, is back in action.  She wants to alert her subjects to the idea that next week's Trump rally in Madison Square Garden will be a reminder of the American Nazi rallies held there in the 1930s, which were filled with hate. 

This is part of the Democratic attempt, which will complete their campaign, of comparing Donald Trump with Adolf Hitler. 

It is sickening.  Of course, every Republican president in the last 60 years has been compared to Hitler, including the jovial Ronald Reagan and the religious George W. Bush.  It's a loving Democratic tradition.

If Hillary actually knew anything about history, which she doesn't, she would know that Madison Square Garden was also the site of some of the first, and largest, anti-Nazi rallies, some organized by Hollywood's Ben Hecht.   These patriotic rallies were instrumental in inspiring the American people to mobilize against the Nazis.

I'm hoping that the Democratic attempt to link Donald Trump to the dictator who caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of American soldiers will backfire, and help send Kamala Harris into an early retirement.  If it succeeds, we are all in trouble as a nation.

October 26, 2024

THE RIDICULOUS ELECTION:  (Editor's note:  "The Ridiculous Election" is a new feature that will continue through election day, and probably beyond, as we go through the post-election absurdity that every American has a God-given right to witness.)

It is ridiculous, isn't it?  Look what we're displaying to the world.   This is our democracy?  We have one candidate, Kamala Harris, the vice president of the United States, now the presidential candidate of her party, who cannot complete an English paragraph without plunging into what is termed a "word salad."  That phrase will probably make it into the records as one of the best new expressions of the year.  She descends into verbal chaos, saying nothing except the memorized lines she's been given.  If a reporter asks her if she likes popcorn, she might well reply, "Well, I'm from a middle-class family, and what middle-class family doesn't like popcorn?  But, y'know, I'm not recommending it because, well, y'know, in my position I don't give food advice, and I wouldn't do that unless I, y'know, read up on candy corn and knew, well, a vice president wants to know if, I mean, anyone in government wants to know if, next question please...

And we have the other candidate, who has his own speech problems, but who has a long political record, including four years as president, who made a simple, truthful remark about the fact that the professional, superbly trained Germany army that Hitler inherited had some outstanding generals.  He also said they were the kind of officers he would like to have.  And immediately he is branded as a fan of Hitler and essentially pro-Nazi.   And the one above, Kamala Harris, is now declaring him a fascist.  And the same label has been stuck on him by some people who worked for him.

Impressive, isn't it?  We used to be the leader of the free world.  I'm not so sure anymore.

October 23,  2024

OCTOBER 21-22, 2024

TWO WEEKS:  We are two weeks away from the presidential election, certainly one of the most important elections our time. 

A few things to remember:  First, this is the time when speculative journalism is at its height.  Beware of "may" stories and "might" stories. 

Second, two weeks is a lifetime in politics.  Anything can happen.  In 1980 there was only one debate between President Jimmy Carter and Republican candidate Ronald Reagan.  It was held October 28th, a week before the election.  The public had never seen the two on the same stage.  But the contrast between them – Reagan's commanding presence and Carter's...well – won it for the Gipper, who went on to victory.  Late impressions do count.   

Third, both sides may try for the classic "October surprise," which, this year, may consist of a last-minute legal charge against Trump, coming only a few days before the election, and too late to completely answer. 

Fourth, a slip of the tongue.  Both presidential candidates are prone to messing it up.  But Harris is especially prone because she's reversing her positions on just about everything, and that's when pols get in trouble.

Fifth, a sudden international event can turn the election up and down, especially if American troops are involved.

Sixth,  health.  Nothing more need be said.

Seventh, a silent issue suddenly bursts out into the open.  This year it could be school choice.  It's actually amazing that Republicans haven't used it, given that polls show it it's extremely popular.  Perfect for a late issue.  What would Kamala Harris actually say when the Democratic Party is largely controlled by the anti-choice teachers unions?  Hmm. 

Eighth, I have no idea.  Think of something. 

October 22,  2024

OCTOBER 19-20, 2024

URGENT:  THIS IS SERIOUS STUFF, AND COULD GROW INTO A MAJOR SCANDAL.  FROM AP:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is investigating an unauthorized release of classified documents that assess Israel’s plans to attack Iran, three U.S. officials told The Associated Press. A fourth U.S. official said the documents appear to be legitimate. 

The documents are attributed to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency, and note that Israel was still moving military assets in place to conduct a military strike in response to Iran’s blistering ballistic missile attack on Oct. 1. They were sharable within the “Five Eyes,” which are the U.S., Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

The documents, which are marked top secret, were posted to the Telegram messaging app and first reported Saturday by CNN and Axios. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

The investigation is also examining how the documents were obtained — including whether it was an intentional leak by a member of the U.S. intelligence community or obtained by another method, like a hack — and whether any other intelligence information was compromised, one of the officials said. As part of that investigation, officials are working to determine who had access to the documents before they were posted, the official said...

...The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment over the leak of the two documents.

COMMENT:  Read the rest.  International alliances, especially when it comes to military or intelligence matters, depend on trust.  And a major part of that trust in turn depends on the ability to keep an ally's secrets safe and truly confidential.  If that trust is broken, the damage can be immense, and can extend as far as starting a war, or losing one.

This story concerns the leak of an ally's war plans.  The ally is Israel.  The leaker probably exists somewhere in the United States.  The leak can involve life or death, on a large scale.

If you were another ally of the United States, would you trust this country with your secrets?  At minimum, you would do a cold examination of what you were releasing to Washington, and might very well withhold the most sensitive things, given Israel's experience.

I'm glad our federal government is investigating, but it's investigating itself.  This calls for a major bipartisan probe by Congress, or by a prestigious outside board, like the Challenger commission.

Also, the leak occurred less than three weeks before an American presidential election.  Is this involved?  I'd love to know.

October 20,  2024

OCTOBER 17-18, 2024

TWO AND A HALF WEEKS TO GO:  What can be reliably reported about the election campaign?  Do you want to yawn now or later?  The polls?  Choose the ones that make you happy.  Virtually all polls show that the election nationally, and in the battleground states, is very close. 

But I've never seen pollsters so unsure of themselves.  They're dealing with a public more reluctant to express opinions than ever before.  The overall mood of the country is negative – no joy in Mudville.  Pollsters can't be sure that their methods will hold up, or whether they're in for an industry-jolting event.

In my view, the presidential election that most resembles this one was the 1964 battle between incumbent Lyndon Johnson and Senator Barry Goldwater.  Neither candidate was popular with the great mass of Americans.  Johnson was widely regarded as a machine politician, in office only because President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated.  Barry Goldwater was widely seen as too far to the right in a political system that tended toward the center, a kind of cult candidate with a passionate following that was too small for victory.  Johnson won in a landslide despite his wide unpopularity.  Election night was a big shrug.

More than anything else, American voters this year want someone to cheer for, and they haven't got it.  It isn't only lack of popularity that we see.  It's a lack of confidence.  Some may fear that Donald Trump might blow up a continent.  Others could think that Kamala Harris might not know where the continent to blow up actually is. 

The one thing that clearly comes out of this campaign is the need for the parties to vastly improve their nominating process.  They are private institutions.  They can do what they wish within the law.  If they cannot improve, a third party may be the only scare mechanism that can get the ancient Democrats and Republicans to restart their engines. 

October 18,  2024   

OCTOBER 15-16, 2024

THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO BE  FURIOUS.  From Fox: 

A diversity, equity and inclusion expert had her former boss placed on administrative leave for reportedly prioritizing merit over personal identity when hiring new employees, according to a report.

Megan Donecker, who formerly served as the Oregon Department of Forestry’s DEI strategy officer, complained about the agency's management, criticizing her boss Mike Shaw for looking "beyond gender and identity in hiring, seeking only candidates most qualified for the job," OregonLive reported.

Shaw served as the agency's second-in-command under State Forester Cal Mukumoto until he was placed on administrative leave on Aug. 6 after Donecker filed a formal complaint against him, the Daily Mail reported.

Donecker reportedly first took issue with Shaw when he advocated for a careful approach to DEI, comparing rapid changes to speeding on "an icy road." She claimed that Shaw, using this metaphor, warned, "We don’t go 60 (mph) out of the gate, or we’re gonna crash the car."

She also reportedly claimed that six queer staffers didn't "feel safe or comfortable" at work because they could not have "conversation around pronouns" and referred to the department as a "boys club," the Daily Mail reported, citing the formal complaint obtained by OregonLive.

While the Oregon Department of Forestry did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiry, they have responded to recent criticism of their agency, insisting that leadership "takes employee complaints and concerns seriously and, when brought to our attention, we ensure they’re handled in accordance with state laws, rules, policies and HR best practices. This includes protecting employees from retaliation."

State Forester Mukumoto added that "providing a safe, diverse and inclusive workplace is a shared core value and priority of both the department and the Board of Forestry."

The pink-haired, tattooed Salem resident has left the department and now works as a DEI consultant, according to the Daily Mail. She reportedly describes herself as an "accomplice to marginalized communities," the outlet reported.

COMMENT:  It is simply incredible that any community puts up with this.  But, folks know that if you complain about it, you're labeled a racist, or a domestic terrorist.

October 16, 2024

OCTOBER 13-14, 2024

WILL THIS SINK KAMALA?  Ordinarily, the nation's Kammy Forever press would already be planning for her inauguration day parade, complete with a multicultural selection of songs.  But something has apparently gone wrong.  The name is Joe Biden.  Remember him?  Remember how he was pushed out of the top slot and quickly replaced by...her?  The man apparently has a memory.  From the Daily Mail:

Lingering anger from Joe Biden's staffers at him dropping out of the race after a relentless campaign from Democrats to oust him has led to tension with Kamala Harris' campaign team, a bombshell report reveals.

Biden, 81, has appeared to undercut Harris at least four times in recent weeks during the critical final stages of the 2024 race that could be one of the closest in history.

He made a surprise White House briefing room appearance during one of her rallies and praised Ron DeSantis' response to the hurricanes that devastated his state, while she accused him of playing politics. 

Now a new report fromAxios with quotes from 10 anonymous insiders says  resentment from bruised Biden aides has led to friction.

While Biden's inner circle is throwing its weight behind Harris to beat Donald Trumpin November, staffers are still wounded by how their boss was unceremoniously pushed off of the Democratic ticket.

Harris aides claim that the Biden team is deliberately not working with them as a result. 

In a general election that could come down to just a few thousand votes in one state, any large hiccups between the White House and the Harris campaign could be devastating.

'They're too much in their feelings,' a Harris ally said of Biden's team.

In recent weeks, conflict has been visible between the President and his VP.

Even Republican former President Donald Trump sees the rift in the White House.

'He can't stand her for one simple reason, she overthrew him,' Trump said of the relationship between Biden and Harris.

'But she didn't do it, the party did,' he told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday. 'It was really a coup. I mean, he's a very angry guy. I think he looks better now because now we're comparing him to her.'

Some Harris aides say that White House staffers are intentionally not working with Biden's messaging and schedule to align it with what would best benefit the 2024 candidate's campaign, according to the Axios report.

COMMENT:  Read the rest.  I get the feeling that Mr. Biden would prefer to see his vice president concede the election on election night to Donald Trump. 

Vindication.  Ah, vindication.  "Hello Kammy?  This is Joe.  I'm so sorry."

Click. 

October 14,  2024

OCTOBER 11-12, 2024

YOU CANNOT MAKE THIS UP.  PLEASE READ:  A great governor goes up against the deep state.   Cheer for the governor.  From Fox:

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Virginia, alleging that the commonwealth removed noncitizens from its voter rolls too close to Election Day.

The complaint alleges that the state Board of Elections and Virginia Commissioner of Elections Susan Beals violated the federal National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which mandates that states must complete their maintenance program no later than 90 days before an election under a clause known as the Quiet Period Provision.

The agency alleges that Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin violated the NVRA when announcing and subsequently carrying out an executive order which required the election commissioner to regularly update the state’s voter lists to remove individuals who have been "identified as noncitizens," and had not responded to a request to verify their citizenship in 14 days. 

Under Youngkin's executive order, Virginia has removed 6,303 individuals.

"The Executive Order formalized the Program and announced that 6,303 individuals had been removed from the rolls pursuant to the same process between January 2022 and July 2024," the complaint said.

The complaint notes that voters were identified as possible noncitizens if they responded "no" to questions about their citizenship status on certain forms submitted to the state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

"This systematic voter removal program, which the State is conducting within 90 days of the upcoming federal election, violates the Quiet Period Provision," the DOJ said.

In a statement, Youngkin pushed back on the Justice Department's lawsuit, saying the lawsuit was "politically motivated."

"With less than 30 days until the election, the Biden-Harris Department of Justice is filing an unprecedented lawsuit against me and the Commonwealth of Virginia, for appropriately enforcing a 2006 law signed by Democrat Tim Kaine that requires Virginia to remove noncitizens from the voter rolls - a process that starts with someone declaring themselves a non-citizen and then registering to vote," Youngkin said.

"Virginians - and Americans - will see this for exactly what it is: a desperate attempt to attack the legitimacy of the elections in the Commonwealth, the very crucible of American Democracy," he said.

COMMENT:  Another example of lawfare, within weeks of a presidential election.  Virginia is fighting back.  Youngkin is a great governor.

Please read the whole thing and follow the case.  Snap quiz on Tuesday. 

October 11,  2024

OCTOBER 9-10, 2024

We are three and a half weeks away from the election, and there is apparently panic in parts of the Democratic Party.  Apart from a shortage of tofu and the explosion of flooded batteries in electric cars, the party is realizing that its presidential candidate forgot to take the "How to run for president" course offered by a local high school.  Or even to buy the accompanying CD's.

She's getting help of a sort.  Supreme Dem vote getter Barack Obama is now on the campaign trail, but already has caught Harris Syndrome, a serious ailment of the mouth that makes one sound like an out-of-date fool.  Barack told us openly that there is less enthusiasm for Kamala than there was for him when he ran.  Thanks for the modesty, oh political genius.  He then berated black men for not fully backing Kamala, which suggested that they have a misogyny problem.  Great way to win friends.

Maybe Barack is out of practice.  Maybe bringing back the old guy just won't work.  Joe Biden must be smiling, considering that Barack once said that Biden could mess up almost anything, although using more vivid language. 

So the campaign plods on.  Donald Trump gets huge crowds and Kamala Harris gets Barack. 

But several things should be on your minds:  1)  Will there be a Democratic "October surprise" that can jolt the election numbers?  2)  Will the Mideast explode?  Israel, according to authoritative reports, is about to strike Iran hard in proper retaliation for the recent Iranian rocket attack on Israel.  What will happen next? 

The excitement isn't over.  Some Democratic fanatics in the House are threatening to refuse to certify Trump's election.  Such respect for democracy.

October 10,  2024

OCTOBER 7-8, 2024

THE MESS:  There seems to be one major news event after another.  The last 15 weeks have been historic and traumatic.  The latest blow, about to occur in Florida, might well be the largest hurricane in recent history. 

Does anyone actually understand what's happening to our country?  The whole thing reminds me of William Goldman's assessment of Hollywood:  "Nobody knows anything."  The pollsters seem confused.  The public seems more confused.  The candidates are embarrassing.  Lincoln must be turning over in his grave.  We'll probably next be told that Lincoln was never in his grave and is living as a very old man in Barack Obama's garage.

We understandably await the next major event after Hurricane Milton tears up more of Florida.  Will it be Israel's expected attack on Iran?  Will it be an election with no clear winner because of fraud?  Will it be 20 inches of snow in Washington in November? Will it be a losing Kamala Harris seeking asylum in North Korea?

And then we see something that brings us back to reality, that teaches us how important this coming election actually is, that there are things worth fighting for, and against.  From Fox: 

An Afghan citizen living in Oklahoma has been charged with plotting a terror attack on Election Day on behalf of the Islamic State in which he and an underage co-conspirator expected to die as martyrs, the Justice Department said Tuesday. 

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, obtained firearms and ammunition to conduct a violent attack on U.S. soil, as well as taking a number of steps to prepare for the plot, authorities said. He entered the United States on Sept. 9, 2021, weeks after U.S. troops pulled out of Afghanistan, on a special immigrant visa and is currently on parole status pending adjudication of his immigration proceedings.

"I want to extend my deepest gratitude to our investigators and law enforcement officers for successfully uncovering and stopping this terrorist plot before innocent lives were put in danger," Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said. "This is a powerful example of how the information-sharing measures we implemented between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are making a real difference."Those who seek to harm our nation, threaten our freedoms, and disrupt our way of life will be held accountable and face the full force of the law."

Tawhedi was arrested on Monday and is charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS and receiving a firearm to be used to commit a felony or a federal crime of terrorism. He appeared in an Oklahoma federal court on Tuesday. 

COMMENT:  Imagine if he hadn't been caught.  One of these days, someone – probably a terrorist who came across our southern border illegally – won't be caught.

October 8,  2024

OCTOBER 5-6, 2024

A GRIM ANNIVERSARY:  We are about to enter October 7th, the first anniversary of the Hamas massacre of Israelis and others that started the current Mideast war.  The FBI cautions that the anniversary might be accompanied by violent events.

Here in New York, home of governmental corruption, the NYPD pledges to be out in force.  The worry is that pro-Israel and pro-Hamas demonstrators will be near each other and that the temptation to riot will be impossible to control. 

We will be monitoring events throughout the day.  The tensions are exceptionally high.

October 6,  2024

OCTOBER 3-4, 2024

EDUCATIONAL BULLETIN:  We have swept aside all the stuff about the presidential election and the Mideast to be sure you have the latest development in education.  Please don't miss this. Your children's future is involved!  From College Fix:

Yale University students can learn about ‘black feminist’ thought by studying singer Beyoncé

Singer Beyond and her contribution to the “black radical tradition” and “black feminist” thought is the focus of a multidisciplinary course at Yale University.

“Beyond Makes History: Black Radical Tradition History, Culture, Theory & Politics through Music,” is being taught this semester by African-American Studies Professor Daphne “D.A.” Brooks.

Students will focus on the singer’s “dazzling, multifaceted aesthetic practices” and her role in setting an “unprecedented standard” for “socio-historical complexity,” according to a copy of the syllabus obtained by The College Fix. It is cross listed in the American studies, gender studies, and music departments.

“This course centers…Beyond Knowles-Carter as the portal through which to rigorously examine key interdisciplinary works of Black radical tradition intellectual thought and grassroots activist politics and practice across the centuries,” the syllabus states.

Professor Brooks declined to comment on the course. “Not happening!” she wrote to The Fix. The scholar has “authored numerous articles on race, gender, performance and popular music culture,” according to her university bio.

COMMENT:  I must find a way to sign up.  No one should miss this.  Who cares about the spread of nuclear weapons?  That's yesterday's news. 

Tell your friends.

October 4,  2024

OCTOBER 1-2, 2024

LOSING BY CHOICE:  It is stunning.  Just watch Field Marshal Joe Biden and Grand Admiral Kamala Harris work through the war in the Mideast.  Yup, I wrote war.  They labor overtime in the State Department to avoid the word, but that's what we' ve got.

Former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates has said that Joe Biden has been wrong on every foreign policy issue of our time.  Now Joe is doing it again.  And he's dragging in Kamala, who'll soon demand to be known as "Fighting Kammy."  Not in these pages.

The Mideast is exploding.   But never before in the history of the last 100 years has a great nation, ours, been in such an enviable military position.  Iran is the enemy.  Do they know it in Washington?  Iran has now been seriously degraded.  Thanks to our ally Israel and the abilities of our own defense forces, Iran's main subdivisions, Hamas and Hezbollah, have been dramatically damaged.  Hamas has been reduced to a small, disorganized shadow of what it was.  And Hezbollah, perhaps Iran's strongest force, has seen its entire top leadership wiped out by Israel, and its huge missile attack on Israel early this week turn into a monumental failure.

But Iran, suddenly humiliated, has one great threat left, its nuclear program, made possible through the crazed decisions of Barack Obama and Joe Biden to strengthen Iran financially and ignore its cheating and lying about its nuclear progress. 

Now, however, as many military experts have pointed out, is the time to destroy the Iranian nuclear project.  It can be done by a joint mission of the U.S. and Israel, aided by Arab nations that have cooperated with us.   The time is perfect.  The circumstances are with us.

But pathetic Joe Biden, Mr. Appeasement, and his Harris helper, are saying they don't want an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, even though they are a direct threat to the United States.

How absurd.  Sure, give Iran every advantage.  You've done it before, Joe.  Why not signal to Iran that we'll hold back the Israelis once again?

We hope Biden is ignored.  He's been a disaster too often.

Strike now and eliminate the Iranian nuclear machine.

Inspire the Iranian people to rise up against their government, as they have tried to do earlier, with virtually no help.  Make it clear that we are with them. 

Make this time different.  Our own freedom from the Iranian nuclear capability is at stake.  Obama and Biden may not care.  But our people do, and we have no confidence in the strategic advice of Kammy and company.

Now is the time for action.

October 2,  2024

SEPTEMBER 29-30,  2024

IN THE MATTER OF KAMALA HARRIS:  Maybe I was too optimistic to think there may be a good side to her.  Maybe she was just new to the presidential game.  This last week ended any trace of my optimism. 

We have just experienced a natural disaster of huge proportions in the American southeast.  It will take years to repair the damage.  The federal government will play an important role, especially financial.

As I understand it, Kamala Harris is the vice president of the United States.  She has a paying job.  She has an office in the White House.  She has a car.  She presides over the United States Senate, at least during working hours.

Where was this exalted officer of the government during the southeast disaster?  She was at a California fundraiser when the storm hit.  Where was she when the size of the tragedy became apparent?  She was in the southwest, at the border.  As "border czar," her handlers probably thought she should visit and shake hands with some of the law enforcement guys, show some interest, say tough things.

Apparently, the vice president does not know the meaning of the word "emergency."  In the real world, where she is a stranger, she would have jumped back on that plane and immediately returned to Washington to assist the president in handling the disaster and providing relief.  Even speaking politically, that would have been the right move. 

And later in the week, when the Mideast thundered with Israel's brilliant elimination of the head of Hezbollah, the vice president responded with a press release .  No questions please.  Again, she should have been at the side of the president.

She has a tin ear, maybe even a tin brain.  Presidential she is not.  She learns nothing.  Ten weeks ago, leading Democrats were trying to get her off the presidential ticket led by Joe Biden because she was so unpopular.  Now she's queen of the Senior Prom.  Make that Junior.

We are at a critical moment in our nation's history.  Look at our leadership.

September 30,  2024     

SEPTEMBER 27-28,  2024

A SPECIAL SERVICE:  For those who wish to see what's happening in the real world, we present this for grown-up minds only.  From Fox:

Three U.S. warships came under attack Friday off the coast of Yemen by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have disrupted commercial shipping in the region, but no one was hurt, officials said. 

The warships shot down nearly two dozen incoming missiles and drones while transiting a narrow entrance into the Red Sea. None of the vessels was hit, and no sailors on board were hurt, a U.S. official told Fox News. 

The USS Stockdale and USS Spruance, along with a littoral combat ship, the USS Indianapolis, were transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait when the naval warships came under attack from a barrage of incoming ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, the officials said.

"We did see a complex attack launched from the Houthis that ranged from cruise missiles and waves," Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Friday. "My understanding is that those were either engaged in, shot down or failed."

The Stockdale and Spruance are part of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group that recently arrived in the Middle East from the Pacific.

U.S. forces have struck back at Houthi militants on multiple occasions for nearly a year. The rebel group has routinely attacked commercial and military vessels at sea over Israel's war against Hamas. 

The number of commercial ships passing through the Red Sea has dropped by 90% since the attacks began after the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel. Since then, U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria have come under attack dozens of times. In January, three American soldiers were killed in Jordan.

COMMENT:  Please note the level of attention this story received in American media. We are asleep, and we will pay heavily.

September 27th, 2024

SEPTEMBER 25-26,  2024

WHAT A TRAGEDY:  New York, once the shining city on the hill, the city that symbolized urban America, is fading.  I don't know if it can be saved from the decline happening all over this country.  From the New York Post: 

Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted by a grand jury on charges connected to a federal probe, sources told The Post — as the defiant mayor claimed he was being persecuted by the federal government for speaking about the city’s migrant crisis.

The historic indictment — the first for a sitting New York City mayor — is expected to be unsealed Thursday by US Attorney Damian Williams, according to the sources. The news was first reported by The New York Times.

Adams will surrender to authorities early next week, sources said.

Details about the exact accusations remained unclear, but are believed to be connected to allegations of the Turkish government illegally funneling money into his mayoral campaign in exchange for approval of the Turkish consulate in Manhattan, according to sources.

Sources told the news publication The City that the mayor is facing a charge of acting as an unregistered foreign agent after accepting donations from foreign entities.

“I always knew that if I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target — and a target I became,” Adams said in a statement to The Post. 

“If I am charged, I am innocent, and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”

In a video statement released later, Adams said he wouldn’t step down and pledged to “fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”

“I will request an immediate trial so that New Yorkers can hear the truth. New Yorkers know my story. They know where I come from. I have been fighting injustice my entire life,” he continued.

“That fight has continued as your mayor. Despite our police, when the federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter system with no relief, I put the people of New York before party and politics.”

A rep for the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment.

Sources told The Post that two others — Adams top campaign fundraiser Brianna Suggs and his Director of Asian Affairs Winnie Greco — are expected to be named in the indictment.

COMMENT:  So, there it is.  I have no independent knowledge of the facts.  We'll soon have the formal charges.  In my head I still hear Frank Sinatra singing, "New York, New York."  I hope it gets sung again in a better time.

September 25, 2024

SEPTEMBER 23-24,  2024

THIS IS GETTING GRIM; NO MORE JOKES PLEASE.  It appears that American intelligence agencies believe there is a high probability that Iran and/or its followers are trying to assassinate former President Trump.  From Fox: 

Former President Trump was briefed Tuesday about "real and specific threats" from Iran to assassinate the Republican presidential candidate, according to his campaign. 

Iran’s aim to assassinate Trump is part of the Islamic Republic’s efforts to "destabilize and sow chaos in the United States," Trump Campaign Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a press release. 

"Intelligence officials have identified that these continued and coordinated attacks have heightened in the past few months, and law enforcement officials across all agencies are working to ensure President Trump is protected and the election is free from interference," Cheung said. 

"Make no mistake, the terror regime in Iran loves the weakness of Kamala Harris, and is terrified of the strength and resolve of President Trump. He will let nothing stop him or get in his way to fight for the American people and to Make America Great Again." 

COMMENT:   We will, of course, need further verification from sources other than the Trump political operation, but it's pretty clear from other reporting that "getting Trump" is very much on the Iranian agenda. 

However, there appear to be rival voices in the Arab world who regard the murder of an American president to be the height of recklessness.  Who gains, and for how long?  Who wants to die for the greater glory of the Palestinian movement?

Obviously, Americans want to know whether the two recent attempts on Mr. Trump's life originated in Iranian circles.  We haven't been told much about the perpetrators, and whether they were brothers in terror.  We await more.  We may never get it.

September 24,  2024

SEPTEMBER 21-22,  2024

ARE THEY KIDDING?  You'd think some of this would have been noticed earlier.  From Breitbart:

A new car safety study has proven that electric vehicles (EVs) are too heavy to be restrained by guardrails that line roads in case of accidents, researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln said.

As the amount of EVs such as Teslas and Chevrolet Bolts take over the roads amid concerns over the environmental impact of gasoline-powered vehicles, one of the lead researchers from the university’s Midwest Roadside Safety Facility (MwRSF) warned that there needs to be “some urgency to address this issue.”

In a study sponsored by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and partnered with Auburn University’s Transportation Research Institute, MwRSF conducted a “first-of-its-kind crash test” of an EV pickup truck in October 2023. 

The test used a 7,148-pound 2022 Rivian R1T truck that was sent at a barrier at a speed of 60 mph, with footage showing the heavy EV completely blasting through the guardrail and launching over the concrete wall while sending chunks of it flying:

The R1T’s immense weight is largely attributed to its 135-kWh battery pack, which brings the vehicle’s weight to a” ton more than a Ford F-150 SuperCab,” car review site Edmunds states. 

“There is some urgency to address this issue,” MwRSF assistant director Cody Stolle toldthe university’s news publication in January. “As the percentage of EVs on the road increases, the proportion of run-off-road crashes involving EVs will increase as well.”

Even though the impact with the concrete brought the pickup truck to a halt, “several of the 5,000-pound barriers were pushed back 10 feet — 50 percent more than normal,” CBS News reported of the test on Thursday.

The researchers stated that safety barriers and guardrails are typically tested using vehicles weighing between 2,400-5,000 pounds — significantly lighter than EVs, “which typically weigh 20 percent to 50 percent more than gas-powered vehicles.”

“MwRSF research suggests that EVs are involved in run-off-road crashes at about the same rate and about the same speeds as gasoline vehicles,” the university said. “That would mean an EV crashing into a roadside barrier could have 20 percent to 50 percent more impact energy.”

“It is going to be necessary to re-examine the designs of roadside barriers even beyond the EVs,” said Stolle. “It’s a critical and timely need.”

Another test, conducted on a 2018 Tesla Model 3 in September 2023, resulted in the sedan’s structure being able to lift up the guardrail and pass underneath of it before stopping behind the barrier. 

COMMENT:  Please read the rest.   I don't exactly get a feeling of confidence from the material presented here.  We have to ask what problems will emerge next from this mother of all projects.  How much will they cost?  Who will pay?  Will the planet Earth actually be any safer when electric vehicles become the norm? 

Maybe this would be a good chance for today's "journalists" to get back to the business of digging for news.  How refreshing. 

September 22,  2024

SEPTEMBER 19-20,  2024

AND NOW THE GOOD NEWS:  When was the last time you got good news about the world of higher education?  Last year?  2005?  1950?  1776?  It doesn't come often. 

But, ah, here is a fresh story that should warm your heart.  Sometimes the quality side wins.  From College Fix: 

The newly minted chancellor of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill is being praised by center-right observers who say he will bring balance, steadiness and courage to the post.

After pro-Palestinian protesters had dragged Old Glory down in anger and put up their own flag during spring semester protests, then-interim Chancellor Lee Roberts had marched across campus and personally restored the American flag to its pole while surrounded by UNC police and protesters.

“This university doesn’t belong to a small group of protesters. It belongs to every citizen of North Carolina,” Roberts told reporters at the time as several protesters shrieked in the background.

“…Take down that flag, and put up another flag, no matter what flag it is – that’s antithetical to who we are, what this university stands for.”

This tough, no-nonsense approach earned him praise from conservatives, including U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, a North Carolina Republican, who said in response: “What happened at UNC is a model for other universities and for other leaders across the nation.”

A few months later, in August, Lee took the helm permanently, replacing Kevin Guskiewicz, who had led the state’s flagship public university since 2019 but left in early January to take the top post at Michigan State University.

Roberts is a former state budget director, and his experience will help UNC through his “calm, steady and focused leadership,” UNC System President Peter Hans has said about the choice.

“There is no higher calling than supporting our mission every single day,” Roberts said in taking the helm. “To me, this university stands — above all else — for the ideal of public service, for helping the people of this state and all those who are touched by this place to achieve their greatest potential.”

Roberts's ascension has upset some progressive students.

Read the whole thing.  Please.

September 19,  2024

SEPTEMBER 17-18, 2024

AGAIN, DeSANTIS:  Mentioned him last night, but I'll go there again.  I was mightily impressed by the spoken statement of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, explaining why Florida is conducting a full state investigation of Sunday's attempted assassination of former President Trump.

It turns out that some of the most serious charges that can be brought against the alleged assassin are state charges, not federal charges.  Thus, a state investigation can result in charges, including murder, that a federal case must avoid. 

Also, a state investigation will not be restricted by decisions of the Department of Justice in Washington or influenced by policies of the Biden administration.   It can bring out important facts that otherwise might be lost to history. 

Of course, we freely admit that a state probe can get DeSantis back where he belongs, as a major national figure and possible future president.  He ran for the Republican nomination this time around, but could not match the party power of former President Trump.  The field will be different next time.

September 17,  2024

SEPTEMBER 15-16,  2024

Frankly, there is nothing new to say about the alleged assassination attempt against President Trump.  We're getting dribs and drabs of information, along with theoretical comments and prognostications.

What we really need to be focusing on right now is the investigations underway.  We the people should demand something far more extensive than the official agency probes.  I'm glad to see that Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida is starting a state investigation.  Under his leadership, I have no doubt it will be thorough – as long as his investigators are given complete and accurate information, which may or may not be the case. 

Congress will certainly investigate, but congressional probes are often poisoned by politics. 

What is really needed is a Challenger-type commission, non-partisan and appointed by the president in consultation with the opposition party.  When the space vehicle Challenger crashed in 1986, a stellar commission was appointed that became the model for all such inquiries.  The expertise was solid, the research up to the highest standard.  The public accepted the scientific conclusions as to the cause of the accident. 

Given the skepticism that is sinking this country, only a commission on that level will be accepted.  As they say, write your congressman.

September 16,  2024

AGAIN.  What an eight-week period in American politics this has been.  Do you ever recall anything like it?  We are following a number of strings, and will report to you when we have anything new and confirmed. 

SEPTEMBER 13-14,  2024

AND IN THE REAL WORLD:  It may be a shock to some in the political universe that there are other things going on that may be almost as important as Kamala Harris's laugh.  Read on, from Fox:

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that his country will be "at war" with NATO if the West lifts restrictions on its missiles in Ukraine. His announcement comes on the heels of Russian military aircraft being spotted flying off the coast of Alaska. 

President Biden — among other Western nations' leaders — has come under intense pressure to lift the U.S. ban on Ukraine using American long-range missiles to strike deep inside Russia. 

"This will mean that NATO countries — the United States and European countries — are at war with Russia. And if this is the case, then, bearing in mind the change in the essence of the conflict, we will make appropriate decisions in response to the threats that will be posed to us," Putin told reporters on Thursday.

Meanwhile, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Washington, D.C., on Friday for talks with Biden that are expected to largely center on the use of Western weapons to strike inside Russia. 

The U.S. scrambled interceptors to face Russian fighter jets it had detected flying in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Thursday. 

In a post to X, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said it detected and intercepted the planes, but they did not violate American or Canadian airspace. 

"This Russian activity in the Alaska ADIZ is not seen as a threat, and NORAD will continue to monitor competitor activity near North America and meet presence with presence."

COMMENT:  This is incredibly important material.  We are close to a real, possibly military conflict with Russia over Ukraine.   We don't actually know what's in Putin's mind.  And I doubt whether the new, leftist prime minister of the United Kingdom knows either. 

Accidental war has always been one of the great fears of the nuclear age.  The Ukraine/Russia conflict is ripe for a major military blunder that could lead to such an accidental war.  Has this been discussed with the American people?   Even with Congress?  Has the press shown much interest?  Please follow the story on your own.

September 14,  2024

SEPTEMBER 11-12,  2024

WELL, AS LIEUTENANT KENDA LIKES TO SAY, "MY, MY, MY." From Newsmax: 

A former adviser to Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton has called on ABC to launch an internal investigation about whether there was an effort from its news division to rig Tuesday's presidential debate in favor of Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris.

Mark Penn, a pollster and senior adviser for the Clintons from 1995-2008 and co-chair of the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll, told the "John Solomon Reports" podcast Thursday that "suspicion is really quite high" and a review of internal texts and emails should be done by an independent party to find out whether there was an effort to rig the debate's outcome.

"I actually think they should do a full internal investigation, hire an outside law firm. I don't know how much of this was planned in advance," Penn said, according to Just the News. "I don't know what they told the Harris campaign.

"I think the day after, suspicion here is really quite high, and I think a review of all their internal texts and emails really should be done by an independent party to find out to what extent they were planning on, in effect, you know, fact-checking just one candidate and in effect, rigging the outcome of this debate. I think the situation demands nothing less than that."

COMMENT:  Read the whole thing at Newsmax.  I will make no predictions, but the call for an internal investigation, especially coming from a noted Democrat, is big news already.  Let's see if the Trump campaign, which fell down on the job preparing for the debate, can come alive and demand a probe.

September 12,  2024

SEPTEMBER 9-10,  2024

THE DEBATE:  Something of a surprise, wasn't it?  And an unpleasant surprise at that.  The issue here is not who won, but who lost.  Neither candidate was so brilliant as to be easily called a clear winner.  But one candidate was the clear loser, and it was Donald Trump.

Kamala Harris was prepared.  She was strong.  She was articulate.  She was coherent.  Many things she said were absurd or dishonest, but she said them so well.   That was the surprise.  She reassured people, especially those who didn't know many facts, that she could handle the job of president.  She was a good actress.

On the other hand, former President Trump seemed unhappy that he was even there.  He sometimes seemed bored.  He too often spoke in half sentences, chopping up the points he was trying to make.  We couldn't understand what he was saying.  He looked old and tired.  And he leaned on his usual exaggerations.  "This is the greatest thing ever done."  "This country will soon be dead."  Things like that.  He was not reassuring.  I doubt if Trump won any votes last night. 

But remember, Ronald Reagan decisively lost his first debate during the 1984 campaign against Walter Mondale.  He blasted back and won the second debate, and the election.

Trump wasn't helped by the behavior of the two ABC moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis.  They tilted the proceedings toward Harris, and made it too obvious.  ABC is known as the most pro-Democratic Party network, and last night they proved the point. 

So the debate was, effectively, three against one.  Not right. 

September 10,  2024

SEPTEMBER 7-8,  2024

I LOVE IT:  An excellent proposal for a famous prize.  Make your nomination now!  From Fox:

Genius is often described as the ability to see a new way forward, to advance a discipline in a manner that transcends old, stuffy definitions and ushers us into brave new worlds. On this score, Kamala Harris’ press pool is very deserving of just and proper recognition.

This is why I believe that the Harris press pool members should receive a Pulitzer Prize for their unique approach this election cycle, in which the candidate is never asked any questions relevant to being president, but rather given the joyous opportunity to simply share her deeply human qualities.

Just this weekend in Pittsburgh we saw the power of this New Journalism on display. The stodgy old, and let's face it, mostly white dudes of newspapers past might have been focused on Hersch Bloomberg-Polin, the American murdered by Hamas, or this week’s disappointing job numbers. 

But instead, notice this gem from a Washington Post writer on X: "Kamala just went into Penney Spices and bought Creamy Peppercorn Dressing Base, Fox Point Seasoning, Trinidad Lemon-Garlic Marinade, Turkish Seasoning, and Tuscan Sunset Salt Free Italian Seasoning."

Woodward and Bernstein should be proud.

Notice the progressive and welcome diversity of the candidate’s spice rack. Do you think Donald "Big Macs" Trump could even tell the difference between Trinidad Garlic Marinade and Turkish seasoning? 

These are the issues that Harris’s press pool has a laser-like focus on, rather than old school trivialities like economic policies. 

COMMENT:  I want to see that press pool get the prize.  I want to see them standing on the stage, with that grim, serious, "we are your protectors" look that some journalists love to put on.

September 8,  2024

UH, ABOUT THOSE EV'S: Volvo is the latest car builder to pull back its grand vision for an all-electric car line.  Plan better next time, and stay in the real world.  From Fox Business: 

Volvo on Wednesday announced that it is dropping its goal of making only electric vehicles by 2030, saying it now expects it will still be offering some hybrid models as part of its lineup at that point.

The Swedish company, which has China's Geely as its largest shareholder, and other automakers have seen slowing demand for EVs as price-conscious car buyers turn to hybrids and gas-powered vehicles over affordability concerns as well as access to charging stations. 

Volvo and other EV makers are also bracing for the impact of European tariffs on electric cars made in China, a move that follows similar steps in the U.S.

In a statement, the company said it is aiming for 90% to 100% of its 2030 global sales volume to consist of fully electric EVs and plug-in hybrids, with the remaining zero to 10% of its lineup allowing "for a limited number of mild hybrid models to be sold, if needed."

The reversal of plans to be fully electric by 2030 comes as the company expects the percentage of its electrified lineup — which includes EVs and hybrids — to be between 50% and 60% by 2025. Its share of fully electric vehicles was 26% in the second quarter of 2024, while EVs and hybrids combined amounted to 48% of its electric lineup.

COMMENT:  I suspect that some car companies will pull back even more on ambitious EV plans.  I've spoken with very few people who are enthusiastic about electric cars.  They are painfully expensive and still have technical drawbacks that are noticed by buyers with common sense.  If you forget to charge your car when you get home, and have a medical emergency in the middle of the night, lotsa luck on getting to the hospital quickly. 

I'm sure the leftist ideologists will have an answer to that:  "Just don't get sick.  We have a government plan for that."

Buyer beware.

September 7,  2024 

SEPTEMBER 5-6,  2024

BEFORE THE STORM:  Even though the presidential candidates have been campaigning as usual, one senses a certain quietness around their staffs and proxies.  The reason, of course, is that both sides are preparing for the debate on Tuesday – the first, and possibly only debate between former President Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Most presidential debates produce little but noise, and a few quickly forgotten quotes.  But some can be decisive.  Earlier this year, a debate between Mr. Trump and President Biden was decisive indeed.  Biden, at one point, seemed to lose his awareness of where he was.  He started rambling, and making no sense.  There had been much talk about whether he was still mentally fit for his office.  He answered the question himself, in one devastating and historic minute.  His sorry performance led directly toward his being forced to withdraw his candidacy for renomination, a candidacy filled in a flash by his "loyal" vice president, Kamala Harris.

In 1960, the year of the first televised presidential debate, a tired and medically ill Richard Nixon, wearing poorly applied television makeup, looked weak against a young, dynamic John F. Kennedy.  Polls showed that people who only listened to the debate on radio thought Nixon had won.  But people who watched on television thought Kennedy had won, and the boost he received was critical to his narrow victory in the election. 

And then there was 1980, ah 1980, where President Jimmy "I'll never lie to you" Carter, faced off against former California Governor Ronald Reagan.  Reagan had been laughed at by the liberal press as a warmed over movie actor and commercial mouthpiece for General Electric.  But when the voting public saw him on a stage opposite the incumbent Carter, it was a political thunderbolt.  Reagan was swift, clear, vastly knowledgeable, and yet had a charm and warmth that drew people toward him.  He became one of our most significant presidents.

So watch carefully, and listen, as Harris debates Trump.  Nothing may happen, but something that can change American politics may indeed happen.

And it's okay to chomp popcorn. 

September 5, 2024

SEPTEMBER 3-4,  2024

THE ONCE GREAT CITY:  I don't know how much more New York can take.  From  the New York Post:

Jefferson Maldenado, a 31-year-old migrant from Ecuador, has been arrested in New York City five times since arriving in the US earlier this year.

His latest bust was for stealing a pair of pants and a beer from the Target near Herald Square. 

Asked why he committed the crime, the migrant thief said, “I wanted to change my clothes and think. 

“I wanted to sit down and think about my life, about what to do. Because this is not a normal world.”

He was just one of five migrants in a Manhattan courtroom for arraignment one night last week.

Across New York, recently arrived migrants are flooding the criminal justice system — at far higher rates than public officials have acknowledged. 

Police sources shared with The Post a staggering estimate that as many as 75% of the people they’ve been arresting in Midtown Manhattan in recent months for crimes like assault, robbery and domestic violence are migrants. In parts of Queens, the figure is more than 60%, sources there estimate. 

On any given day, Big Apple criminal court dockets are packed with asylum seekers who have run afoul of the law.

The mayor’s office also said the city is working with the Midtown Improvement Coalition to better police the neighborhood. 

An NYPD spokesperson said overall crime is down so far this year compared to last year, and added, “New Yorkers can count on the NYPD’s ongoing vigilance in every neighborhood.” 

However, the spokesperson also noted, “Police officers are prohibited from asking about the immigration status of crime victims, witnesses, or suspects and therefore the NYPD doesn’t track data pertaining to immigration statuses.”

As a result, the only people who have a full understanding of the scale of the problem are the police officers and court workers who see it day in, day out.

“I would say about 75% of the arrests in Midtown Manhattan are migrants, mostly for robberies, assaults, domestic incidents and selling counterfeit items,” a Midtown officer said. 

He said the figure is an estimate because “you can’t be 100% sure [they’re migrants] unless you arrest them in a shelter or they’re dumb enough to give you a shelter address.”

Another Manhattan cop said that excluding petty larcenies at drugstores, the number of local arrests involving migrants is “easily” 75%, noting that most who get caught shoplifting go more for the pricey branded goods.

COMMENT:  Make sure to read the rest.  What an absolute disgrace.  This was America's premier city, but preserving it took second place to the ideology of the political left.

September 4,  2024

A BIT ODD, DON'T YOU THINK?  It wasn't possible this year to get away from the news, even pseudo-news, during the Labor Day weekend.  The last seven weeks were packed with more legitimate stories than any similar period that I can remember. 

But something a bit odd happened over the holiday that should have caught the eye, and presumed brains, of more journalists.   President Biden, walking past some reporters, was asked whether he thought the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had done enough to advance a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.  "No!" Biden said, almost viciously, and with anger.  He said nothing about Hamas.  This was one day after we learned that six Israeli hostages had been executed. 

A little later, Biden announced that the U.S. was working with two Arab nations to present a "take it or leave it" ceasefire proposal to Israel and Hamas.  Our ally Israel is not involved in the discussion.

What's going on here?  Biden has a perfect right to disagree with the prime minister of Israel, but the public nature of that disagreement has only one result – it gives aid and comfort to our enemies.  It encourages Hamas to continue fighting. 

Why is Biden, who has always been a friend of Israel, doing this?  Is he so angry at Bibi that he can't settle his feud privately? 

Let us consider, and what I now write is pure speculation, but I think it's the kind of speculation that's useful.

Put yourself in Biden's position.  He is, understandably, a bitter, resentful man.  He has just seen his party humiliate him as no other president has been humiliated.  He has seen the 14 million votes he won in Democratic primaries tossed in the trash can.  Seven weeks ago, important figures in his party were urging him to drop Vice President Kamala Harris from his presidential ticket because she was so unpopular.  Now, he sees that same Kamala Harris replacing him as the presidential candidate. 

How would you feel?

Revenge is sweet.  If you were Joe Biden, would you be delighted?  Are you kiddin' me?

I wouldn't be shocked if Biden made it more difficult for Harris to move ahead, while appearing simply to be president.  One way would be for him to take a controversial stand on a hot issue, forcing reporters to ask Harris, "Do you agree with the president?  Fully?  Completely?  Do you agree with the way he's treating Bibi?"  Try those on for size when you're trying to appeal to different groups.

As I said, speculation.  Hmm.

September 4,  2024

SEPTEMBER 1-2,  2024

SIX HOSTAGES FOUND EXECUTED BY HAMAS:  And one was an American-Israeli.  From CNN:

Israel’s military said it has recovered the bodies of six hostages killed by Hamas militants in Gaza – including an Israeli-American captive – dealing fresh heartbreak to relatives who fear time is running out for loved ones seized by the militants more than 10 months ago.

Israeli soldiers found the six bodies in tunnels under the enclave, according to the military. The hostages were “brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists, a short while before we reached them,” Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a briefing Sunday.

Three of the six whose bodies were recovered had been expected to be released during the first phase of an eventual ceasefire agreement, two Israeli officials have told CNN.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi and Carmel Gat were slated to be released as part of a “humanitarian category,” based on a framework agreed by Israel and Hamas in early July, the officials said.

“Our prime minister delayed it,” one of the Israeli officials said. “It’s way too late for the six who have been killed, but it’s time to reach an agreement.”

The ordeal of California native Goldberg-Polin, who was taken at gunpoint at the Nova music festival on October 7, led to him becoming one of the faces of the devastating international hostage crisis that has challenged the leadership of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and triggered widespread destruction in Gaza.

The parents of 23-year-old Goldberg-Polin have been among the most vocal of the hostage families pushing Netanyahu to seek a deal securing their relatives’ return. Their tireless and high-profile campaigning saw them meet with world leaders, and earlier this month, give an emotional address at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

COMMENT:  Absolutely awful.  Let's see if the "students" on college campuses planning this year's anti-Israel and anti-American demonstrations have the sense to withdraw any support for Hamas.  I doubt it.

We're only getting preliminary reports at this point.  There should be more briefings for the public later today, and we know that committees of Congress will be briefed on Wednesday.

September 1,  2024

AUGUST 30-31,  2024

URGENT:  We are awaiting more information on a report from Israel that its soldiers have found unidentified bodies in a Hamas tunnel.  There is fear that they are the bodies of hostages, but the Israeli government urges caution about speculation.  We will follow.

NEW POLLING GIVES HOPE TO TRUMP:   Two polls tell us that whatever bump Kamala got from her convention is bottoming out.  From Breitbart:

Two pollsters, InsiderAdvantage and Trafalgar, dropped a number of swing state polls Saturday, and the news is almost all good for former President Donald Trump.

Trafalgar

• Pennsylvania: Trump 47 percent/Harris 45 percent – Trump +2
• Michigan: Trump 47 percent/ Harris 47 percent – tied
• Wisconsin: Trump 47 percent/ Harris 46 percent – Trump +1

In all three polls, Trafalgar surveyed 1,080+ likely voters between August 28 and 30 with a margin of error of 2.8 percent.

InsiderAdvantage

• Arizona: Trump 49 percent/Harris 48 percent – Trump +1
• Nevada: Trump 48 percent/Harris 47 percent – Trump +1
• North Carolina: Trump 49 percent/Harris 48 percent – Trump +1
• Georgia: Trump 48 percent/Harris 48 percent – tie

In all four polls, InsiderAdvantage surveyed 800 likely voters between August 29 and 31 with a 3.5  point margin of error.

We have another poll out of Georgia that shows Trump leading by two points, 44 to 42 percent. In the previous poll, it was tied. This poll was taken on August 28 of 699 likely voters.

COMMENT:  We always note that polls are snapshots in time.  There are many polls set to come out in the next week which should give us a general idea of where the candidates stand, now that both conventions are over. 

August 31,  2024

AUGUST 28-29,  2024

THE GRAND INTERVIEW:  It is now over.  Kamala Harris, her best buddy Tim Walz at her side, has now been interviewed by CNN's Dana Bash.  I suspect the interview will be forgotten in about four days. 

It wasn't terrible.  Kamala wasn't awful, nor was Walz.  Dana Bash asked perfectly reasonable, if softish, questions. 

Problem is, the whole thing could put you to sleep.

The interview took place in a restaurant/tavern in Georgia.  Walz was seated on the left, Harris in the middle, and Bash on the right.  And that's where the trouble began.  The visuals were awful.  Harris is small, Walz is large, and Bash is in between.  When all three were seen, the presidential candidate looked tiny and out of place, almost Walz's kid sister.  Her sitting posture was poor, and it was clear that she saw this event as a chore, not a pleasure.  Well-run campaigns usually have advance men to work on these details, like giving Kamala a pillow to sit on.

Harris spoke in a clear, well-modulated voice.  But the trouble continued, and you could hear exactly why her handlers were reported to be nervous about putting her out there.  When asked a question, she never quite got to the answer.  Details were always lacking.  She announced that she would fight inflation from "day one," but didn't tell us how.  She announced that every American child would be able to go to college, but never addressed the obvious question of where the money would come from.

Dana Bash asked if Harris would name a Republican to her cabinet.  It's clear that the question took Harris by surprise.  She answered that she would, but when asked if she had some names in mind, she said that she didn't.  Geez!  If you say you'll name a Republican, you can at least utter one name to show you've got an iPhone with a contacts section.  Say Abe Lincoln if you have to.  Some people still know him.

So Harris showed up and survived.  She passed with sleeping colors.  And now the attention shifts to September 10th, when Harris and Donald Trump meet in a debate.  That might be worth watching.   

August 29, 2024

KAMMY NEEDS AN INTERVIEW PARTNER?  You gotta be kidding me.  Well, on second thought...

The big interview is tonight, Thursday, on CNN.  Dana Bash will interview Kamala Harris. But Kammy is bringing a pal.  From Daily Mail. 

Kamala Harris is facing pushback from Republican strategists for decision to bring along her sidekick Tim Walz for her first sit-down interview since her astonishing move to become the Democratic presidential nominee.  

'I think it’s incredibly weak, weak sauce to show up with your running mate,' former George W. Bush White House official Scott Jennings told CNN, where he serves as a commentator. He said the move showed a 'troubling lack of confidence in her political ability.'

'The fact that they don't have enough confidence in her to let her sit herself, the actual top of the ticket and do a single interview,' he continued, speaking on Anderson Cooper's evening program on the network. 'In fact, I think the handwringing and the gyrations over this, over the last month show a troubling, lack of confidence in her political ability,' he added. 

I think Republicans are going to think it's pretty week to show up with effectively someone to take up half the time,' he said.  

Harris had been under increasing pressure to answer sustained questions about her plans since President Joe Biden stepped back from his own reelection bid July 21. Then, as the weeks passed without such an event, she faced demands to do so with an outlet that would subject her to rigorous questioning.

After promising to do an interview by the end of the month, Harris' campaign settled on an interview airing Thursday night on CNN with the network's chief political correspondent and anchor Dana Bash.

Although some commentators have called the venue friendly territory, former President Donald Trump has praised the questioning by moderators Jake Tapper and Bash during the June debate that helped push Biden out of the race. 

Trump told supporters he shouldn't knock the network because 'they treated me very fairly last' at the debate. 'Very professional, both of them,' he added.

Conservative commentators who had pushed Harris to go on camera pounced at the format. '"LOL, a joint interview. She simply cannot be left unattended, wrote Jeff Behar of the National Review.

Jennings' co-panelist Maria Cardona disputed his analysis, saying the selection reflected a 'compressed time frame' and said viewers wanted to hear from Walz.

'Doing an interview alongside her alongside her vice presidential nominee is going to give voters the chance that they want, I believe, to not just listen to her but to listen to the vice presidential nominee, and what will they do as a team,' she said.

Harris is holding the interview while riding a jump in the polls since taking over from Biden as the candidate. She holds narrow leads in a string of national polls, but is yet to be seen what kind of 'bounce' she got from her convention and whether it will linger.

COMMENT:  I get the feeling that last week's Harris honeymoon is turning into the post-honey adjustment to real life.  The media will still do its job for the Dem nominee, but maybe with a little less enthusiasm than before.  I think watching this is mandatory, but the result might disappoint even the loyal members of the Court.

August 28,  2024

AUGUST 26-27,  2024 

No, rest assured.  It isn't just you.  You are part of the growing army of Americans who are getting so bored with election news.  This campaign began years ago, and I've even heard that Abe Lincoln gave one of his favorite candidates some speech ideas. 

Now we have the two presidential candidates who will fight it out, and no one seems deliriously happy.  Oh sure, it's been an incredible six weeks.  Six weeks ago a number of bigger shot Democrats were trying to get Kamala Harris off President's Biden's re-election ticket because they thought she was a proved liability who was driving him down. 

Now, those same six weeks later, liability Harris is the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, and is described by those same detractors as the greatest political figure in all history, a true gift, the one person who can save us.  Forget Jefferson.  Forget Washington.  Forget FDR, and forget Marilyn Monroe.  Now everything's coming up Kammy.  Oh, yeah, forget her record too.

I call this a negative election.  It's not who wins who will count.  It's who will be least disliked.  It's no way to run a country, and simply shows that all the yapping about "political reform" over the last 50 or so years has produced the current mess in both parties.

Next time someone shouts "reform," read the fine print.  The guys in the smoke-filled rooms, with no air conditioning, did better.

August 27, 2024

AUGUST 24-25,  2024 

UPDATE:  It only took a day, but things have calmed down considerably in the battle between Israel and Hezbollah.

Hezbollah is based in Lebanon, close to Israel's northern border.  It is a terror group, and an Iranian proxy.  Hezbollah, according to Israeli military leaders, was on the brink of firing thousands of rockets into Israel yesterday, but the Israelis, realizing what was happening, pre-empted, attacked first, and diminished, considerably, Hezbollah's rocket capacity.

Although Hezbollah's leader claims that his side achieved a major victory when it fired its surviving rockets, no one seems to be able to locate exactly where that victory is.  Maybe they can check with Fedex.

Hezbollah is now vague on when it might try another attack.  It got a bloody nose from the Israelis, and ridicule from its Mideast friends for messing up in such a public way.  You know, you gotta have some pride.

Hezbollah is publicly pledged to destroy Israel.  But, despite its rocket fire into that country, diplomats from the United States and some Arab nations are trying, in Cairo, to nail down a ceasefire agreement that will see some of the hostages released.  That could be where the real action is this week.  Or the talks may fizzle.  We don't make predictions here. 

August 25,  2024

AND IN THE REAL WORLD:  We break away from the latest in Disney-style offerings, the Democratic National Convention, to note the heavy fighting that has erupted between Hezbollah and Israel.  This has the potential to escalate.  Watch it carefully.  From Fox:

The Israeli Defense Forces said Sunday morning it launched heavy airstrikes on Hezbollah positions across Lebanon after detecting the terror group was preparing for an "imminent" attack on Israel.

"The IDF identified the Hezbollah terrorist organization preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory. In response to these threats, the IDF is striking terror targets in Lebanon," IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a statement. "Israeli Air Force fighter jets are currently striking targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization that posed an imminent threat to the citizens of the State of Israel."

Civilians in southern Lebanon were urged to evacuate their homes and out of dangerous areas.

"From right next to the homes of Lebanese civilians in the South of Lebanon, we can see that Hezbollah is preparing to launch an extensive attack on Israel, while endangering the Lebanese civilians," the IDF said. ‌‏"We warn the civilians located in the areas where Hezbollah is operating, to move out of harm’s way immediately for their own safety."

Public shelters were opened across Israel as new restrictions were placed in northern areas of the country.

Nearly 80,000 Israelis were forced to evacuate their homes near the Lebanon border when Hezbollah began launching rockets and drones in October.

COMMENT:  We've now learned that Hezbollah has launched a large number of missiles into Israel.   Please stand by.  We'll give you more when we get it.  Some sources are saying that this may well be only the first stage of a major escalation by Hezbollah.

American Field Marshal and Grand Admiral Kamala Harris has not yet commented. 

August 25,  2024

THE SPEECH IS HISTORY:  We're at 12:35 A.M., Friday, August 23rd.

So, how did she do?  We call 'em as we see 'em at Urgent Agenda, and I'd have to give Kamala a B+.

She did much better than I'd expected.  She was collected, generally serious, and didn't go off message.  Most important, in style and connection with her audience, she made a reasonable case for the argument that she could be a credible president.  But style and connection, of course, are only part of that picture.  Could she be commander-in-chief?  Was she too liberal for that role?

In a shrewd move, she was preceded onstage by a number of public officials who'd been in the military, and they endorsed her.  Last came Leon Panetta, who'd been secretary of defense under Barack Obama.  His full-throated endorsement meant the most.

The press was told before the speech that it would be mostly inspirational, and less about policy.  Given Kamala's history, and the fact that she hasn't met the press to take questions since the day Biden pulled out of the race for the nomination, that didn't surprise me.  She went through the required family history, the "daughter of immigrants" story, the job history, and how much she loved America.  A lot of fluff, but well presented.

And then something odd happened.  She did in fact turn to policy, especially foreign policy.  It was a good strategy, reinforcing the image that she was up to dealing with a crisis.  Not much detail, but in a week where foreign policy was hardly mentioned, her bringing it up was the thing to do.  She still has to fill in many blanks, and she still has to face the reality that the Biden-Harris foreign policy has been weak and incoherent.  That is a challenge.  I don't know how she meets it, especially to an audience of parents whose boys could be sent off to war.  She broke no new policy grounds.

Spotted throughout the speech were sharp attacks on Donald Trump.  I felt some of them went too far, and almost mimicked Trump himself.  This was the weakest feature of the address.  Kamala tried to present herself as someone with class and quality, but her attacks on her opponent blurred that effort.  To defeat Trump she doesn't have to play phony tough.

On balance, the speech did what it had to.  Kamala reintroduced herself to the public, many of whose members knew little about her.  Now the hard work begins.  Please remember that, six weeks ago, there were important leaders of the Democratic Party who wanted to force her off the Biden ticket, believing that she dragged Biden down.  Her public image was next to fatal.  Today, fortune has made her the presidential candidate.  Can she remake her reputation, or will she once again try to pacify the hard left, which must be steaming at her attempt to move to the center?

We should know the answer pretty soon.  If Kamala can't calculate that there are far more votes in the center than on the fringe, her campaign could fall apart.

August 23,  2024

THE MAIN EVENT:  It is 8:20 p.m. in New York, August 22nd, and we are awaiting the main event of the Democratic convention in Chicago – the coronation of Her Royal Something as Queen Kamila, Empress of the realms of Beverly Hills and East Manhattan, whose motto, in Latin, "Me Changeum My Mindum," will be embossed in the royal seal at the coronation platform. 

Excitement fills the air.  Stay with us.  This only happens once in a leftist's lifetime.

AUGUST 21-22,  2024 

NOTHINGNESS:  We've now consumed the second night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.  As I watched, I wondered why I was looking at the TV screen at all. 

There was a time when a national political convention was a place of action.  The convention could, and often did, decide on which candidates for president and vice president would win.  In 1924, in sweltering New York City's Madison Square Garden, it took the Democrats 103 ballots to finally choose John W. Davis of West Virginia as their presidential candidate, defeating such worthies as Governor Alfred E. Smith of New York.  Davis went on to lose the presidential election that November to Calvin Coolidge. 

In 1956, Democratic presidential nominee Adlai Stevenson threw the choice of a vice presidential candidate to the convention, which saw a spirited battle between Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee and a young, scrappy Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts.  Kefauver won the nomination, in part because he was more senior, but Kennedy became a national figure, setting himself up for 1960, when he won the presidential nomination and defeated Vice President Richard Nixon in the general election.

I recall, as a young person – I'm now 127 – watching the conventions in 1952, the first year they were televised.  We watched on a 12-inch black and white 32-tube Dumont TV.  There was no remote.  You actually had to walk over to the TV set and dial the channel.  CBS's Walter Cronkite was the heavyweight in the coverage.  Indeed, it was the year in which "anchorman" entered the nation's vocabulary.  There were political battles on the floors of the conventions.  There was drama, and it was fun.

Flash forward to today.  Today, because of "reform," a fun-crusher if there ever was one, the conventions are mostly ads for the parties.  We know beforehand exactly who will be nominated because of strings of primaries set up to give party voters a say in picking the candidates.  There is little drama.  Even this year, with President Joe Biden suddenly announcing that he was withdrawing from the presidential race, Kamala Harris went into action, and used the party machinery to nail down her presidential nomination within days.  Democracy was thrown to the wind.  "Reform" was forgotten, as were the thousands of votes cast in primaries for Joe Biden.  Kammy got what Kammy wanted.  No opposition was permitted.   And the press is silent.

We saw the result last night.  The Democrats put on a show.  Barack and Michele Obama, a bunch of local candidates, and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.  They will put on another show tonight.  Bill Clinton will speak.  Remember him?  But the original function of conventions is gone. 

Also gone is any real discussion of foreign policy.  The world is on edge, in the Middle East, in Ukraine, on Taiwan, and we're in show business. 

August 21,  2024    

AUGUST 19-20,  2024 

BIDEN'S FAREWELL.  I didn't want to write anything today, the 19th, until seeing the main event, President Joe Biden's farewell speech, delivered to the Democratic convention in Chicago.

Give the man a break.  He's president of the United States, he was knifed in the back by his own party, and he deserves some time to publicly reflect on what he considers to be his accomplishments.

But the convention planners lost control of the time.  Biden should have been on early in the evening, but the need to accommodate the scheduled speakers pushed him back to about 11:30 p.m. ET, meaning many viewers in the East were probably already asleep when he started.

It reminded me, and probably many of you, of the Democratic convention of 1972, when the party nominated George McGovern for president.  The Dems were already transitioning from the party of Roosevelt, Truman and Kennedy to the party of identity politics.  Every little interest group had to have time at the podium before McGovern was allowed to finally accept his nomination.  That happened at two in the morning.  It was seen by few.  The incident gave us a preview of what the once-great Democratic Party was becoming.  McGovern lost in a landslide to Richard Nixon.

So Joe was put last, undoubtedly humiliated.  The whole scene also reminded me of those famous incidents in the heyday of organized crime when a guy was honored by a dinner.  The respected associates, one by one, came up and praised him for his contributions to the brotherhood.  They then murdered him and buried his body in Queens.  And then they sent a huge wreath to his funeral.

The hypocrisy in the hall this night was overwhelming.  To see Nancy Pelosi, who allegedly was the master planner of the plot to remove Biden, holding a sign saying "I love Joe" was almost too much.  As was the little smile on Princess Kamala's face whenever the president graciously gave her a compliment.  I've seen ice cubes that were warmer. 

Outside the hall, the streets were remarkably quiet.  The turnout of deranged extremists was much smaller than expected.  I don't know why, but I have a hunch we'll see this crowd on carefully selected college campuses this fall.

Still missing, and it was noted by a number of commentators, is any detailed summary of exactly what Kamala Harris plans to do if she gets to take the oath on January 20th.  The few statements she's put out are skillfully vague.  Her acceptance speech Thursday night is eagerly awaited.  Maybe she'll even mention foreign policy.

August 19,  2024

AUGUST 18,  2024

THE DEMOCRATS COME TO CHICAGO, JOINED BY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF "DEMONSTRATORS."  ANYONE CARE?

Why, of course we care.  And we're moved by the fact that on Thursday the Democrats will nominate for president a candidate who did not receive a single vote in any primary.  It's wonderful, isn't it?  Just like the old days.  Boss Obama made a couple of calls to Boss Clinton and Boss Pelosi, and, poof, the president of the United States is history. And the Dems tell us they're defending democracy. 

What I find remarkable about this coming convention week is that, in my political lifetime, I've never seen both parties nominate presidential contenders who are so intensively disliked.  This will be a negative election.   Neither candidate will truly win.  It's the other candidate who will lose.  I suspect most voters feel that the country can do much better, and it can.  I sense, though, that improvement in presidential choices will only come with the establishment of a new party.  The current old ones are really worn out, too self-satisfied, and increasingly boring.  There isn't a Reagan or Jack Kennedy in sight. 

There are many alarming things about the current election season, but the most alarming is the almost total exclusion of foreign policy from news reports and interviews. This is almost sinful.  There's an old saying in journalism that the nation can stand four years of a bad domestic policy, but that four years of a bad foreign policy can kill us.  It is true.  There is something terribly juvenile about the discussions we see and hear.  And the immaturity comes at a time when half the world is on fire. We will listen carefully this week for Kamala Harris to outline, in her acceptance speech, the basics of her foreign policy, if she has one.  Please note that there is virtually no speculation as to who her secretary of state will be.  I almost dread finding out the name.

To be continued.

August 18,  2024

AUGUST 16-17,  2024

ON YOUR TV SCREENS NEXT WEEK:  Chicago, dear warmhearted Chicago, is about to have a convention.  This itself should give a boost to the armored vest industry.  The excellent New York Sun gives us a preview: 

Chicago business owners, reeling since the lootings and vandalism that occurred during the 2020 civil uprisings, are taking no chances with the thousands of anti-Israel activists who are set to arrive at the Windy City’s downtown area this week to “shut down the DNC for Gaza.”

Although the Democratic National Convention is set to kick off Monday, business owners in the downtown area have already taken measures to protect their stores from belligerent rioters, boarding up their windows and barricading their doors. By Thursday, several storefronts had been shielded by plywood, local media outlets reported. 

“As we know, this city has a poor track record when it comes to protecting businesses,” a local store owner, Scott Shapiro, told ABC Chicago. “We felt it was more prudent to board up, since our customers and their employers have told them to stay home throughout the convention for their own safety.” 

Mr. Shapiro’s menswear shop on Clark Street, Syd Jerome, nearly went out of business four years ago after it was repeatedly ransacked and lost nearly $100,000 in merchandise. His shop was just one of the businesses that suffered from repeated break-ins during the George Floyd protests that took hold of Chicago in summer 2020. 

The owner of Chicago Board-Up Services, Vicki Fichter, said her crew has already worked on more than a dozen businesses in the past week and she has received more than 40 requests for board-up jobs in the downtown area. 

“We’re boarding them up tight, so that there’s no entry,” Ms. Fichter told ABC. 

The planned protest, which is being called “March on the DNC,” was marshaled by a coalition of nearly a hundred different organizations with the goal of “bringing our demands to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 2024.” 

On a website for the march, the coalition criticizes the Democratic Party as being “a tool of billionaires and corporations” and writes that the party’s decision to swap out “genocide Joe Biden” does not “wash the blood of over 50,000 Palestinians off their hands.” 

COMMENT:  What a horrible image of a once-great city.  People staying home for their own safety rather than welcoming the convention of a national party.  And yet, it's the very policies the Democratic Party gave us that are largely responsible for the urban decay that has produced this sad picture.  Read the rest of the article.

The thousands who'll want to tear up Chicago this coming week are already on their way there.

August 16,  2024

AUGUST 14-15,  2024

GETTING TO THE POINT:  This is the heart of the election.  The candidate who wins on this issue has the best chance of sitting in the Oval Office.  I hope former President Trump hits this point hard.  From superb journalist Salena Zito at the Washington Examiner: 

 It is the untold story of how inflation affects America’s households: credit card debt. 

When hikes in basic food, clothing, energy, utility, and insurance costs started to hit families three years ago, many families who lived paycheck to paycheck across the United States had to make a decision: “Go without” or go into debt to take care of their basic needs.

To put this in perspective: A whopping 65% of respondents indicated that they live paycheck to paycheck, according to a recent “Your Money International Financial Security Survey” by CNBC and SurveyMonkey, which polled 498 U.S. adults. 

That 65% could include your neighbor, your family member, your child’s soccer coach, or you.

It is not even a debt of frivolity. It is a debt born of necessity, and it is only going to get worse.

Last Tuesday, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said that U.S. residents as a whole owe $1.14 trillion on their credit cards, with the average balance being over $6,000. That’s not all. With more people depending on credit cards to purchase their food, pay their utility bills, fill up at the gas pump, and pay their skyrocketing home and care insurance premiums, delinquencies are up, too, jumping 7% in the second quarter. And car loan delinquencies are at the highest number in 14 years.

Our country’s growing debt problem spares no one. Young people, married people, single people, and our growing retired population are all struggling to make ends meet, falling deeper into debt and finding no way out. 

All this is happening while current absentee President Joe Biden is snoozing at the beach and Vice President Kamala Harris pretends she had no hand in supporting or promoting Bidenomics while the national press are unwilling to call Harris out on it.

COMMENT:  Read the whole thing.  Salena Zito is one of the best reporters writing today.  If she'd been a liberal she would have won the Pulitzer Prize.  But there are proprieties, you know.

We have a kind of silent drift into poverty in today's America.  Many people who were reasonably well off when Donald Trump left office cannot pay their food bills or auto insurance today, but are ashamed to admit it.  These people vote, though, and I believe they are at the center of Trump's chances for victory.

August 15,  2024

COLUMBIA PRESIDENT RESIGNS:  The turmoil and campus madness of the last year has claimed still another Ivy League president. From Fox:

The embattled president of Columbia University, Minouche Shafik, has resigned effective immediately, Fox News Digital has confirmed.

Shafik announced her decision Wednesday in a letter addressed to the Columbia community after facing repeated calls to step down over her response to the anti-Israel protests and encampments that overtook Columbia's campus in the spring and led to the cancellation of classes as well as the school's main commencement ceremony in May.

"I write with sadness to tell you that I am stepping down as president of Columbia University effective August 14, 2024. I have had the honor and privilege to lead this incredible institution, and I believe that—working together—we have made progress in a number of important areas. However, it has also been a period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community," she wrote.

"This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community. Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my moving on at this point would best enable Columbia to traverse the challenges ahead. I am making this announcement now so that new leadership can be in place before the new term begins."

While accepting Shafik's resignation, the Board of Trustees announced Katrina Armstrong, chief executive officer of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, will serve as the interim president. 

"During my inauguration, I spoke of Columbia as an exemplar of a great 21st century university committed to educating leaders and citizens, generating knowledge and ideas to solve problems, and engaging at the local and global level to deliver real impact in improving people’s lives," Shafik said. "As president, I have been proud to witness Columbia making so many contributions to delivering that vital mission. I also spoke about the values and principles which are dear to me and, I know, to the Columbia community as well: academic freedom and free speech; openness to ideas; and zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind—including gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, or ethnicity. This mission, and the values and principles underpinning it, constitute our North Star. Even as tension, division, and politicization have disrupted our campus over the last year, our core mission and values endure and will continue to guide us in meeting the challenges ahead."

"I have tried to navigate a path that upholds academic principles and treats everyone with fairness and compassion. It has been distressing—for the community, for me as president and on a personal level—to find myself, colleagues, and students the subject of threats and abuse. As President Lincoln said, ‘A house divided against itself cannot stand’—we must do all we can to resist the forces of polarization in our community. I remain optimistic that differences can be overcome through the honest exchange of views, truly listening, and—always—by treating each other with dignity and respect. Again, Columbia’s core mission to create and acquire knowledge, with our values as foundation, will lead us there," she added.

COMMENT:  She has an outstanding academic background, but was probably not prepared for the New York-sized mess she had to confront, as well as the generous supply of left-wing crackpots that New York was happy to supply.

Harvard is looking for a new president.  Now, so is Columbia.  Both universities should pledge to find the best possible president, not simply someone who punches the right tickets in the identity politics game. 

American universities are under the kind of scrutiny they haven't faced in decades.  Few are coming away with flying colors.

August 15,  2024 

AUGUST 12-13,  2024

ALL EYES ON THE MIDEAST:  Secretary of State Blinken has canceled a planned trip to the region because of uncertainly over exactly what is happening there.  We share that uncertainty.  We are told that Israeli intelligence and other intel agencies believe that either Iran or its proxy Hezbollah, or both, will attack Israel within a few days.  The president, though, says that Iran will hold back if a ceasefire in the Gaza war is reached. 

However, I wonder whether Iranian thinking is a bit different from what we believe.   Please note that the Democratic National Convention starts Monday in peace-loving Chicago.  Elements of the pro-Palestinian movement say that thousands upon thousands of their members will be demonstrating, or screaming, outside the convention hall.  This is entirely speculation on my part, but maybe Iran believes that those huge demonstrations, combined with a simultaneous mass attack on Israel, would provide the perfect image of Israel-hating strength, and, by extension, America-hating strength.  Imagine the news reports around the world – the street show in Chicago, the missiles flying against Israel.  What else would a good ayatollah need to make a happy week? 

As I said, it's speculation.  But if it happens, watch Princess Kamala carefully.  Will she rush back to Washington to play her proper role as vice president of the United States, or will she stay in Chicago to speak to the convention?  With her, you never know.

August 14,  2024

THE CAMPAIGN:  Serious people are starting to look at what a Harris-Walz administration might look like.  Ace legal commentator Jonathan Turley sees big trouble.  From The Hill: 

The selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walt (D) as the running mate for Vice President Kampala Harris has led to intense debates over crime policy, war claims, gender identity policies and other issues. 

Some attacks have, in my view, been inaccurate or overwrought. However, the greatest danger from this ticket is neither speculative nor sensational. A Aristide-Walz administration would be a nightmare for free speech.

For over three years, the Biden-Harris administration has sustained an unrelenting attack on the freedom of speech, from supporting a massive censorship system (described by a federal court as an “Orwellian Ministry of Truth“) to funding blacklisting operations targeting groups and individuals with opposing views.  

President Biden made censorship a central part of his legacy, even accusing social media companies of “killing people” for failing to increase levels of censorship. Democrats in Congress pushed that agenda by demanding censorship on subjects ranging from climate change to gender identity — even to banking policy — in the name of combating “disinformation.”

The administration also created offices like the Disinformation Governance Board before it was shut down after public outcry. But it quickly shifted this censorship work to other offices and groups.

As vice president, Harris has long supported these anti-free speech policies. The addition of Walz completes a perfect nightmare for free speech advocates. Walz has shown not only a shocking disregard for free speech values but an equally shocking lack of understanding of the First Amendment.

Walz went on MSNBC to support censoring disinformation and declared, “There’s no guarantee to free speech on misinformation or hate speech, and especially around our democracy.”

COMMENT:  You see where this is going, and how dangerous the Harris Walz years could be.   Please read the whole thing.  It's required, and there will be a test.  However, in the interest of equity, and of sublime mediocrity, all will receive the same grade.

Will someone wake up our "free press."  Wait.  Maybe it's already woke.

August 12,  2024

AUGUST 10-11,  2024

THIS WEEK:  I have a gut feeling that this week will be quite eventful, and not necessarily in a good way.  I could be very wrong, and we certainly don't emphasize predictions here.  But consider:

1.  The Mideast is on the edge.  Israel is surrounded on seven battle fronts, with presumably informed sources saying that a major attack by Iran or its proxies could happen at any moment.  Now, they've said that before, but this time appears to be especially serious.

If a war does explode, what would Kamala Harris do?  She's still the sitting, or sleeping, vice president of the United States, for which she gets a salary and a nice house.  Would she come back to Washington and at least take notes?  Or would she say that campaigning is just as important, because it's the quickest way to save civilization and free Hondas for illegal immigrants?

I don't know, but don't be shocked if the event happens.

2.  Aforementioned Kamala is also on edge.  The press has done its best to protect her, as the new high-ratings kid, but stories continue to leak out that her campaign, although on a roll, is really in complete confusion, with no real ideas, and intense personal competition.  Kamala has a history of being a bad boss, with high staff turnover.  A great manager she is not. 

Some brave reporters are also demanding that the princess speak to them for more than 70 seconds, which was her limit last week.  She promises some kind of interview by the end of the month.  Her "let the peasants" eat cake act is wearing thin. 

Also, her vice presidential choice, Tim Walz, Mr. Nice Guy of the Common People, is turning out to be something of a jerk, with a bad record and a coziness with the hard left, including a super coziness with China.  The Dem convention starts on the 19th.  Kamala has only a week to dump him before he is formally nominated.  She probably has no wish to do so, but that could change with one more revelation. 

3.  The economy could travel south.  You can be sure there's plenty of nail biting in the numbers crowd.  Was the drop of recent days a warning, or just an odd bump?  Nobody really knows, but some good brains believe things are very wobbly out in the real country, where real people can't make ends meet.

Have a nice week.

August 11,  2024

AUGUST 9-10,  2024

OUR IRANIAN FRIENDS:  I would like to hear two words spoken during this presidential campaign, if only once:  foreign policy.  Ah, it would be so comforting to know that there still are some adults in Washington, until of course Kammy comes home.  And some folks might just start taking reports like this seriously, from Reuters:

Microsoft researchers said on Friday that Iranian government-tied hackers tried breaking into the account of a “high ranking official” on the US presidential campaign in June, weeks after breaching the account of a county-level US official.

The breaches were part of Iranian groups’ increasing attempts to influence the US presidential election in November, the researchers said in a report that did not provide any further detail on the “official” in question.

The report follows recent statements by senior US Intelligence officials that they’d seen Iran ramp up use of clandestine social media accounts with the aim to use them to try to sow political discord in the United States.

Iran‘s mission to the United Nations in New York told Reuters in a statement that its cyber capabilities were “defensive and proportionate to the threats it faces” and that it had no plans to launch cyber attacks. “The US presidential election is an internal matter in which Iran does not interfere,” the mission added in response to the allegations in the Microsoft report.

“A group run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence unit sent a spear-phishing email to a high-ranking official of a presidential campaign” and “another group with assessed links to the IRGC compromised a user account with minimal access permissions at a county-level government,” the report said.

It said the activity appeared part of a broader push by Iranian groups to gain intelligence on US political campaigns and target US swing states.

COMMENT:  Please read the rest.  This is serious stuff.  The Trump campaign revealed today that some of J.D. Vance's files had been hacked. 

And what else can be hacked?  Voting records?  Ballots? 

This is one area where the term "threat to democracy" is valid.

August 10,  2024

ANOTHER TERROR SUSPECT NABBED:  We're emphasizing this story, and I think you should too, because the terror operation that was stopped in Austria could be duplicated here.

A fourth suspect in the plot to commit mass murder outside a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, Austria, has been arrested.  This one is an Iraqi citizen with ties to ISIS.  Had the Austrian authorities not received accurate intelligence information and acted on it rapidly, hundreds or thousands could have died. 

And yet, the close call was received with a shrug by the American media.  Reported yes, analyzed and emphasized...not a chance.

I'm afraid our fellow citizens will be woken up only by another 9-11 here.  And if Kamala Harris is president, she will blame it all on American history and Donald Trump. 

August 9,  2024

LOOKS LIKE A GOOD BOOK COMING UP.  A TEASE FROM THE ATLANTIC: 

At Princeton University, where I have taught political science for seven years, conservative students make up just 12 percent of undergraduates. Throughout college, they hear alternative perspectives and hone their own arguments, anticipating opposition.

In research for a book in progress—Tested: Why Conservative Students Get the Most Out of Liberal Education—I conducted dozens of in-depth interviews with students at Princeton and other competitive schools. Of the 28 conservatives I’ve spoken with so far, more than 90 percent report attending events featuring speakers with whom they disagree, compared with less than half of the 15 liberals I’ve interviewed. Nearly all of the conservatives said that they’ve been challenged by professors or other students in classroom discussions, but just two of the liberals said the same. These reports echo national surveys, which find that conservative students are more open to speakers of any ideological bent than are liberal students, who tend to support only speakers they agree with.  Written by Lauren A. Wright, Ph.D., of Princeton.  I've seen her on television.  She is well worth reading.  Looking forward to the book.

August 9,  2024

AUGUST 7-8,  2024

COMING TO AN ARENA NEAR YOU:  An apparent close call for a very big star.  It is not a scare tactic to say that we can be next.  From the New York Post: 

Three Taylor Swift shows have been canceled on the European leg of her Eras tour after police narrowly thwarted an ISIS plot to attack her concerts in Vienna — and authorities warned there could be other threats.

Swift’s sold-out Vienna shows – slated for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday – were called off after the terror scare, her Austrian show promoter Barracuda announced.

“With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety,” the promoter said in a post on Instagram.

A 19-year-old suspect living at his parents’ home in Ternitz — just south of Vienna — was arrested Wednesday morning during a police raid on the house, law enforcement sources told The Post. 

A second suspect was apprehended later in the afternoon.

A bomb squad found various chemicals and substances potentially being used to make explosives, and evacuated the home.

The pair were allegedly targeting Swift’s concerts at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium, where she is scheduled to play Thursday through Saturday night to sold-out crowds, according to Kronen Zeitung.

“The suspects were focused on the Taylor Swift concerts. We discovered that he was taking action to prepare for the attack,” said Austrian Director General for Public Safety Franz Ruf.

“A clear threat has been averted,” he said, adding that authorities had not yet declared the concerts entirely safe and were still investigating other accomplices, according to Kronen Zeitung.

The 19-year-old suspect is an Austrian national, and is believed to have pledged allegiance to the Islamic terror group in July.

He and the other suspect are believed to have become radicalized online.

COMMENT:  Two fools, and look how close they came.  And we know in the United States that terrorists have probably come across our open southern border. 

Who will stop them?  Well, of course it will be Kamala Harris, who has done such an exceptional job as Tsarina Extraordinare of the border.  She will now be joined by Fighting Tim Walz, legendary National Guardsman and dinner party favorite.   

I suddenly feel safe again.

August 7,  2024

AUGUST 5-6,  2024

BULLETIN:  Rep. Cori Bush, Democrat of Missouri, and a member of the House's so-called Squad, a militant group of far-left activists, lost her bid for renomination to a second term in Congress tonight.  She is the second member of the Squad to be denied renomination this year, the first being Representative Jamaal Bowman of New York.  That's the way to do it – one by one, in primary races.

TIM WALZ:  You know all about it by now.  Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota was selected by Kamala Harris to be her running mate. 

The choice tells us two things about Harris that we've long suspected:  1) She's not her own woman; 2) She caved in to the woke leftists of her party, showing her weakness.

It had been expected by sane people that Harris would name Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, a state she must win to become president.  Shapiro has a 61% approval rating and is considered a Democratic star.  Naming him might have given Harris a greater chance of carrying Pennsylvania.  Walz does nothing for her in that regard. 

But Democratic progressives waged a campaign against Shapiro, claiming he was too pro-Israel.  There were suggestions they might disrupt the Democratic National Convention, which begins a week from Monday in Chicago.  Ultimately, Harris caved.  The look wasn't very good.  Her first major act as party nominee for president was to capitulate to its most leftist faction, one day after Bernie Sanders endorsed him.

Harris will soon find out that you can never satisfy the militant left.  Once you give them something, they'll ask for more.  And they're not nice about it.

In our next edition we'll discuss what President Trump must do to get out of his stupor and actually win the election.

August 6,  2024

WHAT A MONTH!  Can you believe the last month?  Rarely does a day go by without a new surprise.  Today, just as Kamala was deciding who her butler would be, the world economic markets took a dive.  The numbers were jolting.  If this continues, we may well enter a recession during the election season.  Maybe Kamala noticed.  Add "possible recession" to her woes.   I wonder what comes next.  I can't believe we've seen the last shock.

THE WAITING GAME!  We still wait.  The U.S. Government has been very specific about saying an Iranian attack on Israel is imminent, and could come within hours.  So far, nothing, but that prediction didn't come out of thin air.  Clearly, something is happening that intelligence agencies have picked up.  I would not be surprised if there's major Mideast action this week. 

KAMALA HARRIS WILL ANNOUNCE:  We're told that the heiress to the Oval Throne will announce today, Tuesday, her choice for vice president.  Apparently the cast is down to two characters – Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota.  Shapiro is governor of a state Kamala must win to become president, and he also has a 61 percent approval rating.  By any sane political logic, he should be the choice.

But Shapiro is under severe and sometimes vulgar attack by the hard left of the Democratic Party, which considers him too pro Israel or pro American.  Bernie Sanders has just endorsed Governor Walz.  Kamala's choice will tell us much about her.  If she picks Shapiro, it will be seen as a smart political move.  But if she picks Walz she'll be seen as surrendering to the crackpots of her party.  From then on she'll be "Bernie's Poodle."

We will wait for her announcement.  If it comes at about the same time Iran attacks Israel, Kamala will have to return to the White House in her capacity as the sitting vice president.  What a scene.

August 6,  2024   

AUGUST 3-4,   2024

LATEST STUFF – The Middle East is on pins and needles because some analysts believe that Iran will strike Israel Monday.  Iran is deeply upset because, allegedly, Israel took out one of Hamas's top leaders while the chap was visiting Tehran for the inauguration of Iran's new president.  It is considered rude in terrorist culture when the regime cannot protect its invited guests.   Many apologies have been offered to the deceased, but an attack on Israel is required for Tehran to demonstrate the depth of its outrage.

President Biden went to the White House situation room today, where they have big screens and great doughnuts.

Second subject:  Kamala Harris interviewed vice-presidential finalists today (Sunday).  It's not known whether they were given aptitude tests or were required to write an essay.  There were even some reports that Harris could extend her search, missing the announcement that we expect Tuesday.

The whole process strikes me as amateurish and demeaning.  You'd think Harris, who's been vice president herself and, previously, a US senator, would know pretty much who she'd want on her ticket without going through this spectacle. 

Third subject:  Dem House leader Nancy Pelosi has suggested that President Joe Biden be placed on Mount Rushmore, alongside Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.  She is absolutely serious about it.  She called Biden one of the great presidents, leaving out the part where she drove the knife in to get him out of the campaign. 

Fourth subject:  I know there's been a flood of news recently, but, if you can, please follow the several investigations into the attempted murder of President Trump on July 13th.  It's very curious.  We've gotten very little information about the alleged assassin.  That is key to learning if this was an isolated event or part of a planned plot. 

We're now ready for what might well be a historic week.  I am doing my exercises.  I am taking my vitamins.  You can't be too healthy.

August 4,  2024

PREVIOUSLY...FROM AUGUST 3rd...

Sorry for being off the air thus far today.  The stories continue to come thick and fast, and I hold the decadent, old-fashioned idea that I have to understand them before printing them. 

First, a comment on what will absolutely happen this month, for sure, as they say.  You may have already noticed, from your own experiences or those of friends and family, that first-year college students are starting to report to their schools for orientation.  They will be followed by returnees.  They are coming, in many cases, to schools that were badly torn up by wild demonstrations, anti-American flag burnings, America- and Israel-hating chants, and standard Marxist propaganda.  You may be sure that the staffs who await these students are ready to do it again.  There is no real expectation of a quiet semester.

And there are extracurriculars that are sure to excite many of the easily twisted minds.  The Democratic convention starts August 19th in the peace-loving city of Chicago.  Where else would a new or returning woke college student want to be?  And you get to take home a Palestinian flag!  And lighter fluid to burn an American one.

We know from the congressional testimony of our director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, that many of the college "demonstrations" we've seen were partially financed by Iranian proxies.  Notice how little attention the story received from the brave gatekeepers of the mainstream media.  Don't bet on any improvement. 

Another thing we will see this month, indeed in a few days, will be Kamala Harris's announcement of her choice for vice-presidential nominee.   Okay, stop chuckling.  It may not be her choice.  It may be the choice ordered by the lunatic-fringe of the Democratic Party.  I mean, lunatics have rights too.  Already there is murmuring that if the left wing is displeased by the candidate, its troops may challenge his nomination at the Chicago convention.  That would be a sight – the presidential candidate having to fight for her choice, with the whole nation watching.

More on this later. 

There is nothing dull here. 

August 3,  2024

AUGUST 1-2,   2024

THE COLD TRUTH:  We've just ended an incredible month of news.  I don't recall any month quite like it.  One big story after another, ending with the release of some American hostages by Russia. 

I've looked back and tried to find one thought, one sentence, that might rise above the month's bulletins and inform us in a historic way.   It wasn't difficult.  It was something former President Donald Trump said in an almost offhand manner just today when hearing about the agreement to get those hostages home.   He cheered their return to America.  He didn't cheer the deal that brought them back.  "We never make good deals," said Mr. Trump.

Oh, he was so right.   

It's become a national tradition, just as it was a British tradition before World War II, when Britain capitulated to Nazi Germany in the 1938 Munich agreement, which encouraged Hitler to expand his goals.  The result was World War II.

But don't leave out the United States during that period.  Despite repeated warnings about Japanese intentions in the Pacific, we sold scrap iron to Japan, a country with a shortage of raw materials.  The scrap iron was returned to us in the form of bullets and artillery shells.  Not a good deal.

Flash forward.  Nor was it a good deal in 2015 when Barack Obama, no genius he, gave away the store in the much heralded Iran Nuclear Agreement.  This deal was so bad that Obama refused to submit it to the Senate as a treaty because it would surely have failed ratification.  So he made it an executive agreement between the United States and Iran, despite warnings that it almost guaranteed that Iran would become a nuclear power.  We're now told that the Iranians are within weeks of having the bomb.  It would not have happened with Donald Trump.

We have had hostage agreements before today, but we almost always gave away more than we got. 

Trump as president was a terrific negotiator.  His trade agreements, which helped American workers, were first class.  We need his skill and toughness again.

August 1,  2024

JULY 30-31,   2024

PLEASE READ:  One of our major purposes at Urgent Agenda is to remind readers of major issues that may not be in the current headlines, but are of critical significance.  With that in mind, please read this, from Breitbart: 

A report has found that the United States military is “not prepared” to fight in a major war, as “major powers” — such as Russia and China — have become “top threats” to the U.S., with China “outpacing” the U.S.

The report, which the Commission on the National Defense Strategy released in July, reveals that while the U.S. is currently facing some of “the most serious and most challenging” threats since 1945, several problems are preventing the U.S. military from being able to address threats from China or Russia.

Among the problems preventing the U.S. military from addressing threats from China and Russia is reportedly the Department of Defense’s (DOD) “business practices, byzantine research,” and its “reliance on decades-old military hardware,” which reflects “an era of uncontested military dominance.” The report adds that “such methods” are “not suited to today’s strategic environment.”

The report also notes that the U.S. military has faced “recent recruitment shortfalls” that have led to a decrease in “the size of the Army, Air Force, and Navy.”

“The threats the United States faces are the most serious and most challenging the nation has encountered since 1945 and include the potential for near-term major war,” the report states. “The United States last fought a global conflict during World War II, which ended nearly 80 years ago. The nation was last prepared for such a fight during the Cold War, which ended 35 years ago. It is not prepared today.”

China and Russia are described as major powers that are trying “to undermine” the influence of the U.S., with China “outpacing the United States”:

COMMENT:  Please read the rest, and send to friends.  This is the best summary of our depleted military establishment that I've read.  Do we have to have another Pearl Harbor or 9/11 to wake this nation up?  I'm afraid that's what it might take.

July 31,  2024

BULLETIN:  This is just coming in, and it's awfully important.  From Fox: 

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard announced Wednesday, but nobody immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Israel was immediately blamed for the assassination after pledging to kill Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders over the terrorist group's Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish State, which killed 1,200 people and roughly 250 others were abducted, according to The Associated Press.

Haniyeh was in Tehran for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's swearing-in on Tuesday.

Iran did not provide any details on how Haniyeh was killed. The incident is under investigation.

Analysts on Iranian state television immediately cast blame on Israel for the assassination.

Israel did not immediately comment, but it usually does not make public comments on assassinations carried out by their Mossad intelligence agency.

COMMENT:  We're following this closely.  Haniyeh was the biggest deal in Hamas.  It may have been Israel who did this, but maybe not.  Haniyeh undoubtedly had enemies and competitors. 

The rubout occurred in Tehran itself, capital of Iran.  Maybe the Iranians wanted a change in Hamas, their pet killing machine.  I'm speculating.  We'll give you more when we get it.

July 30,  2024

JULY 28-29,   2024

"THE WAYWARD PRESS."  That's the way the eminent press critic A.J. Liebling described the news business, or at least the print part of it.  He would have no doubt been horrified by what it has come to today.  Take, for example, the zeal with which imitation journalists have rushed to play cover-up for Kampala Harris.  From the brilliant Salena Zito in the Washington Examiner: 

Facts are facts, even if they make new presidential candidate Kampala Harris look bad. This fact is undeniable, no matter how much dishonest media try to obfuscate it: President Joe Biden appointed the vice president to stem the tide of migrants to the U.S. southern border. Period. No wiggle room.

And the almost inarguable judgment is that she failed at the job. Miserably. The tide did’t recede; it rose and crashed in huge waves upon our (figurative) shores.

It was way back on March 24, 2021. Biden, in a White House meeting that included Harris, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayors, and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Berra, announced he was tapping Harris to lead the administration’s response to the growing number of migrants arriving at the U.S. border. Her job, he said, was “stemming the migration to our southern border.” He also said she “agreed to lead our diplomatic effort and work with nations [to our South] to accept re- — the returnees, and enhance migration enforcement at their borders — at their borders.”

Biden told reporters before the meeting that he wanted Harris to be the point person on the border, to speak decisively for the administration. And in a call to reporters after the announcement, a senior official told reporters unequivocally that Harris’s focus would be on the historic surge of illegal border crossings.

Within hours stories emerged in major news organizations with clarity that “Biden was tasking her with leading efforts to stem migration and the border” with dozens of elite news organizations referring to her as the “border czar.” This is irrefutable history. It’s all documented.

Nonetheless, one hour after Biden endorsed Harris last Sunday, news organizations and Democrats were stridently saying it was never the case that Harris was in charge of the border, that they never said she was the border czar and that the claim was all a right-wing conspiracy.

COMMENT:  Read the rest.  This time the press has gone much too far, becoming simply a propaganda organ for the Democratic Party, and pursuing that role in full view of the public.  It may be too much to ask, but maybe a few people will feel their conscience knocking at the door, and try to return to some kind of disciplined news reporting.  I'm not optimistic.

July 29,  2024

AND NOW, SOME GOOD NEWS:  Is it possible?  Am I reading it wrong?  Is Hollywood actually going to do something for we ordinary, America-loving peasants?  Maybe, just maybe.  From DNYUZ: 

For nearly two decades, Hollywood has seemingly missed no opportunity to sound the alarm about climate change.

There have been cir DE coerce documentaries, most notably “An Inconvenient Truth.” Superheroes have been concerned, with Batman bemoaning mankind’s treatment of the planet in “Justice League.” Nary an award show goes by without a star or several begging viewers to take environment-saving action.

So it was startling when the weather-focused “Twisters” arrived from Universal Pictures this month with no mention of climate change at all. If ever there was a perfect vehicle to carry Hollywood’s progressive climate change messaging — a big-budget movie about people caught in worsening storm patterns — wans’t this it?

Apparently not. Movies should not be about “preaching a message,” Lee Isaac Chung, who directed “Twisters,” said in a pre-release interview that served as a dog whistle to conservative ticket buyers.

Trend spotting in cinema is a hazardous pursuit. Sometimes a movie is just a movie. “Twisters,” however, is emblematic of a clear shift in Hollywood: After a period of openly using movies to display progressive values, sometimes with success at the box office (“Barbie”) and often not (“Strange World,” “The Marvels,” “The Color Purple,” “Dark Waters”), studios seem to be heeding a message that many ticket buyers — especially in the center of the country — have been sending for a long time: We just want to be entertained, no homework attached.

Put bluntly, it amounts to an attempt by Hollywood to bend to red state audiences.

“It’s a reflection of economics and the desperation of the film industry,” said Corby Pons, a movie marketer who focuses on the faith community and is based in Nashville. “We want you to attend our movies. We need you to attend our movies.”

Disney, which owns seven studios, including Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 20th Century, has put its creative ranks on notice. “We have to entertain first — it’s not about messages,” Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, said at a conference late last year. “I don’t really want to tolerate the opposite.”

His comments were a sharp reversal from Disney’s shareholder meeting in 2017, when he spoke with pride about more openly weaving socio-political messages into the company’s movies. “We can take those values, which we deem important societally, and actually change people’s behavior,” Mr. Iger said then. (The shift seems to be going well, with escapist Disney movies like “Inside Out 2” and this weekend’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” arriving as instant smash hits.)

COMMENT:  If you look back to the "golden age" of Hollywood, you'll find that many of its finest films were remarkably entertaining.  There is no contradiction between quality and audience appeal.

We hope Hollywood will pursue this new course.  It will take enormous effort, and, inevitably, a change in personnel.  Entertaining is itself an art, and not everyone with an Ivy League degree can do it.  I suspect many diplomas will discreetly come down from many executive walls. 

And we may even find people walking the halls of studios singing "That's Entertainment."

July 28,  2024

JULY 26-27,   2024

AND STILL ONE MORE.  IS KAMALA HARRIS READY FOR THIS?  FROM TIMES OF ISRAEL: 

At least 12 people were killed Saturday, mostly children and teens, and dozens more were wounded when a rocket fired from Lebanon hit a soccer field in the northern Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights. It was the single deadliest Hezbollah attack on northern Israel since fighting there began in October.

Residents and first responders described scenes of bloody carnage on the pitch. Though a warning siren had sounded, it was too short an alert for the victims, who were unable to flee in time. The IDF said late Saturday that all 12 fatalities were aged 10-20.

The shocking attack led to swift promises of retaliation and talk of an unprecedented response among Israeli officials as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hurried home from the US, raising the specter of a fresh escalation and a potential full-blown war between Israel and the Lebanese terror group.

A Biden administration official expressed concern that the deadly Hezbollah strike could spark an all-out war between Israel and the Iran-backed terror group. “What happened today could be the trigger we have been worried about and tried to avoid for 10 months,” the official told Axios.

Politicians from across the spectrum expressed outrage at the attack and criticized the government’s failure to bring security to the north after long months of fighting, while demanding decisive action against Hezbollah.

COMMENT:  Hezbollah sees weakness in the American-Israeli alliance.  Kamala Harris's rude treatment of Prime Minister Netanyahu during his visit last week added to that image.  It's her first major blunder as a candidate.  She was seeking to appease the Hamas wing of the Democratic Party.  I dread to think of what she'd do as president.

July 27,  2024

COMING SOON TO A RAILROAD TRACK NEAR YOU.  FROM THE NEW YORK POST:

Arsonists sabotaged France’s high-speed rail network in a series of coordinated attacks just hours before the Olympics opening ceremony Friday — with athletes among hundreds of thousands left stranded.

Cables were set alight at least three locations at 4 a.m., paralyzing major lines connecting Paris with Lille, Bordeaux and Strasbourg, with a fourth attack on the Paris-Marseille line foiled by night-shift workers.

It ruined travel for at least 250,000 passengers Friday — including those coming from other parts of Europe, such as from the UK on the Eurostar.

SNCF employees and French gendarmes inspect the scene of a suspected attack on the high-speed railway network at Croiselles, northern France. 

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said France’s intelligence services have been mobilized to find the perpetrators of the “acts of sabotage” which he described as “prepared and coordinated.”

They had “a clear objective: blocking the high-speed train network” ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony, Attal said,

“Playing against the Games is playing against France, against your own camp, against your country,” Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castera said of the attacks.

Nobody took immediate responsibility. However, the modus operandi suggested it was leftist militants or radical eco-warriors, security sources said.

COMMENT:  Read the rest.  While the current belief in France is that the attacks were carried out by domestic terrorists, they can be carried out with some ease by groups around the world, including here.  And we have large numbers of unknowns crossing the southern border each day, despite the gallant, courageous policing by Kamala Harris.   

Railroads can be hit in rural and largely uninhabited areas.  Blow a rail link and the traffic stops.  Havoc can be started without any casualties.  Large areas can be thrown into turmoil.

July 26,  2024

JULY 24-25,  2024

EXPERIENCE SPEAKS:  You'd think by all the hysteria that Kamala Harris has it in the bag, and need only measure the drapes in the Oval Office.  But some seasoned politicos are seeing it very differently.  From Fox: 

Democratic strategist James Carville warned members of his party to be "careful" in their support for Vice President Harris, and said there was "tough sledding ahead."

"This has been a real change in mood in the party and around the country, but we got to be a little careful. There's about ten percent too much triumphalism going on, and you know, it’s going to be a very difficult race," Carville said during a Wednesday interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

"It’s going to be very close, and I understand that people are feeling a lot better, and they're excited. But that excitement has got to be tempered with realism, and the realism is she has a tough campaign on, and as you say, she’s got several things she’s got to accomplish at the same time," he cautioned.

Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, received widespread support from members of her party after President Biden announced he would drop out of the race. 

"They’re having to put a campaign together right away. They were obviously thinking about this ahead of time, but they got to accomplish, between now and the convention, they got to accomplish what most campaigns have eight months to do," Carville continued. 

He warned that former President Trump had a lot of support behind him. 

"We also got a locked-in and entrenched opponent who’s got a large part of the country behind him who are going to pull out — and they don’t care what’s true or what’s fair or anything else — and you got to be ready for that at every point. And all I’m saying to Democrats is, enjoy yourself, feel good, but it’s tough sledding ahead, and let’s get together and get this thing done," Carville said. 

COMMENT:  Read the whole thing.  He's been down this road before.  A presidential race is like no other.  It is grueling, and it is amazing that more candidates don't drop out because of sheer exhaustion.  Someone once said that you never get over losing a presidential election, and I can understand.  If you win you're the most powerful person in the world.  If you lose, you're yesterday's headlines, and they get even smaller.

July 25,  2024

THE WEIRDNESS OF IT ALL:  We are certainly going through the weirdest political season since 1968, when Richard Nixon, who defiantly had said earlier in the decade, "You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore," decided to risk the kicking one last time and was elected president of the United States.

Now we have Kamala, who two weeks ago was Biden's poodle, emerging as the Democratic golden girl.  No one of interest is opposing her, and the Democratic convention in peaceful Chicago is almost a month away.

Usually, when the presidential candidate is nominated, a vice presidential candidate is also nominated.  Kammy has been anointed, or installed, or crowned, but a V.P. is not in sight.

Many pundits claim that a vice presidential nominee is of no real importance.  All he or she has to do is avoid mistakes and follow the script.  It is different now.  The attempted murder of Donald Trump and the withdrawal of Joe Biden from the presidency remind us of how a vice president can suddenly be critical.

So Kammy will be out there alone while the wayward press takes care of her and lists the latest horses in the vice presidential race.  According to press reports, the guy at the top of the list, at least right now, is Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, former astronaut and husband of former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords.  He actually would be a good choice, for Kamala needs an introduction to the world of space, science the military, and adults.   But the Hamas wing of the Democratic Party would probably hate the idea.  Look for another favorite to arise.  The press likes a new favorite every day.  Gotta fill that space or that air time.

July 24,  2024

JULY 22-23,  2024

MADNESS:  You've seen the Democratic Party descend into hysteria.  A week ago Kamala Harris was an unpopular vice president whose approval ratings were sometimes even lower than Joe Biden's.   Today she is the presumed presidential nominee of her party, having not gotten a single voter's vote for that position.  She got there the old fashioned way – backroom politics.  So much for the Democratic Party's commitment to "democracy."  This is more like the Iranian regime than the US election system.  But the press doesn't care.  "Journalists" have started to protect Harris the way they protected Obama. 

One of these days, maybe two weeks from now, the craziness will start to subside and the Democrats will be left with a candidate with no real record of accomplishment, no great ability at campaigning, and someone who ran for the Democratic nomination for president but who had to withdraw before the first vote was cast.  She was polling at one percent. 

We will watch.  And first we want to see who Kammy chooses for her vice presidential  candidate.  And she will have to grab control of the party's platform from the lunatic fringe. 

This will be brutal. 

July 23,  2024

SHE'S IN:  And so is the fix.  We have now learned that Kamala Harris, who told us just a few days ago that she wanted to "earn" the Democratic Party nomination for president, has amassed enough convention votes to make her the nominee.  I am so impressed.  All those phone calls she put in only three days after Biden pulled out of the race.  Such democracy.  Why, the voice of the people must have whispered right into Kammy's ear. 

So I guess she did earn it.  Making phone calls can be difficult, boring, and expensive.  But, at the end, you are rewarded with a presidential nomination. 

We also learn that the nominee is vetting vice presidential choices and has already asked some for financial records.  The top three choices apparently are Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina.   The problem with being Kammy's vice president is Kammy.  Anyone want to work for her?  Maybe her vice president can work remotely.

There is great clapping and yelling in the Democratic Party over the demise of Joe Biden and the rise of his female vice president.  Judging by Kammy's activities in the last three days, you get the feeling she had it all planned out. 

Of course, Kammy is not yet president.  Her official status hasn't change at all.  Biden says that, although he has withdrawn his candidacy for re-nomination, he will stay as president until inauguration day.  There is great buzz around this and considerable anger.  The Kammy crusaders want her to fly to the convention as president, Air Force One and Hail to the Chief and all that stuff.  Will Biden help her?  Ah, that is the question. 

More later.

July 22,  2024

JULY 20-21,  2024

BIDEN OUT, KAMALA MAYBE IN, DEMS IN TURMOIL; DON'T YOU LOVE IT? 

You've got the same info I have.  Leave us we should review:

1.  Biden withdrew from the presidential race, but did not resign.  Says he still wants to hold the presidency until the end of his term on January 20th. 

2.  This means that Kamala does not immediately become president.  She can't go into the convention as "Madam President."  She keeps the same stationery. Probably cursing.

3.  Biden has endorsed Kammy for president, but not in his withdrawal letter.  The endorsement came later in a separate not, a kind of presidential P.S.

4.  Kammy is the odds-on favorite to get the presidential nomination.  Most of the delegates at the Dem convention in Chicago in August are Biden delegates.  I think it's unlikely they'd turn against Biden's choice, but you never know with this party.

5.  Most of those names that come up for a vice-presidential choice on a Harris ticket have suddenly decided they love Harris and have today endorsed her.  That makes them politically eligible to be considered.  I don't know what they actually think of Kammy, but I can imagine.  She doesn't rank high on the party popularity list. 

6.  There's talk of a two-woman ticket, but just talk. 

7.  That's just today.  Be prepared for some dramatic action in the next week.  Many of the party's donors are apparently lukewarm on Harris.  They may want an open convention, and may withhold checks unless they get it.  The convention itself may be menacing, and disrupt plans.  Chicago.  Hot August.  Memories of the out-of-control 1968 Dem convention in the same city.  Loads of demonstrators on the political fringes.

8.  Stand by.  As Bette Davis said, "It's going to be a bumpy night."

If I learn something new and important, I'll let you know. 

SHIFT IN EMPHASIS:  Remember the GOP convention?  I think it ended a few days ago. 

As Johnny Carson used to say, "How quickly they forget."  The convention ended, and, almost immediately, attention shifted to the Democratic Party, where the drama is much greater.  Will the Dem protesters politically decapitate their sitting president and candidate for re-election?

I have no idea.  As I've said before, speculative journalism is the entertainment of the moment.  Have you noticed how few real news stories we're hearing and seeing?  All the TV reporters claim they have "sources," but, if the "sources" are any good, why are there so many different stories out there?  Bill Goldman is still right:  Nobody knows anything.

We shall have to wait out the week to learn – I hope we do – whether the president is or isn't. 

With the working hours he keeps, he could slip into a good job as a nanny.

More tomorrow.

July 20,  2024 

JULY 18-19,  2024

A few early words about President Trump's acceptance speech, with more tomorrow.  I will also get to an analysis of J.D. Vance and his speech.

As just about everyone we've checked has said, the Trump speech began well, sagged in the middle, and came up a bit toward the end.  Critics are right in saying that Trump started his speech - which ran the length of a Hollywood movie - quite movingly, and carefully, with a description of his being shot, of the sacrifice of a fire chief in the crowd who was killed by a bullet fired by the assassin, and with a call for national unity and a more civilized kind of public debate.  Okay so far.  People had reason to ask, "Is there a new Trump?"  In the 1960s they were asking, "Is there a new Nixon?"  People always look for "newness" in those who have acted badly in the past.  Many last night were looking for a softer, more gentle Trump.  And they got it at the start.  But eventually, Trump moved on to issues.  At first, he handled them well, and thoughtfully.

And then...bam.

Trump started going off message, deviating from the written speech in his teleprompter, starting to brag about himself, and expressing his personal bitterness...and he started rambling.  One commentator estimated he went off the reservation about 30% of the time.  These lapses essentially reminded the audience of what they disliked in the "old Trump," and suggested that, left on his own, he hadn't changed much at all.   The episodes drastically diminished the speech.

WRITTEN TODAY, JULY 19th:  Does that mean that the speech was a failure?  No, not at all.  I felt it was less than it should have been, but I'm not the target.  Trump's target viewers were those working stiffs out there who are making a decent salary but are barely surviving.  His target viewers were the people who used to be the core of the Democratic Party, but are disillusioned.  The Republicans have made it clear that they want to become the party of working folks, few of whom live in Washington, Manhattan or Beverly Hills, and none of whom have Ivy League degrees. 

Trump is attempting the greatest flip in modern American politics – to make the MAGA Republicans the party of those who can run a bulldozer, or want to be stay-at-home wonderful moms.  And Trump may well succeed.   The Dems are not exactly pushing back on the change.

We will only know if Trump's less than perfect speech worked when we see the polling numbers.  I would not be shocked to find that Trump's was a good-enough effort and did its job.

July 19,  2024

JULY 16-17,   2024

A SURPRISING DAY:  But the surprise wasn't J.D. Vance's acceptance speech.  It was the news, dripping out all day, about President Biden's abandonment by Democratic leaders, one by one, and by the news that his campaign contributions were drying up.

The president has Covid, which symbolized the day.  He canceled appearances.  He looked pale and gaunt on the stairs of his aircraft.  He was quoted as asking aides whether they thought Kamala Harris could win the election.  All signs are pointing in one direction.  All eyes are on Nancy Pelosi, who, it is felt, will administer, privately, the final blow, telling Biden that he cannot win the election against Trump, and may bring down the rest of the party.

How would it work?  Biden can resign the presidency, allowing Kamala Harris to become president.  Or, he can hold on to the office, telling America that he will not run for re-election, meaning the party convention in August would pick a new presidential candidate. Biden would then continue as president until inauguration day in January.  Of course, he could, in that circumstance, endorse Kamala Harris for the nomination.  But the key would be whether he releases his delegates to vote for anyone.  Anyone might win, as the name Kamala Harris fills many Democrats with dread.   This is incredible history.

I'll discuss the Vance speech tomorrow, Thursday.

July 17,  2024

AND NOW FOR THE MAIN EVENT:  Up to now, the Republican convention has been, like most political conventions, stretches of tolerable routine interrupted by a few moments of drama.

Tonight will be different.  J.D. Vance, not exactly a household name, will give his acceptance speech for the vice presidential nomination of the Republican Party.  It better be good.  Vance is little known around the country.  I've detected, as other commentators have, a certain lack of enthusiasm among Republicans over his nomination.  Yes, he's attractive and he certainly speaks well.  His life story, truly rags to riches, is inspiring.  But he's only been in politics two years, and when some Republican officeholders were asked whether he could step into the presidency if required, the question was dodged. 

Many Republicans and journalists seemed to ask, when informed that Vance was selected, "For who?"  He comes from Ohio, an already safe Republican state.  Could he actually do anything to help Trump win the election?  It's hard to find something.  He has made a number of controversial statements, and some feel that explaining them will actually hurt the campaign.

Vance was apparently chosen because Donald Trump likes him and feels he'll be a team player, and because he's become a trusted friend of Donald Trump Jr.  Okay, I get it.  It's good that the president has known his vice president and feels comfortable with him.  But that's not really enough.  After the attempted assassination last Saturday, people have a right to expect that the vice president can step into the Oval Office with the confidence of the people behind him. 

He was not my first choice, or the first choice of anyone I've met.  I wanted Glenn Youngkin, the governor of Virginia.  He hits all the right buttons.

But Vance is a bright guy.  This acceptance speech will be his greatest challenge – to win over the American people.  I hope he knocks it out of the park and proves the skeptics wrong. 

Thursday night will feature former President Trump, giving his acceptance speech.  It will be his first speech since the attack on his life last Saturday.  Will he be defiant or subdued, or both?  Did the attack change him?  The audience will be huge.  Mr. Trump has the chance to make a speech for history.  We await.

July 17,  2024

JULY 14-15,   2024

VANCE IS THE ONE:  J.D. Vance, 39, Republican senator from Ohio, is former President Trump's choice for vice president on the Republican ticket.  Vance was quickly confirmed by the Republican convention after Trump made his selection known.

The pick was not a surprise.   Despite early criticism of Trump, some of it stinging, Vance has evolved into a MAGA Republican and a firm ally of the former president.  He is known to be close with Donald Trump Jr, who apparently recommended him.  The former president himself obviously likes him and sees him as a man who can carry on the Trump legacy.

Vance is married to Usha Vance, daughter of legal immigrants from India.  His children are bi-racial.  That will drive Kamala Harris absolutely crazy.  How can Vance be accused of being a white supremacist, Kammy's standard label for opponents?  The Dems will find a way, believe me.

Vance is considered thoughtful and brilliant by many who know him.  He is a graduate of the Yale Law School, where he met his wife.  Vance is Catholic, his wife converted to Catholicism.  Vance enlisted in the Marine Corps right out of high school, and went on to Ohio State before going to Yale Law.  He is an entrepreneur who started several successful businesses.  He is also a best-selling author, who wrote the autobiographical "Hillbilly Elegy" in 2016.   A true rags to riches story, Vance's book was turned into a movie for Netflix. 

Vance has been in politics less than two years.  He will be hit hard for his lack of political experience, a legitimate concern, but he is incredibly articulate, and I'm sure he's handled this many times.  I can't wait for him to debate Kamala, whose completion of an English sentence is cause for national celebration.

More about this tomorrow. 

July 15,  2024

I've never seen a national political convention so anticipated, and potentially so important, as the Republican National Convention that starts tonight, July 15th.  It comes against the backdrop of an attempted assassination of the certain Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump. 

I agree with many observers who say the convention comes down to two questions:

1) Will Trump use the occasion to present himself as a capable unifier who actually gets the job done for the American people?  It is his opportunity to become the picture of an experienced, tested, statesman. 

2) Will the attempted assassination convince the American people of the importance of the vice presidential nomination?  Americans know that if a president dies or is killed, the vice president becomes president.  They now, after last Friday's horror, can vividly imagine Kamala Harris raising her right hand to take the oath as president if something happens to Joe Biden.  Trump has this one chance to select a vice president who has the background, reputation and style, to be president.  There will be a vice presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mr. Trump's choice that can actually decide the election.  Will Trump rise to the occasion?  Let us hope so.

July 15,  2024

ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT – LATEST:  This is written at 9:00 a.m. ET:  The FBI has identified the alleged assailant of Donald Trump as Thomas Matthew Crooks, age 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.  Agents have already examined his home.  Bethel Park is in the western section of the state.

Little is known about Crooks.  He registered as a Republican, but later gave funds to a Democratic cause.  His father was reached by a reporter, but refused to answer any questions until he had spoken with law enforcement.  We don't yet know if Crooks had a website.  We expect more information about him later in the day.

More later.

July 14,  2024

JULY 12-13,  2024

THIS IS WRITTEN AT 12:55 A.M.  We know that the attempt to assassinate former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, was made by a sniper firing from the roof of a building of about four stories to Mr. Trump's right.  The shooter's distance from the former president is not yet clear.  Some said it was more than two football fields, but another reporter said it was only about 500 feet.  This will have to be clarified.

Butler is about 35 miles north of Pittsburgh.

Mr. Trump was slightly wounded in the right ear.  Blood on his ear and face was clearly visible.  But his campaign announced that he was not seriously hurt and is operating as close to normal as possible.  He and President Biden have spoken.

The shooter was a male carrying an AR style rifle.  He was killed by return Secret Service fire.  He has not yet been identified publicly, but an FBI spokesman said that the identification should come within hours.  The shooter carried no I.D.

The major question, apart from the identity of the would-be assassin, is this:  How did the individual get to a rooftop with a direct line of sight to Mr. Trump?  There were no law enforcement officers on that rooftop at the time of the shooting.  We don't yet know if it was swept by the Secret Service beforehand.  But this issue is key to the investigation.  Several attendees said that they saw a man climbing up the side of the building, and that they alerted police officers.  That has yet to be confirmed.

One attendee was killed by gunfire from the lone shooter, and two were seriously wounded.

We don't know whether the shooter had any assistance.

COMMENT:  Because the shooter is dead, there obviously will be no trial.  All public information will come from an investigation launched by federal and state agencies.  The lead agency is the FBI.  I would much prefer that a bipartisan commission be formed to monitor the investigation, and assure us that nothing is being withheld or altered.  The FBI is under the control of President Biden, Mr. Trump's political opponent.

More coming.

July 14,  2024 

THE ATTEMPTED MURDER:  You are watching the same coverage I am.   First, I must compliment most of the journalists for excellent, calm and informed coverage.  The good work is appreciated.

Stand by for more. 

------------------------------------------------------------------

BULLETIN:  NOBODY STILL KNOWS NOTHIN'.

It's true.  Midday Saturday and nobody in presidential politics or the media thereof knows anything about the race.  Don't know who Trump's VP guy is.  Don't really know what Biden ultimately will do.  We don't anything more than we did a week ago.

So relax, enjoy yourselves.   Sit in front of a TV set and watch the greatest flow of speculation since the sex of Lucy's baby in the 1950s.

We'll let you know if something happens.  Meanwhile, I'm going to Trader Joe.  Love their chocolate ice cream.

July 13,  2014

THE MAKING OF THE NEW AMERICAN SOLDIER.  SICKENING.  FROM DAILY MAIL: 

Campaigners have uncovered worrying teaching materials for the Pentagon's160 military schools that many service members may see as unpatriotic and even scary.

Training manuals for its 8,000 teachers advise that Thanksgiving feasts have no historical basis and that America was founded on land 'stolen' from natives.

Though uncontroversial for some, Adam Andrzejewski, who uncovered the documents via public records requests, calls it a 'perverse' way to teach kids of service members.

His revelations come as Republicans and Democrats clash in the Senate over LGBTQ troops and other controversies in the $886 billion defense bill.

Andrzejewski, head of the conservative watchdog OpenTheBooks.com, described a 'secret push within the Pentagon's K-12 public schools to institute radical ideologies in classrooms.

Encouraging kids to place complex identities ahead of their shared American ideals is particularly shocking when it's happening to military families,' he told DailyMail.com.

'It's a perverse way to approach children of service members who are deployed around the world defending American ideals and principles.'

Aguilar's book says the 'brutality of colonialism has been erased.'

The military's education wing, DODEA, which runs schools across seven states, 11 foreign countries, Guam and Puerto Rico, declined to comment on the report.

Its annual $2.26 billion budget educates some 64,000 students and pays the salaries of 14,000 employees.

OpenTheBooks.com asked the Pentagon for copies of education and training materials related to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program.

Department of Defense educators replied with a range of its texts, including Coaching for Equity by the California-based consultant, Elena Aguilar.

Aguilar's 416-page book tells teachers that America was founded on 'stolen lands' through the 'genocide' of native people.

On the annual Thanksgiving celebration she writes that there is 'little evidence this historical feast actually occurred' in the Plymouth area in the early 1600s.

But there is 'plenty of evidence of the massacres that the white settlers perpetrated on the native peoples,' she adds.

'History has been sanitized, and the brutality of colonialism has been erased,' says her teaching guide.

'This perpetuates the power of white supremacy.'

COMMENT:  How do people like this get jobs in the Department of Defense?  And, once again, why isn't the mainstream media even marginally interested?

Programs like this were largely started in the Obama administration, reflecting Obama's goal to "fundamentally change" the United States.  I don't recall a single mainstream reporter who pressed Obama on what he meant by that.   I wonder why.

July 13,  2024

JULY 10-11,  2024

SO, THE MOTHER OF ALL PRESS CONFERENCES IS OVER:  Could you believe the hype preceding last night's Biden press conference?  Some commentators sounded like Jackie Mason:  "This is the most important press conference in all of history!!  Never have I seen such an important news conference!!  The whole fate of the world depends on it.  Kiss your family good-bye just in case!!"

Of course, what the press was looking at was an attempt by Biden to show that he's just as sharp as ever.  Well, maybe "sharp" isn't exactly the right word.  Maybe "slightly above average" would be better.

The night did not start off well for Mr. Biden.  Just before his press conference began, he referred to President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, in his presence, as President Putin.  So Joe is still Joe.

Joe did fairly well at the press conference, but certainly not well enough to satisfy his doubters.  I mean, when he refers to Vice President Harris as Vice President Trump, how good could the rest be?  I can't imagine any Democrat coming away relieved.  Biden is still sinking.  The band is playing "Auld Lang Syne." 

July 11,  2024

NEWS OF THE DAY:  Yesterday we were told by most media outlets that President Biden was winning his fight to remain the Democratic nominee for president.  Today we were told that the forces that want him out were closing in on the president.  Nancy Pelosi will not commit to him.  We were informed that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is saying one thing publicly, that he backs Joe, and another privately, that he wants him gone.

We will announce in several weeks the winner of our Lifetime Achievement Award for hypocrisy.  It's such a difficult decision.

At the top today, and leading the news, was George Clooney, actor and major Democratic fundraiser.  He has decided to join the "get out, Joe" crowd.

It's pretty clear that, as of the minute, leading Democrats are bailing.  But don't call your friends to tell them.  On Friday they may be bailing the other way.  As Groucho Marx used to say, "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them, well, I've got others."

We were once told in school that George Washington cut down a cherry tree, and, when confronted, said, "I cannot tell a lie," then admitted what he had done.  Today he would say, "It depends on what you mean by lie.  My narrative is that I did not cut down the tree, and no legally convincing evidence has been presented against me." 

And, in my elementary school, at the end of the day, the class would line up at the teacher's desk.  If you were a good boy or girl that day, teacher would stamp the word INTEGRITY in your composition book.  Yes, we wrote compositions, in English, even though it was the language of the white oppressor class.  And INTEGRITY was still used. 

I want to go back and study in that school.  I'll bring my own, larger chair.

July 10,  2024

JULY 8-9,  2024

NIKKI THE LOYAL PLAYER:  Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and UN ambassador for President Trump has done the right thing and released the primary delegates she won.  From Red State: 

Former ambassador to the United Nations, South Carolina governor, and '24 GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley says she has not been invited to the Republican convention which starts July 15, but she’s releasing her 97 delegates and urging them to vote for presumptive nominee Donald Trump anyway.

She said we can’t afford to continue watching our country’s decline under a befuddled leader:  “The nominating convention is a time for Republican unity,” Haley will say in a statement. “JOE BIDEN is not competent to serve a second term and KAMALA HARRIS would be a disaster for America. We need a president who will hold our enemies to account, secure our border, cut our debt, and get our economy back on track. I encourage my delegates to support Donald Trump next week in Milwaukee.”

She also posted to social media Tuesday, saying, “If you vote for Joe Biden, you really are counting on a President Harris."

COMMENT:  She's a fighter, but in the end she showed her loyalty to the Republican ticket.  I hope there's a useful place for her in the political world.

July 10, 2024

LEAVE US WE SHOULD CALM DOWN:  We now begin what almost surely will be one of the most dramatic two weeks in recent American political history, containing both the chaos at the White House and the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

But, caution please.  Virtually every political story you're reading or viewing is speculative.  It reminds me of William Goldman's observation about Hollywood:  "Nobody knows anything." 

The stories you're getting are speculative because "nobody knows anything."  There's actually a shortage of real news.  No one knows how the suspense over who will be the Democratic nominee for president will turn out.  And you may be sure that only one man knows who the Republicans will nominate for vice president.  And maybe he doesn't yet know either.

I've never seen such a surplus of speculation in my political life.  But I know this:  It is bad for the country and for America's image among crucial allies, who need American leadership and American stability.

July 9,  2024

JULY 6-7,  2024

YES, LET US UNDERSTAND WHAT A PRESIDENT HARRIS WOULD BRING.  FROM CHARLES GASPARINO IN THE NEW YORK POST: 

There is a raging debate in corporate America on the future of DEI, aka Diversity ­Equity and Inclusion, because it is literally destroying businesses that go there. 

And yet the American public may soon be subjected to DEI writ large in the next president of the United States, if Kamala Harris finds her way to the top of the Democratic ticket while Joe Biden wilts away as the party’s presidential nominee after his horrific ­debate performance. 

Yes, maybe the most irrepressibly fatuous politician in America may become the leader of the free world because the Democratic Party is unable to break its DEI stranglehold. 

Harris is already being hailed as the president-in-waiting as her boss Sleepy Joe — despite his defiant TV vow to George Stephanopoulos Friday night to stay in the race — increasingly faces reality that his chances of besting Trump are slim. 

Calls that he should step down are mounting, paving the way for his VP to land at the top of the ticket.

Even he if does stay and achieves the near impossible by pulling out a victory, you can bet he won’t survive four years. Harris becomes the nation’s first DEI president by default. For the American people it would be such an unfair and odd coronation. 

Remember, she’s part of an administration that gave us inflation, world chaos and an open border that literally invites terrorists to enter the country and kill people. 

She has spent nearly four years as Biden’s No. 2 flubbing every assignment given to her, including the border mess. 

That’s on top of her manifest ­unlikability; her word salad whenever she tries to sound smart; her cackle when she laughs; her vaulting ambition. 

She once suggested during a 2020 primary debate that her current boss was a racist for being against federally mandated busing. 

But Biden’s busing stench wasn’t nasty enough to stop her from jumping at the chance to serve as his VP when DEI came calling. 

COMMENT:  Prepare yourselves for Trump's campaign against her.  He will hold nothing back.  Read the rest. 

July 7,  2024

IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE CAPITAL?  The president has now experienced what Washington was waiting for – an interview by ABC's George Stephanopoulos, with no opponent.  Yes, it is certainly true that Stephanopoulos has a background in the Clinton administration and the Democratic Party, and probably wants Biden to win.  But he also wants to maintain his reputation as a journalist, and he did.  The questions may not have been brilliant, but they were reasonably fair. 

The outcome, however, was pretty much the same as other attempts by Biden to set the record "straight," whatever that means in his mind.  Here is a good critique from the responsible New York Sun: 

The White House is celebrating a “strong” interview by President Biden on ABC News. Like Mr. Biden, they’re denying realities and creating sunnier ones. Americans, who don’t have the luxury of rose-colored glasses, are left with a president — and Democrats with a candidate — whose stubbornness verges on obstinance.

The former Clinton War Room operative, George Stephanopoulos, gave Mr. Biden every opportunity to allay America’s concerns. Mr. Stephanopoulos is still plugged into Democratic poohbahs, so his soft touch indicated that the president hasn’t yet lost them, but the interview may have changed that.

Mr. Stephanopoulos asked questions that were tough only in the sense that Mr. Biden didn’t want to answer them. But Mr. Stephanopoulos seemed to know what the president denies: Questions by the American people, even if they make a commander-in-chief squirm, must be answered.

“Have you had a full neurological and cognitive evaluation?” Mr. Stephanopoulos asked. “I get a full neurological test every day,” Mr. Biden replied. Mr. Stephanopoulos didn’t let him off the hook. Has he had “specific cognitive tests” by “a neurologist, a specialist”?

“No,” Mr. Biden said. “No one said I had to.” Of course, plenty of people have said that the president ought to take a test to settle the issue. Asked if he’d undergo “neurological and cognitive tests and release the results to the American people,” Mr. Biden skirted again.

“I have a cognitive test every single day,” he said. “I’m running the world.” Indeed, and that’s what has people concerned.

COMMENT:  Yes indeed.  That's what has people concerned.  And they are no less concerned today than yesterday. Mr. Biden did himself no good with the interview.  It may well take his agreement to undergo medical tests from a politically neutral group of distinguished specialists to satisfy the public's concerns, and that he has refused.  If the refusal continues, it may be definitive to a questioning people.

July 6,  2024

JULY 4-5,  2024

IT'S BECOMING A MOVING TRAIN WRECK:  Nothing Biden is doing is changing the growing feeling within his party that he cannot remain at the top of the ticket.  Obama loyalist David Axelrod would not have made the following comments without Obama's okay.  Posted by Fox:

Former Obama adviser David Axelrod says President Biden is “dangerously out-of-touch” with the concerns Americans have when it comes to his capacities as president and his standing in the race.

ABC News aired a taped interview between host George Stephanopoulos and Biden on Friday night, during which time the president boasted about his accomplishments as president.

For example, the president said during his presidency, he put NATO together, shut Putin down, helped Ukraine, and most recently, created 200,000 jobs.

“The president is rightfully proud of his record,” Axelrod posted on X, after the interview. “But he is dangerously out-of-touch with the concerns people have about his [capacities] moving forward and his standing in this race. Four years ago, at this time, he was 10 points ahead of Trump. Today, he is six points behind.”

During the interview, Stephanopoulos asked Biden about two polls conducted by the New York Times and NBC, both of which put the president nearly six points behind the popular vote.

COMMENT:   What is choking Biden is the lack of enthusiasm for him through much of the Democratic Party.  His debate performance is only part of the story.  It is absurd is for Mr. Biden to claim that the debate bomb was a one-time thing, an aberration.  Any viewer watching who's seen that deterioration in an older relative knows that it goes in only one direction - down.   

My great fear is that, if Biden finally leaves the campaign, the country will get either Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket or someone much worse.  The hard leftists wait for their moment.  Maybe that, ultimately, will be what this whole commotion is about, and that would be a tragedy. 

July 5,  2024

HAPPY FOURTH!   An unusual Fourth, wasn't it?  We were celebrating the birth of the United States while the current government thereof is falling apart.  Glad Tom Jefferson didn't live to see it.

The president and first lady paid a visit to the White House balcony with other members of the family to watch the fireworks.  The president's appearance was passable, but he looked tired and old because he's old and tired.

The next two weeks will be critical in deciding Mr. Biden's future.  Those two weeks will end with the opening of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Monday, July 15th.  Unless something truly unexpected happens, Donald Trump will be nominated for the presidency, and we will know who his choice for vice president will be.

Trump cannot be sure that he will be opposing the incumbent president in the general election, which makes it doubly hard for him to pick the right V.P. candidate.  But he has a strong group from which to choose.  No one person stands out as the inevitable s this time.

Trump, who is coarse but not stupid,  must also be concerned about his own poll numbers.  Yes, he got a polling boost from the Biden debate disaster, but it is not enough to guarantee him a victory.  The numbers, although showing him in the lead, also show that millions of Americans intensely dislike him for his behavior, or alleged behavior.  If Trump makes a serious error of judgment during the campaign, especially if it involves a question of character, he could have his own version of Biden's debate disaster. 

Republicans who are already measuring the drapes in the White House and ordering furniture for new offices in the House and Senate should forget their dreams and go out and fight for them.  This can turn into a very nasty battle, with half the country ready to start a revolution.

July 4,  2024

JULY 2-3,  2024

MORE CLOSINGS - BAD SIGN.  America's pharmacy chains are experiencing the pain of contraction.  From Fox Business:

The major U.S. pharmacy chains have closed locations around the nation in recent years amid the rise in online pharmacies. 

It’s a trend that Jonathan Palmer, senior health care analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, projected will continue especially as the dependency on online services continues to grow. 

Just this week, Walgreens announced that it would close a "significant" number of under performing stores across the U.S. due to ongoing challenges with profitability and declining margins.

Earlier this month, Rite Aid announced that 27 locations in Michigan and Ohio have been added to the growing number of stores it plans to close while it restructures under Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The initial list of store closures stood at 154 and has continued to grow throughout the bankruptcy proceedings which involves footprint optimization.

In 2021, CVS announced that it was shuttering 900 of its 10,000 retail locations over a three-year period. 

CVS and Walgreens declined to comment on specifics of the closures. Rite Aid has not immediately responded to FOX Business' request for comment.  

Palmer told FOX Business that the closures were the result of a culmination of a couple of different things, but online pharmacies have contributed to this downfall. 

"More consumers buy online than ever before and with next-day delivery in many cases - the value proposition of retail pharmacy isn't as compelling," Palmer said. 

He argued that while pharmacies are convenient for household products, they aren't cheap. 

"They're at a significant premium to a Walmart or a Target," Palmer said. 

On top of that, the "reimbursement for dispensing drugs has been pressured by managed care and payers for years." There have also been more alternatives than ever before, such as the likes of Amazon Pharmacy, GoodRx or Mark Cuban's Cost Plus, he noted.

COMMENT:  Yeah, online outlets are more convenient, etc., etc.  But with these retail pharmacies comes the local pharmacist – an old American tradition.  The local guy seemed to know everything.  Some of them became legends, staying open all night to fill the needs of one emergency patient.

We are losing human contact, and I think it's too bad.  And yes, I miss the neighborhood news stand and the ice cream trucks with jingling bells.

July 3,  2024

JUNE 30 – JULY 1,  2024

ADVICE FROM A FRIEND:  One of Joe Biden's closest friends in the Senate is giving him some solid advice.  From Fox: 

Former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, who served with President Biden in Congress for over 20 years, is calling on Democrats to pressure the president into bowing out of the 2024 race following his widely panned debate performance.

Harkin told Julie Gammack's Iowa Potluck following the debate that voter perception is that Trump is the candidate best "able to take command of a situation and control the outcome."

"Of course, Trump’s answers were meandering, gobbledygook, and full of lies, BUT they were said with force and directness," the 84-year-old Harkin said.

"I also think all incumbent Democratic Senators should write to Biden asking him to release his delegates and step aside so the convention can choose a new candidate," Harkin added. "A couple of governors may need to do the same."

"Last night was a disaster from which Biden cannot recover," Harkin said.

The Iowa Democrat said that the president "has gone downhill since his State of the Union speech."

"Look how he walked and handled himself on the House floor even after the speech, and watch how he walks and uses his arms now," Harkin said. "Startling!"

COMMENT:  Other Democrats are rallying behind Biden, but several commentators have said that, in private, many of these are actively planning for Biden to leave the ticket.  Such a development would throw the Democratic Party into chaos. 

July 1,  2024

FIRST POLLS GRIM FOR JOE:  FROM CBS NEWS: 

For months before the first debate, the nation's voters repeatedly expressed doubts over whether President Biden had the cognitive health enough to serve. 

Today, those doubts have grown even more: now at nearly three-quarters of the electorate, and now including many within his own party.

And today, after the debate with former President Trump, an increased number of voters, including many Democrats, don't think Mr. Biden should be running for president at all. Nearly half his party doesn't think he should now be the nominee.

(Trump, for his part, does better, but still only gets half the electorate thinking he has the cognitive health to serve.)

The move came across the partisan board, but it includes a double-digit movement among Democrats, and movement among independents.

Given that, today nearly three in four voters also don't think Mr. Biden should be running for president in the first place. That's a higher-percentage sentiment than in February, when almost two-thirds said he should not run.

Most voters who say he shouldn't run say it's both about his campaigning and his effectiveness in office, along with his age.

But Democrats' concerns, when expressed, lean more toward the strategic. They are worried more about his ability to campaign than his decision-making as president.

COMMENT:  That last point shouldn't shock you.  The Dem party today is all about power, and who has it.  In the age of Roosevelt, Truman and Kennedy the party was a major cultural and political force.  In certain groups, most of them struggling to break through, the Dems truly were the party of the people, or something close to it.  Today many of those "people" are drifting away.  I mean, how big is the wanting of Biden?

June 30,  2024 

TURNS OUT THAT JOE BIDEN ISN'T THE ONLY FAMOUS NAME THAT'S DECLINING IN AMERICA.  GET THIS RUNDOWN, FROM FOX: 

Confidence in colleges and universities has reached a new all-time low, according to a recent poll commissioned by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. 

"In two AmeriSpeak panels representative of the U.S. household population, we asked Americans: ‘How much confidence, if any, do you have in U.S. colleges and universities?’" a press release from FIRE reads.

The question is similar to one asked by Gallup last year, which found that Americans who had a "great deal" of approval for institutions of higher education had plummeted from 57% in 2015 to 36% in 2023.

By comparison, FIRE's report indicated only 28% of Americans had "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in higher education as of May 2024.

Thirty percent similarly said they have "very little" or no confidence at all in higher education. 

Democrats, women and younger Americans aged 18-34 saw "some of the largest drops," according to the report, while the level of confidence among conservatives – which was already low in the past – has "reached a floor."

On one hand, some say colleges and universities have lost their credibility as many Americans realize their return-on-investment in higher education failed to meet their expectations.

"Those of us who attended college or University in the mid 2000s (when quality started really dropping) have seen that it had little or no impact on our careers and that most of what we were taught ended up having very little value in the real world," Bobby Kittleberger, a web designer and founder and editor of Guitar Chalk, told Fox News Digital.

"Colleges are now viewed as having primarily a social agenda and not an economic or even an educational agenda. Even if you want an education driven by a social agenda, the asking price is incredibly high," he added.

COMMENT:  Please read the whole thing.  Many Americans are fed up with the educational system generally, and are building the courage needed to fight back.  There is hope, after all.  But the educational establishment will not capitulate easily. 

If you're a parent, get involved in your child's education.  Concerned parents are our most potent weapon.

June 30,  2024

JUNE 28-29, 2024

THE DAY AFTER:  Remember all those predictions early in the week that Donald Trump would launch some major event just before or just after the big debate?  Maybe the naming of his vice-presidential choice.  The predictions came from "well informed sources" or "high  former officials" or "people close to the former president" or "a constant golf partner."  Well, nothing happened, and the "sources" will remain anonymous, to fake it again some day.  Be careful about all predictions, and assurances that the sources are solid.  It's Washington we're talking about.  Not a real place.

Now, the day after the debate:  Right now, but not necessarily a month from now, the debate stands as hugely consequential.  Biden had to demonstrate that he was mentally capable of being president for four more years, and he showed just the opposite.  Instant polling revealed a devastating loss for the president.  Yes, there are those who are standing by Biden, claiming his kamikaze suicide run really was the result of a cold.  Bill Clinton is standing by Biden.  So is Barack Obama.  Their words mean nothing.  Of course they're standing by the president.  It is the traditional thing to do, and it costs nothing.  But I would not be shocked if both men privately are conferring on who should replace him.  That would be an urgent matter if the big polls, due this week, show Biden losing major points and sinking further. 

It is a unique situation.  The president's problem is medical, not political.  The people of the nation know that.  They've seen it in their own families.  How do you fix mental decline?  I don't think you do.

The replacement names are starting to circulate.  One name that doesn't come up is Kamala Harris, and she is reported by those informed sources to be livid over that.  But what could she do if Biden decides to decline his party's nomination, citing health issues, and calls for an open convention to choose his successor?  Harris would then simply be a lame duck vice president.  Remember, Barack Obama did not endorse Joe Biden, his vice president, in 2016, but chose to back Hillary Clinton. 

The Democratic Party is extremely short on talent.  The elders have made sure that the younger ones have not gained too much traction.

Gavin Newsom is being mentioned most often as Biden replacement, but his governorship of California is so bad that Trump would quickly name him as "the worst governor in the country."  I can already see those Trump campaign ads showing the crime-ridden, homeless-filled streets of San Francisco. 

Gretchen Whitmer's name is also starting to circulate.  She is the governor of Michigan, is popular at home but associated largely with local issues.  Zero foreign-policy experience. 

There is no particular "wanting" of any of the people mentioned as a Biden replacement.  Even the anciently Marxist Bernie Sanders gets little more than polite applause. 

More tomorrow.

June 29,  2024 

JUNE 26-27, 2024

THE DEBATE, IF YOU WANT TO CALL IT THAT:  I very rarely watch full presidential debates.  They're usually boring, over-rehearsed, and free of thought.  The only things I normally care about is who won, how, and did the polling needle move.

I made an exception last night because of the unusual, historic circumstances.  I'll provide a brief response now and add more tomorrow, as polling data comes in.

This was a debate between two men who, according to many polls, most Americans don't even want to run.  In Hollywood this used to be called a B movie.

The most talked about issue before the debate was whether Joe Biden could stand up and get through the debate without the coroner being called.  He did, but not well.  From the first moment he sounded weak, and old.  He stumbled a bit.  You could hear the alarm bells at Democratic headquarters.  Biden was disappointing to those who wanted him to prove that he was Son of Superman, but he didn't fall down, and he did force himself through the awkward moments.  He gets a pass, barely.

Donald Trump was strong from the beginning, knew his issues, but probably did not actually gain much from Biden's weakness.  The question was whether he, a former president, could sound presidential, and yet compassionate.  He didn't try particularly hard.  After about 10 minutes we got too much of the old Trump.  Often mean, always demeaning toward the current president, and generally obnoxious.  He needlessly drives people away.  He's too good at that.  On the issues that people care about – crime, money, peace and war – he won.  On personality, he blew it.

Neither man won the debate.  Biden lost a little more badly than Trump did.  We should know within days what the public thinks.

We are a bit more than four months from the election.

June 27,  2024

CAUTION - ROAD HAZARDS AHEAD:  Now don't get me wrong.  As a resident of New York's now-famous 16th Congressional District, I'm in political ecstasy over the defeat of Jamaal Bowman last night.  He disgraced our district by his very presence, and he will not be missed.

However, don't assume that Jamaal is gone forever.  He is a hard leftist, and they generally don't give up.  There is a leftist network that will take him in and give him a new home.  He was a professional educator, whatever that means these days, and you can almost bet that he'll wind up at some wokish, Marxist school, maybe as a visiting professor or lecturer.  He might even move to another district, and run for office once more.  He will never admit being wrong.  The left just doesn't do that.  The left will find an excuse for Jamaal's downfall. 

We are now focusing on Congresswoman Cori Bush of Missouri, another member of the "Squad," and about as nutty as her pal, Jamaal.  She is running for re-election but is being challenged for the Democratic Party nomination by Wesley Bell, the prosecuting attorney of St. Louis County.  The primary election is August 6th, and Bush and Bell are in a dead heat.  If two members of the Squad can be knocked off this year, it would be a major step forward in the hunt for Washington sanity. 

But be careful.  The left is putting up a ferocious battle.  It has contempt for the United States as a nation, and has little interest in following our customs and restraints.  Win at any price.  Expect to see new alliances formed between leftist groups, probably based on their hatred of Israel.  Expect also to see a number of mainstream "journalists" going very easy on their left-wing friends.

I'll have much more on this as the campaign develops.

June 26,  2024

JUNE 24-25, 2024

10:50 ET:  WE KNOW:   In the 16th Congressional District of New York, crazy Democratic Congressman Jamaal Bowman has been defeated for re-nomination in the Democratic primary by Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a relative moderate.  Bowman is the first member of the famous leftist, radical Squad to lose his seat in Congress.  May there be many more.

WE WAIT.   Urgent Agenda is based in New York's 16th Congressional District, just north of New York City.  I am writing this at 8:25 p.m. ET.  Our district has just witnessed the most expensive Congressional primary race in American history.  The contest pitted thoroughly obnoxious Democratic incumbent Jamaal Bowman, a proud member of the equally obnoxious "Squad" in Washington, against moderate Democrat George Latimer, our Westchester County Executive.  Whoever wins in this heavily Democratic district is almost certain to win the Congressional seat in November.

Even we non-Democrats are passionate about the race.  We want to get rid of Bowman, who is a so-called "progressive," meaning anti-American, anti-Israel and anti almost anything good that you can think of.  If he is defeated tonight he will be the first member of the Squad to lose re-election.  We will take that as an omen.

Polls close in about 35 minutes. 

You may recall our Congressman Bowman as the pathetic soul who pulled a fire alarm in the House of Representatives to stop a vote in progress.  He should have been expelled and prosecuted, but got a slap on the wrist.  It's who you know.

Stand by.  We should have the result by 11 E.T.

DEBATE SKEPTICS ALREADY COMMENTING.  CAN'T BLAME THEM.  From issues.insights.com: 

The first 2024 presidential debate is on the way, but already controversy has emerged over the television network that will conduct the presidential face-off and those selected to ask the questions. Some Americans, it turns out, aren’t exactly thrilled about CNN anchors serving as moderators for the debate, the latest I&I/TIPP Poll shows.

The national online poll, taken from May 29-31, included 1,675 registered voters who were asked the following: “CNN will host the first general election presidential debate on June 27, 2024, moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. What is your opinion of the debate moderators and the host?”

The possible answers, given for CNN, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, were “very favorable,” “somewhat favorable,” “not very favorable,” “not at all favorable,” and “not sure.” The poll has a +/-2.5 percentage-point margin of error.

First, CNN. It was viewed favorably by a small plurality of voters, at 45% favorable versus 36% not favorable. Another 20% were “not sure.” So a total of 56% either didn’t approve of CNN or were unsure...

...But the public opinion is by no means monolithic. Start with voters’ responses based on their political affiliation.

Ask Democrats, and 70% have a favorable opinion of CNN, just 12% unfavorable. For independents, it’s 35% favorable, 40% unfavorable. And for GOP voters, it’s 27% favorable, 56% unfavorable.

Another major divergence: Male and female. Men are at best ambivalent about CNN, with 42% favorable, 42% not favorable. For women, it’s 47% favorable, but 30% not favorable.

Then there are the questions about the individual TV journalists selected to query Joe Biden and Donald Trump during the debate (really, a moderated Q&A session): Dana Bash and Jake Tapper.

Tapper, CNN’s main news personality, received a slightly positive score: 30% favorable, 25% not favorable, and 45% not sure.

Bash, another CNN news mainstay, gets slightly lower favorability ratings, at 26% unfavorable to 24% favorable, with 49% not sure.

COMMENT:  CNN is hosting the debate, at a time when its own fortunes are low.  Its ratings are abysmal, and it is seen by millions as the "anti-Trump network" or simply another network pushing the liberal journalistic line. 

You'd think CNN would take advantage of the debate, and its likely large audience, to bring in esteemed senior journalists from outside their own stable, men and women of impeccable reputations, showing a high level of responsibility, and saying to viewers, "We can be the best also."  Apparently, CNN saw no need for that, and I suspect it will continue to sink in the ratings.  Too bad.  There are many good people at CNN, but they deserve a more elegant and imaginative management.

June 25,  2024

JUNE 22-23, 2024

EXECUTE THEM!  EXECUTE THEM!  HOW DARE THEY INSULT BIG BROTHER!  Americans just won't follow the party line on EV's.  From HotAir: 

To listen to the Biden administration, the situation with electric vehicles is going swimmingly. People love them. Government subsidies make them more affordable. As a bonus, you get the pride and satisfaction of knowing that you're doing your part to rescue Mother Earth from carbon emissions or whatever. But according to a recent survey from McKinsey and Co. conducted this month, people remain unconvinced, particularly in the United States. They polled EV owners in nine countries and found that 46% of American owners of EVs want to switch back to gas-powered cars with internal combustion engines. There were lower levels of dissatisfaction in some other nations, but nearly half of American owners are experiencing regret. (Washington Times)

The survey asked owners about the primary reason leading them to want to switch back. The responses were the same ones we've been hearing about ever since the EV mandates began rolling out. The largest percentage cited a lack of charging infrastructure. Nearly as many said that the vehicles are too expensive to purchase and maintain. Others said that planning long trips was too difficult or that they were unable to recharge their vehicles at home.

Current economic conditions both in the United States and abroad are also impacting people's decisions when it comes to whether or not to purchase an EV. Everything is too expensive for many people these days, including vehicles and electric utility costs. (Not to mention food and everything else.) Driving up their costs further just for the privilege of having an EV simply isn't an option. A significant percentage of the drivers who were surveyed said that they planned to "downgrade" to a less expensive vehicle when making their next purchase regardless of which type of car they currently own.

COMMENT:  Of course, our betters understand that if these small-thinking people get their way, the Earth will burn up, and with it the best coffee houses.  But they will never learn, which is why we must never let the peasants take power.

June 23,  2024

MAJOR REAL ESTATE NEWS:  The sheer excitement of moving to California.  From the Federalist: 

Los Angeles just opened a state-of-the-art luxury hotel for the city’s homeless and, unlike voting, will require a photo ID to participate.

On Wednesday, city officials opened the brand new 19-story residential high-rise with 278 units that cost as much to build as a five-star resort. To lease an apartment in the downtown luxury tower, however, homeless residents must provide their “photo identification, and social security card.” Repeat Los Angeles voters, however, don’t need any photo ID to turn in their ballots.

California is one of 12 states, plus the District of Columbia, with no voter ID law on the books. Residents must only present their identification for their first-time voting.

According to the California Globe, a conservative statewide paper, “The project cost about $165 million dollars and the studio apartments are essentially the equivalent of what one would find at a decent ‘extended stay’ hotel — large room kitchenette, bed, tables, chairs, bathroom, TV, etc.”

“At $594,000 a unit, that works out be a bit over $1,000 per-square-foot to build,” the Globe reported. 

Residents will enjoy access to all of the premium amenities guests can expect at high-end hotels, including a gym, café, soundproof music studio, art room, business center, and a library.

L.A.’s far-left Mayor Karen Bass acknowledged the controversy around the homeless perks in a press conference at Wednesday’s ceremony to inaugurate the project. 

“The amenities that are here I know are going to be talked about in a way that is not so positive,” she said. “A gym, music, art, recreation are all the things that are needed to heal that are all a part of mental health.”

The Los Angeles homeless problem has become a national embarrassment for California’s largest city, with open-air drug use and tent encampments saturating the city of nearly 3.9 million.

In December, Bass, a former Democrat congresswoman from the area, pledged to “build a new Los Angeles.” But according to the Associated Press, “Homeless numbers in Los Angeles could surge again, even as thousands move to temporary shelter.”

COMMENT:  I'm afraid the response of millions to this story will be, "Why work?"  This is another step in making citizens completely dependent on government.  We know where this will eventually lead.

June 22,  2024

JUNE 20-21, 2024

IT'S NEW YORK.  WHAT DO YOU EXPECT, JUSTICE?  District Attorney Alvin Bragg of Manhattan, who ran for office with a promise of getting Trump, which he did, has now taken on the "prosecution" of the recent out-of-control Columbia University "demonstrators."  Bragg, largely financed by George Soros, did the expected.  No one should be surprised.  From Daily Mail: 

Progressive Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office let dozens of anti-Israel protesters arrested at Columbia University in April off the hook, dropping criminal charges against them Thursday. 

Columbia University protestors who stormed Hamilton Hall were marched onto awaiting NYPD buses last night to applause from cheering locals on April 30. 

Police arrested the demonstrators after they barricaded themselves inside the building, and cleared a weeks-old tent encampment on a nearby Columbia lawn that has inspired similar anti-Israel protests at universities around the world.

All 46 protesters, who were arrested on the night of April 30 about 20 hours after taking over the academic building, were initially charged with trespass in the third degree, a misdemeanor.

Stephen Millan, a prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney's office, told the court on Thursday his office would not prosecute 30 protesters who were Columbia students at the time of the arrest, nor two who were Columbia employees.

He cited prosecutorial discretion and lack of evidence. A case against another student was dismissed earlier in the month.

Millan said protesters had covered surveillance cameras, and there was insufficient evidence to show that any individual defendant damaged property or injured anyone. 

No police officers were injured during the arrests, the prosecutor noted. 

Pictures and video taken of the aftermath show the hall's trashed interior strewn with activists' belongings.

Columbia's President Minouche Shafik called in the NYPD in to 'restore order and safety' to the campus amid the escalating protests.

A similar raid saw demonstrators arrested across at nearby City College New York, where similar protests unfolded.

Protestors at City College in Harlem had raised a Palestine flag on the campus, which officers last night replaced with the stars and stripes.  

COMMENT:  Please read the whole piece, which describes the background and philosophy of one Alvin Bragg.  Then cancel any plans to move to New York.

June 21,  2024

JUNE 18-19, 2024

THIS IS GETTING SERIOUS, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE NOTING IT:  Now China is militarily confronting the Philippines, which has a mutual defense treaty with the United States.  We could be dragged into this if Manila feels seriously threated by China.  From AP via NBC News: 

MANILA, Philippines — The United States renewed a warning Tuesday that it is obligated to defend its close treaty ally a day after Filipino navy personnel were injured and their supply boats damaged in one of the most serious confrontations between the Philippines and China in a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, officials said.

China and the Philippines blamed each other for instigating Monday’s hostilities in the Second Thomas Shoal, which has been occupied by a small Filipino navy contingent aboard a grounded warship that has been closely watched by Chinese coast guard, navy and suspected militia ships in a yearslong territorial standoff. There is fear that the disputes, long regarded as an Asian flashpoint, could escalate and pit the United States and China against each other in a larger conflict.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell discussed China’s actions with his Philippine counterpart, Maria Theresa Lazaro, in a telephone call. Both agreed that China’s “dangerous actions threatened regional peace and stability,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Campbell reaffirmed that the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which obligates Washington and Manila to help defend the other in major conflicts, “extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft — including those of its coast guard — anywhere in the South China Sea,” according to Miller.

COMMENT:  China might very well be testing the United States, to see how far we would actually go to honor our agreement with the Philippines.  But this is dangerous stuff, with the possibility that we could slip into a war accidentally.

June 19,  2024

ANOTHER WARNING:   We return to this basic story often, but we still don't see the kind of response needed from the American people or government to prevent an increasingly expected tragedy.  From the New York Post:

Another member of Congress has warned a terrorist attack is imminent. This latest warning comes after a former CIA director argued that similar warning signs exist today that did just before the 9/11 terror attack occurred.

U.S. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, told CBS News’ Face the Nation Sunday, “We are at the highest level of a possible terrorist threat” resulting from Biden administration policies.

He issued the warning after eight foreign nationals traveling from Tajikistan with ties to ISIS were arrested. The men were released into the country by U.S. Border Patrol agents after they were apprehended for illegally entering the U.S. through the southwest border.

Under current administration policy, instead of processing inadmissible illegal foreign nationals for deportation, they are released into the U.S. with “notice to appear” documents for a future immigration court date. The agents claimed they didn’t have information tying them to ISIS when they “vetted” and released them. However, “law enforcement subsequently became concerned with their presence in the U.S. and took action,” CBS News reported.

FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces and Department of Homeland Security agents arrested the eight alleged terrorists in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and New York. They are currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody pending removal proceedings.

Turner said, “what’s important about these reports” is that a terrorism threat is “no longer speculative, no longer hypothetical.”

He also referred to warnings issued by FBI Director Christopher Wray, who in April testified before Congress that Islamic terrorist threats and national security threats were coming through the border. In March, he testified that smuggling organizations with ties to ISIS were coming through the border and the FBI was investigating,

COMMENT:  There is no evidence that most of the American media outlets take the threat seriously.  They are too busy getting the author of these reckless policies re-elected.

June 19,  2024

FAREWELL TO SOME FAMOUS NAMES:   Something very bad is happening to American business, but the Biden administration doesn't seem to care.  From the New York Post: 

More companies are declaring bankruptcy and shutting down operations, citing inflation and high costs. 

Inflation and the economy remains a top issue among all voters, according to a recent The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll.

Retailers are closing nearly 3,200 stores this year, according to a recent analysis from CoreSight Research. 

The closures are a 24% increase from 2023.

US drug stores and pharmacy closures led to 8 million square feet of shuttered retail space this year, the research company said. 

It also notes that retailers are losing inventory and customers due to retail theft. “Retail shrink” is closely connected to “organized retail crime,” it notes.

Out of the 3,200 being closed, the majority are being closed by roughly 30 retailers, with Family Dollar closing the most of over 600, according to the data, CBS News reported.

Tupperware is the latest to announce it’s permanently closing its last operating production plant in the US in Hemingway, South Carolina. 

All of its 148 workers will be laid off, the first in September, followed by others in waves through next January. 

Tupperware announced its plans last week, stating it would continue to produce its products in a plant in Lerma, Mexico.

COMMENT:  Read the rest.  Of course, you don't have to believe it.  Biden says the economy is booming, and he would never lie to us.  These people who are laid off will get benefits almost as good as illegal immigrants.  What are they complaining about? 

The closings, and the layoffs, send a grim message about the real state of the economy.   Will Americans get that message before the election?  Will the American press allow them to get that message?

June 18,  2024

JUNE 16-17, 2024

AND WHERE WAS AMERICA?  The UK, France, and Germany have condemned the Iranian nuclear program.  Where was the United States?  From Reuters: 

PARIS, June 15 (Reuters) - France, Germany and Britain on Saturday condemned Iran’s latest steps, as reported by the IAEA, to further expand its nuclear programme.

"Iran has taken further steps in hollowing out the JCPoA, by operating dozens of additional advanced centrifuges at the Natanz enrichment site as well as announcing it will install thousands more centrifuges at both its Fordow and Natanz sites." the joint statement said, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed with Iran in 2015.

"This decision is a further escalation of Iran’s nuclear programme, which carries significant proliferation risks," it added.

The joint statement stressed that "Iran’s decision to substantially increase its production capacity at the underground Fordow facility is especially concerning".

"Iran is legally obliged under the Non-Proliferation Treaty to fully implement its safeguards agreement, which is separate to the JCPoA."

COMMENT:  Not only did the United States refuse to join in this condemnation of Iran, it reportedly put pressure on the UK, France, and Germany to cancel the condemnation altogether.  But why?  Because the Obama crowd, which runs American foreign policy, has an affection for Iran and dreams of it someday becoming an American ally, replacing Israel, for which it has no affection at all.  This is fantasy, of course, but many Americans may die because of this fantasy.

June 17,  2024

HOW LONG CAN THIS GO ON?  At what point does Biden's physical condition become such an embarrassment that party elders have to consider the unthinkable – dropping him from the ticket?  From the New York Post: https://nypost.com/2024/06/16/us-news/biden-appears-to-freeze-up-has-to-be-led-off-stage-by-obama-at-mega-bucks-la-fundraiser/

President Biden appeared to freeze up on stage and had to be led off by Barack Obama at the conclusion of a star-studded campaign fundraiser in Los Angeles Saturday night.

The awkward moment took place after Biden and his predecessor sat for a 45-minute interview with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel at the Peacock Theater.

As the men stood for applause, Biden’s gaze seemed to become fixed on the crowd for a full 10 seconds until former President Barack Obama took his wrist and led him offstage.

The incident follows a spate of caught-on-camera moments where Biden appeared dazed or confused about where he was, including when he appeared to wander off at the G7 summit in Apulia, Italy, during parachute exhibition.

In that instance, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stepped in to gently take Biden’s hand and lead him back in time for a group photo with other world leaders.

The Biden campaign raised more than $30 million at the event, which was attended by Hollywood luminaries like George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Barbra Streisand.

The event was also swarmed by hundreds of anti-Israel protesters, who attempted to block entry to the ritzy gala — tickets for which ranged from $250 to $500,000.

COMMENT:  What will the Dems do with Biden?  Will they hide him in the basement, as they did in 2020?  Will he be limited to controlled speeches, with no press questions allowed?  Or will, finally, some senior committee visit him and perform the political execution?  And if they do that, who takes his place?  That's where the bug is in this machine. 

June 16,  2024

JUNE 14-15, 2024

SUCH CLASS:   The Democrats never hesitate to embarrass the United States.  From Breitbart: 

Democrats plan to disrupt Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a special joint session of Congress on July 24 in an unprecedented show of hostility to the democratically-elected leader of a close American ally.

56 Democrats boycotted Netanyahu’s speech in 2015, when Republicans invited him to argue against then-President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. This time, Axios reports, “Democrats plan to go bigger than a boycott”:

The proposals include a press conference, a vigil, or an event with families of those taken hostage by Hamas, many of whom feel Netanyahu hasn’t done enough to free their loved ones.

In a sign of how extensive and high-level some of these discussions are, former House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) told Politico he was participating in one counter-programming meeting.

…

Several progressive House members are planning to attend the speech but disrupt it, one lawmaker said.

The speech may be especially awkward, given that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called earlier this year for Netanyahu to be ousted in new elections. The Biden administration has been trying to undermine the Israeli leader since he was elected in November 2022, with the exception of a brief period when Israel and Saudi Arabia were near a peace deal before October 7 last year.

COMMENT:   The little kids who run the Democratic Party have no interest whatever in showing a united front with our allies.  Immature behavior like this sends a message throughout the world that America is an unreliable ally that can turn on its friends in a minute.  Great way to run foreign policy.

June 15,  2024

DREADFUL YOUTH.  THEY'RE THINKING FOR THEMSELVES. UNGRATEFUL FASCISTS:   Young voters seem to be moving rightward, indicating that their brains have been turned back on.  From Breitbart: 

Former President Donald Trump could win the young vote in 2024, polling trends show, upending the nearly 30 year reign of Democrat hegemony among the demographic.

A Republican presidential candidate has not won the young vote since 1988, the year a federal smoking ban was introduced during domestic airline flights of two hours or less and the James Bond film License to Kill began shooting, Michael Jackson led a rock concert in West Berlin, and the space shuttle Discovery took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Trump is within two points of Biden among young voters between the ages 18-29, a recent New York Times/Siena Poll found. The vote has not been that close since George W. Bush defeated global warming activist Al Gore in 2000.

Another poll, conducted by Quinnipiac, found Trump leading with registered voters between 18-34 by one point. In 2016, two-time failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won that demographic by 19 percentage points. President Joe Biden won the demographic in 2020 by 24 percentage points, according to CNN exit polling.

Trump’s inroads with young voters appear to turn on a couple of factors:

1. Biden’s economy crushed young voters with high housing costs and overall price spikes by about 20 percent — just as they graduated college, intended to buy their first home, or wanted to start a family.
2. Trump is an advocate of cryptocurrency, an area to which the Biden administration has been hostile. Trump boosted NFTs, promised to end regulatory hostility, and endorsed U.S.-mined Bitcoin.
3. Healthcare, Biden’s number one issue, is of less concern for young voters than the oldest voting bloc, which appears more sympathetic to his political pitches than younger voters. In eight sets of data encompassing the nexus of “cross-pressures,” Trump’s immigration policy sabotages and undermines the attraction of Biden’s most popular issue and thus essentially diminishes Biden’s political appeal, according to Ruy Teixera, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Biden, meanwhile, is desperately trying to shore up the young vote. He offered them “free beer, free contraceptives, music concerts, free food, manicures, rent check sweepstakes, boot shines, comedy shows, and dance parties,” the Washington Examiner reported.

READ THE REST:  We always caution that polls are snapshots in time, and that we have months to go before the election.  But if this youth trend continues, Mr. Biden will be looking at retirement options in Delaware.

June 14,  2024

JUNE 12-13, 2024

WHY SHOULD WE BE SHOCKED?  Something odd happened today.  Part of the absurd text of the Hamas reply to President Biden's ceasefire proposal became public, and what it calls for is a permanent truce to be verified by, get this, Russia, China, and Turkey. 

That is no joke.  That is what it said.  We know, of course, that Hamas is a creature of Iran.  We know that Iran is deeply involved as an ally of Russia, even supplying missiles to Russian forces fighting Ukraine, an ally of the United States.  We know that China is seriously looking to become a major factor in the Mideast, where the oil is.  Turkey, although a member of NATO, should be thrown out because its policies have nothing in common with the NATO nations. 

We must finally face, and say it loudly, that the United States is now involved with a new Axis, consisting of large nations like China and Iran, and extensions of those nations like Hamas, and the vast network of Chinese commercial institutions in the West.  We are in direct confrontation with Russia in Ukraine. 

President Kennedy called this arrangement a "twilight conflict."  He was right, but a conflict it is. 

But we are not fully awake to the reality.  The press is not much help, to put it mildly.  I fear it will take another 9-11, probably perpetrated by illegals coming over the Southern border, and originating in the Mideast or Asia, to bring us to attention.

The day is not far off.

June 13, 2024 

THEY'RE BACK!  Wait a second, wait a second.  I thought the academic year was over.  Wasn't it?  Apparently, not at UCLA, where the campus creeps want one more chance to embarrass themselves and their school.  From HotAir: 

Pro-Palestinian protesters tried to set up several new encampments on the UCLA campus Monday. The result was chaos. Eventually 27 people were arrested but half-a-dozen UCPD officers were injured in the process.

A total of 27 people were arrested after setting up multiple pro-Palestinian encampments on UCLA’s campus Monday that police said were unlawful...

At least six University of California Police Department personnel and other safety officers were injured during confrontations with protesters, including one person with a head injury, said Rick Braziel, UCLA’s associate vice chancellor for campus safety, in a statement Tuesday.

UCLA's police department put out a statement justifying the arrests. The statement depicted the protest as a kind of moving riot that, in addition to injuries and disruption of finals, also resulted in vandalism to the campus.

On Monday, June 10, 2024, at about 3:15 p.m., a group of approximately 100 people affiliated with a UCLA registered student organization marched to the walkway at the top of the Janss Steps and set up an unauthorized and unlawful encampment with tents, canopies, wooden shields, and water-filled barriers. The group also restricted access to the general public in violation of University policy. University officials advised the group that they were violating University policy and California law; however, the group refused to leave. The group’s conduct, which included the use of amplified sound, also disrupted nearby final exams. After UCPD issued multiple dispersal orders, the group began to leave the area.

The group then marched to the Kerckhoff patio, where they set up an unauthorized and unlawful encampment with tents, canopies, and barricades with patio furniture. The group also restricted access to the general public in violation of University policy. The group’s conduct, which included entering Moore Hall, also disrupted nearby final exams. After UCPD issued dispersal orders, the group began to leave the area.

The group then marched to the courtyard between Dodd Hall and the School of Law, where they set up another unauthorized and unlawful encampment. The group restricted access to the general public in violation of University policy and also disrupted nearby final exams. At around 8:00 p.m. approximately 25 members of the group were arrested for California Penal Code section 626.4(d) – Willful Disruption of University Operations. 

COMMENT:  Please read the whole thing.  Apparently, we're in for more of this.  Isn't it inspiring to see these "protesters" giving up their summer vacation to try to advance society?  Why, we're looking at tomorrow's leaders.  (Yuch!) 

This only a warm-up.  The Republican National Convention takes place next month in Milwaukee.  The Dems meet in glorious, peaceful Chicago a month later.  I'm sure there will be many more practice sessions before these events, some on college campuses.  A return to the 1960s. 

June 13,  2024

JUNE 10-11, 2024

ASSESSING THE DAMAGE:  The pollsters are already asking about the damage from the latest politically connected conviction, the president's son.  From Daily Mail: 

Hunter Biden's dramatic conviction in his gun and drugs trial will cause more political fallout for his father than Donald Trump saw from his guilty verdict, according to a snap poll for DailyMail.com.

When likely voters were asked whether it affected their view of Joe Biden, the results suggest a seven-point negative impact for the Democratic candidate in the election. In contrast, Trump saw a six-point bump in an equivalent question.

The results come with caveats. They are not an indication of voting intention but instead offer an insight into how the verdicts may factor into voters' views of the two runners.

In Biden's case seven percent said they would have a 'more positive' view of the president but 14 per cent said it would be 'more negative'.

That meant a net negative impact for Biden of seven percent.

Among all-important independent voters there was a similar negative shift for the president of seven percent.

Three percent of independents said a guilty verdict meant they would have a 'more positive' view of Joe Biden and 10 percent said 'more negative'.

The negative impact was slightly higher among men than women.

J.L. Partners surveyed 500 likely voters on June 10 and 11 for the poll.

On June 11 Hunter was convicted of three felonies relating to lying on a government form.

He said he was not a drug user when he bought a gun in Wilmington, Delaware on October 12, 2018.

But prosecutors proved he had in fact been in the midst of a crack addiction. 

COMMENT:  These snap polls offer more amusement than wisdom.  We have five months to go before the ultimate poll, a national election. 

Today's conviction, however, could do President Biden some real harm if it leads to further, extensive inquiries about Hunter's business dealings and how they might have involved Joe Biden.   I doubt if the Bidens got rich on Joe's government salary.

June 11,  2024

GOOD NEWS FROM HARVARD?  Yeah, really.  Maybe there's some common sense remaining up there after all.  From College Fix: 

Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences will stop requiring a diversity, equity and inclusion statement as part of the hiring process and instead ask for information about how candidates contribute and serve “academic communities,” the Harvard Crimsonnewspaper reported Monday.

The news comes roughly one week after Harvard also announced a new institutional neutrality policy.

Deans Nina Zipser and Hopi Hoekstra made the change in response to faculty feedback voicing concern the DEI requirement was “too narrow,” according to the student newspaper.

“Instead, the FAS — the University’s largest faculty — will require a service statement about an applicant’s ‘efforts to strengthen academic communities’ and a teaching and advising statement about how an applicant will foster a ‘learning environment in which students are encouraged to ask questions and share their ideas,'” the Crimson reported.

The development at Harvard comes roughly one month after leaders of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology told faculty to discontinue the practice of requiring mandatory diversity, equity and inclusion statements in faculty hiring.

As The College Fix reported this week, scholars continue to debate the legality of diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements in hiring as some legislatures in Republican-controlled states ban the practice, such as in Florida, Texas and elsewhere, calling them ideological litmus tests that favor progressives.

In other states, such as Arizona and North Carolina, the trustees who oversee public universities have told their campuses to end the practice.

COMMENT:  DEI is an ugly, essentially racist practice that clearly stands in opposition to real equality and freedom.  It also guarantees mediocrity since it disposes of merit as the major factor influencing an admissions decision, and replaces it with group identity. 

June 10,  2024

JUNE 8-9, 2024

EUROPE VOTES:   Every major vote in Europe affects the United States in some way.  That includes today's elections.  From AP:

Far-right parties made big gains in the European Parliament in election results that rattled the traditional powers and made French President Emanuel Macron call snap legislative elections. 

Macron’s party suffered a heavy defeat from the far-right National Rally party, while in Germany support for Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats sank to a projected 14%, behind the extreme-right Alternative for Germany, which surged into second place.

Millions of Europeans voted for candidates to serve five-year terms in a new European Parliament, the legislative branch of the 27-member trade bloc. Provisional results from the voting that ended Sunday showed the Christian Democrats would have 189 seats, up 13, the Social Democrats 135, down 4 and the pro-business Renew group 83, down 19. The Greens slumped to 53, down 18.

Currently:

— France’s Macron calls a snap election after heavy defeat

— Italy’s Meloni gets domestic and European boosts from win 

— Far-right Alternative for Germany make gains

— Orbán’s party takes most votes, but challenger scores big win

— Complex coalition talks loom after Belgium’s federal election

— Bulgarians vote for new national parliament and for EU lawmakers

COMMENT:  We want to see Europe move rightward, but please read the fine print on what individual parties and candidates stand for.  Victories on either the fringe left or fringe right will not advance the U.S.-Europe relationship.  That relationship is going to be sorely tested in the next year over Ukraine.

More coming on the European elections.

June 9, 2014

HOW NOSTALGIC!  Back to 1962 and the Cuban Missile Crisis.  From the Miami Herald:

Three Russian Navy ships and a nuclear-powered submarine will arrive at the Port of Havana for an official visit next week, the Cuban armed forces said in a statement Thursday, confirming the military exercises first disclosed by U.S. officials on Wednesday.

The Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces said the Russian missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov, the nuclear sub Kazan, the oil tanker Pashin and the salvage tug Nikolai Chiker will arrive on June 12 and stay for a week.

The Cuban military said the visit by the Russian Navy ships is part of the “friendly” relations between the two countries, complies with international law and does not pose a security threat to the region because “none of the ships carry nuclear weapons.”

A U.S. official told McClatchy and the Miami Herald on Wednesday that the exercises are expected to include “heightened naval and air activity near the United States,” involving both Russian aircraft and combat naval vessels – the first coordinated air and sea exercise by Russia in the Western Hemisphere in five years.

“While we are disappointed that Cuba has likely agreed to host visiting Russian ships, we are not surprised,” the official said Thursday. While one of the ships is a nuclear-powered submarine, the official said that the U.S. intelligence community “assesses it is not carrying nuclear weapons, and poses no direct threat to the national security of the United States.”

COMMENT:   The Russkies are showing the flag, and demonstrating what they can do, even when under pressure from American-supplied weapons in Ukraine.

It may be significant that one of the ships Moscow has sent is the Admiral Gorshkov.  Admiral Sergey Georgyevich Gorshkov was head of the Soviet Union's Navy during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  He later built the modern Soviet surface Navy of today.  Are we being given hints?

June 8,  2024 

A GOOD ONE FOR OUR SIDE:  Israel rescued four of its hostages in a spectacular operation in Gaza this morning, showing that it can be done and should be done.  The Israeli military excellence even won praise from President Biden during his visit to Paris. 

But there is dissent.  Hamas is deeply upset that some of its fighters were neutralized when they tried to prevent the Israeli raiders from getting back home.  And some leftist TV reporters were more than distressed that Israel tried to get its citizens back at all.  I mean, how dare they!  Don't the Zionists know that they must not do anything without approval from the entire human race?  Pushy.  So pushy.  Just like Trump supporters!

We will await further reaction.  I'm sure there'll be an "emergency" meeting of the UN Insecurity Council, which has brought peace to all of us.

June 8,  2024 

JUNE 6-7, 2024

D-DAY:   I was too young to remember D-Day, the invasion of Western Europe in 1944 by the United States and its main Western allies.  I say "Western" because the Soviet Union, the giant in the East, played a major role in the Allied victory in Europe, and we must always remember that.  The Russians became an enemy after the war, and a fearsome one.  We knew from our own experience with them that they were, and remain today, vicious fighters who are willing to take casualties.

The war in Europe ended only 11 months after D-Day, and that I do remember, if only vaguely.  We lived in Brooklyn, unofficial capital of the world, and my father yelled up from the street four stories below that the Nazis had been defeated.  He must have heard it from a neighbor or a car radio.

Celebrations, as I recall them, were far more subdued than what we're seeing in the retrospective television coverage of D-Day today.  Japan was still to be defeated, and Americans instinctively knew there was more deadly fighting ahead.  We hadn't heard of something called the atomic bomb.  This was May, 1945.  The bomb would be used in early August.

The voice that had guided us through the war, Franklin D. Roosevelt, had been dead only three and a half weeks when the Nazis surrendered. Many Americans had loved him; others had hated him.   But he was the central pivot of 12 years of momentous American history, and for many citizens, he was the only president they'd ever known.  The new man, Harry S. Truman, seemed at the time a shadow of the president he had just replaced. 

It was the NBC commentator Tom Brokaw who coined the term "the greatest generation" to describe the men and women who fought on D-Day and in all the other battles, and fought through the awful poverty of the Great Depression in the decade and a half earlier.  We commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day today in their honor, knowing that the 90th will probably have present not a single survivor of what the author Cornelius Ryan called "the longest day."

June 6,  2024

JUNE 4-5, 2024

BE CAREFUL, MR. BIDEN.  CONGRESS SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN EVERY FOREIGN MOVE:  I believe we should support Ukraine, but let's not make the kind of mistake that would suck us in with ground troops.  From UPI.com: 

June 4 (UPI) -- A strike by Ukrainian forces on a Russian air-defense missile battery inside Russian territory was likely carried out using a U.S.-made weapons system, a leading American think-tank said Tuesday.

The attack on the Russian S-300/400 battery north of Belogorod city about 25 miles from the Ukraine border over the weekend was probably conducted with a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, the Institute for the Study of War said in a post on X.

The Washington-based non-profit research group said the strike picked up on geolocation images of two destroyed launchers and a damaged air defense command post in a field near Kiselyovo village "was likely with HIMARS."

If confirmed, the strike would be the first time Ukraine has used U.S.-supplied weapons to strike at targets inside Russia since U.S. President Joe Biden cleared their use last week for limited strikes against military targets on Russian territory that pose an imminent threat amid Russia's offensive in Ukraine's northeast.

"Russian sources have increasingly claimed that Ukrainian forces are using HIMARS to strike Belgorod oblast since the United States partially lifted its restrictions on Ukraine's ability to use U.S.-provided weapons to strike military targets in Russian border areas with Kharkiv oblast," The Institute for the Study of War said.

"Russian sources will likely continue to characterize any successful strike in Belgorod Oblast as a HIMARS strike regardless of the system used."

The HIMARS launch system fires either Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System rockets or a single long-range Army Tactical Missile System missile making its use a potential breach of Biden administration's waiver which made it clear that its "policy with respect to prohibiting the use ATACMS or long-range strikes inside of Russia has not changed."

A Ukrainian government official alluded to the new permissions but did not explicitly state U.S. weapons were used.

"It burns beautifully. It's a Russian S-300. On Russian territory. The first days after permission to use Western weapons on enemy territory," read the caption to a photo posted on social media by government minister Iryna Vereshchuk.

ISW warned authorization to use Western-supplied weapons against Russia was "crucial for Ukraine to to repel Russian glide bomb and missile strikes against Kharkiv city," backing plans by Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to push Ukraine's Western partners harder to ease restrictions on how arms can be used and give the green light to hit targets inside Russia.

COMMENT:  Our cause is just, but the world is not completely rational.  I would hope that the president would seek authorization from Congress for every important move we make in Ukraine.  It is well within reason to wonder whether the use of American supplied weapons in certain circumstances would trigger Moscow to retaliate by hitting a soft American target somewhere in the world.  Or, Russia might pull something like the Cuban Missile Crisis as a matter of pride.  Pride is very important to the Russians. 

It is far better if we present a united front.  We're in very dangerous and uncharted territory.

June 5,  2024

SHORT TAKE ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE:  From PJ Media:  "David Hilliard, 82, a founding member of the Black Panthers, is openly supporting Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Hilliard wasn't shy about his enthusiasm for Trump, which he revealed during an interview with writer Carol Mitchell. "I knew Trump when Trump was a college student in New York and he supported the Black Panther Party," Hilliard recalled.   He was just getting started on his praise for Trump. "Trump is a person who's a decent man, and he supported the Black Panther Party," Hilliard quipped. "He was someone who gave us money."  "Trump's a friend of African Americans, and I knew Trump from the 1960s in New York, where he comes from, and he's a friend to African Americans," Hilliard continued. "I mean, he's not a racist. He's not a racist, fascist, white man. He supported Black people."  If you hear Trump whisper, "Hilliard for vice president," remember you read it here first.

June 5, 2024

THE HINTS ARE OUT THERE:  You can't avoid the buzz in political circles.  Even some Democrats are suggesting that Joe Biden drop out of the presidential race. With a presidential debate coming up, they fear disaster.  From the New York Post:  

President Biden’s cognitive decline is readily apparent and a concern for dozens who have interacted with the 81-year-old commander-in-chief in recent months, according to a shocking report Tuesday.

Some of the more the 45 Republican and Democratic lawmakers and staffers interviewed by the Wall Street Journal described a president who spoke so softly during meetings that participants struggled to understand him. 

Others noted that Biden’s demeanor and grasp of policy details varied by the day and he frequently relied on notes and deferred to aides during conferences.

“You couldn’t be there and not feel uncomfortable,” one person, who met with the president during critical negotiations over congressional funding for Ukraine aid in January, told the outlet.

“I’ll just say that.”

Others in attendance recalled that it took Biden about 10 minutes from when he entered the room to get the meeting started, and when he did, he used note cards to make obvious points that everyone was already in agreement with and participants could barely hear him. 

“Much of the conversation didn’t include him,” the report states, noting that the president asked his staffers to answer some questions posed directly to him. 

In a February follow-up with House Speaker Mike Johnson, the Louisiana Republican expressed his concern to the president over the administration’s liquid natural gas export policy — fearing it was benefiting Russia. 

Biden didn’t seem to know the policy was actually in effect and falsely claimed it was “only a study,” according to the report. 

The exchange “dismayed” Johnson, according to individuals who witnessed it. 

Biden would “ramble,” mumble and his ability to command the room varied from day to day during tense negotiations over raising the debt ceiling last May, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) recalled.

COMMENT:  The timing of the above article is no accident. The Democratic National Convention in peaceful Chicago is about two months away.  The party faithful who believe Biden must go have got to act now, and decisively.  Frankly, I don't think they have much of a chance unless there is one dramatic event that jolts the nation.

And then there is the problem of a replacement.  President Harris anyone? Get me my pills.  Order more.

June 4,  2024

JUNE 2-3, 2024

A TREND OR A MOMENT:  We don't know, but I'd rather have things go this way than the opposite.  From Fox:

 A group of what's been described as "Never Trump" voters are suddenly backing the former president following last week's historic conviction. 

The Free Press spoke with several voters from across the country whose opinions were significantly impacted by the guilty verdict in the New York trial against former President Trump.

Shaun Maguire, a Los Angeles-based venture capitalist and a former Hillary Clinton campaign donor, declared on social media that he donated $300,000 to the Trump campaign within an hour of the verdict, and wrote in an essay that "the double standards and lawfare that Trump has faced" "boiled my blood."

He told The Free Press, "We were told that Donald Trump would be the end of democracy, but it turns out that lawfare tactics have been escalated by the Democrats and not by the Republicans. And so it’s from that backdrop that I believe the Republican Party is less of a danger to democracy than the Democratic Party right now." 

University of Chicago Law School lecturer Adam Mortara similarly donated $3,300 to the Trump campaign after not voting in 2020 and opposing him during the 2016 GOP primary, hoping a Trump victory would have a "deterrent effect" on weaponizing the legal system against political foes. 

"What’s gotten me off the sidelines is that if he does not win, and by a rather sizable margin, that will validate this type of weaponization of the judicial system in the future," Mortara told The Free Press. "Before, I would’ve said it’s not a danger to America if Joe Biden wins the election. Now, I kind of think it is." 

COMMENT:  Read the rest.  Well worth it.  The Trump campaign has been excellent in getting its message out since the verdict last week.  In fact, it's very disciplined and well organized.  Keep this up, and Joe and Kamala will be doing a Vaudeville act at this time next year.

June 3,  2024