Please note that you can leave a comment on any of our posts at our Facebook page.  Subscribers can also comment at length at our Angel's Corner Forum.

MAY 22,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT: 

(Editor's note:  Because of a technical problem we're printing Short Takes very late, with only one entry.  Problem will be resolved in time for our next edition.)

ON HER WAY OUT? – FROM THE NEW YORK POST:   Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police issued a vote of no-confidence in Mayor Lori Lightfoot Wednesday, citing poor work conditions and the cancellation of a march for fallen officers due to the coronavirus pandemic.  The vote by the police union, as well as police Superintendent David Brown and First Deputy Eric Carter, was unanimous among as many as 200 active and retired rank-and-file officers, the Chicago Tribune reported.  Reasons cited for the move reportedly include officer burnout and the department’s decision to cancel off days for cops on several occasions — as well as a move from 8 ½-hour shifts to 12-hour work periods in preparation for possible unrest in the city.  The symbolic action also followed the second consecutive year that the Chicago Police Department canceled its annual St. Jude Memorial March for the city’s fallen cops while citing the COVID-19 pandemic.  This is the mayor who announced that she would only give interviews to minority reporters, somethting that has already created an uproar among Chicago journalists.  Her departure from office is overdue.

May 22, 2021       Permalink

GEORGIA SCHOOLS TO RETURN TO NORMALCY – OVERNIGHT:  Some states are trying to radicalize their school systems as kids return, following the pandemic.  Georgia is not one of them.  From College Fix: 

The University System of Georgia is requiring for next school year’s round of admissions either ACT or SAT test scores from all applying students.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Get Schooled Blog reports that this is part of a larger push by the system to firmly return Georgia’s schools to the pre-COVID status quo.

The system said in a statement that it had “asked all campuses to plan for resuming normal operations for the Fall 2021 semester.”

Further, Get Schooled’s Maureen Downey points out that the system has declined to require incoming and returning students to show proof of vaccinations to be educated at Georgia’s public higher educational institutions, “despite calls by faculty” for just that.

Get Schooled notes that “In August [2020], USG followed most of its peer systems and waived test score requirements for spring, summer and fall 2021 admission to its 26 campuses. However, the waiver was only for one year.”

The fact that the system is now returning to testing as usual appears to incense Robert Schaeffer, executive director of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing.

“The politically appointed University System of Georgia Board of Regents, most of whom are not educators, are bucking a strong national trend by refusing to extend ACT/SAT optional policies for at least another year,” Schaeffer said in response to the decision.

COMMENTS:  Parents must be on guard against attempts to dumb down their schools.  The reopening of the schools provides just the kind of distraction that the left uses to introduce "reforms" that aren't reforms at all.  It is in the schools that one of the greatest battles against socialist indoctrination is being waged.  Eliminating tests and replacing them with a rigged system that advances "equity" is part of that battle.

May 22, 2021      Permalink

MAY 21,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

MESSING IT UP – FROM ANDREW MALCOLM AT HOT AIR:   Democrats accused Donald  Trump of  being too soft on Russia’s Vladimir Putin for suspicious reasons.  Now, it’s Mr. Mask, Joe Biden, who’s going soft on the Russian leader for life likely.  This week, for nothing in return, Biden had his Secretary of State Antony Blinken waive U.S. sanctions on the Russian company building a massive undersea gas pipeline from Russia to Germany.  The pipeline is a huge deal for Russia’s economy and prestige and Putin’s long-range plans to tempt European countries closer to Moscow’s economic orbit and, by extension, weaken NATO.  President Trump had slapped the sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG and its chief executive officer, Matthias Warnig. He’s a Putin pal, which is how you get ahead in Russia today and, who knows, perhaps some percentage slides back to the Big Guy there too.  Giving things away for free is how the Obama-Biden team did foreign policy for eight years in hopes that would earn good will and other nations would give back. Dream on, buckos. In diplomacy, not everyone gets a participation trophy.  The further weakening of America, and notice the anguish (choke) in what passes for the American media.

A TRULY GREAT GOVERNOR – FROM DAILY CALLER:   Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis denounced Critical Race Theory (CRT) at a press conference Friday.  DeSantis said CRT needs to be addressed by the Florida Board of Education at a press conference in Pensacola he held to announce a series of tax breaks for consumers. The governor said that it is offensive to the taxpayers to fund a program that teaches children to hate each other and their country.  “You can put lipstick on a pig and it’s still a pig,” DeSantis said about CRT. “It’s offensive to the taxpayer that they would be asked to fund critical race theory, that they would be asked to fund teaching kids to hate their country and to hate each other,” DeSantis said.
CRT teaches students that race is socially constructed, embedded within American institutions and public policy, according to the American Bar Association. CRT is based on false history that is disputed by historians, DeSantis said.  This is why DeSantis deserves to be on a national ticket.  A born leader, he is willing to take on tough issues, knowing the incoming flak from the woke brigades will be deafening.

May 21, 2021       Permalink

SOME GOOD POLLING NEWS – OVERNIGHT:  A new poll gives us hope that America can be saved from the socialist hordes.  These numbers, as in all polls, are snapshots in time.  But I will sleep more easily tonight.  From Redstate: 

There’s a new survey out about 2024, and it has great news for President Donald Trump.

Even after being shut down on social media and having his primary avenue of communication — Twitter — cut off, turns out the Republican base still wants Trump to run for president again.

According to a new McLaughlin & Associates survey, 73% of the base wants Trump to run again in 2024. Even more would vote for him if he did run, with 83% saying they would do so. Those are some pretty big numbers, and it’s clear that it means the base hasn’t moved on from Trump.

So, how do other possible, 2020 primary candidates stack up against him? No one is even close; he completely stomps every other possibility, at 57%.

The person in second is perhaps surprising. It’s Vice President Mike Pence at 10%. What about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who seems to be the second name in other polls? He’s at 8% in this one. Nikki Haley was at 5%. Every other name was lower.

At this stage there's a name-recognition issue.  President Trump's name is far more recognized than the others.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) shows up at 1% on this poll, and that’s likely an overestimate. I think that shows she has absolutely no constituency.

Meanwhile, what about the Democrats in 2024? 64% thought that Biden was not likely to serve out his term. Even 51% of Biden voters thought that. That doesn’t look great for Biden, although Biden has suggested he would likely try to run again.

Keeping that in mind, the poll asked how a Democratic 2024 primary would stack up without Biden: Kamala led with 35%, Michelle Obama at 16%, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) at 7%, and Pete Buttigieg at 6%.

But perhaps the thing that is going to cause the Democrats to have a complete meltdown is how a projected race between Trump and Kamala Harris would end up.

According to the survey, Trump would trounce Harris, 49% to 45%.

Well, not exactly a trounce, but better than the other way around.

Now, obviously, 2024 is a long way off, but Democrats definitely will not be happy with that prediction. It’s also consistent with the prior poll we reported on that showed that Americans delivering a brutal rejection of Harris — that Americans had an unfavorable opinion of her 48% to 41%, with the critical Independents having an unfavorable opinion of her, 57% to 32%.

Add to that all the mess that unfortunately Biden is going to leave in his wake, the desire to bring back Trump is going to keep growing.

COMMENT:    And Trump is about to go on his first rally tour since the election.  Watch the electricity.

May 21,  2021     Permalink