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

THE ELECTION IS OVER – FROM THE DAILY MAIL:  Putting the bitter presidential race aside, both Hillary and Bill Clinton will attend Donald Trump's inauguration later this month, according to CNN.  The news comes on the heels of both President George W. Bush and his wife, former first lady Laura Bush, planning to be on hand.  President Bush's spokesman, Freddy Ford, confirmed the couple would be there.
'They are pleased to be able to witness the peaceful transfer of power – a hallmark of American democracy – and swearing-in of President Trump and Vice President Pence,' Ford said.  We're finally starting to see some class.  I hope Trump reciprocates with appropriately gracious comments during his inaugural.

MORE HOLIDAY CHEER IN GERMANY – FROM BREITBART:   At New Year’s Eve celebrations in Dortmund a mob of more than 1,000 men chanted ‘Allahu Akhbar’, launched fireworks at police, and set fire to a historic church.  Already by 7 pm a man was hospitalised with first-degree burns to his face and hands after fireworks were hurled at a group of homeless people outside the city’s main train station. More than two dozen people were injured at festivities in Dortmund, some seriously.  The events of the night were described as “quiet” by police in a statement, and as “normal” by a spokesman for the city government.  But at 11:30 pm police announced they were adding to their already much larger than usual presence in the city centre for New Year, sending in further reinforcements of officers.  This came after the force reported there being a “large number of young men from North Africa” in town, with federal police officer Volker Stall noting there was an “aggressive mood” towards the public and police.  Who are we to question another culture?  Why, setting fire to churches may simply be an expression of cultural familiarity and love.  That's right, isn't it?

BRILLIANT MOVE BY TRUMP – FROM THE HILL:   House Republicans abruptly withdrew a proposal to weaken an independent ethics watchdog on Tuesday, in a rocky start to the new Congress.  The 115th session hadn't even formally gaveled in before House GOP leaders held an emergency conference meeting to discuss blowback against the party's vote to gut the chamber's independent ethics watchdog.  The reversal of course came hours after President-elect Donald Trump issued a series of tweets questioning the timing of the changes, which would put the independent Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) under oversight of the House Ethics Committee.  Even before Trump weighed in, a barrage of negative headlines and public outcry made it difficult for Republicans to stand by the measure, especially given that the Republican president-elect had campaigned on a promise to "drain the swamp" of Washington, D.C., of corruption.  "We shot ourselves in the foot," Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) told reporters after the conference meeting.  They certainly did, and Trump's quick, negative reaction shows how sharp he is, and that he's willing to take on his own party.  Bad move by the House GOP, great one by Trump.  House Republicans owe him one for saving their necks. 

January 3,  2017