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

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' – FROM THE SACRAMENTO BEE:   Backers of a proposed constitutional amendment seeking California’s secession from the U.S. can begin collecting voter signatures to qualify for the 2018 ballot, the secretary of state’s office said Thursday.  The so-called Calexit movement emerged within days of the upset presidential victory of Republican Donald Trump, who lost California by nearly 4.3 million votes. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that nearly one in three Californians support the state leaving the U.S.  Proponents have until July 25 to collect 585,407 valid voter signatures to qualify for the November 2018 ballot.  The proposed measure would strike language from the California Constitution defining the state as “an inseparable part of the United States of America, and the United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land.” If it passed, there would be a statewide special election in March 2019 to ask voters if they want California to become an independent country.  Oh please.  I wish they'd stop this.  Even if the Constitutional hurdles could be conquered, the Democratic Party would never allow California to leave.   Without California the Dems would probably never win a national election again.

WARNING – FROM THE ALGEMEINER:   A report by the Texas Department of Public Safety raises concerns about ISIS terrorists using the Mexican border to enter and leave the country. The Texas report noted that at least 13 aspiring terrorists have tried to cross the Mexican border, or considered trying, since 2012.  Most of the people who tried to sneak over the border knew they were on the Federal no-fly list, the report said. According to the Lone Star state’s report, sneaking across the southern border “presents an opportunity for increasing numbers of aspiring foreign terrorist fighters to evade US interdiction efforts such as the No-Fly List.”  The most recent case occurred in October. Texas authorities arrested two Milwaukee men near San Angelo, Texas, on their way to the Mexican border. Jason Ludke, 35, and Yosvany Padilla-Conde, 30, wanted to go to Mexico, obtain fraudulent travel documents and travel to join ISIS in Syria or Iraq.  I have confidence that President Trump will confront this problem, and seriously.  I only hope it won't be too late.

I LOVE HER ALREADY – FROM CNN:  Nikki Haley, the new US ambassador to the United Nations, walked into UN headquarters for the first time Friday and promptly said, "For those who don't have our backs, we're taking names."  The former Republican governor of South Carolina vowed there is a "new US UN."  Haley told reporters, "Our goal with the administration is to show value at the UN, and the way to show value is to show our strength, show our full voice. Have the backs of our allies and make sure our allies have our backs as well."  She then added, "For those who don't have our backs, we're taking names, and we will make points to respond to that accordingly."  She has a great future, but the diplomatic establishment and its northeast chapter will try to destroy her.  How dare an American ambassador try to speak up for the United States!

January 27, 2017