SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:01 P.M. ET:

ROMNEY ON TRUMP – FROM BUZZFEED:  Former Republican nominee Mitt Romney said earlier this month he thought Donald Trump could win the presidency, citing Hillary Clinton’s high unfavorable numbers and the unpredictability of the race.  Romney was speaking with Republican consultant Mike Murphy’s Radio Free GOP podcast released two weeks ago when he made the comments.  “You have to give Donald Trump credit, he was able to bring a rhetoric and a style that he had perfected over his career to the political sphere and connect with people and become the nominee,” Romney said. “Despite the fact that I and a lot of other people thought he would not be an ideal nominee, he is. At this stage, it’s rougher going, but I can’t predict what’s gonna happen.”  “To be honest, it’s very possible in my view that Trump wins,” continued Romney. “I wouldn’t think it’d be by a landslide, but I think he could win. I think he could lose, I think he could lose by a landslide. But, I don’t know which it’s going to be and a lot of that depends on what happens to Hillary Clinton. Is there a meltdown moment, or some implosion of some kind?”  Or, as Mort Sahl used to say, "The future lies ahead."  This a race with potentially fatal minefields threatening each side.  I wouldn't make any predictions.  But I'm surprised to see Romney concede Trump's strengths.

DEBBIE DOES COMEBACK? – First they knife her, now they want to sponsor her political rebirth.  What a bunch.  FROM THE HILL:   PHILADELPHIA — House Democrats are rushing to the side of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) in the wake of an email scandal that's disrupted the Democrats' convention and exacerbated divisions between factions of the party.  The episode forced Wasserman Schultz to resign as head of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), effective Friday. But Democratic leaders say the six-term Floridian, long considered a rising star in the party, will weather the storm and continue her climb up the leadership ladder.  “She'll rebound from it,” Rep. Jim Clyburn (S.C.), the third-ranking House Democrat, told The Hill Thursday. “I'm going to do everything I can to help her rebound from it.”  Rep. Joe Crowley (N.Y.), vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, also offered his full support and confidence in her future.  The question is whether they can save her House seat.  She's in a tough primary contest in a solidly Democratic Florida district against a Sanders supporter. 

OLYMPIC WORRIES – With the Rio Olympics starting a week from today, there are serious worries about the possibility of terrorism, especially considering the rapid pace of terrorist attacks in recent months.  FROM AP:  In the aftermath of deadly attacks by the Islamic State group in France and elsewhere, Brazil, which has almost no experience combating terrorism, is beefing up security for the games that start in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 5. Plans include doubling the number of security forces on the streets, erecting more checkpoints and working more closely with foreign intelligence agencies than Brazilians did in the 2014 World Cup.  But will it be enough?  Richard Ford, a retired FBI anti-terror expert who lives in Brazil, said that while the government has a robust program to keep athletes and venues safe, he worries that authorities aren't taking the threat of a lone-wolf or suicide attack seriously enough.  He cited comments by Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes, who surprised many last week by saying the chances of a terror attack at the games were "next to zero" and that the bigger concern is street crime. Just a day later, the federal police overseen by Moraes arrested 10 Brazilians allegedly belonging to an amateur cell that had professed allegiance to ISIS over the internet.  A terrorist attack doesn't have to occur at the games themselves.  It can occur anywhere in Rio, and it will cast a pall over the Olympics.  The terror card can be played many ways.

July 29,  2016