SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:54 P.M. ET:

GET WELL, SENATOR – FROM TUCSON.COM:   U.S. Sen. John McCain revealed Wednesday evening that he has a brain tumor.  The announcement follows a procedure to remove a blood clot from above his left eye at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix last Friday, where a pathology report revealed the glioblastoma, a malignant brain tumor.  Treatment options may include a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.  A statement from McCain's doctors say he is recovering from his surgery, but it is unclear when the 80-year-old Republican would return to the Senate.   "Further consultations with Senator McCain's Mayo Clinic care team will indicate when he will return to the United States Senate," the statement read.  Senator McCain is a fighter.  Agree or disagree with him, he has served this country in ways most people can't imagine.  We wish him the best.

WALKING PAPERS? – FROM CNN:  Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump said in an interview published Wednesday that he would not have chosen Jeff Sessions to be his attorney general had he known Sessions would recuse himself over matters related to the 2016 presidential campaign.  Trump's remarks, in a 50-minute interview with The New York Times, represent an extraordinary rebuke from the President toward the nation's top law enforcement official who happens to be one of his earliest political allies.  "Jeff Sessions takes the job, gets into the job, recuses himself, which frankly I think is very unfair to the President," Trump said, referring to himself. "How do you take a job and then recuse yourself? If he would have recused himself before the job, I would have said, 'Thanks, Jeff, but I'm not going to take you.' It's extremely unfair -- and that's a mild word -- to the President."  Stunning.  I don't see how Sessions can remain.  It's clear that Trump has lost confidence in him, and yet doesn't want to fire him, perhaps because of the optics.  But Jeff should resign and go quietly, without a book contract. 

A REMARKABLE MOMENT – FROM THE NEW YORK POST:  The US is opening its arms to a terminally ill British baby by offering him and his parents permanent residency to allow them to seek treatment in America.  The House Appropriations Committee unanimously passed an amendment Tuesday to grant 11-month-old Charlie Gard and his parents the legal status should he be allowed to move to the US.  Charlie suffers from a rare genetic condition that has rendered him unable to eat or breathe without help or move his limbs. His parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, are desperately trying to bring him to the US for experimental treatment.  The baby can’t be removed from the UK hospital without permission from British courts, which are denying his parents’ request because doctors say he has no chance of surviving.  Congress’s offer of permanent residency would be similar to Charlie holding dual citizenship and would still make him subject to British law. A ruling is expected on Charlie’s future next week, according to the Standard.  Good for us.  I have no qualifications whatever to make a medical judgment, but every legitimate avenue should be tried to help Charlie.  In the end, it may all be useless.  But we will have tried.  When in doubt, choose life.

July 19, 2017