SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:57 P.M. (OR LATER):

MONTANA RESULTS – The Republican candidate in Montana's special Congressional election has won, despite an incident last night in which he is alleged to have assaulted a reporter.  Greg Gianforte defeated Democrat Rob Quist by about six points for the seat vacated by Ryan Zinke, who resigned to become secretary of the interior.  In his acceptance speech Gianforte apologized for slamming a reporter for Britain's Guardian newspaper last night.  Gianforte may still be criminally charged in the incident.  Still, his victory shows that a Democratic rebound from last November's election has still not materialized. 

BRITISH NIGHTMARE?  And no, I don't mean the horrible attack in Manchester or the possible new attacks that are feared.  I mean the fact that Britain votes in a national election in two weeks and that the Labour Party, led by the most extreme leftist leader in its history, Jeremy Corbyn, is catching up in the polls.  What had been considered a sure blowout victory by the Conservatives, led by Theresa May, now looks much closer.  But won't the horror of the terror attacks turn voters away from the appeasing, anti-American, pro-Islamist, Labour leader?   We hope so, but Britain is not America.  Many British voters could easily decide that appeasement is the way to go, simply to buy a year or so of peace.  That was the policy in the late 1930s, and it nearly prevailed.  As we've said here before, there's a Great Britain, and a not-so-great Britain.  Remember that Churchill was thrown out of office as soon as victory over Germany was achieved in 1945, and the Communist-appeasing Labourites were then installed. 

GROWTH IN THE SOUTHWEST – FROM FOX:   Phoenix has officially edged out Philadelphia to become the fifth biggest city in the U.S.  The total population of the city is 1,615,017, according to estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday. The new population count allowed the city to surpass Philadelphia, its closest population rival, for the first time since dropping behind in 2010.  Phoenix is also the quickest-growing city in the country, according to the Census Bureau. The city added an average of 88 people per day between July 2015 and July 2016.   Hard to know what the political implications are.  Arizona generally is Republican, but Democratic strength has been growing.

May 25, 2017