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

THE EYES OF TEXAS – FROM THE AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN:   U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, holds an 11-percentage point edge over U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-El Paso, in the race at the top of the November ballot in Texas, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.  Half of Texas voters prefer Cruz in his re-election bid, compared with 39 percent for O’Rourke, the poll says.  That’s a substantially wider margin than in April 18, when another Quinnipiac University poll found Cruz with 47 percent to O’Rourke’s 44 percent.  Common sense is returning.  A great accomplishment for Cruz.  We hope he can maintain and increase his strength. 

FOX ROMPS – FROM FORBES.COM:  What happened to the rise of MSNBC? After showing historic growth–and a few months in 2017 when Rachel Maddow took the title of most-watched host in all of cable news, beating Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity–the just-released results of the May ratings period look very familiar: Fox News won–everything.  In ratings data released Wednesday by Nielsen Media Research, FNC extended its run of consecutive months at number one to a staggering 197, while building hitting another impressive milestone: Fox News Channel has now beaten every other network in basic cable for 23 months straight, based on total day ratings, with an average total day audience in May of 1.4 million viewers.  In prime time, Fox News destroyed its competition, with an average total audience of 2.381 million viewers, compared to MSNBC's 1.384 million and CNN's 835,000. Among viewers 25-54, the group most coveted by advertisers, FNC shook off a challenge in recent months from MSNBC to claim a clear victory: 461,000 viewers, well ahead of MSNBC (329,000) and CNN (265,000).  I suspect that many viewers were turned off by the chronic, irrational Trump-bashing that passes for news on both MSNBC and CNN.

MITT IS GETTING SILLY AGAIN – FROM THE HILL:   Mitt Romney revealed Wednesday that when it came time to vote for president in 2016, he wrote in his wife Ann’s name.  "I wrote in the name of a person who I admire deeply, who I think would be an excellent president," Romney told the editorial boards of Utah's Deseret News and KSL. "I realized it wasn't going to go anywhere, but nonetheless felt that I was putting in a very solid name."  The former GOP presidential nominee and current Utah Senate candidate had not previously stated publicly for whom he had voted in the 2016 presidential election.  Romney, who has been endorsed by Trump in the former's Senate race, does not hide his contempt for the president, saying this week that Trump was not "a role model for my grandkids."  Not very gracious.  What is going on in Mitt's mind?

May 30,  2018