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

WHO?  WHO IS THIS? – FROM DAILY CALLER:  A Democrat running for Congress was arrested on a stalking charge last week, but the media has refused to give the story any coverage.  David Alcon, who is running for an open congressional seat in New Mexico, was arrested this past Friday on a felony stalking charge after a woman accused him of sending her frightening and lewd text messages and showing up at her home. Alcon was previously convicted of stalking his ex-girlfriend in 2007 and was described as “infatuated” and “clearly obsessed” by the judge in the case.  The story has been met with silence from a number of media outlets despite their breathless coverage of the sexual assault scandal surrounding Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore.  The silence will continue.  The media likes what it's doing.

HYPOCRITES – FROM DAILY CALLER:  More than 100,000 convicted felons or other “prohibited persons” tried to buy guns each year during President Barack Obama’s administration by lying on their applications, but the Justice Department only considered prosecuting about 30 to 40 people each year, according to a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation.  The Obama administration may have publicly aligned itself with anti-gun activists, but it consistently turned a blind eye to prosecute known criminals who tried to buy guns.  A June 2016 Justice Department Inspector General’s report revealed that between 2008 and 2015 the U.S. Attorneys office considered prosecuting “less than 32 people per year” for lying on form 4473, the federal application to buy guns.  I'm sure the Obama Justice Department thought criminals were oppressed enough.

BLOW TO TAX REFORM – FROM CNN:   Sen. Ron Johnson announced he is opposed to the tax bill Wednesday, making him the first member of the GOP to formally come out against the party's plan, though the Wisconsin Republican said he was hopeful about being able to support a final version once changes are made.  Johnson issued a statement saying the current proposal in both chambers is imbalanced in favor of large corporations but he left open the door to supporting the bills if they are altered.  "Unfortunately, neither the House nor Senate bill provide fair treatment, so I do not support either in their current versions," he said. "I do, however, look forward to working with my colleagues to address the disparity so I can support the final version."  The GOP, with only 52 seats in the Senate, can't afford to lose more than two votes, as the Democrats are likely to vote unanimously against any tax legislation.  The bargaining between House and Senate versions will be intense, and passage is not guaranteed.

November 15, 2017