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

DEMS GONE WILD – FROM FOX:   The White House on Friday slammed Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, after he claimed that President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, may have orchestrated the brutal killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi -- a claim he walked back later.  The rep told CNN that the Trump adviser and "U.S. intelligence" could have passed around a so-called “enemies list” that was viewed by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Poppy Harlow, the anchor, challenged Castro, saying the network had no knowledge of the "reporting" he cited. But he responded that he's seen "reporting to that effect."  Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, took to Twitter to call out the congressman for presenting the allegations "without a shred of proof." She said it was reprehensible for Castro to cite an article that was "completely debunked."  Castro took to Twitter later in an attempt to clarify his comments. He said he did not intend to accuse Kushner of "orchestrating anything."  This guy is considered a possible presidential candidate.  The Democratic Party continues to descend into madness.

SAVE US, SAVE US – FROM THE WEEK:   Ready to go through the 2016 election all over again?
Philippe Reines, who worked for Hillary Clinton going back to 2002 and was her senior adviser at the State Department, made the argument to Politico Friday that the former Democratic nominee might actually be the party's best hope for defeating Trump in 2020. He said no other Democrat has "anywhere near a base of 32 million people," especially not Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) or Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). The party, he feels, shouldn't dismiss her as a failed candidate because she's "smarter" and "tougher" than most, and she "could raise money easier than most."  But it doesn't sound like this is just wishful thinking on his part. He really thinks it could happen, saying the chances of Clinton running in 2020 are "not zero.”   This sounds like the old Hollywood practice of "failing upward."  The argument is that failure should be respected because it brings experience.  Okay, if it involves the cost of a movie, that's one thing.  If it involves the future of a nation, that's quite another.  This was a big story today, but I doubt that Hillary has much backing from her party. 

ANOTHER BRAVE PREDICTION – FROM BLOOMBERG:  Early voting is under way or about to start in several states, and so far, turnout is up -- way up.  That turnout could benefit Democrats, who are vying to take the House and have long-shot hope of flipping the Senate. The party has seen a surge in special elections throughout this year and last, and could see their highest level of voter turnout for a midterm election in at least a decade, according to an analysis by the New York Times.  Republicans meanwhile, say they’re confident that the fight over Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination will provide enough motivation to turn out their supporters as they seek to reduce any potential enthusiasm gap.  Oh, who knows?  I wouldn't take any predictions seriously at this point.  The increase in early voting can just as easily be a reflection of the vast popularity of online shopping.  People, more and more, want to do things from home.  Or, it can be an army of Republicans angry over the treatment of Judge Kavanaugh.  We'll know in two and a half weeks.  Hold the predictions.

October 19, 2018