SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 10:59 P.M. ET:

REALISM IN NEW YORK –  New York's superb police commissioner, Ray Kelly, says that the New York Police Department now has the capacity to bring down a plane, under extreme circumstances.  Kelly was commenting on the fact that cities, in fast-developing situations, cannot depend on the federal government alone.  There are three major airports in the New York metropolitan area, and the nightmare scenario is for an airliner to take off from one, with a suicide pilot at the controls, and circle around quickly to hit a building.  Obviously, from what Kelly is saying, New York wanted its own capability to stop a rapid attack.  One assumes he is talking about shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles.

MORE, MORE! – The head of the International Monetary Fund says the fund may need a bailout from member nations to stem the European debt crisis.  Freely translated:  Americans, among others, will be expected to come up with the cash to save Europe's welfare states.  We will then be reviled for doing so by those same countries.  At the same time, fingernails are being bitten in Europe over the possibility that Greece may default within days or weeks, and can bring down the German government, which is heavily involved in trying to solve the Greek crisis.

A CHRISTIE MOMENT? – Reince Priebus, the new head of the Republican National Committee, says that there is still time for someone new to jump into the race for the GOP presidential nomination.  One wonders if he had Chris Christie in mind.  As we reported earlier, Christie may announce this week if he's in or out.  If in, it will throw open the whole race...at least for the time Christie is flavor of the month.  Who will the October flavor be?

September 25, 2011