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

THE START – Pundits are revving up for the first debate of the presidential campaign, on Thursday, in Cleveland, featuring the Republican contenders.  There are obviously too many Republican candidates for a real debate, but the contest will serve the same purpose as the preliminaries in the Miss America pageant – the narrowing of the field.  Advance speculation centers on whether Donald Trump will continue his gallop, or be taken down by the other, more experienced candidates.  Speculation also centers on the impact the debate will have on the Democratic field, especially with all the speculation that Joe Biden will be jumping in to replace the fading Hillary Clinton.  So this will be a crucial week.

MORE HELL FOR HILL – From WaPo:   State Department investigators concluded this year that Huma Abedin, one of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s closest aides, was overpaid by nearly $10,000 because of violations of rules governing vacation and sick leave during her tenure as an official in the department.  The finding — which Abedin has formally contested — emerged publicly Friday after Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) sent letters to Secretary of State John F. Kerry and others seeking more information about an investigation into possible “criminal” conduct by Abedin concerning her pay.  The letters also sought the status of an inquiry into whether Abedin had violated conflict-of-interest laws related to her special employment situation, which allowed her to work simultaneously for the State Department, the Clinton Foundation and a private firm with close ties to the Clintons.  Abedin is married to disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner, who sexual exploits on the internet got him escorted out of Congress.  She's also been reported to have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.  She also is Hillary Clinton's closest aide.  The woman has no taste.

BALTIMORE HORROR – From AP:   BALTIMORE (AP) — Baltimore reached a grim milestone on Friday, three months after riots erupted in response to the death of Freddie Gray in police custody: With 45 homicides in July, the city has seen more bloodshed in a single month than it has in 43 years.  Police reported three deaths — two men shot Thursday and one on Friday. The men died at local hospitals.  With their deaths, this year's homicides reached 189, far outpacing the 119 killings by July's end in 2014. Nonfatal shootings have soared to 366, compared to 200 by the same date last year. July's total was the worst since the city recorded 45 killings in August 1972, according to The Baltimore Sun.  Well, look at the quality of the city's leadership, and its attitude toward the police.  How can you have effective control of crime when the criminals are treated better than the police officers?  And it's almost as bad in Chicago. 

THUMBS DOWN ON OBAMA – From the Washington Examiner:   It seems that Americans can add "no more Obamas" to the oft-heard calls for no more Bushes or Clintons, despite the president's belief that he would be a shoo-in for a third term.  Rasmussen Reports on Friday released a poll showing that just one third of likely U.S voters would keep President Obama in office if he ran again. Even among Democrats, only 57 percent would vote for him a third time.  Americans are wising up to their mistake.  Let's hope they don't make a similar mistake next year.

July 31, 2015