SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:01 P.M. ET:

MUM FROM NUNN – The Dems have only two real chances to pick up a Senate seat this year.  One is in Georgia, where Michelle Nunn, daughter of former Senator Sam Nunn, has a shot at taking a seat away from our side.  But Nunn may have put her foot in it in answering a question of Obamacare.  From AP: "ATLANTA (AP) — Democratic Senate hopeful Michelle Nunn in Georgia declined to answer questions Monday about whether she would have voted for President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, as candidates in six states went through the final paces of bruising primary campaigns for congressional and statewide offices...In GOP-leaning Georgia, Nunn's smooth glide to the Democratic nomination bumped up against her awkward refusal in a weekend interview with NBC News to say whether she would have voted for the Affordable Care Act. When asked if she planned to answer the question and why she refused to do so, Nunn said in an interview with The Associated Press that she plans on 'continuing to answer the question by talking about where we need to go in the future and how we need to move forward.'"  Not satisfactory.  If I were the GOP down there, I'm hammer Nunn on this, demanding she take a stand.  Obamacare is unpopular in George, but popular with her base. 

YOU HADDA BE THERE – Unbelievable this morning.  Decapitated Jill Abramson, until last week the executive editor at The New York Times, delivered the commencement address at Wake Forest, and it was covered live and in color by major TV outlets.  I mean, live.  That moment, as if the president were speaking, rather than a deposed editor.  Well, I guess my former paper is an important institution, and Abramson was its first female editor.  But the emphasis was galling at a time when 300 Nigerian girls are still being held hostage.  And I think some of the feministas who appeared on TV to lament Abramson's firing are doing women far more harm than good.  If Abramson were judged by a higher standard than men, they'd have a point.  But it's pretty obvious that she, like many other men and women, was dismissed for reasonable cause.  Organizations will hesitate to hire women for high positions, though, unless they can discharge them and not face public abuse for doing so.  So women can be hurt, and held back, by unjust charges of discrimination.

CHILLING – From The Blaze:  "First lady Michelle Obama is encouraging students to monitor their older relatives, friends and co-workers for any racially insensitive comments they might make, and to challenge those comments whenever they’re made.  The first lady spoke on Friday to graduating high school students in Topeka, Kansas, and in remarks released over the weekend, Obama said students need to police family and friends because federal laws can only go so far in stopping racism."  Will someone tell Ms. Obama that we don't spy on our parents in America.  In fascist societies, maybe.  In red societies, maybe.  But not here, Ms. First Lady.  Young people can be encouraged to fight racism, to reject it, but we don't monitor our relatives. 

PRETTY PLEASE – The major TV networks are hurting.  And they are literally begging for viewers.  It's hard to beg, of course, when you're driving a Mercedes, but they do it.  From AP:  "NEW YORK (AP) -- One day into the annual week where television's biggest networks reveal their future programming plans and it was clear what the buzzword was going to be: Eventize.  No matter whether it's a word or not, broadcasters talked frequently about their desire to create big events that viewers need to watch immediately for fear of being left out of the cultural conversation.  Networks are adjusting to the changed world of how people watch their programs: hours or weeks later on DVR, online or on-demand. But the industry's financial structure hasn't caught up yet, so viewers who watch when a program is first aired - once the only way to watch - are considered more valuable.  That's why Fox is putting on a live production of "Grease" and NBC is remaking "The Music Man." Fox is recreating an Evel Knievel motorcycle jump. ABC touts its Oscars telecast and other awards shows. NBC locked up Olympics rights through 2032, and CBS won a bidding war to show NFL football on Thursday night.  Sports usually gets little or no attention in network sales pitches to advertisers. Not this year. ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox all gave sports a starring role. Why? Very few people DVR sports events."  Translated:  When you watch "live" you can't eliminate the commercials. 

May 19,  2014