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DECEMBER 16,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:54 P.M. ET: 

CARTER, TOO? – From Fox:  Defense Secretary Ash Carter used his personal email account to conduct some of his professional correspondence during his first months on the job earlier this year, the Pentagon admitted late Wednesday.  Carter's use of the personal account was first reported by The New York Times, which said that he had been confronted about his email habits by White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough this past May, three months after Carter took office as defense secretary.  Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook released a statement saying that Carter believes his use of personal email for work-related business was a mistake. Cook declined to say whether it was a violation of Pentagon email policies. Cook also said Carter stopped the practice, but Cook did not say when.  Very surprising.  Ash Carter is a good man who knows his way around the Pentagon.  He is probably one of Obama's best appointments.  Hillary Clinton is under FBI investigation for the same abuses of e-mail.  Was this public disclosure involving Carter a way to help Hillary or hurt her?  Very mysterious.

WELL THAT SETTLES IT – From Mediaite:   Hillary Clinton held a campaign event alongside Warren Buffet in Nebraska today, where she jokingly assured Republicans that even though she’s a Democrat, it doesn’t mean she’s some sort of liberal demonic creature of the underworld.  While Clinton was discussing her economic policy positions, she decided to give her attendees some advice if their conservative-leaning acquaintances ever ask what they were doing listening to her. While she told them to hold out hope that she might change their minds, Clinton said that the “first thing you can tell them, as best as you can tell looking under the lights, I don’t have horns.”  Clinton continues to face problems attracting conservative voters, having been deemed by some as untrustworthy, constantly getting lumped in with criticisms of President Obama, and still coming off of how she called Republicans her “enemy.”  I'm relieved.  I never thought Hillary had horns.  A stone heart maybe.  A warped mind.  A violent temper.  But horns?  I'm just a fair-minded commentator, and I haven't seen any evidence of horns.  But if you have, please write.

THIS YOU GOTTA SEE – From Fox:   Trigger warning! This story and video may be unsuitable viewing for the “safe space” crowd.  Looking to understand just how controversial the debate over free speech on our college campuses really is, filmmaker and satirist Ami Horowitz recently traveled to Yale University, one of our nation’s most prestigious institutions of higher learning, to speak directly to students.  “I decided to take this campus free speech debate to its logical conclusion,” said Horowitz, who asked students if they’d sign a petition calling for an outright repeal of the First Amendment. “The result was this unbelievable display of total stupidity.”  In fact, Horowitz discovered a solid majority of the students asked willingly signed the petition, with several expressing their enthusiastic approval for his anti-First Amendment efforts.  Some of these colleges might look into what standards are being applied by their admissions offices.  Or maybe they just don't care.  Yale is one of the most selective schools in the country, but you won't believe the dumbness of some of the comments on the video. 

December 16, 2015       Permalink

HOW SAD, BUT HOW COMMON – AT 10:12 A.M. ET:   We've all asked where the money for "charities" actually goes.  The answer is often quite murky.  From the Daily Beast: 

Shaun King is very good at raising money in support of black lives and—one of those lives might be his own.

King, one of the most visible faces of the Black Lives Matter movement and no stranger to controversy, is now beating back accusations that he has misappropriated or mismanaged charitable funds.

King collected millions of dollars for everyone from Haitian orphans to the families of black men and children killed by police across America. Some of that money went to survivors or victims’ families, but much of the largess either went into failed projects, King’s own pockets, or is unaccounted for.

“It’s just b--------,” King told The Daily Beast on Tuesday after allegations were lobbed against him by members of his own movement. “People need to understand that failure is not fraud.”

The former mega-church pastor-turned-citizen journalist has leveraged heavy doses of charisma into 218,000 Twitter followers and a column at the New York Daily News to chronicle instances of suspected injustices carried out by police in predominantly non-white communities. King counts a flurry of A-list celebrities and largely left-leaning politicians among his most ardent fans. They follow his Twitter timeline for the latest news—whether it’s a video of cop shooting an unarmed black boy or a school resource officer accused of brutalizing a teenager.

COMMENT:  It's important to read the entire thing.  Remember that these are charges.  There is no legal finding of guilt so far.

But these questions about charities arise time and again.  They're similar to the questions raised about government "social programs."  Where does the money go?  Who gets rich?  Who gets helped?  What kind of "research" underlies the claims?

We'll follow the story.

December 16,  2015     Permalink

AND IN THE REAL WORLD – AT 9:45 A.M. ET:   Let us not forget that, as we focus on ISIS, Iran is the major enemy.  From Reuters: 

UNITED NATIONS Iran violated a U.N. Security Council resolution in October by test-firing a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead, a team of sanctions monitors said, leading to calls in the U.S. Congress on Tuesday for more sanctions on Tehran.

The White House said it would not rule out additional steps against Iran over the test of the medium-range Emad rocket.

There won't be any.  The agreement with Iran is Obama's "legacy," the only thing he cares about.

The Security Council's Panel of Experts on Iran said in a confidential report, first reported by Reuters, that the launch showed the rocket met its requirements for considering that a missile could deliver a nuclear weapon.

"On the basis of its analysis and findings the Panel concludes that Emad launch is a violation by Iran of paragraph 9 of Security Council resolution 1929," the panel said.

Diplomats said the rocket test on Oct. 10 was not technically a violation of the July nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, but the U.N. report could put U.S. President Barack Obama's administration in an awkward position.

Iran has said any new sanctions would jeopardise the nuclear deal. But if Washington failed to call for sanctions over the Emad launch, it would likely be perceived as weakness.

COMMENT:  Being perceived as weak is Obama's life work.  It wouldn't bother him.  The Iranians are already cheating.  But a future president will have to deal with that.

December 16, 2015       Permalink

OBAMA SLIPS AGAIN – 8:46 A.M. ET:  His poll numbers could impact Hillary's campaign.  From Breitbart: 

The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll reveals that following the San Bernardino terrorist attack, 70 percent of Americans now believe the nation is headed in the wrong direction and only 43 percent approve of Barack Obama’s job performance as president.

About 71 percent of Americans say that the “shootings and random acts of violence that took place this year in Charleston, S.C., Oregon , Colorado, and the terrorist shootings in San Bernardino, California — are now are now a permanent part of American life.”

Domestic terrorism and national security have more than doubled this year and now are the top issue for 40 percent of Americans. The next nearest categories are job creation and economic growth at 23 percent and the deficit and government spending at 11 percent.

President Obama told global leaders at the opening of the Paris climate change conference, just after the San Bernardino attack, that dealing with climate change was a “rejection” of what terrorists seek to do to the world. But only 7 percent of Americans rate climate change as their number one priority.

The NBC/WSJ survey found a continuing partisan divide in the poll, with 58 percent of Republican primary voters saying national security/terrorism is their top concern, versus only 26 percent of Democratic primary voters saying it is their top priority. Democrats by 33 percent and Republicans by 12 percent rate economy/jobs as their top issue.

When asked, “Is taking military action against ISIS in Iraq and Syria in our national interest or not,” roughly 60 percent are ready to send in the military and only a paltry 13 percent are opposed to direct intervention. Forty-two percent say the military should use both airstrikes and combat troops; 36 percent say it should be limited only to airstrikes; and just 12 percent say military action should not be taken.

As a result of these negative trends, President Obama’s disapproval rating has risen by 11 points since early summer, to 51 percent.

COMMENT:  Devastating.  And Hillary has to run, at least in part, on Obama's record.  She was part of his administration, and you may be sure that he's putting the heat on to keep her in line.  Joe Biden waits in the wings if the FBI probe into Hillary produces results as bad as we think they might be. 

Hillary and Barack recently had a lunch together, and Hillary came out spouting the Obama line.  She didn't do it out of intellectual conviction.

December 16, 2015       Permalink

DECEMBER 15,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:56 P.M. ET: 

TRUMP PLEDGES – No independent bid.  From The Hill:   Donald Trump says he won't run for president as a third-party candidate "no matter what" despite past flirtations with an independent bid.  Trump said he was "totally committed to the Republican party" during Tuesday night's GOP debate and repeated that vow in an interview immediately afterward.  "When they asked it, I did not hesitate. I decided to just say, 'Yes, I'm a Republican. I'm not going to be doing a third-party [campaign],' " he told CNN's Chris Cuomo.  I'm sure he realizes that an independent bid, if he loses the GOP nomination, would guarantee a Hillary victory.  I don't think Trump would want that villain status.

GREAT MOMENTS IN EDUCATION – From The College Fix:   Saying that black women are “not hot” got a Colorado College student suspended for six months – appealed down from 21.  The sanction against Thaddeus Pryor was not the only action the school took against offensive comments posted Nov. 9 on the anonymous social-media app Yik Yak: His friend Lou Henriques was expelled.  Their jokes took place on a night where the Yik Yak conversation on campus was centered around the theme #BlackLivesMatter.  What started off as raising awareness quickly became “mud slinging,” Pryor told The College Fix in a phone interview. When someone wrote “#blackwomenmatter,” Pryor said he joined in, anonymously replying, “They matter, they’re just not hot.”  I don't know who's more childlike here, Pryor or the people who suspended him. 

MAJOR NUTRITION NEWS – From sfgate.com:   Meat-lovers, prepare to shove this in the face of all your vegetarian friends.  According to a new study from Carnegie Mellon, a vegetarian diet could be worse for the environment than a carnivorous one. Only pork chops can save the ozone now!  Fruits, vegetables, dairy and seafood have a more negative impact on the climate than meat, claims the study. The meat-less diet increases energy use by 38 percent, water use by 10 percent and greenhouse gas emissions by six percent.  "Eating lettuce is over three times worse in greenhouse gas emissions than eating bacon," Paul Fischbeck, professor of social and decisions sciences and engineering and public policy, told Carnegie Mellon. "Lots of common vegetables require more resources per calorie than you would think. Eggplant, celery and cucumbers look particularly bad when compared to pork or chicken."  I feel completely vindicated, if a bit heavier.

THE DEBATE – I watched the debate, up to the point of severe boredom, at the Women's National Republican Club in Manhattan.  It's fun to watch among political friends, and to sense their reactions.  The debate itself was uneventful.  Once again, there were too many candidates.  Once again, the debate was too long.  Once again, it deteriorated into esoteric points, like the ethnic divisions in the Middle East.

Unless the herd is thinned, any future debates are useless.  Voters want to concentrate on a small number of contenders and make their choices.  I think all the candidates this time were respectable.  No one disgraced himself, but no one changed any minds.  Clearly, the leaders are Trump, Cruz, and Rubio, with Chris Christie and Carly Fiorina getting honorable mention.  I also might add that Jeb Bush is a fine man who was a distinguished governor, and I think he's gotten a bad rap throughout this campaign. 

The key question is still whether Trump's remarkable lead continues, or whether primary voters come to believe he's unelectable in a general election. 

December 15, 2015       Permalink

OH DEAR, ANOTHER CLERICAL ERROR – AT 5:08 P.M. ET:  More embarrassment for our queen-in-waiting.  From Fox:   

EXCLUSIVE: An intelligence community review has re-affirmed that two classified emails were indeed “top secret” when they hit Hillary Clinton’s unsecured personal server despite a challenge to that designation by the State Department, according to two sources familiar with the review.

The sources described the dispute over whether the two emails were classified at the highest level as a “settled matter.”

The agencies that owned and originated that intelligence – the CIA and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency or NGA – reviewed the emails to determine how they should be properly stored, as the State Department took issue with their highly classified nature. The subject matter of the messages is widely reported to be the movement of North Korean missiles and a drone strike. A top secret designation requires the highest level of security, and can include the use of an approved safe.

The sources, who were not authorized to speak on the record, told Fox News that while the emails were indeed “top secret” when they hit Clinton’s server, one of them remains “top secret” to this day -- and must be handled at the highest security level. The second email is still considered classified but at the lower “secret” level because more information is publicly available about the event.

The findings have been transmitted to the State Department, which continues to challenge the intelligence community’s conclusions about the classification of all the emails. But the department has no authority to change the classification since it did not originate the information.

COMMENT:  Poor Hillary.  Constantly harassed by the bad people.  When will they leave her alone?  I get the feeling that Obama might just hang her out to dry, and bring in Joe Biden to replace her.  The better to respect American law, you know.

The Clintons are the classic power couple who don't think rules apply to them. 

December 15, 2015       Permalink

DISGRACEFUL! – AT 11:14 A.M. ET:  But expected.  The International Atomic Energy Agency has caved in to Iran, opening the door to billions in sanctions relief for one of the worst regimes in the world.  From the Washington Examiner: 

The board of the nuclear watchdog group agreed to close the file on Iran's past nuclear work on Tuesday, clearing the way for Tehran to receive billions in relief from international sanctions, according to news reports.

In truth, Iran stiffed the group and did not provide full information.  But who cares?  Let the good times roll!

The board's decision, according to diplomats quoted by Agence France-Presse, followed the recommendation of International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano, who earlier on Tuesday said "the agency has no credible indications of activities in Iran relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device after 2009."

Amano is a good man who has vastly improved the agency.  But he's under substantial pressure by the Obama administration and European business interests to open Iran.  Never mind Iran's support for terror, its brutal regime, or its recent missile tests, in violation of Security Council resolutions.

"Nor has the agency found any credible indications of the diversion of nuclear material in connection with the possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program," he said.

"Significant progress has been made on the Iran nuclear issue, but now is not the time to relax. This issue has a long and complex history, and the legacy of mistrust between Iran and the international community must be overcome," he said. "Much work lies ahead of us. All parties must fully implement their commitments under the JCPOA. Considerable effort was required in order to reach this agreement. A similar and sustained effort will be required to implement it."

Amano said Iran must now complete its preparation to carry out its end of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the Iran deal is known. "Implementation day" will occur when the IAEA verifies that Iran has carried out the measures agreed to in Vienna between Tehran and six world powers.

COMMENT:  It's hilarious.  Iran hasn't even ratified the agreement, and apparently there are powerful forces in Iran who are opposed to it.  So no one is actually sure where we are.  And on this the future of the region may rest.

Another Obama triumph.

December 15, 2015       Permalink

WHERE OBAMA STANDS – AT 9:26 A.M. ET:   This is one of the best statements about the condition of Barack Obama that I've read.  Andrew Malcolm lays it on the line, with nothing held back.  It's a must read.  From IBD: 

President Obama took no media questions after his Monday Pentagon photo op on ISIS.
Smart move.

Because Obama's sad little PR offensive against terrorism these days raises more questions every time he tries to talk coherently. And it's taken and is taking a heavy toll on his already low job approval numbers. In the aftermath of Paris and San Bernardino's lax immigrant-vetting and his minimalist handling of terrorism and ISIS, now the nation's top concern, according to polls.

Obama is on a terrorism talking tear right now because he's about to disappear into the Hawaii sunshine for another half-month of vacation. Yes, Obama's get-away trips are very expensive by the standards of normal Americans. His weekend golf trips alone this year cost taxpayers almost $2 million, or $20,000 per hole.

But Obama looks tired. Or bored. Watch his body language and face in the C-SPAN video below. He's clearly mailing it in. Notice how in his recited remarks, written before the meeting they purport to describe, Obama says "with a great sense of urgency" with the least sense of urgency imaginable.
Or around the 3:10 mark how he zips through what was supposed to be an emphatic presidential threat, just to get it over with: "Their leaders cannot hide andournextmessagetothemissimple Youarenext."

No wonder America's enemies don't take this president seriously. They see energy, vigor and commitment in his yada-yada global-warming remarks. And then this blah-blah-blah on a real national security issue. And the country's top military brass become human props, forced to stand there mute as uniformed gravitas.

Worse, Obama's still got another photo op to act out during a visit to the Counter-Terrorism center this week. He's trying to calm us down because Americans see right through his ISIS is "contained," "we are on the offensive" "we're going after terrorists everywhere" malarkey.

Obama has always counted on swell rhetoric to mask his shallowness. But now he's reaping the rewards of a public trust seriously corroded by his serial lies on so many issues -- thousands of new jobs just around the corner, ObamaCare, Benghazi, Fast and Furious, IRS, VA reforms, Guantanamo terrorist recidivists, decimated al Qaida.

The untruths are legion, part of the political burden that Hillary Clinton, his partner in blame, must answer for next year.

COMMENT:  That certainly says it.  Obama is a greater disaster than even Jimmy Carter, who at least was shoved out of office after one term.  Now Obama is going for a third term, with the character of the president to be played by that great actress, Hillary Clinton.

December 15, 2015        Permalink

DEBATE NIGHT – TRUMP COMMANDS – AT 8:46 A.M. ET:  As readers know, my enthusiasm for Donald Trump is limited.  Maybe it's because we know him in New York as a showman, not a statesman.  And he isn't helped by the vulgarity of his comments.

At the same time, Trump has tapped into an anger and discontent that much of the media has ignored, or, in some cases, didn't know was even there.  One of my legitimate gripes about the American press is that it doesn't really know its own country.  And it certainly doesn't like what it does know.

The Republican debate is tonight.  It promises to be exciting, and tense.  From The Hill:

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has increased his lead over GOP rivals to its largest margin yet in an ABC News/Washington Post poll released early Tuesday.

Trump sits at 38 percent among registered Republicans and GOP-leaning independents in the latest survey, followed by Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) at 15 percent, Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) at 12 percent and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 12 percent.

All other candidates remain in the single digits, with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush taking 5 percent in the latest survey to round out the top five candidates.

Cruz has essentially doubled his support in the poll compared to last month, while Carson's support has been cut roughly in half. Trump has gained 6 points and Rubio has gained 1 point since mid-November.

National polls are viewed with less emphasis than those conducted in states where the first votes in the nominating process are cast starting in early February.

Cruz led Trump in Iowa in a Des Moines Register/Bloomberg poll released over the weekend, and the dynamic between the two will be of major interest at the latest GOP debate Tuesday night.

Trump has maintained a solid lead in New Hampshire polls, though several rivals pushing for establishment support have shifted in polling position recently.

The latest ABC/Post survey finds Trump trailing Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in a head-to-head matchup, 53 to 40 percent among adults. It's a 6-point margin among registered voters, however.

COMMENT:  And among likely voters it's probably even closer.  The point is that there is no great yearning for Hillary.  A good Republican candidate could probably defeat her, even if she survives the FBI investigation into her e-mail records.

But finding that Republican candidate could be difficult.  The party has a long record of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. 

As for Trump, it's hard to determine if his support can translate into the 50% plus one of delegates to the national convention.  His negatives are also very high.  And opposition to him has yet to focus on one competitor.

December 15,  2015     Permalink