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FEBRUARY 15,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:25 P.M. ET: 

BARBARIANS – From Fox:  "A video released on Sunday by militants in Libya claiming loyalty to the Islamic State terror group purports to show the mass beheading of Coptic Christian hostages.  The video, which appeared on the Twitter feed of a website that supports Islamic State, depicts several men in orange jumpsuits being led along a beach, each accompanied by a masked militant. The men are made to kneel and one militant, dressed differently than the others, addresses the camera in North American-accented English.  'All crusaders: safety for you will be only wishes, especially if you are fighting us all together. Therefore we will fight you all together,' he said. 'The sea you have hidden Sheikh Osama Bin Laden's body in, we swear to Allah we will mix it with your blood.'"  We do hope that the president will take some time out to notice this, and to contemplate his statement last week that terrorism has been overplayed by the media.  Maybe he'll even issue a statement.

GOOD ADVICE – From The Hill:  "Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) said in an interview broadcast early Sunday that President Obama must 'put the fear of God' in Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants, but won’t.  'You don’t tell the enemy in advance this is not what you’re going to do,' King, who serves as chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s subcommittee on counterterrorism and intelligence, told host John Catsimatidis on 'The Cats Roundtable' on AM 970 in New York.  'You don’t tell the enemy in advance this is going to expire in three years … The enemy plans accordingly [as they did in Afghanistan],' he added.  'I want ISIS to think that we’re going to use a million troops; we’re going to stay there 100 years; and we’re going to use every weapon,' King said."  He's right, of course.  But Obama depends on military strategies developed at Disney World.

WOULD YOU BUY A USED CAR..? – From Yahoo News:  "Outgoing senior Obama adviser John Podesta reflected on his latest White House stint Friday, listing his favorite moments and biggest regrets from the past year. Chief among them: depriving the American people of the truth about UFOs.  Podesta’s longtime fascination with UFOs is well-documented, as his brief political hiatus following four years as President Bill Clinton’s chief of staff freed him up to pursue his otherworldly passion."  He assured Obama that the creatures in the UFO's aren't anti-Muslim, but are against the Keystone Pipeline.

February 15, 2015       Permalink

SOMETHING ROTTEN IN THE STATE OF DENMARK – AT 11:21 A.M. ET:  There have been two terror attacks in Copenhagen, following in pattern the attacks in Paris several weeks ago.  Latest from CNN: 

Copenhagen, Denmark (CNN)  After a frantic manhunt involving "all the country's police forces," Danish police say they've killed the man they believe is responsible for a pair of possible terrorist attacks that left two people dead.

Authorities later said that the alleged perpetrator was known to intelligence units.  That pretty much tells us that he was on a terror watch list.

"As a nation, we have experienced a series of hours we will never forget," Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt said Sunday.

"We have tasted the ugly taste of fear and powerlessness that terror would like to create. But we have also, as a society, answered back."

The carnage began Saturday afternoon, when a gunman stormed a Copenhagen cafe where Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks was attending a free speech forum.

Vilks is known for his controversial depictions of the Prophet Mohammed and has been targeted for death by Islamic extremists because of his work.

The cartoonist wasn't hurt, but the gunman did kill a 55-year-old man and wounded three officers before fleeing, police said. The man who died in the cafe shooting has not been named by authorities.

Hours later, someone approached two officers near a Copenhagen synagogue and started shooting, police said.

The officers were wounded. But 37-year-old Dan Uzan, who was providing security for a confirmation party behind the synagogue, died, the Jewish Society of Denmark said.

"The Jewish Society is in shock about the attack, but everyone's thoughts are first and foremost with Dan's family and friends, and with the wounded police officers and their families," the Jewish Society said.

Denmark's Queen Margrethe II offered her condolences and urged residents to "stand together and and guard the values upon which Denmark is built."

COMMENT:  The United States issued a tepid statement of condemnation after the first attack.  Even CNN noted that other nations reacted much more strongly, but other nations aren't run by Barack Obama.  The U.S. has not issued a statement specifically condemning the synagogue attack. 

We can expect more.  These attacks are, sadly, great recruitment tools. 

February 15, 2015       Permalink

ISIS ON THE MOVE – AT 10:17 A.M. ET:  There is so much happening that it's hard to keep up.  But things aren't going our way, despite the brilliance of Field Marshal of the United States (including parts of New Jersey) Barack Obama.  From Fox: 

The Islamic State has reportedly seized al-Baghdadi, in Iraq’s Anbar Province, 5 miles from an air base staffed by Marines, as the terror group continues its push beyond its bases in Syria and Iraq in an attempt to establish militant affiliates in other countries.

Hundreds of Islamic State fighters reportedly captured most of al-Baghdadi, which is 55 miles from the capital Ramadi, on Thursday.

On Friday, Iraqi soldiers had retaken several government buildings, but early Saturday, the soldiers withdrew, handing the town back to the militants, The New York Times reported, citing local security officials.

One local Iraqi official told Reuters that, "Ninety percent of al-Baghdadi district has fallen under the control of the insurgents."

According to The Times, American intelligence officials estimate that the terror group’s fighters have reached as many as 31,000 in Syria and Iraq.

A Defense Department spokeswoman confirmed to Fox News that “heavy fighting” took place in that area on Thursday, but referred questions about the status of the town to the Iraq government.

“There was no direct attack on the Al Asad air base,” the spokeswoman assured, while acknowledging reports of “ineffective indirect fire in the vicinity of the base.”

COMMENT:  It is imperative that our Marines not be encircled.  That could lead to a siege, and a siege can have devastating effects, both on the troops involved and on the morale of the American people.

Has someone told Obama?  Does he care?

February 15, 2015      Permalink

OH DEAR, OH DEAR, SUCH UPSET – AT 8:40 A.M. ET:  We usually don't quote Maureen Dowd of The New York Times here, but this is just too juicy to miss.  Quote of the day.  Great moment in journalism:

The Rottweilers will be unleashed.

Once the Clintons had a War Room. Now they have a Slime Room.

Once they had the sly James Carville, fondly known as “serpenthead.” Now they have the slippery David Brock, accurately known as a snake.

Brock fits into the Clinton tradition of opportunistic knife-fighters like Dick Morris and Mark Penn.

The silver-haired 52-year-old, who sports colorful designer suits and once wore a monocle, brawled his way into a Times article about the uneasy marriage between Hillary Clinton’s veteran attack dogs and the group of advisers who are moving over from Obamaland.

Hillary hasn’t announced a 2016 campaign yet. She’s busy polling more than 200 policy experts on how to show that she really cares about the poor while courting the banks. Yet her shadow campaign is already in a déjà-vu-all-over-again shark fight over control of the candidate and her money. It’s the same old story: The killer organization that, even with all its ruthless hired guns, can’t quite shoot straight.

COMMENT:  Oh, read the rest.  You have permission to have fun.

February 15,  2015     Permalink

FEBRUARY 14,  2015

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

SCARIEST THOUGHT IN YEARS – From The Hill:  "President Obama says he is ready to 'run through the tape' to promote his agenda during his final two years in office.  'I've only got two years left, but two years is a long time,' the president told Democratic supporters at a fundraiser in San Francisco on Friday. 'Two years is also the time in which we are going to be setting the stage for the next presidential election and the next 10 years of American policy.'"  There is good land available in Australia. 

DEFINITION OF NERVE – From Reuters:  "The Palestinian Authority on Saturday condemned as 'terrorism' the killings of three young Palestinian-Americans in North Carolina and called on US authorities to include its investigators in the probe."  The nerve of the Palestinian Authority, a master of terror itself.  There is no evidence, as of now, of any terrorist motive in the disgraceful North Carolina murders.  If the PA joined the probe, they'd probably find that Bibi did it.  Or Moses.

STRANGE PUBLICITY – From London's Daily Mail:  "The winery which produced the sleep-inducing bottle of wine that made Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fall asleep during President Barack Obama's State of the Union address is cashing in on its new fame.  Ginsburg, who said she wasn't '100 per cent sober' when she nodded off during President Obama's speech last month, blamed her nap on a bottle of 'very fine California' wine that her colleague Anthony Kennedy brought to dinner.   The judge, 81, told attendees of a Smithsonian Associates event in Washington, D.C. the wine Kennedy brought to dinner was 'an Opus something or other'.  The bottle was from Opus One Winery in Oakville, California, according to ABC.   Christopher Barefoot, vice president of public relations at Opus, said the winery was 'overjoyed' to find out Ginsburg enjoyed their wine."  I say, give that wine to all liberal justices.

February 14, 2015       Permalink

CEASEFIRE?  THERE'S A CEASEFIRE? – AT 10:58 A.M. ET:   Even the Obama administration is condemning Moscow on the eve of a so-called "ceasefire" in Ukraine.  From WaPo: 

MOSCOW – The Obama administration on Saturday released satellite images that it said showed that the Russian army had joined rebels to mount a full-scale assault on surrounded government troops in eastern Ukraine, hours before a ceasefire set to take effect at midnight.

A ceasefire deal reached Thursday gave a two-and-a-half day window before the shooting was actually supposed to stop, sparking fears of an uptick in fighting as both sides tried to capture ground. What has actually happened, according to Ukrainian troops, leaders and the United States, is a major offensive on the Ukrainian-held railway hub of Debaltseve. Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are said to be bunkered there on a spit of land deep in rebel-held territory.

Russia has denied that it is a party to the conflict, and it was impossible to verify the three grainy black-and-white images posted on Twitter by U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt. According to the United States, the images, commissioned from the private Digital Globe satellite company, showed artillery systems and multiple-rocket launchers on Thursday in the area near Debaltseve.

COMMENT:  Does anyone trust Putin?  He may allow a lull for a time, showing himself the peacemaker, but he's unlikely to give up his dream of taking Ukraine. 

Or, he may hold off in Ukraine, and probe somewhere else, possibly a NATO country.  He is intent on restoring the old Soviet empire.  But he'd better do it quickly.  Obama leaves office in less than two years.

February 14,  2015     Permalink

COMMON SENSE ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS? – AT 10:14 A.M. ET:   Campus safety has become a priority, but but achieving it means running into the obstacle course of political correctness and ideology-based "solutions."  What good is safety if one "offends"?

But it turns out that a number of colleges are, very quietly, arming their police forces, and now a leading educator has spoken the unspeakable words.  From the Houston Chronicle: 

AUSTIN – In keeping with their status as in-state rivals, Texas A&M and the University of Texas have taken opposite sides in the debate over campus carry.

State senators on Thursday opened debate for the first time this session on two gun bills, one sponsored by Granbury Republican Brian Birdwell that would allow concealed handgun license holders to tote pistols on campus.

While most higher education leaders oppose campus carry, Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp broke from precedent Thursday by throwing his support behind Birdwell's proposal. In a letter to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Sharp said "having licensed gun owners in possession of legal weapons on our campuses does not raise safety concerns for me personally."

The real question is this: "Do I trust my students, faculty and staff to work and live responsibly under the same laws at the university as they do at home?" Of course I do!" Sharp added.

"However, properly funding the higher education of these students is the only issue that counts! This is my personal opinion. The Texas A&M University System will not have a position on this issue, and will not oppose campus carry."

Most higher education leaders, including new University of Texas System Chancellor William McRaven, vehemently oppose campus carry. McRaven has issued his own letter to legislative leaders, saying as a Navy SEAL and former head of Special Operations Command he believes allowing concealed carry at universities would make campuses "less safe."

COMMENT:  I'll go with Texas A&M on this.   McRaven is a great guy, but colleges are not military units.  They're small cities.  Someone intent on doing harm isn't going to be deterred by a sign saying "gun-free zone."  Indeed, that might encourage him. 

I'd imagine that many college students already have guns on campus, even if they're hidden.  Why not have a college run, as Chancellor Sharp advocates, by the same rules as the towns around it?  The knowledge that there are armed, trained, licensed gun holders around might just deter the kind of violence we've tragically seen.

February 14, 2015        Permalink

MAJOR POSTAL NEWS – AT 9:58 A.M. ET:  Barry got a letter, a letter, a letter.  Barry got a letter, a letter from Al.  From Fox: 

Iran’s supreme leader reportedly sent a secret letter to President Obama responding to his calls to improve relations between the two countries.

The Wall Street Journal reports Iran’s top political figure Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote to Obama in recent weeks responding to the president raising the possibility of cooperation in fighting the Islamic State terror group if a nuclear deal is secured.

However, the Iranian cleric’s response was “respectful,” but noncommittal, an Iranian diplomat told the journal. A senior White House official declined to confirm the existence of the letter.

U.S. officials told the paper that a letter sent in Obama’s first term outlined 60 years of abuses the supreme leader says the U.S. committed against the people of Iran.

One White House official confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that Obama received the letter in 2009.

The letter signified the thawing of frozen ties between the U.S. and Iran. However, the effort to knock the wall down between the two counties comes at a crossroads as the U.S. set a deadline to yield an agreement in its nuclear negotiations or Washington will take steps to deny the country any possibility of making a nuclear bomb.

Obama has said the breakdown in negotiations could fuel even more instability in the Middle East and undercut U.S. efforts to combat ISIS militants in Iraq and Syria, whom Iran is also waging war against.

Iran and the U.S. have previously failed to reach an agreement in the nuclear discussions. When talks broke down last, Khamenei said he would not approve a “bad deal.”

COMMENT:  I get the sense that the Iranians, considered among the world's best negotiators, are reading Obama well.  They know he is weak, that he can be rolled, and that he has little passion for international conflict.  There is no hint in anything the Iranians do that they are afraid of him.

That's too bad.  When dealing with a foreign enemy, an American president must be feared.  Problem is, Obama doesn't see Iran as an enemy, simply another nation abused by his predecessors.  You learn a great deal in the radical precincts of Chicago.

February 14,  2015     Permalink