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JANUARY 4,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:21 P.M. ET: 

NEW GAME IN TOWN – From AP:  "WASHINGTON — Congress' approval rating hovers around 15 percent, but there's one group of people excited about the institution: the newly elected lawmakers who are about to join its ranks.  The House will welcome 58 freshmen this coming week, including 43 Republicans and 15 Democrats, pushing the GOP majority to 246 members, the most since the Great Depression.  In the Senate, 13 new lawmakers, all but one of them Republican, will be sworn in, flipping control of the chamber to the GOP with a 54-vote majority."  Republicans must chart their own program and present it to the American people.  The 2016 campaign is already starting.  On election night 2016 I want to see GOP control of everything, including North Korea and Yemen.

ANOTHER NY FUNERAL – From WaPo:  "The frustration and defiance of the nation’s police officers were on display again Sunday in New York City, where tens of thousands of them gathered for the funeral of the second of two officers who were slain at the height of the ongoing protests and scrutiny after several high-profile deaths of unarmed black males.  A large number of the officers who stood under gray skies in their formal blue uniforms to honor Officer Wenjian Liu staged their own protest, turning their backs when Mayor Bill de Blasio rose to speak at the funeral.  Even some out-of-town officers joined NYPD members in the show of disrespect toward de Blasio (D), an outspoken critic of some policing tactics who has come to represent what many in law enforcement see as a lack of support, if not outright hostility, for the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to keep the streets safe."  This isn't going away.  Another incident could set off a new spark.  New York is tense.

AFGHAN MESS – From The Hill:  "Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani said in a interview broadcast late Sunday that President Obama may need to 'reexamine' his deadline for the U.S. troop withdrawal from the country.  'If both parties, or, in this case, multiple partners, have done their best to achieve the objectives and progress is very real, then there should be willingness to reexamine a deadline,' Ghani told CBS's '60 Minutes.'  'Did you tell President Obama that?' Lara Logan asked.  'President Obama knows me. We don't need … to tell each other,' Ghani said during his first U.S. televised interview since becoming the country's president.  Obama had announced plan to withdraw troops from the country by the end of 2016. There are currently about 10,000 troops remaining."  Looks like we'll have pressure on us to stay.  John McCain has also asked Obama to give up the president's "calendar" deadline.  Hasn't Obama learned the lessons of premature removal of troops from our experience in Iraq?  Probably not.

January 4,  2015     Permalink

ARE DEMOCRATS CHANGING FOR THE WORSE? – AT 11:21 A.M. ET:  If the 2014 elections proved anything, it's that the Democratic Party has lost touch with its traditional base of working men and women.  It's now a party of race, gender, and ethnicity.  From Breitbart: 

In 2016, especially after President Barack Obama’s executive amnesty, Democrats may be on even thinner ice with white voters, especially white working-class males.

Though the mainstream media wants to gin up the narrative that Republicans have trouble winning minorities, the 2014 midterm elections again showed, as Politico noted, “that Democrats have their own significant demographic vulnerability: working-class white voters. Republicans won white voters without a college degree by 30 points, 64 percent to 34 percent, according to exit polls, equal to their margin in the wave election of 2010.” In addition, “support for President Barack Obama among working-class whites has dropped 8 points since 2010.”

Political analyst Charlie Cook told the outlet that “Democrats have chosen to focus on issues that the liberal base of the party really likes, but the working-class person in West Virginia or Arkansas or Louisiana or Alaska doesn’t necessarily identify with.”

“The challenge that the Democratic Party has in parts of the country appears to be even more formidable than it was two years ago,” he added.

But Obama is likely to swerve even more to the left after Democrats in red states like Mark Pryor, Kay Hagan, Mark Begich and Mary Landrieu lost their reelection bids in Arkansas, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Louisiana, respectively.

In his end-of-year press conference, Obama indicated that he was liberated because he no longer had to worry about the reelection prospects of Democrats from conservative states. Obama and Democrats are gambling that minorities who powered Obama into the White House will continue to be galvanized in presidential elections.

COMMENT:  And that remains to be seen.  Obama was an electoral phenomenon (and a governmental disaster).  I can't see blacks animated by Hillary Clinton, who's been around for 25 years.  As Hispanics are absorbed into the American mainstream, they may divide politically, much as other Americans.  The loyalty of women to the Democratic Party is clearly wobbly.  Married women are trending Republican.  Can Hillary reverse that trend?  Maybe.  But she's currently kowtowing to the left to avoid a primary challenge from the Obama wing. 

Very interesting political situation developing.

January 4, 2015       Permalink

A MAN TO WATCH – AT 10:56 A.M. ET:  When the new Congress is sworn in this week, Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee will become chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  Thus, a man to watch.  He's 's the one we look to to take on Obama's reckless foreign policy.  From The Hill:   

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) signaled Sunday that lawmakers could increase sanctions against Iran if nuclear negotiations do not yield an agreement.

Yeah, but what if they yield a bad agreement?

Corker, who will become the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman in the next Congress, said on "Fox News Sunday" that there was "no question" tha lawmakers would increase sanctions against Iran.

"There's no question," Corker said. "If the nuke deal falls apart, then there will be more sanctions."

Republicans have signaled that they will take up a new Iran sanctions bill in January. Many Democrats, including the Obama administration, are opposed to new sanctions as the negotiations with Iran have continued.

Corker said that the bill would move "regular order" and not immediately.

COMMENT:  I'm not so sure I know what to make of this.  The objective is to prevent the appeasers in the Obama administration from making a bad deal with Iran. 

Corker is a good guy.  I just hope he doesn't get "internationalized," as do so many chairmen of the Foreign Relations Committee.  Democrat Bob Menendez, the former chairman, who'll now be ranking member, was actually tough on Obama's foreign policy, especially in the Mideast and in Cuba.  We'll be sizing up Corker in the weeks ahead.

January 4, 2015       Permalink

PRESIDENT HUCKABEE? – AT 10:41 A.M. ET:  It's undeniable that Mike Huckabee, a Fox TV host, is interested in the presidency.  As a former Republican governor of Arkansas, he's run for it before.  Now he's taken a step toward running in 2016.  From Newsmax: 

TV host and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee says he is leaving his Fox News talk show as he considers whether to seek the Republican nomination for president, a decision he expects to reach in the spring.

Huckabee said Saturday night's edition of "Huckabee" would be his last as he ponders his political future. The weekly show, which is taped with a live audience and features political commentary as well as interviews with guests and musical entertainment, has been on the air for more than six years.

"There's been a great deal of speculation as to whether I would run for president. And if I were willing to absolutely rule that out, I could keep doing this show. But I can't make such a declaration," he said at the end of Saturday's program.

"Now, I'm not going to make a decision about running until late in the spring of 2015, but the continued chatter has put Fox News into a position that just isn't fair to them — nor is it possible for me to openly determine political and financial support to justify a race. The honorable thing to do at this point is to end my tenure here at Fox. Now, as much as I have loved doing the show, I cannot bring myself to rule out another presidential run."

The former Baptist preacher and Arkansas chief executive — he led the state from 1996 to 2007 — is a favorite among social conservatives. While hosting the TV show he has published books, appeared at conservative conferences around the country and offered harsh criticism of President Barack Obama's policies.

Huckabee has been particularly critical of the nation's swing toward accepting gay marriage. In October, after the Supreme Court rejected appeals from five states that sought to prohibit marriage by same-sex couples, he said: "It is shocking that many elected officials, attorneys and judges think that a court ruling is the 'final word.' It most certainly is not."

He campaigned last fall for several Republican office-seekers — among them Senate candidates Joni Ernst in Iowa, David Perdue in Georgia, Tom Cotton in Arkansas and Mike Rounds in South Dakota. Rounds was national chairman of Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign.

Huckabee, 59, won the Iowa caucuses in 2008, finishing ahead of Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, John McCain and Ron Paul.

COMMENT:  I think it will be tough for Huckabee.  The Republican field is very wide.   The party, in its recent triumph in 2014, moved somewhat away from social-issue campaigning.  But, one never knows in politics.  Huckabee has an appealing personality and solid, pro-American views on foreign policy.  Let him run.  The voters will decide.

January 4,  2015     Permalink

JANUARY 3,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 9:45 P.M. ET:

THE MALAYSIAN AIRLINER – From Fox:  "AirAsia didn’t have permission to fly from Surabaya to Singapore on the Sunday morning that Flight 8501 crashed into the Java Sea, Indonesian officials said Saturday.  Shortly after Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said it had detected two large parts of the aircraft on the seabed, transport ministry spokesman J.A. Barata said the airline was only permitted to fly the route on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.  'So AirAsia has committed a violation of the route that has been given to them,' Barata told The Wall Street Journal. He said the company's flights from Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city, to Singapore had consequently been suspended on Friday."  Do you get the feeling that something is very wrong with Malaysian aviation?  Details to follow.

HIGH CULTURE NEWS – From the New York Post:  "In a bizarre twist in the Sony hacking scandal, a stunning singer signed to Sony Music has recorded a love song that applauds Kim Jong-un and disses 'The Interview' star James Franco.  Former Michael Jackson backup singer Judith Hill originally wrote the song to submit to Sony for its 'Interview' soundtrack. But when it didn’t make the cut — and the North Korean hacking scandal blew up — she changed the lyrics in attempt to mediate peace between North Korea and the US. Hill, who’s Japanese- and African-American, created 'A Love Letter to Kim Jong-un,' with lyrics playfully describing affection for the dictator while belittling Franco.  'You got me light as a feather,' goes the tune, 'you got me transcending heaven/So don’t be confused/James Franco ain’t got nothing on you.'
The catchy chorus continues: 'Kim Jong-un/James Franco got nothing on you/Yeah yeah/Kim Jong-un/James Franco got nothing on you.'"  Right up there with Irving Berlin and Cole Porter.

CHRIS'S PROBLEM – Probable Republican presidential contender Chris Christie has an embarrassment on his hands in his role as governor of New Jersey.  His record as governor would have to be one of his strongest selling points if he's going to compete successfully for the nomination.  But one of the best-known employers in Jersey, Mercedes-Benz, is thinking of leaving.  A major damage-control operation is underway.  From NorthJersey.com:  "New Jersey officials have offered Mercedes-Benz USA a 'substantial financial package' of incentives to try to keep the German auto company from moving its North American headquarters out of North Jersey, state Sen. Gerald Cardinale said on Friday.  Mercedes-Benz, which employs about 1,000 people in Montvale, has declined to comment on reports that it is considering a move south, possibly to Atlanta. The company has scheduled its annual president’s reception on Tuesday with employees at the Park Ridge Marriott, and some employees, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have speculated that the luxury-car maker might announce plans to move at that time. According to a source, Georgia is offering Mercedes-Benz tax incentives of $40 million to $50 million."  If Chris can't keep Mercedes, his image gets a big fender dent.

January 3, 2015       Permalink

DR. BEN PRESENTS HIMSELF – AT 11:50 A.M. ET:   Do not underestimate Dr. Ben Carson.  He is making noise.  He's out there every day.  He's getting better at presenting himself.  I don't think he has the political skill to be the presidential candidate of the GOP in 2016, but he might be a terrific vice-presidential candidate.   As a physician, he's zeroing in on Obamacare.  From the Washington Times: 

Noted conservative commentator and talked-about Republican presidential contender Ben Carson cut to the chase about the fate of Obamacare, saying there is absolutely no reason politicians can’t unravel, reinvent or outright repeal the health care plan — and those who say otherwise are selling a lie.

“Health care is a gigantic issue, and there’s no question that the system was broken and that we needed to do something about it,” Mr. Carson said on “America’s Forum” on Newsmax TV. “What we did not need to do is create another massive government program, and we need to be looking at different ways of taking care of it, putting responsibility back into the hands of patients and to their health care providers. There are things that can be done. We keep listening to people saying ‘the horse is out of the barn, you can’t get it back in there, end of story,’ [and] that’s a bunch of crap. We can do anything. This is America.”

Mr. Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, also decried how Obamacare shifted the role of power in the nation and took health care out of the hands of the people and put it into the control of government.

“The people are supposed to be at the pentacle,” he said, Newsmax reported. “The government is supposed to conform to our will, not us to their will.”

COMMENT:  Americans like that kind of language.  Very Reaganesque, if I may say so.

The guy is developing a terrific style.  He's raising money.  I just think he could easily become a factor.  And remember, even if he doesn't get a nomination, his support for another candidate can make the difference.

January 3, 2015       Permalink

ANOTHER WONDERFUL ALLY – AT 11:31 A.M. ET:  Remember when Obama bowed down to the Saudi king during his first term.  Apparently, it didn't get us much.  From London's Daily Mail:

Saudi Arabia's national airline is allegedly planning to separate male and female passengers on its flights, in accordance to strict rules enforced by the Gulf kingdom.

Gulf media report that Saudia will keep men and women segregated onboard, unless they are close relatives.

The move follows a spate of complaints from male fliers unwilling to allow other males to sit next to their wives and other female family members.

Complaints were also recently made when male passengers claimed a flight attendant was being too 'flirty'.

I have always worried about flirty flight attendants and their impact on American morality.  Let's confront this menace right now.

'There are solutions to this problem…we will soon enforce rules that will satisfy all passengers,' Saudia assistant manager for marketing Abdul Rahman Al Fahd, told Saudi daily, Ajel.

It is thought that the airline will include instructions to flight booking staff at Gulf airports to keep these new rules in place.

The carrier's policies are already in tune to the strict Islamic practices of Saudi Arabia: no alcoholic beverages or pork dishes are served onboard, a prayer of verse from the Quran is read before take off, and many international flights have a designated men's prayer area.

In addition, Saudia does not employ Saudi women as cabin crew, opting to recruit women from other countries such as Pakistan, the Philippines, Albania and Bosnia instead.

But moves are being made to employ females on the ground in November, the airline opened its fourth women's section staffed by entirely by females at its office in the Murooj district of Saudi capital, Riyadh.

COMMENT:  We await breathlessly the reaction of the State Department, and former Secretary Clinton, to gender segregation on Saudi aircraft.  Why do I think we'll be waiting a long time?

January 3, 2015       Permalink

NO DICE, APPARENTLY – AT 11:12 A.M. ET:  There's been heavy buzz around the internet in the last 48 hours that the U.S. and Iran have made progress toward a nuclear deal.  The Iranians have now thrown cold water on the reports.  From AP: 

Iran denied reports on Saturday that it had reached a tentative agreement with the US and other world powers on a formula that would rein in its nuclear program.

“Such media propaganda was made with political motivations and is basically aimed at damaging the atmosphere of the nuclear talks and further complicating the process to resolve the nuclear issues,”
said spokeswoman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry Marziyeh Afkham, according to IRNA news agency.

On Friday, the Associated Press reported that two diplomats it spoke to said that negotiators at the December round of nuclear talks drew up for the first time a catalog outlining areas of potential accord and differing approaches to remaining disputes.

The AP reported that the diplomats said Iran and the United States have tentatively agreed on a formula that Washington hopes will reduce Tehran’s ability to make nuclear arms by committing it to ship to Russia much of the material needed for such weapons.

Oh swell.  Our security would depend on an arrangement between those two great friends, Moscow and Tehran.  How 'bout including North Korea, just for fun. 

The diplomats said differences still dominate ahead of the next round of Iran-six power talks on Jan. 15 in Geneva. But they suggested that even agreement to create a to-do list would have been difficult previously because of wide gaps between the sides.

Iran denies it wants nuclear arms, but it is negotiating with the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany on cuts to its atomic program in hope of ending crippling sanctions. The talks have been extended twice due to stubborn disagreements.

The main conflict is over uranium enrichment, which can create both reactor fuel and the fissile core of nuclear arms. In seeking to reduce Iran’s bomb-making ability, the US has proposed that Tehran export much of its stockpile of enriched uranium — something the Islamic Republic has long said it would not do.

The diplomats said both sides in the talks are still arguing about how much of an enriched uranium stockpile to leave Iran. It now has enough for several bombs, and Washington wants substantial cuts below that level.

But the diplomats said the newly created catalog lists shipping out much of the material as tentatively agreed upon. The diplomats, who are familiar with the talks, spoke to the AP recently and demanded anonymity because they are not authorized to comment on the closed negotiations.

COMMENT:  The great fear among adults in the United States is that Obama will cave in, and make a terrible deal to advance his "legacy," whatever that is.  I have no doubt that, if any kind of deal is reached, even a bad one, normalization with Iran will begin, and Obama will go the Cuba route. 

January 3,  2015     Permalink