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SECOND SUBSCRIPTION DRIVE – 2014 – WEEK TWO

The first week of our new subscription drive went quite well.  In fact, it was one of the best first weeks of a subscription drive that we've had at Urgent Agenda.  Thank you to new subscribers and to our old reliables.  But this is just the start.  More is needed.  Please help keep Urgent Agenda running by subscribing or donating.

Last week we began our second subscription drive of 2014.  This is a critical year for Urgent Agenda – perhaps the most important midterm election year in America's recent history.  But maintaining our daily, day and night, coverage of this year is costly.  It is subscribers and donators who keep us going.

Like all political sites, we face increasing competition each week as more bloggers join the internet.  As a site in our sixth year, we face the reality that some subscribers will drop out, and some will pass.  We've had several sad moments in the last few months.  Our retention rate is still spectacularly high, but there will still be a certain amount of slippage.

Please consider subscribing or donating by going to the right-hand column of this page, under SUBSCRIPTIONS.  You can subscribe through PayPal, or use several other methods that are listed.  If you wish to use regular mail, just let me know at service@urgentagenda.com, and I'll give you a traditional brick-and-mortar address.

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JULY 4,  2014

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:52 P.M. ET: 

DISGRACEFUL – From Breitbart:  "Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) believes the border crisis is not a national security threat, despite gangsters having already been apprehended along the United States-Mexico border.  In fact, Jackson Lee waved a bag of lollipops during a Thursday House Homeland Security Field Hearing in McAllen, Texas, and said she took bags of such lollipops to the illegal immigrant children in detention centers during recent visits.   'This is not a national security crisis,' Jackson Lee emphasized, noting that she was not armed and did not fear for her life when visiting the children. Jackson Lee said Border Patrol agents claimed the children were some of the most 'orderly' and 'behaved'  children they have encountered."  I wonder what people who obey the law and wait years to enter this country legally must be thinking.

MORE DISGRACE – Again, from Breitbart:  "MURRIETA -- An American flag has reportedly been burned by pro-amnesty protesters near the Murrieta Border Patrol station on America’s Independence Day.
Breitbart News obtained the above photograph, which shows a burnt flag on the ground, from an anti-illegal immigration activist who was monitoring the pro-amnesty demonstration.  Opponents of illegal immigration had gathered in Murrieta to stop Friday's planned transfer of Central American illegal aliens, as they did earlier this week. A pro-amnesty counter-demonstration was organized in response."  And the president of the United States won't even visit the border areas, which are being overwhelmed by illegal immigrants, many of them unaccompanied children.  Clearly, we will take care of the children and see that they're well treated.  But this whole thing is sickening, and the United States Government is a co-conspirator.

SLIGHT MISTAKE – From PJ Media:  "The scientist whose findings environmentalists used to shame us into bringing our own reusable bags to the grocery store now says that his estimate of one million tons of plastic floating in the ocean may have been off by a factor of perhaps 143. His latest estimate ranges from 7,000 to 35,000 tons, and even most of that has biodegraded into granules."  What?  You mean scientists can be wrong?  This must be kept a state secret.  Remember the party line:  Scientists are always right until Barack Obama says otherwise.

July 4, 2014       Permalink

ANOTHER ANNIVERSARY – AT 12:26 P.M. ET:  Yes, it's July 4th, Independence Day, but it's also the anniversary of one of the great moments in American sports, and American humanity.  I actually didn't realize that the event occurred on July 4th. 

Today is the 75th anniversary of Lou Gehrig's farewell to baseball, in Yankee Stadium.  He had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, today called Lou Gehrig's disease, and he was saying goodbye on a day devoted to him.  His playing days were over, his muscles incapable of the strength and agility they once had.  He would be dead within two years. 

Gehrig's brief speech to his fans, played over and over in the years since, reflected the true heart of a champion.  They also reflected the eloquence of one of the few players of his era to have been educated.  He'd gone to Columbia and played for its baseball team. 

It was a time when baseball was still a game.  Yes, it's always been a business as well, but the game had not yet been swallowed by the corporate mentality, and outsized salaries, that have destroyed its spirit.  We had, in New York, Yankee Stadium, the Polo Grounds, and the great shrine, Ebbets Field.  We didn't have Citi Field.  A family could spend a Sunday at the ball park inexpensively.  Gehrig himself, in the last two years of his life, worked as a parole official in New York City's government. 

Today, kids still visit Lou Gehrig's grave at Kensico Cemetery, not far from where this is written.  I've been there, and have seen the baseball caps, the baseballs, the bats, that the kids still leave, some 75 years after Lou Gehrig said goodbye.

Read the story of the anniversary, and see a Lou Gehrig tribute at ESPN, here.

July 4, 2014       Permalink

THE NEW TERROR THREAT – BRITISH PERSPECTIVE – AT 11:31 A.M. ET:  We reported earlier in the week that there are new terror threat being reported, and that they involve attempts by jihadist bomb makers to make an undetectable bomb.  The threats are being taken seriously, especially in Britain.  From The Telegraph: 

Terrorists are plotting to use new stealth bombs in laptops and even humans to bring down a US-bound passenger plane, it is feared.

Airport security was increased across the UK, US and other countries amid fears al-Qaeda bomb experts have successfully designed a new explosive that can bypass current checks.

They are believed to be targeting the thousands of Western jihadists fighting in Syria and Iraq as would-be suicide bombers.

The threat, which originated from US intelligence, had an immediate impact at British airports where passengers were subjected to more stringent and rigorous security checks.

It raises the prospect of a summer of delays and chaos for holidaymakers with long queues at airports.

David Cameron, the Prime Minister, said the safety of passengers “must come first” while Nick Clegg, the Deputy PM, warned travellers the new checks would be a permanent feature.

It's nice to know that the British prime minister actually addressed his people on this point personally.  We get no such attention from Field Marshal Obama.

Changes to security measures were announced after Washington homeland security secretary Jeh Johnson ordered beefed-up security at foreign airports which have direct flights to the US.

There are concerns that al-Qaeda terrorists in Yemen, known as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and specifically its master bomb maker Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, have linked up with the Jabhat Al-Nusra jihadists in Syria and passed on bomb making skills.

COMMENT:  It is long past time for the president of the United States to address the American people, and inform them that the struggle against terror will go on indefinitely, and that it is similar in some respects to the "twilight struggle" against Communism that President Kennedy described in his inaugural address, (which was not a great speech, but had some fine points).

It is also time for the president to concede that he has been wrong on major aspects of foreign policy, and has vastly underestimated the will and the resilience of America's enemies.  He will not make any such concession, of course, because the collective ego of his administration prevents it.

July 4, 2014       Permalink

NOT AGAIN – AT 10:52 A.M. ET:  Look, maybe Hillary Clinton ought to forget it.  She simply gets too many things wrong.  There are too many gaffes, too many things to buzz about.  I'm not sure that the dreaded gaffitis, which medical researchers have battled for years, is curable.

Here it is, July 4th, the anniversary of our separation from Mother England, and you'd think Clinton would be at her best in discussing British-American relations.  But gaffitis has erupted again.  (It's not something families usually talk about.)  From Fox: 

Another interview, another gaffe for Hillary Clinton.

The former secretary of State, who's been heavily promoting her new book "Hard Choices" in a likely precursor to running for president in 2016, appeared to state the Conservative and Tory Parties in Britain were rival political parties during a BBC interview.

"Tory" is in fact another name for the Conservative Party in Britain.

Asked by the host what she thought of the "Special Relationship" between the U.S. and Great Britain, Clinton declared it was "very special between our countries."

"There's not just a common language, but a common set of values that we can fall back on," she said. "It doesn't matter in our country whether it's a Republican or a Democrat or frankly, in your country, whether it's a Conservative or a Tory. There is a level of trust and understanding. That doesn't mean we always agree because, of course, we don't."

COMMENT:  Oh dear, oh dear.  And she was secretary of state.  You know, Hill, you're gonna be a grandma.  Maybe this is the occasion, as they say in politics, to spend more time with your family.  Because you can't go on this way.

July 4,  2014     Permalink

JULY 3,  2014

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

BULLETIN – It's reported from Philadelphia that the signers of the Declaration of Independence reappeared tonight in Independence Hall to assess their creation.  They were briefed on the concept of electricity, then video, and watched several of Barack Obama's speeches.  They then watched an hour of MSNBC.  After that, local channels report that they got on a flying machine and headed for England, where they intend to apologize to the Queen.

DIPLOMATIC DECISION – From The Politico:  "Russia just made a decision that most pay a heavy price for: The Kremlin said 'no' to Frank Underwood.  Russia denied a request by Netflix’s 'House of Cards' producers to film two episodes of the hit show at the United Nations Security Council in New York, Foreign Policy reported Tuesday. According to emails obtained by the news organization, Russia wanted to keep the room available for any international crises that may arise during the filming."  I personally regret the decision.  The filming would have possibly prevented the Security Council from meeting, and, as a result, the world would have been a better, more peaceful place.

WOMAN OF THE PEOPLE – From the New York Post:  "Just when we thought there couldn’t be any more Democratic donors on Wall Street with money left to channel to the DNC, Michelle Obama is back in town for another 'intimate' fund-raiser.  Evercore Partners’ Charles Myers is hosting a 'round-table discussion' with the first lady at his Midtown home July 10 with tickets from $10,000 to $32,400.  Myers e-mailed prospective attendees including Wall Street colleagues, 'This will be a small lunch limited to only 20 guests, and therefore an opportunity to have an open conversation with the first lady on a wide range of issues (as well as a personal photo opportunity).'"  I'm so happy to see this.  It's important that the royal family hear the opinions of average Americans.  I do hope they discuss the price of milk.  So stressful.

July 3, 2014       Permalink

THE DISASTER – QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 10:39 A.M. ET:   The Obama administration, that is.  This week a poll reported that Obama was ranked the worst president since World War II.  While we take those polls with a grain of salt, they are a general indication.  Michael Goodwin, in the New York Post, sums up the mess: 

Let me be clear: Obama is flirting with disaster. This and other polls show he is losing ground with every group, including African-Americans.

Most important, clear majorities no longer trust him and no longer believe he is capable of leading the country.

His policies, especially ObamaCare, were never popular, but the accumulation of his failures has eroded his ability to defy political gravity.

That’s what happens when you get caught in too many lies and broken promises about fixing the economy. And don’t underestimate the impact of the global chaos on Americans’ sour mood.

Losing the consent of the governed is a profound event, and there is no easy path back to public grace. The one certainty is that Obama’s angry defiance will dig him a deeper hole.

His taunting of Republicans and critics in campaign-style events reinforces doubts about his fitness. Absorbed with self-pity and fixated on finding blame, he gives the impression of someone who never considers the possibility he might be part of the problem.

COMMENT:  Very well said.  Obama has, for too long, believed his press clippings.  And just as he is part of the problem, the press is also part of the problem.  This is what the country gets when a presidential candidate is not properly vetted when he runs for office.

But don't count Obama out.  He still has a long two-and-a-half years, and in that time he can do substantial damage.  There's no such thing as an irrelevant president.  His pen makes him very relevant indeed.

July 3, 2014       Permalink

OBAMACARE – THE RATE INCREASES – AT 9:06 A.M. ET:   We were told that dramatic rate increases were coming in the second year, and, for once, Obamacare is right on time.  From the New York Post: 

Insurance firms participating in New York’s ObamaCare health exchange are seeking double-digit hikes for patient medical premiums in 2015, new figures reviewed by The Post reveal.

The average hike sought by insurers for individual plans is 12 percent—but a number of firms serving large numbers of patients want to boost individual premiums by nearly 20 percent.

Leading the charge is Excellus Health Plan, which is seeking to sock more than 24,000 customers with a 19.7 percent hike.

The even larger MVP Health Plan, with nearly 33,000 customers, is seeking a 19 percent boost.

While a number of smaller plans put in for lesser increases or, in a number of cases, decreases, Health Republic Insurance of New York — the largest on the exchange with more than 68,000 members — requested a 15.2 percent increase for individual plans.

The proposed rate increases call into question one of the goals of the Affordable Care Act — curbing runaway health-care costs.

In some letters to customers, insurers cited requirements in ObamaCare as contributing to the proposed rate increases.

COMMENT:  We eagerly await, pen in hand, the comments of Nancy Pelosi, whose net worth is estimated at $30-million, who said that we should welcome higher premiums because we can then "help people." 

Well, at least I know I have lactation coverage and can get free birth control.  I'll sleep easier at night.

July 3, 2014       Permalink

GOOD ECONOMIC REPORT? – AT 8:47 A.M. ET:  It looks good on the surface.  From the Washington Examiner: 

Employment growth accelerated in June, suggesting that the fragile economic recovery continues despite the reported sharp contraction in the first quarter.

The economy added 288,000 payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell to 6.1 percent, the lowest rate since before the worst days of the financial crisis in September 2008, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday morning. Both measures exceeded expectations.

COMMENT:  Given the record of this administration, I'll wait and see.  Yes, that's a pretty strong report, but remember that we must create 150,000 jobs each month just to keep up with population growth. 

Also, we must ask what kind of jobs these are.  Full time?  Quality jobs or dead enders?  And we must also ask if there was any wage growth, one of the true measures of economic progress.  American workers have been running in place or losing ground for years. 

Finally, figures are adjusted, and I'd like to see, in a month or so, where the adjustment leads.

July 3, 2014       Permalink

NEW TERROR WARNING – AT 8:26 A.M. ET:  Our opponents grow more sophisticated.  At least some people in Washington are marginally awake.  From Fox: 

The federal government is increasing security measures at some international airports with direct flights to the United States, based on recent intelligence about the continuing, worldwide terror threat, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Wednesday.

Johnson gave no information about a specific threat, saying only that the change was based on the U.S. and its allies “continually (assessing) the global threat environment.”

However, the beefed up security is almost certainly a response to recent intelligence reports suggesting that Al Qaeda-linked terrorists in Syria are working with members of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to blow up a commercial aircraft headed to the U.S. or Europe, as reported first by ABC News.

A counterterrorism official told AP that the terrorists are attempting to create a bomb that would go undetected through airport security.

The official declined to describe the kind of information that triggered this warning. Officials in the past have raised concerns about non-metallic explosives being surgically implanted inside a traveler's body, designed to be undetectable in pat-downs or metal detectors.

Americans and others from the West have traveled to Syria over the past year to join al Nusra Front's fight against the Syrian government. The fear is that fighters with a U.S. or Western passport -- and therefore subject to less stringent security screening -- could carry such a bomb onto an American plane.

COMMENT:  The old saying in counter-terror circles is that we have to be lucky every day, but the enemy only has to be lucky once.  Sooner or later, someone is going to get through.  Then let's see how Americans react.

July 3,  2014     Permalink