Please note that you can leave a comment on any of our posts at our Facebook page.  Subscribers can also comment at length at our Angel's Corner Forum.

JULY 15,  2014

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:22 P.M. ET: 

OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS IN ACTION – From Breitbart:  "HOUSTON, Texas--Despite the border crisis that involves more than 1,000 illegal immigrants entering the country each day, Texas Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee apparently believes the U.S.-Mexico border is 'under control.'
On MSNBC she recently said, 'I disagree it is in devastating condition. I think with now 21,000 border patrol agents it is under control.'  She added that Border Patrol agents told her that 'they are able to do their job, even though they had been called into service to change diapers and make formula.'"  Ms. Lee is reportedly considered, within Congress, to be intellectually challenged.

OBAMACARE REPORT CARD STILL AN "F" – From the Weekly Standard:  "In February of this year, the Congressional Budget Office projected that Obamacare would reduce the number of uninsured by 13 million as of 2014. In April, the CBO had seen enough of the Obama administration’s skillful rollout of Obamacare to reduce that estimate to 12 million.  Now the Urban Institute finds that Obamacare has actually reduced the number of uninsured adults by 8 million since the rollout began last fall. (Gallup shows a similar number.) That’s far short of the number of newly insured that the CBO projected in April of this year, in February of this year, or in 2012 — and it’s less than half the tally the American people were told Obamacare would hit when they opposed it in 2010. "  Many Americans have actually lost their insurance under Dear Leader's health plan.  I've not many happy campers.

QUOTE OF THE DAY – From Ron Fournier at National Journal:  "Over lunch in Georgetown last month, a top Democratic spokesman, somebody who works intimately with both the White House and Hillary Rodham Clinton's team, wanted me to understand his frustration with President Obama. He said every plot has a hero. And every hero leaps overwhelming obstacles to accomplish a goal.  'Who's the hero in the White House narrative?' the Democrat asked.  I shrugged; 'Barack Obama.' Aren't all elections about the candidate, and all White Houses about the president?  The Democrat shook his head. 'That's the problem with this White House. Barack Obama is the hero of their narrative, but he's not supposed to be,' he said. 'The hero of every political narrative should be the voters.'"  But Obama has always thought it was about him.  Like most ideologues of the left, he doesn't care much about actual people.  He cares only about the victory of ideology, and his place in that victory.  He's the kind who'd consent to be on Mount Rushmore...if only they took away those other guys.

TALES FROM THE BUNKER – From CNS:  "(CNSNews.com) – White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Monday the Obama administration’s foreign policies in a number of areas have enhanced the world’s 'tranquility' – a word that raised eyebrows as reporters pointed to situations in Gaza, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Ukraine and the South China Sea.  More than one reporter during Monday’s press briefing referred to a front-page Wall Street Journal article highlighting some of those crises, and citing security strategists as saying 'the breadth of global instability now unfolding hasn’t been seen since the late 1970s.'"  Obama looks over the horizon and sees only peace.  He also sees the oceans receding as he holds up his arms.  And he's writing a whole new set of commandments, to be handed down to the flock on Capitol Hill.

July 15, 2014       Permalink

BIG BRO – AT 8:28 A.M. ET:  Changes are coming in the way Glorious Leader, and various others, can warn the nation of impending doom.  From The Hill: 

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is looking to overhaul the Emergency Alert System so the president can speak to the country at the flip of a switch in the event of a nationwide emergency.

The national Emergency Alert System broadcasts television alert messages to warn people about immediate dangers. The system is often used at the local level to warn people about weather conditions such as tornadoes or flash floods.

The system is not capable of reaching the entire country all at once should the president need to warn the public of something like a terrorist attack or an act of war against the country. Instead, to reach the entire country, each local jurisdiction would have to broadcast the same message — a tedious process that could leave room for gaps if one station misses the broadcast.

So the FCC is proposing a national location code that would give the president the ability to broadcast to the entire country with a single message in the event of a nationwide emergency. The proposal will be published in Tuesday's edition of the Federal Register.

The FCC says the update will help with "saving human lives, reducing injuries, mitigating property damage, and minimizing the disruption of the national economy."

The changes would not only allow the warning system to reach a larger audience but also make it more accessible to people with disabilities, such as those who are deaf.

In addition to the audio warnings, these alerts also issue "visual crawlers," or text that runs across the top of the TV screen, so deaf people can read the warnings.

COMMENT:  While a system like this can be abused, and even hacked, it is fundamentally a good idea, especially as a national emergency can knock out other communications systems.  I have a Midland emergency radio, and it works.  I'm warned of weather events in my specific area.  Al Gore would be jealous. 

In the 1950s, a rudimentary national emergency alert system was set up, linked to what was then called civil defense – essentially preparations for a nuclear attack.  And here is a trivia question:  Two famous Americans were chosen to broadcast on that system in case of catastrophe.  They were picked because their voices were so familiar.  Who were those two?  I'd love to get e-mails on this.

July 15, 2014       Permalink

TOUGH IN WISCONSIN – AT 7:46 A.M. ET:  Governor Scott Walker is running for re-election.  One of the nation's most successful governors, he is often mentioned as a possible Republican presidential candidate for 2016. 

Democrats hate him, in part because he took on the public-service unions and won.  Scott Walker saved Wisconsin from economic decline.   The haters tried to recall him, and he became the first governor in American history to win a recall election.  In fact, he did better than when first elected.

But the big guns are trained on him.  And remember that Wisconsin has a large, powerful "progressive" voter pool.  One of its U.S. senators, Tammy Baldwin, is probably the most left-leaning member of the Senate. 

We expected that, because of Walker's record, he would easily win re-election.  But the polls are tight, and worry is starting to set in.  From the Washington Post: 

“On just about every measure that matters, Wisconsin is much better off than we were four years ago,” Walker says. “So in any other state, or at any other time in this state’s history, a record like that should warrant reelection, right?”

But Wisconsin is not any other state. It is one of the most closely divided purple states in the country. The most recent Marquette Law School poll showed that “the Wisconsin governor’s race has tightened to a dead heat” with Walker tied with former Doyle commerce secretary Mary Burke, 46-46 among registered voters. (He holds a 3-point lead among likely voters.) And while Walker has outraised his opponent, he knows he is still public enemy No. 1 to the union bosses and points out that the AFL-CIO recently announced that it is planning to spend at least $300 million this year to unseat GOP governors in five states — Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and here in Wisconsin.

“My real opponent is complacency,” Walker says, “people being lulled into thinking, just because I won before that somehow that means we are just going to walk into reelection. The left has not forgotten. The haters out there — the unions and others — certainly aren’t spending their money elsewhere. They are going after me and a handful of governors, because they know that’s where the action is, not in the House, not in the Senate.”

COMMENT:  Losing Walker would be a disaster.  He is the best of the best.  But this will not be an easy race.  Indeed, if you look around the country, Republicans are not doing as well as we had a right to expect.  Obama may be intensely unpopular, but that unpopularity may not affect some races at the state level, where local concerns and images count the most.

The November election is three and a half months away.  Nothing is in the bag.

July 15, 2014       Permalink

WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR BASE... – AT 7:28 A.M. ET:  President Obama, declining in polls for months, is now starting to get grief from his most loyal supporters, African Americans.  From The Washington Times:   

Black residents of Chicago’s South Side, who recently rallied to decry a spate of violence in the city, ripped President Obama for ignoring their plight while pushing for funding for illegal immigrants at their expense.

The protest against the rash of shootings was staged Friday at the Chicago Police Department headquarters building. Over the Fourth of July weekend, nine people were killed and more than 60 injured, authorities said.

Demonstrators blasted the Obama administration’s inaction in Chicago while federal funds are earmarked to help the roughly 50,000 illegal immigrants who have crossed into America since October.

“Mr. President, we’re asking for you,” one woman said. “You’re spending billions of dollars in Texas, but we’ve a problem here in Chicago. We will not stand by this here, and keep letting this senseless killing and shooting happen in our community.”

Another resident said, “Today, if you look at the time that we were brought here as slaves 400 years ago, we got the same results today.”

One man called for Mr. Obama to step down if he continued to shun the city’s problems.

“For the president to set aside all of these funds for immigrants and [have] forsaken the African-American community, I think that’s a disgrace,” the man told the blog Rebel Pundit. “He will go down as the worst president ever elected."

COMMENT:  We're seeing many reports like this.  Problem is, the Democratic Party knows how to scare these people into voting for the same candidates over and over, no matter how poor the performance.  This year the party is simply telling African Americans that Republicans are racists, period.  It will have its effect on election day.  It always does.

You can't cast virtually all your votes for one party automatically and expect to have any clout.  That party takes you for granted, and the opposition gives up on you.

July 15,  2014     Permalink

ISRAEL-HAMAS – AT 7:01 A.M. ET:  Israel has agreed to an Egyptian ceasefire proposal and has ordered a halt to attacks on Hamas targets in Gaza.  Unfortunately, the military wing of Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by everyone not under severe psychiatric therapy, has not agreed to the ceasefire, and rocket fire continues.  The situation is therefore very tense.  Hamas can have quiet, but only if they stop lighting those fuses.  From Reuters:

(Reuters) - Palestinian militants fired rockets at Israel on Tuesday after it agreed to an Egyptian proposal to end the week-old Gaza conflict, and a Hamas leader said the Islamist group was still undecided on whether to accept the ceasefire.

Under the terms of the blueprint announced by Egypt - whose military-backed government has been at odds with Hamas - a mutual "de-escalation" of fighting was to begin at 9 a.m. (2 a.m. EDT), with hostilities ceasing within 12 hours.

Rocket salvoes were fired at Israel after 9 a.m. and live television showed the Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepting several projectiles over the port city of Ashdod, where a factory was hit. Emergency services said no one was hurt.

Sirens sounded in other parts of southern Israel after what Channel Two television reported had been volleys of at least 10 rockets.

Israel said it had halted its attacks in the Gaza Strip but would respond strongly if Palestinian strikes persisted.

COMMENT:  What's interesting is that Egypt proposed terms that were unacceptable to Hamas, and the Arab League is reportedly backing Egypt.  We're told a great deal about the "Arab-Israel conflict," but it's pretty apparent that conflicts within the Arab world are often greater, and more bitter.

We should know within hours whether Hamas will stop firing.  If it doesn't, Israel is pledged to resume air attacks. 

July 15, 2014       Permalink

JULY 14,  2014

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 10:35 P.M. ET: 

CONVENIENT – From CNN:  "Faraj al-Shibli, who was suspected of involvement in the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, has been found dead, a Libyan source and locals in the town of Marj said.  Al-Shibli, whose name is also spelled Chalabi, was last seen being detained by local militia in Marj two days ago, a Libyan source said."  Dead men tell no tales and reveal no secrets.

GIVE ME YOUR TIRED, YOUR LIGHT JUMPERS – From the Washington Times:  "Four out of five illegal immigrants seeking driver’s licenses under a new D.C. law have failed a written knowledge test — a rocky start to a program that in its first two months has issued 268 licenses, according to city officials.
The failure rate of 80 percent compares with a 58 percent failure rate for people seeking traditional driver’s licenses, the Department of Motor Vehicles told a D.C. Council committee."  Outrageous that we should test them at all.  Who are we to question other cultures' ideas about driving?

NEWS FROM THE HALLS OF PATRIOTISM – From The Blaze:  "It turns out that a movie called 'Captain America: The First Avenger' wouldn’t go over big in international markets, and thus Paramount Pictures and Marvel Comics have decided to alter the movie’s title to just 'The First Avenger' in countries such as Russia, Ukraine and South Korea to try and sell more tickets, the LA Times reports."  Obama is still disappointed.  He wanted it to be called "The First Surrender."

MORE WONDERS OF OUR NATION'S CAPITAL:  From the Washington Examiner:  "Washingtonians are the most politically active in the nation, eager to vote and trusting of the media, but are downright deadbeats when it comes to engaging with neighbors right next door, according to a new city 'health index.'  The 'District of Columbia Civic Health Index' released by Serve DC, the mayor's Office on Volunteerism, and the National Conference on Citizenship, found that Washington ranked first in voter turnout in the 2012 election of all 50 states and tops in trusting the media, but dead last in trusting 'all or most neighbors' or eating dinner with family members.  'As compared to the rest of the country, D.C is the most politically active, but also the most socially disconnected place in the country,' said Ilir Zherka, Executive Director of the National Conference on Citizenship."   When you start trusting The New York Times more than your neighbors, you've got a big problem.

July 14, 2014       Permalink

EVEN ERIC HAS NOTICED – AT 10:21 A.M. ET:  Whatever happened to the end of the war on terror?  I thought that, among the trendies, that was so...yesterday. 

No, it's today, and tomorrow.  Even Attorney-General Eric Holder has noticed.  From The Hill: 

Intelligence suggesting that bomb-makers from Yemen and terrorists from Syria are working together to create undetectable explosive devices is an "extreme" administration security concern, Attorney General Eric Holder said Sunday.

“In some ways, it's more frightening than anything I think I've seen as attorney general,” Holder told ABC’s “This Week.”

Holder said the collaborative effort was a “deadly combination” of those with technical skills and "people who have this kind of fervor to give their lives in support of a cause that is directed at the United States and directed at its allies."

"It's something that gives us really extreme, extreme concern," Holder said.

Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security announced it was beefing up security measures at international airports out of concern over the terror threat. Individuals will now be required to turn on electronic devices like cell phones and laptops at security checkpoints.

Holder said those measures were "prudent steps that are necessary to protect the flying public.”

"This is not a test," Holder said. "We're doing something in reaction to things that we have detected."

At the same time, the attorney general said he was "really confident in our capacity to understand what's going on, to monitor what's going on and working with our allies."

COMMENT:  I am considerably less confident, and less confident in the devotion of Holder's boss to the struggle.  We will always be confronted by new technology and new efforts.  Sooner or later, our enemies will get very lucky, and we will be reminded that the war on terror is really a war on a horrible ideology, and that it will go on for decades.  The question is whether we will have the stomach to fight this battle, as we successfully fought the Cold War.

July 14, 2014       Permalink

BLOW TO HILLARY? – AT 9:18 A.M. ET:  Illinois has become, under normal circumstances, a reliable Democratic state.  But that could change.  And, even if it stays in the Dem column, Illinois could be influential in selecting a nominee for president. 

That's where Rahm Emanuel comes in.  As mayor of Chicago he has outsized influence.  He was a key figure in the Clinton White House, and also served as President Obama's chief of staff.  It's widely felt he would be a Hillary ally. 

But what if Emanuel disappears?  A new poll shows that's distinctly possible.  From the Chicago Sun-Times: 

For the past couple of weeks, Karen Lewis has been saying she is “seriously” considering running for mayor.

It turns out voters are taking the fiery Chicago Teachers Union president’s potential candidacy seriously as well.

And Mayor Rahm Emanuel probably should, too.

At least that’s what a surprising new Early & Often Poll suggests.

If the mayoral election were held today, the lightning rod union leader who was the architect behind a 2012 teachers’ strike would beat Emanuel by 9 percentage points in a head-to-head contest, the survey found.

Lewis was leading Emanuel 45 percent to 36 percent with 18 percent of the likely voters undecided.

And Emanuel could face an even steeper hill if he faces Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, long considered his most formidable challenger.

A head-to-head contest found Preckwinkle in a romp vs. Emanuel by a stunning 24 points.

Preckwinkle dominated with 55 percent of those surveyed. Emanuel notched just under 31 percent.

COMMENT:  Both Lewis and Preckwinkle are African-American, in a city that takes racial politics seriously.  It is home to Barack Obama, Louis Farrakhan and Jesse Jackson.  It is also a city in terrible trouble, with gunfire heard regularly. 

Emanuel will be blamed for problems that can only be solved within the home.  I would not be shocked if he were retired at the next election, meaning that his national political skills would not be available in the mayor's office.  Will it affect national Democratic politics?  I don't know, but the original Mayor Daley proved an effective advocate for John F. Kennedy.

July 14, 2014       Permalink

WHAT HAVE WE BECOME? – AT 9:03 A.M. ET:  This may be Barack Obama's America, but it isn't mine...or yours.  From Fox: 

The Pentagon is laying off thousands of military officers, including those serving or who have recently served in Afghanistan.

Defense Department officials said the reductions are the result of mandatory spending cuts imposed by sequestration and are part of their larger plan to reduce the number of U.S. soldiers from 520,000 to 450,000.

Roughly 2,600 captains and other officers have or will be laid off, with more expected, Fox News learned Friday.

The decision to send pink slips to soldiers overseas on active duty is dangerous and bad for morale, says retired Major Gen. Robert Scales.

“It puts the soldier, the soldier’s family and the men under his command at risk,” said Scales, a Fox News contributor. “Young officers look at each other and wonder who is next.”

He said the Pentagon made a similar move after the Vietnam War.

The Army said the draw-down plan “is a balanced approach that maintains readiness while trying to minimize turbulence within the officer corps.”

COMMENT:  What a disgrace.  What a way to thank our best.  We train these men and women, send them into harm's way, then discard them.  General Scales is right.  It is terrible for morale, and what must West Point and ROTC cadets be thinking.  It is very easy to develop a hollow force.  We're doing it, and the left must be celebrating.

July 14, 2014       Permalink

RUSSIA GETTING FRISKY AGAIN – AT 8:52 A.M. ET:  It's been out of the headlines, but Russia's annoyance with Ukraine is still very much a story.  Now the friction might escalate.  From AFP, the major French news agency:

Moscow (AFP) - Moscow is considering targeted strikes against Ukraine after a shell reportedly crossed the border and killed a Russian civilian, the Kommersant daily reported Monday, citing a source close to the Kremlin.

The respected daily quoted a source as saying that Moscow was considering the possibility of "targeted retaliatory strikes" against Ukraine, where escalating clashes between pro-Moscow rebels and government troops threatened to spiral into an all-out civil war over the weekend.

"Our patience is not limitless," the source was quoted as saying, adding that Russia "knows exactly where they (Ukrainians) are firing from."

The source said that Russia was not considering any large-scale action, but only targeted one-off strikes on positions from which fire is directed at Russian territory.

COMMENT:  This could easily blow up.  This is how big wars start from little ones.  Putin is relentless, and I suspect he doesn't like being out of the headlines, any more than Obama does.

July 14,  2014     Permalink