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MARCH 19,  2015

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

MARCH MADNESS – From Fox:  "A black student organization at the University of California at Berkeley is demanding the university rename a building on campus after Assata Shakur, a former Black Panther, convicted cop killer and the first woman named to the FBI's Most-Wanted Terrorist List.  A jury convicted Shakur of killing a New Jersey State Trooper in 1979. She escaped prison and fled to Cuba. The FBI calls her a domestic terrorist. In 2013, the agency added her to the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist List, alongside several members of Al Qaeda, airline hijackers and bombers.  But to the Black Student Union at Berkeley, Shakur is an 'icon of resistance within oppressed communities (who) represents black resilience in the face of state-sanctioned violence.' They demanded the university rename Barrows Hall, named after former Chancellor David Barrows, 'Shakur Hall.' In 2013, Shakur declared her innocence and called her trial in 1979 a legal lynching by an all-white jury. Shakur, formerly known as Joann Chesimard, belonged to the Black Liberation Army at the time of the shooting.  'We want the renaming for someone -- Assata Shakur -- who we feel like represents us as black students,' said Black Student Union spokesman Cori McGowens. 'Black students on campus have a feeling of isolation, marginalization. We're at a crisis on campus.'"   It's a sad commentary, but don't blame only the students.  They were taught this.

MAJOR DEMOCRACY NEWS – From the Washington Times:  "The White House Thursday walked back President Obama’s comments in favor of mandatory voting in the U.S.  'The president was not making a specific policy prescription for the United States,' said White House press secretary Josh Earnest.  At a town-hall event in Cleveland on Wednesday, Mr. Obama described compulsory voting as 'a better strategy' in the short term than pushing for a Constitutional amendment to counter increased campaign spending in the U.S. since the Supreme Court’s ruling in the 'Citizens United' case.  'It would be transformative if everybody voted,' Mr. Obama said during a town-hall event in Cleveland. 'That would counteract [campaign] money more than anything. If everybody voted, then it would completely change the political map in this country.'  He mentioned Australia, which had mandatory voting and citizens can face a fine for not going to the polls, and said it was an example of the 'creative ways' needed to counter money in politics."  The president continues to embarrass us.  But electing him was the greatest embarrassment of all.  Citizens who do not wish to vote are making a democratic choice of their own.

ARTISTIC NEWS – From the New York Post:  "Hillary Rodham Clinton says her favorite TV show is an obscure Danish drama — about a fictional pol who becomes Denmark’s first female prime minister.
In a paid speech Thursday in Atlantic City, the likely Democratic presidential candidate said she can’t get enough of the Danish series 'Borgen,' despite its subtitles. 'I’ve just discovered this incredible series about a woman elected prime minister in Denmark, which is very realistic,' Clinton said, adding that it was recommended by a friend.  The issue came up when, among softball questions, moderator Jay Jacobs, the Nassau County Democratic chairman, asked if Clinton watches 'Homeland.' 'I’m a little behind, to be honest,' she said."  When she was first lady she was asked about her taste in music.  She declared that she liked some Brazilian rhythms.  Like the people in her court, she seems to have a problem with anything American.  Maybe that's why contributors from foreign dictatorships are so kind to her.

March 19, 2015       Permalink

COTTON STATES THE CASE – AT 10:52 A.M. ET:  We expected Tom Cotton to become a major figure in Republican national politics, and it's happening.   The newly minted Arkansas senator, who left a budding legal career to fight in Iraq, just made his maiden speech in the Senate, and Cotton placed himself firmly in the strong-national-defense, Reagan wing of his party.  From WaPo: 

Over the course of just a few days last week, Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) went from relatively anonymous freshman senator to what seemed like the tip of every tongue in Washington -- thanks to the letter he wrote and got 46 fellow Republicans to join, warning the ruling Iranian regime to be wary of negotiating a nuclear deal with President Obama.

But here's a fun fact: Cotton made his big splash before even giving his first speech on the Senate floor.

That occasion came late Monday, when Cotton delivered his "maiden speech," which is typically given after a period of silence and as a statement of principles or objectives rather than a comment on the partisan issue of the day.

Cotton's address has gotten a lot less attention than his Iran letter, and that is not surprising: Where the letter was terse and seemingly calculated to influence the multiparty nuclear negotiations now underway, the half-hour speech was dense, rich in historical references, and calibrated to further establish Cotton as the Republican Party's young leading light on foreign affairs and defense -- positioning him to assume the mantle now worn by elders like John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

"An alarm should be sounding in our ears," Cotton said. "Our enemies, sensing weakness and hence opportunity, have become steadily more aggressive. Our allies, uncertain of our commitment and capability, have begun to conclude that they must look out for themselves, even where it is unhelpful to stability and order. Our military, suffering from years of neglect, has seen its relative strength decline to historic levels."

The speech contained numerous references to Winston Churchill and Cotton compared the current foreign policy moment to the prelude to World War II. He articulated a litany of national security threats, ranging from Iran to North Korea to Russia, but the speech was notable for the hard line it took on a question now threatening to divide Capitol Hill Republicans as they try to write a 2017 budget: Is it more important to control federal spending or strengthen the national defense?

Cotton was clear: America must have "such hegemonic strength that no sane adversary would ever imagine challenging the United States. 'Good enough' is not and will never be good enough." That strength, he said, should come at whatever the necessary costs. While the budget must be slashed, it should not be balanced on the backs of the military.

“Our enemies and allies alike must know that aggressors will pay an unspeakable price for challenging the United States," Cotton said. "The best way to impose that price is global military dominance.”

COMMENT:  Echoes of Jack Kennedy, who today might well be a Republican.  (Can you imagine any Democrat delivering Kennedy's inaugural address?)  Cotton is right.  The Democrats will fight him all the way.  The question is whether the Republican Party will give him the support he deserves.

March 19, 2015      Permalink

ANOTHER DEADLINE PASSING – AT 9:51 A.M. ET:  We were supposed to have a general nuclear agreement with Iran by March 24th.  And this is after an extension of the last round of talks.  Not so fast, say the Iranians.  Not so fast at all.  From AFP:   

Mohammad Javad Zarif, in talks in Switzerland with US Secretary of State John Kerry since Monday, said other foreign ministers from world powers involved in the negotiations were unlikely to join them for now.

The arrival of the foreign ministers of Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany in Lausanne — joining their political directors — could indicate that a long-elusive deal might be at hand.

“I don’t think their presence will be needed in this round,” Zarif told Iranian state media from the Swiss lakeside city.

“When the solutions are found and we approach a deal, then all the foreign ministers of the negotiating parties should come,” he said.

As a result the negotiations will likely have to continue into next week or resume then after a break.

Iran and the six powers have been seeking in months of talks to transform an interim deal struck in November 2013 into a lasting accord that they hope will convince the world that Iran is not about to develop nuclear weapons.

Such an agreement would involve Iran scaling down its nuclear activities to within strict limits in exchange for relief from painful sanctions after 12 years of rising tensions over its atomic program.

Two earlier target dates last July and then again in November were missed, but experts say that the new deadline — March 31 for a framework deal, July 1 for the full deal — has to be met.

It is however far from certain that they will manage to get a deal, with both sides warning of disagreements on key issues, principally the future size of Iran’s program and the timing of easing sanctions.

COMMENT:  Same old, same old.  And each day that passes brings Iran closer to a nuclear bomb.  In addition, some of our allies, especially France, are actually looking at any proposed deal with two eyes.  In part, we can thank Bibi Netanyahu for that.  He alerted the world to the danger, and at least a part of the world listened.

March 19, 2015       Permalink

HILLARY, YOUR SLIP IS SHOWING – AT 9:24 A.M. ET:  Oh dear, oh dear, even Democrats are starting to notice that Hillary Clinton is violating the Girl Scout oath.  It's starting to show in the numbers.  Can panic be far behind?  From Reuters: 

(Reuters) - Democratic support for Hillary Clinton's expected presidential campaign is softening amid controversy over her use of personal email when secretary of state, but most Democrats are for now sticking by their party's presumed candidate.

Support for Clinton's candidacy has dropped about 15 percentage points since mid February among Democrats, with as few as 45 percent saying they would support her in the last week, according to a Reuters/Ipsos tracking poll. Support from Democrats likely to vote in the party nominating contests has dropped only slightly less, to a low in the mid-50s over the same period.

Even Democrats who said they were not personally swayed one way or another by the email flap said that Clinton could fare worse because of it, if and when she launches her presidential campaign, a separate Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.

Democratic strategist Ben LaBolt, a former spokesman for President Barack Obama's 2012 campaign, said that the email controversy has been a "galvanizing call for the Clinton campaign-in-waiting to build an organization," by hiring top political communicators who can defend her record. Clinton, who ran for the White House in 2008 and lost to Obama, is expected to announce as early as April that she plans to seek the White House in 2016.

COMMENT:  One thing about the Clintons – there's always a new scandal.  I'd imagine many Democratic operatives are worried silly that something new will come out.  And I'd imagine that the Clinton Foundation's acceptance of large foreign checks while Hillary was secretary of state is a scandal that has barely been explored. 

Republicans should hold their fire, and time their revelations well. 

March 19, 2015       Permalink

TUNIS ATTACK – AT 9:08 A.M. ET:  In the aftermath of the attack yesterday on a museum in Tunis, authorities have started to make arrests.  While no group has claimed credit, eyes are on ISIS.  Thousands of Tunisians have gone to other countries to join ISIS, and some of them are now returning, well trained.  From BBC:

Once regarded as a beacon of secularism in the Arab world, Tunisia has seen militant Islamists gain strength since the overthrow of long-serving ruler Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in a popular uprising in 2011.

The attack on the famous Bardo museum in the capital, Tunis, was the deadliest since the revolution, with at least 19 people - mostly European tourists - killed.

No group has said it carried out the attack, but Tunisian officials have pointed at fighters linked to the Islamic State (IS), which is fighting in Iraq and Syria and has a foothold in neighbouring Libya.

Tunisian authorities say up to 3,000 of its citizens have gone abroad to wage jihad - including to Syria and Iraq - making them the largest number of foreign fighters to join IS's ranks, according to some researchers.

Some of the militants are now said to have returned, increasing the security threat.

The attack is a big blow to Tunisia's new secular-led government, which vowed to take a tougher line against the militants after it defeated the moderate Islamist Ennahda party in elections last year.

Having won the first post-revolution election, Ennahda was accused of being soft on jihadist groups - a perception which grew after leading secular politicians Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi were assassinated in 2013.

Tunisia has also battled al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) along its border with Algeria.

COMMENT:  It is striking to see just how quickly ISIS and its affiliated groups have gained influence, not only in the Mideast, but in Europe.  Attacks are now frequent, almost commonplace. 

Several days ago, Barack Obama tried to blame the rise of ISIS on George W. Bush.  His comments were met with general ridicule.  Next he should try blaming Teddy Roosevelt, another boisterous Republican.

March 19,  2015     Permalink

MARCH 18,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:58 P.M. ET: 

DISGRACEFUL – From AP:  "WASHINGTON (AP) -- The second-ranking Senate Democrat on Wednesday accused Republicans of putting the president's attorney general nominee 'in the back of the bus' by delaying her confirmation.  Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois made the comment on the Senate floor as he criticized the GOP over its handling of Loretta Lynch's nomination. She would become the nation's first black female attorney general, replacing Eric Holder, the first African-American in the job."  That is an ugly playing of the race card.  Lynch's nomination is being delayed because the Senate has other pressing business.  Race has nothing to do with it, and Durbin knows it.

CRAZY – From the Washington Times:  "President Obama, whose party was trounced in last year’s midterm election due in part to poor turnout among Democrats, endorsed the idea of mandatory voting Wednesday.  'It would be transformative if everybody voted,' Mr. Obama said during a town-hall event in Cleveland. 'That would counteract [campaign] money more than anything. If everybody voted, then it would completely change the political map in this country.'  Mr. Obama raised the subject during a discussion of curbing the influence of campaign donations in U.S. elections. The president said he had never discussed the idea publicly before, but said Australia and some other countries have compulsory voting.  The president didn’t commit to pushing a mandatory voting initiative at the federal level but said, 'that may end up being a better strategy in the short term' than finding a solution to curbing campaign donations."  What a nutty idea – being forced to vote.  And what if millions don't?  Do they send out the Marines?  The right to vote should always include the right not to vote.  Dems would favor compulsion because most of the low-information non-voters would vote Democratic. 

CLASS AND NO CLASS – Not only did Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulate Benjamin Netanyahu on his re-election, he did it in Hebrew on Twitter, then provided an English translation.  That's class.  Compare please to President Smalltime, in the White House, a petulant child who is so annoyed that Netanyahu won that he has thus far refused to congratulate him.  We're told that the congratulations will come within days.  Smalltime treats dictators far better.  He's demonstrated little respect for democracy.

MAJOR RESEARCH REPORT – From dishwashers.reviewed.com:  "We've got it all wrong folks. A new study in the Chemical Engineering Journal has discovered the best way to load a dishwasher, and we weren't even close.  Digital Trends reports that it's all about what's on the dirty dishes, specifically proteins and carbohydrates. Dishes covered in carbs like pasta should be placed in a circle in the center of your dishwasher, following the rotating sprayer arms of the machine.  As for protein-covered dishes, they should stay along the edges of the dishwasher, where they can spend more time getting sudsed up. And don't even think about overloading your dishwasher. This inhibits water flow in the machine, preventing dishes from getting clean."  I'm so glad I know this.  Now I'm an educated man.

March 18, 2015       Permalink

SHIFTING SANDS – AT 10:51 A.M. ET:   Netanyahu's victory in Israel may permit him to make temporary alliances with Arab countries, like Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, that have concerns similar to those of Israel, especially concerns about an Iranian nuclear weapon.  From Reuters: 

(Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu owes his election win to Israeli security fears, notably about Iran's growing regional influence, said an official of a Gulf Arab government wary of Tehran's progress towards a nuclear deal with world powers.

"With Iran emerging again, it was highly expected that Netanyahu would win," said the Gulf Arab official, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

"He's a man who believes strongly in protecting his people, and this is what Israel wants now."

The Gulf Arab states, led by dominant Gulf Sunni Muslim power Saudi Arabia, see Shi'ite Iran as their main regional rival and fear an atomic deal could lead to Tehran developing a nuclear weapon, or could ease political pressure on it, giving it more space to back Arab proxies opposed by Riyadh.

COMMENT:  There have been whispers, although loud whispers, about the possibility of a joint Israeli-Arab attack on Iran's nuclear facilities should the Iranian program be allowed to continue.  It would be very difficult with Obama still in office, but Obama won't be in office starting January 20, 2017, and that's not so far off.  I count the days.

March 18, 2015       Permalink

WHERE'S THE CANDIDATE? – AT 10:19 A.M. ET:  Democrats in early primary states are getting nervous about the absence of Hillary Clinton.  As the presumed Democratic presidential nominee in 2016, she should be out there showing the flag.  The only thing she's currently showing is a list of excuses and explanations.  From WaPo: 

In Iowa, Democrats want to see Hillary Rodham Clinton mingling in their neighborhood coffee shops, answering their questions and sharing laughs. In New Hampshire, they expect her on their living-room couches, listening to their tales of struggle. In South Carolina, they’re eager to hold hands with her and pray together.

And in each of the early presidential primary and caucus states, Democratic activists are asking the same question: Where is Hillary?

As Clinton slow-walks her way into the 2016 presidential race, many of the Democratic front-runner’s most active supporters are concerned that she’s not yet doing the kind of face-to-face politicking that is well underway by a cast of a dozen or more likely Republican candidates.

Clinton’s absence has stoked unease among her impatient supporters, who also worry about her reputation as someone uncomfortable with the nitty-gritty of retail campaigning.

“They’re anxious because so many Republican candidates are coming here, they’re flowing in, and it’s like a parade on the other side,” said New Hampshire state Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, a top Clinton backer in 2008. “Obviously she’s going to run. They’re hoping she’s going to be here so they can actually see her and engage with her and reinvigorate the campaign.”

COMMENT:  Some of these folks seem unaware that Hillary was been preoccupied with the Clinton family business – scandal.  And I suspect that some astute political observers are just waiting for the next scandal to hit, or for one of the current ones to blow up.

Will Hillary actually run?  All indications are that she will.  The general Clinton strategy when dealing with scandal is to let time pass, in the hope, usually correct, that the scandal will disappear from the media.  This time, though, that strategy may fail.  A presidential candidate is in a category all its own, and Clinton does not have the same appeal that candidate Obama did. 

There are also an apparently increasing number of "progressive" Democrats who are trying to drum up support for an Elizabeth Warren campaign.  But Warren knows that if she runs, and loses, the Clintons will finish her politically.  I doubt if Lizzie will take the plunge unless Hillary either drops out or is convicted of grand larceny. 

March 18, 2015       Permalink

ATTACK IN TUNIS – AT 9:58 A.M. ET:  Details on this are just coming in.  From the BBC:

At least seven foreign tourists and a Tunisian have been killed after gunmen targeted a museum in the Tunisian capital, officials say.

British, Italian, French and Spanish nationals were among those taken hostage, local radio reported.

The shooting happened at the Bardo Museum, which is next to the parliament building in central Tunis.

At the time of the attack deputies were discussing anti-terrorism legislation. Parliament has now been evacuated.

"A terrorist attack [targeted] the Bardo Museum," interior ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui told journalists.

He said that the attack involved "two or more terrorists armed with Kalashnikovs".

Most tourists were evacuated but some were still believed to be inside, Mr Aroui said, adding that security forces had entered the museum.

COMMENT:  Attacking tourists is an old terrorist technique.  Countries like Tunisia are heavily dependent on the tourist trade.  If tourists are frightened off, the economies of these countries can suffer substantially.

We'll follow this.  We don't yet know what group is responsible.

March 18, 2015       Permalink

THE ISRAELI VOTE – AT 9:15 A.M. ET:  There are rumors from Washington that President Obama required medical assistance and psychological counseling after learning that Bibi Netanyahu won a decisive victory in yesterday's Israeli elections.  Al Sharpton may have to be called, and maybe even Reverend Wright.

Editors at The New York Times have required similar treatment.  They were seen waving their Obamacare cards as they rushed to nearby hospitals and even abortion clinics (simply to show solidarity).

CNN went almost crazy last night.  You'd think Israel had elected the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan.

It's all nonsense.  Netanyahu was elected for a variety of reasons, mostly his tough stand on the defense of his country.  In the end, Israeli voters made it clear that they did not trust Barack Hussein Obama Jr. to protect them, or be the kind of ally Israel (and other friends of America) expect from an American president. 

The hystericals in the press are making much of Bibi's comment, in the closing days of the campaign, that he would not permit a Palestinian state on his watch.  I would suggest that the statement is meaningless, and nothing more than campaign rhetoric designed to get his people to the polls.  All Bibi has to say, if the Palestinians start negotiating in the real world, is that "conditions have changed," and his campaign line will go away, joining, "If you like your current health plan, you can keep it" in the junkyard of history. 

At least the European Union had the graciousness to congratulate Netanyahu on his stunning, come-from-behind victory.  No such congrats have come from the glorified town councilman in the White House, whose pettiness is on its usual display.  A White House aide congratulated Israel on its democracy, but said nothing about the victor.

We'll see in coming weeks how things shake out.  For now we must tend to the emotional injury suffered by our leftist friends.  We must be kind and generous, and give them the names of the nearest trauma centers.

March 18,  2015     Permalink