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I appeared on Silvio Canto Jr's talk show from Dallas yesterday.  It's here.

MAY 26,  2014

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 8:37 P.M. ET:

BREAKTHROUGH? – From Fox:  "Nigeria's defense chief is claiming that the country’s military has located nearly 300 schoolgirls abducted by Islamic extremists but cannot go in with force to free them.  Air Marshal Alex Badeh told demonstrators supporting the country's much criticized military on Monday that Nigerian troops can save the girls, according to The Associated Press. But he added, 'we can't go and kill our girls in the name of trying to get them back.'  He spoke to thousands of demonstrators who marched to Defense Ministry headquarters in Abuja, the capital. Many were brought in on buses, indicating it was an organized event.  Asked by reporters where they had found the girls, Badeh refused to elaborate."  We can't confirm this.  We hope the story is true.  Considering the source, I'd want further details.

BASIC JOURNALISM – From Fox:  "Their remains sat, unmarked, in shallow graves at the Old City Cemetery in Lynchburg, Va., for decades. Now, two centuries after the Civil War, the bodies of 40 Confederate soldiers discovered over the past two months will receive a proper memorial.  'It's been very meaningful to us to find these spots, identify these soldiers and bring closure to families,' said Ted Delaney, the cemetery's assistant director, who, along with a team of archaeologists, uncovered the exact resting place of some 40 Confederate soldiers as well as the plots where Union soldiers were once buried and later exhumed."  A fine Memorial Day story, but I wasn't aware that the Civil War occurred two centuries ago.  It began in 1861, which, I reckon, was 153 years past.  More like a century and a half.  Journalism 101.

STUNNER – We'll be discussing this further this week.  From Reuters:  "PARIS - Marine Le Pen's far-right National Front stunned France's political elite on Sunday by taking first place in European Parliament elections, with President Francois Hollande's Socialists beaten into a poor third, provisional results showed.  It was the first time the anti-immigrant, anti-EU party had won a nationwide election in its four-decade history. If the results are confirmed, it could secure as many as 25 seats in the new European Parliament, more than eight times the three it won in 2009."   This is not good news, as these are not conservatives.  They're fringe rightists, typical of groups that won substantial victories throughout Europe over the weekend.  They have a racist character, and they are anti-American.  Their victories are an indictment of Europe's smug political class, which has sat by as legitimate grievances built up within the working populations of European countries.  When the establishment doesn't act, people start turning to demagogues. 

May 26, 2014       Permalink

THE REALITY – AT 11:43 A.M. ET:  We need a Memorial Day because we've sometimes had to fight.  And it may happen again.  From the Daily Caller: 

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, all but said on Sunday that negotiations over the country’s illicit nuclear program are over and that the Islamic Republic’s ideals include destroying America.

“Those [Iranians] who want to promote negotiation and surrender to the oppressors and blame the Islamic Republic as a warmonger in reality commit treason,” Khamenei told a meeting of members of parliament, according to the regime’s Fars News Agency.

Khamenei emphasized that without a combative mindset, the regime cannot reach its higher Islamic role against the “oppressors’ front.”

“The reason for continuation of this battle is not the warmongering of the Islamic Republic. Logic and reason command that for Iran, in order to pass through a region full of pirates, needs to arm itself and must have the capability to defend itself,” he said.

“Today’s world is full of thieves and plunderers of human honor, dignity and morality who are equipped with knowledge, wealth and power, and under the pretense of humanity easily commit crimes and betray human ideals and start wars in different parts of the world.”

In response to a question by a parliamentarian on how long this battle will continue, Khamenei said,“Battle and jihad are endless because evil and its front continue to exist. … This battle will only end when the society can get rid of the oppressors’ front with America at the head of it, which has expanded its claws on human mind, body and thought. … This requires a difficult and lengthy struggle and need for great strides.”

Khamenei cited the scientific advancement of the country. “The accelerated scientific advancement of the last 12 years cannot stop under any circumstances,” he said, referring to the strides the regime has made toward becoming a nuclear power.

COMMENT:  Will Obama finally face up to what the Iranian regime really is?  I doubt it.  And we, as a nation, may pay a grim price down the road for this commander-in-chief's failings to see the real world.

May 26, 2014        Permalink

DEMS RAPPING OBAMA – AT 11:20 A.M. ET:   On this day we note that the most important role of the president is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and that the current commander, Barack Obama, is failing in that role. 

And something extraordinary has happened recently.  Even members of Obama's own party are expressing their frustration with his leadership.  From Breitbart: 

An on air conversation between CNN's John King and Politico's Maggie Haberman relied primarily on feedback from his fellow Democrats to portray an image of an "incompetent" Obama, seemingly not all that involved with the mechanisms of big government central to so many of the Democrat's political arguments.

"Forget for a moment that Republican outrage," said King on his CNN show this morning. "More and more Democrats in key 2014 races are calling for the president to get a spine, they say, and fire his Veterans Affairs secretary. And what more and more Democrats are saying privately is scathing, calling the president and his team detached, flat footed, even incompetent.

"Maggie Haberman," said King turning to a panelist, "that's what strikes me, what democrats are saying privately in the wakes of the healthcare.gov problems, they see a president who doesn't want to take command, doesn't want to act fast. Raising the competence question. Some Democrats, who believe in government, [are saying] this White House doesn't appear to have its hand on the lever."

Haberman of Politico agreed, cited more examples, and added: "All of this adds up to somebody who just doesn't seem at all involved."

Theoretically, said perceptions may leave some room for prospective 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to claim she could do better. However, with two years left in his term, if Obama's stumbling results in America losing even more faith in government, it could provide an opening for Republicans in 2016.

COMMENT:   There should have been far more outrage directed at Obama during his years in office, but I'm afraid the sensitive issue of race has made it difficult for many Democrats to mount public criticism.  This was not the case in the 1960s, when Democrats brought down Lyndon Johnson and made it virtually impossible for him to run again in 1968. 

And I somehow doubt that criticism by Democrats will automatically lead to more votes for Republicans.   The GOP must itself become far more attractive to voters.  There's good progress in that direction at the Republican National Committee.  Now it must be translated into effective campaigns at the state level.

May 26, 2014       Permalink

MEMORIAL DAY – AT 10:53 A.M. ET:  I have very little to add to the general statements about the meaning of Memorial Day.  I would never try to lecture our informed, pro-defense readership about the importance of this day. 

Let me, however, make two points:  I've noticed in recent weeks that leftist writers are trying to advance the theme that we are becoming a "war" nation, that days like Memorial Day glorify war, and that by exalting the warrior we are more likely to send him into battle.  Some of these writers even regret military flyovers at sports events.

This, of course, is nonsense, and mean-spirited nonsense at that.  Recalling the sacrifice of a warrior no more glorifies war than a eulogy at a funeral glorifies heart disease.  We recall the individual who made the sacrifice, we recall the sacrifice with respect, but we also regret that he or she ever had to make it in the first place.  I know of no instance where any Memorial Day remembrance has led to a call for more war.  And military demonstrations above sports events have never led to calls for invading current enemies. 

Barbara Ward, the late British economist, once wrote that America is almost a pacifist nation, and remarked on how difficult it was to get Americans to go to war.  That is correct, and noble.  Committing soldiers to battle should always be done with resolve, but also with reluctance and regret.  In 1941, only months before Pearl Harbor, and many months after the start of World War II in Europe, an extension of our draft act only passed the House by one vote.  Between the end of the war in 1945 and the end of 1946, we dismantled 90% of our armed forces, a decision we would later regret.  Sending forces into Korea in 1950 was intensely unpopular, and severely damaged support for President Truman, whose greatness has since been recognized.  And Vietnam effectively destroyed Lyndon Johnson. 

We are reluctant warriors.  We honor our warriors in large measure because we understand what they've done for us, how extraordinary their sacrifice is.  Those who disparage this respect and try to twist it into war-mongering are often leftists who oppose all national defense because they have contempt for their own country or a certain regard for our opponents.

My second point:  Last weekend I visited the World War II memorial in Washington for the first time.  It is not, as has been pointed out many times, a great work of art.  It is large and mainly uninformative.  It is divided into two sections – Atlantic and Pacific, but does not advance one's knowledge of the conflict to any degree.  That said, it is difficult to memorialize an event so large.  It is much easier to memorialize a single individual, as we have done so well with the Lincoln Memorial.  The outstanding feature of the World War II memorial is that it exists.  It has become a meeting place for the remaining veterans of that conflict, and for young people on high-school trips to Washington.  At least these kids are reminded of the war, and we hope they will try to learn further.   The veterans often come on "honor flights" from their hometowns.  And some volunteer to answer questions from other visitors.

It may not be a great memorial – we could have done better – but it is a dignified effort.  It is not propagandistic.  Nothing is being sold except the memory of a valiant struggle.  If you are in Washington, I urge you to visit, if only to talk to other visitors, some of whom will probably be veterans.

May 26,  2014     Permalink 

MAY 25,  2014

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:28 P.M. ET: 

POTENTIAL TRAVEL NEWS – The excitement builds, from rt.com:  "American whistleblower Edward Snowden is 'considering' returning home to the USA under certain conditions, his lawyer told German news magazine Der Spiegel.  'There are negotiations,' Snowden's German lawyer Wolfgang Kaleck told Der Spiegel. 'Those who know the case are aware that an amicable agreement with the US authorities will be most reasonable.'  All efforts are now focused on finding a solution acceptable for Edward Snowden, at least in the medium term, according to Kaleck, who is also secretary-general for the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights."  What a disgrace.  He can stay where he is.  I don't want him here, except to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.  If he does return, and evades jail time, you may be sure he'll be next year's star commencement speaker at one of our decrepit universities.

PROGRESS AT THE VA? – From AP:  "WASHINGTON (AP) — More veterans are being allowed to obtain health care at private hospitals and clinics in an effort to improve their treatment following allegations of falsified records and delays in treatment.  In a statement issued Saturday, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki also said VA facilities are enhancing capacity of their clinics so veterans can get care sooner. In cases where officials cannot expand capacity at VA centers, the Department of Veterans Affairs is 'increasing the care we acquire in the community through non-VA care,' Shinseki said.  Lawmakers from both parties have pressed for this policy change as the VA confronts allegations about treatment delays and falsified records at VA centers nationwide."  An important story at any time, but especially now, as we prepare to commemorate Memorial Day.

BRILLIANT – From WaPo:  "The CIA’s top officer in Kabul was exposed Saturday by the White House when his name was inadvertently included on a list provided to news organizations of senior U.S. officials participating in President Obama’s surprise visit with U.S. troops.  The White House recognized the mistake and quickly issued a revised list that did not include the individual, who had been identified on the initial release as the 'Chief of Station' in Kabul, a designation used by the CIA for its highest-ranking spy in a country.  The disclosure marked a rare instance in which a CIA officer working overseas had his cover — the secrecy meant to protect his actual identity — pierced by his own government."  Another contribution to national security by the administration of Field Marshal (in chief) Barack Obama.

May 25, 2014       Permalink

WHY WE FIGHT – AT 9:40 A.M. ET:  As we approach Memorial Day we see the reminders of why we're lucky to be Americans.  No, our country isn't perfect.  The only perfect countries are dictatorships – you can read about their perfection in their newspapers every day.  But, with all its faults, America remains a very special place to be.   Just read this, from Bloomberg, for a contrast: 

Iranian film star Leila Hatami apologized for kissing the cheek of the president of the Cannes Film Festival, after activists called for her flogging, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

Hatami, 41, starred in the 2012 Academy Award-winning film “A Separation” and was a Cannes jury member this year. She wrote, in a letter addressed to Iran’s Cinema Organization, that she’d told festival organizers she wouldn’t be able to shake hands with or embrace any men at the event.

Gilles Jacob, the French festival’s 83-year-old president, initiated a greeting and she felt compelled to return it, she said.

“Due to his age, he had forgotten about the measures,” she wrote, according to the news service. “He is obviously elderly and I consider his status to be like that of a grandfather.”

The Sisters of Hezbollah Students Group on May 21 filed a complaint with Iran’s judiciary against Hatami’s “unacceptable” behavior, calling for her to be flogged when she returned home, according to the Yalasarat news website.

Hatami wrote that she was “ashamed.”

“I am very sorry for having hurt anyone’s feelings,” Hatami wrote, according to IRNA.

COMMENT:   Some culture.  Some country.  And they're close to getting a nuclear bomb. 

May 25, 2014       Permalink

OBAMACARE STILL FAILS APPROVAL TEST – AT 9:32 A.M. ET:   The administration tells us that Obamacare is working, improving all the time, and that we can look forward to eternal life and happiness.  The American people still see it differently.  From The Hill:

Approval of ObamaCare has not improved since President Obama announced more than 8 million people had signed up for insurance through the healthcare exchanges.

According to an Associated Press-Gfk online poll, 43 percent of people continue to disapprove of the law, while 28 percent support it.

Twenty-eight percent of people neither support nor oppose the law.

The results are unchanged since the firm tested the question in late March, weeks before the deadline for open enrollment that brought a surge of new signups through the exchanges. In fact, disapproval has not seen any significant change going back to December.

COMMENT:  And many leaders in the health insurance industry predict sharp rises in premiums next year, which will do nothing to produce smiles.

That 28% approval rating is stunning.  And many in that 28% are probably members of the hardcore Democratic base, which would support mass murder if Obama was selling it.

Republicans must pledge to overhaul Obamacare, but they have to have specific, attractive proposals during the election campaign, proposals that answer the criticisms of the American people.

May 25, 2014       Permalink

OBITUARIES HAVE BEGUN – QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 9:21 A.M. ET:  Noemie Emery, at Weekly Standard, writes a kind of obituary for Obamacare and, in a way, for the Obama administration.  She defines it as an administration that believed itself somewhat better than the people it served.  She ends this way:

But that doesn’t mean that we cannot draw some conclusions about them and their class and their kind. One is that they were perhaps not as good as they thought they were, and perhaps deserved to be not that much listened to. Another is that the people who shine in the faculty lounge ought to stay in it, that novelists have not been good judges of political horseflesh, and that if you really believe you belong to an aristocracy of the intellect, you most likely do not. The intellectual salons include a whole lot of windbags, and would have excluded a number of very effective real-world practitioners, such as Truman and Reagan and Ike.

“It is actually harder to do some of these things in reality than we thought when we put it down on paper,” a book review in the Washington Post quoted a former Obama health care adviser as saying. This can stand as the last word for the great aspiration, and the people who held it. They wanted their chance, and they got it. They had it. They blew it. They’re done.

COMMENT:  Very well said.  More and more people are starting to talk about the Obama administration in the past tense.  That will accelerate if Republicans take the Senate this fall.  But, a caution:  This president will still have immense power to do damage through executive action and the conduct of his ludicrous and failing foreign policy.  He still has about him that self-righteous attitude of a self-declared saint. 

We can write the political obituary of an administration, but we should file it for later use.  Right now we have to fight for votes in November.

May 25,  2014     Permalink