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FEBRUARY 12,  2017

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:54 P.M. ET: 

GOOD FOR GERALDO – FROM THE HILL:   Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera quit his position at Yale University after the high-profile school announced it would remove the name of a pro-slavery lawmaker from one of its residential colleges.  Yale's Calhoun College was named after John C. Calhoun, a 19th-century slavery supporter and white supremacist from South Carolina. Calhoun was the seventh vice president of the United States and attended Yale.  Yale announced plans to rename Calhoun College after Grace Murray Hopper, an alum of the school, a renowned computer scientist and Navy rear admiral, the New York Times reported.  Rivera announced his decision to resign from his position at the university on Sunday over Twitter.  “Resigned yesterday as Associate Fellow of Calhoun College at Yale. Been an honor but intolerant insistence on political correctness is lame,” he tweeted.  Good!  I have nothing good to say about slavery, but it's time to start resisting political correctness.  It's smothering the life out of our colleges.

HEROIC – FROM THE HILL:    Singer and songwriter Joy Villa made a political statement on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sunday evening.  Villa wore a bright blue dress reading “Make America Great Again” across the front of her gown, with “Trump” across the back.  On the red carpet, Villa initially wore a white cover-up over the gown, removing it to reveal the dress with President Trump’s campaign slogan.   Wonderful.  I hope they allow her to work in the industry again.

WHO? – FROM THE HILL:   Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) insisted in an interview broadcast Sunday that her focus is on running for reelection to the Senate, not for the White House in 2020.  “No, I am running for Senate. I’m running for Senate in 2018,” Gillibrand told radio host John Catsimatidis, who asked her about "rumors" that she is considering a White House run.  “I really love my job and I feel like I can make a huge difference for New Yorkers, fighting for them," she said.  It is common for politicians to deflect questions about running for president, particularly when another race is coming up sooner.  Gillibrand, who has served in the Senate since 2009, has been floated as a potential contender for the Democratic nomination both before and after the 2016 election.  The New York senator has been an outspoken critic of many of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and was the lone senator who voted against retired Gen. James Mattis for secretary of Defense.   She's my senator, the other one being Schumer.  Gillibrand is sometimes known as the "hottest senator," and is indeed attractive.  She's also invisible.  She could walk into most places in New York and no one would know who she is.  She's made very little impression in her home state.  The most famous thing about her is that she studied in China during her college freshman summer with the actress Connie Britton, from "Friday Night Lights." 

February 12,  2017     Permalink

AND WHAT IS THIS? – AT 2:30 P.M. ET:  An incident at Hamburg airport, Germany, often a crossing point for terrorists, raises serious questions.  From London's Express:   

A police spokesman confirmed a suspicious gas or toxin - which is believed to have been pepper spray - was found during a security check after staff and passengers complained of irritated eyes and airways.

Reports claim a small irritant gas cartridge was found in a trash can in the security area, suggesting a passenger or staff member sprayed the gas then disposed of the tin.

Unconfirmed reports have also suggested the suspect gas could have streamed into the airport through the air-conditioning system.

The alarm was raised late this morning after several people reported smelling nasty odours and complaining of having breathing problems, severe coughing and burning eyes.

Fire crews rushed to the scene along with several rescue cars and extinguishers.

Rescue services quickly evacuated the airport between terminals one and two - sending hundreds of passengers and employees to wait in the opposite parking area in sub-zero temperatures to keep the access roads clear.

COMMENT:  We have nothing late on this, but the incident proves the vulnerability of large crowds to airborne toxins.  A warning to all transportation systems.

February 12, 2017        Permalink

THEY CONSIDER THEMSELVES HIGH CLASS – AT 12:18 P.M. ET:  Trump Derangement Syndrome has been detected in the upper-crust school scene in Manhattan.  Just read this, from Page Six: 

Upper East Side moms are having a spirited online debate over whether to boycott a school where a grandchild of President Trump is a student.

One of the anonymous contributors to UrbanBaby.com said her son had gotten into Buckley [School], but she didn’t want to send him there because a son of Donald Trump Jr.’s (likely 4-year-old Spencer Frederick) is said to be going to kindergarten there in the fall.

“They will be in the same classroom and I don’t think I can deal with this. Birthday parties, etc.,” the mother wrote.

Another mom replied: “It’s an innocent kid. It’s not like he can help the family he was born into. The hate must run really deep with you.”

A third mother wrote: “You almost have to decline. It sounds like it will drive you crazy . . . You want to spend nine years worried that DS [darling son] is getting infected with Trumpism?”

A representative from President Trump’s office had no comment on the matter. Buckley did not respond to a request for comment.

COMMENT:  There are mothers of limited means all over New York who'd kill to have a child attend a school like that.  Some of the spoiled brat "moms" who commented above should be ashamed of themselves.  In their world, though, there is no shame.  Only lawsuits.

February 12,  2017     Permalink

THE ANTI-TRUMP – AT 11:55 A.M. ET:  I must say that Germany has an almost unique ability to mess itself up.  The country today elected a new president, a ceremonial but symbolically important position.  And who did the country choose?  A man who referred to President Trump as a preacher of hate.  From CNN:

(CNN) Germany's parliamentary assembly has elected Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a Social Democrat, as the country's president.

The position of president in Germany is largely ceremonial, because the chancellor is the official head of government and has a higher profile on the world stage.

Steinmeier previously served as vice chancellor and foreign minister under current Chancellor Angela Merkel.

He was elected by the vast majority of the assembly, receiving 931 out of 1,253 votes. His predecessor, Joachim Gauck, did not seek another term and will step down on March 18.

"This country for many in the world has become an anchor of hope," Steinmeier said after his election. "We give others courage, not because everything is good, but because we have shown that it can be better," he said.

Steinmeier, 61, has been a vocal critic of US President Donald Trump. He described Trump in August as a "hate preacher," likening him to right-wing populists in Europe who "make politics with fear," German news agency DPA reported.

COMMENT:  He also was a big champion of the Iran nuclear deal, and he is a severe critic of Israel.  What a guy!

I wonder if Trump sent a congratulatory note.

February 12, 2017       Permalink

FEBRUARY 11,  2017

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:57 P.M. ET: 

TRUMP IN BRITAIN – FROM THE DAILY MAIL:   Donald Trump will address a crowd at a stadium when he comes to Britain later this year, it was reported last night.  Proceeds from tickets for the rally would go to UK war veterans, according to a plan said to be under discussion by a source close to the new US President.  The Brexit heartland of the Midlands is one contender to host the rock star-style event, while London and Cardiff have also been mentioned as possible locations. Terrific idea.  Trump has been barred from speaking to Parliament by a petty little officeholder who controls these things.  Speaking directly to the British people in a public forum is a great alternative, and very Trump. 

THE UNLOVED ONE – FROM THE NEW YORK POST:  Don’t speak ill of the dead — unless you’re this Texas family.  After Leslie Ray Charping died at age 75, his family decided to run a brutally honest obituary eulogizing the “evil” late relative.  The family wrote that Charping “leaves behind two relieved children,” in addition to “countless other victims including an ex wife, relatives, friends, neighbors, doctors, nurses and random strangers.”  His death came at an age that was “29 years longer than expected and much longer than he deserved,” according to the obituary on the Carnes Funeral Home site.  “At a young age, Leslie quickly became a model example of bad parenting combined with mental illness and a complete commitment to drinking, drugs, womanizing and being generally offensive,” the obituary read.  I just had to include this.  I wish some Washington obituaries were as honest. 

THE FACTS COME OUT – FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER:    Since 9/11, 72 individuals from the seven mostly Muslim countries covered by President Trump's "extreme vetting" executive order have been convicted of terrorism, bolstering the administration's immigration ban.  According to a report out Saturday, at least 17 claimed to be refugees from those nations, three came in as "students," and 25 eventually became U.S. citizens.  The Center for Immigration Studies calculated the numbers of convicted terrorists from the Trump Seven: — Somalia: 20; — Yemen: 19; — Iraq: 19; — Syria: 7; — Iran: 4; — Libya: 2.  Nice to know that.  Changes everything, doesn't it?  Of course, the hard left will argue that those terrorists were wrongly convicted, and simply victims of oppression.  It's kind of the party line.

February 11, 2017       Permalink

AND IN THE REAL WORLD – AT 1:22 P.M. ET:  The threats against the United States keep building.   We've been asleep for eight years, but there are signs we are awakening to the threats out there, especially from Iran and North Korea.  From McClatchy:   

After listening to experts describe the threat posed by North Korea and its nuclear arsenal, U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman, a California Democrat, paused amid a Capitol Hill hearing earlier this week and made a suggestion.

“We ought to have civil defense in this country,” said Sherman during a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “Some of us are old enough to remember when we had civil defense and we were under our desks.”

The congressman wasn’t calling for an immediate return to the “duck and cover” days of the Cold War. But his statement reflects heightened alarm among members of Congress – especially those from the West Coast – over North Korea’s continuing nuclear tests and advances in missile technology.

In the last year alone, North Korea has conducted 20 missile tests and two nuclear tests. That’s a marked annual increase from the 42 missile tests and two nuclear tests of the previous seven years, according to Victor Cha, a Korea specialist with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Cha and other experts say it is highly likely that North Korea’s Kim Jong Un will launch another intercontinental ballistic missile this year, in part to gauge the response from President Donald Trump. While some of North Korea’s missile tests have ended in failure, the regime seems to be learning from each launch to improve its capability.

Many arms control specialists believe that, by 2020, North Korea could have the capacity to launch a miniaturized nuclear device on an ICBM, with the range to strike at least the West Coast. It might even have that capability sooner.

“The difficulty here is the lack of visibility into North Korea’s nuclear program. It’s a black hole,” said Anthony Ruggiero, a Korea researcher who previously worked in the Treasury Department, the U.S. agency tasked with enforcing sanctions on Pyongyang.

COMMENT:  The North Korean program raises a powerful argument for us to increase our ABM – anti-ballistic-missile systems.  We have some West Coast systems, but they're of uncertain reliability.  We need systems both on shore and at sea...and we hope the attorney general of the state of Washington doesn't go to court to try to prevent them from being installed. 

People will argue that, logically, North Korea would never launch an attack on the United States for fear of nuclear retaliation.  However, that assumes rational action on the part of the North.  I would never assume that on the part of any enemy nation.  Pearl Harbor was essentially irrational, but it happened.  So did the irrational Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. 

February 11, 2017       Permalink

LET'S GET GOING, BOYS – AT 12:31 P.M. ET:  I cannot believe it.   We have the greatest opportunity in the modern history of the United States for Republicans to make their mark in Washington – controlling the White House, the Senate, and the House...and they're complaining.  Oh the burden.  Oh the work.  This is too much for us!  Send them a message.  From The Hill:   

President Trump and GOP leaders on Capitol Hill have promised voters that 2017 will bring the repeal and replacement of ObamaCare, a long-awaited overhaul of the tax code and funding for a “great wall” along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Now, some in the party are wondering whether Republicans have bitten off more than they can chew.

Conservative naysayers inside and outside the Capitol argue that it’s not just about the GOP-controlled Congress’s slow start in carrying out Trump’s agenda.

There’s serious concern that Trump and GOP leadership have simply identified too many big-ticket, politically thorny items to tackle in year one. They also see tough times ahead in prioritizing what to do.

“It’s not just the fact that there are a lot of items but the enormity of those items,” said GOP Rep. Daniel Webster, who learned how to manage a legislative calendar while serving as Speaker of the Florida state House.

Another Republican lawmaker was even more blunt: “There’s no way we can do all these issues.”

The GOP’s 2017 calendar is already riddled with must-pass deadlines: Congress needs to fund the government before money runs out on April 28; raise the debt ceiling by this summer; and pass reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration by September, among other statutory deadlines.

Republicans also have begun dismantling a plethora of Obama-era regulations focused on the environment and other issues.

On top of that, Republicans hope to pass all 12 fiscal year 2018 appropriation bills before Oct. 1 — something that hasn’t been done in two decades.

Trump has talked of a $1 trillion infrastructure package — though conservatives on Capitol Hill have had heartburn over that proposal for some time.

COMMENT:  Okay, okay, it's a lot of work and someone else is using the printer.  But you don't let an  opportunity like this go by.  Work nights.  Work weekends.  Turn on the Macbook Pro.  If Republicans can produce real results this year, imagine what the 2018 mid-term elections will look like. 

Isn't it fun to watch the liberals go nuts?  Give us more, give us more!  Republicans, get to work.  Don't disappoint us.  If you blow this chance you may see a lot of primary challenges in 2018.  You're on the line.

February 11, 2017       Permalink

THE DEBATE CONTINUES – AT 10:45 A.M. ET:  There is probably no more contentious issue in America than abortion.  The debate between pro-choice and pro-life continues today, and is raging, with some clear gains by the pro-life side in recent years.

Some of the debate centers on the prominence of Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest provider of abortions.  From Reuters: 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Anti-abortion groups have called demonstrations at more than 200 Planned Parenthood locations throughout the United States on Saturday to urge Congress and President Donald Trump to strip the women's health provider of federal funding.

Planned Parenthood supporters in turn have organized 150 counter-demonstrations outside politicians' offices and government buildings.

Anti-abortion activists have said they were energized by the election of Republican Trump, who selected their long-time ally Mike Pence as vice president and nominated conservative jurist Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court.

On Jan. 27, tens of thousands converged on Washington for the 44th March for Life, where Pence became the most senior government official to speak in person at the annual anti-abortion rally, organizers said.

"We have the wind in our sails. The election was a real benchmark. Pro-life voters were really a key constituency and the Trump administration has taken note," said Eric Scheidler, executive director of Pro-Life Action League, one of the main backers of Saturday's demonstrations.

In Washington, demonstrators will meet at the Supreme Court and march to a Planned Parenthood location. Other demonstrations have been called in 45 states in cities large and small.

COMMENT:  I can see no definitive resolution of these issues.  The subject is too contentious, and both sides have at times shown intolerance.  Both sides also have powerful constituencies.  It may be an issue that fades in time as fewer and fewer women have abortions or have need for them.  That may be the best solution, if not a perfect one.  Even if the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, that would simply send the issue of "abortion rights" back to the states, where many states would continue them, and other states would restrict them.

February 11,  2017     Permalink