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FEBRUARY 20,  2017

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:56 P.M. ET:

EXCITEMENT OF SCIENCE – FROM THE NEW YORK POST:  NASA said Monday it will soon announce a major discovery regarding planets that orbit other stars.  The agency will make the out-of-this-world announcement about a “discovery beyond our solar system” at a press conference at 1 p.m. Wednesday.  The space agency will “present new findings on planets that orbit stars other than our sun, known as exoplanets,” NASA said.  The announcement has the astronomy community abuzz that NASA is set to announce its best finding thus far that a planet outside our solar system could potentially support life.  Astronomers and planetary scientists from across the world will be at the press conference, the paper reported.  Watch, CNN will charge that Trump has already barred immigration from these planets.

GENIUSES AT WORK – FROM DAILY CALLER:   An “antiracist” poster in a college writing center insists American grammar is “racist” and an “unjust language structure,” promising to prioritize rhetoric over “grammatical ‘correctness.'”  The poster, written by the director, staff, and tutors of the University of Washington, Tacoma’s Writing Center, states “racism is the normal condition of things,” declaring that it permeates rules, systems, expectations, in courses, school and society.  “Linguistic and writing research has shown clearly for many decades that there is no inherent ‘standard’ of English,” proclaims the writing center’s statement. “Language is constantly changing. These two facts make it very difficult to justify placing people in hierarchies or restricting opportunities and privileges because of the way people communicate in particular versions of English.”  That is complete garbage.  Any good writer or editor knows that the purpose of teaching grammar is to be sure we're all communicating in the same language, with the same meanings and emphasis.  The common tongue, as it's called.  All these educators are doing is hurting the very students they claim to be helping.  What clowns.

PASSING OF A FINE JOURNALIST – FROM FOX:   Brenda Buttner, host of Fox News Channel's "Bulls and Bears," has passed away at age 55 after a battle with cancer.  Based in New York, she joined the network in 2000, after hosting CNBC's "The Money Club" and serving as the network's Washington correspondent.  Buttner graduated with honors from Harvard University with a B.A. in social studies and went on to become a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, where she graduated with high honors in politics and economics.  Neil Cavuto offered a heartfelt tribute to Buttner on "Your World," praising her intelligence, heart and sense of humor.  "She took stock of life much more than any stock in life," Cavuto said. "It's what separated her from everyone else in this business. Not just dollars, you see, Brenda had depth."  I always thought of her as a consummate professional, the top of the game.  It's very sad.

February 20, 2017       Permalink

GOOD CALL – AT 10:58 A.M. ET:  One of the major political projects our side will have is undoing the enormous harm that Barack Obama did in his two terms as president.  From Daily Caller: 

State officials across the nation are fighting former President Barack Obama’s last-minute decision to impose federal authority over state-run election systems, The Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.

The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), which includes officials from all 50 states and U.S. territories, appealed to President Donald Trump in a resolution approved Saturday at the group’s winter meeting to overturn the Obama policy, but doing so may encounter unexpected resistance from the new administration.

Obama ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Jan. 6, 2017, to classify local and state election systems under the new federal designation of “critical infrastructure.”

By a voice vote, the NASS declared that it “opposes the designation of elections as critical infrastructure,” with opposition cutting across party lines. The NASS includes 33 Republicans, 21 Democrats and one independent.

COMMENT:  A classic example of a power grab.  The Trump administration has expressed some opposition to the NASS position, but the secretaries of state believe that can be reversed.  It would be in the Republican tradition to keep federal hands off state election systems. 

Read the whole thing.  Remember that we are the United States of America, and state election systems are at the heart of state power.  No doubt the left would love to control those systems from Washington.

February 20, 2017       Permalink

OLD SMOOTHIE – AT 10:21 A.M. ET:   I like Vice President Mike Pence.  He's capable, articulate, with a fine record.  He is also the smooth, personable alternative to the more voluble Donald Trump.  Pence's stock in Washington is rising.  This week he was sent to Europe to stroke the easily ruffled feathers of our European "allies," and it appears he largely succeeded.  From The Hill:   

European leaders like what they’re hearing from Vice President Pence in Brussels.

European Council President Donald Tusk on Monday said he had left his discussions with Pence feeling better about U.S. support for NATO and a united Europe.

“Too much has happened over the past month in your country, and in the E.U. Too many new and sometimes surprising opinions have been voiced over this time about our relations, and our common security, for us to pretend that everything is as it used to be,” Tusk said, according to a White House pool report.

“Today I heard words which are promising for the future, words which explain a lot about the approach of the new administration in Washington,” Tusk continued.

Pence has sought to assure Europe that the U.S. remains committed to the trans-Atlantic alliance during meetings with officials from the European Union, many of who have been unnerved by comments from President Trump.

Trump repeatedly criticized NATO during his campaign, at times suggesting the U.S. might withdraw from the alliance.

The president’s views on international trade have also caused waves. Trump argues the U.S. has repeatedly got the raw end of trade deals and has promised to be a stronger negotiator.

Pence’s comments were conciliatory, and emphasized a continued U.S. partnership with Europe.

COMMENT:  It's a bit of a good cop-bad cop routine.  Trump is the bad cop, Pence the good.  But Europeans must understand that, behind Pence's painless dentistry, there lies a strong conservative who undoubtedly shares Trump's belief that the United States can't go on endlessly playing the role of nanny to demanding, immature European politicians. 

Europe must also understand, and Pence will gently tell its leaders, that Washington no longer sees Europe as playing the outsized role it once played.  Other places demand our attention – China, the Pacific, Africa, and the Mideast.  Pence is a great messenger, but I'm not so sure the message is ultimately one that Europe will welcome.

February 20, 2017       Permalink

TERRIFIC IDEA – AT 9:31 A.M. ET:  Every now and then we encounter a terrific idea.  With any luck, this one should go national.  From College Fix: 

Kentucky State Senator Jared Carpenter has submitted a bill which would require the state’s students to pass a citizenship exam before graduating high school — the test similar to that taken by those looking to become naturalized citizens.

Students “would be given the opportunity to retake the test ‘as often as needed in order to pass,’ but would need to pass with a score of at least 60 percent,” WDRB.com reports.

Carpenter had filed a similar bill last year, but it went nowhere in the Democratic-majority House of Representatives.

If the bill passes, it would take effect the 2018-2019 school year.

COMMENT:  Read the piece to get the text of the bill.  The left will, of course, fight this tooth and nail, but it's long overdue.  We have kids coming out of high school who don't know the basic provisions of the United States Constitution.  They don't know their own rights.  And, of course, they don't know their responsibilities.

There are many ways to go about advancing an idea like this.  State by state is a good start, but the liberal states will bury it.  Making basic civics a requirement for any school district that receives federal aid is another route, and Republicans, now in power in Washington, might well be inclined to go along.

February 20,  2017     Permalink

FEBRUARY 19,  2017

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

IS THIS DUDE SERIOUS? – FROM AP:  LONDON — London's mayor says that President Donald Trump shouldn't receive a state visit in Britain because of his "cruel" policies on immigration.  Sadiq Khan said Sunday the U.S. president should not get VIP treatment when he comes to Britain later this year because of his "ban on people from seven Muslim-majorities countries" and his decision to block refugees from entering the United States.  Khan said that "in those circumstances we shouldn't be rolling out the red carpet."  He spoke one day before British legislators are expected to debate a proposal to downgrade the planned state visit. The debate was scheduled in response to an online petition calling for the honor to be rescinded.  A state visit usually includes extensive pomp and a stay at Buckingham Palace.  If the president is denied the honor, he should simply stay home and cite "scheduling difficulties."  To insult the president is to insult the American people.

HILLARY HAD A FEELING – FROM FOX:   Months later, the left still seems to be recovering from the shock of Hillary Clinton losing to Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.  However, as it turns out, Clinton herself may have anticipated the election loss, despite all signs pointing to her victory.  In an interview with CBS News, Clinton's campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri said that although Clinton was upset about her loss, she wasn't too surprised by it.  "I think she's one of the people who is least surprised that she lost. ... Contrary to this view that she held onto this dream of being the first woman president, I think she came close to not running in 2016," Palmieri said.  Palmieri said Clinton eventually decided to run "because she thought she was the person who could best be president and that she was the Democrat that was best positioned to be able to win," as compared to Sen. Bernie Sanders.  I don't know if I buy this story.  Sounds like an attempt to make Hillary sound human, an impossible task.

THE TRUMP EFFECT – FROM THE HILL:    A strong majority of Americans say the U.S. economy is running strong, and most believe the upward trend will continue under President Trump, according to a Harvard-Harris poll provided exclusively to The Hill.  The survey found that 61 percent view the economy as strong, against 39 percent who say it is weak.  A plurality, 42 percent, said they believe the economy is on the right track, versus 39 percent who said it is on the wrong track.  Trump and congressional Republicans have claimed credit for the turnaround, noting numerous polls in 2016 that showed that many Americans wanted change in the nation's capital. Democrats counter that former President Obama handed a healthy economy to Trump and point out that the unemployment rate has dropped under 5 percent.  It's hard to deny the Trump effect.  Obama was not seen as an economic genius.  Now Trump must deliver on his economic promises to keep the momentum going

February 19, 2017       Permalink

HE'S BAACK...BUT HE NEVER LEFT – AT 10:46 A.M. ET:   Obama meant it when he said he'd stay involved.  This is tasteless for a former president.  He was not elected king.  From the New York Post: 

An Obama-tied activist group training tens of thousands of agitators to protest President Trump’s policies plans to hit Republican lawmakers supporting those policies even harder this week, when they return home for the congressional recess and hold town hall meetings and other functions.

Organizing for Action, a group founded by Obama and featured prominently on his new post-presidency website, is distributing a training manual to anti-Trump activists that advises them to bully GOP lawmakers into backing off support for repealing ObamaCare, curbing immigration from high-risk Islamic nations, and building a border wall.

In a new Facebook post, OFA calls on activists to mobilize against Republicans from now until Feb. 26, when “representatives are going to be in their home districts.”

The protesters disrupted town halls earlier this month, including one held in Utah by House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz, who was confronted by hundreds of angry demonstrators claiming to be his constituents.

The manual, published with OFA partner “Indivisible,” advises protesters to go into halls quietly so as not to raise alarms, and “grab seats at the front of the room but do not all sit together.” Rather, spread out in pairs to make it seem like the whole room opposes the Republican host’s positions. “This will help reinforce the impression of broad consensus.” It also urges them to ask “hostile” questions — while keeping “a firm hold on the mic” — and loudly boo the the GOP politician if he isn’t “giving you real answers.”

“Express your concern [to the event’s hosts] they are giving a platform to pro-Trump authoritarianism, racism, and corruption,” it says.

COMMENT:  The tactics of the well-bred hard-left community organizer, and they may well work.  Republicans, whose party is often anemic enough, are easily frightened. 

Republicans are being advised by some law-enforcement agencies to arrange for extra security at their town meetings.  Good idea, although they'll then be accused of strong-arm tactics.  The sad fact here is that there's little attempt by the mainstream media to expose the techniques being used, tactics of fear.  It is a wilful failure by the press.  Very wilful.

February 19,  2017     Permalink

THE PEOPLE ARE AHEAD OF THE POLS, AS USUAL – AT 10:28 A.M. ET:   It's clear from the election that the American people want results.  It's also clear that the Democratic Party hasn't noticed.   Big mistake.  From The Hill: 

A strong majority of Americans say Democrats should look to cooperate with President Trump to strike deals, according to the inaugural Harvard-Harris poll provided exclusively by The Hill.

The survey found that 73 percent of voters want to see Democrats work with the president, against only 27 percent who said Democrats should resist Trump’s every move.

The findings are significant as Democratic leaders in Congress are under growing pressure by their liberal base to obstruct the president's agenda. The poll shows the party is divided on how to deal with Trump: 52 percent of Democrats polled say they should cooperate with him on areas of agreement and 48 percent saying they shouldn't.

Those figures are nearly identical when the question is flipped – 68 percent of those polled say that Trump should be willing to compromise and find ways to work with Democrats in Congress. Thirty-two percent said Trump shouldn’t bend at all, even if it means finding ways to achieve his agenda without congressional approval.

Republicans are similarly divided here, with 48 percent wanting compromise and 52 percent saying Trump should be unwavering.

COMMENT:  The bottom line is that the Republicans have the power.  They control the White House and both houses of Congress.  It is up to the Democrats to decide to cooperate with the president, and they should.  They can at least tell the voters that they tried.

But the Democratic Party is increasingly controlled by a rigid, and frightening, left-wing fringe that openly threatens members who want to be reasonable.  Those Democrats are threatened with primary challenges in their next election campaigns, even if they've been Democrats all their adult lives.  It will take a certain number of Dems from conservative states to buck the party if they wish to produce results for their constituents, or even save their own careers.  This used to be the party of Roosevelt, Truman, and Kennedy.  It's pathetic.

February 19, 2017       Permalink

AH, THE IVY LEAGUE – AT 10:13 A.M. ET:  There is deep thought going on at Yale.  I must tell you about it, as it will elevate your cultural consciousness.  From the College Fix: 

It’s not enough for the Yale Women’s Center that the university took the name of a slaveholding vice president off a building.

It criticized the school for renaming Calhoun College after an accomplished alumna, computer-science pioneer and Rear Adm. Grace Murray Hopper, because she was white.

The Yale Daily News reports:

However, while the renaming may represent an affirmation of the power of both student and New Haven activists to enact change, the Yale Women’s Center has argued that more remains to be done. In a Facebook post last weekend, the Women’s Center wrote that the decision to “change the name from a white supremacist to a white woman, as amazing as she may be, is an act of whitewashing.”

In its post, the center tried to walk the line between celebrating “the second honoring of a woman for Yale’s residential colleges” and denouncing another white name on a building:

We feel the name change still does not reflect the issues raised by students and alumni for the years of Change-the-Name activism. …

[T]he decision to rename the college after another white person seems like an attempt to end this discussion on the history of white supremacy and its active and continued role in this institution and on our campus. …

We wish to call upon Grace Hopper College to become a center of resources and action for marginalized peoples and their accomplishments to this campus and to the nation at large.

COMMENT:  The word "crisis" is vastly overused.  But if we in America have a real crisis, it's an immaturity crisis.  The words above are evidence of it.  These kids are going to be America's leaders in 25 years.  They are getting a terrible start.  They think like children, and want to remain children.  It makes me worry for the future of the country...although I know there are many institutions and groups out in the heartland that aren't going the route of juvenile delinquency, and will step up when needed.  But will an immature nation realize when they're needed?

February 19,  2017     Permalink