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JANUARY 3,  2017

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

THE ELECTION IS OVER – FROM THE DAILY MAIL:  Putting the bitter presidential race aside, both Hillary and Bill Clinton will attend Donald Trump's inauguration later this month, according to CNN.  The news comes on the heels of both President George W. Bush and his wife, former first lady Laura Bush, planning to be on hand.  President Bush's spokesman, Freddy Ford, confirmed the couple would be there.
'They are pleased to be able to witness the peaceful transfer of power – a hallmark of American democracy – and swearing-in of President Trump and Vice President Pence,' Ford said.  We're finally starting to see some class.  I hope Trump reciprocates with appropriately gracious comments during his inaugural.

MORE HOLIDAY CHEER IN GERMANY – FROM BREITBART:   At New Year’s Eve celebrations in Dortmund a mob of more than 1,000 men chanted ‘Allahu Akhbar’, launched fireworks at police, and set fire to a historic church.  Already by 7 pm a man was hospitalised with first-degree burns to his face and hands after fireworks were hurled at a group of homeless people outside the city’s main train station. More than two dozen people were injured at festivities in Dortmund, some seriously.  The events of the night were described as “quiet” by police in a statement, and as “normal” by a spokesman for the city government.  But at 11:30 pm police announced they were adding to their already much larger than usual presence in the city centre for New Year, sending in further reinforcements of officers.  This came after the force reported there being a “large number of young men from North Africa” in town, with federal police officer Volker Stall noting there was an “aggressive mood” towards the public and police.  Who are we to question another culture?  Why, setting fire to churches may simply be an expression of cultural familiarity and love.  That's right, isn't it?

BRILLIANT MOVE BY TRUMP – FROM THE HILL:   House Republicans abruptly withdrew a proposal to weaken an independent ethics watchdog on Tuesday, in a rocky start to the new Congress.  The 115th session hadn't even formally gaveled in before House GOP leaders held an emergency conference meeting to discuss blowback against the party's vote to gut the chamber's independent ethics watchdog.  The reversal of course came hours after President-elect Donald Trump issued a series of tweets questioning the timing of the changes, which would put the independent Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) under oversight of the House Ethics Committee.  Even before Trump weighed in, a barrage of negative headlines and public outcry made it difficult for Republicans to stand by the measure, especially given that the Republican president-elect had campaigned on a promise to "drain the swamp" of Washington, D.C., of corruption.  "We shot ourselves in the foot," Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) told reporters after the conference meeting.  They certainly did, and Trump's quick, negative reaction shows how sharp he is, and that he's willing to take on his own party.  Bad move by the House GOP, great one by Trump.  House Republicans owe him one for saving their necks. 

January 3,  2017     Permalink

GETTING TO WORK – AT 11:16 A.M. ET:  President-elect Trump is already getting results in his drive to bring jobs back to America.  And he's taking on some of the biggies.  From Reuters: 

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to impose a "big border tax" on General Motors Co for making some of its Chevrolet Cruze compact cars in Mexico, an arrangement the largest U.S. automaker defended as part of its strategy to serve global customers, not sell them in the United States.

Trump's comments marked his latest broadside aimed at an American company over jobs, imports and costs before he takes office on Jan. 20, signaling an uncommon degree of intervention for an incoming U.S. president into corporate affairs.

"General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to U.S. car dealers-tax free across border. Make in U.S.A. or pay big border tax!" Trump said in a post on Twitter.

Trump did not provide further details but previously vowed to hit companies that shift production from America to other countries with a 35 percent tax on their exports into the United States. He also has denounced the North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada.

COMMENT:  I love the deep concern expressed by some leftists over Trump's intervention in the free enterprise system.  I hadn't noticed this concern before.  Yes, Trump probably is doing some unusual things, but they are needed to jumpstart this economy and start rebuilding it as an American economy.

The CEO of Ford was on TV this morning pledging cooperation with Trump's effort.  That's what I want to hear.  I want to see American companies compete for who can bring back the largest number of jobs.  The Ford CEO said that the manufacturing environment in the United States is improving due to Trump.  Whoopee.

January 3, 2016       Permalink

LET'S NAIL THIS DOWN – 10:21 A.M. ET:  The anti-Trump press is having a field day ridiculing the incoming president for not readily accepting the assessment of intelligence agencies that Russia tried to influence our election through hacking.  But is Trump actually right in being skeptical?  It may well be.  From The Hill: 

Former CIA Director James Woolsey says political hacks in the U.S. could be the work of more than one foreign country.

“I think the possibility that there’s more than one country involved is really there,” Woolsey said Tuesday on CNN’s “New Day.”

“I don’t think people ought to say they know for sure there’s only one. I don’t think they’re likely to be proven correct. It shouldn’t be portrayed as one guilty party,” added Woolsey, who endorsed President-elect Donald Trump.

“It’s much more complicated than that. This is not an organized operation that is hacking into a target. It’s more like a bunch of jackals at the carcass of an antelope.”

Woolsey suggested China and Iran could be behind cyber breaches in the U.S.

“Is it Russian? Probably some,” he said. "Is it Chinese and Iranian? Maybe. We may find out more from Mr. Trump coming up today.”

Trump on Sunday hinted he would reveal new information about alleged Russian hacking during a New Year’s Eve Celebration at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla.

“[I know] things that other people don’t know,” he said. "I just want them to be sure because it’s a pretty serious charge. I think it’s unfair if they don’t know.”

COMMENT:  I want to know what Trump has.  This has been turned into a big story by the media.  Trump must deliver something to justify his skepticism, which I'm guessing is well placed. 

Jim Woolsey is a good guy, vastly knowledgeable and experienced.  I don't think he would have gone out on a limb unless he has some very good information.

January 3, 2016       Permalink

IT STARTS TODAY – AT 9:56 A.M. ET:  In the game of Washington politics, today is the season opener.  The new Congress is sworn in, and meets for the first time.  Republicans are eager, knowing that, with Donald Trump's inauguration in two and a half weeks, they will control the town. 

The enemy is out there, with names like New York, Massachusetts, and California, but they are temporarily defeated and in mass therapy.  Stuff can get done.  From the L.A. Times:

A Republican-controlled Congress opens Tuesday with the most sweeping conservative agenda in decades, providing Donald Trump ample room to gut the Affordable Care Act, slash corporate tax rates and undo Obama-era environmental regulations.

The House is almost certain to reelect Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) as its first order of business, dispensing with the messy political infighting that has hobbled Republicans in the past.

And the Senate will swiftly begin vetting the president-elect’s most controversial Cabinet picks, ready to confirm some when Trump is inaugurated as president on Jan. 20.

Yet Republicans remain at odds on some high-profile issues — such as how aggressively to investigate Russian hacking in the 2016 election — and how to fulfill other big-ticket promises, such as replacing Obamacare.

Despite firm Republican control of both the White House and Congress, the internal disputes have left them without a clear plan yet for Trump’s first 100 days, or an endgame for the two years of the 115th Congress.

Trump’s often shifting views on major issues will test relations with GOP’s leaders on Capitol Hill, and his willingness to skirt ideological rigidity gives incoming Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer of New York and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco an opening to influence and shape the president’s evolving agenda.

COMMENT:  That's a fair way of looking at it.  Control doesn't guarantee either effectiveness or good strategy.  Republicans must now show that they can govern, and that may not always be easy.

The GOP will be working with a president who is unusual, to say the least.  But it had almost the same situation when Ronald Reagan took the oath office.  He was not universally popular within his own party, but he developed a great style in working with members of Congress, both Republican and Democratic.  And the nation moved forward.  Trump must do the same.

January 3,  2016     Permalink

JANUARY 2,  2017

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

THE MYSTERY – FROM THE HILL:   WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says there's an "obvious" reason the Obama administration has focused on Russia's alleged role in Democratic hacks leading up to Donald Trump's electoral win.  “They’re trying to delegitimize the Trump administration as it goes into the White House,” Assange said during an interview with Fox News's Sean Hannity airing Tuesday night, according to a transcript of excerpts from the network.  “They are trying to say that President-elect Trump is not a legitimate president," Assange said during the interview, which was conducted at the Ecuadorian embassy in London where he has been staying.  "Our publications had wide uptake by the American people, they’re all true,” Assange continued. “But that’s not the allegation that’s being presented by the Obama White House.”  Assange reiterated the group's denial that Russia was the source of the Democratic documents released over the summer.  I take no position.  I want much more information.  And I mean MUCH more. 

THE TECH AGE – NOT – FROM CNN:   (CNN) A computer outage at US airports Monday evening left thousands of inbound international travelers stuck behind customs screening stations for hours on one of the busiest travel days of the year.  The US Customs and Border Protection processing systems were back online at all airports later in the night, spokesman Daniel Hetlage said -- but not before creating long lines of disgruntled holiday travelers.  The outage lasted from about 5 to 9 p.m. ET, Hetlage said. Airport officials and travelers across the country reported delays ranging from 30 minutes to two hours.  Imagine if an enemy could disrupt a number of critical computer systems at once.  It is one of the nightmare scenarios for which we are not prepared.

BETTER THAN SHERLOCK – FROM LONDON'S TELEGRAPH:  High-tech washing machines and fridges will soon be used by detectives gathering evidence from crime scenes, experts have forecast.  The advent of ‘the internet of things’ in which more devices are connected together in a world of ‘smart working’ could in future provide important clues for the police.  Detectives are currently being trained to look for gadgets and white goods which could provide a ‘digital footprint’ of victims or criminals.  Mark Stokes, the head of the digital, cyber and communications forensics unit at the Metropolitan Police told The Times: “Wireless cameras within a device, such as fridge, may record the movement of owners and suspects.   “Doorbells that connect directly to apps on a user’s phone can show who has rung the door and the owner or others may then remotely, if they choose, give controlled access to the premises while away from the property.  “All these leave a log and a trace of activity. The crime scene of tomorrow is going to be the internet of things.”  A man can't even go to the fridge and swipe a second helping of ice cream without the police knowing about it.  What kind of world is that?

January 2, 2017       Permalink

HACKS HERE, HACKS THERE, HACKS EVERYWHERE – AT 10:33 A.M. ET:   The "Russian hacking" story continues.  Donald Trump says he has information on the alleged hacking that others don't have, and will reveal it this week.  It better be good, and not a stunt.  Trump's relationship with Russia, and Vladimir Putin in particular, is the one big issue that can derail him right now.  He's got to take this issue seriously.  From Byron York in the Washington Examiner: 

President-elect Trump stirred yet more controversy Saturday night when, as he entered his New Year's Eve party at Mar-a-Lago, he said he is not convinced the intelligence community is sure about allegations Russian hackers sought to influence the election.

"I just want them to be sure, because it's a pretty serious charge," Trump told reporters, "and I want them to be sure."

The next morning, Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, scoffed at Trump's statement. "This is the overwhelming judgment of the intelligence community and, frankly, all of the members of the intelligence committees in Congress, Democrats and Republicans," Schiff said on ABC Sunday. "None of us have any question about this. The only one who does apparently is Donald Trump."

That is not the case. There are, in fact, members of the intelligence committees who do have questions about this. Yes, many Republicans believe Russian hackers tried to mess with the U.S. presidential campaign in some way, mostly because they believe Russian hackers are always trying to mess with U.S. systems and institutions. But when it comes to solid information on precisely what was done, and on evidence of motives, many Hill Republicans are mostly in the dark — because the intelligence community has kept them there.

COMMENT:  There are two stories here:  1)  Did Russia hack into the systems at the Democratic National Committee and 2) If so, what was its motive?

The first is a technical question dealing with equipment and digital capability.  The second, motive, deals with human intelligence.  What was in their minds?

I don't think these subjects are as simple as the Obama administration claims.  Trump must take the issue seriously, but his skepticism may well turn out to be justified.

January 2, 2017       Permalink

I LIKE THIS – THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT – AT 9:55 A.M. ET:  The Trump White House will break ground.  I like the fact that Ivanka, who has real star quality, is talking with another star, Republican Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn of Kentucky, about legislation.  Two gifted women.  From the Daily Mail: 

Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., told CNN's Jake Tapper today that she's been conversing with Ivanka Trump about the future first daughter's plans for child care reform.

'Yes. Yes. I have,' Blackburn replied when asked. 'And I am delighted to see that we're looking at options for tax credits, tax incentives, ways for moms and dads to be able to write-off this child care cost.'

Ivanka Trump identified child care costs as an issue she cared about – and, in turn, an issue her father would care about – at this summer's Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

Now with the inauguration just three weeks away, and Ivanka Trump looking to have a more outsized role than her stepmother Melania Trump, the forthcoming first lady, members of Congress are getting down to business with President-elect Donald Trump's eldest daughter on an issue that is normally something Democrats talk about.

More unusual, is that a first daughter would be directly lobbying Congress, something that official White House staff would normally do.

COMMENT:  Watch for Trump to, well, hijack Democratic issues and pursue them through a conservative filter.  Don't underestimate the crowd that's coming in on January 20th.  They just pulled off a political miracle, and they can pull off more.

And Marsha Blackburn has a great future.

January 2, 2017       Permalink

WELCOME TO 2017 – BACK TO REALITY – AT 9:39 A.M. ET:  Britain receives a grim warning to open the new year.  From London's Independent: 

The Isis terrorist group wants to carry out a “mass casualty” chemical weapons attack in Britain, the national security minister has warned – describing it as “everybody’s worst fear”.

Ben Wallace said Isis had already used chemical weapons in Syria and Iraq, where it controls large areas.

Furthermore, the Moroccan authorities apprehended a cell in February that was harbouring substances that could be used to either make a bomb or a “deadly toxin”.

Mr Wallace said: “The ambition of IS [Isis is also known as Islamic State] or Daesh is definitely mass casualty attacks. They want to harm as many people as possible and terrorise as many people as possible.

“They have no moral objection to using chemical weapons against populations and if they could, they would in this country. The casualty figures which could be involved would be everybody’s worst fear.

“We have certainly seen reports of them using it in Syria and Iraq (and) we have certainly seen aspiration for it in Europe.”

The comments, in a Sunday Times interview, came before the suspected terror attack that killed at least 39 New Year revellers at a Turkish nightclub.

Officials said at least one gunman reportedly wearing a Santa costume murdered a police officer and a civilian outside Istanbul’s famed Reina nightclub before bursting inside.

The attacker opened fire into the crowd of up to 700 people, killing at least 39 – including 15 foreigners – and injuring dozens more in the Ortakoy district.

In the interview, Mr Wallace also warned about the threat from “the enemy within” as terror groups, Russia and cyber attackers were trying to plant “traitors” in the Government, the military and leading businesses.

“There are traitors,” he said. “We have to be on our guard for the enemy within.

COMMENT:  I'm glad he used the word "traitors."  We have them here, too.  But the almost former president probably thinks of them as misguided idealists.

January 2,  2017    Permalink