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JANUARY 19,  2017

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

A DIFFERENT POLL – FROM RASMUSSEN REPORTS:  Voter attitudes about President-elect Donald Trump have changed little since Thanksgiving, with just over half of voters continuing to give him favorable marks.  The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 52% of Likely U.S. Voters share a favorable opinion of Trump, with 30% who have a Very Favorable one. The president-elect is viewed unfavorably by 48%, including 37% with a Very Unfavorable view.  A far better view of the president-elect than reported by other polls earlier in the week, which oversampled Democrats.

A NORTH KOREAN SURPRISE? – FROM BRITAIN'S SUN:   North Korea is ‘readying two intercontinental ballistic missiles’ to ‘nuke’ Donald’s Trump inauguration, it’s been reported.  Military officials say the rogue state wants to send a “strategic message” to the incoming US President by timing launches to ruin his big day tomorrow.  In a statement, South Korea’s Joint Chief of Staff said the reports could not be confirmed but said the military was monitoring the situation closely.  However, according to news reports in South Korea two missiles have already been placed on mobile launchers.  This may be Trump's first crisis.  How he handles it will be examined with journalistic microscopes.  He must stand firmly with our South Korean ally, and show the toughness that Obama lacked.

REAL CLASS – FROM FOX:   WASHINGTON – Trump supporters arriving for the “Deploraball” inauguration celebration in Washington Thursday night were greeted by screaming profanities and threats as they entered the National Press Club Building.  Some of the hundreds of protesters sprayed Mace, while others were peaceful as law enforcement officers lined the streets to monitor the chaotic scene. At least one passer-by reported bottles were being thrown as he showed off a gash in his head.  The “Deploraball” was organized by a pro- Trump organization, MAGA3X, and invited over 1,000 guests to celebrate on the eve of the President-Elect’s swearing in.  Real style.  Anybody denouncing this kind of behavior?  Any Democrats?  I hear only silence.

January 19, 2017       Permalink

STEPPINGSTONE? – AT 9:16 A.M. ET:  Look, this is speculative, even silly, but it's so much fun.   Pressure is building on Hillary Clinton to run this year for mayor of New York City.  Would she?  Would she see it as a steppingstone back to another presidential run in 2020?  From the Daily Mail:

Hillary Clinton fans are urging her to make a political comeback after a poll showed how she would trounce Bill de Blasio in a hypothetical race for New York Mayor.

Clinton, who has given no indication she will run for office again, won 49 percent of the hypothetical vote over de Blasio's 29 in the survey.

The poll sparked calls among her fans to revive her political career. They started a 'Hillary for Mayor' hashtag on Twitter and told de Blasio to 'watch out'.

The poll, conducted by Quinnipiac University, asked: 'If the election for Mayor were being held today, and the candidates were Bill de Blasio the Democrat, and Hillary Clinton running as an independent candidate, for whom would you vote?'

Clinton won 49 percent of the hypothetical vote while de Blasio got just 29.

The next Mayoral election in New York will be held on November 7. De Blasio has already begun campaigning for reelection.

While Clinton's camp has not directly denied the possibility she may run for mayor, advisers say it is unlikely.

COMMENT:  Okay.  Well, Richard Nixon ran for governor of California after losing the presidential election of 1960...and lost again.  But he bounced back to win the presidency in 1968.

No former mayor of New York has become president.  The highest-ranking New York City official to make it to the White House was Theodore Roosevelt, who'd been police commissioner. 

As a job, mayor of New York is thankless.  Former mayors tend to disappear.  I once passed former Mayor Abe Beame on the street, and no one around me seemed to recognize him,.  Rudy Giuliani, a great mayor, tried to run for president and didn't come close to the GOP nomination. 

To run for mayor, Hillary would have to displace a Democratic incumbent, the above-mentioned Bill de Blasio.  He is an awful mayor, but a favorite of the Democratic Party's left-wing Zoloft-inducing fringe. 

Odds are, Hillary won't take the bait.  But you just never know.  Being mayor would keep her in the public eye, and the mayor of New York is the mayor of Trump Tower.  She could have all the elevators condemned.

January 19,  2017     Permalink

EVEN THE DEMS – AT 8:51 A.M. ET:  Outrage is growing in Washington over President Obama's commutation of the sentence of the treacherous Chelsea Manning.  Even Democrats, especially those from heartland states, are joining in the denunciations.  From The Hill: 

President Obama's 11th-hour decision to cut short former Army Pvt. Chelsea Manning's prison sentence is drawing backlash from a growing number of Senate Democrats.

The White House announced this week that the president had commuted the prison sentence. Manning, who was sentenced to 35 years in 2013 for leaking classified information about U.S. national security activities to WikiLeaks, will now be released in May.

A small, but growing, number of Senate Democrats are distancing themselves from the decision, which they warn could have negative consequences for national security.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said the decision sends the "wrong signal."

"[It's] something I wouldn't have done," he told Fox News.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) told The Hill that he was "disappointed" in the decision, while Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va) separately called the president's decision "dead wrong."

"I think he's dead wrong. Absolutely dead wrong," he told "Meet the Press Daily." "This is treason, espionage at the highest level."

COMMENT:  There are actually Democrats who don't represent New York or California.  They're running scared.  Their states deserted the Democratic Party, and their voters can sweep them out of office when they're up for re-election.  A number of Senate Democrats will be defending their seats in 2018.

January 19, 2017       Permalink

ONE MORE DAY – AT 8:40 A.M. ET:  In one day Barack Obama will leave the presidency.  We only wonder how much damage he can do in this day.  There are stories circulating, unconfirmed, that he will announce more pardons and commutations.  I suspect he'll do something to take the spotlight off Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, the Democrats are doing everything to ruin the opening days of the new administration.  From The Hill: 

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is warning that President-Elect Donald Trump could only get three nominees cleared through the Senate on Friday.

The Kentucky Republican blamed Democrats for the heated confirmation battles, after lawmakers spent the past two weeks grilling Trump's picks.

“It’s safe to say the Democrats are in a bad mood. You can see that in the way the confirmations process is going on in the Senate. We are getting off to kind of a rough start,” he told USA Today.

Unless Republicans are able to get a broader deal from Democrats, McConnell's prediction means Trump is on track to get fewer than half the number of nominees that President Obama got confirmed on the same day as his 2009 inauguration.

The Senate, then controlled by Democrats, cleared seven Obama nominees on the first day of his administration.

McConnell and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) are currently locked in negotiations over which nominees will be get a vote on Friday. Thirteen of Trump's nominees have faced Senate panels so far, with two more confirmation hearings slated for Thursday.

COMMENT:  The Democrats cannot accept that they lost the election.  They not only lost the presidency, they lost at every level.  They are in the wilderness.  But watch some of their "spokespeople" on television.  So condescending.  So superior.  Why, they might be willing to work with President Trump, but they'd have to feel comfy cozy about it.  They don't talk much about constituents.  Those deplorables, you know.  Only good for votes on election day.

January 19,  2017     Permalink

JANUARY 18,  2017

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 9:05 P.M. ET: 

DEFENDING CNN – FROM THE HILL:  CNN President Jeff Zucker says President-elect Donald Trump's attacks on his network are an attempt to "delegitimize journalism,” adding that CNN's "credibility is higher than ever.”  "It’s just unfortunate that the most powerful person in the world is trying to delegitimize journalism and an organization that plays such a vital role in our democracy," Zucker told New York Magazine in an interview Wednesday.  "I think he’s entitled to his opinion, but it’s — to use one of his favorite words — sad."  No, what's sad is that CNN has become a predictable megaphone for the liberal left.  At times it's unwatchable...unless your flight is six hours late and you're sitting in an airport at 2 a.m.

CHELSEA SPEAKS – FROM THE HILL:  Chelsea Clinton urged supporters of her mother's presidential bid to keep fighting for their beliefs in a new interview with Refinery 29.  "Everything we believed before the election, we still believe," the former first daughter said. "Everything we worked so hard for, we have to continue to work hard for. It requires engagement in our own communities."  Clinton’s comments come just before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. Her mother, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, lost to Trump in a surprising defeat in November.  In the interview, Chelsea Clinton implored Democrats to use their frustrations for good by continuing to push for change.  "Use those emotions to engage and organize and advocate to protect and advance what you think matters most," Clinton said. "Whether that's combating climate change, or protecting women's rights, fighting against gun violence, or advocating for LGBTQ equality."   A classic display of why the Dems lost the election.  Note how she mentioned only the trendiest issues around – direct from the faculty lounges of the East and the studio offices of Hollywood.  How about things like employment, a strong national defense, peace, public safety?  Oh wait, those issues are taken – by the Republican Party.

TWO CAN PLAY AT THIS GAME – FROM THE DAILY MAIL:   The Wynn Las Vegas has removed all Tom Ford beauty products and eyewear from the resort after comments the designer made about Melania Trump.  Ford, 55, said during an appearance on The View in November that he would not be dressing Melania Trump while she was in the White House because his clothes are 'too expensive' for a first lady to wear, noting that in that position she would have to 'relate to everybody.'  Donald Trump responded to this by telling Ainsley Earhardt on Fox & Friends that Melania never asked Tom Ford to dress her.  'Never asked Tom Ford, doesn't like Tom Ford, doesn't like his designs,' said Trump.  He then went on to say: 'Tom Ford is an example. "I will not dress the First Lady." He was never asked to dress - and Steve Wynn just called me and he said he thought it was so terrible what Tom Ford said, that he threw his clothing out of his Las Vegas hotel.  Tom Ford has a perfect right to his opinion, and Steve Wynn has a perfect right to toss Ford's goods out of his hotel.  Wynn's action may prompt some self-celebrating celebrities to think twice before they open their well-fed mouths.

January 18, 2017       Permalink

THE TRUMP EFFECT – AT 11:40 A.M. ET:   No doubt about it, there's a new psychology at work.  From Breitbart: 

The number of companies announcing investment — and in many cases a return to investment — in the U.S.A. with a corresponding rush to create jobs for Americans has continued to grow even before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

In the weeks after his election on November 8, a series of large corporations announced major initiatives to expand in the U.S. but, since then, the number has only grown.

By the middle of December, several companies had announced new jobs and expansion plans for the U.S., including Carrier Air Conditioner Manufacturing (1,000 Jobs), SoftBank Telecommunications (50,000 Jobs), U.S. Steel (10,000 Jobs), and IBM (25,000 Jobs). In addition, representatives of America’s small businesses noted that Trump’s election filled them with hope for a resurgence in startups and a new expansion phase for their constituents.

But since December, the number of companies announcing expansion plans for the U.S. have only grown. Other companies announcing large expansion projects include the following:

Ford: 700 Jobs to Start

As January began, Ford Motor Company went public to tell Donald Trump that they are ready to deal with the new administration and also noted that at least 700 new jobs were on the table with more to come as the year rolls onward.

SAP SE: 400 Jobs

German business-software maker SAP SE is adding nearly 400 jobs to its Pittsburgh and suburban Philadelphia facilities, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Amazon.com: 100,000 Jobs

Amazon is eyeing a huge expansion starting this year and recently announced it intended to add up to 100,000 workers to its retail staff in new facilities across the nation.

COMMENT:  The Dems will say, of course, that it's all a coincidence.  In fact, it's their favorite word.  It was all a coincidence that we won the Cold War on Reagan's watch.  It was a coincidence that Rudy Giuliani was able to lower the murder rate in New York City by 80 percent.  My, my, my, all those coincidences. 

In fact, corporations want to get right with the new president, and with the public that elected him.  This is the Trump effect. 

January 18, 2017       Permalink

GOOD ADVICE FROM A FAMOUS NAME – AT 10:47 A.M. ET:  And surprising advice for the Democrats, considering the source.  From the Boston Herald:

U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III, breaking ranks with other Democrats who are trashing President-elect Donald Trump and boycotting his inaugural, is imploring his party’s rank and file to figure out why middle American voters went Republican in November.

“Somewhere along the way, we lost their trust. We have to get it back,” Kennedy said, departing from many in his party who have sought to cast blame for the loss elsewhere.

Kennedy rallied roughly 160 Democrats in a high school cafeteria in deep-blue Newton, giving a brief outline of what he sees as the future of his party.

An important step, he said, is to find out why people voted for Trump, rather than reacting to everything he posts on Twitter.

“The danger with going down that road is that it risks distracting us from what the core message was on Nov. 7 and Nov. 8,” Kennedy said. “For some reason this time, they decided to trust Donald Trump with their vote.”

He said liberal voters need to find common ground with Trump supporters, and said berating them for their decision is the wrong way to win them back. “Folks, we lost their trust and being mortified and mystified about their vote doesn’t bring it back,” he said.

COMMENT:  Good words, but the Democrats show no intention of listening. It's always someone else's fault.  The dog ate the homework.  It was the Russians.  It was the FBI. 

The Democrats lost at every level, not just at the presidential level.  I've always believed the vote for Trump was primarily a vote against Democratic policies, a protest vote.  It was also a vote against political correctness and identity politics. But there are too many top Democrats who are invested in the very things that failed.  They will not change, and they never leave.  You sometimes get the feeling that the Democratic leadership remembers the Civil War. 

If Democrats do not change, they'll have only one route to renewed power – hoping that the Republicans fail badly.  And, of course, that could happen.

January 18, 2017       Permalink

THE OUTRAGE – AT 9:56 A.M. ET:  There's been much attention paid to President Obama's commutation of the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the man-turned-woman former soldier who gave away national-security secrets by the bucket load.

But here in New York, another act of "clemency" by our last-minute president is generating even more outrage, except on the hard left, which is welcoming it.  From the New York Daily News: 

The last imprisoned member of the Puerto Rican independence group that terrorized New York in the 1970s will be a free man in May — 20 years ahead of schedule.

President Obama granted a commutation Tuesday to FALN mastermind Oscar López Rivera, who’s served 35 years of his 55-year sentence.

During the 1970s and 80s, López Rivera was part of FALN, or Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional, a group seeking to liberate Puerto Rico from U.S. control.

FALN placed more than 130 bombs in American cities — including one in New York on Jan. 24, 1975. The explosive went off in busy Fraunces Tavern during lunch hour. Four people died, including Frank Connor, a 33-year-old father.

“I faced Lopez six years ago at his parole hearing ... If he had expressed any atonement, any sympathy or empathy ... we’d have recommended he be released. But he didn’t,” said Joe Connor, who was a 9-year-old when his father was killed.

And...

“Freeing a hard core terrorist is inexplicable,” said Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives’ Endowment Association. “The President is insensitive to the life-long injuries sustained by the Detectives who lost eyes, legs and fingers attempting to dismantle the bombs. He is ending his Presidency the way he started, disrespecting law enforcement and embracing criminals.”

COMMENT:  That is exactly right.  Obama's action is more salt in the wounds already suffered by police officers under his reign. 

Oh, by the way, the hard-left mayor of New York, an admirer of Fidel Castro, hailed the release.  No surprise there.  So did the speaker of the New York City Council, who comes from Puerto Rico.  Both the mayor's office and the speaker's office are five blocks from Ground Zero.

January 18,  2017     Permalink