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JUNE 10,  2016

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:53 P.M. ET: 

DEMS BUILD A FENCE! – FROM BREITBART:  Democrats are eager to build a wall around their Philadelphia presidential convention, but they’re refusing to preserve Americans’ legal walls against low-skill migration from low-wage countries, Sen. Jeff Sessions said today.  “It’s interesting that the Democratic National Committee will have a wall around their convention to keep unapproved people out while at the same time, their presumptive nominee, Hillary Clinton, pushes for open borders policies that are even more radical than President Obama’s,” Sessions said in Friday statement.   The Dems are completely blind to the concept of hypocrisy.  Doesn't bother them a bit.

BRITAIN BYE-BYE? – FROM BRITAIN'S INDEPENDENT:   The campaign to take Britain out of the EU has opened up a remarkable 10-point lead over the Remain camp, according to an exclusive poll for The Independent.  The survey of 2,000 people by ORB found that 55 per cent believe the UK should leave the EU (up four points since our last poll in April), while 45 per cent want it to remain (down four points). These figures are weighted to take account of people’s likelihood to vote. It is by far the biggest lead the Leave camp has enjoyed since ORB began polling the EU issue for The Independent a year ago, when it was Remain who enjoyed a 10-point lead. Now the tables have turned.  The referendum is June 23rd, 13 days from now.  If the Brits decide to exit, I want to be there to see the faces of the EU bureaucrats.  I'm sure counseling services will be available.

THIS IS TERRIFIC – FROM LONDON'S TELEGRAPH:   Multiple sclerosis patients who were severely disabled are walking, working and even downhill skiing again following a breakthrough therapy which completely destroys, then rebuilds, the immune system.  The trial, which is the first in the world to show complete long-term remission from the debilitating disease has been hailed by experts as ‘exciting’ ‘unprecedented,’ and ‘close to curative.’  Although it is unclear what causes MS it is thought that the immune system attacks the protective coating which surrounds nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord leading to inflammation, pain, disability and in severe cases, early death.  Always happy to bring good news amidst the gloom.  There is dazzling research going on.

June 10, 2016       Permalink

THE UNTOLD STORY – AT 11:31 A.M. ET:  One of the great untold stories of our time is the disgrace called South Africa.  Overrun by crime, sexual violence against women, and a leftist political class that swoons over foreign dictators, the country is in terrible shape.

It is also largely immune from criticism.  South Africa is, after all, the symbol of the battle against apartheid.  That's the narrative.  That's where the narrative in the West, especially among "intellectuals," begins and ends.  South Africa defeated apartheid, so who cares about the rest?  It's a perfect example of a mindset that includes race, gender, and ethnicity, and little else.

But South Africa is burning.  From South Africa today:     

Fourteen days of violent riots, protests and destroying South Africa. The compilation of the video illustrates how disastrous events between May 25 and June 8 this year, a total of 14 days is the reality of what is happening in South Africa. Riots around the country, from Johannesburg to Witbank, and Durban, plus other isolated incidents show the destruction caused by hooligans running amok. Hundreds of unemployed, frustrated and intimidated mobs are burning down South Africa, destroying property, looting shops and more. If this is the damage and destruction done in 14 days what does the future hold?

A video that the government and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) do not want you to see, real events that will not be aired on television. Recently the state-controlled television and the African National Congress (ANC) have banned the viewing of protests on television. The reason, violence will influence the youngsters in South Africa. It is all a cover up, the beginning of censorship to intimidate the 40 million ignorant masses who believe every word the ANC throw up.

Why are the people protesting? It has been 22 years of ANC democracy and freedom, yet the failure to meet the growing population’s demands has spiraled out of control. Are the protestors either intimidated by other political parties or genuinely frustrated with the ruling party?  Service deliveries and wrecked infrastructure, no housing, no food and no work all form part of the frustrations. However, being unemployed millions will be intimidated to ignite violence and protest for the sake of a pittance.

COMMENT:  Still not a big story in the U.S.  I guess the press has to have Al Sharpton's permission before examining the South African leadership.  But the country is smoldering.  How will the liberals in the media explain it if South Africa goes into open revolt? 

June 10, 2016       Permalink

BERNIE AND THE G-MEN – AT 10:35 A.M. ET:  Newt Gingrich is always interesting, and he has a fascinating theory as to why Bernie Sanders, the Karl Marx of Vermont, is staying in the presidential race.  From The Politico:   

Bernie Sanders is not yet leaving the Democratic race for president because of the ongoing FBI investigation into the private server Hillary Clinton used for official business as secretary of state, Newt Gingrich suggested Friday.

"First of all, if I were Bernie and I think this is what he’s doing, why should he drop out before the FBI drops out?" Gingrich remarked on "Fox & Friends."

He added, "As long as the FBI is in the game he might as well stay around at least until the convention."

Sanders, for his part, on Thursday indicated a willingness to work with Clinton to defeat Donald Trump in the general election while stopping short of dropping out before Tuesday's primary in the District of Columbia, the final event on the Democratic calendar.

COMMENT:  Maybe.  There is also informed speculation that Sanders will drop out after the D.C. primary on Tuesday.

Newt's take is compelling, however.  The FBI probe is still there, but pushed into the background by a compliant press this week because of the crowning of Queen Hillary. 

The FBI will not melt.  Even the White House, in what might have been a major rhetorical slip-up, referred yesterday to the FBI investigation of Hillary Clinton as "criminal," a term it has not used before. 

Wouldn't it be nuts if both parties had to replace their presidential candidates?  Just askin'.  It would certainly sell newspapers. 

June 10, 2016        Permalink

TRUMP FALTERS – AT 9:52 A.M. ET:  No doubt about it.   Trump's repeated blunders, and the obvious coolness of Republican leaders toward him, are starting to show up in poll numbers.  From The Politico: 

Faltering support for Donald Trump among voters is boosting Hillary Clinton’s advantage over him, according to a new poll released Thursday.

Clinton leads Trump by three percentage points — 42 percent to 39 percent — among voters nationwide according to the new Fox News poll.

Clinton's lead, which falls within the poll’s margin of error, represents a reversal of fortune for Trump, who held a three-point lead in a different Fox News poll three weeks ago. Since then, Trump’s support has dipped from 45 percent to 39 percent while Clinton’s has remained steady at 42.

Among independents, the news is even worse for Trump, whose support dropped 11 points relative to the previous Fox News poll. Support for the presumptive Republican nominee among voters who identified themselves as Republicans also dropped three points.

COMMENT:  It's that 11-point drop among independents that's devastating.  Trump may go into free fall if he doesn't wise up, start acting like a president, and stop sounding like an organized-crime hit man.

Many Republicans leaders don't like Trump, which is not necessarily a disaster.  The disaster part is that they don't trust him. 

It is probably a fantasy to think that Trump can be denied the Republican nomination.  He won it fair and square by competing in primaries.  But if there was ever a year when a third-party effort could succeed, it's this one.  And yet, no one appears.  What a comment on the state of American leadership.

June 10,  2016     Permalink

JUNE 9,  2016

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

WHAT A PHONY – FROM THE HILL:   Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) formally endorsed Hillary Clinton's presidential bid Thursday after months of remaining neutral in the Democratic primary.  “I’m ready,” Warren told The Boston Globe Thursday. “I’m ready to jump in this fight and make sure that Hillary Clinton is the next president of the United States and be sure that Donald Trump gets nowhere near the White House.”  Warren said she's getting behind Clinton because "she’s a fighter, a fighter with guts."  "I am ready to get in this fight and work my heart out for Hillary Clinton..."  Oh please.  After months of neutrality, figuring out which way the wind was blowing, she suddenly discovers Hillary's great virtues?  This is the same person who advanced her academic career by claiming to be a native American.  Would you buy a peace pipe from this woman? 

OH WAIT, HERE'S THE REASON FOR LIZ'S SUDDEN PASSION – FROM THE HILL:  Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said Thursday night she isn't looking for the job of Hillary Clinton's vice president, but said she would be ready for the role.  Appearing on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" to formally endorse Clinton, Warren was asked about speculation that she will be picked as a running mate and whether she believes she is capable of serving as president if needed.  "Yes I do," she told Maddow.   But Warren said she hasn't been contacted by the Clinton campaign about the possibility of being her running mate and didn't say that she is seeking the VP job.  "I know there's been a lot of speculation about this, but the truth is I love the work I do," Warren said. "I can't tell you how grateful I am to the people of Massachusetts who sent me here to just wade into these fights and now we're about to enter another big fight and that is a general election fight that pits a tough woman who is willing to lead against a small, insecure bully."   Of course she has no interest in being vice president, but she's ready to serve as president.  Do we laugh or cry?  Warren is the darling of the party's left, a female Bernie Sanders, another self-declared woman of the people.  Fact:  Just before she ran for the Senate, she sold her BMW, bought with money made from corporations, apparently to look more like the average, struggling woman.  If Clinton picks her, they can compare notes on how to make more millions.

I LOVE IT – WE'RE NOT THE KOOKS! – FROM THE NEW YORK POST:   Turns out liberals are the real authoritarians.  A political-science journal that published an oft-cited study claiming conservatives were more likely to show traits associated with “psychoticism” now says it got it wrong. Very wrong.  The American Journal of Political Science published a correction this year saying that the 2012 paper has “an error” — and that liberal political beliefs, not conservative ones, are actually linked to psychoticism.  “The interpretation of the coding of the political attitude items in the descriptive and preliminary analyses portion of the manuscript was exactly reversed,” the journal said in the startling correction.  “The descriptive analyses report that those higher in Eysenck’s psychoticism are more conservative, but they are actually more liberal; and where the original manuscript reports those higher in neuroticism and social desirability are more liberal, they are, in fact, more conservative.”  In the paper, psychoticism is associated with traits such as tough-mindedness, risk-taking, sensation-seeking, impulsivity and authoritarianism.  We knew it all along, didn't we?  So when you encounter your next liberal, give him or her the name of a competent shrink.

June 9, 2016       Permalink

FRANCE PREPARES FOR TERROR – AT 8:44 A.M. ET:  Terror concerns in Europe are growing.  There is a major soccer tournament about to begin.  France is preparing.  From The New York Times:

PARIS — With some 2.5 million people descending on France for the European Championship soccer tournament, which kicks off Friday, French officials have acknowledged that even as they take all possible steps to prevent and deter terrorist attacks, there is no such thing as zero risk.

In Paris, the police fear they will be so overstretched that they have asked the government to close huge and popular “fan zones” for some matches. So far, the government has demurred, even while conceding the risks.

“We must say the truth to the French people: 0 percent precautions means 100 percent risk, but 100 percent precautions does not mean 0 percent risk,” Bernard Cazeneuve, the interior minister, said in late May.

At a forum last week, Mr. Cazeneuve was categorical: “I cannot guarantee that we will not have a confrontation with terrorists.”

The American and British governments have effectively warned their citizens to stay away, calling the crowded sports events, as well as transportation hubs and other venues broadcasting the games, “potential targets for terrorist attacks.”

Security forces have staged nearly 30 drills in cities across France, preparing for bombs, chemical weapons and even drone attacks. Police reinforcements will be brought to Paris from around the country. Some 13,000 private security guards have been hired nationwide.

Euro 2016, a monthlong tournament involving 24 national teams from across Europe, begins Friday in Paris and a total of 51 matches will be played in 10 cities around the country. Arriving after a year in which France was hit by two major terrorist attacks, and after bombings in Brussels in March, the long-scheduled tournament has crystallized the seemingly permanent security fears Europeans must live with day to day in their determination to carry on with life as usual.

COMMENT:  We should have a higher alert status here as well.  It is Ramadan, and some terror groups have threatened attacks during this Muslim holiday.  We are also in the midst of a tense presidential campaign, and terrorists may want to disrupt or influence that campaign.  And we have upcoming nominating conventions in Cleveland and Philadelphia.  We are targets, and yet I see no sense of urgency on the part of our government.

June 9, 2016       Permalink

TRUMP TO REACH OUT TO RELIGIOUS LEADERS – AT 8:16 A.M. ET:  I hope they inform him that he's not God.  This is a good move, but Trump needs many good moves right now if he's to have any hope of uniting the Republican Party behind him.  From Breitbart:   

Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump is scheduled to hold an event with hundreds of religious leaders on June 21st in New York City.

Concerned Women for America CEO and President Penny Nance is a co-sponsor for the event with Trump, where close to 900 religious leaders will meet.

“We wanted to bring together hundreds of the nation’s top evangelical and social conservative leaders so he could make his pitch for their support,” Nance stated. “There is still a question about whether or not evangelicals can unify behind his candidacy.”

The event titled, “A Conversation about America’s Future” will feature both Trump and Dr. Ben Carson.

The invitation lists several groups hosting the event, including United in Purpose, My Faith Votes, Global Fund Group, FCCI, Charles W. Herbster, Vision America Action, AFA Action, and Family Research Council.

COMMENT:   Trump has never been identified with religion.  And his coarseness isn't helping to ease religious concerns.  What he needs for this event is a game-changing speech that will pledge a commitment to the traditional religious values that were critical to the building of America.   

I hope the event is televised.  If Trump can't rise to this occasion, it will be the equivalent of jumping into a toaster.

June 9, 2016       Permalink

WHAA..? – AT 8:05 A.M. ET:  Now that all the victory shouting is over, and Hillary has had her "first woman to..." moment, it's back to hard politics.  She is facing an FBI probe, but assures us that nothing will come of it.  From Fox: 

Hillary Clinton doubled down Wednesday on claims that her personal email scandal will not hurt her presidential bid or result in an indictment, in an interview with Fox News in which she made only a passing reference to another more immediate hurdle -- Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The Vermont senator continues to stay in the Democratic primary race despite Clinton securing enough delegates earlier this week to become the party’s presumptive presidential nominee.

“I applaud Sen. Sanders' vigorous determined campaign,” Clinton told Fox News's Bret Baier one day after her big win over Sanders in California. “I think that our primary contest was good for the Democratic Party and good for America.”

Clinton said the probe into the Clinton Foundation -- in addition to the controversy about her use of a private email server when secretary of state and the related FBI investigation -- will not impact her general election bid, though such issues did create problems in her primary campaign.

“That's what I'm saying. That happens to be the truth,” Clinton said in the interview.

Clinton also reiterated what she told 1070 Radio on Friday about the FBI probe into the email scandal not resulting in an indictment.

“Absolutely that is not going to happen,” she said. “There is no basis for it. And I'm looking forward to this being wrapped up as soon as possible.”

COMMENT:  Hmm.  I wonder how she knows that.  Has she been assured?  Who would give her such an assurance?  It makes me very uneasy.

The buzz has it that President Obama will endorse Clinton formally in a few days.  But everyone knows that he will make the ultimate decision on whether she'll face legal action.  Isn't an endorsement a conflict of interest?  Gee, I think so.  The contempt for appearances here is pretty bad. 

The idea is floating around that a special prosecutor would be a correct step, taking the Obama White House and Justice Department out of the chain.  I can't see any chance of that.  The appointment of a special prosecutor would probably wreck Clinton's campaign, and Obama doesn't want to ride up Pennsylvania Avenue next January 20th with President-elect Trump.

June 9,  2016     Permalink