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SECOND SUBSCRIPTION DRIVE – 2016

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JUNE 13,  2016

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

I'M SHOCKED, SHOCKED – FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER:   Confidence in newspapers has hit an all time low in the latest Gallup survey, and TV news is also at a new low, the latest proof that Americans are losing faith in the media.  Gallup found that just 20 percent have confidence in newspapers, a 10-point drop in 10 years. TV news saw an identical 10-point drop, from 31 percent to 21 percent.  Gee, I wonder why.  You don't think it has anything to do with liberal bias, do you?  No, impossible.

ANOTHER PROBABLE ISIS ATTACK – FROM FOX:    A police officer has been stabbed to death near Paris in an attack reportedly linked to the Islamic State.  The officer was stabbed nine times in the abdomen at about 8.30 p.m. local time outside his home.  Armed police stormed the building, in the Yvelines area near Versailles, shots were fired and at least two explosions were heard at the scene.  Inside, police found the body of a woman, believed to be the officer's wife, and a three-year-old boy believed to be their son.  The little boy was in shock but is now safe.  The alleged knifeman, reportedly a neighbour of the police officer, was also found dead.  Islamic State's Amaq news agency cited an unnamed source as saying that an "ISIS fighter" had carried out the attack.  "Source to Amaq agency: Islamic State fighter kills deputy chief of the police station in the city of Les Mureaux and his wife," Amaq said on its news website.  Nothing to see, nothing to see.  We await President Obama's scholarly explanation of the event.

THIS JUST IN – FROM DAILY CALLER:   Sadiq Khan, London’s first Muslim mayor, announced Monday that “body shaming” advertisements will no longer be allowed in London’s public transport.  “As the father of two teenage girls, I am extremely concerned about this kind of advertising which can demean people, particularly women, and make them ashamed of their bodies. It is high time it came to an end,” Khan said.  The mayor added, “Nobody should feel pressurised, while they travel on the Tube or bus, into unrealistic expectations surrounding their bodies and I want to send a clear message to the advertising industry about this.”  The nanny state has officially arrived. 

June 13, 2016       Permalink

THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, NOT – AT 1:16 P.M. ET:  President Obama came out of the bunker today to speak further about the Orlando attack.  The insanity rolls on.  From London's Daily Mail: 

President Barack Obama said Monday that there's 'no clear evidence' that the shooter at an Orlando nightclub was directed to conduct his attack or part of a larger plot.

What do they have to do?  Send us a sworn statement?  It's early in the probe, and, as usual, our leftist president is trying to play down the role of radical Islam.

The president declared instead in an Oval Office press availability that the shooter appears to have derived inspiration from extremist information disseminated over the internet.

I wonder why it was disseminated.  I guess it was an educational campaign. 

And he suggested an anti-gay bias, not a terrorist influence, may be the primary reason for the weekend's bloodshed in Orlando, Florida.

'The fact that it took place at a club frequented by the LGBT community I think is also relevant,' he stated.

Of course it's relevant, Mr. Field Marshal.  Radical Islam hates gays.

The president blamed 'propaganda and perversions of Islam that you see generated on the Internet' for the mindset that drove a sympathizer with the ISIS terror army to kill 49 people Saturday night, along with 'the capacity of that to seep into the minds of troubled individuals or weak individuals.'

'I think we don't yet know the motivations' of the shooter, the president said.

The mass-murder pledged his loyalty to ISIS in a 911 call as he carried out the attack.

Maybe Obama hadn't heard.

FBI Director James Comey explained in a statement after his meeting with Obama that the killer also sympathized with other radicals, including one who was part of a group in direct conflict with ISIS, however, leading to confusion about his own goals in carrying out the attack.

And...

Obama hedged, however, against the possibility that the 49 dead might be genuine victims of a jihadi directed from abroad, even as he declared that there is 'no sign' of a wider plot against the United States.

What a horrible president.  After all the world has experienced at the hands of radical Islam, he plays down the threat.

'Regardless of the particular motivations of this particular killer,' he said, 'there are connections between this vicious bankrupt ideology and general attitudes towards gays and lesbians.'

'And unfortunately that's something that that LGBT community is subject to,' he said, 'not just by ISIL but by a lot of groups that purport to speak on behalf of God around the world.'

Here we go.  We're all responsible.  ISIS (or ISIL, as he says) is no different from a lot of other "folks" around the world.

COMMENT:   Obama never liked this country or its people.  Some "sophisticates" even describe him as the first  "post-American" president, and they use the term approvingly.

He is, in fact, a shallow propagandist who will leave this country far less safe than it was when he took office.  But he'll blame us, for we are the sinners.

June 13, 2016        Permalink

THE TRUTH WELL STATED – QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 10:18 A.M. ET:  The Wall Street Journal sums up our dilemma quite well, and with common sense:

A young American Muslim pledging allegiance to Islamic State is now responsible for the largest mass shooting in U.S. history. Can we finally drop the illusion that the jihadist fires that burn in the Middle East don’t pose an urgent and deadly threat to the American homeland?

We hope so after the Sunday morning assault on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando that killed at least 51 and wounded 53 as we went to press. The killer was Omar Mir Seddique Mateen, the son of immigrants from Afghanistan who was heard shouting “allahu Akbar” (God is great) as he fired away. Mateen attacked a popular night spot for gays, who are especially loathed in Islamist theology.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, and it rarely does so unless it played some role. CNN and others reported that a U.S. official said Mateen made a 911 call during the attack in which he pledged allegiance to Islamic State and mentioned the 2013 Boston marathon bombing.

We’ll learn more about Mateen’s ISIS ties in the days ahead, but it hardly matters to the victims whether the would-be caliphate planned the attack or merely inspired it. As we learned again after December’s murders in San Bernardino, ISIS propaganda over the internet can all too easily reach Muslims alienated from American society. Young men who are second generation immigrants seem to be especially vulnerable to calls for jihad.

COMMENT:  That says it.  We need a large dose of common sense in this country, to replace the left-wing fantasies of Barack Obama and his follows in the anthropology departments of the world.

Concern is that another attack is coming, either here or in an allied country.  It will come.  It always does.

June 13, 2016       Permalink

TAKING CREDIT – AT 9:31 A.M. ET:  ISIS has taken credit for the Orlando attack.  From
The Hill: 

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed responsibility Sunday for a deadly nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla., that left 50 dead and 53 injured.

"The attack that targeted a nightclub for homosexuals in Orlando, Florida and that left more than 100 dead and wounded was carried out by an Islamic State fighter," ISIS said in a statement.

The organization offered no proof for the attacks.

Speaking to reporters on the scene shortly before 3 p.m., Florida Sen. Bill Nelson (D) said ISIS had accepted responsibility for the shooting. But he said it had not been confirmed by the FBI.

“In this case, if we’re getting those kind of statements from the news agency of the Islamic State, we’ll have to see what those connections are.”

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R) also referenced the United States’s ongoing fight against terrorism but said the FBI would have more information about possible connections to terrorism.

Fifty people were killed and 53 others were injured early Sunday morning when a gunman opened fire inside the Pulse nightclub in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

Federal law enforcement officials say the gunman was Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old American citizen living in Port St. Lucie, Fla. He was killed at the scene in a shootout with police.

He was reportedly armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle and a handgun.

News networks reported Mateen phoned 911 moments before the shooting to pledge allegiance to ISIS.

COMMENT:  The fact that Mateen pledged allegiance to ISIS is sufficient, in my view, to establish a terrorist motive.  And the attack came during the month of Ramadan, a favorite time for Islamic extremists to strike.  And we've learned that Mateen had a history of belligerent statements supporting jihad.

And yet, there are already attempts by the usual suspects to minimize the terrorist link.  Why, it was simply a hate crime against gays.  He's unstable.  He had a bad marriage.  Maybe his air conditioner failed.

It was a terror attack.

June 13,  2016     Permalink

JUNE 12,  2016

NO "SHORT TAKES" TONIGHT BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TOO BUSY MONITORING THE HORRIBLE TERRORIST ATTACK IN ORLANDO.  A FEW OBSERVATIONS FROM THIS DAY:

This was not a "tragedy."  It was an attack, a mass murder.  A terrorist assault.  Let's call it what it was.

The word making the rounds is "unimaginable."  This had to be "unimaginable."  Really?  After 9/11?  After the attacks in Paris?  What's unimaginable about it?  It's completely imaginable, and terror experts had been predicting it for years.

Praise to much of the news media for an honest reporting job.  Most reporters did not run from the term "Islamic extremism."  Making we're making some progress.

Praise also to law enforcement for injecting Islamic extremism into the vocabulary of this event in the first hours.  My hunch is that they did this to get the truth out early, before the politically correct crowd moved in to make it into a generic "incident."

No praise to the president of the United States, who embarrassed us once again by refusing to cite the source of the terror launched against us.  In addition, he lectured us on the need for more gun control, even though the tools for preventing the murderer from getting guns were all in place, but not used.  This guy had been investigated again and again by the FBI, with serious concerns raised about his violent statements and his contact with jihadists.  Still, he wasn't on the federal gun-ban list.  What does it take?

No real praise for the mediocre presidential candidates.  Bernie Sanders, who's still in the race, led off by a rang about gun control.  No mention of Islamic terrorism.  Hillary Clinton issued a statement that sounded as if it had been written by ten lawyers.  She mentioned terrorism, mentioned gun control, would've mentioned better diaper service if it had polled well.  Donald Trump, who needs a brief course in professionalism, tweeted pretty reasonable things, but what the public wants to see and hear is the candidate speaking like a president, or at least issuing a single coherent statement. 

The fear of another attack, especially during this month of Ramadan, is palpable.  Be prepared.

June 12,  2016     Permalink 

BAD MOVE – AT 1:21 P.M. ET:  The Tony Awards are scheduled for CBS tonight.  They honor excellence in the Broadway theater, a community with a large number of gay members.  The question is how to give out awards as we contemplate Orlando, which was an attack on a gay club.  Apparently a decision has been made.  From Variety:

The devastating news of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history has left Tony Awards producers and CBS and scrambling to figure out the right way to address the tragedy on the three-hour live ceremony that is just hours away.

Police in Orlando, Fla., report that at least 50 people were killed inside a gay nightclub early Sunday morning by a lone gunman. Some 53 others were wounded before the shooter was killed as police entered the nightclub after a three-hour standoff.

Tony Awards producers said the show would go on as scheduled and be dedicated to the victims of the Orlando massacre. Details of the shootings were just surfacing as the Tony team gathered early Sunday at Manhattan’s Beacon Theater for the show’s dress rehearsal. The ceremony will be hosted by James Corden, frontman of CBS’ “Late Late Show.”

“Our hearts are heavy for the unimaginable tragedy that happened last night in Orlando,” Tony producers said in a statement. “The Tony Awards dedicate tonight’s ceremony to them.”

COMMENT:  Very bad move.  The Tonys should be postponed, first out of respect for the tragedy, and, second, because of the real possibility that participants, at a time of grief, will make some tasteless comments.  It always happens.

It's an awards show.  It can wait. 

June 12, 2016       Permalink

WHAT TO WATCH FOR – AT 11:26 A.M. ET:   There will be plenty going on today in response to the horror in Orlando.  Watch for these things:

1.  The reaction of the White House.  Will the president mention radical Islam?  Highly unlikely.  I suspect he will focus on the gay identity of the victims, and probably mention something about the use of guns in the crime.  But it would be refreshing if he would finally, and maturely, deal with the probability that the perpetrator was a radicalized Muslim.

2.  The statements by presidential contenders.  Hillary Clinton was secretary of state, and did precious little to confront Islamic terror.  Of course, she was restricted by Obama.  Will she be forthright about today's attack, or hide behind political correctness?  As for Donald Trump, we'll be looking for some attempt to sound presidential.  Or will he trip all over himself just to sound "tough"?  Toughness, as an old saying goes, is not a policy.  This could be a major moment for Trump to prove himself as a thoughtful, careful man.  I fear he'll blow it.  Also, remember that Bernie Sanders is still in the race.  Will his response reflect the horror of the act?  Or will he go left-wing crazy and blame the United States? 

3.  Law enforcement.  The FBI will probably be the lead investigatory agency.  It will carry out this investigation at the same time it is probing Hillary Clinton.  Will the two probes influence each other?  Will the severity of this attack give added emphasis to Clinton's negligence in protecting the national secrets of the United States?

4.  Further attacks.  It is the month of Ramadan.  This is the second major terrorist attack during Ramadan, the first being in Israel earlier this week, leaving five dead.  ISIS put out a video just before Ramadan began predicting terror during the period.  We must, realistically, expect more attacks, and some may come in the United States.

June 12, 2016       Permalink

AS WE SLEPT – AT 10:58 A.M. ET:  From The New York Times:

ORLANDO, Fla. — A gunman killed 50 people and wounded 53 in a crowded gay nightclub in Orlando early Sunday, officials said, in the worst mass shooting slaughter in American history, and law enforcement officials said it was an act of terrorism.

The gunman was Omar Mateen, an American citizen living in Port St. Lucie, Fla., federal law enforcement officials said.

The killer stormed the Pulse nightclub armed with an assault rifle and a handgun — investigators were still looking into the possibility that he had explosives, as well — at about 2 a.m., when more than 300 people were inside dancing and drinking, said John Mina, the Orlando police chief.

The gunman exchanged fire with an off-duty police officer working security at the club, then mowed down dozens of patrons, sending hundreds of others, some of them bleeding, fleeing down the darkened streets of the surrounding neighborhood.

The gunman holed up inside with dozens of people effectively held hostage, some of them hiding in a restroom frantically calling for help, until after 5 a.m., when the police, using an armored vehicle and stun grenades, assaulted and killed him. The raid saved about 30 people, Chief Mina said.

COMMENT:  We know these additional facts:  The terrorist was a Muslim.  He was an American citizen born to Afghan parents.  He worked as a security guard.  He had reportedly expressed interest in radical Islam.   The attack occurred during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when Muslim extremist leaders urge followers to carry out terror attacks. The attacker was described by police as very well prepared and armed. 

What we don't know:  We don't know whether the alleged shooter was part of a group, or acted alone.  We don't know if he specifically targeted gay people, or simply picked a nightclub at random.  We don't know if he was on any watch list.

This will be a massive investigation.  It was the biggest terror attack on our soil since 9-11. 

June 12,  2016     Permalink