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JUNE 2,  2017

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

WE'RE SO IMPRESSED – FROM BREITBART:  NEW YORK, NY — On Saturday, over 135 cities will join a coalition of 17 “national progressive groups,” Democrat and progressive members of Congress, a Watergate prosecutor, writers, celebrities, musicians and activists in a series of national rallies known as the “March for Truth.”  The coordinated rallies are calling for an independent commission to investigate alleged collusion between the Trump administration and Russia, investigate whether Russia interfered with the 2016 elections, and call for President Trump to release his tax returns.  Yes, I'm certainly convinced that "progressives" are deeply concerned about Russian influence in the United States.  This would be a first for them.  What frauds.

FEELING THE HEAT – FROM THE NEW YORK POST:   Former terror leader Oscar López Rivera will not be honored at this year’s Puerto Rican Day parade, after the ex-FALN chieftain decided to turn down the award in the face of a widespread parade boycott.  Organizers of the June 11 march said the freed terror boss will forgo the “National Freedom Hero” honor and instead just march as a “humble” grandfather.  “He declined the honorary title at the parade. We respect that decision,” parade spokesman Andres Chavez said.  Lopez Rivera freed the parade organizers from having to take a stand on their decision to fete him, when he announced in an op-ed column published Thursday that he no longer wants the controversial award.  “I will be on Fifth Ave. not as your honoree but as a humble Puerto Rican and grandfather who at 74 continues to be committed to helping raise awareness about the fiscal, health-care and human-rights crisis Puerto Rico is facing at this historic juncture,” López Rivera wrote in the piece.  López Rivera did not address his terrorist roots, which sparked the outcry over his involvement in the parade.   It was a disgrace to honor this degenerate in the first place.  Many died at the hands of his group.  The list of those boycotting the parade started to grow, and I'm guessing Rivera was pressured to step down to avoid destroying the event.  One who did not boycott was Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City, a man with a Marxist past.  We'll remember that.

IT'S ABOUT TIME – FROM CAMPUS REFORM:  State lawmakers in Washington are fed up with the antics of Evergreen State College, and plan to introduce legislation to privatize the left-leaning institution.  As Campus Reform initially reported, hundreds of students marched through campus last week demanding the resignation of Professor Bret Weinstein, who had questioned the school’s decision to ask white people to leave campus for a day of diversity programming in an all-staff email.  In previous years, non-white students and faculty members voluntarily left campus to attend diversity workshops while their white counterparts conducted their own programming on-campus, but this year the format was flipped in response to complaints that non-white students feel unwelcome on campus in the wake of Donald Trump’s election.  Despite the protesters’ profanity-laced denunciations of him, school President George Bridges praised their “passion and courage” while capitulating to demands that they be excused from homework assignments for the duration of their demonstration.  Evergreen State is one of the most leftist colleges in the country.  Its main quad is actually called Red Square.  And the charge is that non-white students feel unwelcome?  Seriously?  It's sad to see what the civil rights movement has come to.

June 2, 2017       Permalink

STATES AIDING TRUMP ON IMMIGRATION POLICY – AT 10:56 A.M. ET:   Quietly, and with little network coverage, many states are taking tough stands against sanctuary cities.  In turn they're aided by voter support.  Sanctuary cities are highly unpopular.  From the Washington Examiner: 

Two thirds of the nation's states have taken action to join in President Trump's bid to crackdown on illegal immigration and "sanctuary cities," a sweeping national move that would bolster the administration's effort even if it loses in the Supreme Court.

The Migration Policy Institute reports that 33 states have moved to choke off illegal immigration, led by Texas which OK'd a law to block cities from giving "sanctuary" to illegals.

"While Texas was the first state to pass a sweeping law focused on illegal immigration since the presidential election, at least 32 other states have introduced immigration enforcement bills," said the Institute.

Trump has focused on deporting illegal immigrants with criminal records or who are facing criminal charges. He is also hoping to block refugees and immigrants from several countries with terrorist ties.
States, meanwhile, are looking mostly at restricting the ability of cities to become sanctuaries for illegals, even those with criminal records. 

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, as of May 8, 2017, 24 states were considering anti-sanctuary bills and four had passed such legislation during their 2017 legislative sessions, said the Institute.

COMMENT:  Sanctuary cities are illegal, and fly in the face of the rule of law.  We can try to be sympathetic to people who come here seeking a better life, but breaking the law must in some way be punished.  After all, what do you say to people who follow our laws and wait years to get into the United States by legal means?  Do you tell them they're suckers?  That's what they're being told in too many places. 

June 2, 2017       Permalink

DECLINE OF A STATE – AT 10:14 A.M. ET:   I have a certain affection for Illinois, having gone to the University of Chicago and worked for an Illinois US senator.  But the truth cannot be denied – the state has come on hard times, poorly run and poorly financed, and the city of Chicago is driving it down.  From Bloomberg: 

Illinois had its bond rating downgraded to one step above junk by Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings, the lowest ranking on record for a U.S. state, as the long-running political stalemate over the budget shows no signs of ending.

S&P warned that Illinois will likely lose its investment-grade status, an unprecedented step for a state, around July 1 if leaders haven’t agreed on a budget that chips away at the government’s chronic deficits. Moody’s followed S&P’s downgrade Thursday, citing Illinois’s underfunded pensions and the record backlog of bills that are equivalent to about 40 percent of its operating budget.

“Legislative gridlock has sidetracked efforts not only to address pension needs but also to achieve fiscal balance,” Ted Hampton, Moody’s analyst, said in a statement. “During the past year of fruitless negotiations and partisan wrangling, fundamental credit challenges have intensified enough to warrant a downgrade, regardless of whether a fiscal compromise is reached.”

Illinois hasn’t had a full year budget in place for the past two years amid a clash between the Democrat-run legislature and Republican Governor Bruce Rauner. That’s left the fifth most-populous state with a record $14.5 billion of unpaid bills, ravaged entities like universities and social service providers that rely on state aid and undermined Illinois’s standing in the bond market, where investors have demanded higher premiums for the risk of owning its debt. Moody’s called Illinois “an outlier among states” after suffering eight downgrades in as many years.

"The rating actions largely reflect the severe deterioration of Illinois’s fiscal condition, a byproduct of its stalemated budget negotiations," S&P analyst Gabriel Petek said in a statement. “The unrelenting political brinkmanship now poses a threat to the timely payment of the state’s core priority payments."

COMMENT:  The states around Illinois – Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa – seem to be doing quite well.  Although it has a Republican governor, Illinois is run as a liberal state.  You don't think that has anything to do with its plight, do you?  You don't think Chicago politics...?  Nah, let's not go there. 

June 2, 2017       Permalink

HILLARY'S SUICIDE MISSION – AT 9:29 A.M. ET:  It's pretty clear that Hillary Clinton is going down in flames.   She may have dreams of running again in 2020, but her own party is getting fed up with her blame-everyone crusade, in which she tries to cast the blame widely for losing last year to a very problematical GOP nominee named Donald Trump.  From CNN: 

Washington (CNN) Democratic data gurus are lashing out at Hillary Clinton after she complained publicly that her campaign was hamstrung by a party that had out-of-date information on individual voters.

Clinton said Wednesday in an interview with Recode's Kara Swisher that once she became the Democratic nominee, she inherited "nothing." The Democratic National Committee's data, she said, "was mediocre to poor, nonexistent, wrong. I had to inject money into it."

Her comments drew swift rebuttals from some Democratic operatives who built, or worked with, that data.

Andrew Therriault, the former DNC director of data science, lashed out in two since-deleted tweets.

"I hope you understand the good you did despite that nonsense," he said in a message directed to DNC data staffers.

David Radloff, the co-founder of the Democratic data and analytics firm Clarity Campaign Labs, tweeted: "Used DNC data on numerous campaigns this year, well managed, efficient, accurate. Real question is who's feeding Clinton bad info and why??"

John Hagner, a partner at Clarity, added: "I worked with DNC data every day last cycle, on winning Gov races. It was accurate and up-to-date and I'm grateful for their hard work."

Many Democrats noted that Clinton -- just like her opponent Bernie Sanders -- had access to the DNC's data from the outset of her campaign. Therefore, they said, if there was trouble with the data, her staff would have known long before she won the Democratic presidential nomination.

COMMENT:  The idea in politics is to make friends, not enemies.  Hillary hasn't gotten the memo, and her enemies list is growing.   She's coming off as an embittered former candidate who was memorizing the oath of office before the votes were counted.

She might wish to spend more time with the family.  I suspect that's her future. 

June 2,  2017     Permalink

JUNE 1,  2017

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

I LIKE IT – FROM THE NY DAILY NEWS:   LOS ANGELES >> Thirteen years after his death, Rodney Dangerfield is going “Back to School” again.  Los Angeles City College announced Wednesday the creation of a comedy-education program named in honor of the comedian who famously got no respect at all.
The Rodney Dangerfield Institute will initially offer four classes — a stand-up workshop, joke-writing, improvisational comedy and an American film comedy course. The institute will also feature guest lectures, performances, mentoring programs and partnerships with Southern California comedy clubs.  LACC officials said it is the only community-college-based comedy institute in the country.  “Rodney’s comedy personified the down-on-his-luck everyman,” said Dangerfield’s widow, Joan, who will be the honorary chair of the institute’s advisory board.  I'm all for it.  At least the kids will learn about writing, timing, and delivery, instead of "oppression studies."  And they'll smile for a change.

TRUMP STIFFS PARIS – The president withdrew the United States from the Paris climate accords today, bringing immediate condemnation from every elitist in the Universe, including Barack Obama, who just bought an 8.1-million-dollar house in Washington, undoubtedly with an eye toward saving energy.  Upon the president's announcement the left went into emotional collapse, bringing a worldwide cry for more English-speaking psychiatrists.  The Atlantic Ocean rose to the 70th floor of the Empire State Building, and the forecast for New York City calls for temperatures tomorrow nearing 125 degrees, in the shade.  Also, Al Gore gave up his American citizenship and promised to lead a solar-powered army against Trumpism.  CNN pundits wept openly on the air, singing choruses of "The Last Time I Saw Paris."

YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS UP – FROM BREITBART –  This is rich.  After facing massive backlash and financial losses from a publicity stunt, where Kathy Griffin produced a video enactment of a beheading, and presented an image of a decapitated President Donald Trump, Ms. Griffin has hired Lisa Bloom to represent her legal and financial interests against the victimized Trump family.  Lisa Bloom is the daughter of Gloria Allred, a notorious political legal activist.  According to the joint media release Kathy Griffin is claiming she has endured “bullying from the Trump family” as a result of her graphic publicity stunt.  I think Kathy could make a comeback by going on the road with Hillary Clinton.  Each can explain how she's been abused.   Great comedy.  Tickets'll go fast.

June 1, 2017       Permalink

I HATE TO SEE THEM GO, BUT IT'S INEVITABLE – FROM 9:51 A.M. ET:   America's shopping malls are disappearing.  It's not that people aren't buying.  They're buying online.  From the L.A. Times: 

Between 20% and 25% of the nation’s shopping malls will close in the next five years, according to a new report from Credit Suisse that predicts e-commerce will continue to pull shoppers away from bricks-and-mortar retailers.

For many, the Wall Street firm’s finding may come as no surprise. Long-standing retailers are dying off as shoppers’ habits shift online. Credit Suisse expects apparel sales to represent 35% of all e-commerce by 2030, up from 17% today.

Traditional mall anchors, such as Macy’s, J.C. Penney and Sears, have announced numerous store closings in recent months. Clothiers including American Apparel, Bebe and BCBG Max Azria have filed for bankruptcy. The report estimates that around 8,640 stores will close by the end of the year.
Retail industry experts say Credit Suisse may have underestimated the scope of the upheaval.

“It’s more in the 30% range,” Ron Friedman, a retail expert at accounting and advisory firm Marcum said of the share of malls that he predicts will close in the next five years. “There are a lot of malls that know they’re in big trouble.”

COMMENT:  Others, of course, disagree, pointing to new shopping centers being built, although on a smaller scale.  But the mall problems are obvious to anyone who's noticed the empty spaces and closing sales. 

And one must tip a hat to brilliant online marketers who have done the job right, providing first-class service and lightning-fast delivery.  No parking fees, no lines at stores, no wear on the family car.  Not bad.

But I think we'll all miss some of the hands-on experience and taking home a gift for someone in the family.

June 1, 2017       Permalink  

GOOD ECONOMIC NEWS – AT 9:22 A.M. ET:  Job creation is starting to boom in America.  The Trump effect?  We hope so.  From CNBC:

Job creation surged in May thanks to a jump in construction positions and a boom in professional and business services, according to a report Thursday from ADP and Moody's Analytics.

Private payrolls increased by 253,000, well ahead of expectations. Economists surveyed by Reuters expected the report to show that private payrolls grew by 185,000 in May from 174,000 in April.

The growth "is three times the rate of the growth in the underlying labor force," Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody's Analytics, told CNBC. "So that means the unemployment rate, which is 4.4 percent, is quickly headed to 4 percent. This labor market is rip-roaring and getting really tight."

Services broadly led the way with 205,000 new jobs, with professional and business services contributing 88,000 — its best month in about three years — and education and health services adding 54,000.

COMMENT:  If we can sustain this, and Trump's less-than-brilliant White House learns how to exploit the news politically, the Democrats may be deeply disappointed by next year's mid-term election results. 

Job creation is one of the main issues Trump used to win election.  If he keeps his promise and the economy roars, even CNN might notice.

June 1, 2017       Permalink

DISAPPOINTMENT FROM BRITAIN – AT 8:56 A.M. ET:  Prime Minister Theresa May called a snap national election in Britain last month, with the expectation that the Tories would demolish the Labour Party and gain a commanding majority in Commons.  Britain votes a week from today.

May took the chance based on polls showing as much as a 24-point majority for the Conservatives.

Sadly, that lead has collapsed, and that is bad news for our side.  Theresa May is a pro-American, pro free-enterprise leader, a softer version of Maggie Thatcher.  She's a good partner for President Trump.  Labour's leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is the most extreme leftist Labour leader in the party's history, profoundly anti-American, anti-Israel, and someone who blames the West for terrorism.  Not a nice guy.

From the Wall Street Journal: 

LONDON—For British Prime Minister Theresa May, what looked like a sure thing is starting to look more like a gamble.

When she called the election on April 18, some opinion polls were showing her Conservative Party leading the main opposition Labour Party by more than 20 percentage points. That would have expanded her working majority in the House of Commons from 17 seats to as many as 150.

Now, many of those polls show that lead has shrunk to single digits. On Thursday, just a week before voting begins, polling firm YouGov PLC said her advantage had dwindled to just 3 percentage points and in an analysis, it suggested her party could lose seats. That would deprive her of the solid majority she says is essential to success in looming Brexit talks with the European Union.

Failing to win big would be a blow for the prime minister, who led her party into this election hoping to exploit the apparent unpopularity of the Labour Party and particularly its leader Jeremy Corbyn, a veteran left winger beloved by young Labour activists but less popular than Mrs. May among most eligible voters.

“If it looks like it was in the bag and it was mishandled, then that’s not going to give her the same authority within the party,” said Anthony Wells, director of political and social research at YouGov.
Mrs. May’s failure to maintain her lead is the result of Conservative missteps and a better-than-expected public reception for Labour, analysts say.

COMMENT:  We should point out that the polls are all over the place, with all showing the Tories ahead...but by dramatically lesser numbers than when the race began.  They have run a terrible campaign, and Corbyn has tried, with so-so success, to clean up his image.

The Conservatives may well squeeze through a week from today, but probably as a diminished party that came up to bat and dribbled a little single.

June 1,  2017     Permalink