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I appeared on Silvio Canto Jr's talk show from Dallas last night.  It's here.

JUNE 25,  2018

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

OUTED – FROM FOX:   The Congressional intern who hollered “Mr. President, f--- you!” across the Capitol Rotunda last week during a presidential visit has been identified.  Sources tell Fox News the woman in question is 21-year-old Caitlin Marriott, who is interning in the office of Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.
Fox News is told she has not been terminated and will continue to work there through August.  Congressional authorities were finally able to identifiy Marriott and speak with her to determine if she posed a threat to the president, sources said. She raced from where she heckled Trump, forcing U.S. Capitol Police to put out a “be on the lookout” over their radios.   After deciding Marriott didn’t pose a threat to President Trump, authorities decided there was no other action they could take. However, Fox News was told that Marriott will be confined to her duties in Hassan’s office on the third floor of the Hart Senate office building and earned a week-long suspension.  Well, at least there was some punishment.  I was concerned she'd receive a medal from the Democratic National Committee.

GIVE THE GUY THE LETTERS – FROM FOX:   The NFL reportedly denied a request from Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif after he asked the league if he could put the letters “M.D.” on the back of his jersey.  Duvernay-Tardif finished up his medical degree at McGill University in May. He was drafted by the Chiefs in 2014 and managed to finish his classes during his offseasons to earn his degree.  He told the Kansas City Star in February that he had conversations with the league about putting “M.D.” on the back of his jersey since he would be the only active NFL player with a medical degree. The move would have been similar to players putting “Sr., Jr., or roman numerals” on their jerseys.  The NFL apparently didn’t think the move was a good idea, according to Quebec’s TVA Sports.  Duvernay-Tardif reportedly still hopes that the buzz around his graduation could convince the league to reverse the decision.  Come on, NFL, make a good decision for a change.  Let the guy put the degree on his uniform.  He's a good role model.  It'll make positive news for a league that needs it.  And if someone gets hurt, they'll know immediately which player can help.

BLUNDER – FROM COLLEGE FIX:  The University of North Carolina Black Congress is taking advantage of the student newspaper’s efforts at discovering racism by — you guessed it — issuing a set of demands.  A little over a week ago, intrepid Daily Tar Heel reporter Maddy Arrowood dug up several “offensive” tweets made by UNC Student Body President Savannah Putnam while she was in high school. Arrowood wanted to see if any “high profile” UNC students had said anything objectionable on social media given several notable instances that had occurred at UNC other campuses.  Among the distasteful tweets: “Like dang all a n***a wanna do is play monopoly with her main thots,” and “That is so ghetto.”
Putnam took issue with the report, noting “I don’t think journalism should involve pulling quotes from 12-year-olds who obviously have a lot to learn about the world. This obviously isn’t something that I stand by, as evidenced by a platform centered around inclusivity.”  If you want to know what McCarthyism actually looks like, this a great example – going back in time and pulling a quote from someone, or noting attendance at a meeting years ago, completely ignoring what that person is today.  Is it really that important to harass a student leader who said dumb things as a 12-year-old?  How about trying to save black children's lives in American cities, or improving the status of fathers?  Maybe there's not enough in that for the corrupt black leaders.

June 25, 2018       Permalink

TEXAS CLOSE – AT 2:51 P.M. ET:   It's critical that Senator Ted Cruz win his race for re-election in Texas this November.  He is ahead in the polls right now in what should be an easy election, but the margin is too close for real comfort.  From The Hill:

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) leads his Democratic opponent, Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas), by 5 points in a new poll.

Forty-one percent of registered voters would cast a ballot for Cruz if the election were held today, while 36 percent would support O’Rourke, according to a survey by the University of Texas/Texas Tribune.

O’Rourke, who has represented Texas’ 16th Congressional district since 2013, won the Democratic primary in March. But he faces a tough race against Cruz, who gained national attention during his failed 2016 big for the Republican presidential nomination.

While Cruz is leading O’Rourke in the poll, the Republican senator has a higher unfavorable rating.
Forty-two percent of voters in the survey said they had an unfavorable opinion of Cruz, while 41 percent said they had a favorable view of him. Ten percent of respondents said they were neutral, and 7 percent said they did not know.

For O’Rourke, 37 percent of respondents view him favorably, compared with 24 percent who said they have an unfavorable view of the Democratic lawmaker. Sixteen percent said they were neutral, and 24 percent said they did not know.

The two candidates will face off in the November general election.

COMMENT:  Dangerous situation.  O'Rourke is a true fraud.  His name isn't even Beto.  It's Robert Francis.  He fancies himself another Robert Kennedy, and even combs his hair the same way.  He chose the name Beto, it is reported, because his politician father thought he had to have a name that appealed to Hispanics.  Who, really, is this guy?

He's a left-wing Democrat.  That's who.  And he must be defeated.

June 25, 2018       Permalink

NOW THIS IS SOMETHING – AT 12:39 P.M. ET:   A new Rasmussen poll reveals a stunningly negative view of the Democratic Party, as viewed by the American people.  From Rasmussen: 

A Democratic gubernatorial candidate from Wisconsin raised eyebrows last week when he said his party is now made up of warring identity groups that won't assimilate. A sizable number of Democrats - and just over half of all voters - agree.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 51% of Likely U.S. Voters agree with Matt Flynn, a former Wisconsin Democratic state party chairman, that "our party right now ... is pickled in identity politics and victimology. ... There is no assimilation of the party anymore." Just 23% disagree, while slightly more (26%) are not sure.

Even 44% of Democrats agree that their party “is pickled in identity politics and victimology.” Thirty-two percent (32%) don’t agree, but one-in-four Democrats (24%) are undecided. Most Republicans (56%) and unaffiliated voters (53%) say Flynn is right.

Among all voters, 78% believe most politicians these days are more interested in campaigning on what divides us rather than what brings us together. Only 11% feel the opposite is true. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure.

COMMENT:  The mainstream media likes to focus on problems within the Republican Party, and they are real, but the Democratic Party is a major mess.  In a way, it isn't really a political party any longer.  It's just a business, with different shareholders dividing up the profits.

The behavior of clowns like Maxine Waters will not help the party's image.  And it has that image despite the efforts of the aforementioned media to sanitize it.  The inmates have truly taken over the asylum. 

June 25, 2018       Permalink

ANNIVERSARY – AT 11:04 A.M. ET:  Today marks the 68th anniversary of the Korean War.  On June 25th, 1950, North Korean troops, backed completely by the Soviet Union, invaded South Korea. 

President Truman, using his authority as commander-in-chief, immediately committed American air and naval forces in an effort to turn back the invasion, even though South Korea had never been a formal part of the American defense line in the Pacific.  The United States was also able to get a resolution through the UN Security Council authorizing armed resistance to the attack.  The Soviet Union was boycotting the Council for an unrelated reason, and, in a major diplomatic blunder, did not show up to veto the resolution.

And thus an international force, including thousands of American ground troops, was formed under the command of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur.

The war went on for slightly more than three years.  It had, for our side, advances and reversals.  The Chinese entered on the enemy side.   The fighting was bitter.  The United States alone lost almost 37,000 troops, both in battle and from other causes.  We are often told that the war ended in a stalemate, but that simply is not accurate.  The North Korean/Soviet invasion was successfully repelled, at great cost, which is why there is a South Korea today.  We achieved our objective. 

There was never a formal ending to the Korean War.  There was simply a truce agreement signed in July of 1953.  Technically, we are still in a state of war with North Korea, through our participation in, and leadership of, the UN forces.

We are now, under President Trump, addressing the Korean peninsula issue more seriously than we ever have.  One objective of the president's new, tentative relationship with North Korea, is to bring a formal end to the war.  It is reported that the first gesture toward that will soon occur when, if the promise is kept, North Korea returns the remains of American war dead that they've been holding since 1953.  I would expect a formal, solemn ceremony to be held welcoming home these soldiers, whose accomplishments in battle remain effective to this day. 

Then, we will start the process, under Secretary of State Pompeo, of demanding the complete denuclearization of North Korea.  A timeline will be set, and North Korea, to receive relief from sanctions, will have to meet every stage of that timeline.  That is President Trump's policy, and we expect it to be carried out.

June 25,  2018     Permalink 

JUNE 24,  2018

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

WHAT WE'RE BECOMING – FROM CNN:   Washington (CNN) Amid the furor over the policy that resulted in thousands of families separated at the border, Department of Homeland Security employees have been warned about threats to their personal safety, according to a department-wide email obtained by CNN.  In the message from Claire M. Grady, the acting deputy secretary of homeland security, on Saturday afternoon, DHS employees were given information about the security resources available to them and were provided with tips for security, like not wearing their badges in public and being on guard for risks in public and online.  "In recent days, DHS has determined there may be a heightened threat against DHS employees in response to U.S. Government actions surrounding immigration," Grady wrote.  "This assessment is based on specific and credible threats that have been levied against certain DHS employees and a sharp increase in the overall number of general threats against DHS employees -- although the veracity of each threat varies. In addition, over the last few days, thousands of employees have had their personally identifiable information publicly (sic) released on social media."  Real great guys, those ultra-liberals.  If they'd been living in Germany in the 1930s, they'd have had their right arms up, like everyone else.

CONGRATS BERNIE; HOW ABOUT A MERCEDES? – FROM DAILYWIRE:  For the second year in a row, Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has reportedly raked in more than a million dollars, putting him solidly in the one percent of American income earners.  Though he's still well behind his colleague-in-arms, Elizabeth Warren (D-MA, estimated personal wealth, $18.5 million), a financial disclosure form filed just last month shows the Vermont Senator and former progressive Presidential candidate, did very well in 2016 and 2017, raking in more than a million each year from book deals, cash payments, and royalty fees, according to VT Digger.  Much of that money, the Vermont-centric investigative reporters say, came from his book, "Our Revolution," which earned him around $888,000. The book, which was critically panned, sold around half a million copies in its first week and the audio book even earned Sanders a Grammy nomination.  Just another man of the people.  I'm sure he feels our pain.

LAW AND ORDER – FROM AFP:   Mexico City (AFP) - The whole police force in a Mexican town of Ocampo where a mayoral candidate was slain this week has been detained for an internal investigation, authorities said Sunday.  "All of them are being interviewed to proceed as due under law in the event anyone has taken part in acts that violate the town's codes," said the security secretariat in Michoacan state, where the town of about 20,000 people is located.  It did not give the exact number of police detained.  Mayoral candidate Fernando Angeles was shot dead last Thursday when he was preparing for campaign events.  No wonder they all want to come here. 

June 24, 2018       Permalink 

IMPORTANT LABOR STORY – AT 2:21 P.M. ET:  There was a time when American journalism recognized the importance of stories about labor.  Labor unions were more prominent, strikes more common, and the working family was seen as the heart of the country.

Labor stories are still important, but we just don't get many of them.  This one is important.  From Fox Business:   

It looks like customers will still get their packages delivered.

Teamsters negotiators say they have tentatively agreed to a new five-year contract with United Parcel Service.

The deal promises to raise wages for existing workers but creates a new class of lower-paid drivers to handle weekend deliveries, according to Dow Jones.

The agreement must be finalized and then ratified by a membership vote.

The current deal expires on July 31.

The two sides are negotiating one of the largest collective bargaining agreements in the U.S., covering about 260,000 UPS employees.

The new contract provides hourly wage increases totaling $4.15 over five years and raises the starting wage for part-time workers to $13 an hour as of Aug. 1, with increases in subsequent years.

The settlement also creates a new category of "hybrid drivers" that would normally work on weekends, allowing the company to expand its Saturday delivery and potentially add Sunday services.

The starting hourly pay for these full-time workers is $20.50 and tops out at about $35, the union said.

COMMENT:  There had been serious concern that this strike would actually happen, and would disrupt the nation's economic boom.  UPS is a critical service, especially for online retail buying. 

June 24, 2018       Permalink

HOW CLASSY – AT 1:53 P.M. ET:   It is shocking, and disheartening, to see how the level of the once-great Democratic Party has descended into the sub-basement.  Maxine Waters is one of the most powerful voices in the new, shabby party.  From American Mirror: 

Maxine Waters wants more people to harass Trump administration officials in public spaces.
The California Congresswoman went on a shouting rampage during a toy drive outside the Wilshire Federal Building on Saturday.

After claiming Trump is”sacrificing our children,” referring to the illegal immigrant kids separated from their “parents” near the border, Waters again called for the president’s impeachment, triggering loud applause from the baying mob.

“History will record while he tried to step on all of us, we kicked him in his rear and step on him,” she yelled, whipping up the crowd.

“If you think we’re rallying now, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” she warned.

“Already, you have members of your Cabinet that are being booed out of restaurants,” she continued as the crowd erupted, “who have protesters taking up at their house, who say, ‘No peace, no sleep. No peace, no sleep,'” she continued.

“And guess what,” she predicted, “we’re going to win this battle because while you try and quote the Bible, Jeff Sessions and others, you really don’t know the Bible.

“God is on OUR side!” she declared, as the crowd went wild. “On the side of the children. On the side of what’s right. On the side of what’s honorable.”

COMMENT:  This was the party of Roosevelt, Truman, and Kennedy.  None of them could come anywhere near a presidential nomination in today's Democratic Party.  It is a disgrace to the nation.

I'm hoping their wildness and extremism just drive people away.

June 24,  2018     Permalink

AH, ENTERING THE LATTER PART OF THE 19TH CENTURY – AT 1:30 P.M. ET:  The women of Saudi Arabia, they got wheels.  From AFP:

Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Arabia allowed women to drive from Sunday, overturning the world's only ban on female motorists, a historic reform that is expected to usher in a new era of social mobility.

The move, which follows a sweeping crackdown on women activists who long opposed the ban, is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's wide-ranging reform drive to modernise the conservative petrostate.

Women in the capital Riyadh and other cities began zipping around streets bathed in amber floodlights soon after the ban was lifted at midnight, some in cars with thumping stereo music.

"It is a historic moment for every Saudi woman," said Sabika al-Dosari, a Saudi television presenter before driving a sedan across the border to the kingdom of Bahrain.

The lifting of the decades-long ban, a glaring symbol of repression against women, is expected to be transformative for many women, freeing them from their dependence on private chauffeurs or male relatives.

"This is a great achievement," billionaire Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal said as his daughter Reem drove a family SUV, with his granddaughters applauding from the back seat.

COMMENT:  Great.  I hope it ushers in a new era of freedom, and new outreach to the West.  And I hope Saudi women learn all about satellite radio and moon roofs. 

We can sell cars there.

June 24,  2018     Permalink