Please note that you can leave a comment on any of our posts at our Facebook page.  Subscribers can also comment at length at our Angel's Corner Forum.

Our Angel's Corner archive is here.

MARCH 8,  2017

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

MELANIA SOARS – FROM CNN:   Washington (CNN) The more Americans learn about first lady Melania Trump, the more they like her.  Her favorability rating is up 16 points since her husband was sworn-in as President, according to a CNN/ORC poll released Wednesday in CNN's COVER/LINE newsletter.
Full poll results:  About 52% of Americans have a favorable opinion of Melania Trump, an increase from 36% pre-inauguration. In February 2016, the former model's favorable rating was a paltry 24%, her unfavorable was 31% and 23% had never even heard of her. Now, just 3% say they don't know who the first lady is, and her unfavorable rate has held steady at 32%.  Most of the recent uptick in favorable results are due to those undecided Americans, or those who had yet to form an opinion. Pre-inauguration, 23% had no opinion about the first lady, compared with 12% now.  She has conducted herself with class and style.  I hope her rating goes higher.

KNOW YOUR VOTERS – FROM SEVEN DAYS:   Rutland Mayor Chris Louras, who endured months of withering criticism for his plan to bring Syrian refugees to the city, lost his reelection bid on Tuesday.  In unofficial voting results, David Allaire, a city alderman and leading critic of the resettlement, trounced Louras, a 10-year mayoral incumbent, by a 776-vote margin, according to results cited by the Rutland Herald and WCAX-TV.  "I'm simply wishing him luck and I'm moving on," Louras told Seven Days Tuesday night. He declined further comment, saying he would "not hazard a guess" as to what the election results say about Rutland's support for refugees.  Allaire did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.  We are a nation of immigrants, but that does not mean we must support every nut-brained immigration proposal put forward by the liberal chic crowd.  Rutland sent a message.

IN CASE WE RUN OUT ON EARTH – FROM PHYS.ORG:   The International Potato Center (CIP) launched a series of experiments to discover if potatoes can grow under Mars atmospheric conditions and thereby prove they are also able to grow in extreme climates on Earth. This Phase Two effort of CIP's proof of concept experiment to grow potatoes in simulated Martian conditions began on February 14, 2016 when a tuber was planted in a specially constructed CubeSat contained environment built by engineers from University of Engineering and Technology (UTEC) in Lima based upon designs and advice provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Ames Research Center (NASA ARC), California. Preliminary results are positive.  I have personally put in an order for the first French fries to be made on Mars.  I'll bring my own burger.

March 8,  2017     Permalink

WILL JAPAN BECOME A MAJOR MILITARY POWER AGAIN? – AT 10:30 A.M. ET:  This is an extraordinarily important story.  Japan, which for years was reluctant to get into the major-military game, a reflection of the defeat it suffered in World War II, is now threatened by North Korean belligerency.  Some in Japan are arguing for a much more potent Japanese military force.  From Reuters: 

TOKYO (Reuters) - Rattled by North Korean military advances, influential Japanese lawmakers are pushing harder for Japan to develop the ability to strike preemptively at the missile facilities of its nuclear-armed neighbor.

Japan has so far avoided taking the controversial and costly step of acquiring bombers or weapons such as cruise missiles with enough range to strike other countries, relying instead on its U.S. ally to take the fight to its enemies.

But the growing threat posed by Pyongyang, including Monday's simultaneous launch of four rockets, is adding weight to an argument that aiming for the archer rather than his arrows is a more effective defense.

"If bombers attacked us or warships bombarded us, we would fire back. Striking a country lobbing missiles at us is no different," said Itsunori Onodera, a former defense minister who heads a ruling Liberal Democratic Party committee looking at how Japan can defend against the North Korean missile threat. "Technology has advanced and the nature of conflict has changed."

For decades, Japan has been stretching the limits of its post-war, pacifist constitution. Successive governments have said Tokyo has the right to attack enemy bases overseas when the enemy's intention to attack Japan is evident, the threat is imminent and there are no other defense options.

But while previous administrations shied away from acquiring the hardware to do so, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's LDP has been urging him to consider the step.

COMMENT:   It is not a stretch to suggest that some Japanese planners could be thinking of pushing their country to become a nucelar power.  Japan is still haunted by Hiroshima and Nagsaki, but a new generation, viewing North Korea's nuclear capability, might not shy away from the ultimate step.

March 8, 2017       Permalink

INCREDIBLE – JUST IN – AT 9:46 A.M. ET:  A new preliminary jobs report for February, the first full month of the Trump administration, is spectacular.  From CNBC: 

Companies added jobs at a blistering pace in February, with a notable shift away from the service-sector positions that have dominated hiring for years, according to a report Wednesday.

Employment in the private sector surged by 298,000 for the month, with goods producers adding 106,000, ADP and Moody's Analytics said. Construction jobs swelled by 66,000 and manufacturing added 32,000.

The total shattered market expectations of 190,000, according to economists surveyed by ADP. The blockbuster report also solidified market expectations for the Fed to hike interest rates next week. Probability for an increase jumped to 91 percent after the release, according to the CME.

The report encompassed the first full month under President Donald Trump, who has pledged to rebuild the nation's aging infrastructure system.

COMMENT:  Terrific report.  Of course, the Dems will claim credit, saying it's all based on Obama policies.  But those policies weren't increasing manufacturing jobs.  Manufacturers now proceed with confidence that Republican policies will support their growth.

The Democratic Party increasingly looks like a party of the last century, or before.

March 8, 2017       Permalink

NOW IT BEGINS – AT 8:53 A.M. ET:  After weeks of bitter politics following President Trump's inauguration, the Republicans have rolled out their first major initiative – a rewrite of Obamacare. 

The first response has been decidedly mixed.  The Democrats, of course, are completely against anything Republicans will propose, another indication of the decline of their party into adolescence.  And Republicans are split on the details of the proposed law.

There'll be plenty of negotiation.  But President Trump is now exerting executive leadership, making it clear that a repair of the current Obamacare system must happen.  From the Washington Times:

President Trump urged lawmakers Tuesday to swiftly approve a plan to repeal and replace Obamacare so he can move on to the biggest tax cut since Ronald Reagan’s presidency.

“There’s going to be no slowing down, no waiting, no more excuses by anybody,” Mr. Trump told top House Republican lawmakers at a White House meeting on the new health care legislation. “We’re going to get it done.”

After Congress tackles the health care law that was introduced in the House Monday, Mr. Trump said eagerly, “we work on the tax cut.”

The administration is planning a major tax cut for businesses and individuals by the end of this year.

“I know exactly what we’re looking at, most of us know exactly the plan,” Mr. Trump said of tax relief. “It’s going to put our country in great shape and we’re going to reduce taxes for companies and for people, and I can use the word again — massively. It’s going to be a big tax cut, the biggest since Reagan, maybe bigger than Reagan.”

Congress must complete work on the new health care law before addressing tax cuts, however. The president said Obamacare is “collapsing,” and he endorsed the new GOP plan.

COMMENT:  As a negotiator, the president knows that the current GOP plan will go through revision and compromise.  But he is doing what his predecessor failed to do.  He is creating a sense of urgency, and he is taking command.

Far better than "leading from behind."

The new health plan will now go to House committees, where the bargaining really starts.  Maybe Washington will actually get something done.

March 8,  2017     Permalink

MARCH 7,  2017

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

IT'S COME TO THIS – FROM FOX:   A Pennsylvania gym is concerned that cardio isn’t the only thing affecting members’ blood pressure.  The Greater Scranton YMCA voted to ban 24-hour cable news channels from its facility, citing safety concerns, WBRE reported.  The board of directors wrote to members in a letter that stations such as CNN, MSNBC and Fox News have “raised concerns about the safety, both physically and emotionally, of our members.”  Members said the ban came after some political discussions in the locker room turned contentious.  “I understand why they did it because there was a lot of controversy with a lot of people talking and arguing,” member Susan Dimmick told WBRE. “There was a lot of arguing going on, but I don’t think it was right.”  Well, at least people feel passionate about their country.

IVANKA TRIUMPHS – FROM THE HILL:   Ivanka Trump’s eponymous women’s fashion line is reporting record sales figures despite calls for a boycott and controversies surrounding President Trump.  “Since the beginning of February, they were some of the best performing weeks in the history of the brand,” Abigail Klem, the president of the Ivanka Trump fashion brand, tells Refinery29 in an interview published Tuesday. “For several different retailers Ivanka Trump was a top performer online, and in some of the categories it was the [brand’s] best performance ever.”  Good.  I like to see ridiculous boycotts defeated.

RIDICULOUS – FROM THE HILL:   All schools in Prince George’s County in Maryland outside of Washington, D.C., will be closed to students on Wednesday for “A Day Without a Woman” after more than 1,000 teachers asked to take the day off.  The school district made the announcement one day after the school system in Alexandria, Va. said it would close for the strike as well.  The protest, organized by the group that planned the Women’s March in Washington, is scheduled for March 8, International Women’s Day.
The group planning the strike have suggested a variety of ways to participate, including taking the day off. Other ideas include spending money only at businesses owned by women and minorities or wearing red in support.  What an outrage.  I wonder how all the single working moms will provide day care for their kids, and who pays for it.  I'm sure many of the "protesters" will be found in front of TV's watching soap operas.

March 7,  2017     Permalink

UNBELIEVABLE – AT 11:53 A.M. ET:   Sometimes you read something and think it must be a fake story, a misprint, a journalistic prank.  I'm afraid this one is dead serious.  From the New York Post: 

Does New York’s Board of Regents care if teachers can read? If so, then why is it set to scrap the literacy tests they must pass?

At its meeting Monday, the board will vote on eliminating the Academic Literacy Skills Test, which is designed to measure prospective teachers’ reading and writing ability. It’ll also consider lowering standards on another test, called edTAP, which requires teachers to show their skills by videotaping their lessons.

Why drop the bar? To make it easier — especially for minorities — to become teachers. In 2013-14, just 48 percent of blacks and 56 percent of Hispanics passed the literacy test, versus 75 percent of whites. To fix the problem, the geniuses at the board would simply scrap the test.

But that means potentially unqualified teachers may be let loose upon New York’s kids — including minority kids. And what’s especially scary is that once teachers are certified and have tenure, it’s virtually impossible to fire them.

“We’ve now abandoned or watered down the teacher evaluation process, and now we’re lowering the bar for entry certification as well,” says Manhattan Institute education-policy expert Charles Sahm.

“This is a literacy exam,” he adds. “If you’re going to be a teacher… this is a criteria you should be able to meet.”

COMMENT:  What a fraud.  When I was growing up in the New York City school system, we had teachers who could diagram an English sentence.  Now, it appears, some "educators" are perfectly fine with teachers who can barely read an English sentence. 

What happens to the kids?  It's obvious that a lot of people don't care.  What counts is group solidarity.  You don't need high reading skills to be stuffed in a bus and carted off to a street demonstration.

March 7, 2017       Permalink

THE PRESIDENT AND THE PRESS – AT 10:08 A.M. ET:  One of the most fascinating trends in the conflict between President Trump and the media is that the American people are consistently siding with Trump.  From IBD: 

The mainstream media's open hostility to President Trump may be starting to backfire, according to the latest IBD/TIPP poll.

The poll found that 55% of the public says they've grown "weary from the media's persistently negative coverage of President Trump." A roughly equal share (54%) also believe that the news media "has assumed the role of the opposition party, constantly opposing the president and his policies at every turn."

Not surprisingly, Republicans overwhelmingly hold these views (88% say they're tired of the relentless negativity), but the media's attacks are also turning off independents (55% of whom say they're weary of the negative coverage) and moderates (54% of whom are weary). Most also believe that the press has assumed the role of the opposition party.

The poll, conducted from Feb. 24 through March 4, included 909 responses who were surveyed using live interviewers on cellphone and landlines. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points.

The results are understandable, given the unusually hostile relationship the press has with Trump.

A study by the nonpartisan group Media Tenor found that only 3% of network news stories in the first month of the Trump administration could be described as positive. Of the rest, 43% were deemed negative, and 54% neutral. That's a stark contrast to the overwhelmingly positive coverage of the early Obama administration, despite the fact that Obama had his own share of early stumbles.

COMMENT:  Obama?  Why, he was a godlike figure, come to save us.  At least, that's what the mainstream press and its northeast amen corner told us. 

Some journalists are now explaining their clear bias by saying that their job is to hold Trump accountable.  Sure it is.  It was also their job to hold Saint Barack accountable, but we didn't see much holding, did we? 

The press bends to the left, and the bend is getting deeper every day.  News organizations are simply giving up their credibility to bash President Trump whenever possible.  They are living out the 1960s notion of "making a difference."  The difference they make, though, can easily turn out to be tragic, just as "speaking truth to power" can be tragic if the speakers don't actually have the truth. 

March 7, 2017       Permalink

THIS IS GETTING GRIM – AT 9:46 A.M. ET:  While we spend our time reading speculative stories about wiretapping, the situation involving North Korea is deteriorating.  From Fox: 

The U.S. decision to send equipment needed to set up a controversial missile defense system in South Korea is likely to add to tensions with Beijing and Moscow, countries that have spoken out in the past about deploying the system.

China said Tuesday it would take measures against the U.S. missile system deployed in South Korea, and that the U.S. and Seoul would bear the consequences.

"China firmly opposes the deployment of THAAD," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. "We will definitely be taking necessary measures to safeguard our own security interest. All consequences entailed from that will be borne by the U.S. and (South Korea). We once again strongly urge the relevant sides to stop the process of deployment and refrain from going further down that wrong path."

Lou Yuan, an outspoken, retired Chinese general, wrote in the Global Times, a state-run paper, that the Chinese military “could conduct a surgical hard-kill operation that would destroy the target, paralyzing it and making it unable to hit back,” The New York Times reported.

He went on, “Since the United States, Japan and South Korea choose not to respect China’s major security concerns, China does not need to be a gentleman on everything."

Washington and Seoul says the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, is not meant to be a threat to China or Russia. The U.S. military said in a statement that THAAD can intercept and destroy short and medium range ballistic missiles during the last part of their flights.

Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean Studies at Seoul’s Dongguk University, told The Korean Times that it is “apparent that China is trying to draw its two Cold War allies to its side, at least over THAAD-related issues. It will also highlight the alliance between South Korea and the U.S. as well as their ties with Japan as part of tactics against THAAD.”

COMMENT:  Pretty nervy of Beijing to accuse us of provocations, although I'm sure the hard left in America will support the Chinese position.  The THAAD deployment is designed to reassure South Korea of our support in light of recent North Korean missile tests. 

North Korea is a rogue regime, far less shrewd than Iran, and already equipped with nuclear weapons.  One clash on the Korean peninsula, even if unintended, could have enormous consequences.

At the same time, this may well turn out to be Trump's first foreign-policy crisis.  He must be firm, but not reckless.  It is common for foreign enemies to test new American presidents.  Stay cool, but strong.

March 7,  2017     Permalink