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MAY 16,  2017

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

BLUNT TALK – FROM COLLEGE FIX:  At colleges across the country, some students — and especially students of color — increasingly say that their experiences on campus are “traumatizing.” The claim has almost become ubiquitous it’s used so often.  But one professor of psychology says if these students are truly “traumatized” by their lessons, they require medical or professional help.  Dr. Jordan Peterson, a research and clinical psychologist at the University of Toronto, said the word trauma should not be tossed around casually by students.  “If you’re that vulnerable, then you’re in no position to be exposing yourself to challenging dialogue,” Peterson said in an interview with The College Fix. “You’re not fit, in a psychological sense, for any complex activity. To be traumatized by a discussion you have to be teetering on the edge of intrapsychic disintegration.”  I'm glad someone finally said it, although he'll probably now be accused of racism.

THIS ACTUALLY RAN – FROM THE WRAP:  It smells like The Rock is cooking up an election victory, should he go ahead and throw his hat into the ring in the 2020 presidential race.  According to Public Policy Polling, wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would lead the current chief executive in a potential match-up in 2020.  Public Policy Polling released a report Tuesday stating that Johnson would lead Trump 42/37 in a prospective race, given current data.  According to the report, Johnson is viewed favorably by 36 percent of voters, while only 13 percent view him negatively.  There is a big question mark mixed in with the numbers, however, as 50 percent of voters have no opinion of the “Baywatch” star (though, frankly, we don’t know how that’s possible).  This is what it's come to. 

GREAT MOMENTS IN THE LAW – FROM ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:   According to the Austin American-Statesman, 37-year-old Brandon Vezmar of Austin is suing a Round Rock woman for texting during their movie date last week. He’s seeking $17.31, the price of a ticket to a 3D screening of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.  Describing the outing as “a first date from hell,” Vezmar told the newspaper that his date began texting about 15 minutes into the movie. According to a petition filed in small claims court, Vezmar’s date “activated her phone at least 10-20 times” until he asked her to stop. When he suggested she go outside to text, the woman departed the theater altogether and left Vezmar without a ride home, he said.  Vezmar said the woman subsequently refused to reimburse him for the ticket, and his petition described her behavior as “a threat to civilized society.”  You know, I'm inclined to agree with him. 

May 16,  2017     Permalink

PROBABLY TRUE – AT 1:55 P.M. ET:   It appears from reports, which we cannot independently confirm, that Israel was the source of the classified information that President Trump passed on to the Russians.  From The New York Times: 

WASHINGTON — The classified intelligence that President Trump disclosed in a meeting last week with Russian officials at the White House was provided by Israel, according to a current and a former American official familiar with how the United States obtained the information. The revelation adds a potential diplomatic complication to the episode.

Israel is one of the United States’ most important allies and a major intelligence collector in the Middle East. The revelation that Mr. Trump boasted about some of Israel’s most sensitive information to the Russians could damage the relationship between the two countries. It also raises the possibility that the information could be passed to Iran, Russia’s close ally and Israel’s main threat in the Middle East.

Israeli officials would not confirm that they were the source of the information that Mr. Trump shared. In a statement emailed to The New York Times, Ron Dermer, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, reaffirmed that the two countries would maintain a close counterterrorism relationship.
“Israel has full confidence in our intelligence-sharing relationship with the United States and looks forward to deepening that relationship in the years ahead under President Trump,” Mr. Dermer said.

COMMENT:  We're looking for more confirmation, but the story sounds logical.  Donnie will meet Bibi later this week.  I'd love to be a fly on that wall.

May 16, 2017       Permalink

THE GENERAL SPEAKS – AT 12:31 P.M. ET:  General McMaster gave his briefing this morning.  The first part was devoted to a preview of President Trump's upcoming trip to the Mideast and the Vatican.  Standard stuff.

Then McMaster was asked about the current controversy involving the president's alleged release of classified information to the Russians at a White House meeting.  He said, as he'd said Monday, that all information used by Mr. Trump in that now-famous meeting was appropriate.   The controvery was based on a false premise, McMaster said.

That was it.  This will sizzle for a time, but, unless we get some clear, sourced, documented information, there's really nowhere to go.  My own sense is that the Washington Post ran with its story because it trusted its sources.  It may have been a mistake.

The story will shift later this week to the president's trip, which will take nine days.  We should hope that he does well, and gets results.  The press, though, will be watching his every word and gesture.

That wasn't the case early in Obama's presidency, when he went to the Mideast, snubbing Israel, and delivered a speech in Cairo filled with factual errors.  The media didn't care.  He was Barack, come to save us.  He could do no wrong and was wise beyond his years.  We'll be paying for that "wisdom" for a long time.

We await the president's trip and the next Trump controversy.

May 16, 2017       Permalink

BIG DAY – AT 10:55 A.M. ET:  We're starting late this morning because I've had to monitor all the coverage of the story that exploded late yesterday – the charge that President Trump released classified information to the Russians during a White House meeting, possibly putting in jeopardy sensitive sources.

Late yesterday afternoon, H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser, appeared outside the White House to deny the story, noting that he had been at the meeting.

But, overnight, the president started tweeting, and seemed to acknowledge that the story was true.  Well, maybe he didn't.  I'm not sure, but I am sure that he ought to shut up occasionally.

Now we await another briefing by McMaster, a highly respected Army lieutenant general, scheduled for 11:30 or so.  We won't speculate, but once again the White House seems in chaos, with the president acting, to use an old expression, like a bull who brings his own china shop with him.

Stand by.

May 16, 2017       Permalink

MAY 15,  2017

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

RIDICULOUS – Have you been following in the latest madness about the Trump administration?  Seems some intelligence types are charging anonymously, through the Washington Post, that President Trump revealed classified information to Russian officials in an Oval Office meeting.  None of the "sources" apparently was at the meeting.  No proof is offered, and no names of accusers are revealed.  The "revelation" comes just days before Trump leaves for a critical foreign trip.  Those at the meeting have hotly denied the charge.  Stay tuned for more.  This looks more like a political hit than a serious accusation, but of course I could be wrong.

MAJOR IMMATURITY NEWS – FROM COLLEGE FIX:  Some minority students at the University of Michigan have apparently felt intimidated by the interior wood paneling found throughout the historic Michigan Union building.  Anna Wibbelman, former president of Building a Better Michigan, an organization that voices student concerns about university development, stated at a student government meeting in late March that “minority students felt marginalized by quiet, imposing masculine paneling” found throughout the 100-year-old building, the meeting’s minutes state.   How could we have inflicted such hurt?  Didn't we know that masculine paneling was a threat to civilization?  I feel our shame.

PHYSICIAN BURNOUT – AND IT'S SERIOUS – FROM CBS NEWS:  If you've ever worried that your doctor seems burned out on the job, you may be right. Physicians are busier than ever, and hospitals are worried that as their staff gets overwhelmed, the quality of care goes down and medical errors go up.  A study at the Mayo Clinic found that more than half of American doctors have been in the same boat — exhausted and losing their sense of purpose.  This is a serious issue.  I've heard it from physicians.  It deserves much more attention than it's getting, but I doubt if the news practitioners are interested.  Who would want to have surgery performed by an exhausted doctor?

May 15, 2017     Permalink

WE ALL KNOW HOW THIS WILL TURN OUT – AT 9:20 A.M. ET:   The Trump administration is back before the Ninth Circuit today, the most overturned federal appeals circuit in the country.  From Fox: 

The latest legal showdown over President Trump’s revised executive order targeting refugees and nationals from six predominately Muslim countries hits a Seattle appellate courtroom Monday morning.

The key issue before a three-judge panel is whether the president’s comments before he took office – suggesting he would ban Muslims from entering the country -- provides sufficient legal grounds to rule his order unconstitutional. 

In March, a federal judge in Hawaii enjoined the order from taking effect, not based on the language of the directive, but rather the “religious animus” of comments Trump and his advocates made about the policy.

“The [lower] court’s reliance on such statements in the face of a religion-neutral order is fundamentally wrong,” acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall wrote to the court defending the order.

Wall argues the president’s policy is not a “Muslim ban,” but rather Mr. Trump’s good faith effort to protect rights while securing the homeland from foreign terrorists. And that the president’s executive authority in protecting the country and enforcing immigration laws in this matter is beyond judicial review.

COMMENT:  I'd be shocked, if gratified, if the judges decide for the president.  Ninth Circuit is highly political.  Its decisions are frequently thrown out by the Supreme Court. 

I'm sure CNN will cover the story, and salivate waiting for the result.

May 15, 2017       Permalink

A WARNING FOR MR. TRUMP – AT 8:49 A.M. ET:   I've noticed in the last week, a softening of enthusiasm for the president among his supporters in the press.  Like many, they continue to applaud his decisions and his goals, but are becoming frustrated by his sometimes self-destructive style.

Mr. Trump should take these criticisms to heart.  Too often he hurts himself when a perfectly sound action is surrounded by chaos, contradictory statements and unnecessary attacks on others.  One of Mr. Trump's strongest supports in the press is the distinguished columnist Michael Goodwin, of the New York Post: 

The president rarely makes it easy on the faithful, often testing his tribe through errant word and deed. Even on his best days, he manages to insert a hurdle or two or 10.

The James Comey affair is the perfect example. On substance, Trump made the absolute right call. Comey had to go, with his blunders on the Hillary Clinton case reason enough. And there were many others.

Yet being right isn’t enough in Washington, and being Trump raises the bar exponentially. The Democratic left and the media (I know, that’s redundant) get out of bed ready to pounce.

They don’t need facts to unleash their volcanic hatred of him. A juicy rumor and an anonymous source will suffice. Any mistake sparks talk of impeachment.

Some days, Trump gets the level of difficulty, telling Reuters about his first 100 days, “I thought it would be easier.”

Other days, he gets everything backward, making it hard for supporters to defend him and easy for opponents to attack. This is not merely annoying.

The exasperating pattern has been and remains the existential threat to Trump’s presidency, given his precarious public standing and his party’s narrow margin in Congress. He will not be able to deliver on his promises to revitalize the economy and rebuild the military unless he establishes wider support for his agenda and more trust in his judgment.

The task applies to politicians and ordinary citizens alike. Both need frequent reassurance he is up to the job.

The Comey uproar also proves something else: that a good idea, especially a big one, requires equally good execution. The bungled rollout undercut the bold logic of the decision, and the White House’s reaction to the reaction is a textbook case in how to make a problem worse.

COMMENT:  Very well said.  Go back to Watergate.  A stupid prank was turned into a major national issue by Richard Nixon's attempts at a cover-up.  All Nixon had to say was, "This dumb act occurred on my watch.  It will not happen again.  These are the steps I'm ordering to enforce the highest ethical standards on my campaign."  He would have been a hero.  Instead, he barked, he defied, he covered, leading to a situation where he had to resign rather than be impeached.

The impeachment campaign against Nixon had nothing to do with the original, minor crime.  It had to do with the fact that he was Richard Nixon.  He was hated by the same elements of press and establishment who hate Donald Trump. 

The liberals would love to impeach Trump, even on no grounds whatsoever.  Trump must not aid in their effort.

May 15, 2017       Permalink

A PRESIDENT TRAVELS – AT 8:17 A.M. ET:  Late this week President Trump will embark on a major foreign trip, one of the most important any president has taken in recent memory.  He will go to the Mideast and to the Vatican.  At the White House, National Security Advisor Herbert McMaster explained, quite eloquently, the purpose of the trip.  I haven't seen much mention of this event in the mainstream media.  Have you?  McMaster: 

The trip has three core purposes.  First, to reaffirm America's global leadership.  Second, to continue building key relationships with world leaders.  And, third, to broadcast a message of unity to America's friends and to the faithful of three of the world's greatest religions.  

The President prioritizes building strong relationships, as you see here, every day with world leaders as a way to strengthen our alliances.  And he's been successful.  You can see that in his diplomacy with a range of leaders, from Prime Minister May to President Xi.

President Trump understands that America First does not mean American alone -- to the contrary. Prioritizing American interests means strengthening alliances and partnerships that help us extend our influence and improve the security of the American people.  

This trip is truly historic.  No President has ever visited the homelands and holy sites of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslims faiths all on one trip.  And what President Trump is seeking is to unite peoples of all faiths around a common vision of peace, progress, and prosperity.  He will bring a message of tolerance and of hope to billions, including to millions of Americans who profess these faiths.  The President will focus on what unites us.  

The President's trip will begin in Saudi Arabia, home to the two holiest sites in Islam.  He will encourage our Arab and Muslim partners to take bold, new steps to promote peace and to confront those, from ISIS to al Qaeda to Iran to the Assad regime, who perpetuate chaos and violence that has inflicted so much suffering throughout the Muslim world and beyond.

He will lead the first steps toward a stronger, more capable, and more robust security partnership with our Gulf, Arab, and Muslim partners.  And he will develop a strong, respectful message that the United States and the entire civilized world expects our Muslim allies to take a strong stand against radical Islamist ideology, an ideology that uses a perverted interpretation of religion to justify crimes against all humanity.  He will call for Muslim leaders to promote a peaceful vision of Islam.

The President will then travel to Israel.  With President Rivlin and Prime Minister Netanyahu, he will reaffirm America's unshakeable bond to the Jewish state.  With President Abbas, he will express his desire for dignity and self-determination for the Palestinians.  And so to leaders and peoples alike, across the entire trip, he will demonstrate his hopes for a just and lasting peace.  

In Rome, the President will be honored to accept an audience with Pope Francis.  He looks forward to paying his respects and to discussing religious freedom, ways to combat religious persecution, human trafficking, and cooperating on humanitarian missions across the globe.

COMMENT:  A fine statement of purpose.  Carrying out the vision will be difficult.  Other presidents have failed.  Mr. Trump's predecessor failed miserably and did more harm than good.

Our warmest wishes should be with this president, who is determined to see results.  But I suspect that the major media will start tearing him down as soon as Air Force One takes off.

May 15,  2017     Permalink