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MAY 10,  2018

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

VERY BAD IDEA – FROM FOX:  Connecticut is joining a growing alliance of liberal states in a "pact" that would supposedly allow them to change the way presidents are picked -- by allocating each state's electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote.   The uphill campaign, which if ever brought to fruition would almost certainly face a court challenge, has gained renewed attention amid Democratic grumbling about the Electoral College in the wake of President Trump's 2016 win. While he defeated Hillary Clinton in the electoral vote, he lost the popular vote by 2.9 million ballots.  Enter the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which blue states are joining to commit to allocating their electoral votes to the national popular-vote winner -- regardless of their own state results.  The beauty of the Electoral College system is that it forces national candidates to campaign state by state, region by region.  We are, after all, the United STATES of America.  The idea of assigning a state's electoral votes to whomever wins the national popular vote negates the federal system and diminishes the importance of state and local government.  Let's stick with the system in place.  It works and is stable.

A NEW KIND OF STUDENT VICTORY – FROM CAMPUS REFORM:  The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities has scrapped its plans to hire a "trainer in training" for future abortionists after sparking widespread student condemnation.  As previously reported by Campus Reform, the “Reproductive Rights Advocacy Fellowship” initially sought to hire a board certified medical doctor to “spend one year as a ‘trainer in training,’ learning to perform abortion and related procedures.”  That doctor would have been deployed to Planned Parenthood, and would have learned to counsel pregnant women on the pros and cons of having an abortion, as well as ensuring that they understood the facts about the procedure.  Some reports say that the young college generation, just coming in, is far less pro-abortion than previous generations, in part due to medical progress that raises new moral questions about the procedure.  The fact that student action prevented the hiring of abortion trainers at a major university should be carefully noted.  Are we seeing the start of a counter-revolution?  I wouldn't venture a guess.  More study needed.

HISTORIC MEETING SET – FROM THE POLITICO:  President Donald Trump revealed on Thursday that his historic planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would take place on June 12 in Singapore — a location that has virtues for both sides.  "The highly anticipated meeting between Kim Jong Un and myself will take place in Singapore on June 12th," Trump wrote on Twitter. "We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace!"   Like Reagan, Trump was denounced as a deranged warmonger by the leftist establishment when he ran for president.  And, like Reagan, he's making serious moves for peace.  And, like Reagan, he understands that peace can only be achieved through strength, and a credible willingness to use it in our own defense.  Contrast this, please, with Barack Obama, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize during his first week in office, having done nothing to earn it.

May 10, 2018        Permalink

ANOTHER SINKING SHIP – AT 11:41 P.M. ET:  NBC News is in trouble.  Once the house of Huntley and Brinkley, and the source of fine documentaries called NBC White Paper, the brand has slipped considerably.  The Brian Williams scandal; the Matt Lauer scandal; the Joy Reid scandal; and almost anything that happens at MSNBC, a total scandal. 

The public is responding, as it almost always does.  From Fox:   

Faced with cratering ratings and serious questions about whether he can hang on to his job, NBC anchor Lester Holt has embarked on what one NBC insider called a “desperation tour,” hosting his broadcast from different cities where NBC’s audience research experts believe he can score some new viewers.

NBC has billed the promotional venture as “NBC Nightly News: Across America,” and Holt is scheduled to broadcast from five cities in five days. He kicked things off on Monday in Portland, followed up with Tuesday’s episode in Denver and anchored Wednesday night from Chicago. Holt is in Pittsburgh for Thursday’s broadcast, then in Raleigh, N.C. for Friday. The NBC anchor also has stopped at a variety of local affiliates along the way to promote his suffering program.

“On the surface, it's a smart move to visit cities outside of Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington. But their ongoing ratings fight with ABC and this fraud of a report about their conduct concerning Matt Lauer has really made this big PR push fall off the ledge and lose any significance that such a move might normally have,” NewsBuster managing editor Curtis Houck told Fox News.

COMMENT:  The most important thing a news organization has is its credibility.  The left-wing slant at NBC News is obvious, it lacks journalistic heavyweights, and it sometimes seems as much an entertainment  operation as a news service.

It will take years to get back the luster, if anyone over there cares.

May 10, 2018       Permalink

ACTION IN THE MIDEAST – AT 1:28 P.M. ET:  There are now direct confrontations between Israel and Iran on Israel's northern border.  The situation is very dangerous.  From Fox:

Israel said it struck "nearly all" of the Iranian infrastructure sites in Syria on Thursday, in direct response to a barrage of Iranian rocket fire targeting Israeli military positions in the Golan Heights.

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) said it deployed fighter jets that struck every target on its list. The targets included military compounds, intelligence operations and munition warehouses, a statement read. The strikes were Israel's largest air operation in years, the statement read.

The missile launcher responsible for the Iranian rocket strikes was destroyed, according to the release.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, called the roughly 20 missiles fired from Iranian forces based in Syria "the most severe attempt" by Iran's Al Quds force to attack the country. It was the first time Iranian forces have attacked Israel from Syria, according to Reuters.

Conricus said four rockets were intercepted and the others fell short of their targets. No injuries or damage was reported.

COMMENT:  Eight years ago there were no Iranian troops on Israel's border.  Eight years ago there were no Iranian troops in Syria, or Iraq.  Eight years ago Iran was a much weaker, and poorer country.

And eight years ago there were no Russian troops in the Mideast.

One man allowed the changes to occur that permitted those developments.  His name is Barack Obama, but notice that his name rarely appears in any discussion of the current Mideast crisis.  Protecting Barack is still the main objective of the left.

I'm doubtful that the current confrontation between Iran, which is sworn to destroy Israel, and Israel, will actually result in a major war.  But that war may well occur in the future, especially if President Trump is driven from office. 

The Mideast is a tinderbox.  So unnecessary.  We would have been much better off had Obama, with his sidekicks Hillary Clinton and Grand Admiral John Kerry, never been in office.

May 10, 2018       Permalink

DUMB, AND DUMBER – AT 12:09 P.M. ET:  Last week we were treated to the spectacle of the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, Keith Ellison, celebrating Cinco de Mayo while wearing a T-shirt bearing the quote, in Spanish, "I don't believe in borders."

Wow!  What a campaign slogan.  That'll sure capture the Midwest, where Dems were beaten to a pulp in 2016.  The brilliance of it all.

And now comes Nancy Pelosi, who once voted Republican, for Lincoln.  She's given the GOP all it needs for November.  From Fox: 

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi indicated Tuesday that her party would like to roll back the tax reform law passed last year if they gain control of Congress this November.

At a breakfast hosted by Politico, reporter Jake Sherman asked Pelosi to respond to a Republican ad that claims "you would like to institute a single-payer health care program and cancel — [raise] taxes, I think they mean, roll back the tax cuts they passed this year."

"Well, the second part there is accurate," Pelosi chuckled in response, before adding "I do think we should revisit the tax legislation in ... a bipartisan transparent way."

National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Matt Gorman jumped on Pelosi's comment, tweeting: "I promise you that will be in almost every GOP ad this fall."

COMMENT:  Well, at least the Republicans are lucky in their enemies.  I hope Nancy's comment becomes as famous as Bill Clinton's "I never had sex with..."

The latest generic poll shows Dems only three points ahead of Republicans.  I'm getting optimistic.  I see a Supreme Court with seven conservative justices.  It may not be a dream.

May 10,  2018     Permalink

MAY 9,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET, EXCEPT FOR THE NOTE ABOUT THE RETURN OF AMERICAN PRISONERS FROM NORTH KOREA, WHICH WAS ADDED LATER. 

DON'T TELL AL GORE – FROM PHILLY.COM:   Temperatures in the contiguous United States were 2.2 degrees below 20th Century averages last month, making it the coldest April in 20 years, according to the government analysis released Tuesday.  Overall it was the ninth-chilliest April on record in Pennsylvania in records dating to 1895, said the National Center for Environmental Information.  In Philadelphia, 21 of the 30 days were cooler than normal, and coincidentally the official temperature at Philadelphia International Airport also finished 2.2 degrees below the 30-year average and featured a significant snowfall.  You know, of course, that this is caused by global warming.  As are hurricanes, blizzards, and chilly pizza. 

GINA GAINS – FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER:  Sen. Susan Collins, one of two Republican senators in the Senate Intelligence Committee who had been holding out on a decision on whether to vote in favor of Gina Haspel, President Trump's nominee for CIA director, has committed to voting 'yes,' effectively giving Haspel the votes she needs to pass with a simple majority.  The Maine Republican announced her decision in a statement early Wednesday evening, hours after Haspel testified at a confirmation hearing before the committee, where she faced tough questions about her her prior work at the agency overseeing programs that involved torture.  "After careful consideration, I will vote for the confirmation of Gina Haspel to become the next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency," Collins said.   Ms. Haspel, who has received praise from across the intelligence community, and from representatives of both Democratic and Republican administrations, was treated horribly by California Senator Kamala Harris, when testifying before the Intelligence Committee.  Haspel is an outstanding public servant, and I trust she'll be confirmed by the entire Senate.  Harris is a minor senator with presidential ambitions, and something of an embarrassment.

GREAT MOMENT – FROM AP:   JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. — Three Korean-Americans who were detained in North Korea for more than a year were greeted by President Donald Trump beneath a giant American flag after they returned to the mainland U.S. early Thursday.  Despite a middle-of-the-night landing, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and a host of senior administration officials joined Trump to celebrate the occasion. The men, Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak Song and Tony Kim, had been released Wednesday amid a warming of relations between the longtime adversaries.  The real star of the event was our new secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who negotiated the release.  A very successful debut.

May 9, 2018       Permalink

STUNNING POLL RESULT – AT 7:09 P.M. ET:  We're having a midterm Congressional election this year.  Normally, the party of the president loses substantially in Congress in the first midterm following the presidential election.

And so it has been expected that the Democrats will gain in November, maybe even enough to take over one or both houses of Congress.  Indeed, polls only a few months ago showed the Dems, as a party, with a double-digit lead over the GOP.

But wait a minute.  What's this?

This is a new CNN poll that sounds alarm bells for the smug Dems.  It follows a trend we've been seeing since those double-digit-lead days.  From CNN: 

Washington  (CNN) The generic congressional ballot has continued to tighten, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, with the Democrats' edge over Republicans within the poll's margin of sampling error for the first time this cycle.

About six months out from Election Day, 47% of registered voters say they back the Democratic candidate in their district, 44% back the Republican. Voters also are divided almost evenly over whether the country would be better off with the Democrats in control of Congress (31%) or with the GOP in charge (30%). A sizable 34% -- including nearly half of independent voters (48%) -- say it doesn't matter which party controls Congress. 

COMMENT:  Aside from the obvious erosion of Democratic strength, the poll provides further bad news for the Democrats.  Note that the survey was taken among registered voters.  Polls of likely voters are almost always more accurate, and almost always show more Republican support – because Republicans are more reliable voters.

The Dems cannot be happy.  Maybe they should spend more time coming up with attractive proposals, and attractive candidates, and less time hating the president.  Ya think?

May 9, 2018       Permalink 

IS MERKEL BUDGING? – AT 10:18 A.M. ET:  It sure looks that way.  From Reuters: 

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday the Iran nuclear deal should not be questioned but that there should be talks about a broader agreement that goes beyond the original accord.

Merkel also said she took note with regret and concern of President Donald Trump's decision to pull the United States out of the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear accord, which lifted sanctions on Tehran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program.

COMMENT:  In these diplomatic matters you always look for the one line that makes the difference.  During the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy picked one optimistic line out of a long, hostile statement by Nikita Khrushchev, and used it as the basis for a peaceful conclusion.

What Merkel said is important.  She has been the toughest of the European leaders in backing the original Iran nuclear agreement.  But here she is saying there should be talks about a broader agreement that goes beyond the original.  That is exactly what Trump is saying, and maybe we're seeing the finding of common ground.

May 9, 2018       Permalink

BULLETIN:  NORTH KOREA FREES THREE AMERICANS – AT 9:58 A.M. ET:  FROM CNBC:

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that three American prisoners released from North Korea were headed home, a sign of potential good will ahead of Trump's planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

In a tweet, Trump said "the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting" were accompanying Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on his way back from a visit to North Korea.

The president then tweeted that Pompeo and the three men would arrive at Andrews Air Force Base at 2 a.m., and that he would greet them.

COMMENT:  Brilliantly done by President Trump and our new secretary of state, Mike Pompeo.   Remember when the Dems complained that Pompeo was too tough and not committed enough to diplomacy?  This is Pompeo's answer.

May 9,  2018     Permalink