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NOVEMBER 16,  2017

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

MAJOR STEP – FROM INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES:   Saudi Arabia's King Salman is reportedly set to announce he will step down as monarch and name his son as successor.  If confirmed, it would cement the power of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 32, who has ordered the arrests of more than three dozen princes and ministers in a corruption crackdown.  A source told the Daily Mail that King Salman would remain "custodian of the holy shrines" in Mecca and Medina and that the incoming ruler will focus on the kingdom's policy towards Iran.  "Unless something dramatic happens, King Salman will announce the appointment of MBS as King of Saudi Arabia next week, " the high level source told the paper.  "MBS is convinced that he has to hit Iran and Hezbollah. Contrary to the advice of the royal family elders, that's MBS's next target. Hence why the ruler of Kuwait privately calls him "The raging Bull".  "MBS's plan is to start the fire in Lebanon, but he's hoping to count on Israeli military backing. He has already promised Israel billions of dollars in direct financial aid if they agree," the source said.  Ties are expected to get closer between the Saudis and the Jewish state with Israeli lieutenant-general Gadi Eisenkot telling the publication Elaph on Thursday (16 November) that it was prepared to share intelligence to tackle Iran. The countries do not have diplomatic relations.  Obviously, if all goes as predicted, a major change in the Mideast, with Saudi Arabia moving out of isolation and toward the West. 

NPR LOSES ITS HALO – FROM NPR ITSELF:  As NPR's Board of Directors meet in Washington, D.C., this week, the network finds itself confronted by a series of dispiriting developments: a CEO on medical leave; a chief news executive forced out over sexual harassment allegations; the sudden resignation of a board chairman; fresh complaints over inappropriate behavior by colleagues; and a network roiled by tensions over the treatment of its female workers.  On Wednesday, NPR Board Chairman Roger LaMay announced that he was stepping down at the end of his second one-year term. LaMay, who remains on the board, said he needed to devote more time to running the popular Philadelphia public radio music station WXPN, where he is general manager.  However, according to a knowledgeable source, LaMay is the subject of a complaint filed with NPR alleging past inappropriate behavior. Few additional details are currently known.  Sexual harassment is the story of the month.  So many women have come forward.  I have no doubt that most are telling the truth, and that they were horribly treated.  At the same time, each case, each charge, must be examined separately and impartially.  I worry about innocent men, or women, being entrapped in hysteria.

I THOUGHT THIS WAS A PARADISE – FROM BLOOMBERG:   The number of Swedes who were victims of crimes such as fraud and sexual offenses jumped to the highest level on record last year.  A survey by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention showed that 15.6 percent of people suffered one or more offences against the person (defined in the survey as assault, threats, sexual offences, robbery, fraud or harassment) last year. That’s up from 13.3 percent in 2015 and the highest number recorded since the annual Swedish Crime Survey started in 2006.  The number of offences against individuals “was at a relatively stable level 2005 to 2014, at 11.3 percent to 13.1 percent, but the last two years show an increase,” the council said in the report published this week. The crimes “that have had the clearest development in the past few years are harassment, fraud and sexual offences,” the agency said.  Of the six types of offences against the person, five of six rose to their highest level on record last year. The number of assault cases reached its second-highest level.  Ah, the fruits of socialism.  Equality of misery.

November 16, 2017       Permalink

REMEMBER BALTIMORE? – AT 1:28 P.M. ET:  It was in the news for a bit last year, when liberals showed some brief interest in the death of an African-American man in police custody.  But then, ho hum, so many other things to be concerned about.

Oh, they put six cops on trial for the above-mentioned death, and all were acquitted by an African-American judge.  Remember how people said that many cops were becoming reluctant to get involved with crime because they always got charged with something, whether true or not?

Yeah, well, stuff happens.  From CBS Baltimore: 

BALTIMORE (WJZ)– Last week the Baltimore police commissioner was fired up at a press conference, Wednesday, the mayor responded to those who are lashing out at her. They say she doesn’t take the violence seriously.

Mayor Catherine Pugh says every time there’s a shooting or murder, her phone rings, and it couldn’t be more disturbing.

Pugh says they’re moving the hiring process along as fast as they can with officers but the City might not feel the impact until next year.

The department said once officers make it through the academy, they are immediately deployed to foot patrol in various communities, including the Inner Harbor.

“Anyone who thinks that I don’t take this seriously or it’s not something alarming to me, this is the most important thing we can do in this city and that’s to reduce the violence,” Pugh said.

Pugh fired back at critics Wednesday who question her leadership as Baltimore is closing in on one of it’s deadliest times ever, hitting 300 plus murders for the third year in a row.

“I am deeply disturbed about the violence and this is the number one priority of the City,” she said.
Vicious, random attacks like Sebastain Dvorak, who was killed in Canton after a night out with friends, to Kia Martin’s daughter, who was beat down at the Inner Harbor.

COMMENT:  The city is desperately short of police officers.  Surprise?  Who wants to be a cop in Baltimore?  Do something right and the anti-cop crusaders come after you. 

Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit.  Three great cities in the grip of crime.  No one seems to care.

New York?  Rudy Giuliani broke the back of crime in New York City, lowering the murder rate by 80 percent.  He was called a racist and a fascist.

November 16, 2017       Permalink

ORDER RESCINDED – AT 11:51 A.M. ET:  When this policy was announced, there was an instant uproar.  Sanity has prevailed.  Order rescinded.  From Fox: 

The Army's top officer said Wednesday that the service had "rescinded" a controversial memo permitting people with a history of severe mental illness to seek waivers allowing them to join up.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told reporters the memo was "unauthorized" and its author did not have the authority to change the Army's recruitment policy.

"It was rescinded last night," Milley said of the memo, which was dated Sept. 7 of this year and initially reported by USA Today on Sunday.

"There wasn’t a change in policy," Milley added. "There cannot be a change in policy by someone who doesn’t have the authority to change policy. I know it sounds circular."

According to the memo, potential recruits with a history of self-mutilation, bipolar disorder, and drug and alcohol abuse would be eligible to obtain waivers to join the Army.

"For all waivers," the memo specified, "the burden of proof is on the applicant to provide a clear and meritorious case for why a waiver should be considered."

COMMENT:  I'd love to know who got this now-rescinded memo started in the first place.  I'm willing to bet it was a holdover from the Obama administration.  It has the ring of the craziness and incompetence of the last eight years.

Back to high standards.  But I wish Congress would look into how this happened.

November 16, 2017       Permalink

OH, OH, OH...NOT AL, NOT AL!  AT 11:32 A.M. ET:  Is it true?  Can it be?  Al Franken?  Comedian, actor, US senator, liberal Democrat.  He, too...ACCUSED!  From KABC: 

On the day of the show Franken and I were alone backstage going over our lines one last time. He said to me, “We need to rehearse the kiss.” I laughed and ignored him. Then he said it again. I said something like, ‘Relax Al, this isn’t SNL…we don’t need to rehearse the kiss.’

He continued to insist, and I was beginning to get uncomfortable.

He repeated that actors really need to rehearse everything and that we must practice the kiss. I said ‘OK’ so he would stop badgering me. We did the line leading up to the kiss and then he came at me, put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth.

I immediately pushed him away with both of my hands against his chest and told him if he ever did that to me again I wouldn’t be so nice about it the next time.

I walked away. All I could think about was getting to a bathroom as fast as possible to rinse the taste of him out of my mouth.

I felt disgusted and violated.

Not long after, I performed the skit as written, carefully turning my head so he couldn’t kiss me on the lips.

COMMENT:  This may be the end of American history as we know it.  I mean, what does the United States Senate do?  A senator stands accused.  Dirty doings!  Dirty doings!

Does Franken reply?  Does he tell a joke?  "A funny thing happened to me backstage..."

This will be fascinating.  Mitch McConnell, not of Franken's party, is already saying that Roy Moore of Alabama will not be seated in the Senate, if elected, because of the accusations of women.

So what do they do with Al?

Stand by.   This is better than a TV soap opera.  It is a TV soap opera.

November 16,  2017     Permalink

NOVEMBER 15,  2017

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

WHO?  WHO IS THIS? – FROM DAILY CALLER:  A Democrat running for Congress was arrested on a stalking charge last week, but the media has refused to give the story any coverage.  David Alcon, who is running for an open congressional seat in New Mexico, was arrested this past Friday on a felony stalking charge after a woman accused him of sending her frightening and lewd text messages and showing up at her home. Alcon was previously convicted of stalking his ex-girlfriend in 2007 and was described as “infatuated” and “clearly obsessed” by the judge in the case.  The story has been met with silence from a number of media outlets despite their breathless coverage of the sexual assault scandal surrounding Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore.  The silence will continue.  The media likes what it's doing.

HYPOCRITES – FROM DAILY CALLER:  More than 100,000 convicted felons or other “prohibited persons” tried to buy guns each year during President Barack Obama’s administration by lying on their applications, but the Justice Department only considered prosecuting about 30 to 40 people each year, according to a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation.  The Obama administration may have publicly aligned itself with anti-gun activists, but it consistently turned a blind eye to prosecute known criminals who tried to buy guns.  A June 2016 Justice Department Inspector General’s report revealed that between 2008 and 2015 the U.S. Attorneys office considered prosecuting “less than 32 people per year” for lying on form 4473, the federal application to buy guns.  I'm sure the Obama Justice Department thought criminals were oppressed enough.

BLOW TO TAX REFORM – FROM CNN:   Sen. Ron Johnson announced he is opposed to the tax bill Wednesday, making him the first member of the GOP to formally come out against the party's plan, though the Wisconsin Republican said he was hopeful about being able to support a final version once changes are made.  Johnson issued a statement saying the current proposal in both chambers is imbalanced in favor of large corporations but he left open the door to supporting the bills if they are altered.  "Unfortunately, neither the House nor Senate bill provide fair treatment, so I do not support either in their current versions," he said. "I do, however, look forward to working with my colleagues to address the disparity so I can support the final version."  The GOP, with only 52 seats in the Senate, can't afford to lose more than two votes, as the Democrats are likely to vote unanimously against any tax legislation.  The bargaining between House and Senate versions will be intense, and passage is not guaranteed.

November 15, 2017       Permalink

AND IN THE REAL WORLD – AT 1:58 P.M. ET:  Alaska is being urged to prepare for a nuclear attack.  From London's Mirror:   

Alaska is being urged to prepare for a North Korean nuclear attack - amid fears that a warhead 'could reach residents in 20 minutes'.

The country will NOT attempt evacuations if North Korea fires a nuclear missile, emergency planners have warned.

Jeremy Zidek, from the state’s disaster planning team, urged locals to shelter in place should an attack happen - rather than risk being caught in the open for the blast.

He also urged families to have an emergency stash of food and water, flashlights and radios - as well as medical supplies including the anti-radiation pill Prussian Blue.

And while he insisted that Alaska was an unlikely target for a nuclear strike, Mr Zidek admitted that the state’s defensive facilities could be picked for attack.

Alaska is home to Fort Greely, where the US has interceptor rockets designed to destroy incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

The state also has missile defences at the Pacific Spaceport Complex as well as radar warning systems at Clear Air Force Station.

“We have the missile defence system here,” Mr Zidek said. “We have missiles and radars in a number of different locations.”

“Perhaps there would be some type of attack on those military facilities to try to hinder our ability to react to any missile launches.”

Mr Zidek also warned that Alaska no longer retains bomb shelters and that there would be no new measures to deal specifically with the nuclear threat.

He said: “There could be evacuation notices put in place but are we going to be able to get that amount of lead time to instruct people to actually evacuate an area?"

COMMENT:  Just a friendly reminder that the world extends beyond CNN's editorials and ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."   Our readers know that, of course, but many people giving us the news have forgotten.

November 15, 2017       Permalink

THIS IS WHAT TOAST LOOKS LIKE – AT 1:09 P.M. ET:  As each day goes by, Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore moves closer to oblivion, whether he realizes it or not.  From The Politico:   

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans say that Alabama Senate GOP candidate Roy Moore is virtually certain to face a formal ethics complaint — which would lead to expulsion proceedings — should he be elected next month.

It’s an outcome that senior Republicans say privately is all but unavoidable after the embattled Senate hopeful was accused of sexual misconduct, including with a 14-year-old girl. The former Alabama Supreme Court justice is refusing to leave the race.

McConnell initially outlined his thinking at his weekly leadership meeting earlier this week. The Kentucky Republican said if Moore is elected, he expects a senator to file an ethics complaint against Moore, according to multiple sources. That process would eventually lead to a vote on expelling him.

One option that McConnell floated during the meeting was for a Democrat, such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, to initiate the process by filing the complaint, according to the sources. Democrats are not entertaining that option before the Dec. 12 special election because the party’s candidate, Doug Jones, could win.

On Tuesday, McConnell didn’t mince words about what Moore would be up against if he makes it to the Senate.

“If he were to be sworn in, he would immediately be in a process before the Senate Ethics Committee,” McConnell said at a Wall Street Journal event. “He would be sworn in and be asked to testify under oath and it would be a rather unusual beginning, probably an unprecedented beginning.”

COMMENT:  Privately, the Dems probably want Moore to remain in the Senate, if elected.  He's a great fundraising tool for the Democratic Party, and a serious nuisance to Republicans. 

As we've said here before, it's sleazy to present a man with charges based on alleged events from four decades ago, but Moore's answers to the charges have been inadequate, his party has turned against him, and he's in trouble even if he wins. 

He'd probably be wise to drop out and conduct his battle for exoneration in other venues, like the court system.  He is not winning this fight in the court of public opinion. 

This whole thing is a mess, and an embarrassment to our legal and electoral system. 

Of course, if Moore turns out to be innocent, he will be owed an enormous apology and another chance at public office.

November 15, 2017       Permalink

GOOD MOVE – AT 11:38 A.M. ET:  Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa is experienced, and is also chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  His experience shows.  He's made a move that can have profound importance as President Trump reshapes the American judiciary.  From Breitbart: 

WASHINGTON, DC – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) announced Monday that he will not allow any senator to abuse the “blue slip courtesy” to block a judicial nomination. This paves the way for all of President Donald Trump’s nominees to get through Grassley’s committee for a confirmation vote by the full Senate, giving the president a major victory for the 2018 midterms.

Grassley’s office laid the foundation for Monday’s long-awaited and eagerly anticipated speech by distributing a policy memorandum on November 2 explaining the historical role of the blue slip, including that it is a courtesy that each Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) chairman extends to his fellow senators as he sees fit, not any sort of Senate rule that is binding on chairmen.

“Blue slips have been around since 1917,” Grassley began. “I intend to honor the blue slip courtesy, but there have always been exceptions.”

Consistent with his policy memo, he explained that blue slips are “premised on the idea that home-state senators are in a good position to provide insights into a nominee from their state.”

“It’s meant to encourage consultation between the White House and home-state senators about judicial nominations,” Grassley added, and that each SJC “chairman has the authority to decide how to apply the courtesy” to facilitate such consultation.

But only two chairmen during the past century “required both senators to return positive blue slips before scheduling a hearing.” All the rest have not.

COMMENT:  Eureka!  Read the whole piece, which is thoughtful and explanatory.  It is good news for those who want the Democrat-inspired logjam on judicial appointments to be broken up.

Trump's greatest legacy may come in his appointment of conservative judges.

November 15,  2017     Permalink