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NOVEMBER 29,  2017

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:38 P.M. ET: 

THE LATEST TO FALL – FROM MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO:   ST. PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) is terminating its contracts with Garrison Keillor and his private media companies after recently learning of allegations of his inappropriate behavior with an individual who worked with him.  Last month, MPR was notified of the allegations which relate to Mr. Keillor's conduct while he was responsible for the production of A Prairie Home Companion (APHC). MPR President Jon McTaggart immediately informed the MPR Board Chair, and a special Board committee was appointed to provide oversight and ongoing counsel. In addition, MPR retained an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation of the allegations. Based on what we currently know, there are no similar allegations involving other staff. The attorney leading the independent investigation has been conducting interviews and reviewing documents, and the investigation is still ongoing. We encourage anyone with additional information to call our confidential hotline 1-877-767-7781.  I've never been a fan of his, but I really would like to see some evidence, or evidence of a true investigation.  As he said, 50 years of work is destroyed by one announcement.  If guilty, he must be punished.  But I'm uneasy about these "executions" before the trial. 

PROGRESS ON TAXES – FROM THE HILL:   The Senate voted to begin debate on its tax cut bill Wednesday, edging Republicans closer to their first major legislative victory under President Trump as they seek to finish the chamber’s work on the measure by the end of the week.  Senators voted 52-48 to take up the House-passed legislation, which is being used as a vehicle for the Senate bill.  No Republicans voted against proceeding to debate, a huge accomplishment for GOP leaders who struggled earlier this year to corral their members around legislation to repeal and replace ObamaCare. No Democrats voted for the measure.  GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Steve Daines (Mont.) and Jeff Flake (Ariz.) all said they would agree to start debate before it began, despite various worries about the legislation.   It is a flawed bill.  No one says it is perfect.  But it's better than what we have now, and if the middle class truly benefits, it will place our side in a much better position for the crucial 2018 midterms.  The Democratic failure to participate could well be a major campaign issue.

A MESS – FROM FOX:    Thousands of scheduled American Airlines flights are currently without pilots during the busiest travel season of the year.  The sudden shortage is being blamed on a glitch in the computer system that bids for pilots’ time off based on seniority, the Allied Pilots Association Union said. More than 15,000 flights from Dec. 17-31 have been affected, Reuters reported.  American Airlines is working quickly to solve the issue, which was created when a system malfunction showed that American had pilots scheduled for flights when it didn’t. "We are working through this to make sure we take care of our pilots and get our customers to where they need to go over the holidays," American spokesman Matt Miller said.  The solution is clear:  three by five cards.  Never fail.

November 29, 2017       Permalink

MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN – AT 1:41 P.M. ET:   Economic indicators continue strong.  America is coming back.  From Bloomberg: 

The U.S. economy’s growth rate last quarter was revised upward to the fastest in three years on stronger investment from businesses and government agencies than previously estimated, Commerce Department data showed Wednesday.

The latest results for GDP, the value of all goods and services produced, show the economy withstood major hurricanes to reach a more solid footing as it entered the final stretch of the year, thanks to stronger business spending that’s helping cushion a softer pace of consumption.

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said Wednesday, just before the GDP report, that the expansion is “increasingly broad based across sectors as well as across much of the global economy.”

While the revised growth rate is in line with President Donald Trump’s goal, economists generally see such a pace as unsustainable and expect growth to slow sometime in 2018. Trump and congressional Republicans are pushing a tax-cut plan with the aim of lifting GDP gains to 3 percent annually, though analysts expect any economic boost to be modest, on balance, if the proposal becomes law.

COMMENT:  Every bit helps.  Trump is a far more active president than Obama was, and his very activity increases public confidence.  The mainstream media will try to deny him any credit, but Americans are likely to be more generous, especially if they feel the progress in their wallet.

November 29, 2017       Permalink

NORTH KOREA'S LATEST MADNESS – AT 9:48 A.M. ET:   They are getting to the point where they can reach the United States with an ICBM.  From Reuters:

SEOUL/WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - North Korea said it successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday in a "breakthrough" that puts the U.S. mainland within range of its nuclear weapons whose warheads could withstand re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere.

North Korea's first missile test since mid-September came a week after U.S. President Donald Trump put North Korea back on a U.S. list of countries it says support terrorism, allowing it to impose more sanctions.

North Korea, which also conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test in September, has tested dozens of ballistic missiles under its leader, Kim Jong Un, in defiance of international sanctions. The latest was the highest and longest any North Korean missile had flown, landing in the sea near Japan.

North Korea said the new missile reached an altitude of about 4,475 km (2,780 miles) - more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station - and flew 950 km (590 miles) during its 53-minute flight.

"After watching the successful launch of the new type ICBM Hwasong-15, Kim Jong Un declared with pride that now we have finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power," according to a statement read by a television presenter.

State media said the missile was launched from a newly developed vehicle and that the warhead could withstand the pressure of re-entering the atmosphere.

Kim personally guided the missile test and said the new launcher was "impeccable", state media said. He described the new vehicle as a "breakthrough".

COMMENT:   Secretary of Defense Mattis was particularly grim in discussing this latest test.  Apparently, the Norks have made major breakthroughs, placing the United States mainland in danger.

The president this morning is promising major new sanctions on North Korea.  But sanctions have never worked with that regime. 

November 29, 2017       Permalink

BULLETIN:  MATT LAUER, PROBABLY THE BEST-KNOWN NEWS PERSONALITY AT NBC, HAS BEEN FIRED FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT.  FROM NBC NEWS:

Matt Lauer, the anchor of "Today" for two decades, was fired by NBC News after a detailed complaint about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.

"Today" co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb announced Lauer's firing Wednesday, telling viewers at the top of the show that they were processing his departure but didn't yet know all of the details.

In a memo to employees sent Wednesday morning, NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack said the complaint, which was made by a colleague of Lauer's, prompted a serious review and represented a "clear violation of our company's standards."

Lack said it was the first complaint lodged against Lauer, 59, for his behavior since he took over as anchor of the show in 1997, but there was "reason to believe" it may not have been an isolated incident.

"Our highest priority is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels safe and protected, and to ensure that any actions that run counter to our core values are met with consequences, no matter who the offender," Lack said.

COMMENT:  I dunno.  I guess they have plenty of evidence.  Lauer, now gone, was a big money-maker for NBC.  The episode reminds us that another NBC bigwig, Brian Williams, was dropped as evening anchor after he was caught lying about stories.

Ah, the glories of the press.

We'll wait for further details.  I think anyone with a sense of fairness will want to examine evidence and process.  I have no problem with severe consequences for the guilty.  But the process must be fair, transparent, and with appropriate standards of justice.

Who's next?

November 29,  2017     Permalink

NOVEMBER 28,  2017

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:56 P.M. ET: 

DOWN AND DOWN – FROM BREITBART:   Just when some industry observers were beginning to think that it couldn’t get any worse for the NFL’s primetime ratings this year, it gets much, much worse.
The NFL served up the Texans and the Ravens on the week 12 edition of Monday Night Football, and NFL viewers seem to have resoundingly said, “No thank you.”  The MNF clash between Houston and Baltimore drew only a 6.0 in metered markets. That makes it the lowest rated MNF contest of the year for the NFL and ESPN. It also makes President Trump’s Tuesday morning Twitter shot at the league, incredibly well-timed and accurate:  The Week 12 debacle represents a 17 percent decline from last week’s edition of MNF, which saw a the Seahawks edge the Falcons 34-31.  Still, no one comes up with answers.  This is a sport in trouble, with no true leadership. 

TERRIFIC – FROM DAILY CALLER:   President Trump began a media firestorm Monday after referring to Elizabeth Warren as “Pocahontas” at a ceremony honoring Navajo code talkers....One voice that has been missing in the debate has been that of the code talkers honored in the ceremony.  Reporter and writer Joshua Green met Thomas Begay, one of the code talkers honored Monday, on his way out of Washington, D.C. Green asked him about the event. Begay said he was “puzzled” about the comment but not offended.  Then Begay dropped a very non safe-space one liner:  “The Marines made us yell ‘Geronimo’ when we jumped out of planes and that didn’t offend me either.”  A good guy, who doesn't see every comment as an insult or a crisis.  The World War II generation owes much to the code talkers, who could communicate, using their language, over field radios in the Pacific, with the Japanese having no idea what was being said.  They have faced larger challenges than a president referring to a U.S. senator as Pocahontas.

A SAD SITUATION – FROM DAILY CALLER:  After welcoming almost 12,000 refugees to their region, three-quarters of Canadians living in the province of Ontario now say that Muslim immigrants hold fundamentally different values and a majority believe mainstream Islam promotes violence, according to a new survey to be released this week.  The survey was funded by the province and the city of Toronto as part of a joint educational campaign “to address xenophobia, Islamophobia, and anti-immigrant sentiments.”  While 60 percent of Ontarians say they initially supported the decision to import Syrian refugees, 75 percent now say Muslim immigrants hold fundamentally different values and a majority now say Islam’s mainstream doctrines promote violence. Only one-third of those in the region have a positive impression of the religion.  That is very sad, because so many Muslims just come for better lives.  But a reckless immigration policy that ignores the real problems within Muslim civilization, has led to a backlash.  The tragedy is that, instead of dealing with the cultural problems with Islam, the leftist establishment simply screams "Islamophobia!" and denounces well-meaning Canadians.  Does the left ever solve a problem?

November 28, 2017       Permalink

AUNTIE MAXINE, YOU HAVE COMPANY – AT 12:16 P.M. ET:   "Auntie" Maxine Waters – that's what her supporters call her – is one of the nuttier members of Congress, someone who called for Trump's impeachment on, oh, general grounds.  But Auntie is getting some serious competition.  From Breitbart: 

Omar Navarro, 28, the conservative Latino challenger to Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), 78, has racked up a growing list of high-profile donors and advisers.

They include names like Roger Stone, who serves as Navarro’s campaign advisor; former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who calls him on a weekly basis; TV host Alex Jones; former Pussycat Doll Kaya Jones; former Presidential candidate Herman Cain; former Arizona Congressman Barry Goldwater, Jr.; singer and songwriter Joy Villa; “Swamp People” case member T-Roy Broussard; and American radio host Larry Elder, among others.

According to the Los Angeles Times, “a group of major GOP donors that spent millions on ads to elect President Trump also plans to take on the Los Angeles congresswoman in next year’s midterm election.”

Navarro is running in a majority Latino and African-American district in southern Los Angeles, where approximately 60 percent of registered voters are Democrats, as the Times notes. But that isn’t about to stop him.

“When I ran last year, I received 25 percent of the vote, which means I got 11 percent more than the registered Republicans in the region, which means I transcended and got Democrats and Independents to vote for me,” Navarro told Breitbart News. “I spent a total of $3,000 the last campaign. In comparison, I’ve so far raised $140,000 this campaign.”

Waters won the last election with over 70% of the vote.

COMMENT:  Obviously, a tough climb, especially in a year when Democrats are expected to make gains.  But I'd love to see Auntie sent home to Uncle, and let them live happily ever after.

November 28, 2017       Permalink

OH SHUT UP! – AT 11:46 A.M. ET:  Hillary Clinton is performing a kind of public service – she's constantly demonstrating why we were wise not to put her in the Oval Office.   From the New York Post: 

Hillary Clinton used a conference in Beijing to blast both President Trump and the Chinese over their stance toward North Korea — saying it needs to soften up soon before things get out of hand and nuclear war breaks out.

Serving as the keynote speaker at Caijing Magazine’s three-day annual conference on Tuesday, the former secretary of state called on Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to avoid “bluster” and “personal taunts” when dealing with Pyongyang, according to Bloomberg.

She reportedly criticized the Trump administration for retreating from diplomacy in recent months and said she hoped that China wouldn’t follow suit.

While Clinton focused much of her sentiment on the US stance toward North Korea, she took most of her jabs at the Chinese — claiming they, too, were taking the wrong approach to the situation and making things worse with their “secret” military buildups.

“Beijing should remember that inaction is a choice as well,” Clinton said.

Like the Trump administration, the Chinese have chosen to avoid diplomatic talks with the North Koreans as tensions continue to escalate in the region.

COMMENT:  Disgraceful!  Trying to undercut the president of the United States while abroad.  That's a clear line that she crossed.

She might have noted that we've been negotiating with the Norks for 23 years, without any actual result.  They've simply gotten stronger, they have the atom bomb, and they are working on missiles to carry it.  Three cheers for diplomacy.

I suspect Hillary is simply trying to grovel to the left wing of her party, praying she can make another run in 2020. 

But if the lefties want an elder, they'll choose Bernie Sanders, which is the scariest thing I've written in a long time.

November 28, 2017       Permalink

TAX BILL NO SURE THING – AT 11:22 A.M. ET:  It's down to the wire in the Senate, where Republican leaders don't yet have the votes to pass the Senate GOP's version of the tax bill.  From Bloomberg: 

U.S. President Donald Trump plans to meet Tuesday with Senate Republicans in a crucial week for his presidency and his tax plan that could decide whether he ends his first year with a major legislative achievement.

Last-minute threats to the tax cuts that Trump has promised since early in his long-shot presidential campaign are looming among Senate Republicans. Concerns center on the taxation of partnerships, limited liabilities and other companies; on the overall cost of the tax bill itself; and on a familiar GOP stumbling block -- Obamacare.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch of Utah said Monday. “This is going to be a tough, tough time.”

Senate Republican leaders aren’t counting on any Democrats for a floor vote that could come Thursday or Friday -- but that means they can afford to lose only two members of their own party.

COMMENT:  It is possible that no bill will emerge from Congress this year.  That is not the ultimate crisis, but it is serious.  The president has made a promise, and he wants to keep it.

The Senate could come back after its holiday recess and try again. 

The real shame is on the Democratic side.  The Democrats will not even deal with the GOP on a tax bill.  Reasonable compromises would get a tax-reform package passed, but the Democratic Party is under the control of its left wing, which doesn't even believe in tax cuts.

And, once again, we ask where those "moderate" Democrats are.  As usual, after all their talk of moderation at election time, they're taking their orders from the nut wing, to avoid primary challenges.

November 28,  2017     Permalink