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OCTOBER 19,  2018

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

DEMS GONE WILD – FROM FOX:   The White House on Friday slammed Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, after he claimed that President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, may have orchestrated the brutal killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi -- a claim he walked back later.  The rep told CNN that the Trump adviser and "U.S. intelligence" could have passed around a so-called “enemies list” that was viewed by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Poppy Harlow, the anchor, challenged Castro, saying the network had no knowledge of the "reporting" he cited. But he responded that he's seen "reporting to that effect."  Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, took to Twitter to call out the congressman for presenting the allegations "without a shred of proof." She said it was reprehensible for Castro to cite an article that was "completely debunked."  Castro took to Twitter later in an attempt to clarify his comments. He said he did not intend to accuse Kushner of "orchestrating anything."  This guy is considered a possible presidential candidate.  The Democratic Party continues to descend into madness.

SAVE US, SAVE US – FROM THE WEEK:   Ready to go through the 2016 election all over again?
Philippe Reines, who worked for Hillary Clinton going back to 2002 and was her senior adviser at the State Department, made the argument to Politico Friday that the former Democratic nominee might actually be the party's best hope for defeating Trump in 2020. He said no other Democrat has "anywhere near a base of 32 million people," especially not Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) or Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). The party, he feels, shouldn't dismiss her as a failed candidate because she's "smarter" and "tougher" than most, and she "could raise money easier than most."  But it doesn't sound like this is just wishful thinking on his part. He really thinks it could happen, saying the chances of Clinton running in 2020 are "not zero.”   This sounds like the old Hollywood practice of "failing upward."  The argument is that failure should be respected because it brings experience.  Okay, if it involves the cost of a movie, that's one thing.  If it involves the future of a nation, that's quite another.  This was a big story today, but I doubt that Hillary has much backing from her party. 

ANOTHER BRAVE PREDICTION – FROM BLOOMBERG:  Early voting is under way or about to start in several states, and so far, turnout is up -- way up.  That turnout could benefit Democrats, who are vying to take the House and have long-shot hope of flipping the Senate. The party has seen a surge in special elections throughout this year and last, and could see their highest level of voter turnout for a midterm election in at least a decade, according to an analysis by the New York Times.  Republicans meanwhile, say they’re confident that the fight over Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination will provide enough motivation to turn out their supporters as they seek to reduce any potential enthusiasm gap.  Oh, who knows?  I wouldn't take any predictions seriously at this point.  The increase in early voting can just as easily be a reflection of the vast popularity of online shopping.  People, more and more, want to do things from home.  Or, it can be an army of Republicans angry over the treatment of Judge Kavanaugh.  We'll know in two and a half weeks.  Hold the predictions.

October 19, 2018       Permalink 

THE CHICAGO WAY HAS SO MANY USES – AT 12:09 P.M. ET:  Now it's reached Texas.  Thank you, Democratic Party.  From the Washington Times: 

The Texas Democratic Party asked non-citizens to register to vote, sending out applications to immigrants with the box citizenship already checked “Yes,” according to new complaints filed Thursday asking prosecutors to see what laws may have been broken.

The Public Interest Legal Foundation alerted district attorneys and the federal Justice Department to the pre-checked applications, and also included a signed affidavit from a man who said some of his relatives, who aren’t citizens, received the mailing.

“This is how the Texas Democratic Party is inviting foreign influence in an election in a federal election cycle,” said Logan Churchwell, spokesman for the PILF, a group that’s made its mark policing states’ voter registration practices.

The Texas secretary of state’s office said it, too, had gotten complaints both from immigrants and from relatives of dead people who said they got mailings asking them to register.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to investigate.

“If true there will be serious consequences,” he said.

COMMENT:  It's not shocking at all.  The Democratic Party isn't even an American political party any longer.  Its base doesn't believe in borders, doesn't much like the country, and belies that the American century has past. 

Such a fun group.

October 19, 2018       Permalink

LET 'EM EAT CAKE – AT 11:18 A.M. ET:  At least Nancy Pelosi is honest about what will happen if the Democrats take over.  From the Washington Times: 

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said American voters will simply have to deal with the “collateral damage” that comes their way if Democrats craft economic policies in the years ahead.

But she'll drive over in her Mercedes and deliver cupcakes to the newly unemployed.

The California Democrat recently sat down with New York Times columnist Paul Krugman in the Big Apple to discuss public policy. The event, hosted by the Jewish organization 92nd Street Y, included a portion on climate change that sparked the lawmaker’s pronouncement.

“We owe the American people to be there for them, for their financial security, respecting the dignity and worth of every person in our country, and if there is some collateral damage for some others who do not share our view, well, so be it, but it shouldn’t be our original purpose,” she said Sunday.

Her commentary came against a political backdrop in which the U.S. unemployment rate is at a 49-year low — 3.7 percent — in conjunction with moderate inflation.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said earlier this month, for instance, that Americans are enjoying a “historically rare” economic climate.

Mrs. Pelosi added that Democrats may find areas of compromise with Republicans on policies related to infrastructure, the Washington Free Beacon reported Thursday.

COMMENT:  A Democratic victory, if not now but certainly in two years, will destroy the confidence of the economy builders, especially if the Dems raise taxes and reimpose crippling regulations on business. 

And if there's a recession, or worse?  The Dems will, as they always do, rev up social programs for "vulernable" communities, meaning Democratic Party constituencies. 

There's an old saying that democracies survive until people realize they can raid the Treasury. If the Dems take over, watch the raiding parties land on the shores of the Potomac.

October 19,  2018     Permalink

OCTOBER 18,  2018

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

NIKKI NAILS IT – FROM THE NEW YORK POST:  Mayor de Blasio and Gov. Cuomo got a chilly reception at a Midtown charity dinner Thursday night as both were greeted with boos and scattered clapping while being announced.  But the interaction – or lack of it – between both political rivals during the 73rd annual Al Smith Dinner was even colder.  As de Blasio arrived on stage and headed towards his seat, Cuomo turned his head and jumped out of his seat. He then briskly walked away to greet other dignitaries nearby who were already sitting down. ..Most other guests received huge cheers, including former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and outgoing United States Ambassador Nikki Haley, the keynote speaker at the event which is meant to serve as a good-natured roast.  Haley, who has told President Trump she plans to step down by year’s end, lampooned many of the guests but seemed to save her best material for de Blasio.  “Mayor, remember as a member of the UN delegation, I do have diplomatic immunity,” she said. “You’re all familiar with diplomatic immunity? It’s an exemption from prosecution, but as Mayor de Blasio calls it: a sanctuary city.”  Nikki did it again, showing a funny side she doesn't show at the UN.  I hope she has a great future.

THE ELECTORAL DAY – Only routine campaigning today, as candidates prepare for the two-week mark, which will happen Tuesday.  Then things get intense, and the money gets spent.  Conventional wisdom as of today is that the Dems will take the House, but the GOP might well pick up a few seats in the Senate.  There were no surprises in the polls today.  The best commentators are reminding voters that midterm elections, where participation is often 40% or so of registered voters, are all about turnout.  And that may depend on which side is angriest.  Polling is difficult in individual state and local contests because it's so expensive.  I urge you to look only at LV polls – polls of likely voters.  They are more likely to be reasonably accurate.

ON TOP AGAIN – FROM IBD:  Competitiveness: It might not make a lot of mainstream newspapers, so let us inform you: The World Economic Forum just ranked the U.S. as the world's most competitive economy for the first time since 2008. A lot has happened since then, but mostly the U.S.'s No. 1 ranking is a result of the surprise election of Donald Trump.  It's also yet another bit of evidence for why policies truly matter. The last time the U.S. stood atop the WEF global ranking of 140-plus countries, President Obama had just been elected. But he had yet to sign the growth-killing Dodd-Frank and ObamaCare bills, or a wasteful "stimulus" of nearly $1 trillion.  For the next eight years, the U.S.'s competitiveness ranking slid, pretty much until Trump was elected and reversed the slide with tax cuts, deregulation and trade renegotiations that pushed U.S. GDP growth roughly 50% higher than it was under Obama.  It's hard to believe that the American people would throw all this away by electing a Democratic Congress, but suicide is always a national option, and many nations have chosen it.

October 18, 2018       Permalink

TRUMP THREATENS USE OF TROOPS –  AT 10:28 A.M. ET:  And none too soon.  There is an organized army of "refugees" approaching our southern border.  Strange, but it's happening right before our election.  The president has stark choices to make.  He's hinting at making the right one.  We cannot permit our border to be stormed.  From Fox: 

The U.S. military will "CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER" with Mexico if officials there don't soon stop the northward push of a massive migrant caravan, President Trump warned Thursday, amid reports the procession had swelled in size to about 4,000 people.

Trump's latest threat against the caravan -- which originated in Honduras and is bound for the U.S. in a bid to escape pervasive poverty and violence – comes as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heads to Central America to discuss the issue.

“I am watching the Democrat Party led (because they want Open Borders and existing weak laws) assault on our country by Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, whose leaders are doing little to stop this large flow of people, INCLUDING MANY CRIMINALS, from entering Mexico to U.S.,” Trump tweeted Thursday morning.

He added: “In addition to stopping all payments to these countries, which seem to have almost no control over their population, I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught - and if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!”

COMMENT:  The president is right.  But he must expect a journalistic onslaught if our troops have to stop "migrants" at the border.  I think the great mass of Americans, though, will support him.

The timing of this "great march northward" is not accidental.  A full Congressional investigation is called for.  If the Dems take over Congress, that will never happen.

October 18, 2018       Permalink

PRESIDENT SLIPS – AT 10:08 A.M. ET:  The president dropped three points in this morning's Rasmussen tracker, a rarity.  It's impossible to know, especially based on only one day's finding in a three-day rolling poll, if this has any significance.  We'll watch the coming numbers, but presidential approval often translates into a few points in the results of some congressional races.  From Rasmussen: 

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows that 47% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Fifty-two percent (52%) disapprove. 

The latest figures include 34% who Strongly Approve of the way Trump is performing and 43% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -9.

COMMENT:   Meanwhile, the new Fox poll shows Mr. Trump gaining four points over the last month.  Fox also shows him at 47%.

October 18,  2018     Permalink