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SEPTEMBER 6,  2016

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

AN ANNIVERSARY – FROM THE MEMPHIS COMMERCIAL APPEAL:   Today is the 100th anniversary of one of Memphis's far-reaching contributions to the nation: The modern grocery store.  The aggressive salesman of wholesale groceries, Clarence Saunders, opened his first Piggly Wiggly at 79 Jefferson on Sept. 6, 1916, with great fanfare.  Until then, shoppers walked to a front counter, told the clerk what they wanted, and the clerk went to the back to fetch the food items.  Saunders created the more efficient way of giving the shoppers a basket and letting them serve themselves as they walked along shelves full of food products before leaving through a check-out counter.  I will think of Mr. Saunders with great reverence tomorrow as I visit my local Stop and Shop, having run out of ice cream.  Breyer's chocolate chip is on sale.

ENOUGH, ENOUGH! – FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE:   George Washington, the guy on the quarter, could soon be facing the ax in San Francisco as surely as his fabled cherry tree.  The president of the San Francisco school board thinks it’s time to consider renaming schools that bear the names of slave owners — including Washington and his friends and fellow presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe.
Board President Matt Haney said Tuesday he will introduce a resolution before the board this month to clarify the rules for renaming San Francisco schools with an eye to encouraging the communities at Washington High School, along with Jefferson and Monroe elementary schools, to consider whether they want to make a change...“We need to have a conversation about this,” Haney said. “Especially at George Washington High School. We have school names in San Francisco that are not relevant or meaningful or inspire pride.”  Yes, Haney said, the name Washington — also shared by a state, the U.S. capital and a likeness on a dollar bill — might very well be such a name.  Haney sounds like the kind of idiot they get in San Francisco government.  You know, one of these days an honest reporter will take a look at some of the new, politically correct names on public buildings...and examine the lives behind those names.  I'm sure that reporter will find plenty of distressing details.

A BALTIMORE WEEKEND – FROM THE BALTIMORE SUN:   Violence in Baltimore came in bunches over the Labor Day weekend, with four triple-shootings breaking out in the city.  Twenty-two people were shot from Friday afternoon through Monday night, police said. At least three were killed, and four more were in critical condition Monday.  The victims included a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old. Police said a gunman left a dice game disgruntled on Saturday and opened fire indiscriminately on a crowd in Latrobe Homes.  The oldest victim was a 62-year-old woman, who sought refuge in a Wilkens Avenue pizza shop after a shooting claimed the life of a 29-year-old man.  T.J. Smith, the chief spokesman for the Police Department, said police needed the community's help to identify the shooters and take them off the streets.  He focused on the alleged dice game shooter.  I wonder if the Black Lives Matter crowd will find, in Baltimore, any lives that matter.

September 6, 2016        Permalink

CLINTON'S HEALTH – QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 10:52 A.M. ET:  Correctly or not, it's becoming an issue.  It can't be avoided.   Hillary's coughing fits, her medical history,  and now the fact that she blames the concussion she suffered in 2012 for not "recalling" certain aspects of her e-mail operation, combine to make her health a subject for major discussion.

The Democrats dismiss all this as a conspiracy theory.  It isn't.  Presidential health has been a news subject for generations, most dramatically when Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke while president, with his wife withholding the truth from the public.

Wes Pruden, in the Washington Times, argues that the discussion must go forward: 

Internet websites abound with demands that Donald Trump release his tax returns to tell all about his finances, and that would be a good thing, too. No less important, and indeed perhaps more important, are legitimate and respectful questions about Hillary’s health. Presidents have concealed health problems in the past, from the wife of Woodrow Wilson shutting him off from the world for months to run the country herself, to John F. Kennedy’s debilitating struggle with Addison’s disease.

Her doctor says Hillary’s in good health, and if so that’s good news. We should all send her the traditional Chinese wish (slightly amended) for long life and many (grand)children. But in return the American voter is entitled to a detailed report of a thorough and independent physical examination of both candidates. If such a requirement is good enough for a truck driver, it’s good enough for a candidate for president of the United States. There’s no apology for asking for it.

COMMENT:  Excellent idea – a physical examination of presidential candidates conducted by an independent panel of doctors, and a full release of the candidate's medical records.

I doubt if it will happen this time around.  We have only two months to go, and Hillary can stall for time.  Donald Trump has already agreed to release all his medical records, but I don't know if that's contingent on Hillary releasing hers. 

September 6, 2016       Permalink

MAJOR CHANGE AT FOX – GRETA LEAVING – AT 9:50 A.M. ET:  This was announced minutes ago.  From Business Insider: 

Greta Van Susteren will depart Fox News after 14 years with the network, Fox News announced Tuesday morning. Brit Hume will take over as the new host of "On the Record."

“We are grateful for Greta's many contributions over the years and wish her continued success," Fox News co-presidents Jack Abernethy and Bill Shine said in a statement.

Abernethy and Shine added: "As one of the best political analysts in the industry, Brit is the ideal choice to host a nightly political program while the most dynamic and captivating election in recent history unfolds. Having Brit at the helm of this show will enable FOX News to continue on track to have its highest-rated year ever as the network dominates the cable news landscape."

COMMENT:  Fox remains the leading cable news network, while CNN falters badly in the ratings.  I'm not shocked by Greta's departure, but I am shocked that the change will occur so abruptly, without, apparently, an on-the-air goodbye.  Don't know yet whether she resigned or was eased out.  There's clearly more to this story than what we've learned so far.

At the same time, I'm glad to see Brit Hume back full-time.  His is a voice of political authority, and I look forward to watching.

Also, NPR and other sources are reporting that Fox has settled the sexual harassment suit against the network by Gretchen Carlson for $20 million, and will offer an apology.

Fox revolutionized TV news by adding a conservative perspective to the routine leftism of most other outlets.  What happens at Fox is important.

September 6, 2016       Permalink

POLLING LATEST – TRUMP UP BY TWO – AT 9:14 A.M. ET:  The formal presidential campaign starts today, and Hillary Clinton cannot be amused by a new CNN/ORC poll out this morning.  From The Hill: 

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump tops a new national poll that shows a tight race two months before the election.

Trump leads Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by 2 points among likely voters, 45 to 43 percent, well within the margin of error in the CNN/ORC poll released Tuesday morning.

Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson takes 7 percent while Green Party nominee Jill Stein has 2 percent.

Clinton had an 8-point lead in the same poll in early August.

The new poll of 1,001 adults, conducted between Sept. 1-4, has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

Clinton leads Trump by 4 points, 46.1 to 42.1 percent, in the RealClearPolitics average of national polls.

COMMENT:  This is another poll that confirms a clear trend toward Trump.  There is no guarantee this trend will continue.  Trump must capitalize on his momentum by avoiding the outbursts and off-message arguments that severely damaged his campaign only a month ago.

Polling will intensify, and it's important that we look at the election state by state.  National polls are interesting, but we will be voting by state on election day.  Only electoral votes will actually count.

September 6,  2016     Permalink

SEPTEMBER 5,  2016

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:46 P.M. ET: 

CHEERS FOR TRUMP – He and Mike Pence were together in Ohio for Labor Day.  From NBC Local:   YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -  Days of rumor turned into reality on Labor Day, as Donald Trump and running mate Mike Pence stopped by the Canfield Fair. Two planes, one with the Trump logo and other marked "Trump Pence" landed at the Youngstown Warren Regional Airport shortly after 1:30 p.m., arriving from Cleveland where the Republican candidate attended a previous campaign event.  The entourage carrying the two members of the GOP presidential ticket arrived to crowds of people at around 3 p.m.  Donald Trump was greeted by a crowd of thousands as he pulled into the Canfield Fair.  Many people just happy to get a glimpse of the man who could be the next President of the United States.  While some people wore Trump 2016 shirts, others chanted Trump 2016 as his motorcade pulled into the fair grounds.  Clearly, Trump is in a different place from where he was three weeks ago.  He's beginning to sound like a real presidential candidate.  If he can maintain his discipline – a big if – he may take this all the way.  But as he gains, watch the mainstream media push back.  They're probably looking through his family's garbage cans right now.

IS SHE CRAZY? – FROM REUTERS:  US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Monday she will not accept an invitation by Mexico's president, Enrique Pena Nieto, for a visit after rival Donald Trump created what she called a "diplomatic incident" in his foray there.  In a written excerpt from an interview with ABC News that will air Tuesday morning, Clinton simply said "no" when asked if she would travel to Mexico before the election on Nov. 8, without elaborating further.  What?  That is the strangest response.  You'd think she'd want to go to Mexico and try to upstage Trump, who went just recently.  Certainly she'd get a warmer reception, something to take home to Hispanics in the United States.  Her refusal raises serious questions about the kind of judgments being made inside her campaign.  Or is there a health issue?

GOOD FOR HIM – FROM REUTERS:   U.S. President Barack Obama cancelled his first meeting with Philippines counterpart Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday after the blunt-spoken Duterte described him as a "son of a bitch," casting a shadow over a gathering of Asian leaders in Laos.  Duterte, who has been roundly criticised abroad for a "war on drugs" that has killed about 2,400 people since he took office two months ago, said hours later that he regretted his comments "came across as a personal attack" on the U.S. president.  "President Duterte explained that the press reports that President Obama would 'lecture' him on extrajudicial killings led to his strong comments, which in turn elicited concern," the Philippines government said.  "He regrets that his remarks to the press have caused much controversy," it added in a statement released at the summit in Vientiane, the capital of Laos.  We don't normally praise Obama here, for there's so little to praise.  But for once he showed some backbone.  Of course, the vile words were directed at him personally, rather than at the United States, which is probably why he showed the backbone.  But at least it's something.

September 5, 2016       Permalink

WE FOUND SOMETHING WORSE THAN LIBERALS – AT 1:48 P.M. ET:   Look, it's Labor Day.  There isn't much news.  A lot of it is padded – one more election prediction based on a poll taken in Ms. Attanas's sixth-grade class.  Shows Nixon slightly ahead.

But there's this, filed under freak-out news.  From London's Mirror: 

Robotic weapons have become so advanced that top military experts in the US fear the plot of the sci-fi film 'Terminator' could come true.

Huge technological leaps forward in drones, artificial intelligence and autonomous weapon systems must be addressed before humanity is driven to extinction by mechanical overlords like in the 1984 Arnold Schwarzenegger classic, according to Pentagon chiefs.

Air Force General Paul Selva, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the US Defense Department, said so-called thinking weapons could lead to: "Robotic systems to do lethal harm... a Terminator without a conscience."

When asked about robotic weapons able to make their own decisions, he said: "Our job is to defeat the enemy" but "it is governed by law and by convention."

He says the military insists on keeping humans in the decision-making process to "inflict violence on the enemy".

"That ethical boundary is the one we’ve draw a pretty fine line on. It’s one we must consider in developing these new weapons," he added.

Selva said the Pentagon must reach out to artificial intelligence tech firms that are not necessarily "military-oriented" to develop new systems of command and leadership models, reports US Naval Institute News.

COMMENT:  Soon we'll have robots as presidential candidates.  Wait.  Maybe that would be an improvement.  I can't imagine a robot mishandling classified information.  Or forgetting whether it got briefed on security arrangements.

And a robot wouldn't fall and get a concussion.

I want a robotic president.  I want to hear that oath of office.

September 5, 2016       Permalink

JUST AWFUL – AT 11:46 A.M. ET:  How does it feel to have had a president for almost two full terms who doesn't even like his own country?  To me, it feels awful, and it smacks of betrayal by the highest office in the land.

Barack Obama has now been asked about the defiance shown by San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who refuses to stand for the national anthem as a means of protesting the "oppression" of African Americans.  Obama answered during a press conference in a foreign dictatorship, China.  His answer put on full display his arrogance and his condescending attitude toward his country.  From the New York Post:

President Obama on Monday defended San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision not to stand during the playing of the national anthem.

“[H]e’s following his constitutional right to make a statement,” Obama said at a press conference in Hangzhou, China, responding to a question about the quarterback. “I think there’s a long history of sports figures doing so.”

The president added, “I don’t doubt his sincerity. I think he cares about some real, legitimate issues that have to be talked about. And if nothing else, he’s generated some conversation around some topics that need to be talked about it.”

Kaepernick has refused to stand for the pre-game playing of the national anthem, citing racial injustice and the oppression of minorities in America.

At Monday’s press conference, Obama reiterated his call for an “active citizenry” and praised the 28-year-old professional athlete for speaking out: “I would rather have young people who are engaged in the argument and trying to think through how they can be part of our democratic process than people who are just sitting on the sidelines and not paying attention at all.”

Obama didn’t encourage standing for the playing of the national anthem, but signaled that others might not respect Kaepernick’s move.

“I think there’s a lot of ways you can do it. As a general matter when it comes to the flag and the national anthem and the meaning that it holds for our men and women in uniform and those who fought for us, that is a tough thing for them to get past, to then hear what his deeper concerns are,” he said.

COMMENT:  Mr. President, why should they get past it?  That's the real question.  It goes to the heart of who our men and women in uniform are, and who YOU are.   And it's something you don't understand.

I, too, believe that this pathetic, overpaid athlete has a perfect right to protest.  That right has been bought by the blood of those he insults by refusing to show regard for flag and anthem.  A real president might have said that if Kaepernick wants respect for his views, that he might show some respect for others.

But we don't have a real president.  For eight years we've had a leftist in the White House, protected by the media, and he's messed things up pretty badly. 

September 5, 2016       Permalink

I'M SHOCKED, SHOCKED, THAT OUR RUSSIAN FRIENDS WOULD DO THIS – AT 11:09 A.M. ET:  After Hillary Clinton's "reset" with the Kremlin?  Once again the great right-wing conspiracy is trying to tell us that the Russkies are the bad guys.  From the sinister, Nixonian Washington Post: 

U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies are probing what they see as a broad covert Russian operation in the United States to sow public distrust in the upcoming presidential election and in U.S. political institutions, intelligence and congressional officials said.

The aim is to understand the scope and intent of the Russian campaign, which incorporates cyber-tools to hack systems used in the political process, enhancing Russia’s ability to spread disinformation.

The effort to better understand Russia’s covert influence operations is being spearheaded by James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence. “This is something of concern for the DNI,” said Charles Allen, a former longtime CIA officer who has been briefed on some of these issues. “It is being addressed.”

A Russian influence operation in the United States “is something we’re looking very closely at,” said one senior intelligence official who, as others interviewed, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. Officials are also examining potential disruptions to the election process, and the FBI has alerted state and local officials to potential cyberthreats.

The official cautioned that the intelligence community is not saying it has “definitive proof” of such tampering, or any Russian plans to do so. “But even the hint of something impacting the security of our election system would be of significant concern,” the official said. “It’s the key to our democracy, that people have confidence in the election system.”

COMMENT:  Any actions that disrupt or cast doubt on our electoral system are serious.  We do not want a situation where people question the accuracy on the count on election night.  Since we now expect a close election, that would be especially damning.

September 5,  2016     Permalink