SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 10:55 P.M. ET: 

OBAMA MOVES ON IRAQ – Finally, a decision.  President Obama gave authorization tonight for air strikes in Iraq.  From The New York Times:  "President Obama said he had directed United States military forces to conduct targeted airstrikes on Islamic militants if they move to take Erbil, in northern Iraq, threatening the American citizens and military personnel there.  And he said that, at the request of the Iraqi government, he has authorized the military to help provide humanitarian assistance to Iraqi citizens, many of them religious minorities, who are trapped on a mountain."  Much too late, much too late.  I don't know if this will do any good.  The Islamist extremists (ISIS) are making enormous progress hour by hour.

CEASEFIRE DEADLINE – The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ends at 1 a.m. ET.  Israel has offered to extend it unconditionally, Hamas has thus far refused.  If the deadline comes with no agreed extension, look for Israel to announce that it will still honor the ceasefire and to say something like, "We will not be the ones to fire the first shot."  That will leave the ball in Hamas's court.  The question is whether Hamas will want to bear the stigma of renewing the war.  The key player is Egypt, which will put much heat on Hamas to extend.

FAILURE IN CHICAGO – From CNN:  "In yet another sign of the gravity of Chicago's violent crime problem, 40 Illinois State Police officers will soon hit the streets in beleaguered neighborhoods.  The officers represent an expansion of a partnership between Chicago Police and the Illinois State Police.   'Earlier this year I told (Chicago) Mayor (Rahm) Emanuel we would help in any way we could to combat violence in the city. When he requested assistance, I immediately agreed to help,' Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said in a press release announcing the move."  What an admission of failure.  New York didn't need state troopers to reduce its murder rate by 80%.  The problem lies in Chicago politics – the constant genuflecting before local "leaders" so they'll cooperate with some program.  Rudy Giuliani bypassed the black leaders and installed effective, modern policing.  That did the job.  And when Ray Kelly, New York's legendary police commissioner, appeared at black churches, he got standing ovations.  There are no ovations, standing or sitting, in Chicago.

OBAMA LOSING ON THE ISSUES – From Breitbart:  "Although you wouldn’t know it from the lack of media coverage, or even the AP's own write-up of the poll (which gives new meaning to the phrase "buried lead"), a new Associated Press-GfK poll offers nothing but harrowing news for Democrats and the media who love them.  Buried in the 'pox on both houses' rhetoric we're hearing from the media, what you will find in a little place I like to call Reality are the actual numbers, which show consequential movement toward the GOP on almost every issue voters are most concerned with.   On the question of who voters would rather see win control of Congress, since May, Democrats have lost a 6-point 31-37% advantage. Both parties are now tied at 33% -- a full 6 point shift towards the GOP in just 6 weeks..  Since May, on the issue of handling the economy, the public has moved 4 points towards the GOP: a 25-27% advantage has now grown to 30-24%. On the federal budget, the GOP is up a full 5 points, 28-23%. On healthcare, the GOP has cut the Democrats advantage from 8 to just 5 points, 27-32%."  Good progress, but we're still not home by any means.  These gains must be translated into actual votes on election day.

August 7, 2014