SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:20 P.M. ET: 

MAJOR ROMANTIC NEWS – From Toronto's Globe and Mail:  "The woman considered France’s first lady, Valerie Trierweiler, has been admitted to hospital following reports of an affair between President François Hollande and an actress, but will be discharged on Monday, sources said on Sunday.  Daily newspaper Le Parisien said on its website earlier that Ms. Trierweiler, 48, had been taken to hospital after being shaken by a celebrity magazine’s reports of a liaison between her partner Mr. Hollande and French actress Julie Gayet."  That must have been some shake.  She should take a hint from Michelle.  All she has to do is frown when Barack is flirting with the Danish prime minister, and Barack shrivels.

PATHETIC – When he was elected, the president was called "no drama Obama."  In his new, devastating memoir, Bob Gates says that Obama was, in fact, passionate about a few things.  From Fox:  "Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates sharply questions President Obama's 'passion' for military matters in his forthcoming memoir, and claims that practically the only time he saw that in the president was during his push to repeal 'don't ask, don't tell.'"  Tells me pretty much what I want to know, but I think we've all known it.  Obama is a leftist, a "post-American" president, and feels uncomfortable with the American military.  The results are pretty obvious.

WHEN YOU'RE UP FOR RE-ELECTION – From The Hill:  "Democratic senators are pleading with President Obama to abandon his proposal to trim Social Security benefits before it becomes a liability for them in the midterm elections.  The president proposed a new formula for calculating benefits in his budget last year, in hopes that the olive branch to Republicans would persuade them to back tax increases in a broader fiscal deal.  But Democratic lawmakers say Obama should shelve the idea now that they are facing a difficult midterm election where they need to turn out the liberal base to preserve their Senate majority."  All politics all the time.

January 12, 2014