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

CARSON – There's a current Republican presidential boomlet for Dr. Ben Carson, the brilliant, African-American neurosurgeon from Johns Hopkins.  I saw him interviewed on CNN tonight and came away with the same impression I've had before.  He says all the right things, and says them clearly, but he has an unpolished, sometimes confrontational demeanor that makes it hard for him to close the deal.  He needs more experience and some good coaching.  But he's fascinating – a black neurosurgeon who's actually saved many lives, and who can speak about things like Obamacare with authority.  With the right preparation, he could be ready for 2016, probably as a vice presidential candidate.

A FADING TRADITION, THE SUMMER JOB – From CNS:  "(CNSNews.com) – A new analysis by the Employment Policy Institute (EPI) shows that unemployment among teens without a high school diploma is more than 50 percent in two of the largest U.S. cities.  Using U.S. Census Bureau data from May 2013 to April 2014, the analysis reveals that in Riverside-San Bernardino area of Southern California, the unemployment rate for teens ages 16 to 19 years old who don’t have a high school diploma is 54.2 percent.  In the Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, Ore., metropolitan area, the unemployment rate from that population is 53.8 percent.  'These numbers are staggering,' Michael Saltsman, director of research at EPI told CNSNews.com. 'Teens across the country this summer are missing out on valuable work experience as they continue to suffer through an extended period of high unemployment and difficult job prospects.'"  Obama shows his usual interest.

COMMAND PERFORMANCE – Hillary Clinton endorsed the sordid prisoner swap today.  This is speculation on my part, but I'm assuming this was the subject that she and Obama had at the White House last week, that he briefed her, and effectively demanded her support.  She knows she must toe the Obama line if she wants his support for 2016.  Obama has other favorites, like Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts.  Republicans, of course, would love to tie Clinton to this ridiculous deal, and her endorsement of the thing makes her ripe for a demand that she testify before Congress.

OH, ANOTHER ONE – We are blessed by such enlightenment.  From The Washington Free Beacon:  "The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is creating a $2-million research center to study how the government can 'nudge' Americans toward healthier eating habits.  The agency is currently accepting grant applications to establish a 'Center for Behavioral Economics and Healthy Food Choice Research,' which will facilitate studies such as how breaking up combo meals at fast-food restaurants would influence customers.  'The USDA Center will facilitate new and innovative research on the application of behavioral economics theory to healthy food choice behaviors that would contribute to enhancing the nutrition, food security, and health of American consumers' the USDA’s grant announcement said."  When I was growing up I consulted a research center worth considerably more than $2-million.  It was called Mother.

June 3, 2014