SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:38 P.M. ET: 

OBAMA FLOPS IN GALLUP POLL – From CNS:  "Fifty-one percent of the Americans who responded to a Gallup poll conducted June 5-8 said that they do not believe the phrase 'is honest and trustworthy' applies to President Barack Obama.  Gallup has asked Americans this question eight times over the last six years: 'Thinking about the following characteristics and qualities, please say whether you think each applies or doesn't apply to Barack Obama. How about: Is honest and trustworthy.'  The latest poll, conducted June 5-8, was the first time that a majority said the description 'is honest and trustworthy' does not apply to Obama."  The truth eventually comes out.

PERRY MESS IT UP – Rick Perry set out recently to re-introduce himself to the American people, with a possible eye to 2016, after turning in a poor performance during the 2012 primary debates.  He was doing well until just a few days ago when, in San Francisco of all places, he compared homosexuality to alcoholism.  There's been an uproar from the usual suspects, but also a sense of disappointment among conservatives.  Why, many have asked, is it even necessary to bring up these divisive social issues?  True, Perry was asked a question about his views, but he could have easily deflected it.  These hot-button issues are used against Republicans, usually in an attempt to make the GOP look narrow and bigoted.  Just avoid them.

AS HILLARY WOULD SAY, WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE? – From the Washington Free Beacon:  "The New York Times has no plans to investigate the work of its former reporter Chris Hedges amid allegations that he plagiarized multiple stories for other publications over the past decade.  The New Republic reported on Thursday that the Pulitzer winner has been accused of plagiarizing passages in stories written for Harper’s, Truthdig, and his 2002 book War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning.  The article claims Hedges lifted copy from a range of sources over the years, including Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Matt Katz, Canadian leftist Naomi Klein, Neil Postman, and Ernest Hemingway.  The New Republic published several excerpts from Hedges’s articles that appear to be identical or similar to work published previously by other authors.  Hedges, now a progressive commentator, left the Times nearly a decade ago after spending 15 years there as a foreign correspondent."  He is a hard leftist, the charges appear almost certainly true, and he should be thrown out of the profession of journalism.  Let's see if the left applies the usual standards.

LITTLE JILL, HAPPY AT LAST – From the Politico:  "Former New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson will teach a narrative nonfiction course at Harvard University this fall, the school announced Thursday.  'Abramson will join Harvard University as a Visiting Lecturer for the 2014-2015 academic year,' the press release stated. 'The 1976 Harvard College graduate will teach undergraduate courses on narrative nonfiction for Harvard’s Department of English in the fall and spring semesters.'  In a statement, Abramson said she was 'honored and excited to be teaching at Harvard in the coming academic year.'"  Of course, Abramson was recently fired by The Times and instantly became a feminist martyr.  I guess she'll now have to give up her unemployment insurance.

June 12, 2014