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

DOWN TO THE WIRE – The nuclear talks with Iran are scheduled to end tomorrow night.  There is still no guarantee of success.  In fact, Iran has taken a contrary turn that could scuttle the negotiations.  From The New York Times:  "LAUSANNE, Switzerland — With a negotiating deadline just two days away, Iranian officials on Sunday backed away from a critical element of a proposed nuclear agreement, saying they are no longer willing to ship their atomic fuel out of the country.  For months, Iran tentatively agreed that it would send a large portion of its stockpile of uranium to Russia, where it would not be accessible for use in any future weapons program. But on Sunday Iran’s deputy foreign minister made a surprise comment to Iranian reporters, ruling out an agreement that involved giving up a stockpile that Iran has spent years and billions of dollars to amass."  Why bother to negotiate?  We're talking about the lives of millions of people, and negotiating the agreement like a labor contract.  Iran's pullback is probably based on the feeling that Obama will cave, and Iran might be right.

SHE HAS SPOKEN – Hillary Clinton, whose convictions have a certain flexibility about them, has finally spoken out about the strains in American-Israeli relations.  The possible next president says that it's important to get the relationship back on track.  Such wisdom.  Such insight.  I wouldn't have even thought such an exciting thought without her help.  Someone should point out that she participated in Obama's wrecking of the American-Israeli relationship when she was secretary of state.  Will anyone in the press challenge her on that little detail?  Don't hold your breath.

O'MALLEY GETS AGGRESSIVE – The former Maryland governor is opening up on Hillary Clinton, and making it clear that if he gets into the presidential race he'll pull no punches.  From AP:  "Potential Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley says the country needs new perspectives, and he's criticizing the prospects of another Clinton and Bush seeking the White House again.  The former Maryland governor tells ABC's 'This Week' that the presidency is 'not some crown to be passed between two families.'  He also questions whether former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton would take on special interests.  Clinton is a likely presidential candidate and would be the strong favorite for the Democratic nomination.  O'Malley says he'll decide this spring whether he'll run."  Unless he's successfully threatened by the Clinton gang, he's runnin'. 

March 29, 2015