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APRIL 16,  2014

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 9:43 P.M. ET: 

INSULTING – It's no secret that this administration has no respect for traditional faith groups, so this should not come as a surprise.  From Breitbart:  "The White House has announced that John Podesta, President Obama’s current Counselor, will lead his delegation to the Holy See for the Mass of canonization of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II on April 27, 2014.  Podesta will head the delegation which will also include Rep. Xavier Becerra, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, and Katie Beirne Fallon, Assistant to the President and Director of Legislative Affairs."  All three are associated with the political advancement of practices, like abortion, that are deeply offensive to the Church.  Couldn't Obama have picked a delegation more respectful of traditional Catholic beliefs?  Again, no class.

THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE... – From the Washington Examiner:  "Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., in a neck-and-neck race for re-election, is taking a lot of criticism over a new ad — her first this season — depicting herself taking on 'Washington' to protect the interests of Louisiana's oil and gas industries. What Landrieu did to invite the ridicule was to re-create for her ad producers her own performance in a Senate hearing — complete with set, supporting cast, fake nameplate and even phony news trademarks — to show her standing up for her state."  Disgraceful.  She should be censured by the Senate for this.

OUR MATURE COLLEGE STUDENTS – From College Insurrection, quoting The College Fix:  "The Stanford University Graduate Student Council helped fund a guest lecture by atheist Richard Dawkins last fall, but this quarter denied a request for $600 to help a conservative student group shoulder the cost of a spring conference on traditional marriage.  In denying the latter request for the Stanford Anscombe Society’s 'Communicating Values' conference, the student council cited its funding guidelines, which prohibit financial support to any event that makes students feel 'unwelcome.'"  I guess inviting an atheist wouldn't make anyone at Stanford feel "unwelcome."  These aren't colleges.  These are nursery schools.

A WARNING – From Breitbart:  "Russia now spends more on its military, relative to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), than both the United States and Europe respectively.  According to figures compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Moscow spent 4.1 percent of its GDP on defence in 2013, an increase of 0.6 percent over the past 10 years. By contrast, the United States spent 3.8 percent of GDP on defence and Britain spent just 2.3 percent, with further defence cuts expected."

April 16,  2014     Permalink

WALKER?  – AT 10:15 A.M. ET:  We have long written here that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is the sleeper candidate for 2016.  A highly successful Republican governor in a state with a strong Democratic vote, Walker appears poised for re-election this year, after surviving a recall election several years ago.  From Powerline:   

Scott Walker has a 16 point lead (56-40) among likely voters in his race for governor, according to a poll from Wisconsin Public Radio/St. Norbert’s. Among registered voters, his lead is essentially the same (55-40).

The survey was conducted between March 24 and April 3. A Marquette University survey conducted between March 20-23 also showed Walker with a nice, though smaller, lead. In that poll, Walker outdistanced Democrat Mary Burke 48-41.

Revealingly, Walker fares well in an electorate that does not seem particularly conservative and that, if anything, appears to be slightly to the left of American voters in general. Among those surveyed in the WPR/St. Norbert’s poll, 48 percent had a favorable view of President Obama; 50 percent had an unfavorable view. Obama generally fares worse than that in national polling. In addition, Wisconsin’s liberal Senator Tammy Baldwin had a positive rating — 44 percent approve; 33 percent disapprove.

In this context, Walker’s popularity is particularly striking. 59 percent approve of his performance, while only 39 percent disapprove.

Walker’s approval numbers basically track the right direction/wrong direction numbers for his State. 57 percent said that Wisconsin is moving in the right direction, while 38 percent said its moving in the wrong direction. By contrast only 32 percent believe the United States is moving in the right direction. 63 percent think we’re moving the other way.

Let’s assume that Scott Walker is reelected decisively in November. In that event, it’s clear that he will receive a boost among Republicans nationally.

The buzz among Republicans accompanying a big Walker victory would probably dwarf the considerable buzz that followed Chris Christie’s runaway win in New Jersey. Many conservatives had serious doubts (or worse) about the New Jersey governor even when he was riding high. No serious doubts exist for Walker, although most conservatives will want to learn more before embracing him as a presidential candidate.

The other thing that accompanied Christie’s big win was intense scrutiny from the mainstream media. Suddenly, his campaign for local office 20 years ago became an issue. Even his high school baseball career received attention.

Scott Walker is in for the same treatment.

COMMENT:  The key issue is whether he can defeat Hillary Clinton.  That will be the standard.  She will not be easy, and will have the same press bias on her side as Obama had.  Indeed, it might even be worse.  I don't think there is any clear-cut Republican frontrunner right now.  Christie has been wounded in New Jersey.  Jeb Bush is reluctant, and reluctant candidates rarely win.  (Who wants someone who's reluctant to be president?)  Walker is attractive because he's successful, and has a tendency to win elections.  But he may not have the campaign "presence" for a national election.  He's not exactly Mr. Excitement.  But maybe that can be turned to an advantage in a nation yearning for real leadership.

Scott Walker has saved Wisconsin.  Hillary Clinton has saved Hillary Clinton.  There is a difference.

April 16, 2014       Permalink

DEEP IN THE HEART – AT 9:31 A.M. ET:  One of the more interesting gubernatorial races this year is in Texas because the Dem candidate, Wendy Davis, has been seen as a potential national figure.  You'll recall that she became famous by mounting a filibuster, in tennis shoes, against proposed legislation that would restrict late-term abortion in Texas.

Not so fast, Dems.  It turns out that Wendy apparently never bothered to check with the women of Texas.  From Townhall.com:   

Texas Attorney General and Gubernatorial Candidate Greg Abbott is beating State Senator and feminist hero Wendy Davis in the Lone Star State...among women. According to new data from the left-leaning Public Policy Polling, Abbott is not only leading Davis with overall voters, but by a whopping eight percent among female voters.

Further, Davis has an overall 47 percent unfavorable rating while Abbott enjoys a favorable rating of 40 percent. Among women, Davis's approval favorable rating is just 32 percent.

Going into this race, Davis was defined by her pro-late term abortion stance. At the time of her now infamous filibuster and before she announced her bid for governor, Davis was at odds with Texas women, and women in general, over the issue. The overwhelming majority of women support late-term abortion bans and strict regulations on abortion clinics. I'm sure lying about how she made her way as a "single mother" didn't help win her any votes, either.

COMMENT:  We caution that more than six months remain until the election.  Anything can happen.  But Davis is currently a flameout on the Democratic side.  Surveys always show that women make a distinction between abortion and late-term abortion, a distinction lost on Davis.

April 16, 2014       Permalink

AL QAEDA 2 – AT 9:17 A.M. ET:  Related to the post just below, Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has issued a stern warning about Al Qaeda's growing strength.  From The Politico: 

Rep. Mike Rogers said Tuesday that Al Qaeda is stronger than ever, and that they are doing all the things necessary to prepare a strike.

“The Al Qaeda threat today is more diverse and more aggressive with more threat streams than we’ve seen before 9/11. So we think that they’re feeling empowered,” the Michigan Republican said on CNN’s “The Situation Room” on Tuesday.

Responding to a CNN report that a large gathering of Al Qaeda was caught on video and not disrupted by the U.S., the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said that the terrorist organization is strengthening itself.

“The less pressure you put on them, the more they take that as a victory,” Rogers said. “The more that they believe they can get away with plotting, planning, organizing, as you saw there, finance training, all of the things that they would need to do to strike a Western target, they’re going through that process, including, by the way, bringing very sophisticated people to devise new devices that would try to get around security protocols at airports and other places.”

Rogers was vague on specifics, being privy to classified information in his position atop the Intelligence Committee, but he said leaks last year about operations in Yemen have had an effect in the region, although he would not say they alone made Al Qaeda more brazen.

COMMENT:  They key is Rogers's comment that Al Qaeda feels empowered, feels it can get away with things.  This is generally the way conflicts begin – when someone thinks he can get away with something.  And that thought is often based on a perception of weakness on the other side.  We are projecting weakness.  We're cutting our defenses.  People notice.

April 16, 2014       Permalink

AL QAEDA CHILLS US AGAIN – AT 9:03 A.M. ET:  A brazen meeting of Al Qaeda operatives, out in the open, shows that the group is alive and well, and up to no good.  From CNN's great defense reporter, Barbara Starr:

Washington (CNN) -- A new video shows what looks like the largest and most dangerous gathering of al Qaeda in years. And the CIA and the Pentagon either didn't know about it or couldn't get a drone there in time to strike.

U.S. officials won't comment on that, but every frame of the video is now being analyzed by the United States.

In the middle of the clip, the man known as al Qaeda's crown prince, Nasir al-Wuhayshi, appears brazenly out in the open, greeting followers in Yemen. Al-Wuhayshi, the No. 2 leader of al Qaeda globally and the head of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, has said he wants to attack the United States. But in the video, he looks unconcerned that he could be hit by an American drone.

The video started appearing on jihadist websites recently, drawing the attention of U.S. officials and global terrorism experts. U.S. officials say they believe it's authentic.

"This is quite an extraordinary video," Paul Cruickshank, CNN terrorism analyst, said.

The video shows al-Wuhayshi addressing more than 100 fighters somewhere within Yemen, Cruickshank said, a restive nation on the southwestern portion of the Arabian Peninsula. The al Qaeda leader, he said, is "taking a big risk in doing this."

But he doesn't mince words about his mission.

In a speech to the group, al-Wuhayshi makes it clear that he's going after the United States, saying

"We must eliminate the cross. ... The bearer of the cross is America!"
U.S. officials believe the highly produced video is recent. With some fighters faces blurred, there is worry it signals a new round of plotting.

COMMENT:  Nothing to see here, nothing to see.  After all, our own leader, Field Marshal-in-chief Barack Obama, has told us that the war on terror is over.  Al Qaeda didn't get the memo.

April 16,  2014     Permalink

APRIL 15,  2014

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 9:16 P.M. ET: 

GREAT EDUCATIONAL IDEA – From CBS:  "A Florida high school wants to set a dress code for parents.  Broward County School Board member Dr. Rosalind Osgood brought up the idea during a meeting after noticing parents dropping their kids off at Boyd Anderson High School while wearing saggy pants that exposes their underwear and curlers in their hair.  'We have dads showing up in sagging pants,' Osgood said, according to the Sun Sentinel. 'It’s hard for me to tell a child not to show up for school with hair curlers, pajamas or short shorts if they see parents wearing them. Parents need to lead by example.'"  What a radical, revolutionary idea.  Watch.  The left will claim that this constitutes oppression of the parent class.

PROGRESS? – From London's Telegraph:  "Rising numbers of infants lack the motor skills needed to play with building blocks because of an 'addiction' to tablet computers and smartphones, according to teachers.
Many children aged just three or four can 'swipe a screen' but have little or no dexterity in their fingers after spending hours glued to iPads, it was claimed.  Members of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers also warned how some older children were unable to complete traditional pen and paper exams because their memory had been eroded by overexposure to screen-based technology.  They called on parents to crack down on tablet computer use and even turn off wi-fi at night to address the problem."  I wonder if this will affect the physical ability to vote.  It won't matter to Dems, of course, as they use the dearly departed.

HISTORICAL OUTRAGE – From AFP:  "Sydney (AFP) - A lock of Napoleon Bonaparte's hair and other 'priceless' artefacts linked to the French emperor have been stolen from a museum in Australia, police said Tuesday.  Burglars broke into the building on Victoria state's Mornington Peninsula, south of Melbourne, in what was believed to be a targeted robbery.  'The offender(s) have jemmied open cabinets inside and stolen numerous priceless antiques,' a police statement said.  'The stolen items included a ring and (a glass frame) containing Napoleon's hair, a ribbon inscribed by Napoleon in 1815 and a snuff box.'"  At least they didn't get his iPhone.

WHITE HOUSE PETTINESS – From the Daily Caller:  "Neurosurgeon Ben Carson says the White House wanted him to apologize for 'offending' President Obama after he famously delivered a conservative message at the National Prayer Breakfast last year.  Carson, the former director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, recalls the events surrounding his 2013 speech in his new book, One Nation: What We Can All Do To Save America’s Future. The Daily Caller obtained an advance copy of the book, which is set for release May 20.  'He did not appear to be hostile or angry,' Carson writes of Obama, 'but within a matter of minutes after the conclusion of the program, I received a call from some of the prayer breakfast organizers saying that the White House was upset and requesting that I call the president and apologize for offending him. I said that I did not think that he was offended and that I didn’t think that such a call was warranted.'"  Chicago politics in the White House.  Dr. Ben responded appropriately.

April 15, 2015       Permalink

REMARKABLE – AT 10:32 A.M. ET:   Last week Brandeis University disgracefully withdrew an honorary degree from one of the great women of our time, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a women's rights activist who has taken on radical Islam.  Apparently, her criticisms of Islam were too much for the delicate ears of the university, which prides itself on "inclusion," except for those it doesn't include.

In Britain, meanwhile, a somewhat different approach is being used to deal with an issue of Islamic extremism.  Maybe we'll learn, although not during the time of Obama.  From AFP: 

Britain on Tuesday sent in a former counter-terror chief to investigate claims of an Islamist plot to take over schools in the second city of Birmingham.

The education ministry appointed Peter Clarke, who headed the police investigation into the July 7, 2005 London bombings, to conduct a probe into the allegations.

The former head of Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command will “analyze evidence of extremist infiltration” in Birmingham schools, the ministry said.

However, the appointment drew immediate criticism from the local police chief, who said people would inevitably draw “unwarranted conclusions.”

Concerns about how some schools in the central English city were being run first emerged last year in a leaked anonymous letter which outlined how to implement what it called Operation Trojan Horse — the takeover of schools by hardline Muslims.

The letter, which credited the operation with forcing a change of leadership at four schools, gave instructions on ousting and replacing uncooperative head teachers and school governors.

“I am extremely concerned by the allegations made in connection to a number of schools in Birmingham,” said Education Secretary Michael Gove.

“These allegations need either to be substantiated and firm action taken, or to be shown to be baseless.

“Peter Clarke brings a wealth of relevant skills and experience, and is very well placed to lead a fair and thorough assessment of the evidence.

“No pupils should be exposed to extremist views or radicalization while at school.”

Gove has already sent inspectors to 15 schools, while Birmingham City Council is investigating 25, having received more than 200 complaints.

Since the letter emerged, whistleblowers including former staff have come forward, making claims that boys and girls were segregated in classrooms and assemblies, sex education was banned and non-Muslim staff were bullied.

Birmingham has a large Muslim community. Some 22 percent of the city’s 1.1 million residents identified themselves as such in the 2011 census.

COMMENT:  Michael Gove is a great guy, a thorn in the side of the British appeasement establishment, and this gutsy action is typical of him.  We need more like him, and we need them in a rapidly weakening America.

April 15, 2015       Permalink

QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 9:41 A.M. ET:  As you know, the Pulitzer Prize was awarded yesterday to the Washington Post and Britain's Guardian for exposing surveillance activities of the National Security Agency, using information provided by Edward Snowden.

I think it's sickening.  There were many ways for Snowden, or anyone else, to blow the whistle on allegedly improper activities without exposing vast troves of classified information, then running to a hostile nation for asylum.  Snowden is currently a guest of the Kremlin. 

Liam Fox, Britain's former secretary of state for defense, is also outraged by the award, and provides us with our quote of the day.  From The Wall Street Journal: 

It remains to be seen just how much damage has been done to the West's security architecture as a result of the Snowden disclosures; much of this information would be classified. There has been speculation, however, that the ability to anticipate Russian intentions in relation to Ukraine and Crimea was diminished as a result of having to close down potentially compromised signals-intelligence capability. If true, this would be the first practical demonstration of how Mr. Snowden and his acolytes had successfully damaged security to the benefit of Vladimir Putin's regime.

The public justification given by Mr. Snowden for his actions was "I don't want to live in a society that does these sort of things"—surveillance of its citizens—"I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded." So where does he choose to go? Russia. In a bizarre and perverse video statement in October, he said of America's intelligence techniques: "They hurt our economy. They hurt our country. They limit our ability to speak and think and live and be creative, to have relationships and to associate freely." This from a man who is snuggled up with Mr. Putin's henchmen.

Edward Snowden thinks of himself as a cyber-age guerrilla warrior, but in reality he is a self-publicizing narcissist. He did not find or expose anything illegal, nor did he exhaust all legal and constitutional options to express his reservations about the intelligence and security services. He did not attempt to limit any potential damage in making his point. He did not show that any agency activities were unreasonable in law. Let us not imbue his cowardice with higher motives. Let us not confuse his egotism with public service. Let's not call his treachery by lesser terms. Let us be clear about the intent and impact of his actions. Let us be clear to the American people and their allies about the threats they now face from enemies inside and out, terrorist and criminal. For once, let's say what we mean. Let us call treason by its name.

COMMENT:   Nothing more need be said.

April 15, 2015       Permalink

STATE OF THE NATION – AT 8:59 A.M. ET:  A new report from Harvard paints an alarming picture of the ethical state of elite young America.  From the Harvard Crimson: 

Administrative Board statistics detailing the outcomes of cases heard by the disciplinary body in the last academic year show that, as expected, the number of students required to temporarily withdraw from the College for academic dishonesty was more than three times higher than the number in 2011-2012.

According to the statistics, released Friday on the Ad Board’s website after repeated requests from The Crimson, 97 students involved in academic integrity cases were required to withdraw in 2012-2013, the year that saw Harvard’s largest cheating investigation in recent memory.

Roughly 70 of those 97 students, according to previous statements from administrators, were implicated in the Government 1310 cheating scandal, in which about 125 students were accused of plagiarizing or inappropriately collaborating on the course’s final take-home exam.

This would mean that about 27 students outside of the Gov 1310 case were required to withdraw for academic dishonesty last year, a number consistent with the previous academic year, in which 26 students were required to withdraw in academic dishonesty cases.

The number of students who were placed on disciplinary probation due to academic dishonesty also rose to 31 in 2012-2013, compared to only 16 students in 2011-2012. Administrators have previously said that about half of the students implicated in the Gov 1310 case who were not required to withdraw were placed on probation. In 2012-2013, the Ad Board took no action in 14 academic dishonesty cases, compared to just one in 2011-2012.

COMMENT:  Nice, huh?  This is an elite university that has the pick of the crop of the best American students.  This shows once again that academic excellence and ethical behavior are not necessarily related.  Neither are academic excellence and wisdom. 

At least Harvard is being open about the numbers.  I'm sure there are worse situations in some other places, but universities shun the bad publicity.

Is there an ethics crisis in the young generation?  I think there's an ethics crisis in the country generally. 

April 15, 2015       Permalink

UKRAINE CRISIS DEEPENS – AT 8:47 A.M. ET:  The Ukraine crisis is deepening, with one German cabinet minister even warning that this could lead to military conflict in Europe.  From Fox: 

Ukraine's acting president said Tuesday that a military operation to quash a pro-Russian insurgency has started in eastern Ukraine after more than a week of seizures of government building in the latest standoff to grip the country.

Oleksandr Turchynov said the “anti-terrorist” operation began in the early morning hours in the northern Donetsk region, where the majority of the pro-Russian forces are located, The Wall Street Journal reported.

“Overnight, an antiterrorist operation began in the north of Donetsk. But it will be phased, responsible and balanced. The purpose of the actions, I stress once again, is to protect the citizens of Ukraine,” Turchynov told Ukraine’s parliament, according to Interfax.

"The plans of the Russian Federation were and remain brutal. They want not only for Donbass (Donetsk region), but for the whole south and east of Ukraine to be engulfed by fire," Turchynov continued. The aim of the operation is to "defend the citizens of Ukraine, to stop terror, stop crime and stop attempts to tear our country into pieces," he said.

Elsewhere the Interior Ministry in the Donetsk region the police station in Kramatorsk that had been seized by pro-Russian gunmen was "liberated" Tuesday, but a nearby small airport was still controlled by the militia.

Over the past 10 days, more than a dozen government offices in 10 eastern Ukraine cities have been taken over by pro-Russian forces, with most of the seizures following the same pattern. Aggressive gangs, sometimes carrying firearms and wearing military fatigues, storm the buildings. The Ukrainian flag is replaced with a Russian one.

The insurgents are demanding broader autonomy and closer ties with Russia. The central government has so far been unable to rein in the separatists, as many of the local security forces have switched to their side.

COMMENT:  It is widely believed that Vladimir Putin's Russia is guiding the pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine.  President Obama and President Putin spoke by phone yesterday, but there is no report on any progress toward resolving this crisis.

What is feared is that Russian conventional forces might move on Ukraine, under the pretext of protecting the local pro-Russian population.

This is not getting any better.  We'll be monitoring the situation and watching for any flashpoints.

April 15,  2015     Permalink