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AUGUST 21,  2014

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 9:56 P.M. ET: 

THEY'RE NUTS – The Democratic Party, once the party of Roosevelt, Truman and Kennedy, is descending rapidly into craziness.  In Montana, the party is replacing the disgraced Senator John Walsh, who admitted to plagiarism, but look who the replacement is.  From the Washington Free Beacon:  "Montana Democrats are banking on a long-shot liberal Senate candidate to replace the disgraced John Walsh, but their choice might be too radical even for the increasingly extreme party. Democrats are hoping that Montana state representative Amanda Curtis will be the next Elizabeth Warren: an outspoken and unapologetic liberal who can fire up the base and raise big bucks from like-minded benefactors.  A self-described 'punktuator' who has been seen sporting a mohawk and studded denim jacket with the iconic anarchist 'A,' Curtis is certainly distinct from most Montana politicians...Curtis appears to have realized that some of the more colorful elements of her online personality could be a liability. On Thursday morning, she deleted or made private photos of her in full punk rock garb after they began circulating on twitter."  But you may be sure that the mainstream media will simply describe her as "liberal."

I'M SO GLAD ART HAS BEEN PRESERVED – From Breitbart:  "Pennsylvania resident Tiffany Bruce checked into a hospital after she discovered that her life-size Obama statue was missing.  The $1,249 statue that she kept outside her house on a bench was a staple in the neighborhood, as the family gave him a Halloween costume and dressed him up as Santa Claus for Halloween.  'I peeked my head out the door, and Obama’s gone, and I kind of went into a panic. I couldn’t breathe, and I had to go to the hospital,' Bruce told KFOR, a local news station.  The statue was found Thursday at the Francis E. Walter Dam, sitting on a bench with a six pack of beer."  I wonder if her hospital stay is covered by Obamacare. 

THE ULTIMATE CULTURAL INSULT – From CNBC:  "Russia said on Thursday it was investigating dozens of McDonald's restaurants, in what many businessmen said was retaliation for Western sanctions over Ukraine they fear could spread to other symbols of Western capitalism.  Russia's food safety watchdog said it was looking at possible breaches of sanitary rules at McDonald's, but many in the business community said it was a reflection of the deterioration in relations between Russia and the West over Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country are fighting against government forces."  I once wrote that the next world war would be fought over Big Macs, but no one would listen.

HYPOCRITES ON PARADE – WASHINGTON – From Buzzfeed:  "President Obama’s innovative, take-no-prisoners campaigns crafted an elite force of operatives, skilled in the political arts. Now that they’re done helping Obama, however, it appears they have a new goal: weakening and defeating organized labor.  On Tuesday, Obama’s former top White House adviser and 2008 campaign manager David Plouffe signed on with Uber, the company known for its slick app and on-demand cars — and efforts to break taxi-union holds on urban transportation.  Plouffe joins former top Obama campaign and White House communications strategist Robert Gibbs and Obama’s national press secretary for the 2012 campaign Ben LaBolt, who are using their talents in a campaign against the power of teacher’s unions."  Some of their new causes may actually worthy, but weren't they on the other side not long ago?  I don't know how some people can look themselves in the mirror.

August 21, 2014       Permalink

THE SERIOUS BRITS – AT 9:46 A.M. ET:  We've said here many times that there's a "Great" Britain and a "Not-so-great Britain."  When Britain is great, as in 1940, it shines.  From London's Daily Mail: 

The British fanatic who beheaded an American journalist will be identified and the SAS will be sent to Syria to 'bring him to justice', a former MI6 chief said today.

Richard Barrett, who was head of counter-terrorism for the security services at the time of 9/11, said he is convinced the murderer - now considered the world's most wanted man - will be arrested and taken back to Britain for trial 'sooner or later'.

The suspect was last night named as 'John' one of a gang of British jihadis known as ‘The Beatles’ who are guarding western hostages for ISIS.

Mr Barratt told the Today Programme: 'They will be able to identify him, although there are four or five hundred people who have gone from all over the United Kingdom many of them have made their presence there known, and I think the community will be able recognise this person and I am sure many in the community will be keen to do so.

'I mean the intelligence community certainly but also the community from which this man comes, he will have had many acquaintances and friends in the United Kingdom and those people will wish to see him brought to justice.'

He agreed that once he is identified the course of action would likely be to send special forces to grab him.

COMMENT:  As we learned yesterday, the United States did attempt a rescue mission for hostages held in Syria, but the attempt failed because of inaccurate intelligence.  Maybe the Brits can pull it off.

August 21, 2014       Permalink

QUEEN HILLARY VISITS HER IOWA SUBJECTS – AT 9:21 A.M. ET:   Ms. $200,000-a-speech is making an early move toward the nomination.  From The Hill: 

Hillary Clinton is seeking redemption in the state that threw her 2008 presidential bid into turmoil.

Clinton will be the star guest at retiring Sen. Tom Harkin’s (D) final steak fry in Iowa on September 14. It’s an early trip for the former senator and secretary of state, who will be accompanied by former President Clinton.

Harkin’s annual event is a must-visit for Iowa Democrats.

It’s also a chance for presidential hopefuls to introduce themselves, up-close and personal, to the people who will cast the first votes in the 2016 contest.

For Clinton, it’s indicative of her seriousness about 2016, and a signal that she believes the Hawkeye State does, indeed, matter.

The trip “is a pretty clear sign to Iowa Democrats, and I think to the political community in the country, that she’s running,” said David Yepsen, who covered many presidential elections during a 34-year career with the Des Moines Register and who is now the director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University.

Clinton came in third in Iowa in January 2008 to not only then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, but to Sen. John Edwards (N.C.) as well.

The result was a rebuff for Clinton that squashed the sense she was the inevitable Democratic nominee and shifted momentum to Obama.

The loss came after Clinton’s team flirted with abandoning the Hawkeye State. In an internal May 2007 memo that embarrassed Clinton’s campaign when it became public, her deputy campaign manager Mike Henry advocated pulling the plug on Iowa.

COMMENT:  Despite all her shortcomings, and the list grows regularly, Clinton will be a formidable candidate, if she can tame her party's left wing and glide to the nomination.   My own sense is that she can, but that she's not inevitable.  Her history is that she starts strong and then exposes some defects that allow others in the door.  

It will be fascinating to see how Obama reacts to this Iowa trip.  He can't be pleased at the prospect of Hillary Clinton succeeding him in office.  He clearly named her secretary of state to keep her under control.  The Clintons and Obamas are reported to be serious enemies.  Will Obama back Hillary in the end?  Try to get Elizabeth Warren in the race?  Leak embarrassing information?  Have someone ask publicly why Hillary isn't in Ferguson?

Juicy, isn't it?

August 21, 2014       Permalink

NOTICE THE SILENCE – AT 8:58 A.M. ET:  You'd think from the coverage that Ferguson, Missouri, was the center of the world.   But the fact is that black children are murdered in America every day, without the usual suspects rushing in to express their grief.  I guess there just aren't enough television cameras around to make it worth it.  From ABC: 

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Antonio Smith, 9, was fatally shot in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood, his family told Eyewitness News Wednesday night.

The victim's relatives made a plea to the shooter, who remains at large on Wednesday night.

"He was just a child, just a baby, still had a whole life ahead of him. And like, why? Just a child," said Kenya Eggleston, victim's cousin.

Smith was shot multiple times in the chest around 4 p.m. Wednesday in the 1200-block of East 71st Street.

"At first I didn't know if they were really shots or not. I just heard pop, pop, pop, pop, pow. So I just kept doing what I was doing," said Dave West, neighbor.

"It hurts my heart, really, to see the young kids just, just killing each other. And school is getting ready to start," said Robert Blake, neighbor.

Sources say Antonio, a soon-to-be third grader, was found in the backyard of this apartment building, where he wasn't a resident. It's unclear why he was there.

"We don't know what happened. We don't know if he was running from someone. This is a dead end alley. So he had to be running from somebody trying to go up on the tracks and cross over," said Ashiea Smith, whose relatives live in the building, but is unrelated to the victim.

COMMENT:  Any interest, Rev. Sharpton?  Rev. Jackson?  Eric Holder, attorney-general of the United States?  Oh, excuse me, they're all in Ferguson getting their air time.  What about Rev. Wright, Barack Hussein Obama Jr's mentor?  He's in Chicago.  Well, maybe he's busy stirring up some hate. 

CNN, of course, won't regard this boy's death as important at all.  No white cops involved.

And each weekend in the president's home city, the carnage in the black community continues.  And the hypocrisy, along with the blood, flows.

August 21, 2014       Permalink

GAZA – AT 8:52 A.M. ET:  The new military clash in Gaza, the result of a breakdown in peace talks, is getting more fierce.  Israel has scored a major victory  From Fox: 

Hamas said that an Israel airstrike in Gaza killed three of its senior military leaders early Thursday.

The Palestinian militant group claimed that the men -- identified as Mohammed Abu Shamaleh, Mohammed Barhoum and Raed al-Attar -- were killed along with three other people in a strike on a four-story building near Rafah, a town in the southern part of the coastal territory.

The trio had played a key role in expanding Hamas' military capabilities in recent years, including digging attack tunnels leading to Israel, training of fighters and smuggling of weapons to Gaza, Israel said.

Hamza Khalifa, an area resident said the house was struck without warning. "We only heard multiple F-16 (warplane) missiles, one after the other, six or seven missiles," he said.

Several hours later, a large earth mover was still clearing mounds of debris and wreckage.

It was not immediately clear if their assassination would prompt a change in Hamas strategy in the current round of fighting with Israel or diminish the group's ability to fire rockets at Israel. Hamas' military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, is a secretive organization.

COMMENT:  Israel probably did a favor for the people of Gaza.  Hamas is a violent, racist organization that is opposed by most of the Arab world.  All it has brought to Gaza is grief.  Of course Jimmy Carter, the role model for Barack Obama, considers Hamas a "legitimate" player.  No surprise there.

August 21,  2014     Permalink

AUGUST 20,  2014

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:50 P.M. ET: 

I LOVE IT – You go to bed with dogs, you get up with fleas.  From Mediaite:  "Al Jazeera America issued a forceful statement Wednesday, dismissing Al Gore’s fraud suit against the purchasers of his TV network and calling the characterization of the conflict overblown.  'The lawsuit and statement simultaneously issued by Al Gore’s celebrity trial lawyer were designed to grab headlines with misleading accusations like "fraud" and "price discount,"' the Qatari-owned network said. 'The truth is that this is an ordinary commercial dispute, of the type that courts decide all the time.'"  I'm surprised they didn't accuse Gore of being a Zionist lapdog.

NORTH CAROLINA LATEST – One of the most heated Senate races this year is in North Carolina, where Republicans thought they could easily knock off Dem Senator Kay Hagan.  It's proving difficult, but progress is being made.  From The Hill:  "Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) has a narrow lead over North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis (R), according to a new poll conducted for USA Today.   Hagan leads Tillis 45 percent to 43 percent, with Libertarian Party candidate Sean Haugh at 5 percent in the live-caller poll, conducted by Suffolk University. That's within the poll's margin of error.  Those numbers are in line with most other recent public polling, which has found a tight race in the Tar Heel State."  This can be won, but that Libertarian candidate can deny us a victory.

I NEVER WOULDA GUESSED – From mediatrackers.org:  "Rho Chalmers, who disclosed to the Houston Chronicle yesterday that she was a member of the grand jury that indicted Texas Gov. Rick Perry, was an active delegate to the Texas Democratic Party convention during grand jury proceedings. Chalmers’ active participation in Democratic state politics is important because she claimed yesterday to the Houston Chronicle that her decision to indict Perry, a Republican, was not based on politics.  'For me, it’s not a political decision,' Chalmers told the newspaper. 'That’s what a grand jury is about – take the emotion out of it and look at the facts and make your best decision based on your life experience.'  More troubling, however, is the fact that Chalmers attended, photographed, and commented on an event with Democratic state Sen. Kirk Watson while grand jury proceedings were ongoing."  That indictment is a farce, and should be vacated.

MIDEAST MADNESS – It was revealed that the Pentagon launched a raid into Syria recently, to try to rescue American hostages, but that the raid failed.  There were, fortunately, no American deaths, with one man lightly injured.  Meantime, President Obama interrupted his vacation to denounce the beheading of American journalist James Foley.  After the denouncing ended, he went right back on the golf course.  As great talk-show host Mike Scully remarked in an e-mail to Urgent Agenda, "Obama dropped a stroke on the 11th hole par 5, and is now leading his foursome on Martha's Vineyard.  Good to know he's leading someone, somewhere."

August 20, 2014       Permalink

OBAMA FAILING ON EDUCATION – AT 9:48 A.M. ET:  Another poll just out shows the public turning against President Obama on education, an area he emphasized in his election campaigns.  From The Hill: 

Public support for President Obama’s education policies is plunging, according to a new survey.

Only 27 percent of people give Obama an “A” or “B” for his support of public schools, down 9 percent from last year, in a new poll from PDK/Gallup that was released Wednesday.

An equal amount of people — 27 percent — said Obama deserves a failing grade on education.

Fifty-six percent of respondents said they believe their local school board should have the greatest influence in deciding the curriculum. Only 28 percent of Democrats said the federal government should have the greatest control, while 45 percent of Democrats said the local school board should be in charge.

Republicans have criticized the Obama administration’s federal policies, including Race to the Top, saying Education Secretary Arne Duncan is trying to create a “national school board” rather than leaving education to states and localities.

“This administration has used the combination of No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, and waivers from No Child Left Behind to, in effect, turn itself into a national school board, making decisions that states and local communities ought to make for themselves,” said Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee ranking member Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.).

And, on the public's response to "Common Core":

The Gallup poll found that 81 percent of the pubic had heard of Common Core, with 60 percent opposing it. The most common reason cited for opposition was the belief that the standards limit the flexibility of teachers.

“Parents nationwide, including many in Indiana, are raising concerns the administration is attempting to force states to implement a national curriculum through the Common Core State Standards,” Rep. Todd Rokita (R-Ind.) said. “Reforming our nation’s education system to put power back in the hands of state and local leaders is long overdue.”

COMMENT:  There is a backlash building against "big education," the same kind of backlash we periodically have against "big business."  Indeed, education is a business.

There are now a number of organizations, interest groups, and citizens groups, taking a hard look at education, from pre-school to graduate school.  It's about time.  For too long we have allowed the education establishment and the education-journalism complex to lecture us on how we should run our lives, without many questions asked.

We might begin by asking why universities with multi-billion-dollar endowments should receive federal aid for their trendy courses in group studies and identity politics.  My view is that federal aid should be limited to science and engineering, and perhaps other areas in those small and community colleges that struggle financially and serve underserved populations.

August 20, 2014       Permalink

PRESS GETS THUMBS DOWN ON FERGUSON COVERAGE – AT 9:04 A.M. ET:  And for good reason.  Americans are critical of the role of the media in covering the situation in Ferguson.  From the Daily Signal: 

Most Americans say that things would be different in Ferguson, Mo., if the racial roles had been reversed. According to a Rasmussen Poll released today, many believe the media’s coverage of the incident would differ if a black police officer had shot a white teenager.

A majority, 54 percent, agree the media would have reported the death of Michael Brown differently according to the color of his skin. Regardless of race—white, black and other minority adults—most believe the shooting would garner less media attention.

As things stand now, however, only about 1 in 3 Americans approve of the media’s coverage of the incident.

Regardless of media dissatisfaction, 57 percent of blacks believe the police officer involved should be found guilty of murder. The majority of white and other minority Americans do not agree.

Allegations of systemic police racism aren’t widely accepted. Sixty-one percent of Americans say police are not racist as opposed to 14 percent who say they are.

A mere 34 percent believe race relations are at a favorable state in the nation today.

COMMENT:  What the story doesn't point out is the number of murders each week, especially of African-Americans, that get virtually no attention at all.  Americans are aware of that, especially when the Chicago carnage is reported every weekend.  The Missouri case has become politicized.  It's noted that Al Sharpton, a grossly irresponsible racial agitator, will deliver the eulogy at Michael Brown's funeral, which will inflame things even more.  (I would have much preferred a local minister to do it.  There are wonderful black clergymen trying to calm things in Ferguson.) 

Some in the press have already convicted the police officer involved in the shooting.  I think that is the primary reason why the press gets such low marks. 

There is nothing new here.  The press tilts liberal, and, especially on racial matters, the finger is on the scale.

August 20, 2014        Permalink

OUTRAGEOUS – AT 8:29 A.M. ET:  Irresponsible statements by public officials aren't helping to calm Ferguson, Missouri, where protests, some violent, continue over the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown.   Now the Democratic governor weighs in, with little regard for the idea of "a nation of laws."  From Fox:   

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon drew criticism from his own Lt. Governor Tuesday when he said "a vigorous prosecution must now be pursued" in the shooting death of black 18-year-old Michael Brown by white police Officer Darren Wilson in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson.

Nixon made the comment in a videotaped statement in which he said he would not remove St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch from the case despite the demands of some black leaders who believe that McCulloch's deep family ties to law enforcement would affect his impartiality. McCullouch's father, mother, brother, uncle and cousin all worked for the St. Louis Police Department, and his father was killed while responding to a call involving a black suspect.

In his statement, Nixon cited what he called the "well-established process" by which prosecutors can recuse themselves from pending investigations to make way for a special prosecutor. Departing from that process, Nixon said in a statement, "could unnecessarily inject legal uncertainty into this matter and potentially jeopardize the prosecution."

"We have a responsibility," Nixon said, "to come together, and do everything we can to achieve justice for [Brown's] family." Nixon added that McCulloch and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder had an obligation "to achieve justice in the shooting death of Michael Brown must be carried out thoroughly, promptly, and correctly."

COMMENT:  It is not proper for a governor to urge a "vigorous prosecution" of anyone.  It is proper for him to call for justice.  Nor is it proper for a governor to call on society to "achieve justice for Brown's family."  We don't have private justice in America.  The family of Michael Brown is grieving, that's true.  We can sympathize with their grief.  But the phrase "justice for Brown's family" will be interpreted to mean arresting and convicting the officer who shot him, regardless of the facts.

The officer may well be guilty of something, but that's for a jury to decide, not the governor.  Some of these people should just shut up, instead of trying to satisfy a constituency.

August 20, 2014       Permalink

AT LEAST CAMERON HAS SOME CLASS – AT 8:16 A.M. ET:  The Islamic State thug who executed American journalist James Foley spoke with a distinct British accent, and Britain has reacted.  From London's Daily Mail: 

David Cameron this morning broke off his holiday to return to Downing Street, following the brutal execution of an American journalist by an Islamic State jihadist thought to be British.

The Prime Minister will hold meetings today over the 'shocking and depraved' execution of photographer James Foley.

The dramatic development came after the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the Islamic State was waging war on Britain and the West and the organisation had to be dealt with 'on that basis'.
He also said the jihadist filmed executing Mr Foley ‘appears to be British’ and revealed the Government believed the video was 'genuine'.

Mr Hammond said the UK would oppose the Islamic State 'with every breath in our body' and could send British troops to Baghdad to train Iraqi forces to fight the 'evil organisation'.

COMMENT:  Well, at least the words are good.  Compare please with the American president, who went back to his vacation after spending some hours in Washington yesterday.  Events in Ferguson do not stop him from partying.  Neither does the execution of an American journalist.  Nor does the breakdown in the truce between Israel and Gaza.

Who said Barack Obama lacks determination?  When it comes to vacationing, nothing stops the man.

August 20,  2014     Permalink