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FEBRUARY 11,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:56 P.M. ET: 

GREAT MOMENTS IN CHILD REARING – From CBS:  "OAKLAND (KPIX 5) – After the recent Black Lives Matter protests, there is a new brownie troop in Oakland. Instead of selling cookies, they are spreading a message.  On a Saturday afternoon in Oakland, a handful of 8 to 10 year old girls are gathered, in brown uniforms, giggling and eating cupcakes. They look like Girl Scouts, but it’s not just fun and games.
'White policeman are killing black young folks such as women, men and children,' one of the girls said.  Another girl said, 'Mike Brown. He was shot because he didn’t do nothing. Only the police officer shot him because of his skin color.'   These girls are called the 'Radical Brownies.'   And instead of learning sewing, they’re learning social justice.  Even their uniforms have a message.  'The beret, it’s a Black Panther/Brown Beret twist,' one of the Radical Brownies said."  I'd love to know the response of the national Girl Scout organization.  I'd also love to know if these girls sell cookies, and what they put in them.

PASSING – Bob Simon, the longtime CBS correspondent, who covered the Mideast extensively and was taken prisoner during the 1991 Gulf War, was killed tonight in a car accident in Manhattan.  Simon was riding in a livery cab when it sideswiped another car, went out of control and crashed.  I know the area well, and traffic doesn't move very quickly there.  Speed doesn't appear to have been a factor.  Simon was a mainstay of "60 Minutes."

THE TRUTH LEAKS OUT – From CNN:  "Washington (CNN) David Axelrod, President Barack Obama's former top political adviser, said the President appears to be having 'the time of his life right now' as he's enjoying his new-found freedom without the political constraints of an impending election.  'He's having the time of his life right now. I think he feels very much unrestrained in terms of speaking to all these issues,' Axelrod said in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on Wednesday.  Obama has indeed drawn notice for his newly relaxed and frank posture and comments, now that he's nearing the end of his presidency. During his State of the Union address, Obama tossed a couple of zingers at Republicans, the likes of which had been absent in previous years.  Axelrod also defended comments in his book that Obama misrepresented his position on gay marriage for political expediency, which Obama attempted to refute in an interview with BuzzFeed this week.  'This is not uncommon in history, great leaders often work in that way,' Axelrod said, 'He had a goal and he worked his way to that goal.'"  Translated into real English, Axelrod is saying that Obama consistently lied his way into office, and only now are we seeing who he is.  And, no, that isn't the way all political leaders work, or have worked.  Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan both risked a great deal politically to state what they actually believed.  Churchill was forced into the political wilderness in the 1930s, until proved right.  Reagan was laughed at in 1980, even by some in the Republican establishment.  They are both now seen by many (not all) as great men.

February 11, 2015       Permalink

HILLARY IN TROUBLE? – AT 12:06 P.M. ET:  There are new reports that her fundraising isn't going so well.  And then there's this, a widely publicized report of two polls showing Elizabeth Warren ahead of Clinton in Iowa and New Hampshire.  From the Washington Examiner: 

Populist groups cheering "Run Warren Run," today released 2016 election polls from Iowa and New Hampshire showing Sen. Elizabeth Warren ahead of dominant Democrat Hillary Clinton.

The YouGov poll of likely Democratic voters for MoveOn.org and Democracy for America also found that 79 percent want Warren and majorities support her anti-Wall Street positions.

Warren has said she doesn't plan to challenge Clinton, though several others have indicated that they are looking at a bid, including Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

The poll of 400 conducted Jan. 30 to Feb. 5 put Warren ahead of Clinton in Iowa, 31 percent to 24 percent. In New Hampshire, her lead is 30 percent to 27 percent.

The groups cautioned that the poll mostly shows that voters are extremely open to her candidacy rather than her being a Clinton killer. They hope to use the poll to encourage Warren to change her position and get into the race.

The poll analysis said: "The results show that, after likely caucus goers and primary voters learn about Elizabeth Warren’s biography and issue positions, not only do a stunning 79 percent say they want her to run, but, in both states, Warren ends up leading all other potential Democratic candidates in a head-to-head ballot question."

COMMENT:  The results should be taken with some skepticism.  The polls were taken among true believers, the Dem base, the group most likely to go for Warren.  And yet, these same results should be worrying for Clinton.   They show, as other polls have shown, that enthusiasm for her in the Democratic Party is limited.  She's been around a long time, and is seen, incredibly, as a "centrist," where Warren is seen as true left.

I still think Clinton has the steam to get the nomination, and that she'll be able to convince the party that a serious contest for the nod would be divisive.  But polls like this, and lackluster fundraising, could convince Clinton not to run at all, or could convince the party that they might look for another face.

February 11, 2015       Permalink

OBAMA'S NATURE, AND OUR PROBLEM – AT 9:56 A.M. ET:  Several people have said to me that they can't recall a period more packed with major international news stories, all of them frightening.  That may be true, but we had a preview of what would come right before the last presidential election.  From Andrew Malcolm at IBD:   

Who knew 35 months ago what Barack Obama really meant when he "secretly" pleaded with Russia's Dmitry Medvedev for patience and space so he could steal the 2012 election and gain more "flexibility"?

"On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it's important for him to give me space," Obama said with a brotherly arm pat, noting 2012 was his last election. Medvedev responded, "I will transmit this information to Vladimir."

It was long thought that Obama's gaffe, caught on an open mic during one of those frequent summits national leaders feel the need for, dealt only with the Democrat giving away more to Russia on missile defense.

But Obama has elongated the nuclear "negotiations" with Iran to no end and Russia's benefit. Obama slapped sanctions on Russia that have surely hurt the Russian economy but produced zero effect on that country's relentless military destabilization of Ukraine.

And Obama has dithered more than a year now, with many more months to come apparently, over providing vital defensive weapons for Ukraine's elected government to fight Russian-backed insurgents. Obama's Codewords: Strategic Patience. Dmitry and Vlad are no doubt appreciative.

Obama talked with the Russian leader Tuesday and, according to the White House, the American threatened to raise the costs for his Ukraine intervention. Economic sanctions have not worked there or in Iran, so more of them will?

Such phone call accounts do not include the other leader's response, which was likely "LOL."

COMMENT:  Very well said.   One of the problems here is that Obama comes from a political class that has all but banned the word "victory."  I remember the reaction of that crowd when Reagan said that his strategy was, "We win, they lose."  The chattering class was aghast.  Such crudeness.  Such lowbrow rhetoric.  Why, he sounds like a movie actor.

And of course he was right.

February 11, 2015       Permalink

WHAT WE FACE – AT 9:31 A.M. ET:   Many commentators are still stunned by President Obama's remarks in the last few days, seeming to downplay the threat of terrorism, and even to suggest that the attacks on a Jewish delicatessen in Paris wasn't directed against Jews.  As the president meanders through his semi-thoughts, ISIS gains.  From AP:

WASHINGTON — Foreign fighters are streaming into Syria and Iraq in unprecedented numbers to join the Islamic State or other extremist groups, including at least 3,400 from Western nations among 20,000 from around the world, U.S. intelligence officials say in an updated estimate of a top terrorism concern.

Intelligence agencies now believe that as many as 150 Americans have tried and some have succeeded in reaching in the Syrian war zone, officials told the House Homeland Security Committee in testimony prepared for delivery on Wednesday. Some of those Americans were arrested en route, some died in the area and a small number are still fighting with extremists.

The testimony and other data were obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

Nick Rasmussen, chief of the National Counterterrorism Center, said the rate of foreign fighter travel to Syria is without precedent, far exceeding the rate of foreigners who went to wage jihad in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen or Somalia at any other point in the past 20 years.

U.S. officials fear that some of the foreign fighters will return undetected to their homes in Europe or the U.S. to mount terrorist attacks. At least one of the men responsible for the attack on a satirical magazine in Paris had spent time with Islamic extremists in Yemen.

COMMENT:  And we must ask how difficult it would be for ten operatives to strike in ten different American cities at the same hour.  That's terrorism.  Its purpose is to terrorize, to make people afraid, to force them to change their lives.  And it often succeeds.

Now multiply what you've just read by a million, which might be the impact if terror groups like ISIS get weapons of mass destruction.  But, like Scarlet in "Gone With the Wind," we won't think about that today.  We'll think about that tomorrow.

February 11, 2015       Permalink

ANOTHER FAMOUS VICTORY – HAIL BARACK! – AT 9:15 A.M. ET:  Last September Barack Obama was hailing Yemen as a great success story.   Today we're abandoning our embassy there.  From Reuters: 

SANAA - The United States is closing its embassy in Yemen, the Arabian peninsula state that is a front line in Washington's war against al-Qaida, embassy employees and US officials said on Tuesday.

US officials in Washington confirmed the embassy would close because of the unpredictable security situation in a country where a rebel group has seized control of the capital, Sanaa.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki declined comment. But she noted that the embassy staff had been gradually reduced and said the safety of the personnel was a top priority. "We take steps in order to make sure we do everything we can to protect that," she told a regular briefing.

COMMENT:  I love this administration.  Just one triumph after another.  Can you stand it?  Why isn't Obama on Mount Rushmore right now? 

I hate to sound cynical, but what else is there?

February 11,  2015     Permalink

FEBRUARY 10,  2015

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

BRIAN'S SONG – Brian Williams has been suspended by NBC News for six months because of his sins.  If the industry was completely consistent, probably half of its journalists would face one suspension or another.  Williams seems to have taken unusual liberties with the truth, but I'm sorry to say that fibbing of different kinds is an industry problem.  The most common form, from what I've seen, is the sin of omission – leaving out critical facts that could change a story.  The problem is worse with the BBC, which some people wrongly think is a great news organization because its on-air people sound so good.  Problem is, they don't think so good.

JON BE GONE – Jon Stewart is leaving Comedy Central's "Daily Show" after 16 years.  Whether we like his opinions or not, he has become a major figure in political humor.  Clips from "The Daily Show" are used regularly on other programs as current examples of political humor, and Stewart has become a household name.  It will be very hard to replace Stewart, as "The Daily Show" is completely identified with him.  Large dollars will be paid to anyone who succeeds.

SOUL FOOD – From CNS:  "CNSNews.com) - Rep. Elijah Cummings (D–Md.) says, “so many people come to government knowing that they are not going to make the kind of money they would make in the private sector but they come to government to feed their souls.”  Will someone inform the esteemed congressman that many jobs in the federal government now pay more than their equivalent in the private sector.  And the Washington real estate market sizzles because of the amount of money available through government employment and contracts.

UNDER THE HEADING, "YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS UP" – From The New York Times:  "Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking a trove of secret documents to WikiLeaks, has joined The Guardian newspaper as a contributing opinion writer.  Ms. Manning, formerly known as Pfc. Bradley E. Manning, will write on war, gender and freedom of information, said Katharine Viner, the editor in chief of Guardian US, the newspaper’s American operation.  She had contributed to the newspaper on a casual basis, a spokesman said, but the agreement has now been made formal. She will write when stories come up, and not on a set timetable or schedule."  I guess her/his prison schedule might be an inconvenience.  Geez.

February 10, 2015       Permalink

KISSINGER ON IRAN – QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 11:05 A.M. ET:   It was largely overlooked by the mainstream media, which was far more interested in an attack on Kissinger by Code Pink, but the former secretary of state gave incisive Congressional testimony last week on Iran.  Clearly he, like a growing number of other experienced experts, is very worried.  From The Wall Street Journal: 

Here’s how he (Kissinger) described the talks in his prepared remarks:

“Nuclear talks with Iran began as an international effort, buttressed by six U.N. resolutions, to deny Iran the capability to develop a military nuclear option. They are now an essentially bilateral negotiation over the scope of that capability through an agreement that sets a hypothetical limit of one year on an assumed breakout. The impact of this approach will be to move from preventing proliferation to managing it.” (The italics are Mr. Kissinger’s.)

Mull that one over. Mr. Kissinger always speaks with care not to undermine a U.S. Administration, and the same is true here. But he is clearly worried about how far the U.S. has moved from its original negotiating position that Iran cannot enrich uranium or maintain thousands of centrifuges. And he is concerned that these concessions will lead the world to perceive that such a deal would put Iran on the cusp of being a nuclear power.

Administration leaks to the media have made clear that Secretary of State John Kerry ’s current negotiating position is that Iran should have a breakout period of no less than a year. But as Mr. Kissinger told the Senators in response to questions, that means verification and inspections become crucial. “In the space of one year, that will create huge inspection problems, but I’ll reserve my comment on that until I see the agreement,” Mr. Kissinger said.

COMMENT:  In the end, it's all about Obama, a monumental egotist, and his legacy.  He wants an agreement with Iran.  He wants Iran to become the key player in the region, and something of an ally of America.  It is an illusion, but the man has either lived his whole life pushing illusions, or he is fully aware of what he's doing, and doesn't care that it's an illusion.   Replacing American power with Muslim power does seem to be one of his objectives.  And he has the results to prove it.

February 10, 2015       Permalink

BULLETIN – AMERICAN HOSTAGE DEAD – AT 10:09 A.M. ET:  The White House has just confirmed that Kayla Mueller, an American hostage held by ISIS, is dead.  Her family made the first announcement.  From Fox: 

The parents of Kayla Mueller, the Arizona woman who was taken hostage by ISIS in August, 2013, have confirmed their daughter died while in the hands of the terror group.

"We are heartbroken to share that we've received confirmation that Kayla Jean Mueller, has lost her life," Carl and Marsha Mueller said in a statement. "Kayla was a compassionate and devoted humanitarian. She dedicated the whole of her young life to helping those in need of freedom, justice, and peace."

It was not clear how the confirmation was made. ISIS claimed last week she was killed by a Jordanian airstrike, but offered no immediate evidence.

President Obama issued a statement Tuesday, also acknowledging the death of the 26-year-old.

"It is with profound sadness that we have learned of the death of Kayla Jean Mueller," Obama said. "On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I convey our deepest condolences to Kayla's family - her parents, Marsha and Carl, and her brother Eric and his family - and all of those who loved Kayla dearly. At this time of unimaginable suffering, the country shares in their grief."

COMMENT:  We may never know exactly how the United States learned definitively of her death.  Sources and methods used by intelligence agencies are closely guarded. 

And so the president who yesterday mocked those who emphasize terrorism is once again made the fool by international events.  The next foolmakers may be Iranian diplomats, who manipulate us into a very bad deal over Iran's nuclear program.

February 10, 2015        Permalink

MEAD ON OBAMA AND IRAN – AT 9:35 A.M. ET:  If there's one writer I urge you to consult regularly, it's Walter Russell Mead, who teaches at the very liberal Bard College and yet has survived.  Mead, in my view, sees things that others just don't see.

For example, Mead recently wrote that never before have so many American institutions been under liberal control, and yet never before have these same institutions had so little influence.  Think about it.  He's on to something.

Now Mead tackles the president and his bizarre approach to Iran.  From the American Interest: 

Suddenly, we seem to be having the conversation the administration didn’t want to have: a conversation about just where President Obama’s approach to Iran is taking us. A Washington Post editorial has put the issue on the agenda in a way that it will be hard for the spinners and Iran-apologists to dance past, and there are signs that bipartisan concerns are beginning to grow.

The Post, in one of the most important newspaper editorials of recent years, signals out three important concerns with the President’s approach:

First, a process that began with the goal of eliminating Iran’s potential to produce nuclear weapons has evolved into a plan to tolerate and restrict that capability.

Second, in the course of the negotiations, the Obama administration has declined to counter increasingly aggressive efforts by Iran to extend its influence across the Middle East and seems ready to concede Tehran a place as a regional power at the expense of Israel and other U.S. allies.

Finally, the Obama administration is signaling that it will seek to implement any deal it strikes with Iran — including the suspension of sanctions that were originally imposed by Congress — without seeking a vote by either chamber. Instead, an accord that would have far-reaching implications for nuclear proliferation and U.S. national security would be imposed unilaterally by a president with less than two years left in his term.

As the Post points out, a cavalcade of distinguished American foreign policy voices, including Henry Kissinger and George Schultz, have issued warnings that the White House seems to have lost its way as it tries to navigate the complex minefield that is U.S.-Iranian relations. As my colleague Michael Doran has recently pointed out in an article that contributed to the rising disquiet about the administration’s Iran strategy, the approach to Iran has been the centerpiece of the administration’s Middle East strategy from 2009 to the present day.

What’s interesting is that the growing disquiet about our Iran policy isn’t over the basic decision to negotiate with Iran. Although as usual the White House tries to portray its opponents as hot heads whose unreasoning hatred of Iran combines with a love of war to create a blind opposition to the President’s sensible and rational preference for diplomacy, the debate is not about whether to negotiate with Iran. It is about how to ensure that those negotiations advance important American interests.

COMMENT:  Please read the whole thing.  You won't be disappointed.  Mead ends with a severe criticism of the manner in which Obama is pursuing his Iran policy, if in fact he has one.  The alarm is being raised.  We can never say we didn't know.

February 10, 2015       Permalink

AND AGAIN – AT 8:46 A.M. ET:  In the latest of a series of obnoxious statements, Field Marshal of the United States (including Vermont) Barack Obama said yesterday that the threat of terror is greatly exaggerated, and is hyped by the media.  He suggested that profit motive was behind the media's attention to the problem.

As James Taranto of The Wall Street Journal might have put it, the people who died on 9/11 couldn't be reached for comment.  From the Jerusalem Post: 

An Islamic-State-linked group beheaded 10 men accused of spying for Israel and Egypt in a gruesome video posted online, Egyptian media reported Tuesday.

The video shows terrorists from Welayat Sinai [Supporters of Sinai], which was formerly known as Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, decapitate the men, then dump their bodies on a road in northern Sinai.

Before the beheading, the accused were also made to confess on camera that they were collaborators with the Israeli Mossad and the Egyptian military.

The group said that the killing was a response to the Egyptian army's destruction of homes in the northern Sinai.

On January 4, the Egyptian army began the evacuation and destruction of at least 1,200 homes along its border with the Gaza Strip. It is part of a plan in order to expand the existing security buffer zone from 500 meters to one kilometer, as a result of subterranean tunnels that were discovered in the area being used to smuggle arms from Gaza to terrorists in Sinai.

COMMENT:  Field Marshal Obama has been particularly obnoxious recently, lecturing Christians last week, making insulting remarks about the prime minister of Israel at a joint meeting with Angela Merkel of Germany yesterday.  I do wish we'll see the day when the field marshal treats America's enemies as badly as he treats our friends.

February 10,  2015     Permalink