Please note that you can leave a comment on any of our posts at our Facebook page.  Subscribers can also comment at length at our Angel's Corner Forum.

FEBRUARY 19,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:46 P.M. ET: 

CRAZY – The U.S. has released details of a plan emerging to retake the city of Mosul, Iraq, now under ISIS control.   Many military people, especially intelligence operatives, are furious at the fact that such information has been made public.  From Reuters:  "An Iraqi and Kurdish military force of some 20,000 to 25,000 troops is being prepared to recapture the city of Mosul from Islamic State fighters, probably in the April-May time frame, an official at the U.S. Central Command said on Thursday."  Remember the concept of surprise?  Why would anyone want to release information like this?  I guess the Obama administration wanted an image boost.  Who cares about the lives of soldiers?

FAILING UPWARD – Jen Psaki, Kerry's poodle as State Department spokeswoman, is getting a new gig.  From Hot Air:  "Alongside her colleague Marie Harf, State Department Spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki has become the focus of a significant amount of scrutiny in the right-leaning press. After serving as a press liaison for President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, Psaki moved on to the State Department. There, she was responsible for such hits as scolding Moscow for not living up to the "promise of hashtag," conceding that the administration is utterly without a policy approach toward the most populous Arab nation on Earth, and being incapable of naming a single lasting military accomplishment secured by America’s indigenous “boots on the ground” in Iraq.  On Thursday, Psaki failed up. Way up.  The White House revealed this week that Psaki would be moving on from her role as spokeswoman for America’s chief diplomat and will be diving back into the political fray. She will soon transition back into the White House to serve as Obama’s new director of communications."  Psaki has the most important qualification – utter loyalty to Obama's absurdity.

NATO TRUTHS – From WaPo:  "The German army has faced a shortage of equipment for years, but the situation has recently become so precarious that some soldiers took matters into their own hands.  On Tuesday, German broadcaster ARD revealed that German soldiers tried to hide the lack of arms by replacing heavy machine guns with broomsticks during a NATO exercise last year. After painting the wooden sticks black, the German soldiers swiftly attached them to the top of armored vehicles, according to a confidential army report which was leaked to ARD. "  Shades of 1940, when the U.S. Army, on maneuver in Louisiana, mounted signs on cars saying TANK because no real tanks were available.  NATO has always been the United States and some others.  And with Field Marshal Obama in the White House, it is increasingly a paper tiger.

SERIOUS THREAT – From London's Daily Mail:  "More than 500 refugees from Syria's bloody civil war have already been resettled in the United States, and U.S. officials and members of Congress are becoming increasingly worried that jihadis linked to the ISIS terror army could slip into the country along with them.
Since war broke out in Syria nearly four years ago, America has welcomed 524 people from the rapidly disintegrating country with open arms. U.S. intelligence agencies lack the resources to vet them properly, but the Obama administration plans to admit a few thousand more this year.  'The United States has admitted 524 Syrians since 2011,' State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Feb. 13."  I'm sure Obama wants to give them all executive positions in American corporations, which should snuff out any Islamist ideas.  It would, wouldn't it?

February 19, 2015       Permalink

ENOUGH!  ENOUGH! – AT 9:46 A.M. ET:  I am getting so tired of this administration's groveling propaganda.  From RealClearPolitics: 

"DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY JEH JOHNSON: 'We in the administration and the government should give voice to the plight of Muslims living in this country and the discrimination that they face. And so I personally have committed to speak out about the situation that very often people in the Muslim community in this country face. The fact that there are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world and the Islamic faith is one about peace and brotherhood.'"

COMMENT:  You take care of homeland security, fella.  You've got enough to do without becoming an ideological nursemaid. 

I have no doubt that some Muslims in this country face discrimination and question.  But no country attacked as we were on 9-11 responded with more restraint toward a minority community than this one did.  I recall President Bush immediately going to a mosque to reaffirm respect for true Islam.  And there were no mass arrests.  There was no internment.

Pretty soon Obama will announce that, while we're not at war with Islam, we are at war with Dick Cheney.

February 19, 2015       Permalink

OBAMA POLL NUMBERS STEADY, AND MUCH TOO HIGH – AT 9:21 A.M. ET:  As we've noted here, it is simply amazing that, with all the foreign-policy catastrophes we've recently seen, Obama's numbers remain as high as they do.  He has gained since the election, possibly because of his own new aggressiveness, and possibly because the economy has in some measures improved.  But he remains a disaster.  From CNN: 

Washington (CNN)Americans' growing optimism about the nation's economy has not boosted President Barack Obama's approval ratings, according to a new CNN/ORC poll. The President's ratings for handling the economy have held steady, and the share who approve of his efforts to help the middle class has risen slightly, but more continue to disapprove than approve of his work on the nation's economic problems.

Ratings of current economic conditions remain mixed, with 48% describing them as good and 52% as poor, but that's significantly better than one year ago. In February 2014, just 36% said the economy was in good shape, 64% called it poor. Looking forward, optimism for the future of the economy has grown. The new poll finds 56% say things will be in good shape a year from now, up from 52% in October and the largest share to say so in CNN/ORC polls during Obama's second term.

And...

Obama's approval rating overall stands at 47%, with 51% disapproving, about the same as in a December CNN/ORC poll.

That's significantly better than George W. Bush's approval ratings at this stage of his presidency. In January 2007, just 34% approved of the job Bush was doing. About 8-in-10 of each president's own party approved of his handling of the job, but Bush fared much worse among political independents: 43% approve of Obama now, just 29% approved of Bush in January 2007.

COMMENT:  I have to believe that press coverage of Obama continues to boost him.  And his rock solid support from some groups in the Democratic base can't hurt.

But Obama's ratings not long ago hovered at 40%, also too high.  When will reality sink in again with the American people. 

February 19, 2015       Permalink

BARACK PROBABLY THINKS IT'S SILLY – AT 8:54 A.M. ET:  Italy, which has always had a relationship with Libya, only 300 miles away, across the Mediterranean, is becoming increasingly frightened by ISIS and is dire threats.  From the Daily Beast:   

ROME — Last weekend in Italy, as the threat of ISIS in Libya hit home with a new video addressed to “the nation signed with the blood of the cross” and the warning, “we are south of Rome,” Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi shuttered the Italian embassy in Tripoli and raised his fist with the threat of impending military action. Never mind that Italy has only 5,000 troops available that are even close to deployable, according to the defense ministry. Or that the military budget was cut by 40 percent two years ago, which has kept the acquisition of 90 F-35 fighter jets hanging in the balance and left the country combat-challenged to lead any mission—especially one against an enemy like the Islamic State.

In fact, Renzi didn’t specify exactly who would wield that military might, and, two days later, when no one volunteered to lead the charge, he backtracked. “It’s not the time for a military intervention,” Renzi told an Italian television station Monday night and said the United Nations had to lead the way. “Our proposal is to wait for the U.N. Security Council. The strength of the U.N. is decidedly superior to that of the radical militias.”

Whether the time is right or not, there is no question that there is a palpable tension in Italy over the ISIS threat—Libya is just 109 miles away from the island of Lampedusa and 300 miles from Sicily—made worse by a 64 percent increase in illegal migrant arrivals by sea since last year. In all of 2014, more than 170,000 people arrived from Libya and Turkey, the highest number ever recorded. Last weekend, as the embassy staff made their way to Italy on a mercantile ship, 2,164 migrants left the same Libyan shores en route to Sicily. The week before, more than 300 people were lost in the same seas as their rickety fishing boats capsized before rescuers could save them.

COMMENT:  This may well be the time when Europe finally wakes up and realizes that Islamic terrorism (I apologize for my bigotry) poses a real threat.  It would not take much for small groups of ISIS operatives to infiltrate into Europe and attack major targets.  Of course, Obama would be right there to give them jobs as campaign workers, but that may not do the trick.

February 19, 2015       Permalink

COMING TO A HEAD – AT 8:36 A.M. ET:  The nuclear talks with Iran are supposed to conclude next month with an agreement, but already even the UN is flashing warnings about Iran's behavior.  From AP: 

VIENNA (AP) — The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency is set to report little progress in its attempts to probe allegations that Iran worked on nuclear arms, diplomats said Thursday.

Two diplomats said the agency’s restricted report will likely be released to the UN Security Council and the IAEA’s 35 board member nations Thursday. They demanded anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the report’s contents.

Iran agreed a year ago to work with the IAEA. But — like previous probes — the investigation quickly stalled over Tehran insistence that it never wanted or worked on such weapons.

The IAEA also is expected to report that Iran is honoring commitments to put temporary restraints on its atomic activities as it negotiates on a long-term nuclear deal with the US and five other powers.

COMMENT:  Honoring its current, temporary agreement is insignificant.  What is frightening is that Iran continues to stonewall on the most important question of all – whether it was and is working on nuclear weapons.  Iran wouldn't stonewall if it had nothing to hide.  It clearly has everything to hide.  But will Nuclear-physicist-in-chief Barack Obama actually care?

February 19,  2015     Permalink

FEBRUARY 18,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:46 P.M. ET: 

I DISSENT – From thewrap.com:  "During a CNN internal town hall Tuesday, network chief Jeff Zucker said it’s not a conflict of interest for an executive of the network to host the president and First Lady in their home, an insider familiar with the event told TheWrap.  Responding to an anonymous email question from a CNN staffer regarding an unnamed D.C. executive who hosted the Obamas — along with other parents of Sidwell Friends School [in D.C.] — in their home for dinner, Zucker said there’s no issue."  No, it's a conflict of interest.  Hosting a social gathering that includes the president and first lady raises appearance issues, especially for a network regularly accused of liberal bias.  I wouldn't permit it.

MORE NETWORK INTRIGUE – From hollywoodreporter.com:  "Victoria Jackson, a six-year veteran of Saturday Night Live, is publicly wondering if her opposition to gay marriage prompted Lorne Michaels to treat her differently from the other cast members who attended the 40th anniversary of the show Sunday. Jackson, on her Facebook page, Twitter and in interviews, has mostly raved about Michaels and thanked the creator of SNL numerous times for hiring her in 1986, though she is also saying that she was the only cast member at Sunday's event to be banished to an overflow room.  Some bloggers noted the oddity and were wondering if Michaels or someone else involved with the seating arrangements might have been sending a political message to Jackson, who is a Christian conservative, a Tea Party favorite and an extremely vocal critic of President Barack Obama."  Of course it was a message.  SNL should've shown more class.  Not ready for prime time.

EXPECTED – From CNN:  "Washington – The Justice Department is preparing to bring a lawsuit against the Ferguson, Missouri, police department over a pattern of racially discriminatory tactics used by officers, if the police department does not agree to make changes on its own, sources tell CNN.  Attorney General Eric Holder said this week he expects to announce the results of the department's investigation of the shooting death of Michael Brown and a broader probe of the Ferguson Police Department before he leaves office in the coming weeks."  We'll wait for the fine print, and judge the case on the facts, but appearances are a little wobbly here.  It looks like Justice, under Holder, had to find something in Ferguson to justify the investigation and to cap Holder's tenure.  But let the facts speak.

February 18,  2015     Permalink

ANOTHER VICTORY – CALL YOUR FRIENDS – AT 11:32 A.M. ET:  We report another glorious victory under the courageous leadership of Field Marshal Barack Obama.  From Fox: 

Ukrainian separatists dubbed by Russian President Vladimir Putin as "yesterday’s miners or yesterday’s tractor drivers" drove Ukraine's army from a key rail hub in the eastern part of the country in what was branded a "crushing defeat" just days after a short-lived cease-fire agreement.

Fierce fighting around the town of Debaltseve, through which railroads linking the two major separatist cities of Donetsk and Luhansk pass, had been raging for days despite a cease-fire deal brokered by European leaders and signed by Putin to take effect last Sunday. The cease-fire was supposed to be followed by the withdrawal of heavy weaponry beginning Tuesday, but the fighting barely paused.

On Wednesday, multiple sources told Fox News that the pro-Russian rebels were holding 300 Ukrainian troops prisoner, but officials in Kiev insist that the number is lower. Russian state-owned television on Wednesday showed images of several dozen Ukrainian troops being escorted along a village road by the rebels.

The separatists have claimed that the area around Debaltseve isn't covered by the cease-fire deal. Putin, who helped broker the agreement last week, mocked the Ukrainian forces and suggested they should lay down their arms.

COMMENT:  Unbelievable.  And we do nothing about it.  We are reliving the 1930s.

February 18,  2015     Permalink

THE WHITE HOUSE FIGHTS TERRORISM – AT 9:52 A.M. ET:  There's a White House conference on violent extremism going on.  As Johnny Carson used to say, notice the difference?  And of course the guest list is star-studded.  From Fox: 

A controversial U.S. Muslim leader who has been highly critical of Israel and said that the Jewish state should be on the "suspect list" in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks participated on Tuesday in a White House summit on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) that featured Vice President Joe Biden.

Salam Al-Marayati, founder of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), tweeted out a photo of himself at the White House with Biden and bragged, "We joined VP @JoeBiden for a discussion at the @WhiteHouse #CVESummit which kicked off today."

Al-Marayati has been viewed as a controversial figure due to past statements characterized by his critics as anti-Israel and soft on terrorism.

The White House CVE Summit, a three-day forum focused on countering radical extremism, comes in the wake of multiple anti-Semitic attacks across the globe and pressure for an increased military campaign against the Islamic State (IS) terror group.

The Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) released a detailed fact sheet that contained scores of controversial statements attributed to al-Marayati.

COMMENT:  The president addresses the "conference" today.  Please set your recorders so you don't miss a single gifted word.

Naturally, the term "Islamist extremism" is banned from the "conference."  I can just imagine FDR, after Pearl Harbor, saying to his staff, "Okay, so they attacked our fleet.  But can't we just call them 'militant flying enthusiasts?'"

February 18, 2015      Permalink

AND THIS TIDBIT ON HILLARY – AT 9:05 A.M. ET:  One serious question that will be asked about Queen Hillary's run for the presidency is the amount of cash she and Bill have taken from foreign sources, especially sources in the Arab world.  From Fox: 

The Clinton Foundation reportedly is seeing an increase in contributions from foreign governments after ending a self-imposed ban on such donations, raising new ethical questions as Hillary Clinton prepares for a possible 2016 presidential campaign.

According to The Wall Street Journal, which cited the foundation's online database, recent donors to the foundation include the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Oman, Australia, Germany, and a Canadian government agency promoting construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.

The foundation instituted a foreign gifts ban in 2009 after Hilllary Clinton was named Secretary of State by President Barack Obama. The Journal reports that the ban was not a total one, and some donations were permitted after receiving the approval of State Department ethics officials. Hillary Clinton re-joined the foundation after leaving the State Department in 2013 and has fronted a $250 million endowment campaign.

Ethics experts have told the Journal that the Foundation should re-imposed its ban while Hillary Clinton considers a possible White House bid.

"Now that she is gearing up to run for president, the same potential exists for foreign governments to curry favor with her as a potential president of the United States," said Kirk Hanson, director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University in California.

COMMENT:  The word "ethics" and the name "Clinton" are usually not found in the same sentence.  And I doubt if that will change.  Both Clintons have become fabulously wealthy since leaving office.  I've seen estimates, which I can't independently verify, that Bill Clinton has made about a hundred million dollars.

Some of that money has come from foreign sources, either through the foundation or for speaking and consulting fees.  It's worrisome, very much so.  There are different forms of bribery.

February 18, 2015       Permalink

ANOTHER PROFILE IN PORRIDGE – AT 8:46 A.M. ET:  Don't you just love it when Hillary Clinton identifies a problem, and acts on it with her usual elegance competence (choke)?  We present the Elizabeth Warren challenge.  From the great Legal Insurrection site: 

I’ve said it before, and I stand by it: Elizabeth Warren would crush Hillary, and they both know it.

If you doubted that Hillary knew it, read this NY Times account of their recent meeting, "Hillary Clinton, Privately, Seeks the Favor of Elizabeth Warren":

Hillary Rodham Clinton held a private, one-on-one meeting with Senator Elizabeth Warren in December at Mrs. Clinton’s Washington home, a move by the Democrats’ leading contender in 2016 to cultivate the increasingly influential senator and leader of the party’s economic populist movement.

The two met at Whitehaven, the Clintons’ Northwest Washington home, without aides and at Mrs. Clinton’s invitation.

Mrs. Clinton solicited policy ideas and suggestions from Ms. Warren, according to a Democrat briefed on the meeting, who called it “cordial and productive.” Mrs. Clinton, who has been seeking advice from a range of scholars, advocates and officials, did not ask Ms. Warren to consider endorsing her likely presidential candidacy. Aides to Mrs. Clinton did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and aides to Ms. Warren could not be reached.

The conversation occurred at a moment when Ms. Warren’s clout has become increasingly evident.

It’s not quite Bill Maher territory, but Hillary at some point may need to get down on one knee and propose a high level cabinet post in order to keep Liz out of the race, or if she stays out, to get Warren to bless the Hillary campaign.

COMMENT:  I wonder if Bill was behind the curtain, or sending guidance through a Hillary earpiece. 

There have been so many dramatic, tragic developments in foreign policy in the last few months, and Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state, hasn't apparently had time to comment.  But she's had time for tea with Lizzy.

American heroine.

February 18,  2015     Permalink