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JANUARY 29,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:36 P.M. ET: 

FASHION NOTE – From Frontpagemag.com:  "...today is NP3 Hijab Day at NP3 High School. NP3 stands for Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep; the school is in the Natomas Unified School District in Sacramento. This all started with a student at NP3 High who is an intern for the Hamas-linked terror organization, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). This student gave a presentation about Islamophobia and Islam at what was a mandatory staff meeting that also included an official CAIR representative.  The school then decided to sponsor an official 'Hijab Day' in cooperation with Hamas-linked CAIR. The flier also shows that another Muslim Brotherhood-linked organization, the Muslim Students Association, is also involved. Every female member of the faculty and staff, and students as well, has been encouraged to wear a hijab today. NP3’s principal, Tom Rutten, has been strongly encouraging everyone to participate and wear one."   Another breathtaking example of the intellectual brilliance of educators.

DOING THE RIGHT THING – From The Daily Signal:  "The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has acknowledged its role in Operation Choke Point and is taking dramatic steps to reverse its policies in targeting legal and legitimate industries that are disfavored by the Obama administration.  'We’re very pleased they’ve acknowledged their wrongdoing and they’ve accepted our suggestions to put in place measures to stop this activity,' Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., told The Daily Signal in a phone call this morning.  Luetkemeyer, a member of the House Financial Services Committee and leader in the fight to end Operation Choke Point, met with FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenbery and Vice Chairman Thomas Hoenig earlier today as a follow-up to concerns voiced last November."  There's been all kinds of harassment of legitimate businesses.  Some licensed firearms dealers with good records have found it impossible to borrow money or expand their businesses, for example.  The federal government shouldn't be picking and choosing businesses to hassle simply because the Obamans don't like them.

MAJOR LEGAL NEWS – From The Hill:  "Secretary of State John Kerry was ticketed Thursday for not shoveling the snow outside his Boston home.  About six inches of snow accumulated on the sidewalk outside Kerry's primary residence in Louisburg Square on Wednesday. A city report posted Thursday said a ticket had been issued for the unshoveled powder after a citizen filed a complaint...A State Department spokesperson told The Boston Herald that Kerry 'will gladly pay the ticket.'"   Didn't anyone in his family, or the vast State Department staff, think of hiring a kid to shovel the show?   I think a life sentence is appropriate, but the fine is only $50.

DOWN TO THREE – From AP:  "SEATTLE (AP) — Lt. Col. Edward Saylor, one of four surviving Doolittle Raiders who attacked Japan during a daring 1942 mission credited with lifting American morale during World War II, has died. He was 94.  Rod Saylor said his father died of natural causes on Wednesday in Sumner, Washington.  He was a young flight engineer-gunner and among the 80 airmen who volunteered to fly the risky mission that sent B-25 bombers from a carrier at sea to attack Tokyo on April 28, 1942."  Obama would have rejected the raid, claiming it might offend Japanese sensibilities.

January 29, 2015       Permalink

THE LEVEL OF MSNBC – AT 10:38 A.M. ET:  You have to wonder where MSNBC gets some of its "commentators."  You also have to wonder how it stays on the air.  From the Washington Free Beacon: 

NBC foreign affairs reporter Ayman Mohyeldin made the suggestion Thursday on Morning Joe that Chris Kyle, late subject of the hit movie “American Sniper” and credited as the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history, had “racist tendencies” toward Iraqis and Muslims and “went on killing sprees in Iraq on assignment.”

“American Sniper” has given a lot of Americans an inside look at what actually happened over in Iraq during the war. It has also raised a national discussion on post-traumatic stress disorder, addressing the personal issues veterans face when they come home.

Mohyeldin’s commentary left host Joe Scarborough dumbfounded.

“Killing sprees?” Scarborough asked incredulously. “Chris Kyle was going on killing sprees?”

“When he was involved in his — on assignments in terms of what he was doing, a lot of the description that has come out from his book and some of the terminology that he has used, people have described as racist in his personal attitudes about what he was doing overseas when he was on assignment,” Mohyeldin sputtered.

Scarborough later joked that Mohyeldin was next going to kick around Santa Claus.

COMMENT:  MSNBC shows the connection between Islamic extremism and the looney left.  They love each other because they both hate America. 

January 29, 2015       Permalink

AMERICANS LUKEWARM ON OBAMA TERROR STRATEGY – AT 9:35 A.M. ET:  Fox News has done a detailed poll on American views on terror and Barack Obama's presumed strategy for countering it.  Obama doesn't come out well.  From Fox: 

There’s widespread belief among American voters that an attack on U.S. soil by Islamic terrorists will happen in the near future. And at the same time, nearly half say President Obama underemphasizes the threat from Islamic terrorists.

The details:

An overwhelming 84-percent majority thinks it is at least somewhat likely Islamic terrorists will try to launch an attack on U.S. soil soon. That includes half -- 50 percent -- who say “very” likely.

Voters ages 45 and over are far more inclined (59 percent) than younger voters (39 percent) to think an attack is “very” likely to happen.

In addition, 56 percent think the United States is at war with radical Islam. Over a third says we aren’t (37 percent). A substantial majority of Republicans says the U.S. is at war with radical Islam (68-29 percent). Democrats tend not to believe that: 43 percent say yes, the country is at war with radical Islam, while 47 percent say it isn’t.

How does Obama treat the threat? Nearly half -- 47 percent -- say he underemphasizes the threat. That’s about eight times as many as say he overemphasizes it (six percent). Another 43 percent say his approach is “about right.”

Meanwhile, just 15 percent of voters think the country is safer since Obama became president. More than twice that number -- 34 percent -- feels we’re less safe. Half think it hasn’t changed under Obama (50 percent).

Voters who say the U.S. is at war with radical Islam are 15 points more likely to say the country is less safe than those who say we’re not at war with radical Islam.

Obama continues to move forward with plans to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center, but a 58-percent majority says that’s the wrong thing to do. About a third agrees with his decision to do so (32 percent). Most Republicans (81 percent) and over half of independents (55 percent) say it’s wrong to close Gitmo. Among Democrats, 49 percent say it’s the right thing to do, while 38 percent disagree.

COMMENT:  Actually, I think Obama comes out better than expected in the poll.  I would have thought that more than 47% would think the president underestimates the threat.  But, still, 47% is a large number.

There seems to be minimal confidence in this president.  One wonders if Hillary will separate herself from Obama's foreign policy, a foreign policy she carried out.  She will have to do quite a dance.

January 29, 2015       Permalink

HILLARY DELAYS? – AT 8:54 A.M. ET:   There are reports that Hillary Clinton is delaying her presidential campaign.  From The Politico: 

Hillary Clinton, expecting no major challenge for the Democratic nomination, is strongly considering delaying the formal launch of her presidential campaign until July, three months later than originally planned, top Democrats tell POLITICO.

The delay from the original April target will give her more time to develop her message, policy and organization, without the chaos and spotlight of a public campaign.

A Democrat familiar with Clinton’s thinking said: “She doesn’t feel under any pressure, and they see no primary challenge on the horizon. If you have the luxury of time, you take it.”

Advisers said the biggest reason for the delay is simple: She feels no rush.

“She doesn’t want to feel pressured by the press to do something before she’s ready,” one adviser said. “She’s better off as a non-candidate. Why not wait?”

A huge advantage to waiting is that Clinton postpones the time when she goes before the public as a politician rather than as a former secretary of state. Polling by both Democrats and Republicans shows that one of her biggest vulnerabilities is looking political.

COMMENT:  I think she's probably right that there will be no major challenge.  Elizabeth Warren understands that if she challenges Hillary and loses, Hillary will turn her into a pariah.  There are no other major figures in the Democratic Party who can currently challenge Hillary, in part because there are no other major figures in the Democratic Party, period.  The party is extraordinarily weak in leadership.

As for the delay, the reasoning seems shaky.  Hillary is already seen as a politician, and one who accepts $200,000 to make a speech.  No one even thinks of her as a secretary of state any longer. 

The contrast between the GOP, which will have an open competition for the nomination, and the Democrats, who will have a coronation, will be stark.  Republicans should play it up.

January 29, 2015       Permalink

LOVE THE GUY – AT 8:36 A.M. ET:  Scott Walker is heading for a presidential run.  This is what he said on "Hannity" this week, via RealClearPolitics: 

On Tuesday's broadcast of FOX News' Hannity Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) said he will make his decision to run for president "by midsummer."

"I think any realistic candidate has to be in by this summer," Walker said. My budget will come out next Tuesday, for the fifth and sixth year in a row I'll lower property taxes. I want a few months to get that job done. But I'll be in New Hampshire and South Carolina and back in Iowa, and we're going to be talking about these issues for the next several months. We're excited where we can take this country."

"And if you were going to give me odds of you running, what are the odds?" Hannity asked.

"I don't think it's ever been good to bet against me," Walker said. Certainly in the last three elections for governor in the past four years, I wouldn't be betting against me in a race like this either."

COMMENT:  I love his spirit.   The man fights.  He's not in it to "participate."  He's been a great governor, the man who saved Wisconsin.  I'd put him right at the top of presidential candidates.

January 29,  2015     Permalink

JANUARY 28,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:54 P.M. ET:

EDUCATION NEWS – We wanted to rush to bring you the latest advance in civilization.  From The Wall Street Journal:  "'Mr.,' 'Mrs.' and 'Ms.' are being shown the door at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. In a new policy that has sparked debate among academics, school staffers have been advised to refrain from using gendered salutations in correspondence with students—and instead use a student’s full name, according to an internal memo sent out earlier this month.  The directive pertains specifically to administrators’ written interactions with students and prospective students, said Tanya Domi, a school spokeswoman. But the memo says the policy should be 'interpreted as broadly as possible' and was sent to all faculty at the Graduate Center."   I'll sleep more soundly knowing people are worried about things like this.

ANOTHER GENIUS HEARD FROM – From CNS:  "During a hearing on the nomination of Loretta Lynch to serve as Attorney General to the United States, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), ranking member, Senate Judiciary Committee seemed to suggest that the Justice Department spends too much money on incarcerating criminals and that such incarcerations don’t keep Americans safer.  'Nearly one-third of its budget goes to the Bureau of Prisons, draining vital resources from nearly all other public safety priorities,' said Senator Leahy. 'A significant factor leading to this budget imbalance is the unnecessary creation of more and more mandatory minimum sentences.'"  The senator might note that incarcerating more criminals, especially violent criminals, has led to a decline in the crime rate.

END OF AN ERA? – From Financial Times:  "One of the world’s most exclusive customers could be the last buyer of the aircraft that democratised long-haul air travel after the US defence department selected Boeing’s 747-8 to be the US president’s new Air Force One.  The fleet of presidential aircraft, due to enter service later this decade, could be among the very last passenger versions of the long-haul aircraft to be built because airlines increasingly favour two-engine long-haul aircraft over four-engine craft."  Could someone tell me why the president needs a new plane?  All this president needs is a plane that can land in Honolulu.

GRAND HOTEL – From Japan Times:  "NAGASAKI – A hotel with robot staff and face recognition instead of room keys will open this summer in Huis Ten Bosch in Nagasaki Prefecture, the operator of the theme park said Tuesday.  The two-story Henn na Hotel is scheduled to open July 17. It will be promoted with the slogan 'A Commitment for Evolution,' Huis Ten Bosch Co. said.  The name reflects how the hotel will 'change with cutting-edge technology,' a company official said. This is a play on words: 'Henn' is also part of the Japanese word for change.  Robots will provide porter service, room cleaning, front desk and other services to reduce costs and to ensure comfort.  There will be facial recognition technology so guests can enter their rooms without a key."  It's creepy.  Would you really want to go to a place like that?

January 28, 2015       Permalink

NEW MIDEAST ACTION – AT 10:31 A.M. ET:  Reports on this are just coming in.  From The New York Times: 

JERUSALEM — Two Israeli soldiers were killed and seven were wounded in a missile attack on a military convoy in a disputed area along the Lebanese border on Wednesday, according to the Israeli military, in what appeared to be the most serious flare-up in the area in years.

The military did not provide additional details. There may also have been some civilian casualties, according to the military, but the situation was not immediately clear.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement that its Quneitra Martyrs Brigade carried it out at 11:35 a.m.

The attack was the latest in a string of recent events along Israel’s northern frontiers that have sharply escalated tensions between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, and that have raised the risk of broader confrontation.

About an hour after the initial attack on the military convoy, several mortar shells were fired at Israeli military positions in the border area and on Mount Hermon in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, without causing injury.

The Israeli military said it responded with combined aerial and ground strikes at what it called “Hezbollah operational positions” in Lebanon, and said that it might take further action.

COMMENT:  We're watching this closely because it could escalate rapidly.  There is a body of thought that holds that Hezbollah wants to draw Israel into ground combat to show its strength. 

It's a tinderbox.  There are also reports that a Spanish UN soldier, part of a force sent to the area to keep the peace, was also killed.

Stand by.

January 28, 2015       Permalink

SEEING THE REAL WORLD – AT 9:45 A.M. ET:  The Washington Post editorial page gives fits to true-believing liberals because the editors think for themselves, a practice not encouraged by the modern left.  Once again the Post gets it right in challenging Obama's adolescent approach to the battle against ISIS: 

U.S. OFFICIALS are celebrating a modest victory in the war against the Islamic State in Syria — the apparently successful defense of the Kurdish town of Kobane, on the border with Turkey. Under siege since early October, Kobane has little strategic value but came to be seen as a test of whether the United States and its allies could stop the expansion of the Islamic State and the humanitarian crimes that accompany it.

With the help of Kurdish ground forces, the extremists were turned back. But perhaps the most significant fact about Kobane is that it consumed 75 percent of the nearly 1,000 airstrikes carried out by allied planes throughout Syria since September, according to The Post.

That astonishing share reveals the absence of a U.S. military strategy for Syria outside of preventing the fall of a single border hamlet that attracted the attention of international media. In the rest of the Syrian territory it controls, including its capital of Raqqa, the Islamic State faces little pressure from Western airstrikes and is growing stronger rather than weaker.

Mr. Obama still speaks of fostering a Syrian rebel force that could fight the Islamic State. But the initiative is pathetically underresourced and moving at a snail’s pace. Similarly, a CIA program to help rebel groups has been so limited that many fighters have defected to more militant Sunni groups, including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

Behind this feckless effort is a cluster of mistaken notions. Mr. Obama has convinced himself that it’s not possible or desirable to create a Syrian force that could defeat the regime of Bashar al-Assad; that the only alternative to his policy is an Iraq-style invasion by U.S. troops; and that the Islamic State can somehow be defeated in Iraq without tackling its Syrian birthplace and stronghold.

And...

Mr. Obama’s passivity and false hopes are contributing to the steady worsening of the humanitarian and strategic situation in Syria, and the postponement of steps required for an acceptable outcome. These include military action to weaken the Assad regime and a concerted effort to create a new Syrian army and government. Kobane’s relief, while welcome, won’t alleviate the mounting catastrophe.

COMMENT:  Well said.  I wonder if the Post's editorial-page editors still get invited to cocktail parties in Georgetown.

I suspect that Obama's "strategy" is to make a bad nuclear deal with Iran in exchange for Iran helping us against ISIS.  That will fail as Iran will never help us.  The backup strategy will be to kick the can down the road and let the next president handle it.

January 28, 2015       Permalink

CONVENIENT TIMING – AT 9:29 A.M. ET:  Hearings are about to begin on the nomination of Loretta Lynch to succeed Eric Holder as attorney general.  There are serious questions about Lynch's experience and judgment, so a new decision raises eyebrows.  It seems directed at smoothing Lynch's path.  From Fox:   

Sometimes, not violating the law can get you in trouble with the law.

Just ask the Hirsch family, from Long Island, New York.

Or, better yet, ask Loretta E. Lynch, the U.S. attorney who could be the nation's next attorney general.

After nearly three years of legal battles, the federal government last week dropped its case against the Hirschs, who own a distribution company that serves convenience stores on Long Island. The government agreed to return more than $446,000 in assets and cash seized by the Internal Revenue Service in 2012 under federal civil asset forfeiture laws, even though the Hirsch family was never charged with a crime.

"This is a significant victory not only for the Hirsch brothers, but for property owners around the country," said Larry Salzman, an attorney for the Institute for Justice, which joined the Hirsch's case in 2014. "No American should lose their bank account or other property to law enforcement without even being charged with a crime."

Why was the IRS interested in the Hirsch Family in the first place?

Under federal law, all bank deposits of more than $10,000 must be reported to the IRS. The Hirschs never deposited more than the legal limit, but the officers who investigated the family wrote in an affidavit that daily deposits ranging from $500 to $9,000 were suspicious enough to seize their bank account.

After cleaning out the family business, the IRS never filed criminal charges against Jeff Hirsch, or his two brothers who co-own the business.

And...

The case was handled, and last week officially dropped, by Lynch, President Obama's pick to be the nation's next attorney general, pending approval by the U.S. Senate.

COMMENT:  I hope this nomination will be looked at with serious eyes.  I doubt that it will.  It will go through.

January 28, 2015       Permalink

CAVE-IN – AT 9:08 A.M. ET:  This is awful, from Fox: 

Jordan has agreed to demands from ISIS that it release a female jihadist held since 2006, in a move that could free a Jordanian pilot captured in Syria last month and possibly a Japanese journalist who pleaded for his life in a video released by the terror group on Tuesday.

Jordanian government spokesman Mohammed al-Momani said in a statement the nation was prepared to free Sajida al-Rishawi, who was convicted of taking part in a deadly hotel bombing, if the Jordanian pilot, Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, is released unharmed. His comments were carried by Jordan's official Petra news agency. Although he made no mention of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, a hostage audio message released by Islamic State a day earlier tied Goto's fate to that of Al-Rishawi, as well.

Al-Rishawi was sentenced to death in Jordan for her involvement in a 2005 terrorist attack by Al Qaeda on hotels in Amman that killed 60 people. Jordan is reportedly in indirect talks with the militants through religious and tribal leaders in Iraq to secure the hostages' release. The chairman of the foreign affairs committee of Jordan's parliament, Bassam Al-Manasseer, has been quoted as saying that Jordan and Japan would not negotiate directly with the Islamic State group and would not free al-Rishawi for the Japanese hostage only.

COMMENT:  This is disgraceful.  It is a death sentence for people in the future.  Imagine what this must feel like for the families of the 60 innocents killed in those Amman hotels.

Jordan is an ally of the United States.  I wonder if that nation consulted us before agreeing to this reckless deal.  But why should they?  We're releasing prisoners from Guantanamo, aren't we?  If we can be weak, why shouldn't they?

ISIS will now seek to capture others.  Crime pays.

January 28,  2015     Permalink