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I appeared on Silvio Canto Jr's talk show from Dallas yesterday.  It's here.

JULY 14,  2014

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 10:35 P.M. ET: 

CONVENIENT – From CNN:  "Faraj al-Shibli, who was suspected of involvement in the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, has been found dead, a Libyan source and locals in the town of Marj said.  Al-Shibli, whose name is also spelled Chalabi, was last seen being detained by local militia in Marj two days ago, a Libyan source said."  Dead men tell no tales and reveal no secrets.

GIVE ME YOUR TIRED, YOUR LIGHT JUMPERS – From the Washington Times:  "Four out of five illegal immigrants seeking driver’s licenses under a new D.C. law have failed a written knowledge test — a rocky start to a program that in its first two months has issued 268 licenses, according to city officials.
The failure rate of 80 percent compares with a 58 percent failure rate for people seeking traditional driver’s licenses, the Department of Motor Vehicles told a D.C. Council committee."  Outrageous that we should test them at all.  Who are we to question other cultures' ideas about driving?

NEWS FROM THE HALLS OF PATRIOTISM – From The Blaze:  "It turns out that a movie called 'Captain America: The First Avenger' wouldn’t go over big in international markets, and thus Paramount Pictures and Marvel Comics have decided to alter the movie’s title to just 'The First Avenger' in countries such as Russia, Ukraine and South Korea to try and sell more tickets, the LA Times reports."  Obama is still disappointed.  He wanted it to be called "The First Surrender."

MORE WONDERS OF OUR NATION'S CAPITAL:  From the Washington Examiner:  "Washingtonians are the most politically active in the nation, eager to vote and trusting of the media, but are downright deadbeats when it comes to engaging with neighbors right next door, according to a new city 'health index.'  The 'District of Columbia Civic Health Index' released by Serve DC, the mayor's Office on Volunteerism, and the National Conference on Citizenship, found that Washington ranked first in voter turnout in the 2012 election of all 50 states and tops in trusting the media, but dead last in trusting 'all or most neighbors' or eating dinner with family members.  'As compared to the rest of the country, D.C is the most politically active, but also the most socially disconnected place in the country,' said Ilir Zherka, Executive Director of the National Conference on Citizenship."   When you start trusting The New York Times more than your neighbors, you've got a big problem.

July 14, 2014       Permalink

EVEN ERIC HAS NOTICED – AT 10:21 A.M. ET:  Whatever happened to the end of the war on terror?  I thought that, among the trendies, that was so...yesterday. 

No, it's today, and tomorrow.  Even Attorney-General Eric Holder has noticed.  From The Hill: 

Intelligence suggesting that bomb-makers from Yemen and terrorists from Syria are working together to create undetectable explosive devices is an "extreme" administration security concern, Attorney General Eric Holder said Sunday.

“In some ways, it's more frightening than anything I think I've seen as attorney general,” Holder told ABC’s “This Week.”

Holder said the collaborative effort was a “deadly combination” of those with technical skills and "people who have this kind of fervor to give their lives in support of a cause that is directed at the United States and directed at its allies."

"It's something that gives us really extreme, extreme concern," Holder said.

Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security announced it was beefing up security measures at international airports out of concern over the terror threat. Individuals will now be required to turn on electronic devices like cell phones and laptops at security checkpoints.

Holder said those measures were "prudent steps that are necessary to protect the flying public.”

"This is not a test," Holder said. "We're doing something in reaction to things that we have detected."

At the same time, the attorney general said he was "really confident in our capacity to understand what's going on, to monitor what's going on and working with our allies."

COMMENT:  I am considerably less confident, and less confident in the devotion of Holder's boss to the struggle.  We will always be confronted by new technology and new efforts.  Sooner or later, our enemies will get very lucky, and we will be reminded that the war on terror is really a war on a horrible ideology, and that it will go on for decades.  The question is whether we will have the stomach to fight this battle, as we successfully fought the Cold War.

July 14, 2014       Permalink

BLOW TO HILLARY? – AT 9:18 A.M. ET:  Illinois has become, under normal circumstances, a reliable Democratic state.  But that could change.  And, even if it stays in the Dem column, Illinois could be influential in selecting a nominee for president. 

That's where Rahm Emanuel comes in.  As mayor of Chicago he has outsized influence.  He was a key figure in the Clinton White House, and also served as President Obama's chief of staff.  It's widely felt he would be a Hillary ally. 

But what if Emanuel disappears?  A new poll shows that's distinctly possible.  From the Chicago Sun-Times: 

For the past couple of weeks, Karen Lewis has been saying she is “seriously” considering running for mayor.

It turns out voters are taking the fiery Chicago Teachers Union president’s potential candidacy seriously as well.

And Mayor Rahm Emanuel probably should, too.

At least that’s what a surprising new Early & Often Poll suggests.

If the mayoral election were held today, the lightning rod union leader who was the architect behind a 2012 teachers’ strike would beat Emanuel by 9 percentage points in a head-to-head contest, the survey found.

Lewis was leading Emanuel 45 percent to 36 percent with 18 percent of the likely voters undecided.

And Emanuel could face an even steeper hill if he faces Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, long considered his most formidable challenger.

A head-to-head contest found Preckwinkle in a romp vs. Emanuel by a stunning 24 points.

Preckwinkle dominated with 55 percent of those surveyed. Emanuel notched just under 31 percent.

COMMENT:  Both Lewis and Preckwinkle are African-American, in a city that takes racial politics seriously.  It is home to Barack Obama, Louis Farrakhan and Jesse Jackson.  It is also a city in terrible trouble, with gunfire heard regularly. 

Emanuel will be blamed for problems that can only be solved within the home.  I would not be shocked if he were retired at the next election, meaning that his national political skills would not be available in the mayor's office.  Will it affect national Democratic politics?  I don't know, but the original Mayor Daley proved an effective advocate for John F. Kennedy.

July 14, 2014       Permalink

WHAT HAVE WE BECOME? – AT 9:03 A.M. ET:  This may be Barack Obama's America, but it isn't mine...or yours.  From Fox: 

The Pentagon is laying off thousands of military officers, including those serving or who have recently served in Afghanistan.

Defense Department officials said the reductions are the result of mandatory spending cuts imposed by sequestration and are part of their larger plan to reduce the number of U.S. soldiers from 520,000 to 450,000.

Roughly 2,600 captains and other officers have or will be laid off, with more expected, Fox News learned Friday.

The decision to send pink slips to soldiers overseas on active duty is dangerous and bad for morale, says retired Major Gen. Robert Scales.

“It puts the soldier, the soldier’s family and the men under his command at risk,” said Scales, a Fox News contributor. “Young officers look at each other and wonder who is next.”

He said the Pentagon made a similar move after the Vietnam War.

The Army said the draw-down plan “is a balanced approach that maintains readiness while trying to minimize turbulence within the officer corps.”

COMMENT:  What a disgrace.  What a way to thank our best.  We train these men and women, send them into harm's way, then discard them.  General Scales is right.  It is terrible for morale, and what must West Point and ROTC cadets be thinking.  It is very easy to develop a hollow force.  We're doing it, and the left must be celebrating.

July 14, 2014       Permalink

RUSSIA GETTING FRISKY AGAIN – AT 8:52 A.M. ET:  It's been out of the headlines, but Russia's annoyance with Ukraine is still very much a story.  Now the friction might escalate.  From AFP, the major French news agency:

Moscow (AFP) - Moscow is considering targeted strikes against Ukraine after a shell reportedly crossed the border and killed a Russian civilian, the Kommersant daily reported Monday, citing a source close to the Kremlin.

The respected daily quoted a source as saying that Moscow was considering the possibility of "targeted retaliatory strikes" against Ukraine, where escalating clashes between pro-Moscow rebels and government troops threatened to spiral into an all-out civil war over the weekend.

"Our patience is not limitless," the source was quoted as saying, adding that Russia "knows exactly where they (Ukrainians) are firing from."

The source said that Russia was not considering any large-scale action, but only targeted one-off strikes on positions from which fire is directed at Russian territory.

COMMENT:  This could easily blow up.  This is how big wars start from little ones.  Putin is relentless, and I suspect he doesn't like being out of the headlines, any more than Obama does.

July 14,  2014     Permalink

JULY 13,  2014

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

CREEPINESS ALL AROUND – One of those stories where everybody is wrong.  From the Washington Times:  "The U.S. Department of Justice has sent a member of its Community Relations Service team to investigate a Nebraska parade float that criticized President Obama.  A Fourth of July parade float featured at the annual Independence Day parade in Norfolk sparked criticism when it depicted a zombie-like figure resembling Mr. Obama standing outside an outhouse, which was labeled the 'Obama Presidential Library.' The Nebraska Democratic Party called the float one of the 'worst shows of racism and disrespect for the office of the presidency that Nebraska has ever seen.'  The Omaha World-Herald reported Friday that the Department of Justice sent a CRS member who handles discrimination disputes to a Thursday meeting about the issue."  Obviously, some very bad taste.  But the Department of Justice?  Bad taste is not a crime, and local people know how to reprimand the perpetrators without the government getting involved.

MORE CREEPINESS – The New York Times is reporting that Germans see their victory in the World Cup of soccer today as symbolic of their influence and power on the world stage.  And only 35% of Germans in a recent poll say that the United States is trustworthy.  Let's calm down over there, or we may have to start showing "Patton" in German classrooms. 

GO AWAY, PLEASE – New York is making a major bid for the 2016 Democratic convention.  From the New York Post:  "He led the fight to build Barclays Center — and now Brooklyn’s biggest booster has been tapped to convince the Democratic National Committee to bring the 2016 presidential convention to the new home of the NBA’s Nets.  At Mayor de Blasio’s request, former Borough President Marty Markowitz is expected to meet with DNC honchos in Brooklyn Saturday to lead a PowerPoint presentation aimed at trying to convince them that the 18,000-seat arena is the perfect venue to host the convention, a de Blasio operative told The Post.  'The mayor’s bringing in the big guns,' said the source."  I think it's hilarious.  Here's a socialist mayor, the most left-wing in the city's history, trying to bring the Democratic convention to an arena named for a major international bank.  Somehow, it doesn't fit.  Oh wait.  Hillary might be nominated.  She gets $200,000 a speech.  Yeah, maybe it fits.  But all I see is traffic jams.

July 13, 2014       Permalink

CHANGING TIMES – AT 11:59 A.M. ET:  President Obama is coming under increasing criticism from fellow Democrats, especially over his handling of the border crisis.  There are also reports of substantial dissension within the Democratic Party over the flood of new illegal immigrants.  African Americans are especially dismayed, as they will surely lose jobs to these new immigrants, who will work at lower wages.  From The Hill:

Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) on Sunday said he believes President Obama should have visited the U.S.-Mexico border when he was in Texas last week.

“I wish he would have come to the border,” O’Rourke, whose district includes the border town of El Paso, said on CNN’s "State of the Union."

The freshman lawmaker said he wanted the president to visit McAllen, Texas, which has become operational hub in the crisis to deal with thousand of children who have crossed the border illegally.

O’Rourke called the site “ground zero” for dealing with the situation and a visit there would have allowed Obama to meet with border patrol and immigration officer trying to handle the crisis.

The president has come under harsh scrutiny from Republicans, and some Democrats, for visiting the state but not traveling to the holding facilities.

A visit "would have sent an important message to the rest of the country about seriously he views this situation,” according to O’Rourke.

COMMENT:  I'm awaiting the next presidential approval polls.  I'm guessing that they will show another decline for Obama, based on his abysmal performance down Mexico way.  Look for numbers below 40%, which is getting into desperate territory for any president.

The fact that Democrats now feel free to criticize Obama, who had been untouchable at one point, is politically significant.  It puts heat on Hillary Clinton, who served in the Obama administration.  Does she remain the loyal soldier, or start putting necessary distance between herself and the captain of a sinking ship.

July 13, 2014       Permalink

RICK – AT 11:36 A.M. ET:  Texas Governor Rick Perry is emerging.  The buzz about him, and his excellent performance last week in confronting President Obama over the immigration crisis, is increasing.  From ABC News: 

From the television airwaves to the U.S.-Mexico border, Texas Governor Rick Perry was everywhere this week, raising the question: Could Rick Perry make a comeback?

Perry, whose unforgettable “oops” moment derailed his presidential campaign in 2012, was front and center in the week’s most closely watched issue — how President Obama is handling the influx of unaccompanied minors streaming across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Donning his new hipster glasses, the Texas governor was everywhere, from flying aboard Marine One with the president to riding a patrol boat on the Rio Grande, managing to insert himself in a controversial debate that could lend him some credibility should he decide to make another run for the White House in 2016.

Here’s a recap of Perry’s week in the spotlight:

Appearing on ABC News’ “This Week,” Perry blasted President Obama’s response to the thousands of unaccompanied minors and adults crossing the border.

“I don’t believe he particularly cares whether or not the border of the United States is secure,” Perry said in an exclusive interview with ABC News’ Martha Raddatz. “And that’s the reason there’s been this lack of effort, this lack of focus, this lack of resources.”

Perry said thanks, but no thanks, to the president’s invitation to greet him at the Austin airport when he traveled to Texas later in the week. President Obama drew criticism from Republicans for not making the time to go to the border while on a two-day fundraising trip in the Lone Star State. Instead of meeting him at the airport, Perry proposed a one-on-one in-depth meeting between the two to discuss border security.

“A quick handshake on the tarmac will not allow for a thoughtful discussion regarding the humanitarian and national security crises enveloping the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas,” Perry wrote.

COMMENT:  Perry performed well and looked good – active, engaged, intelligent.  It's the Rick Perry Texans know. 

However, the Rick Perry who tried to run for president in 2012 came off as foolish and uninformed, not ready for prime time.  That image will have to be fixed if he expects to be a contender in 2016.  I think it can be.  Perry is this country's longest serving governor, with a fine record.  He'll be brutalized by the press, which regards "Texas" and "conservative" as curse words.  But Perry might be the right man in the right place at the right time.  The flood across the border is a huge issue, and Americans are furious.  Perry is the man on the front line.

Let's see if there's a second act here.

July 13, 2014       Permalink

TROUBLE IN VIENNA – AT 11:15 A.M. ET:  Only seven days remain to the current deadline for achieving a nuclear deal with Iran.  Things are not going well.  From The New York Times: 

VIENNA — A senior Obama administration official said Saturday that Iran continues to take “inadequate and unworkable” positions on the future of its nuclear program, and warned that the country would have to live with sharp limits on its ability to produce nuclear fuel for at least a decade, and perhaps longer.

The comments, made to reporters here just hours before Secretary of State John Kerry was scheduled to arrive with European foreign ministers, strongly suggested that a comprehensive deal would not be closed by a July 20 deadline.

Although the goal of the weekend negotiations is to try to push Iran to make political decisions that American officials say it has resisted, the Obama administration is refusing to discuss extending the talks — which is possible under a preliminary agreement reached late last year — for fear that would reduce the pressure to make progress over the next week.

The official, who is centrally involved in the negotiations, spoke to a large group of reporters on the standard diplomatic condition of anonymity. The official said that some progress had been made on several areas of the negotiations. While there were no specifics, European officials have said that major gaps have been closed on the future of a plutonium reactor under construction near the Iranian city of Arak, and on the fate of a deep underground nuclear-enrichment center that was discovered by Western intelligence agencies and that President Obama said four years ago needed to be closed.

But the central sticking point remains differing views on the future of Iran’s program.

In a speech in Iran five days ago, the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, talked of a long-term plan for a tenfold increase in Iran’s nuclear enrichment capability, saying the country’s scientists have determined that would be the only way to satisfy Iran’s need for nuclear power. The comments worried American and European officials, because they suggested the religious leader was not preparing the Iranian people for cutbacks in the country’s existing number of centrifuges, the machines that enrich uranium. It currently has about 10,000 enriching uranium, and another 9,000 set up but not in full operation.

COMMENT:  It's a fantasy to believe that Iran would give up its nuclear weapons program, which it even denies it has.  Iran is facing a weak America, and cynical European countries, like Germany, whose main interest is in business contracts with Tehran. 

I suspect the current negotiations will be extended past the deadline, possibly way past the deadline.  And every month that goes by means more progress by Iranian scientists and engineers.  They don't need to manufacture a weapon.  They need only to reach the point where they can "break out" quickly to make the bomb.  Remember – we tested our first nuclear device in the New Mexico desert on July 16, 1945, and used an operational bomb on Hiroshima on August 6th, only three weeks later. 

Obama has essentially taken the military option off the table in dealing with Iran's nuclear program.  That was a major strategic mistake.  It has given Iran breathing room, and Iran has taken it.

July 13,  2014     Permalink