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JUNE 2,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 10:55 P.M. ET: 

ALL HAIL THE QUEEN – From the Washington Times:  "Hillary Clinton is being called 'tone deaf' after her campaign scheduled a major campaign rally at a New York park for next weekend, forcing a planned children’s event to cancel.  The children’s event at Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island, called 'Imagination Playground,' was nixed to accommodate the Democratic presidential candidate and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, The New York Post reported.  Also in jeopardy is an annual celebration called 'Roosevelt Island Day,' which features a blood drive and free rides for kids, which will be held at a senior center on June 13, the same day as Mrs. Clinton’s rally, The Post reported."  Not surprising.  Hillary has always acted like royalty, and, like Obama, has contempt for the American people.  And, of course, the Democratic Party will go right along with it.

McCAIN ON OBAMA – From Fox Business:  "Ariz. Senator John McCain characterizes President Obama’s recent comments taking credit for restoring the U.S. as the most respected country in the world as 'delusional.'  'For the president of the United States to say that is absolutely delusional,' McCain told FBN’s Trish Regan Tuesday in an interview on her show The Intelligence Report.  'It almost makes me sad to see a president of the United States say that when the world is in incredible turmoil,' McCain said."  Obama is either delusional or an unmitigated liar.  The fact is that his administration is being laughed at or ignored all over the world.  His ego is so enormous that the truth never registers.

OBAMA'S NEW FRIENDS, THE IRANIANS – From Fox:  "Iran’s revolutionary court imposed harsh prison sentences last week on 18 Christian converts for charges including evangelism, propaganda against the regime, and creating house churches to practice their faith, according to sources with knowledge of the Islamic Republic's secretive judicial system.  The sentences totaled just shy of 24 years, according to a Persian-language report on the website of the U.S.-funded Radio Farda.The lack of transparency in Iran’s tightly censored and controlled judicial system did not allow for a breakdown of individual sentences. The defendants were also barred from organizing church home meetings and given a two-year ban from leaving Iran."  And we will trust these people with a nuclear agreement.

June 2,  2015     Permalink

THE FINAL CURTAIN – AT 11:58 A.M. ET:  The group that has been trying to get Elizabeth Warren into the presidential race is closing shop.  This step would not have been taken without clearing it first with Warren.  She's apparently serious and absolute in saying that she will not run.  From Fox:

An effort to draft Elizabeth Warren into the 2016 presidential race plans to close up shop next week, acknowledging that the Massachusetts senator will not -- as she has repeatedly said -- seek the Democratic nomination.

MoveOn.org and Democracy for America said Tuesday they plan to suspend their Run Warren Run campaign on June 8. In their last act, they'll deliver a petition to Warren with more than 365,000 signatures urging her to run for president.

The groups said they had already influenced the economic debate in 2016 and want to focus their efforts on working with Warren on issues such as trade, including defeating the effort to give President Obama so-called "fast track" authority to complete the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

"Even without her in the race, Elizabeth Warren and the Run Warren Run campaign she inspired have already transformed the 2016 presidential election by focusing every single Democratic candidate on combating our country's income inequality crisis," said Charles Chamberlain, executive director of Democracy for America.

Some of Warren's followers may back Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who is seeking the Democratic nomination and has offered an economic agenda in line with Warren's views.

COMMENT:  Warren knows that, if there's a crisis in the party, she could always be "drafted" later, although you kind of wonder who would want to draft as a bad a campaigner as Warren.  Right now, the choice she's made is sound.  She doesn't need enemies in the Hillary wing of the party, for she would need their support if she wants to run in the future.  She's 65, and perhaps she's looking at 2020, if Hillary is defeated. 

That leaves presidential giants Bernie (Lenin was cool) Sanders and Marty (Baltimore is a great place to visit) O'Malley in the race against Hillary.  It's possible former Virginia Senator Jim Webb will enter, and so might the very flakey Lincoln Chafee, former governor of the nephew of presidents, Rhode Island.  I don't see any of them defeating Hillary unless there's a massive new revelation or unless Hillary suffers a major health crisis. 

The Democratic Party is a mess, with a very thin presidential bench.  But Hillary could still win the election, a depressing thought. 

June 2, 2015       Permalink

ANOTHER MINOR INCONVENIENCE – AT 10:26 A.M. ET:   These annoying Iranians.  They keep doing stuff to mess up Obama's legacy.  From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON — With only one month left before a deadline to complete a nuclear deal with Iran, international inspectors have reported that Tehran’s stockpile of nuclear fuel increased about 20 percent over the last 18 months of negotiations, partially undercutting the Obama administration’s contention that the Iranian program had been “frozen” during that period.

But Western officials and experts cannot quite figure out why. One possibility is that Iran has run into technical problems that have kept it from converting some of its enriched uranium into fuel rods for reactors, which would make the material essentially unusable for weapons. Another is that it is increasing its stockpile to give it an edge if the negotiations fail.

The extent to which Iran’s stockpile has increased was documented in a report issued Friday by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations organization that monitors compliance with nuclear treaties. The agency’s inspectors, who have had almost daily access to most of Iran’s nuclear production facilities, reported finding no evidence that Iran was racing toward a nuclear weapon, and said Tehran had halted work on facilities that could have given it bomb-making capabilities.

The overall increase in Iran’s stockpile poses a major diplomatic and political challenge for President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, who flew back to the United States from Geneva on Monday for treatment of a broken leg he suffered in a bicycling accident, as they enter a 30-day push to try to complete an agreement by the end of June. In essence, the administration will have to convince Congress and America’s allies that Iran will shrink its stockpile by 96 percent in a matter of months after a deal is signed, even while it continues to produce new material and has demonstrated little success in reducing its current stockpile.

COMMENT:  I'm shocked, shocked, that Iran is not complying with its agreement.  Can this possibly be true?  A country that makes such beautiful carpets?   That has such hip ayatollahs? 

I suspect it's even worse than is being reported.  Obama is going for a legacy.  Maybe he should go for securing his country. 

June 2, 2015       Permalink

AT LEAST THEY TOOK ACTION – AT 9:41 A.M. ET:  After a devastating report about poor performance by the Transportation Security Administration, an executive has actually been fired.  History is made.  From Fox: 

The acting head of the Transportation Security Administration was reassigned late Monday after a watchdog report revealed undercover agents were able to sneak fake explosives and banned weapons through checkpoints as part of an investigation that revealed a massive, system-wide security failure at America's airports.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson announced that TSA Acting Administrator Melvin Carraway had been sent to work in the department's Office of State and Local Law Enforcement. Acting Deputy Director Mark Hatfield will take over the TSA until a new acting administrator is appointed. Earlier this year, President Obama nominated Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Neffenger to be the TSA's permanent administrator.

Homeland Security officials confirmed to Fox News earlier Monday that TSA screeners failed 67 out of 70 tests -- or 96 percent -- carried out by special Department of Homeland Security investigators known as "red teams," as part of a DHS inspector general review.

In one case, an undercover agent with a fake bomb strapped to his back set off a magnetometer -- but the screener still failed to find it.

Before announcing the reassigning of Carraway, an 11-year TSA veteran, Johnson issued a statement outlining a series of actions he had ordered in response to the findings, including more training for all transportation security officers, re-evaluation of airport screening equipment and continued covert testing.

COMMENT:  We are not safe.  These tests are run regularly, and TSA always fails.  Our opponents are working constantly to outsmart us, and they will do so periodically.  We must look ten years or more down the line, when some of these opponents may well have weapons of mass destruction.

TSA needs better personnel policies, better training and vastly greater commitment.  I suspect it will take a disaster for these things to come to pass.

June 2, 2015       Permalink

POOR HILLARY, SO UNFAIR, SO UNFAIR – AT 9:16 A.M. ET:  New polling will not bring smiles to the queen.  We must comfort her.  From CNN:

Washington (CNN) More people have an unfavorable view of Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton now than at any time since 2001, according to a new CNN/ORC poll on the 2016 race.

While Clinton remains strikingly dominant in the Democratic field, the poll shows that her numbers have dropped significantly across several key indicators since she launched her campaign in April.

A growing number of people say she is not honest and trustworthy (57%, up from 49% in March), less than half feel she cares about people like them (47%, down from 53% last July) and more now feel she does not inspire confidence (50%, up from 42% last March).

And...

Much of Clinton's fade is attributable to shifts among independents, but she's also losing some ground among her own partisans. Her support in the Democratic nomination contest has dropped 9 points since April, and though more than 8-in-10 Democrats said they thought she was honest and trustworthy earlier this year; now, just 73% say so.

And...

In general election match-ups, Clinton now runs about even with Rand Paul, Scott Walker and Marco Rubio, while she continues to top Bush and Ted Cruz by a significant margin.

As noted above, those shifts stem largely from a change among independents, though Republicans appear to be solidifying their support for GOP candidates while Democrats are slightly less certain about Clinton.

One feature of the race that has held even as the numbers shifted: These match-ups prompt enormous gender gaps. According to the poll, the gender gaps remain over 20 points in each of the five match-ups tested, including a whopping 34-point gender gap in Clinton's match-up with Scott Walker.

Her declining support in those general election match-ups, alongside falling favorability ratings and worsening impressions of her, suggests recent news about her actions as secretary of state may have taken a toll.

COMMENT:  Clinton is clearly suffering, but Republicans are far from out of the woods.  The gender gap remains serious, calling for increased attention to women by the Republican Party.  Did I hear the name "Carly Fiorina"?  I think I did.

June 2,  2015     Permalink

JUNE 1,  2015

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

ANCIENT HIT PARADE – From Fox:  "Archaeologists believe they have unearthed the oldest known music scene in Israeli history. The image is of a rite in a 'sacred marriage' ceremony for a Mesopotamian king and a goddess. Depicted on a 5,000-year-old cylinder seal impression, the image dates back to the Early Bronze age and illustrates a wedding banquet with music and dancing, the meeting between the king and the goddess, as well as their sexual union, according to a press release from the Israel Antiquities Authority."  No word on whether this was actually a same-sex marriage and whether a photographer was arrested for refusing to photograph it.

WELCOME TO THE RECOVERY – From AP:  "ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York state's food banks are asking state leaders for $16 million to address a worsening hunger problem.  Michael Berg, director of an organization that runs three food pantries in Ulster County, said Monday that requests for food have risen by about 20 percent each year for the last few years. Meanwhile, a coalition of 53 food pantries in the Albany area reports the highest demand in its 36-year history.  Susan Zimet, director of the Hunger Action Network, said the $16 million request is small considering the state has billions of dollars in uncommitted money to spend.  Zimet said most people in need of help are employed, but struggling to make ends meet."  This, in one of the most expensive, high-tax states in the country.  But New York "progressives" continue to block fracking, which would create an economic boom in some parts of the state.

YOU DON'T SAY – From The Hill:  "Sen. Rand Paul is inching away from comments where he accused his colleagues of secretly wanting a terrorist attack on the United States in order to undercut his efforts to dismantle a government surveillance program.  'Sometimes, in the heat of battle, hyperbole can get the better of anyone, and that may be the problem there,' the Kentucky Republican said Monday on Fox News's 'America's Newsroom.'  'The point I was trying to make is, I think people do use fear to try to get us to give up our liberty.'  The presidential candidate made the controversial comments about terrorist attacks during an unusual Sunday night Senate session aimed at reauthorizing three expiring measures of the Patriot Act. Paul successfully blocked those efforts, forcing the expiration of the NSA’s metadata program at midnight.  'People here in town think I’m making a huge mistake,' Paul said Sunday."  I wonder why they'd think that.  Our enemies certainly don't think it.

TAPPER ADVANCES – Jake Tapper, one of the best of the CNN crew, gets a promotion.  From The Politico:  "Jake Tapper will take over as host of CNN's 'State Of The Union' on June 14, he announced Monday.  Tapper, who was named host of the Sunday public affairs program in April, announced the news during a taping of Conan O'Brien's late-night show on TBS. He also tweeted a photograph of himself and O'Brien holding a sign that read 'June 14.'  Tapper joined CNN in 2013 from ABC News, where he occasionally filled in for George Stephanopoulos on ABC's Sunday program, 'This Week.' He replaces Candy Crowley, who served as host of 'SOTU' until late last year. Tapper will also continue to host his 4 p.m. weekday program, 'The Lead.'"  Crowley was a well-trained journalist, but biased toward the left, something that compromised her work.  I have a feeling ABC would love to have Tapper back, with Stephanopoulos's status rather wobbly following disclosures that he made contributions to the Clinton Foundation while an ABC journalist."

June 1, 2015       Permalink

GRAHAM IN – AT 11:53 A.M. ET:  Another Republican joins the race.  Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has officially announced for president.  From Fox: 

And then there were nine.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham added to the Republican Party's logistical challenges as he formally launched his 2016 presidential campaign -- becoming the ninth GOP primary candidate, with more than a half-dozen others still weighing a bid of their own.

South Carolina's senior senator made the announcement Monday in the small town of Central, where he grew up. The hawkish lawmaker made clear he will strive to make national security a centerpiece of his campaign, and the presidential race as a whole.

"I'm running for president of the United States," Graham said. "I want to be president to defeat the enemies that are trying to kill us -- not just penalize them or criticize them or contain them, but defeat them."

Graham slammed President Obama's policies for fighting terror, and said "radical Islam is running wild." He said the biggest threat remains Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Graham said he has more experience on national security than any candidate in the race.

He quipped, "That includes you, Hillary."

COMMENT:  I realize that Graham is not the favorite guy of some conservatives, but no one has done more for national defense.  He and John McCain are the most effective spokesmen for a strong defense in the U.S. Senate.  I think Graham will be a positive force in the race, reminding Republicans that the modern Republican Party, the party of Reagan, was built largely on the need to secure the nation.  Sadly, some Republicans are drifting from that principle, but it must be kept at the core of Republican ideals.

June 1, 2015       Permalink

EARLY IOWA POLLING – AT 10:54 A.M. ET:  Scott Walker continues his strong showing in Iowa polling.  At this stage in the race polling is more amusement than information, but it's fun.  From Bloomberg: 

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has expanded his early lead in Iowa, while former Florida Governor Jeb Bush continues to face headwinds and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida shows upside potential in the state that hosts the first 2016 presidential nomination balloting.

A new Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register Iowa Poll shows more than a third of likely Republican caucus participants say they would never vote for Bush—one factor in a new index to assess candidate strength in such a crowded field. Forty-three percent view him favorably, compared to 45 percent who view him unfavorably.

Walker is backed by 17 percent as the state enters a busy summer of candidate visits, a planned straw poll, and campaigning at the Iowa State Fair. Tied for second are Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 10 percent, with Bush and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee next at 9 percent each.

They're followed at 6 percent by Rubio and 2012 Iowa caucuses winner Rick Santorum, a former senator from Pennsylvania. With eight months to go before the 2016 caucuses, there's plenty of time for movement.

“Scott Walker’s momentum puts him solidly in first place,” said J. Ann Selzer, president of West Des Moines-based Selzer & Co., which conducted the poll. “For the time being, he’s doing the right things to make the right first impression.”

In the previous Iowa Poll, taken in January, Walker stood atop the field at 15 percent...

...The latest poll shows Rubio is the most popular second choice at 12 percent, an indication of potential strength. Among first-choice preferences, the junior senator from Florida doubled his showing since the Iowa Poll in January.

And...

When first and second choices are combined, those with the strongest showings after Walker and Rubio are Huckabee at 17 percent, Bush at 16 percent, and Carson and Paul at 15 percent.

COMMENT:  Watch Rubio.  He gains wherever he campaigns.  I don't know if Carly Fiorina is campaigning seriously in Iowa.  She also gains wherever she campaigns, but so far is not showing up strongly in polls.

Remember that the Iowa GOP base may not be reflective of the Republican Party generally, and certainly not of the overall electorate. 

We are one year and five months away from the election.

June 1, 2015       Permalink

AND THE BEAT GOES ON – AT 10:16 A.M. ET:   The collapse of Baltimore is ongoing.  This is a horrible tragedy, and the poor will suffer the greatest impact.  From Conservative Treehouse: 

With three men killed in eastside shootings on Sunday, Baltimore recorded its deadliest month in more than 40 years..

The 43 killings in May surpassed the 42 homicides the city saw in August 1990, and left Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake defending police and her administration.

Speaking at a morning ceremony to honor McKenzie Elliott, the 3-year-old killed by a stray bullet in August, Rawlings-Blake said it’s time to stop finger-pointing and assigning blame for the recent violence.

Of course, let's not assign blame.  I mean, why talk about responsibility?

The killing of African-Americans in Baltimore has to stop, she said, noting that 189 of the 208 killed last year were black men. For the city to improve, all homicides need to drop, she added.

“We have to do better,” the mayor said. “We have to want more.”

Thanks for the wisdom, Steph. 

City Councilman Brandon Scott, vice chair of the public safety committee, echoed that theme, saying it’s time for all Baltimoreans to have honest conversations about ways to stop the violence.

COMMENT:  Come on, there is no chance for an honest conversation because no one who wants to survive politically will point the finger at criminals or a corrupt leadership.  They'll probably start blaming the gun manufacturers, which is done routinely in the shooting gallery known as Chicago.

If the violence goes on, it will probably destroy Baltimore as a business and tourist center.  Then we'll have a new Detroit.  And we'll be told that only more federal funds will help.  And federal funds will be sent, and they won't help.

June 1, 2015       Permalink

SLEEP WELL TONIGHT – AT 9:46 A.M. ET:  And know that you're being well protected every time you travel.  From ABC News:

An internal investigation of the Transportation Security Administration revealed security failures at dozens of the nation’s busiest airports, where undercover investigators were able to smuggle mock explosives or banned weapons through checkpoints in 95 percent of trials, ABC News has learned.

The series of tests were conducted by Homeland Security Red Teams who pose as passengers, setting out to beat the system.

According to officials briefed on the results of a recent Homeland Security Inspector General’s report, TSA agents failed 67 out of 70 tests, with Red Team members repeatedly able to get potential weapons through checkpoints.

In one test an undercover agent was stopped after setting off an alarm at a magnetometer, but TSA screeners failed to detect a fake explosive device that was taped to his back during a follow-on pat down.

Officials would not divulge the exact time period of the testing other than to say it concluded recently.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson was apparently so frustrated by the findings he sought a detailed briefing on them last week at TSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, according to sources. U.S. officials insisted changes have already been made at airports to address vulnerabilities identified by the latest tests.

COMMENT:  How many years has it been since 9-11?  I believe this will be the 14th year, and we still can't get it right.

Do you think it may have something to do with the kind of people the TSA hires?  Maybe some questions about personnel practices are in order.

June 1,  2015     Permalink