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MARCH 6,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:58 P.M. ET: 

PAYBACK – Word spread through newsrooms today that Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, who, though a Democrat, is Barack Obama's most formidable opponent on foreign policy in The Senate, will soon be prosecuted by the Justice Department for corruption.  Menendez is currently co-sponsoring legislation that would give Congress a major say in an Iranian nuclear deal.  And he has vocally opposed Obama's policy of moving closer to Cuba.  Now, you don't think this prosecution is just a coincidence, do you?  Would our president do that?  It's true that Menendez has been under investigation for some time, but the announcement of an imminent prosecution is intended to send a message to Dems who get out of line, and refuse to worship at the shrine of Barack.  Putin murders his opponents.  Obama throws them under the bus.  Menendez is doing great work.  He intends to fight back and has proclaimed his innocence.

SCHOLARS AT WORK – From Fox:  "Students at the University of California, Irvine have voted to make their school a more 'culturally inclusive' place by banning the American flag.  The Associated Students of University of California (ASUCI) passed a resolution March 3 that would remove the Stars & Stripes along with every other flag from the lobby of a complex housing the offices of the student government.  'Designing a culturally inclusive space aims to remove barriers that create undue effort and separation by planning and designing spaces that enable everyone to participate equally and confidentially,' read the resolution authored by Matthew Guevara."  Must be Che's nephew.

GREAT MOMENTS IN CHILD REARING – From CNS:  "Looking for something for the kids that’s more than just a play thing? One Brooklyn, N.Y., company hopes you’ll help them create a Hillary Clinton action figure so that children everywhere will – finally – have a 'positive female role model' - a 'role model' they are hoping will become the first female president of the United States.  Apparently, this same company made some money back in 2008 when they sold Barack Obama action figures. Now, they’ve raised about $5,000 of the $15,000 they hope to get on a Kickstarter website so that they can pump out plenty of the six-inch replicas of Hillary – a slightly chubby Hillary dressed in a frumpy blue pants suit and sensible gray shoes."  I can't wait to give one as a gift.  This is New York.  It would be seen as a very thoughtful and sensitive gift.  We used to build battleships here.  Now we build Hillary Clinton action figures.  This is how civilizations die.

THE ROAD TO NOTHING – From Fox:  "Parents at a New York City elementary school are outraged by a decision to eliminate homework assignments and instead urge kids to play, DNAinfo.com reported.  Teachers at P.S. 116 on East 33rd Street in Manhattan have stopped giving take-home math worksheets and essays, and are encouraging students to instead read books and spend more time with their families, according to the website.  The announcement was reportedly made by school principal, Jane Hsu, in a letter sent home to parents last month.  'The topic of homework has received a lot of attention lately, and the negative effects of homework have been well established,' Hsu reportedly wrote in her letter. 'They include: children’s frustration and exhaustion, lack of time for other activities and family time and, sadly for many, loss of interest in learning.'   Some parents have threatened to pull their students from the school over the new homework policy."  A good educator can find a balance between homework and play.  But a good educator probably won't be wanted in a "progressive" school system.

March 6, 2015       Permalink

AS AL GORE SAYS, SETTLED SCIENCE – AT 10:54 A.M. ET:  We report on past predictions about, er, global warming.  Or is it climate change?  Or will it be something else next year?  From Daily Caller: 

It’s hard to imagine that just 30 years ago, government scientists were predicting that global warming would make New York City resemble Daytona Beach, Florida — which does not get snow.

In 1985, the New York Times reported that ‘federal climate experts have suggested that within a century the greenhouse effect could turn New York City into something with the climate of Daytona Beach, Fla.”

“Beginning in a decade or two, scientists expect the warming of the atmosphere to melt the polar icecaps, raising the level of the seas, flooding coastal areas, eroding the shores and sending salt water far into fresh-water estuaries,” the Times reported. “Storm patterns will change, drying out some areas, swamping others and generally throwing agriculture into turmoil.”

Three decades later, and New York City does not remotely resemble Daytona Beach — even if some resident wished it did on winter days like this. On Thursday, New York City’s temperature stood at 28 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Weather Channel, while Daytona Beach was a balmy 75 degrees Fahrenheit. This winter, in fact, New York City experienced its coldest recorded temperature ever for Feb. 2nd just this year when thermometers in Central Park dipped below 7 degrees Fahrenheit – shattering a previous 65-year record for the coldest Feb. 2nd set in 1950.

And...

“In an October 1983 report, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that the sea level could rise as much as 11 feet by the end of the next century – or as little as 2 feet,” the New York Times reported. “It settled on 5 to 7 feet as the likely range. The higher figure would put substantial pieces of Florida and Louisiana under the waves and flood parts of some coastal cities.”

“Even the lower figure would cut away chunks of shoreline. Experts estimate that a one-foot rise in the ocean could erode 100 to 1,000 feet of sand beach all along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts,” the Times reported.

Sea level rise, of course, has not been as dramatic as EPA predicted in 1983. According to the U.S. National Climate Assessment, global sea level rise from 1992 to 2010 was only 3.2 millimeters per year — meaning sea level only increased 0.19 feet over this period.

Extrapolate that out and sea level rise by 2100 will only be 1.18 feet above 1992 levels — far less than the 5 to 7 feet predicted by EPA in 1983.

COMMENT:  But remember, it's settled science.  You must not question.  You must not ask.  If you do you're a "flat Earther" or a "science denier."  You must go along.  Al says so.

March 6, 2015       Permalink

WHAA..?  IS HE BACK?  I DON'T BELIEVE IT – AT 10:22 A.M. ET:  I thought he was off building windmills, or taking everyone's temperature, or somethin'.  Al Gore is going to Iowa, as Hillary falters.  The excitement builds.  From Weekly Standard: 

As reporters and members of Congress begin to dig into the Clinton email scandal, former Democratic presidential candidate has announced an upcoming visit to Iowa. He'll be in the important caucus state from May 5-7, as part of a training sessions for the Climate Reality Project, of which he's chairman.

"During the training, you’ll hear from The Climate Reality Project Chairman and founder, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, as well as world-class scientists, strategists, communicators, and technical specialists about the science of climate change and the direct cost impacts are having on communities around the world. Most importantly, you’ll learn about the solutions that are available today. You will also learn a twenty-first-century skillset in storytelling, public speaking, social media networking, and media engagement from successful grassroots organizers who will share best practices for positive impact," reads a description of the program.

And the verdict...

While Gore has not expressed presidential ambitions in some time, some Republicans cannot help but wonder about the timing of the trip. Especially as the Clinton email scandal begins to grow.

"When it comes to politicians visiting Iowa, I don’t believe in coincidences," one experienced Republican hand says.

"Al Gore, like Hillary Clinton has spent most of his life in politics. Running for office is something that’s in his blood, and he probably thinks that the waters for a potential bid are getting a little, shall we say, warmer."

COMMENT:  Oh dear, what a prospect.  A primary battle between Hillary Clinton and Al Gore.  Bring back Michael Dukakis!

March 6, 2015       Permalink

CLINTON'S HONESTY RATING DROPS – AT 9:31 A.M. ET:  Is anyone shocked?  It's one of the results of the massive Fox News Poll reported this week, published before the latest uproar over Clinton's secret e-mails went public.  Other results involve the candidates prepping for 2016.  From Fox: 

Overall, there’s general agreement that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (+54 points), former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (+40), Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (+34) and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (+24) are patriotic. For comparison, those margins all beat President Barack Obama’s (+11) on this measure.

On the other hand, “strong leader” is not a trait that lots of voters see in the GOP candidates tested. More voters perceive Clinton as a strong leader (+16 points) than Walker (+11), Rubio (+7) and Bush (-1). And many more see her as a strong leader than say the same of Obama (-12).

I suspect that the Republican ratings will improve once Americans become familiar with the leading GOP candidates

More self-identified Republicans think “strong leader” describes Walker (+35 points) than Rubio (+33) and Bush (+18).

“Walker is in a nice position right now,” says Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, who conducts the Fox News Poll along with Republican pollster Daron Shaw. “Republicans who know him overwhelmingly think he is a strong leader, and there are very few in the base who hold negative opinions toward him.”

While Clinton performs well on leadership, she’s underwater on honesty (-8 points). Just 44 percent say the label “honest” describes her, while 52 percent disagree. A year ago, by a 54-42 percent margin, voters said Clinton was “honest and trustworthy” (April 2014).

That rating suggests recent revelations about Clinton -- especially concerning the activities of the Clinton Foundation -- may be taking a toll. Sixty-one percent of voters say if recent allegations are true and the foundation accepted contributions from foreign governments while Clinton was secretary of state -- it was the wrong thing to do.

COMMENT:  Hillary's troubles appear to be increasing dramatically.  The fact is that she's not all that popular with the leftist Democratic base.  That may be why even some liberal papers are asking some tough questions.  The New York Times, itself increasingly leftist, would probably prefer Elizabeth Warren. 

There's been much speculation, some of it informed, that Clinton will announce her candidacy in April.  If she delays, we can probably surmise that she's reconsidering.  If I had to bet, I'd bet on her eventually entering the race.  But it may look less like a presidential campaign than a fire sale.

March 6, 2015       Permalink

GOOD JOBS REPORT? – AT 8:58 A.M. ET:  The new jobs report, out this morning, is getting raves.  The mainstream media is in ecstasy.  But wait a minute.  What does it really say?  From CNN: 

The U.S. economy added 295,000 jobs in February, which crushed expectations. That beat the estimate from CNNMoney's survey of economists, who predicted 235,000 job gains.

February's job growth shows how far the economy has come in a year. It's the 12th straight month that the economy has gained over 200,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate fell to 5.5%.
That's the lowest unemployment rate since May 2008 -- before the financial crisis. Unemployment has come a long way from a year ago when it was 6.7%.

Oh but wait.  A little problem.  Just a little problem:

As more Americans return to work, the question now is when will wages pick up. Average weekly wages only rose 2% in February compared to a year ago. In a healthy economy, wages gains are between 3.5% and 4%. The snail-pace wage gains are a key reason why many folks still aren't feeling off better during this recovery.

Wages are quickly becoming the focal point for the economy's health. The Federal Reserve wants to see better wage growth before it raises its key interest rate, which will have a big impact on the economy and markets.

If job growth continues, wages should speed up too, many economists argue. But February's jobs report told the same tale: excellent job gains in recent months with lackluster wage growth.

COMMENT:  And that's the real issue.  Look inside the "jobs" report and you find that the leader in job creation is the retail sector, which tends to be low-wage.

A country can have a third-world economy and still have 100% unemployment.  The problem right now is that we're replacing high-wage jobs with low-wage or part-time jobs.  Sure, there are more jobs available, if you want to be paid of what you were paid in your last job.

March 6,  2015     Permalink

MARCH 5,  2015

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

TUFFY SPEAKS – From AFP:  "The United States is keeping an eye on Iran’s 'destabilizing' acts even as the two nations try to reach a deal on Tehran’s nuclear program, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday.  'Even as we engage in these discussions with Iran around this program, we will not take our eye off Iran’s destabilizing actions in the region,' he told reporters in Saudi Arabia, mentioning Syria and Yemen."  WOW!  If I were an Iranian leader I'd be quaking in my boots.  Barack Obama and John Kerry are keeping an eye on me!  I didn't think the Americans would take off their gloves, or their mittens, or something.

HILLARY THE SILENT – From Business Insider:  "Hillary Clinton reportedly will not be taking any questions at an event honoring excellence in journalism.  Organizers of the March 23 Toner Prize Celebration, which is named after the late New York Times reporter Robin Toner, told the Center for Public Integrity the event would be open to reporters. However, the keynote speaker, Clinton, does not plan to take their inquiries."  Problem is, a lot of the reporters present want to do Obama all over again, and won't have any tough questions for the queen.

THE CLINTON GRAVY TRAIN –  The stories are now coming out almost daily.  From Breitbart: "Hillary Rodham Clinton’s brother, Tony Rodham, sat on the board of a self-described mining company that in 2012 received one of only two 'gold exploitation permits' from the Haitian government—the first issued in over 50 years.  The tiny North Carolina company, VCS Mining, also included on its board Bill Clinton’s co-chair of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC), former Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive.  The Rodham gold mine revelation is just one of dozens featured in a forthcoming bombshell investigative book by three-time New York Times bestselling author Peter Schweizer, according to a Thursday statement from publishing giant HarperCollins. The publisher says the book, 'Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich,' is the culmination of an exhaustive one-year deep dive investigation into the nexus between the Clintons’ $100+ million personal wealth, the Clinton Foundation, and the decisions Hillary made as secretary of state that benefited foreign donors, governments, and companies."  Oh juicy, juicy, juicy, I can't wait.  I do think this can reach the point where the Clinton candidacy begins under a deep shadow.  But remember, Nixon won in 1968 with many questions hanging over him.  He got elected, but it didn't end well. 

DISCOVERY – From Britain's Guardian:  "A massive ancient ocean once covered nearly half of the northern hemisphere of Mars, making the planet a more promising place for alien life to have gained a foothold, NASA scientists say.  The huge body of water spread over a fifth of the planet’s surface, as great a portion as the Atlantic covers the Earth, and was a mile deep in places. In total, the ocean held 20 million cubic kilometres of water, or more than is found in the Arctic Ocean, the researchers found."  And in that ocean they found Hillary's e-mails and Obama's academic records.

March 5,  2015     Permalink

QUOTE OF THE DAY – HILLARY AND HER ANTICS – AT 10:32 A.M. ET:  Ron Fournier, at National Journal, nails the Hillary problem:

A cornered Clinton is a craven Clinton, which is why we should view Hillary Rodham Clinton's latest public relations trick with practiced skepticism. "I want the public to see my email," she tweeted Wednesday night. "I asked State to release them. They said they will review them for release as soon as possible."

If she wants us to see her email, why did she create a secret account stored on a dark server registered at her home?

If she wants us to see her email, why didn't she give State all of her email rather than a self-censored fraction of the correspondence?

If she wants us to see her email, Clinton should turn over every word written on her dark account(s) for independent vetting. Let somebody the public trusts decide which emails are truly private and which ones belong to the public.

Like everything else about the response to this controversy, Clinton's tweet is reminiscent of the 1990s, when her husband's White House overcame his wrongdoing by denying the truth, blaming Republicans, and demonizing and bullying the media. It's a shameless script, unbecoming of a historic figure who could be our next president – and jarringly inappropriate for these times.

In the 15 years since Bill Clinton left office, the internet has made almost everybody a researcher and a journalist—equipped to judge wrongdoing for themselves and insist upon accountability. We can now spot the lies ourselves, stand up to bullies, and remind our leaders that two wrongs don't make a right. The actions of Hillary Clinton and her team raise the question: Is she trapped on the wrong side of the bridge to the 21st century?

COMMENT:  Wonderfully stated.  And this is the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination.

March 5, 2015       Permalink

OUR HILLARY, BADGERED BY THE PATRIARCHY AGAIN – AT 9:48 A.M. ET:   It's so unfair.  Our Hillary, treated so badly.  And all she wants to do is make a measly $200,000 a speech and maintain a bit of privacy.  Why is life so unfair?  From the Washington Post: 

A congressional committee issued subpoenas Wednesday seeking information about Hillary Rodham Clinton’s use of a private e-mail account for official business while she was secretary of state, setting up a potential legal clash with the presumptive Democratic front-runner for president.

The move followed the revelation that Clinton had installed a private server at her New York home that allowed her, and not the State Department, to store her e-mail correspondence and later decide which ones to turn over as public records.

The subpoenas, sent by the special House committee probing the fatal 2012 terrorist attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, reflected the angry response more broadly from Republican lawmakers and conservative watchdogs who said Clinton’s private e-mail system allowed her to evade scrutiny from investigations and legal proceedings.

Late Wednesday, Clinton responded to the issue for the first time tweeting, “I want the public to see my e-mail. I asked State to release them. They said they will review them for release as soon as possible.”

COMMENT:  What a joke.  It's Hillary Clinton who has those e-mails, and she will decide which ones to give to the State Department for "review."  Kind of the way things are done in a dictatorship. 

This story is growing.  Every time you turn around, Hillary or Bill is involved in a scandal.  This one is particularly serious because the private storage of e-mails by a high government officials raises questions of national security and suppression of information that must be available to legal and Congressional inquiries.

There's a lot of talk on the internet that Hillary may be sinking politically.  But it's only talk.  She's still way ahead for her party's nomination, and the modern Democratic Party hasn't been too sensitive about corruption.  Slick Willy didn't get his nickname because he was honest.

March 5, 2015       Permalink

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CLEARS FERGUSON OFFICER – 9:17 A.M. ET:  The Justice Department, under Eric Holder, is declining to prosecute the Ferguson, Missouri, police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown.  From Fox: 

The Justice Department announced Wednesday that it will not prosecute former Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of an unarmed black 18-year-old, while also releasing a report faulting the city and its law enforcement for racial bias.

In the criminal investigation, federal officials concluded Wilson's actions "do not constitute prosecutable violations under the applicable federal criminal rights statute."

Specifically, the DOJ said there was "no evidence" to disprove Wilson's testimony that he feared for his safety, nor was there reliable evidence that Michael Brown had his hands up when he was shot.

The report said: "Although there are several individuals who have stated that Brown held his hands up in an unambiguous sign of surrender prior to Wilson shooting him dead, their accounts do not support a prosecution of Wilson.‎ As detailed throughout this report, some of those accounts are inaccurate because they are inconsistent with the physical and forensic evidence; some of those accounts are materially inconsistent with that witness's own prior statements with no explanation, credible or otherwise, as to why those accounts changed over time."

The decision in the Aug. 9 shooting had been expected, in part because of the high legal standard needed for a federal civil rights prosecution. Wilson, who has said Brown struck him in the face and reached for his gun during a tussle, also had been cleared by a Missouri grand jury in November and later resigned from the department.

COMMENT:  While one must praise the impartiality that the Justice Department showed in investigating this racially charged case, we must note that Eric Holder recently asked that the standard for prosecution in civil rights cases be lowered, apparently because he didn't get the result he wanted.  That would be frightening, leading to all kinds of political prosecutions (and persecutions). 

We are also struck by the contrast between the Justice Department exoneration of the officer and the early, wild reporting of the shooting, especially by CNN, which described young Brown as "a gentle giant."  A giant he was, gentle he wasn't.

At the same time, we take note of the Justice Department's finding of a pattern of racial discrimination in the Ferguson Police Department.  These are serious charges and appear to be documented.  They should be dealt with thoughtfully and carefully.  If there is a problem, it must be rooted out.  We do law enforcement no good when we pretend that it's perfect, or that the system always operates well.  Most police officers are terrific, and risk their lives every day.  Others, sadly, fall short, as do some judicial systems.  Get to the truth, solve the problem, and protect the great police officers who do it right.

March 5,  2015     Permalink

AMERICANS GET IT – AT 8:55 A.M. ET:  A new Fox News poll on Obama's foreign policy will not be welcome inside the White House bubble. 

A 57-percent majority feels the U.S. has not been aggressive enough in trying to get Iran to stop building a nuclear weapons program. Another 27 percent say the action has been about right, while just 7 percent say the U.S. has been too aggressive.

Some 55 percent think it would be “a disaster” if Iran were to obtain the capability to use nuclear weapons, while 40 percent sees it as “a problem that can be managed.” Those sentiments are unchanged from 2010.

There’s a huge gap between Democrats and Republicans on how worrisome an Iran with nukes would be. By a 10 percentage-point margin, Democrats are more likely to say it’s a problem that could be managed (51 percent) over a disaster (41 percent). Republicans, by a 42-point margin, say a nuclear Iran would be a disaster (70-28 percent).

Overall, two-thirds of voters (65 percent) favor the U.S. using military action, if necessary, to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons. Just 28 percent are opposed.

To varying degrees, majorities of Republicans (81 percent), Democrats (54 percent) and independents (53 percent) agree on using force to keep Iran from becoming a nuclear power.

In a Monday interview with Reuters, President Obama said, “If, in fact, Iran is willing to agree to double-digit years of keeping their program where it is right now and, in fact, rolling back elements of it that currently exist ... if we’ve got that, and we’ve got a way of verifying that, there’s no other steps we can take that would give us such assurance that they don’t have a nuclear weapon."

Voters overwhelmingly reject that deal: 84 percent -- including 80 percent of Democrats -- think it’s a bad idea to allow Iran to get nuclear weapons 10 years from now in return for agreeing it won’t obtain nukes before then.

While 34 percent of voters think Obama is a strong negotiator with foreign leaders, a 59-percent majority says he’s a weak one. That’s up from 54 percent who felt that way a year ago.

More than a quarter of Democrats (29 percent) join large majorities of independents (67 percent) and Republicans (83 percent) in saying Obama is a bad negotiator on the international stage.

By a 56-27 percent margin, voters say it is a good thing Congressional leaders invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to address Congress.

COMMENT:  We always stress here that polls are a snapshot in time, and that other polls may have different results.  But Fox News polls are done responsibly, and these results are devastating for the Obama foreign policy.

The question is whether public opinion, or any set of facts, will change what Obama is doing, and isn't doing.  Americans clearly feel in danger, and we have a president who seems to believe that it's all our fault.

March 5, 2015     Permalink