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Wednesday's Angel's Corner is here.

MAY 11,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:41 P.M. ET:

SEALED MOUTH – From WaPo:  "Welcome to day 29 of the Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign!  In those 29 days – including April 12, the day she announced, and today – Clinton has taken a total of eight questions from the press. That breaks out to roughly one question every 3.6 days. Of late, she's taken even fewer questions than that. According to media reports, the last day Clinton answered a question was April 21 in New Hampshire; that means that she hasn't taken a question from the media in 20 straight days."  When a liberal Democrat fears the mainstream press, you know we're in trouble.

GREAT MOMENTS IN ACADEMIA – From Fox:  "Boston University had a weekend change of heart about a new professor's angry tweets about white people, after FoxNews.com and others reported on the racially-charged comments -- and Terrier alumni threatened to stop writing checks.  Saida Grundy, an incoming assistant professor of sociology and African-American studies at the school, tweeted in recent weeks that 'white masculinity is THE problem for america’s (sic) colleges,' white men are a 'problem population,' and that she tries to avoid shopping at white-owned businesses. On Friday, her new employer's spokesman, Colin Riley, told FoxNews.com that the tweets came from Grundy's personal Twitter account and that she was 'exercising her right to free speech and we respect her right to do so.'   Then, amid a deluge of angry emails from former students, the school sought to amend the comment.  'The University does not condone racism or bigotry in any form and we are deeply saddened when anyone makes such offensive statements,' Riley told FoxNews.com Saturday."  Yeah, deeply saddened.  We'll tell you what their opinion is tomorrow.

MAJOR CRIME NEWS – From Fox:  "NEW YORK – The NFL came down hard on its biggest star and its championship team, telling Tom Brady and the Patriots that no one is allowed to mess with the rules of the game.  The league suspended the Super Bowl MVP Monday for the first four games of the season, fined the New England Patriots $1 million and took away two draft picks as punishment for deflating footballs used in the AFC title game.  'Each player, no matter how accomplished and otherwise respected, has an obligation to comply with the rules and must be held accountable for his actions when those rules are violated and the public's confidence in the game is called into question,' NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent wrote to Brady."  They should send Brady to Washington, where some serious deflation is urgently needed.  He could start with Obama's ego.

May 11, 2015       Permalink

HER LOWNESS – AT 12:30 P.M. ET:   The author of the new book on the Clintons' financial maneuverings speaks common sense about the implications of what he found.  From Breitbart:

“Clinton Cash” author Peter Schweizer argued that the Clintons’ behavior would not be tolerated from any other political figure on Saturday’s “Justice with Judge Jeanine” on the Fox News Channel.

Asked about the unwillingness of prosecutors to look at the allegations in the book, Schweizer said that this was due to the fact that the book just came out and “people kind of expect from the Clintons that you’re going to get scandal. What I’ve encouraged people to do is look at these cases, take the name Clinton out of it and ask yourself, would you tolerate this from any other political figure? And I think the answer is no.”

He added, “I think the evidence, the fact pattern here is far more compelling than it was in the Governor of Virginia’s case, Senator Menendez in New Jersey, or Kitzhaber out in Oregon, who resigned. I think the fact pattern is far more compelling. … I think a prosecutor needs to look at this, I think the FBI needs to look at this, and I think we need to have Congressional committees that have subpoena powers to look at this.”

COMMENT:  Very well stated.  But I doubt if anything official will be done.  Obama is not going to allow a legal investigation of his former secretary of state.  It would look too odd, as if he were trying to bring her down.  As far as the Republicans, they're already investigating some of Hillary's activities, but they're clearly concerned about looking like they're trying to destroy a presidential candidate. 

Indeed, Americans have gotten used to the words "Clinton" and "scandal" appearing in the same sentence.  But I do sense in the polls a greater disgust than we've seen before.  After all, why should the first female president have to be a corruptionist? 

May 11, 2015       Permalink

GREAT MOMENTS IN JUSTICE – AT 11:46 A.M. ET:   There's been much controversy surrounding the actions of Marilyn Mosby, the Baltimore prosecutor who threw the book at the six cops allegedly involved in the death of Freddie Gray.   She has more conflicts of interest than Hillary Clinton at a fundraisers' convention.  But it gets worse.  She conducted an "investigation" of the case, and that probe had a lead investigator.  Let us meet him, Avon Mackel, courtesy of Legal Insurrection:

Mr. Mackel used to be a high-ranking Baltimore police officer, according to CNN.

Well, until things went horribly wrong.

In 2009 Mackel was stripped of his command position because of a grievous failure to follow through on allegations of a mishandled robbery investigation by two of his officers.

In addition, according to that same CNN report, the Baltimore Sun newspaper reported that police in Mackel’s district were falsely “down-classifying” crimes in order to suggest crime rates were lower than was actually the case–and to make Mackel look more effective as a crime-fighter than he was.

But it gets even more interesting.

Four months after his demotion, Mackel engaged in a drunken gun-wielding incident at his home of sufficient severity that the Baltimore County police department sent in their SWAT team. Mackel was non-compliant with officers and obviously (the responding officers reported) intoxicated.

Despite being tasered by the SWAT team, the armed and intoxicated Mackel managed to barricade himself in his bedroom.

After that, the police record apparently gets vague, without any clear explanation for how the incident ended.

For some bizarre reason–I am shocked, SHOCKED!–Mackel was not arrested following these remarkable events.

I rather expect that if I had engaged in the same behavior in Baltimore County an arrest–if only to secure my assessment by psychiatric personnel–would have been effected post haste.

But who am I to speculate.

COMMENT: That's some lead investigator.  And on his work the fate of six police officers may rest.  But I have a feeling that the courts will trim the charges considerably.  And there may well be further pressure for the prosecutor to step aside.

The politics are appalling.  But the mob must be fed.

May 11, 2015        Permalink

WARNING ON HOMEGROWN TERRORISTS – AT 11:21 A.M. ET:   The threat of homegrown terrorists is growing and urgent, according to Homeland Security.  From The Hill:

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Sunday that the United States is facing a new era in which a lone-wolf terrorist could “strike at any moment.”

“We’re very definitely in a new environment, because of ISIL’s effective use of social media, the Internet, which has the ability to reach into the homeland and possibly inspire others,” Johnson said in an interview with ABC’s “This Week,” using the administration's preferred acronym for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

“Because of the use of the Internet, we could have little or no notice in advance of an independent actor attempting to strike.”

As a result, Johnson said, the federal government is making a greater effort to engage with state and local law enforcement and encourage them to be “vigilant” about what is happening in their communities.

Part of this effort is meeting with Muslim community leaders and urging them to counter ISIS's recruitment campaign on social media, which Johnson called “slick” and “effective.”

Lawmakers and experts have been critical of the federal government’s attempts to challenge that campaign, with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) reportedly calling the efforts “laughable.”

Johnson took issue with this description, but acknowledged that community leaders are in the best position to reach out to individuals which might be vulnerable to radicalization.

“It has to come from Islamic leaders, who frankly can talk the language better than the federal government can,” he said.

“And so when I meet with community leaders, Islamic leaders, that’s one of the things that we urge them to do.”

The interview took place two days after the military increased security at U.S. bases over concerns about terrorist threats.

COMMENT:  I wish they'd change the vocabulary.  These are not "lone wolves" or independent actors.  They consider themselves part of a movement, a cause, and they're targeted for recruitment.  They may not be part of a structured military organization, but they are being guided.  They don't get up one day and decide to attack a target. 

May 11, 2015       Permalink

GROWING STORY – AT 9:16 A.M. ET:  We noted this last night.  The story is growing.  It is not only big, it is huge.  I don't recall anything like it – when the president of the United States is publicly snubbed by leaders of presumed allies.  From Fox: 

The White House was scrambling Monday to put a positive face on an upcoming summit of Persian Gulf states after learning leaders from four of the six invited nations are expected to skip.

While those nations are still sending representatives to the summit being hosted by President Obama later this week at Camp David, the absence of crucial heads of state -- notably, Saudi Arabia's new king -- could present an awkward situation for the administration.

Ya think?

In a statement Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Thursday's summit coincides with a humanitarian cease-fire in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is fighting Shiite rebels known as Houthis. He said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who is also interior minister, would lead the Saudi delegation and the king's son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is defense minister, will also attend -- but the king would not.

Obama had planned to meet Saudi Arabia's King Salman one-on-one a day before the gathering of leaders at the presidential retreat. The White House, though, did not present his decision to skip the summit as a sign of any substantial disagreement with the U.S.

"We first learned of the King's possible change of plans from Saudis on Friday night," a senior U.S. administration official told Fox News. "This was confirmed by the Saudis on Saturday. We coordinated closely with our Saudi partners on the alternate arrangement and timing of the announcement and look forward to welcoming Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This is not in response to any substantive issue."

King Salman, who took power in January after his brother King Abdullah died, has not traveled abroad since his ascension to the throne.

The tiny island kingdom of Bahrain said separately Sunday that its delegation would be headed by the country's crown prince, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Bahrain, whose leadership has close ties to the Saudis, is an important military ally of the U.S. It is the longstanding host to the Navy's 5th Fleet, which is responsible for operations around the Arabian Peninsula and northern Indian Ocean, and is Washington's main naval counterbalance to Iran.

Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, a professor of political science at Emirates University, told the Associated Press Gulf leaders were staying away to signal their displeasure over the nuclear talks.

"I don't think they have a deep respect, a deep trust for Obama and his promises. There is a fundamental difference between his vision of post-nuclear-deal Iran and their vision," he said. "They think Iran is a destabilizing force and will remain so, probably even more, if the sanctions are lifted. ... They're just not seeing things eye to eye."

COMMENT:  And that of course is the issue, although the White House can never admit it.  Allies have lost faith in America under Obama.  It is a terrible moment for American foreign policy. 

And who carried out that foreign policy?  Hillary Clinton.  Will anyone in the press ask her about this, or will she get away with it one more time?  Do you have to ask?

May 11,  2015     Permalink

MAY 10,  2015

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

ROYAL SNUB – Via reader Joseph J. Gallick, from The Wall Street Journal:  "WASHINGTON—Saudi Arabia’s monarch pulled out of a summit to be hosted by President Barack Obama on Thursday, in a blow to the White House’s efforts to build Arab support for a nuclear accord with Iran.  King Salman’s decision appeared to ripple across the Persian Gulf. Bahrain said on Sunday that its ruler, King Hamad bin Isaa Al Khalifa, had opted not to travel to Washington."  What a snub to the American president.  What a tribute to American weakness.

NEW HAMPSHIRE LATEST – From Bloomberg:  "There's no clear Republican front-runner in the New Hampshire presidential nominating contest, while Hillary Clinton retains an overwhelming advantage among Democrats in the Granite State's first-in-the-nation primary.  Clinton's advantage over her potential Republican rivals has narrowed, however, and the general election in the battleground state looks increasingly competitive, according to a new Bloomberg Politics/Saint Anselm New Hampshire Poll.  The poll also shows that Senator Marco Rubio is rising while support for his fellow Floridian, former Governor Jeb Bush, has fallen off. Rubio and Bush both were the first choice of 11 percent of likely Republican primary voters in the poll, while Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky each scored 12 percent."  See the statistical charts here.  The Dems cannot be pleased with Hillary's performance.  Her numbers keep eroding.

SICK – From the New York Post:  "A Subway sandwich shop worker sparked outrage on Twitter with her social media posts celebrating Saturday’s killing of two Mississippi cops—and now she’s been fired.
'This behavior is unacceptable & does not represent our brand’s values & ethics,' Subway tweeted Sunday night, in response to the backlash. 'The franchise has terminated the employee.'  Sierra 'C-Babi' McCurdy, of Laurel, Mississippi, ultimately lost her job because she praised the cold-blooded murders of Hattiesburg cops Benjamin Deen, 34, and Liquori Tate, 25, after they were gunned down in the line of duty during a routine traffic stop Saturday night." Watch.  Someone will turn this into a free speech issue.

May 10,  2015     Permalink

MOTHER'S DAY – AT 2:50 P.M ET:   I wish all a happy Mother's Day.  By "all" I mean all.  It is the age of Obama.  We choose our identities.  I ask, isn't restricting Mother's Day to women with children a bit sexist, classist, and indicative of the elitist views of the oppressor?  I ask you that.

If you're a man who always wanted to be a mother, happy Mother's Day.

If you're a 12-year-old girl, happy Mother's Day.

If you're a cocker spaniel, but always wanted to be human, and a mother, happy Mother's Day.

If you're a Democrat who rejects assigned gender roles, happy Mother's Day.  But not too happy.

We are inclusive here.  Be anything, as long as you vote right.

May 10, 2015       Permalink

OH DEAR, THEY'RE FIGHTING ON THE LEFT; ENJOY, ENJOY – AT 8:20 A.M. ET:  Did you know that Barak Obama and Elizabeth Warren are having a spat?  Oh yes, and it's getting worse.  From Fox: 

A growing feud between President Obama and Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren kicked up a notch Saturday, with the president rejecting her recent warnings about a long-sought trade deal and saying in an interview, “Elizabeth is a politician just like everybody else.”

I never would have known.

The president and the liberal Massachusetts senator have been sparring amid an internal Democratic battle over Obama’s trade push.

The administration wants Congress to give the president so-called “fast-track” authority, which would ease the ability of the president to secure trade pacts – in this case, a major agreement with Pacific nations called the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Most recently, Warren has argued that giving Obama the new authority could open the door for a future administration to strike a deal rolling back provisions of the landmark 2010 financial industry regulatory overhaul.

The president, in an interview with Yahoo News, said that’s “wrong.”

He challenged the notion that he would have had “this massive fight with Wall Street” and then sign a provision to undo that legislation.

“I'd have to be pretty stupid and it doesn't make any sense,” Obama said. “There is no evidence that could ever be used in this way. This is pure speculation. She and I both taught law school and one of the things you do as a law professor is you spin out hypotheticals and this is all hypothetical, speculative.”

Asked if this is personal, Obama said, “You know the truth of the matter is … Elizabeth is a politician just like everybody else, and she has a voice that she wants to get out there and I understand that, and on most issues she and I deeply agree. On this one, though, her arguments don't stand the test of fact and scrutiny.”

COMMENT:  Let them fight. It distracts them both from doing more damage.  Send them suggestions of other things to fight over.

May 10,  2015     Permalink

ANOTHER WARNING – AT 8:09 A.M. ET:  Yesterday we noted the huge parade of military hardware in Red Square, bringing back the good old days of Soviet displays of power.

It isn't only Russia on the march.  China is building its military even faster.  And its rising economy, helped enormously by trade with the United States, is a major factor.  Now it is extending its defense line to artificial islands.  From Fox: 

China's mysterious campaign to build artificial islands in disputed waters of the South China Sea has grown to cover roughly 2,000 acres, a senior defense official said Friday, as the Pentagon issued a report warning the sites could be used to bolster the country's military infrastructure.

The assessments provide an unprecedented level of detail on what China is suspected of pursuing with its so-called "land reclamation" project, which the Defense Department now describes as "extensive."

The U.S. military initially called out China for the project in March, explaining that the country was "pumping sand on to live coral reefs" and then paving over them with concrete.

The construction, though, has apparently proceeded at a rapid and alarming pace. The new Defense Department report on China's military activities said that as of late December, China had reclaimed about 500 acres of land in this way.

A senior defense official told the Associated Press on Friday that the land mass has since grown to about 2,000 acres and could keep growing as the year goes on.

The DOD report warned that while Beijing's island construction intent is unclear, five emerging outposts in the Spratly Islands could be used for surveillance systems, harbors and logistical support. The report said they could also hold "at least one airfield." According to the Defense Department, work at four of the five sites has shifted to mainly development and construction.

COMMENT:  I doubt that these islands are designed as tourist attractions.  Disney has shown no interest.  China is also building a major naval presence, which has generated naval shipbuilding in Japan. 

Obama spoke of his intent to "pivot to Asia."  We haven't seen much of a pivot.  But, let's face it, we haven't seen much of a foreign policy.

May 10,  2015    Permalink