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OCTOBER 10,  2015

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

HILLARY'S NUMBERS – From Reuters:  (Reuters) - Just days before she will take the stage in the first Democratic debate, Hillary Clinton's lead over rival Bernie Sanders has narrowed, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.  Clinton's support among Democratic voters fell 10 points within less than a week.
From October 4 to October 9, Clinton saw her support tumble from 51 percent of Democratic support to just 41 percent.  She's also emerging as a fighter.  She knows that if she can just win that nomination, the party and most of the media will line up behind her.  But she never expected this kind of fight to be nominated.  The coronation gown has been put in storage.  And one Hillary watcher is saying that the strain is getting to her behind the scenes.

THE MARCH OF SCIENCE – From London's Telegraph:   Households around the world are likely to breath a sigh of relief with the invention of a Japanese robot that will not only wash and dry clothes, but also sort them out, fold them up and put them away neatly in the cupboard.  The world’s first laundry bot – dubbed “the laundroid” - has been created by a team of Japanese technology companies in a bid to eliminate the tedium of carrying out one of the least popular household chores.  A public demonstration of the automated laundry robot washing a white shirt took place for the first time in Tokyo at the 2015 Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies, an international technology trade show.  The device – created by Panasonic alongside the technical company Seven Dreamers and Daiwa, Japan’s biggest homebuilder – is able to painstakingly wash and dry clothing, before identifying each individual item and folding it up neatly.  Now we're talking about a real golden age. 

IS THIS IMPORTANT? – I really don't know.  From The Hill:   Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro is endorsing Democrat Hillary Clinton for president, a new report says.  Castro plans on backing Clinton during an event in San Antonio next week, according to BuzzFeed.  It said on Friday that three sources have confirmed his endorsement is coming during an event on Oct. 15.  Castro’s decision is the latest move from Clinton’s Latinos for Hillary initiative begun earlier this month.  The HUD secretary was born in San Antonio with his twin, Rep. Joaquín Castro (D-Texas) and once served as the city’s mayor.  These Dems certainly have a thing for guys named Castro.  They can't get away from them.  Presumably, Hillary would name Castro as her vp choice, attracting the Hispanic vote.  But I'm not so sure that's even a good political idea.  Castro's resumé is light, compared with other Hispanic leaders...and I understand, but cannot confirm, that he can't speak Spanish!.  That'll make quite an interview on Univision. 

October 10,  2015      Permalink

ANOTHER FAMOUS OBAMA VICTORY – AT 12:18 P.M. ET:   The Dem foreign-policy establishment used to boast that North Korea was under control, as a result of our brilliant diplomacy. Strange how that talk has died down.  From AFP: 

North Korea on Saturday showed off what it said were long-range ballistic missiles carrying miniaturised nuclear warheads, its latest claim to the sophisticated technology which state television said could destroy enemies in a "sea of fire".

Rows of the intercontinental ballistic missiles known as KN-08, which some think could fly far enough to reach the continental US, were paraded through the capital as part of a massive military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the ruling Workers Party.

A defence analyst in Seoul said the new missile appeared to have been modified to allow it to be fitted with a miniature nuclear warhead -- a claim echoed by North Korea's state TV -- but others experts said it was impossible to tell.

North Korea has long claimed it has technology capable of launching nuclear bombs at its distant enemies, but experts are sceptical whether the impoverished country has acquired the sophisticated technology needed to produce such weapons.

COMMENT:  It is the better part of wisdom to take their claims seriously.  We had all kinds of doubters who believed they North Korea have developed a nuclear bomb.  We now know they have it.  They may be a poor country, but they devote a good part of their economy to the military.  They've made frightening progress, and can export their technology to countries like Iran.

October 10, 2015       Permalink

HILLARY'S PROBLEM – QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 11:29 A.M. ET:  No matter what she tries to do, Hillary Clinton always seems to be in trouble.  And for good reason.  She makes too many mistakes, has too many positions, is a terrible campaigner, and appears thoroughly untrustworthy.  Other than that, she's fine.  From Howard Kurtz at Fox:   

As the first Democratic debate approaches, Hillary Clinton has lost control of her narrative.

The email malignancy has metastasized into the worst possible diagnosis, one that will flare up repeatedly for many months to come. There are now so many inquiries and so many questions that it’s virtually impossible for Hillary to get off the defensive, no matter how many late-night shows she does.

But the former first lady has also lost control of the policy debate. She has dragged her feet on two major issues—Keystone pipeline and Pacific trade deal—only to wind up siding with Bernie Sanders. So instead of getting credit for taking a stand, she is portrayed by the press as indecisive and calculating.

And to top it off, she has no clue whether Joe Biden is going to totally upend the race.

Forfeiting control of the story line is a huge setback for a candidate. It’s hard to score points when you’re constantly seen as responding to investigators or rivals or media detractors. And the private server represents the classic self-inflicted wound. What would this campaign look like if Hillary had used State Department email like everyone else?

COMMENT:  The Clintons are a walking scandal.  Scandal follows them everywhere.  Gee, I wonder why.  You don't think it's their own ambition and judgment, do you?  How could that be?

Yet, Hillary is still the frontrunner, which tells you something about the weakness of the Democratic Party.  They may have to bring back Michael Dukakis. 

October 10, 2015       Permalink

AWFUL – AT 11:14 A.M. ET:  Turkey, a member of NATO, has been hit with a major terror attack.  From Fox:

ANKARA, Turkey – Two bomb explosions targeted a peace rally Saturday by leftist and Kurdish activists in the Turkish capital of Ankara, killing 86 people and wounding 186, the country's health minister said.

The explosions occurred seconds apart outside Ankara's main train station as hundreds were gathering for the rally, organized by Turkey's public sector workers' union and other civic society groups. The rally was to call for increased democracy and an end to the renewed violence between Kurdish rebels and Turkish security forces.

Authorities were investigating whether the attacks -- which struck 50 yards apart -- were suicide bombings. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the deadliest attacks in Turkey in years.

The attacks came at a tense time for Turkey, a NATO member that borders war-torn Syria, hosts more refugees than any other nation in the world and is holding a general election on Nov. 1.

Authorities had been on alert after Turkey agreed to take a more active role in the U.S.-led battle against the Islamic State group. Turkey opened up its bases to U.S. aircraft to launch air raids on the extremist group in Syria and carried out a limited number of strikes on the group itself. Russia has also entered the fray on behalf of the Syrian government recently, bombing sites in Syria and reportedly violating Turkish airspace a few times in the past week.

COMMENT:  The Turkish government is Islamic, and absurd, but the country is still a NATO member.  And yet, terrorists had no hesitation about hitting it.  Why would they?  The West, led by Obama, is a paper tiger now seen as pathetic by the Mideast players. 

October 10,  2015     Permalink

OCTOBER 9,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 1:55 P.M. ET: 

WE LIVE AND LEARN – From dailywire.com:   The administration at the University of Toronto was recently enlightened on why two separate washrooms are generally established for men and women sharing co-ed residencies.  The University is temporarily changing its policy on gender-neutral bathrooms after two separate incidents of "voyeurism" were reported on campus September 15 and 19. Male students within the University’s Whitney Hall student residence were caught holding their cellphones over female students’ shower stalls and filming them as they showered.  Melinda Scott, dean of students at the University of Toronto, told The Daily Wire that campus police had been contacted immediately and worked with residence staff to “support impacted students and ensure the safety of the Residences.”  I'm shocked, shocked, that anything like this could happen in a kind, compassionate university.  Choke.

HOLLYWOOD COURAGE – Those are not two words you usually see together.  This is a rare example, from dailywire.com:   TV legend Kelsey Grammer is under fire from pro-choice advocates for posing in a controversial T-shirt that likens abortion to victims of mass shootings.  The “Frasier” actor proudly posed for an Instagram photo Wednesday sporting a T-shirt gifted by the anti-abortion group, Abort73. Framed by an illustration of a firearm, the message on the shirt read, “Would it bother us more if they used guns?”  “Thank you for the tee @abort73!” his wife Kayte captioned the picture of her 60-year-old husband.  On its website, the group Abort 73, which professes to explain logically and empirically why abortion is “immoral and unjust," made clear that the T-shirt is not about gun control.  "It’s simply a response to the fact that when children are the victims of gun violence, the world is outraged," the statement reads. "When children are the victims of abortion violence, the world barely notices."  Very well put.  We need a thoughtful, hate-free discussion on abortion, its implications, and possible restrictions.   It's good in a democracy, no matter where you stand.

OH PLEASE! – From Breitbart:   Secretary of State John Kerry warns the world that more and more people will be fleeing the devastation caused by global warming. “It’s something new. We have climate refugees today,” he said during a town hall event about the oceans.  Fella, we've had climate refugees for thousands of years.  That's what Noah's Ark was about.  We also have part-time climate refugees today, called "snowbirds" in places like your state of Massachusetts – people who evacuate to Florida during bitter winters.  John, you ever read the papers?

October 9, 2015       Permalink

HEY, NO PROBLEM, IT'S OBAMA TIME – AT 10:02 A.M. ET:  Turns out that part of the Iran nuclear agreement may be illegal.  But in the age of Obama, is that an issue?  From Fox: 

Some senior U.S. officials involved in the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal have privately concluded that a key sanctions relief provision – a concession to Iran that will open the doors to tens of billions of dollars in U.S.-backed commerce with the Islamic regime – conflicts with existing federal statutes and cannot be implemented without violating those laws, Fox News has learned.

At issue is a passage tucked away in ancillary paperwork attached to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, as the Iran nuclear deal is formally known. Specifically, Section 5.1.2 of Annex II provides that in exchange for Iranian compliance with the terms of the deal, the U.S. “shall…license non-U.S. entities that are owned or controlled by a U.S. person to engage in activities with Iran that are consistent with this JCPOA.”

In short, this means that foreign subsidiaries of U.S. parent companies will, under certain conditions, be allowed to do business with Iran. The problem is that the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act (ITRA), signed into law by President Obama in August 2012, was explicit in closing the so-called “foreign sub” loophole.

Indeed, ITRA also stipulated, in Section 218, that when it comes to doing business with Iran, foreign subsidiaries of U.S. parent firms shall in all cases be treated exactly the same as U.S. firms: namely, what is prohibited for U.S. parent firms has to be prohibited for foreign subsidiaries, and what is allowed for foreign subsidiaries has to be allowed for U.S. parent firms.

COMMENT:  There's more.  Read the whole thing.  This might not matter to a lawless president who shows utter contempt for the Constitution, but it might mean a great deal to the courts, the Congress, and the people.

October 9, 2015       Permalink

CRUZ ON DONALD – AT 9:44 A.M. ET:   Ted Cruz, who has the sharpest mind of any presidential contender,  says Donald Trump won't be the GOP nominee.  From CNN:

Washington (CNN) Ted Cruz said Thursday that he did not think Donald Trump would be the Republican nominee, his harshest criticism yet of a candidate he has assiduously avoided even brushing with judgment.

Asked by WABC Radio's Rita Cosby whether he believed that "eventually, you could beat him, based on your principles," Cruz said he could.

"I think that's right. I think that, in time, I don't believe Donald is going to be the nominee and I think, in time, the lion's share of his supporters end up with us," Cruz said in an interview taped Thursday that will air in full on Sunday.

Cruz, a generally cautious candidate and public speaker, has made no bones about courting the supporters of Trump, who has won over many fans of the conservative right. He has repeatedly needled his opponents for hitting Trump -- wisdom he again shared in the interview Thursday -- but Cruz has treated Trump as a serious, viable candidate.

And he has long maintained that Trump's rise would benefit the Cruz campaign, saying that Trump has encouraged voters to use a certain set of criteria to evaluate candidates that is favorable to Cruz.

COMMENT:  I'm inclined to agree that Trump will falter, although his resilience continues to amaze me.  However, although he still leads in the GOP race, his negatives are extremely high.  If they continue high, the word "unelectable" will start to be used.

I don't think it will be Cruz either, but that's just an educated guess.  The GOP establishment despises him, and I don't think he has enough momentum behind him, at this stage in his career, to overcome that.

October 9, 2015       Permalink

COLLEGE SHOOTING – AT 9:14 A.M. ET:  Another college shooting, although it doesn't follow the usual pattern.  From ABC: 

A deadly shooting occurred on Northern Arizona University’s Flagstaff campus early this morning, and the suspected shooter is in custody, according to a university spokesperson.

One person died and three others were wounded in the shooting, the spokesperson said.

It's unclear what sparked the shooting, which took place near Mountain View Hall, a dormitory that houses most of the campus' students involved in Greek organizations.

Residents in Mountain View Hall were asked to stay indoors, according to an emergency alert sent by the university.

COMMENT:  Other reports say that a fraternity may have been involved.  This appears to be more a personal dispute than a planned campus shooting.

Obama will be in Oregon today to meet with families of last week's shooting, and will no doubt use the occasion to advance his agenda.  Let no tragedy go unused.  But each incident is different, and we should wait for facts about Arizona before coming to any conclusion.

October 9,  2015     Permalink