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FEBRUARY 8,  2018

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

EVIL – FROM FOX:  Left-wing billionaire George Soros is pumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into a campaign looking to sabotage British voters’ 2016 decision to leave the European Union.  The U.K. Daily Telegraph first reported late Wednesday that Soros has delivered £400,000 ($560,000) to the anti-Brexit "Best for Britain" campaign via his Open Society Foundations.  He also hosted big-money donors at his London home as part of the group’s goal to raise support to nix the implementation of the Brexit referendum.   Best for Britain is currently led by Lord Mark Malloch-Brown -- a former diplomat and U.N. deputy secretary-general -- and is reportedly planning a massive ad campaign to push for a second referendum to make voters rethink the decision to leave the E.U.   The British people made the right choice.  They understood the danger posed by the European Union's dictatorial bureaucracy.  It's just the kind of dictatorship that the Soros crowd likes.  "We know what's good for you deplorables."  Soros is the ATM for nut jobs.

ENCOURAGING – FROM BREITBART:  Four million people dropped off the food stamp rolls in one month, according to the latest numbers on food stamp enrollment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).  The latest USDA data show that the number of participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the government program that administers food stamps, dropped from 45,666,795 in October 2017 to 41,658,868 in November 2017 — a staggering decrease of 4,007,927 over one month.  Even though there was a temporary spike in enrollment, mostly concentrated in a few states that caused the national average of food stamp enrollment to spike, nationwide enrollment in the program as a whole is still on a steady decline.  Good.  It's an encouraging sign when fewer people need food stamps.  It usually means that employment is rising.  Trump's economy is succeeding.

TRAVEL NEWS – FROM AP:  SEOUL:   South Korea — The plane carrying a high-level North Korean government delegation including leader Kim Jong Un’s sister has arrived in South Korea to attend the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.  Kim Yo Jong will be the first member of North Korea’s ruling family to set foot in the South since the 1950-53 Korean War.  The North Korean officials during their three-day visit beginning Friday will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who’s trying to use the Olympics as an opportunity to pull North Korea into meaningful talks over its nuclear program.  Maybe she'll be smart, and defect.  Then she could send money home.

February 8, 2018       Permalink

WHAT HAVE WE HERE? – AT 11:53 A.M. ET:   Whenever I hear "personal reasons" I wonder just how personal the reasons are.  From Daily Caller: 

The Department of Justice official who interviewed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as part of the investigation into her emails is leaving the agency, he announced on Wednesday.

David Laufman, who leads the DOJ’s counterintelligence division, is leaving the DOJ for “personal reasons,” according to The Washington Post.

In addition to working on the investigation into Clinton’s handling of classified information, Laufman has also worked on the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

On the Clinton investigation, he sat in on interviews with the former secretary of state and several of her aides, including Cheryl Mills, Huma Abedin and Jake Sullivan.

He was joined in those interviews by Peter Strzok, the FBI agent who is currently embroiled in a scandal over politically charged text messages.

COMMENT:  One gets the feeling that the Republican investigators in Congress are, slowly but surely, getting to the heart of some very strange behavior that occurred during the Obama administration.  A key question is how much Obama knew.  I think Trey Gowdy and Devon Nunes will find out.

February 8, 2018       Permalink

MORE PROGRESS –  AT 11:16 A.M. ET:  The economy rolls along.  Don't tell the Democrats.  From Reuters: 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, dropping to its lowest level in nearly 45 years as the labor market tightened further, bolstering expectations of faster wage growth this year.

The second straight weekly decline in claims reported by the Labor Department on Thursday also pointed to strong job growth momentum, which could further drive the unemployment rate lower.

"The extremely low level of claims is a sign of tightness in the labor market and suggests that February is shaping up to be another solid month for job creation," said John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics in New York.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits decreased 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 221,000 for the week ended Feb. 3, the Labor Department said. Claims fell to 216,000 in mid-January, which was the lowest level since January 1973.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims rising to 232,000 in the latest week. Last week marked the 153rd straight week that claims remained below the 300,000 threshold, which is associated with a strong labor market. That is the longest such stretch since 1970, when the labor market was much smaller.

The labor market is near full employment, with the jobless rate at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent. The tighter labor market is starting to exert upward pressure on wage growth.

The Labor Department reported last week that average hourly earnings jumped 2.9 percent year-on-year in January, the largest gain since June 2009, after advancing 2.7 percent in December. Employers added 200,000 jobs to their payrolls last month.

COMMENT:  If this can be kept going, the political implications will be profound.  We are talking about control of the Congress, with all that implies, including confirmations of judges.

Rasmussen has Trump at 48%, higher than Obama was at this point in his presidency.  America is starting to be great again.

February 8, 2018       Permalink

YOU CAN'T MAKE IT UP – AT 10:44 A.M. ET:  The question is not whether Nancy Pelosi is crazy.   The question is, how crazy is she?  Remember, when she was speaker of the House she was two heartbeats away from the presidency.   From RealClearPolitics: 

During an extended speech on the House floor Wednesday morning, where she read a long list of profiles of DACA recipients, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was reminded of her own grandson.

Pelosi, who noted her Italian heritage, said her grandson comes from Irish, English, "whatever, whatever" descent. She added that he is a "mix."  Pelosi shared that when her grandson blew out the candles at his sixth birthday party he made a wish that he would have "brown skin and brown eyes" like his Hispanic friend Antonio.

NANCY PELOSI: I'm reminded of my own grandson. He is Irish, English, whatever, whatever, and Italian-American, he is a mix. But he looks more the other [Italian] side of the family, shall we say.
And when he had his sixth birthday... he had a very close friend whose name is Antonio, he's from Guatemala. And he has beautiful tan skin, beautiful brown eyes, and this was a proud day for me, because when my grandson blew out the candles on his cake, they said did you make a wish?
He said yes, he made a wish. What is your wish? I wish I had brown skin and brown eyes like Antonio.

So beautiful. So beautiful. The beauty is in the mix. The face of the future for our country is all-American. And that has many versions.

COMMENT:  Unbelievably patronizing.  If I were a member of a racial minority, I'd be deeply offended by Nancy – who's worth about $30-million – patronizing me like that.  Who does she think she's impressing?

February 8,  2018     Permalink

FEBRUARY 7,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:46 P.M. ET:

I'M CRUSHED – FROM THE WASHINGTON FREE BEACON:  Oprah Winfrey said she is not running for public office Wednesday, seemingly putting to bed rampant speculation that she was considering a 2020 White House bid.  In a conversation with Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, the subject of Donald Trump's election came up, according to The Daily Beast. Miranda, an opponent of the Trump administration, said he was aware of the platform afforded him by Hamilton‘s success.  "But that’s it," he said. "I’m not running for public office."  According to the report, Winfrey interrupted to say, "I'm not either!"  Well, there goes our future.  And we were so close to a utopia.

GEEZ – FROM BREITBART:    House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) spoke for more than eight hours on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, using her prerogative as a party leader to mount a filibuster to draw attention to the cause of illegal aliens....During her remarks, she hailed the “Dreamers,” whom she said had arrived in the country illegally through no fault of their own.  She then went on to thank the parents of the “Dreamers” — i.e. those who deliberately broke the law.  “I say to their parents: Thank you for bringing these Dreamers to America. We’re in your debt for the courage it took, for you to take the risk, physically, politically, in every way, to do so,” she said.  An absolutely disgraceful comment.  Imagine how you'd feel if you were in a foreign country, trying to come to America legally, and read that a former speaker of the House is praising those who broke American law to cross our borders. 

THE NANNY STATE – FROM THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE:   The House voted Tuesday to prohibit sexual relationships between lawmakers and their employees, a remarkable rule change that brings the institution in line with the military and the private sector after a rash of sexual harassment and misconduct allegations roiled Capitol Hill.  The prohibition, pushed by Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., took immediate effect as Congress moved toward changing the system for reporting and adjudicating employees' claims of sexual harassment. The House approved language Tuesday establishing an office to advocate for employees during that process and a separate bill requiring lawmakers to reimburse taxpayers when they are involved in workplace settlements.  "Thanks to the #MeToo movement, the American public has made it clear that they have had enough," said Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif. "They expect Congress to lead, and for once we are."   Treating adults like children.  There is a difference between an inappropriate power situation and an entirely normal relationship between consenting adults.  They whom the powers make slaves are first made juveniles.

February 7, 2018       Permalink

TRUMP AS POLITICAL ASSET – AT 12:08 P.M. ET:   The thinking among Republican strategists has changed.  From RealClearPolitics: 

While conventional wisdom holds that Donald Trump will be a drag on Republican chances of maintaining control of the House, those vying to expand the party’s majority in the Senate are embracing the president as a unique asset in the upcoming campaigns.

Unlike the House map, the Republicans' path to success in the upper chamber runs through 10 states Trump won in 2016 -- five of them by double-digit margins. But beyond those favorable fundamentals, the GOP is looking to the president to lead something of a mass-marketing campaign against well-known Democratic incumbents.

Party operatives see the president's penchant for coining catchy -- and pejorative – nicknames, along with his made-for-television campaign rallies, as particularly helpful through the long primary process, helping to define the opposition while Republicans pick their nominees.

"The messaging power and the branding power Trump has is different from any elected official," said one Republican familiar with Senate races this year. "It's a very valuable asset he has, and that he alone has been able to hone."

Despite the party’s favorable map, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has cautioned Republicans not to "fall in love" with it. Most of the Democratic incumbents in the 10 so-called Trump states are battle-tested, well financed and have made names for themselves as independent of the national Democratic Party and as officeholders in sync with their electorate. And in some of those states, Republicans have yet to field a credible challenger.

But the GOP is counting on the president to spotlight the incumbents’ votes, particularly on the tax reform bill. Strategists point to Vice President Mike Pence's trip to West Virginia last week as an example of what is to come from the top. There, he hit Sen. Joe Manchin for voting against the tax bill, health care repeal and other Republican priorities, repeating the phrase "Joe Voted No" and following up later with a series of tweets. Manchin fired back, defending his votes and calling Pence divisive and partisan.

COMMENT:  It's much too early to be sure of any strategy or trend.  Under Trump, the Republicans fight, and fight hard.  That has not always been their style.  It is now. 

History tells us that the GOP is likely to lose seats in both houses.  I don't think the Trump operation is wedded to history.

February 7, 2018       Permalink

A CLEAR UPCOMING CRISIS – AT 11:34 A.M. ET:  The Iranian threat is growing in the Mideast.  Iran's fingerprints are all over Lebanon and Iraq.  And it refuses to rein in its deadly ICBM program.   There is trouble ahead.  From AFP:   

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday that negotiations on the country's missiles programme were out of the question.

"We will negotiate with no one on our weapons," said Rouhani in a press conference in Tehran.
"Iranian-made missiles have never been offensive and never will be. They are defensive and are not designed to carry weapons of mass destruction, since we don't have any," he said.

What a crock.  An ICBM is designed to carry only weapons of mass destruction.

He reiterated that the nuclear deal signed in 2015 with six world powers could not be renegotiated, despite threats from US President Donald Trump to reimpose sanctions unless fresh curbs were put on Iran's missiles and regional behaviour.

"The key to the problems between Tehran and Washington is in Washington's hands. They need to stop their threats and sanctions and pressure, and automatically the situation will improve and we can think about our future," Rouhani said.

COMMENT:  Thank you, President Obama, for putting us in this position.  We get some support from our allies in confronting Iran, but nowhere near enough.  A number of our European allies are too busy making fortunes in Iran, the world's largest sponsor of terror.

Iran will have nuclear weapons within a decade, when the limitations of the nuclear agreement end.  It will also have the missiles to carry them.

Barack Obama will be receiving honorary degrees from the admiring faculties of major universities.

February 7, 2018       Permalink

GUNS ARE STARTING TO SMOKE – AT 10:39 A.M. ET:  I guess it had to come to this...some evidence that Barack Obama was involved in improper activities during the 2016 election campaign.  It's early.  We proceed with caution.  From the Washington Times: 

A new batch of text messages between FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page revealed President Barack Obama wanted updates on the bureau’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, according a report released Wednesday.

On Sept. 2, 2016 — just weeks away from election day — Ms. Page texted Mr. Strzok, her lover, about preparing a report for then-FBI Director James B. Comey because “potus wants to know everything we’re doing.”

That raises questions about Mr. Obama’s involvement in the Clinton investigation, the report said.

The message were released in a report by Sen. Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican, who is chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, one of six congressional committees reviewing the Strzok-Page texts.

Newly released texts also raised questions about whether the FBI waited nearly a month to reopen the Clinton investigation after new emails from the former secretary of state were discovered on the laptop computer of former Rep. Anthony Weiner, New York Democrat, whose wife was a top Clinton campaign aide.

On Sept. 28, 2016, Mr. Strzok told Ms. Page he was called into the office of then-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to discuss “hundreds of thousands” of emails, including some possibly sent by Mrs. Clinton, that Mr. Weiner’s attorney turned over to the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. The emails were turned over as part of an unrelated investigation into Mr. Weiner sending explicit messages to an underage girl in North Carolina.

COMMENT:  The whole thing is sordid.  Equally sordid is the clear, obvious attempt by the mainstream media to play down any improper activity by Democrats.  It is a frightening abdication of press responsibility, and a threat to the very idea of a free, independent press.

It is hard to keep up with all the probes going on in Washington, but I believe the GOP strategy is to have plenty of ammunition ready against the Democrats should Robert Mueller come up with any serious charges against President Trump.

February 7,  2018     Permalink