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JULY 2,  2016

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

THE QUESTIONING – Hillary Clinton was questioned for three and a half hours by the FBI today.  There have been no leaks about the session.  However, there is much speculation circulating that Clinton will not be charged legally.  That can cut both ways.  On the one hand, she can claim exoneration.  On the other, opponents can charge "cover-up."  Obama will be campaigning with Clinton this week.  If she's then cleared, the appearances, the "optics," will not look very good.  Trump is already charging that the system is rigged.  Republicans will double down on that theme if Clinton walks.

DISGRACE – FROM LONDON'S DAILY MAIL:   An illegal immigrant from Mexican who was charged with aggravated murder in the shooting deaths of three people at a rural Oregon blueberry farm had been deported six times.  According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Bonifacio Oseguera-Gonzalez, 29, was most recently deported in 2013 and had no significant prior criminal convictions.
Oseguera-Gonzalez pleaded not guilty to three counts of aggravated murder and one count of attempted murder Tuesday in Marion County Superior Court.   However, he acknowledged to authorities in an interview that he shot four people, according to a probable cause statement.  The victims were identified as Ruben Rigoberto-Reyes, 60; Edmundo Amaro-Bajonero, 26; and Katie Gildersleeve, 30, of Logsden.
Authorities have released few details about the case, including the relationship between Oseguera-Gonzalez and the victims, and have declined to specify a motive.  We are a nation with a diminishing respect for the rule of law, and the Obama administration is the worst example.

ENERGY POLICIES HAVE CONSEQUENCES:  Perhaps Hillary can explain this to American labor.  FROM FOX:   Murray Energy Corp., the largest privately held coal miner in the U.S., has warned that it may soon undertake one of the biggest layoffs in the sector during this time of low energy prices.  In a notice sent to workers this week, Murray said it could lay off as many as 4,400 employees, or about 80% of its workforce, because of weak coal markets. The company said it anticipates “massive workforce reductions in September.”  The law requires a 60-day waiting period before large layoffs occur.  The American coal industry, especially in Appalachia, has languished as cheap natural gas replaces coal as fuel for power plants. World-wide demand for coal has also slumped, and new environmental regulations are making many coal mines unprofitable to operate.  Hillary Clinton said openly that she wanted to destroy the coal industry and its jobs.  She recently said she'd misspoken.  In other words, she got caught.  We want to see modernization in energy, but who is providing a future for all those unemployed miners?

July 2, 2016       Permalink

FBI/CLINTON UPDATE – AT 12:36 P.M. ET:  Hillary Clinton was interviewed by the FBI today.  From AP:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Clinton has been interviewed Saturday by the FBI about her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.

Clinton campaign spokesman Nick Merrill says in a statement the voluntary interview with federal agents took place Saturday.

The interview was not unexpected and does not suggest that Clinton or anyone else is likely to face prosecution. Legal experts view criminal prosecution as exceedingly unlikely. The interview may indicate that the Justice Department's yearlong probe is drawing to a close.

Still, it's awkward for Democrats to have FBI agents question Clinton mere weeks before their party formally nominates her for president.

COMMENT:  I'd be awfully careful about assuming there'll be no criminal prosecution.  It's unlikely that the FBI has gone on a year-long fishing expedition.

Indeed, if there's no criminal prosecution, the optics can still be extremely negative.  People might logically ask, "How did she get away with it?"

Also, in the absence of a criminal indictment, there could still be a scathing report on Clinton's behavior, her judgment, her presumed negligence while secretary of state.

And remember, the Clinton foundation, as we've noted, is still under investigation.

July 2, 2016       Permalink

HILLARY AND HISTORY – AT 11:45 A.M. ET:  Big weekend apparently coming up for Hillary Clinton – the political equivalent of a bowl-game weekend.  She and the FBI have a rendezvous with destiny.  From The Hill:   

FBI Director James Comey is now firmly in the driver’s seat of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, after Attorney General Loretta Lynch pledged she would accept whatever course of action his bureau and career prosecutors recommend.

Lynch’s influence will continue to be felt throughout the department, and her refusal to fully remove herself from the case ensures that she will continue to be briefed about its developments. Prosecutors within her department — not the FBI — will ultimately decide whether or not to press ahead with charges.

But her decision makes Comey the public face of the investigation. And his reputation as a well-respected but hard-nosed maverick might give Democrats some worry about the outcome of the probe, which is nearing its one-year anniversary later this month.

“Comey is the center of gravity on this thing,” said Ron Hosko, a former FBI assistant director and president of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund.

“There is a growing expectation that we the public need to hear the FBI, Jim Comey version of whether or not charges will be brought,” he added. “There has probably been increasing recognition by her that that’s true, that she is viewed as — regardless of her prior reputation as an effective prosecutor — she’s now the head of Obama’s DOJ, a political position in a Democratic administration that is deciding on the prosecution or not of the leading Democratic candidate.”

And...

ABC News reported on Friday that Hillary Clinton could be interviewed by the FBI "in the coming days."

COMMENT:  I don't think we've ever seen this before, a presidential candidate under such scrutiny by law enforcement.  And don't forget that Bill Clinton may also be a target of the investigation.  He has taken millions from foreign governments and other entities for "speeches."  Did Hillary Clinton, as secretary of state, make decisions based on those payments to her husband?  Ah, that is one of the key questions.

July 2, 2016       Permalink

BANGLADESH UPDATE – AT 11:14 A.M. ET:  Updating our report from last night.  It's gotten much worse.  From Fox: 

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister vowed Saturday to fight terrorism “at all costs” after 20 people were killed after Islamic gunmen took dozens of hostages during a 10-hour siege at a restaurant.

The victims included two students from Emory University in Georgia and nine Italians.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina condemned the attack while pledging to stand up and fight the terror threats that has mushroomed in the country, Reuters reported.

“We are committed and determined to uphold or freedom,” Hasina said, adding that Bangladesh will fight the terror threat “at all costs.”

Hasina declared two days of mourning following the attack on the Dhaka café Holey Artisan Bakery.

At least seven Islamic terrorists attacked the upscale restaurant in the diplomatic quarter of Bangladesh's capital Friday night.

Early Saturday, a Bangladeshi commando raid supported by armored vehicles resulted in the deaths of at least six attackers and the capture of a seventh. Thirteen hostages were rescued. Two police officers were killed in an earlier gun battle with the militants.

COMMENT:  It was the second major terrorist attack this week, the first being the Istanbul airport bombing.  We have every reason to believe there'll be more.

Meanwhile, the White House shows no sense of urgency.  After all, it's a gun-control issue, isn't it?

July 2,  2016     Permalink

JULY 1,  2016

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:48 P.M. ET:   

BANGLADESH – FROM FOX:   DEVELOPING: Commandos backed by armored vehicles stormed a upscale restaurant in the Bangladesh capital's diplomatic zone Saturday, killing at least six Islamist militants who had taken dozens of hostages the previous evening.  Approximately three hours after the raid began, police Lt. Col. Tuhin Mohammad Masud confirmed to the Associated Press that the restaurant's main building had been cleared and at least 13 hostages had been rescued.  Masud added that some of the militants had been captured and noted "the operation is still going on." He also said there were casualties among the hostages, but declined to elaborate.  Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina confirmed in a nationally televised speech that some hostages had been killed, though she did not give an exact number. She also said security officials had captured one of the militants alive and vowed to fight terrorist attacks in the country.  This is still an incomplete story, especially regarding numbers of casualties.  More will come in.  But it's clear that this is simply another example of loose gun laws.  Nothing else to see, nothing else to see.

RACIST HILLARY! – FROM DAILY CALLER:   Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton unveiled a new plan Tuesday that would provide student loan assistance, and potentially full forgiveness, to college graduates who try to start their own business. But almost immediately after being announced, critics on the left decried Clinton’s plan, arguing that it will be too beneficial to white male graduates.  Under a plan Clinton laid out Tuesday during a campaign stop in Denver, student borrowers who provide proof they’ve started a new business can have the interest on their student loans deferred for up to three years while they work to build their business. If borrowers start up their business in an economically distressed area, they’ll also be eligible to have up to $17,500 in loans forgiven after five years.  The race industry tells us that entrepreneurs are mostly white and male.  Okay, maybe the critics should devote their time to encouraging minorities and women to try starting their own businesses (as many already do).  Oh wait, that might be capitalist.  They might actually succeed, and employ people.  Not acceptable.  Never mind. 

NEW WARNING – FROM LONDON'S DAILY MAIL:  A pro-ISIS twitter account has threatened attacks at London Heathrow, LAX and New York's JFK airports over the July 4 holiday weekend.  The account said that attacks would be carried out on planes 'flying from Heathrow [Airport] to the US' and warned that 'there will be a device placed in either Heathrow, LAX or JFK airports.'  The threat was revealed by SITE Intelligence Group - the world's leading non-governmental counterterrorism organization - on its website...On Thursday, the FBI said there are no specific or credible security threats against the United States known to law enforcement heading into the Fourth of July weekend.  'However, law enforcement and members of the public must remain vigilant. ... The FBI asks members of the public to maintain awareness of their surroundings and to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement,' an FBI spokeswoman said in a statement.

July 1, 2016       Permalink

UPHEAVAL IN BRITAIN – AT 9:48 A.M. ET:  After the Brexit vote last week, it was widely assumed that former London Mayor Boris Johnson, a conservative, would become Britain's next prime minister.  But Johnson was betrayed by one of his closest allies, who decided that he should be prime minister.  The mess revolted many, and attention has now turned toward a new candidate, who has quickly become the favorite to succeed David Cameron at 10 Downing Street.  From Sky News: 

Theresa May has won the backing of a number of senior Tories in the race to be the next Prime Minister - as Michael Gove prepares to make his pitch for the job.

With supporters of the one-time frontrunner Boris Johnson up for grabs for the five contenders, the Home Secretary secured endorsements from cabinet colleagues Michael Fallon and Patrick McLoughlin.

Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock - a close ally of Chancellor George Osborne - also came out for Mrs May on Thursday night.

Justice Secretary Michael Gove will make a speech later after his last-minute decision to enter the race stunned Westminster and forced his Vote Leave partner Mr Johnson to drop out.

Laying out his support for the Home Secretary, Mr Fallon said: "As Defence Secretary, I've worked closely with Theresa on security and she is the right person to steer Britain through the serious challenges we now face.

"Theresa is the best person to lead our exit from the EU so that we reduce immigration and regain sovereignty while protecting our hard won economic growth.

"She has the track record, the temperament and the commitment to unite both the party and the country behind a clear plan for our future."

Transport Secretary Mr McLoughlin, writing in The Sun, said Mrs May would be able to do the required deals in Brussels as the UK negotiated its exit from the European Union.

Suggesting Mrs May had "the 'it' factor", he said: "We know that the next prime minister needs to forge a deal from the EU as we shape our brighter future in the rest of the world. And her track record shows that when Theresa arrives in Brussels, Europe's bosses sit up and listen."

COMMENT:  From the perspective of the Anglo-American alliance, May is a solid choice.  She's somewhat Thatcherite in her determination to get the job done, and conservative enough in her views, although she favored staying in the EU in the recent referendum.  But when the vote was counted and favored leaving, she insisted that the people's will be carried out.

July 1,  2016     Permalink

TRUMP'S V.P. POSSIBILITIES – AT 9:21 A.M. ET:  The vetting process for the Trump side has begun.  From the Washington Post:   

Donald Trump’s campaign has begun formally vetting possible running mates, with former House speaker Newt Gingrich emerging as the leading candidate, followed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. But there are more than a half dozen others being discussed as possibilities, according to several people with knowledge of the process.

Given Trump’s unpredictability, campaign associates caution that the presumptive Republican nominee could still shake up his shortlist. But with little more than two weeks before the start of the Republican National Convention, Gingrich and Christie have been asked to submit documents and are being cast as favorites for the post inside the campaign. Gingrich in particular is the beneficiary of a drumbeat of support from Trump confidants such as Ben Carson.

A number of senators — including Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and Bob Corker (Tenn.) — are also being reviewed as viable picks, although the extent to which they are being vetted is unclear. A longer shot on Trump’s radar is Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, a heavyweight on the right who could bolster Trump’s tepid support among some conservative activists.

COMMENT:  Hard to know exactly what's real here.  Trump remains a controversial candidate among many Republicans.  I'm guessing – it's speculation – that he's getting many turn-downs from people he'd like to consider.  I can easily see an adviser saying to a prospect, "Look, he's disliked within the party and will probably lose to Clinton.  Why get involved and get tainted with the Trump label?"

I don't think either Gingrich or Christie will excite anyone.  Gingrich is brilliant and innovative, but a man of the past with no current constituency.  Christie is increasingly unpopular in his home state and comes off the same way Trump often does – as gruff and confrontational.

Trump could use a woman on the ticket, but he insulted two of the best prospects, Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina and Governor Susana Martinez of New Mexico, during the primaries.  Trump's loose mouth is coming back to haunt him.

July 1, 2016       Permalink

ETHICS...OR SOMETHING ELSE? – AT 8:56 A.M. ET:  Attorney General Loretta Lynch will play no part in the probe into Hillary Clinton e-mails.  From The New York Times:

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch plans to announce on Friday that she will accept whatever recommendation career prosecutors and the F.B.I. director make about whether to bring charges related to Hillary Clinton’s personal email server, a Justice Department official said. Her decision removes the possibility that a political appointee will overrule investigators in the case.

The Justice Department had been moving toward such an arrangement for months — officials said in April that it was being considered — but a private meeting between Ms. Lynch and former President Bill Clinton this week set off a political furor and made the decision all but inevitable.

Republicans said the meeting, which took place at the Phoenix airport, had compromised the independence of the investigation as the F.B.I. was winding it down. Some called for Ms. Lynch to recuse herself, but she did not take herself off the case — one that could influence a presidential election.

Ms. Lynch has said she wants to handle the Clinton investigation like any other case. Since the attorney general often follows the recommendations of career prosecutors, Ms. Lynch is keeping the regular process largely intact.

COMMENT:  That's fine, as far as it goes.  But does it go far enough?  Every story I've seen on this today limits Lynch's recusal to the e-mail investigation.  But it's widely believed among informed sources that the FBI is also probing bribery issues involving the Clinton Foundation, and that these issues could involve both Bill and Hillary Clinton.  Is Lynch recusing herself from that part of the investigation as well? 

It's possible that the journalistic shorthand found in stories thus far used the "e-mail investigations" as an umbrella for any probe involving the Clintons, but I want clarification.   Reporters must ask.

July 1,  2016     Permalink