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JULY 9,  2016

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

OH PLEASE – FROM THE HILL:   President Obama said Saturday that he is "concerned" by the FBI assessment that the State Department has acted carelessly in handling classified information.  "I am concerned," he told reporters at a news conference in Warsaw Saturday, according to Reuters.  But he cast the problem as a government-wide struggle to keep up technology and the fast-paced flow of information.  "The advent of email and texts and smart phones is just generating enormous amounts of data," Obama said, which is "putting enormous pressure on the department to sort through it, classify it properly."  That is an almost perfect statement of an excuse mentality.  Nothing Clinton allegedly did could be attributable to anything Obama is talking about.  She was reckless and indifferent.  We had reckless and indifferent people in the age of pencil and paper.

VEEPSTAKES – FROM THE HILL:   Donald Trump is considering a retired Army general to be his running mate, the Washington Post reported Saturday.  Former Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn is on the presumptive GOP presidential nominee's shortlist for vice presidential candidates, the report said.
Flynn retired as the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in 2014.  It is Trump himself, and not his advisors, behind the push for Flynn, the report said. Trump feels the current national unrest calls for a "tough and steady" figure, the Post said.  Flynn joins a shortlist that reportedly includes former House Speaker Newt Gingrich; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.  Flynn is an excellent man who gets the war on terror right.  But he has no political experience and is apparently a registered Democrat.  Trump needs someone to help him navigate the political waters.  Flynn has great strengths, but campaign skill is not on that list.

COMMON SENSE – FROM CNN:  London (CNN) There will be no "do-over" of the Brexit vote. The British government on Saturday rejected a petition signed by more than 4 million people calling for a new poll on whether Britain should remain in or leave the European Union.  In the original June 23 referendum across the UK, 52% of voters said they wanted to leave the 28-member European Union...Britain's foreign office broke the news to EU supporters Saturday in statement, saying that Prime Minister David Cameron had made clear that the "decision must be respected." Cameron announced after the vote that he would step down in October, saying a new leader would be needed to usher the country through the transition.  A mature decision.  The political class and the "young voters" (brats) among the population thought they could get a do-over.   They only do that in kindergarten. 

July 9, 2016       Permalink

HILLARY – I'M SWEET AND INNOCENT – AT 11:28 A.M. ET:  On a Friday, in the midst of a national crisis, Hillary Clinton managed to bring the discussion back to the most important thing in her life – herself.  Why, those nasty comments by the FBI director were just not true.  Little me, I'm an innocent, good person.  From The Hill: 

Hillary Clinton on Friday strongly disputed the FBI’s finding that she and her aides were “extremely careless” in their handling of classified information.

Clinton, giving her first public interviews since the Justice Department’s decision not to press charges against her, said she thought FBI Director James Comey had "clarified that comment, to some extent, pointing out that some of what was thought to be classified apparently was not."

“I think the professionals with whom I communicated were very careful about how they handled classified material — as I was over the course of those four years,” the former secretary of State said on CNN’s “The Lead.”

“I do not believe that all of the professionals that I dealt with in the State Department were careless in handling classified material,” she added moments later, in a separate interview with Lester Holt on MSNBC.

The position is a striking rebuttal of Comey's statements. He twice this week called her behavior “extremely careless,” even while asserting it did not violate the law.

“Certainly, she should have known not to send classified information,” Comey testified before the House Oversight Committee on Thursday.

“I think she was extremely careless. I think she was negligent. That, I could establish,” he added. “What we can't establish is that she acted with the necessary criminal intent.”

In her interviews, Clinton referred to “over 300 people” she communicated with via email, including longtime diplomats and government officials.

“I do not believe that they did anything that they believed was in any way inappropriate,” she said on MSNBC.

“Other agencies have said maybe they should have known at the time, but these are professionals ... they were doing the best job they could. They were not careless. The material they sent to me they did not believe was classified.”

According to Comey, at least 113 email messages Clinton sent or received through her controversial private email setup contained information that was classified at the time it was sent — including eight email threads with information at the highest level of top secret.

An additional 2,000 emails contained information that was upgraded to classified after the fact.

Clinton might be staring down the barrel of a new criminal investigation for lying under oath to Congress. House Republicans have promised to refer questions about Clinton’s truthfulness to the FBI, noting that comments she made during a congressional hearing last year appeared to conflict with the FBI’s conclusions.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) blasted Clinton after the interviews, accusing her of continuing to lie.

COMMENT:  I have no idea why she's doing this.  She must think Comey's charges are going to stick, and will do her damage.  The reality is that any government employee who did what Hillary Clinton did would be in deep trouble. 

Anyone who's ever been in a position to handle classified information – and I've been there – is constantly bombarded with warnings about security.  Hillary Clinton ignored those warnings.  We had a slogan in World War II – "Loose lips sink ships" – and it was accurate. 

July 9, 2016       Permalink

NOTHING TO SEE, NOTHING TO SEE – AT 10:56 A.M. ET:  As we fight our domestic battles, Iran is having us for lunch internationally.  The propaganda organs of the administration, led by The New York Times, assure us that the Iran nuclear deal is working.  Reality tells us otherwise, and reality is what will determine our future.  From Powerline:   

The German domestic intelligence service says that Iran is making extensive and repeated efforts to obtain technology and materials needed for nuclear weapons, contrary to its longstanding assurances that its nuclear program is peaceful:

The German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) said in an annual report it has detected extensive Iranian attempts to acquire illicit materials in Germany, “especially goods that can be used in the field of nuclear technology.”

“Also in international comparison, the level of attempts remains high,” it added, according to i24news.

The German intelligence body in the regional state of North Rhine-Westphalia registered 141 such attempts last year, as opposed to 83 similar tries in 2014. 90 of those attempts were described as illegal activities to procure technology that could be used for the development of nuclear weapons and launchers.

The smuggling of the proliferation-sensitive goods is conducted usually by Iranian strawmen and shell companies through China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, the report estimated.

The vast majority of these attempts have been thwarted–which makes sense, since these are the ones the authorities know about–but “Iran’s covert and intensive procurement activities on German soil are expected to continue.”

Then there is this:

The findings mark the second time in the last few weeks that evidence has surfaced of Iran’s nuclear work.

Late in June, it was reported that the Obama administration had concluded that uranium particles discovered last year at the secretive Iranian military base in Parchin likely were tied to the country’s past, covert nuclear weapons program.

The findings contradict Tehran’s longstanding denials that it was pursuing a nuclear bomb.

COMMENT:  Like Britain in the 1930s, we are asleep, with much of the Democratic foreign-policy establishment resentful of anyone sounding an alarm.  Those warmongers, you know.

Who will pay the price?  Our children will pay the price.  But, given the kind of education they're getting today, will they even realize it?

July 9, 2016       Permalink

GIVE US A REAL CHOICE – AT 10:28 A.M. ET:  That is what Americans seem to be saying about this year's presidential election, in which we're given a choice between Bonnie and Clyde.  From Reuters: 

Americans' demand for an alternative to the two main presidential candidates has surged since the last election, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll shows, underscoring the unpopularity of Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Based on 2,153 interviews, Friday's poll results suggest a strong potential for a third-party candidate - like Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party or Jill Stein of the Green Party - to take enough of the vote in the Nov. 8 presidential election to influence its outcome.

According to the July 1-8 poll, 21 percent of likely voters will not back Trump or Clinton. That compares with about 13 percent of likely voters who opted out of the two main choices at the same point in the 2012 race between incumbent President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

The poll also showed a majority of American voters have an overall "unfavorable" view of both main candidates, with 46 percent of Clinton supporters and 47 percent of Trump supporters saying their top priority when voting will be to stop the opposing candidate from reaching the White House.

Demand for an alternative could be decisive in hotly contested battleground states. In Florida in 2012, for instance, Obama won by less than 1 percentage point. If this year's race is just as tight, third-party candidates could draw enough support to flip the state from one major party to the other.

COMMENT:  No one knows whether these figures will increase, decrease, or remain steady, for the rest of the campaign.  Some dream of a third force influencing the race enough to deny victory in the Electoral College to either major candidate.  That would throw the presidency into the House of Representatives, which would have to choose from among the top three contenders.  Precisely where does that get us?

A true third force would have a chance at outright victory.  But I'm afraid it's too late for that, and there may not even be a popular enough candidate to head such a force.  Had David Petraeus been able to control his hormones, he might have been such a leader. 

The bottom line is that, no matter who is elected in November, we will have a very bitter, divided country. 

July 9,  2016     Permalink   

JULY 8,  2016

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

TRUMP LEADS IN NEW POLL – FROM RASMUSSEN:   The presidential race has grown a bit tighter in this week’s White House Watch survey.  The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds Donald Trump with 42% of the vote, while Hillary Clinton earns 40%. Thirteen percent (13%) still like another candidate, and five percent (5%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)  This survey was taken Tuesday evening following FBI Director James Comey's announcement that his agency would not seek any indictments of Clinton despite her "extremely careless" handling of classified information while serving as secretary of State. Most voters disagree with Comey’s decision.  Trump pulled ahead of Clinton last week 43% to 39%, his highest level of support in Rasmussen Reports’ matchups with Clinton since last October. Support for Clinton remains below the level of support she received for most of June.  Rasmussen Reports will release new presidential race numbers with Libertarian Gary Johnson in the mix tomorrow morning at 8:30 Eastern.  We'll monitor those new figures tomorrow morning.  The Rasmussen poll is believed to lean somewhat Republican, so we'll wait for other polls to assess Clinton's standing after the FBI report. 

DALLAS – It now appears that there was only one shooter in last night's Dallas anti-police massacre.  He's an Army veteran with an arsenal at home and a hatred for whites.  He may (or may not) have had accomplices.  There have been a number of non-lethal attacks on police officers around the country in the last day, and an assault on a police headquarters in Oakland, California.  There are alerts out for officers to be particularly careful, and there's a special alert out for Louisiana.  FROM JUDICIAL WATCH:   The FBI issued an alert to Louisiana law enforcement agencies warning of violence against officers and planned riots in the aftermath of this week’s high-profile fatal shooting of a black man by Baton Rouge Police. Judicial Watch obtained a copy of the situational information report, which was distributed to police and sheriff departments in Bossier, Caddo Parish and east Baton Rouge as well as Louisiana State Police.  Why aren't there legal charges against some people and groups for advancing anti-police hate crimes?

VOTERS ENGAGED – FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER:   They don't care much for either Donald Trump of Hillary Clinton, but there is the most interest in the 2016 presidential election in 24 years and three out of four voters believe that "it really matters" who wins, according to a new survey.  Pew Research Service said in a report issued Thursday that voter engagement in the campaign is the highest it has seen since it began testing interest.  Some 80 percent said that they have thought about the election, even higher than in 2008, when 72 percent said the same thing about Barack Obama's election as the first-ever black president.   That doesn't surprise me.  Voters are engaged, and they are looking at the worst choices for president that they've ever been given.

July 8, 2016       Permalink

STATE TO PROBE CLINTON AGAIN – AT 11:32 A.M. ET:  We briefly reported yesterday that the State Department is resuming its probe of Hillary Clinton's e-mail practices.  The story seemed a little odd.  Here are the details.  From UPI:

WASHINGTON, July 7 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of State will restart its internal investigation into former chief Hillary Clinton's email use, now that Justice officials have declined to pursue charges against the Democratic presidential candidate.

"Given the Department of Justice has now made its announcement, the State Department intends to conduct its internal review," spokesman John Kirby said in a statement Thursday.

The department had been conducting its own investigation into the matter but suspended it to avoid interfering with the Justice Department's review.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said earlier this week that her department has opted not to file charges against Clinton for using a private email server while she was President Barack Obama's secretary of state.

FBI Director James Comey, who answered questions related to the investigation in Congress Thursday, made the recommendation to Lynch that Clinton face no charges.

A State Department review could potentially lead to certain sanctions against Clinton, including disciplinary action.

"I cannot provide specific information about the Department's review, including what information we are evaluating," Kirby said. "Our goal will be to be as transparent as possible about our results, while complying with our various legal obligations."

COMMENT:  My question is whether this is a truly independent review, or a review intended to help Clinton become the next president.  I make no judgment on that.

On the other hand, if bad stuff turns up, what disciplinary action can State take against Clinton?  She doesn't work there anymore.  There are suggestions floating around from Republicans that Clinton and those who worked for her be stripped of their security clearances.  If that happens, I'll bet only the underlings are targeted.  How could they take away the clearance of a presidential candidate, who needs to receive classified briefings while running for office?

The soap opera goes on.

July 8, 2016       Permalink

SEND IN THE CLOWNS – AT 9:46 A.M. ET:  It didn't take long for the Fraternal Order of Stupid Comments to make its presence known after the horror of Dallas.  Consider, from the Daily Mail: 

Human rights activist Jessie Jackson has pointed the finger at Donald Trump and his followers for helping to create a rising climate of fear in America which has contributed to the shocking deaths of five police officers in downtown Dallas.

Rev Jackson said there was an 'anti-black mood' in America which also saw discrimination against immigrants, Muslims and women.

Speaking in the aftermath of the coordinated attack on 11 police officers in Dallas, Rev Jackson called on President Barack Obama to hold a conference on violence and racial disparities.'

There's a time in life for some people to get off the stage.   Jackson's time is long past.  This is a man who once referred to Jews as "Hymies" and New York as "Hymietown."  He's still giving us moral lectures.

Or get this one, from Minnesota's intellectually challenged Democratic governor, Mark Dayton, about a black man killed by police several days ago in his state.  From NBC News:

An "appalled" Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said Thursday that police wouldn't have shot and killed Philando Castile if he'd been white and called for justice "with the greatest sense of time urgency."...

...Dayton said Castile would be alive if he hadn't been black, adding that the shooting demonstrated a troubling pattern of racism among some Minnesota law enforcement officers.

"Would this have happened if those passengers, the driver were white?" he asked. "I don't think it would have."

I wonder how Dayton knows that.  Does he have a secret device that can read the minds of the officers involved?   That statement, made before all facts are known, was inflammatory and grossly irresponsible. 

Then of course we have the president of the United States, who has a history of inserting himself into these controversies before any investigation is concluded.  After the police shootings earlier in the week he announced that we must confront police bias.  Again, only preliminary facts were known.  There was no direct evidence of bias, although that might certainly turn up.  And, of course, Obama has now put in another plug for gun control. 

It would be wise for some people to just shut up and gather facts.  There have simply been too many cases where the reporting of the original event turned out to be highly inaccurate. 

July 8, 2016       Permalink 

DALLAS, VERY LATEST – AT 9:12 A.M. ET:  The suspect who'd been holding off police has been killed by police action.  Claims he acted alone.  Police dubious about that claim.  From CNN:

(CNN) [Breaking news update, published at 8:59 a.m. ET]  A suspect who died after a standoff with Dallas police said he wanted to kill white people -- especially white officers -- and that he was upset about "the recent police shootings," and that he acted alone, Dallas Police Chief David Brown told reporters Friday.

The suspect eventually was killed by a bomb that authorities detonated, Brown said.
"We saw no other option but to use our bomb robot and place a device on its extension for it to detonate where the suspect was," Brown said. "Other options would have exposed our officers to grave danger. The suspect is deceased as a result of detonating the bomb."

Five police officers were killed and seven others were injured in the ambush in Dallas that began Thursday night, officials have said, in the deadliest single incident for U.S. law enforcement since September 11, 2001. Two civilians also were injured in the shootings, the office of Dallas' mayor has said.

Most of the injured Dallas police officers have been released from a hospital, Brown told reporters. The officers' conditions are improving, Brown said.

"All I know is that this must stop -- this divisiveness between our police and our citizens," Brown said. "We don't feel much support most days. Let's not make today most days. Please, we need your support to be able to protect you from men like these, who carried out this tragic, tragic event."
Brown said an investigation into the ambush continues.

"I'm not going to be satisfied until we've turned over every stone. We've got some level that this one suspect did do some of the shooting. But we're not satisfied that we've exhausted every lead," he said. "So if there's someone out there who's associated with this, we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will bring you to justice."

COMMENT:  The issue is the comment by the now-deceased shooter that he "acted alone."  There are three other suspects in custody.  It's doubtful (but possible) that the deceased shooter did act alone, but unlikely, given witness reports. 

July 8,  2016     Permalink