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JULY 12,  2016

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:52 P.M. ET: 

SUCH STYLE AND DIGNITY – FROM THE WASHINGTON TIMES:  Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton blamed her aides for bungling her emails, telling a federal court Tuesday that department employees knew she was using a secret account and they should have been the ones to police her.  Mrs. Clinton, through her lawyers, begged the court not to order her to have to testify under oath about her emails, saying she no longer has any of them and she didn’t set the system up to try to thwart open-records laws, so she has little to add to the ongoing Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.  Judicial Watch, a conservative legal group that’s been pursuing Mrs. Clinton’s emails for years, has asked a federal judge to make Mrs. Clinton sit for a sworn deposition so it can get to the bottom of what happened to some 30,000 messages the former secretary refused to turn over to the government.  Blaming the aides.  Adults usually say, "I take full responsibility."  Hillary never heard those words.

I LOVE IT – FROM THE WASHINGTON TIMES:  Pennsylvania police officers picked up the tab Saturday for a couple of diners who reportedly refused to sit next to them.  Four officers were dining at the Eat’n Park restaurant in Homestead when a man told server Jesse Meyers that he didn’t want to sit near them, The Blaze reported.  “A table goes to sit down and the guy looks over at one of the police officers and was like, ‘Nah I don’t want to sit here,’” Mr. Meyers told WTAE, a local ABC News affiliate. “So they got moved completely opposite, away from the police officers.”  Homestead Police Officer Chuck Thomas said it was obvious that the man and the woman he was with didn’t want anything to do with the officers.  “I looked over and said, ‘It’s OK, sir. You won’t have to worry about it, we won’t hurt you,'” Officer Thomas recalled. “He looked at me hard again and said he’s not sitting here and walked away.”  He said he and another officer in his group paid for the couple’s check, which came to $38.50.  So the creeps walked away, but let the officers pay their tab.  They'd probably let the cops take a bullet for them also.

ANOTHER STORY OF CLASS AND GRACE – FROM DAILY CALLER:   President Obama referred to himself 45 times over the course of the speech he delivered Tuesday at the memorial service for the five police officers killed in Dallas last week.  Obama referred to himself twice before finishing his opening salutations and before mentioning the slain officers or their families. After noting the presence of President Bush, members of Congress and Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings, Obama appeared to go off-script.  “Chief Brown, I’m so glad I met Michelle first because she loves Stevie Wonder,” Obama said, jokingly referencing Dallas Police Chief David Brown’s earlier speech in which Brown quoted lyrics from the song “As” in tribute to the deceased. The president looked around the room, pointed at Brown and cracked a grin while the audience laughed at and applauded his joke.   The first ten minutes of Obama's speech were fine, even eloquent.  But then he went political, and ruined the whole thing.  Wrong man to lead the country at a time like this.

July 12, 2016       Permalink

BALTIMORE TRAGEDY – AT 9:37 A.M. ET:   We watch a city die, and we see a direct link with the irresponsible behavior of its leaders and their failure to back law enforcement and the rule of law.  From Powerline: 

Baltimore has descended into chaos since, in the aftermath of Freddy Gray’s death, the city failed to back its police force.

Murders surged a staggering 63 percent in 2015, with 344 people killed. This year hasn’t been quite as bad so far, but the murder rate remains abnormally high.

Meanwhile, Baltimore’s police force is shrinking dramatically. According to Blake Neff of the Daily Caller, at the beginning of 2015, Baltimore had 2,805 police officers. By the end of the year, the force was down to 2,634 officers, a drop of 6.1 percent. In June of this year, there were only 2,445 officers in the force, a decline of 6.8 percent since January.

The shrinkage in the size of the police force seems clearly to be related to the events that followed Freddy Gray’s death — the riots during which Baltimore’s mayor, having talked about making space for “those who wish to destroy," had the police stand down; the prosecution of six officers on charges that appear to be without merit; the wave of anti-police sentiment that politicians like prosecutor Marilyn Mosby have fueled and legitimized.

According to Gene Ryan, president of the Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police, these events were, as one would expect, “morale killers” for Baltimore cops. Many officers, he adds, are defecting to the police departments of nearby cities, including Washington, D.C.

Ryan says that lack of personnel has forced many specialty agents to fulfill routine roles like responding to emergency calls. Instead of trying to prevent crime, these agents are simply mopping up. Ryan also believes that officers are “walking on eggshells,” which also means less proactive policing.

Simply put, there is less policing, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Not surprisingly, the murder rate has spiked.

COMMENT:  I'm afraid we're going to make the same mistake over and over, in part because our news is filtered through liberal news networks, and our children are educated in liberal schools.  There is simply an effect, over time, that cannot be denied.

July 12, 2016       Permalink

MORE ON HILLARY – REMARKABLE – AT 9:08 A.M. ET:  Another poll just out, a unique one, paints a devastating picture of Hillary Clinton's standing among young people.

Now, let me be blunt:  I am not a fan of young people in politics.  Youth is often accompanied by immaturity and lack of experience.  But, for better or worse, we allow young people to vote.  Even in adult elections.  And they're not falling in love with the Queen.  From AP: 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Clinton is struggling to make inroads among young Americans who overwhelmingly supported Bernie Sanders during the Democratic presidential primary, a worrisome sign as she tries to reassemble the coalition that twice propelled Barack Obama into the White House.

Opinions of Clinton among young Americans vary by race and ethnicity, according to a new GenForward poll of adults ages 18 to 30. The majority of the nation's younger blacks and Asian-Americans have a favorable impression of Clinton, but the presumptive Democratic nominee struggles with whites and Hispanics.

Very significant.  Some observers lump all "minorities" together, but in fact they're very different.  Hispanics, as they get into the second and third generation, are certainly going their own way.  They don't consult with other "minorities" to know what to think.

Asian Americans, still a bit unsteady politically, will surely also go their own way.  If any observer thinks they'll consult with Al Sharpton, that observer is in need of treatment.

Just 26 percent of young whites and 49 percent of Hispanics have a positive opinion of the former secretary of state. Both groups overwhelmingly say she is not trustworthy.

"I just don't see her being honest and straightforward," said Alexander Tomas, an 18-year-old Hispanic from Fort Worth, Texas. A recent high school graduate, Tomas supported Sanders in the state's Democratic primary, but says he's now undecided about his choice in November's general election.

GenForward is a survey by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The first-of-its-kind poll pays special attention to the voices of young adults of color, highlighting how race and ethnicity shape the opinions of the country's most diverse generation.

The survey polled all young adults, not necessarily registered or likely voters, but the findings suggest Clinton may struggle to turn out people 18 to 30 to support her candidacy. While Clinton emerged victorious in her unexpectedly tough primary with Sanders, the contest revealed a stunning weakness with such young voters.

The GenForward poll found that among those who preferred Sanders in the primaries, only half are prepared to say they'll back Clinton in her general election face-off with presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump. About a quarter say they won't support Clinton, and nearly a quarter say they're not sure.

COMMENT:  Now let's see if Trump, who often is one big self-inflicted wound, can appeal to young people and their fear that the future may not be all that bright.  Trump's slogan should be, "I build," and he should show how he will.

July 12, 2016       Permalink

HILLARY RIDES THE TITANIC – AT 8:29 A.M. ET:  Damage has been done.  Her lead over Donald Trump is shrinking.  From NBC: 

Hillary Clinton's lead over Donald Trump narrowed to 3 points this week after several days of controversy following FBI Director James Comey's recommendation that no criminal charges be brought against the former secretary of state over her use of a private email server.

While the developments are certainly good news for the Clinton campaign, Comey's critical statement on Clinton's handling of the matter was not positive. Clinton's lead over Trump has deteriorated in the past couple weeks since her lead peaked two weeks ago.

A strong majority of voters (82 percent) agreed that it was inappropriate for Clinton to use a personal email server during her tenure as secretary of state. A smaller majority — 56 percent — also said they disagreed with Comey's recommendation that Clinton not be prosecuted for use of the server.

COMMENT:  This election may well turn out to be a tight horse race.  And minor-party candidates might draw enough votes to change the outcome in a number of states. 

One can only wonder where the race would be right now if the Republicans had a skillful presidential candidate, not a sledgehammer.  This should be an easy fight for Republicans.  If they lose the presidential contest, some heavy soul-searching will be in order, soul-searching that should focus on the way candidates are nominated.  We'll have more to say about that.

July 12,  2016     Permalink 

JULY 11,  2016

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:57 P.M. ET: 

PROMISE KEPT – FROM THE POLITICO:   Two House Committees on Monday asked the Justice Department to investigate whether Hillary Clinton perjured herself on the email controversy while testifying before Benghazi Committee investigators in October.  Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) sent the referral to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, asking him to probe claims Clinton made during the hearing last fall that have proved false.   Chaffetz promised last week that he'd do this, and he's kept his word.  It's more trouble for Hillary, with a possible perjury charge resulting.  However, let's be realistic.  It's highly unlikely that Loretta Lynch's Justice Department will do anything that would hurt Hillary's election chances.

BAYH AND BAYH – FROM THE HILL:   Former Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh’s decision to jump into the Indiana Senate race has upended the battle for the Senate majority in 2016 by expanding the map for Democrats.  The former senator’s impending decision to run for Senate, confirmed by a source familiar with the plan, comes after the party’s previous nominee, former Rep. Baron Hill, stepped aside Monday.  It’s the Democratic Party’s answer to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), whose surprise announcement to run for reelection last month made him the instant favorite in a seat Democrats had hoped to flip.  Bayh’s move upends the strategy for a seat many saw as an easy win for the GOP.  Democrats need to gain four seats to retake the Senate majority in November if they retain the White House, and five if they do not.   Bayh comes from a famous political family.  He is popular, and one of the few sane Democrats around.  If elected, he becomes an instant presidential contender for 2020, should Hillary not be elected in November.  Problem is, the Democratic Party isn't looking for sane moderates.

DISGRACEFUL – FROM THE HILL:   Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) said Friday that if the Department of Justice had been investigating the Orlando nightclub shooter instead of her, the 49 people killed in the massacre there last month would still be alive.  Brown was charged with 24 counts of fraud late last week, after being accused of using a college scholarship fund as “a personal slush fund.”  “These are the same agents that was not able to do a thorough investigation of [shooter Omar Mateen], and we ended up with 50 people dead,” Brown said. Mateen was shot and killed by police at the scene of the Orlando nightclub attack, bringing the total death toll to 50.   Brown’s lawyer echoed those sentiments.  “Perhaps had it chosen to devote its resources more thoughtfully, 50 innocent people would be alive today,” Elizabeth White said, according to First Coast News.  Prosecutors allege that the Florida lawmaker and her chief of staff, Elias “Ronnie” Simmons, used her office to solicit hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to the fake charity.  On Sunday, Brown seemed to draw parallels from her situation to the shootings of Philando Castile, Alton Sterling and the police officers in Dallas.  “Two black men were needlessly gunned down by police; five Dallas police officers were slain by a demented man, and on Friday I had to appear in federal court,” she wrote on her blog, as reported by BuzzFeed News. “I’m not the first black elected official to be persecuted and, sad to say, I won’t be the last.”   Easy winner of the Urgent Agenda bad-taste award for 2016.

July 11, 2016       Permalink

MAY DAY – AT 10:51 A.M. ET:  Britain will shortly have a new prime minister, and she will be the second female prime minister in the nation's history.  From NBC: 

LONDON — Theresa May will become Britain's second female prime minister after her only challenger withdrew Monday from the race to lead the ruling Conservative party.

May had been competing with Andrea Leadsom to replace David Cameron as party leader after he announced he would quit after losing last month's Brexit referendum.

However, Leadsom announced Monday she was dropping out, leaving May unopposed and forcing the Conservatives to abandon their plans for a ballot of members.

May is now expected to take over from Cameron within days, becoming the country's second female PM and the first since Margaret Thatcher stood down in 1990.

It marked another turbulent day for British politics. At the exact moment that Leadsom withdrew from the contest, lawmakers in the opposition Labour Party launched an official challenge to their embattled leader, Jeremy Corbyn. Labour now faces a months-long leadership battle of the kind that the Conservatives have just avoided.

COMMENT:  Theresa May is tough on terrorism, which she defines as the main problem facing the West.  In terms of style she's in the Maggie Thatcher tradition.  She believes in Great Britain, not half-great Britain.  Churchill would have had her in his cabinet. 

July 11, 2016       Permalink

WELL, I'LL SAY – AT 10:12 A.M. ET:   New research on police violence against minorities contradicts some of the best-loved illusions of the political left.  This research wasn't done by conservatives.  From The New York Times: 

A new study confirms that black men and women are treated differently in the hands of law enforcement. They are more likely to be touched, handcuffed, pushed to the ground or pepper-sprayed by a police officer, even after accounting for how, where and when they encounter the police.

But when it comes to the most lethal form of force — police shootings — the study finds no racial bias.

“It is the most surprising result of my career,” said Roland G. Fryer Jr., the author of the study and a professor of economics at Harvard. The study examined more than a thousand shootings in 10 major police departments, in Texas, Florida and California.

The result contradicts the mental image of police shootings that many Americans hold in the wake of the killings (some captured on video) of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.; Laquan McDonald in Chicago; Tamir Rice in Cleveland; Walter Scott in South Carolina; Samuel DuBose in Cincinnati; Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La.; and Philando Castile in Minnesota...

...Mr. Fryer is the youngest African-American to receive tenure at Harvard and the first one to receive a John Bates Clark medal, a prize given to the most promising American economist under 40. He is not afraid of controversial questions. In previous work, he has paid students to read books; considered the possibility of genetic differences in intelligence; and shown that high-achieving black and Hispanic students have fewer friends.

COMMENT:  Fascinating stuff.  Read the whole thing.  Maybe we can get our undereducated president to read this research as well.   But leftist myths die hard, if they die at all.

July 11, 2016       Permalink

ROASTING HILLARY – AT 9:17 A.M. ET:  The American public is displeased over the FBI's decision in the Hillary Clinton case.  From ABC:

A majority of Americans disapproves of the FBI's recommendation not to charge Hillary Clinton with a crime over her handling of email while secretary of state, and a similar number in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll say the issue leaves them worried about how she'd handle her responsibilities as president if elected.

Most also say the email controversy won't affect their vote choice in the presidential election. But more say it leaves them less rather than more likely to support Clinton, 28 percent vs. 10 percent.

Reaction to the decision is highly political, with partisanship factoring heavily in people’s views. Yet Democrats don't back Clinton up on the issue nearly as much as Republicans criticize her, and independents side more with Republicans.

Overall, 56 percent disapprove of FBI Director James Comey's recommendation not to charge Clinton, while just 35 percent approve. Similarly, 57 percent say the incident makes them worried about how Clinton might act as president if she were elected, with most very worried about it. Just 39 percent feel the issue isn't related to how she'd perform as president.

COMMENT:  Obviously, this is not good for Hillary.  First, it shows that Americans actually engaged on this somewhat complex issue.  Some pundits assumed that they wouldn't be interested.  (I've noticed that underestimating voters is one of the biggest flaws in political commentary.)

Second, the issue simply emphasizes Hillary's already poor reputation for honesty and reliability. 

In any normal election year, Clinton could already be toast.  But Donald Trump is a highly problematical, equally controversial candidate, also widely seen as untrustworthy.  Wouldn't it be ironic if he helped elect his opponent in a year that should be easy for Republicans?

July 11,  2016     Permalink