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MAY 27,  2016

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

A GREAT STORY – FROM CNN:  (CNN) Dr. Henry Heimlich reached his arms around the gagging woman's body and did what he does best: grasped his left fist in his right hand and thrust quickly and upward.  It was 1974 when he created the lifesaving maneuver and the American Medical Association gave it his name. On Monday -- at age 96 -- he got to use his own maneuver on someone who was choking.
Heimlich was eating a steak in the dining room of the Deupree House, a senior living community in Cincinnati, Ohio, when he noticed the woman next to him start to choke...As more than 100 other diners looked on, Heimlich said he stood up, spun the victim around and launched into his namesake technique.
He placed his arms around her waist, fist below the ribcage -- just above the belly button. Then, Heimlich pressed three times, and Patty Gill Ris, 87, coughed out a piece of her hamburger.  Ris had just moved to the community in March and was dining next to Heimlich for the first time.  "Oh gosh am I lucky that I sat there. And God put me right there at that table right next to Dr. Heimlich," she said.  And that is a truly great and inspiring story.

GOOD! – FROM FOX:   Relatives of the woman shot to death on a San Francisco pier last year filed a lawsuit Friday saying the illegal immigrant accused in the killing should have been in custody if not for a series of mistakes by city and federal workers.  The killing of Kate Steinle in July 2015 and the arrest of Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez put San Francisco's leaders on the defensive as critics and outside politicians called for a change in the city's sanctuary law. Despite national outrage, San Francisco's Board of Supervisors on Tuesday upheld those protections for people in the country illegally.  The sheriff at the time of the killing, Ross Mirkarimi, is named in the lawsuit, along with ICE and the Bureau of Land Management. Mirkarimi previously defended the release of the suspect, a repeat drug offender and habitual border-crosser.  Frank Pitre, the lawyer for Steinle's family, said the lawsuit points out "failures at every level."  It certainly does, and the worst failures were at the moral level – the left's insistence that hardened criminals be treated better than the victims of their crimes.  They're oppressed, you know.

WHAT OUR KIDS ARE TAUGHT – FROM THE HILL:   While President Obama visits the site of the world's first nuclear strike in Japan on Friday, a new poll finds Americans are split over the U.S. dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II.  Forty-three percent of Americans say they approve of the use of the bombs dropped on the Japanese cities in 1945, while 44 percent disapprove, according to a CBS News poll released Friday.  That compares to Gallup polling in 2005 that found significantly higher approval among Americans for dropping the bombs, with 57 percent approving and 38 percent not.  The CBS polling found that men are much more likely to support having used the atomic bomb, with 58 percent approving compared to 28 percent disapproving. Women disapproved using the bomb, 54 percent to 33 percent.  White Americans also approved of its use, 49 percent to 24 percent, while non-white Americans strongly opposed having used it, 62 percent to 38 percent.  The bomb was used to end the most horrible war in history.  Ending the war probably saved millions of lives.  It is easy for people some 71 years later to pass moral judgment, especially since they're out of danger and bear no risk from mortal combat.  I suspect some of the poll results reflect what our children are being taught in "history" classes, that America is usually wrong and that other cultural "narratives" must be respected.  It probably also reflects, in the racial divide, the propaganda handed to minority children – that race, gender, and ethnicity are everything, and facts mean nothing.

May 27,  2016     Permalink

NEW YORK LEADS THE WAY BACKWARD – AT 11:52 A.M. ET:  "Progressives" are again on the march, watching over us as we lead reckless, evil lives.  From Fox:

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City plans to start enforcing a first-of-its-kind requirement for chain restaurants to use icons to warn patrons of salty foods after getting an appeals court's go-ahead Thursday to start issuing fines. But it's not the final word on whether the regulation will stand.

The novel rule took effect in December, and some eateries already have added the requisite salt-shaker-like icons to menu items that contain more salt than doctors recommend ingesting in an entire day.

But penalties have been in limbo as the National Restaurant Association fights the measure in court. That clash is ongoing, but an appeals court Thursday lifted a temporary hold on issuing the fines while the case plays out. Fines can be up to $600.

The city will start enforcing the rule June 6.

Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio applauded the appeals court's decision on what he called "a common-sense regulation that will help New Yorkers make better decisions and lead healthier lives." The city won the first round of the lawsuit in a trial court in February; the restaurant association appealed.

The group called on the city Thursday to delay enforcement voluntarily until the appeal is resolved.

"Today's decision ... will force the men and women that own New York City's restaurants to start complying with this unlawful and unprecedented sodium mandate before the court has the chance to rule on the merits of our appeal," the organization said in a statement.

COMMENT:  We should all lead healthy lives, but the decision should be ours.  This is the nanny state, and the nanny state always grows.

May 27, 2016       Permalink

RUBIO IN SPOTLIGHT AGAIN – AT 10:21 A.M. ET:  Marco Rubio, who can have a bright future in the Republican Party if he gets back on track, is now, under pressure from other Republicans, reconsidering his decision not to run for re-election to the U.S. Senate from Florida.  From Bloomberg:

Senator Marco Rubio on Thursday opened the door a crack to staying in the U.S. Senate next year amid a concerted effort by his Republican colleagues to push him to run for re-election.

The Florida Republican’s decision could be crucial to keeping the Senate in Republican hands, given that none of the many Republicans running for his seat have Rubio’s name recognition or fundraising prowess in the pivotal battleground state.

After Rubio was approached by other senators, including Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas, asking him to reconsider, he softened his oft-repeated declaration that he will be a private citizen come January.

Now, Rubio -- who said he would not stand for Senate re-election when he announced his failed presidential bid -- said it is "unlikely" he will change his mind before the Florida filing deadline on June 24. The state’s primary will be held Aug. 30.

Late Thursday, Rubio received more encouragement -- from Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee who mocked Rubio as “Little Marco” during their primary race.

“Poll data shows that @marcorubio does by far the best in holding onto his Senate seat in Florida. Important to keep the MAJORITY. Run Marco!” Trump tweeted.

“This is just something that happened today or what have you. For me, I need time to even talk to anybody about it, but my sense of it is nothing has changed in my thinking," Rubio told reporters at the Capitol.

Cornyn said he was encouraged at Rubio softening his stance.

"To me that sounds like an opening," he said. "That causes me to be hopeful."

COMMENT:  I'd like to see Rubio run.  He could save the Republicans the Senate seat from Florida, and stay in the news. 

I think it's significant that Trump is also urging him to make the race.  That probably means Rubio is out of the running to be Trump's vice-presidential pick.

May 27, 2016       Permalink

GET LOST,  BERNIE – AT 9:46 A.M. ET:  It was inevitable.  At some point there had to be a backlash against Bernie Sanders in the mainstream Democratic Party, and apparently it's begun.  I mean, the man isn't even a Democrat.  From The Politico: 

For some Democrats, Bernie Sanders’ latest gambit — challenging Donald Trump to a debate to cap all debates — is the last straw.

“B.....it,” said Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. “That confirms what we’ve been saying. Why would you expect Bernie should be considerate or be nice or be working to bring everyone together? Why? He’s not a Democrat.”

The party’s frustrations are boiling over with Sanders as the primary season winds down: Namely that Sanders seems unwilling or unable to admit that Hillary Clinton is on course for the nomination.

The ire toward Sanders began earlier this year among the loudest Democratic cheerleaders for Clinton — and now it’s seeping into nearly the entire Senate Democratic caucus.

Lawmakers reacted with puzzlement, sarcasm and barely veiled anger as Sanders’ campaign and Trump himself played up an event that would exclude Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

“I don’t know why he would do that. I think it’s time to start to winding down the primary,” said Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.). “It’s time to move on.”

“It’s peculiar,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). “It’s all about Bernie trying to get the advantage in California. It’s not going to work.”

COMMENT:  I guess Sanders won't win Miss Congeniality in the next session of Congress.  The fact is, the anger is building.  He's an extremist who appeals mostly to low-information college students and leftovers from the 1960s.  Trouble is, they actually come out to vote. 

Sanders will leave his mark on the Democratic platform, and Hillary won't like it.  She knows she has to tilt to the center to win the election. 

I'd love to see if Sanders, currently an Independent in the Senate, actually becomes a Democrat.  After accepting the hospitality of the Democratic Party, you'd think he would.  But he's a committed socialist, so he probably won't.

May 27,  2016     Permalink

MAY 26,  2016

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:56 P.M. ET: 

WAPO SLAMS CLINTON – FROM THE HILL:   The Washington Post editorial board Wednesday evening condemned Hillary Clinton’s exclusive use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of State, calling her actions an “inexcusable, willful disregard for the rules.”  The State Department inspector general released a new report Wednesday stating that Clinton broke several of the agency’s record-keeping policies, prompting the Post’s editorial board to call on the FBI to quickly finish its own investigation into the matter.  “While not illegal behavior, it was disturbingly unmindful of the rules. In the middle of the presidential campaign, we urge the FBI to finish its own investigation soon, so all information about this troubling episode will be before the voters,” the editorial read.  Not a good idea for a Democrat to get on the wrong side of an iconic liberal newspaper.  I personally can't wait for the FBI probe to wrap up.  That's the real story here.

THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE... – FROM THE HILL:    An off-the-cuff remark from Donald Trump to a late-night talk show host might snowball into the blockbuster event of the 2016 presidential primary cycle.  Trump, the de facto Republican presidential nominee, and Bernie Sanders, the second-place Democratic hopeful, are flirting with the idea of staging a shocking spectacle in a historically unpredictable presidential race: a cross-party primary debate between two outsider candidates who have shaken up the political establishment.  Both candidates say they’re interested in a debate that Trump has predicted would draw huge ratings.  “This would be a complete circus,” said Democratic media strategist Brad Bannon. “To me, it shows more than anything else that American politics has become entertainment.”  Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), a supporter of Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, said in an interview with Julie Mason on Sirius XM that she would tune in.   “I think it’d be fun to watch,” she said.  Trump says his campaign has already been contacted by several networks eager to get in on the action.  I'm guessing this actually won't come off.  But once again Trump has stirred the pot.  You gotta give him credit.

A VICTORY FOR MADNESS – FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES:   A Yale professor and his wife who became targets of protests for an email about potentially offensive Halloween costumes are resigning their positions as heads of a residential community at the university.  The professor, Nicholas Christakis, a sociologist and physician, announced on his Twitter feed Wednesday that he was stepping down as head of Silliman College, a residence where he and his wife served as social and intellectual mentors to students.  Dr. Christakis, who directs Yale’s Human Nature Lab, said they were not severing all their ties to the university. He will stay on as a tenured professor. His wife, Erika Christakis, who recently published a book about preschool, will continue her work in that field, he said, though he did not specify in what capacity.  Absolutely sickening.  Two good and gracious scholars brought down by a brunch of pampered college brats who are "offended" by almost everything.  Many of the "cream of the crop" Yale students aren't very creamy after all.  Just babies who can't stand to hear an idea that they don't agree with.

May 26,  2014     Permalink

MAJOR REAL ESTATE NEWS – AT 11:57 A.M. ET:  President Obama has chosen a post-presidency residence.  Looks like he's stepping up from the lowly White House.  From The New York Times: 

WASHINGTON — President Obama and his family plan to move to a mansion in the upscale Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, a mere two miles from the White House, when he leaves office in January, according to people familiar with his plans.

Mr. Obama, who has said his family will remain in the capital until his daughter Sasha completes high school in 2018, will rent the 8,200-square-foot, nine-bedroom home, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal his plans.

The house — valued around $6 million, according to several real estate websites, with an estimated monthly rent of $22,000 on Zillow — is owned by Joe Lockhart, a former press secretary and senior adviser to Bill Clinton. Mr. Lockhart was until this year the managing director of a communications and political consulting practice he founded, the Glover Park Group, but has moved to Manhattan to become executive vice president for communications for the National Football League.

Mr. Lockhart and his wife, Giovanna Gray Lockhart, an editor at Glamour magazine, would not comment on the matter, referring queries to the White House. Jennifer Friedman, the deputy White House press secretary, also declined to comment on the president’s plans, first reported on Wednesday by Politico.

The move will put the Obamas in one of Washington’s wealthiest ZIP codes, in a secluded precinct backing up to Rock Creek Park that is home to diplomats and a focal point of the capital’s cocktail-party circuit. The home itself is luxurious; photographs posted by Washington Fine Properties, which listed it when it sold in 2014, show spacious rooms with hardwood floors, white marble countertops, his-and-her master bathrooms and a terrace with formal gardens.

COMMENT:  Just a man of the people, a community organizer.  I understand that he wants his daughter to complete high school where she is, but I do think it's inappropriate for a former president to live in Washington, in effect competing for attention with the incumbent.   The Obamas could have arranged a residence for Sasha and lived out of town, even in a real place with real people. 

Oh, more Obama inappropriateness:  Today he attacked Donald Trump viciously while on a trip to Japan.  There is an American tradition that holds that politics stops at the water's edge.  Of course, Obama doesn't believe in American traditions, or American principles for that matter.  And who am I to question his cultural sensitivities?  Why, maybe, among the better people, it's considered perfectly okay for a president to attack a presidential candidate while in another country.

May 26, 2016        Permalink

HILLARY'S FIGHT – AT 10:16 A.M. ET:  Numerically, Hillary Clinton is a lock for the Democratic nomination right now.  That's right now.  She's running into serious trouble, though, and yesterday's State Department report acknowledging that she mishandled her e-mail account while secretary of state will not help her.

She's running for president in a party that has veered sharply to the left under Barack Obama.  Now, only 12 days before the largest primary, in California, her opponent has almost caught up to her in that state.  From The New York Times:   

LOS ANGELES — Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are locked in a tight race in California, the nation’s most populous state and one that until recently seemed strongly in Mrs. Clinton’s corner, a new statewide poll has found.

The poll, released Wednesday night by the Public Policy Institute of California, showed Mrs. Clinton leading Mr. Sanders among likely voters, 46 percent to 44 percent — within the margin of error. A survey by the organization in March found Mrs. Clinton with a lead of 48 percent to 41 percent over Mr. Sanders.

The survey came as both Mr. Sanders and Mrs. Clinton have stepped up their campaign appearances here in anticipation of the June 7 primary. Mr. Sanders, after initially saying he would not advertise on television here — California is one of the most expensive states for television advertising, given its size and the number of media markets — took to the airwaves this week.

And Mrs. Clinton has quickly responded, with ads set to begin running on Friday in the Los Angeles, Fresno and Sacramento markets: one narrated by the actor Morgan Freeman, another highlighting Mrs. Clinton’s endorsement by the civil rights activist Dolores Huerta. The Clinton campaign will also run Spanish-language ads aimed at Latino voters, and translated commercials in Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Korean.

For Mrs. Clinton in particular, the ad buy is a significant reversal: Her campaign had halted its advertising after her decisive victories in the mid-Atlantic states on April 26, aside from a brief return to television in Kentucky.

COMMENT:  From what I see, the Sanders vote is less about Sanders than about an indifferent attitude toward Hillary.  She's seen by many as old news, a tired warhorse from the 1990s.  In a party now anchored to the left, her reportedly hawkish views on some aspects of foreign policy are a turnoff.  This is not the Democratic Party of Roosevelt, Truman or Kennedy.  Indeed, Jack Kennedy couldn't get anywhere near a presidential nomination in today's Democratic Party.

Hillary's nomination is more or less guaranteed by Democratic convention superdelegates.  Should they turn on her, however, her game is over.  I'm guessing they won't.  But if they do, it's reported that major figures in the party are prepared to push Joe Biden as a replacement, not the socialist from Brooklyn, Bernie Sanders.  If that happens, a Biden-Sanders battle at the convention will require medical teams and psychiatric assistance.  It will also be great television.

May 26, 2016       Permalink

FLUSHGATE – AT 9:55 A.M. ET:  The gender/restroom issue is building.  It seems that more than more Americans are dismayed that the federal government, without consulting the people, can make a change in social behavior that repeals thousands of years of tradition and wisdom.  Now some state attorneys-general are taking action.  From CNN:

Washington (CNN) Officials in 11 states, including Texas, will sue the White House over its new transgender directive in schools, once again pitting the Lone Star State against an administration they have relished fighting.

Three individual school districts have also joined the federal lawsuit, according to the lawsuit , which was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas and obtained by CNN. Joining Texas are Alabama, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Utah and Georgia. Two school districts in Arizona, one school district in Texas and Maine Gov. Paul LePage are also listed as plaintiffs.

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that the state's attorney general, Ken Paxton, would challenge the controversial order, which tells school district to allow transgender students to use the restroom of their choice. No other details were immediately available Wednesday about the number of states joining in on the suit. Abbott announced the litigation in a tweet.

Abbott, a former state attorney general himself, has made his lawsuits against the Obama administration a touchstone of his political profile. The state is currently awaiting a decision from the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the Obama administration's executive actions on immigration.

COMMENT:  We'll cheer them on.  No matter what side you take in the gender wars, I hope you'll agree that sensitive issues like this should be vetted in public and decided by legislatures.  I wonder how women who enter public restrooms would say if given a secret ballot. 

May 26,  2016     Permalink