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MAY 21,  2018

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

THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE – FROM DEADLINE.COM:   It’s official. Barack and Michelle Obama have signed their production deal with Netflix.  President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have entered into a multi-year agreement to produce films and series for Netflix, potentially including scripted series, unscripted series, docu-series, documentaries, and features,” Netflix announced via Twitter.  I can't wait to see Barack's remake of "Gone With the Wind."  In his version the Palestinians win. I've never seen a presidential couple make so much money so fast on their stay in the White House.

THE TRUTH COMES OUT – FROM COLLEGE FIX:  A professor of anthropology at the London School of Economics wanted to know which jobs are the most pointless, from the job-holders themselves.  David Graeber spent the past year asking people to “send me accounts of their most useless occupations,” in response to surveys that find a third or more of workers in rich countries “are secretly convinced their jobs are pointless,” he writes in The New York Post.  Among the 7 jobs most frequently submitted to Graeber, whose disappearance would “make no real difference,” according to the workers themselves: “Academic administrative staff”!  I'd add to that movie executive, CNN political analyst, and predictor of climate change. 

THE EGG WINS, FOR NOW – FROM REUTERS:  (Reuters Health) - People who eat an egg just about every day may have a lower risk of heart attack and stroke than individuals who don’t eat eggs at all, a large Chinese study suggests.  Researchers examined survey data on egg consumption among 461,213 adults who were 51 years old on average. When they joined the study, none had a history of heart disease. Overall, they ate an average of half an egg daily; about 9 percent of them avoided eggs altogether while 13 percent ate roughly one egg every day.  At least half of the participants were followed for nine years or more. During that time, 83,977 people developed heart disease or had a heart attack or stroke, and 9,985 died from these conditions.  Compared to people who never ate eggs, individuals who ate an average of 0.76 eggs per day were 11 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular diseases and 18 percent less likely to die from these conditions, the study found.   I grew up being taught that eggs were dangerous because of high cholesterol.  We await the next study, which will probably contradict this one.

May 21,  2018     Permalink

OUR IRAN POLICY – AT 10:51 A.M. ET:  Secretary of State Pompeo this morning laid down the Trump Doctrine for Iran.  From Fox:   

WASHINGTON –  The United States on Monday issued a steep list of demands to be included in a nuclear treaty with Iran to replace the deal scuttled by President Donald Trump and threatened "the strongest sanctions in history" if Iran doesn't change course.

Drawing sharp contrasts with the 2015 deal, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said a stronger pact should require that Iran stop enrichment of uranium, which was allowed within strict limitations under the previous deal. Iran would also have to walk away from core pillars of its foreign policy, including its involvement in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Afghanistan.

"This list may seem long to some, but it is simply a reflection of the massive scope of Iranian malign behavior," Pompeo said. "America did not create this need for changed behavior. Iran did."

Pompeo vowed that Trump's approach would ensure "Iran has no possible path to a nuclear weapon, ever." As he called for a better agreement to constrain Iran's activities, he said the U.S. would "apply unprecedented financial pressure" to bring Tehran back to the table.

"These will end up being the strongest sanctions in history by the time we are complete," Pompeo said at the conservative Heritage Foundation in his first major policy speech since taking over as top diplomat.

At the same time, Pompeo offered Iran a series of dramatic potential U.S. concessions if it agrees to make "major changes." Under a new agreement, the U.S. would be willing to lift all sanctions, restore full diplomatic and commercial ties with Iran, and even support the modernization of its economy, Pompeo said.

"It is America's hope that our labors toward peace and security will bear fruit for the long-suffering people of Iran," Pompeo said.

Still, Pompeo's list of 12 requirements included many that Iran is highly unlikely to consider. He said Iran must allow nuclear "unqualified access to all sites throughout the country," Pompeo said, alluding to military sites that were off-limits under the 2015 deal except under specific circumstances. To that end, he also said Iran must declare all previous efforts to build a nuclear weapon, reopening an issue that the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency has already deemed a closed matter.

COMMENT:  Great speech, great list.  Of course not everything will be completely attainable, and anything on that list will be tough to negotiate.  But that's why we have Trump in the White House and not Hillary Clinton or John Kerry.

Pompeo has laid down the markers.  Let the whining from the foreign-policy establishment begin.  And I can't wait for the "expert" panels on CNN.

May 21, 2018        Permalink

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THE POLLING PATTERN – AT 10:18 A.M. ET:  Once again this morning we see the polling pattern regarding the president that I discussed here over the weekend.  In the Rasmussen tracker, the president will have a certain number, usually a good one, on Friday.  By Monday he will usually lose two or three points.  Then, during the week, he will make them up.

The reason?  I can't say definitely, but the Monday number, as I pointed out, reflects weekend polling, and the sample might be slightly different, or people may be concentrating on other things.  Many potential respondents might be traveling or out having a good time.

Same thing this week.  The president was at 50% toward the end of last week.  Now for today, from Rasmussen:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows that 47% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Fifty-one percent (51%) disapprove.

The latest figures include 33% who Strongly Approve of the way Trump is performing and 44% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -11.

Same pattern that we usually see.  We'll watch the numbers for the remainder of the week.

And something else:  Everyone knows that this president has received an unprecedented bashing from the press, but his numbers, in general, either stay the same or rise.  Please note this, from Rasmussen again:

Eighteen months after Election Day, many Democrats and their allies in Hollywood and the media continue to attack President Trump in an unprecedented fashion. But few voters think it will pay off for Trump’s opponents in the next election.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters think there is too much Trump-bashing going on in the popular culture today. Thirty percent (30%) say there isn’t enough, while 21% feel the level of Trump-bashing is about right.

But only 23% say they are less likely to vote for a candidate who supports the president because of the current level of Trump-bashing. Thirty-six percent (36%) are more likely to vote for a pro-Trump candidate. Slightly more (38%) say the ongoing attacks on the president will have no impact on their vote.

Even among Democrats, just 36% say the current Trump-bashing makes them less likely to vote for a candidate who supports the president. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Republicans are more likely to vote for such a candidate. Among voters not affiliated with either major party, a plurality (48%) says the Trump-bashing will have no impact on their vote, but 25% are more likely to vote for a pro-Trump candidate.

COMMENT:  Note the term "likely U.S. voters."  These are the people who actually vote, and the only poll that counts is the one on election day. 

The voters are a lot smarter than the politicians and "analysts" think they are.

May 21,  2018     Permalink

MAY 20,  2018

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

HOW NICE – FROM CAMPUS REFORM:   A Georgetown University student group recently barred white students from attending a community discussion on a proposal to arm campus police.  The “Community Dialogue on Racism & [Georgetown University Police Department]” was hosted by the Georgetown United Against Police Aggression (GUAPA) student group on April 24, and despite describing the event as an evening of “community and discussion,” the organizers specifically stated that “allies” were “not welcome” to attend the event.  "This space will center the voices and experiences of students of color...allies are not welcome to attend this preliminary dialogue."  “It's time to talk. All of us have a story about GUPD. All of us know someone who has been targeted. Let's do something about it,” the event description stated, urging students to “Come this Tuesday for community and discussion.”  The event page stipulated, however, that “this space will center the voices and experiences of students of color,” informing “allies for the safety of students of color” that “allies are not welcome to attend this preliminary dialogue” before mentioning that “food will be provided.”  And of course these dimwit "allies" will accept their exclusion.  And the school administration will remain silent.  Please note that we the people give federal aid to this institution.

VENEZUELA "RESULT" – FROM FOX:   Venezuela's election officials say socialist leader Nicolas Maduro has won a second six-year term as president of the oil-rich South American country, while his main rivals are disputing the legitimacy of the vote and calling for a new election.  The National Election Council announced that with almost 93 percent of polling stations reporting, Maduro won nearly 68 percent of the votes in Sunday's election, beating his nearest challenger Henri Falcon by almost 40 points.  If this were two years ago, Obama would be flying to Maduro's inauguration, and Jimmy Carter would be swearing him in.

THE ALLY WHO LECTURES US – FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES:   There are so few German army helicopters available for the troops that pilots have been forced to train in bright yellow civilian choppers leased from the German Automobile Club.  A chronic shortage of spare parts and assorted technical woes have grounded 29 of the Bundeswehr's 130 camouflage-green helicopters. Acute shortages of parts have also left only 39 of the Luftwaffe's 128 Eurofighter jets combat-ready — idled along with nearly half of the armed forces' 224 Leopard tanks and five of its six submarines.  No country in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance has savored the "peace dividend" as much as Germany, which slashed military spending in half after the Cold War. And no country in NATO has drawn more criticism from President Trump for not carrying its own military weight than Germany.  And no leader has lectured Trump more than Angela Merkel.  And no nation has groveled more to the Iranians, hoping for trade deals, than Germany.

May 20, 2018       Permalink

AN ELECTION? – AT 2:40 P.M. ET:   There is an election, of some kind, in Venezuela, democracy capital of the world.  From AP:

Caracas (AFP) - Venezuelans, reeling under a devastating economic crisis, began voting Sunday in an election boycotted by the opposition and condemned by much of the international community but expected to hand deeply unpopular President Nicolas Maduro a new mandate.

Maduro, the political heir to the late leftist firebrand Hugo Chavez, has presided over an implosion of once wealthy oil producer Venezuela's economy since taking office in 2013.

Hyperinflation, food and medicine shortages, rising crime and broken water, power and transportation networks have sparked violent unrest, and left Maduro with a 75-percent disapproval rating.

Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have fled the country in a mass exodus in recent years as the country descends into economic ruin.

Latest polls put Maduro neck-and-neck with his main rival Henri Falcon, a former army officer who failed to gain the endorsement of the main opposition, which is bitterly divided and has called for a boycott. A third candidate, evangelical pastor Javier Bertucci, is further back.

A low turnout, however, is expected the give Maduro, who has a tight grip on the electoral and military authorities, a comfortable victory.

COMMENT:  Maybe we can get some of the movie actors who went down to Venezuela to kiss the ring of Hugo Chavez to write some large checks to help the people.  Why do I think this will never happen?

May 20, 2018       Permalink

OH PLEASE – AT 1:46 P.M. ET:   In the alternative universe known as the American college campus, Hillary Clinton is still queen.  It's embarrassing, but the academic crowd isn't embarrassed at all.  From The Hill: 

Hillary Clinton will reportedly receive a prestigious award from Harvard University this week.

Clinton will be presented with the Radcliffe Medal, which Harvard says is given to those whose life and work have had a “transformative impact on society,” The Associated Press reported.

The former first lady, senator, secretary of State and first female Democratic presidential nominee was chosen for her record as a “champion for human rights,” a “skilled legislator” and “an advocate of American leadership,” according to the news service.

Past recipients of the award include Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.

Clinton is also set to address graduates at Yale University on Sunday.

She recently traveled to New Zealand to promote her book on the 2016 election, "What Happened."

Clinton joked during an appearance there that she thought about leaving the U.S. after President Trump won.

COMMENT:  In what way has this woman had a "transformative impact on society"?  I can't think of one area that hasn't been handled better by other women.  She is ruthless, treats many people around her horribly, fronted for her philandering husband, and kept an insecure email system operating while secretary of state.  She blew an election through sheer political incompetence, and referred to hard-working Americans as "deplorables."  What a gal!

May 20, 2018       Permalink

CHINA TALKS – AT 1:18 P.M. ET:  We are making progress with China on trade.  We're not getting everything we want, we never will, but we're getting important things.  Compare please with that legendary negotiator, John Kerry.  From Fox: 

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Sunday that the U.S. and China -- the world’s two biggest economies -- have reached a tentative deal to cut trade deficits that includes the U.S. putting China tariffs on hold, an agreement that potentially averts an economic standoff that would have global impact.

“We have made very meaningful progress, and we agreed on a framework,” Mnuchin told “Fox News Sunday” after weekend talks in Washington with Chinese officials about cutting the U.S. trade deficit with China, which last year reached $337 billion. “We’re putting the trade war on hold.”

Mnuchin, who was the country’s lead negotiator in the talks, said the tariffs will be put on hold while the countries try to execute the framework agreement.

Mnuchin also said the tentative agreement includes China buying “substantially” more U.S. goods to cut the deficit, structural changes to the Chinese economy to help make the U.S. more competitive in that market and “protections on technology, which have been very important to the president.”

Trump, since his 2016 presidential campaign, has argued that the United States must renegotiate trade agreements with China and other countries to become more competitive in the global economy. And he has complained about China violating international property laws.

Trump on Friday called the existing U.S.-China agreement "bad for our country” and said, “We're changing it around."

On Saturday, the White House said, in what it called a joint statement, that the U.S. and China had agreed to take steps to reduce the deficit.

COMMENT:  It is remarkable to see what the Trump administration has already accomplished.  It won't mean anything to a media obsessed with ideology and with race, gender, and ethnicity, but I'll bet it means a great deal to most Americans.

May 20,  2018     Permalink