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DECEMBER 10,  2016

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:54 P.M. ET: 

ONE MORE FOR THE GOP – FROM FOX:   BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana voters chose Saturday to send Republican state Treasurer John Kennedy to the U.S. Senate, filling the nation's last Senate seat and giving the GOP a 52-48 edge in the chamber when the new term begins in January.  Kennedy had always been the runoff election's front-runner in a state that overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump. He defeated Democrat Foster Campbell, a state utility regulator whose chances were seen as such a long-shot that national Democratic organizations offered little assistance to Campbell's campaign.  Good news, but the GOP lead in the Senate is still slim.  If Dems stay united, a defection by only three GOP senators on, say, a Supreme Court nominee or confirmation of a Cabinet choice, can set back the GOP's momentum.  Trump must carefully nurture his relationships in the Senate to get his program through.

A TOUGH FIGHT MAY LOOM – FROM THE HILL:    Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Saturday he has concerns about the possibility of Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson being nominated for secretary of State, given his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.  “I don’t know what Mr. Tillerson’s relationship with Vladimir Putin was, but I’ll tell you it is a matter of concern to me,” McCain said in an interview with Fox News.  NBC News reported earlier on Saturday that President-elect Donald Trump had settled on Tillerson to head the State Department, though the transition team has not confirmed the report.  McCain is the first Republican to raise questions about the potential nomination, and Tillerson could fail to make it through the confirmation process if just three GOP senators join a united Democratic opposition.  “I’d have to examine it,” McCain said of the potential nomination. “You want to give the president of the United States the benefit of the doubt because the people have spoken. But Vladimir Putin is a thug, bully and a murderer, and anybody else who describes him as anything else is lying.”  Former top McCain aide Mark Salter predicted that Tillerson would have a hard time getting through the confirmation process.  Tillerson is such a marginal choice.  Will Trump risk the start of his presidency by nominating a man who clearly makes many uneasy because of his ties to Putin?  Isn't there someone else?

IT RETURNS – FROM BRITAIN'S SUN:   TWO bombs at a football stadium in central Istanbul have killed at least 29 and wounded 166 more in what has been described as an “inhuman terror attack”.  The blasts – a car bombing and a suicide bombing – targeted riot police just hours after the end of a match between two top teams at the Vodafone Arena on Saturday night.  At least 10 people have been arrested over the twin bombing and it is thought the outlawed Kurdistan Workers party (PKK) may be behind the attack.  Turkey’s deputy prime minister, Numan Kurtulmu?, said the attack was “clearly planned”, adding: “The arrows point at the PKK.”  I have no idea if that placing of blame is accurate.  What is clear, though, is that the terror in Europe continues and grows, with dire predictions for attacks throughout the continent in the coming year. 

December 10, 2016       Permalink

STRANGE THINGS IN THE SPY BUSINESS – AT 1:40 P.M. ET:  There's a report out that the CIA believes Russia tried to influence our election to get Donald Trump elected.  Some detail is needed.  From ace reporter Rowan Scarborough, at the Washington Times: 

As recently as Nov. 17, James Clapper, the nation’s top intelligence officer, told Congress his agencies “don’t have good insight” into a direct link between Wikileaks and the emails supposedly hacked by a Russian operation from Democrats and the Hillary Clinton campaign.

During the campaign, Wikileaks released reams of embarrassing internal emails between campaign chairman John Podesta, other campaign officials and the Democratic National Committee. One emailed showed candidate Clinton was provided the questions ahead of a CNN town hall appearance.
Democrats are now on a campaign implying that the hacking won the election for Donald Trump and have pressed the Obama administration for a far reaching investigation.

The Washington Post reported Friday that the CIA has secretly concluded that the Vladimir Putin regime directed hackers to penetrate the Democrats’ emails expressly to help Republican Trump win the election. The Post said the CIA has identified people with connections to the Russia government who supplied the stolen emails to Wikileaks.

That is not what Mr. Clapper, the director of national intelligence, told the House Intelligence Committee at an open hearing on Nov. 17. 

Asked about Russia and Wikileaks, Mr. Clapper said, “As far as the WikiLeaks connection, the evidence there is not as strong and we don’t have good insight into the sequencing of the releases or when the data may have been provided. We don’t have as good insight into that.”

COMMENT:  Maybe we ought to wait for the facts.  I smell a rat here – an attempt by some in the Obama administration to delegitimize Trump's election.  You don't think they'd do that, do you?

December 10, 2016       Permalink

GOOD FOR DONALD – AT 12:31 P.M. ET:   Even before becoming president, Donald Trump is following an old presidential ritual.  From AP: 

NEW YORK (AP) -- President-elect Donald Trump is partaking in one of the nation's most storied football rivalries, saluting U.S. troops at the annual Army-Navy game on Saturday as he prepares to enter the White House.

The future commander-in-chief planned to attend the 117th game between the military academies at West Point and Annapolis, which is being held on relatively neutral ground, at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland.

Trump tweeted on Saturday morning that he was going to the game "as a show of support for our Armed Forces."

The appearance caps a week of rolling out Cabinet picks, holding "thank you" rallies in North Carolina, Iowa and Michigan, and trying to cement his incoming Senate majority with Saturday's runoff election in Louisiana.

The incoming president appeared jovial and relaxed as he plunged back into electoral politics on Friday, a full month after he won the presidency. He held large-scale events in Louisiana and in Michigan, where he regaled supporters in Grand Rapids by reciting his victories in battleground states.

Trump is the first Republican to win Michigan since George H.W. Bush in 1988. He attributed his feat to failures by Democrats.

COMMENT:  I believe that Field Marshal Obama went to one Army-Navy game.  I guess he thought it was beneath him.  Trump's attendance as president-elect sends a powerful message that, under his administration, the armed forces will be respected again.

December 10,  2016     Permalink

MANAGEMENT SKILLS – AT 11:37 A.M. ET:  It's true – Donald Trump won the election and spent dramatically less on his campaign than did Hillary Clinton.  Remember her?  From the New York Post:

Hillary Clinton and her supporters spent a record $1.2 billion for her losing presidential campaign — twice as much as the winner, Donald Trump, according to the latest records.

The president-elect, who confounded critics during the campaign by saying there was no need to raise or spend $1 billion or more, ended up making do with $600 million.

Clinton’s expensive machine tore through $131.8 million in just the final weeks, finishing with about $839,000 on hand as of Nov. 28.

Team Trump spent $94.5 million in the home stretch — from Oct. 20 to Nov. 28 — and had $7.6 million left.

The figures include all spending by the campaigns, PACs and party committees.

Trump contributed $66 million from his own pocket, $34 million less than he estimated he would shell out.

Brad Parscale, Trump’s digital director, credited strategic last-minute investments with helping propel the political newcomer to victory.

The campaign and the Republican Party spent about $5 million in get-out-the-vote digital advertising targeted in the final few days at Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Florida.

COMMENT:  So Hillary spent twice what Trump spent, and lost.  It shows us that it's not what you spend, but how you spend it.

Trump just ran a smarter campaign.  Bodes well for his administration.

December 10,  2016     Permalink

DECEMBER 9,  2016

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

RUDY OUT – FROM THE NEW YORK POST:   Rudy Giuliani has withdrawn his name from consideration for any position in the upcoming Trump administration, the former New York City mayor announced Friday.  Giuliani at one point was considered the favorite to be secretary of state.  The announcement of the withdrawal came just hours after CNN reported he was no longer a serious contender for the post.  “I decided that the whole thing was becoming kind of very confusing and very difficult for the president-elect. My desire to be in the Cabinet was great — but it wasn’t that great,” said Giuliani.  According to the Trump campaign, Giuliani notified the president-elect that he wanted to remain in the private sector during a meeting on Nov. 29.   Rudy was a superb mayor of New York, and showed the nation that crime could dramatically be reduced.  But his public campaigning for the post of secretary of state was awkward, and he reportedly ruled out other appropriate posts, like secretary of Homeland Security.  A major loss.  The country could use his talents.

HUH? – FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES:  Rex W. Tillerson, the president and chief executive of Exxon Mobil, has emerged as President-elect Donald J. Trump’s top choice to become secretary of state, according to a person with direct knowledge of the search process.  The news is the latest turn in what has become the most extended drama of Mr. Trump’s transition effort, with a rotating cast of seeming front-runners to become America’s top diplomat. Choosing Mr. Tillerson would add to a long list of wealthy businesspeople in high-ranking Trump administration posts.  As Exxon’s top official, Mr. Tillerson has extensive experience working with foreign leaders. Some of his foreign relationships, especially those with Russia, could come under particular scrutiny during a Senate confirmation hearing.  I dunno.  I'm not so sure this would be a wise choice.  Representing a company internationally is one thing; representing a nation is quite another.  I don't want to prejudge, but Trump may be looking for trouble here.  There are many superb candidates for the post, candidates with real foreign-policy experience

REMARKABLE – FROM THE BOSTON GLOBE:    For several missions in the Korean War, the United States Marine Corps had one of the nation’s greatest ever baseball players flying alongside one of its (soon to be) greatest astronauts.  John Glenn, who died on Thursday at the age of 95, once led Red Sox great Ted Williams into battle. Williams, so often the dominant personality, was awed by Glenn.  “John Glenn? Oh … could he fly an airplane,” Williams once told the Chicago Tribune‘s Bob Greene. “Absolutely fearless. The best I ever saw. It was an honor to fly with him.”  Williams, who like Glenn also served in World War II, was called up as a reservist during the war in Korea. He was randomly assigned to be Glenn’s wingman...In one especially difficult moment, Williams recalled how Glenn offered advice that helped Williams fly back to base safely. After getting hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire, Williams’s F9F Panther jet was ablaze. Glenn flew next to his wing and pointed up. Flying higher into thinner air, the fire was extinguished, allowing Williams to fly back to base.  No "safe spaces" for them.

December 9, 2016       Permalink

HAS THE LEFT REALLY HAD IT? – AT 11:31 A.M. ET:  You'll get quite a debate on this, especially given the dogged resistance by the left in the media and on college campuses.  But Michael Barone believes it may be time to write the obituary.  From the Washington Examiner: 

It's been a tough decade for the political left. Eight years ago a Time magazine cover portrayed Barack Obama as Franklin Roosevelt, complete with cigarette and holder and a cover line proclaiming "The New New Deal." A Newsweek cover announced "We Are All Socialists Now."

Now the cover story is different. Time has just announced, inevitably though a bit begrudgingly, that its Person of the Year for 2016 is Donald Trump. No mention of New Deals or socialism.

It's not surprising that newsmagazine editors expected a move to the left. The history they'd been taught by New Deal admirers, influenced by the doctrines of Karl Marx, was that economic distress moves voters to demand a larger and more active government.

There was some empirical evidence in that direction as well. The recession triggered by the financial crisis of 2007-08 was the deepest experienced by anyone not old enough to remember the 1930s. Barack Obama was elected with 53 percent of the popular vote—more than any candidate since the 1980s—and Democrats had won congressional elections with similar majorities in 2006 and 2008.

Things look different now, and not just because Donald Trump was elected president. It has been clear that most voters have been rejecting big government policies, and not just in the United States but in most democratic nations around the world.

Leftist politicians supposed that ordinary voters with modest incomes facing hard times would believe that regulation and redistribution would help them. Evidently most don't.

The rejection was apparent in the 2010 and subsequent House elections; Republicans have now won House majorities in ten of the last 12 elections, leaving 2006 and 2008 as temporary aberrations. You didn't hear Hillary Clinton campaign on the glories of Obamacare or the Iran nuclear deal, and her attack on "Trumped-up, trickle-down economics" didn't strike any chords in the modest-income Midwest.

Republican success has been even greater in governor and state legislature elections, to the point that Democrats hold governorships and legislative control only in California, Hawaii, Delaware and Rhode Island. After eight years of the Obama presidency, Democrats hold fewer elective offices than at any time since the 1920s.

COMMENT:  And still, the Dems can't figure out what's wrong.  The party of Roosevelt, Truman and Kennedy is gone, replaced by the party of Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama.  Americans don't like the new model.  The old ones were built better.

Today's leftist Democratic Party is an elitist institution whose intellectual leaders refer to the former base of the party as "the flyover people."  I wonder how many of these leaders have ever handled a set of tools, or even seen a cow.  A real cow.  The moo kind. 

The Dems will never solve their problem unless they identify it.  This they refuse to do.  Nancy Pelosi actually said last week, with a straight face, that the Democrats don't want change.  She's right.  In their decline they feel morally pure.  They're also boring and irrelevant.

December 9,  2016     Permalink

DEATH OF A HERO – AT 10:48 A.M. ET:  We used to have heroes.  We still do, but the smug set goes out of its way not to recognize them.  So middle class, you know.

John Glenn, who has just died, was a hero, and one of the most heartfelt tributes came from his fellow Ohioans.  From the Columbus Dispatch: 

His legend is otherworldly and now, at age 95, so is John Glenn.

An authentic hero and genuine American icon, Glenn died this afternoon surrounded by family at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus after a remarkably healthy life spent almost from the cradle with Annie, his beloved wife of 73 years, who survives.

He, along with fellow aviators Orville and Wilbur Wright and moon-walker Neil Armstrong, truly made Ohio first in flight.

“John Glenn is, and always will be, Ohio’s ultimate hometown hero, and his passing today is an occasion for all of us to grieve," said Ohio Gov. John R. Kasich. "As we bow our heads and share our grief with his beloved wife, Annie, we must also turn to the skies, to salute his remarkable journeys and his long years of service to our state and nation.

"Though he soared deep into space and to the heights of Capitol Hill, his heart never strayed from his steadfast Ohio roots. Godspeed, John Glenn!" Kasich said.

COMMENT:  I recall the early days of the space program and electric feelings it brought to America.  I recall how crowds would stand in Grand Central Station in New York to watch, on a huge screen, as Americans, including John Glenn, were launched into space.

When Obama took office he reportedly told the head of NASA that his main job was Muslim outreach.  No previous president thought that way.  And I hope no future president does.

Public interest in our space program has faded over the years.  I hope President Trump can relight the fire, and that a new generation of John Glenns can become the new American heroes.

December 9, 2016       Permalink

TRUMP ALREADY CLICKING – AT 9:54 A.M. ET:  He isn't even president, but already Trump is having an impact on the country.  And it's good.  From CNBC:

The election of Donald Trump has brought with it a surge in optimism in the United States over the economy and stocks not seen in years.

The CNBC All-America Economic Survey for the fourth quarter found that the percentage of Americans who believe the economy will get better in the next year jumped an unprecedented 17 points to 42 percent, compared with before the election. It's the highest level since President Barack Obama was first elected in 2008.

The surge was powered by Republicans and independents reversing their outlooks. Republicans swung from deeply pessimistic, with just 15 percent saying the economy would improve in the next year, to strongly optimistic, with 74 percent believing in an economic upswing. Optimism among independents doubled but it fell by more than half for Democrats. Just 16 percent think the economy will improve.

COMMENT:  The Democrats are becoming a joke, a gang of adolescents going through their stages of political grief.  If they don't improve, I suggest there might be a new party in four years. 

The surge in confidence is appropriate.  Trump is already dominating the news, and he has handled his transition with the skill of a seasoned pro.  The Carrier deal was a master stroke.  It signaled that Trump is a man of action, not words. 

Obviously, he has to carry through after inauguration.  Wouldn't it be remarkable if this man, ridiculed across the political spectrum, turned out to be great?

December 9,  2016     Permalink