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DECEMBER 13,  2016

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

NOT EXACTLY OLD IRONSIDES – FROM FOX:   U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus has a penchant for doling out interesting and unconventional names for new warships, but a petition currently on the White House website wants the next major warship to be named something that may be too outlandish even for him.  The petition suggests that the next major vessel be christened “USS The Deplorables,” as the petition notes, “to honor those citizens who rose up to defend America and the Constitution from the globalists.”  The name is taken from a remark Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made on the campaign trail to refer to supporters of President-elect Donald Trump.  "You know, just to be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables,” Clinton said at a rally in September. "The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic — you name it. And, unfortunately, there are people like that. And he has lifted them up.”  It could be a new class of ships.  And the next one could be USS Flyover People.

GOOD PICK – FROM THE WASHINGTON POST:   President-elect Donald Trump has picked Rick Perry to head the Energy Department, said two people familiar with the decision, seeking to put the former Texas governor in control of an agency whose name he forgot during a presidential debate even as he vowed to abolish it.  Perry, who ran for president in the past two election cycles, is likely to shift the department away from renewable energy and toward fossil fuels, whose production he championed while serving as governor for 14 years.  The Energy Department was central to the 2011 gaffe that helped end his first presidential bid. Declaring that he wanted to eliminate three federal agencies during a primary debate in Michigan, Perry then froze after mentioning the Commerce and Education departments. “The third one, I can’t. Sorry. Oops.”  They can laugh all they want.  Perry was an excellent governor of Texas, and was instrumental in building the state's economy.  I also doubt that he'd shift the focus of the Labor Department too far away from renewable energy.  Who really is against renewable energy?  But he will make sure the fossil fuel sector is strong and productive, for we will need fossil fuels for most of the next century.  Whisper that to the Dems.

A MATH PROBLEM – FROM THE HILL:  Voting machines in 37 percent of Detroit's precincts registered too many votes in the presidential election last month, the Detroit News reported Tuesday.  Records from Wayne County show optical scanners in 248 of the city's 662 precincts registered more ballots than the number of votes tallied in the poll books.  The city's voting irregularities prompted a call for an audit by Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson's office, according to the publication.  President-elect Donald Trump won Michigan by 10,704 votes, but Hillary Clinton received more votes in Detroit and Wayne County.  The state's recount effort ended Friday after a decision by the Michigan Supreme Court.  Detroit precincts were among some of the precincts that couldn't be counted during the presidential recount because of a state law that bars the precincts from being recounted if the numbers don't match, unless there's a valid explanation.  I'm shocked that this could happen in a city as well governed as Detroit.  Do not take that seriously.

December 13,  2016     Permalink

REX – AT 11:16 A.M. ET:  The expectation is that President-elect Trump will name Exxon-Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as his choice for secretary of state later in the week.  The Trump team apparently wants a few more days before the announcement should signs grow, and they are growing, that Tillerson may face a tough battle for confirmation.  From The Wall Street Journal:   

WASHINGTON— Exxon Mobil Corp. Chief Executive Rex Tillerson, the top choice for secretary of state in a Trump administration, faces bipartisan resistance in Congress over his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

GOP hesitation over Mr. Tillerson marked the first sign of division between congressional Republicans and the Trump team over its likely cabinet picks. All of President-elect Donald Trump’s other nominees so far appear likely to be confirmed by the Senate.

Mr. Tillerson, a seasoned deal-maker whose company has a long history of doing business in Russia, is drawing unease from senators on both sides of the aisle. Republicans can likely afford to lose only two GOP votes next year in the new Congress when it meets to consider Mr. Trump’s nominees.

And...

Mr. Trump defended Mr. Tillerson as a “world-class player” and said it was “a great advantage” that Mr. Tillerson already knows “many of the players,” noting that he does “massive deals in Russia.”

“He’s more than a business executive,’’ Mr. Trump told Fox News in an interview broadcast Sunday.

Trump transition officials said the president-elect is likely to announce his choice for secretary of state midweek. Mr. Trump has given himself time to alter course should his views change or if he concludes Mr. Tillerson couldn’t win Senate confirmation.

And...

No Senate Republicans have yet said they would vote against Mr. Tillerson. Mr. Corker said in a tweet Saturday that the CEO is “a very impressive individual.”

Still, a number of senators expressed reservations. On Tuesday, another member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), said he had “serious concerns” about Mr. Trump’s selection of Mr. Tillerson to be secretary of state.

Mr. Rubio said the Exxon Mobil CEO “is a respected businessman,” but the senator noted he had broader questions about whether Mr. Tillerson was the right person for the job. Two days earlier, Mr. Rubio said in a tweet that “being a ‘friend of Vladimir’ is not an attribute I am hoping for” in the next secretary of state.

COMMENT:  The position of secretary of state is the most prestigious in the Cabinet.  The secretary of state nomination is taken very seriously.  The position is fourth in the line of presidential succession, after the vice president, speaker of the House, and president pro tempore of the Senate.

I would not be shocked if a Tillerson nomination had to be withdrawn.

December 13, 2016       Permalink

SETTING IT STRAIGHT – AT 11:06 A.M. ET:   Chris Stirewalt of Fox News sets a few things straight about the election.  No Dems need read this.  There may be a medical reaction.  From Fox: 

John Podesta, Hillary Clinton’s former campaign chairman and the victim of the most famous hack since Jennifer Lawrence, has joined the call from some members of the Electoral College that they be made privy to the secret findings of the intelligence community about Russian interference in the 2016 campaign.

The hope of the electors, led by Christine Pelosi, daughter of the House minority leader, is that the information would cause red-state electors to break from the popular vote in their states.

While conservatives may be cheered to see the sudden swell of support for federalism and republicanism on the left, that’s not really what’s cooking here.

It’s been more than a month since Trump pulled off a stunning upset to win the presidency, but some still refuse to accept what happened.

Even before the electoral uprising gained steam today, Democrats were looking for a Russia-inspired reboot. Since the revelation Friday that the CIA concluded Russia was trying to help Trump and hurt Clinton, “#revote” has been bouncing around the internet.

Trump’s win is hard for many Democrats to accept, especially given the fact that Clinton won the popular vote by about 2.8 million votes, but…come on, people.

No one, not even the strongest Russophobe, has suggested that there was any interference in the election by the Kremlin. While only the most chronic consumers of Putin propaganda would say there was no Russian effort to interfere with the campaign, there is no credible reason to believe that Russia messed with any ballots, rigged any vote totals or anything of the like.

Russia obviously meddled in the campaign. There’s no evidence that Russia interfered with the election.

COMMENT:  I think that's a good reading of the facts.  Foreign nations constantly interfere with the politics of the United States.  That doesn't mean they have any effect on American elections.  I'd have to see some real proof that they've ever influenced voters.

December 13, 2016       Permalink

OVER – AT 10:50 A.M. ET:  The great Wisconsin recount is over.  Don't hold your breath.  From the Wisconsin State Journal:

Wisconsin’s historic presidential recount ended Monday resulting in a net gain of 131 votes for President-elect Donald Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton, the Wisconsin Elections Commission said.

Trump added 844 votes to his total for the Nov. 8 election, while Clinton added 713.

Overall, the commission said, voters cast 2.976 million ballots. The recount resulted in a net increase of 837 ballots.

“Completing this recount was a challenge, but the real winners are the voters,” Elections Commission Chairman Mark Thomsen said in a statement after signing off on the statewide results. “Based on the recount, they can have confidence that Wisconsin’s election results accurately reflect the will of the people, regardless of whether they are counted by hand or by machine.”

COMMENT:  Hillary will probably claim that the election officials spoke with Russian agents, or were Fox News contributors. 

In fact, there was never any serious issue raised about the integrity of the Wisconsin vote.  The recount was entirely unnecessary.

December 13,  2016     Permalink

DECEMBER 12,  2016

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

OUR BEST AND BRIGHTEST – FROM CAMPUS REFORM:   Students at the University of Pennsylvania removed a portrait of Shakespeare from a prominent location in the school’s English department after complaining that he did not represent a diverse range of writers.  In fact, the chair of the department confirmed in a statement that the portrait was stripped from the wall by his students as “a way of affirming their commitment to a more inclusive mission for the English department,” The Daily Pennsylvanian reports.  Additionally, Department Chair Jed Esty explained that the portrait was “delivered” to his office and replaced with a photograph of Audre Lorde, a celebrated African American feminist and author, in a move that was intended to send a message to Esty, whose department agreed to replace the portrait several years ago.  This is an Ivy League school.  It rejects far more applicants than it takes in.  I wonder how those rejected despite outstanding qualifications will feel about this story.

CHILLING – FROM THE TIMES OF LONDON:  A fifth of the population is responsible for four fifths of crime, two fifths of obesity, three quarters of fatherless families and for claiming two thirds of benefits. What’s more, scientists say, you can identify this troublesome group at the age of three.  A 45-minute test rating children on IQ and self-control, combined with information about deprivation and maltreatment, allowed researchers to predict “with considerable accuracy” which would go on to be the greatest burden on the state. The 38-year study may be useful in designing ways to help such children before it is too late.  It might also be useful in predicting liberalism.  Imagine, no more Hillarys.

BABIES – FROM BBC:  According to US news website The Wrap, Trump's inaugural committee is scrambling to find stars who are willing to play at his swearing in ceremony on 20 January 2017.  "They're calling managers, agents, everyone in town to see who they can get and it's been problematic," an unnamed source told the site.  Grammy-winner John Legend, who has been a guest of the Obamas several times, says he is "not surprised at all".  "Creative people tend to reject bigotry and hate," he told the BBC.  "We tend to be more liberal-minded. When we see somebody that's preaching division and hate and bigotry, it's unlikely he'll get a lot of creative people that want to be associated with him." "I would never do it," agrees  Swedish star Zara Larsson, speaking at the BBC Music Awards.  "A lot of artists out there have been very pro-Hillary and anti-Donald. So I would never do it and most other smart people wouldn't do it."  Most other "smart" people?  What a magnificent self-compliment.  The problem isn't so much with Trump.  The problem is with the immature little brats who dominate what used to be show business.

December 12, 2016       Permalink

UPROAR BUILDING – AT 11:48 A.M. ET:   Some of it is genuine, some of it pure politics, but there's a growing sense of unease with the probable appointment of Exxon-Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of state.  From Powerline: 

The real potential problem with picking Tillerson is his close relationship with Vladimir Putin. This might do for an ambassador to Russia, just as Gov. Branstad’s relationship with China’s leader arguably recommends him to represent us in Beijing.

It seems problematic, though, to pick a Secretary of State who is tight with a world leader who is a thug, a butcher, a destabilizer, and an ally of Iran. I think it’s legitimate to wonder whether the selection of Tillerson would signal and facilitate a Russian reset that would make that of Obama-Clinton look like the Cold War by comparison.

Some Republican Senators are worrying about precisely this. Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham have voiced this concern. So has Sen. Marco Rubio.

Rubio put it this way on Twitter:  Being a “friend of Vladimir” is not an attribute I’m hoping for from a Secretary of State.

Well said.

If these three Senators were to vote against confirming Tillerson, and if all Democrats joined them, this would be enough to sink the nomination. It’s premature to call this scenario likely, but it’s a possibility. Indeed, it’s possible that McCain, Graham, and Rubio wouldn’t be the only Republican defectors.

COMMENT:  Very true.  Republicans in the Senate may well be looking for the chance to assert themselves, and Tillerson's nomination is hardly the kind to win widespread public love.  Here is a case that will test Trump's skills.  I'd rate the chances at confirmation of Tillerson at only 50-50.

December 12, 2016       Permalink

TRUMP AND THE GOP – AT 11:18 A.M. ET:   It is no secret that many in the GOP despise Donald Trump.  And, if truth be told, he gave them plenty of reason during the presidential campaign.  We might forget Trump's chronic insults and demeaning descriptions, but his targets will not. 

Now Trump is facing his first real disagreement with prominent Republicans.  It's over the question of alleged Russian attempts to influence our election, in Trump's favor, by the use of hacking and other means.  From Fox: 

Allegations that Russia interfered in the presidential election in a bid to boost Donald Trump’s campaign have roiled Republicans, as prominent GOP lawmakers pursue a bipartisan congressional investigation while President-elect Trump’s team tries to tamp down the controversy and “move on.”

Trump told “Fox News Sunday” the CIA’s reported assessment was “ridiculous” and described the claim as another “excuse” pushed by Democrats to explain his upset victory.

“Nobody really knows,” he said. “... They have no idea if it's Russia or China or somebody. It could be somebody sitting in a bed some place.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., though, said Monday that the Senate intelligence committee will review the matter.

“The Russians are not our friends,” McConnell said, while saying he has the highest confidence in the CIA and the rest of the intelligence community.

The debate follows a Washington Post report that the CIA concluded in a secret assessment that Russia interfered in the race to boost Trump, not just undermine confidence in the system.

Intelligence agencies reportedly found individuals connected to the Russian government gave WikiLeaks hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee, as well as from Hillary Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta – though did not have “specific intelligence” showing Kremlin officials directed the activity.

In response to this report, and following White House confirmation that President Obama has ordered an intelligence review of election hacking before he leaves office, the Trump transition team also put out a statement saying: “These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The election ended a long time ago in one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history. It’s now time to move on and ‘Make America Great Again.’”

COMMENT:  Sorry, but we call 'em as we see 'em here, and Trump is handling this badly.  First, he did not win one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history.  Second, it is demeaning and inaccurate to say that "these are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction."  They are not the same people.

Trump should join the call, now supported by prominent Republicans, for a thorough investigation.  It will be led by Republican-run committees in Congress.  It's going to happen anyway, and Trump doesn't want to be seen as an obstructionist. 

The GOP majority in the Senate currently stands at 52-48.  It is thin.  Trump needs almost total support.  He needs confirmation of his more controversial Cabinet picks.  Some of his comments on the Russian hacking issue are not helpful.

December 12, 2016       Permalink

STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY – QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 10:43 A.M. ET:  Occasionally we come across a piece that clarifies some subject beautifully.  David Solway has written a superb article for American Thinker on the declining state of the sandboxes we used to call universities.   It contains this quote:

Those of my graduating class who survived the curriculum and performance standards then in place became leaders in their fields, names to be reckoned with in medicine, engineering, math and science, law, education, politics, literature, entertainment, music, and television. None of us profited from the “participation trophy” syndrome -- honors awarded for merely being there. James Harrison, a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, reacted to his sons’ receiving such trophies by returning these gewgaws to sender. “I’m not sorry,” he explained, “for believing that everything in life should be earned.” You don’t get to be a star linebacker by hanging around the locker room or claiming special consideration on the field. Similarly, university graduates cannot be expected to achieve real-world results, make their mark or contribute meaningfully to society unless, by hard work and applied intelligence, they have justly and faithfully earned their degrees -- with the proviso, of course, that these degrees are genuinely substantive.

COMMENT:  Well said.  I believe that part of Trump's victory – which was a protest vote – was a rejection of the society our universities are creating.  But those universities don't listen, and won't listen.  They see themselves as the adolescent resistance.  They grieve over the election results.  They join their coddled students in expressing their deepest emotions, which are on the emotional level of 12-year-olds. 

Saving our educational system will possibly be the most important fight of our times.  There is no guarantee it will be won.  Trump, with his brashness, may well be the man who can be a key leader in that fight.  If he can get us halfway there, he'll be an outstanding president. 

Read Solway's entire piece. 

December 12,  2016     Permalink