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FEBRUARY 19,  2016

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

A PROPER GOODBYE – From Fox:  Renato Bialetti, the coffee king whose name is synonymous with the iconic aluminum stovetop esspresso makers, died last week at the age of 93.  In an unusual and strangely befitting tribute, the ashes of this well-known Italian coffee impresario were placed in a giant Moka pot, which he made famous, at his funeral this week in Montebuglio, Italy.  Bialetti didn’t invent the Moka. He just made it famous. A man named Luigi di Ponti designed the appliance in 1933 and sold the patent to Renato’s father Alfonso Bialetti, an aluminum vendor.  When John Kerry departs, they can entomb him in a Cuban cigar.

KERRY IN HOLLYWOOD – From the Washington Free Beacon:  Oh, to have been at John Kerry’s meeting Tuesday with a dozen Hollywood executives at Universal Studios. To have sat in one of the cushy leather chairs beneath a vintage poster for The Phantom of the Opera, sipping bottled water, relaxing in the Mediterranean climate of southern California, and been solicited by the U.S. secretary of State for advice on how to defeat radical Islam. What a confirmation of one’s status in the film industry, of one’s place in the global economy, of one’s importance to the Democratic Party. “Great convo w studio execs in LA,” Kerry tweeted after the discussion, “Good to hear their perspectives & ideas of how to counter #Daesh narrative.”  I have been at a number of Hollywood meetings.  The most important objective is fighting insomnia.  The second most important objective is remembering the names of executives whose careers will last another two weeks.

WHY WE FIGHT – From American Thinker:   The top spiritual leader appointed by the Palestinian Authority, Mufti Hassan Al-Laham, appears regularly on Palestinian TV talk shows discussing sharia law and how it applies to everyday life.  Recently, the mufti talked about the finer points of beating your wife – permissible under Islamic law.  The shocking interview with Hassan Al-Laham, who holds the title “mufti of Gaza,” came during a weekly Palestinian Authority TV program on social issues. Explaining that divorce must be a last resort in Islam, Al-Laham laid out the four steps that should come first.  "Allah said: Warn them [the wives], and separate from them, and hit them, and bring an arbitrator from his family and an arbitrator from her family," he said.  Please notice the absolute silence of "women's" organizations about this obscenity.  I guess left-wing agendas trump women's rights on the feminist left.  They always have.

February 19, 2016       Permalink

ANYONE SURPRISED? – AT 10:51 A.M. ET:  President Obama, true to his leftist pedigree, is getting set to visit Cuba.  Even some Democrats are questioning the timing, as Cuba has not done a thing to free its people from bondage since Obama "normalized" relations with the Communist country. 

Indeed, the Castro regime is now increasing its crackdown on human rights.  From Bloomberg: 

Even some supporters of President Barack Obama’s moves to strengthen relations with Cuba are questioning the timing of his planned visit to the Communist island next month, after arrests of dissidents by Raul Castro’s government reached a five-year high.

Obama vowed Thursday that he’ll promote human rights during his historic visit, the first by a sitting American president since 1928. But more than a year of warming relations between the nations, separated by just 90 miles, have so far failed to slow the Cuban government’s crackdown on political dissidents.

The Madrid-based Cuban Observatory on Human Rights said 1,474 people, including 512 women, were “arbitrarily” detained in January. The arrests have been climbing since the December 2014 announcement that the two governments would improve ties.

“A presidential visit should occasion a broader progress on the human-rights agenda. And I haven’t seen any changes on that front,” said Christopher Sabatini, an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs who has supported the rapprochement.

COMMENT:  Why shouldn't the Castro boys crack down on the opposition?  They know from their observations of the Obama administration that there will be no penalty paid.  Indeed, Obama seems to have a certain respect for authoritarian governments, and little respect for democracy.  In 2009 it took him four days to meander over to a microphone and denounce the Iranian crackdown on dissidents.  And his words were mild, even grudging.

Obama normalized relations with Cuba without demanding a single concession on human rights.  What, precisely, does this country stand for these days?

February 19,  2016     Permalink

SPEAKING OF MIKE BLOOMBERG – AT 9:52 A.M. ET:  He doesn't make many speeches, but he made some comments yesterday that sure sounded like a preliminary announcement.   From Headline News: 

Former New York mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said Thursday that the candidates leading the 2016 presidential race are capitalizing on Americans’ outrage over a political system that is “corrupt, gridlocked and broken.” Offering new insights into his thinking as he contemplates a third party bid for the White House, Bloomberg described the campaign as “a race to the extremes” with candidates who are exploiting voters who “have lost faith” in the country’s institutions. “The list of supposed villains we hear about is long,” Bloomberg, a billionaire who served three terms as mayor of New York, said at a celebration for conservative author Peggy Noonan’s new book. “But the actual solutions that Americans seek have been in short supply.”

COMMENT:   Gee, that sounds pretty presidential to me.  Personally, from a journalistic viewpoint, I hope Mike jumps in.  It would make the race that much more interesting, and he would add some sobriety. 

He is not charismatic.  He can cure anyone's insomnia.  But Bloomberg is a serious man who served three honorable terms as mayor of New York, sometimes called "the second toughest job in the nation."  (Indeed, one of his curses is that mayors of New York tend not to go higher.  Witness the great Rudy Giuliani.)  Bloomberg's oft-observed lack of charisma might well be an asset.  I think many people are yearning for less volume, more thought. 

Political speculation is that Bloomberg will only get in if polling shows he could possibly win.  He doesn't see his role as that of spoiler.  Ross Perot, an awful candidate, got 19% of the vote in 1992, running as a third-party choice.  I think Bloomberg would do much better, especially as he has endless funds with which to introduce himself to the American people.  But he would not only need at least a third of the popular vote, he would have to carry states in the Electoral College, a much tougher proposition.

He is 74.   Realistically, this is his last chance.  I think he will most likely jump in if his polling shows very high voter dissatisfaction with the current frontrunners, which it does. 

February 19, 2016       Permalink

HILLARY'S FUTURE – AT 9:28 A.M. ET:  No one seriously expected that Bernie Sanders, an elderly socialist from Vermont with a distinct New York accent, would be so successful in challenging Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination.

But challenge he has.  Bernie is actually ahead of Clinton in some national polls.  I suspect this isn't because Bernie himself is so popular.  Rather, it's a backlash against Clinton, who is seen by many as deceptive, around too long, and last generation. 

It may be unfair, to the extent that Hillary beats the pants off Sanders in every debate.  She is far more knowledgeable and grounded.  He's a flaky socialist with ridiculous solutions.  If I absolutely had to choose between the two for president, I would have to choose Hillary, but the pain would be great.  Fortunately, there's another party. 

Bernie may win the Nevada caucuses on Saturday.  But then the road for him gets tougher.  The Dems vote in the critical South Carolina primary a week from Saturday, and Hillary maintains a commanding lead.  From Fox:

While the Democratic race in South Carolina has narrowed, Hillary Clinton continues to trounce Bernie Sanders.

Likely Democratic primary voters favor Clinton over Sanders by 28 points (56-28 percent), according to a Fox News poll released Thursday. Another 17 percent remain undecided or plan to back someone else.

In December, Clinton held a 44-point lead (65-21 percent).

The South Carolina electorate is more diverse than those of Iowa and New Hampshire, the two states that have held contests so far -- and that helps the former secretary of state. Even so, sentiment has shifted among some of Clinton’s best groups.

Clinton led among black voters by 82-11 in December (71 points). The new poll finds she leads Sanders by 63-21 percent among blacks (42 points). That’s still a big lead, no doubt. But there’s been a 29-point narrowing.

In addition, two months ago Clinton topped Sanders by 55 points among women (72-17 percent). Now she’s up by 33 points (58-25 percent).

COMMENT:  All true.  But there was a time when Clinton had the field to herself.  She was "inevitable."  With Sanders in the race, there was bound to be some erosion.  There are some voters who will vote for anyone except the frontrunner.

Hillary still leads in superdelegates, the "professional Democrats" who are selected to go to the convention to balance out the childness of the primary voters.  She also leads among minorities.  She may yet stabilize her situation and win the nomination.

The 900-pound gorilla in the room is not Bernie Sanders, it's the FBI investigation.  If it goes sour for Hillary, she may be toast, in which case the Democratic powers will try to bring in Biden to stop Bernie, and they may be successful.

The other 900-pound gorilla, not yet in the room, is former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who can finance his own campaign.  If he gets in, he may well take more votes from the Democratic candidate than from the other side. 

The Democratic race is as fascinating as the Republican, but at least no Republican is facing jail time.

February 19, 2016       Permalink

FEBRUARY 18,  2016

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

WHOOPS – A 2002 radio interview of Donald Trump, by Howard Stern, has surfaced.  Stern asked, "Are you for invading Iraq?"   Trump answered, "Yeah, I guess so."  Anderson Cooper brought up the comment tonight in his Town Hall interview with Trump, and Trump conceded that he could have said that.  For months Trump has argued that he opposed the Iraq war, called it a disaster, and blamed George W. Bush.  I don't know what this does to his credibility, and I'm not so sure it matters in this weird race.

SEND HELP TO THESE CHILDREN, PLEASE – From Breitbart – Students at Rutgers University were so traumatized by Breitbart Tech editor Milo Yiannopoulos’s visit to their campus that they had to hold a group therapy session, campus newspaper The Daily Targum reports.  According to the paper, students and faculty members held a wound-licking gathering at a cultural center on campus, where students described “feeling scared, hurt, and discriminated against.”  “A variety of different organizations and departments were present to listen, answer questions and show support” to the apparently weak and vulnerable students, who just a few days prior had disrupted Yiannopoulos’s event by smearing fake blood on their faces and chanting protest slogans.  One student at the event told the Targum that they “broke down crying” after the event, while another reported that he felt “scared to walk around campus the next day.” According to the report, “many others” said they felt “unsafe” at the event and on campus afterwards.  Our next generation.  I wish their parents had practiced more effective birth control.

THEY CALL HER "HONEST HILLARY" – Actually they don't.  Hillary Clinton, in an interview with Scott Pelley of CBS, refused to say definitively whether or not she has ever lied to the American people.  Pelley asked, "You talk about leveling with the American people. Have you always told the truth?"  Clinton replied, "I've always tried to. Always. Always."  She went on to say, "Well, but, you know, you're asking me to say, 'Have I ever?' I don't believe I ever have. I don't believe I ever have. I don't believe I ever will. I'm gonna do the best I can to level with the American people."  Well, that should certainly settle it.  After that, how can anyone question Hillary's integrity?  Shameful critics and doubters!

February 18, 2016       Permalink 

NOW THIS IS SERIOUS STUFF, AND IT'S NUCLEAR – AT 9:56 A.M. ET:   It is incredible how this slipped by the mainstream media.  Well, maybe not so incredible.  From Reuters: 

BAGHDAD Iraq is searching for "highly dangerous" radioactive material stolen last year, according to an environment ministry document and seven security, environmental and provincial officials who fear it could be used as a weapon if acquired by Islamic State.

The material, stored in a protective case the size of a laptop computer, went missing in November from a storage facility near the southern city of Basra belonging to U.S. oilfield services company Weatherford (WFT.N), the document obtained by Reuters showed and officials confirmed.

A spokesman for Iraq's environment ministry said he could not discuss the issue, citing national security concerns. A Weatherford spokesman in Iraq declined to comment, and the company's Houston headquarters did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

COMMENT:  Not to worry, I'm sure.  Barack Obama is on the case.  And Inspector of the World John Kerry is right behind him.

In fact, this has been a fear for decades – that stolen nuclear material might wind up in terrorist hands.  One blast from a so-called "dirty" nuclear bomb could make a small area of a city uninhabitable for years. 

February 18, 2016       Permalink

DR. SOWELL MAKES HIS CHOICE – AT 9:16 A.M. ET:   One of the writers we most respect here has endorsed a presidential candidate.  From Breitbart: 

Thomas Sowell, a leading intellectual who has been on the frontlines of the conservative movement for decades, is endorsing Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) as his choice to be the next President of the United States.

Writing in RealClearPolitics, Sowell explained that “the vacancy created on the Supreme Court makes painfully clear the huge stakes involved when we choose a President of the United States.”

“Given the advanced ages of other justices, the next president is likely to have enough vacancies to fill to be able to shape the future of the court that helps shape the future of America,” Sowell added.

Sowell castigated the “frivolous rhetoric and childish antics” seen in the recent Republican debates.

“If ever there was a time to choose a president with depth, rather than glitter or glibness, this is it,” he commented.

The conservative intellectual revealed he is no fan of Republican nominee Donald Trump.

“Some seem to think that Donald Trump’s lead in the polls and in the New Hampshire primary make him the most electable candidate, even if he often acts like an overgrown spoiled brat,” he opined.  “But the fact that Trump leads in the polls does not mean that he is electable in the general election this fall. He is ahead only because the majority vote among Republicans has been split among so many other candidates.”

COMMENT:  Dr. Sowell is right.  Trump is an overgrown spoiled brat.  Cruz is a man of considerable intellect and depth.  While I happen to believe that Marco Rubio is more electable, Sowell's endorsement should be taken seriously.  A leading African American intellectual, he has been one of the great voices of reason in America in recent years.

February 18, 2016        Permalink

CHINA MAKES ITS MOVES – AT 8:50 A.M. ET:  The Chinese are not waiting to see who the next president will be before moving aggressively in the South China Sea.  From IBD:

China surprised the world by placing an advanced missile system on the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. It’s a coldly calculated challenge to the U.S. doctrine of freedom of the seas.

It’s the most brazen step yet to militarize the world’s busiest shipping lane, home of $5 trillion, or one-third, of global trade. On tiny Woody Island, China planted two batteries of eight HQ-9 surface-to-air missiles with a range of about 125 miles, following construction of an airstrip. The missiles give them a 250 mile swath of water between the Philippines (500 miles away) and Vietnam (270 miles). They also menace Taiwan, just 674 miles north. It creates not only a new boss astride a third of the world’s shipping lanes, but also a Beijing-controlled air defense zone.

And...

This is definitely a strike at Taiwan, which recently held fair democratic elections that displeased Beijing.

But even more so, it was a heavy blow to the U.S.’ credibility as the traditional guarantor of freedom of the seas in that region — which in fact is our Navy’s most important mission, as strategist Robert D. Kaplan wrote in his “Asia’s Cauldron.”

How bad was it? The missiles were deployed just two weeks after Wang explicitly promised Secretary of State John Kerry there would be no militarization of the South China Sea at a meeting in Beijing, showing contempt for the U.S. China neither fears U.S. power nor a U.S. response under this White House if it can make such toilet-paper promises to a visiting American asking for its cooperation on keeping the seas free.

Kerry’s response Wednesday showed why. “We have said repeatedly with respect to China that the standard that should be applied to all countries with respect to the South China Sea is no militarization,” he babbled. He called Beijing’s missile battery “of serious concern,” and declared he would have a “further very serious conversation” with the Chinese about it.

Sound scary?

COMMENT:  I'm sure the Chinese are quaking in their boots about the upcoming "serious conversation."  After all, that's more ominous than a "frank exchange of views."   That Kerry.  Tough guy.

February 18,  2016     Permalink