Please note that you can leave a comment on any of our posts at our Facebook page.  Subscribers can also comment at length at our Angel's Corner Forum.

Our Angel's Corner archive is here.

I appeared on Silvio Canto Jr's talk show from Dallas yesterday.  It's here.

FEBRUARY 22,  2016

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

MAJOR POLITICAL ENDORSEMENT – From Showbiz411:  Dick van Dyke Endorses Bernie Sanders: “He may be the last voice we ever hear”  So, the waiting is over.  Now we know who won the coveted Dick Van Dyke endorsement.  I don't know why anyone else but Bernie should even campaign right now.  It's reported that Hillary made a direct appeal to Van Dyke by getting on the phone and singing the theme from the "Mary Tyler Moore Show." 

THE PRESIDENT'S HOME TOWN – From the Chicago Tribune:   Four homicides over the weekend and two more Monday morning pushed Chicago's homicide count so far this year to double the same period last year.  The city has recorded at least 95 homicides since the first of the year, compared to 47 last year, according to data kept by the Tribune. The city has also more than doubled the amount of people shot - about 420 this year compared to 193 last year.  Thirty-two people were shot in Chicago over the weekend, the youngest among them a 3-year-old boy shot in the leg in the Englewood neighborhood.  I wonder if the "black lives matter" movement has any interest in this, or do black lives matter only when they have political value?

SMARTPHONES NOT SMART? – From Financial Times:   In January, British actor Eddie Redmayne made headlines around the world as he became the latest in a growing band of smartphone refuseniks.
“It was a reaction against being glued permanently to my iPhone during waking hours,” he explained, turning instead to an old-fashioned “dumb phone” handset that could only make and take calls.  He is not alone. There is a small but busy market for phones that are simple and cheap at a time when smartphones are becoming ever more complex and expensive.  This was bound to happen.  There is a limit to the appeal of technology, especially to the young, who quickly go on to something new, or discover an older technology that appeals to them.  Also, common sense issues, like the smallness of the screen and the keyboard, start taking their toll.  I prefer tablets.  I don't make many calls, and I can actually do research on a tablet screen.

RUSSIA WANTS BETTER SPYING –  From AP:   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Russia will ask permission on Monday to start flying surveillance planes equipped with high-powered digital cameras amid warnings from U.S. intelligence and military officials that such overflights help Moscow collect intelligence on the United States.  Russia and the United States are signatories to the Open Skies Treaty, which allows unarmed observation flights over the entire territory of all 34 member nations to foster transparency about military activity and help monitor arms control and other agreements. Senior intelligence and military officials, however, worry that Russia is taking advantage of technological advances to violate the spirit of the treaty.  I'm shocked, shocked, that anyone would suggest that our Russian friends would violate the spirit of the treaty.   Why, they simply want clearer pictures because they're easier on the eyes.  Russian eyes matter.

February 22, 2016       Permalink

AN IMPORTANT VOTE – AT 10:32 A.M. ET:   We are being distracted by our election campaign.  Important things are happening around the world.  One of them is the British referendum, scheduled for June, on whether Britain should leave the European Union.  From Sky News:

Boris Johnson has revealed he will campaign for Britain to leave the EU in a major blow to the Prime Minister.

The decision by the London Mayor ends months of speculation and represents a huge coup for the Leave campaign, given his broad appeal among voters.

Mr Johnson informed the PM by text just nine minutes before making his statement.

While he told reporters David Cameron had done "fantastically well" in the deal he reached with Brussels, he added no one "could realistically claim that this is fundamental reform of the EU".

Mr Johnson said: "The last thing I wanted was to go against David Cameron or the Government, but after a great deal of heartache, I don't think there's anything else I could do.

"I will be advocating Vote Leave ... because I want a better deal for the people of this country to save them money and to take back control."

He added: "What I won't do is take part in loads of TV debates against other members of my party and I was told what the Prime Minister had to say this morning about not sharing platforms with George Galloway and other individuals, and I won't do that either."

COMMENT:  It's a major vote.  The EU is a huge bureaucracy that devastates the sovereignty of the member nations.  It is really accountable only to itself.

I'd like to see Britain leave.  I'd like to see the EU crumble.  The confused elitists can find employment elsewhere, like on American college campuses.  I'd like to see individual European cultures rise again.  The diversity, to use a current, trendy term, is healthy.

February 22, 2016       Permalink

THIS IS NUTS – AT 10:08 A.M. ET:   Donald Trump, maybe a bit overconfident, is now questioning whether Marco Rubio is Constitutionally eligible to be president.  He raised the same question earlier about Ted Cruz.  I guess Trump is really going for the Hispanic vote.  From Fox: 

Marco Rubio has joined Ted Cruz in Donald Trump’s crosshairs.

Fresh off his Saturday win in the South Carolina Republican primary, Trump said Sunday he didn’t know whether Rubio, a Florida senator who finished second, was eligible to run for president and that “the lawyers have to determine that.”

“I don’t know,” Trump told George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week.” “I really – I’ve never looked at it, George. I honestly have never looked at it. As somebody said, he’s not. And I retweeted it. I have 14 million people between Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and I retweet things, and we start dialogue and it’s very interesting.”

Rubio brushed aside Trump’s assertions later on “This Week.”

And...

Trump was questioned on the issue after he retweeted a supporter Saturday who made the allegation and linked to a video from the Powdered Wig Society, a conservative news and commentary website. That video features an unidentified woman claiming someone can only be a “natural-born citizen” if the person’s father was a U.S. citizen.

The Constitution states only a “natural-born citizen” can be president, though it does not explicitly define that phrase.

Rubio, whose parents came to the U.S. from Cuba in the 1950s, was born in Florida in 1971. His parents were not U.S. citizens at the time.

COMMENT:  It's absurd.  If you are born in the United States, you are a natural-born citizen.  It doesn't matter where your parents came from.  Trump has no case here.  He should get off it.  He has to prove to the voters that he's a mature and responsible candidate, and this isn't helping.

February 22, 2016       Permalink

THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE – AT 9:45 A.M. ET:  Some are arguing that Donald Trump is "inevitable," that it's all but wrapped up.  Others are saying, wait a minute.  Not so fast.  From Andrew Malcolm at IBD:

Donald Trump, the billionaire boy from Queens, now says he loves South Carolina. Special place, let me tell you. FANtastic people. Understandable feelings since the New Yorker had a big primary day there.

Now, if Trump can just repeat his successful showing in eight more states – starting with Nevada’s caucuses Tuesday – the real estate dealer will hold the same commanding campaign lead as Rick “Remember Me?” Santorum four years ago.

Ricky did not get the 2012 nomination, and we’ll see how Donald does in what’s shaping up as the very long run.

As far as he’s concerned, of course, Trump’s already talking of sewing up the nomination very soon. Which is going to be so great for the party. And the country. Believe him.

And...

Front-runners like Trump often talk inevitable to make it self-fulfilling. Recall Clinton’s nomination was inevitable in 2007-08 and again this year. Even ISIS plays the momentum game. Submit now. Resistance is futile.

As swell as Trump’s ratings are after his weekend show, it’s important to remember that barely four percent of the party’s Cleveland delegates are picked so far. From now until mid-March they’ll be won proportionally in each state, not winner-take-all. Many, however, have a 20% minimum, meaning the winner of a plurality in a crowded field could, in effect, win all the delegates.

And...

Exit polls were revealing and possibly predictive of a long-term trend. Angry voters went for Trump; his vague promises beyond “fantastic” outcomes and U.S. “wins” alienate no one, allowing listeners to hear in his words anything their angry hearts desire.

Those South Carolinians seeking a candidate sharing their values opted for Cruz (38%) and Rubio (26%).

Those who above everything else want to win the White House on Nov. 8 went overwhelmingly for Rubio at 49%, which more than doubled Cruz’s number and almost tripled Trump’s.

COMMENT:  This race is far from over.  It may go all the way to an open convention, in which case the party establishment plays an oversized role.  That establishment dislikes both Trump and Cruz. 

Stand by.  The excitement builds.  And, in the other party, the frontrunner is waiting for the verdict from the FBI.

As they say, you can't write this stuff.

February 22,  2016      Permalink

FEBRUARY 21,  2016

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

THIS JUST IN – From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:  Britney Spears' manager Larry Rudolph insists the pop star was "by no means endorsing" Hillary Clinton when Spears posted photos of herself posing with the Democratic presidential candidate last week.  Rudolph said he initiated the meeting, which took place Thursday in Clinton's suite at Caesars Palace.  "Hillary was in town," Rudolph said. "I got connected with one of her top aides, whom I spoke to. Hillary said she really wanted to meet Britney, and Britney really wanted to meet her."  Several photos of the meeting were posted on Spears' Instagram account, but #ImWithHer, Clinton's social media hashtag, was quickly deleted.  What does Hillary do now?  There's an old political saying, "If you've lost Britney Spears, you've lost."  How does something like this happen?  How does Hillary explain it?  Britney Spears controls the election.

GREAT MOMENT IN EDUCATION – From London's Daily Mail:  Head of £33,000-a-year girls' boarding school says boys should wear princess dresses and girls dress up as firemen as she calls for 'gender neutral' parenting.   The headmistress of a £33,000-a-year girls' boarding school has called for parents to bring up their children in a 'gender neutral' way so that youngsters can try out 'male' and 'female' roles.  Heathfield school's Jo Heywood believes one of the benefits of gender neutral parenting is that it would produce girls confident about entering careers such as science and engineering, traditionally regarded as a man's world.  I can't wait to go to their senior prom.

TRUMP REJECTS INDEPENDENT BID, SORT OF – From The Hill:   Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said on Sunday that it's "highly highly unlikely" that he will launch a third-party campaign.  Trump added, however, that the Republican National Committee (RNC) is not honoring the pledge he signed last year.  "The pledge is the pledge," Trump said on "Fox News Sunday."  "I signed a pledge. I'm a Republican. I'm the leading Republican by a lot and that's where I want to be. I don't want to run as an independent. I'm not going to be doing that. I think it's highly highly unlikely."  We'll see how unlikely it is if Trump gets angry at the party, which will probably happen if he loses the nomination. 

February 21,  2016     Permalink

OBAMA REFUSED TO ATTEND JUSTICE SCALIA'S FUNERAL – QUOTE OF THE DAY - AT 11:08 A.M. ET:  Justice Scalia's funeral was yesterday.  It was attended by much of official Washington.  One man was noticeably absent – the president of the United States.  Derek Hunter comments at Townhall, in our quote of the day:

With President Obama’s public refusal to attend the funeral service for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, he demeans the office in a way that transcends politics and exposes him as a small man who never grew into his job.

There are a lot of perks when you’re president. Your every whim is catered to – a kitchen staff on call, butlers, Air Force One, access to the rich, powerful and famous, living in the White House, and so on.

With that lifestyle comes certain responsibilities. The constitutional ones are obvious and enumerated. Beyond those are duties inherent in the office which, although sometimes unpleasant, are no less important.

The most important intrinsic duty of the president is to represent the people of the United States, not in policy but in person. The president can’t get drunk and stumble around in public, for example. That would be universally panned as beneath the dignity of the office.

Yet, other events, perhaps undignified on the surface, are simply tradition and “part of the job.” Every Thanksgiving the president holds a press conference, delivers a pointless speech, pardons a couple of turkeys and sends them off to live the rest of their lives on a farm somewhere. There are about a million things any president would rather be doing. But that has become part of the job, so they have to do it.

Another thing the president must do is show up at events that matter, that are markers in history, and to represent the American people because we can’t attend.

The president represents us at important, and sometimes only symbolic, events.

President Obama shows up only when he wants up, only when it matters to him. The funeral of Nelson Mandela – he was there. The funeral of Margaret Thatcher – he couldn’t be bothered. Both were important figures in world history; only one was crucial in winning the Cold War.

The president has no interest in fighting terrorism beyond what he must do. Therefore, after the attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo, when world leaders united and marched in solidarity to honor the victims, Barack Obama was uninterested.

A stalwart conservative justice of the Supreme Court dies in office, and even though every time in American history a sitting Supreme Court justice died in office the president attended the funeral, Barack Obama can’t be bothered.

COMMENT:  So well said.  A little man, just like Jimmy Carter.  Unequipped for the office.  Much ego.  No class.

February 21, 2016        Permalink

WISDOM FROM NEWT – AT 10:28 A.M. ET:  The former speaker, and a very astute political observer, warns that it's time to take Donald Trump seriously.  From the Washington Examiner: 

Newt Gingrich has a message for the GOP in Washington:  Start taking Donald Trump seriously.

Appearing on Fox News after Trump's Saturday win in South Carolina, the former speaker of the House argued that "nobody" in the Washington Republican political class "should kid themselves" about Trump's chances any longer.

"It is a huge night for Donald Trump and nobody should kid themselves. Here's a guy who seven months ago for the first time entered electoral politics, has learned at an extraordinary rate," Gingrich said, pointing to his second-place finish in Iowa and victories in New Hampshire and South Carolina.

"By any reasonable standard, this is a decisive victory," Gingrich continued, adding that Trump is likely to win in Nevada on Tuesday. "What people need to get a grip on in the Washington establishment is their job is to understand Trump. His job isn't to understand them. They live in a world of ideas and details and policy programs and long papers and conferences and ideas. This guy lives in a world of making very big decisions, doing very big things, and I think you could start keeping a list."

"It's a very simple rule — if you think Washington is so sick you want someone to kick over the kitchen table, then you like Donald Trump and you frankly don't care about the details," Gingrich added.

COMMENT:  Newt is right, and I worry what happens after Trump kicks over the kitchen table.  Does he have a plan for repairing the kitchen, or is he just a kicker?

We note once again that 68% of the Republican voters in South Carolina did not vote for Trump.  There will be a stop-Trump movement, run by Rubio and Cruz, one of whom will emerge as Trump's logical challenger.  "Stop" movements rarely work.  This one can.  It is going to get very brutal in the weeks ahead.  Expect no kindness from anyone.

February 21,  2016     Permalink 

STARTLING – AT 9:59 A.M. ET:  Hillary Clinton, in her speech yesterday acknowledging victory in the Nevada caucuses, made a startling statement.  It was directed right at young voters:

I want to say this to all the young people out there. I know what you're up against if you left college with a ton of loans, it's not enough just to make college more affordable. You need help right now with the debt you already have.

That's why I have a plan to cut your interest rates and cap payments so you never have to pay more than you can afford.

But I want you to think about this. It can't be just about what we're going to give to you. It has to be about we're going to build together. Your generation is the most tolerant and connected our country has ever seen. In the days ahead, we will propose new ways for more Americans to get involved in national service and give back to our communities, because every one of us has a role to play in building the future we want.

Washington is never going to have all the answers, but for every problem we face somewhere someone in America is solving it. And we need you to be part of that exciting journey we can make together.

COMMENT:   Of course, Clinton was channeling Jack Kennedy's, "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."  That is not a primary-campaign statement.  It's a general-election-campaign statement. 

I wonder if Clinton, who has some friendly territory ahead in South Carolina and elsewhere, believes that she's overcoming the danger from Bernie Sanders and is now on her way to the nomination.  I wonder if she's starting to pivot, to attract the wider audience needed to win in November.

Her comment was directed at young people who've defected to Bernie, who, after all, is offering a lot of free stuff that he can't pay for.

Just wonderin'.  But don't be shocked if Clinton starts campaigning as if she already has the nomination. 

February 21,  2016     Permalink