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JULY 9,  2017

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

SLEEP WELL – FROM THE TELEGRAPH:   It is said that a clear conscience makes the softest pillow, but according to a new study the secret of a good night’s sleep is having something worth getting out of bed for the next day.  In the first research of its kind, US scientists found that having a purpose in life results in fewer nighttime disturbances and improved sleep quality.  Although all the participants in the study were elderly, researchers said the findings are likely to apply to people of all ages, suggesting that whether you will sleep well is already decided before you even get into bed.  So I guess this means that liberals will never sleep well.

I WANTED SO MUCH TO MEET THEM – FROM THE TELEGRAPH:   Hopes of finding life on Mars, at least on the surface, were dealt a blow on Thursday by a study revealing that salt minerals present on the Red Planet kill bacteria. In lab tests on Earth, the compounds known as perchlorates killed cultures of the bacteria Bacillus subtilis, a basic life form, a research duo from the University of Edinburgh's School of Physics and Astronomy reported. In the new study, Jennifer Wadsworth and Charles Cockell showed the compound can also be activated by UV light, without heat, in conditions mimicking those on the martian surface. It killed bacteria within minutes, said the team, implying the planet was "more uninhabitable than previously thought".   This is a major blow to the Martian real-estate market.  The Democrats are already blaming Trump.

NEW YORK'S FAR-LEFT MAYOR – FROM FOX:   Mayor de Blasio flew all the way to Hamburg, Germany, to praise that city’s police in a speech — while cops back home continued to mourn, without him, the assassination of one of their own in The Bronx.  “Our right to protest is directly related to the fact that our police protect us,” Hizzoner told a crowd of thousands at the outdoor Hamburg Shows Attitude rally protesting the G-20 summit Saturday. “So help me by joining in applause and thanks for the police,” he said as the crowd cheered.  “There have also been great acts of bravery and restraint,” he said. “Remember, our police are working men and women, too.”...And back home, the mayor missed an evening vigil honoring slain NYPD Officer Miosotis ­Familia at the 46th Precinct station house where she worked in The Bronx.  Familia, 48, a mother of three, was shot in the head early Wednesday by a cop-loathing ­parolee as she sat in a police command vehicle.  This mayor is a Castro-supporting leftist who was also a booster of the Sandinistas.   So why is he mayor of New York?  Because the Republican Party of New York City refuses to put up a good fight to replace him.  The mayor is up for re-election this fall, and will probably win.  We need another Rudy.

July 9, 2017       Permalink

EXPLAIN, ANGELA, EXPLAIN – AT 12:53 P.M. ET:  Angela Merkel is getting to be a pain in the neck.  She obviously considers herself the queen of the West, and regularly lectures President Trump.  But the G20 meeting she hosted in Hamburg was a mess.  From Bloomberg:

Chancellor Angela Merkel defended the decision to host the Group of 20 summit in Germany’s second-biggest city, promising government compensation for property damage in the wake of looting and rioting by anti-capitalist activists in Hamburg.

Speaking at the end of the summit on Saturday, Merkel told reporters that, from a pure logistical point of view, the two-day gathering had to be held in a large city, given the sheer number of leaders and guests needing housing. Hamburg was also chosen as a symbol of openness to trade because the city of 1.7 million is Germany’s largest port and richest state per capita.

Instead, the image seared in the minds of many Germans was one of violent clashes, which left more than 200 police injured and resulted in about 260 protesters being detained. Scenes of chaos, looting and burning cars have played out live on German television since Thursday, shocking many in a country known for its orderliness. Merkel, who is running for re-election in September in part on a theme of public safety, fielded several questions from German media at her closing press conference on the protests and response.

“I condemn in the strongest terms the unchained violence and unrestrained brutality that the police faced repeatedly during the G-20,” Merkel told reporters. “Apparently, there are people who have no interest in the issues and instead go on a rampage of blind destruction in their own neighborhood. Tough police measures are the only response to that.” 

COMMENT:  Merkel's tough talk had no effect on the rioters.  The imagery was terrible.  Add to that Merkel's vastly over-liberal immigration policies, and you have a toxic brew.   She is probably better for us than the opposition party in Germany, but her re-election is not assured.

July 9, 2017       Permalink

AND PROGRESS IN IRAQ – AT 12:31 P.M. ET:  The growth of ISIS in Iraq came as a direct result of Obama's premature withdrawal of American forces.  ISIS took over whole parts of the country.

Now, with American help, the Iraqi army is recapturing its own nation.  And ISIS is being defeated.  From The New York Times:   

MOSUL, Iraq — Dressed in a military uniform, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi arrived here in Mosul on Sunday to congratulate Iraq’s armed forces on their victory over the Islamic State and mark the formal end of a bloody campaign that lasted nearly nine months, left much of Iraq’s second-largest city in ruins, killed thousands of people and displaced nearly a million more.

While Iraqi troops were still mopping up the last pockets of resistance and Iraqi forces could be facing suicide bombers and guerrilla attacks for weeks, the military began to savor its win in the shattered alleyways of the old city, where the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, put up a fierce last stand.

Hanging over the declaration of victory is the reality of the hard road ahead. The security forces in Mosul still face dangers, including ISIS sleeper cells and suicide bombers. And they must clear houses rigged with explosive booby traps so civilians can return and services can be restored. Nor is the broader fight over: Other cities and towns in Iraq remain under the militants’ control

“It’s going to continue to be hard every day,” said Col. Pat Work, the commanding officer of the Second Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, which is carrying out the American advisory effort here.

COMMENT:  So unnecessary.  These are areas we fought for and controlled until Field Marshal Obama introduced his brilliant policies.  I'm sure Barack the poet will explain it all in his $65-million memoirs.

July 9, 2017       Permalink

MOVING FORWARD IN SYRIA? – AT 11:52 A.M. ET:  A new cease-fire went into effect in Syria.  If it holds, it could be a major step toward peace.  From Fox: 

An open-ended cease-fire in southern Syria brokered by the United States, Russia, and Jordan went into effect Sunday.

The agreement, announced Thursday after a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, went into effect at noon, and is the first initiative by the Trump administration in collaboration with Russia to bring some stability to Syria.

Trump tweeted Sunday, "We negotiated a ceasefire in parts of Syria which will save lives. Now it is time to move forward in working constructively with Russia!"

The initiative followed weeks of talks in the Jordanian capital, Amman, to address the buildup of Iranian-backed forces, in support of the Syrian government, near the Jordanian and Israeli borders.

COMMENT:  We hope the cease-fire works.  Obama's policy in Syria was an abysmal failure, but Trump may succeed.

We also hope that Trump's Russia policy is wise.  But please note that he's playing good cop, bad cop with Moscow.  He smiles at Putin, yet bashes Russia in speeches, and has our wonderful UN ambassador, Nikki Haley, go to town on Russia at the UN.

Trump is a serious man – a man with defects, but a serious man – and I'm finding him fascinating as a president.

July 9,  2017     Permalink 

JULY 8,  2017

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

GOOD FOR HIM – FROM AMERICAN MIRROR:  Donald Trump is making America exceptional once again.  It’s coming in small, yet proud ways, as evidenced at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.  As leaders were gathering for a photo op, most were sporting a G20 pin on their lapel.  Not Trump. He was wearing an American flag.  A little thing, but it's important to us.  The G20 is not a fraternity, and you don't have to wear your pledge pin.  The American flag is better.

SOMETIMES IT'S JUST OVER – FROM THE HILL:   Hillary Clinton wants to play a role in next year’s midterm elections. It’s just not clear yet what that role will be.   Clinton has already launched a PAC aimed at helping congressional Democratic candidates in 2018, signaling the former first lady, senator and secretary of State is ready to help her party with fundraising.   She also is looking at the House districts she won in last year’s presidential contest against Donald Trump as part of an autopsy of her failed campaign, according to two sources who have spoken to the former Secretary of State.  Sometimes it's wise to just get off the stage.  The Democratic Party is in a bad place, and doesn't appear to be in any mood to welcome Clinton back.    

AUNTIE MAXINE SPEAKS – FROM THE HILL:  Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) has decided to take “the gloves off” to encourage others to see President Trump the way she does, the House Democrat said in a New York Times profile published on Friday.   “Trump was just so outrageous, so disrespectful, such a bully and dangerous for this country, I decided, ‘You know what? I’m taking the gloves off and I’m going to step out,’” Waters told the Times, explaining her bombastic rhetoric toward the president. She has called for his impeachment.  “I was going to not only challenge him but encourage others to see him for what he is: basically a bully, an egotistical maniac, a liar and someone who did not need to be president,” she continued.  Most people think she took the gloves off years ago.  But maybe these are new gloves.  Her constituents might remind her of why she was sent to Congress.

July 8, 2017       Permalink

SARAH THE COMBATANT – AT 1:16 P.M. ET:  Sarah Palin is suing The New York Times for defamation.  Good for her.  The case involves a statement by the Times that the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was partly provoked by an ad Palin had run targeting Giffords for political defeat.

The Times later apologized for the statement, but Palin feels the damage had been done.  From the New York Post:   

Sarah Palin’s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times should be tossed because the paper made “an honest mistake” when it said she incited a 2011 shooting that severely wounded Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords and killed six people, a lawyer for the Gray Lady said on Friday.

“There was an honest mistake in posting the editorial,” lawyer David Schultz told Manhattan federal Judge Jed Rakoff.

Last week, Palin sued the Times over a June 14th editorial that stated there was a “direct” link between one of Palin’s PAC ads and the shooting by Jared Lee Loughner.

But there’s no evidence he ever saw the ad, which placed Gifford’s district in stylized crosshairs. The Times issued a correction.

On Friday, Palin’s lawyers argued that the Times knew the story was false.

“It was literally acknowledged the same day in another story in their paper,” said Kenneth Turkel.

COMMENT:  We'll be watching this closely.  It's a tough road for a public figure to sue a newspaper, especially once the paper has apologized.  But at least we'll see a newspaper challenged.

July 8,  2017     Permalink

DONALD THE DIPLOMAT – AT 12:31 P.M. ET:  There is no question that the president, who can often get in his own way, is emerging as a major international diplomat.  Remember, the liberal press crowd laughed at Reagan as well.  From Fox:   

President Trump, at the start of his meeting Saturday in Germany with Chinese President Xi Jinping, called the Asian nation a “great trading partner” and said the increasing North Korea nuclear threat will eventually be resolved “one way or the other.”

The much-anticipated meeting is one of several Trump and top administration officials are having Saturday with world leaders at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. But it is considered perhaps the most critical.

China is North Korea’s largest trading partner, which gives the country considerable influence over Pyongyang and its growing threat, which includes developing a nuclear warhead and launching long-range missiles to transport them.

Trump said putting an end to North Korea’s nuclear missile testing “may take longer than I'd like, it may take longer that you'd like. But there will be success in the end one way or the other."
“Something has to be done,” the president also said.

COMMENT:  Trump is now laying down a marker.  He widely criticized Barack Obama for drawing a red line in Syria, then doing nothing when it was crossed.  Trump cannot repeat that performance.  He either takes down the North Korean nuclear program or subjects himself to well-deserved ridicule.  He knows the risk he is taking. 

July 8, 2017        Permalink

THE PHONIES – AT 11:46 A.M. ET:  Ivanka Trump is a remarkably poised and accomplished 35-year-old who could have spent her life going to parties.  Instead, she has built a successful business and involved herself in public issues like women's empowerment.  This has enraged some people, who believe that only certified women in liberal administrations should be permitted out in public.  From Daily Mail:

Ivanka Trump turned heads on Saturday at the G20 summit by temporarily taking a seat at the big-kids' table when her father, President Donald Trump, stepped out for a bilateral meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

A White House official told DailyMail.com that the younger Trump's fill-in role was nothing out of the ordinary. 

UK Prime Minister Theresa May was seen leaving the G20 meeting room at one point, a source with knowledge of the summit's goings-on said, and her place was briefly taken by an aide. 

But when the 35-year-old former fashion executive sat at the table with Xi Jinping, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Angela Merkel and Theresa May, Trump's enemies pounced.

A White House official told DailyMail.com that the younger Trump's fill-in role was nothing out of the ordinary. 

UK Prime Minister Theresa May was seen leaving the G20 meeting room at one point, a source with knowledge of the summit's goings-on said, and her place was briefly taken by an aide. 

But when the 35-year-old former fashion executive sat at the table with Xi Jinping, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Angela Merkel and Theresa May, Trump's enemies pounced.

Historian Anne Applebaum tweeted a complaint, denouncing 'an unelected, unqualified, unprepared New York socialite' being seen as 'the best person to represent American national interests.'

That is not a description of Ivanka Trump.  Note the silence of the "women's" movement.

Brian Klass, an Oxford scholar who once served as deputy campaign manager for a Democratic governor of Minnesota, tweeted that she was representing the U.S. as an 'unelected, unqualified daughter-in-chief.'

'This kind of thing happens all the time. In dictatorships,' added self-described women's rights activist Amy Siskind.

I wonder what the "activist" would say if Hillary were president and had Chelsea Clinton sit at the table.  We all know, don't we?

And Charles Blow, the liberal New York Times columnist, wrote flatly: 'Why the hell is Ivanka Trump sitting in for daddy at G20 meetings?! What are her qualifications? Who voted for her?'

COMMENT:  I'm confused.  I thought highly intelligent women had a place at the table.  Didn't Eleanor Roosevelt serve as her husband's eyes and ears?  Didn't Hillary Clinton give policy advice when her husband was president?  And hey, Jimmy Carter said he spoke to his daughter, Amy, about nuclear weapons.

I guess it depends what party you're from.  The hypocrisy flows.

I hope to see Ivanka at the table in the future. 

July 8,  2017     Permalink