SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:35 P.M. ET: 

MITT DOESN'T MUFF IT – After a wobbly start to his foreign trip in London, Mitt Romney has gone on to a successful second leg in Israel, giving a fine speech reaffirming our alliance with that country and warning about the danger of an Iranian nuclear weapon.   Romney has made no mistakes in Israel and seemed sure of himself.  We look forward to his visit to Poland in the next few days. 

OBAMA BOOSTS CLINTON – In 2008 the Obama crowd tried to portray the Clintons as closet racists, one of the lowest blows I've ever seen in presidential politics.  Then Obama made Hillary his secretary of state, presumably following the Mafia dictate to "keep your friends close and your enemies closer."  Being secretary kept Clinton out of Obama's way politically.  Now it is announced that Bill Clinton will have a starring role at the Democratic convention, making the case for Obama.  This is remarkably cynical, since it has been widely reported that Clinton urged his wife to run against Obama this year for the Democratic nomination.  Also, Obama has worked overtime to destroy Clinton's generally center-left legacy, replacing it with a kind of European socialist model.  But Bill will do his duty, the better to prepare for his wife's 2016 campaign.

WHAT THE WELL-DRESSED FIRST LADY WEARS – Speak of press bias.  Michelle Obama wore a $6,800 jacket when meeting Queen Elizabeth II Friday night in London, but how does the Washington Post spin it?  Why, the paper says, the first lady was just responding to past criticism that she hadn't been dressed up enough when she met the queen before.  You know, I sympathize.  Everyone knows that it takes a $6,800 jacket to dress up these days.  Anything less is bargain basement.  And she could always wear the jacket again in Aspen, where proper liberals meet.

July 29,  2012