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

JULY 11,  2011

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE:

WELL, IT WAS PROBABLY A MEMORY LAPSE (CHOKE) –  During the 2008 campaign Obama emotionally related how his mother, in her last year, spent time fighting insurance companies trying to deny her the coverage she'd paid for.  Now a new book, "A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother," by a former New York Times writer, destroys that myth.  Obama's mother got the coverage required by her health plan.  What she didn't get was disability coverage, for which she was apparently ineligible.  Wonder if the press will give as much attention to this as it does to every misplaced comma by Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann.

CONGRESS STRIKES OUT IN NEW POLL – A new Gallup poll has the approval rating of Congress at 18 percent, confirming that the glow around the GOP victory last November hasn't lasted very long.  Even approval of the mainstream media is higher.  This tends to reinforce other polls showing that, although Obama's numbers are weak, the GOP isn't really very popular.  It cannot depend on Obama's lessening popularity for victory in 2012, but I'm afraid I see that attitude in too many Republican circles. 

SYRIAN IMPASSE – A government-sponsored mob assaulted the U.S. embassy in Damascus earlier today (Monday).  Secretary of State Clinton declared later that Syria's President Assad has now lost all legitimacy.  But Assad is looking at similar statements the U.S. has made about Gadaffi of Libya...and Gadaffi is still there.  Assad is also looking at a general American military withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq.  There is no indication that U.S. jawboning is having any real effect on the Assad regime.  If Obama was Bush, probably a different story.

P.C. IN THE WORST PLACE FOR IT – There's growing outrage, even in parts of liberal New York, over plans for the 9-11 memorial at Ground Zero in Manhattan.  According to reports, including a TV report by the father of a fire captain killed in the 9-11 attacks, the memorial has been stripped of any meaningful remembrance of the awful day.  Parts of the former World Trade Center, such as the famous sphere that stood outside, will not be displayed, despite many requests that it be there.  And, get this, police and fire officers will not be distinguished in any way from their civilian counterparts in a plaque bearing victims' names.  Only names will be listed, no ranks or affiliations.  The heroism of the police and fire departments, many of whose members rushed into the burning buildings, will therefore not be recognized.  Apparently, the explanation for all this is that the memorial is to be a place of peace.  Yeah, right.   

July 11, 2011       Permalink

A TALE OF TWO COUNTRIES – AT 9:01 P.M. ET:  What an embarrassment.  On a number of issues, Canada now has a tougher foreign policy than does the United States.  Still one more example of Obama's display of weakness and indifference, which is sure to invite trouble down the road.  From Fox: 

The U.S. won’t follow Canada’s lead in boycotting a United Nations arms control conference chaired by North Korea, even though the State Department concedes the rogue regime has flouted its own disarmament obligations to the Security Council and the international community.

"We have chosen not to make a big deal out of this because it's a relatively low-level, inconsequential event," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

Earlier in the day, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird called North Korea's chairmanship at the Geneva-based U.N. Conference on Disarmament "absurd" and a "huge blow to the credibility of the United Nations."

"It's important that Canada take a stand," Baird said during a press conference. "North Korea is simply not a credible chair of a major non proliferation conference. It undermines the integrity of both the disarmament framework and the United Nations."

"We are no longer going to go along to get along," he added. Canada will not rejoin the discussion until North Korea leaves the seat on Aug. 19. It assumed leadership on June 28.

COMMENT:  Cheers for Canada and its prime minister, Steve Harper, and not for the first time.  Harper has shown himself to be a stand-up guy, just as Obama is a sit-down guy – one willing to sit down with anyone.   Today's expression of American weakness follows last week's announcement by the Obama administration that we are sitting down with the Muslim Brotherhood, despite that group's hateful ideology and history, without getting anything in return. 

Our enemies watch, and they must marvel at this.

July 11, 2011      Permalink 

SNIPPET – AT 8:50 P.M. ET: 

London, July 11 : Famous psychic twins Linda and Terry Jamison have said that they think ‘Sister Act’ star Whoopi Goldberg was a nun in her previous life.  According to them, Goldberg was destined to play the role of a lounge singer who takes refuge in a convent to escape a mob boss in the hit 1992 comedy.  “You actually were a nun in 17th century Germany. You were a cloistered nun, so there’s a resonance with the Sister Act (film),” the Daily Star quoted them as telling co-host Goldberg on U.S. TV show ‘The View’.

I've suspected it for years, but just wanted to get confirmation before printing it.  It's such a relief to have this come out.

INSIDE A PLOT – AT 9:29 A.M. ET:  The great Steve Emerson, one of our leading experts on terrorism, and one of the first to warn us about the impending threat of Islamic terror, goes inside a recent plot to show how jihadists are targeting military installations in the United States.   Despite attempts to discredit Emerson, he always seems to wind up correct.  From NewsMax:

Newly unsealed court documents reveal new details about a plot to attack a military recruiting center in Seattle. Items seized by federal investigators from the home of accused lead conspirator Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif include plans to attack a U.S. military facility and motivational materials related to alleged atrocities committed by American soldiers overseas.

The attack on the Seattle military installation is yet another example of a terrorist plot in which American military personnel in the United States have been targeted by Islamist radicals opposed to U.S. military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. In each case, the perceived oppression of Muslims by U.S. forces overseas and the belief that Islam is under attack from the West has been the primary motivation behind the plots.

Among the recent cases is the 2009 Fort Hood massacre carried out by Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, the killing of an Army recruiter in Little Rock, Ark., earlier that year by a convert to Islam who described his actions as "a jihadi attack on infidel forces," and a Maryland man who hoped to attack a recruiting office.

Last month, Abdul-Latif (aka Joseph Anthony Davis) of Seattle and coconspirator Walli Mujahidh (aka Fredrick Domigue Jr.) of Los Angeles were arrested and charged with planning to use grenades and machine guns in an assault on the Seattle Military Entrance Processing Center (MEPS). The center recruits prospective candidates to the U.S. military, some of whom are subsequently deployed overseas.

Another person recruited by Abdul-Latif to join the conspiracy reported the plot to the FBI and became a paid informant. The informant promised to help obtain weapons for the attack.

In secretly-recorded conversations, Abdul-Latif said that their attack would "deter" individuals from joining the military and inspire other Muslims to carry out similar attacks.

"Imagine how many young Muslims, if we're successful, will try to hit these kinds of centers. Imagine how fearful America will be and they'll know they can't push Muslims around," Abdul-Latif said.

COMMENT:  This attack was stopped.  We've been remarkably effective in stopping attacks thus far, but we can't be 100% effective forever.  What makes Emerson great is that he pulls no punches.  He names the names (Heaven forbid!), and tells us exactly what the ideology of jihadism is all about.  For this he has won the contempt of the trendies in the media and the colleges.  But he is a national resource. 

July 11, 2011       Permalink

BACHMANN BOOMS IN IOWA – AT 8:54 A.M. ET:  Michele Bachmann is concentrating most of her attention on getting a big boost in Iowa, where she was born.  The Minnesota congresswoman, a Tea Party favorite, is now ahead in preliminary Iowa polls.  From Andrew Malcolm at the L.A. Times's Top of the Ticket blog:

While much of the nation's political community focuses on the deficit stalemate in Washington and President Obama's scheduled news conference to control the news cycle this morning, a new poll reveals Rep. Michele Bachmann has surged to the lead among likely Republican caucus-goers in Iowa.

Bachmann, an Iowa native who now represents a district in Minnesota, has built a lead over former Gov. Mitt Romney, who is focusing more on New Hampshire after a bitter and costly defeat in Iowa in 2008. Romney holds a huge lead in Granite state polls, although Bachmann has surged there too.

According to the new IowaRepublican.com poll, Bachmann has built a four point lead over Romney, 25-21. Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Herman Cain are effectively tied for third with about 9% each, with Ron Paul at 6%, Newt Gingrich at 4%, Rick Santorum at 2% and Jon Huntsman at 1%.

An upcoming major measure of the Republican field's standing in Iowa comes at the Ames Straw Poll on Aug. 13, two days after a nationally-televised debate from Iowa on the Fox News Channel.

COMMENT:  If Bachmann comes out on top in the Ames Straw Poll, she creates more buzz, but let's not exaggerate it.  The buzz only continues if polls elsewhere show her moving up.  Already she's coming under fire from other GOP hopefuls because of what they claim is a lack of executive experience and a weak record in Congress.  Both are pretty accurate criticisms.  She has also been plagued by a series of gaffes, that, unlike those of Barack Obama, get reported quickly by a gleeful press, determined to Palinize her. 

But Bachmann is a terrific campaigner, and she comes prepared.  She's smart, educated in the law, a skillful debater, and she can surprise us.  Her next big date with a national audience comes with that Fox debate on August 11th. 

July 11, 2011        Permalink 

OH, THANK YOU KIND SIR FOR YOUR EXCELLENT ADVICE – AT 8:28 A.M. ET:  Apropos of the post just below, about our weakening national defense, a senior Chinese general has some, I'm sure, heartfelt advice for his American cousins.  From Fox:

BEIJING – The United States is spending too much on its military in light of its recent economic troubles, China's top general said Monday while playing down his country's own military capabilities.

The chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, Chen Bingde, told reporters that he thought the U.S. should cut back on defense spending for the sake of its taxpayers. He was speaking during a joint news conference in which he traded barbs with visiting U.S. counterpart Adm. Mike Mullen.

The concern for us, the warmth.  Aren't you moved?

"I know the U.S. is still recovering from the financial crisis," Chen said. "Under such circumstances, it is still spending a lot of money on its military and isn't that placing too much pressure on the taxpayers?"

"If the U.S. could reduce its military spending a bit and spend more on improving the livelihood of the American people ... wouldn't that be a better scenario?" he said.

Make this man an honorary member of the Democratic California congressional delegation.  Give him the Barbara Boxer award.

The visit by Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the first of its kind in four years. Mullen and Chen are trying to upgrade military-to-military ties after setbacks over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, cyberattacks traced to China and concern about Beijing's military plans.

COMMENT:  Hey wait.  If we're so concerned about all those things, why are we upgrading our military ties?  Why aren't our government officials warning the American people about the challenge of China?  Do you get the feeling that we're slipping into an international twilight zone?  I think we're on our way.

July 11, 2011        Permalink

SEND IN THE CLOWNS – AT 7:56 A.M. ET:  In a penetrating piece that is must reading, Max Boot, one of our best defense analysts, raises alarms about reports that the Republican Party is willing to trash its legacy as the national defense party in order to make a budget deal.  The alarms are really being sounded on this.  From the Weekly Standard: 

Opinion polls consistently show that the U.S. military is the most trusted institution in America. Republicans have benefited indirectly from that hard-won reputation because since the 1970s they have been seen as the strong, hawkish party, while Democrats have had to fight the stigma that they are weak and dovish. Republicans wouldn’t throw away that aura—one of their strongest electoral assets—just to reach a budget deal with President Obama. Or would they?

There are persistent and worrisome reports that they might. The Hill newspaper, for instance, claims that Republican budget negotiators have been discussing cutting defense by $600 billion to $700 billion—considerably more than the already indefensible $400 billion in cuts that Obama has said he would like to see over the next decade.

Obama’s proposed cuts are bad enough; as former Defense Secretary Robert Gates implicitly warned before leaving office, such deep reductions would seriously impair the military’s ability to meet its global commitments. Going beyond what Obama has proposed is simply suicidal—on both substantive and political grounds.

It's bad enough that the Dems want to gut the defense budget.  Ever since the late 60s, when the party betrayed its traditional pro-defense policies, the dominant Democratic wing has regarded defense as a right-wing thing, to be loathed and cut.  One of the reasons for the growth and ascendancy of the GOP was that it shook off its old isolationism and took the lead as the party of a strong defense and traditional American values.  That legacy, if reports are correct, is now in danger.  The Republicans may well become the party of green eyeshades again.  If it happens, they will lose a large chunk of their hard-won support.

Cutting defense won’t solve our budget woes. The “core” defense budget, $553 billion, is small as a percentage of GDP (3.7 percent) and of the federal budget (15 percent). Nor is it the reason why we are piling up so much debt. To reduce the deficit, lawmakers will have to do something about out-of-control entitlement programs.

If Republicans acquiesce in ruinous cuts to the defense budget, they will cease to be known as Ronald Reagan’s heirs. Instead they will be remembered as the party of William E. Borah, Hamilton Fish III, and Gerald Nye. Remember those GOP giants of the 1930s? They thought a strong defense was unaffordable and unnecessary. But their reputations collapsed on December 7, 1941, when we learned (not for the last time) the price of unreadiness. That is a lesson today’s Republicans should remember as they negotiate over the budget.

COMMENT:  Absolutely dead-on.   Ronald Reagan's defense buildup of the 1980s was one of the decisive factors in our winning the Cold War without firing a shot. 

President Eisenhower warned, as he was leaving office in 1961, that modern war does not give us the luxury of building up neglected forces once the conflict begins. 

At one time I thought we were the one nation that had learned the lessons of the 20th century.  Now I'm not so sure.

July 11, 2011     Permalink 

JULY 10,  2011

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE:

SARAH GETTING READY TO ROLL?  Newsweek devotes its cover to a gorgeous picture of Sarah Palin, who argues that she can win a presidential election.  She's also issued some posts saying the GOP field should be expanded, and writes that a candidate must be more than someone who makes great speeches.  The candidate must be a good executive.  This was seen by some as a slap at Michele Bachmann.  Others saw it as a hint that she will endorse Governor Rick Perry of Texas if she doesn't run herself.  Sarah is throwing the spotlight back on herself.

SHOCKED, SHOCKED, OH SO SHOCKED – The Department of So-So Education is expressing shock at the number of probes of cheating that are being conducted in major school systems.  This follows a devastating finding of widespread cheating in Atlanta.  There is now a probe underway in the nation's capital, where cheating and dishonesty never have occurred.  What's remarkable is that it's taken so long for the feds to discover that cheating is a problem.  Many schools have been reporting too-good-to-be-true test scores that were too good to be true.

ITALY NEXT? Top European financial officials will meeting Monday over signs that Italy may be the next Eurozone nation to be plunged into a financial crisis.  It is chilling to see how many Western nations, including our own, are in desperate financial shape, often due to overindulgence.  Greece is not out of the woods, and Britain has seen better days.  One side effect:  Even deeper cuts in defense budgets, which already are pathetic.  The European theme has been, "Let America do it."  The Euro-socialists may be in for the shock of their lives on that one.

July 10, 2011     Permalink

A COURTESY TO THE ENEMY – AT 11:03 A.M. ET:  The Brits are our closest ally, but sometimes the things they do in deference to cultural sensitivity or the prevailing leftist culture are infuriating.  This one has infuriated members of their armed forces, and the families of British soldiers who've been killed and wounded.  From London's Telegraph:

British soldiers who spot Taliban fighters planting roadside bombs are told not to shoot them because they do not pose an immediate threat, the Ministry of Defence has admitted.

They are instead being ordered to just observe insurgents and record their position to reduce the risk of civilian casualties.

The controversial policy emerged at an inquest into the death of Sgt Peter Rayner, 34, a soldier from the 2nd Batallion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment who was killed in October last year by an improvised explosive device as he led a patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Wendy Rayner, 40, disclosed that in the days leading up to his death her husband been told that it was not his job to attack insurgents laying bombs.

Mrs Rayner, who lives with their young son in Bradford, told the inquest that the insurgents were being allowed to get away with the murder of British troops.

She said: “They are not allowed to fire on these terrorists. If they can see people leaving these IEDs, why can’t they take them out? One officer even told him 'I am an army Captain and you will do your job'.

And...

A key part of the MoD’s counter-insurgency theory holds that it is more important to win over civilians by not killing innocent people than it is to eliminate every potential insurgent.

One officer who has recently served in Afghanistan said that if a soldier wanted to ascertain if an insurgent was an immediate threat, he would have to approach him and expose himself to greater risk.

He said: “A British soldier manning a checkpoint at night might watch a man digging a hole for an IED 100 metres away and would not try to shoot at him. It’s a ludicrous situation.

COMMENT:  It certainly is.  And what a great way to recruit new soldiers!  Of course, Britain's defense cutbacks are so drastic these days that recruiting soldiers is the last thing on the minds of the political class. 

Fortunately, we haven't reached quite this point in the United States, and I don't think the American people would ever tolerate such restrictions on our troops.  But, given the kind of education our population is receiving these days, and who is doing the teaching, you never know.

July 10, 2011      Permalink

DEBT TALKS IN CRISIS – AT 10:44 A.M. ET:  From Fox:

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told Fox News that he thinks a major deficit-reduction deal cutting $4 trillion over the next decade is off the table, claiming Democrats are pushing too hard for tax increases.

"Everything they've told me and the speaker is that to get a big package would require big tax increases in the middle of the economic situation," McConnell told "Fox News Sunday." He called the prospect of tax hikes a "terrible idea."

The Senate GOP leader is the latest to weigh in on the rollercoaster negotiations that are set to continue Sunday evening at the White House. That summit is taking on fresh urgency after House Speaker John Boehner announced he was lowering expectations about the size of the deficit-reduction package that can be achieved over concerns about the rift between the two parties.

COMMENT:  We know how the Dems will spin this:  Republicans are protecting tax cuts for the rich while putting the nation in jeopardy.  Hey, we may not be able to send out those Social Security checks. 

Don't put that past the Dems.  Claiming that the Republicans are ready to put all puppies to sleep is an old and often successful technique.

Talks are still scheduled at the White House for today.

July 10, 2011        Permalink

WHERE OBAMA STANDS – AT 10:27 A.M. ET:  We prefer the Rasmussen poll to others because Scott surveys likely voters, the kind who actually come out on election day.  His latest report shows the president with weak but survivable numbers:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 21% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty percent (40%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -19.

That is close to the worst showing Mr. Obama has had in the Rasmussen survey.  The index essentially measures the passion in people's views.

Overall, 46% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the president's performance. Fifty-three percent (53%) at least somewhat disapprove.

That is fairly typical of the president's approval during the previous year.  The approval number in the mid-40s confirms what we see in other polls.

The president doesn't reach the magic 50% number in this report.  On the other hand, his case is far from hopeless.  He has a base that remains remarkably loyal, in part because of ethnic solidarity.  He is vulnerable in 2012, but a surge in popularity due to some political maneuvering or a blunder by Republicans can give him enough support to win reelection.  The ball is in the GOP's court.

July 10, 2011     Permalink