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OCTOBER 29,  2011

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 10:55 P.M. ET:

CAIN EDGES ROMNEY IN IOWA – A Des Moines Register poll shows Herman Cain at 23% and Mitt Romney at 22%.  Ron Paul is third, with 12%, and Rick Perry, who is trying for a comeback in Iowa, is at only 7%.  That would have to be some comeback.  The Iowa caucuses are scheduled for January 3rd.  That gives Perry a bit more than two months to get politically reborn.  It can be done in that period of time, but only if a very different, and more attractive Perry emerges.

SUNLIGHT WHERE IT WASN'T WANTED – A leaked document in Britain reveals that the government plans to drastically cut subsidies to the solar panel industry and to those who install solar power.  The move, expected to be announced this week, could cost 25,000 jobs and seriously reduce the attractiveness of solar energy.  This, of course, is what happens when governments make economic choices that should be made by the populace, and an industry becomes dependent, not on its own merits, but on bailouts and handouts.

CLINTON OFF THE CLIFF? – Bill Clinton is sounding increasingly bizarre, his statements more and more extreme and unsupportable.  He recently expressed embarrassment that there are those in the U.S. who doubt the global-warming establishment, although more and more Americans are becoming skeptics.  He made an outlandish attack on the Israeli prime minister, at a delicate time in negotiations.  Now he's saying that we are the only country in the world where people say government is the problem, although populations are revolting against governments in a number of other nations.  He also says Obama's student-loan debt-easing program is a "huge deal," when virtually all analysts say it is minor.  Sometimes it's best to take a rest.

AH, FOR THE DAYS OF SAIL – Four environmental groups plan to bring suit, claiming the Obama administration has not done proper research on endangered species when considering the proposed Keystone XL oil sands pipeline, which will bring Canadian crude to our Gulf Coast refineries.  The pipeline will mean thousands of jobs and bring America closer to energy independence.  Indeed, recent advances in extracting shale oil have essentially increased dramatically the amount of crude reserves available right here in the United States.  We can achieve energy independence through a combination of actions, if environmental extremists become more reasonable and make thoughtful compromises.  Some chance.

October 29, 2011    Permalink

DISGRACEFUL – AT 10:31 A.M. ET:  It is going to be a rough campaign.  It will be Chicago politics on steroids.  And what goes out over the air these days is embarrassing to this republic.

We have always had roughness in American politics.  We have always had hatred.  But broadcast journalism, at one time, tried at least to relegate extremism to the fringes.  No longer.  This is from the Weekly Standard, reporting on the treatment of Herman Cain:

On Martin Bashir's television program this afternoon, Democratic strategist and MSNBC analyst Karen Finney said that Republicans are supporting Herman Cain because of his race:

"One of the things about Herman Cain is, I think that he makes that white Republican base of the party feel okay, feel like they are not racist because they can like this guy," Finney said. "I think he giving that base a free pass. And I think they like him because they think he's a black man who knows his place. I know that's harsh, but that's how it sure seems to me."

"Thank you for spelling that out," Bashir responded.

Yeah, we wouldn't want any doubts, would we?

This isn't the first time liberals have made this kind of charge about Cain and his supporters. During an online production of NBC's Meet the Press this week, Democratic congressman Elijah Cummings of Maryland said white voters support Cain to show they aren't racist. “I think when [members of the Tea Party] can vote for a Herman Cain and hear him say the things that he says they feel like, ‘Well, you know, I can, I support this guy and...so it shows that I’m not racist and I’m supportive,'" Cummings told host David Gregory.

COMMENT:  Pretty pathetic, isn't it?  These are people stuck in the 1960s, their views reinforced by teachers and professors who believe the world consists of race, gender, and ethnicity, and nothing more. 

If I were Herman Cain, I'd reply this way:  "Yes, I'm a black man who knows my place.  My place is at the top."

What is remarkable is that the real racists here are the liberals, who believe they have the right to determine how an African-American lives his life, and what thoughts he must have.  How refreshing it would have been if Congressman Cummings, himself black, had praised Herman Cain for his accomplishments, instead of demeaning his candidacy. 

There is indeed a party line.  Never doubt it.

October 29, 2011       Permalink

THE STOP ROMNEY EFFORTS – AT 9:58 A.M. ET:  We wrote yesterday about "stop Romney" actions in some parts of the Republican Party.  We also noted that "stop" movements rarely work because they usually get started too late.

But I must report that I find growing concern among Republicans that Romney not only arouses little enthusiasm in the party's base, but that his main argument for the nomination, electability, may be eroding as well.  George Will has written a devastating piece on Romney that is bound to have some influence.   He calls Romney the "pretzel candidate," because his policy statements are so twisted and convoluted.  Will writes:

The Republican presidential dynamic — various candidates rise and recede; Mitt Romney remains at about 25 percent support — is peculiar because conservatives correctly believe that it is important to defeat Barack Obama but unimportant that Romney be president. This is not cognitive dissonance.

Obama, a floundering naif who thinks ATMs aggravate unemployment, is bewildered by a national tragedy of shattered dreams, decaying workforce skills and forgone wealth creation. Romney cannot enunciate a defensible, or even decipherable, ethanol policy.

Ouch.  And...

Romney, supposedly the Republican most electable next November, is a recidivist reviser of his principles who is not only becoming less electable; he might damage GOP chances of capturing the Senate. Republican successes down the ticket will depend on the energies of the Tea Party and other conservatives, who will be deflated by a nominee whose blurry profile in caution communicates only calculated trimming.

Republicans may have found their Michael Dukakis, a technocratic Massachusetts governor who takes his bearings from “data” (although there is precious little to support Romney’s idea that in-state college tuition for children of illegal immigrants is a powerful magnet for such immigrants) and who believes elections should be about (in Dukakis’s words) “competence,” not “ideology.” But what would President Romney competently do when not pondering ethanol subsidies that he forthrightly says should stop sometime before “forever”? Has conservatism come so far, surmounting so many obstacles, to settle, at a moment of economic crisis, for this?

COMMENT:  That quote will be circulated.  Romney nationally hovers in the mid-twenties, and has been running for president for years. 

But Romney also leads handily in the early primary states.  And, with the possible exception of Herman Cain on a good day, no one is seriously challenging him for the nomination.  Rick Perry is running vigorously, but thus far has not gained much traction.

We are only a few months away from primary voting.  You can't beat somebody with nobody, and right now Romney, despite his lack of visceral appeal, is on a winning track.  Ah, but there could be a surprise, couldn't there?  George Will clearly hopes there will be. 

This site urged months ago that the Republican Party skip a generation and go to its young bench – to Paul Ryan, to Marco Rubio, to others.  That has obviously not happened, and I believe that has been a terrible mistake.   

October 29, 2011       Permalink

WHERE OBAMA STANDS – AT 9:46 A.M. ET:  President Obama has made some polling gains in the last week.  This is possibly attributable to the elimination of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, the strong stock market performance, his vigorous campaigning, and a lack of enthusiasm for any of the Republican candidates.

Gallup now pegs the president's approval rating at 43%, getting him out of the frightening 30s, where he'd dipped in recent Gallup surveys.  At the same time, Rasmussen tells us that 46% of likely voters at least somewhat approve of the job the president is doing.

The RealClearPolitics average of polls put Obama's approval at 44% and disapproval at 50.4%.  Look, that's not a report card you want to take home to your mother, but it isn't all that terrible either.  Obama continues to defeat or hold even with all named Republican candidates in a number of polls.  If current trends continue, and they may or may not, Obama still stands a good chance, as the incumbent president, to be re-elected.  The Republican dilemma is that the party has not found a candidate who has caught fire.  True, there were plenty of doubts about Reagan during the 1980 race, many of them stoked by the liberal media.  But Reagan had a style that allowed him to speak over the heads of the pressmen, directly to voters.  That style isn't evident today.

These, of course, are early trends, and our comments are little more than speculation.  Everything can change with one terrorist attack, or a one percent increase in the unemployment rate.   The one thing I do know is that the Republican Party, as a party, must do much better in presenting itself to the American people.  The party is not helping its presidential prospects.  It is dragging them down.

October 29, 2011     Permalink

OCTOBER 28,  2011

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:29 P.M. ET:

IRAN IN THEIR SIGHTS? –  There are stories circulating today speculating that Israel's recent swap of large numbers of Arab prisoners for two Israelis was meant to clear the decks in preparation for an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear installations.  Leon Panetta was recently dispatched to Israel to warn that the U.S. would not back unilateral action against Tehran.  But some say that Israel, faced with what it sees as an existential threat, may decide to act on its own.  Personally, I'm skeptical of reports of Israeli action, but the Iranian threat is growing, and sanctions applied by the West so far have not stopped it.

ANOTHER DEFENSE WARNING – The assistant commandant of the Marine Corps warned, in congressional testimony, that proposed budget cuts could make it impossible for the Corps to carry out its assigned missions.  And the Air Force vice chief of staff testified that his service is flying the oldest fleet of aircraft in its history, and has fewer planes than during the 1991 Gulf war.  Further, Gen. Peter Chiarelli, Army vice chief of staff, cautioned that we're now repeating a mistake we've made before – cutting defense to the point where we're unprepared for future threats.  We did it after World War II.  We did it after Vietnam.

PARTY FEUD – Fissures within the Republican Party are starting to grow more prominent.  Michele Bachmann is now accusing Rick Perry of instigating a call by a Tea Party faction that Bachmann withdraw from the race.  Bachmann concedes she has no proof, but that she'd heard "talk."   Bachmann has gotten into trouble before by stating rumors or "stories" as fact.  This charge, whether true or not, will not help her cause.  At the same time, Perry shows no signs of discouragement and appears ready, and financially able, to fight on for the nomination despite declining poll numbers.

HERMAN ON HEALTH – Herman Cain has gotten plenty of heat from those who feel his campaign has been sloppy, uninformed, and focused too narrowly on Cain's 9-9-9 tax-reform proposal.  Cain will speak for 45-minutes on Capitol Hill next week, giving his perspective on health care.  He promises to unveil new health-care proposals, which undoubtedly will make news, simply because they are coming from Herman Cain.  While Cain is leading in some polls, few seriously expect him to be the GOP nominee, and he has displayed little ability to discuss a wide range of issues, foreign or domestic.

October 28, 2011       Permalink 

BORING – AT 9:17 A.M. ET:  The "occupy" movement was somewhat interesting three weeks ago.  But one characteristic of left-wing movements is immaturity, and the immediate effect of immaturity is to wear out one's welcome.  Unruly teenagers become boring very quickly.  The occupiers have yet to come up with a coherent program, make suggestions that could capture the public imagination, or make any effective use of the generous TV time they've been given.  Now they're onto more protests that seem nothing more than a nostalgic runback to the 1960s.  Isn't it fun?

(CNN) -- Occupy Wall Street demonstrators are scheduled to march on the offices of five major banks and financial-services firms in Manhattan on Friday, a day after a California mayor apologized for a police crackdown against demonstrators that left an Iraq war veteran hospitalized.

New York organizers say thousands of demonstrators will march to the offices of Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase.

Demonstrators have typically railed against what they describe as corporate greed, arrogance and power, as well as their assertion that the nation's wealthiest 1% hold inordinate sway over the remaining 99% of the population.

In Oakland, California, Mayor Jean Quan apologized Wednesday for violence that broke out this week during an Occupy movement protest.

COMMENT:  The "movement" is running out of steam.  It was intriguing three weeks ago.  Now it's a nuisance, with increasing complaints about noise, harassment of locals, and far worse.  As for the violence, I don't have the facts.  The police have a hard job in patrolling these sites.  They're provoked, and, on balance, they've shown great restraint.  If there are, however, cases of police excess, they must be dealt with quickly and effectively by police commissioners and mayors.  A police force, like a military force, must be disciplined and professional.

The issue of "rights" is involved here.  The protesters have a right to demonstrate, to hold up signs, even to chant at certain times.  But I think most Americans are starting to wonder whether anyone has the right to camp out and occupy land, either public or private, 24 hours a day.  I don't know where such a right originates. 

The demonstrators have made a point.  Now it's time for them to grow up a bit, present a program, and let the people – whom they claim to love so much, but don't – make their decisions.  That would be real democracy.

October 28, 2011       Permalink

LIBERALS EATING THEIR OWN AGAIN – AT 8:34 A.M. ET:  Liberals are suffering substantial family disappointment these days.  Their brethren in Congress, they say, are forever letting them down.  The latest whine has to do with the supercommittee deciding on critical budget issues.  What?  You mean we have a problem?   The Hill reports:

Liberals on and off Capitol Hill agonized Thursday that supercommittee Democrats had bungled early negotiations over a budget deal and put their party in a position to be bested again by Republicans.

By proposing significant cuts to Medicare and Medicaid as an early offering, liberals said the panel Democrats weakened their party’s negotiating position as Republicans, who have ceded no ground on their central anti-tax message, sat back and watched.

“My fear is that this is déjà vu all over again,” said Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), one of the dozens of liberals who thought the White House cornered itself in the summer debt-ceiling talks by floating similar entitlement cuts to the GOP in negotiations led by Vice President Biden.

“This is essentially what happened in the Biden talks,” Welch said. “The Democrats were putting concrete proposals on the table [including entitlement cuts] and the Republicans never came forward with concrete revenues to match it.

COMMENT:  You know, guys, you don't get too many second chances in politics.  You'd think you'd come prepared to negotiate intelligently.  As for the Republicans, they're hardly out of the woods.  The popularity of their party is in the basement.  Instead of going just for some temporary "victory," they should come up with proposals that can be broadly supported, especially by independents. 

If Medicare is cut, you can hear the howling in major segments of the public.  And Republicans, especially if they don't come up with equitable proposals, will be blamed, no matter how badly the Dems negotiate.  So, I hope our side just doesn't gloat over our opponents' incompetence.  It isn't enough.

October 28, 2011       Permalink

THE ROMNEY FACTOR – AT 7:37 A.M. ET:  With Mitt Romney doing very well in polls in early primary states, the "stoppability" factor comes into play.  "Stop Romney!" will become the theme of many disgruntled Republicans who hope to stop the frontrunning, but not terribly popular candidate.  The stoppers believe they have a chance in Iowa.  From the Washington Examiner:

DES MOINES, IOWA -- Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney is largely taking a pass in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses, creating an opportunity for one of his rivals to excel in the Hawkeye State and charge into New Hampshire as the conservative alternative to Romney.

Romney spent less than $200,000 so far in Iowa, compared with the $10 million he spent on advertising alone during his first presidential run in 2008, an investment that didn't pay off given that he finished second in the caucuses, behind Mike Huckabee.

Romney built a much leaner campaign in Iowa this time. He's relying more on volunteers than paid staffers and he has yet to make any major advertising buys, according to David Kochel, Romney's top Iowa adviser.

"I don't think Romney is required to win Iowa," Kochel told The Washington Examiner. "Iowa has more to do with having wind at our back going into New Hampshire."

With Romney barely paying attention to Iowa, other presidential contenders see an opportunity.

"What Iowa has now become is the first fight in the battle of who will become the anti-Romney," said Dennis J. Goldford, a Drake University political science professor and author of "The Iowa Precinct Caucuses: The Making of a Media Event."

The Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses mark the first opportunity for the "anti-Romney candidates" to prove their viability to voters because the caucuses require candidates to demonstrate that they can build and run an effective organization.

COMMENT:  For the record, "stop" movements very rarely work.  In fact, I can't recall one that has worked in many years.  The reason, of course, is that they get started too late, when the target is already well ahead, with real momentum, even if that target doesn't arouse much enthusiasm.

The Republican race is still open.  However, unless there's really an effective alternative to Romney presented, and unless that alternative runs a flawless campaign, Romney will probably get the nod.  One hand clapping.

October 28, 2011       Permalink

MORE 9-11 QUESTIONS EMERGE – AT 7:16 A.M. ET:  Ten years after the attacks, congressional investigators still want more answers about 9-11, and that is good.  We still may not know the extent of the support network that made the obscenities possible.  From Fox:

House Homeland Security Committee investigators want the 9/11 suspects questioned about the American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and his possible role in the murder of nearly 3,000 Americans, Fox News has learned.

Three letters sent Tuesday and obtained by Fox News show the committee's investigation into the cleric, who was killed in a CIA-led operation in Yemen on Sept. 30, has broadened since his death.

In the first letter, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, wrote to Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, which is responsible for directing interrogations of detainees in military custody at Guantanamo, including the self-described architect of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

King asked the agency to question detainees involved in plotting 9/11 about the possible roles of Eyad al-Rababah of Jordan, Daoud Chehazeh of Syria and Awlaki in the terror attack.

"I understand that these detainees have not been interrogated in several years, and certainly not since Awlaki's role within Al Qaeda became widely acknowledged in 2009," King wrote.

Al-Rababah and Chehazeh were first profiled by the Fox News Specials Unit in "Secrets of 9/11," which aired in May. The investigation outlined the domestic support network that allowed the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers to move around the U.S. with ease.

It also presented new and compelling evidence that Awlaki was an overlooked player in the Sept. 11 plot who slipped through the FBI's grasp after the attack.

COMMENT:  Peter King is on the job, as always.  Although denounced, absurdly, as an Islamophobe, he has been an insistent, and consistent, investigator into terrorist threats against the United States.  Applaud his work.

October 28, 2011     Permalink