HALF-FULL REPORT 02/21/14

The violence in Ukraine, during which 75 were killed, nearly 600 injured, is over – for now.  President Viktor Yanukovich, who ordered the crackdown, has agreed to early elections, and to a return to the constitution of 2004, which has a weaker presidency.

Yanukovich made the concessions after the widely televised brutality of the crackdown – including snipers shooting down unarmed protesters — bled away critical political support.

"Yanukovych lost at least a dozen political allies, including the mayor of the capital, who resigned from his governing Party of Regions to protest the bloodshed," the New York Times reported.

Though the Ukrainian parliament is controlled by Yanukovich’s party, it demanded police withdraw from Independence Square.

The European Union imposed economic sanctions.

But victory for the good guys may be temporary. Heritage Foundation defense analyst Peter Brookes expects a Russian-led crackdown once the Sochi Olympics are over.

"It is far from clear that this crisis will have a good outcome-the best outcome being a negotiated transfer of power to a more pro-Western, democratic government committed to rooting out corruption, instituting the rule of law, and moving Ukraine into closer association with the European Union, said Max Boot.

Leading from behind, as usual, President Barack Obama issued a belated condemnation of the violence, and made an empty threat.  Ukraine’s defense minister refused to take phone calls from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

"No sooner did President Obama publicly warn that "there will be consequences if people step over the line" in Kiev than a hastily declared truce evaporated in a wave of bloodshed," noted the New York Post.

The conflict pits Ukrainians who live in the north and west of the country, who want closer relations with the West, against those in the south and east, who want closer relations with Russia.

It’s no secret Russian President Vladimir Putin – an old KGB man – would like to reconstruct the old Soviet Union.  (This was the theme of Tom Clancy’s last novel.)  Yanukovich is his ally.  The protests began last November when Yanukovich rejected an accord with the European Union in favor of closer relations with Russia.  The BBC summarizes developments there, and provides a timeline. Timothy Snyder has more on "Fascism, Russia and Ukraine."

Zero refuses to recognize this.  The violence in Ukraine "is not necessarily related to any effort by former Cold War adversaries to try to get a foothold in one country or another," said a White House spokesman.

At this point it’s hard to tell whether Obama is simply uniformed or trying to conceal how badly he has bollixed Russia policy or practicing some new, extreme form of isolationism," said Washington Post blogger Jennifer Rubin. "One thing is certain, however; Russia and every international adversary will take his administration’s words to heart. There are no more red lines, just green lights."

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The ultimate solution is partition, says "Spengler" (David Goldman).  Ukraine "never was a country but an amalgam of provinces left over from failed empires-Russian, Austrian, Lithuanian, Ottoman-cobbled together into a Soviet "republic" and cast adrift after the collapse of Communism."

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With Ukraine descending into chaos, Venezuela already there, the situation bleak in Afghanistan, bleaker in Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry has his attention focused squarely on…climate change.  It’s the "most fearsome" weapon of mass destruction of them all, he said in Jakarta Sunday.

"The science is unequivocal, and those who refuse to believe it are simply burying their heads in the sand," Kerry said. "We don’t have time for a meeting anywhere of the Flat Earth Society."

As proof of the deadliness of "climate change," the Secretary of State cited the drought in California, which scientists say has no connection whatsoever to "climate change."

The computer models Mr. Kerry prefers to real world measurements – which indicate global temperatures haven’t increased for 15 years, have fallen a bit for three – say "climate change" should make winters in California wetter, not drier.

Two of the climate scientists who monitor satellite measurements of temperatures in the lower troposphere smack Kerry around here.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz, who has expressed alarm about climate change, smacked Kerry around too, for misplaced priorities:

Iran is close to having a nuclear weapon, 130,000 people have been killed in Syria, peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are going nowhere, he noted.

 "So he has to go over to Asia and talk about climate change and say it’s the most important issue?" Sen. McCain said. "On what planet does he reside?"

* * * *

Former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell lied to Congress about Benghazi, say Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

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It’s time to stop jerking Canada around on the Keystone pipeline, Charles Krauthammer thinks.  After reviewing the administration’s recent foreign policy blunders, he asks:

"Must we crown this run of diplomatic malpractice with gratuitous injury to Canada, our most reliable, most congenial friend in the world?"

The pipeline would have no impact on greenhouse gas emissions, according to the State Department’s environmental impact statement.

Zero may be dragging his feet because billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer is so dead set against it.  His ties to Steyer are causing grief for vulnerable Colorado Dem Senator Mark Udall.

A judge in Nebraska has given the prez an excuse for more foot dragging.

* * * *

President Obama’s proposal to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour (from $7.25) would cost half a million jobs by 2016, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday (2/18).

Raising the minimum wage would boost the incomes of 16.5 million Americans, CBO estimates, but few of these would be among the poor.  Many would be teenagers from middle and upper middle class families who have summer or part time jobs.

"While just 19 percent of the minimum wage increase will go to those below the poverty line, the same isn’t true of that 500,000," said Daniel Greenfield. "The most disposable workers also tend to be the poorest."

The White House and prominent Democrats responded to the CBO report as you might imagine.  Even NBC’s Chuck Todd says the White House response was "petty."

Among the broadcast networks, only CBS thought the CBO report rated a mention on the evening news.

* * * *

House Speaker John Boehner bought a condo in Florida, prompting speculation he may soon retire.

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"People are really nice at Fox," Kirsten Powers told Carl Cannon of Realclear Politics. "It’s been good for because I – before that, I lived in a real liberal bubble."

"All my friends were liberals and I grew up in a really liberal family," she continued. "I had a lot of ideas about conservatives and then I got to Fox and just, I was like, ‘Oh, they’re not all evil and stupid.’"

* * * *

In what the Detroit Free Press called a "devastating defeat" for the United Auto Workers, workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee voted against union representation, 712-626.

The UAW spent two years, and about $5 million, to organize the plant. That’s $7,987.22 for each of the 626 votes the UAW received.

Volkswagen management was officially neutral, in practice sorta kinda supportive of the union organizing effort. The liberals at In These Times asked: How could the UAW lose an unopposed campaign? Michael Barone, the Labor Union Report and National Review’s John Fund provide answers.

"If the union can’t win [in Chattanooga], it can’t win anywhere," Steve Silvia, an economics and trade professor at American University, told the Wall Street Journal.  Bloomberg News economics writer Megan McArdle agrees.

* * * *

Any lingering doubt most in the "mainstream" media regard themselves first and foremost as shills for Democrats has been removed by their muted reaction to the Federal Communication Commision’s plans to monitor the content of news broadcasts.  The FCC retreated a bit after bitching by Republicans, but few of the "watchdogs of the press" barked.  Byron York has more of the scandalous details.

* * * *

Democrats and the Washington Post (I repeat myself) are trying to do to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker what they’ve done to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.  It’s pathetic, says Paul Mirengoff. They’ve got bupkes, says Philip Klein.  The media whiff, says Christian Schneider.  Even the left-wing webzine Politico calls this "scandal" a "snoozer."

* * * *

Wages are flat, median income is down, but the price of gasoline is up 32 percent since 2009, eggs 27 percent.  The price of milk could set a record high by March.  Investor’s Business Daily sees a return of stagflation.

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Common Core is now so unpopular, even liberals are dumping on it.

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Here’s a problem with Obamacare that hasn’t gotten much attention.  Yet.

Minnesota Democrats laughed nervously at a forum in Mankato Wednesday (2/19) when someone in the audience asked: "I thought the Affordable Care Act would save $2500 per family. What happened?"

Ads like this one will guarantee more Dems will be laughing nervously:

They may not be laughing at all if more local tv stations run stories like this, about a Sacramento couple who switched to Obamacare – and now can’t find a doctor. 

Here’s one Democrat who can read the handwriting on the wall.

Covered California – the state Obamacare web site many Californians say misled them – has shut down due to "software glitches" just as a major marketing campaign aimed at Hispanics began.

* * * *

Slow Joe Biden signaled this week Obamacare signup numbers will fall well short of predictions. 

 To boost the numbers, the Obamunists are pursuing the uninsured the way they did lofo voters in Broward County, Florida, but aren’t having much success.  Slightly less than one percent of those contacted have signed up.

"The massive effort already undertaken on behalf of ObamaCare has done more to highlight the massive public resistance to the law than anything else," said Jonathan Tobin of Commentary magazine.

* * * *

There is "absolutely no evidence" Obamacare will reduce employment, said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.  The Advanced Medical Technology Association begs to differ.  So do these day care centers in West Virginia. And these public employees. And so, you’ll recall, did CBO.

"Lying in the face of massive failure is one thing, Madam Secretary. But denial of obvious realities goes beyond honesty and borders on delusional," said Investors Business Daily.

Obamacare can’t be killing jobs, because people have been hired since the law was passed, said White House adviser Phil Schilliro.  And I must have money in my checking account, because I still have checks in my checkbook.

* * * *

You’da thunk that after her Mother of All Flip Flops on abortion, Texas Democrat gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis had hit rock bottom.  She’s found a way to keep digging.

* * * *

The heroes of the week are the protesters in Kiev who stood up to the guns of the Stalinists.

* * * *

This was another bad week for the United States.  But it was, again, a worse week for Democrats.  So once again, I pronounce the glass more than half full.

But soon, I fear, the harm done to the US of A will be so great I won’t be able to do this.  All of Obama’s chickens are coming home to roost.

In a column earlier this week, I noted some alarming forecasts about the economy.  Here are a couple more ugly straws in the wind:

U.S. consumer debt spiked in the last quarter of 2013, to a level not seen since just before the economy tanked in 2007.

George Soros is betting $1.3 billion the S&P 500 will tank.

Ill omens may be converging even faster in foreign policy.  Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol summarizes:

"Kiev is ablaze. Syria is a killing field. The Iranian mullahs aren’t giving up their nuclear weapons capability, and other regimes in the Middle East are preparing to acquire their own. Al Qaeda is making gains and is probably stronger than ever. China and Russia throw their weight around, while our allies shudder and squabble."

Taking a cue from Thomas Hardy’s poem about the sinking of the Titanic, Matt Continetti offers a chilling overview of the "strange mix of clumsiness and insouciance with which Barack Obama and John Kerry approach the world," and where it’s headed.

"The fecklessness of our government and the dangers in the Middle East are the ‘twin halves of one august event,’" he said. "We do not know when that event will occur. We know only that it will occur."

Buckle your seatbelts.  Harder times than Americans have experienced in generations are fast approaching.

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