HALF-FULL REPORT 12/02/16

Jack Wheeler is off again to another remote and exotic place, and has asked me to fill in on the HFR.  And what a week it’s been!

After multiple credible sources reported yesterday (12/1) Donald Trump asked retired Marine General James Mattis to be his secretary of defense, and “Mad Dog” had accepted, Mr. Trump acknowledged in Cincinnati today it was true – though the formal announcement won’t be made until Monday.

Hot ziggety! This news alone is enough to fill the glass to overflowing this week.  But it’s merely the icing on the cake – the best news in a week filled with good news.

There is more good news than bad chiefly because Democrats and the Lying Swine adamantly refuse to learn lessons from Nov. 8. But Donald Trump, his transition team, and GOP leaders in Congress are making smarter, gutsier moves than we’re accustomed to from Republicans.

Much of the good news is about Donald Trump’s other picks for key posts in his administration. I’ll say more about them below. Among other things, putting the “Warrior Monk” in his Cabinet should end any difficulty Trump might have had in filling subordinate national security positions.

Sean Davis of the Federalist asked a Marine veteran friend if he’d consider moving to DC to work for a SecDef Mattis. “I don’t know a Marine who wouldn’t,” his friend replied.

Amen to that. It’s out of the question now, but if I were again the Jack Kelly of 1985, I would be as eager, proud and honored to work for Mattis as I was to work for Ronald Reagan then.  You know what I think of Mad Dog. Here’s what some others think.

The good news began shortly after the last HFR was published.  Last Friday, Fidel Castro changed his residence to Hell. The obsequious tributes to the vicious tyrant from President Obama and other prominent Democrats have peeved mightily the Cuban community in Miami.

Donald Trump hit just the right note in his response. His popularity within this politically important ethnic group soon may approach Marco Rubio levels.

* * * *

Carrier Corp. announced Wednesday (11/29) it had made a deal with President-elect Trump to keep “close to 1,000 jobs” in Indianapolis rather than move them to Mexico.

This isn’t a big deal economically – and I agree with David Freddoso  (and Frederic Bastiat) that it is bad economics – but politically it’s a very big deal that shows Donald Trump at his best.

The workers who’ll keep their jobs are thrilled. For those not directly affected, a headline saying “Trump saves 1,000 jobs” is nearly as potent as one saying “Trump saves 10,000 jobs,” or “Trump saves 100,000 jobs.”

What better evidence could The Donald’s key constituency have that he already is fulfilling a key campaign promise, even before he’s inaugurated?

Trump was able to make the deal because Mike Pence, who is still governor of Indiana, could throw some sugar Carrier’s way.  When The Donald becomes president, he’ll have access to a lot more sugar. Once companies wise to the fact they can get some just by giving the prez a little favorable pub, we can expect more such headlines in the near future.

* * * *

Donald Trump announced Wednesday he’ll leave his business interests “in total” to concentrate on being president. Details TBA, but if this is true, it’ll eliminate an avenue of attack the Lying Swine were counting on.

* * * *

Hillary Clinton is thinking about running for president in 2020, according to Ron Fournier, who’s covered the Clintons since their days in Arkansas.

Could we be so lucky? Could Democrats be so stupid?

* * * *

Maybe. House Democrats re-elected Nancy Pelosi Minority Leader Wednesday. She’s 76, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer is 77, Assistant to the Leader James Clyburn is 76. Nothing says you are the party of tomorrow like the faces of yesterday.

* * * *

And Democrats seem Hell bent on making Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn, a Muslim who has made some “controversial” statements, the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee.  That should keep wealthy Jews writing big checks to the DNC.

This will be even more fun if President Trump does indeed declare the Muslim Brotherhood – to which Rep. Ellison has extensive ties – a terrorist organization.

* * * *

If Hillary does want to take another shot at the White House in 2020, she’s not doing herself much good by joining Jill Stein’s scampaign to recount votes in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, for no reason other than because they didn’t like the results.

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The recount effort – whose real purpose seems to be to fill Ms. Stein’s pockets at the expense of gullible Progressives – has zero prospect of success. Donald Trump won those states by narrow margins, but by a considerable number of actual votes – far more than are likely to be overtaken in a recount. John Lott pours cold water here on Progressive hopes.

The Stein/Clinton gambit drew harsh criticism from the normally Democrat-friendly Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Prominent Democrats – including Bill – fear it will backfire.  Michigan’s secretary of state filed suit today to block a recount there.

According to Ed Klein: “people close to Hillary – Huma Abedin, Chelsea Clinton, and Sidney Blumenthal – encouraged her to ask for a recount as a way of lifting her spirits.”

“One of Hillary’s closest friends” told Klein “she is weepy, looks ten years older, is very whiny. She’s been drinking wine pretty heavily…mopes around all day, swimming in a sea of recriminations.”

* * * *

Pundits left and right got the vapors when Trump tweeted Tuesday (11/28) he thinks flag burning should be a criminal offense.

The Donald has yet to display much knowledge of or interest in the Constitution, but this was a clever political ploy, which had two purposes:

First, it gave Trump the opportunity to remind people that one of the sponsors of a 2006 bill to criminalize flag burning was…Sen. Hillary Clinton.

More important, it’s likely to encourage the (mostly) pompous over-privileged creeps who burn American flags to burn more of them, because they think they’re getting under The Donald’s skin.

What it really will do is make those of us who love our country as much as our Constitution hate those (mostly) pompous, over-privileged creeps even more than we already do.

* * * *

Trump is now well ahead of the pace of his last five predecessors in filling key posts. His nominees are a mixed bag, but so far, they’re better than conservatives had a right to expect.

* * * *

After Mattis, Trump’s best choice to date is Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general. He’s superbly qualified, can do more to fulfill The Donald’s campaign promises than any other Cabinet officer, simply by enforcing existing law.

The nomination of Sessions was last week’s good news. This week’s good news is Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, plans to hold confirmation hearings during the lame duck session. This will limit Democrat obstructionism, confine their caterwauling about racism to a time when few Americans will be paying attention… and get Sessions on the job sooner.

* * * *

I’d have preferred former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal for Health and Human Services. In terms of IQ, Jindal is the smartest Republican politician, health care is his field of expertise, and it would have been good for Trump to have a dark-skinned man in so prominent a position.

But there’s lots to like about Rep. Tom Price, R-GA. He’s a medical doctor, a solid conservative who’s thought long and hard about how to get rid of Obamacare, and what should replace it.

* * * *

I’m keen on Elaine Chou for Secretary of Transportation. This is one smart, tough broad who doesn’t like Democrats any more than I do. And it looks good for Trump to have an Asian woman in his Cabinet.

But what’s best about Elaine is she’s married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Jack Wheeler thinks there may have been a quid pro quo. The Donald picked Elaine on the condition McConnell nuke any attempt by Democrats to filibuster his nominees.

Even if there is no explicit quid pro quo, this is very smart politics. McConnell is more conservative than his detractors give him credit for being, but it’s good for the prez to have a little leverage, just to make sure everyone on the team is reading from the same playbook.

* * * *

I’m also keen on Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education. Don’t believe any crap you read about her supporting Common Core.  If you didn’t like Betsy before, you probably will after reading this hit piece on her by Jane Mayer of the New Yorker.

* * * *

I’m not so keen on Steve Mnuchin, liberal Democrat, Goldman Sucks alum and George Soros associate, for Secretary of Treasury. Ditto for Wilbur Ross as Secretary of Commerce. But anyone who thought The Donald wouldn’t appoint some of his Wall Street insider filthy rich Democrat friends to high positions was a fool.

Mnuchin wants to lower the corporate income tax (to the world average of) 15 percent. That’s good – even if it’s better for Mnuchin and his Wall Street buds than for the rest of us. Ross made most of his money turning around failing companies – not a bad expertise for a secretary of commerce to have. And when was the last time a secretary of commerce had much impact on things you care about? (Hint: Herbert Hoover in the Harding and Coolidge administrations.)

* * * *

Did the thought “I’m screwed” flash through Sen. Chuck Schumer’s mind when he learned yesterday Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-ND would meet with Mr. Trump today to talk about a job?

Why would a good Democrat like Heidi consider a post in the Trump Cabinet? Could it be because in two years, she must run for re-election in a state Trump won, 63 percent to 27 percent? A career change can be a good idea if your current career may be about to come to an abrupt end.

To have so prominent a Democrat join his administration would make it harder for Schumer, who’ll be the Democrat leader in January, to portray The Donald as the spawn of Satan.

And Schumer will lose a vote Dems need badly if they’re to block confirmation of any other of Trump’s nominees.

* * * *

The choice of South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for UN Ambassador is a home run, and suggests someone – could it be Chief of Staff select Reince Priebus? – is thinking long term.

Nikki doesn’t have any foreign policy experience, but doesn’t need it for the UN gig.  All she needs is smarts, and an ability to speak well. Nikki has, and does. It makes Trump look good to have an Indian woman in so prominent a position.

Nikki doesn’t have foreign policy experience now, but after four years as UN ambassador, she will. If The Donald decides to pack it in after one term, a Pence-Haley ticket in 2020 could be very attractive.

* * * *

Two below the radar picks this week give me new respect for Trump, or, more likely, Pence.

Jack Wheeler and I have expressed dismay at the appointment of LTG Mike Flynn as National Security Adviser. But the harm done is ameliorated by the appointment of K.T. McFarland as Deputy National Security Adviser.

The primary job of the national security adviser is to coordinate the activities of State, Defense and the Intelligence Community.  Flynn would stink at that, but K.T. is perfect for it. Flynn gets the title, but K.T. will do the critical work.

The appointment of Seema Verma as Administrator for the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services – which may be the most important job hardly anybody has ever heard of – suggests Trump is really serious about fixing the mess Obama has made of health care. No one is better qualified than Seema to see this is done without screwing low income blue collar workers, Trump’s key constituency.

* * * *

Keep this below the radar shrewdness in mind if you’re disappointed by who Mr. Trump chooses for secretary of state. All will be (mostly) well if he picks John Bolton for deputy secretary.

The SecState goes on the glamorous overseas trips, but it’s the deputy secretary who actually runs Foggy Bottom. As a career Foreign Service Officer, Bolton knows which FSOs can be trusted, and who should be transferred to the embassy in Upper Volta.  And it would be easier to get Bolton confirmed as deputy secretary.

* * * *

In what is great news for America, bad news for Hillary and the gang of thieves at the Clinton Foundation, Trump intends to reappoint Preet Bharara as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

* * * *

President George W. Bush disrupted al Qaida’s plans for follow up attacks after 9/11 by swiftly invading Afghanistan, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed told his interrogator, James Mitchell, according to Mitchell’s new book.

Al Qaida expected the United States to “turn tail and run,” said KSM, chief planner of the 9/11 attacks.

“How was I supposed to know that cowboy George Bush would announce he wanted us dead or alive and then invade Afghanistan to hunt us down?” KSM asked Mitchell.

“Terrorists are people too,” said Iraq war vet David French. “They panic, they feel fear, and most of them try to preserve their lives. They want to kill us, but they don’t necessarily want to fight.  In my deployment, we captured five or six terrorists for every one we killed.

But as Mad Dog Mattis said, “some sons of bitches just need to be killed.” No one has been better than he at finding and killing them. I’ll conclude this HFR with more of Mad Dog’s greatest quips.

 

Jack Kelly is a former Marine and Green Beret, and was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force during the Reagan Administration.  He is the national security writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.