Here are my observations and opinions on selected news of the day.

THE BIG QUESTION hanging around in Washington surrounds President Trump’s decision whether to declassify documents withheld by the DOJ that could vindicate him in the Russia probe.

“What’s stopping him from exercising his constitutional authority, they ask. Doesn’t he recognize the growing danger of inaction with the midterm elections at hand, which could spell his impeachment if he loses his Republican congressional authority?” reports RealClearInvestigations.com.

As you may recall, the president has said on a number of occasions that he didn’t want to interfere with the Mueller investigation, while hinting that at the right time he may have to do just that. Those who have seen the documents have told the president the declassification would help his case.

Interestingly, the report stated “the president is not the impulsive hothead portrayed by the media, as epitomized by his ‘witch hunt’ bluster on Twitter. Rather, the sources characterized him as deliberative, strategic executive inclined to keep his powder dry now for possible detonation later.

“Trump’s Twitter broadsides come across as intemperate … partly intended to galvanize his supporters for a struggle to come. Trump uses the platform to attack ‘elite’ media narratives and reveal to his supporters how a ‘deep state’ operation is directed not only against him but also the people who elected him.”

You can read the entire piece at The Federalist by clicking here.

BEWARE THE ANTI-TRUMP CRUISE – While The Weekly Standard website still has a details “coming soon” on its cruise offering for 2018 (this is September), there could be a good reason. It’s anti-Trump publisher, Bill Kristol, is working on a primary challenge to the president in 2020, according to CNBC. John Kasich, 2016 loser; Jeff Flake, just plain loser; and Ben Sasse, a smart Republican newcomer, who would not be a Kristol follower, are said to be on Kristol’s short list.

It’s hard for me to believe there are sufficient conservatives who would want to pay for a cruise to Alaska for the “honor” of listening to presentations by Kristol or his “old Washington” colleague Fred Barnes.

THAT RIDICULOUS ELEVENTH-HOUR EFFORT by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to put a stumbling block in the way of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, is going nowhere. It did result in a letter, signed by 65 women who know him as a gentleman in high school:

“Through the more than 35 years we have known him, Brett has stood out for his friendship, character, and integrity. In particular, he has always treated women with decency and respect. That was true when he was in high school and it has remained true to this day.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES was again caught publishing fake news, and they simply publish an editor’s note in response. The paper targeted UN Ambassador Nikki Haley for a $53,000 drapery expenditure at the ambassador’s residence. But when they learned that it was a purchase made by the Obama administration they published a correction stating that “The article should not have focused on Ms. Haley, nor should a picture of her have been used.”

Of course, the damage to Haley’s reputation from the original article is what will be remembered.

HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU HEARD the Democrat talking point – CEOs make over 300 times the average worker, and their pay is rising faster than the average worker? In an insightful piece by Jack Hellner in the American Thinker, he calls that “a bald-faced lie.” “There are around 250,000 CEOs in the U.S.,” he illustrates, “but somehow we only hear about the top few hundred.”

“In 2017 the median worker made a record $61,372, up around 33 percent, and the average CEO made $181,270, or just a 2-3 percent increase in 12 years,” writes Hellner, quoting BLS statistics. Thus, the average CEO today makes just three times – not 300 times – the average worker, he notes.

YOU’VE GOTTA WONDER – Has Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) reached epidemic levels? “People seem so consumed by their hatred of the president that they feel driven to attack him or anyone (or anything) they deem to be in support of him,” comments Debra Heine in PJ Media.

I’VE HAD ENOUGH of former President Obama; in his eight years as president and his first week back on the political scene making false claims about fueling Trump’s economy. I told you about Kevin Hassett proving him wrong with the facts.

When Obama was asked about the role he would play once he left office in November 2016, Obama said, “I want to be respectful of the office and give the president elect an opportunity to put forward his platform and his arguments without somebody popping off in every instance.”

That sounded reasonable. Right? But then he added: “As an American citizen who cares deeply about our country, if there are issues that have less to do with the specifics of some legislative proposal, but go to core questions about our (my) values and our (my) ideals, and if I think it is necessary or helpful for me to defend those ideals, I’ll examine it when it comes.”

What a weasel!

MITCH PLAYS MAJORITY LEADER – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is going to keep the Senate in session through most of October, according to all reports. It’s designed to get more key judicial nominations cleared, but also to keep vulnerable Democrats off the campaign trail as the midterms approach.

While the GOP has only two vulnerable incumbents – Cruz in Texas and Heller in Nevada – the Dems have four vulnerable incumbents in states won by Trump in 2016.

McConnell plans to use the time to clear 27 more district court judges and one circuit court judge. The GOP senate has already confirmed 26 circuit court nominees and 41 district court nominees to lifetime appointments, and one Supreme Court justice.

“We’re going to transform the federal judiciary with young men and women who believe in the fundamental notion that the job of a judge is to interpret the law as it’s written,” said McConnell.

WE CAN COUNT ON THE PRESIDENT to actively campaign in Texas, Nevada and Arizona, where their GOP candidates are vulnerable, and in those states he won, where Dem candidates are hanging on

WHO DO THEY THINK THEY’RE KIDDING was vying for Laugh-of-the-day for this space and won. “This year alone, our U.S. wind farms will keep over 3 million dons of C02 out of the air.” – from a BP advertisement

          May God bless the United States of America.