SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 10:16 P.M. ET:

THE NEW AMERICA – The U.S. Navy has barred sailors from the U.S. Naval Training Center Great Lakes, which is just north of Chicago, from entering the downtown section of the city during the upcoming NATO summit conference.  The Navy cannot guarantee the sailors' safety because of the threats of potentially violent demonstrations.  Amazing.  American service personnel cannot be protected in an American city.  But you may be sure that the political powers that be will be ultra-concerned about the "civil liberties" of the protesters.

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH – A Purdue University political science professor is suing the school for conducting a high-profile investigation of comments he made that were critical of Islam.  Although cleared, the professor accurately notes that such a probe damaged his reputation.  But another Purdue professor, reflecting the lure of political correctness, was critical of any commentary that casts doubt on Islam.  "It creates an unpleasant and unwelcoming atmosphere. I’m concerned that Muslim students and their parents will get the wrong idea about my school.”  What a great understanding of free speech.  This is what's teaching our kids.

INDIANA GOING, GOING... – Indiana, defying its political traditions, went narrowly for Obama in 2008.  But that is, for the Democrats, a fond memory.  The Politico reports that the Obama camp has pretty much written off Indiana this year, the first Obama 2008 state they concede is gone.  I suspect it won't be too long before North Carolina joins that list as well.  It looks as if Romney is going to put up a very strong fight.  He might just win this election.

RECIPEGATE – THE NEW SCANDAL – Elizabeth Warren is already in hot water in her Massachusetts run for the Senate seat held by Scott Brown.  It turns out that, when convenient, she's claimed Native American heritage.  When inconvenient, she's forgotten it.  Now a Boston talk-show host solemnly charges that Warren may have plagiarized three of the five recipes she submitted in 1984 for the Pow Wow Chow cookbook.  And it turns out that two of the three apparently originated at Le Pavilion, a ridiculously expensive French restaurant in New York.  They were said to be favorites of Cole Porter and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.  The recipes bear a striking resemblance, at some points word-for-word, to those found in a New York Times story.  So we have Recipegate, and Lizzy has more 'splainin to do.

May 18, 2012