SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 10:14 P.M. ET:

OH DEAR, THE VERBAL GENIUS MESSES UP – Our mighty State Department is working overtime to finesse Obama's verbal blunder, made in a TV interview, in which he said that Egypt is not quite an ally, but not an enemy either.  Some of us remember when Egypt was, more or less, an ally, led by Hosni Mubarak, whom our visionary leader pushed out of office, making way for the worthies who run Egypt today.  (Get your burkas ready, everyone.)  Egypt is probably offended by Obama's comment, but, worse for this crowd, it makes Obama look amateurish in the middle of an election campaign.

WE'LL PURSUE THIS – The story comes from Britain's left-wing Independent newspaper, but seems well reported nonetheless.  It tells us that the U.S. had warnings 48 hours before the Cairo and Benghazi attacks that American diplomatic posts might be targeted, but did nothing about them.  The paper also reports, as do other news sources, that very sensitive documents are now missing, including lists of Libyans who were working with the Americans.  Some of those people will probably wind up dead.

WE ARE SAVED, WE ARE SAVED – The New York City Board of Health, following the antiseptic dreams of Mayor Michael "Daddy" Bloomberg, has now issued a rule banning super-sized drinks at concession stands, restaurants and other dispensaries.  The limit is now 16 ounces.  The ban is needed, say the city mommies and daddies, because of an obesity epidemic.  Undoubtedly, this will end obesity as we know it, and usher in a new era of healthful, pure living, free of vice and bad thoughts.  May you live 150 years.  That will be the minimum requirement.

AN OLD PRACTICE – Some readers may have heard the tape that surfaced yesterday, which recorded reporters assigned to Mitt Romney colluding in making up "gotcha" questions before a Romney news conference, to be sure they were asked.   I have this exact quote from a distinguished old journalist, who must remain anonymous:  "Do you have any idea how long they've been doing that?"  Yes, that kind of sleazy practice has actually been going on a long time, and it's a corrupting factor among journalists, who should remain fiercely independent of each other.  I know that it went on in Vietnam, where too many reporters spent too much time talking to each other, and not enough time reporting.  The practice should be ended, but that won't happen.  Another blow to press credibility.

September 13,  2012