THIS BLOG WILL BE SUSPENDED FOR VACATION, RESUMING ON MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016. THANK YOU.
BOB HAUGHT

Pizza ovens have joined pressure cookers in the arsenal of weapons Islamic jihadists use to terrorize nations. The Daily Caller reports ISIS operatives were caught in Turkey smuggling fake passports in pizza ovens. The two terrorists involved in the Boston Marathon attack in 2013 used pressure cookers in making their bombs.

Monkey see, monkey do. Ashton Carter used a personal email account to conduct government business during his early months as Secretary of Defense. According to The New York Times Carter continued the practice even after it was revealed that Hillary Clinton had used her own account exclusively while serving as secretary of state.

What's worse than shooting yourself in the foot? How about launching a cruise missile and hitting your own country. The Russian Defense Miinistry was quite embarrassed when a test missile went off course and struck an apartment building.

The Department of Homeland Security was created to help keep Americans safe from terrorists. Then why were 73 people on the "no-fly list" approved for employment by airports and airlines? And how can DHS prohibit searching Facebook and other social media for terrrorist suspects? (That's where ISIS does much of its recruitment). A "Homeland housecleaning" is in order.

Some pundits probably will find deep meaning in the fact six of the eight male candidates in the GOP debate in Las Vegas wore red ties with their dark suits. John Kasich and Ben Carson were out of uniform. But in the group photo Carly Fiorina easily stood out, wearing a bright red dress. It's surprising Donald Trump didn't think of that idea.

Changing the House leadership doesn't seem to have made much difference in politically-motivated spending of taxpayers' dollars. The Washington Times reports that "congressional leaders agreed to a budget-busting set of tax cuts ... that marks a major reversal from the last four years' focus on deficits and streamlining the tax code." The 233-page bill contains favors for NASCAR tracks, racehorses, film producers, teachers and college students.

When the Navy's newest warship, the USS Milwaukee, was put through its final tests prior to commissioning in November, it was hailed as "the ultimate maritime fighting machine", maneuvering in coastal waters at speeds up to 52 mph and creating waves five feet high. But as it headed from the east coast to its home port in San Diego, the $362 million ship broke down and had to be towed to shore. Almost as embarrassing as a loss to Army in the annual football rivalry would have been.

Nine candidates made the cut for the final Republican president debate of 2015 including Sen. Rand Paul, who was reported to be considering dropping out of the race. New poll showings also boosted Chris Christie and Carly Fiorina back into the top tier.

President Obama has a busy schedule this week with meetings of the National Security Council and the National Counterterrorism Center and remarks at a Naturalization Ceremony at the National Archives. But then it's off to sunny Hawaii for the Obama family's Christmas vacation ... and maybe some golf?

Government auditors have found that mismanagement in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration can cost taxpayers $22 billion on critical satellite systems because of wasteful delays and technical challenges.

The Obama administration goes to great pains to moderate language used in referring to Islamic terrorists for fear of offending Muslims. That's not a concern of "El Chapo", the Mexican cartel leader who made an astounding prison escape. He declared war on the Islamic State for interfering with drug shipments. "My men will destroy you," the drug lord said. "The world is not yours to dictate."

Members of the Senate got into the spirit of the season at a "Secret Santa" event organized by Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. They drank eggnog and exchanged gifts. Some examples: Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., gave Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, some Cabot cheese and a cheeseboard shaped like Texas. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., received some Japanese mossballs from Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., who said they can live for 200 years.

Critics of the scandal-ridden Veterans Affairs department demand a housecleaning. And, indeed, more than 1,700 employees were fired between July 2014 and July 2015. But it's alarming how some kept their jobs despite severe cases of misconduct -- including sleeping on the job, having sex in a VA facility and being high on cocaine while on duty.

TIME magazine has announced that German chancellor Angela Merkel is its 2015 Person of the Year. In this foolish annual exercise to supposedly recognize a global figure of influence, she was picked from a list of finalists that included sex-changer Caitlyn Jenner,  madman Donald Trump and ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.

While families in San Bernardino mourned the loss of 14 loved ones by an Islamic terrorist couple, Secretary of State John Kerry sat in U.N. climate change talks in Paris profoundly asserting the need to make clear "that those members of the flat earth society (who dispute global warming theory) are on the wrong side of history."

Many viewers of President Obama's televised address on terrorism might have been surprised to see the Oval Office now has a podium. Other presidents  have found it more natural to deliver their remarks seated at their desk. Obama stood with his desk obscured in the background. Maybe he found it easier to read the teleprompter.

Obama's speech on on how he's fighting terrorism preceded a TV special on Frank Sinatra. It was appropriate that Obama led into it with a chorus of "I'm Doing It My Way."

One thing nervous Americans can be sure of: the Obama administration will use the power of the federal government to track down and punish anyone showing signs of Islamophobia. Attorney General Loretta Lynch has stated the "incredibly disturbing rise of anti-Muslim rhetoric ... is my greatest fear." She has vowed to use the full extent of the law to go after "violent talk" against Islam. President Obama devoted a substantial part of his Oval Office address to the same concerns.

"I'm somewhat reluctant to come back to Washington. Last year I showed up here, I was hanged in the White House. This time, I've returned to see my vice president getting busted in the Capitol." - Former President George W. Bush, referring to his 2012 portrait unveiling and the placement of a marble bust of Dick Cheney in the U.S. Capitol.

America has the Democratic party and the Republican party but the nation's capital is the home of the Cocktail Party. A survey of congressional staff found that 47 percent of staffers attend social events as part of their job once or twice a week. Government data shows the District of Columbia with a higher percentage of adult binge drinkers (22 percent) as compared to the national average of 16 percent.

As secretary of state, Hillary Clinton actively promoted fracking  for oil and natural gas in Africa and other countries and heavily supported the Export-Import Bank of the United States in spending billions of dollars on financing huge fracking projects. Now, as a candidate for president, she opposes fracking.

Donald Trump, who's leading in the polls as a fierce anti-government crusader, is himself the beneficiary of largesse paid for by taxpayers. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., targeted Trump in a listing of wasteful spending titled "Federal Fumbles: 100 Ways the Government Dropped the Ball." The book says Trump is getting $40 million in taxpayers' dollars to help cover the costs of restoring the Old Post Office building in Washington to become a new Trump luxury hotel. (Trump would call $40 million "peanuts".)


Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has been Speaker of the House barely more than a month and already he's making history -- with facial hair. Records show Ryan is the first Speaker in nearly a century to sport a beard.

Following the vicious killing of a black youth by a police officer, Illinois State Attorney General Lisa Madigan is calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct a civil rights investigation of the Chicago police (as it did in Ferguson, Mo.) Don't hold your breath. President Obama came to Washington from Chicago and his former top aide, Rahm Emanuel, is the city's mayor.