The Patriot Post Chronicle 12-22-2010

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The Patriot Post Chronicle 12-22-2010
From The Federalist Patriot
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The Foundation

"Religion and virtue are the only foundations, not of republicanism and of all free government, but of social felicity under all government and in all the combinations of human society." --John Adams

Editorial Exegesis

"The U.S. military, already strained by wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, faces transformation from the world's most powerful fighting machine into an organization where political correctness is more important than victory. Saturday's Senate vote cleared the final hurdle for the repeal of President Clinton's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy designed to prevent homosexual conduct in the ranks. Battle lines will now form over how the homosexual advocacy policies will be implemented. Though the repudiated lawmakers who rammed the repeal through this weekend's session pretend they are simply latter-day Rosa Parkses seeking to end discrimination, there is no comparison. Since 2005, a mere 1 percent of Army discharges involved homosexual conduct. This issue isn't about retaining or recruiting qualified personnel for the military. This is part of the Left's larger societal goal of using government to force others to embrace unorthodox personal lifestyle choices. The implications are clear from a look at how the federal government treats issues of homosexuality. ... Troops can look forward to so-called pride parades on military bases and awareness days for the transgendered. Everyone knows the sort of thing that might work in Greenwich Village or a San Francisco neighborhood doesn't go over well in a fighting force drawn largely from red state America -- an area whose residents Mr. Obama once derisively referred to as the type who 'cling to guns or religion.' That's why implementing the New Gay Army means forcing soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines to endure 'diversity' training. Those who don't like it will be told to get out, as several senior military leaders have suggested already. Chaplains in particular will face the dilemma that preaching their faith will violate the new pro-homosexual code of conduct. As a result, far more are likely to leave or be thrown out of the military as a result of Mr. Obama's policy than were ever affected by Mr. Clinton's. It's hard to see how that will do anything to strengthen the nation's defenses." --The Washington Times1

Insight

"If you are guided by opinion polls, you are not practicing leadership -- you are practicing followship." --British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing it, and then misapplying the wrong remedies." --American comedian Groucho Marx

Upright

"The bipartisan tax-cut deal is cited by many as proof Obama is, in fact, moderating. Eh, I don't quite buy it, for the simple reason that Obama says at every turn that he hates the two-year compromise and is only doing it because the 'hostage-taking' Republicans are making him. That doesn't make him sound more moderate, it makes him sound weak. Worse, it makes him sound like a very liberal president who's just biding his time for more liberal victories ahead." --columnist Jonah Goldberg

"The constitutional issue before Judge Hudson in Virginia and Judge Vinson in Florida is this: Can Congress tax a non-activity? Can they tax you for not doing something? Can they fine you? Can they jail you? And if they can tax, fine, or jail you for not doing something, what limit could there possibly be on the powers of Congress? Tax your street. Tax your seat. Tax your feet. Why not?" --columnist Ken Blackwell

"Politics isn't the art of compromise. Politics as usual is an artful ruse to get us to believe politicians are doing one thing while they do another. Our politicians do this by obfuscating, confusing, denying, blaming and lying. The truth be damned. For as far back as I can remember, politicians have mistreated our Constitution and the intent of our Founding Fathers with disrespect and disdain. They do what they ... please. These punk politicians laugh and scoff at those of us who still believe in the 10th Amendment and a limited federal government." --columnist Ted Nugent

"Conservatism and responsible government won a resounding victory in November's elections, and yet just a month later, we're witnessing legislative arrogance on a scale you wouldn't expect if voters had ratified the ruling class' sprint toward national bankruptcy. Can you imagine how it would be acting if it hadn't received a 'shellacking'? It seems that Washington is embracing all the principles and practices the voters soundly rejected, without the slightest indication it either received the message or cares. Are we seeing any evidence of greater transparency, a rejection of earmarks, budgetary restraint or legislative deliberation?" --columnist David Limbaugh

Dezinformatsia

Loving Obama: "The president signed this big tax cut law on Friday, and now he's celebrating the end of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' which was a big campaign promise for him. Is there a sense in Washington that he's on a winning streak?" --ABC's Dan Harris

Worried about tax rates: "I want to say one thing about the budget that didn't get passed, the omnibus bill. You know, we talk a lot about -- we just passed this huge tax cut in part because business said, you know, we have to plan, we have to know what kind of tax cuts we have. Well, these agencies, including the Defense Department, don't know how much money they've got and for what. And I was at -- forgive the expression -- a Christmas party at the Department of Justice and people actually were really worried about this." --NPR's Nina Totenberg

Redefining gifts: "After three and a half hours of debate in a crowded chamber, members of the House voted overwhelmingly to pass the tax bill. ... The bill amounts to an early holiday gift for every American taxpayer. Extending the Bush tax cuts for everyone, including the wealthy, for two years. Extending unemployment benefits for long-term jobless Americans. Giving every worker a 2 percentage point cut in payroll taxes and temporarily extending a raft of tax credits from the stimulus package. The cost of all that led 112 Democrats and 36 Republicans to vote no." --CBS's Nancy Cordes casting as "an early holiday gift" the act of greedy government not confiscating taxpayers' earnings

"Well, it's certainly been a busy and an active lame duck session. Obviously, the tax cut law, everybody was watching. It had to be done before the end of the year. And certainly a president doing that and being responsible for giveaways -- in other words, tax breaks to people -- is going to get the credit. Clearly, of course, the Republicans got what they wanted as well, which was all the tax cuts remaining." --ABC's Christiane Amanpour equating tax breaks to giveaways