The Patriot Post Daily Digest 1-20-2014

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The Patriot Post Daily Digest 1-20-2014
From The Federalist Patriot
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Daily Digest

Jan. 20, 2014

THE FOUNDATION

“The foundation on which all [constitutions] are built is the natural equality of man, the denial of every preeminence but that annexed to legal office, and particularly the denial of a preeminence by birth.” –Thomas Jefferson, letter to George Washington, 1784

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’ … I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. … And if America is to be a great nation this must become true.” –Martin Luther King Jr.1

Regardless of one’s opinion about King’s proper place in history (given the historical account of his sometimes-lacking personal integrity and character), his letter from a Birmingham jail2 is well worth reading.

TOP 5 RIGHT HOOKS
Iran Hostage Anniversary

Barack Obama’s fumbling foreign policy has emboldened the enemies of Liberty around the world, especially in Iran, where Obama has, in effect, made our foreign policy hostage to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. As Obama prepares for his State of the Union rhetoric, it’s worth noting an incident on this date that clearly contrasts weakness and strength. On Jan. 20, 1981, as Ronald Reagan3 was completing his 20‑minute inaugural address, Iran released into U.S. custody 52 American hostages who had spent the last 444 days of Jimmy Carter’s “presidency” in captivity.

A False Choice With Iran

The Obama administration released some details4 of the latest deal with Iran, and we yet again warn that the agreement is far too generous to the Iranians. President Hasan Rouhani boasted that “world powers surrendered to [Iran’s] will.” Meanwhile, a new sanctions bill is working its way through the Senate despite administration warnings that it would push the nation toward war with Iran. The Wall Street Journal concludes, however, “So Americans are supposed to believe that the only choice is between war and whatever Mr. Obama negotiates. But the far more likely path to war is a bad deal that induces Israel to strike and drives the Saudis and Turks to get their own bomb. Mr. Obama’s opposition to the Senate sanctions bill shows how much it is needed.”

Cuomo’s Unwelcome Mat

Democrat New York Governor Andrew Cuomo had some strong words of unwelcome for conservatives in his state: “These extreme conservatives who are right-to-life, pro-assault-weapon, anti-gay … they have no place in the state of New York, because that’s not who New Yorkers are.” Cuomo self-identifies as “Catholic” but promotes abortion and same-sex “marriage.” As for “pro-assault weapon,” he took an oath to “support and defend” the Constitution, but he needs a refresher on what’s in it.

Weinstein’s Anti-Gun Movie

Anti-gun movie producer Harvey Weinstein is planning a “big movie” that he says will make the National Rifle Association “wish they weren’t alive.” Only if members waste two hours of their lives going to see the movie, that is. Pathetic as Weinstein’s smack talk is, Sen. Ted Cruz had just the right response: “The Hollywood liberal elites, they have their view of things.” The trouble is, Cruz added, “left-wing propaganda films” generally flop at the box office. And in the final analysis, “We have a right to protect ourselves, it’s protected in the Constitution. And even if liberal Hollywood types want to take it away, it isn’t going anywhere.”

One ObamaCare Fire Put Out

In December, we warned5 that volunteer fire departments may close if not granted a waiver to ObamaCare’s requirement that health insurance be provided for people who work more than 30 hours. Well, the Treasury Department has granted an exemption for volunteer firefighters, emergency workers and paramedics. So, for now at least, that small fire has been extinguished. Now if only we could put out the rest of the ObamaCare blaze.

For more, visit Right Hooks6.

RIGHT ANALYSIS
Token NSA Reforms Coming

With the controversy over the NSA’s mass surveillance programs still simmering, Barack Obama did what he always does: He gave a speech. In Friday’s remarks, the president tried to straddle the fence, saying, “I believe it is important that the capability that this program is designed to meet is preserved. Having said that, I believe critics are right to point out that without proper safeguards, this type of program could be used to yield more information about our private lives, and open the door to more intrusive, bulk-collection programs. I am therefore ordering a transition that will end the Section 215 bulk metadata program as it currently exists, and establish a mechanism that preserves the capabilities we need without the government holding this bulk meta-data.”

Obama didn’t specify who would keep that metadata or where it would be kept, leaving those minor details for Attorney General Eric Holder and the intelligence community to determine by March 28. But the data collection and analysis will continue – the data just won’t be kept at the NSA’s giant storage facility. Will all the data then be transferred to a federal contractor like the one that built Healthcare.gov? If so, that clearly doesn’t improve the situation. Moreover, the proposed reforms only cover collected telephone metadata, not emails, texts, financial information or any other data collected by the federal government.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), a prominent critic of the NSA’s programs, quickly fired back, “I think what I heard was if you like your privacy, you can keep it.” Paul’s comment strikes at the most fundamental issue here, and that is one of trust. Obama has not earned our trust in any way, shape or form, making the NSA’s collection of data on every single American more than disturbing. As Investor’s Business Daily adds, “The real problem is that our government can’t admit that Islamofascist extremists are the threat – and should be the exclusive focus of concern.” That would be politically incorrect.

Rotten to the Common Core

Once upon a time, parents, local school boards, and states determined classroom curriculum. Those days are quickly disappearing. Misnamed “state standards,” the federal Common Core curriculum guidance is an attempt to further nationalize education. Forty-five states plus DC have embraced Common Core, although as George Will notes7, they have done so in exchange for stimulus funds or waivers from federal regulations – federal arm-twisting at its best. Even worse, some states adopted Common Core8 almost immediately after the June 2, 2010 release of the standards, leaving little to no time to evaluate their efficacy. Another case of “passing” something to find out what’s in it.

Of course, the problem with Common Core is that such an effort ignores the fact that under the Tenth Amendment, education is a power “not delegated” to the federal government and, therefore, belongs solely to the states or the people. But the federal government has been ignoring the Tenth Amendment for a long time.

Aside from constitutional questions, federal involvement has largely degraded public education. As Will highlights, “Fifty years of increasing Washington inputs into K-12 education has coincided with disappointing cognitive outputs from schools.” Indeed, despite massive increases in federal education spending, student achievement has not kept pace9. In the end, Common Core simply represents another example of the Left’s attempt to centralize everything. Thankfully, some states are starting to realize the danger of bowing to Uncle Sam and are reconsidering Common Core’s implementation. Armed with the Constitution, these states are taking on one of its greatest foes: the U.S. government.

For more, visit Right Analysis6.