The Patriot Post Digest 9-10-2015

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The Patriot Post Digest 9-10-2015
From The Federalist Patriot
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Daily Digest

Sep. 10, 2015

THE FOUNDATION

“It may be laid down as a general rule that [the People’s] confidence in and obedience to a government will commonly be proportioned to the goodness or badness of its administration.” —Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 27, 1787

TOP RIGHT HOOKS

Can the GOP at Least Slow Iran Deal?1

Republicans are considering their options to thwart the Iran deal2 and preserve at least some of the sanctions against Iran for as long as possible. They’ll do this by rebuking Barack Obama for failing even to abide by the terms3 of Sen. Bob Corker’s ill-advised review deal. Under that law, which Obama signed, he was required to submit all relevant information to the deal, including unbelievably foolish secret side deals4, by July 19, after which Congress would have 60 days for review. Obama did not do so, which Republicans argue means the congressional review period never actually began. They have forced a delay in the debate over the deal until Obama hands over the information. In the meantime, the House will vote on two measures laying groundwork for possible legal action: One condemning Obama for violating the law, and another meant-to-fail measure to approve the deal. “The administration has not submitted the deal,” Sen. Ted Cruz said, adding, “Republicans in this body should not be facilitating this president yet again disregarding the law and doing so in contravention of the national security interests of this country.”

On the other side of the aisle, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer gave perhaps the worst endorsement ever: “I have concluded that this is not the best deal the P5+1 could have achieved.” Not even close, as detailed by the rest of his statement5. “However,” he continued, “it is the agreement that the United States agreed to and that is now before the Congress. Although it was a difficult choice, I have decided to oppose a resolution of disapproval, albeit with serious concerns.” Try to contain your enthusiasm, there, Steny.

Khamenei: Israel Will Be Gone in 25 Years6

Now that Barack Obama has the necessary congressional minorities to block opposition to his Iran deal, Iran’s supreme leader decided to rub some salt in the wound. This time, he’s back to threatening Israel. “After nuclear negotiations, the Zionist regime said that they will not be worried about Iran in the next 25 years,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote. “I am telling you, first, you will not be around in 25 years' time, and God willing, there will be no Zionist regime in 25 years. Second, during this period, the spirit of fighting, heroism and jihad will keep you worried every moment.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned in his March speech to a joint session of Congress7 that negotiating with the Iranian regime was a fool’s errand, and that Obama’s “deal will not prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons; it would all but guarantee that Iran gets those weapons — lots of them.” Best-case scenario under Obama’s deal, Iran is prevented from obtaining nuclear weapons for 15 years. That leaves 10 years in Khamenei’s 25-year window to annihilate Israel. In the meantime, Obama will give Iran more than $100 billion in sanctions relief with which to keep the jihad going, just as Khamenei promised. Republicans ought to be doing whatever they can to stop this deal.

Carson Nails Favorite Bible Verses Question8

It wasn’t long ago that Donald Trump refused to name9 any favorite Bible verses (likely because he couldn’t). Ben Carson didn’t have any trouble with the same question. Carson offered Proverbs 3:5-6 and Proverbs 22:4, both of which he quoted — the latter says, “With humility and the fear of the Lord, that’s where life and wealth come from.” To be fair, he had time to prepare, but we also don’t doubt his sincerity as we do Trump’s.

Don’t Miss Alexander’s Column

Read Obama’s Middle East Legacy: A Catastrophic Humanitarian Crisis10, on how Obama and those who voted for him bear the burden of babies washing up on beaches.

If you’d like to receive Alexander’s Column by email, update your subscription here11.

FEATURED RIGHT ANALYSIS
Another September, Another Shutdown Threat12

By Allyne Caan

It’s that time of year again — summer’s end, the hint of falling leaves and the annual talk of a government shutdown. With Congress back in session this week and fewer than 10 working days before the Sept. 30 spending bill deadline, political consultants are once again prepping the spin-fest to ensure that, should a shutdown occur, the other side gets the blame.

This time, the sticking point isn’t ObamaCare as in 2013, or Barack Obama’s immigration overreach as in 2014, but rather continued government funding for Planned Parenthood. The nation’s largest abortion mill (327,653 babies killed in 2013) rakes in more than $500 million per year in taxpayer dollars while dismembering babies and selling their body parts to the highest bidder13.

“This arrangement is not new,” notes Terence Jeffrey14. “In fiscal 2012, Planned Parenthood says in its immediate past report, it did 327,166 abortions. In the year that ended on June 30, 2013, it got $540.6 million in government money. In fiscal 2011, it did 333,964 abortions, and in the year that ended on June 30, 2012, it got $542.4 million in government money.”

That’s $1.6 billion in tax dollars for nearly a million dead babies. Oh, they say no federal money goes to pay for abortions, but is anyone really naïve enough to buy that?

So approximately 30 House members who actually believe in the inalienable right to life signed a letter promising to reject any spending bill — short-term stop-gap measures included — that contains funding for Planned Parenthood. The signatories number nearly enough to mean that a spending bill retaining funding for the abortion giant will require House Speaker John Boehner to dip into the Democrat vote bin to secure enough votes for passage. That could yield other undesirable concessions in order to get those votes.

It’s hard to fathom fetal dismemberment would be grounds for any debate, but, alas, such is the depraved world in which we live.

Despite the GOP’s strongly pro-life platform (which apparently means whatever legislators want it to mean, just like the Constitution), Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Squish One and Squish Two, respectively) have little interest in cutting off money for the abortion mill as a condition of funding the rest of the government. After all, let’s not miss the forest for the trees. Or, in this case, let’s not forget all the great women’s health care Planned Parenthood provides along with abortions. You know, the grand total of zero mammograms nationwide. (By the way, that care is available at any number of other clinics.)

Members of the GOP who oppose making a costly political fight to defund the organization argue that efforts to defund the abortion giant as part of a spending bill are doomed to fail, as Obama would never sign such a bill and Congress lacks the votes to override a veto. Ergo, don’t risk a shutdown for which Republicans would be blamed.

Unfortunately, it is simple math. Obama would certainly veto the measure, or Senate Democrats would filibuster so he didn’t have to, and Republicans likely would shoulder the blame for any shutdown. We’ve opposed previous no-win shutdown gambits on those same grounds.

But many conservatives are asking a couple of questions. First, if Republicans aren’t willing to fight for this hill, what hill are they willing to fight for? Second, as Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) put it, “How would things have been different if Harry Reid were in charge?”

The problem isn’t that pro-life conservatives are bucking leadership; it’s that Boehner, McConnell and the multitude of spineless legislators who hijack the “R” designation have proven time and again that they are unwilling to take a stand on principle — any principle — be it health care, immigration, executive overreach, spending or debt. Oh, they’ll feign a fighting spirit. But when principle demands that action back up rhetoric, GOP “leaders” suddenly become immobile. After all, in August, McConnell promised “no more government shutdowns.”