|
nChrist
|
 |
« on: November 10, 2015, 06:56:31 PM » |
|
________________________________________
The Patriot Post Digest 11-9-2015
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
________________________________________
Daily Digest
Nov. 9, 2015
THE FOUNDATION
“Are we disposed to be of the number of those, who having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it might cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.” —Patrick Henry, 1775
ALEXANDER’S ANALYSIS
Politico’s Leftmedia Hatchet Job on Ben Carson1
By Mark Alexander
Here’s a case study in Leftmedia charades: Find something a conservative black candidate said that can be twisted into something he did not say, and run with it as an exclusive, hoping most of your readers are too stupid to discern the difference.
On Friday, Politico posted a hit piece on the surging GOP presidential candidate entitled, “Ben Carson Admits Fabricating West Point Scholarship2.” The essence of the piece was that Politico conflated Carson’s story in his book, “Gifted Hands,” about being offered a scholarship to West Point by Gen. William Westmoreland with Carson claiming he applied or received an appointment to the academy.
In fact, Carson has always been clear that he neither applied nor received an appointment. “As overjoyed as I felt to be offered such a scholarship, I wasn’t really tempted,” he wrote in his book. “The scholarship would have obligated me to spend four years in military service after I finished college, precluding my chances to go on to medical school. I knew my direction — I wanted to be a doctor, and nothing would divert me or stand in the way.”
After taking heat from all quarters about the inaccuracy of this piece of yellow journalism, Politico’s Kyle Cheney quietly corrected the title to read, “Carson claimed West Point ‘scholarship’ but never applied3.” In effect, Cheney admitted that the Politico story was the real fabrication.
As The Washington Post’s Dave Weigel notes, “Taking ‘fabrication’ out of that headline is like taking uranium out of an A-bomb.”
Criticism of Cheney’s charade ranged from the Columbia Journalism Review’s “Ben Carson exposed? Not really4” to The Weekly Standard’s “Politico’s Shoddy Hit on Ben Carson5.”
By way of disclaimer, I like Ben Carson, but I think he is unprepared for the office of president of the United States. That said, Carson’s intellect, ethics and values stand head and shoulders above those of Barack Obama.
More to the point, as the parent of a young man who received appointments to multiple service academies and will graduate from one this year, I have not been concerned about how Carson has framed his remarks about being “offered a full scholarship” to West Point. I have heard Carson’s repeated narrative about this, which I interpreted to mean he was qualified and encouraged to go to West Point. All West Point cadets have a “full scholarship” in the sense that they don’t pay for tuition or room and board. Or, rather, they pay with military service rather than money.
I have never heard Carson say he was offered an appointment to the USMA, which would be quite different, and I never interpreted Carson’s words to mean he had an appointment.
For what it’s worth, unlike the Politico author, I have met both Carson and Westmoreland. I know how they both communicate.
The “full scholarship” story is typical of Carson’s casual style of writing and speaking. I am confident he did not deliberately intend to deceive anyone or suggest that Gen. Westmoreland’s telling him he could get a scholarship was tantamount to his having a service academy appointment.
If Politico really wanted to break a scandalous story, perhaps they should’ve started back in 2008 with this headline: “Barack Obama’s First Political Fundraiser Held at Home of Rich Leftist Radicals William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn.” Ayers was co-founder of the Marxist Weather Underground terrorist group. Or they might have headlined about Jeremiah “G-D America” Wright, “Obama’s 20-Year Relationship With Black Supremacist Guru Raises Questions.” Indeed, they simply might have questioned what Obama meant by “our shared values6.”
Of course, Carson is a much softer target. Oh, and a black conservative.
TOP RIGHT HOOKS
Clinton Signed NDA, Didn’t Send ‘Top Secret’ Info7
It was almost certain that Hillary Clinton signed a Sensitive Compartmented Information Nondisclosure Agreement (NDA) when she took her post as secretary of state, but now, thanks to a Freedom of Information Act request, we know she signed one — a day after assuming office. The agreement states, “I have been advised that the unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized retention, or negligent handling of SCI by me could cause irreparable injury to the United States or be used to advantage by a foreign nation.” Hundreds of classified emails have been found on her private and unsecured email server. Ignorance was never an excuse, but the discovery of the NDA seals the fact that she lied.
Meanwhile, however, one particular dispute between departments has been resolved in Clinton’s favor. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper’s office concluded that two of Clinton’s emails did not contain “top secret” information. Previously, Intelligence Community Inspector General I. Charles McCullough III had determined8 that some of Clinton’s email included “information classified up to TOP SECRET//SI/TK/NOFORN.” So is Clapper’s overruling a case of the Obama administration circling the wagons for the Democrat nominee? Either way, it matters little. Not only is the review ongoing, but Hillary Clinton’s record of malfeasance9 is well established. Whatever the level of classified the information she sent was, her dereliction of duty is beyond dispute.
SCOTUS to Hear Religious Liberty Challenges to O'Care10
In his weekly address11 Saturday, Barack Obama lobbied the American people to take advantage of this year’s ObamaCare open enrollment period. “That’s the whole point of health insurance,” Obama said. “Peace of mind.” Yes, nothing says peace of mind like spiking premium rates, shuttering co-ops and standing up to Caesar just so you can follow your religious beliefs. To the latter point, the Supreme Court agreed Thursday to hear seven12 cases regarding ObamaCare’s contraception mandate. Among the organizations suing the government is Little Sisters of the Poor, a group of nuns who argue that the government’s order to make its employees get contraception coverage from a third-party source — the government’s suggested workaround — still compels the organization to involve itself in the business of abortion-inducing drugs. History is behind Little Sisters, as the Court ruled last year that Hobby Lobby, a privately owned business, did not have to provide health care coverage that violated the owners' religious beliefs. SCOTUS will probably hear the newest challenge to ObamaCare in early spring. By that time, it may be Obama who won’t have “peace of mind” about the structural strength of his signature legislation.
The Patriot Post Needs Your Help
The part you play in the ongoing battle for Liberty is significant. Without you — our faithful readers — what the editors and staff of The Patriot Post do would be impossible, as would keeping the flame of Liberty burning bright. Please consider supporting our mission13 today. Our operations and mission are funded by — and depend entirely upon — the voluntary financial support of American Patriots like you. Thank you for standing with us. —Nate Jack, Managing Editor
FEATURED RIGHT ANALYSIS
Obama Buries the Keystone Pipeline for Good14
By Robin Smith
America has a president whose priority is clearly to accomplish his political agenda rather than furthering our nation’s sovereign interests and economic health. On Friday, Barack Obama announced his rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline’s construction — just in time for his appearance with his fellow ecofascists at the December climate conference in Paris. He marches on in his calculated effort to destroy the fossil fuel industry, with a direct byproduct of killing jobs and harming our economy.
Currently running on television is an advertisement15 for a gasoline company, Marathon Oil. The little-noticed song sung as a vehicle passes a highway sign reading “Independence” cheerfully begins by singing, “With a tank full of freedom…” No wonder Obama’s opposed.
The new Democrats, led by radical-in-chief Obama, refuse to view reasonably priced energy as a necessary ingredient to individual prosperity and equal opportunity. Instead, the hardliner Left has declared war on anything except energy produced by solar, wind and possibly hydroelectric sources — even though current technology on those fronts is totally insufficient for our energy needs. |
