The Patriot Post Digest 4-28-2016

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The Patriot Post Digest 4-28-2016
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
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Mid-Day Digest

Apr. 28, 2016

THE FOUNDATION

“It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt … that they are incapable of exercising the sovereignty. Usurpation is then an easy attainment, and an usurper soon found. The people themselves become the willing instruments of their own debasement and ruin…” —James Monroe (1817)

TOP RIGHT HOOKS

Cruz’s Hail Carly1

Ted Cruz’s announcement Wednesday declaring former presidential candidate Carly Fiorina his running mate is an act of desperation, but it’s a calculated act of desperation. Cruz is running far behind Trump — in fact, he’s mathematically eliminated from winning the nomination outside of a contested convention2 — but Cruz isn’t going to go softly into the night, either. Not when Indiana and California still present the opportunity to stop Trump from reaching the magic delegate number of 1,237.

As Cruz’s new running mate said3 to Fox News’s Megyn Kelly: “This isn’t over until someone reaches 1,237. … I believe Ted Cruz will be our nominee. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are virtually indistinguishable in their positions. And he cannot be our nominee, and if he were to be our nominee, Hillary Clinton would be our president. And that is a future that I’m not prepared to lay by and allow to have happen.”

In naming a veep pick before the Republican National Convention, Cruz follows in the steps of Ronald Reagan. He accomplished two things: He disrupted the focus on Trump’s foreign policy speech and added a rhetorically sharp attack dog to his team. Fiorina blunted Trump’s attacks like no one else, and she has also eviscerated Hillary Clinton at every opportunity. With Trump’s comments about women4, Fiorina presents an alternative to the misogyny. And when the race turns to California, she carries some weight after her Senate run there, demon sheep ad5 and all. But there are questions6 about Fiorina as a running mate. Ideology and constituent-wise, how does she help? She has only one delegate, and she won’t particularly appeal to moderate voters in the general election.

But all that is for naught if Cruz doesn’t take the 57 Indiana delegates in next week’s winner-take-all primary. Losing means it’s effectively the end of the road for him, so it’s now or never.

Nobody Seems to Know How Much Money Iran Is Getting7

In Barack Obama’s first term, Congress had to pass deals in order to find out what was in them. These days, even after the deals are rammed through, Congress cannot get answers about what the deals entail. While the deal was being discussed, Secretary of State John Kerry said Iran would get $100 billion in unfrozen assets if the nuclear deal with the mullahs was reached. Now, Kerry has changed his story and Congress cannot get a straight answer8.

During a recent speech, Kerry told supporters that Iran had received only $3 billion (so far) from the deal — a fraction of what the Obama administration said. Meanwhile, Iran has declared it collected all $100 billion. And when lawmakers approach the State Department to understand just how much money is going to Iran, it never answered them specifically.

Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) said8, “Secretary Kerry himself has acknowledged that some of this money will end up in the hands of terrorists. The State Department’s inability, or refusal, to accurately estimate the amount of money the Islamic Republic of Iran is receiving raises even more serious questions.” How much will the U.S. eventually give Iran? Furthermore, how much will go to fund terrorist groups and destabilize the Middle East?

In the meantime, Iran has set off ballistic rocket test after ballistic rocket test, with another scheduled for just after the inauguration of the next president. (Contrast that show of force to Iran freeing 444 American hostages upon Ronald Reagan’s inauguration.) And the Obama administration has been sluggish to respond9 to these deal violations, possibly even lying to Congress. Unfortunately, the effects of this deal will probably only be fully realized when Iranian-backed terrorists topple Middle Eastern states in violence and batteries of nuclear-tipped missiles point up toward Iranian skies.

Redefining Deviancy: ‘Justice-Involved Youth’10

In a recent press release11 describing the Justice Department’s efforts to provide housing for rehabilitated juvenile delinquents, the department described the demographic as “Justice-Involved Youth.” From the very fist line of its message, the Office of Public Affairs wrote, “In an effort to help young people involved in the justice system find jobs and housing…”

And this is how we’re introduced to the most recent example of the Left’s newspeak, a strain of our vernacular that George Orwell described12 as “largely the defence of the indefensible.” Obtuse phrases such as “justice-involved youth” hide the true meaning of what’s happening. Which side of the law are these individuals on? As Investor’s Business Daily facetiously asks13, “If these young people are ‘involved’ in the justice system, doesn’t that mean they already have jobs? Like, say, as a trainee in the dispatcher’s office, or a desk clerk in the attorney general’s office, or maybe a janitor at the local courthouse?”

Using the Left’s phrasing, it’s hard to have an honest discussion about the Justice Department’s program. While returning to society after paying a debt to it by spending time in jail is often a difficult task, citizens have the right to know how “involved” these youth were in this nation’s justice system. Are we simply giving out taxpayer funds to hooligans who will turn around and contribute to insecurity and instability of our society? As long as they vote Democrat14, yes.

Don’t Miss Alexander’s Column

Read NEWS ALERT: ‘Islamists Nuke U.S. Urban Centers’15, on the looming national security threat that eludes delusional Democrats — the consequences of which will be catastrophic.

If you’d like to receive Alexander’s Column by email, update your subscription here16.

BEST OF RIGHT OPINION

Larry Elder: ESPN Fires Curt Schilling — What About Liberal Offenders?17
Mark West: Target’s War on Women, Little Girls and You18
George Will: What Happens in Puerto Rico Won’t Stay There19

For more, visit Right Opinion20.

FEATURED RIGHT ANALYSIS
Better Than Blaming America First21

Donald Trump gave a much-ballyhooed speech on foreign policy Wednesday in which he sought to answer essentially one question: Can we trust this man with the nuclear launch codes? An affirmative answer wasn’t obvious.

It was only the second time Trump has spoken while using the teleprompter he’s so fond of mocking. Obviously, that mockery is heartfelt, because he was not at home reading his speech instead of the usual winging it. As Jonah Goldberg quipped, “He’s also clearly uncomfortable giving serious speeches with whole sentences put together to form whole paragraphs.”

But the reviews weren’t all bad. Ret. Gen. Barry McCaffrey offered a compliment, if a backhanded one: “Mr. Trump over the last year has said some of the most irresponsible, inane statements on foreign policy [and] defense policy that I’ve ever heard in public life. This speech — I thought he hit it out of the ballpark.”

Trump sycophant Ann Coulter tweeted that it was the “GREATEST FOREIGN POLICY SPEECH SINCE WASHINGTON’S FAREWELL ADDRESS” (caps lock malfunction in the original).

Hyperbole aside, there were a few things Trump said with which we agree. “America first” is a refreshing message after Barack Obama’s tenure of “Blame America first.” Trump’s calls for modernizing and upgrading our military are on target. As was his assessment of Barack Obama’s dealing with Iran and treacherous treatment of our allies, along with his generally disastrous Middle East policy15.

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The Patriot Post Digest 4-28-2016
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
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Here are a few excerpts we consider to be solid:

“We must develop a foreign policy based on American interests.”

“The world is most peaceful and most prosperous when America is strongest.”

“[Obama] treated Iran with tender love and care and made it a great power. Iran has indeed become a great, great power in just a very short period of time because of what we’ve done. All … done at the expense of Israel, our allies in the region and, very importantly, the United States itself.”

“Our friends are beginning to think they can’t depend on us. We have a president who dislikes our friends and bows to our enemies, something we’ve never seen before in the history of our country.”

“If President Obama’s goal had been to weaken America, he could not have done a better job.”

“Hillary Clinton also refuses to say the words radical Islam, even as she pushes for a massive increase in refugees coming into our country. After Secretary Clinton’s failed intervention in Libya, Islamic terrorists in Benghazi took down our consulate and killed our ambassador and three brave Americans. Then, instead of taking charge that night, Hillary Clinton decided to go home and sleep. Incredible. Clinton blames it all on a video, an excuse that was a total lie, proven to be absolutely a total lie. Our ambassador was murdered and our secretary of state misled the nation.”

“The Russians and Chinese have rapidly expanded their military capability, but look at what’s happened to us. Our nuclear weapons arsenal, our ultimate deterrent, has been allowed to atrophy and is desperately in need of modernization and renewal. … Our active duty Armed Forces have shrunk from two million in 1991 to about 1.3 million today. The Navy has shrunk from over 500 ships to 272 ships during this same period of time. The Air Force is about one-third smaller than 1991. Pilots flying B-52s in combat missions today. These planes are older than virtually everybody in this room. And what are we doing about this? President Obama has proposed a 2017 defense budget that in real dollars cuts nearly 25% from what we were spending in 2011. Our military is depleted and we’re asking our generals and military leaders to worry about global warming.”

Finally, we’ll defend Trump from one particular attack by Clinton, who said before the speech, “Nothing he can say can hide the long list of dangerous national security proposals he’s put forward over the course of this campaign. He has used the most reckless rhetoric of any major presidential candidate in modern history.”

Reckless rhetoric? How about her reckless policies that actually resulted in the deaths of Americans and unleashed the current chaos in the Middle East?

So back to our opening: Did the speech answer the question of trust? We suppose that depends on the listener, but in our estimation there are two particularly “yuge” red flags:

First, Trump obviously doesn’t think deeply about anything, so his speech was, as is typical of everything he says, all over the map in terms of a guiding vision. Trump has now taken both sides of almost every issue, just as Obama does. For example, Trump promised to eradicate the Islamic State “very, very quickly,” but he also rejected a large ground force or occupation. How would he accomplish his goal? He didn’t say. He said U.S. foreign policy should be “more unpredictable” but also “disciplined, deliberate and consistent.” A good start would be a consistent speech. And that’s only scratching the surface22 of his inconsistencies.

Second, our biggest worry is exemplified in this single quote: “I’m the only one — believe me, I know them all — I’m the only one who knows how to fix it.” Since 2008, we’ve gone from “Yes We Can” to “Yes I Can.” We’ve endured almost eight years with a man who still thinks he’s the messiah, and we have no desire for a similar second coming.

MORE ORIGINAL PERSPECTIVE

ANALYSIS: Millennials, Socialism and Venezuela23
Alarmists Censor Sound Science While Silencing Dissenters24
John Kerry’s Money Sits in Offshore Accounts25
Target Illustrates Why Boycotters Are Taking Aim26

TOP HEADLINES

Economy Expands Just 0.5% in 1Q; Weakest in Two Years27
Former Speaker Hastert Gets 15 Months Behind Bars28
Just 37% of Students Prepared for College-Level Math and Reading29

For more, visit Patriot Headline Report30

OPINION IN BRIEF

Larry Elder: “[Curt] Schilling, to ESPN, is a serial offender. And as a private company, it can terminate an employee for perceived offenses. OK, so Schilling has to go. But what are the rules? ESPN hired former NFL star Ray Lewis in 2013. Originally charged with murder in a double-homicide case 13 years earlier, Lewis agreed to cooperate with the police in exchange for a guilty plea to misdemeanor obstruction of justice. (He told witnesses to ‘keep their mouths shut’). Obstruction of justice in a double-homicide case?! As to employees who weigh in on political controversy, ESPN took no action against commentator Tony Kornheiser, who compared the tea party to ISIS. Filmmaker Spike Lee makes documentaries for ESPN. Lee once said he dislikes interracial couples: ‘I give interracial couples a look. Daggers. They get uncomfortable when they see me on the street.’ Lee said about then-NRA president Charlton Heston: ‘Shoot him with a .44-caliber Bulldog.’ Lee called then-Republican Senate leader Trent Lott ‘a card-carrying member of the Klan. I know he has that hood in the closet.’ What are the rules? … Curt Schilling will have plenty of time to try and figure that out.”

SHORT CUTS

Insight: “If children were forced to learn about the Constitution, about how government works, about how this nation came into being, about taxes and about how government forever threatens the cause of liberty perhaps we wouldn’t see so many foolish ideas coming out of the mouths of silly old men.” —Lyn Nofziger (1924-2006)

Fact: “Some of the most racist things that I’ve ever heard come out of people that are on the air at ESPN. There are some of the biggest racists in sports commentating, and you take it for what it is. You know who they are, you know what they are.” —Curt Schilling

It really is that simple: “I think men’s bathrooms are for men and women’s bathrooms are for women. I don’t know what the problem we’re trying to solve here is. I mean, we’ve been doing it this way forever.” —Marco Rubio

Braying Jenny: “Ted Cruz talks tough on Iran, but his ‘running mate’ was soft on Iran when she skirted the law to sell them computer parts. Slogan idea for the Cruz/Fiorina ‘ticket’: ‘Mean & Meaner.’ Cruz/Fiorina = a perfect match. He wants to ship immigrants out and she’s a champion at shipping jobs out.” —Barbara Boxer

Braying Jackass: “Sen. [Tom] Cotton is certainly no expert when it comes to heavy water. I’m confident that he couldn’t differentiate heavy water from sparkling water. His focus is on undermining the effective implementation of this [nuclear] agreement that prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.” —Josh Earnest on Cotton’s effort to block the government from buying heavy water from Iran (“This guy at the White House may think it’s a laughing matter to subsidize Iran’s nuclear program, but I don’t. I think it’s a very serious matter.” —Tom Cotton)

Late-night humor: “Hillary Clinton has been attacking Donald Trump over his ‘country club’ lifestyle. Hillary made the remarks during a speech none of us could afford to attend.” —Conan O'Brien

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis!
Managing Editor Nate Jackson

Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen — standing in harm’s way in defense of Liberty, and for their families.