The Patriot Post Digest 5-17-2016

[nChrist]

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The Patriot Post Digest 5-17-2016
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
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Mid-Day Digest

May 17, 2016

THE FOUNDATION

“As there is a degree of depravity in mankind which requires a certain degree of circumspection and distrust: So there are other qualities in human nature, which justify a certain portion of esteem and confidence.” —James Madison (1788.)

TOP RIGHT HOOKS

Race-Baiting Cop Critic Awards Medals of Valor to Police

Barack Obama awarded 13 police officers the Medal of Valor for their courage in the line of duty Monday, but Obama wasn’t the person who should have draped the medals around the officers' necks. He’s spent his entire tenure in office — ever since accusing Cambridge, Massachusetts, police of “acting stupidly” in the summer of 2009 — advancing rhetoric that accused law enforcement of being racist. When riots broke out in Ferguson after the justified shooting death of Michael Brown, Obama sympathized not with law enforcement but the protesters, saying it was “an understandable reaction.” He assembled a task force to investigate racism in local police departments around the country. More recently, the federal government piled on the charges against Michael Slager, the officer who was filmed shooting Walter Scott in the back, in attempt to further this narrative. Officers have paid with their lives.

This year, the Medal of Valor was given to such men as Mario Gutierrez, a Miami-Dade officer who, despite multiple stab wounds, subdued a man with a knife who was trying to set off a gas explosion. Or consider Gregory Stevens, who last year stood between a convention center full of people attending a draw-Muhammad art contest and two Islamic jihadis intent on causing as much destruction as possible. Officers like these are undoubtedly deserving of recognition. Yet this year’s Medals of Valor were awarded by a man who has consistently undermined police departments and contributed to rising crime and insecurity around the nation.

Gay Hoaxer Drops Lawsuit Against Whole Foods

Jordan Brown, the homosexual Austin, Texas, pastor who conjured up a faux narrative about receiving a cake at Whole Foods with a derogatory term written on it in icing, withdrew his lawsuit against the company Monday. The move comes about a month after video evidence emerged that discredited his claims. It was a “hate crime” that simply didn’t happen.

Brown announced, “Today I am dismissing my lawsuit against Whole Foods Market. The company did nothing wrong. I was wrong to pursue this matter and use the media to perpetuate this story. I want to apologize to Whole Foods and its team members for questioning the company’s commitment to its values, and especially the bakery associate who I understand was put in a terrible position because of my actions. I apologize to the LGBT community for diverting attention from real issues. I also want to apologize to my partner, my family, my church family, and my attorney.”

Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey wonders, “What was the point of this exercise, anyway? Perhaps Brown wanted to make himself the new leader for activists in the Austin community. Instead, he’s now the latest in a long line of hate-crime hoaxers, a trend that has gotten so bad that it might make for a bigger market for lawyers than actual hate crimes.”

Whole Foods wrote in a statement shortly thereafter, “We’re very pleased that the truth has come to light. Given Mr. Brown’s apology and public admission that his story was a complete fabrication, we see no reason to move forward with our counter suit to defend the integrity of our brand and team members.”

We can think of a few reasons. But evidently Whole Foods wants to overlook this little stunt to avoid further tarnishing the “LGBT community’s” reputation. The Rainbow Mafia is a terrible enemy to make.

China Prepares for War While U.S. Aircraft Deteriorate

The People’s Liberation Army — the grossly misnamed military controlled by China’s Communist Party — is preparing itself for a major conflict. According to a Pentagon report sent to Congress, China’s military is undergoing significant restructuring, tweaking its strategies because it has not fought a war in 30 years. This comes at a time when the country is building bases on disputed islands sitting in the South China Sea and setting up surface-to-air missiles that have ranges of 125 miles.

As for the United States, the Air Force is struggling to keep the B-1 bomber flying. Pilots are burning out, spending less time piloting the beast that can take off in the States and make a bombing run the next continent over. Furthermore, only about half the B-1 bombers are able to fly. Air Force mechanics are running short on parts for the planes and are scrounging through junkyards and museums for spare parts. Belligerent countries are preparing for war. Barack Obama’s busy mandating bathroom policies for elementary schools.

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BEST OF RIGHT OPINION

    Dennis Prager: Why Don’t Republicans Name the Enemy?
    David Limbaugh: Resisting Obama’s Transgender Directive: A Hill to Die On
    James Thrasher: ‘Calling’ for Meaning in Our Work

For more, visit Right Opinion.

FEATURED RIGHT ANALYSIS
Nuns Defeat Obama in Court

By Paul Albaugh

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of religious liberty Monday and handed yet another defeat to Barack Obama. In light of all the insanity with transgenderism and bathrooms in recent weeks, this comes as great news for Little Sisters of the Poor and others who “bitterly cling” to deeply held religious beliefs and the Constitution. To be sure, Obama has had a bad run with the courts lately, having lost on ObamaCare last week and received numerous rebukes for EPA regulations. His immigration actions also ran aground in lower courts, and may likewise end in a Supreme Court loss.

For the Little Sisters, the High Court’s ruling is a huge victory, giving them the ability to operate under their religious convictions. Further, the ruling means that they will not have to pay $70 million in fines per year for not complying with ObamaCare’s onerous contraceptive mandate.

As Roger Severino and Elizabeth Slattery of the Heritage Foundation note, “The Supreme Court now says that ‘the government may not impose taxes or penalties on petitioners for failure to provide the relevant notice.’ This is precisely what the Little Sisters of the Poor have been asking for as relief.” Further, it means that “all the lower court opinions that went against the religious freedom of the Little Sisters of the Poor and the other religious nonprofits are wiped away and their flawed reasoning cannot be used as precedent in the future.”

[nChrist]

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The Patriot Post Digest 5-17-2016
From The Federalist Patriot
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To clarify, the Supreme Court in its unanimous decision did not rule on the merits of the case, meaning that the case will be kicked back to the lower courts for further consideration. Further, the Court did not rule on whether the law addresses a compelling state interest. Yet while it seems like the court punted this case, it really didn’t.

National Review’s David French highlights why: “First, the Supreme Court vacated the lower court ruling holding that the Little Sisters had to facilitate access to contraceptives and [denying] that the mandate substantially burdened their religion. When the court vacates a ruling that you’re challenging, that’s a win. Second, the Supreme Court provided a roadmap for an excellent resolution to the case — by outlining the accommodation it suggested, the Little Sisters endorsed, and the government reluctantly agreed to.”

Moreover, the Court’s decision was unanimous, while most political analysts expected a 4-4 split that would have allowed a ruling against the Little Sisters to stand. Given the context of this case, it’s the second time the Supreme Court has pushed back against Obama’s regulatory efforts to restrict religious liberty, and this case is another setback for Obama’s contraception/abortifacient mandate.

Unfortunately, from a strategic viewpoint, Obama has accomplished a lot in pushing for left-wing causes, and in doing so, he has tied up conservative resources beating back his advances. In all of his mandates, edicts and overreaches, he moves the needle further left and takes credit for doing so. He creates a political issue out of everything, and faithful leftists everywhere will defend him and demand even more.

The contraception mandate that he imposed on religious organizations like the Little Sisters of the Poor was never really about providing contraception, it was about power.

After the Court’s ruling, Obama spun the decision, saying, “The practical effect is, right now, that women will still continue to be able to get contraception if they are getting health insurance.”

“Be able to get”? Translation: Most Americans will still be mandated to buy health insurance from companies that are forced to provide certain benefits. Obama also insisted that his administration is already “properly accommodating religious institutions who have objections to contraception.” That’s because the Court has in essence ruled that Obama can’t violate their objections.

So while this was not a decisive victory in the courts, it is nevertheless a significant win for Little Sisters of the Poor, their petitioners and ultimately for religious liberty. Perhaps slowly chipping away at ObamaCare mandates will lead to full repeal of it. Maybe that’s wishful thinking, but it’s at least a step in the right direction.

MORE ORIGINAL PERSPECTIVE

    ANALYSIS: Democrat Policies: A Troubling Past and a Bad Future
    Ninth Circuit Court Affirms Second Amendment
    Number of ‘Ferguson Effect’ Skeptics Is Shrinking
    Venezuela: A Country on the Brink
    Yes, ‘Inclusive’ Facility Policies Are Harmful

TOP HEADLINES

    U.S., Other World Powers to Arm Libyan Government
    ​U.S. Has Taken in Only 17% of Syrian Refugees It Pledged
    Is the ‘Ferguson Effect’ Real? Researcher Has Second Thoughts

For more, visit Patriot Headline Report

OPINION IN BRIEF

Dennis Prager: “Republicans and conservatives have spent almost eight years attacking President Barack Obama. For good reason, to be sure, as the case can and should be made that he has done more harm to America than any president in American history. But all harm he has done … is a function of his being a man of the left. No more; no less. Vice President Joe Biden, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Harry Reid, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Bernie Sanders and virtually any Democratic senator, would have tried to do similar damage to America. But Republicans focus their ire on individuals — first Barack Obama, and now Hillary Clinton — as if they individually, not the left and leftism, are the problem. Think, for example, about how much conservatives attack political correctness. They are, of course, right to do so. But all their attacks are almost meaningless because they never mention the source of political correctness: the left. In fact, the very definition of ‘politically correct’ is ‘that which is acceptable to the left’; and the definition of ‘politically incorrect’ is ‘that which is unacceptable to the left.’ … Our colleges have been ruined, free speech is increasingly suppressed, the economy is stagnant, the federal debt is doubling and young Americans no longer see America as exceptional in any way, all because of the left. But almost no one dares mention the word. Why?”

SHORT CUTS

Insight: “Leave men free, and their natural inequalities will multiply almost geometrically, as in England and America in the nineteenth century under laissez-faire. To check the growth of inequality, liberty must be sacrificed, as in Russia after 1917. Even when repressed, inequality grows; only the man who is below the average in economic ability desires equality; those who are conscious of superior ability desire freedom, and in the end superior ability has its way.” —Will Durant (1885-1981)

Upright: “The Obama White House will rub whatever raw political nerves it takes to kick up a culture clash in order to mobilize the Obama election coalition for Hillary Clinton’s flagging campaign. That Friday’s ‘Dear Colleague’ letter on transgender students will launch years of litigation and release political furies in school districts across America is the main point.” —The Wall Street Journal

Observations: “[Donald Trump] seems to think that he has all the answers and that he doesn’t need any advice from staff or anybody else. And that he knows more about these things than anybody else.” —former Defense Secretary Robert Gates

Belly Laugh of the Week: “The health insurance market is a lot better for private citizens now than it was before the Affordable Care Act. That’s just a fact.” —Josh Earnest

Braying Jenny: “[Bill Clinton will be] in charge of revitalizing the economy. Because, you know, he knows how to do it.” —Hillary Clinton (Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the Obama economy.)

And last… “The Hillary vs Trump spectacle will achieve something lasting and useful if it reduces our reverence toward the office of the president.” —Frank Fleming

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.