The Patriot Post Digest 8-23-2016

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The Patriot Post Digest 8-23-2016
From The Federalist Patriot
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Mid-Day Digest

Aug. 23, 2016

THE FOUNDATION

“Give up money, give up fame, give up science, give the earth itself and all it contains rather than do an immoral act. And never suppose that in any possible situation, or under any circumstances, it is best for you to do a dishonorable thing, however slightly so it may appear to you.” —Thomas Jefferson (1785)

TOP RIGHT HOOKS

Trust Issues Get Worse for Clinton1

Continuing the drip, drip, drip of Hillary Clinton’s email scandal, Judicial Watch released 725 pages2 of State Department documents Monday providing more evidence of pay-to-play at the Clinton Foundation. Judicial Watch says, “In more than a dozen email exchanges, [top Clinton aide Huma] Abedin provided expedited, direct access to Clinton for donors who had contributed from $25,000 to $10 million to the Clinton Foundation. In many instances, Clinton Foundation top executive Doug Band, who worked with the Foundation throughout Hillary Clinton’s tenure at State, coordinated closely with Abedin. In Abedin’s June deposition to Judicial Watch, she conceded that part of her job at the State Department was taking care of ‘Clinton family matters.’” Crown Prince Salman of Bahrain was one of those donors — $32 million to the Clinton Global Initiative won him a personal audience with Her Highness.

A campaign spokesman insisted, “Hillary Clinton never took action as secretary of state because of donations to the Clinton Foundation.” If that isn’t Clintonesque parsing of language, we don’t know what is.

In other Clinton news, the FBI found nearly 15,000 emails beyond the 30,000 Hillary Clinton printed out for the State Department. The Bureau turned those over to State for review, but State initially said it won’t release them until — you guess it — after the election. Federal Judge James Boasberg, however, wasn’t having that. He ordered State to review the emails by Sept. 22, which could set the stage for an October surprise. Clinton has long said the 30,000 emails she deleted were wedding plans for Chelsea and yoga routines. We’ll find out.

Finally, Clinton rolled out an expanded version of a previous excuse: Her predecessor Colin Powell used private email and told her it was fine. Powell fired back that she had been “using [the private email server] for a year before I sent her a memo telling her what I did.” Furthermore, he used appropriate systems for classified information, and he kept his personal email for, you know, personal stuff. Clinton exclusively used personal email, including to send and receive classified information.

George Soros the No-Borders Globalist3

The recent release by DCLeaks of hacked emails from billionaire financier George Soros' Open Society Foundations (OSF) paints a picture of a man with little regard for the sovereignty of nations, and a man who actively promotes open borders as a means to manipulate political scenes the world over, like a kid playing a game of Risk. With Europe struggling with the migration crisis, Soros' foundations have sensed opportunities to “shape conversations about rethinking migration governance.” Soros himself wants to make it easier to admit migrants into Europe. In fact, he has encouraged the EU to admit at least 300,000 migrants annually and called for allocating at least 30 billion euros a year to the asylum plan.

But what does Soros gain from pushing for such an open borders plan? The globalists4 of today, like George Soros, are akin to the imperialists of the past. They view individual nations as commodities to be possessed and directed for their own profit and global aims, therefore national sovereignty and firm borders are hindrances they seek to remove. Soros' globalist/imperialist motives are exposed in his organizations' behind-the-scenes activity in Ukraine, where he has sought to manipulate both the EU and the U.S. Federal Reserve to financially prop up the Ukrainian government. Of course, his Ukrainian Redevelopment Fund would stand to profit handsomely from a stabilized Ukraine. But Soros is not a supporter of a sovereign Ukraine, as he has talked of Ukraine being yet another location in which to funnel more refugees from the European migration crisis. Soros sees Ukraine as merely another game piece best to be used according to how he and his globalist friends see fit.

Justice Dept. Bails on the Constitution5

On the issue of due process, the Eighth Amendment states, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” Now contrast that with a new Justice Department ruling: “Bail practices that incarcerate indigent individuals before trial solely because of their inability to pay for their release violate the Fourteenth Amendment.” For background, NBC News says, “The filing came in the case of Maurice Walker of Calhoun, Georgia. He was kept in jail for six nights after police arrested him for the misdemeanor offense of being a pedestrian under the influence. He was told he could not get out of jail unless he paid the fixed bail amount of $160.”

As stipulated in the Eighth Amendment, excessive bail is prohibited, and $160 is certainly well within what can be considered reasonable. On the other hand, the case can be made that forcing a callously drunk and destitute individual who is being charged with a misdemeanor to spend a week in confinement seems like a “cruel and unusual punishment.” Which gets us to the crux of the issue: The DOJ may have a legitimate argument here. The problem though, as is so often the case, is that Justice has issued a blanket ruling to resolve a relatively isolated problem. That in and of itself creates a bigger problem. As Jazz Shaw points out6, “Eliminating bail entirely for people who claim poverty, even for petty crimes, sounds like more trouble, not less.” Like so many other blanket rulings, this makes the system — and the Constitution — even more ripe for abuse.
Don’t Miss Patriot Humor

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BEST OF RIGHT OPINION

Joe Bastardi: Nightmare in Louisiana NOT the Worst of What Can Happen9
Michael Barone: Sympathy for Victims Can Be Misdirected — and Backfire10
Cal Thomas: To ID or Not to ID?11

For more, visit Right Opinion12.

TOP HEADLINES

Virginia Stabbing Likely a Terrorist Attack13
State Dept. Warns: Iran Seeking to Capture U.S. Citizens14
Judge Blocks Obama’s Tranny Bathroom Decree15

For more, visit Patriot Headline Report16.

FEATURED RIGHT ANALYSIS
Tennessee — The Model for America17

By Robin Smith

Tennessee, the 16th state admitted to the Union, is widely known by its nickname “The Volunteer State,” originating with its contribution of Patriots to the War of 1812 — and every contest for Liberty since. Tennessee’s official slogan is, “America at its best.”

Today, in many respects, Tennessee is a leading model for the rest of the nation. If America operated like our state, it would be fundamentally transformed by fiscal discipline, economic growth and competition. Those open market principles have been rejected by Democrat-controlled states, and the consequences are dire.

The Volunteer State has always had a carefully managed government due to its constitutional prohibition of an income tax and a requirement to balance the budget annually. But things began to change dramatically after the people of Tennessee declared it a right-to-work state.

In November 2008, the General Assembly began its departure from Democrat-control. For the first time since Reconstruction, Republicans held the majority in both chambers of the TN General Assembly. Then, in 2010, Republican Bill Haslam easily won the open seat for governor and gained the benefit of a conservative super majority in the House and conservative majority in the Senate. Notably today, both U.S. Senate seats are held by Republicans and seven of the nine House seats are Republican.

It’s no coincidence that in 2010, The Patriot Post’s home state began its ascent to the top of the pack in everything from fiscal health and integrity to classroom reading scores, as both the legislative and executive branches of state government committed to results, not intentions. The agenda for Tennessee was clearly to create and cultivate an environment to promote new companies to start, existing businesses to expand and jobs to naturally occur by removing barriers such as regulations, taxes and legislation that favored one aspect of industry versus another.

Tennessee was and is open for business18.

On its state Economic and Community Development webpage, awards and accolades of Tennessee include: + The Brookings Institution ranks the state No. 1 for advanced industry job growth + Ranked No. 1 for foreign direct investment (FDI) job commitments in 2015 according to the recently released 2016 Global Location Trends report + Southern Business and Development Magazine named Tennessee the 2016 State of the Year for Economic Development based on its project totals and the variety of the industry sectors + Business Facilities ranked Tennessee the No. 2 state in the nation for infrastructure according to the magazine’s 12th Annual Rankings Report. Tennessee was also ranked No. 4 for workforce training

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The Patriot Post Digest 8-23-2016
From The Federalist Patriot
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Those four notables were just in the month of August 2016.

In June, Kiplinger.com placed Tennessee at No. 4 in a recent analysis of the 10 Best States for Retirement. In May, Tennessee was named the “Fourth Best State in the Country for Business” by Chief Executive magazine on its 2016 Best & Worst States citing measures that included tax and regulatory regime, quality of the workforce and quality of life. Back in December 2015, Tennessee received the “Best State to be a Taxpayer” recognition by WalletHub.

The stew of excellence in a state founded on agriculture and commerce, features some knock-out intrastate rankings for its business environment: + Overall Ranking: Tennessee #5 + Cooperative State Government: Tennessee #3 (tie) + Most Favorable Regulatory Environment: Tennessee #3

And for the state’s infrastructure and global access: + Overall Ranking: Tennessee #1 + Certified Sites/Shovel-Ready Program: Tennessee #1 + Competitive Utility Rates: Tennessee #1 + Energy Reliability / Smart Grid Deployment: Tennessee #2 (tie) + Highway Accessibility: Tennessee #3

Oh, yeah, and the need for a skilled workforce has become a priority to existing and prospective employers. With a focus on results in the classroom and a Tennessee-driven set of standards that empower local school districts, the state has been the fastest improving in the nation according to the “Nation’s Report Card” for the years 2011 through 2015.

At this point, all sorts numbers, statistics and details could be reviewed, but simply understand that the principles employed in Tennessee have been the fuel in the engine to reach success.

First, collaboration and agreement were necessary in these achievements. While there are 95 counties in the state, there are only four major metropolitan areas. The state government polar star is a commitment for regional development and a decision that all ships will rise on the rising tide of economic growth.

Second, a commitment to those First Principles of conservatism is abundantly evident over the last 6-10 years — to hold fast on a balanced budget of prioritized spending with the understanding and accountability that the government neither possesses its own revenue nor creates jobs. The money in Tennessee’s Treasury truly comes from the spending and transactions of Tennesseans, not from raiding paychecks. The job growth and attractiveness of this state is due to its hard-working people willing to engage in learning and skill refinement.

The elected state folks did their jobs to terminate the “Death” tax that hit a family at least twice with levies on property and to begin the elimination of the Hall Tax, a type of income tax that disproportionately impacts retirees and venture capital investors on earnings from investments. The state departments have met the challenge to tighten their budgets just as Tennessee families have had to tighten theirs in the squeeze of the Obama economy.

While there’s a safety net of services for those in need, Tennessee has adopted its own Medicaid health insurance program through a waiver to hold costs down and rejected the pressure to expand the program from the Obama administration through ObamaCare. Learning and remembering the lessons of 2005-2007 that just under 200,000 recipients had to be removed from the Medicaid program due to its explosive costs and invasion of other needed areas of spending such as education, the resolve has been to hold the line on state health insurance.

Back in April, Tennessee joined several other states to resume its work requirements for Food Stamps to incentivize able-bodied adults to actively seek employment, another contrast between those states governed by principles versus popular spending.

Tennessee and other Republican-controlled states understand that a malignantly obese government crowds out the vibrancy and innovation of the private sector. The conservative philosophy is that the economy performs best when citizens have money to spend, not when agencies and departments of government are employed and empowered. Tennessee understands it’s competing with other states for new and existing companies' commitments for investments and jobs, so taxing productivity and investment is, basically, stupid.

As taxes are being cut in Tennessee, the unemployment rate is at 4.1% and personal income is growing at about 5%. By the end of June, the State Treasury held $800 million more than the budget estimates from tax collections and, no, that one-time money won’t be spent on recurring expenditures — a perennial Demo-controlled state problem.

The reason Tennessee is a leader in America, along with other states that legislate to make the government smaller and more accountable, is pure logic if you believe in free enterprise and the power of human ingenuity and work.

America is at its best in Tennessee and other Republican states that value their people, opportunities to work and personal worth.

(Publisher’s Note: What Robin Smith has not said in this column, given her humility, is that she had a very significant hand in the transition of Tennessee from its failing Democrat Party model to its very successful Republican/conservative leadership model. You can read my profile of Robin, “The GOP in Tennessee — Getting it Right19,” and how, as the former State GOP Party Chairperson, she paved the way for a conservative revolution in Tennessee.)

MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST

Climate Alarmists Demand Child Tax20
Belgium’s Euthanasia Marketplace21
WVU Says No He or She, Use Ve22

OPINION IN BRIEF

Gary Bauer: “The Clinton Foundation … announced late last week that if Hillary wins, the Clinton Foundation will no longer accept foreign money. But why was the foundation accepting foreign money in the first place? … But here’s the more important point: What the Clinton Foundation did in making that announcement was to essentially broadcast to anyone interested, ‘Get your bribes in now! The window of opportunity is closing.’ They are conceding that it is not ethically appropriate for a foundation, led by a former president and a top government official, to accept money from industries with business pending before the government. So with just 81 days remaining, they publicly told anyone hoping to take advantage of the influence game that now was the time to get their money in so they could get on the list for future favors.”

SHORT CUTS

Insight: “Truth does not become more true by virtue of the fact that the entire world agrees with it, nor less so even if the whole world disagrees with it.” —Maimonides (1135-1204)

Upright: “The problem is that many people we see as victims aren’t, and many who are victims aren’t virtuous, in the sense of being willing to assimilate to American toleration and diversity. Our natural sympathy should prompt us to find ways to help. But that need not mean inviting [refugees] here.” —Michael Barone

Non Compos Mentis: “We found a way to bail out Wall Street. And when we needed the money, we found it, including about $17 trillion worth of practically zero-interest loans, which was made available, you know, as needed. … So my point is, as responsible adults, we need to bail out a younger generation that is held hostage in this unpayable student debt.” —Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein

Obfuscation: “My emails are so boring. And I mean, I’m embarrassed about that, they’re so boring. And so we’ve already released, I don’t know, 30,000-plus, so what’s a few more?” —Hillary Clinton

Braying Jackass: “The Clinton Foundation was taking no money for the Clintons, raising money from rich people and giving it to poor people. And all of a sudden, the press has decided that [they’re] going to go after this and shut it down. And … [they] are probably going to be successful. There are going to be people that are going to die because of this.” —Clintonista extraordinaire James Carville

For the record: “Hillary Clinton has forgotten the first rule of public service. The job of an elected official is to serve the citizens of the United States. … The Democratic Party has run nearly every inner city for 50 years, 60 years, 70 years, and even more than 100 years. They have produced only poverty, failing schools, and broken homes.” —Donald Trump

And last… “The mainstream media would have lost all interest had Ryan Lochte merely lied about keeping classified documents on an unsecured server.” —Twitter satirist @hale_razor

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis!
Managing Editor Nate Jackson

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