The Patriot Post Digest 3-28-2017

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The Patriot Post Digest 3-28-2017
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
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Mid-Day Digest

Mar. 28, 2017

IN TODAY’S EDITION

Jeff Sessions promises to crack down on sanctuary cities.
Trump issues another executive order undoing one of Obama’s on climate.
Normally, people become more conservative with age. So what’s up with Gen. Z?
Daily Features: Top Headlines, Cartoons, Columnists and Short Cuts.

THE FOUNDATION

“If it be asked, What is the most sacred duty and the greatest source of our security in a Republic? The answer would be, An inviolable respect for the Constitution and Laws.” —Alexander Hamilton (1794)

TOP RIGHT HOOKS

Sanctuary City Crackdown Begins1

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Monday that the Department of Justice would begin fighting against lawless “sanctuary cities2” — jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration law. Sessions called “sanctuary” policies “dangerous” and promised the DOJ would act against offending local governments by both withholding upwards of $4.1 billion in grants as well as “claw back” federal funds. Sessions warned, “The Department of Justice will require that jurisdictions seeking or applying for DOJ grants to certify compliance with [U.S. Code 1373] as a condition of receiving those awards.”

Sessions highlighted the glaring contradiction espoused by those who, under the guise of protecting immigrants, support these lawless sanctuary policies: “Failure to deport aliens who are convicted of criminal offenses puts whole communities at risk, especially immigrant communities in the very sanctuary jurisdictions that seek to protect the perpetrators.” While all Americans suffer3 from the effects of unchecked illegal immigration, those communities most vulnerable to criminal aliens are legal immigrants. Sessions surmised that “countless Americans would be alive today … and countless loved ones would not be grieving today … if these polices of sanctuary cities were ended.”

Another important point Sessions made was the fact that his order is based upon the policies put in place by the Obama administration last year — policies it subsequently failed to follow through on. Sessions is simply doing his job as attorney general in applying the Rule of Law.

Predictably, leftist leaders from these sanctuary cities and immigrant groups voiced their consternation and intent to rebel. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio stated, “We won’t back down from protecting New Yorkers from terror … or from an overzealous administration fixated on xenophobia and needless division.”

Irrespective of the deluded sentiments expressed by these leftist leaders, the reality is that sanctuary cities provide no sanctuary from crime. Among numerous examples, the 2015 murder of Kate Steinle4 by a five-time deported criminal alien in San Francisco and the recent rape5 of a 14-year-old high schooler by illegal aliens in Maryland attest to that. Thankfully, for legal immigrants as well as native-born citizens, America now has an attorney general who believes in the Rule of Law and intends to apply it.

The Regulation Climate Is Changing6

Over Barack Obama’s eight years, and particularly his last four, he governed by executive order. It wasn’t so much the number of them that was galling, but the scope. Yet what can be done with a phone and pen can be undone with the same. Cue Donald Trump, with numerous executive orders already undoing some of the damage done by Obama.

One such order issued today take’s aim at Obama’s climate policies. In 2015, Obama introduced the Clean Power Plan7, which had little to do with climate and everything to do with social justice and government power. It was a clean power grab, all to prevent warming of 0.01 degrees Celsius. It was also part of Obama’s war on coal, and it served to fulfill one of his inadvertent campaign promises: “Under my plan … electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.” Fortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court put a stay on Obama’s plan.

Better still, Trump is beginning to reverse that plan, though the process could take years. He has yet to address Obama’s Paris climate treaty, but this order signals that’s possible. The Washington Times sums it up8: “The Clean Power Plan, the first set of national limits on greenhouse gas pollution from power plants, is crucial to the U.S. meeting President Obama’s [Paris] pledge to cut emissions by at least 26 percent by 2025. While Mr. Trump has yet to formally pull out of the Paris deal — a nonbinding agreement with no enforcement mechanisms other than public shaming — his move Tuesday essentially guarantees the U.S. won’t meet the ambitious target.”

NPR, which is appalled by Trump’s changes, explains another facet9: “The ‘social cost of carbon’ is another Obama-era policy that directed government agencies to factor in the effects of climate change on their rule-making. It essentially put a price tag on carbon emissions and told agencies to factor that price tag in when making a regulation. The current cost is $36 per metric ton. Trump is expected to try to neuter the policy by directing the EPA to lower that cost to the point where it won’t have much weight in policy-making.”

Along with lifting the burden from coal, Trump has already promised to revisit emissions standards10 and approved both the Dakota and Keystone11 pipelines. All signs point to energy policies that will help America lead the world12.

Top Headlines13

Trump signs four bills to reverse Obama-era regulations. (Washington Examiner14)

Leahy won’t join Democrats' effort to filibuster Gorsuch. (The Washington Times15)

Trump’s five most endangered campaign promises. (LifeZette16)

Taxpayers spend 6.1 billion hours, $234 billion per year on tax compliance. (Washington Free Beacon17)

Taxpayers paid $162.5 million for government unions members doing union work. (The Washington Free Beacon18.)

How the Fourth Circuit’s support19 for “assault weapon” bans may end them. (The Federalist20)

Lawyer pleads guilty to trying to bilk Social Security of $550 million. (Government Executive21)

Trump demands intel panel probe Clinton Foundation ties to Russian uranium deal. (Washington Examiner22)

Race-based school budget cuts spark outrage in Hollywood with too many white kids. (ABC7 Los Angeles23)

Policy: Trump is making American energy great again. (Investor’s Business Daily12)

Policy: The original mistake that distorted the health insurance system in America. (Los Angeles Times24)

For more, visit Patriot Headline Report25.
Don’t Miss Patriot Humor

Check out LGBT26.

If you’d like to receive Patriot Humor by email, update your subscription here27.

FEATURED RIGHT ANALYSIS
The Generational Divide28

By Robin Smith

In politics, demographics are key in messaging, for organizational platform development and for policy priorities.

Demographics are pretty consistent with one fact: Age is a major factor in one’s party affiliation. The younger the voter, the greater likelihood said voter is leftist or moderately Democrat in their worldview and philosophy. Logically, the inverse is also often a truism — the older the voter, the greater the likelihood of he or she leans center-Right or far-Right.

An old adage, inaccurately attributed to Winston Churchill (and various others), states: “If you’re not a liberal when you’re young, you have no heart. If you’re not a conservative by the time you’re old, you have no brain.”

While the fascination is usually on the monikers given for each generation and the corresponding traits, it’s the traits found within these age groups that impact the usefulness of the tiered grouping of our adult population.

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The Patriot Post Digest 3-28-2017
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
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Using classifications employed by the Pew Research Center, the Silent Generation would currently be 71-88 years of age. This group generally holds a worldview framed by the hardships of war and economic depression — sacrifice, personal responsibility, loyalty and the call to adulthood during crisis. Some 48% of Silents are politically center-Right. Baby Boomers range from 52-71 years old and are likewise largely defined as having a strong work ethic, and being goal-centric, self-assured and more disciplined. And 44% of the Boomers vote to the political Right. The next stratum is Generation X, Americans who are now 36 to 51 years old. This groups tends to be more “me” centric, hence their individualistic approach to social, civic, corporate and political engagement. This is the first generation to live to work, not work to live, and they vote to the Right of center 37% of the time. Finally, Millennials are 18- to 35-year-olds raised to seek constant communication, input and connection. This group is motivated by meaning, with their productivity linked to a purpose that is well communicated or marketed. Just 33% of Millennials vote Right.

So what?

As our cultural institutions — education, media, family, faith, government, entertainment and business — move to the left, the immersion of individuals into an environment defined by a “progressive” vision has changed American culture. Interestingly, as adults age with the vivid responsibilities of life, such as parenting, debt, investment, business expansion and countless other realities, a great deal of progressive failures are exposed. One’s worldview becomes no longer framed by an academic exercise in social justice, love and tolerance, but by real life.

As we’ve noted, the more recent one’s birth year, the more one’s political affiliations tend to be more to the left end of the spectrum. But that may soon change based on early research into Generation Z. These post-Millennials have never known life without the Internet, Islamic terrorism or the hyper-partisan climate at the local, state and federal levels of government.

Again, so what?

Some of the oldest of Generation Z voted in the 2016 elections. And the question is, will this be yet another group of youth with an entitled and emotion-based approach to life? Or will it be a generation guided by effective role models and adult leaders?

Based on early unscientific data, these first-time voters, raised during times of recession and personal debt, are more fiscally conservative than their Millennial elders.

A survey of 50,000 high school students aged 14 to 18 years old was shocking: Donald Trump won among participants by 46% to Hillary Clinton’s 31%. A majority identified as Republicans in this Presidential Pulse Study’s entire polling audience.

Further, those casting their ballots for the first time acknowledged the economy as the most important issue followed by education, gun rights and health care. Fifty-six percent declared the country is headed in the wrong direction. That’s a stark departure from the “progressive” mantra that Barack Obama was great and the answer was more of the same through Hillary.

An INC.com article notes that Generation Z identifies honesty as the most important trait of a leader. These kids have a greater respect for older generations, and seem to possess the trait of realism instead of excessive optimism.

That presents an opportunity. Conservatives must not only include the soundness of small government and value of fiscal discipline for the older generations who are more conservative, but the “so what” of meaning and purpose to win the hearts and minds of Millennials and Generation Xers. And endeavoring to win over Generation Z will pay immense dividends.

President Donald Trump spoke quite candidly on the campaign trail, absent the politically correct lexicon of the Left. He pulled no punches in his simple, yet direct, message. Perhaps his populist approach also appeals to Generation Z. Perhaps they’ve seen what leftism hath wrought and want no part of it.

As always, time will tell, but time also has a way of making people more conservative. That’s life experience for you.

MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST

Expatriation and Taxes29 — Income redistribution is a major reason why more people are leaving the U.S.
Mainstream Media Forgets Its Roots30 — Freedom of the press is a right for all Americans to enjoy.
GOP Must Learn to Take Local Success National31 — Republicans need to ignore Democrat pressure groups and rhetorical anarchists.

BEST OF RIGHT OPINION

Rich Lowry: On ObamaCare, a Partywide Failure32
Cal Thomas: Personality and Policy33
Stephen Moore: The False Compassion of Liberalism34

For more, visit Right Opinion35.

OPINION IN BRIEF

Stephen Moore: “One of my favorite stories of American history dates back to the 19th century when Col. Davy Crockett, who fought at the Alamo, served in Congress. In a famous incident, Congress wanted to appropriate $100,000 to the widow of a distinguished navel officer. Crockett took to the House floor and delivered his famous speech, relevant as ever: ‘We have the right, as individuals, to give away as much of our own money as we please in charity; but as members of Congress we have no right to so appropriate a dollar of the public money. … I am the poorest man on this floor. I cannot vote for this bill, but I will give one week’s pay to the object, and if every member of Congress will do the same, it will amount to more than the bill asks.’ Crockett was the only member of Congress who donated personally to the widow, while the members of Congress who pretended to be so caring and compassionate closed their wallets. It all goes to show that liberal do-gooders were as hypocritical then as they are today.”

SHORT CUTS

Insight: “History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.” —Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969)

Village Idiots: “The wall to me is ominous. It reminds me too much of the Berlin Wall. When I see that 30-foot wall I worry somehow, ‘Are they trying to keep me in or keep them out?’ … We’ll do the right, humane, and I would even say Christian thing from my point of view.” —California Gov. Jerry Brown

Non Compos Mentis: “We must all accept that there is a possibility we will never understand why [the London Islamist] did this. That understanding may have died with him.” —Neil Basu, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police

Regulatory Commissars: “We do believe that an estate tax is an appropriate thing. If you don’t have one, basically all you do is guarantee an aristocracy where one rich guy passes it on to his kids and so on down the line, but we also believe that there could be something with a transactions tax. The United States used to have one. Many states around the world have them.” —Keith Ellison

Braying Jenny: “I’m out to get [Trump]. … I’m gonna see him out of office. And I think it’s going to happen. Get ready for impeachment.” —Maxine Waters

Soul searching: “Talking to a friend at lunch not long ago, he expressed his amazement that the House and Senate leadership didn’t have bills ‘lined up like airplanes on a runway’ ready to take off in the new year. I was surprised, too. … The congressional GOP’s failure to deliver on its promises is one of the things that led to the election of President Trump. Now they’re still failing. What comes next?” —Glenn Reynolds

And last… “If tax reform is going to pass and get signed into law, Republicans will have to perform much better than in the foreshortened health care debate. On the bright side, they can’t perform much worse.” —Rich Lowry

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.