The Patriot Post Digest 4-11-2017

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The Patriot Post Digest 4-11-2017
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
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Mid-Day Digest

Apr. 11, 2017

IN TODAY’S EDITION

An executive not named Clinton resigns over a sex scandal. What a contrast.
Peggy Noonan wins a well-deserved Pulitzer Prize.
The debate rages over the constitutional authority for a strike on Syria.
Daily Features: Top Headlines, Cartoons, Columnists and Short Cuts.

THE FOUNDATION

“In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate — look to his character.” —Noah Webster (1789)

TOP RIGHT HOOKS

Alabama Gov. Resigns Over Scandal1

Becoming a politician is a “dirty job” that even Mike Rowe would avoid. The now former governor of Alabama proves once again that the average American’s expressed disgust for politicians is often justly deserved.

On Monday, Alabama Republican Governor Robert Bentley resigned from office. A little over a year ago, accusations came to light of an attempted cover-up of an alleged affair between Bentley and one of his top aides. As the scandal further unfolded, revelations of potential campaign finance violations as well as misuse of state police and intimidation tactics convinced the Republican-controlled state legislature to pursue impeachment proceedings. Now, Lt. Governor Kay Ivey will become only the second woman in Alabama history to serve as governor as she replaces Bentley.

Sex scandals are nothing new when it comes to politics. But whether it brings down those involved often depends on the politician’s party affiliation. Years ago another governor from a southern state was able to survive as he hushed up numerous allegations on his way to winning the White House. Bill Clinton, who committed perjury during his attempt to cover up his affair with Monica Lewinsky, was impeached and yet retained his presidency, infamously setting a precedent. Democrats, having no moral compass, thus rallied around an arrogant serial adulterer for partisan purposes. Alabama Republicans weren’t going to repeat that abuse of power.

While the Bentley scandal may bear some similarities to Clinton’s many scandals, it truly pales in comparison, both in the level of corruption and in the consequences. Put simply, Bentley leaves office in disgrace still facing legal issues, while Clinton not only survived but thrived afterwards, becoming a hero of the Left and a multimillionaire on the speaking circuit. Because Bill got away with it, others may assume they can too. Sometimes they can. Arguably thanks to Bill, Donald Trump was able to survive his own sordid personal history, including sexually lewd comments revealed as an October surprise.

On a final note, it’s worth remembering the words of the Gipper. Ronald Reagan famously opined, “It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.”

Peggy Noonan, Pulitzer Prize Winner2

Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan, whom graciously permitted The Patriot Post permission to carry her work back in 2006, won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for commentary. Normally, we’re not inclined to celebrate Pulitzer Prizes, as they’re typically just the Leftmedia’s way of self-congratulation, but this win by a conservative is different.

Noonan is one of the Journal’s and our most popular columnists. As a speechwriter for Ronald Reagan, she crafted such memorable speeches as the “Boys of Pointe du Hoc3” marking the 40th anniversary of D-Day, and the remarks4 he gave after the Challenger explosion in 1986. Indeed, Noonan has a way with words that those of us who write for a living aspire to capture.

The Journal describes5 why Noonan was honored this year: “Ms. Noonan won for a variety of her columns during 2016, in particular for her prescient pieces on Donald Trump and the political uprising his candidacy represented. Ahead of most others, she foresaw Trump’s rise and his appeal to Americans who were frustrated by the leaders of both major political parties. Ms. Noonan didn’t shrink from addressing Trump’s many flaws as a candidate, but she always showed great respect for the intelligence of voters and explained the currents of American life and politics that catapulted Trump to the White House.”

Ironically, it’s Noonan’s depth of understanding and empathy that earned her great scorn among some grassroots conservatives for her writing not just on Trump but on Barack Obama. She wrote insightfully about why Obama appealed to millions and why he won twice. Likewise, early on she saw how and why an outsider and former Democrat like Trump managed to win the Republican nomination in spite of — or in some case, because of — his deep flaws. She fully understood what ultimately undid Hillary Clinton and foresaw that Trump would pull off the upset.

Noonan’s Pulitzer win is, in our estimation, well deserved. Congratulations!

Top Headlines6

Official: Russia knew Syrian chemical attack was coming. (Associated Press7)

Russia and Iran affirm commitment to Syrian government. (Associated Press8.)

Syria/Russia connection upends Democrats' fake Trump-Putin claims. (Washington Examiner9)

Maryland lawmakers withdraw “sanctuary state” bill that challenged Trump’s immigration policy. (The Washington Times10)

Sen. Markey claims Democrats will restore 60-vote threshold for Supreme Court nominees. Fat chance. (The Washington Free Beacon11)

Judicial Watch files suit seeking ATF records on attempted ammo ban. (The Washington Free Beacon12)

Toyota announces $1.33 billion investment in Kentucky plant. (Associated Press13)

Wells Fargo claws back $75 million from top execs in sales scandal. (ABC News14)

Fresno State lecturer faces backlash for “Trump must hang” tweet. (The Washington Times15)

College may punish students who disrupted conservative’s speech. (The Daily Signal16)

Policy: It’s time to rethink how our federal agencies seize cash and property. (Fox News17)

Policy: United Airlines flunks Economics 101. (Investor’s Business Daily18.)

For more, visit Patriot Headline Report19.
Don’t Miss Patriot Humor

Check out On Their Way20.

If you’d like to receive Patriot Humor by email, update your subscription here21.

What Are You Doing For Liberty?

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But we need your financial support to keep that coming. Our voice is your voice — make it heard with a secure online donation today22. We still need to raise approximately $35,000 by April 19th. Thank you for standing with us! —Nate Jackson, Managing Editor

FEATURED RIGHT ANALYSIS
The Authority for Striking Syria23

By Todd Johnson

President Donald Trump’s choice last week to launch 59 missiles at the Shayat Airfield in Syria24 was viewed by many in the world as a measured and proportional response to Bashar al-Assad’s contemptible and horrific decision to use chemical weapons25 on his own people. They saw Trump’s swift reaction as presidential and a much-needed defense of international norms and values. Domestically, support for Trump’s decision has been widespread on Capitol Hill and around the country, a rare phenomenon considering the fractious nature of American politics in this day and age. Most observers believe that Trump’s actions were needed to shore up American credibility around the world, primarily because of Barack Obama’s inability to enforce his own self-imposed “red-line” back in 2013.

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The Patriot Post Digest 4-11-2017
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
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In a letter to Congress26 following the attacks, President Trump justified his actions under the executive powers found in Article II of the Constitution. However, Trump and his national security team, from National Security Advisor LTG H.R. McMaster to Secretary of Defense James Mattis, have not yet articulated a strategic vision on the way ahead for Syria. Due to this lack of clarity, a growing contingent of Congress feels now is the appropriate time to review the executive branch’s legal authority for future military action against the Assad government. Specifically, they want to determine whether a new authorization for use of military force (AUMF) needs to be crafted for operations in Syria.

Before determining that, it’s important to understand the concept of its implementation. Per the War Powers Act of 1973, United States military forces cannot operate in a deployed status for more than 60 days and operations lasting longer than that time frame require a congressional declaration of war or an authorized use of military force. Currently, the United States conducts operations around the world under AUMFs that were passed in 200127 and 200228.

The 2001 AUMF, only 60 words long, was invoked by both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations to justify military actions around the world. Now, the Trump administration has used it to justify troop presence in Syria29, where U.S. forces are conducting missions on a daily basis. However, many legislators feel that these pieces of legislation are dated and need to be modified or replaced if the U.S. is to continue operating in Syria, one of the most dangerous places in the world. The question is whether or not the leadership of Congress is willing to underwrite a thoughtful debate about the future of American forces in the region.

The current situation in Syria is apocalyptic. The humanitarian crisis is epic30 — between 400,000-500,000 people are dead and up to five million more have fled the war-torn nation. The civil war in Syria has been an ongoing conflict for the last six years and it’s an incredibly complicated area of operations. Multiple factions, including the Assad government (actively supported by Russian and Hezbollah troops), Sunni Arabs, Salafi jihadists and Kurdish forces are just a few of the groups fighting for power.

If Trump plans on continuing actions in Syria, then Congress needs to press him and his team for a strategic plan and goals. Once a plan has been codified by the executive branch, Congress then needs to work with Trump’s national security team on developing an AUMF that enables the Defense Department and other executive agencies to address the security concerns of Syria and the surrounding nations, including Jordan and Lebanon. This is Trump’s best opportunity to show that he is serious about changing the dysfunctional dynamics of the Levant.

However, if he chooses to ignore Congress, he will continue the recent pattern of presidents who fail to appreciate the constitutional role of the legislative branch when it comes to putting our nation’s men and women in harm’s way.

We’ll close with the words of our first commander in chief, George Washington: “The Constitution vests the power of declaring war with Congress,” he wrote in 1793, “therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject, and authorized such a measure.”

MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST

Solving the Problem of North Korea31 — The strike on Syria was a warning shot, but China still must step in and help rein in Kim and his nukes.
High Gas Taxes Drive Out Growth32 — California’s latest taxpayer siphon has lessons for Tennessee, which is considering making the same mistake.
Unknown Climate Cause and Effect33 — When it comes to predicting climate, computer models are not gospel. They’re as good as the data they’re given.
Small-Engines vs. Ethanol Regs34 — Once again the government’s attempt to pick a winner is producing more losers.

BEST OF RIGHT OPINION

Hans von Spakovsky: No More ‘Catch and Release’ for Illegal Immigrants35
Rich Lowry: The Russian Stooge36
Cal Thomas: The Middle East’s Siren Call37

For more, visit Right Opinion38.

OPINION IN BRIEF

Hans von Spakovsky: “One of the smartest steps President Donald Trump has taken to get our illegal immigration problem under control was ending the Obama administration’s policy known as ‘catch and release.’ Border Patrol agents have long sarcastically called it the ‘catch and run’ policy. Why? Because aliens who have been caught and then released under the stipulation they show up for a scheduled hearing frequently fail to appear in court. … Over the past 20 years, 37 percent of all illegal aliens released pending trial never showed up for court. … There is no other court in America that lets defendants ignore orders to appear. In fact, federal law provides severe penalties for failing to show up to a federal district court. Only in immigration courts can non-citizens disappear and potentially not face the kinds of consequences that a citizen would face for failing to appear in federal district court. When illegal immigrants ignore our courts and ICE doesn’t enforce the law, it destroys the integrity of our legal system and encourages continued illegal immigration. The Trump administration is right to try and prevent illegal aliens from exploiting the loopholes in our immigration court system.”

SHORT CUTS

Insight: “A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car, but if he has a university education he may steal the whole railroad.” —Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945)

Getting it right: “What happened in Egypt was unbelievably significant. If you look at what ISIS really stands for, what they are carrying out now in the Middle East, and in Egypt in particular, is a kind of genocidal attack on Christians and Christianity. They want Christianity eradicated, and they want to convert all Muslims to their crusade. They want it to be a holy war. And they want Christians gone. And I don’t think that narrative is getting the attention it should get in the American media and, I have to say, in other media as well around the world.” —Piers Morgan

For the record: “The Obama administration was supposed to have stripped Syria of chemical weapons. Syria gassed its citizens. And that brings us to the Iran nuclear deal. As the editors of the New York Post asked last night, ‘Why should anyone still believe the same team’s assurances on Iran’s ability to produce nukes?’ Vicious liars like the North Koreans, Syrians, and Iranians tend to be vicious liars no matter the documents they sign. That’s a truth worth remembering as another WMD deal collapses and further destabilizes an already-dangerous world.” —David French

Observations: “History is going to be rough on [the Syria debacle]. This is going to be the defining moment for the Obama presidency. And what is so interesting about it [is] it’s going to be a moment of inaction, and it proves the point that what you don’t do can matter every bit as much as what you do when you govern.” —Council on Foreign Relations president Richard Haass

And last… “It really is a miracle that thanks to flight we can get anywhere in the world within hours with just a little groping and random beatings.” —Frank Fleming

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis
Managing Editor Nate Jackson

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