The Patriot Post Digest 6-14-2017

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The Patriot Post Digest 6-14-2017
From The Federalist Patriot
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Mid-Day Digest

Jun. 14, 2017

IN TODAY’S EDITION

Unhinged leftist shoots several Republicans.
Flag Day and leftist revisionist history.
Jeff Sessions’ testimony didn’t reveal much except Democrats lame game.
Daily Features: Top Headlines, Cartoons, Columnists and Short Cuts.

THE FOUNDATION

“Is there no virtue among us? If there be not, we are in a wretched situation.” —James Madison (1788.)

TOP RIGHT HOOKS

DemoMSM Rhetoric Prompts Attempted Murder of Republicans?1

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and several others were shot this morning when an assailant opened fire on a baseball practice involving congressional Republicans. All the wounded are recovering. According to Florida Rep. Ron DeSantis, the assailant asked if the group was Republican or Democrat before the assault. North Carolina Rep. Mike Walker declared the assailant was “there to kill as many Republican members as possible.” After almost 10 minutes, during which he fired 50-100 shots, Capitol Police were finally able to subdue the assailant, who later died. Sen. Rand Paul, also present and safe, said, “Everybody probably would have died except for the fact that Capitol Hill police were there.” And the police detail was only there due to Scalise’s presence.

James T. Hodgkinson of Illinois has been identified as the perpetrator. Early details always seem to change as facts are sorted out, but the early evidence is that Hodgkinson was an unhinged leftist. He tweeted on March 22, “Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It’s Time to Destroy Trump & Co.” His background picture on social media is of Bernie Sanders, and his profile picture touts the “virtues” of Democratic Socialism. His entire social media profile follows this vein. The Leftmedia will take forever to report it, but the motive might just be clear.

Given the incessant hate-fomenting by the DemoMSM, perhaps they bear some blame. Or maybe Kathy Griffin’s beheading Trump “joke” is at fault. Overheated rhetoric can lead to violence, after all. Isn’t that what they told us when Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot in 2011?

Predictably, Democrat haters2 and their DemoMSM propagandists will attempt to blame-shift this attack from their inflamed rhetoric to the need for more “gun control3.” It’s part of their perennial efforts to undermine the Second Amendment4 assurance of Liberty5.

Exit question: Time to shut down that presidential assassination play6?

Flag Day and Revisionist History7

Today is Flag Day8, a day to honor the American flag that flies as a beacon of Liberty representing those core principles upon which this great nation was established. The flag is a symbol of hope for all people who “hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed — that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it…”

We’re also painfully aware that there are those who do not see our flag as a beacon of Liberty or hope, but as a symbol of oppression. There are many on the Left who seek to destroy and uproot this nation from its core foundational principles based on their misguided and flawed notions of fairness and equity. Leftists burn the flag or kneel for the national anthem as a sign of disrespect for the flag and the supposed “racism” it represents, and they scrub our nation’s history by demanding that statues honoring those who fought for the Confederacy be pulled down because of the sin of slavery. That’s historical revisionism black economist Walter Williams decries9. Williams also notes it’s not limited to the Confederacy, but extends to our nation’s Founders.

In claiming to stand against oppression — ironically in the name of freedom and justice — leftists act to repress and oppress those who dare to hold view points and opinions contrary to their own. They mock patriotism and love of country as being emblematic of nationalistic bigotry, while proclaiming their constitutional right to freedom of speech as they burn the very flag which stands as a symbol of that freedom many have died fighting to preserve.

Will leftists demand we stop flying the flag at all? Williams argues, “The job of tyrants and busybodies is never done. When they accomplish one goal, they move their agenda to something else. If we Americans give them an inch, they’ll take a yard. So I say, don’t give them an inch in the first place.”

So, as you proudly fly the flag today, remember just how blessed you are to live in the greatest, freest, fairest and most generous nation the world has ever known. And thank the Lord for the unique blessing and privilege of being an American.

Top Headlines10

Seven times the Obama administration obstructed justice. (The Daily Wire11)

“Steely Silence”: Comey reportedly confronted Loretta Lynch with document claiming she was protecting Hillary on Emailgate. (Hot Air12)

Media can’t stomach praise for Trump — pundits melt down over Cabinet meeting, compare to scene from North Korea. (PoliZette13)

Trump gives Pentagon authority to set troop levels in Afghanistan. (The Washington Post14)

Mattis “shocked” by poor state of military readiness and blames Obama’s sequester. (The Washington Free Beacon15)

House passes landmark VA accountability bill. (The Washington Free Beacon16)

No apologies: ICE chief says illegal immigrants should live in fear of deportation. (The Washington Times17)

North Korea releases Cincinnati student Otto Warmbier, parents say he’s in a coma. (NBC News18.)

Israel: Shut down UN agency for Palestinian refugees. (CNS News19)

Policy: A recap of “infrastructure week.” (American Action Forum20)

Policy: Fecklessness at Middlebury. (American Enterprise Institute21)

Humor: Study: Most effective fatherhood technique just saying “go ask your mother.” (The Babylon Bee22)

For more, visit Patriot Headline Report23.

FEATURED RIGHT ANALYSIS
The Phony Collusion Sessions24

By Lewis Morris

Democrats are always looking to stir up some drama in their ongoing witch hunt, er, investigation, into President Donald Trump and possible collusion with the Russians over election tampering. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was the latest target in Senate testimony Tuesday, but this one didn’t have much in the way of substance.

Sessions’ three-hour appearance was peppered with some biting back and forth with Democrat Senators, who on several occasions tried to put words in the AG’s mouth. He was having none of it. Sessions made it clear from his opening statement that he was not going to be pushed around so that Democrats could score political points. “The suggestion that I participated in any collusion … is an appalling and detestable lie,” he insisted.

Democrats came at Sessions on a number of points, one big one being his dealings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. He admitted meeting with Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention and once in his Senate office, which he did not disclose during his confirmation hearings. Democrats tried to make more of this, suggesting that he was ducking questions about possible inappropriate interactions with Russian officials.

Sessions vigorously defended himself against the allegations, as well as suggestions in the media about meetings he may have had with Russian officials in 2016. “If any brief interaction occurred … I do not remember it,” Sessions said, adding that if there was a conversation with the Russian ambassador, it was “certainly nothing improper.”

Sessions recused himself from the investigation into Russian election tampering several weeks ago. He noted during his testimony, “I recused myself from any investigation into the campaign for president, but I did not recuse myself from defending my honor against scurrilous and false accusations.”

Sessions did not fall into the trap laid by questions about his private conversations with Trump regarding the investigation and the firing of FBI Director James Comey. He noted that those conversations were private and he was not comfortable going into detail. Sessions is absolutely right25 to avoid answering these questions, though Democrats clearly meant to get him on the record refusing to answer questions.

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The Patriot Post Digest 6-14-2017
From The Federalist Patriot
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Sessions also refuted former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony26 last week suggesting that Trump pressured Comey to drop the investigation of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. He noted that Comey could have approached him or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is now overseeing the Russian investigation in the wake of Sessions rescuing himself. Comey did not do so.

Sessions told the Intelligence Committee that he agreed that the FBI and the Justice Department needed to follow department policies regarding its contacts with the White House in such sensitive matters.

Democrats also tried to play a rather absurd game of what-if by speculating what role Sessions would have in an alleged attempt to fire Robert Mueller27, the special counsel who will be considering any possible improprieties by the White House regarding the Russian hacking investigation.

Sessions reminded the Committee that Rosenstein would be the person with the power to make such a call. Rosenstein was forced to ponder the same question Tuesday in a separate appearance before the Senate Appropriations Committee. He responded that he would only comply with an order to fire the special counsel if it was “lawful and appropriate.”

Why speculate about such a matter? There has been no proof or even suggestion by the White House that Mueller could be fired. Indeed, he has barely begun his work. It’s simple: Democrats are eager to raise the specter of Watergate and the 1973 “Saturday Night Massacre,” when President Richard Nixon fired the attorney general and deputy attorney general when they refused to fire Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox.

It was a particularly tasteless and embarrassing line of questioning for both Sessions and Rosenstein to endure. Such speculation serves no purpose other than to stir up the Democrat donor base and keep the MSM churning out headlines equating Trump to Nixon, even though the only real connection between the two exists in the minds of the anti-Trump crowd28.

It’s easy to see why Democrats were so aggressive with Sessions. Comey’s testimony, much to leftist dismay, did not provide a smoking gun or a gotcha moment to nail Trump. In fact, Comey inadvertently reminded us of former Attorney General Loretta’s Lynch’s attempts to squelch the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s destruction of evidence and her own possible collusion with Russia and several other nations via the now-defunct Clinton Foundation.

Democrats, who once called for Comey’s head on a pike29, had hoped he would be their poster boy for yanking Trump out of the White House. Their MSM friends did their best to spin the former FBI Director’s testimony into proof that Trump was playing fast and loose with the law. But they were only able to sell that lemon to those already committed to Trump’s destruction.

The problem with the Sessions testimony on Tuesday was that while he gave an honest and vigorous defense and laid out a logical argument, he may have only served to fuel the fires of the anti-Trump crowd. In a way, the heated exchanges between Sessions and Democrats may have played right into their hands. They’ll push the idea in the media that the only reason Sessions got so testy is because he has something to hide. This will only prompt more questions and more calls for testimony and documents and anything at all that will give the public appearance that there is a crime somewhere. The whole point is to impede the Trump administration’s ability to govern.

And all the while special prosecutor Robert Mueller is waiting in the wings. The faux drama continues.

We Need Your Help

“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.” —Thomas Paine

Our 2017 Independence Day Campaign30 is underway. The Patriot Post is not sustained by any political, special interest or parent organization. Nor do we accept any online or email advertising. Our operations and mission are funded solely by the generosity of American Patriots like you! Please help us meet our summer funding goal by making a donation30 today. Thank you! —Nate Jackson, Managing Editor

MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST

U.S. Army Birthday and Flag Day8 Celebrating Liberty in more than one way — honor the flag and wish the Army a happy 242nd!
Progressive College Snowflakes Go Full-Blown Fascist31 — America’s campuses are festering cauldrons of victimhood, mental instability, progressive indoctrination and fascist violence.
Since When Did the Assassination of a President Become Tolerance?6 — New York’s Public Theater is currently producing a well-known Shakespeare play, “Julius Caesar” — and killing “Trump.”
Selective Constitutional Outrage32 — Democrats sue Trump over a phony violation of the Emoluments Clause. Funny, they ignored Obama’s similar actions.
Are Police Less Respectful to Blacks?33 — There’s a big problem in the study, though — researchers only collected and analyzed half the necessary data.

BEST OF RIGHT OPINION

Ben Shapiro: Trump Didn’t Ruin the Media. Obama Did.34
Star Parker: Draining the Dodd-Frank Swamp35
John Stossel: Fly Better36
Ed Feulner: The Bureaucrat Behind the Curtain37

For more, visit Right Opinion38.

OPINION IN BRIEF

Ben Shapiro: “Trump didn’t do anything aside from failing to comply with media’s standards of behavior. He didn’t pander to them or treat them with respect. And the media melted down. They treated Trump horribly, of course — but they’d already treated Bush and Romney just as badly. More importantly, the media lost their ability to pretend having standards of honesty and decency after selling their souls to the Obama White House. It was difficult to take their cries of incipient tyranny seriously after they bent over backward to flatter a White House that cracked down on reporters from Fox News and the Associated Press. Why does any of this matter? It matters because conservatives would be wise to understand that Trump didn’t destroy the media; he inherited the shell of a media ready to crumble. He tapped the shell, and it fell apart. But that’s not enough. Trump now has a golden opportunity to promulgate an alternative narrative in place of the one pushed by the discredited leftist media — if he can demonstrate credibility himself.”

SHORT CUTS

Insight: “The sooner we all learn to make a decision between disapproval and censorship, the better off society will be… Censorship cannot get at the real evil, and it is an evil in itself.” —Granville Hicks (1901-1982)

A good guy with a gun: “The only reason — the only reason — why any of us walked out of this thing: By the grace of God, one of the folks here had a weapon to fire back and give us a moment to find cover.” —Rep. Mike Bishop on this morning’s shooting targeting Republicans

Alpha Jackass: “That’s not to say that every American who voted for Donald Trump is a racist. We do know that every racist in America voted for Donald Trump. That’s a problem.” —Rep. Hakeem Jeffries

Upright: “Attorney General Sessions has handled himself with honesty and professionalism. His decision to appear in an open session demonstrates his integrity and dedication to transparency. With no evidence of collusion, wrongdoing, or obstruction of justice by President Trump or the White House, how much longer is this going to go on?” —RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel

For the record: “Allegations of obstruction [have] become a Democratic fetish now that the Obama administration is no longer in power and matters such as ‘Fast and Furious’ and the IRS abuse of conservative groups are no longer the focus of congressional hearings.” —Andrew McCarthy

Hypocrite in chief: “As our top law enforcement officer, the AG must be truthful and uphold the law. Sessions cannot continue to serve. He should resign.” —Elizabeth “Fauxcahontas” Warren

And last… “Sessions’ few meetings with the Russian ambassador proves guilt, but the IRS chief visiting the Obama White House 150+ times means nothing.” —Twitter satirist @hale_razor

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.