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« on: January 28, 2018, 01:17:49 PM » |
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The Patriot Post Digest 1-19-2018
From The Federalist Patriot
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The Patriot Post® · Mid-Day Digest
Jan. 19, 2018 · https://patriotpost.us/digests/53574-mid-day-digest
IN TODAY’S EDITION
Democrats want a government shutdown so they can blame Republicans.
The difference between a literal wall and what Trump promises.
That alleged Stormy Daniels affair requires some critical thought.
Common Core is dead, says Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
Another round in the police shooting stats game.
Robert E. Lee was a man of honor.
Plus our Daily Features: Top Headlines, Memes, Cartoons, Columnists and Short Cuts.
THE FOUNDATION
“Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it.” —John Adams (1776)
IN BRIEF
Democrats Seek a Government Shutdown1
A government shutdown is looming if Congress doesn’t get a budget deal passed and Republicans know that although they have been willing to negotiate in good faith, it is they, not the Democrats, who will be blamed for a shutdown. In this latest Mexican standoff, Democrats are demanding a deal (amnesty) on DACA be included in any budget deal, but the deal must also exclude any funding for the border wall.
Last week, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) sought to sabotage any potential progress toward a budget deal when he ran to reporters after a closed-door meeting to blast Donald Trump for allegedly using crass language. The stunt proved successful, giving the Leftmedia another faux controversy to exploit while continuing to aid Democrats in their anti-Trump resistance. Democrat duplicity and deceit2 knows no bounds.
The Democrats are angling for a government shutdown for purely political reasons, even while claiming to be seeking to keep programs such as the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funded — even after Republicans have been more than willing to reauthorize funding.
As The Wall Street Journal editorial board explains3, “Democrats think a shutdown will improve their chances of retaking the House and Senate in November. Everything they do, every decision they make, is a political calculation with that in mind. Thus supposedly grave moral choices like children’s health care and legal status for immigrants are more important as political battering rams than as policy accomplishments. Dysfunction is desirable because Republicans are nominally in charge and will get the blame.”
Last night, in a 230-197 vote, the House passed a short-term spending bill, which includes a six-year funding extension for CHIP. It does not include what Democrats have been demanding — a long-term deal on DACA. Senate Democrats have pledged to continue their stubborn resistance to any spending deal that doesn’t meet their demands for a DACA deal. They are choosing to hold hostage the needs of military personnel and their families for a few hundred thousand illegal aliens. They’re even willing to sacrifice their demands for funding CHIP. As House Speaker Paul Ryan pointedly stated, “I think it’s unconscionable that Democrats would walk away from CHIP, from funding our military, for something that is not a deadline.”
The Senate has until 11:59 Friday night to work out a spending deal to avoid a government shutdown.
So, if this standoff results in yet another government shutdown, the party to blame will be the Democrats, even as their cohorts in the mainstream media are already seeking to convince Americans otherwise. Talk about fake news.
A Literal Border Wall?4
With President Donald Trump having just trotted out his “awards” for fake news5, the mainstream media was again on the lookout for an opportunity to discredit him with his base. A seeming opportunity arose after a meeting between Trump’s Chief of Staff John Kelly and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. The Washington Post reported6 that Kelly told the CHC that Trump had not been “fully informed” on the logistics of building a literal 2,000 mile border wall, and that the Mexican government would not be paying for the wall. Later Wednesday evening in an interview on Fox News, Kelly seemed to acknowledge the accuracy of the Post’s account, while he repeatedly praised Trump for his “flexibility.”
Thursday morning, Trump responded with a series of tweets in which he re-emphasized his commitment to building the border wall and having Mexico pay for it. Uh oh, is Trump clashing with Kelly? Is Trump changing his stance on immigration and securing the border? While the MSM would love for this to be the case, it’s far from it.
There is no doubt that Kelly has brought much-needed order to the White House, specifically regarding messaging consistency. What Kelly is doing here is clearing up misperceptions rather than suggesting any policy changes. Regarding the wall, Trump has been pretty consistent in saying he is not looking for a literal 2,000 mile7 physical barrier. Trump’s wall is promise of a serious lasting commitment to finally secure America’s southern border, via a physical wall where needed, as well as increased Border Patrol and other measures where geography prohibits an actual wall. Trump has not backed off this campaign commitment, even though the MSM would love to convince his base that he has. As columnist Salena Zito observed during the 2016 campaign, “The press takes him literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally.”
Top Headlines8
Tax bill windfall: As 65 companies award bonuses, networks air just two stories (NewsBusters9)
Jobless claims drop to lowest level in nearly 45 years (Washington Examiner10)
Stock market’s value under Trump has grown by $6.9 trillion to $30.6 trillion (CNBC11)
Republicans call for releasing “shocking” classified memo showing “FISA abuses” in Russian collusion investigation (The Daily Wire12)
House panel releases Glenn Simpson testimony transcript (Fox News13)
57.9% of illegals caught at U.S.-Mexico border in FY17 not Mexican; from 111 other countries (CNS News14)
Senate votes to extend key FISA provision, sending bill to Trump’s desk (CBS News15)
Global warming: Half of U.S. soil covered in snow at the same time (New York Post16)
Six Chinese ships covertly aided North Korea. U.S. was watching. (The Wall Street Journal17)
Humor but true: Comey to teach course on ethical leadership for College of William & Mary (The Washington Post18.)
Policy: Democrats don’t actually want a DACA compromise (The Federalist19)
Policy: Americans need health reform to be a priority issue in 2018 (The Heritage Foundation20)
For more of today’s news, visit Patriot Headline Report21.
FEATURED ANALYSIS
The Bell Is Tolling for Common Core22
By Michael Swartz
For several turbulent years, the Common Core State Standards Initiative, better known simply as Common Core, was the hot new trend in education. As such, it was finally at long last going to make our kids smarter and more academically well-rounded for college and career. Sold as a replacement23 for the George W. Bush-era No Child Left Behind program, Common Core got its big push from Barack Obama’s administration when it dangled federal stimulus money in front of the states during its initial Race to the Top program — but only for including Common Core standards in their efforts. No Common Core, no cash. At its peak, all but five states took the money.
But as our erstwhile colleague Allyne Caan wrote a couple of years back24, “The real takeaway here is that the federal government makes an abysmal schoolteacher and is no better at being principal or superintendent. Perhaps that’s one of many reasons our Constitution does not include education among Congress’ enumerated powers. Instead, education is rightly a state, local and primarily parental responsibility.”
Added Caan: “Let’s face it. The federal government doesn’t know what’s best for your child and clearly doesn’t understand what private employers value.”
So when Betsy DeVos defied the Left and declined to withdraw her name from consideration to be secretary of education last year, there was hope that Common Core, which had been losing its appeal to the states over the last three years and had prompted thousands of parents to opt out25 of the too-frequent testing regimen, would finally be shown the door. And while many states are stubbornly maintaining a version of these guidelines, many others have decided to work outside these parameters to some degree or another. |
