The Patriot Post Digest 1-26-2018

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The Patriot Post Digest 1-26-2018
From The Federalist Patriot
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The Patriot Post® · Mid-Day Digest
Jan. 26, 2018 · https://patriotpost.us/digests/53737-mid-day-digest

IN TODAY’S EDITION

Democrats aim to defeat peace and prosperity, keep berating tax cut bonuses.
This just in: Trump did not fire Robert Mueller six months ago.
Trump’s latest immigration proposal has something for everyone to hate.
Christianity in America is doing better than you may realize.
The Heritage Foundation has played a key role in Trump’s policies.
Democrats have a Tom Steyer problem. And they like it.
Plus our Daily Features: Top Headlines, Memes, Cartoons, Columnists and Short Cuts.

THE FOUNDATION

“Besides, to lay and collect internal taxes in this extensive country must require a great number of congressional ordinances, immediately operation upon the body of the people; these must continually interfere with the state laws and thereby produce disorder and general dissatisfaction till the one system of laws or the other, operating upon the same subjects, shall be abolished.” —Federal Farmer (1787)

IN BRIEF

Top Democrats: $1,000 Bonuses Are Chump Change1

By Nate Jackson

The Democrat slogan for 2018 truly is “Defeat peace and prosperity!” As our Louis DeBroux noted Wednesday2, “Democrat politicians and Leftmedia talkingheads repeatedly make utter fools of themselves” with their incessant and stubborn dismissal of the gains American workers are seeing because of tax reform. Apple, Walmart, Target, Disney, Starbucks, Verizon, AT&T, Home Depot and Fiat Chrysler are just a few of the 250 (and counting) companies3 that have increased wages and/or given bonuses to employees. Remember, the lower tax rates that made this possible were passed by Republicans without a single Democrat vote. Now, in a desperate attempt at election spin4, the Jackass Party is intent on living up to its mascot.

According to former DNC chief and current Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, these bonuses are chump change. “Frankly, if you look at the bonuses, which I haven’t heard of a corporate bonus more than $1,000 so far — which by the way is taxed, so it’s not $1,000,” Schultz said. “And then you spread $1,000 over the course of a year — to think of about how much that is — of course they get it all at once. But I’m not sure that $1,000 — which is taxed, taxable — goes very far for almost anyone.”

Well then.

Schultz is only taking cues from Nancy Pelosi, who warned of “Armageddon5” before tax reform was passed and dismissed it as “pathetic” “crumbs” afterward. Pelosi too doubled down, saying Thursday that workers are getting a “crumb” while corporate shareholders enjoy a “bonanza.” She explained, “Whatever they’re doing, it’s nice, it’s cute, [but] it’s not commensurate with what advantage they have in the tax bill, and it’s not fair to the American worker.” In fact, she insisted, “This tax cut for corporate America is theft.”

In other words, workers won’t benefit all that much but corporate “fat cats” will. A couple of things. Yes, Ms. Schultz, bonuses are taxable, but at the new, lower (Republican) rate. And “fat cats” like Schultz and Pelosi may not notice $1,000, but the rest of us workers will. Indeed, the pair and their party sang a far different tune6 when they temporarily cut the payroll tax by … $1,000 a year on average. Furthermore, tax cuts are not, as Democrats imply, a zero-sum game, nor is it in any way “theft7” to let people and businesses keep more of their money. And Schultz may not be aware, but some bonuses are $2,000 or $2,500. You know, “crumbs.”

By all means, though, Democrats should keep opposing peace and prosperity.

News Alert: Trump Did NOT Fire Mueller8

By Thomas Gallatin

The New York Times ran a supposed “blockbuster” story9 Thursday evening claiming that in June of last year — yes, that would be seven months ago — President Donald Trump sought to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller. According to the Times, Trump directed White House lawyer Don McGahn to dismiss Mueller over questions regarding his impartiality stemming from several potential conflicts of interest10. McGahn, however, disagreed and refused to follow Trump’s order, saying it would only make the Trump/Russia collusion narrative look worse. He instead, offered his own resignation. Trump then reportedly chose to back off.

The president, who is currently in Davos plugging11 his America First agenda, responded to the Times’ story saying it was “fake news, folks, fake news.”

So why is this story being breathlessly reported by much of the mainstream media as a “bombshell” revelation? First, let’s look at the facts. Mueller was not fired and has not been impeded in any way as he has gone about his investigation. The White House has not sought to prevent any administration officials or staff from being interviewed, as at least 20 have been questioned thus far. Trump himself has been consistent in saying that he is eager and willing to be interviewed by Mueller. And just last month when he was questioned about Mueller, Trump responded, “I think he’s going to be fair.”

Second, legally speaking, there appears to be little to no evidence of Trump having engaged in any actual obstruction of justice, much less any underlying crime of “collusion.” Questioning both publicly and privately the motivation behind the creation of the special counsel does not constitute any breach of law. In fact, with the hostile MSM and Democrats continuously running the dubious and thus far factually vacuous narrative of a Trump/Russia collusion conspiracy, one would think it strange if the president didn’t question the motivation of a special counsel. It does look to be more political witch hunt than criminal investigation.

Finally, this is really all about the Leftmedia working to create the public perception of Trump being guilty of obstruction, all aimed at propping up Democrats for the 2018 midterm election. On top of that, it boosts their sales and ad revenue. For the Leftmedia it’s a win-win — meanwhile, the American public is being fed more biased gossip disguised as legitimate journalism.

Top Headlines12

Fourth-quarter GDP growth of 2.6% falls short of Wall Street’s target, but that measurement was before tax reform (MarketWatch13)

Trump says America is open for business in Davos speech (Bloomberg14)

The House GOP’s outlook is better than you think (National Review15)

Trump proposes U.S. citizenship plan for 1.8 million illegal aliens (Agence France Press16)

Newly recovered FBI texts raise further questions about Clinton investigation (The Washington Times17)

Trump slams report claiming he sought to fire Mueller, blames “fake news” (New York Post18.)

Billionaire political activist Steyer had tax liens (The Washington Free Beacon19)

NFL looking for redemption and will include salute to Medal of Honor recipients at Super Bowl (Fox News20)

Media push gun-control activists’ misleading school shooting count, includes window broken by BB gun (The Washington Free Beacon21)

Humor: Russian Orthodox Church accused of interfering with doctrine of election (The Babylon Bee22)

Policy: Tariffs don’t help industry or consumers (E2123)

Policy: Hawaii’s false missile alarm exposed critical weaknesses (The Daily Signal24)

For more of today’s news, visit Patriot Headline Report25.

FEATURED ANALYSIS
Something For Everyone to Hate in Trump’s Immigration Proposal26

By Michael Swartz

If you’ve been paying attention to our coverage of the so-called “Dreamers,” you’ll recognize right away the following quote: “We have to send a clear message — just because your child gets across the border, that doesn’t mean your child gets to stay. We don’t want to send a message that is contrary to our laws.” At the time, Hillary Clinton was ramping up her campaign for president and this was her immigration “sell” to independent voters. Not that she really meant it. As our Mark Alexander explained27 earlier this week (after sharing this and other pro-enforcement quips from the Clintons), “Democrats are hell-bent on opening that Latino pipeline to their most promising future constituency.”

Just who are these euphemistically named future Democrats? They include all illegals who claim to have come to the U.S. before the age of 16, have lived here since June 2007, and were not older than 30 in 2012 when Barack Obama’s administration illegally granted them de facto amnesty.

In any case, they may well get some help from the unlikeliest of sources: Donald Trump. The president laid some of the groundwork Thursday for a grand bargain on immigration reform that features a way for 1.8 million illegals — more than twice the number of “Dreamers” because it includes those who were eligible but didn’t apply for DACA — to “morph into” citizenship28 over a period of 10 to 12 years. In return, Trump expects29 an (eventual) end to chain migration and the visa lottery, as well as $25 billion to build a border wall and another $5 billion for “other border security programs.”

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The Patriot Post Digest 1-26-2018
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
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“Tell them not to worry about it, we’re going to solve the [DACA] problem,” the president assured. “Now, it’s up to the Democrats, but [Dreamers] should not be concerned.” He also hinted at extending the March 5 enforcement deadline for a deal if progress is made.

Details are still being fleshed out, but there’s clearly something for everyone — and something for everyone to hate. Some leftists are, predictably, calling the proposal “racist.” And the real trouble is Democrats don’t actually want an immigration deal, preferring to keep it as a contentious election issue.

On the Right, there are doubters too. “I do not believe we should be granting a path to citizenship to anybody here illegally,” said Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Immigration policy guru Mark Krikorian calls Trump’s proposal30 “preemptive surrender.” Breitbart News labeled the president “Amnesty Don.” Indeed, those in Trump’s electoral base may be the most difficult Doubting Thomases to convince, and the legitimate question is whether this will dispirit those voters31 come election time.

Why? Well, the devil’s in the details. According to Richard Viguerie’s Conservative HQ, “While the White House proposal technically ends chain migration and the lottery, it uses ALL those visas to bring in the 4 million people on the visa waiting list. That means current immigration levels will continue for the next 10-15 years or more AND amnesty will be granted to a minimum of 1.8 million illegals. These are permanent changes to America’s electorate. If this passes the Trump proposal will make Republicans a permanent minority party and limited government constitutional conservatism a soon-to-be extinct philosophy of government.”

Other than that…

As National Review’s Rich Lowry added32, “It would be a travesty if after defeating the rest of the GOP field in part on the strength of immigration, [Trump] signed on to the worst amnesty deal since 1986.” Lowry was referring to the Durbin-Graham immigration bill that would allow the parents of these illegals the same deal as their progeny (bringing amnesty to possibly five million illegal aliens), but there are plenty of land mines even in a deal such as Trump is proposing. While he’s known for the art of the deal, Trump may not have as strong a bargaining position as his recent victory in the Schumer Shutdown33 would lead him to believe.

Consider, for example, that a lengthy border fence34 was already mandated by the Secure Fence Act — a bill passed by Congress and signed by President George W. Bush in 2006. Obviously this was never made into a budgetary priority, and when one considers the amount of time needed to design and build a border barrier — given the inevitable legal battles and roadblocks Democrats and their allies will throw at it in a stalling tactic until they can cancel it through their control of Congress, the White House or both — $25 billion may not get the job done.

On the other hand, that 10- to 12-year process for citizenship? In reality, Trump only has, at best, six years to complete his mission — assuming, of course, he maintains a favorable Congress and wins re-election. Depending on this November’s midterm elections, his timeframe could be less than a year. And no wall is built that quickly.

The truth is that any move toward giving citizenship to those who entered the country illegally or those who came legally with a visa and chose to overstay it is a slap in the face to the millions of immigrants who took the time and money to go about the process of becoming Americans in the right way. Yes, Dreamers may be the most sympathetic poster children for compassion, but they aren’t exempt from the Rule of Law. Republicans should put the dreams of American citizens first.

MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST

Christianity Is Alive and Well in America37 — Yet we’ve heard over and over again that the fall of Christianity in America is just a matter of time.
Vetting Obama a Decade Too Late38 — A hidden picture of Obama meeting Nation of Islam’s Louis Farrakhan in 2005 comes to light.
Trump’s Conservative Policy Achievements by the Numbers39 — Believe it or not, Trump is beating Reagan when it comes to enacting The Heritage Foundation’s policy ideas.
Democrats Have a Tom Steyer Problem40 — His anti-Trump impeachment campaign, while popular with the base, only pushes the party farther to the extremes.

BEST OF RIGHT OPINION

Rich Lowry: Durbin-Graham Is the Problem, Not the Solution41
Hans von Spakovsky: UVA Betrays the Legacy of Its Founder, Thomas Jefferson42
David Limbaugh: Hollywood’s Secular Clerics43
Marvin J. Folkertsma: Carol Burnett and the Ferguson Effect44
Rebecca Hagelin: Working to End Black Genocide45
For more of today’s columns, visit Right Opinion46.

OPINION IN BRIEF

Rich Lowry: “The basic, problematic physics of immigration deal-making remains unchanged: Illegal immigrants receive some sort of legal status immediately, while any new enforcement, whether a wall or other systems (say, E-Verify for employers), inevitably phases in over time. Immigration hawks are rightfully mindful of this disparity given the long history of broken promises on enforcement. The worry is especially stark with Trump’s wall. It would be a massive government infrastructure project, with all the potential for delays and cost overruns that implies. This is why the shrewd play for the Democrats is to complain and resist, and then at the end make a theatrical concession on the wall. Schumer did exactly this prior to the government shutdown. For Trump’s part, the opposite is true. He’d be smart to insist on his wall above all else, and then at the end, reluctantly accept other priorities. The wall won’t be a game-changer at the border, where security has already become more robust; in fact, absent more resources for immigration authorities and tightened rules around asylum and the influx of migrants arriving from Central America, it might not make much difference. That’s why Trump should focus on getting those changes, as well as an end of the visa lottery and a curtailment of chain migration. These would represent the first real tightening of legal immigration in decades.”

SHORT CUTS

Insight: “Many of those who attack capitalism know very well that their situation under any other economic system will be less favorable. Nevertheless, with full knowledge of this fact, they advocate a reform, e.g., socialism, because they hope that the rich, whom they envy, will also suffer under it.” —Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973)

Non Compos Mentis: “I have not seen the [FISA] memo, but I think it is sloppy, careless, and again, I think has no grounding in fact.” —Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA)

Says the man who funds the real dangers to the world: “I consider the Trump administration a danger to the world. But I regard it as a purely temporary phenomenon that will disappear in 2020, or even sooner.” —George Soros

Braying Jackass: “The NRA has us by the balls, so if we lose hundreds of innocent people to mass shootings every year, thats [sic] on them. Don’t go to school if you don’t want to get shot.” —Chelsea Handler, who, if we may say, does not have that particular anatomical feature

Alpha Jackass: “The president had been spending a notable amount of private time with Haley on Air Force One and was seen to be grooming her for a national political future.” —Michael Wolff in Fire and Fury (According to the Washington Examiner, “Wolff … recently told HBO’s host Bill Maher he was ‘absolutely sure’ Trump is having an affair and hinted to a part of the book where readers would know he was referencing the woman.”)

Warning signs: “I’ve said this point blank: If people like me can’t win from red states, you’ll be in the minority the rest of your life.” —Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV)

And last… “You know a Republican is in the White House when Apple announces a commitment to the economy of $350B and 20,000 new jobs, North and South Korea are talking, the Dow closes above 26,000 for the first time … and the news media is focused like a laser on the president’s weight.” —Twitter satirist @hale_razor

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. We also humbly ask prayer for your Patriot team, that our mission would seed and encourage the spirit of Liberty in the hearts and minds of our countrymen.

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis

Nate Jackson, Managing Editor
Mark Alexander, Publisher