The Patriot Post Digest 3-23-2018

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The Patriot Post Digest 3-23-2018
From The Federalist Patriot
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The Patriot Post® · Mid-Day Digest
Mar. 23, 2018 · https://patriotpost.us/digests/54944-mid-day-digest

IN TODAY’S EDITION

Trump’s affairs are cheap Leftmedia fodder, but they’re also consequential.
The next frontier in the assault on Second Amendment rights.
Six months late, Congress passes spendthrift $1.3T omnibus.
Trump taps Bolton and diGenova — the mustachioed duo.
Democrats are really getting tired of Hillary Clinton.
Climate-cost research lacks a critical variable — human adaptation.
Plus our Daily Features: Top Headlines, Memes, Cartoons, Columnists and Short Cuts.

THE FOUNDATION

“A good moral character is the first essential in a man, and that the habits contracted at your age are generally indelible, and your conduct here may stamp your character through life. It is therefore highly important that you should endeavor not only to be learned but virtuous.” —George Washington (1790)

IN BRIEF

Leftmedia Churn and the Cost of Trump’s Affairs1

By Nate Jackson

President Donald Trump is a man of low moral character. We know, “this just in.” Having led a very public life, nearly every American knows that Trump cheated on his first wife with his second and that he has generally been a philandering playboy. So in that sense it gets little more than a shrug when we hear that he had other affairs while married a third time. That was true of Stormy Daniels2, and it’s true of Karen McDougal, who told CNN3 Thursday of her consensual 10-month affair with Trump from 2006 to 2007, before he was president. If you want those details, CNN will be running them hourly for weeks. Or stay tuned this weekend for the CBS “60 Minutes” exposé on Daniels. We’re interested in bigger fish.

The Leftmedia’s 24/7 churn with these women and their stories is, first and foremost, a #MeToo-era effort to undermine Trump’s successful policy agenda4 and to anger female voters5 ahead of the 2018 and 2020 elections. It might work. And we all know how vigorously leftist feminists worked to oust Bill Clinton for his despicable treatment of women6. Oh, that’s right, they stood by their man.

On that note, let’s get one thing straight. There’s a huge difference between consensual affairs between peers and an affair with a young subordinate or flat-out rape. None of it is acceptable in any sense, but Clinton’s behavior was clearly far worse.

But Trump is president now, not Clinton. It’s 2018, not 1998. So conservatives and Christians must deal honestly and forthrightly with the fact that a dishonest and immoral man is our party’s standard-bearer.

In 2016, a record 14 million people voted for Trump in the GOP primaries, apparently deciding that character didn’t matter nearly as much as whatever their issue(s) happened to be. More than 16 million people — also a record — voted against Trump in those same primaries. Their votes, however, were divided among 16 other candidates, thus leaving Trump victorious. In the 2016 general election, just shy of 63 million Americans accounting for a winning 304 electoral votes chose Trump because they concluded he was preferable to the only alternative, Hillary Clinton7. Trump won despite his own gross character flaws — because of support for his agenda and opposition to Clinton’s. For millions of conservatives, his impact on the judiciary alone was worth the vote, and his defense of religious liberty was desperately needed.

Still, what many of Trump’s voters failed to realize, and what some Trump defenders are still refusing to acknowledge, is that a man’s private morality does affect his ability to govern. At a bare minimum, the bad press is a distraction; at worst, it reveals a deep untrustworthiness that plays out in policy and personnel decisions. Moreover, all the hush money and other legal wrangling over flings with porn stars could seriously jeopardize the president.

With Trump, chaos is part of his agenda, so perhaps this all serves his purposes somehow. But what does that say of our great nation, or the office whose precedent was set by a man of great character, George Washington8? Unless he loses in 2020, the problem with Trump’s character flaws and boorish style may not ultimately exact a toll on him. The price will, however, certainly be paid by the GOP and the nation9 in the years to come.

Citibank Joins Leftist Anti-Gun Brigade10

Citibank joined the leftist anti-Second Amendment virtue-signaling crowd by announcing Thursday its new business policy. The company’s website declared11, “Our new policy centers around [sic] current firearms sales best practices that will guide those we do business with as a firm.” Citibank will now require any company using its services to “restrict the sale of firearms for individuals under 21 years of age” and to not sell “bump stocks or high-capacity magazines.” There was no clarification by Citibank as to what constitutes a “high-capacity magazine.” Citibank further explained, “This policy will apply across the firm, including to small business, commercial, and institutional clients, as well as credit card partners, whether co-brand or private label.” However, Citibank noted that its new policy “doesn’t impact the ability of consumers to use their Citi cards at merchants of their choice.”

Trying to claim that the new policy decision was not designed to combat Americans’ Second Amendment rights, the company stated, “Today, our CEO announced Citi is instituting a new U.S. Commercial Firearms Policy. It is not centered on an ideological mission to rid the world of firearms. That is not what we seek.” Yeah, right. In fact, Citibank will actively seek to pressure other companies to follow its lead, saying that it hopes “to leverage collective action to encourage responsible practices by all who sell firearms” to not sell guns to those under the age of 21, in order to “keep guns out of the hands of those who wish to do harm.” So all those under the age of 21 are aiming to do harm?

No, this ploy by Citibank is the next frontier in the assault on Americans’ Second Amendment rights — all under the guise of “protecting Americans” from “gun violence.”

Finally, a couple of footnotes. First, recall that if it wasn’t for the $180 billion bailout from taxpayers in 2008, Citibank may not be in existence today. Second, come to think of it, maybe everyone under the age of 21 should be banned from owning a credit card. It would save many young Americans from loads of unnecessary and irresponsible debt.

Top Headlines12

Congress gives itself a bonus in omnibus (The Washington Free Beacon13)

Bolton replacing McMaster as Trump national security adviser (Associated Press14)

President Trump orders $50 billion in tariffs on China (NPR15)

China responds to Trump tariffs with proposed list of 128 US products to target (CNBC16)

Paris Climate Accord for the win: Global carbon emissions have hit a record high (New York Post17)

States take on welfare reform — with nod from Trump (Fox News18.)

State and local income, sales and property taxes all hit records in 2017 (CNS News19)

Six reasons why the AR-15 is actually ideal for self-defense (Bearing Arms20)

How the Las Vegas murderer planned a massacre, in seven days of video (The New York Times21)

Humor: Facebook algorithm mortified it has to deliver up so much embarrassing news about own company (The Onion22)

Policy: Trillion-dollar spending bill exemplifies dysfunctional Congress (E2123)

Policy: Restoring free inquiry on campus (National Affairs24)

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

FEATURED ANALYSIS
Six Months Late, Congress Passes Spendthrift Omnibus26

By Michael Swartz

Working to avoid the prospect of a third government shutdown this fiscal year, the House on Thursday passed a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill by a 256-167 vote27. The Senate followed suit late Thursday night, 65-32. And yes, this bill covers only the remaining half of this fiscal year.

“For perspective,” notes28 Investor’s Business Daily, “until 1991, the entire budget of the federal government for the whole year was less than $1.3 trillion.”

While a majority of both Republicans and Democrats favored the bill, there was significant opposition from both parties for two vastly different reasons — in particular, progressive Democrats were rankled by the failure to address so-called “Dreamers” in this omnibus, while the GOP’s Freedom Caucus rightly complained about spending too much. Yet the centrists and the establishment prevailed, as their alacrity was further aided by the desire of some members to beat it out of town for junkets29 or to attend the Friday funeral of the late Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY).

If haste makes waste, though, there’s a lot of both in this 2,232-page behemoth30 — a measure Fox News host Laura Ingraham described31 as a “business-as-usual spend-o-rama.”

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The Patriot Post Digest 3-23-2018
From The Federalist Patriot
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Proponents, however, are quick to point out that the omnibus will continue increasing the defense budget and provide $4 billion in funding to combat the opioid crisis32. And (as we place our tongues firmly in our cheeks) there’s more good news: It took President Donald Trump twice as long to rack up his first trillion in deficit spending33 as it did his predecessor. That’s awfully weak sauce, though, as there’s much more in this massive well of red ink that promises a trillion-dollar annual shortfall not to like.

Then again, he tweeted Friday morning, “I am considering a VETO of the Omnibus Spending Bill based on the fact that the 800,000 plus DACA recipients have been totally abandoned by the Democrats (not even mentioned in Bill) and the BORDER WALL, which is desperately needed for our National Defense, is not fully funded.”

A number of items that majority Republicans have been running on and promising to do for years have been effectively crushed, along with any heretofore surviving GOP fiscal hawks, under the wheels of the omnibus. For example, the long-sought border wall for which President Trump sought $25 billion will get a paltry $1.6 billion — and only a portion of that will construct a physical fenced barrier. In fact, the government will spend only $100 million more on border fencing than it will for a railway tunnel34 that connects New York and New Jersey. And to think we’ve been told Mr. Trump is a tough negotiator.

Moreover, we can look forward to a fully funded Planned Parenthood ($500 million a year) that receives only about $150 million fewer of our tax dollars than the border wall, er, fence. Your government at work.

Even in the rare cases when the administration wants to spend less, Congress is only too happy to give them more. For example, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos had been thoughtfully pruning programs she thought unworthy of continued funding, but these provisions were funded anyway35. DeVos simply hasn’t learned her lesson, said one senator. “After more than a year on the job, I would have hoped Secretary DeVos would have learned by now that her extreme ideas to privatize our nation’s public schools and dismantle the Department of Education do not have support among parents or in Congress,” lectured Democrat Sen. Patty Murray, “but unfortunately that does not seem to be the case.” (These ideas certainly have support in our humble shop, though. Perhaps Murray would enlighten us as to the article and section of our Constitution that enumerates the federal government’s power over education?)

But Murray wasn’t finished needling DeVos and other proponents of fiscal sanity. “I’m proud to have worked with Republicans in Congress to flatly reject these ideas,” she added, “and increase funding for programs Secretary DeVos tried to cut.”

Those who take seriously the concepts of limited government and fiscal responsibility were hoping against hope that a principled senator or two — perhaps Rand Paul (R-KY) or Mike Lee (R-UT) — might throw a wrench into the gears once again. They did try. But such a bold and courageous move might leave us at risk of another government shutdown, a prospect most other Republicans dread like Dracula fears sunlight.

Thus, our nation’s near-term financial fate, and its long-term solvency, inch ever closer to the abyss36.

National Review’s editors may have said it best37: “What might turn out to be the signature achievement of unified Republican government this year is the sort of legislation that would have been right at home in the Obama administration.”

Since we’ve tried pleading, cajoling and tossing out spendthrifts at the ballot box only to find the Swamp refilling itself a few months later, perhaps this radical idea38 makes sense: “I’d like to suggest in the strongest terms possible that you pray for those in government at all levels,” writes Heidi Munson at The Resurgent. Indeed, nothing else has worked, and this deal only covers the six months until the next government fiscal year begins. At which time this circus starts anew.

MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST

Democrats Tire of Hillary Clinton7 — After 26 years of favoritism, Hillary has finally become an afterthought. The only person who doesn’t know it is Hillary.
Trump Taps Bolton and diGenova as Replacements41 — The administration’s shuffling continues with the president’s national security advisor and lead lawyer resigning.
Study: Climate-Cost Research Lacks Critical Variable42 — Scientists rely too heavily on conjecture and “neglect human adaptations to a changing climate.”
Video: Fighting Words — Resistance Gets Ready to Rumble43 — A lot of prominent members of The Resistance are offering up physical threats toward the president.

BEST OF RIGHT OPINION

Tony Perkins: Navy: No Destroyer of the Chaplaincy44
Marc A. Thiessen: Why Conservative Christians Are Sticking With Trump45
David Harsanyi: The Facebook-Cambridge Analytica ‘Scandal’ Is a Nothingburger46
Jonah Goldberg: Iggy the Crusader Victimized by a Misguided Crusade47
Gary Bauer: Left-Wing Hypocrisy48
For more of today’s columns, visit Right Opinion49.

OPINION IN BRIEF

Tony Perkins: “If Jason Heap is one thing, it’s persistent. The DC-based humanist had already lost his bid to join the Navy chaplaincy under the Obama administration. He had to know that his application was an even longer shot under President Trump. Still, Heap filed again, hoping Navy officials would be more lax the second time around. Thanks two of the Hill’s conservatives, they weren’t. … This week … Heap’s request was denied. … If the military wants to create specific programs for atheists or humanists, it can. There’s no need to hijack the Chaplain Corps to serve them — unless, as I suspect, the real goal had nothing to do with service to begin with. Either way, we salute the Navy for protecting the integrity of the chaplaincy, ‘For God and Country.’”

SHORT CUTS

For the record: “Barack Obama mastered the art50 of Facebook data collection and ad targeting. The Left only decided it was bad because Donald Trump did it and won. The media also has a major ax to grind against Facebook because many of them relied on Facebook to grow their traffic. With Facebook’s algorithm change, traffic is down at most major media websites. They blame Facebook and are using this story to score points against the company.” —Erick Erickson

Let’s hope not: “It really was the students that began the end of the Vietnam War. It was the students who made all the news, and that noise started, and then the movement wouldn’t stop. I think, maybe, this noise that those students in Florida are making … will do something of the same nature.” —Bill Murray

He’s not wrong: “It’s a funny thing. We’re able to accomplish more in the minority than we were when we had the presidency or even were in the majority.” —Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer gloating about the $1.3 trillion spending bill26

Revisionist history: “Some Trump defenders noted that President Barack Obama also called Mr. Putin when he was elected president in 2012. But the circumstances are very different. In the intervening years, Mr. Putin has become an increasingly authoritarian leader who has crushed most of his political opposition and engineered a deeply lopsided re-election this week.” —New York Times editorial (Mr. Putin has not become “increasingly authoritarian”; it’s just that people are finally paying attention.)

Belly laugh of the week, considering the source: “[Fox News] is really state-run TV. It is a pure propaganda machine and I think does incredible disservice to this country.” —CNN President Jeff Zucker

And last… “What’s the point of voting for Republicans if they’re going to waste our hard-earned money just as much as the Democrats do? Washington is a cesspool.” —Allie Stuckey

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