The Patriot Post Digest 11-20-2019

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The Patriot Post Digest 11-20-2019
From The Federalist Patriot
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The Patriot Post® · Mid-Day Digest

Nov. 20, 2019

https://patriotpost.us/digests/66898-mid-day-digest-2019-11-20

THE FOUNDATION

“For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it might cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.” —Patrick Henry (1775)

https://patriotpost.us/fqd/66896-founders-quote-daily-2019-11-20

IN TODAY’S EDITION

Vindman apparently leaked to the whistleblower.1
Fake news alert: Another attempt to blame Trump for Obama’s policies.2
Daily Features: More Analysis3, Columnists4, Headlines5, Opinion in Brief6, Short Cuts7, Memes8, and Cartoons9.

IN BRIEF

‘Schiff Show’ Roundup: Vindman Linked to Whistleblower10

Four witnesses were called to testify Tuesday in the Democrats’ long-running impeachment gambit. Two of the witnesses, U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams, special advisor to Vice President Mike Pence on Europe and Russia, are the first witnesses to actually have any firsthand knowledge of President Donald Trump’s July 25 phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Both Vindman and Williams listened in on the call.

Each witness testified that there was no bribery or quid pro quo present in the phone call, while at the same time both described Trump’s request of Zelensky to investigate the Bidens’ connection to Burisma as “inappropriate.” On the issue of the Democrats’ new semantic choice of the word “bribery,” no evidence was present to substantiate such an allegation.

There was new information that was learned, however. Under Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan’s pointed questioning, it became clear that Vindman is the one who leaked to the whistleblower. As Jordan honed in on the individuals with whom Vindman admitted discussing the president’s phone call, only one individual, an intelligence officer, remained unnamed. In fact, Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) jumped in to interrupt Jordan’s questioning in order to forbid the individual’s name from being mentioned. Schiff’s action only further demonstrated that he has been lying about not knowing the identity of the whistleblower11.

As for Vindman, it became clear that he allowed his own political views to direct his actions rather than follow the well-established chain of command. His testimony prompted a stinging response from Benghazi hero Mark Geist, who stated, “Vindman is a disgrace to all who have served. [In the] transcript of his previous closed door testimony he clearly admits to undermining the POTUS foreign policy and now he has chairman Schiff advising him on how to answer questions.” Navy Seal Robert O'Neill, the one who killed Osama bin Laden, seconded Geist, writing, “I agree. I wish the left wouldn’t use his uniform to make him a saint. He’s an operative with an agenda.”

Mark Alexander wonders whether Vindman “is part of the deep-state cabal” endeavoring to undermine Trump.

Kurt Volker, former special envoy to Ukraine, and Timothy Morrison, deputy assistant to the president and the National Security Council’s senior director for Europe and Russia, were the other two witnesses to testify. Their testimonies only further demonstrated the fact that Democrats continue to lack evidence to support their charge that Trump engaged in an impeachable offense — let alone anything even remotely criminal. Volker, however, did throw shade at Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, asserting, “President Trump had a deeply rooted, negative view of Ukraine rooted in the past. He was receiving other information from other individuals, including Mayor Giuliani, that was more negative, causing him to retain this negative view.” So, again, that’s a policy dispute, not fodder for impeachment.

https://patriotpost.us/articles/66895-schiff-show-roundup-vindman-linked-to-whistleblower

Charlie’s got it figured out. Fortunately, your team of *Patriot Post* editors are here to set the record straight. We work hard to ensure an accurate and penetrating analysis of the week’s news, policy and opinion — all from a constitutional perspective. Reader funding alone has kept our doors open for more than 23 years, allowing us to reach a vast reader audience with the message of Liberty without the limitations of a subscription fee. We humbly request your support for this important mission as we work to meet our daily operating budget requirements into 2020. From each of us here, our sincerest thanks for your support. —Nate Jackson, Managing Editor

Leftmedia Pulls More Fake ‘Kids in Cages’ News12

“A Nov. 18 story headlined ‘U.S. has world’s highest rate of children in detention — U.N. study’ is withdrawn,” Reuters reports. “The United Nations issued a statement on Nov. 19 saying the number was not current but was for the year 2015.” Agence France-Presse and National Public Radio likewise scrubbed stories about this. And the Associated Press explained in its retraction, “The story quoted an independent expert working with the U.N. human rights office saying that over 100,000 children are currently being held. But that figure refers to the total number of U.S. child detentions for the year 2015.”

Other than that, the story was accurate!

These stories initially made it past the vaunted fact-checkers solely because they were meant to vilify the Trump administration over immigration detentions. They fit the leftist narrative of Trump’s “xenophobic and racist” immigration policies. Of course, that was untenable because the data was collected during the Obama administration.

In fact, there are roughly 6,500 minors detained in the U.S. at the moment, and over the past year, the Trump administration has detained less than 70,000 kids at any point or duration. Again, 100,000 was the cumulative total for all of 2015. Hope ‘n’ Change and all that.

Moreover, says the Washington Examiner’s Becket Adams, “That ‘100,000’ figure should have never made it past the editing process, let alone launch a handful of headlines declaring the U.S. the leader in detained children. That figure requires not just shoddy math but also a total suspension of disbelief regarding what goes on in the darker, more tyrannical corners of the world. To say the U.S. is a world leader in detained minors would mean that America is being measured against all countries, including China, Russia, and North Korea. If you believe U.N. investigators have reliable figures from any of those countries, then, oh boy, have I got a bridge to sell you.” China is currently detaining as many as two million Uighurs. Think maybe some of them are children?

We’ve seen this movie before. Back in the summer 2018, when outrage over the Trump administration’s detention polices was at its peak, the media hyped pictures of kids in cages13 that were actually taken during Obama’s regime, all to make Trump look bad. Fake news often happens because of Trump Derangement Syndrome.

https://patriotpost.us/articles/66894-leftmedia-pulls-more-fake-kids-in-cages-news