The Patriot Post Digest 1-27-2020

[nChrist]

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The Patriot Post Digest 1-27-2020
From The Federalist Patriot
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The Patriot Post® · Mid-Day Digest

Jan. 27, 2020

https://patriotpost.us/digests/68165-mid-day-digest-2020-01-27

THE FOUNDATION

“All men having power ought to be distrusted to a certain degree.” —James Madison (1787)

https://patriotpost.us/fqd/68164-founders-quote-daily-2020-01-27

IN TODAY’S DIGEST

    Impeachment Trial Days 4 & 5: Bolton Leak, Dem Insults, Trump’s Defense1
    Democrats: Destroying America to ‘Save’ It2
    Bernie Evades Revealing Real Cost of His Socialist Agenda3
    Voter Blasts Warren’s Unfair Plan to Forgive Student Loans4
    The New Face of Prejudice5
    Daily Features: News Executive Summary6, Videos7, Best of Right Opinion8, Short Cuts9, Memes10, and Cartoons11.

FEATURED ANALYSIS

Impeachment Trial Days 4 & 5: Bolton Leak, Dem Insults, Trump’s Defense12

Once again, the timing of another “bombshell” revelation has the all-too-familiar odor of the deep state. On Sunday, The New York Times published “just received” leaked excerpts from a soon-to-be-published book by former National Security Advisor John Bolton, in which Bolton alleges that President Donald Trump’s motive for freezing aide to Ukraine was to spur investigations into Joe and Hunter Biden. So, just as Trump’s legal team is poised to present its arguments against the Democrats’ vacuous impeachment charade, and just before the Senate considers calling additional witnesses, the Leftmedia obtains and releases what a presumed Bolton testimony would be. Coincidence? We think not. What are the chances the Times sat on this nugget for weeks?

Bolton’s team has laid the blame for the leak on the National Security Council, explaining that he had sent his manuscript to the NSC to ensure it contained no classified information. His team added that Bolton was assured by the NSC that none of the book’s contents would be disclosed to anyone.

Trump, however, isn’t buying that explanation. He complained that he “NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens” and that the leak was simply Bolton’s effort to “sell a book.”

Bolton tendered his resignation13 (or was fired) last September. While no specific reason was given by either party for Bolton’s sudden exit, it wasn’t that surprising given that Trump and Bolton had never really seen eye to eye on foreign policy. Considering both men’s large egos, it may have boiled down to too many chefs in the kitchen. How much the apparent disagreement over Ukraine contributed to Bolton’s exit is unknown, but Democrats and the Leftmedia are playing it up as the reason he left — to avoid getting caught up in a scandal.

Either way, as Mark Alexander says, “Bolton’s allegation re-warms the original ‘quid pro quo14’ claim, which was the same thing then-VP Biden threatened in order to get the Ukrainian prosecutor fired — a prosecutor who was in position to look into Hunter Biden. Remember how proudly Biden mentioned his threat to drop Ukraine’s debt rating?”

With this latest Leftmedia “bombshell” report, the real story is not what Bolton supposedly alleges, as all of this was already known. The real scandal here is the orchestrated timing in which this piece of information “fell” into the Times’s lap. You might even say the Leftmedia is interfering in an election.

In other trial news…

House Democrats offered their final arguments for removing Trump last Friday, with both Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler leveling such over-the-top and baseless accusations that it left many wondering if they hadn’t just blown up any possibility of getting witnesses called. Schiff claimed that Senate Republicans were warned by party leadership that if they voted to convict Trump they’d have their “head on a pike.” His hyperbolic claim even had Lisa Murkowski, one of the four moderate Senate Republican votes Democrats need, responding, “He lost me there.”

Nadler accused Trump of being a dictator, saying, “He wants to be all-powerful. He does not have to respect the Congress — he does not have to respect the representatives of the people. Only his will goes. He is a dictator. This must not stand. That is another reason he must be moved from office.” The statement was so obviously ridiculous that even Leftmedia personalities were facepalming. Huffington Post reporter Igor Bobic sarcastically observed, “Exactly what GOP senators want to hear,” while CNN’s Kim Priestap pointed out, “Dictators don’t allow political critics to call them dictators from the floor of the Senate, let alone on national TV.”

So, do Schiff and Nadler really not realize that insulting the intelligence and character of those whose votes they’ll need for getting witnesses is not a winsome strategy? Indeed they do. In fact, Schiff and Nadler knew exactly what they were doing and intended it. Their ultimate objective is not to get witnesses but to paint Senate Republicans as so beholden to Trump that they will reject any “reasonable” request from Democrats for a fair trial. By insulting Republicans, Schiff and Nadler aim to get them to dig in against Democrats, while the Leftmedia plays up orchestrated leaks of purportedly damaging information that serves to further the narrative against Republicans.

And yet, right on cue, Sen. Mitt Romney says, “I think it’s increasingly likely that other Republicans will join those of us who think we should hear from John Bolton.” Democrats have a play either way.

Finally, the Democrats are engaged in this deceptive gamesmanship because they know they have no evidence or facts to back up their demands for Trump’s removal. On Saturday, Trump’s defense team made opening remarks and laid out a six-point case15 that effectively refuted the Democrats’ case for impeachment. Today, Trump’s legal team continues his defense.

https://patriotpost.us/articles/68163-impeachment-trial-days-4-and-5-bolton-leak-dem-insults-trumps-defense

Democrats: Destroying America to ‘Save’ It16

From the 2016 election campaign right through the current travesty of impeachment, the Democrat Party and its march-in-lockstep17 media allies have made it clear that their hatred of Donald Trump — which necessitates his removal by any means necessary — transcends any resulting damage they have done to the nation. Damage that may be irreparable.

Let’s begin with a reality check. The current impeachment effort is only the latest vehicle being used to remove Trump from office. Previous vehicles included18 the emoluments clause, the Logan Act, the 25th Amendment, and the Russia investigation. Prior to his inauguration, the media campaigned19 for Democrats to reach a deal with Republicans and persuade Electoral College electors to defect, and The Washington Post reported20 efforts to impeach Trump had begun 17 minutes after he was sworn into office. Far more important, before Trump’s election, the Obama administration initiated21 its scandalous Crossfire Hurricane22 project to investigate Russian collusion with members of Trump’s campaign staff and the president himself.

Robert Mueller’s investigation was tasked with finding Russian collusion. Yet it somehow managed to avoid23 determining how the thoroughly discredited Steele dossier — bought and paid for by Hillary Clinton and the DNC — gained credibility among the highest echelons of the nation’s top law-enforcement agency.

The bigger picture? Does anyone seriously think President Trump could, among many things, gotten away with having members of his executive branch file warrants with the FISA Court under false pretenses; spying on members of Congress and the press; running weapons to Mexican cartel members; taking out an American citizen with a drone strike; selectively targeting conservative groups using the IRS; communicating with his secretary of state on an unsecured server; and sending pallets of cash to a nation sponsoring worldwide terror — without the deafening clamor for impeachment Barack Obama miraculously avoided?

[nChrist]

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The Patriot Post Digest 1-27-2020
From The Federalist Patriot
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Eight years of the Obama administration clearly demonstrated that the media are willfully blind — and justice is anything but. Yet the weaponization of impeachment has moved this nation into uncharted territory. Americans now live in a nation where private presidential phone calls with foreign counterparts “will be leaked and printed in the major media,” and impeachment will be a “casual affair” to be undertaken routinely, whenever the opposition party has a House majority, even if it is solely used for political gain, Victor Davis Hanson explains24.

Moreover, as Nancy Pelosi amply demonstrated, timeliness is now irrelevant. “Once a president is impeached,” Hanson adds, “the writ may simply sit until the House majority feels that the climate or polls are ripe to refer the articles to the Senate for trial, whether in days, weeks, months, or years.”

Equally irrelevant is the “term high crimes and misdemeanors.” Nothing illuminates that better than charging Trump with obstruction of Congress, a nonsensical assertion borne out of the need for Democrats to keep impeachment front and center, rather than wait for the Supreme Court to ultimately decide what obligations co-equal legislative and executive branches of government have to each other.

“Whistleblower” is now a meaningless term. Going forward, anyone with second- or third-hand information, working in coordination25 with the opposition party, will be deemed acceptable and credible, even as their identity can remain secret indefinitely.

Investigations? Testimony can be taken in secret26 and selectively leaked27 to the media for partisan advantage, while witnesses can be prevented28 from answering questions posed by the opposing party. Law enforcement and intel agencies can hire29 foreign nationals, use30 operatives to co-opt the media, employ multiple “confidential informants” (read: spies) to glean31 information about members of the opposing party’s campaign, and unmask32 private citizens involved with those campaigns, all under the auspices of protecting national security.

To advance those investigations, any surveillance requiring a warrant can be rubber-stamped33 by FISA Court jurists, whose knowledge of being lied to will not precipitate legal consequences, but simply demands for “reform” — from the liars themselves.

Remarkably, Democrats and their contemptible allies have done it all while ignoring one of the oldest adages known to man: what goes around comes around. They have not only set the stage for the permanent paralyzation of government, they are well on their way toward making elections utterly irrelevant.

In fact, their point man in this charade, documented liar34 Adam Schiff, has made that abundantly clear35. “The president’s misconduct cannot be decided at the ballot box,” he insisted. “For we cannot be assured that the vote will be fairly won.”

In other words, American voters are too stupid to be trusted, and unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats running the administrative state must prevail36. Thus, an acquittal of Trump by the Senate will be deemed a “miscarriage of justice.” In turn, that miscarriage of justice will make the 2020 election “illegitimate,” unless a Democrat prevails.

Americans are finally discovering what fundamental transformation is really all about. A constitutionally contemptuous Democrat Party, suffused with a lust for uncontested power and thoroughly convinced of its moral superiority, has precipitated the ultimate irony:

Democrats had to destroy the nation in order to “save” it.

https://patriotpost.us/articles/68152-democrats-destroying-america-to-save-it

Bernie Evades Revealing Real Cost of His Socialist Agenda37

Socialist called on the carpet for expensive agenda, film at 11. “Your agenda has promised free healthcare for everybody, free college tuition, and to pay off peoples’ college loans,” CBS’s Norah O'Donnell told Bernie Sanders. “The price tag for that is estimated to be $60 trillion over 10 years. Is that correct?”

After Sanders began a non-answer, O'Donnell broke in, “You don’t know how much your plan costs?”

“You don’t know. Nobody knows,” Sanders admitted. “This is impossible to predict.”

O'Donnell responded with appropriate incredulity, “You’re going to propose a plan to the American people and you’re not going to tell them how much it costs?”

That’s socialism in a nutshell. Oh, there might be some numbers out there, but the negative reaction against those numbers has left Bernie increasingly unwilling to offer estimates. This isn’t the first time he’s refused to discuss a price tag.

That price tag? Try at least $32 trillion38 for Medicare for All or $16 trillion39 for Bernie’s version of the $93 trillion40 Green New Deal. The $60 trillion O'Donnell references is CNN’s analysis of the Sanders agenda, though it also isn’t comprehensive or accurate.

No matter what Democrat wins the nomination, his or her agenda will dwarf Barack Obama’s spendthrift “stimulus” and ObamaCare. Every Democrat candidate want to “pay for” this income redistribution by raising taxes41. They claim it will be only on the wealthy — the billionaires Sanders says shouldn’t even exist42 — but those tax increases will hit everyone. Regardless, even if raising taxes brought in the vast revenue Democrats claim, it wouldn’t pay for what the government spends now, let alone new or expanded programs.

And that’s why we can all expect the Leftmedia to forget all about asking these questions43 of the eventual Democrat nominee.

https://patriotpost.us/articles/68159-bernie-evades-revealing-real-cost-of-his-socialist-agenda

Voter Blasts Warren’s Unfair Plan to Forgive Student Loans44

A recent video clip went viral and Democrat presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren may soon come to regret it. In the video, a man confronts Warren and asks, “My daughter is getting out of school. I saved all my money so she doesn’t have any student debt. Am I going to get my money back?” Clearly, the man is making reference to Warren’s often and loudly touted platform and her plan to cancel student-loan debt45.

Warren dismissively responds to the man, “Of course not.” Exasperated, he retorts, “So, you’re gonna pay for people who didn’t save any money, and those of us who did the right thing get screwed.” He then continues to argue his point, noting a “buddy” of his who makes more money than he but spent it irresponsibly, while he worked a “double shift” and carefully saved his money so that his daughter wouldn’t go into college debt. And yet, under Warren’s debt-forgiveness plan, he would end up paying for his buddy’s irresponsible spending.

“So, you’re laughing,” the man accuses Warren, who attempts to deny it. “Yes, that’s exactly what you’re doing. We did the right thing — and we get screwed,” the man frustratedly states as he walks away.

It was a cold blast of reality to Warren’s ridiculous and nonsensical socialistic fantasyland claim that the government paying off college debt won’t cost hard-working American taxpayers. In fact, Warren’s plan boils down to legalized theft; stealing from responsible Americans and giving their money to those who haven’t earned it. It’s government-sanctioned robbery and Warren knows it.

https://patriotpost.us/articles/68144-voter-blasts-warrens-unfair-plan-to-forgive-student-loans-2020-01-25

The New Face of Prejudice46

Grassroots perspective by Patrick Hampton

In a society where racism is deemed evil for all, there can be no justification for the prejudices we conservatives experience today.

A week ago, (on the MLK holiday weekend, coincidentally) I boarded a charter bus with a band of conservatives (of all colors, if that matters to anyone) en route to the BLEXIT rally in Charlotte. Also in attendance were my two oldest sons, who begged me to go. North Carolina bound, we all discussed issues, laughed together, and forged new friendships, bonding with one another over shared values and a hope for a stronger, more unified America.

But when we arrived, we weren’t met with this camaraderie.

[nChrist]

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The Patriot Post Digest 1-27-2020
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Upon entering the hotel, some folks didn’t take too kindly to our presence. Many of us were wearing what we believed in — American flags, pro-God apparel, and also the infamous red MAGA caps. This attracted glares of disapproval and commentary. Some onlookers muttered under their breaths, while others had no problem stepping up to us directly; one went as far as to call us “trifling.” So much for a hospitable welcome.

After a five-hour commute, hunger set in. We decided on a bite to eat at a nearby soul food restaurant.

Our entrance disrupted dinner for some of the black patrons who decided to pack up and leave. Others made statements suggesting that we weren’t welcome, although the employees were kind and had no problem serving our group. Sadly, the best soul food I’ve had in years was peppered with the prejudice of passersby who refused to sit in the same room with us.

It was as if we walked into a time rift, returning to the civil-rights era. But instead of everything being labeled “whites or coloreds only,” our world was divided by whether we were liberal or conservative. Everything that’s old would become new again. I’ll leave you to decide which group isn’t welcome today.

It wasn’t until one group member started to cry that I realized something. I hadn’t factored in the reality that many of the people in our entourage had never seen what black conservatives experience on a daily basis. I had learned to grow tough skin in dealing with my own community, having been blackballed after my run for school board in 2014. I was told to never come back to the black inner city. I found myself unable to find work except for mopping floors in a medical facility to pay for my son’s private-school tuition. But like many faithful black conservatives, I did the only thing I knew to do — pray for God to create an opportunity for me.

But at that restaurant, hope was also served. Not every patron projected their disapproval on us. One woman asked questions about why some of us support President Donald Trump. After I explained my stance, she had more questions. Her curiosity had been piqued. In terms of thinking differently about politics, the seeds of freedom of thought were sown.

Our weekend continued to be filled with question and query, as people stopped to debate, discuss, or simply ask “why.” And while I know we will never convince every single individual of our views, having the conversation at all would be defined as a success in my book.

On a positive note, some minds were changed. Other people were prompted to think more deeply about their stances on topics such as school and educational choice, free enterprise, and abortion. So long as black people are thinking instead of feeling, God’s work is being done.

Overall, I found it interesting how our group of conservatives approached the aforementioned scenarios. Instead of attempting to “cancel” others with Facebook posts, marches, media coverage, and negative reviews, we compassionately shared a bit of ourselves with people we didn’t know from Adam.

During the midnight trip home, I quietly held my head down, reflecting on how much I learned from this experience. There’s much to realize about the state of our society and how racism has been allowed to proliferate among progressives for far too long. And while the road to ideological freedom is long, we’re growing closer and more black and brown people are coming along for the ride. Unlike today’s progressives and liberals, we conservatives have saved a seat for anyone who wants to come. The only admission is an open mind.

https://patriotpost.us/articles/68140-the-new-face-of-prejudice-2020-01-27

NEWS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

“IT WAS ONLY TO SELL A BOOK”: John Bolton’s manuscript leaks as memoir preorders begin on Amazon; Trump fires back (Fox News47)

MIDEAST TURBULENCE: Three rockets hit U.S. embassy in protest-hit Iraqi capital (AFP48)

OBAMA RULE GETS THE HEAVE-HO: Trump administration repeals onerous federal protections on puddles, dry stream beds, and some ditches (Reason49)

TOPSY-TURVY: Trump soars to highest job-approval rating of presidency despite impeachment trial (The Daily Wire50)

MEANWHILE… For all the gravity of a presidential impeachment trial, Americans don’t seem to be giving it much weight (AP51)

TARGETING ORIGINALISTS: The ethical advisory arm of the federal judiciary is circulating a draft rule that would ban judges and their clerks from belonging to the Federalist Society (RealClearPolitics52)

WHAT’S NEXT — THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE? Michelle Obama wins Grammy award — for reading her own book (PJ Media53)

AND NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON: Little Sisters of the Poor get a shot at the Supreme Court (Washington Examiner54)

TWO CAN PLAY THIS GAME: Oklahoma bans state travel to California in tit for tat over LGBT laws (National Review55)

POLICY: Waters of the United States (WOTUS) replacement will help end excessive overreach (The Heritage Foundation56)

POLICY: March for Life was also a model of intersectionality (Washington Examiner57)

HUMOR: Pentagon replaces go-to torture waterboarding with endless video of Adam Schiff speeches (Genesius Times58)

For more of today’s editors’ choice headlines, visit In Our Sights59.

The Patriot Post is a certified ad-free news service, unlike third-party commercial news sites linked on this page, which may also require a paid subscription.

https://patriotpost.us/articles/68162-monday-news-executive-summary-2020-01-27

VIDEOS

    Video: Five Craziest Things Iowa Voters Should Know Before the Caucus60 — Health insurance, open borders, gun bans, abortion, and Green New Deals are all issues to be mindful of.
    Video: How Dare You Do Nothing After a Speech Like That?61 — Greta Thunberg is none too pleased that her heralded speech last year fell flat.
    Video: The Difference Between Antifa and the 2A Rally62 — While antifa destroys property, gun-rights supporters remain polite and respectful.

SHORT CUTS

Insight: “I have seen the rise and fall of Nazi tyranny, the subsequent Cold War, and the nuclear nightmare that for 50 years haunted the dreams of children everywhere. During that time my generation defeated totalitarianism. As a result, your world is poised for better tomorrows. What will you do on your journey?” —Ronald Reagan

The outcome is entirely predictable: “You don’t know. Nobody knows. This is impossible to predict.” —Bernie Sanders refusing to put a price tag on his socialist policies

Alpha jackass: “He is a dictator.” —Rep. Jerry Nadler

The BIG Lie: “CBS News reported … that a Trump confidant said that key senators were warned, ‘Vote against the president and your head will be on a pike.’” —Rep. Adam Schiff (“I thought he was doing fine … until he got to the ‘head on a pike.’ That’s where he lost me.” —Sen. Lisa Murkowski | “Not only have I never heard the ‘head on the pike’ line but also I know of no Republican senator who has been threatened in any way by anyone in the administration.” —Sen. Susan Collins)

Village idiots I: “You know we’re in the French Resistance now, right? … Nobody in the French Resistance ever said, ‘Yeah, I know there’s only nine days [until] our caucus, but … I’ve got to get the kids to soccer this week.’ No! The kids can walk to soccer this week! They can walk! Nobody in the French Resistance ever said, ‘Yes, I’d like to help you stop those Nazis coming down the road there but … we’ve got couples therapy at 4:00 today.’ No! No! You have to get along with your spouse for the next week or two. There’s no couples therapy! Just get along! Get along for the greater good of this country! You’re in the French Resistance! You’re in the Iowa resistance!” —Bernie Sanders sycophant Michael Moore

Village idiots II: “I am sick and tired of hearing … that we live in the land of the free. That this is a democracy.” —Michael Moore (Well, it’s a republic, but that’s not his point…)

And last… “House Democrats seem not to understand that Republicans feel about Adam Schiff the way they feel about Donald Trump, i.e. that he is such a disreputable character that anything he says is automatically tainted.” —Brit Hume

https://patriotpost.us/articles/68160-monday-short-cuts-2020-01-27

TODAY’S MEME

https://patriotpost.us/memes/68161-mark-alexander-2020-01-27

For more of today’s memes, visit the Memesters Union64.

TODAY’S CARTOON

https://patriotpost.us/cartoons/28176

For more of today’s cartoons, visit the Cartoons archive65.

Join us in prayer for our Patriots in uniform and their families — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen — standing in harm’s way, and for our nation’s First Responders. We also ask prayer for your Patriot team, that our mission would seed and encourage the Spirit of Liberty66 in the hearts and minds of our countrymen.

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis