Morning Briefing
For March 8, 2013
1. The Power of One Man’s Conviction
What was it about Rand Paul’s filibuster that has captivated conservatives all over the country and reinvigorated their desire to fight for our Constitutional Republic? The irony is that the drone issue was not even one of the most popular issues among many conservatives until last night. I suspect that many conservatives don’t necessarily agree with some of Paul’s assertions about targeting terrorists like Al-Awlaki overseas, although we are all (everyone except for McCain and Graham) concerned about targeting Americans on American soil. Yet he has become an overnight sensation, not just among his core libertarian base, but among the broad conservative movement.
Conservatives have been starving for a fighter; longing for someone who will do something drastic, engage in a media savvy fight against an imperialistic president who has no respect for checks and balances and an invidious disregard for the separation of powers. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
2. Reflections of a potential drone strike target
I don’t want to sound alarmist, but at the moment I’m a potential target for drone strikes, and so are you. I’d really like to be formally and unambiguously taken off the list, unless due process is conducted following the discovery of evidence that I belong there. A simple “No, the President will not send robots to kill you” would suffice, but the current “we probably wouldn’t do that” assurances aren’t cutting it.
Specifically, Attorney General Eric Holder’s written response to Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) said, “As members of this administration have previously indicated, the US government has not carried out drone strikes in the United States and has no intention of doing so. As a policy matter moreover, we reject the use of military force where well-established law enforcement authorities in this country provide the best means for incapacitating a terrorist threat.” . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
3. Barack Obama’s basic filibuster mistake.
And it’s a mistake that has little if anything to do with the nomination of John Brennan as CIA Director (although having House Minority Leader Mitch McConnell somewhat surprisingly announce that he was opposing cloture on the eventual vote is not going to help Barack Obama any). It’s also a mistake that has less than you think to do with the question of drone strikes on American citizens themselves, although the administration’s inexplicable unwillingness to simply lie if that’s what it would have taken to shut Senator Rand Paul up is almost… startling. I know that this sounds cynical – but then, I suspect that the real reason that Barack Obama didn’t concede the point is that he was and is fundamentally unwilling to give any Republican a non-reciprocated win at this point. Paul wanted the point conceded that badly? – Then NO! Rand Paul doesn’t get it conceded.
4. Colorado Rep. Rhonda Fields’ Rap Sheet Longer Than Previously Reported
A key Colorado lawmaker behind Democratic efforts to increase gun restrictions in the state has a more extensive criminal record than was previously reported according to court records. Although Rep. Rhonda Fields (D-Aurora) has previously claimed that her criminal record of larceny and shoplifting was due to a “dark” and “desperate” time in her life, public records show that her disregard for the state’s laws continued well into her tenure as an elected lawmaker. State court records reveal multiple offenses committed by Fields that were not previously reported, including at least one while holding public office at the state level. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
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