Tuesday, July 30, 2013

RedState Briefing 07/30/2013

Morning Briefing
For July 30, 2013
Please allow me to make one point at the top here today.
For several years, Republican establishment types and their allies in the press have mocked conservatives for wanting an all or nothing strategy.  They've said we have to be willing to compromise.  So Mike Lee proposes a plan to fund the government except for the discretionary funding for Obamacare.  The reaction of GOP leaders?  They only want to support a plan that fully repeals Obamacare.
Conservatives have done what the GOP establishment wants.  And now they attack us for compromising instead of going all or nothing?  
We inch ever closer to a third party as Republican Leaders commit suicide by lie.  The leadership willing to fight the base to pass a terrible immigration reform bill won't lift a finger to fight against Obamacare.
-- Erick


1.  Republicans Declare Soviet Union is Here to Stay
Were it Tom Coburn in the White House in 1981 instead of Ronald Reagan, we’d still be dealing with the Soviet Union.

Ronald Reagan was in the minority who thought the Soviets should be fought and could be beaten. The majority of Republicans and Democrats alike had so thoroughly bought into detente and peaceful coexistence and containment that Reagan had to fight his own side and the left. Since Barry Goldwater was defeated asking “why not victory?” with Lyndon Johnson quoting the Bible “Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further,” no one thought rolling back the Soviets was achievable.
Reagan thought otherwise and was prepared to fight.
He did fight and he won.
Tom Coburn, joining John Boehner, has declared that the Republican strategy against Obamacare must be one of detente and containment and peaceful coexistence.
Tom Coburn says that because the GOP lost in 2012 we cannot get rid of Obamacare. Ronald Reagan, it should be pointed out, took every opportunity to undermine the Soviets. Coburn, because the GOP does not control the Senate or White House, is taking the position that we should not even try to undermine Obamacare because we cannot replace it. . . . please click here for the rest of the post
2.  Media Lesson from Dr. Aslan Interview: A PhD Cures Bias
There’s a lot of buzz today about this interview of Reza Aslan, a card carrying member of academia with a Ph.D. in the sociology of religions from the University of California about his new book Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth.
So what was the big deal?
Host Lauren Green starts the interview with this question: “You’re a Muslim, so why did you write a book about the founder of Christianity?”
This lead to a lot of harumphs from Dr. Aslan who felt his credentials were being called into question. . . . please click here for the rest of the post
3.  Defunding Obamacare: Questions & Answers, Excuses & Responses
Former RedState contributor and now Political Director of Heritage Action for America, Russ Vought, has written a pretty comprehensive “FAQ” on the Obamacare defunding fight. I asked Russ if I could post it here in its entirety. He said I could. The original is found right here. This should answer most of your questions, including the question about mandatory vs. discretionary spending. . . . please click here for the rest of the post
4.  Whose Shutdown?
Oh, predominately leftist perspective “media reports” say that Republicans are eager for a shutdown. Might as well throw in the towel because if they don’t give Obama what he wants in fall’s budget battles, “media reports” will label GOP as “obstructionists”; in 2014 and 2016 “media reports” will say that Republicans hate women, are a subsect of the Klan, and other horrible things, so why even mount a challenge? Let’s just hysterically wave the white flag of surrender before they even arrive for negotiations. That’s one of the pillars of Art of War. Dang those “media reports!” . . . please click here for the rest of the post
5.  Mountains, Mole Hills, Rush, and Hannity
Liberals in the press are soiling themselves in excitement that Cumulus might drop Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, the nation’s most popular and second most popular radio programs. “Sandra Fluke’s revenge,” they claim giddily.
That’s nonsense and what is actually happening is quite simple.
Cumulus made some business mistakes and some large acquisitions that have both affected its bottom line. Premiere charges a lot for Rush and Sean’s shows because they are the two most listened to shows on radio. Cumulus wants to pay less. So they are fighting.
This is the radio equivalent of CBS and Time Warner fighting over subscriber fees — nothing more, nothing less. . . . please click here for the rest of the post
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Sincerely yours,
Erick Erickson
Editor-in-Chief, RedState

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