THE FOUNDATION
"Without liberty, law loses its nature and its name, and becomes oppression. Without law, liberty also loses its nature and its name, and becomes licentiousness." --James Wilson, Lectures on Law, 1790TOP 5 RIGHT HOOKS
New Crushing EPA Regulations
Barack Obama's EPA released some of the most burdensome regulations in history today. In an effort to further his climate change agenda, Obama seeks to curtail power-plant CO2 emissions 30% from 2005 levels by 2030. Thanks to a bad Supreme Court ruling in April, the EPA now has virtual carte blanche to do whatever it wants, which is evidently to crush the economy. The draconian regulations -- set for finalization next year -- will cause many power plants, particularly coal-fired ones, to shutter, and that will cause electricity prices to "necessarily skyrocket" as Obama once promised his policies would do. The economy will lose millions of jobs and billions in growth. Obama dismisses such warnings, saying, "Let's face it, that's what [critics] always say," and "every time ... the warnings of the cynics have been wrong." But the danger is real because the only war Obama is interested in winning is the one against our economy.Comment | Share
It's Not My Fault
Barack Obama accepted the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki Friday morning "with considerable regret." The president added that the scandalous treatment of veterans is "totally unacceptable," and that he will take responsibility -- "I always take responsibility for whatever happens" in this administration, he said. Except that he blamed George W. Bush, saying the problem "predates my presidency." As usual, the buck stops over there. Shinseki was obviously incapable of running a bureaucracy in which nearly two-thirds of its facilities were employing wait-list fraud. But the larger problem wasn't him; it's the bureaucracy itself. More...Comment | Share
Gun Control Crazy
The Democrat-introduced legislation to curb gun violence is bad policy because it would not fix what it set out to do -- prevent another murderous attack like the one in California. One bill, to give more money to the background check program, passed the House with both parties' support. But this Democrat bill would further restrict access to guns based on a person's perceived mental health. "One such effort, the Democrats suggest, would be to empower police to seek warrants to seize firearms from those they believe might use them to harm themselves or others," reports The Hill. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) added, "As more details emerge about the Santa Barbara shooter, it's clear that we must keep guns away from those at risk of hurting themselves or hurting others." Only guns? Every home in America has several impressive knives in the kitchen. While Congress is at it, why doesn't it regulate those? More…Comment | Share
Hillary's Book Regurgitates
Politico obtained a copy of the chapter on Benghazi from Hillary Clinton's forthcoming book, "What Difference Does It Make?" Actually, the title is "Hard Choices," but whatever. In the chapter, Hillary argues the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on U.S. facilities in Libya that left our ambassador and three others dead were ... drumroll please ... because of a YouTube video. "There were scores of attackers that night, almost certainly with differing motives," she writes. "It is inaccurate to state that every single one of them was influenced by this hateful video. It is equally inaccurate to state that none of them were. Both assertions defy not only the evidence but logic as well." She touts that she ordered an investigation nine days after the attack, which is a bizarre thing to boast. And she slams those who would "exploit this tragedy over and over as a political tool." It's hardly exploitation to demand answers for her and Obama's dereliction of duty. But that's her story and she's evidently going to stick to it all the way through the 2016 presidential election. More...Comment | Share
Cake Over Religion
The Colorado cake shop owner who refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple on grounds of his religious convictions was ordered to stop the "discrimination." Under the order, Jack Phillips must report quarterly to Colorado's Civil Rights Commission. Raju Jairam, the commission's vice chairman, said, "Any person doing business in Colorado has to recognize that they have to do business in an ethical and law abiding way and the law says you cannot discriminate." The cake-maker said he will fight the decision, and he should. He's the latest in a line of victims of the homosexual agenda. This country was founded by religious dissenters, for religious dissenters. As Thomas Paine wrote in Common Sense, "As to religion, I hold it to be the indispensible duty of all government, to protect all conscientious professors thereof, and I know of no other business which government hath to do therewith." More…Comment | Share
For more, visit Right Hooks.
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RIGHT ANALYSIS
Bergdahl Is No 'Hero'
Obama's Enduring Freedom 'Poster Child'
By Mark Alexander
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| Bergdahl |
Obama not only violated U.S. law regarding Gitmo prisoner exchanges, but more importantly, he set a very dangerous precedent and has greatly increased the value of kidnapped Americans, both military and civilian, for Islamist groups. Additionally, he spit on the graves of those who gave their lives to capture these terrorists, and those who died attempting to find Bergdahl after he walked off post in 2009 and was captured by the Taliban.
In a joint statement, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard P. McKeon (R-CA) and the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, James M. Inhofe (OK), said, "Trading five senior Taliban leaders from detention in Guantanamo Bay for Bergdahl's release may have consequences for the rest of our forces and all Americans. Our terrorist adversaries now have a strong incentive to capture Americans. That incentive will put our forces in Afghanistan and around the world at even greater risk."
The five Taliban terrorists are Mullah Mohammad Fazl (Taliban army chief of staff), Mullah Norullah Noori (senior Taliban military commander), Abdul Haq Wasiq (Taliban deputy minister of intelligence), Khairullah Khairkhwa (Taliban governor of the Herat province and former interior minister) and Mohammed Nabi (senior Taliban figure and security official). They were profiled in detail by The Weekly Standard.
And what did we get in return?
Bowe Bergdahl, son of Idaho flower children Bob and Jani Bergdahl, who excelled in ballet classes at the Sun Valley Ballet School, obtained his GED, and enlisted in the Army for reasons that clearly were not associated with his "patriotic love of country."
The mainstream media reports on Bergdahl read mostly like this assessment from the editors of The Wall Street Journal: "The return of Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl from the clutches of the Taliban is cause for relief for his family and all Americans." That is a fair assessment on the first count, but in the opinion of most who knew Bergdahl and the circumstances in Afghanistan, the "relief" is so that he can now be tried as a deserter, an enemy sympathizer, and, some say, a traitor.
Rather than offer armchair analysis on Bergdahl, we defer to communications we received this morning from Army Rangers -- forward operators in Afghanistan.
"Bergdahl was in my company -- Blackfoot Company, 2nd Platoon, 1-501st Airborne infantry regiment. He deserted our unit while we were in Afghanistan -- walked right off the OP. I had two close friends killed in action while looking for this piece of s--t. We endured the deployments and the ops, embraced the suck and served honorably -- but this POS was not one of us. It is a soldier's duty to survive, evade, resist and escape (SERE), and to give the enemy hell while you're in captivity. Bergdahl was compliant with the enemy. And now word is that Obama has ordered up a promotion to Staff Sergeant. He deserted his brothers, his country and now he is now being rewarded for it? Some suggest he is just a deserter, but in fact, he is a traitor. He is no hero. I have known genuine heroes and to suggest he is among them is outrageous. Let me repeat: HE IS NO HERO!"
And on the matter of exchanging terrorists for this "POS," another writes, "The blood on these terrorists' hands, and the countless man hours of intel, surveillance and costly fighting that went into their capture negates any justification for this exchange. And releasing enemy combatants effectively negates our purpose for fighting, and is horribly demoralizing. Releasing enemies of the United States in exchange for a deserter? This band of ruthless thugs just negotiated a strategic defeat of the United States without any cost."
Additionally, Col. Allen West (USA, Ret.), no stranger to Army combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, echoes these concerns about Bergdahl's status, noting, "It's not the modus operandi for Islamic terrorists to detain American troops when captured."
For his part, on June 27, 2009, in his last email to his family prior to deserting his post, according to published reports, Bergdahl wrote, "The future is too good to waste on lies. And life is way too short to care for the damnation of others, as well as to spend it helping fools with their ideas that are wrong. I have seen their ideas and I am ashamed to even be american [sic]. The horror of the self-righteous arrogance that they thrive in. It is all revolting. ... I am ashamed to be an american [sic]. And the title of US soldier is just the lie of fools... I am sorry for everything here. The horror that is america [sic] is disgusting..."
Three days later, Berdahl went missing under the cover of darkness.
Reading that final communication from Bergdahl, arguably it could have been scripted by Obama himself.
This is not a case of a POW with "Stockholm Syndrome." It is, at best, a case of desertion.
At a press conference announcing the exchange, Obama said, "Sergeant Bergdahl has missed birthdays and holidays and the simple moments with family and friends which all of us take for granted."
So have the Americans who lost their lives in operations to recover Bergdahl.
To Bergdahl's parents, Obama said, "Today, families across America share in the joy that I know you feel."
Well this American, for one, is taking no stock in Obama's diversionary charade to make Bergdahl the poster child for Operation Enduring Freedom and what is left of our campaign to thwart jihadi terrorists.
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Reparations Cannot Fix the Injustice Done to Blacks
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Read why that's a bad idea here.
For more, visit Right Analysis.
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TOP 5 RIGHT OPINION COLUMNS
- Joseph D'Aleo: Why Obama's EPA Plan Is Not Needed & Dangerous to Our Country
- Arnold Ahlert: A Pathetic Prisoner Exchange
- Star Parker: Harry Reid Threatens Private Property in America
- Ken Blackwell & Bob Morrison: President Obama, Meet Chancellor Bismarck
- Burt Prelutsky: Conspiracies & Conspirators
OPINION IN BRIEF
The Gipper: "We in government should learn to look at our country with the eyes of the entrepreneur, seeing possibilities where others see only problems."Meteorologist Joseph D'Aleo: "The Chamber of Commerce warned in a report last week the new [EPA] regulations on carbon emissions will cost the economy an average of $51 billion and 224,000 jobs each year through 2030 (a total of $765B and 3,360,000 jobs). Everyone wants clean air and water and we have made enormous progress on both fronts. The new regulations will inflict great pain for little or no gain. It is government run amuck. This enviro-driven frenzy almost destroyed Europe before the people and government began pushing back. Tell your Congress and Senate representative to push back. These agencies like the EPA are acting with powers not enumerated in the Constitution and the checks and balances from the legislative and judicial branches aren't working."
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Columnist Arnold Ahlert: "'Sergeant Bergdahl's recovery is a reminder of America's unwavering commitment to leave no man or woman in uniform behind on the battlefield,' the president contended in a White House press release. Really? Try getting that despicable whopper past the families of Ambassador Chris Stevens, diplomat Sean Smith and Navy SEALs, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. No one has ever disputed the fact the Woods and Doherty were killed by mortar fire in the midst of painting those mortars with a laser. ... [S]ome unwavering commitments are more equal than others -- especially for a president desperate to once again change the conversation from the VA scandal, and the creation of a Select Committee investigating Benghazi. ... How far we have come from the Democrat party's and the president's contention that Afghanistan was the 'good war.' Who could have imagined they meant good for Democrats first, and America second -- assuming Americans matter at all?"
Humorist Frank J. Fleming: "Why do we need a White House press secretary? Would asking questions to an empty podium achieve any less than a usual press conference? My recommendation for WH press secretary would be someone with a poor grasp of English because that will cover up deceptions more."
Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis!
Nate Jackson for The Patriot Post Editorial Team
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.
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