THE FOUNDATION
"To model our political system upon speculations of lasting tranquility, is to calculate on the weaker springs of the human character." --Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 34, 1788TOP 5 RIGHT HOOKS
Surprise: ObamaCare Ripe for Subsidy Fraud
It's strike two this week for ObamaCare's federal exchange. The Government Accountability Office released a preliminary report of an investigation testing the ability for the exchange to catch applicants attempting fraud. Twelve times the GAO sent people to sign up for ObamaCare through the website or by phone using invalid Social Security numbers, non-citizens claiming to be in the states lawfully or who just didn't provide a SSN. In 11 cases, the exchange went ahead and gave the applicant government-subsidized health care. Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee David Camp (R-MI) said, "We are seeing a trend with ObamaCare information systems: under every rock, there is incompetence, waste and the potential for fraud. Last month, we found that the administration was unable to verify income or eligibility for insurance subsidies. Now, we learn that in many cases, the exchange is unable to screen out fake identities or documents." Then again, Hope 'n' Change itself is a fraud. More...Comment | Share
IRS: Oh, By the Way, We Found Those Backups
It turns out the IRS could find Lois Lerner's homework. In other words, they couldn't even get the story straight on whether the backups existed or not. Fox News reports, "The head of the IRS confirmed Wednesday that investigators looking into missing emails from ex-agency official Lois Lerner have found and are reviewing 'backup tapes' -- despite earlier IRS claims that the tapes had been recycled." Investigators are now looking for "recoverable" information on those disks. It will be interesting to see what, if any, data is recovered, and how it implicates Lerner or others. But the overall picture is simply this: The IRS has stalled, blocked, obstructed and lied every step of the way through the investigation into its political targeting of conservative groups, and they clearly intend to continue. More...Comment | Share
Flights to Israel OK'd
The U.S. flight ban to Tel Aviv has been lifted, giving Israel a needed reprieve from a misguided decision. When the FAA banned all U.S. flights to Tel Aviv earlier this week, it handed Hamas a huge win. As fighting continues, Israel has lost more than 30 soldiers, while Hamas has sacrificed more than 700 Palestinian lives for propaganda purposes. It's working. Reuters reports, "UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said there was 'a strong possibility' that Israel was committing war crimes in Gaza." Pressure on Israel is growing from all sides, though Barack Obama repeatedly professes his "unshakeable commitment" to our ally. Why does our support then always seem so shakeable?Meanwhile, doesn't Benjamin Netanyahu just look delighted to be with John Kerry?
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Escalation as Two Ukrainian Jets Shot Down
Russian President Vladimir Putin isn't done. "Two Ukrainian attack jets were shot down Wednesday over territory held by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine," reports USA Today. "The Ukrainian government said the planes were downed by missiles fired from Russia, raising questions about whether Ukrainian separatists who had crossed the border were responsible or whether Russians fired the weapons." That's a distinction without a difference, as the separatists' actions are clearly influenced, if not directed, by the Kremlin. And as Hot Air's Noah Rothman put it, "Vladimir Putin just showed the world exactly what he thinks of the President of the United States and NATO allies calls for him to rein in the pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine." Putin is becoming increasingly bold as he gets away with one thing after another. More...Comment | Share
Bill Clinton's Energizer Bunny
If author Ronald Kessler is correct, Bill Clinton's days of serial womanizing aren't behind him. Kessler writes in his upcoming book, "The First Family Detail: Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of Presidents," that Bill has a mistress who regularly visits his Chappaqua home. Her unofficial code name is "Energizer," and Kessler quotes a Secret Service agent saying, "You don't stop her, you don't approach her, you just let her go in." Kessler also says Hillary's detail informs Bill's detail whenever she's on her way home so Bill has time to get "Energizer" out and remove any evidence. As for Hillary's detail, Kessler notes, "Because she is so nasty to agents and hostile to law enforcement officers and military officers in general, agents consider being assigned to her detail a form of punishment." It seems the Clintons would be better off in marital counseling than embarking on yet another presidential campaign. More...Comment | Share
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RIGHT ANALYSIS
GOP Proposes Immigration Bills, While Perry Deploys National Guard
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| Border Patrol |
Since October, more than 57,000 unaccompanied children and adults with children have been apprehended at the border, and the Border Patrol estimates that by the end of September, 90,000 more unaccompanied minors will attempt to cross the border. As few as 2% have been returned home. Far beyond the obvious breach of and contempt for the law, the president's negligence in carrying out the duty of the Executive Branch has led to thousands of children wandering into a foreign land with little to no protection.
This week, a Republican task force, led by Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), presented its recommendations for addressing the crisis -- recommendations that include deploying National Guard troops to the border, sending additional immigration judges to handle asylum claims, implementing "aggressive messaging campaigns" in the children's countries of origin to warn of the dangers of entering the United States illegally, and increasing border security. "Our focus has been to ensure the safety of the children and it has remained a top priority throughout the process," Granger said. "In our personal meetings with the presidents of Honduras and Guatemala, they both stated that they wanted their children back, and we believe that is in the best interest of all countries involved in this crisis."
A key sticking point for Democrats in the Republicans' recommendations, however, is changing a 2008 anti-trafficking law that prevents the quick deportation of unaccompanied children from countries not bordering the United States. Democrat leaders had previously suggested they were open to revising the law. And even Barack Obama, in a June 30, 2014 letter to Congress, wrote that he supported "providing the DHS Secretary additional authority to exercise discretion in processing the return and removal of unaccompanied minor children from non-contiguous countries like Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador." However, as Democrats see political advantage in tugging on the nation's heartstrings over these children (whose plight is indeed real), opposition to changing the 2008 law grows and the president appears to be backtracking from his support.
Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is tired of waiting for either Congress or the president to act. On Monday, he announced that he would send up to 1,000 National Guard troops to the border to mitigate the crisis. Since the troops are not authorized to arrest illegal immigrants, they are being deployed not to apprehend children but to weed out drug cartels and other criminals. The Border Patrol -- and, specifically, the union representing the Border Patrol -- claims National Guard troops will provide little benefit and will divert resources from apprehending individuals. Meanwhile, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) insists the "Border Patrol does not need interference from either Governor Perry or vigilantes."
Given that Washington has done virtually nothing to help the Border Patrol fulfill its mission, we'd argue that a bit of state "interference" might be exactly what's needed. At the very least, Perry has demonstrated interest in enforcing our nation's laws, which is more than can be said of Obama -- who this month traveled to Texas for fundraisers and photo-ops instead of visiting the site of the crisis his dereliction of duty has so greatly compounded.
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An Exodus From Anti-Gun States
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| Leaving Maryland for Tennessee |
But that era is gone, thanks to new gun control laws forcing gun manufacturers to leave their homes in search for gun-friendly states. Anti-gun politicians, who are supposed to be their state's largest advocates, are happy to see their state's gun culture simply disappear.
Once Gun Valley
While this phenomenon is happening all over the nation, the state of Connecticut is most notable. The Nutmeg State's influence on guns is old and deep. Few Nutmeggers remember Simeon North, who received an order from the new American republic, fighting Great Britain for the second time in the War of 1812, for 20,000 flintlock pistols. North began making the pistols at his shop that sat along a stream in Berlin, Connecticut -- one of the first times a manufacturer created something with interchangeable parts.
And as the saying goes, God made man, but Sam Colt made them equal. He did this by arming America with his six-shooters, made at his blue, onion-domed factory along the Connecticut River.
Now, leftist politicians led by Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy would like to sweep that part of Connecticut's reputation away. It's a knee-jerk emotional response, in part, to the 20-year-old sociopath who murdered 20 children and six teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.
The legislature of what's also known as the Constitution State passed one of the toughest batteries of anti-gun laws in the country -- none of which would have stopped the killer. Yet last year, Malloy told CNN, "What this is about is the ability of the gun industry to sell as many guns to as many people as possible even if they're deranged, even if they're mentally ill, even if they have a criminal background, they don't care. They want to sell guns." Connecticut gun manufacturers asked Malloy to apologize. He refused. Talk about an unwelcoming business environment.
Soon after, Connecticut gun companies said they would pack up and move from such a toxic culture. Besides, the taxes are pretty bad.
But that's easier said than done.
The Exodus
Months later, there are eye-catching headlines of gun companies leaving states. To name but a few, Remington is moving some operations out of New York after that state's gun laws passed. And manufacturer of firearm accessories Magpul announced that it would leave Colorado because of the state's laws on gun accessories passed in March 2013. "Moving operations to states that support our culture of individual liberties and personal responsibility is important," said Magpul CEO Richard Fitzpatrick.
But the pullout is slow because it takes time to move a business and the companies are loath to leave one of their greatest assets: the workers.
Last year, Mossberg told the North Haven Citizen the workers of Connecticut "possess a skill set for manufacturing firearms that is second to none in the world. Mossberg employs workers who have worked for the company for 40, 50 years and have come from other gun companies such as Colt, Winchester, Marlin and Smith and Wesson."
In the same article, National Shooting Sports Foundation Senior Vice President Lawrence Keane predicted the exodus from Connecticut would be a quiet one, with companies hiring more workers or adding product lines at their plants in gun-friendly states.
Earlier this month, Mossberg announced it would do just that in Texas. Meanwhile, Beretta, maker of the M9 pistol carried by the U.S. Armed Forces, announced it would move the manufacturing side of its operation out of Maryland, leaving only its administrative headquarters. Beretta plans to mitigate the challenges of producing high-quality firearms at a new plant with new workers by relocating as many of their Maryland workers as they can, said Jeff Reh, a member of the Board of Directors for Beretta USA Corp. "For any additional positions," he wrote in an email to The Patriot Post, "the area in Tennessee we chose is well regarded for both the number of and quality of workers skilled in similar manufacturing jobs."
Political Pressure
These companies' moves are a natural response to a hostile political culture that make business volatile. One month, Mossberg is making and selling its AR-15-style rifle in Connecticut. The next, AR-15-type guns are illegal in the state.
Beretta's Reh writes, "We would not have considered looking for a location in another state were it not for the growing anti-2nd Amendment and anti-gun sentiment in the Maryland legislature and Executive branch. Once we started looking, we realized as well how much better other states were at helping businesses grow in their jurisdictions."
America's gun culture is changing, but one thing stays the same: Liberty is good for business.
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TOP 5 RIGHT OPINION COLUMNS
- Larry Elder: Why There Can Never Be 'Peace in the Middle East'
- Ken Blackwell: In Israel's Desperate Hour, Obama Leads from Behind
- R. Emmett Tyrrell: In the Middle East, a New Alignment Being Born?
- Cal Thomas: Rick Perry's Bold Border Move
- Rebecca Hagelin: Culture Challenge of the Week: No Time for the Family?
OPINION IN BRIEF
British essayist G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936): "It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged."Columnist Larry Elder: "Secretary of State John Kerry is the latest to think the power of his personal diplomacy can bring 'peace to the Middle East.' But, once again, when one side publicly calls for the destruction of the other, what is there to discuss? Hamas, designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S., has governed the Palestinian territory of Gaza since they defeated rival Fatah, the group that governs the West Bank. Hamas, along with Hezbollah, Palestine Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, Iraqi militant Shiite groups and other terror organizations, is funded in part by Iran, whose leaders routinely call for the destruction of the 'fictitious' state of Israel. Hamas' covenant calls for the destruction of Israel. ... Any doubt about how committed Hamas is to Israel's destruction?"
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Columnist Rebecca Hagelin: "Do you know your family? You may think that's a silly question. 'Of course we know each other,' many parents would reply. 'We live under the same roof. We see each other daily. We go on vacations together. How could we not know each other?' Yet, in an important sense, many parents and their children are almost strangers. The time many families spend together is crammed with wall-to-wall activities. Mothers and fathers ferry their kids feverishly about -- a play date here, a practice there, not a moment to spare -- tethered by cell phones and sustained by meals on the run. You can't really know your children if all of your time with them is spent running to and fro in a frenetic whirlwind. Genuine intimacy is impossible under such conditions. ... [I]t's critical to stop and reflect on what might be missing in their lives -- the most important physical 'thing' to their development: you. Family time makes a huge difference."
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Comedian Jimmy Fallon: "Congressman Raul Labrador said that impeaching President Obama isn't a good idea, because, quote, 'no one wants President Joe Biden.' And that's when Biden realized why Obama picked him as a running mate."
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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