THE FOUNDATION
"I want an American character, that the powers of Europe may be convinced we act for ourselves and not for others; this, in my judgment, is the only way to be respected abroad and happy at home." --George Washington, letter to Patrick Henry, 1795TOP 5 RIGHT HOOKS
White House Flip-Flops: 'We Are at War' With ISIL
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Methodology Flawed in VA Investigation
The report done by the acting Veterans Affairs Inspector General smacks of political weaseling. Sure, the report, created by IG Richard Griffin, found abuse of power and fraud in the bureaucratic health care system, but it never blamed the VA for any of the waiting list deaths. It might have something to do with how Griffin measured the problem. As Arizona Central points out, "[H]ealth-care experts say Griffin's report used a measure that is not consistent with pathology practices because no matter how long a patient waits for care, the underlying 'cause' of death will be a medical condition, rather than the delay. Put simply, people die of pneumonia, heart conditions and bullet wounds -- not waiting to see the doctor." One tweak of the methodology, and the eel of a system slips off the hook. More...Comment | Share
So Much for Tracking Stimulus Spending
Among his first acts as president in 2009, Barack Obama pushed the so-called "stimulus" -- $800 billion in new spending to reinvigorate the economy after the recession. Predictably, it failed to do what he promised. But it did set a new, higher baseline for federal spending and jack up the federal debt. In selling his snake oil, Obama promised "unprecedented measures that will allow the American people to hold my administration accountable," including Recovery.gov, a website meant for tracking spending. Now, however, The Washington Post reports, "[B]y the end of the month, the ability to see which entities received contracts and grants through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is going to vanish from Recovery.gov, officials say, making it impossible to track where the more than $800 billion ended up." That's because the government "is not renewing its license with Dun & Bradstreet, a major U.S. financial firm that assigns an identification number to all entities doing business with the federal government. When the license expires at the end of this month, those identification numbers -- and other associated data -- will no longer be available to the government. No numbers, no way to track the money." It's just the price of Hope 'n' Change™. More...Comment | Share
Gallup: Americans' Faith in Government at Historic Low
Just before Barack Obama's speech on ISIL, Gallup found an interesting problem for the commander in chief: "Americans' trust in the federal government to handle international problems has fallen to a record-low 43%." But the problems aren't limited to foreign policy. "Separately, 40% of Americans say they have a 'great deal' or 'fair amount' of trust in the federal government to handle domestic problems, also the lowest Gallup has measured to date." We have noted this paradox before: Obama's complete faith in government to solve and heal every problem (the evidence of his "enlightened executive" inheritance from Woodrow Wilson) has destroyed the credibility of that vision through his repeated failures. The best argument against Big Government is Big Government. More...Comment | Share
'The Assault Weapon Myth'
For years, anti-gun zealots have deliberately blurred the lines between military and civilian firearms in an effort to confuse the general public and rally support for banning "assault weapons." There are semiautomatic rifles, which fire one bullet for each trigger pull, and there are automatic rifles, which fire multiple rounds per trigger pull. The latter are military weapons, are considered "Class 3" firearms severely restricted for ownership under the 1934 National Firearms Act, and can properly be called "assault weapons." Legally owned automatic weapons were used in two murders since 1934. But rifles of any kind comprise less than 2% of guns used in any crime. The New York Times finally admits the "assault weapon" scare is a myth: "The law that barred the sale of assault weapons from 1994 to 2004 made little difference" in crime. The truly amazing thing, however, is that the article's author discovers poverty, drugs and inner city violence are the real problem. It's probably too much to hope that evidence will sway the zealots, but it's a start. More...Comment | Share
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RIGHT ANALYSIS
Keeping Immigration Political
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Of course, by playing to one side of the political arena, Obama has to soothe the bruised egos on the other side, the ones who believed he would follow through on their dream of allowing millions of undocumented Democrat voters across the border. So last week, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough was dispatched to a meeting of members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to listen to their complaints and try and convince them whatever is up Obama's sleeve will be worth the wait, saying the president would “go as far as he could under existing law."
But at least one member was unconvinced. “I don’t want to go down this path come November and then for some other reason find that the immigrant community and the Latino community get thrown in the heap again,” grumbled Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ).
Signs abound that Obama is already placating the pro-amnesty side, though. For example, deportations continue to decline in part because the overwhelmed system cannot keep up with the demand of illegal immigrants for non-existent “permisos.” Out of an estimated 59,000 in the latest wave of border-crashers, just 319 have been returned to Central America, according to the Associated Press. There's no question word of this lax enforcement has spread to those countries.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department recently warned Yuma County, Arizona -- which has had a successful “get-tough” policy on illegals called Operation Streamline -- that it would no longer prosecute first-time border crossers. (Interestingly enough, Rep. Grijalva represents a portion of Yuma County, which is in the southwest corner of the state.) These actions further cement the pro-amnesty reputation Obama has earned thanks to his lack of action on securing the border.
Over the last half-century, multiple bipartisan attempts have been made to address the immigration issue, with the most radical being the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which eliminated quotas by nation in favor of the current family-based approach, and the Simpson-Mazzoli Act of 1986 that granted amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants who could prove they had been here and otherwise law-abiding since 1982. Those changes led to the current situation.
Earlier this summer, immigration looked like the biggest issue for November, but ISIL's entry into the Long War, Russian aggression and a stagnant economy also will have an impact.
Yet as we look forward to 2016, pushing back any executive action on amnesty beyond this year's midterms will obviously affect the presidential race, and a number of Democrats may be seeing this political football as one worth keeping around. It's another example of how our government works: Solving problems only means your reason for existence disappears, so the best course of action is to perpetuate your justification.
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The GOP's 'Don't Rock the Boat' Strategy
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The House is quite likely to remain in Republican control. Democrat campaigners still talk publicly about opportunities for victory, but in private even they admit their focus now is stemming the number of losses. And the GOP remains optimistic about taking the Senate, though that optimism is more guarded than in recent months. Just a few weeks ago, everyone was talking about a wave election, but that's no longer the case. The chances for significant gains in the House have all but evaporated, and the GOP Senate strategy is focused on getting just enough seats to gain control, if that.
Republicans have done this to themselves. For too long, their strategy has been "Don’t vote Democrat" rather than "Vote Republican." Three caveats: First, there is wisdom in the proverb from the book "The Art of War," in which ancient Chinese writer Sun Tzu said, "When your enemy is in the process of destroying himself, stay out of his way." Second, even if Republicans win both houses of Congress, they'll have only so much leverage against Barack Obama's White House. Third, GOP leaders are all too aware that the party's approval numbers are right down in the mud with Democrats, making it difficult to predict voter sentiment ahead of Election Day.
But none of that is an excuse to toss principles out the window.
Last year, they fought hard against Obama's agenda, stopping new gun control, minimizing tax damage, and holding the line, at least for a little while, on the budget. Obama has made it a theme to complain of their obstruction, saying on Labor Day, "They oppose almost everything. Republicans in Congress love to say 'no.'"
This year, however, Republicans haven't pursued any bold moves that could shake up the electorate or put them in a compromising position with voters. That doesn't mean they're doing nothing. The Hill reports on their latest proposals: "Republicans are putting together an agenda for the first 100 days of 2015 in case they win control of the Senate. Authorizing the Keystone XL oil pipeline, approving 'fast-track' trade authority, wiping out proposed environmental regulations and repealing the medical device tax top their list." Good things, but not bold.
Last week, House Republicans announced a continuing resolution to keep the government funded into December. If Obama were to kill that resolution for any reason, another government shutdown would loom, and Republicans would face another media disaster weeks before the midterms.
Republicans are so afraid to rock the boat that the House has gone ahead and reauthorized the Export-Import Bank through June 30, 2015. This "bank" goes against the free-market principle of reduced government interference in the private sector. For years, Ex-Im has redefined crony capitalism by doling out taxpayer dollars to large exporters who are hardly in need of additional cash to fund their efforts.
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), Financial Services Committee chairman, has undertaken to kill Ex-Im. He recognizes the problem the bank causes by putting its thumb on the economic scales, distorting the economic picture and freezing out mid-size firms that could be robust additions to the export market. Unfortunately, Hensarling and a number of Republicans fell victim to the old Washington two-step. Many of their largest donors happen to be companies that benefit greatly from the Ex-Im Bank. What happened next is pretty self-explanatory.
Reauthorization of the bank couldn't have come at a worse time. Perhaps next June Republicans will be able to slay the beast, but for now, they are unwilling to pay the political cost.
The non-fight over the Ex-Im Bank is a symbol of the problem with the current Republican midterm strategy. By refusing to act boldly and follow their principles, Republicans are actually hindering the possibility of a landslide victory in November. Voters may give them the edge, but there will be no significantly higher turnout and certainly no mandate if most voters have trouble differentiating between the parties.
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TOP 5 RIGHT OPINION COLUMNS
- Peggy Noonan: The Genocide of Mideastern Christians
- Arnold Ahlert: The Obama DOJ's Subversion of the IRS Investigation
- Star Parker: Max De Pree Has the Answer to Ferguson
- George Will: Scotland's Epic Vote
- Burt Prelutsky: Biden, Baloney & Beheadings
OPINION IN BRIEF
The Gipper: "We did not seek the role of leadership that has been thrust upon us. But whether we like it or not, the events of our time demand America's participation."Columnist Peggy Noonan: "The anguish and indignation of American Christians at what is being done, by Islamic State, to their brothers and sisters in faith is surely part of the reason Americans are backing U.S. action against the terror group. ... If the president were a more instinctive man, or rather if his natural instincts were more in line with those of your average American clinger, he would have moved quickly, sharply and without undue drama. He would have bombed Islamic State when it was a showy army in the field, its fighters driving stolen armored vehicles down highways in the sand, in their black outfits, with their black flags. They are not terrorists hiding in holes and safe houses. They are not doing Internet showbiz from caves, they are seizing and holding territory. They say they are the caliphate, and they intend to expand. They are killing and abusing many, not only Christians. They are something new and deadly. My guess is two things are not acceptable to the American people. One is the full-scale commitment of scores of thousands of troops to invade and occupy a country. The other is a diffident, confused, unfocused, unserious campaign."
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Columnist Arnold Ahlert: "In a letter written to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder by House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA), Issa reveals there was an attempt to coordinate media spin regarding the IRS investigation between the DOJ and the staff of the Committee’s Ranking Democrat, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD). How did Issa find out? A DOJ official in the Office of Public Affairs who thought he was calling Cummings' office, mistakenly phoned Issa’s office instead. ... The gaffe ... would be amusing were it not for the reality that it is yet another indication of the endemic corruption that infests the Obama administration, their Democrat colleagues and a willfully somnambulant mainstream media. All of them seemingly prefer to run interference for one of the most powerful agencies in government, than allow the truth, no matter how inconvenient, to come out."
Humorist Frank J. Fleming: "Hopefully President Obama can use our military might to intimidate our enemies, as a tank is still scary even if a puppy is driving it."
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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