THE PATRIOT POST 11/05/2015

Right Analysis | Right Hooks | Right Opinion Patriot Headlines | Grassroots Commentary Daily Digest November 5, 2015    THE FOUNDATION "States, like individuals, who observe their engagements, are respected and trusted: while the reverse is the fate of those who pursue an opposite conduct." —Alexander Hamilton, 1790 TOP RIGHT HOOKS U.S. Intelligence Suspects Islamic State Downed Aircraft An Airbus A321-231 flown by TUI Russia, the same kind of aircraft downed over the Sinai Peninsula Saturday. Photo courtesy Alex Beltyukov, Wikimedia Commons Egyptian and Russian officials say it was not an act of terrorism that downed a Russian passenger plane over the Sinai Peninsula Saturday, killing all 224 people on board. Hossam Kamal, the Egyptian minister for civil aviation, said Thursday, "The investigation team does not have yet any evidence or data confirming this hypothesis." However, U.S. intelligence witnessed a flash of light on an infrared military satellite, which could have been caused by an exploding fuel tank or a bomb. Additionally, members of the intelligence community have told the American press in off-record interviews that they picked up jihadist chatter about the downed plane. This comes as the Islamic State franchise operating in the Sinai Peninsula released a recording taking credit for the aviation disaster. So far, America has no skin in the game. It's not part of the investigation, and most of the civilian deaths were Russians. But its theory is backed by British intelligence, which also theorizes that a bomb planted on the aircraft sent it tumbling from the sky. And Britain is worried enough to suspend flights in the region. It is in Russian and Egyptian interests to deny the incident was a terrorist attack in an effort to present a façade of security. Egypt has its tourism dollars to defend. Russia has ignored the Islamic State in order to bomb Syrian rebels battling the Assad regime. If U.S. intelligence proves true, then it's within Russia's interests to smoke some Islamic State fighters — that is, if the Kremlin can bring itself to acknowledge the truth. Comment | Share Bad News: Global Warming Is Ruining Sex Lives What does climate change have to do with sex? According to a new study — and no, we're not making this up — global warming is heating up everything except people's love lives. "Climate change has been blamed for many things over the years. Never, until now, has anyone thought it was possible to see it as a kind of contraceptive," writes Bloomberg's Eric Roston. Apparently, global warming is the one contraceptive alarmists won't embrace. "Hot weather leads to diminished 'coital frequency,' according to a new working paper put out by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Three economists studied 80 years of U.S. fertility and temperature data and found that when it's hotter than 80 degrees F, a large decline in births follows within 10 months. Would-be parents tend not to make up for lost time in subsequent, cooler months. An extra 'hot day' ... leads to a 0.4 percent drop in birth rates nine months later, or 1,165 fewer deliveries across the U.S. A rebound in subsequent months makes up just 32 percent of the gap." Assuming no significant steps are taken to curb greenhouse gases, the study predicts 2.6% fewer births between 2070 and 2099 in the U.S. as the number of 80-degree days will allegedly rise. But since when are they worried about insufficient childbirths? The subtitle to the Bloomberg article states that "fewer babies would be bad news" — and we agree. But some warmists advocate population controls as a panacea to climate change. Moreover, according to Roston, "Control over the climate at home might make a difference [in sexual intercourse]. The researchers suggest that the rise of air conditioning may have helped offset some heat-related fertility losses in the U.S. since the 1970s." But air conditioning contributes to CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. Are they now suggesting more of that is now a good thing? As usual, this study points out more contradictions than it does actual problems. Oh the lonely lives of ecofascists. Comment | Share Ousted: San Fran Sheriff Who Released Illegal Murderer Among the numerous off-year election losses for Democrats around the country in Tuesday, San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi was ousted in a landslide loss to Vicki Hennessy, a former sheriff's official. Mirkarimi wasn't exactly the most competent sheriff, having failed a marksmanship test and briefly lost his driver's license after an unreported accident. But his real claim to infamy was the deliberate release of Mexican illegal immigrant Francisco Sanchez, who subsequently murdered Kate Steinle this past summer and thus became the ugly face of sanctuary city policies. Sanchez was deported several times and federal immigration officials requested that Mirkarimi hold him, but the sheriff refused. While Hennessy mildly criticized Mirkarimi for the release, it doesn't appear she's exactly a border hawk or that the release was the only or even primary factor in Mirkarimi's defeat. San Francisco became a sanctuary city for illegals in 1989, and even in the face of Steinle's murder, the city council unanimously refused to change that. So while Mirkarimi's defeat is welcome, this is still Nancy Pelosi's territory. We don't expect any seismic shifts away from mindless leftism. By the way, did we mention Barack Obama just released 6,000 prisoners? Comment | Share Don't Miss Alexander's Column Read 'Our Shared Values'? — Obama's version of "who we are" is deeply flawed — but millions identify it. If you'd like to receive Alexander's Column by email, update your subscription here. FEATURED RIGHT ANALYSIS Obama Proves to Be a Heavy Load for Dems By Allyne Caan Just three days after Halloween, the specter of Barack Obama’s disastrous presidency haunted voting booths across the country, delivering sweeping — and in some cases stunning — victories for Republicans nationwide. Most newsworthy was conservative Republican Matt Bevin’s upset win over state Attorney General Jack Conway to secure Kentucky’s governorship. Nearly every poll leading up to the election showed Conway in the lead, but Bevin delivered a nine-point win in the only poll that matters — counted votes. He became just the second Republican governor elected in the last half century. And Bevin is hardly a middle-of-the-road Republican. He openly campaigned on his conservative social positions and vocally supported county clerk Kim Davis in her refusal to issue same-sex marriage licenses. By the way, Bevin’s lieutenant governor-elect is Jenean Hampton, a self-made woman who worked herself up from poverty, retired from the Air Force at the rank of Captain, and is a Tea Party candidate endorsed by Rand Paul. And she's the first black woman to be elected to a statewide office in Kentucky. Bevin and Hampton weren't alone in tasting victory in the Bluegrass State. Down-ballot, the incumbent state auditor, Adam Edelen, whom Democrats hoped would challenge Sen. Paul next year, was ousted by Republican State Rep. Mike Harmon. As Paul noted of Democrats’ stunning losses in his state, “Not only has President Obama destroyed the party in Kentucky, he’s destroyed the bench. The bench that was supposed to rise up and run for office — that’s gone.” The Obama effect took its toll on Democrats elsewhere, too. In Virginia, voters dealt a blow to Democrat Governor Terry McAuliffe by ensuring the state Senate will stay in Republican hands despite the governor’s pre-election campaign blitz designed to flip the chamber. In fact, it appears that Democrats' aggressive push for gun control contributed to their losses. Tuesday night was also rough for leftist policies, even in leftist enclaves. San Francisco’s pro-sanctuary-city Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi was defeated in a landslide. Meanwhile, Ohio voters overwhelmingly rejected legalizing marijuana, and a Houston ordinance that would have allowed men — including sexual predators — dressed as women to use women’s restrooms failed 62-38. Even voters in Portland, Maine, rejected a $15-an-hour minimum wage. Such wins are not actually all that shocking, though. As the Washington Post’s Greg Sargent wrote recently, the Democrat Party has dug a “deep, deep hole” for itself on the state level. It's a hole that’s “allowing major GOP policy advances on the state level, and imperiling Democratic chances ... of winning back the [U.S.] House anytime soon.” Is it any wonder? A year ago, Mark Alexander summarized the damage Obama has done to the Democrat brand — with an administration marked by a struggling economy, scandals that make Watergate look ethical, the rise of the Islamic state, a disastrous health care law, IRS targeting, Fast and Furious — the list goes on. As one Republican strategist noted, since Obama took office, Democrats have lost 12 governorships, 13 Senate seats, 69 House seats, and more than 900 state legislature seats. Indeed, Republicans now control 68 of 98 partisan state legislative chambers, as well as 31 governorships — 32 once Bevin is sworn in. Granted, the night was not a total victory for Republicans. In New Jersey, for example, four incumbent GOP state legislators lost their seats. And in neighboring Pennsylvania, Democrats swept three open seats on the state Supreme Court. Yet, at nearly every opportunity, voters are punishing local Democrats for Obama’s fundamental overreach. What does this mean moving forward? As Republicans have been known all too often to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, one thing this year's election does not mean is that Republicans will continue coasting to victory indefinitely. Democrats are strategizing how to reverse the trend of local losses, and complacency is not an option for conservatives. Recent elections also aren't a referendum on the popularity of Republicans so much as on the *un*popularity of Obama’s policies. But one thing is clear: Nationwide, voters are continuing their wholesale rejection of Obama's fundamental transformation of America. And despite the picture painted in Washington, the momentum on the state and local levels is on the side of conservatives. It’s up to those of us who love Liberty to make sure it stays there. Comment | Share Share MORE ORIGINAL PERSPECTIVE ANALYSIS: A Trio of Wannabe Totalitarians Background Checks Are on a Historic Streak Bill Would Label Muslim Brotherhood a Terrorist Group Social Security Defends Awarding Bonuses to Bad Employees Video: College Official Helps Shred Constitution BEST OF RIGHT OPINION Ryan Anderson: What Tuesday Night's Election Results Prove About Social Conservatism and Voters George Will: Supreme Court Tackles Sinister Trends Veronique de Rugy: Why the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street Movements Should Meet on Main Street For more, visit Right Opinion. TOP HEADLINES EPA Leads Global Fight Against Air Conditioners DEA Chief Sides With FBI Director on 'Ferguson Effect' Details of Controversial Pacific Trade Deal Released For more, visit Patriot Headline Report OPINION IN BRIEF Ryan Anderson: "Don’t let the media demagogue and attack the people of Houston. Citizens there voted three times to elect Annise Parker, a lesbian, as mayor. They’re a tolerant city. But they drew the line when the city council voted to create special privileges based on sexual orientation and gender identity that could have been used to shutter faith-based adoption agencies; penalize florists, photographers, and bakers; and force businesses to allow biological males who identify as women into women’s restrooms and changing rooms. ... Against one-sided media coverage, big business lobbying, and various elites expressing their support for the ordinance, a grassroots coalition of ordinary citizens were able to explain why sexual orientation and gender identity laws are bad policy. This needs to continue, both in Houston and across the country. For as Ed Feulner was fond of reminding people, in politics, there are no permanent defeats, because there are no permanent victories. Sexual orientation and gender identity laws are being pushed across the nation, at the federal, state, and local levels. They are unnecessary and divisive and must be resisted. Some people suggest that the best Americans can hope for is passage of these laws with some religious exemptions and accommodations. But Houston shows us a better way. Don’t enact bad policy that you’d need to exempt yourself from in the first place. As we are now one year away from the 2016 general election, Americans would do well to remember this lesson from the 2015 election. Stand on principle. Make the public argument. Defeat bad policy. Enact good policy." Comment | Share SHORT CUTS Insight: "We must give full weight to the claim that nothing but science, and science globally applied, and therefore unprecedented Government controls, can produce full bellies and medical care for the whole human race: nothing, in short, but a world Welfare State. It is a full admission of these truths which impresses upon me the extreme peril of humanity at present." —C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) Fixing the real problems: “Former presidents won’t have to declare their criminal history at the very start of the hiring process.” —Hillary Clinton in what must have been a Freudian slip regarding criminal justice reform Braying Jackass: “[Possible ObamaCare enrollees have] been fed a lot of misinformation, and this has become, unfortunately, this political issue that it should never have been. And so that's, in a lot of circumstances, scared them off.” —Barack Obama explaining ObamaCare's missed enrollment targets The BIG Lie: "[W]e've got to talk about the most important thing [for] those that are still eligible for insurance, and that is affordability." —Barack Obama (Too bad "affordability" is the last word we can associate with ObamaCare.) Non Compos Mentis: "[I]f in fact the Bible is a book of parables like I believe it is, think about this: Mary did not ride an elephant into Bethlehem that night." —Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo trying to comfort the Democrat faithful after Tuesday's defeat by suggesting that Mary was a Democrat for riding a donkey — or something Backtracking: "There’s an investigation going on right now [into Clinton's emails]. I did not say [at the debate], 'End the investigation.' That’s silly. ... Let the investigation proceed unimpeded." —Bernie Sanders Late-night humor: "We're in the middle of a November heat wave, with temperatures in the 70s! Even people worried about climate change were like, 'This is pretty nice actually.'" —Jimmy Fallon Comment | Share Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis! Managing Editor Nate Jackson 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.