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Friday Digest
17 July 2009
Vol. 09 No. 28

THE FOUNDATION

"If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy." --Thomas Jefferson

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

Income Redistribution: ObamaCare Advances

Make no mistake: The health care debate going on in Washington is about one thing, and it is not the millions of uninsured Americans. It's about the Obama administration's goal of turning this country into a socialist nation. President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) are pushing Congress to pass the health care overhaul before the August recess, riding roughshod over the protests not only of Republicans, but of some Democrats, many business interests and hospitals. Obama has made clear that, as White House advisor David Axelrod put it, "Ultimately, this is not about a process, it's about results. ... We'd like to do it with the votes of members of both parties, but the worst result would be to not get health-care reform done." Wednesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee passed the "Quality, Affordable Health Coverage for All Americans" bill, otherwise known as QAHCAA (pronounce it as it looks -- CACA). The House Ways and Means Committee followed suit Thursday. No Republicans have voted for it so far, and several Democrats have voted against it. During the presidential campaign, Republicans, including candidates Fred Thompson and John McCain, warned about the tax implications of electing Obama president. They were right. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY) announced late last Friday that Congress would pay for health care by hiking taxes on the households earning more than $350,000 per year and individuals earning $280,000. The hike would put New York's top bracket at nearly 60 percent. Rangel predicts revenue of $540 billion over 10 years. Democrats' ultimate goal is to have the highest income earners pay for health care for everyone else. But even the liberal Washington Post editorialized, "There is simply no way to close the [funding] gap by taxing a handful of high earners." To cover part of this deficiency, Democrats propose cutting tax breaks for hospitals because they don't provide enough charitable care to earn them any longer. According to the American Hospital Directory, fewer than half of the 5,482 hospitals in the country actually pay federal, state or local taxes. That will change. Furthermore, the hospital industry agreed this week to take $155 billion less in payments from the government, leaving the money to cover the uninsured. Beyond the money, the regulations are mind-boggling. In the "Limitation On New Enrollment" section on page 16 of 1,018, under the Orwellian heading "Protecting The Choice To Keep Current Coverage," the bill states: "Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day" of the year the legislation becomes law. In other words, according to Investor's Business Daily, "[W]e can all keep our coverage, just as promised -- with, of course, exceptions: Those who currently have private individual coverage won't be able to change it. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers." Private individual coverage will be outlawed by attrition. Meanwhile, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) added an amendment to the bill that would require all health insurance companies to provide unspecified "preventive care and screenings" for "pregnant women and individuals of child-bearing age." Asked if this would include abortion, Mikulski sidestepped: "It would provide for any service deemed medically necessary or medically appropriate." More "highlights": CNS News editor in chief Terence Jeffrey also reports that "the legal use of tobacco products is the only vice for which insurance companies will be able to charge their customers higher premiums," adding, "a person could have been admitted to hospitals three times for heroin overdoses, or been pregnant five times out of wedlock, or been treated for venereal diseases at least once per year for the past five years, but none of these factors could be used to charge that person a higher insurance premium." Jeffrey further notes that the bill calls for improved immunization coverage, including the use of "reminders or recalls for patients or providers, or home visits" to accomplish it. Yes, home visits. Ronald Reagan once said, "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" Little did the Gipper know just how terrifying those nine words could be.

The BIG Lie

"I don't know many small business men or women who are making, themselves, $280,000 [per year], so I'm not sure that very many small businesses are going to be affected by this [$540 billion tax hike]." --House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) Note to Steny: Small businesses organized as Subchapter S Corporations file individual returns for gross earnings. Such a business would have to be small indeed to report less than $280,000 in income.

This Week's 'Braying Jackass' Award

"I don't know how that one percent of households did over the last 10 to 15 years, but my sense is pretty well. I think the president believes the richest one percent have had a pretty good run of it." --White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on raising taxes on the "rich" to pay for health care Now we understand -- as long as the rich "have had a pretty good run of it," it's okay to take their money and give it to someone who is less fortunate. After all, as former Democrat congressman Dick Gephardt once said, "Those who have prospered and profited from life's lottery have a moral obligation to share their good fortune."

News From the Swamp: Sotomayor Hearings

The Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor began this week, with a heavy dose of Democrat grandstanding, some good Republican queries, and a lot of confusing answers from the nominee herself. Democrats, including committee chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and others, played some of their best softball to date, serving up easy questions for Sotomayor, who still failed to clarify many of her positions. More pointed questions by Republicans further exposed the nominee's vagueness and forced her to run away from some of her most noxious utterances. For instance, when Sotomayor was asked about her statement that appeals court judges help determine policy as well as interpret the law, she said she was taken out of context. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) replied, "I don't think it's that clear. I think a person could reasonably believe it meant more than that." She also said that her now famous "wise Latina" statement was meant only to inspire the audience of young Latina women she was speaking to. Further questioning of Sotomayor's speeches and judicial rulings brought numerous convoluted explanations, refutations and cross examinations that left Republicans wondering who the real Sonia Sotomayor was. Her carefully crafted answers seemed to be tailored to whatever she believed any particular inquisitor wanted to hear. At one point, she even rejected President Obama's much vaunted idea of empathy in judicial decision-making, noting that the rule of law is paramount in judgment, not personal feelings. It should disturb anyone with any respect for this process that a nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States can so thoroughly refute decades of her own legal work and speechmaking. Yet, everyone, even Republicans, have noted that Sotomayor's confirmation was all but in the bag. Why go through these hearings? Well, by looking deep enough into Sotomayor's record and her meandering statements during these last few days, it is evident that she is in fact the liberal jurist of the "Living Constitution," that Democrats are eager to put on the Court. This "wise Latina," for example, defended her decision in a January 2009 case that the Second Amendment does not apply to individual state laws governing the prohibition of firearms, and she refused to recognize the right to bear arms as "fundamental." In addition, her litigation work with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund was actively engaged in establishing racial quotas in municipal hiring and overturning promotional exams that were unfavorable to her Hispanic constituency. And let us not forget her terribly wrong-headed decision as a federal judge to support the rejection of promotional test results by the city of New Haven, Connecticut, because not enough minorities passed the exam. Even if Sotomayor had said all the right things this week, it wouldn't make up for a career spent pushing an activist agenda that would shred our Constitution.

Race Bait

"When we asked questions of the white male nominees of a Republican president, we were basically trying to find out whether -- to make sure that they would go far enough in understanding the plight of minorities, because clearly that was not in their DNA." --Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) to Sotomayor

New & Notable Legislation

Congress has attached Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act to the defense spending measure. McClatchy Newspapers reports, "The provision, named for Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student who was beaten and left to die in 1998, would extend protection under the federal hate crimes law to people who've been attacked based on sexual orientation, disabilities, gender or gender identity." To Democrats, then, the national defense priority is protecting homosexuals from "hate crimes." "The House on Thursday approved legislation that would prevent General Motors and Chrysler from closing car dealerships across the country," reports The Hill. President Obama, however, warned Congress that to "intervene [in] a closed judicial bankruptcy proceeding on behalf of one particular group" would set a "dangerous precedent." And really, if anyone knows about the dangerous precedent of intervening in private affairs it's the president. From the Jackophiles: Rep. Diane Watson (D-Neverland) tried to introduce a resolution honoring the late Michael Jackson as a "global humanitarian," though she was thwarted by Nancy Pelosi. When confronted with Jackson's bizarre behavior and accusations of child abuse, Watson opined, "We have no facts that his behavior was inappropriate when he was among children. We would say that a grown man shouldn't have kids in his bed, but how many kids jump in bed with their parents? Michael saw the world through his own lenses. He saw no harm, no danger, nothing wrong with romping on the bed with children." We never thought we'd say this, but thank goodness for Nancy Pelosi.

Hope 'n' Change: Obama Defends the 'Stimulus'

Amid growing criticism, President Barack Obama is out trying to defend his $787 billion stimulus package. As the economy continues to tumble, many are beginning to see the stimulus as an outright failure. Unemployment has continued to rise unabated, the stock markets have yet to rebound with any confidence, capital markets remain perilous, and the president's own sky-high approval ratings are taking a dive. It was this last fact that probably motivated the president to go on defense. Obama and his sidekick Joe Biden have admitted that the White House did not have the full picture of how bad the economy was back in February, though during the campaign for both the presidency and for the stimulus package, Obama and his team incessantly told us that this was "the worst economy since the Great Depression." If it was truly that bad, how much clearer a picture does one need? Obama also reminded us that the stimulus was meant to work over a two-year period, though back in January he pleaded for Congress to rush through a bill -- never mind actually reading it -- that would quickly address our economic woes. He claims that the stimulus is working now, and he proudly cited 3,000 jobs that will be created in California for one of his precious solar plants. Of course, the U.S. lost 467,000 jobs just last month. The true unemployment picture further refutes the president's faith in the stimulus. Mortimer Zuckerman, editor in chief of U.S. News and World Report, pointed out in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that the number of jobs lost in the last six months is greater than any six-month period since World War II, including the military demobilization after the war. "The job losses are also now equal to the net job gains over the previous nine years, making this the only recession since the Great Depression to wipe out all job growth from the previous expansion." The loss of jobs has been so rapid during this recession, Zuckerman adds, that it is likely to affect future economic behaviors. However, New Hampshire has found a way to make its stimulus spending work. The state government proudly hailed the creation of new jobs with its $416 million chunk of the stimulus. Fifty new jobs will be created in programs serving education, law enforcement, health and human services and other state agencies. That's right -- 50. Furthermore, only 34 of them will be full time -- and those full-time jobs are temporary and set to expire in September 2011. This means that American taxpayers spent $9.9 million per job for each of the new positions in New Hampshire -- positions that temporarily will be added to the government bureaucracy, not the private sector. No wonder the stimulus isn't working.

This Week's 'Alpha Jackass' Award

"'To those who say that our economic decisions 'have not produced jobs, have not produced prosperity, and simply have not worked' I say, take a look around. I say, 'Don't let your opposition to the Recovery Act blind you to its results.' Come see what I see everywhere I go: workers rehired, factories reopened, cops on the street, teachers in the classroom, progress toward getting our economy back on the move.'" --Vice President Joe Biden

Record-Shattering Budget Deficit

President Obama and his fellow travelers in Congress are about to preside over the largest annual budget deficit in American history. It recently hit $1 trillion and is forecasted to reach as high as $1.84 trillion when the fiscal year closes on September 30. Last year's deficit was $454.8 billion, a record. At the current pace of spending, budget deficits are not expected to dip below $500 billion over the next decade, and the cumulative deficit for the next decade will reach $7.1 trillion. Servicing a debt of this magnitude will cost some $500 billion a year. This record deficit spending will wreak havoc with interest rates, inflation and dollar valuation on overseas markets, and it will force foreign creditors to walk away. Yet, neither the president nor the liberals in Congress have any interest in trimming back their proposed trillion-dollar health care package, and their eagerness to raise taxes to finance their spending binge makes as much sense as trying to put out a fire with a can of gasoline.

This Week's 'Alpha Jackass' Award II

"[F]olks look, AARP knows and the people with me here today know, the president know, and I know, that the status quo is simply not acceptable. It's totally unacceptable. And it's completely unsustainable. Even if we wanted to keep it the way we have it now, we can't do it financially. We're gonna go bankrupt as a nation. Now, people say -- when I say that people look at me and say, 'What are you talking about, Joe? You're telling me we gotta go spend money to keep from going bankrupt?' The answer is yes, that's what I'm telling you." --Joe Biden

Minority Broadcasters Want Federal Aid

Representatives from a group of minority-owned broadcasting companies wrote a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner this week requesting federal aid to help them through the recession. The group, which includes the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, the Inner City Broadcasting Coalition and the Spanish Broadcasting System, noted that even in good economic times they have a tough time accessing capital, but the recession could drive them into oblivion. The subtle suggestion here is that this group believes they should always receive some form of taxpayer aid. This letter follows another appeal to Geithner in May by House Democrats James Clyburn, Barney Frank, Charles Rangel and Edolphus Towns. No word yet on what the minority broadcasters' stimulus amount may be, but they certainly have supporters in all the right places.

Car Czar Drives Off Into the Sunset

White House auto czar Steve Rattner announced Monday that he wants to "spend more time with his family" and is stepping down after only a few months spent nationalizing the auto industry. Treasury Secretary Timothy "Tax Cheat" Geithner said, "With the emergence of both General Motors and Chrysler from bankruptcy, we enter a new phase of the government's unprecedented and temporary involvement in the automotive industry" that served to "strengthen GM and Chrysler, recapitalize GMAC and support the American auto industry." There are several possible reasons for Rattner's exit: He has long harbored political ambitions and could be planning a run for office; he could be avoiding a scandal -- his name came up in a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into possible kickbacks and influence peddling in a New York state pension fund invested in Quadrangle Group that Rattner founded in 2000; or, he could just be looking for more money. After all, four months after being fired, GM chief Rick Wagoner got his exit package: $8.6 million over five years. We don't know what Rattner's salary was, but we're guessing it didn't have two commas in it. Then again, it's probably just that "new phase" Geithner was talking about.

NATIONAL SECURITY

Intelligence Continues to Elude Democrats

Earlier this week, in what initially appeared to be manna from heaven falling into the Democrats' laps, the CIA disclosed that, under the direction of former Vice President Darth, er, Dick Cheney, it had kept secret from Congress yet another plan the agency was developing. This news came on the heels of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accusing the CIA of lying to Congress about its use of waterboarding. And we are shocked -- shocked -- to learn that this secret CIA plan involved the capture or assassination of al-Qa'ida leaders. Criminal! Oh, wait... That's exactly what the CIA is supposed to do -- help capture or kill the nation's enemies. Further deflating the Democrats' hopes, it turned out that this particular plan was only under consideration and never implemented, and further work was terminated by current CIA Director Leon Panetta last month. Sadly for the Democrats, it's not illegal for the CIA to keep secret every idea the agency kicks around. More important, are the Democrats so detached from reality as to think the American people would get upset at the CIA for trying to eliminate al-Qa'ida's leaders? The Donkey Party had hoped this ludicrous episode would divert attention from San Fran Nan's accusation that the CIA lied to Congress about its interrogation techniques, but it flopped. Next they tried to gin up a controversy with new threats to prosecute Bush administration intelligence officials for being good Americans. Meanwhile, polls show that Cheney's popularity continues to rise while Nancy's continues to slide.

Department of Military Readiness: Self-Deterrence

Having seen its F-22 fleet whittled from its original 750+ requirement down to merely 187 ready-for-primetime birds, the Department of Defense now faces the dilemma of explaining how it can sustain America's "two-war" strategy without having air superiority on both fronts. Solution: Don't explain it; just change the strategy. In Senate testimony this week, Gen. James Cartwright, Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, offered in rather deadpan delivery that DoD's new strategy is "a departure from the two-major-theater-war construct." Unfortunately, the strategy -- "do less with less" -- is hardly new. Can't fight two wars? No problem, just fight one. Gen Cartwright is technically correct, too: It is true that a "one-major-theater-war" strategy is a substantial, er, "departure" from a "two-major-theater-war" strategy. As far as national security goes, however, such a "strategy" is a total non-starter. Piling on, President Obama vowed to veto next year's $680 billion military spending bill if Congress funds more F-22s than DoD's coerced, low-ball "estimate." Obama's position: "We do not need these planes. ... I will veto any bill that supports acquisition of Fâ??22s beyond the 187 already funded by Congress." Of course, with a deficit likely to surpass $2 trillion by the end of the year and a total current debt well exceeding $11 trillion, an über-liberal's threat to "fix" profligate spending by sacrificing national defense shouldn't be much of a shocker. Conveniently -- and suspiciously -- timed with this debate is an article from The Washington Post, "Premier U.S. Fighter Jet Has Major Shortcomings," which lays out a host of F-22 "deficiencies." Of course, never once does the article examine whether the U.S. can sustain its current "two-war" strategy with only 187 of the world's only operational fifth-generation fighter (consensus answer: no). The Air Force Magazine Daily Report framed the issue in even clearer terms: "The big problem to be faced can be phrased as a question: Will a President, armed with a force sufficient for only one war, ever take action, knowing that doing so would leave the US naked to a second aggressor in some other part of the world?" wryly adding, "This is what in the trade is known as 'self-deterrence.'"

Commander in Chief Challenged

"U.S. Army Maj. Stefan Frederick Cook, set to deploy to Afghanistan, says he shouldn't have to go," reports the Columbus, Georgia, Ledger-Enquirer. "His reason? Barack Obama was never eligible to be president because he wasn't born in the United States." According to Cook, if he were to deploy, he "would be acting in violation of international law by engaging in military actions outside the United States under this President's command ... simultaneously subjecting himself to possible prosecution as a war criminal by the faithful execution of these duties." Cook's lawyer, Orly Taitz, has challenged Obama's legitimacy before and was seeking conscientious objector status for Cook in this case. This week, he got it. Taitz says, "It means that the military has nothing to show for Obama. It means that the military has directly responded by saying Obama is illegitimate -- and they cannot fight it. Therefore, they are revoking the order." We certainly still have questions about Obama's citizenship -- for starters, where's the long-form version of his Hawaiian birth certificate that has information regarding the birth hospital and attending physician? Even those not born in Hawaii can obtain a short-form document like the one Obama has posted online. This and others are questions that he has pointedly refused to answer. This story could have further implications. Stay tuned...

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Around the Nation: Massachusetts Health Care

With the debate over health care raging on Capitol Hill, one need only look to Massachusetts to see how ObamaCare would play out. A study conducted by Harvard-Pilgrim, a private insurer, has exposed the Bay State's insurance plan -- similar to Democrats' proposal -- for the disaster that it is. The plan, which was favored by former Governor Mitt Romney, requires residents (except those covered by the state) either to buy health insurance or to face penalties. In addition, for the past 15 years, under the "guaranteed issue" and "community rating" system, insurers must cover anyone who applies with no regard to his or her health or pre-existing condition. The result: people are waiting until they are sick or about to go into surgery to buy coverage. Many are buying coverage for a few months, running up astronomical bills, and then canceling it, leaving others to foot the bill. Speaking of leaving others with the bill, The New York Times reports, "A hospital that serves thousands of indigent Massachusetts residents sued the state on Wednesday, charging that its costly universal health care law is forcing the hospital to cover too much of the expense of caring for the poor." The state is also dropping coverage for 30,000 legal immigrants to close a growing budget deficit. The question is, why is any of this shocking? How many socialist experiments have to fail before people realize that it just doesn't work?

Regulatory Commissars: Misunderestimation by the Feds

Generally, economic numbers put out by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) have been accepted as the gold standard for forecasting the impact of legislation on future federal budgets. So it was scored as a victory for Democrat cap-and-tax defenders when the CBO estimated the Waxman-Markey bill that passed the House recently would cost a family of four "only" $175 a year in 2020. Surely, the apologists claimed, the energy savings would more than recoup the cost. Unfortunately, the CBO projection could only guess at some rather important pieces of the puzzle. As the CBO report dryly buries in a footnote, "The resource cost does not include the potential decrease in gross domestic product (GDP) that could result from the cap." Minor detail. Meanwhile, an analysis of Waxman-Markey by the Heritage Foundation found GDP loss in 2020 could reach $161 billion (in 2009 dollars). That GDP loss could cost that mythical family many times the paltry $175 the CBO guesstimate came up with. In a world where we can barely predict weather a week out, not to mention the Obama administration's already brilliant forecasting ability -- remember unemployment peaking at 8 percent? -- perhaps the CBO should have saved reams of paper and hundreds of man-hours and simply told us to kiss our assets good-bye once cap-and-tax passed.

While Congress Argues, Producers Work

One of the problems with Congress is that they think they're experts on everything. This, of course, causes the real experts to be affected by the legislation produced. For example, while arguments raged in the halls of the Capitol building on the merits of pie-in-the-sky renewable energy methods and how much it would cost taxpayers to implement energy created from these "free" sources (like sunshine and wind), there were private businesses that actually know what they are doing finding the energy we need. One such business is a favorite whipping boy of the left, ExxonMobil. The company just announced a "world-class" find of shale gas on 250,000 acres in the Horn River Basin, in British Columbia -- a source that could easily supplement the plentiful natural gas we already have locked away within our continent. "[R]esults from the first four wells lead the company to conclude that each well will produce between 16 million and 18 million cubic feet of gas a day," reports The Wall Street Journal. "That's five times the size of average wells in Texas's Barnett shale and comparable to big wells in Louisiana's Haynesville shale, two major shale-gas fields that already have moved the U.S. natural-gas market from scarcity to abundance." All this without a huge infusion of federal funding. Now if only ExxonMobil could draw useful energy from the hot air emitted by Beltway commissars who think they know better. Indeed, that source would seem to be in limitless supply.

CULTURE & POLICY

Climate Change This Week: Where Has Summer Gone?

In June this year, New York temperatures never made it past 85° F; Chicago saw 12 days of 70° F and below, and Western Pennsylvania nights have dipped into the mid-50s. Temps in Calgary, Canada, have been below average since November, with Environment Canada Senior Climatologist David Phillips saying, "For seven months, it's really been a long bout of cold weather." Across the Great Lakes and Northeast in general, the "hot" months haven't been this cold in more than a decade, prompting some to label 2009 "The Year Without True Summer." AccuWeather.com Chief Meteorologist and Expert Long Range Forecaster Joe Bastardi attributes the cold spell in part to "the combination of El Niño and worldwide volcanic activity over the past six to nine months." But going back even further, global temperatures have dropped by 0.74° F since the 2006 release of Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth." How ... inconvenient. There is still hope for global warming alarmists, though, as Bastardi predicts a whopping five to 10 days of "more typical summer weather" in the Northeast and Great Lakes in late July and early August -- that is, before the eastern U.S. plunges into a colder- and snowier-than-normal winter.

Faith and Family: ECUSA Stokes Fire Again

It's a gay divorce in the Episcopal Church as the church voted this week to further separate itself from Scripture by endorsing the consecration of homosexuals into "any ordained ministry." This comes three years after the church passed a moratorium on electing homosexual bishops in a move to placate conservative members, discontented over the 2003 election of openly homosexual Vicky Gene Robinson as bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire. Apparently, the moratorium was just for show. It seems what's really important to the church, as stated by House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson, is "deepen[ing] relationships with the rest of the communion, because real relationships are built on authenticity." Bishop Stacy Sauls went even further, announcing, "It is time for our church to be liberated from the hypocrisy under which it has been laboring." The resolution adopted by the church states, "God has called and may call such [homosexual] individuals, to any ordained ministry" and "God's call ... is a mystery." Far from mysterious, however, is Scripture's commands against homosexuality. Beyond the church's position on homosexuality, at issue is its view of Scripture itself. Either it is the authoritative foundation of doctrine or it is little more than flowery verse, subject to the whims of passion and valuable only when convenient. After all, that's the way liberals treat the U.S. Constitution.

Frontiers of Junk Science: Pandemic? WHO says

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared the swine flu a pandemic given the spread of the virus around the world. We haven't reported much on the swine flu, otherwise known as H1N1, because the whole "crisis" seems more than a bit overblown. After all, the plain old regular flu kills more than 50,000 Americans each year, while -- not to make light of it -- swine flu has claimed 211 lives, though, to be fair, this could be in part because of the extra-preparedness of organizations such as the WHO. Also, the federal government has committed more than $1.8 billion to buying vaccines for the virus. But we are struck by the alarmist tone of the whole thing. Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO director of the Initiative for Vaccine Research, is so panicked that she's babbling almost incoherently: The H1N1 pandemic is "unstoppable" and "therefore ... all countries need access to vaccine," she cried. "Therefore"? Uh, if it's unstoppable, what good will vaccines do?

And Last...

"Ahmed Omar Abu Ali is serving a 30-year sentence at the federal supermax prison in Florence, Colo., for joining Al Qaeda and plotting to assassinate then-President George W. Bush," reports Fox News. Abu Ali is obviously dangerous, so when he requested some light reading material for his individual quiet time -- two books titled "Dreams from My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope" -- the prison denied the request, saying that the books contain material "potentially detrimental to national security." Maybe someone should alert the CIA that the author of these books is still on the loose. In fact, he has robbed several large banks, swindled two car companies, and runs various other Ponzi schemes through surrogates he calls "czars." He is approximately 6' 1" tall, is of dubious origin and has used several aliases (Barry Soetoro, Barack Hussein), and his last known residence is 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, DC. ***** Veritas vos Liberabit -- Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for The Patriot's editors and staff. (Please pray for our Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.)



Alexander's Essay – 16 July 2009

Team ObamaCare: Sanger, Ginsburg and Holdren

"The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government." --Thomas Jefferson Now that Barack Hussein Obama has undermined free enterprise by nationalizing major financial and manufacturing sectors of our economy, he has set his sights on the health care sector, which comprises almost 18 percent of the U.S. economy. This shouldn't surprise us. After all, he did promise a "fundamental transformation of the United States of America," and his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, did cite the current economic crisis as the means for doing so. "Rule 1: Never allow a crisis to go to waste," Emanuel said. "They are opportunities to do big things." Of course, there is NO constitutional authority or precedent for this massive government intrusion into the private sector. But then, when do Leftists look to any authority higher than themselves? Considering the prospect of Socialists in charge of dispensing health care from cradle to grave, I was reminded, by none other than Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, that when one is in need of health care, one should not depend on folks who advocate a "culture of death." In an interview last week, Ginsburg said that she thought "at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of." This comment was not some senile blunder from an aging jurist noted for nodding off during High Court deliberations. In fact, Ginsburg's candid assessment of the Left's advocacy for abortion as a means for controlling propagation of undesirable ethnic groups is based upon the writings of atheist social activist and leftist icon Margaret Sanger. Some 50 years before Roe v. Wade, Sanger founded the American Birth Control League, which later became Planned Parenthood, now the largest perpetrator of abortions in the U.S. Sanger asserted that ministry to the poor, a fundamental tenet of Christianity, is responsible for excessive numbers of "unwanted" ethnic breeds. "Those vast, complex, interrelated organizations aiming to control and to diminish the spread of misery and destitution and all the menacing evils that spring out of this sinisterly fertile soil, are the surest sign that our civilization has bred, is breeding, and is perpetuating constantly increasing numbers of defectives, delinquents, and dependents. My criticism, therefore, is not directed at the failure of philanthropy, but rather at its success. These dangers are inherent in the very idea of humanitarianism and altruism, dangers which have today produced their full harvest of human waste." Ah, yes, "human waste." Sanger characterized the poor as "human weeds, reckless breeders, spawning ... human beings who never should have been born." In "Woman and the New Race," Sanger insisted that women create an enormous "debt to society [by] creating slums, filling asylums with the insane, and institutions with other defectives. ... Poverty and the large family generally go hand in hand. ... The most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it." Of blacks, Sanger wrote, "We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members." She advocated policies that ensured "more children from the fit, less from the unfit" in order to "to create a race of thoroughbreds." (Remember this quote the next time a liberal tells you that Fascists and Socialists have nothing in common.) Sanger was certainly the 20th century's most noted American proponent of racist eugenics. However when we remind our liberal friends of the origins of Planned Parenthood, they sputter on about Sanger's support for eugenics being an anomaly of another time and context. But Sanger's advocacy for the extermination of the "unwanted" is the basis of today's culture of death. Indeed, one of the adherents of eugenics now directs BHO's White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and is the co-chair of Obama's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. John Holdren may not be openly advocating racial selection, but he clearly advocates mass sterilization and abortion in order to control human impact on the environment. This is nothing but a contemporary interpretation of Sanger's eliminating "human weeds" and "reckless breeders." Holdren's modern day eugenics program is outlined in a book he co-authored, "Ecoscience," in which he calls for "a comprehensive Planetary Regime [in order to] control the development, administration, conservation and distribution of all natural resources." One solution, writes Holdren, is "adding a sterilant to drinking water or staple foods" which would help weed out those "who contribute to social deterioration." As for the constitutional authority, Holdren writes, "Indeed, it has been concluded that compulsory population-control laws, even including laws requiring compulsory abortion, could be sustained under the existing Constitution if the population crisis became sufficiently severe to endanger the society." "If some individuals contribute to general social deterioration by overproducing children," insists Holdren, "if the need is compelling, they can be required by law to exercise reproductive responsibility -- just as they can be required to exercise responsibility in their resource-consumption patterns -- providing they are not denied equal protection." I suppose Holdren is Obama's "Czar of Compelling Needs." As for global solutions, Holdren writes, "The Planetary Regime might be given responsibility for determining the optimum population for the world and for each region and for arbitrating various countries' shares within their regional limits. Control of population size might remain the responsibility of each government, but the Regime would have some power to enforce the agreed limits. If this could be accomplished, security might be provided by an armed international organization, a global analogue of a police force. Many people have recognized this as a goal, but the way to reach it remains obscure in a world where factionalism seems, if anything, to be increasing. The first step necessarily involves partial surrender of sovereignty to an international organization." Holdren is of course careful about how his "Planetary Regime" might enforce these limits, but given the common bonds of Fascists and Socialists, a contemporary global solution with much more efficient ecological results than dismembering children in the womb would be to release a biological agent targeting mass populations in developing regions of Asia and Africa -- something like strains of Swine or Bird Influenza. After all, AlGorites consider climate change to be a crisis of global proportions, and such a crisis requires innovative solutions. Holdren concludes, "This may be the last opportunity to choose our own and our descendants' destiny. Failing to choose or making the wrong choices may lead to catastrophe. But it must never be forgotten that the right choices could lead to a much better world." In 1931, futurist H.G. Wells wrote of Sanger's proposed regime, "The movement she started will grow to be, a hundred years from now, the most influential of all time. When the history of our civilization is written, it will be a biological history, and Margaret Sanger will be its heroine." Apparently, Obama's director of White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is prepared to do his part to sustain Sanger's legacy. Given Holdren's musings about population control, should these folks be in charge of determining who receives what medical care? Circling back to that same interview with Justice Ginsburg last week, here is how she defended a woman's right to end the life of her unborn child: "The basic thing is that the government has no business making that choice for a woman." But in regard to ObamaCare, I doubt that Ginsburg would apply a similar standard: "The basic thing is that the government has no business making that choice." The Hippocratic Oath, until recently the de facto position of medicine, established the fundamental principle that a physician should "First, do no harm." Perhaps BO himself should take that oath -- not that he has shown any penchant for honoring the one he took for his current job. Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis! Mark Alexander
Publisher, PatriotPost.US (To submit reader comments visit our Letters to the Editor page.)

Related Essays

Pathology of the Left
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Related Commentary

"My first and foremost task will be the annihilation of the Jews." --Adolf Hitler, 1922 "The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act." --Barack Hussein Obama, 2007




Wednesday Chronicle
15 July 2009
Vol. 09 No. 28

THE FOUNDATION

"[T]he opinion which gives to the judges the right to decide what laws are constitutional and what not, not only for themselves, in their, own sphere of action, but for the Legislature and Executive also in their spheres, would make the Judiciary a despotic branch." --Thomas Jefferson

EDITORIAL EXEGESIS

"Confronted with her disturbing racially oriented past statements, Judge Sonia Sotomayor had an excuse that only a liberal activist jurist could make: She meant the opposite of what she said. Sotomayor's oft-repeated rhetorical riff on race is clear as a bell: 'I would hope that a wise Latina woman, with the richness of her experiences, would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life.' She would sometimes leave out the 'white male' part, but the remark was always a pointed disagreement with former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's maxim: that a wise old man and wise old woman would agree on a judicial case's outcome. Yet when the Senate Judiciary Committee's ranking Republican, Jeff Sessions of Alabama, quoted Sotomayor's own words to her, the response was basically: 'I didn't mean what I said.' Kind of like how the Constitution doesn't mean what it says, as so many judges believe? 'What I was talking about was the obligation of judges to examine what they're feeling as they're adjudicating a case and to ensure that that's not influencing the outcome,' Sotomayor told Sessions. 'We have to recognize those feelings and put them aside.' Put it all together and it comes out something like this: The richness of a Latina's experiences will help her reach a better conclusion than non-Latinos because she will 'recognize those feelings and put them aside.' That's tough to swallow. ... By claiming her 'wise Latina' comment meant the reverse of the plain meaning of her words, Judge Sotomayor has blemished herself on the first day of questions. If she dances around that, why should we believe her when she says 'the task of a judge is not to make the law; it is to apply the law'?" --Investor's Business Daily

UPRIGHT

"[T]here are certain qualifications to being a Supreme Court Justice. The chief qualifications are impartiality between parties and deference to the Constitution as written. And while judges like Sotomayor can lie and mouth slogans, their legal positions betray their true judicial philosophies." --columnist Ben Shapiro "With the Sotomayor nomination, [Obama] is introducing the threat that justice will be administered differently for politically favored groups than for politically unfavored groups. The rule of law will be replaced by the rule of a judge's emotional empathy -- or antipathy -- as determined by what subjective 'perspective' the judge chooses to see. That's what is at stake in the Sotomayor nomination, and it has huge consequences for our lives and prosperity." --columnist Robert Tracinski "The Democrats' war against our spies has taken two new turns. In their zeal to punish Bush administration officials -- and protect House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from publication of the facts showing her complicity in then-legal waterboarding of terrorist prisoners -- the Democrats have again accused the CIA of lying. This came during the same week when it was reported that Attorney General Eric Holder is considering the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate and prosecute those who authorized and committed alleged torture of prisoners at CIA 'black sites', the secret prisons where high-value terrorists were interrogated since 9-11." --columnist Jed Babbin "Senators and representatives who vote on bills they haven't read and don't understand betray their constituents' trust. It is no answer to say that Congress would get much less done if every member took the time to read every bill. Fewer and shorter laws more carefully thought through would be a vast improvement over today's massive bills, which are assembled in the dark and enacted in haste. [House Majority Leader] Steny Hoyer chortles at the thought of asking members of Congress to do their job properly. It's up to voters to wipe the grin off his face." --columnist Jeff Jacoby "Polls show that most voters -- and increasing numbers of independents -- are queasy about vastly increased government spending and more concerned about bolstering the economy than about reshaping health care or addressing projected global warming. They've noticed that the stimulus package hasn't delivered the promised results. Do they want to turn over the health care and energy sectors to a president inattentive to details and congressional leaders in disarray?" --political analyst Michael Barone

DEZINFORMATSIA

Redefining judicial activism: "This week's hearings on Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court represent the opening skirmish in a long-term struggle to challenge the escalating activism of an increasingly conservative judiciary." --Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne From the cheerleaders: "To Democrats, Sotomayor is the perfect nominee. That a child of the projects would progress through Ivy League schools and later a 17-year career as a federal judge makes hers an all-American story." --CBS's Wyatt Andrews "It's going to be very hard for Senators to vote against this wonderful life story that this woman has who was raised by a widowed mother and went on to be the first Hispanic woman to be nominated." --CBS's Bob Schieffer Cheap shot: "There was some consensus. The nations unanimously agreed to try to keep the average global temperature from ever rising higher than 3.6 degrees above what it was a hundred years ago. And some leaders said they're relieved that President Obama is here instead of President Bush." --CBS's Chip Reid at the G-8 summit, who, reminiscent of John Kerry's 2004 endorsement by "foreign leaders," failed to state specifically which "leaders" actually made that statement Non Compos Mentis: "Barack Obama has been president for nearly six months now and our big question today, does his temperament strike you as more like a radical like FDR who changed everything, who wanted radical change or like a true conservative who wants to basically find a smooth course and retain what's valuable?" --MSNBC's Chris Matthews That's the spirit: "To put it simply, America cannot win the war in Afghanistan. It certainly can't win it with bombs and bullets...." --CNN's Michael Ware Quite a high view of themselves: "The military keeps us safe but the press -- which informs the American people -- keeps us free." --Jurassic-era journalist Helen Thomas The "tolerant" Left: "A majority of young people still approve of Obama's job performance, but a majority of seniors over 64 now don't (54%). Maybe they'll die before the next election."--Los Angeles Times blogger Andrew Malcolm Newspulper Headlines: What Exactly Was Intended?: "Obama: Stimulus 'Worked as Intended'" --Politico ++ "Worst Yet to Come: White House Economic Adviser" --Agence France-Presse En Garde!: "Senate Calls for Real Fencing, Not 'Virtual'" --El Paso Times If He Does Say So Himself: "UN Chief Says He's a Man of Results Not Rhetoric" --Associated Press The Good News Is, They Finally Have Indoor Plumbing: "National Geographic to Film Rednecks in Bath" --Peoria (IL) Journal Star Everything Seemingly Is Spinning Out of Control: "Gore: U.S. Climate Bill Will Help Bring About 'Global Governance'" --ClimateDepot.com Bottom Stories of the Day: "Incoming Alaska Governor to Tweet Less Than Palin" --Associated Press (Thanks to The Wall Street Journal's James Taranto)

THE DEMO-GOGUES

Using conservative language to push a liberal nomination through: "Judge Sotomayor puts rule of law above everything else. Given her extensive and even-hand record, I'm not sure how any member of this panel can sit here today and seriously suggest that she comes to the bench with a personal agenda." --Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) **"I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life." --Sotomayor "We are a country bound together by our Constitution. It guarantees the promise that ours will be a country based on the rule of law. In her service as a federal judge, Sonia Sotomayor has kept faith with that promise. She understands that there is not one law for one race or another. There is not one law for one color or another. There is not one law for rich and a different one for poor. There is only one law." --Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) **"Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences, our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging." --Sotomayor Not exactly: "The empathy that President Obama saw in [Sotomayor] has a constitutionally proper place in the judiciary." --Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) **Really? Where in the Constitution does the word "empathy" appear? Let the excuses begin: "The Recovery Act wasn't designed to restore the economy to full health on its own, but to provide the boost necessary to stop the free fall. ...[A]s I made clear at the time it was passed, the Recovery Act was not designed to work in four months -- it was designed to work over two years." --President Barack Obama Note to self: "No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top.... No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy; that is tyranny, even if occasionally you sprinkle an election in there. And now is the time for that style of governance to end." --Barack Obama in Ghana **"Our government is soon going to be skimming 51 percent off the top of everything we make! What does that make Obama? Obama just kneecapped the auto industry. He just put the United Auto Workers in charge of on the board of directors and made 'em owners. What the [heck] is that?" --Rush Limbaugh Hope 'n' Change: "Don't bet against us. We are going to make this happen." --Barack Obama on a health care takeover this year Teleprompter needed: "The status quo simply is not where America is." --Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

VILLAGE IDIOTS

Now and then: "In the past month, many Senators have asked me about my judicial philosophy. It is simple: fidelity to the law. The task of a judge is not to make the law -- it is to apply the law." --Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor in direct contradiction to statements she has made in the past **For example, "[The] court of appeals is where policy is made. And I know -- I know this is on tape, and I should never say that because we don't make law. I know. Okay, I know. I'm not promoting it. I'm not advocating it. I'm -- you know." --Sotomayor in 2005 The stimulus is working?: "I don't think the worst is over... It's very likely that more jobs will be lost. It would not be surprising if GDP has not yet reached its low." --Obama economic advisor Larry Summers Remedial history: "Reagan went through this in 1981 and, in fact, his approval rating, by the way, at this time was exactly the same as Obama's is today. And, and Republicans, Republicans stayed with him. They stayed despite the difficulties in the mid-term elections. They got to 1983, the recovery came; so did morning in America and so did the confirmation of the Reagan era. The real challenge here is for Democrats. Are they going to stick with the president? Are they going to get wobbly? Are they going to get afraid?" --Democrat strategist Bob Shrum **"So, in one paragraph, the man who worked for the presidential campaigns of Michael Dukakis, Al Gore, and John Kerry not only agreed that Reagan's economic policies resulted in a recovery, but used it as an example of why folks should be patient in letting Obama's policies work." --Newsbusters' Noel Sheppard From the Jackophiles: "It's almost like a crucifixion, in terms of the cross you have to bear. We reap the fruits of the resurrection, in terms of the power that emanates from [Michael Jackson's] sacrifice. He sacrificed his childhood because he loved us so. He didn't just entertain us, he sustained us." --Princeton African American Studies Professor Cornel West

SHORT CUTS

"House Chairman Charlie Rangel is proposing a tax hike on upper incomes to fund universal health care. Upper-income Americans already work four months a year for the government. Government employees don't work four months a year for the government." --comedian Argus Hamilton "Capitalism and consumerism have brought the world to the brink of economic and environmental collapse, the Prince of Wales has warned. And in a searing indictment on capitalist society, Charles said we can no longer afford consumerism and that the 'age of convenience' was over.' He then got in his limo and was driven to his other palace. ... By contrast, as an example of an exemplary environmentalist, the Prince hailed his forebear, King Henry VIII. True, he had a lot of wives, but he did dramatically reduce Anne Boleyn's carbon footprint." --columnist Mark Steyn "What the country needs now is a new bureaucracy to manage the growing appetite for apologies, amends and remedies for various other slights. The apology could be the lasting legacy of Barack Obama. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of oppressed people are no doubt eager to line up for their apology, waiting to be rewarded for slights real and imaginary, ranging from inability to find a parking space to ancient indignities suffered by long-forgotten ancestors." --Washington Times editor emeritus Wesley Pruden "When the mainstream media is preoccupied with [Michael Jackson], it's probably doing, on margin, less damage than when it's dealing with public policy." --columnist George Will "California lawmakers are still trying to close the state's massive budget deficit, so they're now talking about saving money by consolidating state agencies. By far the most controversial proposal is for a 'Department of Education, Firearms and Alcohol.'" --comedian Conan O'Brien ***** Veritas vos Liberabit -- Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for The Patriot's editors and staff. (Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.)




Monday Brief
13 July 2009
Vol. 09 No. 28

THE FOUNDATION

"To be prepared for war, is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace." --George Washington

FOR THE RECORD

"Obama says that his START [Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty] will be a great boon, setting an example to enable us to better pressure North Korea and Iran to give up their nuclear programs. That a man of Obama's intelligence can believe such nonsense is beyond comprehension. There is not a shred of evidence that cuts by the great powers -- the INF treaty, START I, the Treaty of Moscow (2002) -- induced the curtailment of anyone's [nuclear] programs. Moammar Gaddafi gave up his nukes the week we pulled Saddam Hussein out of his spider hole. No treaty involved. The very notion that Kim Jong Il or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will suddenly abjure nukes because of yet another U.S.-Russian treaty is comical. The pursuit of such an offensive weapons treaty could nonetheless be detrimental to us. Why? Because Obama's hunger for a diplomatic success, such as it is, allowed the Russians to exact a price: linkage between offensive and defensive nuclear weapons. This is important for Russia because of the huge American technological advantage in defensive weaponry. We can reliably shoot down an intercontinental ballistic missile. They cannot. And since defensive weaponry will be the decisive strategic factor of the 21st century, Russia has striven mightily for a quarter-century to halt its development. Gorbachev tried to swindle Reagan out of the Strategic Defense Initiative at Reykjavik in 1986. Reagan refused. As did his successors -- Bush I, Clinton, Bush II. Obama, who seeks to banish nuclear weapons entirely, has little use for such prosaic contrivances." --columnist Charles Krauthammer

LIBERTY

"The Soviet empire fell not because radicals like Obama called for the US to destroy its nuclear arsenal, it fell because president Ronald Reagan ignored them and vastly expanded the US's nuclear arsenal while deploying short-range nuclear warheads in Europe and launching the US's missile defense program while renouncing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. On Monday Obama arrived in Moscow for a round of disarmament talks with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev. According to most accounts, while in Moscow Obama plans to abandon US allies Ukraine and Georgia and agree to deep cuts in US missile defense programs. In exchange, Moscow is expected to consider joining Washington in cutting back on its nuclear arsenal just as the likes of Iran and North Korea build up theirs. Of course, even if Russia doesn't agree to scale back its nuclear arsenal, Obama has already ensured that the US will slash the size of its own by refusing to fund its modernization. In short, Obama is working to implement the precise policy he laid out as an unoriginal student conformist 26 years ago. ... What Obama's radicalism tells us is that he is not a man who is moved by rational discourse. He is not a man who is willing to be convinced that he is mistaken." --Center for Security Policy Senior Middle East Fellow Caroline Glick

OPINION IN BRIEF

"Those shipments of paper bags to the House and Senate Office Buildings over the weekend are to treat the hyperventilating of Members and staff over the news that the CIA did some spying about which it did not tell the Congress. The New York Times front pager [Saturday] started thus: 'The Central Intelligence Agency withheld information about a secret counterterrorism program from Congress for eight years on direct orders from former Vice President Dick Cheney, the agency's director, Leon E. Panetta, has told the Senate and House intelligence committees, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said Saturday.' ... Speaker Nancy Pelosi will use this latest report as evidence that she was correct in her assertion that the CIA lied to her about waterboarding in spite of the fact that this activity had nothing whatever to do with waterboarding. Pelosi has been scrambling for a hand-hold in this CIA thing and she now has been handed a scaffold. If the CIA lied about this surveillance program, doesn't it stand to reason it would lie about the waterboarding thing? No. It doesn't but this is not a college debating society, this is the Congress versus the nation's spy agency. The problem is, the nuances of this fight will be lost on our enemies. The Taliban is killing Afghans and Americans in Afghanistan. Iran is looking for any cracks in the dam of Western opposition to its nuclear program. North Korea is ... North Korea. One or all will see this as further evidence that America's leaders are more focused on scoring cheap domestic political points than protecting the nation from outside attacks." --political analyst Rich Galen

GOVERNMENT

"Health care 'reformers' keep talking about getting us more health insurance. Then they talk about cutting costs. This is contradictory nonsense. Insurance, whether private or a government Ponzi scheme like Medicare, means third parties pay the bills. When someone else pays, costs always go up. Imagine if you had grocery insurance. You wouldn't care how much food cost. Why shop around? If someone else were paying 80 percent, you'd buy the most expensive cuts of meat. Prices would skyrocket. That's what health insurance does to medical care. Patients rarely even ask what anything costs. Doctors often don't know. ... Patients rarely ask, 'Is that MRI really necessary? Is there a cheaper place?' We consume without thinking. By contrast, in areas of medicine where most patients pay their own way, service gets better, while prices fall. ... This shouldn't be a surprise. What holds costs down is patients acting like consumers, looking out for themselves in a competitive market. Providers fight to win business by keeping costs down and quality up. Yet politicians keep telling us the solution is more insurance. And they mean insurance not just for catastrophic diseases that could bankrupt us but also for routine treatments. The politicians are so oblivious to reality that they are on course to make things worse." --ABC's "20/20" co-anchor John Stossel

INSIGHT

"People unfit for freedom -- who cannot do much with it -- are hungry for power. The desire for freedom is an attribute of a 'have' type of self. It says: leave me alone and I shall grow, learn, and realize my capacities. The desire for power is basically an attribute of a 'have not' type of self." --writer and philosopher Eric Hoffer (1902-1983)

POLITICAL FUTURES

"As if the recession hasn't been rough enough on those near the bottom of the economic food chain, fresh bad news is on the way. Beginning July 24, the federal government will be making it more difficult for employers to hire low- and unskilled American workers. Thanks to an ill-advised law enacted with bipartisan support in 2007, the cost of providing an entry-level job to individuals with few skills or minimal experience will be going up by more than 10 percent. Those who cannot find a job paying at least $7.25 an hour will not be permitted to work. Welcome to the latest chapter of America's minimum-wage folly. ... Those who press for a higher minimum wage often claim that making entry-level jobs more expensive won't reduce the number of entry-level jobs. ... But that's exactly what it does. Artificial price floors -- mandatory minimum prices set higher than what the market will bear -- generate surpluses. Minimum-wage laws are no exception. The price floor imposed by the government on the supply of low-skilled labor results in a labor surplus, which is just another way of saying higher unemployment. ... It is bad enough that Congress and the president would deliberately price so many workers out of the market. What is worse is that they claim to be helping the poor when they do so." --columnist Jeff Jacoby

CULTURE

"[C]ourts split along ideological fault lines in cases like the New Haven firefighters' case, where the crucial facts are not even in dispute. The only real dispute is over whether a test is automatically biased if different groups pass it at different rates. Apparently the groups themselves cannot possibly be different, according to 'disparate impact' theory. Facts play a very small role in such issues -- including the facts as to whether social engineering -- especially a lowering of standards for blacks -- actually helps blacks on net balance. But empirical studies indicate that black students do better at colleges and universities where their qualifications are similar to those of the other students at those institutions and worse where they are admitted with wide disparities in qualifications. Where in fact have blacks been most successful? Sports and entertainment come to mind immediately. These are areas where blacks have to meet the same standards as anybody else. If Derek Jeter swings at three pitches and misses, he is out, just like any white ballplayer. If people stop watching Oprah Winfrey's program, it will get cancelled, just like anybody else's. The biggest beneficiaries from the 'disparate impact' dogma are those who claim to be helping minorities. They benefit by feeling noble, winning votes or attracting money. The actual consequences for blacks -- or for the polarization of American society -- seems to be of little concern." --Hoover Institution economist Thomas Sowell

FAITH AND FAMILY

"How often does your family have dinner together? That simple question often evokes an answer of, 'Ummmmmm......' What used to be the most basic of activities has become increasingly difficult to schedule in today's busy world. But bringing back the time-honored practice of 'breaking bread' with your own family could be the single greatest step you take toward saving your family from all kinds of ills. ... The pop culture constantly tells parents the pernicious lie that teenagers don't want them around. But teenagers say something very different. ... When your children know that your being with them is a priority for you, they feel valued and loved. They also begin to understand that the sacred bonds of family will sustain them through any challenge life throws at them." --Heritage Foundation senior communications fellow Rebecca Hagelin

THE GIPPER

"I'm warning of an eradication of the American memory that could result, ultimately, in an erosion of the American spirit. Let's start with some basics: more attention to American history and a greater emphasis on civic ritual. And let me offer lesson No. 1 about America: All great change in America begins at the dinner table. So, tomorrow night in the kitchen I hope the talking begins. And children, if your parents haven't been teaching you what it means to be an American, let 'em know and nail 'em on it. That would be a very American thing to do." --Ronald Reagan

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

(To submit reader comments visit our Letters to the Editor page.) "I would like to commend Mark Alexander on yet another excellent essay, this one taking apart the global agenda of the Climate Nazis. In his essay, Commissars of Cool, on House passage of 'Obama's Orwellian legislation to regulate and tax CO2,' Alexander notes this quote from Albert Gore, addressing the Smith School World Forum on Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University: 'I bring you good news from the U.S. The House of Representatives passed the Waxman-Markey climate bill ... very much a step in the right direction. [This bill] will dramatically increase the prospects for success... But it is the awareness itself that will drive the change and one of the ways it will drive the change is through global governance...' This is about global governance, not about climate. Here in California, we are in a crisis because we passed a state version of this suicidal climate legislation folly. Brace yourself America!" --Sacramento, California "While I agree that there was excessive coverage related to the death of Michael Jackson, your 'morphed' comments are racially insensitive." --Sandy, Utah Editor's Reply: Utter a critical comment about a black icon and I am a "racist"? For all you Jackophiles out there, who just can't get enough coverage of Michael Jackson's life and death, this is how absurd the idolatry has gotten... Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (no relation to Michael or Robert E.) introduced a 1,500-word congressional resolution to ensure that Jackson "will be honored forever and forever and forever and forever and forever." Meanwhile, in the days since Jackson died, a dozen American soldiers and Marines have died in Afghanistan, engaging jihadis as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Specifically, they were killed in offensives against the Taliban, now being led by a former detainee from GITMO. It is these uniformed American Patriots who deserve to be honored by Congress and the MSM, and revered by their fellow citizens every day -- not a moonwalking, race morphing child molester.

THE LAST WORD

"According to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, we only have 96 months left to save the planet. I'm impressed. 96 months. Not 95. Not 97. July 2017. Put it in your diary. Usually the warm-mongers stick to the same old drone that we only have ten years left to save the planet. Nice round number. Al Gore said we only have ten years left three-and-a-half years ago, which makes him technically more of a pessimist than the Prince of Wales. Al's betting Armageddon kicks in January 2016 -- unless he's just peddling glib generalities. And, alas, even a prophet of the ecopalypse as precise as His Royal Highness is sometimes prone to this airy-fairy ten-year shtick: in April, Prince Charles predicted that the red squirrel would be extinct 'within ten years', which suggests that, while it may be curtains for man and all his wretched works come summer of 2017, the poor doomed red squirrel will have the best part of two years to frolic and gambol on a ruined landscape. So, unless you're a squirrel, don't start any long books in 95 months' time, because time is running out!" --columnist Mark Steyn ***** Veritas vos Liberabit -- Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for The Patriot's editors and staff. (Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.)


Friday Digest
10 July 2009
Vol. 09 No. 27

THE FOUNDATION

"It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred they bore to his political opinions." --Thomas Jefferson

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

Wailin' About Palin

Defying convention once again, former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin resigned as governor of Alaska last Friday, effective July 26. Forget reaction from the Leftmedia, which was predictably skewed and derisive; there's enough consternation on the Right to go around. Karl Rove, longtime advisor to George W. Bush, called Palin's move a "risky strategy." Mike Huckabee, who also ran for president in 2008, said that "nobody knows whether it's going to pay off or not." Both assume Palin is angling for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012. But there have been unconventional strategies to get to the White House before, and Palin is not one to abide strictly by convention. Furthermore, the presidency may not be her goal, though she has mentioned a "higher calling" and said that "all options are on the table" for her future. In her press conference, Palin used a basketball analogy, saying, "A good point guard drives through a full court press, protecting the ball, keeping her eye on the basket ... and she knows exactly when to pass the ball so that the team can win. And I'm doing that..." GOPUSA's Bobby Eberle responded, "I don't think the people of Alaska, who voted for her to be governor of their state, voted for her so that she could 'pass the ball.' They voted for her so that she could be governor." That, perhaps, is the only criticism worth hearing. Despite her decision to not seek re-election in 2010, the governor should have stuck it out for the remainder of her term, 2012 in view or not. Yet there is more to the story. As we noted frequently during the campaign, Sarah Palin was beset by remarkably negative press coverage. Indeed, she was ruthlessly savaged in a way rarely -- if ever -- seen before. Even her children were the targets of leftist hatred. For Palin as a mother, this undoubtedly took a toll, and one can't blame her for saying enough is enough. Beyond the media gauntlet, Palin's critics in Alaska filed 15 ethics complaints (all dismissed) and scores of freedom of information requests that often paralyzed her staff over her two-and-a-half years in office. The Palin family itself incurred more than $500,000 in legal fees defending her. Republican Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell, who will succeed Palin, said the FOI requests cost Alaska $2 million to comply. In her quick rise to stardom, Palin proved that she's a capable and solidly conservative politician, albeit one who would benefit from a better grasp of national and geopolitical issues. Her strength is her ability, as columnist Tony Blankley put it, "to talk to [the people] rather than at them or down to them." Perhaps now she will have the time to do her homework and be able to use her talents to rally conservatives another day.

Quote of the Week

"What is it about Palin that elicits such furious bipartisan Washington dismissiveness? After all, the polls show her to be tied with Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee for the very early lead in the 2012 Republican primary. As an outspoken conservative with about an 80 percent favorable rating among Republicans and a high-40s percentage favorable plurality among independents, objectively she should be seen as quite competitive nationally compared with other Republicans.... Palin draws by far the biggest crowds of any current politician, other than, perhaps, the president. She was the only news phenomenon capable of knocking the Michael Jackson story off the cable news lineups. ... At a time when governments around the world -- left, right and center -- are failing to gain public confidence and even the winning Democratic Party in the U.S. struggles to match independents for the leading political category (while the Republican Party struggles to get to 25 to 30 percent market share), it might behoove those same party professionals who have been failing to connect their parties to the public to pause before calling Sarah Palin an incompetent politician. Conventional wisdom may not be reliable in unconventional times -- or for unconventional politicians." --Tony Blankley

Judicial Benchmarks: Ricci v. DeStefano

The Supreme Court recently issued a 5-4 decision in Ricci v. DeStefano, finding that the city of New Haven, Connecticut, violated the rights of several white and one Hispanic firefighters by denying them promotion based on the results of a test on which blacks scored poorly. The city claimed it was better to toss out the results of the test and promote no one rather than promote those who actually did well and risk being sued for discrimination. The white firefighters sued, however, and as the case wound its way through the courts, it briefly found itself before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, where Judge Sonya Sotomayor, President Barack Obama's nominee to replace Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court, took part in a unanimous ruling stating that New Haven acted properly. The Supreme Court majority found that New Haven could not prove that its test was in fact discriminatory, and therefore the city had no right to deny promotion. Sotomayor's supporters in the White House and the activist wing of the judiciary had the gall to say that this complete reversal of her decision by the High Court actually helps her nomination to that same court. Despite the fact that not even the Court's four liberal justices supported Sotomayor's rationale for siding with the city, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs crowed, "She doesn't legislate from the bench." Sure, Bob. Beyond Sotomayor's direct involvement in this case, the real issue, which the justices decided to sidestep in their decision, is whether Title VII violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution. This provision maintains that individuals may not be treated differently because of race, but that testing requirements can be discriminatory if they have a disparate impact on the members of a particular racial group. Justice Antonin Scalia was the only one of the nine on the Court willing to touch this issue. In his lone concurring opinion, Scalia wrote, "The war between disparate impact and equal protection will be waged sooner or later, and it behooves us to begin thinking about how -- and on what terms -- to make peace between them."

This Week's 'Braying Jenny' Award

"Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of." --Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a statement so grotesque we don't know where to begin

News From the Swamp: Democrats' 60 Votes

With the April party switch of Pennsylvania's Sen. Arlen Specter and the Minnesota Supreme Court declaring Al Franken to have gotten "the highest number of votes legally cast" (cough, cough) in the final outstanding electoral race from last November, Senate Democrats have achieved their cherished goal of a 60-40 filibuster-proof majority. Or have they? While these numbers suggest otherwise, signs point to continuing headaches for Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and President Obama. Two formerly reliable members from the Jurassic Era, Robert Byrd (D-WV) and Ted Kennedy (D-MA), are battling health issues that force them to miss votes. Other members may be picked off due to concerns on particular issues -- the Waxman-Markey cap-and-tax scheme can adversely affect Democrats hailing from Rust Belt states, and the newly minted Franken is one senator thought not to be completely sold on Obamacare, previously calling it "not feasible" in this political climate. On the other hand, the defection of Specter leaves only three predictable "moderates" among the GOP ranks -- Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins from Maine and George Voinovich from Ohio, who's already announced he won't run again in 2010. In a classic case of "be careful what you wish for," Senate Democrat leaders and their special interest backers may find it harder to make up lost votes from a Republican minority which is more united but can't be tagged as obstructionist when their minority is less than that required to sustain a filibuster.

Hope 'n' Change: Scripted Press

If there's a living soul who can testify as an expert about press coverage of the White House, it would have to be Helen Thomas. At 89 years of age, the flaky and curmudgeonly journalist is the "dean" of the White House press corps. Though it may seem like so many more, Obama is the 10th president she's covered in her long career. So heads turned when she had a heated exchange with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs over prearranged questions for a recent town hall meeting. Thomas criticized Obama's "pattern of controlling the press" at "prepackaged" engagements. In a later interview, Thomas complained that even President Richard Nixon didn't attempt to control the press as much as the current administration has done. "I'm not saying there has never been managed news before, but this is carried to fare-thee-well for the town halls, for the press conferences. It's blatant. They don't give a d*** if you know it or not. They ought to be hanging their heads in shame." Snapped Thomas, "What the h*** do they think we are, puppets?" Apparently, The Washington Post is willing to be a puppet. National Review editor Jonah Goldberg sums it up: "Before Sarah Palin stepped on the story, the talk of the Beltway was Salongate at the Washington Post. The newspaper had hatched a scheme whereby it would hold a series of 'salons' at the home of publisher Katharine Weymouth in order to sell lobbyists and corporations access to Obama administration officials and the Post reporters and editors who cover them." The ears of the administration could thus be had for a mere $25,000. At least until the story broke and the Post had to cancel. Helen, call your office.

NATIONAL SECURITY

Honduras Displays Rare Courage

Last week, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was deposed by the nation's military after its supreme court found that he was violating the Honduran constitution. Article 237 of the Honduran constitution limits the president to a single four-year term. This was not acceptable to Zelaya, who, in his best impression of Venezuelan thug-dictator Hugo Chavez, tried to circumvent the constitutional term limitation by scheduling an unconstitutional referendum to stand for a second term. Thus, the intervention of the court and the military. First and foremost, then, this was not a coup as President Barack Obama, the UN and the Organization of American States (OAS) have stated, but a restoration of constitutional rule of law, something painfully unfamiliar -- detestable, even -- to the aforementioned Friends of Chavez. The OAS suspended Honduras until Zelaya is reinstated. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has promised to work on a "deal." State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said, "Our goal remains ... a peaceful solution to this crisis. We're very focused on the need for a dialogue to restore him back [to office] and restore the democratic order." Uh, memo to Kelly: The people of Honduras do have democratic order -- it's called defending the constitution when it's under assault. May they remain steadfast and may that resolve spread to the U.S.

Obama to Cut U.S. Nuclear Capability

President Barack Obama and his Russian comrade, President Dmitri Medvedev, agreed this week on the framework of a nuclear weapons treaty, planning to cut both nations' inventories by as much as a third. The 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty expires December 5. The Wall Street Journal reports, "Under the agreement, deployed nuclear warheads targeted at each country would be reduced to between 1,500 and 1,675 over seven years from the current ceiling of 2,200." Additionally, "Nuclear-weapons delivery systems would be reduced to between 500 and 1,100 from the current ceiling of 1,600. The wide gap reflects continued division over four U.S. Trident submarines, the entire U.S. B-1 bomber fleet and dozens of B-52s that have been either converted to release conventional weapons use or mothballed." The Russians want them counted; the U.S. does not. Obama declared, "As the world's two leading nuclear powers, the United States and Russia must lead by example.... It is very difficult for us to exert that leadership unless we are showing ourselves willing to deal with our own nuclear stockpiles in a more rational way." By rational way, of course, Obama means to systematically get rid of them. Not exactly peace through strength.

This Week's 'Alpha Jackass' Award

Looks like Babblin' Joe Biden, Barack Obama's handpicked Veep -- chosen for his foreign policy "expertise," no less -- has stepped in it again. Playing perfectly the part of the crazy family uncle in the attic, Biden seemed to give Israel a green light to attack Iran's nuclear program, saying that the U.S. "cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do," when asked if the U.S. would try to stop such an attack. "Israel can determine for itself -- it's a sovereign nation -- what's in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else," he said. Indeed, Reuters reports, "An Israeli submarine sailed the Suez Canal to the Red Sea as part of a naval drill last month, defense sources said on Friday, describing the unusual maneuver as a show of strategic reach in the face of Iran." Biden's remarks, while sensible policy, required yet another "let me explain what Joe meant" appearance by Obama, who explained that the U.S. has "absolutely not" given Israel a green light for an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. He further slapped the VP by saying it was "very important that I'm as clear as I can be, and our administration is as consistent as we can [be] on this issue." Rumor has it that Biden was last seen being forcibly escorted to Dick Cheney's infamous "undisclosed location" -- which, by the way, thanks to Joe's big mouth, we all know is in the basement of the Naval Observatory in Washington, DC.

Warfront With Jihadistan: Saddam From the Grave

Last week, some interesting new information emerged about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs, as well as Saddam Hussein's final days. In more than 100 pages of notes, FBI special agent George Piro, who interviewed Saddam after his capture between February and June 2004, described his sessions with the deposed despot. Saddam claimed that he had allowed the world to believe Iraq had WMD because he feared that without them Iraq would appear vulnerable to Iran, Iraq's enemy in a disastrous eight-year war in the 1980s during which Saddam did in fact use chemical weapons, on both Iranians and on his own Kurdish Iraqis. Saddam denied having any WMD before the U.S. invasion, saying, "[I]f I had such weapons, I would have used them in the fight against the United States." It has been, and remains, The Patriot's position, based on substantial intelligence reports, that Saddam did have WMD materials and programs, if not weapons ready to use, most of which were spirited out of the country in the year prior to the war as diplomats droned on ceaselessly about useless UN resolutions that ultimately and predictably led nowhere. As for his final days, Saddam claimed that he stayed in Baghdad until a day before the city fell -- an unlikely tale from a coward who was later found disheveled, hiding in a spider hole. Perhaps that's an indication of the truthfulness of his WMD tales.

Democrats Lack Intelligence

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) recently claimed that she knew nothing of the CIA practice of waterboarding, only to be exposed as a liar: She was briefed in 2002. Now, Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), Chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, is helping to circle the wagons. A letter written by the congressman was leaked this week alleging that the CIA "misled" and "affirmatively lied to" Congress about its activities after 9/11. CIA Director Leon Panetta continues to deny such allegations, but as Investor's Business Daily writes, "[C]learly Panetta testified to something big in closed session that Democrats are now using to clobber our spies." Panetta is a former Democrat congressman and knows how to play the Beltway game. Evidently, he's a double agent. An intelligence authorization bill before Congress would, as The Wall Street Journal put it, "hobble the CIA and further handcuff the executive branch" because "gone would be the right of the President to limit disclosure of sensitive information to the so-called Gang of Eight -- the House Speaker and Minority Leader, Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, and the Chairmen and ranking Members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. This authority would pass to Congress. The bill would also expand disclosure requirements for all sorts of intelligence activities." As the Journal concludes, "Congress wants to know about, and often second-guess, intelligence decisions without being responsible for the result."

Lessons of the Best & the Brightest

Robert McNamara, the self-deluded Kennedy/Johnson-era secretary of defense who was instrumental in embroiling the U.S. in Vietnam, died this week at the age of 93. We pause to remember him, one of the original "best and brightest" referenced sarcastically in David Halberstam's book of the same name, because of the uncanny parallels between that era and the present. The Wall Street Journal aptly summed up those parallels: "Whatever else distinguishes JFK's New Frontier or LBJ's Great Society from Barack Obama's 'New Foundation,' this too is an era of soaring rhetoric, big plans and boundless self-regard, issued by an administration convinced it can apply technocratic, top-down solutions to huge and unpredictable systems -- the banking, auto and health-care industries, for instance, or the climate." Having started as a liberal poster child, McNamara quickly fell from grace, his tenure having been marked by abject failure. That failure derived in large part from his ego-driven belief that any war -- especially Vietnam -- was winnable on the basis of technology and application of "scientific" principles. His mechanistic approach to guerilla war in Vietnam -- which included using enemy "body counts" as a metric -- proved otherwise. His subsequent descent into obscurity was virtually total, save the 2003 political biography, "The Fog of War," a documentary drawn from interviews with an older, "wiser" McNamara, who had been for the war before he was against it. An Oscar-winner by virtue of McNamara's self-flagellation, the movie is little more than a catharsis for the troubled soul. In his later years, McNamara took great personal comfort in convincing himself that the Vietnam conflict was "unwinnable" -- only because he had failed, of course; not on the basis of factual data that overwhelmingly indicated otherwise. Until recently, we faced a very similar situation in Iraq. Just a few short months ago, prior to General Petraeus' now-famed "surge," we were subjected to a near-constant din decrying the "impossible" war in Iraq. Petraeus' strategy having succeeded, those cries are silent now. Meanwhile, the current administration embodies the same smug self-confidence that led to McNamara's undoing. As columnist George Will notes, "Today, something unsettlingly similar to McNamara's eerie assuredness pervades the Washington in which he died. The spirit is: Have confidence, everybody, because we have, or soon will have, everything -- really everything -- under control." Populated neither by the best nor the brightest, the Obama administration would do well to crack its history books open to "Vietnam" and study McNamara to re-learn an age-old lesson before it's too late: pride goes before a fall.

Profiles of Valor: U.S. Army Pfc. Moss

Pfc. Channing Moss of the United States Army was serving in Afghanistan in March 2006 when disaster struck. His convoy was attacked by Taliban fighters with small arms and rocket propelled grenades. Moss, manning an MK 19 machine gun in the turret of his Humvee, was struck by an RPG -- and survived. Though Moss was impaled through the abdomen with live ordnance, his comrades didn't leave him to die. Army regulations dictate that MEDEVAC choppers should never carry a wounded soldier with a live round in him, yet the flight crew did just that. "[A]t the time, I really didn't think about it," said flight medic Sgt. John Collier, then a specialist. "I knew [the RPG] was there but I thought, if we didn't do it, if we didn't get him out of there, he was going to die." Protocol also dictates that soldiers in Moss's condition be placed in a sandbagged bunker and considered "expectant" -- expected to die. But Maj. John Oh, 759th Forward Surgical Team general surgeon and a naturalized Korean immigrant, performed the life-saving surgery while wearing body armor and a helmet and assisted by a member of the explosive ordnance disposal team and other brave volunteers. The Military Times has more on this incredible story here and a moving video here (warning: graphic content). Three months after surviving the attack, Moss witnessed the birth of his second daughter, Ariana. That would not have been possible without the heroic efforts of Maj. Oh, Sgt. Collier and the crew of the 159th Medical Company. "They saved my life," said Moss. "I hope God watches over them if they get deployed." Indeed.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Income Redistribution: Stimulus Fails, Health Care Next

This just in: The Obama administration's "stimulus" spending continues to be ineffective against the recession. Joe Biden recently admitted that they "guessed wrong" in frittering away $787 billion of taxpayer money and that "everyone misread how bad the economy was" -- this from the guy who incessantly whined about having inherited "the worst economy since the Great Depression." Well, the private sector lost another 473,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate rose to 9.5 percent, far beyond the administration's promise of 8 percent if the stimulus was passed. For House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) to say, "I don't think anybody can honestly say that we're satisfied with the results so far of the stimulus," is an understatement, though Blue states seem to be doing quite well. Enter Obamacare. Under the dubious assertion that because 15 percent of Americans have no health insurance, we should be willing to socialize 17 percent of the U.S. economy, President Obama and congressional liberals will soon begin debate on their health care reform package with a fall deadline for passage. The cost estimates for this unprecedented expansion of government into the medical field range from a low of $1 trillion (as guessed by the party pushing the reform efforts) to $4 trillion, as a professor from the University of Minnesota recently testified to Congress. What do we get for all this spending? A modest reduction of estimated uninsured numbers from 49 million to 30 million for the "low cost" of $71,428 to $285,714 per person. Liberals continue to argue the government's public option will force the 1,300 private health insurers into being more competitive. But as Sen. Bernie Sanders (S-VT) put it, private insurance companies "should be afraid, I mean let me tell you, they should be afraid. ...[T]hey have a right to be exposed, a right to be afraid that they will not be able to compete against a strong Medicare type public plan which treats people with dignity." In saying private insurers "will not be able to compete," Sanders actually gets it right, though he seems to think that's a good thing. And Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) insisted, "[T]he only holdouts are sort of ideologues on the Republican side of this saying no government involvement whatsoever. ...[I]f you're a fiscal conservative you ought to be for a public option because it saves money." The truth, of course, is anything but.

On Cross-Examination

"Our first stimulus bill ... was sort of like taking half a tablet of Viagra and having also a bunch of candy mixed in ... as if everybody was putting in enough for their own constituents." --billionaire investor and Obama supporter Warren Buffett, though he also thinks a second stimulus "may well be called for"

The BIG Uh...

"The more that we can do to stimulate the economy in the short term, the challenge we've got as everybody knows is that we inherited a big deficit, and it is at a certain point potentially counterproductive if we're spending more money than we're having to borrow." --President Barack Obama

Around the Nation: More Tea Parties

On July 4th, more than 200,000 Americans chose to celebrate our nation's independence, not only by attending barbeques and fireworks, but by protesting the erosion of that independence. The TEA (for "Taxed Enough Already") Parties were begun in April to protest the rise in taxes and the growth of the federal government in general, and the second round was held last weekend in every major city in the country and many mid-sized ones as well. Naturally, the mainstream media's coverage of the events was lukewarm at best. While CNN's Anderson Cooper, with his tasteless sexual innuendos, and Susan Roesgen, with her insults, were thankfully engaged elsewhere, the coverage remained condescending and diminutive, as if fighting for the freedoms promised us by the Founders is somehow passé. Perhaps the best gauge of our media today is CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin's comment about the protesters: "Of course, exercising that First Amendment right to protest, but hopefully, they'll clear out of the way for the fireworks tonight." Do these people actually consider themselves professional journalists? The reporters also continue to insist on treating the Tea Parties as a sideshow of the Republican Party, when in fact many of these people are either apolitical or have become disillusioned by the post-campaign delivery of the Obama regime. But not all the coverage was sub par. Local papers, including New Jersey's Star Ledger for example, proudly reported on how their citizens took a stand. The Ledger covered the Morristown tea party, where residents said the Pledge of Allegiance, sang the Star-Spangled Banner, and thanked God for blessing the country. It also recounted the town's role in early American history, and reminded us all that the spirit that built the United States is still alive and kicking.

GOP Auto Dealers Not Targeted

After Chrysler announced several weeks ago that a slew of dealerships were getting the axe, whispers began swirling that the affected dealers were overwhelmingly Republican. However, according to Kevin Hassett and Alex Wein of the American Enterprise Institute, the verdict on this accusation is in, and it's "innocent." It's just that most dealers (a.k.a., small business owners) are Republican. Hassett and Wein cross-referenced dealers with campaign contributions and dealership closings and found that dealerships owned by Republican and Democrat donors, respectively, not only were equally affected but were so to an almost eerie degree. Of the 420 dealerships for which affiliation could be determined, 300 were Republican and 120 Democrat. Of the former, 77, or 25.7 percent, were targeted for closure, while 31, or 25.8 percent, of the latter were shut down. Even more curious, 25.1 percent of closures were in blue states ... and 25.1 percent in red. Playing political favorites? Maybe not this time. Scrambling to avoid even the appearance doing so? Perhaps. Meanwhile, Government Motors got the nod from a bankruptcy judge to sell most of its assets to a new company. The new GM emerged from bankruptcy Friday, escaping not only liquidation but also liability for claims from pre-bankruptcy-protection incidents. And while Uncle Sam will be the new majority owner, Obama claims he doesn't want to interfere in daily operations. Apparently, firing former CEO Rick Wagoner (though he is technically still employed with an exit package in the works) and steering the selection of the new board of directors is involvement enough.

CULTURE & POLICY

Climate Change This Week: Warming Nazis

Has the world gone mad? Vice President Al Gore is now comparing the fight against global warming to our battle against the Nazis in World War II. "Winston Churchill aroused this nation in heroic fashion to save civilization in World War II," Gore droned. "We have everything we need except political will, but political will is a renewable resource." But, then again, perhaps Gore has a point, for the global warming hysterics are appearing more and more totalitarian each day. They have already made it clear that they should be able to tell us what to drive, how to light our homes and how many children to have. Now they have a new target: the wealthy. In the months leading up to the December meeting scheduled in Copenhagen -- and in the face of scientific findings that dispute that global warming is occurring at all -- the ecofascists are fumbling to come up with new ways of building their new world order. No surprise, they are now pointing to a study that suggests the rich are responsible for half the world's carbon emissions, presumably because of the gas-guzzling cars they drive and those big fancy homes they live in. If the study's recommendations are followed, a Global Warming Police would track each country's wealthy individuals to assess their level of carbon emissions. While denying that this is a limousine-and-yacht tax on the rich, Shoibal Chakravarty of the Princeton Environment Institute -- one of the study's authors -- nevertheless revealed his true colors: "We are not by any means proposing that. If some country finds a way of doing that, it's great." We believe it's called "cap and trade" -- a tax on all Americans.

Faith and Family: Massachusetts Challenges DOMA

Massachusetts became the first state to grant "marriage" rights to same-sex couples in 2003 and, this week, the Bay State also became the first to challenge the federal Defense of Marriage Act in federal court. "We cannot and should not be required to violate the equal-protection rights of our citizens in Massachusetts who choose to be married," said state attorney general Martha Coakley. She also claimed that the act forced the state "to disregard the marriages of same-sex couples when implementing federally funded programs." In the end, this is a good illustration of the Pandora's Box opened by too much government control, interference and "benefits." Many conservatives have argued that allowing states to regulate marriage is part of the problem. We would point to "federally funded programs" as another quagmire. After all, once the pie is baked, everyone wants a piece. And with Democrats in control of Washington again, we don't expect DOMA to survive much longer.

Village Academic Curriculum: About That Free Lunch...

If trends continue, Philadelphia parents may soon find themselves competing for their children's recognition -- not with one another, but with the Philadelphia school district. Thanks to the city's "universal meals" program, students attending school receive not only an education but also breakfast (and lunch, of course), free of charge, courtesy of the federal government. The pilot program, which is now in its 17th year (a creative application of the term "pilot," to be sure), was launched to eliminate the gap between those who qualify for free or low-cost school meals (80 percent at the time) and those who actually receive them (less than one-third in 1991). The solution? Give them all free meals! Yes indeed, under the program, if at least 75 percent of a school's students meet a low-income standard, all students are automatically enrolled. Today, nearly 200 of Philadelphia's 270 schools serve free meals. One mother of three school-age children appreciates the program, saying, "Sometimes we need that extra little help as far as food goes.... That's one less thing that we have to worry about as parents." Perhaps, but don't be surprised when one day Junior starts calling the cafeteria lady "Mom." In other academic news, Denver District Court Judge Larry Naves refused to give Ward Churchill his job back at the University of Colorado. Former professor Churchill, who gained infamy for slurring the 9/11 victims as "little Eichmanns," lost his job for plagiarism in 2007. He sued and a jury awarded him $1, but the judge wrote, "If I am required to enter an order that is 'consistent with the jury's findings,' I cannot order a remedy that 'disregards the jury's implicit finding' that Professor Churchill has suffered no actual damages that an award of reinstatement would prospectively remedy."

And Last...

"Four workers were charged Thursday in an elaborate scheme in which hundreds of corpses were dug up at a historic black cemetery near Chicago and strewn in a weeded area or reburied with other bodies so that plots could be resold," reports the Associated Press. The "Reverend" Jesse Jackson didn't miss out on the action, saying that there's "a special place in hell" for the accused. Perhaps Jackson has his facts wrong. Word on the street is that the gravediggers work for ACORN, and that the graves are empty because the Obama campaign unearthed the corpses back in November in order to drum up a few more votes. But we don't want to spread any rumors... ***** Veritas vos Liberabit -- Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for The Patriot's editors and staff. (Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.)



Alexander's Essay – 9 July 2009

The Commissars of Cool

"Every new regulation concerning commerce or revenue; or in any manner affecting the value of the different species of property, presents a new harvest to those who watch the change and can trace its consequences; a harvest reared not by themselves but by the toils and cares of the great body of their fellow citizens." --Federalist No. 62 Last week, scores of Americans were mesmerized by an event they believed would have consequences of epic proportions for the nation. No, I'm not referring to the passage of the colossal CO2 "cap and trade" legislation, but the MSM's endless and equally mindless tributes to, um, well I can't recall his name but I think he was a black artiste who somehow morphed into a white performer -- but then, hybrids are all the rage these days. Meanwhile, as the masses slumbered, the House passed H.R. 2454, the Waxman-Markey version of Barack Hussein Obama's Orwellian legislation to regulate and tax CO2 -- a gas byproduct of cellular synthesis and industrial output, ostensibly responsible for global climate change. The measure, all 310 pages of it, passed by a narrow vote of 219-212. Some 44 Democrats voted against the legislation, but eight Republicans voted for it, giving BHO the first leg of a cap-n-tax victory. The two most invasive means our central government has at its disposal to control American lives and livelihoods are taxation and regulation, and this bill is a double header. It authorizes BHO's government to collect substantial new taxes and to exercise unprecedented economic control via new environmental regulations, all against a backdrop of the worst economic decline since Jimmy Carter was at the helm. (Fortunately Ronald Reagan implemented the right formula for economic recovery -- BO's "solution" is Carter's formula.) After the bill's passage, Obama trotted out this whopper: "Thanks to members of Congress who were willing to place America's progress before the usual Washington politics, this bill will create new businesses, new industries, and millions of new jobs, all without imposing untenable new burdens on the American people or America's businesses." Of course, that depends on what the definition of "untenable" is. In January 2008, Obama proclaimed, "[U]nder my plan of a cap and trade [sic] system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket ... because I'm capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, natural gas ... you name it ... whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. ... [T]hey will pass that money on to the consumers." Sidebar: Anyone interested in retaining what remains of the legacy of liberty bequeathed to us by our Founders might take pause to consider what BHO meant by "you name it," since you and everyone you know are emitters of CO2. Think about it: An American president is regulating and taxing carbon dioxide, the very thing we exhale, and the very thing that green plants on this planet use to generate the oxygen which sustains us. Cap-n-tax requires American manufacturers to reduce by 2020 carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse" gases by 17 percent from their 2005 emission levels. Even more egregiously, it requires an 80 percent cut by 2050. Industries would be "allocated" government permits specifying allowances for these gases. About 15 percent of these permits would be auctioned to the highest bidders and the resulting revenues would be transferred to offset energy expenses for Obama's low-income constituents. And you thought the U.S. Tax Code was convoluted? Now, if you're still under the illusion that Waxman's Malarkey is about saving the planet, you're either: A) a card-carrying member of BHO's sycophantic socialists; B) a true-believing disciple of AlGore's eco-theology; or C) too distracted by coverage of that chameleon-guy's funeral. Here, at least the socialists are intellectually honest about their objectives. Albert Arnold Gore's minions, on the other hand, are still hooked on phony assumptions about the relationship between CO2 and climate change -- as if our planet's climate is supposed to remain utterly unchanged for all time. (Of course, Gore's objectives are the same as BHO's.) However, the climate debate (yes, there is one) is far from over. It is not for me to suggest that the extremely complex ecology of our planet -- its trillions of organisms and ecosystems and its interaction with the Sun -- is beyond the scope of what human scientists can understand so conclusively as to project how the restriction of one small contributory element, among all environmental influences, will affect our climate 100 years from now. After all, my advanced degrees are limited to psychology and public affairs. Instead, you can read what some of the planets most renowned scientists have to say about climate change in "Global Warming: Fact, Fiction and Political Endgame" (update coming soon). Or start with an open letter to Congress delivered last week, from academicians including Princeton physicists Will Happer and Robert Austin, and climatologist Richard Lindzen of MIT, in which they insist, "The sky is not falling ... the Earth has been cooling for 10 years [a trend that] was NOT predicted by the alarmists' computer models, and has come as an embarrassment to them." Heritage Foundation Senior Policy Analyst Ben Lieberman aptly sums up the current state of climate change hysteria. "Both the seriousness and imminence of anthropogenic global warming has been overstated. [H.R. 2454] would have a trivial impact on future concentrations of greenhouse gases. ...[It is projected to] reduce the earth's future temperature by 0.1 to 0.2 degree C by 2100, an amount too small to even notice." (For the record, it would do this at an average annual cost of $2,979 per family of four. So much for BHO's pledge not to raise our taxes.) A recent MIT study likewise concludes, "The different U.S. policies have relatively small effects on the CO2 concentration if other regions do not follow the U.S. lead. ... The Developed Only scenario cuts only about 0.5 °C of the warming from the reference, again illustrating the importance of developing country participation." Two of the biggest producers of CO2, China and India, will continue industrial production unencumbered by this self-mutilating sham. Indeed, EPA administrator Lisa Jackson confessed in a Senate hearing this week, "I believe that ... U.S. action alone will not impact CO2 levels." As former House Speaker Newt Gingrich explains, "The sponsors of Waxman-Markey are telling Americans that not only will the legislation save us from calamitous climate change, it will also produce new jobs and new prosperity by transitioning America to new forms of 'green' energy. In other words, there's no trade-off necessary to save the planet; no price to be paid. It's a win-win-win. Right. And 2+2=5. The reality is that the bill before the House today imposes what could be the largest tax increase in history on the American people. And every single one of us who heats a home, drives a car, and manufactures or consumes products made in America will pay the price." Of course, Gingrich could be wrong. BHO's cap-n-tax plan could be as economically successful as his "stimulus" package. Oh, wait, that hasn't produced a single private sector job -- and the ranks of the unemployed have still soared. But maybe it "saved" some jobs that might have been cut, and it has certainly funded countless marginal government jobs occupied by the marginally employable in order to swell the ranks of government unions -- the Left's permanent constituency. And at the expense of incomprehensible deficit accumulation that exceeds all previous presidents combined -- but I digress. Cap-n-tax is nothing more than a well-executed piece of BHO's socialist playbook, which seeks to ratify central government administration of the economy by way of regulation and taxation. This unbearable piece of legislation is now on its way to the Senate, where Obama has a filibuster-proof majority with the arrival of that "clown from Minnesota." It is likely to face opposition from some centrist Democrats, but, regretfully, there are still enough wayward Republicans left in the Senate to give Obama a victory. Here, I would challenge the members of that august body to find anything in our Constitution's prescription for Rule of Law authorizing the central government to administer any and all elements of commerce that produce some amount of CO2. But then, who pays homage to the credence of that venerable old document, other than the 65 or 70 million modern-day Patriots standing at the ready to restore constitutional Rule of Law? Next up -- ObamaCare -- and you thought cap-n-tax was bad. Again, I'm quite sure that there isn't a word in our Constitution authorizing the central government to administer healthcare, but then... Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis! Mark Alexander
Publisher, PatriotPost.US (To submit or to view reader comments visit our Letters to the Editor page.)

Related Essays

"Albert Gore, Ignoble Laureate"
http://patriotpost.us/alexander/edition.asp?id=564 "Debunking the gullible warming Gorons"
http://patriotpost.us/alexander/edition.asp?id=547

Related Commentary

"Mr. Speaker, the Cap and Trade bill proposes what amounts to endlessly increasing taxes on any enterprises that produce carbon dioxide or other so-called greenhouse gas emissions. We need to understand what that means. It has profound implications for agriculture, construction, cargo and passenger transportation, energy production, baking and brewing -- all of which produce enormous quantities this innocuous and ubiquitous compound. In fact, every human being produces 2.2 pounds of carbon dioxide every day -- just by breathing. So applying a tax to the economy designed to radically constrict carbon dioxide emissions means radically constricting the economy. And this brings us to the fine point of it. When you discuss the folly of the Hoover Administration -- how it turned the recession of 1929 into the depression of the 1930's, the first thing that economists point to is the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act that imposed new taxes on over 20,000 imported products. Waxman Markey [cap and trade bill] is our generation's Smoot Hawley. In fact, it's worse because it imposes new taxes on an infinitely larger number of domestic products on a scale that utterly dwarfs Smoot-Hawley. ... In the most serious recession since the Great Depression -- why would members of this house want to repeat the same mistakes that produced that Great Depression? Watching how California has just wrecked its economy and destroyed its finances, why would they want to do the same thing to our nation? Mr. Speaker, this is deadly serious stuff. It transcends ideology and politics. This House has just made the biggest economic mistake since the days of Herbert Hoover." --California Rep. Tom McClintock ***** (Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.) You have received this email because you are subscribed to The Patriot Post. To manage your subscription or to unsubscribe, link to http://patriotpost.us and log in with your email address.


Wednesday Chronicle
8 July 2009
Vol. 09 No. 27

THE FOUNDATION

"I have no ambition to govern men. It is a painful and thankless office." --Thomas Jefferson

EDITORIAL EXEGESIS

"The political class is flummoxed by Sarah Palin's decision to quit as Alaska Governor, and understandably so. Giving up on an executive job a year and a half early isn't the best way to persuade voters you're ready for the more demanding rigors and scrutiny of the White House. Mrs. Palin's explanation on Friday was hardly clear or persuasive, wandering from the taxpayer expense of various ethics probes, to the self-indulgence of lame-duck Governors who serve out their terms, to the fact that she and her family had concluded she can better serve the people out of public office. Some Alaskans, including many of her admirers, can be forgiven if they conclude she bugged out when the going got rough. Perhaps she is finished with political life, and who could blame her? Since John McCain chose her as his running mate after a mere two years as Governor, Democrats and their media running mates have given her the kind of mauling they always reserve for conservative Republicans who aren't part of the Beltway club. At least the press corps left Dan Quayle's children out of his trashing. For whatever reason, Mrs. Palin seems in particular to drive feminist writers into condescending fits. If she wants to devote herself during the next few years to raising her family, writing a book and making money to pay her legal and medical bills, those are understandable choices. The more troubling question is whether the 45-year-old is also calculating that this is the best way for her to seek the White House in 2012. If so, she's probably mistaken. Her main claim on executive experience is the Alaskan state house, and giving it up early diminishes an otherwise solid record, especially in challenging GOP elites, and reneges on a promise to voters. Millions of conservatives admire her reform credentials and her personal story, but to win the White House she needs to persuade millions of others, including independents, that she has the policy depth and personal judgment to be President." --The Wall Street Journal

UPRIGHT

"As was the case with Ronald Reagan, who was also dismissed as a less than serious type, Sarah Palin has a quality that appeals to a broad base of Americans who sense the country is headed in the wrong direction. She has that much in common with another charismatic figure on the American scene -- Barack Obama -- even if his political and cultural leanings are quite the opposite of hers. The moral of the story: Politics, like Sarah Palin herself, is just full of surprises." --columnist Paul Greenberg "What is it about Palin that elicits such furious bipartisan Washington dismissiveness? After all, the polls show her to be tied with Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee for the very early lead in the 2012 Republican primary. As an outspoken conservative with about an 80 percent favorable rating among Republicans and a high-40s percentage favorable plurality among independents, objectively she should be seen as quite competitive nationally compared with other Republicans, particularly given that Republicans are generically weak and that she has been targeted so viciously by the media." --columnist Tony Blankley "North Korea launches a missile and it takes Barack Obama and the UN five days to respond. Iran holds fraudulent elections, kills protesters and it takes weeks before Barack Obama can stand up and say that he is 'concerned' about the situation. Then the people of Honduras try to uphold their constitution and laws of the land from being trampled by a Chavez-wanna be and it takes Barack Obama one day to proclaim that this was not a legal coup." --radio talk-show host Neal Boortz "There was an attempted coup in Honduras, but it was Zelaya who initiated it, not his opponents." --columnist Mona Charen "If Honduras is hung out to dry, if America suspends trade and economic aid, the forces arrayed against liberty in Latin America will have won a major victory. On the other hand, if Honduras is not abandoned now, those Iran-supporting, America-hating, liberty-loathing forces will have suffered a major defeat." --columnist Dennis Prager "Some conservatives have hoped to shrink government by 'starving the beast.' Refuse to raise taxes, they figured, and eventually spending would have to fall. It's beginning to look as though the new team may have a similar strategy, in reverse: Increase spending, and eventually taxes will have to be raised." --Washington Post editorial page editor Fred Hiatt

DEZINFORMATSIA

Slamming Palin: "Palin, who was thrust on to the national stage as John McCain's running mate against President Obama, defended her decision [to resign] as a move to avoid becoming a lame duck. Love her or hate her, Sarah Palin's able to -- she was already lame -- Sarah Palin's able to electrify the conservative base of the party like no other Republican in the country." --CNN's Jack Cafferty Feminists hate her: "Caribou Barbie is one nutty puppy." --New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd on Sarah Palin What about Hillary? "If Sarah Palin thinks that she's had it tougher than anybody else, she's been more harshly criticized, I have for two words for her: Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton was savaged for eight years." --Atlanta Journal-Constitution political columnist Cynthia Tucker From the sycophants: "Henry Waxman is to Congress what Ted Williams was to baseball -- a natural. ... This is the voice of David, whose career has featured the slaying of one Goliath after another. ... Waxman's personal accomplishments are impressive." --Washington Post associate editor Robert Kaiser Just keep spending: "Well, I think they're hoping that this summer period is when they can in fact ramp up the [stimulus] spending. It's not easy to spend the amount of money that they appropriated, $800 billion, that quickly." --CNBC Chief Washington correspondent John Harwood Speaking of out-of-control spending: "[The July 4th tea party protesters are] exercising that First Amendment right to protest, but hopefully, they'll clear out of the way for the fireworks tonight." --CNN's Brooke Baldwin on DC protesters on Independence Day Three-ring circus: "Michael Jackson is an accidental civil rights leader, an accidental pioneer. He broke ground and barriers in so many different realms in artistry, in pictures, in movies, in music, you name it. So, no, I don't think it's overkill." --CNN's Don Lemon on the non-stop Jackson media circus Newspulper Headlines: To Whom It May Concern: "Obama Tells the AP He Is Deeply Concerned About Rising Unemployment" --Associated Press It Better Not Be a Free One: "Economists Out to Lunch" --The Washington Post A Distinction Without a Difference: "Jackson Service Conflicts With Circus Visit" --The Washington Times You Call This Fair and Balanced?: "Fox Snatches Lunch From Boy Before Attacking Woman, 76" --FoxNews.com Even So, May We Borrow Your Gun?: "Expert Warns of Danger to Consumer Lending Arms" --Financial Times Everything Seemingly Is Spinning Out of Control: "Biden to Take New Role Overseeing Iraq Policy" --Agence France-Presse News You Can Use: "Beware the Obama 'Evil Eye'" --Drudge Report Bottom Stories of the Day: "D.C.'s Marion Barry Arrested Again" --CNN.com (Thanks to The Wall Street Journal's James Taranto)

THE DEMO-GOGUES

Speak for yourself: "The truth is, we and everyone else misread the economy. ... The truth is, there was a misreading of just how bad an economy we inherited. ... We misread how bad the economy was, but we are now only about 120 days into the recovery package." --Vice President Joe Biden Essential failure: "I don't think anybody can honestly say that we're satisfied with the results so far of the stimulus. But we believe the stimulus was absolutely essential. ... We certainly want to see how this develops over the next few months." --House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) Prescription for trouble: "If you did a consensus within the Democratic Party, you would find the level-playing-field public option [for health care] to be the answer. And now that we have 60 votes [in the Senate], it seems to me like we don't have to turn it inside out for something we don't like. ... I think the Senate HELP committee compromised already, because you have a lot of members on the HELP committee who would've liked [the public option] to be much closer to Medicare. The idea seems to be catching everybody's imagination, and sense of fairness. And the only holdouts are sort of ideologues on the Republican side of this saying no government involvement whatsoever. ...[W]hat the CBO is saying, if you're a fiscal conservative you ought to be for a public option because it saves money." --Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Nothing to fear but government itself: "[Private insurance companies] should be afraid, I mean let me tell you, they should be afraid. ...[T]hey have a right to be exposed, a right to be afraid that they will not be able to compete against a strong Medicare type public plan which treats people with dignity." --Sen. Bernie Sanders (S-VT) Not exactly peace through strength: "As the world's two leading nuclear powers, the United States and Russia must lead by example, and that's what we're doing here today. ... It is very difficult for us to exert that leadership unless we are showing ourselves willing to deal with our own nuclear stockpiles in a more rational way. ... So yes, I trust [Russian] President [Dmitri] Medvedev to not only listen and to negotiate constructively, but also to follow through on the agreements that are contained here today." --President Barack Obama, negotiating away U.S. nuclear capabilities

VILLAGE IDIOTS

Broken record: "It will either be 'What were you thinking, didn't you see the North Pole melting before your eyes, didn't you hear what the scientists were saying?' Or they will ask, 'How is it you were able to find the moral courage to solve the crisis which so many said couldn't be solved?'" --Al Gore forecasting the next generation's climate of opinion about planetary heating Seeing the truth a little too late: "And I never would have believed that we would have budgets that are running into the multi-trillions of dollars, and we are amassing a huge, huge national debt that, if we don't pay for in our lifetime, our kids and grandkids and great grandchildren will have to pay for it." --Obama backer Colin Powell, who apparently wasn't listening to his man's stated plans to unmake the United States Still an idiot: "As someone who will have been in the committee a grand total of six days and isn't an attorney, I kind of see myself fulfilling a certain role for Americans watching the hearings [for Sotomayor]." --"Saturday Night Live" entertainer-turned-U.S. Senator Al Franken, who announced that his first order of business would be preparing for the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor

SHORT CUTS

"The stimulus is a bust? It's stimulating nothing but non-jobs like Executive Stimulus Coordinator for Community Organization Stimulus Assistance Programs? Hey, let's spend even more, even faster, even less stimulatingly!" --columnist Mark Steyn "President Obama flew to Russia for Kremlin talks Monday. Russia tried national health care, they tried government ownership of industry and they tried to win a war in Afghanistan. If you can't be a good example you can at least be a horrible warning." --comedian Argus Hamilton "The soon to be former governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, is like one of those souffles my mother sometimes made. The recipe warned against premature removal from the oven because the dish would collapse." --columnist Cal Thomas "With the Supreme Court's decision in Ricci v. DeStefano [last] week, we can now report that Sonia Sotomayor is even crazier than Ruth Bader Ginsburg." --columnist Ann Coulter "Being a conservative, I naturally spend an inordinate amount of time attempting to psychoanalyze left-wingers, trying to figure out what makes them tick. God knows I'm not bragging. It is, after all, time I could otherwise devote to alphabetizing my canned goods or trying to make contact with Harry Houdini, but I know from the large number of emails I receive that I'm not alone. The lunacy on the left is enough to turn a lot of us into little Sigmund Freuds." --columnist Burt Prelutsky ***** Veritas vos Liberabit -- Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for The Patriot's editors and staff. (Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.)


Monday Brief
6 July 2009
Vol. 09 No. 27

THE FOUNDATION

"My anxious recollections, my sympathetic feeling, and my best wishes are irresistibly excited whensoever, in any country, I see an oppressed nation unfurl the banners of freedom." --George Washington

LIBERTY

"Hugo Chávez's coalition-building efforts suffered a setback [last week] when the Honduran military sent its president packing for abusing the nation's constitution. It seems that President Mel Zelaya miscalculated when he tried to emulate the success of his good friend Hugo in reshaping the Honduran Constitution to his liking. But Honduras is not out of the Venezuelan woods yet. ...[T]he Central American country was being pressured to restore the authoritarian Mr. Zelaya by the likes of Fidel Castro, Daniel Ortega, Hillary Clinton and, of course, Hugo himself. The Organization of American States, having ignored Mr. Zelaya's abuses, also wants him back in power. It will be a miracle if Honduran patriots can hold their ground. ... [Hillary Clinton] accused Honduras of violating 'the precepts of the Interamerican Democratic Charter' and said it 'should be condemned by all.' Fidel Castro did just that. Mr. Chávez pledged to overthrow the new government. Honduras is fighting back by strictly following the constitution. ... The struggle against chavismo has never been about left-right politics. It is about defending the independence of institutions that keep presidents from becoming dictators. This crisis clearly delineates the problem. In failing to come to the aid of checks and balances, Mrs. Clinton and [OAS Secretary General José Miguel] Insulza expose their true colors." --columnist Mary Anastasia O'Grady

RE: THE LEFT

"Help me out here. President Obama immediately 'meddles' in the affairs of Honduras, denouncing a military coup, the intent of which is to preserve the country's constitution, but when it comes to Iran's fraudulent election and the violent repression of demonstrators who wanted their votes counted, the president initially vacillates and equivocates. Are we expected to accept this as a consistent foreign policy? Even Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was reluctant to call the removal of President Manuel Zelaya a coup, if for no other reason than it would stop U.S. aid flowing to the impoverished Central American nation. The fingerprints (or in this case the boot prints) of the Castro brothers, Venezuela's dictator Hugo Chavez and Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua are all over this. If one is known by the company one keeps, the specter of the Castros and their protégé dictators joining President Obama in denouncing the Honduran military coup is not reassuring. Clearly Zelaya was the choice of the dictators to help spread 'revolution' to America's back door. ... The threat by Chavez to send his troops into Honduras ought to be another signal to the Obama administration that thugs can't be made nice by talking to them. So far, the world's tyrants have been unresponsive to Obama's offer of a new start. ... They are getting the message, but it's a different one than President Obama hoped to send. The message is that Obama is weak and can be had. It is one thing for a president to be liked, but in a dangerous world with dictators who have, or wish to acquire, nuclear weapons and by these and other means destroy the United States, it is better that an American president be feared." --columnist Cal Thomas

OPINION IN BRIEF

"[I]s the U.S. at least consistent in its promises not to meddle? Not all the time. When Benjamin Netanyahu came to power in Israel, the Obama administration made its distaste clear. It also has tried to find ways to isolate Hamid Karzai's elected government in Afghanistan -- and was initially not happy about the prospects of its re-election. Most recently, the U.S. condemned the Honduran military's arrest of President Manuel Zelaya. The nation's supreme court had found his efforts to extend his presidential tenure in violation of its constitution, once Zelaya tried to finesse an illegal third term. In other words, the U.S. pressures other nations as it pleases -- though strangely now more to lean on friends than to criticize rivals and enemies. In contrast, had President Obama voiced early, consistent and sharp criticism of the Iranian crackdown, the theocracy would have worried that the president's stature could have galvanized global boycotts and embargos to isolate the theocracy and aid the dissidents. And the reformers in the streets could have become even more confident with a trademark Obama 'hope and change' endorsement. Internal democratic change in Iran is the only peaceful solution to stopping an Iranian bomb, three decades of Iranian-sponsored terrorism and a Middle East arms race. When thousands risked their lives for a better Iran, a better Middle East and a better world, we, the land of the free, simply were not with them." --Hoover Institution historian Victor Davis Hanson

THE GIPPER

"Ludwig Von Mises, that great economist, once noted: 'People must fight for something they want to achieve, not simply reject an evil.' Well, the conservative movement remains in the ascendancy because we have a bold, forward-looking agenda. No longer can it be said that conservatives are just anti-Communist. We are, and proudly so, but we are also the keepers of the flame of liberty. And as such, we believe that America should be a source of support, both moral and material, for all those on God's Earth who struggle for freedom. Our cause is their cause, whether it be in Nicaragua, Afghanistan, or Angola. When I came back from Iceland I said -- and I meant it -- American foreign policy is not simply focused on the prevention of war but the expansion of freedom. Modern conservatism is an active, not a reactive philosophy. It's not just in opposition to those vices that debase character and community, but affirms values that are at the heart of civilization." --Ronald Reagan

FOR THE RECORD

"Here's how to get a dubious bill into law, or at least past the U.S. House of Representatives, which of late has deserved to be called the lower chamber: -- First, make the bill long. Very long. So long no one may actually read it, supporters or opponents. Introduce a 310-page horse-choker of an amendment at 3 in the morning on the day of the roll-call vote. So it can't be examined too closely or too long. Only after the bill passes may its true costs emerge. ... -- Make sure that the bill itself, which was already 1,200 pages long before this super-sized amendment was added, surpasseth all understanding. (Which may be the only thing it has in common with the peace of God.) ... -- Insert all kinds of exceptions into the bill so those special interests that stand to benefit by them -- whether regional, economic or ideological -- will join the stampede. -- Coat the bill and the campaign for it with high-sounding sloganspeak, if not hysteria. Warn that The End Is Near unless this bill is passed, at least if you consider the year 2100 near. ... -- If necessary, change the subject at the last minute. Say, from climate change to creating jobs. And, hesto presto, though the vote may be close (219 to 212), a confusing bill can be on its way to becoming even more confusing law. Which is just what happened the other day in the U.S. House of Representatives. ... -- Forget the actual content of the bill, since few if any can understand it anyway. Instead, just recite talking points. It's a lot easier than actually thinking. ... Whoever said you never want to see sausage made or laws passed did a grave injustice to sausage-makers, who are surely engaged in a much more wholesome enterprise." --Arkansas Democrat-Gazette editor Paul Greenberg

INSIGHT

"The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness: only power, pure power. ... We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means, it is an end." --English author George Orwell (1903-1950)

GOVERNMENT

"Why did the founders of our nation give us the Bill of Rights? The answer is easy. They knew Congress could not be trusted with our God-given rights. Think about it. Why in the world would they have written the First Amendment prohibiting Congress from enacting any law that abridges freedom of speech and the press? The answer is that in the absence of such a limitation Congress would abridge free speech and free press. That same distrust of Congress explains the other amendments found in our Bill of Rights protecting rights such as our rights to property, fair trial and to bear arms. The Bill of Rights should serve as a constant reminder of the deep distrust that our founders had of government. They knew that some government was necessary but they rightfully saw government as the enemy of the people and they sought to limit government and provide us with protections." --George Mason University economics professor Walter E. Williams

POLITICAL FUTURES

"[Al] Franken is an admitted clown. As such, he will be the only admitted clown in the United States Senate, though he will be seated with such clownish figures as Sen. John Kerry and Sen. Harry Reid. ... Upon hearing of the [Minnesota Supreme] court's decision, Franken joked that he was 'thrilled and honored by the faith that Minnesotans have placed in' him. That is not a very funny joke, but Franken is not funny. By 'Minnesotans,' he probably is attempting irony in referring to his supporters on vote canvassing boards in several left-leaning counties, who turned up a sufficient number of thitherto-uncounted votes to give him the edge. In the Nov. 4 election, Coleman won by 725 votes. After a recount, he still won by 215. Then Franken's 'Minnesotans' got busy canvassing. They demanded that votes once disqualified in their counties be counted. They found thousands of absentee ballots previously rejected for such indelicacies as fabricated addresses. Coleman cried foul and asked that one statewide standard be applied to all recounts. However, he got nowhere with this plea for equal protection of the law, and in the meantime, Franken's larcenous operatives picked up 1,350 more absentee votes, some bearing the names of pop singers. Ultimately, Franken's team managed a 312-vote victory from the 2.9 million votes cast. The Wall Street Journal was not alone in its judgment that 'Mr. Franken now goes to the Senate having effectively stolen an election.'" --columnist R. Emmett Tyrrell

CULTURE

"The surrealism of celebrity pop culture erupts when a major celebrity dies. The sudden, mysterious death of Michael Jackson caused a near-total eclipse of the real news. The cable-news channels blurred into 24-7 wailing walls for the so-called 'King of Pop.' Television ratings surged with a big ka-ching. So much for the 'news' business. On Friday, for example, just 24 hours after the death news broke, anchors like NBC's Brian Williams fit the 'news' of Congress and recession and Iran into a neat thimble of snippets so they could devote most of the newscast to continued mourning of the man with the glittery glove. But what, exactly, is it that Michael Jackson brought to America that was so essential? An alien arriving from space would find him celebrated for dressing in shiny socks and dancing the 'moonwalk.' His music broke sales records and sets dance floors hopping, and his videos made people say 'I want my MTV.' But all this happened a long time ago, when MTV was a music channel. That is not how Michael Jackson dominated the pop-culture news scene for the past 15 years or so. What about Michael Jackson, the man? Was he, in the end, a good man? It seemed no one asked. Everyone wanted to celebrate the mystique of Jackson, but no one was comfortable focusing on the real Michael Jackson.... The coverage was an ocean wide -- and an inch deep." --Media Research Center president L. Brent Bozell

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

(To submit or to view reader comments visit our Letters to the Editor page.) "Independence Day -- it stirs my mind. I am thankful for the birth of our wonderful nation and the men and women who brought it into being. But I am saddened this Independence Day because our freedoms are being taken away as we stray into fascism. I've been a God-fearing, law-abiding citizen for as long as I can remember. It appears, however, that we are fast becoming, if not already, a nation that is no longer based on the rule of law. So at what point does civil disobedience become the right thing, again? Perhaps it's time for us to return to our roots in their purest form." --Arab, Alabama "For a long time, Honduras has been seen by the eyes of the international community as a small, impoverished country that survives on the handouts of the economic powers. To a certain extent this is true. We do depend on U.S. and European economies. We have no oil. We do not produce goods, and we do not export technology. Our main income comes from tourism. As of this moment, our country faces a challenge that may change our history for years or even decades to come. We have two choices. We can choose to bow our heads, bend our knees, be silent and let ex-president Zelaya come back to the presidential seat, and fall further down the spiral on which he has led us so far. We can let him take power and become another stronghold for Chavez's led socialism. We can choose to let Zelaya become one more dictator in the same fashion as Evo Morales, Daniel Ortega, Rafael Correa, and the masterminds behind this all -- Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro. Our second choice is to take a stand. What we did was to defend and uphold our constitution. We said no to tyranny. That was our choice. We chose to live in freedom. To President Obama, to the UN, to the OAS, to the European Union, to The World Bank, The International Monetary Fund, to the world, we say: We are a free, sovereign and independent country, and we choose to take a stand. We take a stand, even if we have to stand alone." --Tegucigalpa, Honduas "Regarding the excitement in Honduras -- talk about support and defend. Perhaps someday our Constitution will be defended with equal fervor from all enemies domestic." --Yuma, Arizona

THE LAST WORD

"Capitalists don't view profits as evil or the product of greed. Their opponents -- call them Marxists, fascists, socialists, radical liberals or whatever -- do. Which brings us ... to Barack Obama. Both his father, Barack Obama Sr., and his mentor, Frank Marshall Davis, were communists. His church of choice was one of black liberation theology, whose Marxist roots are inarguable. He associated with far leftists on the 'organizing' streets of Chicago, including Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn. Mentorship and associations are one thing, but what have Obama's words and actions revealed about his attitudes toward labor, capital, profits and government control of business and industry? Well, he said that he would raise capital gains tax rates, even if it reduced revenues, as a matter of fairness. It's only fair to make everyone poorer if you believe profits are inherently evil. He told Joe the Plumber he wants to spread the wealth around. He talked about confiscating Exxon Mobil's profits and giving them to consumers, saying 'they are not going to give up those profits easily.' He called Chrysler creditors 'speculators' and castigated them for refusing to accept his extortionist reorganization plan. He berated Wall Street for making profits, saying 'now is not (the) time' for them to 'rake in profits.' He and his wife even railed against the pursuit of profit in their respective commencement addresses. He abused the power of his office to steal money from GM and Chrysler shareholders and transfer it to the proletariat, I mean, the United Auto Workers. He redistributed taxpayer money from those who have paid their mortgages to those who have not. He is desperately trying to spread the misery and impoverish businesses and individuals through his cap and tax plan, which no proponent of economic growth and prosperity would consider supporting. And in addition to gobbling up other businesses and industries, he is trying to nationalize medicine -- to siphon off the evil surplus value charged by doctors and insurance companies -- on the flawed Marxist theory that he can reduce costs overall, when the reason health care costs have already skyrocketed is that market forces have been suppressed in the industry. You don't have to call him a Marxist, but at least understand where his heart is." --columnist David Limbaugh ***** Veritas vos Liberabit -- Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for The Patriot's editors and staff. (Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.)

Monday Brief Alexander's Essay – 2 July 2009

Independence Day 2009: We still hold these truths...

"Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" --Patrick Henry
As we celebrate the 233rd year of our Declaration of Independence, let us look at the common parlance associated with the polar spectrum of current political ideology (while such a review is still permitted by the state), and explore what is meant by "Left versus Right," "Liberal versus Conservative" and "Tyranny versus Liberty"?
First, a little history.
On July 4th of 1776, our Founders, assembled as representatives to the Second Continental Congress, issued a declaration stating most notably: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ... That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government..."
In other words, our Founders affirmed that our rights, which are inherent by Natural Law as provided by our Creator, can't be arbitrarily alienated by men like England's King George III, who believed that the rights of men are the gifts of government.
Our Founders publicly declared their intentions to defend these rights by attaching their signatures between July 4th and August 2nd of 1776 to the Declaration. They and their fellow Patriots pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor as they set about to defend the Natural Rights of man.
At the conclusion of the American War for Independence in 1783, our Founders determined the new nation needed a more suitable alliance among the states than the Articles of Confederation. After much deliberation, they proposed the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1787, ratified in 1788 and implemented in 1789 as subordinate guidance to our Declaration of Independence.
Since that time, generations of American Patriots have laid down their lives "to support and defend" our Constitution -- and I would note here that their sacred oath says nothing about a so-called "Living Constitution" as advocated by the political left.
Given that bit of history as a backdrop, consider the lexicography of our current political ideology.
On the dark side of the spectrum would be Leftists, liberals and tyrants.
(Sidebar: One should not confuse "classical liberalism" with "contemporary liberalism." The former refers to those, like Thomas Jefferson, who advocated individual liberty, while the latter refers to those, like Barack Hussein Obama, who advocate statism, which is the antithesis of liberty.)
Statism, as promoted by contemporary American liberals, has as its objective the establishment of a central government authorized as the arbiter of all that is "good" for "the people" -- and conferring upon the State ultimate control over the most significant social manifestation of individual rights, economic enterprise.
On the left, all associations between individuals ultimately augment the power and control of the State. The final expression and inevitable terminus of such power and control, if allowed to progress unabated, is tyranny.
The word "tyranny" is derived from the Latin "tyrannus," which translates to "illegitimate ruler."
Liberals, then, endeavor to undermine our nation's founding principles in order to achieve their statist objectives. However, politicians who have taken an oath to "support and defend" our Constitution, but then govern in clear defiance of that oath, are nothing more than illegitimate rulers, tyrants.
(Sidebar: Some Leftists contend that Communism and Fascism are at opposite ends of the political spectrum. Properly understood, however, both of these forms of government are on the left, because both have as a common end the establishment of an omnipotent state led by a dictator.)
Over on the "right wing" of the political spectrum, where the light of truth shines, would be "conservatives," from the Latin verb "conservare," meaning to preserve, protect and defend -- in this case, our Constitution.
American conservatives are those who seek to conserve our nation's First Principles, those who advocate for individual liberty, constitutional limits on government and the judiciary, and the promotion of free enterprise, strong national defense and traditional American values.
Contemporary political ideology is thus defined by tyrannus and conservare occupying the Left and Right ends of the American political spectrum, defining the difference between liberals and conservatives.
Though there are many devoted protagonists at both ends of this scale, the space in between is littered with those who, though they identify with one side or the other, are not able to articulate the foundation of that identity. That is to say, they are not rooted in liberal or conservative doctrine, but motivated by contemporaneous political causes associated with the Left or Right. These individuals do not describe themselves as "liberal" or "conservative" but as Democrat or Republican. Further, they tend to elect ideologically ambivalent politicians who are most adept at cultivating special interest constituencies.
That having been said, however, there is a major difference between those on the Left and the Right, as demonstrated by our most recent national elections. Those on the Left tend to form a more unified front for the purpose of electability; they tend to embrace a "win at all costs" philosophy, while those on the right tend to spend valuable political capital drawing distinctions between and among themselves.
I would suggest that this disparity is the result of the contest between human nature and Natural Law.
The Left appeals to the most fundamental human instincts to procure comfort, sustenance and shelter, and to obtain those basic needs by the most expedient means possible. The Left promises that the State will attain those needs equally, creating a path of least resistance for that fulfillment.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Right promotes the tenets of Natural Law -- individual liberty and its attendant requirements of personal responsibility and self-reliance.
Clearly, one of these approaches is far easier to sell to those who have been systematically dumbed down by government educational institutions and stripped of their individual dignity by the plethora of government welfare programs.
That easy sell notwithstanding, the threat of tyranny can eventually produce an awakening among the people and a reversal of trends toward statism. But this reversal depends on the emergence of a charismatic, moral leader who can effectively advocate for liberty. (Ronald Wilson Reagan comes to mind.)
For some nations, this awakening has come too late. The most notable examples in the last century are Russia, Germany, Italy and China, whose peoples suffered greatly under the statist tyrannies they came to embrace. In Germany and Italy, the state collapsed after its expansionist designs were forcibly contained. In Russia, the state collapsed under the weight of 70 years of economic centralization and ideological expansionism.
The Red Chinese regime, having witnessed the collapse of the USSR, has so far avoided its own demise by combining an autocratic government with components of a free enterprise economic system. (My contacts in China, including that nation's largest real estate developers and investment fund managers, believe the Red regime will be gone within five years.)
Of course, there exists an American option for the rejection of tyranny: Revolution. And it is an essential option, because the Natural Rights of man are always at risk of contravention by tyrants. At no time in the last century has our Republic faced a greater threat from "enemies, domestic" than right now.
"Our individual salvation," insists Barack Obama, "depends on collective salvation." In other words, BHO's tyranny, et al, must transcend Constitutional authority. And in accordance with his despotic ideals, Obama is now implementing "the fundamental transformation of the United States of America" that he promised his cadre of liberal voters.
It is yet to be seen whether the current trend toward statism will be reversed by the emergence of a great conservative leader, or by revolution, but if you're betting on another Ronald Reagan, I suggest you hedge your bet.
Our Declaration's author, Thomas Jefferson, understood the odds. He wrote, "The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground," and he concluded, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
Accordingly, George Washington advised, "We should never despair, our Situation before has been unpromising and has changed for the better, so I trust, it will again. If new difficulties arise, we must only put forth new Exertions and proportion our Efforts to the exigency of the times."
Indeed we must.
Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis!
Mark Alexander
Publisher, PatriotPost.US
P.S. Fellow Patriots, our Independence Day Campaign is coming to a close. Our team of writers, editors and support staff depend on your financial support so that we may continue to offer The Patriot Post free of charge to tens of thousands of our military, collegiate and mission-field readers.
If you have the ability, please take a moment to support The Patriot online today by making a contribution -- however large or small. (If you prefer to support us by mail, please fill out and send in our printable donor form with a check payable to "The Patriot Annual Fund," PO Box 507, Chattanooga, TN 37401.)

Support the 2009 Independence Day Campaign

Related Essays

• A "Living Constitution" for a Dying Republic
• Sixty million armed Patriots ... and counting
• Religion and Politics Don't Mix?
• Right-Wing Extremists
• A word from the wise
• Liberty versus Tyranny: The primacy of free enterprise over socialism
• ObamaNation -- The USSA
• Our sacred honor ... to support and defend
• The once-great Democratic Party

Related Commentary

"The Modern Liberal believes in the supremacy of the state, thereby rejecting the principles of the Declaration and the order of the civil society, in whole or part. For the Modern Liberal, the individual's imperfection and personal pursuits impede the objective of a utopian state. In this, Modern Liberalism promotes what French historian Alexis de Tocqueville described as a soft tyranny, which becomes increasingly more oppressive, potentially leading to a hard tyranny (some form of totalitarianism). As the word 'liberal' is, in its classical meaning, the opposite of authoritarian, it is more accurate, therefore, to characterize the Modern Liberal as a Statist. ... The Conservative does not despise government. He despises tyranny. This is precisely why the Conservative reveres the Constitution and insists on adherence to it. ... For the Statist, liberty is not a blessing but the enemy. It is not possible to achieve Utopia if individuals are free to go their own way. ... The Statist's Utopia can take many forms, and has throughout human history, including monarchism, feudalism, militarism, fascism, communism, national socialism, and economic socialism. They are all of the same species -- tyranny. ... The Statist is not interested in what the Framers said or intended. He is interested only in what he says and he intends." --Mark Levin in "Liberty and Tyranny" (link to Patriot Shop)
(PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Your Patriot editors and staff will be taking a much-needed day of rest on Friday, in celebration of Independence Day.)
*****
(Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.)


Wednesday Chronicle
1 July 2009
Vol. 09 No. 26

THE FOUNDATION

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." --Thomas Jefferson

THE DEMO-GOGUES

Biggest Big Lie of the Year: "Just last Friday, the House of Representatives came together to pass an extraordinary piece of legislation that will finally open the door to decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, preventing the worst consequences of climate change, and making clean energy the profitable kind of energy. Thanks to members of Congress who were willing to place America's progress before the usual Washington politics, this bill will create new businesses, new industries, and millions of new jobs, all without imposing untenable new burdens on the American people or America's businesses." --President Barack Obama on the cap and tax bill **In January 2008, Obama said, "[U]nder my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket ... because I'm capping greenhouse gasses, coal power plants, natural gas ... you name it ... whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, they would have to retro-fit their operations. That will cost money. ...[T]hey will pass that money on to the consumers." He was right then.
Patting her own back: "We passed transformational legislation, which will take us into the future. For some it was a very difficult vote because the entrenched agents of the status quo were out there full force, jamming the lines in their districts and here, and they withstood that." --House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on cap and tax
Projecting Demo faults on the GOP: "[Republicans] want to play politics and see if they can keep any achievements from being accomplished that may be beneficial to the Democrats. They're rooting against the country and I think in this case, even rooting against the world because the world needs to get its act together to stop global warming." --Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA)
How many politicians does it take to change a light bulb: "The first step we're taking sets new efficiency standards on fluorescent and incandescent lighting. I know light bulbs may not seem sexy, but this simple action holds enormous promise because 7 percent of all the energy consumed in America is used to light our homes and our businesses. Between 2012 and 2042 these new standards will save consumers up to $4 billion a year. We're going to start here at the White House. Secretary Chu has already started to take a look at our light bulbs and we're going to see what we need to replace them with energy efficient light bulbs." --Barack Obama
Obama's health plan not good enough for his family: "[If] it's my family member, if it's my wife, if it's my children, if it's my grandmother, I always want them to get the very best care." --Barack Obama **"Oopsie! So ObamaCare for thee, but not for me? Hope and change, baby!" --blogger Ed Morrissey

INSIGHT

"No greater wrong can ever be done than to put a good man at the mercy of a bad, while telling him not to defend himself or his fellows; in no way can the success of evil be made surer or quicker." --President Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)
"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy." --British publisher and writer Ernest Benn (1875-1954)
"The government consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office." --American journalist H. L. Mencken (1880-1856)

UPRIGHT

"The House just passed the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade carbon emissions control act. If it passes the Senate, expect the president -- the bill's pusher-in-chief -- to sign it at first opportunity. I have not read the bill, so I should not comment on it at length. But then, neither has any congressman read the now 1000-pages-and-plus wonder. So they should not have passed it. We are supposed to believe it is a good bill because we must trust the congressional assistants who wrote it. If anything is a testament to 'the power of belief' it's the enthusiasm for a bill that has not been read, much less understood." --columnist Paul Jacob
"This climate bill has nothing to do with saving the planet or the polar bears. The problems that this legislation claims to address do not exist. Regulating our behavior and limiting our freedom will not have any effect on the climate. It is a pure power and money grab..." --radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh
"So why does President Obama so often get history wrong, so often call for utopian schemes he would hardly adopt for himself, and so often distort by misinformation and incomplete disclosure? Partly the culprit is administrative inexperience, partly historical ignorance. But mostly the disconnect comes because Barack Obama believes he is a philosopher-king, whose exalted ends more than justify his mendacious means." --columnist Victor Davis Hanson
"There is a tendency for newly installed presidents, like adolescents suddenly liberated from adult supervision, to do the exact opposite of what their predecessors did. ...[S]ome of it, and especially in the case of Barack Obama, seems to come from an adolescent-like confidence that everything done by those who came before is (insert your own generation's expletive here). ... As parents know, it takes time for an adolescent to grow up." --political analyst Michael Barone
"I once asked evangelist Billy Graham if he experienced temptations of the flesh when he was young. He said, 'of course.' How did he deal with them? With passion he responded, 'I asked God to strike me dead before He ever allowed me to dishonor Him in that way.' That is the kind of seriousness one needs to overcome the temptations of a corrupt culture in which shameful behavior is too often paraded in the streets." --columnist Cal Thomas

EDITORIAL EXEGESIS

"It's time for a reminder that one of the enduring strengths of the American political system is its federalism -- keeping accountability and power as close to the people as possible whenever possible. ... Fighting big government is not done only in Washington; focusing on a state-by-state basis allows conservatives a greater opportunity to present solutions that solve problems closest to the people experiencing them. When a solution works, it can be replicated elsewhere. When it doesn't work, other states can learn from the failure. And it's also philosophically consistent: As a problem-solver, big government forces square pegs into round holes. Federalism encourages as many pegs in as many shapes as there are states. Leaders of the tea party movement should keep this fact in mind, too. States solving their own problems make it doubly difficult for Washington politicians to pose as if they alone can save the day while running up multi-trillion dollar deficits. There was a time when the states were routinely viewed as 'laboratories of democracy.' Conservatives in Wisconsin demonstrated that welfare reform could benefit taxpayers and those in need of assistance, and in the process provided the template for what later became the landmark welfare reform legislation of 1996. Similarly, Florida conservatives, led by former Gov. Jeb Bush, implemented school reform that emphasized parental choice and student responsibility. Florida students have since shown marked academic progress. The genius of America is the creativity and energy of a free people, and conservatives must never forget that it is federalism that encourages that genius to flower across the entire country." --Washington Examiner

DEZINFORMATSIA

Climate Nazi: "So the House passed the Waxman-Markey climate-change bill. In political terms, it was a remarkable achievement. But 212 representatives voted no. A handful of these no votes came from representatives who considered the bill too weak, but most rejected the bill because they rejected the whole notion that we have to do something about greenhouse gases. And as I watched the deniers make their arguments, I couldn't help thinking that I was watching a form of treason -- treason against the planet." --New York Times columnist Paul Krugman
A brave new world: "President Obama suggested at a town hall event Wednesday night that one way to shave medical costs is to stop expensive and ultimately futile procedures performed on people who are about to die and don't stand to gain from the extra care.� --Los Angeles Times columnist Peter Nichols **"But don't worry. A 'panel of experts' (Barney Frank and two executive vice-presidents from ACORN) will make that determination. So relax: You'll be able to 'opt out' of government health care, in a very permanent sense." --columnist Mark Steyn
On discrimination: "New Haven's Mayor said he would respect the [Supreme Court's Ricci] decision but complained the city was obeying 38 years of civil rights law forbidding anything that caused a disparate impact against minorities. ... Civil rights leaders also predicted an era of confusion over when minorities are protected and when they are not." --CBS reporter Wyatt Andrews on the Supreme Court's ruling that 18 white New Haven, Connecticut, firefighters were discriminated against (denied earned promotions) because of race
From a parallel universe: "What has brought California to such a perilous state? How did its government become so wildly dysfunctional? One obvious cause is the deep recession that has caused tax revenues to plunge for all states. But California's woes have a set of deeper reasons: direct democracy run amok, timid governors, partisan gridlock and a flawed constitution all contribute to budget chaos and people in pain. And at the root of California's misery lies Proposition 13, the antitax measure that ignited the Reagan Revolution and the conservative era. In Washington, the Reagan-Bush era is over. But in California, the conservative legacy lives on." --Time magazine's Kevin O'Leary
Newspulper Headlines:
Obama's Health Care Plan Is Worse Than We Imagined: "Lowell to Get Shot to Treat Ailing Hip" --MLB.com
And May There Be Peace on Earth: "May Incomes Surge, but Savings Outpace Spending" --Associated Press
He Finally Got a Real Job?: "Kerry Becomes a Bridge-Builder" --Boston Globe
The Stock Market, Explained: "Turkey Lands in Manure Truck's Cab, Causing Crash" --Associated Press
Everything Seemingly Is Spinning Out of Control: "Coleman Concedes; Franken Wins Senate Seat" --CBSNews.com ++ "Approval Ratings for Pelosi Hit a New Low" --Washington Post
Breaking News From 2000: "Al Gore Not Coming to D.C." --Politico.com
News You Can Use: "Watch Out for Rabid Skunks" --Omaha World-Herald
Bottom Stories of the Day: "Swine Flu Hasn't Shown Up at Ky. Summer Camps" --Lexington Herald-Leader
(Thanks to The Wall Street Journal's James Taranto)

THE SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE

The Patriot Post is not sustained by any political, special interest or parent organization. Nor do we accept any online or e-mail advertising. Our operations and mission are funded by -- and depend entirely upon -- the voluntary financial support of American Patriots like YOU!
The Patriot's mid-year fundraising campaign is drawing to a close. If you have the ability and have not already done so, please take a moment to support The Patriot online today by making a contribution -- however large or small. (If you prefer to support us by mail, please fill out and send in our printable donor form with a check payable to "The Patriot Annual Fund," PO Box 507, Chattanooga, TN 37401.)

Support the 2009 Independence Day Campaign
I thank you for the honor and privilege of serving you as editor and publisher of The Patriot. On behalf of your Patriot Staff and National Advisory Committee, thank you and God bless you and your family.
Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis!
Mark Alexander
Publisher, PatriotPost.US

VILLAGE IDIOTS

A resounding "No!": "If Obama can push health care -- single-pay or whatever he's trying to do -- through, will that alleviate the problem, do you think?� --The View's Joy Behar cheerleading for Obama while not sure of the game plan
Who's he kidding: "Democratic presidents nominate very centrist justices to the Supreme Court. The Republican presidents over the past 10-15 years have nominated very extremely conservative justices and that's why the court has eschewed to the right. ... And the role of the Democratic judges -- justices -- has been to play the middle... And that is, I think, at a larger ideological point, a discussion we should have, because Democratic presidents have been hesitant to put really liberal justices on the court." --former NY governor Eliot Spitzer
Too dumb for Demo-gogues: "Too bad, if a governor had to go missing it couldn't have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin." --Sen. John Kerry (D-Cambodia), who may have a horse's face but acts like another part of a horse's anatomy, on SC Gov. Mark Sanford's strange disappearance last week
Getting stoned: "Nixon always said Reagan was a dumb son of a b**** and, you know, I think that he was. And I think, I really think George W is dumber. ... I do think that by doing the 'W' movie I kind of put all my efforts behind dumbness." --filmmaker Oliver Stone
Editor's Note:
Huzzah to our history-loving Independence Day Founder's Contest winners who won The Patriot Shop's U.S. Flag 40-Flavor Jelly Belly Box!
#31342 Kremmling, CO
#31330 Lees Summit, MO
#31348 Greenville, SC
#31271 Horseshoe Bay, TX
#31315 Royal Oak, MI
#31316 Republic, MO
#31131 Sparks, NV
#31147 Morehead, KY
#31187 Tomball, TX
#31197 Newport, MI
#31172 Newport, NC
#31205 Fair Oaks, CA

SHORT CUTS

"Like most good scams, cap and trade as outlined in the Markey-Waxman legislation is simple. The government sets a cap on how much pollution the nation's factories, cars (and flatulent cows) are allowed to expel into the atmosphere. Companies can buy, sell or trade their emissions, or lack thereof. (If the cows must be cited for violations, Al Gore, a onetime tobacco farmer, can measure the barnyard effluvium.) But the most acute pain will be the rising costs of everything as companies pass the effects of the tax on to consumers. Nobody knows this better than Mrs. Pelosi and her merry band of robbers." --Washington Times editor emeritus Wesley Pruden
"Socialized medicine redefines the relationship between the citizen and the state in all the wrong ways, and, if you cross that bridge, it's all but impossible to go back. So, if ever there were a season for GOP philanderers not to unpeel their bananas, this summer is it." --columnist Mark Steyn
"I often find myself thinking that if liberals didn't have double standards, they wouldn't have any standards at all." --columnist Burt Prelutsky
"I was never a big fan of Michael Jackson. I don't mean personally. Personally, I think he should have been institutionalized. I mean I was never a huge fan of his music. The last live concert I went to was a reunion of the Limeliters and the Kingston Trio which, I believe, was 'Presented by Depends.' Which is another reason why I never get invited out much." --political analyst Rich Galen
*****
Veritas vos Liberabit -- Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for The Patriot's editors and staff.
(Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.)


29 June 2009
Vol. 09 No. 26

THE FOUNDATION

"Every new regulation concerning commerce or revenue; or in any manner affecting the value of the different species of property, presents a new harvest to those who watch the change and can trace its consequences; a harvest reared not by themselves but by the toils and cares of the great body of their fellow citizens." --James Madison (likely), Federalist No. 62

POLITICAL FUTURES

"The Heritage Foundation's senior policy analyst for energy and environment, Ben Lieberman, has produced a stellar paper on [the cap and trade bill]... Based on available evidence and analysis, Lieberman concludes 'that both the seriousness and imminence of anthropogenic global warming has been overstated.' But even if we assume the problem is as bad as the hysterics claim, the proposed bill 'would have a trivial impact on future concentrations of greenhouse gases. ...[It] would reduce the earth's future temperature by 0.1 to 0.2 degree C by 2100, an amount too small to even notice.' The bill would bind only the U.S., not other nations, many of which, like China, are 'polluting' at a record pace. Also note that many European nations that have already imposed similar emissions restrictions have seen their emissions rise. But what would the costs be for this quixotic legislative paean to earth goddess Gaia? Contrary to the flawed analyses being advanced by the bill's proponents, Heritage estimates that the direct costs would be an average of $829 per year for a household of four, totaling $20,000 between 2012 and 2035. But when considering the total cost as reflected in the cost of allocations and offsets, the average cost to that family unit would be $2,979 annually from 2012 to 2035. Adding insult and hypocrisy to injury, the bill would hurt the poor the worst because they would bear a disproportionate burden of the higher energy costs the bill would trigger. Now here's the kicker. The bill is also projected to harm the manufacturing sector and cause estimated 'net' job losses, averaging about 1.15 million between 2012 and 2030. The overall gross domestic product losses would average $393 billion per year from 2012 to 2035, and the cumulative loss in gross domestic product would be $9.4 trillion by 2035. The national debt for a family of four would increase by $115,000 by 2035. Enough already. Throw the bums out." --columnist David Limbaugh

GOVERNMENT

"The EPA is now considering designating CO2 a dangerous pollutant. The regulation of essential elements of life by our government scares me. It should scare us all. I am devastated by the notion that our own government founded on freedom would regulate and control the most fundamental aspects of life on earth. Regulation on life's important things is certainly tyranny.... If we regulate carbon dioxide or water, we will all be subject to the regulations because we cannot avoid producing both and releasing them into the environment. Me and my children, and yours too, will become polluters as we simply live and respire. I cannot comprehend it. ...[C]arbon dioxide is the basis of the energy cycle for life. Without sufficient carbon dioxide plants stop photosynthesis. Without plants, the whole chain breaks down, and we all die. ... Government stepping beyond its basic essentials always harms more than it helps. Government can never be efficient. It is not in its nature. The scorpion stings because it is a scorpion. Government oppresses because it is the governing power. Our founding fathers tried to control the beast, and it can probably not be done better, so do not thwart the controls. The controls are to be on the government, not we the people. Reduce the EPA, not carbon dioxide. In the end, that will save our children." --columnist Lonnie Schubert

FOR THE RECORD

"Why do we need President Obama's big-bang health-care reform at all? What's the real agenda here? If it's really to cover the truly uninsured, a much cheaper, targeted, small-ball approach would do the trick. But on the other hand, maybe the real goal is a larger, ultra-liberal plan aimed at a government takeover of the U.S. health system. ... According to the U.S. Census Bureau, we don't have 47 million folks who are truly uninsured. When you take out college kids plus those earning $75,000 or more who choose not to sign up for a health-care plan, roughly 20 million people are removed from the list of uninsured. After that, you can remove the 10 million who are not U.S. citizens and the 11 million who are eligible for SCHIP and Medicaid but for some reason have not signed up for those programs. So that leaves only 10 million to 15 million people among the long-term uninsured. Yes, they need help. And yes, they should get it. But not with mandatory universal coverage, or new government-backed insurance plans, or massive tax increases. And certainly not with the Canadian-European-style nationalization that has always been the true goal of the Obama administration and congressional Democrats. Instead, we can give the truly uninsured vouchers or debit cards that will allow for choice and coverage, and even health savings accounts for retirement wealth. ... Knocking down profits and telling people what to do because government planners know best, right? Wrong. Absolutely wrong." --economist Lawrence Kudlow

THE GIPPER

"The Founding Fathers established a system which meant a radical break from that which preceded it. A written constitution would provide a permanent form of government, limited in scope, but effective in providing both liberty and order. Government was not to be a matter of self-appointed rulers, governing by whim or harsh ideology. It was not to be government by the strongest or for the few. Our principles were revolutionary. We began as a small, weak republic. But we survived. Our example inspired others, imperfectly at times, but it inspired them nevertheless. This constitutional republic, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal, prospered and grew strong. To this day, America is still the abiding alternative to tyranny. That is our purpose in the world -- nothing more and nothing less." --Ronald Reagan

INSIGHT

"Men have been taught that the highest virtue is not to achieve, but to give. Yet one cannot give that which has not been created. Creation comes before distribution -- or there will be nothing to distribute. The need of the creator comes before the need of any possible beneficiary. Yet we are taught to admire the second-hander who dispenses gifts he has not produced above the man who made the gifts possible. We praise an act of charity. We shrug at an act of achievement." --novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand (1905-1982)

LIBERTY

"I am in awe at what our military has accomplished in Iraq despite having most of the public and the vast majority of the media totally abandon them. In my view, what has been accomplished there, against all odds, is perhaps the greatest achievement in the history of our military and perhaps any volunteer force in modern times. I certainly love my country, but what it is that inspires men and women to volunteer for military service when the benefits are so sparse and the burdens so great is beyond my comprehension. We are all incredibly lucky to live in a nation that, despite all of its faults, still have enough courageous young people to serve it in ways that allow 'chicken hawks' (as the Left loves to describe conservative commentators who never served in the military) to worry about things that in comparison don't seem all that significant. Thank you for all you do for us. I wish we appreciated you in a way that was nearly as significant as what you deserve." --radio talk-show host John Ziegler

OPINION IN BRIEF

"The anti-government protests in Iran following the government's rigged elections are doubtless a little more than the 'robust debate' among Iranians that President Barack Obama welcomed during the election. Some of the debaters have been shot dead. Others have been hustled off to jail. I wonder whether this is an eye-opener for our novice president. ... Yet my question remains: Has our sententious new president learned anything from the unforeseen violent culmination of the Iranian elections? Frankly, I doubt it. He reminds me so much of our most recent sanctimonious pontificator, President Jimmy Carter, who at first attempted to end the Cold War by lecturing Americans against their 'inordinate fear of communism.' Then the Soviets became more aggressive. Finally, Carter began the military buildup for which his successor took justifiable credit. President Ronald Reagan knew the value of a strong military in support of resolute diplomacy. Neither Carter nor Obama has any sense of the linkage of the two, and now it looks as if the Obama administration is going to cut back on our military, even as the dangers to world peace grow. At the heart of our new president is, it seems to me, ambivalence. Within him exist opposite attitudes. What we have seen during the protests in Iran is not a clear sense of geopolitics, but uncertainty. President Obama has not had a clue as to what to do. ... Let the mainstream media purr on about this president's mastery of government. My sense is that he is out of his depth. His dithering over the Iranian protests is but one bloody example." --R. Emmett Tyrrell

RE: THE LEFT

"President Barack Obama came into office apparently believing that his non-traditional background, charisma and good intentions could placate dictators hostile to America and ease global tensions. ... But so far the world's thugs do not seem to appreciate that new goodwill. ... Obama's confusion about the world's bad actors suggests that he needs a general refresher course in the world of thugs. ... Being anti-American and mouthing tired charges about imperialism, colonialism or capitalism do not make a thug authentic or populist. By definition, thugs acquire power illegitimately. They keep it unlawfully. And they exercise it illegally -- regardless of their professed concern for the 'people' or their gripes against America. Thugs are thugs, and they come in all ideologies, colors and religions -- from Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe to North Korea's Kim Jong-il to the late Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia. ... Most of the world's problems are caused by a handful of thugs. Any time one can be isolated and replaced by a consensual government, the world gets just a bit safer. ... So, Mr. President, do not talk to a thug unless you absolutely have to. Do not apologize to -- or put our trust in -- one. And whenever people rise up against a thug, speak out immediately and forcefully on their behalf -- and let the thug, not America, worry about the consequences of the spread of freedom." --Hoover Institution historian Victor Davis Hanson

HOLDING THE LINE

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I thank you for the honor and privilege of serving you as editor and publisher of The Patriot. On behalf of your Patriot Staff and National Advisory Committee, thank you and God bless you and your family.
Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis!
Mark Alexander
Publisher, PatriotPost.US

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

(To submit reader comments visit our Letters to the Editor page.)
"Alexander's essay, 'Robert's Rules' was an excellent review of the historical use of successful unconventional methods for dealing with terrorism, 'fighting fire with fire,' and a well-placed boot to Obama's arrogant rear end -- this one had it all." --Los Angeles, California
"Alexander wrote that as non-U.S. citizens, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri have no constitutional rights, but they may have some rights under international conventions. However, do they not have natural rights? I know Alexander fully understands that our rights are not awarded by government but by God. Bringing up the terrorists' barbaric executions and torture does not justify using rights-violating methods of interrogation." --Seattle, Washington
Alexander replies: Several dissenters echoed this reader's comment. First, Obama's complaint is about constitutional rights not natural rights, and I am certain that Obama distinguishes between the two, as do his Leftist cadres. He believes that your "rights" are the gift of government, not God. I have written extensively that all people have "unalienable rights" as our Founders wrote in our Declaration of Independence, however those who would take away the rights of others, forgo their own. Our prisons are full of thugs who erroneously believed their rights superseded those of their victims -- and now they have lost their right to liberty. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri have forgone any and all rights to life and liberty because they have, with great success, taken those rights from thousands of others. As for Obama's objection to waterboarding, and all the media and political play this has received, we are the laughingstock of the "tolerant" Islamic world.
"If Major Robert Rogers were alive today and in charge of our current ranks of fine Rangers, he would respond to airplane hijackers by having his men seek out anyone associated with the terrorists, and in end them with prejudice. As for captives, like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, after getting what actionable intel he could, he would treat Khalid to the same violent end Khalid used to murder Daniel Pearl, but the knife would not only be dull, it would be rusty and covered with pig blood. And, Khalid's departure would be on YouTube for all his friends to see!" --Boston, Massachusetts
Alexander replies: I learned early that you do not bring a knife to a gunfight. Obama has shown up to combat nuclear terror with a cotton ball.
"As for 'cruel and unusual punishments,' cruel is a moral judgment as defined in the context of a particular society or culture in time. When the framers wrote the Constitution, dunking, hanging, flogging, keelhauling and public display in stocks, were acceptable measure of punishment. And as Alexander aptly noted, Rogers scalping of a French captive in full view of his fort's garrison was also acceptable. Today some may disagree. So today, the Left not only thinks applying water to the face of terrorists is torture,' but also complain it is 'cruel and unusual' for a judge to make a student wear a sandwich board proclaiming him a truant, or make a tagger clean up his mess. And where have such constraints on punishment gotten us as a nation?" --St. Louis, Missouri
Alexander replies: Yes, and it is 'cruel and unusual' not to allow murderers and rapists access to cable TV, the best-equipped gyms and libraries.
"I agree with your general thesis that waterboarding is not torture. In many instances, our Marines and Troops live with far fewer 'creature comforts' than the terrorists at Gitmo. Somebody should probably contact Amnesty International!" --Fort Benning, Georgia

THE LAST WORD

"A week ago, CNN, the Washington Post and other major news outlets covered Obama's killing of a fly as if it was a major news event. (At least when the Russian press similarly gushes over Vladimir Putin, he's karate-chopping cinderblocks in half.) The good news: More photo-ops are coming, because the White House apparently has a major fly problem. I know that because I read the New York Times' flood-the-zone coverage. As Kool Aid-allergic columnist Robert Samuelson has noted, such sycophancy is a serious public-policy problem because the president is proposing a radical overhaul of pretty much everything, and for the most part the press hasn't cared that his explanations are iffier than gas-station sushi, his assurances more dubious than a North Korean press release. Obama's ongoing promise that he's 'creating or saving' jobs is as plausible as the chess team captain's claim that his supermodel girlfriend can't fly down from Canada for the prom. Maybe the fly infestation at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has something to do with the fact that the White House is a central hub of bovine manure distribution?" --National Review editor Jonah Goldberg
*****
Veritas vos Liberabit -- Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for The Patriot's editors and staff.
(Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.)





Friday Digest
26 June 2009
Vol. 09 No. 25

THE FOUNDATION

"Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition." --Thomas Jefferson

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

But Polls Say People Want Government Health Care...

The Leftmedia were in overdrive this week backing up their man Barack Obama on the issue of government health care. Before ABC even had the chance to broadcast a prime-time infomercial from the White House, The New York Times released a poll purporting to show that "Americans overwhelmingly support" health care changes, including that "most Americans would be willing to pay higher taxes so everyone could have health insurance and that they said the government could do a better job of holding down health-care costs than the private sector." Try not to spew coffee on your keyboard. In the end, "72 percent of those questioned supported a government-administered insurance plan."
As we have noted before, this is nothing more than pollaganda -- the use of polling to drive public opinion -- especially when, in this case, the poll is stacked two to one with Obama voters. ABC employed plain old propaganda in its special newscast from the White House Wednesday -- "Prescription for America." Reporter David Wright opened the broadcast by saying, "Expectations are low, but the need is obvious." And given that ABC was reporting on our "broken system," it was not surprising that, when asked, all 164 handpicked audience members agreed that "change" is needed. Depends on the meaning of change... Then, for 45 minutes, President Obama took a break from running the banks and automakers to explain to Americans why he should run health care too. No wonder the newscast was dead last in the ratings.
Besides the overarching problem that any government plan is unconstitutional, details of the plan remain sketchy -- a cause for alarm. In fact, House Democrats released another plan just days ago. Notably, the House plan includes a government-run option that will "compete" with private insurers and use Medicare rates for paying health care providers. The plan also calls for stricter regulations for employers, including a mandate that they must either provide coverage or pay a tax of 8 percent of their payroll. However, small businesses would be exempt, and those who do provide coverage would receive tax credits.
Naturally, as details shift, so does the estimated cost. Most estimates are still north of $1 trillion over 10 years, though paying for the plan is not yet part of the plan.
One of Obama's key claims is that "you can keep your plan if you want to." What he means is that the government won't specifically mandate that anyone lose coverage, but the effect of his policies would be to cause many individuals to lose their benefits. America's Health Insurance Plans, the nation's largest trade group for health insurers, warned of "devastating consequences" from a government plan. In a letter to Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), the lead author of the health care bill, the group said that a public health insurance option "would dismantle employer-based coverage, significantly increase costs for those who remain in private coverage, and add additional liabilities to the federal budget." This is painfully obvious to us, but the power brokers in DC aren't interested in a market-based approach.
In fact, though Democrats claim that the government would compete on a "level playing field" with private insurers, Obama says his plan "is an important tool to discipline insurance companies." As Michael Cannon of the Cato Institute says, "The government can subsidize its plan with tax revenue from other taxpayers. The government can enact regulations that favor its plan over other private insurers."
Indeed, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) quipped, "Having the government compete against the private sector is kind of like my seven-year-old daughter's lemonade stand competing against McDonalds."

This Week's 'Alpha Jackass' Award

"Why would [a government plan] drive private insurance out of business? If private insurers say that the marketplace provides the best quality health care; if they tell us that they're offering a good deal, then why is it that the government, which they say can't run anything, suddenly is going to drive them out of business? That's not logical." --President Barack Obama

Cap and Tax Looms Large

In some measure, the present health care debate is a smokescreen for the upcoming cap and trade vote. Better named "cap and tax," the bill is headed to the House floor for a vote Friday thanks to a last-minute deal struck between Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN). Peterson was opposed to the bill's provision allowing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to monitor its complex carbon offset and land use provisions. With Peterson's sway over the large farm-state voting block, Waxman was willing to allow the Department of Agriculture to hold that power so that Peterson could deliver the necessary votes.
Still, passage is not a foregone conclusion. Near universal Republican opposition combined with regional pockets of Democrats fearful of high energy costs will make this vote an interesting one.
On the cost of energy, The Wall Street Journal writes, "The whole point of cap and trade is to hike the price of electricity and gas so that Americans will use less. These higher prices will show up not just in electricity bills or at the gas station but in every manufactured good, from food to cars. Consumers will cut back on spending, which in turn will cut back on production, which results in fewer jobs created or higher unemployment." Even billionaire Democrat donor Warren Buffet acknowledged that cap and tax is a "huge tax ... and a fairly regressive tax." And the Journal concludes, "Americans should know that those Members who vote for this climate bill are voting for what is likely to be the biggest tax in American history. Even Democrats can't repeal that reality."

News From the Swamp: The Perfect Stimulus Package

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) has released a report detailing 100 stimulus projects he defined as wasteful, including bike paths that could have been paid for with state money and $300 road signs that do nothing more than detail the amount of stimulus money spent on particular road projects. The U.S. Conference of Mayors also issued its own report stating that the nation's major metropolitan centers, which account for 73 percent of the GDP and 63 percent of the population, are receiving less than 50 percent of the transportation money.
In spite of the growing chorus of disgruntled recipients and the mounting evidence of wasteful spending, the administration is supremely confident in its work. The White House rejected every item on Coburn's list, stating that the administration has found no problems with any of the 20,000 projects that have been approved so far. And we're supposed to rest easy with that statement because the White House has put Vice President Joe Biden in charge of watching over the $787 billion goodie bag. Sen. Coburn's spokesman, John Hart, probably said it best. "The notion that the vice president's vetting process has been perfect is laughable and an insult to taxpayers."

New & Notable Legislation

A bill being considered in the House seeks to add more oversight of the National Security Agency and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence by establishing independent inspectors general who could not be fired by the heads of those agencies. Furthermore, in a blatant act of politicization, those IGs would be subject to Senate confirmation. It is a move that Congress admits is meant to bring intelligence activities more under their control, and it will come at the price of effective intelligence gathering and analysis that is meant to be free of politics. Democrats will claim that such a thing didn't exist during the Bush years, but if this bill passes it certainly won't happen now.
America's nicotine-addicted president signed into law a bill that will allow the Food and Drug Administration unprecedented control over the tobacco industry. The FDA will now hold sway over the production, marketing and distribution of cigarettes in the U.S. President Obama said little about his own smoking habit except to add that he was "95 percent cured." Anyone who has ever beaten an addiction to anything knows that you can't quantify it and expect to beat it. You either smoke or you don't.
After taking heat from all comers, including The New York Times, over his broken campaign pledge to post legislation on the Internet for five days before signing it into law, Obama has decided to propose something a little more practical. Now, the White House will post the bills for public viewing a little earlier in the legislative process, though they made no indication as to when. Ellen Miller of the Sunlight Foundation, a nonpartisan government watchdog, questioned the whole controversy. "There isn't anybody in this town who doesn't know that commenting after a bill has been passed is meaningless." However, even if the bill cannot be changed by the public viewing stage, at least citizens have the opportunity to hold accountable legislators who slip in last minute items, and they can press the president to sign or veto.

Judicial Benchmarks: SCOTUS Rulings

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to rule on the constitutionality of a provision in the 1965 Voting Rights Act that allows the federal government to pre-approve changes to election law in 16 mainly Southern states. Instead, sticking to Chief Justice John Roberts's belief in deciding cases narrowly, the high court ruled 8-1 that if states or districts can prove they have not engaged in disenfranchisement based on race, they can apply to the federal government for an exemption to Section 5. Interestingly, the lone dissent came from Justice Clarence Thomas, who wrote that Section 5 is unconstitutional. In the majority opinion, Roberts noted the success of the Voting Rights Act in destroying institutionalized racism in the South that prevented blacks from voting. He also wrote, "Whether conditions continue to justify such legislation is a difficult constitutional question we do not answer today," leaving open the door for another constitutional challenge to Section 5 in the future.
The High Court also ruled Thursday that Arizona school officials violated a 13-year-old girl's constitutional rights with a strip search based on their suspicion that she had ibuprofen in her underwear. No pills were found and, without a clear threat to other students, the Court said the search was unreasonable. The vote was 8-1 and once again, Justice Clarence Thomas was the lone dissenter. Thomas wrote, "Judges are not qualified to second-guess the best manner for maintaining quiet and order in the school environment." The case now goes back to a lower court to determine what damages, if any, should be paid by the school district.
Finally, it wasn't all that long ago when media commentators were frothing at the mouth over the thought of Karl Rove being frog marched out of the White House and Vice President Cheney being impeached over the revelation that CIA desk jockey Valerie Plame served as a "covert" agent. So it's not surprising that they have been awfully quiet about the Supreme Court's final rebuff of Plame's civil lawsuit against I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby and Cheney, among others. While liberal critics decried the Court's refusal to hear an appeal of the suit -- one calling the decision "a setback for our democracy" -- the high court was only following lower courts that also declined to take it up. Leftist rage, however, should also be directed at their own president, since the Obama Justice Department took Cheney's side in the case, continuing the fight the DOJ took up under President Bush. The Lunatic Left has long portrayed Cheney as the devil, but in this case their devil received his due.

GOP Affairs Are a Mess

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, a likely GOP presidential contender in 2012 who waged a well publicized battle with the Obama administration over stimulus cash, likely put himself out of the running after a bizarre absence from his state last week led to his disclosure of an extramarital affair. While staffers claimed the governor was hiking on the Appalachian Trail, Sanford had traveled to Argentina to see his mistress and break off the affair. In an emotional news conference Wednesday he explained that the relationship had gone on for eight years but became romantic in the last year. His wife discovered it five months ago. Sanford resigned his post as head of the Republican Governors' Association and Mississippi's Haley Barbour replaced him.
So to recap, Sanford lied about his whereabouts on Father's Day weekend while he met his mistress in Argentina and his family sat at home. Sanford's penance isn't enough -- he should resign as governor immediately. As Founding Father Samuel Adams said, "Nothing is more essential to the establishment of manners in a State than that all persons employed in places of power and trust must be men of unexceptionable characters." John Adams also wrote, "How is it possible that Children can have any just Sense of the sacred Obligations of Morality or Religion if, from their earliest Infancy, they learn their Mothers live in habitual Infidelity to their fathers, and their fathers in as constant Infidelity to their Mothers?"
Meanwhile, Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), who last week admitted an affair with a staffer, accused the woman's husband of seeking hush money. According to an Ensign spokesman, the legal counsel for the husband of former staffer and campaign treasurer Cynthia Hampton made "exorbitant demands for cash and other financial benefits" from the senator. However, it was not made clear whether any negotiations had been made between the two parties or what exactly the demands were.

Sotomayor Drops All-Women's Club Membership

Just because President Obama's Supreme Court nominee is a wise Latina doesn't mean she's immune from perception. Last week, Judge Sonia Sotomayor turned in her resignation from the Belizean Grove, a California-based all-women's club, stating that she didn't want her membership to "distract ... from my qualifications and record" during her confirmation process. While there's no shortage of ammunition against her based on a lack of legal scholarship in some of her decisions, the Republicans in the Senate largely are giving her the kid-glove treatment. Apparently, the specter of Sotomayor's confirmation has not provided the expected fundraising firepower for the GOP and conservative groups.
It is assumed that Sotomayor would bolster the "liberal" Supreme Court camp, but the fact that she's replacing a jurist with a similar philosophy may be holding the controversy to a minimum. Only the pro-life group Americans United for Life has made a significant campaign against Sotomayor's ascension to the high court, calling her record on abortion rights "worse than [current Justice David] Souter's." Still, the fight should pick up once Sotomayor's confirmation hearings begin July 13.

NATIONAL SECURITY

Violence in Iran Continues

Violence against protesters continues in Iran this week following the "re-election" on June 12 of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Iranian security forces, as well as the Basij militia, clashed with demonstrators throughout the week. A horrific video made it out of Tehran of a young woman, Neda Agha Soltani, bleeding to death after being shot, highlighting the violence against the protesters.
Founded by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979, the Basij militia, according to the 2001 report of the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, is "a popular, emergency, mobilisation army, consisting mostly of those too young (under 18) or too old (usually age 45 and older) for regular conscription." The New York Times reports that "the Basijis lack uniforms, proper identification or anything that denotes them as public employees" and they enter the crowds with "hoses, clubs, iron bars, truncheons and sometimes firearms." Wall Street Journal columnist James Taranto points out, "The Iranian regime is using nonuniformed thugs to impose its will on the population. These are the tactics of a terrorist organization, not a legitimate government."
It took President Barack Obama several days to issue any kind of strong statement against the brutality of the Iranian regime. "We must ... bear witness to the courage and the dignity of the Iranian people and to a remarkable opening within Iranian society. And we deplore the violence against innocent civilians anywhere that it takes place," he said. Given that Obama reportedly sent a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei before the election that Khamenei says expresses "respect for the Islamic Republic and for reestablishment of ties," it's not surprising that it took the president more than a week to express real opposition to the regime's tactics. Under pressure, the Obama administration has rescinded an invitation to Iranian diplomats for the U.S. embassy Independence Day festivities.

Warfront With Jihadistan: Agreement on Detainees

The Guantanamo detainee merry-go-round continues to turn and churn. On the detainee transfer front, the European Union, a harsh critic of detainee treatment, allegedly made its most explicit promise to date on accepting some Gitmo detainees... well, kind of, maybe. In a rather foggy, diplo-speak statement, the EU pledged to cooperate with the U.S. on legal strategies that will "help the U.S. turn the page" on past detention policies. Naturally, the statement did not specify how many detainees would be sent to Europe or which countries would accept them, although apparently Italy has agreed to accept three detainees. So much for the "explicit" promise.
Speaking of transferred detainees, the four Chinese Muslim Uighurs released from Gitmo and sent to Bermuda last week were found by the swimming pool outside of their pink bungalow. Questioned by a Fox News reporter, the well-tanned detainees said that living in China is worse than life at Guantanamo, saying there is no guarantee of human rights in China. We're shocked -- shocked -- to find that this is the case.
Meanwhile, on the home front, the Obama administration delayed by at least a week the release of an internal CIA report on the agency's interrogation program. The report, which allegedly casts doubt on the effectiveness of the interrogation methods used by the CIA, was to be released last Friday, but officials were still reviewing the report for sensitive information. The CIA wants the Obama administration to keep significant portions of the report secret, arguing that the material could damage ongoing counterterrorism operations by disclosing sensitive information. John Helgerson, the now-retired CIA inspector who led the interrogation program investigation, said that much of the report should remain classified because it addresses CIA activities, sources and methods. Whatever and whenever information is released, expect much righteous indignation from the usual group of The Easily Offended.

Department of Military Readiness: F-22 Dogfight

The House Armed Services Air and Land Forces Subcommittee voted 31-30 last week to add $369 million to the defense budget for the production of 12 more F-22s. Thursday, the full House approved the defense bill, which authorizes funds for more F-22s in the future. The Obama administration's budget had called for production to cease after only 187 of the Air Force's requested 750 Raptors were built. Investor's Business Daily explains, "Defense Secretary Robert Gates argues we can't afford to build the F-22 and the F-35 Joint Strike fighter and that we have all the F-22s we need. So he's dumping the F-22 in favor of the cheaper F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, although it's vastly inferior in air-to-air combat and ground defense penetration." The White House threatened to veto the bill if it contains money for the fighter jets.

American Spies for Cuba Arrested

Amidst Obama's talks of his Carteresque plan to loosen restrictions on Cuba, federal agents recently nabbed a husband-wife spy team who has been giving our secrets to the Castro regime for 30 years. Earlier this month, Walter Kendall Myers, a 71-year-old political analyst for the State Department, and his wife Gwendolyn were arrested after admitting their crimes to an undercover federal agent posing as a member of Cuban intelligence.
The recruitment of Myers and his wife was no accident. When the Cubans approached him in the late 1970s, Myers was an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University. According to the Miami Herald, Johns Hopkins is one of the four schools (the others being Georgetown, American University and the University of Virginia) in the DC area where Cuba fishes for spies. It's a clever strategy; these schools often place graduates in important positions within the U.S. government. In addition, those in academia are arguably predisposed to romantic notions of leftist ideology. Indeed, this made it easier for Myers and his wife to hide. Surrounded by like-minded liberals in their intellectual circle, they were easily able to cover their anti-American sentiments during the years in which bashing President George W. Bush surpassed baseball as the national pastime.
Cuba has also traditionally recruited spies who are willing to betray their country for ideological, rather than financial, rewards, and Myers and his wife are no different. His diary entries dating back three decades demonstrate his love for Castro's revolution and his hatred for the "imperialist" U.S.
Our government has yet to learn exactly what information these two traitors gave to Cuban agents, but one thing this administration should have learned: Cuba is still an enemy that should not be dismissed as harmless.

A 'Must Read' for Conservatives

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Support the 2009 Independence Day Campaign
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Donate at or above the Family Defender level and receive our exclusive, hot-off-the-press pocket version of The Declaration and Constitution, with a foreword by Mark Alexander. (Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.)
I thank you for the honor and privilege of serving you as editor and publisher of The Patriot. On behalf of your Patriot Staff and National Advisory Committee, thank you and God bless you and your family!
Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis!
Mark Alexander
Publisher, PatriotPost.US

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Around the Nation: State Budget Crunches

As state budget season culminates, the race is on for states to avoid financial catastrophe and somehow make their ledger lines sync for one more year. Nineteen states are still working on budgets to take effect July 1. But in the dash to deadlines, many "solutions" are only Band-Aids that mask seriously broken systems.
Without question, California's $24 billion deficit represents the mother lode of fiscal crises. Legislators thought they had a winner in February when they adopted a budget, but they didn't factor in voters' rejection of several tax-and-borrow ballot propositions requisite for the budget to take effect. Apparently, the Sacramento statehouse savvies thought Californians enjoyed paying through their noses to fund government spending. Now, the state is grasping at budget-balancing ideas like hiking taxes on smokers and oil companies, borrowing from local governments, freeing thousands of prisoners, and cutting spending on some social programs (a solitary beacon in a sea of big-government proposals).
The Golden State may be Exhibit A, but it is hardly alone. The National Conference of State Legislators reports budget gaps nationwide will top $120 billion this next fiscal year, nearly $20 billion more than the current year. Tactics to deal with the shortfall are familiar. In Pennsylvania, Democrat Governor Ed Rendell wants a 16 percent hike on income taxes. New Hampshire may sell 27 state parks to close its $30 million budget gap. Hawaii is giving state workers forced furloughs equal to a 14 percent pay cut over the next two years. And Illinois' Democrat Governor Patrick Quinn wants a 50 percent income tax hike to fill a $12 billion budget hole.
One state bucking the taxing temptation, however, is Maine, where a new law will actually lower taxes, replacing the graduated income tax with a flat tax and coupling this with additional measures including $300 million in budget cuts.
While the MSM's creative writing -- er, news -- departments bemoan the potential loss of government services, blaming the recession and voters' unwillingness to foot the bills of gargantuan government growth, they conveniently overlook the reckless spending that plunged state governments into deficit chasms in the first place. Meanwhile, legislative jockeying to escape fiscal meltdown continues, with precious few states pausing long enough to realize they're rushing full-speed-ahead -- in the wrong direction.

Hope 'n' Change: Welfare Roles Grow Despite 'Stimulus'

For the first time since President Bill Clinton signed the Republican-propelled welfare reform legislation in 1994, welfare numbers are rising in more than half of states nationwide, with increases climbing as high as 27 percent in Oregon, 23 percent in South Carolina, 14 percent in Florida and 10 percent in California.
A Wall Street Journal article links increases in the rolls to the economic downturn and growing unemployment rates, but the reality is that the relationship between state unemployment and welfare is about as substantiated as VP Joe Biden's success at safeguarding stimulus spending against waste.
As Newsbusters reports, a more accurate indicator of welfare numbers is states' efforts -- or lack thereof -- to implement "welfare reform's real goal of reducing dependency." In California, for example, where inaction on welfare has been the rule of the day since 2002, welfare numbers are up 13 percent in two years, and recipients now compose 32 percent of the nation's total -- even though the state boasts only 12 percent of the nation's population.
Ron Haskins of the leftist Brookings Institution touts welfare increases as "good news," claiming, "This is exactly what should happen." Apparently, President Obama agrees, as his stimulus package directs billions to states with higher welfare numbers. Welfare to work? Please. That must be a policy that needed "changing," too.

Milk Prices Hit Close to Home

Expect to pay more for milk in the near future. Farmers across the world are citing high feed prices and a global surplus -- a result of the international recession -- as the reasons for the financial losses that have forced many out of business and that are threatening the survival of thousands of others. The price of corn (the main ingredient in cow feed) is averaging an expensive $4 a bushel and, coupled with the low price of milk, has made it impossible for dairies to make ends meet. In 2007, California dairies were averaging a profit of $11.23 per 100 pounds; now they are losing $1.07. Idaho farmer Sherman Toone said, "This is the worst I've even seen the imbalance between feed costs and milk revenue."
Decreased demand has also contributed to the problem. For example, China, one of the world's largest milk consumers, began importing larger quantities of milk powder after last year's melamine contamination and the subsequent government shutdown of thousands of milk stations.
The first step for many farmers is to reduce production, beginning with the size of their herds, which should allow dairies to rebound in the coming year. But one thing is sure, experts say: The bill for this crisis will be passed on to the consumer.

CULTURE & POLICY

Faith and Family: Suit Filed Against Prop. 8

Former Bush administration Solicitor General Theodore Olson and attorney David Boies have filed suit in the California District Court to overturn Proposition 8, which was passed by voters last year and amends the state's constitution to say that marriage is only between one man and one woman. Opponents recently lost a battle in the Supreme Court of California, which said that Prop. 8 was a valid amendment to the state's constitution, but Olson alleges that it violates the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. "Creating a second class of citizens is discrimination plain and simple," said Olson, a member of the conservative Federalist Society. "The Constitution of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Abraham Lincoln does not permit it. Proposition 8 denies people fundamental constitutional rights."
It's hard to believe that Jefferson, Madison or Lincoln would have seen it as Olson claims. Until this decade, marriage has been defined as being between one man and one woman. Keeping that definition doesn't deny anyone any rights -- no one is prohibited from marrying. But choosing a partner outside the confines of marriage and still calling it marriage is an abuse of the language and the institution itself. Yet by clamoring about the "right" to marry someone of the same sex, proponents of the new definition are slowly winning the battle.

Second Amendment: Philadelphia and DC

A Pennsylvania court invalidated two of Philadelphia's most recent gun-control provisions last week, but upheld three others. The two struck down were a ban on semi-automatic rifles and straw purchases of handguns. The three upheld require the report of lost or stolen handguns, a bar on gun ownership for those who are subject to "protections from abuse" orders, and permitting the temporary seizure of guns by police. The reporting provision is currently the only one in effect. In striking down the two bans, the Commonwealth Court determined that a 1996 ruling by the state Supreme Court meant that only the state legislature, not municipalities, can enact such gun legislation.
In Washington, DC, the city council expanded the list of approved handguns that residents can own in an effort to counter another lawsuit over its continued violation of the Second Amendment. A suit was filed in March over the restrictions, but more than 1,000 types and models have since been added to the approved list. Still, while DC residents are permitted to exercise their right to keep arms, they cannot bear them outside their own homes. And the District thinks that isn't infringement.

Climate Change This Week: Hansen Arrested

NASA "scientist" and global warming fearmonger James Hansen was among 30 people arrested Tuesday in West Virginia for protesting mountaintop coal mining. Washed-up actress Daryl Hannah was also among those arrested. Hansen tried to claim victim status, saying, "I am not a politician; I am a scientist and a citizen." On the contrary, Hansen uses science for political ends all the time. In this instance, he just took the next step. He was protesting the removal of coal from mountaintops on the pretext that it contributes to "global warming." Of course, the facts are stubborn things: Mountaintop coal mining amounts to just 7 percent of all coal mining. Given the relatively small role coal plays in emissions of greenhouse gases, such mining is insignificant. Hansen is free to have any position on global warming that suits his fancy, but he certainly isn't entitled to a check funded by American taxpayers for his political activism.

And Last...

The AFL-CIO apparently has gotten so lazy over the years that they've begun outsourcing their protests and shipping American jobs overseas. Lobbying congressmen on Capitol Hill for passage of the grossly misnamed "Employee Free Choice Act," union folks were passing out cardboard hammers with a union message and yellow plastic hard hats complete with a "Made in China" sticker on the inside. Spokesman Eddie Vale said, "Obviously our policy is to only use union vendors and it was a mistake by a new staffer who ordered them and unfortunately wasn't caught before they went out." Right, blame the "new staffer." No doubt another job "created or saved" by Barack Obama. Keep up the good, er, work, Eddie.
*****
Veritas vos Liberabit -- Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for The Patriot's editors and staff.
(Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.)


Monday Brief
22 June 2009
Vol. 09 No. 25

THE FOUNDATION

"The nation which indulges towards another an habitual hatred, or an habitual fondness, is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest." --George Washington

POLITICAL FUTURES

"The [Iranian] election allowed the political space and provided the spark for the eruption of anti-regime fervor that has been simmering for years and awaiting its moment. But people aren't dying in the street because they want a recount of hanging chads in suburban Isfahan. They want to bring down the tyrannical, misogynist, corrupt theocracy that has imposed itself with the very baton-wielding goons that today attack the demonstrators. ... What's at stake now is the very legitimacy of this regime -- and the future of the entire Middle East. This revolution will end either as a Tiananmen (a hot Tiananmen with massive and bloody repression or a cold Tiananmen with a finer mix of brutality and co-optation) or as a true revolution that brings down the Islamic Republic. The latter is improbable but, for the first time in 30 years, not impossible. Imagine the repercussions. ... The entire trajectory of the region is reversed. All hangs in the balance. The Khamenei regime is deciding whether to do a Tiananmen. And what side is the Obama administration taking? None." --columnist Charles Krauthammer

LIBERTY

"If Iranian voters had thrown Mahmoud Ahmadinejad into the street, the American president would have assumed that he was the One who did it, and the American press would have led the hosannas for the messiah from the south side of Chicago. Just a few more speeches, a few more respectful bows toward Mecca, and all the rough places would be made smooth and plain. But now even Mr. Obama must wake up and smell the tear gas. The prospect that a victory by the Iranian moderates would cure what's wrong in the Middle East was a hookah dream from the start, a tale of the Arabian night indulged by those unable to bear the sight, sound and responsibility posed by reality. Iran is not ruled by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but by the head ayatollah, the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and his pigsty of brutal mullahs. ... The election results, together with the high probability that the result was tinkered with if not rigged, and the cops and troops controlling the streets with clubs and tear gas suggest that, surprise, surprise, Mr. Ahmadinejad is getting away with it. From the capitals of the West, there was mostly spluttering and whining. The French foreign minister said the treatment of the demonstrators was 'somewhat brutal,' the operative word apparently the 'somewhat,' and the German government said the Tehran reaction was 'unacceptable,' which is diplo-speak for, 'is there any more tea?' There was all but silence from the White House, where Mr. Obama said he was pleased with the 'robust debate' in Iran, proving only that he's easily pleased and eager to get back to what he does best, wrapping appeasement of the enemy in the sticky warmth of mere words." --Washington Times editor emeritus Wesley Pruden

GOD GRANTS LIBERTY

"The Patriot is leading the charge in the battle to restore America's values -- a vital ally on the front...." --Dr. Bill Bennett Our mid-year 2008 Annual Fund support campaign is now underway. Our team of writers, editors and support staff depend on your financial support so that we may continue to offer The Patriot Post's timeless message of liberty, limited government and free enterprise, and our advocacy for national defense and traditional American values free of charge, to thousands of our military, collegiate and mission-field readers. Please, if you have the ability, take a moment to support The Patriot online today by making a contribution -- however large or small. (If you prefer to support us by mail, please fill out and send in our printable donor form with a check payable to "The Patriot Annual Fund," PO Box 507, Chattanooga, TN 37401.) Donate at or above the Family Defender level and receive our exclusive, hot-off-the-press pocket version of The Declaration and Constitution, with a foreword by Mark Alexander. (Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.)
Support the 2009 Independence Day Campaign I thank you for the honor and privilege of serving you as editor and publisher of The Patriot. On behalf of your Patriot Staff and National Advisory Committee, thank you and God bless you and your family! Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander
Publisher, PatriotPost.US

FOR THE RECORD

"First they said health care legislation would cost $1 trillion. Then they upped it to $1.6-trillion. It might as well be a made-up number like 'gazillion.' No one really comprehends the sheer tonnage of the dollars being spent. Washington's spending spree seems to be lulling everyone into a total daze. ... Focusing for the moment just on the cost, how can we afford this? The price tag for last fall's bailouts approached a trillion dollars. So did this spring's stimulus spending. And if you count the interest on the borrowed money, both initiatives will surpass that benchmark. Now here comes health care to complete the trifecta. ... Eyes glaze over at such numbers because nobody really understands what a trillion is. It's often said that people ignore what they don't understand. But we must not ignore something so gargantuan. ... Traveling at the speed of light it takes two months to cover a trillion miles. But of course you can't do that unless you're an actor in a science fiction movie. However, if you took a trillion one-dollar bills and laid them end-to-end, they would reach from the Earth to the sun. You can't do that either, because there's not that much money; the total of all the cash in America is less than $900-billion. ... What will it cost to pay back the borrowed money? Truth-in-Lending laws require that borrowers must be told the total they must repay, including interest, on a home mortgage or other major loan. Politicians exempt themselves from this requirement. But the interest alone on a trillion dollars, at a common rate such as 6%, requires paying $166 million in interest -- each and every day, perhaps in perpetuity. The scariest thing about spending new trillions is that it's no longer just a possibility. It's happened in the last year and is happening again right now. And who will be asked to pay it back? Our children and grandchildren. ... The best approach to counting to a trillion is not to try. And not to spend it either." --former congressman Ernest Istook

GOVERNMENT

"The Obama administration reportedly is considering whether to broaden an experimental 'shrink to survive' program in Flint, Mich., -- one of the nation's poorest cities. The proposal is to raze districts within some cities and towns while bulldozing others in their entirety. Land would be returned to its pre-construction state. Local politicians in Flint think the city must contract by as much as 40 percent. They want to focus on the population that remains and cut services to save money. ... This idea ought to have appeal across the political spectrum. Dividing up failing cities and towns into smaller entities and creating grasslands in between them also might reduce crime and urban sprawl while lessening pollution and gridlock. Downsizing cities and towns also could serve as a model for government. Smaller government would possibly mean less waste, fraud and abuse and more power for taxpayers. If the federal government wishes to proceed with this proposal, it could greatly enhance its credibility by starting with itself. How about shrinking the size, cost and reach of the federal government because many of its components are out of date and in need of 'bulldozing'? ... The shrinking of American cities and towns that are not as vibrant as they once were is potentially a good idea. So is shrinking the size and cost of the federal government. If the bulldozing of outdated and unnecessary federal spending could be linked to the reduction of failing cities and towns, it would be a win-win for distressed taxpayers." --columnist Cal Thomas

THE GIPPER

"Remember that every government service, every offer of government-financed security, is paid for in the loss of personal freedom. ... In the days to come, whenever a voice is raised telling you to let the government do it, analyze very carefully to see whether the suggested service is worth the personal freedom which you must forgo in return for such service." --Ronald Reagan

OPINION IN BRIEF

"In reading more of [President Obama's] comments, I've noticed a tendency that now almost qualifies as a reflex: the more strongly the president denies something -- and especially, the more he mocks his critics and feigns amusement at what they say -- the greater the odds are that he will do what he denies. In an interview [last week], the president said, 'I think the irony ... is that I actually would like to see a relatively light touch when it comes to the government.' Of course; examples of his 'light touch' abound during the first five months of his presidency. ... Obama is not only doing something different than what he said, he's doing very nearly the opposite of what he says. Obama's 'light touch' is turning out to be as intrusive a set of actions by the federal government as we have seen. He is 'growing government' in record-shattering ways. Facing a staggering deficit and debt, Obama has decided to hit the accelerator rather than pump the brakes when it comes to federal spending. Facing a deficit and debt he calls unsustainable, Obama is adding trillions to them. He actually is running GM. He really is trying to engineer a government takeover of health care. His health-care plan may be the single worst thing he could do for America's long-term fiscal health. ... Let's stipulate that most politicians use words in an elastic and imprecise manner, that often their account muddles rather than clarifies things, and that what they say doesn't always correspond to what is. Even with all of that, President Obama seems to be carving out some fairly exclusive rhetorical real estate for himself. No one doubts Obama speaks exceedingly well; he uses soothing words that come across as reassuring and reasonable. The problem comes when you examine what he says versus what he does. And by that standard, Mr. Obama is turning out to be almost promiscuously misleading." --columnist Peter Wehner

RE: THE LEFT

"The President's admirers, especially in the media, consider him some speechmaker. He is reasonably good, by post-Reagan standards. If only his speeches had content as well as cadence! The content-less speech, which you can't remember when it's over except that it sure sounded good, is the Barack Obama specialty. Audiences eat it up with spoons. He promises change, promises unity, promises transformation. It sounds so good you want to march. March where? That's the eternal question with Obama. You won't find him, I venture, trying to shoot down in public the Congressional Budget Office's arithmetic -- first, because he knows we know it's no GOP hatchet job; second, because meeting telling objection with telling reply isn't his stock in trade. He inspires. He rouses. He sends you airborne -- without telling you what it's going to cost when you come down. That's the detail stuff -- cost. Obama seems to have decided we don't care about details; we trust him to do the backstage work that makes everything come out right." --columnist Bill Murchison

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

(To submit reader comments visit our Letters to the Editor page.) "Health care reform will be the defining issue of our time. Nothing more clearly defines the difference between conservatism and liberalism (statism). Who ultimately defines our rights; who is best able (and ought) to provide for our needs? Is it the individual or is it the government? Nothing is more basic to our freedoms than the control over health care decisions -- from the moment of conception to our lifestyle choices to our final breath. For if the government controls our health care decisions, it controls us. The outcome of this debate will set the course for the future of our country. Thank you Patriot Post for spreading the truth." --Ada, Michigan "I've been hearing how ABC News will be asking the commander in thief tough questions when they visit the White House. Reminder to ABC: Asking what his favorite color is, or whether he would prefer a hamburger over a hot dog or his shoe size will not count as tough questions. Instead, ask him who will pay for his spending or how much our taxes might go up to cover the debt." --Oklahoma City, Oklahoma "Whoa! Your Chronicle picture of a long line of people waiting to see the doctor is no joke here in Australia -- land of 'free' socialized health care for the masses. We must wait for FOUR YEARS to simply have a dental checkup when we have a toothache. And then, when the result of that checkup arrives -- in, oh, about six months or so -- and you are found to be in urgent need of additional treatment, there's good news. The wait will 'only' be another three years." --Brisbane, Australia "One point never seems to come up in the never-ending saga of error-laden statistics about guns being smuggled from the U.S. into Mexico for the benefit of the drug cartels and how we need to 'do something' about it. When people are smuggled across our border, into our country, and we ask Mexico, as the nation on the other side of the border, to help us, we are rebuffed. Now, when guns are purportedly being smuggled across their border, and Mexico asks for help from us, we are supposed to change our laws, abrogate our Constitution and generally jump through hoops for them. What's fair about this?" --Vail, Arizona "I would just like to say I appreciate all of the information/references that you publish, seemingly every week, about Ronald Reagan. I was born in 1985 and did not really have the pleasure of understanding what was going on with our country at the time he held office due to my infancy. However, throughout the last month/few months that I've been subscribed to The Patriot, I have really learned a lot about Reagan. He was an extremely intelligent, conservative and great leader from what I have gathered to this point. Hard to believe he came out of Hollywood! Anyways, you guys at The Patriot are awesome. I look forward to my e-mails everyday because it is hard to find a source of news that isn't false or just part of the truth. Keep up the good work." --Fort Wayne, Indiana

THE LAST WORD

"Are you confused by all that has changed since Pres. Barack Obama took office in January? If so, you're not alone. Perhaps, though, this handy guide to Age of Obama 'logic' might be of some assistance. ... Wanting to cut $17 billion from the budget, as President Obama has promised, is proof of financial responsibility. Borrowing $1.84 trillion this year for new programs is 'stimulus.' The old phrase 'out-of-control spending' is inoperative. ... The number of jobs theoretically saved, or created, by new government policies -- not the actual percentage of Americans out of work, or the total number of jobs lost -- is now the far better indicator of unemployment. ... Nationalizing much of the auto and financial industries, while regulating executive compensation, is an indication of our new government's repeatedly stated reluctance to interfere in the private sector. ... The media are disinterested and professional observers of the present administration. When television anchormen and senior magazine editors bow to the president, proclaim him a god, or feel tingling in the legs when he speaks, it is quite normal. ... Once we remember and accept the logic of the above, then almost everything about this Age of Obama begins to make perfect sense." --Hoover Institution historian Victor Davis Hanson ***** Veritas vos Liberabit -- Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for The Patriot's editors and staff. (Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.)
Friday Digest
19 June 2009
Vol. 09 No. 24

THE FOUNDATION

"If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy." --Thomas Jefferson

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

Obamacare Takes Center Stage

ABC News is lending itself to the Obama administration for the night of Wednesday, June 24, for a live broadcast of ABC World News Tonight from the Blue Room of the White House. This will be followed by an hour-long primetime special entitled "Prescription for America," which will advocate the Obama health care plan. The Republican National Committee noted that with the absence of opposing views, the programming amounts to little more than a campaign commercial -- one that should rightly be paid for by the Democratic National Committee. ABC predictably took offense and claimed that it will have complete editorial control over the content of the program. Or at least as much control as the White House wants them to have. As columnist Cal Thomas observes, "By the way, guess who's the new director of communications for the White House Office of Health Reform. It's former ABC News correspondent Linda Douglass, who left journalism last year to join the Obama campaign." How convenient. The network claims it will have "thoughtful" and "diverse" perspectives on the plan, but one noteworthy absence is "20/20" anchor John Stossel, who will not be participating. A pity, too, for if anyone at ABC has the requisite "thoughtful" and "diverse" perspective, it's Stossel. (See his 2007 health care report for more.) Obama's reason for taking to the airwaves is that his proposal is facing stiffer opposition than anticipated. First, his estimate of $634 billion over 10 years is wildly optimistic. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the plan will cost $1.6 trillion over 10 years and "result in a net increase in the federal budget deficits of about $1 trillion," despite Obama's reassurance that his reform (read: takeover) "will not add to our deficit over the next 10 years." Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) promised to cut $600 billion from the proposal and to pay for it with tax increases, spending cuts and other offsets. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY) said the plan includes $600 billion in tax hikes and $400 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. Furthermore, the CBO estimates that 23 million Americans will lose the insurance they currently have, contrary to Obama's key promise that no one will lose insurance. "[T]he number of people who had coverage through an employer would decline by about 15 million (or roughly 10 percent), and coverage from other sources would fall by about 8 million," the report says. The CBO estimate is so ugly for Democrats, The Hill reports, that "lawmakers are talking about changing the chamber's normal accounting procedures," substituting estimates from the White House Office of Management and Budget for those of the CBO. So much for "transparency." Considering the whole of Obamacare, one Patriot reader declared, "I haven't heard health care advice so laughable since Lucille Ball flogged Vitameatavegamin on TV. 'It's so tasty too. It's just like candy.' Has our president been hitting the Vitameatavegamin bottle himself? Not to worry, though. Even though socialized medicine has proven an abject failure in every venue trying it, the United States is such a big country that, like Lucy and Ethel selling homemade salad dressing below the cost of their ingredients, no doubt 'We'll make it up in volume.'"

The BIG Lie

"Let me also address an illegitimate concern that's being put forward by those who are claiming a public option is somehow a Trojan Horse for a single-payer system. I'll be honest: There are countries where a single-payer system works pretty well. But I believe -- and I've taken some flak from members of my own party for this belief -- that it's important for our efforts to build on our traditions here in the United States. So when you hear the naysayers claim that I'm trying to bring about government-run health care, know this: They're not telling the truth." --President Barack Obama to the American Medical Association When asked which countries' citizens enjoyed their socialized medicine, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs later admitted, "I don't know exactly the countries. ... I assume Canada, Britain, maybe France." Not the examples we'd pick to bolster Obama's case.

On Cross-Examination

"It's hard to know whether President Obama's health care 'reform' is naive, hypocritical or simply dishonest. Probably all three. The president keeps saying it's imperative to control runaway health spending. He's right. The trouble is that what's being promoted as health care 'reform' almost certainly won't suppress spending and, quite probably, will do the opposite." --Washington Post columnist Robert Samuelson

This Week's 'Alpha Jackass' Award

"I do not want the government to run things. I've got enough to do." --President Barack Obama, attempting the equivalent of a Jedi mind trick: "These are not the droids you're looking for."

Hope 'n' Change: Stimulus Follies

Congress is prone to making mistakes when it comes to writing legislation. The possibilities for trouble were endless with the 400-page, $800 billion stimulus package crafted and passed in less than a month. One such apparent screw-up that came to our attention is the loss of food stamp eligibility for an untold number of recipients who also received a bump in their unemployment compensation. Receiving just an additional $25 a week in unemployment caused some citizens to lose $300 in food stamps because the stimulus bump pushed their income above the eligibility cap. Those who are receiving the unemployment aid cannot refuse the "raise" -- it's a mandatory gift from the government. Lawmakers knew this would be a problem and could have headed it off by declaring the $25 stimulus checks would not affect food stamp assistance, or they could have raised the income tax. But either option would have forced states to recalibrate their programs, which would have been expensive and time consuming. So, instead, some people will just have to sing for their supper. As Vice President Joe Biden has said, the recovery package "clearly has had an impact."

New & Notable Legislation

On Tuesday, the House passed a bill appropriating $106 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq through September. The vote was 226-202 with all but five Republicans opposed. The Senate passed the bill Thursday, 91-5. The GOP's opposition, at least in the House, was due mainly to the addition of various spending amendments. The Associated Press explains, "The $106 billion measure, in addition to about $80 billion for military operations, provides for an array of other spending priorities, including $7.7 billion to respond to the flu pandemic and more than $10 billion in development and security aid for Pakistan and Iraq as well as countries such as Mexico and the nation of Georgia." Additionally, "Republicans condemned $5 billion in the measure to secure a $108 billion U.S. line of credit to the International Monetary Fund for loans to poor countries." The so-called "cash for clunkers" legislation, which would provide vouchers of up to $4,500 for consumers who trade in older vehicles for new vehicles with better fuel efficiency, was also attached to the bill. Senate Republicans tried unsuccessfully to strip the amendment. The House passed the Senate's version of the tobacco regulation bill last Friday by a vote of 307-97. Pending President Obama's signature, the Food and Drug Administration will have the authority to regulate the manufacturing and advertising of tobacco products. The law bans the use of cherry and other flavorings as well as advertising with cartoon characters. We've heard that cherry-flavored cigars are especially deadly. In the executive branch, President Obama issued a memorandum that extends federal benefits to unmarried partners of federal workers, including same-sex partners. He further pledged to "work with Congress to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act," about which he said, "It's discriminatory, it interferes with states' rights, and it's time we overturned it." States' rights? Who knew that President Obama was a closet Confederate? Finally, since Washington has officially solved all of our other problems, the Senate took up and passed a resolution apologizing for slavery and racial segregation. It now goes to the House. On second thought, maybe Congress should stick to meaningless resolutions and stay out of our daily lives.

Fishy Firing of Inspector General

Details are slowly leaking out about the firing of AmeriCorps Inspector General Gerald Walpin, who last week was given one hour either to resign or be fired. Walpin, accused of misconduct by Sacramento-based acting U.S. Attorney Lawrence Brown -- a career official -- opted to stay on and thus be fired. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), who co-authored a law requiring the president to give 30 days' notice and notification of Congress as to the reason for firing inspectors general, says Obama violated the law by giving insufficient notice or explanation. A White House lawyer called it "political courage." In dismissing Walpin, Obama cited not having the "fullest confidence" in the IG, who had, oddly enough, just concluded an investigation into a nonprofit foundation run by Obama supporter, former NBA star and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. In that probe, Walpin found Johnson had used AmeriCorps grant money to pay volunteers for political activity and to run his personal errands. The U.S. Attorney's office also investigated, filing no charges against Johnson, but obtaining a settlement where about half the grant money would be repaid. However, Johnson is personally responsible for only a small portion of the settlement, with the remainder accruing to the insolvent St. Hope foundation Johnson headed. As is often the case with misallocation of funds, there is little hope of recouping the cash. The White House went on to assault Walpin's mental faculties, saying that at a May 20 AmeriCorps board meeting, Walpin "was confused, disoriented, unable to answer questions and exhibited other behavior that led the Board to question his capacity to serve." Other inspectors general may need to start looking over their shoulders if their investigations get too close to prominent Obama supporters.

From the Left: Culture of Corruption, Version 2.0

Congressional Democrats came to power after the 2006 elections on the heels of a campaign that bashed the GOP for a "culture of corruption," but it seems the shoe has shifted to the other foot. Two more examples came out this week. First, it seems that Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Countrywide) has been a shrewd investor in Irish property. A vacation home that Dodd's 2007 financial disclosure report valued at between $100,001 and $250,000 is now worth $660,000 according to his most recent disclosure filed last week. In 2002 the cottage was appraised at $190,000; however, Dodd has also renovated the cottage heavily during the last several years, making the accuracy of Dodd's disclosures questionable at best. Also interesting is the former owner who sold his two-thirds interest to Dodd in 2002. William Kessinger is an associate of Edward Downe Jr., who with Dodd's assistance was pardoned by President Bill Clinton on his final day in office. Downe served as a witness to the legal documents for the property sale. All in all, it's a nice quid pro quo. The same can be said for insider trading information. Also coming to light last week were some timely stock transactions by another Democrat, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin. On September 18, 2008, Durbin was briefed by then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke. The next day Durbin sold over $40,000 worth of mutual funds and bought a similar amount of stock in Berkshire Hathaway, a company controlled by billionaire Democrat contributor Warren Buffett. All told, by early October Durbin had dumped $116,000 of stock, investing over $98,000 of the proceeds into Berkshire Hathaway. While Buffett's company hasn't been immune from recent market trouble, it has not suffered as much as the rest of the market. Naturally, the Leftmedia has shown no interest in these questions of impropriety. The letter "D" after one's name shouldn't serve as a free pass.

Ensign Admits Affair

Sadly, Republicans aren't immune from moral failings either. Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), a leading social conservative in Congress, admitted to an extramarital affair with former campaign staffer Cynthia Hampton between December 2007 and August 2008. The staffer is married to a former legislative aid for Ensign, and the couple's son also worked for the senator. Ensign has stepped down from chairing the Republican Policy Committee, the fourth-ranking spot in the GOP leadership. Given Ensign's calls for Bill Clinton's resignation post-Lewinsky and for fellow GOP Sen. Larry Craig's after the foot-tapping incident in a Minnesota airport men's room, the charge of hypocrisy is natural. However, as Wall Street Journal columnist James Taranto argues, "The hypocrisy charge seems to us an intellectually lazy one. Sam Stein of the [Huffington Post] notes that Ensign called President Clinton's conduct with Monica Lewinsky 'embarrassing' and called for Clinton to resign. But he seems appropriately ashamed by his own conduct -- the AP quotes him as saying 'it is the worst thing I have ever done in my life' -- and he has resigned, at least from his leadership post. Where exactly is the hypocrisy? ... Those who succumb to temptation are weak, but they are not necessarily hypocritical."

Students Rely on The Patriot

"The Patriot Post is leading a surprisingly well-organized charge into the world of Internet politics." --Harvard Political Review The Patriot serves as a great source of support and encouragement to conservative students and professors who often stand alone for what is good and right on America's liberal campuses: A student at Boston College: "The Patriot is by far the best and most accessible source for conservative perspective anywhere. In the 'Liberal Capital of the World,' it is difficult to find others who seek truth over trivia. The Patriot is an incredible weapon in any debate with the Left and, indeed, has been the tool that I have used to slay opponents -- particularly faculty opponents. Thanks!" --Boston, Massachusetts While many of our Patriot readers support us at the end of the year, and some throughout the year, we experience a perennial summer "dry spell," a budget shortfall going into our third quarter, and need your help to bridge the gap between July and October. Please, if you have the ability, take a moment to support The Patriot online today by making a contribution -- however large or small. (If you prefer to support us by mail, please fill out and send in our printable donor form with a check payable to "The Patriot Annual Fund," PO Box 507, Chattanooga, TN 37401.) Donate at or above the Family Defender level and receive our exclusive, hot-off-the-press pocket version of The Declaration and Constitution, with a foreword by Mark Alexander. (Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.) I thank you for the honor and privilege of serving you as editor and publisher of The Patriot. On behalf of your Patriot Staff and National Advisory Committee, thank you and God bless you and your family. Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis! Mark Alexander
Publisher, PatriotPost.US

NATIONAL SECURITY

The Iranian 'Election'

Events in Iran over the last week have been interesting, to put it mildly. Following a patently rigged presidential election on June 12 in which incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed to have won with 63 percent of the vote, Iran's Supreme Leader announced Ahmadinejad's victory before all the votes could possibly have been counted. Supporters of Ahmadinejad's only serious rival, former Prime Minister Mir Hussein Mousavi, promptly staged street riots and protests that led to varying degrees of violence over the ensuing week when Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Basij militia met the protesters with clubs, tear gas and guns. Photos of beaten and bloody Iranians have made it into the international media despite the regime's attempt at a news blackout, and at least 20 people are believed to have been killed by the security forces. Lost in all the media speculation about a rigged election and the possibility of a recount is the fact that Mousavi is not the Iranian Martin Luther King Jr., waiting to lead the Iranian people into a broad upland of democracy, women's rights and responsible behavior as part of the community of nations. No one is allowed to run for high office in Iran without first being approved by the Council of Guardians. The Council learned its lesson in 1997, when Mohammad Khatami was elected on a platform of liberal reforms -- and then attempted to implement them, much to the hardliners' horror. If Mousavi was not palatable to the hardliners who control the election process, his name could never have appeared on the ballot. Furthermore, even if elected Mousavi could at most attempt incremental social reforms. With real power remaining in the office of the Supreme Leader, a President Mousavi could not have reformed Iran itself. Finally, as noted by Robert Kagan this week in The Washington Post, an Obama administration hoping for talks and meaningful negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program before the end of the year is caught in a difficult spot. Supporting Mousavi and his followers will irritate the incumbent regime and retard any negotiating schedule. But appearing not to support Mousavi openly and the veneer of democratic reform that surrounds him -- wrongly, but surrounds him nonetheless -- risks abdicating the United States' role as the champion of democracy. As we said -- an interesting week.

This Week's 'Braying, uh, Jackass' Award

"We are excited, uh, to see, uh, what appears to be a ro-robust debate taking place in Iran. And obviously after the speech that, uh, I made in Cairo we tried to send a clear message that we think there is the possibility of change, uhhh, aaaand -- ehhh, yuh-- oh -- Ultimately the election is for the Iranians to decide, uh, but, uh, just a-as has been true in Lebanon, what's, uh -- can be true in Iran as well is that you're seeing people looking at new possibilities. And, uh, whoever, uh, ends up winning, uh, the election in Iran, uh, the fact that there's been a robust debate hopefully will help, uh, advance our ability to engage them in new ways." --Barack Hussein Obama

Warfront With Jihadistan: Netanyahu Offers Two-State Solution

A little over a week after Obama's speech to Muslims in Cairo during his American Apology Tour, wherein he played the supplicant to Islamists and warned Israel to stop irritating the people that want Israel destroyed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu countered, stating unequivocally that Israel has a right to exist. Netanyahu also refused to consider the Palestinians' demand for a "right of return" to Israel, which would effectively end Israel's existence. Yet, surprisingly, he said that Israel would support a "two-state solution" with the creation of a Palestinian state: "In our vision we see two states side by side, each with its own flag and anthem." This is a remarkable statement from an Israeli hardliner and would appear to give Palestinians what they should most desire, a homeland. Naturally, however, things in the Middle East aren't that simple. For Israel's part, it wants conditions placed on the Palestinians, such as demilitarization of the Palestinian state with international guarantees that it remains so, along with ceding control of its airspace to Israel. Given the history of the area, these conditions seem reasonable. But of course, it's really The Big Condition that will be the sticking point: Palestinians, and by extension the Muslim world, must recognize Israel as the Jewish homeland and recognize its right to exist. Sadly, this is something that most Muslims are still not prepared to do, as illustrated by their head-scratching responses to Netanyahu's speech. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) claimed that Israel's two state offer "torpedoed the peace process," while Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak declared that "Netanyahu's demand that Palestinians recognize Israel as the Jewish state is ruining the chance for peace." Such is the delusional, demented state of the Islamic leadership. Apparently, even the smooth-talking Obamessiah could not soothe that savage beast.

Real ID Swapped for Pass ID?

The Obama administration is seeking to scale back a federal law passed after 9/11 that was designed to tighten security requirements for driver's licenses. The Homeland Security Department wants to repeal and replace the controversial domestic security initiative known as Real ID, which calls for the use of more secure licenses by 2017. The new proposal, called Pass ID, would be cheaper, less rigorous and partly funded by federal grants. Eleven states refused to go along with Real ID, primarily because of costs. The Real ID program also raised the issue of a national ID. Pivotal portions of the Real ID program were databases, linked through a national data hub, which would allow all states to store and cross-check information, and a requirement that motor vehicle departments verify birth certificates with originating agencies -- a bid to fight identity theft (though apparently not elections to the White House). The collection of data and its distribution has raised alarms on both the Right and Left, even if for differing reasons. In case it has escaped notice, we already have a national ID in the form of our social security number (SSN). One cannot open a banking account, get a credit card, get insurance, or apply for an apartment rental or a mortgage without disclosing this magic number that also unlocks credit information. All that's missing is the data hub proposed for Real ID for accessing all information that uses the SSN. There are legitimate security needs for a document which proves that individuals are who they claim to be, such as for airline travel and voter registration. In these times of high-tech crime, the document should be tamper- and forgery-proof, as well as resistant to identity theft. These legitimate needs will have to be weighed against possible infringements on privacy and other civil rights.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Regulatory Commissars: 'Sweeping Overhaul'

The central government is working hard to keep Americans from working. According to an annual report by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the federal government issued 3,830 new regulations last year, costing "only" $1.17 trillion in new regulatory costs set forth in just 79,435 pages. For perspective, individual income taxes cost Americans only $1.2 trillion. The costs of these new regulations consumed 10 percent of the economic output of the United States, ranking our federal regulatory burden between the entire gross domestic product output of South Korea and Indonesia. Not wanting to slacken the pace, "President Barack Obama moved Wednesday to shift the pendulum of history, proposing sweeping new government regulation of the nation's financial system," according to McClatchy Newspapers. Writers Steven Thomma and Kevin Hall went on to explain, "Obama's proposal to overhaul the nation's financial regulatory structure would reverse the prevailing free-market sentiment in Washington and the country that started with Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s..." Wait -- what? Surely they can't be serious. Granted, Obama's policies are anti-market, but Carter wasn't exactly the second coming of Adam Smith. Obama's plan calls for granting the Federal Reserve greater power over financial institutions, creating a Consumer Financial Protection Agency to prevent abuse in credit cards and mortgages, and further regulating hedge funds and derivatives, among other things. The president, who is fond of claiming that he's not doing something that he's busy doing, said via an 85-page white paper on the regulation plan, "[I]t is clear now that the government could have done more" to prevent the financial crisis. In fact, the government did plenty to cause the crisis.

Income Redistribution: IRS Backtracks on Taxing Phones

Further attempting to retard our economic growth, the Internal Revenue Service had been proposing to tax 25 percent of the value of employer-issued cell phones. Since 1989, phones provided by businesses for their employees have been taxable fringe benefits, though employers and employees alike have largely ignored reporting the information. With the new proposal, the IRS claimed the agency was more concerned about making sure employers deduct the correct amounts for cell phones than it was about taxing employees on benefits. But after catching flak for the added burden on taxpayers, the IRS suddenly dropped the issue this week when it became clear that compliance would cost more than the scheme would ever raise in taxes. Just as Congress more often passes the law of unintended consequences than any other, even the IRS can't escape the law of diminishing returns.

Bond Smugglers Arrested in Italy

"Japan is investigating reports two of its citizens were detained in Italy after allegedly attempting to take $134 billion worth of U.S. bonds over the border into Switzerland," Bloomberg reports. Police found the bond certificates -- some 249 of them worth $500 million each -- in the bottom of luggage the two were carrying. Authorities are still trying to determine if the securities are genuine. If they are real, the pair of travelers would be the fourth largest investors in U.S. debt, just behind Russia and ahead of the UK; if they are fake, police said it would be a counterfeiting scam "on an unprecedented scale." Neither scenario is desirable. And the silence from the Treasury is deafening.

California Denied Bailout; Michigan Razes Flint

After dumping billions of taxpayer dollars into Chrysler, GM, Citigroup, Bank of America, et al., ad nauseam, the Obama administration has rejected California's request for emergency federal aid to save the state from "fiscal meltdown" in the form of an estimated $24 billion budget deficit. While California Democrat Rep. Zoe Lofgren warns the fate of California -- representing the world's eighth largest economy -- portends that of the nation, the administration has developed a sudden concern with setting precedent, worried that a Golden State bailout could prompt similar requests from across the country. Instead, officials have determined California should try a bit harder to fix its own fiscal disaster before asking for help. Meanwhile, in Michigan, which apparently is exempt from this new "hands-off" approach, Obama has taken a liking to Genesee County Treasurer Dan Kildee's "pioneering" idea of "shrink to survive," which entails "razing entire districts" of cities and "returning the land to nature" -- a kumbayah spin on "our cities are failing and the stimulus isn't working." Flint, Michigan, the original home of General Motors, is now the home of various bulldozers. Left Coasters are fond of saying, "As California goes, so goes the nation." But if Obama has his way, perhaps this claim rightly belongs to the la-la-land of Kildee -- where leftist policies and government "help" have masqueraded "sustainable" decline and demolition as the new hope for economic renewal.

CULTURE & POLICY

Second Amendment: GAO Blames U.S. for Mexican Gun Violence

"A new study by the Government Accountability Office says most firearms recovered in drug violence in Mexico come from the U.S., a finding that will likely fuel the politically charged debate over the U.S. government's efforts to stem gun trafficking across the border," reports The Wall Street Journal. As we have pointed out before, however, the data is flawed right from the beginning. According to the Journal, in 2008, Mexican law enforcement seized 30,000 weapons, but only 7,200 were submitted to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for tracing. Rather than look at the complete facts, of course, anti-gun demagogues pounced on the report. "The availability of firearms illegally flowing from the United States into Mexico has armed and emboldened a dangerous criminal element in Mexico, and it has made the job of drug cartels easier," said Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY). "It is simply unacceptable that the United States not only consumes the majority of the drugs flowing from Mexico, but also arms the very cartels that contribute to the daily violence that is devastating Mexico." Blaming law-abiding U.S. citizens for drug violence in Mexico makes little sense, other than as a justification for more gun control. In anticipation of a renewed effort by the Obama administration to reinstate the so-called "assault weapons" ban, 23 state attorneys general sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, saying, "We share the Obama Administration's commitment to reducing illegal drugs and violent crime within the United States. We also share your deep concern about drug cartel violence in Mexico. However, we do not believe that restricting law-abiding Americans' access to certain semi-automatic firearms will resolve any of these problems."

Around the Nation: Alaska and Energy Independence

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has pulled off a feat that her predecessors have been working on for some 30 years: closing a deal to create a 1,712-mile natural gas pipeline in her state. The project went from dream to reality when Exxon Mobil, America's largest oil company, signed on to join a partnership with TransCanada, the company that holds the license for the $26 billion project. Rival energy companies, politicians in Juneau and in Washington all thought the project would never happen, but now they all want to join Palin in taking credit for it. And it's easy to see why. Palin is just about the only elected leader who is actually walking the walk on energy independence in the United States. The need for natural gas will rise by more than 25 percent in the next 20 years, so there's no better time than the present to start a project like this one. It is slated for completion in 2018.

Xbox 360's Jihadi Game

There are no depths to which some will not sink to make a buck, and if they can also further the jihadist cause, well then, all the better. T-Enterprise, a British software developer, was recently put on the hot seat for the proposed sale of an Xbox 360 game, "Rendition Guantanamo," the heroic tale of a brave terrorist fighting off his American oppressors at the detention facility. The object of the game is for the detainee to shoot his way out of Gitmo, which in the game's universe is owned, not by the U.S. government, but an independent company called "Freedom Corp." T-Enterprise's director, Zarrar Chishti, stated that it would be a big seller in the Middle East, a disturbing statement on several levels. The game was created by former Gitmo detainee and al-Qa'ida-trained jihadi Moazzam Begg. Begg claimed he was innocent of any wrongdoing and since his release has been telling of alleged Gitmo abuses to any who will listen. This, however, may be his best revenge. "Rendition Guantanamo" may be a game, but it is also serious business. In 2005, soldiers found that terrorists in Baghdad were using the Xbox as a training tool. The public sale of Rendition Guantanamo has been cancelled due to protests by several groups, but there are others like it -- most notably, "Six Days in Fallujah" and "Kaboom" -- a game about a Palestinian shoe bomber.

Faith and Family: MTV 'Reality'

It was bound to happen. With the bright lights of reality shows zooming in on every aspect of human life, it was inevitable that someone would create a show about unwed teen mothers. And who better than MTV, which has catered to teen viewers since its creation in the 1980s. MTV has a history of risqué programming, from racy music videos to the bisexual dating show "Tila Tequila." But its new show, "16 and Pregnant," is no less than a ringing endorsement of a national travesty that robs teens of their youth and contributes to child poverty and neglect. One of the show's subjects is a high school student named Maci. The cameras follow Maci as she deals with her child, Bentley, and the baby's father, Ryan, with whom she has a rocky relationship. Yet according to Maci, things couldn't be better. She speaks about the fact that her friends are jealous because she and Ryan have gotten their own apartment, and she refers to herself as an "over-achiever" who gets good grades, plays softball and is a cheerleader. But how long will the good times last? According to the National Center for Health Statistics and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 86 percent of unwed mothers are teenagers and 40 percent of teenage unwed mothers never graduate from high school. It's no wonder, then, that two-thirds of families started by unwed mothers are poor. In fact, the increase in childhood poverty in recent decades is caused almost exclusively by out-of-wedlock births. Think MTV will mention that?

And Last...

"Another Obama relative has a book deal," reports the Associated Press. "A memoir by George Obama, the president's half brother and a resident of [a modest hut in] Huruma, Kenya, will be published by Simon & Schuster in January 2010." George, otherwise known as Obama the Hut, is writing about his teenage years in crime and poverty and then his ascent as a community organizer. Hmm, where have we heard that before? With an audacious tale of hope following the dreams of his father, who's to say that George won't one day become president of Kenya? Provided he can find that pesky birth certificate... ***** Veritas vos Liberabit -- Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for The Patriot's editors and staff. (Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.) You have received this email because you are subscribed to The Patriot Post. To manage your subscription or to unsubscribe, link to http://patriotpost.us and log in with your email address.



Wednesday Chronicle
17 June 2009
Vol. 09 No. 24

THE FOUNDATION

"To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it." --Thomas Jefferson

THE DEMO-GOGUES

"These are not the droids you're looking for": "I do not want the government to run things. I've got enough to do." --President Barack Obama, who between running the banks and the automakers is finding time to talk about running health care Getting it backwards: "If we do not fix our health care system, America may go the way of GM: paying more, getting less, and going broke." --Barack Obama, proposing to spend more to save more The only thing to fear...: "[T]here are those who will try and scuttle this opportunity no matter what, who will use the same scare tactics and fear-mongering that's worked in the past, that will give warnings about socialized medicine and government takeovers, long lines and rationed care, decisions made by bureaucrats and not doctors. We have heard this all before. And because these fear tactics have worked, things have kept getting worse. ... Let me also say that -- let me also address an illegitimate concern that's being put forward by those who are claiming that a public option is somehow a Trojan horse for a single-payer system. I'll be honest; there are countries where a single-payer system works pretty well. But I believe ... that it's important for our reform efforts to build on our traditions here in the United States. So when you hear the naysayers claim that I'm trying to bring about government-run health care, know this: They're not telling the truth." --Barack Obama Good 'ole Joe: "No one realized how bad the economy was. The projections, in fact, turned out to be worse. But we took the mainstream model as to what we thought -- and everyone else thought -- the unemployment rate would be. ... Everyone guessed wrong at the time the estimate was made about what the state of the economy was at the moment [the stimulus] was passed." --Vice President Joe Biden **Actually, Joe, there was plenty of opposition. More mind tricks: "The exit strategy is that we, in fact -- these companies where the United States government, through the TARP funding, has got engaged in helping them stay alive is that they begin -- they are retooled, they are beginning to make money. We get the hell, the heck out as quickly as we can. As the president says, we don't want any part of running any of these companies." --Joe Biden The BIG Lie: "I think the irony ... is that I actually would like to see a relatively light touch when it comes to the government." --Barack Obama

UPRIGHT

"If Obama candidly said he is trying to put America on the path to government-run health care, it would excite exactly the sort of massive national grassroots opposition needed to kill his plan. So what Obama is doing is paving a one-way street to a socialized medicine while expressly denying he is doing so -- and while accusing those who point out what he is doing of being untruthful." --columnist Terence Jeffrey "It's hard to know whether President Obama's health care 'reform' is naive, hypocritical or simply dishonest. Probably all three. The president keeps saying it's imperative to control runaway health spending. He's right. The trouble is that what's being promoted as health care 'reform' almost certainly won't suppress spending and, quite probably, will do the opposite." --columnist Robert Samuelson "A government bureaucracy controlling your medical care is likely to combine the efficiency of the post office with the compassion of the IRS. Imagine a trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles -- but to secure lifesaving treatment for yourself, a spouse or child, rather than simply to obtain a driver's license. What a nightmare." --columnist Carol Platt Liebau "Only a Washington economist can argue with a straight face that providing quality health care to 46 million Americans who are now uninsured and assert it will save 'between $75 billion and $125 billion per year.' Folks, that's how government and deficits keep getting bigger." --columnist Debra Saunders "The problem in the next four years will be not just that the president of the United States serially does not tell the truth. Instead, the real crisis in our brave new relativist world will be that those who demonstrate that he is untruthful will themselves be accused of lying." --columnist Victor Davis Hanson

EDITORIAL EXEGESIS

"When we first heard the phrase 'cash for clunkers,' we thought the reference was to a Congressional pay raise. Alas, no, it is the bright idea out of Congress to pay Americans to turn in their old cars so they'll go out and buy a new one. As columnist George Will recently observed, this isn't as insane as the New Deal policy of slaughtering pigs to raise pork prices, but it's close enough for government work. Under cash for clunkers, drivers would be offered vouchers of up to $4,500 to swap their current wheels for a more environmentally correct set with better mileage. The cars they turn in for destruction would have to get less than 18 miles per gallon, be drivable, and insured to the owner for at least a year. That last provision is presumably intended to deter political arbitrageurs from raiding used-car lots for trade-in wrecks. But as economic policy, this is still dotty. It encourages Americans to needlessly destroy still useful cars and then misallocates scarce resources from other, perhaps more productive, uses in order to subsidize replacements. By the same logic, we could revive the housing market by paying everyone to burn down their houses to collect the insurance money and build new ones. The proposal is really intended to help Detroit out of recession by subsidizing new car purchases, while also satisfying environmentalists who want gas guzzlers off the roads yesterday. ... For most consumers, the subsidy won't make a major difference in their purchasing decision on a new car, either because they don't have a trade-in or because a new car is still out of reach even with the voucher. But the policy will cost the Treasury revenue that the politicians will eventually claw from someone else, and it will further distort car markets and investment decisions. A far better cash for clunkers idea would be if Members of Congress gave themselves a $1 million voucher each in return for retiring. Then we could start all over with fewer economic dunces." --The Wall Street Journal

HOLDING THE LINE

"Thanks to The Patriot for your considerable efforts to hold back the 'Clintonistas' while I was in the Senate. The Patriot's message provides a critical touchstone for those inside the Beltway who have forgotten whom they serve." --former senator Fred Thompson Here at The Patriot Post, our team works tirelessly to bring you the most up-to-date news and policy analysis on a weekly basis, free of charge. Thanks to the support of our donors, The Patriot is distributed to thousands of military, collegiate and mission-field readers, ensuring that every dollar extends our Founders' legacy far and wide. While many of our Patriot readers support us at the end of the year, and some throughout the year, we experience a perennial summer "dry spell," a budget shortfall going into our third quarter, and need your help to bridge the gap between July and October. Please, if you have the ability, take a moment to support The Patriot online today by making a contribution -- however large or small. (If you prefer to support us by mail, please fill out and send in our printable donor form with a check payable to the Patriot Annual Fund, PO Box 507, Chattanooga, TN 37401.) Donate at or above the Family Defender level and receive our exclusive, hot-off-the-press redesigned pocket version of The Declaration and Constitution, with a foreword by Mark Alexander. (Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.) I thank you for the honor and privilege of serving you as editor and publisher of The Patriot. On behalf of your Patriot Staff and National Advisory Committee, thank you and God bless you and your family. Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis! Mark Alexander
Publisher, PatriotPost.US

DEZINFORMATSIA

America = Iran: "What can we expect as far as accuracy, because we have our own problems, Florida in 2000." --CNN's Don Lemon ++ "Like Florida 2000." --CNN's Wolf Blitzer ++ "What's happening now is similar to what took place in Florida in 2000." --Karim Sadjadpour, Iran specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace ++ "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and his main opponent have declared victory. Florida 2000 anyone?" --MSNBC's Rachel Maddow ++ "I think the White House shouldn't say anything, and the reason being is because of what happened in 2000 when Bush stole the election. Who are we to judge Iran?" --radio talk-show host Warren Ballentine ++ "The Supreme Court obviously, in this country, doesn't decide who's going to be on the ballot, but in 2000 they decided who was going to be president. Remember that?" --CNN's Jack Cafferty Cost? What cost?: "I think we should figure out how to make [health care] budget-neutral. But we can't let this argument about paying for it get in the way of getting the thing done." --Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Speaking truth to power: "What a relief to have an urbane, cultivated, curious president who's out and about, engaged in the world. Not dangerously detached, as W. was, or darkly stewing like Cheney. Not hanging with the Rat Pack like J.F.K. or getting bored and up to mischief like Bill Clinton. ... Date on and tee it up, Mr. President. It's O.K. if they're teed off." --New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd Pooh-poohing the opposition: "Republicans are honing an attack line against President Barack Obama in an attempt to play on Americans' fears of government overreach and economic uncertainties, suggesting he is nationalizing American industry and socializing medicine." --Associated Press writer Tom Raum **If by "suggesting" he means Obama IS nationalizing industry and socializing medicine. Newspulper Headlines: Now the Feds Are Picking the Furniture: "Next Chair Is Chosen for GM" --Detroit Free Press Even 2,000-Plus Years Later: "B.C. Forest Fire Means Beautiful Sunsets in Seattle" --Seattle Times Imagine the Sunsets That'll Produce: "Earth-Venus Smash-Up Possible in 3.5 Billion Years: Study" --Agence France-Presse It's Always in the Last Place You Look: "Obama Administration Finds Health-Care Model in Green Bay" --Washington Post Everything Seemingly Is Spinning Out of Control: "What if Obama's Out of His Mind?" --Esquire.com News You Can Use: "The Recession Is Great" --Forbes.com Bottom Stories of the Day: "China Not Sending 3 Rare Golden Monkeys to LA Zoo" --Associated Press (Thanks to The Wall Street Journal's James Taranto)

VILLAGE IDIOTS

Another lie: "Barack Obama is not a socialist -- he's not even a liberal. ...[T]his country needs a left wing. It doesn't have it, and part of the reason is the media." --HBO's Bill Maher Everybody loves Obama: "I really don't think fear of socialism is gripping Americans by the throat. I think there's a feeling in some ways that the government was asleep at the switch for the past eight years. I think people see steps taken by Obama as a healthy compensation for that inactivity." --Rutgers University political scientist Ross Baker Culture bias alert: "With my academic achievement in high school I was accepted rather readily at Princeton and equally as fast at Yale, but my test scores were not comparable to that of my classmates. And that's been shown by statistics, there are reasons for that -- there are cultural biases built into testing, and that was one of the motivations for the concept of affirmative action to try to balance out those effects." --Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor Serious accusation: "I think [Dick Cheney] smells some blood in the water on the national-security issue. It's almost, a little bit, gallows politics. When you read behind it, it's almost as if he's wishing that this country would be attacked again, in order to make his point." --CIA director Leon Panetta **"I hope my old friend Leon was misquoted. The important thing is whether the Obama administration will continue the policies that have kept us safe for the last eight years." --former Vice President Dick Cheney Why government should stay away: "Everything that the White House does concerning this deep recession contains an element of gambling because no one has been here before." --former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich

SHORT CUTS

"Governments can't even count votes accurately -- or deliver the mail efficiently. Yet now, somehow, government will run auto companies and guarantee us health care better than private firms? And the public seems eager for that!" --"20/20" co-anchor John Stossel "The first thing is not to call it socialized medicine. Reform is much easier on the ear. The second thing is to get it enacted fast. The third thing is to call opponents naysayers. The fourth thing (although not officially recommended) might be to regret the first three things. But then it will be too late." --columnist Jack Markowitz "On a more serious front, I sincerely hope that when the president goes in for his annual check-up, the doctors at Bethesda will do a brain scan. Surely something must be terribly wrong with a man who seems to be far more concerned with a Jew building a house in Israel than with Muslims building a nuclear bomb in Iran." --columnist Burt Prelutsky "One notes that, even in Somalia, which still has high childhood mortality, not to mention a state of permanent civil war, functioning government has entirely collapsed and yet life expectancy has increased from 49 to 55. Maybe if government were to collapse entirely in Washington, our life expectancy would show equally remarkable gains. Just thinking outside the box here." --columnist Mark Steyn ***** Veritas vos Liberabit -- Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for The Patriot's editors and staff. (Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.)
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Monday Brief
15 June 2009
Vol. 09 No. 24

THE FOUNDATION

FAITH AND FAMILY

THE GIPPER

CULTURE

THE NOB LE TRADITION OF OUR FOUNDERS

OPINION IN BRIEF

"The Senate is considering a so-called 'Cash for Clunkers' program. The idea behind the legislation ... is that if you trade in your older car or SUV, the government will provide you with a voucher up to $4,500 to purchase a new car or SUV that is more fuel efficient. Supposedly this would boost new car sales and help the beleaguered auto industry while also reducing global warming. In reality, it's a big government idea with many startling, unintended consequences. Meanwhile, even the intended consequences are bad for taxpayers, because this legislation is estimated to cost between $3 and $4 billion. One unintended consequence of this bill is that it would further hurt the poor. That may seem counterintuitive. Yet the best way for a family to qualify for the program is for it to purchase an overpriced hybrid vehicle. If a family is struggling to put food on the table, even a $4,500 voucher doesn't make such a car affordable. The only way for a low-income family to participate is to incur more debt. If you own a 'clunker,' you would be harmed by this legislation, because it would remove old cars, and old car parts, from the market, making older cars even more expensive to buy and to fix. Because the government plans to destroy the 'clunkers' traded in -- even if they are perfectly good vehicles -- the supply of used cars will dwindle and both used -- and new-car prices will increase. Environmentalists don't see this as a problem, nor do automakers, because they want to use the power of the state to drive new car sales. But conservatives should be wary. As we have seen repeatedly over the past year, when special interests win, the ordinary American loses." --Heritage Foundation director of U.S. Senate Relations Brian Darling

LIBERTY

GOVERNMENT

RE: THE LEFT

POLITICAL FUTURES

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

THE LAST WORD