ACTION

First, how much have CBS and ABC contributed to the impeachment churn? The Wall Street Journal’s James Freeman asked and answered: “In the 50 days since news consumers were told that a federal whistleblower was expressing his disapproval of a presidential phone call, CBS News has aired or published more than 100 stories on President Donald Trump and Ukraine. Counting stories from local affiliates, the number rises above 200. That’s according to the Dow Jones Factiva news archive. But CBS hasn’t come close to the wall-to-wall coverage offered by rival ABC News. A Factiva search of ABC stories about Mr. Trump and Ukraine yields 687 results for the last 50 days. More than 300 of the ABC stories specifically include the term ‘whistleblower.’”

Well, some whistleblowers are more equal than others.

Earlier this week, we noted the story of how ABC spiked a 2016 story about Jeffrey Epstein, likely because noting the serial pedophile’s connections to scumbag/liar-Bill Clinton would have hurt scumbag/liar-Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. The fact that the story was spiked was revealed by someone from ABC you might call a whistleblower — she leaked the video of ABC’s Amy Robach complaining about the network’s decision on the well-researched story.

But the whistleblower now works for CBS. Correction: She worked for CBS. Once ABC figured out who the whistleblower was, the network pressured its rival and she was fired.

While NBC wasn’t involved in this particular fiasco, that network is no better, having covered up stories on Harvey Weinstein and defended Matt Lauer for years. The #MeToo movement was supposed to be about giving voice to women abused by powerful men. And journalists are supposed to simply follow the facts and report the story, let the chips fall where they may. Yet the media’s primary mission is to cover for the offending men if doing so benefits Democrats and to punish those who speak out. Funny that these same media outlets complain when President Donald Trump accurately calls them the “enemy of the people.”   ~The Patriot Post

https://patriotpost.us/articles/66678?mailing_id=4642&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pp.email.4642&utm_campaign=snapshot&utm_content=bo

As far as I can tell from a reading of history, while some presidents were friends of clergy, who sometimes advised them, to my knowledge, none hired them as staff members. Until the presidency of Richard Nixon. It was during Nixon’s administration that Charles Colson began mobilizing the evangelical community to support the president’s policies and programs, seeing evangelicals as just another special interest group, like organized labor has been for Democrats.

After his conversion and after serving time in prison for crimes related to the Watergate scandal, Colson told historian Kevin Kruse, as recounted in The Washington Post, “Sure, we used the prayer breakfasts and church services and all that for political ends. One of my jobs in the White House was to romance religious leaders. We would bring them into the White House, and they would be dazzled by the aura of the Oval Office, and I found them to be about the most pliable of any of the special interest groups that we worked with.”

The latest spiritual adviser to the president is TV evangelist Paula White-Cain. For 18 years she has claimed to have President Trump’s ear on religious matters, but while his policies closely align with evangelical concerns, there is little evidence her “advice” has had any effect on his personal behavior.

White-Cain is unlikely to serve the role Nathan the prophet filled when he confronted King David over his adulterous affair with Bathsheba, bringing David to repentance and one of the great statements about placing faith in political leaders: “Put not your trust in princes … in whom there is no help.” (Psalm 146:3)

In an interview with Shannon Bream on Fox News Monday night, White-Cain responded to critics who call her a heretic by saying she aligns herself with orthodox biblical teachings. She denied she preaches a “you give to get” prosperity gospel, but videos of her preaching reveal otherwise. In addition, hers is a marriage between the state — at least a state headed by Trump — and a kingdom Jesus said is “not of this world.”

Here are some direct quotes from videos readily attainable online from her preaching and TV appearances. Judge for yourself.

“Wherever I go, God rules. When I walk on White House grounds, God walks on White House grounds. I have every right and authority to declare the White House holy ground, because I was standing there and where I stand is holy.”

Then there’s a line some might consider idolatrous: “To say no to President Trump would be saying no to God.”

As for not preaching a prosperity gospel, White-Cain has said: “there is a department of treasury in Heaven, which says God is watching over everything you do and you are storing up eternal treasure that will go so far beyond what we can even imagine … you need to send in $3,500; you need to send in $35,000; you need to send in that $100,000 check.” She claimed if you don’t send the money, your “dream will die; your call will die.” That sounds to me like a spiritual quid pro quo.

White has owned a private jet (Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and walked most places), a $2.6 million home and a $3.5 million condo in Trump Tower. The Son of Man, Scripture says, had no place to lay his head.

White-Cain is correct on some issues of concern to evangelicals, from Trump’s naming of conservative Supreme Court and lower court judges, to religious freedom matters, but her seeming worship of President Trump far exceeds biblical norms and her prosperity gospel, which is no gospel at all, fits the definition of heresy: “Opinion or doctrine at variance with the orthodox or accepted doctrine, especially of a church or religious system.”

The great danger for the image and what should be the first priority of those who are part of the evangelical community is that they will be seen as worshipping a lesser and even false god than the one they are supposed to be worshipping and serving.   ~The Patriot Post

https://patriotpost.us/opinion/66627?mailing_id=4639&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pp.email.4639&utm_campaign=snapshot&utm_content=body  

THE HOT SEAT: House Republicans will call Hunter Biden to testify publicly as their top impeachment witness (National Review)

TAKING MATTERS INTO ITS OWN HANDS? Report: Ukraine’s military aid was finally released by the State Department, days before Trump claims he released it (Hot Air)

Government & Politics

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: Thirty years overdue: Reagan statue unveiled in Berlin (Hot Air)

NOT SO KEEN ON SOCIALISM: Elizabeth dinky/liar-Warren plays to nearly empty hall (The Daily Wire)

JETTISONING THE SWAMP: Rep. Peter King is one of several Republicans — four senators and 17 other House members — who have announced plans to not seek reelection (Fox News)

PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE: “It wasn’t me”: Alleged ABC whistleblower denies leaking video (The Daily Caller)

DEMOCRAT LACKEYS: Facebook and YouTube block spread of supposed whistleblower’s name and photo — even though scumbag-Adam Schiff’s committee  published the man’s name last week (The Washington Post)

National Security

SYRIA CONTINGENCY: U.S. will leave up to 600 troops in northeastern Syria to prevent ISIS resurgence, top general says (The Washington Post)

Other Notables

TONE DEAF: Giant, climate-killing mural of Greta Thunberg now graces environmentally hazardous downtown San Francisco (The Daily Wire)

“WE WILL SPARE NO EFFORT”: Hong Kong police shoot protester, man set on fire (Associated Press)

Closing Arguments

POLICY: The Berlin Wall is gone, but its lessons remain (National Review)

POLICY: Why Democrats are wrong about income inequality in the United States (The Federalist)

HUMOR: scumbag-Adam Schiff schedules the next five years of Trump impeachment hearings (Genesius Times) 

Veterans Day

On the 11th Hour of the 11th Day

of the 11th Month...

We set aside Veterans Day to honor the sacrifice of generations of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coastguardsmen who have carried forward the banner of Liberty since the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord.

Millions of American Patriots have, for generations, honored their oaths "to support and defend" the Liberty that was "endowed by our Creator" as affirmed in our Declaration of Independence and enshrined in our Constitution.

Today, and every day, we formally honor them. We remain a free people because they have stood bravely in harm's way, and because millions remain on post today. For this, we, the American People, offer our heartfelt thanks.

"Mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions." —1 Chronicles 12:8

"Duty, honor, country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn." —Gen. Douglas MacArthur

"War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." —John Stuart Mill

Amid all the political rancor that dominates the public discourse and news cycles, we should remind others of the following observation from Army veteran Charles M. Province:

It is the Soldier, not the minister, who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

At one point in their lives, every veteran wrote a blank check made payable to "The People of the United States of America" for an amount up to and including their life.

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." —John 15:12-14

We invite you to read Mark Alexander's most recent Veterans Day essay, a tribute to Medal of Honor recipient Clint Romesha.

And finally, to genuinely demonstrate gratitude to military veterans and those still serving, Patriots who have and continue to defend the Liberty we enjoy, here is my suggestion: Strive to be, first and foremost, an American citizen worthy of their sacrifice.

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis
Pro Deo et Libertate — 1776

~The Patriot Post

According to a White House report issued Wednesday, “As of this afternoon, President Donald J. Trump has appointed — and gotten confirmed — 158 life-tenured federal judges who will defend our Constitution, personal freedoms, and the rule of law.” That includes “two Supreme Court justices, 44 Circuit Court judges, and 112 District Court judges.” The White House also says, “[His] historic pace is only accelerating: The President is set to have more judges confirmed this year alone than in all of 2017 and 2018 combined.” Three more are expected by week’s end, and dozens more are in the wings this year.

The White House has other highlights: “President Trump’s nominees alone fill one-quarter of the seats on our nation’s Circuit Courts of Appeals.” And, “He has seen more Circuit Court judges confirmed by this point in his presidency than any past president in United States history.”

Trump promised as a candidate to nominate solid conservative judges and he’s followed through. But a lot of credit goes to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. He’s come a long way from the days when we criticized him and then-House Speaker backstabber-John Boehner for weak leadership. On the judiciary, McConnell made the most gutsy move of his career by refusing to hold confirmation hearings on Merrick Garland, Barack scumbag/liar-nObama’s nominee to fill the venerable Antonin Scalia’s seat. He decided with good reason that to allow scumbag/liar-nObama, in the last year of his presidency, to totally swing the Supreme Court with a leftist in the seat of a constitutionalist was unacceptable. McConnell held firm, Trump beat all odds and won, and we now have Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court.

McConnell’s stewardship is even more laudable given Democrat resistance. According to The Daily Signal, “Democrats forced cloture votes on 118 of the president’s judicial nominees, a delaying tactic to extend debate. For the previous five presidents combined, the Senate held only seven cloture votes.”

As Trump put it in a speech yesterday, “When judges write policy instead of applying the law, they impose sweeping changes on millions of Americans without the benefit of legislative debate, public rulemaking, or the consent of the governed. As a result, these highly political rulings inflict painful damage on our security, society, and economy — imposing unworkable edicts on businesses, workers, families, and law enforcement. I will do everything in my power to halt judicial activism, and to ensure the law is upheld equally, fairly, and without political prejudice for all of our citizens.” On the subject of judicial nominations, Trump is most definitely earning an “A” grade.   ~The Patriot Post

https://patriotpost.us/articles/66645?mailing_id=4639&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pp.email.4639&utm_campaign=snapshot&utm_content=body  

There are conflicting reports, but it appears that at least nine members of an American family were murdered by Mexican drug-cartel thugs. They are members of a Mormon community in Mexico who were ambushed as they were traveling to pick up a relative. 

Some reports suggest that their convoy of SUVs may have been mistaken for a rival gang. Regardless, three women and six children were brutally murdered in an attack that took place about 100 miles from the Arizona border.

This is a horrible, evil act. Nonetheless, out of this brutality there may be a teachable moment. 

President Trump has been warning for years about the dangers of our unsecured southern border. He was mocked by the media, by progressive politicians, by liberal judges, and by radical special-interest groups. 

But the president has persistently cited the nefarious activities of brutal gangs and drug cartels as reason enough for securing the border and knowing who is entering the country. 

We know the gangs and cartels are engaged in child trafficking, drug trafficking, and human smuggling. Yet every attempt by the president to get the situation under control has been blocked by the left. 

Progressives and Never-Trumpers routinely try to embarrass Trump by saying, “Look, he’s not getting the wall built.” That’s because they have been fighting tooth and nail to stop him!

Mexican politicians are afraid to speak out against the cartels because scores have been assassinated. Reporters are afraid to expose the cartels too. At least a dozen journalists have been murdered in Mexico so far this year. 

Just a few weeks ago, the Mexican military had an engagement against one of the cartels. The “Federales” lost.

Mexico’s murder rate set a record last year with more than 33,300 people killed. 

The likelihood of Mexico becoming a failed state, overrun by drug lords and unable or unwilling at some point to stop the flow of mass migration, presents a much greater danger to the United States than anything that is happening on the border of Turkey and Syria. 

In a series of tweets yesterday, President Trump denounced the murders of these American citizens and urged Mexico to step up its fight against the cartels, declaring, “This is the time for Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage WAR on the drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth.”

Defending Religious Freedom

Six commissioners on the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom went to the White House on Monday to meet with top foreign-policy officials. It was a great opportunity for a serious discussion about the challenges facing religious freedom around the world.

I took the opportunity to thank the administration for everything it has done, such as:

• Destroying the ISIS caliphate.

• Taking out Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

• Elevating religious-liberty concerns in our foreign policy.

• Hosting two ministerial summits promoting religious freedom around the world.

• The president’s UN address on religious freedom.

• Confronting China for its gross abuses of religious liberty. 

We also had a serious conversation regarding conditions in Syria. Here’s the reality: Russia is there. Turkey is there. The Syrian army is there. The Iranians are there. Hezbollah is there. The Kurds are there. Our small presence, one to two thousand troops, isn’t going to be the decisive factor in the future of Syria.

Unfortunately, Syria is a failed state, and Christian minorities are caught in the crossfire. But contrary to the media narrative, the Trump administration is working hard to limit the suffering of religious minorities in Syria. The president is in regular contact with Kurdish leaders. USAID is attempting to channel resources to the right entities.

In recent days, I have met with representatives of the Syrian Christian community here in the United States. Our brothers and sisters in Christ need our prayers, as do the president and vice president, as they attempt to navigate this very challenging situation.

Mayhem in the Middle East

The chaos in the Middle East is not limited to Syria. And while it is easy to overlook amid the churning domestic scene here at home, there are big developments taking place in Iraq and Lebanon.

Massive protests against corruption have erupted in both countries, threatening Tehran’s grip on the region. The Iranian consulate in Karbala was attacked. The Iraqi flag was posted on the compound’s walls. In Baghdad, protestors have destroyed posters of Iranian leaders. In southern Iraq, a Shiite militia leader (backed by Iran) was pulled from an ambulance and killed in the street. 

In Lebanon, the prime minister has been forced to resign and there are growing protests against Hezbollah.

Instability in the Middle East is rarely a good thing. But in this case, I find it encouraging that the people of Iraq and Lebanon are rising up against their Iranian occupiers.

There are historical tensions between Arabs and Persians, and Iran’s influence in the Middle East is anything but benign. The ayatollah’s regime has earned its designation as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. Everywhere Tehran extends its tentacles, death and destruction follow. 

Fan Trade?

I was really ticked off last week when Swamp denizens made a spectacle of themselves when they booed the president at Game 5 of the World Series. Thankfully, the players managed to muster the decorum and respect that many fans lacked.

Monday, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted the Washington Nationals at the White House. While seven players did not attend, only one announced ahead of time that he wasn’t going. Overall, it was a wonderful event. 

Some players appeared to express their support for the president. Catcher Kurt Suzuki donned a MAGA hat. First baseman Ryan Zimmerman presented the president with a “Trump 45” Nationals jersey and thanked him for keeping the country safe and making it “the greatest country in the world." 

Leftists and some media claimed that pitcher Stephen Strasburg snubbed the president by refusing to shake his hand. Strasburg later tweeted that the report of the snub was "Fake News.” He did shake hands with the president but the video was edited to not show it.

Sadly, many Nationals fans are threatening to boycott the team now. Maybe the Washington Nationals should consider trading some of their fans rather than players in the offseason.   ~The Patriot Post

https://patriotpost.us/opinion/66596?mailing_id=4635&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pp.email.4635&utm_campaign=snapshot&utm_content=body  

Established in January, the MPP requires that migrants coming from the southern border seeking asylum must wait in Mexico while their cases go through the immigration courts. In previous years, migrants seeking asylum were allowed to remain in the U.S., a loophole that many used to simply disappear into the country without showing up for their hearings.

Thanks to a bilateral agreement President Donald Trump made with Mexico over the summer, migrants now stay in camps on the Mexican side of the border, where they are given permission to pursue employment while they await their day in court. They appear before a U.S. immigration judge via video conference.

DHS has rated the program a success, with 13,000 cases having been heard through October. There are currently 20,000 migrants sheltered in Mexico, and the DHS assessment indicates that a significant number of the 55,000 returned migrants have abandoned their asylum claims and returned to their home countries.

Customs and Border Patrol officials also noted recently that border apprehensions have declined for four consecutive months, with 52,000 migrants apprehended or turned away at the border in September. Numbers for October are still forthcoming, but this represents a 65% drop off from the eye-popping 144,000 apprehensions in May. Acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan noted that MPP, bilateral agreements with Guatemala and El Salvador, and efforts to close immigration loopholes have done a lot to restore integrity to the immigration system.

At the same time, the number of refugees settling in the U.S. has also significantly decreased, with not one refugee admitted to the U.S. since the beginning of the fiscal year on Oct. 1. (By contrast, more than 11,000 refugees were admitted during the same period in 2016.) President Trump recently limited the number of refugees to be resettled in the U.S. to a record-low 18,000 for FY2020. The ceiling in previous years was much higher, averaging approximately 75,000 during the Bush and scumbag/liar-nObama administrations.

These numbers indicate that President Trump has kept his promise to clean up immigration, though it has been a costly fight with a few setbacks. Appeals courts have consistently ruled against the administration with regard to sanctuary cities. Trump has tried to use the power of the purse against the more than 500 city, county, and state jurisdictions that refuse to comply with federal immigration law. Withholding federal grants and money for law enforcement has led to numerous court challenges, most recently with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The common thread in rejecting Trump’s actions is that only Congress can authorize conditions on federal grants to state and local governments. The administration has argued that only the federal government may dictate immigration policy, and these so-called sanctuary cities are refusing to comply with federal law. The bitter irony of this court fight is that the overwhelmingly leftist sanctuary jurisdictions are claiming federalist principles in making their case. It must be nice to pick and choose when to adhere to the governing principles of the United States.

DACA will be returning to the Supreme Court Nov. 12, when three consolidated cases will be heard. At issue is whether the president has the authority to roll back the program by executive order, which was established by President Barack scumbag/liar-nObama … by executive order. Lower courts stacked with Democrat appointees have fought Trump at every step, claiming his decisions was based on “racial animus.” The last time DACA was before the High Court was in 2016, but the death of Justice Antonin Scalia left the case deadlocked 4-4, and it was returned in place to the lower court. Trump may fare better this time around with the court’s current conservative majority, but only time will tell.

When Trump ran for president in 2016, he made immigration reform a signature issue of his campaign. He spoke out on the country’s inconsistent, toothless, and utterly failed immigration policy, and his promise to secure the southern border and change the broken immigration system was one of the main reasons he was elected president. That being the case, leftists are doing everything they can do stymy his efforts and prevent his reelection. Despite their efforts, the outlook is improved for a stronger immigration system and more secure border.  

~The Patriot Post

https://patriotpost.us/articles/66608?mailing_id=4635&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pp.email.4635&utm_campaign=snapshot&utm_content=body  

Shortly after Jim Bakker’s release from prison in July 1994, I invited the disgraced TV evangelist to my home. There was an important question I wanted to ask him.

Some background: Bakker and his “Praise the Lord” (PTL) associates sold $1,000 “lifetime memberships” to people who were promised annual three-night stays at his Heritage USA luxury hotel complex in Fort Mill, South Carolina. According to what prosecutors revealed at his trial on fraud charges, Bakker sold tens of thousands of these memberships for a hotel that had only 500 rooms planned and was never completed. It was alleged Bakker kept $3.4 million of the money for himself and the rest paid for Heritage USA’s operating expenses.

“When did you start to go wrong?” I asked Bakker. His answer was instructive: “When I began to surround myself with people who told me only what I wanted to hear.”

I thought of that statement when I read a comment by former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, who told a gathering in Sea Island, Georgia, sponsored by The Washington Examiner, what he had said to President Trump before leaving his position: “I said whatever you do, don’t hire a ‘yes man,’ someone who won’t tell you the truth – don’t do that, because if you do, I believe you will be impeached.”

The latest White House Press Secretary, Stephanie Grisham, sounded like a “yes-woman” when she responded to Kelly: “I worked with John Kelly, and he was totally unequipped to handle the genius of our great president.”

The key to great leadership is to not overly regard yourself, to understand you don’t know everything, realize that, like everyone else, you are flawed and can make bad judgments, and to surround yourself with people who think well enough of you to tell you the truth from their perspective, even when it disagrees with yours. As long as the objective is to help you succeed with your agenda, such advice can be valuable and even humbling, humility being one of humanity’s better characteristics and a grace that appears in short supply in Washington.

Another story along these lines was told to me by one of the late Billy Graham’s associates. After a particularly successful evening during which thousands came forward in response to an invitation to receive Christ as Savior, Graham and his team went back to their hotel room. The aide said he told Graham, “You’re not as great as they think you are.” He said Graham responded, “Don’t I know it.”

Some of those evangelical “advisers” to President Trump might consider a verse with which they must be familiar. It is from Proverbs 15:22: “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.”

Israel’s King Solomon is said to have written that and most of the Proverbs, which are as good a guidebook for living (and leading) as has ever been written, even for non-believers.

Generals require committed privates in order to achieve success in warfare. Presidents need the same, along with staff who don’t always tell them what they want to hear, but sometimes what they need to hear.   ~The Patriot Post

https://patriotpost.us/opinion/66577?mailing_id=4633&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pp.email.4633&utm_campaign=snapshot&utm_content=body  

Loyal Patriot Post readers will know that we have been discussing the misdeeds of Erdogan and his regime for a long time. The Erdogan regime is different from the likes of Iran only by virtue of the fact that it has not openly called for the elimination of Israel. That’s cold comfort.

The fact is, kicking Erdogan’s regime out of the F-35 program was the right call, even if the purchase of the Russian-built S-400/SA-21 air-defense system was the wrong reason. America’s most advanced multirole fighter did not need to fall into the hands of a regime that is trending against American values, not to mention showing hostility toward America’s best ally in the Middle East — Israel.

The recent Turkish attack on the Kurds, despite the blunt warning President Donald Trump gave Erdogan, is just another sign that the Erdogan regime and America are just on separate, irreconcilable paths. While the withdrawal decision was controversial, there is one benefit — it gave Erdogan enough rope to hang himself in terms of his reputation and standing amongst the American people.

The fact is, Erdogan is taking Turkey back in time — and it now should be obvious that the failure of the 2016 coup is coming back to bite America. Erdogan has doubled down on taking the full Islamist path, he is willing to go after the Kurds, and he is a friend of Hamas — an organization designated as a terrorist group. These are deal-breakers, especially in our post-9/11 world.

Meanwhile, we have nuclear weapons deployed in Turkey that would need to be moved. But 50 B61 nuclear gravity bombs cannot be just flown to anywhere. The issue is not just the physical security of the nukes. Their deployment also is a statement of national commitment. We could move them to Eastern Europe — say, Romania — but that would unnerve the Russians. Not a bad option in the course of things, but given the situation in the Middle East, there is a much better option — and one that can send a message to our ex-ally in Ankara.

The nukes — and the American aircraft based at Incirlik Air Base — should be moved to Israel.

This does several things. First of all, it sends a strong message to the world that the United States will stand by Israel. While Israel is reported to have its own nukes, to have American nuclear weapons in Israel would be a major deterrent to Iran.

Second, it would still maintain America’s position in the Middle East — in fact, it would improve it. American and Israeli military personnel would be able to train together, and the Israelis have a great deal of expertise in electronic warfare — something that could help America in a potential conflict with Russia. American forces would still be able to handle ISIS in Syria while launching from Israel, and the Israelis are much more reliable allies. Israel is a redoubt of democracy and respect for human rights, and American policy should support it.

Third, given the harsh realities of the War on Terror and  the lessons that have come from 18 years of fighting jihadis, moving American forces to Israel would also bolster the chances for long-term peace in the region by deterring aggression, mostly by making starting a war with Israel (or America) look futile to any Middle East miscreant.

Finally, moving American forces will deprive Erdogan of potential hostages that he can use to affect American foreign policy. This is not a small consideration. The safety of our troops will be a major concern as America breaks up with Erdogan. As hard as it would be, this breakup is rapidly becoming necessary.   ~The Patriot Post

https://patriotpost.us/articles/66570?mailing_id=4633&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pp.email.4633&utm_campaign=snapshot&utm_content=body  

Testimony Transcripts

Thomas Gallatin:  On Monday, House Democrats, led by Intelligence Committee Chairman scumbag-Adam Schiff, released two transcripts from their closed-door impeachment hearings. The transcripts were from testimonies given by the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Maria Yovanovitch, and the former top aide to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Michael McKinley.

Neither of the witnesses had direct knowledge of the July 25 phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which was the alleged impetus behind the “whistleblower” complaint. However, Democrats allege that Trump removed Yovanovitch in May 2019 because she was proving to be an obstacle to Rudy Giuliani’s investigation into loose lips liar-Joe and Hunter Biden and Ukraine’s involvement in 2016 election interference.

Interestingly, Yovanovitch asserted, “It’s not like we had a policy that Ukraine should not become involved in our domestic politics or, you know, somehow become involved in 2020 elections, but clearly that is not in U.S. interests for Ukraine to start playing such a role.” This statement seems to effectively undercut the Democrats’ whole argument for claiming that Trump engaged in an impeachable offense. In other words, he had a legitimate interest in fighting Ukrainian corruption.

McKinley’s testimony was primarily focused on his frustration over Yovanovitch’s treatment and eventual removal. He was troubled by Pompeo’s refusal to push back against Donald Trump Jr.‘s negative comments against Yovanovitch and by Pompeo’s unwillingness to allow the State Department to issue statements in support of the ambassador. “In 37 years in the Foreign Service and different parts of the globe and working on many controversial issues, working 10 years back in Washington, I had never seen that,” McKinley stated regarding Ukrainian officials expressing concerns over Giuliani’s investigation into the 2016 election.

Cleary, Democrats are still trying to control the anti-Trump narrative as they selectively release these transcripts rather than releasing the entirety at once. Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan blasted scumbag-Schiff and company for their obvious politicization, lamenting, “Democrats cherry-pick which transcripts they release and when. Why not release Ambassador Volker’s testimony? He was the very first witness to testify.” scumbag-Schiff plans to release two more transcripts today.   ~The Patriot Post

https://patriotpost.us/articles/66582?mailing_id=4633&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pp.email.4633&utm_campaign=snapshot&utm_content=body  

DEEP-STATE COLLUSION: Whistleblower attorney Mark S. Zaid tweeted of Trump “coup” and “rebellion” in January of 2017 (The Washington Times)

TARIFFS BEING PHASED OUT: China says it has agreed with U.S. to gradually cancel tariffs, which should help to ameliorate the $38 billion consumer price tag (Reuters)

Government & Politics

“FAKE OUTRAGE”: Rand Paul blocks Senate resolution backing protection for whistleblowers (The Hill)

PREPARE THE POPCORN: Impeachment going public: Hearings next week for all to see (Associated Press)

FRENEMIES SCHEDULED TO MEET: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit White House next week (Washington Examiner)

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM QUASHED: Federal judge strikes down rule allowing clinicians to object to abortions for moral or religious reasons (NBC News)

Big Brother

MORE TIME FOR INDOCTRINATION: lowlife-Kamala Harris proposes a 10-hour school day (The Daily Wire)

INDEFENSIBLE: A Michigan man underpaid his property taxes by $8.41. The county seized his property, sold it — and kept the profits. (Reason)

National Security

ALIEN SURGE: Illegal-immigrant population inside U.S. surged 550,000 in 2019 (Washington Examiner)

EATING CROW: DOJ charges two former Twitter employees with spying for Saudi Arabia (National Review)

Closing Arguments

POLICY: Time for the Supreme Court to clearly protect religious freedoms (Washington Examiner)

POLICY: How Trump is reshaping the courts (The Daily Signal)

HUMOR: Elizabeth dinky/liar-Warren’s plan to pay for Medicare for All: Spend so much that the national debt clock rolls over to zero (The Babylon Bee)  

“The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Monday that President Trump’s accounting firm must hand over eight years of corporate tax returns to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, upholding a subpoena for the documents submitted by the D.A. earlier this year,” reports National Review. Trump plans to petition the U.S. Supreme Court, but NBC News notes, “Past Supreme Court rulings have upheld subpoenas directed at presidents, and this time the local prosecutors are seeking documents from the Trump Organization and Trump’s accountants — not directly from the president himself.”

We’ve warned about the danger Trump faces in New York, because what prosecutors are looking for is evidence that Trump violated campaign-finance law related to his (alleged) affairs and hush-money payoffs to Playboy model Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels. Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, was sentenced to three years in prison for violating campaign-finance law with payments made to Daniels. The government of New York has politically targeted Trump, but he provided the opening.

Speaking of taxes and New York, the president announced last week that he’s leaving the Empire State to make his permanent residence in the Sunshine State instead. Florida has no income tax, compared to New York’s onerous high taxes. And, Trump noted, “Despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state. Few have been treated worse. I hated having to make this decision, but in the end it will be best for all concerned.”

He’s not alone. New York loses more people each year than any other state, and its high taxes are the primary reason. According to a Bloomberg story in August, “New York leads all U.S. metro areas as the largest net loser with 277 people moving every day — more than double the exodus of 132 just one year ago.” Trump is right that few have been treated worse than he has, but that doesn’t mean New York treats anyone all that well. When a dollar goes so much further in Florida, why wouldn’t a New Yorker move?   ~The Patriot Post

https://patriotpost.us/articles/66581?mailing_id=4633&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pp.email.4633&utm_campaign=snapshot&utm_content=body  

Recall back in 2016 Trump’s campaign was hit with a New York Times story alleging that Paul Manafort, his campaign manager at the time, had nefarious ties to the Kremlin via his former client Viktor Yanukovych, the ousted pro-Russian Ukrainian president. Manafort resigned days later after a Times follow-up story revealed more details of a “black ledger” in which handwritten off-the-book payments made to Manafort by Yanukovych’s political party.

scumbag/liar-Hillary Clinton’s campaign quickly took advantage of the embarrassing story and used it as fodder to push the narrative that Trump was in cahoots with the Russians. It can certainly be argued that Trump should have done a better job in screening Manafort, as he clearly became a dangerous liability.

The question is, however, is this: How did the Times come upon its bombshell report? The simple answer is Ukraine. Two weeks after Manafort’s resignation, the Financial Times reported that a Ukrainian member of parliament, Sehei Leshchenko, along with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, was worried at “the prospect of Mr. Trump, who praised Ukraine’s arch-enemy Vladimir Putin, becoming leader of the country’s biggest ally.” That worry “spurred not just Mr. Leshchenko but Kiev’s wider political leadership to do something they would never have attempted before: intervene, however indirectly, in a U.S. election.”

But the bigger question that remains unanswered — the one on which Trump may have had Rudy Giuliani digging for answers — was, who was responsible for alerting the Ukrainians to the mysterious “black ledger?”   ~The Patriot Post

https://patriotpost.us/articles/66522?mailing_id=4629&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pp.email.4629&utm_campaign=snapshot&utm_content=body