On First Overseas Trip as Defense Sec., Mattis's Military Experience Plays Unexpectedly Crucial Role

Independent Journal Review

"Secretary of Defense James Mattis received glowing reviews from foreign dignitaries during his recent trip to Asia, all thanks to a quality that was once believed to be a detriment to him.

"Mattis's extensive military experience was a point of contention during his confirmation hearing, with many Democrats believing that his appointment was a threat to a longstanding tradition of civilian control of the military. But according to Military Times, Mattis was praised for that very same experience during his first overseas trip. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe referenced Mattis's military career, saying:

“I was very encouraged,” Abe said, “to see someone like you who has substantial experience, both in the military and in security, defense and diplomacy, taking this office.”

"Although Mattis spent most of his military career focused on the Middle East and Europe, he is no stranger to Japan. As a young lieutenant in 1972, Mattis trained in Okinawa, a fact that was also referenced by Prime Minister Abe, saying:

“So I believe that you are quite familiar with the situation surrounding Japan” . . .

A Maniac Is Running Our Foreign Policy! (It's Not Trump ...

Ann Coulter  "If only we were able to deport citizens, we could use Trump's new policy of excluding those who are "hostile" toward our country to get rid of Judge James Robart. 

"Judge Robart's veto of Trump's travel ban notwithstanding, there is not the slightest question but that the president, in his sole discretion, can choose to admit or exclude any foreigners he likes, based on "the interests of the United States.” 

"The Clinton administration used the executive branch's broad power over immigration to send a 6-year-old boy back to a communist dictatorship. The courts were completely powerless to stop him. 

"As explained by the federal appellate court that ruled on Elian Gonzalez's asylum application: "It is the duty of the Congress and of the executive branch to exercise political will," and "in no context is the executive branch entitled to more deference than in the context of foreign affairs," which includes immigration. 

"The court acknowledged that Elian might well be subjected to "re-education," "communist indoctrination" and "political manipulation." (Then again, so would enrolling him at Sidwell Friends.) It didn't matter! Sending little boys back to communist dictatorships was the policy of the Clinton administration. 

"The Obama administration's immigration policy was to ensure that millions of poverty-stricken foreigners would come here and help turn our country into a Mexican version of Pakistan. 

"When Arizona merely tried to enforce the federal immigration laws being ignored by the Obama administration, the entire media erupted in rage at this incursion into the majestic power of the president over immigration. They said it was like living in Nazi Germany!" . . .

Trump's immigration hold: "the swamp that cant be drained"?

What Trump’s Attorneys Argued in the Ninth Circuit  . . . "Further, regardless of any political considerations, we should also be grateful for our constitutional republic of checks and balances. Absent judicial activism, if an executive administration is in fact acting unconstitutionally, our judicial system should review those actions.

"So regardless of the outcome here, we can be grateful for our system, and grateful for the nomination to the Supreme Court of Judge Gorsuch, a man who has a consistent track record of following the rule of law rather than engaging in judicial activism. When our American system of government is functioning properly, it works beautifully.


'Skeptical' Ninth Circuit judges poised to block some or all of Trump's travel ban
"The liberal judges sitting on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals peppered Trump administration attorney August Flentje with questions that suggested that the court is willing to severely curtail the president's executive order on temporarily banning refugees and issuing visas to citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries.  In fact, the judges appear prepared to precipitate a serious constitutional crisis by severely curtailing President Trump's powers as commander in chief." . . .

Trump’s Visa Freeze Stands on Solid Legal Ground

The parade of horribles continues. Ferguson goes on to single out the “injuries” caused by the potential loss of H-1B visas to Washington-based tech behemoths Microsoft, Amazon, and Expedia. As immigration-control advocates know well, the sentimental exploitation employed by “immigration rights” activists has always been used to legitimize the cheap-labor lobby. That marriage of convenience is on full display in Ferguson’s complaint.

WHY DIDN’T THE “A TEAM” DEFEND TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION ORDER? [UPDATED]

. . . "For a case like this, the government’s advocate should not have been a career DOJ employee, and certainly not one as uninspired as Flentje showed himself to be. The case should have been argued by Noel Francisco, the acting solicitor general and an outstanding advocate."

"Why wasn’t it? Because a partner at the law firm of Jones Day, where Francisco practiced until last month, filed an amicus brief with the Ninth Circuit arguing that the executive order is illegal." . . .

Elizabeth Warren on the warpath

Senate Republicans boost Elizabeth Warren’s run for the 2020 Dem nomination

"Say hello to the new superhero of the Democrats: Elizabeth Warren, cast for the role by Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans.  All is going according to plan.  By means of Republicans enforcing an old Senate rule on decorum, she has achieved martyr status, and in a party that worships victims, this could be the key to lining up donors, mailing lists, and momentum toward the nomination to run against Trump.

"The background, for those unfamiliar with the "gagging," as it is being called, is explained by Jordain Carey of The Hill:" . . .  Thomas Lifson

 ELIZABETH WARREN REBUKED, BARRED FROM SPEAKING TO SENATE ABOUT SESSIONS

"Sen. Elizabeth Warren, trying to stake her claim as the left’s darling for purposes of the 2020 presidential race, was delivering a rant against her colleague, Sen. Jeff Sessions. Warren asserted that “to put Senator Sessions in charge of the Department of Justice is an insult to African-Americans.”

"To support this claim, roundly disputed by African-Americans who know Jeff Sessions, Warren resorted to quotes from 1986 when the Senate did not confirm the Alabama man as a federal district court judge.

"She cited Coretta Scott King who claimed that Sessions had “used the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens.” She also quoted Ted Kennedy who said that Sessions is “a disgrace to the Justice Department.”

"After the Kennedy quote, Sen. Steve Daines, who was presiding, warned Warren that she was violating Senate rules against disparaging the character of a fellow member. After the King quote, Majority Leader McConnell called for a vote on whether Warren was violating Senate rules." . . .

Scott Adams on "Berkeley and Hitler"

Scott Adams Blog  "Here’s the best article you are likely to read about the absurdity of calling ANY American president Hitler. This is the sort of persuasion (sprinkled with facts) that can dissolve some of the post-election cognitive dissonance that hangs like a dark cloud over the country. Share it liberally, so to speak. You might save lives.

"Speaking of Hitler, I’m ending my support of UC Berkeley, where I got my MBA years ago. I have been a big supporter lately, with both my time and money, but that ends today. I wish them well, but I wouldn’t feel safe or welcome on the campus. A Berkeley professor made that clear to me recently. He seems smart, so I’ll take his word for it.

"I’ve decided to side with the Jewish gay immigrant who has an African-American boyfriend, not the hypnotized zombie-boys in black masks who were clubbing people who hold different points of view. I feel that’s reasonable, but I know many will disagree, and possibly try to club me to death if I walk on campus. 

"Yesterday I asked my most liberal, Trump-hating friend if he ever figured out why Republicans have most of the Governorships, a majority in Congress, the White House, and soon the Supreme Court. He said, “There are no easy answers.”

"I submit that there are easy answers. But for many Americans, cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias hide those easy answers behind Hitler hallucinations. 

"I’ll keep working on clearing the fog. Estimated completion date, December 2017. It’s a big job."

From the Washington Post: Why Scott Adams of ‘Dilbert’ fame risked his reputation by sparking controversy in the election

. . . “My speaking career ended because of this,” the Bay Area-based cartoonist said of his once-lucrative side business.Although his book sales have stayed healthy, Adams said that many off-put readers now view “Dilbert” through more critical glasses, which has affected his licensing sales. All told, Adams said, his income has dipped precipitously." . . .

The Trump way of winning the war

Caroline Glick*     "The PLO is disoriented, panicked and hysterical. Speaking to Newsweek this week, Saeb Erekat, PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas’s chief conduit to Israel and the Americans, complained that since President Donald Trump was sworn into office, no administration official had spoken to them.

“ 'I don’t know any of them [Trump’s advisers]. We have sent them letters, written messages. They don’t even bother to respond to us.”

"The Trump administration’s shunning of the PLO is a marked departure from the policies of its predecessor. For former president Barack Obama, together with Iran, the Palestinians were viewed as the key players in the Middle East. Abbas was the first foreign leader Obama called after taking office.

"Erekat’s statement reveals something that is generally obscured. Despite its deep support in Europe, the UN and the international Left, without US support, the PLO is irrelevant.

"All the achievements the PLO racked up under Obama – topped off with the former president’s facilitation of UN Security Council Resolution 2334 against Israel – are suddenly irrelevant. Their impact dissipated the minute Trump took office.

"Israel, in contrast, is more relevant than ever." . . . More...

 

Originally published in the Jerusalem Post.    Ms. Glick introduces herself:*

*. . . I joined the Israel Defense Forces that summer and served as an officer for five and a half years.
"From 1994-1996, as an IDF captain, I served as Coordinator of Negotiations with the PLO in the office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. In this capacity I was a core member of Israel’s negotiating team with the Palestinians.
 "In 1997 and 1998 I served as assistant foreign policy advisor Binyamin Netayahu during his first stint as Prime Minister." . . .

Meanwhile, Israel's "peace partners" were raising their next generation of  "Final Solution" handlers.  "Stabbing for kids: Palestinian girl gives demo."
Such a sweet child; the darling of American limousine liberals.

This Land Is Their Land. California throws a hissy fit.

Weekly Standard

"On occasion, Trump has said that the only illegal immigrants he intends to deport are violent felons, a position White House spokesman Sean Spicer reiterated the first week of the new administration. But immigration activists are opposed to deporting even—perhaps especially—violent criminals."

 

"To hear governor Jerry Brown tell it, California is all that stands between Washington and the ruin of the nation. In his recent “State of the State" address, Brown promised to defy Donald Trump, fashioning it as a great patriotic quest: "When we defend California," Brown said, "we defend America."

"California's combative stance toward Washington began as farce the night after Donald Trump's election when several hundred people paraded around the state capitol in Sacramento waving banners promoting what's called Calexit, the agenda of the secessionist Yes California Independence Campaign. By the time the state legislature convened a month later, the laughter had been replaced with angry invective directed at the Trump team's intention to deport undocumented immigrants, build a border wall, relax environmental regulations, and gut Obamacare.

"Trump's policies are "cynical, shortsighted, and reactionary," proclaimed assembly speaker Anthony Rendon immediately after gaveling the session to order. "White nationalists and anti-Semites have no business working in the White House." He dismissed any notion of reconciliation or compromise: "Californians do not need healing. We need to fight.' " . . .

OK, maybe it's bias, maybe not

Republican first lady on the left; Democrat on the right.

Newsbusters called it like they saw it.  "Two articles. Two completely different views. One biased liberal author." 
 " . . .Philadelphia Inquirer fashion critic Elizabeth Wellington bashed Melania Trump for daring to wear a white dress for her RNC speech. . . . the white designer dress was a “scary statement,” and supposedly gave off the subliminal message “that in the G.O.P. white is always right.”

"Ten days later, Wellington changed her mind and decided that white was an ok color for politicians to wear.

"When Hillary Clinton took the stage last week, also garbed in all white, Wellington had nothing but praise for her fashion choice. This time around, the critic wrote that “white is a hue that’s both soft and strong,” not scary. She went on to claim that “Clinton's white pantsuit is telling us she has arrived. This is surreal. A dream come true' ”

The Left's Persecution of Real Refugees from Islam and Communism

"It is the left that stands on the side of the leftist anti-Semites who oppress and persecute Jews.
"When the Marxist Sandinistas persecuted Jews, they were the toast of the left. John Kerry lobbied for them and Bill de Blasio supported them. But President Reagan courageously denounced them."

Sultan Knish  "The President of the United States announced that refugees fleeing persecution by a totalitarian regime would be deported. It did not matter that they had risked their lives to come here.

"They would be sent back.

"No leftist lawyers crammed airports. No protesters chanted at terminals. No celebrities offered sanctimonious lectures about “who we are”. No one dared to call the lying thug behind it un-American.

"Because his last name was Obama and the refugees were Cubans fleeing socialism.

"Their arrival irritated the leftists gleefully going on tours of Havana while worrying that capitalism would ruin all the poverty, misery and oppression they were showing off on their Instagram pages.

"The same leftists howling over Trump’s refugee pause from Muslim countries cheered loudly for Obama’s Cuban refugee ban. A majority of Cuban Americans had voted for Trump.

"So the left wanted to keep them out of America." . . .

The Tolerant Left

Hate Trumps Free Speech   "Again, the tolerant left can’t tolerate any speech that doesn’t agree with them. Just ask Milo."

The Left Hates You. Act Accordingly.

"They hate you.

" Leftists don’t merely disagree with you. They don’t merely feel you are misguided. They don’t think you are merely wrong. They hate you. They want you enslaved and obedient, if not dead. Once you get that, everything that is happening now will make sense. And you will understand what you need to be ready to do. 

"You are normal, and therefore a heretic. You refuse to bow to their idols, to subscribe to their twisted catechisms, to praise their false gods. This is unforgivable. You must burn.

" Crazy talk? Just ask them. Go ahead. Go on social media. Find a leftist – it’s easy. Just say something positive about America or Jesus and they’ll come swarming like locusts. Engage them and very quickly they will drop their masks and tell you what they really think. I know. I keep a rapidly expanding file of Twitter leftist death wish screenshots. 

"They will tell you that Christians are idiots and vets are scum. That normals are subhumans whose role is to labor as serfs to subsidize the progressive elite and its clients. That you should die to make way for the New Progressive Man/Woman/Other" . . .

The war on Betsy DeVos is all about the teachers unions

NY Post.  "Get past all the noise, and the opposition to Betsy DeVos, President Trump’s pick for the Education Department, is all about the teachers unions — which consider it their right to have a friendly face running federal policy even in Republican administrations.

"Yes, two Senate Republicans have come out against DeVos — the only two who routinely get A’s on the National Education Association’s “report card” because they vote the union line. Efforts to find another GOP vote against her will almost surely fail, because the other 50 Republicans aren’t in unions’ pocket, and Vice President Mike Pence can deliver a 51st vote if needed.

"We wish DeVos were an existential threat to the unions, but the feds don’t really run US schools; that’s a state and local power. And the unions are too entrenched in those corridors of power, especially in states like New York.

"At best, she’ll manage to reduce the sway of the NEA and the American Federation of Teachers — by giving more power to the nation’s parents, and to school innovators who refuse to toe the union line.

"DeVos is an ardent supporter of school choice — public charter schools; voucher programs to help families choose qualified private or parochial schools when they think that’s best for their kids, and so on. Critics call this “radical,” and pretend it could mean educational Armageddon. In fact, school choice is near-universal in Canada, and the kids learn just fine.

"But choice does threaten union power, which rests on most families having no choice beyond the public schools, where unions can call the shots.

"By picking DeVos, Trump showed that he’s eager to “fight the power” — for the good of America’s kids. That battle begins as soon as she’s confirmed."

Mainstream Media’s Trump Derangement Syndrome Epidemic

"So, thanks to all on the Left for a most entertaining two weeks. One last helpful hint: All your tactics have become timeworn and your target audience jaded. The day is rapidly approaching when you will, to your horror, actually have to win elections by debating ideas backed by self-evident truths. Good Luck."

American Thinker  "Donald Trump concluded his second week as President of the United States last Friday.  Prompted by virtually every utterance and action of the current President, the never-ending demonstrations and delirium of the professional activist Left as well as the Democratic Party hierarchy and much of the mainstream media and entertainment cabal has produced perhaps the most memorable and entertaining fortnight in recent American political history.   Judging by their permanent state of hysteria it appears that this assemblage of left-wing factions is unaware that there are, at a minimum, 206 weeks remaining in the Trump presidency.  Maintaining the current level of frenzy will be a formidable task.

"Which prompts me, as someone who observed and at times participated in the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War demonstrations of the 1960’s and has been on this planet more than three score and ten years, to offer some observations and a few helpful hints." . . .