Obama's latest Presidential portrait

By ZMT via American Thinker

How to Preserve the True Nature of American Greatness

Real Clear Politics, via   American Greatness

The conviction that the federal government and the executive knew best was so strong in Barack Obama’s mind, apparently . . . he could act if Congress failed to do so, and he and his administrative agencies did. President Obama, really, became the exponent of the very kind of arbitrary power our framers feared.

. . . "There are at least four basic principles which have animated our development since the break with Great Britain in the late 18th century. These are 1) an abhorrence of arbitrary power, and a commitment to the rule of law, 2) the belief that sovereignty properly belongs only in the American people themselves, and not in a King or a hereditary aristocracy, 3) a commitment to economic progress and social mobility, and 4) the understanding that there must be limits to the power of our government, and that some space must be permitted for the development of private property, individual freedom and conscience (including morality and religion).  

"These four principles lead to particular corollaries. For example, there ought to be a separation of legislative, executive, and judicial powers, to prevent excessive oppression and arbitrary action. There ought to be checks and balances through such mechanisms as dual state and federal governments. No private property should be confiscated without compensation.

"Generally speaking, our country has flourished when the four principles are simultaneously operative, and we have encountered difficulty when one or more of the four are forgotten at the expense of others. This is made more complicated by the obvious fact that the four principles are in conflict. Too much emphasis on popular sovereignty (democracy) can lead to arbitrary power, and the suppression of individual rights; too much emphasis on economic progress can lead to dangerous levels of inequality which threaten popular sovereignty, and corruption which threatens the rule of law itself." . . .

Democrats: the party shaping our children's minds

CNN Falsely Claims Ted Cruz “Afraid” To Discuss Guns Outside the Fox “Mothership”                  
"Just when you thought CNN might make it through a week without disgracing itself, anchor Chris Cuomo accuses Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) of being “afraid” to talk to CNN about the Florida shooting and GOP measures to prevent such shootings.  The problem?  Cruz had given CNN a 15-minute interview the day before, and CNN decided not to air all of it." . . .

No, Jimmy Kimmel, Trump Did Not Make It Easier For the Mentally Ill To Buy Guns  . . . "Scott Shackford of Reason debunked the line about the mentally ill and guns:

"No, Trump Did Not Make It Easier for Mentally Ill People to Buy Guns"

Democrats Criticize Trump For Smiling, Giving Hospital Staff, First Responders Thumb’s Up For Their Response In Florida

S.E. Cupp: Democrats, spare me your hypocrisy on guns  . . . "Then they put a Democrat lawmaker on air or a former Republican lawmaker who shares their point of view to complain that Republicans will never do anything about guns. They never, these journalists, ask those lawmakers what Democrats did about gun control when they had the White House, House and Senate for two years under Barack Obama. Because the answer is NOTHING.  

"These journalists never say: where was Democrats' courage? Were Democrats too afraid to lose their seats, like they did in 1994, to pass another assault weapons ban?"

Maybe if they stopped disguising activism as journalism those Republicans would talk with them. Maybe if they could have these conversations without offending half the country they would.

Watch Laura Ingraham Rip the Crown Right Off the Empty Head of King James

Downtrend

"The ongoing feud between Fox News host Laura Ingraham and multimillionaire NBA narcissist LeBron “King” James is now at a slow-rolling boil.

"James was called out for his constant dropping of the “F-Bomb” which he did once again during an interview during which he blasted President Trump as not giving a “f*ck” about the people. Ingraham was quick to slam dunk on the King by pointing out that he has a dirty mouth, is a poor role model, should have gotten more education and that he should just “shut up and dribble.”

"Fighting words and the SJW’s immediately swarmed with their standard accusations of racism. The egomaniacal James was even driven to declare that “I am more than an athlete” via social media." . . .

"For good measure, she invited two black conservatives onto her show (or as the SJW’s would refer to them “Uncle Toms”) to help to make her point about the cultural elite and its hypocrisy. Even going back into the vault to dredge up clips of the inarticulate man-child casually tossing around F-bombs at a rally to celebrate the Cleveland Cavaliers’ last NBA championship." . . .

Parkland School Shooting: People saw something and repeatedly said something, to no avail

Legal Insurrection

Dozens of Red Flags Ignored.

"We recently noted that the FBI dropped the ball on the Parkland shooter, having a received a very specific and explicit warning about Nikolas Cruz in early January 2018. That warning, including that Cruz was a potential school shooter, was ignored by the FBI.

"Yet the more we learn about everything that came before the attack, the worse it gets. There were so many red flags.

"Mandy Mayfield of the Washington Examiner reports that law enforcement got multiple calls about the shooter:

Sheriff says office received 20 calls about Florida shooter over last few years

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said Friday that his office found that it had received approximately 20 calls related to Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old suspected of carrying out Florida’s deadliest high school shooting that left 17 people dead.

“We have uncovered at the Broward Sheriff’s Office that we’ve had approximately 20 calls for service over the last few years regarding the killer,” Israel told reporters. “Every one of these calls for service will be looked at and scrutinized.”

“If we find out, like in any investigation, that one of our deputies or call-takers could have done something better or was remiss, I’ll handle it accordingly,” he added.

"Haris Alic of the Washington Free Beacon goes back even further:" . . .

Democrats Discover Their Inner Totalitarians

Gonzo Overkill, via American Thinker

Dr. Hurd    "Jesse Arreguin, mayor of Berkeley, California, has been revealed to be involved with a violent, far-left group known as “BAMN,” meaning “By Any Means Necessary.”

"Indeed, Arreguin’s Facebook page shows him belonging to BAMN, according to The Gateway Pundit.

"The group formally describes itself on Facebook as “The Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration & Immigrant Rights, and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN).”

"BAMN is not just any “liberal” or “leftist” group. It is a group whose members have engaged in violence, and is affiliated with the violent antifascist, or antifa, movement.  [See also here]

"Leftist progressivism has gone full Communist. It’s not just in Berkeley. It’s all over the left-wing progressive movement. A Muslim Brotherhood supporter, Keith Ellison, is second in command of the Democratic party apparatus. Communists ally themselves with anyone who seeks to destroy liberty and individualism, and Islam is obviously at the forefront of such a quest.

"Many Democrats now openly call for restraints on freedom of speech whenever that speech is deemed “hateful,” which always means critical of their party’s policies and priorities. “You don’t agree with me? You’re a racist. Racism is hate speech. Why should hate speech be legal?”

"University professors at federally funded institutions (like Berkeley) openly call for Donald Trump’s execution and even the execution of those who voted for and supported him. Anyone who’s non-leftist literally risks his or her life by stepping foot onto a campus to support Trump or question anything leftist. Did you ever think it would come to this point in the United States? It’s like we’re living in a dictatorship already, and our government continues to provide the tax dollars to make sure these sociopathic freaks posing as intellectuals get to speak their demented, hate-ridden minds." . . .

Kamala Harris says babies shouldn't be slaughtered (except in the womb)

Harris wants people to see the horrible bodies of dead children so she can push through legislation to curb the Second Amendment.  But Harris doesn't want people even to see discussions of harvesting the bodies of dead babies, perhaps for fear of "shocking people into understanding."  With such compartmentalized sensibilities, I think Harris is a perfect nominee for the Democrats in 2020.

Ed Straker  "California senator Kamala Harris, who is widely expected to run for president in 2020 as the "female Obama," tried to make as much hay as she could regarding the school shooting in Florida, saying  that while she didn't want to use the massacre for political gain, she was going to anyway:

This cannot be a political issue.  We have to have smart gun safety laws – our babies are being slaughtered.

"It's a curious choice of words.  "Babies."  No babies were slaughtered.  Harris used a metaphor for children.  Real, actual babies, still inside their mothers, are slaughtered every day in California, but Harris has no problem with that, being a pro-abortion Democrat.

"I think one can conclude that Kamala Harris is more interested in metaphorical children than real ones.  I think she's more interested in the child actors in Black Panther than she is in the real children suffering in housing projects in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

"Harris made another curious statement:

"I had to look at autopsy photographs," Harris said on Thursday, referring to her time as California's attorney general.  "When you see the effect of this extreme violence on a human body, and especially the body of a child, maybe it will shock some people into understanding."

"Harris seems to be saying that we should look at horrible photos of the deaths of children in order to be shocked into action." . . .

Does Harris mean these children?

2017: Can’t tell if it’s fake news or the real thing? California has a bill for that

Sacramento Bee  "Here’s something that absolutely, undeniably, 100 percent happened: California lawmakers introduced legislation to help students become more media literate.
     "Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez, D-Los Angeles, and Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, on Wednesday both announced bills that would direct a state curriculum board to develop resources for schools to teach students how to distinguish what news stories they can trust.
     “ 'Recently, we have seen the corrupting effects of a deliberate propaganda campaign driven by fake news,” Gomez said in a statement. “When fake news is repeated, it becomes difficult for the public to discern what’s real. These attempts to mislead readers pose a direct threat to our democracy.”
     "The phenomenon of “fake news” – made-up articles on what may appear to be legitimate journalistic websites, often appealing to hyperpartisan sentiment and shared across social media – exploded into controversy during the 2016 election.
     "False stories about President-elect Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton were widespread throughout the campaign, sometimes leading to real consequences, as when a man fired a rifle inside a Washington, D.C. pizzeria while investigating claims that it housed a child sex abuse ring led by Clinton.
     "Warnings that Russia helped spread the disinformation in an effort to influence the outcome of the election and undermine U.S. security led Congress to pass funding for new government efforts to identify and counter foreign propaganda.
     "Gomez’s Assembly Bill 155 envisions incorporating analytical skills for online information into subjects ranging from English to science at the high school and middle school level, while Dodd’s Senate Bill 135 would add media literacy training to social sciences standards for first through 12th grades. A recent study out of the Stanford Graduate School of Education found that students were easily duped by fake news sites and sponsored content.
     “ 'By giving students the proper tools to analyze the media they consume, we can empower them to make informed decisions,” Dodd said in a statement." . . .

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Georgetown Works With Slave Descendant Groups Demanding Reparations

Legal Insurrection

"Georgetown has worked very hard to right the wrongs of the past. Last year, the school issued a formal apology for slavery connections but apparently that’s not enough.

"The College Fix reports:

Georgetown works with slave descendants group amid demands for cash reparations

Georgetown University leaders have done much in recent times to make amends for the institution’s involvement in slavery, but after a cadre of slave descendants recently said those efforts are not enough — they still want cash — campus leaders have pledged to continue to work “toward reconciliation.”

“Following many conversations and dialogue with members of the Descendant community, the University and the Jesuits earlier this month reached out to members of the Descendant community to propose a framework for long-term dialogue, partnership and collaboration,” a campus representative told The College Fix in an email.

“Georgetown and the Jesuits are committed to working with Descendants in a process that recognizes the terrible legacy of slavery and promotes racial justice,” the statement added. “Georgetown has been working to address its historical relationship to slavery and will continue to do so.”

. . . 

The “Descendant community” consists of families of more than 200 slaves whose sale nearly two centuries ago benefited Georgetown University." . . .

Ultimately the movement would like to make this nationwide, prompting the question:

Does Reginald Denny owe reparations to those trying to kill him?
Must this store owner pay reparations to these youths?

North Koreans good; Trump and Pence bad: American media

American Thinker

When Democrats Won’t Campaign With Bill, the Clinton Era is Officially Over

Legal Insurrection

In the era of #MeToo the former president has become “toxic” for many Democrats.

 

"Less than two years ago, Hillary Clinton was the star of the show at the Democratic National Convention. Former President Bill Clinton was an honored guest who got rock star treatment. Now that the party has embraced the #MeToo movement and even jettisoned Al Franken, there’s no room for Bill on the stage.

"Some Democrats don’t even want to campaign with him.

Edward-Isaac Dovere writes at Politico:

Dems: Bill Clinton too toxic to campaign in midterms

Democrats are looking to embrace the #MeToo moment and rally women to push back on President Donald Trump in the midterms—and they don’t want Bill Clinton anywhere near it.

In a year when the party is deploying all their other big guns and trying to appeal to precisely the kind of voters Clinton has consistently won over, an array of Democrats told POLITICO they’re keeping him on the bench. They don’t want to be seen anywhere near a man with a history of harassment allegations, as guilty as their party loyalty to him makes them feel about it.

“I think it’s pretty tough,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), vice chair of the House Progressive Caucus and one of the leading voices in Congress demanding changes in Washington’s approach to sexual harassment. His presence “just brings up a lot of issues that will be very tough for Democrats. And I think we all have to be clear about what the #MeToo movement was.”…

"Howard Kurtz of FOX News makes an excellent point about this article by suggesting this isn’t just about Bill. Democrats are ready to leave Hillary in the dust as well:

Clinton’s history—Monica Lewinsky, Paula Jones, Gennifer Flowers, Kathleen Willey, Juanita Broaddrick—looks far different to many Democrats in 2018 than it did in 1998, when the Senate acquitted him, or even 2016. His presence would detract from the Democrats’ ability to make the midterms about Donald Trump, Rob Porter and Roy Moore.

. . .
Bill's undershorts have long been a favorite of editorial cartoons. This cartoonist skillfully connects Hillary with that subject. TD

 

Divisive Democrats, United by Hate

One of the more recent examples came from Barry Bluestone, a Northeastern University professor, who said of Trump during a public lecture, "Sometimes, I want to just see him impeached.  Other times, quite honestly ... I wouldn't mind seeing him dead."

Peter Lemiska  "There isn't much room in today's Democratic* Party for independent thought or moderate positions.  Whether it's about the right of a fetus to live versus the right of a woman to choose, the inherent rights of American citizens versus the perceived rights of illegal aliens, or religious freedom and traditional values versus another new category of people seeking special protection, Democrats are of one mind.  They all stand together on the far left, a place where dissent is never tolerated.  Like clichéd characters in a science fiction movie, they appear to be individual organisms, but their minds seem to be linked to some enormous, pulsating brain deep within the bowels of the Democratic National Committee. 

"Nothing unites Democrats more than their loathing of one man and their disdain for the American voters who elected him.  Donald Trump has succeeded in undoing much of the legacy left us by his leftist predecessor.  And he's not done undoing.  So it's easy to understand how the Democrats' boundless love for Barack Obama would translate into mindless hatred for Donald Trump." . . .
. . . 
Blinded by their own hatred, liberals can't see that they, not Donald Trump, are responsible for the deep division in the country.  Whatever Trump's flaws, those things that he stands for were never considered divisive in the past.  Republicans and Democrats alike once stood together for personal responsibility, religious freedom, national pride, border security, and prosperity for all.  And they all stood for the National Anthem." . . .

Peter Lemiska is a military veteran and retired senior special agent of the U.S. Secret Service. 

*I prefer to not use "Democratic", but "Democrat" instead. TD