Campaign for Working Families

Monday, January 6, 2020 -- Tying Trump's Hands, Reagan & Trump, Left-wing Insanity, Evangelicals For Trump

Tying Trump's Hands
 
Democrat leaders in Congress are all in on resisting President Trump, even as he tries to rein in Iran's rogue regime.  Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced yesterday that the House of Representatives will vote this week on a resolution invoking the War Powers Act to cease hostilities against Iran in 30 days.  Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) is introducing the resolution in the Senate. 
 
I am curious about something:  When did Iran announce that it would end hostilities against us?  Or Israel?  Or Iraq?  Or Saudi Arabia?  Or Yemen?  Or Lebanon?  Or Syria?
 
Meanwhile, Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter to the White House yesterday demanding that the president declassify the notice he sent to Congress regarding the operation to terminate Gen. Soleimani. 
 
Schumer and Menendez told the president that such critical national security matters must be shared with the American people, and that the classified notice was neither appropriate nor justified "in a democratic society."
 
Two things jumped out at me.  The military and intelligence leadership of our country, the people Democrats insist the president is ignoring, evidently contacted the White House and told the president that they had a narrow window in which to act and requested his direction.  But it seems Schumer and Menendez are upset that the president acted on that advice. 
 
And there's the bigger irony.  When Republicans have insisted on declassifying the information the FBI and the CIA relied on to promote the Russian collusion hoax and to obtain FISA warrants to spy on Carter Page, every Democrat vehemently resisted those efforts as "irresponsible" and damaging to "methods and sources." 
 
Think about that.  Democrats see no threat to our "democratic society" in taking down the duly-elected president based on a hoax, but when it comes to taking out one of the world's worst terrorists, suddenly there's no threat to declassifying methods and sources.
 
By the way, Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz writes that the strike on Soleimani was an "easy call."  Dershowitz adds that the president's authority to take military action is "extremely broad, especially when the actions must . . . be kept secret from the intended target."
 
 
 
Reagan & Trump
 
This isn't the first time an American president has confronted Iran militarily.  In 1987, Ronald Reagan ordered strikes on Iranian oil platforms in response to Iranian attacks on U.S.-flagged ships. 
 
Then-Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd (D-WV) called Reagan's action "minimal and appropriate."  Rep. Les Aspin (D-WI), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, suggested Reagan's action was "probably too mild." 
 
Asked about invoking the War Powers Resolution to restrain Reagan from further action, then-Speaker of the House Jim Wright (D-TX) said, "I'm not going to be the one who gives the world a demonstration of a country divided by partisan politics."
 
In other words, the Democrats' statements and actions then couldn't be more different from their statements and actions today.  So what's changed? 
 
Clearly, Republican presidents, whether Reagan or Trump, are still willing to confront Iranian aggression when necessary.  What's changed is that today's elected Democrats are beholden to the radical progressive movement that despises the U.S. military and sees America as the biggest problem in the world.  (See below.)
 
I am pleased to report that not every Democrat is so blinded by Trump-hatred.  Former Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman writes in today's Wall Street Journal:
 
"President Trump's order to take out Qasem Soleimani was morally, constitutionally and strategically correct.  It deserves more bipartisan support than the begrudging or negative reactions it has received thus far from my fellow Democrats." 
 
 
 
Left-wing Insanity
 
Pointing out the left's increasingly insane worldview could easily become a regular item!  But Colin Kaepernick really put his ignorance on full display this weekend when he tweeted his thoughts about Soleimani's demise.  He wrote this:
 
"There is nothing new about American terrorist attacks against Black and Brown people for the expansion of American imperialism.
 
"America has always sanctioned and besieged Black and Brown bodies both at home and abroad. [American] militarism is the weapon wielded by American imperialism, to enforce its policing and plundering of the non-white world."
 
Kaepernick and the media insisted that his kneeling protests during the national anthem were not anti-law enforcement or anti-military, just pro-social justice.  But his contempt for the police and our military could not be more obvious. 
 
Then again, maybe Kaepernick is about to announce his campaign for the Democrat presidential nomination.
 
And this is the guy that the NFL bent over backwards to accommodate.  This is the guy that every woke progressive in Hollywood and the media just adores.  This is the guy Nike just had to sign as a "representative" of their brand.
 
Asked about Kaepernick's comments yesterday on Fox News, Sen. Lindsey Graham put it well when he said, "He's a loser on and off the field. . . It's un-American. He's a racist.  If you're looking for racism in America, then Mr. Kaepernick look in the mirror."
 
 
 
Mike Drops The Mic
 
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "dropped the mic" on Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace, who seemed concerned about President Trump's ability to serve as commander-in-chief.  Consider this exchange:
 
WALLACE"Some analysts suggest that the impeachment of President Trump has emboldened enemies like Iran and North Korea.  Do you think . . .  that some of our enemies think that this president is more vulnerable because of the impeachment effort?"

POMPEO:  "You should ask Mr. Soleimani."
 
But as we know, Mr. Soleimani is not available for comment.
 
 
 
Evangelicals For Trump
 
I am honored to be part of the Evangelical Coalition for Trump.  On Friday, I joined other faith leaders at the official launch of the coalition.  The president addressed the coalition in Miami's El Rey Jesus Church, led by Pastor Guillermo Maldonado.  The church, which seats 7,000, was packed, and the president received a tremendous reception from the very diverse audience with statements like these:
 
"America was not built by religion-hating socialists.  America was built by churchgoing, God-worshiping, freedom-loving patriots."
 
"Above all else, we know this:  In America, we don't worship government. We worship God."
 
"Republicans believe that every child, born and unborn, is made in the holy image of God, and that's why I asked Congress to prohibit late-term abortion."
 
"Very soon, I'll be taking action to safeguard students' and teachers' First Amendment rights to pray in our schools."
 
That's at least the second time I have heard the president publicly suggest that a new initiative on school prayer is coming.  It sounds like a promise to me, and this president keeps his promises.
 
He promised to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, and he did.
 
He promised to cut taxes, and he did. 
 
He promised to appoint conservative judges, and he is. 
 
He promised to build a wall securing our border, and he is. 
 
He promised to make America great again, and he is.
 
President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are making tremendous progress for faith, family and freedom.  I am proud to stand with them!