Archives for September 2012

Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review like a new Politico Battleground poll showing Mitt Romney ahead of President Obama by 14 points among middle class voters.  They also shake their heads as President Obama dismisses criticism of his untruthful ads by saying this is an important election and for ’60 Minutes’ leaving that on the cutting room floor.  And they’re stunned as Massachusetts Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren is not only caught lying about her legal history, but discovered she practiced law without ever obtaining a law license in Massachusetts.

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During the height of the war on terrorism, Lt. Gen. William “Jerry” Boykin found himself in big trouble with the mainstream media and the Bush administration for professing his Christian faith while in uniform and for sharing some blunt views on Islam.  Since Boykin’s retirement in 2007, cultural changes have come rapidly to the armed forces – most especially the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) in 2010.  As a result of that law, gays and lesbians may now serve openly in the military.  Boykin firmly believes this trend will hurt morale and diminish performance because these new dynamics will create trust issues among our troops – issues that could cost lives.  He says the impact of repealing DADT probably won’t be seen for about a decade but once apparent it will likely hurt recruiting in years to come.  However, Boykin, is perhaps even more outraged at what he sees as an erosion of basic religious freedom in the  military.  Now the executive vice president at the Family Research Council, Boykin says the military is increasingly hostile to the freedom to worship.  He cites a new directive from the U.S. Air Force forbidding commanders from using their position to express their faith.  Boykin finds this particularly galling, asserting that the very people tasked with defending our First Amendment rights are being deprived of their own.

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The Muslim Brotherhood is a radical Islamist organization that has successfully penetrated both political parties and the delicate areas of defense and national security.  Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. William “Jerry” Boykin is now executive vice president at the Family Research Council.  He says people with connections to the Muslim Brotherhood are in vital positions within every significant area of the U.S. government.  He specifically cites high security clearances for such people in the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security.  He says neither Republicans nor Democrats want to protest too loudly over concerns of being branded intolerant.  Boykin says Republicans proved their weakness on the issue by roundly condemning Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann for sounding the alarm on this issue and specifically wondering about the Brotherhood ties of Huma Abedin, a top assistant to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  Gen. Boykin also slams the sequestration plan that has the military on course for an additional $500 billion in cuts over the next decade.  He says that will weaken every branch of the service and claims a naive rationale is behind it all.  Gen. Boykin says President Obama and other liberals have a vision where the U.S. takes a smaller role on the world stage so they think our military will not need to maintain it’s current size and won’t be pumping money into the Middle East.  The general says that’s nonsense, pointing out that as long as oil and Israel are in the Middle East we’ll need to maintain a presence there.

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Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review have some fun with President Obama running for re-election and saying change can’t come from inside Washington.  They also groan as another Friday turns violent and deadly across the Middle East.  And they discuss reports that the Iranian government is trying to hack the online services of major U.S. banks.

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Training Iraqis and Afghans to maintain western-style security  is a waste of time and U.S. military leaders are so afraid of offending people that they refuse to do what’s necessary to win.  That’s the thesis of a very blunt book by former U.S. Navy SEAL Carl Higbie.  His book is entitled “Battle on the Homefront: A Navy SEAL’s Mission to Save the American Dream”.

Higbie tells us of his two tours in Iraq and the stunningly inept Iraqis he was ordered to train, including how most Iraqis think every direction is East and how some of them would trade weapons for their neighbor’s goats.  He says simple concepts are impossible for them to grasp, so expecting loyalty to a western nation or thinking they will comprehend a security strategy is a waste of time.

Higbie served in Iraq under President Bush in 2007 and in 2009 under President Obama.  He claims there was a “night and day” difference in policy, including the Obama administration directive that U.S. troops not carry live ammunition.  Higbie says these rules of engagement are handcuffing our forces and preventing them from winning wars.

In fact, the ex-SEAL saves his harshest criticisms for military leaders for agreeing to wage a culturally sensitive war to win hearts and minds rather than kill our enemies.  He specifically lashes out at Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey, calling him a “moron” for not fighting to change policies on joint security patrols in Afghanistan until Afghans had killed more than 50 of our own troops.

Higbie recounts how misguided rules of engagement put his own life in danger, how his book led to his dismissal from the U.S. Navy and what the response has been from officers and enlisted personnel.

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On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced that the riots aimed against the U.S. embassy in Egypt were largely an effort to pressure the Obama administration to release Omar Abdel Rahman.  Rahman is the blind sheikh who was convicted of seditious conspiracy for planning the 1993 terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center and sentenced to life in prison.  He is idolized by the Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Egypt, who have demanded his release in meetings with U.S. officials.

Andrew McCarthy was a member of the federal prosecution team that convicted Rahman and his followers.  He says the new Egyptian leaders have been very open about demanding Rahman’s release and the Obama administration seems to be receptive to the idea.  McCarthy says Obama could very easily end the speculation by rejecting the idea publicly.  Instead, McCarthy points out that the White House is inviting an Egyptian official named Hani Nour Eldin, who is an ardent follower of the blind sheikh.

“If you or I were to give any assistance to this guy we’d be committing a serious federal felony of material support to terrorism,” says McCarthy.  “Yet the Obama adinistration not only issued him a visa, they actually invited him to the White House to consult on the future of Egypt with our top national security officials”.

McCarthy says he does not believe State Department assurances that no negotiations have taken place for the release of Rahman.  Nonetheless, McCarthy expects Rahman to be released between Election Day and Inauguration Day regardless of whether Obama wins.

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Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review examine whether winning the bulk of undecided voters would be enough to help Mitt Romney in November.  They also dig through the Fast & Furious report that paints a very bad picture of the Justice Department no matter how you interpret it.  And they laugh as NBC News takes time to “authenticate” the audio tape of Barack Obama from 1998, in which Obama advocates redistribution.

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The Obama Justice Department and liberal groups are joining forces to marginalize Christian organizations in the political arena and falsely brand them as hate groups.  That’s the message from Ken Blackwell of the Family Research Council.

Last month, the FRC was targeted by a gunman who was upset with the group’s biblical stands on marriage and the unborn.  The man shot and injured a security guard but was apprehended before threatening anyone else.  Blackwell and other FRC officials contend the shooter was motivated to take violent action after the liberal Southern Poverty Law Center labeled the FRC as an official hate group.  Blackwell says it’s ridiculous to say his organization is a hate group when traditional marriage has been backed in every state where the issue has been on the ballot, is the official position of the Republican party and was the stated position of President Obama until just a few months ago.

He also contends that groups like this are getting assistance from the Obama administration because of their mutual efforts to change America from a God-fearing, freedom loving society to one where the state is the ultimate authority.

Blackwell also reports that FRC security guard Leo Johnson is making progress in his recovery but has not returned to work.

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This is the week of dueling recordings on the campaign trail.  Mother Jones magazine revealed video from a Mitt Romney fundraiser in which he laments the 47 percent of Americans who pay no income taxes and see themselves as victims dependent upon the government.  Less than a day later, audio of Barack Obama from 1998 surfaced in which he claims to be an advocate of redistribution so everybody has a shot at a better life.  Each side believes and hopes the comments from the opposing candidate are fatal statements.

Whether they are or not, Tea Party Patriots National Coordinator Keli Carender enthusiastically welcomes the debate.  She says an endless stream of distractions have obscured the core question in this campaign…do Americans want the government to spread the wealth or do we want government to stay back and let American enterprise and ingenuity create even more wealth that benefits all of America?

Carender isn’t totally confident that Romney can make the case for smaller government with the passion that is required to convince voters to support the GOP ticket.

She firmly believes Tea Party backers and conservatives are much more motivated and active in getting out the vote than liberals but she still won’t predict a Republican victory.

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Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are pleased to see President Obama’s approval numbers dropping when it comes to foreign policy.  They also groan as nonpartisan research shows food stamp rolls of able-bodied adults with no families doubled in two years after President Obama rescinded work requirements in the 2009 stimulus bill.  And they find unabashed amusement in the news that a radical anti-American protester in Pakistan died after inhaling fumes from a burning American flag.

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