Greg Corombos of Radio America and Patrick Brennan of National Review welcome Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to the huge GOP presidential field, but Patrick offers Jindal some constructive criticism. They also discuss whether the push to remove the Confederate flag will end up rewriting American history. And they happily react to a Huffington Post writer vowing not to have children so she won’t propagate her white privilege.
Allowing Hostage Families to Pay Ransom = More Kidnappings
The Obama administration is changing federal policy to allow the families of American hostages to negotiate ransom payments with the abductors, but a former high-ranking Air Force officer says that’s a recipe for many more Americans to get kidnapped.
On Wednesday, President Obama will announce the anticipated policy change. The change comes after the families of several Americans murdered by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, lashed out at the administration for refusing to let them negotiate and even allegedly threatening some with prosecution if they tried to pay a ransom.
Officials say U.S. government policy will remain unchanged in not paying ransom for American hostages, because they believe it will only encourage our enemies to take more citizens into custody.
Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney fears the very same thing will happen by letting families negotiate price of their loved one’s release.
“This is a very difficult one because there’s a great deal of emotion. But the fact is I think we’re going to see more cases of kidnapping by radical Islam and trying to use those Americans that are over there helping in the Arab countries as treasury bait,” said McInerney, who is also a military analyst for the Fox News Channel.
McInerney concedes that reasonable people can disagree about whether to give families the option of negotiating a ransom, but he says it’s the wrong choice and the administration is making a mistake by talking about it.
“I would much rather have not announced it because I think it will increase the number of kidnappings. I think if we had a covert program that could have been done, that would have been better,” said McInerney, who calls the policy change “a political decision.”
In addition to the protests of hostages’ families, McInerney believes the administration also changed course and adopted the policies of some European nations that allow families to negotiate with hostage takers.
The Obama administration is also promising to do a better job of communicating with the families of future hostages. Several families publicly scolded the government for infrequent updates and being treated as a nuisance when they asked federal officials for more information.
McInerney says that’s the least any government should be able to do.
“There is nothing that encourages the radical Islamists to kidnap people if we keep our people informed. So there’s absolutely no reason that the administration is not giving them up to date briefings, at least on a weekly or a bi-weekly basis,” he said.
In the big picture, McInerney says the best way to discourage more ISIS kidnappings is to wipe the radicals off the face of the earth. He is deeply frustrated by the administration’s refusal to use it’s air power dominance.
“We’ve got to take the handcuffs off our air power. Seventy-five percent of the missions that come back are not dropping bombs. I know the air commander over there says, ‘Well, the generals that are complaining have never fought this kind of war.’ He’s correct. We’ve never fought a war where we lost cities like this and air power has been so ineffective,” said McInerney.
McInerney says the Obama team is paralyzed by fears of killing innocents in the air campaign. He says that mindset cannot lead to success.
“We know where they are. We’re worried about the collateral damage. I think we have to accept it is war, accept that collateral damage and have it over quickly,” said McInerney.
Three Martini Lunch 6/23/15
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Ian Tuttle of National Review applaud South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for her handling of the Confederate flag debate. They also grind their teeth as House Republican leaders punish conservative members for not voting their way on key votes. And they dismiss the Associated Press explanation that they intended no disrespect by publishing photos of Ted Cruz with a gun pointed at his head.
Feds Lag Behind Private Sector in Cyber Security
Recent foreign hacking into federal government systems is not the equivalent of a cyber Pearl Harbor, but experts say the feds are badly behind the private sector when it comes to addressing the threat.
A series of reported hacks from China and Russia into federal personnel databases is triggering the concern, as anywhere from four to fourteen million current and former government employees had their personal data compromised. Applicants for federal positions are also at risk.
“I don’t know whether I’d call it the Pearl Harbor. The cyber analysts have been trying to use that term for quite awhile now. I guess this is one of those times you could theoretically use the term,” said Heritage Foundation cyber security expert Riley Walters.
He says the data breach of millions of people is very serious and could lead to plenty of problems, but he says the most vital national security assets are much better protected and are not compromised.
“I think it comes down to risk. When you’ve got [the Defense Department], you’ve got technical equipment, actual undercover agents, state secrets and methods for security in the future. It’s very direct, kinetic security information,” said Walters.
But as impressed as Walters is with the defense and intelligence cyber security apparatus, he says the government overall is playing catch-up.
“The government, compared to the private sector, is not necessarily as good in some areas for their cyber security,” said Walters. “When you get into OPM or the VA it’s a little more system and a little more shaky. This is certainly an area where cyber hackers can find a way into federal systems.”
Walters says one major reason the feds are lagging behind the private sector and other governments in security is a simple lack of due diligence.
“The government is a bit slow in updating its systems. Since systems do upgrade so fast so regularly, it’s hard for them to keep pace like a private company does,” he said.
That inability to keep up with the competition has Walters very skeptical about a larger government role in running the internet.
“Here at the Heritage Foundation, we like to think that the federal government wouldn’t be so good at regulating cyber security. If they can’t even update their systems as regularly as they need to, then how can you update regulations as quick as you need to,” said Walters.
Walters says the greatest hacking threats come from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. He says they have different specialties. China is focused on securing information on as many people as possible. Iran and North Korea prioritize the shutting down of websites. He says Russia is the best at not leaving any digital footprints.
The threat is only going to get worse. Walters says it’s a product of the insatiable demand for more data.
“Over the past several years, we’ve just seen more reliance on big data and the internet. So obviously there’s a correlation with the increasing number of cyber attacks,” he said.
Three Martini Lunch 6/22/15
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Ian Tuttle of National Review are encouraged by new statistics showing Americans are increasingly protective of their second amendment rights. They also call out Bill Maher for his misleading criticism of the Fox News Channel’s coverage of the Charleston murders. And they break down the pope’s recent political statements on climate and guns.
Gun Rights Group Braces for New Obama Offensive
President Obama reacted to Wednesday’s murders in Charleston by saying “there’s something we can do about” mass killings in America, and a leading gun rights leader says the president is just angling for more gun control measures.
On Thursday, Obama mourned the nine people murdered at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. Twenty-one-year-old Dylann Roof is in custody for the killings. He has admitted committing the murders and sources say he does not regret his actions.
However, in addition to expressing sympathies to the families and communities impacted by the murders, Obama also returned to the debate over guns.
“We don’t have all the facts, but we do know that, once again, innocent people were killed in part because someone who wanted to inflict harm had no trouble getting their hands on a gun,” said Obama.
“And at some point it’s going to be important for the American people to come to grips with it, and for us to be able to shift how we think about the issue of gun violence collectively,” he said.
In the midst of that statement, Obama seemed to acknowledge the political realities in Washington are not in his favor on this issue.
“I say that recognizing the politics in this town foreclose a lot of those avenues right now,” he said.
In 2013, Obama pushed hard for the U.S. Senate (then controlled by Democrats) to approve new measures, including expanded background checks, but the bipartisan bill failed to advance.
Republicans now control both the House and Senate, so does this mean Obama knows he can’t advance the issue over the remainder of his term? Gun Owners of America Executive Director Larry Pratt says that may not stop Obama from applying the full-court press.
“I’d bet a small amount of money on the president continuing to push, because he is so incredibly ideologically driven. Even as he’s recognizing the difficulty of the task, I don’t think that is going to inhibit him. I hope it will but I don’t think so,” said Pratt.
Pratt sees the limited time remaining in the Obama administration as a major motivating factor in a possible gun control push.
“This man is hard hard left. He believes the government should control everything. Now, he’s got less than two years to really snap the socialist vise on the country. I don’t see him backing off,” he said.
Pratt and other critics assert that Obama’s proposed gun laws would not have made a difference in Charleston, since the victims were killed with a pistol rather than a so-called assault rifle. High-capacity magazines of ammunition were also not involved.
Pratt says South Carolina’s laws put the members of Emanuel AME Church at a disadvantage.
“The law in South Carolina, which was actively supported by [Pastor and State Senator Clementa Pinckney] is that you cannot have a gun at a church unless the pastor or the governance of the church says it’s OK,” said Pratt.
He says the horror in Charleston follows an unmistakable pattern by recent mass murderers.
“The biggest problem occurs in gun-free zones. That’s where all but one of our mass murders has occurred. So you get a dirtbag in a gun-free zone intent on committing mass murder and it takes awhile before a good guy with a gun can get there,” said Pratt.
Another major reason that killers strike where they do, according to Pratt, is the ability of law-abiding citizens to obtain a gun. He says the statistics in this area are overwhelming.
“It’s easier to protect yourself in a lot of parts of the country. In those parts of the country where access to guns is not impeded by the kind of laws that the state senator wanted and the president wants, the murder rate and violent crime rate is lower where gun control is not as onerous,” said Pratt.
He says the areas with the most restrictive gun laws see a much different story.
“The problem we have in our country with violent crime and people using guns to commit heinous acts, occurs in our urban centers, where the gun control laws tend to be the most severe. So the president really doesn’t have much of a leg to stand on,” said Pratt.
According to Pratt, the only people inconvenienced by cracking down on guns are the people who would act responsibly.
“I think the answer is to stop kidding ourselves. Criminals are not going to obey the law, so let’s not make it difficult for the good guys to have guns,” he said.
Three Martini Lunch 6/19/15
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Ian Tuttle of National Review cheer the many political and community leaders who called for prayer, support and unity in the wake of the Charleston murders. We also groan as President Obama erroneously contends his gun control agenda would have prevented these killings. And we shake our heads as a highly-decorated teacher in Los Angeles is suspended indefinitely for reading an excerpt from “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” to his class.
Will 2016 Hopefuls Sign Marriage Pledge?
The National Organization for Marriage is asking 2016 presidential candidates to sign its pledge to champion traditional marriage, including support for a constitutional amendment on the issue and rolling back Obama administration directives within the federal government.
The group issued first issued the pledge in 2012 and the majority of Republican hopefuls signed it. NOM President Brian Brown says it’s designed to see which candidates plan to walk the walk on a critical cultural issue.
“It makes clear that the candidates won’t just give lip service to protecting marriage, but will actually take concrete steps to protect marriage. So it’s important that the candidates are on the record and that voters know which candidates will actually do something,” said Brown.
With so many Republicans in the race, several are likely to sign the pledge. Brown says those candidates will we rewarded during the campaign.
“Our goal is to have champions stand up for marriage. Whether we get three people to sign or 14, it doesn’t matter,” said Brown. “Whoever signs, we’re going to promote.”
The pledge asks candidates to make five commitments, the first of which is to back a constitutional amendment defining marriage in the United States as the union of one man and one woman.
Even polls were lopsided in favor of traditional marriage a decade ago, the amendment failed to advance in Congress. Brown says this is going to be a long fight but the Supreme Court could soon make an amendment more necessary than ever.
“In past years, we haven’t had the specter of the Supreme Court potentially forcing the redefinition of marriage on the whole country. That is not the way our Constitution was written. That will be an illegitimate decision. The clear process we have to stop this form of judicial supremacy is a constitutional amendment,” said Brown.
The pledge also asks candidates to champion marriage through their judicial nominations and key administration appointments, such as attorney general. It also demands allowing Americans to be free to exercise their conscience in their daily affairs and to not punish citizens for publicly advocating traditional marriage.
Those are clear references to recent religious liberty battles involving business owners uncomfortable with servicing a same-sex wedding and to the the IRS harassment of the National Organization of Marriage. The IRS not only harassed NOM but shared it’s sensitive donor information with organizations on the opposite side of the debate.
The pledge also asks the next president to roll back President Obama’s directives within the federal government that NOM says erodes marriage and promotes the LGBT agenda. Brown says this White House activism extends from office rules to official diplomatic policy.
“Even at the State Department, we’re seeing de facto threatening of countries with the removal of aid unless they get on board with a new definition of marriage. That is fundamentally wrong,” said Brown.
Republicans are divided on the best campaign strategy moving into 2016. Many consultants and elected officials say that while the party should defend traditional marriage, candidates should speak about it very sparingly so as not to turn off voters who otherwise like the GOP agenda.
Brown says Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign proved that’s a bad idea.
“A billion dollars were spent on a grand experiment to do just that and it failed,” said Brown. “The people of this country still understand what marriage is. They’re looking for a leader who will stand up with conviction for the truth of marriage and not be silenced or intimidated by a media culture that largely believes this fight is over.”
Three Martini Lunch 6/18/15
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Ian Tuttle of Radio America are glad to see Brian Williams will not return as anchor of NBC Nightly News after a pattern of dishonest reporting. They also shudder at the horrific murders of nine people at a church in Charleston, South Carolina. And they roll their eyes as the Treasury Department announces a woman will appear on the ten dollar bill within five years.
Three Martini Lunch 6/17/15
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Ian Tuttle of National Review are encouraged by new polls showing Americans don’t believe Hillary Clinton cares about them and that Bernie Sanders is very competitive against Clinton in New Hampshire. They also unpack the absurdity of the Donald Trump presidential announcement. And they discuss the latest nonsense coming from former NAACP official Rachel Dolezal.