Monday, September 8, 2014
From: Gary L. Bauer
Victory — For Now
Facing intense political pressure, President Obama announced over the weekend that he won’t issue a unilateral amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants . . . before the election. One commentator said that if Democrats lose the Senate this November, the White House doesn’t want to see headlines blaming Obama’s amnesty as the reason.
During his interview with Obama, Meet The Press host Chuck Todd suggested this delay was all about politics. Obama insisted otherwise, saying:
“I want to spend some time, even as we’re getting all our ducks in a row for the executive action, I also want to make sure that the public understands why we’re doing this, why it’s the right thing for the American people, why it’s the right thing for the American economy.”
Obama’s response is reminiscent of his arguments about Obamacare — that once folks understand how great it is, they’ll love it. Once the American people understand the benefits of open borders and illegal immigrants from all over the world demanding benefits, they will be all for his unilateral action.
Senator Marco Rubio said yesterday that Obama hasn’t changed his mind about violating the separation of powers, just that “he doesn’t want to be held accountable by the electorate in the midterm elections for an action that he knows is unpopular.”
Theater Of The Presidency
To his credit, Chuck Todd raised the issue of Obama’s golf outing after his remarks on the beheading of American journalist James Foley. Obama first blamed the media. Then he said, “I should’ve anticipated the optics. … But part of this job is also the theater of it. … it’s not something that always comes naturally to me.”
If there is one thing Obama usually does well, it is optics. He is great at grand gestures and focus-grouped phrases. Remember the Greek columns? The imagery of hope and change?
To believe that the only thing wrong about playing golf immediately after the beheading of an American is that it looks bad completely misses the point. This is about more than just “optics.”
The average American is scratching his head wondering how Obama could even WANT to play golf after something like that. I believe the reaction of most Americans would have been to cancel the golf game and convene a meeting of the National Security Council.
Meanwhile, the president has announced that he will deliver a major speech outlining his strategy for dealing with ISIS on the eve of 9/11. (How’s that for optics?!) But as my friend Bill Kristol suggested yesterday, Obama’s rhetoric is not nearly as important as his actions.
No matter now well-crafted his speech is, it can’t overcome the reality of a foreign policy that routinely undermined allies and further destabilized the Middle East.
Jihad In Boston
Last week, we commented on the disturbing reality that one high school in Minnesota may have created three jihadists. Over the weekend, the New York Post reported on something even more disturbing: One mosque in Boston has produced more than half a dozen jihadists. Former members of the Islamic Society of Boston include:
-  Abdurahman Alamoudi, the mosque’s founder, who was sentenced to 23 years in prison for plotting terrorism.
-  Aafia Siddiqui, aka “Lady Al Qaeda.” She was sentenced to 86-years in prison for plotting chemical attacks.
-   Tarek Mehanna, sentenced to 17 years for plotting a shooting spree at a Boston mall.
-  Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a mosque trustee who issued a fatwa supporting the murder of U.S. soldiers.
-  Jamal Badawi, an unindicted co-conspirator in a plot to raise millions for Palestinian homicide bombers, was another mosque trustee. Â
-  Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the 2013 Boston Marathon bomber.
- Ahmad Abousamra, a graduate of Northeastern University, is believed to be the architect of ISIS’ social media campaign.Perhaps Attorney General Eric Holder should relocate a few of the FBI agents now camped out in Ferguson, Missouri, to Boston, Massachusetts!Goodbye, Truett
Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A, passed away today at the age of 93. A devout man of faith, Cathy built a business empire without compromising his values.
He was fond of saying, “We live in a changing world, but we need to be reminded that the important things have not changed.” Out of respect for faith and family, Chick-fil-A stores have always closed on Sundays.
In 2012, the company became a flashpoint in the culture wars. After CEO Dan Cathy merely dared to defend the traditional meaning of marriage, the left called for boycotts and tried to block the opening of new stores. Their intolerance backfired as defenders of free speech and religious liberty made “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” a huge success.
Truett Cathy is survived by his wife of 65 years, Jeannette, sons Dan and Don, daughter Trudy, 19 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
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