The Foundation

“[R]eligion and virtue are the only foundations, not of republicanism and of all free government, but of social felicity under all government and in all the combinations of human society.” –John Adams

Editorial Exegesis

“The U.S. military, already strained by wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, faces transformation from the world’s most powerful fighting machine into an organization where political correctness is more important than victory. Saturday’s Senate vote cleared the final hurdle for the repeal of President Clinton’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy designed to prevent homosexual conduct in the ranks. Battle lines will now form over how the homosexual advocacy policies will be implemented. Though the repudiated lawmakers who rammed the repeal through this weekend’s session pretend they are simply latter-day Rosa Parkses seeking to end discrimination, there is no comparison. Since 2005, a mere 1 percent of Army discharges involved homosexual conduct. This issue isn’t about retaining or recruiting qualified personnel for the military. This is part of the Left’s larger societal goal of using government to force others to embrace unorthodox personal lifestyle choices. The implications are clear from a look at how the federal government treats issues of homosexuality. … Troops can look forward to so-called pride parades on military bases and awareness days for the transgendered. Everyone knows the sort of thing that might work in Greenwich Village or a San Francisco neighborhood doesn’t go over well in a fighting force drawn largely from red state America – an area whose residents Mr. Obama once derisively referred to as the type who ‘cling to guns or religion.’ That’s why implementing the New Gay Army means forcing soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines to endure ‘diversity’ training. Those who don’t like it will be told to get out, as several senior military leaders have suggested already. Chaplains in particular will face the dilemma that preaching their faith will violate the new pro-homosexual code of conduct. As a result, far more are likely to leave or be thrown out of the military as a result of Mr. Obama’s policy than were ever affected by Mr. Clinton’s. It’s hard to see how that will do anything to strengthen the nation’s defenses.” –The Washington Times

Insight

“If you are guided by opinion polls, you are not practicing leadership – you are practicing followship.” –British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing it, and then misapplying the wrong remedies.” –American comedian Groucho Marx

The Gift of Liberty

For last-minute shoppers, there is no better gift than the gift of Liberty. Help ensure that your loved ones will continue to enjoy the blessings of Liberty that our Creator has bestowed upon us. So that we may effectively battle the enemies of what you hold dear, make a secure online donation today to The Patriot Post‘s 2010 Year-End Campaign. If you prefer to support us by mail, please use our printable donor form.

Thank you and God bless!

Nate Jackson
Managing Editor

Upright

“The bipartisan tax-cut deal is cited by many as proof Obama is, in fact, moderating. Eh, I don’t quite buy it, for the simple reason that Obama says at every turn that he hates the two-year compromise and is only doing it because the 'hostage-taking’ Republicans are making him. That doesn’t make him sound more moderate, it makes him sound weak. Worse, it makes him sound like a very liberal president who’s just biding his time for more liberal victories ahead.” –columnist Jonah Goldberg

“The constitutional issue before Judge Hudson in Virginia and Judge Vinson in Florida is this: Can Congress tax a non-activity? Can they tax you for not doing something? Can they fine you? Can they jail you? And if they can tax, fine, or jail you for not doing something, what limit could there possibly be on the powers of Congress? Tax your street. Tax your seat. Tax your feet. Why not?” –columnist Ken Blackwell

“Politics isn’t the art of compromise. Politics as usual is an artful ruse to get us to believe politicians are doing one thing while they do another. Our politicians do this by obfuscating, confusing, denying, blaming and lying. The truth be damned. For as far back as I can remember, politicians have mistreated our Constitution and the intent of our Founding Fathers with disrespect and disdain. They do what they … please. These punk politicians laugh and scoff at those of us who still believe in the 10th Amendment and a limited federal government.” –columnist Ted Nugent

“Conservatism and responsible government won a resounding victory in November’s elections, and yet just a month later, we’re witnessing legislative arrogance on a scale you wouldn’t expect if voters had ratified the ruling class’ sprint toward national bankruptcy. Can you imagine how it would be acting if it hadn’t received a ‘shellacking’? It seems that Washington is embracing all the principles and practices the voters soundly rejected, without the slightest indication it either received the message or cares. Are we seeing any evidence of greater transparency, a rejection of earmarks, budgetary restraint or legislative deliberation?” –columnist David Limbaugh

Dezinformatsia

Loving Obama: “The president signed this big tax cut law on Friday, and now he’s celebrating the end of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ which was a big campaign promise for him. Is there a sense in Washington that he’s on a winning streak?” –ABC’s Dan Harris

Worried about tax rates: “I want to say one thing about the budget that didn’t get passed, the omnibus bill. You know, we talk a lot about – we just passed this huge tax cut in part because business said, you know, we have to plan, we have to know what kind of tax cuts we have. Well, these agencies, including the Defense Department, don’t know how much money they’ve got and for what. And I was at – forgive the expression – a Christmas party at the Department of Justice and people actually were really worried about this.” –NPR’s Nina Totenberg

Redefining gifts: “After three and a half hours of debate in a crowded chamber, members of the House voted overwhelmingly to pass the tax bill. … The bill amounts to an early holiday gift for every American taxpayer. Extending the Bush tax cuts for everyone, including the wealthy, for two years. Extending unemployment benefits for long-term jobless Americans. Giving every worker a 2 percentage point cut in payroll taxes and temporarily extending a raft of tax credits from the stimulus package. The cost of all that led 112 Democrats and 36 Republicans to vote no.” –CBS’s Nancy Cordes casting as “an early holiday gift” the act of greedy government not confiscating taxpayers’ earnings

“Well, it’s certainly been a busy and an active lame duck session. Obviously, the tax cut law, everybody was watching. It had to be done before the end of the year. And certainly a president doing that and being responsible for giveaways – in other words, tax breaks to people – is going to get the credit. Clearly, of course, the Republicans got what they wanted as well, which was all the tax cuts remaining.” –ABC’s Christiane Amanpour equating tax breaks to giveaways

Newspulper Headlines:

Breaking News From 2001, 2003: “House Passes Bush Tax Cut Package; Bill Now Goes to President” –PoliticsDaily.com

Questions Nobody Is Asking: “Has President Obama Kept His Promises to American Indians?” –The New York Times website

Leave Harry Reid Alone!: “Republicans Kick the Spending Dope” –The Wall Street Journal

Leaving Unanswered the Question: Which Planet?: “Matthews Congratulates Coons for Beating Christine O'Donnell: ‘That Was Important for Life on This Planet’” –NewsBusters.org

The Lonely Lives of Scientists: “Joy a Mystery to Scientists” –Toronto Star

Bottom Stories of the Day: “New York Times Editor Bill Keller Is a Registered Democrat” –DailyCaller.com

(Thanks to The Wall Street Journal’s James Taranto)

The Demo-gogues

Wolf in sheep’s clothing: “I believe that the primary engine of America’s economic success is not government. It’s the dynamism of our markets. And for me, the most important question about an economic idea is … whether it will help spur businesses, jobs and growth.” –Barack Obama

Social engineering: “We’re going to be true to what America is supposed to be about. We’re supposed to be about not who you are but how you do your job. And you know, gay and lesbian Americans in the military will not be seen as gays and lesbians. They’ll be seen as what they are: American soldiers.” –Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)

Such concern: “I don’t need to hear the sanctimonious lectures of Senator Kyl and DeMint to remind me of what Christmas means. … [S]ome of my Republican colleagues have the nerve to whine about having to stay and actually do the work that the American people pay us to do. … It’s offensive to me and millions of working Americans across this country for any Senator to suggest that working through the Christmas holidays is somehow sacrilegious or disrespectful. … If they decide to work with us we can all have a happy holiday. If they don’t, we’re going to continue until we finish the people’s business.” –Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) suddenly concerned about the people

“The majority party has some responsibilities, and I think they should have to confront the unreality of what they have committed themselves to. If nothing is done on the part of the newly elected members of Congress and the first major vote is raising the debt limit, that would be unacceptable. … You don’t want to let them off the hook; it would be a favor to the Republicans they have not earned.” –Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)

Village Idiots

Sore loser: “Well, I had wished – I even left town. I went to Europe because of this last election. I couldn’t face – I didn’t want to be here for this bloodbath. There was no reason for the Republicans to win that many seats in the House, I didn’t think, and that was a – you know, a mistake on the Democrats’ part for not getting their message across – not communicating all that they’ve done that’s good.” –singer-songwriter Barbra Streisand

Moral equivalence: “I would say that the answer is yes [the USA is ready for a ‘gay’ president]. I don’t know about next election, but I think in the near future. Because step by step we have realized that this issue of homosexuality has the same adverse and progressive elements as when we dealt with the race issue 50 years ago.” –Jimmy Carter

He’ll be back: “I’m a big believer in environmental issues. … I’ve traveled the world. … I’m very familiar with the world.” –California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger expressing eagerness to work for Obama on climate and energy policies when he leaves California

Short Cuts

“When bureaucrats talk about increasing our ‘access’ to x, y or z, what they’re really talking about is increasing exponentially their control over our lives. As it is with the government health care takeover, so it is with the newly approved government plan to ‘increase’ Internet ‘access.’ Call it Webcare.” –columnist Michelle Malkin

“Bill Clinton said Friday he favors same-sex marriage today even though he opposed same-sex marriage when he was president. Forget the logic. Gay groups won’t accuse him of inconsistency because, to be fair, he opposed his own marriage when he was president.” –comedian Argus Hamilton

“The lame duck session is [Leftist Demos’] best chance to staple their Christmas list to Santa’s forehead and begin rummaging through his toy sack for everything they want.” –columnist John Hayward

“Two feet of snow in the Midwest. But the good news is, these are the first shovel-ready jobs Obama has come up with since becoming president.” –comedian Jay Leno