The Patriot Post® · What a Contrast

By Gary Bauer ·
https://patriotpost.us/opinion/48841-what-a-contrast-2017-05-02

A major wing of the Democrat Party, otherwise known as the media, served dinner Saturday night in Washington at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. President Donald Trump served dessert in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to a roaring crowd of more than 7,000. The contrast of the split screen featuring both events was striking.

In Washington, there were media elites hobnobbing with Hollywood stars. Many attendees likely arrived in chauffeured cars and later returned to their multi-million dollar DC homes. They are living lives that the people of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, could only dream of.

One after another, various media moguls stood up at the Correspondents’ Dinner and said, “We’re not fake news.” I guess the joke was on them because the MC of the event was a fake reporter from “The Daily Show.” I don’t know if anyone broke the news to our media elite, but Comedy Central is not real news.

Speaker after speaker complained about how at risk they were and how the First Amendment was in jeopardy. Seriously? The media have been attacking Donald Trump and his appointees day after day. The only thing that has happened differently is that this president fights back!

Left-wing journalists constantly referenced the First Amendment, but I suspect they believe it is only about the freedom of the press. There are five freedoms mentioned in the First Amendment. Most of the media probably could not identify the other four. It would be nice if they periodically defended the other rights guaranteed to us by the First Amendment, such as the first right — the freedom of religion.

Speaking of Fake News…

Two events in two different administrations have been in the headlines recently. The coverage of these events highlights the left-wing bias of the media and their propensity to create fake news.

We know from recent reports that Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn went to Russia in 2015 and gave a speech for which he was paid $45,000. He was openly photographed at the event. There was no effort to hide the speech, but he failed to report the speaking fee. Later, Flynn was recorded having a conversation with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition period.

The media have elevated Flynn’s activities to a scandal of epic proportions and cited them as evidence that Trump worked with Russians to undermine our elections.

Now let’s consider the other event.

Barack Obama secretly carried out negotiations with a sworn enemy of the United States — the Islamic Republic of Iran. Those secret talks culminated in Obama legitimizing Iran’s nuclear program, giving Tehran billions of dollars in cash and much more in sanctions relief. He released or dropped charges against more than a dozen individuals involved in smuggling weapons and nuclear technology.

And he conducted these negotiations while Iranian-made IEDs were killing American soldiers.

I don’t recall one newspaper or network asking if Iran had something on Obama or whether Obama secretly liked the ayatollah.

How can Michael Flynn giving a speech in Russia be a bigger story than Obama selling out to Iran?

By the way, Admiral Harry Harris, commander of U.S. Naval forces in the Pacific, warned senators late last week that the Navy was running out of bombs. We’ve reported previously that two-thirds of the Navy’s strike fighters can’t fly. This is the condition of the U.S. military after eight years of Barack Obama’s neglect. Why is that not a scandal?

Their 100 Days

Kudos to Michelle Malkin and Matthew Continetti who suggested we should also judge the Left’s key players on their 100 day performances. For example:

In the first 100 days of President Trump’s administration, left-wing senators did everything they could to deny the president a fully functioning cabinet.

They tried to block one of the most well-qualified Supreme Court nominees in history.

They know Obamacare is failing, but they will not introduce a bill to reform it. They would rather let Republicans get the blame.

They have wasted countless hours smearing people in the administration over a “Russia collusion delusion” that no one has been able to find any evidence to support.

They have no alternative tax reform agenda and no idea about growing the economy.

They will do whatever it takes to prevent the border from being secured, no matter how many people are killed by MS-13 gang members or how many minorities lose job opportunities to illegal immigrants.

In the past 100 days, the Left has proven that it will shut down the government for two things — open borders and more money for abortion. Its agenda is so extreme that even MSNBC’s Chris Matthews is calling it out for it.

Happy Loyalty Day

The radical Left was out in force Monday. It was marching in Washington, DC, in major cities across the country and around the world in May Day or International Workers Day protests. But the day has another meaning here in America.

In 1921, America tried to resist the socialist/communist fervor surrounding May Day events by proclaiming May 1st “Americanization Day.” Eventually it became known as “Loyalty Day” and every president since Eisenhower in 1955 has issued “Loyalty Day” proclamations.

Below is an excerpt of President Trump’s Loyalty Day proclamation:

On Loyalty Day, we recognize and reaffirm our allegiance to the principles upon which our Nation is built. We pledge our dedication to the United States of America and honor its unique heritage, reminding ourselves that we are one Nation, under God, made possible by those who have sacrificed to defend our liberty. We honor our Republic and acknowledge the great responsibility that self-governance demands of each of us.

Congratulations, Dr. Yoest!

President Trump continues to deliver for pro-life Americans, and American Values, my public policy organization, continues to play a critical role.

Friday, President Trump formally nominated American Values Senior Fellow Dr. Charmaine Yoest to be the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Yoest is an articulate and passionate defender of pro-life policies. She has been a great asset at American Values, and I know she will continue to defend our values at HHS.

By the way, it is worth mentioning that the previous Obama appointee to this office is now a vice president at Planned Parenthood, proving once again that personnel is policy!