The Patriot Post® · Still Whining...

Hillary Clinton may have made it into the Guinness Book of World Records Wednesday. In a rambling interview at a tech conference, Hillary blamed at least 18 things for her defeat last year, which must be some kind of record for the most excuses by a losing candidate.

Of course, Hillary blamed the Russians. She blamed sexism. But, believe it or not, she also blamed the Democratic National Committee, which as we know tilted the whole primary process for her and against Bernie Sanders.

Amazingly, she blamed the New York Times for allegedly making her email scandal look like “Pearl Harbor.” Clinton even blamed big liberal donors for not investing enough in grassroots organizations and for not buying up more media outlets.

But it gets even more bizarre.

Keep in mind the venue of this speech. Hillary was speaking to the 2017 Code Conference, which bills itself as “the most prestigious event in tech and media.” Referring to her email scandal, putting top secret national security emails on an unsecured server, Hillary said, “This was the biggest nothing-burger ever.”

The American people obviously didn’t see it that way. And I suspect the tech executives she was addressing take the security of their corporate information much more seriously than she treated our country’s secrets.

But there’s more. Here’s what Clinton said about Donald Trump:

“He does have a visceral grasp of America’s political underbelly. He really understands how to inflame people, how to motivate them, how to bond with them. Over whatever their grievance is. Whatever resentment or point of anger that you may have … Islamophobia, whatever it is.”

There she goes again. That is Hillary speaking about you, the American people. Last year, you were “deplorable and irredeemable.” Now you’re “hateful and resentful,” like Obama’s “bitter clingers.”

Of course, the tremendous irony is that the entire message of the left is built on fear. Progressives tell blacks that if Republicans win, they will “put y'all back in chains.” Women will lose control of their bodies. Gays will go to jail.

The left’s whole message is essentially “Middle Americaphobia” — the irrational fear of traditional American values and what this country stands for.

Subpoenas Issued

The House Intelligence Committee issued seven subpoenas Wednesday related to the continuing investigation of Russia’s interference in the elections. Three of those subpoenas are aimed at finding out who in the Obama Administration led efforts to unmask or expose the identities of U.S. citizens caught up in government surveillance of foreign nationals.

The Obama officials under subpoena are: former CIA Director John Brennan, former National Security Adviser Susan Rice and former U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power.

Brennan and Rice are obvious choices for additional questioning. Their positions gave them access to that kind of sensitive material. But as the Wall Street Journal asks today, “Why would a diplomat [Ms. Power] need to know the names of Trump officials?”

According to James Rosen of Fox News, “House investigators … are now devoting more scrutiny to Power, and they have come to see her role in the unmasking as ‘larger than previously known,’ allegedly eclipsing the others named.”

Last week, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) grilled Brennan about his knowledge of the unmasking of U.S. citizens in intelligence reports and specifically whether he recalled any ambassadors requesting that names be unmasked. Brennan hedged his response and his body language was curious. (Watch it here just past the two minute mark.)

We continue to believe that the big crime of recent months was not campaign collusion with the Russians (for which there is zero evidence) but the abuse of our national security laws for political gain.

We know that the Russians are up to no good. But it is much more damaging to our republic if the American people cannot trust our own government. Using the national security apparatus to target political opponents rather than foreign enemies is what police states do.

Targeting Israel

Several anti-Israel organizations are holding an event on Capitol Hill next week entitled “50 Years of Israeli Military Occupation & Life for Palestinian Children.” Speakers at the event have previously accused Israel of “genocide.”

The event is being held in the Cannon House Office Building. Space in the Cannon Building can only be reserved by a member of Congress. Yet the representative sponsoring this event is choosing to remain anonymous.

It is telling that the member of Congress sponsoring this event is so cowardly that he or she is attempting to hide their identity. The event is anti-Semitic on its face, and I can guarantee that the elected official sponsoring this event has not tried to organize boycotts of Iran or Syria.

It is disgusting that the only truly democratic nation in the Middle East is being targeted on Capitol Hill. American taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize organizations that are boycotting and undermining Israel, our most reliable ally in the region.

Tel Aviv… For Now

Citing the potential of future peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, the White House announced Thursday that President Trump had signed a waiver delaying, once again, the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Reacting to the announcement, Christians United for Israel issued the following statement:

“We are disappointed the President chose at this time to sign the Jerusalem Embassy Act waiver but remain hopeful that he will fulfill his campaign pledge and move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. The President knows that Jerusalem is the eternal and undivided capital of Israel and we strongly believe that the location of our embassy should reflect that reality. We look forward to continuing to work with the Trump Administration to strengthen the U.S.-Israel alliance and defeat the radical Islamic terrorists that threaten both our nations.”

While the continued delay is disappointing, I was encouraged by the remarks of Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who reiterated President Trump’s unwavering support for Israel. Spicer also added, “As [President Trump] has repeatedly stated his intention to move the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, but only when.”