The Patriot Post® · Holder but Not Wiser on Dem Strategy

By Tony Perkins ·
https://patriotpost.us/opinion/58803-holder-but-not-wiser-on-dem-strategy-2018-10-12

When Democrats said they were going to fight to win back the majority, who knew they meant literally? Eric Holder, the only U.S. attorney general to ever be held in contempt of Congress, is back and causing plenty of headaches for the DNC. At a campaign rally in Georgia earlier this week, Holder seconded Hillary Clinton’s call for incivility, telling a rowdy crowd to start roughing up conservatives. But who is he really hurting? Polling says Democrats.

“Michelle [Obama] always says, ‘When they go low, we go high,’” Holder told the audience. “No. No. When they go low, we kick them!” Apparently, we’re past the days of veiled threats. Democrats are so shameless about their intentions these days that even the former AG is abandoning pretense. And he was the nation’s chief law enforcer! Of course, Holder tried to tamp down the rhetoric later, insisting that he didn’t mean for people to do actual violence. But, as Fox News’s Tucker Carlson points out, “The former attorney general has given his permission to get physical. Don’t be surprised when the mob obeys.”

That’s exactly what House Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) is afraid of. Last year, he barely survived a politically-motivated attack, so imagine his disgust at Democrats like Holder are fanning the flames for more. In a fiery op-ed on Fox News, Scalise responds to the Left’s reckless statements.

“I refuse to stand for this, and I will continue to call for an end to it. A healthy, strong democracy is not possible if anyone lives in fear of expressing their views. If this is going to stop, it must start with Democratic leaders, who need to condemn, rather than promote these dangerous calls to action. In America, we win battles at the ballot box, not through mob rule or intimidation… I hope he and others think long and hard about the world they are creating and the impact they are leaving on this country.”

Apparently, the president’s opponents don’t care what kind of impact they’re having. As far as they’re concerned, the ends justify the dangerous means. Media outlets like CBS, who’ve done their fair share of amplifying the Left’s message, are even starting to grimace. “Prominent Democrats Reject Taking the High Road as a Viable Political Strategy,” the headline read. But, as far as Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is concerned, “‘Going low’ would be a step up for Democrats. They’re in the gutter after Kavanaugh.”

And Eric Holder has been in the gutter even longer. He spent six years enforcing one thing: the American people’s distrust of government. As the nation’s AG for a half-decade, Holder heaped disgrace after disgrace on one of the most powerful agencies in government. Now he wants to harness that lawlessness and turn it into a mob for the Democratic Party. “He better be careful what he’s wishing for,” President Trump said. “…For him to make a statement like that is a very dangerous statement. Holder was held in contempt of Congress. Holder went after Christians. He went after our great evangelicals. He went after our tea party people…You know,” Trump went on, “they talk about us [being radicals]. We are exactly the opposite.”

But so far, even the pushback from Michelle Obama — who told the “Today Show” that fear is never a “proper motivator” — hasn’t changed the minds of Democratic bullies like Holder, Clinton, Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), or Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). This afternoon, the former AG seemed to be digging in, tweeting at critics to “stop the fake outrage.”

But there’s nothing fake about the polling. The American people want their politicians to be passionate, but not ruthless. And after the last several weeks, the Democrats’ tactics are backfiring — big time! “Republicans are madder about the Kavanaugh controversy than Democrats are,” Rasmussen explains, “and more determined to vote in the upcoming elections because of it.” In their latest survey, 54 percent of likely U.S. voters say they’re more likely to vote in the midterms because of the controversy surrounding Brett Kavanaugh. But here’s where it gets interesting: 62 percent of Republicans are more likely to vote because of the Kavanaugh controversy, compared to 54 percent of Democrats.

If that trend holds, Democrats in red states will be especially vulnerable. The polling from Texas, North Dakota, and West Virginia certainly make that case. Whether it spills over into the House races is the big question mark. For now, though, there’s no question about the high road: Thanks to Democrats, it’s getting less crowded by the day.

You Be the Judge on Planned Parenthood’s New Court Initiative

Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation fight may be over, but the same can’t be said about the controversy. The president’s opponents are refusing to go away quietly — despite a seventh FBI investigation that didn’t find a sniff of impropriety. Since they couldn’t win in the Senate, liberals are determined to win in court — firing off a round of ethics complaints to keep the new justice distracted.

That will be tough to do, since Chief Justice John Roberts is sending the grievances straight to his old office at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. There, Judge Karen Henderson made it clear to the press that the complaints (now totaling 15!) were about “public statements [Kavanaugh] made as a nominee to the Supreme Court” — not about his conduct on the bench.

Four days into a job no one has fought harder to get, the rookie justice is still feeling the effects. “If you think our politics can’t get uglier than the Kavanaugh fight,” National Review’s Jonah Goldberg warns, “think again.” Planned Parenthood is already getting to work proving him right. After sinking tens of millions of dollars into campaigns that protect their own form of violence, the country’s largest abortion provider is hiring. And not just for anyone — for a Director of Judicial Nominations.

According to the job description, they’re looking for someone to manage their “year-long national and state advocacy plans focused on high impact, high priority judicial nominations in the lower courts” as well as “in-state 360 campaigns that hold Senators accountable for appointing judges that value and protect access to abortion;” and “create a clear path for defeat and delay of targeted nominations.” They would be Planned Parenthood’s lead on “general opposition research” for the judges, with the purpose of highlighting “the danger of lifetime appointments of extremist judges to the future of progressive rights.”

But here’s the most egregious part, the person would be an employee of Planned Parenthood — not its political advocacy arm, Planned Parenthood Action. So guess who’s paying this staffer’s salary? You. By putting the job under the group’s nonprofit umbrella, taxpayers will almost certainly help foot the bill — whether they want to or not. Thanks to the half-billion contribution from federal and state governments, Planned Parenthood can force Americans to join their cause — which not only destroys lives, but pro-life judges too!

After the Kavanaugh confirmation, former CEO Cecile Richards urged people to “stay angry” because “you will need all your anger now.” The same goes for conservatives who care about protecting innocent life. It’s time for Congress to end this taxpayer-funded attack on American values. If you’re looking for more reasons why, don’t miss FRC’s newest publication: “Planned Parenthood Is Not Pro-Woman.” Learn how the organization takes advantage of women, ignores their physical and mental trauma, participates in criminal activity, and advocates for a culture of death. No matter where you come from or what your views are, this evidence will challenge your assumptions about Planned Parenthood. Download your free copy here!