The Patriot Post® · Shutdown Showdown

Not content with shutting down the government, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi yesterday shut down the State of the Union address as well. 

After President Trump informed the speaker that he was accepting her invitation to deliver the address this coming Tuesday, Pelosi officially rescinded the invitation. 

In a letter, Pelosi insisted that the House “will not consider … authorizing the President’s State of the Union address in the House Chamber until government has opened.”

Today the Senate will vote on two bills that could end the partial government shutdown. At this point, it is questionable whether either will receive the 60 votes needed to pass. 

One bill re-opens the government and provides funding for border security. The other bill re-opens the government but does not provide a dime for barriers at the border. 

We know walls work. Our own experience and that of dozens of nations have proven it. But Democrats are committed to open borders. They would rather see federal workers miss another paycheck than do the one thing we know will work.

TAKE ACTION: Click here to send a message urging your members of Congress to support additional funding for serious border security. 

Embracing Infanticide

In recent years, California has become a one-party state, firmly in the grip of the radical left. Republicans have no leverage there, and the results have been predictable. 

The same thing has happened in New York. Even moderate Democrats were defeated in their primaries by left-wing progressives last year. And what was the first thing these so-called “progressives” did? They declared war on innocent unborn babies. 

Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a new law that allows abortion right up to the moment of birth for virtually any reason. Tuesday night, One World Trade Center and other city landmarks were bathed in pink to celebrate the ability of an adult woman to end the life of a little woman. 

We have come a long way from George Washington delivering his first inaugural address at Federal Hall (located on Wall Street) and appealing to the “benign Parent of the Human Race.” Today the state of New York celebrates infanticide. 

Just a few years ago, Gov. Cuomo declared that pro-life Americans “have no place in the state of New York.” I have to wonder why anyone with a shred of decency would want to stay there.

Trump Defends Life

While progressives are attacking unborn life, President Trump is proudly standing up for the right to life. The president recently sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi vowing to veto any bill that undermines the sanctity of life. Here are some excerpts:

“[O]ur Nation was founded on the belief that every human being has rights, dignity, and matchless value. Every child should be welcomed into life and protected in law…

"My Administration has the greatest respect for life…  We will continue to work tirelessly to implement commonsense pro-life policies… I believe it is the most basic duty of government to guard the innocent.  With that in mind, I will veto any legislation that weakens current pro-life Federal policies and laws, or that encourages the destruction of innocent human life at any stage.”

Left-wing Bullies

Nick Sandmann, the Catholic high school student at the center of the left’s latest manufactured controversy, appeared on the “Today Show” Tuesday morning. 

This soft-spoken school boy has been turned into a monster by the left, mercilessly bullied for “smirking” at a Native American. But Sandmann held his ground, and refused to apologize when prompted by NBC’s Savannah Guthrie. Here’s what he said:

“As far as standing there, I had every right to do so. My position is that I was not disrespectful to Mr. Phillips.  I respect him.  I’d like to talk to him.  I mean, in hindsight I wished we could have walked away and avoided the whole thing.”

Sadly, the left would have attacked Sandmann no matter what he did. If he had walked away, Sandmann would have been demonized for disrespecting a veteran by turning his back on him.

For anyone still confused about this, here’s something to think about: 

What if the Indigenous People’s March had stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and Sandmann had walked up to Nathan Phillips, beating a drum in his face, while Phillips stood there smirking? 

The media would have praised the dignity of the Native American who was staring down “MAGA bigotry." That was the media’s initial false narrative anyway, even though the facts were totally wrong.

Kudos to President Trump, Gov. Matt Bevin, Sen. Rand Paul and others who have boldly defended these students. 

In contrast, Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) thinks we should regulate MAGA hats by making it illegal for teenagers to wear them. So much for the First Amendment. (See next item.)

What Kathy Griffin and other cultural elites have done to these students is bullying plain and simple. The people inciting left-wing violence are all adults. In many cases, they are also wealthy media mavens and Hollywood stars. 

Yet they are using their positions of power and privilege to intimidate Midwestern Catholic high school students. It is beyond outrageous. But to many on the left, the ends always justify the means, even if that means smearing teenagers. 

On "The View” Tuesday, Whoopi Goldberg noted that so many people keep making snap judgments before the facts are in. She asked, “Why do we keep making the same mistake?” Co-host Joy Behar answered: “Because we’re desperate to get Trump out of office. That’s why." 

In the left’s desperate mindset, the false narrative is more important than the facts.

Faith Under Fire

The attack on these Catholic students is not an isolated incident. It is part of the left’s war on faith generally. As one columnist put it, the savaging of Nick Sandmann is the "terrible sequel” to the attack on Justice Brett Kavanaugh. 

Add to Sandmann and Kavanaugh, Mike and Karen Pence and a host of the president’s nominees who have been devout Christians.

We recently told you about the left’s efforts to derail the confirmation of Brian Buescher because of his membership in the Knights of Columbus. Evidently the dogma lives too loudly in Buescher as well. 

In response, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) offered a resolution stating that membership in the Knights of Columbus could not be a disqualifying “religious test” for public service. The resolution also reiterated the Constitution’s prohibition against religious tests. 

Apparently, quoting the Constitution “triggered” Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI), who blasted Sasse for “embracing the alt-right’s position.”

As I have been warning for years, the left increasingly sees traditional American values through the lens of bigotry. Remember Obama’s “bitter clingers” and Hillary’s “basket of deplorables”? Now even the Constitution itself is deemed “alt-right” and unacceptable. 

Perhaps Hirono is about to announce her presidential campaign and is trying to outflank Beto O'Rouke, who recently questioned the relevance of the Constitution itself.

Please, my friends, do not miss the big picture. 

The left’s hostility to faith has been growing for years. The attack on these Catholic kids is an attack on you and every parent who is trying to teach their children to love and cherish traditional Christian or Orthodox Jewish values. 

The left wanted to make an example out of Nick Sandmann, hoping to intimidate you into submission.

This is a moment to double down and stand firm, or we will lose everything we care about, including religious freedom.