Thorner: President’s power to revoke security clearance is constitutional

By Nancy Thorner – 

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Monday, July 23, 2018, that Trump is looking into the clearances of former CIA Director John Brennan, former FBI Director James Comey, former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former National Security Adviser Susan Rice and former CIA Director Michael Hayden under President G.W. Bush.

According to Sanders: “The president is exploring the mechanisms to remove security clearance because they’ve politicized, and in some cases monetized, their public service and security clearances.”  McCabe was investigating the Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump campaigns while his wife, a candidate for office, was accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from friends of Hillary Clinton.  It is obvious that when individuals with security clearances have very vocal differences with the president, it wrongly gives authority to their claims.

About CIA Director John Brennan and ex-FBI Director James Comey, Sanders had this to say:  “These officials have made ‘baseless accusations of improper contact with Russia'” and that their clearance offers ‘inappropriate’ legitimacy.

Sean Hannity interacts with Joe diGenova

Last week, former U.S. attorney Joe diGenova told the Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity that Brennan is responsible for the sharing of false information about Trump and Russia with American intelligence agencies.

Hannity said he thinks Brennan knew all about the Democrat-funded “dossier” of unproven claims about Trump that was used to obtain a warrant to spy on the Trump campaign and helped prompt the special counsel investigation, to which diGenova responded:

“John Brennan is a traitor and I will tell you why. He is the real traitor. What he did and what he has had recently about the president of the United States is despicable.”    Brennan now gets paid as an analyst for NBC and MSNBC.

Senator Rand Paul and his role

Sanders’ July 24^th announcement came only hours after Sen. Rand, R-Ky., said he would meet with the president and ask him to remove Brennan’s clearance based on Brennan accusing the president of treason.  Rand Paul on Twitter:

“Is John Brennan monetizing his security clearance.  Is John Brennan making millions of dollars divulging secrets to the mainstream media with his attacks on Donald Trump.” his security clearance?  Is John Brennan making millions of dollars divulging secrets to the mainstream with his attacks of [Donald Trump]?”

The senator just days earlier raised questions about Brennan’s security clearance

At the time, Paul said, “If he has top-secret clearance as unhinged as he is now, he’s calling the president treasonous, saying he is for the death penalty of the president, this is alarming.”

Democrat response to Sander’s announcement

After the announcement by White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, Democrats acted in their typical unhinged way toward anything Trump purposes.  Nancy Pelosi and other of her colleagues slammed President Trump for considering revoking securing clearance for mostly top Obama-era intelligence and law enforcement officials.  Said Nancy Pelosi:

“This is so extraordinary. The last thing you want in intelligence is partisanship, and we were able to avoid that for such a long time.”

The above was said as Pelosi and other Democratic lawmakers introduced a resolution condemning Trump’s statements during his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland.

Not to be undone, California representative Adam Schiff called Trump’s consideration as ‘cowardly action’ of someone who’s afraid of critics.

Republican swamp dwellers join Democrats

But is wasn’t only Democrats who rebuffed President Trump for even thinking about reducing security clearances.  The ever predictable Republican Speaker Paul Ryan, who as part of the Republican establishment and Washington D.C. swamp has never embraced the Trump agenda to Make America Great Again, but instead is part of the Trump resistance, accused Trump  on Tuesday, July 24, 2018 when talking to NBC News’ Kasie Hunt of “trolling” people with his threat to revoke the security clearances from former top national security officials who have criticized him and his policies.

Two other establishment Republicans likewise followed in Ryan’s footsteps.  Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn. told MSNBC’s Garrett Haake on Tuesday, July 24^th, that he couldn’t believe that the White House “thought seriously” about pulling the security clearances of former Obama-era staff because they criticized the president recently.  Retiring Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. had this to say:

“I’d like to see the reason. Did someone breach protocol in terms of classified material, or break a law, then it would certainly be appropriate. If it’s not, it would just look to be just kind of political retribution.”

John and Andy Schlafly, sons of the late Phyllis Schlafly, add their thoughts

Read here an excerpt from the weekly 07-25-2018 commentary, Revoke the Deep State’s Security Clearances by John and Andrew Schlafly, which details why six former security officials, all part of the Obama’s Resistance Movement, should have their security clearance removed as participating members of the shadow government referred to as the Deep State.

“Sarah Huckabee Sanders, our wonderful White House Press Secretary, sent liberals into a tizzy on Monday with her announcement that President Trump is considering revoking the security clearances of several Deep State leaders.  John Brennan, a liberal mouthpiece who became Obama’s CIA director after having once voted for the Communist Party for president, would be among the first to lose his security clearance.

Oh my.  The Left has not panicked so much since the 2016 Election Night returns put Donald Trump into the White House.

Another candidate for revocation is Susan Rice, who was Obama’s national security adviser thought to have improperly obtained the identity of General Michael Flynn on a wiretap.  The since-replaced national security adviser H.R. McMaster allowed Rice to retain her security clearance, waiving the customary “need-to-know” requirement to allow Rice unlimited access to anything she ever reviewed or received when in office.

In addition to Brennan and Rice, revocation is being considered for the discredited FBI officials James Comey and Andrew McCabe, the former National Security Agency Director Michael Hayden, and the former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.  It was Clapper who famously lied under oath to Congress about his secret surveillance program of Americans.

Sanders is precisely right that “the fact that people with security clearances are making these baseless charges provides inappropriate legitimacy to accusations with zero evidence.”  Those who repeatedly make false accusations against our Commander-in-Chief are unfit to be trusted with confidential information about our national security.

The Never-Trumpers will always enjoy their First Amendment rights, but they should not have access to our national secrets while they are writing books and profiting from their irresponsible, false claims about our president.  Some of them respond by saying their ability to see classified information has already been terminated, but those security clearances could be easily reinstated unless Trump revokes them.

Americans voted for a new direction for our country under President Trump, in repudiation of the path that Obama was taking us, so why are the losers still around pretending to speak with authority?  Many Americans are probably wondering why the security clearances of these acolytes of Obama were not fully revoked long ago.

Tossing out the entrenched insiders who are so determined to defeat President Trump requires, at a minimum, taking away the special authority they unjustifiably continue to enjoy.  John Brennan and James Clapper would still be able to pontificate all they like on television, but they should not be able to do so with the implied authority of an active security clearance.”

President’s Constitutional authority to revoke security clearances

As to why an individual might need to keep their security clearance after their time of service 1) If the person is actively involved in the present government or 2) if advise is requested by the current administration.  With the latter, the individual can be issued a security clearance on a temporary basis.

Here is what Lindy Kyzer, editor of ClearanceJobs and a former Defense Department employee wrote regarding the ability  of the president to revoke security clearances: .

As stated by Sean Bigley, national security attorney and managing partner at Bigley Ranisy: “Per longstanding Supreme Court precedent, the president’s authority over security clearance matters is both constitutional and polenary.”

While there is no precedent for a president making a unilateral decision to revoke a former official’s security clearance, former officials have previously been accused of inappropriately maintaining access to classified information following their government employment.

Former CIA Director John Deutch, who served during the Clinton administration, was found to have several incorrectly labeled laptop computers containing classified information in his possession after he was ousted from the agency. Then Attorney General Janet Reno required an investigation into Deutch’s security clearance, and recommended revocation. Deutch pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling government secrets. He was later pardoned by Clinton.

Friday, July 27, 2018 at 09:35 AM | Permalink

Chad Connelly Honored as Unsung Hero of 2016 Election of Donald Trump By Nancy Thorner

Chad Connelly Honored as Unsung Hero of 2016 Election of Donald Trump

By Nancy Thorner

Photos by Mark Weyermuller

In what was a picture perfect evening on Monday, July 16, 2018, pro-Christian conservatives gathered at the corner of McClurg Court and East Illinois St., Chicago, Illinois, to board the Ft. Dearborn for the 2018 Family Boat Cruise, co-authored by One Nation Under God Foundation, Rev Robert Vanden Bosch, Chairman and Paul Caprio, Director, and co-sponsored by Family Pac. Founded in Illinois in 2002, One Nation Under God has expanded to become one of the leading pro-family values foundations in the country.  It mission is to register, educate, and motivate pro-life and Christian values voters to advance and protect Christian values in the public arena.

Welcoming remarks

Upon boarding Ft. Dearborn, guests made their way to tables provided from which to enjoy the catered supper served buffet style below deck and the events as they unfolded during the evening.  As the cruise got underway, Sandy Rios Rather, as Master of Ceremonies, welcomed those who had joined the 27th Family Boat Cruise.  Sandy Rios hosts Sandy Rios in the Morning on American Family Radio. It is one power packed hour each morning where listeners hear the important news of the day.

Sandy provides the latest from DC with the savvy of an insider equipped with a Christian perspective, although Sandy admitted that she is now doing her show from Florida where she now resides.

Paul Caprio, in his welcoming remarks, spoke of his 24 Principles of Leadership, the first principle being the willingness to speak truth to power, whether it be to the governor, a senator, or other public official, even though they might not wish to hear it.

Paul’s leadership remark later served as the mantra by which to honor Peter Huizenga who died on May 4th of this year.  Peter worked for the conservative cause through his words, deeds and financial generosity.  In what was the first of four awards presented during the evening, the One Nation Under God award was presented to Heidi Huizenga on behalf of her husband, Peter Huizenga. The Huizenga award was from Family Pac.It was appropriate for Jeanne Ives to have presented the award to Heidi, as Ive’s campaign benefited from Peter’s generosity.  

The other three awards of the evening were presented by Paul Caprio on behalf of ONUG to the Thomas Moore Society, represented by Thomas Brejcha, President and Chief Counsel, and the law firm of Mauck and Baker, represented by John Mauck and Thomas Baker, both of whom defend religious faith, and to the 2018 honoree and speaker of the evening, Chad Connelly.

Introduction of Chad Connelly by Paul Caprio 

Chad Connelly earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Clemson University in 1985, where he also was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army. After serving as a Tank Officer, he entered the private sector and worked for a national engineering firm for 8 years, managing over 100 employees and over $4 million in revenues before starting his own business. For the next 12 years, he helped entrepreneurs begin and grow their own small businesses, leading to a coaching, speaking, and consulting career.  RNC Chairman Reince Priebus tapped him to serve as the Republican National Committee’s First-ever National Director of Faith Engagement. He has since traveled to 40 states and spoken to over 80,000 pastors and faith leaders about the importance of pastoral leadership in the public arena. His work has led to trusted relationships with a wide variety of denominational and organizational ministry leaders across the nation and resulted in the highest evangelical turnout and vote in modern American political history in the 2016 elections.

In commenting about Connelly reaching over 80,000 faith leaders, Caprio mused:  “If I were talking to 80,000 pastors and priests, I would ask them what they are waiting for, for the sky to fall?”  Paul further related how this nation is on the cusp of losing its time-tested family values and culture.  Donald Trump would not have been elected without the effort to get out Christian voters in some states.  Pro-life voters must be activated to register voters and energize the vote in every state.  The same turnout must happen in November of this year as back in 2016.

Additional information about Chad Connelly: As Former director of RNC Faith Engagement Initiative, Connelly  launched his own campaign in 2017 to represent South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District in a special election, a seat vacated when Donald Trump tapped Mick Mulvaney as director of the Office of Management and Budget. With seven candidates running on the Republican side, in a recent run off Connelly lost to incumbent Ralph Norman.

Chad Connelly Speaks

Connelly, in speaking about his background, spoke about his time in the military and his years as an electrical engineer until he became dissatisfied, knowing that he wanted to something in which he could give back of himself.  Connelly expressed his astonishment at how little Americans knew about history.

In 2002 Connelly was asked to run for the South Carolina State Senate.  Connelly related the story of how he asked the Lord to send him a sign if He really wanted Connelly to run for office.  The sign Connelly requested from God was that he would run for office if he (Connelly) received three speaking engagement requests between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  As Connelly had had a limited number of speaking engagement up to this time, to Connelly’s astonishment, three calls came through in quick succession requesting that Connelly appear as a speaker.  Although Connelly lost the Senate race, he related that the experience wasn’t about winning or losing, but about being obedient to God.

Connelly then spoke of another tragic episode in his life when his former wife committed suicide by putting a gun in her mouth, having become very depressed over a situation not related to her marriage.  Overwrought after this experience, Connelly was told to count his blessings.  But God did have a plan for his life.  Connelly met his present wife, Dana, whose husband had likewise committed suicide.  The cruise marked their 11^th wedding anniversary.  Dana participated in the cruise on the Fort Dearborn.  Dana’s two girls and Chad’s two boys live as a family in Prosperity, South Carolina.

Mid-term 2018 elections must duplicate those of 2016

Chad Connelly is confident that Evangelical voters launched President Trump into the White House, knowing firsthand as he does about the effort to organize the Christian voting bloc when he began working for the Republican National Committee in 2013 as the Director of the Faith Engagement Initiative. In other words, “Jesus in the Public Square.”

Chad spoke of being unhappy in 2008-2009 when McCain ignored the Evangelical vote.  He was also upset in 2012 and 2013 when Romney did the same thing.  When Chad Connelly took the job with the RNC, he had this theory:  He thought that by activating churches and connecting with them, it would be possible to do something that hadn’t been done before.  In Connelly’s original report, he said if 80% of the Evangelical vote was obtained, Democrats couldn’t win.  And Connelly was right!  The Evangelical vote registered 81%, setting a record for Evangelical turnout.

The same must be done in the 2018 mid-term election.  Said Connelly, “the problem is that many voters quit when they win instead of keeping engaged. When disengaging it takes an awful lot of energy to get people back to that prior level. We must discern what the local issues are, and then leverage our influence to impact those issues and concerns.”

As founder of Faith Wins, Chad is continuing his calling to stir Christians across American to protect our inalienable right to freely exercise our faith without government involvement.

Connelly’s group Faith Wins can be found on www.faithwins.us and Connelly himself can be found on Twitter through the handle @ChadConnelly.

Paul Caprio honored Chad Connelly with the 2018 One Nation Under God award as the unsung hero of the record Cristian turnout in the 2016 election of Donald Trump.

Other notable happenings

The Pledge was led by Vince Kolber, while the prayer was given by Rev. Robert Vanden Bosch.  The National Anthem was sung by Lindsey Graham, First Baptist Church, Naples, Florida, who is fast becoming a leading Christian vocalist.  An accomplished pianist and flutist as well as a Christian vocalist, Lindsey has performed at concerts and musical events across American and in Sweden and Northern Ireland, using her God-given musical talents to inspire people of faith.  See here about Lindsey Graham’s ministry. CD’s were available for sale.

Later in the evening Lindsey delighted cruise participants by performing some of her favorite songs, including “Danny Boy” which featured Lindsey playing her flute and tin whistle.

And as the boat was making its way back to its dock, Lindsey led cruise participants in the singing of patriotic songs which provided a beautiful and inspirational finish to what was already an evening filled with renewed acquaintances, the greeting of friends, messages or inspiration and hope, and the sense of fellowship that comes from being with those whose views and values are in harmony with one another.

Elected politicians, and those seeking election, who participated in the 2018 Family Boat Cruise

Sandy Rios read the list of those who were aboard the 2018 Family Boat Cruise:

Peter Breen, 48th District

Jeanne Ives, 42nd District

Tom Morrison, District 54

Allen Skillikorn, District 66

Dan Patlak, Cook County Commissioner

Doug Bennett, for 10th District, U.S. Congress

Jon A. Zahm, for Henry County Clerk/Recorder

Dan Ugaste, for State Representative 65th District

Nancy Thorner   331 E. Blodgett Ave., Lake Bluff, IL  60044   (847) 295-1035

Thorner/Nelson: Conservatives to gather in St. Louis September 14-16

General Michael Flynn will be featured at upcoming Eagle Council in St. Louis

By Nancy Thorner & Kelleigh Nelson –

Phyllis Schlafly’s 47^th Eagle Council will be held Friday, September 14 through September 16 in St. Louis, Missouri at the Airport Marriott Hotel, and among the featured speakers will be Lt. Colonel Michael Flynn.

Eagle Council is the place where conservative “doers” gather. This pro-family, pro-America event is three days of exciting speakers, meals, networking opportunities, and panel discussions. The men and women of this nation that are really in the fight for liberty come for the training, discussion, and fellowship that Eagle Council provides. Like those of the past, this is one conference you won’t want to miss.

Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagles’ President Ed Martin and his staff continue Phyllis’s vision to train conservatives to uphold our Constitution and to participate in the policy making process. These yearly council meetings reinvigorate attendees to truly Make America Great Again.

The list of speakers for this year is not yet complete, but here are several of those in attendance:

Lt. General Michael T. Flynn (Ret.)

In General Flynn’s book, Field of Fight, he tells us how we can win the global war against radical Islam and its allies, and how urgent it is that we take every advantage to vote for those who truly love America, her culture, and her Constitution.

General Flynn spent more than thirty-three years as an intelligence officer.  Before he was terminated from government service, he served as the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the Senior Military Intelligence Officer in the Department of Defense.

Shortly before the General was scheduled to retire, he was dismissed from his position as Director of the DIA after telling a congressional committee that the American people are in more danger now than they were several years ago.  Flynn told an uncomfortable truth, one the Obama administration didn’t want the public to hear.  The fact is that Islamic extremist groups including ISIS, Al Qaeda, Hamas, the Taliban, Boko Haram and others around the world are growing in number, power and penetration into Western targets.  His book tells how we have failed to hinder radical Islam and what we must do to stop them.

General Flynn tells us, “We must understand our enemies in order to defeat them. We don’t fully grasp the enormity of the threat they pose against us.”

Pamela Geller

Pamela Geller is the founder, editor and publisher of The Geller Report and President of the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) and Stop Islamization of America (SIOA).  Her blogging and campaigns in the United States are against what she terms “creeping Sharia” in the country.

She is the author of Fatwa: Hunted in America (foreword by Geert Wilders), The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration’s War on America (foreword by Ambassador John Bolton) and Stop the Islamization of America: A Practical Guide to the Resistance.  She is also a regular columnist for numerous publications.

The Geller Report is published daily with information we all need to keep abreast of the attempted invasion and takeover of our beloved America.

Congressman Andy Biggs

Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) was one of Arizona’s most powerful state legislators and is now a member of the House of Representatives for Arizona’s 5th congressional district. But state Senate President Andy Biggs made headlines long before he ever took office.

The longtime lawmaker won $10 million from Publisher’s Clearinghouse 24 years ago. He was even in a 1993 commercial, receiving congratulations from Dick Clark and Ed McMahon.

Biggs doesn’t publicly discuss hitting the jackpot, and his winnings haven’t seemed to impact his political career.

The Congressman is a strong Trump supporter and has called Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential elections a partisan “witch hunt.”  Rep. Biggs said Mueller was “incapable” of being unbiased and demanded that Mueller resign.  He joined two other House Republicans introducing a Congressional resolution calling for Mueller to resign. (One wonders why there were only three who signed on.)

Andy Biggs tweeted, “I joined Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows in calling for the Department of Justice to hand over all requested documents within seven days of this resolution’s passage. The DOJ’s stonewalling and obstructing of Constitutional oversight has gone far enough. It’s time for answers and complete transparency.”

Rep. Biggs is a member of the House Freedom Caucus.  The Congressman will tell us the truth about the ongoing challenges to obtain documents from the DOJ/FBI.

James O’Keefe III

Project Veritas is James O’Keefe’s organization, and what amazing undercover work this 34-year-old young man has accomplished.  He produces secretly recorded undercover audio and video encounters with figures and workers in academic, governmental and social service organizations, showing abusive or allegedly illegal behavior by employees and/or representatives of those organizations.

O’Keefe and his people have exposed ACORN, Planned Parenthood and countless others.  In January of this year, we heard James speak at the Gathering of Eagles in St. Louis and he thrilled the audience.  His latest book, American Pravda is well worth the read.

Project Veritas has released the undercover video of Bill Siegferth, Tom Schmida, and David Romick – all current or former Ohio teacher’s union presidents –admitting that they have protected and defended union members that have abused students.

James O’Keefe continually exposes what is happening in our country and has been sued numerous times for revealing the truth.

James Gagliano

James A. Gagliano is a former FBI Hostage Rescue Team counterterrorist operator.

Gagliano says, “Keeping calm is critical. As an operator, it’s about controlling your own fears. Fear is a natural emotion. And while it is to be acknowledged and respected, it must be controlled and channeled properly. Left unchecked, it has a deleterious effect on the effectiveness of a unit.

At the FBI Swat Team in New York and at the Hostage Rescue Team in Quantico, we weren’t interested in bringing in people who said they’d never been scared. Fear is a rational response to impending danger, and those who sense it are more prone to make sensible decisions to protect themselves, their teammates, and the hostages they are trying to save.”

In the immortal words of General George S. Patton, “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” 

Karen Gaffney

The very talented Karen Gaffney will speak at council about the fact that she has one more chromosome than we do, and it makes her very special. We’ll hear her at the Pro-Life Luncheon on Saturday, 15 September 18.  Watch this amazing video of her speaking!

From Wikipedia…In 2001, Karen became the first person with Down syndrome to complete a relay swim of the English Channel.  Her 2007 swim across the nine-mile span of Lake Tahoe became the subject of the documentary Crossing Tahoe: A Swimmer’s Dream.  In 2009, she swam across Boston Harbor, a distance of five miles, to celebrate Down Syndrome Month in Massachusetts. She has also earned two gold medals from the Special Olympics, and completed 16 swims across San Francisco Bay, including the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon. In 2010, she received the Global Down Syndrome Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award.

Philip Haney

During the 2009 Christmas travel season, jihadists planned to blow up an airline.  Fortunately, the explosives in Nigerian Muslim Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s underwear malfunctioned.  He was restrained by passengers and arrested.  Obama blamed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for not properly connecting the dots.

But what the American people didn’t know was that Obama’s words infuriated many of the DHS employees.  Why?  Because they knew his administration had been engaged in an effort to destroy the raw material and erase those dots—the actual intelligence DHS had collected for years. The dots constituted the intelligence needed to keep Americans safe, and the Obama administration ordered them wiped away.

As the number of successful and attempted Islamic terrorist attacks on America increased, the type of information that the Obama administration ordered removed from travel and national security databases was the kind of information that, if properly assessed, could have prevented subsequent domestic Islamist attacks like the ones committed by Faisal Shahzad (May 2010), Detroit “honor killing” perpetrator Rahim A. Alfetlawi (2011); Amine El Khalifi, who plotted to blow up the U.S. Capitol (2012); Dzhokhar or Tamerlan Tsarnaev who conducted the Boston Marathon bombing (2013); Oklahoma beheading suspect Alton Nolen (2014); or Muhammed Yusuf Abdulazeez, who opened fire on two military installations in Chattanooga, Tennessee (2015).

After 15 years at the DHS, Philip Haney could no longer be silent about the dangerous state of America’s counter-terror strategy, our leaders’ willingness to compromise the security of citizens for the ideological rigidity of political correctness and America’s vulnerability to devastating mass-casualty attacks.  The result is his amazing tell-all book, See Something, Say Nothing.

Conclusion

Many more wonderful guests will be at the 47^th Phyllis Schlafly Eagle Council in September. Sign up for Phyllis Schlafly emails and stay current.  Reservations and tickets can be purchased here.

Authors Nancy Thorner and Kelleigh Nelson are designated Eagles who received their awards from the late Phyllis Schlafly in appreciation for their dedicated work for God, family and country.

Kelleigh Nelson has been researching the neo-con right and their connections to the left, the new age, and cults since 1975. In the 1960s, her mother introduced her to Eagle Forum and she has been campaigning for true conservatives ever since. Formerly an executive producer for three different national radio talk show hosts, she was adept at finding and scheduling a variety of wonderful guests for her radio hosts. She and her husband live in Knoxville, TN, and she has owned her own wholesale commercial bakery since 1990. Prior to moving to Tennessee, Kelleigh was marketing communications and advertising manager for a fortune 100 company in Ohio.

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she was a Goldwater girl with high school classmate, Hillary Rodham, in Park Ridge, Illinois. Kelleigh is well acquainted with Chicago politics and was working in downtown Chicago during the 1968 Democratic convention riots.

Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at 12:09 PM | Permalink

Tags: conservatives, Eagle Council, Illinois, Phyllis Schlafly

Thorner/O’Neil: Motherhood a Valued Vocation, Not an Old-Fashioned Notion

By Nancy Thorner & Bonnie O’Neil – 

There has been an unprecedented number of women that have joined America’s work force in the last few decades. A 2016 survey indicated a whopping 70 percent of women with children under the age of 18 are currently in the workforce. Compare that with 33.9 percent of women who worked outside the home in the 1950’s and 59.8 percent in 1998 to realize the full extent of this significant change.

For some women and their families, having a job is a financial necessity, but the American economy has been generally good and is doing well today, indicating that for many women, their jobs outside of the home are by choice.

What might have influenced their decision?  An extra paycheck is always welcome, but another factor is that America’s society has changed. Throughout history it was largely men who provided the necessities for the family.  The typical woman was busy at home, raising the children, providing meals, and responsible for most everything within the family’s home.

World War II opened the door to woman in the workforce

Many believe it was World War II which opened the door for change, because of the necessity for women to work outside of the home to help with the war effort.  Women kept our country operating smoothly and helped supply needed products for the war effort, proving themselves quite capable in accomplishing these goals.  Whatever was needed; whatever was required; women accomplished.

As more women began entering the work force performing a variety of jobs heretofore held by men, a societal change began to evolve.  Many women did not want to go back to their former role as a homemaker, thus competition for positions erupted between the sexes. Many men also found it difficult to adjust to working side-by-side with women, especially after just returning from a horrendous war.

Women who decided to stay home, the homemakers, were no longer rewarded with the same respect, but were largely marginalized. This, in turn, started a new trend in schools which stopped teaching girls to darn socks and prepare meals.  Instead, schools developed classes that taught the skills which better prepared girls to have careers. Girls graduating from high school were encouraged to go to college and were ultimately rewarded with positions that proved profitable.

Following several decades of women in the workplace, society began to witness a downside, a backlash from women working at full time jobs.  Women were just as tired as their husbands in the evening and expected them to help with the meals, cleaning the house, and disciplining the children.  But women, now with their own jobs and paychecks, no longer had to depend on their husbands alone for their financial needs. These changes ignored time-honored traditions, and problems began to develop in the home.

No-fault divorce changes society

As to why more problems didn’t develop earlier in eroding the family structure can be tied to divorce being difficult to attain.  There needed to be a proven “fault” that justified a divorce, such as adultery, abandonment, cruelty, intoxication or some other reason that was so significant there was little reason to expect an opportunity for reconciliation.  Accordingly, there existed a strong reason to reconcile differences and develop ways to work together for the good of the family.

This changed on September 4, 1969, when California Governor Ronald Reagan signed the Family Law Act of 1969 into law, thereby abolishing the “fault” grounds for divorce, replacing it with no-fault.  This meant there need not be a specific reason for divorce, thus making it simple and easy to divorce.  Divorce became affordable and sadly more popular.

Changes in divorce laws explain part of why divorce was on the rise, but it does not tell the entire story.  America’s society had been rapidly changing.  Women with jobs and pay checks now had the independence to leave an unhappy marriage and still provide for themselves. Divorce became more common and subsequently more acceptable, as the guilt and fault of the old divorce laws were gone.  As more couples separated, divorce became a normal part of life.  Many couples who once would have remained married by working hard to resolve conflicts, now chose what seemed an easier approach: the divorce option.  These easy divorces may have provided a temporary satisfaction, but in the long term have proven to have some unintended social consequences:

• Cohabitation (living together) became more acceptable.
• Couples who lived together before marriage were more likely to divorce.
• A divorced person who remarries after the divorce is much more likely to get divorced again.
• Children of divorced parents are more likely to get divorced as well.

“Latchkey kids” become common

Obviously the above do not apply to everyone, but we can credibly state problems have developed as women began spending more time at an outside job, rather than making her home a place secure for children.  “Latchkey kids” became common and they proved to be adversely affected when both parents worked eight hours a day outside of the home.  Their grades were below average, and they were more likely to drink alcohol and/or take harmful drugs. It is foolish to think children are immune to these decisions by their parents.  There is a strong feeling of security for children who have a parent waiting for them at home after a long day at school. They are more secure with established rules that are enforced daily.  Social workers attest these kids are more prone to engage in activities that prove problematic.

For those of us who were raised in America during the years when most moms stayed home, we know, through experience, the warm comfort of our mom being home to greet and hug us and the positive value of having at least one parent available at any time of day.  It took a while for us to understand the wisdom of mom demanding we do our homework before we could invite a friend over, and we did always appreciate Dad enforcing every decision Mom made, but we later realized we were the lucky ones.  This system worked well, but in the society that exists today, many dismiss it as old-fashioned or at the very least not their choice.

Replacement fertility rate declines with women in workforce

A new report in May of this year from the Centers for Disease Control says the U.S. birth rate is the lowest in 30 years.  Fertility rates are important for economic growth, cultural stability and more.   It wasn’t always this way. It used to be taken for granted that the best indicator of a nation’s health was its citizens’ desire and capacity to reproduce.  It should still seem self-evident that people’s willingness to have children is not only a sign of confidence in the future, but a sign of cultural health. It’s a signal that people are willing to commit to the most enduring responsibility on Earth, which is raising a child.

Unfortunately, much of the world — especially most developed countries — have fallen below the “replacement” fertility rate. It takes 2.1 children per woman for a given generation to replace itself. U.S. births have been below replacement level since 2007. It can be debated whether this is cause for celebration or concern.

Immigration is a way countries counter sagging fertility rates. Immigrants tend to be young, and the babies they have bolster populations.  Immigration has kept the American population growing for 20 years, especially given the big influx of illegal immigrants and the practice of chain migration.

But immigrants do change the country and has created social stress and unrest in places like France and the United Kingdom.  Sweden is expected to become a third world nation in 15 – 20 years, as Sweden’s suicidal Muslim immigration policies are driving the once safe and prosperous country off a cliff.

Making motherhood valued and honored again

There are enormous advantages in following the historic pattern of Mom being a homemaker.  It gives children the gift of security and becomes a pattern for their own marriages.  America’s fate and future can be found in the quality, depth, and strength of its families across our country.   Intact families give us the pattern which will benefit further generations of Americans. Secure families are a key element in the prosperity of America.

Shifting attitudes about motherhood over the years, evident in today’s millennials in their prime child-bearing years, has undoubtedly been partly responsible for this nation’s low replacement fertility rate, as women with careers may be more inclined to put off child-bearing or have fewer children or none at all. The cost of working moms vs. stay-at-home-moms must also be considered. Child care alone could take a sizeable chunk of earned income.

Isn’t it time for motherhood to be brought back as a valued and honorable profession unless conditions demand otherwise?  All of us are tasked with the responsibility to pass on this pattern to our loved ones.  It’s a key to success.  Stay-at-home Mom are often credited in keeping the family unit together which is necessary to keep America the great country our forefathers passed on to us.

Friday, July 13, 2018 at 09:55 AM | Permalink

Thorner: Be Grateful Trump Won the Presidency

By Nancy Thorner – 

There are many Americans who have not yet accepted President Trump as their president.  They continue to opine over Hillary’s defeat to Donald Trump and what might had been had Hillary become the 45th president.  This article sets out three premises by which to celebrate the election of President Trump, as will historians in years to come.

Premise one: It can be rightly said that the election of Donald Trump by American voters saved America from its “free fall” of corruption in which the FBI and media covered up, minimized, and/or excused all of Obama’s mistakes, by electing the one non-politician who was able to withstand the nasty tactics of the Left.  Hopefully Trump’s election will, in turn, lead to reforming the FBI and the prosecution of those who continue to be at work to undermine our nation.

What a terrible shame the American people can no longer trust the FBI for the truth or impartiality regarding its decisions, indictments, and statements; nevertheless, all of this corruption would have been hidden from the American people had Hillary won the presidency.

From the beginning of Trump’s campaign for president he was under attack by those who were attempting to derail his candidacy, and it continues to this day. Trump had reason to suspect, but without proof, that he and other members of his campaign were being spied upon, knowing how the mainstream media was largely complicit by covering up the misdeeds of the Left and in diverting blame to destroy reputations of honorable people on the Right, such as General Flynn.

An event that helped trigger the appointment of Special Counsel Mueller — which unchecked has morphed into the framing of President Trump for crimes he didn’t commit — involved Obama’s Attorney General James Comey who arrogantly thought he could get away with a slap on the wrist to Hillary after it was obvious she had violated Federal laws.

As it now stands, Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller is bleeding the Justice Department of additional resources for his every-growing and wide-spanning “Russian witch hunt” to destroy President Trump.  This includes adding more government lawyers and FBI agents to prosecute and investigate Trump and his family and friends.

Mueller already has 17 federal prosecutors on his team, 13 of which are known to be “hardened Democrats”.  They’ve wasted over $7.7 million in taxpayer dollars to fund this “Democrat witch hunt”.

Here is the complete list of Dirty Cop Mueller’s Indictments and Where They Stand Today. 

Don’t the American people deserve an end to Mueller’s investigation, which hasn’t produced any evidence that Trump colluded with Russia to defeat Hillary?  Collusion isn’t even a crime!

Premise two: Trump’s accomplishments are striking

Despite the unhinged Left and the efforts of the Deep State to bring Trump to his knees, President Trump, undaunted, has continued to carry out his promises to the American people.  While other men would have become battle-weary and suffered defeat by now, President Trump continues to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again, displaying the energy and stamina of a much younger man.

Trump has accomplished more in 18 months than Obama did in 8 years, yet many Americans are ignorant of his accomplishments because of the leftist mainstream media which shrills for the Democrat Party.  As the election of Hillary was to represent the third term of Barack Obama, it is difficult to imagine what if anything positive she would have enacted, even with the favorable media coverage Hillary would have received.

The following Trump accomplishment were noted in a political commentary written by Richard Baris on December 29, 2017,Trump’s First Year Accomplishments Compiled in Shockingly Long List:

As was also the case with his rise to the presidency, President Trump has broken several records for a first-year commander-in-chief and fulfilled many of his key campaign promises.

• Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ensuring business commitments for bonus payouts to at least hundreds of thousands of Americans workers.
• Repealed Individual Mandate in Obamacare.
• Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) opened up for oil drilling.
• Justice Neil Gorsuch confirmed to U.S. Supreme Court, with another appointment on way to replace Justice Kennedy.
• Set Record for First-Year Judicial Appointments to Federal Appellate Courts.
• Historic Reduction in Illegal Immigration.
• Crushing ISIS Caliphate in Syria.
• Resurgence of U.S. Economy — the American Spirit
• Deregulation: Rolling Back the Militant Administrative State through the Congressional Review Act (CRA).
• The Trump Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dismantled the Waters of the United States and the Clean Power Plan, a slew of significant and unpopular Obama-era regulations.
• The Trump Department of Education under Betsy DeVos revoked Title IX, which created “kangaroo courts” that rob the accused of due process and too often destroyed their lives without cause.
• Reviving the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). There is now a new Space Force in 2018.
• VA  Accountability and Whistle blower Protection Act (VA Reforms).  The President also signed the the Veteran’s Affairs Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017, which begins permitting qualified veterans to get the care of their choice.
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Reforms.

In the first 6 months of 2018, Obama freed us from the Paris Accords; cut us loose from Obama’s treasonous Iran deal; moved our embassy to Jerusalem; possibly persuaded Kim Jong-un to beat his nukes into plowshares; done his best to bring rationality to our immigration policy; helped bring about a surging economy and lower unemployment among every group; re-built the military; gotten rid of job-killing regulations by de-fanging the EPA; and announced to alleged friends and allies that we are done being punked when it comes to trade deals and tariffs.

Let’s consider separately the effects of Trump’s tax cuts. An op-end article in the Washington Examiner states that six months of tax cuts are already providing historic gains for minorities, women and small businesses.

A record 155,576,000 of American are employed, a tenth record for the Trump administration. Hispanic employment rate in June also fell to its lowest level ever.

It is difficult to believe that creating new jobs and bringing more people into the work force is “reckless”, but so says the Democrats who saw nothing positive  in the new June jobs report.

It is now time to examine what kind of country Democrats envision for this nation.

Premise three: Globalism and Socialism loom large under Democrats

In that “Democrats,” “Leftists,” “Progressives,” “Socialists” and “Communists” have all become interchangeable doesn’t bode well for this nation. Today someone in the image of Harry Truman, Jack Kennedy and even Bill Clinton would be laughed out of the convention if they tried to win the Democratic presidential nomination, because it’s no longer possible for Democrats to be political moderates.  Consider how Diane Feinstein, even though she consistently voted for every leftist item that came her way, was still unable to get the endorsement of the CA Democratic Party.

It is telling that contenders for 2020 of the Democrat Party include Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kirsten Gillibrand, Bill di Blasio, Keith Ellison, Gavin Newsom and Andre Cuomo, all progressive radicals.  What these contenders all represent are the aspirations of George Soros who gives billions to the Democrat Party through the organizations he creates having patriotic names, such as All of Us or None, Alliance for Justice, America Coming Together, America’s Voice, American Constitutional Society for Law & Policy, American Family Voices, American Library Associationand the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, along with Black Lives Matter and Antifa.

Many American aren’t aware of the orchestrated effort by some in the Democrat Party to replace a capitalist society with one of socialism, even though a good many Americans are already living it, with phones, food, education, medical care, transportation and, their jobs (if they have them) are all coming from the government.

As Ed Rogers wrote in his article of May 7, 2018, Democrat’s Frightening Embrace of Socialism:

It is stunning to realize how in today’s Democratic Party, being a capitalist is something one must either apologize for or at least give qualified acceptance.

Democrats want to talk about Republicans living in the past, but the new progressives, as they like to call themselves, are in fact a lot like the old socialists. They want free college, free cash, free health care, new mandates for this and that, and so on. The latest progressive policy du jour to be gaining traction among Democratic Party presidential hopefuls is the so-called “job guarantee.” Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) announced one, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has one in the works, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) says she supports the idea too.

Troubling is that more millennials would prefer to live in socialist countries than they would in capitalist countries and that on the eve of this year’s 4th of July, only 32 percent of Democrats told Gallup they were extremely proud to be an American.

Some of the blame for the positive embrace of Socialism by so many Americans, especially the young, lies in our public schools and colleges.  History in the Common Core curriculum dwells on the negative, rather than teaching a positive view of this nation as exceptional and one that should be honored and respected.

Only if enough Americans come to an understanding of the history of socialism’s debilitating, murderous past and the historic human advancement that has been produced by a free market, will this nation remain as one conceived by our Founding Fathers as set forth in our Constitution.

With the election of Donald Trump as president, the march toward Socialism and Globalist (one world government) has been momentarily arrested.  May enough people, even Democrats, remember in upcoming elections that socialism is just a kinder, gentler version of communism.  If not, the amazing election of President Trump will only be a short blip of time that will led to a growing movement that now exists in the Democrat Party, that of the Democrat-Socialist Party.

Let’s rejoice that Americans rose above the divisive rhetoric and biased media to elect President Donald Trump in November of 2016. Tolerating open borders and unchecked illegal immigration will insure that Democrats gain the upper hand (through the ballot box) to assert their power over the American people, through enactment of their Socialistic ideals and principles.

 

Monday, July 09, 2018 at 04:06 PM | Permalink

Thorner & O’Neil: Open Borders Pose Threat to US Constitution and Way of Life

Sun Times photo of “Families Belong Together” march in Chicago last Saturday

By Nancy Thorner & Bonnie O’Neil –

Giddy with excitement, Democrat activists finally found an issue to attack President Trump that resonated with the public: separating children from parents who were attempting to illegally enter our country from the Mexican border. Media sources favorable to Democrats and who appear at war with our President joined in the excitement by making the border situation appear as if our President and America’s border agents are heartless.

The public was invited to believe a baby was ripped from his or her mother’s breast by a border agent.  A Telegraph News headline stated: “Children separated from parents at US border were held in cages in Texas warehouse.”  Vox, a Leftist media source had this headline: “It’s not just cruel to separate a breastfeeding baby from a mom; It’s medically dangerous.” All these comments were designed to incite the public against our President and border control agencies.

If there was such an incident, it is odd that no attempt was made to attain a statement from the alleged heartless agent in question, but absolutely no evidence has been presented suggesting this to be a common practice. If the intent was to gain sympathy for aliens who blatantly disregard our laws, to excuse foreigners who jeopardize their own children by taking them on a dangerous trip full of uncertainties, or to use biased reporting as a way to malign our new President and his people, it did serve its intended purpose.

DHS Policy

Had the reporters and news sources done a basic check, they would have discovered DHS does not have a blanket policy of separating families at the border.  DHS does however have a responsibility to protect all minors in its custody.  This means DHS will separate adults and minors when DHS has one or more of the following reasons to question the claimed familial relationship between an adult and children.

• Suspicion of the parent or legal guardian of human trafficking or smuggling, DHS detains the adult in an appropriate, secure detection facility, separate from the minor.  DHS continues to see instances and intelligence reports indicating minors are trafficked by unrelated adults, posing as a “family” to avoid detention.
• Safety Risk – If there is reason to suspect the purported parent or legal guardian poses a safety risk to the child (e.g. suspected child abuse).
• Criminal Prosecution – If an adult is referred for criminal prosecution, the adult will be transferred to U.S. Marshals Service custody and any children will be classified as an unaccompanied alien child and transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services custody.

In recent months, DHS has seen a staggering increase in the number of illegal aliens using children to pose as family units gain entrance into the United States. From October 2017 to February 2018, there was a 315 percent increase in the number of adults with minors fraudulently posing as “family units.” It would be irresponsible not to take this issue seriously to protect potential victims.  It is untenable that we can’t trust the media to provide facts rather than fiction.

It is also unforgivable that media sources rarely mentioned that most current practices at the border are the result of decisions initiated and practiced by the Obama administration.  The Trump administration is simply doing what it is constitutionally charged to do—enforce existing laws established by President Obama.  President Trump issued an executive order that directed the Department of Homeland Security to keep illegal alien families together “to the extent permitted by law.”  Most media sources published that fact … but days later and without any front page headlines.  President Trump has every reason to accuse mainstream media sources of blatant bias against him and his administration.  Hopefully Trump realizes that Democrats don’t want tough and fair immigration laws but instead are pushing for open borders.

Setting the record straight

It is refreshing that a few unbiased sources remain that do report important information to explain the logistics of what happens when a massive number of illegals arrive together.  Without a doubt such a situation stretches border resources. In that reporters purposely seek out those in their reporting who are willing to make negative comments about immigration agents is unprofessional and unfair.  This practice would only have merit if an investigation proved it was a common practice and harmful to the detainees.

Americans are becoming increasingly suspicious of media sources because biased reporting has become all too common.  The Washington Post reported how 2,500 children were separated from their parents in the last few months.  While this information is factual, what the article neglected to explain, and the public deserved to know, is that it’s the responsibility of our border agents to determine if all 2,500 children were brought by their real parents or if some might have been trafficked.  Qualified border agents are trained to determine which situation exists.  They are doing their best to make the right decisions as quickly as possible, but when massive numbers cross together, it becomes far more difficult and time consuming to do their jobs.  False reporting is not only troubling, but it also serves as an insult to dedicated border agents.

Public Furor does exist and rightfully so.  Instead of abiding by our established immigration rules, those arriving at our southern border have no qualms about jumping ahead of applicants who choose to obey our laws.  And why are those attempting illegal entry so brazen in their efforts?  It is because the loopholes in our immigration system let them get away with it; we do not turn them away.   We process them and allow them entry.  Most of them fail to show up for their court hearings and go their merry way, thus cheating those who obey and follow our legal immigration procedures.  The message has been conveyed that if you arrive at the border you will likely gain entrance into this nation, which only invites countless others to follow those who already have achieved success.  This flaunting of established immigration law, in turn, create tension and problems for everyone, which resulted in the thousands of misguided demonstrators who, on Saturday, June 30, 2018, marched in cities and towns across the nation protesting the Trump administration and the hard-working agents at the border crossing, all of whom are doing their best to cope with problems another administration created.

Trump’s election promise resonates 

Donald Trump won the presidency largely due to his promise to “build the wall.”  That this message resonated with most Americans is a strong indication most of us want our immigration laws to be strictly enforced. The sinking of the Titanic demonstrated life boats could not save everyone.  Most Americans do understand the United States cannot save everyone by allowing the poor and oppressed around the World unlimited entry into this nation by invading our southern border.  We are a generous people, but understand it is impossible to accommodate everyone who would rather live in America than the country of their origin. That is why we set standards and limitations and laws that must be respected by everyone.

Trump remains unshakable

The election of Donald Trump pulled back the curtain and revealed how far to the left most of our media and politicians have drifted.  Liberal Democrats in Congress, renegade Republican members, Hollywood, and a liberal media — acting as an extension of the Democratic Party — are trying to stop our President from fulfilling the promises he made to the public.

Will their most current attack at the border succeed where others have all failed?  Will many Americans continue to be fooled into thinking our President condones border agents ripping babies from their mother’s breasts?  Will the same American citizens think our border agents are heartless people, or will Americans see the hypocrisy of the Left and the degree their accomplices in the media will go to destroy President Trump?

The lack of civility, the constant vicious attacks against our President, and the unprecedented, biased media sources has not so far shaken the resolve of either Donald Trump or those who support him.  We know we elected the right person to be our leader, one who will not cave under pressure or be deterred from the promises he made to the American people.

Keeping this nation as a free and sovereign nation

The upcoming mid-term election could be the most important election in our lifetime.  It could determine which political party controls the House.  If Democrats win control, not only will they do their best to impeach President Trump, but Socialism and globalism will likely be in this nation’s future, which could result in the loss of our cherished Constitution and the freedoms it grants us.

If you doubt this warning, consider the platform of the Democratic Socialists of America whose candidate, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, recently defeated the fourth most powerful Democrat in the House of Representative, Rep. Joe Crowley.  This Socialist organization wants to abolish ICE and many of the pillars of a successful civilization.  In keeping with Leftist activism, targeting ICE is a facade for promoting a communist revolution.

Of concern is how Socialism now defines the leanings of many who are aligned with the Democrat Party.  Striking is that according to a poll taken in November of 2017, millennials would rather live in a Socialist of Communist nation than under Capitalism.  It is also reasonable to assume that illegal immigrants with or without amnesty (million of them already vote without consequence) will vote Democrat to be the beneficiaries of all goodies that come their way on behalf of the Democrat Party.

If Democrats succeed and Socialism becomes the norm in this nation, an attempt will be made to abolish everything our forefathers fought and died for to give us.  Socialism has been the downfall of many once great countries.  We cannot allow Socialism to be implemented here in America.

America cannot support or save the entire world’s population.  Maintaining our language, customs, and border are so important to our way of life and for the survival of our Constitution with the freedoms it affords us. There are many who do not realize how close we are to losing our nation and its culture if the influx of Illegal immigrants remains unchecked at our southern border. This nation welcomes immigrants, but it must be based on merit.  Over the last 35 years chain migration has greatly exceeded new immigration.  Out of 33 million immigrants admitted to the United States from 1981 to 2016, about 20 million were chain migration immigrants (61 percent).   President Trump understands and knows the importance of adhering to established laws.  He is concerned with our people first and expects our immigration laws to be respected and honored by everyone, including our own people.

This nation will only remain great and exceptional if our Constitution continues to be respected, honored, and adhered to.  It is essential we make correct choices at the ballot box to elect candidates who respect all our laws.  Our forefathers made great decisions and effective laws that allowed our nation to become prosperous.  It is our responsibility to respect and honor those established laws, including those pertaining to immigrants and immigration.  Only then will this Republic have a chance to survive the many forces which are trying to remake this nation into one of their own liking.

Wednesday, July 04, 2018 at 10:34 AM | Permalink

Tags: Illinois Review, immigration, open borders

Thorner: Battle Lines being drawn over replacing Kennedy

By Nancy Thorner – 

Washington is abuzz over the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. Filling this US Supreme Court vacancy could very well be the most crucial presidential appointment in America’s history.  The pressure on President Trump from the Liberal Democrats, the left-wing media and the “Never Trump” Republicans to put another moderate like Kennedy on the high court will be like nothing Donald Trump nor we have ever seen before.

We now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lock the Leftists out of power on the Supreme Court, to rein in the out-of-control judiciary and preserve the sanctity of human life.  It is certain that liberals and the “never-Trump” Republicans are preparing to spend millions and millions to defeat any pro-life conservative President Trump nominates.  Their goal is to first intimidate Donald Trump into appointing a wishy-washy “moderate” like Anthony Kennedy.  If that doesn’t work, they plan to personally destroy any pro-life conservative the President nominates.

Legacy of Kennedy

While some have called Kennedy a moderate voice on the bench, his record shows he’s been a primary force for progressives, giving liberals numerous wins on the social issues that have discouraged many American Christians for decades. Kennedy was not Ronald Reagan’s first choice for the Supreme Court – he was his third.  Kennedy became a justice on the highest court in the land after the Senate rejected Judge Robert Bork – Reagan’s first choice – and after his second choice, Judge Douglas Ginsburg, withdrew his name.  Reagan likely never anticipated the crucial tie-breaker role that Kennedy would come to fill on the court, or the way he would propel gay rights and abortion rights forward.

Justice Kennedy informed his colleagues of his plans to retire on Wednesday, June 27. He then visited the White House to meet with Trump, where they talked for half an hour about a potential successor and other topics.  Kennedy’s retirement will take effect on July 31st.

Without Kennedy, the court will be split between four liberal justices who were appointed by Democratic presidents and four conservatives who were named by Republicans. Trump’s nominee will likely give the conservatives a solid majority and will face a Senate confirmation process in which Republicans hold the slimmest majority, but Democrats can’t prevent a vote.

Justification to confirm SC nominee before mid-terms

As could be expected, ever since Justice Kennedy announced his retirement, the left has been in an uproar screeching that Trump needs to hold off on his appointments till after the midterms, citing the blockage of Merrick Garland when Obama tried to appoint Garland before the 2016 presidential election.   Listen here to the Liberal meltdown over the announcement of Kennedy’s retirement, as talk show hosts on CNN, MSNBC, The View, and other celebrities, spew their hatred over the untenable idea that President Trump will choose Kennedy’s replacement.

As to the Merrick Garland argument, it fails to carry any weight. In 2010 Obama appointed Elana Kagan right before the 2010 midterm election, and the Republicans allowed it.  Senate Republicans do plan to move quickly before November’s midterm elections.

Following Kennedy’ announcement on Wednesday, June 27, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, when asked if he thinks it’s fair to push for a confirmation before the midterms after his blockage of Garland, he replied, “There’s no presidential election this year.”  Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, also pointed to the fact that Obama appointed Justice Elena Kagan to the court during a midterm year in 2010. She was confirmed a few months before the elections.

Of greater concern is whether Republican senators can unite to confirm Trump’s Supreme Court’s nominee before the mid-term elections. In theory, Republicans, with 51 seats, can afford one defection and let Vice President Mike Pence cast the tie breaking vote; however, Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and even Lindsey Graham has expressed doubt over whether he would be comfortable voting to confirm a pro-life Supreme Court Justice. There is also the issue of  Arizona Sen. John McCain, suffering from brain cancer, has not been in Washington for months.

Selection of judges now and in Reagan’s time

Following is an excerpt from a commentary shared by Joseph A. Morris upon Justice Kennedy’s retirement. Mr. Morris   is a Partner in the law firm of Morris & De La Rosa, with offices in Chicago and London. He maintains an active practice conducting trials and appeals in the areas of constitutional, business, labor and international law. He is a member of the Bars of the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Illinois and several other courts.  Morris also served in President Reagan’s administration as Assistant Attorney General (under Attorney General Meese).  Joseph A. Morris is a member of the Chicago Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society.

“When, 37 years ago, President Reagan went shopping for a nominee for his first Supreme Court appointment, there was no Federalist Society to offer recommendations, no Heritage Foundation list to consult.

When the President Reagan went asking about candidates, he naturally turned to then-Associate Justice William Rehnquist, the top conservative jurist of the day.  Justice Rehnquist recommended Sandra Day O’Connor, who had been an Arizona State legislator and was an Arizona appellate judge.  He had known her as a solid Republican in his home State (and, in fact, had gone to law school with her at Stanford University) and knew her to be smart, industrious, and as conservative as judicial conservativism could be defined in that day. [Considered a federalist and a moderate Republican, O’Connor tended to approach each case narrowly without arguing for sweeping precedents. She most frequently sided with the Court’s conservative bloc, although in the latter years of her tenure, she was regarded as having the swing opinion in many cases.]

With the tools that the Federalist Society, the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, and numerous others have devised to keep track of and to evaluate the public work of judges, we can now be far more confident of the views of judicial candidates than ever before.  We now know not just how to look for their sympathies, prejudices, and friendships, so to speak, but we can also see how their minds actually work:  How they analyze questions, read texts, and reason their ways to decisions.”

According to Joseph A. Morris, “President Trump has approached his duty to appoint, and to prepare to appoint, justices to the United States Supreme Court with unprecedented transparency.   His first lists of potential nominees were released during the election campaign of 2016 (and included the name of now-Justice Gorsuch).  His most recent list, which takes on special significance given the delivery yesterday to the President of Justice Kennedy’s letter of retirement (effective July 31, 2018), was publicly issued by the White House on November 17, 2017. The names on the list are set forth in alphabetical order.”

Trump’s five front runners

The Washington Times on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, reported that, according to Fox News, President Trump has five front runners in mind to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.  These five names are from the just cited of roughly 25 judicial nominees compiled by the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society during Trump’s campaign.  The five are: D.C. Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who was appointed by President George W. Bush; Judge Amy Coney Barrett of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals who Mr. Trump nominated last year; Judge Thomas Hardiman of the 3rd Circuit who was nominated by President George W. Bush; and Judges Amul Thapar and Raymond Kethledge both from the 6th Circuit.

Evangelicals want Trump to pick Amy Coney Barrett.  She is also high on the list for Joseph A. Morris.  Barrett studied law at Notre Dame with Charlie Rice; she clerked at the D.C. Circuit for Lawrence Silberman; then she clerked at the Supreme Court for Antonin Scalia.  That’s about as good as a lawyer’s pedigree can get. She’s only 45; she’s a serious Catholic; she’s happily married; and she’s the mother of seven children. During her confirmation hearings for the Seventh Circuit, Senator Durbin and Senator Feinstein made fools of themselves attacking her for her religious beliefs (“too extreme”; “dangerous”) despite the No Religious Tests Clause of the Constitution.

Comments by Andy Schlafly, son of Phyllis Schlafly, leading conservative voice in the late 20th century

Andy Schlafly, Esq, expressed his misgivings about two of the front runner candidates in an e-mail shared with Phyllis Schlafly Eagles:

• “Thapar is on the list because he’s McConnell’s close friend, who even got Trump to interview Thapar for the last Supreme Court vacancy.  Thapar was then the first judge McConnell confirmed for the Court of Appeals.  Thapar is best known for sentencing an 84-year-old nun to 3 years in prison for a political protest.  His ruling was reversed.”
• Kethledge is not pro-life either.  He has never issued a pro-life ruling, and he even joined a decision that favorably cited a case which censored a pro-life advertisement”

Andy Schlafly further stated: “Let’s not fall for McConnell pretending that only he can confirm a nominee.  I’d rather have Kennedy’s seat go vacant through the election than have McConnell put someone on who is not pro-life.  Trump’s nominees will get a vote with or without McConnell, before or after the election, and what matters most is that Trump’s pro-life pledge be honored.  We did well in the last election because there was an unfilled vacancy, and we should not accept a stealth pro-abort pick to appease McConnell and other pro-abort Republicans.

What if the shoe were on the other foot?

President Trump will release the name of his Supreme Court Nominee on Monday, July 9th.  In an appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher, Michael Moore urged fellow liberals not to give up hope on the inevitable confirmation of President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee.  He vowed to surround the U.S. capitol with a million other people to stop Trump’s SCOTUS confirmation.

Expect the post 4th of July fireworks to begin in earnest on July 9th.  I can’t help wondering how different things would be if the shoe were on the other foot and Kennedy’s replacement would be the prerogative of a Democrat president.

Monday, July 02, 2018 at 09:45 AM | Permalink

Tags: abortion, Anthony Kennedy, Illinois Review, Roe vs Wade

Comments

Live Free Or Die said…

Roe vs Wade is hostile to the Constitution. Activist federal judges have committed serious offenses against the U.S. Constitution with their perversions of the 14th Amendment.

They have evaded the constitutional limits on their power to hear cases by fabricating, just making up individual “constitutional rights” from the 14th Amendment so that they can then pretend that the cases “arise under the Constitution”, thereby claiming “federal question” jurisdiction!

In Roe v. Wade (1973), seven judges on the supreme Court said a “…right of privacy…founded in the Fourteenth Amendment’s concept of personal liberty and restrictions upon state action…” (p. 153) makes unconstitutional a State Law making abortion a criminal offense! Those seven judges just made up a “constitutional privacy right” which they said was in the 14th Amendment and which they said prohibits States from outlawing abortion! They lied

The Original Intent of the 14th Amendment.
Let’s look at the 14th Amendment, which activist federal judges have seized upon to circumvent the FACT that the U.S. Constitution shows that jurisdiction over abortion, and marriage is reserved by the States or the People.
Section 1 of the 14th Amendment (ratified 1868) says:
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

What does this mean? Harvard Professor Raoul Berger’s meticulously documented book, Government by Judiciary: The Transformation of the Fourteenth Amendment, proves by means of thousands of quotes from the Congressional Debates, that the purpose of Sec. 1 of the 14th Amendment was to extend citizenship to freed slaves and to protect them from southern Black Codes which denied them basic rights of citizenship. Roe vs Wade was a massive power grab AND JUDICIAL TYRANNY by the supreme court.