Jan. 27, 2020
Permission to republish original op-eds and cartoons granted.
The 47th March for Life was an historic, hopeful event
The 47th Annual March for Life
last Friday was historic and hopeful. President Trump did something that none
of his predecessors have done – he attended and addressed the crowd at the
pro-life rally. Tens of thousands of marchers were in attendance, including
Nicholas Sandmann, the Covington Catholic High School student who just reached
a settlement with CNN after suing the network for defamation. The happy throng
included both the young and the elderly and those of every race. While parts of
the March for Life were somber, the March was largely a joyful event, unlike
the typical angry Left-wing protest. Also unlike the typical liberal protest,
the marchers were careful not to leave a mess for maintenance workers. As
marchers approached the foot of Capitol Hill, they were greeted by the sound of
a band of drummers and bagpipers who stood at the side of the road and played
for them. At the end of the March, a Latino band stood along the sidewalk and
played as they sang, “We are pro-life.” Marchers were glad to join other
pro-lifers in calling for an end to abortion, were thankful for the President’s
support for their cause, and were hopeful that the scourge of abortion will
soon end.
Bolton book irrelevant to impeachment trial
The leak of parts of John
Bolton’s book out of the National Security Council is clearly designed to
impact the impeachment trial. No matter what the book claims, the facts remain
the same. The Ukrainian government had zero knowledge that the funds were being
held until a story ran on August 28.
Senator Ron Johnson, who was meeting with the Ukrainians on September 1
along with Vice President Pence, called President Trump about what they should
ask for in exchange for the aid being released, to which the President replied,
‘No way. I would never do that. Who told you that?’ And, that he would likely
be happy with the decision that was made: ‘We’re reviewing it now, and you’ll
probably like my final decision.’ No matter what any witnesses say about the
President’s internal thoughts or even complaints about the unfairness of a
system that spent three years investigating him when he did nothing and closes
its eyes to obvious abuses of power and corruption by the Clintons and Bidens,
the bottom line fact is that the Ukrainians were never told by U.S. officials
that aid was being withheld prior to the Politico story, and that the aid was
released two weeks after the hold was reported, three weeks prior to the
deadline. Facts matter. The actions
taken were perfectly legal and the impeachment continues to be nothing more
than a continuation of the three year coup against the duly elected President
of the United States.
Mark Penn: Trump impeachment is an unproductive exercise in political rage – It’s time to end trial
“Tying up the entire
government for an impeachment to nowhere is an unproductive exercise in
political rage, not a solemn constitutional duty. It’s time to bring an end to
this movie and let America hold an election.”
The 47th March for Life was an historic, hopeful event
By Richard McCarty
The 47th Annual March for Life last Friday was historic and hopeful. President Trump did something that none of his predecessors have done – he attended and addressed the crowd at the pro-life rally. Tens of thousands of marchers were in attendance, including Nicholas Sandmann, the Covington Catholic High School student who just reached a settlement with CNN after suing the network for defamation. The happy throng included both the young and the elderly and those of every race.
Marchers carried a wide variety of signs. There were a number of signs with an image of President Trump that read, “Most pro-life President ever”; there were also a number of signs depicting a panda holding a sign reading, “Save the baby humans.” One boy carried a handmade sign that read, “Real men protect life!!!” A marcher carried a handmade sign that read, “True feminism recognizes the dignity women and the gift that is motherhood.” Some protesters’ signs quoted Dr. Seuss; others quoted Mother Teresa.
Some signs were deeply personal. For example, some women carried signs reading, “I regret my abortion.” One woman carried a handmade sign that read, “I had an abortion… Don’t make the same mistake!” Other women carried more uplifting signs, including the young woman who carried a sign that read, in part, “23 years ago doctors told my mom to abort me, today I march.” Another woman carried a sign with a photo of her son that read, “My son I had at 17, now in college, no excuses – choose life.” Still another woman carried a sign with photos of her son that read, “My unplanned pregnancy is now a freshman at Stanford.”
Asked why they attended the March, attendees gave a number of answers. A.T., a young woman, replied, “I attended the march out of a sense of duty… Up to the march I thought a lot about people who could barely protest for their own sake in Hong Kong and Venezuela, so for the unprotected class in my own country I ought to do what is now the very least, because it [is] so easy.” Willie stated, “We continue to march for the day when the horrible tragedy of abortion will no longer be legal, and society will care for the women facing unplanned pregnancies.”
Shelley, a mother who traveled several hours to attend the March, gave perhaps the most compelling answer. “I attended the March because I cannot just standby while babies are murdered. Years ago I thought a little different – I felt if a woman was raped then the baby would be born out of hate. With much research… I started to understand that the baby did nothing to deserve death. Also when Katelyn [her daughter] was in utero – they started noticing some abnormalities and asked me if I wanted to abort. I was appalled. That… solidified my attitude change for life. I marched for her and other babies with disabilities who deserve to live.”
Asked what stood out to them about the March, respondents also had a variety of answers. For A.T., “What stood out was all the groups whose presence disproved some characterizations about pro-lifers, such as: post-abortive women… literally any ethnic minority group… [and] all the children!” For Juan, “What stood out, is that a lot of people appreciated that the President spoke at the event.” He also noticed that there was “a lack of media coverage.” Willie noted that “the March is always a youth event, but it was fun being reminded how young it is with all the Baby Yoda, and even Epstein themed signs.”
Shelley stated, “What stood out to me was the large turnout of the younger generations marching and how enthusiastic they were…! I also was completely impressed on how absolutely everyone was friendly to everyone, polite, non-violent to even the pro-abortion protesters, and how [the] massive crowd even cleaned up after themselves. In such a solemn event, there was love and compassion.”
Mary Ann served as a chaperone for the Respect Life Club that carried the banner at the front of the March this year. She found the March to be “a beautiful and inspiring experience” and thought that “it was very appropriate that an all-girls school led the March with this theme: pro-life is pro-woman.” She stated that “the spirit of community makes the day especially empowering. One of the students reflected that she would normally hate cameras on her, but she did not mind because this cause is so important. I think there was a strong unity in this feeling that we were marching for the right cause and appreciative of everyone else there defending life.”
While parts of the March for Life were somber, the March was largely a joyful event, unlike the typical angry Left-wing protest. Also unlike the typical liberal protest, the marchers were careful not to leave a mess for maintenance workers. As marchers approached the foot of Capitol Hill, they were greeted by the sound of a band of drummers and bagpipers who stood at the side of the road and played for them. At the end of the March, a Latino band stood along the sidewalk and played as they sang, “We are pro-life.” Marchers were glad to join other pro-lifers in calling for an end to abortion, were thankful for the President’s support for their cause, and were hopeful that the scourge of abortion will soon end.
Richard McCarty is the Director of Research at Americans for Limited Government Foundation.
Bolton book irrelevant to impeachment trial
By Rick Manning
The leak of parts of John Bolton’s book out of the National Security Council is clearly designed to impact the impeachment trial. No matter what the book claims, the facts remain the same.
The Ukrainian government had zero knowledge that the funds were being held until a story ran on August 28. Senator Ron Johnson, who was meeting with the Ukrainians on September 1 along with Vice President Pence, called President Trump about what they should ask for in exchange for the aid being released, to which the President replied, ‘No way. I would never do that. Who told you that?’ And, that he would likely be happy with the decision that was made: ‘We’re reviewing it now, and you’ll probably like my final decision.’
No matter what any witnesses say about the President’s internal thoughts or even complaints about the unfairness of a system that spent three years investigating him when he did nothing and closes its eyes to obvious abuses of power and corruption by the Clintons and Bidens, the bottom line fact is that the Ukrainians were never told by U.S. officials that aid was being withheld prior to the Politico story, and that the aid was released two weeks after the hold was reported, three weeks prior to the deadline.
Facts matter. The actions taken were perfectly legal and the impeachment continues to be nothing more than a continuation of the three year coup against the duly elected President of the United States. And given the persistent leaks from the National Security Council staff, it is clear that the only people seeking to have an undue influence on the 2020 U.S. election are the Obama holdovers in the White House and their on-going efforts to knee-cap President Trump.
The Senate needs to take the evidence that is being laid before them and acquit the President, rather than being buffeted by the same kind of campaign of disinformation that the nation endured throughout the Mueller investigation.
Dragging out this trial for any longer does a grievous disservice to our nation, as fairness would dictate that if witnesses are allowed to be called, then any and every witness the President wishes to bring forward should be allowed including the so-called whistleblower, Adam Schiff, the Schiff staff that colluded with the ‘whistleblower’, Clinton operatives who worked the Ukraine for cash, the Ukrainian prosecutors who investigated Biden corruption and the New York Times reporters who received the selective leaks of the Bolton book.
Let’s hear the Times reporters claim source protection privilege when the President is not afforded the basic Executive Privileges that every Chief Executive has had and defended since George Washington.”
The Senate has a choice. Either end this fraudulent impeachment, or open it up into a free for all.
After three years of being ‘prosecuted’ in the press and three months of the House ‘impeachment’ hearings, mostly held in secret, the President deserves to be able to completely and fully make his case if additional House witnesses are allowed to be called. If the Senate doesn’t have the stomach for opening the door to a full inquiry into the corruption of the Ukrainian involvement on behalf of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, the Bidens money grab and the shady Schiff House process, then they should not open the door to any additional witnesses.
Rick Manning is the President of Americans for Limited Government.
Editor’s Note: In the following featured column from Foxnews.com, Mark Penn makes the case against impeachment:
Mark Penn: Trump impeachment is an unproductive exercise in political rage – It’s time to end trial
By Mark Penn
“The Titanic” was the longest feature film ever produced. It has been surpassed with the debut of the 36-hour-opening argument for impeachment produced by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
"The Titanic" played to a larger and more enthusiastic audience.
We all knew how it would turn out. The ship sunk. Even Schiff admitted he knows how this impeachment is coming out. Trump gets acquitted.
So how much is enough? Relentless attempts to go after Trump’s finances have had no end. The Mueller report and Trump-Russia collusion theory lived on for years through a $32 million investigation. Now, after holding up the entire government for months with this impeachment, Schiff’s team wants the Senate to consider new witnesses and documents.
Tying up the entire government for an impeachment to nowhere is an unproductive exercise in political rage, not a solemn constitutional duty. It’s time to bring an end to this movie and let America hold an election.
Each side has made its key points. Schiff and his team have convincingly shown that President Trump and his personal lawyer wanted Ukraine to investigate the Bidens and maneuvered in various ways to get this done.
Democrats have put a huge flashlight on it, but at the end of the day, U.S. aid to Ukraine was delivered. No investigation was initiated, and Ukraine’s administration said it was never pressured. Schiff has had weeks and months to pound away and make Democrats’ case on their terms.
On the other side, Trump and his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, have raised questions about how and why Hunter Biden received millions of dollars for a job he was unqualified for and was hired after his father -- former Vice President Joe Biden -- took on the position of heading Ukraine policy for the Obama administration. Most voters think this raises serious questions worth further investigation. It is also clear that Joe Biden vehemently denies any connection between his actions and these payments, and that no connection has been established.
So here we sit at the precipice of extending this drama. For the record, I opposed the impeachment of President Clinton as nothing more than the politics of personal destruction. My views are not about party or partisanship. They are based on a firm belief that impeachments need to be based on true bipartisanship. Otherwise, they have no place in our democracy.
We are all better off wrapping this impeachment up. The circumstances in question just don’t rise to the level of an impeachable event, no matter how many times they are repeated.
Asking for an investigation of individuals who once held elected office on the basis of well-known facts may be poor judgment, but it is not criminal. Exerting executive privilege, as almost all prior administrations have done, does not equate to obstructing Congress.
Remarkably, it is the Trump administration providing military aid to Ukraine. The Obama administration did nothing to repel Russia, and it only provided non-lethal aid. Some of the impeachment managers even voted against providing aid. There is no current threat to national security, our democracy or any urgent matter reflected in these events.
And the impeachment prosecutors have undone themselves with overreach — they know they ran a completely rushed and partisan process in the House. They could have fought for more witnesses and gone through a proper court process, but they didn’t. They called all of the senators who disagree with them (and who would be making the same judgments they did) participants in a “cover-up.” Trump was repeatedly called a “dictator,” and then in closing, Schiff fabricated supposed threats from the president.
It boggles the mind that the leader of the House prosecution has repeatedly been exposed as peddling falsehoods. It seems to be what qualified him for his job. While complaining about Trump wanting Biden investigated, Schiff was caught on tape soliciting naked pictures of the president from allegedly foreign pranksters.
It was Schiff who claimed there was more than circumstantial evidence of Trump-Russia collusion, and that he had seen it. It was Schiff who falsely claimed that the FBI’s surveillance of Trump campaign associates was appropriate. And it was Schiff who acted out a fictional account of the July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
It has always been about just one more witness. During the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a world-famous journalist told me Mueller had a secret witness who was “telling all.” There was no such witness.
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and the Justice Department have finally concluded the obvious — there was no valid basis for granting continued surveillance of former Trump presidential campaign adviser Carter Page.
It is time for the country to move forward. More witnesses would only tie up the Senate and the country further. This is all proper fodder for the election, not for three-day political ads at taxpayer expense.
It’s time to let the focus shine on the Democratic challengers who want to run against Trump in the November election. They should be out on the stump, not sitting in the Senate. Let them take the stage and make their case. And let the people decide.
