End of Day Report

Friday, January 29, 2010

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer


Not There! Not Here! Now Where?

The Obama Administration is in retreat today after a firestorm of criticism. The White House has reportedly instructed the Justice Department to drop plans to hold in New York City the civilian court trials of the confessed 9/11 plotters.

As you may recall, military tribunals were well underway at the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In fact, 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others had submitted written confessions. But Barack Obama thought it would be a really good idea to try these foreign terrorists in civilian courts on U.S. soil.

Most conservatives were adamantly opposed to Obama’s decision. But as more and more folks began to think through the consequences of a civilian trial – evidence and intelligence being compromised, giving the jihadists a public forum and increased risk of terrorism to the city – campaign slogans began to give way to common sense. The opposition grew louder and louder.

Soon it wasn’t just conservatives who were complaining – many Democrats suddenly had an epiphany too. New York’s Democrat Governor David Paterson was extraordinarily critical of President Obama’s decision from the beginning. But this week New York City’s liberal mayor, both of New York’s Democrat senators and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) also broke ranks with the White House.

By the way, following the commander-in-chief’s orders, the military last week dropped all charges against Mohammed and four other jihadists to facilitate their transfer to the civilian courts, which is now in limbo. That means that the United States Government is currently charging no one for the murder of nearly 3,000 American citizens on 9/11, and Barack Obama has no idea what to do next with the jihadist thugs who had confessed. This is a perfect example of what happens when leftwing ideology collides with reality!


Obama And The Supremes

President Obama’s aggressive attack during the State of the Union address on the Supreme Court’s decision to allow more free speech in our political campaigns still has Washington buzzing. No one is arguing, least of all me, that the Supreme Court is a protected branch of government that cannot be challenged or criticized. I believe the Court has made many horrible mistakes from the Dred Scott decision, which concluded that a black slave was not a man but merely property, to Roe v. Wade, which declared that unborn children have no legal protection.

But what raised eyebrows Wednesday night was Obama’s misstatement of the facts about the campaign finance case and his effort to intimidate the conservative justices on the Court in a venue where they have no way to respond. No one is surprised when Hugo Chavez in Venezuela runs rough shod over other branches of government. But this isn’t Venezuela, and Obama’s attack left more than a few analysts wondering if the president understands the limits of his power.


The Left Gains An Ally

President Obama repeated his call Wednesday night for Congress to pass “comprehensive energy and climate change legislation.” Today, he picked up an endorsement of sorts, but probably not one he wanted.

Believe it or not, Osama bin Laden is a hardcore environmentalist. So much so that he’s calling for a global boycott of American goods and the dollar in order to “liberate humanity from slavery and dependence on America.” In his latest audiotape, bin Laden attacks American free enterprise and calls for “drastic actions” to combat climate change. The only way to stop it, says bin Laden, is to bring “the wheels of the American economy” to a grinding halt. Thus, the boycott of American goods and currency.

Come to think of it, bin Laden’s idea sounds vaguely familiar. Where have I heard it before? Oh, that’s right – from Barack Obama’s Science Advisor, Dr. John Holdren. In our July 29th report, I noted that Holdren was an advocate for “de-development” – a radical idea that would destroy America’s economy, especially its industrial base, via environmental regulation, because development is the root cause of economic and environmental injustice. These so-called “progressives” literally want to take us back in time economically.

The more you listen to him, the more Osama bin Laden – with his anti-Semitic, anti-American, anti-free enterprise rants – sounds like a loyal, leftwing MSNBC fan. (Perhaps now I will finally be named Keith Olbermann’s “Worst Person In The World”!)


Take A Stand!

Earlier this week we applauded our friends at Focus on the Family and the Tebow family for having the courage to speak up for the sanctity of life in a 30-second Super Bowl ad. Not surprisingly, CBS is coming under fire from radical pro-abortion groups and the usual suspects on the religious Left like Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.

Now it’s time for you to make your voice heard. Speak up for the sanctity of life! Click here to send a message of encouragement through the CBS feedback form. Thank you for taking action in defense of our values.


A Speech Befitting A One-Term President

Participating in interviews before the State of the Union address, I tried not to sound skeptical in expressing hope that the president would somehow re-connect with Americans seething after a year that has left the homeland less secure, the jobs market less buoyant and our politics more deeply partisan. But if I did convey skepticism, it turned out to be well-founded.

In my Human Events column today, I offer some additional thoughts on the president’s speech, and give special attention to his verbal attack on the Supreme Court and his promise to rescind “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” You can read my column at: www.humanevents.com.