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Pelosi is a politician of the rankest order, has been in office so long that she is isolated from reality and cares not a whiff about what is best for the nation as long as she can defeat Trump. Her reasons for her attitude towards Trump are not based on much beyond pure political partisanship. There is very little depth to her reasoning but she holds a powerful position and knows how to squeeze.
I hope and pray she hangs tough because she will cause her party to implode. The American people want to bring a semblance of justice to those who came illegally, have proven to be productive citizens and thus, have earned a path toward citizenship. Trump understands granting "amnesty" has not worked in the past and has led to more illegal efforts to enter and that is why he wants to strengthen our barriers in a variety of ways including building more effective walls among other efforts including technology etc. One thing he knows is on time construction.
Trump has a chance, in his SOTU address, to frame the debate - and "wall" dingbat in at the same time. Will he do it? He can if he stays on script and takes the advice of those who want to help him avoid shooting himself in the foot with his mouth.
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Virginia Governor comes clean about blood on is hands. (See 1 below.)
From a dear friend and fellow memo reader: Virginia majority leader 'horrified' by Democrats' abortion bill allowing termination up until birth. G---
Video link:https://video.foxnews.com
If you base everything on what Trump says you miss the essence of what has happened since his presidency. (See 2 below.)
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GMOA breaks past fund raising limit.(See 3 below.)
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Sent to me by a wonderful friend and fellow memo reader.
This was sent to me by a West Point Classmate and a very good friend a Colonel who has spent most of his career in South America as a Foreign Area Officer (FAO) including time in Venezuela . J---
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John Podhoretz speak out. (See 4 below.)
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1)In Rare Moment Of Honesty, Democrats Finally Admit They Support Infanticide
.-In a rare moment of honesty this week, Democrats finally just came right
out and admitted that they actually support infanticide.
After a Virginia lawmaker made an utterly repulsive defense of abortion
during birth and the state's governor calmly discussed the killing of an
already-born child should the mother so choose, the nation at least had to
admit that Democrats were finally being honest about something.
"Usually, we try to hide behind the 'pro-choice' label or spew a bunch of
crap about the mother's health or something," Virginia governor Ralph
Northam said. "But we're going to part ways with our usual deceitful methods
and actually just be upfront about our position here: infanticide? We're
totally cool with it. We're all about being pro-choice, no matter if we're
talking about a baby that's in the womb or one that's already been born,
patiently standing by to see if their mother decides they're a person."
The nation agreed that this approach is preferable to the usual doublespeak
exhibited by Democrats on the abortion issue.
"It's kinda refreshing, to be honest," said one man in Florida. "At least
now we know what we're getting with the Dems---before I couldn't tell if
their support for abortion really had to do with women's rights or if they
secretly wanted to kill babies."
"It's a nice change of pace," he added.
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2)
Much Has Changed for the Better Since 2016—Not That Trump Will Get Credit – American Greatness
The news obsesses over the recent government shutdown, the latest Robert Mueller arrest and, of course, fake news—from the BuzzFeed Michael Cohen non-story to the smears of the Covington Catholic High School students.
But aside from the weekly hysterias, the world has dramatically changed since 2016 in ways we scarcely have appreciated.
The idea that China systematically rigged trade laws and engaged in technological espionage to run up huge deficits is no longer a Trump, or even a partisan, issue.
In the last two years, a mainstream consensus has grown that China poses a commercial and mercantile threat to world trade, to its neighbors and to the very security of the United States—and requires a strong response, including temporary tariffs.
The world did not fall apart after the U.S. pulled out of the flawed Iran nuclear deal. Most yawned when the U.S. left the symbolic but empty Paris Climate Accord. Ditto when the U.S. moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
In retrospect, most Americans accept that such once controversial decisions were not ever all that controversial.
There is also a growing, though little reported, consensus about what created the current economic renaissance: tax cuts, massive deregulation, recalibration of trade policy, tax incentives to bring back offshore capital, and dramatic rises in oil and natural gas production.
Although partisan bickering continues over the extent of the upswing, most appreciate that millions of Americans are now back again working—especially minority youth—in a manner not seen in over a decade.
The Supreme Court and federal judges will be far more conservative for a generation—as Trump’s judicial nominations are uniformly conservative, mostly young and well qualified.
For all the acrimony about illegal immigration, the government shutdown over the wall and the question of amnesties, most Americans also finally favor some sort of grand bargain compromise.
The public seems to be agreeing that conservatives should get more border fencing or walls in strategic areas, an end to new illegal immigration and deportation for those undocumented immigrants with criminal records.
Liberals in turn will likely obtain green cards for those long-time immigrants here illegally who have a work history and have not committed violent crimes.
Both sides will be forced to agree that illegal immigration, sanctuary cities and open borders should end and legal immigration should be reformed.
Americans have paradoxically grown tired both of costly overseas interventions and perceptions of American weakness that led to the Libyan fiasco, the Syrian genocide, the rise of the ISIS caliphate, and Iranian-inspired terrorism.
Today U.S. foreign policy actually reflects those paradoxes. The public supports a withdrawal from the quagmires in Afghanistan and Syria. But it also approved of bombing ISIS into retreat and muscular efforts to denuclearize North Korea.
Two years ago, most Americans accepted that the European Union and NATO were sacrosanct status quo institutions beyond criticism. Today there is growing agreement that our NATO allies will only pay their fair share of mutual defense if they are forced to live up to their promises.
Europe is not stable and steady, but torn by Eastern European anger at open borders, Southern European resentment at the ultimatums of German banks, and acrimonious negotiations over the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU.
Most Americans have now concluded that while the EU may be necessary to prevent another intra-European war, it is increasingly a postmodern, anti-democratic and unstable entity.
Trump has not changed his campaign reputation for being mercurial, crass and crude.
But what has changed is the media’s own reputation in its hysterical reaction to Trump. Instead of empirical reporting, the networks and press have become unhinged.
When reporting of the presidency has proved 90 percent negative, and false news stories are legion, the media are no longer seen as the remedy to Trump but rather an illness themselves.
Since 2016, polls show that Americans have assumed that the proverbial mainstream media cannot be counted on for honest reporting but will omit, twist and massage facts and evidence for the higher “truth” of neutralizing the Trump presidency.
When asked on “The View” why so often the liberal press keeps making up facts, “jumps the gun” and has to “walk stuff back when it turns out wrong,” Joy Behar honestly answered, “Because we’re desperate to get Trump out of office. That’s why.”
Trump’s popularity is about where it was when he was elected—ranging on average from the low to mid-forties. But many of his policies have led to more prosperity and address festering problems abroad.
And despite the negative news, they are widely supported, even—or especially—if Trump himself is not given proper credit for enacting most of them.
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3)
Georgia Museum of Art gala raises more than $300,000
Athens, GA — This past Saturday, January 26, the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art hosted the 16th biennial Elegant Salute, the museum’s largest fundraising event, bringing in more than $300,000 in sponsorships and ticket sales. Elegant Salute is a black-tie event that provides critical funding for exhibitions and educational programs.
This year’s Elegant Salute chair was Sarah Peterson, who worked incredibly hard alongside her co-chair Isobel Parker Mills, the rest of their volunteers and museum staff to create a stunning and spectacular evening. The theme was “An Imperial Evening,” inspired by the exhibition “The Reluctant Autocrat: Tsar Nicholas II” and followed by a “From Russia with Love” dance party with DJ Mahogany.
The sponsorship goal for the event was an ambitious $200,000, but fundraising co-chairs Ham Magill, David Matheny and Gordhan Patel managed to increase that amount by nearly 50 percent, to $279,000. Ticket sales brought in the rest of the amount raised.
Epting Events handled catering, with Big City Bread Café, Condor Chocolates, Oconee Events and Terrapin Beer Company supporting the dining experience. Hotel Indigo served as the host venue for the Friday night patrons’ party and the official hotel for the weekend.
Airee Edwards chaired the dance party committee, with assistance from Liz DeMarco, Amy Flurry, Diana Harbour, Elizabeth Katz, Christina LaFontaine and Heather McElroy. Maggie Hancock chaired décor and Ligia Alexander chaired floral, with assistance from Joyce Allen, Lucy Allen, Rinne Allen, Jenny Broadnax, Alice Bulloch, Ann Cabaniss, Freida Clark, Greta Covington, Janyce Dawkins, Betty Alice Fowler, Lucy Gillis, Brett Glenn of European Floral Design, Bree Hayes, Judy Hogan, Lauren Schlesinger, Beverly Sligh, Tony Stringer and Mary Anna Terrell. Mike Landers headed up the entertainment committee, with help from Mark McConnell and Suzi Wong. Bree Hayes was in charge of food, with able assistance by Judy Hogan and Gail Wilfong. Evelyn Dukes chaired logistics, with Lauren Schlesinger and Mary Lillie Watson lending a hand. Last but not least, Devereux Burch was in charge of social, with help from Evelyn Dukes, Anne Hathaway, Sylvia Pannell, Jinx Patel, Tony Stringer and Gail Wilfong.
The museum relies on private donations to continue its efforts in artistic education and outreach in the state of Georgia and beyond.
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4)
The Left would be wise to worry about its anti-Semitic wing
Jewish conservatives get asked this question more than any other: “Why are Jews liberals?” The question eventually got so tiresome that my father, himself a prominent Jewish conservative, wrote an entire book about tracing the history back to Biblical times. You can still buy it on Amazon. So I’m not going to answer it here.
What we know is this basic fact: In national elections, Jews vote for Democratic candidates by a margin of 3 to 1. That number has been fairly consistent through four elections now. It suggests Democrats should have no concerns about keeping Jews in their coalition for another generation.
And yet they do have such concerns. And they should.
This week, prominent Democrats announced a new group called Democratic Majority for Israel, led by the pollster Mark Mellman. He told The New York Times: “Most Democrats are strongly pro-Israel, and we want to keep it that way. There are a few discordant voices, but we want to make sure that what’s a very small problem doesn’t metastasize into a bigger problem.”
The “very small problem” Mellman has in mind is a trio of newly elected Democrats: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib and Minnesota’s Ilhan Omar. They seem to have very few foreign policy views aside from a caricature of Israel as an occupying colonial force that sits up at night thinking of new ways to torment Palestinians.
Such ideas haven’t arisen from nowhere. They are the full flowering of decades of leftist propaganda and fashionable campus blatherskite. From such repellent acorns mighty trees grow, as we have seen in Europe. Britain’s Labour party did little to head off the virulent Israel hatred in its ranks, and it is now headed by an out-and-out anti-Semite.
In Britain, once-overwhelming Jewish support for Labour has cratered. A poll before the 2017 election found that only 13 percent of Jews supported Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour because of its horrid record on anti-Semitism.
That is why Mellman and his fellow Democrats are smart to be doing this now, before the conflict actually begins to bite. The problem is “very small” at this moment, but the party’s trend line to the left suggests it will grow in force absent some major intervention or ideological change of heart.
Nor are the views of the new, leftist members of Congress completely alien to the kinds of Democrats who take official roles in the party. At the 2012 Democratic National Convention, delegates removed language supporting Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
When the Obama White House, fearful of losing campaign dollars, intervened to have the language restored, there was a vocal fight on the convention floor. It sounded very much like those who didn’t want the pro-Jerusalem language restored won a voice vote — and when the chair announced otherwise, the hall erupted in boos.
Bernie Sanders came very close to espousing anti-Zionist opinions openly in 2016, and he won 22 states. His path was softened by the hostile posture of President Barack Obama’s administration. Obama claimed to be a friend of Israel, but there was no country or government he criticized more over his eight years — and he concluded his term allowing a UN resolution hostile to the Jewish state to pass without an American veto.
The activist base’s growing antipathy to Israel is less worrisome to friends of the Jewish state than it would have been at any other time in the country’s history, because Israel finds itself in a surprisingly strong position internationally and at home. It has held the line against Palestinian terrorism, and it is working in concord with Arab and Muslim nations in a manner that would have seemed science-fictional at the turn of the century.
What should be concerning is the subject that goes unaddressed in Mellman’s fight: the potential mainstreaming of anti-Semitism in the Democratic Party as represented by the renewed public importance of Louis Farrakhan and the refusal of vanguard figures on the left, like the leaders of the Women’s March, to repudiate his noxious filth.
Here, too, Democrats need not worry today about this electorally or when it comes to votes and donations. Instinctively liberal, Jews are bound to be more alarmed by some of the white-nationalist encroachments into President Trump’s GOP. But the Corbyn example looms large and is arguably far more dangerous to the American Jewish future than anti-Israel sentiment in the Democratic Party is to Israel’s future.
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4:51 PM (3 minutes ago)
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