Fwd: Divisive, Divisive! Arlene From Israel November 25, 2018

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From: Arlene from Israel <arlene@arlenefromisrael.info>
Date: Sun, Nov 25, 2018, 6:13 PM
Subject: Divisive, Divisive!
To: <faigerayzel@gmail.com>

From Israel: Divisive, Divisive! November 25, 2018 Monitoring the news since my last posting, I have encountered the following and more: – MK Avigd

Like   From Israel: Divisive, Divisive! November 25, 2018 Monitoring the news since my last posting, I have encountered the following and more: – MK Avigdor Lieberman, until very recently defense minister, said – referring to our prime minister's comments to the public about it being a sensitive time for security – "I think it's irresponsible to discuss intelligence information with the public…" – Minister Moshe Kahlon, who is part of the coalition, said: "I won't lift a hand to bring down the government. I think the coalition will fall on its own…" – Prime Minister Netanyahu chastised Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan, who is part of Netanyahu's Likud faction, for saying Israel is "closer than ever" to retaking Gaza. I had thought that Erdan was speaking at the prime minister's behest, but apparently not. – Former IDF deputy chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Yair Golan, slammed Bennett, saying: "Minister Naftali Bennett is weakening the army and the State of Israel. It's a pity he expressed himself as he did, maybe it's good for his electorate ... It's very sad…The legal issue has never limited the IDF's ability to act." – Minister Bennett, quickly responding that he would not take back what he said, insisted that a "surplus of legalization is costing lives…It's important for me to say that we have a very serious problem in the defense establishment, which leads to the hands of our fighters becoming increasingly shackled by legal chains." -- While former defense minister Moshe Ya'alon criticized Golan, saying that, "…it is not right that an officer who is still serving, and has not finished the cooling-off period, will attack an incumbent politician - whether his claims are justified or not." Credit: Clipart Library And on it seems to go. I find it disheartening, troubling, that in these difficult times we are not seeing a more cohesive spirit in the land. ~~~~~~~~~~ And yet, I'm going to look on the bright side, for positive attitudes are still out there – if we but seek them. Hopefully that divisiveness will dissipate. At the end of this post I share a remarkable video. Here, I call your attention to an extraordinary op-ed, written last week by an IDF soldier who was wounded in the Second Lebanese war (emphasis added): "TO BE A part of the IDF disabled veterans is to be part of a larger family of tens of thousands of people in this country, people who are truly salt of the earth. We are a large family in which one's religion, background and political views are completely irrelevant. People for whom the country is above all else and they have given themselves, in the full sense of the meaning… "Today is the Day of Recognition of Israel's Disabled and Victims of Terror… "…today is an opportunity to stop for a moment and take a step back from the crazy reality of our country and be united…in the end the country belongs to all of us and we are all part of it, and we have paid a very heavy price for it, and we continue to pay a heavy price for it. Even if we do not all agree on the path, we all agree on the final analysis: we have no other country. Let us put aside our differences and be united, at least for today." https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/To-be-a-part-of-the-IDF-disabled-veterans-572473 ~~~~~~~~~~ These wonderful words were written by Yoseph Haddad, an Arab Israeli. As a member of Reservists on Duty, he has gone into the US to speak truth, in order to combat the lies about Israel told on college campuses. Credit: Love of the Land ~~~~~~~~~~ As I am speaking of lies told about Israel on college campuses, I want to radically switch gears and share some information that illustrates what we are up against and why it is so very important that we unite in standing strong: On November 18, a group known as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) held a closed national conference on the campus of UCLA. Regrettably, efforts to stop it were unsuccessful. A group called Students Supporting Israel (SSI) demonstrated outside of the conference, and a couple of SSI members found their way into the conference to make a statement on behalf of Israel (they were ejected). They are to be commended for their determined attempt to speak up for Israel (although I would have been grateful for an opportunity to provide these good people with additional information to advance their cause). A video was made of the SSI protest, which can be seen on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SSIonCampus/videos/709667259415279/ Please see it. Note that in the conference there were calls for "Long live the intifada." This is a call for violence. Outside the conference, as can be seen in the video, were posters showing SJP activists who had tweeted statements such as: "Let's stuff some Jews in the oven," and "We should just stone all the Zionists to death." My friends, when I saw this, my blood ran cold. It is vile enough that there are campaigns against Israel on US campuses. Campaigns that accuse Israel of being an "occupier" of "Palestinian land," and that say Israel is an "apartheid state"; campaigns that promote BDS and promulgate lies. But the vicious and virulent anti-Semitism encountered here is horrendous. I believe it is something that must be exposed as broadly as possible. ~~~~~~~~~~ It is not difficult to trace the veracity of what was on those posters. Google is enormously helpful here. But what I would like to introduce to my readers is a site known as Canary Mission, which: "…documents people and groups that promote hatred of the USA, Israel and Jews on North American college campuses. "Canary Mission investigates hatred across the entire political spectrum, including the far right, far left and anti-Israel activists. "Every individual and organization has been carefully researched and sourced…" https://canarymission.org/ Canary Mission has a good deal of material on SJP. See: https://canarymission.org/campaign/UCLA https://canarymission.org/organization/Students%20for%20Justice%20in%20Palestine "Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a malicious student group who target Jewish and pro-Israel students on campus…. "The group's focus, however, is almost entirely on its anti-Israel campaigns, including BDS resolutions, Israel-Apartheid initiatives, drives comparing Israel to Nazi Germany, mock checkpoints, "die-ins" and public rallies…. "SJP activists frequently intimidate and harass Jewish and pro-Israel students. SJP members have physically assaulted Jewish students, aggressively disrupted pro-Israel events…" Individual members of SJP can also be tracked on the Canary Mission website. ~~~~~~~~~~ But there is something that is perhaps even more disgraceful – an anti-Israel group that identifies as "Jewish": Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). This is what Canary Mission has to say about this group (emphasis added): "Jewish Voice For Peace (JVP) is an American-based anti-Israel organization whose purported mission is to seek 'an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem.' "JVP seeks to drive a wedge between American Jews and Israel and 'to build Jewish communities that reflect the understanding that being Jewish and Judaism are not synonymous with Zionism or support for Israel.' "JVP also works to reduce support for Israel from the American public at large and to curtail social, economic and diplomatic support to Israel from the United States government. "To achieve their goals, JVP staunchly supports and promotes Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement initiatives in academic, social, and economic institutions. The group provides 'a façade of Jewish legitimacy' to BDS campaigns and other initiatives that seek to demonize and delegitimize Israel, and reportedly views itself as the '"Jewish wing" of the Palestinian solidarity movement.' "In 2010, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) accused JVP of being 'the largest and most influential Jewish anti-Zionist group in the United States" that 'uses its Jewish identity to deflect allegations of anti-Semitism leveled against the anti-Israel movement in order to provide it with a greater degree of legitimacy and credibility.' In 2013, an ADL report claimed that JVP consistently co-sponsors 'rallies to oppose Israeli military policy that are marked by signs and slogans comparing Israel to Nazi Germany, demonizing Jews and voicing support for groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.'" https://canarymission.org/organization/Jewish%20Voice%20For%20Peace ~~~~~~~~~~ Jewish Voice for Peace has a rabbinical council, which put out a defense of SJP and its planned conference. Reading this served for me as a counterweight to the sense that my blood had run cold. For by the time I was done reading their material, my blood was boiling. This so-called rabbinical council speaks out against anti-Semitism, naturally. It could not very well overtly endorse anti-Semitism. And it acknowledges that anti-Semitic comments have shown up that are "allegedly" by activists of SJP, but then advances the position that "some of the screenshots [of SJP members putting out anti-Semitic tweets] are fabricated. How do they know this? It is their "understanding." No independent research – just, so they were told. Other anti-Semitic tweets, this group says, were written by students before they joined SJP. In case you wonder how joining SJP helps these students abandon their virulent anti-Semitism, the rabbinical council explains: "…that is why SJP plays such a crucial role. After joining SJP, students have the opportunity to learn about the difference between Israel and Jews and build profound relationships of solidarity with Jews." https://www.nationalsjp.org/calls-to-action.html Profound relationships with Jews who are anti-Israel, obviously. This attempt to separate Israel and Jews cannot stand. It is a canard of the most vile sort. Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people, a legitimate expression of Jewish longing for a sovereign homeland. Anyone who expresses antipathy to Israel, wishes Israel gone, denies Israel the legitimacy accorded any other state, is anti-Semitic. ~~~~~~~~~~ I felt a responsibility to share this information with my readers. And I hope that you, in turn, will alert others to what is going on here. Sometimes these groups cover themselves so that people are not quite aware of what they are. Please, share this broadly. ~~~~~~~~~~ In my next posting I will return to other issues. Here, as promised, I will end on a high note. It is six months since the remarkable Miriam Peretz delivered a speech – referred to as "The Speech of the Century" – on having been awarded the Israel Prize. But I thought now was a good time to share it. Miriam is a beacon of hope and joy. Please, take the time to listen to this. You will be inspired, awed, uplifted. And you will know with people such as this we will be OK. https://israelunwired.com/the-speech-of-the-century-that-everyone-is-listening-to/ Credit: Moti Milrad ~~~~~~~~~~ See my website: https:/www.arlenefromisrael.info © Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution. ©2018 Arlene from Israel | arlene@arlenefromisrael.info Web Version   Preferences   Forward   Unsubscribe     Powered by GoDaddy Email Marketing ®

Fwd: From: Mike Huckabee Newsletter Mon, Nov 26, 2018 Today's Commentary --- A dangerous situation along the border -- Deleted tweet -- Obama Judge -- This wild story about federal agent's misconduct makes a point -- The Baltic Experience 2019 -- Dangerous toys list -- Grateful for God's blessings -- Evening Edition - Daily Verse

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Mike Huckabee <newsletter@mikehuckabee.com>
Date: Mon, Nov 26, 2018, 10:10 AM
Subject: A dangerous situation along the border
To: <faigerayzel@gmail.com>

Newsletter 

The message you have just received was delivered by Mike Huckabee and includes advertising powered by PowerInbox.  These ads help bring this newsletter to you free of charge. 

Today's Commentary --- A dangerous situation along the border -- Deleted tweet -- Obama Judge -- This wild story about federal agent's misconduct makes a point -- The Baltic Experience 2019 -- Dangerous toys list -- Grateful for God's blessings -- Evening Edition - Daily Verse

-----------------------------

READ THIS NEWSLETTER ON MY WEBSITE.

Robin,

Sunday afternoon, hundreds of migrants at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on the California/Mexico border tried to cut through the security fence and storm the border to enter America.  They were also throwing "projectiles" (for the non-jargon-speaking audience, that means they were hurling rocks) at Border Patrol officers, who responded to the escalating violence with tear gas and rubber bullets to force them back.  Note that they did not use lethal force, although President Trump said that he had given the go-ahead to allow it if it were necessary for self-defense:

https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/trump-just-gave-green-light-lethal-force-border-migrant-caravan-beware/

Mexican police also helped contain the incident and stated that the 500 or so migrants who tried to violently and illegally storm the US border would be deported.  Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen also condemned those whose "dangerous actions" are "not consistent with peacefully seeking asylum, and said the US will not tolerate this "lawlessness" and will deal harshly with "anyone who destroys federal property, endangers our frontline operators, or violates our sovereignty."

READ THE REST OF MY COMMENTARY HERE>>>-

Deleted tweet

By Mike Huckabee

An aside to Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz, who wrote and deleted a tweet accusing US Border Patrol agents of using "chemical weapons" on "unarmed families."  Tear gas isn't classified as a "chemical weapon."  And most of the people trying to storm the border while hurling rocks at the officers were young men with strong throwing arms.  If a bunch of strangers tried to break down Sen. Schatz's door and storm into his home while throwing rocks at his head, I wonder how long he'd just stand there and take it?  In case he doesn't know this, a rock aimed at your skull at high speed can be lethal or cause brain damage.  Although I guess some people don't have much to worry about in that regard. 

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democratic-sen-brian-schatz-deletes-tweet-claiming-chemical-weapons-used-at-us-mexico-border

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Obama judge

By Mike Huckabee

If you've managed to stop laughing yet at Chief Justice John Roberts' claim that there are no "Obama judges or Trump judges," and that all judges are dedicated to equal justice regardless of their political beliefs, then here's some helpful evidence of the existence of that mythical creature, the "Obama judge," that someone needs to share with Chief Justice Roberts.  

It's about a judge on the 9 ^th Circuit Court of Appeals (the one President Trump complained about and Roberts defended in between having to overturn their many unconstitutional leftist rulings).  This judge was not only appointed by Obama in 2012, but prior to that, he raised over $200,000 for Obama's 2008 campaign and gave $30,800 of his own money to committees supporting Obama.  He's also – guess where? – on the 9 ^th Circuit Court, where just last month, he ruled that the Trump Administration can't cut off federal money to "sanctuary cities" that willfully defy federal law.  Sounds like an "Obama judge" to me!

But to be fair, in 2004, he also raised $100,000 for John Kerry, so I guess we shouldn't assume he harbors any political bias. He might be just as much a "Kerry judge" as he is an "Obama judge."  Fair and balanced!

https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/justice-roberts-says-no-obama-judge-one-raised-200k-barack/

------------------------------

This wild story about federal agent's misconduct makes a point

By Mike Huckabee

As we wait and wonder what eventually will happen with the various investigations into FBI misconduct –- in both their protection of Hillary Clinton and their surveilling of the Trump campaign –- here's another story of how the secret activities of federal agents can go horribly wrong.

The Houston Chronicle ran a stunning story on Friday about Leatrice Malika De Bruhl-Daniels, a 45-year-old career officer with impeccable credentials, having worked at the FBI as an investigative specialist and then spending eight years as a special agent with NCIS, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service.  NCIS protects Navy and Marine Corps secrets and handles criminal, intelligence and terrorist investigations in ports around the world.  But De Bruhl-Daniels is charged with doing just the opposite --- she 's alleged to have tipped off her new boyfriend, who was under investigation at the time as a suspected terrorist, that he was being surveilled.

READ MORE OF MY COMMENTARY HERE>>>

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The Baltic Experience 2019

By Mike Huckabee

I am thrilled to announce an unforgettable trip to the Baltics for the summer of 2019! After many years of the Israel Experiences and our most recent trip the Mediterranean Experience cruise, we are bringing you another phenomenal cruise, the Baltic Experience! This all-inclusive cruise will feature some of the most beautiful places in the Baltic Sea and we will get to travel to and absorb these destinations aboard a luxury cruise ship from the Azamara Cruise line. If you have traveled with us before, you already know that all-inclusive means exactly that and there are no surprises along the way. The Baltic Experience will be no different. And when the weather is often unbearably hot throughout most of the US in August, we will be enjoying the cool and delightful weather that makes travel in the Baltic region perfect. Once again we have the entire ship and will fill our time on board with spectacular entertainment and special guests. In addition to the cruise we have multiple pre and post cruise offerings you can choose from to extend your trip. Our last cruise sold out in record time so we encourage you to get your cabin secured soon. We look forward to traveling with you soon and as always we will work tirelessly and do everything in our control to bring you The Greatest Trip.

To learn more about this exciting trip, visit my website here.

See you on the boat,

Mike Huckabee

-----------------------------

Dangerous toys list

By Mike Huckabee

As you're frantically shopping for the toys on your kids' Christmas lists, you might want to check out the Annual Safe Shopping Guide, a report by the Illinois Attorney General's office listing the most dangerous toys and those that have been recalled.  Granted, some of these don't sound all that dangerous (I guess you can put your eye out with a balloon, but if that's what they consider dangerous, I wonder how those of us who grew up with BB guns, Black Cat firecrackers, metal toy trucks and fishing hooks ever survived to our ripe ages.)

 

But I do concur with them including Internet-connected toys that can spy on your home on the "dangerous" list.  And I agree with their claim that excessively loud toys can be dangerous.  Not for the reason they cite (they might harm children's hearing), but because they might hurt grandpa's foot when he stomps them. 

 

https://www.westernjournal.com/annual-safe-shopping-guide-rolls-dangerous-toys-list-christmas/

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Grateful for God's blessings

By Mike Huckabee

During this Thanksgiving Day weekend, I hope you and your family are having some great time together with an abundance of delicious food, maybe some football games, but most of all some time to reflect and be grateful for God's blessings.  Just living in America, we're blessed beyond our realizations.  There are those who have little, and those whose lives are crushed beneath the weight of health, financial, or family problems.  But most of us don't live without the support of our family, friends, and our church or synagogue.  Without the network of those who truly love and care for us, I'm not sure how we'd make it.  If things are tough for you this year, look deep and I bet you'll still find many things for which to be eternally grateful.  The leftover turkey can be turned into turkey chili, turkey gumbo, turkey sandwiches, turkey salad, turkey pot pie, turkey and dumplings, or turkey spaghetti.  But God can take what we think are the leftovers of our lives, and He can make something wonderful out of them.  Sometimes, the leftovers are even better than what we started with.  And If you can truly thank God for who He is, you might find the same with all you give to him as you trust Him with the recipe for your life.

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Evening Edition - November 20

By Mike Huckabee

A wrap-up of all the news you might have missed yesterday!

READ MORE

Daily Verse

"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."

- Jeremiah 33:3

Did you miss reading a newsletter recently?  Go to our archive here.

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Justice Roberts Says No Such Thing as 'Obama Judge,' But This One Raised $200k for Barack

https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/justice-roberts-says-no-obama-judge-one-raised-200k-barack/

Miri Regev: 'Liberman and Kahlon working for New Israel Fund' - Israel National News

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/255283#replies

Fwd: Mike Huckabee Newsletter Nov 24, 2018 Today's Commentary --- Black Friday -- Small Business Saturday -- "Huckabee" preview -- Capitalism -- The Baltic Experience 2019 -- Obama Judge blocks Trump -- "They can't handle the truth" -- Evening Edition

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Mike Huckabee <newsletter@mikehuckabee.com>
Date: Sat, Nov 24, 2018, 2:01 PM
Subject: Capitalism
To: <faigerayzel@gmail.com>

Newsletter 

The message you have just received was delivered by Mike Huckabee and includes advertising powered by PowerInbox.  These ads help bring this newsletter to you free of charge. 

Today's Commentary --- Black Friday -- Small Business Saturday -- "Huckabee" preview -- Capitalism -- The Baltic Experience 2019 -- Obama Judge blocks Trump -- "They can't handle the truth" -- Evening Edition 

-----------------------------

READ THIS NEWSLETTER ON MY WEBSITE.

Robin,

Happy Saturday America! 

It's always fun to point out the hypocrisy of your political opponents, but when Chuck Schumer somehow manages to take both side of an issue in just one tweet, he's making it too easy.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/schumer-praises-justice-roberts-for-standing-up-to-trump-obama-judges-comment-slams-roberts-for-partisan-decisions

Small Business Saturday

By Mike Huckabee

A reminder: Black Friday is over, but today is Small Business Saturday.  It's a day to direct some of your holiday shopping dollars to the small businesses who create most of our jobs and support their local communities.  Small business has been suffering for years, with Washington paying lip service to entrepreneurs while holding its foot on their necks.  No more!  Thanks to the tax cuts and deregulation, small businesses are once again thriving.  Entrepreneurs are taking risks to achieve the American Dream, and we can all help them by patronizing our local businesses, today and every day.  As the article at the link says, what makes America the economic envy of the world isn't Wall Street, it's Main Street. 

 

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/this-small-business-saturday-lets-celebrate-the-fact-that-it-is-main-street-not-wall-street

---------------------------

"Huckabee" preview

By Mike Huckabee

Make some leftover turkey sandwiches and gather around the TV tonight for a brand new episode of "Huckabee" on TBN!  I'll have a hilarious visit with Mike Rowe of "Somebody's Gotta Do It" and his mom Peggy. Newly-elected North Carolina Rep. Mark Harris will talk about his journey from pulpit to Congress.  The very entertaining SQuire Rushnell and Louise DuArt of the bestselling "Godwinks" book series will tell us about the new Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel movie inspired by it, "A Godwinks Christmas."  From "America's Got Talent," we'll welcome hilarious comic juggler Max Winfrey.  I'll have commentaries, "Our Kind of Town," some crazy news "In Case You Missed It," and top it all off with a must-see musical pairing of bluegrass superstar Becky Buller and the Fairfield Four gospel quartet. 

It's all coming your way tonight at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. EST (7 and 10 CST), and repeated at the same times on Sunday, only on TBN.  To find the channel in your local area and to stream previous episodes of "Huckabee," visit https://www.tbn.org/programs/huckabee

 

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Capitalism

By Mike Huckabee

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving dinner, and that it wasn't ruined by relatives' political diatribes or by some home-from-college sophomore accusing you of "fat-shaming" the turkey by calling it a Butterball.

 

Here's President Trump's Thanksgiving message, in case you were in a turkey coma and missed it:

 

https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/trumps-thanksgiving-message-2-things-leftists-love-ignore-god-patriotism/

 

There's one thing you might not have realized you should have been thankful for.  I'll give you a hint: the American Farm Bureau Federation reports that this year, the cost of a traditional Thanksgiving feast for 10 people dropped to only $48.90, the lowest since 2010.  That's about 22 cents less per person than last year.  That's significantly cheaper than in 1986, when it was $65.73 in inflation-adjusted dollars.  That's because farmers, marketers and retailers have become so efficient and productive that food supplies are ample and prices are flat or dropping.  Some of the biggest price declines have been for turkeys, sweet potatoes and milk, which is now an average of only $2.92 a gallon. 

 

https://www.westernjournal.com/average-cost-thanksgiving-dinner-drops-lowest-price-since-2010/

 

So aside from giving thanks for farmers and low prices and all that, what is the thing you really should have given thanks for?  Capitalism! 

 

Capitalism is what makes it possible not only for all the suppliers to have jobs, but for all us consumers to have an ample supply of affordable food. 

 

If you don't believe that – if you, say, got a worthless economics degree from some school that teaches you that capitalism is evil and socialism is the only way to help the poor – then I would invite you to head down to Venezuela and try to buy all the fixin's for a Thanksgiving dinner there.  I should warn you that even if you could locate the food, it's gonna cost you: this month, inflation hit 830,000%, on its predicted way to 1 million percent.    

 

Of course, the nature of socialism being what it is – a hothouse for corruption in which the rich get richer by paying off government officials – there are a handful of Venezuelans who could afford to buy a Thanksgiving feast for the entire population.  Like the former national treasurer who just admitted to taking over $1 billion in bribes from a media mogul whose stations went easy on the socialist government. 

 

https://www.npr.org/2018/11/21/669964060/venezuelan-former-treasurer-says-he-accepted-1-billion-in-bribes

 

He's agreed to forfeit various assets that it seemed suspicious for a "public servant" to own, including 30 watches, 17 horses, 10 cars (including a Bentley, a Mercedes and a Porsche), nine bank accounts, six Florida properties and a partridge in a pear tree. 

 

Moral: No matter how big your Thanksgiving turkey was, it couldn't possibly have been a bigger turkey than socialism.

The Baltic Experience 2019

By Mike Huckabee

I am thrilled to announce an unforgettable trip to the Baltics for the summer of 2019! After many years of the Israel Experiences and our most recent trip the Mediterranean Experience cruise, we are bringing you another phenomenal cruise, the Baltic Experience! This all-inclusive cruise will feature some of the most beautiful places in the Baltic Sea and we will get to travel to and absorb these destinations aboard a luxury cruise ship from the Azamara Cruise line. If you have traveled with us before, you already know that all-inclusive means exactly that and there are no surprises along the way. The Baltic Experience will be no different. And when the weather is often unbearably hot throughout most of the US in August, we will be enjoying the cool and delightful weather that makes travel in the Baltic region perfect. Once again we have the entire ship and will fill our time on board with spectacular entertainment and special guests. In addition to the cruise we have multiple pre and post cruise offerings you can choose from to extend your trip. Our last cruise sold out in record time so we encourage you to get your cabin secured soon. We look forward to traveling with you soon and as always we will work tirelessly and do everything in our control to bring you The Greatest Trip.

To learn more about this exciting trip, visit my website here.

See you on the boat,

Mike Huckabee

-----------------------------

Obama judge blocks Trump

By Mike Huckabee

As reported Tuesday, an Obama-appointed federal judge in San Francisco has blocked President Trump (I should set up a macro to type that part of the sentence in one keystroke, it would save a lot of time) from preventing asylum from being granted to people who enter the country illegally.  Trump vowed to continue fighting these efforts by federal judges to usurp his Constitutional power to protect national security at our borders, and officials from the Justice Department and Homeland Security issued a joint statement rebuking the judge.  They called it "absurd that a set of advocacy groups can be found to have standing to sue to stop the entire federal government from acting so that illegal aliens can receive a government benefit to which they are not entitled."  There's more on this developing story here:

 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-administration-vows-to-continue-fight-after-judge-blocks-asylum-ban

 

As an aside, I find it amazing that so many on the left constantly accuse Trump of being a power-mad dictator, a tyrant, or "literally Hitler."  Yet in some ways, he has been one of the most restricted and constrained Presidents in history.  A few examples: despite having unquestionable authority to fire the head of the FBI or DOJ officials for any reason, when he fired James Comey (a richly-deserved canning that even Democrats had been clamoring for), he found himself accused of "obstructing justice" and having to deal with an endless investigation – and no matter how stunningly compromised the official overseeing the investigation (Rod Rosenstein) may be, imagine the nuclear reaction if Trump exercised his power to replace him, even though he should have had the integrity to step aside himself by now. 

 

And despite having the sole Constitutional authority to take emergency measures to secure our borders, Trump is repeatedly blocked by unelected federal judges waving their gavels like Harry Potter's magic wand.  This latest ban on Trump doing his job will last at least until a second hearing on December 19 ^th, and how many dangerous invaders will illegally enter the US between now and then?  That's precisely why the Founders put that power into the hands of one national executive who can act quickly, and not a crowd of bickering legislators or a legal system that moves slower than a turtle with arthritis.  Yet Trump actually respects the legal procedure. Other Presidents, including some greatly admired by historians, might have told such overreaching judges to go whistle up a rope.  And some of the same people denouncing Trump would have cheered them for their "strong stand." 

 

Meanwhile, Democrats in the Senate petulantly refuse to confirm necessary staff positions at agencies such as HUD after nearly two years.  They assail Dr. Ben Carson for not getting enough done while they block the appointments of the very people he needs to do it. 

 

https://www.westernjournal.com/senate-democrats-block-trumps-nominees-key-posts/

 

And let's not even mention the White House press conferences, where reporters think they have the right to act like drunken hecklers on dollar beer night at the Chuckle Hut.  When one of them finally crosses the line and gets thrown out, he begs a federal judge to force our "tyrant" President to let him back in again.  And Trump actually does! 

 

Considering the bullheadedness of his opposition, Trump has been amazingly effective at getting his agenda enacted.  But the idea that he's some kind of "tyrant" or "dictator" is laughable.  He's more like Gulliver in "Gulliver's Travels": a regular guy trying to do what needs to be done, but mischaracterized as a giant monster and hamstrung by a thousand strings placed on him by Lilliputians. 

------------------------------

"They can't handle the truth"

By Mike Huckabee

While we were taking a break, leftists had more time on their hands than usual, so they had to find something to be OUTRAGED about.  That explains the attempt at virtue-signaling by declaring "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" to be racist.  But it was so stupid and so utterly ignorant of Charles M. Schulz's courageous efforts at integrating comic strips that it mostly met with the derision that it deserved.

 

https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/good-grief-now-even-charlie-brown-thanksgiving-racist/

 

Here's some more history on how Schulz put his entire career on the line to stand up to racism.

 

http://victorygirlsblog.com/charlie-browns-thanksgiving-table-is-not-racist/

Luckily, the media and the Democrats (but I repeat myself) can always find something to be OUTRAGED about in the statements of President Trump.  This year, we got a double-whammy for Turkey Day.  Before I relate them, I'd like to note that these both fall into a pattern I've noticed.

 

Yes, it's true that Trump sometimes hands his critics ammunition by saying or tweeting things that are combative, ungracious or factually questionable (there have been a lot of politicians who've done that and gotten a pass.)  But I've noticed that the most over-the-top, outraged reactions come not from things Trump says that are false or debatable, but things that are plainly, indisputably true – yet, not being a politician or diplomat, he says them anyway.  He violates the sacred rule, decided in a sealed hall of power somewhere, that we're all going to pretend that it isn't true. 

 

We've seen this time and again, as establishment politicians, pundits and power brokers flipped their wigs over Trump stating outrageous "falsehoods," such as that illegal immigration is harming American workers and people who want to come here should do it legally; that North Korea's leader was a little bully who's too big for his britches; or that MS-13 gang members are vicious animals who need to be deported and kept out of the US.  In all these cases, there was ginned-up outrage, followed by polls showing that a majority of Americans agreed with him.  And why shouldn't they?  All those things are obviously true.  Even Hillary Clinton is finally, grudgingly, sort-of admitting that nations need borders:

 

https://www.dailywire.com/news/38653/shock-hillary-admits-europe-needs-get-handle-ben-shapiro

 

Trump's critics not only can't admit that these things are true, they're infuriated that anyone in power would dare to say them out loud.  This week brought two more examples of Trump critics blowing a gasket because he said something you and they and the chickens in the henhouse all know is true.

 

One came when Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts "rebuked Trump" (that's the way the media put it, although he didn't mention Trump's name) for his criticism of  liberal 9 ^th Circuit federal judges constantly trying to overrule his efforts to enforce border security and immigration laws.  Roberts wrote:

 

"We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them. That independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for."

 

I don't want to throw shade on a Chief Justice, but has he been smoking something other than the turkey?  That's a comment so absurd, it's downright laughable.  Everyone knows there is a vast difference between conservative, strict constructionist judges and liberal, "the Constitution is a living document that I can bend to my whim" judges.  That's why so many SCOTUS decisions fall along the same partisan lines.  It's why liberals who want to impede Trump always go judge-shopping to San Francisco.  If all judges are nonpartisan and evenhanded at all times, then why did Democrats move Heaven and Earth to slime Brett Kavanaugh? Roberts sounded like FBI Director Christopher Wray insisting that there is no such thing as a political partisan inside the FBI. 

 

Trump brushed off Roberts' comments, tweeting, "Sorry Chief Justice John Roberts, but you do indeed have 'Obama judges,' and they have a much different point of view than the people who are charged with the safety of our country. It would be great if the 9th Circuit was indeed an 'independent judiciary,' but if it is why are so many opposing view (on Border and Safety) cases filed there, and why are a vast number of those cases overturned."

 

We've had three days and counting of harrumphing in media and political circles over Trump saying something that everyone knows is indisputably true.  He just wasn't supposed to say it!

 

There was also the matter of Trump's statement that the US will remain an ally of Saudi Arabia, despite a CIA report linking the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to the highest levels of the Saudi government.  Trump called it a terrible crime and said 17 Saudis known to be involved have already been heavily sanctioned.  But because of Saudi Arabia's importance in keeping oil flowing, Iran in check and Israel safe; its heavy investments in America and its role in fighting terrorists and protecting the security of the entire region; it's a matter of putting "America first" to preserve our relationship. 

 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-president-donald-j-trump-standing-saudi-arabia/

 

That statement sparked a tsunami of outrage from both the left and right, with politicians and media figures assailing Trump for putting American strategic interests ahead of taking a moral stand against the brutality of the leaders of a government we're allied with. 

 

But again, it wasn't that he said anything new or untrue.  He just dared to state what's been going on for decades, but there was a "gentleman's agreement" never to admit it out loud.  Trump either doesn't know or care about diplomacy, once defined as "the art of saying, 'Nice doggy,' until you can find a rock."  He just calls the growling dog a dog and tells it he's going to hit it with a rock. 

 

Lest you think I'm being a partisan Republican Trump defender, here's an article by leftwing journalist Glenn Greenwald, hardly a Trump fan, blasting all the politicians and media people who've turned a blind eye for decades to the two-faced art of mouthing morality while supporting dictators, and who are now fulminating as if Trump invented the concept of national self-interest. 

 

https://theintercept.com/2018/11/21/trumps-amoral-saudi-statement-is-a-pure-and-honest-expression-of-decades-old-u-s-values-and-foreign-policy-orthodoxies/

 

I don't agree with his views of some of the examples of it, but there's no denying that he's compiled quite a list of people who've done the exact same thing Trump is being slammed for daring to say bluntly, and the list includes Barack Obama, John Kerry and Hillary Clinton.  Greenwald calls them "purely situational opponents of tyranny and murder who pretend to hold such values only when doing so undermines their domestic political opponents and enables their political allies to be restored to power where they can continue the same policies of murder, tyranny-support and atrocity-enabling that they have spent decades defending."

 

He calls this hypocritical moral preening destructive because it insures such practices will endure, "by dishonestly pretending that they are unique to Trump, rather than the hallmarks of the same people now being applauded because they are denouncing Trump's actions in such a blatantly false voice, all to mask the fact that they did the same, and worse, when they commanded the levers of American power."

 

I think Trump's worst sin in the eyes of the media and his political opponents isn't that he's doing anything new that's awful.  He's just exposing all the awful stuff they'd agreed nobody would ever talk about.  To borrow a phrase from Jack Nicholson in "A Few Good Men," "They can't handle the truth." 

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Evening Edition - November 20

By Mike Huckabee

A wrap-up of all the news you might have missed yesterday!

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