Update the Passing of two or our Tea Party Members
June 6th, 2018 | 
Author: IN MEMORY OF
BEVERLY J. GRAN &
NICOLAS DeSANTA
It is with sadness in my heart to report that we lost
two of very regular members this past Saturday
Nick and Beverly DeSanta.
The news is in the Highlands News Sun they were
hit and killed by a drunk driver.
A Sebring couple, trying to cross a road Saturday evening during
a visit to Treasure Island, they were going from the hotel
to their car when they were struck by a driver who
did not stop to help.
Paramedics from Treasure Island Fire Rescue took 80-year-old
Beverly J. Gran and 74-year-old Nicholas Michael DeSanta to a
nearby hospital, where they later died from their injuries. Officers with
Treasure Island Police Department later found the driver — 38-year-old
Aleem Reezan Temon Hamid of Lake O’Lakes— less than a mile away
at 1 Park Place, behind the wheel of his 2014 Ford Explorer.
UPDATE REGARDING SERVICE FOR BEVERLY & NICK: An honor Guard service will be held for Nick at the Sebring VFW Post 4300, 1041 Lakeview Dr, Sebring, June 30 at 11:00 am, immediately following the the Honor Guard Service, there will be a Memorial Service held at the Sebring Moose Lodge located at 11675 US 98. Sebring, 33876
Memorials, cards, and flowers should be sent to the Moose Lodge at the address above. THTP will send flowers on behalf of the Members.
Posted in 
THE HIGHLANDS TEA PARTY MEETING – JUNE 26, Arlene tuck
NOTICE NEXT WEEKS MEETING
IN GOD WE TRUST
AND IN WHO’S HANDS WE PUT OURS
AND OUR NATIONS DESTINY
THE HIGHLANDS TEA PARTY
THE PUBLIC IS ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND ALL MEETINGS
PARTY AFFILIATION IS NOT AN ISSUE…
MEETING JUNE 26, 2018
HOMERS SMORGASBORD
1000 Sebring Square
Sebring Florida
Speaker
Arlene Tuck –
Candidate for Dist #4 Highlands County Commission
Arlene was born in Tampa, Florida and moved to Lake Placid when she was 12 years old. She is a fourth generation Florida. She graduated from Lake Placid High School, University of Tampa Business School, South Florida Community College (now South Florida State College) and attended University of South Florida. Arlene started working for Hayward Davis law firm after business school. She worked with Mr. Davis for one year and then moved to Andy Jackson’s law office where she worked for fifteen years. After working for Mr. Jackson, she worked for Micheal Rider, Law Office for eight years. She then got the job as Town of Lake Placid Town Clerk, where she worked for twenty five years, retiring from the Town. During her position as Town Clerk, she attended the State of Florida Clerks School where she received her Certified Municipal Clerk certification.Arlene is presently serving her second term on the Lake Placid Town Council.Arlene is the mother of two children. Her oldest child is Andy Tuck, who serves on the State of Florida Education Board, and is married to Sandee Tuck who is a teacher at Hill-Gustat, they have two children. Her youngest child is Alison Scott, who is a registered nurse at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital, in Tampa and is married to Sam Scott who owns an Allstate Insurance Company in Tampa. They have three boys.Arlene has served on the County’s 30-year Transportation Committee, the County’s Trails and Path Committee, American Legion Auxilary, Order of the Eastern Star, Highlands County Leadership, Florida Certified Clerk’s Association, Take Stock in Children, Board Member of the Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce, Member of the Memorial United Methodist Church. .She has received the Dal Hall Government Award, Elks Employee of the Year, Chamber Leadership Award, FFA Charter Member.
UPCOMING SPEAKERS & EVENTS,
July 03, 2018 – Denise Grimsley – Candidate for Florida Agriculture Commissioner
July 10, 2018 – Bob White – Candidate for Governor of Florida
July 17, 2018 – Laurie Cardoza Moore – Proclaiming Justice to the Nations
July 24, 2018 – Charlene Edwards – Candidate for Highlands County School Board (Incumbent)
July 24, 2018 – Isaac Durrance – Candidate for Highlands County School Board
August 07, 2018 – Matt Caldwell –Candidate for Florida Agriculture Commissioner
August 07, 2018 – Cary Pigman – Candidate for FL State Representative (Incumbent)
August 14, 2018 – Jill Compton – Candidate for Highlands County School Board (Incumbent)
Please let myself or Bob know if you or any member is going In for surgery, or have
other issues we should put in our prayers.
RED HOT I-4 HAS BEEN CANCELLED,
GLYNNDA WAS GETTING MINIMAL ASSISTANCE FROM PEOPLE ALONG THE CORRIDOR.
UPDATE REGARDING SERVICE FOR BEVERLY & NICK:
An honor Guard service will be held for Nick at the Sebring VFW Post 4300, 1041 Lakeview Dr, Sebring, June 30 at 11:00 am, immediately following the the Honor Guard Service, there will be a Memorial Service held at the Sebring Moose Lodge located at 11675 US 98. Sebring, 33876
Memorials, cards, and flowers should be sent to the Moose Lodge at the address above.
THTP will send flowers on behalf of the Members.
If you plan to attend the memorial service for Beverly and Nicolas, please contact the Moose lodge and inform them so they know how many to cater for: MOOSE LODGE: 863-655-3920
Education is the key; this is the Tea Parties objextive!
We are a conservative, partisan, patriotic organization.
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS JOIN US
WE ARE OPEN TO AND INVITE THE PUBLIC TO JOIN US
WE ASK THAT ALL GUEST SPEAKERS BE TREATED RESPECTFULLY
There are NO EXCUSES for DISRESPECT
GOD BLESS AMERICA
NOTICE: WE APPRECIATE YOUR COOPERATION; THOSE
WHO BUY DINNERS, MUST PLACE THEIR RECEIPT NEXT
TO THEIR PLATE – NO FREEBIES.
Beverages are complimentary – Thanks to Homer and Melanie
(Coffee, Iced Tea, Cola Machine) – Deserts are not!
PLEASE! DO NOT GET REFRESHMENTS FROM COLA MACHINE DURING MEETING
STOPPING THE VOLCANO IN HAWAII – POLITICAL HUMOR
Stopping the Volcano in Hawaii
The subject of stopping the Hawaiian volcano has come up, and those folks are looking for a solution to the havoc and destruction it has caused on the island.
According to ancient Hawaiian tradition, the quickest way to APPEASE PELE and have the volcanic fires stop is to make a human sacrifice into her fires. And according to tradition, the human sacrifice needs to be a celebrated leader who was born in Hawaii and held a position of power for 8 years.
After an inquiry was made, Obama quickly announced that he was actually born in Kenya, and “has the Birth Certificate to prove it”!
BRAVO FOR TRUMP
Trump calls CNN ‘fake news’ after reporter asks him question at G-7
President Trump slammed CNN as “fake news” after a reporter with the news organization asked him a question during a press briefing at the Group of Seven (G-7) summit. After the reporter asked Trump a question about tensions between him and other leaders at the G-7 summit, the president asked what network he was from.
“Who are you with out of curiosity?” Trump asked the reporter, who replied that he was from CNN. “I figured,” Trump said. “Fake News CNN. The worst.”
Trump then began to say that he “could tell by the question,” before clarifying that he did not previously know the reporter’s affiliation. “I have no idea you’re with CNN,” he said. “After the question I was just curious as to who you’re with, you’re with CNN.” He then answered the reporter’s question, defending his relationship with the other leaders of top industrialized nations present at the summit in Canada.
“I would say that the level of the relationship is a 10. We have a great relationship — Angela [Merkel] and Emmanuel [Macron] and Justin [Trudeau]. I would say the relationship is a 10,” he said, referring to leaders from Germany, France and Canada, respectively. Trump blasted leaders ahead of the summit over the intensifying trade battles, after he imposed steep tariffs on steel and aluminum affecting allies Canada, Mexico and the European Union.
He has also faced criticism over his calls to reinstate Russia into the group. Russia was suspended from the then-Group of Eight over the 2014 annexation of Crimea. The president is planning to leave the G-7 summit early to depart for Singapore, where he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday. The president has been highly critical of CNN throughout his presidency, pushing back on negative coverage and referring to the network as “fake news.”
Congressman Vern Buchanan
June 9, 2018
Website 16th District About Vern News
Services Resources Legislation Contact
Nancy Pelosi responding to President Trump’s criticism of the criminal gang known as MS-13: “respect the dignity and worth of every person.”
The U.S. House this week passed legislation with my strong support cracking down on violent gangs like MS-13. See the article below and let me know your thoughts.
Vern
House Passes Bill Authorizing $50M To Fight MS-13, Organized Crime
Legislation to fight the nation’s most notorious street gangs is heading to President Trump’s desk for his signature.
House lawmakers overwhelmingly passed the Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Program Authorization Act Wednesday.
The measure seeks to fight MS-13 and other gangs by improving partnerships between federal, state and local agencies.
The Justice Department will authorize $50 million to be allocated to gang task forces.
Representative Bob Goodlatte said the bill specifically operates under four key principles, which include partnerships, strategic planning, training and outreach.
“Strategic planning is the foundation of the Project Neighborhoods Safer Program,” he stated. “Moreover, HR 3249 promotes the robust enforcement of existing criminal laws, and the development of intervention and prevention programs, such as juvenile justice projects and activities including street-level outreach conflict mediation and social services.”
Goodlatte went on to say, the legislation will serve as a key force in combating gang violence.
DON’T LET THE DEMOCRATS HAVE THE CONGRESS AND PRESIDENCY IN 2020
The most assured way to deliver Democrats control of Congress in 2019 is for the Republican establishment to give amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. Contact your Congressman and tell them to “STOP AMNESTY AT ALL COSTS!” Capitol switchboard: 
(202) 224-3121
IF you don’t want to call follows the information below and tweet
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In the following frame are theTweet addresses and message for 22 Republicans who have stated they will support RINO Ryans discharge petition.This petition could grant amnesty to anywhere from 3-8 Million illegals in country, it will also open the door for millions more to come to the border because we have not secured the border or changed our laws.
If any bill is to be voted on, it should be a stand alone Goodlatte bill, and only for amnesty of 600,000 DACA after vetting., None with Felon convictions, have dropped out of High School, or cannot speak fluent English, or affiliated with any gangs allowed.
Here is what’s in the Goodlatte bill:
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Below are the complete twitters, all you have to do is copy and paste them to your twitter, then send, I have done 90% of the work for you, please do your 10%, we must stop this discharge petition, you may delete my statement, add your own if you want. It wont‘ take but 20 minutes of your time to accomplish this, let’s act now!
.@repcharliedent Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@repryancostello Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@repjohnfaso Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@RepStefanik Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@RepTomReed Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@repjohnkatko Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@RepChrisCollins Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@MarkAmodeiNV2 Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@RepLanceNJ7 Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@RepErikPaulsen Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@RepFredUpton Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@repdavetrott Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@RosLehtinen Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
TAKE A BREAK FOR 10 MINUTES
.@MarioDB Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@repcurbelo Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@repmikecoffman Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@repdavidvaladao Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@SteveKnight25 Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@repjeffdenham Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing million more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@repdavidvaladao Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@repjohnkatko Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@HurdOnTheHill Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
.@RepMiaLove Think twice on Discharge , you are voting yourself out of a job by allowing millions more democratic voters into the country, vote DACA 600,000 only, not 3-8 Million! A yes vote will cause a rush to the border of more illegals, enforce our current laws, VOTE NO!
LET’S GIT’ER DONE TODAY!!! |
Will ‘Hurricane Trump’ Impact GOP Gubernatorial Race in FL?
A “political hurricane,” named after a famous Palm Beach and White House resident, is currently swirling off Florida’s coast and scheduled to make landfall on Aug. 28 — the state’s primary day. Yes, “Hurricane Trump” is central to a contentious Republican gubernatorial primary race between Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis from the 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Daytona Beach.
Just how central?
Trump’s involvement is shaping up to be a political strength test for the 2018 midterms with national implications for the 2020 presidential election. Lest you think I am exaggerating, let’s start on Dec. 22, 2017, when Hurricane Trump’s “category 5” winds first started blowing from Air Force One after the president tweeted:
Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrumpCongressman Ron DeSantis is a brilliant young leader, Yale and then Harvard Law, who would make a GREAT Governor of Florida. He loves our Country and is a true FIGHTER!
Amazingly, Trump’s endorsement of DeSantis came two weeks before the conservative congressman officially announced on Jan. 5, 2018 that he was seeking the Republican nomination for governor.
DeSantis not only embraced Trump’s endorsement, but the three-term lawmaker’s entire campaign was baptized in Trump water. That has resulted in the Putnam/DeSantis primary fight for Republican base voters, which revolves around which candidate is more “Trumpian” — a clear disadvantage for Putnam, who was characterized last week as a “Trump-basher” in a RealClearPolitics op-ed.
On the other hand, Putnam, a Florida congressman between 2001 and 2011 who has served in the powerful agriculture post since 2011, is the well-funded “establishment” candidate. He had been planning his gubernatorial campaign for many pre-Trump years, working diligently within the state, building loyalty and collecting IOUs. Putnam is also well-known and liked in Florida GOP circles.
As an active registered Republican in the state, I can attest to the longtime buzz that Putnam was “the man” who would be the nominee to succeed Republican Gov. Rick Scott, and without much opposition. But, since Trump’s endorsement last December, DeSantis has dramatically increased his name ID among base voters, achieving political rock-star status due to his frequent appearances on Fox News Channel while providing “cable catnip” to Trump-loyal viewers.
In fact, Trump recently called DeSantis one of his four GOP “warriors” who regularly go to “battle” for him on Capitol Hill and in the media against Robert Mueller and the Russia probe. Back in Florida, the race is virtually tied and a long way from settled. According to the latest Florida Atlantic University poll, DeSantis leads Putnam by a percentage point, 16 percent to 15 percent, among registered Republican voters, with 43 percent undecided.
Conversely, in the money primary, Putnam is winning by a landslide. His May totals are not yet available, but by April’s end he had raised a total of $28.85 million from big traditional Florida money sources and had $19 million in cash on hand. DeSantis made significant progress after raising $3 million in May, but still lags far behind Putman. At the end of April, DeSantis had raised only $8 million, with $7 million on hand, so May’s haul shows great promise. Comparing the opening lines from both DeSantis’s and Putnam’s end-of-May fundraising emails speaks volumes about the branding and positioning differences between the two campaigns.
DeSantis opened his May 31 email by writing:
Friend,
After publicly supporting me for governor, President Trump now calls me to check and see how our campaign is doing.
To be honest with you — at this moment — we’re behind on our end-of-month goal. I don’t want to have to pick up the phone and tell the President that we failed to hit our goal.
Then DeSantis followed up on June 2 with this opening:
Friend,
The liberal media is attacking me for defending President Trump. But they don’t understand that I’m not just defending the President. I’m defending you.
Putnam’s May 30 email began:
Friend,
One of our generous donors has stepped up this month to MATCH all donations through MIDNIGHT before the end of month.
This is your chance to DOUBLE your impact on one of the most important races in the country. Democrats are using Florida as a political pawn to take back the presidency in 2020, and we can’t let that happen.
Thus, while DeSantis is glued to the “Trump ticket,” Putnam is looking past November’s general election to 2020 — subtly insinuating that he will be the Republican governor to fight for Florida’s 29 electoral votes — the key to a GOP victory.
In my discussions with influential Florida Republicans, many say that they like DeSantis but think Putnam would be a stronger general election candidate, believing he is better positioned to attract independent voters. Despite the ongoing efforts of anti-NRA activists, led by Parkland shooting survivors who recently wreaked havoc on Putnam’s campaign in the “Gunshine State,” the following political facts support such thinking:
Scott won re-election in 2014 by only one percentage point in a strong Republican wave year.
Trump won Florida in 2016 by only 1.2 percentage points.
In the May FAU poll cited earlier, Trump’s Florida job approval rating among all registered voters is 43 percent, up from 41 percent in February.
Trump’s Florida disapproval stands at 45 percent, up from 44 percent in February. Among Florida registered Republicans, Trump’s job approval jumps to 62 percent, with 10.3 percent disapproving and 22.7 percent neutral.
Among Florida’s registered independent voters, only 24.8 percent approve of Trump, with 33.9 percent disapproving.
A huge X-factor in the August primary is whether or not Trump will hit the Florida campaign trail with DeSantis. In mid-May, the New York Times reported that Vice President Mike Pence had asked Trump not to campaign with his favorite Florida “warrior.” That was well after April 3 when DeSantis publicly said, “I think the president’s going to come down for me very soon. Which will be very good.” However, the congressman is still waiting for the president. Then it was recently announced that Donald Trump Jr. would campaign with DeSantis in late June. Perhaps Trump listened to Pence — at least for now.
With such a close race in a key state, if DeSantis loses the August primary, Trump runs the risk of suffering political embarrassment with national repercussions just as the fall campaigns enter the stretch run. This, of course, is why presidents don’t normally endorse primary candidates.
But Trump is a risk taker, and DeSantis is a brilliant young candidate with a bright national future who Trump may think is worth the risk. Furthermore, Trump may want to test his political strength in the state to see if he can push DeSantis over the primary finish line. If successful, that would be a great psychological victory for Trump and his base, not only in Florida but around the nation — a sign that he has once again triumphed over the GOP “establishment.”
Politics, like the weather, is unpredictable, but this we know — “Hurricane Trump” is either going to land with great force, make big waves for Ron DeSantis and drown Adam Putnam. Or, Putnam wins the primary, the hurricane fizzles and quietly tries to sneak out to sea. Check the local Florida forecasts on Aug. 28 and then wait for the national damage assessment.
Palestinians are Torching Fields to “Achieve Rights” ???
When you hear in the news that Palestinians are fighting for their basic
rights, THIS IS WHAT IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE. Israeli firefighters are
fighting 3 large blazes which are destroying agricultural fields and nature
reserves near the Gaza border AS WE SPEAK.
Reported by: Step Up For Israel & World Jewish Congress
Please take this 2 second poll, show the Liberal left that we care and want our teachers to be able Connceal Carry.
Personally I would not give five seconds
to MSNBC LIBERAL LEFTY bottom of the
barrel news source but this question needs
to be answered!
Everyone needs to click on this link and answer
the poll question:
Do you agree with the laws allowing teachers to
carry concealed weapons
CLICK LINK BELOW
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/poll-do-you-agree-laws-allowing-teachers-carry-concealed-weapons
WASHINGTON UPDATE
June 04, 2018
At SCOTUS, a Make or Bake Moment
It doesn’t seem that long ago when I sat down with CBS’s “Face the Nation” and told a very surprised Bob Schieffer about the battle for religious freedom that was raging. Like many people, he seemed astonished to hear that any American — let alone the wedding industry — would be punished for their mainstream views on marriage.
Read More >>
Black to Basics on School Shootings
There isn’t a good person alive who wouldn’t do everything in their power to stop the horror story that keeps playing out in our nation’s schools. It shouldn’t matter what political party you subscribe to, how much money you make, or where you’re from, everyone wants the shootings that have snuffed out hundreds of innocent lives to end.
THE HILL NEWS ALERT
Trump’s ‘pardon’ storm grows deeper
President Trump and his legal team are doubling down on their assertion of nearly unconfined presidential powers when it comes to the Justice Department and special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into the 2016 presidential election.
Critics, both in politics and the media, have accused Trump and his team of asserting a Nixonian defense that in essence posits that the president is above the law. They argue the Trump team’s approach could trigger a constitutional crisis, if the president follows through on the war of words.
THE HILL OVERNIGHT DEFENSE
The Hill’s Overnight Defense | View in your browser
Happy Monday and welcome to Overnight Defense. I’m Rebecca Kheel, and here’s your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.
THE TOPLINE: With President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s summit back on, Senate Democrats are staking out their ground on any deal that may come out of the meeting. In a letter to Trump and a conference call with reporters Monday, top Democrats laid out the five principles they want a deal to meet and vowed to prevent Trump from lifting sanctions should the agreement not be up to snuff. “We’re all hoping the president will succeed and rooting for peace,” Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the call. “If he tries to reach a deal with Kim Jong Un just for the sake of reaching a deal, and the agreement fails to live up the principles we’ve laid out, then he’ll have been bested at the negotiating table yet again.”
Democrats defined a good deal as meeting five pillars:
(1) the dismantlement or relinquishing of all nuclear, chemical and biological weapons;
(2) the end to uranium and plutonium enrichment and the dismantlement of nuclear infrastructure;
(3) the continued suspension of ballistic missile tests;
(4) the ability to conduct inspections for nuclear and missile activity anytime anywhere in North Korea, as well as the ability to snap back sanctions if illicit activity is found; and
(5) the assurance that the deal would be permanent.
Expert take: In a briefing to reporters later Monday, a panel of experts cautioned that including areas such as chemical and biological weapons with the nuclear issue could make it impossible to reach any deal.
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“Democrats are sort of staking out the Republican view of the past,” said Joel Wit, founder of 38 North. “What I would say is, quite frankly, is that this is a historic opportunity… and in trying to pull it off, we need to be measured and careful about what our standards are for success. If you’re going to set a standard for success in terms of an agreement that somehow deals with chemical and biological weapons, you’re not going to have a success because they’re not going to be dealt with right away.”
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Added Suzanne DiMaggio, director and senior fellow at New America: “The Democrats’ message must be careful because if they put in place a situation where the demands for a deal are outside the realm of possibility then that would undermine their own position. On the issue of chemical and biological weapons, in my discussions with North Korean officials over the past two years, they have been very consistent on the idea of tackling these issues fairly early if negotiations were to come up quickly. Not solving the issue, but trying to find ways at least of not– providing assurances that they will not transfer chemical and biological weapons, which I think is a great worry for some people. So I think that would be a logical start.”
What about U.S. troops?: Defense Secretary James Mattis sought to make clear over the weekend that U.S. troops stationed on the Korean peninsula are not on the table for the negotiations with the North. Mattis on Sunday said the roughly 28,000 U.S. troops based in South Korea are “not going anywhere.” “It’s not even a subject of the discussions,” Mattis told reporters aboard his plane while returning to Washington from the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore.
Pencil it in: White House press secretary Huckabee Sanders said Monday that the first meeting of the summit would start at 9 a.m. June 12 Singapore time. That’s 9 p.m. on June 11 Washington time.
THE HILL BREAKING NEWS
Mueller says Manafort tried to tamper with a potential witness
Special counsel Robert Mueller said in a court filing on Monday that President Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort attempted to tamper with a potential witness while on pretrial release.
Mueller’s team has asked the court to revoke or revise Manafort’s release conditions, including his bond and house arrest.
THE HILL NEWS ALERT
GOP, Trump at odds on pardon power
Republican lawmakers on Monday pushed back at President’s Trump’s claim that he has the power to pardon himself.
Trump’s assertion sparked a new round of Republican angst with the White House.
“It doesn’t make sense to me,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) when asked about Trump’s statements. “I certainly don’t think it would be a welcome strategy.” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told CNN, “If I were president of the United States and I had a lawyer that told me I could pardon myself, I think I would hire a new lawyer.”
PATRIOT OF PASSION
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Creating a Culture of Involvement
We conservatives have been fighting for ten years to change the face of a corrupt and overreaching government. For us it took almost having our nation and our freedoms torn away from us. We would never have gotten to that point had we been vigilant as citizens over the last several decades. A pound of prevention, so to speak, could have saved us a decade of serious hard work, fighting tooth and nail for our rights, witnessing the near destruction of our nation at every level.
We now have a president who is actively working to bring America back to a true Republic, shrink overreaching government, reduce thousands upon thousands of burdensome/useless regulations, and take down a corrupt bureaucracy. We have a Congress that is Republican controlled, a judiciary that is slowly being replaced with actual judges, not corrupted political/leftists and new rules being created that actually favor the citizen, not the governmentWe have achieved the goal of defeating the immediate threat but we don’t yet have our nation back. Our work is only just begun.
We MUST NOT repeat the mistake we made over the twentieth century while we pursued our personal goals, ignored/trusted government and allowed socialists to slowly take over our lives. We must go beyond the assumption that we have fixed or are on our way to fixing the problem….we must create a culture of involvement.
If we are to keep the Republic we are slowly recreating, we must become involved and stay involved. We must teach our children and grandchildren to get involved and stay involved and pass that tradition down through generations from this point forward.
If we fail to become and stay actively involved we will soon find ourselves in the same boat we were in 2009 with a Socialist President bent on destroying the Constitution a Democrat/socialist controlled Congress that is taken over by radicals who have the same goal and our freedoms being eroded away while we work, pay our bills and live our lives.
Ongoing activism is the BEST defense against allowing socialists to begin to gain ground again. A free capitalistic/ economic society is one of the many blessing we have as Americans but we cannot make prosperity our first priority. God must be first, taking care of our families is of course second and defending the nation is third. The fact that we are not military doesn’t mean we mustn’t always be actively engaged in defending our nation and our way of life. Prosperity will come as a natural consequence when we keep our priorities in their proper places.
If we fail to put God in His proper place and honor Him we will soon find our nation where it was 10 years ago. If we fail to actively engage on a consistent basis in our government and keep it in check, we will soon find our nation where it was 10 years ago. We have complained, talked and worked for change and we have achieved change.
We were well on the way to being completely kicked out of our participatory status in our unique government. Because of our efforts over the last decade, we are once again becoming an active part of the government as we were meant to be. We must not waste this opportunity. It is time now for us to recreate America as she was meant to be…citizens managing the government, not vice versa. We can finish the work of turning our government around and reclaiming our nation by getting actively involved, staying actively involved and creating a culture of involvement.
Children from an early age must be taught first to love and honor God, second the importance of family and third how our government works, our true history and a great pride in being American.
With that pride must come active involvement from a young age and a life built on actively engaging with our government at every level. A lifetime of guardians of the nation should become a way of life. I believe our founding fathers assumed this would be the case.
If we fail to become involved we will not win this war….if future generations are to take on the fight we are now fighting we must pave the way for them and teach them not only to prosper but to be involved at every level from a young age until they day they die. America is unique. By becoming involved and managing our government we can once again spread the uniquely American brand of freedom around the world.
It’s time to do more than talk/complain. It is time to get and stay active if we are to finish the work of taking our nation back. Volunteerism can involve as little or as much time as you wish to put into it and does not have to take over your life. If you are not actively engaged with volunteerism at this time I urge you to choose a cause and get busy. There are opportunities everywhere we turn. The time is upon us and I urge all who see this to get involved.
For info on any number of activist opportunities across a wide spectrum of interests, please contact me. There are dozens of well established conservative, God Loving, Patriotic organizations available and all of them need your help and involvement.
IF INTERESTED IN CONTINUING TO SAVE OUR NATION,
CONSTITUTION, AND FREEDOMS,
CHECK US OUT – JOIN US Our Agenda is on the front of our web page,
The Highlands Tea Party: www.thehighlandsteaparty.com
WAKE UP CALL JUNE 4, 2018
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BREAKING NEWS COLORADO BAKER WINS – GOD OVER LGBTQ? JUSTICE GINSBURG, with whom JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR joins, dissenting.
Supreme Court sides with Colorado baker
who refused to make wedding cake for
same-sex couple
The Supreme Court ruled Monday in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, in one of the most closely watched cases of the term.In a 7-2 decision, the justices set aside a Colorado court ruling against the baker — while stopping short of deciding the broader issue of whether a business can refuse to serve gay and lesbian people. The opinion was penned by Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is often the swing justice in tight cases.
The narrow ruling here focused on what the court described as anti-religious bias on the Colorado Civil Rights Commission when it ruled against baker Jack Phillips.
“The Commission’s hostility was inconsistent with the First Amendment’s guarantee that our laws be applied in a manner that is neutral toward religion,” Kennedy wrote in his majority opinion.
READ THE DECISION
The court said the broader issue, though, “must await further elaboration.”
Baker Jack Phillips had refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple. (Alliance Defending Freedom)
“The reason and motive for the baker’s refusal were based on his sincere religious beliefs and convictions. The Court’s precedents make clear that the baker, in his capacity as the owner of a business serving the public, might have his right to the free exercise of religion limited by generally applicable laws,” Kenney wrote. “Still, the delicate question of when the free exercise of his religion must yield to an otherwise valid exercise of state power needed to be determined in an adjudication in which religious hostility on the part of the State itself would not be a factor in the balance the State sought to reach.”
At issue was a July 2012 encounter. At the time, Charlie Craig and David Mullins of Denver visited Masterpiece Cakeshop to buy a custom-made wedding cake. Phillips refused his services when told it was for a same-sex couple. The state civil rights commission sanctioned Phillips after a formal complaint from the gay couple.
Mullins has described their case as symbolizing “the rights of gay people to receive equal service in business … about basic access to public life.”
But the Trump administration backed Phillips, who was represented in court by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian nonprofit. He had lost at every step in the legal appeals process, bringing the case down to the Supreme Court’s decision Monday. Phillips has said he lost business and had to let employees go because of the controversy.
And he has maintained that it’s his choice: “It’s not about turning away these customers, it’s about doing a cake for an event — a religious sacred event — that conflicts with my conscience,” he said last year. The court in December specifically examined whether applying Colorado’s public accommodations law to compel the local baker to create commercial “expression” violated his constitutionally protected Christian beliefs about marriage. By wading again into the culture wars, the justices had to confront recent decisions on both gay rights and religious liberty: a 2015 landmark opinion legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide and a separate 2014 decision affirming the right of some companies to act on their owner’s faith by refusing to provide contraception to its workers.
The Trump administration agreed with Phillips’ legal claims to a large extent. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in October issued broad guidance to executive branch agencies, reiterating the government should respect religious freedom, which in the Justice Department’s eyes extends to people, businesses and organizations. But civil rights groups were concerned the conservative majority on the court may be ready to peel back protections for groups with a history of enduring discrimination – and predicted that giving businesses the right to refuse service to certain customers would undermine non-discrimination laws and hurt minorities.
When the justices heard arguments in December, Kennedy was plainly bothered by certain comments by a commission member. The commissioner seemed “neither tolerant nor respectful of Mr. Phillips’ religious beliefs,” Kennedy said in December. Liberal justices Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan joined the conservative justices in the outcome. Kagan wrote separately to emphasize the limited ruling. But Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor dissented.
“I see no reason why the comments of one or two Commissioners should be taken to overcome Phillips’ refusal to sell a wedding cake to Craig and Mullins,” Ginsburg wrote.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
TAKE HEED THIS IS ANTIFA IN ACTION!!! THEY ATTACKED A PEACEFUL PRAYER PROTEST – TERRORISM IN AMERICA
Antifa and Patriot Prayer protesters faced off in
downtown Portland, Oregon on Sunday. Police
in riot gear tried to separate the dueling protests.
These are Leftists trying to intimidate those who believe in the rule of Law
and Liberties in our Country. They ate an attack on our system and way of Life
PRESIDENT TRUMP GRASSROOTS CONFERENCE CALL JUNE 4, 3:30 Eastern – BE SURE TO RSVP NOW!
Join President Trump on Monday’s OPA Monthly Conference Call
Good afternoon,
The Office of Political Affairs invites you to join our monthly National Grassroots Conference Call on Monday, June 4, at 3:30 p.m. (Eastern.)
To celebrate the 500th Day of his Administration, President Trump will join us to directly relay to you – the President’s key in-state supporters – his proudest accomplishments of his first 500 days as President of the United States of America.
Please RSVP today through this link: http://www.att-rsvp.com
The Conference ID is 450207
Conference Call instructions will be available upon RSVP. (Please print or save the RSVP page, as the Conference Call instructions are included on the page.)
We look forward to facilitating this briefing from President Donald J. Trump on Monday, June 4, at 3:30 p.m. (Eastern.)
Thank you for your continued support of President Trump!
The White House Office of Political Affairs
