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Mark Caserta: President Trump shows he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize

16 Jun

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island in Singapore

President Trump greets Kim Jong-Un during historic summit in Singapore.

 

 

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Mark Caserta:  Free State Patriot editor

Jun 15, 2018 

 

 

In October 2009, President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” per the official website of the esteemed award.

The mainstream media nearly wet themselves. A host of media outlets extolled the recognition as historic. An ABC column by Mark Phillips, claimed Obama had “changed the tone of American diplomacy,” alluding to the fact many considered Obama’s approach “ground breaking” in nature. French President Nicolas Sarkozy claimed awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Barack Obama embodied the “return of America into the hearts of the people of the world.”

Well, the notion that Obama deserved this recognition has since been disavowed by many, including then secretary of the Nobel Committee, Geir Lundestad, who revealed in his 2015 memoir he regretted awarding Obama the prize, since Obama had obviously done little to qualify him for such recognition.

Fast forward to Donald Trump’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize and compare the tone of the media.

In early May, 18 House Republicans sent a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, formally nominating President Trump for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, citing recognition “of his work to end the Korean War, denuclearize the Korean peninsula and bring peace to the region.”

CBS News, HuffPost and The Washington Post each published a column mocking or condemning the idea that Trump could ever be deserving of such recognition, despite his successful diplomatic global efforts.

Many liberal media outlets, such as CNN, framed Trump’s meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un as caving U.S. diplomacy! But no prior president has ever been in a position of strength as the Trump administration in dealing with the rogue nation. Rather than succumbing to extortion or employing a strategy of “appeasement,” Trump has made it clear all options are on the so-called “table,” from which he’s also willing to walk away if his demands aren’t met as shown.

In January, Trump raised the curtain on his strategy, after Kim called for improved relations with South Korea, reminding the world he has a nuclear button on his desk.

Trump responded on Twitter that his button is larger and more powerful, adding, “my Button works!”

In March, South Korea’s presidential security director, Chung Eui-yong, after visiting Kim in Pyongyang, reported Kim was willing to discuss the fate of his nuclear arsenal with the U.S. Shortly afterward, Trump accepted an invitation from Kim to meet.

In late May, amid rattling sabers, North Korea hints the meeting could be canceled, protesting U.S.-South Korean military exercises. A senior North Korean diplomat calls Vice President Mike Pence a “political dummy” and says it’s up to the Americans whether they “meet us at a meeting room or encounter us at (a) nuclear-to nuclear showdown.”

Unshaken, Trump announced hours later he’s walking away from the table and pulling out of the summit.

But, it was no surprise that following major media outlets finding fault with Trump’s decision to meet with Kim, they proceeded to find fault when he pulled out.

Sadly, Trump’s “failures” are more valuable to liberals than America’s “successes.”

But despite liberal prognosticators, this past Tuesday, the president successfully brought North Korea’s leader to the negotiating table. And now, his efforts to build a working relationship with Kim could very well lead to permanent, verifiable, nuclear disarmament on the Korean Peninsula.

Now, that deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.

Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger and regular contributor to The Herald Dispatch.

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Mark Caserta: GOP establishment in lockstep with Democrats

20 Oct

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Mark Caserta:  Free State Patriot editor

Oct 20, 2017

 

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No matter what moral, ethical or political perspective we espouse, we’re eventually exposed by actions that openly offend us. Unfortunately, for many Americans, that’s where we find ourselves with some members of the so-called GOP establishment.

It would seem that many in the Republican Party are in lockstep with liberal Democrats in choosing to demonstrate their resentment of President Trump by impeding him from returning America to greatness.

I’m confident this rebuke of the voters’ authoritative mandate given in the last few election cycles will be the undoing of the Republican Party, unless it institutes a course change soon. Continuing down this path could result in an aggressive push for a viable third political party by millions of Americans weary of representatives being more interested in personal victories than in constituents.

I admit, early in the Republican primary, I was concerned about a Trump presidency. At one point, I would’ve chosen any of the other GOP candidates as our presidential nominee. I suppose I had my own pre-conceived notion as to what it would take to steer our nation away from the debilitating path of progressivism under the Obama administration.

But, as more Republicans expose themselves to Americans as being more concerned with personal vendetta and power over public service, the more I’m convinced Donald J. Trump was the only man for the 2016 presidency.

Honestly, does anyone believe we needed another politically correct politician negotiating with other politically correct politicians? Where has that gotten us the past few elections? In many regards, we haven’t seen a true champion for the American people since Ronald Reagan.

But President Trump is becoming the people’s champion by proving he isn’t concerned with political correctness or bowing to special interest groups. The only political debt Donald Trump owes is to the American people by fulfilling his promises.

Now, I realize that fulfilling a promise is an abstract concept for many politicians. But for a man who realizes integrity and honoring one’s word is prerequisite to success in life, President Trump is willing to do what it takes to make it happen, despite being burdened by a feckless Congress.

Last week, frustrated over Congress’ failure to repeal and replace Obamacare, President Trump signed an executive order making it easier for people to purchase affordable healthcare and restricting the Obamacare mandates.

Several news outlets, including The New York Post, reported the president as saying, the order “directs the Department of Health and Human Services, the Treasury, and the Department of Labor, to take action to increase competition, increase choice, and increase access to lower-priced, high-quality health care options and people will have great, great health care.”

Despite what corrupt politicians would have you believe, this isn’t complicated.

Politicians apply for a job. We hire them via an interview process. Do good work, great! Do poor work, goodbye! Anything more is political pandering.

Here’s an ironic bottom line worth remembering for Congress. President Trump is giving you more opportunity now than voters will in 2018.

Time to clock in. You’re very late for work.

 

 

Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.

 

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Mark Caserta: Winning with Trump is good for America

13 Oct

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Mark Caserta:  Free State Patriot editor

October 13, 2017

 

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Despite the constant barrage of negativity from the left and a fervent liberal attempt to portray the Trump administration as being in “chaos,” the number of wins President Trump is having for the American people is truly astounding.

And he’s just getting started.

Forget for a moment that all liberals espouse is formularized Russian collusion, a nonsensical focus on the Trump family and exacerbated stories maligning Trump’s “political incorrectness,” and let’s look at the successes our president is having on behalf of Americans.

President Trump hit the ground running with his “America first” agenda giving voice to those who felt completely suckered by the Washington “swamp.”

In under a year, Donald J. Trump has returned the United States to prominence as the most powerful and respected nation in the world. Converse to the prior administration, our enemies now fear us and our allies are beginning to trust us.

Thanks to an aggressive new strategy led by President Trump, ISIS has been effectively engaged and is on the verge of total annihilation along with their aspirations of a global caliphate, per U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis.

“ISIS is on the run and they have been shown to be unable to stand up to our team, have not retaken one inch of ground,” Mattis told reporters during a briefing in Baghdad. Mattis went on to say the defeat of ISIS is now imminent and he is confident U.S.-backed Iraqi forces will finish off fighters in their last remaining strongholds.

Via Trump’s leadership, the administration has successfully created international unity in applying pressure on North Korea’s nuclear proliferation aspirations. This unity includes an unprecedented partnership with China in applying economic sanctions on the rogue nation.

And the significant reduction in the number of illegal border crossers between the U.S. and Mexico is “nothing short of miraculous,” according to National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd.

“As far as the Trump administration’s efforts on immigration, this is something they campaigned heavily on,” Judd said in a C-SPAN interview. “At six months, where we are on meeting those promises, we are seeing nothing short of miraculous.” Judd went on to credit Trump’s “rhetoric” as being a significant deterrent to illegals.

Bringing jobs back to America was a cornerstone of the Trump presidential campaign. During his first week in office the president met with leaders of some of the nation’s unions and top manufacturing companies. Today, CEOs and other leaders from more than two dozen companies make up President Trump’s Manufacturing Jobs Initiative which plans to create 25 million American jobs over the next decade.

As President Trump strategically reverses the Obama-era “job killing” EPA regulations, we’re now seeing jobs return to our area. Wage earners will once again be able to step out from under the government umbrella and into the workforce.

And securing a conservative Supreme Court is simply icing on the cake.

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Mark Caserta: Readers respond to columnist’s question

5 Aug

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Mark Caserta:  Free State Patriot editor

Aug 4, 2017

 

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Last week’s column, “Did West Virginians elect Trump out of ignorance?,” was centered on the facetious question as to whether voters in our state are qualified to make an educated choice for president of the United States.

Of course they are.

But some of the cynical responses were very telling. Some even had me questioning the reader’s ability to comprehend the text, as portrayed in this response from one reader.

“Mark. Oh no, buddy. It has finally hit you right between the eyes. YOU are seeing Trump for what he is. You’re asking YOURSELF this question: Did I help elect Trump out of ignorance? Looks like you’ve been mulling that over.”

Other folks, as in this reader, surmised West Virginians simply chose the “lesser of two evils.”

“As West Virginians only had, as a viable alternative vote in 2016 the corporatist, republican-lite option of voting for Hillary Clinton, it is very understandable that most Democratic voters stayed home and some even voted for what was perceived as a wild-card, anti-DC candidate like Trump rather than falling in line behind the empty establishment pants suit.”

Of the responses from individuals typically aligning themselves with progressives, it’s worth noting the lack of regard they apparently have for the intellect of West Virginians.

“They had other options, they can write in any person they want, or not vote at all. Only stupid people believe there is some magical civic- duty to vote. They never/don’t realize the door of obligation swings both ways. Ignorant conservatives, you know I love-em!”

“Well, considering Arch Moore was convicted for corruption and jailed, then RE-ELECTED in West Virginia as governor and THEN his daughter enters politics and SHE gets elected? I don’t know, but? Does that speak to an abundance of smarts in this state?”

“A majority of West Virginians are too busy trying to make a living to give much time to considering political candidates. After all, they’ve sent some real losers (not this one) to the statehouse.”

“Did West Virginians elect Trump out of ignorance? Yes. Like there was any other option. How else could/would clueless conservative hillbillies vote?”

Then there were responses like this one, interjecting reasoned perspective into the discussion.

“This is all pretty funny. And it confirms something I’ve known to be true for a long time. Liberals can’t read. Mark concludes that ‘And just perhaps, it isn’t the 68 percent of West Virginians who elected Donald Trump who are the ignorant ones, after all.’ And liberals read that as Mark concluding that West Virginians who voted for Trump did so out of ignorance. Pretty funny, and shows their total lack of logic and reasoning ability.”

So, according to liberals, ignorance, indeed, played a role in electing Trump in West Virginia. I can only assume they believe similarly for the other 30 states he won.

This progressive rationale prompts me to ask liberals another clarifying question.

Do you accept any of the blame for Donald Trump being elected president, or was it simply the ignorance of others?

Future voters eagerly await your response.

Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.

 

 

 

 

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Doug Smith: Trump haters don’t need any help from the right

16 Jul

It’s time to shorten the learning curve of this presidency

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Doug Smith:  Free State Patriot history and social editor

July, 7, 2017

 

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So what to make of Trump Jr s meeting with a shady Russian, associated with the Obama administration, and banned from entry, but granted a waiver to enter, in time for the meeting, by an Obama buddy in NY District Court.

Well, the knee jerk reaction is to defend his move because

  1. Hillary , Ted Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, and Obama himself all did far worse with Russians, in a way that truly did damage the interests of the United States. ( all true)
  2. The Democrats never cared about any of it, or even acts of true treason when it was one of theirs, and cared not a whit that the Russians were trying to toss stink bombs into our political process, as long as they thought the Hillary would win. ( again, true)
  3. The whole Russia narrative has been nothing more than an attempt by the Democrats to roadblock Trump’s agenda, and if possible, remove him from office. ( also true)
  4. Character assassination is all they have, because they have been losing elections so badly for so long, and this is their only chance to maybe, maybe, pick up control of one House of Congress in 2018 and keep Obama s damage going, and blame it on the GOP. ( reasonable conclusion)
  5. The longer they keep this nonsense up, the less the chances that the GOP will repeal Obamacare, cut taxes, or pass any meaningful legislation. ( again, true)
  6. After 8 years of Obama, we have a break coming, and for better or worse, our break is Trump.

All these things are true, and make conservatives, myself included, tend to jump to defense of Trump, perceiving the attacks on him to be attacks on us, and on our desires for positive change in the country. The perception is correct.

The conclusion is not.

Sean Hannity has spent months, incorrectly, defending former Submariner Christian Saucier, who is serving a year in prison for taking pictures of classified areas of his Nuclear Submarine. Hannity’s defense is that Hillary did far worse and got away with it, thus Saucier should get away with it as well.

That is a very slippery slope. And Hannity, who I agree with on many things, is dead wrong on this.

As a Submariner, I do not want to send the message to any sailor that security no longer matters because of Hillary. Nor do I want to send a message that fooling around with the help is OK now because Slick Willy. If we choose the Clintons as the arbiters of our future morality, we are doomed. And damned.

If I had been on ET1 Saucier’s Court Martial, I would have voted to convict him, strip him of all rank, and send him to prison. He was old enough to know better, and he violated a major rule of security. Our standards on Submarines are not dictated by the Clintons. We are better than that. That is why we come home alive.

Donald Trump Jr showed an appalling lack of common sense. A seasoned politico would have sensed a set up ( which it seems that it was. ) The people he dealt with were unsavory, the information offered was not necessary ( everyone knew what Hillary is) , and appearances matter.

Now. Was it illegal? Clearly, not. Was it unethical? Again, no. He did not ask anyone to steal or reveal Hillary s dirty laundry. He was intrigued to hear what it was.

Was it a stupid, boneheaded move?

To quote Sarah Palin, You betcha.

He took a risk for no gain, and in a stupid 15 minute sit down, gave ammunition to the enemies of his Dad to keep stirring the commode a while longer. He contributed to another day or 3 of delay in important legislation.  He showed himself to be a neophyte, which we knew. POTUS is also a neophyte, who needs to surround himself with seasoned people who can help him avoid such minefields.

Then, of course, like father like son, they have a tendency to dance around the truth and make things sound better for themselves. Even an innocent exchange can be suspect when people wonder how many more shoes must drop.

There are 3 ways to handle such information.

  1. No comment. Mr. President, will you PLEASE for God s sake learn that phrase.
  2. The truth, but only as much as necessary.
  3. Lies and evasions.

The Trumps often choose 3, even when it is not necessary. And they tend to dribble out the truth.  That is a bad habit which they must break. When your positions and assertions and message are constantly shifting, one never knows when the Real Donald Trump answer is out there. Just as Democrats found themselves passionately defending Bill Clinton right up to the point that he admitted a lie, Republicans have found themselves defending a Trump position, only to find that he has changed course on a dime and left them to fall on their faces.

Somebody needs to oversee messaging from the White House. Someone with a big stick, and freedom to beat anyone over the head with it. Is a lot of the invective thrown at Trump undeserved and frustrating? You betcha.  Could he reduce unforced errors with better message discipline? Dang right.

So, what about Trump Jr and his meeting with Boris and Natasha?

It was not illegal. In terms of ethics, it was certainly far cleaner than Hillary s work with the Ukrainians to find or manufacture damaging stories about Trump. In the former, he was coming to see what was offered, in bad faith as it turns out, that could help. In the latter, Hillary was actively seeking and paying for help to get or manufacture, as they did, a story.  Stay away from the sausage factory, it will spoil your appetite.

What is was, and remains, is a stupid, rookie mistake. He should have run that by a senior political operative before answering. But there were none. The allure of the outsider campaign meant that everyone was a rookie, and they were likely to fall into some traps. Well, he did. Now we know the formula to move on past it, as demonstrated by Hillary. “I made a mistake. In retrospect, it was a dumb move and I would not do it again. “

Will it be enough for the Left? Well of course not. The only thing that would be enough for the Left is for the entire administration to resign, and for Congress to appoint Hillary as POTUS. (Be careful what you wish for.) Of course, that is not going to happen.

For the Trumps, perhaps a few lessons might be learned.

  1. Be careful about hiring family. Just because you love and trust them does not mean they are right for the job, and firing them is tougher than with a stranger.
  2. Fighting back is all well and good. Better yet, is avoiding traps. There are plenty of people with experience in the political arena in which you are swimming willing to advise you. The ones you have are not serving you well. Find one who will, and stop doing stupid stuff, and get your people confirmed, and get your agenda passed.
  3. If it seems too good to be true, it is. Don’t be gullible.
  4. And from an old Cold Warrior, a cursory reading of history would tell you this: Don’t trust the Russians.

The establishment in DC, the press, and the Dems are not going to ever love the Trumps, or conservatives. And they will damage or destroy President Trump if they can.

 

President Trump and his son, and other advisers, should stop helping them.

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Mark Caserta: US future bright despite liberal skepticism

14 Jul

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Mark Caserta:  Free State Patriot editor

Jul 14, 2017

 

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A mentor once reminded me that “being under attack is proof you present a threat to the opposition.”

If true, then Donald J. Trump must be an ominous threat to the progressive movement.

Frankly, I’m not sure if “the moon is in the Seventh House” or if Jupiter is aligned with Mars, but it certainly seems to be the dawning of the age of liberal collapse.

Void of anything substantive to hang their hats on, liberal attempts to hinder the success of Trump’s presidency have them grasping at straws and are quite telling as to where their allegiance lies.

And isn’t the irony as thick as molasses in wintertime when liberals call Donald Trump out for his “lying” and “scandal”?

Where were these folks the past eight years when the truth was embarrassingly lacking in the Obama administration and scandal was the news of the day? Prevarication was leveraged by Barack Hussein Obama and his minions like nothing we’d ever seen! But liberals seemed willing accomplices if it fundamentally changed America.

To date, no matter how often I challenge any liberal to defend Obama’s lies in passing Obamacare, none has accepted the challenge. How hypocritical to ignore the “Politifact Lie of the Year” and nibble at crumbs with President Trump!

Imagine if Donald Trump had manufactured an equitable number of lies in forcing major legislation on Americans adversely impacting their lives and our nation’s economy. Progressives would be having the panic attack of the century!

And it’s nothing short of laughable for anyone to question Donald Trump’s qualifications to be president of the United States! Can anyone say “community organizer”? Don’t insult my intelligence.

Until liberals are ready to admit Trump’s “lack of political” background and his political “irreverence” won him his party’s nomination and the presidency, they’ll be irrelevant for years to come.

The great news is, as I travel through coal mining communities in Logan, Mingo and Raleigh counties, I talk to people excited about the return of mining jobs and prosperity for families. I talk with business owners excited about the proposition of becoming profitable again, eager to hire people and grow their industry.

And I talk with families, once again, filled with pride in their country and in their president.

President Trump’s recent trip to Poland and his magnificent oratory in Warsaw was a glimpse at a powerful presidency. The president’s speech helped reposition America as a global power, reaffirmed our commitment to our allies, and validated our resolve in defeating our enemies.

A recent column by Michael Barone in The Washington Examiner stated Trump’s speech showed “that an American nationalist can appreciate and admire another nation’s nationalism.”

How refreshing it was for our president to step on the global stage, unapologetic about America’s exceptionalism, yet able to garner the support and respect of other countries.

Perhaps it’s time for progressives to spend as much time and energy helping this president return our nation to greatness, as they do sulking and attacking his every move.

Believe me, President Trump is just getting started.

Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.

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Mark Caserta: It’s time for liberals to put America first

16 Jun

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Mark Caserta:  Free State Patriot editor

Jun 16, 2017

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Liberal Democrats are allowing the sheer hatred of President Trump and his supporters to render them senseless to the needs of our country.

Let’s be clear. It’s not the Russians destroying our Democratic electoral process; it’s liberals.

And this isn’t a war on President Trump; it’s a war on you!

Americans decided overwhelmingly, in the manner governed by our Republic, to elect someone who was the antithesis of his predecessor. Anyone willing to be intellectually honest would admit our nation was in a death spiral both economically and on stage in the global theater. Americans knew we needed a true leader, one who would never place political correctness over the needs of our country.

America needed Donald J. Trump.

Liberals realized immediately after Trump won his party’s nomination that something was wrong. How could this outsider possibly have come this far in the race? Surely, this was a fluke. But nevertheless, something had to be done. So, they began the process of delegitamizing Donald Trump, the man.

Every step Trump took, it would be his last. Every time he tweeted, he’s surely crossed the line. Every time he said something politically incorrect, it was the beginning of the end for Donald Trump.

But it never happened. The more he resisted pressure to align with the Washington norm, the more popular he became.

But the months leading up to the 2016 presidential election set the stage for the ultimate shocker for liberals. Not a single progressive talking head could find a path to victory for Donald Trump.

Democrats and the mainstream media were certain Hillary Clinton would win in a landslide. Her pompous arrogance and assurance of victory prompted a feckless campaign which failed to propose any significant strategy beyond perpetuating the failed policies of Barack Obama.

Even when Hillary’s success within her own party became shaded after the Democrat National Committee website experienced a cyber-attack exposing Democrats attempting to undermine the presidential campaign of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Hillary’s faithful stood by her.

But in the wee hours of the morning, on Nov. 9, 2016, the walls of the DNC started to crumble. As final election returns were confirmed and reported by the news outlets, it appeared Donald Trump was winning. And not just barely winning. He was winning “big time.”

Liberal Democrats were livid, but not finished. After coming to terms with the results of the election, they had to do something to regain power, despite the unintended consequences. So, the current strategy to undermine the presidency of the United States and our electoral system began.

Even as jobs are returning and the world leaders are once again recognizing the leadership of the United States as legitimate, progressive anger flourishes. We see liberals acting erratically, using foul language and despicable displays of hatred against the president.

Is this the future you want for our country? Hate has never succeeded, and love never fails. It’s time for liberals to put America first.

It’s time to love our country more than you hate the president.

Mark Caserta is a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.

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Mark Caserta: Trump’s overseas journey a huge success

2 Jun

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Mark Caserta:  Free State Patriot editor

  • Jun 2, 2017

 

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Our 45th president, Donald J. Trump, just completed his first overseas trip as commander-in-chief.

What an overwhelming success for the administration and the American people!

Unlike the “appease and apologize” tours Americans were accustomed to seeing under the Obama administration, President Trump delivered what the world has been waiting to see from the U.S. for eight agonizing years – unwavering leadership and a reliability in partnering with our global allies.

The president and his wife Melania’s first stop was in Saudi Arabia, where they received a warm welcome by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. During his two-day visit, President Trump signed a major weapons deal with the Saudis, essentially freeing American soldiers from the field of battle in the region by supplying high-tech weaponry to the Saudis. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was reported by Al-Jazeera as saying the arms agreement will help Saudi Arabia deal with “malign Iranian influence.”

The president also attended a summit of more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders to discuss the fight against “extremism,” as reported by multiple news agencies. Trump’s bold speech on Islam called for increased unity in the fight against “radicalism” while characterizing the effort as a “battle between good and evil,” wrote The Associated Press.

On the second leg of his journey, President Trump visited our strongest ally in the region, Israel, where he helped strengthen the U.S. relationship with Israel and reaffirmed his commitment to Middle East peace. He became the first sitting U.S. president to ever visit and pray at the Western Wall, considered by the Jewish people to be one of their holiest sites. Trump was accompanied by the Rabbi of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinowitz, who was complimentary of the president’s commitment to the Israeli people.

“(Trump) said that he understands the significance of the Western Wall for the Jewish people and that’s why he decided to visit here during his first trip to Israel,” Rabinowitz said. “He is certain he will come here again, perhaps many times. He was very moved,” Reuters reported.

“America’s security partnership with Israel is stronger than ever,” Trump said during his visit. “Under my administration, you see the difference,” the president was quoted as saying by The Washington Post.

The third leg of the president’s overseas trip included a visit to Rome, Brussels and Vatican City for a meeting with Pope Francis, where they cordially discussed terrorism and the radicalization of young people, per a multiple-authored column last week in The New York Times.

Sadly, yet increasingly predictable, the mainstream media included in nearly all “news” reports of the president’s monumental trip an intentionally distracting reference to the firing of James Comey and the progressive propagation of the conspiracy between Russia and the Trump campaign which liberals propose “must” be the reason Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 presidential election.

Frankly, liberals are rapidly conniving their way to irrelevancy.

Regardless, President Trump continues leading the United States back to greatness.

And our “broad stripes and bright stars” are gleaming brighter for many Americans.

Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.

 

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Mark Caserta: Liberals find Trump’s success disconcerting

14 Apr

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Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot editor

April 14, 2017

 

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It’s interesting that progressives portray the Trump presidency as being in disarray and that he’s struggling with the rigors of being commander-in-chief.

The truth is, President Trump’s accomplishments the last two months have been directed toward making America great again and reversing the damage to our country by the Obama administration.

It is, after all, what Americans hired him to do. Here are only a few significant achievements:

In January, as reported by the Washington Post and other news agencies, President Trump reinstated a rule, first instituted by President Reagan, blocking U.S. aid to foreign organizations that use the funds to perform or advocate abortions.

The ruling gives entities a choice to either stop providing abortions or any information regarding abortions, or lose valuable dollars from the U.S. This is a huge win for the pro-life movement.

Living up to his campaign promise to increase domestic energy production, Trump also signed executive orders breathing life to the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines. The projects, which have been squelched by liberal activists for years, are a monumental win for jobs and U.S. energy independence.

A February column in The Hill, by Devin Henry, reported on a Trump executive order ending a key Obama administration coal mining rule. At the signing, Trump called the regulation “another terrible job killing rule” and said ending it would save “many thousands of American jobs, especially in the mines”.

It’s laughable that liberals who’ve probably never employed a person in their life ridicule Trump’s action as ineffective in returning miners and those impacted by the industry to their jobs. Sadly, many progressives, including some local, hope it’s true.

In the crme, de la crme for constitutional conservatives, the Senate voted last week, 5445, to confirm Judge Neil Gorsuch, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee. As the president promised, he nominated a judge in the spirit of departed Justice Antonin Scalia who will protect and uphold the Constitution.

While many believe the 2016 presidential election was, in part, a referendum on the Supreme Court, this was a major blow to the progressive movement. The procedural change in the Senate requiring a simple majority for a justice’s confirmation paves the way for more conservative appointments during Trump’s presidency.

And on his 75th day as president, Donald Trump proved to the world that Obama’s indecisive, “lead-from-behind” strategy was over.

Following a horrific chemical weapons attack by Syria’s Bashar Al Assad on his own people, President Trump ordered U.S. warships to launch 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Syrian airbase responsible for the attacks.

No empty “line in the sand” threats, no politically correct oratory, no gauging the winds of opinion – just action. It’s been eight years since the world has seen such decisive leadership in the U.S.

Of course, liberals are furious and have excoriated President Trump in every way imaginable. But frankly, it’s a litmus test of his success.

So, if progressives really believe Trump hasn’t been successful so far, they have a long eight years ahead of them.

He’s just getting started.

Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger and Cabell County resident.

 

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Mark Caserta: Americans begin a new journey with President Trump!

14 Nov

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Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot editor

WE THE PEOPLE 1

The word “Republic” is a special word and quite different from a “Democracy.”

A Republic is a form of government in which the powers of sovereignty are vested in and exercised by the people, either directly or through representatives chosen by the people. Democracy is simply “majority rule.”

Our founding fathers had a vision for a republic, one in which every individual controlled their own destiny without interference from government or any oppressive entity.

The first time I ever heard the word and gained a real grasp of its meaning was from the 1960 epic war film “The Alamo,” starring screen giants like John Wayne as Davy Crockett, Richard Boone as Sam Houston and Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie.

The film depicts the “Battle of the Alamo” and the events leading up to it. Facing the insurmountable odds of defeating the Mexican forces, led by General Santa Anna, Sam Houston challenges Col. William B. Travis, played by Laurence Harvey, to buy him time by holding a position at the Alamo mission while he prepared an army capable of fighting for Texas’ independence.

In an early scene, Travis attempts a conversation with Crockett to convince him of the nobility of the fight and to persuade his Tennesseans to join the battle in pursuit of a Republic.

In the movie, Crockett quickly sets aside his “country-bumpkin” demeanor and speaks eloquently about the term “republic.”

“Republic is one of those words that makes me tight in the throat – the same tightness a man gets when his baby takes his first step or his first baby shaves and makes his first sound as a man,” Crockett said. “Some words can give you a feeling that makes your heart warm. Republic is one of those words.”

While Travis, Crockett and Bowie were badly defeated at the Alamo in 1836, Houston’s army won against the Mexican forces and gained independence for Texas. The phrase “Remember the Alamo” aptly immortalizes this brave sacrifice as well as our nation’s fervor for freedom.

Following the founding of our U.S. Constitution at convention in 1787, it’s recorded that a bystander inquired of Ben Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a Republic or a Monarchy?” Franklin replied, “A Republic, if you can keep it.”

Since then, there have been a total of 27 constitutional amendments designed to further the premise of having three distinct branches of government, along with a system of checks and balances, to ensure no single branch would have too much power and that voters have the final word.

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, Americans once again had the final word. Americans once again arose above the fray and persevered against tyranny and oppression.

I submit, Donald Trump’s decisive victory is best described by a posthumous response to Dr. Franklin’s challenge he posed following that immortal day in Philadelphia over 200 years ago.

“We shall, Mr. Franklin. We shall protect our Republic.”

May God bless America as we begin this new journey.  And may God bless Donald Trump as he takes the helm during tumultuous seas in the U.S.

 

Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.

 

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