In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, we explore a number of important issues – from the engagement in Syria to the judicial filibuster, the prospect of Justice Neil Gorsuch, and the need for judicial reform. The images emanating from Syria are horrible, but there are a lot of important questions that must be answered before we jump in and act on emotion.  Without answering these critical questions, we risk repeating the mistakes of Iraq, destroying our military and political capital, and not even solving the humanitarian problem. As for the courts, we explore why Gorsuch’s ascendance to the high court will not change the course of the judiciary and why we need bold thinkers to move beyond the existing failed paradigm.  We must remember that the capacity of a good judge to do good does not counteract the capacity of a bad judge to destroy our society.  That is why we will never fix the courts merely by attempting to appoint better judges. Trump picks an Obama holdover to head the Border Patrol A partial list of liberals in the Trump administration A recent court case that demonstrates why the courts are irremediably broken No more ground troops: Trump must be careful that Syria doesn’t become his Iraq

How is it possible to get hit by a parked car?  It’s not possible, of course, unless you do it on purpose.  The same applies to Trump and Republicans losing the upcoming budget battle.  In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, we explore the mechanics of the budget battle and how the perfidy and betrayal demonstrates that Republicans don’t share our values.  It is impossible to lose a government shutdown fight when you control all three branches unless you don’t want to win or unless your definition of winning is different from your campaign promises.  Republicans are set to cave on the border wall, refugee resettlement, protecting Trump’s executive order, and Planned Parenthood, as well as the spending levels.  When juxtaposed to what Democrats got in 2009 when they controlled all three branches, it should become evident to anyone willing to listen that Republicans don’t share the values of their base the way Democrats represent their voters. Finally, Daniel discusses the mechanics of the filibuster and how several recent factors have changed the importance of this tool or at least the way it is practiced.      Show links: So much for the ‘Art of the Deal’: Trump and GOP leaders are about to cave on the budget While Trump attacks conservatives, his immigration agenda burns New budget report: America will be Greece unless health care is fixed Tillerson selling out to the Taliban?

In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel explains the depth and profundity of the betrayal of conservatives.  There is so much capitulation going on, it’s hard to keep up.  Worse, Republicans are using their operation to smear conservatives and project on them their own faults.  Facts and details of legislation no longer matter.  Lies and deceptions reign supreme.  The core of the problem is that we have now accepted the soft bigotry of low expectations from Republicans.  As long as they do one thing slightly different from Democrats, that is enough to mollify some phony conservatives.  Then they call anyone who upholds the most basic tenets of the GOP platform a purist.  This is how Democrat policies triumph even when they are out of power.  This party is irremediably broken and we need to break outside of the existing paradigm to do more.  Show Links Jared pushing criminal justice deform! Trump delaying move to designate Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group GOP establishment purists already surrendered April budget fight … with control of all 3 branches! At least some Republicans are honest about not wanting to repeal Obamacare

The Freedom Caucus has done a lot more than merely expose this party, the speaker, and the president as frauds on the health care issue.  They have demonstrated that the entire modus operandi of the Republican Party is a sham.  They run on campaign slogans to distinguish themselves from Democrats during elections but never have any intention of actually rolling back the leviathan.  Nonetheless, despite an inarticulate president and a phony party, Daniel explains why conservatives must not give up on Obamacare repeal and what we can do to fuel momentum for free market health care. Furthermore, Daniel explains why “tax reform” is a boondoggle.  It is the wrong issue to focus on and no good will come of it given certain political realities with establishment Republicans.  Trump would be wise to work with conservatives on the budget, immigration, and judicial reform rather than chase unicorn tax policies with Democrats.         Quotes "You can't con people, at least not for long. ... [I]f you don't deliver the goods, people will eventually catch on." President Trump, The Art of the Deal Show links: RINOcare lesson for Trump: Work with conservatives, not with the swamp Satire on why Freedom Caucus should apologize Trump tells Manchin he’ll work with Dems on “gun safety” Trump threatens to “work” with Dems on “tax reform”

In this special broadcast, Daniel celebrates the 100th episode of the Conservative Conscience. We outline a vision of what we are looking to do here – speak the truth, give a broad philosophical vision of conservatism as it relates to very specific information and issues and build a new movement that actually stands for something more than just being ‘slightly to the right’ of Democrats.   Tying in the entire premise of this show, Daniel goes through the news of the day with Obamacare and Neil Gorsuch to show how far to the left conservatives and Republicans have moved in their expectations.  They are simply happy to be one tranche to the right of the ever-drifting Democrat Party, which is why their soft bigotry of low expectations allows them to be happy with anything that “is not Democrat.”  Isn’t it time we stand on the veracity of our own views?  Plus you won’t want to miss all the latest news and inside baseball on the Obamacare repeal (or lack thereof).   To celebrate the 100th episode we’re excited to give away a free 1-year CRTV subscription. You'll get LevinTV, Michelle Malkin Investigates, Louder with Crowder, and The Steve Deace Show… and they're adding new programming all the time. Please tweet about the 100th episode of The Conservative Conscience by Sunday noon using the hashtag #CC100 and make sure you're following CRTV on Twitter.  The winner will be selected next week. Show links: New York liberals taking over the White House Ezekiel Emanuel advising Trump on health care 15 unanswered questions conservatives have about Gorsuch Gorsuch is not going to save us from judicial hell Tom Price confirms what we knew: Republicans never intended to repeal ObamacareDo we have a country or not? Trump must cancel Obama’s amnesty

In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel is joined by Professor John Cochrane of the Hoover Institute, an expert economist on health care policy.  In a refreshing change from the typical inside-Washington health care discussion, Daniel and the professor actually move beyond the false choice of the existing paradigm and envision what a true free market would look like. Professor Cochrane gives a synopsis of his plan for free markets to deal with pre-existing conditions through the issuance of health-status insurance.  The source of the pre-existing condition problem is government intervention that has boxed out any ability or need for private enterprise to compete for consumer demand.  But if we actually repealed the Obamacare (and some pre-Obamacare) regulations and interventions, we could have health status insurance that would be purchased just like term-life insurance at a very young age to cover any change in health status.  Show notes:  Forget about the Washington-speak of “repeal and replace,” here is a true market approach from Professor Cochrane  Professor Cochrane’s econ blog Health insurance CEO’s want more subsidies, not free market 20 free market health care ideas

This week we learned what it means to be a conservative soul trapped in the corrosive body of the Republican Party.  What Republicans do is viewed by the public as conservative because of the phony binary choice, but in fact conservatives get blamed for the liberal rhetorical and policy problems with their proposals, which are messaged to the public as conservative!  Nowhere is this more evident than with Obamacare, as Republicans are selling retention of Obamacare as repeal of Obamacare, saddling conservatives with all the liabilities of perceived repeal, but none of the benefits.  In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, we explore how the entire binary fight between the parties is a false flag operation and how we are fighting with the media (and even CBO) over policies that aren’t even conservative.  Further, we explore some very concerning foreign policy news as it relates to Pentagon and State Department personnel and Trump’s newfound love for the PLO and the stupid peace process.  If conservatives don’t demand a course correction soon, this will be the third term of Obama’s foreign policy.     Show links Iran deal architect is now running Tehran policy at the State Department John Kerry apprentice to lead Israeli-Palestinian portfolio at State Department Trump preventing Israel from building…just like Kerry Caroline Glick: Trump embraces the PLO fantasy Trump should be working with conservatives on immigration instead of against them on health care CBO confirms: Full repeal of Obamacare is the ONLY way forward

In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel explains how the lies Paul Ryan is telling about Obamacare are reflective of a broader terminal illness within the political system: the idolatry of the binary choice.  Going through the history of primary challenges and budget fights since 2011, Daniel explores how Republicans and their elite allies use conservative talking points in order to get people to buy into their electoral scam, but then renege on them when the inflection point is at hand.  Worse, they criticize those who hold the very line they claimed to support before the moment of truth was upon them.  This episode also explores some of the problems with Trump’s cabinet members hiring liberals for top positions in State, Defense, and DHS while patriotic conservatives within the administration are doing their best to hold the line.     Show links GOP should look up the definition of 'Obamacare' before claiming to repeal it 20 ideas to crush Obamacare and cure America's health care crisis RINOcare: What would Mike Pence of 2003 tell VP Pence? Yes, all of Obamacare can be repealed through budget reconciliation

How quickly Republicans have accepted every premise of government run healthcare.  In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel goes through the entire timeline of the GOP RINOCare bill as well as each element – the regulations, subsidies, spending, and mandates – to demonstrate how the political and policy outcome of this bill will be worse than Obamacare.   This is not just Obamacare-lite.  It never repeals Obamacare to begin with and the few things it tweaks will exacerbate the existing system.  This bill only helps the big Pharma industry because it guarantees a steady flow of subsidies driven by endless crisis points of fiscal insolvency.   Show links Obamacare 2.0 is a gift to illegals. Oh, and GOP? You LIE. RINO-Care: A more insolvent version of Obamacare … except this time GOP owns it List of 24 Regulations from CRS – almost none of them are repealed

Everyone agrees Trump gave a well-received speech before Congress on Tuesday night.  Now it’s time for him to follow that up with action. In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel discusses how Trump can use the bully pulpit to promote specific policies on the most important issues, such as immigration, health care, national security, taxes, and regulations.  He must first get everyone in his administration in line with his agenda, formulate specific policies, and then make a series of high profile policy speeches speaking to the morality of those policies in order to browbeat Congress into submission.  That is how Reagan successfully used the bully pulpit.  Specifically, we discuss how Trump can articulate a vision for free market health care and channel his populism into a conservative message that shows how the Left is responsible for destroying innovation in health care.  Daniel speaks passionately about his blueprint for free market health care reform and the need to end venture socialism, whereby the AMA and the lobbyists for the status quo use the boot of government to prevent an Uber or Amazon type revolution in the industry.  Trump would be the best ambassador for such a cause because of his persona as an innovative entrepreneur.  This is how he can get Republicans unified behind one health care plan.    Moreover, this is how Trump can speak over the media.  The more chaos, division, and indecisiveness on policy issues, the more the media will fill the news vacuum with manufactured administration scandals.  But the more Trump publicly, definitively, and passionately speaks to the issues of our time with specific proposals, the more the media will have to wage their war on our territory.  The public is starving for innovative changes from traditional failed policies on so many issues.  It’s time to speak consistently, seriously, and specifically with one voice.    Quotes: “When you believe in something with all your heart and soul it comes very easy.  We don’t have Republicans that believe in principles with their hearts and souls.”  “Trump needs to speak to the morality of free markets the same way he did his immigration policies.  We have a natural right to free market health care. We have the right to pursue happiness and engage in commerce and contracts without government screwing us over.” “In politics you either drive the narrative or get driven by the narrative.  If you are not making a definitive play, you will become a victim of the media’s play.” Show links Trump scored big, using a conventional speech to kick off an unconventional presidency If airlines worked like health care… Logan Albright: How the AMA is using their government-sponsored monopoly to destroy health care 4 reasons why GOP’s health care plan is really RINO-care What Trump should say to Congress about Obamacare

The first step to solving a given problem is being honest with yourself about the severity of the problem itself.  We can’t become like ‘Baghdad Bob liberals’ and ignore the problems within our comatose movement and pathetic congressional leadership.  Nor can we ignore the problems with Trump himself, even as we praise the good aspects of his first month in office.    In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel goes through some observations of this past week and from the CPAC gathering to demonstrate why too many conservatives have their heads in the sand about some of the challenges we face.  We are no longer on the campaign trail.  Republicans have control of all branches of government, and although we know many of them, especially in the Senate, are not conservative, that point is lost on the average voter.  Voters will blame all conservatives for the ineptitude of Republicans if they fail to enact a relentlessly positive agenda.  Railing against the media is therapeutic for many of us, but if that’s all we have to offer, we are headed for a disaster. It's time for an honest discussion about the future of what this party stands for.  We must formulate a hard-hitting agenda (many ideas have already been put forth here at CR), speak to the morality of our views, and channel our passion and outrage to issues of substance in a consistent and intelligent way.  Once we do that, it will be much easier to fight the media on our turf rather than on their terms.  Towards the end, Daniel gives Trump some advice for his upcoming address to Congress and how he should present his immigration and health care policies in a way that will place Democrats on defense.  Rather than have a false debate between progressive nationalism and failed tepid republicanism, why not actually try real constitutional conservatism for once?  The notion that conservatism is dead and in need of reform is built upon a false premise because we have never tried real conservatism in the modern era with the existing challenges confronting this country.  We need a new movement, not new principles. It’s time to build a new movement built upon timeless principles.            Show Links:  Trump’s new national security advisor sounding like a liberal Enough lukewarm hell: 8 steps Trump must take NOW to effect real change Islamists just sawed off a Jew's finger. That's not enough bloodshed for the 'tolerant' Left. Daniel Horowitz Senior Editor, ConservativeReview Twitter: Daniel Horowitz@ RMConservative Subscribe to The Conservative Conscience Podcast:iTunes | Stitcher | Android | RSS

When will the conservative movement wake up and smell the stench from the bench? The entire media, and by extension, the servile conservative media, is focused on Russia 24/7.  But the real problem is that the courts in this country are turning our republic into the Soviet Union.  We have several hundred Putins running this country and they are on the federal bench with life tenure, erroneously accorded the status of sole and final arbiter of every political issue. In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel lays bare the tyranny of the courts and demonstrates how the judiciary is beyond repair.  They might even be surpassing the courts of Sodom and Gomorrah in terms of their moral dyslexia.  Just over the past week, the courts have created rights for illegal aliens, a right for Somali jihadis to immigrate, and a right for Planned Parenthood to enjoy taxpayer funding.  Yet, property and conscience rights of the individual citizen are allowed to be violated as Christians and Jews are forced to service homosexual weddings with their own livelihood.  Courts are also saying states can violate the Second Amendment and are ignoring the Heller decision but they must give driver’s licenses to illegals! Sadly, so many “conservatives” aren’t conservative anymore.  The same moral compass that allowed them to invite a licentious activist to give the keynote speech at CPAC is behind the appalling silence of these organizations as the courts bastardize our values, Constitution, history, and traditions. Quotes “[T]his is a land, not of privileges, but of equal rights. Privileges are granted by European sovereigns to particular classes of individuals, for purposes of general policy; but the general impression here is that privileges granted to one denomination of people, can very seldom be discriminated from erosions of the rights of others.”  ~ John Quincy Adams, 1820      “If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that direction cannot lay claim to progress. They are reactionary. Their ideas are not more modern, but more ancient, than those of the Revolutionary fathers.” ~ Calvin Coolidge, 1926 Show links: Trump's ability to remake the federal courts is a lot harder than the numbers suggest

This is not Celebratory Apprentice, a business roundtable or a think tank thumb sucking seminar.  This is the future of our civilization at stake. We need leadership in the White House, in Congress, and in the conservative movement (which is nonexistent) to speak with one voice and to speak to the morality, values, and ethos of our just cause the way the left speaks to the morality of their immorality.  In honor of George Washington’s upcoming birthday, this episode of the Conservative Conscience is dedicated to drawing upon his legacy to inspire a new generation of conservative leaders who will rise to the occasion and confront the civilization-destroying challenges of this generation.  It is quite evident from conservative leaders and Republican officials that their hearts are not sensitive enough to the severity of the threats against our sovereignty, security, civil society, and system of governance.  Daniel lays out a blueprint for a path forward and commits to charting a new course.     Key quotes: “His was the directing spirit without which there would have been no independence, no Union, no Constitution, and no Republic. His ways were the ways of truth. He built for eternity. His influence grows. His stature increases with the increasing years. In wisdom of action, in purity of character, he stands alone. We can not yet estimate him. We can only indicate our reverence for him and thank the Divine Providence which sent him to serve and inspire his fellow men.”  ~President Calvin Coolidge, remarks celebrating Washington’s birthday in 1927 “All see, and most admire, the glare which hovers round the external trappings of elevated office. To me there is nothing in it, beyond the lustre which may be reflected from its connection with a power of promoting human felicity.” ~George Washington, letter to Catherine Macaulay Graham, January 9, 1790 Show links: Enough lukewarm hell: 8 steps Trump must take NOW to effect real change The lower courts are lost forever. Only wholesale judicial reform will help Like ISIS fighters, the courts are ripping down our monuments  Daniel Horowitz Senior Editor, ConservativeReview Twitter: Daniel Horowitz@ RMConservative Subscribe to The Conservative Conscience Podcast:iTunes | Stitcher | Android | RSS

In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel rounds up all of this week’s CR content on how the courts are destroying America.  Despite the fact that judges have demonstrated they will stop at nothing to enact their social justice agenda through the Constitution, many conservative legal establishment figures are still in love with the courts.  They believe they can still win in the courts and make them better simply by appointing better judges. The reality is that we’ve crossed the point of no return with the courts a long time ago.  Anything short of wholesale judicial reform will only raise the prominence of the courts and stifle our ability to save American democracy.       Key quote: “[T]o the objection that a rejection of a court’s authority would be civil disobedience, the answer is that a court that issues orders without authority engages in an equally dangerous form of civil disobedience.” ~ Robert Bork Show Links ACLU getting ready to push judicial amnesty in the courts Ninth Circuit forces Arizona to follow Obama’s illegal amnesty, provide illegals with driver’s licenses Congress has the power to reform the courts…if they cared to pay attention

Is there any floor to the decadence of judicial supremacy that will finally get “conservatives” to respond with an appropriate degree of outrage and strategy?  In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniels observes how so many conservatives are more concerned about Trump’s criticism of judicial tyranny than…the judicial tyranny itself.  Moreover, that behavior seems to be embodied by Neil Gorsuch, which is another indicator that he might be more of a John Roberts than a Scalia – a man who is personally and intellectually conservative but has too much respect for the corrupt status quo to actually fight against it. How dare these people say we need an “independent” judiciary and are “demoralized” by “criticism” of judges when they are not demoralized by the judiciary compromising the independence of states and the other two branches of the federal government.  They are practically creating an 11th Commandment, “thou shalt not criticize a judge,” – except that the judges already got rid of the first ten commandments.  This speaks to the broader problem both in the pseudo conservative political and legal movements.  They are all on the right side in theory but never in practice when the issue reaches the inflection point. Daniel also goes through his latest assessment of Trump through the prism of a comatose conservative movement and a Republican Party that’s far to the left of Trump (and Trump is not conservative on many issues).  Rather than backing Trump on the courts and immigration and then using that unity to pressure Trump to do the right things on social issues and Obamacare (and also building up clout to stop him from saying off message and harmful things), these thumb suckers criticize him when he does what’s right and lose all their capital to rein him in when it’s needed.       Show links: 15 Questions to vet whether Gorsuch really is an originalist Ben Sasse’s account of Gorsuch conversation is very disturbing

The New England Patriots overcame a 25-point deficit to win the Super Bowl in spectacular fashion.  Unfortunately, the American patriots are down by a lot more than 25 points to the forces of tyranny, particularly judicial tyranny, and time is running out for our republic. In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel explains why judicial tyranny and out-of-control immigration are the most important issues confronting this Republic and how the convergence of those two threaten the very foundation of our sovereignty.  The thesis of Stolen Sovereignty and the nightmare of judges giving foreign nationals an affirmative right to immigrate is playing out before our very eyes.  The left is trying to use the courts, and the misconception of the power they wield, to ensure that Congress and the president can’t take steps to prevent America from becoming like Europe and overrun by islamists. Daniel breaks down some of his recent articles and delves into just how bad the opinion of Judge Robart was when he placed a nationwide injunction on what is essentially current law.  On many levels, this case proves that the judiciary is beyond repair, will never be fixed through conventional means of appointing “better judges, and must be reformed wholesale by Congress.        Show links: Impeach Judge James Robart for violating sovereignty and Constitution How to tell the difference between Trump and Obama's refugee EOs? Trump actually follows the law Rogue judges undermine our sovereignty. Here's how Congress can stop them Will Trump defy pressure to betray promises on religious liberty?

In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel spills his heart out on the state of the courts, what conservatives are looking for, and why Gorsuch, although a solid nominee, still doesn’t inspire full confidence that he is the best we could have done, given GOP control of the Senate.  Then again, with a Senate full of RINOs, who could have scuttled the nomination of someone in the mold of Clarence Thomas, could you really blame Trump? Moreover, the entire process demonstrate why we will never really fix the courts simply by “picking better judges.”  “The capacity of a good judge to do good is nowhere near the capacity of a bad judge to harm our constitution, society, sovereignty, and security.  Even if we had a Clarence Thomas for every Republican SCOTUS pick and for every lower court pick, an impossibility (they don’t exist), we could never combat the malfeasance of the left.  The equivalent on the right of what the left does to advance their malevolent agenda through the courts would be to force people to own guns and to throw homosexuals and transgenders in jail.    This is one of the many reasons why we will not fix the judiciary by picking “good judges” alone; we need wholesale judicial reform. Finally, Daniel praises Trump for staying the course but expresses concern about his enthusiastic embrace of Obama’s discriminatory policy of cutting off government contracts with businesses that don’t promote the transgender agenda.  The entire reason why we want to win back the courts is so they don’t promote social transformation without representation.  Yet, Trump is now codifying it on his own.  While we will continue to defend his courage on immigration, we must demand that social conservatives and even social libertarians are not sidelined by the Marxist cultural warriors.    Key Quotes:  “What it evidences is the deep and perhaps irremediable corruption of our legal culture’s conception of constitutional interpretation.” ~ Justice Alito “On the evidence, we must conclude, I think, that this tendency of courts, including the Supreme Court, is the inevitable result of our written Constitution and the power of judicial review. Even in the depths of the Warren Court era some of us thought that the Court’s performance, though profoundly illegitimate, could be brought within the range of the minimally acceptable by logical persuasion or the appointment of more responsible judges, or both. We now know that was an illusion. A Court majority is impervious to arguments about its proper behavior. It seems safe to say that, as our institutional arrangements now stand, the Court can never be made a legitimate element of a basically democratic polity.” “Republican Presidents have used the nomination process in an effort to change the direction of the Court with almost zero results on the major issues. After twelve years of Presidents Reagan and Bush, each of whom made a determined effort to appoint Justices who would abide by the Constitution as originally understood, we seem farther than ever from a restrained Court.” ~Robert Bork Show links: Rep. Ron Desantis’s excellent balanced statement on Gorsuch 7 reasons Neil Gorsuch’s nomination is only the beginning of taking back the judiciary 12 reasons why Federal Judiciary is irremediably broken What conservatives want and need in a Supreme Court Justice Fake judges violate 200 Years of Case law by staying Trump’s sovereignty order Incontrovertible proof that a nation has the right to exclude or deport any foreign national

In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel blows up every myth of the Left about an affirmative right to immigrate and violate our national sovereignty.  Daniel goes through the history of immigration law and notes that it is at the core of our foundation that a sovereign nation can exclude anyone for any reason or place any conditions on those here who have not yet become citizens. Daniel takes conservatives to task for cowering in the face of mob rule.  If we have come to a point where we can’t even temporarily suspend immigration from a place like Somalia during a time of out of control terrorism, then we are destined to become Europe.   Moreover, the courts are setting a terrible precedent by violating 200 years of the most settled case law – that the political branches of government have full authority over immigration.  Courts have absolutely no jurisdiction and aliens who are not on our soil (airports don’t count) have no right to judicial review.  If we don’t rein in the courts, they will prevent us from dealing with illegal immigrants as well.   Key Quotes: “It is an accepted maxim of international law that every sovereign nation has the power, as inherent in sovereignty, and essential to self-preservation, to forbid the entrance of foreigners within its dominions, or to admit them only in such cases and upon such conditions as it may see fit to prescribe.” Nishimura Ekiu v. United States, 142 US 651 (1892). [“the right of a nation to expel or deport foreigners who have not been naturalized, or taken any steps towards becoming citizens of the country, rests upon the same grounds, and is as absolute and unqualified as the right to prohibit and prevent their entrance into the country.”] Fong Yue Ting v. United States, 149 US 707 (1893). What better authority on this subject than Justice Robert Jackson, the famous Nuremberg prosecutor who was a champion of due process rights (he wrote the dissent in Korematsu v. United States, the Japanese internment case) and regarded as one of the greatest writers of his time? Here is what he had to say: “Due process does not invest any alien with a right to enter the United States, nor confer on those admitted the right to remain against the national will.” Shaughnessy v. Mezei, 345 US 222-223 (1953) (Jackson, J., dissenting). Show Links: Separating fact from fake news on Trump’s executive order Just 14 years ago, Democrats supported cutting off visas from terror-supporting nations Importing the values of the Middle East Boundless Somali immigration poses existential threat

The big day has arrived.  Republicans now have possession of the ball.  But does that mean we have already scored?  Absolutely not!  Now is when the work begins.  In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel runs through some of the major issues that conservative must confront immediately and gives an update and an outlook on where each one stands.  From repealing Obamacare and ending the Iran deal to rescinding Obama’s amnesty, reforming refugee resettlement, draining the Obama personnel from executive departments, and nominating the best SCOTUS pick, conservatives have many challenges.  In some cases, the prognosis is pretty grim unless the grassroots rise up and demand adherence to the campaign promises.   The main job of conservative media and the grassroots is to ensure that we don’t get distracted with nonsensical issues in the media while liberals rack up real policy victories.  Now is not the time to whine about the media or Democrats; now is the time to get our house in order and stand for what’s right.  Show Links: Trump leaving Obama’s executive amnesty in place would be a colossal betrayal

With Republicans continuing to echo Democrat talking points and premises on health care and many other issues, Daniel asks an unsettling question in this episode of the Conservative Conscience: are there any conservatives left in politics?  Rather than being emboldened by the electoral mandate, Republicans always move to the left when they are in power, and some early indications suggest that this time is no different.   In confirmation hearing after confirmation hearing, the cabinet nominees and GOP senators continuously echoed, accepted, and validated even the most extreme Democrat premise on major issues; from Iran and Obamacare to transgenderism and global warming.  Additionally, Daniel talks about some of the disturbing things he’s hearing about the transition and why it portends more of the same failed tepid republicanism unless the grassroots rise up and demand more.  Don’t hope for change, demand it and ensure it.    Key quotes: “Liberals have successfully moved the entire political landscape and the contours of acceptable political discourse so far to the left that even when they lose they still win.” “Democrats have become so extreme that it’s easy for Republicans to be one or two tranches to the right but still well within deep liberal and destructive territory.” “The time for being “not Obama” or “at least better than Hillary” are over.  Now is the time to stand up and be counted and declare what we affirmative believe in and strive for.” Show links: The $20 trillion debt question for Republicans Fake repeal is worse than even no repeal of Obamacare The GOP plan to dupe members into keeping Obamacare

Are we really draining the swamp or is the swamp draining our resolve? In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel goes through a list of disturbing observations this week from Congress, Trump, and some of his cabinet picks, that demonstrates we might not move in a fundamentally different direction on some of the most critical issues.  From social engineering in the military and the Iran deal to Obamacare and Israel policy, there are a lot of disturbing signs that Republicans are taking Obama-era policies as a legitimate baseline and will not fulfill their promises to wipe his presidency clean.    What is evident from these observations is that we don’t have a personnel problem.  Even good people in this system will feel the pressure to never think outside the broken box.  We need to systemically reform our entire system of government and we should not wait for Democrats to win back power to pursue some of the long-term reforms we need.    Show links: The false narrative of “Repeal and Replace” is preserving Obamacare

In this passionate episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel lays out the source of the problem with GOP reluctance to fully repeal Obamacare.  At its core, they are making up procedural excuses that don’t exist and have no understanding of free markets. Worse, their political barometer as to what the public wants on health care is completely broken.  Daniel blasts the entire premise of the mindless mantra: “repeal and replace” and demonstrates how it has morphed into bait-and-switch.  Anyone who understands the source of the problem with health care and how Obamacare exacerbated that problem into complete insolvency would know that we don’t need to replace Obamacare at all.  We need to repeal, reform, and restore the free market.  There are a number of good free market ideas, a number of which are explained in this episode, but the premise that they must be in place before we repeal Obamacare or serve to supplement the core goals of Obamacare is false. Republicans have fundamentally adopted the Democrat philosophy on health care – pursuing the elusive and utopian goal of universal coverage at the expense of lowering costs.  In reality, the only political option that would actually lower costs is full and unconditional repeal of the insurance regulations.  Repeal that is contingent on replace is not repeal at all.  Only after the fire is put out can we go a step further and roll back some of the anti-market forces – both in health insurance and on the supply side of health care – that existed even before Obamacare.  Daniel teases a number of these ideas at the end of the podcast.  Repeal, reform, and restore – not repeal and replace.  Understanding that distinction is the lynchpin to this battle.    Key quotes:        “We need to "replace" Obamacare before repealing it the same way we need to replace the ancillary warmth some people derive from an arson before the fire is extinguished.” “At its core, the problem with health care is that we regulate it into insolvency, drive up costs, then break the budget on subsidizing the higher prices, which in turn raises the prices even more and engenders and even greater need for subsidization – a complete circuitous death spiral of insolvency.” “Obamacare stepped on the gas pedal in terms of the cycle of regulations/mandates and subsidies.  When Republicans talk about “replacing” Obamacare, they intend to accept the basic premise of mandates and subsidies, albeit with a pale pastel distinction.” “The word “actuarial” is mentioned 63 times in Obamacare.  The law literally prohibits actuarially solvent plans.  What is so hard and politically risky about Republicans simply repealing that prohibition – the heart and soul of Obamacare?”  Show links: If Republicans read this article, they’d understand while full and unconditional repeal is a political winner No, the Parliamentarian cannot stop Republicans from repealing all of Obamacare with 51 votes How Obamacare 'repeal and replace' became a 'bait and switch' monstrosity

Why is it that Republicans can’t understand fully repealing Obamacare is a winning issue?  Why are they too scared to even cut funding to the UN and the PLO? In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel uses this week’s legislative betrayals as examples to demonstrate why Republicans always betray their topline campaign promises.  1) they don’t understand or have knowledge of constitutional conservative principles and free market policies; 2) they often don’t believe in it; 3) even if they believe and understand them, their political barometer – the understanding of what is and is not a winning issue – is completely broken; 4) the legislative process is so complex and “inside baseball” that they can manipulate voters into thinking they are doing the opposite of what they are actually enacting. This is the reason why Republicans are scared to repeal Obamacare in a meaningful way.  And this is how they are able to fool us. Also, Daniel explains how Republicans were too scared to go on offense even against the UN and the PLO this week, opting to pass a resolution that gave Democrats cover and essentially codified Kerry’s obsession with the illogical “two state solution” into U.S. policy.  If we can’t defund the PLO, then what can we do?  Yet, given their broken political barometer, Republicans plan to bring legislation to the floor punishing the countries that voted for the UN resolution (such as Senegal and New Zealand) but not the PLO itself! This is why conservatives can’t hope for change this year or assume there will be change.  They must fight for it and demand change. Key Quotes: “There are so many smart stupid people in politics because they can’t break free of the existing paradigm and are stuck in an intellectual ghetto.” “You can’t fight if you don’t have a proper political barometer, you can’t have a proper political barometer if you don’t believe in the right things, and you can’t believe if you don’t understand the issue.” Show links How Obamacare 'repeal and replace' became a 'bait and switch' monstrosity Repeal in name only: The Republican plans to embrace Obamacare 2.0 GOP to bail out duplicitous Dems with sham anti-UN resolution 20 incredibly popular conservative ideas to tackle national security and immigration in 2017 Why conservatives should tell AIPAC to go to hell

Donald Trump was on the money when he recognized that the ethics office House Republicans attempted to defang was unfair and unaccountable, but at the same time it was a dumb way to prioritize the expending of their political capital. With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/816298944456232960">January 3, 2017 In the first 2017 episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel explains why Republicans were right to gut the Pelosi-era, unaccountable ethics office, but at the same time the optics of the way they did it were cringe-worthy.  Republicans must remember that they will need to employ legitimate strong-arm tactics to save the country by repealing Obamacare, reforming immigration and refugee resettlement, and reclaiming power from the unelected judiciary.  Why expend it on an issue that is nearly impossible to message to their constituents?  Ultimate, it would have been better for Republicans to make these changes more gradually and in broad daylight.  Nonetheless, on the substance of the Office of Congressional Ethics, the Republican majority was correct.  As bad as corrupt members are, the corruption of falsely accusing people of corruption without due process is even worse.  Ultimately, it is up to the FBI to investigate criminal charges and up to the members themselves – led by the standing Ethics Committee – to police violations of House rules and ethics.  That is why we have elections.  The media is being very dishonest, evincing the notion that this office is somehow enshrined into our laws.  It was in fact created not by statue but by the very same House rules process Republicans are using now.  The unelected body stocked with progressives worked with left-wing groups to try people in the court of public opinion without the accuser having to divulge his name and without informing the member of the investigation.  Even members of Congress deserve the right to defend themselves and be afforded due process when being investigated by their political enemies on the taxpayer dime.  The existing structure of the Ethics Committee in the Senate and what used to be in place before Pelosi in the House afforded basic due process rights such as witnesses, right to counsel, etc. to members. With that said, it would be one thing if Republicans took a principled stance on other more consequential policy issues.  But if this turns out to be their only bold stance of the month – while shirking their responsibility to fully repeal Obamacare and defund the UN – this will prove once again that they have not changed from their modus operandi as the stupid party.  Ultimately, Republicans were forced to retreat amidst backlash, as always. Finally, Daniel discusses some of his upcoming articles detailing a positive conservative agenda that, unlike what Republican just did, is actually broadly popular with the public.  Show links 15 worst court decisions of 2016 Details of changes to Office of Congressional Ethics “Independent” agencies are unaccountable and unconstitutional Republicans must their capital to overrule parliamentarian and enable full repeal of Obamacare

In this final episode of the Conservative Conscience for 2016, Daniel lays bare the truth about the so-called Palestinian cause.  The entire historical, legal, and geographical case for why there is no such thing as a distinct Arab “Palestinian” entity entitled to any land west of the Jordan River is recounted in this long episode.  It is incontrovertibly clear from a legal and historical standpoint that Israel has just as much of a right to exist in its so-called post-1967 borders as it does in its pre-’67 borders.  It is also patently obvious that from a geographical, moral, and security standpoint that anyone advocating a two state solution is implicitly denying Israel’s right to exist in any capacity.  Israel has already surrendered 94% of the land it acquired in a defensive war against its existence – The Sinai Peninsula and Gaza.  Anyone promoting an Arab Muslim state in the remaining 6% that would gut the heart of the tiny Jewish state – especially in light of the fact that Muslims control a land mass 640 times greater than Israel – is either woefully ignorant or supports something much more sinister.  It's time to get the facts straight: there already is an Arab Palestinian state – Jordan.  The two-state solution was carved out in 1922 in the last legally recognized agreement delineating boundaries of nation states. Arabs got 77% of the Mandate for Palestine, which was all the land east of the Jordan River, while Jews got the land to the west of the river.  History doesn’t lie.   Key Quotes: "The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people." [PLO official Zahir Muhsein, interview with Dutch newspaper Trouw, March 31, 1977. "The truth is that Jordan is Palestine and Palestine is Jordan." [King Hussein, December 1981 interview with A - Nahar Al – Arabi] “What you call Jordan is actually Palestine.”  [Yassir Arafat, 1974 interview with New Republic] Show Links: How Republicans can stop Obama’s jihad against Israel Israel’s right to build homes is settled … under international law 1922 Mandate for Palestine UN Charter Article 80 recognizing Israel’s legal right to all the land west of Jordan River San Remo Conference of 1920. Israel’s Magna Carta