Mitt's Message
The past two years have witnessed some of the most brutal political battles in modern American history. Leftists refused to accept the 2016 election results. They disrupted the inauguration. And the Deep State has been attempting to undermine the Trump presidency every day since he was elected.
After having been AWOL for much of this fight, Senator-elect Mitt Romney (R-UT) has published an opinion piece in the Washington Post offering his critique of Washington. The problem, as Romney sees it, is President Trump.
There wasn't one word in his op-ed about ending abortion on demand, securing our border or fighting the radical left, which is increasingly hostile to free speech and religious liberty.
Just think about the message Romney is sending to grassroots conservatives all across the country. In Romney's view, the problem in Washington isn't the swamp culture but the man they elected to drain the swamp. In Romney's view, the problem in Washington isn't the left's "resistance" to everything Trump says and does, but Trump himself.
Romney hasn't even taken his oath of office yet, but already he is vowing to lead the establishment opposition to Trump, as if there isn't enough of that already. And this is coming from the guy who gave us four more years of Barack Obama because he wasn't tough enough to handle Candy Crowley.
Not surprisingly, the president wasn't very enthused by Romney's letter to the editor. In a tweet this morning, the president questioned whether Romney was going to be another "Flake," and encouraged him to be a "team player" instead.
Shutdown Showdown
As the government shutdown approaches its second week, President Trump is attempting to jumpstart negotiations by inviting congressional leaders to the White House today for a briefing on border security.
But Democrats don't seem that interested in negotiating with Trump. The president cancelled his vacation plans last week and stayed in Washington, D.C., in order to be available for any talks that might reopen the government. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi skipped town and spent the holidays at a Hawaiian resort.
Since then, she's indicated that House Democrats would attempt to reopen the government later this week by passing several bills funding various government agencies while still refusing to provide any additional money for border security.
The White House quickly shot down Pelosi's plan. In a statement, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said:
"Speaker Designate Nancy Pelosi released a plan that will not re-open the government because it fails to secure the border and puts the needs of other countries above the needs of our own citizens. The Pelosi plan is a non-starter because it does not fund our homeland security or keep American families safe from human trafficking, drugs, and crime."
I am glad they are not backing down. Unfortunately, we got another reminder yesterday of why the additional border security resources are necessary.
Border Patrol agents were once again assaulted with rocks after more than 150 migrants attempted to rush the border at Tijuana, Mexico. But the headlines of most major newspapers parroted this theme from USA Today, "U.S. Border Agents Shoot Tear Gas At Migrants," as if they had nothing better to do.
This is a reminder of the shameful reality that we face: When our border is attacked, most Americans instinctively side with the Border Patrol. But big media, open borders progressives and liberal judges are working as hard as they can for the people who stormed the border instead of the men and women guarding the border.
Final Jeopardy?
Like many Americans, Carol and I enjoy watching "Jeopardy" most evenings. Last night, however, was a sad exception.
The Final Jeopardy clue, in the category of "U.S. Navy Ships," was: "'Peace Through Strength' is the motto of the U.S. aircraft carrier named for this man who professed the same policy."
The contestants were obviously well-educated, very intelligent individuals. They were taught about all the heroes of America -- Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy and Woodrow Wilson. I say that because those were the Final Jeopardy answers they provided.
But, sadly, they all got it wrong because not one of them apparently knows much about the greatest modern American president, Ronald Wilson Reagan.
New Year's Resolutions
2018 was a mixed year for conservatives. While the midterm elections saw many strong conservatives defeated in the House of Representatives, Republicans bolstered their majority in the Senate. The Trump administration accomplished much to be pleased with, including new laws to reform our criminal justice system and the appointment of a new Supreme Court justice.
Looking ahead to what is sure to be a contentious 2019, conservatives should make some New Year's resolutions. Here are four that I'd recommend conservatives keep. Read more in my latest opinion piece at The Washington Examiner.