The Democratic Party of 2020 bears little resemblance to the lifelong political home of former President Harry Truman. The President known for his “Give ‘Em Hell” approach and his famous “The Buck Stops Here” motto would be unfamiliar with a party that is moving at light speed to the far left.
There are no prominent Democrats today on the national scene who advocate tax cuts like former President John F. Kennedy. In addition, there are very few who are as pro-military as former U.S. Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson (D-WA). Today, the party is filled with progressives, socialists and Trump hating members of the political establishment. Along with a hard-core left-wing agenda, almost all Democrats of 2020 share an unrelenting hatred of the President.
If the President found a cure for cancer, Democrats would protest that he neglected heart disease. No matter what he does, the Democrats will find a reason to oppose him.
As we begin this new year, the American economy is soaring. The President’s policies have produced low interest and inflation rates, increasing wages, historically low unemployment, rising consumer confidence and all-time stock market records daily.
Instead of joining in on the celebration, Democrats find “problems” to complain about. Suddenly, Democrats declare they are very concerned about the increasing national debt, even though they were silent when President Obama added $9 trillion to the total.
Democrats also pretend they are worried about the finances of the middle class; however, they neglected the working men and women of America for decades. This attitude encouraged millions of working-class voters, in the Rust Belt for example, to support Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.
Among the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, the health care crisis is often discussed. These candidates maintain they are terribly worried about rising health care costs, but their party created the problem by foisting the unworkable Affordable Care Act on the nation in 2010.
The latest issue Democrats are using to attack the President is his bold move to kill Gen. Qassem Soleimani. This Iranian Major General was one of the foremost terrorist leaders in the world. He commanded the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ foreign operations unit. Democrats are expressing their concern that the attack may destabilize the region; yet, that is precisely what Soleimani had been doing for years.
On Friday morning, a U.S. military drone strike killed Soleimani at the main airport in Baghdad. Soleimani was responsible for the deaths of approximately 600 Americans and an untold number of anti-government protesters in Iran. He has been spreading terrorism around the globe for years. He was even sanctioned by the Obama administration for his terrorist activity. In the days before he was targeted, Soleimani orchestrated the attack that killed an American contractor as well as the violent protests at the American embassy in Baghdad.
Unfortunately, instead of celebrating this major achievement, Democrats are lamenting the President’s courageous action. For example, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) expressed her concern that Congress was not consulted prior to the military strike. However, there have been multiple instances of leaks emanating from Congress in the past. The success of this mission depended on extreme secrecy so the decision to bypass Congress in advance was the right move.
Other Democrats such as House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) claim that Trump needed congressional authorization for military action. However, as noted by conservative talk show host Mark Levin, “Congress has been on recess. Moreover, the House Intelligence Committee has spent months orchestrating a coup against our president rather than doing its job protecting America from, among others, the terrorist regime in Iran…a president is not required to alert Congress to a real-time defensive military action.”
In the aftermath of Soleimani’s death, anti-war protests were organized in 70 cities across the country. According to one of the leaders, Professor Benjamin Balthaser of Indiana University, “This kind of reckless, outrageous behavior by this president is only going to kill more people, spend more money, and make the world far more unsafe.”
These protesters and the multitude of Democratic critics are misguided for several reasons. Most importantly, the strike that killed Soleimani was essential because he was about the launch additional attacks against American interests. The Trump administration noted that the strike was a “defensive action.” On Friday, the President reiterated the rationale for the action. He said, “We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war.”
Whether the Democrats like it or not, President Donald Trump is our commander-in-chief. He has the right to take military action to protect our national security and the lives of Americans. By killing the Iranian terror chief, President Trump has made the world a much safer place.
Jeff Crouere is a native New Orleanian and his award winning program, “Ringside Politics,” airs locally at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and at 10:00 p.m. Sundays on PBS affiliate WLAE-TV, Channel 32, and from 7-11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990-AM & www.Wgso.com. He is a political columnist, the author of America's Last Chance and provides regular commentaries on the Jeff Crouere YouTube channel and on www.JeffCrouere.com. For more information, email him at jeff@jeffcrouere.com