*** Sen. John Thune provides more nonsense and the obvious

The Mitchell Daily Republic today ran another comment by John Thune in his latest election blather.  Thune's column is titled "Our national security must be top priority".   Obviously, national defense must be among top priorities but not just the only "top" priority.  He then appears to claim that President Obama does not take terrorism seriously as a threat to the US.  Thune claims Obama has not presented a comprehensive plan against ISIS.  Well, we all know that if Obama presented a comprehensive plan, Thune and other retrograde GOP talking mouths would be attacking Obama for leaking the big plan.  Thune laments that the GOP can't force Obama to take the ISIS threat seriously.  This is political garbage in search of a problem.

Thune's grand comprehensive strategy against terrorism is to increase funding for the military.  He claims this is opposed by Democrats in Congress.  So what?  The GOP has majorities in both houses and has trouble even putting a budget together.

We don't need more money spent on unneeded military weapons and more marching soldiers.  We need money spent on terrorism think tanks searching for ways to determine who are terrorists before they strike and not more spending on how to attack them after they do a terrorist attack of some kind.  Chasing terrorists in libraries and pizza shops after 9-11 did no good.  Focusing on the last terrorist act is unlikely to do much to stop the next terrorist act.

Thune does say one more obvious thing which I do agree with.  We must control our borders.  The US is not a nation if anybody who can walk can walk or drive can cross into the US across the US-Mexican border.  Unfortunately, both the GOP and the Democrats are complicit in not stopping illegal immigration.  The corporations supporting GOP retrogrades wants cheap labor.  Republican fundamentalists want devout religious Catholics voting for them and that means they won't oppose Hispanics jumping the border.  Democrats want cheap votes.  Hillary is a blatant example of this Democratic failing and nonsense.

As for constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion, there is no reason it needs to apply to non-citizens trying to enter the US illegally or legally.  Nor does it need to apply to groups adhering to religion which wants to destroy democracy and replace it with the same kind of despot control from which they escaped to the US.  It is Constitutional lunacy to twist parts of it designed to protect religion and also protect all of us from religious control of us and government into justification for an open door for our destruction as a democracy.  Allowing into the country those intent on turning the US into a religion-controlled country is a form of political suicide for us and our Constitution that has survived for hundreds of years.

Political correctness separated from common sense can be deadly and destructive.

**** Stay tuned and work to protect us from nonsense and duplicity--- Doug Wiken

Comments

[sdmatters.org]

I'm beginning to think that terrorism is one of Thune's go-to campaign tools. Here's his playbook:

Step 1) Come up with a common sense title that everybody will agree upon. It must only be remotely related to actual message.
- "National Security Must Be Our Top Priority"

Step 2) Scare the American public into thinking that they need somebody to protect them.
- "A group of terrorists casually walked into one of Ataturk Airport’s public terminals and proceeded to open fire before detonating suicide vests among fleeing travelers. In the wake of this attack, 45 people were left dead, and more than 200 were injured."

Step 3) Convince American public that Thune/Republicans will protect them.
- "The Republican-led Senate is committed to defeating ISIS"

Step 4) Dis the Dems for good measure. That's part of the job for every establishment Republican.
- "I am concerned some Democrats, President Obama included, don’t entirely share that priority." [defeating ISIS]

Step 5) Justify more military spending and/or domestic surveillance.
- "One of the best ways to combat terrorism is by ensuring the military has the resources it needs to fulfill its mission."

Step 6) Promote bill authorizing more military spending and/or domestic surveillance.
- "Passing this essential bill [defense authorization] is a key part of meeting our obligations to the men and women in uniform who fight to keep us safe."

Step 7) Close by ensuring American public knows that Thune/Republicans must be in power to keep everybody safe.
- "Republicans will do everything we can to protect our country and keep Americans safe from terrorists."

Rinse, repeat...