It's Presidents' Day -- a substitute for Washington and Lincoln's birthdays, which once gave us even more public holidays in an already-short February. It's a bit generic, but I like to use the day to think about my own favorite president -- James Madison.
What I like about Madison is that he basically wrote the blueprint for the Constitution in his study after reading everything he could about government, then applying his mind and writing down his ideas. He was not a scholar; he was simply a public-minded intellectual.
I guess, at the risk of vanity, I see a bit of myself in that story, or at least the kind of writer I would like to be. And I have tried to write about certain subjects in that way -- notably the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I have even stood in the room where Madison did it.
It's sad to hear that Madison's estate, Montpelier, has been taken over by "woke" revisionists who want to emphasize the fact that he was a slave-holder. (It wasn't his only failure; he arguably erred in going to war against Britain in 1812, and failing to conquer Ontario.)
https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/the-woke-takeover-james-madisons-montpelier
Still, it's worth remembering that America owes much to a president who cared enough about ideas to devote months at a time to their study and interpretation. Those ideas persist, and survive the flaws of the man who brought them together in so elegant a fashion.
This week, we are tackling two major areas of contention between the Trump administration and Democrat governors: fighting crime, and redistricting. The president is sending the National Guard to blue cities -- and blue states are trying to stamp out Republican representation. Is this a civil war situation?
Special guests:
- Bradley Jaye -- Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on redistricting
- Tom Manza, California Business and Industrial Alliance, on Gavin Newsom
- Jon Fleischman, veteran California political expert, on the special election
- Dan Backer, veteran political lawyer and consultant, on corruption
- DJ Mark Anthony, on a recent visit to Rome and visiting Pope Leo XIV
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET / 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
This week's portion is the last of the month of Av -- also known as Menachem (Comforter) Av -- which begins in mourning and ends in celebration and anticipation of the New Year and the process of repentance and renewal.
In a similar vein, the portion features Moses offering the Israelites a choice between a blessing and a curse. They are masters of their own fates: if they obey God's commandments, they receive the blessings -- and vice versa.
The key commandment is to reject idol worship. There is said to be something magnetic about the practice of worshiping idols in the new land, such that it would be constant moral battle, both individually and collectively, in the land.
Nowadays, according to Jewish tradition, humanity has lost the urge for idol worship (and the antidote, which is divine prophecy) -- but there are several near substitutes, such as lust or excessive appetites for worldly pleasures.
We are wired for compulsive behaviors, bad habits, and even addictions. These ...
We have so much to talk about this week -- Trump's efforts to negotiate peace through negotiation, and Gavin Newsom's efforts to divide Americans through gerrymandering. We'll also talk about Playboy leaving LA and California.
Special guests:
Frances Martel - Breitbart News foreign editor, on Russia & Ukraine
Bradley Jaye - Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on Newsom
Harmeet Dhillon - DOJ Civil Rights Division chief, on the fight against DEI
Jessica Vaugn - Playboy model on political commentator, on California
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 PT
Call: 866-957-2874
