Gutknecht: A Roaring Start

The new year is getting off to a roaring start. Consider some of the developments in just the last few days. 

Source: AP Photo/ Evan Vucci

The new year is getting off to a roaring start. Consider some of the developments in just the last few days.

At the Golden Globes, a liberal comic spoke truth to the arrogant, liberal elites in Hollywood. With a few well-chosen lines, he delivered some much needed reality therapy. They gasped. Middle America cheered.

Speaking of jokes, the childish Schiff-Pelosi impeachment game of hide and seek is winding down. Even some of their cheerleaders begged them to move or move on. The Senate is demanding that Mr. Schiff come forward and present his case…such as it is. Senators Cruz, Graham and Hawley are eager to cross examine. Should Speaker Pelosi refuse, Republicans are ready to simply dismiss the case. Senator McConnell holds the cards and has called the bluff.

Rep. Devin Nunes announced that he is well into an investigation of the Intelligence Inspector General Michael Atkinson. Atkinson misled Congress concerning the role that the IG played with the so-called whistleblower, sparking the complaint and the entire impeachment ruse.

Both in polling and fundraising numbers reported this week, it appears that socialist Senator Sanders is emerging as the new front runner. Continuing gaffs and paternity problems are putting a fork into the Biden balloon. Team Trump cannot be disappointed at current projections for Iowa and New Hampshire.

With a single smooth stone, a young red-capped David from Covington Catholic felled the mighty Go-Lieth at CNN. He will now pivot to the conquest of other liberal media kingdoms.

President Trump proved the axiom that luck happens where preparation meets opportunity. He showed restraint when the Iranians shot down one of our expensive reconnaissance drones. He waited for the right time and place to respond. The Iranian regime orchestrated the assault on our embassy in Baghdad. The media breathlessly declared that it was “Trump’s Benghazi!” The President remained calm.

Our sophisticated intel technologies had been tracking General Soleimani for some time. We knew that he was responsible for much of the death and destruction in that corner of the world. Our military was prepared. An armed drone circled overhead. Preparation met opportunity. The General got into a car with the man who had coincidentally led the attack on our embassy days earlier.

A short window of opportunity presented itself to the commander in chief. He could settle some scores and send an unmistakable message with one strike. Does anyone seriously question the decision to kill two buzzards with one Hellfire missile up their tailpipe? There was no time to check with the impeachment-deranged Democrat leaders in Congress.

Done!

Detractors predictably worried about the Iranian reaction and the subsequent Trump over-reaction. His critics screamed that he was going to get us into a much larger land war! Mr. Trump is blessed with critics who always underestimate him. Again, they were wrong. Yes, the Iranians launched some rockets, after they telegraphed their punch. Fortunately for all, there were no American casualties.

His most masterful performance came Wednesday morning when the President addressed the nation. He was measured and he was strong. Like the Eagle in our national seal, he offered the Mullahs both arrows and an olive branch. In ten minutes he said a lot. He reset our relationship with the region. The President reminded friends and foes that while we have a very big stick, we have no desire to use it. He made it clear that Iran would not get a nuclear weapon on his watch. He wants to disengage from that part of the world and expects the Europeans to pick up the slack. Thanks to fracking, we don’t need Middle Eastern oil. The Europeans do. Their days of sniping from the tall grass, like their days of avoiding paying for their own defense are quickly coming to an end.

With our economy hitting on all cylinders and new trade agreements soon to be finalized, markets continue to set records, fattening the 401k’s of working Americans. Cheap energy and cheap money should keep the kettle boiling. The President’s adversaries look increasingly weak, spiteful and anti-American.

The 20’s are off to a roaring start indeed.

As the President tweeted, “All is well.”

Gil Gutknecht

Gil Gutknecht is a former Republican congressman from Minnesota.