Debate Night

The remaining Republican candidates will take the stage tonight in Houston, Texas. Tonight's debate will be hosted by CNN and begins at 8:30 p.m. ET.

This could well be a make-or-break moment for the GOP contenders heading into Super Tuesday on March 1st. Twelve states are voting next week and nearly 600 delegates are up for grabs.

Good News: Abortion Clinics Closing

All across America, abortion clinics are closing at a record pace. According to a new Bloomberg analysis, more than 160 abortion mills have shut down since 2011, while just 21 have opened.

Planned Parenthood took a big hit: "Of all the facilities in the nation that closed or stopped performing [abortions], about a third were operated by Planned Parenthood."

The primary cause for the closures was the success of state-level pro-life initiatives. "State regulations that make it too expensive or logistically impossible for facilities to remain in business drove more than a quarter of the closings," the report notes.

At least 30 clinics were closed after Texas passed legislation requiring abortion facilities and doctors meet basic health and safety standards.

And here's more good news: In the past week, Ohio and Wisconsin joined the growing list of states cutting off taxpayer funding to Planned Parenthood.

These important pro-life victories reflect the hard work and dedication of pro-life activists, volunteers and voters. Congratulations, my friends! We are making a difference for the cause of life!

Fantasy Foreign Policy

Fantasy football can be fun. But when it comes to foreign policy, engaging in fantasies can be dangerous. Case in point: Ibrahim al Qosi.

Secretary of State John Kerry testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) had a question for Secretary Kerry about the Obama Administration's plans to close the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

He showed Secretary Kerry a picture of Ibrahim al Qosi, a personal aide to Osama bin Laden. He was taken to Gitmo in 2002, but released in 2012 by the Obama Administration and sent to Sudan, which is ruled by a radical Islamist regime.

Last year, al Qosi reemerged in Al Qaeda recruiting videos and is confirmed to be a key leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. With President Obama vowing to shutdown Guantanamo Bay any way he can, Sen. Kirk asked Secretary Kerry whether al Qosi's example "would end the policy of [sending] terrorists to terrorist nations."

Kerry paused and replied, "Well, uh, senator, he's not supposed to be doing that."

What is Kerry going to do about it? Arrest al Qosi and put him back in Gitmo?

In his response, Kerry summed up the foreign policy mindset of this administration. Obama's foreign policy is built on the fantasy that bad people can be talked into doing good.

Remember when Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine? Kerry's response was, "You just don't in the 21st century behave in 19th century fashion by invading another country on completely trumped up pre-text." Last time I checked, Putin still controls Crimea.

When China started building artificial islands in the South China Sea to challenge the U.S. Navy, the Obama White House scolded Beijing, essentially saying, "Uh, China, you're not supposed to be doing that." Now China is putting missile batteries on the islands.

After the administration negotiated a nuclear deal with Iran, the ayatollah wasted no time test-firing nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. Obama responded by sanctioning a handful of Iranian companies, little more than a slap on the wrist and a warning not to do that again.

Guess what? Iran is about to test another missile and it is up to a lot more than that.

Tehran's Terrorism

Far from encouraging Iran to moderate, the nuclear deal has emboldened the Islamic regime to become even more aggressive. Flush with cash from sanctions relief, Tehran is doubling-down on its world-wide campaign of terror. Consider these headlines:
 

"Israel Says Iran Building Terror Network In Europe, U.S."

"Report: Iranian Revolutionary Guards Planning Attack On Saudi Airliner In Southeast Asia"

"Iran Pledges Cash For Killing Jews"

Left-Wing Extremist Kills Cop

Three Colorado sheriff's deputies were shot yesterday attempting to serve an eviction notice. When eight officers approached the home of Martin Wirth, he opened fire. Two deputies were wounded, one, Corporal Nate Carrigan, was killed. The other officers returned fire, killing Wirth.

There was a reason eight officers were sent to serve the notice: Wirth was a left-wing activist with a long anti-police history. He once wrote that the police were "a brutal impediment to human progress, a danger to us all." He accused them of raping and killing people.

Wirth was reportedly a leader of the Occupy Denver movement, an offshoot of Occupy Wall Street. He ran for the state Senate in 2014 on the Green Party ticket.

I doubt you'll hear much about this shooting from the national media. After all, it doesn't fit the left's narrative of "racist cops," "oppressed minorities" and "hate-filled Tea Party extremists."