The Enemy Within 

A lot of ink has been spilled lately with stories about NSA and FBI spying tactics. But let's not forget why we are having this debate: There are evil people around the world, and increasingly around the country, who are plotting to kill us. 

Francis Taylor, undersecretary of intelligence and analysis at the Department of Homeland Security, said this week that 180 Americans have joined ISIS. 

The FBI director recently acknowledged that his agency is monitoring ISIS recruitment efforts in all 50 states. 

National Security reporter Patrick Poole warns that there is a "metastasizing Islamic terror threat in the American homeland." Poole notes that there have been 41 domestic terror arrests already this year. "At the current pace . . . the number of cases will exceed the number from the past two years combined," he writes.

While debates about the Patriot Act and preserving privacy are important, I worry that there is not enough debate about Islamic radicalization inside the United States. 

Those engaging in violent acts are a minority. But we know from polling that there is broad sympathy for violence among Muslims around the world. How much sympathy is there for extremism among Muslims here? Is anti-Semitism among U.S. Muslims as bad as it is in Europe?

How many Muslims, when they are praying five times a day, are praying for the day when America will be governed by Sharia law and not the Constitution? I don't know. Shouldn't we know? SomeMuslims in Minneapolis are not shy about their desire to see Sharia subjugate America. 

The fact is Islam has a problem with violence. When artists insult Jesus and the Virgin Mary, Christians simply demand that taxpayer dollars not be spent on such "art." I am not aware of any attempts by Christians to kill the artists defaming their faith.

There is a significant tradition in Islam that declares that anyone who defames Mohammad should receive the death penalty. As we saw in Texas recently, there are Muslims here willing to execute that penalty. By the way, the Boston man killed for plotting to behead cops initially planned to attack Pamela Geller. 

Here's the bottom line: Americans who wish to preserve our privacy and our freedom are right to keep a watchful eye on big government. But more importantly, they should demand that our government implement commonsense immigration and national security policies. It is totally irresponsible that we do not know more about the attitudes of Muslims here and those coming into the country in record numbers. 

Rove's Advice 

I noted with interest Karl Rove's latest column in the Wall Street Journal headlined, "Are Social Issues Hurting Republicans?" He appears to believe that the life issue is not hurting the GOP because polling shows there is significant pro-life sentiment in America. (See next item.) 

But on same-sex marriage, he repeats the latest polling and suggests that Republicans should change their rhetoric on marriage. Oddly, he makes no mention of the emerging battleground related to same-sex marriage, which is the preservation of religious liberty. 

I wonder whether it ever crosses Rove's mind to write a column entitled, "Are Economic Issues Hurting Republicans?" He cites another poll showing that more Americans are conservative (39%) than liberal (19%) on economic issues. 

Yet the most left-wing president in history crushed his Republican opponents in 2008 and was reelected by 5 million votes in 2012. Those elections largely revolved around economic issues, which the GOP establishment believes is the party's strong suit. 

But Rove's cherry-picking of poll data disguises some difficult issues for Republicans. For example:
 

• 62% of Americans think the rich should pay more in taxes. 
   
• 71% want to increase the minimum wage, including 54% of Republicans. 
   
• Only 36% of Americans think Social Security benefits for future generations should be cut. 

  I understand all the arguments about why Social Security needs reform, why raising the minimum wage doesn't help and why punishing taxes won't solve our fiscal problems. But it seems to me that there is an argument to be made that the Republican Party may be more out of step with voters on certain economic issues than it is on values issues. 

  Perhaps it is losing national elections -- not because of abortion -- but because the economic issues I mentioned above fuel the perception that the Republican Party cares first and foremost about corporations, not Main Street America. 

  Here's another example. The New York Times reports today that American employees at Walt Disney World were forced to train foreign workers who were brought into the country to take their jobs under a special visa program. (Why do we even allow this? Clearly this has nothing to do with jobs that Americans won't do.) 

  Libertarians might say, "Gary, that's just the marketplace at work." But when did it become government policy to create jobs in America for foreign workers? The perception that GOP immigration policy is on the side of Disney, and not American workers, could well be costing the party elections, not its belief that marriage is between one man and one woman. 

  By the way, new polling finds that Americans overwhelmingly oppose the secret trade deal that Barack Obama and Republicans leaders are struggling to push through Congress. 

  Pro-Life America 

  Here's some encouraging news in the fight for life: There is a clear pro-life majority in America. 

  Terry Jeffrey at CNS News reports that 37 consecutive Gallup polls conducted over the past 21 years have found that most Americans would stop most abortions. 

  "In the past 20 years, the percentage who say abortion should be illegal in all circumstances or all but a few circumstances has never dropped below 54%," Jeffrey writes. 

  And we continue to make progress at the state level. Yesterday the North Carolina state House passed legislation requiring a 72-hour waiting period for abortions, sending the bill to Governor Pat McCrory desk. Gov. McCrory said he will sign the bill. 

  Last week West Virginia became the 11th state to ban late-term abortions (those performed in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy) after the legislature overrode Governor Earl Ray Tomblin's veto.