President Donald J. Trump

[GravitySucks]

Look at us saving money!  I can only imagine how much "better" this graph will look for us under Justin... Pulling our planes and troops out of war zones should help substantially. 

We can use the money saved to sponsor a few more refugees (there is no plan to build a wall along the 49th parallel, right?)

Seriously... The NHL is considering two preseason games in Mexico City. I pray they pick two Canadian teams for both games. Maybe then, when Canadians go to a filthy, polluted, crime-ridden metro area with 21 million people, they will understand why we feel the need to build a wall. Canada might even offer to pay for it.

[starrmtn001]

Here ya go.  Enjoy!
Donald J. Trump: The Long Road to the White House (1980 - 2015)

https://youtu.be/mxf1XmVZ9qY

[Value Of Pi]

If Trump doesn't have a good Wisconsin, we can pretty much thank Chris Matthews for his "gotcha" moment for the start of Trump's downhill slide.

To be clear, I don't dislike Trump --- I just think the odds that he'd really make a good President are slim.  It's too much of a gamble and so I won't vote for him.  I'm beginning to doubt he's really going to get the Republican Nomination anyhow.

Yes, Chris Matthews is a tough interviewer and he does try to put politicians on the spot. We don't have enough journalists like him, on any part of the political spectrum.

The whole "gotcha question" criticism that some people make is really overblown. Asking Palin, for example, what newspapers she reads was branded a gotcha question because Katie Couric suspected she didn't read any papers and understood that this might embarrass her. Well, guess what, the woman was running to be Vice President, a step away from the presidency. Couric had an obligation to expose the facts to the voters about how poorly informed Palin is.

With Trump, Chris Matthews rightly suspected that Trump's pro-life position was not thought out, or consistent with the pro-life movement, or anything more than pandering to the right. He managed to expose all this to the satisfaction of many pro-life organizations and their supporters. Trump could have avoided saying what he did, but his instincts failed him. His mouth won.

The point is, any question that gets to the truth and serves a higher purpose than embarrassing a candidate probably doesn't deserve to be called a gotcha question. I would just call it a good question. Not as catchy a label. but way more appropriate.

[albrecht]

Yes, Chris Matthews is a tough interviewer and he does try to put politicians on the spot. We don't have enough journalists like him, on any part of the political spectrum.

The whole "gotcha question" criticism that some people make is really overblown. Asking Palin, for example, what newspapers she reads was branded a gotcha question because Katie Couric suspected she didn't read any papers and understood that this might embarrass her. Well, guess what, the woman was running to be Vice President, a step away from the presidency. Couric had an obligation to expose the facts to the voters about how poorly informed Palin is.

With Trump, Chris Matthews rightly suspected that Trump's pro-life position was not thought out, or consistent with the pro-life movement, or anything more than pandering to the right. He managed to expose all this to the satisfaction of many pro-life organizations and their supporters. Trump could have avoided saying what he did, but his instincts failed him. His mouth won.

The point is, any question that gets to the truth and serves a higher purpose than embarrassing a candidate probably doesn't deserve to be called a gotcha question. I would just call it a good question. Not as catchy a label. but way more appropriate.

There is a real why some many of our politicians are lawyers- because they are trained in non-answer answers, Sophistry, argument, deflection, ability to defend any position, and deal with tons of paperwork and case-law. Which also is why so many of our politicians suck. Usually a non-lawyer will get flustered by media attacks or when they focus on hot-button issues of relative minor worth (abortion or the economy, abortion or the war(s), abortion or terrorism, etc.)

[VtaGeezer]

Here ya go.  Enjoy!
Donald J. Trump: The Long Road to the White House (1980 - 2015)

https://youtu.be/mxf1XmVZ9qY

Lies.  All lies to cover his lifetime of misogyny, racism, and a thug mentality.

[Value Of Pi]

Trump isn't my leader; as of today, I wouldn't vote for him, but that's precisely the sort of sniping distortion that gains Trump support.    I've been sticking up for him because people like you constantly put words in his mouth, pretend an obviously offhand crack by Trump is his position, or simply fabricate something negative, while ignoring the huge lies about the political history and positions of the others like HRHH and Cruz.  Better an articulate crook or zealot than a plain-speaking candidate who doesn't mealy-mouth his often common sense positions.

What Trump actually said (in the context of what if he's denied the nomination with a majority of delegates): "I think you'd have riots." 
You twist that to mean he "suggests" riots.  And you see no problem with doing it.  If you deny that he's correct you're also pretty foolish and more than naive.  You and most of the media keep implying that he threatens riots; that's the kind of political toxicity that has millions of his supporters incensed.  The elite and establishment are playing with fire and they (and you) want to blame those whom they constantly insult and ignore.  And Cruz said the same thing "I think the people would quite rightly revolt" but he's never accused of inciting rebellion.  He's nicer.  A fanatical ideologue, but well-spoken.

If Trump is the embodiment of ignorance and evil, why is it that you feel you must lie and distort to convince others of it?  It shouldn't be such a challenge.  There must a thick and wide trail of misdeeds.  So where are they?  Oh, I know; the Trump U business where 3 out of 800 top level enrollees (over 9,000 total) have sued for fraud' plus the Dem hack AG of NY..  Trump also has 22,000 employees; probably hundreds of ex-management employees who know him well and worked directly with him.  Don't you think its odd that no one has produced witnesses to his life of racism, abuse of women, and general evil?  There should be an army of  abused ex-Trump employees eager to see him go down. But no.  There's more background noise about Hillary's personal life than DTs.  Maybe he's paid them all off, eh?

You're not planning to vote for Trump? What a nice surprise. I think my work here is done. As far as I'm concerned, you're entitled to see the world any way you like. As long as that doesn't put a Trump-like object in the White House, or cause other actual problems in the world, beliefs are just beliefs.

[Juan]

Katie, like most of the anchors I worked with, was stupid and arrogant enough to believe that high level people in government get their information from newspapers and TV.  That even though the newspapers and TV get their information from government sources.  The same thing happened when Mr. Bush was president and told a reporter, maybe Katie, that he got his information from intelligence briefings, not newspapers.  The media went nuts.  I guess they got used to 8-years of blow jobs from Mr. Clinton who constantly said that the first time he heard about things was when he read about them in the newspaper.

[albrecht]

Ha, it looks like Billary has had an abortion flap from the pro-abortionists and the anti-abortionists because she mistakenly called a fetus/tumor a "child" and "unborn person."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/apr/3/hillary-clinton-unborn-person-has-no-constitutiona/

[Up All Night]

What ever, abortion has been deemed a legal procedure. Chipping away at access due to religious zealotry is a hobby for nut jobs. Examining someone's position on that topic is just as valid as building a wall.

Dueling used to be "legal", and, then, it was ruled illegal.

Laws concerning the taking of a life can change, and do.

[Value Of Pi]

There is a real why some many of our politicians are lawyers- because they are trained in non-answer answers, Sophistry, argument, deflection, ability to defend any position, and deal with tons of paperwork and case-law. Which also is why so many of our politicians suck. Usually a non-lawyer will get flustered by media attacks or when they focus on hot-button issues of relative minor worth (abortion or the economy, abortion or the war(s), abortion or terrorism, etc.)

Good point. The process that turns ordinary human beings into lawyers also often makes them effective politicians in our existing political system. Have you ever heard a bunch of lawyers have an open, honest conversation about anything important to them? I doubt it. That's a big problem with our politics.

If you watch a debate in the British House of Commons, things are very different. This is not just due to different traditions and protocols, but the diverse backgrounds of the MPs debating. I would guess that only a small percentage are lawyers (barristers). What a difference!

[albrecht]

Good point. The process that turns ordinary human beings into lawyers also often makes them effective politicians in our existing political system. Have you ever heard a bunch of lawyers have an open, honest conversation about anything important to them? I doubt it. That's a big problem with our politics.

If you watch a debate in the British House of Commons, things are very different. This is not just due to different traditions and protocols, but the diverse backgrounds of the MPs debating. I would guess that only a small percentage are lawyers (barristers). What a difference!

Don't get me wrong I have lawyer friends and lawyers in the family but the situation now is crazy that to get elected you basically have to be a lawyer. The parliamentary system and the legal system is so different over there so it is hard to compare. Also the education (for most of the MPs) is much better than we get here with our public schools. They usually have gone to elite public schools (over there "public school" is the opposite of the term when we say it) and examinations in the Universities (elite ones anyway) are Socratic and more like our law schools. In France it is quite a controversy in a way, almost all politicians and high level civil servants attended elite schools like Ecole Nationale d'Administration etc. They literally educate/groom them into their future positions. Pretty much politicians, bureaucrats, and civil servants suck anywhere you go, some more than others, it seems. I think the elephant in the room that nobody talks about is the civil service/bureaucracy/administrative side, those people are usually there their whole careers and sole function is to expand, or at least, protect budgets and meddle in everyone's affairs.

[Up All Night]

Poland’s prime minister and the powerful leader of its conservative ruling party both said Thursday, March 31st, that they support a total ban on abortion.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/31/polish-prime-minister-favours-ban-on-abortion

In a statement to be read in churches Sunday, Poland’s bishops are calling for the protection of human life “from conception to natural death.”

The Definition of Life / abortion issue is most certainly *not* settled.

[VtaGeezer]

With Trump, Chris Matthews rightly suspected that Trump's pro-life position was not thought out, or consistent with the pro-life movement, or anything more than pandering to the right. He managed to expose all this to the satisfaction of many pro-life organizations and their supporters. Trump could have avoided saying what he did, but his instincts failed him. His mouth won.

Trump's response was more honest and "thought out" than Matthews' complete misrepresentation of his own Catholicism's position when Trump pressed him.  He quoted Matthew 22 ("Render unto Caesar...") to imply the RC Church accepts abortion by non-Catholics knowing that's a bald-faced lie and complete misrepresentation of RC doctrine that equates all abortion with murder (Evangelium Vitae 1995).  I respect Matthews' inside-the-beltway knowledge, and watch him often, but on real world stuff and economics, he's one of the least informed in the business, as demonstrated by his badgering Trump on use of nukes and insisting DT vow to never use a nuclear weapon in the ME or Europe (y'know, the continent where most of Russia sits?). But then, its OK to lie through your teeth to stop the orange antiChrist, eh?.

I'll repeat myself.  Trump is not a professional politician and has neither reason or motivation to have a prepared position on aomething that is completely off the national agenda unless and until the USSC reverses Roe v Wade.  It was a gotcha question to start a new anti-Trump media feeding frenzy.  It did, but it cost Trump nothing.  His numbers didn't budge.

[albrecht]

Poland’s prime minister and the powerful leader of its conservative ruling party both said Thursday, March 31st, that they support a total ban on abortion.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/31/polish-prime-minister-favours-ban-on-abortion

In a statement to be read in churches Sunday, Poland’s bishops are calling for the protection of human life “from conception to natural death.”

The abortion issue is most certainly *not* settled.

It would be nice to see Europeans having babies instead of importing immigrant labor and so-called "refugees" that end up committing so much crime, trashing out the neighborhoods, and even terrorism.

[Value Of Pi]

Katie, like most of the anchors I worked with, was stupid and arrogant enough to believe that high level people in government get their information from newspapers and TV.  That even though the newspapers and TV get their information from government sources.  The same thing happened when Mr. Bush was president and told a reporter, maybe Katie, that he got his information from intelligence briefings, not newspapers.  The media went nuts.  I guess they got used to 8-years of blow jobs from Mr. Clinton who constantly said that the first time he heard about things was when he read about them in the newspaper.

Palin was mayor or a small town and then governor of Alaska. Before that, she was a housewife and student. At no time did she ever get the kind of high-level, in-depth briefings you refer to, nor did she ever actually explain where she gets her knowledge of current events.

She was ignorant and Couric exposed that to anyone who hadn't already figured it out. Your personal feelings aside, Couric did her job by informing the public -- which also doesn't get high-level briefings like the President.

[VtaGeezer]

Katie, like most of the anchors I worked with, was stupid and arrogant enough to believe that high level people in government get their information from newspapers and TV.  That even though the newspapers and TV get their information from government sources.  The same thing happened when Mr. Bush was president and told a reporter, maybe Katie, that he got his information from intelligence briefings, not newspapers.  The media went nuts.  I guess they got used to 8-years of blow jobs from Mr. Clinton who constantly said that the first time he heard about things was when he read about them in the newspaper.

Palin wasn't bright enough to wing an answer naming a few major publications.  After 8 years on the national stage, she shows little sign of becoming any smarter.  She's a cheerleader for the knuckle draggers whom Trump needs.  If Trump wins, he'll pack her off to her moose camp until the election's passed. 

[VtaGeezer]

It would be nice to see Europeans having babies instead of importing immigrant labor and so-called "refugees" that end up committing so much crime, trashing out the neighborhoods, and even terrorism.

The Catholic Church as  social force is essentially dead in W Europe.  I can only think Eastern Europe will follow when they can afford to vacation on in Spain or Greece.  I wonder how long the Vatican can hold out; the Church followers are mostly in S America and Africa today.

[Juan]

Palin was governor and a candidate for Vice President. Damn this iPad for improperly capitalizing Vice President. Palin received briefings.  Couric is an idiot.

[VtaGeezer]

Couric is an idiot.

No argument.  That's why Palin wasn't intimidated; just one idiot interviewing another.  I suspect the only briefings she got were on the salmon and crab season openings.

[MR. Spock]

Palin was governor and a candidate for Vice President. Damn this iPad for improperly capitalizing Vice President. Palin received briefings.  Couric is an idiot./b]

She is a talking head. Nothing more.

[CornyCrow]

I won't argue that point as I don't particularly care for the system but that is what happens when some of the delegates are not bound by the popular vote.  Donald Trump is not going to win a suit and get more delegates.  Maybe he should have spent a little money and wined and dined them a bit.  I'm sick and tired of this litigious society that we live in.  I hate it and want reforms and I really despise people who think because they have a lot of money, they can sue to get their way.

That is my main problem with Libertarians.  At least in our society we know this is wrong and the weak sometimes do win.  This is often due to government regulation, where things are just done that are against the law.  Libertarians would remove regulations and have the only recourse to wrongdoing being the courts, stacking the deck on EVERY issue against the less well to do.

[CornyCrow]

Don't get me wrong I have lawyer friends and lawyers in the family but the situation now is crazy that to get elected you basically have to be a lawyer. The parliamentary system and the legal system is so different over there so it is hard to compare. Also the education (for most of the MPs) is much better than we get here with our public schools. They usually have gone to elite public schools (over there "public school" is the opposite of the term when we say it) and examinations in the Universities (elite ones anyway) are Socratic and more like our law schools. In France it is quite a controversy in a way, almost all politicians and high level civil servants attended elite schools like Ecole Nationale d'Administration etc. They literally educate/groom them into their future positions. Pretty much politicians, bureaucrats, and civil servants suck anywhere you go, some more than others, it seems. I think the elephant in the room that nobody talks about is the civil service/bureaucracy/administrative side, those people are usually there their whole careers and sole function is to expand, or at least, protect budgets and meddle in everyone's affairs.

Goodness, do I wish for another sequel to 'Yes, Minister'.  You remind me of the good old days.

[CornyCrow]

It would be nice to see Europeans having babies instead of importing immigrant labor and so-called "refugees" that end up committing so much crime, trashing out the neighborhoods, and even terrorism.

There are too many of us in the world as it is.  It would be nice if everyone called a hiatus on having babies for a while. 

Women of every religion have had abortions down through the centuries.  Not everyone has the space, in material resources, time and energy, in her life for carrying a baby to term.  For those few who feel remorseful, few governments will give adequate support to her to rear that kid.  Two adult families often have their hands full with children. 

That is the mental space that women are left in which cause women, even Catholic women, to abort, and no religion adequately addresses that.  Religions think they can just guilt a woman into changing her mind, but the issues are larger than that.   

If I had a daughter, Bristol Palin would be the last person I'd use as a role model.  I'd want her to study and work hard and be a productive citizen and not a baby factory, dependent on others.  Young black women are doing much better in postponing families until they are working and prepared for them.  Abortion is one avenue in which to do this.  I'm not sure what progress is being made by young black males.

I do believe the stats that crime started going down about 17 years after abortions were made legal.  It's hard to believe that the average child who is unwanted will grow up to be problem free.  As a matter of fact, the new data indicates that a child born of a mother who does not want the kid, just from the environment in that hostile womb, is more likely to have mental issues. 

This issue is not life at any cost, but the quality of life as well.

[albrecht]

Goodness, do I wish for another sequel to 'Yes, Minister'.  You remind me of the good old days.

I'm actually a bit surprised that he hasn't been redone considering Hollywood/TV these days is, basically, all about remaking good movies or copying old BBC productions of years past. I'm not sure how it could be as good as the original though. It really was very prescient and the issues covered still are around today (the "Big Brother" episode is one of my favorites and I always think of it when all these government databases and surveillance is happening.) Some shows can be rewatched over and over and still get laughs from me, "Yes, Minister" is one.

[Value Of Pi]

She is a talking head. Nothing more.

I'd give her a little more credit than that, though she was far from the best choice as an evening news anchor and was in over her head. The Today Show was just right for her. Still, she was not a bad choice to interview Palin. She managed to get Palin to talk without prompting her to grab a shotgun or otherwise have a hissy fit.

[Value Of Pi]

That is my main problem with Libertarians.  At least in our society we know this is wrong and the weak sometimes do win.  This is often due to government regulation, where things are just done that are against the law.  Libertarians would remove regulations and have the only recourse to wrongdoing being the courts, stacking the deck on EVERY issue against the less well to do.

That's an excellent point. In fact, even in cases where an individual has a choice of pursuing a legal matter privately or going to a government agency (particularly those that have enforcement divisions with investigators of their own), the government is often the better choice. They have more clout and more resources than the average lawyer. When they use that power well, it is invaluable to the average citizen.

[anunnaki]

https://www.facebook.com/endfederalreserve/videos/696748007094324/

[anunnaki]

Ed McMahon (Tonight Show Host) and Donald Trump- Little known story

Financial problems

In June 2008, it was announced that McMahon was $644,000 behind on payments on $4.8 million in mortgage loans and was fighting to avoid foreclosure on his multimillion-dollar Beverly Hills home. McMahon was also sued by Citibank for $180,000. McMahon appeared on Larry King Live on June 5, 2008 with his wife to talk about this situation. In the interview, McMahon’s wife Pam said that people assumed that the McMahons had so much money because of his celebrity status. Pamela McMahon also commented that they do not have “millions” of dollars. On July 30, 2008, McMahon’s financial status suffered another blow. According to Reuters, McMahon failed to pay divorce attorney Norman Solovay $275,168, according to a lawsuit filed in the Manhattan federal court. McMahon and his wife, Pamela, hired Solovay to represent Linda Schmerge, his daughter from another relationship, in a “matrimonial matter,” said Solovay’s lawyer, Michael Shanker.

On August 14, 2008, real estate mogul Donald Trump announced that he would purchase McMahon’s home from Countrywide Financial and lease it to McMahon, so the home would not be foreclosed. McMahon agreed instead to a deal with a private buyer for his hilltop home, said Howard Bragman, McMahon’s former spokesman. Bragman declined to name the buyer or the selling price, but he said it is not Trump. “For Mr. Trump, this acquisition was not business-related, but, as he has stated, was meant to help out an American icon,” said Michael Cohen, special counsel to Trump. “If another buyer should emerge who will create the benefit Mr. Trump sought for Ed McMahon, then he is clearly pleased.” In early September, after the second buyer’s offer fell through, Trump renewed his offer to purchase the home.

[WOTR]

Seriously... The NHL is considering two preseason games in Mexico City. I pray they pick two Canadian teams for both games. Maybe then, when Canadians go to a filthy, polluted, crime-ridden metro area with 21 million people, they will understand why we feel the need to build a wall. Canada might even offer to pay for it.

Yeah... But if we can cut what we spend on defense in half, we could afford to sponsor more refugees and eventually send them over the boarder for a better life in the US. 

[WOTR]

“For Mr. Trump, this acquisition was not business-related, but, as he has stated, was meant to help out an American icon,” said Michael Cohen, special counsel to Trump.

If you cannot believe Donald Trumps "special counsel" who he undoubtedly pays very well to represent his interests, who can you believe in this world?

Personally, I have no doubt that buying a multi million dollar home for less than market value and leasing it back to the present owner was a charitable gesture with no possible profit involved... After all, a lawyer implied this was so.