So begins "DONALD J. TRUMP RESPONDS TO THE LIES OF SENATOR CRUZ AND WARNS OF LEGAL ACTION."
ADDED: "Cruz says I am in favor of ObamaCare, when in fact I have spoken about repealing and replacing this disaster of a system at every speech throughout my campaign and since it’s inception." Can he not afford a copy editor?
AND: Key paragraph:
One of the ways I can fight back is to bring a lawsuit against him relative to the fact that he was born in Canada and therefore cannot be President. If he doesn’t take down his false ads and retract his lies, I will do so immediately. Additionally, the RNC should intervene and if they don’t they are in default of their pledge to me.There's no direct connection between the lies he's citing as his motivation to sue and the ground for the lawsuit, the argument that Cruz is not a natural-born citizen. I know Trump has deal-making as his model for just about everything, but it comes across as a threat to file a lawsuit. He's also threatening to run as a third-party candidate, laying the groundwork, dragging the RNC into the conflict, demanding that it intervene or he's seeing himself as released from his pledge not to go third-party.
Posts
155 comments:
So I guess the Trump/Cruz dream is over.
Should this be tagged, "pot calls kettle black"?
"Ted Cruz is a totally unstable individual."
The polls are apparently tightening up.
Trump can do the job of anyone he hires better than them. He's a better speechwriter than his speechwriters, a better liar than his lawyers, etc.
Yeah, but it looks bad to mix up "its" and "it's." Makes him seem sloppy and careless, and since he's swinging wildly, substantively, form is more important than usual. And he's calling someone else "totally unstable." He'd better look stable!
Michael P
I thought that BO had a copyright on those lines
If the Trump/Cruz dream is over it's Cruz's campaign that botched it. Trump still on track to get 40%+ in SC and dominate on Super Tuesday.
Suing your way into the White House. Oh no!
Trump wears me out. So much drama all the time. I can't take it. Anyone else feels the same?
I think i could have supported him at one time because he did real good with breaking out of the illegal and free trade restraints. We need someone else who will stand up for the working people.
As usual, I am tired of hearing what Trump says. It all means nothing. How people can support this kind of clowning is beyond me.
Dan Hossley said: Should this be tagged, "pot calls kettle black"?
Look up "Pot calling kettle black" in the dictionary today and you will see one large kettle with a wide mouth, surrounded by several smaller kettles.
When this is all over, Trump will either be president or committed.
Trump v. Bloomberg v. Republican Candidate v. Democratic Candidate. Sure glad I'm old enough it probably doesn't matter.
Think, all you Trompkins, whether this is the kind of person to whom you want to give the vastly expanded uncontrollable powers of the presidency. God help us.
I noticed the "it's" too, but also the parallel construction is clumsy (though technically grammatical)
... at every speech throughout my campaign and since its inception.
Perhaps he's not as great a writer as he is a speaker.
I am so over Trump. Can't believe I fell under his spell for a brief period. The more he speaks, the more I, um, dislike him. He's really almost a lunatic, I'm afraid.
And that's too bad because he did thrash the Establishment as they needed to be thrashed. He woke a lot of people up.
But now he's turned into a world class asshole. Really sad, as he might say.
Freddie vs. Jason
Donny is dead to me. I don't care if the Democrats nominate the witch or the commie. I won't vote for Donny. I probably won't vote at all, sitting out a presidential election for the first time since 1972.
I was with him. If Cruz *is* saying all those things then he *is* a huge liar and has burned his Trump bridges (and ships). Trump certainly warned everyone (effectively) that if they told any "lies" he'd respond maximally.
Then: " the RNC should intervene and if they don’t they are in default of their pledge to me. "
Hm. What did Clinton offer him? Am I crazy for thinking that?
Patterico says the same, Douglas-- that he will never vote for Trump.
If Trump could win over enough RINOs to vote for him anyway, maybe he could win. He probably can't do that, and he's pushing so many Republicans aside.
But now he's turned into a world class asshole.
That was always his problem. It is not something he has recently turned into.
I look forward to Trump and Bloomberg both running third- and fourth-party, and sucking up all of the middle squishies.
I don't see why I, or others, should necessarily vote for a R candidate. I'd vote for who will make America greatest, or failing that, whoever will best defend my interests. It's too soon for me to see what form Trump's trade-protectionism will take; other than that I have no qualms.
It's true that Sanders + dem congress is a nightmare scenario that I might vote strategically against. I assume all the "Trump never!" rhetoric will in the end do the same. It's like saying "I'll move to Canada!"
Is douchesque a word? I think it is.
'I assume all the "Trump never!" rhetoric will in the end do the same.' Yeah, I would. But he's awful. I really hope that doesn't happen. He is below the bottom of my list.
Please please please implode!
BTW, I read somewhere reliable (I think) that it would be difficult for Trump to effectively mount a third-party candidacy, because in many of the states where he will appear on the Republican ballot, he'll be ineligible to appear on the general election ballot as anything other than the Republican nominee.
With my luck, he'll mount the world's greatest write-in campaign by sending a pre-inked "Donald Trump" stamp to every registered voter in the country.
Ted Cruz is a totally unstable individual.
You know what's really insane? The truther horseshit.
Imagine Clinton or Sanders defending the sanity and patriotism of George Bush. Which is not hard to do. And the whole country unites behind the Democrat nominee.
I think the fight is healthy in a democracy.
I also believe in a hot body.
I deteste people that r out of shape-no discipline!
tits
2 malignant narcissists going at it. Malignant narcissists have very serious character flaws and attempt to destroy all who get in their way. Incapable of loyalty or empathy.
This is the best thing that could happen to Cruz......
This is how Trump's world works. There are contracts, there are disputes and there are lawyers and courts involved to settle the disputes. Most people who go into a contract with Donald don't factor in the expected legal costs and other impacts when the dispute inevitably arises. Donald does.
He comes from the world of business where restaurant owners set fire to their establishments to get the insurance payout.
I've been undecided about what I'll do if Trump gets the nomination, but recently I'm being pushed further into the abstention category,
I will, however, still vote in the down ticket races and hope that any other GOP who can't vote for Donald will do that as well. The only thing worse than accepting Trump, Clinton, or Sanders in the WH is imagining the same with a Dem majority in either or both houses of Congress.
All doubt has now been removed. Trump is crazy. No way can he be Commander-in-Chief with a finger on our nukes.
GOP voters better wake up. I understand you are mad, but Trump is not the answer.
It is clear at this point that the establishment and party apparatus have the responsibility to throw their support behind Cruz and defeat Trump. It would be criminally irresponsible to allow Trump to win the nomination.
Bill, Republic of Texas.
The drama would only get worse if Trump won. 24/7 drama.
I'm so shocked, as Trump has been so reasonable and sane and adult up to now.
It's starting to get boring, and once people find these antics tiresome, they tune out, then this petty, silly man will melt away.
Or maybe I'm overestimating the American people.
Trump has existed in a world of wild rhetoric. Where you say something to get a rise out of someone or to show you've got balls. It's a business world that's rough and tumble. Where in order to accomplish something you have to deal with unsavory forces and sometimes ride on the edge of illegality yourself. It's the world where to some an accepted greeting might be, "Hey, ya mother-fucker, how 'ya doin'?" while to others it's "Nice to see you, how have you been?"
Does anyone here trust Trump to nominate a replacement for Antonin Scalia?
Laurence Tribe?
Predict what Trump will next do asshole. And Try to apologize after the vote like you did to Carson.
Cruz thought Big bald faced lies were just Godly Standard Political Operating Tools that were indefensible and he could repent later.
Trump just sent him back the message that if Cruz wins the nomination that way, then the GOP nomination will become worthless.
Ted Cruz is going to beat Trump in South Carolina. Trump is trying to make this not so. Failing Trump.
The republican orthodoxy is hoping that these two snakes will neutralize each other and take one another out in South Carolina.
Once the robots take over, twitter copy editor will be something for human slaves to do in order to gain access to food.
By threatening to go third-party, he is seen that he is just in it for the TV cameras.
He needs to man-up or go home.
Man, Trump is pissed.
But seriously, I don't quite understand how what Cruz is doing to him in his Ads, is so very different than what everyone does to everyone in their Ads. Does Trump seek to represent his opponnts with total accuracy and in their own words?
Trump-as-victim. Is that really going to play at Cruz or Rubio's expense?
The Godfather said...
Think, all you Trompkins, whether this is the kind of person to whom you want to give the vastly expanded uncontrollable powers of the presidency. God help us.
Yeah! No shit ! The cocksucker might actually bring jobs back and build a wall in spite of what Congress, LGbt, Big Business, La Raza, Nancy Pelosi, United Nations The Godfather, Garage Mahal,Amanda, Puffho Transgenders, and other villains want.
This is not the behavior of a confident man.
"Can he not afford a copy editor?"
Watching this live, I didn't get the sense that he was reading copy.
Trump needs to calm the fuck down
The broken pledge agreement with RNC is about the RNC version of Black Lives Matter claques stuffed into small debate venues to boo Trump and Cheer Rubio.
The competition is Rubio. Bush and Cruz are already losers. But Cruz's last days Big Lies campaigning hurts Trump against Rubio. The effect of any of the Establishment Big Donors' negative Ad money is fungible.
There is a connection between the lies and the lawsuit if you accept that one of Ted's lies is that Ted is a natural born citizen and eligible under the Constitution to be President of the U.S..
That's why I love Trump. Cross him and he gives it back with both barrels. Of course, the pearl clutching wankers who make up the Republican party don't like it.
Here's my advice to all the RINO's. Just imagine Trump is a Democrat and you want to be invited to his cocktail party, then you can sit back and be cool with everything he says.
"the world of business where restaurant owners set fire to their establishments to get the insurance payout."
My father used to refer to that as "s successful fire."
I agree that Trump is looking at a loss in SC. As someone said above, it is nice to be old.
Pass the *popcorn*. Flounder: "This is going to be great". (Animal House 1978)
So, Trump's still an idiot. We know.
(I'm with Diamondhead - he sounds desperate, not confident. Which is bad, since brash confidence is his shtick.
I have vague sympathy with the claim he's being lied about - but I want more than screaming denunciations of everything as lies; I want specifics.
And I want the lies to be more clear-cut than "the usual not-entirely-false-but-not-quite-correct" sort of quote-warfare we see.
I mean, "Cruz said I would be appointing a liberal judge when in fact I will appoint a great conservative" is not a lie on Cruz's part - it's an opinion.
Cruz says he'll do something Trump says he won't - that's not lying about you, Mr. Trump: that's not believing you.
The rest of Trump's complaints also seem to confuse opinion with deceit, or an unwillingness to trust his "evolutions" are gonna stick.
Nobody owes Trump belief in his latest claims vs. his past ones, particularly. To point out what he said in the past is not to lie about his positions - if anything, the response reminds us he doesn't have consistent positions, because so damned many of them change with the wind.
He's a staunch defender of the Second Amendment, he says; you can tell by "I generally oppose gun control, but I support the ban on assault weapons and I support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun."
Yeah, that was in 2000. I have no reason to believe he really believes any different now, no matter what triangulates best today. He just knows AWBs don't sell with the people he's trying to attract right now.
Even if the man's policy ideas - elsewhere and generally - weren't destructive and stupid, I wouldn't trust anything he says, because he serves no master other than The Fame And Glory Of Donald Trump.
Which I can sort of respect, if he'd only admit it.)
Most interesting campaign in my lifetime. Looking forward to the months ahead.
Cruz should assume, if he doesn't already, that Trump will file the suit. It's a pettycash expense in the cost of normal doing business for Trump.
I haven't read the comments yet. I will do so after posting this. However, before reading I'd let me to say....
When Trump talks like this, he sounds like a pussy.
I'm very skeptical of folks who scream "Liar!" Cruz has a few flaws, but I think he's been pretty honest on his views.
I've always been concerned that Trump's penchant for saying whatever comes to his mind is not exactly a good thing in a President of the United States. Nothing he's said lately causes me to think he will amend his ways if elected.
He's welcome to throw a lawsuit in the direction of Ted Cruz. But he's not getting my vote in the Virginia primary, and March 1st is only two weeks from tomorrow.
Used to be Trump was concerned Dems would "sue his ass off."
Oh..same thing?
Now that I have read the comments, something more substantive.
Trump has more of an incentive now to file the lawsuit. Because there is one less judge who will side with Cruz. Now, at best, its four/four.
"There's no direct connection between the lies he's citing as his motivation to sue and the ground for the lawsuit, the argument that Cruz is not a natural-born citizen."
Well..revenge doesn't need to connect..
Let him do it. If he has to throw the kitchen sink at him then so be it. Ted Cruz is a total sociopath and a pathological liar. If you guys nominate him, you'll be sorry. And I promise that if by some abomination in the wrinkles of the universe he were elected, it will be a more disastrous presidency than W.'s.
A Trump lawsuit threat. Wow. It might work against some sub-contractor, Cruz not so much. I suspect Cruz is not quaking in his campaign shoes. In fact, I am thinking Cruz would welcome a Trump lawsuit. It would bring out Trump's best qualities *cough*.
These are all negotiation tactics -- win/lose negotiation tactics more specifically. Trump is constantly lowering the expectations of the other side, presenting BATNAs (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), reacting to the other party's arguments or positions, etc. I simply don't have the balls to negotiate the way he does. To me, it's embarrassing. I have a friend that loves to buy guns, rolexes, and cars. And he negotiates a lot like Trump. Regardless of what price the seller states, my friend immediately says, "you have to be f*cking crazy!" The price could be way below what the friend wants to pay -- same thing. Then, at the last second, he'll nibble -- he'll ask for one more thing to be tossed in a deal. So if he's buying a suit, the sale will almost be included and he'll say something like, "So which tie are you throwing in? I've never bought a suit where I didn't get a tie thrown into the deal." I just can't do it. It's embarrassing. But for folks who negotiate like Trump, that's what they master and enjoy. The emotion is for affect -- it's manufactured as a tactic. Reagan was masterful at this as well but he was much more in control of his emotions because he focused a lot more on win-win negotiations. American's are know throughout the world to be much more like me (unfortunately) and we get taken to the cleaners on a regular basis.
Cross him and he gives it back with both barrels. Of course, the pearl clutching wankers who make up the Republican party don't like it.
Here's my advice to all the RINO's. Just imagine Trump is a Democrat and you want to be invited to his cocktail party, then you can sit back and be cool with everything he says.
ROFLMAO.
This race has been very illuminating for those of us who have always wondered what the Republican "coalition" was all about in the first place.
And I promise that if by some abomination in the wrinkles of the universe he were elected, it will be a more disastrous presidency than W.'s.
Two term Republican Presidency? I'm in.
Re: Trump's comments about W.'s administration on 9/11 and Iraq.
Is this what "jumping the shark" means?
I think PB is reading Trumo correctly. He is part of a mob culture. The foot-stamping volatility is part of the act. Sometimes it's genuine, sometime it's bluff. Others bear the risk of getting it wrong, and the cost of worrying which way to take it. He will hold, abandon, shift, invent positions and attitudes as he sees advantage.
One big reason why he is so fascinating, and so dangerous.
For people who like Trump, here is a serious question. What makes you think he will build a wall, expel illegal aliens and stop liberal agenda?
Is Trump running for President or auditioning for the remake of "Goodfellas". He's gone berserk with his cackling and smirking. He talks like a ball busting douchebag guido.
Regardless of his machinations, Trump is no conservative, but close to a left of center democrat.
His immigration and protectionism is only a sop to the working class to get their vote. Trump wants low-wage workers. Trump NEEDS low-wage workers. It doesn't do him any good if those low-wage workers are only outside the US. He's got hotels and resorts here that need low-cost workers.
His universal or single-payer healthcare is also a sop to the working class. Any tax implemented for single-payer would also fall on the employer and he doesn't want that. It raises the cost of his labor force.
Holy habeas corpus; you can't make this stuff up.
I'm tempted to link to a good article describing the hair-brained, hilarious, ludicrous litigation history of Donald J. Trump. But there isn't just one. There is an entire genre of stories about Trump lawsuits.
Trump sued the author of "Trump Nation" for estimating Trump's wealth at around $150 million instead of the "billions" claimed by Trump. The case was dismissed. Oh, and the claim for damages was for $5 billion
Trump sued Bill Maher, after Maher made a $5 million "bet" that Trump could not prove that his father was not an orangutan.
From an article in The Atlantic: "In 2008, Trump sued Deutsche Bank and Fortress Investment Group, along with a long list of smaller lenders who were financing his 92-story Chicago hotel and condominium project. Trump had personally guaranteed $40 million of Deutsche Bank's $640 million construction loan, but when the money came due in November 2008, Trump asked for an extension, citing the recession. His request was refused. In court documents, he condemned Deutsche Bank's 'predatory lending practices' and partially blamed the global institution for causing the financial crisis, asking for $3 billion in damages. The bank countersued Trump for the $40 million he'd promised. The two sides finally reached an agreement, and in August 2010, the loan was extended for five years."
Of course, Trump sued Univision for the Spanish-language network's decision not to air the Trump-owned beauty pageants, Miss USA and Miss Universe. Suppression of his First Amendment rights was one of the claims.
Not surprisingly, Trump has sued both of his first two ex-wives, Ivana Trump and Marla Maples. The suit against Ivana was for her alleged disclosure of Trump financial details. (Those details sure make for a lot of lawsuits!)
He sued a Chicago Tribune reporter and the newspaper after a report that the Sears Tower would still be the tallest building in America notwithstanding a planned Trump building in Manhattan. Trump said the story torpedoed his plan. The suit was for $500 million.
Oh, and he sued the state of New York for introducing a video game based on Keno in bars and restaurants; Trump said it would destroy his casino business and oh by the way it would harm New Yorkers who would spend all their rent money on video gaming.
Trump has threatened to sue Lawrence O'Donnell, the West Palm Beach International Airport, tow guys who assaulted his son Donald Jr. in a New York nightclub, ABC, a guy who circulated a petition to request that Macy's discontinue sales of Trump-brand goods, the rapper Mac Miller, and of course Rosie O'Donnell.
And these are just the most ridiculous ones. You'd need a Trump Lawsuit Spreadsheet to keep track of all of them.
If Trump were (lol) president of These United States of America, I'd worry that we don't have enough lawyers in the DoJ and the Office of Legal Counsel to keep up.
Make America Judgment-Proof Again!
Weird move. He's playing to some other audience.
There's a long LawTalk podcast today here with Epstein and Yoo on Scalia.
"Most interesting campaign in my lifetime. Looking forward to the months ahead."
Yes, if only there was not so much at stake.
Well, maybe we need that revolution that would follow a Bernie/Hillary win. I don't think either will be the final D candidate.
I don't know if Trump will be the R candidate
"His universal or single-payer healthcare is also a sop to the working class."
There is a good reform that I was advocating in 2007. Unfortunately, the Democrats took the wrong lesson from Hillary's failure in 1993-94.
The details are here.
France has the most rated system in Europe and it is NOT tax funded.
Just think of it this way. Political party means little to him. He has a history of cozying up to whomever can do something for him. By all prior statements, he's a conservative Democrat. However, by running as a Republican, he can go pretty far to the left on protectionism and single-payer where no Republican dares go and he picks up lots of disaffected Democrat voters. By establishing this stance, in the general, he pretty much stiff-arms the Democrat nominee as they try to move back to the center. He can blame them of changing their tune while he remains firm.
Most highly rated system...
If Cruz doesn't win the nomination over T-rump then I would normally look to vote Libertarian. Their only current candidate that anyone knows, is Ex-NM Governor Gary Johnson, who has some good thoughts on controlling the defense budget while strengthening the military - but his imagination is getting the best of him when he says that illegal Mexican immigration has not damaged his state. He is, however, not proposing grand schemes to deport 12 million when we apparently cannot find them, nor is he allowing a million children in from Latin America and granting visas to another million displaced men of military age now in Syria.
The Trumpeteers may well be surprised when Republican votes do not exceed 2012 if the Carny Barker gets the nod. By the way, I have hated carny people since I was a kid at the county fairgrounds. My mind goes to "filthy thieves" every time I see them.
So I am at the used-car lot buying a two-tousand dollar car.
I know it is a piece of crap, but I only have two-thosand dollars.
I think the deal is settled when the guy I am working with says he needs to run it by his manager.
Twenty minutes go by, then the manager comes out and says there is a mistake, I can't let that car go for two-thousand dollars.
That manager looks EXACTLY like Ted Cruz.
He looks like him, he acts like him, he talks like him. He gives me a long passioned argument about why that car is worth more than two-thousand dollars.
Everyone has met this person.
And - more often than not -- he looks just like Cruz. Especially the hangdog eyes.
America will NOT elect Cruz.
Blame God for his Face.
I am Laslo.
PB said... [hush][hide comment]
Regardless of his machinations, Trump is no conservative, but close to a left of center democrat.
His immigration and protectionism is only a sop to the working class to get their vote. Trump wants low-wage workers. Trump NEEDS low-wage workers. It doesn't do him any good if those low-wage workers are only outside the US. He's got hotels and resorts here that need low-cost workers.
I am not a resort/hotel guy. Are Trumps joints low dollar places so he needs cheap labor to cut costs? The WalMart of resorts?hotels? How much less does he pay his people than other resorts/hotels? Does he actually know how much these workers are paid? Is he a hands on guy, involved in the detail re: thousands of low level employees? Does he have law enforcement connections to check legality of each employee? Lie detectors?
Just curious, that's all.
"since he's swinging wildly, substantively, form is more important than usual." More important to whom, and why? Methinks, the campaign thus far has shown that lawprof sensibilities don't count for much.
"And he's calling someone else "totally unstable." He'd better look stable!" One of the funniest statements of this election season so far. Thanks.
Also, Trump's threat to sue Cruz is ludicrous. No lower court is gonna declare Cruz ineligible before the election. If Cruz wins, he'd successfully quash the suit; if he loses, the case is moot.
The Donald is making rookie mistakes.
I hear a lot of consternation about Trump in this thread, but I don't believe it. The most recent poll out of SC has Trump at 35 and Cruz and Rubio at 16 percent.
Listen, if you are so worried about a Trump presidency, its time to give up Rubio, Bush, Carson and Kasich and solidify behind Cruz.
But that's not happening. And the reason its not happening is because people aren't really that concerned about a President Trump.
America will NOT elect Cruz.
Blame God for his Face.
So..Orange Crush?
I have watched the last four Republican debates with interest. I am archly conservative and have not voted for a Democrat since Jimmy Carter in 1976, which I have felt remorse about all of my adult life. I hate Democrats, all of them. I also hate socialists in every form. But as God is my witness, I will vote for EITHER Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders before I will vote for Donald Trump. The prospect of him as President is terrifying. I would take ANYONE on the stage at the last Republican debate over Trump.
So if you don't know who was lying in the Rubio - Cruz dustup, check this out.
Chuck above has only scratched the surface of Trump's lawsuits. He has been the plaintiff in over 100 lawsuits. Some are crazy.
Memo to Trump. You can't sue someone who expresses their opinion. You, Donald Trump, are an unhinged loon and unstable.
He is setting the stage for a Dem win in November.
Laslo: Cruz = used car salesman, unelectable.
What if we give you another $500?
I guess a lawsuit is kind of his way of saying "I see you".
No lawsuit over Rand Paul's ad
Although I had always planned on voting Cruz, duh, I never thought I would donate to him.
Trump changed all that.
Cruz just got $10 of my money, like Rudy Guiliani and Herman Cain before him.
We are gonna need thoughts, prayers, and a little bit of minor miracle as it were.
Is Palin still cheering after Sa?
Guildofcannonballs: So now you are a "donor." I expect you'll be at the Fox Theater debate in Detroit. Booing Mr. Donald J. Trump.
I have been given an application for a ticket to that debate. More on that later.
He basically out liberaled the liberal crackpots and went full retard with his bush liked people died Schick.
He bows out of debates because he doesn't like a single questioner. Then he threatens that he will go third party because he doesn't like how people are attacking him. If you are going to say bush lied people died, and want to run as the republican nominee expect to be attacked. If you can't hack it, then you are a baby.
My theory is different. I have long suspected Trump wants to flamboyantly withdraw rather than actually lose. If he's laying groundwork I think it's for a big, dramatic withdrawal.
Ok Ken..if you're right, history will refer to his current campaign phase as "coitus".
" Ken B said...
My theory is different. I have long suspected Trump wants to flamboyantly withdraw rather than actually lose. If he's laying groundwork I think it's for a big, dramatic withdrawal."
From your lips (or, well, typing fingers) to God's ears.
With all the attacks on Fox News, for a while I thought he was planning on launching a news network with a conservative slant. But that appears to have been wishful thinking on my part.
Of course trump will wind up being a spoiler, whether as a 3rd party, or by simply leaving the race entirely.
The only question is that of timing.
It must be in time to damage the eventual Republican , but not so soon as to damage Hillary before she sews up the Dem. nomination.
In this version of The Manchurian Candidate, the roles of Laurence Harvey, Angela Lansbury, Robert Riordan, and James Gregory are all played by Donald Trump. Having brainwashed himself, he's carefully plotting against himself, as means to supplant himself, with the even more popular version of himself.
LOLing. I told you so.
" Ken B said...
My theory is different. I have long suspected Trump wants to flamboyantly withdraw rather than actually lose. If he's laying groundwork I think it's for a big, dramatic withdrawal."
Yeah, I said basically the same thing when he brought palin out to endorse him. Wondering id he wants to drop out, but needs someone or something to blame and still look like a winner.
Blustering braggart. Bullying Buffoon. Bouncing Blunderbussblasting Bozo.
Yeah, I'd give Trump a "B" grade--more like a B minus. Which is too bad, because he's really a Class A Jerk.
So don't let the screen door slap you on the backside as you go off the stage Mr. Trump.
I'm pleasantly surprised by how many commenters on this thread are critical of Tromp and say they don't/won't support him. Maybe the Trompsters will come out late at night and fill up the comments with their usual bluster and conspiracies. Perhaps having done so, they'll sleep through the SC primary.
I live in NC and would be tempted to drive down to SC to vote against Tromp, but I understand they have voter ID laws there.
Oso Negro -
You made the same mistake I did. My first vote when I was old enough was for Carter. I apologize still, for helping elect The Father of the Islamic Revolution. When you let an idiot in, his or her stupid decisions can reverberate for decades, or even centuries. We are still suffering for the loss of Abraham Lincoln, who had emancipated the slaves, only to have Democrats try to put them back in chains. (h/t Crazy Uncle Joe Biden)
I hear so many people saying that Cruz is a liar, but I have not seen an example of this. I see him talking to an Iowa farmer who is mad that he wants to get rid of ethanol subsidies, and tells him to his face that yes, he wants to get rid of ethanol subsidies. I've seen him tell an illegal alien kid that yes, he would deport her. To me, these would be opportunities to lie, but he doesn't.
Too bad people don't like his face. But people liked Obama's face, and what did it get us?
I wonder too Skeptical..but way too many words for Garage.
Trump is unhinged. He simply doesn't have the temperament to be president. He's a lunatic.
Clean up on Aisle Crazy.
During his tenure as Solicitor General of the State of Texas -- meaning Texas' lead lawyer in all of its appellate litigation in the state and federal court systems -- Ted Cruz compiled a spectacular record of success and achievement. Among the appellate bar nationally, and among judges appointed by both Democratic and Republican presidents, he got superb reviews for his performance. He was frequently chosen to argue on behalf of several other states in addition to Texas, and he was subtle enough to pull from the SCOTUS a decision upholding Texas' display of the Ten Commandments on the very same day the SCOTUS struck down a Ten Commandments display in Kentucky!
You can't succeed so conspicuously at that level, friends and neighbors, unless you have a solid reputation for absolute honesty -- meaning both intellectual honesty and personal honesty. One mistake can destroy that kind of career. Cruz, however, continued to be among the most sought-after private appellate lawyers in the nation after leaving the Texas SG position. Speaking as a board-certified civil trial specialist with 36 years of practice experience in Cruz' home state, I assure you, from personal knowledge: His professional reputation is, and has always been, superb. But don't just take my word for that, because you can easily confirm that in any legal periodical (e.g., American Lawyer) or publication (e.g., SCOTUSblog).
If you're a casino slumlord, though, who lies with every other breath, you're not held to quite as high standards. If you've dragged your corporate empire, built upon your daddy's fortune, through bankruptcy four times, then you're not held to quite as high standards.
Donald Trump is delusional, but he's certainly entertaining. He couldn't find the truth with both hands and a roadmap, though.
Oh -- and Chief Justice William Rehnquist apparently thought pretty well of Ted Cruz' character and honesty:
He picked Cruz as one of his law clerks, a job through which, of course, Sen. Cruz became very well acquainted not only with the Chief, but also with other Justices including the late, much-lamented Mr. Justice Scalia.
The South Carolina showdown is at High Noon on Saturday when Frank Miller-Cruz comes in on the noon train armed with Big Lies to take over the GOP. But he faces old Marshall Trump who will not run but stands and fights for Truth even if the townspeople doesn't want to be part of a fight and would rather he just leave.
The theme playing in South Carolina the next 3 days will be "Do not forsake me oh my darling. And Marshall Trump will not forsake his duty to save the townspeople including the cowards.
And by Sunday Frank Miller-Cruz's campaign will be dead.
The more Trump does this baby shit the more I'm turned off him.
Beginning to think it's Trump that is unstable.
"Luke Lea said...
Most interesting campaign in my lifetime. Looking forward to the months ahead."
Reminds me too much of the old Chinese curse. May you live in interesting times and come to the attention or important people...
Thank you, Beldar. I appreciate your comments about Cruz.
Oh my. Another one out of the park. He even remembers Cheney and Bush backing away as fast as possible from Clinton's plan to police the world with lawfare when Mr. B.. And Cheney wanted focus on rebuilding the military and consolidate your victory in the Cold War. Remember the "Partnership for Peace?" And throwing money at eastern Europe? So there was No money for the distraction of terrorists, or solving the privacy challenges needed to defend and protect you, even though his own think tanks were publishing “here's the face of your new enemy” to only be ignored. With OBL featured. E.g. find and scan:
http: // www.potomacinstitute.org/featured-news/1840-the-potomac-institute-press-published-a-book-on-usama-bin-laden-and-al-qaeda-just-months-before-the-9-11-attacks
but Mr. Cheney convinced Mr. B. that this was a wasp to ignore. Remember? Your people must as well given their reaction to pTb speaking uncomfortable, non PC truth to power. So much for the political and foreign policy naivety of your pTb. To say nothing of as gently as possible taking Mr. McCain to task after Mr. M. Punched pTb in the nose. Given Mr. M. had let his testosterone overrule judgement when his superiors told him no flying risking capture since they knew he knew far too much about the U.S. naval war plans because it was common knowledge that he grew up with two of the highest ranking admirals at the table. Worse they wrote your war plans for the Pacific. And Even though he knew he was expected to use his gun as a final solution when captured as he was briefed as a condition to let him fly with his classmates, a number of others who were similarly briefed given what they knew. And when captured they did as promised. Of course Mr. M gave it all up to the Soviets. And your public still thinks “enhanced’ interrogation doesn’t work . As it has since the Korean war. You fools. Talk to the Jordanians and the Sauds. Imagine the depth of pTb’s bench if they know these things. And what it says about his willingness to hire those smarter than he.
D@mn. I’m out of popcorn again.
Dear Professor - you could at least have the consideration to term the statements "alleged lies."
Is Mr. Trump trying to turn off every Republican voter?
I thought the scorched earth policy was something you deployed on the opposition party candidate.
A gentle reminder:
The RCP average polling for General Election:
Hillary 47, Trump 42
Hillary 46, Cruz 46
Rubio 47, Hillary 43
The roller coaster is a fun ride, but let's not lose sight of the objective: defeating Hillary
DavidD - Perhaps Trump IS deploying it on the opposition party candidates.
I love how trump accuses Cruz of being a liar and says if he doesn't desist trump will sue him for being ineligible to be president because he was born in candada. Either it's true or not true that Ted Cruz is ineligible. It shouldn't hinge on whether he lies about Trump or not. If he's ineligible he shouldn't be president. But the fact that Trump will only sue if he continues lying suggests that the lawsuit is not really based on any truth, but beciase Trump is trying to blackmail him into acquiescence. You sue Cruz, Trump. Let's see how that works out.
If you go down that road though, The Bush brothers should sue you for accusing Bush of being a war profteer and liar who intentionally caused the deaths of thousands because he wanted to enrich Haliburton. That is one of the most extravagant lies in the histories of lies,and he's asserting it as a fact based on absolutely no evidence. Bush should bring a suit against him for libel. He seems really big on making blanket statements, or lies, and not backing those statements up with facts. For someone who does it so egregiously, you'd think he wouldn't be so quick to sue. And I wonder why more people haven't sued him, frankly.
But he's a bully who's also an entitled wuss and cry baby. Waaahhhhh!
All is proceeding as I have foreseen
How many million Trump supporters were aborted because of Trump's support of abortion?
Big huge guy thinks of that and, well, he can't cry, so he blames Ted Cruz.
Let's say Trump and Planned Parenthood talked about how to get some cash, and Trump talked about how much he could get for his company, not Planned Parenthod or Accorn or anything problematic, but, just, y'know usual, hey it makes money let's try it.
Trump could have gotten 3 times the amount Planned Parenthood got for a left eye.
Right eyes, Trump himself would tell ya, ya know if and whatnot, just aren't as valuable as the left ones.
And the lungs.....
Trump could get 8x, yes you read that right, 8x the amount for a lung as Planned Parenthood is currently getting in there "open" market.
Trump will get 6x the heart rate too.
Trump keeps threatening to go third party. Despite signing a pledge that he wouldn't. If he did, would the trumpbots go with him, or would they finally admit he was not really a republican to begin with? There have been a lot of negative stuff said about Bush, Rubio, and Cruz. I don't see them acting like crybabies and threatening to run 3rd party.
Unlike the bitch boy pukes, King Pimp Alphas blow their load apropros.
I have been waiting for MONTHS for you not-quite-up-to-slow-witted-wits-of-dimness-grande.
I am tired of waiting.
Cruz 2016.
I've always figured Trump would run third party if he didn't get the nomination. It's a very Trump thing to do, the man has no loyalties to anyone but himself, and possibly his family. Of course, he will discover some compelling reason why he has to do it, but that should be easy. The question is, who does he hurt most? He's practically a Democrat in all things but immigration, so he might pull a lot of blue collar Democrats along with the let it burn segment of the Republicans. It could be an interesting election. Reminds me that Lincoln got elected with 39% of the vote, IIRC.
You little dirty puke sluts of cunts won't ever understand;
Palin going for anti-Cruz wins.
For Cruz.
Palin is dust, and John McCain should be known for ruining a potentially Thatcherian Americanized role only such as her could have attained.
Trump is dirty pool. Just cause he admits it doesn't convict Cruz of all Trump's crimes.
Fuck Trump. Little bitch. You look at me funny and you're done; I will end Trump as he's known.
New York Daily News has already done it.
TRUMP NEVER FINISHED THE MOVIE: FIRST LOSER STILL SUCKS WORSE THAN BIG WINNER LANGUISHED*.
*Lanquishing, Goddamned campaign is LANQUISHING! (slams fist on table)
Cruz ain't claiming to be "you buddy your pal your ..." Limbaugh sell, Trump is.
Who knows if the Leftist's battle cries were observations or criticisms justified by the evidence herewith, most unesoteric.
Oh, before I forget. Because of the tragic passing of Justice Scalia, the presidential winner also gets a 5-4 SCOTUS majority. Obviously, this increases the stakes. In November, you're voting for the President and The Supreme Court.
So think clearly - restrain your emotional impulses.
Rubio should name 5 potential candidates he would consider for the SCOTUS vacancy - and they should all be Conservative: Paul Clement, Michael Luttig, Michael McConnell, Janice Rogers Brown and.....Ted Cruz.
"getting in there"
I accept criticism that I should have used "their" there, however I demand the virginity of any complainers near-relatives that accept I meant to use "that" before there.
Now that there's fair.
Mr. Cruz is a good man. Too bad politics ain't bean bag and there can only be one victor. Nice to see them both punching for all their worth, but your pTb is far too street smart for Mr. Cruz to survive. Best the knockout punch is landed quickly. Mr. C. will survive and thrive. And he won't be in the opposition for long. They are both are too smart for that. Read Art of the Deal. Nice yet sad to see Mr. B and the good man that is his brother and that dynasty end. As well as Mr. C's. Too bad Mr. B. couldn't go out with more dignity. you should interpret your constitution as limiting a family to two terms. It’s not like there are not a lot of equally able people in Your Boston phone book. The magic of democracy is no one position is that vital to success. Though you’re well along towards screwing that up, looking more like Venezuala by the day.
I wonder what roles your pTb will offer those with the onions to take him on. As he's done in similar situations.
Mr. Cruz is a good man. Too bad politics ain't bean bag and there can only be one victor. Nice to see them both punching for all their worth, but your pTb is far too street smart for Mr. Cruz to survive. Best the knockout punch is landed quickly. Mr. C. will survive and thrive. And he won't be in the opposition for long. They are both are too smart for that. Read Art of the Deal. Nice yet sad to see Mr. B and the good man that is his brother and that dynasty end. As well as Mr. C's. Too bad Mr. B. couldn't go out with more dignity. you should interpret your constitution as limiting a family to two terms. It’s not like there are not a lot of equally able people in Your Boston phone book. The magic of democracy is no one position is that vital to success. Though you’re well along towards screwing that up, Looking more like Venezuela by the day.
I wonder what roles your pTb will offer those with the onions to take him on. As he's done in similar situations.
copy/paste lives..
(as does a cryptic abbreviation)
Nothing says cut and paste quite so well as that. Double pasting in the same comment? Amateur move on the EPIC FAIL.
(Preserved for the inevitable deletion)
aritai said...
Mr. Cruz is a good man. Too bad politics ain't bean bag and there can only be one victor. Nice to see them both punching for all their worth, but your pTb is far too street smart for Mr. Cruz to survive. Best the knockout punch is landed quickly. Mr. C. will survive and thrive. And he won't be in the opposition for long. They are both are too smart for that. Read Art of the Deal. Nice yet sad to see Mr. B and the good man that is his brother and that dynasty end. As well as Mr. C's. Too bad Mr. B. couldn't go out with more dignity. you should interpret your constitution as limiting a family to two terms. It’s not like there are not a lot of equally able people in Your Boston phone book. The magic of democracy is no one position is that vital to success. Though you’re well along towards screwing that up, looking more like Venezuala by the day.
I wonder what roles your pTb will offer those with the onions to take him on. As he's done in similar situations.
Mr. Cruz is a good man. Too bad politics ain't bean bag and there can only be one victor. Nice to see them both punching for all their worth, but your pTb is far too street smart for Mr. Cruz to survive. Best the knockout punch is landed quickly. Mr. C. will survive and thrive. And he won't be in the opposition for long. They are both are too smart for that. Read Art of the Deal. Nice yet sad to see Mr. B and the good man that is his brother and that dynasty end. As well as Mr. C's. Too bad Mr. B. couldn't go out with more dignity. you should interpret your constitution as limiting a family to two terms. It’s not like there are not a lot of equally able people in Your Boston phone book. The magic of democracy is no one position is that vital to success. Though you’re well along towards screwing that up, Looking more like Venezuela by the day.
I wonder what roles your pTb will offer those with the onions to take him on. As he's done in similar situations.
Jonathan Graehl - Not voting is a much more credible threat than saying you'll move to Canada. It's expensive to move, but not voting means in most cases getting to sleep an hour later. In my case, I'll be in China during the election and it's an effort to get an absentee ballot sent out here. I've done it before, but it's pretty easy not to do do so especially when I'm motivated to not vote. I was briefly reconsidering a while back, but Donny's 911 trutherism, combined with the utterly vile anti-semitic and racist crap his supporters spout on Twitter, have done it for me. You want a taste? Try this timeline: @grandpalampshad
Guild - if you are not drinking, I am concerned that you are stroking out. Take some aspirin to thin the blood or prevent the hangover.
In 1996, while Ted Cruz was clerking for Chief Justice Rehnquist, Donald Trump was stalking the recently-divorced Princess Diana.
So which one do you think is better qualified to pick Justice Scalia's successor?
Trump is a couple of bubbles off plumb. One way or another, he is shilling for the Democrats.
Oh, and in 2005, while Ted Cruz was winning the Van Orden v. Perry case on the Ten Commandments, Donald Trump was hosting Bill & Hillary Clinton at Trump's third wedding.
Again: Which one is more qualified to pick Justice Scalia's successor?
Paul Clement, Michael Luttig, Michael McConnell, Janice Rogers Brown and.....Ted Cruz.
Alex Kozinski
Frank Easterbrook
(you're going to yell at me)
Akhil Amar
I would not pick Amar to replace Scalia. But I would be happy to pick him to replace Ginsburg or Breyer.
One of Rubio's advisors on pro-life issues is Helen Alvare. She might be an excellent nominee, I haven't read her yet. Looks very interesting and provocative!
Here is her amicus brief in LIttle Sisters of the Poor.
I think putting a pro-life woman on the Supreme Court is an obvious and important step.
Here she is on same-sex marriage.
The majority reduces the constitutional right to Free Exercise, to religions’ rights to “teach” and “advocate” their view on marriage.
She doesn't criticize Employment Division v. Smith by name. But in effect that is what Smith does. It negates the free exercise clause and talks about it as if the free exercise of religion is just like free speech. Under this theory, religion is an idea, and that's all it is. And the only right you have, vis-a-vis religion, is to communicate the idea of it.
Anger at Smith is what led to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Justice Scalia is the author of Smith, so nominating Alvare would be a bit of a rebuke to Scalia. (As the FRFA was a rebuke to Scalia!)
I feel like I've been one of Scalia's harshest critics, angry at his rejection of the unborn baby's right to life, angry at Smith. You might not know this, but I have always been one of his biggest fans. After Hugo Black, Scalia is my favorite jurist. These guys are right, over and over and over. Ironically, when they are wrong, it's when they negate the Constitution and let the government do whatever it wants. When Black wrote Korematsu, he was negating the equal protection clause. When Scalia wrote Smith, he was negating the free exercise clause. These are very big blunders!
The Supreme Court could have, and should have, grounded the right to marry under the free exercise clause of the First Amendment.
Anyway, I think it's very suitable to nominate a pro-lifer, and a Catholic, to replace Scalia. It would be provocative and interesting and important if that Catholic pro-lifer was a woman, and a feminist. That's a very important conversation. I'm going to move her to the top of my list.
I neglected to mention this on any of the Scalia threads, but RIP, big guy. We love you and miss you already.
As the FRFA was a rebuke to Scalia!
Oops. Not sure what the FRFA is! The Free Religious Freedom Act. Hey, they could have called it that.
My thought is that the Clintons (particularly Hillary) are the greatest beneficiaries of "third party" or independent campaigns for the presidency. If the Ross Perot 3rd party effort had not materialized, Hillary would be the lawyer/wife of a former Arkansas governor instead of the still-likely Democratic nominee. And no doubt a Trump "independent" candidacy would greatly facilitate her path to election in November.
The meme proffered by some on this blog is that Cruz is creepy. And then there's Trump. Every page that is turned in this campaign reveals more ugliness.
People who were thinking about voting for Trump have nothing to apologize for, by the way. You're just more open-minded than other people. You refuse to let other people do your thinking for you. Kudos to you.
That doesn't mean New Hampshire didn't embarrass the shit out of themselves. They did. But that's why we have a long campaign, so character reveals itself.
"My thought is that the Clintons (particularly Hillary) are the greatest beneficiaries of "third party" or independent campaigns for the presidency. If the Ross Perot 3rd party effort had not materialized, Hillary would be the lawyer/wife of a former Arkansas governor instead of the still-likely Democratic nominee. And no doubt a Trump "independent" candidacy would greatly facilitate her path to election in November."
Absolutely--any candidate who cannot get past 50 percent cannot win without a strong third party in the mix. Whether Trump is intending to help Hillary or not, it remains that his candidacy is the best shot she has of getting elected this year. Watching the last debate I could only think "too bad I'm not a Clinton supporter or I'd be popping champagne watching this".
You can't succeed so conspicuously at that level, friends and neighbors, unless you have a solid reputation for absolute honesty -- meaning both intellectual honesty and personal honesty.
Ben Carson would not agree with you. Hard to believe a man who has no idea whether he has health insurance for his own family can protect the interests of Americans.
"Trump keeps threatening to go third party. Despite signing a pledge that he wouldn't. If he did, would the trumpbots go with him, or would they finally admit he was not really a republican to begin with? There have been a lot of negative stuff said about Bush, Rubio, and Cruz. I don't see them acting like crybabies and threatening to run 3rd party."
Being a Trump fan means never having to admit you or your idol are ever wrong.
Had Obama said that Bush knew 9/11 was about to occur and did nothing, they would have lost their minds over it. Trump says it in a debate and it's admirable.
Had Cruz come out opposed to vaccinations, he would have been called a wacko anti-vaxxer nutjob. Trump (despite his superior education!) does so, and it's all okay.
Had Kasich donated to all the previous Clinton campaigns, spoken fondly of both Clintons, and even had a conversation with Bill Clinton the same day he announced his candidacy, he would have been laughed off the stage. Trump does so, it's a sign "he gets deals done."
They're a cult, and they cannot see their leader as anything less than god-like. Years from now, when we ask ourselves "how did the GOP go from nearly dominating every branch of government to a humiliating loss?" there will be only one answer. 2016 was the year the GOP went crazy.
"I love how trump accuses Cruz of being a liar and says if he doesn't desist trump will sue him for being ineligible to be president because he was born in candada. Either it's true or not true that Ted Cruz is ineligible. It shouldn't hinge on whether he lies about Trump or not."
When does logic or reason have any part to play in Trump's thinking? Remember National Review put out an article on why conservatives should not support Trump. His reaction? Did he say "here's why they're wrong" or "here's why that should not make a difference"? No, he says it's a failed paper. That's like a ref calling you for intentional grounding and you reply with "the ref has a receding hairline".
It's what one expects from an unstable child. And right now a plurality of Republicans want this unstable child to be their nominee.
2016?
when they started actually electing the teabaggers...
machine said...
2016?
when they started actually electing the teabaggers...
2010. I think. Get with the program.
The one thing ruder than the brash Trump fan is the know-it-all anti-Trump fan.
Ah, the Elect-Hillary plan has begun!
This election has the biggest set of vile candidates in my life time. I may change my mind, but for now there isn't even anyone for whom I'd hold my nose and cast my vote.
How about we don't have a president at all? Just Clint Eastwood's empty chair?
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