My son John is live-blogging, here.
I'll drop in if something inspires me, but please, comment away!
1. What do you want to happen? What are you hoping for?
2. Rubio begins with a shot at Trump, not by name, but with a reference to the choice between hopes and dreams and anger and fear.
3. WRITTEN THE NEXT MORNING: I bailed about 2 hours in, when I saw that it wasn't just 2 hours. I couldn't stay awake for that last half hour, and now I'm up early — my typical style — at 4:50 a.m. There was a lot of yelling and interrupting with Cruz and Rubio — fighting for survival — attacking Trump, and Trump was slightly less irritating because did what he had to do — defend himself. Cruz was fairly dignified, with his lofty tone and patient pauses. Rubio seemed to think he was: 1. a comedian, and 2. cute. The next morning, I can't remember any of his one-liners — were they all prewritten? — and I picture him grinning, armed spread, and looking around, like a bad comedian milking a joke.
February 25, 2016
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156 comments:
Easy Reader is shilling for Hillary and for his new London based action movie.
Just one time when Wolf says 'Marco' I want them all to yell 'Polo!'.
Another biased audience.
I want somebody to challenge Donald Trump to show his tax returns.
Trump's lying about the Cruz financial disclosure. The Cruz line of credit from Goldman Sachs WAS disclosed. They left it off one of the many financial disclosures. It was an error, and was corrected, and there was never any wrongdoing, nor any penalty. Everybody knew about it, because it was disclosed.
Lying sack of shit.
Git after him, Ted.
So Wolf lets Trump attack Cruz and won't let Cruz respond. Cruz and Rubio need to ignore Wolf and give it back in spades.
I want Marco and Ted to take down Trump. Doing it now.
Smart to say "Google it."
The line of attack on Trump over any of his business dealings seems weak. He says upfront that he has taken advantage of a broken system. It is this that pisses off all the other oligarchs, who benefit from the same system.
Is this mosh pit the logical, inevitable conclusion of Donald Trump?
I'd rather watch grass grow than spend time watching this debate. I'll hold my nose and vote for whatever the Republican machine coughs up in November (as opposed to which of the lesser of two evils the Democrat machine coughs up). Time for a nap. A better use of my time.
Marco and Ted should have brought this stuff long ago.
Rubio slashed over selling his house for a large profit to a lobbyist.
Mitt Romney busts Donald Trump for lying about his net worth. He's not a billionaire! He's a fraud! And Donnie is in full panic mode, with a dozen tweets about Romney.
Pathetic! Release your tax returns! Poor, poor, poor Donald Trump. What are you hiding?
Carson is so, so clueless.
I agree that attacking trump for hypocrisy over the use of H-1B's or his bankruptcies is ridiculous.
The bottom line is Rubio is a life long politician who's sponsored a massive increase in H-1B's and can't even control his credit card spending.
And the same is true for any flaws in trump's immigration plan. Rubio wants amnesty and lied about being for it. So why would anyone who care about the issue support Rubio?
Looks like all the questions are anti-Trump and from a liberal perspective. Not surprising.
CruzCare is now a thing thanks to Cruz's support of Roberts.
I wish these guys were taking Trump apart, over his stupid criticism of Justice Scalia just last December.
Video, here:
http://dailycaller.com/2015/12/13/donald-trump-hits-scalia-over-affirmative-action-remarks-video/
So Trump thinks judges sign bills?
Yes AReasonable man, the audience is biased in favor of the candidates, they seem to love Cruz. Gsg
Vicki from Pasadena
Bloomberg, Bloomberg!!!!
"He says upfront that he has taken advantage of a broken system. It is this that pisses off all the other oligarchs, who benefit from the same system."
But he also holds other companies accountable for doing the same thing? And why would those supporting Trump not hold politicians to the same standard? Its a broken system. if candidates operate in that system and are not especially idealistic well that's the broken system.
Any conservative watcher of the Court knows that Roberts is a pretty great, conservative, Chief Justice. No conservative opposed him at his confirmation hearing (where he was brilliant). All the liberals more or less opposed Roberts. His credentials were just too good, to filibuster.
Trump's saying that Cruz somehow gave us Roberts, is plain stupidity. Ted Cruz didn't nominate Roberts; he wasn't working in the White House on the nomination. He wasn't even in the Senate, then, to vote on it!
Doesn't anybody get what an idiot Trump is?
Trump blames Cruz and Rubio for Obamacare and neither was in the Senate when it passed and no republicans voted for it. They missed a chance to come back at Trump about that mistatement.
Why is Carson up there?
The only guy who actually knows anything about health care points out the obvious - we pay twice as much for health care than any other country for no better product. The problem is not the insurance it is the entire corrupt system of care.
Trump used New Yok values to save people from dying in the streets while the Cubo Canadians both screamed out that was not Real Consevatisim that requires sick people to die as quickly as possible.
Trump wins again.
"Doesn't anybody get what an idiot Trump is?" Yes, but not enough of us, apparently.
I can see why Kasich stays in the race, his competitors are two amateurs and two junior senators with no executive experience. On many topics he is the only one who speaks as someone with real experience.
Does anybody seriously believe Trump when he says the U.S. is the highest-taxed country in the world? It's not true; it's not close to being true. We don't have the highest individual marginal rates; we don't have the highest taxes in proportion to GDP; we don't even have the highest corporate rates (although that is the one area where we could stand a lot of good tax reform). We are a middling, sort of low-tax nation.
Rubio doesn't have a lot of credibility on debt.
Trump is going to get rid of state lines in insurance. Just like Bill Clinton got rid of Smoot-Hawley. And that will bring competition.
The competition will be amongst Mergers and Acquisitions attorneys who rush to consolidate the Too Big to Fail insurance companies. I cannot wait.
Chuck,
You are wrong.
Trump is being audited on his taxes and Cruz takes the side of the IRS.
Wrong about the marginal tax rates.
AReasonableMan: "Rubio doesn't have a lot of credibility on debt."
And only Hillary can speak for the poor since she too knows what it is like to be dead broke (as when she left the white house).
It's a helluva thing really. One day you are in the White House, wife of the President and the next day you are broke and don't know where your next meal will come from.
These are dark times my friends. Dark times indeed.
Birkel: You, and Trump are full of shit if you think the U.S. has the highest average marginal tax rates in the world. We're Number 37 on this chart:
http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Economy/Tax/Highest-marginal-tax-rate/Individual-rate
Look at corporate taxes, Chuck.
I am no Trumpkin, ask around.
If Trump is being audited (and I hope he is), I might actually root for the IRS. Which would be like rooting for the New York Yankees. Or Alabama football.
Ohhhh my Gawd! If I was a Republican, I'd be swooning over Marco tonight, he is on fire, and that smile, when he is genuinely amused is worth a million bucks. Even Cruz is showing that he had a pair tonight, like two chihuahuas biting the heck out of the bulldog's legs. Great debate! Damn!
Ok...
Adding "bigly" to my lexicon.
And..who hired the squealing Bieber fan in the audience?
Birkel we have the third-highest corporate tax rate. That's a single rate, on paper. The effective rate is generally acknowledged to be much lower. But take that rate if you wish. We still aren't the highest.
But moreover, that isn't what Trump said and it wasn't even what he was being asked about. It was Trump, again being super-stupid with his bloviating absolutism. Trump just can't bring himself to say anything careful or nuanced. It always has to be huge, or great, or incredible, or the best or the most. So he ends up spouting bald-faced lies.
Chuck: "If Trump is being audited (and I hope he is), I might actually root for the IRS"
'cuz "conservatism!!!"
The Trump University scam defrauded 5,000 people, who shelled out up to $35,000 each. There are multiple lawsuits, including a class action lawsuit. He ripped off $40 million from ordinary people.
CruzBots must all be proud of their dupping delight grinning liar tonight. He says Trump is the same as Hillary on Israel. What a dumb fool.
Amazing. Romney, Rubio and Cruz are all sounding exactly like MSM shills for Hillary on volunteering tax returns (with no quid pro quo from Clintons on Foundation or Wall Street transcripts.
Taken together with this week's over the top Trump hatred out of NRO, Douthat, et al, It is hard to deny that all these so-called "true Conservatives" would rather see Hillary win than Trump.
Open borders, Free Trade and eternal nation-building are the core Republican Party. No one can seriously challenge any of those positions; they would rather lose the Presidency to Democrats than have a Republican President that does not subscribe to these Davos values.
AReasonableMan: "I can see why Kasich stays in the race, his competitors are two amateurs and two junior senators with no executive experience. On many topics he is the only one who speaks as someone with real experience."
Kasich does occupy a unique position in this race so I don't see why he would remove himself from it.
The only question is can he garner sufficient support to make himself the natural choice for VP?
Of course, if Trump is the nominee, would he (Trump) really accept a Kasich as VP? We know what Kasich brings to the electoral table, on paper at least. But would the differences in style and content be so large that Trump goes elsewhere? I would bet yes on that.
Chuck, highest amongst developed countries.
We can agree beyond that small fact-check issue. Bloviating jerk will bloviate while being a jerk. News at 11
Trump is an idiot if he thinks he can convince the Palestinians to accept Israel like it is a negotiation about $$. Rubio is absolutely right.
Statistics. Damned lies. Etc.
No offense intended, Chuck. Fair is fair.
Saint Croix: "The Trump University scam defrauded 5,000 people, who shelled out up to $35,000 each. There are multiple lawsuits, including a class action lawsuit. He ripped off $40 million from ordinary people."
Simple question here: why would anyone believe Trump had particular insight into flipping dilapidated homes or that they (the student) could emulate Trumps "secrets" in developing NY real estate?
One is reminded of the old Steve Martin routine where the first step in his multistep process of "getting rich and being happy" was to "first, get a million dollars...."
Trump has no substance, just bluster.
Carson is also getting audited by the IRS and he is the most honest man on the stage.
Open borders, Free Trade and eternal nation-building are the core Republican Party. No one can seriously challenge any of those positions; they would rather lose the Presidency to Democrats than have a Republican President that does not subscribe to these Davos values.
"Invade the world, invite the world" isn't just a phrase, it seems to be the Republican motto.
What robother said. He summed it up. And Cruz and Rubio are both bought and paid for to weaken Trump by kamikase attacks tonight to give Hillary 4 years when those two can run later. Money talks.
Between the CNN Moderators and Cruz/Rubio Trump has been under assault all night. I've never seen such a one-sided Gang-up on a Candidate.
Good story in today's NYT on Trump's refusing to hire Americans at Mara Lago.
I never realized how before how dumb Hewitt is. You can't release your tax return while its under audit.
Duh.
Rubio's efforts to prostitute himself for the Sheldon Adelson billions should trigger an audit from the vice squad.
You can't release your tax return while its under audit.
Why not?
rcocean:
Welcome to the party, pal!
Hewitt has been off my radar for a while.
Too bad Kasich doesn't have the charisma necessary for this run--he has the substance.
So now Trump is HR Director at Mara Lago.
Most of the time, the R candidates don't have much charisma. neither do the Ds for that matter.
Wolf is pathetic. Let's Trump attack and then changes the subject so Cruz and Rubio can't respond.
Lets
Rcocean, the attack on Trump is no where near as bad as that one time that one reporter once mumbled that non-worshipping question to Hillary from 3 blocks away.
Now that was tough!
Not as tough as dodging sniper fire in Bosnia of course. But still.
The attacks on Trump came too little and too late. Trump's big advantage is he can reached people directly thorough social media, his rallies, and his constant interviews on TV.
I doubt this debate will have much effect. But rubio and cruz obviously decided to tag-team Donald before the debate.
This is watching athe Cain Mutiny Courtmartial as Captain Cruz finally loses it over the key to the strawberry icecream.
The eyes of Texas are upon lying lawyer Cruz tonight. Trump will win Texas.
Drago:
Are you saying Trump cannot control a bureaucracy inside his eponymous company?
"Hewitt has been off my radar for a while."
Not surprising, as Trump said, no no listens to Hewitt's show.
Hopefully, super Tuesday will put Kasich and Carson out of the misery. I don't want to see another debate with those two.
Birkel I want this made very clear. Trump said that we are the highest-taxed nation in the world. He was emphatic. He was absolute.
Now, you are trying to defend Trump by saying that our corporate tax rates are the highest in the developed world. Which is sort of what I said to begin with, while I was criticizing Trump for his ignorant, incorrect original assertion.
This debate will have zero effect on Trump nor anyone else and I say that as a Cruz supporter.
Btw, Huckabees daughter just joined the Trump campaign.
Trump's a pussy. Can't handle criticism.
Birkel, I am saying that Trump is not the HR director at Mara Lago.
Birkel said...
Drago:
Are you saying Trump cannot control a bureaucracy inside his eponymous company?
There is no "bureaucracy" in the Trump Organization! It isn't that big!
Diamondhead said...
Trump's a pussy. Can't handle criticism.
Are you actually watching this debate?
I don't believe that Trump had nothing to do with hiring the Romanian workers at Mara Lago. Read the article. He's quoted in it a lot about why he didn't hire Americans.
So how has trump fared when ganged on by cruz/sir rubio?
"we pay twice as much for health care than any other country for no better product."
Here, we disagree. Read any British newspaper to see what we are missing.
One.
Cancer drugs taken by more than 12,000 people a year are set to be axed, under NHS plans approved today.
Medicines rationing body NICE is to reassess all 47 cancer treatments currently available via the Cancer Drugs Fund.
Of these, 23 drugs have previously been refused by the regulator and experts fear that they will be again.
The move - which experts warn will set cancer treatment ‘back by a generation’ - is part of a massive shake-up of the £400million fund, which has repeatedly overspent its budget due to overwhelming demand.
NHS medical director Sir Bruce Keogh, who drew up the plans, said pharmaceutical companies could easily make the drugs available by simply dropping their price.
Two.
Half a million children who have been diagnosed with asthma may not actually have the condition, new research suggests.
Doctors are failing to properly assess youngsters in surgeries or carry out appropriate lung function tests which would give a definitive finding, it is claimed.
More than one million children have been diagnosed with asthma in Britain, but the new study suggests more than half may not have the chronic lung condition and could be at risk from the side effects of their medication.
Three.
Patients are being forced to endure stays of up to two days in Accident & Emergency departments amid a growing crisis as NHS beds run out.
A Telegraph investigation discloses that the number of hospitals admitting to A&E delays of at least 20 hours has doubled in just one year.
The figures show that this winter, one in three NHS trusts recorded times at least this long – with some patients stuck in casualty units for as long as 46 hours.
I could go on. There is a reason why British retirees go to France and sign up for the much better French system which includes market effects.
Next up: Reagan is personally responsible for some lone bureaucrat in the federal leviathan for classifying ketchup as a vegetable for school lunch nutrition calculations.
And Romney is responsible for every corporate healthcare decision made by every HR dept in every company Romney invested in.
Yes, I am, reasonable man. He embarrassed himself. And he embarrassed his idiot supporters.
rcocean: You were asked above, why can't someone publicly release their own previously-filed tax returns, even when there is an audit ongoing. I have the same question. Why not?
On twitter:
Sen Graham at the #WPCFDinner: "If you kill Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial is at the Senate, no one will convict you."
Frankly, i dislike these kind of food fights. Let people respond for a couple minutes then you get your turn.
Too much talking over each other and interruptions.
He turns into the mincing, flamboyant captain of the drama team as soon anyone turns fire on him.
Chuck you always act like you're smarter everyone else. What do you think the answer is?
Cruz crammed alot in that final statement.
Chuck is asking me defend Trump? WTF bizarre Althouse is this?
America does pay more taxes than any other country.
(Now I am fucking with you because you lack a sense of humor.)
Of course you can release your tax return when you're under audit.
Would a wall on the Canadian border stop Cuban Canuck's from entering the country?
"Not surprising, as Trump said, no no listens to Hewitt's show."
And no one buys Trump ties, or attends Trump university (except for the ones that sued him) or buy Trump stakes or watch Trump football.
Also, just beause Trump doesn't, doesn't mean that no one doesn't. Trump was actually on his show. So apparently he was big enough for Trump to use him to get his word out.
Trump though is such a cry baby, as soon as people ask him tough questions he calls them losers. That has been his go to argument for pretty much everybody.
Its now Trumps fault the USFL failed.
Drago wrote:
Chuck: "If Trump is being audited (and I hope he is), I might actually root for the IRS"
'cuz "conservatism!!!"
it would at least show the IRS sometimes goes after Democrats too.
I can't believe so many conservatives lapse into dem/lib speak to attack Trump when there are plenty of purely substantive issues that one could legitimately raise.
Drago,
It was Trump's fault that he pursued a failed antitrust suit against the NFL. (Which he won for one dollar, trebled, plus interest!!)
OMFG. Trump has wigged out. He's live on CNN's post-debate, claiming that maybe he's being audited by the IRS because he's "such a strong Christian."
Trump employs more than 22,000 people. Wynn Resorts, a Fortune 500 company, employees 16,500.
You're a complete idiot, Chuck.
Jr565 comment re: IRS and Trump was amusing though and we always allow leeway when you "bring the funny"
What do you think the answer is?
I think Trump is not releasing his tax returns because they will embarrass him. I think Romney is right and Trump is hiding something.
He's very defensive over the issue. His ego is tied up in his net worth. He's been bragging about his billions for years. Complete scam artist.
Wynn resorts??? Trump owns Wynn resorts?? Hahah
Birkel, then I would emphasize the win plus trebled damages. Just win baby!
Wrong bad owner, Drago.
Different coast.
Same crazy.
Chuck, the "strong Christian" line is actually quite clever and plays off several angles re: the popular culture, perceptions of obambi, the evangelical base, cuts to the heart of the Cruz base vote, etc.
You are clearly blinded to the possible upside of many of Trumps comments.
"Simple question here: why would anyone believe Trump had particular insight into flipping dilapidated homes or that they (the student) could emulate Trumps "secrets" in developing NY real estate?"
Simple question here: why would anyone believe Trump had any particular insight into -- oh well, too easy. This is the man, after all, whose key plank on his core issue, according one of his supporters on this very blog, is the "stupidest" thing he ever said.
Kasich might benefit from the frosh senators and Trump going after each other.
Well, that was one of the least gracious mea culpas I've read lately
And certainly not up to standards of criticism I expect of conservatives.
My last was for Birkel
So I get no "bringing the funny" cred?
That stinks.
Where did I say that Trump owned Wynn Resorts? It's a comparison of organizations and its employees, since Chuck said Trump's company wasn't '"that big".
McCullough, why would Kasich even want the support of those horrible and hateful Republican base voters? Its clear the base could never live up to Kasichs saintly standards.
Birkel, I award you an honorary "bringing the funny" street cred trophy life achievement award based on cumulative body of work.
Fabi, I believe most of us understood precisely what you meant. Chuck is a bit blinkered when it comes to The Trumpinator.
Now, back to poor destitute First Lady Hillary! We really should have a fundraiser for those delightful kids, bill and hill.
All they need is a leg up after all.
Trump won. He was dinged up on healthcare but the Republican position is impossible. Healthcare is riddled with market and information failures. The "free market" will not achieve low costs or universal coverage. I believe Trump will push for a Medicare buy-in and a major expansion of Medicaid to replace Obamacare.
I accept the award, but think you might have been exaggerating for effect.
Funny.
I did it! I live-blogged!
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/janetheactuary/2016/02/time-for-a-debate.html
Now I feel like I'm coming up for air, because I was typing up comments so furiously I barely had time to check twitter, blogs, etc.
And mostly I watched the whole thing wondering, "how do people not see through Trump?" when he simply repeats his lines, "It'll be great, we're gonna win" etc., over and over again.
I'm also now startled at seeing twitter reports of speaking time -- I didn't realized that Kasich got that much speaking time, I supposed because I just ignored him and came up for air when he talked.
"Trump won. He was dinged up on healthcare but the Republican position is impossible. Healthcare is riddled with market and information failures. The "free market" will not achieve low costs or universal coverage. I believe Trump will push for a Medicare buy-in and a major expansion of Medicaid to replace Obamacare." Why should there be two Democrats running, even if one claims that he "gets along with Republicans"?
Spiros Pappas,
You are wrong, of course. If the consumers are forced to internalize the costs of their own care, market forces will prevail better than any other system ever tried.
The government screwed it up when they first peddled, post WWII.
Blogger Drago said...
Chuck, the "strong Christian" line is actually quite clever and plays off several angles re: the popular culture, perceptions of obambi, the evangelical base, cuts to the heart of the Cruz base vote, etc.
You are clearly blinded to the possible upside of many of Trumps comments.
First, the notion that Donald Trump is a "strong Christian" is the most immediate laugh-line.
His own church doesn't regard him as a regular member:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/28/politics/donald-trump-church-member/
Second, the notion that the IRS is auditing people based on Christian beliefs is crazy. We need a lot more "Christian" audits. Start with the inner-city black churches that double as Democrat SuperPACs. Trump will now get asked; "Where did you come up with the notion that the IRS is doing excessive audits of Christian individuals? Why you?"
Third, we conservatives really DO need to take this business of IRS audits seriously. The case with the 501(c) corporation qualifications is a very serious thing. Lois Lerner needs to be prosecuted, and seemingly never will. Trump's unserious meddling in the general issue of audits is not helping.
meddled not peddled
Drago,
Kasich is a competent governor. Republicans make up about 25% of the electorate. The largest number of voters are independent. Kasich appears to be as tired of the GOP as the rest of us. That's a mark in his favor. The GOP and the Dems, at least nationally, are filled with incompetent partisans who are in politics because they don't want to work for a living.
Hopefully the GOP and the Dem parties die off. They've done enough harm over the last 25 years.
I watched with a CPA friend of mine and yes, you can absolutely release existing tax returns even if you're under audit. Trump as usual is full of it but no one cares because he'll make us great again, like he did with the Trump Shuttle.
I do love that when someone asks him a pointed question, rather than address it he takes a shot at something irrelevant. "No one watches your show, Hugh"-- ok, nice dig, but what about the question, smartass? In Trump Country, that counts as wit.
I doubt this debate will have much effect, though--not enough people see through this fraudulent bully--they want Anmerica to win again (I'm sure they'd enroll in Trump University if it hadn't gone defunct, probably due to the Chinese Zandria Mexicans and not having a wall ten feet higher) and dammit, this guy is the obvious answer after eight years of bigly promises.
We need to make "bigly" a word, btw.
"The GOP and the Dems, at least nationally, are filled with incompetent partisans" Depends on what you mean by incompetence. Dems want to move the Prog agenda. They have done that effectively. No incompetence there. GOPe problem may be "incompetent" but hardly "partisan" in the sense intended here. Of course, GOP governors are a strong bunch -- partisan on behalf of the actually existing GOP voters, actually competent and on the whole successful.
Brando,
Can versus should may very well be different things. Many lawyers would advise an abundance of caution if they were concerned about liability.
That said, if he has been audited every year, past returns should easily pass muster. No reason to withhold those past returns.
The words Trump says that I cannot believe are "Trust me."
We do know two things about Trump: he is strong, and he is a Christian. That makes him a strong Christian which is Target # 1 for Obama's IRS. Everybody knows that. Carson mentioned it too.
So why act like Trump is the weird one here when you are just making another half ass Cruz style Lie.
Trump's a Christian. Trump's strong. Trump thinks you're a loser.
Trump is so offended by the word fuck. What a pussy.
What GOP voters? They are 25% of the electorate. Dem voters are 28%. People don't want to be identified with these parties. Who is going to defend Obama's record? W's? Hillary Clinton? They are an embarrassment.
traditionalguy:
What specific policies do you expect Donald Trump to enact if he is elected president. Be specific.
If you are correct, you will have ample opportunity to brag. So be specific and give yourself lots of bragging rights.
On Libya Trump is completely and irrevocably full of shit. And my guess is he doesn't even remember making statements in favor of Libya because he doesn't think beyond the moment he makes a statement about the implications of the statement. But he was totally in favor of Obama going into Libya and taking out Qadaffi.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/trump-claims-he-didnt-support-libya-intervention-but-he-did?utm_term=.ujXqE13lZ#.fcgm5pgEe
And yet here he is lying bald fadedly as if he never uttered the statement. Its like the dems saying Bush lied and people died, and then finding the tapes where they all made the same argument.If you change your position, that's fine. But don't pretend like you never uttered a statement.
Its so clear that the guy is lying his ass off. And it echoes Kerry's I was for the iraq war before I was against it in terms of the degree to which it is a flip flop. Except he's denying he made a flip flop. At least Kerry had the "integrity" to say he changed his mind.
If this were Kerry or Obama the Trumpbots would not let them get away with such blatant lies.
Remember that War for Oil America started? It was explicitly for Oil for France. Libya is that War. Obama's War for Oil.
No WMD. No U.N. resolutions.
Obama's war of choice.
Supported by Trump.
That War for Oil, jr565?
"We do know two things about Trump: he is strong, and he is a Christian. That makes him a strong Christian which is Target # 1 for Obama's IRS. Everybody knows that. Carson mentioned it too."
Trump is strong like a bully is strong. But he also cries like a little baby when people ask him tough questions. He then boycotts debates. And as for his christianity, I'm not one to tell people they are or are not christian enough, since god knows, I'm not especially religious. But Trump does not strike me as Chrstian IN ANY WAY.
Even if he says he reads he bible more than anybody.
Buzz off Birkel.
Cruz came off as a zealot. Rubio upped his game as did Trump.
Bickel wrote:
Remember that War for Oil America started? It was explicitly for Oil for France. Libya is that War. Obama's War for Oil.
No WMD. No U.N. resolutions.
Obama's war of choice.
Supported by Trump.
That War for Oil, r565?
I would disagree that it was a war over oil. though France did seem to benefit from it, in terms of oil.But I would agree that Obama seemed to wage it unilaterally. At least Bush went to the UN. at least bush didn't violate the war powers act to start it.
Also, all wars are wars of choice, even the GOOD wars (as per democrats).
But, your critique is certainly valid if you want to go after people who argued Bush's war was a war for oil but then didn't say anything when it came to the kinetic military activity (or whatever it was labeled) by Obama.
traditionalguy,
I see you cannot offer a specific policy that you will announce here, to establish bragging rights. I will happily be back to absorb your enthusiastic brags. I have been around a good long while. Going to be here as you tell me "I told you so" a million times. Now is your chance.
Specific policy achievements you expect a President Trump to enact.
jr565,
Just previewing an attack that could have been used on Hillary that is foreclosed. You guys sure are sour tonight.
Nichevo wrote:
The Democrat must be defeated. There is no alternative.
I agree. But that's why I'm so adamantly opposed to Trump. He cannot articulate positions. Someone like Rubio or Obama can articulate a position.We may disagree with them. But Trump seems like he has superficial knowledge of all positions.
His answer to how he'll get the mexican govt to pay for the wall is "We will" that's not a credible policy position. Its just bluster.
If he has to debate democrats they will probably be able to lay out their positions a lot better than him. AND they will then turn around and say "also, you hate mexicans, you hate muslims, you said this, you said that". Why do you think Wolf Blitzer kept going to Trump? Beause he's making a fool of himself, and the media is trying to put all focus on him so he becomes the nominee.
because they assume he will be shellacked and shown to be a complete fool in the general election. And all the credible candidates were knocked out, essentially, by the media hyping Trump.
Birkel wrote:
Just previewing an attack that could have been used on Hillary that is foreclosed. You guys sure are sour tonight.
I don't see how you think Trump actually did well in that debate.
Nichevo,
I am only arguing, when argue I do, that what is best for these country will not be achieved this cycle. I worry about process in this Constitutional Republic.
I worry that the separation of powers has been entangled, dangerously, in the Executive Branch.
You go on worrying about the horse race.
jr565:
I don't think Trump did well and I think he would be a ruinous president. I think the loyal opposition of some Republicans against a Democrat president might be better for the country than a rally behind Trump as he enacts Leftist policies.
No Trumpkin here. But he seems likely to prevail and here we are.
That [meaning the debate] went exactly as I thought it would.
I will vote for Cruz happily in the primary in PA.
I would hold my nose and vote for Rubio, if I had to, in the general.
I will not vote for Trump. Ever. He will be every bit as bad as Hillary or Sanders, the only difference being that conservatives will get the blame for his failures. Even best case scenario, he simply won't be able to undo enough of Obama's damage. The only one who could would be a "zealot" like Cruz who'd be willing to take a blowtorch to Leviathan. Anything less will be ineffectual and just get us the blame. So, let the Democrats own it. I'll vote for SMOD before Trump.
I've been watching on delay, and therefore I'm behind the times.
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That said, I'm laughing my ass off at the notion that 4 bucks an hour back in the early '80s was below minimum wage. What the hell? I remember working hard as hell to GET to $4 per hour (and, yes, more thereafter, but that's not the point).
Silly, silly, silly.
Sounds like I missed another stomach-churning debate. Good.
Qwinn said...
"I will vote for Cruz happily in the primary in PA.
I would hold my nose and vote for Rubio, if I had to, in the general."
Neither one is eligible. You are just as clueless as the idiot Obama supporters who ignored all evidence of his ineligibility and lack of allegiance. Seriously, they are "constitutional experts" yet they are not eligible for the office?
Cruz would not have been a US citizen at the time he was born until 1934. He is only considered such now by naturalization law--- i.e he is NATURALIZED.
Marco Rubio would not have been considered a US citizen at birth until 1868. See the Naturalization Act 1802 S. 4 (the children of aliens were naturalized by the naturalization of the parents if dwelling in the US). He is only considered a US citizen at birth by the 14th Amendment--- he is naturalized by 8 US code 1401(a) (born subject to the jurisdiction of the US). He is NATURALIZED.
Natural born Citizens have ALWAYS been citizens at the time they were born by NATURE and their tacit consent. They are Citizens BY birth not citizens AT birth (after birth by statute or oath). Naturalization does not always occur by "the naturalization process" (oath). it can be by Treaty, by statute, by the Constitution itself.
Trump will win by a landslide in the General election. Any poll that says HRC could possibly beat him is NONSENSE.
Trump is the Kardashian candidate. He is a media made politician. He is a constant flip flopper, yet people are mesmerized and think he is going to change the politics of Washington. He won't...he'll be Obama 2.....Imagine his fury when he doesn't get his way...Be careful what you wish for America...because you are going to get it!!
How do we know that Donald Trump is lying about five years worth of his tax returns being audited? Besides the fact that he always lies, there are IRS regulations in place. Typical tax audits are performed on a single year. The IRS has three years to audit a single year unless it discovers that income of 25% or foreign income of more than 5% has been omitted. That can open six years of audits measured from filing dates. So if the IRS audits your 2013 taxes and finds a big error, that can open the last six tax years to audit. So a Donald tax audit can involve 2014 filed in 2015 back to to 2009 - but never five years and that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is what he said out loud in front of God and everybody. An exception: if no tax return is filed any given year, that year is open to audit forever.
@Sebastian said...
"Trump won. He was dinged up on healthcare but the Republican position is impossible. Healthcare is riddled with market and information failures. The "free market" will not achieve low costs or universal coverage. I believe Trump will push for a Medicare buy-in and a major expansion of Medicaid to replace Obamacare." Why should there be two Democrats running, even if one claims that he "gets along with Republicans"?
Trump is not the only one who doesn't know anything about healthcare insurance. First of all medical costs in general were lower before the Obamacare monstrosity was imposed, which included 116 new government agencies and a medical coding system that expanded paperwork 100 fold. Fact is that government is far too inefficient to provide any service at low cost - and universal coverage without experience ratings ain't what Americans want. We want to pick our our doctors.
Medicaid is included as part of Obamacare but it is an abomination because the poor are being abused by the bureaucracy and providers are being abused by too low reimbursement for services performed. If you meant to say Medicare, I agree that Medicare for seniors is a fine program except that it is over-regulated and too complex for older patients. Unfortunately, the government controls costs by ripping off doctors paying only about 10% of the enormous fees invented by the healthcare industry. Worse for medical providers, Medicare establishes total fees that can be charged based upon these severe discounts - so Medicare can never handle everyone because there would be no providers left to service patients.
But if Donald said . . .
and Hillary wins again.
please tell me they are having another one...
"I picture him grinning, armed spread, and looking around, like a bad comedian milking a joke."
Ricky Ricardo.
http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/chart.htm
Brando said... 2/25/16, 10:33 PM
I watched with a CPA friend of mine and yes, you can absolutely release existing tax returns even if you're under audit.
He could make the claim he can't release them, because, being under audit, they are not finalized, so there's no tax return to release! He hasn't made that argument, though, explicitly at least anyway.
In any case, he could release beta versions.
There could very well be more than one year under audit, if the audits continue for more than a year.
It is being said that lawyers or CPAs don't like to see anyone make any return public while it is still under audit (that would probably be for the reason that other people seeing it could give the auditors suggestions)
I do love that when someone asks him a pointed question, rather than address it he takes a shot at something irrelevant. "No one watches your show, Hugh"--
The point there in Donald Trump's mind being, that not too many people knew that he promised to release his tax returns, so it;s not a really serious broken promise.
ok, nice dig, but what about the question, smartass? In Trump Country, that counts as wit.
It is an answer to the question, or the most important part of the answer. The degree to which a promise by Donald Trump needs to be kept depends on the number of people who heard the promise, and very few people heard him promise it.
The second part of his answer was that he couldn't release his tax returns because they are under audit, and he did not answer Ted Cruz's question about any returns whose audits were completed.
You notice also that Donald Trump uses the word "file" to describe making tax returns public. And instead of saying a judge upheld a law, or signed an opinion, he says the judge signed a bill. And I think he didn't know what the mandate was, confusing it with the requirements under EMTALA (the Emergency Medical Treatement and Active Labor Act, also known as the Patient Anti-Dumping Law signed by President Reagan in 1986. The bill also included COBRA)
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