tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post3649385027357334049..comments2024-03-28T10:18:08.355-05:00Comments on Althouse: "It’s highly inappropriate for the president to write a check to the father of a slain service member."Ann Althousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01630636239933008807noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-63554378291151619022017-10-21T19:28:31.485-05:002017-10-21T19:28:31.485-05:00Long before Mr. Trump became anything but a on-aga...Long before Mr. Trump became anything but a on-again off-again billionaire, we Jews had a story about him. It was told in the Orthodox community that some Chasid from (say) Williamsburg had pulled over to help somebody fix a tire. Turned out it was Donald Trump. When he got back home to Williamsburg, the guy found out that Trump had paid off his mortgage.<br />Probably he does stuff like that. Not consistently, but when the spirit moves him.<br />Mr. Trump has all manner of character flaws. This doesn't seem like a big one.MikeRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00127456522803816485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-19696743062593093192017-10-21T11:14:51.892-05:002017-10-21T11:14:51.892-05:00Trump means well and is trying to do a good job.
...Trump means well and is trying to do a good job.<br /><br />He has had a career as a real estate developer, which stands him in good stead negotiating with people like the Chinese and the Norks. <br /><br />He has also been a promoter and salesman. Here, I think his weaknesses show, as his excessive adjectives in speech that is almost a tic.<br /><br />Let's face it. Most of the US government, of both parties, is corrupt.<br /><br />The current Russia0Uranium scandal is evidence that Democrats are corrupt and cannot be trusted to govern.<br /><br />The Republican immediate welshing on promises of Obamacare repeal suggests that they are no better.<br /><br />They respond to donors who do not have the best interests of the public in mind.<br /><br />We have a serious "faithless agent " problem. The people in government of both parties have decided to go for their own best interest and ignore the welfare of the country.<br /><br />Only a rich man like Trump could ever be expected to oppose them.<br />Michael Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18127450762129879267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-207458213386526862017-10-21T09:51:53.240-05:002017-10-21T09:51:53.240-05:00CStanley,
A well thought out, logical plan meant ...CStanley,<br /><br />A well thought out, logical plan meant to modestly celebrate the servicemens sacrifice and acknowledge the families pain.<br /><br /><br />Not Trump.Phil 314https://www.blogger.com/profile/04133300763922742206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-55236814290336072062017-10-21T08:09:39.275-05:002017-10-21T08:09:39.275-05:00My opinion is that this was a well meaning but not...My opinion is that this was a well meaning but not well thought out gesture on Trump's part.<br /><br />This plus the whole phone call kerfuffle got me thinking about how I think the contacts should best be handled. I think if I were president I'd do something like this:<br /><br />1. Once a year have an event at the White House to which all Gold star families are invited.<br /><br />2. Direct the military branches to send me summaries in a timely manner of all troop deaths, with biographical information and details of how the deaths occurred.<br /><br />3. Write letters once a month based on those reports...for expediency, I'd have a form letter but would try to include one or more details that I'd learned from those reports.<br /><br />But no phone calls or making stuff up as I get along, because I'd be too concerned that some families would feel hurt that they didn't get the special treatment. So if I was a wealthy president like Trump, I'd probably also donate a great deal of money to veterans causes but not offer individual assistance like he did in this case.CStanleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13467496850893922521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-70391449973576982402017-10-21T06:53:37.670-05:002017-10-21T06:53:37.670-05:00Well I would say that it is inappropriate. But I f...Well I would say that it is inappropriate. But I found this interesting:<br /><br /><i>The existing system of compensation works. The status quo satisfies. If it doesn’t, then there’s a real conversation to be had....</i><br /><br />Does the existing system work? Maybe there's a conversation to be had.<br /><br />And "the status quo works" -- everyone is a Burkean conservative when it suits them.Henryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14520113896946845614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-50942300023041052142017-10-21T05:16:23.286-05:002017-10-21T05:16:23.286-05:00Original WaPo article here.Original WaPo article <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-offered-a-grieving-military-father-25000-in-a-call-but-didnt-follow-through/2017/10/18/8d4cbc8c-b43a-11e7-be94-fabb0f1e9ffb_story.html?utm_term=.6edff3728630" rel="nofollow">here</a>. <br /><br />Saint Croixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17876368500159112781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-17951623288511108812017-10-21T05:13:12.769-05:002017-10-21T05:13:12.769-05:00I got so mad by the "charity is bad" the...I got so mad by the "charity is bad" theme of this thread that I started maligning <b><i>The Washington Post</i></b> for its <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1993/02/06/evangelical-outrage/c6704db3-0f79-452d-bb5d-6da3bdc36202/?utm_term=.51c79aa06a1e" rel="nofollow">attacks on Christians in 1993</a>. Which is off-topic, and proof positive that I was too mad to read the damn WaPo article from beginning to end, or think clearly before I attacked it, too. Anyway, that's why I deleted at 4:48. Like Nixon covering his shit up. Delete! Delete! Abort my mistake at 4:48! <br /><br />Anyway, what the <b><i>Washington Post</i></b> reporters did was call up a bunch of survivors of deceased soldiers and ask them about their phone calls from Donald Trump. I am guessing--but do not know--that those reporters probably heard an earful from bereaved family members about how their questions were intrusive, obnoxious, disrespectful, petty, and really ugly. And it probably gave the WaPo reporters some perspective about how hard it is to call up people who lose their adult children in a war zone. <br /><br />I am guessing the WaPo journalists had sympathy for Donald Trump after their phone calls, because the headline of their article is uncharacteristically positive for the president. "Trump offered a grieving military father $25000 in a phone call." That headline shows his charity, compassion, his desire to help. Almost all the other news outlets focused on Trump's failure to follow up and do what he said. And Trump immediately sent a check. Because he remembered the phone call. <br /><br />It reminds me of Trump's loose comment about Puerto Rican debt ("we'll wipe that out") while he's in the middle of trying to help an island ravaged by a hurricane. It's a good, charitable impulse. And the promise to the soldier's father was not made for p.r. purposes, or to make Trump look good. That's what public charity is for. Private, secret charity is impressive (which is why Christ instructs us to do it that way). <br /><br />If Trump had followed up and mailed his check in secret, that would have been really impressive. His failure to follow up got him still more bad press. But the lesson to learn is not "charity is bad" or "you shouldn't offer $25,000 to strangers" or "charity corrupts the recipient" or "The WaPo hates Christians." <br /><br />The lesson to learn is that if you're offering specific help to people, you got to follow up.Saint Croixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17876368500159112781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-4690859098123970612017-10-21T02:38:18.115-05:002017-10-21T02:38:18.115-05:00Not being a lawyer (thank you God!) I have a hard ...Not being a lawyer (thank you God!) I have a hard time understanding how a spontaneous, private and unsolicited gift, made without any conditions on or expectations from the recipient, could ever be considered to be illegal or unethical. I get that "because I hate Trump" is all the reason that some require, but what is the point in writing bullshit if your intended audience is capable of looking at your comments and saying "aha, that's bullshit." What have you accomplished and why are you wasting peoples' time? Chuck? Unknown? Anyone?jaydubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02114209278374751401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-40356601800577638472017-10-21T00:58:55.640-05:002017-10-21T00:58:55.640-05:00He is free to do what he wishes with his own money...He is free to do what he wishes with his own money, President or not. However, I think he will find that this was probably mistake- such acts do tend to draw con-artists.Yancey Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16427042729449397357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-41634104542773964312017-10-21T00:54:09.051-05:002017-10-21T00:54:09.051-05:00Any time Slate says 'have a discussion' I ...Any time Slate says 'have a discussion' I hwar 'listen to a lecture and don't talk back. Why is that?richard mcenroehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10659450906647134430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-20255000703695524282017-10-21T00:52:17.874-05:002017-10-21T00:52:17.874-05:00Now as to what's actually going on over there:...<br /><br /> Now as to what's actually going on over there:<br /><br />https://mobile.twitter.com/MENASTREAM/status/921424509894385665?p=vnarcisohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07128976398798678295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-57756371534142263342017-10-20T23:59:26.295-05:002017-10-20T23:59:26.295-05:00Blogger bgates said...
That story does include a q...Blogger bgates said...<br />That story does include a quote from Obama saying he writes those checks.<br />--<br />They got iPods with 'bama speechifyin'.<br />i.e. not follow up material.<br />walterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17818749187960350810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-56137909174937402492017-10-20T23:56:33.743-05:002017-10-20T23:56:33.743-05:00Matthew Sablan said...Too bad another Trump is a s...Matthew Sablan said...Too bad another Trump is a stupid asshole story got in the way of journalism. Funny how that keeps happening.<br />--<br />Yep. but when journos are desperately working to deflect from their own "hack"-ery, there will be no end to it.walterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17818749187960350810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-28126393197576865962017-10-20T23:35:33.560-05:002017-10-20T23:35:33.560-05:00Here's a story about President Obama writing c...<i>Here's a story about President Obama writing checks to struggling Americans:</i><br /><br />That story does include a quote from Obama saying he writes those checks.<br /><br />It does not include any quotes from people who had received those checks.<br /><br />It does include a heartfelt request from the HuffPo reporter for heartwarming stories about people who received help from Obama after sending him a letter.<br /><br />There was never a follow up story.bgateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14094313567630214207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-66177432551030571982017-10-20T23:19:56.139-05:002017-10-20T23:19:56.139-05:00"Do people really think this is the shit that..."Do people really think this is the shit that will bring Trump down. "<br /><br />I don't think they think about it. It's reflex, sort of like a knee jerk.<br /><br />I do think it could bring on a revolution if it goes far enough but I hope it doesn't.Michael Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18127450762129879267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-71297538802753588842017-10-20T23:18:30.324-05:002017-10-20T23:18:30.324-05:00"Freder Frederson said...
"Trump did no..."Freder Frederson said...<br /><br />"Trump did not self-finance his campaign. He . . . hawked a whole bunch of MAGA crap to help finance his campaign."<br /><br />Hawking MAGA crap *is* self-financing. But I'm not surprised that you don't understand how capitalism works.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-69719672918911266892017-10-20T23:16:16.994-05:002017-10-20T23:16:16.994-05:00Agree with pretty much the stack here. Do people r...Agree with pretty much the stack here. Do people really think this is the shit that will bring Trump down. They've been doing it since Trump announced candidacy. I think Taleb wrote a bit about this shit not working back in fall 2015. He was right. I don't get it. It is obvious. It clearly doesn't work. What's the play? themightypuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03288837159628526731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-5472162088376013762017-10-20T21:21:53.771-05:002017-10-20T21:21:53.771-05:00KMAIYKWIMAITYDKMAIYKWIMAITYDComanche Voterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01421716862520834472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-67617867419932910392017-10-20T21:15:18.735-05:002017-10-20T21:15:18.735-05:00Before we go any further, shouldn't we get at ...Before we go any further, shouldn't we get at what really disturbs the perturbed here and at WaPo? This so-called dad obviously did something terrible to be so disinherited by wife and son. Why, perhaps the dispute is over something Trump himself has done to a former wife or child. Since day one of Trump's ascent to the national stage, I've noticed a poorly concealed, utterly self-righteous smugness - particularly from women regarding Trump. This is related to Trumps's gender gap. It's also related to Hillary's gender gap - a topic which women - even some closest to me- refuse to discuss in a rational way. chickelithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10773887469972534979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-47466364295805426512017-10-20T21:10:14.247-05:002017-10-20T21:10:14.247-05:00The last time, the press care about Dillon baldrid...The last time, the press care about Dillon baldridge was nearly four minthes ago, then he became a convenient political football.narcisohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07128976398798678295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-20834841773783586262017-10-20T20:59:29.965-05:002017-10-20T20:59:29.965-05:00Here's a story about President Obama writing c...Here's a story about President Obama writing checks to struggling Americans:<br /><br />https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/21/obama-personal-checks_n_1019501.htmlMayBeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11966319657113124861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-46619934628158268692017-10-20T20:35:25.151-05:002017-10-20T20:35:25.151-05:00He should have said that he'll sponsor a bill ...He should have said that he'll sponsor a bill to give the guy money, because nothing is better than a government official spending someone else's money to show how generous he is.PackerBroncohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16755004347643799633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-20880314633266067682017-10-20T20:08:56.271-05:002017-10-20T20:08:56.271-05:00"Keep on contributing to the Trump Two Term F..."Keep on contributing to the Trump Two Term Fund."<br /><br />A lot of that around here and at Patterico who has chuck-like hatred.Michael Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18127450762129879267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-8104848591715519232017-10-20T19:56:40.707-05:002017-10-20T19:56:40.707-05:00Maybe he _just_ forgot.
And he can spend his mo...Maybe he _just_ forgot. <br /><br />And he can spend his money any way he wants; I don't think it is necessary to add the modifier "legally". What is wrong with people who want to criticize someone for giving out of his own pocket? Ethical? From people who support late-term abortion? From people who look the other way in regard to Hillary's crimes? From people who have been proven to give less to charity than conservatives AND seem to always do so for tax reasons. <br /><br />Keep on contributing to the Trump Two Term Fund. Marcushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11536817431709274661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-73254478024993059762017-10-20T19:16:03.525-05:002017-10-20T19:16:03.525-05:00Rebel said - When I was young and single and signi...Rebel said - When I was young and single and signing up for benefits at work I clearly remember listing my Mother as beneficiary. I also remember changing that when I got married. That wasn't a slight to my Father, but was BECAUSE SHE WAS MY MOTHER. I strongly suspect that it is extremely common.<br /><br />Yeah, I did the same thing. For EXACTLY the same reason.OldGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14222436274517343954noreply@blogger.com