Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Trump's Road to the Republican Nomination

It's a long and winding road.... and a bit bumpy.... that leads to Cleveland.

There is some nuance to his economic policy, but I don't talk Trump anymore because I am surrounded by hate (now he is George Wallace), but it's okay because it is liberal, left-wing, Democratic hate. Who cares if its tyranny? It's all good!

Kill Trump with Love?

George Soros' Anti-Trump Campaign 

He pays for all the controlled opposition.

TRUMP PSY-OP

They mean this:

Threatening letter reportedly sent to home of Donald Trump’s son

It was suspicious white powder in a threatening letter. 

"The handwritten letter was postmarked March 5 from Boston and referenced Donald Trump’s presidential bid."

There you go!

Maybe they were trying to woo him with a love letter
:

"Mitt Romney debuted a new strategy Friday in his bid to stop Donald Trump: He urged voters to back Ted Cruz. Trump took to Twitter to blast Romney’s latest game plan. Kasich adviser John Weaver also knocked Romney."

That really makes you wonder about Mitt, and Kasich is now anti-establishment?

He should join Trump then! 

We will get to Cruz a bit a later as opponents of Trump convened a series of war councils stop him. 

Meanwhile, on the front lines:

In Ariz., protesters block main road to Trump rally

Trump faults protesters for violence, not their assailants

They are “professional agitators,” and the photos prove it. In this case, it's not some thuggish Jews; it's black on black provocation(!!). 

The road to the presidency goes through Israel!


"Rabbis threaten to boycott Trump’s speech to pro-Israel lobbyists" by Jonathan Mahler New York Times  March 20, 2016

NEW YORK — When Donald Trump takes the stage Monday at the annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the influential lobbying group known as AIPAC, he will be facing a wary crowd.

Trump’s ostentatious disregard for the sensitivities of various religious and ethnic groups has hit a nerve among Jewish organizations, inspiring a barrage of denunciations from across the ideological spectrum.

They cringed at his trafficking in Jewish stereotypes and recoiled when he hesitated before denouncing David Duke, the Ku Klux Klan figure.

That's stuff to tar him with because he's been rubbing elbows with Jewish financiers and real estate moguls in NYC.

On paper, Trump might be an unlikely candidate to raise eyebrows within the Jewish community. He is from the city with the country’s largest Jewish population, and he made his fortune working among the Jewish machers in New York’s real estate industry.

Trump’s Palm Beach club, Mar-a-Lago, was effectively marketed as a Jewish alternative to the town’s private clubs that had historically excluded Jews. His daughter Ivanka married an Orthodox Jew and converted. He endorsed Benjamin Netanyahu for prime minister of Israel (“Terrific guy, terrific leader”).

Netanyahu, in turn, likes Trump's position on Iran.

Related:

"Donald Trump is a grandfather — again. The billionaire businessman’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, has given birth to her third child with husband Jared Kushner. Ivanka Trump announced the birth of her son, Theodore James, on Twitter Sunday, saying that the family feels ‘‘incredibly blessed.’’

Netanyahu sent along his congratulations.

Yet, many Jews have said Trump’s comments about Muslims reminded them of when they had been singled out, and a group of rabbis said last week that it would walk out in protest from his AIPAC speech.

“What we’ve learned from our history is that we can’t stand idly by when a leader says those things,” said Rabbi Jesse M. Olitzky of South Orange, N.J., who plans to eject himself from the meeting.

Trump also stumbled when he waded into one of America’s most charged foreign policy issues, promising to remain a “neutral” broker between Israelis and Palestinians.

For the many Jews who side with Israel in its dealings with Palestinians — a number of whom are AIPAC members — “that was like fingernails across the chalkboard,” said Ari Fleischer, former spokesman for President George W. Bush. Trump later modified his position to be more pro-Israel, but his wavering left many unconvinced.

So while Trump has proved to be a master salesman at rallies and debates, the crowd he is addressing Monday might be his toughest sell yet.

“He’s said a variety of things over the years, much of it favorable to Israel, much of it ambiguous more recently,” said Josh Block, a former AIPAC spokesman who now runs a pro-Israel nonprofit in Washington. “The speech is an important opportunity for this audience to hear what he really thinks on these issues that matter a great deal.”

Three of the other four major presidential candidates are also addressing the conference, being held in Washington — Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich. Only Bernie Sanders declined to attend, saying he was going to spend the day campaigning in the West.

It is unclear how much the revulsion among Jewish voters over Trump’s comments and behavior matters in the voting booth. Little data exist on Jewish attitudes toward Trump, and because most American Jews are Democrats, they will not have a chance to weigh in on him unless he becomes the Republican nominee.

Bruce Balsam, 59, who was walking into Sabbath services Friday at Temple Emanu-El, the stately synagogue a few blocks north of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York City, said Trump’s shifting position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “really disturbs me.” But, he added, “I’d want to hear more about that.”

Did I mention I have two qualifications for being president? 

One, will he or she stand up to Israel, and two.... okay, so I have one qualification for president.

He said he considered Trump’s take on national security and Muslim immigration to be more “anti-Islamic” than “presidential,” but agreed that caution needed to be taken. “People who are coming from certain parts of the world, where anti-American sentiments are high, we should be highly cautious of,” Balsam said.

Balsam pointed to Temple Emanu-El, one of the largest Jewish institutions in the world, as an example. “You have armed guards outside,” he said, gesturing toward the New York Police Department’s counterterrorism officers. “You have armed guards inside.”

Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign, said Trump “looks forward to speaking to a group whom he has tremendous respect for.”

“Mr. Trump has said, as president, there will be no one stronger on Israeli-American relations than him, and his consistent support and advocacy for Israel over many years is proof of this,” she said. “Additionally, Mr. Trump is the only candidate to speak with clarity about the deadly threat of radical Islam. ISIS and other Islamic terror groups cannot be defeated if we are politically correct.”

That Trump has had to defend his pro-Israel credentials is something of a surprise, given his history. He has been honored by a variety of Jewish groups over the years, and, as he likes to point out, once served as grand marshal of the Salute to Israel Parade in Manhattan.

Trump has joked in the past that people assume he is Jewish because he owns so many buildings in New York. He has even claimed to be the victim of anti-Semitism.

Sheldon Adelson, the casino magnate and a major donor to Republican and Israeli causes, said recently that he would back Trump if he were the nominee.

But others see him as accommodating of bigotry. “The way he dillydallied with David Duke basically sent a message that was perceived by many in the Jewish community as he’s looking for any votes he can get from the hard right,” said Alan M. Dershowitz, the defense lawyer.

To Dershowitz, the problem is not simply Trump; it is the white supremacists who have rallied around his candidacy. “It’s quite frightening to see who supports him,” he said.

Did you see the pile he left behind?

Of course, Jewish supremacy is never called into question.

--more--" 

It's all a big show, isn't it?

Related:

Steve Wynn has known Donald Trump for a while

Trump Tells AIPAC: ‘I’m Not Here to Pander’–and Then Proceeds to Pander

TRUMP PLEASES AIPAC

Let the honeymoon begin and save the feuds for later.

"Baker going to Vegas GOP event; controversial pastor will attend, too" by Joshua Miller Globe Staff  April 06, 2016

Wish him luck.

Governor Charlie Baker, who has publicly eschewed heavy involvement in national politics, is headed to Las Vegas this weekend to speak at a confab of top conservatives.

The trip to the Republican Jewish Coalition’s spring leadership meeting, which will be attended by GOP power brokers, fund-raisers, and other insiders, is sure to create awkward optics for the moderate Massachusetts Republican.

Other confirmed speakers include Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Governor Rick Scott of Florida, and Pastor John Hagee, whose controversial sermon about Adolf Hitler and Jews led Senator John McCain to spurn the religious leader’s endorsement during the 2008 presidential race.

In a sermon in the 1990s, Hagee appeared to argue that the Holocaust was part of God’s plan to push Jews back to the historic land of Israel.

Asked why Baker is traveling to Las Vegas, his top spokesman, Tim Buckley, said simply that “he was invited by the RJC and accepted their invitation to attend their annual meeting.” Asked about the Hagee controversy, Buckley said the governor “denounces that type of hateful rhetoric.”

The governor’s speech this weekend is closed to the press.

According to the group’s website, the event will be “a terrific weekend of politics, policy and poker at the fabulous Venetian Resort and Hotel. Attendees will have the opportunity to shake hands, ask questions, and be heard by some of the country’s leading politicians, policy makers and influential leaders.”

That's Adelson's hotel.

Buckley alerted the Globe that Baker is also traveling to Washington, D.C., in late April for a National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce event.

The US House’s Democratic leader, Nancy Pelosi, and Senator Chuck Schumer, two of the country’s most prominent liberals, are also set to attend the event.

!!! 

At the REPUBLICAN Jewish Coalition?

Baker, who took office in January 2015, has courted controversy with out-of-state travel. In March of this year, he attended a secretive conference off the Georgia coast, huddling with politicians, conservative intellectuals, and top technology executives.

The chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, state Senator Thomas M. McGee, said that while the governor “claims he rejects the national GOP brand, his actions speak louder than words.”

Baker, the most popular governor in the United States, according to one poll, has insisted he won’t be running for national office.

I'm tepidly lukewarm about him.

--more--"

"Baker touts his GOP gospel of moderation, bipartisanship" by Joshua Miller Globe Staff  April 08, 2016

Governor Charlie Baker was headed Friday to the Republican Jewish Coalition’s spring leadership meeting, where speakers will include conservatives such as Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, and controversial pastor John Hagee, who strongly opposes gay marriage. Baker is set to give a closed-door speech on Saturday.

Trump not invited?

Asked about the pulled invitation to the chamber’s gala, Baker said he views it as “petty and unfortunate.”

Baker, who one poll found was the most popular governor in the country, typically enjoys cordial relations with the heavily Democratic Massachusetts Legislature. And while he generally focuses his energies on his home state, he has made several trips to GOP events across the country since taking office in 2015 — encountering national Republicans who are often more conservative.

The announcement from the chamber Thursday marked a turnabout....

--more--"

He voted for Kasich?

"The Georgian weekend with top conservative powerbrokers came as establishment Republicans have been casting about for an answer to GOP presidential front-runner Donald J. Trump. According to a copy of the weekend program obtained by Huffington Post, the weekend was also scheduled to include appearances by Karl Rove, the political guru for President George W. Bush; Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell; House Speaker Paul Ryan; and political commentator Bill Kristol, one of the leading proponents of the Iraq war."

He made the trip in secret, and he won't do it again. Says he will close the loophole (see the names of the donors?), but it can be used by both and the bottom line is “ordinary Americans basically have to sit around and watch” as Baker distances himself with a smokescreen

Who cares if he skirted the law a few times? Isn't he above all that? Are you part of the team, or are you trying to cast a shadow on the country's most popular governor?

Probably Trump's fault anyway, and who will stand against him in this state?

Ummm, excuse me, but is there a bathroom 'roun' here?

Citing N.C. gender law, PayPal scraps expansion plans
Baker balks at banning state travel to N.C.
Baker defends approach to transgender bill
Springsteen cancels North Carolina concert over new law

Who cares?

Van Zandt says E Street Band show was nixed because N.C. law is ‘evil virus’
LGBT rights law sparks dueling N.C. rallies
N.C. discrimination battle part of wider GOP war with local governments
Deutsche Bank will not expand in N.C. due to LGBT law
North Carolina governor says he wants gender identity law partially changed after backlash
Fallout from North Carolina LGBT law worries small businesses
Target could face conservative boycott over bathrooms stance

After you!

North Carolina leaders show no sign of surrender on LGBT law
US government: North Carolina LGBT law violates civil rights
N.C. reversal unlikely as deadline nears on gender law
US, North Carolina sue each other over ‘bathroom bill’

Obama ordering it or federal funds cut off.

Analysis: Loretta Lynch’s speech just made her a hero to transgender activists
North Carolina’s transgender law creates tangle of lawsuits
Justice Department asks judge to block N.C. transgender law’

Where do you change the diaper?

"A report from international advocacy group Oxfam says poultry workers in the United States labor in a ‘‘climate of fear,’’ with some forced to wear diapers on the job. It says many workers are afraid to ask for permission to go to the bathroom. The report says a worker at a Simmons Foods plant in Arkansas told Oxfam that she and many others resorted to wearing diapers. A Tyson Foods worker says in the report that many workers at his North Carolina plant ‘‘have to urinate in their pants.’’ Simmons says the allegations are ‘‘troubling’’ and the refusal of bathroom breaks isn’t tolerated. Tyson says it’s concerned by the claims, but currently has ‘‘no evidence they’re true.’’ The National Chicken Council says it believes that ‘‘such instances are extremely rare.’’

That's a tough social programming barrier to overcome.

"Stephanie Rhodus says her 8-month-old son, Archer, doesn’t like to be covered up when she is breast-feeding him. But when the 25-year-old tried to feed her son Monday during an appearance in a North Carolina court, she was told to cover up by a judge, who scolded her."

"It seems Curt Schilling just can’t help himself. The former Red Sox righthander, who was suspended by ESPN last summer after he tweeted a meme comparing extremist Muslims to Nazis, posted — and then apparently deleted — a meme on Facebook Tuesday that assailed the transgender community’s opposition to a controversial North Carolina law mandating that people in public buildings use the bathroom that matches the sex listed on their birth certificates. Schilling’s post, which has since been scrubbed from Facebook, showed a heavy-set man wearing a garter belt and stockings, with the caption: “LET HIM IN! To the restroom with your daughter or else you’re a narrow minded, judgmental, unloving, racist bigot who needs to DIE!!!” Below, Schilling added a comment of his own: “A man is a man no matter what they call themselves. I don’t care what they are, who they sleep with, men’s room was designed for the penis, women’s not so much. Now you need laws telling us differently? Pathetic.” Opponents of North Carolina’s HB2 “bathroom bill” say the legislation discriminates against transgender people. Last month, ESPN announced it was reinstating Schilling to the network’s “Monday Night Baseball” telecasts — despite comments he made to a Kansas City sports radio station saying Hillary Clinton “should be buried under a jail” for using a private e-mail server. An ESPN rep did not respond to an e-mail Tuesday."

Curt Schilling back at ESPN despite harshly criticizing Clinton

Then they fired him, and let me tell you, I knew Curt Schilling, and Charlie Baker is no Curt Schilling. He's on the right side of history (which has been censored, btw).

Obama set to declare Stonewall Inn as a national monument
Push to make Stonewall a national monument gets big boost in NYC
Stonewall Inn dedicated as national monument to gay rights

Obama to issue decree on transgender access

Only dictators issue decrees, folks.

US transgender bathroom directive intensifies debate
Bathroom access for transgender people a debate across South

School board takes transgender bathroom case to high court Virginia

Mississippi leaders divided on religious-beliefs law appeal
Mississippi law protecting opponents of gay marriage is blocked

Religious freedom is being called state-sanctioned discrimination??

Mississippi school chief shelves transgender bathroom policy

Sorry to screw you (who knew Huckabee could have used the.... gees!) on the sex change stuff.

Florida school board blocks transgender kids from choosing bathrooms

Ukraine shields gay rights parade from repeat of violence

Church sues Iowa to stop application of transgender rules

Kansas State Board of Education votes to ignore Obama’s transgender bathroom directive

Oklahoma legislators seek change in sodomy law after ruling

They dismissed a criminal charge against a 17-year-old boy accused of forcing an intoxicated girl to perform oral sex.

Texas’ Lt. Gov. asks schools to ignore transgender directive

11 states sue over federal transgender directive 

He(?) looks like he doesn't know which john to use, and did you see his escort?

Companies form group to push for LGBT rights globally
Protesters target first gender-neutral bathroom in LA school district
Chicago: Students can access bathrooms by gender identity

Such a thing is gaining ground as Massachusetts pushes for more inclusion. They are rallying in support even as the bill hits a stall

The question now becomes, can penises play on a team vaginas

That's a controversial position as....

Opponents of the legislation claim that male sexual predators, under the guise of being transgender, could enter women’s restrooms. The new House version of the bill aims to address those worries. It would empower the attorney general to issue guidance on when or how legal action may be taken against people who assert gender identity for “an improper purpose.”

Official bathroom monitors looking to see your papers!??!!


Despite some reservations from advocates for transgender rights, the fresh language drew quick support from perhaps the highest-profile backer of the effort, Attorney General Maura Healey. Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and Senate President Stanley C. Rosenberg both support the thrust of the legislation, and the Democrat-controlled Legislature is now expected to pass the measure in the coming weeks.

Representative John V. Fernandes, told the Globe in a telephone interview, the new language is partially aimed addressing opponents’ concerns about male predators using the law to enter female bathrooms, though he said he has not uncovered any evidence of that kind of activity in other states that have such a law. “We want to flesh out how someone who thinks a person is using this statute for an improper purpose — whatever that might be — can bring their concerns to law enforcement,” he said...."

Puns intended??

Baker needs to lead on transgender rights
Governor expands diversity program for businesses
Little diversity on Baker panel

He has "not lived up to his inclusive message on the campaign trail [even though] as a whole is more diverse than that of his predecessor, Democrat Deval Patrick."

Baker right to tack left on LGBT rules
Mass. lawmakers grapple with 21st century problems

Seems like an age-old problem to me.

WBZ traffic reporter is now telling the world who she really is

No need to be afraid.

Transgender rights bill will be good for Mass. business
Once in the shadows, gay police now out and proud
Diane Guerrero’s journey back to Boston; At 14, the “Orange Is the New Black” actress found herself alone in Boston after her parents were deported to Colombia.
Adding momentum to the transgender rights bill
Filed under ‘trans’ — or not

My attitude is quickly becoming I don't give a fu*k who you are, leave me alone and get away from me.

Analysis: First major poll on ‘bathroom bills’ good news for transgender advocates
More signs point to transgender bill becoming law
Retailer’s equal-access restroom policy is on target

Backlash?

Insurers barred from denying transgender people care
Schools offer lessons on accommodating transgender students
Social change, one personal story at a time
Charlie Baker says he would sign transgender bill
House passes transgender bill after heated debate
Unnecessary wrangle on transgender bill
Lawmakers reach deal on transgender bill

That will keep everyone safe?

Lawmakers send transgender bill to Governor Charlie Baker
Governor Baker signs transgender bill into law
Hugs and high-fives for transgender bill

Look at Walsh's face as he looks at the kids. That's the way I felt seeing it.

Of course, there is always someone raising a stink.

Then again, it's not like transgenders are being well treated anywhere else:

Amos Beede, transgender man assaulted at homeless encampment, dies of injuries

"Four people wanted in the fatal beating of a transgender man at a Vermont homeless encampment were arrested in San Diego following a nationwide manhunt. San Diego police Sgt. Michael Tansey tells The Burlington Free Press  that the four suspects wanted on suspicion of second-degree murder in the May 23 attack on Amos Beede were apprehended late Thursday. They were last known to be in Roswell, New Mexico. Burlington police publicly identified the suspects as Erik Averill, Myia Barber, Allison Gee and Jordan Paul on Thursday afternoon. Tansey says the group will be held until authorities in Burlington bring charges against them and seek their extradition from California. They have yet to be assigned attorneys who could comment. Tips provided by Burlington police led San Diego detectives to the suspects, who were found at a park in the city. Beede died on May 28. Police initially said they were investigating whether Beede’s gender identity contributed to his death, but there was no mention of that Thursday. Beede’s family posted a statement on the website of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer advocacy group Pride Center of Vermont that said contrary to earlier reports he was not homeless. The statement said Beede’s being transgender was an important part of his life. It said he was a “friend to many” who went to the homeless camp to support others in need."

Vermont police don’t believe man was killed for being transgender

Whatever the reason it was nothing but senseless slaughter.

"Chelsea Manning, convicted in WikiLeaks case, hospitalized after reported suicide attempt" The Washington Post News Service  July 07, 2016

Chelsea Manning, the US soldier sentenced to 35 years’ imprisonment for her role in the publication of a vast trove of classified information by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, was hospitalized early Tuesday after what media reports characterized as a suicide attempt. 

If that what it was, and she should be celebrated for blowing the whistles, not incarcerated.

Manning, 28, was taken to the hospital and has since been returned to confinement, an Army official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the case.

CNN and TMZ reported Wednesday that the medical treatment was prompted by a suicide attempt, citing unnamed defense officials. TMZ reported that Manning attempted to hang herself, citing an unnamed source.

Manning was convicted in July 2013 of violating the Espionage Act and other crimes when she was still known as Bradley Manning. She transitioned from male to female after her conviction and has kept a relatively high profile while behind bars, writing opinion pieces for The Guardian and pressing for the right to receive hormone treatments while imprisoned.

Not the kind of person motivated to commit suicide!

Manning wrote about the US military’s recent decision to repeal the ban on transgender troops in a piece published July 1, saying it was a necessary step toward protecting and recognizing the humanity of transgender people. But she also criticized the military’s plans, saying they fall short of what is needed....

--more--"

Did they ever screw with that kid's mind once they had her in custody

That's why Snowden escaped. He was smart. Didn't want to end up like Chelsea. 

At least he made it through basic training:

"Coroner: Navy SEAL instructor dunked trainee before death" Associated Press  July 07, 2016

SAN DIEGO — A Southern California medical examiner ruled the death of a Navy SEAL trainee a homicide, saying his instructor repeatedly dunked him during a pool exercise while the 21-year-old was struggling, according to an autopsy report released Wednesday.

Seaman James Derek Lovelace drowned May 6 in Coronado, Calif., with a heart problem as a contributing factor, the autopsy found. The homicide ruling does not necessarily mean a crime occurred, and the instructor has not been charged.

Lovelace of Crestview, Fla., who was in his first week of training, showed signs he was having difficulty treading water in fatigues, boots, and a dive mask filled with water. While struggling, he was seen on surveillance video being dunked at least twice by an instructor, the report said.

He also slipped underwater several times as the instructor followed him around, continually splashing him for about five minutes, the report said. Several other instructors also splashed him.

Instructors are supposed to create adverse conditions by splashing, making waves, and yelling at the students but they are reportedly advised not to dunk or pull students underwater, according to the report.

--more--"

It's like "A Few Good Men," right?

Time to start wiping before the flush:

What should restroom signs say? Answers aren’t simple.

Yes they are. Penis or vagina?

Supports for transgender employees inspires loyalty 

It's enough to make you hold it.

Gay marriages triple after four years of victories

So did the divorces.

One of country’s oldest gay bars could close due to skyrocketing rent

Maybe that's a good thing.

Sexual orientation suit settled for more than $200,000 Pallet Companies Yolanda Boone, whose supervisor made comments including ‘‘I want to turn you back into a woman’’ and ‘‘You would look good in a dress.’’ 

Had a good excuse though; he was drunk. 

Now back on the campaign trail:

"Trump says he’s ‘lifelong supporter’ of Israel, Clinton calls him unreliable" by Alan Rappeport New York Times  March 22, 2016

WASHINGTON — Donald J. Trump expressed his solidarity with Israel in passionate terms on Monday, promising the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington that as president he would always stand up for Israel against its enemies in the Middle East.

Addressing the group earlier in the day, Hillary Clinton pledged that she would stand unyieldingly with Israel and warned that Trump would be an unreliable partner for one of America’s closest allies.

Trump, who has been criticized for saying that he would like to remain neutral in negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, made clear in no uncertain terms that Israel had his unbridled support.

The Republican presidential candidate assailed the United Nations and the Obama administration for failing to side with Israel and promised to take a hard line against Iran. “I speak to you today as a lifelong supporter and true friend of Israel,” Trump said.

Drawing several rounds of standing ovations, Trump thundered against the Iran nuclear deal and made clear that he was not, in fact, on the fence when it came to brokering a deal with Israel and the Palestinians.

“The Palestinians must come to the table, knowing that the bond between the United States and Israel is absolutely and totally unbreakable,” he said. “They must come to the table willing and able to stop the terror being committed on a daily basis against Israel.”

Last year, Trump drew jeers for fumbling a question on the sensitive issue of whether the US embassy should be moved to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Taking the opportunity for a do-over, he said that he believed it should be moved to Jerusalem, which he called “the eternal capital of the Jewish state.”

He also criticized Clinton. “Hillary Clinton, who is a total disaster by the way, she and President Obama have treated Israel very, very badly,” he said.

Trump made sure to note that he’d happily meet with Israel’s prime minister and demonstrated deep ties to Jewish people by recalling his participation as grand marshal in the 2004 Salute to Israel Parade and by mentioning his daughter’s Jewish faith.

“I love the people in this room, I love Israel,” Trump said.

“We need steady hands,” Clinton said, “not a president who says he’s neutral on Monday, pro-Israel on Tuesday, and who-knows-what on Wednesday. America can’t ever be neutral when it comes to Israel’s security and survival. My friends, Israel’s security is non-negotiable.”

Trump’s remarks in recent weeks that he’d be “neutral” when it came to negotiating a peace accord between Israelis and Palestinians had rattled some Israelis. Clinton seized on those fears. Her speech was a thunderous affirmation of US solidarity with Israel, with promises to buttress Israel’s military, combat anti-Semitism, police Iran on its nuclear program, crack down on Iranian proxies like Hezbollah, and thwart efforts to boycott Israeli products.

While not naming Trump, she suggested that he lacks the experience necessary to manage the US-Israel relationship.

--more--"

I thought they were running for president of America.

Trump met their demands, and can you imagine Donald Trump with the immense power of the presidency? Can't anybody stop him?

The last line of defense was in Wisconsin


There, with the malarkey flying, Trump stood his ground:

"As controversy cast yet another shadow over his campaign, the news overshadowed Trump’s efforts to make gains in Wisconsin ahead of its April 5 primary. The race could be pivotal in the Republican contest. Should Cruz win, it would narrow Trump’s already tight path to the nomination and raise the prospect of a contested convention in Cleveland this July."

Then the women paused, and the corporations grew nervous.

"There’s only so much help outside money can provide to candidates who have trouble connecting with voters, whatever the reason. There are still financial juggernauts on the sidelines — industrialists Charles and David Koch and casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, for instance — who could play critical roles in the general election, once the fog of primary season clears. Part of their success is due to voters’ attraction to outsiders, and some of it owes to how pervasive money has become in the system."

It's all in the hands of about 50 donors, and it confirms that the US is an Oligarchy Ruled by Billionaires and Dictators.

"Usually campaigns by this point are catering to donors, holding weekly conference calls to go over strategy, or hosting exclusive donor retreats with access to the candidate and the campaign team. Trump himself was one of those whom Romney brought as a special guest for one of his contributor events held at the Intrepid Museum in New York. His strategy of dominating broadcast news cycles, effective during the nomination race, may be more difficult in a one-on-one matchup, requiring him to pour money into expensive media markets in a variety of swing states."

?????????????? 

What's that mean? He gets no pre$$ rather than the backhanded stuff he's getting now? 

"Remember when cable networks were giving Donald Trump half the total airtime for all the candidates in the Republican primary? Those were wild times, but they’re over. Now, Trump’s share is 70 percent. But his poll numbers aren’t rising — suggesting there’s only so far that free media can take Trump in the campaign. Those stats come from the GDELT Project, using data from the Internet Archive, which tracks how often various candidates are mentioned on cable news channels. Trump has dominated television coverage since he entered the race last summer, among Republicans and presidential candidates overall. If you consider all exposure to be good exposure, the disparity has given Trump a huge financial edge on his rivals; some pundits have suggested it’s the reason Trump jumped to the top of the field in the first place. Trump’s cable exposure, as a share of the Republican field, hit a trough in early February, when he dipped below 40 percent of all candidate mentions. Since then, it has doubled. Over the past 30 days, Trump has commanded 70 percent of GOP candidate mentions, which rises to 75 percent if you throw out mentions of candidates who quit the race. Trump’s poll numbers have risen over that period, but not by nearly as much, Real Clear Politics says."

Then punches were thrown as forces conspired to slow Trump. 

It would take a miracle, and then....

Cruz pulls a Trump on Muslims

"Muslim communities react to Cruz call for patrols “He doesn’t know what the hell he is talking about, to be frank with you,” New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton said on “CBS This Morning.’’ “I have almost a thousand Muslim officers in the NYPD. Ironically, when he’s running around here, we probably have a few Muslim officers guarding him [Cruz].”

That's why the NYPD infiltrated mosques, and since when has the ADL been a Muslim group?

It became a loveless embrace for e$tabli$hment Republicans, and....

"The goal would be to engineer the selection of a different candidate, someone who’s not currently running,” Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, told reporters on Thursday as Cruz’s campaign has been diligently courting delegates and is securing signed pledges of loyalty to support him at the convention, said Rick Tyler, former Cruz spokesman in the midst of that bizarre sideshow."

When Trump asked that, he was called fascist. 

"Cruz has little chance to overtake Trump in the delegate hunt before the convention; Ohio Gov. John Kasich has none. Both hope to deny Trump a delegate majority in what's left of the primary season, forcing the nomination to be settled at a contested convention at which one of them might emerge. Kasich proposed a novel approach to strengthening Social Security at a town-hall gathering with a few hundred people in Burlington, Wisconsin, on Saturday morning. "Set up a tent city" in Washington, he said, and have mass protests along the lines of the Occupy movement that staged long-lasting demonstrations in the capital, New York and other cities. "Occupy D.C. to fix Social Security," Kasich said. Heading into the weekend of campaigning, Cruz told a Milwaukee County GOP dinner that Trump as the Republican nominee would be "a train wreck," quipping, "That's actually not fair to train wrecks."

Where were you five years ago, Kasich?

"Kasich suggested that a contested convention would not involve the chaos that party leaders fear. ‘‘Kids will spend less time focusing on Bieber and Kardashian and more time focusing on how we elect presidents,’’ Kasich told ABC. ‘‘It will be so cool.’’

He's CRAZY! They don't care, and don't even know who you are!

"The Cruz campaign, whose ground troops in individual states are better organized than Trump’s, and “Trump is not organized. He doesn’t have the ground game.”

The Globe lied to me

After their final pitches, Cruz dealt Trump a major defeat (Wisconsinites should be ashamed of themselves). Then a whole swath got cut out and “good luck with that and the unintended consequences taken into account with the half-baked notions coming out of the White House” says the guy who has given us eight years of such things.

After Wisconsin, three things to watch in April

One: "Three teenage boys got lost in a labyrinthine abandoned iron mine in southeastern Wisconsin for hours, spending the night huddled together against the cold before rescuers found them Monday afternoon."

Two: "House Speaker Paul Ryan on Wednesday delivering a veiled but passionate rebuke to GOP front-runner Donald Trump." 

And he's in charge of the convention.

Three: "Big-name GOP leaders piled on Friday against Donald Trump in an extraordinary show of Republican-vs.-Republican discontent over his winning the party's presidential nomination. Trump just shrugged it off, declaring they didn't really matter when compared to all the voters who turned out to vote for him in this year's primary elections. Trump grudgingly agreed to meet next week with Paul Ryan, the Republican House speaker. Trump said he had "no idea" if they would patch things up and it wasn't all that important anyway. "The thing that matters most are the millions of people that have come out to vote for me and give me a landslide victory in almost every state," Trump said. Later in the day, two of Trump's vanquished GOP rivals, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, said they would not vote for him in November. That was a startling rejection by party leaders."

Also see:

"Large segments of the Republican Party are in despair over its two leading candidates, Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz. The circus surrounding what in any other year would be a statement of the obvious — a newly installed speaker of the House does not wish to undo the will of thousands of voters and delegates in the dark of night at his party’s convention — is simply the latest strange turn in a race replete with them. And with each twist, it seemed, more Republicans are not aligned with Trump or Cruz. Ryan’s remarks come just days after he returned from a trip to the Middle East, where he visited with foreign leaders, and where gossip trailed him. “It’s amazing how closely our politics is followed overseas,” he said. “I was asked about it everywhere I went.” 

“Ryan is looking toward what the future of the party is going to look like, post-Donald Trump” after his visit to Israel.

"Ryan, who is the party’s top elected official and its 2012 vice presidential nominee, said he may ultimately support Trump, but some other Republicans are exploring a third-party option, although such a strategy would likely give a boost to Hillary Clinton, who almost certainly will be the Democratic nominee. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell offered tepid support for Trump because “Republicans are committed to preventing what would be a third term of Barack Obama.”

That means 2020 without the availability of hindsight.

2020 Election complicating 2016 for Ryan
Ryan open to rescinding his endorsement of Trump

Donald Trump broke all the political rules. Is he paying for it now?

"A large majority of Americans now view the Republican Party unfavorably, according to a poll that suggests Donald Trump could be dragging down the GOP's brand. The Associated Press-GfK poll finds that two out of three people now have an unfavorable view of the party.  The change has come as Trump has risen from businessman and brash reality television star to the Republican Party's presidential front-runner. And it's in contrast with public opinion of the Democratic Party, about which Americans are more evenly divided. The new poll finds that 48 percent have a favorable view of the Democratic Party, while 50 percent have an unfavorable view. The numbers are largely unchanged since October of 2014. Many mainstream Republicans fear Trump's comments about women and minorities could do lasting damage to their party. In October of 2014, some 22 percent of Republicans and 34 percent of self-identified conservatives reported an unfavorable view of the GOP. Those negative numbers have surged to 34 percent of Republicans and 47 percent of conservatives in the new poll. At the same time, 43 percent of the Republicans who have an unfavorable opinion of Trump also say they have an unfavorable opinion of the Republican Party. It's the same with 59 percent of conservatives who have an unfavorable opinion of Trump."

Trump forces were stumbling but still fighting in Wisconsin, while elsewhere Cruz then swept Colorado and won Wyoming while Trump forces captured a rear guard victory in Arizona.

Then, however, the campaign took an abrupt and surprising turn north:

"Donald Trump’s bid for the White House is getting a boost from New York City’s former mayor. Rudy Giuliani is planning to vote for Trump in the upcoming New York Republican primary. Giuliani was the city’s mayor when it was attacked on September 11th."

Why did you destroy a crime scene and ship evidence to China to be melted down, Rudy?

"It’s still possible for Donald Trump to clinch the nomination by the end of the primaries on June 7. His path is narrow and perilous. But it’s plausible and starts with a big victory Tuesday in his home state New York primary. Trump is the only candidate with a realistic chance of reaching the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination before the July convention in Cleveland. His rivals, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, can only hope to stop him. If Cruz and Kasich are successful, politicos across the country will have the summer of their dreams — a convention with an uncertain outcome. But Trump can put an end to those dreams, and he can do it without any of the 150 or so delegates who will go to the convention free to support the candidate of their choice. What comes next isn’t a prediction, but rather, a way in which Trump could win the nomination outright on June 7. To be sure, Trump will have to start doing a lot better than he has so far...."

Trump move to friendly states in next week’s primaries

Trump banking on his strong ties to New York

Don’t underestimate Ted Cruz 

The realization coming home?

"In his novel “Infinite Jest,” David Foster Wallace, who would take his own life, compared the “invisible agony” faced by a suicidal person to someone who chooses to jump from a window rather than be consumed in a burning building. “When the flames get close enough, falling to death becomes the slightly less terrible of two terrors. It’s not desiring the fall; it’s terror of the flames,” Wallace wrote. “You’d have to have personally been trapped and felt flames to really understand a terror way beyond falling.” While we fret over Donald Trump, it’s worth remembering that Ted Cruz is that terror way beyond falling.... Trump would be a disaster, but Cruz would be apocalyptic"

Complete with 9/11 imagery and everything.

"They want to avoid a contested and drawn-out convention fight, which Trump seems almost certain to lose amid allegations from party leaders that Trump supporters are making death threats."

He's really taking a beating.

"Strong headwinds of unpopularity continue to hobble leading Republicans Donald Trump and Ted Cruz with the public at-large, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. By contrast, most Republicans see Trump and Cruz in a favorable light - 56 and 58 percent, respectively - while John Kasich is less popular among fellow partisans (47 percent) despite receiving the best ratings among the broader electorate. The poll finds Trump suffering little damage from recent controversies over punishments for women who have abortions and the arrest of his campaign manager, though the real-estate mogul’s ratings are still in the doldrums. Thirty-one percent of Americans have a favorable view of Trump while 67 percent are unfavorable -- nearly identical to an early March Post-ABC poll which found he would be the most disliked major-party nominee since at least 1984. Cruz fares better. The results portend a general election where both parties’ presidential nominees are disliked by most Americans. While the latest poll did not ask about Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, a March Post-ABC poll found 46 percent rated her favorably while 52 percent saw her unfavorably. Republicans also face a challenge unifying their party around an acceptable candidate at July’s convention, with the Post-ABC poll finding Cruz boosters have mixed views of Trump and vice versa. Among Republicans who rate Cruz favorably, 46 percent have a favorable view of Trump while 52 percent see him unfavorably. Trump supporters are similarly mixed on Cruz, with 48 percent seeing him positively and 51 percent negatively."

That's a lie!! I was told in the past Cruz is Trump voters second choice and vice-versa.

"The country’s top Republicans gathered last week at a posh resort overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, dining at restaurants where porterhouse steaks go for $105 and sipping martinis in a hotel atrium filled with palm trees and gurgling fountains. An alliance of grudging realists appears to be forming. Republican insiders are settling on something approaching acquiescence to the billionaire’s insurgency."

The surrounding say out of touch, don't they?

"New York businessman Donald Trump remains the most likely candidate to be the Republican nominee. Polls show he could be the most unpopular general election candidate for president in modern political history, with 67 percent saying they view him unfavorably. As a result, many national Republicans fear a Trump nomination could affect their down-ballot races — and perhaps even give Senate Democrats the majority. But the next most likely nominee, US Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who is in second place in the delegate race, does not score much better in national polling against a Democratic nominee. The rise of Trump and Cruz could affect the future of US Senator Kelly Ayotte, the New Hampshire Republican up for reelection in November. Ayotte has been careful to not appear publicly with Trump and doesn’t plan to attend the Republican National Convention. But she’s also said she would support the Republican nominee, even if it is Trump. In the past she has criticized Trump for certain comments on the campaign, but she is also not closely associated with the national Never Trump movement."

I should just have fun with it and enjoy the propaganda narrative.

"John Kasich criticized his opponents’ visions for America in a lengthy speech Tuesday in New York, where he is campaigning a week before the state’s crucial primary. Kasich told a room full of supporters in midtown Manhattan that the state’s Republican primary is offering two paths for voters: One that ‘‘exploits anger, encourages resentment, turns fear into hatred, and divides people,’’ versus the other, which promotes unity and offers real solutions to the nation’s problems. Kasich is running a distant third to Trump and Texas Senator Ted Cruz in the hunt for delegates, and early preference polls show Trump leading his opponents in delegate-rich New York."

He's so far behind, and I didn't know Kasich reads the Globe.

Trump takes N.Y. primary

That will help the delegate count.

"Donald Trump racked up massive margins in the New York City’s other four boroughs, including more than 80 percent of the vote on Staten Island, but the loss in Manhattan highlighted a weakness Trump has among more moderate, business-class ‘‘Rockefeller Republicans.’’

So what are they trying to say, he's Barry Goldwater?

Why not embrace him? The police have. 

Instead we get all this hyperbole and name calling. He's a monster! He's inhumanNow he is worse than Rob Ford (and what is with the fawning eulogy for that guy anyway? Mayor of ‘heaven’ indeed!) and is once again being compared to Hitler!

Isn't that treason? I suppose it only is when it's the other side saying it, right? Molten has folksy way about him. It's enough to make you want to cry, and then your hopes rise. At least Trump has yet to commit any war crimes despite the rhetoric, as opposed to his challenger and the current occupant -- and a couple of war criminals named Bush that won't be at the party, either!

In Pennsylvania, it was “diehard Democrats for decades” that carried the day for Trump. As the battle shifted west, Trump forces were rolling and in a commanding position and beginning to look invincible.

Social issues to return to the forefront on GOP trail

Terrorism looms as candidates compete in Western states

"Cruz said Tuesday ‘‘is going to be a pivotal day,’’ and he rebuked Trump’s recent suggestions that building separate transgender bathrooms is ‘‘discriminatory’’ and costly, saying that it should be ‘‘the choice of the given location, of the given local government to allow that, to provide for that.’’

When you gotta go, you gotta go.

"Indiana voters with their state’s love of basketball should have been a slam dunk for Ted Cruz quickly turned into a foul Tuesday night when he appeared to refer to the hoop as a ‘‘basketball ring’’ while re-creating a scene from the famous film ‘‘Hoosiers.’’ Cruz’s comment was ridiculed on social media, drawing comparisons to Democrat John Kerry’s famous faux pas while running for president in 2004, when he referred to the Green Bay Packers home field in football crazed-Wisconsin as ‘‘Lambert Field,’’ instead of Lambeau."

(Blog editor shakes head)

I'm sure the most unpopular man in the Senate din't find any kindred spirits with that remark, so he passed the ball to Carly Fiorina. She missed the shot, but Cruz grabbed the rebound and was fouled as Carly went to the floor. He missed the free throw, but then drove to the hoop as time expired only to see his shot rejected!

After the Trump win (he was on fire), Cruz was no longer viable and officially responded to the allegations that he cheated on his wife with not one, but five mistresses, calling it garbage. His wife is on leave from Goldman Sachs, so she can keep an eye on him.

Trump says he won’t release tax returns

He's being audited by Obama!! Talk about Nixonian

I'd say call the IRS but they won't answer. 

They investigating the Clinton Foundation finances at all?

Meanwhile, Trump and Republicans have kissed and made up with social conservatives warming to the idea of Trump just as the New York Times attacks him. “He’s actually a pretty affable guy in a small group setting” and away from the cameras he is cordial and polite to everyone, even Clinton, but now his campaign is stumbling along to the nomination even though he got there first.

Rowdy protests but no violence this time outside Trump rally

I'm more offended by middle fingers I saw on ZNN than the Mexican flags(?) they were waving.

Latino Republicans spurn Donald Trump

Not the women, and we are tired of the race baiting.

Women voters can send a message to Trump

The real Donald Trump

It's the one out of the spotlight.

"Republican businessman Donald Trump and former Democratic secretary of state Hillary Clinton were certified Tuesday as the winners of Missouri’s presidential primaries, though a recount remains a possibility. The official results of the March 15 primaries show that Trump and Clinton both prevailed over their challengers by a mere fraction of a percent. Tuesday’s certified vote takes into account provisional ballots and absentee ballots cast by overseas voters that came in after Election Day. Trump and Clinton both increased their lead in the certified vote."

The night the president came to visit 

Good thing he now has Air Force One even as he scrambles for a room.

"A group of Boston residents is planning a protest of Trump’s fund-raiser, which they call a “Black-Out Trump” rally. Trump’s events come as he faces scrutiny for his campaign’s lackluster finances."

After he took in $3 million in a day.

Trump fund-raising reaches overseas

But not to AIPAC, and thus it's a problem.

"The Clinton campaign moved vigorously to counter Trump’s speech, holding a conference call with reporters. During his speech, Clinton tweeted a close-up picture of the collar of a Donald J. Trump Signature Collection shirt. ‘‘Trump’s speaking about outsourcing right now. Here’s one of his shirts — made in Bangladesh,’’ her tweet read...."

Murder indictments in building collapse in Bangladesh
Bangladesh tribunal sentences 3 to death for 1971 war crimes

Isn't that a SWIFT Kick in the.... 

Oh, the thought of a Trump presidency just danced through my head. 

Meanwhile, outside the hall:

"Gamblers crossed picket lines at the Trump Taj Mahal casino Sunday amid taunts from members of Local 54 of the Unite-HERE union on the third day of their strike. The Taj Mahal, opened in 1990 by Donald Trump, now belongs to fellow billionaire Carl Icahn. The casino floor was busy Sunday, but had about half the crowd that was gambling at Resorts, a casino next door that is half the size of the Taj Mahal. ‘‘Hundreds of dead mice were found in the kitchen of this building!’’ said Benjamin Albert, an organizing director with the union. ‘‘If you like mice and roaches, stay at the Taj Mahal!’’ Albert said the union relied on Atlantic City Health Department reports from 2015. The Taj Mahal did not respond to a request for comment. Asked if he was disappointed by customers crossing picket lines, Ben Begleiter, a union spokesman, said many people have voiced support for the strikers, but many if not most of the hotel guests had made reservations in advance of the strike. The main issue is restoration of health insurance and pension benefits the casino’s previous owners — after Trump but before Icahn— did away with in 2014."

So Trump treated the workers decently if not fairly?

"At least 7 stabbed at protest outside California Capitol" by Olga R. Rodriguez Associated Press  June 27, 2016

SAN FRANCISCO — Counterprotesters clashed Sunday with members of right-wing extremists groups.

California Highway Patrol Officer George Granada said about 30 members of the Traditionalist Worker Party were gathering for a rally around noon Sunday when they were met by about 400 counterprotesters and a fight broke out.

As people tried to leave the area, smaller fights broke out, Granada said. He said no arrests had been made as of Sunday afternoon.

He said the Capitol remained on lockdown three hours after the large fight broke out but that things had calmed down and only about 70 ‘‘anti-fascists’’ remained in the area.

Videos from the melee posted on social media showed mounted police officers dispersing a group of young people, some with their faces covered, while some throw stones toward a man holding a stick and being shielded by police officers in riot gear....

What is surreal is the anti-Nazis are now the Nazis.

--more--"

Also see: "No one was arrested, and Granada said arrests may be difficult because many counter-demonstrators wore masks. McPhail said arrests may be possible as police review surveillance and social media videos."

It was 30 against 300, and the cops let it happen. It's what we call allowed agin-prop from controlled opposition, and I never saw another word about it.

Maybe it's time to trade up:

"In N.H., Donald Trump takes aim at US trade deals" by Meg Bernhard Globe Correspondent  July 01, 2016

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump took aim Thursday afternoon at recent US trade deals.

As Trump praised Mexican leaders for being “so much smarter, so much sharper,” a plane flew overhead, and he remarked: “That could be a Mexican plane up there. They’re getting ready to attack.”

HA-HA-HA-HA!

Standing in direct sunlight, Trump spoke to a few dozen people at the closed event — part of his sustained effort to show a hard-line stance on US trade deals in parts of the country that his campaign believes have been negatively affected by them. The speech marked the last event on Trump’s two-day campaign jaunt through New England, and it followed a fund-raiser in Boston and a rally in Bangor, Maine.

As he did at his Maine rally, Trump criticized NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership while assailing his rival, Hillary Clinton, and her husband for supporting what he considered faulty trade deals. Bill Clinton signed off on NAFTA, and Hillary Clinton initially supported TPP negotiations as US secretary of state before she came out against the final version during the Democratic primaries.

In a fair election, given our current times, Trump wins because of those deals. That should not be read as support or an endorsement of him. It is simply stating a fact.

The backdrop for Trump’s event was a former facility for Osram Sylvania, a lighting company and one of the biggest manufacturing employers in New Hampshire. The plant closed in 2014, laying off more than 100 employees.

Trump cited the building’s history, saying that after the company shuttered the Manchester location, jobs went to Mexico and China. He introduced Mike Boulanger, 51, who said he had worked at the Manchester facility for 29 years — and trained Mexican laborers to replace him.

According to Glen Gracia, a spokesman for Osram, some US production lines and equipment have been transferred to Mexico and China. But, Gracia wrote in an e-mail, the Manchester plant and others were closed “due to decreasing sales due to the technology shift to LED lighting, not any free trade agreements.”

Trump said he was in favor of “great deals” with countries but did not offer specifics. He also said that he did not intend for the United States to withdraw from NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, but he would use the country’s participation in those deals as leverage to renegotiate the agreement.

“There may be a point where we withdraw for two hours before we get a phone call,” Trump said.

When he took questions at the end of his speech, Trump promised to produce a “very highly sophisticated tax plan” in the coming weeks....

--more--"

Related:

Have trade deals been a disaster?

Who does the Globe ask

Kenneth Rogoff, a former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund and professor of economics and public policy at Harvard University who doesn't like Trump.

Talk about a Land of Oz.

It will all be settled at the convention; will you own a share of history?