.
4/30/16, "Rep. Jimmy Duncan endorses Donald Trump," Politico, Kristen East
"Donald Trump has notched the endorsement of one the House’s longest serving Republicans.
Rep. Jimmy Duncan (R-Tenn), who has served in Congress since 1988,
“enthusiastically” endorsed Trump on Saturday, citing the presidential
candidate’s trade rhetoric.
“Every country wants into our markets. We have tremendous leverage on
trade we have not used. Donald Trump will do that,” he said in a
statement.
Duncan is the only Republican currently serving in Congress to have voted against the Iraq War.
Trump, in a statement, said he was glad to have the support of “one of the most fiscally conservative” representatives.
“If more members voted like Rep. Duncan, we wouldn’t be wasting trillions of taxpayer dollars in foreign countries,” he said."
...........
===================
Added: Rep. Duncan was right to oppose the Iraq War. George Bush joked about not finding WMDs in Iraq.
At media dinner in March 2004, Bush in a slide show for the media did a comedy bit about not finding WMDs in Iraq, looks under furniture, media laughs. Thousands dead and maimed, trillions of dollars wasted, radical Islam and Iran empowered, Christians forced to flee.
3/25/2004, "Bush pokes fun at himself, staff," AP via MSNBC, "Mock slide show featured at dinner."
"President Bush poked fun at his staff, his Democratic
challenger and himself Wednesday night at a black-tie dinner where he
hobnobbed with the news media.
Bush put on a slide show, calling it the “White House Election-Year
Album” at the Radio and Television Correspondents’ Association 60th annual dinner, showing himself and his staff in some decidedly unflattering poses.
There was Bush looking under furniture in a fruitless, frustrating
search. “Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere,” he
said."...
..........
3/25/2004, "MIA WMDs–For Bush, It’s a Joke," The Nation, David Corn
"At one point, Bush showed a photo of himself looking for something
out a window in the Oval Office, and he said, “Those weapons of mass
destruction have got to be somewhere.”
The audience laughed. I grimaced. But that wasn’t the end of it.
After a few more slides, there was a shot of Bush looking under
furniture in the Oval Office. “Nope,” he said. “No weapons over there.”
More laughter. Then another picture of Bush searching in his office:
“Maybe under here.” Laughter again....
I wondered what the spouse, child or parent of a soldier killed in Iraq
would have felt if they had been watching C-SPAN and saw the
commander-in-chief mocking the supposed justification for the war that
claimed their loved ones....
Yet there was Bush–apparently having a laugh at his own expense, but
actually doing so on the graves of thousands. This was a callous and
arrogant display....As the
audience laughed along, he smiled. The false statements (or lies) that
had launched a war had become merely another punchline in the nation’s
capital."
................
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said he "particularly" commends "Donald Trump, who I think has given voice to the frustration of millions of working Americans"-Business Insider, 4/29/16
.
4/29/16, "Indiana's governor started off his endorsement of Ted Cruz with lengthy praise of Donald Trump," Business Insider, Allan Smith
"Indiana Gov. Mike Pence opened up his big endorsement of Sen. Ted Cruz by praising Donald Trump at length in a radio interview.
He told WIBC in Indianapolis that he "particularly" wanted ""........
=============
Added: 4/28/16, 12,000 rally for Trump in Evansville, Indiana:
Above, 4/28/16, "A sea of cellphones go up as Donald Trump and Bobby Knight make a quick stop in the overflow room after his speech at the Old National Events Plaza Thursday, April 28, 2016, Mike Lawrence/Courier and Press." "An estimated 12,000 people jammed areas inside and outside Old National Events Plaza."
By using provisions of the Patriot Act, Trump has said, the U.S. can bring considerable pressure to bear on Mexico to compel that country to pay for the wall. The leverage point is about $24 billion that Trump says is annually transferred from Mexican nationals working in the U.S. back to Mexico. He argues that a majority of that money comes from illegal immigrants, serving as “de facto welfare for poor families in Mexico....
Trump has said allies in Europe, Asia and the Middle East would benefit from more vigorous U.S. leadership on the world stage. But on Thursday in Evansville, he said there should be no doubt that America’s economic and foreign policy interests would come first in his administration.
“We’re going to win with great, great trade deals,” Trump said. “We’re not going to let the entire world rip us off anymore. And speaking of our military, we’re defending the whole world and they think we’re all a bunch of jerks. From now on, we want to help everybody — but they have to help us ...”
The words were drowned out by the cheers.
Trump got critical bench support Thursday from former Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight, who hailed him as a great leader on the world stage.
“This man (Trump) has created more jobs and hired more people than any American ever has during his lifetime to date,” Knight said. “He’s done this not just in America, but across the world. And he has a great reputation, a great feeling people get for him.”
Knight called Trump “a man who not only gets things done, but he gets things done in the right way and when something needs to be corrected, he can correct it.”
Trump’s America-first message resonates with Ashlee Mercer, an Evansville resident who joined hundreds of people at Tri-State Aero to see him off as he departed Evansville in his black and gold Boeing 757.
Some of the crowd used cellphones to record Trump and his party’s entrance to the facility in SUVs, staying until his jet ascended in the air at 2:44 p.m. They lined the fences, sat in flatbed trucks, waved American flags or stood in clusters straining for a glimpse of Trump.
Mercer brought her 8-year-old son to the airport. She likes Trump’s candor and willingness to say things that more conventional politicians don’t dare. But there’s more to it than that.
“Drugs coming over from Mexico, our jobs going to Mexico,” Mercer started out.
“My husband lost his job to Mexico from Whirlpool,” she said. “I have a child that has chronic health conditions and, even now, with the laws with health care, having a child that’s having to go to Cincinnati Riley and have multiple procedures done, our health care is in dire need — and the fact that illegal Mexican aliens get Medicaid, that’s an issue to me. I pay a lot of money for my health care.”
Outsourcing of American jobs to other countries is a symptom of American weakness, Mercer said. She wants a strong leader — a leader who will put America first and won’t be conflicted about it.
“I think in the United States of America we worry too much about other countries and less about our own,” she said. “We worry about the homeless, the people who don’t have food in other countries — when, you know what? There’s plenty of homeless here in Evansville.”
Mercer had one more opinion: Republican Party leaders who are trying to derail Trump’s candidacy are out of touch not only with the GOP rank-and-file, but “with reality.”
Trump’s trip up U.S. 41 from Old National Events Plaza to Tri-State Aero created a little economic activity at Subway sandwich shop next to the facility. Managers Tim Stallings and Marla Groves said Tri-State Aero asked them to create a foot-long tuna-on-wheat sub for someone — maybe Trump himself — on the billionaire businessman’s jet.
“They said it could be for Trump, that’s what they said — you never know. It could be anybody,” Stallings said, glancing at Groves. “She started it, I finished it.”"
.........
4/29/16, "Indiana's governor started off his endorsement of Ted Cruz with lengthy praise of Donald Trump," Business Insider, Allan Smith
"Indiana Gov. Mike Pence opened up his big endorsement of Sen. Ted Cruz by praising Donald Trump at length in a radio interview.
He told WIBC in Indianapolis that he "particularly" wanted ""........
=============
Added: 4/28/16, 12,000 rally for Trump in Evansville, Indiana:
Above, 4/28/16, "A sea of cellphones go up as Donald Trump and Bobby Knight make a quick stop in the overflow room after his speech at the Old National Events Plaza Thursday, April 28, 2016, Mike Lawrence/Courier and Press." "An estimated 12,000 people jammed areas inside and outside Old National Events Plaza."
Above, 4/28/16, Trump rally in Evansville, Indiana: "Donald Trump and Bobby Knight" Evansville, Indiana! LETS WIN INDIANA! #Trump2016 #MAGA #INDPrimary #TrumpTrain," Dan Scavino twitter
Above, 4/28/16, Trump rally in Indiana, "Donald J. Trump's Presidential Rally in Indiana today w/ thousands in overflow. #INDPrimary #Trump2016BTS #VoteTrump," Dan Scavino twitter, Trump campaign
4/29/16, "Trump draws huge, faithful crowd during Evansville rally," Evansville Courier and Press, by Thomas B. Langhorne
"Call it frustration with the status quo or perhaps a bedrock belief that America’s position in the world is diminished, but Donald Trump tapped into something during his visit to Evansville Thursday.
An estimated 12,000 people jammed areas inside and outside Old National Events Plaza during Trump’s 58-minute speech in the run-up to Tuesday’s Indiana Republican presidential primary. In the auditorium they murmured excitedly in anticipation of his appearance, exploded when he walked onstage, laughed uproariously at his jokes and cheered lustily-several times -when he called for a crackdown on illegal immigration.
The real estate mogul and reality TV star promised to “knock the hell out of ISIS,” do away with Obamacare, stop unfair trade deals and make Mexico pay for a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. He said he will make America rich again because, “unless we’re rich, we can’t be strong.”
With no other states holding presidential primaries Tuesday and the world’s eyes on Indiana, Trump aims to effectively knock out main GOP presidential rival Ted Cruz with a smashing victory in the state. Coming on the heels of decisive victories in five Northeastern primaries this week, he hopes to establish an unshakable vice grip on the Republican presidential nomination by virtue of the sheer size of his lead in national GOP convention delegates. He campaigned extensively in Indianapolis Wednesday.
“We’re going to win on the border,” he said to a crescendo of cheers. “We’re going to win, and we’re going to build a wall and, believe me — believe me — Mexico’s going to pay for the wall.”
4/29/16, "Trump draws huge, faithful crowd during Evansville rally," Evansville Courier and Press, by Thomas B. Langhorne
"Call it frustration with the status quo or perhaps a bedrock belief that America’s position in the world is diminished, but Donald Trump tapped into something during his visit to Evansville Thursday.
An estimated 12,000 people jammed areas inside and outside Old National Events Plaza during Trump’s 58-minute speech in the run-up to Tuesday’s Indiana Republican presidential primary. In the auditorium they murmured excitedly in anticipation of his appearance, exploded when he walked onstage, laughed uproariously at his jokes and cheered lustily-several times -when he called for a crackdown on illegal immigration.
The real estate mogul and reality TV star promised to “knock the hell out of ISIS,” do away with Obamacare, stop unfair trade deals and make Mexico pay for a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. He said he will make America rich again because, “unless we’re rich, we can’t be strong.”
With no other states holding presidential primaries Tuesday and the world’s eyes on Indiana, Trump aims to effectively knock out main GOP presidential rival Ted Cruz with a smashing victory in the state. Coming on the heels of decisive victories in five Northeastern primaries this week, he hopes to establish an unshakable vice grip on the Republican presidential nomination by virtue of the sheer size of his lead in national GOP convention delegates. He campaigned extensively in Indianapolis Wednesday.
“We’re going to win on the border,” he said to a crescendo of cheers. “We’re going to win, and we’re going to build a wall and, believe me — believe me — Mexico’s going to pay for the wall.”
By using provisions of the Patriot Act, Trump has said, the U.S. can bring considerable pressure to bear on Mexico to compel that country to pay for the wall. The leverage point is about $24 billion that Trump says is annually transferred from Mexican nationals working in the U.S. back to Mexico. He argues that a majority of that money comes from illegal immigrants, serving as “de facto welfare for poor families in Mexico....
Trump has said allies in Europe, Asia and the Middle East would benefit from more vigorous U.S. leadership on the world stage. But on Thursday in Evansville, he said there should be no doubt that America’s economic and foreign policy interests would come first in his administration.
“We’re going to win with great, great trade deals,” Trump said. “We’re not going to let the entire world rip us off anymore. And speaking of our military, we’re defending the whole world and they think we’re all a bunch of jerks. From now on, we want to help everybody — but they have to help us ...”
The words were drowned out by the cheers.
Trump got critical bench support Thursday from former Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight, who hailed him as a great leader on the world stage.
“This man (Trump) has created more jobs and hired more people than any American ever has during his lifetime to date,” Knight said. “He’s done this not just in America, but across the world. And he has a great reputation, a great feeling people get for him.”
Knight called Trump “a man who not only gets things done, but he gets things done in the right way and when something needs to be corrected, he can correct it.”
Trump’s America-first message resonates with Ashlee Mercer, an Evansville resident who joined hundreds of people at Tri-State Aero to see him off as he departed Evansville in his black and gold Boeing 757.
Some of the crowd used cellphones to record Trump and his party’s entrance to the facility in SUVs, staying until his jet ascended in the air at 2:44 p.m. They lined the fences, sat in flatbed trucks, waved American flags or stood in clusters straining for a glimpse of Trump.
Mercer brought her 8-year-old son to the airport. She likes Trump’s candor and willingness to say things that more conventional politicians don’t dare. But there’s more to it than that.
“Drugs coming over from Mexico, our jobs going to Mexico,” Mercer started out.
“My husband lost his job to Mexico from Whirlpool,” she said. “I have a child that has chronic health conditions and, even now, with the laws with health care, having a child that’s having to go to Cincinnati Riley and have multiple procedures done, our health care is in dire need — and the fact that illegal Mexican aliens get Medicaid, that’s an issue to me. I pay a lot of money for my health care.”
Outsourcing of American jobs to other countries is a symptom of American weakness, Mercer said. She wants a strong leader — a leader who will put America first and won’t be conflicted about it.
“I think in the United States of America we worry too much about other countries and less about our own,” she said. “We worry about the homeless, the people who don’t have food in other countries — when, you know what? There’s plenty of homeless here in Evansville.”
Mercer had one more opinion: Republican Party leaders who are trying to derail Trump’s candidacy are out of touch not only with the GOP rank-and-file, but “with reality.”
Trump’s trip up U.S. 41 from Old National Events Plaza to Tri-State Aero created a little economic activity at Subway sandwich shop next to the facility. Managers Tim Stallings and Marla Groves said Tri-State Aero asked them to create a foot-long tuna-on-wheat sub for someone — maybe Trump himself — on the billionaire businessman’s jet.
“They said it could be for Trump, that’s what they said — you never know. It could be anybody,” Stallings said, glancing at Groves. “She started it, I finished it.”"
.........
Friday, April 29, 2016
Glenn Beck's Blaze empire to lay off 40 staff. A drop in Blaze ad revenue comes as Beck has reduced his radio and tv appearances while traveling in support of pres. candidacy of Sen. Ted Cruz-Daily Beast
.
4/28/16, "40 Layoffs as Glenn Beck’s Blaze Empire Continues Its Decline and Fall," The Daily Beast, Lloyd Grove
"According to sources, Beck’s frequent travel in support of the presidential candidacy of Sen. Ted Cruz among other distractions, has prevented him from appearing daily on his syndicated radio program and live-streaming television show, resulting in declining advertising revenue for Mercury Radio Arts, Beck’s privately held parent company.
4/28/16, "40 Layoffs as Glenn Beck’s Blaze Empire Continues Its Decline and Fall," The Daily Beast, Lloyd Grove
"Sources
estimate that 20 Blaze employees will lose their jobs in New York, a
dozen in Washington, five in Ohio, and two or three in L.A. to satisfy
the requirements of a multimillion-dollar bank loan."
"According to sources, Beck’s frequent travel in support of the presidential candidacy of Sen. Ted Cruz among other distractions, has prevented him from appearing daily on his syndicated radio program and live-streaming television show, resulting in declining advertising revenue for Mercury Radio Arts, Beck’s privately held parent company.
Similarly, said these sources, declining traffic for Glennbeck.com and TheBlaze.com
have also resulted in dropping ad revenue—and Padveen was under
increasing pressure to meet the requirements of the bank loan, details
of which were not available as of this writing....
..........
..........
This latest round of mass
firings comes as no surprise to insiders at The Blaze and Mercury Radio
Arts, which laid off dozens of employees last May on a day referred to
internally as “Black Monday,” around the same time that Beck was
purchasing a private jetliner and a $200,000 Maybach sedan."
...................
...................
12,000 rally for Trump in Evansville, Indiana, April 28, 2016
.
Above, 4/28/16, "A sea of cellphones go up as Donald Trump and Bobby Knight make a quick stop in the overflow room after his speech at the Old National Events Plaza Thursday, April 28, 2016, Mike Lawrence/Courier and Press." "An estimated 12,000 people jammed areas inside and outside Old National Events Plaza."
Above, 4/28/16, Trump rally in Evansville, Indiana: "Donald Trump and Bobby Knight" Evansville, Indiana! LETS WIN INDIANA!#Trump2016 #MAGA #INDPrimary #TrumpTrain," Dan Scavino twitter
Above, 4/28/16, Trump rally in Indiana, "Donald J. Trump's Presidential Rally in Indiana today w/ thousands in overflow.#INDPrimary #Trump2016BTS #VoteTrump," Dan Scavino twitter, Trump campaign
4/29/16, "Trump draws huge, faithful crowd during Evansville rally," Evansville Courier and Press, by Thomas B. Langhorne
"Call it frustration with the status quo or perhaps a bedrock belief that America’s position in the world is diminished, but Donald Trump tapped into something during his visit to Evansville Thursday.
An estimated 12,000 people jammed areas inside and outside Old National Events Plaza during Trump’s 58-minute speech in the run-up to Tuesday’s Indiana Republican presidential primary. In the auditorium they murmured excitedly in anticipation of his appearance, exploded when he walked onstage, laughed uproariously at his jokes and cheered lustily-several times -when he called for a crackdown on illegal immigration.
The real estate mogul and reality TV star promised to “knock the hell out of ISIS,” do away with Obamacare, stop unfair trade deals and make Mexico pay for a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. He said he will make America rich again because, “unless we’re rich, we can’t be strong.”
With no other states holding presidential primaries Tuesday and the world’s eyes on Indiana, Trump aims to effectively knock out main GOP presidential rival Ted Cruz with a smashing victory in the state. Coming on the heels of decisive victories in five Northeastern primaries this week, he hopes to establish an unshakable vice grip on the Republican presidential nomination by virtue of the sheer size of his lead in national GOP convention delegates. He campaigned extensively in Indianapolis Wednesday.
“We’re going to win on the border,” he said to a crescendo of cheers. “We’re going to win, and we’re going to build a wall and, believe me — believe me — Mexico’s going to pay for the wall.”
By using provisions of the Patriot Act, Trump has said, the U.S. can bring considerable pressure to bear on Mexico to compel that country to pay for the wall. The leverage point is about $24 billion that Trump says is annually transferred from Mexican nationals working in the U.S. back to Mexico. He argues that a majority of that money comes from illegal immigrants, serving as “de facto welfare for poor families in Mexico....
Trump has said allies in Europe, Asia and the Middle East would benefit from more vigorous U.S. leadership on the world stage. But on Thursday in Evansville, he said there should be no doubt that America’s economic and foreign policy interests would come first in his administration.
“We’re going to win with great, great trade deals,” Trump said. “We’re not going to let the entire world rip us off anymore. And speaking of our military, we’re defending the whole world and they think we’re all a bunch of jerks.
From now on, we want to help everybody — but they have to help us ...”
The words were drowned out by the cheers.
Trump got critical bench support Thursday from former Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight, who hailed him as a great leader on the world stage.
“This man (Trump) has created more jobs and hired more people than any American ever has during his lifetime to date,” Knight said. “He’s done this not just in America, but across the world. And he has a great reputation, a great feeling people get for him.”
Knight called Trump “a man who not only gets things done, but he gets things done in the right way and when something needs to be corrected, he can correct it.”
Trump’s America-first message resonates with Ashlee Mercer, an Evansville resident who joined hundreds of people at Tri-State Aero to see him off as he departed Evansville in his black and gold Boeing 757.
Some of the crowd used cellphones to record Trump and his party’s entrance to the facility in SUVs, staying until his jet ascended in the air at 2:44 p.m. They lined the fences, sat in flatbed trucks, waved American flags or stood in clusters straining for a glimpse of Trump.
Mercer brought her 8-year-old son to the airport. She likes Trump’s candor and willingness to say things that more conventional politicians don’t dare. But there’s more to it than that.
“Drugs coming over from Mexico, our jobs going to Mexico,” Mercer started out.
“My husband lost his job to Mexico from Whirlpool,” she said. “I have a child that has chronic health conditions and, even now, with the laws with health care, having a child that’s having to go to Cincinnati Riley and have multiple procedures done, our health care is in dire need — and the fact that illegal Mexican aliens get Medicaid, that’s an issue to me. I pay a lot of money for my health care.”
Outsourcing of American jobs to other countries is a symptom of American weakness, Mercer said. She wants a strong leader — a leader who will put America first and won’t be conflicted about it.
“I think in the United States of America we worry too much about other countries and less about our own,” she said. “We worry about the homeless, the people who don’t have food in other countries — when, you know what? There’s plenty of homeless here in Evansville.”
Mercer had one more opinion: Republican Party leaders who are trying to derail Trump’s candidacy are out of touch not only with the GOP rank-and-file, but “with reality.”
Trump’s trip up U.S. 41 from Old National Events Plaza to Tri-State Aero created a little economic activity at Subway sandwich shop next to the facility. Managers Tim Stallings and Marla Groves said Tri-State Aero asked them to create a foot-long tuna-on-wheat sub for someone — maybe Trump himself — on the billionaire businessman’s jet.
“They said it could be for Trump, that’s what they said — you never know. It could be anybody,” Stallings said, glancing at Groves. “She started it, I finished it.”"
...........
Above, 4/28/16, "A sea of cellphones go up as Donald Trump and Bobby Knight make a quick stop in the overflow room after his speech at the Old National Events Plaza Thursday, April 28, 2016, Mike Lawrence/Courier and Press." "An estimated 12,000 people jammed areas inside and outside Old National Events Plaza."
Above, 4/28/16, Trump rally in Evansville, Indiana: "Donald Trump and Bobby Knight" Evansville, Indiana! LETS WIN INDIANA!
Above, 4/28/16, Trump rally in Indiana, "Donald J. Trump's Presidential Rally in Indiana today w/ thousands in overflow.
4/29/16, "Trump draws huge, faithful crowd during Evansville rally," Evansville Courier and Press, by Thomas B. Langhorne
"Call it frustration with the status quo or perhaps a bedrock belief that America’s position in the world is diminished, but Donald Trump tapped into something during his visit to Evansville Thursday.
An estimated 12,000 people jammed areas inside and outside Old National Events Plaza during Trump’s 58-minute speech in the run-up to Tuesday’s Indiana Republican presidential primary. In the auditorium they murmured excitedly in anticipation of his appearance, exploded when he walked onstage, laughed uproariously at his jokes and cheered lustily-several times -when he called for a crackdown on illegal immigration.
The real estate mogul and reality TV star promised to “knock the hell out of ISIS,” do away with Obamacare, stop unfair trade deals and make Mexico pay for a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. He said he will make America rich again because, “unless we’re rich, we can’t be strong.”
With no other states holding presidential primaries Tuesday and the world’s eyes on Indiana, Trump aims to effectively knock out main GOP presidential rival Ted Cruz with a smashing victory in the state. Coming on the heels of decisive victories in five Northeastern primaries this week, he hopes to establish an unshakable vice grip on the Republican presidential nomination by virtue of the sheer size of his lead in national GOP convention delegates. He campaigned extensively in Indianapolis Wednesday.
“We’re going to win on the border,” he said to a crescendo of cheers. “We’re going to win, and we’re going to build a wall and, believe me — believe me — Mexico’s going to pay for the wall.”
By using provisions of the Patriot Act, Trump has said, the U.S. can bring considerable pressure to bear on Mexico to compel that country to pay for the wall. The leverage point is about $24 billion that Trump says is annually transferred from Mexican nationals working in the U.S. back to Mexico. He argues that a majority of that money comes from illegal immigrants, serving as “de facto welfare for poor families in Mexico....
Trump has said allies in Europe, Asia and the Middle East would benefit from more vigorous U.S. leadership on the world stage. But on Thursday in Evansville, he said there should be no doubt that America’s economic and foreign policy interests would come first in his administration.
“We’re going to win with great, great trade deals,” Trump said. “We’re not going to let the entire world rip us off anymore. And speaking of our military, we’re defending the whole world and they think we’re all a bunch of jerks.
From now on, we want to help everybody — but they have to help us ...”
The words were drowned out by the cheers.
Trump got critical bench support Thursday from former Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight, who hailed him as a great leader on the world stage.
“This man (Trump) has created more jobs and hired more people than any American ever has during his lifetime to date,” Knight said. “He’s done this not just in America, but across the world. And he has a great reputation, a great feeling people get for him.”
Knight called Trump “a man who not only gets things done, but he gets things done in the right way and when something needs to be corrected, he can correct it.”
Trump’s America-first message resonates with Ashlee Mercer, an Evansville resident who joined hundreds of people at Tri-State Aero to see him off as he departed Evansville in his black and gold Boeing 757.
Some of the crowd used cellphones to record Trump and his party’s entrance to the facility in SUVs, staying until his jet ascended in the air at 2:44 p.m. They lined the fences, sat in flatbed trucks, waved American flags or stood in clusters straining for a glimpse of Trump.
Mercer brought her 8-year-old son to the airport. She likes Trump’s candor and willingness to say things that more conventional politicians don’t dare. But there’s more to it than that.
“Drugs coming over from Mexico, our jobs going to Mexico,” Mercer started out.
“My husband lost his job to Mexico from Whirlpool,” she said. “I have a child that has chronic health conditions and, even now, with the laws with health care, having a child that’s having to go to Cincinnati Riley and have multiple procedures done, our health care is in dire need — and the fact that illegal Mexican aliens get Medicaid, that’s an issue to me. I pay a lot of money for my health care.”
Outsourcing of American jobs to other countries is a symptom of American weakness, Mercer said. She wants a strong leader — a leader who will put America first and won’t be conflicted about it.
“I think in the United States of America we worry too much about other countries and less about our own,” she said. “We worry about the homeless, the people who don’t have food in other countries — when, you know what? There’s plenty of homeless here in Evansville.”
Mercer had one more opinion: Republican Party leaders who are trying to derail Trump’s candidacy are out of touch not only with the GOP rank-and-file, but “with reality.”
Trump’s trip up U.S. 41 from Old National Events Plaza to Tri-State Aero created a little economic activity at Subway sandwich shop next to the facility. Managers Tim Stallings and Marla Groves said Tri-State Aero asked them to create a foot-long tuna-on-wheat sub for someone — maybe Trump himself — on the billionaire businessman’s jet.
“They said it could be for Trump, that’s what they said — you never know. It could be anybody,” Stallings said, glancing at Groves. “She started it, I finished it.”"
...........
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Fundamental transformation continues: 1Q 2016 US home ownership near lowest in history. For 25-34 group is 10% lower than 2006-CNBC
.
"Homeownership among those aged 25-34 today is nearly 10 percentage points lower than it was a decade ago. First-time homebuyers are still barely 30 percent of today's buyers; traditionally, they comprise 40 percent of homebuyers."...
4/28/16, "Homeownership near its lowest in history," CNBC, Diana Olick
"Home sales may be rising, but home ownership in the United States is heading down once again.
"Homeownership among those aged 25-34 today is nearly 10 percentage points lower than it was a decade ago. First-time homebuyers are still barely 30 percent of today's buyers; traditionally, they comprise 40 percent of homebuyers."...
4/28/16, "Homeownership near its lowest in history," CNBC, Diana Olick
"Home sales may be rising, but home ownership in the United States is heading down once again.
After gains in the second half of
2015, the homeownership rate fell to just 63.6 percent, seasonally
adjusted, in the first quarter of this year (2016), according to the U.S.
Census Bureau. Homeownership hit a high of 69.4 percent in 2004, during
one of the biggest housing booms in history. That was also when mortgage
lending was arguably at its loosest level in history. The homeownership
rate is now just one-tenth of 1 basis point higher than its all-time
low in the second quarter of 2015.
Watch how homeownership has changed by percentage in the states since 1950. [In 2015, NY, Calif., and Nevada lowest]
Watch how homeownership has changed by percentage in the states since 1950. [In 2015, NY, Calif., and Nevada lowest]
Beatings continue: 1Q 2016 US growth drops unexpectedly to .5%, slowest in 2 yrs., business investment biggest drop in 7 years, US exports skid-BBC
.
4/28/16, "US economic growth slows to 0.5% in first quarter of 2016," BBC
That was a sharp fall from the 1.4% rate of growth in the last quarter of 2015 and the slowest pace in two years.
The slowdown, which was bigger than most economists forecast, has been blamed on a fall in domestic demand and a strong dollar that has put a brake on exports.
With shoppers buying less, businesses have been reluctant to order new stock.
Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of the US economy, increased at a rate of 1.9%, down from 2.4% in the previous quarter.
Business investment fell by 5.9% - the biggest quarterly decline [in 7 yrs.] since the depths of the financial crisis in 2009
.
Oil and gas exploration fell by a record 86% as energy companies cut back on spending following the dramatic slide in oil prices.
Although cheaper oil has given consumers more spare cash, it has also cut the profits of businesses dependent on the oil industry.
Most forecasters predict the US economy will bounce back in the next quarter, but Chris Williamson of Markit said his company's own surveys showed only a weak recovery.
"Worryingly, the surveys indicate that the malaise affecting the US economy has extended into the second quarter, albeit with the pace of expansion picking up slightly to 0.8%. The surveys also show weakness spreading from manufacturing to services in recent months."
Despite the economy slowing, unemployment fell below 5% in January, and Friday's jobs report is expected to show steady growth in employment numbers.
On Thursday, the Federal Reserve said that "labour market conditions have improved further even as growth in economic activity appears to have slowed"."
.......................
4/28/16, "US economic growth slows to 0.5% in first quarter of 2016," BBC
"US economic growth slowed to an annual pace of 0.5% during the first three months of the year.
The slowdown, which was bigger than most economists forecast, has been blamed on a fall in domestic demand and a strong dollar that has put a brake on exports.
With shoppers buying less, businesses have been reluctant to order new stock.
Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of the US economy, increased at a rate of 1.9%, down from 2.4% in the previous quarter.
Business investment fell by 5.9% - the biggest quarterly decline [in 7 yrs.] since the depths of the financial crisis in 2009
.
Oil and gas exploration fell by a record 86% as energy companies cut back on spending following the dramatic slide in oil prices.
Although cheaper oil has given consumers more spare cash, it has also cut the profits of businesses dependent on the oil industry.
Most forecasters predict the US economy will bounce back in the next quarter, but Chris Williamson of Markit said his company's own surveys showed only a weak recovery.
"Worryingly, the surveys indicate that the malaise affecting the US economy has extended into the second quarter, albeit with the pace of expansion picking up slightly to 0.8%. The surveys also show weakness spreading from manufacturing to services in recent months."
Despite the economy slowing, unemployment fell below 5% in January, and Friday's jobs report is expected to show steady growth in employment numbers.
On Thursday, the Federal Reserve said that "labour market conditions have improved further even as growth in economic activity appears to have slowed"."
.......................
Verdict for Fiorina from California Republicans was most humbling. Just 4 years after she spent 10s of millions to impress them, fewer than half Calif. GOP polled would consider voting for her-LA Times poll, 8/29-9/8/2015
.
Trump 24
Carson 18
Bush 6
Cruz 6
Rubio 5
Fiorina 5
Walker 2
Kasich 2
Paul 2
Huckabee 2
Christie 1
USC/LA Times Poll of Registered California Republicans, Aug. 29-Sept. 8, 2015 (Sa-Tu). Only 5 points for Fiorina who "spent tens of millions to impress" Californians just 4 years. ago-LA Times:
........
Sept. 2015 article:
...........
Added: How I got to above crosstabs chart:
1. "New University of Southern California Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences/Los Angeles Times poll," linked in above LA Times article in parag. 11.
2. Scroll to "Key Findings"
3. Click on USC Dornsife/LA Times Crosstabs
4. An Adobe Acrobat window appears
........................................................
9/12/15, "California Presidential Poll," LA Times
.....................
"The USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll was conducted Aug. 29-Sept. 8 among a random sample of 1,500 registered California voters, including 422 eligible to participate in the Republican primary, which is open only to registered Republicans, and 819 eligible to participate in the Democratic primary, which is open to registered Democrats and voters who decline to state a party. The margin of error for the Democratic subsample is +/- 3.6 percentage points. The margin of error for the Republican subsample is +/- 5.3 percentage points."
Carson 18
Bush 6
Cruz 6
Rubio 5
Fiorina 5
Walker 2
Kasich 2
Paul 2
Huckabee 2
Christie 1
USC/LA Times Poll of Registered California Republicans, Aug. 29-Sept. 8, 2015 (Sa-Tu). Only 5 points for Fiorina who "spent tens of millions to impress" Californians just 4 years. ago-LA Times:
........
Sept. 2015 article:
...........
9/13/2015, "California Republicans echo U.S. trends, favoring outsiders Donald Trump and Ben Carson," LA Times, Cathleen Decker
[23rd parag.] "The
voters' early verdict was perhaps most humbling for Fiorina. Just four
years after she spent tens of millions to impress them, fewer than half of California Republicans surveyed would consider voting for her, and
23% said they would never consider it....
[parag. 1] Donald Trump has vaulted to
the top of the Republican race for president among California voters, a
new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll has found....He won among whites, minority voters (a small and conservative slice of
the GOP in California), men, nonconservatives, the young, older voters,
college graduates, the married and the unmarried."...(parag. 25)
Trump #1 among California Republican Latinos:
Trump 22
Bush 13
Carson 9
Cruz 6
Rubio 6
Fiorina 5
Paul 2
Huckabee 1
Trump is also #1 in GOP field among Latino Registered Republicans per LA Times poll, Aug. 29-Sept. 8, 2015 (Sa-Tu):
..........
USC Dornsife/LA Times CrosstabsTrump #1 among California Republican Latinos:
Trump 22
Bush 13
Carson 9
Cruz 6
Rubio 6
Fiorina 5
Paul 2
Huckabee 1
Added: How I got to above crosstabs chart:
1. "New University of Southern California Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences/Los Angeles Times poll," linked in above LA Times article in parag. 11.
2. Scroll to "Key Findings"
3. Click on USC Dornsife/LA Times Crosstabs
4. An Adobe Acrobat window appears
........................................................
9/12/15, "California Presidential Poll," LA Times
.....................
"The USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll was conducted Aug. 29-Sept. 8 among a random sample of 1,500 registered California voters, including 422 eligible to participate in the Republican primary, which is open only to registered Republicans, and 819 eligible to participate in the Democratic primary, which is open to registered Democrats and voters who decline to state a party. The margin of error for the Democratic subsample is +/- 3.6 percentage points. The margin of error for the Republican subsample is +/- 5.3 percentage points."
......................
Highlights from Trump Foreign Policy Speech, 4/27/16, at Center for the National Interest in Washington, DC: 'We will no longer surrender this country, or its people, to the false song of globalism. The nation-state remains the true foundation for happiness and harmony....I will work with our allies to reinvigorate Western values and institutions'
.
Excerpts from Donald Trump Foreign Policy Speech in Washington, DC at the Center for the National Interest, 4/27/16
4/27/16, "Donald J. Trump Foreign Policy Speech," DonaldJTrump.com
"Since the end of the Cold War and the break-up of the Soviet Union, we’ve lacked a coherent foreign policy.
One day we’re bombing Libya and getting rid of a dictator to foster democracy for civilians, the next day we are watching the same civilians suffer while that country falls apart.
We’re a humanitarian nation. But the legacy of the Obama-Clinton interventions will be weakness, confusion, and disarray.
We have made the Middle East more unstable and chaotic than ever before.
We left Christians subject to intense persecution and even genocide.
Our actions in Iraq, Libya and Syria have helped unleash ISIS.
And we’re in a war against radical Islam, but President Obama won’t even name the enemy!
Hillary Clinton also refuses to say the words “radical Islam,” even as she pushes for a massive increase in refugees....
To all our friends and allies, I say America is going to be strong again. America is going to be a reliable friend and ally again.
We’re going to finally have a coherent foreign policy based upon American interests, and the shared interests of our allies.
We are getting out of the nation-building business, and instead focusing on creating stability in the world.
Our moments of greatest strength came when politics ended at the water’s edge....
Finally, we must develop a foreign policy based on American interests.
Businesses do not succeed when they lose sight of their core interests and neither do countries.
Look at what happened in the 1990s. Our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were attacked and seventeen brave sailors were killed on the USS Cole. And what did we do? It seemed we put more effort into adding China to the World Trade Organization – which has been a disaster for the United States – than into stopping Al Qaeda....
Our foreign policy goals must be based on America’s core national security interests, and the following will be my priorities.
In the Middle East, our goals must be to defeat terrorists and promote regional stability, not radical change. We need to be clear-sighted about the groups that will never be anything other than enemies.
And we must only be generous to those that prove they are our friends.
We desire to live peacefully and in friendship with Russia and China. We have serious differences with these two nations, and must regard them with open eyes. But we are not bound to be adversaries. We should seek common ground based on shared interests. Russia, for instance, has also seen the horror of Islamic terrorism.
I believe an easing of tensions and improved relations with Russia – from a position of strength – is possible. Common sense says this cycle of hostility must end. Some say the Russians won’t be reasonable. I intend to find out. If we can’t make a good deal for America, then we will quickly walk from the table.
Fixing our relations with China is another important step towards a prosperous century. China respects strength, and by letting them take advantage of us economically, we have lost all of their respect.
We have a massive trade deficit with China, a deficit we must find a way, quickly, to balance.
A strong and smart America is an America that will find a better friend in China. We can both benefit or we can both go our separate ways.
After I am elected President, I will also call for a summit with our NATO allies, and a separate summit with our Asian allies. In these summits, we will not only discuss a rebalancing of financial commitments, but take a fresh look at how we can adopt new strategies for tackling our common challenges.
For instance, we will discuss how we can upgrade NATO’s outdated mission and structure – grown out of the Cold War – to confront our shared challenges, including migration and Islamic terrorism....
My goal is to establish a foreign policy that will endure for several generations.
That is why I will also look for talented experts with new approaches, and practical ideas, rather than surrounding myself with those who have perfect resumes but very little to brag about except responsibility for a long history of failed policies and continued losses at war.
Finally, I will work with our allies to reinvigorate Western values and institutions. Instead of trying to spread “universal values” that not everyone shares, we should understand that strengthening and promoting Western civilization and its accomplishments will do more to inspire positive reforms around the world than military interventions.
These are my goals, as president.
I will seek a foreign policy that all Americans, whatever their party, can support, and which our friends and allies will respect and welcome.
The world must know that we do not go abroad in search of enemies, that we are always happy when old enemies become friends, and when old friends become allies.
To achieve these goals, Americans must have confidence in their country and its leadership again.
Many Americans must wonder why our politicians seem more interested in defending the borders of foreign countries than their own.
Americans must know that we are putting the American people first again. On trade, on immigration, on foreign policy – the jobs, incomes and security of the American worker will always be my first priority.
No country has ever prospered that failed to put its own interests first. Both our friends and enemies put their countries above ours and we, while being fair to them, must do the same.
We will no longer surrender this country, or its people, to the false song of globalism. The nation-state remains the true foundation for happiness and harmony. I am skeptical of international unions that tie us up and bring America down, and will never enter America into any agreement that reduces our ability to control our own affairs.
NAFTA, as an example, has been a total disaster for the U.S. and has emptied our states of our manufacturing and our jobs. Never again. Only the reverse will happen. We will keep our jobs and bring in new ones. Their will be consequences for companies that leave the U.S. only to exploit it later.
Under a Trump Administration, no American citizen will ever again feel that their needs come second to the citizens of foreign countries.
I will view the world through the clear lens of American interests. I will be America’s greatest defender and most loyal champion. We will not apologize for becoming successful again, but will instead embrace the unique heritage that makes us who we are.
The world is most peaceful, and most prosperous, when America is strongest.
America will continually play the role of peacemaker.
We will always help to save lives and, indeed, humanity itself. But to play that role, we must make America strong again.
We must make America respected again. And we must make America great again.
If we do that, perhaps this century can be the most peaceful and prosperous the world has ever known. Thank you."
======================
Comment: You mean innocent Americans won't be forced to play the sap for the US and global political class and pay all their bills?
As Humphrey Bogart said to a tearful Mary Astor in The Maltese Falcon: "I Won't Play The Sap For You" -
At 1:49 in clip from MovieClips.com
...................
Excerpts from Donald Trump Foreign Policy Speech in Washington, DC at the Center for the National Interest, 4/27/16
4/27/16, "Donald J. Trump Foreign Policy Speech," DonaldJTrump.com
"Since the end of the Cold War and the break-up of the Soviet Union, we’ve lacked a coherent foreign policy.
One day we’re bombing Libya and getting rid of a dictator to foster democracy for civilians, the next day we are watching the same civilians suffer while that country falls apart.
We’re a humanitarian nation. But the legacy of the Obama-Clinton interventions will be weakness, confusion, and disarray.
We have made the Middle East more unstable and chaotic than ever before.
We left Christians subject to intense persecution and even genocide.
Our actions in Iraq, Libya and Syria have helped unleash ISIS.
And we’re in a war against radical Islam, but President Obama won’t even name the enemy!
Hillary Clinton also refuses to say the words “radical Islam,” even as she pushes for a massive increase in refugees....
To all our friends and allies, I say America is going to be strong again. America is going to be a reliable friend and ally again.
We’re going to finally have a coherent foreign policy based upon American interests, and the shared interests of our allies.
We are getting out of the nation-building business, and instead focusing on creating stability in the world.
Our moments of greatest strength came when politics ended at the water’s edge....
Finally, we must develop a foreign policy based on American interests.
Businesses do not succeed when they lose sight of their core interests and neither do countries.
Look at what happened in the 1990s. Our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were attacked and seventeen brave sailors were killed on the USS Cole. And what did we do? It seemed we put more effort into adding China to the World Trade Organization – which has been a disaster for the United States – than into stopping Al Qaeda....
Our foreign policy goals must be based on America’s core national security interests, and the following will be my priorities.
In the Middle East, our goals must be to defeat terrorists and promote regional stability, not radical change. We need to be clear-sighted about the groups that will never be anything other than enemies.
And we must only be generous to those that prove they are our friends.
We desire to live peacefully and in friendship with Russia and China. We have serious differences with these two nations, and must regard them with open eyes. But we are not bound to be adversaries. We should seek common ground based on shared interests. Russia, for instance, has also seen the horror of Islamic terrorism.
I believe an easing of tensions and improved relations with Russia – from a position of strength – is possible. Common sense says this cycle of hostility must end. Some say the Russians won’t be reasonable. I intend to find out. If we can’t make a good deal for America, then we will quickly walk from the table.
Fixing our relations with China is another important step towards a prosperous century. China respects strength, and by letting them take advantage of us economically, we have lost all of their respect.
We have a massive trade deficit with China, a deficit we must find a way, quickly, to balance.
A strong and smart America is an America that will find a better friend in China. We can both benefit or we can both go our separate ways.
After I am elected President, I will also call for a summit with our NATO allies, and a separate summit with our Asian allies. In these summits, we will not only discuss a rebalancing of financial commitments, but take a fresh look at how we can adopt new strategies for tackling our common challenges.
For instance, we will discuss how we can upgrade NATO’s outdated mission and structure – grown out of the Cold War – to confront our shared challenges, including migration and Islamic terrorism....
My goal is to establish a foreign policy that will endure for several generations.
That is why I will also look for talented experts with new approaches, and practical ideas, rather than surrounding myself with those who have perfect resumes but very little to brag about except responsibility for a long history of failed policies and continued losses at war.
Finally, I will work with our allies to reinvigorate Western values and institutions. Instead of trying to spread “universal values” that not everyone shares, we should understand that strengthening and promoting Western civilization and its accomplishments will do more to inspire positive reforms around the world than military interventions.
These are my goals, as president.
I will seek a foreign policy that all Americans, whatever their party, can support, and which our friends and allies will respect and welcome.
The world must know that we do not go abroad in search of enemies, that we are always happy when old enemies become friends, and when old friends become allies.
To achieve these goals, Americans must have confidence in their country and its leadership again.
Many Americans must wonder why our politicians seem more interested in defending the borders of foreign countries than their own.
Americans must know that we are putting the American people first again. On trade, on immigration, on foreign policy – the jobs, incomes and security of the American worker will always be my first priority.
No country has ever prospered that failed to put its own interests first. Both our friends and enemies put their countries above ours and we, while being fair to them, must do the same.
We will no longer surrender this country, or its people, to the false song of globalism. The nation-state remains the true foundation for happiness and harmony. I am skeptical of international unions that tie us up and bring America down, and will never enter America into any agreement that reduces our ability to control our own affairs.
NAFTA, as an example, has been a total disaster for the U.S. and has emptied our states of our manufacturing and our jobs. Never again. Only the reverse will happen. We will keep our jobs and bring in new ones. Their will be consequences for companies that leave the U.S. only to exploit it later.
Under a Trump Administration, no American citizen will ever again feel that their needs come second to the citizens of foreign countries.
I will view the world through the clear lens of American interests. I will be America’s greatest defender and most loyal champion. We will not apologize for becoming successful again, but will instead embrace the unique heritage that makes us who we are.
The world is most peaceful, and most prosperous, when America is strongest.
America will continually play the role of peacemaker.
We will always help to save lives and, indeed, humanity itself. But to play that role, we must make America strong again.
We must make America respected again. And we must make America great again.
If we do that, perhaps this century can be the most peaceful and prosperous the world has ever known. Thank you."
======================
Comment: You mean innocent Americans won't be forced to play the sap for the US and global political class and pay all their bills?
As Humphrey Bogart said to a tearful Mary Astor in The Maltese Falcon: "I Won't Play The Sap For You" -
At 1:49 in clip from MovieClips.com
...................
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Austria passes new law limiting numbers of asylum seekers. Officials are prepared to build fence at main border crossing with Italy-BBC
.
4/27/16, "Migrant crisis: Austria passes controversial new asylum law," BBC
It comes days after Austria's far-right came top in the first round of a presidential election.
Austrian officials say they are also considering building a fence at the main border crossing with Italy.
The new asylum law lets the government declare a "state of emergency" over the migrant crisis and reject most asylum-seekers, including those from war-torn countries such as Syria.
It also limits any successful asylum claim to three years....
Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said Austria had no other choice as long as "so many other EU members fail to do their part" to limit the influx of migrants and refugees.
"We cannot shoulder the whole world's burden," he said.
Meanwhile, the police chief in Tyrol said Austria was proposing building a 400m fence at the Brenner crossing in the province.
Helmut Tomac told a news conference that the proposed border fence would depend on Italy's willingness to co-operate.
However, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi criticised the plan, saying closing the Brenner pass would go "shamelessly" against European law as well the continent's past and future.
Earlier this year, Austria began limiting the number of asylum applications it would accept and also encouraged Balkan countries to shut their southern borders to prevent migrants travelling along the so-called "Balkan route" from Greece to northern Europe.
Now officials fear that migrants will attempt to travel through Italy instead.
Work has already started at the Brenner crossing to enable controls to be implemented if the numbers of migrants arriving there increase.
Measures would include searches of trucks and private cars travelling on the main highway as well as checks on trains.
Austria received 90,000 asylum requests in 2015, the second-highest figure in the EU on a per capita basis." Map above by BBC.
Above, image caption: "The plans to reintroduce border controls have been met with protests," EPA photo via BBC
..............
4/27/16, "Migrant crisis: Austria passes controversial new asylum law," BBC
"Austria has passed a controversial
new law that restricts the right of asylum and allows most claimants to
be rejected directly at the border....
It comes days after Austria's far-right came top in the first round of a presidential election.
Austrian officials say they are also considering building a fence at the main border crossing with Italy.
The new asylum law lets the government declare a "state of emergency" over the migrant crisis and reject most asylum-seekers, including those from war-torn countries such as Syria.
It also limits any successful asylum claim to three years....
Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said Austria had no other choice as long as "so many other EU members fail to do their part" to limit the influx of migrants and refugees.
"We cannot shoulder the whole world's burden," he said.
Meanwhile, the police chief in Tyrol said Austria was proposing building a 400m fence at the Brenner crossing in the province.
Helmut Tomac told a news conference that the proposed border fence would depend on Italy's willingness to co-operate.
However, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi criticised the plan, saying closing the Brenner pass would go "shamelessly" against European law as well the continent's past and future.
Earlier this year, Austria began limiting the number of asylum applications it would accept and also encouraged Balkan countries to shut their southern borders to prevent migrants travelling along the so-called "Balkan route" from Greece to northern Europe.
Now officials fear that migrants will attempt to travel through Italy instead.
Work has already started at the Brenner crossing to enable controls to be implemented if the numbers of migrants arriving there increase.
Measures would include searches of trucks and private cars travelling on the main highway as well as checks on trains.
Austria received 90,000 asylum requests in 2015, the second-highest figure in the EU on a per capita basis." Map above by BBC.
Above, image caption: "The plans to reintroduce border controls have been met with protests," EPA photo via BBC
..............
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
80% of Pennsylvania Republican Trump voters say 2016 campaign has "energized the Republican Party"-CNN Exit Poll, April 26, 2016
.
4/26/16, CNN Pennsylvania Exit polls, Republican Primary voters
page 3:
80% of Pennsylvania Republican Trump voters say campaign has "energized the Republican Party"
..................
4/26/16, CNN Pennsylvania Exit polls, Republican Primary voters
page 3:
80% of Pennsylvania Republican Trump voters say campaign has "energized the Republican Party"
..................
US gov. employee and gay rights activist hacked to death by Islamists in Bangladesh who chanted Allahu Akbar as they left his building-AP...The US government encourages savage society to continue in Bangladesh. Its course of action in response to recent slaughters there is to increase Bangladesh refugee roles in the US, thereby letting the world know that in all cases it's US taxpayers who must be punished
.
4/25/16, "Gay rights activist, U.S. government employee one of two hacked to death by radical Islamists in Bangladesh," AP, New Delhi, via NY Daily News
"Unidentified assailants fatally stabbed two men in Bangladesh’s capital Monday night, including a gay rights activist who also worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development, police said, in the latest in a series of attacks targeting atheists, moderates and foreigners.
Police said they suspected radical Islamists in the attack, which occurred two days after a university professor was hacked to death. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
PROFESSOR IN BANGLADESH HACKED TO DEATH ON WAY TO WORK BY ISIS
The victims were identified as USAID employee Xulhaz Mannan, who previously worked as a U.S. Embassy protocol officer, and his friend, Tanay Majumder, according to Mohammed Iqbal, a police officer in Dhaka’s Kalabagan area. Mannan was also an editor of Bangladesh’s first gay rights magazine, Roopbaan, as well as a cousin of former Foreign Minister Dipu Moni of the governing Awami League party.
The U.S. ambassador condemned the killing, just weeks after the U.S. government and numerous rights groups urged the government of the Muslim-majority country to better protect its citizens and secure free speech.
“I am devastated by the brutal murder of Xulhaz Mannan and another young Bangladeshi this evening in Dhaka,” Ambassador Marcia Bernicat said in a statement. “Xulhaz was more than a colleague to those of us fortunate to work with him at the U.S. Embassy. He was a dear friend.”...
Security guard Mohammed Parvez told reporters that five or six young men posing as employees of a courier service entered the six-story building where Mannan lived and went upstairs to his unit....
A man who told local broadcaster Somoy TV that he had witnessed the attack also said at least five young men took part in the killing. He said they chanted “Allahu Akbar,” or “Allah is Great” as they left the scene.
Bangladesh has been riven by a wave of deadly attacks on foreigners, religious minorities and secular bloggers, raising fears that religious extremists are gaining a foothold in the country, despite its traditions of secularism and tolerance....
The U.S. government earlier this month said it is considering granting refuge to a select number
of secular bloggers facing imminent danger in Bangladesh.
In Washington, State Department spokesman John Kirby said Monday that remained an option, and the department was encouraging the Department of Homeland Security, which makes the determination in such cases, to keep that under consideration.
Kirby called the attack “barbaric.” He described Mannan as a “beloved member of our embassy family and a courageous advocate” for LGBT rights, and pledged U.S. support to Bangladeshi authorities “to ensure that the cowards who did this are held accountable.”
The rights group Amnesty International pressed the Bangladeshi government to do more to stop such killings, with its South Asia director, Champa Patel, saying that Monday’s attack “underscores the appalling lack of protection being afforded to a range of peaceful activists in the country.”
The group noted that homosexual relations are considered a crime under Bangladeshi law, making it harder for gay activists to report any threats against them.
“There have been four deplorable killings so far this month alone. It is shocking that no one has been held to account for these horrific attacks, and that almost no protection has been given to threatened members of civil society,” Patel said.
Sen. Ben Cardin, top-ranking Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the uptick in attacks “tragic” and urged Bangladesh to address the root causes of terrorism in its society.
Bangladeshi authorities, “must send a signal - loud and clear - that crimes against anyone for who they are, the work they do, who they love, or what God they worship can have no place in a modern society,” Cardin said in a statement.
......................
4/25/16, "Gay rights activist, U.S. government employee one of two hacked to death by radical Islamists in Bangladesh," AP, New Delhi, via NY Daily News
"Unidentified assailants fatally stabbed two men in Bangladesh’s capital Monday night, including a gay rights activist who also worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development, police said, in the latest in a series of attacks targeting atheists, moderates and foreigners.
Police said they suspected radical Islamists in the attack, which occurred two days after a university professor was hacked to death. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
PROFESSOR IN BANGLADESH HACKED TO DEATH ON WAY TO WORK BY ISIS
The victims were identified as USAID employee Xulhaz Mannan, who previously worked as a U.S. Embassy protocol officer, and his friend, Tanay Majumder, according to Mohammed Iqbal, a police officer in Dhaka’s Kalabagan area. Mannan was also an editor of Bangladesh’s first gay rights magazine, Roopbaan, as well as a cousin of former Foreign Minister Dipu Moni of the governing Awami League party.
The U.S. ambassador condemned the killing, just weeks after the U.S. government and numerous rights groups urged the government of the Muslim-majority country to better protect its citizens and secure free speech.
“I am devastated by the brutal murder of Xulhaz Mannan and another young Bangladeshi this evening in Dhaka,” Ambassador Marcia Bernicat said in a statement. “Xulhaz was more than a colleague to those of us fortunate to work with him at the U.S. Embassy. He was a dear friend.”...
Security guard Mohammed Parvez told reporters that five or six young men posing as employees of a courier service entered the six-story building where Mannan lived and went upstairs to his unit....
A man who told local broadcaster Somoy TV that he had witnessed the attack also said at least five young men took part in the killing. He said they chanted “Allahu Akbar,” or “Allah is Great” as they left the scene.
Bangladesh has been riven by a wave of deadly attacks on foreigners, religious minorities and secular bloggers, raising fears that religious extremists are gaining a foothold in the country, despite its traditions of secularism and tolerance....
The U.S. government earlier this month said it is considering granting refuge to a select number
of secular bloggers facing imminent danger in Bangladesh.
In Washington, State Department spokesman John Kirby said Monday that remained an option, and the department was encouraging the Department of Homeland Security, which makes the determination in such cases, to keep that under consideration.
Kirby called the attack “barbaric.” He described Mannan as a “beloved member of our embassy family and a courageous advocate” for LGBT rights, and pledged U.S. support to Bangladeshi authorities “to ensure that the cowards who did this are held accountable.”
The rights group Amnesty International pressed the Bangladeshi government to do more to stop such killings, with its South Asia director, Champa Patel, saying that Monday’s attack “underscores the appalling lack of protection being afforded to a range of peaceful activists in the country.”
The group noted that homosexual relations are considered a crime under Bangladeshi law, making it harder for gay activists to report any threats against them.
“There have been four deplorable killings so far this month alone. It is shocking that no one has been held to account for these horrific attacks, and that almost no protection has been given to threatened members of civil society,” Patel said.
Sen. Ben Cardin, top-ranking Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the uptick in attacks “tragic” and urged Bangladesh to address the root causes of terrorism in its society.
Bangladeshi authorities, “must send a signal - loud and clear - that crimes against anyone for who they are, the work they do, who they love, or what God they worship can have no place in a modern society,” Cardin said in a statement.
......................
Monday, April 25, 2016
10,000 rally for Trump in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 4/21/16-Jeffrey Lord
.
4/22/16, "The Donald Comes to My Neck of the Woods," Jeffrey Lord, American Spectator
After all the fuss about Trump rallies, finally here was one mere miles from my front door. I could see for myself — and I did.
Wow.
Some 10,000 Pennsylvanians and others would eventually pack inside, and it can be seen here [video of Trump Harrisburg rally, 4/21/16, You Tube] in several places.
Yes…ahem…that is me The Donald is referring to in the beginning and a few other places. But I’m not writing about this rally for that reason — (although thanks, Donald, for the shout out!)
What interested me most were the people in the audience. I was seriously privileged to meet many of them. Listening to them it was quite clear that they are exactly the kind of people I have had in mind for all these months when I defend Donald Trump on CNN or in this space. They are hard-working, family-oriented Americans who are very concerned about a country they see going off the rails. They were all ages. There were Moms with young kids. Parents with teenagers. Middle-aged couples and seniors. They ran the age gamut from literally a baby all the way up to the silver-haired.
Were there protesters? Yes. But by now the Trump rallies have settled into a pattern, well anticipating protests. Before Trump arrives a recording is played over the public address system asking respect for the First Amendment rights of the rally-goers. These rallies are, after all, a private event. The request is made that if protesters open up to simply surround them with raised Trump signs and shout “Trump! Trump! Trump!” This in turn serves as a signal to the police to zero in on the protesters — and move them out. In fact this happened a few times, including as Trump began to speak. He spotted the problem and briskly commanded “Get ‘em out.” Within a minute they were gone, with nary a fisticuff exchanged.
With that, and introductions dispensed with, Trump was on with his by now trademarked speech.
What strikes is the style, a style the nation is becoming familiar with and which I first observed in a 2013 Trump appearance at The American Spectator’s annual dinner. (Where, by the way, interestingly enough Trump shared the spotlight with Senator Ted Cruz.) The Spectator’s founder and editor-in-chief Bob Tyrrell has observed that Trump is revolutionizing politics and political speechmaking with his decidedly un-Obamaesque, non-teleprompter off-the-cuff style of communicating with his audience. Watching this in person last night it was abundantly clear that Trump was connecting with his audience. Connecting with them both as an audience and as individuals. It was fascinating to watch the faces. Absorbed, intent, heads nodding in agreement at certain points, chuckling at others as if Trump were a beloved member of the family whom they particularly loved to listen to.
It reminded me of exactly why Ronald Reagan came to be called “The Great Communicator.” Reagan too had a unique ability to connect with his audiences. One knew in listening to him that he believed passionately in America, that he was direct and honest — a trait that was valuable whether dealing with political opponents in the GOP, Democrats in Congress, or Soviet tyrants.
So too with Trump in Harrisburg — or for that matter with Trump anywhere. What horrifies the GOP elites and for that matter the elites of the media and political world in general is that Trump refuses to back down from his beliefs, saying exactly what so many millions have quietly been thinking but were afraid to say on their own.
As Trump ran through the statistics of job loss in Pennsylvania, of lost Pennsylvania manufacturing jobs, of a damaged steel industry he said it this way:
And of course there was talk of the wall, the naysayers that say it couldn’t be done, and the observation that the Chinese built the 13,000-mile-long Great Wall of China without “Caterpillar” — the iconic American maker of earth moving equipment. “Who’s going to pay for it?” he asks.
“Mexico!” yells the audience. Trump cups his ear, insisting he can’t hear them. “MEXICO!” bellow the folks.
Then he was off on a litany of specifics. Wages, part-time jobs, repealing and replacing Obamacare.
The subject of Pennsylvania’s steel industry brought on a brief segue to “Big Ben” — not the famous tower of Britain’s Parliament, but Ben Roethlisberger, the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers and a Trump golfing buddy. Campaign contributions brought up a discussion — still — of the vanquished Jeb Bush and his $100 million campaign fund raised by all those Washington lobbyists. One could almost feel the ripple of disgust sweep through the crowd. Having worked through the numbers and statistics that profiled the economics of Pennsylvania, he was on to that viral video of the employees of Indiana’s Carrier Air Conditioning being informed their jobs were going to Mexico. Trump, but of course, buys a lot of air conditioners for Trump properties — but he won’t be buying Carrier anymore.
Then there was the description of Obama dealing with Iraq. “We went — mistake. But the way we got out — mistake.” This in turn leads to “Crooked Hillary” and all her mistakes — with a quick “get ’em out” to another batch of protesters and a salute to the police. “By the way,” he enthuses, “aren’t Trump rallies fun?” The audience roars its approval.
None of this was delivered with that iconic staple of both the Obama presidency and the modern presidency itself — the teleprompter. This was communication at an almost visceral level with an audience. As the Harrisburg rally was proceeding there was another Trump story making the media rounds.
NBC News headlined it this way:
Does anyone out there really believe that when Hillary Clinton mimics a black voice as she repeats the words of the black Reverend James Cleveland by saying “I don't feel no ways tired. I come too far from where I started from. Nobody told me that the road would be easy,” that she actually speaks this way in private conversation? Seriously? To be bipartisan about this, I can attest that Ronald Reagan never once said to me, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” And I’ll take a wild guess that when JFK was in private he never started jabbing the air with his finger, yelling “And so my fellow Americans. Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
Of all the criticisms of the Trump campaign — and I must admit rating them on a scale of sheerest idiocy is a difficult task — the charge against Manafort that somehow the private Trump is different from the public Trump is pretty close to winning the gold medal for idiocy. In truth, I’ve never met a single human being whose public demeanor was not different in degree or kind from their private behavior. This goes double for every “public” person I have ever met, and I have met more than my share.
Which brings us back to the Trump rally in Harrisburg.
Donald Trump the public personality was on full display in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the other night.
And just as in this campaign and every campaign the question always becomes: Can the candidate communicate his or her message? And is the message a good one?
Based on what I saw in person in the Farm Show complex in this Harrisburg Trump rally? The results of this Fox poll are accurate. The headline:
GOP Establishment? Take note."
............
4/22/16, "The Donald Comes to My Neck of the Woods," Jeffrey Lord, American Spectator
"Ten thousand Trump fans pack Harrisburg's Farm Show for a Trump rally."
"The line to get into Harrisburg’s venerable Pennsylvania Farm Show
Complex and Expo Center [Thurs., 4/21] snaked around the huge buildings. It was, to
borrow a phrase, “yuge.” And it was still a full three hours early.
After all the fuss about Trump rallies, finally here was one mere miles from my front door. I could see for myself — and I did.
Wow.
Some 10,000 Pennsylvanians and others would eventually pack inside, and it can be seen here [video of Trump Harrisburg rally, 4/21/16, You Tube] in several places.
Yes…ahem…that is me The Donald is referring to in the beginning and a few other places. But I’m not writing about this rally for that reason — (although thanks, Donald, for the shout out!)
What interested me most were the people in the audience. I was seriously privileged to meet many of them. Listening to them it was quite clear that they are exactly the kind of people I have had in mind for all these months when I defend Donald Trump on CNN or in this space. They are hard-working, family-oriented Americans who are very concerned about a country they see going off the rails. They were all ages. There were Moms with young kids. Parents with teenagers. Middle-aged couples and seniors. They ran the age gamut from literally a baby all the way up to the silver-haired.
Were there protesters? Yes. But by now the Trump rallies have settled into a pattern, well anticipating protests. Before Trump arrives a recording is played over the public address system asking respect for the First Amendment rights of the rally-goers. These rallies are, after all, a private event. The request is made that if protesters open up to simply surround them with raised Trump signs and shout “Trump! Trump! Trump!” This in turn serves as a signal to the police to zero in on the protesters — and move them out. In fact this happened a few times, including as Trump began to speak. He spotted the problem and briskly commanded “Get ‘em out.” Within a minute they were gone, with nary a fisticuff exchanged.
With that, and introductions dispensed with, Trump was on with his by now trademarked speech.
What strikes is the style, a style the nation is becoming familiar with and which I first observed in a 2013 Trump appearance at The American Spectator’s annual dinner. (Where, by the way, interestingly enough Trump shared the spotlight with Senator Ted Cruz.) The Spectator’s founder and editor-in-chief Bob Tyrrell has observed that Trump is revolutionizing politics and political speechmaking with his decidedly un-Obamaesque, non-teleprompter off-the-cuff style of communicating with his audience. Watching this in person last night it was abundantly clear that Trump was connecting with his audience. Connecting with them both as an audience and as individuals. It was fascinating to watch the faces. Absorbed, intent, heads nodding in agreement at certain points, chuckling at others as if Trump were a beloved member of the family whom they particularly loved to listen to.
It reminded me of exactly why Ronald Reagan came to be called “The Great Communicator.” Reagan too had a unique ability to connect with his audiences. One knew in listening to him that he believed passionately in America, that he was direct and honest — a trait that was valuable whether dealing with political opponents in the GOP, Democrats in Congress, or Soviet tyrants.
So too with Trump in Harrisburg — or for that matter with Trump anywhere. What horrifies the GOP elites and for that matter the elites of the media and political world in general is that Trump refuses to back down from his beliefs, saying exactly what so many millions have quietly been thinking but were afraid to say on their own.
As Trump ran through the statistics of job loss in Pennsylvania, of lost Pennsylvania manufacturing jobs, of a damaged steel industry he said it this way:
And on he went, mixing the numbers of Pennsylvania’s economic decline with policy, communicated first, last, and always in a colloquial style that bonds instantly with his audience. Of American leaders in general? “They are dumb as rocks. They don’t know what the hell is happening to the country!”“Pennsylvania has taken harder hits on trade than just about anywhere else in the United States. Not good! Not good! The state of Pennsylvania has lost more than 35% of its manufacturing jobs since 2001. Not good! What are you guys doing? How do you let this happen guys? How do you let this happen? Don’t worry. Doesn’t matter. We’re bringing it back. They’re all going to come back. Better than that. Better than that. And that includes steel, and that includes coal — clean coal — but that includes a lot things and a lot of industries that are being decimated.”
And of course there was talk of the wall, the naysayers that say it couldn’t be done, and the observation that the Chinese built the 13,000-mile-long Great Wall of China without “Caterpillar” — the iconic American maker of earth moving equipment. “Who’s going to pay for it?” he asks.
“Mexico!” yells the audience. Trump cups his ear, insisting he can’t hear them. “MEXICO!” bellow the folks.
Then he was off on a litany of specifics. Wages, part-time jobs, repealing and replacing Obamacare.
The subject of Pennsylvania’s steel industry brought on a brief segue to “Big Ben” — not the famous tower of Britain’s Parliament, but Ben Roethlisberger, the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers and a Trump golfing buddy. Campaign contributions brought up a discussion — still — of the vanquished Jeb Bush and his $100 million campaign fund raised by all those Washington lobbyists. One could almost feel the ripple of disgust sweep through the crowd. Having worked through the numbers and statistics that profiled the economics of Pennsylvania, he was on to that viral video of the employees of Indiana’s Carrier Air Conditioning being informed their jobs were going to Mexico. Trump, but of course, buys a lot of air conditioners for Trump properties — but he won’t be buying Carrier anymore.
Then there was the description of Obama dealing with Iraq. “We went — mistake. But the way we got out — mistake.” This in turn leads to “Crooked Hillary” and all her mistakes — with a quick “get ’em out” to another batch of protesters and a salute to the police. “By the way,” he enthuses, “aren’t Trump rallies fun?” The audience roars its approval.
None of this was delivered with that iconic staple of both the Obama presidency and the modern presidency itself — the teleprompter. This was communication at an almost visceral level with an audience. As the Harrisburg rally was proceeding there was another Trump story making the media rounds.
NBC News headlined it this way:
Manafort Tells RNC Trump Has a Different Private PersonaThe breathless story read in part this way:
Donald Trump has a different persona in private than he does in public and he’ll shift his personality to appeal to women, minorities and other voters in a general election, his top aide told a meeting of the Republican National Committee on Thursday.One can only be agog at the non-news value of this particular.
“When he's sitting in a room, he's talking business, he's talking politics in a private room, it's a different persona,” top Trump aide Paul Manafort said during the meeting, a recording of which was obtained by NBC News. “When he’s out on the stage, when he’s talking about the kinds of things he's talking about on the stump, he's projecting an image that's for that purpose.”
Does anyone out there really believe that when Hillary Clinton mimics a black voice as she repeats the words of the black Reverend James Cleveland by saying “I don't feel no ways tired. I come too far from where I started from. Nobody told me that the road would be easy,” that she actually speaks this way in private conversation? Seriously? To be bipartisan about this, I can attest that Ronald Reagan never once said to me, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” And I’ll take a wild guess that when JFK was in private he never started jabbing the air with his finger, yelling “And so my fellow Americans. Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
Of all the criticisms of the Trump campaign — and I must admit rating them on a scale of sheerest idiocy is a difficult task — the charge against Manafort that somehow the private Trump is different from the public Trump is pretty close to winning the gold medal for idiocy. In truth, I’ve never met a single human being whose public demeanor was not different in degree or kind from their private behavior. This goes double for every “public” person I have ever met, and I have met more than my share.
Which brings us back to the Trump rally in Harrisburg.
Donald Trump the public personality was on full display in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the other night.
And just as in this campaign and every campaign the question always becomes: Can the candidate communicate his or her message? And is the message a good one?
Based on what I saw in person in the Farm Show complex in this Harrisburg Trump rally? The results of this Fox poll are accurate. The headline:
Fox News Poll: Trump holds huge lead in Pennsylvania, Clinton up over SandersIndeed. And there in the Pennsylvania Farm Show in the shadow of the state capitol in the middle of conservative Central Pennsylvania, every person I saw and spoke with at this Trump rally Thursday night was the enthusiastic, quite passionate physical embodiment of exactly why Donald Trump has been such a stunning success in this primary season.
GOP Establishment? Take note."
............
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