Monday, September 26, 2016 5:31:07 PM
Why Donald Trump Should Not Be President
Eric Thayer for The New York Times
Donald Trump is a man who dwells in bigotry, bluster and false promises.
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
SEPT. 25, 2016
When Donald Trump began his improbable run for president 15 months ago, he offered his wealth and television celebrity as credentials, then slyly added a twist of fearmongering about Mexican “rapists” flooding across the Southern border.
From that moment of combustion, it became clear that Mr. Trump’s views were matters of dangerous impulse and cynical pandering rather than thoughtful politics. Yet he has attracted throngs of Americans who ascribe higher purpose to him than he has demonstrated in a freewheeling campaign marked by bursts of false and outrageous allegations, personal insults, xenophobic nationalism, unapologetic sexism and positions that shift according to his audience and his whims.
Now here stands Mr. Trump, feisty from his runaway Republican primary victories and ready for the first presidential debate, scheduled for Monday night, with Hillary Clinton. It is time for others who are still undecided, and perhaps hoping for some dramatic change in our politics and governance, to take a hard look and see Mr. Trump for who he is. They have an obligation to scrutinize his supposed virtues as a refreshing counterpolitician. Otherwise, they could face the consequences of handing the White House to a man far more consumed with himself than with the nation’s well-being.
Here’s how Mr. Trump is selling himself and why he can’t be believed.
A financial wizard who can bring executive magic to government?
Despite his towering properties, Mr. Trump has a record rife with bankruptcies and sketchy ventures like Trump University, which authorities are investigating after numerous complaints of fraud. His name has been chiseled off his failed casinos in Atlantic City.
Mr. Trump’s brazen refusal to disclose his tax returns — as Mrs. Clinton and other nominees for decades have done — should sharpen voter wariness of his business and charitable operations. Disclosure would undoubtedly raise numerous red flags; the public record already indicates that in at least some years he made full use of available loopholes and paid no taxes.
Mr. Trump has been opaque about his questionable global investments in Russia and elsewhere, which could present conflicts of interest as president, particularly if his business interests are left in the hands of his children, as he intends. Investigations have found self-dealing. He notably tapped $258,000 in donors’ money from his charitable foundation to settle lawsuits involving his for-profit businesses, according to The Washington Post [ https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-used-258000-from-his-charity-to-settle-legal-problems/2016/09/20/adc88f9c-7d11-11e6-ac8e-cf8e0dd91dc7_story.html ].
A straight talker who tells it like it is?
Mr. Trump, who has no experience in national security, declares that he has a plan to soundly defeat the Islamic State militants in Syria, but won’t reveal it, bobbing and weaving about whether he would commit ground troops. Voters cannot judge whether he has any idea what he’s talking about without an outline of his plan, yet Mr. Trump ludicrously insists he must not tip off the enemy.
Another of his cornerstone proposals — his campaign pledge of a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslim newcomers plus the deportation of 11 million undocumented immigrants across a border wall paid for by Mexico — has been subjected to endless qualifications as he zigs and zags in pursuit of middle-ground voters.
Whatever his gyrations, Mr. Trump always does make clear where his heart lies — with the anti-immigrant, nativist and racist signals that he scurrilously employed to build his base.
He used the shameful “birther” campaign against President Obama’s legitimacy as a wedge for his candidacy. But then he opportunistically denied his own record, trolling for undecided voters by conceding that Mr. Obama was a born American. In the process [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/opinion/donald-trumps-latest-birther-lie.html ] he tried to smear Mrs. Clinton as the instigator of the birther canard and then fled reporters’ questions.
Since his campaign began, NBC News [ http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/full-list-donald-trump-s-rapidly-changing-policy-positions-n547801 ] has tabulated that Mr. Trump has made 117 distinct policy shifts on 20 major issues, including three contradictory views on abortion in one eight-hour stretch. As reporters try to pin down his contradictions, Mr. Trump has mocked them at his rallies. He said he would “loosen” libel laws [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/04/us/politics/donald-trump-constitution-power.html ] to make it easier to sue news organizations that displease him.
An expert negotiator who can fix government and overpower other world leaders?
His plan for cutting the national debt was far from a confidence builder: He said he might try to persuade [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/07/us/politics/donald-trumps-idea-to-cut-national-debt-get-creditors-to-accept-less.html ] creditors to accept less than the government owed. This fanciful notion, imported from Mr. Trump’s debt-steeped real estate world, would undermine faith in the government and the stability of global financial markets. His tax-cut plan has been no less alarming. It was initially estimated to cost $10 trillion in tax revenue, then, after revisions, maybe $3 trillion, by one adviser’s estimate. There is no credible indication of how this would be paid for — only assurances that those in the upper brackets will be favored.
If Mr. Trump were to become president, his open doubts about the value of NATO would present a major diplomatic and security challenge, as would his repeated denunciations of trade deals and relations with China. Mr. Trump promises to renegotiate the Iran nuclear control agreement, as if it were an air-rights deal on Broadway. Numerous experts on national defense and international affairs have recoiled at the thought of his commanding the nuclear arsenal. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell privately called [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/15/us/politics/colin-powell-emails-hack-donald-trump.html ] Mr. Trump “an international pariah.” Mr. Trump has repeatedly denounced global warming as a “hoax,” although a golf course he owns in Ireland is citing global warming in seeking to build a protective wall against a rising sea.
In expressing admiration for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, Mr. Trump implies acceptance of Mr. Putin’s dictatorial abuse of critics and dissenters, some of whom have turned up murdered, and Mr. Putin’s vicious crackdown on the press. Even worse was Mr. Trump’s urging Russia [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/28/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-clinton-emails.html ] to meddle in the presidential campaign by hacking the email of former Secretary of State Clinton. Voters should consider what sort of deals Mr. Putin might obtain if Mr. Trump, his admirer, wins the White House.
A change agent for the nation and the world?
There can be little doubt of that. But voters should be asking themselves if Mr. Trump will deliver the kind of change they want. Starting a series of trade wars is a recipe for recession, not for new American jobs. Blowing a hole in the deficit by cutting taxes for the wealthy will not secure Americans’ financial future, and alienating our allies won’t protect our security. Mr. Trump has also said he will get rid of the new national health insurance system that millions now depend on, without saying how he would replace it.
The list goes on: He would scuttle the financial reforms and consumer protections born of the Great Recession. He would upend the Obama administration’s progress on the environment, vowing to “cancel the Paris climate agreement” on global warming. He would return to the use of waterboarding, a torture method, in violation of international treaty law. He has blithely called for reconsideration of Japan’s commitment not to develop nuclear weapons. He favors a national campaign [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/22/us/politics/donald-trump-don-king-black-voters.html ] of “stop and frisk” policing, which has been ruled unconstitutional. He has blessed the National Rifle Association’s ambition to arm citizens to engage in what he imagines [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/14/opinion/sunday/donald-trump-courts-the-gun-zealots.html ] would be defensive “shootouts” with gunmen. He has so coarsened our politics that he remains a contender for the presidency despite musing about his opponent as a gunshot target.
Voters should also consider Mr. Trump’s silence about areas of national life that are crying out for constructive change: How would he change our schools for the better? How would he lift more Americans out of poverty? How would his condescending appeal to black voters — a cynical signal to white moderates concerned about his racist supporters — translate into credible White House initiatives to promote racial progress? How would his call to monitor and even close some mosques affect the nation’s life and global reputation? Would his Supreme Court nominees be zealous, self-certain extensions of himself? In all these areas, Mrs. Clinton has offered constructive proposals. He has offered bluster, or nothing. The most specific domestic policy he has put forward, on tax breaks for child care, would tilt toward the wealthy.
Voters attracted by the force of the Trump personality should pause and take note of the precise qualities he exudes as an audaciously different politician: bluster, savage mockery of those who challenge him, degrading comments about women, mendacity, crude generalizations about nations and religions. Our presidents are role models for generations of our children. Is this the example we want for them?
© 2016 The New York Times Company
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/26/opinion/why-donald-trump-should-not-be-president.html
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Trump Flies With Gold-Plated Bathroom Fixtures, And You’re Paying Millions For It
GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump insists on flying aboard his luxury jet, rather than a more practical airplane. The cost to taxpayers: millions of dollars.
09/24/2016
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-luxury-jet_us_57e6bc0ee4b08d73b8319f15 [with comments], http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZq3iCn2y74 [embedded; comments disabled]
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GOP Lawmaker Matt Gaetz Ripped For Tweet Politicizing Death Of MLB Star Jose Fernandez
Matt Gaetz, a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives and a candidate for U.S. Congress, is under fire for a tweet politicizing the death of MLB pitcher Jose Fernandez.
Candidate for U.S. Congress took a shot a national anthem protests.
Matt Gaetz
@mattgaetz
To all who will kneel during the anthem today - just remember how Jose Fernandez risked his life just for the chance to stand for it
7:08 AM - 25 Sep 2016
[ https://twitter.com/mattgaetz/status/780046438516396033 (with comments)]
09/25/2016
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/matt-gaetz-jose-fernandez-tweet_us_57e878d9e4b0e80b1ba2bdc7 [with comments]
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The Supreme Court After Scalia
President Obama’s judicial appointments have already transformed the lower courts.
There has not been a liberal majority of Justices since Nixon was President. If Hillary Clinton is elected, that will change.
October 3, 2016 Issue
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/03/in-the-balance
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Millions in U.S. Climb Out of Poverty, at Long Last
Alex Caicedo and his family are among the 3.5 million Americans who breached the poverty line last year, according to new census data.
SEPT. 25, 2016
Not that long ago, Alex Caicedo was stuck working a series of odd jobs and watching his 1984 Chevy Nova cough its last breaths. He could make $21 an hour at the Johnny Rockets food stand at FedEx Field when the Washington Redskins were playing, but the work was spotty.
Today, Mr. Caicedo is an assistant manager at a pizzeria in Gaithersburg, Md., with an annual salary of $40,000 and health benefits. And he is getting ready to move his wife and children out of his mother-in-law’s house and into their own place. Doubling up has been a lifesaver, Mr. Caicedo said, “but nobody just wants to move in with their in-laws.”
The Caicedos are among the 3.5 million Americans who were able to raise their chins above the poverty line last year, according to census data [ http://census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2016/cb16-158.html ] released this month. More than seven years after the recession ended, employers are finally being compelled to reach deeper into the pools of untapped labor, creating more jobs, especially among retailers, restaurants and hotels, and paying higher wages to attract workers and meet new minimum wage requirements [ http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wage-chart.aspx ].
“It all came together at the same time,” said Diane Swonk [ https://dianeswonk.com/ ], an independent business economist in Chicago. “Lots of employment and wages gains [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/09/business/economy/jobs-report-hiring-unemployment-december.html ], particularly in the lowest-paying end of the jobs spectrum, combined with minimum-wage increases that started to hit some very large population areas.”
Poverty declined among every group [ http://www.epi.org/blog/new-census-data-show-strong-2015-earnings-growth-across-the-board-with-black-and-hispanic-workers-seeing-the-fastest-growth/ ]. But African-Americans and Hispanics [ http://www.epi.org/blog/new-census-data-show-strong-2015-earnings-growth-across-the-board-with-black-and-hispanic-workers-seeing-the-fastest-growth/ ] — who account for more than 45 percent of those below the poverty line of $24,300 for a family of four in most states — experienced the largest improvement.
Government programs — like Social Security [ http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/social_security_us/index.html ], the earned-income tax credit and food stamps — have kept tens of millions from sinking into poverty [ http://www.cbpp.org/blog/safety-net-cut-poverty-nearly-in-half-last-year ] year after year. But a main driver behind the impressive 1.2 percentage point decline in the poverty rate, the largest annual drop since 1999, was that the economy finally hit a tipping point after years of steady, if lukewarm, improvement.
[...]
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/26/business/economy/millions-in-us-climb-out-of-poverty-at-long-last.html [with comments]
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AMJoy 9/25/16
Published on Sep 25, 2016 by Tom Boggioni [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4ZrerrBsCwJitHTLpcVHtQ , http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4ZrerrBsCwJitHTLpcVHtQ/videos ]
Guest Rob Reiner.
Rob Reiner
@robreiner
Donald Trump is a narcissistic, misogynistic racist. He's a pathological liar. We can't let him anywhere near the White House #UnhingedTrump [ https://twitter.com/hashtag/UnhingedTrump ]
6:21 PM - 7 Jun 2016
[ https://twitter.com/robreiner/status/740353061227401217 (with comments)]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziMEmMRhL3M [with comments]
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Clinton Sex Abuse Victim To Attend Debate: 9/25/16 Full Show
Published on Sep 26, 2016 by The Alex Jones Channel [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvsye7V9psc-APX6wV1twLg / http://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel , http://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel/videos ]
On this LIVE Sunday, Sept. 25th 2016 edition of the Alex Jones Show, we look into what to expect with tomorrow’s presidential debate, especially after Donald Trump invited Clinton victim Gennifer Flowers to sit in the first row of the debate. Infowars will have a live, commercial-free feed of the debate starting at 7pm at Infowars.com/show. We also look into the latest developments of the Charlotte riots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLA_03Un5bA [with comments]
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America’s Sorry State Is No Accident
The prospect of President Donald Trump is no longer a satirical plot line on ‘The Simpsons.’
Powerful interests have worked hard — and won much — promoting misinformation and ignorance.
22 Sep 2016
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2016/09/22/Sorry-State-of-America/ [with comments]
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Trump Tells Netanyahu He Would Recognize Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departs after meeting with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York, U.S. September 25, 2016.
While Israel calls Jerusalem its capital, few other countries accept that, including the United States.
09/25/2016 Updated September 26, 2016
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-netanyahu-jerusalem-capital-israel_us_57e82088e4b0e28b2b549cfa [with comments]
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Iran’s top leader says Ahmadinejad is too divisive for political comeback
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, right, meets with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after his 2005 presidential election victory.
September 26, 2016
Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been effectively blocked from seeking a return to office after Iran’s supreme leader decided that the firebrand populist would prove too divisive in next year’s election, state media reported Monday.
The comments by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei signaled a preemptive strike against possible attempts by Ahmadinejad to build a movement to challenge the reform-minded Hassan Rouhani in the May presidential election.
Khamenei’s remarks, carried by the official Islamic Republic News Agency, also suggested that Rouhani and his government still retain some support among Iran’s ruling clerics after being given the green light to negotiate last year’s nuclear deal with the United States and other world powers.
Ahmadinejad has remained mostly out of the public eye since leaving office. But his anti-Western rhetoric and combative style still resonate among many Iranian conservatives, and he was widely viewed as among the most formidable political figures capable of unseating Rouhani.
Ahmadinejad, who served two terms from 2005 to 2013, had not publicly announced plans to seek a political comeback. But he has made policy speeches and other outreach recently, fueling speculation that he may want to challenge Rouhani.
Iran sets a limit of two consecutive presidential terms, but it is possible to run again after being out of office.
Ahmadinejad “came to me and I told him not to stand” for the election, Khamenei said, according to IRNA.
“It will create polar opposites and divisions in the country, which I believe is harmful,” the supreme leader added, according to the report.
Khamenei, who has final say in all major state affairs, cannot technically block a candidate on his own. But an oversight group closely aligned with him and the ruling clerics vets all names for major elections.
[...]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/irans-leader-ahmadinejad-too-divisive-for-political-comeback/2016/09/26/0ea4e1e8-83da-11e6-ac72-a29979381495_story.html [with comments]
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U.S. sanctions Chinese firm tied to North Korea's nuclear program
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets scientists and technicians in the field of research into nuclear weapons in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang March 9, 2016.
Sep 26, 2016
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-nuclear-usa-idUSKCN11W1SL
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2015 Was One Of The Safest Years In The Past 2 Decades, According To FBI Crime Stats
But the focus will more likely be on the statistical jump since 2014.
09/26/2016 Updated September 26, 2016
WASHINGTON ? The national homicide rate rose slightly in 2015, according to FBI crime statistics [ https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2015/crime-in-the-u.s.-2015/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/violent-crime ] released Monday. But the report also indicates that overall, 2015 was one of the safest years on record.
The FBI found an increase of 3.1 percent from the 2014 violent crime rate estimate. But that year-over-year increase only tells part of the story. Looking at every year since 1996, the violent crime rate has only been lower in 2013 and 2014.
2015 was safer than any year during the presidencies of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush or Ronald Reagan. Looking back at trends over the past five and 10 years, the total number of violent crimes in 2015 was 0.7 percent below the 2011 level and 16.5 percent below the 2006 level. Nevertheless, in a poll [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/crime-rates-donald-trump_us_57a8aa11e4b056bad2164226 ] conducted earlier this year by The Huffington Post and YouGov, most Americans incorrectly believed that crime had risen overall in the past 10 years.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/donald-trump/ ], who has declared [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-crime-stats_us_579153cae4b00c9876ced6e8 ] himself the “law and order” candidate, is widely expected to seize on the statistical uptick in the homicide numbers ahead of the first presidential debate [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/presidential-debates/ ] on Monday night.
[...]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fbi-crime-statistics-2015_us_57e913a5e4b0e28b2b54d06f [with comments]
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About those new crime stats . . .
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, left, and Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department Eddie Johnson, center.
September 26, 2016
As predicted, the FBI crime stats for 2015 were released Monday [ https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-releases-2015-crime-statistics ]. Also as predicted, they show an 11 percent increase in murders from 2014. This will almost certainly be demagogued by Donald Trump at Monday’s debate, as well as by law-and-order groups to make their case on issues such as mass incarceration, police militarization and mandatory-minimum sentencing.
Trump might want to consult with some chiefs of police themselves. Here’s Ronal Serpas [ http://lawenforcementleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/LEL-Statement-on-2016-Crime-Analysis.pdf ], head of Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration [ http://lawenforcementleaders.org/ ], a group that includes the current police chief of Los Angeles, as well as former chiefs of police for New York and Washington, D.C.
“Irresponsible claims that crime is out of control are not backed up by the facts, as new data analyses show. Overall crime remains the same as it was last year, though a small number of cities have seen a rise in murder rates. Increases in such cities are troubling and must be addressed immediately. “Police officers continue to work hard every day to keep our country safe, and sensational headlines don’t help us in that mission. False narratives on rising crime create panic and division, instead of giving police and communities an opportunity to work with each other toward an even safer place to live.”
[...]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2016/09/26/about-those-new-crime-stats/ [with comments]
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Bridgegate plotter says Christie campaign manager, now a Trump aide, approved
The George Washington Bridge.
09/26/16
http://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2016/09/bridgegate-plotter-says-christie-campaign-manager-now-a-trump-aide-approved-105796
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Eric Thayer for The New York Times
Donald Trump is a man who dwells in bigotry, bluster and false promises.
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
SEPT. 25, 2016
When Donald Trump began his improbable run for president 15 months ago, he offered his wealth and television celebrity as credentials, then slyly added a twist of fearmongering about Mexican “rapists” flooding across the Southern border.
From that moment of combustion, it became clear that Mr. Trump’s views were matters of dangerous impulse and cynical pandering rather than thoughtful politics. Yet he has attracted throngs of Americans who ascribe higher purpose to him than he has demonstrated in a freewheeling campaign marked by bursts of false and outrageous allegations, personal insults, xenophobic nationalism, unapologetic sexism and positions that shift according to his audience and his whims.
Now here stands Mr. Trump, feisty from his runaway Republican primary victories and ready for the first presidential debate, scheduled for Monday night, with Hillary Clinton. It is time for others who are still undecided, and perhaps hoping for some dramatic change in our politics and governance, to take a hard look and see Mr. Trump for who he is. They have an obligation to scrutinize his supposed virtues as a refreshing counterpolitician. Otherwise, they could face the consequences of handing the White House to a man far more consumed with himself than with the nation’s well-being.
Here’s how Mr. Trump is selling himself and why he can’t be believed.
A financial wizard who can bring executive magic to government?
Despite his towering properties, Mr. Trump has a record rife with bankruptcies and sketchy ventures like Trump University, which authorities are investigating after numerous complaints of fraud. His name has been chiseled off his failed casinos in Atlantic City.
Mr. Trump’s brazen refusal to disclose his tax returns — as Mrs. Clinton and other nominees for decades have done — should sharpen voter wariness of his business and charitable operations. Disclosure would undoubtedly raise numerous red flags; the public record already indicates that in at least some years he made full use of available loopholes and paid no taxes.
Mr. Trump has been opaque about his questionable global investments in Russia and elsewhere, which could present conflicts of interest as president, particularly if his business interests are left in the hands of his children, as he intends. Investigations have found self-dealing. He notably tapped $258,000 in donors’ money from his charitable foundation to settle lawsuits involving his for-profit businesses, according to The Washington Post [ https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-used-258000-from-his-charity-to-settle-legal-problems/2016/09/20/adc88f9c-7d11-11e6-ac8e-cf8e0dd91dc7_story.html ].
A straight talker who tells it like it is?
Mr. Trump, who has no experience in national security, declares that he has a plan to soundly defeat the Islamic State militants in Syria, but won’t reveal it, bobbing and weaving about whether he would commit ground troops. Voters cannot judge whether he has any idea what he’s talking about without an outline of his plan, yet Mr. Trump ludicrously insists he must not tip off the enemy.
Another of his cornerstone proposals — his campaign pledge of a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslim newcomers plus the deportation of 11 million undocumented immigrants across a border wall paid for by Mexico — has been subjected to endless qualifications as he zigs and zags in pursuit of middle-ground voters.
Whatever his gyrations, Mr. Trump always does make clear where his heart lies — with the anti-immigrant, nativist and racist signals that he scurrilously employed to build his base.
He used the shameful “birther” campaign against President Obama’s legitimacy as a wedge for his candidacy. But then he opportunistically denied his own record, trolling for undecided voters by conceding that Mr. Obama was a born American. In the process [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/opinion/donald-trumps-latest-birther-lie.html ] he tried to smear Mrs. Clinton as the instigator of the birther canard and then fled reporters’ questions.
Since his campaign began, NBC News [ http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/full-list-donald-trump-s-rapidly-changing-policy-positions-n547801 ] has tabulated that Mr. Trump has made 117 distinct policy shifts on 20 major issues, including three contradictory views on abortion in one eight-hour stretch. As reporters try to pin down his contradictions, Mr. Trump has mocked them at his rallies. He said he would “loosen” libel laws [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/04/us/politics/donald-trump-constitution-power.html ] to make it easier to sue news organizations that displease him.
An expert negotiator who can fix government and overpower other world leaders?
His plan for cutting the national debt was far from a confidence builder: He said he might try to persuade [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/07/us/politics/donald-trumps-idea-to-cut-national-debt-get-creditors-to-accept-less.html ] creditors to accept less than the government owed. This fanciful notion, imported from Mr. Trump’s debt-steeped real estate world, would undermine faith in the government and the stability of global financial markets. His tax-cut plan has been no less alarming. It was initially estimated to cost $10 trillion in tax revenue, then, after revisions, maybe $3 trillion, by one adviser’s estimate. There is no credible indication of how this would be paid for — only assurances that those in the upper brackets will be favored.
If Mr. Trump were to become president, his open doubts about the value of NATO would present a major diplomatic and security challenge, as would his repeated denunciations of trade deals and relations with China. Mr. Trump promises to renegotiate the Iran nuclear control agreement, as if it were an air-rights deal on Broadway. Numerous experts on national defense and international affairs have recoiled at the thought of his commanding the nuclear arsenal. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell privately called [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/15/us/politics/colin-powell-emails-hack-donald-trump.html ] Mr. Trump “an international pariah.” Mr. Trump has repeatedly denounced global warming as a “hoax,” although a golf course he owns in Ireland is citing global warming in seeking to build a protective wall against a rising sea.
In expressing admiration for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, Mr. Trump implies acceptance of Mr. Putin’s dictatorial abuse of critics and dissenters, some of whom have turned up murdered, and Mr. Putin’s vicious crackdown on the press. Even worse was Mr. Trump’s urging Russia [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/28/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-clinton-emails.html ] to meddle in the presidential campaign by hacking the email of former Secretary of State Clinton. Voters should consider what sort of deals Mr. Putin might obtain if Mr. Trump, his admirer, wins the White House.
A change agent for the nation and the world?
There can be little doubt of that. But voters should be asking themselves if Mr. Trump will deliver the kind of change they want. Starting a series of trade wars is a recipe for recession, not for new American jobs. Blowing a hole in the deficit by cutting taxes for the wealthy will not secure Americans’ financial future, and alienating our allies won’t protect our security. Mr. Trump has also said he will get rid of the new national health insurance system that millions now depend on, without saying how he would replace it.
The list goes on: He would scuttle the financial reforms and consumer protections born of the Great Recession. He would upend the Obama administration’s progress on the environment, vowing to “cancel the Paris climate agreement” on global warming. He would return to the use of waterboarding, a torture method, in violation of international treaty law. He has blithely called for reconsideration of Japan’s commitment not to develop nuclear weapons. He favors a national campaign [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/22/us/politics/donald-trump-don-king-black-voters.html ] of “stop and frisk” policing, which has been ruled unconstitutional. He has blessed the National Rifle Association’s ambition to arm citizens to engage in what he imagines [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/14/opinion/sunday/donald-trump-courts-the-gun-zealots.html ] would be defensive “shootouts” with gunmen. He has so coarsened our politics that he remains a contender for the presidency despite musing about his opponent as a gunshot target.
Voters should also consider Mr. Trump’s silence about areas of national life that are crying out for constructive change: How would he change our schools for the better? How would he lift more Americans out of poverty? How would his condescending appeal to black voters — a cynical signal to white moderates concerned about his racist supporters — translate into credible White House initiatives to promote racial progress? How would his call to monitor and even close some mosques affect the nation’s life and global reputation? Would his Supreme Court nominees be zealous, self-certain extensions of himself? In all these areas, Mrs. Clinton has offered constructive proposals. He has offered bluster, or nothing. The most specific domestic policy he has put forward, on tax breaks for child care, would tilt toward the wealthy.
Voters attracted by the force of the Trump personality should pause and take note of the precise qualities he exudes as an audaciously different politician: bluster, savage mockery of those who challenge him, degrading comments about women, mendacity, crude generalizations about nations and religions. Our presidents are role models for generations of our children. Is this the example we want for them?
© 2016 The New York Times Company
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/26/opinion/why-donald-trump-should-not-be-president.html
*
Trump Flies With Gold-Plated Bathroom Fixtures, And You’re Paying Millions For It
GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump insists on flying aboard his luxury jet, rather than a more practical airplane. The cost to taxpayers: millions of dollars.
Secret Service payments to fly on his luxury 757 made up nearly 80 percent of the flight costs this summer.
09/24/2016
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-luxury-jet_us_57e6bc0ee4b08d73b8319f15 [with comments], http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZq3iCn2y74 [embedded; comments disabled]
*
GOP Lawmaker Matt Gaetz Ripped For Tweet Politicizing Death Of MLB Star Jose Fernandez
Matt Gaetz, a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives and a candidate for U.S. Congress, is under fire for a tweet politicizing the death of MLB pitcher Jose Fernandez.
Candidate for U.S. Congress took a shot a national anthem protests.
Matt Gaetz
@mattgaetz
To all who will kneel during the anthem today - just remember how Jose Fernandez risked his life just for the chance to stand for it
7:08 AM - 25 Sep 2016
[ https://twitter.com/mattgaetz/status/780046438516396033 (with comments)]
09/25/2016
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/matt-gaetz-jose-fernandez-tweet_us_57e878d9e4b0e80b1ba2bdc7 [with comments]
--
The Supreme Court After Scalia
President Obama’s judicial appointments have already transformed the lower courts.
There has not been a liberal majority of Justices since Nixon was President. If Hillary Clinton is elected, that will change.
October 3, 2016 Issue
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/03/in-the-balance
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Millions in U.S. Climb Out of Poverty, at Long Last
Alex Caicedo and his family are among the 3.5 million Americans who breached the poverty line last year, according to new census data.
SEPT. 25, 2016
Not that long ago, Alex Caicedo was stuck working a series of odd jobs and watching his 1984 Chevy Nova cough its last breaths. He could make $21 an hour at the Johnny Rockets food stand at FedEx Field when the Washington Redskins were playing, but the work was spotty.
Today, Mr. Caicedo is an assistant manager at a pizzeria in Gaithersburg, Md., with an annual salary of $40,000 and health benefits. And he is getting ready to move his wife and children out of his mother-in-law’s house and into their own place. Doubling up has been a lifesaver, Mr. Caicedo said, “but nobody just wants to move in with their in-laws.”
The Caicedos are among the 3.5 million Americans who were able to raise their chins above the poverty line last year, according to census data [ http://census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2016/cb16-158.html ] released this month. More than seven years after the recession ended, employers are finally being compelled to reach deeper into the pools of untapped labor, creating more jobs, especially among retailers, restaurants and hotels, and paying higher wages to attract workers and meet new minimum wage requirements [ http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wage-chart.aspx ].
“It all came together at the same time,” said Diane Swonk [ https://dianeswonk.com/ ], an independent business economist in Chicago. “Lots of employment and wages gains [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/09/business/economy/jobs-report-hiring-unemployment-december.html ], particularly in the lowest-paying end of the jobs spectrum, combined with minimum-wage increases that started to hit some very large population areas.”
Poverty declined among every group [ http://www.epi.org/blog/new-census-data-show-strong-2015-earnings-growth-across-the-board-with-black-and-hispanic-workers-seeing-the-fastest-growth/ ]. But African-Americans and Hispanics [ http://www.epi.org/blog/new-census-data-show-strong-2015-earnings-growth-across-the-board-with-black-and-hispanic-workers-seeing-the-fastest-growth/ ] — who account for more than 45 percent of those below the poverty line of $24,300 for a family of four in most states — experienced the largest improvement.
Government programs — like Social Security [ http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/social_security_us/index.html ], the earned-income tax credit and food stamps — have kept tens of millions from sinking into poverty [ http://www.cbpp.org/blog/safety-net-cut-poverty-nearly-in-half-last-year ] year after year. But a main driver behind the impressive 1.2 percentage point decline in the poverty rate, the largest annual drop since 1999, was that the economy finally hit a tipping point after years of steady, if lukewarm, improvement.
[...]
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/26/business/economy/millions-in-us-climb-out-of-poverty-at-long-last.html [with comments]
--
AMJoy 9/25/16
Published on Sep 25, 2016 by Tom Boggioni [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4ZrerrBsCwJitHTLpcVHtQ , http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4ZrerrBsCwJitHTLpcVHtQ/videos ]
Guest Rob Reiner.
Rob Reiner
@robreiner
Donald Trump is a narcissistic, misogynistic racist. He's a pathological liar. We can't let him anywhere near the White House #UnhingedTrump [ https://twitter.com/hashtag/UnhingedTrump ]
6:21 PM - 7 Jun 2016
[ https://twitter.com/robreiner/status/740353061227401217 (with comments)]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziMEmMRhL3M [with comments]
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Clinton Sex Abuse Victim To Attend Debate: 9/25/16 Full Show
Published on Sep 26, 2016 by The Alex Jones Channel [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvsye7V9psc-APX6wV1twLg / http://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel , http://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel/videos ]
On this LIVE Sunday, Sept. 25th 2016 edition of the Alex Jones Show, we look into what to expect with tomorrow’s presidential debate, especially after Donald Trump invited Clinton victim Gennifer Flowers to sit in the first row of the debate. Infowars will have a live, commercial-free feed of the debate starting at 7pm at Infowars.com/show. We also look into the latest developments of the Charlotte riots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLA_03Un5bA [with comments]
*
America’s Sorry State Is No Accident
The prospect of President Donald Trump is no longer a satirical plot line on ‘The Simpsons.’
Powerful interests have worked hard — and won much — promoting misinformation and ignorance.
22 Sep 2016
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2016/09/22/Sorry-State-of-America/ [with comments]
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Trump Tells Netanyahu He Would Recognize Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departs after meeting with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York, U.S. September 25, 2016.
While Israel calls Jerusalem its capital, few other countries accept that, including the United States.
09/25/2016 Updated September 26, 2016
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-netanyahu-jerusalem-capital-israel_us_57e82088e4b0e28b2b549cfa [with comments]
*
Iran’s top leader says Ahmadinejad is too divisive for political comeback
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, right, meets with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after his 2005 presidential election victory.
September 26, 2016
Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been effectively blocked from seeking a return to office after Iran’s supreme leader decided that the firebrand populist would prove too divisive in next year’s election, state media reported Monday.
The comments by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei signaled a preemptive strike against possible attempts by Ahmadinejad to build a movement to challenge the reform-minded Hassan Rouhani in the May presidential election.
Khamenei’s remarks, carried by the official Islamic Republic News Agency, also suggested that Rouhani and his government still retain some support among Iran’s ruling clerics after being given the green light to negotiate last year’s nuclear deal with the United States and other world powers.
Ahmadinejad has remained mostly out of the public eye since leaving office. But his anti-Western rhetoric and combative style still resonate among many Iranian conservatives, and he was widely viewed as among the most formidable political figures capable of unseating Rouhani.
Ahmadinejad, who served two terms from 2005 to 2013, had not publicly announced plans to seek a political comeback. But he has made policy speeches and other outreach recently, fueling speculation that he may want to challenge Rouhani.
Iran sets a limit of two consecutive presidential terms, but it is possible to run again after being out of office.
Ahmadinejad “came to me and I told him not to stand” for the election, Khamenei said, according to IRNA.
“It will create polar opposites and divisions in the country, which I believe is harmful,” the supreme leader added, according to the report.
Khamenei, who has final say in all major state affairs, cannot technically block a candidate on his own. But an oversight group closely aligned with him and the ruling clerics vets all names for major elections.
[...]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/irans-leader-ahmadinejad-too-divisive-for-political-comeback/2016/09/26/0ea4e1e8-83da-11e6-ac72-a29979381495_story.html [with comments]
*
U.S. sanctions Chinese firm tied to North Korea's nuclear program
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets scientists and technicians in the field of research into nuclear weapons in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang March 9, 2016.
Sep 26, 2016
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-nuclear-usa-idUSKCN11W1SL
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2015 Was One Of The Safest Years In The Past 2 Decades, According To FBI Crime Stats
But the focus will more likely be on the statistical jump since 2014.
09/26/2016 Updated September 26, 2016
WASHINGTON ? The national homicide rate rose slightly in 2015, according to FBI crime statistics [ https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2015/crime-in-the-u.s.-2015/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/violent-crime ] released Monday. But the report also indicates that overall, 2015 was one of the safest years on record.
The FBI found an increase of 3.1 percent from the 2014 violent crime rate estimate. But that year-over-year increase only tells part of the story. Looking at every year since 1996, the violent crime rate has only been lower in 2013 and 2014.
2015 was safer than any year during the presidencies of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush or Ronald Reagan. Looking back at trends over the past five and 10 years, the total number of violent crimes in 2015 was 0.7 percent below the 2011 level and 16.5 percent below the 2006 level. Nevertheless, in a poll [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/crime-rates-donald-trump_us_57a8aa11e4b056bad2164226 ] conducted earlier this year by The Huffington Post and YouGov, most Americans incorrectly believed that crime had risen overall in the past 10 years.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/donald-trump/ ], who has declared [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-crime-stats_us_579153cae4b00c9876ced6e8 ] himself the “law and order” candidate, is widely expected to seize on the statistical uptick in the homicide numbers ahead of the first presidential debate [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/presidential-debates/ ] on Monday night.
[...]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fbi-crime-statistics-2015_us_57e913a5e4b0e28b2b54d06f [with comments]
*
About those new crime stats . . .
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, left, and Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department Eddie Johnson, center.
September 26, 2016
As predicted, the FBI crime stats for 2015 were released Monday [ https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-releases-2015-crime-statistics ]. Also as predicted, they show an 11 percent increase in murders from 2014. This will almost certainly be demagogued by Donald Trump at Monday’s debate, as well as by law-and-order groups to make their case on issues such as mass incarceration, police militarization and mandatory-minimum sentencing.
Trump might want to consult with some chiefs of police themselves. Here’s Ronal Serpas [ http://lawenforcementleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/LEL-Statement-on-2016-Crime-Analysis.pdf ], head of Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration [ http://lawenforcementleaders.org/ ], a group that includes the current police chief of Los Angeles, as well as former chiefs of police for New York and Washington, D.C.
“Irresponsible claims that crime is out of control are not backed up by the facts, as new data analyses show. Overall crime remains the same as it was last year, though a small number of cities have seen a rise in murder rates. Increases in such cities are troubling and must be addressed immediately. “Police officers continue to work hard every day to keep our country safe, and sensational headlines don’t help us in that mission. False narratives on rising crime create panic and division, instead of giving police and communities an opportunity to work with each other toward an even safer place to live.”
[...]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2016/09/26/about-those-new-crime-stats/ [with comments]
--
Bridgegate plotter says Christie campaign manager, now a Trump aide, approved
The George Washington Bridge.
09/26/16
http://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2016/09/bridgegate-plotter-says-christie-campaign-manager-now-a-trump-aide-approved-105796
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Greensburg, KS - 5/4/07
"Eternal vigilance is the price of Liberty."
from John Philpot Curran, Speech
upon the Right of Election, 1790
F6
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