Presumptuous Politics

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Trump tells California 'there is no drought'

FRESNO, Calif. – Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump told California voters Friday that he can solve their water crisis, declaring, "There is no drought."
Speaking at a rally in Fresno, Calif., Trump accused state officials of denying water to Central Valley farmers so they can send it out to sea "to protect a certain kind of three-inch fish."
"We're going to solve your water problem. You have a water problem that is so insane. It is so ridiculous where they're taking the water and shoving it out to sea," Trump said at a rally that drew thousands.
California is, in fact, in midst of a drought. Last year marked the state's driest four-year period in its history, with record low rainfall and snow.
The comments came a day after Trump outlined an energy policy plan that relies heavily on expanding U.S. fossil fuel exploration and reducing environmental regulations.
He held a pair of rallies Friday in Fresno and San Diego as he closed a campaign swing through the west, drawing vocal crowds of protesters, many carrying signs critical of Trump's plan to wall off the U.S. border with Mexico.
About a thousand Trump foes demonstrated outside San Diego's convention center as Trump spoke inside to an enthusiastic crowd of supporters packed in tight. Police said they made three arrests, including one man who climbed a railing separating protesters from officers. His arrest led protesters to spray water and throw empty plastic bottles at police.
In another tense exchange, police shoved back demonstrators to separate them from Trump supporters when they left the center after the rally.
Inside, the mood was far less charged, as Trump took repeated jabs at Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. He also went on defense against negative media stories and an ongoing lawsuit against his now-defunct Trump University.
"I'm getting railroaded by a legal system," Trump complained.
In Fresno, Trump said he'd spent 30 minutes before his rally meeting with more than 50 farmers who complained to him about their struggles.
"They don't understand — nobody understands it," he said, declaring at one point: "There is no drought. They turn the water out into the ocean."
Trump appeared to be referring to disputes over water that runs from the Sacramento River to the San Francisco Bay and then to the ocean. Some farmers want more of that flow captured and diverted to them.
Politically influential rural water districts and well-off corporate farmers in and around California's Central Valley have been pushing back against longstanding federal laws protecting endangered fish and other species, saying federal efforts to make sure endangered native fish have enough water is short-changing farmers of the water they want and need for crops.
Water authorities say they can't do it because of the water rights of those upstream of the farmers, and because of the minimum-water allowances needed by endangered species in the bay and by wildlife in general.
The three-inch Delta smelt is a native California fish on the brink of extinction. The smelt has become an emblem in the state's battles over environmental laws and water distribution.
The farm lobby, a heavyweight player in California's water wars, also is seeking federal and state approval for billions of dollars in new water tunnels, dams and other projects.
Trump promised that, if he's elected, he would put their interests first. "If I win, believe me, we're going to start opening up the water so that you can have your farmers survive," he said.
California is the country's No. 1 agriculture producer. The state's five-year drought is raising the stakes in water disputes among farmers, cities and towns, and environmental interests.
A count by The Associated Press found Thursday that Trump has reached the required number of delegates to officially clinch the Republican nomination.

North Carolina police department pulls out of Republican National Convention

Idiots

A North Carolina police department backed out of sending 50 police officers to the Republican presidential convention in Cleveland in June over concerns about whether the city is prepared to host an event that is expected to bring at least 50,000 visitors to northeast Ohio.
Greensboro police made the decision earlier this week to pull its officers from the event, saying the city isn’t providing workers’ compensation for coverage for out-of-town officers and is requiring them to get physical exams they’d have to pay for themselves.
Deputy Police Chief Brian James wrote in a memo to the city’s police chief that he had spoken with police administrators experienced in planning events like the GOP convention and that they expressed “a lack of confidence in the city of Cleveland and their preparedness.”
"We have a responsibility to ensure that we are sending our officers to an event that is well planned," James wrote.
James told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer that his memo wasn’t intended to take shots at Cleveland police or say they weren’t prepared to handle the convention.
"But for us, for coming out of our jurisdiction into another state, we had hoped that we would have better clarification on different logistical issues, and specifically what our assignments would be going into Cleveland," James said. "And we don't have that information at this time."
A spokesman for the city of Cleveland sent an email Friday afternoon that said the Greensboro memo was inaccurate but didn't elaborate.
A Cleveland police union official has been sounding the alarm for months about how Cleveland officers are not being properly trained to deal with potentially tumultuous protests. Groups supporting and opposing presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump are planning to stage rallies and protests during the convention, which begins July 18.
"The city of Cleveland has been absolutely irresponsible for preparation of this convention," Steve Loomis, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association, said Friday.
A number of city police departments in Ohio and other states have decided not to send officers to Cleveland, including Cincinnati, Loomis said.
A Cincinnati police spokesman said Friday that the previous police chief had discussed sending officers to Cleveland, but his successor decided against it because of the insurance issue and because Cincinnati is hosting the national NAACP convention the same week.
Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams responded to allegations that the city wasn’t prepared in a news conference Wednesday.
"A lot has been said that Cleveland is not prepared for the RNC," Williams said. "Well, I'll tell you today, we are prepared."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

At least 35 arrested after Trump rally in San Diego

Doesn't work, lives at home with mommy and daddy.

Old Hippy afraid he may lose his welfare checks and have to go to work.

Mexicans afraid they may actually have to get a green card and become legal.

At least 35 people were arrested Friday as confrontations between protesters and authorities boiled over following a rally from the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in San Diego, police said.
Trump delivered a speech inside the San Diego Convention Center as more than 1,000 protesters representing various opposition groups demonstrated outside the venue, Fox 5 San Diego reported.
Before Trump’s speech, the demonstrations outside were mostly peaceful. However, the protests escalated and several confrontations took place as the rally ended and the crowds inside the convention center spilled outside.
Inside, the mood was far less charged, as Trump took repeated jabs at Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. He also went on defense against negative media stories and an ongoing lawsuit against his now-defunct Trump University.
"I'm getting railroaded by a legal system," Trump complained.
San Diego police, dressed in riot gear, maintained a huge presence in the Gaslamp Quarter of the city as some people starting throwing things. The violence prompted police to declare the protests unlawful and they began to disperse the crowd.
There was no property damage and no injuries were reported as the police arrested 35 people.
San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman vowed before the rally that law enforcement wouldn’t tolerate any sort of violence or unlawful behavior, similar to what was seen in Albuquerque earlier in the week.
“The safety of our public is paramount,'' Zimmerman said. “The whole goal is to provide a safe environment for everyone.''
Zimmerman also designated safety zones for those who oppose Trump and those who support him, while they monitored the attendees’ behavior. Fox 5 San Diego reported that many of the people who were protesting before Trump’s rally were gone by the time the crowds became unruly.
“We came in very quickly and decisively,” Zimmerman said, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “The last thing we want is a mob mentality.
By late in the evening, authorities cleared the Gaslamp Quarter and herded several hundred people onto Harbor Drive as police in helicopters called for the protesters to disperse.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Black Lives Matter Cartoons

Mister 1,237: North Dakota delegate puts Trump over the top

WASHINGTON – John Trandem wanted to be the delegate who would put Donald Trump over the top, giving him enough delegates to clinch the Republican presidential nomination.
But when he was contacted by an Associated Press reporter, the AP delegate count stood at 1,235 — two delegates short.
"I'm happy to be No. 1,237," said Trandem, a small business owner from North Dakota. "But I won't commit until you're at 1,236."
Trandem is an unbound delegate, meaning he is free to support the candidate of his choice. All 28 Republican delegates in North Dakota are unbound because the state party declined to have a primary or caucus.
Trandem, who lives north of Fargo, was reached on his wife's mobile phone. He was on his way to an event where he and other North Dakota delegates would meet Trump, giving the billionaire businessman enough delegates to clinch the nomination.
Wanting to break the story first, reporters were calling and emailing unbound delegates across the country.
Trandem was for Trump, but he didn't want to say so unless he was Mister 1,237.
No problem, he had a solution. He handed the phone to another delegate, state Rep. Ben Koppleman, who was riding with him.
After Koppleman confirmed he was committed to Trump, Trandem took the phone back.
"Are you at 1,236?" he asked.
Yes, he was told. "Then I'm the one!"
Minutes later the AP declared that Trump had secured enough delegates to clinch the nomination.
Later on Thursday, both men shook hands with Trump before sharing a stage with him during a news conference in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Louisiana governor signs 'Blue Lives Matter' bill

Louisiana’s governor signed a first-of-its-kind bill Thursday afternoon that makes it a hate crime to target police officers and first responders.
Called the “Blue Lives Matter” bill, the measure expands the state’s hate crime law to include law enforcement officers, firefighters and other emergency medical services personnel.
“The overarching message is that hate crimes will not be tolerated in Louisiana,” Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards told FoxNews.com in a written statement. He added that he has “great respect” for the work that law enforcement officers do and the daily risks they take.
“I thought it was critical that we add protections for the people that protect us,” state Rep. Lance Harris, a Republican, told FoxNews.com.
Harris authored the bill after the murder of Darren Goforth, a 47-year-old Texas sheriff who was gunned down at a gas station “because he wore a uniform.”
The gunman approached Goforth, a 10-year veteran of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, from behind unloading bullets into him even after the officer fell to the ground.
In many states like Louisiana, there are existing laws covering bias-motivated crimes against people based on their gender, race, religion and sexual orientation.
Under Louisiana’s new measure, anyone convicted of a hate crime-related felony could face up to an additional $5,000 fine and five years behind bars. For a misdemeanor, the punishment comes with a $500 fine and an additional six-month prison sentence.
The “Blue Lives Matter” bill easily passed both state legislative houses.
“The signing of this bill gives us all an opportunity to pause and remember the extraordinary acts by seemingly ordinary people who serve our state as first responders,” State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson said. “Whereas citizens flee danger, police, fire and EMS personnel run to it.”
But not everyone is on board. The Louisiana chapter of the Black Youth Project 100 purportedly had called on the governor to veto the bill.
Other critics like the Anti-Defamation League have also come out against the bill, arguing that providing protections to law enforcement under the “hate crime” statute is counterproductive.
“Adding professional categories to the current Hate Crimes statute deters efforts from protecting against identity-based crimes,” Anti-Defamation League Regional Director Allison Padilla-Goodman said in a written release. “We are not happy that it is being signed into law.”
In a letter to Edwards, Padilla-Goodman said the bill “confuses the purpose of the Hate Crimes Act.” She also said it “weakens its impact by adding more categories of people who are already better protected under other laws.”
Padilla-Goodman argues that hate crime legislation was created to protect people from discrimination against race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity and gender identity.
“Proving the bias intent is very different for these categories than it is for the bias intent of a crime against a law enforcement officer,” she wrote.
Emails to the Black Youth Project 100 were not immediately returned.

Obama takes swipe at Trump overseas

Nothing stops politics this election season -- not even the water's edge.
While traveling overseas on official business Thursday, President Obama couldn’t resist wading into political matters back home, sparking controversy by saying foreign leaders are “rattled” by the rise of presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Obama, saying leaders have "good reason" to feel that way, made the remarks on the sidelines of a Group of Seven economic summit in Japan.
"They are rattled by it — and for good reason," Obama said. "Because a lot of the proposals he has made display either ignorance of world affairs, or a cavalier attitude, or an interest in getting tweets and headlines."
He contrasted that with proposals he said thoughtfully address what's required to keep the U.S. safe and "to keep the world on an even keel."
Trump, though, brushed off Obama's put-down later in the day. Speaking ahead of an address in North Dakota, Trump said: "That's a good thing, I love that word."
"In business, when you rattle someone, that's good," Trump said. "If they're rattled, in a friendly way, that's a good thing ... not a bad thing."
Trump also touched on remarks Obama made at a campaign stop in Billings, Montana, saying, "he said other countries are nervous. I say it’s good if they’re nervous."
Obama, meanwhile, was criticized for his remarks by other Republicans, with one calling them “incredibly irresponsible” given the context.
“When the president of the United States goes overseas he’s representing the country,” Josh Holmes, former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, said on Fox News. “It is remarkably irresponsible and remarkably unpresidential for him to weigh in on a domestic political battle and effectively undermine one of the candidates who could replace him next January.”
“In front of the world community and effectively in front of all the world leaders, saying someone is essentially unfit for office is an incredibly irresponsible move for the president of the United States,” Holmes said.
Questions about Trump have followed Obama on his travels abroad, with world leaders expressing concern about certain aspect of Trump’s campaign, most notably his plan to temporarily ban Muslim immigration and his positions on trade.
Trump has also threatened to renegotiate Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran and the global climate treaty reached in Paris. As Obama was warning world leaders Thursday about Trump, a newly released Associated Press tally showed he has now attained the number of delegates needed to clinch the GOP nomination.
Obama made the remarks a day before he visits Hiroshima, and said other countries pay more attention to the U.S. elections as they depend on America to provide stability and direction.
"I think it's fair to say they are surprised by the Republican nominee," Obama said, referring to Trump.

State Department official thought Clinton used personal email for 'family and friends'

A longtime State Department official said he assumed that then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was using her personal email to "stay in touch with family and friends", not conduct official business.
In a two-hour deposition with the conservative legal watchdog group Judicial Watch last week, Lewis Lukens also said he offered to set up a "stand-alone" computer for Clinton to check her personal email account, only to be told that she "does not know how to use a computer to do email."
Lukens' testimony was released Thursday, the day after the State Department inspector general released a report criticizing Clinton's email setup, saying that it violated federal records rules and cybersecurity guidelines.
The FBI is investigating possible mishandling of classified information that passed through the server, which was set up in the basement of Clinton's Chappaqua, N.Y. home. Clinton has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and did so again Thursday.
"This report makes clear that personal email use was the practice for other secretaries of state," Clinton told ABC News. "It was allowed. And the rules have been clarified since I left."
According to Lukens, he first spoke to Clinton's Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills in 2009 about ways that Clinton could access her personal email without using the State Department's OpenNet system.
In an email released by Judicial Watch earlier this year, Lukens initially suggested a computer that could be "connected to the internet (but not through our system) to enable her to check emails from her desk."
"The reason that I proposed a PC was that it would make it easier for her to log on,” Lukens said in the deposition. “And at that point, as far as I knew, there was no requirement for her to be connected to our system.”
The computer system was never installed. Lukens was told that Clinton could only send and receive email on her Blackberry smartphone.
Because Clinton's State Department office was considered a secure zone, she was unable to bring her Blackberry there. As a result, Lukens recalled "on occasion" seeing Clinton looking at her Blackberry in the hallway outside the secure area.
Lukens, who has been with the State Department since 1989, said he could not recall explicitly discussing Clinton's use of a personal email account with other officials, adding that he assumed she was using "a commercially available email account."
Lukens is the first of at least six named witnesses to be deposed about Clinton's use of a private email server to handle her correspondence during her time as America's top diplomat.
Mills is scheduled to testify on Friday. U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan ruled Thursday that recordings of her deposition are to be kept under seal over concerns the video might be used "as part of partisan attack" against Clinton.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

China and US Trade Cartoons

Republicans seize on State Department audit to challenge Clinton's repeated claims on emails

Republicans jumped on the report by the State Department watchdog accusing Hillary Clinton of flouting federal records rules and cybersecurity guidelines with her use of personal email while secretary of state, saying it showed she was in clear violation of the Federal Records Act and endangered national security.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement Wednesday that the “detailed inquiry by an Obama appointee makes clear Hillary Clinton hasn't been telling the truth since day one and her and her aides' refusal to cooperate with this probe only underscores that fact.”
The forthcoming inspector general audit, a copy of which was obtained Wednesday by FoxNews.com, faults Clinton and her predecessors for poorly managing email and other computer information.
The report says the department was "slow to recognize and to manage effectively the legal requirements and cybersecurity risks associated with electronic data communications." It cites "longstanding, systemic weaknesses" related to communications that started before Clinton's tenure.

Trump, national political director Rick Wiley go separate ways

Donald Trump's presidential campaign announced Wednesday night that it had parted ways with its national political director Rick Wiley just a few months after he was hired.
Trump's campaign said in a statement that Wiley's position was not a permanent one, and thanked him for his service.
"Rick Wiley was hired on a short-term basis as a consultant until the campaign was running full steam. It is now doing better than ever, we are leading in the polls, and we have many exciting events ready to go, far ahead of schedule, while Hillary continues her long, boring quest against Bernie," the statement said. "We would like to thank Rick for helping us during this transition period."
The campaign did not indicate the terms of Wiley's departure, but sources told Politico that Wiley was not responsive to campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and clashed with other Trump campaign officials.
Wiley, who joined the Trump team after previously working for the Republican National Committee, previously told the Associated Press he was "working with the RNC, putting together a state-of-the-art program" with multiple data firms to maintain contact information collected when voters register for tickets to Trump's rallies.
Wiley predicted Trump's campaign would be able to match what "Obama was able to do in 2008."

Audio shows Katie Couric documentary deceptively edited interview with pro-gun activists

The makers of a new Katie Couric documentary on gun violence deceptively edited an interview between Couric and a group of gun rights activists in an apparent attempt to embarrass the activists, an audio recording of the full interview shows.
At the 21:48 mark of Under the Gun a scene of Katie Couric interviewing members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun rights organization, is shown.
Couric can be heard in the interview asking activists from the group, “If there are no background checks for gun purchasers, how do you prevent felons or terrorists from purchasing a gun?”
The documentary then shows the activists sitting silently for nine awkward seconds, unable to provide an answer. It then cuts to the next scene. The moment can be watched here:
However, raw audio of the interview between Katie Couric and the activists provided to the Washington Free Beacon shows the scene was deceptively edited. Instead of silence, Couric’s question is met immediately with answers from the activists. A back and forth between a number of the league’s members and Couric over the issue of background checks proceeds for more than four minutes after the original question is asked.
Under the Gun bills itself as a documentary that “examines the events and people who have kept the gun debate fierce and the progress slow, even as gun deaths and mass shootings continue to increase.”

Trump admits using aliases, denies posing as own spokesman

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump admitted Wednesday to using aliases during his business career, but denied posing as his own spokesman in a recently-released recording.
"You know, over the years I've used aliases," Trump said on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live", an appearance that capped a day of campaigning in Southern California. When asked by Kimmel what aliases he'd used, Trump volunteered Barron, which is also the name of the real estate mogul's youngest son.
"I used an alias in terms of setting up a meeting with Mr. Donald Trump," he said. "And many people in the real estate business do that, you use [an] alias. And you have to, frankly, otherwise they find out it's you and they charge you more money - and nobody wants to pay more money."
Earlier this month, The Washington Post reported that Trump had repeatedly posed as his own PR man during the early 1990s, variously using the aliases "John Miller" and "John Barron". The primary basis for the report was a recorded 1991 phone conversation between a People magazine reporter and "Miller", who described Trump's romantic life in detail. Trump has repeatedly denied being the voice in the recording.
On Wednesday, Trump said he'd used the tactic "especially when I was out in Brooklyn with my father and I'd want to buy something."
"And honestly nobody knew who Trump was at that time, nobody knew me, so it wasn't so much so important," he said. "But I would never want to use my name because you had to pay money for the land. If you're trying to buy land, you use different names."

China reportedly will send nuclear-armed submarines to patrol Pacific

The Chinese military plan to send submarines armed with nuclear weapons to patrol the Pacific Ocean for the first time, according to a published report.
The Guardian, citing Chinese military officials, reports that while the timing for a maiden patrol has not yet been determined, Beijing insists that such an action is inevitable.
The report comes days after U.S. President Barack Obama announced that he had lifted a decades-long arms embargo against Vietnam. Chinese officials publicly praised the move, but an opinion piece in a state-run newspaper warned that any attempt to enlist Vietnam in an effort to contain China "bodes ill for regional peace and stability, as it would further complicate the situation in the South China Sea, and risk turning the region into a tinderbox of conflicts."
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry responded Monday by saying that it was China's actions in the South and East China Seas that could create a tinderbox.
"I would caution China to not unilaterally move to engage in reclamation activities and militarization of islands," he said.
The Pentagon says China has reclaimed more than 3,200 acres of land in the southeastern South China Sea and is developing and building military installations on the manmade islands.
As a consequence, the U.S. and Vietnam have steadily strengthened their relationship in recent years, in line with growing Vietnamese concern over Chinese moves to assert its maritime claims.
Despite China and Vietnam being Communist countries, clashes in 1988 over their conflicting claims in the South China Sea killed dozens of people. The tensions reared again in 2014, when China parked an oil rig off Vietnam's central coast, sparking confrontations at sea and deadly anti-China riots in Vietnam.
Last week, the Pentagon said two Chinese fighter jets flew within about 50 feet of a U.S. Navy reconnaissance plane in what was termed an "unsafe intercept."
China responded by demanding that the U.S. end surveillance patrols around the South China Sea, with a foreign ministry spokesman claiming that such missions "seriously endanger Chinese maritime security."
Earlier this month, a U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 12 miles of China’s Fiery Cross reef, an artificial island made after months of dredging operations. It was the third time the Navy sailed a warship close to a contested Chinese island in what the Pentagon calls “freedom of navigation” operations. Beijing responded by scrambling fighter jets to show its displeasure.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Illegal Alien Voter's Cartoons

This is really funny isn't it?

Democrats reportedly discuss dropping DNC chair Wasserman Schultz

DNC challenger: Debbie Wasserman Schultz should be worried

Democrats on Capitol Hill have discussed the possiblity of removing Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz from her position prior to the party's national convention this summer in Philadelphia.
According to The Hill, some Democrats believe that Wasserman Schultz's ongoing battles with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders have made her too divisive a figure to unite the party ahead of this fall's election campaign.
"There have been a lot of meetings over the past 48 hours about what color plate do we deliver Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s head on," one Democratic senator who supports frontrunner Hillary Clinton told The Hill.
"I don’t see how she can continue to the election," the lawmaker added. "How can she open the convention? Sanders supporters would go nuts."
"There’s a strong sentiment that the current situation is untenable and can only be fixed by her leaving," a senior Senate Democratic aide said. "There’s too much water under the bridge for her to be a neutral arbiter."
However, The Hill reported that other senior Democratic senators went on the record to express their support for Wasserman Schultz, with Florida Sen. Bill Nelson flatly say a change at the top is "not going to happen."
On Monday, the DNC announced a deal that limited Wasserman Schultz's role in drafting the party's platform at the convention. Under the agreement, the Clinton campaign got to appoint six members of the 15-member drafting committee, the Sanders campaign picked five, while Wasserman Schultz picked four.
Sanders has repeatedly criticized Wasserman Schultz and the DNC, claiming both are favoring Clinton. He has criticized the party for scheduling debates on weekend nights, for having many closed primaries and for its super delegate system that has helped Clinton pad her lead.
Last week, Wasserman Schultz criticized Sanders' response to actions by his supporters during Nevada's state Democratic convention, calling them anything but acceptable."
In response, Sanders endorsed Wasserman Schultz's primary challenger in Florida's 23rd congressional district and told CNN that if he's elected president, "she would not be reappointed to be chair of the DNC."

Clinton, Trump crank up the vitriol in prelude to November

The crossfire between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton reached new levels of intensity Tuesday in a prelude to their expected November presidential election battle, as the candidates traded blows over everything from past Clinton scandals to claims Trump was rooting for a housing market crash before the recession.
Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, hit the presumptive GOP nominee on his years-old housing comments at a campaign stop earlier Tuesday.
"When he was talking about the possibility of a housing market crash before the Great Recession, he said, ‘I sort of hope that happens,' " Clinton said. "He actually said that, he actually said he was hoping for the crash that caused hard working families in California and across America to lose their homes, all because he thought he could take advantage of it to make some money for himself."
Trump's campaign issued a statement defending his comments, made in the mid-2000s, as the mortgage, then housing bubble began to burst.
"I am a businessman and I have made a lot of money in down markets, in some cases as much as I've made when markets are good. Frankly, this is the kind of thinking our country needs -- understanding how to get a good result out of a very bad and sad situation," Trump said in the statement.
"Politicians have no idea how to do this -- they don't have a clue. I will create jobs, bring back companies and not make it easy for companies to leave.”
The New York real estate mogul has reached the general electorate with a pro-jobs message that in part includes vows to end the kind of international trade deals that have sent U.S. manufacturing jobs overseas.
The exchange between Clinton and Trump came a day after Trump released an incendiary web video that including allegations from two women who accused Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, of sexual assault years ago.
Two polls released this past weekend show Clinton and Trump essentially tied in the White House race.
The Trump campaign on Tuesday also denied claims by Democrats and those of a former adviser that Trump helped pay the mortgage of a woman who years ago accused the former president of sexual assault and was just featured in a scathing Trump campaign video.
"There's no truth to that,” campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks told Fox News, responding to the mortgage claims.
The pushback comes after a Democrat-tied group posted the video and transcript of a February interview in which Trump ally Roger Stone described efforts to financially help Kathleen Willey, who claims former President Clinton groped her in 1993.
The Washington Post also said Monday that Trump, in a recent interview, said the 1993 death of Clinton administration attorney Vince Foster was “very fishy.”
Investigators ruled his death a suicide. But Clinton detractors have suggested the first couple was involved in Foster’s death to hide secrets. Trump, nevertheless, called the allegations of possible foul play “very serious.”

Trump easily wins Washington primary, moves closer to securing GOP nomination

Dr. Carson on why it's time for GOP to unify behind Trump

Facing no active opposition, Donald Trump easily won the Republican presidential primary in Washington state Tuesday, inching him closer to the magic number of 1,237 delegates necessary to wrap up the GOP nomination.
With 70 percent of precincts reporting, Trump had garnered 76 percent of the vote. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich each earned 10 percent of the vote, while retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson earned 4 percent of the vote. In all, approximately 115,000 votes out of 482,000 were cast for former Trump rivals.
Trump's convincing victory came days after Washington state's GOP convention awarded 40 of its 41 elected delegate slots to Cruz supporters. However, under party rules, each delegate is bound to the primary results for the first round of voting at the national convention.
Republicans in Washington were to allocate all 44 delegates to this summer's national convention in Cleveland based on the primary results. Trump had secured at least 27 delegates as of late Tuesday, leaving him 41 short of the number needed to clinch the nomination.
Trump is expected to easily secure the nomination on June 7, when GOP contests are held in California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota, with a total of 303 delegates at stake.
Washington has both a presidential primary and a caucus system. But Democrats will ignore the results of Tuesday's primary, which frontrunner Hillary Clinton was projected to win, having chosen to use the party caucus system to allocate their national convention delegates.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders handily won the Washington Democratic caucuses in March, receiving 74 delegates to the national convention in Philadelphia to Clinton's 27.
Cornell Clayton, director of the Foley Institute for Public Policy at Washington State University, said even though the Democratic primary is nothing more than a poll, there's still value for the campaign that prevails.
"They're going to tout this as the will of the people," he said.
Clinton is just 78 delegates short of clinching the Democratic nomination for president. She is on track to do so in early June, even if she loses all the remaining contests.
When superdelegates are included, Clinton has 2,305 delegates and Sanders has 1,539. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination.
About 1.3 million voters had already sent in their ballots prior to Tuesday's election. Election officials said that as of Tuesday evening, 31 percent of voters have returned their ballot. There are more than 4 million registered voters in Washington state, who can either vote by mail or by dropping their ballot at an election drop box.
The record number of presidential primary ballots counted in Washington was nearly 1.4 million in 2008, according to the secretary of state's office. The record percentage return was 42.6 in 2000. Both of those elections were held in February. Under state law, the presidential primary is held on the fourth Tuesday of May, unless the parties agree to change it, which they did in both of those years.
Last year, Republican Secretary of State Kim Wyman pushed to have this year's primary moved to March, but the move, opposed by Democrats, failed to get the two-thirds vote required by the Presidential Primary Date Selection Committee.
The inevitability of the Republican race doesn't sit well with some voters who say they are not ready to support Trump.
Daniel Emborg said Tuesday he voted for Cruz. Emborg, who was depositing his ballot at a drop box in Everett, said if Trump is the GOP nominee, he will vote for a third-party candidate.
However, Tom Lasswell said he voted for Trump because "you need to instigate change."
"I like Ted Cruz, but I believe Donald Trump can pull this together, and I'm willing to give him a chance," he said.

Protests turn violent outside Trump New Mexico event

Little Mexicans burning the American Flag, because they want to be U.S. Citizens.

Man without a Job.

This makes me want to vote for Trump even more.

Police in riot gear and mounted patrol units faced off against a violent crowd of protesters outside a Donald Trump campaign event in Albuquerque Tuesday night.
Hours after Trump and some 4,000 of his supporters left the Albuquerque Convention Center, approximately 100 demonstrators remained in downtown. Smoke grenades were used in an effort to disperse the crowd, while protesters threw rocks, plastic bottles, burning T-shirts and other items at officers.
Albuquerque police said on Twitter late Tuesday that "several" officers were being treated for injuries as a result of being hit by rocks. At least one person was arrested.
Inside the Trump rally, demonstrators shouted, held up banners and resisted removal by security officers. The banners included the messages "Trump is Fascist" and "We've heard enough."
Trump responded with his usual bluster, mocking the protesters by telling them to "Go home to mommy."
He responded to one demonstrator by asking, "How old is this kid?" Then he provided his own answer: "Still wearing diapers."
Trump's supporters responded with chants of "Build that wall!" At one point, a female protester was physically dragged from the stands by security. Other protesters scuffled with security as they resisted removal from the convention center.
The altercations left a glass door at the entrance of the convention center smashed. During the rally, protesters outside overran barricades and clashed with police in riot gear. They also burned T-shirts and other items labeled with Trump's catchphrase, "Make America Great Again."
Trump supporters at the rally said they appreciated his stance on boosting border security and stemming the flow of people crossing the border illegally, but some said they were frightened by the violent protests outside.
Albuquerque attorney Doug Antoon said rocks were flying through the convention center windows as he was leaving Tuesday night. Glass was breaking and landing near his feet.
"This was not a protest, this was a riot. These are hate groups," he said of the demonstrators.
Karla Molinar, a University of New Mexico student, said she participated in disrupting Trump's speech because she felt he was attacking members of her family who are living in the country illegally. She said she believes Trump is using them as scapegoats for the nation's problems.
Tuesday marked Trump's first stop in New Mexico, the nation's most Hispanic state. Gov. Susana Martinez, head of the Republican Governors Association and the nation's only Latina governor, has harshly criticized his remarks on immigrants and has attacked his proposal to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The governor did not attend the rally and has yet to make an endorsement.

Trump read off a series of negative statistics about the state, including an increase in the number of people on food stamps.
"We have to get your governor to get going. She's got to do a better job, OK?" he said, adding: "Hey, maybe I'll run for governor of New Mexico. I'll get this place going."
The governor's office fired back, saying Martinez has fought for welfare reform.
"The potshots weren't about policy, they were about politics," said spokesman Michael Lonergan. "And the Governor will not be bullied into supporting a candidate until she is convinced that candidate will fight for New Mexicans, and she did not hear that today."

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

TSA Cartoons

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe under investigation by DOJ over possible illegal campaign contributions

Federal officials are investigating whether Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe's 2013 campaign accepted illegal campaign contributions, sources familiar with the investigation confirmed Monday to Fox News.
The Democratic governor and Clinton ally is the target of a Justice Department investigation into whether he violated campaign finance laws.
The probe, first reported by CNN, involves a $120,000 donation from Chinese businessman Wang Wenliang through his U.S. businesses. U.S. election law prohibits foreign nationals to donate to political races.
McAuliffe's attorney, Marc Elias, said in a statement his office was not aware of the investigation, but would cooperate if contacted by federal officials.
"We cannot confirm the CNN report. Neither the Governor nor his former campaign has knowledge of this matter, but as reported, contributions to the campaign from Mr. Wang were completely lawful," Elias said. "The Governor will certainly cooperate with the government if he is contacted about it."
A spokesman for Wang told CNN the businessman holds permanent resident status in the U.S.
Wang also has been a donor to the Clinton foundation, pledging $2 million, CNN reported.
McAuliffe now becomes the second consective Virginia governor to be investigated by the Justice Department.
McAuliffe's predecessor in the governor's mansion, Republican Bob McDonnell, was convicted on federal corruption charges but has appealed his conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Before winning his gubernatorial campaign in 2013 over Republican Ken Cuccinelli, McAuliffe made his name in national Democratic politics as a prolific, well-connected fundraiser with close ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Although McAuliffe is close to the Clintons, a law enforcement official told the Associated Press that the investigation of McAuliffe is unconnected to a separate FBI investigation looking at the legality of private email servers that Hillary Clinton used while serving as secretary of state.
Last year, McAuliffe's political action committee, Common Good Va., returned a $25,000 donation from a company with ties to Angola's state-owned oil company after The Associated Press raised questions about its legality. Federal law prohibits campaigns at any level from receiving money from outside the U.S.
McAuliffe's international business connections also came under scrutiny prior to his gubernatorial campaign. He served as chairman of GreenTech Automotive, a company that hoped to bring supercompact automobiles to the U.S. market.
The company attracted hundreds of thousands of dollars in foreign investment, in part through a federal program that granted visas to investors who met certain job-creation thresholds.
McAuliffe resigned from the company in December 2012. GreenTech, which received millions of dollars in economic incentives from state and local officials to build a plant in Mississippi, faced criticism for falling well below expectations in production and job creation.

Pro golf groups will continue to hold events at Trump courses

Three major golf events will proceed as scheduled at golf properties owned by Donald Trump, U.S. Golf Association and PGA of America officials tell Fox News.
The announcement was made despite much hand-wringing and public outrage from golf industry leaders.
Golf’s governing bodies came together in June 2015 after Trump announced his White House bid in a speech that included controversial comments about Mexican immigrants, which cast doubt on whether the groups would continue to hold their largest events at Trump properties.
On Monday, several prominent golf professionals joined Trump’s daughter Ivanka at the Trump National Golf Club, in New Jersey, to promote the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open.
Concerned about negative publicity that could come from staging one of its prominent events at a Trump course, USGA Executive Director Mike Davis said last summer that his organization would be “evaluating things.”
A spokesperson for the USGA confirms to Fox that the event remains on the calendar for mid-July 2017.
“While our position on Mr. Trump’s views has been well documented, we are singularly focused on conducting a stellar U.S. Women’s Open at the course, where we have successfully conducted championships in the past,” the spokesperson also said.
The PGA of America also confirmed to Fox that it intends to host next year’s Senior PGA Championship at the Trump National Golf Club, near Washington D.C.
The group will host its premiere event, the PGA Championship, in 2022 at Trump’s course in Bedminster, N.J.
Another PGA event, set for October 2015 at the Trump golf course near Los Angeles, was scrapped following the controversy.
Instead of going to a different venue, the PGA decided to eliminate its Grand Slam of Golf altogether.
Last summer, the country’s leading golf organizations issued a joint statement to distance themselves from the billionaire businessman.
“While the LPGA, PGA of America, PGA Tour and USGA do not usually comment on presidential politics, Mr. Trump's comments are inconsistent with our strong commitment to an inclusive and welcoming environment in the game of golf,” the statement read.
Neither the USGA nor the PGA of America put out statements in recent months explaining why they’ve decided to keep their future events at Trump courses.
In March, Trump briefly left the campaign trail to play host at his Doral Resort, in Miami, which has hosted an annual PGA Tour event for decades.
The contract with event sponsor Cadillac has expired, and PGA Tour executive Ty Votaw tells Fox News no decision has been made on whether to keep the event at Trump National Doral or permanently sever the relationship.