November 17, 2016

Trump Plans to Cash in -.even if his Properties all Burn to the Ground

Recent media has mentioned the difficulty of protecting Trump Tower in NY - one of the most difficult Secret Service tasks ever.

It's not the job of the Secret Service, but how will they protect the twin Trump Towers in Istanbul once Trump ramps up his deportation pogrom and "knocking the hell out of ISIS?"

I would not be wanting to insure Trump holdings worldwide against anything like fire, vandalism or terrorism (the latter is often a policy exclusion for little guys but possibly there would be variation or some negotiation on big dollar investments like Trump properties.)

In town here some business owner facing declining sales is charged with torching the business for insurance fraud purposes. That's arson of course. Very common with distressed properties.

Look for Herr Drumpf to be arsonist in chief, only he will be pissing off far too many jihadists and they will do the work for him, saving Trump the trouble of doing it himself. !]

The main possibilities here seem to be:

1. Trump has good insurance for this risk and cashes in big time, both on insurance and increased sympathy for his Trump brand among some. (Might the US government by any law have to indemnify the President in any way for.personal losses sustained on account of him being President?)

2. The insurers balk, deem themselves insecure, and cancel the policy, leaving Trump Properties uninsured. (Property not mortgaged)

3. The insurers balk, Trump has mortgaged the property and lack of suitable insurance becomes a condition of default and foreclosure if the banks don't believe adequate insurance is.in place or can be obtained.

4. The Trump Bailout Act of 2017 transfers many billions to the coffers of Trump Properties.

There are various other ways this could go, but don't you think that no matter what happens, Trump will reap a windfall?

He now claims to not care, because he's moved on to much bigger things, but nothing is bigger than billions for Trump, and you can bet that having risked as much as he has so far, he is going for much more than being a geopolitical master of the universe!

Please post your ideas on how Trump plans to cash in - no matter what.... I bet he has a plan, I'm just not sure exactly what it is. Ideas?

September 5, 2016

Health Issues: Trump Could Die Any Day Now!

Speaking of health "issues" and the future President, the National Institute of Health says the mentally ill have a life expectancy of 14 to 32 fewer years than the average American. See [link:http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/2011/no-health-without-mental-health.shtml|

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/2011/no-health-without-mental-health.shtml

Some reporter or surrogate should ask the Trump campaign: Doesn't this mean Donald Trump could die any day now?

Of course, if the premise of mental illness were denied, that would be topical as well.

Who knows, this might be enough to.stop the dumb health issue attacks! What is Trump's life expectancy at his age, 82 years? Then 82 minus the minimum reduction in life expectancy of 14 is 68 and he's already past that age! Those "concerned" with the health of Hillary Clinton should be most concerned about this - their own candidate!


(For a serious, non-trolling discussion of the factors that cause these decreases in longevity, one of which has to do with barriers to treatment, please see the link above, and remember that 99.999% of the mentally ill deserve our compassion and are not running for President.)

August 10, 2016

Well he keeps asking Mr. DEMILLE for the traditional closeups, but perhaps he will change....

August 10, 2016

Trump's Second Amendment dog whistle was to Militia, and Threatens Civil War, not Assassination

In the attempt to spin out of Trump's Second Amendment threat, Trump's handlers referred to the "unification" of Second Amendment defenders as being a force that could stop Clinton gun control judges or measures. This too is a dog whistle attempting to explain Trump's comment while still satisfying the right wing base.

The "Second Amendment people" are the members and supporters of the militia movement, not so much the NRA. The NRA will expend all of its political power in the national election, and they will lose. The real sub-headline of Trump's comment could well be "Trump Contemplates Losing, and a Clinton Presidency" and "Muses About How to Stop Gun Control."

But though the NRA will have blown it's wad on the election, the right wing militia movement has been literally threatening "bloody civil war" if any new gun control legislation is passed. These are the same folks who took over via armed occupation the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. But this fizzled only because the rest of the movement condemned the takeover ON TACTICAL GROUNDS, saying that this was not the time or place for their bloody civil war. But they quickly went on to add that their long promised civil war was definitely still coming.

If you want a string of quotes about bloody civil war threats, and the terrorist plots and broken windows in Democratic Party offices that have already happened because of the leader of just one od these militia groups, read the Southern Poverty Law Center bio on this leader. https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/michael-brian-vanderboegh-0

I hate to say it, but those saying this is simply a reference to assassination are wrong. Trump is the king of dog wbistles, and what he knows well are his dog whistles and extreme right symbolism and politics. The militia has been promising "bloody civil war" for years if there is new gun control law, and the threat here is not limited to assassination.

What makes sense of the gun control context, the post-election Clinton presidency context, as well as the subsequent spin about the "unification" of Second Amendment people, is that Trump is dog whistling civil war, AFTER HE LOSES. An assassination is usually a small number of people acting alone, but it takes "Second Amendment PEOPLE" to prosecute armed resistance and fight a "bloody civil war." Once again, Trump dog whistles to what's left of his base. "Bloody civil war" can include, but is not limited to, assassination.

Those who have some exposure to militia rhetoric about the Second Amendment will certainly understand Trump in the above way, and Trump is adept enough at extreme right dog whistles that this interpretation has the major advantage of making sense of everything he and his campaign said, other than the lie that this was about mobilizing people for an election....

July 24, 2016

Wasserman-Schultz: Is Anything Really Changing?

Before the convention and during the campaign, Wasserman-Schultz worked to promote Hillary's campaign, and she will continue to do so until the nomination is formalized. Then, at the end of the convention she resigns from the DNC, and per Hillary's statement today she will become "honorary chair" of her 50-sfate strategy. https://www.hillaryclinton.com/briefing/statements/2016/07/24/hillary-clinton-statement-on-the-resignation-of-democratic-national-committee-chair-debbie-wasserman-schultz/

So Wasserman-Schultz's support for Hillary goes from subtle/denied (supply your own adjectives here) to open and honorary.

What is really going to change? Little or nothing with respect to Hillary. Some, if you consider the non-campaign aspects of being DNC chair. It doesn't seem like Wasserman-Schultz will be "gone" -- because usually there is a gap, hiatus or "time out" before a return to public life. That will not happen here.

I'm more troubled by Hillary's follow-up hiring, than by the "damn emails" in this context. How does such a honorary position promote unity??? Do you think the hiring promotes unity? Vote below.

June 16, 2016

Developing: CALIFORNIA D.A. CONFIRMS: HACKERS CHANGED VOTER REGISTRATIONS for JUNE 7 CA Primary

http://myvalleynews.com/most-relevant/voting-irregularities-disenfranchises-many-riverside-county/

Of course the county Republican DA claims the problem was restricted to Republican voters, but multitudes of complaints from all over California belie that particular detail. But it is always a major story when something breaks through the twin election official stonewalls of (1) blame the voter, and (2) deny there's any evidence, or sufficient evidence, to think anything at all is wrong

Most importantly, in this story labeled as "developing," the original story still (pinted at the link above) reports some problems but just blames them on voters not doing their online registrations properly, and election officials also use their mantra of "no evidence" of fraud, while adding that the DA did not respond in time for the original story. But, in the updated story later, the California DA for Riverside County did respond and stated and confirmed that hackers did indeed change online voting registrations in their part of California.

The same DA added a suspicious qualifier: only Republican registrations were changed. This dubious restriction in scope isn't even modified by a sensible phrase like "it appears limited to..."

Still, this case is nevertheless very notable because it is still developing, election officials rarely if ever admit to problems, and the confirmation of hacking in one county should cause all California counties as well as the CA SOS to look carefully into the now-admitted reality that hackers are in fact altering party registrations, as so many Democratic Voters have alleged not only in California, but in New York and Arizona and other presidential primaries around the nation.

April 7, 2016

"Qualifications" for President - Everyone is Correct

Constitutionally, every "natural born" citizen over the age of 35 is qualified to be President. The Constitution only recognizes two classes of citizens, natural born and naturalized, so for Constitutional purposes of presidential qualifications, if you're not a naturalized citizen, then you're a born citizen, naturally. Everyone currently running is constitutionally qualified and over 35 years old. And every reader 35 years of age or.older is qualified to be President, constitutionally.

The "qualifications" that Sanders and Clinton currently speak of are different. These qualifications exist in the minds of the voters, which is where the true qualifications for President rely. They can be different for every voter. In fact, as voters we are equal and can enforce qualifications only through our own votes and through nonbinding persuasion.

Some think that being a Senator makes one qualified. Others may think it disqualifies a person if they think every single elected official in DC is no good. They are entitled to that opinion, no matter if wrong.

Many think being a Senator and Secretary of State qualifies a person. Many think only in terms of a resume, but for many others qualifications have political components. And it certainly does, since treason would be disqualifying. The only question is which political stands besides treason make one not qualified.

Obviously there is no final definition of "qualified" -each voter can determine their own. Thus, both Democratic candidates will be qualified in some.people's minds and disqualified in others minds.

Because there is no binding standard or definition for the political qualifications for President, everyone can and will disagree. So it is a perfectly meaningless disagreement. "Qualifications" is just a stand in for whatever one likes or doesn't like about a candidate.

Sanders and Clinton fail to understand that anyone can call them disqualified. The Founders deliberately left the people free to determine their own qualifications, and the 35 year age requirement was just to discourage dynastic presidencies passed from parent to child.

There is nothing here except the general debate over pluses and minuses of candidates. So at least let us not act like things are getting so bad nobody can take it any more.

April 2, 2016

I'm a Bernie Donor and i want to help with down ticket races. Suggestions?

I am a donor to the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign and also to other Democrats.

In my experience as a donor, the following is crystal clear to me: I do not control Bernie Sanders. It is also true that Bernie Sanders does not control me.

The limited relationship I have with Bernie as a donor consists of free will gifts and electronic thank yous and that works fine for me. I don't require the actual or facsimile signature of the candidate on stationery or any other written evidence of the candidate's thankfulness or obligation to me.

My political donations are not a command and control relationship in either direction. I prefer to discover candidates sort of on my own, as opposed to being directed what to do.

But I am willing to donate to other Democrats, preferably those strong on economic inequality and other Bernie style issues. Please reply and draw my attention to those Dems you think may have merit.

Thank you in advance. I prefer to take my cues from the community here at DU, rather than be told by any politician. I also lean toward general election help, but will consider primary help in appropriate cases.

March 21, 2016

With turnout up 50%, Sanders wins 69% of vote from Democrats Abroad, awarded 125% delegate lead

Sanders 69%
Clinton 31%

That is more than double, all over the world!


Delegates
Sanders 9
Clinton 4

That is a 125% lead in delegates!


Source: http://www.democratsabroad.org/global_presidential_primary_results

Democrats abroad and around the world, as well as domestic Democrats who have either traveled or else learned about other countries, sure as hell know that education and health care are not luxurious "freebies" in the modern world!

On edit: Sanders also scored 4 out of 4 superdelegates, on top of the above. For those counting supers, today's total is this 13-4 in favor of Sanders. See http://www.democratsabroad.org/global_presidential_primary_results

On second edit: ambiguity in the source document between two groups of four delegates (supers and at large) may mean supers are not fully determined yet so to be safe.let's go back to original 9-4 margin in the original, unedited post.