271 Hard Back Business books sent to Stupid Obama! He read NONE of them!
Oct 17, 2015 19:15:36 #
Secret Service to Protect Trump, Carson as Threats Grow
By Todd Beamon
Saturday, 17 Oct 2015 17:45 PM
Join the Newsmax Community
61 Comments
The Secret Service will give agent protection to Ben Carson and Donald Trump while heavily upgrading Hillary Clinton's existing detail, a Washington source close to the agencys plans confirmed to Newsmax.
The deployment of agents around Republican candidates Trump and Carson is set to begin as early as next week. Approximately two dozen agents will be assigned to each candidate.
Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, has had Secret Service protection since leaving the White House as first lady in 2001, but her detail will be heavily upgraded by the agencys move.
The agency's decision was primarily triggered by a significant number of threats to Carson, including death threats and terrorist chatter, the source said.
The threats to the retired pediatric neurosurgeon have been "off the charts," the source said. Polls show Carson either tied with Trump for front-runner status or in second place.
Armstrong Williams, Carson's business manager, told Newsmax he could neither "confirm nor deny" the Secret Service protection. We dont comment on security matters involving Dr. Carson, he said.
But Newsmax has learned that the Secret Service and other federal agencies, including the FBI, became increasingly alarmed in recent weeks as their own monitoring activities indicated that Carson faced serious danger.
Carson caused a political brouhaha in September when he told Chuck Todd on NBCs "Meet the Press" that a Muslim should not become president.
"I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that," Carson said. He later clarified his remarks, saying any Muslim who believed in Sharia law should be disqualified from serving in the Oval Office.
The source said there was evidence that home-grown terrorists might be targeting a major political candidate like Carson. The Secret Service approached the Carson campaign to offer federal protection.
Both Carson and his campaign strongly resisted the Secret Services request at first, the source said.
But then Carson reluctantly agreed to the deployment of agents after the agency warned of grave danger and shared certain intelligence.
Special: Rate President Obama's Job Performance, Vote Here
It is widely believed ISIS would like to strike a major political target in the U.S., the source said. The FBI has not offered such an assessment publicly.
But earlier this week, FBI Director James Comey told reporters in the Cincinnati area that the bureaus efforts to monitor ISIS activities continue 24 hours a day.
He added that the Islamic State group is encouraging potential U.S.-based supporters to either come to Syria or if you cant come, kill where you are.
Unlike Carson, Republican front-runner Trump has officially requested Secret Service protection.
The billionaire noted that he has drawn "by far the biggest crowds" of any candidate at his events. He also said that President Barack Obama had received protection at this stage of his first campaign in 2008.
"I want to put them on notice because they should have a liability," Trump told The Hill. "Personally, I think if Obama were doing as well as me he wouldve had Secret Service [earlier].
Obama, who was an Illinois senator during the 2008 contest, received Secret Service protection on May 3, 2007, with law enforcement officials saying that the protection was not approved because of any specific threats.
In July, shortly after Trump criticized the Mexican government for the escape of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman from a maximum-security prison, a Twitter account linked to Guzman issued a threat against the billionaire: Keep fking around and Im gonna make you swallow your whore words you fking whitey milkstter.
Earlier this month Telesur, a Latin American television network based in Venezuela, reported uncorroborated claims that El Chapo has placed a $100 million bounty on Trump to encourage his assassination.
Eric Trump, one of the candidate's three sons, also expressed concerns about his father's safety on the campaign trail. Trump has five children.
"My father's my best friend," Eric Trump told Fox News on Friday. "He's my idol. He's my boss.
"We work side by side. We spend every weekend together," he added. "He's really my best friend in the world."
The younger Trump estimated that as many as 30,000 or more people have been attending Trump rallies.
"There's mobs of people, and the energy, it's incredible," Eric Trump said. "But it really only takes one.
By Todd Beamon
Saturday, 17 Oct 2015 17:45 PM
Join the Newsmax Community
61 Comments
The Secret Service will give agent protection to Ben Carson and Donald Trump while heavily upgrading Hillary Clinton's existing detail, a Washington source close to the agencys plans confirmed to Newsmax.
The deployment of agents around Republican candidates Trump and Carson is set to begin as early as next week. Approximately two dozen agents will be assigned to each candidate.
Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, has had Secret Service protection since leaving the White House as first lady in 2001, but her detail will be heavily upgraded by the agencys move.
The agency's decision was primarily triggered by a significant number of threats to Carson, including death threats and terrorist chatter, the source said.
The threats to the retired pediatric neurosurgeon have been "off the charts," the source said. Polls show Carson either tied with Trump for front-runner status or in second place.
Armstrong Williams, Carson's business manager, told Newsmax he could neither "confirm nor deny" the Secret Service protection. We dont comment on security matters involving Dr. Carson, he said.
But Newsmax has learned that the Secret Service and other federal agencies, including the FBI, became increasingly alarmed in recent weeks as their own monitoring activities indicated that Carson faced serious danger.
Carson caused a political brouhaha in September when he told Chuck Todd on NBCs "Meet the Press" that a Muslim should not become president.
"I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that," Carson said. He later clarified his remarks, saying any Muslim who believed in Sharia law should be disqualified from serving in the Oval Office.
The source said there was evidence that home-grown terrorists might be targeting a major political candidate like Carson. The Secret Service approached the Carson campaign to offer federal protection.
Both Carson and his campaign strongly resisted the Secret Services request at first, the source said.
But then Carson reluctantly agreed to the deployment of agents after the agency warned of grave danger and shared certain intelligence.
Special: Rate President Obama's Job Performance, Vote Here
It is widely believed ISIS would like to strike a major political target in the U.S., the source said. The FBI has not offered such an assessment publicly.
But earlier this week, FBI Director James Comey told reporters in the Cincinnati area that the bureaus efforts to monitor ISIS activities continue 24 hours a day.
He added that the Islamic State group is encouraging potential U.S.-based supporters to either come to Syria or if you cant come, kill where you are.
Unlike Carson, Republican front-runner Trump has officially requested Secret Service protection.
The billionaire noted that he has drawn "by far the biggest crowds" of any candidate at his events. He also said that President Barack Obama had received protection at this stage of his first campaign in 2008.
"I want to put them on notice because they should have a liability," Trump told The Hill. "Personally, I think if Obama were doing as well as me he wouldve had Secret Service [earlier].
Obama, who was an Illinois senator during the 2008 contest, received Secret Service protection on May 3, 2007, with law enforcement officials saying that the protection was not approved because of any specific threats.
In July, shortly after Trump criticized the Mexican government for the escape of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman from a maximum-security prison, a Twitter account linked to Guzman issued a threat against the billionaire: Keep fking around and Im gonna make you swallow your whore words you fking whitey milkstter.
Earlier this month Telesur, a Latin American television network based in Venezuela, reported uncorroborated claims that El Chapo has placed a $100 million bounty on Trump to encourage his assassination.
Eric Trump, one of the candidate's three sons, also expressed concerns about his father's safety on the campaign trail. Trump has five children.
"My father's my best friend," Eric Trump told Fox News on Friday. "He's my idol. He's my boss.
"We work side by side. We spend every weekend together," he added. "He's really my best friend in the world."
The younger Trump estimated that as many as 30,000 or more people have been attending Trump rallies.
"There's mobs of people, and the energy, it's incredible," Eric Trump said. "But it really only takes one.
Oct 18, 2015 04:52:15 #
This is why Trump is zooming ahead. He is at least talking about issues that most Americans are concerned about. My mantra about Trump is this: I am in agreement with most of what he says. I just wish someone else was saying it.
We are getting older and our tickers aren't what they used to be...so here is Our Special Bucket List for 2015,16....
HERE IS ALL WE WANT..
1. Hillary: in prison!
2. Put "GOD" back in America!!!
3. Borders: Closed!
4. Congress: On the same retirement & healthcare plans as everybody else .
5. Congress: Obey its own laws NOW!
6. Language: English only!
7. Culture: Constitution, and the Bill of Rights!
8. Drug Free: Mandatory Drug Screening before & during Welfare!
9. NO freebies to Non-Citizens!
10. Balance the budget.
11. Stop giving away our money to foreign countries! Charge them for our help! We need it here.
12. Fix the TAX CODE!
13. IMPEACH the DICTATOR!!
And most of all.
14. "RESPECT OUR MILITARY AND OUR FLAG!!"
We the people are coming
We are getting older and our tickers aren't what they used to be...so here is Our Special Bucket List for 2015,16....
HERE IS ALL WE WANT..
1. Hillary: in prison!
2. Put "GOD" back in America!!!
3. Borders: Closed!
4. Congress: On the same retirement & healthcare plans as everybody else .
5. Congress: Obey its own laws NOW!
6. Language: English only!
7. Culture: Constitution, and the Bill of Rights!
8. Drug Free: Mandatory Drug Screening before & during Welfare!
9. NO freebies to Non-Citizens!
10. Balance the budget.
11. Stop giving away our money to foreign countries! Charge them for our help! We need it here.
12. Fix the TAX CODE!
13. IMPEACH the DICTATOR!!
And most of all.
14. "RESPECT OUR MILITARY AND OUR FLAG!!"
We the people are coming
Oct 18, 2015 05:09:42 #
Liberal self-defense in a nutshell -- surrender your firearms (Not to worry, Uncle Sam will give you a fair price!), then run like hell when criminals who opt to remain armed show up inside your door, confident in the knowledge that you've been disarmed rather than face a lengthy stint in that liberal utopia known as prison, where meals, rent and health care are "free" and only the guards have guns. - See more at: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/jack-coleman/2015/10/17/libtalker-thom-hartmann-guns-if-confronted-armed-intruder-run#sthash.NwUtMjtc.dpuf
Oct 19, 2015 12:29:15 #
NEWSOM EXPLOITS FUNDRAISING LOOPHOLE, ATTACKS LEGAL GUN OWNERS TO BOOST PERSONAL PROFILE
Its clear that the proposals put forward by gubernatorial hopeful Gavin Newsom are less about guns and more about Gavin, says Eric Meyers, President of the Liberal Gun Clubs California chapter.
With his Oct. 16, 2015 announcement, Gavin Newsom is following a cynical strategy used by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger prior to his gubernatorial run: using a ballot measure as a divisive political issue to exploit a fundraising loophole and evade California's contribution limits. Fundraising for a ballot proposal is unlimited, while campaign contributions are limited to prevent corruption and ethical violations. Californians will soon see Gavins face everywhere, but they should be wary of a politician opening his pockets to special interests. This is about Gavin, not guns.
Gavins case against Californias diverse legal gun owners is built on falsehoods. The fundamental truth is that there is no epidemic of gun violence. That may be hard to believe, considering that the National Rifle Association, gun control advocates, and Gavin all use fear to push their agendas. We believe that Californians should have the facts:
· Violent crime and murders have been dropping for decades. It doesnt matter how restrictive gun laws are, as states with more and with less restrictive gun control laws have all seen large declines in crime and murder. In fact, in the most recent year reported, Texas had a slightly lower murder rate than California, while having much less restrictive gun laws. [FBI Uniform Crime Reports]
· Gun homicide rates have decreased by 49% since 1993 and murder rates have steadily declined since 1993. [Pew Research Center and DeathPenalty.org/FBI UCR]
· Gun control laws disproportionately impact minority communities due to selective enforcement, with the best example being Michael Bloomberg stop-and-frisk policy in New York City [NYCLU, AZ Central]
Gavins initiative is a vehicle for his personal ambitions that is a lemon when examined closely:
1. Magazine confiscation will be expensive, dangerous, and ineffective. Out of California 38 million citizens, roughly 8 million are gun owners. They comprise 20% of Californias overall population, and many own legal, grandfathered magazines rarely used in crimes. In fact, they are valued collector's items. The taxpayer money required to go door-to-door to gather up all of these magazines is staggering and, as Gavin knows, completely unrealistic. This proposal will turn good neighbors into felons, putting innocent Californians at risk of jail. It will provide a pretext for invasive policing and dramatically increase the likelihood of deadly police encounters.
2. Background checks for all ammunition sales already failed in New York and will fail here. New York attempted a similar policy, then backed off because it proved too costly and impossible to implement [NYTIMES]. Just like using restrictions to make legal abortion as difficult as possible, this proposal will make it as difficult as possible for law abiding gun owners and recreational shooters to buy ammunition. As criminals can easily procure ammunition on the black market or in Nevada, Arizona, or Oregon, this measure will cost taxpayers millions of dollars to implement and not make us one bit safer.
3. Disarming felons and prohibited persons raises issues best handled by the legislature, not a ballot measure. There is good reason why our legislature is still debating this issue. California already has a task force tracking down felons and other prohibited persons to ensure they do not have any firearms. Confiscating firearms is a complex issue best handled by the Department of Justice and the California Legislature.
4. Required reporting for lost or stolen guns will have zero impact. Governor Brown vetoed a similar proposal two years ago, writing, Last year I vetoed a nearly identical bill, SB 1366, noting I was not convinced that criminalizing the failure to report a lost or stolen firearm would improve identification of gun traffickers or help law enforcement disarm people prohibited from possessing guns. I continue to believe that responsible people report the loss or theft of a firearm and irresponsible people do not. I remain skeptical that this bill would change those behaviors. [CA.gov]
5. NICS database sharing risks violating privacy, especially healthcare data, and stops short of effectively fixing California's background check system. The state could save millions by shelving the state run background check program and using the federal program instead, as we are already paying for a Federal system.
Gavins proposal will eat up Californias dwindling resources better used to reduce our debt, fix our crumbling infrastructure, and improve the lives of all Californians. He is using the pretext of gun control to exploit a fundraising loophole in California law, putting Californians at risk, evading the good judgement of the legislature, and funneling special interest money to his coffers as a pretext to raise his personal profile. This is about Gavin, not guns.
Eric Meyers
California Chapter President
The Liberal Gun Club
eric@theliberalgunclub.com
Its clear that the proposals put forward by gubernatorial hopeful Gavin Newsom are less about guns and more about Gavin, says Eric Meyers, President of the Liberal Gun Clubs California chapter.
With his Oct. 16, 2015 announcement, Gavin Newsom is following a cynical strategy used by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger prior to his gubernatorial run: using a ballot measure as a divisive political issue to exploit a fundraising loophole and evade California's contribution limits. Fundraising for a ballot proposal is unlimited, while campaign contributions are limited to prevent corruption and ethical violations. Californians will soon see Gavins face everywhere, but they should be wary of a politician opening his pockets to special interests. This is about Gavin, not guns.
Gavins case against Californias diverse legal gun owners is built on falsehoods. The fundamental truth is that there is no epidemic of gun violence. That may be hard to believe, considering that the National Rifle Association, gun control advocates, and Gavin all use fear to push their agendas. We believe that Californians should have the facts:
· Violent crime and murders have been dropping for decades. It doesnt matter how restrictive gun laws are, as states with more and with less restrictive gun control laws have all seen large declines in crime and murder. In fact, in the most recent year reported, Texas had a slightly lower murder rate than California, while having much less restrictive gun laws. [FBI Uniform Crime Reports]
· Gun homicide rates have decreased by 49% since 1993 and murder rates have steadily declined since 1993. [Pew Research Center and DeathPenalty.org/FBI UCR]
· Gun control laws disproportionately impact minority communities due to selective enforcement, with the best example being Michael Bloomberg stop-and-frisk policy in New York City [NYCLU, AZ Central]
Gavins initiative is a vehicle for his personal ambitions that is a lemon when examined closely:
1. Magazine confiscation will be expensive, dangerous, and ineffective. Out of California 38 million citizens, roughly 8 million are gun owners. They comprise 20% of Californias overall population, and many own legal, grandfathered magazines rarely used in crimes. In fact, they are valued collector's items. The taxpayer money required to go door-to-door to gather up all of these magazines is staggering and, as Gavin knows, completely unrealistic. This proposal will turn good neighbors into felons, putting innocent Californians at risk of jail. It will provide a pretext for invasive policing and dramatically increase the likelihood of deadly police encounters.
2. Background checks for all ammunition sales already failed in New York and will fail here. New York attempted a similar policy, then backed off because it proved too costly and impossible to implement [NYTIMES]. Just like using restrictions to make legal abortion as difficult as possible, this proposal will make it as difficult as possible for law abiding gun owners and recreational shooters to buy ammunition. As criminals can easily procure ammunition on the black market or in Nevada, Arizona, or Oregon, this measure will cost taxpayers millions of dollars to implement and not make us one bit safer.
3. Disarming felons and prohibited persons raises issues best handled by the legislature, not a ballot measure. There is good reason why our legislature is still debating this issue. California already has a task force tracking down felons and other prohibited persons to ensure they do not have any firearms. Confiscating firearms is a complex issue best handled by the Department of Justice and the California Legislature.
4. Required reporting for lost or stolen guns will have zero impact. Governor Brown vetoed a similar proposal two years ago, writing, Last year I vetoed a nearly identical bill, SB 1366, noting I was not convinced that criminalizing the failure to report a lost or stolen firearm would improve identification of gun traffickers or help law enforcement disarm people prohibited from possessing guns. I continue to believe that responsible people report the loss or theft of a firearm and irresponsible people do not. I remain skeptical that this bill would change those behaviors. [CA.gov]
5. NICS database sharing risks violating privacy, especially healthcare data, and stops short of effectively fixing California's background check system. The state could save millions by shelving the state run background check program and using the federal program instead, as we are already paying for a Federal system.
Gavins proposal will eat up Californias dwindling resources better used to reduce our debt, fix our crumbling infrastructure, and improve the lives of all Californians. He is using the pretext of gun control to exploit a fundraising loophole in California law, putting Californians at risk, evading the good judgement of the legislature, and funneling special interest money to his coffers as a pretext to raise his personal profile. This is about Gavin, not guns.
Eric Meyers
California Chapter President
The Liberal Gun Club
eric@theliberalgunclub.com
Oct 19, 2015 13:02:33 #
We Report, You Act.
This News Could Mean Trump Has the Nomination Locked Up
Oct 19, 2015 Source: AAN by: AAN Staff
26
8
87
It appears that the GOP is almost ready to let Trump try and "Make America Great Again." From National Review:
It began as whispers in hushed corners: Could it ever happen? And now, just three months from the Iowa caucuses, members of the Republican establishment are starting to give voice to an increasingly common belief that Donald Trump, once dismissed as joke, a carnival barker, and a circus freak, might very well win the nomination. Trump is a serious player for the nomination at this time, says Ed Rollins, who served as the national campaign director for Reagans 1984 reelection and as campaign chairman for Mike Huckabee in 2008. Rollins is not alone in his views. Trump has sustained a lead for longer than there are days left before voting begins in Iowa, says Steve Schmidt, who managed John McCains 2008 presidential campaign. For a long time, Schmidt says, you were talking to people in Washington, and there was a belief that there was an expiration date to this, as if theres some secret group of people who have the ability to control the process. But for Trump, a dip in the polls after the second debate that many predicted was the beginning of the end has arrested; and for nearly four months, he has remained at the top of the polls. Now, long-time GOP strategists who were expecting Trumps act to wear thin a couple of months ago worry that he cant be stopped, or at least that he has a significant chance of winning the nomination.
For months, the establishment has been engaged in an all out war on Donald Trump, first treating his candidacy as a joke and then moving actively to discredit it. Meanwhile, favored sons have fallen by the wayside. Scott Walker and Rick Perry, both very accomplished governors, bowed out early, and the conventional favorites, Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, trail Trump by double digits. As time marches on, it seems like reality is setting in, and Trump may have the nomination locked up.
For years, the grassroots suggested that if the GOP didn't give them a proper candidate, they would find their own. It appears that time has come
- See more at: http://americanactionnews.com/articles/this-news-could-mean-trump-has-the-nomination-locked-up#.dpuf
This News Could Mean Trump Has the Nomination Locked Up
Oct 19, 2015 Source: AAN by: AAN Staff
26
8
87
It appears that the GOP is almost ready to let Trump try and "Make America Great Again." From National Review:
It began as whispers in hushed corners: Could it ever happen? And now, just three months from the Iowa caucuses, members of the Republican establishment are starting to give voice to an increasingly common belief that Donald Trump, once dismissed as joke, a carnival barker, and a circus freak, might very well win the nomination. Trump is a serious player for the nomination at this time, says Ed Rollins, who served as the national campaign director for Reagans 1984 reelection and as campaign chairman for Mike Huckabee in 2008. Rollins is not alone in his views. Trump has sustained a lead for longer than there are days left before voting begins in Iowa, says Steve Schmidt, who managed John McCains 2008 presidential campaign. For a long time, Schmidt says, you were talking to people in Washington, and there was a belief that there was an expiration date to this, as if theres some secret group of people who have the ability to control the process. But for Trump, a dip in the polls after the second debate that many predicted was the beginning of the end has arrested; and for nearly four months, he has remained at the top of the polls. Now, long-time GOP strategists who were expecting Trumps act to wear thin a couple of months ago worry that he cant be stopped, or at least that he has a significant chance of winning the nomination.
For months, the establishment has been engaged in an all out war on Donald Trump, first treating his candidacy as a joke and then moving actively to discredit it. Meanwhile, favored sons have fallen by the wayside. Scott Walker and Rick Perry, both very accomplished governors, bowed out early, and the conventional favorites, Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, trail Trump by double digits. As time marches on, it seems like reality is setting in, and Trump may have the nomination locked up.
For years, the grassroots suggested that if the GOP didn't give them a proper candidate, they would find their own. It appears that time has come
- See more at: http://americanactionnews.com/articles/this-news-could-mean-trump-has-the-nomination-locked-up#.dpuf
Oct 21, 2015 18:16:48 #
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Jury acquits fed agent from Arlington of murder in Hawaii shooting
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THURSDAY, AUGUST 14TH 2014
Christopher Deedy, left, listens during his murder trial Thursday, July 10, 2014, in Honolulu.
HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) - A jury on Thursday acquitted a federal agent from Arlington, Virginia of murder in his second trial for the 2011 shooting death of a man at a Hawaii fast-food restaurant, but they couldn't reach a verdict on other lesser charges.
Nearly a year ago, another set of jurors deadlocked in the case against State Department Special Agent Christopher Deedy, and a judge declared a mistrial.
Judge Karen Ahn later ruled the new jury could consider a lesser charge of manslaughter - an option the previous jury didn't have. The foreman in last year's trial said jurors deadlocked with eight in favor of acquittal and four for conviction. Legal observers blamed the hung jury on the lack of a manslaughter option.
This time, the jury said the shooting wasn't murder, but they couldn't decide if Deedy was guilty of reckless manslaughter, or assault in the first or second degree.
The judge said Deedy could face a third trial on those counts, but defense attorney Thomas Otake said outside court: "We firmly believe there are legal motions we can file to dispose of those charges. ... Our position is enough is enough."
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Janice Futa said she was disappointed with the acquittal and will recommend a third trial.
The family of Kollin Elderts, who was killed, abruptly left the courtroom after hearing the result. They criticized prosecutors last year for not asking for manslaughter, but prosecutors said the evidence didn't support a manslaughter charge.
Ahn said she included it this time in part because the state Supreme Court has since made the law clearer on the issue.
Elderts family spokeswoman Kalama Niheu said the family was devastated and prosecutors didn't do enough to get justice. Futa declined to comment on that criticism.
"Christopher Deedy is a very irresponsible, cowardly individual that took away the heartbeat of our family and forever changed us," Niheu said, reading from a statement. "Because of the poor decisions he made that tragic night, including drinking and walking our Waikiki streets with a loaded personal firearm, we can never forgive him."
Deedy, 30, took the stand at both trials. He maintained he acted in self-defense and was trying to protect others from an aggressive Elderts in the Waikiki McDonald's.
Deedy was in town to help provide security for an international economic summit but was off-duty when he shot Elderts, 23.
Much of his testimony at the latest trial was the same as last year's, but this time he was clearer about his intention to kill Elderts, in what seemed like an attempt to avoid a ruling to include reckless manslaughter as an option for jurors.
Deedy said that when he pulled the trigger three times, he intended "to stop the threat, to kill the assailant."
He was fueled by alcohol, power and a warning from a fellow agent about the hostility of Hawaii locals toward government employees and outsiders, prosecutors told the juries in both trials.
The prosecution tried to portray Deedy as drunk and inexperienced. The defense countered that Deedy had only a few drinks and was acting in line with his law-enforcement training when he intervened in a potentially dangerous situation.
Deedy, who went to the McDonald's after a night of bar-hopping with friends, said Elderts was bullying a customer.
Jurors began deliberating Aug. 5. They got some time off as Hawaii braced for Tropical Storm Iselle and Hurricane Julio.
Earlier Thursday, the jurors were brought into the courtroom, and it seemed Ahn was expecting them to say they were deadlocked and that more time wouldn't help, as she made plans with attorneys for declaring a mistrial if necessary. But the forewoman said it was possible they could reach a verdict with more time, so the judge told them to keep deliberating. They returned with their verdict a few hours later.
"Today is just a day where we're relieved. We're relieved that they acquitted him of murder and that they did not convict him of anything," Otake said. "No matter what, there's no winners in a case like this. ... The Elderts, they've lost a loved one."
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Jury acquits fed agent from Arlington of murder in Hawaii shooting
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THURSDAY, AUGUST 14TH 2014
Christopher Deedy, left, listens during his murder trial Thursday, July 10, 2014, in Honolulu.
HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) - A jury on Thursday acquitted a federal agent from Arlington, Virginia of murder in his second trial for the 2011 shooting death of a man at a Hawaii fast-food restaurant, but they couldn't reach a verdict on other lesser charges.
Nearly a year ago, another set of jurors deadlocked in the case against State Department Special Agent Christopher Deedy, and a judge declared a mistrial.
Judge Karen Ahn later ruled the new jury could consider a lesser charge of manslaughter - an option the previous jury didn't have. The foreman in last year's trial said jurors deadlocked with eight in favor of acquittal and four for conviction. Legal observers blamed the hung jury on the lack of a manslaughter option.
This time, the jury said the shooting wasn't murder, but they couldn't decide if Deedy was guilty of reckless manslaughter, or assault in the first or second degree.
The judge said Deedy could face a third trial on those counts, but defense attorney Thomas Otake said outside court: "We firmly believe there are legal motions we can file to dispose of those charges. ... Our position is enough is enough."
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Janice Futa said she was disappointed with the acquittal and will recommend a third trial.
The family of Kollin Elderts, who was killed, abruptly left the courtroom after hearing the result. They criticized prosecutors last year for not asking for manslaughter, but prosecutors said the evidence didn't support a manslaughter charge.
Ahn said she included it this time in part because the state Supreme Court has since made the law clearer on the issue.
Elderts family spokeswoman Kalama Niheu said the family was devastated and prosecutors didn't do enough to get justice. Futa declined to comment on that criticism.
"Christopher Deedy is a very irresponsible, cowardly individual that took away the heartbeat of our family and forever changed us," Niheu said, reading from a statement. "Because of the poor decisions he made that tragic night, including drinking and walking our Waikiki streets with a loaded personal firearm, we can never forgive him."
Deedy, 30, took the stand at both trials. He maintained he acted in self-defense and was trying to protect others from an aggressive Elderts in the Waikiki McDonald's.
Deedy was in town to help provide security for an international economic summit but was off-duty when he shot Elderts, 23.
Much of his testimony at the latest trial was the same as last year's, but this time he was clearer about his intention to kill Elderts, in what seemed like an attempt to avoid a ruling to include reckless manslaughter as an option for jurors.
Deedy said that when he pulled the trigger three times, he intended "to stop the threat, to kill the assailant."
He was fueled by alcohol, power and a warning from a fellow agent about the hostility of Hawaii locals toward government employees and outsiders, prosecutors told the juries in both trials.
The prosecution tried to portray Deedy as drunk and inexperienced. The defense countered that Deedy had only a few drinks and was acting in line with his law-enforcement training when he intervened in a potentially dangerous situation.
Deedy, who went to the McDonald's after a night of bar-hopping with friends, said Elderts was bullying a customer.
Jurors began deliberating Aug. 5. They got some time off as Hawaii braced for Tropical Storm Iselle and Hurricane Julio.
Earlier Thursday, the jurors were brought into the courtroom, and it seemed Ahn was expecting them to say they were deadlocked and that more time wouldn't help, as she made plans with attorneys for declaring a mistrial if necessary. But the forewoman said it was possible they could reach a verdict with more time, so the judge told them to keep deliberating. They returned with their verdict a few hours later.
"Today is just a day where we're relieved. We're relieved that they acquitted him of murder and that they did not convict him of anything," Otake said. "No matter what, there's no winners in a case like this. ... The Elderts, they've lost a loved one."
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Oct 22, 2015 19:14:21 #
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ELECTIONS
Donald Trump: On raising rates, running mates and Biden's decision
Susan Page, USA TODAY
4 hours ago
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BURLINGTON, Iowa Even Donald Trump admits to being a bit surprised by his phenomenal rise and sustained lead in the Republican presidential race. And he is relishing every minute of it.
"I didn't know it would be this quick," he told USA TODAY happily.
Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump sat down to talk with USA TODAY's Susan Page on Oct. 21, 2015 in Burlington, Iowa.
In an interview on the 100th consecutive day he has led in national polls and approaching 100 days before the opening Iowa caucuses Trump was more than willing to opine on the big issues that would face a presidential nominee and a president.
Consider:
He's thought about possible running mates, including some of the rivals now competing for the 2016 nomination.
The Federal Reserve already should have raised interest rates from the very low levels set during the Great Recession, and he suspects Fed Chair Janet Yellen has delayed doing it for political reasons. "When you raise interest rates, I think a lot of bad things can happen, in terms of recession, everything else," he notes, suggesting she wants to wait until the next president is poised to take over.
House Speaker John Boehner foolishly threw away negotiating leverage with the White House by declaring that Congress wouldn't allow the United States to default on its debt next month. "I would use the debt limit to negotiate a great deal" to control spending, he says. "How can you do that if you've already announced that you're not going to violate the debt?"
ONPOLITICS
USA TODAY GOP Power Rankings: Trump back in charge
Trump declares, as he has before, that he is a world-class negotiator and a proven deal-maker, a product of some of the nation's finest schools and a very rich man.
It is increasingly hard to deny that the 69-year-old celebrity billionaire is also a credible Republican presidential nominee.
Trump agrees that the 2016 campaign is moving into a different phase. He's not sure what impact an expected deluge of attack ads financed by other campaigns, super-PACs and advocacy groups will have, although he notes that the competitors who have taken him on in the past have seen their support drop.
And he says that he's tempering his language because he no longer needs to be quite as bombastic as he was at the start of his unconventional campaign.
USA TODAY
Believe it: 'Back to the Future' predicted Trump's run
"You know, before, we had 17 people (running) and we were all out there fighting and I had people out there hitting me," he says. But now, "we're so far out in front that there's no reason to be quite the way we were, and I do want to tone it down a little bit, but at the same time I don't want to lose the energy. We have tremendous energy going for us; our campaign has tremendous energy.
"You know, when you have a good thing going, you don't want to change it too much. But I do not want to lose the energy so I don't want to tone it down too much."
NO BACKING DOWN
That doesn't really seem to be a risk.
In the interview with Capital Download, Trump didn't back down from his criticism of former president George W. Bush for failing to respond more effectively to intelligence warnings of the threat from Osama bin Laden before the deadly Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. Indeed, he expands the critique to also include former president Bill Clinton.
"They both carry responsibility," he told the weekly video newsmaker series, calling their administrations' policies on immigration "very lax" and their focus on bin Laden inadequate. "Certainly Clinton managed to mention the name in a speech, Osama bin Laden, and he didn't do anything about it," Trump says. "Certainly it's something that could have been stopped if they had gone that extra mile."
(In 1997, Clinton did order airstrikes on al-Qaeda targets in Afghanistan and Sudan in retaliation for the bombings of U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya.)
Trump says he is the candidate with the strong leadership skills that are the most important quality of a commander in chief, although he lacks traditional credentials for the job. He scoffs at the idea that former Florida governor Jeb Bush or Florida Sen. Marco Rubio would make a more effective negotiator with, say, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bush this week wrote an op-ed article in National Review charging that Trump's "bluster overcompensates for a shocking lack of knowledge on the complex national-security challenges that will confront the next president of the United States," calling his views "dangerous."
"Well, I think I know more about national security than he does," Trump replies. "I think that I would be far more respected by people who run countries, whether it's Putin or you go to China or you go anywhere. We'd have a far more respected administration and a far more respected country."
As he prepares for the third Republican debate next week, Trump says it's time for those who can't make the threshold of 3% support in national polls to close their campaigns. That category would include South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former New York governor George Pataki and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum.
"You have people who were supposed to be really good and they're down to one point or they're down to two points, and some are down to nothing," he says. "To be honest with you, I don't know why they keep running. Perhaps they think it's good for the brand but I don't think it's good for their brand, personally. I think they should get out. I could name a few, but I won't do that because I'm a nice person."
Then he names a few.
"I think it's an embarrassment to the party when Bobby Jindal gets up on stage and when Pataki, who has zero," he said. "You look at Lindsey Graham; it's very sad. Lindsey Graham, he's a sitting senator. He's at zero. And you have a number of zeros and I would think they should get on with their life and go back home."
ONPOLITICS
Analysis: Donald Trump talks to voters at a fourth-grade level
On the Democratic side, Trump says he wasn't surprised by Vice President Joe Biden's announcement Wednesday that he wouldn't jump into the race. Biden probably would have lost to former secretary of State Hillary Clinton, he says, though he also calls Biden a more formidable general-election opponent than Clinton.
"I think he probably saw that he was late," Trump says. "He probably looked at polls. I'm a believer in polls. I only like them because I've been Number One for 100 days now, which is pretty good. How often do you see polls are wrong? Not too often."
MONEY IN THE BANK
The conventional wisdom first was that Trump wouldn't really run and then, once he did, that his combative comments about Mexican immigrants, female journalists and others would undermine his standing. The general theory was that Trump could affect the debate but not actually win the nomination.
After all, only once since World War II has either major party nominated for president a candidate who hadn't won elective office before, and that was war hero Dwight Eisenhower.
But this week four more national polls showed Trump ahead. In the ABC News/Washington Post Poll, Trump's support was at 32%, trailed by retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 22% and Florida senator Rubio at 10%. Former Florida governor Bush, crowned by some as a front-runner before the race began, has dropped to a stunning fourth place and 7%.
Trump has now held the lead longer than the string of up-and-down contenders in 2012 Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich and has held it more consistently than Mitt Romney, who become the nominee.
He has tapped a deep well of dissatisfaction with politicians and politics. During the interview, in a space backstage, the sound of several thousand supporters massed in the Burlington Memorial Auditorium could be heard cheering and chanting his name.
He has won their backing, he points out, without yet deploying much of the personal wealth he remains willing to spend.
"I have put up almost nothing, actually zero, in advertising. It's an actual zero," he says. "I would have thought that I would have had (spent) between $20 and $25 million now. I've spent nothing. At the right time, I'll probably do advertising.
"So far, I haven't needed it."
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ELECTIONS
Donald Trump: On raising rates, running mates and Biden's decision
Susan Page, USA TODAY
4 hours ago
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BURLINGTON, Iowa Even Donald Trump admits to being a bit surprised by his phenomenal rise and sustained lead in the Republican presidential race. And he is relishing every minute of it.
"I didn't know it would be this quick," he told USA TODAY happily.
Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump sat down to talk with USA TODAY's Susan Page on Oct. 21, 2015 in Burlington, Iowa.
In an interview on the 100th consecutive day he has led in national polls and approaching 100 days before the opening Iowa caucuses Trump was more than willing to opine on the big issues that would face a presidential nominee and a president.
Consider:
He's thought about possible running mates, including some of the rivals now competing for the 2016 nomination.
The Federal Reserve already should have raised interest rates from the very low levels set during the Great Recession, and he suspects Fed Chair Janet Yellen has delayed doing it for political reasons. "When you raise interest rates, I think a lot of bad things can happen, in terms of recession, everything else," he notes, suggesting she wants to wait until the next president is poised to take over.
House Speaker John Boehner foolishly threw away negotiating leverage with the White House by declaring that Congress wouldn't allow the United States to default on its debt next month. "I would use the debt limit to negotiate a great deal" to control spending, he says. "How can you do that if you've already announced that you're not going to violate the debt?"
ONPOLITICS
USA TODAY GOP Power Rankings: Trump back in charge
Trump declares, as he has before, that he is a world-class negotiator and a proven deal-maker, a product of some of the nation's finest schools and a very rich man.
It is increasingly hard to deny that the 69-year-old celebrity billionaire is also a credible Republican presidential nominee.
Trump agrees that the 2016 campaign is moving into a different phase. He's not sure what impact an expected deluge of attack ads financed by other campaigns, super-PACs and advocacy groups will have, although he notes that the competitors who have taken him on in the past have seen their support drop.
And he says that he's tempering his language because he no longer needs to be quite as bombastic as he was at the start of his unconventional campaign.
USA TODAY
Believe it: 'Back to the Future' predicted Trump's run
"You know, before, we had 17 people (running) and we were all out there fighting and I had people out there hitting me," he says. But now, "we're so far out in front that there's no reason to be quite the way we were, and I do want to tone it down a little bit, but at the same time I don't want to lose the energy. We have tremendous energy going for us; our campaign has tremendous energy.
"You know, when you have a good thing going, you don't want to change it too much. But I do not want to lose the energy so I don't want to tone it down too much."
NO BACKING DOWN
That doesn't really seem to be a risk.
In the interview with Capital Download, Trump didn't back down from his criticism of former president George W. Bush for failing to respond more effectively to intelligence warnings of the threat from Osama bin Laden before the deadly Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. Indeed, he expands the critique to also include former president Bill Clinton.
"They both carry responsibility," he told the weekly video newsmaker series, calling their administrations' policies on immigration "very lax" and their focus on bin Laden inadequate. "Certainly Clinton managed to mention the name in a speech, Osama bin Laden, and he didn't do anything about it," Trump says. "Certainly it's something that could have been stopped if they had gone that extra mile."
(In 1997, Clinton did order airstrikes on al-Qaeda targets in Afghanistan and Sudan in retaliation for the bombings of U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya.)
Trump says he is the candidate with the strong leadership skills that are the most important quality of a commander in chief, although he lacks traditional credentials for the job. He scoffs at the idea that former Florida governor Jeb Bush or Florida Sen. Marco Rubio would make a more effective negotiator with, say, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bush this week wrote an op-ed article in National Review charging that Trump's "bluster overcompensates for a shocking lack of knowledge on the complex national-security challenges that will confront the next president of the United States," calling his views "dangerous."
"Well, I think I know more about national security than he does," Trump replies. "I think that I would be far more respected by people who run countries, whether it's Putin or you go to China or you go anywhere. We'd have a far more respected administration and a far more respected country."
As he prepares for the third Republican debate next week, Trump says it's time for those who can't make the threshold of 3% support in national polls to close their campaigns. That category would include South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former New York governor George Pataki and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum.
"You have people who were supposed to be really good and they're down to one point or they're down to two points, and some are down to nothing," he says. "To be honest with you, I don't know why they keep running. Perhaps they think it's good for the brand but I don't think it's good for their brand, personally. I think they should get out. I could name a few, but I won't do that because I'm a nice person."
Then he names a few.
"I think it's an embarrassment to the party when Bobby Jindal gets up on stage and when Pataki, who has zero," he said. "You look at Lindsey Graham; it's very sad. Lindsey Graham, he's a sitting senator. He's at zero. And you have a number of zeros and I would think they should get on with their life and go back home."
ONPOLITICS
Analysis: Donald Trump talks to voters at a fourth-grade level
On the Democratic side, Trump says he wasn't surprised by Vice President Joe Biden's announcement Wednesday that he wouldn't jump into the race. Biden probably would have lost to former secretary of State Hillary Clinton, he says, though he also calls Biden a more formidable general-election opponent than Clinton.
"I think he probably saw that he was late," Trump says. "He probably looked at polls. I'm a believer in polls. I only like them because I've been Number One for 100 days now, which is pretty good. How often do you see polls are wrong? Not too often."
MONEY IN THE BANK
The conventional wisdom first was that Trump wouldn't really run and then, once he did, that his combative comments about Mexican immigrants, female journalists and others would undermine his standing. The general theory was that Trump could affect the debate but not actually win the nomination.
After all, only once since World War II has either major party nominated for president a candidate who hadn't won elective office before, and that was war hero Dwight Eisenhower.
But this week four more national polls showed Trump ahead. In the ABC News/Washington Post Poll, Trump's support was at 32%, trailed by retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 22% and Florida senator Rubio at 10%. Former Florida governor Bush, crowned by some as a front-runner before the race began, has dropped to a stunning fourth place and 7%.
Trump has now held the lead longer than the string of up-and-down contenders in 2012 Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich and has held it more consistently than Mitt Romney, who become the nominee.
He has tapped a deep well of dissatisfaction with politicians and politics. During the interview, in a space backstage, the sound of several thousand supporters massed in the Burlington Memorial Auditorium could be heard cheering and chanting his name.
He has won their backing, he points out, without yet deploying much of the personal wealth he remains willing to spend.
"I have put up almost nothing, actually zero, in advertising. It's an actual zero," he says. "I would have thought that I would have had (spent) between $20 and $25 million now. I've spent nothing. At the right time, I'll probably do advertising.
"So far, I haven't needed it."
ONPOLITICS
Donald Trump brings in $3.9 million in third quarter
ONPOLITICS
Trump still leads CNN poll, reverses view of Afghan war
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Oct 25, 2015 10:31:30 #
20 REASONS WHY IT SHOULD BE DONALD TRUMP IN 2016
Isaac Brekken/Getty ImagesIsaac Brekken/Getty Images
by A.J. DELGADO
22 Oct 2015
4,728
It isnt acceptable in polite society to support Donald Trump, I am told.
Americas bullies the sneering, we know better than you establishment classes have made many cower in silence rather than proclaim that Trump is a tremendous presidential candidate and has earned their support.
It is a replay of the worst aspects of high school peer-pressure, about whats OK and what isnt, based on selfish interests and prejudices.
Well, enough of that. Trump is already changing America for the better and is encouraging us to boldly stand up for our beliefs about whats best for our nation and best for our fellow Americans.
So lets get right to it. Shifting America back on course requires Donald Trump as the Republican nominee. Not only is he the only Republican candidate who could win the general election, but he is the only choice Republican voters should consider (and should consider themselves lucky to have on their side).
In no particular order, here are the top 20 reasons why:
1. He is not your ordinary politician. Yes, Trump is different. Guess what? Thats a good thing. His ideas e.g., a sound immigration policy, returning manufacturing jobs to America, negotiating better trade deals are not at all radical, but do go against the Washington status-quo. You see, were supposed to select another perfectly malleable politician a Republican not unlike a Democrat who wont shake things up too much while in office. Same ol, same ol. And you, little person, you are supposed to vote for more of the same and like it. But the American public has reached a tipping point wed rather gouge out our eyes than select another career politician or Washington insider. Thats just electing the problem to fix the problem. Hence, this:
Screen Shot 2015-10-21 at 4.39.21 PM
Its make or break time and drastic times call for, well, not drastic measures but certainly something different. America is headed towards demise. If the old adage is that insanity is trying the same thing time and time again and expecting a different result, why would we nominate the usual type of politician?
2. Trump is not reliant on donors. This cannot be overstated enough. Not relying on donors especially not following the Rubio-model of huge support from just a handful of individuals (as a Gawker piece rightly predicted last year) is crucial. No one will own Trump. Yet the Trump-attacking conservative pundits continue to scoff that he doesnt have the cash to see this campaign through. This is an astonishing, frightening smear. Why? Because it means we no longer even bother with the pretense that money doesnt buy an office.
The he doesnt have the big donors/funding-network to go all the way! smirk is precisely why he should.
3. Yes, he doesnt have much of a filter. Bravo. We keep hearing from the Trump-naysayers thats Trumps mouth is a problem. But where you see a loudmouth, I see candor. Where you see a lack of filter, I see transparency. Where you see a man who gaffes, I see a man who is willing to wipe the cancer of political correctness out of our society. Where you see a loose cannon, I see a man who says what he means and means what he says. Or, would we rather the typical Hollywood celebrity or establishment politician (the two are remarkably similar) who runs a statement by 20 handlers, 10 advisers, and a social-media team before making it? Do we wish to be led by an individual who does not speak from the heart but rather prefers to be advised on what to say and when to say it? Do we wish to be led by a politician who waits to see how the polls emerge on a subject before issuing an opinion? Do you seek a president . or a ventriloquist puppet whose views who you do not truly know?
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 12.07.18 PM(Hannity show, October 9th, 2015)
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 2.24.57 PM
Go ahead and call him a bully. You almost say that as though its a bad thing a bully in Washington is precisely what the doctor ordered. (And P.S.: he is no more a bully that those donors in the establishment who seek to sideline our preferences with a check, or smear us with epithets.)
4. He speaks for us little people. Hate to break it to ya but we dont have much of a voice. We have politicians who will throw us meaningless bones, corny platitudes about the American dream, and make big promises they will never keep. At the end of the day, all do their donors bidding, and the bidding of Big Business rather than ours. Try speaking up and you will be flattened. It takes someone powerful, who is beholden to no-one more powerful, to lift up our concerns. Thank heavens we have someone who understands those concerns and is willing to be that voice. Consider this online comment:
Stuart Mill
Trump actually discusses the concerns of the middle-class, blue-collar worker. Bringing jobs back to the American worker is something about which most politicians care little, if at all. Why? Because nearly all are crony-capitalists, tucked into the pockets of Big Business executives who want to outsource your job to China. The other GOP contenders will pay lip-service to middle-class concerns but, in reality, its all wink-wink behind closed doors in trade deals that ensure your job is lost, and immigration policies that ensure your wages remain stagnant and youll face stiff competition for housing or even a fast-food gig.
5. Make no mistake, there is an establishment plot against him. The establishment really, really doesnt want him but we really, really do.
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 12.15.49 PM
(NY Post, October 17, 2015)
So their takedowns keep backfiring. Consider this quote from George Will, which doesnt at all sound hysterical!
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 7.38.59 PM
This Facebook commenter nails it:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 12.19.16 PM
The more the powers-that-be try to take Trump down with breathless: Can you believe he said ____?! the more the American public shrugs and says: Eh, sorry, still love him or, worse yet, as seems to be the case lately: Hey, actually, we like him even more now! Im glad someone finally said ___!
Attempt after attempt on Teflon Trump slides right off him and instead backfires and blows up in their collective faces. It reminds me of a scene in Gladiator (indulge me for a minute there is a side of me that is a 19-year-old bro), where Commodus (after attempting to orchestrate Maximuss death by forcing Maximus to fight the greatest living gladiator, only to have Maximus turn the tables by not only besting the opponent but showing him mercy), in a fit of frustration, exasperatedly wails: And now they love Maximus for his mercy! So I cant kill him or it makes him even more merciful. The whole thing is like a great nightmare! That is not unlike what is happening right now in the smoke-filled rooms of the establishment.
Take the Megyn Kelly incident naysayers said Trump would be doomed among conservatives by feuding with a fairly popular Fox News host. Except, conservatives didnt care.
Megyn Kelly screenshot copy
Ouch.
USA Today piece
(USA Today, September 4, 2015)
Yup.
And poor Jorge Ramos, who self-imploded when he tried to confront Trump, coming across as an unhinged, angry activist rather than a professional journalist.
Creepiest of all is the lets not attack him directly, lets just keep saying his campaign is over in the hopes that it will stick. Theyve been saying his campaign is over, every week (no, this time its really, really is over! only to have it thrive. Consider this from September 27, 2015:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.44.21 AM
Yet this is the Drudge Report banner on October 21st:
Screen Shot 2015-10-21 at 10.21.33 AM
6. Diplomacy. We also keep hearing Trump isnt diplomatic. Interestingly, though, it is Trump who is willing to sit across the table and actually talk to Vladimir Putin, while we have other GOP contenders calling a hugely popular First World nations leader a thug. (Free advice: It isnt presidential to refer to another world leader, the elected leader of a first world nation, using ad hominem attacks. Not very Reagan-ite.) Remind me again whos the diplomatic one? For an alleged blowhard, Trump sure is diplomatic when it counts. To that end, hes also sensible. Despite describing the Iran nuclear agreement a disastrous deal and horrible contract, he said he would work it. Meanwhile, demagogue candidates were proclaiming they would (despite the impossibility of doing so) rip it up on Day One sounds swell.
7. His business accomplishments. Shocker! Imagine having a president who has actually built and created things! Imagine having a president with a proven track record as an enormously successful businessman. But, silly me why have that when we can have, for instance, a first-term senator, career-politician whos never even passed any significant legislation or a governor whom, despite some laudable accomplishments, most of the nation, including Republicans, cant stomach?
8. Hes pro-women. In the plot to take down Trump, one of the first tactics tried was to cast him as anti-women. But Trump has worked with many peers and sparred against many rivals male and female alike and thus actually shows he treats women as equals (e.g., Yes, he joked about Carly Fiorina he also joked about Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)93%
. Get it?). Or are we, as women, demanding to be coddled and spared the same treatment as the gents? Last week, an article by Yahoo!s Chief National Correspondent found Trump has a history of building women up.
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 12.40.27 PM
9. A stellar first family. We often forget that we are not only choosing a president but choosing a First Family. While the other candidates all have perfectly nice families, none has the potential for impact as the Trumps. (Before you say the Bush family stop. That family is more overexposed than Taylor Swift go away for a while and maybe we can miss you.) Melania as First Lady? Absolutely. A poised, elegant, intelligent woman, already accustomed to the spotlight, who is an immigrant herself with a keen interest in womens health issues. His children? Where to begin? Ivanka, for instance, would be a tremendous role model across the world a working mother who is a thriving entrepreneur. And, in 2015, is it not time to consider having a blended, modern family as the First Family?
10. A man of sound morals. For those who judge a mans character based on whether he called someone a loser during a silly Twitter feud, well, there is no helping your stupidity so stop reading this. The rest of us, however, know to look at a mans actions and his record in life. What is Trumps? For one, hes known for treating his workers well. Second, is there no ugly scandal or brush with the law he seems to lead a fairly straight-arrow life. Then theres his family life. Two divorces? Sure. Marriages sometimes dont work out. Ask Newt Gingrich or even Ronald Reagan himself. Hes on friendly terms with both ex-wives, though. What does that tell you? And his children routinely express what a loving, supportive father hes been. Point me to another businessman of Trumps money with four adult children, all of whom have stayed away from scandal and disgrace despite growing up in the spotlight. Wed be hard pressed to find one meaning, Trump clearly did something right. Heck, forget the Art of the Deal Trump should write the Art of Parenting.
11. The celebrity factor is actually a huge plus. If youre reading this article, youre someone who follows politics and stays informed. Hey, congrats proud of ya. But guess what? The majority of the American public does not. Theyll vote if they can even be bothered to do so on election-day for a candidate based on gut instinct or name recognition (how else do you think the Kennedys get elected?!). And, newsflash: Save for some parts of Texas, it isnt OK to say youre a Republican these days, thanks to years of liberal academia and Hollywood beating our image like a rented mule. But Trump can bridge that gap. Its conservatism but represented by a well-liked celebrity. How much clearer can this be? Trump is a God-send. Finally, we conservatives caught a break!
12. His policies are spot-on, particularly immigration. For brevity, this article is not meant to discuss the nuances of Trumps proposed policies and positions. But hes right on pretty much every position he espouses, first and foremost that of immigration, the most critical issue facing America.
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 12.45.33 PM
In fact, if you vote based on one issue, make it that one, as it affects all others. And only Trump has the correct view, out of every GOP contender. Moreover, each time he makes an inflammatory remark, the stats back him up.
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.49.07 AM
And
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.51.31 AM
How about taxes? Trump is the only one willing to take on the hedge-fund managers and blast their ridiculously unfair tax rate. Its the ideal position someone with a conservative tax plan but who realizes attacking the hedge-funders sweet deal doesnt make one a liberal and simply shows an individual with an astute understanding of finance and a genuine sense of fairness.
How about a dedication to veterans? Check! A strong but sensible foreign policy? Check! (Trump admits Iraq wasnt a great idea and thinks we are best off sitting back and letting the Syria mess play itself out, without sending our boys into harms way. Amen!) What does he not get right? He has the New York Times Paul Krugman praising him:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.37.00 AM
For heavens sake, theres even this:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.34.35 AM
In a nutshell, the nation agrees with his policies, as noted here. Trump didnt rise because of his personality but simply because his positions are popular ones, as noted in this August piece from VOX:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 1.01.13 PM
13. He can bring in independents. Consider this:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 7.43.27 PM(Quartz, September 1, 2015)
If you think any statistically-significant number of independents will vote for Bush or Rubio, I tip my hat to your ridiculous level of optimism. You should start a retreat in the mountains for manic-depressives. But simple math shows we cannot win without independents. So, even if you disagree with the rest of these reasons, Trump is the GOPs only shot. And consider this online comment:
Obsidian
Want to see someone who will bring folks of all walks of life together? Trump. The war-hero? Man do I love Trump . The single mom down the block? I actually like what Donald Trump says, Id vote for him. Hes a true populist. (P.S. Noticed how the Trump-attackers use that term as a pejorative? Odd. Apparently recognizing the needs and concerns of the masses, and of average Americans like you and me, is a negative.)
14. The naysaying is rooted in careerists self-interests. Too many conservative writers and conservative TV pundits are out for their career security and financial bottom line not to save the nation or save conservatism.
Do you work at an outlet where the owners/donors/funders dont like Trump? Here come the articles blasting him! (Because your career and your paycheck matter more than the good of conservatism, the nation, or your conscience, apparently.) Better yet, are you a network contributor or network TV host at a network whose top brass prefers another candidate? Tow that line! Ca-ching! (Ever notice how rarely some conservative pundits criticized the Gang of 8 amnesty bill? Well, now ya know!) And, even above all that, do you want to fit in with the smarmy, snickering conservative writer/pundit so-called smart set, who simply cant stomach the idea of having to publicly stump for, ewwww!, celebrity Donald Trump next year, should he win the nomination? Ridicule him! And, if you really want to earn a pat on the back, attack his supporters, too!
Aside from this, there is the political consultant class, whose entire cushy livelihoods are threatened by Trumps rise. Why? Hes shown you can make it without their useless input and advice. The pointless wizard behind the curtain is revealed uh-oh. Standing up for Trump is also standing up against these Pharisees.
15. Negotiation skills. Presidents have the benefit of being surrounded by highly talented experts in their respective fields its the entire basis for the Cabinet appointments. But, whats the one area on which a president is on his own? Negotiations. When our leader walks into an international forum, or that one-on-one meeting with the British PM, there is no adviser that can speak for him. Its the one time the president sinks or swims on his own merits. As such, a stern even arrogant president with negotiating expertise is of paramount importance. Governors have keen negotiating skills, sure so do CEOs. Trump is so good at it, though, he literally wrote the bible on it.
16. Many Latinos love him. Speaking of Jorge Ramos . The media keeps insisting Latinos despise Trump. Except, we dont. In fact, many of us love him. Myriam Wichter, the Columbian immigrant from the recent Las Vegas Trump rally, is not an anomaly. Hang-onto-your-horses for this whopper of a revelation: Americas Latinos have the same wants, needs, and concerns as other Americans! Our priorities are the same as Anglos: jobs, healthcare, and so on! A truly novel concept!
GettyImages-491994548 trump latino
Heres more from the Pew Research Center;
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.29.04 AM
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.29.22 AM
Oops! Or how about this?:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 7.47.58 PM
Or, this!
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 7.51.10 PM
Or, theres more (we could do this all day )
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 1.07.56 PM
According to the media, however, Latinos main issue is not just immigration but illegal immigration, because, this argument goes, (1) Latinos all came to this country by breaking the law and (2) unlike every other American concerned about the economy or education, of course immigration is their number-one concern!
That line of thinking is whats borderline racist, not Trumps remark.
When VOXs editor in chief tweets that Donald Trumps immigration plan reads like a plot to make sure Republicans never get another Hispanic vote, as a genuinely-hurt Latina I have to wonder if the media realizes that is far more offensive to Americas Latinos than anything Trump has uttered.
I am a hard-working, taxpaying, American who has the same concerns as other hard-working, taxpaying Americans. Yes, immigration is on my list of concerns but as a huge problem, and not something of which we need more.
17. African-Americans love him, too. Trump is the first Republican who actually has a chance at obtaining a huge chunk of the African-American vote. The main reason is simple African-Americans are angry, and rightly so, about immigration and what its doing to this nation and to their job prospects. Here are just a few (out of countless) examples of the passionate support for Trump among the African-American community:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.18.30 AM
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.21.18 AM
18. Heck, Americans idolize him. As a little kid in the 1980s, the name Trump was synonymous with success. In fact, my understanding of conservatism was ingrained in me, by my father, using Donald Trump as an example. He would caution me against class warfare, and explain to me how economies and jobs work, citing Trump: Take Donald Trump, hed say. We dont envy his wealth. We wish him well! His wealth is good for everyone. Look how many jobs he creates. Look how many people he employs with each project!
I would nod and take it all in and this larger-than-life, Andrew Carnegie/Dodge-brothers type of figure, felt like a living testament of the capitalisms greatness in action. While, even a year ago, I never would have envisioned myself writing an article about Trump and the GOP nomination, perhaps, reflecting on this, it makes perfect sense.
19. By process of elimination. If for no other reason, consider the other GOP options one by one. The flip-flopping, amnesty-pusher? Or Jeb? (I truly tried to get excited about Jeb but one can only try for so long.) The failed technology CEO? The governors who crashed before theyd even begun? There arent any other options.
20. If he doesnt earn the nomination, there is no hope for American politics. Not going to sugar-coat it: if Trump does not secure this nomination, despite his undeniable, widespread support across the nation, you should just give up. We should all just give up. Thats right, throw in the towel. Its all a farce your voice and your opinion really mean nothing. The jig will be up on the illusion of American democracy, for if a candidate with Trumps enormous support cannot secure the nomination, then there really is no political process to speak of. And Im not the only one whos noticed this:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 1.14.04 PM
We all want to make America great again. Every candidate, even Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)16%
, want whats best for America. But only one candidate has the appeal, the nerve, the commitment, the ideas, the sheer will to actually accomplish it. And Americans know who that is the icon, business tycoon, husband, father, and lovable loudmouth. This week a Washington Post piece noted:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 7.54.22 PM
Let that sit for a minute and think about it. They know who and what he is and thats why theyre behind him. In politics, what can be purer and more beautiful than that?
In August, CNN contributor and former Obama advisor, Dan Pfeiffer, wondered:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 7.56.18 PM
Well, lo and behold, two months later, the ever-so-insulting inquiry continues:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 2.21.29 PM
To answer this pestering question, though
Yes, American voters did come to their senses about Donald Trump
thats why hes at the top.
- A.J. Delgado is a conservative columnist whos writings have appeared in Breitbart, National Review, American Conservative, Fox News, and various other sites and publications. She holds a juris doctorate from Harvard Law School and often writes about politics and pop culture.
Read More Stories About:
Big Government, 2016 Presidential Race, Immigration, Carl Icahn, donld trump
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Isaac Brekken/Getty ImagesIsaac Brekken/Getty Images
by A.J. DELGADO
22 Oct 2015
4,728
It isnt acceptable in polite society to support Donald Trump, I am told.
Americas bullies the sneering, we know better than you establishment classes have made many cower in silence rather than proclaim that Trump is a tremendous presidential candidate and has earned their support.
It is a replay of the worst aspects of high school peer-pressure, about whats OK and what isnt, based on selfish interests and prejudices.
Well, enough of that. Trump is already changing America for the better and is encouraging us to boldly stand up for our beliefs about whats best for our nation and best for our fellow Americans.
So lets get right to it. Shifting America back on course requires Donald Trump as the Republican nominee. Not only is he the only Republican candidate who could win the general election, but he is the only choice Republican voters should consider (and should consider themselves lucky to have on their side).
In no particular order, here are the top 20 reasons why:
1. He is not your ordinary politician. Yes, Trump is different. Guess what? Thats a good thing. His ideas e.g., a sound immigration policy, returning manufacturing jobs to America, negotiating better trade deals are not at all radical, but do go against the Washington status-quo. You see, were supposed to select another perfectly malleable politician a Republican not unlike a Democrat who wont shake things up too much while in office. Same ol, same ol. And you, little person, you are supposed to vote for more of the same and like it. But the American public has reached a tipping point wed rather gouge out our eyes than select another career politician or Washington insider. Thats just electing the problem to fix the problem. Hence, this:
Screen Shot 2015-10-21 at 4.39.21 PM
Its make or break time and drastic times call for, well, not drastic measures but certainly something different. America is headed towards demise. If the old adage is that insanity is trying the same thing time and time again and expecting a different result, why would we nominate the usual type of politician?
2. Trump is not reliant on donors. This cannot be overstated enough. Not relying on donors especially not following the Rubio-model of huge support from just a handful of individuals (as a Gawker piece rightly predicted last year) is crucial. No one will own Trump. Yet the Trump-attacking conservative pundits continue to scoff that he doesnt have the cash to see this campaign through. This is an astonishing, frightening smear. Why? Because it means we no longer even bother with the pretense that money doesnt buy an office.
The he doesnt have the big donors/funding-network to go all the way! smirk is precisely why he should.
3. Yes, he doesnt have much of a filter. Bravo. We keep hearing from the Trump-naysayers thats Trumps mouth is a problem. But where you see a loudmouth, I see candor. Where you see a lack of filter, I see transparency. Where you see a man who gaffes, I see a man who is willing to wipe the cancer of political correctness out of our society. Where you see a loose cannon, I see a man who says what he means and means what he says. Or, would we rather the typical Hollywood celebrity or establishment politician (the two are remarkably similar) who runs a statement by 20 handlers, 10 advisers, and a social-media team before making it? Do we wish to be led by an individual who does not speak from the heart but rather prefers to be advised on what to say and when to say it? Do we wish to be led by a politician who waits to see how the polls emerge on a subject before issuing an opinion? Do you seek a president . or a ventriloquist puppet whose views who you do not truly know?
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 12.07.18 PM(Hannity show, October 9th, 2015)
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 2.24.57 PM
Go ahead and call him a bully. You almost say that as though its a bad thing a bully in Washington is precisely what the doctor ordered. (And P.S.: he is no more a bully that those donors in the establishment who seek to sideline our preferences with a check, or smear us with epithets.)
4. He speaks for us little people. Hate to break it to ya but we dont have much of a voice. We have politicians who will throw us meaningless bones, corny platitudes about the American dream, and make big promises they will never keep. At the end of the day, all do their donors bidding, and the bidding of Big Business rather than ours. Try speaking up and you will be flattened. It takes someone powerful, who is beholden to no-one more powerful, to lift up our concerns. Thank heavens we have someone who understands those concerns and is willing to be that voice. Consider this online comment:
Stuart Mill
Trump actually discusses the concerns of the middle-class, blue-collar worker. Bringing jobs back to the American worker is something about which most politicians care little, if at all. Why? Because nearly all are crony-capitalists, tucked into the pockets of Big Business executives who want to outsource your job to China. The other GOP contenders will pay lip-service to middle-class concerns but, in reality, its all wink-wink behind closed doors in trade deals that ensure your job is lost, and immigration policies that ensure your wages remain stagnant and youll face stiff competition for housing or even a fast-food gig.
5. Make no mistake, there is an establishment plot against him. The establishment really, really doesnt want him but we really, really do.
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 12.15.49 PM
(NY Post, October 17, 2015)
So their takedowns keep backfiring. Consider this quote from George Will, which doesnt at all sound hysterical!
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 7.38.59 PM
This Facebook commenter nails it:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 12.19.16 PM
The more the powers-that-be try to take Trump down with breathless: Can you believe he said ____?! the more the American public shrugs and says: Eh, sorry, still love him or, worse yet, as seems to be the case lately: Hey, actually, we like him even more now! Im glad someone finally said ___!
Attempt after attempt on Teflon Trump slides right off him and instead backfires and blows up in their collective faces. It reminds me of a scene in Gladiator (indulge me for a minute there is a side of me that is a 19-year-old bro), where Commodus (after attempting to orchestrate Maximuss death by forcing Maximus to fight the greatest living gladiator, only to have Maximus turn the tables by not only besting the opponent but showing him mercy), in a fit of frustration, exasperatedly wails: And now they love Maximus for his mercy! So I cant kill him or it makes him even more merciful. The whole thing is like a great nightmare! That is not unlike what is happening right now in the smoke-filled rooms of the establishment.
Take the Megyn Kelly incident naysayers said Trump would be doomed among conservatives by feuding with a fairly popular Fox News host. Except, conservatives didnt care.
Megyn Kelly screenshot copy
Ouch.
USA Today piece
(USA Today, September 4, 2015)
Yup.
And poor Jorge Ramos, who self-imploded when he tried to confront Trump, coming across as an unhinged, angry activist rather than a professional journalist.
Creepiest of all is the lets not attack him directly, lets just keep saying his campaign is over in the hopes that it will stick. Theyve been saying his campaign is over, every week (no, this time its really, really is over! only to have it thrive. Consider this from September 27, 2015:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.44.21 AM
Yet this is the Drudge Report banner on October 21st:
Screen Shot 2015-10-21 at 10.21.33 AM
6. Diplomacy. We also keep hearing Trump isnt diplomatic. Interestingly, though, it is Trump who is willing to sit across the table and actually talk to Vladimir Putin, while we have other GOP contenders calling a hugely popular First World nations leader a thug. (Free advice: It isnt presidential to refer to another world leader, the elected leader of a first world nation, using ad hominem attacks. Not very Reagan-ite.) Remind me again whos the diplomatic one? For an alleged blowhard, Trump sure is diplomatic when it counts. To that end, hes also sensible. Despite describing the Iran nuclear agreement a disastrous deal and horrible contract, he said he would work it. Meanwhile, demagogue candidates were proclaiming they would (despite the impossibility of doing so) rip it up on Day One sounds swell.
7. His business accomplishments. Shocker! Imagine having a president who has actually built and created things! Imagine having a president with a proven track record as an enormously successful businessman. But, silly me why have that when we can have, for instance, a first-term senator, career-politician whos never even passed any significant legislation or a governor whom, despite some laudable accomplishments, most of the nation, including Republicans, cant stomach?
8. Hes pro-women. In the plot to take down Trump, one of the first tactics tried was to cast him as anti-women. But Trump has worked with many peers and sparred against many rivals male and female alike and thus actually shows he treats women as equals (e.g., Yes, he joked about Carly Fiorina he also joked about Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)93%
. Get it?). Or are we, as women, demanding to be coddled and spared the same treatment as the gents? Last week, an article by Yahoo!s Chief National Correspondent found Trump has a history of building women up.
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 12.40.27 PM
9. A stellar first family. We often forget that we are not only choosing a president but choosing a First Family. While the other candidates all have perfectly nice families, none has the potential for impact as the Trumps. (Before you say the Bush family stop. That family is more overexposed than Taylor Swift go away for a while and maybe we can miss you.) Melania as First Lady? Absolutely. A poised, elegant, intelligent woman, already accustomed to the spotlight, who is an immigrant herself with a keen interest in womens health issues. His children? Where to begin? Ivanka, for instance, would be a tremendous role model across the world a working mother who is a thriving entrepreneur. And, in 2015, is it not time to consider having a blended, modern family as the First Family?
10. A man of sound morals. For those who judge a mans character based on whether he called someone a loser during a silly Twitter feud, well, there is no helping your stupidity so stop reading this. The rest of us, however, know to look at a mans actions and his record in life. What is Trumps? For one, hes known for treating his workers well. Second, is there no ugly scandal or brush with the law he seems to lead a fairly straight-arrow life. Then theres his family life. Two divorces? Sure. Marriages sometimes dont work out. Ask Newt Gingrich or even Ronald Reagan himself. Hes on friendly terms with both ex-wives, though. What does that tell you? And his children routinely express what a loving, supportive father hes been. Point me to another businessman of Trumps money with four adult children, all of whom have stayed away from scandal and disgrace despite growing up in the spotlight. Wed be hard pressed to find one meaning, Trump clearly did something right. Heck, forget the Art of the Deal Trump should write the Art of Parenting.
11. The celebrity factor is actually a huge plus. If youre reading this article, youre someone who follows politics and stays informed. Hey, congrats proud of ya. But guess what? The majority of the American public does not. Theyll vote if they can even be bothered to do so on election-day for a candidate based on gut instinct or name recognition (how else do you think the Kennedys get elected?!). And, newsflash: Save for some parts of Texas, it isnt OK to say youre a Republican these days, thanks to years of liberal academia and Hollywood beating our image like a rented mule. But Trump can bridge that gap. Its conservatism but represented by a well-liked celebrity. How much clearer can this be? Trump is a God-send. Finally, we conservatives caught a break!
12. His policies are spot-on, particularly immigration. For brevity, this article is not meant to discuss the nuances of Trumps proposed policies and positions. But hes right on pretty much every position he espouses, first and foremost that of immigration, the most critical issue facing America.
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 12.45.33 PM
In fact, if you vote based on one issue, make it that one, as it affects all others. And only Trump has the correct view, out of every GOP contender. Moreover, each time he makes an inflammatory remark, the stats back him up.
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.49.07 AM
And
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.51.31 AM
How about taxes? Trump is the only one willing to take on the hedge-fund managers and blast their ridiculously unfair tax rate. Its the ideal position someone with a conservative tax plan but who realizes attacking the hedge-funders sweet deal doesnt make one a liberal and simply shows an individual with an astute understanding of finance and a genuine sense of fairness.
How about a dedication to veterans? Check! A strong but sensible foreign policy? Check! (Trump admits Iraq wasnt a great idea and thinks we are best off sitting back and letting the Syria mess play itself out, without sending our boys into harms way. Amen!) What does he not get right? He has the New York Times Paul Krugman praising him:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.37.00 AM
For heavens sake, theres even this:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.34.35 AM
In a nutshell, the nation agrees with his policies, as noted here. Trump didnt rise because of his personality but simply because his positions are popular ones, as noted in this August piece from VOX:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 1.01.13 PM
13. He can bring in independents. Consider this:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 7.43.27 PM(Quartz, September 1, 2015)
If you think any statistically-significant number of independents will vote for Bush or Rubio, I tip my hat to your ridiculous level of optimism. You should start a retreat in the mountains for manic-depressives. But simple math shows we cannot win without independents. So, even if you disagree with the rest of these reasons, Trump is the GOPs only shot. And consider this online comment:
Obsidian
Want to see someone who will bring folks of all walks of life together? Trump. The war-hero? Man do I love Trump . The single mom down the block? I actually like what Donald Trump says, Id vote for him. Hes a true populist. (P.S. Noticed how the Trump-attackers use that term as a pejorative? Odd. Apparently recognizing the needs and concerns of the masses, and of average Americans like you and me, is a negative.)
14. The naysaying is rooted in careerists self-interests. Too many conservative writers and conservative TV pundits are out for their career security and financial bottom line not to save the nation or save conservatism.
Do you work at an outlet where the owners/donors/funders dont like Trump? Here come the articles blasting him! (Because your career and your paycheck matter more than the good of conservatism, the nation, or your conscience, apparently.) Better yet, are you a network contributor or network TV host at a network whose top brass prefers another candidate? Tow that line! Ca-ching! (Ever notice how rarely some conservative pundits criticized the Gang of 8 amnesty bill? Well, now ya know!) And, even above all that, do you want to fit in with the smarmy, snickering conservative writer/pundit so-called smart set, who simply cant stomach the idea of having to publicly stump for, ewwww!, celebrity Donald Trump next year, should he win the nomination? Ridicule him! And, if you really want to earn a pat on the back, attack his supporters, too!
Aside from this, there is the political consultant class, whose entire cushy livelihoods are threatened by Trumps rise. Why? Hes shown you can make it without their useless input and advice. The pointless wizard behind the curtain is revealed uh-oh. Standing up for Trump is also standing up against these Pharisees.
15. Negotiation skills. Presidents have the benefit of being surrounded by highly talented experts in their respective fields its the entire basis for the Cabinet appointments. But, whats the one area on which a president is on his own? Negotiations. When our leader walks into an international forum, or that one-on-one meeting with the British PM, there is no adviser that can speak for him. Its the one time the president sinks or swims on his own merits. As such, a stern even arrogant president with negotiating expertise is of paramount importance. Governors have keen negotiating skills, sure so do CEOs. Trump is so good at it, though, he literally wrote the bible on it.
16. Many Latinos love him. Speaking of Jorge Ramos . The media keeps insisting Latinos despise Trump. Except, we dont. In fact, many of us love him. Myriam Wichter, the Columbian immigrant from the recent Las Vegas Trump rally, is not an anomaly. Hang-onto-your-horses for this whopper of a revelation: Americas Latinos have the same wants, needs, and concerns as other Americans! Our priorities are the same as Anglos: jobs, healthcare, and so on! A truly novel concept!
GettyImages-491994548 trump latino
Heres more from the Pew Research Center;
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.29.04 AM
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.29.22 AM
Oops! Or how about this?:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 7.47.58 PM
Or, this!
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 7.51.10 PM
Or, theres more (we could do this all day )
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 1.07.56 PM
According to the media, however, Latinos main issue is not just immigration but illegal immigration, because, this argument goes, (1) Latinos all came to this country by breaking the law and (2) unlike every other American concerned about the economy or education, of course immigration is their number-one concern!
That line of thinking is whats borderline racist, not Trumps remark.
When VOXs editor in chief tweets that Donald Trumps immigration plan reads like a plot to make sure Republicans never get another Hispanic vote, as a genuinely-hurt Latina I have to wonder if the media realizes that is far more offensive to Americas Latinos than anything Trump has uttered.
I am a hard-working, taxpaying, American who has the same concerns as other hard-working, taxpaying Americans. Yes, immigration is on my list of concerns but as a huge problem, and not something of which we need more.
17. African-Americans love him, too. Trump is the first Republican who actually has a chance at obtaining a huge chunk of the African-American vote. The main reason is simple African-Americans are angry, and rightly so, about immigration and what its doing to this nation and to their job prospects. Here are just a few (out of countless) examples of the passionate support for Trump among the African-American community:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.18.30 AM
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.21.18 AM
18. Heck, Americans idolize him. As a little kid in the 1980s, the name Trump was synonymous with success. In fact, my understanding of conservatism was ingrained in me, by my father, using Donald Trump as an example. He would caution me against class warfare, and explain to me how economies and jobs work, citing Trump: Take Donald Trump, hed say. We dont envy his wealth. We wish him well! His wealth is good for everyone. Look how many jobs he creates. Look how many people he employs with each project!
I would nod and take it all in and this larger-than-life, Andrew Carnegie/Dodge-brothers type of figure, felt like a living testament of the capitalisms greatness in action. While, even a year ago, I never would have envisioned myself writing an article about Trump and the GOP nomination, perhaps, reflecting on this, it makes perfect sense.
19. By process of elimination. If for no other reason, consider the other GOP options one by one. The flip-flopping, amnesty-pusher? Or Jeb? (I truly tried to get excited about Jeb but one can only try for so long.) The failed technology CEO? The governors who crashed before theyd even begun? There arent any other options.
20. If he doesnt earn the nomination, there is no hope for American politics. Not going to sugar-coat it: if Trump does not secure this nomination, despite his undeniable, widespread support across the nation, you should just give up. We should all just give up. Thats right, throw in the towel. Its all a farce your voice and your opinion really mean nothing. The jig will be up on the illusion of American democracy, for if a candidate with Trumps enormous support cannot secure the nomination, then there really is no political process to speak of. And Im not the only one whos noticed this:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 1.14.04 PM
We all want to make America great again. Every candidate, even Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)16%
, want whats best for America. But only one candidate has the appeal, the nerve, the commitment, the ideas, the sheer will to actually accomplish it. And Americans know who that is the icon, business tycoon, husband, father, and lovable loudmouth. This week a Washington Post piece noted:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 7.54.22 PM
Let that sit for a minute and think about it. They know who and what he is and thats why theyre behind him. In politics, what can be purer and more beautiful than that?
In August, CNN contributor and former Obama advisor, Dan Pfeiffer, wondered:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 7.56.18 PM
Well, lo and behold, two months later, the ever-so-insulting inquiry continues:
Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 2.21.29 PM
To answer this pestering question, though
Yes, American voters did come to their senses about Donald Trump
thats why hes at the top.
- A.J. Delgado is a conservative columnist whos writings have appeared in Breitbart, National Review, American Conservative, Fox News, and various other sites and publications. She holds a juris doctorate from Harvard Law School and often writes about politics and pop culture.
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Oct 25, 2015 10:40:39 #
Pennylynn wrote:
This clown just posts and responds to his own crap, 89 pages of nonsense the vast majority him talking to himself. I get a kick out of his pride in the books being hard backed, it sounds like a little kid on his first visit to the library bragging about a hard backed book instead of the newsprint books he is used to coloring. It is best to just ignore his posts unless you get a kick out of kicking him in the ass once in a while to remind him of his foolishness.WOW!! The original poster was just full of information...almost too much for one posting.
Oct 26, 2015 08:01:08 #
A Country Founded by Geniuses but Run by Idiots
Jeff Foxworthy
If plastic water bottles are okay, but plastic bags are banned, you might live in a nation (state) that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
If you can get arrested for hunting or fishing without a license, but not for entering and remaining in the country illegally you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
If you MUST show your identification to board an airplane, cash a check, buy liquor, or check out a library book and rent a video, but not to vote for who runs the government you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
If, in the nations largest city, you can buy two 16-ounce sodas, but not one 24-ounce soda, because 24-ounces of a sugary drink might make you fat you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
If an 80-year-old woman who is confined to a wheelchair or a three-year-old girl can be strip-searched by the TSA at the airport, but a woman in a burka or a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
If a seven-year-old boy can be thrown out of school for saying his teacher is cute but hosting a sexual exploration or diversity class in grade school is perfectly acceptable you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
If hard work and success are met with higher taxes and more government regulation and intrusion while not working is rewarded with Food Stamps, WIC checks, Medicaid benefits, subsidized housing, and free cell phones you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
If you pay your mortgage faithfully, denying yourself the newest big-screen TV, while your neighbor buys iPhones, time shares, a wall-sized do-it-all plasma screen TV and new cars, and the government forgives his debt when he defaults on his mortgage you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
THINK BEFORE YOU VOTE!
Jeff Foxworthy
If plastic water bottles are okay, but plastic bags are banned, you might live in a nation (state) that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
If you can get arrested for hunting or fishing without a license, but not for entering and remaining in the country illegally you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
If you MUST show your identification to board an airplane, cash a check, buy liquor, or check out a library book and rent a video, but not to vote for who runs the government you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
If, in the nations largest city, you can buy two 16-ounce sodas, but not one 24-ounce soda, because 24-ounces of a sugary drink might make you fat you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
If an 80-year-old woman who is confined to a wheelchair or a three-year-old girl can be strip-searched by the TSA at the airport, but a woman in a burka or a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
If a seven-year-old boy can be thrown out of school for saying his teacher is cute but hosting a sexual exploration or diversity class in grade school is perfectly acceptable you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
If hard work and success are met with higher taxes and more government regulation and intrusion while not working is rewarded with Food Stamps, WIC checks, Medicaid benefits, subsidized housing, and free cell phones you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
If you pay your mortgage faithfully, denying yourself the newest big-screen TV, while your neighbor buys iPhones, time shares, a wall-sized do-it-all plasma screen TV and new cars, and the government forgives his debt when he defaults on his mortgage you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
THINK BEFORE YOU VOTE!
Oct 26, 2015 09:20:15 #
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Why this treacherous Hawaiian beach, Obamas favorite, keeps breaking peoples necks
Resize Text Print Article Comments 4
By Fred Barbash and Kate Sensenig October 26 at 1:11 AM
Body surfing at Sandy Beach on Oahu. (Photo by David Chatsuthiphan)
WAIMEA, Hi. To mainlanders, Sandy Beach is famous because its where President Obama loves to bodysurf. Last year, the Honolulu City Council briefly considered naming it after the president. Perhaps its just as well they didnt, because in Hawaii, its famous for broken necks.
If you get caught in the wrong spot on a wave, itll suck you up and over and slam you into the water, writes David Chatsuthiphan in Unreal Hawaii of the Oahu surf spot. Its called going over the falls and it sucks.
Sandy Beachs latest victim wasnt some novice from Chicago or D.C., however. It was Yurik Resetnikov, one of Hawaiis toughest firefighters a 64″ bear of a man based at Kailua-Kona Station 7 and a hero recently decorated for valor beyond the call of duty for, among other things, a dangerous water recovery of a missing boy who drowned in an underwater cave. When a wave he was riding on Oct. 12 broke in really shallow water, he fell backwards and hit his neck.
Resetnikov had bodysurfed Sandy Beach a million times, his wife Lindsay said in a phone interview as she sat and waited at Queens Hospital in Honolulu, hoping and praying that her husband will walk again.
You know how the wave breaks in a circle, she said. He was traveling in the barrel, the bottom of the wave, and it sucked him back over, in and over the falls.
The next thing anybody noticed, she said, was Resetnikov, this big man, face down in the water. His friends pulled him out, she said. And when they checked his pulse, there was none. They did CPR for 10 minutes before an ambulance arrived and got him to the hospital, she said. Doctors discovered he had broken his neck, she said, between cervical nerves C6 and C7, causing paralysis in his hands, trunk and legs.
The Resetnikovs have two children, ages 10 and 12. Yurik, based in Kona on the Big Island, was just visiting Honolulu, coaching a competitive outrigger canoe team. He ventured out onto Sandy Beach, on the southeast tip of Oahu, after the race when tragedy struck.
Yurik Resetnikov (Courtesy of Lindsay Resetnikov) Yurik Resetnikov. (Courtesy of Lindsay Resetnikov)
We were supposed to celebrate his 40th birthday, said his wife. Instead, weve kind of relocated to Queens Hospital, she said.
I made a mistake, Yurik told his wife once he was able to speak. Sorry. I made a mistake.
Even for an experienced surfer, its easy to make mistakes at Sandy Beach, notorious for its shallow shorebreak. These beaches are deceptive, sometimes lethally so, as Keith Cabral, a veteran lifeguard on the Kohala coast of the Big Island, explained as he gazed out at a seemingly tranquil Mauna Kea Beach a glistening, sun-drenched crescent cove.
On a day like this, its so inviting because the waves are not huge, he said. Everybody feels confident in their swimming ability because they can stand. What they dont realize while jumping into a wave, he said, is how shallow the water is where waves break a few feet or less.
Its not the wave that kills you, Cabral said. Its that sudden stop when you hit the sand. Its not like surfing, where youve got to paddle out and work for the wave. Here, you just stand up and jump forward. Thats what everybody does.
The unlucky few face dire consequences when their heads hit hard-packed sand: everything from shoulder and elbow injuries to life-threatening spinal breaks, like Resetnikovs. And while every shark bite in Hawaiian waters draws a wave of publicity, spinal injuries, which far outnumber them, dont.
There were 208 spinal-cord injuries due to ocean activities in Hawaii between 2009 and 2013, according to Hawaiis trauma registry. During that period, according to Hawaiis Department of Natural Resources, there were 34 recorded shark attacks, the vast majority of which resulted in minor lacerations or no injuries at all. Meanwhile, while there is no epidemic by any means, there were more spinal-cord injuries from ocean activities than from falls or car crashes.
Lifeguard Keith Cabral. (Photo by Fred Barbash)
For spinal injuries, there is no doubt that some beaches are much worse than others. Makena Beach on Maui, for example, accounted for 22 in the years studied; Hapuna, near Mauna Kea on the Big Island, accounted for 18; and Sandy, Obamas favorite on Oahu, for 16.
I have had multiple cases of people who have suffered permanent disabilities through spinal injuries at Hapuna Beach, said Kilipaki Kanae, a paramedic with the North Kohala Fire and Rescue. Adults, not children, he said, get the worst of it because children are more flexible and tend to be hurt less easily.
To avoid danger, Kanae said, people should beware of posted warning signs. And they should talk to the lifeguards at any beach they are unfamiliar with, and understand their abilities in the water. If you know you are not capable of handling rough surf, hang out on the sand, enjoy the beach, dont go in the water.
Despite the notoriety of Sandy Beach, it remains popular.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., body surfs at Sandy Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008. Sen. Obama is in Hawaii for a vacation. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) body surfs at Sandy Beach in Honolulu in 2008. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Oahus Sandy Beach is known the world over as a top bodyboarding and bodysurfing spot, wrote Diane Leone in the Hawaii Star-Bulletin in 2002. And for its high proportion of ambulance calls.
This beach requires a great deal of expertise, and even the experts get hurt, Jim Howe Jr., Honolulus chief of lifeguard operations, said in the article. To use the analogy of ski slopes its a double black diamond run.
The force of the waves, said lifeguard Robert Dorr, is the equivalent of getting hit by a car.
Packed wet sand can be very unforgiving, said a 2013 study of beach injuries in Hawaii authored by A. T. Nathanson, a doctor at Brown Universitys medical school. Because bodyboarders and bodysurfers ride headfirst in a prone position, often in near-shore plunging waves, they are at particularly high risk for injuries to the cervical spine.
But these injuries can happen anywhere, including beaches near Washington. In a 2013 article published in Scientific American, doctors at Beebe Medical Center in Lewes, Del., reported keeping a count for a three-year period and coming up with 1,100 spinal injuries.
Although most were more minor, such as 400 dislocated shoulders, there were also three fatalities, said the article. And 55 of the total were cervical fractures, some of which may have resulted in paralysis. (They dont track people after theyve left the emergency room.)
Searching for a reason why the numbers were increasing, Cowan and others focused on beach sand replenishment, which is constant along the Atlantic coast from Delaware to the Carolinas. Adding new sand didnt merely widen the beaches, they found it made them higher, resulting in steep slopes that can cause large waves to break close to shore.
In other words, replenishment was doing to Delawares beaches what nature long ago did to Hawaiis Sandy Beach.
And surfing-related spinal injuries can happen to anyone. On a Facebook page, Todd Duitsman, of Seattle, is still documenting his recovery from a spinal injury he suffered on a Maui Beach last year. On the page, his friend Bary Gould, who witnessed the event, told a frighteningly familiar story.
As Todd and I floated, talked and waited for the next wave to ride in we passed up a couple of good sized waves knowing the next one might be bigger. We were right, the next wave that swelled up was bigger than any wave I had seen at Big Beach on that day or the two days we had been there prior. Todd said, Lets go bro! Todd swam hard to get into the sweet spot of the wave and he was right in front of it. The wave swelled to a huge height and Todd was right on top of it. The next thing I saw was Todd floating face down in the ocean. My initial thought was that he was joking around. Nevertheless, I swam/walked towards him. I grabbed him underneath his armpits and pulled him out of the water fully expecting him to crack up with that famous Todd laugh. I asked him if he was kidding and he replied with some words that I will never forget as long as I live, No bro, I cant move. Todd had gone head first from the highest height of the wave to the bottom of the ocean floor. As I continued to drag Todd toward the shore I saw a look on his face I had never seen before. Todd is fearless, Todd is confident, Todd is strong, Todd is positive, Todd is happy, Todd is in control. In that look I saw the opposite of Todd.
As for Yurik Resetnikov, he too knows his life will change. His wife, Lindsay, said they are preparing to relocate to Denvers Craig Hospital. Hes a popular, well-known guy on the Kohala Coast on the Big Island, and his friends have already raised $85,000 to help with the inevitably monumental expenses.
Lindsay and Yurik Resetnikov. (Courtesy of Lindsay Resetnikov) Lindsay and Yurik Resetnikov. (Courtesy of Lindsay Resetnikov)
Hes had significant damage to his spinal cord, she said. Hes pretty good. Hes got full cognitive functioning. Theyve just taken him off the vent. Hes breathing humidified oxygen. But he only has movement in his arm and some movement in his fingers. Theyd like to see a little bit more in his lower extremities.
And, yes, doctors are guarded when discussing Resetnikovs prognosis.
But theyre wrong all the time, his wife said.
Kate Sensenig, a student at Hawaii Preparatory Academy, is a Post stringer.
Fred Barbash, the editor of Morning Mix, is a former National Editor and London Bureau Chief for the Washington Post.
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Why this treacherous Hawaiian beach, Obamas favorite, keeps breaking peoples necks
Resize Text Print Article Comments 4
By Fred Barbash and Kate Sensenig October 26 at 1:11 AM
Body surfing at Sandy Beach on Oahu. (Photo by David Chatsuthiphan)
WAIMEA, Hi. To mainlanders, Sandy Beach is famous because its where President Obama loves to bodysurf. Last year, the Honolulu City Council briefly considered naming it after the president. Perhaps its just as well they didnt, because in Hawaii, its famous for broken necks.
If you get caught in the wrong spot on a wave, itll suck you up and over and slam you into the water, writes David Chatsuthiphan in Unreal Hawaii of the Oahu surf spot. Its called going over the falls and it sucks.
Sandy Beachs latest victim wasnt some novice from Chicago or D.C., however. It was Yurik Resetnikov, one of Hawaiis toughest firefighters a 64″ bear of a man based at Kailua-Kona Station 7 and a hero recently decorated for valor beyond the call of duty for, among other things, a dangerous water recovery of a missing boy who drowned in an underwater cave. When a wave he was riding on Oct. 12 broke in really shallow water, he fell backwards and hit his neck.
Resetnikov had bodysurfed Sandy Beach a million times, his wife Lindsay said in a phone interview as she sat and waited at Queens Hospital in Honolulu, hoping and praying that her husband will walk again.
You know how the wave breaks in a circle, she said. He was traveling in the barrel, the bottom of the wave, and it sucked him back over, in and over the falls.
The next thing anybody noticed, she said, was Resetnikov, this big man, face down in the water. His friends pulled him out, she said. And when they checked his pulse, there was none. They did CPR for 10 minutes before an ambulance arrived and got him to the hospital, she said. Doctors discovered he had broken his neck, she said, between cervical nerves C6 and C7, causing paralysis in his hands, trunk and legs.
The Resetnikovs have two children, ages 10 and 12. Yurik, based in Kona on the Big Island, was just visiting Honolulu, coaching a competitive outrigger canoe team. He ventured out onto Sandy Beach, on the southeast tip of Oahu, after the race when tragedy struck.
Yurik Resetnikov (Courtesy of Lindsay Resetnikov) Yurik Resetnikov. (Courtesy of Lindsay Resetnikov)
We were supposed to celebrate his 40th birthday, said his wife. Instead, weve kind of relocated to Queens Hospital, she said.
I made a mistake, Yurik told his wife once he was able to speak. Sorry. I made a mistake.
Even for an experienced surfer, its easy to make mistakes at Sandy Beach, notorious for its shallow shorebreak. These beaches are deceptive, sometimes lethally so, as Keith Cabral, a veteran lifeguard on the Kohala coast of the Big Island, explained as he gazed out at a seemingly tranquil Mauna Kea Beach a glistening, sun-drenched crescent cove.
On a day like this, its so inviting because the waves are not huge, he said. Everybody feels confident in their swimming ability because they can stand. What they dont realize while jumping into a wave, he said, is how shallow the water is where waves break a few feet or less.
Its not the wave that kills you, Cabral said. Its that sudden stop when you hit the sand. Its not like surfing, where youve got to paddle out and work for the wave. Here, you just stand up and jump forward. Thats what everybody does.
The unlucky few face dire consequences when their heads hit hard-packed sand: everything from shoulder and elbow injuries to life-threatening spinal breaks, like Resetnikovs. And while every shark bite in Hawaiian waters draws a wave of publicity, spinal injuries, which far outnumber them, dont.
There were 208 spinal-cord injuries due to ocean activities in Hawaii between 2009 and 2013, according to Hawaiis trauma registry. During that period, according to Hawaiis Department of Natural Resources, there were 34 recorded shark attacks, the vast majority of which resulted in minor lacerations or no injuries at all. Meanwhile, while there is no epidemic by any means, there were more spinal-cord injuries from ocean activities than from falls or car crashes.
Lifeguard Keith Cabral. (Photo by Fred Barbash)
For spinal injuries, there is no doubt that some beaches are much worse than others. Makena Beach on Maui, for example, accounted for 22 in the years studied; Hapuna, near Mauna Kea on the Big Island, accounted for 18; and Sandy, Obamas favorite on Oahu, for 16.
I have had multiple cases of people who have suffered permanent disabilities through spinal injuries at Hapuna Beach, said Kilipaki Kanae, a paramedic with the North Kohala Fire and Rescue. Adults, not children, he said, get the worst of it because children are more flexible and tend to be hurt less easily.
To avoid danger, Kanae said, people should beware of posted warning signs. And they should talk to the lifeguards at any beach they are unfamiliar with, and understand their abilities in the water. If you know you are not capable of handling rough surf, hang out on the sand, enjoy the beach, dont go in the water.
Despite the notoriety of Sandy Beach, it remains popular.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., body surfs at Sandy Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008. Sen. Obama is in Hawaii for a vacation. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) body surfs at Sandy Beach in Honolulu in 2008. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Oahus Sandy Beach is known the world over as a top bodyboarding and bodysurfing spot, wrote Diane Leone in the Hawaii Star-Bulletin in 2002. And for its high proportion of ambulance calls.
This beach requires a great deal of expertise, and even the experts get hurt, Jim Howe Jr., Honolulus chief of lifeguard operations, said in the article. To use the analogy of ski slopes its a double black diamond run.
The force of the waves, said lifeguard Robert Dorr, is the equivalent of getting hit by a car.
Packed wet sand can be very unforgiving, said a 2013 study of beach injuries in Hawaii authored by A. T. Nathanson, a doctor at Brown Universitys medical school. Because bodyboarders and bodysurfers ride headfirst in a prone position, often in near-shore plunging waves, they are at particularly high risk for injuries to the cervical spine.
But these injuries can happen anywhere, including beaches near Washington. In a 2013 article published in Scientific American, doctors at Beebe Medical Center in Lewes, Del., reported keeping a count for a three-year period and coming up with 1,100 spinal injuries.
Although most were more minor, such as 400 dislocated shoulders, there were also three fatalities, said the article. And 55 of the total were cervical fractures, some of which may have resulted in paralysis. (They dont track people after theyve left the emergency room.)
Searching for a reason why the numbers were increasing, Cowan and others focused on beach sand replenishment, which is constant along the Atlantic coast from Delaware to the Carolinas. Adding new sand didnt merely widen the beaches, they found it made them higher, resulting in steep slopes that can cause large waves to break close to shore.
In other words, replenishment was doing to Delawares beaches what nature long ago did to Hawaiis Sandy Beach.
And surfing-related spinal injuries can happen to anyone. On a Facebook page, Todd Duitsman, of Seattle, is still documenting his recovery from a spinal injury he suffered on a Maui Beach last year. On the page, his friend Bary Gould, who witnessed the event, told a frighteningly familiar story.
As Todd and I floated, talked and waited for the next wave to ride in we passed up a couple of good sized waves knowing the next one might be bigger. We were right, the next wave that swelled up was bigger than any wave I had seen at Big Beach on that day or the two days we had been there prior. Todd said, Lets go bro! Todd swam hard to get into the sweet spot of the wave and he was right in front of it. The wave swelled to a huge height and Todd was right on top of it. The next thing I saw was Todd floating face down in the ocean. My initial thought was that he was joking around. Nevertheless, I swam/walked towards him. I grabbed him underneath his armpits and pulled him out of the water fully expecting him to crack up with that famous Todd laugh. I asked him if he was kidding and he replied with some words that I will never forget as long as I live, No bro, I cant move. Todd had gone head first from the highest height of the wave to the bottom of the ocean floor. As I continued to drag Todd toward the shore I saw a look on his face I had never seen before. Todd is fearless, Todd is confident, Todd is strong, Todd is positive, Todd is happy, Todd is in control. In that look I saw the opposite of Todd.
As for Yurik Resetnikov, he too knows his life will change. His wife, Lindsay, said they are preparing to relocate to Denvers Craig Hospital. Hes a popular, well-known guy on the Kohala Coast on the Big Island, and his friends have already raised $85,000 to help with the inevitably monumental expenses.
Lindsay and Yurik Resetnikov. (Courtesy of Lindsay Resetnikov) Lindsay and Yurik Resetnikov. (Courtesy of Lindsay Resetnikov)
Hes had significant damage to his spinal cord, she said. Hes pretty good. Hes got full cognitive functioning. Theyve just taken him off the vent. Hes breathing humidified oxygen. But he only has movement in his arm and some movement in his fingers. Theyd like to see a little bit more in his lower extremities.
And, yes, doctors are guarded when discussing Resetnikovs prognosis.
But theyre wrong all the time, his wife said.
Kate Sensenig, a student at Hawaii Preparatory Academy, is a Post stringer.
Fred Barbash, the editor of Morning Mix, is a former National Editor and London Bureau Chief for the Washington Post.
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Carl Icahn tackles tax reform with $150 million super PAC
Oct 22, 2015, 7:05am CDT
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Billionaire investor Carl Icahn, known for shaking things up in companies in his portfolio, now plans to take on Congress in a fight over tax reform.
Icahn said Wednesday he would commit at least $150 million to a new super PAC (political action committee) to advocate for changes in corporate tax law, the Wall Street Journal reports. Unlike candidates campaign organizations, super PACs can raise unlimited amounts from any donor.
Icahn is a prominent private equity investor and chairman of Icahn Enterprises, which invests in real estate, rail cars, metals and auto companies. He is the majority owner of St. Charles-based American Railcar Industries Inc.
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In a letter to high-profile members of Congress titled "Letter Discussing Desperately Needed Legislation," Icahn said the PAC would push for legislation that would block corporate "tax inversions," referring to when companies relocate to get lower tax rates, the Journal reports.
Icahn said more than 50 companies have left the U.S. in recent years, which cost the nation "over half a trillion dollars in market value, hundreds of millions in tax dollars, and tens of thousands of jobs."
While I plan to raise third-party funds, I believe my own commitment of $150 million to the PAC will be more than enough to make voters fully aware of the horrible consequences that will ensue if Congress fails to pass legislation immediately to stop these inversions,'" Icahn stated in the letter.
He didn't indicate if the super PAC would support individual candidates. Icahn released a video in September praising Republican presidential race front-runner Donald Trump, although didn't formally endorse him.
Among those who received the letter were Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R.-Kentucky), Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada), House Speaker John Boehner (Republican-Ohio) and members of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee, the Journal reports.
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Carl Icahn tackles tax reform with $150 million super PAC
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Billionaire investor Carl Icahn, known for shaking things up in companies in his portfolio, now plans to take on Congress in a fight over tax reform.
Icahn said Wednesday he would commit at least $150 million to a new super PAC (political action committee) to advocate for changes in corporate tax law, the Wall Street Journal reports. Unlike candidates campaign organizations, super PACs can raise unlimited amounts from any donor.
Icahn is a prominent private equity investor and chairman of Icahn Enterprises, which invests in real estate, rail cars, metals and auto companies. He is the majority owner of St. Charles-based American Railcar Industries Inc.
SPONSORED BY
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Lydia Bryant
Lydia Bryant
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Mark Schlafly
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Jason Cleary
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See More People on the Move
In a letter to high-profile members of Congress titled "Letter Discussing Desperately Needed Legislation," Icahn said the PAC would push for legislation that would block corporate "tax inversions," referring to when companies relocate to get lower tax rates, the Journal reports.
Icahn said more than 50 companies have left the U.S. in recent years, which cost the nation "over half a trillion dollars in market value, hundreds of millions in tax dollars, and tens of thousands of jobs."
While I plan to raise third-party funds, I believe my own commitment of $150 million to the PAC will be more than enough to make voters fully aware of the horrible consequences that will ensue if Congress fails to pass legislation immediately to stop these inversions,'" Icahn stated in the letter.
He didn't indicate if the super PAC would support individual candidates. Icahn released a video in September praising Republican presidential race front-runner Donald Trump, although didn't formally endorse him.
Among those who received the letter were Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R.-Kentucky), Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada), House Speaker John Boehner (Republican-Ohio) and members of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee, the Journal reports.
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Oct 27, 2015 22:49:23 #
This is heartbreaking:
A little guy and some thought provoking facts:
Where has my country gone?
Hello. Dont recognize me? Thats OK; I understand.
My name was Antonio West. I was the child who was shot in the face at point blank range by two black teens, who were attempting to rob my mother, who was also shot.
I think my murder and my mommys wounding made the news for maybe a day, and then disappeared.
A Grand Jury of my mommy's peers from Brunswick , Georgia ruled the black teens who murdered me will not face the death penalty... too bad it was me who got the death sentence from my killers instead, because Mommy didnt have the money they demanded.
See, my family made the mistake of being white in a 73% non-white neighborhood, but my murder wasnt ruled a hate crime.
Oh, and President Obama didnt take a single moment to acknowledge my murder. He couldnt have any children who could possibly look like me - so why should he care?
Im one of the youngest murder victims in our great Nation's history, but the media didnt care to cover the story of my being killed in cold blood.
There isnt a white equivalent of Al Sharpton, because if there were he would be branded a racist. So no ones rushing to Brunswick , Georgia to demonstrate and demand justice for me. Theres no White Panther party, either, to put a bounty on the lives of the two black teens who murdered me.
I have no voice, I have no representation, and unlike those who shot me in the face while I sat innocently in my stroller - I no longer have my life.
Isnt this a great country?
So while youre out seeking justice for Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, please remember to seek justice for me. Tell your friends about me, tell you families, get tee-shirts with my face on them, and make the world pay attention, just like you did for Trayvon.
I wont hold my breath, I dont have to anymore.
Part II:
7/18- Jimmie Norman, white male murdered by black male. No national news.
7/18- Terry Taylor, white male murdered by black male. No national news ​.
7/17- Cindy Raygoza, white female murdered by black male. No national news.
7/11- Luis Aguilar, 91 year old hispanic male murdered by black male. No national news ​.
7/10- Brittany Simpson, white female murdered by black male. No national news
7/6- Sarah Goode, white female murdered by black male. No national news.
7/6- Jeffrey Westerfield, white male murdered by black male. No national news.
7/5- Perry Renn, white male murdered by black male. No national news.
7/3- Laurey Kennedy, white female still in coma from beating by black male. No national news
7/3 Eric Mollet, white male murdered by black male. No national news.
7/2 Rupert Anderson, white male murdered by black male. No national news.
7/2 Jennifer Kingeter, white female murdered by black male. No national news.
6/30 Jim Brennan, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/29 Paul Shephard, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/27 Shirley Barone, white female, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/27 Penelope Spencer, white female, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/27 Inga Evans, white female, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/26 Jake Rameau, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/25 Gina Burger, white female, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/24 Nathan Dasher, white male, murdered by black male. No national news
6/22 Jonathan Price, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/20 John Whitmore, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/18 John Yingling,white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/17 Allyn Reeves, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/15 Michael Beaver, white male, murdered by black male. No national news
6/11 Angela Cook, white female, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/11 Nathan Hall, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/7 Harry Briggs, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/5 Laura Bachman, white female, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/2 Robert Mohler, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/1 William Headley, white male, murdered by black male. No national news
All this in just 48 days yet no national news. Want to know why?
Because this happens EVERY single day in America and we are used to it.
Yet a THUG getting shot by a Police Officer doing his job, 20 minutes after the THUG committed an assault and robbery, makes national news!
So why is this everyday phenomenal rate of blacks killing whites, not to mention the far worse rate at which blacks kill each other, generates riots or is addressed by black leaders as a problem within their community, but an occasional killing of a black by a white police officer, a black who is usually doing something dangerously criminal, becomes a riot?
When the statistics speak we see that there is an epidemic of violence coming from within the black community that seriously endangers the remainder of the population. So, where is the true injustice and tragedy?. . . . . . . .
We have a black president, a black attorney general and an irresponsible press committed to misleading the people of this country because it fits their liberal 'politically correct' agenda.
A little guy and some thought provoking facts:
Where has my country gone?
Hello. Dont recognize me? Thats OK; I understand.
My name was Antonio West. I was the child who was shot in the face at point blank range by two black teens, who were attempting to rob my mother, who was also shot.
I think my murder and my mommys wounding made the news for maybe a day, and then disappeared.
A Grand Jury of my mommy's peers from Brunswick , Georgia ruled the black teens who murdered me will not face the death penalty... too bad it was me who got the death sentence from my killers instead, because Mommy didnt have the money they demanded.
See, my family made the mistake of being white in a 73% non-white neighborhood, but my murder wasnt ruled a hate crime.
Oh, and President Obama didnt take a single moment to acknowledge my murder. He couldnt have any children who could possibly look like me - so why should he care?
Im one of the youngest murder victims in our great Nation's history, but the media didnt care to cover the story of my being killed in cold blood.
There isnt a white equivalent of Al Sharpton, because if there were he would be branded a racist. So no ones rushing to Brunswick , Georgia to demonstrate and demand justice for me. Theres no White Panther party, either, to put a bounty on the lives of the two black teens who murdered me.
I have no voice, I have no representation, and unlike those who shot me in the face while I sat innocently in my stroller - I no longer have my life.
Isnt this a great country?
So while youre out seeking justice for Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, please remember to seek justice for me. Tell your friends about me, tell you families, get tee-shirts with my face on them, and make the world pay attention, just like you did for Trayvon.
I wont hold my breath, I dont have to anymore.
Part II:
7/18- Jimmie Norman, white male murdered by black male. No national news.
7/18- Terry Taylor, white male murdered by black male. No national news ​.
7/17- Cindy Raygoza, white female murdered by black male. No national news.
7/11- Luis Aguilar, 91 year old hispanic male murdered by black male. No national news ​.
7/10- Brittany Simpson, white female murdered by black male. No national news
7/6- Sarah Goode, white female murdered by black male. No national news.
7/6- Jeffrey Westerfield, white male murdered by black male. No national news.
7/5- Perry Renn, white male murdered by black male. No national news.
7/3- Laurey Kennedy, white female still in coma from beating by black male. No national news
7/3 Eric Mollet, white male murdered by black male. No national news.
7/2 Rupert Anderson, white male murdered by black male. No national news.
7/2 Jennifer Kingeter, white female murdered by black male. No national news.
6/30 Jim Brennan, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/29 Paul Shephard, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/27 Shirley Barone, white female, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/27 Penelope Spencer, white female, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/27 Inga Evans, white female, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/26 Jake Rameau, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/25 Gina Burger, white female, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/24 Nathan Dasher, white male, murdered by black male. No national news
6/22 Jonathan Price, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/20 John Whitmore, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/18 John Yingling,white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/17 Allyn Reeves, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/15 Michael Beaver, white male, murdered by black male. No national news
6/11 Angela Cook, white female, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/11 Nathan Hall, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/7 Harry Briggs, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/5 Laura Bachman, white female, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/2 Robert Mohler, white male, murdered by black male. No national news.
6/1 William Headley, white male, murdered by black male. No national news
All this in just 48 days yet no national news. Want to know why?
Because this happens EVERY single day in America and we are used to it.
Yet a THUG getting shot by a Police Officer doing his job, 20 minutes after the THUG committed an assault and robbery, makes national news!
So why is this everyday phenomenal rate of blacks killing whites, not to mention the far worse rate at which blacks kill each other, generates riots or is addressed by black leaders as a problem within their community, but an occasional killing of a black by a white police officer, a black who is usually doing something dangerously criminal, becomes a riot?
When the statistics speak we see that there is an epidemic of violence coming from within the black community that seriously endangers the remainder of the population. So, where is the true injustice and tragedy?. . . . . . . .
We have a black president, a black attorney general and an irresponsible press committed to misleading the people of this country because it fits their liberal 'politically correct' agenda.
Oct 28, 2015 14:08:58 #
Obama Tried To Tell A Big Lie To A Room Full Of Police Chiefs. He Got Caught Red Handed
Submitted by IWB, on October 28th, 2015
inShare
by Jack Davis, Western Journalism
He thought they would believe him
In the nimble rhetoric of President Obama, America is beset by rampant violence for which gun control is the only answer.
On Tuesday, he delivered a speech at the annual conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Chicago where he told police that they themselves are in danger because of the high availability of guns. He claimed that the rise in crime must be cured through gun control.
In states with high gun ownership, police officers are three times more likely to be murdered than in states with low gun ownership. So you know, more guns on the street do not make you or your community safer, he said.
Enter some facts: Gun ownership in America is at a record high. However, contrary to what the president might want one to believe, officers killed on duty dropped 38 percent from last year.
Obama also sought to use numbers to show the extent of gun violence by stating that since September 11, 2001, 400,000 people have died by guns.
Context is important here.
In 1970, there were about 4 violent crimes per 1,000 Americans. In 2014, there were 3.75 violent crimes per 1,000 Americans. America is essentially as safe today as when VW Beetles ruled the road and Simon and Garfunkel ruled the radio, Bob Owens wrote on Bearing Arms.
Barack Obama is blatantly fabricating a non-existent crisis in order to infringe upon our most basic and cherished rights, Owens concluded.
Although Obama remained fixated on guns as the greatest danger to police, others were more focused upon the so-called YouTube effect in which a video shows a police officer in an unfavorable light and it goes viral. This is followed by a liberal knee-jerk chorus of attacks on the police, often including the White House.
Our members are enraged at (Obamas) lack of support of law enforcement. Its clear that he has an agenda and unfortunately, the police are not part of his agenda, New England Police Benevolent Association Executive Director Jerry Flynn wrote in a letter printed last month in the Boston Herald.
Submitted by IWB, on October 28th, 2015
inShare
by Jack Davis, Western Journalism
He thought they would believe him
In the nimble rhetoric of President Obama, America is beset by rampant violence for which gun control is the only answer.
On Tuesday, he delivered a speech at the annual conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Chicago where he told police that they themselves are in danger because of the high availability of guns. He claimed that the rise in crime must be cured through gun control.
In states with high gun ownership, police officers are three times more likely to be murdered than in states with low gun ownership. So you know, more guns on the street do not make you or your community safer, he said.
Enter some facts: Gun ownership in America is at a record high. However, contrary to what the president might want one to believe, officers killed on duty dropped 38 percent from last year.
Obama also sought to use numbers to show the extent of gun violence by stating that since September 11, 2001, 400,000 people have died by guns.
Context is important here.
In 1970, there were about 4 violent crimes per 1,000 Americans. In 2014, there were 3.75 violent crimes per 1,000 Americans. America is essentially as safe today as when VW Beetles ruled the road and Simon and Garfunkel ruled the radio, Bob Owens wrote on Bearing Arms.
Barack Obama is blatantly fabricating a non-existent crisis in order to infringe upon our most basic and cherished rights, Owens concluded.
Although Obama remained fixated on guns as the greatest danger to police, others were more focused upon the so-called YouTube effect in which a video shows a police officer in an unfavorable light and it goes viral. This is followed by a liberal knee-jerk chorus of attacks on the police, often including the White House.
Our members are enraged at (Obamas) lack of support of law enforcement. Its clear that he has an agenda and unfortunately, the police are not part of his agenda, New England Police Benevolent Association Executive Director Jerry Flynn wrote in a letter printed last month in the Boston Herald.
Oct 31, 2015 16:39:16 #
Shortly after posting her column online, radio host John Cardillo publicly called her out, providing her with FBI crime statistics from 2014.
The numbers show there were a total of 11,961 homicides, but only 1,085 victims under the age of 18. Cardillo also noted many of the homicides involving teens and guns are crime-related.
The numbers show there were a total of 11,961 homicides, but only 1,085 victims under the age of 18. Cardillo also noted many of the homicides involving teens and guns are crime-related.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.