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Court
Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2017 - 11:47 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

>>>>Trump has least educated cabinet in 24 years

Hahahaha . . . I love that the opening photo is of a famous brain surgeon.

No . . really . . I know you tried.

By the way . . . while on academics (and I am sure you know that Mike Pompao graduated first in his class at West Point in Engineering and was the Law Review Editor when he went to the top of his Law School class at Harvard) . . . .what would you guess Obama's grades were when he attended Columbia University?

I'm not sure if you have read HIS book . . his VERY OWN WORDS . . . but, if not . . I'll give you a couple quotes to help you craft your guess.


quote:

I had learned not to care. I blew a few smoke rings, remembering those years. Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it. Not smack, though—Mickey, my potentional intiator had been just a little too eager for me to go through with that.





quote:

Junkie. Pothead. That’s where I’d be headed: the final, fatal role of the young would-be black man. Except the highs hadn’t been about that, me trying to prove what a down brother I was. Not by then anyway. I got just the opposite effect, something that could push questions of who I was out of my mind, something that could flatten out the landscape of my heart, blur the edges of my memory. I had discovered that it didn’t make any difference whether you smoked reefer in the white classmmate’s sparkling new van, or in the dorm room of some brother you’d met at the gym, or on the beach with a couple of Hawaiian kids who had dropped out of school and now spent most of their time looking for an excuse to brawl.




Let's be honest . . . he's never worked an honest day in his life and spent most of the last 8 years breaking about everything he touched.

Our social experiment failed miserably.
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Torquehd
Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2017 - 11:54 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Seriously? Before he's done anything? He's done more for US jobs BEFORE entering the whitehouse than zerobama did in 8 years.

Dude did you see the pictures of the crowds at the inauguration vs the small crowd of women holding signs with pictures of fisted cervixes? Come on, do better than that.
Someone helped him write his speech? Oh no!
His cabinet doesn't fit the crony politician format? yikes!
His speech was disrespectful to barack hussein obama? GOOD, it should have been! Compare the amount of professionalism Trump has extended to obama VS the amount of F-U that Obama has given America for the last 8 years.
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Aesquire
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 12:08 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Trump's inauguration is watched by 30.6 million viewers — 7 million fewer than Obama's first ceremony

That sounds about right for network tv. That doesn't include streaming, right? Network tv viewing is down. 7 million down? Check those numbers & get back to me.

CIA officers: Trump speech was disrespectful Ah! CNN. What a fall they have taken since their glory days during Desert Storm.

This is the problem with picking on ANY politician with crud from the intraweb. You are certain to eventually quote outright lies by the political enemies of the guy you are inclined to dislike. CNN currently has the trust levels of Pravda or handouts from the Westboro "baptist" "Church".

White House (Falsely) Declares Trump’s Inauguration Crowd The Largest In History

If so, what a bunch of marooons.

However, the "crowd count" figures have long been problematic..... aka not true most of the time.

I neither believe nor particularly care about what has been biased bullcrap for a decade plus. Seriously after over ten years of misinformation on this metric, it has zero meaning.

I think you have far too much glee in choosing picky little and doubtfully true stuff to protest/slander the New Guy.

If you see real, verifiable, bad action, by all means complain and you'll find I almost certainly agree. Heck, I'm ready to sign the impeachment petition if it's due.

But quote lies and you'll get the lack of respect you are due.

By all means slam them for the real stuff.

On the whole subject of Tweets.

I've already said that the President shouldn't Twit. I said that for Barry, I said it for Donald, and I'll say it for Brittany.

I fear WW-Last may start with a tweet.

Have you seen the stuff from the Russian's designated Anti-west spokesman? damn.

I'm near Luddite in my hatred for social media aggression syndrome and the meanness of folk on the web.

There used to be diplomacy, and well crafted Notes. Nothing Donald sends at 3:00 a.m. from the can is going to be a grand idea.
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Fb1
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 08:40 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)


quote:

Report: U.S. Announces Withdrawal From TPP Within 24 Hours of Trump Inauguration
By Sundance, 01/22/2017

Making good on a consistent campaign promise, and in absolute rebuke to the best laid plans of Tom Donohue [Chamber of Commerce], the Asian Pacific Nikkei reports:


quote:

WASHINGTON — Soon after President Donald Trump was sworn in, his administration announced the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade pact championed by former President Barack 0bama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The White House on Friday also wasted no time in declaring a renegotiation of the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. (more)



It would appear the economic plan continued before the actual nomination is proceeding according to a well-designed plan. The elimination of TPP is a complete rebuke of The Big Club.

Source, more: https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2017/01/22/re port-u-s-announces-withdrawal-from-tpp-within-24-h ours-of-trump-inauguration/
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Wiscokid
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 08:40 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

yes court because one idiot savant makes the factual statistic about the aggregate education of the group untrue, just as one snowflake makes climate change a fallacy! Why is it any time your guy is criticized all you can do is deflect and complain about Obama or Hillary?

Aesquire, you see no problems with conflicts of interest?

Ethics Lawyers Call Trump's Business Conflicts 'Nakedly Unconstitutional'
http://www.npr.org/2017/01/19/510574687/ethics-law yers-call-trumps-business-conflicts-nakedly-uncons titutional

Opinions: Trump’s ‘blind trust’ is neither blind nor trustworthy
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumps-bli nd-trust-is-neither-blind-nor-trustworthy/2016/11/ 15/6eeca1fc-aaa5-11e6-a31b-4b6397e625d0_story.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-cabinet- ethics_us_5880e8e4e4b0e3a7356770c1
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Fb1
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 08:52 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Isn't it interesting what the various mainstream "news" outlets decide on a daily basis is "newsworthy"?


quote:

Definitive CNN Gigapixel Image of Crowd During Trump Inauguration Speech Confirms Sean Spicer Correct
By Sundance, 01/21/2017


(Interactive Gigapixel Image HERE)

The New York Times and Trump Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, appear to be in an argument over the crowd attending the President Trump inauguration. In the politicized era of jaw-dropping media bias, fake news and constructed Potemkin villages, does this come as a surprise?

Generally speaking, most intellectually honest political followers/researchers already anticipated a massive amount of DC-based hostility in all things related to President Trump. After all, Hillary Clinton won the DC vote with 91%, and only 4% of DC residents supported Donald Trump –LINK–



...The behavior of federal employees in DC is nothing if not predictable. President Donald Trump is an existential threat to their interests; and, by extension, anyone who supports Donald Trump is antithetical to their interests. That is the correct background for the “optics” of crowd size.

However, all of that said – we can see a Gigapixel Image HERE - http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2017/01/politics/tr ump-inauguration-gigapixel/ - (we can zoom in/out and drag the image, etc.) of much of the area during President Trump’s speech and decide for yourselves.

Despite the shenanigans Sean Spicer was correct. The crowd grew significantly just as the event began. Yes, this was mostly due to the crowd being intentionally delayed from attending. Yes, tens of thousands of people could not get through the screenings. Yes, the federal workers and DC Park and Security leadership made attendance more difficult than any previous inauguration.

Yes, every imaginable tool and technique was utilized last week to provide the maximum level of crisis and discomfort...

...and yet, given the history of DC doing this with other events, this somehow surprises people?



Source, more: https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2017/01/21/de finitive-cnn-gigapixel-image-of-crowd-during-trump -inauguration-speech-confirms-sean-spicer-correct/
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Wiscokid
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 08:54 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

And this is what the first press conference in the WH consists of, pathetic?

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/01/sean-spicer -inauguration-statement-lies
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Torquehd
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 08:55 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Kim jong un is looking pretty dumb right now. Said he was going to nuke the inauguration. He must have slept through the alarm or something. (or maybe he doesn't have super awesome ICBMs like he thinks he does).
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Fb1
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 09:02 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVvgK_9uDVk
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Fb1
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 09:03 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbdUjp2Xmmk
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Aesquire
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 09:54 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

An ethical firewall?

I agree the Trump fortune should go into a blind trust. I'd even volunteer to serve as administrator for a nominal fee. Percentage of course, pay for performance. The American Way.

Holding the relatives in a state of promises of non communication? Lawyers.

By all means urge President Trump to hire me to solve your parroting National Pravda Radio's concerns.

Now excuse me "Wait, wait, don't tell me" show is about to start. I love npr. The leaders think Stalin could have made communism a success if only he'd been as smart as they are.

Heck, if it wasn't for the Russian hacking story they'd be urging Donald to offer Putin NATO.

Not membership, the whole thing. ; )
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Njloco
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 10:02 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

O.k. let me try get this straight, the same news agencies that would not turn their cameras around at neither Trump's nor Hillary's pre election campaign events, that tried to effect the election way more than Russia supposedly did, through false poll numbers, now you are going to bother debating whether or not they gave accurate information on attendance numbers, really ?

By the way my friends were there, they told me that there were thousands of people trying to get through security and due to this, many were not able to get to the inauguration!

That was on Friday prior to all this BS. I was supposed to go with them but being a wimp, I was in too much pain from physical therapy and had to bow out.

(Message edited by njloco on January 22, 2017)

(Message edited by njloco on January 22, 2017)
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Ducxl
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 10:19 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

The crowd size.....Everyone came out for the FREE SH*T promised them from Obama..NOW,the bills are due and paying bills is boring.Trump is tasked with paying the bills..Being fiscally conservative is boring,hence the possible low turnout.WE were off work and watched the coverage ALL day...Spending/charging credit is FUN (Democrats).Paying bills and saving money is boring (Republicans)...Does that make any sense?
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H0gwash
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 10:37 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Wisco- It will be a long 4 years of crazy at the very least, so dig in and get comfortable. Don't waste energy arguing points which used to be relevant until everything changed last year.

Focus your arguments on what most here value such as Christian/Western values, economic rehab of the Midwest, and gun control/Terrorism issues and maybe you will be taken more seriously.
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Aesquire
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 10:37 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

I don't care about much about the number of people involved.

http://www.nationalreview.com/g-file/444072/donald -trump-inauguration-calvin-coolidge-unwisdom-crowd s

I avoid potential Mobs, Don't do Black Friday, or will ever return to Daytona for whatever week, closest I come is Christmas eve at the Mall, but only if my shopping is done. I do enjoy the ironic spectacle of men's last minute frantic shopping... "I don't care if it's the store rack for bras, it's shiny and I have to buy SOMETHING!!"

I remember when the week after over a hundred thousand protested Bush & the conflict Hillary voted for, with special emphasis on illegal immigrants, they had a Pro-Bush rally in San Francisco, with a few thousand attending. When the organizer was asked why so few people showed up compared to the paid crowd before, he replied, "We have jobs, and go to class. Not all of us can take the time off."
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Njloco
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 10:47 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

The kid is really funny, these are your listed bikes, very nice list, way more than what I've got, I'm sure you really know your buells.

Bike Model (Ex - M2, XB12Rr, S1W, P3):

Here's what we're going to do, since your very concerned with climate change, and social justice, we're going to take all but one of them from you, then we are going to give the bikes we take from you to people that are not as well off as you are but, don't worry, you can pick the bike you want to keep.

P.S. we're not paying you for the bikes we take but, I'm sure you don't mind since you'll be contributing to the liberal cause and, helping out someone who doesn't want to work for stuff they get.


(Message edited by njloco on January 22, 2017)
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Wiscokid
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 11:14 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Come and get um NJ...

So who is ready to discuss term of our bet?
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Aesquire
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 11:25 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Ah! A true communist distribution scheme.

Fully prepared to send armed troops door to door to steal the peasant's property & slaughter those who resist? Classic aristocratic arrogance and compassion.

No, don't think that'll work. Doubt even Hillary would take such a leap without first scrapping the First and Second amendments. That was/is ongoing.

I'm not going to debate the anti-Trump media's truthfulness. It's lacking. I've watched for years this exact same propaganda ploy. Declaring that a D.C. protest/celebration crowd is bigger for their favorites and tiny for the enemy, because the bigger crowd conveys imaginary legitimacy. They have zero credibility.

Would you believe the VA when they tell you they've solved wait times and quickly treat their customers? Wasn't true the last time. They still are stonewalling on treating the many exposed to the poison gas in Iraq.

Zero credibility.

I won't debate lies. I question them.

Btw, if there isn't a purge, and criminal prosecution of the VA administrators that got bonuses for fake statistics, I will be very angry.

Btw... since Barry broke the law on Congressional staffers & Obamacare, my recommendation is to move congress over to the VA and eliminate their other options.

If that doesn't fix it...... of course they would try to create an elite service just for themselves. That should be a capital crime.
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Wiscokid
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 11:25 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Aesquire you rally so hard against communism but you have no problem with our prez being buddies with an ex-KGB agent? Do you think Putin is a good democracy loving person? And come on the ethics issue is bigger than anything under Obama but y'all gonna just say..."but Bama!" We live in a post-fact world any you guys dive right in. Can anybody find where the links I listed are not facts? (well some are clearly opinion)
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Sifo
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 11:33 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

The issue of conflict of interest with his businesses bothers me. I really hope we don't see things like no bid contracts being given to his businesses.

OTOH, there is no requirement that the President divest himself from his businesses. Far from it. Historically, Presidents would serve their term and returned home to their businesses. I have no problem with diligence in watching for things that give unfair advantage to his businesses. The sad reality is that we are far to lax in this regard when it come to campaign donors.

The difficulty with Trump is that he has been very successful. His business empire spreads far and wide. It will be virtually impossible to do anything that promotes business growth in general, that doesn't also provide advantage to Trump subsidiaries. Of course, that is the wrong thing to guard against. What must be prevented, is dealings that are specific to Trumps holdings. For crying out loud, he was put into office on the "make America great again" slogan. He was talking about business growth. Of course his empire will benefit from that. No doubt the left will cry gallons of high quality assault rifle lubricant over that. I have no doubt that the next 4 years will be full of congress critters trying to find illegal dealings. Honestly, it would be pure foolishness for Trump to engage in such things. He simply doesn't have the need for it. If he does it, burn him down. If it's something like governmental visitors staying at his Washington hotel, that was built to take advantage of such visitors, you really have to just get over it. The early indications though, are that the progressives can't get over it though. It should be very entertaining.
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Cityxslicker
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 11:33 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Putin was elected.
Even the Soviets had Voting.

The only bigger lying shill than Obama is the Climate Change BS
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Sifo
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 11:42 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

H0gwash, you and have have plenty to disagree about. Let me say this about you though. You are a credit to those who lean left.



So who is ready to discuss term of our bet?
Get something set up to assure payment, and I've already said I'm in. I've offered suggestions. Once we can assure payment, we can discuss the details.
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Njloco
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 11:46 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Let's see, fact one, Prez and Putin are best buddies, only they've not only never met but have never even spoke to each other !

Ethics under O ?, How about Fast and Furious, we can start with just this one.

Kid, your living in the wrong place, move to one of the coasts, you'll be much happier being amongst your own, come to NJ, you'll love it here.

We're not going to come get your bikes, your going to ship them voluntarily to the people the Gov't decides to give them too, and your going to pay for it. If you don't, the Gov't is going to tax the crap out of you until you do, or we'll just confiscate your tax returns every year until you comply !

How much $ ?

(Message edited by njloco on January 22, 2017)
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Sifo
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 11:46 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

About the supposed small crowds for the inauguration, I sure don't see pictures of the empty spaces.
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Court
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 12:08 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Or come to New York . . . you'll enjoy it here also.


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Wiscokid
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 01:00 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

no connections with Putin?

http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/28/politics/donald-trum p-vladimir-putin-quotes/

And I love how Obama is weak for not going to war over Crimea but Trump talking favorably bout him is a good thing to you guys.

Sifo your on. 1K. I know a couple likely mutual acquaintances... but I'm not sure they want to to be involved, so yeah how do we find a 3rd party mediator.
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Reindog
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 01:06 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Blowing off steam on Badweb might seem free, but it isn't. Make sure you make a donation, preferably monthly, to keep Badweb afloat, no matter your political persuasion.
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H0gwash
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 01:12 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

*Whew* I beat that reminder by only hours!!!

Badweb has lost its private corporate sponsors in this economy and our freedom of speech on this website is not quite as free anymore.

Donations are easily made by paypal-ing Support@BadWeatherBikers.com

The original thread is here http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/406 2/785312.html

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

(Message edited by h0gwash on January 22, 2017)
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Court
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 01:19 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

>>>And I love how Obama is weak

Not sure that I "Loved" the fact that Obama was so weak . . . but it was entertaining. He was so far out of his league that he was constantly getting played.

My favorite is when he basically said to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev . . "don't hurt me, the moment I get reflected I'll do what you want".


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Wiscokid
Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 - 01:35 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

So what's wrong with that, your fine with the things Trump has said, right court?

"I think I'd get along very well with Vladimir Putin. I just think so," Trump said in one of his first comments about the Russian leader since launching his presidential bid last June.

"Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!" Trump


When Trump sat for an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos shortly after the Democratic National Convention, Stephanopoulos brought up the topic. Trump told Stephanopoulos that he didn’t have a relationship with Putin.

Stephanopoulos challenged him on this -- and the host was on solid ground. Trump’s denial of a relationship with Putin contradicted what he had said on multiple previous occasions.

Prior to early 2016, Trump seemed to tout his ties to the Russian leader. Trump, a lifelong businessman, boasted of foreign policy experience based on his experience hosting the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow in 2013. For instance, during an interview with Fox News on May 6, 2016, Trump told host Bret Baier, "I know Russia well. I had a major event in Russia two or three years ago, Miss Universe contest, which was a big, big, incredible event. An incredible success."

But the closeness Trump claims to Putin-era Russia has prompted questions from critics, including foreign policy professionals in both parties. The U.S. government sees Russia as a geopolitical rival and Putin in particular as a sometimes problematic force in international relations.

Trump’s seeming fondness for Putin has worried critics in both parties.

For instance, Trump took flak a few days before the Stephanopoulos interview after he seemed to encourage Russia to spy on the United States in order to find thousands of Hillary Clinton’s emails. "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing," he said. "I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press," Trump said during a news conference in Florida."

So, facing growing questions about the wisdom of attaching his star to Putin’s, has Trump changed his position on whether the two have had a relationship? Here’s a closer look.

Trump’s earlier comments suggesting a relationship with Putin

Here are four occasions between 2013 and 2015 when Trump touted his ties to Putin.

• When Thomas Roberts of MSNBC asked Trump, "Do you have a relationship with Vladimir Putin? A conversational relationship or anything that you feel you have sway or influence over his government?" Trump responded, "I do have a relationship, and I can tell you that he's very interested in what we're doing here today. He's probably very interested in what you and I am saying today, and I'm sure he's going to be seeing it in some form." -- interview, November, 2013

• "You know, I was in Moscow a couple of months ago. I own the Miss Universe Pageant and they treated me so great. Putin even sent me a present, a beautiful present." -- address at the CPAC conference, March 2014

• "Russia does not respect our country any longer. They see we've been greatly weakened, both militarily and otherwise, and he certainly does not respect President Obama. So what I would do—as an example, I own Miss Universe, I was in Russia, I was in Moscow recently and I spoke, indirectly and directly, with President Putin, who could not have been nicer, and we had a tremendous success. The show was live from Moscow, and we had tremendous success there and it was amazing, but to do well, you have to get the other side to respect you, and he does not respect our president, which is very sad." -- address at the National Press Club, May 2014

• "As far as the Ukraine is concerned … if Putin wants to go in -- and I got to know him very well because we were both on 60 Minutes. We were stablemates, and we did very well that night." -- portion of an answer at the Fox Business News debate, Nov. 2015. (The notion that the two men appeared together on 60 Minutes has been debunked. As Time magazine put it succinctly, "In fact, they weren’t even on the same continent.")

The Stephanopoulos interview

Recently, though, Trump has changed his tune.

Here are excerpts from the Trump-Stephanopoulos interview, which aired on ABC’s This Week on July 31.

Stephanopoulos: "Let's talk about Russia. You made a lot of headlines with Russia this week. What exactly is your relationship with Vladimir Putin?"

Trump: "I have no relationship to -- with him. I have no relationship with him."

Stephanopoulos: "But if you have no relationship with Putin, then why did you say in 2013, I do have a relationship. In 2014, I spoke…"

Trump: "Because he has said nice things about me over the years. I remember years ago, he said something -- many years ago, he said something very nice about me. I said something good about him when Larry King was on. This was a long time ago. And I said he is a tough cookie or something to that effect. He said something nice about me. This has been going on. We did 60 Minutes together. By the way, not together-together, meaning he was probably shot in Moscow…."

Stephanopoulos: "Well, he was in Moscow…."

Trump: "And I was shot in New York."

Stephanopoulos: "You were in New York. But that's the thing."

Trump: "No, just so you understand, he said very nice things about me, but I have no relationship with him. I don't -- I've never met him. … I have no relationship with Putin. I don't think I've ever met him. I never met him. … I mean if he's in the same room or something. But I don't think so. ..."

Stephanopoulos: "You've never spoken to him on the phone?"

Trump: "I have never spoken to him on the phone, no. … Well, I don't know what it means by having a relationship. I mean he was saying very good things about me, but I don't have a relationship with him. I didn't meet him. I haven't spent time with him. I didn't have dinner with him. I didn't go hiking with him. I don't know -- and I wouldn't know him from Adam except I see his picture and I would know what he looks like."

Also, on July 27, Trump said at a press conference in Florida, "I never met Putin -- I don't know who Putin is. He said one nice thing about me. He said I'm a genius. I said thank you very much to the newspaper and that was the end of it. I never met Putin."

For the record: Media outlets have said the more accurate translation for what Putin said was "flamboyant," rather than "genius," and Putin subsequently confirmed that he was trying to indicate "flamboyant" when he made his his remark.
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