patrick.net

Good point:

Now, anyone questioning Mr. Trump’s legitimacy will be accused of being unpatriotic — because that’s what people on the right always say about anyone who criticizes a Republican president. (Strangely, they don’t say this about attacks on Democratic presidents.) But patriotism means standing up for your country’s values, not pledging personal allegiance to Dear Leader.

No, we shouldn’t get into the habit of delegitimizing election results we don’t like. But this time really is exceptional, and needs to be treated that way.

Trump's infantile tit for tat behavior is going to be his undoing.

marcus says

never sacrificed anything or taken a risk to help others

Cleverly worded to dismiss his philanthropy.

marcus says

Trump's infantile tit for tat behavior is going to be his undoing.

Turnabout is fair play. Sorry, the days of slinging mud and expecting nothing but lavender perfume in return is over.

T L Lipsovich says

Cleverly worded to dismiss his philanthropy.

You mean like that time he took credit for some big fundraising that he didn't even contribute to ? Having the balls to sit up on stage with Rudy as if he deserved some credit for the giving done by others ?

Please elaborate on his philanthropy.

T L Lipsovich says

Sorry, the days of slinging mud and expecting nothing but lavender perfume in return is over.

I would suggest we're over as a country if that's how our leaders behave. Trump is unique in that he rose to power in part becasue of tabloid journalism fascination with his unusual combination of personality problems. But that doesn't mean that he can flourish in a role as our distinguished leader that requires class and self discipline that he simply does not posses.

marcus says

Please elaborate on his philanthropy.

You can start here, 93 pages on his most recent donations to charity. Here is a screenshot of a tiny fraction of it, about half of the first page:

http://archive.is/VAr7u

More Fake News from the Media, giving the impression he's a "Miser".

marcus says

I would suggest we're over as a country if that's how our leaders behave.

I think the days of a handful of multibillion dollar Oligarch-run Corporate News Outlets running the show is over. I hope in the new, expanded Press Room we will see smaller outlets, more local outlets, more foreign outlets, as well as bloggers and radio outlets with regular listeners in the millions.

The Legacy Media is trying to defend their privileges, such as the right to determine who gets to sit where in the West Wing Press Room. From now on, it'll be first come first served. Get to the show early if you want to sit in the front row, and the doors close promptly when the Press Secretary or other official begins the Briefing or News Conference.

marcus says

who has never sacrificed anything or taken a risk to help others

Nobody never did tell me what it was that Obama organized, that he was so stellar at it got him elected.

community organizer my ass!

T L Lipsovich says

http://archive.is/VAr7u

More Fake News from the Media, giving the impression he's a "Miser".

102 million in 5 years. I'll agree that's something. If he's really worth 10 billion, then that means in 5 years he gave a total of one percent (or .002 of his net worth per year. OF course he's not, he's worth less, so maybe he was giving 1% per year. But I'm still not all that impressed. How could someone have as much as he and live the way he does and not give to charity ? Krugman was talking more I think about his priorities.

Tenpoundbass says

Nobody never did tell me what it was that Obama organized

I reckon everyone always told you that the record is there of what he did for the three years 1985 - 1988.

Obama was hired in Chicago as director of the Developing Communities Project, a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Roseland, West Pullman, and Riverdale on Chicago's South Side. He worked there as a community organizer from June 1985 to May 1988.

That was before law school. Probably that reading issue again.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama

"But, in that massive list, one thing was missing.

Not a single one of those donations was actually a personal gift of Trump’s own money."

From the article TLL Lips posted.

https://archive.is/ciy9d#selection-6479.0-6485.87

Nor has Trump donated any of his money to his own foundation from 2009 to 2014 (most recent tax filings)

Quite a philanthropist, indeed.

I worked at Burger king but I didn't invent the Whopper.

I didn't realize that. I thought it was his giving, not his foundation's.

Missing from Trump’s list of charitable giving: His own personal cash

Trump's Charitable Contributions
Just another Republican Socialist Ponzi.
Trump didn't give away $63.8 million.
He gave away $63.8 million of other people money.

Where's 50 years of tax returns ?
Show us what the actual amount of personal gifts to charity were.

The real charity is the Republican SOCIALIST Govt. supporting how many
FAILURE Rep/Con/Tea/Neo-Nazis sucking the govt teat & using the tax dollar infrastructure.
THEY DIDN"T BUILD THAT.

How's that foot taste,Republicans?

"Paul Krugman"

That says it all. Do you really think you need to read another word?

P N Dr Lo R says

That says it all. Do you really think you need to read another word?

I know you wouldn't. Too much truth.

Now, how much of the Clinton Foundation is the Clinton's own money since 2000? hahahhahah

A big facet of fake news is reporting on one side but not the other. How many articles written in the past year or so about how pretty much every dollar 'contributed' by the Clinton Foundation/Global Initiative came from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Various Hedge Funders, etc.?

And, does Chelsea work for free on the Foundation the way Trump's Kids do?

T L Lipsovich says

Now, how much of the Clinton Foundation is the Clinton's own money since 2000? hahahhahah

Who said it was ? Nobody.

You're the one though that wanted to claim that giving done by the Trump foundation was giving done by him with his money.

T L Lipsovich says

A big facet of fake news is reporting on one side but not the other.

You're being an idiot now becasue you screwed up. Nobody has tried to claim that the Clinton Foundation is donating Bill or Hiallries money. But it was a foundation that Bill Clinton built to try to do good by using his post Presidential influence for good. That is something that can be ego driven and at the same time a force for good.

T L Lipsovich says

And, does Chelsea work for free on the Foundation the way Trump's Kids do?

Who cares ? The Trump kid's father is a 70 year old man that is supposedly worth $10 billion. Donald juniors net worth is at least 10 times that of Chelsea, in spite of the fact that much of Chelsea's net worth can be attributed to her investment banker husband.

marcus says

You're being an idiot now becasue you screwed up. Nobody has tried to claim that the Clinton Foundation is donating Bill or Hiallries money. But it was a foundation that Bill Clinton built to try to do good by using his post Presidential influence for good. That is something that can be ego driven and at the same time a force for good.

Why do we have to be reminded upteen times about Trumps Foundation and where it did or didn't get the money, but we're told "Oh, the Clinton Foundation did this and that" without being reminded upteen times they're spending everybody else's money.

I know one organization Trump donated $100MK to, hehehehhe

T L Lipsovich says

Why do we have to be reminded upteen times about Trumps Foundation and where it did or didn't get the money

I wouldn't mention it if you weren't trying to claim it as Trumps personal charitable giving.

T L Lipsovich says

Why do we have to be reminded upteen times about Trumps Foundation and where it did or didn't get the money, but we're told "Oh, the Clinton Foundation did this and that" without being reminded upteen times they're spending everybody else's money.

The only reason anyone talks about the Clinton Foundation doing this or that is because folks like you keep bringing it us in the pay for play context.

And, please let me know, how long until you stop comparing everything Trump does with what Clinton "would have" done? You must have been a joy as a child. You bring home a D on a test--oh yeah? Johnny got an F. Get a detention--oh yeah, Jack got two detentions.

Your defense of Trump has boiled down to--well, he's not the worst person in the world. (yet)

marcus says

I reckon everyone always told you that the record is there of what he did for the three years 1985 - 1988.

Obama was hired in Chicago as director of the Developing Communities Project, a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Roseland, West Pullman, and Riverdale on Chicago's South S

You know Bill Graham was a hell of promoter organizer, you can quantify his effort with names of events.
He did a hell of a lot more than worked at Filmore west.

He probably organized and agitated the Abortion Clinic bombings in the 80's and 90's that would fit his MO.
And just like the Rabbles he creates to beat back constituents, those rabbles die and quietly disperse after the potlical event passes.
Strangely the abortion clinic bombings went away after Clinton got elected.

I would be too ashamed to brag about the things I organized and be very vague and ambigious when I talked about them too if I were Obama, knowing his methods.

It's not cute fuzzy hug your kids type of shit that Kenyan terrorists plays in.

joeyjojojunior says

The only reason anyone talks about the Clinton Foundation doing this or that is because folks like you keep bringing it us in the pay for play context.

Yeah, no basis in reality, right? Funny how after she lost the election, Australia, Norway, etc. all announced they were halting their donations.

joeyjojojunior says

And, please let me know, how long until you stop comparing everything Trump does with what Clinton "would have" done? You must have been a joy as a child. You bring home a D on a test--oh yeah? Johnny got an F. Get a detention--oh yeah, Jack got two detentions.

Because after the Democratic Leadership and Concentrated Corporate Media convinced enough Dem Primary Voters to reject Bernie, she was the alternative.

When you say "Trump shouldn't have been elected", then that means the only remotely likely possibility was Hillary Clinton. So it's important to contrast the two and totally relevant. A comparison to a idealized, nameless democrat stand in for Hillary is not relevant

T L Lipsovich says

Funny how after she lost the election, Australia, Norway, etc. all announced they were halting their donations.

Not that funny nor surprising how there was a campaign that changed a lot of people's opinion of her, based on little more than propaganda. And sure, some probably did contribute in hopes of being in her good graces. Sometimes that doesn't mean much more than hobnobbing or getting invited to spend a night in the Lincoln bedroom or whatever.

You're simply interpreting this the way you want.

Even if the rumor of pay for play if totally false would hurt the Clinton Foundation, especially after she loses the election in part becasue of all the made up dirt and also the somewhat real dirt about her email server etc.

People like a winner. Apparently that's why dimbulb Americans were impressed when Trump said repeatedly, "I'm really rich !"

joeyjojojunior says

Your defense of Trump has boiled down to--well, he's not the worst person in the world. (yet)

He never took millions from Russian companies and soon afterwards let them buy up huge quantities of strategic uranium.

marcus says

Funny how there was a campaign that radically changed a lot of people's pinion of her, based on little more than propaganda. And sure, some probably did contribute in hopes of being in her good graces. Like getting invited to spend a night in the Lincoln bedroom or whatever.

You mean her leaked emails?

By the way, it was announced that if she won, the Clinton Foundation was going to stop receiving foreign donations. Probably they sent out announcements about this. So maybe some of the drop is about that, considering the fact that it was announced soon after the election. But I'm sure most is about her bad press and the pay for play claims.

After pay-to-play allegations, being put on a charity watchdog’s “watch list” last year, and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, it’s not surprising that donations to the Clinton Foundation have suffered a steep decline.

According to the group’s most recent tax filing, contributions dropped 37 percent to $108 million, which is down from $172 million in 2014.

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2016/11/21/clinton-foundation-donations-suffer-steep-decline-n2248676

HEY YOU says

FAILURE Rep/Con/Tea/Neo-Nazis sucking the govt teat & using the tax dollar infrastructure.

THEY DIDN"T BUILD THAT.

I really have a hard time believing that you owned a business for 40 years

T L Lipsovich says

Because after the Democratic Leadership and Concentrated Corporate Media convinced enough Dem Primary Voters to reject Bernie, she was the alternative.

Why do you compare him to anyone? When I say Trump is corrupt--the answer should either be "no he isn't", or "I know, I'm pissed". It shouldn't be--oh yeah, well so is John Gotti. Who cares? There is only one President Elect.

T L Lipsovich says

When you say "Trump shouldn't have been elected",

I'm not saying Trump shouldn't have been elected. I'm saying various things about Trump's character and decisions that show he is a very different person that most people thought when they voted for him.

joeyjojojunior says

I'm not saying Trump shouldn't have been elected. I'm saying various things about Trump's character and decisions that show he is a very different person that most people thought when they voted for him.

Like what?

marcus says

Apparently, his talents even right out of college were enough to land him the job of director of a little non profit community organization(funded by churches), which was more of a good experience than something he got paid very well for.

You mean in Chicago where Blogovitch sold political offices? You're story sounds plausible except for the sheer contempt Obama has shown for the Church.

MMR says

HEY YOU says

FAILURE Rep/Con/Tea/Neo-Nazis sucking the govt teat & using the tax dollar infrastructure.


THEY DIDN"T BUILD THAT.

I really have a hard time believing that you owned a business for 40 years

i guess selling drugs in the ghetto is also considered a "business" these days

@marcus - you're being judgmental and petty.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/us/politics/26taxes.html

The Obamas’ returns are striking on a number of levels. They show that the couple made very few charitable contributions, sometimes less than 1 percent of taxable income, until Mr. Obama began his run for the White House.

In 2004, before Mr. Obama entered the Senate, he and his wife gave $2,500 to charity, 1.2 percent of the taxable income.

Tenpoundbass says

You're story sounds plausible except for the sheer contempt Obama has shown for the Church

That's silly. A community service organization funded by catholic churches is just a likely to hire an atheist to run it as a jew or a catholic. Guess what, hospitals that are run by the catholic church also don't have any religious requirements for doctors they hire. I don't think you know much about the catholic church do you.