Trump & Putin

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July 25th, 2016 at 8:38:08 AM permalink
reno
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 58
Posts: 1384
Donald Trump really likes Vladimir Putin.

"It is always a great honor to be so nicely complimented by [Putin], a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond," the reality TV star said last December.

Ah yes, a great honor. But isn't Putin a murderer?

Quote: Politico
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough asked the candidate if he had concerns about praise from “a person that kills journalists and political opponents and invades countries.” Trump was unfazed. “He’s running his country and at least he’s a leader. You know, unlike what we have in this country,” he said. And when ABC’s George Stephanopoulos pressed him on the point a few days later, Trump stood firm. “It’s never been proven that he’s killed anybody. So, you know, you’re supposed to be innocent until proven guilty,” Trump said.


I might be wrong, but perhaps Trump's kind words for Putin are directly related to the fact that Trump owes hundreds of millions of dollars to several wealthy Russians with ties to Putin.

Quote: Washington Post
Since the 1980s, Trump and his family members have made numerous trips to Moscow in search of business opportunities, and they have relied on Russian investors to buy their properties around the world.

Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets,” Trump’s son, Donald Jr., told a real estate conference in 2008.... “We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.”


And in Cleveland, when it was time for the Trump campaign to negotiate the GOP platform with Republican party activists, Trump's team was happy to sign off on every plank in the platform. Unlike every other modern convention, (Dem or GOP) there were no battles or disputes about the platform.

Quote: Talking Points Memo
The Trump Camp was totally indifferent to the platform. So party activists were able to write one of the most conservative platforms in history. Not with Trump's backing but because he simply didn't care. With one big exception: Trump's team mobilized the nominee's traditional mix of cajoling and strong-arming on one point: changing the party platform on assistance to Ukraine against Russian military operations in eastern Ukraine...The single-mindedness of this focus on this one issue - in the context of total indifference to everything else in the platform - speaks volumes.


Are Trump's close ties to Ru$$ia a problem?



[Photo: Donald Trump in Moscow]
July 25th, 2016 at 9:02:51 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: reno
Are Trump's close ties to Ru$$ia a problem?


Much was made about JFK's religion, as though because he was Catholic he might show allegiance to a foreign leader rather than to his country. That was stretching a prejudice too far.

In this case, though, it would be good to know what Trump owes to whom inside Russia, and how that debt is structured. But I don't expect any information from the man who hasn't even released his tax returns.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
July 25th, 2016 at 9:13:57 AM permalink
kenarman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 14
Posts: 4459
Quote: Nareed
Much was made about JFK's religion, as though because he was Catholic he might show allegiance to a foreign leader rather than to his country. That was stretching a prejudice too far.

In this case, though, it would be good to know what Trump owes to whom inside Russia, and how that debt is structured. But I don't expect any information from the man who hasn't even released his tax returns.


Ah come on Nareed you know that rich people don't ever pay any taxes. Thus no tax return ;-)
"but if you make yourselves sheep, the wolves will eat you." Benjamin Franklin
July 25th, 2016 at 2:17:48 PM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: kenarman
Ah come on Nareed you know that rich people don't ever pay any taxes. Thus no tax return ;-)


I wish the orange clown would say that. He'd get into so much trouble in the media, he'd need Dan Quayle to make a clever excuse for him.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
July 27th, 2016 at 9:15:37 AM permalink
reno
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 58
Posts: 1384
Quote: Nareed
In this case, though, it would be good to know what Trump owes to whom inside Russia, and how that debt is structured. But I don't expect any information from the man who hasn't even released his tax returns.


Don't you worry, Nareed! Trump's refusal to release his tax returns has nothing to do with Russia!

Quote: Fox Business
Manafort said on CBS on Wednesday that Trump's hesitance to release his tax returns has nothing to do with Russia. Asked to clarify that Trump has no financial relationships with any Russian oligarchs, Manafort responded, "That's what he said. ... That's obviously what our position is."


Either Trump has something to hid in those taxes, or he just enjoys the drama of teasing the dumb voters.

Quote: Talking Points Memo
But even the slightest suspicion that there is a connection between Trump’s business interests and his stands on Russia and Putin strengthens what is already an ironclad case for demanding that Trump disclose whatever financial interests he has that relate to Russia – and in particular any debts or obligations that he might have to the Russian business or government. It’s about conflict of interest.

Every member of Congress and most state or even local legislators are subject to rules about conflict of interest and have to disclose their holdings so that it can be seen whether these interests have affected his decision-making. According to federal law (18 U.S. Code §208) , officials should not even participate in decisions whether they or any members of their family have a financial interest. And it’s a long held presumption that presidential candidates should eliminate even the appearance of conflict of interest by disclosing their tax returns.


Wouldn't it benefit Trump to eliminate the slightest suspicion that he's Putin's puppet? Surely there's nothing buried in Trump's taxes that's much worse than the shenanigans buried in Hillary's taxes. But maybe I'm wrong...
July 27th, 2016 at 10:00:08 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: reno
Don't you worry, Nareed! Trump's refusal to release his tax returns has nothing to do with Russia!


I'm sure it doesn't.

Just like his antipathy towards a US-born judge of Mexican parents is clearly and obviously a statement against illegal immigration.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
July 27th, 2016 at 10:22:16 AM permalink
reno
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 58
Posts: 1384
Conservatives argue that the Lois Lerner IRS scandal proves that the IRS has occasionally abused its power for political reasons. (For the record, I agree that conservatives were right about Lerner.)

So it's not an unreasonable conspiracy theory for Republicans to be worried that an IRS employee might leak Trump's tax returns to the media to sabotage his campaign. If it turns out that there are indeed financial ties to Russian billionaires, (all of whom are friends of Putin) then that would completely change the context of Trump's plan to disband NATO.

Trump would either lose the election or be impeached.
July 27th, 2016 at 10:57:08 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: reno
So it's not an unreasonable conspiracy theory for Republicans to be worried that an IRS employee might leak Trump's tax returns to the media to sabotage his campaign.


If people think his tax returns are so damning they'd derail his campaign, and I doubt they are, then all the more reason he should release them now.

Quote:
If it turns out that there are indeed financial ties to Russian billionaires, (all of whom are friends of Putin) then that would completely change the context of Trump's plan to disband NATO.

Trump would either lose the election or be impeached.


I wish.

By this point, the only way I can see he would lose his supporters, is if he promises to do rational immigration reform.

Can he be impeached before he's sworn in? What happens if he is?
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
July 27th, 2016 at 11:23:56 AM permalink
reno
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 58
Posts: 1384
Quote: Nareed
By this point, the only way I can see he would lose his supporters, is if he promises to do rational immigration reform.


I'm not sure his supporters are aware that in 2013, Trump wanted to abolish national borders:

Quote: Donald Trump
"I think we’ve all become aware of the fact that our cultures and economics are intertwined... We will have to leave borders behind and go for global unity when it comes to financial stability."


I'm not sure his supporters are aware that in June 2016, Trump praised Obama's immigration policy!

Quote: Donald Trump
"President Obama has mass deported vast numbers of people — the most ever, and it’s never reported. I think people are going to find that I have not only the best policies, but I will have the biggest heart of anybody."


I noticed that AZDuffman has had no comment in this thread...
July 27th, 2016 at 11:33:28 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: reno
I'm not sure his supporters are aware that in 2013, Trump wanted to abolish national borders:


I don't think it matter to them. he's openly a bigot now, and that's the thing they want the most.

The problem is not that his supporters don't realize how racist Trump is. The problem is they want him because he's racist.

They don't care if he bankrupts the country. They don't care if he sucks Putin's dick once a day and twice on Sundays. They want a white, isolated country.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
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