Trump Creates New Political Bedfellows (Or Bedbugs)

Barack Obama, Law, Media, The Courts

The “dreaded” Donald Trump has forced some unlikely partners to slip between the sheets together. After a seven-year, petulant boycott, President Barack Obama has rewarded the Fox News Channel’s sustained anti-Trump campaign by granting Chris Wallace an interview. Megyn Kelly’s efforts in the same department have earned her high praise from Hillary Clinton, who called Kelly “a superb journalist.” Just the other day, HuffPost and MSNBC, left-liberal outfits, converged in proposing a … Clinton-Kasich ticket:

Hillary Clinton should ask John Kasich, the Republican governor of Ohio, to join her in creating a “unity ticket.” It’s time for a national ticket that reflects our national desire for a new type of politics for our modern America.

Sounds like an ideal gathering for Terminix pest control.

In any case, here’s Wallace’s ‘Fox News Sunday’ interview with President Barack Obama. In it, “constitutional scholar” Obama continues to insist, apparently in error, on the Republicans’ constitutional obligation to go through the confirmation process with Justice Merrick Garland.

One suspects Obama might be gearing up for the equivalent of an executive order to fill the SCOTUS vacancy. It’s called a recess appointment, and we know enough about President Barack Obama to know he’ll use it to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by Antonin Scalia’s death, in the teeth of Republican opposition.

UPDATED (4/9): Cruz Blames Victim; Big Business, For Big Government Shakedowns

Business, Donald Trump, Free Markets, Government, libertarianism

For someone who’s supposed to be so smart, Ted Cruz makes stupid arguments. This career politician, Cruz, repeatedly claims that Donald Trump is part of the DC corruption because (like all business moguls), Trump has paid politicians to let him operate. It’s ridiculous to blame the victim of government predation. Take away government and there would be no shakedowns.

More ridiculousness came today from Fox News and what passes for analysis there. In defense of Trump, bobbing-head Andrea Tantaros offered only that at least Trump admits to being part of the problem.

In Tantaros’ defense, Trump (who reads the wrong people) has adopted this idiotic line, namely blaming himself, the businessman, for a reality government brings about.

Again, take away government and there would be no shakedowns.


The correct answer is to be found under the heading “POLITICAL POWER VS. ECONOMIC POWER”:

“A successful politician and a successful businessman represent two solitudes, never the twain shall meet—except when the capitalist must curry favor with the politician so as to further his business interests, a reality brought about by corrupt politics. Trump’s donations to both parties fit a pattern forced by the regulatory state, whereby, in order to keep doing business, business is compelled to buy-off politicians. …

MORE.

UPDATE (4/9): Aside the fact that in a David vs. Goliath scenario there is never a moral equivalence between the parties—a libertarian never-ever conflates or draws equivalences between government corruption and individual or corporate corruption. Never! Thread:

Myron Robert Pauli: “Corruption is corruption whether it is business or government. A football team owner wants a taxpayer funded stadium. A State Department staffer negotiating a 2500 page ‘free trade agreement’ wants Hollywood to fund her spouse to be a DC lobbyist in return for writing IP protection for record companies into the agreement. I want a special tax exemption for overweight physicists with daughters from China! Whatever…. – who shakes down whom, the general idea is to benefit me and my friends over everyone else (taxpayers, consumers, competitors).”

Ilana Mercer: “Myron Robert Pauli, you show a profound lack of understanding of the workings of government vs. those of the individual; the workings of a monopolist in the use of force, vs. one who has no such power. Profound lacuna. Surprising too, given you write for my blog. This ancient column should tell you what I mean: “Media Concentration Is Not A Threat to Free Expression, Government Is.”

UPDATED: Trump Vs. The Banana Republicans

Conservatism, Constitution, Donald Trump, Republicans, Ron Paul

“Trump Vs. The Banana Republicans” is the current column, now on WND. An excerpt:

There’s a difference between (small r) republican principles and the Republican Party’s rules of procedure. But National Review neoconservative Jonah Goldberg doesn’t see it.

Or, maybe Goldberg is using America’s founding, governing principles to piggyback the Republican Party’s oft revised and rigged rules to respectability.

Conservatives who harbor the quaint expectation that voters, not party operatives, would choose the nominee stand accused by Goldberg of fetishizing unfiltered democracy.

“America is a republic not a simple democracy,” says Goldberg, in motivating for Grand Old Party chicanery.

Goldberg’s argument is a cunning but poor one. It confuses bureaucratic rules with higher principles: the republicanism of America’s Constitution makers.

Through a Bill of Rights and a scheme that divides authority between autonomous states and a national government, American federalism aimed to secure the rights of the individual by imposing strict limits on the power of thumping majorities and a central government.

The Goldberg variations on republicanism won’t wash. The Republican Party’s arbitrary rules relate to the Founding Founders’ republicanism as the Romney Rule relates to veracity.

The Romney initiated Rule 40(b) is a recent addition to the Republican Party rule book. It stipulates that in order to win the nomination, a candidate must demonstrate he has earned a majority of delegates from at least eight different states. Rule 40 (b) was passed post-haste to thwart libertarian candidate Ron Paul.

Party crooks and their lawyers now find themselves in a pickle, because Governor John Kasich, candidate for the establishment (including the New York Times and the Huffington Post), has yet to meet the Republican rule du jour.

So, what do The Rulers do? They plan to change the rules. Again.

Pledged delegates are not supposed to act as autonomous agents. Their voting has to be tethered to the candidate whom voters have overwhelmingly chosen. But not when The Party parts company with The Voters. Then, delegates might find themselves unmoored from representing the voters.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus has hinted at allowing pledged delegates the freedom to betray their pledge. …

… READ the rest. “Trump Vs. The Banana Republicans” is the current column, now on WND.

UPDATE: Two people noticed the “Goldberg Variations” Bach reference. Via Facebook:

Joshua Jennings: Love the Bach reference!

Ilana Mercer Love the folks who noticed, all 2 of you, Joshua Jennings.

Ilana Mercer: The other was my editor.

How Self-Styled Fem ‘Strategists’ Of Failed Campaigns Flourish On Tard TV

Affirmative Action, Donald Trump, Feminism, Gender, Republicans

“Longtime political operative and outspoken Donald Trump supporter Roger Stone” had this to say about one Ana Navaro (who has a dossier on my blog).

“My problem really is the same, whether it’s Roland Martin or Ana Navarro: why do we have people who have no qualification whatsoever to opine on political matters being asked their opinion?” he added. “Ana is a ‘Republican strategist?’ OK, what campaigns? Who are the people she’s elected? Name them. City council, county commission, governor, senator, congressman, president, anybody? And the answer is nobody.”

Look, I’ve admittedly done and said many controversial things. But, I’m also a veteran of nine Republican presidential campaigns, and I’ve helped elect three Republican presidents, and I have a unique perspective on the current Republican front-runner. What is her credential? Other than being a Hispanic woman, what is her credential?” he said at the time in an interview with the Daily Caller. …

Read my 2015 post about this Republican operative’s racebaiting, so typical among neoconservative regimists.

As noted first in 2012, “In addition to being a plain idiot, Ana Navarro, for example, is a Republican identity politics activist, who would have liked BHO to have delivered on his immigration promises. Known for siring —and surrounding himself with—stupid women, John McCain had once employed the gaseous Navaro as his consultant.”