Marsha Blackburn on Leadership

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Circumnavigating Trump's World View

During the Republican National Convention in Cleveland which nominated Donald Trump (R-NY) as the GOP Presidential standard bearer, the candidate granted a 45 minute interview to the New York Times on Defense and  Foreign Policy issues. 

His expressed policies point toward an America First priority, a slogan which has an unfortunate history of being associated the Charles Limbergh and 1940 American isolationism. But Trump thinks this is a brand new, modern term which connotes "We are going to take care of everyone in this country before we worry about everyone else in the world."

To his credit, Trump did not pussy foot around a self interested, national weltanschaaung in seeking to "Make America Great Again.".  Trump demurred from dictating how Turkey should resolve their internal politics, noting that "America has to fix its own mess" before trying to alter the behavior of other nations. In fact, Trump mused: "How are we going to lecture when people are shooting policemen in cold blood?” So moral equivalence, a politically correct thought, shuts down America speaking against evil in the world. 

Trump reiterated his threat to pull back American troops deployed to keep stability around the world. Trump chided “We are spending a fortune on military in order to lose $800 billion [in America's trade loss]. That doesn’t sound very smart to me.”  Trump thinks that if there is a threat to the United States, we can deploy troops from our shores. 

Trump echoed his ambition to pull out of NAFTA in a split second, unless Canada and Mexico can be bullied to renegotiate more favorable terms for the United States. And probably that Mexico will pay for a border wall. 


What was truly shocking was Trump's ambivalence to adhering to Article V of the NATO Treaty for joint defense. When pressed on whether the United States would come to the defense of the Baltic States if there was an invasion by the Russian Federation, Trump implied that there would be a cost benefit analysis which was premised on whether those nations are "fulfilling their obligations to us."  So signed and ratified treaties are only bargaining positions in Trump's World. Well, at least Trump seemed to know that Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania are under the NATO security umbrella, unlike Ben Carson.

Former Reagan Foreign Policy and current American Enterprise Institute Resident Scholar Gary Schmitt, the Trump America First policy is likened to a child who picks up his ball and goes home to lock himself up in a room. 

And that's a viewpoint from a CONSERVATIVE think tank. 

Is this the serious Trump which Trump Convention Manager Paul Manafort promised in the second phase of the campaign (Trump 2.0).  If so, Trump's views on foreign affairs and defense are seriously askew.

H/T: New York Times
        AEI

The Roger Stone-ing (sic) of Ted Cruz

Roger Stone has been known since the Nixon Administration as a dirty trickster and has a long time relationship with now Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump (R-NY).  Stone had to officially part ways with the Trump campaign in August 2015 over disagreements in the wisdom of persiverating on trashing Fox News' Megyn Kelly. 

While Stone was not officially associated with the campaign, he continues to play the role of Agent Provocateur for Trump.  Stone's excoriation of Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) was not the first taste of Stone's vituperative verjuice. Stone furthered the Trump allegation that Cruz's father Rafael had some involvement in the JFK assassination conspiracy on Alex Jones' show.

As for the content of Stone's philippic on being a despicable human being, he may have some first hand experience with that character issue.

But this seems to be the cohort for the Trump Show: aggressive (to a fault), bellicose,  thin-skinned, vain, vulgar and volitile counter-punchers.  Is this the Republican party that voters of conscience will support?

Ted Cruz on Voting One's Conscience in Election 2016

Senator Ted Cruz gave a remarkable speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention.  While he congratulated GOP nominee Donald Trump (R-NY) for his victory in the primaries, Cruz resisted the cajoling by the media and Trump surrogates to endorse the Manhattan mogul turned Reality TV host turned Populist politician.

Instead, Cruz espoused traditional conservative Republican Party principles and urged those watching to support such candidates in the fall elections.

This message was no surprise to the Donald, as he was given an advanced copy two hours before delivery.  Publicly, Trump claims that Cruz' non endorsement was "no big deal".

However, this nonchalance is impeached by behind the scenes maneuvers. Trump sent surrogates to whip their people to boo Cruz's call for conscience.  They may have been blindly supporting their ticket, but listening to the words delivered, they impugned freedom, faithfulness to the Constitution and fidelity to one's conscience in the boos. 

[L] Donald Trump Jr. [R] GOP Presidential Nominee Donald Trump hearing Sen. Cruz at GOP Convention

Some delegates reported that Trump convention floor whips predicted to wait until tomorrow until Cruz is torn apart by a female and a male media type.  Enquiring minds (sic) want to know-- who could this be?

The day after his convention speech, Cruz  was challenged by a delegate why he broke his loyalty pledge. Cruz cited how Trump had personally attacked his wife's looks and implicated his father as being involved in the JFK assassination conspiracy. 

 Cruz could have added Trump's libelous labeling of him as "liar" and the gutless accusations that he did could not run for President because he was not a natural born citizen.  The latter charge was gutless as Trump was one of the few Americans who had standing to sue, and Trump blustered but never filed.  Yet Trump would bring out the hoary chestnut whenever he felt threatened by Cruz in the campaign.

Unlike Trump's take that it is all about him, there is the rest of the Republican party down the ticket. It is important for those incumbents and prospective office holders to define their political philosophies, which may differ from the unprinciple populism which prevailed for the top of the ticket.

Between Trump-ism and the suppression of floor votes on grassroots oriented Rules on day one of the convention, there may be a growing chasm between being a Republican and being a conservative. This is the dialectic which Cruz urged voters of conscience to decide. 

Laura Ingraham Coerces GOP Party Loyalty

What a way to build Republican Party unity at the Republican National Convention, demean those you want to win support by characterizing them as those with wounded feelings and bruised egos. NOT!