A long (two part) interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and republican candidate Donald Trump.

The first segment includes topics of North Korea, China and Ted Cruz’s eligibility:

Part two includes issue topic of Saudi Arabia and the middle-east: (more…)

The latest PPP poll (full pdf below) from New Hampshire reflects a considerable shakeup behind Trump.  Candidate Donald Trump remains at the top holding a significant lead more than double the next competitor, Rubio.

The various wings inside the Deathstar GOPe are now left with factional fighting among themselves – Trump has split the splitters. Rubio attacks Bush who attacks Christie who attacks Kasich who attacks Rubio who attacks Kasich who attacks Christie who attacks Bush etc…

However, with that: Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, John Kasich and Jeb Bush have now surpassed a falling Ted Cruz (dropped 3 points from prior PPP poll), and Ben Carson is down in the Fiorina bracket of irrelevance:

(Via PPP Polling) […]  The candidates with the biggest gains since our last poll in early December are Bush (up 5 points from 5% to 10%), Rubio (up 4 points from 11% to 15), and Kasich (up 3 points from 8% to 11%). Bush and Kasich have also had notable gains in their favorability ratings.

(more…)

In what can only be noted as “typically Cruzian” the Senator who sponsored the “Renewable Fuel Standard Repeal Act”, which would have immediately repealed the ethanol mandate, has now reversed course and claims to support continued Iowa Corn Subsidies.

The pandering flip-flop becomes “brutally Cruzian” when the campaign for Ted Cruz denies the current change in position by pointing to a prior change in position;  saying, in effect: when Senator Ted Cruz decided to run for President he changed his position, and in 2014 supported a five year phase out of the Renewable Fuel Standard.

So candidate Cruz was against Iowa corn subsidy, 2013; then became for Iowa corn subsidy (with phase out), 2014, and now advocates on behalf of corn subsidy in 2016.

(more…)

Well, we can put the entire question about whether Judge Barry Williams is an “activist judge” to rest.  This ruling is a direct contradiction to the 5th Amendment and an accused person’s right not to testify in trial.  The state cannot force a defendant to accept immunity.

Officer Porter’s trial ended in a “mistrial” (hung jury); as a consequence, the prosecution has announced their intent to re-try Porter later in the year which means any testimony he gives can/will be used against him at a later trial date; despite the judge saying the prosecution cannot use such testimony – it becomes impossible testimony to parse.

In addition the federal DOJ has previously announced their intentions to investigate/charge based on civil rights violations, so any testimony carries an additional overture of concern with future prosecution.

Judge Barry Williams says he finds himself in “uncharted territory”.  Really?  Not-so-much, the law is very clear on this matter.   It would not be surprising if an appellate court strikes down this judicial decision as clearly outside the bounds of legal authority.

(Via Baltimore Sun ) Baltimore Judge Barry G. Williams ordered that Officer William Porter be compelled to testify at the upcoming trial of a fellow Baltimore Police officer charged in the death of Freddie Gray, a ruling Porter’s defense attorneys said they would immediately seek an injunction to block.

Williams said he found himself in “uncharted territory” as he granted Porter a type of immunity that allows his charges to stand but which precludes his testimony from being used against him. Attorneys and legal observers agreed that such a ruling against a co-defendant was a first in Maryland. (more…)

It started with the Washington Post asking candidate Donald Trump about Ted Cruz’s eligibility to run for President because Ted Cruz was a Canadian citizen until last year.  The question surfaced again last night – and the media continue to frame the answers as Trump attacking Cruz.

In November democrat Alan Grayson stated his intention to sue Ted Cruz over his eligibility or lack thereof.  Trump appears to be responding (below) to the intent of Grayson to tie up the issue in court:

According to the outline in the following documentation (Birth Certificate Below), both of Ted Cruz’s parents were Canadian Citizens at the time he was born in Calgary: (more…)

An eyewitness account by Ivan Jurcevic, a hotel club bouncer, about what happened on 31st of December 2015 in front of the cologne cathedral (Kölner Dom). Western media coverage started only after countless women and girls posted how they were chased by the immigrant mob and sexually assaulted, on a official facebook page of cologne, Germany.

(more…)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “2016 Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Presidential Race and/or any of the candidates therein.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

Today:

North Korea says tested hydrogen nuclear device https://t.co/jqQ8YJd7YI

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 6, 2016

September 17th, 2015 during the second GOP debate at the Ronald Reagan Library.  At 9:04pm Eastern Time Candidate Donald Trump became the only candidate, at any time, on any platform or debate stage, to mention the concerns with North Korea and nuclear weapons. (more…)