Trumps visit.

[Captain Kong]

I have just renewed my ESTAS for the two of us, we are going into the USA for one night while we transfer from Miami Airport to Fort Lauderdale to join the cruise ship.
I do it every two years, always $14 each for two years.
This year just renewed it and they have charged us $176, $88 each or £142. Is America desperate for money????

[Keith at Tregenna]

Guess it is needed for some wall building project ?

K.


.

[Rodney Mills]

From the Washington post:

"Because of summer vacation schedules, we had fallen a month behind in updating The Fact Checker’s database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president.
It turns out that’s when the president decided to turn on the spigots of false and misleading claims. As of day 558, he’s made 4,229 Trumpian claims — an increase of 978 in just two months.
That’s an overall average of nearly 7.6 claims a day."


I plead guilty to disliking Donald Trump: For years I worked and lived in the New York area—eight years. During that time I was assaulted with news of his scandalous escapades almost daily. From women and buying his way out, to his failed Trump airline; his bankruptcies as a gambling mogul in Atlantic City, to his continuous dragging claimants for his non-payment of contractual debt by sub-contractors, thus, driving many into bankruptcy through legal fees. Even this year the defunct Trump University was finally bought to justice and found guilty and had to return payments to enrollees, who were SCAMMED out of savings for non-existing lessons on how to be an entrepreneur and wealthy. Part of the curriculum was supposed to be a photo taken with "The Donald." It turned out to be a life-sized standing photo of him that they were supposed to smile and put their arms around him! He's a scam artist.

This week: A federal judge in Texas on Friday struck down the Affordable Care Act, former President Barack Obama’s signature legislative accomplishment, in a ruling that threatens insurance coverage for millions of Americans.

Legal experts say the law will remain in effect for now, but the invalidation of the landmark health care law throws into doubt the future of health coverage for millions of Americans on the Obamacare exchanges and in Medicaid expansion.

More than 4 million people have already signed up for coverage during a six-week open enrollment period that ends Saturday, and millions more are expected to pick plans before the end of the program.

Trump's Comments: “It was a big, big victory by a highly respected judge, highly, highly respected in Texas,” President Trump said in response to a question from ABC News during a visit to Arlington Cemetery Saturday. Shortly after the decision on Friday evening, Trump tweeted that "Congress must pass a STRONG law that provides GREAT healthcare and protects pre-existing conditions."

It has taken the Republicans eight years of continuous defeats in court, but slowly whittling away at Obama Care, each whittle knocks another million out of the health program and to return to Medicaid, the government program for medical service to the indigent and funded by the tax-payer, instead of by the recipient.

The only thing that stands between this becoming law and from four to a total of ten million, so far and counting, losing there medical insurance is the Supreme Court. And that has been stacked with right-wing conservatives. The only hope for these people is these justices can put there political bias behind them.

As I said, The Republicans have had eight years to formulate a better plan than The Affordable Care Act or Obama Care and they have nothing...not a hint or a suggestion and all Trump is doing is playing to the radical right-wing that is enough votes that when it comes to nomination, the centrists split what's left and cannot beat him. If they had a better plan I'd vote for it.

Those that appreciate this calamity would be among the first to squeal if the right-wingnuts of your respective Conservative Party did the same to your beloved NHS.

After years as a main-stream Republican I have been forced to switch to the Democrats, There's not a thing I can think of that Trump can do to me personally, I have 100% medical coverage and can afford it, I have a nice home and boat, no credit owed. in a State and country I love. What I have that Trump doesn't have is compassion.

Please remember: The US is further to the right than your countries are, nationalization and government handouts are anathema to most. Having to collect food stamps, and assistance by most is sign of failure (that's, help for fuel, all the government aids you talk about in different post as being insufficient) in America. However, most Americans, unlike OUR right-wingnuts have compassion and are willing to help those suffering severe hardships.

A Democrat in the States is about equal to your Conservatives.

Did you know that Trump was a Democrat and invited Bill Clinton and Hilary to ONE of his weddings?

If you disbelieve these claims, just Google them, as disbelievers you are sitting before the worlds best encyclopedia/dictionary and a varied source of knowledge ever known to mankind look him up, check out my claims.

Rodney

Ps. I once met Ivana Trump, what a snooty bitch, seems she forgot she was once a stewardess and received a paycheck, to smile sweetly at passengers and make them feel comfortable. What a difference a few millions make.

[Rodney Mills]

Captain,

Trump's got to get money from somewhere to wipe out his run away tax break that has driven up our national debt to record heights, he forgot the rule that tax breaks must be balanced by equal income. Well income equals your visa costs, If you ask him nicely he would thank you and direct you to the life size photo of himself, fell free to put your arms around it and say cheese, cos it is free (for the time being).


Enjoy the rest of your trip. Rodney

[robpage]

I find difficult problems in trying to follow British politics nevermind American ones the American friends I have tend to be quite liberal and Democrat and therefore are not great trump fans but I think the biggest mistake was they were certainly not Hillary Clinton fans and they blame the democratic party for not having a better candidate I think we might at the next general election here have the same problem

[happy daze john in oz]

Rodders, one would consider that all the bad things you mention about Trump would be common knowledge.
That being the case how did he ever win the primaries and end up as president?

Him and Clinton, not much of a choice on those facts.

I have no problem with right wing govs, think they do far better for the nation than any others.
But if the Democrats are similar to the Conservatives where do the Republicans sit?

[Rodney Mills]

Johno

Just noticed a couple of unanswered questions you posed, not ducking them just never saw them..


In your respective countries you have nothing that come close to an American conservative. Social funded programs such as the NHS, is anathema to a conservative. Your right-wingers. as I understand, like the NHS, that is diametrically in opposition to right-wing beliefs. It's called socialized medicine. A true American right-winger wants smaller government involvement not larger, private run transportation systems not nationalization.

You conservatives can call yourselves conservatives in your own countries, but you are not considered one in the States, you would be socialists if you favor NHS etc..

Obama is closer to your brand of conservatism than Trump is. Obama wanted a National Health Program, but had to settle for a modified or hybrid version, half market driven and half government funded.


The right-wing disliked Obama immensely and his Obama Care health program. Why? 56% of small firms and 98% of large firms have employer paid employee Medical coverage. The employer pays 82% of the premium the employee the balance and the coverage is far better than Obama Care. One hang-up is the medical insurance is not portable. Leave your employer and after say a three month coverage, your benefit would be cancelled and employers have a waiting period of usually three months to make sure new employees work-out.


Twenty odd years ago union jobs were plentiful, not so today. And unions offered benefits among them health plans.


This leaves a large portion of the population with no health coverage. The poor are covered by a program called Medicaid. A hospital must have an Emergency program that treats patients at no charge if they have no insurance. The nonemergency Medicaid group was what Obama Care was/is geared to cover and stopped insurance companies from refusing to insure patients with pre-existing conditions, such as cancer, heart problems etc..


The under thirty group didn't want to be forced to participate in Obama Care either as after all under thirties are immortal aren't they? But Obamacare made it mandatory for the "immortals" to participate. Many of them voted for Trump too.


Remember that Trump was relatively unknown on the national level and he hitched his star against Obamacare and Clinton was for it.


Hilary Clinton was one of the two senators from New York state and she did a very credible job, she was able to cross the aisle and work compromise deals with the Republicans. She had two big problems, one was the scandals involving her husband who couldn't keep his fly zipped shut. The second was Americans don't favor family dynasties...Kennedy, Bush and then Clintons? NO!


Hope this answers your questions, Rodney

[Keith at Tregenna]

Mexico selfishly shuts down US government by refusing to pay for the Wall

As the US government shutdown continues, Mexico is being encouraged to stop being so selfish and pay for the wall so everyone can get back to work.

Government employees across the US are going unpaid during the shutdown, which has been caused by its southern neighbour’s refusal to pay for the wall, despite President Trump promising that they would.

Hope all will be sorted in the New Year ?

K.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Now this really is not political, just an old movie clip:

This is the weirdest thing. A 1958 TV series called Trackdown had an episode where a grifter called Trump tried to con a town into building a wall to stop the end of the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs6U...&feature=share

[Captain Kong]

Trump impressed me when he said today to all his Senators who opposed the Wall to keep out the invaders,

"Why do you all have Walls and Security Gates around your homes and properties to keep out invaders, but object to having one around your Home land".
WELL SAID THAT MAN.