Paul Ryan hopes to avert primary surprise after Trump tweak

[webfact]

Paul Ryan hopes to avert primary surprise after Trump tweak

By SCOTT BAUER

 

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — House Speaker Paul Ryan had nearly $10 million in the bank and a primary opponent no one had heard of. Then Donald Trump got involved.

 

An expected walkover for the country's highest-ranking Republican officeholder became one to watch on Tuesday, with Ryan seeking to avoid the most shocking of upsets against a political unknown hoping for a Trump bump.

 

Paul Nehlen's star rose after Trump praised him last week on Twitter, then later pointedly withheld his endorsement of Ryan. Trump relented just three days later after coming under criticism from GOP leaders, but the burst of publicity was priceless for Nehlen.

 

No House speaker in modern political history has lost a primary, and Ryan is hugely popular in the southeastern Wisconsin district he has represented for nearly two decades. He crushed a protest candidate in the GOP primary two years ago, winning 94 percent of the vote. The only other time he had a primary challenger was in his first race, in 1998, when he won with 81 percent of the vote.

 

But Ryan responded quickly to Trump's dabbling in his race, determined to avoid the fate that befell House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in his surprise primary loss in 2014. Ryan's huge financial advantage has allowed him to blanket the airwaves with ads, and he made the rounds on influential conservative talk radio stations as Trump threatened to steal the spotlight.

 

Ryan had outraised the unknown Nehlen by a 17 to 1 ratio through the latest reporting period, and while Cantor was widely criticized for ignoring his district, that wasn't the case with Ryan. He has made a point of returning to Janesville as often as possible to be with his wife and three children, and was initially reluctant to accept the speakership for fear it would keep him away from Wisconsin.

 

Nehlen, an executive at a water filtration company, first made a splash with a web video of him riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, showing his tattooed arms. He challenged Ryan to an arm-wrestling match if he wouldn't debate him.

 

He ran well to Ryan's right, accusing Ryan of betraying Trump and favoring a "globalist agenda" of disastrous trade deals and porous borders. Nehlen attracted support from Sarah Palin and conservative provocateur Ann Coulter, with the latter appearing alongside Nehlen in the district over the weekend.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-08-09

[boomerangutang]

I almost feel sorry for Wisconsin, if those two are the best candidates they've got.

[boomerangutang]

I recall how Ryan, when running as Romney's VP pick, said the Feds should give the military much more funding than the top brass are asking for.  That got my attention.  The US military is already, by far, the most heavily funded military in the world.  It's got tens of billions up the kazoo.  .....and R&R wanted to shovel even more money in their laps - than they themselves wanted.  Amazing. What is it about Republicans, that they have no sense of the value of money.  They must think it floats down from Government heaven in limitless amounts.  

[Andaman Al]

1 hour ago, boomerangutang said:

I recall how Ryan, when running as Romney's VP pick, said the Feds should give the military much more funding than the top brass are asking for.  That got my attention.  The US military is already, by far, the most heavily funded military in the world.  It's got tens of billions up the kazoo.  .....and R&R wanted to shovel even more money in their laps - than they themselves wanted.  Amazing. What is it about Republicans, that they have no sense of the value of money.  They must think it floats down from Government heaven in limitless amounts.  

 

It does become available in limitless amounts because the Fed Reserve literally print what is required and 'recycle' it and introduce it to the market in ways that do not cause inflation and in ways that are illegal for us to even openly discuss. Repayment in then made to the Fed via taxation. It is why the Fed account for the majority of the trillions of dollars of debt the US are in. Every direct dollar of taxation in the USA goes to the Fed Res, the country runs on state and indirect taxation. If the US grow some kahoonas and get rid of the Fed Res, you would be in a position where not one cent of direct taxation to the Government was required. Think how great they could be then. That is exactly what JKK thought.

[Srikcir]

12 hours ago, Andaman Al said:

Every direct dollar of taxation in the USA goes to the Fed Res

Doubtful

 

 

[thaihome]

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

Doubtful

 

 

 

Don't confuse them with facts. They are uninterested in them. 

TH 

[ClutchClark]

14 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

I recall how Ryan, when running as Romney's VP pick, said the Feds should give the military much more funding than the top brass are asking for.  That got my attention.  The US military is already, by far, the most heavily funded military in the world.  It's got tens of billions up the kazoo.  .....and R&R wanted to shovel even more money in their laps - than they themselves wanted.  Amazing. What is it about Republicans, that they have no sense of the value of money.  They must think it floats down from Government heaven in limitless amounts.  

 

Come on Boomer, you're just playing with us.

 

I don't know any politician yet who doesn't try and spend someone elses money as quickly as possible...after all, there isn't a one of them that can ever be sure he/she won't be arrested tomorrow for their frequent transgressions. 

 

Republicans just spend it on different things than Dems but one thing is certain--some of it always gets diverted back into their own pockets. 

 

 

[ClutchClark]

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

Doubtful

 

 

 

Any idea how that pie chart was sliced before obamacare?

 

thanks

[puck2]

25 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

 

Come on Boomer, you're just playing with us.

 

I don't know any politician yet who doesn't try and spend someone elses money as quickly as possible...after all, there isn't a one of them that can ever be sure he/she won't be arrested tomorrow for their frequent transgressions. 

 

Republicans just spend it on different things than Dems but one thing is certain--some of it always gets diverted back into their own pockets. 

 

 

I guess you are talking about your darling TRUMP (party meeting in his hotels, payed by donations )

[boomerangutang]

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

Doubtful

 

 

From the pie chart, it's interesting to note that education only accounts for 3%.  It shows what sort of (low) priority politicians give to education.  Not shown:  interest payments on the National debt, which go mostly to foreign countries/banks, and US banks, and people who buy US Treasury bonds.   I think that accounts for about a quarter of US federal expenditures, so it's an inaccurate pie chart.

 

[thaihome]

13 minutes ago, boomerangutang said:

From the pie chart, it's interesting to note that education only accounts for 3%.  It shows what sort of (low) priority politicians give to education.  Not shown:  interest payments on the National debt, which go mostly to foreign countries/banks, and US banks, and people who buy US Treasury bonds.   I think that accounts for about a quarter of US federal expenditures, so it's an inaccurate pie chart.

 

 

My eyesight is not what it once was but could swear the pie chart clearly shows 6% for interest on debt.  Actually down from the historic level of 8% due to historic low interest rates.

 

Can you show a link that 25% of federal expenditures are for interest payments? 

TH 

 

 

[ClutchClark]

35 minutes ago, puck2 said:

I guess you are talking about your darling TRUMP (party meeting in his hotels, payed by donations )

 

And that emoticon of a moron falling on the floor appears to be a very good choice for you based on the simpleness of your post. 

 

Politicians throughout America are stealing it blind and all you can see is a few $100 grand that Trump may or may not have misspent.

 

Please tell me you are not a product of our college system today. 

[boomerangutang]

6 hours ago, thaihome said:

 

My eyesight is not what it once was but could swear the pie chart clearly shows 6% for interest on debt.  Actually down from the historic level of 8% due to historic low interest rates.

 

Can you show a link that 25% of federal expenditures are for interest payments? 

TH 

 

 

 

You're right.  I missed that mention of 6%.  The 25% which stuck in my craw was probably total amounts paid toward debt;  interest PLUS required payments toward principle.

 

However, a bit of googling and I found this number:  $380,925,428,211.67   source

 

That's how much was paid for % on the US Nat'l debt in fiscal year 2016.  Note; they've got it down to the penny! (must have figured with a stop-watch, because that's over $12,000 PER SECOND!!!

 

If that interest on debt is 6% of the annual expenditure of the US federal government, then the overall budget is around 6.34 trillion dollars (not counting a lot of other things which are off the books).  That's an insane number!  How much of that is wasted, and how much garnered by cheaters?   My guess is 15% and 25% respectively.    

 

Of the 300 or so people I personally know in the US, well over half are cheating the Feds (and states) in one or more ways.  Some are poor, some are rich, some are military veterans, some are 1st generation Americans, but it doesn't matter whether rich or poor, cheating the government is easy and very common.  

Edited August 10, 2016 by boomerangutang

[Buzzz]

USA Military budget is around $660 Billion, no?

China is # 2 on Military spending around $135 Billion. 

Russia is next with $60 Billion. 

 

Looks like the USA could cut 50% and still kick Russia's and China's ass with one hand tied behind its back. 

 

 

 

[puck2]

On 10.8.2016 at 1:41 PM, ClutchClark said:

 

And that emoticon of a moron falling on the floor appears to be a very good choice for you based on the simpleness of your post. 

 

Politicians throughout America are stealing it blind and all you can see is a few $100 grand that Trump may or may not have misspent.

 

Please tell me you are not a product of our college system today. 

 

You behave like your darling: personal attacks instead of delivering true facts,.

 

As one member wrote today : don't give an answer to such a right wing, they will not acknowledge the facts. Fact is -->

...............

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/9f7412236962464f9f2c0a8d2696ba25/trumps-campaign-cycles-6-million-trump-companies

 

Wealthy political candidates in the past, including New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and presidential contender Steve Forbes both walled off their campaigns from the companies bearing their names.

Not so for Trump. Through the end of May, his campaign had plowed about $6 million back into Trump corporate products and services, a review of federal filings shows. That's nearly 10 percent of his expenditures.

There's nothing illegal about it. Regulations do require companies— even ones owned by the candidate— to charge fair-market value so as not to run afoul of a ban on corporate campaign contributions.  ........ 

 

But... if you should be a "product of (y)our college system", guess what I think about the value your college system.

[puck2]

........Nehlen attracted support from

Sarah Palin and conservative provocateur Ann Coulter, with the latter appearing alongside Nehlen in the district over the weekend.

 

This doesn't need any comment.

 

In general this thread together with a lot of others improves again and again that the USA is a money-craty. Without (donated) money you don't have any chance in the politics/elections. But there is only a small backlash. When in politics you have to "pay" back.

 

The ugly joke: this power of the money was re-installed by the Rep-dominated highest US court by lifting the limit of donations. This is like giving the riches an unlimited influence and power.