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How Donald Trump Helped Pass OBamacare
AEI.org ^ | 1/26/2016 | Mark A. Thiessen

Posted on 01/26/2016 11:30:32 AM PST by conservativejoy

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures and declares "You'\'re fired!" at a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, June 17, 2015. Reuters Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures and declares "You're fired!" at a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, June 17, 2015. Reuters

In the announcement speech for his presidential campaign, Donald Trump railed against Obamacare. "We have a disaster called the big lie: Obamacare," Trump declared. "I would repeal and replace the big lie, Obamacare."

Well, that sounds like something a Republican candidate would say. But there is one problem: Trump helped finance the Democratic takeover of Congress in 2006 - which put in place the liberal majority that passed Obamacare over the objections of congressional Republicans. And he continued to support a Democratic Senate majority after Obamacare.

As Trump knows, money talks - and Trump has given more than $100,000 to the Democratic House and Senate campaign committees. In 2006 - the year Democrats took back Congress - he gave $25,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (while his son Donald Trump Jr. gave $22,500). They gave Republican committees just $1,000 that year.

In other words, Trump wanted Nancy Pelosi to be speaker of the House and Harry Reid the Senate majority leader.

Which is not surprising. At the time he made those contributions, from August 2001 to September 2009, Trump was a registered Democrat. (He had been registered in New York first as a Republican, then a member of the Independence Party, then a Democrat, then a Republican again, and then became unaffiliated.)

So maybe he came to regret it after Reid and Pelosi rammed through Obamacare? Apparently not. In 2010 - immediately after the passage of Obamacare - Trump continued to donate to Reid. Trump has donated at least $10,400 to Reid, including $4,800 for his 2010 race against Sharron Angle - a victory that helped keep the Senate in Democratic hands and Reid as majority leader. So Trump continued to support Reid as majority leader in the election immediately after the passage of Obamacare.

In his home state of New York, Trump also donated disproportionately to Democrats. The Post reported in 2011 that “The biggest recipient of all has been the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee of New York, which has taken in more than $125,000 from Trump and his companies. Overall, Trump has given nearly $600,000 to New York state campaigns, with more than two-thirds going to Democrats." He even boasted of it. "So, what am I going to do, contribute to Republicans?" he told Fox News'S Sean Hannity. "I mean, one thing I'm not stupid. Am I going to contribute to a Republican for my whole life when they get, they run against some Democrat. And the most they can get is one percent of the vote?"

Trump also gave $50,000 to another Obamacare architect, Rahm Emanuel - the former Obama White House chief of staff - for his campaign to become mayor of Chicago. He gave $5,500 to John Kerry and $7,000 to the late liberal icon of the Senate, Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.). Other Democrats who have benefited from Trump's largesse include Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), Sen. Frank Lautenberg (N.J.), Rep. Charlie Rangel (N.Y.) and Sen. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.). A major issue in the 2016 election will be allegations of corruption surrounding donations to the Clinton Foundation. But it will also be hard for Trump to make an issue of that since he gave at least $100,000 to the Clinton Foundation.

Yes, Trump has given to Republicans, too, especially since he started toying with the idea of running for the Republican nomination. But Trump expresses disdain for the GOP field. He told Bill O'Reilly last week, "Well , I don't have a lot of respect for many of them."

With all his past support for Democrats, Trump ought to be asked: Will he commit to supporting whoever is the eventual Republican nominee? After all, why should he be welcomed into the Republican fold if he is going to end up throwing his support to Clinton?

The fact is, Trump isn't a Democrat or a Republican - he is an opportunist. He's less a candidate than a brand. And running for president is great for the Trump brand, an opportunity for Donald Trump to take the national stage and tell us all how great he is. He pretty much admitted as much during his announcement speech, when he pointed out that some questioned whether he was really as successful as he claimed. "So I said to myself, you know, nobody's ever going to know unless I run, because I'm really proud of my success," Trump said. "I really am."

You don't say.


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: brokenrecord; ibtz; ilovetowhine; waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
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To: conservativejoy

Didn’t Cruz vote to fund Obamacare a couple of times?


21 posted on 01/26/2016 11:44:06 AM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18 - Be The Leaderless Resistance)
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To: VanDeKoik

True.

Cruz has said on radio (I heard him) say how disappointed he is with Robers’ rulings, especially 0bamacare.

But you can say that Roberts supporting 0bamacare was a surprise.

Pelosi and Reid supporting 0bamacare was not a surprise for Trump.


22 posted on 01/26/2016 11:44:33 AM PST by Uncle Miltie (Jesse Ventura! Arnold Schwartzenegger! Donald Trump!)
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To: Mariner

“Didn’t Cruz vote to fund Obamacare a couple of times?”

Cruz filibustered against 0bamacare while the GOPe hated him for it.


23 posted on 01/26/2016 11:45:09 AM PST by Uncle Miltie (Jesse Ventura! Arnold Schwartzenegger! Donald Trump!)
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To: Mariner

You said...
“You could be talking about either Trump or Cruz. Either way, nobody around here is going to change their mind”

I agree.

And there are things Cruz will have to explain and answer for. I’m not an unquestioning follower of anyone

It does seem like a lot of people are giving up conservatism for “Make America Great Again” without any regards how we get there.

IMO, conservatism will make America great again:)


24 posted on 01/26/2016 11:45:49 AM PST by LMAO (#BlackLivesMatterWhenItsForPoliticalPoints)
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To: Just mythoughts
Roberts was, I believe, the third name Cruz submitted as a recommendation. The first two were said to have been rejected by the Administration. If that is true, it appears Roberts was not Cruz's first choice. Then, Roberts betrayed Cruz, who has been staunchly against him from that point on.

Have any politicians or people in appointed positions betrayed you by not doing what they said they would? If so, how does that reflect on you, exactly?

25 posted on 01/26/2016 11:46:58 AM PST by 5thGenTexan
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To: grania

Cruz’s first choice was Mike Luttig. He only supported Roberts after he was the nominee.


26 posted on 01/26/2016 11:47:43 AM PST by conservativejoy (Pray Hard, Work Hard, Trust God ...We Can Elect Ted Cruz)
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To: conservativejoy

“Trump isn’t a Democrat or a Republican - he is an opportunist.”


27 posted on 01/26/2016 11:48:27 AM PST by RasterMaster ("Towering genius disdains a beaten path." - Abraham Lincoln)
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To: LMAO

Cruz wasn’t even a senator then. Who knew that some unknown guy from Texas advocating someone for SCOTUS is all it takes to ruin our healthcare system.


28 posted on 01/26/2016 11:49:00 AM PST by Rusty0604 (1q)
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To: All

The stages of Trump-grief:

Trump who?

Trump won’t last. He’s just in for his ego.

He said what? Oh he’s finished!

Once he loses the lead, he’s through!

The debates will wreck him!

The Jebernaught will get him.

Carson will get him!

The corporate conservatives/intelligentsia will finish him.

He’s no conservative!!!

The polls are all wrong!

Okay, he might win a few states, but that’s it.

We’ll have a brokered convention.

Well...he might win the nomination, but he’ll lose to Hillary.

If he picks Palin for VP, I’ll take my ball and go home. Better yet, I’ll write in Cruz.

He won? Welllll, I won’t watch the inauguration and start making CRUZ 2020 bumper stickers.


29 posted on 01/26/2016 11:49:18 AM PST by ak267
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To: conservativejoy
It's just too bad that facts, like the fact that the REPUBLICAN LED CONGRESS has not stripped, changed or done anything other than a token vote to stop Obamacare.

And Theissen wonders why a non-politician has so much support. These guys are truly clueless about Trump's support as well as completely apoplectic they no longer have any control over it.

30 posted on 01/26/2016 11:49:30 AM PST by Solson (Trump plays to win. Deal with it.)
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To: Slyfox

Exactly! You just made the case for Ted Cruz!!


31 posted on 01/26/2016 11:50:44 AM PST by conservativejoy (Pray Hard, Work Hard, Trust God ...We Can Elect Ted Cruz)
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To: hollyweed

I wonder if he’s written any books about all the super-terrific amazing deals he’s made.


32 posted on 01/26/2016 11:51:33 AM PST by WhistlingPastTheGraveyard (The greatest trick the Soviets ever pulled was convincing the world they didn't exist.)
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To: Rusty0604

You said...
“Cruz wasn’t even a senator then.”

Hmmm....wasn’t aware of that. Besides, I don’t think Cruz would know how Roberts would vote on BHOcare


33 posted on 01/26/2016 11:52:55 AM PST by LMAO (#BlackLivesMatterWhenItsForPoliticalPoints)
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To: Solson

Congress just voted to repeal Obamacare and it passed.


34 posted on 01/26/2016 11:54:06 AM PST by conservativejoy (Pray Hard, Work Hard, Trust God ...We Can Elect Ted Cruz)
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To: 5thGenTexan

Ah, I missed that link? Could you provide it?

I am trying to sort out the myths of this http://laurenstephens.com


35 posted on 01/26/2016 11:55:20 AM PST by Just mythoughts (Jesus said Luke 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.)
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To: conservativejoy

Oh brother.


36 posted on 01/26/2016 11:57:09 AM PST by DouglasKC (I'm pro-choice when it comes to lion killing....)
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To: VanDeKoik

Cruz supported Roberts.

Roberts was the vote that saved Obamacare.

Therefore Cruz helped pass it.

See! I can do it too!


37 posted on 01/26/2016 11:59:05 AM PST by Grampa Dave (Trump has not been allowed by many posters on this site to change his views from 20 - 30 years ago.)
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To: WhistlingPastTheGraveyard
I wonder if he has written any books about all the super-terrific amazing deals he has made.

Heard this morning from someone who has read all of his books that he brags about bedding married women. Plus other women he is not married to.

38 posted on 01/26/2016 11:59:23 AM PST by Slyfox (Ted Cruz does not need the presidency - the presidency needs Ted Cruz)
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To: VanDeKoik

Except that what you said is actually true.


39 posted on 01/26/2016 12:03:02 PM PST by KGeorge
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To: conservativejoy
If you use a jeweler's loupe and examine closely the space in the wood slat fence, just to the right of the tree, the grassy knoll photo: Grassy Knoll Texas029.jpg you can see the blonde head of a quite young man with a comb-over peering through the fence. It was Donald Trump, JFK's assassin.
40 posted on 01/26/2016 12:06:31 PM PST by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives.)
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