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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: Uncle Miltie
"Cruz filibustered against 0bamacare while the GOPe hated him for it."

I know he did that once, but hasn't he voted for at least Continuing Resolutions that fully funded Obamacare?

41 posted on 01/26/2016 12:24:12 PM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18 - Be The Leaderless Resistance)
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To: Just mythoughts

“Roberts”


I understand Roberts was quite the racket ball fan. I love the stories of Cruz taking up racket ball and hanging around the courts trying to catch the Justice’s eye. LOL!!! What a weasel.


42 posted on 01/26/2016 12:27:53 PM PST by moehoward
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To: LMAO

Cruz has since said that Roberts has been a disappointment.


43 posted on 01/26/2016 12:32:11 PM PST by Rusty0604 (1q)
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To: conservativejoy

It doesn’t matter what he does, what he has done, what he stands for, or stood for, Trump’s supporters will follow him anywhere.

Funny thing, it’s really not about Trump. They’re mad as hell and they are not going to take it anymore, and they’re not going to take it from anyone who supports someone other than Trump.


44 posted on 01/26/2016 12:32:49 PM PST by Daveinyork ("Trusting government with money and power is like trusting teenaged boys with whiskey and car keys",)
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To: LMAO

Cruz was Solicitor General of TX when Roberts went to the SC.


45 posted on 01/26/2016 12:37:13 PM PST by Rusty0604 (1q)
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To: conservativejoy
Based on the title of this article I can't stand horse shi! and this has got to be.

Trump for President

46 posted on 01/26/2016 12:40:28 PM PST by Logical me
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To: hollyweed

Trumpettes? Umm let’s keep the discourse civil... Nah, your a POOP HEAD!!!


47 posted on 01/26/2016 12:45:04 PM PST by phs3 (FUBO)
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To: conservativejoy

Mark is a great big RINO and supports Bush.

Are you bored over at that kickass consistent site?

I thought you hated it here.


48 posted on 01/26/2016 12:46:58 PM PST by dforest
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To: phs3

Did you go to Trump University? Heard it was a great school.


49 posted on 01/26/2016 12:47:00 PM PST by hollyweed
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To: WhistlingPastTheGraveyard

I heard that he has. I believe they used it at Trump University.


50 posted on 01/26/2016 12:47:58 PM PST by hollyweed
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To: Awgie

Romney was the guy that birthed Obamacare. I would bet Mark Theissen was on the Romney bandwagon in 2012.


51 posted on 01/26/2016 12:48:33 PM PST by dforest
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To: moehoward

I had not heard those ‘stories’...


52 posted on 01/26/2016 12:48:43 PM PST by Just mythoughts (Jesus said Luke 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.)
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To: hollyweed

Trumps sister had nothing to do with Obamacare.
Reagan liked her and appointed her.


53 posted on 01/26/2016 12:49:57 PM PST by dforest
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To: dforest

She must have graduated from Trump University.


54 posted on 01/26/2016 12:51:38 PM PST by hollyweed
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To: conservativejoy

Trump’s Fault.


55 posted on 01/26/2016 12:52:51 PM PST by McGruff (Cruz can still be Prime Minister of Canada)
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To: hollyweed

Cruz would have appointed her because he took money from Triump. See how that works?


56 posted on 01/26/2016 12:53:59 PM PST by dforest
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To: dforest

Trumps wives: Doing the work Americans won’t do.


57 posted on 01/26/2016 12:56:35 PM PST by hollyweed
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To: tumblindice

Lol.


58 posted on 01/26/2016 1:03:01 PM PST by MotorCityBuck ( Keep the change, you filthy animal! ,)
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To: hollyweed

Trumps wives: Doing the work Americans won’t do.


That’s one of the ugliest things I’ve ever read on FR. You should be ashamed of yourself.


59 posted on 01/26/2016 1:04:59 PM PST by lodi90 (TRUMP Force 1 lifting off)
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To: Just mythoughts

Ben Domenech, the publisher of The Federalist is a frequent panelist on the Kennedy’s FBN show. He shared the story last week.


60 posted on 01/26/2016 1:08:18 PM PST by moehoward
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