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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: Daveinyork

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.


Not really. Between Trump & Cruz there is only candidate who has campaigned for Barack Obama in the US Senate. That would be Ted Cruz. It’s Cruz’s supporters who see no evil, speak no evil and hear no evil of The Anointed Conservative (TM).


61 posted on 01/26/2016 1:11:15 PM PST by lodi90 (TRUMP Force 1 lifting off)
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To: Grampa Dave

We all supported Roberts thinking he as a conservative.


62 posted on 01/26/2016 1:19:40 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: lodi90

“Between Trump & Cruz there is only candidate who has campaigned for Barack Obama in the US Senate. That would be Ted Cruz.” Huh. You have any evidence of this?


63 posted on 01/26/2016 1:21:30 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: lodi90

There they go, the thin-skinned Trumpies.


64 posted on 01/26/2016 1:22:32 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: Daveinyork

S0, who recommended Roberts was lying or asleep on the job.


65 posted on 01/26/2016 1:24:21 PM 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: Daveinyork

“Between Trump & Cruz there is only candidate who has campaigned for Barack Obama in the US Senate. That would be Ted Cruz.” Huh. You have any evidence of this?


Sure here you go. Ted Cruz campaigned for Obama’s “legacy trade agenda” TPA/TPP:

http://time.com/3819537/ian-bremmer-trans-pacific-partnership-obama/


66 posted on 01/26/2016 1:25:00 PM PST by lodi90 (TRUMP Force 1 lifting off)
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To: hollyweed

So who is paying for this appearance of your sign on name?


67 posted on 01/26/2016 1:26:05 PM 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: conservativejoy

a complete TOKEN vote a week after they funded the damn thing.


68 posted on 01/26/2016 1:27:24 PM PST by Solson (Trump plays to win. Deal with it.)
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To: moehoward

Thanks. In some circles this could be classified as ‘stalking’.


69 posted on 01/26/2016 1:28:59 PM PST by Just mythoughts (Jesus said Luke 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.)
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To: lodi90

I don’t see Cruz mentioned anywhere in that article, and unless his eyes developed a curious slant, He’s not in that picture with Obama.


70 posted on 01/26/2016 1:38:28 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: Just mythoughts

I suppose a generous sort would say Ted was a little starstruck groupie with a bromantic crush.

But I’m not that generous. You’re’ right, stalking is a better characterization.


71 posted on 01/26/2016 1:38:29 PM PST by moehoward
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To: conservativejoy

Tag line.


72 posted on 01/26/2016 4:58:07 PM PST by BobL (Who cares? He's going to build a wall and stop this invasion.)
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To: hollyweed

Still at it? My point has been made.


73 posted on 01/26/2016 5:07:07 PM PST by phs3 (FUBO)
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To: hollyweed

You do realize your acting like a troll? You or someone with your handle posted a few remarks 15 years ago. Now, you come in acting like a tool...


74 posted on 01/26/2016 5:12:59 PM PST by phs3 (FUBO)
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