DONALD TRUMP: "THE ART OF PAY TO PLAY"
Posted on 01/18/2016 4:29:32 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Pointing to the effects of "horrible" super-PACs, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump on Sunday said America needs to come up with a solution to keep big money out of politics.
"Well, I think you need it, because I think PACs are a horrible thing," Trump said on CNN's "State of the Union" when asked if he would pursue campaign finance reform.
The billionaire businessman, who said he is self-financing his campaign, said the wall separating super-PACs and candidates running for public office is illusory.
"First of all, everyone's dealing with their PAC. You know, it's supposed to be like this secret thing. They're all dealing with it," he said.
Trump pointed to a pair of simultaneous rallies for Republican primary candidate Jeb Bush, one hosted by his campaign and the other by a pro-Bush super-PAC.
"Bush had an event where he had an event for his whatever and an event for his PAC, right? For his campaign. The ballrooms were right next to each other and the events were simultaneous," he said. "You tell me they're not dealing with each other?"
He said candidates become "psychologically" beholden to their big-money donors, which may influence them to disregard the public interest.
"Yes, yes, oh yeah. I mean, look, psychologically yes. That's the way it is," he said when asked if politicians are swayed by their benefactors.
"Somebody gives them money, not anything wrong, just psychologically when they go to that person, they're going to do it," he added. "They owe them. And by the way, they may therefore vote negatively toward the country."
"That's not going to happen with me."
One way to heal the land and make campaign finance less important is mandatory fair debate.
State legislatures could collectively appoint debate schedulers. No moderator, just a timer. Maybe three schedulers, each limited to three years so one is always outgoing, who each can never impose more than a limited number of debates [according to how the states agree via a constitutional amendment].
My plan for taming the big money influence in politics.
Cut taxes to minimal rates for everyone across the board and cut regulation back to reasonable levels. Then big money won’t feel near the pressure to influence politicians in their favor.
Things like tariffs will only serve to encourage big money to try to influence government.
“First headline that came up when I Googled the LAWYER Cruz...”
Bull$hit from the radical libtards at Mother Jones?
Trump rushing to the center now?
Internal polling must look good for him?
Cruz: ‘We Need Quite A Few Constitutional Amendments’
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3381654/posts
There’s a guy looking for serious solutions. Only thing — the President has less time to discuss constitutional amendments.
I think you posted a lie.
what was the venue?
Trump is a real man that gets around. He doesn’t hide under a rock
no no....Donald is gonna make Mexico and China pay for your gas and your mortgage! The instant the Donaldus is immaculated, the entire notion of global economic reality will shift....just like Obma’s election did to the sea levels....
LOL
Correct. Every vote for Trump is a vote for Hillary.
Trump is no conservative, has supported liberal causes his entire life. Unlike Reagan, who was also a former Democrat, Trump cannot be trusted. Reagan spent years in the trenches of conservatism, specifically when it was most unpopular (e.g., Goldwater). Trump has been AWOL.
Trump is a ridiculous, untrustworthy buffoon who cannot articulate any conservative position to anyone, constantly speaking in disjoined, asinine, contradictory fragments of sentences.
Watch Trump in the debates. He rarely speaks, preferring to hide behind the other candidates - and rarely discusses issues. Now think about Trump at the podium against Clinton next fall -- on multiple occasions. Trump cannot hide behind anyone: it's him or her. Given his inability to speak about anything except process, polls, and platitudes, his ignorance and unfitness to be commander-in-chief will be on clear display for the vast middle of the American electorate.
Not sure where you got IRS out of my comment, but hey, whatever fits your agenda, just make things up.
The left put people out of business or get them fired from Their jobs if they find out they contribute to conservative causes.
The IRS is the agency in charge of enforcing what you want.
I know, civics is hard for some.
EXACTLY!!! If you think K street has too many seats at the table now, let's put punitive tariffs on the table, and K street will OWN THE DAMNED TABLE.
Not understanding this is one of the horrific things we've discovered about so many Freepers lately.
Agreed. Citizen United has changed our country for the worse. What do we do about it? That’s the dilemma.
Here’s a way:
- either eliminate or raise the amount of individual contributions direct to campaigns (allow candidates to set their own limit and explain why the limit is what it is. That way if someone takes a huge donation from a rich person it is transparent and up to them to explain why they took the money)
- eliminate non-individual donations direct to candidates (this essentially eliminates PAC type contributions)
- eliminate union spending and contributions in time to candidates (if we are eliminating PAC’s, unions have to go also)
- at least double the size of House. House members should actually know people in their district
- actually limit the size of government to what the government is allowed to do in the constitution. More power over people’s lives means more incentive to people to spend money to influence. Less power means less money.
With money he made by greasing the palms of corrupt politicians.
DONALD TRUMP: "THE ART OF PAY TO PLAY"
If that is true he should divest all of his companies outside his family now, as some politician could put the squeeze on one of his hotels in a heartbeat, tying it up with investigations and negative publicity, halting construction, any number of things. Just can't have those influences on a candidate.
You’re totally correct!!!
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