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Trump is Right: GOP Debate Audience is Packed Full of Republican Donors
informationliberation.com ^ | 2/6/16 | Chris Menahan

Posted on 02/07/2016 7:51:46 AM PST by cotton1706

If you ever wondered why the man leading overwhelmingly in the polls gets booed to hell at these republican debates and gets minimal applause and frequent consternation from the audiences, Trump has given us the answer: the audiences are packed full of top republican donors.

Trump in a "drop the mic" type moment pointed this out after members of the audience booed him for supporting eminent domain, "That's all of his donors and special interests out there," Trump said, who noted Jeb and everyone else in the debate also supports eminent domain when it comes to the Keystone pipeline.

"That's what it is, and by the way, let me just tell you, we needed tickets. You can't get them. You know who has the tickets? Donors, special interests, the people that are putting up the money. That's who it is."

snip

The campaigns also set aside debate seats for their biggest financial backers, arranging receptions and briefings for them on debate days.

"I heard people here saying, 'I've been to three, how many have you been to?' " said Washington lobbyist and GOP fundraiser Richard Hohlt. "There are people who are almost debate groupies."

(Excerpt) Read more at informationliberation.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elections
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To: georgiarat

Yes, the pipeline is a regulated utility like electricity so it is public use. The country can’t run without energy, it can get along very well without a casino parking lot.

Trump doesn’t respect property rights, period.


21 posted on 02/07/2016 8:08:57 AM PST by one Lord one faith one baptism
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To: House Atreides
"Yep, me too....I support the proper use of eminent domain when it is CONSTITUTIONAL (i.e., for PUBLIC USE and with proper COMPENSATION)."

How do you define Public Use? The keystone pipeline is to transport private oil. Not even sure who will own the pipeline either.

The governments trying eminent domain for Trump's two cases thought their attempts were in the public interest. They lost those two attempts and in the case of the widow, she agreed to sell for a lot less money than Trump had offered her before eminent domain was even tried.

And SCOTUS subsequently ruled that eminent domain can be used to put the property back into private hands, if the tax revenue on the property will increase.

22 posted on 02/07/2016 8:11:49 AM PST by DannyTN
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To: A Conservative Thinker

Link please


23 posted on 02/07/2016 8:12:40 AM PST by nclaurel
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To: Lagmeister

“The pipeline is not public use....”
************************************
Sorry, you are wrong. The privately owned Keystone Pipeline would be a “public utility” ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_utility ) just as your local privately owned Gas & Electric company is a public utility with their services available for PUBLIC USE. Such privately owned public utilities have been (correctly) empowered to use eminent domain for well over a century.

The degree of ignorance among Americans continues to grow IMHO.


24 posted on 02/07/2016 8:12:44 AM PST by House Atreides (CRUZ or lose!)
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To: georgiarat
The eminent domain issue has now come up in three debates but never raised to the level of last night.

Exactly, the establishment is playing on folk's ignorance. Surprisingly, you would think that Free Republic folks would be wiser about the intricacies of governance. Other than that, folks here want to join the stupid smear meme and pretend reality isn't reality. In major cities and across the country in small towns, older homes are being bought up through eminent domain for redevelopmet - and thank goodness it happens. Upscale houses are being built as well as businesses that employ people and pay taxes. Being against eminent domain is actually 'feeling the Bern' to put it bluntly.

25 posted on 02/07/2016 8:13:14 AM PST by Lagmeister ( false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders Mark 13:22)
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To: DannyTN

“...And SCOTUS subsequently ruled that eminent domain can be used to put the property back into private hands, if the tax revenue on the property will increase. ...”
******************************************************************************
Yes, and THAT decision is one of many decisions by the Supreme Court that violate the words and spirit of the US Constitution, IMHO.


26 posted on 02/07/2016 8:14:54 AM PST by House Atreides (CRUZ or lose!)
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To: cotton1706

People keep hitting Trump about using imminent domain, but why is nobody, including Trump and the media, pointing out that no individual can use imminent domain, only the government can?

People have been screaming about him trying to take someone’s property for a parking lot, but the fact is, the government could have easily just said no. If they want to take someone’s property then make it available to a builder, OK I’ll concede the builder did make the request, but the government made the decision to do it. Now everyone wants to blame Trump...He didn’t make the final decision. A bureaucrat did that...and could have told him no to begin with.

I guess you have to split the blame, not dump it all on Trump, he just made the request, someone had to give it the government OK...but in the final analysis, it’s the government that took the land, or tried to. What they do/did with it is another story...

He is right though, without imminent domain, things like roads, bridges, schools and pipelines would not exist, or would be incredibly difficult. Does your town have a courthouse? Town Hall? Guess how it probably got there...


27 posted on 02/07/2016 8:15:36 AM PST by Paleo Pete (I'm with the bomb squad. If you see me running, CATCH UP!)
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To: cotton1706

Did we expect the GOP debate to be attended by those who aren’t republican political animals? Like a taping of Ellen or something?


28 posted on 02/07/2016 8:16:36 AM PST by Teacher317 (We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men)
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To: cotton1706

It sounded chock full of Bush people and other GOPe folk

They control the process


29 posted on 02/07/2016 8:17:02 AM PST by wardaddy (Boy the nasties are sure out in force here.....I hope someone is saving this)
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To: Lagmeister

Pipelines are not “public use”? You clearly know nothing about the energy sector or eminent domain.


30 posted on 02/07/2016 8:18:20 AM PST by Teacher317 (We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men)
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To: Lagmeister

“You are not correct. Most eminent domain today is for redevelopment for a tax base. That is considered the public good. Consider rundown neighborhoods in many cities. The use of eminent domain allows the properties to be bought up and converted to upscale houses... known as gentrification. This benefits the city by bringing in taxpayers and it benefits the city by being able to increase taxes on the property. This is a Republican, conservative and Constitutional position. What is wrong with folks here?”
***********************************************************************

You ask “What is wrong with folks here?”. I guess, from your perspective, it’s that they are not socialists and do not worship the State.


31 posted on 02/07/2016 8:18:31 AM PST by House Atreides (CRUZ or lose!)
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To: Texas Eagle
Justice Kennedy's eminent domain abuse of (Kelo v. City of New London) This is a far cry from the eminent domain the Key Stone Pipe Line would require....incidentally how many of you have (seen this)...one map among many.
32 posted on 02/07/2016 8:19:09 AM PST by yoe
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To: Texas Eagle

Is Kelo as troubling to you as ISIS, TPP, Obamacare, open borders?

It amazes me how the media still manages to attack on a micro level and succeed. Trump won’t take anyone’s property as President, I promise.


33 posted on 02/07/2016 8:21:01 AM PST by Kenny (RED)
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To: cotton1706

Trump is dead on about using something more than waterboarding to get get information of the Muslimes.

Do you think that the heads of the top feral Muslimes aren’t being subjected to it in order to ‘immunize’ them against the fear of drowning?

It will take something more drastic to get them to talk, something like strapping stereo headphones to their heads and looping Hillary’s cackle.


34 posted on 02/07/2016 8:21:58 AM PST by RetSignman (Obama is the walking, talking middle finger in the face of America)
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To: A Conservative Thinker
Thanks for the link. Troubling indeed.

El Jebbo's response was on the mark but I'm not convinced he would be any better on such issues if he was President which, thankfully, it looks like he won't be.

'Course, I think I may have said the same thing about Bathhouse Barry at one time.

Eminent Domain abuse has been around a long time. The first time I ever even heard the phrase was in the late 70s (maybe early 80s) when I lived in Tacoma, WA, and poor people were being evicted from their homes to make space for this monstrosity that came to be known as The TacomaDome.

And, then, the taxpayers were bilked out of something like 175,000 dollars for this hideous neon artwork which was hung (hanged?) inside.

35 posted on 02/07/2016 8:23:48 AM PST by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
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To: georgiarat
Do you consider the Keystone pipeline public use? It would be owned by a private company.

Most energy companies are private companies. Ever hear of Chesapeake? Exxon? Arch? Piedmont? NextEra? Solyndra?

Sheesh, the anti-capitalists are out this month.

36 posted on 02/07/2016 8:25:23 AM PST by Teacher317 (We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men)
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To: cotton1706

The GOPe donors would be the ones most likely to support his position on Kelo - even if they don’t support him.


37 posted on 02/07/2016 8:26:00 AM PST by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: Paleo Pete

Give me a break! Its crony capitalism and well connected moguls like Donald Trump will use politicans to squash the private property rights of people like Vera Coking and you’re going to actually sit here and defend this unconstitutional expansion of eminent domain?


38 posted on 02/07/2016 8:26:06 AM PST by A Conservative Thinker
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To: Kenny

Something to consider:
If a wall is to be built across our southern border, eminent domain WILL be an issue, since most of the land along the border is privately owned.


39 posted on 02/07/2016 8:26:53 AM PST by milagro (There is no peace in appeasement!)
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To: one Lord one faith one baptism

Many industries and activities are “regulated”. Does regulation make private companies eligible for eminent domain? Utilities, where rates and other cost provisions are publicly regulated are simple. The pipeline would not be subject to price regulation nor most other pipelines or railroads. Railroads are private but eminent domain was used to acquire land because it was deemed in the public good.


40 posted on 02/07/2016 8:27:15 AM PST by georgiarat (Obama, providing incompetence since Day One!)
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