Category: politics

Jerusalem Post Chides Mike Huckabee for Holocaust Analogy

Adding to the fallout over Mike Huckabee’s ill-advised comparison of the Iran nuclear treaty to the Holocaust, the Jerusalem Post rebuked the GOP presidential hopeful earlier today.
Certainly, the Israelis oppose the Iran deal but lament that Huckabee’s comment make it harder to secure the opposition necessary to derail it. The Post says:

As for sense, Huckabee’s comment just made it tougher for Israel and its allies in Washington to round up Democratic votes needed to override a presidential veto.

Huckabee made the remarks last Saturday:

Speaking with Breitbart News Saturday, the former Arkansas governor called Barack Obama “feckless” and “naive,” adding that by signing the deal the President “will take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven.”

Huckabee hasn’t backed away except to claim he wasn’t comparing President Obama to Hitler.
The JPost disagrees:

But in Netanyahu’s analogy, the Obama administration and the West are playing the role of Neville Chamberlain. Huckabee, on the other hand, cast President Barack Obama as Hitler when the Republican presidential hopeful declared that the Iran deal “will take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven.” 

Huckabee’s rhetoric doesn’t appear to be helping him with evangelicals. In a survey of evangelical leaders from World magazine, only 4% of participants favored Huckabee as their first choice.
 

Who Do Evangelical Leaders Prefer for President in 2016: Good News for Marco Rubio, Scott Walker and Carly Fiorina

This just in today from World  magazine:

WASHINGTON—Good news for Marco Rubio, Scott Walker, and Carly Fiorina. Mixed news for Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz. Bad news for Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and Ben Carson. And if anyone thought Donald Trump or Chris Christie were picking up support from evangelical leaders, pop that bubble.

Those are the findings from a survey of nearly 100 evangelical leaders and insiders. Numerous 2016 GOP candidates have identified evangelicals as a key part of their road to the White House, so WORLD, the leading evangelical news magazine, recently asked 103 evangelical leaders and insiders to see whom they prefer. Ninety-four responded.

Most respondents said they wouldn’t vote for Trump. On the heels of Thomas Kidd’s WaPo op-ed yesterday, the survey confirmed that Mike Huckabee isn’t setting any fires among evangelicals.

Religious liberty is right now the big issue for these participants. Go on over and read the rest at World.

Donald Trump Shall Become the Trumpet: My Entry for Best Article in the "Wait, This Isn't Parody?" Category

If I was of a mind to write a parody of a Charismatic minister writing about Donald Trump, an article like this would have been a good result.
Writing for Charisma Magazine’s Prophetic Insight section, “prophetic minister” Jeremiah Johnson compared Donald Trump to Cyrus in the Bible. Referring to Trump or someone like him, Johnson says:

Could God not use the wicked and ungodly to bring about His plans and purposes thousands of years ago and can He not still do the same thing again, especially in the midst of the crisis that we find America in today?

Then Johnson writes that the Holy Spirit told him Trump would become…. (wait for it)…. His “trumpet to the American people.”  According to Johnson, the Holy Spirit sounds a lot like a Trump spokesman:

Trump shall become My trumpet to the American people, for he possesses qualities that are even hard to find in My people these days. Trump does not fear man nor will he allow deception and lies to go unnoticed. I am going to use him to expose darkness and perversion in America like never before, but you must understand that he is like a bull in a china closet. Many will want to throw him away because he will disturb their sense of peace and tranquility, but you must listen through the bantering to discover the truth that I will speak through him. I will use the wealth that I have given him to expose and launch investigations searching for the truth. Just as I raised up Cyrus to fulfill My purposes and plans, so have I raised up Trump to fulfill my purposes and plans prior to the 2016 election. You must listen to the trumpet very closely for he will sound the alarm and many will be blessed because of his compassion and mercy. Though many see the outward pride and arrogance, I have given him the tender heart of a father that wants to lend a helping hand to the poor and the needy, to the foreigner and the stranger.

PresidentBizIn a strange way, Trump isn’t allowing deception and lies to go unnoticed. Just look at his attack on John McCain. Trump deceived all over the place and didn’t let it go unnoticed.
I think the next prophecy should be about President Business from the LEGO movie. He has all those tough guy qualities too.
Hat tip to Alan Noble.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Fact Checking Donald Trump's Criticism of John McCain

I like fact checking. I do a fair amount of it here on the blog (for example, yesterday) so I like to read fact checking articles on topics of interest. On such topic for me was Donald Trump’s criticism of John McCain’s record on veterans.
USA Today ran an article a couple of days ago fact checking Trump’s USA Today op-ed defending his criticism of McCain. I link to it here and recommend it to interested readers.
It takes a special kind of hubris to criticize a former POW. Trump is riding high now but he will not be the GOP nominee.
John McCain is up for reelection to the Senate and referred to Trump’s criticism indirectly in a recent support email:

My Friend – 

I’m not a hero, but the great honor of my life was to serve in the company of heroes. 

There is nothing that anyone can say to take that away. 

All those who went through the POW experience, and their families who are so proud of their service and sacrifice, deserve the utmost honor and respect. To denigrate them is offensive to all who have worn the uniform. 

Anyone who questions their service owes a sincere apology to these heroes and their families. 

I have always been proud to stand up for our nation’s veterans and active duty armed forces. They represent the best of our nation – our bravest and finest. America’s veterans need our support, and addressing their concerns will always be among my top priorities in the Senate. 

As I face a tough campaign for reelection, I need to know if I can count on your support. 

I agree. Trump should apologize.
Meanwhile, can there be any doubt that the biggest benefactor of the Trump phenomenon is Hillary Clinton? Trump is still leading the GOP field but it is early and he may suffer from his mouth.

New York Times Stands by Claims on Ted Cruz's; Says Book Could Make the List Next Week

The New York Times told me this morning that Ted Cruz’s book could make the best seller list next reporting period if sales warrant. The paper also stands behind the claim that “the overwhelming preponderance of evidence was that sales were limited to strategic bulk purchases.”
Times spokeswoman Denise Rhoades Ha said this morning that “The book could appear on a future list. Every week is a new sales reporting period and could have a different outcome.” Thus, if strong sales have resulted from this dust up with the Times, Cruz might find himself on the list next week.
The Times won’t release or discuss their evidence because those details might lead to further manipulation of the list.  Ms. Rhodes Ha added that the Times stands by their comment on the matter released earlier:

We have uniform standards that we apply to our best seller list, which includes an analysis of book sales that goes beyond simply the number of books sold.
This book didn’t meet that standard this week.
Our goal is that the list reflect authentic best sellers so we look at and analyze not just numbers, but patterns of sales for every book.
In the case of this book, the overwhelming preponderance of evidence was that sales were limited to strategic bulk purchases.

I also contacted HarperCollins earlier today and asked if the company planned to release evidence which would support Cruz’s denial. HC has not replied as yet. Publishers are aware of where bulk orders go and could provide relevance evidence on bulk sales or lack thereof. Last Friday, a HarperCollins’ spokeswoman said the company found no evidence of bulk orders.
See my post from yesterday for more background.