ISIS AND PENCE: TRUMP KNOCKS TWO OUT OF THE PARK AS GOP CONVENTION BEGINS
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(ED. NOTE: Tomorrow, THE PLANET presents exclusive new details about the murder Sunday on Columbus Avenue, a shooting citizens found out about first on this website).
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(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JULY 18, 2016) — Today, the Republican Party begins its three-day convention in Cleveland, OH. To help shed light on two important developments in the campaign of Donald Trump, THE PLANET shares this guest piece by that conservative bastion, CNBC. Read it with an open (if not opened) mind. THE PLANET isn’t out to convert anyone. We’re out to prepare you.
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Kudlow on Trump’s two homers: Pence and a promise for a declaration of war
By Larry Kudlow, CNBC
Special to Planet Valenti News and Commentary
Donald Trump hit two home runs this week. The first, immediately following the horrific terrorist truck attack in Nice, was his statement in a media interview that if elected he would ask Congress for a declaration of war to combat global terrorism. The second was the inspired selection of Indiana governor Mike Pence to join the GOP ticket.Before getting to Pence, let me linger a moment on Trump’s declaration-of-war pronouncement.For well over a year I have argued for a Washington wake-up call whereby the president and Congress enact a formal declaration of war against ISIS and all other Islamic jihadist terror groups. These groups have declared war on us. We have yet to respond.Following the tragic terrorist attacks in Paris late last year, French president Francois Hollande declared war on ISIS. It was an act of courage. But France had to go it alone.France has been an American ally for about 250 years. It is a key member of NATO. But President Obama never stood shoulder to shoulder with Hollande and asked for a declaration of war against ISIS. Nor did he use American clout for a NATO declaration of war.Why is this important? I believe a war declaration would show energy, urgency, determination, and leadership — not only to rally Americans, but to send a global message to the terrorists.I recently interviewed former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and George P. Shultz, as well as retired four-star general Jack Keene. They all endorsed a full-throated U.S. declaration of war. And they added that with such a declaration, the U.S. must be prepared to destroy ISIS in its safe havens in Iraq and Syria.So when Donald Trump made it clear that this, in fact, “is war,” deserving of a declaration of war, he distinguished himself. No one else has done it. Not Congress. Not Obama. Certainly not Hillary.Trump’s second home run was his selection of Mike Pence as his running mate. Down through the years, as a leader of the conservative House Republican Study Committee and later as the third-ranking member of the House Republican leadership team, he stood firm as a genuine and consistent conservative.On economic policy Pence has held to the key building block of growth. He is a budget hawk who voted against President George W. Bush’s fiscally bloated No Child Left Behind education bill and hyper-expensive Medicare prescription-drug bill. He said he would not support new middle-class entitlements. He was consistent.
Just over ten years ago, Pence was voted conservative man of the year by Human Events. I did the interview and subsequent write-up. Pence described himself as “an unregenerate supply-sider” whose central aim is to marry supply-side tax cuts with strict spending restraint to expand the economy and get the budget into balance.
A few years ago, Pence spoke to the Detroit Economic Club. He called for sound monetary reform, tax relief, access to American energy, regulatory reform, and trade. New York Sun editor Seth Lipsky reminds us that Trump has stood for a stable and reliable dollar, including a standard to back it up. Pence stands for these same things.
In Indiana, which has been hard hit by manufacturing losses, job declines, and shrinking wages, Governor Pence combined tax cuts with spending restraint to spur the Hoosier economy. In this important respect he would be an excellent spokesman within the industrial Rust Belt, which includes Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. These states have all suffered similarly, but they’re states where polling suggests Trump could carry the day in November. Pence helps get him there.
Contributing to GOP unity, Pence is a churchgoing evangelical family man. He believes that “the sanctity of human life is the central axiom of Western civilization.” In this respect he will be an important bridge to social conservatives. And he might just soften the opposition of the Never Trump movement.
And Pence is well acquainted with the ways of Washington. He has strong ties to Speaker Paul Ryan and he is well regarded by GOP leaders in both the Senate and the House.
Finally, he will prove to be a tough and unyielding spokesman for the Trump ticket. Pence is a fighter. He will happily go after Hillary’s awful record.
So this was a week where we learned a Trump-Pence ticket will seek to declare and wage war to destroy ISIS. We learned that the GOP ticket is pro-growth, ready for tax cuts and deregulation. And we learned that the ticket will be allied with traditional and social conservatives. With these credentials, Trump-Pence is in position to carry states in November that no Republican has won in decades.
It was also a week where Hillary’s polls were like stocks looking for a bottom. Trump-Pence is a winner for the GOP.
Commentary by Larry Kudlow, a senior contributor at CNBC and economics editor of the National Review. Follow him on Twitter @Larry_Kudlow.
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As THE PLANET stated in a comment for The Weekend Edition,
| Trump has stated that if elected, he will ask Congress for a declaration of war against ISIS. This is significant. ISIS is a state not an “ism.” You can’t fight “terrorism,” since it is an idea. You can fight the Islamic State. We know where, who, when, and what it is. |
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“There might a sleepless man have earned a double wage.” — From The Odyssey of Homer, Book X
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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War never turns out well for anybody. ISIS has been saving its chemical weapons hoping and praying that the US would send in its troops. Be careful what you wish for.
Great piece Dan,Lee Chief Buffis currently residing at Gilmer Federal Correctional Institution FCI for a few more months. ”Thank you! God bless America and vote for Donald Trump!”, wearing a wide grin, before hurrying away and leaving his lawyer to answer questions.
Buffis is playing Bocce everyday in a Camp of 83.
Dan how many times did Trump interrupt Pence to say it was ok to disagree with him.If that not trying to intimidate what is.
Trump was trying to make the point that 2 people can disagree, but still be a team. There is no doubt that Trump is the leader of the Trump/Pence team, but we already knew that.
Once Pence gets to see how hard it is to work with Trump he will bow out. This will happen within a month. And then Trump will sue him for breach of contract.
They haven’t even Campaigned together. They don’t know each other, and they have no Chemistry. Trump is a joke!…Con Man all the way.
Pence is a career political hack. He was paid to run a “think tank” i.e. collect a check for political favors.
He railed against congressional pork while making sure the bacon fed his congressional district. He is for big money in politics, strongly anti-abortion, was a Congressional figure behind the Irag war, a gun-toting, free-trading, tea partier to the max. He probably wasn’t going to win reelection so the potential nomination is a lifeline for a loyal conservative servant.
For all of you that are voting for Trump because he is different, and anti-establishment, Pence is the opposite.
Wrong again SHH. Pence is a great pick. You are the hack
Trump needs to stay with the JOBS theme. We will be in World War 3 right here at home with Trump. Pence said Trump talks from the Heart – he was quickly corrected by The Donald, replying, the mind also, it’s the mind. Marriage made in Hell. Trump told Leslie Stahl that he was basically forced into choosing Pence? We’d have a better ticket with the Khardashian’s.
I don’t believe that just having more police in Pittsfield is going to help the crime problem in Pittsfield. We need to get police officers out of the patrol cars an in the neighborhoods so the police can develop a bond and rapport with the community.
There is a deputy sheriff at the V A every morning and he has such a nice personality that I believe if someone know that there was something about to go down they would have no problem telling him.
Pittsfield can’t afford to modify the policing strategy.
I’m voting Hillary but do admit Trump has surprised everyone all along the way. I’m worried about the Dems taking him too lightly. Changing gears the Pittsfield murder. Shots fired every night. This doesn’t surprise me either DV.
Finally Planet Valenti Gardens at Hess Forest thank you Michael Bloomberg for the cleanup. Others “talked” about this cleanup especially on not so wiz but only Mike and friends came through. He had my vote for state rep before this. This will win him more …
I hear he only went in there for the wild edibles. Ferns, mushrooms and plantain. Look for him at the farmers market making a few extra bucks.
The Wiz announced last week his intention to cleanup that property……It’s nice that Bloomberg jumped in to help to. The Wiz has committed to maintaining the property all season. If Bloomberg looses the election you’ll never hear from him again. Oh and thanks for the pretty flowers Mr. G…..they brighten up an otherwise dreary lot.
Yes, and remember it was THIS website that put Hess Forrest in the spotlight — a year ago! We even made it a segment in one of our summer movies. As always, THE PLANET was there first. The rest were “me too”s, although we tip the hat to Mike Bloomberg for rounding up the action squad.
Robbins Ave fire…neighbor heard loud boom then looked out across the street to see the house on fire…2 nights ago there was shots fired near the same house…possibly a molotav cocktail type object thrown at house for retaliation
What page of the Eagle did you say the story about the boom and fire was on?
Heard on the streets it was deliberate, arson.
Also heard that man shot dead on Columbus Ave answered his front door and was shot in the chest at point blank range…neighbors heard the 1 pop and thought it was fireworks…someone discovered man laying on the ground sometime later…absolutely drug related
I thought the mayor was getting tough on crime?
When you have more Cops than Citizens in a City……you are in trouble. The Mayor and Wynn don’t want to talk about that. City Council and School Committee think the residents are rolling in dough and are going to put up with the crap going on here. Moving out is what has escalated in Pittsfield.
9oo g doesnmt fix crime mayor, cars with movies and computers ain’t working here.
Doesn’t!
Called City Hall,got a recording, does anyone know where to get the blue paper-plastic containers?
city hall basement maybe 100 North St now
Thinking of voting for Trump? Would be comparable to the goons that voted in Tyer, the CC and SC. Clinton is not my choice either but that is the choice we have. When you compare them…. you see a wolf and a fox. The fox is not as capable of doing the damage a rouge wolf can. Think about that in November. And yes i would rather be surrounded by educated people rather than uneducated people. ABSOLUTELY.-ABSOLUTELY-ABSOLUTELY
Let common sense prevail here, folks.”Cops outnumbering citizens?” Ludicrous! You could put a cop on every street corner (like “back in the day?” Walking posts 1 – 10 and 4 auto routes) crime STILL happened! Arsons happened, “50 Murders” happened, drunk drivers still killed people, breaking & enterings still occurred. So what IS the answer? Cops in cars are “insulated” from citizens, walking cops, IF THEY KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING, only displace criminal activity, any arrest made by a walking cop, bike cop or motor cop still has to pull a beat car from patrol for transport, domestic crimes happen behind closed doors, so-called “quality of life crimes,” which are different depending on the part of the City, are coming under fire because of the Eric Garner incident (Community Policing/Broken Windows? Selling loose cigarettes? A revenue issue!).
The Country, as well as Pittsfield, et ux cities is going to hell in a hand basket because of liberal views, a laissez faire attitude, disrespect for authority and lack of social and moral responsibilty.
Who can fix it? Not the Allen St cloistered & entitled few, I can tell you that!
50 Murders is a good book. Police don’t prevent crime, they investigate it.
Dan why would you chose the “King of Debt” and someone’s who’s had 4 businesses go bankrupt and not able to pay their debts.
Seems contradictory to everything you’ve ever written.
You have Gary Johnson who’s had left New Mexico with a $1 Billion Surplus as Governor.
What if Linda Tyer had called herself the “King of Debt” and had 4 businesses go bankrupt?
You’d rip them apart.
Some of Trumps supporters say they will vote for him because they “like what he says”. But in truth, if he said what he says, but was a democrat, they would chew him up and spit him out in a heartbeat.
After the TV Celebrity declared war, what would he do–other than try to commit war crimes by torturing? Would he use US troops to invade Iraq again? Maybe some bright idea would occur to his “really good brain” that hasn’t occurred to anyone else.
I felt bad for Mike Pence in the 60 minutes interview. I know him and he has enormous integrity. I thought he did about as well as can be expected with the policy differences.
I sure if you are a white Christian male, Pence has a lot of integrity. He has enormous integrity after (legally) using campaign contributions to pay for his credit cards and his mortgage. He sat on revelations that another Hoosier Rep was having an affair. If you are a junkie in Scott County, Indiana, you likely have AIDS because of slow response to an outbreak. If you are Pence’s brother you have the integrity to wreck the family company and skip out on $9M in taxes (allegedly).
Pence is old school cronyism defined. None of his 90 bills and resolutions became law. He supported Iraq, Afghanistan, and the war in Libya. He never saw a free trade deal he didn’t like. He wants your social security and he wants you to work until you die. HE said Obamacare was akin to 9/11. Indiana lags behind the nation in job and wage growth under his leadership. While most of the country realizes that mandatory sentences for relatively minor drug offenses are poor choices, Mikey doubled down. He hates gays, minorities, and women.
He won the governorship in the closest election in 50 years and probably because there was a significant third party candidate. Pence is marginal and likely the only candidate on the list desperate enough to avoid losing an election to jump on Trump. Christie and Gingrich don’t help Trump in the electoral college. Pence might.
Reading conspiracy theory websites is not the best way to get political information. You should stick to those with a reputation to lose if they report unsupported stories as true.
Pence did support free trade deals and I applaud him for this. Indiana and the US are far better off with these deals than without. This is the opinion of most (all?) economists.Even the BBC acknowledges this see http://www.bbc.com/news/business-32925294. The growth in Indiana wages and jobs is faster, and the state is now the leading in advanced manufacturing. I am sorry that none of this appears to be going to Pittsfield.
I agree, reading conspiracy websites is not the best way to get political information. Indiana shattered manufacturing unions with legislation on the way to stagnating wages. Of course your wages will grow after they are dropped with legislation instead of the marketplace. Similarly, they shouldn’t be collectively inflated by organized labor.
I imagine that the factory worker, with little to no ability to ascend a ladder of generational economic opportunity, could care less what academic scholars that add no value to goods opine.
I also am sorry that it is not happening in Pittsfield, but there is no workforce, there is no access, and there is no agglomeration of industry to generate skilled activity.
SHH you are showing your true colors. A hack.
Thank you, CT, for bringing your first-hand experience with Mike Pence to THE PLANET.
SHH is a shill for Billary
Dusty…a friend works for the gas co…he got called to the structure fire…cops on scene told him…I don’t read the eagle
Big deal! Whats your point? The night shift cops are to busy hiding and sleeping so they have no time to read.
What was the SusPENCE, an ultra conservative with good drinking water, the criteria for a good candidate.
I got to know…does pence think hillary sfat
I will vote for Trump. Hillary is a terrible candidate who will continue more of Obama’s failed policies
Terrorism is getting worse. It’s only when we start having attacks here in the Berkshires that progressives will want to do something about terrorism, but by then it wll be too late.
Crime and poverty are out of control in Pittsfield, but still locals vote for progressive Democrats who do nothing to solve our problems except give more money to the greedy school department. Locals complain about our problems on this board over and over, but again don’t do anything different. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is called insanity. There is obviously a lot of insanity here in Berkshire County.
Progressives lives matter!
Nice one, heh heh!
Politics not as usual, but maybe becoming the new normal for Pittsfield—Mike Bloomberg cleaned up the Hess jungle. Kathy Lloyd does similar good works fir our community. Maybe this year we will finalky vote in some new blood, fresh faces, who will actually work to make a difference, who already are working to make a difference.
Did Mike actually help weed wack?
Does Buffis get his pension, the word is it’s the biggest Country Club, steak for dinner, gym, etc nobody will look down at him at that joint, he’ll be revered. His detail will be of his choosing.
Pat watches alot of Fox news…..i will ask again is Gay marriage progressive…is it environmental laws….is it gun control….is it union membership…is it seperation of church and state….is it womans choice…..
Union membership is responsible for what we see with the school department. Environmental laws are overblown. Abortion is out of control in this and other countries. Gun control will only mean that guns go underground and we will have a whole criminal network for illegal firearms.
Charlie Baker and 264 Massachusetts state employees are on an Isis “kill List” on the ISIS website. The FBI is warning them to be aware of their surroundings at all times. This was just in the news today.
Gay marriage….the state supreme court ruled there was nothing in the Massachusetts constitution preventing gays from forming a marriage…..if you did not want them to form marriages the legislation would have to state massachusetts has amended its constitution to outlaw gays forming marriages….it really was that simple .
Trump is against free trade…Pence supports free trade…..voters are being lied to by somebody.Why would Pence attach himself to Trump who is the Progressive in this race
Lock-step uniformity on a ticket is not a good thing.
School committee, so long as they don’t make it mandatory I think we’ll be OK.
The question now isn’t whether Donald Trump will win the Presidency — Wall Street’s latest new highs seem to be foretelling a big Donald win — the real question facing Massachusetts’ Liberal Democrat diehards is whether Donald will carry the Commonwealth?
That sure would frost ‘Pocahontas’ Warren and her gullible followers!