Ordinarily, I’d leave ex-wives out of a political debate, but Ivana Trump wants to be heard and she’s been talking to the New York Post. I doubt what she had to say will be particularly helpful to her ex-husband.
Ivana Trump said the first step for America to regain respect is adopting the billionaire’s immigration policies.
“And I’m an immigrant,” said Ivana, who was born in the Czech Republic.
“As long as you come here legally and get a proper job … we need immigrants. Who’s going to vacuum our living rooms and clean up after us? Americans don’t like to do that,” she added.
The Republican presidential front-runner’s first wife insisted she has “nothing against Mexicans.”
“But if they [come] here — like this 19-year-old, she’s pregnant, she crossed over a wall that’s this high. She gives birth in American hospital, which is for free. The child becomes American automatically,” she said. “She brings the whole family, she doesn’t pay the taxes, she doesn’t have a job, she gets housing, she gets the food stamps. Who’s paying? You and me.”
When it comes to picking spouses, The Donald doesn’t seek the ‘Made in America’ seal of approval, not that there’s anything wrong with that. What’s more important is whether the Trumps understand the problems of ordinary Americans who know how to vacuum and clean up after themselves.
Growing up in the New York media market, I was occasionally subjected to this kind of arrogance. I remember when Leona Helmsley rationalized her tax evasion by stating, “We don’t pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes.” Too often, that appears to be true.
I doubt anyone cares what Ivana Trump thinks about immigration policy, but most people won’t feel much sympathy for her point of view. I mean, I don’t care how rich you are, you ought to pick up after yourself. And, if you can’t, you don’t need to hire an immigrant to do it for you.
And, as for Ivana Trump paying for the food stamps and housing of the children of illegal immigrants, she’ll hardly notice the expense:
Their divorce was settled after that in 1992. Although the settlement remains sealed by the courts, it is rumored that Ivana received $20 million; the $14 million family estate in Connecticut; a $5 million housing allowance; $350,000 annual alimony; all of her jewelry; and 49% of Mar-a-Lago, the family home in Palm Beach, Florida, that also serves as a private club for the Palm Beach elite.
Are we supposed to cry that some of her money might go to feed a child? And I emphasize might because what Leona Helmsley said is accurate enough that I wonder if Ivana Trump actually does pay for that 19-year-old girl’s government assistance.
More likely, she doesn’t pay her fair share, which means you and I can sleep at night knowing that we haven’t let a child go hungry or without shelter, but that thought probably never even crosses Ivana’s mind.
It’s a little more understandable when someone who actually plays by the normal rules and who actually notices the difference when they write a check to the IRS feels some resentment about their tax dollars going to someone ‘undeserving.’
When Ivana Trump does it, it just makes people want to oil the guillotine.
Or, hand her a vacuum cleaner…
I am reminded how in college one of my professors, whom I liked quite a bit, noted with some disgust in her voice that the Americans made the daughters of the emperor of Japan learn to wash dishes – as though this were some kind of war crime.
The US did some nasty stuff during the war and did a lot of it to Japan. I can get my sympathy on for Japanese civilians – but not for princesses washing dishes.
Although I’m firmly not of the opinion that the Emperor and his family should have executed, there were an awful lot of Americans who did think that. I have a hunch that the royal family were aware of their situation and were not all that offended by dishwashing duty.
“… we need immigrants. Who’s going to vacuum our living rooms and clean up after us? Americans don’t like to do that.”
Oh really, Ivana? Americans don’t like to vacuum? Well that’s probably true on the face of it, but most of us do it because we can’t even afford to pay some undocumented immigrant – like the kind you and your ex “hire” – even less than minimum wage to do that chore for us.
What an entitled, know-nothing jerk she is. One can see why she married the Donald. A match made in heaven until Ivana passed her sell-by date, and the Donald replaced her with a younger Stepford wife model (and then did it again).
Ivana, unlike the mythical pregnant 19 year old Mexican who “climbed over a wall” and got lots of free stuff, made sure she was white and got a rich sugar daddy to pay her bills into perpetuity apparently. Nice for her. What’s her job?? Other than behaving like a bore in public?
It’s mainly the wealthy and the mega wealthy who seem to get so riled up about all of these allegedly undocumented immigrants getting all of this free health care and boatloads of other free stuff. I have yet to see credible information that backs up these very specious claims.
Ivana should just STFU and go far far away.
” made sure she was white”
Uh, it’s not a choice.
It’s called snark.
But that said, duly noted that Ivana is blathering this racist junk… and why how nice that she happens to be white. Yet an immigrant.
OK
It’s the same kind of stuff Romney used to say. This talk must appeal to them.
The only interesting aspect of Ivana’s comment is that she dares to say in public what other elite spouses only think and say in private. Money has its privileges, doncha know?
This entire campaign has got to be some kind of hallucination.
2000 people outside CNN in Hollywood, protesting the free media Trump has received by the network, compared to Bernie. That’s not news. Did that even happen? Did that tree even fall in that forest? Maybe we need to make a louder noise.
18,000 in the Bronx to see a goddamn political phenomenon of massive proportions. A multi-cultural Lovefest of engaged citizens. 18,000 people and not one arrest. The cops thought they were hallucinating. But that was not news on MSNBC, which for months has carried Trump speeches in their entirety.
Now, if that rally was for Trump, or even Clinton, do you think MSNBC might have carried a few minutes live? Nah.
The “news.” Operating on the same logic that brings us reality TV garbage. For eyeballs. To watch a buffoon, who incites violence-causing racial animus, a celebrity with a long history of sleaze and self-promotion. Yes, it is a train wreck. It is for gawkers. It is not news.
The debate about debates. Big news all weekend. Hillary proposes the night of the NCAA Finals, the night before taxes are due, or the morning after taxes are due on Good Morning America, moderated by a man whose career was made by association with her political dynasty. And another proposal was on a day Benrie already has permitted for another epic NYC Lovefest. But she says Bernie “should stop playing games.” The media calls it a wash… Hahaha And Clinron is the one we are supposed to take seriously.
And Booman…Booman! Why do you have a post up about Ivana Trump? Even you can’t answer that one. I have been reading you for 10 years, I have learned so much. I cannot blame you, my friend.
You, and me, and the rest of us, we need to check ourselves, as we are losing our reference points a bit during this election. On TV, I hear nothing about policy. Ever. The media acts like Flint style infrastructure, stagnant wages, and massive concentrations of wealth are normal for this country. They act like one party not considering a Supreme Court nominee is not that big a deal. After all, after all the obstruction that has become the new normal, I guess now a party has to have the Presidency and 60 Senators to fill a court vacancy. That’ll be helpful.
The Serious People really have climbed into the pod, and they must be almost ready to hit the bunkers underneath the Denver Airport.
There is NO WAY they can expect the center to hold when they long ago stopped acting like they care. The “adults” are really a bunch of spoiled babies. They didn’t have to fight in the war, they didn’t have to suffer through a depression. THEY GREW UP ON THE TUBE. 50s TV. HOLY SHIT!! They still live in 1962, and have been trying to get back there since JFK went down.
Clinton vs Trump:
The Unwanted vs Unbelievably Unfit
Clinton vs Cruz:
The Unwanted vs Christo-Fascist Nightmare
Clinton vs Kasich:
The Unwanted vs future President Kasich
Clinton vs Ryan:
How could this even really happen? No fuckin way
Is this really the set-up? Because there is one candidate that is considered honest and trustworthy. One that cannot be bought with money or favor. One that made the right decision on the biggest foreign policy decision ever, when the Serious People got it wrong. One that understands that our current economy is undermining democracy, and is NOT normal. One that has an army of motivated, informed, and compassionate backers, an army that represents the future. The first generation since the baby boomers to be a yuuuuge population force, and is ready to start cleaning up the mess. If only these fuckin Eagles fans would let them.
Booman, why do see Bernie as such a bad candidate? I mean, any other election in our life, he would be crushed. But this is his time because the people need a man they can trust, and that they know will fight for them. That’s all they seem to want right now, and Sanders fits the bill perfectly.
But alas, it seems still not good enough for my favorite progressive blogger to give him some props. Why not?
Tell me, is it the suit?
Brilliant!!!
Thank you.
AG
P.S. You write:
Why not?
Because…and the following deserves the “alas” you posted above…Booman is no longer a “progessive.” For whatever reasons he is stuck on supporting the presidency of that brilliant PermaGov centrist in progressive clothes, Barack Obama and also (by default if not by direct action) the candidacy of Hillary Clinton.
Why?
He “grew up,” I guess.
It happens to all but a lucky few.
Maybe he’ll wake up again when the shit hits the fan in November or when HRC makes her first absolutely unforgivable move if she wins. Who knows? As of now he is a well-functioning part of the Washington DC establishment, working for The Washington Monthly, a supposedly left-of-center publication that is thoroughly staffed by PermaGov-allied, DC revolving door types. Go see for yourself.
So it goes.
Later…
AG
Yes, I can mark the change from then also. I sympathize. He is stuck between principle and employment. It is a hard choice. He has a family.
Been there. Understand that.
AG
Thanks for answering, AG.
I still am willing to take what Booman says at face value. The guy has never been one to go with the crowd, and I think I understand his view on Obama.
As with the lack of faith in Sanders’ candidacy, I don’t think his Obama views derive from $$ pressures or “growing up.” It seems he has little faith in a determined leader taking us outside the ever right-leaning Overton Window. Only what the most cynical will allow is allowed. Only the change stamped ok by elites is allowed (see the ACA).
I think he has been beaten down by recent political history, and I think he has a point. I’m just glad that there are lots of people who are saying “fuck it, that’s just not good enough anymore.”
The wall doesn’t come down until the wall comes down. It’s physics. It’s cracking.
Booman is still a valuable resource, if only as a stand-in for the last of the cynical realists. They need to be dragged into the Political Revolution intellectually by the type of people that post right here. I know he wants to believe, but I guess he doesn’t like being a chump. He won’t get fooled again.
Mr. Booman, tear down that wall!!! We might not win, but then again, we might.
From Iraq War protests to massive rallies to protect the climate, what progressives do (and however many million of them may do it) are systematically ignored by the corrupt corporate media. While a couple hundred rightwing white males tricked up in tricorne hats a’blowing their fifes is broadcast coast to coast…
It’s no hallucination, just a rigged game.
Agree. I don’t own a tv & only listen to selective stuff on the radio, but the dearth of info about Sanders is part of the whole rigged game.
That Sanders is doing so well is hardly given any notice in the M$M. Millennials probably know more bc they avoid the M$M and regular nooz outlets in favor of blogs and such.
but why provide that information to the “general public”??? Might give them ideas above their station…
But, you know, The Donald is fighting the good fight to Make America Great Again so that every deserving and hard working white American(is there ANY other kind???) is able to have their very own brown or black skinned person to do the menial tasks of life, so they have sufficient time for cleaning their weapons, attending Nascar races and rollin’ coal in their monster trucks while sitting at traffic lights next to those pussified Prius drivers.
Mike, I think you might be missing the majesty of it all.
You’re probably right.
How many of the Trumps will be found in the Panama Papers?
If any are in there, it will be disclosed at the appropriate time. Most likely before the GOP nomination if he’s on top at that time.
Other US movers and shakers? The Guardian assures us that there are perfectly legal and good reasons why someone would use off-shore tax havens and that releases are being carefully managed. In Craig Murray’s words:
The Panama papers seem to have Putin and Xi Jingping squarely in the frame. I wonder who they pissed off recently. So far the target selection looks a bit geopolitical to me.
The PM of Iceland appears to be on the hottest seat so far. The chocolate czar could go down, but suspect he’s collateral damage in the effort to get Putin. Unfortunately, what they seem to have so far on Putin isn’t any better than what we know of the Clinton and his Canadian mining BFF and his uranium deals.
him and the 800 people in Australia under investigation due to this release.
and NZ is also looking into this;
None of this has been publicly discussed by the MSM, but somehow these prosecutors got those names, this is just the beginning.
I think what is happening in the south pacific is closer to what the leaker desired then what the western press has written so far.
It does look that way, doesn’t it? Yet they keep saying there’s more to be released over the next 14 days. Ok, but color me cynical that “they” managed to release a lot of potentially damaging info re Putin & Xi Jingping right out of the start gate but next to nothing about anyone here in the USA.
Why how nice!
Looks as if we might be on to “them” at a much faster pace than back in the mimeograph days.
Still wondering what happened to all the evidence that Sec Kerry had on Putin for the shoot down of MH 17. And wasn’t the Putin regime supposed to collapse with the pump and dump KSA plan?
Teh Donald sure does pick em, eh
first his wives,
then his base …….
proof he needs another tv show,
for the feeble minded to gawk at;
not the white house.
“the feeble minded” are people too. Are Cruz voters less “feeble minded?” What about the near 45% of the ’08 electorate that voted for Palin? It’s all the snake oil salesmen and women across the political spectrum that prey on the “feeble minded” that are the real scum.
BooMan points out that the (probably hypothetical) tax expenditure to pay for that woman wouldn’t make a dent in her fortune.
And, that’s probably true — which is why they’ve elevated the taxation concept into a moral crusade. We’re supposed to object to the idea of taxation.
It’s just that some tired shell game of making people believe that wealth and corporate forces are on their “side” and government is not, which is, of course, a total reversal of reality.
(I realize I’m making obvious points about stuff that should have been settled decades ago. But, it’s that kind of year.)
“I don’t care how rich you are, you ought to pick up after yourself. And, if you can’t, you don’t need to hire an immigrant to do it for you. “
I would rather say — If you’re so rich that you don’t care to pick up after yourself, then you have some nerve to begrudge the taxes that help provide a few basic benefits for that 19-year-old immigrant woman who came here to pick up after you.
Or if you want middle-class/working-class Americans to be pissed off that their taxes are paying for it, well, the answer is, don’t tax them, tax the rich.
Or raise the minimum wage for domestics or let them freely organize. Either way, it’s chump change for a Trump. Scrooges.
Oh, it’s kinda hard for me to see too much damage to Der Trumper coming from these remarks; indeed, he probably asked Ivana to bleat them…
Immigrants do tend to perform the poorly paid scut work that many native born don’t want to do or think themselves “above”—check out the meat packing plants. And of course the New Economy is busily creating enormous employment in “personal servant” work for the very well-off two-earner families. Huge numbers of the prosperous now couldn’t imagine themselves mowing their own goddam lawns or cleaning their gutters (or their bathrooms)–there’s “no time”. Maids and Butlers and Gardeners are growing areas of the economy. As the classes of Rich and Plutocrat expand, they need more servants, just like a serialized Victorian costume drama, haha.
As for Ivana’s last quoted paragraph, she very neatly wraps up every fragment of anger Real Americans have for the hated illegals, from “No Borders!” to “Anchor Babies!”, while making an oblique reference to her ex’s signature Mexican Wall. Certainly a huge majority of Repubs agree with her diagnosis, whatever the facts of the matter may be. Hell, a majority of all Americans may agree…
Of course, Der Trumper long ago gave up on Latino votes; that’s been his strategy from Day One, and this “interview” is thoroughly consistent with it.
Maybe I’m guilty, but I don’t think I’m above the work or don’t want to do it. I’m too OLD to do it. Started to do some yard work last week. Didn’t even have a halfway decent hole dug when my back started screaming. I switched to mulching, quickly got an asthma attack. Called my Mexican Landscaper. He said he would be over at 8:00AM the next morning. He cleared the weeds, dug the hole for the new tree, spread the mulch, repaired the lawn and hauled away the clay. All together he worked for 8 hours and I gave him a check for $377 dollars. Last month I paid him $150 to do the Spring pruning on three apple trees. Since I fell off the eight foot ladder last year pruning the plum tree, I’m leery of climbing another ladder. One of my last two remaining uncles fell in an assisted living center in January and underwent hip surgery from which he didn’t recover. He died on February 6 at age 89. Falling off a ladder is no joke. I had no damage but bruises but I hurt bad for three months. If I hadn’t twisted into a large Lilac bush to break my fall (and the bush) I might have landed on my head and died.
Am I an exploiter? Or just a customer of an enterprising immigrant from Southern Mexico? I’ve talked about him before, as well as the concrete contractor. Are they legal? Do I care? Are there Americans that can do the work? Yes. I originally (years ago) called an established service to move a small tree. They wanted $400 for two hours work. Then my neighbor (a Filipino immigrant) told me about the man from Mexico and gave me his cell phone number. He’s been doing landscape work for me ever since. We talk a lot while he works. He has four kids, two born in Mexico, two born here. He goes to the Roman Catholic Church that my Mom did (only he goes to the Spanish Mass). His kids go to the schools that my grandkids went to. He plans to retire back to his home town, but I’ll bet his kids stay here. I like him better than Ivana Trump (Duh! I don’t like her at all!)
The thought..
the mere THOUGHT…
that they’d nominate someone who didn’t even run?
I’m still sitting here, trying to wrap my head around it.
……………..
Top Republicans talking up Paul Ryan as nominee
One of the nation’s best-wired Republicans sees a 54 percent chance that Ryan will end up as the nominee.
By Mike Allen
04/04/16 08:20 AM EDT
On the eve of the Wisconsin primaries, top Republicans are becoming increasingly vocal about their long-held belief that Speaker Paul Ryan will wind up as the nominee, perhaps on the fourth ballot at a chaotic Cleveland convention.
One of the nation’s best-wired Republicans, with an enviable prediction record for this cycle, sees a 60 percent chance of a convention deadlock and a 90 percent chance that delegates turn to Ryan — ergo, a 54 percent chance that Ryan, who’ll start the third week of July as chairman of the Republican National Convention, will end it as the nominee.
“He’s the most conservative, least establishment member of the establishment,” the Republican source said. “That’s what you need to be.”
Ryan, who’s more calculating and ambitious than he lets on, is running the same playbook he did to become speaker: saying he doesn’t want it, that it won’t happen. In both cases, the maximum leverage is to not want it — and to be begged to do it. He and his staff are trying to be as Shermanesque as it gets. Ryan repeated his lack of interest Monday morning in an interview from Israel with radio host Hugh Hewitt.
BULLE SCHEISSE
During college, Ryan was a member of the College Republicans, and volunteered for the congressional campaign of John Boehner (1990)
1992 Ryan began an internship in the D.C. office of Wisconsin Senator Bob Kasten where he worked with Kasten’s foreign affairs adviser(fresh outa college)
1993 Ryan went to work as a speechwriter and policy analyst for Jack Kemp, who led Empower America,
1995, Ryan became the legislative director for then-U.S. Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas
Ryan worked as a speechwriter for Kemp, the Republican vice presidential candidate in the 1996 United States presidential election
member of U.S. House of Representatives since January 3, 1999
former Chairman of the House Budget Committee January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2015
former Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee January 3, 2015 – October 29, 2015
Republican Nominee for VP 2012
54th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives October 29, 2015 – present
……all he has ever done is worm his way deeper and deeper into the establishment.
He’s been in DC as longer than Hillary or Bernie has been.
Back to the Future.
SUPER super delegates in action. LOL
If they are going to ratf*ck their voters, go for the best chance, not Kasich.
Who would that be? Ryan was fairly dreadful as a VP nominee.
The reality is that they don’t have one ready for prime time in this election. In fact they’ve only managed to put together one since 1984. (GHWB was never ready, but DEMs weren’t either in ’88.)
Tabula rasa theory. Kasich would be hard put to run on his record in Ohio and draw indies.
I dunno. Can’t stand either Ryan or Kasich, but I’m not so sure that Ryan, uh (cough cough), trumps Kasich as the “best chance.”
Agree that absolutely none of the KKKlown KKKar KKKandidates is ready or worthy of running for POTUS. Frankly, in some ways, Kasich – much as I loathe him – seems probably the best qualified of a bad bunch. In the same sense that RMoney sort of was the most qualified out of the 2012 choices. At least Kasich & RMoney have had turns at running (running into the ground?) State govts. I get it that Christie did, too, but uh, Chrisie, bridges, blah blah blah…
At any rate, not a good selection to choose from, which is why Trump has risen to the top of a bad lot. Ugh. I can’t see Ryan as being anything more than doing as poorly as he did as VP. The PTB keep trying to pump up Ryan’s image, but it ain’t working.
Well, isn’t THIS interesting….
https:/www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/04/leaked-documents-show-strong-business-support
-for-raising-the-minimum-wage
Yep;
money quote,
“
There goes another untrue GOtPer talking point,
business is against raising the minimum wage,
must be channelling their inner Henry Ford,
if the people who work for me cannot earn enuf money,
they cannot buy MY product,
The lobbyist who run the business spin machine don’t listen to their base any better than the GOtPer political machine does their base.
Yes I’d say it’s falling apart if they have to find ways to spin AGAINST their own base.