Bad Newz For Cruz

A series of brand new trend polls (three – full pdf’s below) highlight an ongoing discussion/trend. With increased visibility Senator Ted Cruz support decreases.
It would be inaccurate to say Cruz is collapsing, if it were not for multiple polls indicating the same trend line.  However, when you have three completely disparate polls, indicating an almost identical retraction, you cannot dismiss the reality.
Fox News and IPSOS Rueters both identify the issue on a national scale, and within the CBS polling of Pennsylvania voters you find the specifics as to why.  First, the Fox Trend Poll showing Donald Trump extending his lead over Cruz to 18 points, as Cruz support plummets by 11 points in a month:

(Via Fox News) Donald Trump jumps to an 18-point lead over Ted Cruz this week with record high support for the Republican nomination.
Trump tops Cruz by 45-27 percent among GOP primary voters in a new Fox News national poll on the 2016 election.  John Kasich comes in third with 25 percent. (more…)

Candidate Donald Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks tonight during the New York Republican Party Gala, at the Grand Hyatt New York.  Two active Live Streams should deliver the event – Note: 6:30pm to 7:30pm estimated start time:
Live Stream – Alternate Live Stream #1 (<- usually activates earlier)

Candidate Donald Trump is attending the Suffolk County Republican Committee’s Pre-New York Presidential Primary Fundraising Reception at the Emporium.  He is anticipated to speak during the event between 5:00pm and 6:30pm.
A few Live Streams are covering the event(s) (check both depending on feed start time and some of the preliminary activity)
Live Stream Feed – Alternate Live Stream Feed ( <-currently active):

Given the increased scrutiny now evident in the Presidential Race it is interesting to note the Republican Party in Indiana has selected their contingent of delegates in advance of the primary election to be held May 3rd, 2016.
Indiana has 57 Delegates Available to the winner on a State and Congressional District level.  30 (10 base at-large delegates plus 17 bonus delegates plus 3 RNC delegates) statewide delegates are to be allocated to the presidential contender receiving the greatest number of votes statewide.
(more…)

The footage is from KXJB (CBS) – Fargo, North Dakota; and unfortunately this journalist, doing, well, actual journalistic stuff, will probably have the shortest career in broadcasting.
(just watch)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “2016 Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Presidential Race and/or any of the candidates therein.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

Please allow me to be perfectly clear. I hold a ‘traditional conservative’ outlook.  Fiscally conservative.  I don’t care if what you do in your bedroom, nor does it bother me if you choose to marry a squirrel, wear a snickers bar costume to the grocery store, or make it your life’s mission to spend all day filling canoes with pancakes.  So long as your personal life choices in the pursuit of your happiness do not impact, impede, diminish or interfere with independent choices of others – have at it.

However, when it comes to federal spending, it becomes another matter entirely. A tidal wave of debt is close to collapsing our nation.
That’s why this latest proclamation by Lyin’ Speaker Ryan is infuriating.  Heck, honestly, it’s well beyond infuriating.
President Obama has never had a federal budget.  The last federal budget was signed into law in September of 2007 for fiscal year ’08.  That was the last budget passed and signed into law.  Nine consecutive fiscal years without a budget.
On December 11th 2015 the House passed a $2+ trillion Omnibus spending bill, and eliminated the debt ceiling.  They didn’t raise the debt ceiling, they eliminated it.  The Omnibus was structured to carry federal spending all the way to March 2017. (more…)

Everyone outside the lame media machine already knew this ridiculous accusation was never going to be prosecuted.  Apparently today the Jupiter prosecutor affirmed the predictable.  An official statement due tomorrow…

(Via Politico) A Florida prosecutor has decided not to prosecute Donald Trump’s campaign manager for battery after a March run-in with former Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields, sources with knowledge of the situation told POLITICO.
The decision not to press charges against Corey Lewandowski is scheduled to be announced on Thursday afternoon by Palm Beach County State Attorney David Aronberg.
(more…)

Please insert a big fat TOLDYASO right here.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan is lashing out at opponents to his Puerto Rico bailout bill demanding they stop calling it a “bailout”.  Instead Ryan demands his opposition use the gaslighting term “restructuring”.
Hogwash.

A bailout by any other name is still a bailout.  A taxpayer funded restructuring of debt is still a bailout.  Puerto Rico brought this upon themselves.  Let them go insolvent and be forced to sell off their assets (ie. land, etc.) to pay back the bondholders.
Ryan’s position contends that if the U.S. government does nothing, then eventually the U.S. government will be forced to purchase all the debt and bail out Puerto Rico (ie. Wall Street bondholders/investors) entirely.  More hogwash.
What’s really being done here is Speaker Ryan setting up precedent.  Ryan is establishing the very first federal intervention into unsustainable state debt bailout.   Effectively if this happens the entire system of U.S. republicanism collapses.  (more…)