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United Kingdom

2016-08-05T02:55:27Z

IsabellW: delete stupidity

{{Country
|name =''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''
|map =United kingdom rel87.jpg
|map2 =UK location.png
|flag =Union_jack.jpg
|arms =UK Royal Coat of Arms.png
|capital =London
|capital-raw =
|government =Constitutional monarchy
|government-raw =
|language =English
|king =
|queen =
|monarch-raw =HM Queen [[Elizabeth II]]
|president =
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =David Cameron
|pm-raw =
|area =94,526 sq mi
|pop =62,698,000
|pop-basis =2011
|gdp =$2.006 trillion
|gdp-year =2006
|gdp-pc =$35,051 (2006)
|currency =Pound Sterling
|idd =
|tld =
}}
'''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''' ('''UK''') is a sovereign [[state]] north-west of mainland [[Europe]]. It comprises [[England]], [[Scotland]] and [[Wales]], which occupy the island of [[Great Britain]], and [[Northern Ireland]] on the island of [[Ireland]]. It attained its current identity in 1922 after most of Ireland was granted independence.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. Its [[head of state]] is Queen [[Elizabeth II]], and its [[head of government]] is Prime Minister [[Theresa May]].

The United Kingdom is a member of the [[European Union]], [[NATO]] and the [[United Nations]].

British values, culture and institutions were spread throughout many parts of the world during the period of the [[British Empire]], 1600-1960, and British contributions to world culture include the English language, the [[parliament]]ary form of government, the [[Church of England|Anglican]] Church ("Church of England"), a tradition of personal liberty, and the [[common law]] legal system. Note, however, that the United Kingdom does not have the constitutional [[free speech]] protections or an energetic [[Christian]] culture that exist in the [[United States]].

In 2015, the UK was ranked 12th on the World Democracy index, above countries such as the US and France, and below those like Germany and Canada.<ref>[http://democracyranking.org/wordpress/rank/democracy-ranking-2015/ World's Democracy Index]</ref> Due to the lawlessness of the [[Obama Adminstration]] America has lost some of its freedoms.

==Name==
[[File:London Thames Sunset panorama 2008.jpg|thumb|left|London - Thames panorama.]]
The official name of the nation (since 1927) is ''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''.<ref>From 1801 to 1927 the official name was ''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland''.</ref> The full official name is seldom used except in very formal or legal documents. The short version for historical topics is either "Britain" or "Great Britain." The short version for recent events (since the 1970s) is "United Kingdom" or "UK" The adjective is always '''"British"'''.

Britain was part of the [[British Empire]], which has become the "British Commonwealth", and is mostly a discussion club. Britain has a few scattered minor possessions, such as [[Gibraltar]], but gave up its last important colony--[[Hong Kong]]—in 1997.
[[File:Westminster in the evening.jpg|thumb|280px|Westminster in the evening.]]
* '''England''' is the largest of the four components of the United Kingdom. "England" was often used to stand for the nation in older literature published before 1970. However use of "England" to refer to the entire country is now sometimes considered offensive by many citizens of the other three member countries and is thus discouraged.
* The standard language of the UK is English; [[Welsh]] has parity in Wales, and [[Gaelic]] is widely used on official documents, roadsigns, etc. in remote Gaelic-speaking areas of western Scotland.

MacColl (2008) explores the use of the term 'Britain' in English, French, and Latin texts from the 12th century to the 16th. The term was flexible, used in a variety of ways (geographically, politically, and ethnically), and not always indicative of any specific meaning. The English at first tended to conflate 'Britain' with England or the southern portion of the island of Great Britain, though the term 'Greater Britain' was applied starting in the 14th century to refer to the entire island. The Scottish, beginning in the 15th century, used the term in the modern sense - as reflective of the entire island of Great Britain and the 'polity' of England, Wales, and Scotland. This latter usage paved the way for the relatively smooth ideological transition after the 1707 Acts of Union.<ref>Alan MacColl, "The Meaning of 'Britain' in Medieval and Early Modern England." ''Journal of British Studies'' 2006 45(2): 248-269</ref>

===Anthem===
The national anthem of the UK is currently ''[[God Save the Queen]]''. Should a male heir accede to the throne, the anthem will become "God Save the King".<ref>This same melody is also sung by American schoolchildren (with different words) as "[[My Country, 'Tis of Thee]]".</ref>

The constituent nations have their own unofficial anthems. In the case of Wales, this is ''Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau'' (''Land of My Fathers''), and for Scotland it is ''Flower of Scotland''. England does not have its own distinctive anthem in the same way, but at sporting events in which England is competing as a separate nation, [[Edward Elgar]]'s patriotic song ''Land of Hope and Glory'' is sometimes used (although ''God Save the Queen'' is more commonly used). Additionally the hymn "Jerusalem" has a large number of supporters in England as an alternative to, or replacement for, the national anthem. In Northern Ireland, the Protestant and Catholic communities respectively use ''God Save the Queen'' and ''Amhran na bhFiann'', the Irish national anthem. ''Londonderry Air'' is often used as the anthem for Northern Ireland competitors in sporting events.

==People==
[[Image:Tower Bridge London.jpg|thumb|340px|Tower Bridge, London.]]
The United Kingdom's population in 2004 surpassed 60 million—the third-largest in the European Union. Its overall population density is one of the highest in the world. Almost one-third of the population lives in England's prosperous and fertile southeast and is predominantly urban and suburban—with about 7.2 million in the capital of London, which remains the largest city in Europe.

A net total of 408,000 people were added to the UK population in 2008, the largest numerical increase since 1972. This was partly due to the highest fertility rate in more than three decades. More than half of the increase in births last year was due to non-UK born mothers.

There is also an ever-increasing aging population with the number of people over 85 now at a record 1.3 million, the equivalent of one in every 50 people.

===Education===
[[File:Royal College of Music 2007.jpg|thumb|left|Royal College of Music.]]
The United Kingdom's high literacy rate (99%) is attributable to universal public education introduced for the primary level in 1870 and secondary level in 1900. Education is mandatory from ages 5 through 16, although this is in the process of being raised to 18 for England and Wales. "Public" schools are elite private prep schools, such as [[Eton]] and [[Rugby School|Rugby]], attended by youth whose families can afford to pay high tuition rates.

All state-funded schools in the UK are required to start the day with a collective assembly that is 'wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character',<ref>[http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=387464 Times Educational Supplement]</ref> although this is not always ahered too and there are small numbers of state-funded [[Muslim]], [[Jew]]ish and [[Hindu]] schools.

About thirty six percent of British students go on to post-secondary education.

Higher education has been a speciality for over 500 years at Oxbridge ([[Oxford University|Oxford]] and [[Cambridge University|Cambridge]]), with new "red brick" universities added in the 19th century and many others in the late 20th century. Universities contribute £33 billion a year to the economy. Britain has a strong attraction for international students, with 342,000 attending in 2007 (compared to 672,000 in the U.S. and 183,000 in Australia). They spend £1.5 billion in tuition in Britain annually, plus another £0.4 billion off campus.

===Demographics===
[[File:Youth UK.JPG|thumb|British youth.]]
A group of islands close to continental Europe, the British Isles have been subject to many invasions and migrations, especially from Scandinavia and the continent, including Roman occupation for several centuries. Contemporary Britons are descended mainly from the varied ethnic stocks that settled there before the 11th century. The pre-Celtic, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse influences were blended in Britain under the Normans, Scandinavian Vikings who had lived in Northern France. Although Celtic languages persist in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, as well as Cornwall in south-west England, the predominant language is English, which is primarily a blend of Anglo-Saxon and Norman French.
*Population (2007 est.): 60.8 million.
*Annual population growth rate (2007 est.): 0.275%.
*Major ethnic groups: British 91%, Irish 2%, West Indian and African 3%, South Asian 3%, others 1%.
*Major religions: Church of England (Anglican), Roman Catholic, Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), Muslim.
*Major languages: English
*Minority languages: Welsh, Gaelic, Lowland Scots (including Ulster Scots), Cornish.
*Education: Years compulsory—12. Attendance—nearly 100%. Literacy—99%.
*Health: Infant mortality rate (2007 est.)--5.01/1,000. Life expectancy (2007 est.)--males 76.23 yrs.; females 81.3 yrs.; total 78.7 years
*Work force (2007, 31.1 million): Services—80.4%; industry—18.2%; agriculture—1.4%.

===Ethnic tensions===

Britain is home to 2.4 million Muslims from numerous ethnicities. This population is growing 10 times faster than the national average. Regarded as one of the most tolerant countries in Europe, Britain struggles with questions of Islamic integration, as well as the psychological aftermath of the July 2005 suicide bombings on London’s public transport system carried out by young Britons of Pakistani descent, which left 52 people dead and over 700 injured.

===Religion===
[[File:Canterbury Cathedral.jpg|thumb|left|350px|Canterbury Cathedral (photographed during 1890-1900).]]
Religious faith, according to a 2011 survey, has declined sharply in Britain over the last two decades. Now only 42% of people describe themselves as Christian, as opposed to 66% in 1990. Most of the decline is due to a drift away from the Church of England, it is claimed, with only 20% claiming allegiance, down from 40%.

In 2003 the Office of National Statistics estimated 29% of the population identified with Anglicanism, 10% with the Catholic Church, and 14% with other Protestant churches. A 2007 survey reported that the number of Catholics (mostly Irish) attending Sunday services has overtaken the number of Anglicans doing so. A September 2006 English Church Census reported that Methodists were decreasing as a percentage of the population, while members of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Pentecostal churches, many churches from Africa, and the Eastern Orthodox Church, almost entirely immigrants, were increasing.<ref>According to [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108478.htm U.S. State Department Report, 2008]</ref>

Individuals with no religious belief comprised 21% of the population in 2009. Muslims comprise 3% of the population. The Muslim community is predominantly South Asian in origin, but other groups from the Arabian Peninsula, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Levant are represented. In addition, there is a growing number of indigenous converts. Although estimates vary, the Government places the number of mosques in the whole country at one thousand. Groups comprising 1% or less of the population include Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, and Buddhists. Individuals from Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and Sikh backgrounds are concentrated in London and other large urban areas, primarily in England.

Attendance at religious services was significantly different from the number of adherents. According to a report released on May 8, 2008, by Religious Trends, only 4 million Christians attend services on a regular basis (defined as at least once a month) in the country. These figures do not include Northern Ireland, where higher%ages reportedly attend both Catholic (more than 60%) and Protestant (more than 35%) services. The Religious Trends report stated that more than 50% of Muslims regularly worship at mosques. Figures for Jews and other religious groups were unavailable.

Religious affiliation was not evenly distributed among ethnicities. According to the 2001 census, approximately 70% of the white population described themselves as Christians. Nearly 75% of black Caribbean respondents stated that they were Christians, as did 70% of black Africans. Meanwhile, 45% of Indians were Hindus and 29% were Sikhs. Approximately 92% of Pakistanis and Bangladeshis were Muslims.

In Northern Ireland, where divisions between nationalists and unionists evolved largely along religious lines, the 2001 census showed that 53.1% were Protestants and 43.8% were Catholics. Many Catholics and Protestants continued to live in segregated communities in Northern Ireland, although many middle-class neighborhoods were mixed communities. The policy of the Government remained one of promotion of religious tolerance.

There are two established (or state) churches—The [[Church of England]] (Anglican) and the [[Church of Scotland]] (Presbyterian). The Act of Settlement, enacted in 1688, states that no Catholic, or person married to a Catholic, may ascend the throne.
====Religion in schools====
The Government provides financial support—up to 90% of the total capital costs of the buildings and 100% of running costs, including teachers' salaries - to sectarian educational institutions that are commonly referred to as "faith schools".
[[File:Matthew Boulton College.jpg|thumb|Matthew Boulton College.]]
The Government also helps fund the repair and maintenance of all listed places of worship for religious groups nationwide and contributes to the budget of the Church Conservation Trust, which preserves "redundant" Church of England buildings of architectural or historic significance.

The Government has not classified the Church of Scientology as a religious institution and therefore has not granted the organization recognition for charitable status.

More than 30% of state schools had a religious character. Nearly all of the 6,949 "faith schools" are associated with Christian denominations, although there are 31 Jewish, 7 Islamic, and 2 Sikh schools. An additional two Jewish, three Islamic, and two Sikh schools have also been tentatively approved by the Government to open. In addition, several hundred independent schools of a religious nature receive no state support but must meet government quality standards. Controversy arose in 2006 over 100 Islamic schools when an Office of Standards in Education (Ofsted) evaluation of these schools showed many were "little more than places where the Koran was recited." The schools were given time to correct their deficiencies. A review is due in 2010. Some Christian faith schools also faced controversy. Some were accused of not following the national curriculum in science, teaching creationism instead. During the reporting period, a further controversy erupted when it was learned that some faith schools were not following an "open" admission policy as required by law, denying admission to both special needs children and those outside the faith of the school administrators. The Catholic Church and the Church of England have an agreement to voluntarily accept up to 25% of places for pupils from another religious group or no religious group.

Almost all schools in Northern Ireland receive state support. More than 90% of students attended schools that were either predominantly Catholic or Protestant. Integrated schools served approximately 5% of school-age children whose families voluntarily chose this option, often after overcoming significant obstacles to provide the resources to start a new school and demonstrate its sustainability for 3 years before government funding begins. Demand for places in integrated schools outweighed the limited number of places available. The May 8, 2007, devolution, or granting of power, authorized the Northern Ireland Assembly to decide on academic selection. Now there are more than 50 integrated schools, and the new Government permits existing schools to petition to change from sectarian to integrated. More petition for that status than are granted it. Some have accused the Government of a go-slow approach to avoid sectarian animus.

The law requires religious education for all children, ages 3 to 19, in publicly maintained schools. In England and Wales it forms part of the core curriculum in accordance with the Education Reform Act of 1988. In Scotland, religious education of some sort is mandated by the Education Act of 1980. However, the shape and content of religious instruction throughout the country is decided on a local basis. Locally agreed syllabi are required to reflect the predominant place of Christianity while taking into account the teachings and practices of other principal religions in the country. Syllabuses must be nondenominational and refrain from attempting to convert pupils. Schools with a religious designation follow a syllabus drawn up by the school governors according to the trust deed of the school. All parents have the legal right to request that their children not participate in religious education, but the school must approve this request.

Daily collective prayer or worship of "a wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character" is practiced in schools in England and Wales, a requirement that may be waived for students who obtain permission of the school authorities. The Education and Inspections Act 2006 permits sixth form students (generally 16-19-year-olds) to withdraw themselves from worship without their parents' permission or action. This new law does not exempt sixth form students from religious education classes. Non-Christian worship is permitted with approval of the authorities. Teachers have the right not to participate in collective worship, without prejudice, unless they work for a faith school.

After several controversial court decisions prohibiting full-face veils in school (but not head scarves) and the wearing of a Christian chastity ring, the Department of Education provided guidance that advises schools to "… act reasonably in accommodating religious requirements," under human rights legislation. Some Muslim groups, including the Islamic Human Rights Commission, said it was inappropriate for the Government to provide guidance that regulated Muslim communities in matters concerning the expression of their religious beliefs. But it is also legally possible under the act, according to the guidance, to have a school uniform policy that "restricts the freedom of pupils to manifest their religion" on the grounds of health and safety and the "protection of the rights and freedoms of others." The Government's guidance is meant to remind "head teachers" to act with a degree of sensitivity when considering decisions that will impact the cultural complexion of their communities.

====Census====

According to the 2011 Census the religious make-up of the UK at that time was:

{| border="1" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3
|+'''Religions in United Kingdom'''
!Belief
!Thousands
!Proportion
|-
|Christian ||29,000 ||51.6
|-
|No Religion ||9104 ||15.5
|-
|Muslim ||1591 ||2.7
|-
|Hindu ||559 ||1.0
|-
|Sikh ||336 ||0.6
|-
|Jewish ||267 ||0.5
|-
|Other ||179 ||0.3
|-
|Buddhist ||152 ||0.3
|-
|Pagan & Wicca ||40 ||0.1
|-
|Total religious ||45,163 ||76.8
|-
|No answer ||4289 ||7.3
|}
The answers were distorted by an internet campaign just prior to the census, encouraging people to actually question religion that claimed that if at least 50,000 people stated their religion as 'Jedi Knight' it would be officially classified as a religion. This was not true, though the Office of National Statistics does aggregate very small religions into the 'Other' category whereas a religion of 50,000 would be itemised separately. This separate listing does not constitute any form of official recognition.

It should be noted that non-practising Christians and the non-religious group are growing in the UK and Europe. At the same time, there is growth in the Islamic group due to immigration.

Two of the four states of the United Kingdom, England and Scotland, have official state religions. The [[Church of England]] is the official religion of England and the (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland is the official religion of Scotland. The (Anglican) Church of Ireland was [[disestablished]] in 1871 and the (Anglican) Church of Wales was disestablished in 1920, whereupon it was renamed the [[Church ''in'' Wales]].

===Crown Dependencies===
A number of the smaller [[British Isles]], most importantly [[Jersey]], [[Guernsey]] and the [[Isle of Man]] are '[[Crown dependencies|British Crown Dependencies]]' and not members of the UK. Their governments are independent of that of the UK other than foreign and defense policy (the UK government retains the legal power to overrule the governments of the Dependencies, but this power has not been exercised since 1967), and they are not members of the [[European Union]].

==Sports and Pastimes==
[[File:Wembley Stadium.jpg|thumb|230px|Wembley Stadium.]]
Many of the most popular [[sport]]s in the world today were developed or codified in the UK. These include [[soccer|football]] (which is called ''soccer'' in North America), [[cricket]], [[Rugby (Sport)|rugby]], [[tennis]], [[hockey]], [[baseball]] and [[golf]]. The UK is represented in international competitions by the individual nations (such as in football, the one-day form of cricket and rugby) and by the whole of the UK in other sports (such as [[athletics]], golf and tennis). The Test cricket team is that of 'England & Wales' (colloquially, just 'England') but from time to time has had Scottish and Irish players.

The UK remains a major sporting force both in competition and the administration of sport. It is dominant in several Olympic sports, notably cycling, rowing and sailing and a leading force in cricket, rugby union, and golf.

Certain venues have their own distinct and historical recognition and host a number of international competitions. These include Wimbledon for tennis, Silverstone for motor racing, and St Andrews for golf. There are several major venues for football, rugby and cricket.

Domestic sport is dominated by football with one of the strongest and most popular leagues in the world - the Premier League. This league is sponsored by Barclays Bank, so has the official name "Barclays Premier League". Many of the Premier League's teams are well known outside the United Kingdom, especially the "big four" (Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool) and maintain followings around the world. Cricket and both codes of rugby also have strong and popular domestic leagues. Other popular sports include snooker, rowing, golf, tennis, athletics, cycling, darts, horse racing, and motor racing. These most popular sports are well covered by both the print press and television.

Some sports which are more popular in other countries such as volleyball, handball, American football and basketball have small but dedicated followings.

The [[U.K.]] is also renowned for its music, and is the home of bands like [[The Beatles]], [[Rolling Stones]], [[Pink Floyd]], [[The Who]], [[Oasis]], [[Coldplay]] and [[Radiohead]], as well as festivals such as [[Creamfields]], [[Isle of White]] Festival and [[Glastonbury]].

==Government==
''See also [[British politics]]''
[[File:Jewel House guard in the Tower of London.JPG|thumb|200px|Jewel House guard in the Tower of London.]]
Nationalist movements exist in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, seeking (in the case of Scottish and Welsh nationalists) to dissolve the United Kingdom and to win independence for their respective territories, and in the case of Northern Ireland nationalists and republicans to create a sovereign united Ireland. At the present time, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own legislatures.

The United Kingdom does not have a written constitution. The equivalent body of law is based on statute, common law, and "traditional rights". Changes may come about formally through new acts of Parliament, informally through the acceptance of new practices and usage, or by judicial precedents. Although Parliament has the theoretical power to make or repeal any law, in actual practice the weight of 700 years of tradition restrains arbitrary actions.

Executive power rests nominally with the monarch but actually is exercised by a committee of ministers (cabinet) selected from among the members of the House of Commons and, less frequently, the House of Lords. The prime minister is normally the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons, and can remain in office for so long as he or she has the support of a majority in that body.

==Parliament==
[[File:Westminster palace Charles Barry.jpg|left|380px]]
Parliament was authorized in the [[Magna Carta]] (1215), and first summoned by King Edward I in 1296, making it one of the oldest governing bodies in the world. Parliament represents the entire country, and can legislate for the whole or for any constituent part or combination of parts. Elections are called by the Prime Minister, but the maximum length of a parliament is usually 5 years (except in wartime). The focus of legislative power is the 646 member [[House of Commons]], which has sole jurisdiction over finance. Normally the government—the Prime Minister and cabinet with their supporting MPs—have full control of the House. If they lose control an new general election may be held. The House of Lords, although shorn of most of its powers, can still review, amend, or delay temporarily any bills except those relating to the budget. In 1999, the government removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to hold seats in the House of Lords. The current house consists of appointed life peers who hold their seats for life and 92 hereditary peers who will hold their seats only until final reforms have been agreed upon and implemented. The judiciary is independent of the legislative and executive branches, but cannot review the constitutionality of legislation.

Members of the House of Commons are elected to represent specific geographic constituencies. Members are elected on a "First past the post" system as opposed to proportional representation or other electoral systems. In effect this means that a third party with less than 25% of the vote typically obtains very few seats.

==Constituent countries==
[[File:Scottish Eilean Donan castle.jpg|thumb|300px|Scottish Eilean Donan castle.]]
The separate identities of each of the United Kingdom's constituent parts are also reflected in their respective governmental structures. Up until the recent devolution of power to Scotland and Wales, a cabinet minister (the Secretary of State for Wales) handled Welsh affairs at the national level with the advice of a broadly representative council for Wales. Scotland maintains, as it did before union with England, different systems of law (Roman-French), education, local government, judiciary, and national church (the Church of Scotland instead of the Church of England). In addition, separate departments grouped under a Secretary of State for Scotland, who also is a cabinet member, handled most domestic matters. In late 1997, however, following approval of referenda by Scottish and Welsh voters (though only narrowly in Wales), the British Government introduced legislation to establish a Scottish Parliament and a Welsh Assembly. The first elections for the two bodies were held May 6, 1999. The Welsh Assembly opened on May 26, and the Scottish Parliament opened on July 1, 1999. The devolved legislatures have largely taken over most of the functions previously performed by the Scottish and Welsh offices.

Northern Ireland had its own Parliament and prime minister from 1921 to 1973, when the British Government imposed direct rule in order to deal with the deteriorating political and security situation. From 1973, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, based in London, was responsible for the region, including efforts to resolve the issues that lay behind the "the troubles."

By the mid-1990s, gestures toward peace encouraged by successive British governments and by President Clinton began to open the door for restored local government in Northern Ireland. An Irish Republican Army (IRA) cease-fire and nearly 2 years of multiparty negotiations, led by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, resulted in the Good Friday Agreement of 10 April 1998, which was subsequently approved by majorities in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Key elements of the agreement include devolved government, a commitment of the parties to work toward "total disarmament of all paramilitary organisations," police reform, and enhanced mechanisms to guarantee human rights and equal opportunity. The Good Friday Agreement also called for formal cooperation between the Northern Ireland institutions and the Government of the Republic of Ireland, and it established the British-Irish Council, which includes representatives of the British and Irish Governments as well as the devolved Governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Devolved government was reestablished in Northern Ireland in December 1999.

The Agreement (more commonly known as the "Good Friday Agreement", and more rarely as the Belfast Agreement<ref>http://www.nio.gov.uk/index/key-issues/the-agreement.htm</ref>) was reached on Friday, April 10, 1998 in Belfast and provides for a 108-member elected Assembly, overseen by a 12-minister Executive Committee (cabinet) in which unionists and nationalists share leadership responsibility. Northern Ireland elects 18 representatives to the Westminster Parliament in London. However, the five Sinn Féin Members of Parliament (MPs), who won seats in the 2004 election, have refused to claim their seats.

===Political conditions===
[[David Cameron]] became Prime Minister on May 11, 2010, after [[Gordon Brown]] resigned, and led a [[Conservative Party|Con]]-[[Liberal Democrats|Dem]] coalition in 2010.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8676607.stm "David Cameron and Nick Clegg pledge 'united' coalition"] ''BBC News'', Election 2010.</ref> In 2015, a general election was called<ref>Under the provisions of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (c. 14), parliamentary elections in the UK must be held every five years, beginning in 2015. The Act received Royal Assent on 15 September 2011. Fixed-term Parliaments, where general elections ordinarily take place in accordance with a schedule set far in advance, were part of the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition agreement which was produced after the 2010 general election.</ref> and Cameron's Conservative Party won a majority of seats, against all odds.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/11599600/How-did-the-Conservatives-win-the-general-election.html "How did the Conservatives win the general election?"] ''The Daily Telegraph''</ref>

===Membership in the European Union===
The [[Conservative Party|Conservative]] government of [[Edward Heath|Sir Edward Heath]] took the UK into the [[European Union]] in 1973. The [[Labour Party]] under [[Harold Wilson]] won the 1974 general elections and due to splits within the party, called the only national [[referendum]] asking the people if they wanted to stay in the Union. The "yes" vote won by a margin of approximately two to one. The Labour and Conservative parties have since had deep divisions over Union membership. Labour's 1983 manifesto promised to leave the Union, and whilst the Conservative party have never pledged to leave the Union, a growing band of "Eurosceptics" threatened to tear the party apart in the 1990s. The Labour, Conservative and Scottish National parties wish to stay in the Union although disagree over the level of integration, but smaller parties such as the [[UK Independence Party]] and the Referendum Party campaigned on the single issue of sovereignty being lost to the Union.

The United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, is scheduled to take place in the United Kingdom and [[Gibraltar]] on 23 June 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2015-2016/0002/cbill_2015-20160002_en_2.htm#pb1-l1g5 |title=European Union Referendum Bill (HC Bill 2) |publisher=Publications.parliament.uk |date=2015-05-28 |accessdate=2015-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Rowena Mason , Nicholas Watt, Ian Traynor, Jennifer Rankin |url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/feb/20/cameron-set-to-name-eu-referendum-date-after-cabinet-meeting |title=EU referendum to take place on 23 June, David Cameron confirms | Politics |publisher=The Guardian |date=20 February 2016 |accessdate=2 February 2016}}</ref> In accordance with a [[Conservative Party]] manifesto commitment, the legal basis for a referendum was established by the passage of the European Union Referendum Act 2015 by the British Parliament. It will be the third plebiscite to be held throughout the United Kingdom, and the second time the British electorate has been asked to vote on the issue of European Union membership: the first was held in 1975, when it was known as the EEC. Membership was approved in that referendum by 67% of voters – but the nature of the EU has changed dramatically since then and the result of this referendum is expected to be significantly closer.<ref>Adrian Williamson, [http://www.historyandpolicy.org/policy-papers/papers/the-case-for-brexit-lessons-from-1960s-and-1970s The Case for Brexit: Lessons from the 1960s and 1970s], History and Policy (2015).</ref>

==Defense and Foreign Relations==
[[File:11943452 115b299206.jpg|right|240px]]
The United Kingdom is a founding member of the [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization]] (NATO) and is one of NATO's major European maritime, air, and land powers; it ranks third among NATO countries in total defence expenditure. The United Kingdom has been a member of the European Community (now European Union) since 1973. In the United Nations, the United Kingdom is a permanent member of the Security Council. The U.K. held the Presidency of the G-8 during 2005; it held the EU Presidency from July to December 2005.

The British Armed Forces are charged with protecting the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, promoting Britain's wider security interests, and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. The 37,000-member Royal Navy, which includes 6,000 Royal Marine commandos, is in charge of the United Kingdom's independent strategic nuclear arm, which consists of four Trident missile submarines. The British Army, consisting of approximately 99,200 personnel, the Royal Air Force, with 42,000 personnel, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, are active and regular participants in NATO and other coalition operations. Approximately 9% of the British Armed Forces is female, and 4% of British forces represent ethnic minorities.
[[File:Royal Naval college UK.jpg|thumb|center|380px|Royal Naval College.]]

===Iraq===
The U.K. was the United States' main coalition partner under the designation Operation TELIC. Under UN Security Council Resolution 1483, the U.K. also shared with the United States responsibility for civil administration in Iraq and was an active participant in the Coalition Provisional Authority before the handover of Iraqi sovereignty on June 28, 2004. Britain's participation in the Iraq war and its aftermath remains a domestically controversial issue.

<blockquote>
Iraqi oil supply was considered to be 'vital' to British interests. The British Government saw Iraqi oil as "vital" to the UK's long-term energy security, and the effective privatisation of its oil industry was central to the post-invasion plan for the country, according to previously unseen Whitehall documents. [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/iraqi-oil-supply-was-considered-to-be-vital-to-british-interests-2270072.html] ''The Independent.''
</blockquote>

The Iraq Inquiry is conducted to identify lessons that can be learned from the Iraq conflict; the inquiry is concerned over Mr. Blair's evidence on the legal advice he received before agreeing to join the invasion, and the timing of the decision to go to war. [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/chilcot-to-grill-blair-on-how-he-misled-iraq-war-inquiry-2185725.html] The Chair of the Inquiry, Sir John Chilcot (1939) was Staff Counsellor to the Security and Intelligence Agencies (1999-2004) and the National Criminal Intelligence Service (2002–06).

===Afghanistan===
Britain stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S., and its military forces are part of the coalition force in Afghanistan. The British force in [[Afghanistan War|Afghanistan]] is at 9,000 in late 2009 and will rise by an extra 500 troops in 2010. British forces are primarily based in the Helmand region, where they are on the front line in the war against continued Taliban operations. In addition, Britain has contributed more than £500 million to Afghan reconstruction—the second-largest donor after the U.S.
===Israel===
Britain has shown a greater willingness than the United States to criticize the Israelis over settlements and what some call the disproportionate responses to provocations from Gaza and southern Lebanon. (Jewish Labour MP Gerald Kaufman is among the most vocal.) Like his predecessors, both Labour and Conservative, former Foreign Secretary Milliband has been unequivocal: "Settlements are illegal under international law," he told Parliament in 2008; "They are a major blockage to peace in the Middle East on the basis of a two-state solution." His successor William Hague, on 20 March 2011, "expressed our serious concern over the recent announcement of 400 new housing units in the West Bank. Continued settlements run contrary to peace.” A BBC poll in March 2011 found that 14% of British subjects have a generally positive opinion of Israel while 66% have a generally negative opinion.

===Relations with the United States===
[[File:Send_a_gun_to_a_British_home.jpg|thumb|right|[[Second Amendment]]-supporting [[American]] [[citizen]]s gifted their [[firearm]]s to [[gun free zone]]-[[gun control]] supporting British citizens during [[World War II]] via [[The American Committee for the Defense of British Homes]]]]

The United Kingdom is one of the United States' closest allies, and British foreign policy emphasises close coordination with the United States. Bilateral cooperation reflects the common language, ideals, and democratic practices of the two nations. Relations were strengthened by the countries' alliances during both World Wars, and its role as a founding member of NATO, in the Korean conflict, in the Persian Gulf War, and in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The United Kingdom and the United States continually consult on foreign policy issues and global problems and share major foreign and security policy objectives.

The United Kingdom is the fifth-largest market for U.S. goods exports after Canada, Mexico, Japan, and China, and the sixth-largest supplier of U.S. imports after Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, and Germany. U.S. exports of goods and services to the United Kingdom in 2006 totaled $92 billion, while U.S. imports from the U.K. totaled $93 billion. The United States has had a trade deficit with the United Kingdom since 1998. The United Kingdom is a large source of foreign tourists in the United States. In 2005, 3.4 million U.S. residents visited the United Kingdom, while 4.2 million U.K. residents visited the United States.

The United States and the United Kingdom share the world's largest foreign direct investment partnership. U.S. investment in the United Kingdom reached $324 billion in 2005, while U.K. direct investment in the U.S. totaled $282 billion. This investment sustains more than 1 million American jobs.

==Economy==
[[File:London.jpg|thumb|left|280px|London's financial center.]]
Britain has been hard hit by the [[Recession of 2008]], with its major banks taken over or subsidized by the government. Real gross domestic product declined by 4.6% in 2009, and is expected to rise by 0.6% before 2010 and probably will continue to increase by 1% in 2011.

Britain has the fifth-largest economy in the world, is the second-largest economy in the European Union, and is a major international trading power. A highly developed, diversified, market-based economy with extensive social welfare services provides most residents with a high standard of living. Unemployment and inflation levels are amongst the lowest within the European Union.

Since 1979, the British Government has privatised most state-owned companies, including British Steel, British Airways, British Telecom, British Coal, British Aerospace, and British Gas, although in some cases the government retains a "golden share" in these companies. The previous Labour government continued the privatisation policy of its Conservative predecessor, particularly by encouraging "public-private partnerships" (partial privatisation) in such areas as the London Underground. The economy of the United Kingdom is now primarily based on private enterprise, accounting for approximately four-fifths of employment and output.
[[File:Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent, England Crop 2009.jpg|thumb|440px|Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent, 2009.]]
London ranks alongside New York as a leading international financial centre. London's financial exports contribute greatly to the United Kingdom's balance of payments. Ratings agencies rank the United Kingdom's banking sector as one of the strongest in the world and its banks are amongst the most profitable in the G-8. It is a global leader in emissions trading and is home to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). It is also a government priority to make London the leading center of Islamic finance.

Britain is the European Union's only significant energy exporter. It is also one of the world's largest energy consumers, and most analysts predict a shift in U.K. status from net exporter to net importer of energy by 2020, possibly sooner. Oil production in the U.K. is levelling off. While North Sea natural gas production continues to rise, gains may be offset by ever-increasing consumption. North Sea oil and gas exploration activities are shifting to smaller fields and to increments of larger, developed fields, presenting opportunities for smaller, independent energy operators to become active in North Sea production.
*GDP (at current market prices, 2007 est.): US$1.93 trillion.
*Annual growth rate (2009 est.): -4.6%
*Per capita GDP (2006 est.): US$31,800.
*Natural resources: Coal, oil, natural gas.
*Agriculture (1.1% of GDP): Products—cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables, cattle, sheep, poultry, fish.
*Industry: Types—steel, heavy engineering and metal manufacturing, textiles, motor vehicles and aircraft, construction (5.2% of GDP), electronics, chemicals.
*Trade (2006 est.): Exports of goods and services—US$468.8 billion: manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco. Major markets—U.S., European Union. Imports of goods and services—US$603 billion: manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, foodstuffs. Major suppliers—U.S., European Union, Japan.

===Currency===
The currency of the United Kingdom is the [[Pound|Pound Sterling]], commonly called Pound and written £ or GBP, divided into 100 New Pence (now commonly just called pence or 'p'). Traditionally the UK had a complicated triple currency structure of 20 [[shilling]]s to the Pound and 12 "old pence" (represented by a "d" from the Roman ''denarius'') to the shilling, making a total of 240 pence to the Pound. This system was abandoned in 1971 due to difficulties with computerised accounting systems, in favour of the current [[decimal]] system.

The UK has never joined the [[Euro]] zone.

==History==
[[File:Stonehenge.jpg|thumb|left|Stonehenge.]]
The Roman invasion of Britain in 43AD and most of Britain's subsequent incorporation into the Roman Empire stimulated development and brought more active contacts with the rest of Europe. However, there was no permanent Roman imprint apart from roads and locations for cities. As Rome's strength declined, the country again was exposed to invasion—including the pivotal incursions of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in the fifth and sixth centuries AD—up to the Norman conquest in 1066. Norman rule effectively ensured Britain's safety from further intrusions; certain institutions, which remain characteristic of Britain, could develop. Among these are a political, administrative, cultural, and economic centre in London; a separate but established church and distinctive and distinguished university education.

====Union====

Both Wales and Scotland were independent kingdoms that resisted English rule. The English conquest of Wales succeeded in 1282 under Edward I, and the Statute of Rhuddlan established English rule 2 years later. To appease the Welsh, Edward's son (later Edward II), who had been born in Wales, was made Prince of Wales in 1301. The tradition of bestowing this title on the eldest son of the British Monarch continues today. An act of 1536 completed the political and administrative union of England and Wales.

While maintaining separate parliaments, England and Scotland were ruled by the same king beginning in 1603, when James VI of Scotland succeeded his cousin Elizabeth I as James I of England. In the ensuing 100 years, strong religious and political differences divided the kingdoms. Finally, in 1707, England and Scotland were unified as Great Britain, sharing a single Parliament at Westminster.

Ireland's invasion by the Anglo-Normans in 1170 led to centuries of strife. Successive English kings sought to conquer Ireland. In the early 17th century, large-scale settlement of the north from Scotland and England began. After its defeat, Ireland was subjected, with varying degrees of success, to control and regulation by Britain.

The legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was completed on January 1, 1801, under the name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (normally shortened to "Great Britain" or "Britain"). However, armed struggle for independence continued sporadically into the 20th century. The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 established the Irish Free State, which subsequently left the Commonwealth and became a republic after World War II. Six northern, predominantly [[Protestant]], Irish counties have remained part of the United Kingdom.

====British Expansion and Empire====
[[Image:Sir Francis Grant's Portrait of Queen Victoria.jpg|right|200px|thumb|''Queen Victoria'', by [[Sir Francis Grant]].]]
The '''British Empire''' was the [[List of largest empires|largest empire]] in history and, for over a century, was the foremost [[Great power|global power]]. It was a product of the [[Age of Discovery]], which began with the maritime explorations of the 15th century, that sparked the era of the European [[Colonialism|colonial]] empires. By 1921, the British Empire held sway over a population of about 458 million people, approximately one-quarter of the world's population.<ref>Angus Maddison. ''The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective'' (p. 98, 242). [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|OECD]], Paris, 2001.</ref> It covered about 36.7 million km² (14.2 million square miles),<ref>Bruce R. Gordon. [http://www.hostkingdom.net/earthrul.html ''To Rule the Earth...''] (See [http://www.hostkingdom.net/Bibliography.html Bibliography] for sources used.)</ref> about a quarter of Earth's total land area. As a result, its political, linguistic and cultural legacy is widespread. At the peak of its power, it was often said that "[[The empire on which the sun never sets|the sun never sets on the British Empire]]" because its span across the globe ensured that the sun was always shining on at least one of its numerous [[colonies]] or subject nations.<ref>This phrase had already been used a few centuries before by the king [[Charles I of Spain]], referring to the [[Spanish Empire]].</ref>

Begun initially to support William the Conqueror's (c. 1029-1087) holdings in France, Britain's policy of active involvement in continental European affairs endured for several hundred years. By the end of the 14th century, foreign trade, originally based on wool exports to Europe, had emerged as a cornerstone of national policy.

During the five decades following [[World War II]], most of the territories of the Empire became independent. Many went on to join the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], a free association of independent states.<ref>T. O. Lloyd, ''The British Empire, 1558-1995. 2nd ed. (1996).</ref> Some have retained the [[British monarch]] as their [[head of state]] to become independent [[Commonwealth realm]]s.

====Sea Power====
The foundations of sea power were gradually laid to protect English trade and open up new routes. Defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 firmly established England as a major sea power. Thereafter, its interests outside Europe grew steadily. Attracted by the spice trade, English mercantile interests spread first to the Far East. In search of an alternate route to the Spice Islands, John Cabot reached the North American continent in 1498. Sir Walter Raleigh organized the first, short-lived colony in Virginia in 1584, and permanent English settlement began in 1607 at Jamestown, Virginia. During the next two centuries, Britain extended its influence abroad and consolidated its political development at home, as the Royal Navy dominated the seas.
====Industrial Revolution====
[[File:Bradford Industrial Museum.jpg|thumb|left|Bradford Industrial Museum.]]
Britain's [[industrial revolution]] greatly strengthened its ability to oppose Napoleonic France. By the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, Britain was the foremost European power, and its navy ruled the seas. Peace in Europe allowed the British to focus their interests on more remote parts of the world, and, during this period, the British Empire reached its zenith. British colonial expansion reached its height largely during the reign of [[Queen Victoria]] (1837-1901). [[Victorian era|Queen Victoria's]] reign witnessed the spread of British technology, commerce, language, and government throughout the British Empire, which, at its greatest extent, encompassed roughly one-fifth to one-quarter of the world's area and population. It is controversial whether British colonies accelerated or slowed Britain's economic growth, for its growth rate fell below nations without empires, especially the U.S. and [[Germany]]. Democracy came in fits and starts in a series of reforms that finally, by the 1920s, allowed all adults to vote.

 

====End of Empire====
By the time of Queen Victoria's death in 1901, other nations, including the United States and Germany, had developed their own industries; Britain lost its comparative economic advantage, and the ambitions of its rivals had grown. The UK joined world war I because of the invasion of [[Belgium]], and subsequently began [[World War II]] after the invasion of [[Poland]]. The losses and destruction of [[World War I|The First World War]], the [[Great Depression]] of the 1930s, the independence of the Dominions, and decades of relatively slow growth eroded the Britain's preeminent international position of the previous century.

Nationalism became stronger in other parts of the empire, particularly in India and Egypt.

In 1926, Britain granted Australia, Canada, and New Zealand almost complete autonomy as "dominions"; beginning with the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947, the remainder of the British Empire was almost completely dismantled by the 1960s.

== See also ==

*[[English Painting]]
*[[British politics]]
*[[June 2007 UK terror attacks]]
*[[List of political parties in the United Kingdom]]
*[[Mystery:Why is England More Liberal than the United States?]]
*[[Flags of the United Kingdom]]
* [[Piers Morgan]]
*[[Victorian era]]

== External links ==

*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/15/sir-john-chilcot-wrong-man Sir John Chilcot 'wrong man to head Iraq invasion inquiry'.]
*[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/iraqi-oil-supply-was-considered-to-be-vital-to-british-interests-2270072.html Iraqi oil supply was considered to be 'vital' to British interests.]

== Notes ==
<references/>

{{European Union}}

[[Category:United Kingdom|United Kingdom]]
[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO Members]]
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]
[[Category:British Empire]]
[[Category:European History]]
[[Category:Liberalism]]
[[Category:Socialism]]
[[Category:Welfare State]]
[[Category:Gun Control]]
[[Category:Anti Second Amendment]]
[[Category:Nuclear Target Structures]]

United Kingdom

2016-08-05T02:54:12Z

IsabellW: delete stupidity

{{Country
|name =''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''
|map =United kingdom rel87.jpg
|map2 =UK location.png
|flag =Union_jack.jpg
|arms =UK Royal Coat of Arms.png
|capital =London
|capital-raw =
|government =Constitutional monarchy
|government-raw =
|language =English
|king =
|queen =
|monarch-raw =HM Queen [[Elizabeth II]]
|president =
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =David Cameron
|pm-raw =
|area =94,526 sq mi
|pop =62,698,000
|pop-basis =2011
|gdp =$2.006 trillion
|gdp-year =2006
|gdp-pc =$35,051 (2006)
|currency =Pound Sterling
|idd =
|tld =
}}
'''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''' ('''UK''') is a sovereign [[state]] north-west of mainland [[Europe]]. It comprises [[England]], [[Scotland]] and [[Wales]], which occupy the island of [[Great Britain]], and [[Northern Ireland]] on the island of [[Ireland]]. It attained its current identity in 1922 after most of Ireland was granted independence.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. Its [[head of state]] is Queen [[Elizabeth II]], and its [[head of government]] is Prime Minister [[Theresa May]].

The United Kingdom has lost the preeminence in the world that it enjoyed 100 years ago, due to its decline into [[socialism]], [[Darwinism]] and [[atheism]].<ref>

The United Kingdom is a member of the [[European Union]], [[NATO]] and the [[United Nations]].

British values, culture and institutions were spread throughout many parts of the world during the period of the [[British Empire]], 1600-1960, and British contributions to world culture include the English language, the [[parliament]]ary form of government, the [[Church of England|Anglican]] Church ("Church of England"), a tradition of personal liberty, and the [[common law]] legal system. Note, however, that the United Kingdom does not have the constitutional [[free speech]] protections or an energetic [[Christian]] culture that exist in the [[United States]].

In 2015, the UK was ranked 12th on the World Democracy index, above countries such as the US and France, and below those like Germany and Canada.<ref>[http://democracyranking.org/wordpress/rank/democracy-ranking-2015/ World's Democracy Index]</ref> Due to the lawlessness of the [[Obama Adminstration]] America has lost some of its freedoms.

==Name==
[[File:London Thames Sunset panorama 2008.jpg|thumb|left|London - Thames panorama.]]
The official name of the nation (since 1927) is ''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''.<ref>From 1801 to 1927 the official name was ''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland''.</ref> The full official name is seldom used except in very formal or legal documents. The short version for historical topics is either "Britain" or "Great Britain." The short version for recent events (since the 1970s) is "United Kingdom" or "UK" The adjective is always '''"British"'''.

Britain was part of the [[British Empire]], which has become the "British Commonwealth", and is mostly a discussion club. Britain has a few scattered minor possessions, such as [[Gibraltar]], but gave up its last important colony--[[Hong Kong]]—in 1997.
[[File:Westminster in the evening.jpg|thumb|280px|Westminster in the evening.]]
* '''England''' is the largest of the four components of the United Kingdom. "England" was often used to stand for the nation in older literature published before 1970. However use of "England" to refer to the entire country is now sometimes considered offensive by many citizens of the other three member countries and is thus discouraged.
* The standard language of the UK is English; [[Welsh]] has parity in Wales, and [[Gaelic]] is widely used on official documents, roadsigns, etc. in remote Gaelic-speaking areas of western Scotland.

MacColl (2008) explores the use of the term 'Britain' in English, French, and Latin texts from the 12th century to the 16th. The term was flexible, used in a variety of ways (geographically, politically, and ethnically), and not always indicative of any specific meaning. The English at first tended to conflate 'Britain' with England or the southern portion of the island of Great Britain, though the term 'Greater Britain' was applied starting in the 14th century to refer to the entire island. The Scottish, beginning in the 15th century, used the term in the modern sense - as reflective of the entire island of Great Britain and the 'polity' of England, Wales, and Scotland. This latter usage paved the way for the relatively smooth ideological transition after the 1707 Acts of Union.<ref>Alan MacColl, "The Meaning of 'Britain' in Medieval and Early Modern England." ''Journal of British Studies'' 2006 45(2): 248-269</ref>

===Anthem===
The national anthem of the UK is currently ''[[God Save the Queen]]''. Should a male heir accede to the throne, the anthem will become "God Save the King".<ref>This same melody is also sung by American schoolchildren (with different words) as "[[My Country, 'Tis of Thee]]".</ref>

The constituent nations have their own unofficial anthems. In the case of Wales, this is ''Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau'' (''Land of My Fathers''), and for Scotland it is ''Flower of Scotland''. England does not have its own distinctive anthem in the same way, but at sporting events in which England is competing as a separate nation, [[Edward Elgar]]'s patriotic song ''Land of Hope and Glory'' is sometimes used (although ''God Save the Queen'' is more commonly used). Additionally the hymn "Jerusalem" has a large number of supporters in England as an alternative to, or replacement for, the national anthem. In Northern Ireland, the Protestant and Catholic communities respectively use ''God Save the Queen'' and ''Amhran na bhFiann'', the Irish national anthem. ''Londonderry Air'' is often used as the anthem for Northern Ireland competitors in sporting events.

==People==
[[Image:Tower Bridge London.jpg|thumb|340px|Tower Bridge, London.]]
The United Kingdom's population in 2004 surpassed 60 million—the third-largest in the European Union. Its overall population density is one of the highest in the world. Almost one-third of the population lives in England's prosperous and fertile southeast and is predominantly urban and suburban—with about 7.2 million in the capital of London, which remains the largest city in Europe.

A net total of 408,000 people were added to the UK population in 2008, the largest numerical increase since 1972. This was partly due to the highest fertility rate in more than three decades. More than half of the increase in births last year was due to non-UK born mothers.

There is also an ever-increasing aging population with the number of people over 85 now at a record 1.3 million, the equivalent of one in every 50 people.

===Education===
[[File:Royal College of Music 2007.jpg|thumb|left|Royal College of Music.]]
The United Kingdom's high literacy rate (99%) is attributable to universal public education introduced for the primary level in 1870 and secondary level in 1900. Education is mandatory from ages 5 through 16, although this is in the process of being raised to 18 for England and Wales. "Public" schools are elite private prep schools, such as [[Eton]] and [[Rugby School|Rugby]], attended by youth whose families can afford to pay high tuition rates.

All state-funded schools in the UK are required to start the day with a collective assembly that is 'wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character',<ref>[http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=387464 Times Educational Supplement]</ref> although this is not always ahered too and there are small numbers of state-funded [[Muslim]], [[Jew]]ish and [[Hindu]] schools.

About thirty six percent of British students go on to post-secondary education.

Higher education has been a speciality for over 500 years at Oxbridge ([[Oxford University|Oxford]] and [[Cambridge University|Cambridge]]), with new "red brick" universities added in the 19th century and many others in the late 20th century. Universities contribute £33 billion a year to the economy. Britain has a strong attraction for international students, with 342,000 attending in 2007 (compared to 672,000 in the U.S. and 183,000 in Australia). They spend £1.5 billion in tuition in Britain annually, plus another £0.4 billion off campus.

===Demographics===
[[File:Youth UK.JPG|thumb|British youth.]]
A group of islands close to continental Europe, the British Isles have been subject to many invasions and migrations, especially from Scandinavia and the continent, including Roman occupation for several centuries. Contemporary Britons are descended mainly from the varied ethnic stocks that settled there before the 11th century. The pre-Celtic, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse influences were blended in Britain under the Normans, Scandinavian Vikings who had lived in Northern France. Although Celtic languages persist in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, as well as Cornwall in south-west England, the predominant language is English, which is primarily a blend of Anglo-Saxon and Norman French.
*Population (2007 est.): 60.8 million.
*Annual population growth rate (2007 est.): 0.275%.
*Major ethnic groups: British 91%, Irish 2%, West Indian and African 3%, South Asian 3%, others 1%.
*Major religions: Church of England (Anglican), Roman Catholic, Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), Muslim.
*Major languages: English
*Minority languages: Welsh, Gaelic, Lowland Scots (including Ulster Scots), Cornish.
*Education: Years compulsory—12. Attendance—nearly 100%. Literacy—99%.
*Health: Infant mortality rate (2007 est.)--5.01/1,000. Life expectancy (2007 est.)--males 76.23 yrs.; females 81.3 yrs.; total 78.7 years
*Work force (2007, 31.1 million): Services—80.4%; industry—18.2%; agriculture—1.4%.

===Ethnic tensions===

Britain is home to 2.4 million Muslims from numerous ethnicities. This population is growing 10 times faster than the national average. Regarded as one of the most tolerant countries in Europe, Britain struggles with questions of Islamic integration, as well as the psychological aftermath of the July 2005 suicide bombings on London’s public transport system carried out by young Britons of Pakistani descent, which left 52 people dead and over 700 injured.

===Religion===
[[File:Canterbury Cathedral.jpg|thumb|left|350px|Canterbury Cathedral (photographed during 1890-1900).]]
Religious faith, according to a 2011 survey, has declined sharply in Britain over the last two decades. Now only 42% of people describe themselves as Christian, as opposed to 66% in 1990. Most of the decline is due to a drift away from the Church of England, it is claimed, with only 20% claiming allegiance, down from 40%.

In 2003 the Office of National Statistics estimated 29% of the population identified with Anglicanism, 10% with the Catholic Church, and 14% with other Protestant churches. A 2007 survey reported that the number of Catholics (mostly Irish) attending Sunday services has overtaken the number of Anglicans doing so. A September 2006 English Church Census reported that Methodists were decreasing as a percentage of the population, while members of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Pentecostal churches, many churches from Africa, and the Eastern Orthodox Church, almost entirely immigrants, were increasing.<ref>According to [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108478.htm U.S. State Department Report, 2008]</ref>

Individuals with no religious belief comprised 21% of the population in 2009. Muslims comprise 3% of the population. The Muslim community is predominantly South Asian in origin, but other groups from the Arabian Peninsula, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Levant are represented. In addition, there is a growing number of indigenous converts. Although estimates vary, the Government places the number of mosques in the whole country at one thousand. Groups comprising 1% or less of the population include Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, and Buddhists. Individuals from Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and Sikh backgrounds are concentrated in London and other large urban areas, primarily in England.

Attendance at religious services was significantly different from the number of adherents. According to a report released on May 8, 2008, by Religious Trends, only 4 million Christians attend services on a regular basis (defined as at least once a month) in the country. These figures do not include Northern Ireland, where higher%ages reportedly attend both Catholic (more than 60%) and Protestant (more than 35%) services. The Religious Trends report stated that more than 50% of Muslims regularly worship at mosques. Figures for Jews and other religious groups were unavailable.

Religious affiliation was not evenly distributed among ethnicities. According to the 2001 census, approximately 70% of the white population described themselves as Christians. Nearly 75% of black Caribbean respondents stated that they were Christians, as did 70% of black Africans. Meanwhile, 45% of Indians were Hindus and 29% were Sikhs. Approximately 92% of Pakistanis and Bangladeshis were Muslims.

In Northern Ireland, where divisions between nationalists and unionists evolved largely along religious lines, the 2001 census showed that 53.1% were Protestants and 43.8% were Catholics. Many Catholics and Protestants continued to live in segregated communities in Northern Ireland, although many middle-class neighborhoods were mixed communities. The policy of the Government remained one of promotion of religious tolerance.

There are two established (or state) churches—The [[Church of England]] (Anglican) and the [[Church of Scotland]] (Presbyterian). The Act of Settlement, enacted in 1688, states that no Catholic, or person married to a Catholic, may ascend the throne.
====Religion in schools====
The Government provides financial support—up to 90% of the total capital costs of the buildings and 100% of running costs, including teachers' salaries - to sectarian educational institutions that are commonly referred to as "faith schools".
[[File:Matthew Boulton College.jpg|thumb|Matthew Boulton College.]]
The Government also helps fund the repair and maintenance of all listed places of worship for religious groups nationwide and contributes to the budget of the Church Conservation Trust, which preserves "redundant" Church of England buildings of architectural or historic significance.

The Government has not classified the Church of Scientology as a religious institution and therefore has not granted the organization recognition for charitable status.

More than 30% of state schools had a religious character. Nearly all of the 6,949 "faith schools" are associated with Christian denominations, although there are 31 Jewish, 7 Islamic, and 2 Sikh schools. An additional two Jewish, three Islamic, and two Sikh schools have also been tentatively approved by the Government to open. In addition, several hundred independent schools of a religious nature receive no state support but must meet government quality standards. Controversy arose in 2006 over 100 Islamic schools when an Office of Standards in Education (Ofsted) evaluation of these schools showed many were "little more than places where the Koran was recited." The schools were given time to correct their deficiencies. A review is due in 2010. Some Christian faith schools also faced controversy. Some were accused of not following the national curriculum in science, teaching creationism instead. During the reporting period, a further controversy erupted when it was learned that some faith schools were not following an "open" admission policy as required by law, denying admission to both special needs children and those outside the faith of the school administrators. The Catholic Church and the Church of England have an agreement to voluntarily accept up to 25% of places for pupils from another religious group or no religious group.

Almost all schools in Northern Ireland receive state support. More than 90% of students attended schools that were either predominantly Catholic or Protestant. Integrated schools served approximately 5% of school-age children whose families voluntarily chose this option, often after overcoming significant obstacles to provide the resources to start a new school and demonstrate its sustainability for 3 years before government funding begins. Demand for places in integrated schools outweighed the limited number of places available. The May 8, 2007, devolution, or granting of power, authorized the Northern Ireland Assembly to decide on academic selection. Now there are more than 50 integrated schools, and the new Government permits existing schools to petition to change from sectarian to integrated. More petition for that status than are granted it. Some have accused the Government of a go-slow approach to avoid sectarian animus.

The law requires religious education for all children, ages 3 to 19, in publicly maintained schools. In England and Wales it forms part of the core curriculum in accordance with the Education Reform Act of 1988. In Scotland, religious education of some sort is mandated by the Education Act of 1980. However, the shape and content of religious instruction throughout the country is decided on a local basis. Locally agreed syllabi are required to reflect the predominant place of Christianity while taking into account the teachings and practices of other principal religions in the country. Syllabuses must be nondenominational and refrain from attempting to convert pupils. Schools with a religious designation follow a syllabus drawn up by the school governors according to the trust deed of the school. All parents have the legal right to request that their children not participate in religious education, but the school must approve this request.

Daily collective prayer or worship of "a wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character" is practiced in schools in England and Wales, a requirement that may be waived for students who obtain permission of the school authorities. The Education and Inspections Act 2006 permits sixth form students (generally 16-19-year-olds) to withdraw themselves from worship without their parents' permission or action. This new law does not exempt sixth form students from religious education classes. Non-Christian worship is permitted with approval of the authorities. Teachers have the right not to participate in collective worship, without prejudice, unless they work for a faith school.

After several controversial court decisions prohibiting full-face veils in school (but not head scarves) and the wearing of a Christian chastity ring, the Department of Education provided guidance that advises schools to "… act reasonably in accommodating religious requirements," under human rights legislation. Some Muslim groups, including the Islamic Human Rights Commission, said it was inappropriate for the Government to provide guidance that regulated Muslim communities in matters concerning the expression of their religious beliefs. But it is also legally possible under the act, according to the guidance, to have a school uniform policy that "restricts the freedom of pupils to manifest their religion" on the grounds of health and safety and the "protection of the rights and freedoms of others." The Government's guidance is meant to remind "head teachers" to act with a degree of sensitivity when considering decisions that will impact the cultural complexion of their communities.

====Census====

According to the 2011 Census the religious make-up of the UK at that time was:

{| border="1" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3
|+'''Religions in United Kingdom'''
!Belief
!Thousands
!Proportion
|-
|Christian ||29,000 ||51.6
|-
|No Religion ||9104 ||15.5
|-
|Muslim ||1591 ||2.7
|-
|Hindu ||559 ||1.0
|-
|Sikh ||336 ||0.6
|-
|Jewish ||267 ||0.5
|-
|Other ||179 ||0.3
|-
|Buddhist ||152 ||0.3
|-
|Pagan & Wicca ||40 ||0.1
|-
|Total religious ||45,163 ||76.8
|-
|No answer ||4289 ||7.3
|}
The answers were distorted by an internet campaign just prior to the census, encouraging people to actually question religion that claimed that if at least 50,000 people stated their religion as 'Jedi Knight' it would be officially classified as a religion. This was not true, though the Office of National Statistics does aggregate very small religions into the 'Other' category whereas a religion of 50,000 would be itemised separately. This separate listing does not constitute any form of official recognition.

It should be noted that non-practising Christians and the non-religious group are growing in the UK and Europe. At the same time, there is growth in the Islamic group due to immigration.

Two of the four states of the United Kingdom, England and Scotland, have official state religions. The [[Church of England]] is the official religion of England and the (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland is the official religion of Scotland. The (Anglican) Church of Ireland was [[disestablished]] in 1871 and the (Anglican) Church of Wales was disestablished in 1920, whereupon it was renamed the [[Church ''in'' Wales]].

===Crown Dependencies===
A number of the smaller [[British Isles]], most importantly [[Jersey]], [[Guernsey]] and the [[Isle of Man]] are '[[Crown dependencies|British Crown Dependencies]]' and not members of the UK. Their governments are independent of that of the UK other than foreign and defense policy (the UK government retains the legal power to overrule the governments of the Dependencies, but this power has not been exercised since 1967), and they are not members of the [[European Union]].

==Sports and Pastimes==
[[File:Wembley Stadium.jpg|thumb|230px|Wembley Stadium.]]
Many of the most popular [[sport]]s in the world today were developed or codified in the UK. These include [[soccer|football]] (which is called ''soccer'' in North America), [[cricket]], [[Rugby (Sport)|rugby]], [[tennis]], [[hockey]], [[baseball]] and [[golf]]. The UK is represented in international competitions by the individual nations (such as in football, the one-day form of cricket and rugby) and by the whole of the UK in other sports (such as [[athletics]], golf and tennis). The Test cricket team is that of 'England & Wales' (colloquially, just 'England') but from time to time has had Scottish and Irish players.

The UK remains a major sporting force both in competition and the administration of sport. It is dominant in several Olympic sports, notably cycling, rowing and sailing and a leading force in cricket, rugby union, and golf.

Certain venues have their own distinct and historical recognition and host a number of international competitions. These include Wimbledon for tennis, Silverstone for motor racing, and St Andrews for golf. There are several major venues for football, rugby and cricket.

Domestic sport is dominated by football with one of the strongest and most popular leagues in the world - the Premier League. This league is sponsored by Barclays Bank, so has the official name "Barclays Premier League". Many of the Premier League's teams are well known outside the United Kingdom, especially the "big four" (Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool) and maintain followings around the world. Cricket and both codes of rugby also have strong and popular domestic leagues. Other popular sports include snooker, rowing, golf, tennis, athletics, cycling, darts, horse racing, and motor racing. These most popular sports are well covered by both the print press and television.

Some sports which are more popular in other countries such as volleyball, handball, American football and basketball have small but dedicated followings.

The [[U.K.]] is also renowned for its music, and is the home of bands like [[The Beatles]], [[Rolling Stones]], [[Pink Floyd]], [[The Who]], [[Oasis]], [[Coldplay]] and [[Radiohead]], as well as festivals such as [[Creamfields]], [[Isle of White]] Festival and [[Glastonbury]].

==Government==
''See also [[British politics]]''
[[File:Jewel House guard in the Tower of London.JPG|thumb|200px|Jewel House guard in the Tower of London.]]
Nationalist movements exist in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, seeking (in the case of Scottish and Welsh nationalists) to dissolve the United Kingdom and to win independence for their respective territories, and in the case of Northern Ireland nationalists and republicans to create a sovereign united Ireland. At the present time, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own legislatures.

The United Kingdom does not have a written constitution. The equivalent body of law is based on statute, common law, and "traditional rights". Changes may come about formally through new acts of Parliament, informally through the acceptance of new practices and usage, or by judicial precedents. Although Parliament has the theoretical power to make or repeal any law, in actual practice the weight of 700 years of tradition restrains arbitrary actions.

Executive power rests nominally with the monarch but actually is exercised by a committee of ministers (cabinet) selected from among the members of the House of Commons and, less frequently, the House of Lords. The prime minister is normally the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons, and can remain in office for so long as he or she has the support of a majority in that body.

==Parliament==
[[File:Westminster palace Charles Barry.jpg|left|380px]]
Parliament was authorized in the [[Magna Carta]] (1215), and first summoned by King Edward I in 1296, making it one of the oldest governing bodies in the world. Parliament represents the entire country, and can legislate for the whole or for any constituent part or combination of parts. Elections are called by the Prime Minister, but the maximum length of a parliament is usually 5 years (except in wartime). The focus of legislative power is the 646 member [[House of Commons]], which has sole jurisdiction over finance. Normally the government—the Prime Minister and cabinet with their supporting MPs—have full control of the House. If they lose control an new general election may be held. The House of Lords, although shorn of most of its powers, can still review, amend, or delay temporarily any bills except those relating to the budget. In 1999, the government removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to hold seats in the House of Lords. The current house consists of appointed life peers who hold their seats for life and 92 hereditary peers who will hold their seats only until final reforms have been agreed upon and implemented. The judiciary is independent of the legislative and executive branches, but cannot review the constitutionality of legislation.

Members of the House of Commons are elected to represent specific geographic constituencies. Members are elected on a "First past the post" system as opposed to proportional representation or other electoral systems. In effect this means that a third party with less than 25% of the vote typically obtains very few seats.

==Constituent countries==
[[File:Scottish Eilean Donan castle.jpg|thumb|300px|Scottish Eilean Donan castle.]]
The separate identities of each of the United Kingdom's constituent parts are also reflected in their respective governmental structures. Up until the recent devolution of power to Scotland and Wales, a cabinet minister (the Secretary of State for Wales) handled Welsh affairs at the national level with the advice of a broadly representative council for Wales. Scotland maintains, as it did before union with England, different systems of law (Roman-French), education, local government, judiciary, and national church (the Church of Scotland instead of the Church of England). In addition, separate departments grouped under a Secretary of State for Scotland, who also is a cabinet member, handled most domestic matters. In late 1997, however, following approval of referenda by Scottish and Welsh voters (though only narrowly in Wales), the British Government introduced legislation to establish a Scottish Parliament and a Welsh Assembly. The first elections for the two bodies were held May 6, 1999. The Welsh Assembly opened on May 26, and the Scottish Parliament opened on July 1, 1999. The devolved legislatures have largely taken over most of the functions previously performed by the Scottish and Welsh offices.

Northern Ireland had its own Parliament and prime minister from 1921 to 1973, when the British Government imposed direct rule in order to deal with the deteriorating political and security situation. From 1973, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, based in London, was responsible for the region, including efforts to resolve the issues that lay behind the "the troubles."

By the mid-1990s, gestures toward peace encouraged by successive British governments and by President Clinton began to open the door for restored local government in Northern Ireland. An Irish Republican Army (IRA) cease-fire and nearly 2 years of multiparty negotiations, led by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, resulted in the Good Friday Agreement of 10 April 1998, which was subsequently approved by majorities in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Key elements of the agreement include devolved government, a commitment of the parties to work toward "total disarmament of all paramilitary organisations," police reform, and enhanced mechanisms to guarantee human rights and equal opportunity. The Good Friday Agreement also called for formal cooperation between the Northern Ireland institutions and the Government of the Republic of Ireland, and it established the British-Irish Council, which includes representatives of the British and Irish Governments as well as the devolved Governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Devolved government was reestablished in Northern Ireland in December 1999.

The Agreement (more commonly known as the "Good Friday Agreement", and more rarely as the Belfast Agreement<ref>http://www.nio.gov.uk/index/key-issues/the-agreement.htm</ref>) was reached on Friday, April 10, 1998 in Belfast and provides for a 108-member elected Assembly, overseen by a 12-minister Executive Committee (cabinet) in which unionists and nationalists share leadership responsibility. Northern Ireland elects 18 representatives to the Westminster Parliament in London. However, the five Sinn Féin Members of Parliament (MPs), who won seats in the 2004 election, have refused to claim their seats.

===Political conditions===
[[David Cameron]] became Prime Minister on May 11, 2010, after [[Gordon Brown]] resigned, and led a [[Conservative Party|Con]]-[[Liberal Democrats|Dem]] coalition in 2010.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8676607.stm "David Cameron and Nick Clegg pledge 'united' coalition"] ''BBC News'', Election 2010.</ref> In 2015, a general election was called<ref>Under the provisions of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (c. 14), parliamentary elections in the UK must be held every five years, beginning in 2015. The Act received Royal Assent on 15 September 2011. Fixed-term Parliaments, where general elections ordinarily take place in accordance with a schedule set far in advance, were part of the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition agreement which was produced after the 2010 general election.</ref> and Cameron's Conservative Party won a majority of seats, against all odds.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/11599600/How-did-the-Conservatives-win-the-general-election.html "How did the Conservatives win the general election?"] ''The Daily Telegraph''</ref>

===Membership in the European Union===
The [[Conservative Party|Conservative]] government of [[Edward Heath|Sir Edward Heath]] took the UK into the [[European Union]] in 1973. The [[Labour Party]] under [[Harold Wilson]] won the 1974 general elections and due to splits within the party, called the only national [[referendum]] asking the people if they wanted to stay in the Union. The "yes" vote won by a margin of approximately two to one. The Labour and Conservative parties have since had deep divisions over Union membership. Labour's 1983 manifesto promised to leave the Union, and whilst the Conservative party have never pledged to leave the Union, a growing band of "Eurosceptics" threatened to tear the party apart in the 1990s. The Labour, Conservative and Scottish National parties wish to stay in the Union although disagree over the level of integration, but smaller parties such as the [[UK Independence Party]] and the Referendum Party campaigned on the single issue of sovereignty being lost to the Union.

The United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, is scheduled to take place in the United Kingdom and [[Gibraltar]] on 23 June 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2015-2016/0002/cbill_2015-20160002_en_2.htm#pb1-l1g5 |title=European Union Referendum Bill (HC Bill 2) |publisher=Publications.parliament.uk |date=2015-05-28 |accessdate=2015-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Rowena Mason , Nicholas Watt, Ian Traynor, Jennifer Rankin |url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/feb/20/cameron-set-to-name-eu-referendum-date-after-cabinet-meeting |title=EU referendum to take place on 23 June, David Cameron confirms | Politics |publisher=The Guardian |date=20 February 2016 |accessdate=2 February 2016}}</ref> In accordance with a [[Conservative Party]] manifesto commitment, the legal basis for a referendum was established by the passage of the European Union Referendum Act 2015 by the British Parliament. It will be the third plebiscite to be held throughout the United Kingdom, and the second time the British electorate has been asked to vote on the issue of European Union membership: the first was held in 1975, when it was known as the EEC. Membership was approved in that referendum by 67% of voters – but the nature of the EU has changed dramatically since then and the result of this referendum is expected to be significantly closer.<ref>Adrian Williamson, [http://www.historyandpolicy.org/policy-papers/papers/the-case-for-brexit-lessons-from-1960s-and-1970s The Case for Brexit: Lessons from the 1960s and 1970s], History and Policy (2015).</ref>

==Defense and Foreign Relations==
[[File:11943452 115b299206.jpg|right|240px]]
The United Kingdom is a founding member of the [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization]] (NATO) and is one of NATO's major European maritime, air, and land powers; it ranks third among NATO countries in total defence expenditure. The United Kingdom has been a member of the European Community (now European Union) since 1973. In the United Nations, the United Kingdom is a permanent member of the Security Council. The U.K. held the Presidency of the G-8 during 2005; it held the EU Presidency from July to December 2005.

The British Armed Forces are charged with protecting the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, promoting Britain's wider security interests, and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. The 37,000-member Royal Navy, which includes 6,000 Royal Marine commandos, is in charge of the United Kingdom's independent strategic nuclear arm, which consists of four Trident missile submarines. The British Army, consisting of approximately 99,200 personnel, the Royal Air Force, with 42,000 personnel, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, are active and regular participants in NATO and other coalition operations. Approximately 9% of the British Armed Forces is female, and 4% of British forces represent ethnic minorities.
[[File:Royal Naval college UK.jpg|thumb|center|380px|Royal Naval College.]]

===Iraq===
The U.K. was the United States' main coalition partner under the designation Operation TELIC. Under UN Security Council Resolution 1483, the U.K. also shared with the United States responsibility for civil administration in Iraq and was an active participant in the Coalition Provisional Authority before the handover of Iraqi sovereignty on June 28, 2004. Britain's participation in the Iraq war and its aftermath remains a domestically controversial issue.

<blockquote>
Iraqi oil supply was considered to be 'vital' to British interests. The British Government saw Iraqi oil as "vital" to the UK's long-term energy security, and the effective privatisation of its oil industry was central to the post-invasion plan for the country, according to previously unseen Whitehall documents. [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/iraqi-oil-supply-was-considered-to-be-vital-to-british-interests-2270072.html] ''The Independent.''
</blockquote>

The Iraq Inquiry is conducted to identify lessons that can be learned from the Iraq conflict; the inquiry is concerned over Mr. Blair's evidence on the legal advice he received before agreeing to join the invasion, and the timing of the decision to go to war. [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/chilcot-to-grill-blair-on-how-he-misled-iraq-war-inquiry-2185725.html] The Chair of the Inquiry, Sir John Chilcot (1939) was Staff Counsellor to the Security and Intelligence Agencies (1999-2004) and the National Criminal Intelligence Service (2002–06).

===Afghanistan===
Britain stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S., and its military forces are part of the coalition force in Afghanistan. The British force in [[Afghanistan War|Afghanistan]] is at 9,000 in late 2009 and will rise by an extra 500 troops in 2010. British forces are primarily based in the Helmand region, where they are on the front line in the war against continued Taliban operations. In addition, Britain has contributed more than £500 million to Afghan reconstruction—the second-largest donor after the U.S.
===Israel===
Britain has shown a greater willingness than the United States to criticize the Israelis over settlements and what some call the disproportionate responses to provocations from Gaza and southern Lebanon. (Jewish Labour MP Gerald Kaufman is among the most vocal.) Like his predecessors, both Labour and Conservative, former Foreign Secretary Milliband has been unequivocal: "Settlements are illegal under international law," he told Parliament in 2008; "They are a major blockage to peace in the Middle East on the basis of a two-state solution." His successor William Hague, on 20 March 2011, "expressed our serious concern over the recent announcement of 400 new housing units in the West Bank. Continued settlements run contrary to peace.” A BBC poll in March 2011 found that 14% of British subjects have a generally positive opinion of Israel while 66% have a generally negative opinion.

===Relations with the United States===
[[File:Send_a_gun_to_a_British_home.jpg|thumb|right|[[Second Amendment]]-supporting [[American]] [[citizen]]s gifted their [[firearm]]s to [[gun free zone]]-[[gun control]] supporting British citizens during [[World War II]] via [[The American Committee for the Defense of British Homes]]]]

The United Kingdom is one of the United States' closest allies, and British foreign policy emphasises close coordination with the United States. Bilateral cooperation reflects the common language, ideals, and democratic practices of the two nations. Relations were strengthened by the countries' alliances during both World Wars, and its role as a founding member of NATO, in the Korean conflict, in the Persian Gulf War, and in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The United Kingdom and the United States continually consult on foreign policy issues and global problems and share major foreign and security policy objectives.

The United Kingdom is the fifth-largest market for U.S. goods exports after Canada, Mexico, Japan, and China, and the sixth-largest supplier of U.S. imports after Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, and Germany. U.S. exports of goods and services to the United Kingdom in 2006 totaled $92 billion, while U.S. imports from the U.K. totaled $93 billion. The United States has had a trade deficit with the United Kingdom since 1998. The United Kingdom is a large source of foreign tourists in the United States. In 2005, 3.4 million U.S. residents visited the United Kingdom, while 4.2 million U.K. residents visited the United States.

The United States and the United Kingdom share the world's largest foreign direct investment partnership. U.S. investment in the United Kingdom reached $324 billion in 2005, while U.K. direct investment in the U.S. totaled $282 billion. This investment sustains more than 1 million American jobs.

==Economy==
[[File:London.jpg|thumb|left|280px|London's financial center.]]
Britain has been hard hit by the [[Recession of 2008]], with its major banks taken over or subsidized by the government. Real gross domestic product declined by 4.6% in 2009, and is expected to rise by 0.6% before 2010 and probably will continue to increase by 1% in 2011.

Britain has the fifth-largest economy in the world, is the second-largest economy in the European Union, and is a major international trading power. A highly developed, diversified, market-based economy with extensive social welfare services provides most residents with a high standard of living. Unemployment and inflation levels are amongst the lowest within the European Union.

Since 1979, the British Government has privatised most state-owned companies, including British Steel, British Airways, British Telecom, British Coal, British Aerospace, and British Gas, although in some cases the government retains a "golden share" in these companies. The previous Labour government continued the privatisation policy of its Conservative predecessor, particularly by encouraging "public-private partnerships" (partial privatisation) in such areas as the London Underground. The economy of the United Kingdom is now primarily based on private enterprise, accounting for approximately four-fifths of employment and output.
[[File:Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent, England Crop 2009.jpg|thumb|440px|Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent, 2009.]]
London ranks alongside New York as a leading international financial centre. London's financial exports contribute greatly to the United Kingdom's balance of payments. Ratings agencies rank the United Kingdom's banking sector as one of the strongest in the world and its banks are amongst the most profitable in the G-8. It is a global leader in emissions trading and is home to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). It is also a government priority to make London the leading center of Islamic finance.

Britain is the European Union's only significant energy exporter. It is also one of the world's largest energy consumers, and most analysts predict a shift in U.K. status from net exporter to net importer of energy by 2020, possibly sooner. Oil production in the U.K. is levelling off. While North Sea natural gas production continues to rise, gains may be offset by ever-increasing consumption. North Sea oil and gas exploration activities are shifting to smaller fields and to increments of larger, developed fields, presenting opportunities for smaller, independent energy operators to become active in North Sea production.
*GDP (at current market prices, 2007 est.): US$1.93 trillion.
*Annual growth rate (2009 est.): -4.6%
*Per capita GDP (2006 est.): US$31,800.
*Natural resources: Coal, oil, natural gas.
*Agriculture (1.1% of GDP): Products—cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables, cattle, sheep, poultry, fish.
*Industry: Types—steel, heavy engineering and metal manufacturing, textiles, motor vehicles and aircraft, construction (5.2% of GDP), electronics, chemicals.
*Trade (2006 est.): Exports of goods and services—US$468.8 billion: manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco. Major markets—U.S., European Union. Imports of goods and services—US$603 billion: manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, foodstuffs. Major suppliers—U.S., European Union, Japan.

===Currency===
The currency of the United Kingdom is the [[Pound|Pound Sterling]], commonly called Pound and written £ or GBP, divided into 100 New Pence (now commonly just called pence or 'p'). Traditionally the UK had a complicated triple currency structure of 20 [[shilling]]s to the Pound and 12 "old pence" (represented by a "d" from the Roman ''denarius'') to the shilling, making a total of 240 pence to the Pound. This system was abandoned in 1971 due to difficulties with computerised accounting systems, in favour of the current [[decimal]] system.

The UK has never joined the [[Euro]] zone.

==History==
[[File:Stonehenge.jpg|thumb|left|Stonehenge.]]
The Roman invasion of Britain in 43AD and most of Britain's subsequent incorporation into the Roman Empire stimulated development and brought more active contacts with the rest of Europe. However, there was no permanent Roman imprint apart from roads and locations for cities. As Rome's strength declined, the country again was exposed to invasion—including the pivotal incursions of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in the fifth and sixth centuries AD—up to the Norman conquest in 1066. Norman rule effectively ensured Britain's safety from further intrusions; certain institutions, which remain characteristic of Britain, could develop. Among these are a political, administrative, cultural, and economic centre in London; a separate but established church and distinctive and distinguished university education.

====Union====

Both Wales and Scotland were independent kingdoms that resisted English rule. The English conquest of Wales succeeded in 1282 under Edward I, and the Statute of Rhuddlan established English rule 2 years later. To appease the Welsh, Edward's son (later Edward II), who had been born in Wales, was made Prince of Wales in 1301. The tradition of bestowing this title on the eldest son of the British Monarch continues today. An act of 1536 completed the political and administrative union of England and Wales.

While maintaining separate parliaments, England and Scotland were ruled by the same king beginning in 1603, when James VI of Scotland succeeded his cousin Elizabeth I as James I of England. In the ensuing 100 years, strong religious and political differences divided the kingdoms. Finally, in 1707, England and Scotland were unified as Great Britain, sharing a single Parliament at Westminster.

Ireland's invasion by the Anglo-Normans in 1170 led to centuries of strife. Successive English kings sought to conquer Ireland. In the early 17th century, large-scale settlement of the north from Scotland and England began. After its defeat, Ireland was subjected, with varying degrees of success, to control and regulation by Britain.

The legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was completed on January 1, 1801, under the name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (normally shortened to "Great Britain" or "Britain"). However, armed struggle for independence continued sporadically into the 20th century. The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 established the Irish Free State, which subsequently left the Commonwealth and became a republic after World War II. Six northern, predominantly [[Protestant]], Irish counties have remained part of the United Kingdom.

====British Expansion and Empire====
[[Image:Sir Francis Grant's Portrait of Queen Victoria.jpg|right|200px|thumb|''Queen Victoria'', by [[Sir Francis Grant]].]]
The '''British Empire''' was the [[List of largest empires|largest empire]] in history and, for over a century, was the foremost [[Great power|global power]]. It was a product of the [[Age of Discovery]], which began with the maritime explorations of the 15th century, that sparked the era of the European [[Colonialism|colonial]] empires. By 1921, the British Empire held sway over a population of about 458 million people, approximately one-quarter of the world's population.<ref>Angus Maddison. ''The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective'' (p. 98, 242). [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|OECD]], Paris, 2001.</ref> It covered about 36.7 million km² (14.2 million square miles),<ref>Bruce R. Gordon. [http://www.hostkingdom.net/earthrul.html ''To Rule the Earth...''] (See [http://www.hostkingdom.net/Bibliography.html Bibliography] for sources used.)</ref> about a quarter of Earth's total land area. As a result, its political, linguistic and cultural legacy is widespread. At the peak of its power, it was often said that "[[The empire on which the sun never sets|the sun never sets on the British Empire]]" because its span across the globe ensured that the sun was always shining on at least one of its numerous [[colonies]] or subject nations.<ref>This phrase had already been used a few centuries before by the king [[Charles I of Spain]], referring to the [[Spanish Empire]].</ref>

Begun initially to support William the Conqueror's (c. 1029-1087) holdings in France, Britain's policy of active involvement in continental European affairs endured for several hundred years. By the end of the 14th century, foreign trade, originally based on wool exports to Europe, had emerged as a cornerstone of national policy.

During the five decades following [[World War II]], most of the territories of the Empire became independent. Many went on to join the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], a free association of independent states.<ref>T. O. Lloyd, ''The British Empire, 1558-1995. 2nd ed. (1996).</ref> Some have retained the [[British monarch]] as their [[head of state]] to become independent [[Commonwealth realm]]s.

====Sea Power====
The foundations of sea power were gradually laid to protect English trade and open up new routes. Defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 firmly established England as a major sea power. Thereafter, its interests outside Europe grew steadily. Attracted by the spice trade, English mercantile interests spread first to the Far East. In search of an alternate route to the Spice Islands, John Cabot reached the North American continent in 1498. Sir Walter Raleigh organized the first, short-lived colony in Virginia in 1584, and permanent English settlement began in 1607 at Jamestown, Virginia. During the next two centuries, Britain extended its influence abroad and consolidated its political development at home, as the Royal Navy dominated the seas.
====Industrial Revolution====
[[File:Bradford Industrial Museum.jpg|thumb|left|Bradford Industrial Museum.]]
Britain's [[industrial revolution]] greatly strengthened its ability to oppose Napoleonic France. By the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, Britain was the foremost European power, and its navy ruled the seas. Peace in Europe allowed the British to focus their interests on more remote parts of the world, and, during this period, the British Empire reached its zenith. British colonial expansion reached its height largely during the reign of [[Queen Victoria]] (1837-1901). [[Victorian era|Queen Victoria's]] reign witnessed the spread of British technology, commerce, language, and government throughout the British Empire, which, at its greatest extent, encompassed roughly one-fifth to one-quarter of the world's area and population. It is controversial whether British colonies accelerated or slowed Britain's economic growth, for its growth rate fell below nations without empires, especially the U.S. and [[Germany]]. Democracy came in fits and starts in a series of reforms that finally, by the 1920s, allowed all adults to vote.

 

====End of Empire====
By the time of Queen Victoria's death in 1901, other nations, including the United States and Germany, had developed their own industries; Britain lost its comparative economic advantage, and the ambitions of its rivals had grown. The UK joined world war I because of the invasion of [[Belgium]], and subsequently began [[World War II]] after the invasion of [[Poland]]. The losses and destruction of [[World War I|The First World War]], the [[Great Depression]] of the 1930s, the independence of the Dominions, and decades of relatively slow growth eroded the Britain's preeminent international position of the previous century.

Nationalism became stronger in other parts of the empire, particularly in India and Egypt.

In 1926, Britain granted Australia, Canada, and New Zealand almost complete autonomy as "dominions"; beginning with the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947, the remainder of the British Empire was almost completely dismantled by the 1960s.

== See also ==

*[[English Painting]]
*[[British politics]]
*[[June 2007 UK terror attacks]]
*[[List of political parties in the United Kingdom]]
*[[Mystery:Why is England More Liberal than the United States?]]
*[[Flags of the United Kingdom]]
* [[Piers Morgan]]
*[[Victorian era]]

== External links ==

*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/15/sir-john-chilcot-wrong-man Sir John Chilcot 'wrong man to head Iraq invasion inquiry'.]
*[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/iraqi-oil-supply-was-considered-to-be-vital-to-british-interests-2270072.html Iraqi oil supply was considered to be 'vital' to British interests.]

== Notes ==
<references/>

{{European Union}}

[[Category:United Kingdom|United Kingdom]]
[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO Members]]
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]
[[Category:British Empire]]
[[Category:European History]]
[[Category:Liberalism]]
[[Category:Socialism]]
[[Category:Welfare State]]
[[Category:Gun Control]]
[[Category:Anti Second Amendment]]
[[Category:Nuclear Target Structures]]

Donald Trump

2016-08-05T02:52:09Z

IsabellW: update

[[File:Donald John Trump.jpg|200px|right|thumbnail|Donald J. Trump]]
'''Donald J. Trump''' (b. [[Queens]], [[New York]], on June 14, 1946), nickname "The Donald," (or simply - "The Don") is a successful businessman, entrepreneur, [[television]] personality, pathological liar, and the nominee of the [[Republican Party]] in the [[2016 presidential election]].

Trump has engaged in many financial pursuits and estimates that his net worth is $10 billion.<ref>LoGiurato, Brett (July 25, 2015). [http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-net-worth-2015-7 "We finally know a lot more about Donald Trump's 'massive' net worth"]. Business Insider website.</ref> He graduated from the New York Military Academy in 1964 and first attended college at [[Fordham University]] for two years before transferring to the more competitive [[University of Pennsylvania]] and then completing his studies at the prestigious Wharton School of Finance and Commerce. Trump has five children.

On June 16, 2015, he declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/16/trump-announces-white-house-bid-joins-crowded-gop-field/ "Trump announces White House bid, joins crowded GOP field"] (June 16, 2015). Fox News website/Politics. The front-runner in a record-breaking field of 17 [[Republican]] candidates, Trump announced that he did not anticipate "throwing punches" against his rivals in the first GOP debate. Chiacu, Donna and Torbati, Yeganeh (August 2, 2015). [http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/02/us-usa-election-debate-idUSKCN0Q70NI20150802 "Trump says won't be 'throwing punches' in U.S. Republican debate"]. But at the debate the [[Fox News Channel]]—particularly its [[feminist]] non-journalist [[Megyn Kelly]]—ambushed Trump with out-of-context quotations designed to smear him as somehow being anti-women. This ignited a national controversy that lasted for days, and Trump called upon Kelly to apologize, which she refused to do.</ref> Unlike most other U.S presidential candidates, Trump sharply criticizes the media and talks about issues that no elected official dares touch. For example, Trump stands up against [[feminists]], unlike most politicians. In another example, in 2011 Trump persistently doubted whether [[Barack Obama]] had been born in the [[United States]], which caused Obama's approval ratings to drop below 40% until Obama finally caved in to Trump and produced what Obama claimed was his birth certificate. Trump then scoffed at Obama's conduct.

In February 2011, Trump announced that he is [[pro-life]].<ref>But on August 11, 2015, he indicated that he might support taxpayer funding of [[Planned Parenthood]] for its non-[[abortion]] activities (which builds its brand and funds its overhead).</ref> During the campaign for the Republican nomination, Trump called for women who had [[abortion]]s to be punished for doing so. He quickly flip-flopped on that statement, saying instead that doctors who provide abortions should be punished, not the women who have them.<ref>[https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-statement-regarding-abortion Donald Trump press release]</ref> He later asserted that there should be no federal ban on abortions.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/01/politics/donald-trump-abortion-laws/index.html]"Trump says federal laws should not be changed to outlaw abortion," CNN.com, 1 April 2016.</ref>

Trump's central campaign theme has been to oppose [[illegal immigration]], and he enlisted Senator [[Jeff Sessions]] as an adviser on this issue. As reported by [[Breitbart News Network|Breitbart]], "Sen. Sessions, Chairman of the Senate’s Immigration Subcommittee, is widely regarded as the gold standard on immigration. Sessions has also become the intellectual thought leader in the Republican Party on appealing to the blue collar voters who have been abandoned by their political leaders." <ref>Hahn, Julia (August 14, 2015). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/08/14/game-change-trump-consults-with-sen-jeff-sessions-on-immigration-strategy/ "Game change: Trump consults with Sen Jeff Sessions on immigration strategy"]. Breitbart website/Big government.</ref> However, in recent months, Trump has focused more on [[ISIS]] and terrorism.

In the 2015 [[Value Voters Debate|Value Voters]] poll, Trump performed poorly, coming in fifth, indicating many [[Christian]] [[conservatives]] had not yet warmed up to him.<ref>Flores, Reena (September 26, 2015). [http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-conservative-poll-donald-trump-could-not-win/ "The conservative poll Donald Trump could not win"]. CBSNews website.</ref> Trump is a big supporter of [[gambling]], which most [[conservatives]] oppose. But by 2016 Trump was winning more support from [[evangelical]]s than any other Republican candidate.

==Early life==

Donald Trump attended the First [[Presbyterian]] Church in Jamaica, [[Queens]]. He told the [[Christian Broadcasting Network]] that he still considers himself a [[Presbyterian]] and attends services for all major holidays and Sundays, and that "The [[Bible]] is certainly THE book." He receives Bibles from fans in the mail, and he either stores them or gives them away to others.<ref>Haberman, Maggie (April 11, 2011). [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52942.html "Donald Trump talks about religion"]. Politico website.</ref>

==Career==
[[File:Trump business.jpg|right]]
Donald Trump began his career at Trump Organization. In his college years, he helped revitalize one of his father's failing real estate ventures. Trump began opening hotels and casinos, which provided him with the cash flow to engage in other ventures. He owns the world-famous Trump Tower and is the founder of the publicly traded Trump Hotel Casinos & Resorts. Trump also owns the Trump brand, which sells a variety of items, such as bottled water, steak, and even mortgages. Trump has authored a number of books and weathered changing business fortunes, but despite the challenges that he has encountered, he has continued to be a successful businessman and entrepreneur.

Trump considered [[presidential election 2012|running for President in 2012]] as a [[Republican]]. He, among others, questioned the citizenship of [[Barack Obama]], citing his failure to produce his birth certificate. After Obama produced his birth certificate, Trump and the other [[birther]]s continue to doubt its authenticity. Obama's approval ratings were around 40% during the peak of the controversy. Trump later exited the race, and gave the customary endorsement to [[Mitt Romney]] as the other [[Republican]] contenders did.

==Major properties==

*Trump World Tower: 845 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY.

*Trump Tower: 725 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10022 Personal Residence

*Trump Taj Mahal

*Trump Marina

*Bank of America Center (San Francisco)

*The Trump Building at 40 Wall Street

*Trump Plaza

*Trump Park Avenue

*Trump Entertainment Resorts

*TrumpStreet Casino & Entertainment Complex, Philadelphia

*AXA Financial Center, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY

*Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago

*Trump International Hotel & Casino Las Vegas

*Mar-A-Lago Palm Beach

*Four golf courses in the U.S.

==Media==
[[File:Donald Trump star.JPG|thumbnail|left|Hollywood Walk of Fame]]
In 2003 Trump began as the host and executive producer of the reality [[television]] show ''The Apprentice'' and ''The Celebrity Apprentice'', where contestants compete for a position in Trump's organization. On this show, Trump popularized his catchphrase "You're fired!"

Trump owns the Miss Universe Pageant. Controversy arose when one of the winners, Tara Conner, was caught breaking pageant rules by drinking and other activities. Trump gave her a second chance after personally speaking with her and allowed her to retain her crown as she attended rehabilitation. For several weeks after this, [[Rosie O'Donnell]] berated Trump for his decision on ''The View''. A bitter media war ensued with the two exchanging insults.

Trump has made many guest appearances, usually as himself, on many TV shows and in several movies.

Childish [[liberals]] are vandalizing Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame three times a day. A person asked about the vandalism said Trump has it coming.<ref>[http://video.breitbart.com/?ndn.trackingGroup=90085&ndn.siteSection=breitbart2slider_nws_us_sec&ndn.videoId=30599129&freewheel=90085&sitesection=breitbart2slider_nws_us_sec&vid=30599129 Trump Walk of Fame Star vandalized daily]</ref>

==Political positions==

====Abortion====

At the 2011 [[CPAC]] conference, Trump announced he is [[pro-life]].<ref>Rahn, Will (February 10, 2011). [http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/10/trump-at-cpac-points-to-white-house-run/ "Trump at CPAC points to White House run"]. The Daily Caller website.</ref>

====Affordable Care Act====

Trump intends to "repeal and replace" [[Obamacare]].<ref name=Educ>Breitbart.tv (February 9, 2011). [http://www.breitbart.com/video/2011/02/09/pro-life-donald-trump-would-eliminate-dept-of-education-impose-25-tax-on-china-imports-if-president/ "Pro-life Donald Trump would eliminate Dept of Education, impose 25% tax on China imports if president"]. Breitbart.com.</ref> However, Trump has also said, "I like the mandate,"<ref>[http://dailycaller.com/2016/02/19/trump-on-obamacare-i-like-the-mandate-video/ "Trump On Obamacare: ‘I Like The Mandate’"]</ref> so it is difficult to tell how he would deal with the law as President.

====Controversy with Barack Obama====

Trump has also questioned Barack Obama's constitutional eligibility to be President, in light of the ongoing questions surrounding his birth certificate.<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=280533 "Trump: Obama spending millions to hide his past"] (March 28, 2011). WorldNetDaily website.</ref> Trump questioned whether the Obama Administration was successful in negotiating with foreign countries.

====Department of Education====

At the 2011 [[CPAC]] conference, he stated that he wants to eliminate the Department of Education.<ref name=Educ/>

====Foreign policy====
Trump wants to improve relationships with [[Russia]]n president [[Vladimir Putin]].<ref>Johnson, Simon (July 31, 2015). [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11775145/Donald-Trump-Id-get-on-very-well-with-Putin-if-I-were-president.html "Donald Trump: I'd get on 'very well' with Putin if I were president"]. The Telegraph [U.K.] website.</ref>

Trump says the [[Iran]] deal is bad, but as president he would enforce it anyway.

====Global warming====

Trump does not believe in the [[Climate Change]] hysteria, once stating the "Nobel committee should take the Nobel Prize back from [[Al Gore]]."

====Second Amendment rights====

Trump is strongly pro-[[Second Amendment]] and against [[leftist]] [[gun control]] and gun free zones. As president, Trump has promised to re-arm military personnel on all American military bases as well as [[ROTC]] recruitment centers, which were disarmed by the [[Clinton Administration]] policy.<ref name=Educ/>

====Homosexual agenda====

For all practical purposes, Trump seems to be on the side of the [[homosexual agenda]]. He supports the creation of new law by the [[U.S. Supreme Court]], as in a new right to [[homosexual marriage]], and declares it the "law of the land" even though Congress passed no such law.

Trump has attended multiple [[same-sex marriage]] ceremonies, but has also said in the past that he opposes same-sex marriage. Trump's views are not yet known on other aspects of the [[homosexual agenda]], such as whether Trump would ban [[conversion therapy]] for minors as [[Chris Christie]] did. The [[Fox News Channel]] debate in August avoided these issues, but future debates will probably require Trump to declare his position.

====Immigration====

See the discussion in the introduction above. This is Trump's main campaign issue.

A central part of his immigration plan is to build a giant wall on the border with Mexico. Trump estimates it will cost $8 billion, approximately 35 to 40 feet high and stretch 2000 miles.<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/09/donald-trump-the-wall-is-probably-8-billion Trump Border Wall]</ref>

Trump has also proposed to temporarily ban [[Muslims]] from entering the United States, until "our leaders figure out what the hell is going on," in order to protect Americans from the threats posed by [[Islamic]] [[refugee]]s (and those pretending to be<ref>[http://m.washingtonexaminer.com/isis-fighters-infiltrating-syrian-refugees-uk-is-warned/article/2572051 ISIS fighters infiltrating Syrian refugees, UK is warned]</ref>) entering the country.<ref>[http://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/donald-trump-insists-muslim-ban-is-about-safety-not-religion Donald Trump Insists Muslim Ban Is About Safety, Not Religion]</ref>

====Political contributions====

He has been criticized for his substantial contributions to [[Democrat]] lawmakers; the majority of those lawmakers are located in the states he resides in: New York and Florida. The amount he has donated since 2008 is $25,000, which is insignificant considering his wealth.<ref>Allin, Olivia (April 30, 2011). [http://www.ontheredcarpet.com/Donald-Trump-calls-nations-leaders-stupid-people-and-blood-sucking-politicians/8104644 "OTRC: Donald Trump calls nation's leaders 'stupid people' and 'blood-sucking politicians'"]. OnTheRedCarpet [news]. Retrieved from ABC7 [KABC Television, Los Angeles] website.</ref>

====Tariffs====

At the 2011 [[CPAC]] conference, he stated that he supports a 25% tariff on Chinese goods.<ref name=Educ/> The number floated around in 2016 is a 45% tariff. Trump was speaking in regards to China and the [[World Trade Organization]],<ref>[http://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-finance-ministerlou-jiwei-takes-aim-at-donald-trumps-trade-policies-1460892988 Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei Takes Aim at Donald Trump’s Trade Policies, WallStreetJournal, April 17, 2016]</ref>

{{cquote|In a statement from his campaign, Mr. Trump charged that [[China]] was “in total violation of WTO regulations” and that the U.S. “has incompetently allowed them to get away with this” and has failed to impose “equal or greater taxes and tariffs” on China. If he is elected president, Mr. Trump said, China “will learn to deal fairly and justly or we will not deal at all” with Beijing.}}

====Vaccines====
Trump believes that [[vaccines]] cause [[autism]]<ref>Ferris, Sarah (September 16, 2015). [http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/253980-trump-links-vaccines-to-autism-epidemic "Trump links vaccines to autism 'epidemic'"]. The Hill website/Policy/Healthcare.</ref> and has argued against requiring that so many vaccines be given to infants.
==== Eminent domain====
Trump believes that the government has the right to take private property upon paying just compensation for both infrastructure and to promote economic development.
==== Supreme Court====
Trump opposes filling the Supreme Court seat held by [[Antonin Scalia]] before the next President takes office. When asked who he might select to the Supreme Court, he said that his sister, a sitting federal court judge, would make a great Supreme Court justice.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/423196/trump-praises-his-sister-pro-abortion-extremist-judge-ramesh-ponnuru|title=Trump Praises His Sister, a Pro-Abortion Extremist Judge|date=Aug 27, 2015|accessdate=February 21, 2016}}</ref>

==Books==
''Trump: The Art of the Deal'' with Tony Schwartz (1987) 
''Trump: Surviving at the Top'' with Charles Leerhsen (1990) 
''Trump: The Art of the Comeback'' with Kate Bohner (1997) 
''The America We Deserve'' with Dave Shiflett (2000) 
''Trump: How to Get Rich'' with Meredith McIver (2004) 
''Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know about Success, Real Estate and Life'' with Meredith McIver (2005) 
''Why We Want You to Be Rich: Two Men, One Message'' with Meredith McIver and Robert T. Kiyosaki (2006) 
''Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life'' with Bill Zanker (2007) 
''Trump: Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success'' with Meredith McIver (2008) 
''Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life'' with Meredith McIver (2009) 
''Midas Touch: Why Some Entrepreneurs Get Rich—and Why Most Don't'' with Robert T. Kiyosaki (2011) 
''Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again'' (2011) 
''Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again'' (2015)

==Quotes from the 2016 campaign for President==

Trump's tactics of naming and shaming candidates has been proven very effective. He called Jeb Bush 'low-energy Jeb' and it stuck. Then came Marco Rubio as 'Little Marco.' Next came 'Lyin' Ted' for Ted Cruz. For the Democrats, he calls Hillary Clinton 'Crooked Hillary'. He doesn't give Bernie Sanders the same treatment though he has referred to him as a Communist.

*"I think we have a president who, as a president, is totally incompetent, and he doesn’t know what he’s doing. I think he has no idea what he’s doing. And our country is going to [[hell]]."<ref>http://time.com/4210983/republican-debate-barack-obama-incompetent/</ref>
*"I will be the greatest jobs president that [[God]] ever created."
*"I’m using my own money. I’m not using the lobbyists. I’m not using donors. I don’t care. I’m really rich."
*"Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people."
*"Nobody would be tougher on ISIS than Donald Trump. Nobody. Within our military, I will find the General Patton, or I will find General MacArthur, I will find the right guy."
*"I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will have [[Mexico]] pay for that wall."
*"I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct."<ref>http://video.foxnews.com/v/4406746003001/watch-a-replay-of-fox-news-prime-time-presidential-debate/?#sp=show-clips</ref><ref>https://www.google.com/search?q=a+big+problem+with+our+country+is+too+politically+incorrect&oq=a+big+problem+with+our+country+is+too+politically+incorrect&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64l3.8295j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=119&ie=UTF-8</ref>

==Quotes from Twitter==
[[File:Screenshot 2015-09-28-12-11-31-1.png|right|300px|Thumb|Tweet from Billionaire Carl Icahn]]

{{Cquote| '''Somebody said I’m the Ernest Hemingway of 140 characters.'''}}

* "An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that @BarackObama's birth certificate is a fraud."<ref>Trump, Donald J. (August 6, 2012, 1:23 pm). [http://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/232572505238433794 "An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that @BarackObama's birth certificate is a fraud."] Tweet by @realDonaldTrump.</ref>
* "It’s amazing how people can talk about me but I’m not allowed to talk about them."<ref>Trump, Donald J. (November 13, 2012, 12:23pm). [http://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/268449146711703553 "It’s amazing how people can talk about me but I’m not allowed to talk about them."] Tweet by @realDonaldTrump.</ref>
* "This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bull**** has got to stop. Our planet is freezing, record low temps,and our GW scientists are stuck in ice."<ref>Trump, Donald J. (January 1, 2014, 4:39pm). [http://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/418542137899491328 "This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bull**** has got to stop. Our planet is freezing, record low temps,and our GW scientists are stuck in ice."] Tweet by @realDonaldTrump.</ref>
====2015====
* "So many 'politically correct' fools in our country. We have to all get back to work and stop wasting time and energy on nonsense!" (August 8, 2015)
* "Notice that illegal immigrants will be given ObamaCare and free college tuition but nothing has been mentioned about our VETERANS #DemDebate" (October 13, 2015)
* "They laughed at me when I said to bomb the ISIS controlled oil fields. Now they are not laughing and doing what I said." (November 13, 2015)
* "President Obama said 'ISIL continues to shrink' in an interview just hours before the horrible attack in Paris. He is just so bad! CHANGE." (November 14, 2015)
* "Refugees from Syria are now pouring into our great country. Who knows who they are - some could be ISIS. Is our president insane?" (November 17, 2015)
* "Eight Syrians were just caught on the southern border trying to get into the U.S. ISIS maybe? I told you so. WE NEED A BIG & BEAUTIFUL WALL!" (November 19, 2015)
====2016====
* "Hillary said that guns don't keep you safe. If she really believes that she should demand that her heavily armed bodyguards quickly disarm!" (January 3, 2016)
* "I wonder if President Obama would have attended the funeral of Justice Scalia if it were held in a Mosque? Very sad that he did not go!" (February 20, 2016)
* "The organized group of people, many of them thugs, who shut down our First Amendment rights in Chicago, have totally energized America!" (March 12, 2016)
* "Why is it that the horrendous protesters, who scream, curse punch, shut down roads/doors during my RALLIES, are never blamed by media? SAD!" (March 20, 2016)
* "Do you all remember how beautiful and safe a place Brussels was. Not anymore, it is from a different world! U.S. must be vigilant and smart!" (March 22, 2016)
* "For the 1st time in American history, America’s 16,500 border patrol agents have issue[d] a presidential primary endorsement—me! Thank you." (April 1, 2016)

==Other quotes==
* "[T]he country is going to hell."<ref>Cassidy, Chris (March 19, 2015). [http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/us_politics/2015/03/country_is_going_to_hell_claims_donald_trump "'Country is going to hell,' claims Donald Trump"]. BostonHerald.com website.</ref>
* "We have no leader in this country.”<ref>Reisner, Hiram (April 22, 2011). [http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/donaldtrump-karlrove-gop-birther/2011/04/22/id/393742 "Trump: I'd just take Libyan oil"]. NewsMax website.</ref>
* "Our leaders are stupid, they are stupid people."<ref>Pierce, Tony (April 29, 2011). [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/04/donald-trump-in-vegas-our-leaders-are-stupid-they-are-stupid-people.html "Donald Trump in Vegas: 'Our leaders are stupid; they are stupid people'"]. Los Angeles Times website/Top of the Ticket blog.</ref>
* "I can tell you I am [the 2012 Obama campaign's] worst nightmare."<ref>Mooney, Alexander (April 11, 2011). [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/11/trump-says-he-is-obama-campaigns-worst-nightmare/comment-page-6/ "Trump says he is Obama campaign's worst nightmare"]. Cable News Network website/politicalticker blog.</ref>
* "Obama has no solutions."<ref>Coz, Steve (August 19, 2012). [http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/trump-gibbs-fox-obama/2012/08/19/id/449050/ "Trump fires back at Obama campaign smear"]. Newsmax website/Newsfront.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Donald Trump's religious views]]
* [[Essay:Donald Trump One Two Body Blow]]
* [[The Chalkening]]
* [[Trump University]]
* [[Kathryn Steinle]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://www.trump.com Official website]
* [http://www.LyingCrookedHillary.com LyingCrookedHillary.com]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw8c2Cq-vpg The Untruth About Donald Trump] by [[Stefan Molyneux]], Published on Jan 18, 2016
* [http://www.untruthaboutdonaldtrump.com UntruthAboutDonaldTrump.com]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yyoauXmzjg Do Emotions Trump Facts?] [[Thomas Sowell]] on Donald Trump - Rebutted! by Stefan Molyneux
* [http://shouldtrumprun.com/ Should Donald Run? Polling]
* [http://gop12.thehill.com/2011/04/trump-explains-conversion-on-abortion.html Trump explains his pro-life conversion]
* [https://www.donaldjtrump.com Donald Trump 2016 campaign website]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZq3iCn2y74 Inside of Trump's Boeing 757]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trump, Donald}}

[[Category:Celebrities]]
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Best Selling Authors]]
[[Category:Liberal Conservatism]]
[[Category:Billionaires]]
[[Category:United States Presidential Elections]]
[[Category:2016 presidential election]]

Hillary Rodham Clinton

2016-08-05T02:48:20Z

IsabellW: update

{{Officeholder
|name=Hillary Rodham Clinton
|image=Hillary Clinton.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=[[Bill Clinton]]
|religion=[[Methodist]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/secretary (cabinet)
|of=State
|state=United States
|number=67th
|deputy=n
|governor=
|president=[[Barack Hussein Obama]]
|terms=January 21, 2009-January 30, 2013
|preceded=[[Condoleezza Rice]]
|former=n
|succeeded=[[John Forbes Kerry]]
}}
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=New York
|terms=January 3, 2001 – January 21, 2009
|preceded=[[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]]
|former=y
|succeeded=[[Kirsten Gillibrand]]
}}
}}
'''Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton''' (born 1947), is a former U.S. Senator from New York and the nominee of the [[Democratic Party]] in the [[2016 Presidential Election]]. She currently is the subject of two [[criminal]] investigations by the Obama [[Justice Department]] for improper handling of national security and defense information, public corruption charges in [[pay-to-play]] schemes as [[Secretary of State]] and influence peddling through donations to the [[Clinton Foundation]].<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2016/04/04/hillary-clinton-email-scandal-legal-definition-national-defense-information-classification-column/82446130/ Hillary's 'classified' smokescreen hides real crime], Ronald J. Sievert, ''[[USA Today]]'', April 4, 2016</ref> If convicted, she may face prison and be permanently barred from holding public office.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3209380/Former-attorney-general-says-classified-email-scandal-disqualifies-Hillary-Clinton-serving-president-s-prosecuted-breaking-federal-law.html Former attorney general says classified email scandal 'disqualifies' Hillary Clinton from serving as president – IF she's prosecuted for breaking federal law], By David Martosko, Dailymail.com, 24 August 2015 | Updated: 01:53 EST, 25 August 2015</ref> According to financial disclosure statements she has served uninterruptedly as Secretary/Treasurer of the Clinton Family Foundation since 2001.<ref>[https://guccifer2.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/clintons-pfd-2015.pdf Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report], OGE Form 278, Hillary Rodham Clinton, 05/15/15, p.19</ref> She is the wife of former President [[Bill Clinton]] who was [[impeach]]ed in a [[sexual harassment]] scandal.

She is an [[elitist]], [[liberal]], [[pro-abortion]] advocate, supports the death penalty, federal funding for embryotic stem-cell research, [[same-sex marriage]] (which she originally opposed but flip-flopped once popular opinion shifted in favor of it, as did many other democrat politicians during the 1990s and 2000s), and civil unions.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dY77j6uBHI Hillary Clinton lying for 13 minutes straight - video]</ref>

==Early life==
:''Main article [[Hillary Clinton early life and career]]''
Hillary Clinton was born in the rich white suburbs of Chicago. She attended Maine East High School, where she wrote for the school newspaper, participated in student council, and was selected for National Honor Society.<ref name="Whitehouse.gov">{{cite web |title=Hillary Rodham Clinton |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/first-ladies/hillaryclinton |publisher=The White House |accessdate=June 28, 2016}}</ref>

She attended Wellesley College, which at the time was segregated by sex, and graduated in 1969 during the height of radical opposition to the Vietnam War. She graduated with honors based on her 92-page senior thesis entitled ''"There Is Only the Fight . . . ": An Analysis of the Alinsky Model.'' The subject was famed [[community organizer]] [[Saul Alinsky]]. In the acknowledgements and end notes of the thesis, Rodham thanked Alinsky for two interviews and a job offer. She received an A for her thesis. When Clinton became First Lady, researchers sought access to the document, but the White House asked Wellesley for favoritism to hide the embarrassment, and the school complied by refusing access to researchers.

From 1969 to 1973, she attended Yale Law School where she worked the editorial board of the ''Yale Review of Law and Social Action''.<ref name="arkhc">{{cite web |url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2744 |title=Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (1947–) |work=The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture |accessdate=June 28, 2016}}</ref> During her second year, she worked at the Yale Child Study Center which involved research on early childhood brain development. In the late spring of 1971 she began involved with Yale law student [[Bill Clinton]].

Ever the opportunist, by 1974 she switched party allegiance and was hired as a member of the impeachment inquiry staff in Washington, D.C., advising the House Committee on the Judiciary during the [[Watergate scandal]].<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2015-11-05/how-richard-nixon-created-hillary-clinton How Richard Nixon Created Hillary Clinton], Sam Tanenhaus, Nov 5, 2015. bloomberg.com</ref> She married Bill on October 11, 1975; daughter Chelsea was born in 1980.

==Facing criminal indictment on the campaign trail==
[[File:Google crimes.png|thumb|right|225px|Google results, June 2016.]]
:''Main article [[United States presidential election, 2016]]''
===Google===
[[Google]] has been accused of manipulating autocomplete [[search engine]] results to favor Hillary Clinton.<ref>[http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-06-10/must-see-video-how-google-manipulates-search-results-favor-hillary-clinton How Google Manipulates Search Results In Favor Of Hillary Clinton], by Tyler Durden, Jun 10, 2016. zerohedge.com</ref> Autocomplete returns the most popular trending search queries.
<ref>[http://freebeacon.com/politics/here-are-10-more-examples-of-google-search-results-favorable-to-hillary/ Here Are 10 More Examples of Google Search Results Favorable to Hillary], Tech giant accused of whitewashing autocomplete results, Brent Scher and Elizabeth Harrington, ''Washington Free Beacon'', June 10, 2016</ref> When a user types in ''Hillary Clinton cri'' to query about the criminal investigation into Mrs. Clinton for example, the Google results do not match at all popular trends on all other major search engines.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFxFRqNmXKg Did Google Manipulate Search for Hillary?], Matt Lieberman, SourceFed, Jun 9, 2016. UPDATE: Friday June 10. youtube.com</ref>
[[File:Bing crimes.png|thumb|left|225px|Bing results, June 2016.]]
Supporters of [[Bernie Sanders]] complained throughout the 2016 primary season Google had inflated Hillary's delegate count by adding unelected [[Superdelegate]]s who by rule were to remain unpledged until the convention.<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/sanders-vs-clinton-delegate-count/ Failing Delegate Math], A popular [[meme]] detailing the actual delegate count between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton in May 2016 is mostly accurate. Kim LaCapria, ''Snopes'', May 10, 2016</ref> Some in late primary states considered this another form of voter suppression.<ref>[http://thebernreport.com/superdelegate-system-has-been-used-as-a-form-of-voter-supression/ Superdelegate System Has Been Used as a Form of Voter Suppression], Posted by G.A. Casebeer, ''The Bern Report'', May 23, 2016</ref>

In an article entitled ''How Google Could Rig the 2016 Election'' in August 2015 ''Politico'' warned Google "can easily shift the voting preferences of undecided voters by 20 percent or more—up to 80 percent in some demographic groups—with virtually no one knowing they are being manipulated... In the United States, half of our presidential elections have been won by margins under 7.6 percent".<ref>[http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/how-google-could-rig-the-2016-election-121548 How Google Could Rig the 2016 Election], Google has the ability to drive millions of votes to a candidate with no one the wiser, By Robert Epstein, ''Politico'', August 19, 2015</ref>
[[File:Yahoo crimes.png|thumb|right|225px|Yahoo results, June 2016.]]
Billionaire Eric Schmidt, [[CEO]] of Google's parent company Alphabet funded a startup company called The Groundwork to ensure Hillary has the engineering talent needed to win the election.<ref>[http://qz.com/520652/groundwork-eric-schmidt-startup-working-for-hillary-clinton-campaign/ THE GROUNDWORK The stealthy, Eric Schmidt-backed startup that’s working to put Hillary Clinton in the White House], Adam Pasick & Tim Fernholz, ''Quartz'', October 09, 2015. qz.com</ref> Schmidt and Google are both donors to the Clinton Foundation.

There also are allegations Google has been filtering emails from [[Donald Trump]] into Gmail users spam boxes.<ref>[http://dailycaller.com/2016/06/23/users-claim-google-is-putting-trump-emails-in-their-spam-box/ Users Claim Google Is Putting Trump Emails In Their Spam Box], Alex Pfeiffer, ''Daily Caller'', 8:19 AM 06/23/2016</ref> Of coarse, Google and other Clinton surrogates deny any manipulation.

===Pay to play===
:''Main article : [[Clinton Foundation conflicts of interest]]''
'''Laureate International Universities.''' Between 2010 and 2014 while Hillary Clinton served as Secretary of State, Bill Clinton made $16.5 million for his role as honorary chancellor of Laureate Education, a for-profit college company which operates in 30 countries.<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-07-31/hillary-and-bill-clinton-paid-43-million-in-federal-taxes Hillary and Bill Clinton Made $139 Million in Eight Years],
Richard Rubin & Jennifer Epstein, ''Bloomberg'', July 31, 2015</ref> The [[State Department]] funneled $55 million in grants during Hillary Clinton’s tenure to groups associated with Laureate’s founder. The International Youth Federation, an organization connected to Laureate chairman Douglas Becker, received USAID funding.<ref>[http://www.iyfnet.org/people/douglas-l-becker Douglas L. Becker, Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Laureate Education]. International Youth Foundation. www.iyfnet.org</ref> Becker is a major donor to the Clintons and the [[Clinton Foundation]].<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/laureate-a-for-profit-education-firm-finds-international-success-with-a-clintons-help/2014/01/16/13f8adde-7ca6-11e3-9556-4a4bf7bcbd84_story.html Laureate, a for-profit education firm, finds international success (with a Clinton’s help)], By Mina Kimes and Michael Smith. ''Washington Post'', January 18, 2014</ref><ref>[https://jonathanturley.org/2016/06/08/the-clintons-university-problem-laureate-education-lawsuits-present-problem-for-clintons/ The Clinton University Problem: Laureate Education Lawsuits Present Problem For Clintons [Updated] ] Jonathan Turley, June 8, 2016. jonathanturley.org</ref> In her first year as Secretary of State, Hillary is quoted as directly asking that Laureate be included in a high-profile policy dinner — just months before the lucrative contract was given to Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton references in an email “Laureate Universities, started by Doug Becker who Bill likes a lot".<ref>[http://www.rawstory.com/2016/03/hillarys-emails-reveal-lucrative-ties-to-for-profit-colleges/ Hillary’s emails reveal lucrative ties to for-profit colleges], Ana Kasparian, ''RawStory'', 12 Mar 2016. www.rawstory.com</ref> “It’s a for-profit model that should be represented,” she wrote in the August 2009 email.<ref>[https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/09/02/clinton-sought-invite-laureate-state-dept-dinner Clinton Sought Invite for Laureate at State Dept. Dinner], Inside Higher Ed, September 2, 2015. insidehighered.com</ref><ref>[https://foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRCEmail_JulyWeb/Web_031/DOC_0C05763085/C05763085.pdf UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-20439 Doc No. C05763085]</ref>

For-profit colleges have been criticized by [[education]] experts for low graduation rates and do little more than saddle students with insurmountable debt. In the case of Laureate, the scam has been spread to no less than 30 countries.

'''Rosatom-Uranium One Deal.''' In 'resetting' relations with [[Russia]], Secretary Clinton gave approval to a deal that allowed a Russian government enterprise to control one-fifth of all [[uranium]] producing capacity in the [[United States]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150509041803/http://nypost.com/2015/04/26/charity-watchdog-clinton-foundation-a-slush-fund Charity watchdog: Clinton Foundation a ‘slush fund’], Isabel Vincent, ''New York Post'', 26 April 2015</ref> Rosatom, the Russian company, acquired Uranium One, a Utah mining company owned by a [[Canadian]] firm and run by Frank Giustra (pron. ''Ju-stra''). Giustra is a member of the Clinton Foundation Board. The transaction required Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's approval. Giustra then donated over $130 million to the Clinton family non-profit foundation.<ref>[https://www.clintonfoundation.org/about/board-directors Board of Directors | Clinton Foundation], www.clintonfoundation.org</ref><ref>http://libertyblitzkrieg.com/2015/04/23/more-clinton-foundation-cronyism-the-deal-to-sell-uranium-interests-to-russia-while-hillary-was-secretary-of-state/</ref>

Rosatom is the 21st century [[free market]] inheritor of the [[Soviet]] system's command and control predecessor agency which operated the [[Chernobyl]] reactor. In the era of global corporate competition, Rosatom has taken the Soviet-style model of design, construction, and operation of nuclear power plants on the road for export. Rosatom does not just build power plants for anyone with the cash willing to pay, it can operate the plant with continuing contracts using its own technicians and employees. This includes supplying reactor grade [[plutonium]] and the more problematic and [[environment]]ally hazardous disposal of spent fuel rods. Syrian president [[Bashar al-Assad]] in May 2010 discussed with Russian President [[Dmitry Medvedev]] the possibility of Rosatom building nuclear power plants in [[Syria]].<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/russia-syria-medvedev-idUSLDE64A14S20100511 UPDATE 1-Russia says eyes atomic energy cooperation with Syria], ''Reuters'', May 11, 2010.</ref> In its report on Rosatom, [[Greenpeace|Greenpeace International]] cites cost-cutting and an historical culture of corruption as causes of concern.<ref>[http://www.greenpeace.org/hungary/PageFiles/636986/rosatom_risks.pdf Rosatom Risks: Exposing the troubled history of Russia’s state nuclear corporation], Greenpeace International, October 2014.</ref> Russia has now achieved near [[monopoly]] control globally in uranium enrichment for the worlds nuclear plants.

Rosatom builds more [[nuclear power plant]]s worldwide than anyone else, with projects currently underway in China, [[Vietnam]], [[India]], and [[Turkey]]. Rosatom built [[Iran]]’s [[nuclear reactor]] in Bushehr. With the purchase of Uranium One, Rosatom also bought uranium exploration rights in [[Arizona]], [[Colorado]], and [[Utah]].<ref>[http://www.defenddemocracy.org/media-hit/moscows-american-uranium/ Moscow’s American Uranium], By Matt Baker, 18th October 2013 - Politico. www.defenddemocracy.org</ref> Uranium is the only fuel right now that can reliably produce large amounts of [[electricity]] without the release of [[greenhouse gases]] and other [[hydrocarbon]] [[pollution|pollutants]].<ref>[https://www.caseyresearch.com/articles/putins-power-play-how-it-will-change-the-uranium-sector Putin’s Power Play – How It Will Change the Uranium Sector], Casey Research, May 15, 2013</ref> And under Russian law, contaminated waste must be returned to the country of origin.

According to the ''[[New York Times]]'' money began flowing into the Foundation before the transaction was complete.
{{quotebox|Canadian records show, a flow of cash made its way to the Clinton Foundation. Uranium One’s chairman used his family foundation to make four donations totaling $2.35 million. Those contributions were not publicly disclosed by the Clintons, despite an agreement Mrs. Clinton had struck with the [[Obama]] [[White House]] to publicly identify all donors. Other people with ties to the company made donations as well. 

And shortly after the Russians announced their intention to acquire a majority stake in Uranium One, Mr. Clinton received $500,000 for a Moscow speech from a Russian investment bank with links to the [[Kremlin]] that was promoting Uranium One stock.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/us/cash-flowed-to-clinton-foundation-as-russians-pressed-for-control-of-uranium-company.html?_r=0 Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation Amid Russian Uranium Deal], By JO BECKER and MIKE McINTIRE, ''New York Times'', APRIL 23, 2015. nytimes.com</ref> }}
'''Blackwater.''' Five [[Blackwater]] guards were indicted by a U.S. grand jury on [[manslaughter]] and weapons charges stemming from a 2007 incident in [[Baghdad]] in which 17 Iraqis died. There was a huge public outcry not to renew Blackwater's contract. A donation of $10,000 to $25,000 was reported in late 2008; the State Department awarded a contract with a Blackwater subsidiary shortly after Sec. Clinton took office.<ref>[http://www.nydailynews.com/news/money/top-donors-clinton-foundation-include-saudis-blackwater-article-1.357326 Top donors to Clinton foundation include Saudis, Blackwater], The Associated Press, Thursday, December 18, 2008, nydailynews.com</ref><ref>[http://www.iraqinews.com/baghdad-politics/u-s-extends-iraq-contract-for-blackwater-firm/ U.S. extends Iraq contract for Blackwater firm], Iraqi News, Sep 3, 2009. www.iraqinews.com</ref><ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/17/new-deal-for-blackwater-bucks-decision-by-iraq/ EXCLUSIVE: New deal for Blackwater], By Jim McElhatton - The Washington Times - Tuesday, March 17, 2009</ref>

'''Raj Fernando''' was appointed a seat on the State Department's International Security Advisory Board with a $250,000 donation to the Clinton Foundation. Fernando has no known association with the U.S. Intelligence Community nor expertise in national security affairs. Fernando also served as a 2016 unelected [[Superdelegate]] for Hillary Clinton to the Democratic Convention.<ref>[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/06/10/abcs_brian_ross_do_newly_released_clinton_emails_show_quid_pro_quo.html ABC: Newly Released Emails Show Unqualified Clinton Foundation Donor Appointed to Sensitive Intelligence Board], Posted By Tim Hains, June 10, 2016. realclearpolitics.com</ref>

'''[http://washington.cbslocal.com/2015/03/16/cbs-news-chinese-firm-pledged-2m-to-clinton-foundation-in-2013/ Rilin Enterprises]''' a Chinese firm run by Wang Wenliang, a member of the Chinese parliament with close security and intelligence connections to the Chinese government, has donated $2 million.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/chinese-company-pledged-2-million-to-clinton-foundation-in-2013/ Chinese company pledged $2 million to Clinton Foundation in 2013], Julianna Goldman, CBS News, March 16, 2015</ref><ref>''The Clintons' War on Women'', [http://epubbookonline.com/b/3035/roger-stone/the-clintons-war-on-women/33 CHAPTER 23 CONFLICT OF INTEREST], by Roger Stone, Skyhorse Publishing, 2015, pp. 341-342.</ref> After a meeting between Mr. Wenliang and former DNC chairman [[Terry McAuliffe]] in Hillary's [[Washington, D.C.]] home, McAuliffe has come under [[FBI]] investigation as well.<ref>[http://time.com/4348675/terry-mcauliffe-hillary-clinton-china-investigation/ Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe Invited Chinese Donor to Hillary Clinton’s Home], Michael Scherer, ''TIME'' magazine, May 25, 2016</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/officials-feds-investigating-virginia-governor/2016/05/23/ef6c2ebe-2126-11e6-aa84-42391ba52c91_story.html Officials: Federal prosecutors investigating Virginia Gov. McAuliffe], By Matt Zapotosky, (Reuters), May 23, 2016. washingtonpost.com</ref>

'''Union Bank of Switzerland''' ('''UBS'''), one of the world's largest, was fined $780,000,000 in February 2009 in a U.S. Federal Court on charges it helped thousands of Americans evade [[tax]]es.<ref>[http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20090219/FREE/902199983 ''UBS fined $780 million in [[tax evasion]] scandal,''] Investment News, February 19, 2009.</ref> The [[Department of Justice]] and the [[IRS]] were the lead agencies. After Sec. Clinton intervened, donations to the Clinton Foundation increased tenfold from $60,000 to $600,000. Additionally, Bill Clinton collected $1.5 million in speaking fees from UBS.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/07/30/ubs-donations-to-clinton-foundation-increased-after-hillary-intervention-in-irs.html Swiss bank's donations to Clinton Foundation increased after Hillary intervention in IRS dispute], FoxNews.com, July 30, 2015</ref>

===emails===
The Office of Secretary of State is on the 7th floor of the State Department building. Security protocols do not allow any outside, non-State Department electronic transmission or listening devices on the 7th floor. Hillary Clinton insisted upon using her own personal Blackberry and refused to use State Department issued equipment and a State Department email account. For four years, when at work in her State Department Office suite, the Secretary of State was incommunicado with anyone she wanted to communicate with, or who needed to communicate with her, whether professional, diplomatic, or personal.

Fortunately for her the job of Secretary of State requires a lot of travelling. The Secretary usually is in the office only once a month when he/she returns to [[Washington D.C.]] for a monthly Congressional Oversight hearing. While on the road Hillary used exclusively her personal Blackberry tied to an email account server in her Chappaqua New York home.

Because of her insistence on using personal equipment, emails from her via the Chappaqua server were put on the State Department's spam block list. Huma Abedin pleaded with her to get an official state.gov email account. Hillary responded saying, “Let’s get separate address or device but I don’t want any risk of the personal being accessible.”<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3657225/Clinton-failed-hand-key-email-State-Department.html New Clinton email cover-up: Hillary did not include crucial message to right hand aide which demanded her account stay secret in hand-over of 'all' her work-related emails], By Associated Press, 23 June 2016. dailymail.co.uk</ref>

It has been established Hillary knew both her Blackberry and Chappaqua server were vulnerable to hackers. After a bureaucratic fight, the State Department accommodated her by disabling some of their security features to allow access from the Chappaqua server.

Criminal investigations of Hillary Clinton fundamentally surround three issues:
*Handling of classified information and government records;
*conflicts of interest with donors and the Clinton Foundation;
*efforts to circumvent the [[Watergate]] reform era [[Freedom of Information Act]] and openness in government.

The issue of ''intent'' was reviewed by the inspector general’s offices in the State Department and the U.S. Intelligence Community which referred the case to the FBI for criminal investigation after it was determined the Chappaqua server contained classified information. The Chappaqua server was hacked and sensitive classified information compromised.<ref>[http://observer.com/2016/06/how-emailgate-weakened-americas-national-security/ How EmailGate Weakened America’s National Security], By John R. Schindler, ''The Observer'', 06/01/16</ref>

When Hillary moved her server to Platte River Networks, it was a further violation of law.

'''Sidney Blumenthal'''
In December 2014 it was learned Hillary Clinton on at least 23 occasions shared work related, national defense information with [[Sidney Blumenthal]], a person not entitled to receive classified information and an employee of the Clinton Foundation. Blumenthal was officially barred by the White House from serving in the Clinton State Department after Obama aides were convinced Blumenthal was the source of [[racist]] and [[Islamophobic]] attacks on Barack Obama during the 2008 Democratic primaries alleging Obama was a [[Muslim]].<ref>[http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/hillary-clinton-sidney-blumenthal-emails-benghazi-hearings-215083 Clinton's emails from Blumenthal spark tension], By Josh Gerstein, Politico, 10/22/15. politico.com</ref><ref>[http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/14/476539/- HillaryClinton.com spreading Obama=Muslim smears and other racism], ''DailyKos'', Mar 14, 2008. dailykos.com</ref>

'''Google''' 
After the [[Benghazi attack]], Hillary's State Department was in contact with [[Google]]. Hillary publicly claimed a controversial video was the source of a 'spontaneous' riot which proved to be a knowingly false statement. Google participated in the ruse by agreeing to block the video even after President Obama admitted it was a pre-planned terrorist attack. Copies of the email were forwarded to Denis McDonough, [[Cheryl Mills]], Patrick F Kennedy, Jake Sullivan and [[John Brennan]]. The email also contains contact information for Google CEO Larry Page and [[YouTube]] CEO Salar Kamangar including their mobile and office phone numbers.<ref>[https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/emailid/16800 UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2015-04841 Doc No. C05739829 STATE DEPT]. wikileaks.org</ref>

===Clinton War on Women===
{{Cquote|...every survivor of sexual assault...You have the right to be heard. You have the right to be believed.|20px|20px|Hillary Clinton on Twitter 10:24 AM - 14 Sep 2015.<ref>[https://twitter.com/hillaryclinton/status/643475466490388480 Hillary Clinton on Twitter 10:24 AM - 14 Sep 2015].</ref>}}
In [[George Stephanopoulos]]'s memoirs of the Clinton 'War Room', a war waged by the Clinton machine and surrogates against fellow citizens with as much vitriol and [[hate]] as against any foreign oppressor...
{{Quotebox|..."We have to destroy her story," Mrs. Clinton said of one of the first women to come forward during her husband's first presidential campaign, Connie Hamzy, in 1991.}}
In January 2016, ''Esquire'' magazine reported on a gathering in the fashionable Upper East Side apartment of the chief executive of [[HBO]]. Several conflicted past and present Clinton surrogates discussed how...
{{Quotebox|...the Clintons and their allies discredited women who said they had had sexual encounters with, or been [[sexual assault|sexually assaulted]] by former [[President Bill Clinton]]. 
The conversation, relayed by several people with knowledge of the discussion who would speak about it only anonymously, captures the deeper debate unfolding among [[liberal]]-leaning women about how to reconcile Mrs. Clinton's leadership on women's issues with her past involvement in her husband's efforts to fend off accusations of sexual misconduct.<ref>[http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a41327/new-york-times-clinton-rumors/ The New York Times Is Obsessed with 2 Things. You Already Know What They Are.], By Charles P. Pierce, ''Esquire'', Jan 20, 2016.</ref>}}
The conundrum these conflicted Clinton surrogates face is how to explain their own past participation in sliming and vilifying women who came forward with accusations against the President of the United States with a history of untoward, and even violent, sexual misconduct to a generation of Millennials unfamiliar with the brazen history of the pair:
{{Quotebox|Even some [[Democrat]]s who participated in the effort to discredit the women acknowledge privately that today, when Mrs. Clinton and other women have pleaded with the authorities on college campuses and in workplaces to take any allegation of sexual assault and sexual harassment seriously, such a campaign to attack the women's [[character]] would be unacceptable.}}
But such a public campaign of abuse and ridicule of the victim ''was'' acceptable under the Clintons, by Clinton media and [[Hollywood]] surrogates. And virtually all historical and inside eyewitness accounts, dating back to Arkansas and the White House years, point to Hillary Clinton as the source who made it a mission.

===Hillary the neocon===
:{{Main|Hillary Clinton Foreign Policy}}
The ''[[New York Times]]'' noted in 2014 after Hillary left the State Department and the Libyan and Syrian disasters in her wake, [[neoconservatives]] are
{{Quotebox|“aligning themselves with Hillary Rodham Clinton and her nascent presidential campaign, in a bid to return to the driver’s seat of American foreign policy....[her policies are] something that might have been called neocon, but clearly her supporters are not going to call it that. They are going to call it something else.”}}
Vladimir Putin refers to the "zone of chaos" Hillary Clinton and the [[Obama administration]] have created in the Middle East. The ''Cairo Review'' notes,
{{quotebox|"Despite Hillary Clinton’s reputation as a [[liberal]], the record suggests her presidency would push America toward a more [[militarist]]ic approach to the Middle East...From Afghanistan to Western Sahara, she has advocated for military solutions to complex political problems, backed [[authoritarian]] allies and occupying armies, dismissed [[war crimes]], and opposed political involvement by the [[United Nations]] and its agencies.... she made a concerted effort to distance herself from Obama’s Middle East policies, which—despite including the bombing of no less than seven countries in the greater region—she argues have not been aggressive enough.... a look at the positions she has taken on a number of the key Middle East policy issues suggest that her presidency would shift America to a still more militaristic and [https://www.aei.org/publication/hillary-and-interventionism/ interventionist] policy that further marginalizes concerns for [[human rights]] or [[international law]]." <ref>[http://www.thecairoreview.com/essays/hillary-the-hawk/ Hillary the Hawk], By Stephen Zunes, The Cairo Review of Global Affairs, Winter 2016.</ref>}}

===Bush donors===
In the primary season [[Bernie Sanders]] supporters saw exactly what Clintonism is and what Clinton and surrogates are famous for-accusing your opponent with a straight face of the malfeasance and lack of ethics you yourself are guilty of. As the challenge from Bernie Sanders became more fierce, when Hillary needed the Sanders supporters more than ever, Hillary reached out to the big money donors who supported [[Jeb Bush]] saying, "I represent your values".<ref>[http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/hilary-clinton-bush-donors-222872 Hillary forces target Bush donors], By Ben White, Politico, 05/05/16. politico.com</ref><ref>[http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/05/09/clinton-campaign-republican-donors-hillary-shares-your-values Clinton Campaign to Republican Donors: Hillary Shares Your Values], by Jake Johnson, ''Common Dreams'', May 09, 2016. commondreams.org</ref><ref>[http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2016/05/06/Clinton-targeting-former-Jeb-Bush-donors-on-Wall-Street/3811462559579/ Clinton targeting former Jeb Bush donors on Wall Street], By Eric DuVall, UPI, May 6, 2016. www.upi.com</ref>

===It's the stupid voters, stupid===
Hillary's chameleon like ability to adapt and survive is not based on a belief that people are good and willing to forgive, rather that they are stupid and forgetful. Her willingness to portray herself as a socio-pathological liar in front of a nation is intended to be divisive, to pit neighbor against neighbor, to set at odds people of goodwill and those who are guided by emotion, prejudice, and stereotype. The pattern is detectable and familiar.

Clinton 'talking points' are always shaped by focus groups, a process of distilling key buzzwords and phrases from sit-down discussions with small, usually uninformed groups of voters. Clintonism consists of accusing your opponent of what you yourself are culpable of, laughing at or denying accusations of wrongdoing, dismissing evidence within 24 hours as 'old news', and exhorting the media and country to 'move on' with nothing ever being resolved. The scandals only stack up, and since leaving the White House in 2001, have accrued into hundreds of millions of dollars to the Clinton's personal fortune.

Bill Clinton's deregulation of [[Wall Street]] and repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act has been roundly cited as one of the major causes of the Great Recession.<ref>[http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1877351_1877350_1877322,00.html Blameworthy: Bill Clinton. 25 People to Blame for the Financial Crisis], ''[[Time magazine]]''.</ref><ref>[http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/10/14/448685233/fact-check-did-glass-steagall-cause-the-2008-financial-crisis Fact Check: Did Glass-Steagall Cause The 2008 Financial Crisis?], October 14, 2015. npr.org</ref> In an undignified moment while giving partisan supporters marching orders on how to respond to claims that the great recession was caused by ''too much'' regulation, Hillary began barking like a dog, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58rLBBpCE2M ARF ARF ARF ARF].

After Congressional Democrats voted down President Obama's proposal to create a NAFTA-like free trade zone with China, Japan, South Korea and about a dozen other countries, Hillary flip-flopped to grab headlines in support of what public opinion polls were then saying. CNN reported Hillary had promoted the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) no less than 45 times as Secretary of State.<ref>Tapper, Jake et al. (June 15, 2015). [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2015%2F06%2F15%2Fpolitics%2F45-times-secretary-clinton-pushed-the-trade-bill-she-now-opposes%2F&ei=wC2CVeupMYO0oQTUj4HYCg&usg=AFQjCNEsFqVDafeOiL3RCS2RkzIM4yx07A&sig2=FjN1zCMVkBdQg3uHQ-cQvg "45 times Secretary Clinton pushed the trade bill she now opposes"]. CNN website/Politics.</ref><ref>Swenson, Michele (June 24, 2014). [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fmichele-swenson%2Fnafta-the-transpacific-clinton_b_5523327.html&ei=CzKCVfvNFoq1oQTkg6iQDA&usg=AFQjCNH8zZ2k0O_82qbQ4lDs25S0ZL7LUQ&sig2=PUwH5dxq_fcRw17Tw9x7SQ "NAFTA, the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Clinton Global Initiative"]. Huffington Post/The Blog.</ref><ref>Shreckinger, Ben (February 21, 2014). [http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/02/how-obamas-free-trade-push-could-put-hillary-clinton-in-a-tight-spot/283958/ "How Obama's free trade push could put Hillary in a tight spot"]. ''The Atlantic'' website.</ref>

Speaking to a group of loyalists in Massachusetts in 2014, Hillary indulged some of the old pointless rhetoric intended to divide people. Like an old-time agitator in confrontation Hillary coaxed them, 'Don't let anyone tell you that corporations and businesses create jobs.'<ref>[http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DPyUoCiWsTfI&ei=xzeCVYujEsTWoASs56HYCw&usg=AFQjCNFbNBSR0hvjFM2Csz0nD8oWQXzRiw&sig2=j25eCvPsMx5f-_-zQjEerg "Clinton shifts left: 'Don't let anyone tell you' that 'businesses create jobs'"] (October 24, 2014). YouTube video, 0:36, posted by GOP War Room.</ref>

On the issue of the controversial, biased online encyclopedia, [[Wikipedia]], Clinton sent a message of congratulations that was read at the opening session of the Wikimania 2012 conference in Washington, DC.<ref>{{cite web|first=Nicholas Michael|last=Bashour|url=http://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/07/17/wikimania-2012-swan-song/|title="Wikimania 2012 swan song"|publisher=Wikimedia blog website|date=July 17, 2012}}</ref>

==Secretary of State==
:''Main article [[Hillary Clinton Secretary of State]]
As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was empowered to approve or reject commercial arms sales to foreign governments based upon a broad range of reasons, from [[national security]] considerations to [[human rights]] concerns. This often brought her into a [[legal]] and [[ethical]] [[conflict of interest]] with donors to the [[Clinton Foundation]].

Sen. [[Elizabeth Warren]] has also criticized the foreign corporations that donate cash to the Clinton Foundation, citing "a French company", the Veolia Group, "that sued Egypt after Egypt raised its minimum wage.” Veolia contributed between $50,000 and $100,000 to the Clinton Foundation. Warren criticized Philip Morris, part of the Altria group, another Clinton Foundation donor. And “a Swedish company", Vattenfall, a state-owned Swedish utility; the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency has contributed between $1 million and $10 million.<ref>[http://freebeacon.com/politics/elizabeth-warren-targets-clinton-foundation-donors/ Elizabeth Warren Targets Clinton Foundation Donors], Brent Scher, May 8, 2015. freebeacon.com</ref>

===The Hillary Clinton Doctrine of smart power===
After being rejected for the top leadership of her party in 2008, the 62 year old Clinton tenaciously held onto a quest for power, releasing her convention delegates and being granted the position of Secretary of State. Neither Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, or George W. Bush were particularly qualified in the area of foreign affairs, but in the Democratic party a resume that includes reforming Arkansas public schools, receiving an appoinment based upon [[nepotism]] to squander tens of millions of dollars for a federal healthcare study program that never took shape, or serving as a non-distinct Senator with no tangible accomplishments qualifies a person to hold a high level position in a time of international crisis that neither they, nor their boss, understand anything about.

'Don't do stupid stuff' was President Obama's instructions to Hillary, the mantra being that George W. Bush was 'stupid', and therefore anything that departed from the policies of G.W. Bush was 'smart'. From this evolved Hillary's docrtrine of 'smart power', overthrowing regimes with weapons supplied by donors to the Clinton Foundation without putting U.S. boots on the ground and unleasing millions of refugees worldwide.

All this 'smart power' needed a formal name; in recent decades several President's had 'doctrines' named after themselves - the Nixon Doctrine, the Carter Doctrine, the Bush Doctrine; Bill Clinton was cheated, he never had any interest in foreign policy and little impact, so now it was time for a 'Clinton Doctrine', that is, the 'Hillary Clinton Doctrine' formulated by a Secretary of State that she could ride into the White House with. Thus began the quest to overthrow a U.S. ally as a favor to foreign donors to the Clintons. President Obama woke up too late to see how he had been used and manipulated to bring about a massive humanitarian crisis, and the damage Hillary Clinton's machinations have done to his presidency and legacy.

All in all, the team of President Obama and Secretary Clinton has been a disaster for the world. Teaming up support for the 2016 Presidential election as loyal Democrats is a farce; they already are blaming each other for the hundreds of thousands dead, and the 2,000,000 refugees who have flooded across Europe just since 2014. And they most assuredly will continue to blame each other in their memoirs. A [[skeptic]] may say it doesn't matter, Middle Easterners don't vote in U.S. elections; but a skeptic might also have no problem voting for a leader with no [[conscience]]. The world is now in the midst of a serious displaced persons refugee crisis, the most serious since the end of [[World War II]] in 1945.

====Birth of the Syrian refugee crisis====
In 2012 Hillary announced [[Syria]]n President Bashar Assad must go. . She committed the United States to supporting an odd assortment of militias, arms traffickers, narco-terrorists and jihadis. The State Department and media used the [[oxymoron]]ic tag, 'moderate rebels' to describe them.<ref>[https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2016/02/18/the-media-are-misleading-public-syria/8YB75otYirPzUCnlwaVtcK/story.html The media are misleading the public on Syria], By Stephen Kinzer, ''Boston Globe'', February 18, 2016. "The Syrian war will be remembered as one of the most shameful episodes in the history of the American press."</ref><ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2749197/ISIS-arming-US-military-hardware-wage-jihad-Middle-East-seizing-weapons-Syrian-rebels-Iraqi-soldiers.html ISIS arming themselves with US-made military hardware to wage jihad across the Middle East after seizing weapons from Syrian rebels and Iraqi soldiers], By Ted Thornhill for MailOnline, 9 September 2014. www.dailymail.co.uk</ref> Congress appropriated $500 Million for Hillary's [[Free Syrian Army]]. The weapons supplied made their way to [[ISIS]].<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-sachs/hillary-clintons-foreign_b_5674467.html Hillary Clinton’s Foreign Policy Deception], Jeff Sachs, ''Huffington Post'', 08/13/2014 08:39 am ET | Updated Oct 13, 2014</ref> Four years later the Free Syrian Army is virtually non-existent, except as a front for arms traffickers. Any soldiers that were trained defected to the Islamic State with their weapons in 2013-14. Obama saw the scandal and cut back aid, but Hillary wants to continue dumping money and weapons on jihadis and the Clinton Foundation donors.<ref>[http://time.com/3097964/hillary-clinton-syria-isis-the-atlantic/ Hillary Clinton Criticizes Obama on Syria Policy], Sam Frizell, ''Time'', Aug. 10, 2014</ref>

By weakening Assad, the Clinton State Department effort opened up the space for the [[Islamic State]] to claim large swathes of territory in both Syria and Iraq.<ref>''HuffPo'', ibid.</ref>

Because of the enduring crisis there are 11,000,000 displaced persons - one third of the population. 7,000,000 are homeless internally, and 4,000,000 must be resettled worldwide. More than 600,000 alone entered [[Germany]] in the last 6 months of 2015 - more than the size of Germany's standing military of 400,000. Other estimates place the figure of Syrian refugees entering Germany in 2015 at over 1,000,000. Whatever the number, the impact is permanent.

By the time Hillary quit the State Department to raise more money and run for president, 300,000 Syrians had been killed and one third of the population displaced. Meantime Assad's position had been strengthened with the support of two powerful allies, [[Vladimir Putin]] of [[Russia]], and the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]], now with State Department acquiescence.<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/syria-ceasefire-sham-helps-assad-cling-power-450832 Syria Cease-Fire Is a Sham That Helps Assad Cling to Power], By Faysal Itani and Hossam Abouzahr, ''[[Newsweek]]'', 4/24/16.</ref>

====Muammar Gaddafi====
:{{Main|Libyan War#Ambassador Stevens dispatched|l1=Libyan War/Ambassador Stevens dispatched to give aid}}
[[Libya]] had been under [[Muammar Gaddafi]] since 1969. The United States broke relations in 1981 and considered Libya a state sponsor of terror after a series incidents culminating in the mid-air bombing of Pan AM Flight 103 over [[Lockerbie]] Scotland in 1988. Libya had a WMD program. Western powers laid out demands to re-establish normal relations. By 1999, Gaddafi had a change of heart, as aged dictators sometimes do. Negotiators persuaded Gaddafi to begin thinking about his legacy. Did he wish to be remembered as a tyrant, or a reformer like [[Nikita Khrushchev#Destalinization|Nikita Khrushchev]] who really had the best interests of his people at heart. This was the real meaning of 'smart power' before Hillary, the substance of [[diplomacy]] and the job of the Secretary of State, to persuade a strongman dictator to think about such things rather than use force in every situation.

Gaddafi began complying, step-by-step, with Western demands in order to be welcomed back within the 'community of nations'. Gaddafi renounced terrorism and gave up his WMD. He paid reparations to the families of victims of Flight 103. Trade was restored. Libya resumed its $3 Billion a year oil export economy, and Gaddafi built infrastructure projects - hospitals, roads, bridges, and created jobs for his people. Gaddafi now had a stake in the international community. He publicly condemned the [[September 11 attacks]] and was an ally in the [[War on Terror]] against [[al Qaeda]].

Gaddafi became the model that Western powers used to encourage other dictators, such as Bashar Assad of Syria or [[Kim Jong-il]] of [[North Korea]], that there was a way they could remain in power, enjoy trade, and live in peace with the international community.

Then Hillary Clinton became Secretary of State. Hillary Clinton divided the [[NATO]] treaty organization against itself. At the behest of French and British [[corporate]] corporate interests she organized a coalition of 12 NATO member states with 16 others refusing to participate.<ref>National Security [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/hillarys-war-how-conviction-replaced-skepticism-in-libya-intervention/2011/10/28/gIQAhGS7WM_story.html Hillary’s war: How conviction replaced skepticism in Libya intervention], By Joby Warrick, ''[[Washington Post]]'', October 30, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.europeaninstitute.org/index.php/130-european-affairs/ea-august-2011/1417-lessons-of-libya-for-future-western-military-forays LESSONS OF LIBYA FOR FUTURE WESTERN MILITARY FORAYS], By John Barry, Newsweek National Security Correspondent. europeaninstitute.org</ref> President Obama, who had always been reluctant to use force, was persuaded and the media referred to as 'leading from behind'. 'Humanitarian concerns' were cited.<ref>[https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R41725.pdf Operation Odyssey Dawn (Libya): Background and Issues for Congress], ''Congressional Research Service'', March 30, 2011, p.3 (p.7 pdf).</ref> As Hillary and cohorts plotted regime change, Gaddafi warned [[Tony Blair]] by phone the jihadists would attack in [[Europe]] if his government was allowed to collapse.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tony-blair/12086505/Tony-Blairs-phone-conversations-with-Colonel-Gaddafi-revealed.html Colonel Gaddafi warned Tony Blair of Islamist attacks on Europe], By Robert Mendick, ''Telegraph'' 07 Jan 2016. telegraph.co.uk</ref> Nonetheless, Gaddafi was brutally and inhumanely murdered, an eye tore out beforehand, sodomized with a bayonet, and dragged behind vehicles in the name of the 'values we stand for'.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caoRGeCa9uQ&spfreload=10 Frame by frame HD video of murdering Colonel Gaddafi (RA) Part 2], posted by Salahuddin. youtube.com</ref>

====Catastrophic aftermath====
Nuclear armed dictators such as [[Kim Jong-un]] witnessed how Gaddafi had been lied to and double-crossed by Secretary Clinton and her consortium.<ref>[http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/10/what-kim-jong-il-learned-from-qaddafis-fall-never-disarm/247192/ What Kim Jong-Il Learned from Qaddafi's Fall: Never Disarm], As the U.S. tries to restart multiparty talks with North Korea, it may find that the rogue state suddenly sees greater value in keeping its nuclear arsenal, Mira Rapp-Hooper and Kenneth N. Waltz, ''The Atlantic'', Oct 24, 2011.</ref> Decades of negotiation were lost with him, his father, and his grandfather, to persuade [[North Korea]] to give up its WMD, nukes and [[ballistic missile]] programs, return to the community of 'civilized nations', and to live in peace and harmony by accepting the word of the United States chief negotiator, the Secretary of State. When North Korea illegally tested an above-ground nuclear device in January 2016 it specifically cited the fate of Gaddafi as to why it needs a nuclear deterrent.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/12090658/North-Korea-cites-Muammar-Gaddafis-destruction-in-nuclear-test-defence.html North Korea cites Muammar Gaddafi's 'destruction' in nuclear test defence] Pyongyang says the fates of the late Libyan leader and Saddam Hussein show the need for a nuclear deterrent, By AFP, 2:49AM GMT 09 Jan 2016. www.telegraph.co.uk</ref>

The brave new world Hillary built in Libya soon descended into chaos. The irascible [[jihad]]i elements Hillary and Obama supported turned their U.S. supplied weapons on American territory, the Embassy at Benghazi. Hillary's 'moderate rebels' -- [[al-Qaeda in the Maghreb]] and the [[Libyan Islamic Fighting Group]]<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/21/benghazi-raid-libyan-revolution Benghazi raid leaves cradle of Libyan revolution fearing for its future] ''[[The Guardian]]'' September 21, 2012. "There was no demonstration. They came with machine guns, with rockets."</ref>—killed the American Ambassador reportedly in the same fashion Gaddafi had been murdered.<ref>[http://www.aina.org/news/20120913165253.htm Ambassador Stevens Was Raped Before His Murder, Reports Claim], 2012-09-13. www.aina.org</ref> All this was occurring on American soil only 56 days prior to the [[Presidential Election 2012|2012 Presidential election]] where the slogan was "[[Osama Bin Laden#Abbottabad raid|Bin Laden is dead]], [[Crony capitalism|GM is alive]], and al Qaeda is on the run." The deceptive narrative denying America had been attacked was issued by Hillary Clinton at nearly the precise time Ambassador [[Christopher Stevens]] was viciously murdered.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUObFqU5cgE Here's the KEY MOMENT in Benghazi hearings - Rep. Jordan nails Hillary on LIES], posted by [[Pamela Geller]], Oct 22, 2015. youtube.com</ref>

The Libyan fiasco stiffened the resolve of [[Vladimir Putin]]. Putin did not veto the U.N. Security Council which passed a 'fig leaf' resolution to give its proponents, Hillary Clinton, [[Nicolas Sarkozy#Libyan affair|Nicolas Sarkozy]], [[David Cameron]] and Barack Obama an air of legitimacy.<ref>[http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/02/forgotten-war-understanding-incredible-debacle-left-behind-nato-libya.html Understanding The Incredible Debacle Left Behind By NATO In Libya], Posted on February 28, 2015 by WashingtonsBlog.</ref><ref>[http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/03/10/hillary-clinton-the-queen-of-chaos-and-the-threat-of-world-war-iii/ Hillary Clinton: the Queen of Chaos and the Threat of World War III], by Maidhc Ó Cathail – Diana Johnstone, March 10, 2016. www.counterpunch.org</ref> Amidst the ensuing chaos they began blaming each other. Once the duplicity and betrayal of the U.S. State Department under Hillary Clinton became obvious, Putin moved to shore up defense of his own allies - Russians residing in the [[Ukraine]] and [[Crimea]], and Syrian President Bashar Assad.<ref>[http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/20603 Address by President of the Russian Federation], March 18, 2014. en.kremlin.ru</ref> Putin felt betrayed, the U.N. Security Council resolution was only to provide a no-fly zone aircover for the rebels, not an authorization for direct attacks and intervention against Gaddafi's forces as Putin had been assured beforehand.

====Birth of the Islamic State====
The aftermath of carnage created what Putin calls a 'zone of chaos', with the [[Islamic State]] taking control of Derna, the site of the videotaped beheading of 21 [[Coptic]] [[Christians]] in February 2015.<ref>[http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/252615/hillarys-war-kenneth-r-timmerman Hillary’s War: Don’t believe Clinton’s claim she wants her emails released. She’s got too much to hide.] Kenneth R. Timmerman, Frontpage Magazine, March 5, 2015</ref> As Gaddafi had predicted, the Islamic State took credit for the November 2015 Paris attacks killing 137, wounding 368, and the February 2016 Brussels bombing killing 35 and injuring 340.

Hillary was the subject of a Congressional investigation after it had become evident that the deaths of four Americans during the [[Benghazi attack|September 11, 2011 terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi]] were caused by incompetence and malfeasance.<ref>Page, Susan (May 10, 2013). [http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/05/09/senator-lindsey-graham-hillary-clinton-testify-benghazi-subpoena/2147869/ Sen. Graham: Hillary Clinton should testify on Benghazi]. ''USA Today'' website.</ref>

In a moment of candor President Obama referred to Hillary's 'greatest moment' where she laughed about the 'sh*t show' she engineered<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgcd1ghag5Y Hillary Clinton on Gaddafi: We came, we saw, he died]. youtube.com</ref> as the 'worst mistake' of his presidency.<ref>[http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/04/12/libya-obama-admits-clintons-greatest-moment-was-his-worst-mistake Libya: Obama Admits Clinton's "Greatest Moment" Was His "Worst Mistake], Lauren McCauley, ''Common Dreams'', April 12, 2016.</ref>

===Saudi Arabia and the Clinton Foundation===
Once Saddam Hussein fell in April 2003, the [[Bush administration]] hastily closed Prince Sultan Airbase ending a long term commitment to the defense of Saudi Arabia.<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/prince-sultan.htm Prince Sultan Air Base, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia]. globalsecurity.org</ref>

By the end of the decade the Clinton Foundation received millions from an organization known as the Friends of Saudi Arabia.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/18/clinton.donations Clinton's foundation got millions from Saudis, Gates], CNN, December 18, 2008. Univision TV owner also gave millions.</ref> With the theft of government records, and the admission Hillary scrubbed the server, the exact extent of a conflict of interest and other violations of law at present is unclear.<ref>[http://insider.foxnews.com/2015/03/30/gowdy-hillary-clinton-wiped-her-server-between-october-and-december-2014 Gowdy: Hillary Clinton Wiped Server Between October & December 2014], On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, ''[[FOX News]]'', 30 March 2015.</ref>
<ref>[http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-clinton-email-scandal-20160327-story.html How Hillary Clinton's email scandal took root], Robert O'Harrow Jr., ''Washington Post'', 27 March 2016.</ref>

====Rape victims====
As Secretary of State, the Clinton Foundation accepted donations from the Kingdom of [[Saudi Arabia]], where rape victims are regularly flogged.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/09/us/politics/hillary-clinton-faces-test-of-record-aiding-women.html?_r=1 Hillary Clinton Faces Test of Record as Women’s Advocate], By AMY CHOZICK, ''New York Times'', MARCH 8, 2015.</ref><ref>[http://www.mrctv.org/blog/rand-paul-stone-age-barbaric-saudi-arabia-buying-influence-donating-hillary-clinton Rand Paul: 'Hillary Clinton Shouldn't Have Taken That Money' from Saudi Arabia], Barbara Boland | March 25, 2015. www.mrctv.org</ref><ref>[https://www.gop.com/clinton-foundation-takes-from-countries-that-mistreat-women/ Clinton Foundation Takes $$ From Countries That Mistreat Women], October 11, 2015. www.gop.com</ref><ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/clintons-outrage-at-saudi-rape-sentence/2007/11/22/1195321896405.html Clinton's 'outrage' at Saudi rape sentence], ''Sydney Morning Herald'', November 22, 2007.</ref><ref>Conservative group claims Hillary Clinton's foundation took millions from foreign governments, [http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/feb/26/american-crossroads/conservative-group-claims-hillary-clintons-foundat/ Politifact: Statement:'''TRUE'''], By Steve Contorno, February 26th, 2015. politifact.com</ref> In 2015, a 19-year-old woman who was the victim of a violent gang rape was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in jail after found guilty of being “indecent” at the time of the attack. Saudi law dictates a woman must have a male escort in public. She originally was sentenced to 90 lashes; on appeal the sentence was more than doubled to 200 lashes and six months in jail after found guilty of indecency and exposing the case in the media.

====Gay rights====
While [[homosexuality]] is punishable by [[death]] under certain circumstances, this particular active Clinton donor at the present time is seeking to increase the frequency at which [[execution]]s of [[gay]]s is carried out. The Saudi judicial system blames [[Social media]] for causing an increase in 'deliberate' acts of homosexuality. As of the first half of 2016, there were 35 people on death row in Saudi Arabia for sodomy.<ref>[http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/saudi-arabia-pushes-homosexuals-executed-7672283 Saudi Arabia 'pushes for homosexuals to be executed' amid fears social media is 'turning people gay'], By Rhian Lubin, ''Mirror'', 1 April 2016. www.mirror.co.uk</ref>

====Arms sales====
As Sec. Clinton approved weapons transfers, both Saudi Arabia [[Boeing]] aircraft made donations to the Clinton Foundation. The ''[[Washington Post]]'' revealed that a Boeing [[lobbyist]] was also working as a fundraiser in the early stages of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/for-hillary-clinton-and-boeing-a-beneficial-relationship/2014/04/13/21fe84ec-bc09-11e3-96ae-f2c36d2b1245_story.html For Hillary Clinton and Boeing, a beneficial relationship], By Rosalind S. Helderman, ''Washington Post'', April 13, 2014.</ref>

'''Boeing F15 fighters''' 
Early in her tenure the $29.4 Billion sale and upgrades of Boeing F15 fighter aircraft was a 'top priority'. The Saudi air campaign in [[Yemen]] has been led by American-made F-15 fighter jets. According to the United Nations at least 2,800 civilians have been killed in airstrikes so far.<ref>[http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=52938#.V2iKGKLT9aU Yemen: civilian casualties top 8,100 as airstrikes and shelling continue, UN reports], 5 January 2016. un.org</ref> Three facilities supported by Doctors Without Borders have been bombed.

'''Cluster bombs''' 
The U.N. Secretary General has decried “intense airstrikes in residential areas and on civilian buildings in Sanaa, including the chamber of commerce, a wedding hall, and a center for the blind,” and has warned that reports of cluster bombs being used in populated areas “may amount to a [[war crime]] due to their indiscriminate nature.”<ref>[https://theintercept.com/2016/02/22/saudi-christmas-present/ Emails Show Hillary Clinton Aides Celebrating F-15 Sales to Saudi Arabia: “Good News”], Lee Fang, ''The Intercept'', Feb. 22 2016</ref><ref>[[Human Rights Watch]] released a report providing new indications that Saudi Arabia has fired American-made cluster munitions, banned by international treaty, in civilian areas of Yemen. [http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/15/world/middleeast/new-report-of-us-made-cluster-bomb-use-by-saudis-in-yemen.html?_r=0 New Report of U.S.-Made Cluster Bomb Use by Saudis in Yemen], By RICK GLADSTONEFEB, ''New York Times'', February 14, 2016</ref>

===Boko Haram sex slaves===
Again, this advocate of women and children's rights was asked repeatedly in 2011 to designate [[Boko Haram]] as a terrorist organization after the group bombed the [[United Nations]] headquarters in Abuja. Secretary Clinton's State Department refused, despite requests coming from the U.S. Justice Department, the FBI, the [[CIA]], and numerous Senators and Congressmen.<ref>[https://www.yahoo.com/news/hillary-dropped-ball-boko-haram-020300046--politics.html?ref=gs Hillary Dropped the Ball on Boko Haram], Josh Rogin, [The Daily Beast], May 7, 2014. www.yahoo.com</ref> In May 2012, Justice Department official Lisa Monaco wrote to the State Department to urge Clinton to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist organization. The following month, Gen. Carter Ham, the chief of U.S. Africa Command, said that Boko Haram provided a ‘safe haven’ for al Qaeda in the Maghreb (al Qaeda in North Africa) and was likely sharing explosives and funds with the group.<ref>Morrissey, Ed (May 8, 2014). [http://hotair.com/archives/2014/05/08/did-hillary-refuse-to-designate-boko-haram-as-a-terrorist-organization/ Did Hillary refuse to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist organization?] Hot Air website.</ref>

The American counterterrorism agencies were asking for the legal authority to begin countering Boko Haram. Boko Haram is now an Islamic State province but at the time it held allegiance to al Qaeda. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at the behest of French and British [[corporate]] interests was in negotiation with several al Qaeda affiliates - [[al Qaeda in the Maghreb]], the [[Libyan Islamic Fighting Group]], and Ansar al Shariah - to destabilize Muammar Gaddafi in Libya at the time and didn't want to antagonize or alienate her allies.

In early 2014 Boko Haram kidnapped 276 teenage schoolgirls and announced its intention to sell them as [[marital]] [[sex]] [[slave]]s.

==Segregationist roots==
:''Main article [[Hillary Clinton early life and career]]''
As a young woman Hillary told classmates her ambition was to marry a Senator. Hillary was a solid [[Goldwater]] Republican; Goldwater was one of 6 Republicans who voted ''against'' the Republican party leadership and joined 21 Southern Democrat [[segregation]]ists to vote ''against'' the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]]. Hillary has since on many occasions when speaking to [[African-American]] audiences made the claim that she has been inspired by Dr. [[Martin Luther King]] since she heard him speak in 1962.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uWu0nSsg7w Hillary Clinton in Black History]. youtube.com</ref> Goldwater, who was considered an [[extremist]] at the time Hillary was an enthusiastic supporter 1964, responded to critics without denying the label, saying, "extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice".<ref>Goldwater also suggested the use of low-yield [[nuclear weapons]] in Vietnam; Hillary supported Goldwater's Vietnam policy.</ref><ref>[https://www.buzzfeed.com/christophermassie/heres-what-hillary-clinton-did-in-her-senior-year-of-high-sc?utm_term=.pvEOdnVjl#.fvlebWD79 Here’s What Hillary Clinton Did In Her Senior Year Of High School], Christopher Massie & Andrew Kaczynski, ''BuzzFeed'', posted on May 6, 2015, at 11:39 a.m.</ref> Hillary since then routinely calls all political opponents or anyone with diverse opinions from her as an ‘extremist’, essentially equating people with legitimate opposing views with [[terrorist]]s.<ref>[https://partners.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/080100sen-ny-hillary.html Mrs. Clinton Derides Republicans, and Her Opponent, as Extremists], By SOMINI SENGUPTA, August 1, 2000. partners.nytimes.com</ref><ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/27/hillary-clinton-republicans-terrorists-women Hillary Clinton likens GOP candidates to terrorists for 'extreme' views on women], Associated Press in Cleveland, 27 August 2015 14.12 EDT. www.theguardian.com</ref>

==Scandals 1975-1999, partial list==
:''Main article [[Hillary Clinton First Lady]]
Only when she met Bill in 1971 did her political views flower and she became a [[Democrat]]. The Clinton marriage is fashioned upon precepts of ''The Art of the Deal''. She allowed him to chase any woman he saw fit, and he allowed her to run the [[Arkansas]] Governor's Mansion and [[White House]] as she saw fit.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-507762/Why-Hillary-Clinton-let-husband-Bill-seduce-woman-sight.html Why Hillary Clinton let husband Bill seduce any woman in sight], By SALLY BEDELL SMITH, 15 January 2008. www.dailymail.co.uk</ref> This was the deal Bill Clinton offered America, two for the price of one.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/18/us/1992-campaign-candidate-s-wife-hillary-clinton-aspiring-first-lady-role-model.html?pagewanted=all THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: Candidate's Wife; Hillary Clinton as Aspiring First Lady: Role Model, or a 'Hall Monitor' Type?], By MAUREEN DOWD, ''New York Times'', May 18, 1992.</ref>

Of the two, Hillary is the actual brains of the operation. As First Lady of Arkansas, Hillary and her law partners worked with clients looting depositor's money from Arkansas Savings and Loans which her husband regulated.<ref>[http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-releases-office-of-independent-counsel-oic-memoranda-laying-out-criminal-case-against-hillary-clinton-in-whitewatercastle-grande-land-scandal/ Independent Counsel Memo Laying Out Criminal Case against Hillary Clinton in Whitewater Land Scandal], JANUARY 28, 2016. www.judicialwatch.org</ref> She also pocketed large amounts of cash from complicated commodity future trading straddles.<ref>[http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/clintons-and-wall-street-24-years-enriching-each-other The Clintons and Wall Street: 24 Years of Enriching Each Other], By Richard W. Behan / CounterPunch, February 26, 2016.</ref> As the breadwinner of the Clinton family Hillary mocked and ridiculed stay-at-home mothers.<ref>[http://time.com/4054623/clinton-dunham-tea-cookies/ This Was the Hillary Clinton Comment That Sparked Lena Dunham’s Political Awareness], Denver Nicks, ''Time'', Sept. 29, 2015.</ref> Hillary Clinton is the only First Lady in [[United States]] history to come under [[criminal]] investigation both as Arkansas First Lady and in the White House.

===Children's Defense Fund===
Hillary Clinton never ceases plugging her first job out of law school with Marion Wright Edelman's, Children's Defense Fund, or how she served on the Board of Directors. Edelman was the first African American woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar Association. The Children’s Defense Fund was founded ‘to ensure every child a healthy start, a head start, a fair start, a safe start, and a moral start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.’

After publication of Hillary's book, It Takes a Village to Raise a Child, the First Lady had a major falling out with Edelman and the Children’s Defense Fund for her role in gutting 'welfare as we know it.'<ref>[http://www.salon.com/2015/10/15/the_worst_thing_hillary_clinton_has_ever_done/ Hillary Clinton often boasts about helping children, but she betrayed them as First Lady], Ben Norton, ''Salon'', Oct 15, 2015.</ref> Edelman's husband, Paul resigned as counsel and Assistant Secretary of [[Health and Human Services]] from the Clinton administration over the same issue. The couple have become outspoken critics of the Clinton's betrayal of their organization and life's work.

According to Edelman, by eliminating Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), 70% of recipients of which were children, there is no longer accounting for children in poverty and few have any income support at all; yet on the campaign trail Hillary still claims to be an advocate for children.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=rHV2CAAAQBAJ&pg=PT39&dq=%22It+is+hard+to+miss+the+racism+and+misogyny+that+helped+motivate+welfare+reform%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAGoVChMIjIr4p-7EyAIVxY8-Ch36EAZQ#v=onepage&q=%22It%20is%20hard%20to%20miss%20the%20racism%20and%20misogyny%20that%20helped%20motivate%20welfare%20reform%22&f=false Welfare Transformed: Universalizing Family Policies That Work], Robert Cherry, Oxford University Press, Jul 18, 2007.</ref>

===Pedophile rape victim===
The next job after the Children's Defense Fund the self described 'defender of children' handled was the case of a 41-year-old man who raped a 12-year-old girl. The rapist, facing 30 years to life in prison, Hillary plea bargained down to time served - two months in county jail - by attacking the victim who was to young to testify in a court of law to defend herself.<ref>[http://freebeacon.com/politics/audio-hillary-clinton-speaks-of-defense-of-child-rapist-in-newly-unearthed-tapes/ AUDIO: Hillary Clinton Speaks of Defense of Child Rapist in Newly Unearthed Tapes], Washington Free Beacon Staff, June 15, 2014. freebeacon.com</ref>

In court documents Hillary wrote to the judge about the young victim as:
{{Cquote|emotionally unstable with a tendency to seek out older men and engage in fantasizing...children in early adolescence tend to exaggerate or romanticize sexual experiences and that adolescents in disorganized families, such as the complainant’s, are even more prone to exaggerate behavior.<ref>[https://www.intellihub.com/video-hillary-clinton-brags-getting-pedophile-off-hook/ Video: Hillary Clinton brags about getting a pedophile off the hook], By Brandon Turbeville, January 25, 2016. www.intellihub.com</ref>}}
In 2006 the victim, now an adult heard for the first time Hillary Clinton laughing about her victory in the case. The victim spoke out,
{{Cquote|Hillary Clinton took me through hell. ...You took a case of mine in ’75, you lied on me… I realize the truth now, the heart of what you’ve done to me. And you are supposed to be for women? You call that for women, what you done to me? And I hear you on tape laughing. ... she lied like a dog on me. I think she was trying to do whatever she could do to make herself look good...<ref>[http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/20/exclusive-hillary-clinton-took-me-through-hell-rape-victim-says.html She Lied: 'Hillary Clinton Took Me Through Hell,' Rape Victim Says], Josh Rogan, ''The Daily Beast'', 06.20.14.</ref> }}

Mrs. Clinton knew the child rapist to be guilty, and joked about it. Clinton mainstream surrogates, apologists, and sycophants [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spin%20control spin] the episode to prove how 'tough minded', 'dedicated, and 'fair' she is.

In 2014 Hillary Clinton again lied about the case claiming she asked to be relieved.<ref>[http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2014/jul/17/did-hillary-clinton-ask-be-relieved-rapist/ Politifact: Did Hillary Clinton ask to be 'relieved' from representing an accused rapist in 1970s?], By Steve Contorno, July 17th, 2014. politifact.com</ref>

===Plumbers to fix leaks on Bill's sex habits===
{{Cquote|When Hillary hired this fleet of detectives to go around examining all of the woman who had been identified with Clinton. Not for the purpose of divorcing Clinton. Not for the purpose of getting him to stop, but for the purpose of developing blackmail material on these women to cow them into silence that had a [[Nixon]]ian quality that I hold against her and I continue to.|20px|20px|[[Dick Morris]]<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/video/2014/10/31/dick-morris-i-left-when-hillary-hired-secret-police-to-go-after-woman-victimized-by-bill/ Dick Morris: I Left When Hillary Hired Secret Police to Go After Woman Victimized by Bill], by [[Breitbart.com]], 31 Oct 2014.</ref>}}
One of the more abhorrent aspects of Hillary Clinton's personality is a well documented pattern by multiple Clinton confidants and advisors of intimidation and blackmail toward female victims of Mr. Bill Clinton's sexual misconduct. Mrs. Clinton is accredited with introducing the [[sexist]] [[pejorative]], 'bimbo', into the American political [[lexicon]] to disparage victims of sexual assault by the rich and powerful.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WiQRBN8igE Hillary Clinton calls Bill Clinton's sexual assault victims "Bimbo Eruptions"] youtube.com</ref> The politicalinsider.com identified the problem,
{{Quotebox|One of the most incredible things about Hillary Clinton running for President is that there is an extraordinary long list of scandals that younger voters have never heard of. Just trying to keep up with the multiple decades of corruption and criminal activity of Bill and Hillary Clinton which happened long before the recent email scandal is overwhelming.<ref>[http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/a-woman-who-was-sexually-assaulted-by-bill-clinton-drops-a-bomb-on-hillary-whoa/ A Woman Who Was Sexually Assaulted by Bill Clinton Drops a BOMB on Hillary], thepoliticalinsider.com</ref>}}
The ''New York Times'' noted before the 2016 [[primary election]] season began that the ''’90s Scandals Threaten to Erode Hillary Clinton’s Strength With Women'', and Hillary Clinton certainly was not, by any account, a victim, or a victim of her husband's faithlessness.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/21/us/politics/90s-scandals-threaten-to-erode-hillary-clintons-strength-with-women.html ’90s Scandals Threaten to Erode Hillary Clinton’s Strength With Women], By AMY CHOZICK, ''New York Times'', JAN. 20, 2016.</ref>
In the recent book, ''The Clinton's War on Women'', the authors cite a [[Sociology|sociological]] phenomena known as [[elite deviance]] in a society where the elites no longer believe the rules apply to them and their behavior is justified and facilitated by a cadre of [[sycophant]]s, [[apologist]]s, supporters, and surrogates.<ref>''[http://greatbookcorner.com/data/thepopularbook.site/T/the-clintons-war-on-women-roger-stone--93pfuGF9wiHCc6-8BX16-8ZvB6-8AVI6d.pdf The Clinton's War on Women]'', pp. 16-17 pdf.</ref>

Hillary's obsession with sexual blackmail wasn't limited to compromising and silencing disgruntled mistresses or women Bill Clinton assaulted, it became a ready tool against political opponents as well. To locate, stalk, harass, and intimidate the women, Betsy Wright was put in charge of the operation. According to [[Carl Bernstein]], "Betsy's operation became known as 'The Defense Department', and Wright was sometimes known as the 'secretary of defense'"<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=KG8oDvWH3ZYC&pg=PT612&dq=Carl+Bernstein+betsey+wright+defense+department+clinton&hl=en&sa=X&ei=x4RWU4edAcLjsATguYHYAQ&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Carl%20Bernstein%20betsey%20wright%20defense%20department%20clinton&f=false A Woman in Charge], Carl Bernstein, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Jun 5, 2007</ref> For this Jack Palladino, Terry Lenzner, Ivan Duda, Jerry Parks, Anthony Pellicano, and others were employed.<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/2005/07/31278/ The real story behind the Clinton body count], ''[[WorldNetDaily]]'', 07/13/2005. Review of Richard Poe’s, ''Hillary’s Secret War.'' wnd.com</ref><ref>[http://alamo-girl.com/02742.htm PRIVATE AND PUBLIC INVESTIGATIVE RESOURCES], SECTION: SECRET POLICE, Revised 8/10/00. http://alamo-girl.com</ref><ref>[http://www.mega.nu/ampp/foster.html Reports Tie Clinton Sexcapades to Foster's Death]. mega.nu</ref>

To silence the women, all sorts of threats and intimidation were common, such as murdering the family pet on the doorstep or blatant threats against the lives of their children.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=1v5e4lZiS08C&pg=PA214&lpg=PA214&dq=pellicano%2Bhillary&source=bl&ots=2QSRhFU8QY&sig=zFCzv6MqE1JDMGwraPnD1XL3TB8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiyuqCkgYDNAhVLz2MKHdJwA9AQ6AEI3AEwIg#v=onepage&q=pellicano%2Bhillary&f=false Target: Caught in the Crosshairs of Bill and Hillary Clinton], Kathleen Willey, WND Books, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.wnd.com/2007/11/44416/ PI 'admits' Hillary paid him to harass Willey], WND, 11/07/2007.</ref> [[Pornographer]] impresario [[Larry Flynt]] was called to boot a $1,000,000 reward to anybody to come forward with sexual innuendo, whether true or not, to attack Clinton's enemies with.<ref>[http://observer.com/2000/08/its-poker-night-with-larry-flynt-porn-king-discourses-on-sex-gore/ It’s Poker Night With Larry Flynt! Porn King Discourses on Sex, Gore], By Andrew Goldman, ''New York Observer'', 08/28/00</ref>

To political opponents and the women, Clinton surrogates routinely used the material on television and other media dug up (truth not being a factor) by Hillary's investigator's to slime anyone publicly who wouldn't fall into line. And the surrogates relish their jobs. Indeed, many Clinton supporters believe this is the essence of [[politics]] — slander, defamation, and demonization of living human beings — not formulation or discussion of public policy.

In what perhaps may or may not be a [[Freud]]ian slip Hillary Clinton titled her last book, ''Hard Choices''.

===Waco massacre===
Among the hard choices this advocate of children and women's rights made was the go-ahead to extinguish the lives of 17 children and 68 adults, the majority of which were women and minorities in the [[Waco massacre]].<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-really-happened-at-waco/ What Really Happened At Waco], CBSNews staff, ''CBS News'', Jan 25, 2000.</ref><ref>[http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2014/01/hillary-ordered-final-massacre-at-waco.html Hillary Ordered The Final Massacre At Waco], By Robert Morrow, January 27, 2014. www.economicpolicyjournal.com</ref> [[Vince Foster]] transmitted the order from Mrs. Clinton to Webster Hubbell at the Justice Department who relayed it to [[Attorney General]] [[Janet Reno]]. Foster, distraught over his role in the carnage, is said to have committed suicide.<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/02/09/tripp.lkl/ Transcript: Larry King Live], CNN, February 9, 2001.</ref>

===500,000 dead children===
President-Elect Bill Clinton, 5 days before taking office, made his position clear on Iraqi sanctions: "There is no difference between my policy and the policy of the present [Papa Bush] Administration."<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/15/world/clinton-affirms-us-policy-on-iraq.html CLINTON AFFIRMS U.S. POLICY ON IRAQ], By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN, ''New York Times'', January 15, 1993</ref> By June 1993, Clinton himself was bombing Baghdad.

Four years into the Clinton policy ''The Lancet'' British medical journal reported 567,000 children had died under the Iraqi sanctions regime. In a ''60 Minute'' interview CBS reporter Lesley Stahl had this exchange with Secretary of State Madelaine Albright:
{{quotebox|'''Stahl''' : We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that’s more children than died in [[Hiroshima]]. And, you know, is the price worth it? 
'''Albright''' : I think this is a very ''hard choice'', but the price–we think the price is worth it.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omnskeu-puE Madeleine Albright says 500,000 dead Iraqi Children was "worth it" wins Medal of Freedom]. youtube.com</ref><ref>[http://fair.org/extra/we-think-the-price-is-worth-it/ ‘We Think the Price Is Worth It’], By Rahul Mahajan, FAIR, 1 Nov. 2001</ref>}}
The Clinton administration only toughened the sanctions in 1998, calling for regime change. Hillary was to write in ''Living History'' after discussing how many felt the Clinton's Iraq policy was a diversion from the sex charges against the President,
{{Cquote|as bombs fell on Iraq, the impeachment debate began. I had refrained from making any direct public statement for several months, but that morning I spoke to a group of reporters outside the White House. “I think the vast majority of Americans share my approval and pride in the job that the president’s been doing for our country.”<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=H78s9ZbLXCIC&pg=PA489&lpg=PA489dq=bombs+fell+on+Iraq+impeachment+debate+began+share+approval++pride++job&source=bl&ots=o3nVogt6So&sig=Ac21uLJL4SYV0xdzzLxHncrR7NA&hl=ensa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiO_aCb_MTNAhWEJR4KHS70AiUQ6AEIHjAA#v=onepageq=bombs%20fell%20on%20Iraq%20impeachment%20debate%20began%20share%20approval%20%20pride%20%20job&f=false Living History], Hillary Rodham Clinton, Simon and Schuster, Apr 19, 2004, p. 489</ref>}}
In the lead-up to the [[Iraq War]] in 2002, Sen. Clinton reiterated her support for the Clinton policy and touted her leadership role in it.
{{quotebox|I know a little bit about what it's like on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue making these difficult decisions.<ref>[https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/flatview?cuecard=4136 "Clinton Supports Regime Change in Iraq."] [[Tim Russert]], correspondent. [[Meet the Press]]. NBCUniversal Media. 15 Sep. 2002.</ref>}}

===Evidence tampering and obstruction===
After the death of White House staffer Vince Foster, 20 year Secret Service veteran Henry O' Neill testified before Congress he observed as Hillary Clinton's chief of staff, Margaret Williams, carry boxes of papers out of Foster's office and up to the White House residence quarters on First Lady Hillary Clinton's instructions.<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/clinton/etc/01301996.html Whitewater Lost and Found Records], Nightline Transcripts, January 30, 1996. npr.org</ref> The documents related to work performed by Jerry Parks, the head of security for the Clinton-Gore 1992 campaign.<ref>[http://contrariansview.org/onashisite/WebVAX/Foster/AEPonQuinn10Oct96.html Ambrose Evans-Pritchard interview], Quinn in the Morning Show, WRRK 97 FM Pittsburgh, October 10, 1996</ref> Under [[oath]], Hillary Clinton denied issuing the instructions or receiving the documents. The documents were now considered evidence in the investigation of the death of Vince Foster.

Two years later in 1995 some of the evidence was retrieved from the private White House living quarters. FBI investigators determined Hillary Clinton's fingerprints were on the documents.<ref>Multiple references:
*[http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-1996-04-30/pdf/CREC-1996-04-30-pt1-PgH4166-3.pdf#page=2 "Remarks by Congressman (Dan) Burton of Indiana: First Lady's fingerprints on billing records"] (April 30, 1996). ''Congressional Record'' (Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office), House of Representatives, 104th Congress, pp. H4167-8.
*[http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-1996-05-10/pdf/CREC-1996-05-10-pt1-PgH4880-3.pdf#page=1 "Remarks by Congressman (Dan) Burton of Indiana: Mrs. Clinton's fingerprints on billing records II"] (May 10, 1996). ''Congressional Record'' (Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office), House of Representatives, 104th Congress, pp. H4880-1.</ref>

===Pardongate===
In preparation for her Senate bid, Bill Clinton offered clemency to members of the [[Armed Forces of National Liberation]] (FALN) [[terrorist]] group <ref>Multiple references:
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20080501015940/http://rpc.senate.gov/_files/92199CoddlingTerrorists.pdf "Coddling terrorists?"] (September 21, 1999). Senate Republican Policy Committee. Retrieved from May 1, 2008 archive at Internet Archive.
*U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary (September 15, 1999). [http://web.archive.org/web/20000416225221/http://www.senate.gov/~judiciary/wl91599.htm "Witness list (and transcribed statements): Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 'Clemency for FALN Members'"]. U.S. Senate website/Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved from April 16, 2000 archive at Internet Archive.
*U.S. Senate, 106th Congress (September 14, 1999). [http://www.congress.gov/bill/106th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/33 "S.J. Res. 106-33: A joint resolution deploring the actions of President Clinton regarding granting clemency to FALN terrorists."] U.S. Congress website/Legislation/106th Congress/Senate joint resolutions. Passed 95-2.</ref> to curry favor with [[radical]] [[Puerto Rican]] voters among the New York electorate.<ref>[http://www.jonathanpollard.org/senate.htm "FALN clemency and NY Senate race"] (1999-2009). Justice for Jonathan Pollard website.</ref> The FALN bombed the historic Fraunces Tavern in [[Manhattan]], killing four people in 1975. Over a six-year period, the group claimed responsibility for more than 100 bombings that took six lives and injured some 130 people.<ref>[http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/puertorico/sep4.htm "Clinton pardons terror"] (August 13, 1999). ''New York Post''. Reprinted at Latin American Studies website.</ref>

Marc Rich is the biggest tax cheat in American history. Rich fled the country. He was a big donor to the Clintons and the Democratic party, so [[Bill Clinton]] wanted to pardon him. [[Eric Holder]], who later served as Barack Obama's Attorney General, arranged the pardons.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/16/holder.confirmation/ Former FBI director: Holder was 'used' in Rich pardon], [[CNN]]</ref> Former President [[Jimmy Carter]] publicly called it "disgraceful".<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/carter-rich-pardon-disgraceful/ Carter: Rich Pardon 'Disgraceful'], CBSNews.com staff AP February 21, 2001</ref> Rich's wife then donated at least $450,000 to the [[Clinton Foundation]].

==Sycophants and surrogates==
The London ''Telegraph'', for example, refers to [redacted] revelations into the Goldwater girl's "high mind".<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1558943/Hillary-Clinton-student-letters-reveal-high-mind.html Hillary Clinton student letters reveal high mind], By Toby Harnden, ''London Telegraph'', 30 Jul 2007.</ref> As the young woman at Wellesley College considered which of a "smorgasbord of personalities" she wanted to be, she asked him, "Can you be a misanthrope and still love or enjoy some individuals?". A misanthrope - a hater of humanity, is opposite of a philanthrope - a lover of humanity. But it also can be understood in a sexual sense; a misogynist is a woman-hater, and a misanthrope is a man-hater.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=QesppquBwgsC&pg=PT1408&lpg=PT1408&dq=misogynist+woman-hater,+misanthrope+man-hater&source=bl&ots=F8br3x1wPm&sig=1koMfbtfuulHxZ9MOTFc48vIhNk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwif6fT3zOnMAhUJGj4KHXu8C-8Q6AEIfjAT#v=onepage&q=misogynist%20woman-hater%2C%20misanthrope%20man-hater&f=false New American Roget's College Thesaurus in Dictionary Form (Revised & Updated)], By Philip D. Morehead, Penguin Books, 2002.</ref> Whatever its meaning, a college sophomore ought to understand it refers to an antisocial personality.

David Maraniss, while promoting a book based upon personal interviews during the Clinton's first term, broached the subject of the Clinton's remaining active in electoral politics beyond Mr. Clinton's presidency suggesting one or the other, or both, running for the Senate.<ref>[http://www.c-span.org/video/?64214-1/book-discussion-first-class Booknotes, C-Span, March 27, 1995.]</ref> Impeachment made it improbable for Mr. Clinton, but when Hillary entered the fray in 2000, it was no secret their eyes were on the White House in 2008 and Hillary was declared "inevitable" by media surrogates and supporters. By 2007 when Barack Obama publicly challenged the notion, Clinton surrogates such as [[Media Matters]] once again began revising the narrative to attack Obama and Clinton critics .<ref>[http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3735821 More Obama Desperation: talks about Hillary and Bill's secret pact of ambition], Sun Nov-18-07 08:22 PM. www.democraticunderground.com</ref>

== U.S. Senate ==
{{Cquote|Saddam Hussein has given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.|20px|20px|Sen. Hillary Clinton, Oct. 12, 2002.<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/politics/war/wmdquotes.asp Fact Check: Words of Mass Destruction], Snopes.com</ref>}}
===Hillary the warhawk===
:''Main article [[Hillary Clinton Senate career]]''
Sen. Hillary Clinton led the fight on the floor of the [[United States Senate]] among Democrats to grant President [[George W. Bush]] authority to remove [[Saddam Hussein]] from [[Iraq]]. Hillary Clinton claimed, based upon her first hand experience over 8 years in the White House, that Saddam was in possession of [[Weapons of Mass Destruction]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkS9y5t0tR0 Hillary Clinton Iraq War Vote Speech]. youtube.com</ref> Sen. Bernie Sanders questioned her judgement, and he and his supporters were ostracized and ridiculed by the Democratic party establishment for doing so.
<ref>[http://www.salon.com/2016/02/22/democrats_who_backed_iraq_now_dare_slime_sanders_foreign_policy_experience/ Democrats who backed Iraq now dare slime Sanders’ foreign policy experience?], Paul Rosenberg, ''Salon'', Feb 22, 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.dailywire.com/news/4709/hillary-panics-sanders-arthritic-fingers-cling-her-ben-shapiro Hillary Panics As Sanders' Arthritic Fingers Cling To Her Electoral Cankles], Ben Shapiro, April 6, 2016. www.dailywire.com</ref><ref>[http://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000154-86bf-da04-a3ff-9ebfd97e0000 Letter from Sen. Bernie Sanders to DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, May 6, 2016].</ref>

Some have likened her to [[Dick Cheney]], [[Donald Rumsfeld]], and George W. Bush rolled into one.

===Voted against protecting children from cluster bombs===
On 6 September 2006 on an amendment to the Defense Appropriations act by Senator [[Dianne Feinstein]], Sen. Hillary Clinton voted against banning the use and sale of cluster bombs in areas with concentrated [[civilian]] populations. Sen. Feinstein argued,
{{quotebox|Innocent children think they are picking up a play toy in the field and suddenly their arm is blown off.<ref>[http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/12/21/425303/-Hillary-Clinton-Voted-to-Continue-Cluster-Bombing-Civilians Hillary Clinton Voted to Continue Cluster Bombing Civilians], By DemocraticLuntz, ''DailyKos'', Dec 21, 2007.</ref>}}
Hillary voted to continue sales while the [[United Nations]] determined that 40% of those killed by cluster munitions are children.<ref>[http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00232 U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 109th Congress - 2nd Session], On the Amendment (Feinstein Amdt. No. 4882 ) Purpose of Bill:To protect civilian lives from unexploded cluster munitions. September 6, 2006.</ref><ref>[http://warisacrime.org/node/31173 Children Are Forty Percent of Cluster Bomb Casualties], BY TV 3 News (New Zealand)</ref> Many of the cluster bombs have been used in [[Yemen]] via the arms transfers Sec. Clinton approved to Saudi Arabia. Thousands of innocent [[children]] have died, or have been permanently disfigured and handicapped due to picking up unexploded cluster bomblets.<ref>[http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251413864 Hillary Clinton Voted to Continue Cluster Bombing Civilians], ''DailyKos'', Feb 15, 2016.</ref>

===Illegal fundraising, 2000===
In January 2006 Hillary Clinton's New York Senate 2000 campaign was fined by the FEC for failing to accurately report $721,895 in contributions.<ref>[http://www.fec.gov/press/press2006/20060126mur.html "Press release, Matter under review 5225"] (January 26, 2006). Federal Election Commission website.</ref>

===Illegal fundraising, 2007===
Norman Hsu was a 'HillRaiser', someone who brought in more than $860,000 for her 2008 presidential campaign, and co-hosted a $1 million fundraiser in Beverly Hills. Hsu had been convicted of defrauding investors of over $1 million in 1992 and had a fugitive warrant out for over 15 years at the time. Hillary had been warned about the source of the contributions earlier, but only returned the money after the scandal became public.

== Islamophobia and racism ==
:''Main article [[Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign]]
Upon being elected to the United States Senate in 2000 Hillary Clinton was declared the inevitable successor to George W. Bush by Clinton mainstream media and pundits.<ref>[http://www.politico.com/blogs/ben-smith/2007/07/hillary-the-inevitable-002123 Hillary the inevitable], By Richard Allen Greene, 07/09/07. politico.com</ref><ref>[https://www.gop.com/reliving-hillarys-history-memories-from-the-last-time-clinton-was-on-the-campaign-trail/ Reliving Hillary’s History: Memories From The Last Time Clinton Was On The Campaign Trail], June 5, 2014. www.gop.com</ref> The Democratic party however was happy to nominate somebody other than whom media sycophants and surrogates anointed. Hillary eventually conceded and was given the job of Secretary of State. This was intended to add foreign policy experience to her résumé, a weakness of the two previous presidents.

===Black lives don't matter===
On the eve of the [[New Hampshire]] primary in 1992, Bill Clinton took off from the campaign trail to sign the death warrant and oversee the execution of a retarded black man, Ricky Ray Rector. Recktor, who had been lobotomized, was mentally incompetent and unable to understand the charges against him.
<ref>[https://skepticalbrotha.wordpress.com/tag/christopher-hitchens/ Christopher Hitchens], Skeptical Brotha. Retrieved 23 June 2016</ref><ref>[http://www.blackstarnews.com/us-politics/elections/bill-clinton-hopped-up-on-whack-ricky-ray-rector-part-2.html Bill Clinton "Hopped Up On Whack" -- Ricky Ray Rector Part 2], Colin Benjamin, Black Star News, April 13, 2016</ref> "It was like executing a child," the prison chaplain said. Hillary, the master strategist of the Clinton's rise, fearing the Willie Horton syndrome which torpedoed [[Michael Dukakis]] in 1988 and the 'monkey business' which destroyed [[Gary Hart]] as well, still defended the execution in 2016.<ref>[https://theintercept.com/2016/03/17/hillary-clintons-indefensible-stance-on-the-death-penalty/ Hillary Clinton’s Indefensible Stance on the Death Penalty], Liliana Segura, ''The Intercept'', Mar. 17 2016</ref><ref>[http://www.salon.com/2016/01/31/the_clintons_sordid_race_game_no_one_will_say_it_but_the_clintons_rise_was_premised_on_repudiating_black_voters/ Jan 31, 2016 04:00 AM MDT The Clintons’ sordid race game: No one will say it, but the Clintons’ rise was premised on repudiating black voters], Corey Robin, ''Salon'', Jan. 31, 2016</ref>

Hillary was at his side when Bill Clinton raised mandatory sentencing guidelines which disproportionately sent Blacks to prison, giving the United States the highest mass incarceration rate in the world.<ref>[https://newrepublic.com/article/129433/clintons-war-drugs-black-lives-didnt-matter The Clintons’ War on Drugs: When Black Lives Didn’t Matter], By Donna Murch, ''The New Republic'', February 9, 2016</ref> The Clinton's championed the “three strikes you're out” law, passed a crime bill that created dozens of new federal capital crimes, mandated life sentences for some three-time offenders, and authorized more than $16 billion for more state prisons. By the time the Clinton's left office in 2001, the United States had the highest rate of incarceration in the world. [[Human Rights Watch]] reported that in seven states, African Americans constituted 80 to 90 percent of all drug offenders even though they were no more likely than whites to use or sell illegal drugs. Prison admissions for drug offenses reached a level in 2000 for African Americans more than 26 times the level they had been under [[Ronald Reagan]].<ref>[https://www.thenation.com/article/hillary-clinton-does-not-deserve-black-peoples-votes/ Why Hillary Clinton Doesn’t Deserve the Black Vote], Michelle Alexander, ''The Nation'', February 10, 2016</ref>

In late 2015, while several American cities smoldered in riots over police shootings, Hillary Clinton had several prison industry lobbyists working as fundraisers on her campaign. The fundraiser-lobbyists worked for the Corrections Corporation of America and Geo Group, which also run most of the [[immigrant]] detention centers.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/h-a-goodman/while-missouri-students-battle-racism-prison-lobbyists-funded-hillary-clintons-campaign_b_8553370.html While Missouri Students Battle Racism, Prison Lobbyists Funded Hillary Clinton’s Campaign], H.A. Goodman, ''Huffington Post'', Nov 13, 2015</ref>

===Naked racism===
A Black Lives Matter activist confront Hillary Clinton in 2016 about the Clinton's history of [[racism]].<ref>[http://fair.org/home/why-did-it-take-an-activist-to-bring-superpredators-into-the-campaign/ Why Did It Take an Activist to Bring ‘Superpredators’ Into the Campaign?], By Jim Naureckas, FAIR, 27 Feb 2016</ref> ''[[Salon]]'' published an article on the dirty little secret among the liberal intelligentsia no one wants to talk about: the Clinton's rise and success has been based on stoking racial fears.<ref>[The Clintons’ sordid race game: No one will say it, but the Clintons’ rise was premised on repudiating black voters], Corey Robin, ''Salon'', Jan 31, 2016</ref> Stan Greenberg conducted the focus groups that dictated the Clinton's daily buzzwords and talking points to provide the fodder and fuel the Clinton's lived and died on. Greenberg's work produced results claiming the Democratic party was too identified with [[Jesse Jackson]] and minorities to speak for 'average Americans' and it needed to appeal to white working class swing voters.<ref>[http://prospect.org/article/crisis-working-majority-0 From Crisis to Working Majority], Stan Greenberg, ''The American Prospect'' 2, no. 7 (September 1991). Republished 24 May 2005</ref>

Perhaps nothing reveals the cold, cruel, calculated and hateful divisiveness in the heart of the woman than her comment to Sam Donaldson on ABC's ''Prime Time Live'' that Gennifer Flowers was the daughter of Willie Horton. Intended as a throwaway line for Democrats, with all the facts in now we see the cynical manipulation of people, particularly blacks and women, and her incipient predations.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=1j6Xy5FnBzkC&pg=PA268&lpg=PA268&dq=gennifer+flowers+is+the+daughter+of+willie+horton&source=bl&ots=LIylbGcmHA&sig=35GnRjdcZx32qV_stExpcJV0PFw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjPgdST5s3NAhUIKGMKHfDfCOgQ6AEIODAE#v=onepage&q=gennifer%20flowers%20is%20the%20daughter%20of%20willie%20horton&f=false The Rhetoric of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton: Crisis Management Discourse], Colleen E. Kelley, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001, pp. 268-269</ref>

In 1992 for the first time in nearly half a century the party platform made no mention of redressing racial injustice. Through triangulation and a policy of 'get tuff on crime', the Clinton's sought to repudiate and distance themselves from the Democratic party's commitment to the struggles of [[African-American]]s. The Clinton's formulated a crime bill purportedly to 'put 100,000 new cops on the street'. Hillary became one of the chief spokespersons referring to black teens as dogs.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsSDqbot-EI Hillary Clinton on "Superpredators"], Mrs. Clinton Campaign Speech Keene State University, January 25, 1996. youtube.com</ref>
{{Cquote|They are not just gangs of kids anymore. They are often the kinds of kids that are called ‘super-predators.’ No conscience, no empathy. We can talk about why they ended up that way but first we have to bring them to heel.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bernie-sanders-slams-clintons-racist-1996-super-predators-comment/ Bernie Sanders slams Clinton's "racist" 1996 super predators comment], By Reena Flores, CBS News, April 14, 2016</ref><ref>[http://fair.org/extra/superscapegoating/ Superscapegoating], Teen 'superpredators' hype set stage for draconian legislation, By Robin Templeton, FAIR, 1 Jan 1998</ref>}}
In the 2008 presidential primaries, the Clinton's were back at it: fostering racial fear and paranoia,<ref>[http://www.alternet.org/story/80258/america's_new_racial_reality%3A_white_minority_status America's New Racial Reality: White Minority Status], While Obama raises the bar for racial understanding, the Democratic Leadership Council leverages white voter fear. By Roberto Lovato / New America Media, March 21, 2008</ref> which by now seemed to be the regular program of the Democratic Leadership Council.<ref>[http://www.blackcommentator.com/46/46_cover.html Muzzling The African-American Agenda With Black Help], Bruce A. Dixon, ''The Black Commentator''. www.blackcommentator.com</ref> They tried to marginalize Obama as the black candidate with comparisons to Jesse Jackson<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/26/bill-clinton-obama-is-jus_n_83406.html Bill Clinton: Obama Is Just Like Jesse Jackson], ''Huffington Post'', 03/28/2008</ref> emphasizing Hillary's 'wide appeal': "Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again", Hillary told ''USA Today''.<ref>[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-05-07-clintoninterview_N.htm Clinton makes case for wide appeal], By Kathy Kiely and Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY, 5/8/2008</ref> She stayed in the race even after it became apparent she lost, according to her, only because Obama might be assassinated.

As heir to the [[New Deal]] tradition and key to the New England donor base, Sen. [[Ted Kennedy]]'s blessing on the candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination was vital. The Clinton's also were seeking bona fides among liberals and the [[civil rights]] movement. Clinton said of Obama, "that boy would have been carrying our bags and getting us coffee a few years ago".<ref>[http://urbanintellectuals.com/2015/07/17/did-you-know-bill-clinton-made-racist-comments-about-barack-obama-when-he-first-ran-for-president/ Did You Know Bill Clinton Made Racist Comments About Barack Obama When He First Ran For President], F. Taylor, Urban Intellectuals, July 17, 2015.</ref> Kennedy was offended by Clinton's racism and refused to give Hillary the endorsement.<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/apr/28/hillaryclinton.usa Hillary has cynically turned to the one argument she has left: race], Gary Younge, ''Guardian'' UK, 2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.alternet.org/story/80258/america's_new_racial_reality%3A_white_minority_status America's New Racial Reality: White Minority Status], While Obama raises the bar for racial understanding, the Democratic Leadership Council leverages white voter fear. By Roberto Lovato / New America Media, March 21, 2008.</ref>

===Birth of the birther movement===
Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign team began spreading [[Islamophobic]] rumors that Obama was a Muslim schooled in a ''madrassa'' as a child in Indonesia.<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/sep/05/bill-clinton-barack-obama-bromance-long-slow-making Bill Clinton and Barack Obama: an alliance long and slow in the making], Gary Younge, ''Guardian'' UK.</ref><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20080506093354/http://www.stop-obama.org/?page_id=23 Who is BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA?] Mission Statement, stop-obama.org</ref> Clinton advisor Sidney Blumenthal, working through his son, Max Blumenthal, was the origin of the rumors that Barack Hussein Obama was a Muslim in order to stir up fear among the electorate which was intended to work to Hillary's benefit.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-great-islamophobic-crusade/ The Great Islamophobic Crusade], CBSNEWS, December 19, 2010. cbsnews.com</ref>

==See also==
*[[Charles Schumer]]
*[[Freedom of Choice Act]]
*[[Clinton Cash]]
*[[Honorarium]]

==References==
{{reflist|3}}

==External links==
*[https://www.hillaryclinton.com Hillary Rodham Clinton 2016 campaign website]
*[https://foia.state.gov/Search/results.aspx?searchText=Clinton+Email&beginDate=&endDate=&publishedBeginDate=&publishedEndDate=&caseNumber= 12,173 declassified stolen Clinton emails recovered by State Department]
*[https://foia.state.gov/Search/Results.aspx?collection=Clinton_Email 30,322 stolen Clinton emails recovered by State Department under the FOIA]
*[https://www.rt.com/usa/complete-emails-guccifer-clinton-554/ Stolen Clinton emails recovered by Russian Television]
*[https://www.scribd.com/doc/229667084/State-of-Arkansas-V-Thomas-Alfred-Taylor State of Arkansas v Thomas Alfred Taylor]. Official record of Hillary Rodham Clinton's 1975 defense of a child rapist.

{{Liberalism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clinton, Hillary Rodham}}
[[Category:Hillary Clinton]]
[[Category:Liberals]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[Category:First Ladies]]
[[Category:Clinton Administration]]
[[Category:Former United States Senators]]
[[Category:2008 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Obama Cabinet]]
[[Category:United States Secretaries of State]]
[[Category:1990s]]
[[Category:2000s]]
[[Category:2010s]]
[[Category:Iraq War]]
[[Category:Anti Second Amendment]]
[[Category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Best Selling Authors]]
[[Category:Corruption]]

Donald Trump

2016-08-05T02:45:23Z

IsabellW: update

[[File:Donald John Trump.jpg|200px|right|thumbnail|Donald J. Trump]]
'''Donald J. Trump''' (b. [[Queens]], [[New York]], on June 14, 1946), nickname "The Donald," (or simply - "The Don") is a successful businessman, entrepreneur, [[television]] personality, and the nominee of the [[Republican Party]] in the [[2016 presidential election]].

Trump has engaged in many financial pursuits and estimates that his net worth is $10 billion.<ref>LoGiurato, Brett (July 25, 2015). [http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-net-worth-2015-7 "We finally know a lot more about Donald Trump's 'massive' net worth"]. Business Insider website.</ref> He graduated from the New York Military Academy in 1964 and first attended college at [[Fordham University]] for two years before transferring to the more competitive [[University of Pennsylvania]] and then completing his studies at the prestigious Wharton School of Finance and Commerce. Trump has five children.

On June 16, 2015, he declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/16/trump-announces-white-house-bid-joins-crowded-gop-field/ "Trump announces White House bid, joins crowded GOP field"] (June 16, 2015). Fox News website/Politics. The front-runner in a record-breaking field of 17 [[Republican]] candidates, Trump announced that he did not anticipate "throwing punches" against his rivals in the first GOP debate. Chiacu, Donna and Torbati, Yeganeh (August 2, 2015). [http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/02/us-usa-election-debate-idUSKCN0Q70NI20150802 "Trump says won't be 'throwing punches' in U.S. Republican debate"]. But at the debate the [[Fox News Channel]]—particularly its [[feminist]] non-journalist [[Megyn Kelly]]—ambushed Trump with out-of-context quotations designed to smear him as somehow being anti-women. This ignited a national controversy that lasted for days, and Trump called upon Kelly to apologize, which she refused to do.</ref> Unlike most other U.S presidential candidates, Trump sharply criticizes the media and talks about issues that no elected official dares touch. For example, Trump stands up against [[feminists]], unlike most politicians. In another example, in 2011 Trump persistently doubted whether [[Barack Obama]] had been born in the [[United States]], which caused Obama's approval ratings to drop below 40% until Obama finally caved in to Trump and produced what Obama claimed was his birth certificate. Trump then scoffed at Obama's conduct.

In February 2011, Trump announced that he is [[pro-life]].<ref>But on August 11, 2015, he indicated that he might support taxpayer funding of [[Planned Parenthood]] for its non-[[abortion]] activities (which builds its brand and funds its overhead).</ref> During the campaign for the Republican nomination, Trump called for women who had [[abortion]]s to be punished for doing so. He quickly flip-flopped on that statement, saying instead that doctors who provide abortions should be punished, not the women who have them.<ref>[https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-statement-regarding-abortion Donald Trump press release]</ref> He later asserted that there should be no federal ban on abortions.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/01/politics/donald-trump-abortion-laws/index.html]"Trump says federal laws should not be changed to outlaw abortion," CNN.com, 1 April 2016.</ref>

Trump's central campaign theme has been to oppose [[illegal immigration]], and he enlisted Senator [[Jeff Sessions]] as an adviser on this issue. As reported by [[Breitbart News Network|Breitbart]], "Sen. Sessions, Chairman of the Senate’s Immigration Subcommittee, is widely regarded as the gold standard on immigration. Sessions has also become the intellectual thought leader in the Republican Party on appealing to the blue collar voters who have been abandoned by their political leaders." <ref>Hahn, Julia (August 14, 2015). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/08/14/game-change-trump-consults-with-sen-jeff-sessions-on-immigration-strategy/ "Game change: Trump consults with Sen Jeff Sessions on immigration strategy"]. Breitbart website/Big government.</ref> However, in recent months, Trump has focused more on [[ISIS]] and terrorism.

In the 2015 [[Value Voters Debate|Value Voters]] poll, Trump performed poorly, coming in fifth, indicating many [[Christian]] [[conservatives]] had not yet warmed up to him.<ref>Flores, Reena (September 26, 2015). [http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-conservative-poll-donald-trump-could-not-win/ "The conservative poll Donald Trump could not win"]. CBSNews website.</ref> Trump is a big supporter of [[gambling]], which most [[conservatives]] oppose. But by 2016 Trump was winning more support from [[evangelical]]s than any other Republican candidate.

==Early life==

Donald Trump attended the First [[Presbyterian]] Church in Jamaica, [[Queens]]. He told the [[Christian Broadcasting Network]] that he still considers himself a [[Presbyterian]] and attends services for all major holidays and Sundays, and that "The [[Bible]] is certainly THE book." He receives Bibles from fans in the mail, and he either stores them or gives them away to others.<ref>Haberman, Maggie (April 11, 2011). [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52942.html "Donald Trump talks about religion"]. Politico website.</ref>

==Career==
[[File:Trump business.jpg|right]]
Donald Trump began his career at Trump Organization. In his college years, he helped revitalize one of his father's failing real estate ventures. Trump began opening hotels and casinos, which provided him with the cash flow to engage in other ventures. He owns the world-famous Trump Tower and is the founder of the publicly traded Trump Hotel Casinos & Resorts. Trump also owns the Trump brand, which sells a variety of items, such as bottled water, steak, and even mortgages. Trump has authored a number of books and weathered changing business fortunes, but despite the challenges that he has encountered, he has continued to be a successful businessman and entrepreneur.

Trump considered [[presidential election 2012|running for President in 2012]] as a [[Republican]]. He, among others, questioned the citizenship of [[Barack Obama]], citing his failure to produce his birth certificate. After Obama produced his birth certificate, Trump and the other [[birther]]s continue to doubt its authenticity. Obama's approval ratings were around 40% during the peak of the controversy. Trump later exited the race, and gave the customary endorsement to [[Mitt Romney]] as the other [[Republican]] contenders did.

==Major properties==

*Trump World Tower: 845 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY.

*Trump Tower: 725 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10022 Personal Residence

*Trump Taj Mahal

*Trump Marina

*Bank of America Center (San Francisco)

*The Trump Building at 40 Wall Street

*Trump Plaza

*Trump Park Avenue

*Trump Entertainment Resorts

*TrumpStreet Casino & Entertainment Complex, Philadelphia

*AXA Financial Center, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY

*Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago

*Trump International Hotel & Casino Las Vegas

*Mar-A-Lago Palm Beach

*Four golf courses in the U.S.

==Media==
[[File:Donald Trump star.JPG|thumbnail|left|Hollywood Walk of Fame]]
In 2003 Trump began as the host and executive producer of the reality [[television]] show ''The Apprentice'' and ''The Celebrity Apprentice'', where contestants compete for a position in Trump's organization. On this show, Trump popularized his catchphrase "You're fired!"

Trump owns the Miss Universe Pageant. Controversy arose when one of the winners, Tara Conner, was caught breaking pageant rules by drinking and other activities. Trump gave her a second chance after personally speaking with her and allowed her to retain her crown as she attended rehabilitation. For several weeks after this, [[Rosie O'Donnell]] berated Trump for his decision on ''The View''. A bitter media war ensued with the two exchanging insults.

Trump has made many guest appearances, usually as himself, on many TV shows and in several movies.

Childish [[liberals]] are vandalizing Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame three times a day. A person asked about the vandalism said Trump has it coming.<ref>[http://video.breitbart.com/?ndn.trackingGroup=90085&ndn.siteSection=breitbart2slider_nws_us_sec&ndn.videoId=30599129&freewheel=90085&sitesection=breitbart2slider_nws_us_sec&vid=30599129 Trump Walk of Fame Star vandalized daily]</ref>

==Political positions==

====Abortion====

At the 2011 [[CPAC]] conference, Trump announced he is [[pro-life]].<ref>Rahn, Will (February 10, 2011). [http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/10/trump-at-cpac-points-to-white-house-run/ "Trump at CPAC points to White House run"]. The Daily Caller website.</ref>

====Affordable Care Act====

Trump intends to "repeal and replace" [[Obamacare]].<ref name=Educ>Breitbart.tv (February 9, 2011). [http://www.breitbart.com/video/2011/02/09/pro-life-donald-trump-would-eliminate-dept-of-education-impose-25-tax-on-china-imports-if-president/ "Pro-life Donald Trump would eliminate Dept of Education, impose 25% tax on China imports if president"]. Breitbart.com.</ref> However, Trump has also said, "I like the mandate,"<ref>[http://dailycaller.com/2016/02/19/trump-on-obamacare-i-like-the-mandate-video/ "Trump On Obamacare: ‘I Like The Mandate’"]</ref> so it is difficult to tell how he would deal with the law as President.

====Controversy with Barack Obama====

Trump has also questioned Barack Obama's constitutional eligibility to be President, in light of the ongoing questions surrounding his birth certificate.<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=280533 "Trump: Obama spending millions to hide his past"] (March 28, 2011). WorldNetDaily website.</ref> Trump questioned whether the Obama Administration was successful in negotiating with foreign countries.

====Department of Education====

At the 2011 [[CPAC]] conference, he stated that he wants to eliminate the Department of Education.<ref name=Educ/>

====Foreign policy====
Trump wants to improve relationships with [[Russia]]n president [[Vladimir Putin]].<ref>Johnson, Simon (July 31, 2015). [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11775145/Donald-Trump-Id-get-on-very-well-with-Putin-if-I-were-president.html "Donald Trump: I'd get on 'very well' with Putin if I were president"]. The Telegraph [U.K.] website.</ref>

Trump says the [[Iran]] deal is bad, but as president he would enforce it anyway.

====Global warming====

Trump does not believe in the [[Climate Change]] hysteria, once stating the "Nobel committee should take the Nobel Prize back from [[Al Gore]]."

====Second Amendment rights====

Trump is strongly pro-[[Second Amendment]] and against [[leftist]] [[gun control]] and gun free zones. As president, Trump has promised to re-arm military personnel on all American military bases as well as [[ROTC]] recruitment centers, which were disarmed by the [[Clinton Administration]] policy.<ref name=Educ/>

====Homosexual agenda====

For all practical purposes, Trump seems to be on the side of the [[homosexual agenda]]. He supports the creation of new law by the [[U.S. Supreme Court]], as in a new right to [[homosexual marriage]], and declares it the "law of the land" even though Congress passed no such law.

Trump has attended multiple [[same-sex marriage]] ceremonies, but has also said in the past that he opposes same-sex marriage. Trump's views are not yet known on other aspects of the [[homosexual agenda]], such as whether Trump would ban [[conversion therapy]] for minors as [[Chris Christie]] did. The [[Fox News Channel]] debate in August avoided these issues, but future debates will probably require Trump to declare his position.

====Immigration====

See the discussion in the introduction above. This is Trump's main campaign issue.

A central part of his immigration plan is to build a giant wall on the border with Mexico. Trump estimates it will cost $8 billion, approximately 35 to 40 feet high and stretch 2000 miles.<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/09/donald-trump-the-wall-is-probably-8-billion Trump Border Wall]</ref>

Trump has also proposed to temporarily ban [[Muslims]] from entering the United States, until "our leaders figure out what the hell is going on," in order to protect Americans from the threats posed by [[Islamic]] [[refugee]]s (and those pretending to be<ref>[http://m.washingtonexaminer.com/isis-fighters-infiltrating-syrian-refugees-uk-is-warned/article/2572051 ISIS fighters infiltrating Syrian refugees, UK is warned]</ref>) entering the country.<ref>[http://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/donald-trump-insists-muslim-ban-is-about-safety-not-religion Donald Trump Insists Muslim Ban Is About Safety, Not Religion]</ref>

====Political contributions====

He has been criticized for his substantial contributions to [[Democrat]] lawmakers; the majority of those lawmakers are located in the states he resides in: New York and Florida. The amount he has donated since 2008 is $25,000, which is insignificant considering his wealth.<ref>Allin, Olivia (April 30, 2011). [http://www.ontheredcarpet.com/Donald-Trump-calls-nations-leaders-stupid-people-and-blood-sucking-politicians/8104644 "OTRC: Donald Trump calls nation's leaders 'stupid people' and 'blood-sucking politicians'"]. OnTheRedCarpet [news]. Retrieved from ABC7 [KABC Television, Los Angeles] website.</ref>

====Tariffs====

At the 2011 [[CPAC]] conference, he stated that he supports a 25% tariff on Chinese goods.<ref name=Educ/> The number floated around in 2016 is a 45% tariff. Trump was speaking in regards to China and the [[World Trade Organization]],<ref>[http://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-finance-ministerlou-jiwei-takes-aim-at-donald-trumps-trade-policies-1460892988 Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei Takes Aim at Donald Trump’s Trade Policies, WallStreetJournal, April 17, 2016]</ref>

{{cquote|In a statement from his campaign, Mr. Trump charged that [[China]] was “in total violation of WTO regulations” and that the U.S. “has incompetently allowed them to get away with this” and has failed to impose “equal or greater taxes and tariffs” on China. If he is elected president, Mr. Trump said, China “will learn to deal fairly and justly or we will not deal at all” with Beijing.}}

====Vaccines====
Trump believes that [[vaccines]] cause [[autism]]<ref>Ferris, Sarah (September 16, 2015). [http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/253980-trump-links-vaccines-to-autism-epidemic "Trump links vaccines to autism 'epidemic'"]. The Hill website/Policy/Healthcare.</ref> and has argued against requiring that so many vaccines be given to infants.
==== Eminent domain====
Trump believes that the government has the right to take private property upon paying just compensation for both infrastructure and to promote economic development.
==== Supreme Court====
Trump opposes filling the Supreme Court seat held by [[Antonin Scalia]] before the next President takes office. When asked who he might select to the Supreme Court, he said that his sister, a sitting federal court judge, would make a great Supreme Court justice.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/423196/trump-praises-his-sister-pro-abortion-extremist-judge-ramesh-ponnuru|title=Trump Praises His Sister, a Pro-Abortion Extremist Judge|date=Aug 27, 2015|accessdate=February 21, 2016}}</ref>

==Books==
''Trump: The Art of the Deal'' with Tony Schwartz (1987) 
''Trump: Surviving at the Top'' with Charles Leerhsen (1990) 
''Trump: The Art of the Comeback'' with Kate Bohner (1997) 
''The America We Deserve'' with Dave Shiflett (2000) 
''Trump: How to Get Rich'' with Meredith McIver (2004) 
''Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know about Success, Real Estate and Life'' with Meredith McIver (2005) 
''Why We Want You to Be Rich: Two Men, One Message'' with Meredith McIver and Robert T. Kiyosaki (2006) 
''Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life'' with Bill Zanker (2007) 
''Trump: Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success'' with Meredith McIver (2008) 
''Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life'' with Meredith McIver (2009) 
''Midas Touch: Why Some Entrepreneurs Get Rich—and Why Most Don't'' with Robert T. Kiyosaki (2011) 
''Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again'' (2011) 
''Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again'' (2015)

==Quotes from the 2016 campaign for President==

Trump's tactics of naming and shaming candidates has been proven very effective. He called Jeb Bush 'low-energy Jeb' and it stuck. Then came Marco Rubio as 'Little Marco.' Next came 'Lyin' Ted' for Ted Cruz. For the Democrats, he calls Hillary Clinton 'Crooked Hillary'. He doesn't give Bernie Sanders the same treatment though he has referred to him as a Communist.

*"I think we have a president who, as a president, is totally incompetent, and he doesn’t know what he’s doing. I think he has no idea what he’s doing. And our country is going to [[hell]]."<ref>http://time.com/4210983/republican-debate-barack-obama-incompetent/</ref>
*"I will be the greatest jobs president that [[God]] ever created."
*"I’m using my own money. I’m not using the lobbyists. I’m not using donors. I don’t care. I’m really rich."
*"Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people."
*"Nobody would be tougher on ISIS than Donald Trump. Nobody. Within our military, I will find the General Patton, or I will find General MacArthur, I will find the right guy."
*"I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will have [[Mexico]] pay for that wall."
*"I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct."<ref>http://video.foxnews.com/v/4406746003001/watch-a-replay-of-fox-news-prime-time-presidential-debate/?#sp=show-clips</ref><ref>https://www.google.com/search?q=a+big+problem+with+our+country+is+too+politically+incorrect&oq=a+big+problem+with+our+country+is+too+politically+incorrect&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64l3.8295j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=119&ie=UTF-8</ref>

==Quotes from Twitter==
[[File:Screenshot 2015-09-28-12-11-31-1.png|right|300px|Thumb|Tweet from Billionaire Carl Icahn]]

{{Cquote| '''Somebody said I’m the Ernest Hemingway of 140 characters.'''}}

* "An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that @BarackObama's birth certificate is a fraud."<ref>Trump, Donald J. (August 6, 2012, 1:23 pm). [http://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/232572505238433794 "An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that @BarackObama's birth certificate is a fraud."] Tweet by @realDonaldTrump.</ref>
* "It’s amazing how people can talk about me but I’m not allowed to talk about them."<ref>Trump, Donald J. (November 13, 2012, 12:23pm). [http://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/268449146711703553 "It’s amazing how people can talk about me but I’m not allowed to talk about them."] Tweet by @realDonaldTrump.</ref>
* "This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bull**** has got to stop. Our planet is freezing, record low temps,and our GW scientists are stuck in ice."<ref>Trump, Donald J. (January 1, 2014, 4:39pm). [http://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/418542137899491328 "This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bull**** has got to stop. Our planet is freezing, record low temps,and our GW scientists are stuck in ice."] Tweet by @realDonaldTrump.</ref>
====2015====
* "So many 'politically correct' fools in our country. We have to all get back to work and stop wasting time and energy on nonsense!" (August 8, 2015)
* "Notice that illegal immigrants will be given ObamaCare and free college tuition but nothing has been mentioned about our VETERANS #DemDebate" (October 13, 2015)
* "They laughed at me when I said to bomb the ISIS controlled oil fields. Now they are not laughing and doing what I said." (November 13, 2015)
* "President Obama said 'ISIL continues to shrink' in an interview just hours before the horrible attack in Paris. He is just so bad! CHANGE." (November 14, 2015)
* "Refugees from Syria are now pouring into our great country. Who knows who they are - some could be ISIS. Is our president insane?" (November 17, 2015)
* "Eight Syrians were just caught on the southern border trying to get into the U.S. ISIS maybe? I told you so. WE NEED A BIG & BEAUTIFUL WALL!" (November 19, 2015)
====2016====
* "Hillary said that guns don't keep you safe. If she really believes that she should demand that her heavily armed bodyguards quickly disarm!" (January 3, 2016)
* "I wonder if President Obama would have attended the funeral of Justice Scalia if it were held in a Mosque? Very sad that he did not go!" (February 20, 2016)
* "The organized group of people, many of them thugs, who shut down our First Amendment rights in Chicago, have totally energized America!" (March 12, 2016)
* "Why is it that the horrendous protesters, who scream, curse punch, shut down roads/doors during my RALLIES, are never blamed by media? SAD!" (March 20, 2016)
* "Do you all remember how beautiful and safe a place Brussels was. Not anymore, it is from a different world! U.S. must be vigilant and smart!" (March 22, 2016)
* "For the 1st time in American history, America’s 16,500 border patrol agents have issue[d] a presidential primary endorsement—me! Thank you." (April 1, 2016)

==Other quotes==
* "[T]he country is going to hell."<ref>Cassidy, Chris (March 19, 2015). [http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/us_politics/2015/03/country_is_going_to_hell_claims_donald_trump "'Country is going to hell,' claims Donald Trump"]. BostonHerald.com website.</ref>
* "We have no leader in this country.”<ref>Reisner, Hiram (April 22, 2011). [http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/donaldtrump-karlrove-gop-birther/2011/04/22/id/393742 "Trump: I'd just take Libyan oil"]. NewsMax website.</ref>
* "Our leaders are stupid, they are stupid people."<ref>Pierce, Tony (April 29, 2011). [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/04/donald-trump-in-vegas-our-leaders-are-stupid-they-are-stupid-people.html "Donald Trump in Vegas: 'Our leaders are stupid; they are stupid people'"]. Los Angeles Times website/Top of the Ticket blog.</ref>
* "I can tell you I am [the 2012 Obama campaign's] worst nightmare."<ref>Mooney, Alexander (April 11, 2011). [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/11/trump-says-he-is-obama-campaigns-worst-nightmare/comment-page-6/ "Trump says he is Obama campaign's worst nightmare"]. Cable News Network website/politicalticker blog.</ref>
* "Obama has no solutions."<ref>Coz, Steve (August 19, 2012). [http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/trump-gibbs-fox-obama/2012/08/19/id/449050/ "Trump fires back at Obama campaign smear"]. Newsmax website/Newsfront.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Donald Trump's religious views]]
* [[Essay:Donald Trump One Two Body Blow]]
* [[The Chalkening]]
* [[Trump University]]
* [[Kathryn Steinle]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://www.trump.com Official website]
* [http://www.LyingCrookedHillary.com LyingCrookedHillary.com]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw8c2Cq-vpg The Untruth About Donald Trump] by [[Stefan Molyneux]], Published on Jan 18, 2016
* [http://www.untruthaboutdonaldtrump.com UntruthAboutDonaldTrump.com]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yyoauXmzjg Do Emotions Trump Facts?] [[Thomas Sowell]] on Donald Trump - Rebutted! by Stefan Molyneux
* [http://shouldtrumprun.com/ Should Donald Run? Polling]
* [http://gop12.thehill.com/2011/04/trump-explains-conversion-on-abortion.html Trump explains his pro-life conversion]
* [https://www.donaldjtrump.com Donald Trump 2016 campaign website]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZq3iCn2y74 Inside of Trump's Boeing 757]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trump, Donald}}

[[Category:Celebrities]]
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Best Selling Authors]]
[[Category:Liberal Conservatism]]
[[Category:Billionaires]]
[[Category:United States Presidential Elections]]
[[Category:2016 presidential election]]

Ann Romney

2016-05-20T04:53:32Z

IsabellW: update

'''Ann Romney''' (born April 16, 1949) is best known as the wife of former [[Massachusetts]] governor and [[Republican]] presidential candidate [[Mitt Romney]], who lost the [[Presidential Election 2012]]. She was First Lady of Massachusetts from 2003 through 2007.

Ann Romney raised five children. She is now suffering from [[multiple sclerosis]].
{{DEFAULTSORT: Romney, Ann}}
[[Category:Women]]

Intellectual arrogance

2016-05-20T04:47:37Z

IsabellW: fuck you

'''Intellectual arrogance''' is a set of characteristics that tends to blind an otherwise intelligence person -- OTHERWISE "INTELLIGENCE" PERSON?! Oh the irony!!!-- to recognizing the truth. These include:

*a lack of logical rigor, resorting instead to preconceived notions or what one thinks he learned in school
*a [[double standard]] to avoid admitting personal error, particularly an intellectual mistake
*a lack of humility like [[Isaac Newton]]'s declaration that he understood very little
*assuming one is always correct without having sufficiently studied an opposing position
*refusing to address another's position, arrogantly assuming their argument is "beneath them"; a failure to even listen to opposing views.
*thinking you're an expert in every field.
*asserting a dubious argument is obviously true or simply follows from logic, rather than proving or providing evidence for it.

Intellectual arrogance leads to mistaken conclusions.
[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Epistemology]]

Atheism and romance

2016-05-20T04:43:33Z

IsabellW: more sense

[[File:220px-Mars symbol.svg.png|thumbnail|right|200px|In the [[Western World]] and globally, a significant majority of atheists are men. See: [[Atheism and women]]. ]]
Unlike actual educated people, who have sufficient command of the English language to write coherently, "Conservative" constantly contributes sub-literate nonsense to this website. For proof, see below!

== Atheism and factors which impede romance ==

=== Gender imbalance: Significantly less atheist women ===

In addition, there is a large gender imbalance in the atheist population (see: [[Atheism and women]]). In 2016, Atheist Alliance International (AAI) conducted an annually reoccurring atheist census project and found: "At the time of writing, the Atheist Census Project recorded that on average worldwide 73.2% of respondents were male. The result is consistent with other research... As such, the focus of many scholarly papers has been on seeking to explain this persistent observation."<ref>[https://www.atheistalliance.org/about-aai/position-statements/1206-aai-position-statement-gender-balance.html AAI Position Statement - Gender Balance]</ref>

=== Atheism complicating dating and lasting romantic relationships ===

An atheist who lives in a [[theism|theistic]] society wrote at Atheist Nexus website forum:
{{Cquote|I am looking to establish a dialog about people's thoughts on discrimination or complications that Atheism has caused in your love lives, or the love lives of people around you. I have heard many stories of people who have had trouble finding that special someone and even people who have had marriages fail over this issue. In my own life, since I have "come out" as an Atheist... I have experienced a lot of let downs in my love life because of people that cannot seem to accept my lack of belief.

One particular instance was the most frustrating because the woman I was dating was an [[agnosticism|Agnostic]] who didn't really have a solid stance one way or another on anything spiritual/religious... but she still just couldn't accept the fact that I didn't believe in some kind of higher power....

That isn't the only problem that I've had in this capcity... I've had Christians who refused outright to get involved with me because of their faith... and we all know that the majority of people out there are Christians and Muslims, both of which have strict rules on faith in this regard. I've had Pagans (two, in fact) get into arguments with me that were started by them and that lead to a falling out. It just seems to me that finding love as a non-believer is much more difficult than for the broader spectrum of people out there.<ref>[http://atheistnexus.org/forum/topics/2182797:Topic:94272 Does Atheism Complicate Dating, Romance and Love?]</ref>}}

==== Bible and interfaith marriages ====

The Bible teaches Christians not to marry a non-Christian (The Bible also teaches a believer to stay married to a non-believer if you are already married).<ref>http://www.gotquestions.org/household-salvation.html</ref>

==== Interfaith marriage statistics ====

Interfaith marriages often have greater marital friction and interfaith marriages historically have had higher rates of divorce.<ref>http://blogs.chron.com/believeitornot/2010/06/interfaith_marriages_more_like_1.html</ref> According to a ''Washington Post'' article, "According to calculations based on the American Religious Identification Survey of 2001, people who had been in mixed-religion marriages were three times more likely to be divorced or separated than those who were in same-religion marriages." <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/04/AR2010060402011.html Interfaith marriages are rising fast, but they're failing fast too], By Naomi Schaefer Riley
Sunday, June 6, 2010</ref> Therefore, it would not be surprising if atheist/theist marriages also have increased marital friction and higher rates of divorce since these two worldviews are so different.

== Atheism and marriage ==

''See also:'' [[Atheism and marriage]] and [[Atheist marriages]]

[[Christian apologetics|Christian apologist]] Michael Caputo wrote:
{{cquote|Recently the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has published its mammoth study on Religion in America based on 35,000 interviews... According to the Pew Forum a whopping 37% of atheists never marry as opposed to 19% of the American population, 17% of Protestants and 17% of Catholics.<ref>http://creation.com/atheism</ref>}}

[[Vox Day|Theodore Beale]] declared that according to the 2001 [[American Religious Identification Survey]] (ARIS) "more than half of all atheists and [[agnosticism|agnostics]] don’t get married."<ref>http://creation.com/atheism</ref>

== Christian satire about atheism and romantic love ==
[[File:TFT.JPG|thumb|right|300px|[[True Freethinker]] is a [[Christian apologetics]] website run by Ken Ammi which offers many refutations of [[atheism]].]]
''See also:'' [[Christian marriage]] and [[Atheism and marriage]] and [[Atheist marriages]]

The [[Christianity|Christian]] apologist [[True Freethinker|Ken Ammi]], in order to demonstrate the moral and spiritual poverty of atheism, [[satire|satirically]] gave this example of words that would be appropriate for an "Atheist [[Valentine's Day]]" card:
{{cquote|I am currently secreting manifestations of brain stuff towards you...

My cost-benefit analysis has concluded that you qualify as a mate, adequate to assist my survival and reproducing my genes - will you be my valentines.<ref>[http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/atheist-saint-valentine-s-day-cards-4?slide=25012866#main Atheist Saint Valentine's Day Cards] by [[Ken Ammi]], Examiner, October 29, 2010</ref>}}

== See also ==

*[[Atheism and love]]

*[[Atheism and social/interpersonal intelligence]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

[[Category:Atheism]]

Atheism and romance

2016-05-20T04:42:04Z

IsabellW: sense

[[File:220px-Mars symbol.svg.png|thumbnail|right|200px|In the [[Western World]] and globally, a significant majority of atheists are men. See: [[Atheism and women]]. ]]
Unlike actual educated people, who have sufficient command of the English language to write coherently, "Conservative" constantly contributes sub-literate nonsense to this website.

== Atheism and factors which impede romance ==

=== Gender imbalance: Significantly less atheist women ===

In addition, there is a large gender imbalance in the atheist population (see: [[Atheism and women]]). In 2016, Atheist Alliance International (AAI) conducted an annually reoccurring atheist census project and found: "At the time of writing, the Atheist Census Project recorded that on average worldwide 73.2% of respondents were male. The result is consistent with other research... As such, the focus of many scholarly papers has been on seeking to explain this persistent observation."<ref>[https://www.atheistalliance.org/about-aai/position-statements/1206-aai-position-statement-gender-balance.html AAI Position Statement - Gender Balance]</ref>

=== Atheism complicating dating and lasting romantic relationships ===

An atheist who lives in a [[theism|theistic]] society wrote at Atheist Nexus website forum:
{{Cquote|I am looking to establish a dialog about people's thoughts on discrimination or complications that Atheism has caused in your love lives, or the love lives of people around you. I have heard many stories of people who have had trouble finding that special someone and even people who have had marriages fail over this issue. In my own life, since I have "come out" as an Atheist... I have experienced a lot of let downs in my love life because of people that cannot seem to accept my lack of belief.

One particular instance was the most frustrating because the woman I was dating was an [[agnosticism|Agnostic]] who didn't really have a solid stance one way or another on anything spiritual/religious... but she still just couldn't accept the fact that I didn't believe in some kind of higher power....

That isn't the only problem that I've had in this capcity... I've had Christians who refused outright to get involved with me because of their faith... and we all know that the majority of people out there are Christians and Muslims, both of which have strict rules on faith in this regard. I've had Pagans (two, in fact) get into arguments with me that were started by them and that lead to a falling out. It just seems to me that finding love as a non-believer is much more difficult than for the broader spectrum of people out there.<ref>[http://atheistnexus.org/forum/topics/2182797:Topic:94272 Does Atheism Complicate Dating, Romance and Love?]</ref>}}

==== Bible and interfaith marriages ====

The Bible teaches Christians not to marry a non-Christian (The Bible also teaches a believer to stay married to a non-believer if you are already married).<ref>http://www.gotquestions.org/household-salvation.html</ref>

==== Interfaith marriage statistics ====

Interfaith marriages often have greater marital friction and interfaith marriages historically have had higher rates of divorce.<ref>http://blogs.chron.com/believeitornot/2010/06/interfaith_marriages_more_like_1.html</ref> According to a ''Washington Post'' article, "According to calculations based on the American Religious Identification Survey of 2001, people who had been in mixed-religion marriages were three times more likely to be divorced or separated than those who were in same-religion marriages." <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/04/AR2010060402011.html Interfaith marriages are rising fast, but they're failing fast too], By Naomi Schaefer Riley
Sunday, June 6, 2010</ref> Therefore, it would not be surprising if atheist/theist marriages also have increased marital friction and higher rates of divorce since these two worldviews are so different.

== Atheism and marriage ==

''See also:'' [[Atheism and marriage]] and [[Atheist marriages]]

[[Christian apologetics|Christian apologist]] Michael Caputo wrote:
{{cquote|Recently the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has published its mammoth study on Religion in America based on 35,000 interviews... According to the Pew Forum a whopping 37% of atheists never marry as opposed to 19% of the American population, 17% of Protestants and 17% of Catholics.<ref>http://creation.com/atheism</ref>}}

[[Vox Day|Theodore Beale]] declared that according to the 2001 [[American Religious Identification Survey]] (ARIS) "more than half of all atheists and [[agnosticism|agnostics]] don’t get married."<ref>http://creation.com/atheism</ref>

== Christian satire about atheism and romantic love ==
[[File:TFT.JPG|thumb|right|300px|[[True Freethinker]] is a [[Christian apologetics]] website run by Ken Ammi which offers many refutations of [[atheism]].]]
''See also:'' [[Christian marriage]] and [[Atheism and marriage]] and [[Atheist marriages]]

The [[Christianity|Christian]] apologist [[True Freethinker|Ken Ammi]], in order to demonstrate the moral and spiritual poverty of atheism, [[satire|satirically]] gave this example of words that would be appropriate for an "Atheist [[Valentine's Day]]" card:
{{cquote|I am currently secreting manifestations of brain stuff towards you...

My cost-benefit analysis has concluded that you qualify as a mate, adequate to assist my survival and reproducing my genes - will you be my valentines.<ref>[http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/atheist-saint-valentine-s-day-cards-4?slide=25012866#main Atheist Saint Valentine's Day Cards] by [[Ken Ammi]], Examiner, October 29, 2010</ref>}}

== See also ==

*[[Atheism and love]]

*[[Atheism and social/interpersonal intelligence]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

[[Category:Atheism]]

Bernie Sanders

2015-11-06T23:25:51Z

IsabellW:

{{Officeholder
|name=Bernie Sanders
|image=Sanders.jpg
|party=[[Independent]] (Caucuses with Democrats)
|spouse=Jane O'Meara
|religion=[[Judaism]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Vermont
|terms=January 3, 2007 – Present
|preceded=Jim Jeffords
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/representative
|state=Vermont
|district=at-large
|terms=January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2007
|preceded=Peter Smith
|former=n
|succeeded=Peter Welch
}}
}}

'''Bernard "Bernie" Sanders''', born September 8, 1941 (age {{age|1941|9|8}}), is a [[United States Senate|United States Senator]], representing [[Vermont]]. Sanders identifies as a [[socialist|democratic socialist]]. He calls himself an Independent but always caucuses with [[Democrats]]. Previously, he served in the House of Representatives for eight terms, after serving several terms as mayor of Burlington. Sanders has a 100% pro-[[abortion]] voting record. Sanders is also a film-maker, having made a documentary about [[Eugene V. Debs]] in 1979.

At a press conference on April 30, 2015, Sanders announced that he is running for the Democrat nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]]. He held an "official launch" on May 26.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/04/29/vermont-sen-bernie-sanders-am-running-for-president/</ref>

Sanders has a devout following, made up of many of the same people that voted for [[Barack Hussein Obama]]. He tickles his supporters' ears with all the usual [[Marxist]] claptrap; America is bad, banks are bad, equality, the middle class, minimum wage, free healthcare, free college, a government so big it will be like living in a [[utopia]].

==2016 Campaign==
Sanders calls himself an outsider and anti-establishment. He has spent the last 40 years in politics. He is in fact an insider and the establishment.

Sanders does take pleasure in creating the same straw men as Obama. Specifically, the GOP war on women. Calls to defund [[Planned Parenthood]] is an opportunity for Sanders to denounce the treatment of women. He would kill a child in the womb for any reason and at any term but the GOP is extremist. Sanders will say the GOP wants to deny women's health services. The facts are that 13,000 women's health centers are available that are not owned by Planned Parenthood. He supports babies chopped up and sold for parts. No concern for underage victims of rape not being reported. He is indifferent to the fraudulent billing of the US government.

Class warfare is favorite theme for Sanders, pitting rich against the poor. His Marxist lynch pin is the argument that the banks are too big. He also claims that billionaires are hurting the country, citing the Koch brothers over and over. He believes that America needs to spend another $18 trillion dollars despite being $18 Trillion in debt. He has also made claims supporting single-payer healthcare, free college tuition, etc.

In one rant, Sanders claimed that Americans needlessly have too many choices when it comes to deodorant brands, noting that he counted 23 different types of the product for sale. Somehow he tied the story into feeding the poor. Reason.com produced a satirical video mocking its absurdity titled [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fspZiT8TdBE "The Bernie Sanders Save The Children Fund."]

He has said that [[America]] is racist, and he puts down America almost daily.

Sanders is the author of "Rape Essays," a 1972 text on sexual behavior filled with lurid sexual language. Because he is a leftist, he was able to explain the text away without the media hounding him over it.

Sanders uses [[Christian socialism]] to further his campaign, citing Pope Francis. However, Sanders cherry picks what elements of Christianity he agrees with and ignores the rest. He told a crowd of 300 in [[Alabama]] that [[Jesus]] was a socialist. <ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/07/14/jesus-was-a-socialist-bernie-sanders-rocks-alabama/ ‘JESUS WAS A SOCIALIST': BERNIE SANDERS ROCKS ALABAMA, Breitbart, July 14, 2015]</ref>

==Controversial votes==
In all of his years in politics, Sanders never authored a bill that made it into law. Conservative Review has compiled a Liberty Score on Sanders. He gets a F at just 16%.

Sanders headed the Veterans Affairs Committee. Under his purview; waiting list deaths, destruction and manipulation of medical records, whistleblowers punished, opiate abuse, fraud unpunished, mismanagement rewarded with pay raises, wait times to see a doctor has never been longer. Sanders has done next to nothing to fix these issues. Even today while he campaigns, he is still a member of the committee and has no plans to turn the duties over to somebody that will give it the time it deserves to fix.

During Bernie Sanders 2006 Senatorial campaign, it back. [[Republican]] opponent Rich Tarrant made an issue over Sanders 2003 vote against the [[Amber Alert]]. Which is a notification to the general public, by various media outlets in [[Canada]] and in the [[United States]], when police confirmed that a child has been abducted. The bill passed in the House of Representatives 410-14. Every United States Senator voted for it, including Vermont Senators [[Patrick Leahy]] and [[Jim Jeffords]]. He was also one of only nineteen Congressman to vote against the Women's Rights HIV Testing –Passage. Which would allow sexual assault victims to find out the HIV status of their suspected assailant.

After countless stories of election fraud by the group ACORN, Bernie Sanders was one of seven Democrats that voted to continue funding [[ACORN]]. The vote failed and ACORN was stripped of funding in the Senate <ref>[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/27153.html Senate denies ACORN funding, Politico, September 14, 2009]</ref> Bill Wilson of [[Americans for Limited Government]] said, "The ACORN Housing Corporation has long been pushing the very loose-lending policies that helped destroy the housing industry. And now it has been exposed for working with prostitutes, as well. Yet, these seven Senators [Sanders] have knowingly voted to keep sending taxpayer money to a highly corrupt organization of pushers and pimps," <ref>[http://politicomafioso.blogspot.com/2009/09/alg-condemns-7-senators-for-voting-to.html ALG Condemns 7 Senators,Politico Mafioso, September 16, 2009]</ref>

==Eugene Debs Documentary==
In 1979, Sanders wrote, directed, and lent his voice for Debs' dialogue<ref>[http://www.businessinsider.com/bernie-sanders-loves-eugene-v-debs-documentary-2015-9 A documentary that Bernie Sanders made about a socialist politician 36 years ago says a lot about his politics today], [[Business Insider]]</ref> in a documentary which shows a long-standing respect on part of Sanders for what Debs stood for.<ref>[http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/425839/bernie-sanders-documentary-eugene-debs Bernie Sanders’s Documentary on Eugene Debs], [[National Review]]</ref>

==References==
<References/>

==External links==
*[http://www.sanders.senate.gov/ Senate site]
*[https://berniesanders.com Bernie Sanders 2016 campaign website]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w82pFvUq3o8 Bernie Sanders' 1979 Eugene Debs Documentary]
*[http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/folkways/FW05571.pdf Trade Unionist, Socialist, Revolutionary - Eugene V. Debs, 1855 - 1926], Transcript of Sanders' documentary

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanders, Bernie}}
[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category:110th United States Congress]]
[[Category:111th United States Congress]]
[[Category:112th United States Congress]]
[[Category:113th United States Congress]]
[[Category:114th United States Congress]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[Category:Third Party Politicians]]
[[Category:Socialists]]
[[Category:Vermont]]
[[Category:American Jews]]
[[Category:Anti Second Amendment]]
[[Category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Talk:Underrated Sports Stars

2015-08-06T23:44:01Z

IsabellW:

How is Serena Williams underrated? She's ranked #1 in the world by a huge margin![http://www.wtatennis.com/rankings] [[User:IsabellW|IsabellW]] 13:55, 1 August 2015 (EDT)

:Selena is ranked #1 because she is far superior to every other player. The media do not give her the full credit she deserves ... because she is a devout [[Christian]].--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 19:32, 2 August 2015 (EDT)
::Ho hum... Serena is one of the very few leading female athletes who is '''not''' underrated by the media! I really wonder about this website sometimes... [[User:StaceyT|StaceyT]] ([[User talk:StaceyT|talk]]) 19:39, 2 August 2015 (EDT)
:::How are the media not giving Ms. Williams "the full credit she deserves"? She is the most well-known tennis player in the world right now. She didn't get that way by being ignored by the media. [[User:IsabellW|IsabellW]] ([[User talk:IsabellW|talk]]) 19:44, 6 August 2015 (EDT)

== Page protected ==

Mr Schlafly, how brave of you to protect the page to avoid a serious discussion of why almost all female athletes, bar top tennis players like Serena Williams and maybe a few in Track+Field, are totally ignored by the media and underrated by the public. Stopping people telling you this doesn't stop it being true. [[User:StaceyT|StaceyT]] ([[User talk:StaceyT|talk]]) 15:09, 3 August 2015 (EDT)

Talk:Snopes.com

2015-08-01T18:00:57Z

IsabellW: Created page with ""It is filled with numerous, intentionally inaccurate information...." Some examples would make this claim credible. ~~~~"

"It is filled with numerous, intentionally inaccurate information...." Some examples would make this claim credible. [[User:IsabellW|IsabellW]] 14:00, 1 August 2015 (EDT)

Talk:Underrated Sports Stars

2015-08-01T17:55:52Z

IsabellW:

How is Serena Williams underrated? She's ranked #1 in the world by a huge margin![http://www.wtatennis.com/rankings] [[User:IsabellW|IsabellW]] 13:55, 1 August 2015 (EDT)

Talk:Underrated Sports Stars

2015-08-01T17:55:07Z

IsabellW: Created page with "How is Serena Williams underrated? She's ranked #1 in the world by a huge margin!<ref>http://www.wtatennis.com/rankings</ref> ~~~~"

How is Serena Williams underrated? She's ranked #1 in the world by a huge margin!<ref>http://www.wtatennis.com/rankings</ref> [[User:IsabellW|IsabellW]] 13:55, 1 August 2015 (EDT)

Talk:2016 presidential candidates on homosexuality

2015-08-01T17:51:13Z

IsabellW:

Why a title of "political candidates on homosexuality," rather than simply "candidates on homosexuality"? The term "candidates" implies political, and shorter entry titles are to be preferred.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 21:08, 27 July 2015 (EDT)

:Where are pages on candidates' positions on meaningful issues? [[User:IsabellW|IsabellW]] 13:50, 1 August 2015 (EDT)

Talk:2016 presidential candidates on homosexuality

2015-08-01T17:50:58Z

IsabellW:

Why a title of "political candidates on homosexuality," rather than simply "candidates on homosexuality"? The term "candidates" implies political, and shorter entry titles are to be preferred.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 21:08, 27 July 2015 (EDT)

Where are pages on candidates' positions on meaningful issues? [[User:IsabellW|IsabellW]] 13:50, 1 August 2015 (EDT)

Talk:United States presidential election, 2016

2015-08-01T17:48:40Z

IsabellW: /* See also Candidates on homosexuality */ new section

==Rubio Citizenship/Eligibility==
He is clearly eligible under both the 14th amendment and the [http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42097.pdf 2011 finding] of the Congressional Research Service. Under the arguments frequently given by people claiming Rubio to be ineligible(namely, that his parents were not US citizens when he was born), this would also mean that the first 7 Presidents of the United States were also ineligible as either they or their parents were British subjects at the time of their birth. Martin Van Buren being the first President to actually be born a US citizen by the standards laid out by these detractors. [[User:Fnarrow|Fnarrow]] 00:55, 3 May 2013 (EDT)
:The Constitution has been interpreted to "grandfather" people who were citizens of the various states/colonies prior to the Constitution being ratified. [[User:Wschact|Wschact]] 06:54, 28 May 2013 (EDT)
==Where is Mike Huckabee?==
He should be included in this list. A socially conservative protestant who lowers taxes.

==John Kasich==
Surely Ohio governor (and ''National Review'' favorite) John Kasich belongs on a list like this.[http://www.nationalreview.com/article/392401/john-kasich-2016-contender-joel-gehrke] Whoever is at the top of the ticket, Ohio is a must-win state, which makes Kasich a logical choice for veep. [[User:PeterKa|PeterKa]] 21:54, 25 March 2015 (EDT)

== Rubio popularity in Florida ==

I think his popularity in Florida and his ability to win the state are exaggerated here. His approval ratings in Florida have never been high. I can't say I know a single person here, on either side of the aisle, who approves of his record. It may give him leverage, but not much. Also, polls show that he doesn't have the support of Hispanic or Cuban groups in the state. [[User:ScottH35|ScottH35]] 18:00, 13 April 2015 (EDT)

== "Rubio will probably pull out of the primaries on the eve of New Hampshire and endorse Jeb Bush in the hopes that Bush will pick his as V.P." ==

Not possible. "The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves..." (Constitution of the United States, Amendment XII). [[User:IsabellW|IsabellW]] 20:45, 19 April 2015 (EDT)

:Great point! But Cheney simply changed his state of voter registration from Texas to Wyoming to resolve that same objection back in 2000. Rubio could do likewise, although that would be politically difficult for him as the senator of Florida.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 21:09, 19 April 2015 (EDT)

::It seems like it would be more than politically difficult. The Constitution, of course, only mentions that a senator must be an inhabitant of the state at the time of their selection(later election). However, it doesn't seem to be clear if a senator could change their state of residency while in office. A fair amount of googling doesn't seem to resolve the question and I can't find anything to answer it. I wonder if it has ever happened? I know of plenty of congressmen who have lived outside their state while retaining residency there, but none of actual switched residency. I imagine there would be a court case about it were he to do so. [[User:ScottH35|ScottH35]] 15:54, 20 April 2015 (EDT)
:::I am guessing that people may have been less likely to move between states back when the U.S. Constitution was written.

:::It would also be interesting to know how cultural/economic differences have widened/narrowed over time between states/regions of the USA on various matters. On the one hand radio/TV/internet/automobile/interstate highway/national franchises would make things more homogeneous in the USA (of course the internet and cable TV causes "ideological cocooning" too), while the [[culture war]] post 1960s has created tensions within various parts of the USA.

:::And since political ideologies have economic/social consequences, many people are "voting with their feet" and leaving liberal states in order to better earn income or have a better place to raise their family. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] 16:15, 20 April 2015 (EDT)

Actually, I think I've always read this part of the Constitution wrong. It seems to say that the ''electors'' cannot vote for both a president and VP from ''their'' state. If Bush ran with Rubio as VP, the Florida electors would not be able to vote for that ticket. But that would only be a problem if Bush had won fewer that 299 electoral votes. If he won more, the Florida electors could vote for someone else as VP and Rubio would still have a majority. Of course they'd never chance that. [[User:IsabellW|IsabellW]] 16:01, 21 April 2015 (EDT)

==Scott Walker==
"The two-term Republican governor of Wisconsin is strongly opposed to same-sex marriage -- and recently called for a constitutional amendment to reverse the Supreme Court’s decision ruling same sex unions legal in all 50 states," according to [http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/scott-walker-opposes-gay-marriage-supports-sex-couple/story?id=32404379 ABC News]. The linked article is a detailed recent profile and interview. [[User:PeterKa|PeterKa]] 14:57, 26 July 2015 (EDT)

:I read the article. Walker's support of a pie-in-the-sky constitutional amendment is for cosmetic purposes. It's obvious he's not going to speak out against the [[homosexual agenda]] or issue any order to block enforcement of ''[Obergefell]]''. This article in Politico is more informative about Walker's weakness on the issue: "Walker goes mum on same-sex marriage." [http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/scott-walker-silent-constitutional-amendment-states-gay-marriage-119505.html]

== See also ''Candidates on homosexuality'' ==

No links to their positions on actual issues that matter? [[User:IsabellW|IsabellW]] 13:48, 1 August 2015 (EDT)

United States presidential election, 2016

2015-08-01T17:47:05Z

IsabellW: /* Announced Republican candidates */ update - Gilmore

''See also [[Candidates on homosexuality]]''

The 58th United States presidential election will be held on November 8, 2016. The 2016 election will be an open field in the [[Republican Party]]. [[Democrats]], as in [[communist]] countries, are not expected to have any choice other than [[Hillary Clinton]].

==Republican Party candidates==

===Announced Republican candidates===
These individuals have formally announced their candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Rand Paul]]
|Son of [[Ron Paul]], voted against GOP establishment's spending compromise bills, advocate for cutting spending, can unite libertarians and conservatives, voted against NDAA. Made waves with historic [[filibuster]] against [[CIA]] director John Brennan over the Obama administration's claimed authority to use drone strikes against US citizens on American soil.
|Some of his father's more hardcore followers think he's a "traitor" for endorsing [[Mitt Romney]] in 2012, voted for [[Chuck Hagel]] as Defense Secretary. Supported the Supreme Court's liberal wing when it struck down Section 3 of the [[Defense of Marriage Act]], suggesting he's somewhat supportive of the [[Homosexual Agenda]].
|Has criticized [[Paul Ryan]] and [[Chris Christie]] as a potential candidate would, delivered 2013 Tea Party response to the SOTU, which the news media didn't cover. Announced candidacy on April 7, 2015.<ref>http://www.c-span.org/video/?325139-1/senator-rand-paul-rky-presidential-campaign-announcement</ref>
|-
|[[Ted Cruz]]
|Solid on opposition to Obamacare and gun control. Good debater.
|Like Obama, some question as to eligibility. As a first-term Senator, relatively inexperienced. Alienated some due to role in government shutdown.
|Bypassed the exploratory committee process and instead made his formal announcement of candidacy on March 23, 2015.<ref>http://www.c-span.org/video/?324979-1/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-announcement</ref>
|-
|[[Marco Rubio]]
|Favorite of [[Fox News]], articulate, Hispanic, able to win key battleground state of [[Florida]] since he's from there, was on Romney's shortlist in 2012.
|Probably a stalking horse for [[Jeb Bush]]. Rubio will probably pull out of the primaries on the eve of [[New Hampshire]] and endorse Jeb Bush.

Rubio used to be a Tea Party favorite when he defeated [[RINO]] [[Charlie Crist]], but many have since soured on his actions, endorsed amnesty and has written an amnesty bill with [[Chuck Schumer]] and six other Senators, friends with [[Jeb Bush]], denounced [[Michele Bachmann]]'s investigation into [[Huma Abedin]], supports the party's [[neoconservative]] wing which is why he supports sending troops into Syria.
|Visited Iowa in December 2012 to speak at [[Jack Kemp]] library, delivered GOP response to Obama's 2013 SOTU, put his capital on the line working with seven other Senators on a controversial amnesty plan many conservatives oppose but has now eased away from it. Announced candidacy on April 13, 2015.<ref>http://www.c-span.org/video/?325251-1/senator-marco-rubio-rfl-presidential-campaign-announcement</ref>
|-
|[[Carly Fiorina]]
|Former CEO, a good track record of attacking liberalism
|Failed to win an election as a candidate for Senator, rejected Tea Party support, embraces the establishment GOP.
|Her entrance in the 2016 campaign would deny Democrats and Hillary Clinton the image of men vs. a women argument, aka 'war on women'. Fiorina formally launched her campaign for the Republican nomination on May 4, 2014.<ref>http://www.wsj.com/articles/carly-fiorina-im-running-for-president-1430739879</ref>
|-
|[[Ben Carson]]
|Plain-spoken, with common-sense solutions to the country's problems
|Has said states can enact gun control.
|The world-renowned surgeon made waves by skewering Obama's policies at the White House correspondent's dinner. Carson formally announced his candidacy on May 4, 2015, in Detroit, saying ""I'm Ben Carson, and I'm a candidate for president of the United States."<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/04/ben-carson-tells-tv-station-is-running-for-president/</ref>
|-
|[[Mike Huckabee]]
|Former Arkansas governor who ran well in the 2008 primaries. Is popular with Evangelicals. He's kept himself in the public eye for the past six and a half years as the host of a news and commentary show on the Fox network.
|Had a mixed record as governor. He's often considered to be too much of a regional candidate for success in a nationwide campaign.
|Resigned from his television show to explore a possible run for president. Has begun making TV appearances as a candidate. Huckabee launched an exploratory committee on April 17, 2015. <ref>http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/huckabee-set-to-announce-claims-ive-beaten-clinton-political-machine/article/2563219</ref> He announced his candidacy on May 5, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/05/huckabee-announces-2016-white-house-bid/</ref>
|-
|[[Rick Santorum]]
|Strong social conservative base, runner-up in the 2012 primary, by 2016 endorsing [[RINO]]-turned-Democrat [[Arlen Specter]] will be a distant memory for many because he died in 2012. Strongly opposed to [[homosexual agenda]].
|May have been a [[stalking horse]] for Romney in the last election, which he'll vehemently deny; in 2016 voters may want a new face to lead the party instead of an also-ran, media portrays as fanatic, voted for Bush's spending to be 'part of the team'.
|Has founded an organization called Patriot Voices which may serve as a fulcrum for his campaign. Santorum announced his candidacy on May 27, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/27/santorum-set-to-announce-2016-plans-wednesday/</ref>
|-
|[[George Pataki]]
|Former governor of a large state.
|Very low name-recognition nationally.
|Pataki announced his candidacy on May 28, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/28/former-new-york-gov-pataki-announces-run-for-2016-gop-presidential-nomination/</ref>
|-
|[[Lindsey Graham]]
|Moderate Senator from South Carolina. Is pro-military and an advocate for a strong national defense. Good public speaker.
|Widely seen as a liberal on immigration issues. Is considered a clone of Sen. [[John McCain]] in the Senate.
|Announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee in January 2015. Graham announced his candidacy on June 1, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/01/graham-set-to-enter-2016-race-with-focus-on-middle-east/</ref>
|-
|[[Rick Perry]]
|Strong record of experience as Governor of [[Texas]]. Supports [[Second Amendment]]. Before the next election he might see a debating coach. Strong fundraiser. Not expanding [[Medicare]] to adjust for [[Obamacare]] like some other Governors are doing.
|Performed poorly in the last time, is an also-ran without [[Rick Santorum]]'s likely momentum in a race that will probably also have multiple other Republican Governors, also signed a state version of the DREAM Act and mandated vaccines for schoolgirls.
|Perry announced his candidacy on June 4, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/04/former-texas-gov-rick-perry-to-join-2016-gop-field/</ref>
|-
|[[Jeb Bush]]
|Able to win Florida, has Hispanic wife and kids, multilingual, backing of [[Karl Rove]] though if he doesn't run Rubio will get it. Presumably has the backing of most [[George_H.W._Bush#Family|Bush family]] members, with the notable exception of his mother, [[Barbara Bush|Barbara]], who stated, "We've had enough Bushes" during an April 2013 interview<ref>http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51667537#51667537</ref>.
|Outspokenly supports amnesty and Common Core, neither Tea Partiers or independent voters want a third Bush, told GOP primary voters they wouldn't elect Reagan today.
|Might count on Rubio to be a stalking horse because of their friendship but has contradicted Rubio on immigration in his latest book, if he and Clinton are the nominees many voters might gravitate to a third party. Bush officially announced his candidacy on June 15, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/15/after-long-wind-up-bush-set-to-enter-2016-white-house-race/</ref>
|-
|[[Donald Trump]]
|Business smart, name recognition, holds some conservative positions
|Celebrity type that can be a distraction.
|Currently polls in second place in Iowa and New Hampshire. Trump announced his candidacy on June 16, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/16/trump-announces-white-house-bid-joins-crowded-gop-field/</ref>
|-
|[[Bobby Jindal]]
|Populist conservative who says conservatives should be skeptical of big business, Indian-American, cleaned up Louisiana after Katrina and Governor Blanco, evangelical who also focuses on energy issues like Perry before him.
|Severely lacking in charisma.
|Jindal announced the formation of an exploratory committee on May 18, 2015.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/18/politics/bobby-jindal-forms-exploratory-committee/</ref> Jindal announced his candidacy on June 24, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/24/louisiana-gov-jindal-looks-ready-to-jump-into-2016-race/</ref>
|-
|[[Chris Christie]]
|Blunt criticism of teacher's unions won conservatives over for about a year, [[Ann Coulter]] supports him. Has high approval ratings in a blue state.
|Unprofessional style, abrasiveness, severely overweight, praised Obama's Hurricane Sandy efforts only days before the 2012 election, has gotten heat for appointing Sharia judge and having pro-abortion Lieutenant Governor. Not endearing himself to conservatives with his statements on things like gun control.
|Christie announced his candidacy on June 30, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/30/christie-announces-2016-bid-for-white-house-becomes-14th-gop-hopeful/</ref>
|-
|[[Scott Walker]]
|A once-seeming [[movement conservative]] who defeated a recall that was pushed by [[George Soros]] and the unions, exhibited conservative determination in passing right-to-work in his state and surviving the relentless union attacks that followed.
|[[AFL-CIO]] and the other union special interests have him as a top target, but he stood his ground until recently where he's starting to adopt RINO stances on issues, such as refusing to speak out against [[same-sex marriage]] in a meaningful way and not taking a strong stance against the ''[[Obergefell]]'' decision.
|January 2015 polling showed him leading the GOP field in Iowa. Walker formally announced his candidacy on July 13, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/07/13/walker-announces-2016-white-house-bid/</ref>
|-
|[[John Kasich]]
|Two-term Ohio Governor, former U.S. House of Representative
|Expanded Medicare in his state, said the [[Bible]] supports [[Obamacare]], D.C. beltway insider, and will not oppose [[same-sex marriage]].
|On July 21, 2015, Kasich officially declared his candidacy, stating, "I have decided to run for president of the United States."<ref>http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/07/21/john-kasich-presidential-announcement.html</ref>
|-
|[[Jim Gilmore]]
|Former governor of Virginia, a crucial swing state.
|
|On July 30, 2015, Gilmore officially declared his candidacy, stating, "I am a candidate for president because our current Washington leadership is guiding America on a path to decline, and I can reverse that decline."<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/07/30/former-virginia-gov-gilmore-enters-white-house-race/</ref>
|}

===Other possible Republican candidates===
These individuals have expressed interest in running or have been mentioned as possible candidates.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Rick Snyder]]
|Governor of Michigan, former businessman and venture capitalist, signed right-to-work legislation in Michigan.
|Expanded Medicare, big government supporter, refuses conservative positions on social issues.
|Former Republican Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman says he is running. Snyder has said he's not.
|-
|[[Sarah Palin]]
|Very popular with the conservative base, record of cutting the size of government, expert on energy issues. Already experienced on national ticket.
|Thanks to the media, the electorate has already made up their minds about her. May prefer the role of commentator and not run for her and her children's sakes.
|
|-
|[[Condoleezza Rice]]
|Articulate, popular, foreign policy experience, takes the race and gender cards off the table, gave impassioned speech at the RNC, inspiring childhood story.
|Pro-choice, ties to Bush administration, never elected to any office, just appointed; left-wing immigration stance, had role leading up to [[Iraq War]], single status will mean she won't have the emotional support of a family for a Presidential run as [[Laura Bush]] has said; admired by some conservatives, disliked by others like [[paleoconservatives]] and from how [[Dick Cheney]] and [[Donald Rumsfeld]] have criticized her, she doesn't even have all the [[neoconservatives]] wrapped up.
|Some conservatives would think her running would be a good idea, others won't. She declined to run in 2008 and 2012, but from the speculation she was going to be Romney's VP, she might this time.
|-
|[[John Thune]]
|Senator who defeated [[Tom Daschle]], relatively conservative for a Senator.
|Voted for TARP and often votes for other spending bills the leadership pushes, not well known.
|
|-
|[[Susana Martinez]]
|Gave a good speech at the RNC, conservative Governor of a blue state, Hispanic.
|Might not be interested, expanded Medicare in her state.
|
|-
|[[Jan Brewer]]
|Former governor of Arizona. If she runs, will use potent immigration issue as foil to Bush and Rubio. Can take its mantle and change debate to pressure other candidates to tack right on the issue. Outspoken critic of Obama.
|May not be interested in the Presidency, expanded Medicare waiver for Obamacare, and is no longer in elective office. Has lost some support from conservatives.
|
|-
|[[Kelly Ayotte]]
|Represents a swing state
|Voted in favor of amnesty
|If Rubio is the Presidential nominee, he's likely to make Ayotte his running mate hoping the ticket will appeal to two swing states (Florida and New Hampshire), Hispanics, and women, offsetting Hillary with the last group. Both Rubio and Ayotte have been taken under the wings of McCain and Graham since getting in the Senate.
|-
|[[Allen West]]
|Conservative black Congressman from Florida who speaks his mind, some conservative activists insist that he run.
|Lost his race for re-election to the House two years after getting voted in.
|Has compared his loss to [[Abraham Lincoln]]'s before he became President in a radio interview.
|-
|[[Brian Sandoval]]
|Hispanic, fiscal conservative
|Pro-choice, expanded Medicare in his state, [[Harry Reid]] doesn't seem to mind his performance as Governor. <ref>http://blogs.rgj.com/politics/2013/02/20/reid-says-hell-run-for-re-election-in-2016-wont-comment-on-sandoval-as-opponent/</ref>
|Sandoval is likely to win Reid's seat for the U.S. Senate instead of running for president.
|}

==Democratic Party candidates==

===Announced Democratic candidates===
These individuals have formally announced their candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the 2016 presidential election.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Hillary Clinton]]
|Has wanted to be President for decades, has Clinton machine and big money behind her, teflon image helped along by the media, quitting Secretary of State position lets her run, she will have the "sexist" card at her disposal.
|Role in Benghazi and decades worth of scandals going back to the 90s, feminist. Bill Clinton may be a distraction.
|Clinton announced her candidacy on April 12, 2015.<ref>https://www.hillaryclinton.com</ref>
|-
|[[Bernie Sanders]]
|Independent that is lockstep with the Democrat party. Popular among socialists.
|As head of the Veterans Affairs Committee, he has done nothing to fix scandals and help veterans. Endorses Obama's policies.
|At a press conference on April 30, 2015, Sanders announced that he is running for the Democratic nomination.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/04/29/vermont-sen-bernie-sanders-am-running-for-president/</ref>
|-
|[[Martin O'Malley]]
|Former governor of Maryland. Partisan and aggressive liberal.
|Martin who? He has low name recognition. Fiercely supports raising taxes and other very liberal stances, although that might help in the primary.
|O'Malley announced his candidacy on May 30, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/30/omalley-returns-to-baltimore-set-to-seek-democratic-nomination-2016-white-house/</ref>
|-
|[[Lincoln Chafee]]
|Former governor of Rhode Island, former Republican
|
|Chafee announced his candidacy on June 3, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/03/former-ri-gov-lincoln-chafee-one-time-republican-declares-candidacy-for/</ref>
|-
|[[Jim Webb]]
|Former Virginia Senator and Secretary of the Navy
|Webb's surprise candidacy looks like a public relations stunt by party bosses to make the [[Democrat Party]] look more mainstream than it is. It is doubtful that this is a serious attempt to win the nomination.
|Announced his candidacy July 2, 2015 <ref>http://www.webb2016.com</ref>
|-
|}

[[Democrats]] will not have a choice other than [[liberal]] Hillary Clinton. If a competitive race were allowed by the party bosses (and it won't be), the candidates mentioned below her could be contenders:

===Other possible Democratic candidates===
These individuals have expressed interest in running or have been mentioned as possible candidates.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Joe Biden]]
|Tries to set image as he's "one of the folks" even though he's a millionaire. He'll have Obama's Chicago machine. Incumbent VPs often receive the party nomination
|Very gaffe-prone, VP to an unpopular administration.
|Currently yukking it up as Obama's Vice-President and has openly expressed some interest in running. Hasn't talked about running...yet. Should be good seeing how he and Hillary deal with each other on the stage if they both run.
|-
|[[Andrew Cuomo]]
|Tried to make himself look like a fiscal conservative, he's part of a political family like Jeb and Hillary, governor of a large state.
|Uncompelling, declared intentions to seize guns from lawful gun owners, which he's used executive orders to do.
|His late father, the former Governor, said he expected him to run. His gun confiscating executive orders are not sitting well with the American people by and large.
|-
|[[Mark Warner]]
|Senator from a swing state with a relatively moderate record compared to others, might try to get points with independents that the other Democrats won't have.
|He votes with his party most of the time, voted for gun control even though he claims to be pro-gun.
|
|-
|[[Elizabeth Warren]]
|Popular in [[Occupy Wall Street]] and other progressive circles, elected in very competitive Senate race.
|Caught lying about being a Native American so she could get [[affirmative action]] at Harvard, her very liberal views and rhetoric probably won't resonate in states less liberal than [[Massachusetts]].
|Won election to the Senate in November 2012 against [[Scott Brown]].
|-
|[[Evan Bayh]]
|Represented a state that generally votes Republican
|
|
|}

== References ==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT: 2016, United States presidential election,}}
[[Category: United States Presidential Elections]]

United States presidential election, 2016

2015-07-21T16:13:38Z

IsabellW: /* Republican Party candidates */

The 58th United States presidential election will be held on November 8, 2016. The 2016 election will be an open field in the [[Republican Party]]. [[Democrats]], as in [[communist]] countries, are not expected to have any choice other than [[Hillary Clinton]].

==Republican Party candidates==

===Announced Republican candidates===
These individuals have formally announced their candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Rand Paul]]
|Son of [[Ron Paul]], voted against GOP establishment's spending compromise bills, advocate for cutting spending, can unite libertarians and conservatives, voted against NDAA. Made waves with historic [[filibuster]] against [[CIA]] director John Brennan over the Obama administration's claimed authority to use drone strikes against US citizens on American soil.
|Some of his father's more hardcore followers think he's a "traitor" for endorsing [[Mitt Romney]] in 2012, voted for [[Chuck Hagel]] as Defense Secretary. Supported the Supreme Court's liberal wing when it struck down Section 3 of the [[Defense of Marriage Act]], suggesting he's somewhat supportive of the [[Homosexual Agenda]].
|Has criticized [[Paul Ryan]] and [[Chris Christie]] as a potential candidate would, delivered 2013 Tea Party response to the SOTU, which the news media didn't cover. Announced candidacy on April 7, 2015.<ref>http://www.c-span.org/video/?325139-1/senator-rand-paul-rky-presidential-campaign-announcement</ref>
|-
|[[Ted Cruz]]
|Solid on opposition to Obamacare and gun control. Good debater.
|Like Obama, some question as to eligibility. As a first-term Senator, relatively inexperienced. Alienated some due to role in government shutdown.
|Bypassed the exploratory committee process and instead made his formal announcement of candidacy on March 23, 2015.<ref>http://www.c-span.org/video/?324979-1/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-announcement</ref>
|-
|[[Marco Rubio]]
|Favorite of [[Fox News]], articulate, Hispanic, able to win key battleground state of [[Florida]] since he's from there, was on Romney's shortlist in 2012.
|Probably a stalking horse for [[Jeb Bush]]. Rubio will probably pull out of the primaries on the eve of [[New Hampshire]] and endorse Jeb Bush.

Rubio used to be a Tea Party favorite when he defeated [[RINO]] [[Charlie Crist]], but many have since soured on his actions, endorsed amnesty and has written an amnesty bill with [[Chuck Schumer]] and six other Senators, friends with [[Jeb Bush]], denounced [[Michele Bachmann]]'s investigation into [[Huma Abedin]], supports the party's [[neoconservative]] wing which is why he supports sending troops into Syria.
|Visited Iowa in December 2012 to speak at [[Jack Kemp]] library, delivered GOP response to Obama's 2013 SOTU, put his capital on the line working with seven other Senators on a controversial amnesty plan many conservatives oppose but has now eased away from it. Announced candidacy on April 13, 2015.<ref>http://www.c-span.org/video/?325251-1/senator-marco-rubio-rfl-presidential-campaign-announcement</ref>
|-
|[[Carly Fiorina]]
|Former CEO, a good track record of attacking liberalism
|Failed to win an election as a candidate for Senator, rejected Tea Party support, embraces the establishment GOP.
|Her entrance in the 2016 campaign would deny Democrats and Hillary Clinton the image of men vs. a women argument, aka 'war on women'. Fiorina formally launched her campaign for the Republican nomination on May 4, 2014.<ref>http://www.wsj.com/articles/carly-fiorina-im-running-for-president-1430739879</ref>
|-
|[[Ben Carson]]
|Plain-spoken, with common-sense solutions to the country's problems
|Has said states can enact gun control.
|The world-renowned surgeon made waves by skewering Obama's policies at the White House correspondent's dinner. Carson formally announced his candidacy on May 4, 2015, in Detroit, saying ""I'm Ben Carson, and I'm a candidate for president of the United States."<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/04/ben-carson-tells-tv-station-is-running-for-president/</ref>
|-
|[[Mike Huckabee]]
|Former Arkansas governor who ran well in the 2008 primaries. Is popular with Evangelicals. He's kept himself in the public eye for the past six and a half years as the host of a news and commentary show on the Fox network.
|Had a mixed record as governor. He's often considered to be too much of a regional candidate for success in a nationwide campaign.
|Resigned from his television show to explore a possible run for president. Has begun making TV appearances as a candidate. Huckabee launched an exploratory committee on April 17, 2015. <ref>http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/huckabee-set-to-announce-claims-ive-beaten-clinton-political-machine/article/2563219</ref> He announced his candidacy on May 5, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/05/huckabee-announces-2016-white-house-bid/</ref>
|-
|[[Rick Santorum]]
|Strong social conservative base, runner-up in the 2012 primary, by 2016 endorsing [[RINO]]-turned-Democrat [[Arlen Specter]] will be a distant memory for many because he died in 2012. Strongly opposed to [[homosexual agenda]].
|May have been a [[stalking horse]] for Romney in the last election, which he'll vehemently deny; in 2016 voters may want a new face to lead the party instead of an also-ran, media portrays as fanatic, voted for Bush's spending to be 'part of the team'.
|Has founded an organization called Patriot Voices which may serve as a fulcrum for his campaign. Santorum announced his candidacy on May 27, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/27/santorum-set-to-announce-2016-plans-wednesday/</ref>
|-
|[[George Pataki]]
|Former governor of a large state.
|Very low name-recognition nationally.
|Pataki announced his candidacy on May 28, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/28/former-new-york-gov-pataki-announces-run-for-2016-gop-presidential-nomination/</ref>
|-
|[[Lindsey Graham]]
|Moderate Senator from South Carolina. Is pro-military and an advocate for a strong national defense. Good public speaker.
|Widely seen as a liberal on immigration issues. Is considered a clone of Sen. [[John McCain]] in the Senate.
|Announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee in January 2015. Graham announced his candidacy on June 1, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/01/graham-set-to-enter-2016-race-with-focus-on-middle-east/</ref>
|-
|[[Rick Perry]]
|Strong record of experience as Governor of [[Texas]]. Supports [[Second Amendment]]. Before the next election he might see a debating coach. Strong fundraiser. Not expanding [[Medicare]] to adjust for [[Obamacare]] like some other Governors are doing.
|Performed poorly in the last time, is an also-ran without [[Rick Santorum]]'s likely momentum in a race that will probably also have multiple other Republican Governors, also signed a state version of the DREAM Act and mandated vaccines for schoolgirls.
|Perry announced his candidacy on June 4, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/04/former-texas-gov-rick-perry-to-join-2016-gop-field/</ref>
|-
|[[Jeb Bush]]
|Able to win Florida, has Hispanic wife and kids, multilingual, backing of [[Karl Rove]] though if he doesn't run Rubio will get it. Presumably has the backing of most [[George_H.W._Bush#Family|Bush family]] members, with the notable exception of his mother, [[Barbara Bush|Barbara]], who stated, "We've had enough Bushes" during an April 2013 interview<ref>http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51667537#51667537</ref>.
|Outspokenly supports amnesty and Common Core, neither Tea Partiers or independent voters want a third Bush, told GOP primary voters they wouldn't elect Reagan today.
|Might count on Rubio to be a stalking horse because of their friendship but has contradicted Rubio on immigration in his latest book, if he and Clinton are the nominees many voters might gravitate to a third party. Bush officially announced his candidacy on June 15, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/15/after-long-wind-up-bush-set-to-enter-2016-white-house-race/</ref>
|-
|[[Donald Trump]]
|Business smart, name recognition, holds some conservative positions
|Celebrity type that can be a distraction.
|Currently polls in second place in Iowa and New Hampshire. Trump announced his candidacy on June 16, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/16/trump-announces-white-house-bid-joins-crowded-gop-field/</ref>
|-
|[[Bobby Jindal]]
|Populist conservative who says conservatives should be skeptical of big business, Indian-American, cleaned up Louisiana after Katrina and Governor Blanco, evangelical who also focuses on energy issues like Perry before him.
|Severely lacking in charisma.
|Jindal announced the formation of an exploratory committee on May 18, 2015.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/18/politics/bobby-jindal-forms-exploratory-committee/</ref> Jindal announced his candidacy on June 24, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/24/louisiana-gov-jindal-looks-ready-to-jump-into-2016-race/</ref>
|-
|[[Chris Christie]]
|Blunt criticism of teacher's unions won conservatives over for about a year, [[Ann Coulter]] supports him. Has high approval ratings in a blue state.
|Unprofessional style, abrasiveness, severely overweight, praised Obama's Hurricane Sandy efforts only days before the 2012 election, has gotten heat for appointing Sharia judge and having pro-abortion Lieutenant Governor. Not endearing himself to conservatives with his statements on things like gun control.
|Christie announced his candidacy on June 30, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/30/christie-announces-2016-bid-for-white-house-becomes-14th-gop-hopeful/</ref>
|-
|[[Scott Walker]]
|A once-seeming [[movement conservative]] who defeated a recall that was pushed by [[George Soros]] and the unions, exhibited conservative determination in passing right-to-work in his state and surviving the relentless union attacks that followed.
|[[AFL-CIO]] and the other union special interests have him as a top target, but he stood his ground until recently where he's starting to adopt RINO stances on issues.
|January 2015 polling showed him leading the GOP field in Iowa. Walker formally announced his candidacy on July 13, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/07/13/walker-announces-2016-white-house-bid/</ref>
|-
|[[John Kasich]]
|Two-term Ohio Governor, former U.S. House of Representative
|Expanded Medicare in his state, said the Bible supports [[Obamacare]], D.C. beltway insider.
|On July 21, 2015, Kasich officially declared his candidacy, stating, "I have decided to run for president of the United States."<ref>http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/07/21/john-kasich-presidential-announcement.html</ref>
|}

===Other possible Republican candidates===
These individuals have expressed interest in running or have been mentioned as possible candidates.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Rick Snyder]]
|Governor of Michigan, former businessman and venture capitalist, signed right-to-work legislation in Michigan.
|Expanded Medicare, big government supporter, refuses conservative positions on social issues.
|Former Republican Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman says he is running. Snyder has said he's not.
|-
|[[Sarah Palin]]
|Very popular with the conservative base, record of cutting the size of government, expert on energy issues. Already experienced on national ticket.
|Thanks to the media, the electorate has already made up their minds about her. May prefer the role of commentator and not run for her and her children's sakes.
|
|-
|[[Condoleezza Rice]]
|Articulate, popular, foreign policy experience, takes the race and gender cards off the table, gave impassioned speech at the RNC, inspiring childhood story.
|Pro-choice, ties to Bush administration, never elected to any office, just appointed; left-wing immigration stance, had role leading up to [[Iraq War]], single status will mean she won't have the emotional support of a family for a Presidential run as [[Laura Bush]] has said; admired by some conservatives, disliked by others like [[paleoconservatives]] and from how [[Dick Cheney]] and [[Donald Rumsfeld]] have criticized her, she doesn't even have all the [[neoconservatives]] wrapped up.
|Some conservatives would think her running would be a good idea, others won't. She declined to run in 2008 and 2012, but from the speculation she was going to be Romney's VP, she might this time.
|-
|[[John Thune]]
|Senator who defeated [[Tom Daschle]], relatively conservative for a Senator.
|Voted for TARP and often votes for other spending bills the leadership pushes, not well known.
|
|-
|[[Susana Martinez]]
|Gave a good speech at the RNC, conservative Governor of a blue state, Hispanic.
|Might not be interested, expanded Medicare in her state.
|
|-
|[[Jan Brewer]]
|Former governor of Arizona. If she runs, will use potent immigration issue as foil to Bush and Rubio. Can take its mantle and change debate to pressure other candidates to tack right on the issue. Outspoken critic of Obama.
|May not be interested in the Presidency, expanded Medicare waiver for Obamacare, and is no longer in elective office. Has lost some support from conservatives.
|
|-
|[[Kelly Ayotte]]
|Represents a swing state
|Voted in favor of amnesty
|If Rubio is the Presidential nominee, he's likely to make Ayotte his running mate hoping the ticket will appeal to two swing states (Florida and New Hampshire), Hispanics, and women, offsetting Hillary with the last group. Both Rubio and Ayotte have been taken under the wings of McCain and Graham since getting in the Senate.
|-
|[[Allen West]]
|Conservative black Congressman from Florida who speaks his mind, some conservative activists insist that he run.
|Lost his race for re-election to the House two years after getting voted in.
|Has compared his loss to [[Abraham Lincoln]]'s before he became President in a radio interview.
|-
|[[Brian Sandoval]]
|Hispanic, fiscal conservative
|Pro-choice, expanded Medicare in his state, [[Harry Reid]] doesn't seem to mind his performance as Governor <ref>http://blogs.rgj.com/politics/2013/02/20/reid-says-hell-run-for-re-election-in-2016-wont-comment-on-sandoval-as-opponent/</ref>.
|
|}

==Democratic Party candidates==

===Announced Democratic candidates===
These individuals have formally announced their candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the 2016 presidential election.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Hillary Clinton]]
|Has wanted to be President for decades, has Clinton machine and big money behind her, teflon image helped along by the media, quitting Secretary of State position lets her run, she will have the "sexist" card at her disposal.
|Role in Benghazi and decades worth of scandals going back to the 90s, feminist. Bill Clinton may be a distraction.
|Clinton announced her candidacy on April 12, 2015.<ref>https://www.hillaryclinton.com</ref>
|-
|[[Bernie Sanders]]
|Independent that is lockstep with the Democrat party. Popular among socialists.
|As head of the Veterans Affairs Committee, he has done nothing to fix scandals and help veterans. Endorses Obama's policies.
|At a press conference on April 30, 2015, Sanders announced that he is running for the Democratic nomination.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/04/29/vermont-sen-bernie-sanders-am-running-for-president/</ref>
|-
|[[Martin O'Malley]]
|Former governor of Maryland. Partisan and aggressive liberal.
|Martin who? He has low name recognition. Fiercely supports raising taxes and other very liberal stances, although that might help in the primary.
|O'Malley announced his candidacy on May 30, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/30/omalley-returns-to-baltimore-set-to-seek-democratic-nomination-2016-white-house/</ref>
|-
|[[Lincoln Chafee]]
|Former governor of Rhode Island, former Republican
|
|Chafee announced his candidacy on June 3, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/03/former-ri-gov-lincoln-chafee-one-time-republican-declares-candidacy-for/</ref>
|-
|[[Jim Webb]]
|Former Virginia Senator and Secretary of the Navy
|Webb's surprise candidacy looks like a public relations stunt by party bosses to make the [[Democrat Party]] look more mainstream than it is. It is doubtful that this is a serious attempt to win the nomination.
|Announced his candidacy July 2, 2015 <ref>http://www.webb2016.com</ref>
|-
|}

[[Democrats]] will not have a choice other than [[liberal]] Hillary Clinton. If a competitive race were allowed by the party bosses (and it won't be), the candidates mentioned below her could be contenders:

===Other possible Democratic candidates===
These individuals have expressed interest in running or have been mentioned as possible candidates.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Joe Biden]]
|Tries to set image as he's "one of the folks" even though he's a millionaire. He'll have Obama's Chicago machine. Incumbent VPs often receive the party nomination
|Very gaffe-prone, VP to an unpopular administration.
|Currently yukking it up as Obama's Vice-President and has openly expressed some interest in running. Hasn't talked about running...yet. Should be good seeing how he and Hillary deal with each other on the stage if they both run.
|-
|[[Andrew Cuomo]]
|Tried to make himself look like a fiscal conservative, he's part of a political family like Jeb and Hillary, governor of a large state.
|Uncompelling, declared intentions to seize guns from lawful gun owners, which he's used executive orders to do.
|His late father, the former Governor, said he expected him to run. His gun confiscating executive orders are not sitting well with the American people by and large.
|-
|[[Mark Warner]]
|Senator from a swing state with a relatively moderate record compared to others, might try to get points with independents that the other Democrats won't have.
|He votes with his party most of the time, voted for gun control even though he claims to be pro-gun.
|
|-
|[[Elizabeth Warren]]
|Popular in [[Occupy Wall Street]] and other progressive circles, elected in very competitive Senate race.
|Caught lying about being a Native American so she could get [[affirmative action]] at Harvard, her very liberal views and rhetoric probably won't resonate in states less liberal than [[Massachusetts]].
|Won election to the Senate in November 2012 against [[Scott Brown]].
|-
|[[Evan Bayh]]
|Represented a state that generally votes Republican
|
|
|}

== References ==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT: 2016, United States presidential election,}}
[[Category: United States Presidential Elections]]

La Sagrada Familia

2015-07-13T17:20:06Z

IsabellW:

'''La Sagrada Familia''' (the cathedral of The Holy Family) is an unfinished [[modernism|modernist]], or [[Art Nouveau]], building in Barcelona, [[Spain]], designed by the [[Catalan]] [[architect]], [[Antoni Gaudí]].

Construction began in the 1880s and continued through Gaudí's death in 1926 until 1936, when it was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War. Work continued intermittently from 1940 until the 1990s, when work accelerated to complete the cathedral by 2026.

This has proven controversial because the design is deviating significantly from Gaudi's original plans, which are on display in the museum in the crypt. There has also been controversy over the siting of a high speed train tunnel which passes very close by the foundations.

It is possible to watch the construction in progress as the cathedral is already open to the public.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sagrada Familia}}

[[Category:Buildings]]

La Sagrada Familia

2015-07-13T17:18:45Z

IsabellW:

'''La Sagrada Familia''' (the cathedral of The Holy Family) is an unfinished [[modernism|modernist]], or [[art nouveau]], building in Barcelona, [[Spain]], designed by the [[Catalan]] [[architect]], [[Antoni Gaudí]].

Construction began in the 1880s and continued through Gaudí's death in 1926 until 1936, when it was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War. Work continued intermittently from 1940 until the 1990s, when work accelerated to complete the cathedral by 2026.

This has proven controversial because the design is deviating significantly from Gaudi's original plans, which are on display in the museum in the crypt. There has also been controversy over the siting of a high speed train tunnel which passes very close by the foundations.

It is possible to watch the construction in progress as the cathedral is already open to the public.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sagrada Familia}}

[[Category:Buildings]]

Scott Walker

2015-07-13T17:09:04Z

IsabellW: update

{{Officeholder
|name=Scott Walker
|image=Scott walker.jpg
|party=[[Republican]]
|spouse=Tonette Walker
|religion=[[Evangelical Christian]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/governor
|state=Wisconsin
|terms=January 3, 2011 - Present
|preceded=Jim Doyle
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
}}
''Scott Walker was [[Conservative of the Year 2014]]''

'''Scott Kevin Walker''' (born November 2, 1967 in Colorado Springs, Colorado) is the current [[conservative]] governor of [[Wisconsin]] and a member of the [[Republican Party]]. Previously he was executive of Milwaukee County and a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, and while in college he ran a student [[pro-life]] organization. He faced a [[recall election]] on June 5, 2012 and won it by a landslide.<ref>Fox News: [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/06/05/polls-close-in-wisconsin-voter-turnout-reported-heavy/ Wisconsin's Walker survives recall by wide margin] (June 5, 2012)</ref> By late May [[liberals]] were already beginning to blame each other for Walker's lead in the polls: "Top [[union]] officials are lashing out at Washington [[Democrat]]s, claiming they haven't done enough to help them unseat Gov. Scott Walker in [[Wisconsin]]'s [[recall]] election."<ref>http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/229485-unions-angry-with-washington-democrats-over-lack-of-help-in-wisconsin</ref>

Scott Walker became a leader of [[conservatives]] nationwide when he supported and then signed into law a repeal of the [[collective bargaining]] rights of most government workers. Walker took this historic step to prevent the State from continuing on a path of financial ruin.

Perhaps due to bad political advice, Walker first focused on union issues first and accomplished virtually nothing meaningful on the [[abortion]] issue in 2011, despite having overwhelming majorities on his side in the legislature. But in 2012 Walker began signing into law [[pro-life]] legislation, which earned him the support of many in the [[working class]], and he then swept to a massive victory in the recall election. Scott Walker was reelected again in 2014.

Walker announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]] on July 13, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/07/13/walker-announces-2016-white-house-bid/</ref>

==Budget deficit==
When Scott Walker took office, Wisconsin had a budget deficit of more than $3 billion. Instead of raising taxes, the governor has set out on a mission to reduce costs across the board and to make Wisconsin a business-friendly state. The state's [[labor union]]s were in an uproar and protested Walker's decision to end union [[collective bargaining]] and force employees to fund part of their pensions, as well as to contribute to their own health and life insurance.

==External links==
*[http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/ Governor of Wisconsin Official Site]
*[https://www.scottwalker.com Scott Walker 2016 campaign website]

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Scott}}
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:Wisconsin Governors]]
[[category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:Republican Governors]]
[[category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]

United States presidential election, 2016

2015-07-13T17:03:14Z

IsabellW: /* Republican Party candidates */ update Walker

The 58th United States presidential election will be held on November 8, 2016. The 2016 election will be an open field in the [[Republican Party]]. [[Democrats]], as in [[communist]] countries, are not expected to have any choice other than [[Hillary Clinton]].

==Republican Party candidates==

===Announced Republican candidates===
These individuals have formally announced their candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Rand Paul]]
|Son of [[Ron Paul]], voted against GOP establishment's spending compromise bills, advocate for cutting spending, can unite libertarians and conservatives, voted against NDAA. Made waves with historic [[filibuster]] against [[CIA]] director John Brennan over the Obama administration's claimed authority to use drone strikes against US citizens on American soil.
|Some of his father's more hardcore followers think he's a "traitor" for endorsing [[Mitt Romney]] in 2012, voted for [[Chuck Hagel]] as Defense Secretary. Supported the Supreme Court's liberal wing when it struck down Section 3 of the [[Defense of Marriage Act]], suggesting he's somewhat supportive of the [[Homosexual Agenda]].
|Has criticized [[Paul Ryan]] and [[Chris Christie]] as a potential candidate would, delivered 2013 Tea Party response to the SOTU, which the news media didn't cover. Announced candidacy on April 7, 2015.<ref>http://www.c-span.org/video/?325139-1/senator-rand-paul-rky-presidential-campaign-announcement</ref>
|-
|[[Ted Cruz]]
|Solid on opposition to Obamacare and gun control. Good debater.
|Like Obama, some question as to eligibility. As a first-term Senator, relatively inexperienced. Alienated some due to role in government shutdown.
|Bypassed the exploratory committee process and instead made his formal announcement of candidacy on March 23, 2015.<ref>http://www.c-span.org/video/?324979-1/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-announcement</ref>
|-
|[[Marco Rubio]]
|Favorite of [[Fox News]], articulate, Hispanic, able to win key battleground state of [[Florida]] since he's from there, was on Romney's shortlist in 2012.
|Probably a stalking horse for [[Jeb Bush]]. Rubio will probably pull out of the primaries on the eve of [[New Hampshire]] and endorse Jeb Bush.

Rubio used to be a Tea Party favorite when he defeated [[RINO]] [[Charlie Crist]], but many have since soured on his actions, endorsed amnesty and has written an amnesty bill with [[Chuck Schumer]] and six other Senators, friends with [[Jeb Bush]], denounced [[Michele Bachmann]]'s investigation into [[Huma Abedin]], supports the party's [[neoconservative]] wing which is why he supports sending troops into Syria.
|Visited Iowa in December 2012 to speak at [[Jack Kemp]] library, delivered GOP response to Obama's 2013 SOTU, put his capital on the line working with seven other Senators on a controversial amnesty plan many conservatives oppose but has now eased away from it. Announced candidacy on April 13, 2015.<ref>http://www.c-span.org/video/?325251-1/senator-marco-rubio-rfl-presidential-campaign-announcement</ref>
|-
|[[Carly Fiorina]]
|Former CEO, a good track record of attacking liberalism
|Failed to win an election as a candidate for Senator, rejected Tea Party support, embraces the establishment GOP.
|Her entrance in the 2016 campaign would deny Democrats and Hillary Clinton the image of men vs. a women argument, aka 'war on women'. Fiorina formally launched her campaign for the Republican nomination on May 4, 2014.<ref>http://www.wsj.com/articles/carly-fiorina-im-running-for-president-1430739879</ref>
|-
|[[Ben Carson]]
|Plain-spoken, with common-sense solutions to the country's problems
|Has said states can enact gun control.
|The world-renowned surgeon made waves by skewering Obama's policies at the White House correspondent's dinner. Carson formally announced his candidacy on May 4, 2015, in Detroit, saying ""I'm Ben Carson, and I'm a candidate for president of the United States."<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/04/ben-carson-tells-tv-station-is-running-for-president/</ref>
|-
|[[Mike Huckabee]]
|Former Arkansas governor who ran well in the 2008 primaries. Is popular with Evangelicals. He's kept himself in the public eye for the past six and a half years as the host of a news and commentary show on the Fox network.
|Had a mixed record as governor. He's often considered to be too much of a regional candidate for success in a nationwide campaign.
|Resigned from his television show to explore a possible run for president. Has begun making TV appearances as a candidate. Huckabee launched an exploratory committee on April 17, 2015. <ref>http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/huckabee-set-to-announce-claims-ive-beaten-clinton-political-machine/article/2563219</ref> He announced his candidacy on May 5, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/05/huckabee-announces-2016-white-house-bid/</ref>
|-
|[[Rick Santorum]]
|Strong social conservative base, runner-up in the 2012 primary, by 2016 endorsing [[RINO]]-turned-Democrat [[Arlen Specter]] will be a distant memory for many because he died in 2012. Strongly opposed to [[homosexual agenda]].
|May have been a [[stalking horse]] for Romney in the last election, which he'll vehemently deny; in 2016 voters may want a new face to lead the party instead of an also-ran, media portrays as fanatic, voted for Bush's spending to be 'part of the team'.
|Has founded an organization called Patriot Voices which may serve as a fulcrum for his campaign. Santorum announced his candidacy on May 27, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/27/santorum-set-to-announce-2016-plans-wednesday/</ref>
|-
|[[George Pataki]]
|Former governor of a large state.
|Very low name-recognition nationally.
|Pataki announced his candidacy on May 28, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/28/former-new-york-gov-pataki-announces-run-for-2016-gop-presidential-nomination/</ref>
|-
|[[Lindsey Graham]]
|Moderate Senator from South Carolina. Is pro-military and an advocate for a strong national defense. Good public speaker.
|Widely seen as a liberal on immigration issues. Is considered a clone of Sen. [[John McCain]] in the Senate.
|Announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee in January 2015. Graham announced his candidacy on June 1, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/01/graham-set-to-enter-2016-race-with-focus-on-middle-east/</ref>
|-
|[[Rick Perry]]
|Strong record of experience as Governor of [[Texas]]. Supports [[Second Amendment]]. Before the next election he might see a debating coach. Strong fundraiser. Not expanding [[Medicare]] to adjust for [[Obamacare]] like some other Governors are doing.
|Performed poorly in the last time, is an also-ran without [[Rick Santorum]]'s likely momentum in a race that will probably also have multiple other Republican Governors, also signed a state version of the DREAM Act and mandated vaccines for schoolgirls.
|Perry announced his candidacy on June 4, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/04/former-texas-gov-rick-perry-to-join-2016-gop-field/</ref>
|-
|[[Jeb Bush]]
|Able to win Florida, has Hispanic wife and kids, multilingual, backing of [[Karl Rove]] though if he doesn't run Rubio will get it. Presumably has the backing of most [[George_H.W._Bush#Family|Bush family]] members, with the notable exception of his mother, [[Barbara Bush|Barbara]], who stated, "We've had enough Bushes" during an April 2013 interview<ref>http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51667537#51667537</ref>.
|Outspokenly supports amnesty and Common Core, neither Tea Partiers or independent voters want a third Bush, told GOP primary voters they wouldn't elect Reagan today.
|Might count on Rubio to be a stalking horse because of their friendship but has contradicted Rubio on immigration in his latest book, if he and Clinton are the nominees many voters might gravitate to a third party. Bush officially announced his candidacy on June 15, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/15/after-long-wind-up-bush-set-to-enter-2016-white-house-race/</ref>
|-
|[[Donald Trump]]
|Business smart, name recognition, holds some conservative positions
|Celebrity type that can be a distraction.
|Currently polls in second place in Iowa and New Hampshire. Trump announced his candidacy on June 16, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/16/trump-announces-white-house-bid-joins-crowded-gop-field/</ref>
|-
|[[Bobby Jindal]]
|Populist conservative who says conservatives should be skeptical of big business, Indian-American, cleaned up Louisiana after Katrina and Governor Blanco, evangelical who also focuses on energy issues like Perry before him.
|Severely lacking in charisma.
|Jindal announced the formation of an exploratory committee on May 18, 2015.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/18/politics/bobby-jindal-forms-exploratory-committee/</ref> Jindal announced his candidacy on June 24, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/24/louisiana-gov-jindal-looks-ready-to-jump-into-2016-race/</ref>
|-
|[[Chris Christie]]
|Blunt criticism of teacher's unions won conservatives over for about a year, [[Ann Coulter]] supports him. Has high approval ratings in a blue state.
|Unprofessional style, abrasiveness, severely overweight, praised Obama's Hurricane Sandy efforts only days before the 2012 election, has gotten heat for appointing Sharia judge and having pro-abortion Lieutenant Governor. Not endearing himself to conservatives with his statements on things like gun control.
|Christie announced his candidacy on June 30, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/30/christie-announces-2016-bid-for-white-house-becomes-14th-gop-hopeful/</ref>
|-
|[[Scott Walker]]
|A once-seeming [[movement conservative]] who defeated a recall that was pushed by [[George Soros]] and the unions, exhibited conservative determination in passing right-to-work in his state and surviving the relentless union attacks that followed.
|[[AFL-CIO]] and the other union special interests have him as a top target, but he stood his ground until recently where he's starting to adopt RINO stances on issues.
|January 2015 polling showed him leading the GOP field in Iowa. Walker formally announced his candidacy on July 13, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/07/13/walker-announces-2016-white-house-bid/</ref>
|}

===Probable Republican candidates===
These individuals have taken formal actions (such as the formation of an exploratory committee) toward establishing candidacy.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[John Kasich]]
|Two-term Ohio Governor, former U.S. House of Representative
|Expanded Medicare in his state, said the Bible supports [[Obamacare]], D.C. beltway insider.
|On May 24, 2015, Kasich "all but announced" his intention to run, saying, "[W]ithin a period of time, I will make a decision and if we meet our metrics, I'm going to move forward. I have to tell you that I'm increasingly optimistic about all of this."<ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/24/john-kasich-2016_n_7431372.html</ref>
|}

===Other possible Republican candidates===
These individuals have expressed interest in running or have been mentioned as possible candidates.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Rick Snyder]]
|Governor of Michigan, former businessman and venture capitalist, signed right-to-work legislation in Michigan.
|Expanded Medicare, big government supporter, refuses conservative positions on social issues.
|Former Republican Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman says he is running. Snyder has said he's not.
|-
|[[Sarah Palin]]
|Very popular with the conservative base, record of cutting the size of government, expert on energy issues. Already experienced on national ticket.
|Thanks to the media, the electorate has already made up their minds about her. May prefer the role of commentator and not run for her and her children's sakes.
|
|-
|[[Condoleezza Rice]]
|Articulate, popular, foreign policy experience, takes the race and gender cards off the table, gave impassioned speech at the RNC, inspiring childhood story.
|Pro-choice, ties to Bush administration, never elected to any office, just appointed; left-wing immigration stance, had role leading up to [[Iraq War]], single status will mean she won't have the emotional support of a family for a Presidential run as [[Laura Bush]] has said; admired by some conservatives, disliked by others like [[paleoconservatives]] and from how [[Dick Cheney]] and [[Donald Rumsfeld]] have criticized her, she doesn't even have all the [[neoconservatives]] wrapped up.
|Some conservatives would think her running would be a good idea, others won't. She declined to run in 2008 and 2012, but from the speculation she was going to be Romney's VP, she might this time.
|-
|[[John Thune]]
|Senator who defeated [[Tom Daschle]], relatively conservative for a Senator.
|Voted for TARP and often votes for other spending bills the leadership pushes, not well known.
|
|-
|[[Susana Martinez]]
|Gave a good speech at the RNC, conservative Governor of a blue state, Hispanic.
|Might not be interested, expanded Medicare in her state.
|
|-
|[[Jan Brewer]]
|Former governor of Arizona. If she runs, will use potent immigration issue as foil to Bush and Rubio. Can take its mantle and change debate to pressure other candidates to tack right on the issue. Outspoken critic of Obama.
|May not be interested in the Presidency, expanded Medicare waiver for Obamacare, and is no longer in elective office. Has lost some support from conservatives.
|
|-
|[[Kelly Ayotte]]
|Represents a swing state
|Voted in favor of amnesty
|If Rubio is the Presidential nominee, he's likely to make Ayotte his running mate hoping the ticket will appeal to two swing states (Florida and New Hampshire), Hispanics, and women, offsetting Hillary with the last group. Both Rubio and Ayotte have been taken under the wings of McCain and Graham since getting in the Senate.
|-
|[[Allen West]]
|Conservative black Congressman from Florida who speaks his mind, some conservative activists insist that he run.
|Lost his race for re-election to the House two years after getting voted in.
|Has compared his loss to [[Abraham Lincoln]]'s before he became President in a radio interview.
|-
|[[Brian Sandoval]]
|Hispanic, fiscal conservative
|Pro-choice, expanded Medicare in his state, [[Harry Reid]] doesn't seem to mind his performance as Governor <ref>http://blogs.rgj.com/politics/2013/02/20/reid-says-hell-run-for-re-election-in-2016-wont-comment-on-sandoval-as-opponent/</ref>.
|
|}

==Democratic Party candidates==

===Announced Democratic candidates===
These individuals have formally announced their candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the 2016 presidential election.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Hillary Clinton]]
|Has wanted to be President for decades, has Clinton machine and big money behind her, teflon image helped along by the media, quitting Secretary of State position lets her run, she will have the "sexist" card at her disposal.
|Role in Benghazi and decades worth of scandals going back to the 90s, feminist. Bill Clinton may be a distraction.
|Clinton announced her candidacy on April 12, 2015.<ref>https://www.hillaryclinton.com</ref>
|-
|[[Bernie Sanders]]
|Independent that is lockstep with the Democrat party. Popular among socialists.
|As head of the Veterans Affairs Committee, he has done nothing to fix scandals and help veterans. Endorses Obama's policies.
|At a press conference on April 30, 2015, Sanders announced that he is running for the Democratic nomination.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/04/29/vermont-sen-bernie-sanders-am-running-for-president/</ref>
|-
|[[Martin O'Malley]]
|Former governor of Maryland. Partisan and aggressive liberal.
|Martin who? He has low name recognition. Fiercely supports raising taxes and other very liberal stances, although that might help in the primary.
|O'Malley announced his candidacy on May 30, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/30/omalley-returns-to-baltimore-set-to-seek-democratic-nomination-2016-white-house/</ref>
|-
|[[Lincoln Chafee]]
|Former governor of Rhode Island, former Republican
|
|Chafee announced his candidacy on June 3, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/03/former-ri-gov-lincoln-chafee-one-time-republican-declares-candidacy-for/</ref>
|-
|[[Jim Webb]]
|Former Virginia Senator and Secretary of the Navy
|Webb's surprise candidacy looks like a public relations stunt by party bosses to make the [[Democrat Party]] look more mainstream than it is. It is doubtful that this is a serious attempt to win the nomination.
|Announced his candidacy July 2, 2015 <ref>http://www.webb2016.com</ref>
|-
|}

[[Democrats]] will not have a choice other than [[liberal]] Hillary Clinton. If a competitive race were allowed by the party bosses (and it won't be), the candidates mentioned below her could be contenders:

===Other possible Democratic candidates===
These individuals have expressed interest in running or have been mentioned as possible candidates.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Joe Biden]]
|Tries to set image as he's "one of the folks" even though he's a millionaire. He'll have Obama's Chicago machine. Incumbent VPs often receive the party nomination
|Very gaffe-prone, VP to an unpopular administration.
|Currently yukking it up as Obama's Vice-President and has openly expressed some interest in running. Hasn't talked about running...yet. Should be good seeing how he and Hillary deal with each other on the stage if they both run.
|-
|[[Andrew Cuomo]]
|Tried to make himself look like a fiscal conservative, he's part of a political family like Jeb and Hillary, governor of a large state.
|Uncompelling, declared intentions to seize guns from lawful gun owners, which he's used executive orders to do.
|His late father, the former Governor, said he expected him to run. His gun confiscating executive orders are not sitting well with the American people by and large.
|-
|[[Mark Warner]]
|Senator from a swing state with a relatively moderate record compared to others, might try to get points with independents that the other Democrats won't have.
|He votes with his party most of the time, voted for gun control even though he claims to be pro-gun.
|
|-
|[[Elizabeth Warren]]
|Popular in [[Occupy Wall Street]] and other progressive circles, elected in very competitive Senate race.
|Caught lying about being a Native American so she could get [[affirmative action]] at Harvard, her very liberal views and rhetoric probably won't resonate in states less liberal than [[Massachusetts]].
|Won election to the Senate in November 2012 against [[Scott Brown]].
|-
|[[Evan Bayh]]
|Represented a state that generally votes Republican
|
|
|}

== References ==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT: 2016, United States presidential election,}}
[[Category: United States Presidential Elections]]

James Webb

2015-07-03T17:12:33Z

IsabellW: update

{{Officeholder
|name=Jim Webb
|image=Webb official color 144.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=Barbara Samorajczyk (div.) Jo Ann Krukar (div.) Hong Le Webb
|religion=[[Protestant]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Virginia
|terms=January 3, 2007 - January 3, 2013
|preceded=[[George Allen]]
|former=n
|succeeded=[[Tim Kaine]]
}}
}}

'''James "Jim" Webb, Jr.''' (b. 1946) is a former [[United States Senator]] from [[Virginia]] and a member of the [[Democratic Party]]. He briefly served as Secretary of the Navy under President [[Ronald Reagan]] from 1987-1988. Webb is a graduate of the [[United States Naval Academy|U.S. Naval Academy]], and a decorated [[Vietnam War]] veteran. He did not seek reelection to the Senate in 2012 in the [[conservative]] state of Virginia.<ref>http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/142979-sen-webb-wont-seek-another-term-in-2012</ref>

On July 2, 2015, Webb announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/07/02/democrat-jim-webb-joins-2016-white-house-race/</ref>

==2006 Senate campaign==
On February 7, 2006, Webb announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination for the 2006 Senate race against one-term incumbent Virginia Senator [[George Allen]]. He won the Democratic primary by a 53%-47% margin in a race with a low voter turnout. The contest with Allen turned largely on Allen's controversial personality and identity. Allen's used the word "macaca" to insult one of Webb's campaign workers, and it backfired. On November 7th Webb narrowly defeated Allen and was elected to a six year term in the U.S. [[Senate]]. Analysts argue that Virginia was rapidly changing from a Republican stronghold to a competitive state. Black voters (85%-15%) voted for Webb over Allen. The black vote proved decisive in Webb's victory since Webb lost the white vote 41%-58%.<ref> Vote returns from [http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/VA/S/01/epolls.0.html CNN Exit Poll]</ref>

==Naval Academy controversy==
Webb has been the subject of many controversies. During his Senate campaign a group female graduates of the United States Naval Academy accused him of fostering an air of hostility and harassment towards them within the academy. In a 1979 article by Webb, entitled "Women Can't Fight", he said he had never met a woman "whom [he] would trust to provide those men with combat leadership", while he was serving in the Vietnam War. He said of Bancroft Hall, a dorm at the Naval Academy that has 4,000 males and 300 females, was "a horny woman's dream." <ref>http://george.loper.org/archives/2006/Sep/9597.html</ref>

After his appointment as United States Navy Secretary, Webb referred to [[military]] women as "thunder thighs." After Webb retired, [[President Reagan]] wrote that "I don't think the Navy was sorry to see him go." <ref>http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21530</ref>

==Exchange with President Bush==
On November 28, 2006, at a White House reception for those newly elected to Congress, Senator-Elect Jim Webb refused to have his picture taken with [[Republican]] President [[George W. Bush]]. The President asked Webb "How's your boy?", referring to his son, a Marine serving in Iraq. Webb replied "I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President." Bush responded, "That's not what I asked you. How's your boy?" Webb responded, "That's between me and my boy, Mr. President." Webb was so angered by the exchange that he was reportedly tempted to "slug" the president. He later said "I'm not particularly interested in having a picture of me and George W. Bush on my wall."

==United States Senator==
On January 4, 2007, Webb was accompanied by Senator [[John Warner]] (R-VA) and sworn in to the United States Senate by Vice President [[Dick Cheney]]. Webb currently serves on the Committee on Foreign Relations, Committee on Armed Services, Committee on Veterans Affairs, and the Joint Economic Committee. On January 23, 2007, Webb delivered the Democratic response to the President's State of the Union address and threatened to "show President Bush the way."

==Controversy==
Jim Webb's ancestors were officers in the [[Confederate]] army.<ref>http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10994.html , POLITICO Webb's rebel roots: An affinity for Confederacy, June 10, 2008</ref> He maintains that "Most Southern soldiers viewed the driving issue to be sovereignty rather than slavery." He said "Love of the Union was palpably stronger in the South." That doesn't make sense to the majority of people. Many detractors consider his statement sovereignty to continue slavery.

March 26 2007, an aide of Jim Webb, Phillip Thompson carried a concealed firearm into the Senate building. Routine scanning of briefcases turned up a loaded pistol and two loaded clips. He was immediately arrested by Capitol Police.<ref>http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007/042007/04282007/279797 , AP Webb aide's gun charge dropped by prosecutor, April 28, 2007</ref> Charges against the aide were dismissed.

==External Links==
*[http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/James_Webb.htm Webb On the Issues]
*[http://www.webb2016.com Jim Webb 2016 campaign website]

== References ==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT: Webb, Jim}}
[[Category:Former United States Senators]]
[[Category:Virginia]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[Category:110th United States Congress]]
[[Category:111th United States Congress]]
[[Category:112th United States Congress]]
[[Category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]

James Webb

2015-07-03T17:09:43Z

IsabellW: remove dead link

{{Officeholder
|name=Jim Webb
|image=Webb official color 144.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=Barbara Samorajczyk (div.) Jo Ann Krukar (div.) Hong Le Webb
|religion=[[Protestant]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Virginia
|terms=January 3, 2007 - January 3, 2013
|preceded=[[George Allen]]
|former=n
|succeeded=[[Tim Kaine]]
}}
}}

'''James "Jim" Webb, Jr.''' (b. 1946) is a former [[United States Senator]] from [[Virginia]] and a member of the [[Democratic Party]]. He briefly served as Secretary of the Navy under President [[Ronald Reagan]] from 1987-1988. Webb is a graduate of the [[United States Naval Academy|U.S. Naval Academy]], and a decorated [[Vietnam War]] veteran. He has announced that he will not seek reelection in 2012 in the [[conservative]] state of Virginia.<ref>http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/142979-sen-webb-wont-seek-another-term-in-2012</ref>

==2006 Senate campaign==
On February 7, 2006, Webb announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination for the 2006 Senate race against one-term incumbent Virginia Senator [[George Allen]]. He won the Democratic primary by a 53%-47% margin in a race with a low voter turnout. The contest with Allen turned largely on Allen's controversial personality and identity. Allen's used the word "macaca" to insult one of Webb's campaign workers, and it backfired. On November 7th Webb narrowly defeated Allen and was elected to a six year term in the U.S. [[Senate]]. Analysts argue that Virginia was rapidly changing from a Republican stronghold to a competitive state. Black voters (85%-15%) voted for Webb over Allen. The black vote proved decisive in Webb's victory since Webb lost the white vote 41%-58%.<ref> Vote returns from [http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/VA/S/01/epolls.0.html CNN Exit Poll]</ref>

==Naval Academy controversy==
Webb has been the subject of many controversies. During his Senate campaign a group female graduates of the United States Naval Academy accused him of fostering an air of hostility and harassment towards them within the academy. In a 1979 article by Webb, entitled "Women Can't Fight", he said he had never met a woman "whom [he] would trust to provide those men with combat leadership", while he was serving in the Vietnam War. He said of Bancroft Hall, a dorm at the Naval Academy that has 4,000 males and 300 females, was "a horny woman's dream." <ref>http://george.loper.org/archives/2006/Sep/9597.html</ref>

After his appointment as United States Navy Secretary, Webb referred to [[military]] women as "thunder thighs." After Webb retired, [[President Reagan]] wrote that "I don't think the Navy was sorry to see him go." <ref>http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21530</ref>

==Exchange with President Bush==
On November 28, 2006, at a White House reception for those newly elected to Congress, Senator-Elect Jim Webb refused to have his picture taken with [[Republican]] President [[George W. Bush]]. The President asked Webb "How's your boy?", referring to his son, a Marine serving in Iraq. Webb replied "I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President." Bush responded, "That's not what I asked you. How's your boy?" Webb responded, "That's between me and my boy, Mr. President." Webb was so angered by the exchange that he was reportedly tempted to "slug" the president. He later said "I'm not particularly interested in having a picture of me and George W. Bush on my wall."

==United States Senator==
On January 4, 2007, Webb was accompanied by Senator [[John Warner]] (R-VA) and sworn in to the United States Senate by Vice President [[Dick Cheney]]. Webb currently serves on the Committee on Foreign Relations, Committee on Armed Services, Committee on Veterans Affairs, and the Joint Economic Committee. On January 23, 2007, Webb delivered the Democratic response to the President's State of the Union address and threatened to "show President Bush the way."

==Controversy==
Jim Webb's ancestors were officers in the [[Confederate]] army.<ref>http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10994.html , POLITICO Webb's rebel roots: An affinity for Confederacy, June 10, 2008</ref> He maintains that "Most Southern soldiers viewed the driving issue to be sovereignty rather than slavery." He said "Love of the Union was palpably stronger in the South." That doesn't make sense to the majority of people. Many detractors consider his statement sovereignty to continue slavery.

March 26 2007, an aide of Jim Webb, Phillip Thompson carried a concealed firearm into the Senate building. Routine scanning of briefcases turned up a loaded pistol and two loaded clips. He was immediately arrested by Capitol Police.<ref>http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007/042007/04282007/279797 , AP Webb aide's gun charge dropped by prosecutor, April 28, 2007</ref> Charges against the aide were dismissed.

==External Links==
*[http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/James_Webb.htm Webb On the Issues]

== References ==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT: Webb, Jim}}
[[Category:Former United States Senators]]
[[Category:Virginia]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[Category:110th United States Congress]]
[[Category:111th United States Congress]]
[[Category:112th United States Congress]]
[[Category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Lincoln Chafee

2015-07-01T00:47:50Z

IsabellW: add 2016 campaign website

{{Officeholder
|name=Lincoln Chafee
|image=Lincoln_Chafee.jpg
|party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]<ref>http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/lincoln-chafee-to-switch-parties-sources-say-91994.html</ref>
|spouse=Stephanie Chafee
|religion=[[Episcopalian]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/governor
|state=Rhode Island
|terms=January 4, 2011 – Present
|preceded=Donald Carcieri
|former=n
}}
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Rhode Island
|terms=November 2, 1999 – January 4, 2007
|preceded=[[John Chafee]]
|former=n
|succeeded=[[Sheldon Whitehouse]]
}}
}}

'''Lincoln Davenport Chafee''' (born March 26, 1953) is the current Governor of Rhode Island and was a [[liberal]] [[RINO]] Senator from the state of [[Rhode Island]] (1999-2007). Chafee was appointed to the United States Senate in 1999 upon the death of his father, Senator John Chafee, and was elected to a full six-year term in 2000. Although he was a member of the [[Republican Party]], Chafee switched his political affiliation to Independent after losing his Senate seat and in 2013 became a Democrat. After winning a fierce Republican primary battle against conservative Mayor, [[Steven Laffey]], Chafee lost his re-election bid in 2006 to [[Democrat]], [[Sheldon Whitehouse]] by nine percentage points. Chafee began serving as a visiting fellow at [[Brown University]]’s Watson Institute for International Studies in January 2007.<ref>http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2006-07/06-068.html</ref>

On June 3, 2015, Chafee announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/03/former-ri-gov-lincoln-chafee-one-time-republican-declares-candidacy-for/</ref>

==Political views==
Before his defeat in his race to keep his senate seat, Chafee had a very liberal voting record and fell in line with the Democratic Party position on very many issues. Chafee strongly supports [[abortion]]. In May 2005, Chafee's senatorial reelection bid was endorsed by the traditionally Democratic-supporting NARAL Pro-Choice America.

In 2003 he was one of only three Republican Senators to oppose the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. He was also the only Republican Senator to vote against President [[George W. Bush]]'s Supreme Court nominee [[Samuel Alito]]. While in the Senate, Chafee was the only Republican senator to have expressed support for [[same sex "marriage"]]. When asked if he would support giving the death penalty to al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, his response was, "Rhode Island executed an innocent man, in the 18th century, and I'm against the death penalty." He has a record of being a tax and spend liberal. Chafee opposes eliminating the death tax and voted against both the tax cut bills of 2001 and 2003.

He was also the only Republican in the Senate to have voted against authorization of the use of force in Iraq. In the 2004 Presidential Election, he wrote-in former President [[George H.W. Bush]] instead of voting for the Republican candidate [[George W. Bush]], and in 2008 endorsed Democrat candidate [[Barack Obama]]. There are some issues where Chafee is considered to be more [[conservative]]. He has expressed support for privatizing [[social security]] and has repeadetly voted for the U.S. [[Patriot act]]. Chafee is also a supporter of [[free trade]].

==Governor==
His first step as governor was to repeal immigration enforcement laws in Rhode Island. <ref>[http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2011/jan/gov-kills-immigration-laws-name-economic-growth Gov. Kills Immigration Laws In Name Of Economic Growth, Judicial Watch, January 7, 2011]</ref>

==External links==
*[http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/060616/16chafee.htm 15 Facts about Lincoln Chafee by U.S. News & World Report]
*[http://www.vis.org/candlist/Candidates.aspx?pid=395 2006 Rhode Island Senate Candidate List from VIS]
*[http://www.chafee2016.com Lincoln Chafee 2016 campaign website]

==References==
<references/>

{{Liberalism}}

{{DEFAULTSORT: Chafee, Lincoln Davenport}}

[[Category:Former United States Senators]]
[[Category:Liberals]]
[[Category:2010 Midterm Elections]]
[[Category:Rhode Island Governors]]
[[Category:Democratic Governors]]
[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]
[[category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Martin O'Malley

2015-07-01T00:44:17Z

IsabellW: add 2016 campaign website

{{Officeholder
|name=Martin O'Malley
|image=Martin O’Malley.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=Catherine Curran O'Malley
|religion=[[Roman Catholic]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/governor
|number=61st
|state=Maryland
|terms=January 17, 2007- January 21, 2015
|preceded=Robert Ehrlich
|former=n
|succeeded= [[Larry Hogan]]
}}
{{Officeholder/mayor
|number=47th
|city=Baltimore, Maryland
|terms=December 7, 1999 – January 17, 2007
|preceded=Kurt Schmoke
|former=y
|succeeded=Sheila Dixon
}}
}}
'''Martin O' Malley''' (1963 - ) is a former [[governor]] of [[Maryland]] and is a [[Democrat]]. His parents are Tom and Barbara O'Malley. Prior to his election to the Maryland governor's office, he was the [[mayor]] of the city of [[Baltimore]], MD. O'Malley left office in January of 2015 and was replaced by [[Larry Hogan]].<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/republican-larry-hogan-wins-md-governors-race-in-stunning-upset/2014/11/05/9eb8bf46-60ac-11e4-8b9e-2ccdac31a031_story.html?tid=pm_pop</ref>

On May 30, 2015, O'Malley announced that he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/30/omalley-returns-to-baltimore-set-to-seek-democratic-nomination-2016-white-house/</ref>

== Criticism ==
He raised 1.3 billion dollars in tax hikes in 2007.<ref>Philip Rucker, “Many Of Md. Tax Increases Will Go Into Effect Today,” The Washington Post, www.washingtonpost.com/</ref> O'Malley increased on sales taxes and corporate businesses taxes. Umemployment rate went from 3.6 percent when entering office to double that from January of 2007 when he took office.<ref>U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Julie Bykowicz, “Dearth Of Small-Firm Owners In Assembly Is Election Issue,” The Baltimore Sun, articles.baltimoresun.com</ref> In the past two years, Maryland has lost more than 100,000 jobs.<ref>Kevin James Shay, “State Job Losses Soared In February,” www.gazette.net</ref> He is very anti-business and companies like Northrop Grumman have been hurt by him have gone to Virginia for their high paying jobs.<ref>Andrea K. Walker, Northrop Loss Raises Questions Of Business Environment In Maryland,” The Baltimore Sun, articles.baltimoresun.com</ref> CNBC ranked Maryland as lagging eight times out of ten in job categories. Despite all these facts, O'Malley has even thought about raising taxes even higher when Maryland's economy has been devastated.<ref>CNBC.com, “America’s Top States For Business 2010,” www.cnbc.com</ref>

==References==
<references/>
*http://www.martinomalley.com/aboutOMalley/
*http://www.gov.state.md.us/

==External Links==
*[https://martinomalley.com Martin O'Malley 2016 campaign website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:O'Malley, Martin}}

[[Category:Democratic Governors]]
[[Category:Maryland Governors]]
[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]
[[Category:Liberals]]
[[Category:Anti Second Amendment]]
[[category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Bernie Sanders

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IsabellW: /* External links */ add 2016 campaign website

Bernie Sanders

2015-07-01T00:40:27Z

IsabellW:

Hillary Rodham Clinton

2015-07-01T00:38:42Z

IsabellW: add 2016 campaign website

{{Officeholder
|name=Hillary Rodham Clinton
|image=Hillary-6.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=[[Bill Clinton]]
|religion=[[Methodist]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/secretary (cabinet)
|of=State
|state=United States
|number=67th
|deputy=n
|governor=
|president=[[Barack Hussein Obama]]
|terms=January 21, 2009-January 30, 2013
|preceded=[[Condoleezza Rice]]
|former=n
|succeeded=[[John Forbes Kerry]]
}}
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=New York
|terms=January 3, 2001 – January 21, 2009
|preceded=[[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]]
|former=y
|succeeded=[[Kirsten Gillibrand]]
}}
}}
'''Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton''' (b. 1947), member of the [[Democratic Party]], former [[United States Senate|Senator]] from [[New York]], and the 67th [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State of the United States]]. From 1993 to 2001 her husband, [[Bill Clinton]], was [[President of the United States]]. Hillary Clinton resigned from her job as [[Obama]]'s [[Secretary of State]] after her incompetence led to the deaths of four Americans during the Islamic terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in [[Benghazi]].<ref>http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/05/09/senator-lindsey-graham-hillary-clinton-testify-benghazi-subpoena/2147869/</ref>

She is an [[elitist]], [[liberal]], [[pro-abortion]] advocate, supports the death penalty, has yet to embrace same sex marriage publicly but does support civil unions, and supports federal funding for embryotic stem-cell research.

In Hillary Clinton's and former President Bill Clinton's four decade marriage, her husband has frequently been accused of being a serial adulterer.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=foWUM2R1K0wC&pg=PA211&lpg=PA211&dq=barbara+olson%22open+marriage%22&source=bl&ots=08qLt6ftjN&sig=njP7QlpBV08LenTCyo4KVx3JBEQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=htMZT4-UC-7CsQKitZTjCw&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Barbara Olsen, ''Hell to Pay''], p.211.</ref><ref>[http://search.opinionarchives.com/Summary/AmericanSpectator/V27I45P32-1.htm ''Love and Hate in Arkansas], ''The American Spectator, Daniel Wattenberg, April 1994.</ref>

As a feminist and role model for young girls and women, Hillary Clinton lied for and covered up her husband's betrayal of trust.<ref>http://leany.com/Conspiracy/hillary_clinton_transcript.htm</ref>

Clinton is considered by many commentators to be the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in 2016.

==Early life==
Hillary Diane Rodham was born October 26, 1947, in Chicago, [[Illinois]] to Hugh Rodham and Dorothy Emma Howell Rodham. Hugh was from a Pennsylvania family of coal miners, but decided on higher education and graduated from Penn State University before moving to Chicago and becoming prosperous as a merchant. He also voted Republican and was known as a martinet. Hillary grew up in the upscale Chicago suburb of Park Ridge with two younger brothers, Hugh Jr. (born 1950) and Anthony (born 1954). Hillary attended Maine East High School, where she was involved in many extracurricular activities; was active in the Methodist church, and worked for Republican campaigns as a Goldwater Girl. In her memoirs Hillary Clinton described herself in 1964 as "an active Young Republican" and "a [[Barry Goldwater|Goldwater]] girl, right down to my cowgirl outfit." Columnist [[Robert Novak]] observed, "As a politically attuned honor student, she must have known that Goldwater was one of only six Republican senators who joined [[Solid South|Southern Democratic]] [[segregation]]ists opposing the historic [[Voting Rights Act|voting rights act of 1964]] inspired by King."<ref>[http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertDNovak/2007/03/12/hillary,_king_and_goldwater Hillary, King and Goldwater], by Robert D. Novak, [[Townhall.com]], March 12, 2007.</ref>

As a tenth-grader, she heard the Rev. [[Martin Luther King]] speak in person, and years later she remarked in a speech "As a young girl I had the great privilege of hearing [[Martin Luther King|Dr. King]] speak in Chicago. The year was 1963....[Dr. King] called on us, he challenged us that evening to stay awake during the great revolution that the [[civil rights]] pioneers were waging on behalf of a more perfect union."<ref>http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/03/clintons_selma_speech_text.html</ref> In the eleventh grade, she was class vice-president, and she was in the top 5% of her class when she graduated in 1965.

===College===
Hillary Rodham then entered Wellesley College, an elite woman's college near Boston, and seemingly a Republican activist. During the summer of 1968, she participated in Wellesley's Washington Internship Program where she worked as an intern in the office of [[Melvin Laird]], then a congressman from Wisconsin, and attended the Republican convention in Miami as a [[Nelson Rockefeller]] supporter; Rockefeller would eventually lose the nomination to [[Richard Nixon]]. She was the commencement speaker at her graduation from Wellesley in 1969, during which she argued forcefully against the war in Vietnam and said, "And the challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible." In her speech, she also acknowledged the influence of her roomate and friend Eleanor D. Acheson in helping Hillary become the first student in Wellesley College history to deliver its commencement address.<ref name="WesleyHillary">{{Cite web
|title=Wellesley College 1969 Student Commencement Speech |url=http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/Commencement/1969/053169hillary.html
|publisher=Wellesley College
|date=31 May 1969 |accessdate=30 June 2011
}}</ref> Ms. Acheson, a lawyer and lesbian lobbyist,.<ref name="wcaddr">
{{cite web
|title=Changes under way in Task Force Public Policy & Government Affairs Department |url=http://www.thetaskforce.org/Update/2006/34_06_1219/index.htm
|publisher=National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
|date=19 December 2006
|accessdate=30 June 2011 }}</ref> - the granddaughter of President [[Harry Truman|Harry Truman’s]] secretary of state Dean Acheson - is credited for having introduced the young Hillary to political circles.

====Saul Alinsky====
[[File:Hillary letter1.png|right|200px|thumb|Letter by Hillary Rodham dated 1971, sent to community organizer and leftist radical Saul Alinsky.]]
By 1968 Rodham had abandoned her Republicanism in favor of liberalism, and in June, 1969, she appeared in ''Life'' Magazine, having written a statement advancing a cause of leftist politics and activism<ref>http://life.time.com/history/hillary-clinton-in-1969-photos-of-a-recent-college-grad/attachment/15_hillary2/</ref>. She also embraced a book, ''Reveille for Radicals''<ref>http://www.historyofsocialwork.org/1946_Alinsky/1946%20-%20Saul%20Alinsky%20-%20Reveille%20for%20Radicals.pdf</ref>, a work originally written in 1946 by a former archaeologist and full-time communist, Saul Alinsky, who in his book taught how to organize a community to the point where the "have-nots" (the poor) take from the "haves" (the middle-classes and rich), and she admitted that she had read it many times before her first of several meetings with him.

In a letter written in 1971, Rodham had asked Alinsky when his new book, ''Rules For Radicals'' was going to be published:
:''"When is that new book coming out — or has it come and I somehow missed the fulfillment of Revelation? I have just had my one-thousandth conversation about Reveille [for Radicals] and need some new material to throw at people. You are being rediscovered again as the New Left-type politicos are finally beginning to think seriously about the hard work and mechanics of organizing. I seem to have survived law school, slightly bruised, with my belief in and zest for organizing intact."''

''Rules For Radicals''<ref>https://archive.org/details/RulesForRadicals</ref> outlined twelve basic rules<ref>http://www.bestofbeck.com/wp/activism/saul-alinskys-12-rules-for-radicals</ref> for overthrowing a government, and Rodham read it voraciously. Alinsky's methods included "demonizing" and "ridiculing" the opposition, using the expertise of poor as a weapon, and using lies and innuendo to their fullest advantage. Alinsky wrote:
:''"A Marxist begins with his prime truth that all evils are caused by the exploitation of the proletariat by the capitalists. From this he logically proceeds to the revolution to end capitalism, then into the third stage of reorganization into a new social order of the dictatorship of the proletariat, and finally the last stage -- the political paradise of communism...An organizer working in and for an open society is in an ideological dilemma to begin with, he does not have a fixed truth -- truth to him is relative and changing; everything to him is relative and changing.... To the extent that he is free from the shackles of dogma, he can respond to the realities of the widely different situations...."''<ref>''Rules For Radicals'', pp. 10-11</ref>

In her 1969 thesis titled "There Is Only The Fight"<ref>https://nukegingrich.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/hillaryclintonthesis.pdf</ref> she praised Alinsky and his methods for community organizing:
:''"His are the words used in our schools and churches, by our parents and their friends, by our peers. The difference is that Alinsky really believes in them...Alinsky is regarded by many as the proponent of a dangerous socio/political philosophy. As such, he has been feared — just as Eugene Debs or Walt Whitman or Martin Luther King has been feared, because each embraced the most radical of political faiths — democracy.''"

Alinsky died in 1972, a short time after ''Rules For Radicals'' was published. Later on, at the behest of the Clinton White House, Rodham's thesis would be hidden, obtainable to a select few, and it would be in 2005 that it would be uncovered, despite being hidden by the college at Clinton's request<ref>http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122487008765067079</ref>. The two things that became clear in the following years was the fact that Hillary Rodham Clinton was solidly on the left, using the Alinsky method of overthrowing the Constitutional system of the United States, as well as going to any length to conceal her radicalism - and the lies of others within the Democratic Party - from the public.<ref>http://rense.com/general80/fon.htm</ref><ref>http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/09/saul-alinsky-secretly-controls-hillary-too.html</ref>

==Early Career==
In 1969, she attended Yale law school, where she was one of only 27 women among 235 law students. On May 7, 1970, she addressed the League of Women Voters in Washington, a sign of her growing prominence. Always active in campus politics, she ended up becoming something of a communications facilitator, as she had been at Wellesley, between potentially radical student elements and the college administration during the era of extreme student unrest in 1970. She was written up on hometown and New England newspapers, and was interviewed on Irv Kupcinet's nationally syndicated TV talk show from Chicago. That summer, she worked in Washington for Marian Wright Edelman's Washington Research Project, where she conducted research on migrant children's health and education difficulties, especially in the South. Her subsequent studies at Yale were concentrated on how the law affected children. At Yale in 1971, she met Bill Clinton, her future husband, also a law student at Yale.

She graduated from Yale Law School (JD 1973) a year later than necessary, having remained an extra year to be near Bill. As a staff attorney for the Children's Defense Fund, she specialized in children's advocacy law. She married Bill on October 11, 1975; daughter Chelsea was born in 1980.

===Arkansas===
As her husband built a political career in [[Arkansas]] as governor, she was a partner in the locally prestigious Rose Law Firm, 1976-1992. Nationally she continued her legal advocacy for children and chaired the American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession, which played a pioneering role in raising awareness of issues like sexual harassment and equal pay.

During the 1970s and '80s, the Clintons invested in the [[Whitewater]] Development Corporation which later became the subject of a federal investigation, prosecutions and convictions. Jim and Susan McDougal, and then-Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker were convicted of multiple counts of financial fraud, even though President Clinton testified for four hours for the defense.<ref>Once upon a Time in Arkansas, [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/arkansas/docs/clintondepo.html Transcript of Clinton's Sworn Deposition], PBS.</ref>

On the evening Bill Clinton lost his bid for a Congressional seat in 1974, Hillary is reported to have cursed out a Jewish aide using nasty words. <ref>Jerry Oppenheimer, ''State of a Union: Inside the Complex Marriage of Bill and Hillary Clinton'' (2000_ cites three witnesses to the incident. </ref>

===Legal Services Corporation===
Hillary Clinton was appointed by President [[Jimmy Carter]] to head the controversial [[Public defender|Legal Services Corporation]] (LSC) in 1978 and remained on the Board until 1983. <ref>[http://www.nlpc.org/view.asp?action=viewArticle&aid=225 Thwarting the Will of Congress: How the Legal Services Corporation Evaded, Diluted, and Ignored Reform], Testimony of Kenneth F. Boehm before the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, House Judiciary Committee, February 28, 2002. </ref>
Under Hillary Clinton's leadership, the LSC began moving away from its legislated task of providing poor people with free lawyers and began an [[activist]] agenda to influence [[public policy]] through [[class action]] lawsuits. One case involved bringing lawsuits to force New York's Transit Authority to hire [[heroin]] addicts. The LSC also violated its own rules by organizing political campaigns against a state referendum and against [[Ronald Reagan]]. <ref>Michael Barone , [http://www.jewishworldreview.com/michael/barone070899.asp ''Taking Hillary seriously], ''Jewish World Review'', July 8, 1999. </ref>

Clinton failed the District of Columbia [[Bar Exam]] in the 1970s.<ref>[http://mediamatters.org/items/200706010006 On Today, Bernstein omitted key fact in purported disclosure of Clinton's D.C. bar exam failure: It's not news], ''[[MediaMatters]]'' June 1, 2007. Retrieved from MediaMatters.org October 4, 2007.</ref>

== 1992 Presidential campaign ==
===Alleged civil rights violations===
''The Hill'' magazine reported Hillary Clinton may have been involved in [[civil rights]] violations by monitoring illegal wiretaps and domestic spying on political opponents during the 1992 camapaign.<ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-targeting-clinton-on-phone-call-snooping-2007-10-16.html GOP targeting Clinton on phone-call snooping], By Alexander Bolton, ''The Hill'', October 16, 2007.</ref> After the revelations came to light in a book entitled, ''Her Way'' [http://www.amazon.com/Her-Way-Ambitions-Hillary-Clinton/dp/0316017426] by Don Van Natta Jr., an investigative reporter at the ''[[New York Times]]'', and Jeff Gerth, who spent 30 years as an investigative reporter at the paper, a [[Republican]] official remarked,
{{Cquote|it is rather unbelievable that [Hillary] Clinton would listen in to conversations being conducted by political opponents, but refuse to allow our intelligence agencies to listen in to conversations being conducted by [[terrorist]]s as they plot and plan to kill us.<ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-targeting-clinton-on-phone-call-snooping-2007-10-16.html GOP targeting Clinton on phone-call snooping], By Alexander Bolton, ''The Hill'', October 16, 2007.</ref> }}

== First Lady ==

During [[Bill Clinton]]'s presidency, Hillary initially played an important role. Immediately after his [[inauguration]] in 1993, she led a task force to create a national health care system. The secrecy of the Task Force was at issue in court cases which resulted in disclosures to comply with the law.

Her friend [[Vince Foster]] supervised the defense of the litigation, but died under mysterious circumstances at the height of the controversy; the death was ruled a suicide by the U.S Park Service. The Task Force proposals lacked public support and support from the Democrats in Congress, and came to nothing but an embarrassment for the Clinton presidency.

Subsequently, the Republicans won a landslide victory in 1994, taking over both Houses of Congress.

===Healthcare task force scandals ===
:''Main article: [[Clinton health care plan]]''
Hillary was asked by her husband to play a central role in secretly crafting a plan to overhaul Health Care. Joe Klein. author of ''Primary Colors'', the fawning rendition of the phenomena of Clintonism on the 1992 campaign trail remarked,
{{Cquote |Bill Clinton really believed that if anybody was going to come up with the answer to the most vexing public policy problem out there, it was going to be Hillary. It was one of the stupidest political decisions that Bill Clinton ever made.<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/transcript/clinton-transcript/ Program Transcript, Clinton, WGBH American Experience, PBS.]</ref>}}
Democrats were divided, and conservatives counterattacked. The Democratically controlled Congress refused to even vote on it, given its unpopularity and having to publicly take a stand in support of the Clintons before the 1994 Midterm Elections.

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), along with several other groups, filed a lawsuit over closed-door meetings related to the HillaryCare. The AAPS sued to gain access to the list of members of the task force which the Clinton administration had kept secret from the public.<ref>[http://nlpc.org/government-integrity-project?page=74 National Legal Policy Center, Government Integrity Project]</ref> On June 14, 1993 the ''Washington Times'' reported Hillary's task force records were being shredded.

Along with the failed tasks force's membership sealed from the public, so was its budget, accounting, and spending authority. Hillary's task force was given a budget of $100,000. In secret, it spent almost $14 million.<ref>[http://gao.justia.com/department-of-justice/1995/3/cost-of-health-care-task-force-related-activities-t-ggd-95-114/ Cost of Health Care Task Force Related Activities]. GAO Report. Gao ID: T-GGD-95-114. March 14, 1995.</ref>

The long-term impact was an embarrassment to Hillary, especially in her 2008 presidential campaign.

===Removal of documents from Vince Foster's office===
After the death of White House staffer Vince Foster, 20 year Secret Service veteran Henry O' Neill testified before Congress he observed as Hillary Clinton's chief of staff, Margaret Williams, carry boxes of papers out of Foster's office and up to the White House residence quarters on First Lady Hillary Clinton's instructions. The documents related to the Clinton's blind trust and White House real estate investments. Under oath, Hillary Clinton denied issuing the instructions or receiving the documents. The documents were now considered evidence in the investigation of the death of Vince Foster.

Two years later, some of the documents were retrieved from the private White House quarters. FBI investigators determined Hillary Clinton's fingerprints were on the documents.<ref>http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?r104:./temp/~r104dYXUst</ref>

===Conspiracy theories and enemies list===
[[File:Hillary-5.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Hillary made a pointed reference to "a vast right-wing conspiracy" as being responsible for her husbands infidelity and the myriad scandals which have plagued the Clintons since their early days in Arkansas.]]
:''Main article: [[Vast right wing conspiracy theory]]
Hillary Clinton branded opponents of the Administration and critics of the Clinton's scandalous lifestyles as "a vast right-wing conspiracy." White House staffers made up an enemies list of persons and organizations who subsequently endured IRS audits and harassment. <ref>Larry Klayman, WorldNetDaily 7/9/99. [http://www.alamo-girl.com/0311.htm]</ref>

===Reaction to infidelity and criticizing opponents===
Although Hillary Clinton told CBS's Steve Kroft in an interview on ''60 Minutes'' to address her husband's infidelity, Clinton emphatically stated,
{{Cquote|I'm not sitting here – some little woman standing by my man like Tammy Wynette. <ref>[http://www.angelfire.com/wa/starreport/60min.html Transcript ''60 Minutes'' interview].</ref>}}

Clinton likewise mocked stay-at-home-moms for baking cookies while she was employed at a "high powered" law firm making more money than her husband. She was lauded by liberal media and pundits as "a strong women."

In the end, when confronted with the infidelity of her husband, she blamed "a vast right-wing conspiracy" and stood by her man.
<blockquote>
'Why didn’t you leave the White House when you found out about the cheating of your husband?'
[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1381198/Libya-war-2011-Aisha-Gaddafi-taunts-Obama-Hillary-Clinton.html#ixzz1Q2ALmYp2 Gaddafi's daughter Aisha Gaddafi.]
</blockquote>

===Accusations of stolen gifts===
When the Clintons left the White House, they were accused of taking furniture that belonged not to them, but to the White House and the American people. Clinton spokespeople claimed that the movers "inadvertently" packed the wrong items. Most of the articles were quietly returned. <ref>"Clinton Shipped Furniture Year Ago," Washington Post, February 10, 2001.</ref>

== U.S. Senate ==
[[Image:070917graveconcern-x.gif|right|thumb|400px]]
In 2000, Clinton ran for the New York Senate seat vacated by the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] Senator [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]]. Backed by the White House, she obtained the Democratic nomination for this Senate seat, and then won easily against Republican Rick Lazio (who entered the race when [[Rudy Giuliani]] withdrew). Clinton was a high visibility show horse, working to develop a base in upstate regions. She initiated no major legislation.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_7_54/ai_84454903 Hillary Clinton's spending of taxpayer money], ''[[National Review]], April 22, 2002.</ref> Clinton is said to have belonged to a conservative prayer group with the purpose of "bringing Jesus back to Capitol Hill."<ref>http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/09/hillarys-prayer.html</ref> A few of her collaborators in the group include Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan) and Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa).

In preparation for her Senate bid, President Clinton offered clemency to members of the [[Armed Forces of National Liberation]] (FALN) [[terrorist]] group <ref>[http://rpc.senate.gov/_files/92199CoddlingTerrorists.pdf U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee] testimony available at http://www.senate.gov/~judiciary/wl91599.htm, ''The Tampa Tribune'', S.J.Res. 33 (passed 95-2).</ref> to curry favor with [[radical]] [[Puerto Rican]] voters among the New York electorate.<ref>[http://www.jonathanpollard.org/senate.htm FALN Clemency and NY Senate Race], (2000). Retrieved from http://www.jonathanpollard.org September 20,2007.</ref> The FALN bombed Fraunces Tavern in [[Manhattan]], killing four people in 1975. Over a six-year period, the group claimed responsibility for more than 100 bombings that took six lives and injured some 130 people.<ref>[http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/puertorico/sep4.htm Clinton Pardons Terror], ''New York Post'', August 13, 1999. retrieved from http://www.latinamericanstudies.org September 14, 2007.</ref>

===FEC fined campaign for failing to accurately report $721,895 in contributions===
In January 2006 Hillary Clinton's New York Senate 2000 campaign was fined $35,000 for failing to accurately report $721,895 in contributions. <ref>[http://www.fec.gov/press/press2006/20060126mur.html Federal Elections Commission] Press Release, January 26, 2006. </ref>

===Claimed Saddam Hussein had WMD===
[[File:Hillary-4.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Among Democrats, Hillary Clinton's views on Iraq were highly regarded, including accounting for Saddam's WMD. ]]
Speaking on [[Saddam Hussein]]'s possession of [[weapons of mass destruction]] (WMD), Hillary invoked her experience in the Clinton White House:,
{{Cquote|I have to say that this is something that I have followed for a decade. If he [Saddam] were serious about disarming, he would have been much more forthcoming. There may be progress, we may be destroying his missiles, there is no accounting for the [[Weapons of mass destruction|chemical and biological stocks]].<ref>[http://www.archive.org/details/HillaryClintonsviewsongoingtowarSaddamandWMDs Hillary Clinton's views on going to war, Saddam, and WMD]</ref>}}

Hillary Clinton further described the situation after weapons inspectors we're expelled during the time when America had two in the position of presidential leadership, "for the price of one."<ref>[http://www.townhall.com/columnists/CharlesKrauthammer/2007/11/02/two_for_the_price_of_one Two For the Price of One], By Charles Krauthammer, November 2, 2007.</ref>
{{Cquote|In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his [[nuclear]] program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to [[terrorist]]s, including [[al Qaeda]] members ... It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.<ref>[http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=6390 Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), October 10, 2002]. Retrieved from Zmag.org December 4, 2007.</ref>}}

===Supported DOMA and opposed gay marriage===
Candidate Clinton said in January 2000 that marriage does not include gay unions,
{{Cquote|Marriage has got historic, religious and moral content that goes back to the beginning of time and I think a marriage is as a marriage has always been, between a man and a woman.}} Clinton said as a Senator she would have voted for the 1996 [[Defense of Marriage Act]], portions of which the Supreme Court struck down in 2012. By 2013, in typical Clintonian fashion, Clinton apologist's began pushing the "she's evolved" narrative rather than criticize the naked hypocrisy.

===Failure to reform earmarks===
The noted newspaper which covers legislative affairs, ''The Hill'', reported Hillary Clinton received more [[earmark]]s for Congressional [[pork barrel]] projects than only one other United States Senator. Reforming the earmark process had been among the Democrats top priorities in the [[110th Congress]], up until the time Democrats voted to rescind the rules aimed at reform that were passed in the first 100 hours of the new Congress in January. Ethics reform and the earmark process is widely attributed as the cause why Republicans lost control of both Houses of Congress after several members had been caught up in ethical scandals. ''The Hill'' reported Sen. Clinton received 26 earmarks worth about $148.4 million total, much going to [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] contractors. <ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/clinton-can-boast-wealth-of-earmarks-2007-06-13.html Clinton can boast wealth of earmarks], By Roxana Tiron and Ilan Wurman, ''The Hill'', June 13, 2007.</ref>

===Voted against paying troops and raising the minimum wage===
After voting to send troops to Iraq Hillary Clinton voted against funding the troops in Iraq. In May of 2007 Clinton voted against raising the minimum wage. <ref>[http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=12952&can_id=55463 Senate Concurrence on HR 2206] Title 8 Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, Record Vote Number 181, 05/24/2007. [http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_member.php?cs_id=12952]</ref>

== 2008 Presidential campaign ==
[[File:Aufzumsieg.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Hillary as the universally acclaimed presidential frontrunner and titular head of the Democratic party in 2007.]]
The much ballyhooed presumptive nominee and "inevitable" general election winner according to her media allies as the [[United States Presidential Election, 2008 - Primaries|2008 Democratic presidential primaries]] approached, Hillary Clinton finished a dismal third in a Democratic field of three in the Iowa Caucuses.<ref>Obama won Iowa with 37.6 percent of the vote; [[John Edwards]] edged out Clinton for second 29.7 - 29.5 percent. </ref> On June 7th, 2008 she conceded defeat to [[Barack Obama]] although she did not release her delegates until the convention itself.

===Attacks on Barack Obama===
A pro-Hillary website, [http://www.stop-obama.org/ stop-obama.org], which billed itself as, " a multiracial team of Democrats dedicated to critically think about BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA...will challenge the Obama image through scrutiny and analysis. We will ask tough questions about Obama’s past, present, his associations, and identity."<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20080703230410/http://www.stop-obama.org/?page_id=23</ref> The group stated,
{{quotebox|Obama had the misfortune of rich grandparents who lavishly spent their time and money on him, pampering him with attention and prep-school. Far from thanks, Obama grew resentful, and instead of softening his drive to “Rule the World,” only increased it. As his relatives and colleagues witness, it would come to define his life.<ref>http://www.stop-obama.org/?p=48</ref>}}
Hillary regularly relied upon the so-called "opposition research"<ref>[http://www.jeffkuhner.com/printer.php?q=jk-7895-phpgzkqyx-&page=articles Distortions and lies at The New York Times], Jeffrey T. Kuhner, Jan. 30-Feb. 5, 2007. www.insightmag.com </ref> of the same sources from the group to attack and denigrate the person, character, identity, and motives of Barack Obama.<ref>http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=92143</ref><ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20140811113346/http://qando.net/details.aspx?Entry=5300</ref>

===Promises made, promises broken===
In late August 2007 Senator [[Bill Nelson]] and other members of Florida's Congressional delegation protested the Democratic National Committee's scheme<ref>[http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_DEMOCRATIC_PRIMARY_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME Fla. Democrats warn of voting rights probe if state sanctioned], By Rasha Madkour, Associated Press, Aug 23, 2007. Retrieved from ''St. Petersburg Times'' August 24, 2007.</ref> to deprive Floridians of equal voting rights protection<ref>[http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_DEMOCRATIC_PRIMARY_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME Fla. Democrats warn of voting rights probe if state sanctioned], By Rasha Madkour, Associated Press, Aug 23, 2007. Retrieved from ''St. Petersburg Times'' August 24, 2007.</ref> in selection of delegates to the 2008 DNC Presidential nominating convention. A letter sent to DNC Chairman [[Howard Dean]], threatened legal action "to determine whether this could violate any state or [[federal law]]s governing and protecting individual [[Voting Rights Act|voting rights]].... It always has been a priority of our party to protect the rights of every eligible American to vote...We would hope the DNC will continue to honor this right."<ref>[http://www.nelsonforsenate.com/feature/dean/ Letter from Florida Congressional Democrats to DNC Chairman Howard Dean], August 22, 2007. Retrieved from nelsonforsenate.com/feature/dean/ September 13, 2007.</ref> The move prompted Hillary Clinton to pledge not to campaign in Florida.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/us/politics/02dems.html?ex=1346472000&en=d7f7216c6188da2e&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink Clinton, Obama and Edwards Join Pledge to Avoid Defiant States], By Jeff Zeeleny, ''New York Times'', September 2, 2007.</ref> A week later she was campaigning in Florida.<ref>[http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/09/11/news/iowa/c07662f8adc84f9a8625735300091c7f.txt Candidates have events in Florida despite pledge], By Charlotte Eby, ''Sioux City Journal'', September 11, 2007.</ref>

===Abuse of Mother Teresa's image and reputation===
Hillary Clinton was chastised by a [[Catholic]] Advocacy group for using an image of [[Mother Teresa]] in a campaign ad. Clinton continues to support abortion. <ref>[http://www.fidelis.org/gw3/articles-news/articles.php?CMSArticleID=1456&CMSCategoryID=10 Fidelis Covered by Catholic News Agency on Mother Teresa Video Controversy], ''Catholic News Agency,'' 05-18-2007.</ref> The U.S. Catholic-based advocacy group Fidelis, an organization working with people of faith to defend the [[sanctity of life]], [[traditional marriage]], and [[Religious freedom|religious liberty]] rights, called for Hillary Clinton to remove the image of Mother Teresa from their campaign video. In a press release the group declared the video, narrated by her Bill Clinton,
{{Cquote|is wholly inappropriate, disrespectful and disturbing ...using an image of blessed Mother Teresa as a political tool, especially given their [[radical]]ly different views on abortion...Mother Teresa tirelessly fought to protect unborn children, while Hillary Clinton staunchly supports [[abortion]] on demand in all nine months of pregnancy, including [[partial birth abortion]] and [[taxpayer funding of abortion]]}}

When the image of Hillary and Mother Teresa appears in the video the former president is heard saying “Hillary, in effect, was the face of America … in India;” the video then cuts to a clip of the former first lady addressing the 1995 Beijing Conference where an effort was made to declare abortion a fundamental “human right.”

===Nixon's legacy===
Barbara Olson in her 1990 book ''Hell to Pay'' <ref>[http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0895262746/102-6782111-3076127?SubscriptionId=11NRD61HE570TCSR99R2]</ref> made a convincing case that the former Goldwater girl, raised in a Republican home, while working for the staff of the House Judiciary Committee preparing impeachment Articles against [[President Nixon]], studied Nixon very closely. Olson and others have now commented how Hillary Clinton built her political career by learning to think and act as Nixon did, and modeling herself after him. These writers cite instance after instance of such behavior. <ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45138 Hillary's Secret War], The plan to silence Internet journalists, Joseph Farah, ''WorldNetDaily.com'', July 6, 2005.</ref> When Democratic competitor [[Barack Obama]] made a public statement vowing not to use [[nuclear weapons]], Hillary Clinton shot back,
{{Cquote|I don't believe that any president should make any blanket statements with respect to the use or nonuse of nuclear weapons}} reflecting Nixon's thoughts in ''The Real War'' :
{{Cquote|[[Eisenhower]] said... "You should never let the enemy know what you will do, but it's more important that you never let the enemy know what you will not do." }}
Nixon referred to it as "the Madman theory,"
{{Cquote|... statements that appear to rule out the use of force, while perhaps meant to be unprovocative, will in fact provoke an antagonist to push for more. ...we should not make statements that we will never launch a preemptive strike. Whether or not we would ever exercise that option, we should always leave open the possibility that in extreme circumstances we might. <ref>[http://nobsnews.blogspot.com/1996/10/real-war.html#hole_card ''The Real War''], Richard Nixon, Warner Books, May 1980, pgs. 253 - 260.</ref>}}

===Alleged embellishment of career events===
[[Peggy Noonan]] observed Hillary Clinton's distortions of her record on the campaign trail:
{{quotebox|She is having the worst case of [[cognitive dissonance]] in the history of modern politics. She cannot come up with a credible, realistic path to the nomination. ... But she is a scrapper, a fighter, and she's doing what she knows how to do: scrap and fight. Only harder. So that she ups the ante every day. She helped Ireland achieve peace. She tried to stop NAFTA. She's been a leader for 35 years. She landed in Bosnia under siege and bravely dodged bullets. It was as if she'd watched the movie ''Wag the Dog,'' with its fake footage of a terrified refugee woman running frantically from mortar fire, and found it not a cautionary tale about manipulation and politics, but an inspiration. <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html</ref>}}

===PolitiFact Awards===
Hillary received a "Pants on Fire" award from [[PolitiFact]] for saying Obama "basically threatened to bomb Pakistan."<ref> http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/375/ Et tu, Clinton?</ref>
Hillary received a second "Pants on Fire" award from [[PolitiFact]] for this false statement to a Washington, D.C. crowd on March 17th, 2008. {{cquote| I remember landing under sniper fire.<ref> http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/411/ Video shows tarmac welcome, no snipers</ref>}}

==Secretary of State==
On 1 December 2008 Obama announced the appointment of Hillary Clinton as [[Secretary of State]], succeeding [[Condoleezza Rice]] in January 2009.

Clinton's first assignment was to travel to [[China]] and convince them to purchase [[U.S. Treasury]] obligations to finance Obama’s [[stimulus]] package.<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.42a44b0f5d9cf5c9762e80574e79a3d5.831&show_article=1 Clinton wraps Asia trip by asking China to buy US debt,] Briebart, Feb 22 2009.</ref> The veto proof Democratic Congress voted to add $4.5 trillion to the [[national debt]] for "jobs creation" which, by the end of her tenure four years later, added a paltry 1.3 million jobs.<ref>Total Nonfarm Payrolls of All Employees in the United States stood at 133,977,000 in January of 2009; by January of 2013 when Clinton left office the number stood at 135,293,000, an increase of 1,316,000 jobs, or a cost of $3.4 million ''per job''. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.</ref> Clinton told Chinese leaders that the [[Obama administration]] considered [[human rights]] secondary to economic wellbeing.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/4735087/Hillary-Clinton-Chinese-human-rights-secondary-to-economic-survival.html Hillary Clinton: Chinese human rights secondary to economic survival,] Richard Spencer, ''London Telegraph,'' 20 Feb 2009.</ref>

While Secretary of State, Mrs. Clinton’s department covered up sexual assaults <ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57588456/state-department-memo-reveals-possible-cover-ups-halted-investigations/</ref> and pedophilia by her employees <ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57588456/state-department-memo-reveals-possible-cover-ups-halted-investigations/</ref>. Hillary has a long history of supporting individuals accused of deviant sexual behavior, including her husband, Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton has a long history of accusations of unwanted sexual advances, sexual harassment, and even rape by a woman whose integrity and crediblility is widely regarded as above reproach.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KZ8ICvutc0</ref>. The victim has spoken publicly about Hillary's penchant for sympathy with the perpetrators of sexual misconduct. <ref>http://www.apfn.org/apfn/Juanita.htm</ref>

===Foreign Policy===
Hillary Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State was marked by an escalation in U.S. casualties in Afghanistan, a decline in American prestige abroad, an explosion of jihadists recruiting and the [[global jihad]], and a soaring [[national debt]] owed to foreign entities.
====Libyan War and the Benghazi attack====
:''See also [[Libyan War]] and [[Benghazi attack]]''
[[File:Hillary-3.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Upon hearing the news of Gaddafi's murder, Sec. Clinton joked, "We Came, We Saw, He Died."]]
Obama Takes Hard Line With Libya After Shift by Clinton: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton found herself juggling the inconsistencies of American foreign policy in a turbulent Middle East. She criticized the foreign minister of the [[United Arab Emirates]] for sending troops to quash protests in Bahrain even as she pressed him to send planes to intervene in Libya. She was the driving force behind the United States military action in Libya (It is said on March 14 she met in Paris with members of the Libyan [[jihad]]is and [[Bernard Henri Levy]]). Mrs. Clinton was one of a handful of top administration aides who had been arguing for intervention. Within hours, Mrs. Clinton and the aides had convinced Obama that the United States had to act, and the president ordered up military plans, which Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hand-delivered to the White House the next day. On Thursday (March 17), during an hour-and-a -half meeting, Obama signed off on using American pilots to join Europeans and jihadists in military strikes against the Libyan government... The president had a caveat, though. The American involvement in military action in Libya should be limited — no ground troops — and finite. “Days, not weeks,” a senior White House official recalled him saying. [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/world/africa/19policy.html?_r=2&hp]

On March 17, in Tunisia, Hillary said: ''"Gaddafi must go," calling him "a ruthless dictator that has no conscience and will destroy anyone or anything in his way." "If Gaddafi does not go, he will just make trouble," she said. "That is just his nature. There are some creatures that are like that."'' [http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/17/hillary-clinton-in-tunisia-need-plan-for-economic-development/]

In joining Ms. Susan Rice and Ms. Samantha Power, Mrs. Clinton made an unusual break with Secretary of Defense [[Robert Gates]], who, along with the national security adviser, Thomas E. Donilon, and the counterterrorism chief, [[John O. Brennan]], had urged caution. Libya was not vital to American national security interests, the men argued, and Mr. Brennan worried that the Libyan rebels remained largely unknown to American officials, and could have ties to Al Qaeda. [[http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/world/africa/19policy.html?_r=2&hp]]

Hillary stated:
{{cquote|We are currently doing everything we can to bomb, strafe and use missiles to carry the rebels into power in Libya. We want them to win. We just don’t know who they are.” Hillary Rodham Clinton. [http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/06/23/hillary-clinton-to-libya-skeptics-whose-side-are-you-on/]}}

The president fully articulated American foreign policy toward Libya as formulated by Hillary Clinton: "Left unchecked... a humanitarian crisis would ensue.... The democratic values that we stand for would be overrun."<ref>http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fas.org%2Fsgp%2Fcrs%2Fnatsec%2FR41725.pdf&ei=kJkNUeedJ43DiwLCm4H4DQ&usg=AFQjCNHhRCTBkk8zUd7wMWao9DKaab8bww&sig2=8SrhE1X08403SM783aYujg&bvm=bv.41867550,d.cGE Congressional Research Service report].</ref> Nonetheless, after being captured on October 20, 2011 by forces backed by Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration, Gaddafi was first brutally sodomized, murdered, and his lifeless body paraded through the streets.<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20123348-503544/clinton-on-qaddafi-we-came-we-saw-he-died/</ref>

On September 11, 2012, the anniversary of the [[9/11 terror attacks]], Islamist terrorists attacked the American embassy and killed four people. In testimony before Congress on January the 23th, 2013 Clinton was asked why the [[Obama administration]] deliberately put out false information about the attack just prior to the [[Presidential Election of 2012]], Clinton screamed at Senators, "WHAT DIFFERENCE AT THIS POINT DOES IT MAKE?".<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/23/senator-calls-for-top-to-bottom-review-state-department-ahead-clinton-testimony/</ref>

====Mali & Algeria====
Hillary Clinton further testified in the wake of the Benghazi murders that occurred under her stewardship, that weapons and fighters equipped by the Obama administration made their way into [[Mali]] and [[Algeria]]:
{{cquote|There is no doubt that the Algerian terrorists had weapons from Libya. There is no doubt that the Malian remnants of AQIM ([[Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb]]) have weapons from Libya.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-says-militants-used-weapons-libya-algeria-attack-154222664.html Clinton says militants used weapons from Libya in Algeria attack,] Reuters, Jan 23, 2013.]</ref>}}
Two more Americans were killed, along with 35 others, after being taken hostage by rebel jihadists in Mali shortly after the Libyan upheaval.<ref>[http://world.time.com/2013/01/21/algeria-37-foreigner-hostages-killed-in-attack/ Algeria: 37 Foreigner Hostages Killed in Attack], Associated Press, Jan. 21, 2013. ''TIME'' magazine.</ref>

President [[Vladimir Putin]] of Russia observed, "Upheaval in Libya, accompanied by the uncontrolled proliferation of arms, contributed to the deterioration of the situation in Mali. Terrorist attacks in Algeria that took away the lives of innocent people – including those from foreign countries – became the consequences of such tragic developments."<ref>[http://rt.com/news/putin-libya-mali-algeria-704/ Putin links Algeria attack, Mali unrest to Libyan upheaval], January 25, 2013. rt.com</ref>

====Boko Haram====
Hilary Clinton and the State Department refused to place [[Boko Haram]] on the list of foreign terrorist organizations in 2011, after the group bombed the UN headquarters in Abuja. The refusal came despite the urging of the Justice Department, the FBI, the CIA, and over a dozen Senators and Congressmen.<ref>http://hotair.com/archives/2014/05/08/did-hillary-refuse-to-designate-boko-haram-as-a-terrorist-organization/</ref>

In 2014 Boko Haram kidnapped 276 Black African Christian girls and has sold them into slavery, reports indicate.

====Middle East====
[[File:021910 dalailama13 slideshow 604x500.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hillary Clinton negotiated the stimulus deal with China that piled $4.5 trillion unto the [[national debt]]; to mollify the Chinese Communists, here the [[Dalai Lama]], himself a [[Nobel Peace Prize]] winner, is forced to suffer the indignity of being walked past piles of garbage in a pre-arranged White House photo-op after meeting with the president.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/18/obama.dalailama/index.html ''CNN''</ref>]]
In November 2009 before George Mitchell's awkward removal as Middle East emissary, Clinton finally took a foreign policy initiative in the highly sensitive Palestine-Israeli peace process. However, she offended the Palestinians by praising Israel for offering to curb its settlement-building program in the [[West Bank]]. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/01/palestinians-accuse-clinton-undermining-peace-talks-shift-settlements/ Palestinians Accuse Clinton of Undermining Peace Talks With Shift on Settlements, FoxNews, November 1, 2009]</ref> The Palestinians accused her of undermining progress toward Mideast peace talks(the Palestinians want to see all settlements dismantled). To try and make amends and smooth over Palestinians, she issued a new statement saying the US wants [[Israel]] settlement halt forever, “We do not accept the legitimacy of settlement activity and we have a very firm belief that ending all settlement activity, current and future, would be preferable.” <ref>[http://www.jewishjournal.com/israel/article/in_cairo_clinton_clarifies_settlement_position_20091104/ "In Cairo, Clinton clarifies settlement position," ''Jewish Journal'', November 4, 2009]</ref>

Once again, Clinton's failure as Secretary of State came into question as [[John Kerry]] planned a visit to [[Iran]], which Iran rejected. <ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126161465189603571.html?mod=WSJ_newsreel_us Kerry Floats Plan to Visit Tehran, Wall Street Journal. December 24, 2009]</ref> Kerry was named as the replacement of Hillary Clinton after President Obama's embarrassing failure to garner support fort Amb. Susan Rice's nomination.<ref>[http://www.philly.com/inquirer/world_us/20091022_Kerry_plays_key_role_for_the_president.html Kerry plays key role for the president, Philly.com, October 22, 2009]</ref>

====China and Tibet====
The [[Dalai Lama]] was made [[Tibet]]an head of state in 1950, the same year that China invaded and occupied Tibet.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/02/18/analysis.china.dalai.lama/index.html Analysis: Why the Dalai Lama angers China,] Jaime FlorCruz, CNN Beijing Bureau Chief, February 18, 2010.</ref> [[CNN]] reports the Chinese find it "unacceptable when they see the Dalai Lama treated as a VIP, or even akin to a head of state." <ref>Ibid.</ref>

After the Dalai Lama met with President Obama in February, 2010 he was unceremoniously escorted through a side door that trash is regularly carried out to a photo op with awaiting cameras.

====Japan, North Korea and Burma====
In [[Japan]], she met publicly with Yukio Hatoyama, the former opposition leader, who won a landslide election in Sept, 2009. The question was over whether the new government would continue to follow American foreign policy regarding economic affairs, [[North Korea]]'s development of [[nuclear weapons]],<ref>[http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=20448 Appeasing North Korea: the Clinton Legacy,] Ben Johnson, January 03, 2003. FrontPageMagazine.com</ref> and the issue of 47,000 troops American troops stationed there. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in his election campaign vowed to review a 2006 agreement to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Base from an urban to a coastal part of the southern island of Okinawa. The base has angered residents because of aircraft noise and friction with U.S. servicemen; while in opposition, Hatoyama suggested it could be moved off the island altogether, a move the United States under Bush strongly opposed.

In July 2009, Bill Clinton trtavelled to [[North Korea]] to attempt to negotiate for the release of Americans held hostage. She was asked by a Congolese university student what her husband thought of international relations. She responded annoyed, "My husband is not secretary of state, I am," and "I am not going to be channeling my husband." Diplomats laughed when Clinton took umbrage at a Congolese questioner whom she took to be asking her husband's opinion, but it later surfaced that the question had been mistranslated.

In addition, a U.S. senator flew to Burma to bargain for the release of yet another American. Also, envoys of the reclusive North Korean regime have come to the U.S. for a meeting privately with New Mexico Gov. [[Bill Richardson]]. All this had America wondering if Hillary has been marginalized in her Obama Administration role.

====Africa====
Clinton went to Africa to demonstrate the administration is giving Africa a higher priority than usual. Clinton has long been outspoken on causes like development, health, poverty, and gender violence. Her first stop was [[Kenya]], where the U.S. policy is to stabilize the political situation which has been on the brink of civil war. Also important is economic development, with a continentwide economic conference. Under Bill Clinton the "African Growth and Opportunity Act" expanded the number of tariff-free goods sub-Saharan countries could export to the United States. Kenya is an economic engine in eastern Africa, and needs encouragement to seek economic growth and leadership rather than risk an ethnic civil war.

[[South Africa]] is the superpower on the continent, but relations were strained with the U.S. under the country's erratic former president, Thabo Mbeki. He for example, fought against American effort to stamp out AIDS, suggesting the disease was a Western conspiracy. The new president, Jacob Zuma, is an unknown quantity. South Africa is in its first recession in more than a decade. With riots on the streets over his failure to deliver on promises to the country's poor, Zuma may hope to capitalize on improved relations with the United States. That bodes well for Clinton.One of the biggest splits was over Zimbabwe, where Bush wanted Mbeki to take a more pro-active role, while Mbeki wanted the United States to stay out of his tyranny.
[[Angola]] is now the top oil exporter in Africa, with the usual corrupt pattern of concentrated oil wealth, wobbly, and a 48% unemployment rate. American oil companies are active and the U.S. is providing business and military support. American support for Angola causes resentment in the rest of Africa, where critics attack the American friendship with President José Eduardo Dos Santos, who has held power for more than 30 years. President Bush's oft-stated concern for human rights and democracy in Angola was seen by African nationalists as little more than a pretence.
<blockquote>
Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, embarked on an official African trip that took her to Zambia, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
In a press conference in Lusaka, Clinton is reported to have warned her host continent about ‘new colonialism' in Africa from external actors and investors interested only in extracting Africa's natural resources... Clinton did not mention [[China]] by name, but as her officials later confirmed to reporters, she wanted to stress that African countries should beware of the Chinese and hold their investors to high standards.[http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13585:interpreting-clintons-new-colonialism&catid=39:opinion&Itemid=132]
</blockquote>

====South America====
Hillary's trip to [[Argentina]] became controversial as she meddled into a touchy subject by attempting to force [[Britain]] to accept talks on the future of the [[Falkland Islands]]. This action will undoubtedly strain relationships between the U.S., the U.K. and Argentina. Residents of the Falklands were outraged. <ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7047309.ece Argentina celebrates diplomatic coup as Hillary Clinton calls for talks over Falklands, Timesonline.uk, March , 2010]</ref>

==2016 Presidential hopeful==
On April 12, 2015, Hillary Rodham Clinton announced her candidacy for the Democratic Party's nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]] via a video on her website.<ref>https://www.hillaryclinton.com</ref>

===Wikipedia===
On the issue of the controversial, biased online encyclopedia, [[Wikipedia]], Clinton sent a message of congratulations that was read at the opening session of the Wikimania 2012 conference in Washington, DC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/07/17/wikimania-2012-swan-song/|title=Wikimania 2012 swan
song|accessdate=February 19, 2012}}</ref>

===NAFTA, the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Clinton Global Initiative===
After Congressional Democrats voted down President Obama's proposal to create a NAFTA-like Pacific Trade Zone with China, Japan, and about a dozen other countries, to no one one surprise Hillary Clinton once again flip-flopped to garner headlines in support of what public opinion polls were saying. CNN reported Hillary had spoken out in favor of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) no less than 45 times prior, an issues which supposedly she now opposes.<ref>http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2015%2F06%2F15%2Fpolitics%2F45-times-secretary-clinton-pushed-the-trade-bill-she-now-opposes%2F&ei=wC2CVeupMYO0oQTUj4HYCg&usg=AFQjCNEsFqVDafeOiL3RCS2RkzIM4yx07A&sig2=FjN1zCMVkBdQg3uHQ-cQvg</ref><ref>http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fmichele-swenson%2Fnafta-the-transpacific-clinton_b_5523327.html&ei=CzKCVfvNFoq1oQTkg6iQDA&usg=AFQjCNH8zZ2k0O_82qbQ4lDs25S0ZL7LUQ&sig2=PUwH5dxq_fcRw17Tw9x7SQ</ref><ref>http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/02/how-obamas-free-trade-push-could-put-hillary-clinton-in-a-tight-spot/283958/</ref>

===How do you spell potato?===
Speaking to a group of Democratic loyalists in Massachusetts in 2014, Hillary indulged some of the old fashioned unprovoked, pointless partisanship and divisiveness well known to the victims of Clintonism. Hillary Clinton alleged, "Don't let anyone tell you that corporations and businesses create jobs."<ref>http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DPyUoCiWsTfI&ei=xzeCVYujEsTWoASs56HYCw&usg=AFQjCNFbNBSR0hvjFM2Csz0nD8oWQXzRiw&sig2=j25eCvPsMx5f-_-zQjEerg </ref>

==See Also==
* [[Bill Clinton]]
* [[Hillary Clinton for President Exploratory Committee]]
* [[Freedom of Choice Act]]
* [[Previous Breaking News/Hillary Clinton|Articles about '''Hillary Clinton''' from previous "Breaking News"]]
* [[Charles Schumer]]
* [[Abbottabad raid]]

----

* [[:Category:Banksters|Banksters]]: [[Quantitative easing]] of the [[Federal Reserve Bank]], [[MF Global]], [[Goldman Sachs]], [[Rothschild family]], [[Bernie Madoff]]

* [[National debt]]: [[Debt Ceiling]]-[[Deficit spending]] and the [[Federal Reserve System]]'s [[Ponzi scheme]] of [[Quantitative easing]]-[[Debt monetization]] [[devaluation]] of [[Fiat currency]] through [[Money supply]]-[[Treasury bill]]s bought mostly by [[China]] and [[Japan]]
[[File:Shovelready.jpg|right|250px]]

* [[Globalization]], [[Globalism]], [[International Monetary Fund]], [[World Bank]]

* [[John Maynard Keynes]] [[liberal]] [[Keynesian economics]] and [[Fabian Socialism|Fabian Socialist]] influence on [[Barack Obama]]

* '''[[Big government | Big Government]]''': [[Liberal values|Liberal]] [[ObamaCare]]-[[Common Core]]-[[Social Security]] [[Welfare state]] leads to [[Nanny state]], leads to [[Gun control]], [[Militarization of police]], [[Asset forfeiture]] and Domestic [[mass surveillance]] of law-abiding [[citizen]]s via the '''[[Police state]]''': [[Globalist]]-[[United Nations]]-[[Statist]]-[[Socialist]]-[[National Socialist]]-[[Communist]]

'''Contrast with:'''

* [[Ludwig von Mises]]' [[conservative]] [[libertarian]] [[Austrian economics]] and [[Fiscal conservatism]] -[[Capitalist]] [[Conservative economic policies]] of [[Ron Paul]]

* [[Gold standard]] and [[precious metal]]s

* [[Essay:Invest in tangibles|Invest in tangibles]] for [[:Category:Survivalism|Economic preparedness]]

* '''[[Limited government]]''' implies: [[Conservative values]]/[[Traditional values]] - [[Modern conservatism]] - [[Preparedness | Modern preparedness]] are the original [[American]] [[Patriot]] [[Founding Fathers]]' values

* [[Modern preparedness]]: "[[if times get tough, or even if then don't]]", [[Debt is financial cancer]], [[Tax is theft]], [[Renewable energy]], [[Financial security]], [[You are in control of your life]]

** [[Invest in tangibles]] - [[Rural]] [[farm]] [[land]], [[Tools]], [[Food storage]], [[Precious Metals]], [[Ammunition | Copper-jacketed lead]] and [[Firearms]]

** [[Agriculture]]-[[Permaculture]]: [[Growing your own food]], [[Food and water storage]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External Links==
*[https://www.hillaryclinton.com Hillary Rodham Clinton 2016 campaign website]

{{Liberalism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clinton, Hillary Rodham}}
[[Category:Illinois]]
[[Category:Arkansas]]
[[Category:New York]]
[[Category:Liberals]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[Category:First Ladies]]
[[Category:Clinton administration]]
[[Category:Former United States Senators]]
[[Category:2008 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Obama Cabinet]]
[[Category: United States Secretaries of State]]
[[Category:Banksters]]
[[Category:Anti Second Amendment]]
[[Category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Hillary Rodham Clinton

2015-07-01T00:36:30Z

IsabellW: add cat

{{Officeholder
|name=Hillary Rodham Clinton
|image=Hillary-6.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=[[Bill Clinton]]
|religion=[[Methodist]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/secretary (cabinet)
|of=State
|state=United States
|number=67th
|deputy=n
|governor=
|president=[[Barack Hussein Obama]]
|terms=January 21, 2009-January 30, 2013
|preceded=[[Condoleezza Rice]]
|former=n
|succeeded=[[John Forbes Kerry]]
}}
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=New York
|terms=January 3, 2001 – January 21, 2009
|preceded=[[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]]
|former=y
|succeeded=[[Kirsten Gillibrand]]
}}
}}
'''Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton''' (b. 1947), member of the [[Democratic Party]], former [[United States Senate|Senator]] from [[New York]], and the 67th [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State of the United States]]. From 1993 to 2001 her husband, [[Bill Clinton]], was [[President of the United States]]. Hillary Clinton resigned from her job as [[Obama]]'s [[Secretary of State]] after her incompetence led to the deaths of four Americans during the Islamic terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in [[Benghazi]].<ref>http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/05/09/senator-lindsey-graham-hillary-clinton-testify-benghazi-subpoena/2147869/</ref>

She is an [[elitist]], [[liberal]], [[pro-abortion]] advocate, supports the death penalty, has yet to embrace same sex marriage publicly but does support civil unions, and supports federal funding for embryotic stem-cell research.

In Hillary Clinton's and former President Bill Clinton's four decade marriage, her husband has frequently been accused of being a serial adulterer.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=foWUM2R1K0wC&pg=PA211&lpg=PA211&dq=barbara+olson%22open+marriage%22&source=bl&ots=08qLt6ftjN&sig=njP7QlpBV08LenTCyo4KVx3JBEQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=htMZT4-UC-7CsQKitZTjCw&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Barbara Olsen, ''Hell to Pay''], p.211.</ref><ref>[http://search.opinionarchives.com/Summary/AmericanSpectator/V27I45P32-1.htm ''Love and Hate in Arkansas], ''The American Spectator, Daniel Wattenberg, April 1994.</ref>

As a feminist and role model for young girls and women, Hillary Clinton lied for and covered up her husband's betrayal of trust.<ref>http://leany.com/Conspiracy/hillary_clinton_transcript.htm</ref>

Clinton is considered by many commentators to be the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in 2016.

==Early life==
Hillary Diane Rodham was born October 26, 1947, in Chicago, [[Illinois]] to Hugh Rodham and Dorothy Emma Howell Rodham. Hugh was from a Pennsylvania family of coal miners, but decided on higher education and graduated from Penn State University before moving to Chicago and becoming prosperous as a merchant. He also voted Republican and was known as a martinet. Hillary grew up in the upscale Chicago suburb of Park Ridge with two younger brothers, Hugh Jr. (born 1950) and Anthony (born 1954). Hillary attended Maine East High School, where she was involved in many extracurricular activities; was active in the Methodist church, and worked for Republican campaigns as a Goldwater Girl. In her memoirs Hillary Clinton described herself in 1964 as "an active Young Republican" and "a [[Barry Goldwater|Goldwater]] girl, right down to my cowgirl outfit." Columnist [[Robert Novak]] observed, "As a politically attuned honor student, she must have known that Goldwater was one of only six Republican senators who joined [[Solid South|Southern Democratic]] [[segregation]]ists opposing the historic [[Voting Rights Act|voting rights act of 1964]] inspired by King."<ref>[http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertDNovak/2007/03/12/hillary,_king_and_goldwater Hillary, King and Goldwater], by Robert D. Novak, [[Townhall.com]], March 12, 2007.</ref>

As a tenth-grader, she heard the Rev. [[Martin Luther King]] speak in person, and years later she remarked in a speech "As a young girl I had the great privilege of hearing [[Martin Luther King|Dr. King]] speak in Chicago. The year was 1963....[Dr. King] called on us, he challenged us that evening to stay awake during the great revolution that the [[civil rights]] pioneers were waging on behalf of a more perfect union."<ref>http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/03/clintons_selma_speech_text.html</ref> In the eleventh grade, she was class vice-president, and she was in the top 5% of her class when she graduated in 1965.

===College===
Hillary Rodham then entered Wellesley College, an elite woman's college near Boston, and seemingly a Republican activist. During the summer of 1968, she participated in Wellesley's Washington Internship Program where she worked as an intern in the office of [[Melvin Laird]], then a congressman from Wisconsin, and attended the Republican convention in Miami as a [[Nelson Rockefeller]] supporter; Rockefeller would eventually lose the nomination to [[Richard Nixon]]. She was the commencement speaker at her graduation from Wellesley in 1969, during which she argued forcefully against the war in Vietnam and said, "And the challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible." In her speech, she also acknowledged the influence of her roomate and friend Eleanor D. Acheson in helping Hillary become the first student in Wellesley College history to deliver its commencement address.<ref name="WesleyHillary">{{Cite web
|title=Wellesley College 1969 Student Commencement Speech |url=http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/Commencement/1969/053169hillary.html
|publisher=Wellesley College
|date=31 May 1969 |accessdate=30 June 2011
}}</ref> Ms. Acheson, a lawyer and lesbian lobbyist,.<ref name="wcaddr">
{{cite web
|title=Changes under way in Task Force Public Policy & Government Affairs Department |url=http://www.thetaskforce.org/Update/2006/34_06_1219/index.htm
|publisher=National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
|date=19 December 2006
|accessdate=30 June 2011 }}</ref> - the granddaughter of President [[Harry Truman|Harry Truman’s]] secretary of state Dean Acheson - is credited for having introduced the young Hillary to political circles.

====Saul Alinsky====
[[File:Hillary letter1.png|right|200px|thumb|Letter by Hillary Rodham dated 1971, sent to community organizer and leftist radical Saul Alinsky.]]
By 1968 Rodham had abandoned her Republicanism in favor of liberalism, and in June, 1969, she appeared in ''Life'' Magazine, having written a statement advancing a cause of leftist politics and activism<ref>http://life.time.com/history/hillary-clinton-in-1969-photos-of-a-recent-college-grad/attachment/15_hillary2/</ref>. She also embraced a book, ''Reveille for Radicals''<ref>http://www.historyofsocialwork.org/1946_Alinsky/1946%20-%20Saul%20Alinsky%20-%20Reveille%20for%20Radicals.pdf</ref>, a work originally written in 1946 by a former archaeologist and full-time communist, Saul Alinsky, who in his book taught how to organize a community to the point where the "have-nots" (the poor) take from the "haves" (the middle-classes and rich), and she admitted that she had read it many times before her first of several meetings with him.

In a letter written in 1971, Rodham had asked Alinsky when his new book, ''Rules For Radicals'' was going to be published:
:''"When is that new book coming out — or has it come and I somehow missed the fulfillment of Revelation? I have just had my one-thousandth conversation about Reveille [for Radicals] and need some new material to throw at people. You are being rediscovered again as the New Left-type politicos are finally beginning to think seriously about the hard work and mechanics of organizing. I seem to have survived law school, slightly bruised, with my belief in and zest for organizing intact."''

''Rules For Radicals''<ref>https://archive.org/details/RulesForRadicals</ref> outlined twelve basic rules<ref>http://www.bestofbeck.com/wp/activism/saul-alinskys-12-rules-for-radicals</ref> for overthrowing a government, and Rodham read it voraciously. Alinsky's methods included "demonizing" and "ridiculing" the opposition, using the expertise of poor as a weapon, and using lies and innuendo to their fullest advantage. Alinsky wrote:
:''"A Marxist begins with his prime truth that all evils are caused by the exploitation of the proletariat by the capitalists. From this he logically proceeds to the revolution to end capitalism, then into the third stage of reorganization into a new social order of the dictatorship of the proletariat, and finally the last stage -- the political paradise of communism...An organizer working in and for an open society is in an ideological dilemma to begin with, he does not have a fixed truth -- truth to him is relative and changing; everything to him is relative and changing.... To the extent that he is free from the shackles of dogma, he can respond to the realities of the widely different situations...."''<ref>''Rules For Radicals'', pp. 10-11</ref>

In her 1969 thesis titled "There Is Only The Fight"<ref>https://nukegingrich.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/hillaryclintonthesis.pdf</ref> she praised Alinsky and his methods for community organizing:
:''"His are the words used in our schools and churches, by our parents and their friends, by our peers. The difference is that Alinsky really believes in them...Alinsky is regarded by many as the proponent of a dangerous socio/political philosophy. As such, he has been feared — just as Eugene Debs or Walt Whitman or Martin Luther King has been feared, because each embraced the most radical of political faiths — democracy.''"

Alinsky died in 1972, a short time after ''Rules For Radicals'' was published. Later on, at the behest of the Clinton White House, Rodham's thesis would be hidden, obtainable to a select few, and it would be in 2005 that it would be uncovered, despite being hidden by the college at Clinton's request<ref>http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122487008765067079</ref>. The two things that became clear in the following years was the fact that Hillary Rodham Clinton was solidly on the left, using the Alinsky method of overthrowing the Constitutional system of the United States, as well as going to any length to conceal her radicalism - and the lies of others within the Democratic Party - from the public.<ref>http://rense.com/general80/fon.htm</ref><ref>http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/09/saul-alinsky-secretly-controls-hillary-too.html</ref>

==Early Career==
In 1969, she attended Yale law school, where she was one of only 27 women among 235 law students. On May 7, 1970, she addressed the League of Women Voters in Washington, a sign of her growing prominence. Always active in campus politics, she ended up becoming something of a communications facilitator, as she had been at Wellesley, between potentially radical student elements and the college administration during the era of extreme student unrest in 1970. She was written up on hometown and New England newspapers, and was interviewed on Irv Kupcinet's nationally syndicated TV talk show from Chicago. That summer, she worked in Washington for Marian Wright Edelman's Washington Research Project, where she conducted research on migrant children's health and education difficulties, especially in the South. Her subsequent studies at Yale were concentrated on how the law affected children. At Yale in 1971, she met Bill Clinton, her future husband, also a law student at Yale.

She graduated from Yale Law School (JD 1973) a year later than necessary, having remained an extra year to be near Bill. As a staff attorney for the Children's Defense Fund, she specialized in children's advocacy law. She married Bill on October 11, 1975; daughter Chelsea was born in 1980.

===Arkansas===
As her husband built a political career in [[Arkansas]] as governor, she was a partner in the locally prestigious Rose Law Firm, 1976-1992. Nationally she continued her legal advocacy for children and chaired the American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession, which played a pioneering role in raising awareness of issues like sexual harassment and equal pay.

During the 1970s and '80s, the Clintons invested in the [[Whitewater]] Development Corporation which later became the subject of a federal investigation, prosecutions and convictions. Jim and Susan McDougal, and then-Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker were convicted of multiple counts of financial fraud, even though President Clinton testified for four hours for the defense.<ref>Once upon a Time in Arkansas, [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/arkansas/docs/clintondepo.html Transcript of Clinton's Sworn Deposition], PBS.</ref>

On the evening Bill Clinton lost his bid for a Congressional seat in 1974, Hillary is reported to have cursed out a Jewish aide using nasty words. <ref>Jerry Oppenheimer, ''State of a Union: Inside the Complex Marriage of Bill and Hillary Clinton'' (2000_ cites three witnesses to the incident. </ref>

===Legal Services Corporation===
Hillary Clinton was appointed by President [[Jimmy Carter]] to head the controversial [[Public defender|Legal Services Corporation]] (LSC) in 1978 and remained on the Board until 1983. <ref>[http://www.nlpc.org/view.asp?action=viewArticle&aid=225 Thwarting the Will of Congress: How the Legal Services Corporation Evaded, Diluted, and Ignored Reform], Testimony of Kenneth F. Boehm before the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, House Judiciary Committee, February 28, 2002. </ref>
Under Hillary Clinton's leadership, the LSC began moving away from its legislated task of providing poor people with free lawyers and began an [[activist]] agenda to influence [[public policy]] through [[class action]] lawsuits. One case involved bringing lawsuits to force New York's Transit Authority to hire [[heroin]] addicts. The LSC also violated its own rules by organizing political campaigns against a state referendum and against [[Ronald Reagan]]. <ref>Michael Barone , [http://www.jewishworldreview.com/michael/barone070899.asp ''Taking Hillary seriously], ''Jewish World Review'', July 8, 1999. </ref>

Clinton failed the District of Columbia [[Bar Exam]] in the 1970s.<ref>[http://mediamatters.org/items/200706010006 On Today, Bernstein omitted key fact in purported disclosure of Clinton's D.C. bar exam failure: It's not news], ''[[MediaMatters]]'' June 1, 2007. Retrieved from MediaMatters.org October 4, 2007.</ref>

== 1992 Presidential campaign ==
===Alleged civil rights violations===
''The Hill'' magazine reported Hillary Clinton may have been involved in [[civil rights]] violations by monitoring illegal wiretaps and domestic spying on political opponents during the 1992 camapaign.<ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-targeting-clinton-on-phone-call-snooping-2007-10-16.html GOP targeting Clinton on phone-call snooping], By Alexander Bolton, ''The Hill'', October 16, 2007.</ref> After the revelations came to light in a book entitled, ''Her Way'' [http://www.amazon.com/Her-Way-Ambitions-Hillary-Clinton/dp/0316017426] by Don Van Natta Jr., an investigative reporter at the ''[[New York Times]]'', and Jeff Gerth, who spent 30 years as an investigative reporter at the paper, a [[Republican]] official remarked,
{{Cquote|it is rather unbelievable that [Hillary] Clinton would listen in to conversations being conducted by political opponents, but refuse to allow our intelligence agencies to listen in to conversations being conducted by [[terrorist]]s as they plot and plan to kill us.<ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-targeting-clinton-on-phone-call-snooping-2007-10-16.html GOP targeting Clinton on phone-call snooping], By Alexander Bolton, ''The Hill'', October 16, 2007.</ref> }}

== First Lady ==

During [[Bill Clinton]]'s presidency, Hillary initially played an important role. Immediately after his [[inauguration]] in 1993, she led a task force to create a national health care system. The secrecy of the Task Force was at issue in court cases which resulted in disclosures to comply with the law.

Her friend [[Vince Foster]] supervised the defense of the litigation, but died under mysterious circumstances at the height of the controversy; the death was ruled a suicide by the U.S Park Service. The Task Force proposals lacked public support and support from the Democrats in Congress, and came to nothing but an embarrassment for the Clinton presidency.

Subsequently, the Republicans won a landslide victory in 1994, taking over both Houses of Congress.

===Healthcare task force scandals ===
:''Main article: [[Clinton health care plan]]''
Hillary was asked by her husband to play a central role in secretly crafting a plan to overhaul Health Care. Joe Klein. author of ''Primary Colors'', the fawning rendition of the phenomena of Clintonism on the 1992 campaign trail remarked,
{{Cquote |Bill Clinton really believed that if anybody was going to come up with the answer to the most vexing public policy problem out there, it was going to be Hillary. It was one of the stupidest political decisions that Bill Clinton ever made.<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/transcript/clinton-transcript/ Program Transcript, Clinton, WGBH American Experience, PBS.]</ref>}}
Democrats were divided, and conservatives counterattacked. The Democratically controlled Congress refused to even vote on it, given its unpopularity and having to publicly take a stand in support of the Clintons before the 1994 Midterm Elections.

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), along with several other groups, filed a lawsuit over closed-door meetings related to the HillaryCare. The AAPS sued to gain access to the list of members of the task force which the Clinton administration had kept secret from the public.<ref>[http://nlpc.org/government-integrity-project?page=74 National Legal Policy Center, Government Integrity Project]</ref> On June 14, 1993 the ''Washington Times'' reported Hillary's task force records were being shredded.

Along with the failed tasks force's membership sealed from the public, so was its budget, accounting, and spending authority. Hillary's task force was given a budget of $100,000. In secret, it spent almost $14 million.<ref>[http://gao.justia.com/department-of-justice/1995/3/cost-of-health-care-task-force-related-activities-t-ggd-95-114/ Cost of Health Care Task Force Related Activities]. GAO Report. Gao ID: T-GGD-95-114. March 14, 1995.</ref>

The long-term impact was an embarrassment to Hillary, especially in her 2008 presidential campaign.

===Removal of documents from Vince Foster's office===
After the death of White House staffer Vince Foster, 20 year Secret Service veteran Henry O' Neill testified before Congress he observed as Hillary Clinton's chief of staff, Margaret Williams, carry boxes of papers out of Foster's office and up to the White House residence quarters on First Lady Hillary Clinton's instructions. The documents related to the Clinton's blind trust and White House real estate investments. Under oath, Hillary Clinton denied issuing the instructions or receiving the documents. The documents were now considered evidence in the investigation of the death of Vince Foster.

Two years later, some of the documents were retrieved from the private White House quarters. FBI investigators determined Hillary Clinton's fingerprints were on the documents.<ref>http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?r104:./temp/~r104dYXUst</ref>

===Conspiracy theories and enemies list===
[[File:Hillary-5.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Hillary made a pointed reference to "a vast right-wing conspiracy" as being responsible for her husbands infidelity and the myriad scandals which have plagued the Clintons since their early days in Arkansas.]]
:''Main article: [[Vast right wing conspiracy theory]]
Hillary Clinton branded opponents of the Administration and critics of the Clinton's scandalous lifestyles as "a vast right-wing conspiracy." White House staffers made up an enemies list of persons and organizations who subsequently endured IRS audits and harassment. <ref>Larry Klayman, WorldNetDaily 7/9/99. [http://www.alamo-girl.com/0311.htm]</ref>

===Reaction to infidelity and criticizing opponents===
Although Hillary Clinton told CBS's Steve Kroft in an interview on ''60 Minutes'' to address her husband's infidelity, Clinton emphatically stated,
{{Cquote|I'm not sitting here – some little woman standing by my man like Tammy Wynette. <ref>[http://www.angelfire.com/wa/starreport/60min.html Transcript ''60 Minutes'' interview].</ref>}}

Clinton likewise mocked stay-at-home-moms for baking cookies while she was employed at a "high powered" law firm making more money than her husband. She was lauded by liberal media and pundits as "a strong women."

In the end, when confronted with the infidelity of her husband, she blamed "a vast right-wing conspiracy" and stood by her man.
<blockquote>
'Why didn’t you leave the White House when you found out about the cheating of your husband?'
[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1381198/Libya-war-2011-Aisha-Gaddafi-taunts-Obama-Hillary-Clinton.html#ixzz1Q2ALmYp2 Gaddafi's daughter Aisha Gaddafi.]
</blockquote>

===Accusations of stolen gifts===
When the Clintons left the White House, they were accused of taking furniture that belonged not to them, but to the White House and the American people. Clinton spokespeople claimed that the movers "inadvertently" packed the wrong items. Most of the articles were quietly returned. <ref>"Clinton Shipped Furniture Year Ago," Washington Post, February 10, 2001.</ref>

== U.S. Senate ==
[[Image:070917graveconcern-x.gif|right|thumb|400px]]
In 2000, Clinton ran for the New York Senate seat vacated by the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] Senator [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]]. Backed by the White House, she obtained the Democratic nomination for this Senate seat, and then won easily against Republican Rick Lazio (who entered the race when [[Rudy Giuliani]] withdrew). Clinton was a high visibility show horse, working to develop a base in upstate regions. She initiated no major legislation.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_7_54/ai_84454903 Hillary Clinton's spending of taxpayer money], ''[[National Review]], April 22, 2002.</ref> Clinton is said to have belonged to a conservative prayer group with the purpose of "bringing Jesus back to Capitol Hill."<ref>http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/09/hillarys-prayer.html</ref> A few of her collaborators in the group include Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan) and Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa).

In preparation for her Senate bid, President Clinton offered clemency to members of the [[Armed Forces of National Liberation]] (FALN) [[terrorist]] group <ref>[http://rpc.senate.gov/_files/92199CoddlingTerrorists.pdf U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee] testimony available at http://www.senate.gov/~judiciary/wl91599.htm, ''The Tampa Tribune'', S.J.Res. 33 (passed 95-2).</ref> to curry favor with [[radical]] [[Puerto Rican]] voters among the New York electorate.<ref>[http://www.jonathanpollard.org/senate.htm FALN Clemency and NY Senate Race], (2000). Retrieved from http://www.jonathanpollard.org September 20,2007.</ref> The FALN bombed Fraunces Tavern in [[Manhattan]], killing four people in 1975. Over a six-year period, the group claimed responsibility for more than 100 bombings that took six lives and injured some 130 people.<ref>[http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/puertorico/sep4.htm Clinton Pardons Terror], ''New York Post'', August 13, 1999. retrieved from http://www.latinamericanstudies.org September 14, 2007.</ref>

===FEC fined campaign for failing to accurately report $721,895 in contributions===
In January 2006 Hillary Clinton's New York Senate 2000 campaign was fined $35,000 for failing to accurately report $721,895 in contributions. <ref>[http://www.fec.gov/press/press2006/20060126mur.html Federal Elections Commission] Press Release, January 26, 2006. </ref>

===Claimed Saddam Hussein had WMD===
[[File:Hillary-4.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Among Democrats, Hillary Clinton's views on Iraq were highly regarded, including accounting for Saddam's WMD. ]]
Speaking on [[Saddam Hussein]]'s possession of [[weapons of mass destruction]] (WMD), Hillary invoked her experience in the Clinton White House:,
{{Cquote|I have to say that this is something that I have followed for a decade. If he [Saddam] were serious about disarming, he would have been much more forthcoming. There may be progress, we may be destroying his missiles, there is no accounting for the [[Weapons of mass destruction|chemical and biological stocks]].<ref>[http://www.archive.org/details/HillaryClintonsviewsongoingtowarSaddamandWMDs Hillary Clinton's views on going to war, Saddam, and WMD]</ref>}}

Hillary Clinton further described the situation after weapons inspectors we're expelled during the time when America had two in the position of presidential leadership, "for the price of one."<ref>[http://www.townhall.com/columnists/CharlesKrauthammer/2007/11/02/two_for_the_price_of_one Two For the Price of One], By Charles Krauthammer, November 2, 2007.</ref>
{{Cquote|In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his [[nuclear]] program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to [[terrorist]]s, including [[al Qaeda]] members ... It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.<ref>[http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=6390 Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), October 10, 2002]. Retrieved from Zmag.org December 4, 2007.</ref>}}

===Supported DOMA and opposed gay marriage===
Candidate Clinton said in January 2000 that marriage does not include gay unions,
{{Cquote|Marriage has got historic, religious and moral content that goes back to the beginning of time and I think a marriage is as a marriage has always been, between a man and a woman.}} Clinton said as a Senator she would have voted for the 1996 [[Defense of Marriage Act]], portions of which the Supreme Court struck down in 2012. By 2013, in typical Clintonian fashion, Clinton apologist's began pushing the "she's evolved" narrative rather than criticize the naked hypocrisy.

===Failure to reform earmarks===
The noted newspaper which covers legislative affairs, ''The Hill'', reported Hillary Clinton received more [[earmark]]s for Congressional [[pork barrel]] projects than only one other United States Senator. Reforming the earmark process had been among the Democrats top priorities in the [[110th Congress]], up until the time Democrats voted to rescind the rules aimed at reform that were passed in the first 100 hours of the new Congress in January. Ethics reform and the earmark process is widely attributed as the cause why Republicans lost control of both Houses of Congress after several members had been caught up in ethical scandals. ''The Hill'' reported Sen. Clinton received 26 earmarks worth about $148.4 million total, much going to [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] contractors. <ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/clinton-can-boast-wealth-of-earmarks-2007-06-13.html Clinton can boast wealth of earmarks], By Roxana Tiron and Ilan Wurman, ''The Hill'', June 13, 2007.</ref>

===Voted against paying troops and raising the minimum wage===
After voting to send troops to Iraq Hillary Clinton voted against funding the troops in Iraq. In May of 2007 Clinton voted against raising the minimum wage. <ref>[http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=12952&can_id=55463 Senate Concurrence on HR 2206] Title 8 Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, Record Vote Number 181, 05/24/2007. [http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_member.php?cs_id=12952]</ref>

== 2008 Presidential campaign ==
[[File:Aufzumsieg.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Hillary as the universally acclaimed presidential frontrunner and titular head of the Democratic party in 2007.]]
The much ballyhooed presumptive nominee and "inevitable" general election winner according to her media allies as the [[United States Presidential Election, 2008 - Primaries|2008 Democratic presidential primaries]] approached, Hillary Clinton finished a dismal third in a Democratic field of three in the Iowa Caucuses.<ref>Obama won Iowa with 37.6 percent of the vote; [[John Edwards]] edged out Clinton for second 29.7 - 29.5 percent. </ref> On June 7th, 2008 she conceded defeat to [[Barack Obama]] although she did not release her delegates until the convention itself.

===Attacks on Barack Obama===
A pro-Hillary website, [http://www.stop-obama.org/ stop-obama.org], which billed itself as, " a multiracial team of Democrats dedicated to critically think about BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA...will challenge the Obama image through scrutiny and analysis. We will ask tough questions about Obama’s past, present, his associations, and identity."<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20080703230410/http://www.stop-obama.org/?page_id=23</ref> The group stated,
{{quotebox|Obama had the misfortune of rich grandparents who lavishly spent their time and money on him, pampering him with attention and prep-school. Far from thanks, Obama grew resentful, and instead of softening his drive to “Rule the World,” only increased it. As his relatives and colleagues witness, it would come to define his life.<ref>http://www.stop-obama.org/?p=48</ref>}}
Hillary regularly relied upon the so-called "opposition research"<ref>[http://www.jeffkuhner.com/printer.php?q=jk-7895-phpgzkqyx-&page=articles Distortions and lies at The New York Times], Jeffrey T. Kuhner, Jan. 30-Feb. 5, 2007. www.insightmag.com </ref> of the same sources from the group to attack and denigrate the person, character, identity, and motives of Barack Obama.<ref>http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=92143</ref><ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20140811113346/http://qando.net/details.aspx?Entry=5300</ref>

===Promises made, promises broken===
In late August 2007 Senator [[Bill Nelson]] and other members of Florida's Congressional delegation protested the Democratic National Committee's scheme<ref>[http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_DEMOCRATIC_PRIMARY_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME Fla. Democrats warn of voting rights probe if state sanctioned], By Rasha Madkour, Associated Press, Aug 23, 2007. Retrieved from ''St. Petersburg Times'' August 24, 2007.</ref> to deprive Floridians of equal voting rights protection<ref>[http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_DEMOCRATIC_PRIMARY_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME Fla. Democrats warn of voting rights probe if state sanctioned], By Rasha Madkour, Associated Press, Aug 23, 2007. Retrieved from ''St. Petersburg Times'' August 24, 2007.</ref> in selection of delegates to the 2008 DNC Presidential nominating convention. A letter sent to DNC Chairman [[Howard Dean]], threatened legal action "to determine whether this could violate any state or [[federal law]]s governing and protecting individual [[Voting Rights Act|voting rights]].... It always has been a priority of our party to protect the rights of every eligible American to vote...We would hope the DNC will continue to honor this right."<ref>[http://www.nelsonforsenate.com/feature/dean/ Letter from Florida Congressional Democrats to DNC Chairman Howard Dean], August 22, 2007. Retrieved from nelsonforsenate.com/feature/dean/ September 13, 2007.</ref> The move prompted Hillary Clinton to pledge not to campaign in Florida.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/us/politics/02dems.html?ex=1346472000&en=d7f7216c6188da2e&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink Clinton, Obama and Edwards Join Pledge to Avoid Defiant States], By Jeff Zeeleny, ''New York Times'', September 2, 2007.</ref> A week later she was campaigning in Florida.<ref>[http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/09/11/news/iowa/c07662f8adc84f9a8625735300091c7f.txt Candidates have events in Florida despite pledge], By Charlotte Eby, ''Sioux City Journal'', September 11, 2007.</ref>

===Abuse of Mother Teresa's image and reputation===
Hillary Clinton was chastised by a [[Catholic]] Advocacy group for using an image of [[Mother Teresa]] in a campaign ad. Clinton continues to support abortion. <ref>[http://www.fidelis.org/gw3/articles-news/articles.php?CMSArticleID=1456&CMSCategoryID=10 Fidelis Covered by Catholic News Agency on Mother Teresa Video Controversy], ''Catholic News Agency,'' 05-18-2007.</ref> The U.S. Catholic-based advocacy group Fidelis, an organization working with people of faith to defend the [[sanctity of life]], [[traditional marriage]], and [[Religious freedom|religious liberty]] rights, called for Hillary Clinton to remove the image of Mother Teresa from their campaign video. In a press release the group declared the video, narrated by her Bill Clinton,
{{Cquote|is wholly inappropriate, disrespectful and disturbing ...using an image of blessed Mother Teresa as a political tool, especially given their [[radical]]ly different views on abortion...Mother Teresa tirelessly fought to protect unborn children, while Hillary Clinton staunchly supports [[abortion]] on demand in all nine months of pregnancy, including [[partial birth abortion]] and [[taxpayer funding of abortion]]}}

When the image of Hillary and Mother Teresa appears in the video the former president is heard saying “Hillary, in effect, was the face of America … in India;” the video then cuts to a clip of the former first lady addressing the 1995 Beijing Conference where an effort was made to declare abortion a fundamental “human right.”

===Nixon's legacy===
Barbara Olson in her 1990 book ''Hell to Pay'' <ref>[http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0895262746/102-6782111-3076127?SubscriptionId=11NRD61HE570TCSR99R2]</ref> made a convincing case that the former Goldwater girl, raised in a Republican home, while working for the staff of the House Judiciary Committee preparing impeachment Articles against [[President Nixon]], studied Nixon very closely. Olson and others have now commented how Hillary Clinton built her political career by learning to think and act as Nixon did, and modeling herself after him. These writers cite instance after instance of such behavior. <ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45138 Hillary's Secret War], The plan to silence Internet journalists, Joseph Farah, ''WorldNetDaily.com'', July 6, 2005.</ref> When Democratic competitor [[Barack Obama]] made a public statement vowing not to use [[nuclear weapons]], Hillary Clinton shot back,
{{Cquote|I don't believe that any president should make any blanket statements with respect to the use or nonuse of nuclear weapons}} reflecting Nixon's thoughts in ''The Real War'' :
{{Cquote|[[Eisenhower]] said... "You should never let the enemy know what you will do, but it's more important that you never let the enemy know what you will not do." }}
Nixon referred to it as "the Madman theory,"
{{Cquote|... statements that appear to rule out the use of force, while perhaps meant to be unprovocative, will in fact provoke an antagonist to push for more. ...we should not make statements that we will never launch a preemptive strike. Whether or not we would ever exercise that option, we should always leave open the possibility that in extreme circumstances we might. <ref>[http://nobsnews.blogspot.com/1996/10/real-war.html#hole_card ''The Real War''], Richard Nixon, Warner Books, May 1980, pgs. 253 - 260.</ref>}}

===Alleged embellishment of career events===
[[Peggy Noonan]] observed Hillary Clinton's distortions of her record on the campaign trail:
{{quotebox|She is having the worst case of [[cognitive dissonance]] in the history of modern politics. She cannot come up with a credible, realistic path to the nomination. ... But she is a scrapper, a fighter, and she's doing what she knows how to do: scrap and fight. Only harder. So that she ups the ante every day. She helped Ireland achieve peace. She tried to stop NAFTA. She's been a leader for 35 years. She landed in Bosnia under siege and bravely dodged bullets. It was as if she'd watched the movie ''Wag the Dog,'' with its fake footage of a terrified refugee woman running frantically from mortar fire, and found it not a cautionary tale about manipulation and politics, but an inspiration. <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html</ref>}}

===PolitiFact Awards===
Hillary received a "Pants on Fire" award from [[PolitiFact]] for saying Obama "basically threatened to bomb Pakistan."<ref> http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/375/ Et tu, Clinton?</ref>
Hillary received a second "Pants on Fire" award from [[PolitiFact]] for this false statement to a Washington, D.C. crowd on March 17th, 2008. {{cquote| I remember landing under sniper fire.<ref> http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/411/ Video shows tarmac welcome, no snipers</ref>}}

==Secretary of State==
On 1 December 2008 Obama announced the appointment of Hillary Clinton as [[Secretary of State]], succeeding [[Condoleezza Rice]] in January 2009.

Clinton's first assignment was to travel to [[China]] and convince them to purchase [[U.S. Treasury]] obligations to finance Obama’s [[stimulus]] package.<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.42a44b0f5d9cf5c9762e80574e79a3d5.831&show_article=1 Clinton wraps Asia trip by asking China to buy US debt,] Briebart, Feb 22 2009.</ref> The veto proof Democratic Congress voted to add $4.5 trillion to the [[national debt]] for "jobs creation" which, by the end of her tenure four years later, added a paltry 1.3 million jobs.<ref>Total Nonfarm Payrolls of All Employees in the United States stood at 133,977,000 in January of 2009; by January of 2013 when Clinton left office the number stood at 135,293,000, an increase of 1,316,000 jobs, or a cost of $3.4 million ''per job''. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.</ref> Clinton told Chinese leaders that the [[Obama administration]] considered [[human rights]] secondary to economic wellbeing.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/4735087/Hillary-Clinton-Chinese-human-rights-secondary-to-economic-survival.html Hillary Clinton: Chinese human rights secondary to economic survival,] Richard Spencer, ''London Telegraph,'' 20 Feb 2009.</ref>

While Secretary of State, Mrs. Clinton’s department covered up sexual assaults <ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57588456/state-department-memo-reveals-possible-cover-ups-halted-investigations/</ref> and pedophilia by her employees <ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57588456/state-department-memo-reveals-possible-cover-ups-halted-investigations/</ref>. Hillary has a long history of supporting individuals accused of deviant sexual behavior, including her husband, Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton has a long history of accusations of unwanted sexual advances, sexual harassment, and even rape by a woman whose integrity and crediblility is widely regarded as above reproach.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KZ8ICvutc0</ref>. The victim has spoken publicly about Hillary's penchant for sympathy with the perpetrators of sexual misconduct. <ref>http://www.apfn.org/apfn/Juanita.htm</ref>

===Foreign Policy===
Hillary Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State was marked by an escalation in U.S. casualties in Afghanistan, a decline in American prestige abroad, an explosion of jihadists recruiting and the [[global jihad]], and a soaring [[national debt]] owed to foreign entities.
====Libyan War and the Benghazi attack====
:''See also [[Libyan War]] and [[Benghazi attack]]''
[[File:Hillary-3.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Upon hearing the news of Gaddafi's murder, Sec. Clinton joked, "We Came, We Saw, He Died."]]
Obama Takes Hard Line With Libya After Shift by Clinton: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton found herself juggling the inconsistencies of American foreign policy in a turbulent Middle East. She criticized the foreign minister of the [[United Arab Emirates]] for sending troops to quash protests in Bahrain even as she pressed him to send planes to intervene in Libya. She was the driving force behind the United States military action in Libya (It is said on March 14 she met in Paris with members of the Libyan [[jihad]]is and [[Bernard Henri Levy]]). Mrs. Clinton was one of a handful of top administration aides who had been arguing for intervention. Within hours, Mrs. Clinton and the aides had convinced Obama that the United States had to act, and the president ordered up military plans, which Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hand-delivered to the White House the next day. On Thursday (March 17), during an hour-and-a -half meeting, Obama signed off on using American pilots to join Europeans and jihadists in military strikes against the Libyan government... The president had a caveat, though. The American involvement in military action in Libya should be limited — no ground troops — and finite. “Days, not weeks,” a senior White House official recalled him saying. [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/world/africa/19policy.html?_r=2&hp]

On March 17, in Tunisia, Hillary said: ''"Gaddafi must go," calling him "a ruthless dictator that has no conscience and will destroy anyone or anything in his way." "If Gaddafi does not go, he will just make trouble," she said. "That is just his nature. There are some creatures that are like that."'' [http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/17/hillary-clinton-in-tunisia-need-plan-for-economic-development/]

In joining Ms. Susan Rice and Ms. Samantha Power, Mrs. Clinton made an unusual break with Secretary of Defense [[Robert Gates]], who, along with the national security adviser, Thomas E. Donilon, and the counterterrorism chief, [[John O. Brennan]], had urged caution. Libya was not vital to American national security interests, the men argued, and Mr. Brennan worried that the Libyan rebels remained largely unknown to American officials, and could have ties to Al Qaeda. [[http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/world/africa/19policy.html?_r=2&hp]]

Hillary stated:
{{cquote|We are currently doing everything we can to bomb, strafe and use missiles to carry the rebels into power in Libya. We want them to win. We just don’t know who they are.” Hillary Rodham Clinton. [http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/06/23/hillary-clinton-to-libya-skeptics-whose-side-are-you-on/]}}

The president fully articulated American foreign policy toward Libya as formulated by Hillary Clinton: "Left unchecked... a humanitarian crisis would ensue.... The democratic values that we stand for would be overrun."<ref>http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fas.org%2Fsgp%2Fcrs%2Fnatsec%2FR41725.pdf&ei=kJkNUeedJ43DiwLCm4H4DQ&usg=AFQjCNHhRCTBkk8zUd7wMWao9DKaab8bww&sig2=8SrhE1X08403SM783aYujg&bvm=bv.41867550,d.cGE Congressional Research Service report].</ref> Nonetheless, after being captured on October 20, 2011 by forces backed by Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration, Gaddafi was first brutally sodomized, murdered, and his lifeless body paraded through the streets.<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20123348-503544/clinton-on-qaddafi-we-came-we-saw-he-died/</ref>

On September 11, 2012, the anniversary of the [[9/11 terror attacks]], Islamist terrorists attacked the American embassy and killed four people. In testimony before Congress on January the 23th, 2013 Clinton was asked why the [[Obama administration]] deliberately put out false information about the attack just prior to the [[Presidential Election of 2012]], Clinton screamed at Senators, "WHAT DIFFERENCE AT THIS POINT DOES IT MAKE?".<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/23/senator-calls-for-top-to-bottom-review-state-department-ahead-clinton-testimony/</ref>

====Mali & Algeria====
Hillary Clinton further testified in the wake of the Benghazi murders that occurred under her stewardship, that weapons and fighters equipped by the Obama administration made their way into [[Mali]] and [[Algeria]]:
{{cquote|There is no doubt that the Algerian terrorists had weapons from Libya. There is no doubt that the Malian remnants of AQIM ([[Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb]]) have weapons from Libya.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-says-militants-used-weapons-libya-algeria-attack-154222664.html Clinton says militants used weapons from Libya in Algeria attack,] Reuters, Jan 23, 2013.]</ref>}}
Two more Americans were killed, along with 35 others, after being taken hostage by rebel jihadists in Mali shortly after the Libyan upheaval.<ref>[http://world.time.com/2013/01/21/algeria-37-foreigner-hostages-killed-in-attack/ Algeria: 37 Foreigner Hostages Killed in Attack], Associated Press, Jan. 21, 2013. ''TIME'' magazine.</ref>

President [[Vladimir Putin]] of Russia observed, "Upheaval in Libya, accompanied by the uncontrolled proliferation of arms, contributed to the deterioration of the situation in Mali. Terrorist attacks in Algeria that took away the lives of innocent people – including those from foreign countries – became the consequences of such tragic developments."<ref>[http://rt.com/news/putin-libya-mali-algeria-704/ Putin links Algeria attack, Mali unrest to Libyan upheaval], January 25, 2013. rt.com</ref>

====Boko Haram====
Hilary Clinton and the State Department refused to place [[Boko Haram]] on the list of foreign terrorist organizations in 2011, after the group bombed the UN headquarters in Abuja. The refusal came despite the urging of the Justice Department, the FBI, the CIA, and over a dozen Senators and Congressmen.<ref>http://hotair.com/archives/2014/05/08/did-hillary-refuse-to-designate-boko-haram-as-a-terrorist-organization/</ref>

In 2014 Boko Haram kidnapped 276 Black African Christian girls and has sold them into slavery, reports indicate.

====Middle East====
[[File:021910 dalailama13 slideshow 604x500.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hillary Clinton negotiated the stimulus deal with China that piled $4.5 trillion unto the [[national debt]]; to mollify the Chinese Communists, here the [[Dalai Lama]], himself a [[Nobel Peace Prize]] winner, is forced to suffer the indignity of being walked past piles of garbage in a pre-arranged White House photo-op after meeting with the president.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/18/obama.dalailama/index.html ''CNN''</ref>]]
In November 2009 before George Mitchell's awkward removal as Middle East emissary, Clinton finally took a foreign policy initiative in the highly sensitive Palestine-Israeli peace process. However, she offended the Palestinians by praising Israel for offering to curb its settlement-building program in the [[West Bank]]. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/01/palestinians-accuse-clinton-undermining-peace-talks-shift-settlements/ Palestinians Accuse Clinton of Undermining Peace Talks With Shift on Settlements, FoxNews, November 1, 2009]</ref> The Palestinians accused her of undermining progress toward Mideast peace talks(the Palestinians want to see all settlements dismantled). To try and make amends and smooth over Palestinians, she issued a new statement saying the US wants [[Israel]] settlement halt forever, “We do not accept the legitimacy of settlement activity and we have a very firm belief that ending all settlement activity, current and future, would be preferable.” <ref>[http://www.jewishjournal.com/israel/article/in_cairo_clinton_clarifies_settlement_position_20091104/ "In Cairo, Clinton clarifies settlement position," ''Jewish Journal'', November 4, 2009]</ref>

Once again, Clinton's failure as Secretary of State came into question as [[John Kerry]] planned a visit to [[Iran]], which Iran rejected. <ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126161465189603571.html?mod=WSJ_newsreel_us Kerry Floats Plan to Visit Tehran, Wall Street Journal. December 24, 2009]</ref> Kerry was named as the replacement of Hillary Clinton after President Obama's embarrassing failure to garner support fort Amb. Susan Rice's nomination.<ref>[http://www.philly.com/inquirer/world_us/20091022_Kerry_plays_key_role_for_the_president.html Kerry plays key role for the president, Philly.com, October 22, 2009]</ref>

====China and Tibet====
The [[Dalai Lama]] was made [[Tibet]]an head of state in 1950, the same year that China invaded and occupied Tibet.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/02/18/analysis.china.dalai.lama/index.html Analysis: Why the Dalai Lama angers China,] Jaime FlorCruz, CNN Beijing Bureau Chief, February 18, 2010.</ref> [[CNN]] reports the Chinese find it "unacceptable when they see the Dalai Lama treated as a VIP, or even akin to a head of state." <ref>Ibid.</ref>

After the Dalai Lama met with President Obama in February, 2010 he was unceremoniously escorted through a side door that trash is regularly carried out to a photo op with awaiting cameras.

====Japan, North Korea and Burma====
In [[Japan]], she met publicly with Yukio Hatoyama, the former opposition leader, who won a landslide election in Sept, 2009. The question was over whether the new government would continue to follow American foreign policy regarding economic affairs, [[North Korea]]'s development of [[nuclear weapons]],<ref>[http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=20448 Appeasing North Korea: the Clinton Legacy,] Ben Johnson, January 03, 2003. FrontPageMagazine.com</ref> and the issue of 47,000 troops American troops stationed there. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in his election campaign vowed to review a 2006 agreement to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Base from an urban to a coastal part of the southern island of Okinawa. The base has angered residents because of aircraft noise and friction with U.S. servicemen; while in opposition, Hatoyama suggested it could be moved off the island altogether, a move the United States under Bush strongly opposed.

In July 2009, Bill Clinton trtavelled to [[North Korea]] to attempt to negotiate for the release of Americans held hostage. She was asked by a Congolese university student what her husband thought of international relations. She responded annoyed, "My husband is not secretary of state, I am," and "I am not going to be channeling my husband." Diplomats laughed when Clinton took umbrage at a Congolese questioner whom she took to be asking her husband's opinion, but it later surfaced that the question had been mistranslated.

In addition, a U.S. senator flew to Burma to bargain for the release of yet another American. Also, envoys of the reclusive North Korean regime have come to the U.S. for a meeting privately with New Mexico Gov. [[Bill Richardson]]. All this had America wondering if Hillary has been marginalized in her Obama Administration role.

====Africa====
Clinton went to Africa to demonstrate the administration is giving Africa a higher priority than usual. Clinton has long been outspoken on causes like development, health, poverty, and gender violence. Her first stop was [[Kenya]], where the U.S. policy is to stabilize the political situation which has been on the brink of civil war. Also important is economic development, with a continentwide economic conference. Under Bill Clinton the "African Growth and Opportunity Act" expanded the number of tariff-free goods sub-Saharan countries could export to the United States. Kenya is an economic engine in eastern Africa, and needs encouragement to seek economic growth and leadership rather than risk an ethnic civil war.

[[South Africa]] is the superpower on the continent, but relations were strained with the U.S. under the country's erratic former president, Thabo Mbeki. He for example, fought against American effort to stamp out AIDS, suggesting the disease was a Western conspiracy. The new president, Jacob Zuma, is an unknown quantity. South Africa is in its first recession in more than a decade. With riots on the streets over his failure to deliver on promises to the country's poor, Zuma may hope to capitalize on improved relations with the United States. That bodes well for Clinton.One of the biggest splits was over Zimbabwe, where Bush wanted Mbeki to take a more pro-active role, while Mbeki wanted the United States to stay out of his tyranny.
[[Angola]] is now the top oil exporter in Africa, with the usual corrupt pattern of concentrated oil wealth, wobbly, and a 48% unemployment rate. American oil companies are active and the U.S. is providing business and military support. American support for Angola causes resentment in the rest of Africa, where critics attack the American friendship with President José Eduardo Dos Santos, who has held power for more than 30 years. President Bush's oft-stated concern for human rights and democracy in Angola was seen by African nationalists as little more than a pretence.
<blockquote>
Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, embarked on an official African trip that took her to Zambia, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
In a press conference in Lusaka, Clinton is reported to have warned her host continent about ‘new colonialism' in Africa from external actors and investors interested only in extracting Africa's natural resources... Clinton did not mention [[China]] by name, but as her officials later confirmed to reporters, she wanted to stress that African countries should beware of the Chinese and hold their investors to high standards.[http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13585:interpreting-clintons-new-colonialism&catid=39:opinion&Itemid=132]
</blockquote>

====South America====
Hillary's trip to [[Argentina]] became controversial as she meddled into a touchy subject by attempting to force [[Britain]] to accept talks on the future of the [[Falkland Islands]]. This action will undoubtedly strain relationships between the U.S., the U.K. and Argentina. Residents of the Falklands were outraged. <ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7047309.ece Argentina celebrates diplomatic coup as Hillary Clinton calls for talks over Falklands, Timesonline.uk, March , 2010]</ref>

==2016 Presidential hopeful==
On April 12, 2015, Hillary Rodham Clinton announced her candidacy for the Democratic Party's nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]] via a video on her website.<ref>https://www.hillaryclinton.com</ref>

===Wikipedia===
On the issue of the controversial, biased online encyclopedia, [[Wikipedia]], Clinton sent a message of congratulations that was read at the opening session of the Wikimania 2012 conference in Washington, DC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/07/17/wikimania-2012-swan-song/|title=Wikimania 2012 swan
song|accessdate=February 19, 2012}}</ref>

===NAFTA, the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Clinton Global Initiative===
After Congressional Democrats voted down President Obama's proposal to create a NAFTA-like Pacific Trade Zone with China, Japan, and about a dozen other countries, to no one one surprise Hillary Clinton once again flip-flopped to garner headlines in support of what public opinion polls were saying. CNN reported Hillary had spoken out in favor of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) no less than 45 times prior, an issues which supposedly she now opposes.<ref>http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2015%2F06%2F15%2Fpolitics%2F45-times-secretary-clinton-pushed-the-trade-bill-she-now-opposes%2F&ei=wC2CVeupMYO0oQTUj4HYCg&usg=AFQjCNEsFqVDafeOiL3RCS2RkzIM4yx07A&sig2=FjN1zCMVkBdQg3uHQ-cQvg</ref><ref>http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fmichele-swenson%2Fnafta-the-transpacific-clinton_b_5523327.html&ei=CzKCVfvNFoq1oQTkg6iQDA&usg=AFQjCNH8zZ2k0O_82qbQ4lDs25S0ZL7LUQ&sig2=PUwH5dxq_fcRw17Tw9x7SQ</ref><ref>http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/02/how-obamas-free-trade-push-could-put-hillary-clinton-in-a-tight-spot/283958/</ref>

===How do you spell potato?===
Speaking to a group of Democratic loyalists in Massachusetts in 2014, Hillary indulged some of the old fashioned unprovoked, pointless partisanship and divisiveness well known to the victims of Clintonism. Hillary Clinton alleged, "Don't let anyone tell you that corporations and businesses create jobs."<ref>http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DPyUoCiWsTfI&ei=xzeCVYujEsTWoASs56HYCw&usg=AFQjCNFbNBSR0hvjFM2Csz0nD8oWQXzRiw&sig2=j25eCvPsMx5f-_-zQjEerg </ref>

==See Also==
* [[Bill Clinton]]
* [[Hillary Clinton for President Exploratory Committee]]
* [[Freedom of Choice Act]]
* [[Previous Breaking News/Hillary Clinton|Articles about '''Hillary Clinton''' from previous "Breaking News"]]
* [[Charles Schumer]]
* [[Abbottabad raid]]

----

* [[:Category:Banksters|Banksters]]: [[Quantitative easing]] of the [[Federal Reserve Bank]], [[MF Global]], [[Goldman Sachs]], [[Rothschild family]], [[Bernie Madoff]]

* [[National debt]]: [[Debt Ceiling]]-[[Deficit spending]] and the [[Federal Reserve System]]'s [[Ponzi scheme]] of [[Quantitative easing]]-[[Debt monetization]] [[devaluation]] of [[Fiat currency]] through [[Money supply]]-[[Treasury bill]]s bought mostly by [[China]] and [[Japan]]
[[File:Shovelready.jpg|right|250px]]

* [[Globalization]], [[Globalism]], [[International Monetary Fund]], [[World Bank]]

* [[John Maynard Keynes]] [[liberal]] [[Keynesian economics]] and [[Fabian Socialism|Fabian Socialist]] influence on [[Barack Obama]]

* '''[[Big government | Big Government]]''': [[Liberal values|Liberal]] [[ObamaCare]]-[[Common Core]]-[[Social Security]] [[Welfare state]] leads to [[Nanny state]], leads to [[Gun control]], [[Militarization of police]], [[Asset forfeiture]] and Domestic [[mass surveillance]] of law-abiding [[citizen]]s via the '''[[Police state]]''': [[Globalist]]-[[United Nations]]-[[Statist]]-[[Socialist]]-[[National Socialist]]-[[Communist]]

'''Contrast with:'''

* [[Ludwig von Mises]]' [[conservative]] [[libertarian]] [[Austrian economics]] and [[Fiscal conservatism]] -[[Capitalist]] [[Conservative economic policies]] of [[Ron Paul]]

* [[Gold standard]] and [[precious metal]]s

* [[Essay:Invest in tangibles|Invest in tangibles]] for [[:Category:Survivalism|Economic preparedness]]

* '''[[Limited government]]''' implies: [[Conservative values]]/[[Traditional values]] - [[Modern conservatism]] - [[Preparedness | Modern preparedness]] are the original [[American]] [[Patriot]] [[Founding Fathers]]' values

* [[Modern preparedness]]: "[[if times get tough, or even if then don't]]", [[Debt is financial cancer]], [[Tax is theft]], [[Renewable energy]], [[Financial security]], [[You are in control of your life]]

** [[Invest in tangibles]] - [[Rural]] [[farm]] [[land]], [[Tools]], [[Food storage]], [[Precious Metals]], [[Ammunition | Copper-jacketed lead]] and [[Firearms]]

** [[Agriculture]]-[[Permaculture]]: [[Growing your own food]], [[Food and water storage]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Liberalism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clinton, Hillary Rodham}}
[[Category:Illinois]]
[[Category:Arkansas]]
[[Category:New York]]
[[Category:Liberals]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[Category:First Ladies]]
[[Category:Clinton administration]]
[[Category:Former United States Senators]]
[[Category:2008 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Obama Cabinet]]
[[Category: United States Secretaries of State]]
[[Category:Banksters]]
[[Category:Anti Second Amendment]]
[[Category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Chris Christie

2015-07-01T00:34:31Z

IsabellW:

{{Officeholder
|name=Chris Christie
|image=Chris-christie3.jpg
|party=[[Republican]]
|spouse=Mary Pat Christie
|religion=[[Roman Catholic]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/governor
|state=New Jersey
|terms=January 19, 2010 - Present
|preceded=[[Jon Corzine]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
}}

'''Christopher Christie''' (born September 6, 1962, in Newark, New Jersey) is the 55th and current Governor of [[New Jersey]], having won in the 2009 election by a 49%-45% margin over incumbent [[Democrat]] [[Jon Corzine]]. A [[Republican]], Christie previously served as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey.

Christie declined to run for president in 2012, but endorsed [[Mitt Romney]] early and at a pivotal time, when Romney was struggling with [[evangelical]] statements against him. But Christie was passed over by Romney in his selection of a candidate for Vice President, despite how Christie might have attracted [[Catholic]] voters nationwide, as well as Irish and Italian American voters, and helped carry nearby [[Pennsylvania]]. Instead, Christie was picked to deliver the keynote address at the [[Republican National Convention]]. However, Christie earned the ire of [[conservative]]s with his fervent embrace of [[Barack Hussein Obama]] at a critical moment, likely costing Romney the election.

Christie caved into the [[homosexual agenda]] by prohibiting [[conversion therapy]] for minors, which is a shocking infringement on liberty and parental rights. This probably rendered Christie unelectable as a candidate for the Republican nomination for president. Christie's nominations to the New Jersey Supreme Court have also been astoundingly liberal and even included a break with tradition in order not to renominate the existing conservatives on that bench.

Other other issues, Christie has wandered between [[conservative]] values and [[RINO]] positions. Christie has vetoed same-sex marriage bills and other socially [[liberal]] legislation. He pardoned a man who received an absurdly long sentence for peaceful gun possession, but Christie has also been criticized for sometimes supporting of [[gun control]]. Conservatives have also criticized him for his stance on immigration reform.<ref>http://americasvoiceonline.org/blog/chris_christies_immigration_record/</ref> He believes in the liberal hoax known as [[global warming]], <ref>http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55793.html</ref> and has supported the [[Obamacare]] [[Medicaid]] expansion.

On the important [[abortion]] issue, Christie is a bit of a [[PLINO]] - pro-life in name only. Christie has occasionally espoused [[pro-life]] views, but since early 2010 he has done almost nothing for unborn children. The [[abortion]] rate in [[New Jersey]] remains among the highest in the nation. Still, it is unlikely that Christie would run ads in support of abortion in certain cases, as Romney did in 2012.

After promoting a key part of the [[homosexual agenda]] by signing into law a ban on [[conversion therapy]] for minors, Christie then ran for reelection without significant opposition by [[liberal]] donors. Christie easily won reelection in 2013, winning in a landslide against Democrat Barbara Buono.

On June 30, 2015, Christie announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/30/christie-announces-2016-bid-for-white-house-becomes-14th-gop-hopeful/</ref>

==Biography==
Prior to his election as governor, Christie's only elected experience was serving on the Morris County board of Freeholders from 1995-1998. His colleagues praised him as effective, such as requiring as policy that the freeholder board go out for three quotations even on no-bid contracts. They also noted that he was unusually ambitious, when he unsuccessfully ran for State Assembly just two months into his term. <ref>http://www.politickernj.com/max/26275/political-career-three-parts-chris-christie-freeholder</ref> During his tenure in office county taxes decreased by 6.6%. <ref>http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/gop_candidate_chris_christie_l.html</ref>

After serving as a top fundraiser for [[George W. Bush]]'s 2000 presidential campaign, the [[Bush administration]] appointed Christie as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey and served from 2002-2008. He was also one of the 17 U.S. Attorneys on [[Attorney General]] [[Alberto Gonzales]]'s advisory commitee. Christie's most high profile prosecutions included State Senator and [[Newark]] Mayor Sharpe James for mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiring to rig the sale of nine city lots to his mistress. <ref>[http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/04/newark_ex_mayor_sharpe_james_convicted.html] Mayor James convicted</ref> He also led the felony conviction of State Senator Wayne Brant of mail and wire fraud, and bribery for soliciting a job at the School of Osteopathic Medicine. <ref>http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/topstories/index.ssf/2008/11/exlawmaker_bryant_guilty_of_br.html</ref> As attorney, Christie won convictions or guilty pleas from over 130 public officials, without losing a single case.

Christie's service as a prosecutor had an influence in [[national security]], when he led the team that prosecuted Hemant Lakhani, who had the desire to broker the sale of shoulder-fired missiles to shoot down American passenger jets. <ref>http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-6229181-details/%27Del+Boy%27+trader+on+arms+charge/article.do;jsessionid=2F40D75F1AFD0FA79E8E876DCB944F88 {{dead link}}</ref> When leaving office in December 2008 he was praised by every major newspaper in New Jersey. The Philadelphia Inquirer editorialized "Christie has already done more good for New Jersey than some previous governors." The [[New York Times]] wrote that Christie "won widespread admiration for his aggressive fight against political corruption." <ref>http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=14677&ShowAllPoll=Y</ref>

Even Governor Corzine, Christie's opponent in the gubernatorial election praised Christie in 2005, saying "I have supported Chris Christie as being our U.S. attorney, fought for his ability to be that, endorsed what he's doing...There have been as many Republicans as Democrats who have been brought to justice because of Chris Christie. I think he's doing a great job." <ref>http://www.christiefornj.com/images/negativeattacks.pdf</ref>

==2009 Gubernatorial Campaign==
[[Image:Christiemap.jpg|thumb|right|250px|2009 Election Results]]
In the Republican primary, Christie defeated former mayor [[Steve Lonegan]].

Although a Democratic state, Christie was elected while advocating the need to downsize state [[government]] and reduce property taxes. New Jersey had faced a weakened economy, high budget deficit and a high tax burden, reslting in Corzine's defeat.

In July, Christie endorsed [[Barack Hussein Obama|President Obama]]'s nomination of [[Sonia Sotomayor]] to the [[U.S. Supreme Court]], saying "Elections have consequences. One of those consequences are judicial appointments. While Judge Sotomayor would not have been my choice, President Obama has used his opportunity to fill a seat on the Supreme Court by choosing a nominee who has more than proven her capability, competence and ability." <ref>http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/07/gop_gov_candidate_chris_christ_3.html</ref>

Christie is pro-life:
:"I believe in the sanctity, dignity and inherent value of all human life. Hearing the heartbeat of my unborn daughter 14 years ago had a profound effect on me. I am pro-life because I believe her life and the life of every child is precious." <ref>http://www.christiefornj.com/questions-for-chris {{dead link}}</ref>

===Notable Endorsements===
*Former [[New York City]] [[Mayor]] [[Rudy Giuliani]]
*Former [[Massachusetts]] Governor [[Mitt Romney]]
*Former New Jersey Governor [[Thomas H. Kean]]
*Economist [[Steve Forbes]]
*New Jersey Right to Life Committee <ref>http://www.lifenews.com/state4512.html</ref>

==Record as Governor==
On Christie's first day as governor he signed eight executive orders and froze several government regulations. He gave a nod to casinos, signing an order saying that their employees are essential state workers and will not have to close in any future state government shutdown, as they were in 2006. Christie also added unions to the list of groups who cannot receive state contracts of more than $17,500 if they have donated more than $300 to a campaign for governor or county political committee in the previous 18 months.<ref>http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/new_jersey/article_63a14ff8-8038-591a-8f1a-7503e1bbcbcc.html</ref>

In February, Christie announced that he would immediately freeze all state spending. Saying New Jersey is on the verge of bankruptcy, Christie declared a fiscal emergency, announcing drastic cuts. <ref>http://wcbstv.com/local/governor.christie.freezes.2.1487727.html {{dead link}}</ref>

On March 16, 2011, Christie announced major cuts to education to help balance the budget bloat caused by years under Democratic governors. <ref>http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2010/03/22/25559/</ref> The New Jersey Education Association hotly contested these vital cuts, as they would almost certainly require the firing of non-tenured teachers to balance local school budgets, a problem the teacher's union created in the first place. Recently, the cuts have been challenged by the Supreme court, despite there being no link between New Jersey's relatively large amount of educational spending and increased statewide academic success. <ref>http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/christies_school_aid_cuts_left.html</ref>

In August 2011, Christie raised controversy by dismissing legitimate concerns voters and members of the New Jersey state legislature had raised concerning his appointment of Sohail Mohammed, a Muslim attorney with a history of defending Muslims after [[September 11, 2001 attacks|9/11]], as a judge on the state bench. Christie used profanity in referring to concerns that Mohammed would institute [[Sharia law]] from his position as state judge, and called citizens concerned about the Islamization of America "crazies."<ref>http://nation.foxnews.com/chris-christie/2011/08/04/christie-defends-appointing-muslim-judge-sharia-law-business-crap</ref>

Governor Christie has endorsed a plan to to merge part of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) with Rutgers University. The plan would include UMDNJ’s New Brunswick-Piscataway campus — Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, the School of Public Health and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. The change would help raise Rutgers’ profile and draw more research dollars to the state, according to the recommendations. <ref>[http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/09/umdnj-rutgers_partial_merger_r.html Gov. Christie strongly endorses partial merger of Rutgers and UMDNJ]</ref> Rutgers, one of the few state universities without its own medical school, has been lobbying for a merger since another state task force headed by former New Jersey Gov. [[Thomas H. Kean]] first suggested the idea in January 2011. The reorganization has an “aggressive” target date of July 1, 2012. By adding a medical school, Rutgers’ rank among universities in spending on research and development would rise dramatically<ref>[http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/no_time_wasted_creating_rutger.html No time is being wasted creating Rutgers medical school]</ref>

He has also failed in getting the New Jersey Grand Prix ready for 2013, it will now be held in 2014.

==Controversy==
Christie's administration allegedly used "thug tactics"<ref> http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2014/01/08/Christie-Staff-Using-Thug-Tactics</ref> to shut down a bridge in New Jersey as retaliation against a Democrat who would not endorse Christie. The resulting traffic delays led to the death of an elderly woman and a number of investigations are ongoing. Numerous comparisons with [[Richard Nixon]] and [[Watergate]] have been drawn, even by former allies and supporters.<ref>http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303754404579310952856880802</ref><ref> http://www.nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/01/nixon-christie-bridgegate.html</ref><ref> http://www.mediaite.com/online/glenn-beck-finds-the-good-news-in-christies-fat-furious-bridgegate-scandal/</ref>

According to RedState, "I have had Congressmen, Governors, and the staffers of Congressmen and Governors tell me horror stories about dealing with Christie’s people. All of them seem to dread it."<ref> http://www.redstate.com/2014/01/08/the-politics-of-a-holes/</ref> The Daily Caller elaborates: "But style aside, why should Republicans trust a candidate who has been openly antagonistic to them?"<ref> http://dailycaller.com/2014/01/08/bedford-the-myth-of-chris-christie-exposed/</ref> Even some [[RINO]]s such as Lindsay Graham have begun to question Christie<ref>http://hotair.com/archives/2014/01/09/the-first-big-name-republican-to-attack-christie-over-bridgegate-is-lindsey-graham/</ref> although most are avoiding the issue. <ref>http://www.wnd.com/2014/01/rush-limbaugh-rinos-like-wildebeests/?cat_orig=politics</ref>

==External Links==
*[http://www.state.nj.us/governor/ Governor of New Jersey Official Site]
*[https://www.chrischristie.com/ Chris Christie 2016 campaign site]

===Videos===
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICIa-KJeUtM&feature=related Governor Christie: Style]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evtt-R7Rmdw&feature=related Governor Christie: Day of Reckoning]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVccFQLFmUo&feature=related Conservative Governor on his "confrontational tone"]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlzA9dgZ1qM&feature=related Rush Limbaugh: Governor Chris Christie Slaughters a Liberal Reporter]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeXBlZdPENU&feature=related Governor Chris Christie For President 2012]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljIVr0dVgww&feature=related Christie Slams Teacher Unions]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuri7p_9pm4&feature=related Chris Christie vs. Teachers Unions]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ksLlAi3iIc&feature=related Governor Christie: Not About Teachers]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkv6uo5nZDM&feature=related Governor Christie on Hannity]

==References==
{{reflist|1}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christie, Christopher}}
[[Category:Republican Party]]
[[category:Fiscal Conservatives]]
[[category:New Jersey Governors]]
[[category:Republican Governors]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]
[[Category:Rino backers]]
[[Category:RINOs]]
[[Category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Bobby Jindal

2015-07-01T00:32:33Z

IsabellW: /* External links */ add 2016 campaign website

{{Officeholder
|name=Bobby Jindal
|image=Bobby Jindal.jpg
|party=[[Republican]]
|spouse=Supriya Jindal
|religion=[[Roman Catholic]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/governor
|state=Louisiana
|terms=January 14, 2008 – Present
|preceded=[[Kathleen Blanco]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/representative
|state=Louisiana
|district=1st
|terms=January 3, 2005 – January 14, 2008
|preceded=[[David Vitter]]
|former=n
|succeeded=Steve Scalise
}}
}}
'''Piyush "Bobby" Jindal''' is the governor of [[Louisiana]]. He was elected October 20, 2007 and sworn into office January 14, 2008. He is the youngest American governor in office.<ref>"Jindal ... made history in 2007 when, at 36, he was elected the nation's first Indian-American governor and became the youngest governor in office." [http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/24/sotn.jindal.speech/index.html?iref=mpstoryview (CNN)]</ref> On June 25, 2015, Jindal announced he was running for the [[Republican]] nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/us/politics/bobby-jindal-announces-bid-for-president.html?_r=0</ref>

==Biography==
Jindal was born in Baton Rouge on June 10, 1971 to recently arrived Punjabi Indian immigrants, Amar and Raj Jindal, who were attending graduate school. His family is of Punjabi ancestry, his father left [[India]] in the 1970s and his ancestral family village of Khanpura. Jindal was raised a [[Hinduism|Hindu]] but converted to [[Catholicism]] in high school. Jindal adopted the name "Bobby" after watching ''The Brady Bunch'' television program at age four. He has been known by that name ever since, as a civil servant, politician, student, and writer. Legally though his name remains Piyush Jindal.

He graduated from Baton Rouge High School in 1987 and went on to attend [[Brown University]] where he graduated with honors in biology and public policy. Following his graduation from Brown he attended [[Oxford University]] in the [[United Kingdom]] as a [[Rhodes Scholar]], having turned down admissions to medical and law schools at both [[Harvard University|Harvard]] and [[Yale University|Yale]].

In 1994, Jindal went to work for McKinsey and Company as a consultant for Fortune 500 companies before entering public service. In 1996, he was appointed Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH). There were many issues that needed resolving during his tenure, not the least of which was the growing deficit in Louisiana's Medicaid program. During Jindal's tenure as DHH Secretary, he rescued Louisiana's Medicaid program from bankruptcy, childhood immunizations increased, Louisiana ranked third best nationally in health care screenings for children, and new and expanded services for elderly and disabled persons were offered.

In 1998, Jindal was appointed Executive Director of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare. As Executive Director, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Commission, whose work continue to be the driving force behind much of the ongoing debate on how to strengthen and improve Medicare.

At the conclusion of the Commission's work, Jindal was appointed President of the University of Louisiana System, the 16th largest higher education system in the country. While serving as President, Jindal worked to establish areas of excellence at each individual institution.

===Political career===
President [[George W. Bush]] appointed Jindal to serve as Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2001. In that position, he served as the principal policy advisor to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. He later resigned from the position in 2003 to return to Louisiana and run for Govenor. In that race, Jindal went from being a relatively unknown candidate for Governor, to receiving the most votes in the primary election. However, with 48 percent of the vote in the runoff, he lost the election.

In 2004 he was elected to the 109th United States Congress representing the First District of Louisiana. In Congress he was elected Freshman Class President and served on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, the House Committee on Homeland Security, and the House Committee on Resources. Bobby also served as Assistant Majority Whip.

In his first term he passed a number of notable pieces of legislation and played an instrumental role in Louisiana's recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. His noteworthy accomplishments include the passage of legislation to bring significant offshore energy revenues to Louisiana for the first time and legislation that keeps Federal Emergency Management Agency from taxing certain recovery grants as income.
[[Image:Jindal2.jpg|thumbnail|right|250px|Governor Jindal with his wife]]
Jindal was re-elected to Congress in 2006 with 88 percent of the vote majority. On January 22, 2007, Jindal announced his candidacy for governor. Polling data showed him with an early lead in the race, and he remained the favorite throughout the campaign. He defeated eleven opponents in the jungle primary held on October 20, including two prominent [[Democratic Party|Democrats]]. He went on to win the gubernatorial election with 54 percent of the vote in the jungle primary, winning in 60 of the 64 parishes.

== Criticism ==
Jindal has not escaped [[liberal]] criticism for his plans to reject portions of Economic Stimulus money to extend unemployment benefits to those who wouldn't ordinarily receive them.<ref>"Jindal rejects unemployment money (for those who normally wouldn't get it)LA to receive in stimulus" [http://www.nola.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-46/123517585334490.xml&storylist=louisiana&thispage=1 (AP Louisiana News)]</ref>. Jindal was criticized for a speech he gave in response to President Obama, when Jindal questioned the use of some stimulus money, including volcano monitoring.<ref>"Geologist Erupts at Jindal's Volcano Question" [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,500267,00.html (FOX News)]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.gov.state.la.us/ Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal] '''official state site'''
*[http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=12431010 March 11, 2009 Interview on ''Fox and Friends'']
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h5DD_I7WL8 February 22, 2009 Interview on ''Meet the Press'']
*[http://www.bobbyjindal.com Bobby Jindal 2016 campaign website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jindal, Bobby}}
[[Category:Louisiana Governors]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:Republican Governors]]
[[category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Bobby Jindal

2015-07-01T00:30:39Z

IsabellW: add cat

{{Officeholder
|name=Bobby Jindal
|image=Bobby Jindal.jpg
|party=[[Republican]]
|spouse=Supriya Jindal
|religion=[[Roman Catholic]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/governor
|state=Louisiana
|terms=January 14, 2008 – Present
|preceded=[[Kathleen Blanco]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/representative
|state=Louisiana
|district=1st
|terms=January 3, 2005 – January 14, 2008
|preceded=[[David Vitter]]
|former=n
|succeeded=Steve Scalise
}}
}}
'''Piyush "Bobby" Jindal''' is the governor of [[Louisiana]]. He was elected October 20, 2007 and sworn into office January 14, 2008. He is the youngest American governor in office.<ref>"Jindal ... made history in 2007 when, at 36, he was elected the nation's first Indian-American governor and became the youngest governor in office." [http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/24/sotn.jindal.speech/index.html?iref=mpstoryview (CNN)]</ref> On June 25, 2015, Jindal announced he was running for the [[Republican]] nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/us/politics/bobby-jindal-announces-bid-for-president.html?_r=0</ref>

==Biography==
Jindal was born in Baton Rouge on June 10, 1971 to recently arrived Punjabi Indian immigrants, Amar and Raj Jindal, who were attending graduate school. His family is of Punjabi ancestry, his father left [[India]] in the 1970s and his ancestral family village of Khanpura. Jindal was raised a [[Hinduism|Hindu]] but converted to [[Catholicism]] in high school. Jindal adopted the name "Bobby" after watching ''The Brady Bunch'' television program at age four. He has been known by that name ever since, as a civil servant, politician, student, and writer. Legally though his name remains Piyush Jindal.

He graduated from Baton Rouge High School in 1987 and went on to attend [[Brown University]] where he graduated with honors in biology and public policy. Following his graduation from Brown he attended [[Oxford University]] in the [[United Kingdom]] as a [[Rhodes Scholar]], having turned down admissions to medical and law schools at both [[Harvard University|Harvard]] and [[Yale University|Yale]].

In 1994, Jindal went to work for McKinsey and Company as a consultant for Fortune 500 companies before entering public service. In 1996, he was appointed Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH). There were many issues that needed resolving during his tenure, not the least of which was the growing deficit in Louisiana's Medicaid program. During Jindal's tenure as DHH Secretary, he rescued Louisiana's Medicaid program from bankruptcy, childhood immunizations increased, Louisiana ranked third best nationally in health care screenings for children, and new and expanded services for elderly and disabled persons were offered.

In 1998, Jindal was appointed Executive Director of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare. As Executive Director, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Commission, whose work continue to be the driving force behind much of the ongoing debate on how to strengthen and improve Medicare.

At the conclusion of the Commission's work, Jindal was appointed President of the University of Louisiana System, the 16th largest higher education system in the country. While serving as President, Jindal worked to establish areas of excellence at each individual institution.

===Political career===
President [[George W. Bush]] appointed Jindal to serve as Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2001. In that position, he served as the principal policy advisor to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. He later resigned from the position in 2003 to return to Louisiana and run for Govenor. In that race, Jindal went from being a relatively unknown candidate for Governor, to receiving the most votes in the primary election. However, with 48 percent of the vote in the runoff, he lost the election.

In 2004 he was elected to the 109th United States Congress representing the First District of Louisiana. In Congress he was elected Freshman Class President and served on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, the House Committee on Homeland Security, and the House Committee on Resources. Bobby also served as Assistant Majority Whip.

In his first term he passed a number of notable pieces of legislation and played an instrumental role in Louisiana's recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. His noteworthy accomplishments include the passage of legislation to bring significant offshore energy revenues to Louisiana for the first time and legislation that keeps Federal Emergency Management Agency from taxing certain recovery grants as income.
[[Image:Jindal2.jpg|thumbnail|right|250px|Governor Jindal with his wife]]
Jindal was re-elected to Congress in 2006 with 88 percent of the vote majority. On January 22, 2007, Jindal announced his candidacy for governor. Polling data showed him with an early lead in the race, and he remained the favorite throughout the campaign. He defeated eleven opponents in the jungle primary held on October 20, including two prominent [[Democratic Party|Democrats]]. He went on to win the gubernatorial election with 54 percent of the vote in the jungle primary, winning in 60 of the 64 parishes.

== Criticism ==
Jindal has not escaped [[liberal]] criticism for his plans to reject portions of Economic Stimulus money to extend unemployment benefits to those who wouldn't ordinarily receive them.<ref>"Jindal rejects unemployment money (for those who normally wouldn't get it)LA to receive in stimulus" [http://www.nola.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-46/123517585334490.xml&storylist=louisiana&thispage=1 (AP Louisiana News)]</ref>. Jindal was criticized for a speech he gave in response to President Obama, when Jindal questioned the use of some stimulus money, including volcano monitoring.<ref>"Geologist Erupts at Jindal's Volcano Question" [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,500267,00.html (FOX News)]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.gov.state.la.us/ Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal] '''official state site'''
*[http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=12431010 March 11, 2009 Interview on ''Fox and Friends'']
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h5DD_I7WL8 February 22, 2009 Interview on ''Meet the Press'']

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jindal, Bobby}}
[[Category:Louisiana Governors]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:Republican Governors]]
[[category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Bobby Jindal

2015-07-01T00:27:05Z

IsabellW:

{{Officeholder
|name=Bobby Jindal
|image=Bobby Jindal.jpg
|party=[[Republican]]
|spouse=Supriya Jindal
|religion=[[Roman Catholic]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/governor
|state=Louisiana
|terms=January 14, 2008 – Present
|preceded=[[Kathleen Blanco]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/representative
|state=Louisiana
|district=1st
|terms=January 3, 2005 – January 14, 2008
|preceded=[[David Vitter]]
|former=n
|succeeded=Steve Scalise
}}
}}
'''Piyush "Bobby" Jindal''' is the governor of [[Louisiana]]. He was elected October 20, 2007 and sworn into office January 14, 2008. He is the youngest American governor in office.<ref>"Jindal ... made history in 2007 when, at 36, he was elected the nation's first Indian-American governor and became the youngest governor in office." [http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/24/sotn.jindal.speech/index.html?iref=mpstoryview (CNN)]</ref> On June 25, 2015, Jindal announced he was running for the [[Republican]] nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/us/politics/bobby-jindal-announces-bid-for-president.html?_r=0</ref>

==Biography==
Jindal was born in Baton Rouge on June 10, 1971 to recently arrived Punjabi Indian immigrants, Amar and Raj Jindal, who were attending graduate school. His family is of Punjabi ancestry, his father left [[India]] in the 1970s and his ancestral family village of Khanpura. Jindal was raised a [[Hinduism|Hindu]] but converted to [[Catholicism]] in high school. Jindal adopted the name "Bobby" after watching ''The Brady Bunch'' television program at age four. He has been known by that name ever since, as a civil servant, politician, student, and writer. Legally though his name remains Piyush Jindal.

He graduated from Baton Rouge High School in 1987 and went on to attend [[Brown University]] where he graduated with honors in biology and public policy. Following his graduation from Brown he attended [[Oxford University]] in the [[United Kingdom]] as a [[Rhodes Scholar]], having turned down admissions to medical and law schools at both [[Harvard University|Harvard]] and [[Yale University|Yale]].

In 1994, Jindal went to work for McKinsey and Company as a consultant for Fortune 500 companies before entering public service. In 1996, he was appointed Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH). There were many issues that needed resolving during his tenure, not the least of which was the growing deficit in Louisiana's Medicaid program. During Jindal's tenure as DHH Secretary, he rescued Louisiana's Medicaid program from bankruptcy, childhood immunizations increased, Louisiana ranked third best nationally in health care screenings for children, and new and expanded services for elderly and disabled persons were offered.

In 1998, Jindal was appointed Executive Director of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare. As Executive Director, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Commission, whose work continue to be the driving force behind much of the ongoing debate on how to strengthen and improve Medicare.

At the conclusion of the Commission's work, Jindal was appointed President of the University of Louisiana System, the 16th largest higher education system in the country. While serving as President, Jindal worked to establish areas of excellence at each individual institution.

===Political career===
President [[George W. Bush]] appointed Jindal to serve as Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2001. In that position, he served as the principal policy advisor to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. He later resigned from the position in 2003 to return to Louisiana and run for Govenor. In that race, Jindal went from being a relatively unknown candidate for Governor, to receiving the most votes in the primary election. However, with 48 percent of the vote in the runoff, he lost the election.

In 2004 he was elected to the 109th United States Congress representing the First District of Louisiana. In Congress he was elected Freshman Class President and served on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, the House Committee on Homeland Security, and the House Committee on Resources. Bobby also served as Assistant Majority Whip.

In his first term he passed a number of notable pieces of legislation and played an instrumental role in Louisiana's recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. His noteworthy accomplishments include the passage of legislation to bring significant offshore energy revenues to Louisiana for the first time and legislation that keeps Federal Emergency Management Agency from taxing certain recovery grants as income.
[[Image:Jindal2.jpg|thumbnail|right|250px|Governor Jindal with his wife]]
Jindal was re-elected to Congress in 2006 with 88 percent of the vote majority. On January 22, 2007, Jindal announced his candidacy for governor. Polling data showed him with an early lead in the race, and he remained the favorite throughout the campaign. He defeated eleven opponents in the jungle primary held on October 20, including two prominent [[Democratic Party|Democrats]]. He went on to win the gubernatorial election with 54 percent of the vote in the jungle primary, winning in 60 of the 64 parishes.

== Criticism ==
Jindal has not escaped [[liberal]] criticism for his plans to reject portions of Economic Stimulus money to extend unemployment benefits to those who wouldn't ordinarily receive them.<ref>"Jindal rejects unemployment money (for those who normally wouldn't get it)LA to receive in stimulus" [http://www.nola.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-46/123517585334490.xml&storylist=louisiana&thispage=1 (AP Louisiana News)]</ref>. Jindal was criticized for a speech he gave in response to President Obama, when Jindal questioned the use of some stimulus money, including volcano monitoring.<ref>"Geologist Erupts at Jindal's Volcano Question" [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,500267,00.html (FOX News)]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.gov.state.la.us/ Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal] '''official state site'''
*[http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=12431010 March 11, 2009 Interview on ''Fox and Friends'']
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h5DD_I7WL8 February 22, 2009 Interview on ''Meet the Press'']

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jindal, Bobby}}
[[Category:Louisiana Governors]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:Republican Governors]]

Donald Trump

2015-07-01T00:26:13Z

IsabellW: /* External Links */ add 2016 campaign website

[[File:031711trump.jpg|right]]

'''Donald Trump''' is a successful businessman, entrepreneur, and [[television]] personality. He was born in [[Queens]], [[New York]], on June 14, 1946. He has engaged in many financial pursuits and has a net worth estimated at $2.4 billion.<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/wealth/forbes-400/list?page=2 Forbes 400: Richest People in America, Forbes, September 2010]</ref> He graduated from the New York Military Academy in 1964 and first attended college at [[Fordham University]] for two years before transferring to the more competitive [[University of Pennsylvania]] and then completing his studies at the prestigious Wharton School of Finance and Commerce. Trump has five children.

Donald Trump attended the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens. He told the Christian Broadcast Network that he still considers himself a [[Presbyterian]] and attends services for all major holidays and Sundays, and that "The Bible is certainly THE book." He receives Bibles from fans in the mail, and he either stores them or gives them away to others.<ref>[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52942.html Donald Trump talks religion: 'I am a Christian' Politico, April 11, 2011]</ref>

Trump considered [[presidential election 2012|running for President in 2012]] as a [[Republican]]. He questioned the citizenship of [[Barack Obama]] and his failure to produce his birth certificate, and got him to put one out. He dropped out of the race. He endorsed [[Mitt Romney]], much to the shock of many.

On June 16, 2015, Trump announced he was running for the Republican nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/16/trump-announces-white-house-bid-joins-crowded-gop-field/</ref>

==Career==

Donald Trump began his career at Trump Organization. In his college years, he helped revitalize one of his father's failing real estate ventures. Trump began opening hotels and casinos, which provided him with the cash flow to engage in other ventures. He owns the world-famous Trump Tower and is the founder of the publicly traded Trump Hotel Casinos & Resorts. Trump also owns the Trump brand, which sells a variety of items, such as bottled water, steak, and even mortgages. Trump has authored a number of books and weathered changing business fortunes, but despite the challenges that he has encountered, he has continued to be a successful businessman and entrepreneur.

==Major Properties==

*Trump World Tower: 845 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY.

*Trump Tower: 725 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10022 Personal Residence

*Trump Taj Mahal

*Trump Marina

*Bank of America Center (San Francisco)

*The Trump Building at 40 Wall Street

*Trump Plaza

*Trump Park Avenue

*Trump Entertainment Resorts

*TrumpStreet Casino & Entertainment Complex, Philadelphia

*AXA Financial Center, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY

*Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago

*Mar-A-Lago Palm Beach

*Four golf courses in the U.S.

==Media==

In 2003 Trump began as the host and executive producer of the reality [[television]] show ''The Apprentice'' and ''The Celebrity Aprentice'', where contestants compete for a position in Trump's organization. On this show, Trump popularized his catchphrase "You're fired!"

Trump owns the Miss Universe Pageant. Controversy arose when one of the winners, Tara Conner, was caught breaking pageant rules by drinking and other activities. Trump gave her a second chance after personally speaking with her and allowed her to retain her crown as she attended rehabilitation. For several weeks after this, [[Rosie O'Donnell]] berated Trump for his decision on ''The View''. A bitter media war ensued with the two exchanging insults.

Trump has appeared on several TV shows and movies for guest appearances. He generally appears as himself.

==Political Positions==

Trump is pro-life, supported a 25% tariff on Chinese goods, and wanted to eliminate the Department of Education.<ref>[http://www.breitbart.tv/pro-life-donald-trump-would-eliminate-dept-of-education-impose-25-tax-on-china-imports-if-president/ PRO-LIFE DONALD TRUMP WOULD ELIMINATE DEPT OF EDUCATION, IMPOSE 25% TAX ON CHINA IMPORTS IF PRESIDENT, Breitbart.tv, February 9, 2011]</ref> He gave a speech at the 2011 [[CPAC]] conference.<ref>[http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/10/trump-at-cpac-points-to-white-house-run/ Trump at CPAC points to White House run, The Daily Caller, February 10, 2011]</ref> He said he would end [[Obamacare]], and he is against gun control.

He has been criticized for his substantial contributions to [[Democrat]] lawmakers; the majority of those lawmakers are located in the states he resides in: New York and Florida. The amount he has donated since 2008 is $25,000, which is insignficant considering his wealth.<ref>[http://www.ontheredcarpet.com/Donald-Trump-calls-nations-leaders-stupid-people-and-blood-sucking-politicians/8104644 Donald Trump calls nation's leaders 'stupid people' and 'blood-sucking politicians', OTRC, April 30, 2011]</ref>

Trump has also questioned Barack Obama's constitutional eligibility to be president, in light of the ongoing questions surrounding his birth certificate<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=280533 Trump: Obama spending millions to hide his past, WorldNetDaily, March 28, 2011]</ref>.

==Quotes==
* "[T]he country is going to hell."<ref>http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/us_politics/2015/03/country_is_going_to_hell_claims_donald_trump</ref>
* "We have no leader in this country.”<ref>http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/donaldtrump-karlrove-gop-birther/2011/04/22/id/393742 Trump: I'd Just Take Libyan Oil, NewsMax, April 22, 2011</ref>
* "Our leaders are stupid, they are stupid people."<ref>http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/04/donald-trump-in-vegas-our-leaders-are-stupid-they-are-stupid-people.html</ref>
* "I can tell you I am [the 2012 Obama campaign's] worst nightmare."<ref>http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/11/trump-says-he-is-obama-campaigns-worst-nightmare/comment-page-6/</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
* [http://www.trump.com Official website]
* [http://shouldtrumprun.com/ Should Donald Run? Polling]
* [http://gop12.thehill.com/2011/04/trump-explains-conversion-on-abortion.html Trump explains his pro-life conversion]
* [https://www.donaldjtrump.com Donald Trump 2016 campaign website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trump, Donald}}

[[Category:Celebrities]]
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Donald Trump

2015-07-01T00:24:43Z

IsabellW:

[[File:031711trump.jpg|right]]

'''Donald Trump''' is a successful businessman, entrepreneur, and [[television]] personality. He was born in [[Queens]], [[New York]], on June 14, 1946. He has engaged in many financial pursuits and has a net worth estimated at $2.4 billion.<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/wealth/forbes-400/list?page=2 Forbes 400: Richest People in America, Forbes, September 2010]</ref> He graduated from the New York Military Academy in 1964 and first attended college at [[Fordham University]] for two years before transferring to the more competitive [[University of Pennsylvania]] and then completing his studies at the prestigious Wharton School of Finance and Commerce. Trump has five children.

Donald Trump attended the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens. He told the Christian Broadcast Network that he still considers himself a [[Presbyterian]] and attends services for all major holidays and Sundays, and that "The Bible is certainly THE book." He receives Bibles from fans in the mail, and he either stores them or gives them away to others.<ref>[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52942.html Donald Trump talks religion: 'I am a Christian' Politico, April 11, 2011]</ref>

Trump considered [[presidential election 2012|running for President in 2012]] as a [[Republican]]. He questioned the citizenship of [[Barack Obama]] and his failure to produce his birth certificate, and got him to put one out. He dropped out of the race. He endorsed [[Mitt Romney]], much to the shock of many.

On June 16, 2015, Trump announced he was running for the Republican nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/16/trump-announces-white-house-bid-joins-crowded-gop-field/</ref>

==Career==

Donald Trump began his career at Trump Organization. In his college years, he helped revitalize one of his father's failing real estate ventures. Trump began opening hotels and casinos, which provided him with the cash flow to engage in other ventures. He owns the world-famous Trump Tower and is the founder of the publicly traded Trump Hotel Casinos & Resorts. Trump also owns the Trump brand, which sells a variety of items, such as bottled water, steak, and even mortgages. Trump has authored a number of books and weathered changing business fortunes, but despite the challenges that he has encountered, he has continued to be a successful businessman and entrepreneur.

==Major Properties==

*Trump World Tower: 845 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY.

*Trump Tower: 725 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10022 Personal Residence

*Trump Taj Mahal

*Trump Marina

*Bank of America Center (San Francisco)

*The Trump Building at 40 Wall Street

*Trump Plaza

*Trump Park Avenue

*Trump Entertainment Resorts

*TrumpStreet Casino & Entertainment Complex, Philadelphia

*AXA Financial Center, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY

*Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago

*Mar-A-Lago Palm Beach

*Four golf courses in the U.S.

==Media==

In 2003 Trump began as the host and executive producer of the reality [[television]] show ''The Apprentice'' and ''The Celebrity Aprentice'', where contestants compete for a position in Trump's organization. On this show, Trump popularized his catchphrase "You're fired!"

Trump owns the Miss Universe Pageant. Controversy arose when one of the winners, Tara Conner, was caught breaking pageant rules by drinking and other activities. Trump gave her a second chance after personally speaking with her and allowed her to retain her crown as she attended rehabilitation. For several weeks after this, [[Rosie O'Donnell]] berated Trump for his decision on ''The View''. A bitter media war ensued with the two exchanging insults.

Trump has appeared on several TV shows and movies for guest appearances. He generally appears as himself.

==Political Positions==

Trump is pro-life, supported a 25% tariff on Chinese goods, and wanted to eliminate the Department of Education.<ref>[http://www.breitbart.tv/pro-life-donald-trump-would-eliminate-dept-of-education-impose-25-tax-on-china-imports-if-president/ PRO-LIFE DONALD TRUMP WOULD ELIMINATE DEPT OF EDUCATION, IMPOSE 25% TAX ON CHINA IMPORTS IF PRESIDENT, Breitbart.tv, February 9, 2011]</ref> He gave a speech at the 2011 [[CPAC]] conference.<ref>[http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/10/trump-at-cpac-points-to-white-house-run/ Trump at CPAC points to White House run, The Daily Caller, February 10, 2011]</ref> He said he would end [[Obamacare]], and he is against gun control.

He has been criticized for his substantial contributions to [[Democrat]] lawmakers; the majority of those lawmakers are located in the states he resides in: New York and Florida. The amount he has donated since 2008 is $25,000, which is insignficant considering his wealth.<ref>[http://www.ontheredcarpet.com/Donald-Trump-calls-nations-leaders-stupid-people-and-blood-sucking-politicians/8104644 Donald Trump calls nation's leaders 'stupid people' and 'blood-sucking politicians', OTRC, April 30, 2011]</ref>

Trump has also questioned Barack Obama's constitutional eligibility to be president, in light of the ongoing questions surrounding his birth certificate<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=280533 Trump: Obama spending millions to hide his past, WorldNetDaily, March 28, 2011]</ref>.

==Quotes==
* "[T]he country is going to hell."<ref>http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/us_politics/2015/03/country_is_going_to_hell_claims_donald_trump</ref>
* "We have no leader in this country.”<ref>http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/donaldtrump-karlrove-gop-birther/2011/04/22/id/393742 Trump: I'd Just Take Libyan Oil, NewsMax, April 22, 2011</ref>
* "Our leaders are stupid, they are stupid people."<ref>http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/04/donald-trump-in-vegas-our-leaders-are-stupid-they-are-stupid-people.html</ref>
* "I can tell you I am [the 2012 Obama campaign's] worst nightmare."<ref>http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/11/trump-says-he-is-obama-campaigns-worst-nightmare/comment-page-6/</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
* [http://www.trump.com Official website]
* [http://shouldtrumprun.com/ Should Donald Run? Polling]
* [http://gop12.thehill.com/2011/04/trump-explains-conversion-on-abortion.html Trump explains his pro-life conversion]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trump, Donald}}

[[Category:Celebrities]]
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Donald Trump

2015-07-01T00:23:34Z

IsabellW:

[[File:031711trump.jpg|right]]

'''Donald Trump''' is a successful businessman, entrepreneur, and [[television]] personality. He was born in [[Queens]], [[New York]], on June 14, 1946. He has engaged in many financial pursuits and has a net worth estimated at $2.4 billion.<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/wealth/forbes-400/list?page=2 Forbes 400: Richest People in America, Forbes, September 2010]</ref> He graduated from the New York Military Academy in 1964 and first attended college at [[Fordham University]] for two years before transferring to the more competitive [[University of Pennsylvania]] and then completing his studies at the prestigious Wharton School of Finance and Commerce. Trump has five children.

Donald Trump attended the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens. He told the Christian Broadcast Network that he still considers himself a [[Presbyterian]] and attends services for all major holidays and Sundays, and that "The Bible is certainly THE book." He receives Bibles from fans in the mail, and he either stores them or gives them away to others.<ref>[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52942.html Donald Trump talks religion: 'I am a Christian' Politico, April 11, 2011]</ref>

Trump considered [[presidential election 2012|running for President in 2012]] as a [[Republican]]. He questioned the citizenship of [[Barack Obama]] and his failure to produce his birth certificate, and got him to put one out. He dropped out of the race. He endorsed [[Mitt Romney]], much to the shock of many.

On June 16, 2015, Trump announced he was running for the Republican nomination for president in the 2016 election.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/16/trump-announces-white-house-bid-joins-crowded-gop-field/</ref>

==Career==

Donald Trump began his career at Trump Organization. In his college years, he helped revitalize one of his father's failing real estate ventures. Trump began opening hotels and casinos, which provided him with the cash flow to engage in other ventures. He owns the world-famous Trump Tower and is the founder of the publicly traded Trump Hotel Casinos & Resorts. Trump also owns the Trump brand, which sells a variety of items, such as bottled water, steak, and even mortgages. Trump has authored a number of books and weathered changing business fortunes, but despite the challenges that he has encountered, he has continued to be a successful businessman and entrepreneur.

==Major Properties==

*Trump World Tower: 845 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY.

*Trump Tower: 725 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10022 Personal Residence

*Trump Taj Mahal

*Trump Marina

*Bank of America Center (San Francisco)

*The Trump Building at 40 Wall Street

*Trump Plaza

*Trump Park Avenue

*Trump Entertainment Resorts

*TrumpStreet Casino & Entertainment Complex, Philadelphia

*AXA Financial Center, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY

*Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago

*Mar-A-Lago Palm Beach

*Four golf courses in the U.S.

==Media==

In 2003 Trump began as the host and executive producer of the reality [[television]] show ''The Apprentice'' and ''The Celebrity Aprentice'', where contestants compete for a position in Trump's organization. On this show, Trump popularized his catchphrase "You're fired!"

Trump owns the Miss Universe Pageant. Controversy arose when one of the winners, Tara Conner, was caught breaking pageant rules by drinking and other activities. Trump gave her a second chance after personally speaking with her and allowed her to retain her crown as she attended rehabilitation. For several weeks after this, [[Rosie O'Donnell]] berated Trump for his decision on ''The View''. A bitter media war ensued with the two exchanging insults.

Trump has appeared on several TV shows and movies for guest appearances. He generally appears as himself.

==Political Positions==

Trump is pro-life, supported a 25% tariff on Chinese goods, and wanted to eliminate the Department of Education.<ref>[http://www.breitbart.tv/pro-life-donald-trump-would-eliminate-dept-of-education-impose-25-tax-on-china-imports-if-president/ PRO-LIFE DONALD TRUMP WOULD ELIMINATE DEPT OF EDUCATION, IMPOSE 25% TAX ON CHINA IMPORTS IF PRESIDENT, Breitbart.tv, February 9, 2011]</ref> He gave a speech at the 2011 [[CPAC]] conference.<ref>[http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/10/trump-at-cpac-points-to-white-house-run/ Trump at CPAC points to White House run, The Daily Caller, February 10, 2011]</ref> He said he would end [[Obamacare]], and he is against gun control.

He has been criticized for his substantial contributions to [[Democrat]] lawmakers; the majority of those lawmakers are located in the states he resides in: New York and Florida. The amount he has donated since 2008 is $25,000, which is insignficant considering his wealth.<ref>[http://www.ontheredcarpet.com/Donald-Trump-calls-nations-leaders-stupid-people-and-blood-sucking-politicians/8104644 Donald Trump calls nation's leaders 'stupid people' and 'blood-sucking politicians', OTRC, April 30, 2011]</ref>

Trump has also questioned Barack Obama's constitutional eligibility to be president, in light of the ongoing questions surrounding his birth certificate<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=280533 Trump: Obama spending millions to hide his past, WorldNetDaily, March 28, 2011]</ref>.

==Quotes==
* "[T]he country is going to hell."<ref>http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/us_politics/2015/03/country_is_going_to_hell_claims_donald_trump</ref>
* "We have no leader in this country.”<ref>http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/donaldtrump-karlrove-gop-birther/2011/04/22/id/393742 Trump: I'd Just Take Libyan Oil, NewsMax, April 22, 2011</ref>
* "Our leaders are stupid, they are stupid people."<ref>http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/04/donald-trump-in-vegas-our-leaders-are-stupid-they-are-stupid-people.html</ref>
* "I can tell you I am [the 2012 Obama campaign's] worst nightmare."<ref>http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/11/trump-says-he-is-obama-campaigns-worst-nightmare/comment-page-6/</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
* [http://www.trump.com Official website]
* [http://shouldtrumprun.com/ Should Donald Run? Polling]
* [http://gop12.thehill.com/2011/04/trump-explains-conversion-on-abortion.html Trump explains his pro-life conversion]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trump, Donald}}

[[Category:Celebrities]]
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Jeb Bush

2015-07-01T00:22:50Z

IsabellW: add 2016 campaign website

{{Officeholder
|name=Jeb Bush
|image=JebBush02.jpg‎
|party=[[Republican]]
|spouse=Columba Bush
|religion=[[Roman Catholic]]
|offices=

{{Officeholder/governor
|state=Florida
|number=43rd
|terms=January 5, 1999 – January 2, 2007
|preceded=[[Kenneth Hood MacKay|Buddy MacKay]]
|succeeded=[[Charlie Crist]]
}}
}}

'''John Ellis "Jeb" Bush''' (born February 11, 1953), age {{age|1953|02|11}}, is a businessman and a former governor of the State of [[Florida]]. He is the third child and second son of former President [[George H. W. Bush]] and his wife, former [[First Lady]] [[Barbara Bush]]. He is the younger brother of former President [[George W. Bush]]. Jeb Bush was the first Republican to win a second term as Florida’s governor, and he left office with a 60% approval rating.<ref name="WashTimes">[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/30/jeb-senate-bid-would-turn-on-rehabilitating-bush-b/ Jeb Bush Senate bid a GOP remedy?] The ''Washington Times'' Dec. 30, 2008</ref>. On June 15, 2015, Bush announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/15/after-long-wind-up-bush-set-to-enter-2016-white-house-race/?intcmp=latestnews</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Bush was born in [[Midland]], [[Texas]] where his father ran an oil drilling company. When he was six years old, the family relocated to [[Houston]], Texas. He was a budding athlete, enjoying [[baseball]] and [[tennis]]. He went to a public elementary school, and later to a private school. When he was in eighth grade, George H. W. Bush won a seat in [[Congress]] and moved to Washington, DC. The Bush children stayed in Houston with another family to finish the school year, and spent most summers and holidays at the family estate, located at Kennebunkport, [[Maine]]. He then enrolled at Phillips Andover Academy in [[Massachusetts]], already attended by his brother, George. Jeb Bush made the honor roll his first year. <ref>[http://www.who2.com/jebbush.html Jeb Bush Biography]</ref>

== Private sector ==
Jeb Bush and and his family moved to Florida in 1981, where he joined the Codina Group, a real estate development company.

== Political career ==
Bush became Secretary of Commerce under Governor [[Bob Martinez]] in 1987 and was the [[Republican]] nominee for governor in 1994, losing to incumbent Lawton Chiles. In 1998 he ran again and won, becoming governor of Florida at the same time his brother George W. was governor of Texas. He was re-elected in 2002, defeating [[Democrat]] William McBride (who had upset former [[Attorney General]] [[Janet Reno]] in the Democratic primary election). Bush could not run for re-election to a third term in 2006, because of term limits; another Republican, [[Charlie Crist]], was elected to succeed him. After eight years, Jeb Bush left office as one of the most popular and prominent governors in state history. While speculation and public support for a 2016 Presidential run still exists, it was significantly dampened when [[Barbara Bush]] stated in an April 2013 interview<ref>http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51667537#51667537</ref> that she felt "We've had enough Bushes" and continuing "He's the most qualified, but I don't think he'll run."<ref>http://www.christianpost.com/news/weve-had-enough-bushes-barbara-bush-urges-jeb-bush-not-to-run-in-2016-video-94733/</ref>

== Post-political career ==

Bush joined the board of directors of Tenet Healthcare, the biggest publicly-traded hospital company in the United States, in April 2007.<ref>[http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/12/news/newsmakers/bush.reut/index.htm Bush] April 12, 2007</ref><ref>[http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070412/BREAKINGNEWS/70412027/1086 Florida Today]</ref>

== Personal life ==

Bush met his wife, Columba, while teaching English as part of a university exchange program in Leon, Guanajato, [[Mexico]] in 1971. Columba was born in Leon in 1954. The two were married on February 23, 1974, shortly after Bush graduated from the [[University of Texas]] with a degree in Latin American Affairs. They have three children: George (known as George P., born 1976), Noelle (born 1977) and John (known as Jebby, born 1983). The couple currently resides in Coral Gables, [[Florida]].

==References==
<References/>

==External Links==
*[https://www.jeb2016.com/?lang=en Jeb Bush 2016 campaign website]

{{DEFAULTSORT: Bush, John Ellis "Jeb"}}

[[category:Florida]]
[[category:Florida Governors]]
[[category:Republican Party]]
[[Category:Republican Governors]]
[[Category: Conservatives]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]
[[Category: 2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Jeb Bush

2015-07-01T00:21:13Z

IsabellW:

{{Officeholder
|name=Jeb Bush
|image=JebBush02.jpg‎
|party=[[Republican]]
|spouse=Columba Bush
|religion=[[Roman Catholic]]
|offices=

{{Officeholder/governor
|state=Florida
|number=43rd
|terms=January 5, 1999 – January 2, 2007
|preceded=[[Kenneth Hood MacKay|Buddy MacKay]]
|succeeded=[[Charlie Crist]]
}}
}}

'''John Ellis "Jeb" Bush''' (born February 11, 1953), age {{age|1953|02|11}}, is a businessman and a former governor of the State of [[Florida]]. He is the third child and second son of former President [[George H. W. Bush]] and his wife, former [[First Lady]] [[Barbara Bush]]. He is the younger brother of former President [[George W. Bush]]. Jeb Bush was the first Republican to win a second term as Florida’s governor, and he left office with a 60% approval rating.<ref name="WashTimes">[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/30/jeb-senate-bid-would-turn-on-rehabilitating-bush-b/ Jeb Bush Senate bid a GOP remedy?] The ''Washington Times'' Dec. 30, 2008</ref>. On June 15, 2015, Bush announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/15/after-long-wind-up-bush-set-to-enter-2016-white-house-race/?intcmp=latestnews</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Bush was born in [[Midland]], [[Texas]] where his father ran an oil drilling company. When he was six years old, the family relocated to [[Houston]], Texas. He was a budding athlete, enjoying [[baseball]] and [[tennis]]. He went to a public elementary school, and later to a private school. When he was in eighth grade, George H. W. Bush won a seat in [[Congress]] and moved to Washington, DC. The Bush children stayed in Houston with another family to finish the school year, and spent most summers and holidays at the family estate, located at Kennebunkport, [[Maine]]. He then enrolled at Phillips Andover Academy in [[Massachusetts]], already attended by his brother, George. Jeb Bush made the honor roll his first year. <ref>[http://www.who2.com/jebbush.html Jeb Bush Biography]</ref>

== Private sector ==
Jeb Bush and and his family moved to Florida in 1981, where he joined the Codina Group, a real estate development company.

== Political career ==
Bush became Secretary of Commerce under Governor [[Bob Martinez]] in 1987 and was the [[Republican]] nominee for governor in 1994, losing to incumbent Lawton Chiles. In 1998 he ran again and won, becoming governor of Florida at the same time his brother George W. was governor of Texas. He was re-elected in 2002, defeating [[Democrat]] William McBride (who had upset former [[Attorney General]] [[Janet Reno]] in the Democratic primary election). Bush could not run for re-election to a third term in 2006, because of term limits; another Republican, [[Charlie Crist]], was elected to succeed him. After eight years, Jeb Bush left office as one of the most popular and prominent governors in state history. While speculation and public support for a 2016 Presidential run still exists, it was significantly dampened when [[Barbara Bush]] stated in an April 2013 interview<ref>http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51667537#51667537</ref> that she felt "We've had enough Bushes" and continuing "He's the most qualified, but I don't think he'll run."<ref>http://www.christianpost.com/news/weve-had-enough-bushes-barbara-bush-urges-jeb-bush-not-to-run-in-2016-video-94733/</ref>

== Post-political career ==

Bush joined the board of directors of Tenet Healthcare, the biggest publicly-traded hospital company in the United States, in April 2007.<ref>[http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/12/news/newsmakers/bush.reut/index.htm Bush] April 12, 2007</ref><ref>[http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070412/BREAKINGNEWS/70412027/1086 Florida Today]</ref>

== Personal life ==

Bush met his wife, Columba, while teaching English as part of a university exchange program in Leon, Guanajato, [[Mexico]] in 1971. Columba was born in Leon in 1954. The two were married on February 23, 1974, shortly after Bush graduated from the [[University of Texas]] with a degree in Latin American Affairs. They have three children: George (known as George P., born 1976), Noelle (born 1977) and John (known as Jebby, born 1983). The couple currently resides in Coral Gables, [[Florida]].

==References==

<References/>

{{DEFAULTSORT: Bush, John Ellis "Jeb"}}

[[category:Florida]]
[[category:Florida Governors]]
[[category:Republican Party]]
[[Category:Republican Governors]]
[[Category: Conservatives]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]
[[Category: 2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Lindsey Graham

2015-07-01T00:20:11Z

IsabellW:

{{Officeholder
|name=Lindsey Graham
|image=GrahamSC.jpg
|party=[[Republican]]
|spouse=none
|religion=[[Baptist]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=South Carolina
|terms=January 7, 2003 – Present
|preceded=[[Strom Thurmond]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/representative
|state=South Carolina
|district=3rd
|terms=January 4, 1995 – January 3, 2003
|preceded=Butler Derrick
|former=n
|succeeded=J. Gresham Barrett
}}
}}

'''Lindsey Olin Graham''', born July 9, 1955 (age {{age|1955|7|9}}), is the senior [[United States]] [[Senator]] from the state of [[South Carolina]]. He is a member of the [[Republican Party]].

==Biography==
A native South Carolinian, Graham grew up in Central, graduated from D.W. Daniel High School, and earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Graham logged six-and-a-half years of service on active duty as an [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] lawyer. From 1984-1988, he was assigned overseas and served at Rhein Mein Air Force Base in Germany. Upon leaving the active duty Air Force in 1989, Graham joined the South Carolina Air National Guard where he served until his election to the [[U.S. House of Representatives]] in 1994. During the first [[Gulf War]], Graham was called to active duty and served state-side at McEntire Air National Guard Base as Staff Judge Advocate where he prepared members for deployment to the Gulf region. His duties included briefing pilots on the law of armed conflict, preparing legal documents for deploying troops, and providing legal services for family members of the South Carolina Air National Guard. He received a commendation medal for his service at McEntire.

Since 1995, Graham has continued to serve his country in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and is the only U.S. Senator currently serving in the Guard or Reserves. He is a colonel and is assigned as a Senior Instructor at the Air Force JAG School.

Graham served in Iraq as a reservist on active duty for short periods during April and two weeks in August 2007, where he worked on detainee and rule-of-law issues. That makes him the only Iraq war veteran serving in the United States Senate.

==Political career==
In 1988, Graham went into private law practice and in 1992 was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. In 1994, he became the first Republican to represent South Carolina's Third Congressional District in Washington since 1877. He quickly became powerful as a member of the Judiciary Committee during the impeachment of then-President [[Bill Clinton]] in 1998. Graham opposed some articles, but vigorously supported others. In January and February of 1999, after two impeachment articles had been passed by the full House, he was one of the managers who brought the House's case to Clinton’s trial in the Senate. Though the Senate did not convict Clinton, Graham became nationally known. Lindsey Graham was elected to the Senate in 2002, winning 54% of the vote.

During the Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings for Judge [[Samuel Alito]] for a seat on the [[United States Supreme Court]], Graham sparked controversy. He asked Alito, "Are you really a closet bigot?" Alito answered "I'm not any kind of a bigot, I'm not." and Graham continued his statement by expressing his opinion that Alito definitely was not a bigot. Alito's wife cried and left the hearing briefly.

On June 1, 2015, Graham announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/01/graham-set-to-enter-2016-race-with-focus-on-middle-east/</ref>

===Political Views===
During the [[Syrian Civil War]], Graham wanted a intervention to overthrow [[Bashar al-Assad]].<ref>http://www.policymic.com/articles/38993/john-mccain-lindsey-graham-senators-demand-syria-intervention-encouraging-another-stupid-war</ref>

====You can't criticize the Koran====
"On [[Face The Nation]] today, [[South Carolina]] [[Senator]] Lindsey Graham said that the reaction to the [[Koran]] burning in [[Florida]] suggests that [[Congress]] should look into limiting some forms of speech":

Graham said, “I wish we could find a way to hold people accountable. [[Free speech]] is a great idea, but we’re in a war. During [[World War II]], we had limits on what you could say if it would inspire the enemy. So, burning a [[Koran]] is a terrible thing but it doesn't justify killing someone. Burning a [[Bible]] would be a terrible thing but it doesn't justify murder. Having said that, anytime we can push back here in [[America]] against actions like this that put our troops at risk we should do it, and I look forward to working with Senators [[John Kerry|Kerry]], and [[Harry Reid|Reid]], and others to condemn this, condemn violence all over the world based on the name of religion. But [[General Petreaus]] understand better than anybody else in America what happens when something like this is done in our country and he was right to condemn it and I think Congress would be right to reinforce what General Petreasus said.”<ref>Doug Mataconis of [[Outside the Beltway]], Lindsey Graham On Koran Burning: “Freedom Of Speech Is A Great Idea But We’re In A War.”, April 3, 2011 Post: http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/lindsay-graham-on-koran-burning-freedom-of-speech-is-a-great-idea-but-were-in-a-war Accessed December 4, 2014</ref>

Doug Mataconis of [[Outside the Beltway]] (April 3, 2011 Post - Lindsey Graham On Koran Burning: “Freedom Of Speech Is A Great Idea But We’re In A War.”) states: "Here’s your answer Senator. No, you don’t need to hold hearings and you don’t need to be looking into ways to [[First Amendment|limit the free speech]] rights of American [[citizen]]s because of the [[terrorist|insane reaction of people thousands of miles away]] who were obviously ginned up by [[demagogue]]s. War or not, [[Terry Jones]] had every right to do what he did."<ref>http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/lindsay-graham-on-koran-burning-freedom-of-speech-is-a-great-idea-but-were-in-a-war/</ref>

====Immigration====
Graham has been an adamant supporter of "comprehensive [[immigration]] reform" and of S. 2611, the [[McCain]]-[[Kennedy]] Bill of 2006 as well as the equally hotly debated S. 1348 of 2007, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007. Despite Graham's support the bill failed on a key Senate vote on June 28, 2007 and is unlikely to be revived. Graham's views on immigration has lead criticisms for [[conservative]]s. Popular [[radio]] talk show host [[Rush Limbaugh]] has referred to him as Senator "Grahamnesty."

==External Links==
* [http://lgraham.senate.gov/ Official Website]
* [http://www.lindseygraham.com/ 2016 presidential campaign website]
* [http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Lindsey_Graham.htm Graham on the issues]
* http://www.theamericanconservative.com/lindsey-grahams-war-on-freedom/
* http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/lindsay-graham-on-koran-burning-freedom-of-speech-is-a-great-idea-but-were-in-a-war
* http://www.barenakedislam.com/2013/08/06/omg-senators-john-mccain-and-lindsay-graham-are-traitors/

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Lindsey}}

[[Category:United States Senators]]
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[[Category:110th United States Congress]]
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[[Category:113th United States Congress]]
[[Category:114th United States Congress]]
[[Category:South Carolina]]
[[Category:RINOs]]
[[Category: 2016 Presidential Candidates]]

George Pataki

2015-07-01T00:19:56Z

IsabellW:

{{Officeholder
|name=George Pataki
|image=000-George_Pataki.jpg
|party=[[Republican]]
|spouse=Libby Pataki
|religion=[[Roman Catholic]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/governor
|state=New York
|terms=January 1, 1995 – December 31, 2006
|preceded=[[Mario Cuomo]]
|former=n
|succeeded=[[Eliot Spitzer]]
}}
}}
'''George Elmer Pataki''' (born June 24, 1945) served as the three term [[Governor]] of [[New York]] from 1995 to 2006 and is a member of the [[Republican Party]].

Born and raised on his family farm in Westchester County, New York to [[Hungarian]] immigrants, he graduated from [[Yale University]] in 1967 and Columbia Law School in 1970 on academic scholarships. Pataki began his political career by serving as Mayor of his home town of Peekskill. He went on to serve 10 years in the New York State legislature. He was elected Governor in the 1994 Republican sweep year, defeating incumbent [[Democrat]] [[Mario Cuomo]]. Pataki was the first Governor of New York since [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] to not be from [[New York City]]. He was easily reelected in 1998 and 2002. From the begining of his administration he instituted major spending cuts. Pataki's governance included a period of economic expansion for New York State, $100 billion in tax cuts, reduced [[welfare]] and 600,000 added jobs. In 2005, New York had an on-time budget for the first time in twenty-one years. He enact more than 100 new laws to toughen penalties for criminals and eliminated parole for violent felony offenders. The [[crime]] rate in New York State fell for eleven consecutive years, by the end of his tenure as Governor, violent crime dropped 54% and New York was recognized as the safest large state in America. <ref>http://www.worldcat.org/arcviewer/1/AO%23/2007/01/12/0000057321/viewer/file5060.html</ref>.

A [[Republican in name only]], Pataki is [[pro-choice]] regarding [[abortion]] (although supports the ban on [[partial birth abortion]]) <ref>http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/George_Pataki_Abortion.htm</ref> and vetoed a bill that would allow sale of the morning-after pill. <ref>http://www.netglimse.com/celebs/pages/george_pataki/index.shtml</ref> Additionally, he is a strong supporter of [[environment]]al protection. He played a major role in the clean-up of the Hudson River and Long Island Sound. Pataki signed major [[health care]] legislation in 1999 that provided health insurance coverage, under Family Health Plus, to lower income adults who do not have health insurance through their employers. George Pataki was governor during the [[September 11, 2001 attacks|September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks]], and led lower [[Manhattan]] through recovery and rebuilding. Pataki suffered health problems towards the end of his governorship after he suffered a burst appendix and had to go through significant operation.

Pataki's name was mentioned as a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2000 and 2008, although he declined to run. On May 28, 2015, Pataki announced that he was running for the Republican nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/28/former-new-york-gov-pataki-announces-run-for-2016-gop-presidential-nomination/</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|}}

==External Links==
*[http://www.georgepataki.com George Pataki 2016 campaign website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pataki, George}}

[[Category:New York Governors]]
[[Category:Republican Governors]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:RINOs]]
[[Category: 2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Rick Santorum

2015-07-01T00:19:40Z

IsabellW:

[[Image:Rick Santorum.jpg|right|thumb|Rick Santorum]]
'''Richard John "Rick" Santorum''' (Winchester, [[Virginia]], May 10, 1958) is an [[America]]n [[conservative]] lawyer and politician. He was a leading candidate for the [[Presidential Election 2012|Republican nomination for president in 2012]], and previously served as [[United States]] [[Senator]] for [[Pennsylvania]] from January 1995 to January 2007. During that time, Santorum was known for his [[conservative]] political views and his tendency to campaign for [[liberal]] Republicans, and was elected to the position of Senate Republican Conference Chairman in 2000.

After garnering the support of conservatives nationwide for his presidential bid, Santorum then reverted to his prior habit of endorsing liberal Republicans. He double-crossed conservative leaders by endorsing the [[RINO]], pro-[[Planned Parenthood]] [[Jon Bruning]] for the Republican nomination for [[U.S. Senate]] in [[Nebraska]] in 2012.<ref>http://atr.rollcall.com/nebraska-rick-santorum-backs-jon-bruning-for-senate/</ref> Leading [[conservatives]], including [[Rand Paul]], [[Jim DeMint]] and [[Club for Growth]], have instead unanimously endorsed [[pro-life]] [[Don Stenberg]] in that race. Santorum's candidate, Jon Bruning, then lost in a stinging upset defeat to a third candidate in the race.

Endorsed by the [[pro-life]] [[Susan B. Anthony List|Susan B. Anthony]] organization,<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/17/susan-b-anthony-list-to-endorse-santorum/</ref> Santorum was a strong candidate in the [[2012 Republican Primary]]. After winning [[Louisiana]] on March 25, 2012 - his 11th victory in the primary race - the [[New York Times]] noted that "not since [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1976 has a conservative candidate won as many states as Santorum has."<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/us/politics/santorum-projected-winner-of-louisiana-primary.html?_r=1]</ref> He suspended his campaign on April 10, 2012, citing personal reasons.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/10/santorum</ref>

<blockquote>
Santorum was an author and floor manager of the landmark "Welfare Reform Act" which passed in 1996 that has empowered millions of Americans to leave the welfare rolls and enter the workforce. Senator Santorum wrote and championed legislation that outlawed the heinous procedure known as "Partial Birth Abortion" as well as the "Born Alive Infants Protection Act", the "Unborn Victims of Violence Act", and the "Combating Autism Act" because he believes each and every individual has value and the most vulnerable in our society need to be protected. Senator Santorum fought to maintain fiscal sanity in Washington before it was in fashion, fighting for a balanced budget and a line item veto. <ref> [http://www.ricksantorum.com/why-rick Why Rick?]</ref>
</blockquote>

A movement among [[liberals]], and particularly [[homosexual]] activists, vilified Santorum for his clear and forthright statements regarding [[traditional marriage]] and condemnation of homosexuality. In the Senate, Santorum stood for traditional values and fought for traditional marriage. His "[[Santorum Amendment]]" to the 'No Child Left Behind' Act sought unsuccessfully to stop public schools from presenting the [[theory of evolution]] in a dogmatic way and, instead, to present the alternative theory of [[intelligent design]].

In 2006 [[Bob Casey, Jr.]], the [[liberal]] son of a popular former Pennsylvania governor who had been [[pro-life]], defeated Santorum as part of a [[Democratic]] sweep in that election. Casey subsequently endorsed pro-[[abortion]] [[Barack Obama]] for president in 2008, and supported [[Obamacare]] with the excuse that less poverty would reduce the demand for abortions.

2012 Presidential candidate [[Ron Paul]] has accused Santorum of being a "counterfeit conservative" due to his quick willingness to compromise (such as supporting [[George W. Bush]]'s [[Medicare Part D]], refusing to aggressively stand up against funding [[Planned Parenthood]], and support for increasing the [[Department of Education]]).<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57383263-503544/santorum-fights-charges-hes-a-fake-conservative/</ref><ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgNJBdTaKE8</ref> Santorum also endorsed [[RINO]]-turned-[[Democrat]] Arlen Specter.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/rick-santorums-greatest-sin-endorsing-arlen-specter/2012/02/24/gIQAD0sUXR_blog.html "Rick Santorum’s greatest sin: Endorsing Arlen Specter" ''Washington Post'']</ref> Candidates [[Mitt Romney]] and [[Newt Gingrich]] have also criticized Santorum's record.

On May 27, 2015, Santorum announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/27/santorum-set-to-announce-2016-plans-wednesday/</ref>

==Liberal Obsession with Santorum==

[[Liberals]] have become obsessed with Santorum, particularly after he stood up for traditional marriage and drew an analogy between support for [[homosexual marriage]] and other illegal forms of marriage and conduct. Rather than dispute the analogy, liberals were quick to [[liberal tricks|feign offense]]. They argue that because the other kinds of conduct are so universally repulsive, pointing out the parallels with [[homosexual act]]s and homosexual marriage unduly disparages homosexuals. But they know the ugly truth -- that homosexuality is just one step away on the slippery slope towards many other disgustingly immoral proclivities. They can only resort to [[liberal namecalling]] and personal attacks; it's gotten so pathetic that now they're dedicated to slandering his name by equating it with fecal matter, knowing full well they can't refute any of his arguments.

==Texas Sodomy Case, Dan Savage, & Lower-Case "santorum" Campaign==

After the "Texas sodomy case" ('''''[[Lawrence v. Texas]]'''''), Rick Santorum remarked that if homosexuality was acceptable in America, [[incest]] and [[bestiality]] would also be acceptable. This was taken completely out of context - Santorum was referring to the actual decision of the Supreme Court, which declared '''''all''''' consensual sexual activity between adults, not merely homosexuality, to be a private matter which could not be regulated.

Homosexual advice columnist [[Dan Savage]] instigated a campaign on [[Google]] to associate Santorum's name with vile slang, creating the lower-case term "santorum" to refer to something vulgar associated with gay sex. By enlisting the help of readers of his column, mostly college students experimenting with sexual deviancy, he redirected legitimate searches for Santorum's name to a slanderous website he created, urging people to spread the term "santorum" as a vile Internet meme.

That children are often the first to absorb new Internet content was apparently of no concern to the gay rights activist, who also encouraged writers to his newspaper column to address him as "Dear Faggot."<ref>http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=340</ref>

==2012 Presidential Race==

On June 6, 2011<ref>http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/06/us-usa-campaign-santorum-idUSTRE7551YL20110606</ref>, Santorum announced his intention to run for the Republican Party nomination in the US Presidential election of 2012.<ref>http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55772.html</ref>

<blockquote>
In the [[Iowa]] caucuses, January, 3, 2012, Santorum and [[Mitt Romney]] Fight to a Draw. In the first Republican contest of the season, the two candidates were separated by only a sliver of votes, offering Rick Santorum a chance to emerge as the alternative to Mitt Romney. <ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/04/us/politics/santorum-and-romney-fight-to-a-draw.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all Romney Wins Iowa Caucus by 8 Vote] </ref>
</blockquote>

Despite doing well, getting approximately half the delegates of Romney, Rick Santorum surprisingly announced on April 10, 2012 that he was ending his campaign.
==Personal Life==
Rick Santorum and his wife Karen are the parents of seven children: Elizabeth, John, Daniel, Sarah Maria, Peter, Patrick and Isabella. Isabella was born in 2008 with a rare genetic disorder known as Trisomy 18. Most children born with this disorder die in infancy, and only about 10 percent survive to their first birthday.<ref name="santorum">[http://www.ncregister.com/site/article%20/presidential-hopefuls-rick-santorum1/ Presidential Hopefuls: Rick Santorum, Catholic Former Senator Lives Out His Devotion to the Sanctity of Life] Hayes, Charlotte, National Catholic Register, January 9, 2012, retrieved January 15, 2012</ref>

In keeping with his conservative, pro life stance, Santorum counts as his eighth child Gabriel, who sadly lost his life in 1996 due to an infection contracted in the womb. The baby was born five months prematurely, and died two hours later in the hospital. According to an article in the ''National Catholic Register'', the Santorums "took their child home briefly so that their other children could meet their brother." Santorum stated, "We wanted them to know that there was a baby and that his life was precious and that baby in the womb was real,"<ref name="santorum"/>

The Santorum family's struggle with the sadness of the loss of their son, and their decision to mourn the baby as a human being, served as an inspiration to other families struggling with the pain of losing a child. On the other hand, the criticism Santorum received from pro abortion journalists, such as liberal "gotcha reporter" Alan Colmes,<ref>www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=48506</ref> who accused Santorum of "playing" with his dead child's body, has been fierce. Public sentiment, however, is firmly in Santorum's column.<ref>http://www.nationalreview.com/media-blog/286998/alan-colmes-apologizes-rick-santorum-greg-pollowitz</ref>

Santorum is a practicing Catholic.<ref>Sokolove, Michael. "The Believer." May 22, 2005. The New York Times Magazine. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/22/magazine/22SANTORUM.html</ref>

==Political Positions==
Rick Santorum is emphatically pro-life and pro-family as described above, opposing abortion, gay marriage, and the spread of pornography.<ref>"Where I Stand." Rick Santorum Presidential campaign website. http://www.ricksantorum.com/issues</ref> He does not believe that humans are causing [[global warming]], calling it "junk science." He favors increased production of [[fossil fuels]] in the U.S.<ref>Johnson, Brad and Somanader, Tanya. "Santorum: 'There's no such thing as global warming.'" June 24, 2011. Think Progress. http://thinkprogress.org/green/2011/06/24/253389/santorum-theres-no-such-thing-as-global-warming/</ref> Broadly, Santorum is in favor of reducing the size of government and reducing taxes. Some of the major economic and fiscal policy measures that he supports are:<ref>"Rick Santorum - The Economy." The Political Guide. http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/Profiles/Senate/Pennsylvania/Rick_Santorum/Views/The_Economy/</ref>
*A [[balanced budget]] amendment
*Cutting the corporate tax rate in half
*Cutting the tax rate for manufacturers to zero
*Simplifying the tax code for all
*Repealing [[Obamacare]]
*Repealing the Dodd-Frank Act
*Eliminating the focus on [[green energy]]

Santorum has opposed giving assistance to illegal immigrants,<ref>"Immigration Reform: Securing and Strengthening America." Rick Santorum Presidential campaign website. http://www.ricksantorum.com/immigration-reform-securing-and-strengthening-america</ref> supported the [[Iraq War]],<ref>"Rick Santorum - The Iraq War." The Political Guide. http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/Profiles/Senate/Pennsylvania/Rick_Santorum/Views/The_War_in_Iraq/</ref> opposed [[universal health care]],<ref>"Rick Santorum: Healthcare." Electful. http://electful.com/candidate/rick-santorum/issues/healthcare</ref> and supported the [[death penalty]] (although in recent years he has said the death penalty should be more limited).<ref>"Santorum Rethinks Death Penalty Support." March 23, 2005. Associated Press / Fox News. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,151241,00.html</ref> These four views are in opposition to the teachings of the [[Catholic Church]].

Santorum said that [[Islam]] and democracy are not compatible. He believes that Muslims have to implement [[Sharia]] law.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news-press.com/article/20130323/NEWS0119/303230016/Santorum-delivers-warning-about-radical-Islam-during-Naples-appearance|title=Santorum delivers warning about radical Islam during Naples appearance|date=March 23, 2013|newspaper=Fort Meyers News Press|author=Lindsay Downey}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
*[http://www.ricksantorum.com Rick Santorum 2016 campaign website]

{{DEFAULTSORT: Santorum, Rick}}
[[Category:Former United States Senators]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:2012 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Catholic Politicians]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:Pro Second Amendment]]
[[Category: 2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Mike Huckabee

2015-07-01T00:19:20Z

IsabellW:

{{Officeholder
|name=Mike Huckabee
|image=Hdyute7.jpg
|party=[[Republican]]
|spouse=[[Janet Huckabee]] (1974-present)
|religion=[[Baptist]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/governor
|state=Arkansas
|terms=July 15, 1996-January 9, 2007
|preceded=Jim Guy Tucker
|succeeded=[[Mike Beebe]]
|former=n
}}
}}
'''Mike Huckabee''' (born August 24, 1955) is an American politician who served 11 years as governor of Arkansas (1996-2007) and was the runner-up to winner [[John McCain]] in the contest for the 2008 Republican nomination for president.<ref>[http://www2.arkansasonline.com/news/2008/mar/04/huckabee-bows-out/ ''Huckabee bows out''] 5 March 2008 Arkansas Online</ref> A former [[Baptist]] minister, he is [[conservative]] on the issues of [[abortion]], [[gun control]], [[homosexuality]] and [[evolution]]. He announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president in the [[2016 presidential election|2016 election]] on May 5, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/05/huckabee-announces-2016-white-house-bid/</ref>

Huckabee, after many years as a television personality and motivational speaker, combines conservative policy positions with a winsome friendly attitude that puts voters at ease. He came under attack as a "tax-and-spend liberal", especially by rival [[Fred Thompson]].<ref>See criticism reported by Jennifer Rubin, "Romney and Huckabee: Club for Growth Comparisons," [http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=22081 from ''Human Events'' Aug. 24, 2007] </ref> Huckabee's funding base was meager, with his family providing much of his organizational support. Throughout the presidential primary, Huckabee was viewed favorably by conservatives and Christian organizations such as the [[Homeschool Legal Defense Association]]. Former Speaker of the House [[Newt Gingrich]] predicted that Huckabee would catch on with Republican primary voters, calling him "the most interesting dark horse".<ref>http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/story.asp?S=6899608</ref>

Critical to his move from obscurity to the top rank of political contenders was his evangelical base, his conservatism, his appeal to southerners and his winsome personality.<ref> Dan Balz, "Huckabee's Rise and Rise," [http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/12/10/post_234.html ''Washington Post'' Dec. 10, 2007]; Michael D. Shear and Juliet Eilperin, "Suddenly, Huckabee Is in Romney's Rearview Mirror," [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/24/AR2007112401338_pf.html ''Washington Post'' Nov. 25, 2007]; "Shields and Brooks Mull Iowa Election Push, Baseball Scandal" [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec07/sbbaseball_12-14.html PBS, Dec. 14, 2007]</ref> After losing to McCain, Huckabee became a contributor on Fox News <ref>http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/06/12/huckabee-joins-fox-as-contributor/ Huckabee joins Fox as Contributor </ref> and hosted his own show called ''Huckabee''.

Conservatives in Arkansas and nationally have attacked his very lenient policy of pardoning criminals, some of whom went on to commit horrendous crimes, such as Maurice Clemmons, who murdered four police officers in Seattle in November 2009. Other conservatives defend his actions in terms of Christian forgiveness. "This disaster is just one of Huckabee’s ill-considered clemency legacies," said [[Michelle Malkin]], while [[Rush Limbaugh]] referred to Clemmons as "Huckabee's Willie Horton." Huckabee faced conservative criticism during the 2008 primaries for granting a pardon to convicted rapist Wayne DuMond. Like Clemmons, DuMond returned to a life of crime, earning a second conviction before dying in prison in 2005.<ref> Conservatives lambasted Democratic presidential nominee [[Mike Dukakis]] in 1992 for his actions as governor in allowing Horton to go free. See [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/30014.html Andy Barr, "Conservatives hammer Mike Huckabee over shooting," ''Politico'' Nov. 30, 2009]</ref>

==Career==
Huckabee was born and raised in Hope, Arkansas, into a working class family.<ref> He did not overlap in Hope with [[Bill Clinton]] (1946- ) who was also born in Hope; Clinton left as a small child.</ref> Huckabee in his early teens became a radio announcer and preacher. He attended nearby Oachita Baptist College (BA 1975), and studied theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas (1976-80, no degree.) He was minister at Baptist churches in Pine Bluff and Texarkana, Arkansas in the 1980s, gaining fame for his preaching style and for his religious shows on television. He was elected in 1989 as president of the Arkansas Baptist Convention, with 490,000 members; he was elected as a moderate in opposition to the hardline conservatives.

Huckabee is the author of health books featuring his exercise and weight-loss exercise program, and bass guitar player for his rock band, Capitol Offense. He is married to Janet (née McCain); they have three children.

==2008 Caucuses and Primaries==
''Main Article: [[Mike Huckabee 2008 Presidential Campaign]]''

Almost unknown in mid 2007, he climbed the polls steadily and won the closely watched Iowa caucus on Jan. 3, 2008. His base of support comprises "born again" evangelical Christians, who comprise 35% of the GOP voters.<ref>. Evangelicals comprise 48%-68% of Republicans in the South and border states, 47% in Iowa, and only 11% in New Hampshire. Andrew Kohut, "The G.O.P.’s Unanswered Question," [http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/11/the-gops-unanswered-question/ ''New York Times'' Jan. 11, 2008]</ref>

Huckabee's campaign started to take off in summer 2007 after the high profile [[Ames Straw Poll]], where he came in 2nd place (18%) to Gov. Romney's 32%, ahead of Sen. Brownback's 15%. He won second place despite far less name recognition and far less spending - he spent about $35 per vote, whereas Romney spent more than $500 per vote. His victory placed him in the top tier of Republican primary candidates.<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/12/ftn/main3159786.shtml</ref><ref>http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=22081</ref><ref>http://www.americanresearchgroup.com/</ref> His second surge began after the Republican [[YouTube]] debate, where he was seen as calm, reasonable and positive next to the other candidates, many of whom attacked each other.

He was the winner of the straw poll after the Sept. 17th "valuesdebate".<ref>http://www.earnedmedia.org/kg0918.htm</ref> In October 2007, Huckabee overwhelmingly won the high-profile Family Research Counsel's Value Voter Summit straw poll. Out of those attending, Huckabee received more votes then all other candidates combined.<ref>http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/10/romney_camp_stacking_the_value.html</ref>

Poll numbers show that Huckabee's strong debate performances, communication skills and likability had him steadily moving up in key primary states. He was victorious in the Republican Caucuses at the [[Iowa Caucuses]]<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/04/21/s.c.straw.poll/index.html</ref>, and came in third place in the New Hampshire Primary, where he personally expected to not even place in the top three.<ref>http://youdecide08.foxnews.com/2008/01/08/hillary-clinton-john-mccain-take-early-lead-in-new-hampshire-primary/</ref>

Huckabee perfected the shoestring operation. He raised only $2.3 million by October 2007, less than 5% of the money of each main rival. He never had enough money to send advance teams to organize events or drum up crowds, nor could he afford fund-raising operations, private polls, big-name political consultants, or a staff of policy advisers and media experts. He relied on volunteers from churches and the home-school movement to schedule his events. The retail politics of the first states did not cost much. He won in Iowa by relying on his quick wit, fluent oratory, and in lieu of commercials, as many TV and radio talk-show appearances as he could schedule. To draw crowds his rallies featured Hollywood star [[Chuck Norris]] and his own playing the bass guitar with local rock bands. As the election calendar turned to larger states he lacked the cash to compete, so in late Jan. 2008 he cut back on Florida operations to concentrate on a few smaller, overlooked southern states on Feb. 5.<ref>David D. Kirkpatrick, "Huckabee’s Money Woes Curtail Campaign," [http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/huckabees-money-woes-curtail-campaign/ ''New York Times'' Jan. 22. 2008]</ref>

He came in third in the [[Michigan]] primaries and a close second to McCain in [[South Carolina]]. He came fourth in the Florida Primary, losing to McCain, Romney, and Giuliani. Although he lost ground after a consistent string of defeats, he continued on to [[Super Tuesday]]. He succeeded in [[Alabama]], [[Arkansas]] (his home state), [[Georgia]], [[Tennessee]] and [[West Virginia]]. His success helped cause Mitt Romney to withdraw from the race. Despite McCain's unbeatable lead in delegates, Huckabee continued on trying to cause a split convention. He won the primaries in [[Kansas]] and [[Louisiana]]. But he lost all the primaries on [[Super Tuesday II]] and McCain succeeded in gaining the 1,191 delegates needed to win. Huckabee withdrew and endorsed Senator McCain.

He spoke at the Republican National Convention in favor of the McCain/Palin ticket, along with his former rivals, [[Fred Thompson]], [[Rudy Giuliani]], [[Mitt Romney]], and [[Sam Brownback]].

== Record as Governor ==
As governor of Arkansas, Huckabee both cut and raised taxes. For example, during his ten years in office, the Arkansas legislature enacted increases in tobacco, sales, and fuels taxes; however he also signed into legislation tax cuts over 90 times during that period. During his tenure as Governor welfare rolls declined by nearly half, and last year the state's economy grew 4.4%, beating the national average of 4.2%.<ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1129494,00.html</ref>

In 1997 he introduced ARKids First, a health care plan which cut the number of Arkansas uninsured children in half.<ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1129494,00.html</ref>

Throughout his tenure he also supported and helped pass pro-life bills through the Democrat controlled legislature.

In 2005 [[Time Magazine]] declared him one of "America's 5 Best Governors".<ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1129494,00.html</ref>

In a controversial move, Huckabee aggressively pushed for the release of [[Wayne DuMond]], a serial rapist who had raped a 17-year-old girl, [[Ashley Stevens]]. Conservative Christians came in support of DuMond, after he had converted to Christianity in prison. Huckabee became DuMond's public advocate, writing him a personal letter of support and lobbying for his release to the state parole board. <ref>http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=45053</ref> The parole board agreed. Huckabee has denied having any involvement with Wayne DuMond, and his website claims he had not pressured the state parole board, despite three of the parole board members saying he had done so.

== Political Beliefs ==
===Taxes===
As governor, he signed the first broad-based tax-cut in state history and cut taxes over ninety times. Huckabee believes that the United States should enact a tax system known as the [[FairTax]], this system replaces the income tax with a voluntary consumption tax. Recently he signed the Presidential Taxpayer Protection Pledge to Americans for Tax Reform which promises to not raise taxes if elected president.<ref>http://www.atr.org/content/html/2007/march/030207pr-huckabeesignspledge.html</ref>

===Spending===
During his tenure, state spending rose 65.3% between 1996 and 2004, which was 3 times the rate of inflation. This has led to strong criticism from conservative groups like the [[Club for Growth]]. However, when he left office there was a surplus of over $800 million.<ref>http://www.clubforgrowth.org/2007/01/a_report_on_mike_huckabees_fis.php</ref> Huckabee has called on Bush to veto more spending bills by the democrat controlled congress.<ref>http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/cobb/stories/2007/09/08/huckabee_0909.html</ref> In August 2007, Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, stated "Gov. Huckabee recognizes that the challenge is to rein in spending and reduce taxes."<ref>http://www.atr.org/content/html/2007/march/030207pr-huckabeesignspledge.html</ref>

===Abortion===
According to ''[[National Review]]'', as Governor of Arkansas, Huckabee signed a bill requiring parental consent for [[abortion]], and mandating notification by abortion providers to prospective parents that the unborn baby may feel pain, he also helped pass a bill through the Democratic-controlled legislature which stated that life began at conception.<ref>http://www.explorehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_ID=11</ref><ref>http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NmNjMmI1ODhjNGVlZWFmNTlmMGNiZTVjYTg1NTUzMTk=</ref> He also signed the Fetal Protection Act. He is known to be strongly pro-life.

He would favor [[Roe v. Wade]] being overturned and the federal governments recognition that life begins at conception.

===Marriage===
Huckabee is opposed to same sex marriage and civil unions. He also is a strong advocate for fathers' participation in child-raising.<ref>http://www.ontheissues.org/Mike_Huckabee.htm</ref>

===Second Amendment Rights===
As governor, he signed bills blocking frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers and removing restrictions on concealed [[Handgun permits|handgun permit]] holders. He became the first governor in the nation to have a concealed handgun license.<ref>http://www.explorehuckabee.com</ref>

===Immigration===
Huckabee opposed the McCain-Kennedy [[immigration]] bill because he stated it had problems with "credibility; secrecy; and spending".<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Huckabee</ref> He believes the United States should seal the border first and deport illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.<ref>http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=4</ref>

==Vertical Politics==
While campaigning, Huckabee has referred to what he calls Vertical Politics - politics aimed at making America stronger rather than festering [[Partisan politics in the United States|partisanship]]. Huckabee said, "Everywhere I go on the campaign trail, I meet voters with a real thirst for a healthy discussion of the issues. Ultimately, people don't care whether an issue comes from the left or the right. What they want to talk about are ideas that lift America up and make us better. It's what I call 'Vertical Politics'." <ref>http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=verticalday.home</ref>

== Personal ==
[[Image:HuckabeeBand.JPG|right|thumb|200px|Huckabee playing with his band, ''Capital Offense'', during the 2007 [[Iowa Straw Poll]]]]
Huckabee was born in Hope, Arkansas, the same town where former president [[Bill Clinton]] was born. This coincidence led to one of Huckabee's campaign slogans, "give Hope one more chance."
Huckabee lost 110 pounds while governor of Arkansas and documented his weight loss and set out a 12-step plan for weight loss in his book ''Quit Digging Your Grave With a Knife and Fork.''<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7752179/site/newsweek/</ref> He has also made childhood obesity a major platform issue. He became the first person in his family to attend college when he attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Fort Worth, Texas; he graduated in only two and a half years.

The 52-year-old former governor and his wife live in [[Little Rock]] and have three grown children. Huckabee enjoys playing in his rock-n-roll band, Capitol Offense, which has played at the House of Blues in New Orleans, the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, and for two presidential inauguration balls.
[[Image:Huckabee1.jpg|thumb|290px|left|[http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-09-2007/0004719299&EDATE= Dec. 17, 2007 with cover story]]]
==Quotes==
* "We've had a [[congress]] that's spent money like [[John Edwards]] at a beauty shop."<ref>''GOP presidential debate'' May 2006 [http://www.gopusa.com/theloft/?p=456 The Loft] Accessed 3 January 2008.</ref>
* "…my [[faith]] is my life. It defines me. I see no separation between my faith from my personal and professional lives."<ref>''Faith and Politics'' [http://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=9 mikehuckabee.com] Accessed 3 January 2008.</ref>
* "When it comes to the red tape in government, I don't think I can part the Red Sea but I believe I can part the red tape."<ref>''GOP presidential debate'' Iowa, 12 December 2007.</ref>
* "[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it's a lot easier to change the constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that's what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards."<ref>''http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/01/15/579265.aspx''[http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/01/15/579265.aspx]</ref>
* "To think that we're going to go lock up 12 million people, or even round them up and drive them to the border and let them go, might make a great political speech, but it's not going to happen." ''[[Washington Post]]'', May, 2006.
* "(I) propose to provide all illegal immigrants a 120-day window to register with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services and leave the country." ''Secure America Plan", December, 2007.
* "I didn’t major in math. I majored in miracles and I still believe in them." (In response to questions about his continuing campaign even after the liberal news media dismissed his primary campaign as a failure.)<ref>''Mike Huckabee's campaign rolls on'' February 2008 [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1578452/Mike-Huckabee%27s-campaign-rolls-on.html]</ref>

==Endorsements==
====Organizations====
For the first time in the organizations history, the [[Homeschool Legal Defense Association]] Political Action Committee endorsed a political candidate. The organization, which consists of 90,000 members, stated that they decided to endorse Huckabee because of he was, "[[conservative]], a friend of [[homeschooling]], a man of character, and a man with a mature faith in [[Jesus Christ]]".<ref>http://huckabee08.blogspot.com/2007/06/huckabee-on-roll-endorsements-and-polls.html</ref>

===South Carolina===
Huckabee has received some key endorsement during the course of his primary race. One such endorsement came from former [[South Carolina]] Governor, [[David Beasley]], who had before planned on staying on the sidelines throughout the [[Republican]] primary.<ref>http://www.sptimes.com/2007/05/27/news_pf/Opinion/Huckabee_s__a_maratho.shtml</ref>

Huckabee received another South Carolina endorsement from Iris Campbell, the former South Carolina First Lady and wife of former governor, the late [[Mike Campbell]].<ref>http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/02/endorsement_wat.html</ref> During Mike Campbell's time in office, from 1987 to 1994, his endorsement of [[Ronald Reagan]] boosted the underdog's presidential primary race.

===Virginia===
In August 2007, Huckabee received a key endorsement from [[Virginia]]'s House of Delegates Speaker [[William J. Howell]]. Howell has been a member of the Board of Directors of the [[American Legislative Exchange Council ]](ALEC), the nation’s largest bipartisan, individual membership association of state legislators.<ref>http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=NewsRoom.PressRelease&ID=216</ref>

===New Hampshire===
Huckabee picked up some key endorsements in the very significant primary in [[New Hampshire]]. In August 2007, New Hampshire's former Senator, Russell Prescott, and former Executive Councilor David Wheeler endorsed Huckabee.<ref>http://www.boston.com/news/local/politics/primarysource/2007/08/huckabee_endors.html</ref> Both figures remain very popular with social conservatives in the state.<ref>http://www.boston.com/news/local/politics/primarysource/2007/08/huckabee_endors.html</ref>

== External Links ==
* [http://www.mikehuckabee.com/ Mike Huckabee (official)]
*[http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Blogs.Home Huckabee Campaign Blog]
*[http://www.hucksarmy.com/ Grassroots Website]
*[http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZDA2NzhkZGI2ZjA4NWI2NmMyYzNkNjY1Y2QzMzlmYzA=Governors Win, The case for Mike Huckabee.], [[National Review]], S. T. Karnick, August 2007
*[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=24068 There’s a Huckabee Born Every Minute], [[Ann Coulter]], [[Human Events]], 12/19/2007
*[http://www.mikehuckabee.com/home Mike Huckabee 2016 campaign website]

==External Videos==
*[http://www.hucksarmy.com/video.php Huckabee online video collection]
===Supporter Videos===
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILPcnn9Sf94&eurl=http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Blogs.Home Huckabee - Cinderella Man]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwfzk5RSQy4&eurl=http://www.hucksarmy.com/video.php?video=we_like_mike_huckabee We Like Mike - Huckabee]
*[http://www.hucksarmy.com/video.php?video=i_heart_huckabee_colbert_stewart I heart Huckabee]
===Personal Story===
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3YR3grKJ3Q&eurl=http://www.hucksarmy.com/video.php?video=story_of_mike_huckabee Part 1]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8aBVYKpZNQ&feature=related Part 2]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VZufUe0HGs&feature=related Part 3]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tXZKfUg97o&feature=related Part 4]
===Ads===
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjYv2YW6azE&eurl=http://www.hucksarmy.com/video.php?video=chuck_norris_huckabee_facts "HuckChuckFacts"]

===Speeches===
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysdguwpgNZ0&eurl=http://www.hucksarmy.com/video.php?video=huckabee_family_research-01 FRC's Value Voter Summit Speech Part 1]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af5qyUzRT68&feature=related Value Voter Summit Speech Part 2]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5v_qB0VDNI&feature=related FRC's Value Voter Summit Speech Part 3]
==Bibliography==
* Barone, Michael, and Richard E, Cohen. ''Almanac of American Politics: 2006'' (2005)

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huckabee, Mike}}
[[Category:Republican Governors]]
[[Category:Arkansas Governors]]
[[Category:Former Governors]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:Clergy]]
[[Category:2008 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Reagan Era]]
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]
[[Category: 2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Ben Carson

2015-07-01T00:19:05Z

IsabellW:

[[File:Bccurrent.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

'''Ben Carson''', M.D., is a widely admired [[conservative]] who is an official candidate for the Republican nomination for president in [[2016 presidential election|2016]].<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/04/ben-carson-tells-tv-station-is-running-for-president/</ref> Carson finished a strong fourth in the [[CPAC]] straw poll in 2015. Carson is one of the few -- and perhaps the only -- presidential candidate willing to speak the truth against the [[homosexual agenda]].

He is a former Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at [[Johns Hopkins University|Johns Hopkins Hospital]]. He has since retired from medical practice. Carson rose to national political attention for his remarks criticizing Obama at the 2013 [[National Prayer Breakfast]]. Carson had previously received publicity for being portrayed in the television movie ''Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story'', which starred Cuba Gooding, Jr.

Among many conservative positions, Carson favors charter schools as part of a school choice program, saying that competition keeps schools from becoming complacent.<ref>http://www.newsmax.com/newswidget/ben-carson-education-attacks/2013/04/14/id/499393?promo_code=F492-1&utm_source=Test_Newsmax_Feed&utm_medium=nmwidget&utm_campaign=widgetphase1#ixzz2Qd9Y52RN</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
*[[school choice]]
*[[charter school]]

==External Links==
*[http://m.christianpost.com/news/neurosurgeon-ben-carson-retires-from-surgery-becomes-columnist-for-washington-times-99878/ Neurosurgeon Ben Carson Retires From Surgery; Becomes Columnist for Washington Times]
*[https://www.bencarson.com Ben Carson 2016 campaign website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carson, Ben}}

[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category: 2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Carly Fiorina

2015-07-01T00:18:53Z

IsabellW:

[[File:Carly Fiorina 1.jpg|150px|right]]

'''Carly Fiorina''' (born September 6, 1954) was president and chief executive officer of [[Hewlett-Packard]] Company, one of the largest global technology companies in the world, from 1999 to 2005. Previously she held senior leadership positions at [[AT&T]] and [[Lucent Technologies]] for nearly 20 years. ''[[Fortune]]'' magazine ranked her the most powerful woman in American business <ref>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1998/10/12/249284/index.htm</ref> and ''[[Time magazine|Time]]'' listed her as one of the top 100 most influential people in the world. <ref>http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2005/time100-0413.html</ref> She is a graduate of [[Stanford University]] and holds a master of science degree from [[MIT]]'s Sloan School.

Carly Fiorina has [[conservative]] [[Republican]] leanings, though she has shown an unusual amount of sympathy for the [[pro-choice]] movement.<ref>http://www.lifenews.com/state4377.html</ref> She actively supported [[John McCain]] and [[Mitt Romney]] for president in 2008 and 2012, respectively. She was the Republican candidate for the United States Senate from California in the election of 2010 but lost to incumbent Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer. On May 4, 2015, Fiorina formally launched a campaign for the Republican nomination for president of the United States in the [[2016 presidential election|2016 election.]]<ref>http://www.wsj.com/articles/carly-fiorina-im-running-for-president-1430739879</ref>

On February 20, 2009, Fiorina was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent surgery at Stanford Hospital on March 2, 2009, followed by chemotherapy, which caused her to lose her hair, and radiation therapy. She has been given an excellent prognosis for a full recovery.<ref>http://www.cnet.com/news/carly-fiorina-treated-for-breast-cancer/</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.carlyfiorina.com/ Carly Fiorina Enterprises]
*[https://carlyforpresident.com Carly Fiorina 2016 campaign website]

{{DEFAULTSORT: Fiorina, Carly}}
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:Fiscal Conservatives]]
[[Category:2010 Midterm Elections]]
[[Category:Women]]
[[Category: 2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Marco Rubio

2015-07-01T00:18:35Z

IsabellW:

{{Officeholder
|name=Marco Rubio
|image=000MarcoRubio.jpg
|party=[[Republican]]
|spouse=Jeanette Dousdebes
|religion=[[Roman Catholic]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Florida
|terms=January 5, 2011 - Present
|preceded=[[George LeMieux]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/representative
|state=Florida
|district=111th
|terms=January 25, 2000 – January 2, 2009
|preceded=Carlos Valdes
|former=y
|succeeded=Erik Fresen
}}

}}

'''Marco Antonio Rubio''' (born May 28, 1971, [[Miami]], [[Florida]]) is the junior [[United States Senator]] from Florida. Rubio is a [[RINO]] and previously served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives from 2007 through 2009. He won the Florida Senate seat in the [[2010 midterm elections]], defeating [[RINO]] [[Charlie Crist]] in the Republican primary. Rubio is of Cuban descent.

[[Conservatives]] helped Rubio win his upset victory for [[U.S. Senate]], but soon after his election Rubio quickly catered to the establishment instead. He became part of the "Gang of 6" that promoted phony "immigration reform," at the urging of [[liberal]] [[Democrat]]s.

During his tenure in the state legislature (2001-2009), he advocated an overhaul of the Florida [[tax]] system that would have eliminated all property taxes in favor of a flat consumption tax. Americans for Tax Reform called him "the most pro-taxpayer legislative leader in the country."<ref>http://www.sptimes.com/2007/06/10/State/On_special_session_st.shtml</ref> Additionally, he is a strong advocate of limited government and private property rights.

Rubio supports the teaching of the [[Young Earth Creationism|young earth theory]] rather than allowing [[atheist]]s and [[liberals]] to impose [[censorship]] in [[public school]].<ref>http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/268679-rubio-ok-to-teach-qmultiple-theoriesq-on-earths-age</ref> He was one of the original co-sponsors of [[PIPA]] and only withdrew his support for the bill after internet protests and calls to his office from concerned citizens.<ref>http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/The-Vote/2012/0119/SOPA-and-PIPA-protest-power-why-Marco-Rubio-backed-off-piracy-bill Marco Rubio Drops Support for PIPA</ref>

On April 13, 2015, Rubio announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>http://www.c-span.org/video/?325251-1/senator-marco-rubio-rfl-presidential-campaign-announcement</ref>

== Background ==
Rubio's parents came to the United States in 1956, two and a half years before the [[communist]] takeover of Cuba by [[Fidel Castro]].<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/marco-rubios-compelling-family-story-embellishes-facts-documents-show/2011/10/20/gIQAaVHD1L_story.html</ref> In Florida, his father worked as a bartender, and his mother worked as a waitress. They relocated to [[Las Vegas]] in 1979 when Marco was 8 years old, where his father worked as a bartender at Sam's Town, and his mother worked as a housekeeper at the Imperial Palace. Six years later, the Rubio family returned to Miami where Marco's father found work at the Mayfair Hotel.<ref>http://www.lvrj.com/news/gop-s-young-gun-rubio-lived-in-lv-106674913.html</ref>

Rubio earned a bachelor of science degree from the [[University of Florida]] and a juris doctor from the [[University of Miami]]. He is married to Jeanette Dousdebes, and they have 4 children: Amanda Loren, Daniella, Anthony, and Dominick.

== Endorsement ==
The Miami Herald wholeheartedly endorsed Rubio during the 2010 Senate race:

<blockquote>
"At this critical juncture in the nation’s economy, Mr. Rubio offers a welcome dose of fiscal restraint. He has exhibited common sense on Social Security, where he proposes raising the retirement age as a way of keeping the program solvent. Neither Mr. Crist nor Mr. Meek has dared to make take such a clear stand. ''Mr. Rubio has the potential to be the kind of statesman Floridians can be proud to call a native son -- much like another [[conservative]], former Senator Connie Mack."'' <ref> [http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/10/24/1887397/for-us-senate-the-miami-herald.html#ixzz13GnxeIES For U.S. Senate, The Miami Herald recommends Marco Rubio.] </ref>
</blockquote>

==Political Views==
Rubio is a supporter of [[Neoconservatism]] and the [[Tea Party Movement]]. He wants to give undocumented immigrants brought as minors a form of temporary legal status, but he stressed then it would not be a pathway to citizenship.<ref>http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/slideshow/2013/01/29/key-players-in-quest-for-immigration-reform/#slide=4</ref> Rubio opposes [[gun control]] and does not believe in [[global warming]]. He wants more support for [[Israel]] to fight [[Hamas]] and is [[pro-life]].<ref>http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Marco_Rubio.htm</ref>

==External Links==
*[http://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/ Senate Website]
*[http://www.facebook.com/MarcoRubio Facebook page]
*[http://twitter.com/marcorubio Twitter page]
*[http://www.youtube.com/user/MarcoRubio YouTube channel]
*[https://marcorubio.com Marco Rubio 2016 campaign website]

==References==
{{reflist|}}

[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:2010 Midterm Elections]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]
[[Category:Tea Party Movement]]
[[Category:Florida]]
[[Category:113th United States Congress]]
[[Category:114th United States Congress]]
[[Category: 2016 Presidential Candidates]]

{{DEFAULTSORT: Rubio, Marco}}
{{Conservatism}}

Ted Cruz

2015-07-01T00:18:13Z

IsabellW:

{{Officeholder
|name=Ted Cruz
|image=Ted cruz.jpg
|party=[[Republican]]
|spouse=Heidi Cruz
|religion=Southern Baptist
|offices=
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Texas
|terms=January 3, 2013 - Present
|preceded=[[Kay Bailey Hutchison]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
}}

'''Ted Cruz''' (born December 22, 1970) is the junior [[United States Senator]] from Texas, having won the [[U.S. Senate]] seat vacated by [[Kay Bailey Hutchison]] in 2012. A [[conservative]] [[Republican]], he is the former Solicitor General of [[Texas]], the chief lawyer for the state before the [[U.S. Supreme Court]]. Cruz has authored more than eighty U.S. Supreme Court briefs and personally argued forty oral arguments, including nine before the U.S. Supreme Court. He graduated [[magna cum laude]] from [[Harvard Law School]] and served as an editor of the ''Harvard Law Review''. Cruz is promoted heavily by [[neocons]] who like his interventionalist foreign policy, but some conservatives see more grandstanding than achievement on social issues.

Cruz has been supported by the [[Tea Party movement]], [[Tea Party Express]], [[Club for Growth]], [[FreedomWorks]], the [[Family Research Council]], Erick Erickson of [[RedState]], [[Mark Levin]], Senator [[Jim DeMint]], Senator [[Rand Paul]], Senator [[Pat Toomey]], and former Alaska Governor [[Sarah Palin]].

In the Texas Senate primary elections of May 29, 2012, Cruz forced a runoff with Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst. The pair emerged from a nine-candidate Republican field. On July 31, Cruz defeated Dewhurst in a second round of voting. Cruz easily defeated Democrat former State Representative Paul Sadler in the general election.

==Biography==
Cruz's father fought alongside the [[communist]] [[Fidel Castro]] in the [[Cuban Revolution]] when he was only 14 years old and was imprisoned three years later for his political activities. In 1957, he escaped to the United States. Today he is a pastor in [[Dallas]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/frontpagemag-com/senator-ted-cruz-confronting-the-threat-of-radical-islam/ |title=Senator Ted Cruz: Confronting The Threat of Radical Islam |work=[[FrontPage Magazine]] |date=May 20, 2013 }}</ref>. Cruz's mother is American. After Cruz was born in Alberta, [[Canada]], the family moved to Texas. Cruz is a Southern [[Baptist]], married with two children.

===Senate Career===
Cruz was elected as a member of the Senate in 2012. Beginning on September 24, 2013, Cruz gave a 21-hour speech on the senate floor against [[Obamacare]]. The speech greatly boosted his national profile and led to denunciations from the [[liberal media]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/25/opinion/the-embarrassment-of-senator-ted-cruz.html |title=The Embarrassment of Senator Ted Cruz |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 24th, 2013 }}</ref>

===2016 Presidential Race===
On March 23, 2015, Cruz became the first person to announce his candidacy for the [[Republican]] nomination for president in [[2016 presidential election|2016]] in a speech before an audience at [[Liberty University]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.c-span.org/video/?324979-1/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-announcement |title=Ted Cruz Presidential Campaign Announcement |work=[[CSPAN]] |date=March 23, 2015 }}</ref> The predictable liberal media immediately went on the offense claiming he has no chance but was in awe of his speech without [[teleprompter]]s.{{fact}} His wife would take a leave of absence from her job at Goldman Sachs to join her husband on the campaign trail. This decision left his family without health insurance. Cruz, by law, has to be insured and took Obamacare coverage. This drove the media batty at the irony of railing against [[Obamacare]] but using it.{{fact}} Simply put, this does not mean he endorses Obamacare rather it shows his commitment to follow the rule of law.

Cruz would raise $4 million in donations after the first week of his announcement. Liberal media jaws hit the floor when it was learned he raised $31 million in one week from [[PAC]]s<ref>{{cite web |last1=Boyle |first1=Matthew |url=http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/04/08/mark-halperin-unprecedented-31-million-super-pac-effort-backing-ted-cruz-for-president/ |title=Mark Halperin: Unprecedented $31 Million Super PAC Effort Backing Ted Cruz For President |work=[[Breitbart.com]] |date=April 8, 2015 }}</ref>.

====Eligibility====
The same liberals who mocked opponents of Obama for claiming he was not born in [[Hawaii]] have decided to make the same case against Cruz for being born in Canada. Cruz's mother being an American citizen, just like Obama's mother, insures that he is American no matter what country he was born in. There are several differences in Obama/Cruz birth certificate controversies. Cruz released his immediately after it was requested. Obama held onto his for years, spending nearly $4 million in legal fees.{{fact}}

==Political positions==
Cruz opposes [[illegal immigration]]<ref>[http://www.ontheissues.org/international/Ted_Cruz_Immigration.htm Ted Cruz on Immigration ]</ref>, [[gun control]] and [[homosexuality]]. He is [[pro-life]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bair |first1=Andrew |url=http://www.lifenews.com/2013/06/05/pro-life-senator-ted-cruz-to-address-national-right-to-life-convention/ |title=Pro-Life Senator Ted Cruz to Address National Right to Life Convention |work=[[LifeNews.com]] |date= June 5, 2013 }}</ref>, supports the [[death penalty]]<ref>[http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Ted_Cruz.htm Ted Cruz on the issues]</ref> and believes that the [[USA]] should not get involved in the [[Syrian Civil War]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tomasky |first1=Michael |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/09/marco-rubio-ted-cruz-and-their-craven-and-brazen-hypocrisy-on-syria.html |title=Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Their Craven and Brazen Hypocrisy on Syria |work=[[The Daily Beast]] |date=September 09, 2013 }}</ref>.

Cruz has effectively criticized [[RINO]]s, calling them "squishes."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Weiner |first1=Rachel |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/04/29/ted-cruz-mocks-squishes-in-republican-party/ |title=Ted Cruz mocks Senate Republican ‘squishes’ |work=[[Washington Post]] |date=April 29, 2013 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Senate Elections 2012]]
* [[Senate Conservatives Fund]]
* [[Donna Campbell]]

==External Links==
* [http://www.tedcruz.org/ Official Senate campaign website]
* [http://www.facebook.com/tedcruzpage facebook page]
* [https://twitter.com/#!/tedcruz Twitter page]
* [http://www.tedcruz.org/media/videos/ Ted Cruz Videos]
* [https://www.tedcruz.org Ted Cruz 2016 campaign website]

Various articles:

* [http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/06/ted-cruzs-father-delivers-epic-speech-touting-patriotism-and-lambasting-obamas-socialist-inclinations/ Ted Cruz’s father delivers epic speech touting patriotism and lambasting Obama’s ‘socialist’ inclinations]

*[http://lessgovisthebestgov.com/blog/ted-cruz-decides-to-run-for-president-two-constitutional-wrongs-dont-make-the-texas-senators-presidential-aspirations-right.html Ted Cruz: Eligible to be president?]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category:Texas]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:Baptists]]
[[Category:113th United States Congress]]
[[Category:114th United States Congress]]
[[Category:Tea Party Movement]]
[[Category: 2016 Presidential Candidates]]

{{Conservatism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT: Cruz, Ted}}
[[Category:Pro Second Amendment]]

Rand Paul

2015-07-01T00:17:35Z

IsabellW:

{{Officeholder
|name=Rand Paul
|image=RandPaul.jpg
|party=[[Republican]]
|spouse=Kelley Ashby Paul
|religion=Presbyterian
|offices=
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Kentucky
|terms=January 5, 2011 - Present
|preceded=[[Jim Bunning]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
}}

'''Rand Paul''' (born January 7, 1963) is a candidate for the [[Republican]] nomination for president in 2016, and currently serves as a [[conservative]] [[United States Senator]] from [[Kentucky]]. Rand is [[pro-life]] and spoke at the [[March for Life]] rally in 2013. He is also critical of federal spending and is emerging as a [[movement conservative]]. Unlike many politicians of both major political parties, Rand Paul supports sharply reducing the size of government. He has criticized pro-war politicians and won the [[CPAC]] [[straw poll]] in 2013 and 2014.

In 2010, he won the Republican primary after defeating moderate candidate [[Trey Grayson]] by a landslide. Despite intense opposition by [[liberals]] and the [[lamestream media]], Rand Paul then won by an overwhelming margin first against a [[RINO]] Republican favored by the establishment, and then against [[Democrat]] [[Jack Conway]] in the [[2010 Midterm Election]]. This was the seat formerly held by [[Jim Bunning]], one of the [[Essay:Greatest Conservative Sports Stars|greatest conservative sports stars]], who endorsed Paul in the Republican primary.

Rand Paul's father is [[Ron Paul]]. Rand Paul was not named after the objectivist and libertarian author [[Ayn Rand]].<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD-R_OeP6tU</ref>

On March 2013, Rand led a [[filibuster]] of Obama's CIA nomination [[John Brennan]] due to the fact that the administration was unwilling to forbid ordering [[drone]] targeting of Americans on American territories, in violation of the 5th Amendment. A month of letter writings without a reply and March 6th testimony from Attorney General [[Eric Holder]] prompted the filibuster. A number of GOP Senators joined him including [[Ted Cruz]], [[Marco Rubio]], [[Mike Lee]], among others and one Democrat Senator, [[Ron Wyden]]. A vote on a non-binding statement clarifying that Obama shall not kill Americans with drone warfare was denied by Democrats in the Senate.

[[Julian Assange]] is a admirer of Rand Paul.<ref>http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/19/julian-assange-loves-rand-paul-and-his-very-principled-positions.html</ref>

On April 7, 2015, Paul announced that he would seek the Republican nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>Rand Paul launches 2016 White House bid: ‘We have come to take our country back’ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/04/07/rand-paul-set-to-announce-presidential-run/</ref><ref>http://www.c-span.org/video/?325139-1/senator-rand-paul-rky-presidential-campaign-announcement</ref>

== Political Positions ==
Rand Paul is pro-life. He opposes foreign interventionalism and perpetual war. Paul is against American intervention in the [[Syrian Civil War]]<ref>http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/item/14691-sen-rand-paul-is-obama-administration-hiding-arms-trade-to-jihadists</ref> and was opposed to the [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]] or the [[Patriot Act]]. He opposes [[gun control]]<ref>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/01/14/rand_paul_on_gun_control_executive_order_obama_is_not_king.html</ref> and same-sex marriage.<ref>http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Rand_Paul.htm</ref> Paul supports the Pathway to introduce [[illegal aliens]] to citizenship.<ref>http://nation.foxnews.com/rand-paul/2013/03/19/rand-paul-endorses-pathway-citizenship</ref> He opposes prison sentences for minor drug offenders.<ref>http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/03/24/1767241/rand-paul-is-right-on-marijuana-and-that-should-scare-democrats-into-action/</ref> Paul sued the Obama administration because it spied Americans by the [[NSA]].<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/04/sen-rand-paul-to-sue-over-nsa-spying-practices/</ref> Paul is an opponent of the [[United States embargo against Cuba]].<ref>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/dgreenfield/the-cuban-embargo-isnt-just-about-the-embargo/</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External Links==
* [http://www.paul.senate.gov/ Senate website]
* [http://www.facebook.com/RandPaul2010 Facebook page]
* [http://twitter.com/DrRandPaul Twitter page]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/RandPaul YouTube channel]
* [https://www.randpaul.com Rand Paul 2016 campaign website]

{{conservatism}}

{{DEFAULTSORT: Paul, Rand}}
[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category:Republican Party]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]
[[Category:Tea Party Movement]]
[[Category:2010 Midterm Elections]]
[[Category:Kentucky]]
[[Category:113th United States Congress]]
[[Category:114th United States Congress]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[category:Libertarians]]
[[Category:Pro Second Amendment]]
[[Category:Conservative Authors]]
[[Category:Libertarian Authors]]
[[category: 2016 Presidential Candidates]]

Category:2016 Presidential Candidates

2015-07-01T00:16:47Z

IsabellW:

[[category: United States Presidential Elections]]