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Offline katzenjammer

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An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« on: January 23, 2016, 09:29:24 pm »
[A worthwhile read for any person here interesting in learning some facts.  That includes Rubio, Cruz, Trump, and any other, supporters.  Ms. Stephens writes a very compelling, but respectful, letter to Mark Levin.]


An Open Letter To Mark Levin
http://laurenstephens.com/

[Due to the hundreds of emails I am receiving, I have updated this letter and will continue to do so.]

January 22, 2016

Dear Mr. Levin,
My name is Lauren Stephens. I’ve been involved in politics for a long time – mostly just as a pissed off American, but I also own a campaign services company. I do not work for any of the Presidential Campaigns. I am not coordinated with any of them. I have not spoken to any of them. I am not being paid by anyone for this. I am getting absolutely nothing for writing this. I am not seeking publicity and have turned down all media requests. My name is attached to this so people will understand this isn’t some back door hit piece. I am a real person.

First off, I would like to let you know that I have been a huge fan and follower of yours since probably about 2007 or 2008. I have several, but not all, of your books. They are really good stuff. I have even downloaded the majority of your podcasts.
Mr. Levin, for years, I have had nothing but the utmost respect for you. Your word has always been your bond. If you doubt my sincerity, you can ask a former co-worker of yours from the Reagan Administration, Dixie Cassell. You could ask a real patriot, C Steven Tucker, from the Chicago area. You could ask a lot of people. They know me.

For years, you have been a champion of We The People, and maybe today, you still believe that you are. But at this point, I beg to differ. Not because I want to, but because I believe I have a little bit more inside information than you have on certain issues surrounding the Presidential race. And the GOP.

I hope you will keep in mind, my respect and admiration for you, before you respond – IF you respond. Although I am angry, I come to you without malice. I am here simply because I know of no other way to get this message to you.

A little background:
I lived in Wisconsin during the Reince Priebus reign of terror when he was the State GOP Chairman. I’ll bet not a lot of people know about his former life. Ask Former Congressman Mark Neumann, or any of the other Gubernatorial candidates, what happened when they dared to run against “The Chosen One”, Scott Walker, for Governor in 2010. Ask Michael Steele what happened when Reince Priebus decided he wanted Steele’s RNC Chairmanship. You can also ask Mark Willis the same thing, from 2013.

For that matter, you can also ask Rick Santorum, who decisively had the bulk of the primary support for the Presidential primary in 2012 in Wisconsin. Sorry Rick, you were in the way of the deal between Mitt Romney and Reince Priebus – who was desperate and willing to do ANYTHING to make sure that Wisconsin’s Golden Boy, Paul Ryan, was the Vice Presidential pick. But that could not happen unless Romney was the nominee. And I think we can all agree, Romney – as fine of a man as he is – was by far no one’s favorite. Everyone who was anyone in Wisconsin is well aware that there was a deal made with Romney which would guarantee him the nomination if Reince could get a Wisconsinite in the VP slot. Since they had already planned to run Walker for President, it could not be him.


By the way, Scott Walker, Reince Priebus and Paul Ryan have all been best buds for years. They all hail from Southeast Wisconsin. That alone speaks volumes, wouldn’t you say?

I FIND GREAT IRONY IN THE FACT THAT WALKER’S DONORS, INCLUDING THE KOCH BROTHERS AND CLUB FOR GROWTH, ARE ALL IN FOR CRUZ NOW!

Reince Priebus is a wannabe Lee Atwater. Remember the Southern Strategy?

Well, welcome to the Wisconsin Strategy. Priebus really makes me miss Atwater.

I had Paul Ryan’s number way before you did Mr. Levin. Needless to say, I was happy when you finally realized what a fraud he really is. I cannot think of any other person who has done more damage to the GOP and Conservative values than him.

By the way, there is an Paul Ryan primary effort and you can find their Facebook page here.  That is not my page, nor am I an admin.

As far as the Wisconsin Strategy, You could also ask my dear, sweet friend Jeanne Tarantino what happened to her when she ran for an Assembly seat in Wisconsin recently. And let me tell you, Jeanne is the most ethical, decent, caring, SMART, beautiful and faithful person I have ever had the honor of knowing. At one time, the GOP felt the same way. She worked in Walker’s administration. She was also the woman who single-handedly got Lt Governor Rebecca Kleefish elected.

But, when you are going up against one of the establishment – there will be hell to pay. And there was. Mostly led by Wisconsin’s so-called Conservative media. Conservative as in RINO, not Conservative as in you and I. Do you want to guess who gives them their rules of engagement?

That’s just how the GOP Cartel rolls.

Fast forward to 2015: Cruz was the first out of the gate and I was on board right away. Who wouldn’t be, right? He talks the talk, he says what we all want to hear. But… what did I really KNOW about him? What did anyone really KNOW about him? Did anyone bother to do a little deeper digging?

Apparently not, because if they had, and if you had, you would know what I know.

But before I get to all that…

Here is what I can say: Admittedly, I have been a huge fan of Trump’s since the 80’s (remember the Reagan days?!), when I bought “Art of the Deal”.

No matter where the man sits politically, he is not only a genius (literally), but he is a brilliant visionary. And he is smart. Academically and street-wise. And who can dispute that the man has taste? Would ANY of us prefer the Obama family over the Trump family?

No.

Over the years, I have watched him. I have read many of his books. I have seen him on TV. I have seen him in Congressional hearings. I have seen his commercials. I have seen him on the front page of the Enquirer (Marla Maples). I have seen the good and the bad of Donald Trump.

One thing I know for certain and without any reservation whatsoever – Mr. Trump LOVES this country, and dare I say, he is IN LOVE with this country. His allegiance is to this country and to the American people. Go to YouTube and search for any video on him, as far back as the 80’s and you know what? He mostly says the same that he says now. And, he has always said that he loves the working man, and it is obvious from what we are seeing now, that love goes both ways.

When Mr. Trump says he wants to “Make America Great Again” I believe him. I believe him with everything in me.  As do millions of other folks. I believe with the right people on board with him, this nation will prosper like never before. Trump is wise to seek the counsel of others. It is something he has done for decades. I don’t recall a time when Senator Cruz ever did any such thing.

Is it possible that Trump is not like you and I? Most definitely. However, I welcome his newer and more conservative positions than he has held in the past. We should always welcome this from anyone. Just as we did from former Democrat Ronald Reagan, and yes, just as we did from former Democrat Mitt Romney.

Mr. Trump has been a VERY, VERY generous donor to the GOP, the RNC, the RNCC, and most every other Republican committee in this country. I did the research. And this isn’t new. He has been a major donor to GOP causes since at least the 80’s. And when I say donate, I mean he has given hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Let’s all just click right here and take a look, shall we?

That search is just a search by name and the word “Republican” it is not very detailed, but still, it PROVES without a doubt that he isn’t new around here.

Mr. Trump’s generosity, kindness and loyalty to the GOP didn’t end there. He has been a major supporter of MANY Republican candidates. You may like to cherry pick those donations a little and make it sound like he has only donated to Mitch McConnell, but the truth is, he has donated to MANY many wonderful incumbents and candidates. Let’s see what he donated in the 2014 election cycle, shall we?  Did he donate to RINOs too? Sure. But isn’t it you who always tells us that in the end, a RINO is better than a Democrat?

Make no mistake about it: If not for the generosity of Mr. Trump, not only would the GOP not be who they are today, but there would be MANY Republicans who would have never been elected at all. Imagine that.

I do not suggest that this should buy him any favors. No. Not at all. My point is, the GOP and MANY Republicans are WELL AWARE that Trump has been on our side for a long time, and yet, they knowingly and fraudulently choose to perpetuate these lies. The lies that he just joined the party. The lies that he isn’t Conservative. Lie after lie after lie.

I would like everyone who is reading this to please watch this video of Donald Trump, from 1988… at the GOP convention.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Usb0iE5WiZI

After watching that, you will know that Trump is not a new Republican. You will know you have been lied to. Over and over again.
Now, before I get to the Cruz thing (which is going to be really bad!), there is something that has been bugging the shit out of me…
Why do I keep hearing about this ethanol thing? Why?

Do I favor subsidies? Hell no!

But I do not believe the general public understands that ethanol has been around for a very long time and has numerous uses, which can be read about here.  It is not just some evil corn chemical that destroys cars.

Mr. Levin – it is absurd to go to Iowa, a state that obviously depends on the industry (thanks to Congress), an industry that employs what – 50,000 people supposedly – and announce, “The GOP says I am a jerk unless I come here and say we must get rid of ethanol”! I mean, who DOES that? Someone who is pandering to the GOP without any real consideration of the immediate consequences.
Does the President of the United States of America have the constitutional authority to end all subsidies? Without a pen and a phone of course. You know damn good and well that there is not one sitting Congressman who is going to allow that to happen.
So, Trump is “pandering” to Iowa, while Cruz is “pandering” to someone more evil, the GOP. Please tell us Senator Cruz, just how many jobs have you created in your entire life? Campaign staff not included.

I admit, I believe Mr. Trump is not on the right side of this issue, but I also believe it is possible that he clearly doesn’t understand why that is. And that is okay, he can be educated. He is a reasonable and intelligent man. I believe that in his heart of hearts, he just wants Iowa to prosper. After all, if you take away all those “subsidized” jobs, we will end up subsidizing those folks in the welfare system.
In the end, no one has the balls to eliminate ethanol subsidies, and we must blame Congress for that.

Now, what is so ridiculous here is that all this subsidy bashing seems to be limited to ethanol for some reason! Why?
Do we expect our candidates to go to Wisconsin and say “I am here to take away dairy and farms because you are subsidized”! How absurd would that be? I don’t hear anyone railing on and on about that. Why not?

Senator Cruz sure is taking in a lot of money from “big oil”, so I am going to challenge him to get his butt down to Texas as soon as possible and proclaim to all those donors that he will be immediately working to END ALL OIL SUBSIDIES (which are far bigger than ethanol subsidies). Mr. Cruz, please, show us what a real conservative you are – tell your donors you are going to cut them off if they elect you. By an Executive Order if need be. If you are not willing to do that, then you are a hypocrite and by your own standards, not a real Conservative.

The sad fact is, nearly everyone and every thing is subsidized. And we are just going to have to give Congress the blame for this because, as you know, they are the ones with the power of the purse.

Now, I am going to tell you, and anyone else reading this, why I dropped my support of Senator Cruz.

First of all, the way I see it, Mr. Trump was truly kind to Cruz. I believe the bromance was genuine, on Mr. Trump’s behalf. So let us not forget it was Cruz who fired the first shot by speaking so horribly of Trump in the undercover audio, which was later released to the public. It proved, without a doubt, that Cruz saw Trump as nothing more than another vehicle to take him where he wanted to go.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2PdoT8gFZ0

Just from that, we learned how disingenuous and manipulative Senator Cruz really is. He is no victim here.

Having said that, I believe someone in the establishment purposely set that up. I know they wanted those two to fight so it would clear the field for their chosen one, Marco Rubio. Sadly, Cruz fell for it. He just couldn’t help himself.

I will not address the birther issue, mainly because it isn’t valid, and if we really wanted to talk about birthers, we MUST look to Cruz’s own father. He is the most egregious birther I have ever seen. Let’s not go there.

When I first heard about the campaign finance issue, where Cruz claimed that he simply “forgot” to report those loans, I knew it wasn’t true because it was impossible. It is impossible because Cruz is a very smart man. He also has a legal and compliance team. He also has a treasurer. Ted Cruz lied to the American people. And I am very sorry that some people still refuse to accept this.
I immediately started doing my own research. What I found was pretty unsettling Mr. Levin. I believe if you happen to be reading this, you will agree that the prima facie evidence is strong. I have also verified this with the Enforcement Division of the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Let us all remember what Ted Cruz and his wife first told us when they said they cashed out everything they had. Was there any mention of a bank loan?

If you go to this story from 2013, you will see that not only was he on the record as making that claim (as he has made numerous times before), but there is also an audio clip of them (on the left side of the page).

“Ted Cruz recalled saying to his wife in the weeks before his Senate primary, when he was still behind in the polls, “Sweetheart, I’d like us to liquidate our entire net worth, liquid net worth, and put it into the campaign.”

“What astonished me, then and now, was Heidi within 60 seconds said, ‘Absolutely,’ with no hesitation,” said Mr. Cruz, who invested about $1.2 million — “which is all we had saved,” he added — into his campaign.”

Ironically, even Mrs. Cruz seemed uncomfortable with such a story, as she tried on several occasions to change it. The only reason to even bring this up on the campaign trail was to make people believe that not only did they have the money, but that they were so confident of Cruz, that they were willing to risk it all! This is one of the best fundraising strategies there is. And his campaign finance reports indicate that it worked.

Now, about the “forgotten” loans. Were they really forgotten? No. Here they are:


As you can see, he reported loans. He reported them back then. He reported them on time. So that Sir, is another lie that he continues to tell to this day. He didn’t forget anything. What he did was lie to the FEC, claiming they were personal loans from his personal money. He had no choice. That is what he told the public he did. Additionally, he never filed ANY loan documentation, which is a requirement no matter WHAT the loan source is.

Now, he wants us to believe that he is “forgetful”? That his legal and compliance team are inept? That his Treasurer might be crooked?
If this is the case, then he has NO business seeking the Presidency of the United States.

In fact, the more I think about it, the more ridiculous and irresponsible it is for someone to take a loan for over a million dollars just to run for office that pays less than $200,000.00 a year. Is this part of our new conservative principles? Nah, it is just politics and it is acceptable if Cruz does it, but no one else.

By the way, the public needs to understand that the money was paid back, however, it was paid for with campaign donations, not his own personal money. The Cruz’s were out nothing.

Later on, his Senate campaign transferred a LOT of Senate campaign funds to his Presidential campaign account.  There is no presumption that just because someone donates money to you for one office, means that they support you to run for a different office. I think Sarah Palin can back me up on this one. See this here?


In addition to that, I allege Ted Cruz violated other campaign finance laws, such as the ones that pertain to declaring a candidacy and filing appropriate documents when you plan to run for office. We require candidates to do this because we deserve transparency.
When you look thru Cruz’s Senate campaign account, you will see that, at least since December 2014, Ted Cruz started spending a LOT of money in preparation of his Presidential run. He spent a lot of money in “early states”. He certainly exceeded the $5,000.00 threshold reporting requirement. He had 15 days to report. He waited at least THREE months. Although he started spending at least by December 2014 (and probably a lot earlier), he did not file his candidacy until March 23, 2015.

According to the FEC (VIA a phone conversation), these violations are:

11 CFR 100.72

11 CFR 110.3C5  (Permissible Transfers)

11 CFR 110.8D2 (2) No funds, goods, or services, including loans and loan guarantees, may be transferred between or used by the separate campaigns, except as provided in 11 CFR 110.3(c)(5)

11 CFR 100.3

There is also another issue where the very forgetful Senator Cruz forgot to disclose another one of his financial connections.

It would appear, that Senator Cruz believes that he is above the law and that the laws do not apply to him.

The issues that I discovered with Ted Cruz run way deeper than this. While you and others continue to slam Trump for donations to RINOs, Ted Cruz has been a major donor to RINOs himself. We certainly don’t hear about that, now do we?

Ted Cruz’s Leadership PAC, the Jobs, Growth and Freedom Fund, which he is directly in control of, has been handing out RINO money since he took office. For this cycle though, despite the fact that he has plenty of money in it, the only money he has been handing out is to… you guessed it – Iowa lawmakers. Click here for that.  No pandering to see here folks! Move along!

Let’s take a look and see whose palms he was greasing in the 2014 election cycle shall we?
 
Click here to see the list.

Hmmm, is that John Cornyn’s name I see on that list? Joni Ernst? Dan Sullivan? Yep. And once again, he greased every Republican palm in Iowa, didn’t he. That is what career politicians do.

Do I need to remind people that for the majority of his adult life, Ted Cruz has had one government or political job after another?
The deeper I dig, the more I don’t like.

Although Ted Cruz runs on a social conservative, evangelical platform, this is yet another deception. When Ted Cruz had the opportunity, THE opportunity, to nip gay marriage in the bud – did he? Nope, he turned and walked away. And what he chose NOT to fight for, is the exact case that led directly to gay marriage. You can read more about Lawrence vs Texas right here. You can read Supreme Court Justice Scalia’s response, right here.  It sums it all up.

I am very disappointed by all the people who now own Ted Cruz, including his Super PACs. From the get-go, Donald Trump made it clear to others that he was adamantly opposed to Super PACs, and in fact, he sent letters to them, demanding they cease and desist.

Why won’t Ted Cruz stand up against this? Why does Ted Cruz allow these PACs to exist on his behalf? Is it because he received a lot of money from Citizens United, the organization responsible for the existence of Super PACs? If I am not mistaken, I believe there are more Super PACS and corporate money backing Cruz than any other candidate.

While Donald Trump is willing to fight his own battles and not hide behind Super PACs, Ted Cruz has been a coward, cowering in the corner, letting everyone else fight his battles for him. So he can then pretend to be a victim. It is repulsive and it doesn’t show strength or leadership.

One great example of this is how the OFFICIAL Ted Cruz campaign just put out a video implying that Donald Trump bulldozed an old lady’s house in New Jersey to make a parking lot out of it. Not only did he not buy the house, but the HOUSE is STILL THERE!.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u37kunE-CCM


I repeat, the house is STILL there.


Furthermore, the one who created the problem in the first place was Bob Guccione, who first bought the surrounding property and actually built a construction cage around her home. Trump came in years later and tried to save the day – yes, even if it benefited him. The house finally ended up selling in 2014. To someone else.

I am very upset that people affiliated with Cruz are now fraudulently claiming that Trump is now a favorite of the establishment. How does anyone believe such nonsense? Trump is leading by a long shot, he certainly does not need favors from the GOP.

If the establishment is indeed warming up to Trump, you can believe it isn’t sincere. I can only imagine that it is either because they are hoping Trump will line their pockets or because Trump has put the fear of God into them and they are terrified that Trump will jump ship and run third party. I also believe it is entirely possible that, as I predicted months ago, they realize the only way to take Trump down is by trying to make the public believe he is aligned with them.

If we want to talk about establishment connections, we really need to look to what Cruz is doing now.

A couple of weeks ago, Cruz bragged on Twitter that he was helping failed candidate Scott Walker  raise money to pay off his disastrous campaign debts. This is about as insider as you can get. Walker, Preibus and Omnibus Driver Paul Ryan have been tight for a real long time.

And recently, Ted Cruz has been attending events with party insiders, as can be read here, which tells the story of a recent fundraiser in the home of Mary Matalin and Democratic Strategist James Carville, which was attended by none other than S. Scott Sewell, a Bush insider.

Typically, I would just write off this sort of behavior to being “just politics” but it just doesn’t set well with a lot of people when you have someone like Ted Cruz out on the campaign trail, trying to pretend he is some perfect little angel and that he is being bullied by the big, bad Donald Trump.

Another thing I feel compelled to inform people of is Ted Cruz’s support of the Convention of States, which certainly does not coincide with his wife’s views on sovereignty, which you can read about here on the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR) website article, Building A North American Community.   I couldn’t help but notice that the day after Ted Cruz’s long time buddy and mentor, Texas Governor Greg Abbott came out in favor of the Convention of States – you changed your tune on Donald Trump.  Did Cruz persuade Abbott to take up this issue as a favor to you?

Mr. Levin, this open letter is not meant to be disrespectful or to suggest that you are being dishonest. I believe that you have simply been too busy to do a lot of deep digging. I hope I don’t have to face your wrath, but I am willing to, because 2016 is important.

I also call on both candidates to knock this shit off. It is childish and unproductive. I appreciate that Trump is willing to take the heat for his past and ongoing positions. Mr. Cruz, I wish you would do the same, but the lies about Trump will only harm your candidacy. You can make it stop.

Think of it like this Senator, if Trump wins and you are VP, you’ll potentially have EIGHT years as VP and then guess what…. you’ll likely get EIGHT more as his successor. You win.

At the end of the day, I will vote for any Republican who is on the ballot in November, even if that happens to be Ted Cruz, but I believe that only Donald J. Trump can Make America Great Again.

Best Regards,

Lauren Stephens

info@laurenstephens.com

PS Yes, I am a real person and yes this is my real name. Everything above links to a legitimate reference or news story. You can check the www.fec.gov website yourself.
PSS No I am not interested in doing any interviews, feel free to use the resources I have cited above. I am not doing this for publicity, which is why I removed the link to my business, which was only there to “prove” I am a real person.

[SHARE EVERYWHERE!]

http://laurenstephens.com/

Offline katzenjammer

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Re: An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2016, 09:32:10 pm »
I can't say that I agree with each and every aspect of Ms. Stephens open letter, but she does bring up a lot of points that have not been discussed much, considering the deluge of anti-Trump threads each day.  I said awhile back (months ago) that I had some concerns about Ted Cruz, this open letter outlines some of them.


Offline jmyrlefuller

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Re: An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2016, 09:45:46 pm »
bkmk for later
New profile picture in honor of Public Domain Day 2024

Offline flowers

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Re: An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2016, 10:26:01 pm »
bkmk


Offline aligncare

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Re: An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2016, 10:33:49 pm »

This will be a tough read for anybody supporting Ted Cruz.

I love Mark Levin but had to shut him off a few times when he was going on and on lifting up Ted Cruz and putting down Donald Trump. Almost like a psychological tic at one point.

As to the article, I will only speak to the parts pertaining to Trump because my research concurs with what the author said about Donald Trump's generosity, his long ties with the GOP and his conservative character. The real Donald Trump is nothing like the political caricature of him.

Also, as an early booster of Scott Walker my jaw dropped reading the section about the governor.

Real eye opener here. Thanks, katz.

Offline katzenjammer

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Re: An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2016, 11:05:32 pm »
This will be a tough read for anybody supporting Ted Cruz.

I love Mark Levin but had to shut him off a few times when he was going on and on lifting up Ted Cruz and putting down Donald Trump. Almost like a psychological tic at one point.

As to the article, I will only speak to the parts pertaining to Trump because my research concurs with what the author said about Donald Trump's generosity, his long ties with the GOP and his conservative character. The real Donald Trump is nothing like the political caricature of him.

Also, as an early booster of Scott Walker my jaw dropped reading the section about the governor.

Real eye opener here. Thanks, katz.

Yes, it is a pretty tough read.

It is also tough for me, considering that Ms. Stephens letter is addressed to Mark Levin.

I've listened to Mark far longer than Ms. Stephens, in fact I started listening to Mark when he was essentially "auditioning" for his radio career, the unpaid Sunday afternoon segments on WABC.  I reminded him of that fact when I last saw him down here this past summer.

I also have cherished his books since he started writing them.  So yeah, the past few weeks have been a bit "rough" to listen to.  As someone that has listened to him 5 days a week for so many years, I can detect all of the various "tells" in his vocal inflections.  And I have been profoundly disappointed at some of the blatant dissembling that he has been doing, and using "Alinsky" tactics on those that he is accusing of using "Alinsky" tactics.  NONE of this is typical of Mark.

My only guess is that he made a very DEEP emotional investment in Ted Cruz's campaign sometime ago.  And for that, I cannot blame him.  For if anyone in this nation understands the deep peril that we are in, it is Mark.  He grabbed at the best lifeline that he detected, in his well considered opinion.  He grabbed tightly, and unfortunately it appears that he has allowed emotions to overlay his grip.

My better "katz" has encouraged me to work on him a bit, see what the heck is going on...  I may very well do that, I have just been trying to figure out the best approach.

In a way, this whole sub-chapter of the story is very illustrative at how some very deep chasms have developed during this primary season between people that have respected and admired each other for many, many years.  And though many want to just shrug things off as being a part of the "silly season," I think that 2016 is a bit different than past campaign seasons.  A bit different in a number of ways, in that many of us see 2016 as almost a "make or break" election for this nation.  And we've each gravitated toward a candidate that we each believe to offer the best hope of "making" it.

For the sake of the nation, may the correct choice prevail on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.   :patriot:

Offline alicewonders

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Re: An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2016, 11:10:35 pm »
Thank you Katz for an enlightening post.  I have to say that as I read it, some puzzle pieces in my mind fell into place. 

What a world, what a world.

Don't tread on me.   8888madkitty

We told you Trump would win - bigly!

Offline aligncare

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Re: An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2016, 11:18:11 pm »

alice, I also started listening to Mark on that Sunday show. And this is just me being honest, he was awful back then. And actually he's still learning, but much improved. I love his passion and his rap.

Offline DCPatriot

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Re: An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2016, 11:28:56 pm »
Katz, thanks so much for this valuable informative piece.

Still shaking my head, since reading it earlier.     

Makes me recall that scene in SHOOTER, when Mr. Rate tells Bob Lee Swagger, vigorously tapping his head with an index finger,

"Just when you think you've got it figured out....YOU'RE WRONG!!"
"It aint what you don't know that kills you.  It's what you know that aint so!" ...Theodore Sturgeon

"Journalism is about covering the news.  With a pillow.  Until it stops moving."    - David Burge (Iowahawk)

"It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving, but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living" F. Scott Fitzgerald

Offline jmyrlefuller

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Re: An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2016, 03:07:01 am »
OK, I ran through it.

I see several main points, and they're kind of all over the place.

1. This Wisconsin conspiracy. OK, yeah, Paul Ryan, Reince Preibus and Scott Walker are all from Wisconsin. So what? Scott Walker's not in the race anymore. He also made one of the most overtly conservative moves in state-level politics in several decades. That's real action. He lived up to his billing as Governor. He was even my first choice. So if Ted Cruz is getting support from the same people supporting Walker, that's a good sign for me. Another thing: states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania are going to be the states the GOP needs to flip back to the red-state column in the next few years as demographics continue to shift. I don't know what she has against Walker, but it seems personal.

2. Subsidies. She seems to argue that because Ted's arguing against ethanol subsidies in Iowa, that he's somehow being disingenuous because he doesn't talk about "big oil subsidies" in Texas. First off, Texas doesn't have an early primary; second, it was never an issue in the Senate race; and third and most importantly, "Big Oil" (a favorite Democrat talking point) doesn't get a lot of subsidy, especially when you factor in how much it is taxed. Ethanol, on the other hand, is subsidized heavily to make it more viable.

3. Somehow, Trump is a reliable Republican, by cherrypicking his Republican donations while completely ignoring the same contributions he made to Democrats. By picking statements from 1988, then skipping over his policy proposals from 2000. Yes, his own words are apparently lies. The only time she even acknowledges Trump's inconsistencies, she says "I believe him now," name-drops Reagan and Romney, and says we should just trust him and welcome anyone who simply says so. That argument's been debunked pretty heavily; remember, Romney also lost, and Trump is STILL saying things that are not right, especially on Obamacare, the signature issue of our time. Trump has only succeeded by distraction and making shock-talk about immigration.

4. Campaign finance violations. First off, that's inside baseball that very few outside the beltway care about, apologies for the preposition at the end of the phrase. Second, not everyone has billions of dollars to play around with to run for President. The only reason Trump can even afford to make a phony stand against Super PACs is because he has billions in inheritance, real estate, investments, etc. So basically Ms. Stephens is castigating Cruz for not being super-rich, as if only the super-rich should run for President.

5. I don't get her point on Lawrence v. Texas. Yes, it came out wrong, but do you think anything could have changed a probably closeted gay man like Anthony Kennedy from making that kind of ruling?

6. She seriously mentioned the Council on Foreign Relations? I think she's probably listening to less Mark Levin and more Alex Jones.

It is clear that Ms. Stephens, by her own admission, is in the tank for The Donald and has been for many years. Nothing will convince her otherwise, and now she's on a path to tear down the most serious threat to him. I'm not impressed and it hasn't changed my position one iota.
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Offline aligncare

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Re: An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« Reply #10 on: January 24, 2016, 03:27:18 am »

...she's on a path to tear down Mark Levin, too. Mark's pretty influential with his legal foundation, his scholarly books and large radio audience. She wishes he'd stop promoting Cruz and tearing down Trump.

However, I don't think Mark has yet endorsed anyone officially.

Online Right_in_Virginia

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Re: An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« Reply #11 on: January 24, 2016, 03:34:42 am »
Quote
I am very disappointed by all the people who now own Ted Cruz, including his Super PACs

Ted Cruz entered politics the old fashioned way--with other people's money.  The higher he climbs on the political ladder the more he is owned.

If Cruz reaches the WH, make no mistake--he will have his masters.

Offline jmyrlefuller

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Re: An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« Reply #12 on: January 24, 2016, 03:41:32 am »
...she's on a path to tear down Mark Levin, too. Mark's pretty influential with his legal foundation, his scholarly books and large radio audience. She wishes he'd stop promoting Cruz and tearing down Trump.

However, I don't think Mark has yet endorsed anyone officially.
Right, and I know you support Trump as well.

I can tell that the next few weeks are going to get quite nasty on both sides as the accusations continue to fly, especially if Cruz manages to win Iowa. Ms. Stephens is certainly aimed for the messenger with this letter, and she seems to see Levin as the most critical of Trump. Levin certainly has the legal pedigree that other talk hosts don't.
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Online Right_in_Virginia

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Re: An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« Reply #13 on: January 24, 2016, 03:59:29 am »
...she's on a path to tear down Mark Levin, too. Mark's pretty influential with his legal foundation, his scholarly books and large radio audience. She wishes he'd stop promoting Cruz and tearing down Trump.

Levin's starting to act the way he did during the primaries for the 2012 election.  He lambasted Romney day in and day out, five days a week, for at least the entire first hour of his show (the most listened to).  I sent email after email begging him to tone it down, pleading with him to take is anger out on Obama, not Romney.

My fear was his relentless attacks on Romney would damage him with "conservatives" should he get the nomination and run against Obama.  And I was right.  Levin couldn't get out of his own way in 2012 and he's on his way to a repeat mistake in 2016.

If Levin's not going to endorse a candidate, then he's got to treat the Republican field with a more even hand.  If he needs to rant, and we all know he does, then he should direct that toward the Democrat field. 

Trump may well be the Republican nominee.  I'd rather Levin not do to Trump what he did to Romney.

Offline aligncare

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Re: An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« Reply #14 on: January 24, 2016, 04:20:28 am »
Levin's starting to act the way he did during the primaries for the 2012 election.  He lambasted Romney day in and day out, five days a week, for at least the entire first hour of his show (the most listened to).  I sent email after email begging him to tone it down, pleading with him to take is anger out on Obama, not Romney.

My fear was his relentless attacks on Romney would damage him with "conservatives" should he get the nomination and run against Obama.  And I was right.  Levin couldn't get out of his own way in 2012 and he's on his way to a repeat mistake in 2016.

If Levin's not going to endorse a candidate, then he's got to treat the Republican field with a more even hand.  If he needs to rant, and we all know he does, then he should direct that toward the Democrat field. 

Trump may well be the Republican nominee.  I'd rather Levin not do to Trump what he did to Romney.

I remember that. I was really angry with Levin during the primaries.

But I did like how after he finished railing against Romney he'd say, but, I'd vote for a can of orange juice over Obama.

I loved the imagery of the debate stage with Obama on one side and on the other a can of orange juice behind a podium.
« Last Edit: January 24, 2016, 04:24:40 am by aligncare »

Online Bigun

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Re: An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« Reply #15 on: January 24, 2016, 04:57:07 am »
Read the letter all the way down to the point where the writer started jumping out of his skin over Cruz attacking Ethanol subsidies!

As far as I know Cruz has never done any such thing!  What Cruz HAS attacked is the Ethanol MANDATE that requires the stuff to be spiked into perfectly good gasoline and he is right to do so IMHO!

I have nothing what ever against Ethanol!  Especially in the form of good single malt Scotch Whisky and there is a ready market for it in that form with no mandates or subsidies required!!

I do however object to it being forced down my throat as a motor fuel and especially so if I am forced to subsidize it for that use!

If it's such a great motor fuel then it should be able to stand on its own merits in the market place but it can't do that because the FACT is that it requires 1.2 units of energy to produce 1 unit of energy from corn!
 


« Last Edit: January 24, 2016, 01:42:41 pm by Bigun »
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Offline EC

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Re: An Open Letter To Mark Levin
« Reply #16 on: January 24, 2016, 10:24:24 am »
If it's such a great motor fuel then it should be able to stand on its own merits in the market place but it cant't do that because the FACT is that it requires 1.2 units of energy to produce 1 unit of energy from corn!

That aspect never bothers me about ethanol. As a fuel it's like all fuels - a conveniently mobile form of energy storage. When you store energy, you ALWAYS have to put more in than you get out, that's simple thermodynamics. I don't like it because it horribly screws up engines designed for high tolerance running on a specific fuel source, thanks in part to it's tendency to incompletely combust and partially to it's hydrophillic nature.
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