Trumped by candidate's rhetoric, Republican lawmakers at a loss for words
WASHINGTON | By David Morgan
The awkward efforts of Republicans to embrace their party’s standard-bearer Donald Trump looked particularly painful in Congress this week as lawmakers ducked into elevators, dashed away from reporters, ignored questions or, worse, tried to answer them.
Only days after a furor over his criticism of a Mexican-American judge, the presumptive presidential nominee sent Republicans reeling again by renewing his call for a ban on Muslim immigration after a gunman who pledged allegiance to Islamic militants killed of 49 people at a Florida nightclub.
Then former reality TV star Trump waded into two sensitive topics for social conservatives by embracing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and suggesting the country may need certain new gun control measures.
For lawmakers accustomed to well-crafted talking points and predictable lines of questioning, the week marked a chaotic flurry of contorted responses or terse, tight-lipped replies.
Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming walked away when asked about Trump's embrace of the LGBT community, saying: "I don’t know what the latest is. I haven’t read anything. I haven’t been watching."
Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a former Trump adversary in the presidential primaries, had to bat away two Trump questions before he could announce that he is considering running for re-election – a decision that could determine whether Republicans retain control of the Senate in the Nov. 8 election.
Senator Ted Cruz, another rival in the primaries, refused to respond directly to the speech in which Trump hardened his line on Muslims while Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr called it “an OK speech” before stepping into an elevator and refusing to respond to any more questions.
The Trump challenge is obvious even for seasoned Republicans.
"I'm spending my days commenting on everything that Donald Trump says," lamented John McCain, chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee.
Orrin Hatch, the longest-serving Republican in the Senate, ricocheted from rejection of Trump’s comments on Muslims to doubts about the legality of his proposed immigration ban to bafflement over the billionaire’s response to the Orlando shootings.
'YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS UP'
Trump controversies have also overshadowed House Speaker Paul Ryan’s rollout of a policy agenda, a campaign document that was supposed to help bring Trump’s position more into line with mainline party doctrine.
Asked on Thursday whether he was bothered by having to contend with Trump's remarks, Ryan called Trump "a different kind of candidate...(in) a different kind of year."
Asked how many more times he would be called on to do so, Ryan said: "I don't know the answer to that question either."
In an ironic message to his critics among the Republican leadership this week, Trump had this to say: "Be quiet, just please be quiet. Don't talk. Please be quiet. Just be quiet.”
Ryan's response? "...You can't make this up sometimes," he said.
A political neophyte who has never held elected office, Trump has also said he may not need much from his Republican colleagues on Capitol Hill anyway.
"We have to have our Republicans either stick together or let me just do it by myself. I’ll do very well,” he said in a CNN interview. “A lot of people thought I should do that anyway, but I'll just do it very nicely by myself."
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-republicans-idUSKCN0Z22MU
WASHINGTON | By David Morgan
The awkward efforts of Republicans to embrace their party’s standard-bearer Donald Trump looked particularly painful in Congress this week as lawmakers ducked into elevators, dashed away from reporters, ignored questions or, worse, tried to answer them.
Only days after a furor over his criticism of a Mexican-American judge, the presumptive presidential nominee sent Republicans reeling again by renewing his call for a ban on Muslim immigration after a gunman who pledged allegiance to Islamic militants killed of 49 people at a Florida nightclub.
Then former reality TV star Trump waded into two sensitive topics for social conservatives by embracing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and suggesting the country may need certain new gun control measures.
For lawmakers accustomed to well-crafted talking points and predictable lines of questioning, the week marked a chaotic flurry of contorted responses or terse, tight-lipped replies.
Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming walked away when asked about Trump's embrace of the LGBT community, saying: "I don’t know what the latest is. I haven’t read anything. I haven’t been watching."
Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a former Trump adversary in the presidential primaries, had to bat away two Trump questions before he could announce that he is considering running for re-election – a decision that could determine whether Republicans retain control of the Senate in the Nov. 8 election.
Senator Ted Cruz, another rival in the primaries, refused to respond directly to the speech in which Trump hardened his line on Muslims while Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr called it “an OK speech” before stepping into an elevator and refusing to respond to any more questions.
The Trump challenge is obvious even for seasoned Republicans.
"I'm spending my days commenting on everything that Donald Trump says," lamented John McCain, chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee.
Orrin Hatch, the longest-serving Republican in the Senate, ricocheted from rejection of Trump’s comments on Muslims to doubts about the legality of his proposed immigration ban to bafflement over the billionaire’s response to the Orlando shootings.
'YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS UP'
Trump controversies have also overshadowed House Speaker Paul Ryan’s rollout of a policy agenda, a campaign document that was supposed to help bring Trump’s position more into line with mainline party doctrine.
Asked on Thursday whether he was bothered by having to contend with Trump's remarks, Ryan called Trump "a different kind of candidate...(in) a different kind of year."
Asked how many more times he would be called on to do so, Ryan said: "I don't know the answer to that question either."
In an ironic message to his critics among the Republican leadership this week, Trump had this to say: "Be quiet, just please be quiet. Don't talk. Please be quiet. Just be quiet.”
Ryan's response? "...You can't make this up sometimes," he said.
A political neophyte who has never held elected office, Trump has also said he may not need much from his Republican colleagues on Capitol Hill anyway.
"We have to have our Republicans either stick together or let me just do it by myself. I’ll do very well,” he said in a CNN interview. “A lot of people thought I should do that anyway, but I'll just do it very nicely by myself."
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-republicans-idUSKCN0Z22MU
Today at 6:11 pm by Rocky
» Sudanese advisor criticizes Kuwaiti analyzes regarding the development road project
Today at 3:21 pm by Rocky
» Al-Mandalawi stresses the need to strengthen economic and trade cooperation between Iraq and Poland
Today at 3:04 pm by Rocky
» Power maneuvers: America provides defensive weapons to Kurdistan in exchange for withholding from Ba
Today at 11:26 am by Rocky
» Kuwait is drilling an oil well near Umm Qasr, towards Iraqi territory
Today at 11:24 am by Rocky
» In the document... the first Iraqi ministry identifies the obstacles to changing the new official wo
Today at 11:22 am by Rocky
» Italian Institute: Iraq is stuck in its own crises, including Baghdad’s efforts to undermine the “au
Today at 11:21 am by Rocky
» The head of the Integrity Commission announces the holding of an international Interpol conference i
Today at 11:18 am by Rocky
» Planning: Iraqi companies are not efficient in conducting the population census
Today at 11:14 am by Rocky
» utube MM&C 4/24/24 Support - USA- Turkey - Timing- Currency Value - Tabled
Today at 9:08 am by Rocky
» MM&C 4/25/24 National Bank of Iraq goes live with Temenos core banking and payments
Today at 9:06 am by Rocky
» A banking official indicates a "danger" to Iraq by depriving more than half of its banks of dollars
Today at 8:55 am by Rocky
» With the participation of the Association of Private Banks, investment opportunities are on the tabl
Today at 8:45 am by Rocky
» Within a month... an Iranian border crossing recorded a noticeable increase in exports of goods to I
Today at 8:44 am by Rocky
» The Association of Private Banks appreciates the efforts of the government and the Central Bank to c
Today at 8:43 am by Rocky
» Al-Maliki's coalition presents a third candidate for the position of governor of Diyala
Today at 7:57 am by Rocky
» Arab gathering: The Kirkuk problem is getting complicated and the Sudanese must intervene
Today at 7:56 am by Rocky
» Next week.. a Kurdish delegation will visit Baghdad to meet with the Minister of Finance
Today at 7:54 am by Rocky
» Under the pretext of salaries... Al-Party refrains from handing over port revenues to Baghdad
Today at 7:53 am by Rocky
» Association of Banks: For the first time, we are witnessing a clear targeting of depriving half of t
Today at 7:51 am by Rocky
» Parliament does not know the reason for the delay in sending the 2024 budget schedules: Voting takes
Today at 7:49 am by Rocky
» Applicants for the 2024 Hajj are demanding that the Central Bank secure the dollar for them through
Today at 6:09 am by Rocky
» Governmental and private banks will showcase their services tomorrow during Financial Inclusion Week
Today at 6:08 am by Rocky
» Iraq's oil exports rise despite OPEC+ cuts
Today at 6:06 am by Rocky
» A study explodes a "surprise"... Iraq is among the countries that export oil to "Israel": How is the
Today at 6:04 am by Rocky
» Al-Araji emphasizes working to strengthen national identity
Today at 6:02 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani visits Saudi Arabia to participate in the World Economic Forum in Riyadh
Today at 6:01 am by Rocky
» Iraq is talking about producing one million additional liters of gasoline
Today at 5:59 am by Rocky
» The Council of Ministers approves the implementation of the Baghdad Metro project
Today at 5:56 am by Rocky
» Minister of Commerce: We formed a joint economic committee with Türkiye
Today at 5:55 am by Rocky
» Resources: Government measures have contributed to improving the water situation in Iraq
Today at 5:53 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance: Baghdad will continue to send salaries to the region’s employees until settle
Today at 5:51 am by Rocky
» A parliamentarian describes the corruption of Iraqi ports as “ghouls” and reveals the involvement of
Today at 5:49 am by Rocky
» Obelisk Hour: Basra is the subject of political conflict and ambiguity over the fate of the funds al
Today at 5:48 am by Rocky
» Turkmen leader: An agreement on the local government of Kirkuk is near
Today at 5:45 am by Rocky
» Anbar calls for the operation of its factories despite financial obstacles
Today at 5:44 am by Rocky
» Turki: The crisis of the Presidency of Parliament prompted the Sunnis to amend the Council’s interna
Today at 5:43 am by Rocky
» The Agriculture Committee confirms the existence of Iraqi-Turkish-Iranian discussions on water
Today at 5:42 am by Rocky
» Resources diagnose the challenges facing the water file in Iraq
Today at 5:38 am by Rocky
» Parliament pledges to the Interior Ministry: We will transfer money to buy weapons from citizens
Today at 5:33 am by Rocky
» Al-Issawi is the closest.. Parliament sets the date for deciding the choice of the new president
Today at 5:31 am by Rocky
» Deputy: Iraq's investments have risen and need a comprehensive review of previous years
Today at 5:30 am by Rocky
» Iraqis consume 7 billion eggs annually and import about $900 million
Today at 5:28 am by Rocky
» The Iranian role complicates attempts at open cooperation between Iraq and Turkey. Turkey is trying
Today at 5:26 am by Rocky
» Move in Iran to obtain $242 billion from Iraq in compensation for the eight-year war
Today at 5:25 am by Rocky
» 12 decisions from the Council of Ministers regarding the Baghdad Metro and Najaf-Karbala train proje
Today at 5:23 am by Rocky
» Sudanese Advisor: The path to development has begun... the Baka and the militias “we silence them wi
Today at 5:21 am by Rocky
» Not from Kurdistan.. How did Iraq become a source of oil for “Israeli tanks”?
Today at 5:19 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Agriculture criticizes the Sudanese and Erdogan agreement: Türkiye will control water
Today at 5:16 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi government issues new decisions
Yesterday at 3:35 pm by Rocky
» The story of “reduced oil” to Jordan, from “compulsion” to mutual benefit.. Is there a loss?
Yesterday at 3:33 pm by Rocky
» The Council of Ministers takes 12 decisions for the Baghdad Metro and the Najaf-Karbala train
Yesterday at 3:32 pm by Rocky
» utube MM&C 4/23/24 Iraqi Dinar - IQD Update - Development Road Project - Saviour of Global Banking
Yesterday at 11:18 am by Rocky
» Kidney from pig transplanted into deathly ill New Jersey woman — and begins working almost immediat
Yesterday at 11:15 am by Bama Diva
» The most difficult option.. Warnings of the danger of floating the Iraqi dinar without achieving an
Yesterday at 10:48 am by Rocky
» Trade from the “Economic Committee” with Türkiye: It will overcome all obstacles facing the traders
Yesterday at 10:46 am by Rocky
» Washington's hope for stable relations with Baghdad clashes with Iraqi parties' rejection of the Ame
Yesterday at 10:41 am by Rocky
» Karim Badr: Development is America’s will to kill silk
Yesterday at 10:36 am by Rocky
» Oil: Opening of a new port for liquid gas for vehicles in Baghdad
Yesterday at 10:33 am by Rocky
» A media advisor warns of corruption in a draft law on the Parliament’s agenda
Yesterday at 10:21 am by Rocky
» Economist: There is serious work to lift US sanctions on Iraqi banks
Yesterday at 10:16 am by Rocky
» Will the agreements signed with the US Treasury reflect positively on the exchange rates?
Yesterday at 8:52 am by Rocky
» Iraq continues its quest to join the World Trade Organization
Yesterday at 8:51 am by Rocky
» Iraq completes the completion of the files for the initial offer of goods and services to join the W
Yesterday at 8:50 am by Rocky
» Economist: Travelers' dollars are leaking into the parallel market...and this is what the Central Ba
Yesterday at 8:32 am by Rocky
» President of the Federal Court: It is not permissible to force anyone to join any party, and the pol
Yesterday at 8:30 am by Rocky
» The Council of Ministers holds its session headed by Al-Sudani
Yesterday at 8:27 am by Rocky
» America weakens Baghdad...and increases Kurdistan's military capabilities
Yesterday at 8:26 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi government plans to build 10,000 schools throughout the country
Yesterday at 8:23 am by Rocky
» American threats close the Iraqi Stock Exchange at a loss
Yesterday at 8:21 am by Rocky
» Increase in external transfers at the Central Bank
Yesterday at 8:20 am by Rocky
» Al-Maliki calls on Britain to cancel restrictions on the entry of its companies into Iraq
Yesterday at 8:18 am by Rocky
» Planning and the European Union are discussing signing a number of agreements in the development, en
Yesterday at 8:16 am by Rocky
» Parliament talks about the mechanism for recovering smuggled funds and hints at the next stage
Yesterday at 8:13 am by Rocky
» Interior Ministry: The number of completed national cards reached 37 million cards
Yesterday at 8:06 am by Rocky
» Amnesty International: Violations of freedom and human rights continue in Iraq and the Kurdistan Reg
Yesterday at 8:04 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Oil: The government is proceeding with the decision to raise the price of improved gas
Yesterday at 8:03 am by Rocky
» A parliamentary committee in Basra to investigate violations of the port company and the local gover
Yesterday at 8:00 am by Rocky
» Revealing the 10 most important American exports to Iraq
Yesterday at 6:31 am by Rocky
» A noticeable increase in the rate of Iraq's import of Chinese cooling devices
Yesterday at 6:30 am by Rocky
» Prime Minister: Working on projects without completing the infrastructure is a waste of money
Yesterday at 6:28 am by Rocky
» Iraq.. Extending the deadline for registration procedures on plots of land
Yesterday at 6:27 am by Rocky
» What is the main purpose of conducting the population census in Iraq?
Yesterday at 6:25 am by Rocky
» A plan to transform Iraq from a barren land to green with 5 million trees
Yesterday at 6:24 am by Rocky
» The Housing Fund announces the acceptance of more than 11 thousand loans through the Ur platform
Yesterday at 6:23 am by Rocky
» The Bank of Baghdad is moving to increase its capital to 400 billion dinars
Yesterday at 6:20 am by Rocky
» The electronic payment system will soon be adopted on Iraqi buses
Yesterday at 6:19 am by Rocky
» “It threatens our interests and destroys our economy.” An Iraqi project “irritates” the Kuwaiti stre
Yesterday at 6:18 am by Rocky
» Warning from the Central Bank about “misuse of electronic payment cards”
Yesterday at 6:17 am by Rocky
» Iraq and the Sultanate of Oman are discussing sending capacities through the Gulf countries
Yesterday at 6:16 am by Rocky
» The fact that a decision was issued to deport Syrian workers from Iraq
Yesterday at 6:14 am by Rocky
» Rice comes first... America exports 10 foodstuffs worth more than 350 million dollars to Iraq
Yesterday at 6:14 am by Rocky
» A sixth licensing round for gas exploration
Yesterday at 6:12 am by Rocky
» Baghdad is preparing to host the 50th session of the Arab Labor Conference
Yesterday at 6:11 am by Rocky
» Scientific symposium on the future vision of the tripartite budget
Yesterday at 6:09 am by Rocky
» Five conversion power stations enter service in Najaf
Yesterday at 6:08 am by Rocky
» Planning: Conduct a population census next November
Yesterday at 6:07 am by Rocky
» Experts: Spreading misleading information harms development and investment
Yesterday at 6:03 am by Rocky
» Economists call for tightening money laundering laws and port controls
Yesterday at 6:02 am by Rocky