March 4, 2016


News Clips For The Day


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-kasich-if-i-win-ohio-gop-will-get-a-brokered-convention/

John Kasich: If I win Ohio, GOP will get a "brokered convention"
By REENA FLORES CBS NEWS
March 4, 2016, 8:44 AM

Related: GOP candidates debate in Detroit
Donald Trump defends the size of his hands, and more


After Thursday's Republican debate, where Donald Trump dominated much of the conversation, Ohio Gov. John Kasich laid out his path forward to the GOP nomination, predicting that a contested convention this summer will eventually stop Trump's rise.

"Frankly, if I win Ohio, we're probably gonna end up in a convention -- a brokered convention -- and then we're gonna find out who the adult is," Kasich said Thursday in an interview with CBS News' chief White House correspondent Major Garrett. The last time Republicans were close to a "brokered" convention, where no candidate has a clear-cut delegate victory, was in the 1976 primary between Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan.

"We don't have many states to be voting in," Kasich acknowledged, but he believes that "we'll hold our own in Mississippi, we'll hold our own in Michigan." He predicted, however, that he would not win Michigan.

He added: "And then we're gonna win in Ohio. It'll be a whole new ball game."

When pressed on how a win in one state could change his prospects for the nomination, Kasich anticipated that Pennsylvania and Illinois would also be ripe battlegrounds for his campaign.

Then, "we're gonna go to the eastern seaboard to New Jersey, Connecticut. These are places we are going to do very well."


"My folks tell me that nobody will go to the convention with enough delegates," Kasich said. "And then you know it's a whole new situation." He noted that it was a "cool thing to think about" a contested convention.

When asked how he felt about sharing a debate stage with three bickering candidates, the Ohio Republican brushed it off, saying "I don't think too much about it."

"I'm out to sell my message, and I think from everything I've heard tonight, we did really well," he said. "Now maybe the media will focus on the yelling 'cause that gets the eyeballs but maybe tonight they'll focus on who really had the substance up there."



“After Thursday's Republican debate, where Donald Trump dominated much of the conversation, Ohio Gov. John Kasich laid out his path forward to the GOP nomination, predicting that a contested convention this summer will eventually stop Trump's rise. …. When asked how he felt about sharing a debate stage with three bickering candidates, the Ohio Republican brushed it off, saying "I don't think too much about it." "I'm out to sell my message, and I think from everything I've heard tonight, we did really well," he said. "Now maybe the media will focus on the yelling 'cause that gets the eyeballs but maybe tonight they'll focus on who really had the substance up there."


Kasich seems to me to be a basically good human being, probably not racist – though I haven’t seen any statements at all about that – and he’s smart in a practical way. He did make that unfortunate remark about his women supporters “coming out of their kitchens” to help him. He immediately apologized.




TRUMP STORIES


http://www.npr.org/2016/03/04/469211328/donald-trump-pulls-out-of-conservative-confab

Donald Trump Pulls Out Of Conservative Confab
JESSICA TAYLOR
Updated March 4, 20162:43 PM ET
Published March 4, 20161:44 PM ET

Photograph -- Jessica Taylor - Square 2015, JESSICA TAYLOR


Donald Trump has abruptly canceled a planned appearance Saturday morning at the Conservative Political Action Conference, a major annual gathering of the GOP faithful.

In a Friday afternoon typo-ridden statement, the GOP presidential front-runner said he instead will be holding a "major rally on Saturday prior to Caucus" in "Witchita, Kanasas" [sic].

"Because of this, he will not be able to speak at CPAC as he has done for many consecutive years. Mr. Trump would like to thank Matt Schlapp and all of the executives at CPAC and looks forward to returning to next year, hopefully as President of the United States," his campaign said.

There had been rumblings that the real estate mogul could face a hostile crowd at the conference sponsored by the American Conservative Union in National Harbor, Md., just outside of Washington.

"We're having [a] massive walkout on Saturday when [Trump] comes to speak," one activist, dressed as a Revolutionary War soldier, told the National Review. "We already have over 300 people who are going to get up at one time to go the bathroom."

The conference's official Twitter account expressed their disappointment and said the snub was an affront to conservatives.

Despite leading polls nationwide and racking up a series of wins in primaries and caucuses so far, Trump has yet to win over many conservative leaders, who view his change of heart on abortion, health care and more as inauthentic.

Trump's change of heart makes him the only GOP candidate who isn't speaking to the conference — Ohio Gov. John Kasich spoke Friday afternoon and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz will speak later today, while Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will speak Saturday.

CPAC attendee Matt Colleran from Nashville, Tenn., supports Rubio, but said he was "disappointed that one of our leading candidates will not be speaking to us here."

"We are people here who believe in free markets, traditional values and a strong national security," Colleran said. "And when we decide who to vote for, we need a candidate who is willing to speak to us and who respects our values and is really a member of the conservative movement."

Richard McCormick of Kettering, Ohio, is undecided who to vote for in his state's important primary on March 15th, but was still considering Trump.

"I'm disappointed," he said. "I think it should be an inclusive event, but he's running his own show that's evident in his tactics so far. This is just another example."

Brakkton Booker contributed.



“In a Friday afternoon typo-ridden statement, the GOP presidential front-runner said he instead will be holding a "major rally on Saturday prior to Caucus" in "Witchita, Kanasas" [sic]. "Because of this, he will not be able to speak at CPAC as he has done for many consecutive years. Mr. Trump would like to thank Matt Schlapp and all of the executives at CPAC and looks forward to returning to next year, hopefully as President of the United States," his campaign said. …. "We're having [a] massive walkout on Saturday when [Trump] comes to speak," one activist, dressed as a Revolutionary War soldier, told the National Review. "We already have over 300 people who are going to get up at one time to go the bathroom." The conference's official Twitter account expressed their disappointment and said the snub was an affront to conservatives. Despite leading polls nationwide and racking up a series of wins in primaries and caucuses so far, Trump has yet to win over many conservative leaders, who view his change of heart on abortion, health care and more as inauthentic.”


Trump was trying to avoid a major embarrassment in the form of a walkout, but he’s being shamed now for his apparent cowardice. He’s a sensitive man, apparently. I wonder how he will feel if Hillary Clinton whips the pants off him.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-john-mccain-has-to-be-very-careful/

Donald Trump: John McCain "has to be very careful"
By REENA FLORES CBS NEWS
March 4, 2016, 8:22 AM

Play VIDEO -- Mitt Romney to GOP: Don't pick Donald Trump


Shortly after his wildly unpredictable performance on the Detroit debate stage Thursday night, GOP front-runner Donald Trump spoke with CBS News about the growing opposition to his candidacy from Republican party elders, particularly Mitt Romney and Arizona Sen. John McCain.

When asked how it felt after McCain joined with the 2012 GOP nominee in expressing concerns over Trump's popularity, Trump appeared surprised to learn of McCain's lack of support.

"Oh, he did? Well, that's not nice," he told CBS News' chief White House correspondent Major Garrett. "He has to be very careful."

When pressed on why, Trump tacked on: "He'll find out."

Earlier in the day, McCain released a statement echoing worries voiced by 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney during his Thursday press conference in Utah.

"At a time when our world has never been more complex or more in danger...I want Republican voters to pay close attention to what our party's most respected and knowledgeable leaders and national security experts are saying about Mr. Trump, and to think long and hard about who they want to be our next Commander-in-Chief and leader of the free world," McCain, the 2008 Republican nominee, had said.

Still, McCain spokesperson Rachael Dean told CBS News on Thursday that McCain still intends to support the nominee of the Republican Party.

Romney, for his part, had called Trump "very, very not smart" when it came to foreign policy issues, and predicted that with the billionaire in charge of the country, "the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished."

Trump fired back at Romney Thursday night, telling Garrett that the former Massachusetts governor "made a fool out of himself" in 2012.

"He disappeared, he choked, something went wrong with him and I wasn't happy about it and neither were a lot of other people," Trump said.

Trump also hit rival Marco Rubio, who went after the businessman with gusto on the debate stage.

"I think I'm going to do well in Florida," he predicted, largely because "they have an absentee senator."

"He doesn't vote. He doesn't show up anywhere," Trump said. "If I were a person from Florida -- they've been defrauded. They've literally been defrauded by Marco Rubio because he doesn't go to vote."

CBS News' Walt Cronkite contributed to this report.



“When asked how it felt after McCain joined with the 2012 GOP nominee in expressing concerns over Trump's popularity, Trump appeared surprised to learn of McCain's lack of support. "Oh, he did? Well, that's not nice," he told CBS News' chief White House correspondent Major Garrett. "He has to be very careful." When pressed on why, Trump tacked on: "He'll find out." …. "At a time when our world has never been more complex or more in danger...I want Republican voters to pay close attention to what our party's most respected and knowledgeable leaders and national security experts are saying about Mr. Trump, and to think long and hard about who they want to be our next Commander-in-Chief and leader of the free world," McCain, the 2008 Republican nominee, had said. Still, McCain spokesperson Rachael Dean told CBS News on Thursday that McCain still intends to support the nominee of the Republican Party.”


Trump has slung handfuls of mud at anybody who has spoken against him, but this is the first time I’ve heard him threaten anybody. His comment against McCain for having been captured was a sign that he personally dislikes him. I wonder what they have fought over?

McCain, Romney and all other Republicans who are opposing Trump definitely shouldn’t turn around then and support him if he is chosen as the candidate. They need to flush out, not just him, but all the social radicals from the party, by which I mean those who want to take us back to the Jim Crow days.
Though our voting and elections patterns would change, I would like to see a purified Republican Party to give the moderates a chance to form a separate party. If a Social Democratic party were to emerge we would have four political parties, as there are in lots of other countries, and neither the Dems or the Republicans would be able to take over total control.

That might make us more unstable politically, though, as the far right party would very likely resemble the party of Hitler in its’ racial/religious hatred and could as it did in Germany actually acquire enough blue collar undereducated followers to win elections. His recent really bizarre statement, “I love the undereducated," is a clear reference to the fact that his supporters are mainly poor, uneducated white men. He doesn’t care. A vote is a vote! That’s what they’re trying to do now, but I don’t think they will win in the national elections this year. Trump is shaping up to be a potentially threatening presence, but I really don’t believe he can beat Hillary. Even some Republicans have said that they will vote for her against their own party if Trump is the candidate. I hope that resistance to him does pan out in votes and not merely talk.



http://www.npr.org/2016/03/04/469052020/the-democratic-party-got-crushed-during-the-obama-presidency-heres-why

The Democratic Party Got Crushed During The Obama Presidency. Here's Why
MARA LIASSON
March 4, 20169:20 AM ET

Photograph -- President Obama has had many successes in office, but his legacy will also include one huge failure: a diminished Democratic Party.
Yuri Gripas/AFP/Getty Images


The GOP may be in the midst of an identity crisis, but the Democratic Party is also facing a political crisis that could be made a lot worse if it doesn't win the White House in November.

Here's why:

Part of President Obama's legacy is the health of his party. He's had many successes in office — health care reform, climate change regulations, Wall Street reform — but his legacy will also include one huge failure: a diminished Democratic Party.

Every president sees his party lose hundreds of positions — it's the price a party holding the White House pays — but no president has come close to Obama. During Obama's eight years in office, the Democrats have lost more House, Senate, state legislative and governors seats than under any other president.

When Obama took office, there were 60 Democratic senators; now there are 46. The number of House seats held by Democrats has shrunk from 257 to 188.

There are now nine fewer Democratic governors than in 2009. Democrats currently hold fewer elected offices nationwide than at any time since the 1920s.

How did this happen?

1. There are two different electorates in America

There is Presidential Election America, where turnout is diverse. The electorate is younger, browner, more single, more secular — more Democratic. Then there's Midterm Election America, where the electorate is older, whiter, more rural, more church-going — in other words, more Republican. What's great for Republicans and bad for Democrats is that the vast majority of the governorships and state legislative seats are elected in the midterms.

And those positions are the seed corn for a party — they're the farm teams for higher-level offices. Right now the Democrats are at a very low ebb.

This is something President Obama lamented when he campaigned for Democrats in the midterm elections of 2010 and 2014. Republicans manage to turn out their voters every two years, but Democrats, for some reason, only turn their voters out every four. Maybe, Obama mused, because Democrats just don't think midterms are "sexy enough."

2. Bad luck

Democrats had one spectacularly bad piece of luck. The Republicans' Tea Party-fueled surge in 2010 was perfectly timed to coincide with the decennial census, after which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by governors and state legislatures. Republicans' huge gains in the 2010 midterms put them in the driver's seat when it came time to draw new congressional districts in 2011. Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell remembers what happened when Republicans took over the governor's mansion and the Legislature in his state:

"When I left office in January of 2011," says Rendell, "there were 13 Democratic congressman and six Republican congressman. As a result of redistricting in the 2010 election, that turned around and we now have 13 Republican congressmen and five Democratic congressman."

3. Democrats don't care

It's not only bad timing and gerrymandering that have hollowed out the Democratic Party. Mo Elleithee, a former Democratic National Committee official, says Democrats have never put enough effort and resources into state legislative races. Republicans, on the other hand, make those races a top priority.

4. Too many Democrats live in cities

This is another problem that makes it easier for Republicans to draw congressional and state legislative districts that disadvantage Democrats. Democratic voters are clumped together in urban areas. You could say that for the purposes of winning elections, Democratic voters are just not efficiently distributed.

Its why even in red states like Texas and Utah there are cities that are solidly Democratic — and why lesbian mayors were elected in Houston and Salt Lake City. When Democrats cluster in and around cities, they win local elections, but that doesn't help them win suburban or rural congressional seats.

This November, the stakes for Democrats couldn't be higher. Without the White House, assuming party control elsewhere remains the same, Democrats would be truly out in the cold.


“When Obama took office, there were 60 Democratic senators; now there are 46. The number of House seats held by Democrats has shrunk from 257 to 188. There are now nine fewer Democratic governors than in 2009. Democrats currently hold fewer elected offices nationwide than at any time since the 1920s. .… There is Presidential Election America, where turnout is diverse. The electorate is younger, browner, more single, more secular — more Democratic. Then there's Midterm Election America, where the electorate is older, whiter, more rural, more church-going — in other words, more Republican. …. Republicans manage to turn out their voters every two years, but Democrats, for some reason, only turn their voters out every four. Maybe, Obama mused, because Democrats just don't think midterms are "sexy enough." …. The Republicans' Tea Party-fueled surge in 2010 was perfectly timed to coincide with the decennial census, after which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by governors and state legislatures. …. . Mo Elleithee, a former Democratic National Committee official, says Democrats have never put enough effort and resources into state legislative races. Republicans, on the other hand, make those races a top priority. …. . Democratic voters are clumped together in urban areas. You could say that for the purposes of winning elections, Democratic voters are just not efficiently distributed. …. When Democrats cluster in and around cities, they win local elections, but that doesn't help them win suburban or rural congressional seats.”


This is a very discouraging article. It makes me wonder whether a free society is going to continue for another fifteen or so years, or far right groups will have their own Revolution, with devastating effects. I hope I don’t live to see that.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/republican-debate-fact-check-how-did-the-better-business-bureau-rate-trump-university/

Fact-check: How did the Better Business Bureau rate Trump University?
By REENA FLORES CBS NEWS
March 3, 2016, 11:29 PM

Related: Live blog: GOP candidates debate in Detroit
Donald Trump defends the size of his hands, and more


With Trump University at the center of an ongoing scandal, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is finding himself on the defensive about the business venture.

"We have a 98 percent approval rating, we have an A from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and people like it," Trump said at the GOP primary debate Thursday.

Rival Marco Rubio said Trump's claim was "false. That's a D-. Go on my website."

Fox News host and debate moderator Megyn Kelly intervened, confirming Rubio was right, and "the rating from the BBB was a D- and it was a result of a number of complaints they received."

Trump shot back that the rating was "elevated to an A."

Rubio also pointed out that Trump had claimed that he handpicked instructors at the school. Factcheck.org, however, pointed out that in a deposition, a top school executive admitted that no, "none of the instructors" had been chosen by Trump.

In reality, the school, which is currently facing a class action lawsuit of 5,000 people who say they were scammed, has received several ratings from the consumer interests organization.

According to a PolitiFact investigation, the BBB had given Trump's school ratings ranging from an A+ to D-. But the most recent rating recorded, in 2010, was a "D-" rating.
SEE BELOW.



https://www.bbb.org/search/?splashPage=true&type=name&input=Trump+University&location=&tobid=&filter=business&radius=&country=USA%2CCAN&language=en&codeType=YPPA

The Trump Entrepreneur Initiative
aka (Formerly) Trump University

Headquarters:
40 Wall Street, 32nd Floor
New York, NY 10005
Phone: (212) 810-7358
Fax: (212) 937-3830

BBB Accredited: No

! THE TRUMP ENTREPRENEUR INITIATIVE IS BELIEVED TO BE OUT OF BUSINESS !

BBB® NR Rating: No Rating
On a scale of A+ to F
Reason for Rating
BBB Ratings System Overview



http://money.cnn.com/2016/03/04/news/companies/donald-trump-eric-schneiderman/index.html

Schneiderman: Trump University fraud 'pretty straightforward'
by Chris Isidore @CNNMoney
March 4, 2016: 11:16 AM ET


"It [was] a bait and switch scheme," he said on CNN's New Day Friday, defending his and other lawsuits against the school. "He did ads saying my hand-picked instructors will teach you my personal secrets. You just copy what I did and get rich."

But Schneiderman said evidence in the case makes clear that Trump was not involved in hiring instructors, and that he didn't create the program's curriculum.

"If you tell people we're going to teach you Donald Trump's secrets, and he never had any part in writing the curriculum, that's fraud," Schneiderman said.

Schneiderman said thousands of students paid millions of dollars to the school, which closed in 2010. While the attorney general's suit is a civil suit rather than a criminal action, Trump could face millions in fines, Schneiderman said.

Related: Court refuses to toss Trump University case

"This is the equivalent of putting up a sign that says Trump Hospital, when it's not, and the people in it aren't nurses and doctors," he said.

Trump has charged on the campaign trail that Schneiderman is pursuing the case after he received a campaign contribution from lawyers representing students in a civil lawsuit. He also says that Schneiderman filed the suit after meeting with President Obama during a presidential trip in upstate New York.

Schneiderman denied both charges.

He said he received a $10,000 donation in 2010 from one lawyer at a large law firm that filed one of the cases against Trump. But he points out that's less than the $12,500 that Trump himself contributed to Schneiderman's campaign. "Obviously, I'm not motivated by money since he gave me more money than anyone even tangentially related to the other side," he said.

Related: Donald Trump to be witness in Trump University case

And Schneiderman said he never discussed the Trump case with Obama before filing it.

"In 2013 when I sued him, we had no idea he was going to run for president," Schneiderman said. "This was just a straight up fraud case. It was not a political thing at all."

This week a New York appellate court rejected a motion by Trump's lawyers to toss the case out of court. That clears the way for it to go to trial, although Trump's general counsel said he intends to appeal to the state's highest court. Trump could end up being called to testify in the case.

Trump is already slated to be a witness in a federal civil case brought by students in California, and he recently gave depositions in a second federal case. He could testify in Schneiderman's case as well. Schneiderman said he's looking forward to Trump's testimony.

"When you're in court, when you're dealing with the legal system, you can't make things up the way you can in a campaign," he said.
CNNMoney (New York)

First published March 4, 2016: 9:57 AM ET


“But Schneiderman said evidence in the case makes clear that Trump was not involved in hiring instructors, and that he didn't create the program's curriculum. "If you tell people we're going to teach you Donald Trump's secrets, and he never had any part in writing the curriculum, that's fraud," Schneiderman said. …. And Schneiderman said he never discussed the Trump case with Obama before filing it. In 2013 when I sued him, we had no idea he was going to run for president," Schneiderman said. "This was just a straight up fraud case. It was not a political thing at all." …. "When you're in court, when you're dealing with the legal system, you can't make things up the way you can in a campaign," he said.”


“While the attorney general's suit is a civil suit rather than a criminal action, Trump could face millions in fines, Schneiderman said.” I’m glad to see that he will face high fines, but compared to his billion or more dollars, that may not even hurt him. If this story keeps showing up in the press, however, he will almost certainly lose votes.

See the article on criminal vs civil fraud below. Bochetto and Lentz state here a number of different types of fraud and their necessary criteria, which do make it clear that a criminal charge in Trump’s case would not be possible.


http://bochettoandlentz.com/criminal-fraud-vs-civil-fraud-whats-difference/

CRIMINAL FRAUD VS CIVIL FRAUD: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Fraud is a crime that many people equate with theft, but there is a distinction. There is also a distinction between criminal fraud and civil fraud. The basic difference between theft and fraud is that theft generally involves taking something through force or by stealth, where fraud revolves around a purposeful misrepresentation of fact, and the basic difference between criminal fraud and civil fraud lies in who is pursuing legal action in the case. A single act of fraud can be prosecuted as a criminal fraud by prosecutors, and also as a civil action by the party that was the victim of the misrepresentation.

Whether criminal or civil, fraud generally has several legal elements, including the following:

Misrepresentation of a material fact
Knowledge on the part of the accused that they were misrepresenting the fact
The misrepresentation was made purposefully, with the intent of fooling the victim
The victim believed the misrepresentation and relied upon it
The victim suffered damages as a result of the misrepresentation


When a person is accused of criminal fraud, the case is brought by either local, state or federal prosecutors, who have to prove that they intended to commit the misrepresentation and to gain from it. These cases can be pursued even if the fraud was not successful and nobody was actually harmed. Common examples of criminal fraud include:

Mail fraud
Wire fraud
Racketeering
Securities fraud
Identity theft
Tax evasion
Bankruptcy fraud
Embezzlement
Bank fraud
Counterfeiting


By contrast, a civil fraud case is brought to court by the person who was defrauded, who needs to prove that the defendant materially misrepresented the fact, that the fact was false and they knew that it was false, that they did so with the intention of getting the victim to act on the misrepresentation and that the victim acted reasonably in believing the misrepresentation. In addition to all of these elements, the victim needs to show that they suffered a damage as a result of the misrepresentation. The biggest difference between a civil fraud case and a criminal case, beyond who is pursuing it, is that actual damage needs to have occurred in a civil case.

The goal of pursuing both a criminal fraud case and a civil fraud case is to get justice and punish the wrongdoer, but the punishments that result from a guilty verdict are very different. In the case of criminal fraud, the accused faces the possibility of incarceration or probation, as well as of having to pay fines and possibly make restitution to any victims that may have been damaged. In a civil fraud case, the punishment sought is generally compensation for the damage that was suffered by the victim.

If you have been the victim of fraud and need information on how to get justice, contact the Philadelphia law firm of Bochetto & Lentz. We have successfully pursued civil fraud cases on behalf of many clients, and can provide you with the legal representation that you need.

Learn more about Criminal Fraud vs Civil Fraud here:
http://bochettoandlentz.com/practice-areas/civil-fraud-and-rico/