So what is your opinion of these 50 republicans? Because I can sure remember a time when you expressed seething hatred of warmongers. Are you now warmly embracing them because they hate Trump as much as you do?
Personally I think this helps Trump. Most Americans agree that invading Iraq was a huge mistake and it was these blithering idiots who advised Bush it was the right thing to do. On Tuesday, August 9, 2016 at 1:09:52 PM UTC-4, plainolamerican wrote: > > > https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/group-of-50-former-gop-national-security-officials-trump-would-be-most-reckless-president-in-american-history/2016/08/08/6715042c-5d9f-11e6-af8e-54aa2e849447_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_trumpletter-430pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory > > A group of 50 former national security officials, all of whom have served > Republican presidents from Richard M. Nixon to George W. Bush, have signed > an open letter calling Donald Trump unqualified to be president and warning > that, if elected, “he would be the most reckless President in American > history.” > > The letter offers a withering critique of the GOP nominee, saying he > “lacks the character, values and experience” to be president. The > signatories declare their conviction that he would be dangerous “and would > put at risk our country’s national security and well-being.” > > They state flatly that none of them intend to vote for Trump in November. > Some have decided to vote for Hillary Clinton, while others intend to sit > out the election or write in another name, said John Bellinger III, a > former legal adviser to Condoleezza Rice and the writer of the letter’s > first draft. > > “We also know that many have doubts about Hillary Clinton, as do many of > us,” the letter says. “But Donald Trump is not the answer to America’s > daunting challenges and to this crucial election. We are convinced that in > the Oval Office, he would be the most reckless President in American > history.” > > In a statement, Trump said the letter writers share the blame for “making > the world such a dangerous place.” > > “They are nothing more than the failed Washington elite looking to hold > onto their power, and it’s time they are held accountable for their > actions,” he said. > > Trump said the former officials — along with Clinton — took part in the > decisions that led to the invasion of Iraq, the deaths of Americans in > Benghazi, Libya, and the rise of the Islamic State. > > “Yet despite these failures, they think they are entitled to use their > favor trading to land taxpayer-funded government contracts and speaking > fees,” he said. > > Although no former secretaries of state signed the letter, it carries the > signatures of Michael Chertoff and Tom Ridge, former secretaries of > homeland security; Michael Hayden, a former director of the CIA and the > National Security Agency; John Negroponte, a former director of national > intelligence and deputy secretary of state; Robert Zoellick, who also was a > deputy secretary of state and president of the World Bank and the U.S. > trade representative under George W. Bush; Carla Hills, the U.S. trade > representative under George H.W. Bush; and William H. Taft IV, a former > deputy secretary of defense and ambassador to NATO under the elder Bush. > > Also signing the letter were several aides who were senior advisers in the > White House, State Department and Pentagon. Among them were Eric Edelman, a > national security adviser to then-Vice President Richard B. Cheney, and > Bellinger, who worked closely with Rice when she was secretary of state and > when she was on the NSC. > > Bellinger said that some involved with the letter wanted to wait until > September to release their views but that the candidate’s behavior in > recent weeks — from his comments on NATO to inviting Russian intelligence > to hack Clinton’s emails — galvanized them to move sooner. > > “This is not about NATO, it’s not about trade, it’s not about Russia, it’s > not about cyber. We really wanted to focus on the character, temperament > and judgment that we have seen are required of good presidents,” Bellinger > said. > > Although the signatories all served Republican presidents, many of the > criticisms echo those being leveled by the Clinton campaign. > > “He appears to lack basic knowledge about and belief in the U.S. > Constitution, U.S. laws and U.S. institutions, including religious > tolerance, freedom of the press and an independent judiciary,” the letter > says of Trump. > > Later on, it adds, “At the same time, he persistently compliments our > adversaries and threatens our allies and friends. Unlike previous > Presidents who had limited experience in foreign affairs, Mr. Trump has > shown no interest in educating himself. He continues to display an alarming > ignorance of basic facts of contemporary international politics.” > > The letter said Trump “lacks the temperament to be President,” and gave a > scathing assessment of his ability to take advice, discipline himself, > control his emotions and reflect before acting. > > “He is unable or unwilling to separate truth from falsehood,” the letter > states in a particularly pointed criticism of Trump’s personal traits. “He > does not encourage conflicting views. He lacks self-control and acts > impetuously. He cannot tolerate personal criticism. He has alarmed our > closest allies with his erratic behavior. All of these are dangerous > qualities in an individual who aspires to be President and > Commander-in-Chief, with command of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.” > > Bellinger said the letter is not intended to be political. > > “What we really wanted to do was to raise the alarm and awareness among > voters who may find Mr. Trump attractive in a lot of ways, but do not > understand what is required to be president of the United States,” he said. > “We are trying to say to them, we have served inside the White House, we > have worked with presidents for decades, we know what’s required to be > president, and we are deeply concerned Donald Trump does not have these > qualifications, the judgment or the temperament.” > -- -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. 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