Trump & Putin: Really Into Each Other

"I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." -Winston Churchill, 1939

What to make of Donald Trump's relationship (or lack thereof) with Vladimir Putin?

A sampling of Trump's contradictory quotes only makes things murkier:

Donald Trump last week: “I never met Putin. I don’t know who Putin is.”

Donald Trump in 2013: "I was in Moscow recently and I spoke, indirectly and directly, with President Putin, who could not have been nicer, and we had a tremendous success.” Donald Trump in 2015: “I got to know (Putin) very well.”

Donald Trump yesterday: “Just so you understand, he said very nice things about me. But I have no relationship with him. I don’t...I’ve never met him. I wouldn’t know him from Adam except I see his picture, and I would know what he looks like.” And Donald Trump is (just barely) seen as the more "trustworthy" candidate.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

“For still there are so many things that I have never seen: in every wood in every spring there is a different green. I sit beside the fire and think of people long ago, and people who will see a world that I shall never know.” -J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings

A couple of weeks ago, which seems like an eternity in the current Presidential election news cycle, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made a candid, off cuff comment when asked in a New York Times interview what she would do if Republican nominee Donald Trump were to be elected President in November. She jokingly replied that her late husband world tell her "Time to move to New Zealand!". Not surprisingly, her sardonic comment was met with outrage from Trump and others in the GOP. Shortly afterward, after briefly doubling down, she backed off, calling her own choice of words "ill advised".

With the increasing possibility that Donald Trump could, in fact, pull out a win in November, some have looked into the very real notion of relocating, at least for the next four to eight years, to New Zealand, or some other welcoming oasis.

Hopefully, self-exile will no longer be an issue come November.

VOTE!

Game On: Donald vs. Hillary

So it's come to this. As grueling as the campaigns have been on the nominees, it's been truly agonizing for the voters. And at the presumed end of the nomination process to determine the two most qualified candidates for the highest office in the land, it's hard imagine coming up with two less likable individuals.* And with the proven effectiveness of negative ads, it's only going to get uglier leading up to November's general election.

Only five more months until it starts all over again. And remember: in the voting booth, no one can hear you scream. *In the latest polls , Donald Trump has an unfavorability rating of 63%, with Hillary Clinton only slightly better, with a rating of 61%

The "Golden Wrecking Ball"

 Memorial Day weekend,  Sarah Palin gifted political cartoonists the world over with the perfect nickname for 2016 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. In a glowing and rambling rally introduction, she dubbed him the "Golden Wrecking Ball", a name that will hopefully follow him through the remainder of his campaign. Thank you Sarah!

Hillary vs. Bernie- Showdown in New York

Today, Wisconsinites vote in their Democratic and Republican primaries. Until recently, Hillary Clinton was comfortably ahead in the Wisconsin polls and was hoping to further widen her national delegate lead over Bernie Sanders.

But in the latest polls, Sanders has surged ahead by about 5 points, and is now predicted to win by a little, or maybe a lot, if his upset in Michigan was any indication. Realistically, Bernie Sanders still has a lot of catching up to do if he wants to wrest the Democratic nomination from Hillary Clinton. But no one can deny that the momentum is definitely with the Sanders campaign.

Which brings us to New York.

As elsewhere, Sanders’ New York rallies are drawing thousands of potential voters compared to the hundreds at Clinton’s rallies. Losing the state that twice elected her Senator would be a major blow to the Clinton candidacy and would be a huge game-changer. while he would still trail in the delegate count, there’s no doubt that a Bernie Sanders victory would send a message to the DNC that Sanders isn’t going down easily, and could, just maybe, pull the ultimate upset. His rejection of income inequality and special interest money controlling Washington resonates loudly with voters across all demographics.

As of now, Hillary still holds a single digit advantage over Bernie in the latest New York primary polls, after leading by 20-30 points just weeks ago, but the trajectory is undoubtedly in his favor. Whatever the outcome, New York's April 19th primary should be a strong indicator of who will be the Democratic nominee come November.