Racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, psychopathic, natavistic, Islamophobic, genophobic (I had to look this one up). Are the Democrats running out of adjectives to describe Trump? How about triskaidekaphobiac?

Madame Clinton recently came up with deplorables and irredeemables, plural adjectives to describe those Americans who support Trump.

Hubby Bill was more innovative. He revealed that Trump's campaign slogan, Make American Great Again, is racist. How so?

The former president explained what it means, and it does take some explaining. “What it means is ‘I’ll give you an economy you had 50 years ago, and I’ll move you back up on the social totem pole and other people down.’” Ah yes. It's code. The back-of-the-bus old South redux. Who knew?

But rather than hurling brickbats at Trump, wouldn't it be more informative if the Democrats explained their position on main issues?

Since they haven't gotten around to it yet, I'll do it. Here it is: pick any one of Obama's last eight years. Ditto that.

The Republicans are not so easily summarized. We'll try to condense Trump's position hitting the highlights on six key issues. Starting with---

Economic Policy. Cut is the key word. Cut individual taxes. The average middle-class family will save $2,500/year. Cut business taxes in half to 15 percent to make products competitive here and abroad. Cut job-killing regulations. Exclude childcare expenses from taxation and eliminate the death tax. Renegotiate all unfavorable trade agreements and withdraw from the TPP. Lastly, apply tariffs to imports coming from countries that manipulate the value of their currency to achieve an unfair trade advantage.

Immigration. We are the only nation that puts the needs of immigrants ahead of our citizens. This must be reversed. Immigration is a privilege, not our obligation. Newcomers must contribute to our welfare, not our welfare doled out to them. All laws concerning illegals must be enforced. Criminals and gang members face immediate deportation to their country of origin. And a wall across the southern border is imperative.

Paying For The Border Wall. Last year money sent by Mexicans residing in the U.S. back to Mexico, called remittances, was $25 billion. This exceeded oil, Mexico's second largest income, by $6 billion. If Mexico agreed to a one-time payment of 4 percent of its remittance, that would pay for the wall. If not, the U.S. could stop all cross-border cash transfers.

Healthcare Reform. Repeal Obamacare and replace it with vendors being enabled to offer insurance in any state. This free market competition will cause insurance costs to fall and consumer satisfaction to rise. All healthcare payments will be fully deductible on tax returns. Further, health insurance will no longer be mandatory. Steps will be taken by Medicare and the states to ensure that all those who want health insurance can have it.

Veterans Administration Reforms. Vets will no longer be tied to Veterans' hospitals. They will be able to go where they want and when they want to receive the care needed. No more long lines and waiting days to see a physician.

Second Amendment Rights. The Second Amendment to our Constitution is clear: “The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed upon.” Period. Opponents of gun rights want to chip away at the Second Amendment by restricting the sale of “assault weapons.” But what they are referring to are ordinary semi-automatic rifles, not fully-automatic real assault weapons. The actual problem is felons who commit crimes with a firearm. Mandatory prison sentences should be imposed on all such criminals to get them off the streets and into jail.

Oh, almost forgot, triskaidekaphobia. That's fear of the number 13. Perhaps Bill can use his imaginative skills, as he did with Trump's campaign slogan, to show how this is another “deplorable” Republican trait.

Sincerely,

Bob Scroggins

New Milford

There's been an incredible amount of negativity directed at the Clinton Foundation.  Even by the so-called "Liberal Media".  If we're to believe its detractors, the Foundation is nothing but a slush fund (Kellyanne Conway)-- a pay for play operation (Trump)-- which the Clintons are using to line their own pockets (Rush Limbaugh).  Thing is, NONE of this is true!  There are several organizations that monitor and rate charities, and they all give the Clinton Foundation 4 stars, A's.  ["If Hillary Clinton wasn't running for President, the Clinton Foundation would be seen as one of the great humanitarian charities of our generation."  -- Daniel Borochoff, Charity Watch.]  The accusations never stood up to honest investigation, something few even bother to undertake.

The real crooked foundation is the Trump Foundation, which has largely escaped scrutiny and, like its namesake, is scarcely held accountable.  In contrast to the lies and delusions spewed at the Clintons, here's what we know for a fact about the Trump Foundation:

Donald Trump has not fed a single cent of his own money into it since 2008.  The skinflint has been soliciting funds from others.  He claims to have given millions of his own money away, but in the absence of his tax returns, this is unverifiable.  And unlikely.  An egomaniac like him would hardly do charity in secret.

The Trump Foundation has, in violation of the rules, used charitable funds to buy sports memorabilia and two portraits of (of course) Donald Trump.  Sorry, but you're not legally allowed to receive any benefit from a charitable contribution! Them's the rules

In 2013 this unrated foundation made an illegal $25,000 donation to a PAC supporting Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi-- one she solicited.  She then dropped an investigation into fraud by Trump University.  This is bribery!  The illegal donation was no accident-- in its official financial statements, the donation was listed under the name of another non-profit with a similar name that didn't get a cent from him.  This was clearly an attempt to pull the wool over the government's eyes, but it didn't work. Trump paid a measly $2500 fine for the illegal donation.  He's paid no price for it being a bribe.

In another apparent misuse of charity for political purposes, the Trump Foundation in 2014 gave $100,000 to the Citizens United Foundation (run by David Bossie, professional Clinton hunter and now Trump's Deputy Campaign Manager.)  This was used to finance a lawsuit against New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman-- who was suing Trump for fraud involving (once again) Trump University.

The Trump Foundation has also used charitable money to settle lawsuits, yet another violation of the rules governing charities.  In once case, when Palm Beach fined him $120,000, Trump got them to accept him making a donation to a veteran's charity instead of to the city, and he paid it not out of his own pocket, but the charity's.

Another case was a real doozy.  In 2010 Trump reneged in paying the $1 million prize in a Hole-in-One contest at one of his courses.  He invoked the rules, which stated that the shot had to be at least 150 yards to count.  But the hole in question had been moved up to make it just under 150 yards. He rigged the game!  And with a crooked carny-type trick.  Again, charity money was improperly used to settle the lawsuit.

Here's the real killer:  Trump in 2009 solicited $150,000 from another man's charity, then gave it to the Palm Beach Police Foundation.  For this, he got the credit.  Then the PBPF held a gala to honor Trump for his nonexistent generosity.  They rented out his Mar-a-Lago at a cost of $276,463.  The rat PROFITED from a "charitable" donation.  One that cost him nothing!  Such a saint …

In sum, the Trump Foundation is, according to Washington Post reporter David Farenthold, "a money-laundering scheme with which he buys political influence (and keen toys) using other people's money."  Said Trump (9/20), "There's nothing like doing things with other people's money."  Now he wants to play with all of ours.

This is the same Trump who, based on zero verifiable facts, and nothing but right-wing-spun misinformation, and using his never-ending hyperbole, called the totally legit Clinton Foundation "the most corrupt enterprise in political history."  (Really?  Boss Tweed would be miffed.)

The weasel has no decency and no shame.  And his worshipers have no sense.

Sincerely,

Stephen Van Eck

Lawton, PA