{"id":22175,"date":"2016-05-31T12:20:55","date_gmt":"2016-05-31T19:20:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=22175"},"modified":"2016-05-31T12:20:55","modified_gmt":"2016-05-31T19:20:55","slug":"open-thread-5312016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2016\/05\/31\/open-thread-5312016\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread – 5\/31\/2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

Another month is almost gone, and it’s medical mayhem time again.  Today is grocery order day.  Tomorrow is shower, collect data for Monthly Report, change Poll, and grocery delivery day.  Thursday is Monthly Report, Bank Trip, and CAT Scan day.  Friday is pre-surgery physical day.  Saturday is shower, dreaded task and cleaning day.  Finally Monday is Radiation Oncologist day.  Two outpatient surgeries for eye cancer will follow soon after.  Yes.  My plate is full.<\/font><\/p>\n

Jig Zone Puzzle<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

Today’s took me 3:39 (average 4:19).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

Short Takes<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

From Alternet<\/a>: <\/font>Trump has cast doubt on the presidential eligibility of not only Ted Cruz, who was born in Canada to a U.S. citizen, but also Marco Rubio, who was born in Miami, Florida.<\/p>\n

As Garrett Epps writes<\/a> in The Atlantic, Trump did so in the same evasive way that he floats other conspiracy theories:<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s challenge to the U.S. Constitution is only one subchapter of that story; but the damage he is doing is real, and he\u2019s not finished yet.<\/p>\n

Consider that last weekend, Trump began to deploy his birther libel<\/a> \u2014 first wheeled out against Barack Obama and then Ted Cruz\u2014against Marco Rubio. His claims are only increasing in scope. Obama, Trump claimed, was not born in the United States. (He was.) Cruz was born (to an American citizen mother) in Canada. Trump says that means he\u2019s not a natural-born citizen. (He is.) No one questions that Rubio was born in the United States. His parents were lawful permanent residents. The Constitution, on this point at least, is blessedly clear. To be born in the United States is to be born a citizen. Trump doesn\u2019t question that. Not quite. Not yet. But late last week, he retweeted a supporter who suggested that Rubio is ineligible for the White House. When George Stephanopoulos asked him why he had done that, Trump responded: \u201cBecause I\u2019m not sure. I mean, let people make their own determination.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is the way that Trump insinuates lies and libels into the discussion. It\u2019s not me, he feigns, others have questions about Rubio, I\u2019m just saying it could be a problem, and maybe we should look into it. Similarly, after repeating a supporter\u2019s invective<\/a> against Cruz, Trump shrugs:Hey,I didn\u2019t make the indecent and sexist commentabout Cruz. What can I do? My supporters are passionate. But that was just the start. By the Iowa caucuses, he was calling the Texas senator \u201cthe Canadian anchor baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is only the 58th of 58 conspiracy theories promoted by Rump Dump Trump. Click through for the other 57.<\/font><\/p>\n

From Crooks and Liars<\/a>: <\/font>CNN reports<\/a>:<\/p>\n

At least four people at a Bernie Sanders rally in Oakland rushed the stage Monday evening, spurring Secret Service agents to jump onto the raised platform and protect him.<\/p>\n

The Democratic presidential candidate was uninjured and continued speaking, but not before several agents hugged him and pushed him away from the microphone. The identities of the individuals, who yelled as they approached the stage, were not immediately known. They were apprehended and led away by Secret Service from the podium at the Frank Ogawa Plaza, where the rally was being held.<\/p>\n

After the events of Monday night in Northern California, Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs said, "It was handled professionally by the Secret Service."<\/p>\n