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Howie Calls Trump Dictator, Indicts Own Position on Keystone XL and Eminent Domain

Donald Trump, Gordon Howie, Barack Obama
Gordon Howie is right about Trump, but he still flunks his daily dictatorship test.

Gordon Howie says he thinks Donald Trump would be a dictator just like President Barack Obama. Sure, Gordon.

Howie does correctly, conservatively criticize Trump for failing “to recognize the importance of private property rights.” Howie says Trump “has demonstrated his support for the use of eminent domain in the taking of private property for private development.” Trump does indeed think that “eminent domain is wonderful“… which phrase by itself ought to exclude him from the consideration of any true conservative. Trump tried to use eminent domain to take a little old widow’s house for a limousine parking lot next to his Trump Plaza hotel in Atlantic City. The little old widow and a couple neighbors beat back Trump’s eminent domain attempt in court.

Eminent domain has its place for building necessary public works, but even socialist Bernie Sanders doesn’t think the general welfare justifies taking private property for private gain. Trump’s contempt for individual rights (at least indidivuals other than himself) and his willingness to use government power to directly benefit corporate interests make Trump’s fascism even clearer.

But consider the defense of eminent domain Trump gave to Chris Wallace on FOX News in October:

If somebody has a property in the middle of a 7,000 job factory, as an example, that’s going to move into the town – but they need this one corner of this property, and it’s going to provide 7,000 jobs in a community that’s dying, of which we have many in this country, OK? I am for that. That’s a big economic development. But remember this: all of these people that we’re talking about, they’re friends of mine. They all love the Keystone Pipeline, right? The Keystone Pipeline is all eminent domain. They’re building that pipeline, without eminent domain, you wouldn’t be able to build [Donald Trump, interview with Chris Wallace, FOX News, quoted in “Trump: I’m Only For Eminent Domain When It’s Used To Create Jobs,” Real Clear Politics, 2015.10.18].

Of course, they’re not building that pipeline, because President Obama determined is was not in the national interest. But I don’t recall Gordon Howie complaining about the eminent domain that TransCanada was going to use to build that pipeline across South Dakota. Gordon Howie and his pals criticized the President for delaying the pipeline. During his run for Senate in 2014, Howie backed Keystone XL, saying he believed the pipeline would be a net gain for South Dakota

…which means Gordon Howie supported eminent domain, just like that would-be dictator Donald Trump, for a project from which purported dictator Barack Obama protected South Dakota property owners.

9 Comments

  1. Paul Seamans 2015-12-14 17:12

    Gordon Howie’s backing of TransCanada’s use of eminent domain shows that he is just another South Dakota Republican Party member. The SD Republican Party seriously needs to consider removing the plank from the party platform that speaks of their support for private property rights.

  2. Bob Newland 2015-12-14 18:25

    Is there a good reason for Gordon Howie to go on living?

  3. grudznick 2015-12-14 18:35

    Bob, he must live until he pays me back.

  4. Bob Newland 2015-12-14 20:03

    FU Grud.

  5. jerry 2015-12-14 21:00

    Gordo is a little frumpy compared to the Donald, but they sound alike. Get that comb over thingy going and it would be difficult for the average posting dude to tell the difference.

  6. caheidelberger Post author | 2015-12-14 21:11

    Hey, at least Gordon tries to give us some original material instead of just posting what the GOP masters pay for, as on that faded spin blog.

  7. grudznick 2015-12-14 21:20

    This Donald fellow has a lot more money. Mr. Howie, who is insaner than most, is even selling his thrift shop in the old pool hall building over there in Robbinsdale. You’d think since he doesn’t pay his taxes he could at least give an old man back what’s due him.

  8. leslie 2015-12-15 04:04

    greased lizard…!

    eminent domain-essentially just buying out the land owner against his/her will, in the public interest. this is a lot like joop/NBP just buying out Epoch Star rather than paying its lending rate, in the public interest, for his privatized EB5 business, lubricated by Mike Rounds and Dennis Daugaard administration.

    “Within 15 minutes, the Banking Commission granted approval of the transaction, waiving any requirement to get a banking license or pay any taxes in a unanimous vote during its June 29, 2010, meeting in Pierre.

    When the money reached Northern Beef Packers, a first installment was quickly used to pay delinquent taxes, including payroll taxes to the IRS.” http://www.agweek.com/livestock/3793488-loan-northern-beef-benefited-mysterious-la-firm

  9. leslie 2015-12-15 04:15

    interesting date of agweek article right before marty, denny and marion’s stolen election from Wismer, Weiland and yes, even Chad what’s his name:)

    By news@agweek.com on Oct 14, 2014 at 9:38 a.m. typical republicans

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