So, how many of you out there are Bernie supporters?

[Skarp]

Trump's answer on ABC's This Week indicated his proposal was a starting point for negotiations, he'd give on the upper end and said he's willing to pay more taxes. George questioned his willingness to pay more taxes and Trump doubled-down on it. Apparently he did the same thing on NBC's Meet the Press. As Sam says, he walked it back afterward.

Clarifying an answer isn't necessarily (or at all in this instance) the same thing as "walking it back." Trump is willing to give on the upper end and personally pay more taxes than those specified in his tax plan/proposal, if doing so is necessary to secure large tax reductions for businesses and the middle class. That's not a tax raise on the rich; it's a smaller tax cut.

Trump's clearly articulated ambition is to get his tax plan passed in its entirety. The more support he has, and the less contrived opposition from so-called conservatives, the better positioned he will be to do exactly that.

[PDad]

Trump's answer on ABC's This Week indicated his proposal was a starting point for negotiations, he'd give on the upper end and said he's willing to pay more taxes. George questioned his willingness to pay more taxes and Trump doubled-down on it. Apparently he did the same thing on NBC's Meet the Press. As Sam says, he walked it back afterward.

Clarifying an answer isn't necessarily (or at all in this instance) the same thing as "walking it back." Trump is willing to give on the upper end and personally pay more taxes than those specified in his tax plan/proposal, if doing so is necessary to secure large tax reductions for businesses and the middle class. That's not a tax raise on the rich; it's a smaller tax cut.

I understand their "clarification." However, that suggests Trump is an incredibly bad communicator because George gave him several opportunities to clarify it during the interview and Trump didn't. An alternative explanation is Trump intentionally portrayed himself as a benevolent / generous person for the TV audience, knowing most wouldn't hear about him "clarify" it afterward. It's a variation on making a very public accusation knowing most won't hear/see the retraction afterward.

The discussion of taxes begins 50 seconds into this video of the interview - http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/video/trump-walks-back-tax-plan-im-allowed-change-38965028. Here's the portion of the transcript (http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-donald-trump/story?id=38951757) where George kept asking him to confirm it.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But bottom line, do you want taxes on the wealthy to go up or down?

TRUMP: They will go up a little bit. And they may go up, you know...

STEPHANOPOULOS: But they're going down in your plan.

TRUMP: No, no, in my plan they're going down, but by the time it's negotiated, they'll go up.

Look, when I'm negotiating with the Democrats, I'm putting in plan. I'm putting in my optimum plan. It's going to be negotiated, George, it's not going to stay there. They're not going to say there's your plan, let's approve it. They're going to say, let's see what we can do.

Now, it will be a negotiation. I will try and keep everything -- what I really want is lower on business, because business -- we're the highest taxed nation in the world. And I want lower in the middle class. The middle class in this country is getting decimated. I want -- and I will fight like hell for that.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But people like me and you should pay more?

TRUMP: I don't mind paying more tax, I'll be honest with you. I don't mind paying more tax. I've done very well over the last 40 years.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But under your plan, you pay less taxes.

TRUMP: But under my plan, it's going to be negotiated. What I'm saying is I will be submitting something like what I did in terms of concept -- because it's just a concept, George.

You know, we're putting in the policy, we're putting in a statement. It's a concept.

And I'll tell you what the real concept is. Lower taxes for business, lower taxes for the middle class, lower taxes for everybody and then we're going to start negotiating.

So if I want to get lower taxes, which is very important for me, I'm not going to put in high taxes and I'm not even going to put in what I necessarily want. I'm going to put in lower than I want and we're going to negotiate.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But in the end, will someone like me or Donald Trump pay more under your tax plan?

TRUMP: I have a feeling we may pay some more. But I'll tell you, the middle class is going to pay a lot less. And I wouldn't mind paying more, George. We've got to do something. I mean I wouldn't mind paying more.

[Skarp]

"Now, it will be a negotiation. I will try and keep everything -- what I really want is lower on business, because business -- we're the highest taxed nation in the world. And I want lower in the middle class. The middle class in this country is getting decimated. I want -- and I will fight like hell for that."

Point taken, but even in that interview the salient point was included, and it was subsequently reiterated numerous times.

Honestly though, what is the possible point of these types of quibbles? If Trump delivers on a fraction of his platform he will go down as a great president. And if we get Hillary, it's over. It's rally 'round the leader time, gentlemen.

[fastpitchdad05]

"Now, it will be a negotiation. I will try and keep everything -- what I really want is lower on business, because business -- we're the highest taxed nation in the world. And I want lower in the middle class. The middle class in this country is getting decimated. I want -- and I will fight like hell for that."

Point taken, but even in that interview the salient point was included, and it was subsequently reiterated numerous times.

Honestly though, what is the possible point of these types of quibbles? If Trump delivers on a fraction of his platform he will go down as a great president. And if we get Hillary, it's over. It's rally 'round the leader time, gentlemen.

I'm going to run on a platform that I will give every voter a million dollars tax-free!

It's what I really want but it will need to be negotiated and probably will end up being a lot different (maybe as low as a buck a person, only for the middle class and paid for by the top 1%) after the negotiations.

But it's what I really want so vote for me!

[Sam]

I do believe in Reagan's 11th Commandment and I will be voting for Trump. The good thing about him is that he isn't afraid of media personalities.....like the way he handled Stephanopolous recently regarding his tax returns. Romney would have folded like a cheap suit.

[fastpitchdad05]

I do believe in Reagan's 11th Commandment and I will be voting for Trump. The good thing about him is that he isn't afraid of media personalities.....like the way he handled Stephanopolous recently regarding his tax returns. Romney would have folded like a cheap suit.

I took his response as an admission that he has something to hide. And as not only an F you to Stephanopoulos but also the public in general, showing that his business is more important than anything else and always will be.

[Sam]

I do believe in Reagan's 11th Commandment and I will be voting for Trump. The good thing about him is that he isn't afraid of media personalities.....like the way he handled Stephanopolous recently regarding his tax returns. Romney would have folded like a cheap suit.

I took his response as an admission that he has something to hide. And as not only an F you to Stephanopoulos but also the public in general, showing that his business is more important than anything else and always will be.

I'm sure he has something to hide, but it was refreshing to see someone actually stand up for themselves with a Clinton puke who fell into a "journalism" job.

[exD1dad]

Trump has been preparing for this run for a long time & part of his strategy was his reality show & grooming his children to take over his businesses. Last year when my partner & I (a tea party conservative who ran H Cain's media strategy including the famous "smoking man" spot) tried our best to rep him, did a couple of spot & Lewandowski wanted us but the donald is holding the purse strings so now we're hoping to make Paul Nehlen the 2nd candidate in history to defeat a sitting Speaker of the house. I got back from the Texas border yesterday where the cartels are in control. MSM wont tell the public how 75% of the women are raped by cartel coyotes, how they're given 1 day pills. Trump was right on the border EXCEPT we dont need a wall where there are natural barriers. Now I had armed deputy sheriffs escorting us in both counties where the they have no body armor & have to purchase their own guns. Incredible!

www.DumpPaulRyan.com

[PDad]

Honestly though, what is the possible point of these types of quibbles? If Trump delivers on a fraction of his platform he will go down as a great president. And if we get Hillary, it's over. It's rally 'round the leader time, gentlemen.

Yeah, bottom line is the alternative is worse. It would be a pleasant surprise if he has a chance to win in CA and our votes actually mattered. I had my hopes up when it looked like the primary race might have continued out here.

[Dugout Dad]

LOL, they ran out of other people's money.

Vermont college once led by Bernie Sanders’ wife collapses
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/burlington-college-closes-jane-sanders-212935597.html