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U.S. NEWS A3
Tuesday 16 February 2016
GOP campaign gets nastier as Cruz, Trump trade blows
NANCY BENAC breaking that allows more Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, third from left, departs a news conference
Associated Press and more of it to happen Monday, Feb. 15, 2016, in Hanahan, S.C.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Front- faster and faster,” says
runner Donald Trump is in a Robert Lane Greene, au- (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
profanity-laced campaign thor of “You Are What You
for the Republican nomina- Speak,” a book about the
tion that has seen multiple politics of language.
candidates hurl insults and Trump is playing to vot-
disparaging remarks. ers who have a disdain
In recent days, Trump has for anything associated
publicly lip-synced the with the establishment, in-
F-bomb, blurted out the cluding the whole idea of
S-word more than once, appearing “presidential,”
hurled an offensive term says Norman Ornstein, an
for coward at rival Ted Cruz American Enterprise Insti-
and called other candi- tute scholar. That makes
dates pathetic, liars, losers, it hard for Trump’s rivals to
nasty, evil and more. fight back using traditional
Cruz has called out his tactics. “If you are trying
“Trumpertantrums” and to be a boxer playing by
dismissed the billionaire’s Marquess of Queensberry
insults as “hysterical.” rules and you’re coming
Even Jeb Bush, whose up against a mixed martial
90-year-old mother recent- arts guy who doesn’t even
ly said he was too polite, abide by the rules of mixed
belatedly joined in. Bush, a martial arts, do you sink to
favorite target of Trump’s that level?” Ornstein asks.
taunts, tweeted: “You “There’s no easy way to
aren’t just a loser, you are respond, because if you’re
a liar and a whiner.” trying to show you’re dif-
Politicians have tended to ferent from this vulgar guy,
keep their name-calling then he’s going to beat
and coarseness off-mic. you up.” That seems to be
Now, it’s on the podium, just fine with the voters who
and by design. have put Trump at the top
“There’s a general taboo- of the polls. q
Clinton: Obama might pressure
Republicans for high court pick
NICHOLAS RICCARDI eral Republican presiden-
Associated Press tial candidates have said
ELKO, Nevada (AP) — Hill- Obama should not seek to
ary Clinton predicted Mon- replace the revered con-
day that President Barack servative jurist during the
Obama will nominate final 11 months of his term.
someone who’s already Instead, they argue, that
been confirmed by the choice should be left to
Senate to replace the late the winner of November’s
Supreme Court Justice An- presidential election.
tonin Scalia. Obama has said he will
The Democratic candidate make a nomination, and
for president said that po- Clinton and her rival for the
tentially would increase Democratic presidential
pressure on Republicans to nomination, Vermont Sen.
consider Obama’s choice Bernie Sanders, have both
for the high court. expressed outrage at the
“I’m hoping that we will potential of a Republican-
get somebody nominated led Senate refusing to con-
that will get people say- sider it.
ing, ‘Hey, the only reason “I think the president is go-
you’re blocking this is pure ing to look for somebody
partisanship, so do your who has the record that is
duty,’” Clinton said. going to be hard for the Re-
Some judges now serving publicans to be against,”
on the federal appeals Clinton said. “Somebody
courts “were confirmed 99- who is a sensible person
0” by the Senate, she said. with a good record, and
In the wake of Scalia’s maybe somebody who’s
death on Saturday, Re- already been confirmed
publican senators and sev- by the Senate.” q
