Former Vice President Dick Cheney (R) on Monday denounced real estate mogul Donald Trump's plan to restrict all Muslims from immigrating to the U.S., pointing out that the U.S. has always welcomed people of all religions.

"I think this whole notion that somehow we can just say no more Muslims, just ban a whole religion, goes against everything we stand for and believe in," he told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. "I mean, religious freedom has been a very important part of our history and where we came from. A lot of people, my ancestors got here, because they were Puritans."

WHAT??

Goes to show you how out of touch the guy is he's been using dog whistles for decades and doesn't even know what the f$&k it means.

But, realistically . . . worldwide, about 1/3 of Muslims are considered radical and about 2/3 are considered "moderate."  Radical means or meant by those doing the polling that they approved completely or somewhat of the 9/11 attacks and other similar attacks.

A "moderate" Muslim is one that does not justify the 9/11 attacks, but statistically a so-called moderate-Muslim believes in honor killings, imposing Sharia law and punishing or killing those who insult Mohammed or Islam.  Statistically speaking, to be a moderate Muslim is not compatible with American values.  Note that the polling organizations such as Gallup and Pew use one definition for a moderate Muslim that Ben Shapiro believes means that they should be considered radical anyway.

 There is no reason that we should be taking most any of them into the country.  I suppose that someone could create some strange exceptional reason for a handful of them . . .

 But, actually, Trump's Muslim statement is not that far away from previous outrageous pronouncements. And, it is one that will be seen by his followers as addressing the San Bernardino terrorist attack. Mass terror attacks that are not by Muslims don't count, or, certainly, not so much to worry about because the second amendment is more important than the fifth commandment.

  And, like the initial horror expressed by the rounding up and deporting millions of undocumented immigrants and their families, building a wall with a beautiful door for possible re-entry for the good ones, the Muslim ban will soon be seen as "terrific." by all Republicans.  Or, not so bad as not to vote for him.

Every time you had to "leave it there" after ideologies clashed mindlessly, fruitlessly. Every dubious truth claim you had to let pass because challenging it might interrupt the flow or make you sound too partisan. Every time you defaulted to "will it work?" when the bigger question was "is it so?" Every dutiful effort you made to "get the other side" without asking if the number of sides was really two. Every time you asked each other "what's the politics of this?" so you could escape the tedium and complexity of public problem-solving.

Short version-
What he is up to is
He knows he would lose a general election.
He has to find a "reason" for that
He never really wanted to be president probably
So
He's trying to get the republicans to run him out of the party so he can run as an independent
That does two things
It gives him a good reason for losing AND lets him screw the party by making them lose.

Hmmmm

Trump's goal is political, and craven -- near-universal outcry from across the political spectrum reinforces his identity as an outsider, and every criticism proves to supporters that Trump is a man who'll say what others fear to speak.

And so we were reluctant to lend this institution's voice to a denunciation that might further Trump's cause.

But some slurs are so heinous that they must be answered. And some lies are so vile that they become dangerous if not met with truth, and strength.

Trump's indictment of Muslims en masse is nothing more than rank bigotry and racism, a reach back to the darkest chapters of America's history and a betrayal of the founding principles of our nation.

SNIP

Contrast Trump's statements to President Barack Obama's Sunday night address from the Oval Office:

"Muslim Americans are our friends and our neighbors, our coworkers, our sports heroes -- and, yes, they are our men and women in uniform who are willing to die in defense of our country. We have to remember that."

And so: We stand with San Bernardino. We stand with Paris. We stand with Beirut. We stand with Syrian refugees, seeking a safer life in our country, still a beacon of democracy and freedom, despite Trump's efforts to the contrary. We stand with the Christians, Muslims, Jews, atheists, Hindus, Buddhists and all others who make up our community.

We stand with America.

Mr. Trump, with whom do you stand?