Common Sense: Trump says “no deal”

President Trump was correct to nullify the Iranian nuclear deal. From the start, the deal did not appear to be in the best interests of the United States. And President Obama was wrong to go around Congress.

President Trump did not reinstate the sanctions on Iran that existed before the agreement was signed. And the president has indicated that talks about a new arrangement can go forward as long as Congress is involved.

That is the right way to do it, Mr. President.

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Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis, the Republican and Conservative Party candidate for mayor, participated in a televised debate against Bill de Blasio and Bo Dietl last week. By most accounts, as well as a NY1 snap poll, she won.

I watched the debate and certainly agree with that assessment. If I were using a boxing analogy, I would say that Nicole effectively jabbed at the mayor and his record repeatedly. And based on the way the mayor acted, looked and responded, she made contact.

His counter to most everything she said was that she voted for Donald Trump, which is an odd response when your opponent is bringing up weaknesses in your management ability and programs. He also wanted to tell her that she was wrong with some of her facts and figures.

Nicole is well studied and had the facts and figures available, plus in many cases the mayor’s failures have been well documented by the media and official governmental reviews, often by the city comptroller.

The non-scientific snap poll showed her ahead at the beginning of the debate and ahead by more at the end. That indicates she won. But all you really need to do is watch it to draw the same conclusion.

The clown Bo Dietl was on the stage, taking up space. He, as expected, made a buffoon of himself. He went in with little support and I suspect came out with next to nothing.

Running for mayor is a serious business. There are important issues between serious candidates that need to be discussed. He should not be allowed to participate in the next and final debate.

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Bob Capano was a Republican, and as a Republican candidate for City Council he made the claim that he was the only candidate who had always been a Republican. He also indicated that he would support the winner of the Republican Party primary. He even showed up at John Quaglione’s victory party where he spoke, pledging his support for John.

That was then.

Bob, who spent tens of thousands of dollars to come in a distant third with only 579 votes, will have no effect on the November results. But that is not the point I wish to make.

Bob has since enrolled in the Reform Party. So much for his impeccable Republican credentials. As far as him supporting the winner of  the Republican primary, and his appearance and statements at the Bay Ridge Manor in support of John primary night, well, those went out the window too.

The failure of candidates for public office to keep their word is what I find troubling. I have known Bob for a long time. During that time, all he ever wanted to do was run for office. This was his third chance, having been supported by the Brooklyn Republican and Conservative Parties twice and losing in landslides both times.

Then he moved to Staten Island and remained there for five years, emerging at an address in Brooklyn a few months ago. Once again, the voters saw through him and the results are what I have indicated.

Bob has every right to run as a Reform Party candidate. He does not have the right to change his story around to suit his ambitions whenever he feels like it.

This is one of the things I dislike most about a business I have worked within my entire life —  candidates that are all about themselves, candidates that care little for the community and even less for those who might have bested them and are going forward carrying the banner that they wished to carry.

Sore loser is the common term. But I think it is quite a bit worse. It really goes to the core of what the person is about.