Kinder, Gentler Donald? Denounces Film, But No Lawsuit

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The Daily Beast's Lizzie Crocker reports on the growing feud between the documentary filmmaker of "You've Been Trumped" and The Donald himself. Oddly, as the film is winning awards and decent enough reviews on the festival circuit, The Donald has not done what he does best: threaten or file a lawsuit! What's gotten into the man?

In a phone conversation with The Daily Beast, George Sorial, the Trump Organization’s managing director and assistant general counsel, elaborated on the statement:

“Anthony Baxter was a guy that hid in the bushes, we dealt with him for weeks. He showed a shot of a field [in the film] and described that area as this terribly important scientific site. He will allege that we destroyed it, when we only ended up touching 3 or 4 percent. He stole footage from the golf channel and David Letterman. That gives you some insight into the veracity of this guy. Once the truth gets out there, everyone will know he’s just another guy out to make a dollar by using the Trump name.”

Baxter brushes off Sorial’s scathing remarks. Using the Trump name only put him at an economic disadvantage in Scotland, where every major organization he reached out to refused to fund the project. It’s not easy to take down a celebrity billionaire.

Tiger Trails Paris Hilton, Kanye, Arnold, Charlie Sheen In Unpopularity Race

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Thanks to reader Rick for noticing in yesterday's Ipsos survey of celebrity and most trusted personalities "whose endorsement of a company would be most likely to drive business." I suppose we should take a list topped by Betty White (really?), Denzel Washington (really, really?) and Sandra Bullock (really, really, really?).
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Oh The Irony: Windbag Trump Unhappy About Offshore Wind Farm

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Seems the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre wants to ruin the views at The Donald's new Scottland course with a £150m project off the coast, which he's slating for a July 2012 opening.

In a statement, Trump said: "I am very disappointed that Scotland may allow the development of a wind-power plant directly off Aberdeen's beautiful coastline.

"When I first became involved with our billion-pound development – golf course construction is weeks away from completion with a planned opening before 1 July 2012 – I was repeatedly promised, as an incentive for us to go forward and proceed with this project, that wind turbines would not be destroying and distorting the magnificent coastline.

Unlike my white-with-gold-trim hotel design beamed in from Dubai.

"Unfortunately, despite these prior assurances that the wind project would not proceed, I am now learning that this issue has again raised its ugly head.

"Scotland is one of the most beautiful countries on earth, with its greatest asset being its magnificent coastline, a coastline known for its great beauty throughout the entire world."

The Donald, waxing on about preserving natural beauty. What a world!

Donald May Not Be Running, But Doesn't Mean People Will Stop Scrutinzing Scotland Project

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Even though his presidential bid is over, there's still plenty of scrutiny of The Donald and much of it involves his work in the golf business.

Andy Wightman, a self-described "independent writer and researcher on issues of land and democracy" posts a paper looking at the many issues, brouhahas and other facts related to Trump's Scotland project. I haven't had time to do more than scan it, but there appears to be some interesting stuff.

And the Washington Post's Annie Gowen looks at Trump's environmental record. A photo gallery accompanies the piece.

Over the years, Donald Trump — the “Celebrity Apprentice” star, real estate mogul and impossible-to-ignore presidential candidate — has developed 11 luxury golf courses around the world, leaving a trail of happy golfers but angry residents and environmentalists in his wake. He infuriated neighbors in California for trying to plant trees to shield pedestrians from flying golf balls and in Northern Virginia for taking them out.

His fight with five gritty Scots who refused to move from the stone cottages standing in the way of his $1.6 billion golf course in Scotland inspired a film, “You’ve Been Trumped,” that played to sold-out crowds at Toronto’s documentary film festival this month. (Choice scenes: Trump worrying over his hair at a press conference on a windswept bluff and accusing one of the holdouts of living “like a pig.”)

What's unfortunate about reporting like this is that non-golfers will continue to associate all of golf with the Trump vision. Not helpful.

Michael Hiestand reports there is also this:

HBO's latest Real Sports on Tuesday includes a feature on Donald Trump building a lavish golf course and hotel in historic northeast Scotland — a project that sparked local environmental protests. But on HBO, Trump says: "You can't improve on God's work. But I'm changing it around just a little bit so we can putt." How considerate.

Hope Rises For Another Season Of Trump's Wonderful World Of Golf As The Donald Passes Up Presidential Bid

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I'm struggling with the shock of the news because it just seemed like such a lock that The Donald would run, but he blinded us with today's announcement.

"I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election," Trump said in a statement on Monday. "I have spent the past several months unofficially campaigning and recognize that running for public office cannot be done half heartedly. Ultimately, however, business is my greatest passion and I am not ready to leave the private sector."

In the end, however, his decision almost certainly had more to do with his lucrative NBC television contract for his "Apprentice" franchise than anything else. Trump was running out of time to decide whether he would sign on for another season of the "Celebrity Apprentice." Sources close to Trump said negotiations ran to the 11th hour with reports of Trump on hourly calls with NBC executives throughout the weekend who were trying to convince Trump to continue to helm the show.

There's a fun job!