#113 - Ford v. Kavanaugh - Part 2

In all likelihood, the color of my glasses which have a decidedly blue tint to block out the rays of the sun, also color my views of Ford v. Kavanaugh

Both Ford and Kavanaugh appear believable enough to make a clear cut choice between the two individuals' stories difficult for any impartial person.   But it is because time and time and time again Kavanugh dodged and equivocated when pressed to tell the Senate Committee, that he would proactively ask for an FBI to re-open their background check and speak with Mark Judge, that I believe he is trying to hide something.

What that something is, we will likely never know.

Under the cover of Lindsey Graham's righteous indignation of the pain that Kavanaugh and his family have had to suffer,  Graham lambasted Democrats and their apparent delayed disclosure of the incident in question, and stifled any further pursuit of the truth.

Graham's pointed response was reminiscent of a fire and brimstone preacher telling his flock that their sins would damn them to hell for all eternity.   He used his own anger and emotion to strangle any negative thoughts on the part of his fellow Republican Senators, and rally the troops.

"To my Republican colleagues, if you vote 'no', you're legitimizing the most despicable thing that I have seen in my time in politics." 

The most despicable thing that I have seen in my time in politics....

Perhaps, Lindsey, but perhaps not.

Unlike my own blue tinted glasses, my belief is that God sees more clearly than I ever will, and so I maintain, its not beyond the realm of comprehension that when God speaks to Lindsey on his personal day of judgment, he might remind him of this potentially persuasive and pointed statement that he made yesterday, and he might  ask Lindsey

... if the name Merrick Garland rings a bell.

#112 - Ford v. Kavanaugh, Part One

How could the greatness of America have come down to this?

Thirty five years ago a young teenage boy may or not have tried to (i) get lucky (ii) take advantage of (iii) sexually abuse (iv) rape or (v) attack with attempt to harm (insert the term of your choice) a young teenage girl, at a party, where alcohol may or may not have been involved. 

Based on the actions and comments of both Democrats and Republicans in Congress and their respective supporting team of cheerleaders in both the left leaning and right leading media, this once obscure and certainly very dated story has dominated the media and the debate in our country for the better part of 10 days, and it is surely going to continue.

You would have thought that a gigantic asteroid was on a collision course with earth which would wipe out half of the population, and each party was posturing to insure, that the other side ….would make up most of the unfortunate half.  

Really? Is this happening?  Does anyone else see the absurdity of all this? That this possible incident would be contemplated/dissected/reimagined/hypothesized with such magnitude that the world has almost stopped turning? I can’t be the only one.  I can’t be the only person in the country asking….

How the hell did we get here?

Without belittling the impact that this event would have had on that young teenage girl, if it happened, because I am sure it would have been traumatic, on a larger, macro level I can’t contain my contempt that this moment is emblematic of the larger scale failure of America.  Not the country of, but the idea of.

By all accounts the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court by Donald Trump is a contentious one.   His election would represent a clear cut shift in the balance of the Supreme Court, where five justices would lean heavily right, and this new balance might continue for years to come.

Dianne Feinstein’s choice to sit on the news of this possible incident between two teenagers until the 11th hour of the Kavanaugh nomination was clearly a partisan effort to delay and possibly derail it.  That by itself is bad enough, but the apparent leaking of Ford’s name to the press presumably by some Democratic staffer, when Ford had first come forth under the condition of anonymity, represents just another selfish political maneuver and the sell-out of an individual’s right of privacy for purely political purposes.

Oh, we all know why this happened.  It was political payback time for Mitch McConnell’s decision to shut down the nomination of Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court with 10 months remaining in Barack Obama’s second term. To be clear, I think McConnell’s despicable decision represents one of the most disgusting political acts in the 240+ year history of our country. It was then followed up by his decision with the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to remove the filibuster rule in the Senate which would have required 60 votes to confirm.

As I wrote in my post, #102 - Mitch McConnell: The Second Most Despicable Man in American Politics (I don’t have to tell you who gets the top spot, do I?)  McConnell’s actions represented an outright suppression of the President’s constitutional power.  And they weren’t based on any legitimate rationale or any justifiable righteousness.  They were based on McConnell’s belief that the end, his end, justified any means.

It was the start of a theme perpetuated by Republicans across the country as they put aside the shameless and loathsome behaviors of Donald Trump because he gave them the greatest chance to sway the Supreme Court in their favor. They chose to lower our standards and to disregard the outright danger this man represents to our country, because they too concluded, that their own selfish ends justified any means.

Fast forward to the circus spectacle of recent days where Democrats are now doing their level best to mirror the loathsome behavior of the opposition.  Why should they try to hold the high moral ground?   Why should they exhibit integrity when Republicans can’t even spell the word?.  If the rules of the game have changed, they are just going to do their best to adapt.   

But it hasn’t ended there. It just gets worse as the crazies just try to one up each other.

Ed Whalen, the president of a conservative think tank called The Ethics and & Public Policy Center, (let’s give it a moment and let that sink in…. ) and an assertive supporter of Kavanagh suggested on Twitter that Ford, might have mistaken the identity of her alleged sexual assaulter and then, then, then, went ahead and actually provided the name and picture of a former classmate of Kavanaugh’s at Georgetown Prep.  Whoa! I bet that poor dude had no idea what hit him!

And I was never so happy…that I went to public school growing up. 

So you see, this is how we got here.  This is why an obscure event which may or may not have occurred some 35 years ago has dominated the political landscape in recent days.   This is why our political leaders are falling over themselves.  This is why nothing of any substance ever gets done.

A cynical observer might conclude that that aforementioned asteroid was coming much closer to earth now, and the light from the sun was beginning to dim on the idea of America.

I would be lying if I said, I hadn’t had similar thoughts in the last 22 months, but I still believe that over time, America will wake up and the good guys on both sides of the aisle will prevail. I won’t stop believing otherwise. I can’t. 

The threat of the asteroid is too terrible to contemplate.

[This is just part one of Ford v. Kavanaugh.  Mind you, I have no idea what part two will entail; I just know there won’t be any shortage of material]

#111 - In Support of First Responders: A Case For MORE Regulation

My wife said something to me yesterday, and my first thought was, wow, that's a really good idea.  My second thought was, hey, that's the sort of idea I would usually come up with ...which I immediately attributed to the positive influence I have had over her, after almost 40 years of marriage...

We were watching a news clip of first responders rescue a stranded family in North Carolina whose home was surrounded by water.   This was not a particularly dangerous rescue, still my wife said "They should charge those people for not evacuating when they should have, and for putting those guys at risk".

Her question is a fair one.  First responders come to our aid in the event of accidents, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and as recently as Friday in the nearby Lawrence, MA area, over 80 sudden gas explosions and fires shocked and stunned three different communities.   Many of those natural and man-made disasters were unforeseen, and in those instances the first responders must be at their ultimate best, relying on their training and instincts to save those in need.  But some disasters can be foreseen, as they roll out over an extended time frame including forest fires, volcanoes and hurricanes.  

Time and time and time again, we hear state and local officials ordering their residents to evacuate the homes ahead of a possible catastrophe when they declare a mandatory evacuation, but still some choose to remain behind.  This morning I heard the mayor of Fayetteville, NC, implore residents to leave as nearby rivers where not expected to crest for two or three more days.  He suggested that if you choose to stay, you should notify your next of kin.  He was doing very best to scare the crap out of any fool who was dumb enough to think that they could take on mother nature.  It was all he could do, for our system provides no other tools to do so.

 A press release from the City of Fayetteville, spoke of a potential for life-threatening flooding. "Those] who refuse or fail to comply with this mandatory evacuation order shall do so at their own risk and are put on notice that emergency and rescue personnel and first responders may not be sent into flooded areas within the area to be evacuated after the deadline for evacuation passes," the press release read.

It's a nice try, but who are they kidding?   Will first responders not go if they think their is a sliver of chance to rescue someone?  I don't think so.  Its part of their DNA and thank God it is. 

So, why can’t we give our elected officials more tools to deal with most stubborn amongst us?  For rescues during a mandatory evacuation, why not charge residents a minimum fee of $XX, subject to a surcharge for complex rescues, with a waiver of charges for extenuating circumstances such as the sick and elderly who might realistically be unable to evacuate. This would be a simple and effective deterrent for… reckless behavior.  My Republican friends often shutter at any talk of regulation or taxation, but I suspect in this instance, that many would be open to this concept.   Anything that minimizes the number of dangerous rescues for our responders and/or frees them up to aid others who may be in even greater danger, well, that gets my vote

We require automobile drivers to carry auto insurance, banks require those with shoreline property to obtain flood insurance if they want a mortgage, and Obamacare attempted to penalize individuals who chose not to obtain health insurance.  In each case, the prevailing concept is that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the naive, shortsighted, and self-centered few.

Why can’t we apply this same concept for the benefit of our communities and for the safety of our first responders?    

I think my wife was on to something with her comment yesterday.  She usually is...just don't tell her I said so.

#108 - John McCain, We Will Miss You

We all had one, our first political crush.  Unlike the pang of a first love, which typically occurs early in our lives, and dissipates quickly, the political crush come much later, when we have become both very familiar and very disappointed with our still imperfect democracy, and a good one might linger for a lifetime.

Our political crush comes along when we are lucky enough to stumble across a politician, who is so unique that they inspire us to believe, that there is a better way.  My first political crush was with John McCain and started back in 1999, when he was a frequent guest of the Imus in the Morning radio show.  Campaigning for the Republican nomination for President as a long shot candidate, with little money, his Straight Talk Tour captured me.  He was the anti-political politician,  He would put country over party, set policies on its merits, speak honestly, admit mistakes and respect others with differing opinions.

Yes, I admit it, I fell for him, hook, line and sinker.

My early infatuation with this man only grew as I learned of his history of service as a war hero, and a POW for over five years in the Viet Nam , who was tortured but still refused early release.  As the son of a  Four Star Admiral, this would have given the enemy a meaningful propaganda victory, but he would have no part of it, no matter what it meant for him personally.

So, my disappointment was great when the South Carolina primary against George W. Bush got personal and dirty.  McCain would lose that primary and would eventually drop out of the race.  But still, he want back to the Senate to continue to serve in the only way he knew how.  Despite his differences with W., he was not done working, for there was still much work to be done.

By the time the 2008 Presidential Elections rolled around, I had begun leaning left, after a lifetime of leaning right, and while I supported Barack Obama in that election, I was buoyed by the realization that for the first time in my life, instead of being unsatisfied with both Presidential candidates, I could take comfort with either one of these men sitting in the Oval Office.

And despite my preference in that election, there were three very explicit events during the campaign that reinforced my own satisfaction in knowing, that the choice of my first political crush was a damn good one.

The first was during a Presidential debate when a clearly bigoted woman called Obama an Arab, and before she could get the next word out, McCain was already shaking his head and pulling the microphone out of her hand.

The second was at the Al Smith Dinner, the annual white tie fundraiser for  "the neediest children of the Archdiocese of New York, regardless of race, creed, or color."  Just three weeks ahead of the election, McCain was hilarious, self-deprecating and still honorable.  Recalling a time in our country when the invitation of an African-American citizen to dine at the White House was considered to be an outrage, he noted that night that we were  a "world away from the cruel and prideful bigotry of that time and good riddance."  In closing, he said that while he could not wish his opponent luck, he did wish him well.

And even in defeat, Senator McCain did not disappoint.   In his concession speech to President Elect Barack Obama, he worked to move the country forward, urging  "all Americans to join me... in offering our next president our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited".  

His wife Cindy would call it the best speech of his life, for it was John McCain at his purest, putting his own disappointment behind him, and moving quickly to continue his life of service.

McCain was one of those rare politicians who understand in every fiber of their being, that was not about them.  It was about everyone else.  And that the honor and privilege of successfully serving others was the ultimate reward.

Over the years I would agree with Senator McCain on some issues and I would disagree on others, but my crush never waned.

And I had to smile when I heard a couple months back that in preparing for his own funeral, in a request that was emblematic of the man, he asked his two greatest political rivals, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, to speak for him, in his absence.

 And President Trump was not invited.

c

#109 - Hell Hath No Fury LIke a Fixer Scorned: The Michael Cohen Story

The admission of guilt by President Trump’s former fixer and his implication of the President in the same criminal activity represent an astounding turnaround for the man who less than a year ago said he would take a bullet for Mr. Trump.

Cohen admitted last week in open court that he violated campaign finance laws “in coordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal office,”

Hmmm…. who could that be?

To understand how we got here, you have to understand the role that Michael Cohen played for Mr. Trump, his personal issues, and most importantly, you have to understand what the President really thought of him. 

Cohen began his career as an attorney pursuing one of the least respected segments of the American legal world, personal injury law.  Yes, he hails from that group of low level bottom feeders who actually make other lawyers look good.  Here he honed the skills which would set him on a most unusual career trajectory.

In 2006 Cohen landed a job working for Trump back, impressing him with the fact that he had read “The Art of Deal”....twice.   Don’t laugh, he knew the best way in with Trump was to flatter him, besides, anyone who could get through that literary jewel once, deserves a medal.  Over time, Cohen convinced family and friends to buy condominiums in the Trump World Tower which helped Trump gain control of the condominium board, and he soon became Mr. Trump’s BFF, or so it seemed to Michael anyway. 

This newly minted pit bull had found his purpose in life.

Cohen told ABC News in 2011 that "If somebody does something Mr. Trump doesn't like, I do everything in my power to resolve it to Mr. Trump's benefit. If you do something wrong,  I'm going to come at you, grab you by the neck and I'm not going to let you go until I'm finished."

Grab you by the neck…..Nice.  Remember my earlier point about making other lawyers look good? I rest my case. 

Between 2011 and 2016 Cohen worked behind the scenes working to gloss over the scandal regarding the alleged rape by Trump of his first wife, and the affairs with Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougle and may or may not have met with Russian officials in Prague in 2016 with the objective of paying those who had hacked the DNC and to "cover up all traces of the hacking operation.   The Fixer was proving his value and earning his pay.

But with Trump’s surprise election victory, The Fixer was presented with a new opportunity, to be part of something bigger, to be part of that luxury cruise that was sailing south to DC and included all the beautiful people who had made it possible for Trump to get there, including: Jared, Ivanka, Hope Hicks, Kellyanne, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn and even Trump’s old bodyguard, but a funny thing happened on the way to the big dance, the President’s fixer was left behind.  Early on his name had been in the mix for the coveted Chief of Staff position, but in the end the man who helped make it possible for Trump to succeed, was all of a sudden, the odd man out.   His fix-it skills would not be welcome in the pristine halls of the White House.

With the President now ensconced in the Oval Office and looking to distance himself from the unsavory activities of his fixer, Cohen had to morph, and he quickly seized on a bigger and better opportunity, peddling access to the big guy and providing insider knowledge to anyone with a big wallet.

In the months following Trump’s election in November 2016, Cohen negotiated payments totaling $600K from AT&T for “his opinion on the new President and his administration”, which it’s CEO would later describe as…. “a big mistake”,

Novartis, a Switzerland–based pharmaceutical giant, paid Cohen $1.2M to help the company understand the "health care policy" of the new administration. Novartis subsequently admitted to the public, and thus to its shareholders, that it did not actually receive any benefit for its investment.  The fact that Trump had no health care policy was apparently lost on the Novartis executives.

Excuse me sirs, I have some ideas on a health care, and you can have them for $10. Call me.  

But the next one is best described by the old PT Barnum ascribed statement “There’s a sucker born every minute”.  Korea Aerospace Industries paid Cohen for advice on “Cost Accounting Standards,” those highly technical bookkeeping rules that would apply to the company’s bid for U.S. defense work.  If Cohen actually spoke the words “Cost Accounting Standards” once in his lifetime, it would be a shock.

In a matter of months, Cohen had pulled in $2 million, for doing….nothing, which begs the obvious question: Why can’t I get a gig like that?

Soon, all of his clients realized that they had been sold a bill of goods, that The Fixer was just another one of Trump’s snake oil salesmen, and they weren’t going to get any bang for their buck.  And that’s because The Fixer had no real insight from the President to offer, because, because, wait for it, wait for it it….the President simply didn’t need him anymore.  His usefulness had expired. Loyalty was a one-way street for this president

And so now, the disrespect was out there, out in the open, for all to see.

But, this wasn’t really anything new, and deep down Cohen knew it.  Of all the stories printed about the President’s relationship with his former fixer, the most compelling one was the President’s reported humiliation of Cohen at his own son's bar mitzvah in 2012.  One attendee told the Wall Street Journal that Trump was so late to the event that Cohen delayed the blessings. Trump then spoke and said that he hadn't actually planned on attending but came after Cohen begged him to come by repeatedly calling him, his secretary, and his children.  On one of the most important days of Cohen’s life, the President took center stage and then used it to belittle his loyal servant.  It’s unlikely that Trump’s performance that day was a surprise to anyone who knew him, but the fact that Cohen accepted this embarrassment and didn’t immediately bail on his boss was.

Fast forward to April 2018.  Already suffering financial difficulties from the devaluation of NY City taxi medallions which he owned (thank you Uber), federal prosecutors raided Cohen’s home and office for anything they could lay their hands on.   Trump’s own instinct for self-preservation immediately kicked in, contending that federal prosecutors were looking more at Cohen's business dealings than the legal work he'd done on Trump's behalf.  "Michael is a businessman, he's got a business. He also practices law," Trump said back then "And they're looking at something having to do with his business. I have nothing to do with his business”.

So much for loyalty.  So much for honor among thieves.

And then in June, almost out the blue, with absolutely no correlation with his legal and financial troubles, Cohen signaled he was having a change of heart and blasted the president’s “zero tolerance” policy under which children have been separated from their parents after illegal border crossings.

“As the son of a Polish holocaust survivor, the images and sounds of this family separation policy is heart wrenching,” Cohen wrote, marking the first time he had publicly distanced himself from Trump.

“While I strongly support measures that will secure our porous borders, children should never be used as bargaining chips,” he added.

“He’s turned his life around from what he did for Donald Trump, much of which he now regrets,” Davis said on the Today Show. “That’s the kind of thing that caused Michael Cohen to change his mind, and decide to dedicate himself to telling the truth to the American people.”

Whoa! Where did all this come from? The Fixer has a conscious?  Who knew?  But there was still more to come

Cohen’s new attorney, Lanny Davis, recently upped the ante in this chess game, stating his client now believes Trump is “unsuitable to hold the office”, citing Trump’s refusal to accept the conclusion of US intelligence agencies that the Russians were responsible for the election disruption, while standing next to Vladimir Putin.

In the midst of all his legal troubles, pleading guilty, cooperating with the Feds WITHOUT some type of formal leniency deal, Cohen and his attorney were speaking out on the President’s abhorrent policy on the separation of children from their refugee families and on the President’s performance at the Helsinki Summit. 

Good-bye Presidential pardon.

The Wall Street Journal later reported that Cohen’s turning point may have been influenced by his elderly father, Maurice, a Holocaust survivor, who reportedly told his son that he did not survive the Nazi genocide to have his name dragged through the mud by Trump.  Maurice had no doubt seen Trump ‘perform’ at his grandson’s bar mitzvah and that was likely all he would ever need to see.  He likely filed this event away and would pull it out if the time every came when he needed it.   No doubt Trump’ pull back from his formerly loyal fixer and his disparaging comments, was that time, and Maurice likely reminded his son of that event to convince him that Trump would never have his back. Never.  

There’s no way of knowing where the Michael Cohen story will end.  Has the former fixer and would-be influence peddler had a legitimate change of heart?  How much information does he have on Trump’s shady dealings?  Will he spill it all to the Feds?  Can it be corroborated?   And will it even make a difference?    

It’s still too early to answer any of those questions, but maybe this Prodigal Son has in fact returned home to right things with his father, and just maybe The Fixer had decided that it was time to fix things, once and for all. 

#110 - You Get What You Pay For

I know my wife thinks I am cheap sometimes. She never says it, but I know. But I like to think I am a just a value shopper.  I want to get my money’s worth. I want to know that as the years go by, I won’t look back and be unsatisfied with my purchase.   I don’t want to suffer… any buyer’s remorse.

But Donald Trump, Donald Trump wants a steal. Life is a series of transactions for the Donald, where he expects to be the undisputed winner.  The Art of the Deal guru likes to go mano a mano and come out on top, every minute of every day.  Whether it’s the venders he has abused over the years, the students of Trump University he defrauded or the debt holders he stiffed in his bankruptcy filings, Donald is always looking to take advantage of an opportunity, or an opponent.

So when Paul Manafort offered to work for the Trump’s Presidential campaign for ...FREE, Donald Trump didn’t think twice.  This  smooth talking operative with GOP street cred dating back to Ronald Reagan, who had the smart sense to actually own an apartment in Trump Tower, and who, most importantly, looked damn good in his very expensive, custom made, suits would be perfect for the Trump campaign.  As to his willingness to work for free?  Well, who wouldn’t jump at the chance to work for….the Donald?

Donny’s dad clearly never had the “Nothing in life is free, my son” speech that every other red, white and blue American received at some point during their formative years from one of their parental units.  And so, without a moment’s hesitation, Donny boy made his purchase, and now he was joined at the hip with this man.

Fast forward two and half years, on the day that Hurricane Florence rocked the North Carolina coast, Paul Manafort rocked the political world

In a case involving Manafort’s work as a political consultant in Ukraine, where his 10+ years of criminal activity would have put him away for the rest of his natural life, Manafort agreed to tell all he knows to the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, as part of a plea deal that could put together any missing pieces to the inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election.  Manafort agreed to an open-ended arrangement that requires him to answer “fully, truthfully, completely and forthrightly” questions about “any and all matters” the government wants to ask…without his lawyers present. 

BINGO.  I’ve got BINGO.

Now, now.  I’m getting ahead of myself.  And that’s exactly what I don’t want.  So, Instead of looking ahead, let’s just look at where we are.  Let’s just look at what we know.  Let’s just look at the facts.

Manafort is the fifth player in the Trump campaign, and the undisputed crown jewel, to plead guilty to criminal activity and to agree to cooperate with the Federal Government.  In addition to Manafort, Trump’s second campaign chairman, Trump’s deputy campaign manager, national security adviser, personal lawyer and foreign policy aide have all become founding members of the Trump Campaign Choir, and have all agreed to sing loudly and long to the sweet sounds of truth, justice and the American way.

In truth, we don’t know if the President is guilty of anything at this point.  But at this point, does it even matter? This is the guy who promised us, he would run the country like a business, and he would hire the best and the brightest, Really? Out of 330 million Americans to choose from, these are Donald’s go-to guys? 

There is so much that is wrong with the Trump Presidency, it will be a gold mine for presidential historians for years to come, and this is just but one sorry symptom.   In Paul Manafort, Donald Trump got what he paid for, because… he didn’t pay a thing, and now, he may pay the utlimate price.

In the hiring of Paul Manafort, we have a metaphor for the entire Trump Presidency. Just think about the buyers’ remorse of the long time Trump supporters, who thought they were buying in to the man who would make America great again, who would drain the swamp, who would repeal and replace, who would eliminate the deficit who would…unite the country.

They were as guilty as Trump was.  They fell for the equivalent of an ordinary shyster’s get-rich-quick scheme.  They bought into the magic elixir that would cure all their ills.  The decision seemed simple,  Donald Trump was the quick, easy fix.  They never considered the down side, they never considered the hidden cost.  They too forgot that.. nothing in life is free.  They too forgot, that…you get what you pay for.  

The desk in the Oval Office of the White House is supposed to be reserved for the best and brightest our country has to offer, for real leaders who are battle tested and who will represent all Americans. It is supposed to be reserved only for those who truly understood that the office of the President is so much bigger than the man sitting in it.  

In Donald Trump, we bought ourselves a tin can version of a president.  In Donald Trump we bought… a lemon, but sadly there is no lemon law for the buyers' remorse that comes with the purchase of an incompetent and immoral president. 

It is a fixed four year lease, and we own it.