TRUMP AND TRUMP ALONE

Sep. 29, 2018

Jul. 17, 2018

Jul. 19, 2018

Kavanaugh Hearings: The Reason and the Result

First, let me state that I am glad there will be an FBI investigation into the matters discussed in the testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. However, after watching Thursdays hearing play out in real time, I hardly think further investigation is required to arrive at the conclusion that Brett Kavanaugh is not fit for appointment to the Supreme Court.

The allegation of attempted rape made by Dr. Ford is quite serious, but it is far outside the scope of the Senate hearings to deliver a verdict on the guilt or innocence of Judge Kavanaugh when it comes to these charges. Nor were the hearings designed to conclude whether either Judge Kavanaugh or Dr. Ford committed acts of perjury. Matters of truth, falsehood, guilt and innocence are not for the Senate to decide when it comes to Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh.

Simply put, the purpose of Thursday’s hearings was to gain insight into the character of the man who has been nominated for a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the Land. By that measure Judge Kavanaugh failed to pass the test. One can question the veracity of his statements but his behavior revealed his character for all the world to see - and it wasn’t pretty.

The fact that Dr. Ford came across as intelligent, dignified and interested in behaving “collegially” (her words) spoke well of her character. In contrast, Judge Kavanaugh appeared angry, combative and emotionally unstable. Whereas Dr. Ford attempted to answer each and every question accurately and thoroughly, Judge Kavanaugh spent most of his air time evading direct answers and throwing hostility in the direction of Democrats. Even his opening statement went wildly off-topic and into the territory of non-sequitur when he asserted that the allegation of attempted rape (which Dr. Ford had discussed with her husband and her therapist years before) was part of a Democratic conspiracy fueled by revenge. If he is truly innocent, his anger could be forgiven - but not his immature ranting.

Where reason should rule, Brett Kavanaugh allowed emotion to call the shots. This is not how someone with a “judicial temperament” behaves.

If this were not enough to disqualify him, there is the question of whether he will be able to think and act independently while on the bench. During Thursday’s hearings multiple Democratic senators asked him if he would request an independent FBI investigation into the accuracy of Dr. Ford’s allegations. His oft-repeated response that he was willing to do “whatever the committee wants.” He stated this assuming that the only thing the GOP-dominated committee wanted was a quickie approval. It appeared he was taking the opportunity to hide behind the GOP senators at this confirmation hearing. Might he feel obligated to return the favor once he is seated if a case regarding executive privilege were to come before the Court?

We should all question the maneuvering of the GOP good ol' boys’ club and its ability to undermine the rule of law. As a sitting federal judge, Mr. Kavanaugh should have been able to form and offer his own opinion on the value of a full FBI investigation to efforts to reveal the truth. The fact that he could not/did not indicates his acceptance of his status as a pawn of the men who are attempting to move him up the ladder.

Thursday’s hearings were sufficient to demonstrate to all but the most hard-line partisans and issue-oriented voters that Brett Kavanaugh is not a man well-suited to a lifetime position where he will be called upon to render reasoned judgments on issues where emotions may run high on both sides — judgments which may affect the country’s future for decades.

Nonetheless, as I noted up front, I welcome further investigations into the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh. While they are not necessary to ascertain his unsuitability for elevation to the Supreme Court, they may influence the willingness of reasonable citizens to tolerate his continued presence on the DC Circuit.

The Heart of Trump's Treason

There is much huffing and puffing in the media and on Capital Hill today following “President” Trump’s bowing and scraping before Russia’s “President” Putin in Helsinki yesterday. The word “treason” was spoken publicly by a government insider for the first time (at least as far as I’m aware) in connection with Trump’s actions. But the Trumpster’s posture and rhetoric were nothing new, so why the sudden uproar? Was it the public and international setting? Was it because it followed a thrashing and trashing of our allies at both the G7 and the NATO gatherings? Was it because the side-by-side optics of a US President sweatily sucking for breath next to a serene and calm Russian head of state were so tawdry? I’m sure it’s all of the above - and more.

The Mueller investigation has been looking into “collusion” between Trump (or his surrogates) and Putin (or his surrogates). We may never be able to pin that rap on Trump but I don’t think that is the only way Trump could be judged as treasonous - or at a minimum unfit to hold office.

Those interested in impeachment should be looking at emoluments as the key - and should have been examining that angle from Day One. Ample evidence of Trump’s treasonous intent has been present from the beginning.

As far as I can tell Trump has little interest in acting as a head of state, except when pressed unavoidably into action by circumstance. He is acting both within and without of his official role to better his own interests, particularly his financial interests. His desire to increase his personal standing and wealth have always been his primary motivations. While that may be true to some degree of most people - even persons employed by the government - few have disregarded the responsibilities inherent to the office they hold in favor of self-aggrandizement as completely and as blatantly as Trump.

Isn’t it treason to place the interests if any entity ahead of the interests of the American government? Aren’t the rules being broken whether that entity is a foreign government or, In this case, the Trump financial empire? I suspected from the beginning that Trump did not want or expect to assume the responsibilities of the US head of state. I believe his campaign began as a branding exercise. Now that he is in office he appears to enjoy the pomp and circumstance which accompany his every move, but I have yet to see evidence that his official actions flow from considerations other than his personal interests and pet peeves. The degree to which this has happened with Trump and many of his appointees warrants Congressional intervention.

Impeachment is a reasonable and necessary response to a chief executive who enables the hostile take over of our government by a foreign government or a private financial empire. This angle must be pushed regardless of how directly Russia can be tied to Trump himself.

If I had to venture a guess as to why and how Russia came to back Donald Trump and take concrete steps to ensure his election, I would speculate that Putin already had dirt on Trump that would be highly embarrassing. The idea that the Russians have a Trump sex tape does not seem far fetched to me. Putin scoffed at - but did not deny - the notion that Russia routinely collects dirt on influential people around the world. Once The Donald threw his hat in the ring Russia saw a chance to worm their way into the seats of power in America by covertly promoting him to the public to ensure his election while controlling his political attitudes and policies behind the scenes through blackmail and financial carrots. Trump views every situation through the prism of financial opportunity (legal and questionably illegal) so cozying up to Putin probably seemed like a good idea.

Putin must have realized how successful he had become at controlling the strings of GOP power when the official Platform of the Republican Party was quietly and suddenly changed at the GOP nominating convention. Putin's manipulations have not let up since. Whether or not Trump himself was actively involved in collusion during the campaign they most certainly seem to share a bed now in terms of promoting each other's interests.

Should this scenario be true the shocking thing is how far under the bus Trump is willing to throw his country and his allies in order to save face and promote the shared agenda. Trump’s narcissism does not to allow him to backtrack or to admit either error or failure. Having run for office saying he’d be a great President he had no choice but to step into the role and claim victory at every turn. Now it is up to Congress or his own administration to do us all the favor of removing him from office.

I believe (and I certainly hope) Trump would not physically resist a legally crafted forced exit. He might be willing to publicly accept defeat on some level by his usual enemies, a list that is headed by Congress and the Press. Blaming them for forcing him out would provide fuel to the anti-establishment right-wing base that will always be die-hard Trump supporters. Sadly, that is a risk that cannot be avoided.

Regardless, the time has come to stop the madness one way or the other. The sooner the better. Trump must be removed from power NOW.

The Smell of Smoke

I must confess I’m a bit surprised that a smoking gun has turned up that should allow Donald Trump to be named as a co-conspirator in connection with Russian meddling in the 2016 election. That Donald Trump lies is no surprise. There has been ample evidence of that long before he declared his candidacy. But these lies (claiming not to know for certain that the Russian government was stomping all over the 2016 campaign) demonstrate a willingness to aid and abet Russia’s illegalities as described in email strings he personally had seen even before he assumed office. Email evidence is as smoking a gun as we could hope for when it comes to conspiracies and pretending the emails don’t exist is tantamount to hiding the gun.

As far as I’m concerned the next words out of every law maker’s mouth should be “You’re FIRED!” but I’m afraid that is wishful thinking on my part. It is clear that many, many officials elected under the GOP banner are willing to join with Donald Trump in ignoring the crime and hiding the gun.

The depth of Trump’s fawning over Putin is still a bit hard to comprehend. Yesterday I posited that Russia does, in fact, have an embarrassing sex tape on Donald Trump. If so, that is one of the screws holding him in place, making it difficult for him to turn on Putin. But there is also is love of ‘strong men’ (men who act as dictators). What Trump looks for in his associates are partners (in crime) - not friends. The chance to engage with Putin in financial deals and misdeeds probably made Trump feel like he’d really hit the bit time. He may have decided to go all-in on his relationship with Putin the way he went all-in on his investments in Atlantic City. We all know what happened there, and it isn’t pretty.

I would guess the financial entanglements have The Donald pretty well wrapped up and therefore unable to engage honestly with the public of with US law enforcement, however, Trump may be experienced enough to keep the illegalities at arm’s length. I would be surprised to see his name on a paper trail related to money laundering — but maybe I’ll be surprised again. Evidence in black and white of his personal involvement would be welcome news to those of us who want him to be thoroughly discredited if not in prison — and at a very minimum impeached.

The depth of the GOP’s collusion with Trump in avoiding examination of Russia’s meddling is also baffling but as of yesterday this, too, is coming into focus. The arrest of a Russian operative heavily involved with the NRA points to another avenue through which Russia has meddled in US elections. The NRA has held much of the GOP in a stranglehold for years. If the NRA is acting in concert with Russian operatives, every GOP official heavily dependent on NRA support may be compromised as well.

Wouldn’t it be great to break not only Trump’s hold on the Presidency, but the NRA’s hold on Congress as well?! Press on investigators! Our country needs you and we are grateful for your work.