In light of the release (but not yet the full public
disclosure we deserve) of the “Mueller Report,” one thing which his sycophant
fan base will definitely overlook is an old homily which has always been true,
no matter how trite is sounds. That is “If
you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.” If that were true as
stated, Donald Trump would be desperately in need of a dip. Even assuming he
was clever enough (he isn’t clever enough for anything, but his attorneys might
be) to avoid direct connectivity with felons, he has demonstrated beyond doubt
that one of two statements are true. Either 1: Donald Trump is complicit in
election tampering and conspiracy with a foreign government or, 2: He is undeniably
the worst judge of character and ability since Bush 41’s nomination of Clarence
Thomas to the USSC.
The litany of Trump-connected
indictments and convictions is well known, but as a brief reminder, his Chief
of staff, personal attorney and campaign manager have all been convicted of federal
crimes and in a couple of cases still face (non-pardonable) state charges as
well. This doesn’t include non-criminal but, revelatory as to character, actions
such as pussy grabbing, paying off paramours, disrespecting dead senators, alienating
essentially every European government except Russia, etc.
The other
evening at Trivia, we were between rounds, sipping wine and crunching toffee
covered peanuts, when one of our team commented on an appropriate response made
by an individual who objected to yet another Trump “tweet” defaming someone or
something. Another, more conservative member opined that it was a shame that
Trump was so “unfairly” singled out for criticism by others. I pointed out that
Donald Trump is the only President in recent history who has had the bad taste
to publicly criticize, insult and professionally demean others, especially many
outside of government, in a public medium on a daily basis. I continued that,
if one issues 30,000 “tweets,” more than half of them negative, one should expect
some blowback.
Comparing
Trump with his predecessors especially with regard to the use of, and response
to, media only serves to amplify this. USSC Justice James Clark McReynolds labeled
President Franklin Roosevelt “that crippled son-of-a-bitch . . . in the White
House.” FDR’s response? He ignored it. Fox News talking heads variously criticized
the Obama daughters for everything from dress to fake news items describing
non-existent bad behavior. Likewise, Obama’s birth, sexuality and religion were
all subjects of slanderous allegation. The Obama response? They ignored it.
Bush 43, hardly a tweeter in any event, was similarly silent when his minor daughters
were criticized for being publicly drunk on fake IDs and slipping their secret
service details. It is worthy of note that Trump’s minor son, who seems, when seen
publicly, strangely disengaged and even embarrassed, has been deemed
(appropriately) “off limits.” No one has used him in a negative way as were
the minor children of previous Presidents. Knowing Trump’s public track record of
deriding those with various handicaps, one can only imagine if the shoe were on
the other foot.
Trump on the other
hand, almost invariably responds to criticism of public policy with personal
attacks. His narcissistic mania is reminiscent of the persona and hubris of
George Armstrong Custer as portrayed (brilliantly) by Richard Mulligan in the movie
Little Big Man. Any questioning or disagreement with “A Custer decision” was seen
(by Custer) as grounds for castigation and derision. So it is with the real
life Custer, Donald Trump. Perhaps Mueller’s report will be his Little Bighorn?
One can only hope.
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