Friday, September 28, 2018

Opuscula

Politicians
Need to put
America first

HAVING WATCHED TOO MUCH OF the Brett Kavanaugh dog and pony show I came to the conclusion that America needs law makers of both parties to “put America First.”

Not the President Trump “America First,” but the real thing – to do what is best for America regardless of party affiliation.

I’VE SEEN A NUMBER of elections, both in the U.S. and elsewhere, but I cannot recall ever seeing one that ended up so dividing a nation.

I blame America’s current condition on both Hillary Clinton and her cronies, and Donald Trump and his knee-jerk tweets.

I’ll ignore the numerous scandals attached to Mrs. Clinton and focus on the election results.

    She conceded but never congratulated Trump on the victory; she encouraged her followers to riot and destroy on her behalf.

In every other election in which I voted, and that’s more than a few, the loser congratulates the winner and encourages his or her followers to work with the winner. Not only did Mrs. Clinton NOT do that, she encouraged anarchy.

Mr. Trump is not better.

Even though he let Mrs. Clinton “off the hook” for numerous possible crimes – emails, Benghazi to name but two – he has used Twitter as his main weapon from a bully pulpit. His tweets frequently – all too frequently – have been knee-jerk reactions, often incorrect, and just plain uncivilized; hardly worthy of America’s president.

As their “leaders” go, so go the followers – the Democrat and Republican politicians.

There ARE exceptions, but they are few and far between.

There ARE a few reasoned heads in both parties, but they are a very small minority.

Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford

As President Nixon would say, “Let me be perfectly clear,” I do NOT condone sexual assault. I was offended as much by Wm. Jefferson Clinton’s under-the-desk escapade with an underling as I was by his disregard for “that woman”; not even dignifying Ms. Lewinsky by calling her by name.

I believe the only decent president we’ve had in my lifetime was Harry S Truman. No scandal – certainly no sexual scandal -- was attached to his political career. There may be others similarly free of sexual pecados, but the list of presidents who “behaved badly” is long.

I have to wonder – and I’ve heard the stories – why it took Mrs. Ford 38 years to come forward with her claim. Her “coming out” to Dianne Feinstein late in the vetting process – and Sen. Feinstein’s releasing the letter at the last minute suggests a witch hunt.

Kavanaugh claims the Ford-Feinstein charge is fabricated. Other than “he said-she said” claims, was there ANY “suitable for a courtroom” evidence submitted?

Sen. Jeff Flake called for a brief, focused FBI investigation in an effort to bring the nation together. He noted in front of the cameras that the nation has been divided by the Kavanaugh hearing and other events and needs to heal. Flake is a Democrat.

The FBI already has performed a background investigation of the Supreme Court nominee. If it found anything, it would be reported to the nominating committee.

Sen. Flake wants to re-open the background inquisition and told the cameras he will ask President Trump to order the FBI to do a “brief and focused” (re-)investigation.

    In my opinion, President Trump would be foolish to deny the senator’s request. It’s a matter of “image,” both his and Kavanaugh’s.

The episode should NOT be a Democrat vs. Republican or even a female vs. male issue, although it seems to boil down to those two warring factions – or perhaps the media is fomenting the war between the sexes.

    When I was much younger I was a print reporter and editor. Even then some media made the news rather than reported the news. Now, I’m glad I no longer am associated with the media.



Sources

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PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

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