Fake News<\/p>\n
In our current political climate it is difficult to determine what is fact and what is fiction. In the past when a President, Press Secretary, or Senior Counselor spoke, we generally understood that what they were saying was the truth as they knew it. The general honesty of those holding high office was expected. There is the story of President Kennedy during the Cuban missile crisis,determing whether to inform his press secretary Pierre Salinger about the seriousness of the situation. His decision: don\u2019t tell Pierre because it would force him to lie to the press. His honesty was more important than his knowing what was going on.<\/p>\n
Fiction is distraction: \u201cred herrings\u201d or \u201cstraw men.\u201d Bring up a past action by Hillary Clinton like Uranium One or who investigated her emails to keep America\u2019s focus from the pinpoint targeting of the Mueller investigations. Use Fox News to keep the \u201cTrumpsters\u201d from falling into the trap of the truth. And if all else fails, tweet, tweet, tweet.<\/p>\n
Alan Dershowitz, retired Harvard professor of law, has made himself a \u201cplanet\u201d in the alternative universe that is the Trump\/Fox world. Dershowitz brings a unique set of credentials to the cause. He made his bones representing the highest profile clients. Patty Hearst, Mike Tyson, Claus Van Bulow, and most notably, OJ Simpson are on his list.<\/p>\n
Dershowitz has liberal credentials and is an avowed Clinton supporter, but he has always been a hawk when it comes to Israel. He was vocal in his criticism of the Obama administration for taking an \u201ceven hand\u201d in the Middle East, and supports the Kushner\/Trump policy of siding completely with Israel. He even threatened to leave the Democratic party if Congressman Keith Ellison, a Muslim, were chosen as Chairman.<\/p>\n
Dershowitz is presenting an \u201calternate\u201d view of the current Presidential crisis. His argument: that whatever actions were taken by the Trump campaign to contact, coordinate or conspire (collude) with the Russian government to change the election doesn\u2019t matter, as there is no law against it. He further argues that, no matter how reprehensible those actions may be, the Mueller investigation itself is the danger to our political system. The investigation represents, in his view, an effort to de-legitimatize the outcome of the election, and by doing so, threatens the whole American political process.<\/p>\n
Dershowitz states that the statutes the could be used: charges of taking campaign aid from a foreign government, coordinating the use of stolen emails, and making \u201cquid pro quo\u201d deals with Russia, do not apply to what was done by the Trump campaign. In fact, he even suggests that the charges of obstruction of justice against Trump and those around him may be moot, as the underlying offenses aren\u2019t really against the law.<\/p>\n
He is a distraction: a \u201cliberal\u201d who has taken the Trump side. Lawyer after lawyer, from fellow Harvard professor Lawrence Tribe to multiple federal prosecutors debunk his arguments. He has taken this contrarian view, perhaps to further his own political goals for Israel: \u00a0a \u201cwolf\u201d in liberal \u201csheep\u2019s clothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
There will be more distractions like Dershowitz. Trump may soon create one himself by agreeing to Israel\u2019s demand that Jerusalem be recognized as their capital. The fact that this will disrupt and possibly destabilize the Middle East is small price for him to pay for the change of topic from his judicial woes. \u00a0And that won\u2019t be \u201cfake news.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"