As Seen on TV!!!<\/p>\n
I take a few days off to travel across the country, and look what happens. Sure, there\u2019s the Porn Star, the Playgirl, and the Apprentice contestant; all suing the President for one sex related thing or another. And, of course, there\u2019s the lawsuit filed by several states claiming that the President is violating the emoluments clause of the Constitution by profiting from the office of the Presidency. And then there was the congradulatory (sic) phone call to Vladimir Putin, praising him for rigging the Russian election and killing off his opponents. Oh, and forgetting to mention that Putin used nerve gas to try to kill a former spy in the United Kingdom. And then there\u2019s the $60 Billion trade war with China, and a 700 point drop in the Dow Jones Average.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hard to imagine a worse week for President Trump.<\/p>\n
But here we are. Thursday was another crazy day in Trump World. John Dowd, the President\u2019s lead attorney for the Russiagate investigation, resigned. His replacement, already hired in the reverse world of Trump, is Fox Television personality and analyst Joe DiGenova. DiGenova, whose recent law practice consists of going on Fox and claiming that the FBI was plotting against Trump, meets the requirements for the President\u2019s new strategy towards the Mueller investigation.<\/p>\n
It seems that Dowd, and his compatriot Ty Cobb, were presenting a defense based on \u201cfacts\u201d they believed showed that Trump was innocent of any charges of conspiracy (collusion) with the Russians. Their \u201cinnocence strategy\u201d included being cooperative with the investigators, and waiting for Mueller to prove the President\u2019s position.<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t seem to be happening; Mueller continues to rack up more facts that raise questions about Trump\u2019s involvement, and his vulnerability to influence and blackmail. An \u201cinnocence defense\u201d won\u2019t work if the client isn\u2019t innocent. DiGenova represents Trump\u2019s change in strategy: now it won\u2019t be about the \u201cfacts,\u201d but about the biased investigators who are trying to \u201coverthrow\u201d the elected government. DiGenova’s employment means that things will get very ugly; it\u2019s Trump\u2019s move to go \u201cto war\u201d against the Mueller team.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s likely that Trump will soon move against Mueller, following the \u201cSaturday Night Massacre\u201d example of the Watergate years.<\/p>\n
Hard to imagine, but that wasn\u2019t the worst reality TV of the day. Over the past fourteen months, one of the quiet saving graces of the Trump administration was the presence of the \u201cadults\u201d in the room. Secretary of State Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Mattis, Chief of Staff Kelly, and National Security Advisor McMasters were considered the calming forces in the turmoil of Trump World. By Thursday, Tillerson and McMasters were gone (fired, by tweet or phone call.) Replacing Tillerson at State: Mike Pompeo from the CIA, a \u201chard liner\u201d on issues like Iran and North Korea.<\/p>\n
And, as seen on TV, the replacement for McMasters is a real bomb thrower. John Bolton, most recently a Fox Commentator (“we should pre-emptively bomb North Korea”) and chairman of a conservative political action committee (over $1 million from the Mercer\u2019s of Trump-Bannon and Cambridge Analytica fame) is to take the National Security role. McMasters has been the calming voice in the White House, Bolton hasn\u2019t ever found a war he didn\u2019t like. When Trump starts thinking about using his \u201cbigger button,\u201d Bolton is likely to push it for him.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s Friday morning. Is Kelly next on the Trump \u201chit list?\u201d Will Mattis stay? When (not if) will Mueller be fired? And what will Stormy Daniels say or show on \u201c60 Minutes\u201d Sunday evening? It would be a great TV drama, if it wasn\u2019t real.<\/p>\n
How long will this go on? The question is really one for Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell. Now that they have passed their omnibus budget (which Trump this morning threatened to veto) will they finally begin to pressure Trump to end the drama? Don\u2019t bet on that outcome, they are in for the entire season of Trump World.<\/p>\n
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It’s been 37 days since the school shootings at Parkland High School. \u00a0Tomorrow (Saturday 3\/24) students and their supporters across the country will march for change. \u00a0Their power and dedication is amazing: \u00a0and the children shall lead!!!<\/i><\/p>\n
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