Hold All Of Them Accountable
December 15, 2018 at 3:32 a.m.
By Gary [email protected]
I would like to clarify that a little bit.
Let me be clear. I think Trump lies. It’s compulsive. It’s obsessive. It may be pathological.
I don’t disagree with lots of his administration’s policies. I like the tax cuts. I like the decreases in regulations. I like the strengthened economy. I like the weapons to Ukraine. I like the missile batteries in Eastern Europe. I like the missile attacks on Syria after the chemical weapons attack. I like the fact that the U.S. has become the world’s No. 1 oil-producing nation and is driving oil markets instead of OPEC.
But whether you agree with his policies or not, I think if you’re honest about things, you have to concede the guy is a lunatic.
I have never heard a politician exaggerate – or just outright make things up – with the same bravado he does.
So, of course, he is going to undergo a severe level of media scrutiny.
That’s a good thing. The media should check facts.
Everybody – up to and including the president – should be held accountable if they commit crimes.
So let the Mueller investigation be completed. Hold Trump accountable if he has committed any criminal acts.
I have no trouble with any of that.
But once that is done, I want the same standard of scrutiny applied to all politicians. Not just Trump. Not just Republicans. All politicians.
But there’s where I see a problem. I know that’s a pipe dream. I know that will never happen.
I know that, especially where the media is concerned, the actions of Democrats will never be scrutinized with the same vim and vigor as those of Republicans.
It’s just the way it is in this great land.
So it’s left to people like me to point out the double standards and whine about them.
And it’s not just the double standards – it’s the hypocrisy.
I could cut and paste quote after quote after quote from prominent Democrats – Schumer, Pelosi, President Obama, et. al. – from days gone by talking about how tough they are on immigration.
President Obama became known as the “deporter in chief” in some circles because of the record number of illegal immigrants he sent home.
The media applauded him for it.
I can show you at least one video of Hillary Clinton saying she supported a wall as part of immigration reform. I can show you several videos of her saying she supported a “physical barrier.”
Did anyone in the media call these people immoral? Did anyone in the media call them racists?
Of course not.
Along comes Trump, and he is all those things and worse because he says he supports a wall as part of immigration reform.
Oh, sure. He’s a windbag. He’s a blowhard. The “Mexico’s is going to pay for it” stuff is nonsense. Points conceded.
But he and Clinton supported a wall.
One is portrayed as an immoral bigot and the other as the savior of mankind.
It’s asinine.
Trump’s attorney, Michael Cohen, just got sentenced for making payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. The alleged “hush money,” experts say, might have run afoul of campaign finance laws. The payments might constitute federal felonies because they could be construed as illegal campaign donations.
OK. Good.
Then charge President Trump with federal felonies.
But while we’re at it, what about the $300,000 in taxpayer dollars more than a dozen members of congress used to pay off sexual harassment accusers?
Now why would a member of Congress want to pay sexual harassment accusers large sums of money? I know why. It’s to keep them quiet ahead of the next election cycle, of course.
I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that those settlements required the sexually harassed victim to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
You know, just like the one Stormy Daniels signed – and then breached.
Trump’s lawyer paid somebody money to keep quiet about an affair. This, according to the experts, may constitute a federal felony because it exceeded the $2,700 limit for individual contributions.
OK, then isn’t a congressman paying money to keep a staffer quiet about sexual harassment a felony, too? Isn’t that an illegal campaign contribution, too?
That’s different, you say, and you’re right.
Trump’s alleged affair was consensual. Nobody is claiming assault or harassment.
And Trump used his own money, not tax dollars.
So which is worse?
I have never been more cynical of politicians and the media.
Robin Williams had a great line about the word “politics.” “Politics: ‘Poli’ a Latin word meaning ‘many’ and ‘tics’ meaning ‘bloodsucking creatures.’”
I say, bust them all.
Every last crooked one of them.
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I would like to clarify that a little bit.
Let me be clear. I think Trump lies. It’s compulsive. It’s obsessive. It may be pathological.
I don’t disagree with lots of his administration’s policies. I like the tax cuts. I like the decreases in regulations. I like the strengthened economy. I like the weapons to Ukraine. I like the missile batteries in Eastern Europe. I like the missile attacks on Syria after the chemical weapons attack. I like the fact that the U.S. has become the world’s No. 1 oil-producing nation and is driving oil markets instead of OPEC.
But whether you agree with his policies or not, I think if you’re honest about things, you have to concede the guy is a lunatic.
I have never heard a politician exaggerate – or just outright make things up – with the same bravado he does.
So, of course, he is going to undergo a severe level of media scrutiny.
That’s a good thing. The media should check facts.
Everybody – up to and including the president – should be held accountable if they commit crimes.
So let the Mueller investigation be completed. Hold Trump accountable if he has committed any criminal acts.
I have no trouble with any of that.
But once that is done, I want the same standard of scrutiny applied to all politicians. Not just Trump. Not just Republicans. All politicians.
But there’s where I see a problem. I know that’s a pipe dream. I know that will never happen.
I know that, especially where the media is concerned, the actions of Democrats will never be scrutinized with the same vim and vigor as those of Republicans.
It’s just the way it is in this great land.
So it’s left to people like me to point out the double standards and whine about them.
And it’s not just the double standards – it’s the hypocrisy.
I could cut and paste quote after quote after quote from prominent Democrats – Schumer, Pelosi, President Obama, et. al. – from days gone by talking about how tough they are on immigration.
President Obama became known as the “deporter in chief” in some circles because of the record number of illegal immigrants he sent home.
The media applauded him for it.
I can show you at least one video of Hillary Clinton saying she supported a wall as part of immigration reform. I can show you several videos of her saying she supported a “physical barrier.”
Did anyone in the media call these people immoral? Did anyone in the media call them racists?
Of course not.
Along comes Trump, and he is all those things and worse because he says he supports a wall as part of immigration reform.
Oh, sure. He’s a windbag. He’s a blowhard. The “Mexico’s is going to pay for it” stuff is nonsense. Points conceded.
But he and Clinton supported a wall.
One is portrayed as an immoral bigot and the other as the savior of mankind.
It’s asinine.
Trump’s attorney, Michael Cohen, just got sentenced for making payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. The alleged “hush money,” experts say, might have run afoul of campaign finance laws. The payments might constitute federal felonies because they could be construed as illegal campaign donations.
OK. Good.
Then charge President Trump with federal felonies.
But while we’re at it, what about the $300,000 in taxpayer dollars more than a dozen members of congress used to pay off sexual harassment accusers?
Now why would a member of Congress want to pay sexual harassment accusers large sums of money? I know why. It’s to keep them quiet ahead of the next election cycle, of course.
I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that those settlements required the sexually harassed victim to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
You know, just like the one Stormy Daniels signed – and then breached.
Trump’s lawyer paid somebody money to keep quiet about an affair. This, according to the experts, may constitute a federal felony because it exceeded the $2,700 limit for individual contributions.
OK, then isn’t a congressman paying money to keep a staffer quiet about sexual harassment a felony, too? Isn’t that an illegal campaign contribution, too?
That’s different, you say, and you’re right.
Trump’s alleged affair was consensual. Nobody is claiming assault or harassment.
And Trump used his own money, not tax dollars.
So which is worse?
I have never been more cynical of politicians and the media.
Robin Williams had a great line about the word “politics.” “Politics: ‘Poli’ a Latin word meaning ‘many’ and ‘tics’ meaning ‘bloodsucking creatures.’”
I say, bust them all.
Every last crooked one of them.
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