“When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators.”
–P.J. O’Rourke, Parliament of Whores.
“In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant.”
–Charles DeGaulle.
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
–George Orwell, Animal Farm.
Well Washington, D.C. is all in a lather over the current criminal prosecutions being pursued against Democrats. It is retribution! Trump is punishing his political enemies! He’s destroying the Constitution, the rule of law, and all political norms! Oh, spare me. That is such hogwash.
But, but, but, . . James Comey, Letitia James, and Adam Schiff! Trump is literally Hitler! He’s a totalitarian, authoritarian, unconstitutional, engaged in retribution, he’s destroying norms they cry. Pundits and politicians are melting down on MSNBC, CNN, and NBC over what?
Former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey is charged with lying to Congress and obstruction. There is little, if any, doubt that he is guilty of that and much more. But he takes umbrage that he would be subjected to the criminal justice system. It’s not like he is Roger Stone, who was charged with the exact same crimes, and was rousted from his Miami Beach home in the early morning hours by an FBI SWAT team, all being filmed by CNN (tipped off by the FBI). No, James Comey was allowed to self-surrender, and was immediately released. A federal judge imposed a gag order on Roger Stone, lest he influence the jury pool, a gag order that is still in effect years after his conviction and sentencing. There is no gag order against James Comey, and he is out there lecturing us all on his innocence.
What about Peter Navarro? A Trump advisor, Mr. Navarro was taken off a plane at Reagan National Airport, handcuffed, and shackled in front of all present. He was treated like a Mafioso. His crime? He asserted executive privilege in response to a Congressional demand for testimony.
Lt. General Michael Flynn, decorated veteran and former Trump National Security Advisor, went through hell during a criminal prosecution for lying to FBI agents. FBI Director James Comey sent the agents to The White House, acting through unofficial channels, in order to see if he could take out General Flynn. Don’t believe it? James Comey bragged about it on MSNBC. It was a big joke to him, to ruin a man’s life and career. In the end, General Flynn was forced to plead guilty in order to protect his family with promises of retribution from James Comey. He lost his career, his savings, his house, and his reputation. James Comey thought this was funny.
Paul Manafort was confined to his Alexandria, Virginia home (pretrial) after it was thoroughly searched by the FBI, and eventually went to prison for not registering as a foreign lobbyist. The very same law that Hunter Biden violated, but for which he was never arrested or charged. Mr. Manafort went to prison. Hunter Biden hung out in The White House sniffing cocaine.
Letitia James charged Donald Trump with mortgage fraud, claiming he overvalued his properties when seeking loans. Forget about the fact that banks do not take a borrower’s word as to the value of their collateral, always doing their own assessments. Forget about the fact that the banks were all repaid in full, and profited on their business relationship with the Trump Organization. No, no, no. The paperwork was faulty, and therefore Donald Trump and his sons committed crimes. So for Letitia James to be criminally indicted for lying on her mortgage paperwork is just unfair. She’s a Democrat, don’t you know?
Similarly, it boggles the mind to think that Adam Schiff, a Democrat Representative and now Senator from Burbank, California, could claim a Montgomery County, Maryland home as his primary residence. In order to constitutionally qualify to represent California, Mr. Schiff’s primary residence MUST BE IN CALIFORNIA! So to call attention to his obvious mortgage fraud is just petty and mean. It is not as if he will be held accountable for his leaking of classified materials during the Russia! Russia! Russia! hoax, or his lying, or . . . . No, thanks to China Joe’s pardon, Adam Schiff is off scot free!
Finally, there are the federal prosecutions of Donald Trump. Mr. Trump was pursued by an illegally appointed special counsel, Jack Smith. Readers may recall that Jack Smith previously went after Governor Robert McDonnell (R. Va.), bankrupting him and his family. The United States Supreme Court unanimously vacated Governor McDonnell’s conviction, 9-0. But Mr. Smith was back, and he had Donald Trump in his sights. Did you know that Donald Trump took documents with him to Mar-A-Lago when he left The White House? Just like every other President in history took documents with them when they left The White House?
But when Donald Trump did it, well . . . . An FBI SWAT team raided Mar-A-Lago, and ransacked former President Trump’s residence. They made a spectacle of the raid, had it televised, and righteously proclaimed that “no one is above the law!” But apparently former President Trump was beneath the law. It did not matter that the documents at Mar-A-Lago were all declassified–but, but, but, Donald Trump did not follow the bureaucrats’ procedures! He did not have to, he was the President. It did not matter that Mr. Trump held the highest possible security clearance at the time. The Democrats fixed that, by having China Joe revoke Mr. Trump’s security clearance. No, all that mattered was “we have to get Trump!”
Following Mr. Trump’s indictments, James Comey and others were all over television, pontificating about his misdeed, and relishing in his impending convictions and imprisonment. China Joe directed Mr. Trump’s prosecutions, and even stated that it was imperative to “get Trump” so that he could not run for president in 2024. But all this was okay. The Democrats were in charge, and they were on the side of the angels. That is, they would be if they believed in God, which I seriously doubt.
The difference in the treatment of Republicans and Democrats in the media, and in the criminal justice system is stark. Take the example of the “leaking” of Valerie Plame’s identity during the George W. Bush Administration. There was nothing illegal about leaking the identity of a desk jockey from Langley, Virginia. But Deputy Attorney General James Comey insisted that there was a “there” there, and appointed his buddy, Patrick Fitzgerald to investigate and prosecute the offender. AT THE TIME OF MR. FITZGERALD’S APPOINTMENT, both he and James Comey knew that the leaker was Secretary of State Colin Powell’s advisor, Richard Armitage. Richard Armitage was never identified, or charged, or prosecuted by Patrick Fitzgerald.
But people went to jail. News reporter Judith Miller spent 85 days in jail for refusing to reveal her confidential sources. Vice-presidential aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby was convicted of perjury, and sentenced to prison, losing his reputation, freedom, and his law license. What was his lie? He did not lie. He testified differently than did NBC reporter Tim Russert. Patrick Fitzgerald decided that since he believed Tim Russert was telling the truth (and Tim Russert wavered on the accuracy of his testimony), then Scooter Libby must be guilty of perjury. AND PLEASE REMEMBER, all of these legal machinations are over an allegation of illegal leaking Valerie Plame’s identity to Washington Post columnist Robert Novak, and the leaker, Richard Armitage, was known to Comey and Fitzgerald before their investigation got underway! They never pursued Richard Armitage!
The hypocrisy, the intrigue, the backstabbing, and the double standards in Washington, D.C. absolutely are a cancer on our republican form of government. Elected officials, bureaucrats, and news pundits–almost uniformly Democrats, with some squishy, spineless Republicans–will do anything to maintain their power, prestige, comforts, and positions. They are not serving you, the American people. They are serving themselves.
So please spare us all the hand wringing, moaning, groaning, and protestations over the current criminal prosecutions of public officials. Your whining is nauseating, your hypocrisy glaring, and your stupidity knows no bounds.
President Trump is not engaged in retribution, or breaking constitutional norms, or perverting the criminal justice system to punish his political “enemies”. President Trump is holding the previously unaccountable, accountable. Let justice prevail.
GFK
Observations From The Fifth Estate 