Monthly Archives: May 2017

national news, political news

POTUS keeps ’em hopping at White House

It’s tempting to feel a bit of sympathy for the White House media machine, and for the vice president, and for the senior West Wing advisers.

Why? They are working for someone who doesn’t have a clue on how to “control a message,” or even how to conduct the business of being president of the United States.

Donald J. Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. Mike Pence, the vice president, said he acted on the advice of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Assistant AG Rod Rosenstein. But wait! Trump then said he decided before consulting with Sessions and Rosenstein to fire Comey.

Pence also said that the FBI probe into the Russia hacking matter had “nothing to do” with Trump’s decision to fire Comey. Then, what do you know? The president contradicted the VP directly by saying, yep, Comey was spending too much time on the “Russia thing.”

White House press flack Sean Spicer has been keeping a low profile since the stuff hit the fan. Deputy flack Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been back-filling like crazy, trying to provide some semblance of sense to the chaos that has enveloped the Trump administration. She’s not succeeding, though.

In the midst of all this the president is tweeting himself silly with threats to Comey about possible recordings of conversations. He’s continued his attack on the media, threatening to suspend the daily press briefings.

And the media haven’t yet asked him directly about whether he committed a conflict of interest violation by asking Comey directly if the FBI was investigating the president. Trump had the power all along to fire the FBI boss and he shouldn’t have even thought about meddling directly in an ongoing investigation. Holy cow, man!

It’s tempting, yes, to feel sympathy for the president’s senior staff.

I’m managing to resist falling for it, though. They all ought to have known what they were getting into when they signed on.

national news

Bluff or no bluff about those recordings?

Donald John Trump might be trying to pull of the costliest bluff in U.S. political history.

He has mentioned the word “tape recordings” relating to his conversation with former FBI Director James Comey. The nation’s capital is now buzzing with reports about whether the president actually recorded the conversation he had with Comey.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer has declined to answer directly the question about the existence of recording devices.

So … has the president recorded conversations in the Oval Office or not? If he has, then is there more to learn?

Those of us of a certain age remember a fellow named Alexander Butterfield. He worked in the White House during the Nixon administration. The Watergate scandal was beginning to overtake President Nixon in 1973-74. Butterfield, in testimony before the Senate Select Watergate Committee, blabbed to the world about the existence of Oval Office recording devices.

What did they reveal? Oh, all kinds of things that revealed that the president was using the power of his office to obstruct justice.

The rest is history, you know?

What has the current president done to preserve his comings and goings for posterity? What on Earth might such recordings — if they exist — reveal about his alleged connection to, oh, Russian government officials?

Yet another question for the president to answer. If only he would.

local news, political news

Make way for the ladies at Amarillo City Hall

Amarillo’s history is layered with tales of the exploits of men.

They were involved with cattle, the railroad, oil and natural gas. They formed civic clubs, became active in politics and in government. They built banks and other businesses throughout the city.

It was a man’s world around Amarillo. A good ol’ boys club. Men ran the show.

Well, an election just occurred in Amarillo and — presto! — just like that the City Council has an entirely new look. We have three women comprising a majority on the five-member governing board.

I once lamented the loss in 2015 of two women who had served on the council. They got beat by two men whose election created an all-male City Council. I wanted Ellen Robertson Green and Lilia Escajeda to be been re-elected two years ago, but then they got beat by Elisha Demerson and Randy Burkett, respectively, in the contests for Places 1 and 3.

Burkett didn’t seek a second term, and his seat will be taken by Eddy Sauer. However, Demerson lost to Elaine Hays; meanwhile, Freda Powell defeated a male candidate in the race for Place 2, which had been occupied by Lisa Blake, who decided against seeking election to the seat to which she was appointed after Brian Eades resigned from the council.

The third woman on the council is none other than the new mayor, Ginger Pearson Nelson, who defeated two opponents handily to win the right to succeed Paul Harpole, who decided to bow out after three terms as mayor.

What, precisely, does a female-majority City Council mean for Amarillo? I haven’t a clue. Indeed, the entire council has been turned over, with Howard Smith becoming the fifth member of the body after defeating incumbent Mark Nair in the race for Place 4.

It really shouldn’t matter a great deal that we have a majority City Council comprising women. Except you might recall the big deal that was made in 2007 when Debra McCartt was elected the city’s first female mayor.

She became a marvelous spokeswoman for the city and it was on her watch that the city took the bold step of installing automated surveillance equipment at troublesome intersections to catch motorists running through red lights. McCartt stood firm in her support of the red-light cameras in spite of sometimes blistering criticism that some had directed at the City Council.

There well might be some more bold initiatives undertaken by this new council. Is it an inherent fearlessness that enables female politicians to do things their male counterparts cannot do? Beats me.

I also must note as well that Potter County’s Commissioners Court is being led by the county’s first female judge, Nancy Tanner, who was elected to the post in 2014.

There simply is something appealing to me now as the city awaits the transition to this new governing council about the prospect of a female-majority body making critical policy decisions.

Take it away, ladies. I’m pulling for you.

national news

How far can Trump go with this senseless combat?

Words are failing me. I am running out of ways to express my utter outrage at the conduct of the president of the United States.

Donald John Trump is ramping up his war with the FBI director he fired and against the media that are covering this drama for the public that they — and the president — are supposed to serve.

Trump went on another Twitter rampage, warning former FBI boss James Comey about the danger of leaking information to the media. He said something about Comey hoping there are no audio recordings of the men’s conversations.

Then he went after the media — again! There are reports that Trump might cancel the daily press briefings.

Some members of Congress — mostly Democrats, of course — who are using the word “unhinged” to describe the president’s behavior. The continued tweet tirades would be enough to wonder aloud about the president’s mental health.

I guess it shouldn’t surprise anyone, let alone those of us who expect bipartisan outrage, to learn that Republicans in Congress continue to give Trump pretty much a pass on his strange behavior. It baffles me in the extreme.

The fight goes on

Think about, for instance, what Trump told NBC News anchor Lester Holt, that he actually asked Comey whether the FBI was investigating the president; Comey reportedly said “no.”

How does the president get away with committing an act that reeks of an egregious conflict of interest? He has the authority to fire the FBI director and he asks him to comment on an active investigation? There are damn near too many ethical violations to count on that one.

My friends and family members think I’m supposed to always have something cogent to say about these matters. I am sorry to disappoint them all. I am absolutely dumbstruck by this president’s lack of knowledge about any aspect of the high office to which he was elected.

For that matter, I am just as baffled that Donald Trump got elected in the first place.

national news, political news

No, Rep. Thornberry, it won’t go away easily

This is what U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry told a TV station about the upcoming selection of a new FBI director: “It needs to be somebody with impeccable credentials,” Thornberry told local affiliate KCIT about his ideal FBI replacement. “It needs to be somebody who has trust across the aisle, widespread trust who is a professional and with that I think largely this controversy will die down.”

Hmm. Well, I believe I’ll disagree with the Republican lawmaker, who happens also to represent yours truly in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The selection of an FBI director to succeed James Comey won’t by itself allow “this controversy” to wither away and die.

There needs to be a lot of investigating completed before we start to put this matter in our rearview mirror. The president cannot appoint a yes man, a lackey, a hack. He needs a tough prosecutor, someone who is independent and fearless.

Thornberry is right about the need for someone with “trust across the aisle.” How does an FBI director gain that trust? By demonstrating resistance against the White House and from the president.

Texans in Congress mostly silent

The FBI boss needs to continue the search for the whole truth into whether Donald Trump’s campaign colluded with Russian hackers who every intelligence expert in American has concluded tried to influence the 2016 election.

If a vigorous and thorough search clears the president, only then will it “die down.”

national news

Awaiting a joyful reunion

I am in a reminiscing frame of mind this evening … so I believe I will share a memory with you.

Eight years ago this week, some friends and I embarked on a four-week journey through Israel. We were part of a Rotary International Group Study Exchange team. I had the honor of leading that team, which comprised myself and four young professionals who would get to share their work experiences with colleagues in Israel.

We all formed lasting friendships with each other, as well as with members of a Rotary team from The Netherlands that joined us on that Holy Land excursion.

We got to see that marvelous country while living in host families’ homes. They were part of a Rotary district that took part in the exchange with our West Texas Rotary district. The essence of the trip was to expose us to life in Israel as seen through those who call that country home.

Not only did we make lasting friendships among our team members, we made friendships with our hosts.

Here’s the really cool news: Very soon, my wife and I are going to hook up with one of those host families. A couple with whom I stayed in Israel is traveling to the United States to attend a Rotary International Conference in Atlanta. Before that, though, they’re going to Nashville, Tenn., for a little sightseeing before heading deeper into Dixie.

My wife hasn’t yet had the pleasure of meeting Alon and Sari, with whom I stayed in Lehavim, a town near Be’er Sheva, which is on the edge of the Judean Desert in Israel. I am absolutely certain she will fall in love with them as I did during our time together.

Indeed, we not too long ago reconnected with a couple of my fellow Dutch exchange members while on vacation in Europe. That, too, was a marvelous reunion.

Our plan this time is simple. We’ll load up our fifth wheel RV, hook it up to the rear of our pickup and get on down the road eastward toward Nashville. I’ll get to reconnect with people I met in their homeland and they in turn will get to get a taste of Americana.

Oh, how I love it when friendships become strong enough to last over lengthy distances and over spans of time.

legal news, national news, political news

Congressional clown act isn’t so funny

The clowns who comprise a substantial portion of the U.S. Congress seem intent on deflecting criticism of the president’s firing of FBI Director James Comey.

They are staking out an openly transparent — and dubious — strategy in that attempt.

Donald J. Trump canned Comey while the FBI director was in the midst of an investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government’s effort to influence the 2016 presidential election.

It’s the timing of the dismissal that has drawn the incoming fire.

Congressional Republicans are defending the president’s action by saying something like this: Leftists are angry because Trump did something they wanted done this past autumn when Comey sent Congress that letter regarding Hillary Clinton’s e-mails; so now that they’re getting what they wanted in the first place, they should be happy, not angry.

I heard Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., make that argument this morning. I damn near pitched something heavy at my TV set.

That is not the issue, Sen. Paul!

It’s the timing, dude. The timing!

I’m one of those Americans who was angry at Comey for releasing that letter to Congress just 11 days before the presidential election. He sought to inform lawmakers that his office had found some more e-mails that needed some examination. It likely helped stall Clinton’s march to victory, although I am not going to heap all the cause for Hillary’s defeat on the FBI director; she and her campaign made plenty of mistakes all by themselves while Trump and his team were doing things right.

Did I ever think Comey should resign, or should be fired?

In addition to the timing of Trump’s dismissing of Comey we have this White House’s stumble-bum explanation, which simply doesn’t hold up. The president said he was upset at the way Comey handled the Hillary e-mail matter. What the …?! Donald Trump the candidate thought Comey had done exactly the correct thing at the time — and he said so repeatedly as news was breaking in October.

Then we hear that Trump became angry because Comey was exerting too much energy on the Russia hacking matter, but then comes word from some in the White House that the firing had nothing to do with the Russia investigation. Holy mackerel!

Deputy White House press flack Sarah Huckabee Sanders said it’s time to “move on,” away from the Russia matter. Oh, no it isn’t, young lady! Far from it.

But this crap from congressional Republicans and Trumpkins all across the land that those who are critical of the firing are the same folks who wanted Comey canned in the first place are missing the point by a country mile.

Timing, as they say, is everything.

national news

Can’t this guy get anything straight?

Good, ever-lovin’ grief, man!

Donald John Trump reportedly asked the then-FBI director, James Comey, if he — the president — was under investigation. Comey allegedly said “no.” The president then told Comey he’d think about keeping on the job. Then he fired him!

Oh, but here’s the good part: Donald Trump might have committed an ethical boo-boo by asking the FBI boss about a pending investigation involving, yep, the president himself.

“There generally shouldn’t be communications about pending investigations and if you need an explanation why, see: Watergate, basically,” according to Kathleen Clark, an ethics expert at Washington University’s School of Law, in comments to NBC News.

Improprieties keep mounting

Trump described the conversation in an interview with NBC News anchor Lester Holt. And — wouldn’t you know it? — he’s raised even more eyebrows in the legal community.

More news is filtering out about how angry Trump had gotten with Comey. The final act occurred the other day when Comey — in quite animated testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee — kept harping on the investigation he was leading as it regards the Trump campaign’s alleged ties to Russian government officials.

The president wanted Comey to focus more on White House leaks and less on the Russia matter. Comey wouldn’t relent on the Russia probe. So, he got canned!

Except that Vice President Mike Pence said the firing had nothing to do with the Russia investigation. Really, Mr. Vice President? Talk to your boss about that, will you?

Can we get a straight answer? Is anyone in the White House able to communicate with Americans who want to know what in the name of constitutional crises is going on here?

As for the president wanting the FBI to look less at the allegations of Russian meddling in our election — and whether the Trump campaign was complicit in it — um, I think the feds should keep digging until they learn all there is to know.

This is a pretty damn serious matter, even if the president of the United States doesn’t think so.

national news, political news

Russia probe caused Comey to lose his job … period!

Donald J. Trump can insist all he wants that his decision to fire FBI Director James Comey had nothing to do with Russia.

Mike Pence can echo the president as well, that the Russia probe played no role in Comey’s sudden and shocking dismissal.

I do not believe either man. Not for a nanosecond.

Call it purely circumstantial, but the evidence seems to be mounting that Comey’s departure as FBI boss had everything to do with the Russia investigation he was leading and nothing to do with the FBI director’s handling of the 11th-hour dump on Hillary Clinton regarding some e-mail messages that turned up late in the 2016 presidential campaign.

As the New York Times editorialized: “The explanation for this shocking move — that Mr. Comey’s bungling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server violated longstanding Justice Department policy and profoundly damaged public trust in the agency — is impossible to take at face value.”

As the Times continued: Mr. Trump had nothing but praise for Mr. Comey when, in the final days of the presidential campaign, he informed Congress that the bureau was reopening the investigation into Mrs. Clinton’s emails. ‘He brought back his reputation,’ Mr. Trump said at the time. ‘It took a lot of guts.’”

Here’s the complete editorial

The media are reporting that Comey asked just days earlier for more money and staff help to ratchet up his investigation into allegations that the Trump campaign cooperated with Russian government operatives seeking to interfere with the 2016 election.

Then he gets canned? Just like that? Trump and Pence want us to believe the Russia probe played no part in this matter?

They are insulting the intelligence of Americans.

I am picking up the whiff of a cover-up.

national news, political news

Hey, didn’t the AG recuse himself from Russia probe?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVpDT4PyM04

Al Franken knows a lie when he hears it. He wrote a book about “Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them.”

The U.S. senator from Minnesota stood on the Senate floor and offered a point-by-point rebuttal of an apparent lie that Donald J. Trump likely told about a recommendation he got to fire FBI Director James Comey.

Then again, perhaps the lie came from the mouth of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who announced this year he would “recuse” himself from any dealings at any level with the probe into whether Russian government officials sought to influence the 2016 presidential election in the president’s favor.

You see, the president said he got a recommendation to fire Comey from — drum roll! — AG Sessions, the fellow who said he would recuse himself from this matter.

Oh yeah! Then there’s that matter of Comey leading the FBI probe into allegations that the Trump campaign colluded with Russian hackers to sway the election.

Sen. Franken’s statement zeroes in quite cleanly on Sessions’ recusal and he casts doubt (a) on whether the president really got a recommendation from Sessions to fire Comey or (b) on whether Sessions has actually recused himself as he pledged to do.

Man, this Comey firing matter is beginning to get stinkier by the day.