Monthly Archives: March 2018

media news

What about actual policy, Mr. President?

Donald J. Trump has said repeatedly that Twitter is his preferred method of communicating with Americans. He calls it an unfiltered channel through which he can make statements about this and/or that issue of the day.

Lately, and by that I mean for the past several weeks, all we seem to hear from the president of the United States are tirades about special counsel Robert Mueller, former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe and assorted boasts about how well his administration is operating. He has yapped about firing the secretary of state and has labeled as “fake news” reports of continued chaos in the administration.

I keep waiting for actual policy pronouncements. What about, oh, health care? How about defense spending? Do you have any legislative proposals to offer Congress, Mr. President?

I get that the president has talked via Twitter about gun-violence-related issues. He has flipped and flopped all over the place on any number of proposals. As with other compelling issues, I am waiting for something solid, declarative and final in his pitch to seek a solution to gun violence.

Long ago I quit lamenting the president’s use of Twitter. I get that he prefers that particular social medium as a way to express himself. I would prefer to hear something constructive, something proactive and perhaps even a conciliatory word or two to those — such as yours truly — who oppose his world view.

For that matter, how about using Twitter — or other social media platforms, for that matter — to offer an olive branch to those of us who oppose his occupying the presidency in the first place?

I can declare categorically that I would be open to softening my opposition to Trump if such a gesture were forthcoming from the president. Really! I am not kidding about that! Honest! I would!

national news

Porn queen vs. POTUS takes weird turn

Donald John Trump says he didn’t have a sexual affair with a porn queen.

The porn queen so far has been (more or less) quiet, although her lawyer says for the record that the two of them — the porn star and the president — had a sexual relationship.

So … if the president’s denial is true, why is he suing the porn queen for $20 million and seeking a change of venue from a state court to a federal court?

I refuse to name the porn queen because I don’t want to give her any more publicity than she’s already received — which is plenty! It’s too much, if you were to ask me.

But this story continues to get weirder by the day. A part of me shouldn’t give a damn about Trump’s sexual proclivity. He bragged about prior infidelity and those who voted for this clown knew what they were getting when they elected him president of the United States of America.

However, his lawyer reportedly paid the porn queen 130 grand to keep her quiet. She says that Trump never signed the non-disclosure agreement, making it all null and void. She’s spoken to “60 Minutes,” and the segment is going to air on March 25. Trump, though, wants to block it — which has about as much chance of succeeding as Trump actually telling us the whole truth about anything.

The salaciousness of this story gives it its legs, I am going to presume.

As we’ve learned from prior investigations into presidential misbehavior — see President Bill Clinton’s impeachment in 1998 — this story might end up in a most unexpected place.

I don’t know where that will be. I am willing to wait to see where it crashes and burns.

legal news

Trump lawyer pours gas on the flame

John Dowd is not serving his client well.

Dowd, a lawyer, represents Donald John Trump. Dowd now is calling for an end to an investigation led by another lawyer, special counsel Robert Mueller, who’s looking deeply into issues involving Trump, his campaign, his transition to the presidency and the presidency itself.

Now that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has fired deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, a key player in Mueller’s probe, Dowd says it’s time for Mueller to wrap up this investigation.

If I were to put myself in Mueller’s shoes I might be asking: What in the world is Dowd trying to hide? Why does he want me to end an investigation that is growing more complicated by the day, if not the hour?

Thus, in my view Dowd has done his client a disservice. Oh, but then there is this: Donald Trump wants the investigation to end as well. He’s called it a “witch hunt,” which it isn’t. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who selected Mueller after Sessions recused himself, said Mueller has done nothing wrong and that his probe should continue.

At issue, of course, is the “Russia thing,” and whether the Trump campaign “colluded” with Russians seeking to meddle in our 2016 presidential election.

The U.S. House Intelligence Committee’s Republican leadership has said there is “no collusion,” which prompted Trump to declare that “Congress” has found nothing wrong. Oops! He didn’t say that the GOP leaders on the committee have drawn that conclusion.

Oh, but the Mueller probe has many more trails to explore, many more leads to follow.

He’s a long way from finishing his work.

John Dowd needs to pipe down and let the special counsel do his job, get to the finish line and if he finds nothing there — as Trump keeps insisting — he needs to tell us all himself.

military news

The pilot deserved higher honor than he got

Flash back 50 years ago and you find yourself recalling one of the most tumultuous years in U.S. history: 1968.

We’ll soon mark a couple of assassinations that tore the nation’s heart apart. We’ve already noted the 50 years since a one-time enemy launched an offensive against our troops in Vietnam, changing the nation’s fundamental attitude about whether the war could be won on the battlefield. At the end of this year we will mark a mission to the moon that gave us a glimmer of hope after all that heartache.

Fifty years ago today, a U.S. Army pilot — the late Hugh Thompson — landed his helicopter at My Lai, South Vietnam, and told fellow soldiers that he would kill them all if they continued to massacre innocent men, women and children. His crew chief and door gunner were standing by to carry out the order — if Thompson were to deliver it. The soldiers backed off and spared the nation from even more tragedy.

The My Lai massacre became one of the flashpoints of the Vietnam War. Army Lt. William Calley, who commanded the men who took part in the massacre, stood trial and served prison time for his role in that horrific event.

What has gone largely unremembered is the heroism that Thompson exhibited when he confronted the men who had gunned down hundreds of Vietnamese victims.

As Thompson told the Los Angeles Times before his death in 2006: “I thank God to this day that everybody did stay cool and nobody opened up. … It was time to stop it, and I figured, at that point, that was the only way the madness, or whatever you want to call it, could be stopped.”

The Army sought to hide the massacre. It sought to keep it out of public view. Then the famed journalist Seymour Hersh uncovered it and reported it worldwide.

Thompson eventually received the Soldier’s Medal for “heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy.”

He also deserved a nation’s thanks and gratitude for stopping evil when he spotted it from on high.

local news

This was some holiday celebration

SHAMROCK, Texas — “It’s a time for green in Shamrock, Texas!”

So said Shamrock Mayor Buc Weatherbe. “It’s an economic boost for us. This whole Wheeler County gets involved in this. It’s the pride weekend in Shamrock, Texas!” he said on KFDA NewsChannel 10.

There you have it! My wife and I ventured east along Interstate 40 today to take in a bit of the St. Patrick’s Day cheer that has enveloped this community of fewer than 2,000 residents every year since the 1930s.

We were impressed mightily by what we saw throughout the town that sits just west of the Texas-Oklahoma border.

It helps certainly that the town carries the name “Shamrock,” which gives it license to celebrate a holiday that commemorates a character of Irish lore.

We returned to Amarillo after walking through Shamrock, seeing all the green-haired kids, green-festooned folks of all ages. They sold their share of funnel cakes, corn dogs, turkey legs, Philly sandwiches and assorted other “food” often associated with fairs and rodeos.

In a larger sense, though, it filled our hearts with good cheer to see a rural Texas community embrace a holiday and roll out the good cheer for all to enjoy.

Shamrock has been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day for more than 80 years. I sense that it will continue for another 80 years — and well beyond.

Is there a lesson here for other communities? I think so.

I wonder if that lesson has gotten lost on Amarillo, a much larger community that fancies itself as the unofficial “capital” of the Texas Panhandle.

It is true that Amarillo plays host to the Tri-State Fair; it has its share of barbecue feeds downtown; the city has rodeos, one of which honors actual “working ranch” cowhands. It used to stage a Funfest event and the Discover festivities.

We don’t have what I can identify as a singular community event that celebrates and honors the city’s heritage.

Maybe one day. Until then, we all can drive east to Shamrock and enjoy a sea of green along the city’s main thoroughfare.

media news

Boorishness, like bias, a matter of perception

A High Plains Blogger critic has called me out — again!

He doesn’t like the way I referred to White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders as “young lady.” He thinks I sound “boorish,” “offensive” and condescending when I refer to her in that context.

He and I have exchanged a few words over that item on social media, but I feel compelled to offer this brief blog post to set the record straight on a thing or two.

I am 68 years and 3 months of age. Sanders is 35 years of age; she is nearly nine years younger than the younger of my two sons.

When I refer to a public official as a “young lady” or a “young man,” I do not do so with boorishness in my heart. I don’t perceive myself to be a boor. Any offense I deliver through these commentaries are taken that way by those who disagree with my world view, or whatever perspective I present.

I consider a criticism that I am being boorish in the same light as I take the term “biased.” Someone who accuses me of “bias” always — without failure — is someone who takes a different viewpoint. And I admit the same when I read “bias” in commentary with which I disagree.

One man’s bias is another man’s profound wisdom.

The same can be said of “boorishness,” although boorishness can rise — or sink — to levels that reach universal agreement. An example might be, oh let’s see, Donald Trump telling “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush in 2005 that his celebrity status entitles him to grab women by their private parts.

OK, maybe that’s a stretch. Trump, after all, got elected president of the United States even after those remarks were made public. What the heck, it was worth bringing up in any event.

I’ll accept the criticism that comes with writing this blog. As for my use of the term “young” preceding “lady” or “man,” I’ll continue to do so whenever I see fit.

Growing old allows it.

So there.

national news

Trump is a ‘serious threat to … national security’?

Reluctantly I have concluded that President Trump is a serious threat to US national security. He is refusing to protect vital US interests from active Russian attacks. It is apparent that he is for some unknown reason under the sway of Mr Putin.

So says a retired U.S. Army four-star general, a combat veteran and one who has held top-tier commands in time of war. That would be Barry McCaffrey, via Twitter.

Sadly — and I say this with great sadness — I happen to concur with what Gen. McCaffrey has concluded.

The actions of the past several days have accelerated my concerns across the land. There now appears to be evidence building that Donald John Trump is seeking a way to bring special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation to a halt. Mueller, appointed by Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, to examine the Russia meddling matter in our 2016 presidential election, has indicted several senior Trump campaign officials. He is looking at Trump financial matters. He is seeking to tie it all together to determine if there was anything illegal being done on behalf of the Trump campaign.

Oh, and then the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, fired former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe just hours before McCabe as set to retire from the agency he served for two decades. Do you think Sessions did so at the behest of the president, who has been openly critical of McCabe and who well might have threatened the AG with some punishment?

This, I submit, was a disgraceful display of classlessness.

I won’t diagnose the president with any medical disorder. I won’t suggest he has flipped. I do believe — at some unknown level — that he has placed Russian interests above our own national interests.

The Russians have attacked the United States electoral system. Intelligence agencies have confirmed it. Independent analysts have concurred. Donald Trump refuses to direct intelligence officials to launch cyber countermeasures to protect this nation.

It is fair to wonder: Is the president derelict in his duty?

Gen. McCaffrey believes that is the case.

legal news

McCabe gets canned and AG shows his heartlessness

I totally understand that this analogy might be a stretch, but I’ll toss it out there anyway. Andrew McCabe’s firing today by Attorney General Jeff Sessions — just two days before he was to retire from the FBI — reminds me a vaguely of the convict who gets a stay of execution as he is being led into the death chamber.

Sessions canned McCabe on the recommendation of an inspector general report that said he should be terminated because of alleged lack of candor while allowing FBI officials to talk to the media.

The firing now deprives McCabe of the retirement he had earned through two decades working for the FBI.

Think of this for a moment. The former deputy FBI director likely deserved some punishment for his indiscretion. Did he deserve to fired at the 11th hour just prior to his pending retirement? Let me think. I don’t believe he did.

Donald Trump wanted McCabe fired. McCabe has been a key player in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Russian meddling in our 2016 presidential election. McCabe now says his firing is meant to undermine Mueller’s probe. He is understandably furious with the attorney general.

“Here is the reality: I am being singled out and treated this way because of the role I played, the actions I took, and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey,” McCabe wrote in a lengthy statement commenting on his firing.

I had hoped Sessions would let McCabe retire. I also had hoped Sessions would demonstrate his desire to depart the Trump administration by bucking the president’s desire to see McCabe get the boot.

I was wrong all around. I also am having difficulty trying to understand why he would be canned and, thus, denied the pension he had earned while serving the public.

And the timing of the firing … well, it speaks loudly and so very clearly about the character of the people at the top of this presidential administration.

national news

AG cans deputy FBI director … damn!

This blog post has been updated

Well, silly me. I thought Jeff Sessions might have a shred of decency and courage to do the right thing.

It’s being reported just now that the attorney general has fired deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, which deprives him of the pension to which he had been entitled as a career public servant.

I guess the AG is more afraid of the president than I thought.

Shameful.

***

Andrew McCabe is just a couple days away from retirement from the FBI. Or … he might get fired because he was less than fully truthful in dealing with federal investigators.

Firing this career public servant would deprive him of his retirement and possibly his health care. The ball is now in the lap of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

I hope the AG doesn’t fire McCabe, who has been a frequent critic of none other than Donald John Trump Sr., the president of the United States and the man with the thinnest skin of any world leader in history.

Here’s why I have this feeling in my gut that Sessions will let McCabe retire.

Sessions might want to p** the president off so much that he gets fired by Trump, thus relieving him of the turmoil, tempest and constant disabuse that the president himself levels at the attorney general.

Trump wants McCabe to be canned. It’s up to Sessions to do the president’s bidding, or to do what I consider the right thing by merely letting the deputy FBI boss retire and ride off into the sunset.

Firing him now, with so little time before he retires, would be the epitome of heartlessness. That is Trump’s style. I have no clue if that is Sessions’s style as well. McCabe has made some mistakes and perhaps he deserves some punishment. He also happens to have immense support within the FBI and his firing could result in an eruption among the field agents and administrators who work inside the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building in Washington.

My trick knee tells me that the attorney general just might have had his fill of working within the chaos and confusion that continues to define the Donald Trump administration — which might portend a decision to defy the president.

International news, national news, political news

Press flack keeps insulting the public’s intelligence

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders fielded a direct question today from a member of the White House press corps: Is Russia a friend or foe of the United States?

Her answer defies all logic and it insults the intelligence of Americans across the board.

Sanders said “it is up to the Russians to decide” if they are going to be friendly or unfriendly toward the United States. Such a goofy response causes many of us out here to say: What the … is she talking about?

I need to remind Sanders what her boss, Donald John Trump, used to say about “identifying our enemies.” While running for president, Trump excoriated President Barack Obama for refusing to identify “Muslim terrorists” by name. Obama’s response was that we are not at war with Islam, but we are at war with those who are mass murderers of Muslims.

Why, then, does the current president identify Russia as a supreme foe of this country? Why does his press flack sing from the White House song book that refuses to identify our adversary — by name!

The Russians have all but declared war on our electoral system. They have sown discord, dismay and discontent among Americans, many of whom have lost total and unvarnished faith in our nation’s election system.

The Russians and their president, Vladimir Putin, are not our friends. Putin is a trained spook. He once ran the Soviet Union’s spy agency. He is, in the words of former Fox News talk show host Bill O’Reilly, “a killer.” Putin has sanctioned the murder of journalists and anyone who dissents from his public policy.

This man is a friend? It is up to the Russians to “decide” if they are our friend?

Listen up, young lady: You insult our intelligence constantly by spouting such idiocy.