All posts by Dr. ESP

Georgia on My Mind

Politics
The National Commission [investigating the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack] finds the attack on the United States on September 11, 2001. was, above all, a failure of imagination. Washington Post/July 22, 2004

What the Commission meant was the U.S. national security apparatus never imagined the three key elements leading up to the attacks on the Twin Towers and Pentagon. One, the homeland would be the target of such a coordinated terrorist playbook. Two, hijackers could be suicidal. Three, passenger airplanes could be turned into guided missiles. In short, no one anticipated things that never happened before.

The same thing occurred in 1963. At the time of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, it was a federal crime to threaten a U.S. president through the mail but not to actually kill one. This anomaly in the federal statutes was responsible for the chaos at Parkland Hospital when Secret Service agents assumed custody of the president’s body. Agents forcibly removed the coffin, after pushing aside the Dallas County medical examiner, Dr. Earl Rose, who claimed, regardless of the victim, he was required to perform the official autopsy.

Which brings us to late last night when a Fulton County, Georgia grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump and 18 other co-conspirators on 41 violations of the Georgia state law involving 161 separate acts. While most legal pundits focused on the breadth of the indictment, former U.S. attorney and member of special counsel Robert Mueller’s team Andrew Weissmann made the following observation.

The Georgia indictment differed from special counsel Jack Smith’s similar filing related to crimes surrounding Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. He suggested Smith had to be creative when matching Trump’s actions with specific federal statutes. Why? Because the founding fathers and members of Congress for 233 years never anticipated a president of the United States would solicit the aid of a public official to commit a crime. Not the case in the State of Georgia. Weissman pointed to charge #5 in the indictment. “SOLICITATION OF VIOLATION OF OATH BY PUBLIC OFFICER/O.C.G.A §§ 16-4-7 & 16-10-1.”

A person commits the offense of criminal solicitation when, with intent that another person engage in conduct constituting a felony, he solicits, requests, commands, importunes, or otherwise attempts to cause the other person to engage in such conduct.
GA Code § 16-4-7 (2020)

In what can only be described as “20/20 foresight,” the addition to the Georgia criminal code could not better characterize Trump’s “perfect phone call” to secretary of state Brad Raffensperger or Rudy Giuliani’s presentation to a Georgia Senate subcommittee. In both cases, the defendants request public officials to violate their oath of office, with the intent those individuals “engage in conduct constituting a felony.” The same applies to Trump staffers who solicited the help of Coffee County elections official Misty Hampton who subsequently authored a “letter of invitation” to Trump attorneys authorizing examination of the county’s voting systems.

Recently, individuals who advocate televising Trump’s federal trial related to the January 6th indictment have invoked Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis’ proposition, “Sunlight is the best of disinfectants.” The same can now be said of moonlight, though the lesson will probably be lost on the current chairs of the House Judiciary and House Oversight Committees. Jim Jordan and James Comer claim their hearings into weaponization of the deep state are justified due to their interest in legislative solutions. They should start by taking a page out of the Georgia criminal code, making “solicitation of violation of oath by public officer” a federal crime with stiff minimum penalties.

A lesson I learned early in my years as a state government official or with the National Governors Association is “celebrate a victory, even when someone does the right thing for the wrong reason.” If they feel they need to justify amending the U.S. code to mirror the Georgia statute, Jordan and Comer could claim it was written in response to actions by civil servants in the Biden Justice Department. However, residents of Earth One (as opposed to the MAGA-verse) will know at whom the new provision is directed.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP

The Dog Days of Reaganomics

Economics, Sports

“The Dog Days of Summer” is an expression that one hears often in baseball. The phrase comes from the very challenging days of playing baseball in the heat of the summer. Not only are players contending with the heat, but they are also contending with the length of the baseball season. The excitement of the beginning of the season has certainly waned, and the end of the season with championships on the line is too far away to make a difference. Added to this is the sad reality that some teams recognize that their championship hopes have all but been shattered. Championships are won or lost in these “dog days of summer.”

~Dr. Steve Horn/LOUSIANABAPTISTS.ORG

Sometimes you find the best definitions for a word or phrase in the most unlikely places.  In this case, Dr. Horn used baseball as a metaphor for life.  For Christians, he compares it to the time between the excitement of rebirth and the ultimate reward of eternal life in heaven.  I may not share his belief in salvation, but from his perspective, the metaphor is valid. 

When friends and family tell me they no longer pay attention to the news, what I believe they are saying is, “These are the dog days of political discourse.”  I understand completely.   The excitement of Joe Biden’s victory in 2020 has waned.  And the 2024 election is still too far in the distance.

I too find the heat and humidity of this warmest of all summers draining.  I prefer the comfort of air conditioning, and rather than watching the evening talk shows, I now make a nightly habit of following the Baltimore Orioles’ hold on the top spot in the American League East. (NOTE: I became an Orioles’ fan during my time as a graduate student at John Hopkins University (1971-73), when Memorial Stadium was a 10-minute walk from my apartment and bleacher seats were 85 cents.)

This morning, as I glanced at the AL East standings, I observed what can only be called “a metaphor within a metaphor.”  Despite a blown save last night, Baltimore is still in first place, two games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays.  Meanwhile the New York Yankees continue to go back and forth with the Boston Red Sox for last place in the division, 11.5 games back of the Orioles.

It is no stretch to think of the Yankees as the latest incarnation of Reaganomics which depended on two theories of growth:  supply side economics, and by increasing the wealth of the rich, benefits would “trickle down” to the poorest workers. Owner Hal Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman have spared no expense ($187 million this year) when it comes to supplying the team with talent. In one more example of failed “trickle down” impact, more than half of that investment ($108 million) goes toward the salaries of just three of the team’s 26 active players: Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, Giancarlo Stanton.  And yet, the Yankees remain a half-game out of the AL East cellar.

In contrast, the Orioles’ active roster has a combined payroll of $65 million.  Instead of buying talent, the Orioles have developed a cadre of exciting young players through what baseball writers credit as the best farm system in baseball.  And the team’s success is not likely to end any time soon.  Eight of the top 100 2023 draft choices are future Orioles, waiting in the wings, playing in the minor leagues for the Triple-A Norfolk Tides and Double-A Bowie Baysox.

Think of infrastructure, sustainable energy, workforce heath care and investment in critical  industries  as the farm team of the American economy.  Americans are better served by investments in these building blocks which can be the foundation of sustainable growth.  Massive tax cuts to a few rich people and multinational corporations may give the economy a short-term shot in the arm, but as we saw at the end of the last three GOP administrations, the benefits are short-lived ending in economic recession, higher unemployment and/or stagnant wage growth. 

The Republican Party has given this Orioles-like approach to economic policy what they thought was a derogatory name:  Bidenomics.  Their error is evident every time the president retweets one of his detractors blaming him for the bi-partisan infrastructure legislation, CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act with the tag line, “I approve this message.”  In my July 6 post, “Shoot the Messenger,” I chastised Biden’s communications team for failing to make the connection between Biden economic policies and America’s leading global standing.  Even I could not imagine Marjorie Taylor Greene and other MAGA mouthpieces would fill the gap.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP

The REAL Pronoun Issue

Culture

To clarify, I was betrayed by a fake friend and that’s what I meant with ‘they’ not anything more.

~Jamie Foxx/Instagram/August 5, 2023

The above quote is an excerpt from Foxx’s online apology for an earlier Instagram post which could be interpreted as anti-Semitic based on its historical use to blame Jews for the crucifixion. 

They killed this dude name Jesus … what do you think they’ll do to you???! #fakefriends #fakelove.

~Jamie Foxx/Instagram/August 4, 2023

As seems to be the case these days, celebrities, regardless of occupation, seem incapable of simply saying, “I know I screwed up.  I’m sorry.  And I know I need to work at being a better person.”  Instead, Foxx’s explanation only made the matter worst.  Why? Because his explanation makes sense only if one of the following must be true.

  • His #fakefriend is non-binary and refers to himself as “they.”
  • By simple deductive reasoning, if “they” refers to Foxx’s #fakefriend, Foxx accused this individual of killing Jesus.  Should we, therefore, expect a new comedy album in which Mel Brooks, in a role reversal, is the straight man to Foxx’s #fakefriend, the new 2,000-year-old man?
  • Foxx refers to every individual as “they,” as in “Joe, how are they doing this afternoon?”

Of course, Foxx is not alone, Donald Trump and his campaign played “can you top this” over the weekend.  It began with Trump’s now infamous post on “Truth Social.”

If you go after me, I’m coming after you.

~Donald Trump/Truth Social/August 4, 2023

Jack Smith correctly pointed out in a filing to Judge Tanya Chutkan it took Trump less than 24 hours to violate a federal magistrate’s warning not to intimidate or threaten anyone associated with his obstruction and conspiracy indictment.

It is a crime to try to influence a juror or to threaten or attempt to bribe a witness or any other person who may have information about your case, or to retaliate against anyone for providing information about your case to the prosecution, or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice.

Her concern was not unfounded. This unusual admonition was likely tied to findings by the House Select Committee to Investigate the Attack on the United States Capitol’s finding Trump had contact one of their witnesses prior to that individual’s interview with committee staff.  And once Trump’s legal team realized their client might be in jeopardy of having his bond vacated, they backtracked quicker than Vin Diesel in the latest Fast and Furious movie.

The Truth post cited is the definition of political speech, and was in response to the RINO, China-loving, dishonest special interest groups and Super PACs, like the ones funded by the Koch brothers and the Club for No Growth.

~Unsigned Statement from Trump Spokesperson/August 5, 2023

If that is who Trump meant, why did he not mention them specifically?  I thought maybe he might have referred to the one security officer at his hush money arraignment in New York who did not cry when he was led into the courtroom.  The irony is Trump’s lawyers did not appreciate that the very statements and ads sponsored by the Koch Brothers and others, which so upset their client, are the “definition of political speech,” without the “fire in a crowded theater” threat to avenge a perceived wrong.

Despite the MAGA-verse “war on woke,” the real problem is not whether an infinitesimal percentage of Americans who could be described as gender fluid choose to attach a non-traditional pronoun to their persona.  The real problem is the use of pronouns such as “they” and “you” which are bandied about as a façade for moral fluidity.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP

Mother Knew Best

Politics

Former vice-president Mike Pence’s contemporaneous notes of meetings with Donald Trump in January 2023 may prove to be the final nail in the boxcar which carries the former president to prison.  They are highlighted in Jack Smith’s 45-page indictment and are likely to be front and center during the obstruction and conspiracy trial.  Pence’s turnaround is as dramatic as Luke Skywalker’s realization the evil Darth Vader is his father.  If it puts closure on the Trump era, Pence deserves kudos for his resistance to joining the January 6 conspiracy and for his documentation of the events leading up to the violent insurrection.

In this morning’s New York Times, Maureen Dowd describes the VP’s 180-degree pivot as follows.

It’s strange to see Pence showing some nerve and coming to Smith’s aid, after all his brown-nosing and equivocating. He and Mother, who suppressed her distaste for Trump (my emphasis) for years, were the most loyal soldiers; in return, according to an aide, Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows said Trump felt Pence “deserved” to be hanged by the rioters.

“Mother,” of course, refers to Pence’s wife Karen.  Their backstory is all you need to know.  Pence first met his future wife at the Catholic church in Indianapolis to which they both belonged.  He first noticed her when she was playing guitar during Mass.  In 1995, they left the St. Thomas Aquinas Church and became evangelical Christians. 

One can only imagine Karen Pence’s “distaste for Trump,” the antithesis of everything she spiritually believed, especially following release of the “Access Hollywood” tape on October 7, 2016, 26 days before the general election.  Or the pillow talk that night.  Surely, Karen asked Mike, “Do you really want to be associated with this man?”

Which is why Pence deserves qualified praise for his actions on January 6 and his cooperation with the special counsel’s office.  The situation could have been potentially reminiscent of the hit taken by Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern in 1972 when it was disclosed his running mate Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton had received electroshock therapy for clinical depression in the 1960s.  McGovern’s choice of Eagleton and his indecision how to resolve the question of his running mate’s fitness to serve as VP raised legitimate issues about the standard bearer’s judgement.  Something from which he never politically recovered.

Imagine if Pence had voluntarily dropped off the ticket.  That, not Hillary’s emails, would have dominated the news cycles for the final month of the campaign.  Furthermore, Pence would have four years to market his principled and “too honest” persona to Republicans, making him a competitive option for the 2024 Republican nomination.  Additionally, it would have given him time to solidify his evangelical base rather than handing it over to Trump.

Too bad he did not call Dan Quayle for advice on that occasion. 

POSTSCRIPT

The latest data point concerning the extent to which every sane member of the Trump administration knew they would eventually need to protect themselves from being thrown under the bus is the number of staff members, including Pence, who felt the need to keep contemporaneous notes following meetings with “the boss.”  Every MSNBC host on both sides of the aisle (e.g., Bush communications director Nicole Wallace and Obama press secretary Jan Psaki) and most guests with White House experience confirm they never felt the need to do so.  It is legitimate for the media to continually ask the Trump era note takers why they did not produce their evidence of a pending coup prior to January 6.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP 

Cancel Culture Suicide

Media

Fox News claims to be the champion of those who oppose “cancel culture.” The cable network even has a page on its website dedicated to the the rise of the practice which it amplifies as follows:

The fear of being “canceled” due to unpopular political and cultural opinions or unsubstantiated allegations, often amplified with viral Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram posts, has become a serious issue in America.

www.foxnews.com/category/topic/cancel-culture

The sub-site is populated with stories such as:

  • Cancel culture is getting canceled and it’s about time
  • Cancel culture mob attacked Jason Aldean. They came for “God Bless the USA,” but they can’t cancel all of us
  • Etsy accused of banning “De-Trans Awareness” products for violating “prohibited items policy”
  • Country boys will survive the work warriors
  • Five ways Ayn Rand predicted America’s political crises, from parents spurned to the rise of cancel culture

On Thursday morning, Fox News once again demonstrated its tag line “Fair and Balanced” should be replaced with “Watch what we do, not what we say.” Remember, this is the same network which railed against vaccines while mandating its own employees be fully “stabbed.” On the August 3 edition of “Fox and Friends,” co-host Steve Doocy began reporting on Bill Barr’s interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in which the former attorney general eviscerated the Trump legal team’s claim the special counsel’s indictment was a violation of their client’s First Amendment rights.

[T]his is not about the First Amendment. He said that Donald Trump can say whatever he wants. He can lie. He can tell people the election was stolen. But that does not protect you from entering into a conspiracy. And the former attorney general said free speech does not give you the right for fraudulent conspiracy. And it’s all about the conspiracy.

Instead of paying attention to Doocy, co-host Ainsley Earhardt looks down and appears to be listening to a message coming over her earpiece. She then picks up a piece of paper and interrupts Doocy.

Earhardt: Yeah. It’s really about the double standard here. And that’s what makes conservatives mad. It is when you look at Donald Trump getting slapped with 78 felony charges, 640 years if convicted behind bars. Okay. The sitting president, in his garage, had classified documents, too.

Co-host Brian Kilmeade: We have no idea how that is going.

Earhardt: Exactly. We haven’t heard from that special counsel at all. So, that’s what America’s mad at. That’s why Republicans are supporting Donald Trump. … They are fed up with the way the government is going, with the DOJ, it looks like a two-tiered justice system and people are mad.

I know, Fox News is not the government and therefore has a right to control what is said and not said on its network. But neither is Disney or Etsy or every other private corporation they have vilified on air or on their website. Therefore, with apologies to Walt Kelly, let me suggest another tag line to replace “Fair and Balanced.”

FOX NEWS: We have met the enemy and it is us.

For what it’s worth. Dr. ESP