This morning’s Washington Post included an op-ed by conservative columnist Kathleen Parker titled, “The Manafort Juror Who Could Save America.”  Parker is referring to Paula Duncan, the only member of the Manafort trial panel who has come forward publicly.  As we now know, Duncan is a die-hard Trumpster, plans to vote for him again in 2020 and hoped Manafort was innocent.  Yet, when confronted with the boxes of documentation of tax evasion and bank fraud, Duncan came to the inevitable conclusion.  Manafort broke the law and must be held accountable.

But, it was her comments about the prosecution and it’s star witness Rick Gates that caught my attention.  First, she still believes the Mueller probe is a “witch hunt.”

Certainly Mr. Manafort got caught breaking the law, but he wouldn’t have gotten caught if they weren’t after President Trump.

In reference to Gates. Parker reports…

She was disgusted by the prosecution’s star witness, Rick Gates, Manafort’s former business partner, who entered a plea deal in which he agreed to testify against Manafort. She echoed Trump’s opinion about turncoats, saying that Gates “deserves a special place in hell.” 

Ms. Duncan is correct.  She should be disgusted.  She just seems a little confused about why she should be outraged.  How about being appalled that, for lack of being part of Trump’s corruption enterprise, Manafort would have gone scot-free and continued to enjoy a lifestyle dependent on his bilking the U.S. treasury out of millions of dollars and other acts of financial deceit?  How about the fact the individual she hopes burns in hell was “one of the best people” Trump chose to be his deputy campaign manager and deputy chairman of his inaugural committee?

One of my favorite political adages is, “Never criticize people for doing the right thing for the wrong reasons.”  Ironically, if you listen closely, Ms. Duncan is telling us, “I did the wrong thing [helping legitimize the Mueller investigation] for the right reasons [because the Mueller team did its job so well].”  Should that bother us?  At this point, I’m willing to don Melania’s rain jacket.  “I really don’t care, do u?”  As long as it provides increasing evidence Donald Trump is unfit for office.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP