Late yesterday afternoon, soon-to-be ex-President-Trump announced a rash of new presidential pardons, fifteen in all, for a rogues' gallery of miscreants, war criminals and corrupt public servants. As a group, they are believed to be only the first in a series of pardons yet to be handed down before Trump's departure (one way or the … Continue reading Pardon, the Interruption
Election Interference 2020
If foreign interference is a near-certainty in this year’s contest, why aren’t we seeing any evidence of it? Or are we simply failing to recognize it?
The Descent Accelerates…
The news re the dismissal of DNI Maguire is rife with all the usual themes: Russia, loyal stooges, narcissistic rage, the “deep state,” etc., but also one key meta-theme: Trump’s attempt to use state powers to assert control over your reality. This is part of the full realization of Trump’s idealized self—Trump the Magnificent, using … Continue reading The Descent Accelerates…
America is Broken
On the subject of guns, America is broken. Our national gun debate is in shambles. In the immediate aftermath of the horrific Parkland shooting, I tuned out. After gathering a sketch outline of the details, I logged off Twitter, turned off the TV news and skipped past any news articles during my daily scan of … Continue reading America is Broken
The GSA Emails and the One Thing Liars All Have In Common
In the practice of law, determining who is lying and who is telling the truth is of critical importance in a variety of contexts. Let's begin with client intake. An ethical plaintiff's lawyer needs to be vigilant in new client intake to weed out those people who seek to use the legal system as a … Continue reading The GSA Emails and the One Thing Liars All Have In Common
The Precipice
Donald Trump is “convinced” that Robert Mueller’s investigation is a plot to delegitimize him only to the extent that he needs to be convinced, as a matter of self-preservation. Trump needs the investigation to be a partisan hit job intent on delegitimizing him or else he’ll be forced to face damning truths about his … Continue reading The Precipice
Meet The New Boss
...Same as the old boss. President Trump has seemingly stumbled across the obvious of late, raising the possibility that life in these United States might become slightly less terrible in the days ahead. Right about now, slightly less terrible would be a significant upgrade. It should not be discouraged. Trump's recent discovery of bipartisan cooperation—the … Continue reading Meet The New Boss
Knock Knock
A seemingly underreported aspect of the FBI 's July 26 pre-dawn raid on Paul Manafort's home centers on the warrant that authorized it. It had been rumored that Manafort had been cooperating with the Mueller investigation, rumors fueled largely by statements from Manafort's legal team. The pre-dawn raid put an end to that narrative. Cooperating … Continue reading Knock Knock
Aftermaths
In the aftermath of #Charlottesville, I am reminded of an essay I wrote last year, as I pondered who we are as a nation, just after the GOP anointed Donald Trump as the Republican Party nominee for President of The United States. Here's an excerpt: "Trump’s candidacy has scratched the surface of America to reveal … Continue reading Aftermaths
Post-Postscript and the Coming War for Free and Fair Elections
One final comment: You'll note I did not mention what government I thought we're living in, if Democracy did indeed fall in May as I've posited. If not democracy, Rousseau, then what? My omission was deliberate; the answer is: I don't know. It's neither yet an autocracy nor an authoritarian state in any of it's … Continue reading Post-Postscript and the Coming War for Free and Fair Elections
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