STONE COLD PERJURY
THE TRUMP
DIARIES: WEEK SIX
42 Days of Trump
By Jack Random
Entering the sixth week of the Trump presidency it has
become clear that we are engaged in a battle to define reality. It has become clear that the White
House has chosen mainstream media as its foil and bogeyman. If things don’t go as planned, blame
the media. If his indecipherable
foreign policy explodes, blame the media.
If his legislative agenda fails to deliver, blame the media.
Apparently, the Democratic Party does not offer enough
resistance to play its traditional role as the party of opposition.
This is the sixth installment of the Trump Diaries.
DAY 36: WHITE
HOUSE OBSTRUCTION
February 24, 2017
The Associated Press obtains a Department of Homeland Security
draft report that does not support the president’s Muslim travel ban. [1] The
finding is not what the White House ordered and is sure to raise the ire of the
man at the top.
The Washington Post reports that Chief of Staff Reince
Preibus contacted the FBI, other intelligence personnel, reporters and members
of congress to orchestrate denials of Trump connections to Russia. The contacts included Senator Richard
Burr, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Representative Devin
Nunes, chair of the House Intelligence Committee. Both complied with the White House request yet deny that
their ongoing investigations would be compromised.
Something is rotten in Trumpland.
Representative Darrell Issa of California becomes the first
Republican to call for a special prosecutor to investigate the Trump-Russia
connection.
DAY 37: TRUMP
CUTS NATIONAL DEBT
February 25, 2017
The president claims to have miraculously cut the national
debt by twelve billion dollars in his first month in office. He is incensed that mainstream media
has not reported the miracle. In
Barrack Obama’s first month the debt increased by approximately $200
billion. Of course, Obama took
office with the global economy tottering on the brink of collapse. The current debt figure is basically
unrelated to Trump since he has not yet passed a budget. [2]
There can be no doubt that Wall Street loves Trump as Trump
loves Wall Street but the national debt has not yet weighed in.
DAY 38: RIGGED
SYSTEM
February 26, 2017
The president engages in an early morning rant against the
Democratic National Committee for electing former Secretary of Labor Tom Perez
as chair. He labels the process
“rigged” and claims Representative Keith Ellison never had a chance.
Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders endorsed
Ellison while Perez enjoyed the backing of the Clinton-Obama
establishment. Adding fuel to
Trump’s fire, Sanders suggested he might not be willing to give his email list
of supporters to the DNC.
Why should he?
This high-profile selection of a DNC chair demonstrates that the
middling, do-nothing, free trade, neoliberal Wall Street loyalists of the party
establishment have learned nothing from a devastating loss in the presidential
election. This party paved the road
for a Trump presidency by neglecting the working class, promoting free trade
and collecting unconscionable Wall Street contributions while pretending to
represent the common people.
Soon enough, the stalwarts of the Republican Party will cut
ties with the Donald and the Democrats will revert to identity politics. If ever there was a time for a third
party challenge, the time is now.
Hold on to that mailing list, Bernie, and send a message to
the DNC: Can you hear us now?
DAY 39: THE
NUMBERS DON’T ADD UP
February 27, 2017
The Donald announces his intention to increase military
spending by $54 billion and offset the increase with cuts to non-military
spending. The cuts will not
include border patrol, ICE or law enforcement. It will include foreign aid, environmental protection and
other “unnecessary” expenditures.
Add the estimated $20 billion to build the wall and we can
say goodbye to rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure. Why build a bridge when we can build a
bomb to knock it down? Gone is any
hope that Trump’s version of national health care provides universal coverage
at an affordable price. We all
knew that was bullshit anyway.
The president renews his promise to spend big on
infrastructure and his Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin assures us that Social
Security and Medicare are still off the table. That might give us comfort but the numbers don’t add
up.
The first rule of the con: Never ever believe anyone who says,
“Believe me.”
“Mexico will pay for the wall, believe me – 100%.” NY Times, January 6, 2017.
“We’re going to knock the hell out of ISIS. Believe me.” CNN, April 6, 2016.
“I have great respect for women. Believe me.” LA
Times, May 27, 2016.
“I’m the only who is going to save Social Security. Believe me.” National Review, February 13, 2016.
“Believe me, we’re going to protect our Medicare.” Trump Rally, October 11, 2016.
No, Donald, we do not believe you. We never have believed you. Even your followers know better than to believe you. You’re a con man. But the key to any successful con is to
make a clean escape. You can’t
escape this time, Donald. There’s
nowhere to hide.
DAY 40: THE
EARTH SHIFTED
February 28, 2017
President Donald Trump makes his first address to a joint
session of congress. Like Jack
Nicholson reading Walt Whitman, where the words don’t match the speaker, Trump
delivers a striking contrast to the daily Donald. Gone are the vilifications of real and imagined enemies at
home and abroad. Gone is the dark
vision of American carnage. A new
and gentler Trump issues a call for unity in “condemning hate and evil in all
its forms.”
We can all agree with the president’s declaration that 2016
was the year “the earth shifted beneath our feet.” Where we disagree is on the results of that quake.
“It’s a total disaster.” [3]
Trump raises hope for comprehensive immigration reform and a
trillion dollar infrastructure bill that would rely on public and private
funding. Both initiatives would
have to overcome stiff resistance from his own party. There is a limit to private funding that would place tolls
on roads and bridges and congress approved only $787 billion when confronted
with economic crisis of 2009. [4] Trying to get a trillion dollars from a
Republican controlled congress is like asking Steve Bannon for a contribution
to Public Broadcasting. It ain’t
happening.
Trump spells out five criteria for healthcare reform: First, Americans with pre-existing
conditions must have “access” to insurance. The word “access” is a crack in the dam that brings the
whole system crashing down.
Second, provide tax credits and health savings accounts in lieu of
direct assistance. Twenty million
people just slipped through the crack.
Third, provide states with resources and flexibility. Flexibility is the key to cutting
Medicaid. Fourth, limit
malpractice damages to bring down the cost. Republicans hate trial lawyers. Cost savings would be negligible. Fifth, enable people to purchase insurance across state
lines. It sounds good but it turns
out insurance companies are not interested in selling across state lines. Insurance coverage is regulated by the
states even under Obamacare. [4]
“Nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated.” Trump, February 27, 2017.
No, Donald.
Nobody knew – except everyone who has followed the news for the past
three decades. Sad.
Trump embraces free choice to save education. The right to choose private for profit
and religious schools, unburdened by federal mandates, special education and
teacher’s unions, is the Republican prescription for eviscerating public
education.
We can hardly wait for the next generation of scientists
raised on biblical prophecy, alternative facts and the relative value of Moses
versus Einstein.
Trump calls for unity in support of our brave men and women
in blue. He has ordered Homeland
Security to create a new office to support victims of crimes committed by
illegal immigrants. Attorney
General Jeff Sessions announces his department will no longer question police
killings of citizens regardless of race, creed or conscience. [5]
Trump continues to believe we are in the midst of a historic
crime wave despite all evidence to the contrary. He is determined to be a law and order president – like
Nixon.
The most disturbing theme underlying the president’s address
is his overwhelming desire for greatness.
“When we celebrate our 250 years of glorious freedom, we
will look back on tonight as when this new chapter of American greatness
began. The time for small thinking
is over. The time for trivial
fights is behind us.”
This comes from a man who has spent the last two years in
trivial pursuit of the White House.
We can only hope he devotes his time to knocking down windmills, the
monsters in his mind, and leaves the rest to individuals of substance. When presidents start thinking big, the
most probable result is war.
DAY 41: THE DOW
SOARS
March 1, 2017
The Dow Jones Industrial Average soars to close above 21,000
for the first time as Trump basks in the glory of positive reviews for his
presidential address to congress.
One day after a moving tribute to fallen Navy Seal Ryan
Owens, controversy continues over whether the Yemen raid was “highly
successful” as the president claims.
While no one doubts the courage of Ryan Owens, a great many doubt the
efficacy and “success” of a mission that resulted in dozens of civilian deaths,
the destruction of a $70 million helicopter and three wounded American soldiers
in addition to Owens’ death. [6]
The president’s statements on
the Raid in Yemen have been attempts to deflect blame and responsibility. He has suggested his predecessor
approved the mission when in fact he did not. He has said that the generals made the decision when in fact
the call was his and would not have proceeded without his approval.
If the president had hoped to
put the Raid in Yemen behind him, his response all but guarantees an
investigation will ensue.
The shadow of Benghazi lives.
DAY 42: STONE
COLD PERJURY
March 2, 2017
This story broke late Wednesday night; on Thursday shit hit
the fan:
The Washington Post reports that Attorney General Jeff
Sessions had communications with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak on at least
two occasions during the recent presidential campaign. The revelation stands in stark contrast
to Sessions’ testimony in his confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary
Committee. [7]
Despite the twisted, mealy-mouthed rationalizations of the
Justice Department, the stone cold truth is: Sessions flat out lied.
The story holds that Sessions met with Kislyak in July and
September – a fact not disputed by the Attorney General. On January 10, in response to
questioning by Senator Al Franken of Minnesota, Sessions stated: “I have been called a surrogate at a
time or two in [the Trump] campaign and I did not have communications with the
Russians.”
You cannot repair shattered glass. Recusal from the ongoing investigation of the Trump
campaign’s connections with Russia is not enough. Resignation is not enough. The nation’s lead law enforcement officer should be
prosecuted for perjury.
As then Senator Sessions said in January 1999: “In America…no one is above the
law.”
The matter then was Bill Clinton’s sexual relations with
Monica Lewinski. The matter now is
collusion with a foreign agent to defraud an American election.
Jazz.
1. “AP Exclusive:
DHS report disputes threat from banned nations” by Vivian Salama and
Alicia A. Caldwell. Associated Press,
February 24, 2017.
2. “Trump lashes out at media for failing
to report debt decrease” by Michael Collins. USA Today, February 25, 2017.
3. “Trump says EVERYTHING is broken,
awful, a disaster” by Gregory Krieg.
CNN Politics, October 15, 2016.
4. “Trump’s Address to Joint Session of
Congress, Annotated.” NPR: Capitol
Public Radio, February 28, 2017.
5. “AG Sessions Says DOJ to ‘Pull Back’ on
Department Civil Rights Suits” by Pete Williams. NBC, February 28, 2017.
6. “What Donald Trump left out about the
Yemen raid that killed Navy SEAL Ryan Owens” by Lauren Carroll. PolitiFact, March 1, 2017.
7. “Sessions met with Russian envoy twice
last year, encounters he later did not disclose” by Adam Entous, Ellen
Nakashima and Greg Miller.
Washington Post, March 1, 2017.
JACK
RANDOM IS THE AUTHOR OF THE JAZZMAN CHRONICLES – VOLUMES I-X, WASICHU: THE
KILLING SPIRIT, THE GRAND CANYON ZEN GOLF TOUR AND RANDOM JACK: TALES FROM
JAZZTOWN (CROW DOG PRESS).
