Yes, Michael Cohen Is a Convicted Liar, But "Rats" Are Often Used to Take Down Crime Bosses

Throughout his examination by Republican representatives Wednesday, Michael Cohen was called a convicted liar. All true. Since he was a convicted liar, their reasoning went, he was not to be trusted, that what he was testifying about Donald Trump’s failings could not be believed. Several GOP interrogators based their disdain for his credibility on their experience as district attorneys or positions in law enforcement. 

They were mimicking the comments of their don, Trump, who has labeled Cohen a “rat,” a moniker often used by organized crime figures to describe a turncoat, someone who provides evidence on the inner workings of the mob. 

Which got me to thinking about the Mafia and how the authorities have been able to topple many crime families. Take, for example, a kingpin of the Gambino famiglia almost surely known to fellow New Yorker and Queens boy Trump—John Gotti. Gotti was brought down by the testimony of one of his henchmen, Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano. Despite confessing to involvement in 19 murders, Gravano had enough credibility to sway a jury to convict Gotti.

Other instances of felons revealing the scope of illicit activity are numerous, the most recent being witnesses during the trial and conviction of drug lord El Chapo, Joaquín Guzmán Loera. In other words, DA’s and cops rely on liars, murderers and felons of all stripes to convict crime bosses. Here’s a link to some other prominent cases: https://aboutthemafia.com/tag/mafia-rats

Go ahead, Republicans, impugn Cohen’s conviction for lying all you want. Significant from Wednesday’s hearing was the fact that not one Republican defended or denied the substance of the claims against Trump, other than Mark Meadows assertion that he never heard Trump make a racist remark (Meadows, himself, was revealed to have made a racist comment about President Obama: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2019/02/28/mark-meadows-2012-vow-send-obama-to-kenya-resurfaces/3013304002/).

Cohen’s appearance before the House Oversight Committee was a loooong opening act in what may ultimately be the first scene of an impeachment procedure. To go forward the House would have to hear corroborating testimony from Trump’s chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, and others Cohen claimed had knowledge of misdeeds by Trump as candidate and now president. 

It’s a long shot, at best. An even longer shot that the Republican controlled Senate would vote to convict. Best case scenario for Democrats: contentment with more hearings that expose Trump grifting. 

Meanwhile, a wounded Trump—a twice wounded Trump now that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has denied him any hope of a Nobel Peace Prize by rejecting Trump’s denuclearization deal—will be explosive in his battles with Democrats. Whenever cornered by facts, Trump attacks with innuendos, lies and threats. He is sure to unleash a blizzard of tweets.

Speaking of blizzards, it might snow again tonight in White Plains, though not much more than a dusting. So far this winter I’ve used my snowblower just once. 

Lots of other municipalities, some places you’d hardly expect, have been inundated with snow. Tucson provides an example of how locals are reacting to the uncommon: https://www.weather.com/storms/winter/video/tucson-police-investigate-strange-white-powder-falling-from-sky?pl=pl-the-latest. Enjoy!

On Vacation in Canada, Impossible to Escape Trumpdom

Gilda and I are back from two weeks in the Pacific Northwest (mostly British Columbia and Alberta). I will post more about our trip but for now let me share with you the restful experience of an almost two week relief from daily exposure to Trumpdom. Oh sure, Canada is not an untamed wilderness with no television or radio. 

Rather, we made a conscious effort to refrain from tuning to the news. We checked web sites like The New York Times, AP and the U.S. Daily Mail, but found it quite mellowing to not have to listen to the drivel pouring forth from our mean-spirited ignoramus-in-chief. 

Having noted our departure from almost round-the-waking-clock exposure to tempest-in-the-Trump, let me point out some of the disruptive stories that pierced my shield of Donald-defense:

Pretty Woman: Was I the only one who saw a similarity between the looks of Trump’s chief financial officer at the Trump Organization, Allen Weisselberg—short, stocky, balding and be-speckled—and that of corporate mogul Richard Gere’s sleezy chief financial officer/henchman in Pretty Woman, played by Jason Alexander? Check out this photo: https://nyti.ms/2mIEQIC

Laugh Lines: Trump has several catch phrases: “Fake news.” “Sad.” “No collusion.” Add to the list, “We’re the laughingstock of the world.”

He uses it to promote his agenda, as he did the other day in saying he would not mind if the government shuts down if Congress doesn’t allocate the funds he wants for his southern border wall. 

Trump is correct. We have become the laughingstock of the world, but not for the reasons he believes. It is because of his wacky behavior both in the political and personal arenas. 

Greed: How much greed can average Americans accept before they rebel? 

The top one percenters want to get another $100 billion windfall by having Trump bypass Congress to unilaterally (and possibly illegally) change the way capital gains are computed. 

Even Trump’s alma mater thinks the idea is loony. 

“According to the budget model used by the  University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, indexing capital gains to inflation would reduce government revenues by $102 billion over a decade, with 86 percent of the benefits going to the top 1 percent. A July report from the Congressional Research Service said that the additional debt incurred by indexing capital gains to inflation would most likely offset any stimulus that the smaller tax burden provided to the economy.

“It is unlikely, however, that a significant, or any, effect on economic growth would occur from a stand-alone indexing proposal,” the report said.” https://nyti.ms/2K8Jjxw

Apparently, our “genius” president thinks he knows more than the professors. After all, his business acumen enabled him to file for bankruptcy protection six times. 

A Critical Eye on CBS: Under his leadership CBS has enjoyed unending salad days. But now that Leslie Moonves has the cloud of sexual harassment swirling around his past and continued reign at the so-called platinum network, it might be instructive to recall his response to the dehumanization of politics, as practiced by Trump:  

“It may not be good for America, but it’s damn good for CBS.” 

“Man, who would have expected the ride we’re all having right now? ... The money’s rolling in and this is fun,” he told a February 2016 gathering at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference in San Francisco, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Perhaps if we knew then of Moonves’ sketchy past we might have placed his remarks in their proper context, one alleged sexual abuser reflecting on another.

CBS has a long, cherished and respected history of journalism. But like too many other electronic media CBS concentrated more on the hype of the Trump campaign than on the substance. As the aforementioned section asked, how much greed must we accept before our political and business leaders place values and principles, and sense, above dollars and cents?

Follow the Time Line: Trump met with the publisher and editorial page editor of The Times on July 20 to discuss press relations (https://nyti.ms/2mOToGq). 

Apparently, it had no effect, as just four days later, when speaking in Kansas City, MO, to the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, he said of the press, “Stick with us. Don’t believe the crap you see from these people, the fake news. 

“What you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.”

Undermining the validity, not to mention the patriotism and safety, of the press is standard operating procedure for demagogues who seek ultimate power. Regrettably, veterans booed and hissed at the press corps (https://nyti.ms/2n9hEn7).

Trump as Schnorrer: It’s been widely reported that Trump has welched on full payments to contractors. Now, it seems, Trump has elevated himself to schnorrer, the Yiddish term for “beggar” or “sponger.” He is reported to have wanted a renowned portrait artist, who had already painted all of Trump’s family, to paint Melania for free! The artist refused. How refreshing to find someone who stood up to Trump.

For an interesting read, click on this link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5986555/amp/Donald-Trump-wanted-FREE-portrait-Melania-says-renowned-painter-Ralph-Wolfe-Cowan.html

Danger of Trump Fatigue: In May 2017 I wrote about the Trump fatigue factor (“The fatigue factor is setting in. Donald Trump and his gang that couldn’t shoot straight is overwhelming me. There’s too much to write. If I miss a day the accumulated copy weighs me down.”)

Steve Schmidt, the ex-Republican strategist who recently left the ranks of the GOP because its leadership abandoned its principles and capitulated to Trump, capsulized the danger to America on Real Time with Bill Maher last Friday night. Listen, this is important: https://youtu.be/KNgkpb-rrMc