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The return of the Yos! and Oys!

10/26/2020

The Yos! Oys! have been absent from this space a while. They’rrrrre back!

A big Yo! to President Trump who must be a very happy camper lately because at his rallies he’s letting his hair down, so to speak, and started dancing! It’s a sight to behold, and then to try to wipe from your memory as he’s not exactly Fred Astaire.

An equally big Oy! to President Trump for his song selection. I mean they are all great songs but some artists have requested his campaign cease and desist using their songs because they don’t support the President’s re-election. There go songs like Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” John Fogerty’s “Fortunate Son:” and Neal Young’s “Rockin’ the Free World.” But lately the campaign has been playing the President off stage and into his dance mode with “YMCA,” by the Village People. I’m guessing the President doesn’t know what the song is about nor do his supporters or they might try to find another tune.

An Oy! for almost turning “60 Minutes into “50 Minutes. Last week “60 Minutes” interviewed President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden for its quadrennial show featuring both candidates close to the election. Trump apparently didn’t like the questions Leslie Stahl was asking so he stormed out of the interview before it ended and skipped the normal joint walk-and-talk his Vice President Mike Pence. The Oy! though is for what the President did after he walked off. He sent his press secretary back into the room to hand Stahl with a thick notebook that the press secretary said the President wanted her to have beause it contained his long-promised-in-two-weeks health care plan! But, it didn’t. It contained a few executive orders and some Congressional actions on health care. Did he think they wouldn’t open the book?

A Yo! to the Mainstream Media doing their job and not publishing stories based on Rudy Giuliani and Steve Bannon passing a hard drive off as Hunter Biden’s. The right win media and the President for months have been trying to make a big issue out of allegations that the Vice Preisident’s son took “millions of dollars from China” and they presented the alleged Hunter hard drive as proof. The only place that’s published the story is Rupert Murdock’s New York Post. Interestingly the “story” was first offered to the Murdock owned Wall Street Journal but the Journal passed when they found they couldn’t verify the story. The Posts”s standards are lesser than the Journal’s.

Another Yo! to the mainstream media for doing a terrific job covering the Trump Administration. The Washington Post and The New York Times especially have done some of their best work during this Administration. And reporters from all outlets that cover Trump have done excellent work while being pointed at during Trump rallies, singled out during Trump press availabilities and other places, called Fake News by the President of the United States and for the mostly women and Black women who Trump has called dumb or worse.

A Yo! to Kristen Welker for maintain control over the final debate between Trump and Biden. Admittedly, her job was a tad easier than Chris Wallace’s at the first debate because Trump adopted a different approach that didn’t involve him yelling and interrupting Biden’s answers. The introduction of a “mute button” for the first two minutes of the candidates’ answers helped also. Welker though did maintain control and asked the question about Black parents giving The Talk to their children on what to do if they are stopped by police.

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A mish mash of mush

10/21/2020

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Hippocratic/hypocrite oath. Dr. Anthony Fauci takes his Hippocratic Oath seriously. Most folks in his position, working his experienced backside off and enduring hateful, demeaning attacks from the President of the United States would resign. He’s too committed to do that and, if you listen to him closely, he gets his anger out in a very adult and diplomatic manner. On the other hand, President Trump apparently took a hypocritical oath when he swore to protect and defend the American people, and he has abdicated that oath in furtherance of his re-election campaign. Dr. Fauci, who has served Democratic and Republican presidents for decades, is a gem. He is known the world over as The Expert on infectious diseases. He breaks down complicated medical info into something we all can understand. With one exception.

Profiteering from the Presidency. One thing Trump and his family are good at, though another abdication of his oath of office and traditional ethics, is his making a personal monetary profit from serving as president. The Washington Post, New York Times and other outlets have been trying to nail down financial information on the President since he won’t release his taxes as has every recent President. The Post filed a Freedom of Information request for the facts on how much the Trump Organization has been paid by the federal government. The State Department, which was to respond by a date certain, didn’t. They did release two unhelpful pages of data and said they’d get back to the newspaper…after the election. Of course. The taxpayers deserve and are owed that information…before the election. Every time Trump visits one of his facilities, which is quite often, the staff, Secret Service and others stay there too. And get charged for it. Trump’s sons say it’s at cost, but it isn’t. That’s what’s called profiteering. For those Trump supporters who believe he’d never profit from his position (which is illegal), demand the numbers be released and let the numbers prove that. To quote the President, “what have you got to lose?”

Chinese Chess. Another trick of the President is to go after Joe Biden’s son Hunter on the money he allegedly profited from in China when his father was vice president. Among the claims is that Hunter was paid $1.5 billion (with a B). No facts have been presented to that (uh, really a Billion dollars?) though what has been presented over the years drove Biden to say his son made a mistake in judgement though did nothing illegal. The President’s people claim among other transgressions, Hunter has bank accounts in China. Lo and behold, so does the President. The tax information obtained (legally) by the Times shows Trump International Hotels Management LLC, paid $188,561 in taxes in China while pursing licensing deals there from 2013-15 and maintained a bank account there. Which is a tad more taxes than the $750 Trump was paying the United States. The President never divested himself of his relationships or earnings from the many entities he created. He owns their success, failure and records.

New Names to be Enemies. In a political campaign, you try to name the enemy so you can focus the public. Trump's efforts at making that enemy Joe Biden have not worked so well, outside of Trump's loyal base. So, this week, the President is making Fauci an enemy, making the good doctor the name (brand) for many of the restrictions in society as we battle the coronavirus. Now there’s a name to go after. Oh, and to continue his demonizing the “elites” his base so hates, he’s adding Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes and Kristen Welker of NBC, the moderator for tomorrow night’s debate. Trump is setting up to blame Welker for what he’ll call an unfair debate. He skips working the refs and goes right for the kill. And he threatens to post the Stahl interview he did yesterday to the White House platform so he can get ahead of what he thinks will be a bad story Sunday. He knew what questions would be asked, and was asked them. He didn't like the question. Thus, Stahl is the enemy. Lovely.

Remember those immigrant children taken from their parents by the Trump Administration? Lawyers appointed by a federal judge to identify migrant families who were separated by the Trump Administration, according to NBC, say they have yet to track down the parents of 545 children. About two-thirds of those parents were deported to Central America, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Children have been permanently taken away from their parents by this Administration. Digest that and explain to me how that's "right?"

Polling. Was 2016 an aberration? Every professional, from pollster to reporters to pundits, are hedging their bets this year on the presidential election. Wise, yes. But because Trump’s victory in 2016 was such a shock, no one wants to make the same mistake twice. Fact is, the polls weren’t really wrong in 2016. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by about 3 million votes, which was basically what the polls predicted, but lost in the Electoral College, which is the ball game. Unless there’s an even bigger shock this year, Biden is heading for a landslide victory and a Democratic takeover of the Senate. Uh, so it looks.

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Trump's closing argument. Really.

10/7/2020

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President Trump is either a 74-year-old man who has reacted to the coronavirus in a way no other of his vintage has, is very sick but very good at putting on a happy face, or pulling off the best gas lighting of his career.

Who knows?

Oh, right, his doctors do. And his docs are either reporting limited but accurate information on his illness, telling us only what their patient wants told or, as befitting their military rank, following the commander-in-chief’s orders.

Who knows?

Oh, right, his doctors do. And so does he.

Anyway, we do not. And that is not only unfair to the American people but the ultimate lie that Trump has told, which is a mouthful.

If Trump had let the disease run its course, and then said as his advisors reportedly wanted, that he now fully understands the effects of this horrible virus he might have actually turned around his failing campaign. Humility and truth.

But, no -- all in one sentence he could have accepted what health experts have been telling him for months (and fully accepted what he told Bob Woodward months ago) and admitted a mistake about the biggest threat our countrymen face right now. And, he would have saved lives.

I play golf with a few guys, all retired, a couple veterans, and I said to them the other day, “Trump really makes it difficult for us to root for him, doesn’t he?” Two immediately responded, in effect, “No, he doesn’t. I’m not rooting for him.” Another Facebook friend said “no” when I suggested she be nice when talking about this deadly disease and Trump.

These are not callous people. These are good people and loyal Americans.

It was just a week ago that the New York Times reported that Trump hasn’t paid taxes or paid an amount less than most middle-class Americans in years. It was just over a week ago, we think, that he was diagnosed positive with Covid-19. It was just a few days ago he helicoptered to Walter Reed to be cared for, given the most cutting edge (and not yet formally approved) drugs in existence; just a couple of days since he skipped the quarantine he was under to joy ride to wave to supporters, and just a couple of days ago he, apparently, ordered his doctors to release him from the hospital.

It was just two nights ago he stood, like Evita or Mussolini, on a White House balcony and, breathing heavily, dramatically ripped off his mask in defiance of medical advice and saluted, uh, Marine One apparently. That was akin to signing blank documents for the cameras while at Walter Reed to show he was sick but taking care of business.

Now it appears his closing argument in his re-election campaign is, “The coronavirus isn’t so tough. I beat it. You will too. Don’t let it dominate you. I didn’t.”

Whether he wins or loses his battle with Joe Biden, this clearly is the nuttiest closing argument in history. As if a human being can, by will, fight off a deadly, infectious SARS virus as if it’s easier than beating back the common cold.

"Stand with me. Don’t wear masks. Get close to others. You too can beat this.”

Quite a message. Such leadership.

The Joint Chiefs are under quarantine after being exposed to the virus. More than a dozen White House staffers have tested positive for the virus since Trump did. (Taiwan, the self-ruled island home to 23 million people – has reported just eight cases of covid in the last week. The White House has more than a dozen in the same period.)

But fear not! If you get it, you can beat it. Just ask the families of the more than 200,000 who have died from it or the 7-plus million who have contracted it, many of whom will suffer lifelong damage from it even if they recovered.

Is it possible for a 74-year-old man who is obese and has other complicating conditions to beat the coronavirus? Of course. I have an 80-year-old friend who survived it even after being in the hospital for months and begin intubated much of that time. I call him, “The Beast,” not because he defeated it by sure will, but that he outlasted it, somehow thanks to excellent medical care, thank goodness. But Trump is saying he's beaten it even before he knows if he has. He is still infectious.

Still this is not the closing argument for a campaign to be re-elected President of the United States.

Is this the desperate last gasp (no pun intended) of a President trying to win an election? Are his actions a side effect of the not-fully tested drugs he is taking? Or a result of the steroid which is known for its side effects that could be the reason for his odd decisions such as calling off negotiations with Democrats for financial relief that is desperately needed by Americans? And just four weeks from an election? Is either option something you want in a President?

The vice presidential debate is tonight. It may be, because of the age of both presidential candidates, the most important veep debate in history. The two camps have battled over having appropriate health measures put in place to avoid covid spread. This is a battle? “I want us all to be safe,” says one camp. “You are safe,” says the other. It is a battle of machismo not a discussion about appropriate precautions to be taken.

Which kind of sums up the last nine months.

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So many more questions as virus hits Trump

10/2/2020

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The President contracting the coronavirus is, as you’ve seen watching the news, a big deal that raises many questions.

First, when I worked at the White House the most challenging briefings we did was when the President was ill or undergoing a procedure at the hospital. Why challenging? The media has a lot of questions, which means you need a lot of answers, and the credibility of the briefer is essential. This White House has an understandable problem with credibility. So it will be difficult to trust any information the press secretary or others give.

Second, how widespread now is the virus in the White House and beyond? Contact tracing on this will be next to impossible because many folks were potentially exposed to the President and his aide, Hope Hicks. The President famously and unapologetically seldom wore a mask. People in contact with the President rarely wore a mask because he didn’t like the image it sent to the country. He’s been downplaying the virus and no masks fit into that. This means, obviously, many were possibly exposed (the wearing of a mask, remember, protects you and others from spreading the virus).

Third, I wonder if Ms Hicks got the virus first or the President got it first. We likely will never know.

Fourth, spread in this case is potentially to his Cabinet members, his staff and others who have been in touch with him or people in touch with him or Hicks. That means leaders in the Congress, the people who attended his fund-raising events which were held in smaller rooms and he wore no mask and I’m guessing there was a lot of hand-shaking. The same goes for others who were in contact with him. Also, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who was among those preparing Trump for the debate, said no one in the small room those briefings were held wore a mask. There were, he said five or six people in the room and one can assume they were major players. One was Hicks.

Fifth, how does it affect the campaign? The election will be held Nov. 3, there is no changing that. Should former Vice President Joe BIden suspend his campaign while the President deals with the disease? No. I doubt the President would if the situation was reversed plus the American people are voting right now and others are still deciding who to support. The debates are a different question because obviously the President can’t attend if his condition continues.

There are many more questions, of course. Most importantly is the President and Mrs. Trump’s health – and, whatever I may think of his conduct in office, I hope he makes a full and swift recovery.

Next, is how we get accurate information on his condition. His record on reporting his health has been poor so far – from the letter he wrote and his doctor signed pre-taking office to that more recent trip to the hospital for which a reason was never given.

The people have a right to know the health of their President.

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The return of the Yos! and Oys!

A mish mash of mush

Trump's closing argument. Really.

So many more questions as virus hits Trump

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