President Donald Trump has reportedly signed a full pardon for Scooter J. Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. Given the conviction for allegations against Libby, it is hard not to draw an analogy to figures like Michael Flynn or even Michael Cohen.
Continue reading “Prelude For Pardons Yet To Come? Trump To Pardon Scooter Libby”
Below is my column in The Hill newspaper on the greatest danger for President Donald Trump in the raids on his personal attorney’s office, home, and hotel room. Michael Cohen’s real threat may be as bait — either by design or default. It is the perfect Wolf Pit and Trump could prove the ultimate prize if he is not restrained in his reaction to the raid. The most significant blows for his Administration has been the result of Trump’s responses to events. The most obvious was his disastrous decision to fire Comey in the middle of the Russian investigation. Already, the Cohen raid has reportedly pushed Trump away from speaking with Mueller. Cohen has already maximized the damage to himself and his client. He may now have derailed the effort of Trump’s D.C. legal team to prepare him for a sitdown with Mueller on four categories. At the same time, Trump is reportedly back to threatening that he might fire Mueller or Rosenstein or Sessions. Despite the overwhelming view of experts and Republican leaders that such a move would highly damaging to his Administration and could trigger impeachment proceedings, there is still a palpable fear that that Trump could take such a self-defeated course.
Here is the column:
McKinley cannot catch a break. First, they took off his name from Mount McKinley during the Obama Administration on what is now known as Denali. Now towns like Arcata, California are moving to remove his statue as offensive to Native Americans. The use of Denali as the name for the mountain is understandable given its long usage by natives. However, the action in Arcara is the latest example of cleansing public areas of any historical images or figures deemed offensive by any group instead of placing these monuments into historical context.Continue reading “California Town Votes To Remove Statue Of William McKinley As Offensive”
I have previously noted that the ultimate strategy for Michael Cohen, the personal lawyer of President Donald Trump, could be a presidential pardon. With a search warrant covering everything from Stormy Daniels to Ukrainian transactions to Russian deals to taxi medallions, the situation looks pretty bleak for Cohen (who was also allegedly today to be in arrears on his taxes for his medallion business). As I noted in my recent column, two men are in a position to get Cohen out of the quagmire of his own creation: Trump and Mueller. If there was any question of whether Cohen is more likely to pursue a pardon than a deal, it was in his comment yesterday to a radio show host: “I’d rather jump out of a building than turn on Donald Trump.”Continue reading “Cohen: “I’d Rather Jump Out Of Building Than Turn On Donald Trump””
Yesterday, it was disclosed that Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman recused himself in the probe of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen before the raids on his home, office, and hotel. The recusal raises obvious concerns and a range of theories. Given the overarching public interest in this investigation, Berman should disclose the general basis for the recusal.
Continue reading “A Plot Thickens: Berman Recused Himself From Cohen Investigation”
President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, yesterday sought to elicit a modicum of sympathy for his position after a raid upon his office, home, and hotel room. However, Cohen is not known for such empathy in his treatment of others in his controversial career. Cohen is known as a bully who threatens to ruin anyone who he deems to be a threat or impediment to Trump. A new example of such allegations surfaced this week where a Harvard student said that Cohen threatened to have him expelled from the university over a successful prank orchestrated by the Harvard Lampoon.
I am admittedly a budget hawk when it comes to our burgeoning debt and runaway spending. However, I remain astonished that there was not more of an uproar over the massive budget just passed after lifting debt ceilings by both parties. Now, the Congressional Budget Office is projecting that the combination of the new tax bill and our massive budget will push the national debt to nearly the same size as gross domestic product by 2028. That is with an economic growth rate of 3.3 percent this year.
Continue reading “National Debt Set To Roughly Equal The Gross Domestic Product By 2028”
President Donald Trump renewed his public discussion over firing Robert Mueller after the search of his lawyer’s office, a move that would be the single most destructive act since . . . well . . . Trump fired James Comey. It would not only not stop the investigation but it would expand calls for impeachment. The statement clearly thrilled many of his critics who relished the idea of the largest unforced error in history since New York Giants center fielder Fred Snodgrass blew Game 8 of the 1912 World Series with the Boston Red Sox. Of course, dropping that ball cost New York the World Series. This could cost Trump his presidency. I have a column out this morning in the Hill on this issue.
The Joint Committee on Taxation in Congress has issued a new report on tax burdens across the United States. The Committee used data from the Tax Policy Center and divided the public into five income groups. What they found was that the top 20 percent of earners paid 87 percent of the taxes in the country. The remaining 80 percent covered 13 percent of the burden. The data could challenge the common mantra of politicians that the top earners do not pay their fair share. Though the concentration of wealth should be considered (and a recent study found that one percent of the world’s wealthiest individuals control two-thirds of the world’s wealth), the figures in the United States shows an increasing tax burden in the top 20 percent range. We have previously discussed such studies and the disconnect between the rhetorical and the statistical in tax debates.
Continue reading “Study: Top 20 Percent of Income Households Pay 87 Percent Of Taxes”
You have heard of the NRA but how about KRI or KRO? Knife rights organizations could well replace the National Rifle Association on the front of weapon control legislation after London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan moved to impose severe limits on knife possession. It has long been a mantra among NRA supporters that “knives will be next” and Khan has fulfilled that narrative after knife attacks in London pushed the city’s murder rate on par with that of New York City. Now Khan has declared “No excuses: there is never a reason to carry a knife. Anyone who does will be caught, and they will feel the full force of the law.”
Continue reading “London Mayor: “No Excuses: There Is Never A Reason To Carry A Knife.””
Below is my column in The Hill newspaper on the recent disclosure of the investigation of Roger Stone by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his links to WikiLeaks. Whether it is his bizarre rantings on Instagram or continually changing accounts. Despite the recent focus of the media, neither Stone nor his account offer a strong basis for a criminal allegations. Absent more evidence, the curious case of Roger Stone is likely to remain precisely that: a curiosity.
Here is the column:
I recently discussed Stone’s recent posting on Instagram where he warned against anyone “taking him seriously” (in reference to his former protege Sam Nunberg) obviously could apply with equal, if not greater, force to Stone. A long-time associate of President Donald Trump, Stone appears perfectly unhinged at times. Stone appears to relish notoriety to the point that he maintains a notorious persona. That was evident this weekend where Stone first told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that his earlier claims of having prior work of WikiLeaks disclosures were untrue and then, with another reporter, seemed to contradict the contradiction in saying that he did have prior disclosure. I wrote a recently column on why Stone makes for a dubious basis for criminal allegations despite the recent press coverage.
The scandals swirling around EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt continues to get worse by the day. The latest leak reported by Politico says that the lobbyist owners of Pruitt’s condo became frustrated with his continued use of the property after the expiration of their lease arrangement. Not only did they reportedly ask him to leave, but went as far as changing the locks. Pruitt’s deal would be hard for most people to give up: $50 a night for a condo in a prime location where he would only pay for those nights when he used the room. Realtors confirm that obvious that it was a sweetheart deal and the most recent disclosure would indicate that Pruitt was not eager to let it go.
Continue reading “Report: Pruitt’s Lobbyist Landlord Changed Locks When He Failed To Move Out”
I recently posted a column in the Hill on the curious case of Roger Stone who has caused himself and the President endless trouble with prior emails claiming to have had dinner with WikiLeaks’ head Julian Assange. Stone’s best defense is that he is something of a buffoon or political trickster. He is not the most credible source for giving advice to Trump on what to do with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. However, he is back on the news (after a respite following his calling his former protegé Sam Nunberg a “coke head” and “a**shole”) warning Trump that the interview is a perjury trap. Indeed, as shown in his recent video with his grandson smoking giant cigars, Stone seems to specialize in a type of obnoxious theater of the bizarre.
Continue reading “Roger Stone Warns President Not To Speak With Mueller”
A Beijing sperm bank is looking for millions of fellow travelers in possible donor sperm. Peking University Third Hospital has insisted that donors must “love the socialist motherland.” You must also pass medical testing.
Continue reading “Chinese Sperm Bank Limits Donors To Those Who “Love The Socialist Motherland””