Beyond the Cusp

June 6, 2018

My How the Tables Have Turned


Richard Nixon was wrong, as wrong as wrong can be. He utilized the investigative powers of the Federal Government, the FBI, Justice Department, IRS and whatever might have aided his reelection, against his opponent, anything and anyone was a target, forging a theft which was his downfall. This was criminal in every way and President Nixon was fortunate to only have to resign and not spend many months or years in prison. His reputation was in tatters with everything positive he had accomplished now tarnished. His actions resulted in half a century of more and more liberal policies and culture taking over America. Now the tables have turned and the shoe is on the other foot and a million other trite sayings.


The questions now revolve around where will the investigation lead and who will be held culpable. Some of the names tossed about range from lesser known until the recent political free-for-all while others are household names. Who had heard of Mueller, Comey, Clapper, Steele, Brennan and other names which will become all too familiar in the near future, as everything plays out? Then there are the two names which we all are already very familiar with, former Secretary of State, Senator for New York and First Lady Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama. The same questions from the Nixon era will be heard all over again. Questions such as how high did it go, who knew and when did they know and a host of others will be thrown around and featured in article after article. Then there will be the big question, who, if anyone, will fall on their sword to save those above them who actually gave the orders. This was done and bartered into making himself into a folk hero of an odd sort when Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North in full uniform took total responsibility for the Iran-Contra Affair. His standing at attention while taking the oath and taking his valiant responsibility clearing President Reagan of any accountability.


Mueller, Comey, Clapper Brennan, Steele

Mueller, Comey, Clapper
Brennan, Steele


Now we have heard reports that former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper lied in their testimony given to Congress. This is a crime, obviously, defined by U.S. Code sections 1621 and 1001 of Title 18. These crimes could result in a maximum five-year prison sentence and potential fine. Both men are highly unlikely to actually face anything more than fines, especially if they are willing to give testimony leading to indictments of what are often called bigger fish. The truth should be sought over making the entire affair into some kind of vendetta. But there is a larger question involved this time around; is it worth the time, effort and attention for the Trump Administration to expend when the same efforts can be used to accomplish the Trump and the nation’s agendas.


This is what we will attempt to predict. President Trump is unlikely to seek convictions of his former opponent, Hillary Clinton, or of former President Barack Obama. What the FBI and other agencies desire may be something of a different matter. The FBI and CIA will likely desire to clear their agencies of any hints of corruption and could turn on their former heads which might not fare well for James Comey and John Brennan. These two disgraced their agencies and these are not agencies which can stand for politics entering into their lairs as these are investigatory agencies whose reputation is for providing administrations of both parties with equal diligence. But as far as Clinton and Obama, they will probably not face any serious difficulties, well; Obama will not likely be facing any charges. Hillary Clinton may face some charges for her handling of classified information while Secretary of State but will get a pass in sentencing if the charges are even pursued. The one thing is this might prove to be an interesting circus to watch while the antics are filling the three rings with the media doing its finest job at making molehills out of mountains. In the meantime, the media will be making mountains out of absolutely nothing over the presumed Trump-Russia collusion fantasy. The mainstream media has become so unfortunately predictable.


The main driving force in these investigations will probably be completely independent of President Trump and his closest team members. Coming from the business world, President Trump probably looks at the moves and machinations which were used to attempt to defeat his election as a done bad deal and in business; you move on from such difficulties and simply hope to never need to deal with such people again. President Trump is more forward looking and wants to get things accomplished, not dwell on things he would rather simply ignore and forget. President Trump has plans which he wants to get done and knows that looking back is counter-productive to getting everything accomplished as quickly as possible. President Trump probably has some long term plans which he realizes will take a second term, and he knows a second term is not a guarantee. This means he has a driving force to get as much accomplished as quickly as possible. This has been evident to anybody who has watched the blizzard of Executive Orders he issued almost as soon as he returned to the White House after the Inauguration. Things have slowed somewhat as much of what he desires to accomplish requires Congress, and Congress is a problem for Presidents, something Prime Ministers are unfamiliar with facing. A Prime Minister has the support of his coalition until he doesn’t, and then he has a problem which is called a new election. Presidents know when their next election is, they just are never quite sure if Congress will work with him, even if his party is in the majority. President Trump has realized that in spades.


That brings us to what President Trump is probably most concerned with over the coming six months, the mid-term elections. He is about to attempt what most Presidents have found very difficult, increasing his party’s numbers in both houses at their first mid-terms. Sitting a mere 9,387 kilometers, or 5,833 miles, from Washington D.C., we must rely on articles to get a feel for the electorate and information on the tricky Senate where only one-third of the Senators are up for re-election at any election cycle. From what we have read, the predictions are all over the place with some predicting the Republicans gaining three to five seats while others predict the Democrats taking control of the Senate gaining as many as seven or eight seats. We are glad we will not be in the business of predicting the outcome of the thirty-five seats up for election, apparently there are a couple of special elections making it more than the normal thirty-three seats. Perhaps when the coverage becomes somewhat more informative closer to the election and we will know who made the biggest gaff or posted a disturbing Tweet we will be bold enough to take a stab at a prediction. The only prediction we can make now is that President Trump will probably work hard to retain the House of Representatives and try very hard to increase his majority in the Senate by at least three seats giving him a better advantage at accomplishing his legislative agendas. This will mean much more to President Trump than wasting efforts on gaining conviction against people for past grievances. That he will leave up to the wheels of justice which move ever so slowly that we often forget what the crime was when politicians face prosecution for past misdeeds.


Beyond the Cusp


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