A FEW LOOSE ENDS
I’m still trying to get over the latest weird turn in this tragicomedy we are living through. Explain to me how President Trump entertains Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Oval Office (no U.S. press allowed) on the same historic day the House Judiciary Committee is writing articles of impeachment of the president. That’s irony some third-rate novelist would try to peddle. Sorry, even Hollywood is not buying. Too far-fetched.
That’s only the beginning of my puzzlements. Take the word “bribery,” a crime actually mentioned by name in the Constitution, but a word inadequate to describe Trump’s crime in the Ukraine. That word should be extortion—an offense that’s like bribery on steroids. Bribery is when I give you an apple (stolen from my neighbor’s tree in Trump’s case) for an orange from your tree. That’s a semi-criminal quid pro quo because Trump’s apple is not his to give. Extortion doubles down on the crime. Trump’s scenario says I’ll give you an apple from my neighbor’s tree for two oranges from your tree, and if you don’t deal I’ll let your neighbor burn down your whole orchard. That’s bribery with barbs.
Much is made of the July 25 phone call between Trump and Zelensky. Trump says it’s “perfect.” Dems say it’s unconstitutional, if not treasonous. From the released transcript of the call there are ellipses indicating deletions from the original. With an apparent late onset of consciousness of guilt, someone moved the actual log of the call from accessible and routine storage to a top-secret cache where it shares space and status with black ops. Why not settle the dispute and declassify the “misfiled” transcript from top-secret status, where it does not belong, and make it public? That should settle the matter. And clear the air.
It appears the common wisdom that GOP senators will exonerate the President when he is tried in their chambers, no matter the overwhelming evidence of his guilt. So what happens to the crimes which Trump’s associates committed, but were acquitted of? Would they with a change of administrations stand trial for their crimes of obstruction of justice, obstruction of Congress, and perjury? Is there a statute of limitations here? Forgive and forget, and thereby set a precedent? For proven-guilty minions of Trump? Someone should address these questions so citizens would know whether or not crime pays.
Don’t hold your breath. Justice is having a hard time these days. I fear it’s been deep-sixed wearing concrete shoes.