Yesterday was a work at home day and I put CNN on in the background. I had to look up occasionally to make certain I hadn’t accidentally turned on an episode of House of Cards. The big news was that retired general Michael Flynn had pleaded guilty to a charge of lying to the FBI. This was the kickoff of the “who is he going to drop a dime on” game. I saw a lot of glee on social media; “Maybe it’s going to be an early Christmas.”
I wish that I could share in the giddiness - but I can’t. It was a sad day in America. There should be no exultation when a former general pleads to a felony that possibly points to illegal dealings with Russia. Flynn issued a short statement that read,
“After over 33 years of military service to our country, including nearly five years in combat away from my family, and then my decision to continue to serve the United States, it has been extraordinarily painful to endure these many months of false accusations of “treason” and other outrageous acts. Such false accusations are contrary to everything I have ever done and stood for. But I recognize that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong, and, through my faith in God, I am working to set things right. My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the Special Counsel's Office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions.”
As if 33 years in the service somehow mitigates Flynn’s actions during the campaign and the early days of Trump’s presidency. It was a slap in the face of anyone who wore the uniform and managed to perform his or her duty and keep their noses clean; from the lowest private to the 5 star general. This is a man who along with every other service man and woman now and throughout America’s history made a commitment to “duty, honor and country.” A man who wore three stars on his lapel and then casually tossed duty, honor and country to the squalid curb.
There was a sickening irony at play. The general who had just admitted to a felony was the self-same man who, in the dishonorable tradition of banana republic strongmen, had during the height of an election called for the imprisonment of a political opponent. The Somoza family would have been proud.
Some other names came to mind; Dwight Eisenhower, Maxwell Taylor, George Marshall, Colin Powell. What would they have thought? Let it sink in. A retired U.S. Army General had lied about dealings with the Russians that for all we know may have been against the law. The Russians. The damned Russians for God's sake - the enemy. The early holiday spirit was escaping me.
I’m recalling the days of Watergate. I remember the day that Nixon resigned. My parents were returning from a vacation to Hawaii and as they emerged from the jetway we shared a victorious moment as if the San Francisco Giants had just won the World Series. I remember saying to them, in Nixonian tone, “Ahhhh, I ahhh, quit.”
To be clear, we haven’t reached a Trump, “I quit,” moment or even any evidence of 45’s guilt but this yearlong White House drama has awakened some memories of those dark days nearly half a century ago. Watergate unfolded with a sloppy burglary that became the prologue to a multi-act political potboiler ending with the beginning of Gerald Ford’s abbreviated relatively benign term.
By contrast the entire Trump Presidency has been sloppy and his demise would simply transition into a Pence presidency; hardly benign. I have a friend who has been railing about the nullification of the 2016 election should proof of collusion come to light. Dream on. Even in the unlikely event that Trump/Pence were somehow disqualified the presidency would likely revert to Paul Ryan. Now that would be a real hold onto your butts moment.
Since January 20th, Richard Nixon, who I’ve rarely thought about over the years, has frequently come to mind. I’m often finding myself saying, “What I wouldn’t give for Nixon right now.” As corrupt as Nixon was; as paranoid and as disdainful of opponents as he was, Nixon was a capable president. By contrast the person currently occupying the White House is not only paranoid, disdainful and corrupt, he’s a bush-league amateur.
Why do I ridiculously yearn for a Nixon these days? The Nixon days and the GOP of his time were a far cry from the ideological anger and the business brown nosing that characterizes the Republican Party of today. To be sure, Nixon favored business but his tenure wasn’t one of being business’ personal concubine. Nixon’s Presidency saw the introduction of the EPA and the Endangered Species Act; OSHA, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration. Under Nixon the powers of the Federal Trade Commission were expanded. For the current GOP this would be straight out of Stephen King.
While the Trump demise will absolutely be justice served, the collapse of his regime will not have the same, "we won the pennant" feel. The end of Nixon signaled the end of corruption during a time when country still superseded party. A criminal had been kicked out and there was hope on the horizon. I don't see the same sort of light with the end of the bleak, black days of Trump..
Oftentimes when the blatant Trump corruption is brought up it’s conjoined with Nixon. Think Trump - think Nixon. And while the two will forever be remembered for venality, corruption and paranoia I find myself these days thinking of the irony of a corrupt Republican President working feverishly to undo the work of a corrupt Republican predecessor. I can’t believe I’m saying this but, “God I miss Nixon.”
~ Posted by Paulie
No comments:
Post a Comment