By Sid Schwab / Herald columnist
Editorial demands being what they are — Opinion editor’s note: The press waits for no one — at the time of sending in this column it was unknown whether Donald Trump had been or will be indicted for, as Trey “Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi” Gowdy put it, “paying for sex.”
So far, the only announcement has been from lifelong liar Trump, himself, who then proceeded to denounce “leaks.” It’s all but certain that indictments are coming, and that Stormy Daniels is merely the appetizer on a comprehensive menu of indelicacies. But we don’t need an indictment to know how Republican leaders and media will respond. They’ve been embarrassing themselves and our country since Trump unbarned the horse.
Certifying his unfitness for the job he bought with what remained of his soul, “Speaker” Kevin McCarthy answered “No one is above the law,” when asked if Trump is. “But no one is under it, either,” he added, signifying nothing.
If the most stupid, that was the least deplorable of his utterances. He made clear what’s been obvious since his party nominated a prolific liar, scammer, law-suit-laden, proud tax-evader, suspected launderer of Mafia money, serial adulterer. Namely, that the “party of law and order” cares for neither. Having no idea what, if any, the charges are, or what evidence was presented to the Manhattan grand jury, he nevertheless opined, “Here we go again. An outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA who lets violent criminals walk as he pursues political vengeance against President Trump.”
“Vengeance.” A district attorney looking into possible criminal activity. Doing his job. The way it works. If indicted after grand jury consideration, a person is entitled to a trial in which evidence is presented and defense is mounted. He’s convicted or exonerated. It’s the American way, as opposed to how Mussolini’s career ended. For example.
McCarthy wasn’t done. “I’m directing relevant committees to immediately investigate if federal funds are being used to subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions,” he said, interfering with a state’s constitutional judicial process.
What better example of “weaponizing government” is there than that? Other than Jim Jordan’s committee looking into weaponization of government. Or the endless investigations of Hillary Clinton, which McCarthy admitted at the time were about ending her political career. Maybe he forgot. Let us not (tinyurl.com/byeHillary).
There’s an even better example; namely, the letter sent to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, signed by three of McCarthyism’s committee chairmen: “You are reportedly about to engage in an unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority: the indictment of a former President of the United States and current declared candidate for that office,” they fulminated, demanding his presence before them. Having no authority to require it.
Well, of course it’s unprecedented. Until Trump, America had never Electoral-Colleged a “president” whose pre-, intra-, and post-“presidential” activities were so deserving of criminal investigation. Clearly, they consider Trump above the law. And, we must infer, no crime or suspected crime, no matter how egregious, by any former president, and no one running for that office, may be prosecuted, or even investigated. (Presumably, there’s an expiration date on that proposition. Instantly, when President Biden leaves office.)
Similar to McCarthy’s rejection of American jurisprudence and due process, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., offered these self-canceling words: “A Trump indictment would be a disgusting abuse of power. The DA should be put in jail.” Evidently convinced he has a shot at Trump’s old job, not-hung Mike Pence chimed in: “when there’s a crime wave in New York City, the fact that the Manhattan DA thinks that indicting President Trump is his top priority I think just tells you everything you need to know about the radical left.” Right. Buttons pushed: the radical left; crime waves. Plus, evidently, Pence believes a D.A.’s office can do only one thing at a time.
From there, it gets laughable. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., one of the signers of that letter to Bragg, said an indictment would be intended to distract from Hunter Biden’s laptop. Makes perfect sense. Possible “presidential” criminality is way below what’s on the unsecured hard drive of a private citizen. Then Tucker Carlson, causing “irony” to disappear from all dictionaries, said, “You don’t fantasize about your political opponents going to jail.” Really? Has there ever been a rally when Trump didn’t lead cheers of “Lock her up”? Does Tucker not recall when Trump called on Attorney General Bill Barr to lock up Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton? (Politico: tinyurl.com/nokey4u)
Trump and MAGA Republicans will see his indictments as proof of his perfection. Before Reagan and Gingrich, Republicans’ cowardly desperation to protect someone like Trump would have been unimaginable. Stormy Daniels is prologue. Their reaction to Fulton County, Ga.’s District Attorney Fani Willis, Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith, and New York Attorney General Letitia James will reveal everything about Republicans’ respect for constitutional order and their place in America’s future. Not that we don’t already know.
Email Sid Schwab at columnsid@gmail.com.
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