Winston Churchill’s observation concerning democracy has seldom seemed more apt: No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is… Read More »Blog No. 219 Constitutional Crisis? No, Not Yet.
During the month of January, the possibility of impeaching Donald Trump drew increased attention in the media. The idea of impeachment has inevitable… Read More »Blog No. 206. The Siren Song of Impeachment
On June 2, the New York Times published two letters from President Trump’s counsel to Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The disclosure of the letters, which… Read More »Blog No. 181. Mueller and Trump: The Realities
The impeachment breezes that have been wafting through the air for months have recently grown a bit brisker. Tom Steyer, the billionaire hedge fund manager… Read More »Blog No. 162. Donald Trump and the “I” Word
Blog No. 142 suggested on Tuesday that talk of impeachment was premature and possibly counterproductive. At the same time, it cautioned that dramatic events might… Read More »Blog No. 143. Notes from a Witch Hunt
A few days ago, May 11, marked what would have been the ninetieth birthday of Leonard Garment, who died last year. The day should not have passed unremarked upon. Len was a brilliant lawyer, a distinguished public servant and an influential figure in the arts. The lengthy obituary in The New York Times on July 15, 2013 chronicled his life and many of his accomplishments.
When Richard Nixon joined a Wall Street law firm in 1963, Len Garment was head of the firm’s litigation department, and he persuaded Nixon to argue in the Supreme Court a case that Garment had successfully brought through the New York courts. That would lead to Garment becoming an early member of Nixon’s team for the 1968 election and later to a position on Nixon’s White House staff. Many will remember Garment primarily as counsel to Richard Nixon during the Watergate investigations. He was one of the few survivors of the Nixon White House to emerge with a reputation not only unblemished but enhanced. He served Nixon with loyalty and determination but without compromising his own integrity, not always an easy task. But if Watergate was the most dramatic chapter of Len’s life, it was not the only notable one.
Ted Cruz and the Oozlums have worked their will and the government has shutdown, at least in substantial part. (Newcomers to RINOcracy.com see Blog No. 12 for a definition of Oozlums.) Ironically, owing to the structure of appropriations laws, and arcane interpretations of the Anti-Deficiency Act, one part of the government that will not shutdown is…Obamacare. But elsewhere pain aplenty there will be.
Blog No 12 pointed out that a neither a shutdown, nor a default precipitated by a failure to raise the debt ceiling, are likely to escape punishment by the financial markets. Evidence of that result has already begun to accumulate. The losses in the stock market have thus far been manageable, but if the shutdown continues very long, or as the specter of default draws closer, the financial consequences will inevitably become more severe. At that point, Senator Cruz and the Oozlums will be widely recognized for their accomplishments as Wealthbusters.Read More »Blog No. 13 Ted Cruz, the Oozlums and the Electorate: Wealthbusters Confront the Silent Majority