May 14, 2018--"Rudy" Awakening

During our first week in Maine we turned the TV on exactly one time and at that for a total of only about half an hour--last Sunday night to watch a little American Idol. We would have watched more but fell asleep after driving seven hours to get here.

So it was a rude awakening or, forgive the pun, a Rudy awakening when we finally turned it on again this past Saturday after pretty much a full week of no TV. 

It was all Rudy of Rudy Giuliani all the time because his antics as Trump's new lead attorney were splashed all over the news. None of it good. All off it tumultuous, out-of-control, or just plain crazy. 

Whoever said this has it right--he's lost a step. Though from all the messes he created or stepped into during the past two weeks working for Trump, I'd say he's lost more than that. It looks as if he's lost his entire mind.

First, when pooh-poohing Trump's other personal lawyer, Michael Cohn's paying off Stormy Daniels, Rudy said that was no big deal. It's the sort of thing he and his firm routinely do for his and their famous and wealthy clients. Shrugging, he boasted, we just write the women "a couple of checks." What's $130,000? No big deal.

It appears, though, that it is a big deal to the law firm in which Rudy is (or should is say, was) a partner. The other partners met and voted to force him to resign. We don't do that kind of thing, they said.

But he appears to continue to serve as Trump's butt-boy lawyer, slamming Stormy Daniels' attorney, Michael Avenatti, who challenged Rudy to a one-on-one debate (I'd pay to watch that), sneering, "I don't get involved with pimps."

Avenatti couldn't restrain himself from noting the obvious--in effect saying, "You pay off women for your rich and famous clients and you call me a pimp?"

Just as this was reminded me what I've been missing since cutting the cable, along came more breaking news--what White House aide Kelly Sadler cruelly said at a meeting in the West Wing about critically ill John McCain.

The meeting included a discussion about the upcoming vote to confirm or reject the nomination of Gina Haspel to head the CIA. Her appointment is controversial since as a high-level CIA staffer she presided over one or more so-called "black sites" where accused terrorists were tortured.

McCain, having been tortured in a North Vietnam prison for years, is on record as opposing her nomination and this may mean she will not be confirmed. Not willing to vote for her, Sadler said, "doesn't matter. He's dying anyway."

So here it is early Monday morning and I'm torn. 

I know Trump is about to start tweeting and Rudy is soon to crawl out of bed after dreaming about all the outrageous things he can do to stir the pot and make everyone crazy. Should I turn on Morning Joe? Should I  . . . ?

But no. I think I'll take a pass and watch the sun rise over Johns Bay.

Left to Right--Rudy and Donald Trump

March 30, 2018--Stormy Weather

The two most watched TV shows in at least a decade were aired last week--the return of Rosanne (18.2 million viewers) and the Stormy Daniels interview on 60 Minutes (22 million tuned in). 

They had one thing in common: Donald Trump. 

One thing he is good at is attracting a crowd. Sort of like watching a car wreck.

Since Rosanne Barr is an enthusiastic Trump supporter and the "Rosanne" character on the show is as well (she talks about how America has been made great again)  she received a congratulatory phone call from him. 

Stormy Daniels, in contrast, didn't even get a tweet. In fact, as I write this, it has been about a week since Trump has had something to say about anything having to do with Stormy. That in itself is remarkable since the president has never before been shy about making comments about anything that he perceives to be affecting him.

It appears remaining silent about her is one of the very few things his lawyers, actually, his one remaining lawyer, has been able to convince him to do.

Wondering about this and also, I confess, coming away feeling disappointed that the 60 Minutes interview turned out to be boring, that it wasn't salacious enough, I had been hoping that she would reveal what was on that threatening-feeling DVD disc that her lawyer, Michael Avanatti, had hyped in advance--maybe pictures--wondering, I concluded that what she and he concocted was brilliant--

They weren't thinking about what would appeal to an audience of 22 million, but to an audience of one--Donald Trump. The only audience that mattered to them.

Their entire strategy is to smoke him out. To get him on the record carelessly saying something defamatory. If they could get under his skin enough as the result of the daily media barrage Avanatti is engaged in, they might have a chance to sue him for defamation and thereby make him liable to being deposed, to force him to answer questions in open court rather than in the secrecy of an arbitration procedure where typically individuals who have signed an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) wind up.

They focused most of their jabs on Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, who says he paid Stormy $130,000 in hush money out of his own pocket--money he claimes he got from a personal home equity loan--without Trump's knowledge or approval. 

How believable is that? Anyone have a lawyer who doesn't want to get paid?

So Daniels, and especially Avenatti, have been making the rounds of every possible cable talk show other than those on Fox, using Trump's own scorched earth approach against Cohen and especially Trump himself.

Thus far they managed to get Cohen and his lawyers (with anything having to do with Trump's lawyers need lawyers to protect and defend them) to step in it enough to get at least one defamation suite working it's way toward federal court.

It's still a long shot that they will succeed. But if they do, as with Bill Clinton it will be sex that brings Trump down, not collusion with the Russians or obstructing justice.

Stay tuned. Literally.    

Michael Cohen