I tell everyone I know about the Contrarian and encourage them to subscribe, along with Democracy Docket which is doing a Herculean job of fighting Dumpy in the courts.
Thank you Lisa for supporting The Contrarianan. "When I was the Obama White House ethics czar during the Great Recession, I would not even allow the president to refinance his modest family home in Chicago." Their leader Jen and Norm are shining stars of American democracy in true sense.
Until now, the 2 most corrupt administrations have been considered to be Grant and Harding, but they're fundamentally different from the corruption of Don the Con. In both of those cases the corruption was among the president's associates and/or cabinet members, but the presidents themselves weren't corrupt, from what I understand.
Grant in fact was honest to a fault-- so honest, in fact, that he couldn't fathom the possibility that the people around him were not honest. So his fault was that he was gullible and naive.
Harding was a good ol' boy who freely admitted that he was in over his head as president, so in his limited intellect he managed to associate himself with a serious bunch of chiselers.
But in neither case did the President profit from the corruption in the executive branch.
Don the Con, OTOH is a different animal entirely. He is an active participant in corruption, and along with his family is turning his office into a personal and family cash cow. So while Grant and Harding were merely incompetent, Don the Con has blatantly crossed the "BRIBERY, treason and other high crimes and misdemeanors" needed to be impeached.
Thanks for the weekly update. I would be curious to know how you and your team are anticipating Trump's dirty tricks that are sure to come in the mid-terms, and what you can do to stop him. I'm sure the lower courts will be a solid guardrail, but I worry about the Supreme Court, which has clearly been compromised.
What a complex and tangled financial web these criminals weave. Look also at Jared Kushner's company, Affinity Partners. There is at least a significant conflict of interest in his funds solicitations from countries in the Middle East while he's supposed to be a "peace envoy". What price is peace? He's working on that.
A fine roundup summary of other actions, Mr. Eisen. Keep up the good work, and thank you.
None of this surprising, nor, at this point, is the silence of Republicans in Congress. If and when a Dem president is elected again, All Dem congressman should be issued signs like auction paddles that say "Hush Piggy" to be held up anytime and every time a Republican begins to criticize the Dem president for anything at all.
Today, I'll just briefly pick at the "Corruption" and "War Crimes" threads in The Contrarian essay. I say "briefly" because there's not much new to say about these perennial MAGA debaucheries. I only bother to reiterate these comments to make sure they don't get entirely forgotten--ever!
Corruption on the scale of Trump's MAGA kakistocracy is the logical result of hiring a career criminal to run your country: You get a thoroughly corrupt government. Full stop. If you didn't want a kleptocratic regime, you shouldn't have voted for a thief and con man for President, and you shouldn't have hired his sycophants as Senators and Representatives to collectively hold that mad dog's leash.
As for "War Crimes," that's what you get when you blur the lines between Church and State. You were warned! The very first Amendment to the Constitution requires separation of church and state (couched as freedom of religion). It is first because it was the most obvious and consequential of the ten amendments James Madison wrote to satisfy calls to limit Federal-Government intrusion into the affairs of individual citizens. It echoes Jesus of Nazareth's admonition to, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto God that which is God's."
The doctrine is a lesson learned from five millennia of experimenting with civilization. That is, living in cooperating groups larger than a nuclear family. The reason blurring the lines between church and state leads to war crimes is that, without a robust independent spiritual authority, there is nobody to say "Naughty! Naughty!" when greedy government leaders decide to murder, rape, and pillage the neighbors.
Thank you for so much good information! HCR says we may be witnessing a shift away from the corruption and awfulness. We will need a New Reconstruction! (I didn't invent that idea.) I and so many others appreciate you and your colleagues, which is why we subscribe and why you are with me daily for my morning coffee!
I don't listen to Cox Richardson anymore because I don't find her insights fully couched in reality. So, what, pray tell, is evidence of a "shift" from corruption? I believe it is only growing, because wealth compounds wealth, as does corruption when sanctioned by the highest office in the land. Really--what is her argument in that regard? It sounds like wishful thinking to me. Tell me these billionaires are not making money off of an oil crisis, or any other opportunity, at our expense.
While my sympathy with any investor in any orange dumpster related company has definite limits, most of the "investments" most likely came from the robber barons who are ripping off the poor to enrich themselves and their idol and/or court jester (whichever way they look at it).
As to any magas "investing" in these schemes, there's a sucker born every minute. So, if you bleed for your Fuehrer, you deserve it, since you voted for him and put us and the entire country into this mess.
You all are the best! Thank you for your commitment and hard, hard work in preserving our democracy! I continue to write and call my representatives ... most recently urging them to urge others to invoke the 25th Amendment. We must get the Veep, whom I detest, to start the process.
Obama lives primarily in his Washington DC mansion, although he owns another mansion on Martha’s Vineyard. He sold his south side of Chicago home on South Greenwood Ave. in 2021. I never considered that place modest but it was more so than his current mansions. He only had a small portfolio when he became President. I believe that Michelle’s work as a lawyer provided most of their income. But, as with all Presidents, he became rich after he left the White House. At least he didn’t grift WHILE he was President like the current madman in the WH.
BTW, I FINALLY had to become a paid subscriber after today's post by Norm- THANK YOU so much for your service!!!! (and love you Jen!)
I tell everyone I know about the Contrarian and encourage them to subscribe, along with Democracy Docket which is doing a Herculean job of fighting Dumpy in the courts.
Thank you Lisa for supporting The Contrarianan. "When I was the Obama White House ethics czar during the Great Recession, I would not even allow the president to refinance his modest family home in Chicago." Their leader Jen and Norm are shining stars of American democracy in true sense.
Until now, the 2 most corrupt administrations have been considered to be Grant and Harding, but they're fundamentally different from the corruption of Don the Con. In both of those cases the corruption was among the president's associates and/or cabinet members, but the presidents themselves weren't corrupt, from what I understand.
Grant in fact was honest to a fault-- so honest, in fact, that he couldn't fathom the possibility that the people around him were not honest. So his fault was that he was gullible and naive.
Harding was a good ol' boy who freely admitted that he was in over his head as president, so in his limited intellect he managed to associate himself with a serious bunch of chiselers.
But in neither case did the President profit from the corruption in the executive branch.
Don the Con, OTOH is a different animal entirely. He is an active participant in corruption, and along with his family is turning his office into a personal and family cash cow. So while Grant and Harding were merely incompetent, Don the Con has blatantly crossed the "BRIBERY, treason and other high crimes and misdemeanors" needed to be impeached.
Ivan feel enriched by your comments ✌🏼🇺🇸
Thanks for the weekly update. I would be curious to know how you and your team are anticipating Trump's dirty tricks that are sure to come in the mid-terms, and what you can do to stop him. I'm sure the lower courts will be a solid guardrail, but I worry about the Supreme Court, which has clearly been compromised.
What a complex and tangled financial web these criminals weave. Look also at Jared Kushner's company, Affinity Partners. There is at least a significant conflict of interest in his funds solicitations from countries in the Middle East while he's supposed to be a "peace envoy". What price is peace? He's working on that.
A fine roundup summary of other actions, Mr. Eisen. Keep up the good work, and thank you.
None of this surprising, nor, at this point, is the silence of Republicans in Congress. If and when a Dem president is elected again, All Dem congressman should be issued signs like auction paddles that say "Hush Piggy" to be held up anytime and every time a Republican begins to criticize the Dem president for anything at all.
I love that idea! 💖
The corruption is no longer even hidden. I’m looking forward to the day when all their assets are frozen, investigated and each convicted.
Today, I'll just briefly pick at the "Corruption" and "War Crimes" threads in The Contrarian essay. I say "briefly" because there's not much new to say about these perennial MAGA debaucheries. I only bother to reiterate these comments to make sure they don't get entirely forgotten--ever!
Corruption on the scale of Trump's MAGA kakistocracy is the logical result of hiring a career criminal to run your country: You get a thoroughly corrupt government. Full stop. If you didn't want a kleptocratic regime, you shouldn't have voted for a thief and con man for President, and you shouldn't have hired his sycophants as Senators and Representatives to collectively hold that mad dog's leash.
As for "War Crimes," that's what you get when you blur the lines between Church and State. You were warned! The very first Amendment to the Constitution requires separation of church and state (couched as freedom of religion). It is first because it was the most obvious and consequential of the ten amendments James Madison wrote to satisfy calls to limit Federal-Government intrusion into the affairs of individual citizens. It echoes Jesus of Nazareth's admonition to, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto God that which is God's."
The doctrine is a lesson learned from five millennia of experimenting with civilization. That is, living in cooperating groups larger than a nuclear family. The reason blurring the lines between church and state leads to war crimes is that, without a robust independent spiritual authority, there is nobody to say "Naughty! Naughty!" when greedy government leaders decide to murder, rape, and pillage the neighbors.
I AM ANTIFA!
I'll say it: I hate god.
Thank you Norm for your relentless determination to old this lawless administration accountable.
Thank you for so much good information! HCR says we may be witnessing a shift away from the corruption and awfulness. We will need a New Reconstruction! (I didn't invent that idea.) I and so many others appreciate you and your colleagues, which is why we subscribe and why you are with me daily for my morning coffee!
I don't listen to Cox Richardson anymore because I don't find her insights fully couched in reality. So, what, pray tell, is evidence of a "shift" from corruption? I believe it is only growing, because wealth compounds wealth, as does corruption when sanctioned by the highest office in the land. Really--what is her argument in that regard? It sounds like wishful thinking to me. Tell me these billionaires are not making money off of an oil crisis, or any other opportunity, at our expense.
I think she meant a shift from the people who are realizing the width and depth of the corruption, not that there is less of it.
Look what people are capable of noticing when they look away from their phones! Best wishes, friend.
I seem to recall a horrifying huge statue of hump and an equally horrifying rendering of NEW GAZA CITY...glASS and chrome to blind the eye for miles
While my sympathy with any investor in any orange dumpster related company has definite limits, most of the "investments" most likely came from the robber barons who are ripping off the poor to enrich themselves and their idol and/or court jester (whichever way they look at it).
As to any magas "investing" in these schemes, there's a sucker born every minute. So, if you bleed for your Fuehrer, you deserve it, since you voted for him and put us and the entire country into this mess.
You all are the best! Thank you for your commitment and hard, hard work in preserving our democracy! I continue to write and call my representatives ... most recently urging them to urge others to invoke the 25th Amendment. We must get the Veep, whom I detest, to start the process.
I wouldn’t consider Obama’s house in Chicago that modest. Interesting Norm described it as so.
Any president who didn't live in a fckng golf resort (or 3) sounds modest to me.
Is that house from 2009 the same one he lives in, or owns, now?
Obama lives primarily in his Washington DC mansion, although he owns another mansion on Martha’s Vineyard. He sold his south side of Chicago home on South Greenwood Ave. in 2021. I never considered that place modest but it was more so than his current mansions. He only had a small portfolio when he became President. I believe that Michelle’s work as a lawyer provided most of their income. But, as with all Presidents, he became rich after he left the White House. At least he didn’t grift WHILE he was President like the current madman in the WH.
Once again, thank you NORM!
Norm, you are a CHAMP! What a great summary of all the fronts of action! Power to The Contrarian!