Going into the weekend, Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta resigned. I have no opinion on this. On the other hand, I do have plenty of thoughts:
Schumer and the Politics of Panic
Chuck Schumer is not prone to panic. He is calculating and ruthless. This is a man who unseated Alfonse D’Amato, waited out Hillary Clintons (ostensibly the “junior senator” from New York), and likely engineered a bitter Harry Reid’s exit. Schumer has dealt with those blocking his path to power by either defeating them outright or getting out of the way while they either self-destructed or self-marginalized.
This makes Chuck Schumer’s call for Labor Secretary Alex Acosta’s resignation all the more curious.
State, Justice, Defense, and Treasury. Those are the big four. Any other cabinet positions – Energy, Labor, Commerce – those aren’t really jobs, just patronage for the well connected. I think Interior was a big deal in the early days of The Republic – but once the U.S. conquered the indigenous peoples, well, you know that story. Cabinet positions are still sought after by Alumni of the 8 Ivey League schools, but more as resume enhancers, not as a path to power. SJDT, on the other hand – that’s actual power.
The Tiniest Of Threads…
The “connection” between Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump is so tenuous and unserious it can be summed up in a few short sentences. 1. There are some 20-year old pictures with Trump and Epstein (there are also pictures of Trump with Rosa Parks. I’ll wait while you all connect Trump with the Civil Rights movement). 2. Trump called Epstein a “terrific guy” in an interview in ’02 – both of them being in the billionaires boys club… or something. 3. Trump and Epstein moved in the same circles in New York in general and Palm Beach in particular. 4. Trump threw Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago after complaints from the staff over Epstein’s “behavior.” In short, trying to come up with a “Trump-Epstein connection” is like trying to come up with a “connection” between me and The Pentagon.
It’s probable that at some point, likely at a party hosted by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein offered Trump entry into his “Eyes Wide Shut” world. If so, then all evidence would suggest that Trump took a pass.
Circling Back Then…
So what’s up with Chuck? Here are the two theories:
- The ‘death my a thousand cuts’ strategy the Democrats have employed at the start of the 2015-2016 campaign. Since the collapse of the Russia-Hoax, the Left has been adrift and flailing. This is consistent with “the simplest explanation is most likely the truth” tenet.
- The Left is finished with Epstein.Having wrung out the last drop of usefulness from him, he is now being hung out to dry.
- Full-on Panic.The FBI reportedly found a treasure trove of photos and documents in Epstein’s Manhattan apartment. It’s anyone’s guess what they found in the bungalow on his private island. We know former president Bill Clinton appears on the manifest of the Lolita Express more than two dozen times. Epstein is also a huge Democrat donor. We know that during his vetting for Labor Secretary, Acosta was asked specifically about his handling of Epstein’s case. His answer was that he was told (by who?) Epstein belonged to “Intelligence” and to leave it alone. What everyone agrees on is that Epstein, through at least three presidential administrations, was protected at the highest levels. Enter Trump, who owes The Establishment nothing.
Number 3 is entirely plausible when you consider that since 2015, The Establishment focused nearly the entire apparatus of federal law enforcement and intelligence services on Candidate Trump with the cooperation of 90% of the broadcast and print outlets in the nation. Epstein was supposed to be untouchable. But clearly, not to this administration.
Ah, But The Cynic In Me.
Does Epstein have pictures and video files? Maybe. But don’t expect justice. A lot of the power-brokers in the democrat party have probably already secured complete immunity from Epstein’s 2008 brush with the South Florida U.S. Attorney’s office. I doubt any of them will actually swing for this.
It’s also highly unlikely that we will be treated to the grotesquery of a Chuck Schumer video file. For this we can all be thankful. What is not so unlikely is that Schumer has powerful friends in need of protection. Schumer is clearly on his back-heel on this. He and his friends are people who are used to being in control. Jeffery Epstein’s arrest at Teterboro Airport changed that. At least for now. Firmly in federal custody, sending Epstein to Fort Marcy Park becomes considerably more challenging.
Also this past week:
Congratulations to the United States Woman’s National Soccer Team on their World Cup victory. Now please stop being so obnoxious.
With respect to the pay-disparity, I am of two minds. On one hand, the most recent FIFA men’s World Cup generated over $6 billion dollars in revenue. The woman’s World Cup generated under $140 million, or 2.4%.
On the other hand, here in the U.S., the 9 teams of the National Woman’s Soccer League enjoy an average attendance of approx. 15,000 fans over a 24-game season. Ticket prices are all over the place from as low as $5 to over $50. I’m not privy to the NWSL’s financial statements, but I would guess that the gap in revenue between the men and the women in the U.S. is considerably less vs. the gap worldwide.
There’s probably some room there to give the women raises, just not as much as they think they are worth. So, welcome to the world the rest of us have to live in. If one is going to take issue with Megan Rapinoe and her teammates, it may help to understand they rarely if ever hear “no.” When you live in a world where 99% of the answers are “yes,” then “no” probably borders on the incomprehensible.
Speaking of Rarely Ever Hearing “No,”…
Alex Cortez. Four syllables are enough.
What a way to head into the new week:
(Fox News, July 14th, 2019) President Trump squared off with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and progressive freshman congresswomen Sunday on Twitter, telling the new lawmakers to “go back” to their countries of origin to fix the corruption plaguing those nations before they lecture the United States.
I don’t know why Congresswoman Alex Cortez is so upset. She was born in the Unites States, so this obviously doesn’t apply to her.
Do President Trump’s statements make you cringe? If so, only because you are still used to a Republican party that insists on observing Marquis of Queensberry rules. Meanwhile, The Leftist apparatus has known for decades that they are in a street fight, and conducts themselves accordingly. President Trump will continue doing what got him here. Refreshing, to say the least.
To all you Never-Trumpers who think they can negotiate with the Leftist Cyclops into eating you last, this is what fighting back looks like.
Selah.
On Trump and Epstein, if the always wrong left were by some miracle correct about Trump/Epstein ties, does anyone think that the biggest resistance to Epstein’s arrest and trial, particularly the ‘trove’ of pics and videos found in Epstein’s safe, would be the President himself?
So far, crickets from the WH, if not actual support for the charges. You see, Trump doesn’t care.