Trump’s Mickey Cohen: – I missed the Cohen testimony. I did so deliberately. The reason was that nothing he would say would change anyone’s mind.
Afterward I saw some summaries of it. I knew I was right. The Republicans are going to stick with Trump even in the face of his patently obvious lies like”I have no dealings in Russia” and “I never authorized paying off anyone” and the real probability he was engaged in criminal activity. I can only shake my head in amazement.
I think he started off with the idea he might keep quiet and Trump would pardon him. That was a mistake. He’d learn Trump “washed his hands of him.” If there is one thing Cohen should have recognized when working for Trump is that Trump leaves his dead and wounded on the battlefield as he scurries back to the shelter of the hospital tent. He should have known Trump is not a loyal guy.
The thing is if you think he is a sleaze ball then Trump has to be a bigger one. He admitted to lying to Congress: but he did it to protect Trump not himself. The Republicans want to defend Trump by saying Cohen is a liar but the more they tear him down don’t they see they are tearing Trump down.
All his dirty deeds were done for Trump. Trump recognized it, and we have proof of it, by paying him by check while in the Oval Office. All he can get by leveling with the people is perhaps somewhat less of a sentence; but he’s only bargaining down from 3 years so he won’t save himself much time.
He’s another example of the detritus Trump leaves in his wake. A man who lost his profession, destroyed his family’s happiness, and with a dire future in front of him all because of Trump. His testimony now gains him little unlike the hoodlums who testify. He ran with a criminal and he became a criminal.
Cardinal George Pell – I have to admit the conviction of Cardinal Pell for an incident that took place in December 1996, over 22 years ago, bothers me. It reminds me of the Mollie Maguire trials of the Irish Catholic miners in Pennsylvania who were convicted by a jury in which Irish were excluded from sitting. I’d like to know the make-up of his jury. I’d also like to know whether they had an opinion of the Catholic Churches unfortunate scandal involving abuse of children and others.
To me the evidence is lacking – unlike that involving Cardinal Theodore McCarrick who left a long trail of victims behind him who finally had the courage to speak up – this is basically from one boy in a choir who claims he was molested right after the Cardinal, then a recently appointed archbishop, finished saying mass in a cathedral. Seriously, there were 61 boys in the choir, altar boys and priests roaming around the church. Is a guy going to expose himself in that crowd? Here’s the evidence, make your own decision.
All of this is reminding me of the days of the Fells Acre prosecution. Then young children told incredible stories of sex abuse which were believed by juries, judges and governors. Finally, a courageous parole board on which sat a friend and a hard nose prosecutor took a close look at the case and found: “It is clearly a matter of public knowledge that, at the minimum, real and substantial doubt exists concerning (Amirault’s) conviction…[The case] contained little in the way of physical evidence to corroborate in some instances extraordinary, if not bizarre allegations. [The case record is] replete with inconsistent and conflicting judicial opinions concerning whether justice was done.”
The Salem witch trials, the child abuse trials, and now the trials of Catholic clergy include an aspect of hysteria. Was Pell’s jury caught up in it? It seems to me that is the case.
Acosta’s Pervert Jeffrey Epstein: If you are a praying type, then I urge you to say a prayer that the remedy the judge selects is to strike the sordid deal Alexander Acosta entered into on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein with lawyers Alan Dershowitz, Ken Starr and others and that the judge order a full investigation and new and full trial of pervert Epstein. And before saying “Amen” also pray that Trump not interfere with the prosecution on behalf of Epstein.
Trump is not responsible for the conduct of N. Korea, Russia and the Saudis. It is misplaced blame for the Wormbler, Khosoggi and Skripal matters. 2. Where do they get these NY lawyers? Cohen tape records his clients. Any chance of a pardon was negated bythat activity. He is convicted of lying to Congress and gets three years. Yet his lawyer Davis, a Clinton votary, has him testify before Congress again exposing him to additional charges. Shouldn’t the 5th Amendment been invoked. Why risk future charges? Davis is guilty of malpractice. That is what you get when you hire a political lawyer instead of a real lawyer. 3. Most of these decades old charges are bogus whether they emanate from gangsters or others. So Matt is correct.
Moral outrage elsewhere:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6765963/BBC-Radio-2-drops-Michael-Jackson-songs-airwaves-child-sex-abuse-claims.html