Donald Trump’s campaign doesn’t pay its bills. As noted at the link the bill in question is $49,000; Trump has $10 million in campaign cash on hand and has raised much more. His total unpaid bills to various cities run $750,000. This is, of course, typical Trump behavior. There are accounts of him stiffing contractors going back years. It’s still dishonest, the kind of thing for which most of us would get sued.
And it’s not normal for a president. Nor is it normal that a jury found the Glorious Supreme Leader had committed sexual abuse against E. Jean Carroll (it’s what most people would call rape but not rape under New York law). Or that Trump is pushing for massive donations from big business to his coronation — er, inauguration (and getting them). And threatening media outlets that criticize him in the slightest, even the conservative Wall Street Journal. Or threatening and belittling our allies.
It’s easy to forget this isn’t normal. Trump so flagrantly and completely disregards all standards and rules that get in his way (hiring foreigners to work here is bad — unless he does it) it’s tempting to automatically set the bar low — it’s Trump, what do you expect? That’s a mistake. Just because he’s been a dreadful human being his entire life doesn’t mean it’s excusable. Thinking otherwise is how Republicans get away with so much: because the press have accepted the Republican brand is being rotten.
There’s not much we can do about it at this point. As some posts at Lawyers, Guns and Money have said, Trump’s a testament to how much society depends on voluntary compliance—when someone with money and influence refuses to comply, the system doesn’t have the will to stop him. But it’s still worth pointing out. Republicans have worked hard to shift the boundaries of what’s acceptable; given their massive media support, it’s hard shifting it back but we have to work on it.
(Related posts here and here).
2)As I’ve said before, I’m largely done writing about what wannabe-Rush Limbaughs such as Steve Bannon have to say. However his recent comments on Matt Gaetz express such a common sentiment on the right, I think it’s worth discussing.
According to Bannon, Gaetz should play it like the song Harper Valley PTA where the singer’s mother calls out her critics on their own sins. And “did Christ himself not understand the Harper Valley PTA moment when he wrote in the sand and the betters saw their sins written down on that sand, they backed off, right? And what did Christ say, lady, go and sin no more.” Jesus forgives Matt, therefore we should.
As I’ve discussed before, God absolving our sins — and as a Christian, I believe he does — does not mean we’re exempt from temporal punishment. If you break the rules you pay the appropriate price here on Earth, regardless of your soul’s ultimate fate. Gaetz, according to the ethics report, used illegal drugs and committed statutory rape of a 17-year-old (it doesn’t matter if you pay them, it’s still rape) when he was in his thirties. At this point he hasn’t suffered any punishment other than to his reputation. He left Congress and stepped away from the DOJ nomination; he’s now going to be a talking head on OAN.
If Bannon’s arguing Gaetz should suffer no consequences because God forgives, well that also applies to Liz Cheney. To the J6 committee. To the media that criticize Trump. Astonishingly, nobody on the right is promising God’s forgiveness for defying the religious right’s anointed messiah. The religious-right leaders who gave Trump a mulligan on his sins don’t do that to anyone else when there’s no political advantage. “We are all sinners” is a Christian axiom but they’re weaponizing it as a shield against criticism for anyone on their side.
Let’s also not forget that the mother in Harper Valley PTA is accused of wearing short skirts and going out on dates. Not statutory rape and drug use. Just sayin’
