From Convention Bounce to Air Ball

From Convention Bounce to Air Ball

Commentary by Sanford D. Horn

August 1, 2016

I have been a Republican since before I was old enough to vote. I volunteered for Ronald Reagan’s campaign in 1980 and was privileged enough to cast my first presidential ballot for him in 1984, to ensure economic prosperity would continue in our “shining city upon a hill.” (John Winthrop)

George W. Bush was the right man at the right time dealing with the horrors of September 11, 2001 with strength and aplomb, but the continuing spiral downward of weak-kneed candidates and an ever increasingly politically correct nation we are subjected to, has given us Donald Trump.

For all his bluster, bravado, and boastfulness, Trump has been a breath of fresh air, has no problem making the voters aware of Hillary Clinton’s peccadilloes, but make no mistake, he is not a conservative. I am now a Constitutional Conservative, because the Republican Party has lost its way and is practically a mirror image of the Democrat Party. But I have reminded so many, it is vital to play the cards we are dealt and not kvetch about the cards we were not dealt.

Donald Trump was not my first choice among the cavalcade of GOP candidates. In fact he ranked down around 13^th, just above Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, and New York Governor George Pataki. I had hoped with all hope the GOP standard bearer would be Ambassador John Bolton, and I told him as much last January when I met him in Des Moines, at the Iowa Freedom Fest. Sadly, his candidacy did not come to fruition, and I turned to Texas Governor Rick Perry who was out almost as fast as he was in. Throughout the remainder of the primary season I fervently supported Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

While I agree with what Cruz said at the Republican convention, he did himself a great disservice, not Trump. His lack of an endorsement only united the GOP in its animus of Cruz, which could come back to haunt him in 2018 when he seeks reelection to the Senate or in 2020 should he make another White House run.

Donald Trump’s biggest foe is not Ted Cruz. It’s not Hillary Clinton. It’s not even the decidedly biased media. No; Donald Trump’s biggest foe is Donald Trump. All Clinton need do is run commercials of Trump’s own words in his own voice about women, Mexicans, Muslims, and his latest faux pas, his current war of words with the parents of a killed in action Muslim soldier.

Captain Humayun Khan, who served in the United States Army, was killed in action in 2004 by a homicide bomber in Baghdad, Iraq. Ironically, the American soldier, who was Muslim, was killed by another Muslim – a radical Islamist terrorist, the likes of which have been at war with not just the United States, but the whole of Western Civilization for centuries – yes, centuries – dating back to the Barbary Pirates. The fact remains that Captain Khan was killed wearing the uniform of the United States Army.

For whatever the reasons, personal, political, religious, Khan’s parents appeared at the Democratic National Convention and his father, Khizr Khan, spoke, emotionally, and justifiably so, about the ultimate sacrifice made by his son. That alone tugged at the heartstrings of the rank and file in attendance at the DNC.

However, the elder Khan, born in Pakistan, studied law, moved to the United States in 1980 and became a citizen in 1986, took his grief to another level and lectured Trump.

“Have you even read the U.S. Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy,” said Khan in a very powerful moment to the thunderous applause of the convention hall.

Trump being Trump, hit back in a manner unbefitting a presidential candidate. The Jekyll and Hyde candidate – one day he appears presidential, the next he’s shooting from the hip, where he is not always hip when he shoots. Trump described the sacrifices he has made in the form of creating thousands of jobs; tens of thousands of jobs. Job creation is not a sacrifice, Mr. Trump. It is an investment in your own company – something I would hope you would do as a successful businessman. Trump did not serve in the armed forces. His children have not served in the armed forces. Trump did not lose a child to war – thank G-d. His comparison was an insult to the Khan family, and demonstrably obtuse.

Trump then doubled down by making an unnecessary and insensitive comment about Captain Khan’s mother Ghazala, who remained silent while on stage with her husband during the DNC. Trump suggested she wasn’t permitted to speak. When she did speak out, it was through her grief that she penned a column appearing in The Washington Post. She said she was afraid she would lose her composure if she spoke at the DNC and that her husband represented them both. My condolences go out to the Khans, Gold Star parents, on the loss of their soldier son.

Now, to be fair to Trump, he later said “Captain Humayun Khan was a hero to our country and we should honor all who have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country safe.” Too little, too late. The criticisms were front and center – page one, top of the fold, as we say in the newspaper business. His backtracking is akin to the newspaper printing the correction or retraction on page 800 – nobody sees it or gets the full story.

The flipside of the Khans is Patricia Smith, the mother of Sean Smith, the Foreign Service officer who was murdered in Benghazi, under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s irresponsible watch, spoke at the RNC.

“I blame Hillary Clinton for my son’s death at Benghazi,” said a tearful Smith during the RNC, to a non-prime time audience, not televised by the major networks. There is an important point here – that the media is complicit in its attempts to shine positive rays of light on Clinton, while calling Trump’s speech and the RNC as a whole, “dark.”

In fact, not only was Patricia Smith not applauded by the media, she was condemned by Chris Matthews of MSNBC that Smith ruined the night and should not have brought up Benghazi. Talk about being in the tank for Hillary; but then that was MSNBC in its quintessential form. Adding insult to Smith’s injury, was Hillary Clinton telling the media,  that Mrs. Smith lied when claiming Clinton told Smith her son’s death was the result of a video, which has been categorically proven to be false.

Clinton lies and the media swears to it. Trump will get no relief from the media, and it is not their jobs to give him any. But it is also not their jobs to be in the tank for Clinton, and they are deep into it.

What Trump needs to do, if he is to have any chance of victory come November 8, is focus on the economy, repealing Obamacare, making strong conservative appointments to the Supreme Court, painting the picture of Hillary Clinton as the ultra-liberal, anti-Israel, pro-abortion on demand, anti-gun, insider, opportunist, and serial liar that she is, has been for decades, and will continue to be for years to come. Trump must take the high road and stop engaging in fruitless pissing matches that continue to deflect attention from what is important and make him look like a petulant third grader.

Mr. Trump, your only response to the Khan family should have been to express condolences to them on the loss of their son. Perhaps ask to meet with them privately without the cameras rolling – don’t be the opportunist everyone knows Hillary to be. The sacrifice of the Khan family is what the voters will remember in November, along with your pettiness.

I never considered voting for Hillary Clinton – her crimes, her indiscretions, her lies, her anti-Israel, abortion on demand without restriction stances are abhorrent to me. I keep reminding people that we are not voting for Miss Congeniality, so some of Trump’s caustic demeanor should be dismissed. We are voting for a leader who will stand up to our enemies, not take foreign money with one hand and wag the finger of condemnation at those very countries with the other, not take Wall Street money at private fundraisers then condemn Wall Street publicly.

Mr. Trump, you have not shied away from expressing your thoughts, but not every thought that enters your head need be uttered. Part of your problem Mr. Trump is that you are surrounded by fawning sycophantic yes-men telling you your flatulence smells like homemade apple pie and that your burps sound like Mozart. You need someone to tell you what you need to know with no fear of hearing you say, “You’re fired.” Please give me a call.

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.

Corruption with a Capital C-linton

Corruption with a Capital C-linton

Commentary by Sanford D. Horn

July 6, 2016

After the dog and pony show trotted out by FBI Director James Comey, Federal Bureau of Investigations can now officially be amended to Failed Basic Intelligence.

On the day after Independence Day there is no doubt the Founding Fathers are rolling over in their collective graves knowing that justice has been both perverted and subverted in the name of Clinton – both Hillary and Bill. Justice may not be blind, but it most certainly has been hoodwinked.

Once again, the rules don’t seem to apply to the Clintons. I initially began this column with the intent of calling for Attorney General Loretta Lynch to recuse herself from any continued investigation into Mrs. Clinton’s computer and e-mail peccadillos due to Lynch’s ex-parte communication with the former president on an airport tarmac at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. (This was no chance meeting.)

Clearly that is merely a symptom of the bigger disease of corruption involving the Clintons. There is little question that Lynch and Bill Clinton spent their half hour conversation discussing more than grandchildren and golf. Even if the subject of Hillary’s investigation was not broached, and I have a hard time believing that it wasn’t, the mere appearance of the two speaking with one another is completely inappropriate. Lynch didn’t earn her position of AG by being a doormat, thus she could have asked Mr. Clinton to excuse himself from her government plane. Then, days later, Mrs. Clinton announces she will consider keeping Lynch on as AG should Clinton ascend to the White House. (Assuming Lynch could pass muster before the Senate, whose job it is to advise and consent regarding cabinet nominations.)

Then comes the announcement by Comey, where he spent the first 10 minutes of a roughly 15 minute monologue reading a litany of Mrs. Clinton’s wrongdoings, if not actual offenses and crimes, only to pull her head out of the noose. “We cannot find a case that would support bringing criminal charges on these facts,” said Comey, after a buildup where all roads seemed to have Mrs. Clinton wearing an orange jumpsuit. Instead, she is free to don an orange pantsuit as she continues laughing her way down the campaign trail. “Cannot find a case?” You don’t have to look very far or very hard, Mr. Comey.

If this is not demonstrative of the fix being in, or as presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump continues to aver, that “the system is rigged,” there never will be such a case. This is yet another example of a corrupt system helping to drive the United States into Third World status. The people cannot have faith or put their trust in a system that has one set of rules for them, and another set of rules for the powerful – that leads to a totalitarian state – the very monarchy from which we the people declared our independence 240 years ago this week. A monarchy against which the American patriots fought a war (1775-83) and where more than 4,400 Americans died in battle for the cause of liberty and freedom. With Hillary Clinton and her career of scandals, lies, and corruption, the United States is taking a giant leap backwards.

During Comey’s speech he asserted how Mrs. Clinton’s behavior was “extremely careless” in using personal computer servers. The mere utilization of non-governmental servers lacks transparency, something on which the Obama administration claims to pride itself. “There is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information,” said Comey, also calling for transparency.

Furthermore, Comey unearthed factual data that Mrs. Clinton lied under oath and lied to the American people when she said “I did not e-mail any classified material to anyone on my e-mail. There is no classified material…” on March 10, 2015 as well as in other words on numerous additional dates.

“Seven e-mail chains concern matters that were classified at the Top Secret/Special Access Program level when they were sent and received. These chains involved Secretary Clinton both sending e-mails about those matters and receiving e-mails,” said Comey.

For those who think this e-mail situation is much ado about nothing, this is really about national security and how someone who is running for the highest office in the land, to represent the United States on the global stage, to be Commander in Chief of the American armed forces it is unconscionable, yet sadly, not surprising how blithely Mrs. Clinton has treated this investigation. Perhaps she knew all along a recommendation to not prosecute or indict was coming down the pike. Her actions and lies are reprehensible. Clinton’s opponents this fall should use her words on the television screen alongside those of Comey to prove to the American people what a dishonest, disreputable individual she has been and continues to be.

Yet, Comey continued to lambaste Clinton on her irresponsible behavior. “Any reasonable person in Secretary Clinton’s position or in the position of those government employees with whom she was corresponding about these matters should have known that an unclassified system was no place for that conversation,” stated Comey, making a grand assumption that Clinton is a reasonable person.

Perhaps it is Comey that lacks reasonableness. When it appeared Comey would seek indictment against the presumptive Democrat nominee for president, he concluded his remarks saying that “our judgment is that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case.”

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, also a former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York (1983-89), was flabbergasted by Comey’s remarks. “No reasonable prosecutor would not bring a case against” Hillary Clinton, said Giuliani, adding that Comey’s words “was almost an abdication of duty.”

Giuliani, among many others, noted that the words “extremely careless” are akin to “gross negligence,” the language used in 18 U.S.C. 793(f), which states:

Whoever, being entrusted with or having lawful possession or control of any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, note, or information, relating to the national defense, (1) through gross negligence permits the same to be removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of his trust, or to be lost, stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, or (2) having knowledge that the same has been illegally removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of its trust, or lost, or stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, and fails to make prompt report of such loss, theft, abstraction, or destruction to his superior officer – Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

            

Indictment does not require intent, admitted Comey, which makes his statement about not prosecuting the case even more incomprehensible, barring a fix, a rigging, or a quid pro quo. (Comey, uncharacteristically, failed to answer questions following his announcement.)

Comey’s “tell” might have been in his preface by stating he had not discussed his remarks in advance with anyone, and that he had “no outside influence of any kind.” Less than three hours following Comey’s live broadcast of his remarks, Barack Obama appeared on the campaign trail for the first time with Clinton in Charlotte, NC. Obama had to know Comey was not recommending prosecution of Clinton otherwise he would not have made the trip. Imagine the visual of Obama singing Hillary’s praises just hours after it was recommended she be prosecuted for numerous violations of federal law. Which, according to the statute above, Clinton should be under indictment. But for Obama it is all about his image and his legacy.

While on the discussion of legacy, KT McFarland, a Fox News contributor who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs under President Ronald Reagan indicated that Richard Nixon resigned the presidency in 1974 for lesser offenses. General David Petraeus stepped down as director of the CIA and ultimately pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified information, yet for worse behavior, Clinton lives to lie another day.

What should also be disconcerting to all discerning American voters, is that once Clinton becomes the official nominee of the Democrats, she (as will her GOP opponent) will be provided full deep classified information as part of a national ticket, according to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI). Ryan, speaking with personal authority as the 2012 GOP vice presidential candidate, added that Mrs. Clinton should be denied such access for her clear and demonstrative recklessness with information related to national security.

Lack of the appropriate clearance should disqualify Clinton from serving as president, and perhaps such thoughts were on the mind of Comey. Were Comey to have called for the prosecution of Clinton it would have had a deleterious effect on the electoral process. But this investigation should be above politics and above reproach, for no candidate or elected official is above the law – just ask the ghost of Richard M. Nixon. But Comey put politics above the rule of law and for that; he should resign as director of the FBI.

Comey did say the result of this investigation is not an exoneration of Mrs. Clinton, however. But with no charges to be levied, and to borrow a phrase, what difference, at this point, does it make?

Hillary Clinton is free to continue lying to the government, and more importantly, lying to the American people. She can continue to huckster her way through the campaign smiling on the outside while having complete disregard for the American people – as was on full display in West Virginia. Clinton spoke with a coal miner who was frank with the Democratic hopeful about the dire straits he, his family, and many other coal miners are currently enmeshed. After baring his soul, Clinton’s response was so disconnected, basically telling the emotional miner that she knows earning his vote would be difficult while never addressing his concerns. She was disengaged, as though she was participating in an entirely different conversation.

Clinton, riddled with scandal and corruption for decades, both with her husband and on her own accord, will tell the people what they want to hear, a la Barack Obama, and taking a page from his playbook, Clinton has also learned at the knee of the master radical, Saul Alinsky.

Hillary Clinton is as corrupt as Eva Peron, when we need the statesman-like leadership of Margaret Thatcher.

The 2016 presidential election is perhaps the most pivotal since 1860. May G-d help us, and may G-d save the Union.

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.