March 3rd, 2019
My Dear America:
Although it seems more like a year ago, It was only last Wednesday when America tuned in to almost every Television Channel carrying Former Trump Loyalist and "Fixer" Michael Cohen's Testimony before The House of Representatives Oversight Committee. Surely we all thought that Cohen's Testimony would blow the lid off the Trump White House and it certainly did. Those of us who love American Democracy were certainly not pleased to hear Cohen's testimony about the American Cesspool that is everything swirling around Donald Trump.
John Dean, when he testified to the Senate Select Watergate Committee so many decades ago told the Watergate Committee that "There Was A Cancer On The Presidency" and he was correct. His testimony ended up being the beginning of the end for the Republican President, Richard Nixon.
Michael Cohen's testimony led those of us who are not under the difficult to understand spell of Donald Trump to realize that the Cancer on the Presidency was back and it was more aggressive and difficult to deal with than ever.
Oddly enough, Donald Trump just happened to schedule his largely unsuccessful meeting with North Korean Dictator, Kim Jong Un in Vietnam for Cohen's only day of Televised Testimony before the House Oversight Committee, one of the many House of Representatives Committees looking into almost every aspect of the Dung Heap that is Trump World.
After two years of Republican Control of the House, as well as the Senate and the White House, last November's Election Results turned over control of the House to the many newly elected and highly energized individuals who had been elected with the purpose of cleaning up Washington, with special emphasis on cleaning up the White House.
Certainly when Michael Cohen testified previously to a Republican Controlled Congress and lied about whether or not Donald Trump was still pursuing a Trump Tower deal with Moscow while he was running for President, both Cohen and Trump thought Cohen could get away with his lying to Congress. When Cohen, who had pledged that he would "Take A Bullet" for Donald Trump finally realized just how much Trump had played Cohen for a fool and a patsy and was continuing to do so, Cohen smartened up and agreed to cooperate with Prosecutors.
At some point it became evident to Cohen that he was going to jail for the crimes of lying to protect Trump, while Trump dumped Cohen like a bad habit and Tweeted insulting and denigrating things about Trump's long time Aide. Cohen, after spending a decade of being Donald Trump's hatchet man and doormat saw other victims of Trump prosecutions getting deals from Robert Mueller's Special Prosecutors and the U.S. Attorneys of the Southern District Of New York. At First there did not seem to be much of a prospect for Cohen to get a plea deal. Cohen did, however, even without a a plea deal agree to cooperate with Prosecutors investigating Trump and has done so.
Cohen arrived on Capitol Hill last Wednesday with a badly tarnished reputation earned through working for a decade doing Donald Trump's dirty deeds. But clearly Cohen came to talk, and talk he did.
Cohen started off reading a prepared statement identifying Donald Trump as a Racist, a Liar and a Cheat and giving personal recollections as well as copies of documents to the committee since Cohen knew that there were those on the Oversight Committee who would not believe him without documentation.
Cohen revealed through his prepared statement and responses to mainly Democratic Questioners some stunning revelations. It appeared as though mainly the Democrats were interested in what Michael Cohen could reveal about Donald Trump. Republicans on the Oversight Committee,with one exception, not only tried to delay and otherwise stymie the Cohen Testimony but asked almost no questions about Trump but simply denigrated Cohen without seeming to care about what he might reveal about Donald Trump. Two Republican Congressmen that were particularly revolting were Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan. Also there was much talk during the day about an inappropriate E Mail sent out by a Florida Republican Representative named Gaetz. Although Gaetz was not on the Oversight Committee he was observed at one point striding proudly and looking almost threatening as he walked in to talk with Republican members of the Committee
Democrats, however, seemed to be very much interested in the revelations that Michael Cohen was willing to share.
Some of the more stunning moments of Cohen's Testimony were the following:
Donald Trump did not expect to win the Presidential election. His run for the Presidency was mainly a publicity stunt aimed at promoting his "Apprentice" Television Program and putting pressure on NBC to pay him more money for the show. The stunt backfired on Trump when after some of his Racist and otherwise inappropriate comments resulted in NBC completely cutting off ties with Trump and distancing their network from any contact with him other than news coverage of his Presidential Campaign. Trump then continued the campaign because he thought it would look good for his Trump business brand even after he lost the Presidential race.
Donald Trump lied repeatedly to the American People about his Moscow Project. Time after time Trump told his crowds of supporters during the Presidential Campaign that he had no business dealings with Russia, while at the same time he had Michael Cohen negotiating with the Russians regarding the prospect of building a Trump Tower in Moscow. Certainly this could have been one of the reasons that Trump had nothing but praise for Russian leader, Vladimir Putin. Putin certainly could have used this obvious lie to blackmail Donald Trump, as well.
Michael Cohen admitted that Stormy Daniels and another Playboy Model were paid off to silence them before the 2016 Election. Cohen brought along and submitted into his testimony a copy of a canceled check from Trump paying Michael back for paying off Stormy.
Michael Cohen claimed to be in Donald Trump's Trump Tower Office when Roger Stone called and Trump spoke to Stone through a speakerphone. According to Cohen, Roger Stone claimed to have just talked to Julian Assange about Emails that Wikkileaks would be releasing that would not be in Hillary Clinton's best interests. This phone call took place prior to Donald Trump calling for the Russians to release Hillary Clinton's E Mails.
Cohen said that Donald Trump had repeatedly said in his presence that Trump's son, Don Jr. had the "Worst judgement."
Cohen admitted that he had made intimidating phone calls to various people on many occasions (possibly 500 times according to what he told Representative Jackie Spear) Some of those phone calls occurred after Trump called on Barack Obama not only to release his Birth Certificate but to also release his school transcripts. According to Cohen, at Trumps instruction Cohen made threatening phone calls to schools that Donald Trump had attended, as well as The College Board, advising the schools and the College Board not to release Trumps grades or SAT scores under threats of being sued by Donald Trump
In the end it does not seem as though Cohen's testimony has carried much weight with Donald Trump's Deplorables.
They just don't seem to care that Trump is continuing to sellout our Country to the most despicable leaders in the world. It is astonishing to see and if Republicans don't begin to see Donald Trump for the Charlatan he is we are going to continue to be in deep trouble.
We must continue to encourage our Representatives to investigate the madness that we are enduring in the age of Trump. We must also hope that our many fine Presidential Candidates don't destroy each other in the race for the White House.
Although we have many fine Candidates who have already joined the race, I would suggest that California Representative and House Intelligence Committee Chairman, Adam Schiff might be a Great Presidential Prospect. Another person who I recently saw on "Real Time With Bill Maher" who has extensive political experience including Former Congressman, Former Obama Chief of Staff and will soon be out of a job as Mayor of Chicago is Rahm Emmanuel.
We have plenty of great Presidential Prospects. Lets hope one of them puts Trump out of office.
To Me one of the most frightening things that Michael Cohen said in his Congressional Testimony is that he worries that if Trump is not reelected that there may be serious problems in getting Trump to cooperate and step down during a peaceful transition.
We are truly in for a bumpy ride with Donald Trump in the White House.
God Bless us all.
Sincerely
Jerry Gallagher
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