To be accurate, there were four-hundred three legible words that preceded the phrase from Donald Trump that literally ‘grabbed’ the attention of the world. Compare this to a 2006 photo from then comic Al Franken, that some considered lurid, and the result is a resignation and a successful campaign to be the leader of the free world. In the photo, Senator Franken simulated touching the breast of sleeping fellow performer Leeann Tweeden and the President in very graphic and literal terms gave a clinic on how a star gets away with sexual assault and fondling. A cackling Billy Bush, who accompanied Donald Trump on the now infamous Access Hollywood bus ride, was fired within 48 hours. The outcome for Mr. Trump is obvious.
Somehow, we have been manipulated into believing that inconsequential TV chef(s), television talking heads, actors, producers and morning gabfest host are more important to be held accountable than the President of the United States. The White House spokespeople and Trump surrogates are fond of saying, the matter has been litigated by the public, Mr. Trump was elected, case closed. Funny, those same people loudly express righteous indignation calling Woody Allen a pariah for his sexual affair and eventual marriage to the adopted daughter of his partner Mia Farrow, Soon-Yi Previn. If you follow the Trump surrogate logic, Mr. Allen has been judged by movie ticket buyers, case closed. I am personally appalled at both and both should be excised from the public square.
Just because people turn their backs to horrific acts of violence and abuse does not mean they did not happen. What Mr. Trump has confessed to is far worse than a picture of a former comedian in an obviously stupid moment. I will say-- it is not up to me to gauge the amount of pain or anguish Ms. Tweeden felt when she was made aware of the picture and one could hope Trump supporters would afford the same amount of compassion for Trump’s victims. By the way, I am not holding my breath.
The GOP elected a man on the promise he would drain the swamp, I wonder if they knew the runoff would empty into the gutter. The ramification of this sudden GOP quantification of morality has me punch drunk. I am not sure if I should counterattack or if taking an eight count is prudent. I spoke to a friend this morning who lives about fifteen minutes from Midland, Alabama, where White Nationalist Steve Bannon is set to appear on behalf of Roy Moore. She is a Black woman overwhelmed with the excuses she has heard for her white friends throwing their support behind Moore. Not only is she offended by the prospect of an alleged pedophile as her state’s representative in the United States Senate, his abysmal civil rights stances, “hurts” her heart. Roy Moore the Republican candidate for Senate has publicly advocated that every Constitutional revision after the Tenth Amendment was a setback for his skewed sense of democracy.
In case we have forgotten, his proposal would eliminate the rights of women to vote, the abolishment of slavery and equal protection under the law. Not only is Roy Moore and his supporters excusing the statutory rape of a fourteen-year-old, the raping of the Constitution is apparently on the table as well.
Vote Doug Jones, Alabamians, reclaim your morality