The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Terry Bracy
There was a teenager at my school called Five Fingers Joe. He earned this sobriquet by developing the skill of filling his pockets at Woolworths with items he neglected to pay for. To my knowledge, he was never caught.
On the days I’m feeling cynical, I find myself applying the same nickname to the current resident of the White House, Five Fingers Donald. It becomes more apparent to me as the months go by that Trump never wanted the job of president, only the title and a more profitable venue to carry on his business. In a patsy interview on “60 Minutes” last week, Trump had the temerity to stare Ross Douthat in the face and claim that as president he had never given a thought to expanding his wealth, despite reports that his businesses generated billions in revenue during the last 20 months. While his attempts at governance have failed by stratospheric measures, he has taught a graduate course in how to manipulate the Constitution with the help of a supplicant Congress and an indulgent Supreme Court. He may have flunked the books, but he brought to the presidency a Ph.D. in the dark arts of the streets.
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Notwithstanding, some political insiders are advising that Democratic leaders skip the obligation of tough oversight because it is unpleasant and the public is tired of the fighting. That advice is wrong for at least three reasons. First, the moneymaking we know about — much arrogantly acted out in full public view — is loaded. Just because pardons appear to be for sale does not relieve Congress of the obligation to publicly condemn those who have participated in such activities.
Second, if the above misconduct is performed in broad daylight, how awful is the lawlessness still to be discovered? Third, corruption does not occur in a vacuum. Rather, every act of corruption contributes to economic uncertainty and the anxiety American citizens feel every day.
The success of any democracy depends upon the honesty of its leaders and adherence to its laws. America has been most successful when it followed this path. But as we are relearning, this has not always been the case. Many exceptions are explained by greed, as in the Teapot Dome scandal when the interior secretary accepted bribes in exchange for oil drilling rights, or the downfall of Vice President Spiro Agnew, who traded influence for regular kickbacks. But there were others like Iran-Contra that involved secret arms sales, and still more by the payoffs of lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The Trump government is a cesspool of this activity waiting to be drained.
Franklin Roosevelt counseled Americans to “Reform if you would preserve.” After restoring the cuts to Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, food programs and housing subsidies, here are some reforms to meet this moment:
1. Strengthen the civil service. Attacked by MAGA as a deep state, the nonpartisan executive force of doctors, lawyers, scientists, security personnel and more is the envy of the world. Trump and his cronies have infected the system with lackeys and partisans, yielding predictable results.
2. Forbid outside business ownership by elected and appointed officials. And limit the trading of financial instruments such as stocks and bonds. In return, significantly improve the salaries and benefits of elected and unelected officials.
3. Organize a campaign to overturn Citizens United and move America toward public financing of elections.
4. Pass a law reducing the ICE force by half and remove the guns and masks. As currently designed, a modest-sized agency has been turned into a highly-funded, ill-trained paramilitary force in the U.S. and a personal army for perhaps the least popular and trusted president in American history.
According to a recent Gallup poll, 89% of the American people believe our government is corrupt. The new Congress was elected to deal with this ugly reality. U.S. government outlays this year will exceed $7 trillion, one of the largest single marketplaces in the world. This money belongs to the people and, under this administration, is being managed by right-wing partisans and their favored lobbyists who have been lurking around Five Fingers Donald’s White House like Willie Sutton casing a bank.
Terry Bracy has served as a political adviser, campaign manager, congressional aide, sub-Cabinet official, board member and as an adviser to presidents.
