Date: 2024-08-16 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00026858
COMMENTARY
Commentary from Jennifer Rubin
WP Opinion Trump’s promises to oil executives ought to be illegal
Commentary from Jennifer Rubin
WP Opinion Trump’s promises to oil executives ought to be illegal
Pump jacks in an oil field in Midland, Tex., on Aug. 22, 2018. (Nick Oxford/Reuters)
Original article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/05/17/newsletter-oil-bribe-israel/
Peter Burgess COMMENTARY
Peter Burgess
Plus, Democrats can benefit from both presidential debates and Maryland’s Democratic Senate primary.
Written by Jennifer Rubin ... Columnist
May 17, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. EDT
This week, I look at the pay-to-play scandal at Mar-a-Lago and the presidential debates, pick the distinguished person of the week and explain what makes this one my favorite weeks of the year.
What caught my eye
Pay-to-play in Mar-a-Lago: “House Democrats are launching an investigation into Donald Trump’s meeting with oil executives last month at his Mar-a-Lago Club, where the former president asked the executives to steer $1 billion to his 2024 campaign and promised to reverse dozens of President Biden’s environmental policies,” The Post reported. This news followed an earlier report that Trump said a $1 billion donation to his campaign would be a great “deal” because he could save the oil companies far more.
The Post’s original report, according to people with knowledge of the meeting, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private conversation, stated, “Trump vowed at dinner to immediately end the Biden administration’s freeze on permits for new liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports” and to “start auctioning off more leases for oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico” and to “reverse restrictions on drilling in the Alaskan Arctic.”
If you’re thinking, Shouldn’t this be illegal? — you’re not alone. Once upon a time, a story like this would have caused an uproar and sparked criminal investigations. However, the Supreme Court has made it very tough to prosecute corruption cases. An April report from Just Security explained:
In a series of cases decided over the past 37 years, the Supreme Court has systematically gutted the country’s public corruption laws, including by undermining the long-standing “honest services” doctrine. At its core, the honest services doctrine is an anti-corruption principle protecting the people’s right to an honest and impartial government and a fair provision of government services. Officials, in government or in other positions of authority, who misuse their positions to enrich themselves deprive the people of that right and are subject to federal wire and mail fraud charges.Most recently, the court overturned the conviction of former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell for accepting lavish loans and gifts from a businessman in exchange for arranging important connections with state and industry leaders. The Trump incident might be even more problematic than McDonnell’s case because Trump allegedly promised concrete action on specific items, although nailing down precisely what was said and proving a quid pro quo that meets exacting legal standards could be tricky.
Taken together, these rulings formalized the idea that money moving from private hands to official pockets is not illegal in itself. According to the Supreme Court, the conduct is unlawful only when there is some tangible clear official action to which an exchange of money or property can be obviously tied.
Meanwhile, the muted reaction from the political class and public speaks to how far we have defined political deviance downward. The incident serves to underscore the casual sleaziness that is routine in Trump’s inner circle (consider the New York trial involving the payment of hush money and business falsification) — and how low many in the press have set the bar for Trump.
“Drain the swamp”? You must be joking! Perhaps the Justice Department will act swiftly. Maybe the rest of the media will give the attention this deserves and register appropriate condemnation of paying to bury off Earth-saving climate change measures. But don’t bet on either.
Debates are on (perhaps):
Biden surprised the chattering class and the Trump campaign by publicly proposing two debates and then promptly announcing he had accepted a CNN debate for June 27 and an ABC debate for Sept. 10. What we don’t know is whether Trump will show up.
By June, of course, he might already have been convicted in the New York criminal case. The Supreme Court might have already shot down his immunity claim. Moreover, after years of hiding in right-wing media, he will have to face some of the best interviewers around.
Jake Tapper and Dana Bash for CNN might start off asking why he promised to release violent criminals who attacked cops on Jan. 6, 2021. They might ask why he admires Russian President Vladimir Putin, if denying women urgent health care was part of his vision for overturning Roe v. Wade and if he regrets suggesting that disinfectants such as bleach could somehow be used to kill the coronavirus inside people. Provided they have an “off” switch to keep him from interrupting, it might be a very informative event, especially without an audience present to hoot and holler. If Biden is clever, he might want to ask for a very long time for the candidates to answer questions. Does anyone think Trump can avoid going off the rails for a full two or three minutes?
Biden, it seems, got exactly what he wanted — a forum to expose Trump’s unfitness.
Distinguished person of the week
In the end, it was not even close (once more pointing to defective polling, which wildly underestimated her support). Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks cruised to a double-digit victory over gaffe-ridden Rep. David Trone (D), co-owner of Total Wine & More, in Maryland’s Democratic Senate primary. She will face former governor Larry Hogan (R) in the general election.
Trone wasted more than $60 million on his campaign, including on TV ads that expanded his name recognition but could not make up for his limitations as a candidate. His racially tone-deaf comments, self-puffery and insistence on painting himself as an ordinary guy who pulled himself up by his bootstraps did not play well in the diverse, deep-blue state. He was also hurt when it came out that he made financial donations to antiabortion, right-wing Republicans in state races. The 68-year-old, three-term congressman alternatively touted his bipartisan credentials and portrayed himself as an outsider. His declaration that he would spend whatever it took to win the race reinforced the perception he was simply trying to buy the seat. He might have been an acceptable candidate — 20 years ago.
Alsobrooks proved herself to be dynamic and dogged candidate with a robust grass-roots band of supporters. If Trone represented the past, she offered a vision of a forward-looking, diverse Democratic Party. If elected, she will ensure the Senate once again will have at least one Black woman. The Post’s Editorial Board put it this way in endorsing her:
Our conversation with Ms. Alsobrooks convinced us she has mastered local and state issues — although she’ll face a learning curve about federal issues unrelated to Maryland and about foreign policy. Her approach to issues gives us confidence she’ll ascend that curve rapidly. Ms. Alsobrooks doesn’t take knee-jerk stands. She’s not full of bluster. She studies carefully and talks to all sides before making decisions. Her general philosophy is solidly internationalist, including support for aiding Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. As a tough-on-crime prosecutor before her stint as county executive, she cannot be painted as a weak-on-crime progressive. And with emphasis on abortion rights (a topic Hogan has tried to duck) and support for the Biden agenda, she should be able to fend off Hogan. She deserves credit for not crumbling in the face of Trone’s millions and laughably inaccurate polling. She proved once more that candidate quality invariably beats millions in TV ads.Something different
Sage, a miniature poodle from Houston, wins best in show during the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York on Monday. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)
Each year, the week I most look forward to does not coincide with any official holiday or personal celebration; it is the week of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, arguably the most prestigious canine confirmation show on the planet. I make no bones about it (sorry): I love dogs, dog shows and books about dog shows. (“Dogland: Passion, Glory, and Lots of Slobber at the Westminster Dog Show” by Tommy Tomlinson is rollicking fun but also bittersweet, as many books about the powerful emotional bond people experience with dogs tend to be.)
This year’s best in show — the top dog of all breeds and their seven groups (e.g., hounds, terriers) — was Sage, a feisty miniature poodle. If you are familiar with dog shows, you know they technically don’t compete against one another. And it’s not a contest for prettiest dog. (Although some are breathtakingly beautiful.) The dog who comes closest to the “breed standard” — the rubric breeders use to define their ideal specimen — wins. The poodle needs to be closer to the ideal poodle than the cocker spaniel is to his ideal, for example. (By contrast, the thrilling agility competition, a sort of steeplechase for dogs, is a timed event requiring perfect communication between dog and handler.)
However, a dog’s showmanship and attitude — her joie de vivre — can make the difference between a superb exemplar of a breed and a winner of best in show. A high-spirited dog with who presents himself most confidently (Here I am!) may well win.
I find it hard to describe the joy in watching so many gorgeous, vibrant creatures — and the people who devote their lives to them. The announcer’s exaggerated dog descriptions (e.g., “A boxer requires an owner as tenacious as he is!”); the pure doggy moments (e.g., a champion rolling around on his back); the elaborate grooming rituals and the handlers’ gushing when their dog wins (“She’s the consummate professional!”) delight me, year after year. Even the boatload of TV ads for dog products can make me grin.
You might wonder why some people would own certain breeds (e.g., “possessive, aloof and stranger averse” sounds more like an ex-boyfriend than a desirable pet). And you can dream of owning an estate so big you could have 20 of your favorite breeds. But mostly, the event gives you two evenings to watch magnificent dogs perfectly designed to perform their assigned job (e.g., pulling a badger out of a burrow, hauling ducks from cold water). What could be better than to curl up with your own “best in show,” reminding him he is still “the best dog ever”?
Every other Wednesday at noon, I host a Q&A with readers. Submit a question for the next one.