OPINION
Now, the main event
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write Tuesday morning, before polls moderate in the general election against close on primary and judicial elec- likely Democratic tion contests. primary winner It’s anybody’s guess how $2 million Jared Henderson, in dark money will influence races for but his record will Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. I reveal the truth. fear the slime campaigns for partisan I also have some candidates for nonpartisan judgeships hope that another MAX will be successful. We should move to tactic of the anti- BRANTLEY maxbrantley@arktimes.com appointment of judges. Hutchinson forces I’m confident in predicting a vic- could bear fruit for Democrats in the tory by Governor Hutchinson in his fall — ethical government. Republican primary race with Jan MorConduit for Action, an ultra-congan, whose grassroots campaign has servative interest group that wants to been lively and built on the notion that kill Medicaid expansion in Arkansas, Hutchinson is some sort of liberal in worked to harm Hutchinson with a varidisguise. That’s nonsense, of course. ety of messages, including an extensive Morgan’s attack has had a positive report headlined “Asa and The Corresult. It forced Hutchinson to demon- ruption State.” It was an encyclopedic strate just how conservative he is. The rehash of political embarrassments list of particulars is long, from depriv- and corruption during the Hutchining women of the family planning and son administration. Conduit’s spin is a health services of Planned Parenthood fair one: If Hutchinson wasn’t directly to adding ever more punitive conditions implicated in all the ethical and legal on health assistance for poor and the lapses, he’s been too silent about them. disabled. He’ll be back impersonating a Four former legislators have pleaded
Like wrestling
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o, what’s it going to be, America: a democratic republic, or Trumpistan? A nation governed by the rule of law, or an oversized kleptocracy, whose maximum leader uses the decayed shell of government to punish his political enemies and reward friends and family? “Kleptocracy,” of course, means rule by thieves. The United States government increasingly resembles a professional wrestling spectacle — all scripted feuds and melodramatic revenge plots enacted by a cast of alternately sinister and clownish figures skirting the edge of self-parody. Consider the evidence from the last week alone: According to The Washington Post, President Trump has personally intervened with the postmaster general in a fruitless effort to double the rates Amazon.com pays the U.S. Postal Service to ship packages. Postmaster General Megan Brennan has explained to Trump “in multiple conversations” that its deal with the online retailer is bound by contracts monitored by a regulatory commission — and a profitable deal for the post office. Kevin Drum explains: “Everyone —
everyone — knows why Trump is doing this. He hates The Washington Post, which is owned by Jeff Bezos, and he’s trying to exact some revenge by going after Bezos’ main business, Amazon. In any other presidency, this would be a major scandal. … With Trump, however, this bit of retribution is so trivial that it’s hardly worth notGENE ing.” Indeed, it’s LYONS chicken feed by comparison. Also last week, Trump tweeted the remarkable news that “President Xi of China, and I, are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast. Too many jobs in China lost.” ZTE had been under U.S. sanctions for, among other violations, selling forbidden technology to North Korea and Iran. One day later, the Chinese government announced a $500 million investment supporting a Trump Corp. hotel, theme park and (naturally) golf course development in Indonesia. During the campaign, remember, Trump pledged to divest himself from the family busi-
guilty to crimes involving use of state pany chose to hire a former Republican money. Another pleaded innocent but officeholder and party insider, Betty was convicted. Hutchinson’s former Dickey, to be its intermediary with state chief of staff, Michael Lamoureux, and government. his nephew, Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson Hutchinson has had little to say (R-Little Rock), have been linked to ethi- about the massive kickback scheme to cally questionable legislative business aid Ecclesia, a tottering Bible college in and state spending. Jeremy once rep- Springdale, with state money. Where’s resented as a divorce lawyer the for- the call for a full accounting of that mer lobbyist indicted in a massive fraud boondoggle? scheme that involves hundreds of thouThere’s much more. Hutchinson has sands of dollars in illicit campaign con- stocked state government with former tributions and kickbacks to aid a health Republican legislators in cozy, highercare company that has done tens of mil- paying, retirement-enriching state jobs. lions of dollars worth of business with His legislative allies have managed to the state Medicaid program. There’s defeat efforts to require more disclosure even an allegation of murder-for-hire of business arrangements between legagainst Jeremy’s former lobbyist client. islators and outfits with interest in legisAnd yet, that criminally corrupt lation. Legislators may not legally lobby, health care enterprise still retains but it hasn’t stopped people like Rep. millions in state business. It’s a sharp James Sturch (R-Batesville), a Hutchincontrast to the Beebe administration’s son ally, from landing a job working for decision to stop doing business with a lobbying outfit. The legislature could another mental health firm almost the do much to require more transparency minute it was implicated in a bribery in campaign expenditures, more finanscheme. The company still operating cial disclosure by legislators and more under Hutchinson says it has rid itself protection against self-dealing. of bad executives and says it has hired The state Capitol is, to borrow from a lawyer to assure proper operation. It Donald Trump, a swamp. And the govis swamp-like, however, that the com- ernor has done little about it.
ness, which also he vowed would make until after Trump secured the GOP nomno new deals in foreign countries. ination. A technically accurate, albeit He’s broken both promises. Every dol- deceptive July 26 Trump tweet — “For lar that goes into the Trump Corp. goes the record, I have ZERO investments in directly into the pockets of the presi- Russia” — informed the two men that dent’s baggy, oversized suits. their efforts had come to nothing. Also, remember when Trump had no Everything depends, see, on what the business ties to Russia during the 2015- meaning of “have” is. 16 presidential campaign? His admiraIt may bear pointing out, though, tion for Vladimir Putin had nothing to that the prospect of Trump Tower Mosdo with self-interest. Even the Russian cow was definitely still in the works on dictator’s practice of having rivals jailed June 16 when Donald Trump Jr., Paul and journalists murdered failed to affect Manafort and Jared Kushner met in Trump’s admiration. Trump Tower New York with Russian Alas, that, too, was deceptive. lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya seeking It turns out that under the guidance of “dirt” on Hillary Clinton. lawyer Michael Cohen and Russian-born, So, I guess it also depends upon what mob-connected go-getter Felix Sater, the meaning of “collude” is. the candidate signed a letter of intent Now we learn through The New to build a “Trump Tower” skyscraper York Times that Donald Jr. had a secin Moscow on Sept. 28, 2016 — the day ond Trump Tower meeting on Aug. 3, of the third GOP presidential debate. 2016, with emissaries bearing the happy On Sept. 29, Trump appeared on Bill news that “the princes who led Saudi O’Reilly’s Fox News program, where Arabia and the United Arab Emirates he commented that “I think in terms were eager to help his father win elecof leadership, [Putin] is getting an ‘A,’ tion as president.” and our president [Obama] is not doing It’s never been clear if an egotistical so well.” dunce like Donald Jr. understands that If you think skyscrapers get built in it’s a serious federal crime for foreignMoscow without Putin’s say-so … . Well, I ers to be involved in American elections, expect you’ll believe just about anything, much less that persons named Trump bless your heart. are theoretically equal before the law. New reporting shows Cohen and But by all means, let’s investigate the Sater kept beavering away on the project FBI. Follow Arkansas Blog on Twitter: @ArkansasBlog
arktimes.com MAY 24, 2018
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