The entire media-political-government-power complex camped along the Potomac River in this fetid August heat officially lost its collective mind this week.
In an orgy of political drama playing out in courtrooms up and down the Acela corridor, President Trump’s lawyer and his one-time campaign manager stand convicted of various crimes. In this fever worse than Joe McCarthy’s Red Scare, President Trump — therefore — has been officially declared guilty by association!
Paul Manafort, Mr. Trump’s campaign manager for six minutes during the summer of 2016, was found guilty of a host of crimes dating back more than a decade relating to his various business ventures, none of which has anything to do with President Trump.
What is interesting about the case against Mr. Manafort is that prosecutors had declined to pursue some of the charges way back when. But that was BEFORE Mr. Manafort betrayed the political establishment by working for Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign.
Once he committed that cardinal sin, all bets were off.
That is why so many people see this whole crusade as a dangerous and dishonest political prosecution. It is not Paul Manafort that people care about. It is the idea that Mr. Manafort got shoved through a political-criminal meat-grinder all because he worked for Donald Trump.
Where was this prosecutorial zeal when it came to Hillary Clinton and her illegal bathroom email server or all the obvious global pay-to-play shakedowns by the Clinton Foundation?
If people in Washington honestly want to understand the hostility and distrust American voters have for their federal government, they must admit that this stinks to the high heavens.
Then there is former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who has turned on the president like a scalded cur dog.
In case anyone wonders if Mr. Trump has lost his wickedly funny sense of humor, hold your nose and take a peek at Twitter.
“If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!” Mr. Trump crowed hours after Mr. Cohen pleaded guilty to a range of charges relating to his taxi cab business and law practice, including legal work he did directly for Mr. Trump.
Mr. Cohen’s lawyer? Lanny Davis, who became famous representing former President Bill Clinton during his endless saga of scandals.
Political incest, anyone? Pass the barf bag.
Again, this is why nobody trusts politics in America anymore. This is why people voted for Donald Trump.
Mr. Trump might be all these horrible things that people say about him. A loud, brutish, bullying narcissist. But at least he is NOT a Washington politician.
As for the charges against Michael Cohen, Mr. Trump’s former lawyer claims Mr. Trump ordered him to pay a porn actress and a Playboy model for their silence. This, Mr. Cohen claims, is a violation of campaign finance. (Yeah, like Michael Cohen knows the first thing about campaign finance laws.)
And then Mr. Trump was not exactly forthcoming about it. Really?
Well, here is a NEWS FLASH: Donald J. Trump did pay a porn actress and a former Playboy model for their silence. And not a single person in all of America ever doubted that is exactly what happened from the first moment they heard about any of it.
And they don’t care! You know why?
Because at least Donald Trump still isn’t a dirty, self-dealing, dishonest Washington politician.
• Contact Charles Hurt at churt@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter @charleshurt.
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