Conrad Appel must have the attention span of a moth.
Appel is the Republican state senator from Metairie whose political leanings are slightly to the right of Rush Limbaugh and maybe, just maybe, a tad left of Alex Jones. But then, that’s the nature of elected officials who ooze out of David Duke’s stomping grounds (see Steve Scalise).
You may recall that he’s also the one who, back in November 2010, just seven days before Louisiana, Indiana and Oregon adopted the Discovery Education Science Techbook being offered by Discovery Communications, purchased Discovery Communications stock and made a QUICK KILLING.
As Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, he was in a unique position to realize the value of Discovery Communications was primed for a significant increase, so he shelled out between $5,000 and $24,999, according to his financial report filed with the State Ethics Board.
That stock opened at $40.96 per share on Nov. 30, 2010, the day of his purchase and by Jan. 2, 2014, it hit $90.21 per share.
Insider trading? All I know is that on the day of his purchase—again, just seven days before three states announced a major investment in the Discovery Education Science Techbook, more than 7.5 million shares of Discovery Communication stock were traded. The next highest day was Aug. 1, 2011, when 3.1 million shares were traded. Normally, trading volume ran between 1.1 million and 1.9 million shares, according to a monthly review from December 2010 through March 2014. It sure looks like somebody knew something in advance.
So, why am I dredging up this old story again?
Well, Appel has penned a GUEST COLUMN on The Hayride blog in which he admonishes me (and everyone else) that we should, by golly, show a little respect to the creep who presently occupies the Oval Office.
I’m not picking a fight with The Hayride. They have their agenda and I have mine, a right that each of us possesses as free Americans. And while I may disagree with their positions—and most times, I do—I would never deprive them of their right to voice them, just as I’m certain they would do nothing to stifle mine. That’s the way it’s supposed to work in this country.
But for someone like Appel, who attacked a witness in a Trumpian-like profanity-laced tirade during a legislative committee hearing earlier this year, to presume to tell me whom I should respect is beyond the pale and quite frankly, it makes my blood boil just a bit. His utter contempt for that African-American witness, by the way, shone through like a lighthouse beacon on a clear night.
I can respect the office, but why would I respect the man who occupies it seems incapable of respecting anyone or anything, including the very office itself?
Appel calls Trump the “leader of our nation” and “the very symbol of our great Republic.”
Seriously? You’re going to go with that? If he is truly the “symbol” of our country, then we’re in far more trouble than I ever imagined. This is a man who is most accurately described as a pathological liar—on his best day. He lies about the size of his inauguration crowd, about how big his tax cut was (REAL TAX PICTURE: it was pretty big for the wealthy, but nowhere near the biggest tax cut in history, as he boasted), about how North Korea was no longer a nuclear threat, about what a great leader Putin is, about his knowledge of payoff money to a porn star….and on and on ad nauseam. He has single-handedly created an entire new cottage industry: fact checking.
You name it, he’s lied about it.
Sorry, Appel, that doesn’t warrant my respect.
He’s a man who insulted John McCain during the 2016 campaign, saying he only admired those who didn’t get captured. Pretty safe, since there wasn’t much chance of Trump’s being captured, what with all those bone spurs. And even following McCain’s death, this blustering ass couldn’t even bring himself to pay the late senator a modicum of respect.
He’s a man who boasted about assaulting women.
That doesn’t earn my respect. Ever.
He’s a man who mimicked a physically handicapped reporter and who encouraged his adoring, frothing-at-the-mouth followers to physically attack protesters at one of his rallies.
Sorry, Appel, that doesn’t warrant anyone’s respect.
He’s a man who called the press the enemy of the American people.
The only ones to do that previously were people like Hitler, Stalin, Idi Amin, and…well, you get the picture—despots who cemented their hold on power by diminishing the influence of the only independent governmental watchdog: the press.
Let me pose a question to you Appel (you don’t like it for newscasters to refer to the president as simply “Trump,” so I’ll try it out on you): When, during the entire eight years of the Obama administration, did you show Obama one scintilla of respect? He was a president who, like every president, had his failures but who, in eight years, did not have a single member of his administration indicted. He inherited yet another expensive, unwinnable war and he assumed office just as the horrible recession of 2008 was kicking in (thanks to an out-of-control banking industry that Trump has again loosed upon us). But when he left office, the stock market, as I recall, was doing pretty well, employment was up—all despite his having to fight a Republican congress every step of the way. Yet, he was pilloried and vilified for no other reason than his skin was darker than yours. There, I said it. Barack Obama is hated by Republicans because he is black. You can deny it all you like, but that won’t change the facts.
So, did you ever once, in all those eight years, say one good thing about Obama? Ever? One time?
Didn’t think so.
So, spare me your holier-than-thou judgmental posturing because you think I’m being nasty by not respecting a spoiled, bigoted bully who you so obviously admire but who, given the chance, would spoon with Putin.
And Appel, you say protesters “think it’s cool” to kneel during the national anthem. But fact is, you just don’t get it. The kneeling was never done to be cool. Only a damned fool would think that. Nor was it done to dishonor the country or the flag. In fact, it has nothing to do with the flag; it has everything to do with growing evidence of a police state where blacks are fair game for bad cops who like to run up the score. Yes, there are many, many good cops. I know that. And there are blacks who disobey the law—just like there are whites who disobey the law. But sometime, when you can come down out of your ivory tower, senator, run the numbers on the blacks who are shot by cops as opposed to the number of whites committing similar offenses but who somehow don’t get shot.
If Trump is really so offended at players kneeling for the anthem, instead of calling for their firing, why doesn’t he call upon the patriotism of the TV networks that broadcast the games? Sure, it’ll hurt them financially, because there’s big bucks in NFL broadcasts, but Trump should suggest that as a show of patriotism, the networks who carry the games will simply cease doing so the moment a player kneels. Just don’t show the games. That’ll get the attention of players, owners, and fans alike and would go a long way in making Trump’s case for….
Oh, wait. Sorry, I forgot. Fox is one of the networks carrying the games.
Never mind.
I guess that idea is worth about the same as a degree from Trump University.
I don’t suppose you have any of that stock…
just posted this to Appel’s FB page; Tom Aswell is right.
Appel is either a 0.01% Wannabe or so stupid that he doesn’t realize that trump (lack of capitalization intended) is “sexually assaulting” him.
Tom, all I can say to your column is “Amen and Amen”. I have just been reading the slobbering “Christians” responding to Trump’s orders for violence if the Democrats win the mid-terms. Dobson was leading the “Trump Is our new Lord and King” chorus. Reading their excuses for any and all of Trump’s many and obvious sins, it seems that the only sin they acknowledge is criticizing Trump. This all plays into everything ugly about America at this time in our history.
Appel has been a tool for a long time. For one thing, he has been a vocal proponent of the deranged idea of American Exceptionalism—highly compatible with White Supremacy—that is a euphemism for saying we ‘mericans are automatically better than everyone else in the world just because of the political borders we happened to be born within. He has a giant fragile ego like his hero and, similarly, likes to portray himself as a victim when anyone criticizes him.
Well stated
Tom, I have been following your blog for about two years now. This is one post that is so on point, it’s unbelievable. Where was Sen. Appel when the congressman stood up during Obama’s State of the Union speech and yelled out “liar”? I could understand the Trump supporters if the points you made above were in fact untrue or fake news, as the Trump people argue. But, none are not. Your points are well-documented. Great post, Tom.
AMEN, BROTHER!!!!! All caps, for once, intended.
Appel is a joke and an embarrassment to the Republican Party and Conservatives. Anti small Business. Loves to tax industries to death. No Appel for me.
Tom, I looked at a map of Conrad Appel’s district and there are 2 glaring cutouts that are obvious gerrymandering.
The Uptown/AudubonPark area (primarily white) goes to him, and a very small area of Shrewsbury/Airline Hwy somehow gets included in another New Orleans Uptown district (primarily African-American). I’m absolutely disgusted.
Great, heartfelt piece, Tom.
Like President Trump, Conrad Appel and other elected officials who pledge allegiance to President Trump represent their supporters and dismiss their critics out of hand. They win elections doing so.
It is clear these supporters either believe the end (a fictional utopia) justifies any means to achieve it, or they truly believe their heroes never do anything wrong and deserve blind allegiance – or both. As you point out, this is decidedly dangerous and has implications the rest of us shudder to imagine, but they refuse to even acknowledge. If these people are re-elected, consider what it says about the people who walk among us and what it says about us, as well.
Thanks for writing this.
Did you have to take a shower after writing this piece? You seem to have gotten pretty worked up when writing this, I bet you sweated more than if you had gone to the gym! I admire your passion. I disagree with a lot of what you write, but I read it and take it all in when I make my own decision. One thing that stood out for me is the statement that you can respect the office but not the man in the office. I wholeheartedly agree. I disliked Mr. Obama, I felt like he was unqualified for office with no experience to run a convenience store. He created racial problems where problems didn’t exist(remember the beer summit), he is a walking definition of a narcissist, he gave away the farm to Iran, he was weak on foreign policy, and I could go on and on. But I respected the Office but not the puppet in it. I’m not crazy about Trump either, but he is doing what he said he would do during the campaign. He is a thorn in the side of the entrenched politicians(both parties) and I like that. Don’t know Mr. Appel but he appears to be representing his constituency. Nothing wrong with that. And the utter disrespect shown the President and the office by the press who gave Mr. O a pass for 8 years really upsets me. As do entrenched politicians!
Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. Any time I write about Trump, I feel that I need a shower.
Actually, Sidwit, While you don’t like Obama and I don’t like Trump, I think we’re closer to agreement that you may think. If you don’t like Obama because you are in disagreement with his policies and/or his performance in office, I’ll defend you to the bitter end. That is your right just as it is mine to thoroughly detest Trump. You say you respect the office; so do I and that was precisely the point I was making. Appel insists that I respect Trump. He has no more right to make such a demand of me as I would to attempt to force you to respect Obama—or any other politician.
On a personal note, Trump’s being “a thorn in the side of entrenched politicians” is one thing; being a complete ass is quite another. When is it appropriate for an elected official to warn of “violence” if his party doesn’t win the upcoming election? That’s totally out of line and goes way beyond being a “thorn.” As for promises kept, that’s still up for debate. He talks a lot but really has yet to deliver anything of substance. The wall he was going to have Mexico pay for is now our debt; the Korean talks went south quickly; his snubbing of NATO was very unwise and reckless; his tax reform only reformed big business and the wealthy; caging babies is not immigration reform—not even close. It barbarism. Calling the press the enemy of the people was not only stupid, but grossly inaccurate.
I know you have widely differing opinions than I and you’re entitled to those and I have come to appreciate your debate tactics over time because you do try to stick to issues and not emotions.
Accordingly, I welcome your contributions.
How many of the tweets reported here do you consider a reflection of reality?
https://www.axios.com/trump-tweets-fake-everything-nbc-cnn-books-google-news-8ccb6e50-24cf-47dc-b547-34b2aa8e5e9f.html
Do you believe it is okay for the President of the United States to attempt to destroy the public’s faith in anything not coming directly from him or totally favorable about him? Do you believe his tweets and public ad libs should be suppressed if they reflect negatively on him? Do you believe his assertion that his interview with Lester Holt about Comey was “fudged” as he alleges? If so, how, since the unedited recording of the entire interview has now been released and no such evidence exists? Do you believe operating as a bully is the best way to command respect in the world and, if not, are you in favor of isolationism at the expense of international cooperation? Of the “deals” he has made with other countries so far, how many have actually benefited the United States in tangible, provable ways? Do you believe North Korea and Russia are capable of acting in good faith pursuant to any agreements made with the United States pursuant to negotiations by President Trump? Do you believe President Trump was behind Omaroso’s firing and, if so, why did he not admit it to her in the recording she made of their phone call after she was let go? If she is as horrible a person as President Trump alleges, why was she hired to work in the White House in the first place? These and hundreds of other questions about this presidency are important, vitally so, and they have much less to do with his policies than with the person he is.
I honestly cannot believe the people who support the vile juvenile they elected President. Every time I think these usually decent people will have finally seen the light, they double down on their devotion. If he and his nasty mouth had suddenly appeared in their offices, their neighborhoods, their church, they would not be able to stand him. They would shun him, I’m certain. What is it? Cannot admit they were wrong? A perverse love of money and a misguided belief that they’re suddenly wealthy? Brainwashed by Fox News? I’m beyond baffled. I’m sickened. Great column, though.
Conrad Appel is a joke, but your articles have recently been proven to lower IQ points.
Would’ve been disappointed had you not offered your critique.
Whose IQ point?
Anyone supporting trump and claiming he is worthy of a modicum of respect is telling us all we need to know about their own character.