“We’re not looking to shoot the messenger here.”
–Admiral Michael Gilday, after Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly announced that apt. Brett Crozier, commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, was relieved of command after writing a letter pleading with Navy brass to address concerns over the coronavirus outbreak aboard his ship. Modly assured the media that Donald Trump had nothing to do with the decision. [of course not. Why would we think that? So, just who are you trying to shoot, then?].
“I knew it could be horrible, and I knew it could be, maybe, good … I want to give people a feeling of hope.”
–Liar-in-Chief Donald Trump, trying once again to spin his way out of a web of lies spun over a period of weeks in which he denied the severity of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Individuals could have been infecting people before they ever felt bad, but we didn’t know that until the last 24 hours.”
–Idiot Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, in finally issuing a shelter in-place order. [Isn’t Atlanta, Georgia the headquarters for the CDC? This goes far beyond stupidity; it’s arrogance and reckless disregard. It’s malfeasance.]
EDITOR’S NOTE: I am re-posting here, with only minor editing, a comment made yesterday by one of our readers in response to another reader’s criticism of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. I found his thoughts particularly important not because of any defense of Cuomo, but because the reader so accurately pointed out the tactic of Trump supporters, repeated over and over, of deflection and misdirection of all criticism of Trump by pointing to others’ shortcomings and failings, a ploy I consider to be the underlying characteristic of failure.
This will doubtless prompt the usual outcry from the handful of Trump apologists who regularly comment on this site. That is their right as Americans and as long as their comments are not racist or vulgar, they are invited to share their views in accordance with the First Amendment, which I wholeheartedly support.
Here is yesterday’s comment by Keep the Faith:
“Why not distract from the death and destruction Trump has created all on his own? No, let’s attack Gov Cuomo and his family and friends.
“Can you provide the conviction rate of Trump’s previous administration members? Can you fathom those on his transition team who are now serving in prison? Don’t remember the past 3 years of this presidency? His children’s wealth and how they got it? How Trump inherited his and lost $450 million in 1985? The single highest bankruptcy in this nation?
“Don’t go after Gov Cuomo. There are criminals surrounding Trump’s past and present. The here and now is what’s important – people are dying. Your president declared this COVID-19 a Democratic hoax. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!
“His leadership in this pandemic is less than stellar. In case you have forgotten, this is the United States of America, the richest, most powerful, most influential country in the WORLD. This is an emergency! This Pandemic which Trump knew back in January and refused to prepare his country saying instead that a miracle will transform the country in 14 days to zero.
“His doing little to nothing in helping the survival of our citizens who are DYING. How unconscionable are you to refer to Gov. Cuomo as whinny, Gov. Lamont of Connecticut, Governor Whitmer of Michigan asking for help, but instead, being accused by Trump of stockpiling? Accusing Doctors and nurses on national TV of selling the much-needed medical equipment out the back door of hospitals – even as they’re putting their lives on the line to help others.
“Those same hospital personnel, overwhelmed, facing possible death, working long hours desperately trying to save those in their care while hooked up to ventilators, dying. Don’t complain about Trump’s politics for a moment. Let’s bring up the impeachment, Pelosi, Schumer, anything but the realization of today, The Pandemic is life or death here and now, not the Trump train to re-election months down the road. A bridge too far to cross, with its crumbling infrastructure which he promised to replace and repair in 2016.
“They are asking for beds, PPE, ventilators to help save their sick and dying citizens, front line responders – Doctors, nurses during this pandemic. While Trump has chosen to ignore them and us and only worry about his re-election campaign? I guess when it finally hits home, when family members or close friends test positive and die, maybe you will begin to FEEL something, but I doubt it.”
Louisiana Voice 
Well said, well worth re-posting, and unarguably accurate and true.
Trumps son-in-law is said to have stated that the stockpile of needed supplies is intended for “us” and not the states. Just who is “us”? We the people of the states are the government and are entitled to those supplies to fight this deadly virus.
Which illustrates Jennifer Rubin’s concluding comments in her column in WAPO today: “The chaos, confusion and incompetence at the federal level magnify our daily anxiety and uncertainty. We have lost control of our lives, and those supposed to lead us through this ordeal are deepening our national trauma. Years of contempt for expertise, for competent government and for truth itself on the right now haunt us all. God help us.”
Does anybody else think there is a possibility the groundwork is being laid for Kushner to take over as head of the task force? I thought Trump put Pence in charge figuring he would not rise to the occasion, and would use this as an excuse to dump him as a running mate. Pence has probably surprised him. Kushner went out of his way to claim he is working for Pence when he suddenly appeared in a key role on the task force. Why would he even say this since it should be apparent given their respective roles? Oh well, enough conspiracy theory. Sorry.
Fact is, the task force would be much more effective and efficient if DJT would stay in the oval office or wherever he watches TV and tweets.
And that eloquent comment by Keep the Faith certainly deserved the spotlight.
I, too, think Trump is wanting to use Pence as the “Fall Guy” for this mess. So, he really would not want to put Kushner in this position. He trusts Kushner as no other, so Trump probably just wanted more of his trusted point people to offset the professionals. Trump seems to be very diabolical and at some point I predict that he will denounce the professionals and “rule from his gut” if this is what benefits him. I have absolutely zero faith in any person that stands with Trump except the two professional doctors. The evidence to support my position is beyond overwhelming. It is to amazing that so many of his followers simply do not see nor hear this.
Your post had been quite uplifting to me this morning. Too often I read replies to your posts and find myself astounded at how many trees still think that the axe is on their side.
It seems to me that in times of crisis, we can looks to how individual leaders are leading….if they are leading effectively (not divisively), unselfishly, and leading for all others that are depending on them…we can forgive past weaknesses and dysfunctions. But, when individual leaders continue to be dysfunctional, indecisive, foster division and cast blame on others….then we should not forgive them their inability to lead no matter what the circumstance. A brief comparison of Trump and Cuomo at this point makes any criticism of Cuomo based on past acts mute….while Trump just continues to fail. This is obvious.
“Liar-in-Chief Donald Trump”
it’s a bit therapeutic to see someone outside of Twitter calling this one
“Idiot Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp”
I think “voter-roll purging, redneck wannabe” would be an appropriate description for this one
Captain Crozier was relieved of command for violating his chain of command. He pushed the envelope when he sent copies of letters outside of that chain and before a decision was reached about what to do. Why do you drag the President into this when the issue was clearly internal to the U S Navy. To go around your superiors in the military is forbidden, surely you know this.
I see the virus from a totally different perspective than most of those who post here. I do know the President stopped travel from certain countries in late January, right after the first death in U S A occurred. Pretty much all of the liberals called him racist for doing so. The NYTimes as late as February(5th) had headlines saying “Who says it is not safe to travel to China?” Bernie Sanders and Biden also criticized the move. Cuomo and DeBlasio were saying people had zero to fear and should live normally as late as February 20. Well, suddenly they have all changed their tune.
This quarantine is a drastic step, but probably necessary. It will be harmful economically to many Americans. There are bad times ahead. But don’t worry, Adan Schiff and Nancy Pelosi are going to start an investigation ! (Nancy was just in Chinatown saying how great the parade etc was and how nice the crowds are – she is running for re-election herself).
Yes, he did violate the chain of command because the Navy was dragging its heels on making a decision. His men were getting sick and he was desperate to relieve the situation aboard his ship. Any decent commander would have done the same thing in the interest of the men serving under him.
As for dragging Trump into the discussion, hell yes, you can bet the farm he was behind the firing. Nothing, absolutely nothing is done in the Trump administration without his approval.
It’s funny how you can’t see that and it’s rather sad that you didn’t pick up on the glaring difference in a captain trying to help the men under his command and Trump’s pardoning of a criminal convicted of war crimes. You defend military procedure on the one hand and ignore the undermining of that same military procedure when it’s convenient to you to do so.
Can you say irony?