Louisiana Voice

“Cassidy, Kennedy, Scalise, Johnson and the rest really did earn the plaudits they’re getting from the White House. The president couldn’t have created this demoralizing new reality without them.”

—Stephanie Grace, Baton Rouge Advocate, Feb. 8, 2020.

“I fully understand.”

—Donald Trump, putting self before party in refusing to change his mind after raising his hand in a 2016 Republican debate in which he indicated that he would not take the pledge to support the GOP nominee if it were someone other than him. (Four years later, Republicans voted to put party before country).

“You all just got a lot richer.”

—Donald Trump, on Dec. 22, 2017, to a group of his billionaire friends at Mar-a-Lago hours after signing his tax “reform” bill.

The following quote was purposely held back because it had become trite, almost a cliché. But in light of Wednesday’s Senate vote, Donald Trump’s four-year-old proclamation seems more relevant, more chillingly accurate than ever:

“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I would wouldn’t lose any votes. It’s like incredible.”

—Donald Trump at Iowa campaign rally, Jan. 23, 2016. (…and he’s probably correct.)

“This is a blue-collar boom.”

—Donald Trump, SOTU address, Feb. 4, 2020.

“The manufacturing sector is in a technical recession, and only 9,000 manufacturing jobs have been gained since June. Job growth has slowed in many “blue-collar” sectors such as transportation, construction and mining.”

—Washington Post Fact Check, Feb. 5, 2020.

“Since my election, the net worth of the bottom half of wage earners has increased by 47 percent — three times faster than the increase for the top 1 percent.”

—Trump SOTU address, Feb. 4, 2020.

“People in the bottom half have essentially no wealth — just 1.6 percent of the nation’s wealth — as debts cancel out whatever assets they might have. The top 5 percent hold more than 70 percent of all net worth in the United States.”

Washington Post Fact Check, Feb. 5, 2020.

“In the Senate, we have confirmed a record number of 187 new federal judges.”

—Trump SOTU, Feb. 4, 2020.

“It’s not a record. Trump has a long way to go to have appointed the most federal judges. Reagan has the record, with 383, followed by Bill Clinton with 378 and then Obama with 329.”

Washington Post Fact Check, Feb. 5, 2020.

“We will always protect patients with preexisting conditions.”

—Trump SOTU, Feb. 4, 2020.

“In an ongoing court case, the Trump administration is supporting a total repeal of the Affordable Care Act — including its guarantee that patients can’t be denied coverage for preexisting conditions.(emphasis mine) Republicans in Congress tried for years to repeal the whole law. Trump has not presented a plan to cover the gaps in case the court challenge is successful. Moreover, he has promoted short-term plans (which he touted in his speech) that are not required to cover preexisting conditions.” (emphasis mine)

—Washington Post Fact Check, Feb. 5, 2020.

“Forty million American families have an average $2,200 extra thanks to our child tax credit.”

—Trump POTUS, Feb. 4, 2020.

“The child tax credit has existed since 1997, and it has been expanded since then, including in the recent tax law. In 2016, under Obama, 35 million American families took the tax credit, with an average benefit of over $1,500 a year. So there’s only been a modest increase (in part because of inflation).”

—Washington Post Fact Check, Feb. 5, 2020.

It’s great to see young people become engaged in the political arena and to tackle issues head-on, upsetting the establishment by challenging the status quo.

I well remember the protests that helped end the Vietnam War, though not without the incredibly high costs paid at Jackson State and Kent State universities or Richard Daley’s thugs disguised as Chicago police bashing heads at the 1968 Democratic Convention.

More recently, there have been the national school walkout led by students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and environmental activist Greta Thunberg who, at the ripe old age of 17, had managed to get under Donald Trump’s skin like no one this side of Adam Schiff.

But occasionally, there are those who, while well-meaning and sincere, let their youth and inexperience get in the way of any real accomplishments so they must resort to embellishing their curriculum vitae.

I recently became engaged in an email exchange with a young African American from South Carolina (who shall remain nameless in this post) and at first, I was really impressed with all he had done—or, perhaps more accurately, said he had done.

But when he rattled off a string of achievements that seemed a tad over the top, I began to have my doubts. Some examples:

• Youngest staffer for a gubernatorial campaign. I was a staffer for Governor Bobby Jindal’s Campaign.
• first black to serve as an aide in the State House of Representatives, Senate, Lt. Governor’s and Governor’s offices in American History. I worked for Todd Rutherford, Glenn McConnell, Mike Rose, Andre Bauer, and Nikki Haley in the SC Statehouse.
• first to report on Supriya Jindal being the first First Lady to complete doctoral degree coursework.
• first black to be a day-to-day staffer for a Republican Presidential Campaign in SC and
• first black director of youth outreach for a Presidential Campaign in American History. I was a director of youth outreach for Rick Perry’s Presidential Campaign.
• first black to be a speechwriter for a Republican Presidential Campaign. I was a speechwriter for Governor Jeb Bush’s Presidential Campaign.
• first African-American to write a speech at the request of a Texas Governor. I wrote one for Greg Abbott.
• first black to write a speech for a Florida Governor and Texas Governor.
• first to report on Michael Strahan being the first HBCU Student-Athlete to host a daytime talk show.
• first to report on Charlie Crist being the first Arab-American Congressman of Florida and Carole Crist being the first Jewish First Lady of Florida.
• first African-American public servant in America to have a comment redacted from a newspaper. His personal thoughts on the protests at the Statehouse in 2011 were redacted from The Daily Gamecock because of his employment as a Constituent Correspondent in Governor Nikki Haley’s Office.
• the first African-American to be offered a law clerkship in the Governor’s Office. He was offered a law clerkship by Governor Nikki Haley’s Office in 2011 after his undergraduate degree conferment.
• first African-American Speechwriter for a Governor of Texas. Cooper worked on a speech with fellow USC Alum Pablo Cueto.
• first African-American to write a speech for a statewide police chief. He wrote one for his godfather Christopher Williamson.
• first to report on Ron Christie being the first African-American to serve in the President and Vice President’s Office.
• first to report on Shaquille O’Neal being the first athlete in major sports to earn a doctoral degree.
• first to report on Juan Williams being the first Black White House Correspondent for the Washington Post.
• first to report on Tim Scott being the first African-American to serve in the United States House and Senate as a member.
• first to report on Governor Mark Sanford being the first SC governor to use social media and the first SC Governor to have an MBA.
• first to report on Governor Charlie Crist being the first Florida Governor to use social media.
• first to report on Henry White being the first African-American Chief of Staff for a Governor and Director of a Budget and Control Board.
• first person to report on President Obama being the first living president to have kids become alums of Harvard University.
• first to report on Ari Fleischer being the first Jewish WH press secretary.

Great achievements, one and all. He uses the pronoun “I” almost as much as Trump. While I doubted the veracity of some of his claims, I became convinced he must suffer delusions of grandeur on Tuesday when I received an email citing one more accomplishment:

“Trump may be the first President to join the NAACP and Urban League after I suggested it to him today.”

Wait. What?

Trump a member of the NAACP? Hardly. Certainly not at someone—anyone—else’s suggestion. I mean, some things just don’t add up and Trump as a member of the NAACP is at the top of the list.

https://www.naacp.org/latest/naacp-releases-report-blasting-president-trumps-judicial-appointments-central-feature-administrations-assault-voting-rights/

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/454333-naacp-calls-for-trump-impeachment

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/401270-naacp-trump-is-a-racist

https://www.naacp.org/latest/impeachment-announcement/

https://www.naacp.org/latest/naacp-commends-house-vote-impeach-president-donald-trump-calls-halt-judicial-nominations/

I asked if he thought Obama may have been a member. Or Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton who called himself America’s “first black president”?

Then, incredibly, he sent me what he thought would pass as proof: a “Membership Purchase Receipt” made out to the young man which said:

“This is to confirm your gifted membership of a (sic) Annual Adult Membership in the 7001-B Washington, D.C. Branch Unit on 2/4/2020 to Donald Trump. (emphasis mine)

“Your total payment is $30.00

“Thank you for joining the legacy dedicated to social justice and equality for all people. We appreciate your support.

“Warm regards,

“The NAACP”

So, it appears he deliberately misrepresented his role in Trump’s “membership” by saying he “suggested” it to him when in fact, he purchased a gift membership—again, most likely without his knowledge and certainly without his consent.

At least Trump could be proud of such embellishment and self-aggrandizement.