Hurricane Harvey has ravaged southeastern Texas
since last weekend. Its devastating consequences brought record-level wind,
rain, and flooding to the Houston area. The storm eventually reached Category 4
status by the time it reached landfall. By Tuesday evening, rainfall, which had
topped 50 inches, ceased and the sun shone through for the first time in several days.
That was the good news. The bad news was, despite opening two dams to release the rapidly building water flow; area flooding had caused thousands to evacuate, and had
contributed to at least nine deaths. As if that were not enough, after moving
off the coast, the storm re-energized over the water, and is expected to
approach land in the Houston area again.
Harvey is a tropical cyclone that is the first major
hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Wilma in 2005, ending a record 12-year period with no
hurricanes of Category 3 intensity or higher making landfall.
Harvey is the first hurricane to hit Texas since Ike in 2008, and the strongest to make landfall in
the state since Carla in 1961. It’s also the strongest in the Gulf of Mexico since Hurricane Rita in 2005, and the strongest to make
landfall in the Gulf area since Hurricane Charley in 2004.
Harvey joined Matthew (2016) as one of only two
U.S. hurricanes to cause an extreme wind warning
to be issued, indicating “tornado-like winds” within the storm, including
isolated tornadoes. Harvey is also the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the contiguous
United States, dropping a total of more than 50 inches of rain,
surpassing the record set by Tropical Storm
Amelia in 1978.
There are numerous plots and subplots stemming
from Hurricane Harvey. Most are well chronicled during the evening news, in
newspapers and magazines, and on cable news outlets 24/7, or thereabouts. The
storm has uprooted thousands of people, and undoubtedly discomforted millions.
The property damage estimates are already into the $billions. Every iota of coverage
generated by the storm has been warranted.
Still, during the virtual avalanche of
attention the storm had garnered, a few key items have largely receded into the
background. Just for the record, here are ten issues worth simultaneously tracking, while you monitor Harvey:
1. Various Trump-Russia investigations (Don’t be fooled; there are 5)
2. North Korea’s continued missile testing and accompanying threats
3. Donald Trump, Jr. and his scheduled testimony on his Russian
meeting
4. Paul Manafort
5. Subpoenas for Paul Manafort’s attorney and his current spokesman
6. Jared Kushner
7. Trump business sought to build a Trump Tower in Moscow
8. Transgender Troop Ban
9. GOP push to limit Mueller’s investigation to 6 months
10. Trump’s Charlottesville
response
Unquestionably, Donald Trump and his
supporters, surrogates, and spinners would like very much for you to forget
about the items above. Don’t do it. I’m not suggesting you or anyone should
downplay the devastation in Houston. In fact, I extend prayers and best wishes
for all the residents of the state of Texas who were personally affected by, or
who have family and or friends who were affected by Hurricane Harvey.
Having said that, I also believe it is worth
noting in a more detailed way, the investigations referenced in item #1 above.
Below are the 5 investigations, and their areas of emphasis:
Senate Intelligence:
- Russia’s interference in the
election
- Collusion between the Trump
campaign and Russia
Senate
Judiciary:
- The circumstances that led to national security adviser
Michael Flynn’s dismissal
- Leaks to the media
House
Intelligence:
- Russia’s interference in the election
- Collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia
- Leaks to the media
House
Oversight:
- Flynn’s contacts with Russian officials, including
payments he received.
Special
Counsel:
- Any attempt to obstruct justice by Trump, or his allies
- The Trump campaign’s ties to Russia
- Russian meddling in the 2016 election
- Possible financial crimes by Trump associates
Now
let’s be clear. It is conceivably possible that all 5 of the aforementioned inquiries
could result in finding that President Trump is as clean as the Board of
Health. His right wing chorus has already acquitted him. They routinely and
hyper-vigorously exclaim he is the victim of haters, left wing liberals,
Democrats, the Main Stream Media, and the deep state. This, of course, is where
I normally note, for example, that most of the so-called leaks occurred in his White House.
You know, the one in which he has appointed all the staff and Councils…including
those who’ve failed to make it eight full months; a list of at least 30 people,
including the following:
·
General
Michael Flynn - National Security Advisor (resigned) – 22 days
·
Sean
Spicer – Press Secretary (resigned) – 182 days
·
Anthony
Scaramucci – Director of Communications (fired) – 10 days
·
Reince
Priebus – Chief of Staff (resigned) – 189 days
·
Steve
Bannon (mutual agreement) – 210 days
·
Sebastian
Gorka (unclear) – 217 days
·
Carl
Ichan (resigned) – 210 days
·
White
House Manufacturing Council (dissolved) – 201 days
·
White
House Economic Council (dissolved) – 201 days
·
Denise
Morrison – Advisory Council (resigned) – 201 days
·
Inge
Thulin – Advisory Council (resigned) 201 days
·
Thea
Lee – Advisory Council (resigned) 200 days
·
Scott
Paul – Advisory Council (resigned) 200 days
·
Richard
Trumka – Advisory Council (resigned) 200 days
·
Kenneth
C. Frazier – Advisory Council (resigned) – 199 days
·
Kevin
Plank – Advisory Council – (resigned) – 199 days
·
Brian
Krzanich – Advisory Council (resigned) – 199 days
·
Derek
Harvey National Security Council Advisor (fired) – 186 days
·
Michael
Short Assistant Press Secretary (resigned) – 186 days
·
Walter
Shaub Director Office of Government Ethics (resigned) – 180 days – (resigned)
·
Robert
Iger – Advisory Council (resigned) – 133 days (resigned)
·
Elon
Musk – Advisory Council (resigned) – 132 days
·
Mike
Dubke – Director of Communications (resigned) – 85 days
·
K.T.
McFarland – Deputy National Security Advisor (resigned) 117 days
·
James
Comey – FBI Director (fired) – 109 days
·
Angela
Reid – Chief Usher (fired) – 105 days
·
Katie
Walsh – Deputy White House Chief of Staff (resigned) – 69 days
·
Craig
Deare – National Security Council Senior Director (fired) – 26 days
·
Travis
Kalanick – Advisory Council (resigned) – 13 days
·
Sally
Yates – Acting Attorney General – fired – 10 days
As we
watch while Texans battle the elements and fight to emerge from Hurricane
Harvey, be reminded that hurricane season is just a little more than 60% over,
and will remain with us until November 30th. With that in mind, it’s
even more important to retain focus, and keep your eye on the ball. I noted
above that there is a GOP effort underway to sunset the Mueller Investigation
at 6 months. Trump and his acolytes will try to deflect and if possible, even
short-circuit the efforts to get to the bottom of any Trump shenanigans related
to disrupting our election process. They, in effect, promote the notion of move
along, nothing to see here. If that is actually true, allow the investigations,
all of them, to continue unfettered. What better way to validate that theory?
At the end of the day, we are a democracy, and
if we do not ensure that our elections are free and fair, what do we have left?
Russia. We are better than that. Don’t fall for the okey-doke. “Hurricane Harvey: Unprecedented andFortuitously Timely!”
Holla back!
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Consult the links below for more
detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/trump-russia-investigations/?utm_term=.49bf181a2172
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