*Dan Rather 7/23 "How Low Can We Go?"
How low can we go? What are the depths of the despair and danger? When you awaken to the aftermath of our President, the Commander in Chief, the so-called Leader of the Free World, threatening another nation in an intemperate ALL CAPS tweet, this old reporter grasps for context. There is of course none that will suffice - in history, or in any universe of sanity. The only balm is that the world has taken its measure of this embarrassment and no longer takes what he says seriously. But that does not mean he cannot do, and already has done, great damage.
As I head to the office this morning, I pass by the Central Park Zoo and another image jumps to mind, that of a cornered, wild animal lashing out with increasing ferocity and desperation. Amidst the swirling Russian investigation, recorded conversations, the arrest of an actual alleged spy, being likely played by North Korea, reviews of his performance in Helsinki reminiscent of the film Ishtar, a Supreme Court pick with poll numbers like Bork, morale in the White House about as cheery as a funeral cortege, and so much else, it is understandable that President Trump would be a little grumpy.
And there is every expectation that all of these pressures will continue to build. It will be up to the majority of Americans who see this farce for what it is to turn this outrage into votes. Our Founding Fathers understood that there was a danger of a demagogic president, even if they could never fathom the risk to global security that would engender. Nevertheless, they put in place a government of checks and balances. Now that we have seen Congress abdicate its constitutional duty, it is well past time that the legislative branch is filled with women and men serious enough to do their job.
This is a serious challenge. This president continues to demonstrate his unfitness for office. This is not a political observation but a constitutional one - both his personal constitution and the Constitution that governs our country. But I am heartened that millions of Americans are not greeting this with a shrug or distraction. There is a fight for the future of this country and the battle has been joined.
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