Chris Jepson: On monetizing one's public service

Poor Marco Rubio. He’s young. He’s good looking. He’s Latino. He’s bilingual. He’s so very ambitious. Sigh, but he’s also poor. What to do? He desperately wants to be president of the United States but he’s broke. Sen. Rubio understood that if he acted honorably by keeping his word to leave the Senate that he’d soon be yesterday’s news. But if he remains in the Senate (to one day run again for the presidency) and doesn’t “cash out” as a smarmy rightwing lobbyist, he’ll remain as poor as one of those infamous clothe coat Republicans.

It’s so unfair, life is. Unlike life for those with the Bush name. It was said of George W. Bush that, “He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.” When Marco Rubio, however, applies foot to mouth nothing glittering emerges. See Rubio’s comment about Trump’s um, hmmm, physical qualities: “You know what they say about guys with small hands." And this man wants to lead America?

Just three months ago Sen. Rubio described Donald Trump as a “con artist” and “the most vulgar person ever to aspire to the presidency.” With all the backbone of a Florida nematode, Sen. Rubio today endorses Mr. Trump. I so admire a man of his word, don’t you, one with spine-flexible convictions?

Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee but that didn’t stop him from temporarily suspending his candidacy last week to make a personal buck — while running for the presidency — to jet-off to Scotland to shill his golf resort business. There, Mr. Trump utterly misread the Scottish electorate who had, by a large margin, opposed leaving the European Union. Europe is reeling over the uncertainty of the “Brexit” vote and Trump says, “For traveling and for other things, I think it very well could turn out to be positive.” A genuinely unfortunate economic event occurs and Trump’s primary concern is its impact on his golf resort. And this man wants to lead America?

What’s a Republican to do? They desperately want the White House so as to, ironically, deconstruct government. Starve the beast is the Republican plan. (Did you know the GOP sees government as a beast?) Actually, that is not completely true. ‘Pubs provide their constituents (primarily the financially well-off) with beastly beneficial tax cuts as well as business and environmental deregulation. Trump, however, would add a new chapter to American history. Granted we’ve had any number of political crooks, charlatans and grifters over the centuries but Trump is in a league by himself. He would own the chapter on “Monetizing Public Service.” Before he even takes office!

One of the low points of the entire 2016 Republican primary season were Donald Trump’s comments concerning John McCain’s incarceration as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. Last July while campaigning in Iowa, Trump said of Sen. McCain, “He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”

I can hardly imagine Sen. McCain’s experience of being imprisoned, beaten, starved and humiliated for five years. Trump’s comments and McCain’s response are unreal for two essential reasons. To denigrate McCain’s incarceration is unbelievably insensitive and flat out wrong. But it was Sen. McCain who surprised me even more. Rather than politely telling the “draft-avoiding” Trump to stick his comments “where the sun don’t shine,” he actually endorses the man.

What value is it to win a battle but lose your soul?