Robert Reich

I find it helpful to interpret Trump angry blasts at others – the press, the courts, the FBI, other so-called “enemies” – as blasts at himself. Consider for example his explosion yesterday at the FBI for being “totally unable to stop the national security ‘leakers’ that have permeated our government for a long time. They can’t even find the leakers within the FBI itself. Classified information is being given to media that could have a devastating effect on U.S.”
In reality, almost all the leaks have been coming from Trump’s White House. That’s how the press found out about Reince Preibus’s request to the FBI to debunk recent media reports of contacts between Russia and Trump campaign aides during the campaign.
So Trump is really furious about his own inability to stop ‘leakers.’ He can’t even find the leakers within the White House itself. And when he says classified information could have a devastating effect on U.S., he means it could have a devastating effect on Trump.
Trump’s narcissism is so boundless that he sees everyone and everything around him as extensions of himself. So he takes all opposition or constraint personally – and makes no distinction between, say, the FBI and his own White House, and his own White House and his own ego. The only communications he can accept from other human being are flattery and adulation, which he instantly transforms into self-congratulation.
Trump'spersonality disorder is massive. The question is which will come first: The 25th Amendment, or impeachment?
What do you think?

The Value of Criticsm

I once held a leadership position and had to work closely with a board. One member of the board frequently opposed my ideas. Initially I was upset, but over time I came to value the person's comments as they gave me valuable feedback about what I was proposing. It helped me sharpen up my thinking and see where I needed to improve. I came to have a good relationship with my "adversary", who helped me become a better leader.

A Trail to Ski

Dallas freeway

Dallas Freeway on the Big Burn at Snowmass Ski Area in Aspen, Colorado is a trail to run. A gentle downhill glide begins the run, which later snakes along a snow fence and plunges downhill. Eventually it flattens out, before making a steep drop down to the Big Burn Lift.

Because people usually ski in the middle of the Burn, Dallas often has excellent snow, which hasn’t been skied much. The snow fence insures no skiers on the left of downhill travelers.

Safety Tips for your Home

1. Lock your side gates.
2. When you leave your home, lock your doors and first floor windows.
3. Have a light on a timer go off at night, when you are away from your home.
4. On vacation stop your mail and newspapers. Ask neighbors to check your house regularly.
5. Consider an alarm.
6. Enroll the free service of the R.S.V.P. This is a police program, which enlists volunteers who then check on homes, when people are on vacation.
7. Keep valuable items in a safe.

Guacamole: Italian Style

Mash some avocados in a bowl. Leave the mix chunky
Add chopped tomatoes and chopped white onion
Add juice from a fresh lemon
Add a little white vinegar
Add salt, pepper, seasoned salt, and garlic salt.
Serve with robust chips from Whole Foods

Colorado Night

Colorado Night

When the moon is high over the western ridge,
And you hear the solitary cry of the dancing wolf,
Echoing against the canyon walls,
Feel the cold air, lit by the stars,

Follow the snow where it leads you,
Down the steep ravine,
Through the trees,
And across the frozen lake.
Walk to the warmth of the evening fire,
Covered by the shadow of the silver moon.

McCarthy and Trump: Two of a Kind

Joe McCarthy got away with bullying and terrorizing people by conning the American people into thinking that communism was a grave, immediate threat. His hostility destroyed lives and careers.

Trump’s tactics are similar.  He stirs up fears, even when the facts don’t support his statements. If you challenge him, you are an enemy.  He is great: you are not. His statements that he is being treated unfairly are projections. Think how he has treated others: he put down a disabled reporter, lied about Mrs. Clinton, and stiffed workmen, who did jobs for him. Who is unfair?

Stuffed Mushrooms Naples Style

Get a box of Progresso Bread Crumbs Italian Style
Pour some in a bowl and add a raw egg
Add some tomato juice
Take the stems out of some mushrooms and cut the stems up.
Cut up some Pimento filled olives
Add the sliced stems and the sliced olives to the mix.
Add a little olive oil and white vinegar.
Add some more spices if you wish. Seasoned salt and a little garlic salt would be good.
Stuff the mushrooms with the mix which should be gooey.
In a preheated oven to 300 degrees bake the mushrooms for 30 minutes.
Your guests will be pleased.
The mushrooms should be moist and tender. If not you haven’t assed enough liquid.

Potatoes Antonio

Bake in the microwave the number of potatoes you need.

Sautee in a frying pan diced up bell peppers and white onions.
Cook them in olive oil.

When the potatoes are ready, cut them up in bite size pieces. Add salt, pepper, garlic salt, and seasoned salt. Add olive oil and a teaspoon of white wine vinegar. Mix the up in a bowl and add the cooked peppers and onions.

Heat the mixture up, when ready to serve. Heat in a large frying pan.

Tonno Roma

One can of Genoa tuna packed in olive oil
Red onion
Fresh tomato
White vinegar
Salt
Seasoned salt
Pepper
Garlic salt
Basil


Put the contents of the tuna in a mixing bowl.
Add ample olive oil
Add some white vinegar (key to having a sharp taste)
Add salt, pepper, seasoned salt, basil and garlic salt
Slice some small pieces of red onion and then tomato
Add Mayo to bind the mix
Serve on bread or cracker of your choice

"My integrity is in the other room."

I watched Mitch McConnell say the other night that there were existing committees available to investigate Flynn and the questions about the Trump administration’s connection to Russia.  He typically speaks with a bemused look on his face that conveys a sense of superiority.  My guess is that he thinks he is working for the greater good. He rationalizes that his agenda is good for the American people and that he needs to protect the administration from too much scrutiny.

However, the Senator is misguided. He left his integrity in the living room a long time ago, and it is time for republicans to step up and let the chips fall where they may. Trump has said, “Everyone cheats at golf”, and that is how he governs. If he isn’t checked now, what will he do in the future? This isn’t a partisan issue; it is an issue of an irresponsible, self-centered man, running the government with little idea of how to do it.  He is dishonest and untrustworthy.  He is a braggart.  He is at risk of being played like a pinball machine by other governments, who understand his vulnerabilities.

Dan Rather

Dan Rather



Watergate is the biggest political scandal of my lifetime, until maybe now. It was the closest we came to a debilitating Constitutional crisis, until maybe now. On a 10 scale of armageddon for our form of government, I would put Watergate at a 9. This Russia scandal is currently somewhere around a 5 or 6, in my opinion, but it is cascading in intensity seemingly by the hour. And we may look back and see, in the end, that it is at least as big as Watergate. It may become the measure by which all future scandals are judged. It has all the necessary ingredients, and that is chilling.
When we look back at Watergate, we remember the end of the Nixon Presidency. It came with an avalanche, but for most of the time my fellow reporters and I were chasing down the story as it rumbled along with a low-grade intensity. We never were quite sure how much we would find out about what really happened. In the end, the truth emerged into the light, and President Nixon descended into infamy.
This Russia story started out with an avalanche and where we go from here no one really knows. Each piece of news demands new questions. We are still less than a month into the Trump Presidency, and many are asking that question made famous by Tennessee Senator Howard Baker those many years ago: "What did the President know, and when did he know it?" New reporting suggests that Mr. Trump knew for weeks. We can all remember the General Michael Flynn's speech from the Republican National Convention - "Lock her up!" in regards to Hillary Clinton. If Hillary Clinton had done one tenth of what Mr. Flynn had done, she likely would be in jail. And it isn't just Mr. Flynn, how far does this go?
The White House has no credibility on this issue. Their spigot of lies - can't we finally all agree to call them lies - long ago lost them any semblance of credibility. I would also extend that to the Republican Congress, who has excused away the Trump Administration's assertions for far too long.
We need an independent investigation. Damn the lies, full throttle forward on the truth. If a scriptwriter had approached Hollywood with what we are witnessing, he or she would probably have been told it was way too far-fetched for even a summer blockbuster. But this is not fiction. It is real and it is serious. Deadly serious. We deserve answers and those who are complicit in this scandal need to fee

Stories from the Road

February 9, 2017

Snowmass Village, CO.

The upper lifts were shut down yesterday due to high winds.  Snow had drifted on the higher elevations, and the light was bad. We had little choice but to head low to Alpine Sprigs and eventually Two Creeks. We were both tired from fast skiing the day before, so we opted to go in early. First we did a cruiser run on West Fork, which as usual was empty and serene.  Then it was up the Two Creeks lift and over to Adams Avenue.



At lunch we talked with Gary, a long termer, who had a nose bleed the other day that wouldn’t stop. He ended up being taken to the Aspen Valley Hospital by ambulance. Eventually after several failed attempts, the staff was able to stop the bleed, and Gary returned to Snowmass.



Last night we ate at Il Poggio with Kris and Sophia, people we skied with the day before. They are adventurous people, who have been trying the different ski mountains in the Aspen area.  Later in the month they will ski in Verbier and Zermatt, Switzerland and spend a day on the slopes in Chamonix, France. Kris runs marathons, and I told him to come to San Diego and run the Rock and Roll Marathon and stay with us.



Today is our last ski day at Snowmass. We will dine tonight at the Little Mammoth Steak House with Roger and Nancy. Nancy and I will enjoy an annual martini before our steaks. I look forward to some banter with the Serbian guys, who are great fun.

Tomorrow we’ll stay in Richfield, Utah and Saturday in Las Vegas.

Dan Rather

Dan Rather


No sir, Mr. President, with all due respect. The job of protecting this country from a terrorist attack falls on your shoulders.

In the past few days Mr. Trump has launched a very serious and very dangerous campaign of suggesting that if an attack occurs it will be the fault of federal judges who ruled that his Executive Order on immigration was Constitutionally problematic. And more recently he suggested it might be the fault of the press for not reporting on terrorist attacks - an assertion which any fair read of the evidence shows is a lie. As with the sweeping allegations of millions of fraudulent voters (where is the investigation of that dire threat to our democracy now?), the White House cannot supply facts to back up the President's claim.

Mr. Trump is the Commander in Chief. The armed services and intelligence community report to him. Searching for scapegoats to blame even before an event occurs is to sow the seeds of destabilization to the very fabric of our republic. These are the tactics of a thin-skinned bully who may realize he is in far over his head. No doubt there are many in Mr. Trump's base who are being whipped up into a misguided frenzy fueled by "fake news" and right-wing media. This is a common tactic of authoritarian rulers I have seen around the globe. It is stoking civic unrest and paving a path to crack downs and repression.

I do not think - or perhaps a desperate hope is father to the thought - that this tactic will work here. Mr. Trump built his brand on a bold, brash form of leadership and I think most Americans will see through the rhetoric of dodging responsibility. Furthermore we cherish an independent judiciary as a bedrock of our checks and balances. We can see that the press has covered terrorist attacks fully. And I do not see either judges or reporters backing down. Quite the contrary.

But Mr. Trump is signaling how he will react in a time of crisis. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

Leadership

Being an effective Leader


Think about times when you have had a leadership position or worked with someone in such a position. What made them effective or not? Here are some qualities of effective leaders.

1. They listen to counsel.
2. They gather facts before making a decision.
3. They respect the people around them.
4. They are humble.
5. They try to build consensus.
6. They have a good sense of humor.
7. They are guided by principles.
8. They understand their limitations.
9. They try to set an example.
10. They feel a deep sense of responsibility toward their constituents.

Robert Reich

Speaking to the U.S. Central Command today, Trump veered off his prepared remarks to make a truly stunning claim: The media was intentionally covering up reports of terrorist attacks.
“You’ve seen what happened in Paris, and Nice,” he said to the assembled military officers. “It’s gotten to a point where it’s not even being reported. And in many cases the very, very dishonest press doesn’t want to report it. They have their reasons, and you understand that.”
Trump is taking Kellyanne Conway’s “Bowling Green massacre,” which she said didn’t get covered -- which in fact never occurred -- to a vast new level.
Trump wants Americans to believe the press is engaged in conspiracy to cover up acts of terrorism.
This, my friends, marks another step toward tyranny. We must begin to move to impeach this dangerously unhinged man.
What do you think?

Stories from the road
February 6, 2017
Snowmass Village, CO.

The sun was out yesterday, and the snow was soft. Vicki and I took advantage of the situation and put on a lot of miles on our skis, as we crisscrossed the mountain in search of empty trails and limited lift lines. Whispering Jesse on the Burn was in excellent shape, and we ran the trail three times. Around noon we skied into lunch and made a plan with Roger and Nancy to watch the Super Bowl over pizza and beer in our hotel dining room.

At 4:30 I stopped watching the playoff between Hideki Matsuyama and Webb Simpson at the Waste Management Open in Phoenix and made my way to the dining room, where in typical efficient style, the Leonards had secured a good table with plates and silverware.

There was a ski club from the Syracuse area, and several members came from the town in which Vicki grew up. They knew different members of her family, who still live there. I noted that there was a correlation between the volume of their laughter over super bowl ads and the amount of wine they drank.

The game between my home team and the Falcons was initially discouraging. The Patriots, normally a precise team, couldn’t seem to do much right. At the end of three quarters I decided to go back to my room. I turned the TV on, as I lay in bed, and like fans everywhere, I couldn’t believe what was happening. Brady and company played wonderfully as they tied the game, and then won it in overtime. Boston people felt justice had been done in light of the controversial punishment handed down by Commissioner Goodell earlier in the year.

Tom Brady joins a long list of Boston sports’ heroes such as Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Larry Byrd, Carl Yastrzemski, Ted Williams, David Ortiz, and Bobby Orr. Tom lives in Brookline, Mass., not far from owner Robert Craft. Interestingly the Brookline Country Club, which abuts his home, denied his application for membership with the reasoning that his presence would bring too much attention to the club. He can join my club any time he wants!

Robert Reich

The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!" Trump tweeted this morning.
Trump was referring to federal Judge James Robart (a Bush appointee, by the way) who yesterday put a nationwide hold on Trump’s travel ban.
Someone needs to teach Trump that under the Constitution, the judiciary is independent. For a President to level a personal attack on a federal judge who disagrees with him is a dangerous overstepping of presidential power. Trump’s rant is further evidence that he seeks to be a dictator, not a president.
At the very least, Congress must censure Trump for this brazen attack on the independence of the courts, and on the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution. (I hope there's a motion of censure Monday, and that it's bipartisan.)

Threats and more Threats: Can we fight everyone?

Robert Reich

We are entering a new era of “America First” belligerence toward other nations, be they allies or potential threats. For example:
1. We now learn that last weekend Trump warned Mexican President Pena Nieto that he was ready to send U.S. troops to stop "bad hombres down there" if Mexico's military can't control them.
2. Trump also berated Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for assuming the U.S. would follow through on its deal to take some refugees that had come to Australia.
3. Today Trump said "nothing is off the table" when it comes to a potential American response to Iran’s ballistic missile test. (Does this mean the U.S. is prepared to launch a nuclear missile against Iran?)
4. Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Flynn, today "officially" put Iran "on notice" after its ballistic missile test (it wasn’t clear what “on notice” means, either).
5. Trump’s press secretary, Sean Spicer, got so charged up he even accused Iran of attacking a U.S. navy vessel, which would be an act of war -- until Spicer was gently reminded by a member of the press that the attack was on a Saudi naval vessel, and it was perpetrated by Houthi rebels in Yemen. Spicer corrected himself.
6. At the United Nations, Trump's U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley, said the U.S. would be "taking names" of countries that "don't have our back” (it wasn’t clear what this meant, either).
7. U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis threatened North Korea with an "effective and overwhelming" retaliation if the country decided to utilize its nuclear arsenal.
Foreign policy used to be a matter of complex negotiation and diplomacy. In the age of Trump, it’s massive threats.
Where is all this heading? Does Trump want another war? What do you think?

Character and the Oval Office

Character is like Old faithful in many ways. It is predictable and reliable. Donald Trump has a well-documented history of cheating at golf and business. He doesn’t keep agreements, which includes not paying his bills. He breaks promises, says things he doesn’t mean, and bullies people he sees as weaker than he. He refuses to take criticism or counsel. This is what we have.