This Manafort Thing

Vincent J. Curtis

15 Aug 2016

In the headlines today is a phony story about Paul Manafort, campaign manager for Donald Trump.  He, apparently, is being “investigated” for having taken “off the books cash” from the previous and deposed regime of the government of the Ukraine.  Manafort denies having received such cash or for working for the government of the Ukraine.

Democrats love to play the game of, “I know you are, but what am I?” and another, “they are ones too - and even worse because they are hypocrites as well”  Let’s see what is going on with the Manafort accusation.

In the first place, the accusation of taking money for giving favors to a foreign government sounds a lot like the goings on with the Clinton Foundation.  Hillary Clinton actually delivered favors in return for money for the Clinton Foundation or for cash for a half an hour of Bill’s time.

In the second place, the word “cash” and the term “off the books” are involved.  Doesn’t this sound like the ransom payment to Iran?  The only thing missing is that the cash had been shrink-wrapped, placed on a pallet, and delivered in an unmarked plane.  Perhaps because that would be too obvious a comparison.

Something missing from the news reports is who is going the “investigation?”  It certainly isn’t the FBI!  Is it the news media itself?  Is it the new government of the Ukraine?  The old regime was pro-Russian, while the new one is anti-Russian, and have lost the Crimea and the eastern part of Ukraine for their trouble.  If Trump is seen as being pro-Russian, then the new Ukraine government may have an interest in undermining the Trump campaign.  None of this concerns the MSM.

There is also this difference between Manafort and Hillary: Manafort is not a candidate, Hillary is.

The media frequently accuses Donald Trump of diving down rabbit holes on the campaign and in his speeches.  The media are presently guilty of chasing after obvious red herrings and of making false comparisons.  They are letting themselves be distracted from the real elephants in the room: the actual corruption of the Clinton Foundation, and the ransom payment to Iran.

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