SAN DIEGO — During the 2016 campaign, President Trump declared: “We must maintain law and order at the highest level or we will cease to have a country, 100 percent. I am the law and order candidate.” His record of commutations and pardons suggests the enforcement of law and order is selective and only applies to poor common criminals and not white (white) collar criminals, particularly if they are cronies of the President.
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Rod Blagojevich: Convicted of trying to sell Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder and extorting the official of a Children’s Memorial Hospital for a campaign contribution in return for approving state funding for the facility. Trump approves of selling political offices so long as the buyer is not Michael Bloomberg or another rich Democrat. Conditioning funding in return for assisting a political campaign has a familiar ring.
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Michael Milken: Although indicted for 93 counts of securities and tax violations, Milken struck a plea deal admitting guilt on six of the counts and paying six hundred million dollars in fines. I wonder if Trump ever listened to Woody Guthrie’s “Pretty Boy Floyd,” “As through this world I’ve wandered, I’ve seen lots of funny men. Some will rob you with a six-gun and some with a fountain pen.”
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Joe Arpaio: Arpaio was convicted in a federal court for refusing to obey a judge’s court order to stop arresting immigrants solely on the suspicion that they were in the country illegally.” Trump praised him for “protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration.” Trump’s only regret was that at 87 Arpaio was too old to be appointed the head of ICE.
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Roger Stone: (Pardon Pending) Stone was convicted on seven counts of obstruction of justice, witness tampering and making false statements to Congress. To Trump, these are virtues and not crimes. If Stone were president, they would not be impeachable offences.
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Baron is professor emeritus of history at San Diego State University. He may be contacted via lawrence.baron@sdjewishworld.com. San Diego Jewish World points out to new readers that this column is satire, and nothing herein should be taken literally.