Book report:

I'm about halfway through Michael Cohen's book "Disloyal." His rendering is part personal biography and part mea culpa confessional, but more relevantly, it's a fairly well-written inside account of what it was like for a decade witnessing up close and personal Trump's many deep-seated psychoses -- a baseline pattern of crude immorality, corruption, and criminality on a daily basis. The "Boss" is simply incorrigible in all his dirty dealings, including as "president" (in name only).

Although somewhat egocentric (lots of "I, me, my, mine"), which is understandable given that it's a first-person narrative, Cohen, the ruthless fixer, does effectively put you in the moment. Unfortunately, he portrays himself not only as a key co-conspirator but as a victim also (well, I suppose, as are all Trump's acquaintances, including his own family), which is a little galling given that he was a willing participant in Trump's mob-like tactics and numerous, disgusting crimes. For an extremely ambitious New York lawyer, it was all about the lust for power and blind ambition -- an intoxicating brew hard to resist.

However, this sleazy lawyer's sense of victimhood is mitigated a bit by his rude awakening, genuine-seeming contrition, and brutal honesty about being a total bad guy and asshole on Trump's behalf. Of course, he didn't arrive at that great epiphany until circumstances forced it upon him; nonetheless, he still does a fairly good job, in my opinion, explaining his thought processes at the time, allowing readers to make their own judgments. So far, it rings true.

That Cohen's conduct was so blatantly low-life, in a New York street-wise kind of way, belies the fact he came from a good Jewish family and an upscale neighborhood and had led a fairly responsible life otherwise, until he came under the evil spell of Trumpism. He did run with some sketchy characters, though, as an older teen. He also rubbed elbows with several mob figures and their families when he worked at his uncle's establishment (bar, restaurant, gym), which catered to the criminal element so ubiquitous at the time. He was enthralled and inspired by these flashy wise guys, but there is no evidence that he participated in any of their crimes.

Later on, after finishing his law degree, Cohen thrived as a legitimate personal injury lawyer, and his business acumen in the rough and tumble, big-city taxi medallion and real estate markets allowed him to become quite wealthy in his own right, notwithstanding some associated legal troubles, to which he later pled guilty, I think, after he began cooperating with prosecutors. But for the most part, he was doing quite well for himself and his family and didn't need Trump in his life. Alas, the allure of power and influence in the rarified atmosphere of New York's elite business world was just too enticing and led to his downfall.

Conclusion:

I would recommend "Disloyal" as an important piece of the puzzle, which should inform voters more fully about just who this great white savior of the Republican party actually is in real life. It's a page-turner, like rubbernecking a car wreck that's hard to ignore.

A glutton for punishment, it's on to Mary Trump's "Too Much and Not Enough" next and then to Bob Woodward's "Rage, which just arrived in the mail. Fck Bolton's book! His testimony should have been given at the impeachment trial first. I wouldn't send one nickel his way.

Well, it's any port in a loophole-shit-storm. At least Republicans have made known what they think their options might be. Dems have also been clear they have small army of lawyers ready to get to work.

I wonder how many generations we are away from election reform, or if it will ever be possible. Generation Z save yourselves, and show us what you got during this election!

What is really terrifying here is that the radical progressives and their ilk can’t see the forest for the trees. They are promoting and feeding directly into the dangerous and false Election Day narratives being weaved by once great newspapers that now have become nothing more than fodder for the checkout lanes at a grocery store like the WaPo and NYT, far left wing radio jaw flappers, and other self-important media figures on cable TV that play the fear card 24/7 just for the sake of ratings, all because after four years later they still have not accepted the results of the last presidential election.

It was “her” turn goddamnit!

"We must stop them",

I know, “let's stack the Supreme Court until we have seated enough lefties, pay the fines of hand selected black and Hispanic registered voters in key states, abolish the Electoral College, promote the shit out of mail-in voting, lower the voting age to 16, and add a couple of States to the union but only if they are democrat strongholds”.

If there is any post-election day violence, it will most assuredly be plotted and coordinated by some of the same repugnant slugs on the radical left who have orchestrated what has played out in cities like Portland, and Seattle, and the people we can blame for at inspiring the violence will be none other than spineless soy latte drinking gender neutral mayors, governors, and Soros planted DA’s that have permitted and in fact, joined some of these “peaceful protests”.

Rock on man you are committing slow suicide by your own stupidity.

I'm telling you. Progressives who ideological purists such as what I hear on progressive outlets (like TYT) are going to hand Trump what he wants.

You really should be joining and working with the Lincoln Project. They just presented a campaign add supporting the efforts of protesting and BLM. Let's just get Trump out!

I don't see TYT talking to Miles Taylor. I know you would.

Taylor basically shook his head and said in so many words- you can't make this shit up.

Thank you

I'm sorry to point this out, but the content of whatabout's innermost musings in the post above comes across as a trolling, rambling incoherence mess all over the board, much like what I imagine a Fux News segment must sound like to normal people not in the cult: all spit and fury, no substance.

Where is any sourcing worth a damn, any underpinning in outside reality that is not the mirror opposite (psychological projection on steroids?) of what's really going on in America, which is a rapid slide toward authoritarian fascism under Republican rule disguised as populism.

Their fantastical twisted version of unreality, a dystopian nightmare that puts George Orwell to shame, is what lies in our future if this dying democracy can't figure out how to elect politicians to the Executive branch and to the Senate who can garner majority support from the people they are supposed to represent.

Really, wingers should get down on their knees and thank their winger gods for the outdated Electoral College, which installed two Republican presidents who couldn't win the popular vote, and for the Senate, an inherently undemocratic institution that gives outsized leverage to rural states, when, for instance, in the 2018 midterms, 18 million more Americans voted for Democratic Senators, yet Republicans still hold the Senate. WTF! So, Republicans represent mostly empty land while Democrats represent real live voters by millions more.

At least this time, whatabout somehow avoided linking to deadly disinformation about the COVID pandemic that encourages people to disregard safety precautions, as he did in the previous thread.

All of you--politicains, media heads, authors--who predict whether Trump will or won't step down if he loses, are failing to grasp what is apparent. Trump has already told us he cannot lose a fair election and he means it.

Obviously, he is full-throttle-every-way-conceivable trying to bribe, lie, cheat, and suppress votes to steal the election. But, more to the point, Trump's pre-eminent strategy is casting doubt on the election process and its results. He doesn't need a majority of votes, only semblance of doubt. He has already seeded fields of doubt and is vigorously nurturing them as we progress toward Nov. 3. Assurances there will be a peaceful transistion of power IF HE LOSES are pointless. Please, Mr. Biden, stop pacifying us with that line of reasoning. Enough doubt has already been sown that even uttering the words "Trump loss" are buying in to his strategy.

So, wake up Democrats. The "he will/won't, if he loses" debate is a red herring. His ilk cannot (and, unfortunately, need not) accept losing as a possibilty.