Craven Coward of the Week is a good contest, but there are so many choices. For this week, let me just give you three. South Carolina Senator Tim Scott chaired the Senate Banking Committee for his silence on Trump’s effort to castrate the Federal Reserve Board’s independence with a threat, with a frivolous threat of an indictment over cost overruns for modernizing Fed buildings.
He knew we know what he’s doing. He’s going after Chair Jay Powell. Scott has objected to the cost. That’s fine. But he knows that’s not the issue. Trump is going after the Fed and the Senate Banking Committee Chairman is acquiescent. Number two, many business leaders are silent on Trump’s disdain for the rule of law, which is the underpinning and the protection of the capitalist system. Former Treasury Secretary, Robert Rubin and a Wall Street Journal op-ed wrote that he finds many business leaders aware of the dangers, but they refrain from criticism out of intimidation.
The challenge opposing authoritarianism, Rubin wrote, can be great. The consequences of not standing up can be many times more severe. Then there’s Jeff Bezos, the once responsible steward of the Washington Post, until he decided that being palsy with Trump was more lucrative.
The FBI last week raided a Washington Post reporter’s home, took her computer, took her notes, and it was one of the most egregious violations of freedom of the press we’ve seen. They were looking for who were her sources. That’s what they were looking for. And they were about sensitive stories. And what did the owner of the Washington Post say to this absolute blatant violation of the First Amendment? Nothing.
Putting profits and power over principle is craven and cowardly.
Congratulations to Scott Bessent on his bilateral orchiectomy! He will cry if you give him this award. If you don’t, he’ll ask trump to extort it from whoever gets it. Do you want to do this the easy way or the hard way, guys?