Much ado about nothing has been made concerning the Donald Trump-N.Y. Times dust-up over the latter’s weekend article painting the presumptive GOP presidential candidate in a misogynistic light. How on earth would the average reader think such a thought, especially since his public feud with Fox News host Megyn Kelly?
I have to say that the two latest stories about Trump, one the story in the Times on his relations with women and the other where Trump presumably calls a reporter claiming to be The Donald’s publicist, are pretty weak as important journalism is concerned.
What these stories and his reactions to these articles do express — again and again — is that Trump has to be the most thin-skinned politician ever. I thought George W. Bush would hold that title for a while, at least in recent times. But no, Trump has Bush Junior beat all to hell.
It is Trump speaking about how he would open up liable laws that should make a Republican think deeply as to how much of the elephant brand Trump rides upon?
Aren’t the folks like the Koch Brothers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the latter which publishes several newspapers across the nation — including one in my neighborhood — supposedly the right’s last bastion for tort reform?
Well those aforementioned entities do not like so-called frivolous lawsuits. Although, it has yet to be determined whether the Koch boys will join behind Mr. Trump in his foolish presidential exercise.
Donald Trump has not been exactly silent over his use of the court system to help his business — be that bankruptcy courts or varied civil lawsuits.
Now surely a self-respecting Republican, considering there is such a creature, would not open themselves to charges of being a hypocrite. But the moniker does not seem to bother GOP members at all.
One charge I do not lodge against our local U.S. Chamber of Commerce tort-reform rags is its journalistic ethics. The paper makes its position known in editorials. But it is usually “just the facts ma’am” when it comes to giving details of lawsuits. When I covered civil suits as a reporter for a “real” newspaper, I did not often stray from what was charged and what was replied in the charging document.
As one who was sued in a fairly well-known story that, luckily, my company at the time paid for and the suit being tossed by a federal judge, I realize how frivolous suits are a pain in the ass and are potentially harmful. Still, lawsuits are part of justice. I feel such cases are an extra level of care for our society.
If we are so unfortunate to elect a meathead like Donald Trump, and yes, if he can call people names then so may I call hi names as well, we must hope that future new justices of our highest courts do not reverse New York Times v. Sullivan nor other important media legal precedents. We ask for such not because people should be called names or have hurtful allegations made against them which are not true. We should ask for such a helpful case so those with no power may defend themselves against the Trumps of the world
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