• Should A Prosecutor Be President?

    As a prosecutor, Kamala Harris is used to unbridled power without accountability.

    VP Kamala Harris, Public Domain.

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    Below is an article written by my brother Nick, who is a registered Independent, lawyer and much better writer than I am. He makes a cogent case that Kamala Harris’s career as a prosecutor resulted in the arrogance of one who is used to unbridled power and explains why she refuses to be questioned by the Press except in the most controlled circumstances. Nick makes the argument that such a person should not become President.

    Should A Prosecutor Be President?

    By Nick Bentivegna

    If you follow political trends in your hometown, you've probably heard the now fashionable campaign rhetoric from former prosecutors seeking public office. The tag line will read something like, "He (or she) is a tough prosecutor who put drug dealers, rapists and child molesters behind bars, and is now ready to fight for you, against corporate polluters, special interests, and those evil Republicans who can't wait to cancel your Social Security."

    A prosecutor's stock in trade is asking questions. Lots of them. The right to do so is pretty much unfettered. A witness who answers back to a prosecutor with a question of his own will quickly be admonished, "I am asking the questions, not you!" Prosecutors are similarly tasked with presenting opening and closing statements, using whatever spin they like. Defense lawyers are forbidden to interrupt, though they do, of course, enjoy a right of rebuttal. 

    The prosecutor always plays offense. An egregious crime that can be easily proven is always good material for a show trial. On the other hand, even the most marginal of cases is usually good for a plea bargain, especially if a little fine money can be collected for the county. Most people accused of a crime do not want to take a chance on going to jail, even if they are innocent. Prosecutors, however, even when they lose, still get paid.

    Kamala Harris Questioning Judge Kavanaugh During Confirmation Hearings
    Screenshot, CSPAN

    Prosecutors function at all levels of government. Special Counsel Robert Mueller famously blew $45M of taxpayer money on the fantasy "Russian collusion" case, happily causing paralysis of Donald Trump's presidency. When it was all said and done, Mueller readily admitted not only that he didn't have a case, but that he didn't even have probable cause for bringing a case. Did he pay the money back? Are you kidding? Last we heard, the only "consequences" were retirement and a fat pension.

    In the private sector, any lawyer who blows a massive amount of a client's money, with anywhere near the level of incompetence of a Robert Mueller, not to mention Jack Smith or Fani Willis, will need to arrange a date with his or her malpractice carrier. Ditto for an investment advisor who squanders a client's 401K, or a doctor who leaves a sponge inside a patient. But, for a prosecutor, accountability for failure is simply not part of the repertoire.    

    All of this being said, your local prosecutor turned politician may be an ideal fit for the halls of Congress! Former prosecutors can be particularly adept at undertaking endless investigations, grilling petrified witnesses, and making grand pronouncements before the TV cameras. It's what they do, and what they do best.  

    We now turn to our basic question, "Can a former prosecutor be President of the United States?" Well, we won't say "Never," but at this point, the bench is not looking too good. Read on. 

    A well-known axiom in the political world is that the skillset needed to campaign and win an election, is often quite different than that required to actually govern. Nowhere is this more evident than in the American presidency. "Hope and change" may triumph on election day, but, at some point, the public expects results. Fairly or unfairly, the President can expect to receive credit and admiration when times are good, and quite the opposite when things are bad. We've all seen those stickers of Joe Biden pointing to the price on the gas pump, and exclaiming, "I did that!"    

    Most of our more effective presidents have had broad executive experience at the top of large organizations or enterprises. Calvin Coolidge, Franklin Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton, were all state governors. Dwight D. Eisenhower successfully commanded our armed forces, though the greatest war of all time. And yes, Donald J. Trump was, and is, particularly adept at running large and complex businesses. There have been presidents who have come up through the House and Senate, such as John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Barack Obama. Were you able to ask, however, I'm sure that each of them would admit that the learning curve, in moving from the legislative to the executive, was a bit steep.

    One of the least qualified of our more recent presidents was Harry S. Truman. Truman made his name as a Senator, investigating fraud and corruption committed by military contractors, during the war effort. Not exactly a controversial task, but his competence and general affability garnered for him widespread respect, and he made very few enemies. Hastily selected as a compromise candidate, to run as Vice-President for Franklin Roosevelt's fourth term, Truman suddenly found himself in the "big chair," three months into his vice-presidency, when President Roosevelt unexpectedly passed away. Love him or hate him, Truman readily embraced the awesome responsibilities of the office, and famously kept a sign on his desk that read, "The Buck Stops Here."

    Our current President, Joe Biden, was never a prosecutor. Prior to assuming the Presidency, he was never much of an executive, either. (During his eight years as Vice-President, Barack Obama kept him on a pretty short leash.) Elected as a Senator at the tender age of 29, Biden did manage to carve out a prosecutorial role for himself. Perhaps the high (or low) point of his 36 year Senatorial career was the sensational grilling of two Supreme Court nominees, Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. Blustery, confident, and not particularly smart, Biden has always been given to making grandiose statements, with little basis in fact, much less any concern for accuracy or truth. As President, and now a demented old man, he really hasn't changed. To this day, there is perhaps no one in the country more skilled in the craft of looking straight into the camera, and telling a blatant lie.

    Which brings us now to the current Democratic presidential candidate, Vice-President Kamala Harris. Harris likes to present herself as a tough "girl-boss" prosecutor. Indeed, during her time in the Senate, Harris followed in the footsteps of her mentor, Joe Biden, in her examination of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Lauded by the mainstream press for her "brilliant takedown" of Kavanaugh, the C-Span version tells a somewhat different story. Kavanaugh comes off as a bit uncomfortable, yes, but mainly because he is trying to look judicial and respectful, in the face of what was essentially a vacuous and rather inane line of questioning.

    As a vice-presidential candidate in 2020, Kamala Harris, of course, relied heavily on her prosecutorial habits and tactics. In her opening statement during the debate with Vice-President Mike Pence, she viciously laid out the argument that every Covid death in the country was directly attributable to President Donald Trump. It was a classic case of someone who has never been held accountable for anything, demanding that someone else be held accountable for everything.   

    My, how the tables have turned. VP Harris is in quite a different spot this time around. As a core component of the eponymous Biden-Harris administration, she has a record. Inflation, illegal immigration, and the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan are all on the public's mind. And, there is little question as to who is to blame for the state the country finds itself in.

    Kamala Harris's entire political career, however, was built upon asking a lot of questions, and occasionally giving carefully prepared and scripted public statements. The teleprompter is her best friend. As one who is acutely aware of the power of a penetrating cross-examination, she is loathe to submit herself to anything of the sort. Hence the lack of press conferences, interviews, or spontaneous responses to random questions shouted out by reporters. Indeed, her only interview thus far has been a taped and edited performance, aided and abetted by a friendly journalist, in which the "girl-boss" brought along a male friend, Tim Walz, for protection and emotional support. Vladimir Putin, no doubt, is trembling with fear at the very prospect of matching wits with this dynamic duo.   

    Can a prosecutor become President? Well, hopefully not this time.

    Kamala Harris insists that we need to visualize "What can be, unburdened by what has been." On that point, given "what has been," as a consequence of the Biden-Harris administration, we couldn't agree more.    

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    Author

    Dr. Joseph Bentivegna

    Dr. Joseph Bentivegna is an ophthalmologist in private practice who ran for Congress and US Senate in Connecticut. You can subscribe to his Substack here: https://substack.com/@jfbentivegna

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    Liz Conti

    Absolutely agree.... Harris is woefully unqualified and "thrown" into the position without a single vote in the primary. The democrat party is now the party of idiocracy!

    F D

    Harris is not qualified to hold the Office of the President according to our Constitution. Both her parents were not U S citizens at time of birth.

    Are you familiar with Harris’ father, a marxist economics professor?

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