OR: How the Rich Get Really Rich: "A Bridge to China, and Her Family's Business in the Trump Cabinet."
Not being a fan of the NYTimes's zillion-page coverage of Big Topics, I was surprised and impressed today with the two-page (plus above-the-fold start on Page 1) report on the comings and goings of Elaine Chao, Secretary of Transportation and wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R.,-KY).
Ms Chao, as she is know to the Times, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chao, Chinese immigrants and fabulously wealthy shipping magnets with close ties to the Chinese Government. Mr. Chao is a former classmate and friend of the current president of China.
As Secretary of Transportation in the Trump Administration, Ms. Chao has a lot to say about the U.S. Maritime Industry, ship-building, and the training of U.S. seaman, etc. If Trump thinks the crowd at the southern border is a national security threat, he should take a look at Ms. Chao's comings and goings reported in the Times's story.
My political junky mind, however, immediately turns to the possibility that Mitch McConnell's Democratic opponent in the 2020 Kentucky Senate races is not a complete dolt and will call the economically depressed people of Kentucky's attention to this amazing story of Chao family largess to the majority leader and the dubious activities of his wife, Ms. Chao.
P.S. Perhaps Katherine Nielsen can supply a link if the story appears in her favorite go-to substitute for the New York Times. It's worth a read. It will make your blood boil! And raise the hope that McConnell can be defeated in 2020.
Try this one.
ReplyDeleteOr for a shortened version, this article on MSN.
I was actually able to read the whole thing on NYT, since the month is young and I haven't maxed out my freebies yet. It is interesting that when I went surfing for alternate access, there is a whole bunch of links out there, though most of them just refer back to NYT. So the article is getting a lot of attention.
I had no idea that the Chous were so prominent in international shipping. Elaine must see a side of Mitch McTurtle that most us don't. The money appears to have been on her side.
Thank you Katherine!
ReplyDeleteThe long version is worth the read.
Yes, McTurtle. What was John Stewart's name for himm?
DeleteWas it a turtle? If so it was probably someone on this list.
Deletehttps://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-turtle-characters/reference
For some reason I was thinking it was Droopy Dog, the highly-underrated B-list star of the same stable that gave us Tom and Jerry (the funny ones).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjGChvFliYM
On further thought, I think Droopy was Jon Stewart's character for Lindsey Graham?
DeleteHoly Bagmen, Batman! The president is owned by the Russians, and the Senate majority leader is owned by the Chinese. Can't the Americans own anybody in their government?
ReplyDeleteThanks for calling it to our attention. When I first saw the story, I said, "Do I want to know that much about Elaine Chao?" I didn't, but I now am glad I do. I admired the interactive globe, but I thought the best part of the article -- aside from how her family took Addison M. McConnell from Senate cabana boy to one of the richest members of the body -- was her spokesbabbler blaming the White House for her decisions that help Mommy and Daddy. Yeah, it may even be true, but isn't it odd how all of Trump's Cabinet officials spend their time getting an advantage against private-life competitors they promised not to think about while they serve the country?
Tom: not to worry. The NRA has owned multitudes of Dem and Rep legislators for many years now. We don't need no stinkin' furriners to own our corruptibles!
DeleteSo the next question is, how will the Prez's game of hardball with the Chinese affect the Chao family business?
ReplyDeleteIf they got the North Korean treatment for failure, it would really start a shooting war...U.S. citizens after all.
DeleteI wonder if our negotiator -- Mike Pompeo, I believe -- is still insured.
DeleteFood for cannon fodder!
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