The Double Standards of Leaders During the Coronavirus

Quiz Question of the Day? Which Nixon Administrator said “Judge us not by what we saiy but by what we do,” and how much time in jail did he spend?” Answer: Attorney General John Mitchell – 19 months (Watergate) Double standards are endemic in life. We understand the rich, the powerful, the leaders can ignore or work around the rules, but that doesn’t make it right. Covid-19 has bought out the best in most people, but then there’s a few glaring exceptions. Let’s start with Illinois which is always a unique laboratory on public official misbehavior. Governor J.B. Pritzker, the $3.4 billion heir to the Pritzker fortune, lock-downed the state. He refused on April 29 at a press conference to answer a question about his wife flying to the $12 million family estate in Florida. He said a few weeks later that his wife and children actually left before the shutdown was in effect. He then added they went to the Wisconsin farmhouse to take care of the farm animals after they returned from Florida. That’s traveling during the shutdown. He explained in light of protesters in front of his house: “There are threats to my safety, and their safety.” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot visited a hair salon the day after the shutdown went into effect. She posted in defense: “I’m the public face of this city. I’m on national media and I’m out in the public eye.” She earlier said “Getting your roots done is not essential.” Then we have Illinois’ neighboring Michigan. Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued some of the most inexplicable lock-down restrictions, such as you could shop at Walmart or Target, but not purchase paint, garden supplies, or furniture. No more than two persons could be on a boat but no motor boats and no fishing off boats. Then we have her travel restrictions. Her stay at home requirements said stay at home:, except for a specified list of emergencies or essentials; absolutely no driving to second homes, such as in Northern Michigan. Marc Mallory didn’t get the message. He phoned Tad Dowker of Northshore Dock LLC in Northern Michigan. He asked Tad he could get Marc’s boat out for Memorial Day Weekend. Tad said no; it was against the rules. Marc responded: “I am the husband to the governor. Will that make a difference?” Tad said No and posted it on Facebook before before pulling it off. Governor Whitmer then used what’s becoming the most common justification among our political leaders saying her husband meant it as a joke. New York Mayor Bill De Blasio is always good for the inane. Mayor De Blasio, the early barely noticed drop-out from the Presidential race says “I live in the regular world,” just a regular person whose police detail drives him 12 miles every morning from Gracie Mansion to a YMCA Gym in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. He went to the Gym a few hours before Governor Cuomo shut the state down. He explained “I need exercise to be able to stay healthy and make decisions.” New York City is better off when he doesn’t make decisions. Regular people use mass transit in New York City. Let us take note of the CNN/MSNBC reporters and crew who criticize President Trump for not wearing a mask, but who also don’t wear masks when off camera. Finally we cross the pond to Dominic Cumming in the UK, a unelected political strategist. He was an architect of the Brexit campaign and of Boris Johnson’s landslide win as Prime Minister. Dominic serves as the major advisor to Prime Minister Johnson. Dominic took off on a 260 mile jaunt to his parent’s house in Durham, England. His explanation was that both he and his wife had the virus. He wanted to arrange for the care of his 4 year old child with his extended family if both he and his wife perished. What a noble thought – thinking of his child while putting his parents, the grandparents at great risk. How completely thoughtless! England is not an undeveloped country. It has modern technology, such as landlines and cell phones (I now because my AppleX was stolen in London two summers ago). He could text, facetime, skype or messenger. But No. He had to go in person. He also forgot to tell his boss, the Prime Minister who was suffering from the illness. He said “I don’t regret what I did,” explaining he needed to secure child care for his child in an exceptional situation Dominic Cumming is a political genius?