BIMBO Nominees For April 2019

• Bimbo
• April 1, 2019
• by Spaeth Communications
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Is it just me, or does it seem as if the 2020 campaign season has already started? See contributions from Maryland's governor (and yes, potential 2020 presidential candidate) plus most of the other presidential candidates (with a special shake of the head for poor Joe Biden). This month’s international winner is courtesy of former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, and you’ll also read about TV host Jeanine Pirro and her colleague Tucker Carlson (with an interesting twist on our part), Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving, perennial contributor James Comey, a Lithuanian central banker (make sure you read the whole story), the new director of the New York City Ballet and mayoral candidate for the City of Dallas.

THE WINNING BIMBO

“There was no deal,” claimed Jussie Smollett’s lawyer, Patricia Brown Holmes, at a shocking press conference where she announced that Chicago prosecutors dropped all charges. (Smollett was originally indicted on 16 counts of filing a false police report after constructing a well-publicized and elaborate hoax in which he claimed he was attacked by two men at 2:00 a.m. on a sub-zero degree night in January. We were shocked along with a range of commentators who were at a loss to explain why such specific charges would be totally dismissed while both the police and the mayor were kept in the dark. This is a “stay tuned” story because there definitely was a “deal.”)

The Wrap, “Jussie Smollett’s Attorney Says ‘There Was No Deal’ to Get Charges Dropped,” March 26, 2019

THE RUNNERS-UP

“But I am not a liar,” said the president’s former attorney Michael Cohen at a Capitol Hill hearing on whether he—wait for it—had lied. He clarified by admitting, “I have lied.” (Cohen also added, “I have never asked for, nor would I accept, a pardon from Mr. Trump.” This has all the earmarks of “Please pardon me.” We’re afraid the headline is a harbinger indicating his testimony will live forever.)

The New York Times, “Cohen Hearings Are Over, but Not the Arguing About His Testimony,” March 7, 2019

“I’m not going to say this is an emergency,” said veteran U.S. Border Patrol agent Joe Romero about the situation at the southern border. (He then went on to describe it as a “much bigger challenge.” The facts of the situation seem to support what Homeland Security Secretary Kristjen Nielsen said, “We face a crisis – a real, serious and sustained crisis at our borders.” This is an example of a war over words. It’s clearly a horrible situation—no matter what you call it—and it’s an example of how word-of-mouth and social media have gotten through to the poorest residents of Central America. The Dallas Morning News got it right in the headline even if all the participants in the debate squabbled about their words.)

The Dallas Morning News, “Trump’s border emergency becomes more real by the day as migrants stack up along the Rio Grande,” March 7, 2019

“… I did not call Rep. Omar un-American,” said Fox News host Judge Jeanine Pirro. (Of course you did, Judge! You called her "Sharia-compliant" and said she practiced "Sharia-adherence behavior" by wearing a hijab. We’re admirers of you, but Fox News correctly called you out on this. Our question is—why criticize Omar’s hijab when there’s so much to comment on about what she actually says?)

The Hollywood Reporter, “Fox News ‘Strongly’ Condemns Host Jeanine Pirro’s Comments About Muslim Congresswoman,” March 10, 2019

“… I haven’t abandoned my principles,” said Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) when discussing the possibility of running a primary campaign against President Trump. (This was an interesting interview that demonstrated why never to repeat and deny a negative word. The quote crowded out all of Hogan’s other, much more important comments about his own strengths or his differences with the president’s positions. He should have reinforced that the American people would support his positions and his courage in articulating them.)

The Washington Post, “‘I haven’t abandoned my principles’: Hogan, pondering challenge to Trump, casts himself as a traditional Republican,” March 18, 2019

“… the FBI is not corrupt, not a nest of vipers, of spies, …” said former FBI Director James Comey. (It pains me to say this but given what’s come out about at least the two agents who promoted the investigation of the Trump campaign, some agents are truly damaging to the FBI’s mission. Comey did go on to say the FBI is “an honest group of people trying to find out what is true,” which certainly describes the FBI I knew.)

NBC News, “Comey: Mueller findings show Trump lied about FBI, his attempt to destroy the agency failed,” March 28, 2019

“You have to persuade enough of the opposition party voters or the Trump voters that you are not just trying to … that you’re not just trying to steal the last ele(ction)— to reverse the results of the last election,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. (You have to hand it to Nadler for putting his finger squarely on the issue. Nadler made these comments before the Mueller report was delivered, and he was way out in front charging that Trump had obstructed justice. He said, “Eleven hundred times (Trump) referred to the Mueller investigation as a witch hunt. He tried to—he fired—he tried to protect Flynn from being investigated by the FBI. He fired Comey in order to stop the Russian thing as he told NBC news. He—he has dangled part— he's intimidated witnesses in public.” Wow! The Mueller report, of course, cleared the president on collusion charges, and while it appeared to dodge obstruction of justice findings, it actually did what a special counsel—as opposed to an independent counsel—was supposed to do, which is refer the findings to Congress. Note the quote became the headline.)

CNSNews.com, “Nadler: Dems Have to ‘Persuade’ Trump Voters They’re ‘Not Just Trying to Steal’ the Last Election,” March 4, 2019

The committee’s goal is not “to bring people before the committee for a pony show,” said Mike McQuerry, a senior aide for Oversight Committee Rep. Stacey Plaskett of the U.S. Virgin Islands. McQuerry commented on Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings’s suggestion that the committee call President Trump’s family members and children to testify. (Of course, the goal is to create a sensation. Cummings isn’t the only one salivating for more high-profile hearings. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff is exploring bringing Trump’s eldest son back for an interview. In response, fellow Democratic Rep. Gerald Connolly of Virginia said it best, “I think the optics of that are very dangerous.” We agree.)

Liberty Headlines, “House Dems Fear Backlash of Allowing Public Testimony from Trump’s Kids,” March 1, 2019

“I didn’t say that they were putting themselves on a list for primaries,” tweeted freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after threatening to run moderate Democrats out of office in the 2020 primaries. (The dispute dealt with a bill broadening federal background checks for guns. Ocasio-Cortez was infuriated that 26 Democrats supported a last-minute amendment to the bill that requires that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement be notified when an illegal immigrant tries to buy a gun. That seems perfectly reasonable to us.)

New York Post, “Ocasio-Cortez led closed-door crackdown on moderate House Democrats,” March 1, 2019     

“It’s not about smoking weed,” said Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving during a live stream on his Instagram account when he announced he doesn’t want to play football. (Another example of why it’s a good idea to think before you post on social media. Insisting he’s quitting of his own accord, Irving fulminated against the NFL with a string of expletives. What should he have said? He should have expressed gratitude for the opportunity to excel in a game he loves. The reporter put it best when he said Irving’s career was “going up in smoke.”)

The Dallas Morning News, “Cowboys DT David Irving says he’s quitting football while smoking what appears to be marijuana in Instagram video,” March 7, 2019

“I’m not rooting for Mr. Mueller to demonstrate that he is a criminal,” wrote former FBI Director James Comey in a New York Times op-ed, referring to President Trump. (Another, “Of course you are!” reaction. In our view, given that Comey started taking notes about his private conversations with then-President-elect Trump and then enlisted a friend to leak the notes to the media, we’d say that Comey is interested in his next book. However, despite the other, more temperate comments made in his op-ed, Comey’s negative comment became the headline.)

The Hill, “Comey: I’m not rooting for Mueller to demonstrate Trump is a criminal,” March 21, 2019

“I don’t think she’s anti-Semitic,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) about freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar in reaction to her comments indicating U.S.-Israel ties are problematic and forwarded because of money contributed by the Jews. (Hoyer tried to say that Republican Rep. Steve King’s comments were equally offensive, which may be true but is beside the point. A Muslim member of Congress repeating long-festering comments about Jews being pledged to Israel rather than the U.S. and money grubbing only keeps these evil comments alive over the centuries.)

The Hill, “Hoyer: Omar’s Israel comments not comparable to King’s white supremacy remarks,” March 6, 2019

“The president is not a white supremacist,” said acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. (It was predictable that White House staff would continue to get hammered with questions about the topic following the tragic shooting in New Zealand by a deranged terrorist who wrote an equally deranged manifesto. We found the president’s comments appropriate, calling the shooting “senseless” and “horrific,”and when asked if white nationalism is a growing threat, he replied it was a “small group of people that have very, very serious problems.” The issue is whether the media, particularly social media, is helping deranged people translate fantasies into facts.)

The Hill, “Mulvaney after New Zealand attacks: Trump ‘is not a white supremacist,’” March 17, 2019

“We are not naïve,” said Lithuanian Central Bank Governor Vitas Vasiliauskas in a story about how European banks ignore money laundering and criminal activity by elites throughout Europe and Russia. (This story probably isn’t on most people’s radar screen, but it’s worth a read to illustrate several things: first, the importance of U.S. leadership on many fronts, as the only reason some countries take the issue seriously is because the U.S. is forcing them to; second, the article clearly defines why illicit money flows cause so much damage; and finally, because these criminal activities are so openly practiced. The players aren’t the least ashamed that they are gaming and subverting the system, so it’s an issue of integrity and character. When regulatory bodies and large players behave like this, all businesses are hurt and, particularly, what we define as capitalism.)

Bloomberg Businessweek, “Huge Pools of Dirty Money Are Europe’s Worst-Kept Banking Secret,” March 13, 2019

“I can speak emphatically that there’s not an unhealthy climate here,” said Jonathan Stafford, the new artistic director of the famed New York City Ballet. His comments followed the ouster of the legendary Peter Martins amid allegations of abuse and scandal. (It looks as if Stafford was asked about allegations of abuse, and he replied with the quote here. He should have said, “We are building a collaborative, supportive environment.” The article was generally positive but contained that one damaging quote.)

The Washington Post, “After a year of upheaval, New York City Ballet names new leadership team,” Feb. 28, 2019

WRONG THING TO SAY

“In Texas, Ted Cruz called me a socialist. I’m too liberal for Texas. Outside of Texas, people say, ‘Is he really a Democrat? I think he’s a closet Republican.’ I don’t know where I am on a spectrum and I almost could care less,” said former Rep. and current Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke. This statement is breathtaking in its arrogance. Reporters noted that voters will care. O’Rourke also began receiving the kind of scrutiny he avoided as a Senate candidate, even a very high-profile one. News was released that O’Rourke was part of a teenage computer-hacking cult named “Cult of the Dead Cow,” and that he penned a fictional story for Cult of the Dead Cow boards under the name “Psychedelic Warlord”about someone running over two children crossing the street. He was also dinged for comments that used to get a chuckle, saying that his wife was at home raising their three children “sometimes with my help.” More to come.

The Dallas Morning News, “Where does Beto O’Rourke, the latest Democratic contender for president, stand on the issues?” March 14, 2019

“Decent” has become a bad word according to the left. Former Vice President Joe Biden found that out when he referred to Vice President Mike Pence as “a decent guy” and was criticized by actress, progressive activist and former New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon. To his shame, Biden waffled, backtracked and retracted his comment. What a mistake.

The Hill, “The Memo: Biden’s nice words for Republicans may doom White House hopes,” March 15, 2019

“… The Observer called me one of the ‘wealthy volunteer’ candidates for mayor,” wrote Lynn McBee, mayoral candidate for the City of Dallas. (This was one of the most problematic candidate emails we’ve ever seen. McBee repeated a damaging charge from one of Dallas’ main publications and then devoted four of the remaining six paragraphs of her campaign message to discuss why being a woman gives her an advantage. We’ll report how successful this tactic proves.)

Lynn McBee For Dallas Mayor, “Can I handle ‘the boys’?" March 12, 2019

“A little scary” was how the House Democrats’ campaign chief, Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), described progressives’ Medicare for All plan, specifically the estimated $33 trillion price tag (yes, with a ‘t’) over a decade, not to mention the abolition of all privately provided health care, which covers about 150 million people. Waleed Shahid, a spokesperson and attack dog for grass-roots group Justice Democrats, went after her, accusing her of mouthing the position of Republicans and insurance companies. (Bustos was right. It is scary. Expect to see this word come back in the debate along with the statistic of its cost.)

The Hill, “Dem campaign chief: Medicare for All price tag ‘a little scary,’” March 6, 2019

“Three years ago, they thought we were kind of crazy and extreme,” said presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders. He was pointing out, correctly, that his positions have gone mainstream. At least you have to give him credit for honesty. He also said, “… we are going to transform the United States of America.”

The Wall Street Journal, “Will Democratic Primary Voters Tolerate a Liberal?” March 4, 2019

An example of how comments live forever is the resurrection of Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson’s decade-old comments made on a talk radio show called “Bubba the Love Sponge.” His comments were admittedly incendiary and insulting. What’s interesting was Carlson’s response. He said, “Rather than express the usual ritual contrition, how about this: I’m on television every weeknight live for an hour. If you want to know what I think, you can watch. Anyone who disagrees with my views is welcome to come on and explain why.” It’s clear Carlson was purposely being outrageous for the performance art of Bubba the Love Sponge’s show. Nevertheless, this is a good example of how comments live forever and forewarned is forearmed.

The Washington Post, “Tucker Carlson unapologetic over ‘misogynistic’ comments on statutory rape, insults against women,” March 11, 2019

“It’s not anti-Semitic to hate the Jews of Israel,” said former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone. (This is the month’s international winner. Livingstone’s comment was so vile that we considered skipping it so that we didn’t contribute to its dissemination. However, we decided to include it as an example of the power of words to sow hatred and decisiveness while being cloaked in intellectual dishonesty.)

Daily Mail, “Ken Livingstone stokes new Labour anti-Semitism row after dismissing problem as ‘lies and smears peddled by ghastly Blairites,’” March 30, 2019

The BIMBO Memo is a reminder not to repeat and deny a negative word because of how the listener hears words. When you repeat and deny a negative word, the listener is likely to overlook the denial and hear the opposite of what the speaker is trying to say. It’s named for the young woman who was caught with a high profile, but alas married man. She held a press conference and announced, “I am not a BIMBO,” thus causing everyone to think she was.