America's Nightmare

To call Donald Trump a buffoon unfairly denigrates that species. His personal attacks on President Barack Obama are the act of a desperate and delusional man who thinks his insatiable ego is more important than his country.

America is suffering through difficult economic times with high unemployment, record deficits and millions of its citizens struggling to make ends meet. The U.S is also immersed in two costly wars and it is involved in an ongoing military action in Libya. These are the grave and onerous issues that should dominate our great national debate. The nation is crying out for leadership, solutions and a brighter future.

But Trump chooses to tear at old wounds for personal gain. He exploits deep-seated racial hatreds and petty jealousies by attempting to undermine the truth with preposterous allegations and poisonous lies. It is the politics of hate. And, sadly, he has found a following.

For Trump it is all black and white. He proudly brags that he has a "great relationship with the Blacks." As in, "they know their place," a common phrase used in parts of this country not too long ago. Still today, regretfully, there are many who believe "they" do not belong in the White House.

While President Obama is not the first president to be attacked by opponents out of personal animus, none before were the victims of such virulent hostility. And Trump has taken to the assault with selfish passion and misguided purpose. It is unclear whether his offensive is part of a marketing campaign for the renewal of his NBC reality show, "Celebrity Apprentice", or if he is actually going to run for president in 2012.

For the past couple of weeks Trump repeatedly questioned whether the president was born in the United States. "Where's the birth certificate?" He even claimed to have people investigating it--though there is no evidence that was the case. When the state of Hawaii made an exception, at the request of the White House, and released the president's birth certificate, Trump proclaimed himself proud of his achievement.

But that is not enough for The Donald. He now wants to see the president's college grades and he is asking questions about how the president was able to get into Columbia University and Harvard. He suggests the president was the beneficiary of affirmative action. If he was, so what! The fact is the president overcame a difficult childhood to rise to the nation's top office. This is a powerful and compelling American story that would normally be celebrated and not besmirched.

For sure, there is plenty to debate when it comes to the president's policies. But with all the challenges the country faces today discussion of his grade point average in college, whether he's an anti-colonialist or even whether he is the beneficiary of affirmative action is ludicrous.

The president once autographed a note card for a little girl adding, "Dream big dreams." Perhaps had Donald Trump autographed the note card he would have added, "You're fired." But it is clear that if he were elected president he would be America's greatest nightmare.

The Race Is On!

Republicans in the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a budget bill that, if it became law, would end Medicare as we currently know it and give tax breaks to the wealthy Americans. While this seems like a political gift for Democrats, will they once again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?

The White House spokesman pounced on the vote, "The House Republican plan places the burden of debt reduction on those who can least afford it, ends Medicare as we know it, and doubles health care costs for seniors in order to pay for more than a trillion dollars in tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires."

The bill, authored by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), does not alter Medicare for Americans 55 and older. But the program would be converted into a voucher plan for those who are currently younger than 55 years old. The voucher would be used to purchase private insurance. But the purchaser would have to contribute money as the vouchers lose value over time. The savings on Medicare spending would then be given to wealthy Americans in the form of tax breaks, which Republicans say will stimulate job growth.

In a speech Wednesday to reveal his long awaited budget proposal, President Barack Obama attacked Congressman Ryan's budget. "They want to give people like me a two hundred thousand dollar tax cut that's paid for by asking thirty three seniors to each pay six thousand dollars more in health costs," the president said, "That's not right, and it's not going to happen as long as I'm president." He continued, "The fact is, their vision is less about reducing the deficit than it is about changing the basic social compact in America."

In fact, the president laid out a very different vision, "We can't just think about ourselves...We have to think about our fellow citizens with whom we share a community. And we have to think about what's required to preserve the American Dream for future generations." He proposed reductions in the growth of Medicare spending, cuts in defense, an overhaul of the tax system to eliminate many loopholes, and an end to Bush-era tax cuts for wealthier Americans.

Raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans polls very well. But Republicans have been able to play the "tax increase" card very effectively to defeat Democrats in the past. "We don't have a tax revenue problem, we have a spending problem," has been a favorite Republican mantra since Ronald Reagan. And who was one of the biggest deficit spenders of all? The Gipper.

Still, Democrats are fortunate that there is no Reagan running for the White House in 2012. Recent polls show real estate mogul Donald Trump to be leading among possible Republican presidential candidates. Trump is ranting about the "birther issue" and claiming that President Obama is the worst president ever. Polling second is former Governor Mitt Romney, the author of "Romney Care", which is the law in Massachusetts and the blue print for the president's health care plan that is despised by Republicans.

So heading into the 2012 campaign Democrats can coalesce around several key positions that are popular with most voters including preserving Medicare and asking the rich to pay a little more in taxes. Assuming the economy continues to improve, albeit slowly, and two and one-half wars can be successfully managed, President Obama, who has begun his re-election bid, is in a good place.

So the race is on! But the president cannot play not to lose. He must at all times be a strong leader who makes tough choices on handling the deficit while protecting programs that help middle class Americans and those less fortunate. And all Democratic Senators and Congressmen must get solidly behind President Obama between now and November 2012. Otherwise, President Donald Trump will fire every one of you!

The Donald

Clearly billionaire Donald Trump is enjoying all the attention he is receiving as he deliberates a run for the White House in 2012. But should he throw his hat into the ring he will not enjoy the scrutiny his political positions, extensive investments and personal life will receive.

For sure, these are difficult times for America. They include a stubborn unemployment rate at about 9%. Burgeoning annual deficits and a crippling national debt cast a grim shadow over its future. A weak housing market, the loss of manufacturing jobs, an under-performing educational system and a rapidly aging population are daunting challenges. Immigration policy has not been reformed and crime remains a concern along the southern border with Mexico. Then there is the matter of China's growing economic power, its undervalued Renminbi and uncontrolled piracy.

America faces the threat of terrorism every minute. Meanwhile, the country is engaged in two wars, Iraq and Afghanistan, and a coalition military action against Libya's Colonel Muammar Qadhafi. Iran is meddling throughout the Mideast while not so secretly developing nuclear weapons. The region extending from Tunisia to Iran is convulsed in popular uprisings and civil war, which is putting tremendous strains on American diplomacy. America's close ally Israel is in a most precarious position as violence against it is escalating.

Japan's recent nuclear disaster is a shocking reminder of how even the best laid plans can go wrong in a flash, and raises questions about the future role of nuclear power in this country. This and the huge BP oil spill last summer in the Gulf of Mexico reflect the urgent need for a national energy policy.

Of course these are just a few of the issues President Barack Obama is facing every day. And meeting these challenges is made exponentially more difficult by the political divisiveness plaguing Washington and the nation.

These are also among the questions Donald Trump will have to answer if he chooses to run for the White House. So far no leading Republican has formally entered the race. Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has announced he is forming an exploratory committee. Minnesota Representative Michelle Bachmann is expected to follow suit shortly. And former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has been barnstorming the nation in anticipation of his candidacy.

In a recent CNN poll Donald Trump finished fifth among a list of likely Republican presidential candidates in 2012. Trump got 10% of those polled among Republicans or independents leaning Republican. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee got 19%, Mitt Romney got 18 percent, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich had 14 percent, and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin drew 12 percent.

That's not a bad showing for the undeclared real estate mogul, although his name recognition may be a factor in the polling. The Donald is the ultimate showman. He owns the Miss Universe Organization, which produces Miss USA, and runs a reality show called The Apprentice. His name hangs on the front of resorts, casinos, golf courses and real estate developments across the country. And his private jet boldly carries his name.

Trump has said he will decide by June because that is when he has to make a commitment to another season of The Apprentice. This is the program where Trump dismisses contestants with a glare and the words "You're fired." But running for president will mean more than just giving up his beloved television program. Trump, a well-known germophobe, will actually have to shake hands with likely voters. Yet this is a sacrifice he says he is ready to make, "If I decide to run, I will be shaking hands with everybody."

Trump has increased his media exposure to speak about what is wrong with this country. He has said that America is a now a joke. He has criticized Washington's dealings with China, "Nobody, other than OPEC, is ripping off the United States like China." And he has recently inserted himself into the "birther" movement making a demand of President Obama, "I want him to show the birth certificate."

Trump is a smart and successful businessman. He seeks money, power and attention. He is blunt and opinionated. He does not speak in poetry and he does not govern in prose. For these reasons it is unlikely he will run for president.

Japan's Tragedy

As America expresses its deepest sympathies to the people of Japan for the painful tragedy that has befallen that great nation, it is still hard to grasp the enormity of the disaster. Thousands of its citizens have been killed in this historic natural calamity that has been exacerbated by a still raging man-made nuclear catastrophe.

The horrific images of towns and villages being swept away by a massive tsunami underscore the frailty of mankind's existence. The giant cracks in the earth's surface are a reminder that fate is most often arbitrary and random.

The search for the thousands of missing souls is frequently interrupted by tsunami warnings. Layers upon layers of destruction obstruct the efforts. How many days, hours, and minutes more can survivors live trapped beneath the rubble without nourishment and warmth? How many were washed into the ocean when the massive tidal wave surged back to the sea?

Now the Japanese are facing perhaps an even greater peril. The country is heavily reliant on nuclear power. No country has taken greater care with the design and building of these plants than the Japanese. And yet their best laid plans have failed. The Fukushima Daiichi reactors have overheated due to damage from the earthquake and tsunami. They have begun to leak radioactive material into the environment threatening nearby residents and, depending on the wind, perhaps millions more. Even more alarming is the fact that it may take weeks or months to end the threat.

The earthquake, measuring an astounding 9.0 on the Rickter Scale, tore through the northern portion of Japan and moved the entire country eight feet to the east. As a result, the earth's axis shifted about six inches and each day will be nearly two millionths of a second shorter.

Rescue and support teams are coming into Japan from all around the world to provide assistance. The damage is already estimated at $100 billion, but it is too early to know for sure. Because Japan is the world's third largest economy, the financial aftershocks are being felt from Tokyo to London to Wall Street.

Still in the grips of their catastrophe, the people of Japan are stoic, reserved and accepting of their suffering and misfortune. They quietly sit in freezing and poorly furnished shelters that have no power or heat. Hungry and thirsty, they stand in long lines waiting for a few scraps of food and water. They calmly accept their quota of gasoline after waiting for hours. Their courage in the face of overwhelming adversity is almost incomprehensible.

But the Japanese have overcome a destructive world war. They have recovered from the uncertain difficulties of a "lost decade" brought on when their economy collapsed in the early nineties. For sure, iconic images of cars, boats and houses washing across the open fields of northern Japan will last a lifetime. Perhaps the scars will never heal. But, as Japan struggles to right itself, it will certainly recover and rebuild because it is a strong nation with a resilient people.

There will be much for the world to learn from this unimagined tragedy.

Huckabee Misspeaks?

Mike Huckabee has not declared he is a candidate for president but the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll shows he is now the favored candidate among Republicans. 25% of those polled supported the former Arkansas governor and Fox News contributor, edging out former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who had 21% in the poll.

Huckabee, who ran for president in 2008, has always played the nice guy. In his latest book he writes, "If you've come here looking for a personal attack on President (Barack) Obama and those in Washington, you should head to another shelf in the bookstore." The book, which he is busy promoting, is called, "A Simple Government: Twelve Things We Really Need From Washington (And a Trillion That We Don't!).

Of course, Huckabee was a preacher in Arkansas for twelve years beginning in the early eighties. Television evangelist James Robinson, Huckabee's mentor, said of him, "His convictions shape his character and his character will shape his policies. His whole life has been shaped by moral absolutes." But there is one absolute that this former and future presidential aspirant will not be so moral about, the need to win the Republican base.

The other day conservative talk show host Steve Malzberg asked the former preacher about President Obama, "How come we don't have a health record, we don't have a college record, we don't have a birth certificate?" Previously, Huckabee dismissed questions about President Obama's birth certificate. Not this time!

"I would love to know more," Huckabee said, "What I know is troubling." Shockingly, Huckabee went on to talk about the president's upbringing in Kenya. "If you think about it, his perspective as growing up in Kenya with a Kenyan father and grandfather, their view of the Mau Mau revolution in Kenya is very different than ours," Huckabee said, "because he probably grew up hearing that the British were a bunch of imperialists who persecuted his grandfather."

President Obama did not grow up in Kenya; he grew up principally in Hawaii, as in the U.S.A., and Indonesia. His father, who he met only briefly as a boy, did not raise young Obama. And the riff about the British appears to have been manufactured out of whole cloth. Subsequently, a Huckabee spokesman said that the former governor "misspoke" and instead meant to say, "he grew up in Indonesia." Indonesia was never British. By the way, is anyone going to talk about the president's mother and her family since they raised him? Well, of course not.

It appears Huckabee is beginning to believe he can win the Republican primary. Most of the potential candidates for the GOP nomination are flawed. Romney has "Romneycare", Newt Gingrich was kicked out of office, Sarah Palin isn't ready to lead the nation, Indiana's Mitch Daniels and Minnesota's Tim Pawlenty have no charisma, and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour has made questionable comments about the Civil Rights era. Even better for Huckabee, Chris Christie, the energetic and articulate New Jersey governor, has repeatedly and emphatically said he is not running for president in 2012. Although Governor Christie now says he could win!

The former preacher and state governor from Hope, Arkansas, also President Bill Clinton's birthplace, is now making his move. He will have to win over the Tea Party, the GOP establishment and he will have to re-energize the Christian coalition. Some good old Obama bashing will play well with all of these groups. So it's no more Mr. Nice Guy!

The Duke

Duke Snider has died, he was 84. Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider was the center fielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers when I met him in a chance encounter that I will always remember.

I played a lot of sand lot and Little League baseball growing up in the Chicago suburbs in the fifties. My home was three houses away from the nearest baseball diamond located on the northwest corner of Deerfield Grammar School's play yard. During the summer my friends and I regularly played baseball as pre-teens most of the day.

Because I could run fairly fast, I played left or right field where my speed came in handy cutting off balls hit into the gap. Most of the time the summer air was warm and the grass was fairly long. I was a very good contact hitter, frequently driving the ball up through the middle of the infield. What I lacked in power I made up for with enthusiasm.

When I was not playing baseball I would be home watching the Chicago Cubs on television playing at Wrigley Field, their home stadium on Chicago's north side. Wrigley Field did not have lights so all of the Cubs home games were played in the afternoon. Regretfully, the Cubs were pretty bad. They had only two star players, Hank Sauer and Ernie Banks. But I loved them.

One day a couple of us decided to go attend a Cubs game. We were about thirteen years old when one early morning we hopped on the North Shore electric train from Highland Park to Chicago's Ravenswood station. There we switched to the El and rode down to the Addison Street station, across from Wrigley Field. We got to the stadium early so we could see BP (batting practice) and shag a few balls hit into the stands.

As we arrived and were about to enter a bus pulled up. The door opened and the Brooklyn Dodgers poured off the bus. We ran over and started to collect autographs. I met Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Johnny Roseboro, Sandy Koufax. Don Drysdale, Gil Hodges and a bunch of other Dodgers. I was in awe, and they were so nice.

We then watched batting practice. Because there were so few fans in the stadium we were able to go anywhere a foul ball was hit. Our group collected nine baseballs. We then settled in to watch the game. We were pulling for the hapless Cubs. They lost, as I recall, but it still was an amazing afternoon.

Baseball then was not a big business; it was America's sport. I was an impressionable young boy enjoying an afternoon in Wrigley Field, with ivy-covered walls and a stiff breeze blowing out over right field toward Lake Michigan, watching my heroes. It was a field of dreams.

Colonel Qadhafi

Thirty years ago tensions between the United States and Libya were near the boiling point. In December, 1981, President Ronald Reagan ordered the approximately 1,500 American citizens living in Libya to leave or face legal action. That's when CBS News decided to dispatch me to Tripoli along with a reporter and a camera crew.

I was assigned to temporary duty in the London bureau of CBS News at the time. It's not bad work if you can get it. Shortly following the White House announcement I was off to Gatwick airport, about 25 miles south of London, where a charter Lear jet was on standby. Thankfully I had enough time to run next door to the Hyde Park Hotel and pack.

We loaded up the charter with camera gear and luggage and awaited clearance to take off on a snowy cold night. But we had one major problem--we were not cleared to land in Libya! And we didn't have the required visas either. After much consternation and consultation the CBS News foreign desk told us to fly on to Nice, France, where we could refuel.

Even at midnight Nice was very nice. Temperatures were in the mid 60's and the breeze off the Mediterranean Sea, which ran along the south side of the airport, was very refreshing. As our plane refueled, I continued to await word from New York that we had been cleared to land in Tripoli. Following a two hour wait the foreign desk decided that we should take off for Libya while they continued their efforts to get permission for us to land.

Into the darkness we headed for the 800-mile flight to Tripoli. I remember the nervous laughter in the cabin as we flew beneath the stars and a bright moon over the pitch-black sea. Periodically our pilots updated us on our landing status--still no clearance. Nearly half way on our journey we decided to attempt a landing even though we did not have permission. Believe me, there were plenty of jokes about returning to the French Riviera.

There it was in the distance, Tripoli. I could see the mass of lights straddling the North African coastline. Tripoli is Libya's capitol and most populous city and it appeared to be floating surrounded by nothing on either side. Through my porthole sized window I immediately scanned the nighttime horizon for signs of Libyan fighters. There were none. I asked the pilots whether they had heard any radio traffic. At first they could not raise the airport tower. But after a few minutes we were cleared to land. Whew.

When our plane touched down in the predawn hours, we were directed to a parking area quite some distance from the terminal. After we had been parked for a half hour, we decided to disembark. Standing on the runway I could feel the warm moist air but no signs of life. The airport was quiet.

A small transport bus arrived nearly an hour after we arrived and security shuttled us on board for a ride to the terminal. As we got to the terminal our passports were taken from us and we were assigned to a holding area. There our gracious hosts served us pear juice and crackers.

We were then taken by bus to a hotel on the coast. I believe the name of the hotel was The Beach, but it sure wasn't the Four Seasons! We entered the darkened lobby and found the front desk unmanned. Men were sleeping in the chairs that filled the lobby area. It took several minutes for security to find someone to check us in.

Remarkably, the hotel was pretty full. I was assigned a room in the basement. Although it was musty, the room appeared clean and I had a small cellar window from which I could see out toward the sea. I watched daylight slowly creep in that morning before falling asleep.

Over the next few days we waited to be summoned to meet with Libya's leader, Colonel Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi. It seems that he wanted to make a statement to the world's press, who were arriving by the droves.

Everyday, at about noon, anti-American and pro-Qadhafi demonstrators gathered outside our hotel bearing placards, written in Arabic and English, and making a whole lot of noise. We assumed they were government workers. They praised their leader and life in Libya.

One evening we visited the home of some Americans who had been ordered out of the country by their president. We ate lamb and drank vintage wine. While liquor was technically illegal in Libya it could be found in most private homes.

On our third day it was announced that the world's press would be taken to the People's Jamahiriya, the people's palace, for a press event. We assumed that Colonel Qadhafi was ready to speak to us. As we entered the building all of our equipment was confiscated. We were all left in a room with no clue what would happen next.

About thirty minutes later I heard the sound of a motorcade screeching to a halt outside. Several minutes passed before a man entered and slowly walked through the crowd of journalists. He then retraced his route and walked out the door. A couple minutes later several men, I assume security, came through the door followed by Colonel Qadhafi. He walked be me, nodded as he passed, and proceeded through a door on the other side of the room. A quiet sense of excitement filled our room as we awaited further instructions.

A few minutes later a man emerged with an announcement in broken English. "There will be no press conference, you go home." With that brief statement the man walked out. "What?" "No press conference?" We were confused, but security got the message. They gave us back our equipment and drove us back to our hotels. We later received clarification; we were to leave the country. That was it!

It turns out that as we awaited our press conference General Wojciech Jaruzelski declared martial law in Poland. That was December 13, 1981. Word reached us that Colonel Qadhafi, wanted to address the negative press coverage he had been receiving on the front pages of the world’s newspapers. Coverage of martial law in Poland would now dominate the front pages and the Libyan leader would be buried deep inside the newspaper.

At first the CBS News foreign desk did not want to pull us out. We waited a couple of days to see what would happen. After all, this was the man President Reagan called, "The mad dog of the Middle East."

But our hosts were growing increasingly impatient. We were among the last to leave. As we boarded our charter for a return trip to London, I wondered what life was really like for Libyans who lived under the absolute and whimsical control of an all-powerful dictator. And how long would they allow this tyrannical autocrat to lead their country.