Berl Falbaum
With this column we are proud, actually very sad, to announce two more winners of the coveted, actually distained, Pence Outstanding Hypocrite Award (POHA).
We are pleased, actually depressed, to award the next two POHAs to New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and former U.S. Attorney General William (Bill) Barr.
Like the other winners, actually losers, they display all the characteristics of an outstanding hypocrite and showed their ever-changing “versatility.”
We’ll deal with Sununu first.
Sununu was a strong supporter of Nikki Haley, who was the last challenger to Donald Trump for the GOP presidential nomination, and Sununu was a vocal critic of Trump.
He denounced Trump after the January 6 insurrection and said that Trump should drop out of the race if convicted of any of the 85 felony charges he faces. He also described the classified documents charges “very severe” and the federal election case, “extremely severe.” Referring to Trump, he said, “a--holes come and go,” and described Trump as a “loser,” and “not a real Republican.”
Asked by the press if he thought Trump was crazy, Sununu said, “I don’t think he is so crazy that you have to put him in a mental institution. But I think if he were in one, he ain’t getting out.” He also has observed that Trump can “hardly read a teleprompter.”
But that was then and now is now. In a recent interview on George Stephanopoulos’s political talk show, Sununu proudly proclaimed he fully supports Trump and no longer believes Trump should end his campaign if convicted, telling Stephan-opoulos, “No, no, no…he’s not going to drop out after being the nominee? Of course, not. You know that’s not to be expected at all.” He explained:
"This [hush money] trial is not going to have major political ramifications that a lot of people think it may have. When it comes to these issues, people see it more as reality TV at this point. He’ll try to victimize it, and that has worked for him. This has been going on for over a year, and his poll numbers never seem to go down because of the issue."
Stephanopoulos seemed stunned and responded: "Wait a second. Your words were very, very clear on January 11, 2021. You said his rhetoric and actions contributed to the insurrection. No other president in history has contributed to an insurrection. Please explain, given the fact you believe he contributed to an insurrection, how you can say we should have him back in the Oval Office?"
Sununu did not budge, stating it was less about Trump but more about support for a Republican administration.
"That doesn’t make any sense to me, governor,” said Stephanopoulos. “I’m sorry. You’re saying it’s not about Trump. He would be the president, and he’s somebody who contributed to an insurrection.”
"I understand it doesn’t make sense to you, George, but look at the polls. What you are telling me is you don’t understand why 51 percent of this country is supporting Donald Trump…They’re not MAGA conservatives. They’re not extremists. They want culture change.”
Stephanopoulos did not let go and followed up with:
"I’m asking you a very simple question. You believe Donald Trump contributed to an insurrection. That’s correct, right?".
"I stand by the statement,” Sununu said, “[a]s does 51 percent of America. I mean, really, I understand you’re part of the media. I understand you’re in this New York City bubble or whatever it is. But you’ve got to look around at what’s happening across this country. It’s not about just supporting Trump.
“It’s getting rid of what we have today. It’s about understanding inflation is crushing families. It’s understanding that this border issue is not a Texas issue. It’s a 50-state issue, right?
That has to be brought under control. It’s about that type of elitism that the average American is just sick and tired of. And it’s a culture change. That’s what I’m supporting."
Stephanopoulos, obviously frustrated, tried to summarize the governor’s position:
"…[Y]ou would support him for president even if he was convicted in classified documents. You would support him for president, even though you believe he contributed to an insurrection. You support him for president even though you believe he’s lying about the last election. You'd support him for president even if he’s convicted in the Manhattan case. I just want to say the answer is yes, correct?"
Without any hesitancy, Sununu replied: “Yeah, me and 51 percent of America.”
Now, let’s take a look at Barr.
After January 6, Barr, who urged Republicans to support one of Trump’s competitors for the GOP presidential nomination, accused Trump of “inexcusable” behavior, adding that Trump’s “conduct was a betrayal of his office.”
He said that Trump’s lies about winning the election were “bulls---“, and in a book he published described the former president as “incorrigible,” “erratic,” and a man who “cared only about one thing: himself. Country and principle took second place.” (Please notice the use of the word “principle.”)
“I have made clear that I strongly opposed Trump for the nomination and will not endorse him,” Barr said at one point.
Now, this man of principle is all in for Trump -- lock, stock and barrel.
Barr has had an epiphany and believes Joe Biden is more of a threat to democracy because of the rise of the “far left.” He explained in a TV interview:
“It’s [the far left] a heavy-handed bunch of thugs in my opinion and that’s where the threat is. I think they have a totalitarian temper. They have bought into the progressive movement. And they are trying to squelch opposition [unlike Trump] and freedom of speech.”
We can only conclude that Sununu and Barr are brushing up their credentials for a position in the next Trump administration should the former president defeat Biden.
Whatever the case, we are running low in our inventory of the award. At this rate, we may have to just present certificates instead of the existing very expensive lamp which features ever-changing colors.
The colors are infinite.
—————
Berl Falbaum is a long time political reporter and author.
We are pleased, actually depressed, to award the next two POHAs to New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and former U.S. Attorney General William (Bill) Barr.
Like the other winners, actually losers, they display all the characteristics of an outstanding hypocrite and showed their ever-changing “versatility.”
We’ll deal with Sununu first.
Sununu was a strong supporter of Nikki Haley, who was the last challenger to Donald Trump for the GOP presidential nomination, and Sununu was a vocal critic of Trump.
He denounced Trump after the January 6 insurrection and said that Trump should drop out of the race if convicted of any of the 85 felony charges he faces. He also described the classified documents charges “very severe” and the federal election case, “extremely severe.” Referring to Trump, he said, “a--holes come and go,” and described Trump as a “loser,” and “not a real Republican.”
Asked by the press if he thought Trump was crazy, Sununu said, “I don’t think he is so crazy that you have to put him in a mental institution. But I think if he were in one, he ain’t getting out.” He also has observed that Trump can “hardly read a teleprompter.”
But that was then and now is now. In a recent interview on George Stephanopoulos’s political talk show, Sununu proudly proclaimed he fully supports Trump and no longer believes Trump should end his campaign if convicted, telling Stephan-opoulos, “No, no, no…he’s not going to drop out after being the nominee? Of course, not. You know that’s not to be expected at all.” He explained:
"This [hush money] trial is not going to have major political ramifications that a lot of people think it may have. When it comes to these issues, people see it more as reality TV at this point. He’ll try to victimize it, and that has worked for him. This has been going on for over a year, and his poll numbers never seem to go down because of the issue."
Stephanopoulos seemed stunned and responded: "Wait a second. Your words were very, very clear on January 11, 2021. You said his rhetoric and actions contributed to the insurrection. No other president in history has contributed to an insurrection. Please explain, given the fact you believe he contributed to an insurrection, how you can say we should have him back in the Oval Office?"
Sununu did not budge, stating it was less about Trump but more about support for a Republican administration.
"That doesn’t make any sense to me, governor,” said Stephanopoulos. “I’m sorry. You’re saying it’s not about Trump. He would be the president, and he’s somebody who contributed to an insurrection.”
"I understand it doesn’t make sense to you, George, but look at the polls. What you are telling me is you don’t understand why 51 percent of this country is supporting Donald Trump…They’re not MAGA conservatives. They’re not extremists. They want culture change.”
Stephanopoulos did not let go and followed up with:
"I’m asking you a very simple question. You believe Donald Trump contributed to an insurrection. That’s correct, right?".
"I stand by the statement,” Sununu said, “[a]s does 51 percent of America. I mean, really, I understand you’re part of the media. I understand you’re in this New York City bubble or whatever it is. But you’ve got to look around at what’s happening across this country. It’s not about just supporting Trump.
“It’s getting rid of what we have today. It’s about understanding inflation is crushing families. It’s understanding that this border issue is not a Texas issue. It’s a 50-state issue, right?
That has to be brought under control. It’s about that type of elitism that the average American is just sick and tired of. And it’s a culture change. That’s what I’m supporting."
Stephanopoulos, obviously frustrated, tried to summarize the governor’s position:
"…[Y]ou would support him for president even if he was convicted in classified documents. You would support him for president, even though you believe he contributed to an insurrection. You support him for president even though you believe he’s lying about the last election. You'd support him for president even if he’s convicted in the Manhattan case. I just want to say the answer is yes, correct?"
Without any hesitancy, Sununu replied: “Yeah, me and 51 percent of America.”
Now, let’s take a look at Barr.
After January 6, Barr, who urged Republicans to support one of Trump’s competitors for the GOP presidential nomination, accused Trump of “inexcusable” behavior, adding that Trump’s “conduct was a betrayal of his office.”
He said that Trump’s lies about winning the election were “bulls---“, and in a book he published described the former president as “incorrigible,” “erratic,” and a man who “cared only about one thing: himself. Country and principle took second place.” (Please notice the use of the word “principle.”)
“I have made clear that I strongly opposed Trump for the nomination and will not endorse him,” Barr said at one point.
Now, this man of principle is all in for Trump -- lock, stock and barrel.
Barr has had an epiphany and believes Joe Biden is more of a threat to democracy because of the rise of the “far left.” He explained in a TV interview:
“It’s [the far left] a heavy-handed bunch of thugs in my opinion and that’s where the threat is. I think they have a totalitarian temper. They have bought into the progressive movement. And they are trying to squelch opposition [unlike Trump] and freedom of speech.”
We can only conclude that Sununu and Barr are brushing up their credentials for a position in the next Trump administration should the former president defeat Biden.
Whatever the case, we are running low in our inventory of the award. At this rate, we may have to just present certificates instead of the existing very expensive lamp which features ever-changing colors.
The colors are infinite.
—————
Berl Falbaum is a long time political reporter and author.
