Leadership – It’s the Most Important Thing
It's always leadership folks.
Leadership. It is leadership that blazes the trail, it's the light that guides our way in the dark….it's what anticipates and solves difficult problems before they become untenable. Leadership has integrity, honesty, and sincere empathy and makes the tough choices. It gives us confidence to move forward when the future is uncertain. Leadership comforts and reassures us in tough times. It focuses our energy to get us all pulling in the same direction toward a common goal. It binds and unites our collective efforts.
It's the one element that if it does not come through, all else is lost. It’s the most important thing!
Leadership folks, it provides “inspiration.” Leadership “Does the Right Thing” and accepts responsibility. Leadership hangs in there when times are tough. Leadership provides “vision.” Leadership pokes its head up above the fray to see the bigger picture and takes action to achieve optimal outcomes. It allows us to emerge into a brighter day - whatever the hardship we’ve endured to get us there.
Leadership folks, that's what I'm talking about. Expect a higher standard. Choose your leadership - your elected representatives - well... for the health of you, your family, and your country.
The question before you now, is whether the elected representatives you hired are delivering the kind of leadership you demand. If so, you should keep voting for it. If not, then you of course should seek better.
Today, your incumbent senior senator, Mike Lee, is getting close to the next election cycle – election in November of 2021 (Yup, next year, not 2020). In the meantime, in 2020, he is heading the Utah campaign to re-elect President Trump. Now you are faced with the question: what kind of leadership does Senator Lee actively support and lead the campaign for? As painfully harsh as it is, the facts are clear, documented, and inescapable. Your job now is to thoughtfully assess that leadership and decide if you’re happy with it based on results and performance. I will tell you, I’m not impressed. I want better. That’s why I want the job!
Let’s take a look at the leadership Senator Lee supports as he has taken the “Scenic Route” (https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2019/11/15/sen-mike-lee-says-hes-co/) to seeing our current republican leadership as what he describes as a “gift,” then ask ourselves, do we deserve better? Can we do better? Again, based on facts, not emotion, not out of context fudged factoids.
Now, I have never met Senator Lee, and I am sure he’s a good family man – I always give that benefit of the doubt. But when I look at his professional experience and behavior, I see a legal clerk. Don’t get me wrong – legal clerks are good people too, and they have a place - “On My Staff! But, it’s not enough for high office where you expect leadership traits to come through.
In Senator Lee, I see a person who is lacking in the necessary tools to lead, not the tools of good character as a fine family man, but in the kind of well-rounded leadership experience we demand to assure our national interests. Senator Lee has never led a large organization, never worn the uniform, never put himself in harms way for our nation, never started a business, created jobs, had to meet payroll for people who depend on their income… he’s never commanded men and women. A good man, sure, but can you get better?
Enabling Senator Lee to embrace the kind of leadership he supports, and is leading the effort to re-elect, is sending him the message that you are okay with his vision of leadership and the representatives that fail to be held to a higher standard – representatives who demonstrate a lower standard than what we should expect. You deserve better.
What kind of leadership does Senator Lee support that I take issue with?
Senator Lee supports leadership that:
· Rode into town on major platform issue to reform Healthcare: “FAILED” I took my wife to the emergency room after a fall on the ice in the grocery store parking lot. Two Tylenols and a $6.000 bill later I have come to see that healthcare is only for the rich – not for the majority.
· Ignores the warning signs of a historic national security threat (COVID-19), until the body bags couldn’t be dismissed: (https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/33-times-trump-downplayed-the-coronavirus/2020/03/05/790f5afb-4dda-48bf-abe1-b7d152d5138c_video.html) (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/he-could-have-seen-what-was-coming-behind-trumps-failure-on-the-virus/ar-BB12tYrs?ocid=spartanntp)
· Leads from the rear: Fails to accept leadership role in a national emergency that required a cohesive national response: (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/president-trump-state-governors-at-odds-over-coronavirus-response/sl-BB11HUvR?ocid=spartanntp) (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/a-pandemic-is-no-time-to-go-federal/ar-BB12exao?ocid=msn360)
· Deflects responsibility for failures by blaming others (America’s fate is in Americas hands, not the WHO’s): (https://www.theguardian.com/global/video/2020/apr/08/donald-trump-blames-who-for-dire-situation-in-the-us-threatens-to-pull-funding-video) (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/factbox-global-reaction-to-trump-withdrawing-who-funding/ar-BB12DMO0?ocid=spartandhp)
· Contradicts own experts and interagency (Won’t even set example by wearing a mask): https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/04/03/reporter_to_trump_why_wont_you_wear_a_mask_it_would_set_an_example.html
· Fires the foundation of institutional knowledge (The Generals: (Kelly WH CofS), McMaster (NSA), Mattis (SecDef), Bolton (NSA), etc) (https://www.businessinsider.com/who-has-trump-fired-so-far-james-comey-sean-spicer-michael-flynn-2017-7)
· Fires watchdog authorities when the facts aren’t convenient (IGs): https://www.nationalreview.com/news/chuck-grassley-demands-explanation-for-trumps-firing-of-ig-who-advanced-ukraine-whistleblower-report/
· Illegally uses charities for personal gain and advance political campaign (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-pays-dollar2-million-in-damages-ordered-by-judge-over-misuse-of-charity-funds-according-to-ny-attorney-general/ar-BBY2zkn?ocid=spartandhp)
· Covers up prostitution payments stain before an election campaign ((https://www.npr.org/2018/05/02/607943366/giuliani-says-trump-did-know-about-stormy-daniels-payment)
· Is degrading, offensive, and torrid toward ladies – whom gentlemen place a high value on: can do anything to women “when you’re a star”(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta1igymnXqk)
· Is comfortable mocking people with disabilities (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX9reO3QnUA)
· Engages in, fabricates, and distributes false propaganda against perceived political adversaries: (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/pelosi-clashes-with-facebook-and-twitter-over-video-posted-by-trump/ar-BBZNtKm?ocid=spartanntp) (https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1225553117929988097?s=20)
· Surrounds himself with “convicted”criminals: (Manafort, Cohen, Flynn, Gates, Papadopoulos, Stone
· Pardons convicted felons ‘ Releases Former Governor for conspiracy to “sell” a Senate Seat (https://www.justice.gov/pardon/pardons-granted-president-donald-trump) (https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-s-pardons-rod-blagojevich-others-meant-convince-america-corruption-ncna1138876)
· Uses DOJ to interfere in personal matters (Stone Case) (https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/12/trump-roger-stone-justice-department-114684)
· Has no use for Congress: Disregards Congressional subpoenas and transparency (Impeachment)
· Rolls foreign leaders for personal gain (Ukraine)
· Games the system to avoid the draft (Bone Spurs).
· Shuts down Americas USAID “PREDICT” program, and other early warning agencies, before the outbreak that were tasked with raising the warning signals and executing response to a Pandemic outbreak: (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-administration-shuttered-pandemic-monitoring-program-then-scrambled-to-extend-it/ar-BB12sqxY?ocid=spartanntp) (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-team-failed-to-follow-nscs-pandemic-playbook/ar-BB11IjMW?ocid=spartanntp) (https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/nsc-pandemic-office-trump-closed/2020/03/13/a70de09c-6491-11ea-acca-80c22bbee96f_story.html) (https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/trump-disbanded-nsc-pandemic-unit-experts-praised-69594177)
· Blames international entities (WHO) for own self-induced failures: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/us-will-halt-funding-to-world-health-organization-over-coronavirus-response/ar-BB12Diws?ocid=spartanntp
· Leaves FEMA noticeably absent from the COVID-19 fight – Where’s the leadership: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fema-coronavirus-response/story?id=69683301
· Bodies crated, stacked, and buried in trenches off Hart Island of Manhattan – Fake News?: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/11/us/hart-island-coronavirus-burials/index.html
· Alienates a cornerstone of American National Security – American Allies (Self Evident)
· Shameful respect for troops: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/10/trump-baltics-balkans-mixup-le-monde-belleau-cemetery-paris
· Wall – Where do I start with that?
· Eviscerates American diplomacy apparatus (Self Evident - ask any State Department Diplomat or previous Trump SECSTATE -Rex Tillerson)
· Presides over worst unemployment in a generation – since Great Depression (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU5bck4gKS4)
· Presides over economic collapse and worst unemployment in a generation (https://www.thebalance.com/fundamentals-of-the-2020-market-crash-4799950) (https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-dow-is-on-pace-for-its-worst-month-since-the-great-depression-but-heres-why-all-hope-isnt-lost-amid-the-coronavirus-stock-rout-2020-03-21) (https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/the-us-has-lost-nearly-all-jobs-gained-since-the-great-recession/ar-BB12IRLa?ocid=spartanntp)
· Claims the powers of a dictator: (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/some-republicans-join-backlash-over-trumps-claim-of-total-authority-over-coronavirus-response/ar-BB12Clfl?ocid=spartanntp), (https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/14/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-press-conference/index.html) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OSwLSFow6k)
· Is on the wrong side of environmental history (relaxing pollution standards): (https://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-to-rollback-obama-era-standards-that-encouraged-automakers-to-produce-electric-vehicles-2020-03-31?mod=mw_quote_news)
· Preoccupied with ego and self-promotion in the middle of a crisis (Name on checks): https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/in-unprecedented-move-treasury-orders-trumps-name-printed-on-stimulus-checks/ar-BB12DsbB?ocid=spartandhp
· Added July 22, 2020: President Trump once again abusing his position to hawk Goya products from the Oval Office - once again behaving above the intent of the law to not abuse government property and position for personal gain: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donald-trump-goya-beans/
· Added July 22, 2020: President Trump abuses the intent of his position to use pardon power to “right” clear miscarriages of justice, instead commutes the sentence of a political ally, Roger Stone, proven to have committed felonies by a legitimate jury: https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-07-10/trump-pardons-roger-stone
· Added July 22, 2020: President does not “get” the value in preserving the peoples relationship with our military personal - erodes credibility by deploying riot control officers in military camouflage uniforms: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/pentagon-esper-concerned-about-law-enforcement-officers-wearing-military-garb/ar-BB1717Hp
· Added December 16, 2020: President’s watch: More dead Americans in last 7 months than total combat fatalities in WWII: More Americans have now died from Covid-19 than the number of US soldiers killed during World War II (businessinsider.co.za)
· Added December 20, 2020: President “Defeated” Trump continues to attack American democracy about winning November’s election even after the electoral college has certified Biden as the winner in 50 separate elections in 50 States, after scores of defeated lawsuits in multiple states determined there was no voter fraud sufficient to change the election outcome, after the Supreme Court determined Trump legal claims were meritless, and yet, Republican Senators, such as Senator Mike Lee, remain quiet as they watch American Democracy under attack and do nothing. I wonder, what are the government’s contingency plans if Trump’s efforts to incite civil upheaval and unrest get traction? Why are the republicans enabling this to continue without speaking out? Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell won’t step up and compel Republican Senators to step forward and uniformly denounce the President’s behavior because he’s afraid of squeezing a trigger of social unrest he can’t step back from. I say that’s weak. The Senate should do exactly that and condemn in the clearest manner President Trump’s corrosive behavior that’s undermined the efficacy of America’s democracy and institutions: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/twitter-updates-disclaimers-on-trump-election-tweets-to-reflect-the-fact-that-joe-biden-is-the-winner-of-the-presidential-election/ar-BB1c51df?ocid=spartan-dhp-feeds
And so, this message from Dr. Fouchi sums is up: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fauci-earlier-social-distancing-measures-obviously-would-have-saved-more-lives/ar-BB12w8xH?ocid=spartanntp
Folks, is this the kind of leadership “YOU” support – the same leadership Senator Mike Lee supports?
Vote Utah Bull Moose Party in 2022 for a better lead, more ethical Congress that focuses on “Doing-the-Right-Thing.
COL Michael “Mike” Seguin
U.S. Army – Retd
Candidate for U.S. Senate – November 2022