Who is the real empty barrel?

Last week’s news brought a shocking revelation to those of us that put our trust and hope into one man—General John Kelly.  We trusted General Kelly to protect us from an unhinged President.  Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) had previously told us that General Kelly and two other officials in Trump’s White House were the men that stood between Trump and chaos in our country.  I believed him because our culture puts Generals on a pedestal and ingrains in us they are to be respected above most other humans.  Generals don’t lie.  Right?  Sadly, we learned last week that General Kelly is merely a human and being a 4-Star General does not make him less susceptible to the corruption of politics.

MYSELF AND many other Americans feel duped by General Kelly.  You should, too. We found out that he will lie for the President, and use the deaths of those killed in action, even his own son, to distract from the lies.  We have little hope that anyone is a buffer between Trump and chaos.  General Kelly diminished his credibility and Uncle Sam is crying.

WHILE CONGRESSWOMAN Fredrica Wilson (D-FL) was riding in the car with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson and his mother, Mrs. Johnson took a call from President Trump and placed the call on speaker phone.  Congresswoman Wilson reported that Trump said, “He knew what he signed up for but it hurts anyway.”  She and the family thought that was disrespectful.  Giving Trump the benefit of the doubt, it is not always what you say, but how you say it.  Instead of saying, “I’m sorry you misinterpreted what I said,” Trump crossed his arms and emphatically repeatedly said, “I never said those words.  She’s lying and I have proof.”

THE PROOF of who was lying was revealed when General Kelly took the podium in the briefing room.  He started the well-crafted speech by describing the entire process of what happens to a soldier killed in action, even how many times the body is packed in ice.  Why did he feel we needed that information, in that setting, if not to disarm and distract us emotionally to make us receptive to what other information he may impart?

KELLY STATED he told Trump those words are what his casualty officer, who was his best friend, told him when his son was killed.  That was confirmation that Trump lied; he obviously said those words.  Instead of saying Congresswoman Wilson told the truth, General Kelly castigated her for “listening in” on the “sacred” conversation between the widow and the President.  Listening to a phone call on speaker phone in a closed car is not sinister as Kelly would have you believe. 

KELLY DIDN’T stop there.  He proceeded to tell a whopper lie himself.  He said at the dedication of the new FBI building in Miami, Congresswoman Wilson bragged about lobbying President Obama to get the $20 million in funding to build the building.  He talked about how he and FBI agents were stunned.  He called her an “empty barrel,” meaning she didn’t have a brain. She was not even in Congress when the building was funded and if what General Kelly said was true, that would have been a sign she was an empty barrel.

HOWEVER, I know Kelly lied because I watched the video of Wilson’s speech made that day that was posted online by the Miami Sun Sentinel. From her comments, it appears she was the keynote speaker.  She was gracious in her effusive praise of the FBI, her colleagues, and the two FBI Agents for whom the building was named.  She only spoke of her role in the naming of the building for two FBI agents killed.  She told the story of how she became involved.  She was approached by the FBI who asked her help in getting legislation to name the building after the killed agents.  They told her it had to be done before the dedication service in four weeks, but they had been told it would take seven months to a year to get that legislation passed.  She said she went into attack mode and got it done before the ceremony, giving credit to all who helped her.  She gave a moving eulogy to the fallen agents and received a standing ovation. That’s a good story and entirely appropriate and common for a Congress person to speak of their role in an accomplishment.  If it’s not appropriate, we have a legislative body of nothing but empty barrels.  Kelly’s version begs the question, “Who is the real empty barrel?”  Remember, Kelly works for a man who is not only an empty barrel, but an empty suit.

IN THE movies, it’s always the General/Colonel that is being subversive.  There’s a reason for that.  Americans never suspect a General because of the ingrained respect we have for them, and it provides a shocking ending to provide a “wow” moment.

WHEN ASKED by a reporter about the false statement Kelly made about Congresswoman Wilson, Trump’s spokesperson, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, responded to the reporter, “If you want to go after General Kelly that is up to you.  If you want to get in a debate with a 4-Star Marine General, that would be highly inappropriate!”   As I said, “It’s Ingrained.”  I rest my case.