Glorious run this morning with temperature in the low 60s and sun all over the place when I set out at 6:15. The route took me from my home in Portland's Sunnyside neighborhood west to Hawthorne Bridge, then south to Tillikum and across the Willamette River, north along the waterfront to the Steel Bridge, back over to the Eastside, down to Hawthorne, and home. Distance was nine miles and change, nudging me over 20 for the week, a modest accomplishment, nonetheless satisfying after a distressingly off-and-on winter and spring due to a series of minor, nagging injuries dating back to Thanksgiving and our onslaught of snow and ice in December and January. With four successive weeks without mishap in the books, I am cautiously optimistic about getting back to where I was last summer and fall.
The president and his minions have taken to wailing about alleged conflicts of interest within the team assembled by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. What they seem to have in mind is not so much conflict of interest as inherent bias deriving from political persuasion and affiliation. Carried to its logical conclusion the Trumpist principle would have it that only Republicans could conduct investigations into allegations of Republican misdeeds, while only Democrats could investigate Democrats, and Trump, his family, and associates could be investigated only by Republicans demonstrably loyal to the president. The outcome is absurd.
conflict of interest : a conflict between the private interests and the official responsibilities of a person in a position of trust (Merriam-Webster.com)
Conflict of interest arises when we have incentives that conflict with our professional duties and responsibilities in ways that cause harm to others and to society. (Conflict of Interest, Ethics Unwrapped)
Does Trump Have a Case Against Mueller?, Politico Magazine, July 21, 2017
Buster Bungle's Big Top, a novel by my old friend Chuck Oliveros, is now available in ebook form on Amazon. Under most circumstances I refrain from promoting anything on Amazon. For Chuck I make an exception.