Judy Malinowski may testify at the trial of her alleged killer. Her murder resulted from an attack outside a gas station near Columbus, Ohio, in 2015.

Police said they received multiple reports that a woman was on fire in a parking lot. Witnesses say Malinowski and her boyfriend, Michael Slager, were arguing. Slager appeared to douse Malinowski with gasoline and then lit a cigarette causing Malinowski to burst into flames.

Upon arrival, police found Malinowski unable to speak, suffering from severe burns. Her body was covered in powdered chemical residue from a fire extinguisher.

Malinowski did not immediately succumb to her injuries. Instead, she survived about 700 days with third and fourth degree burns over 80 percent of her body. She endured 52 surgeries and nearly two years in a hospital. She died in January 2017 leaving behind two young daughters.

She left something else behind as well. She left behind her testimony, under oath and subject to cross-examination to be used at Slager’s trial for murder.

Although Malinowski was preparing to testify by video during Slager’s trial for assault and arson, Slager short-circuited that plan when he entered a no-contest plea to felonious assault and aggravated arson. A judge sentenced Slager to a maximum 11 years in prison.

Malinowski wasn’t through and neither was Franklin County prosecutor Ron O’Brien. O’Brien sought permission to perpetuate Malinowski’s testimony. Her condition was not improving and her death was imminent.

The Sixth Amendment to the United State Constitution requires that an individual charged with a crime have the opportunity to confront the witnesses against him.

Confrontation means the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses. In our adversarial system cases are decided by juries or judges who have to make decisions about the credibility or believability of witnesses. The best way to make that evaluation is to test the memory and veracity of witnesses.

In Malinowski’s case there was no charge of murder because she was still alive. However, when she died the state could go back and charge Slager with murder even though he already pleaded guilty to a crime involving the same conduct.

The Double Jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment only protects defendants from twice being tired for the same offense. Although the conduct that brought about her injuries was the same conduct that brought about her death, the elements of each crime are different.

In 2004, the United States Supreme Court decided Crawford v. Washington which has had a significant impact on the admissibility of victim statements in court proceedings when the victim is unavailable or unwilling to testify. In Crawford, the suspect was arrested and tried for assault and attempted murder of his wife.

The victim refused to testify. The prosecution attempted to use statements that she made to officers after her husband was arrested. The Supreme Court held that the Confrontation Clause bars the government from introducing statements at trial against a person without calling the maker of the statement, and providing the defendant the opportunity to cross examine the that person.

Here is where Slager’s case is different. Slager’s attorney had the opportunity to cross-examine Malinowski while Slager watched the deposition on close-circuit television. Slager had the opportunity to confront his accuser.

An Ohio judge will soon decide if Malinowski’s testimony can be used at the trial of the man accused of murdering her. The stakes are high. Prosecutor O’Brien is seeking the death penalty. Although Malinowski’s testimony meets the standards of the Confrontation Clause, there were no charges pending against Slager when the deposition was taken.

Regardless of the outcome, Malinowski’s legacy of courage is clear. Her tenacity to stand-up to her killer is unprecedented. The Ohio legislature has acknowledged as much, her ordeal is the impetus for Ohio’s “Judy’s Law,” which increases penalties for those who maim and disfigure their victims.

Matthew T. Mangino is of counsel with Luxenberg, Garbett, Kelly & George P.C. You can reach him at www.mattmangino.com and follow him on Twitter @MatthewTMangino.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Will woman’s testimony be used to prosecute her alleged killer?

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Not the Baker School I remember

The Crestview Area Shelter for the Homeless is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to offering services for the homeless and those in need.

The former parsonage behind First United Methodist Church houses this ministry, named Helping Hands. Helping Hands opened in April 2015 and provides services such laundry, showers, lunch; clothing; blankets, bedrolls, tents; backpacks, when available, and a bicycle ministry that refurbishes and loans bicycles to those in need.

The organization also offers the homeless assistance with:

•Medical services, prescriptions and transportation to doctor's appointments

•Help with obtaining identification or driver's licenses

•Filing for birth certificates

•Veteran's benefits

•Filing for Supplemental Security Income disability

•Social Security information

•On-site assistance for the

•Bus ticket information to help people return home

•Housing applications

•Job applications, job referrals, clothing for interviews

•Bridgeway Center assistance for those interested in drug detoxification and Alcoholics Anonymous

Hours at the Helping Hands center are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, and 1-4 p.m. Wednesday and Friday at 428 McLaughlin St., Crestview. Food stamp assistance hours are 9a .m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Friday.

This facility also serves as a cold night shelter for an average of 10 to 11 people when the temperature falls below 40 degrees.

Currently several Crestview churches offer soup kitchens for the homeless. Locations include:

•Monday, Central Baptist, 951 Ferdon Blvd. S, 682-5525.

•Tuesday, Our Savior Lutheran, 178 North Ave., 682-3154

•Wednesday, LifePoint, 400 Ferdon Blvd. S, 682-3518

•Thursday, Community of Christ, 398 First Ave. W, 682-7474

•Friday, First Presbyterian Church, 492 Ferdon Blvd. N, 682-2835

•Saturday First United Methodist, 599 8th Ave., 682-2018

Donations are needed for this vital ministry. Crucial operating funds are needed for utilities, supplies, medical care, prescriptions, bus tickets, and housing costs.

Checks can be made out to "Crestview Area Shelter for the Homeless" and mailed to 428 McLaughlin Ave., Crestview, FL 32536, or dropped off when the shelter is open.

Additionally, there is a critical need for blue jean shorts for men in sizes 28 to 36. Gently used clothing for both men and women are always needed, in all sizes. Blue jeans, shirts, slacks, women's tops and shorts, socks, shoes and new boxers are also appreciated.

Used bikes are also always needed and volunteers are always welcome.

Call 398-5670 to help.

Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: More about the homeless nonprofit in Crestview

So, two Corinthians and a porn star walk into a bar …

Stop me if you’ve heard this one.

During a recent TV interview, the Rev. Robert Jeffress, a mega-church pastor from Dallas, declared that he didn’t give two shekels, so to speak, about revelations the president had an affair with a porn star then paid her $130,000 right before the 2016 election to keep quiet.

It was in keeping with some evangelicals’ (mostly men) carte blanche defense of Trump’s uncharitable behavior and statements — from the “Access Hollywood” scandal to his constant name-calling and bullying on Twitter as president of the United States.

But it isn’t in keeping with Christianity’s roots as a trouble-making, world-shaking faith that is supposed to challenge rulers not enable them.

If you’ve positioned yourself as a religious leader, isn’t your first obligation to that which you espouse?

Miracle of mulligans

Because some evangelicals have convinced themselves that Trump shares their values, he’s gotten mulligans that seem to multiply like loaves and fishes.

The same people who would have stoned Barack Obama in his tan suit had he paid a porn actress hush money didn’t blink or blanch at Trump’s declaration during the campaign that he has not necessarily felt the need to ask God for forgiveness — the very foundation of the faith.

But it really isn’t about Donald Trump. He is who he is, and we’re all hypocrites in some measure or another.

The difference is most of us know it.

The larger problem is an unwillingness of some religious leaders to do what they’re being paid for, namely to tell the truth “though the heavens fall.”

But truth gets us pushed outside of the tent. Saying that habitual lying is wrong, no matter who does it, is not how you get invited back to the Oval Office.

Such willful blindness instead has been couched in a victim mentality by which some Christians have convinced themselves the church is being attacked because of their beliefs.

And it isn’t only Christians. While it is tempting to relegate Minister Louis Farrakhan to “Grandpa Simpson yells at cloud” status, his creaky anti-Semitism and ridiculous claims that Jews secretly run the FBI can’t be ignored, not when words can encircle the world in a click.

Such demagoguery puts people in harm’s way.

The first Christians, by the way, weren’t martyred because they believed in Jesus. The Roman Empire included hundreds of deities; they couldn’t have cared less. The early church was attacked and martyred because its members publicly declared their first allegiance was to Jesus, not to Caesar.

Loved after death

That meant telling the empire the truth about itself, its injustices, abuses and greed, and its subjugation of weaker nations and their people.

It’s what real prophets do, and why no one likes them.

Jesus himself is proof that everyone loves you once you’re dead. In life, his most ardent followers were the poor and powerless, not the religious leaders who had everything to lose.

For every Christian celebrity like the Rev. Paula White and Jerry Falwell, there are millions of clergy who never will be featured on cable news nor do lunch at Mar-A-Lago. They are overworked and underpaid, and news about their good works rarely makes it beyond the neighborhoods and parishes they serve.

Some people are floating the theory the Rev. Billy Graham’s death was a prophetic sign, though his being 99 more likely had something to do with it.

Lost in all the accolades were Graham’s regrets over keeping quiet during the civil rights movement and for involving himself in politics.

If Graham’s death was indeed a sign, it appears he got out just in time.

Reach Charita M. Goshay at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Religion’s ‘celebrities’ ignoring first obligation

Prison inmates age at an accelerated rate when compared to people living outside the prison walls. The health of a 50-year-old person in prison is comparable to the health of a 65-year-old. That is not a good thing, especially when you consider nearly every state and the federal government are seeing an increase in elderly prisoners.

According to The Pew Charitable Trust, in Virginia for instance, 822 state prisoners were 50 and over in 1990, about 4.5 percent of all inmates. By 2014, that number had grown to 7,202, or 20 percent of all inmates.

The aging population and increasing number of inmates with chronic health conditions in prisons have led states and the federal government to adopt measures that could result in the compassionate release of some of those prisoners.

Unfortunately, the release of ailing inmates has been anything but compassionate. Due to the slow and cumbersome nature of the process and high denial rates, many infirm and terminally ill inmates die waiting on decisions.

According to a recent investigation by The Marshall Project and the New York Times, from 2013 to 2017, the Federal Bureau of Prisons approved six percent of the 5,400 applications for compassionate release, while 266 inmates who applied died in custody awaiting a decision.

Congress created compassionate release as a way to release certain inmates, such as the terminally ill, when it becomes "inequitable" to keep them in prison any longer. Supporters view the program as a humanitarian measure and a sensible way to reduce health care costs for ailing and elderly inmates who pose little risk to public safety, reported the Times.

In 1984, the federal government abolished parole. Instead of indeterminate sentences, with a minimum and maximum, the feds adopted determinate sentencing or a flat sentence of specific duration. After abolishing parole, according to the Times, Congress created compassionate release as a safety valve, giving judges the power to retroactively cut sentences short in "extraordinary and compelling" circumstances.

A 2015 study entitled "The United States Compassionate and Geriatric Release Laws," found of the 50 states, District of Columbia and federal government 47 have some legal procedure or precedent for incarcerated people or their families to petition for early release based on advanced age or health. Only five corrections systems — Illinois, Massachusetts, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah — do not have statutory schemes for early release.

California is one of those states with compassionate release. Inmates who are terminally ill and have six months or less to live, or those inmates who are incapacitated or in a vegetative state and require 24-hour skilled nursing care, are eligible.

According to the Monterey Bay Justice Project, during a period of 12 months between 2016 and 2017, in California's only correctional hospice unit, 53 qualified inmates applied for compassionate release. "We had six granted but some died before release," said Reverend Keith Knauf, director of Pastoral Care in the Hospice Unit.

The failure to utilize compassionate release to its full potential has particular importance today.

The U.S. prison population continues to age — the number of prisoners age 55 or older has more than doubled, while at the same time the overall prison population has declined by three percent.

At the same time, older prisoners generate about three to nine times the cost of younger prisoners, as national prison costs have exceeded more $80 billion a year.

Compassionate release is not only economically sound it is morally the right thing to do. Terminally ill, handicapped and infirm inmates are generally not a threat to society and although they have been convicted of a crime they are entitled to some dignity as they, and their families, deal with the anguish of failing health and the end of life.

Matthew T. Mangino is of counsel with Luxenberg, Garbett, Kelly & George P.C. You can reach him at www.mattmangino.com and follow him on Twitter @MatthewTMangino.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Few prisoners benefit from compassionate release

Every bad political idea starts with a false premise. The "Affordable Care Act" lie, that we had an awful health care system and government could fix it and save families "$2,500 a year," spawned the ObamaCare disaster. 

The Bush-era intelligence agencies' fibs were that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and we had to stop him. Thousands of lives and countless wounded later, we rule the rubble after our $1 trillion social studies lesson. With that lie and post-9/11 hysteria came the Patriot Act, which sacrificed freedoms (not patriotic).  It created the TSA ("Thousands Standing Around"), the Department of Homeland Security, and the FISA court spying on U.S. citizens. Result: the Mueller Witch Hunt.  

A liberal, a conservative and a libertarian walk into a bar and the bartender says, "What will you have, President Trump?" Displaying his liberal side, Trump agreed this week to consider stricter gun controls and yielded to the pandering populist economic idea of tariffs. Welfare reform might be next. The difference between a welfare beneficiary and a tariff?  If you held a gun to both their heads, the welfare queen might work. 

Tariffs go against GOP doctrine. The southern evangelicals quickly forgave Trump for cavorting with porn star Stormy Daniels since the economy is roaring and they are getting raises.  But if Wal-Mart raises the price of a bass boat because of his aluminum tariffs, the honeymoon might be over. 

Americans still love Trump’s border wall and immigration policy. We are tired of Guatemalans coming to America and taking the low-paying jobs of our Mexicans. We did not fight the Civil War for this; our nation fought it to determine forever that slaves would no longer do the menial jobs in America and that illegal immigrants would. 

But Trump continues to defy conventional wisdom of "the body politic," which would say he’d be dead by now. He’s the Keith Richards of politics. The reason? Poly-tics defines Washington D.C. by meaning "many ticks." Trump is rich; he is not beholden to the GOP, NRA or any predetermined dogma. He comes to D.C. with no ticks on him, if you don’t count Jared Kushner. America loves that. 

Trump’s tariffs have also angered our allies. The UK Prime Minister released an official statement that they were "very disappointed," harsh language for the Brits. "Very Disappointed" is their highest security threat level and punishment for terrorist bombers, right ahead of "Tsk, tsk," and "Blimey." 

A casualty of the tariff debate was free-trader Gary Cohn. I worked with Gary at Goldman Sachs, and Trump lost a good man. Trump had tariff advocate and White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro battle it out with Gary Cohn in his office, "The Apprentice"-style. He likes that "team of rivals" approach. Let two people like Omarosa and Gary Busey compete and you get the best outcome. Next, Trump plans to put a humidifier and a de-humidifier in his office and let them battle it out. And that, my friends, will determine our humidity going forward. 

Tariffs like this one, favoring some U.S. industries over others, are crony capitalism and an industrial swing-state political ploy. Tariffs are more popular in Wisconsin than Aaron Rodgers jerseys. In some degree, steel tariffs have been imposed by every president since Nixon — and then adjusted. They are invariably kickbacks to unions and their executives at the expense of employees of other non-protected industries, and every consumer in America, because tariffs are inflationary. 

Trump’s risk is that protectionism, a fast-growing economy, and loss of cheap illegal immigrant labor are all inflationary. They can hurt; just ask Jimmy Carter. 

Many believe the Civil War was fought over the south’s secession after Abraham Lincoln imposed the Morrill Tariff Act of 1861. Slavery would have ended in due course, and the Civil War (and a half million American deaths) might have been avoided with diplomacy — and if South Carolinians at Ft. Sumter had not gotten jumpy and been so damn trigger happy. 

Yet, in a recent poll Lincoln was voted our best president ever (and probably their favorite car) by political science professors. College professors listed President Trump dead last: shocker! Lincoln fought unnecessary wars, bitterly divided our country along racial lines, provoked hatred from Democrats, imposed dangerous tariffs, and made a leading actor of the day want to kill him. So tell me, how was he much different from Trump?

Ron Hart is a libertarian op-ed humorist and award-winning author. Contact him at Ron@RonaldHart.com or @RonaldHart on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Tariffs Cost Americans Money and They Seldom Work

Why are there so many distracted drivers in Crestview?  In the last few weeks I have seen numerous drivers run red lights, stop signs, drive well above the posted speed limit, not use their turn signals, make illegal and dangerous lane changes, as well as texting and driving. Why? Is getting to one's destination a few minutes earlier really worth it? What if one is in a car accident or gets stopped for a speeding or reckless driving ticket? That will take a lot more time than waiting for that red light to turn green, or stopping for that stop sign. I almost feel like I'm back in Los Angeles with the lack of respect to the other drivers on the road, as well as the law.

Some of the recklessness I have observed is quite blatant and involves aggressive driving, which can lead to road rage. I watched a driver pass on the two lane portion of SR 85 between Crestview and Laurel Hill, against two solid yellow lines and almost get into a head on collision due to his carelessness. The running of red lights I have observed wasn't someone that began on a yellow light that turned red, these were red lights that were just ignored, I have seen several people turn right on a red light, without even slowing down, much less stopping. 

Another concern is students getting out of school, or off the school bus and walking in groups in the middle of the road and refusing to move for vehicles. This is quite dangerous because it only takes one distracted driver to hit them. No responsible driver would do something like that on purpose, but we've all been distracted while driving, changing the radio station, talking to a passenger, looking another direction and so forth.  Since the consequences could be deadly, please speak with your children about staying on the side of the road, while it may seem funny to block the road, it could potentially have life-threatening consequences.

We are all in a hurry and traffic can be frustrating, but we need to slow down and pay attention to our driving, the life we may save might be our own or one of our loved ones.

Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Safe Driving Practices

Why are there so many distracted drivers in Crestview? In the last few weeks I have seen numerous drivers run red lights, stop signs, drive well above the posted speed limit, not use their turn signals, make illegal and dangerous lane changes, as well as texting and driving.

Why? Is getting to one's destination a few minutes earlier really worth it?

What if one is in a car accident or gets stopped for a speeding or reckless driving ticket? That will take a lot more time than waiting for that red light to turn green, or stopping for that stop sign. I almost feel like I'm back in Los Angeles with the lack of respect to the other drivers on the road, as well as the law.

Some of the recklessness I have observed is quite blatant and involves aggressive driving, which can lead to road rage. I watched a driver pass on the two-lane portion of State Road 85 between Crestview and Laurel Hill, against two solid yellow lines. He almost got into a head-on collision due to his carelessness.

The running of red lights I have observed wasn't someone that began on a yellow light that turned red. These were red lights that were just ignored. I have seen several people turn right on a red light without even slowing down, much less stopping.

Another concern is students getting out of school or off the school bus. Some of them walk in groups in the middle of the road and refuse to move for vehicles.

This is quite dangerous, because it only takes one distracted driver to hit them. No responsible driver would do something like that on purpose, but we've all been distracted while driving, changing the radio station, talking to a passenger, looking another direction and so forth.

Since the consequences could be deadly, please speak with your children about staying on the side of the road when walking out there. While it may seem funny to block the road, it has potentially life-threatening consequences.

We are all in a hurry and traffic can be frustrating, but we need to slow down and pay attention to our driving. The life we may save might be our own or one of our loved ones.

Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Safe driving — and walking — practices

Everyone seems to know just what is wrong with our schools. It reminds me of the first time I agreed to umpire a little league baseball game. That is when I came to the realization that every mother sitting down behind third base could call balls and strikes better than I could from behind home plate. With every newspaper article on test scores, just watch the fingers begin to point. 

All of us know the story. Students from Germany, Japan, and other countries continually rank above us on math and science standardized tests. Further, no matter how much money we throw at the problem and which new broom we use, (No Child Left Behind) our students do not seem to show significant progress. 

Logic requires that we examine the factors that make up the U.S. educational plan. 

These include facilities, supplies and materials, supervision, teachers, and length of school year and day, (ie. time on task). 

Who has better or more school facilities than we have? In many countries they meet their classes in a nearby church, in the basement of a police station, or under a tree in the front yard of a teacher's home. You should see the facilities that pass for schools in much of India and Sri Lanka where my wife and I lived for a time. Who has more up-to-date textbooks or supplies and materials than we do? In these important areas we would rank an undisputed number one. 

The same holds true for supervision. We have more principals, curriculum supervisors, personnel handlers, etc. per teacher and per pupil than are available in the schools of any other country. Here too, we rank number one. 

How about teacher-student ratio? Across the U.S. the student-teacher ratio averages around 17-1, with some a little higher and some a bit lower. The ratios are much higher in virtually all other countries. Only England and Germany are close to us with ratios in the mid-20's. 

How about teacher preparation? The primary degree for teaching in all current and former U.K. countries such as England, India, South Africa, etc. is a three year bachelor's degree. In much of Asia, it is a 2-year degree. One cannot teach in the public schools of the U.S. without at least a bachelor's (4-year) degree and almost half of our teachers have master's degrees (5 years of preparation). There is no question that U.S. teachers rank number one in preparation for teaching our young people. 

That leaves only one factor, time on task. Unfortunately, the U.S. ranks well down the list of all industrialized nations in the time students attend school. Most schools in the U.S. are set up for 180 teaching days. By contrast, Japan has students in school 225 days and Germany 223. Korea matches Japan but most students take additional classes on Saturday running their "time on task" considerably higher. You do the math. Japan, Germany, and Korea all have students in school the equivalent of an additional two months each year as compared to our young people. Forty additional days of instruction for 12 years computes out to two full years more instruction than our students receive. Why shouldn't their test scores be higher? 

Is solving our student productivity problem and getting test scores headed upward as simple as increasing "time on task?" Let's hope it is. That would mean we don't have to build more schools, hire more teachers, or buy more text books. We just need to give our well trained, highly motivated teachers more time with their students. If we want to match Germany and Japan we will need to add an additional two months to our school year. Any production line supervisor at a factory could have told us the key is "more time on task." 

Next week: Using test scores to compare productivity.

Dr. Mark L. Hopkins writes for More Content Now and the Anderson Independent-Mail in South Carolina. He is past president of colleges and universities in four states. Contact him at presnet@presnet.net.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Fixing American Education: Evaluating education factors

When you grow up in Columbia, Tennessee, the "Mule Capital of the World,"  you end up knowing a lot about mules. One thing you are told early is that you learn nothing new  from the second kick of a mule.

Somehow the legacy media do not get that as it relates to their favorite daytime TV game, "Get Trump." They keep trying to "get him" the way the media in the past have always gotten and destroyed politicians: with salacious innuendo, outright slander and yes, in the case of Trump, embarrassing facts. This doesn’t work for Trump, but they haven't figured that out. America sent Trump to D.C. to be a disrupter, drain the swamp, and give noogies to the biased media.

The media are on their 50^th kick by this Trump mule, yet they continue. They have become Wile E. Coyote to his Road Runner. Their view is so transparent; who needs facts when you have already reached your conclusions? Unlike Romney, McCain and Bush, who tried to smile through the backstabbing by the media, Trump hits back.

Old media rules don’t apply to this president, maybe because we hate and distrust the media worse than we do Trump. It’s fun to watch. It reminds me of what Ogden Nash once said, "In the world of mules, there are no rules."

What it comes down to is that Americans are not angry, arrogant, condescending elitists like the mainstream media. We are more like Donald Trump: imperfect, un-PC. We have common sense. We see through BS and are indelicate in matters of importance.

You know that The Donald is bulletproof when a few porn stars and strippers come out of the woodwork saying they slept with him while he was married and the story is relegated to page 5 of newspapers. Trump’s personal lawyer told The New York Times he sent money to Stormy Daniels before the election, but that there was never an affair. I’d like to have such a loyal attorney, one who just likes handing $135,000 to miscellaneous porn stars — you know, like lawyers do. In yet another first, Trump actually paid a porn star to keep her mouth closed.

Trump has weathered Billy Bush's (who got a raw deal) Access Hollywood tapes and all else the left has thrown at him. America longs for a Rat Pack-like manly man, unapologetic for his manhood. I even liked Bill Clinton, but now that they have painted themselves into this hyper-sensitive "#MeToo" hysteria, Dems have decided to keep Bill Clinton off the campaign trail in 2018.  This is their mistake, because Bill is the only person in the Democrat ranks that makes them seem likable and human.

Michelle and Barack Obama had some strange artists do their portraits for the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. The paintings are to be hung next to Bill Clinton’s, which security guards have to watch each night because his portrait keeps trying to get up on Jackie Kennedy’s.  It is interesting how Bill Clinton came out more popular than ever after being caught in his various dalliances.  Hillary emerged looking bad because of the way she attacked Bill's women.  Trump even called her a "nasty woman" during the campaign for doing that.  Say what you will about Trump, he treated his mistresses well, and even had the common decency to marry them all.

The left is so spun around by their Trump Derangement Syndrome that they look silly. California Rep. Adam Schiff, a man drawn to any camera he sees for an arrogant remark, got snookered by two Russian radio shock-jocks pretending to be Ukrainian officials. They said they had nude pics of Trump with prostitutes. Not knowing, Schiff colluded with them to get the pictures and ended up looking like a hypocritical dope. What amazes me about the leading Democrat spokespeople of recent years, Anthony Weiner, Debra Blabbermouth Schultz and now Adam Schiff, is that they can go from one humiliation to another without any loss of enthusiasm.

I didn’t vote for Trump but, like most Americans, I like his policies. Yes, he is a  bombastic egotist at times, but it's entertaining. We know what he is saying.  And with the deep state after him, he has exposed Washington for the self-serving cesspool that it is.

So, Trump is our mule. He ain’t no Moscow mule.  A mule is also called an ass, and Trump may be that too. But he is our ass.

Ron Hart is a libertarian op-ed humorist and award-winning author. Contact him at Ron@RonaldHart.com or @RonaldHart on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Trump: The Mule Washington Cannot Tell What To Do