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The politics of health and financial disclosures

18 Sep 2016 - Preaching the News for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Accountability for a steward accused of dishonesty is the theme of this Sunday’s gospel: The steward is ordered by his employer to “prepare a full account” of his stewardship. Voters are calling both presidential candidates to account this week on medical and financial issues as disclosure and trustworthiness emerge as a key theme of the presidential election. Health has suddenly vaulted to prominence in the race between the oldest pair of presidential nominees in history. And both reacted as they typically do, say commentators—Donald Trump with the misdirection, flair, and controversy of a reality-television reveal, and Hillary Clinton with a reluctant document release Wednesday following days of growing demands. Neither has circulated the type of detailed and extensive medical records that voters have come to expect in a modern campaign. A new letter from Clinton’s doctor, Lisa Bardack, explained the pneumonia diagnosis that prompted the candidate to pause campaigning this week and otherwise offered mostly the same information about Clinton’s health that Bardack shared in a letter more than a year ago. The new letter says the physician has evaluated Clinton several times since she nearly collapsed Sunday after becoming overheated, dehydrated, and dizzy during a Sept. 11 memorial event in New York City, and that her overall health is fine. Trump, 70, has been eager to raise questions about Clinton’s health, frequently questioning her strength and stamina on the campaign trail. But his disclosures have been even less specific. In December, he provided a much-ridiculed letter, drafted in just five minutes by his physician, Dr. Harold N. Bornstein. He declared that Trump, if he wins, would be the “healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.” After Clinton left the campaign trail to recuperate from pneumonia, Trump said he had taken a physical exam last week and planned to release the results this week. But the plan for releasing the results was chaotic. Trump scheduled a taping of The Dr. Oz Show for Wednesday, suggesting he would discuss the results there. Dr. Mehmet Oz, whose promotion of products and unfounded advice has made him controversial in the medical community, also promoted the show with that in mind, saying in a Fox radio interview that he planned to ask Trump pointed questions. But just before Wednesday’s taping, Trump’s staff tried to downplay expectations, saying that he would instead discuss broader health topics and that Trump’s exam results would be released later. On the financial front, a close examination by Newsweek of the Trump Organization, including confidential interviews with business executives and some of its international partners, reveals an enterprise with deep ties to global financiers, foreign politicians, and even criminals, although there is no evidence the Trump Organization has engaged in any illegal activities. It also reveals a web of contractual entanglements that could not be just canceled. If Trump moves into the White House and his family continues to receive any benefit from the company, during or even after his presidency, the report claims, almost every foreign policy decision he makes will raise serious conflicts of interest and ethical quagmires. The Trump Organization is not like the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, the charitable enterprise that has been the subject of intense scrutiny about possible conflicts for the Democratic presidential nominee. There are allegations that Hillary Clinton bestowed benefits on contributors to the foundation in some sort of “pay to play” scandal when she was secretary of state, but that makes no sense because there was no “pay.” Money contributed to the foundation was publicly disclosed and went to charitable efforts, such as fighting neglected tropical diseases that infect as many as a billion people. The financials audited by Price Waterhouse Coopers, the global independent accounting company, and the foundation’s tax filings show that about 90 percent of the money it raised went to its charitable programs. (Trump surrogates have falsely claimed that it was only 10 percent and that the rest was used as a Clinton “slush fund.”) No member of the Clinton family received any cash from the foundation, nor did it finance any political campaigns. In fact, like the Clintons, almost the entire board of directors works for free. On the other hand, the Trump family rakes in untold millions of dollars from the Trump Organization every year. Much of that comes from deals with international financiers and developers, many of whom have been tied to controversial and even illegal activities. None of Trump’s overseas contractual business relationships examined by Newsweek were revealed in his campaign’s financial filings with the Federal Election Commission, nor was the amount paid to him by his foreign partners. Trump’s financial filings also indicate he is a shareholder or beneficiary of several overseas entities, including Excel Venture LLC in the French West Indies and Caribusiness Investments SRL, based in the Dominican Republic, one of the world’s tax havens. Trump’s business conflicts with America’s national security interests cannot be resolved so long as he or any member of his family maintains a financial interest in the Trump Organization during a Trump administration, or even if they leave open the possibility of returning to the company later, says Newsweek. The Trump Organization cannot be placed into a blind trust, an arrangement used by many politicians to prevent them from knowing their financial interests; the Trump family is already aware of who their overseas partners are and could easily learn about any new ones. Lessons drawn from the readings Jesus drops some profoundly simple wisdom into this Sunday’s gospel story of the wily steward: “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.” It is incumbent upon voters to look closely at the record of candidates for high office. “The devil is in the details,” as the saying goes. Final thought in light of the news Great leadership demands great integrity. The key decisions any leader will face are grounded in moral and ethical questions: Is it right to go to war? To what budget should scarce dollars be allocated—education or defense? Who should get a tax break and who should pay more? Who do you trust to answer these questions with integrity—and why?

donald trump hillary clinton stewardship presidential candidates health medical records politics presidential election
A national time of transition and trial

13 Nov 2016 - Preaching the News for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

The people ask Jesus for guidance in times of trial in this Sunday’s gospel. He warns them, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them!” While Donald Trump’s supporters are rejoicing in the wake of his stunning presidential victory, those who opposed him fear the nation has been misled and that a time of trial lies ahead for a sharply divided country. The American political establishment, as well as a good portion of the electorate, was reeling from shock of the electoral outcome—predicted by few polls or pundits—as leaders in both parties began coming to grips with four years of President Donald J. Trump in the White House, a once-unimaginable scenario that has now plunged the United States and its allies and adversaries into a period of unprecedented uncertainty about the policies and impact of a Trump presidency. President Obama, a longtime foe of Trump’s, and Hillary Clinton, the president-elect’s vanquished opponent, held separate news conferences Wednesday to urge people to put aside whatever bruised feelings and disappointment they have and come together for the sake of the republic, and for the good of Trump’s presidency. Obama, addressing the nation from the Rose Garden, said he had called Trump with congratulations and to invite him to meet at the White House on Thursday to discuss a smooth transition to the Trump administration. “We are all now rooting for his success in uniting and leading the country,” Obama said. “The peaceful transfer of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy. And over the next few months we are going to show that to the world.” Clinton, in her first remarks to supporters after the election, said that she hoped that Trump “will be a successful president for all Americans” and said she was “sorry that we did not win this election for the values we share and the vision we hold for our country.” “This is painful, and it will be for a long time,” Clinton said, standing beside her husband, former President Bill Clinton, in a tableau that underscored the end of a nearly 25-year era when the Clintons dominated American politics. Noting that the country was “more deeply divided than we thought,” Clinton added: “We must accept this result and look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president—we owe him an open mind and a chance to lead.” While her speech largely dealt with politics, Clinton choked back tears at times, and turned personal at one point. “To all the little girls who are watching this,” she said, “never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.” For millions of voters, a sense of excitement and even euphoria coursed from coast to coast as they celebrated the election of a true political outsider who had promised to reverse policies of the Obama administration and be a champion for “forgotten Americans.” But millions of others felt a sense of dread and even fear as they tried to fathom how Trump could win the presidency when so many polls suggested otherwise, and to prepare themselves for the consequences of a new leader who has no experience in government or world affairs. Anxiety was particularly deep among Hispanics, African Americans, Muslims, immigrants, women, and others who had felt disparaged or demonized by Trump, who at times used harsh and racially charged language in ways that upended mainstream politics. The very idea that Trump had been endorsed by a Ku Klux Klan newspaper—even if he rejected it—symbolized the sense of shock that he would now lead a vibrantly diverse democracy. Asked how they would feel about a Trump presidency, more than a third of Americans said they would be frightened, exit polls found. Among those who voted for Clinton, the feeling was almost unanimous and reflected a deep divide: 92 percent said Trump scared them. Elsewhere, the transition of power seemed to be unfolding in an orderly fashion. Word came from the Pentagon on Wednesday morning that Trump would be receiving the same classified intelligence briefings as the president. The defense secretary, Ashton B. Carter, issued a statement declaring that he was committed to an orderly passing of power to the next commander in chief. Not all were as accommodating in the streets, however. In cities from Boston to Los Angeles, thousands of demonstrators gathered Wednesday night in protest of election results that mean the billionaire real estate developer will be the next president. And vigils and protests against Trump spread from coast to coast early Thursday as crowds burned effigies of the president-elect, blocked highways, and warned of wider backlash—underscoring the difficult task Trump faces in uniting a fractured country. Despite Clinton and Obama urging their backers to accept Trump’s victory and support his transition into power, thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets decrying his crude comments about women and attacks on immigrants. Lessons drawn from the readings In Prepare the Word’s Sunday Summary we learn that in the first reading the "prophet predicts devastation but also promises justice and healing,” while the gospel suggests that “bad times are on the way. But the faithful have nothing to fear.” For believers, the lesson of the election comes down to placing our ultimate faith in a higher power than any president or politician. We can hope and work for the best of outcomes, but ultimately our destiny is in divine, not human, hands. Final thought in light of the news White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said President Obama called president-elect Trump from his private residence in the early hours of Wednesday to extend his congratulations and invite the Republican candidate to the White House Thursday. Earnest said the meeting would focus on the presidential transition and “what steps we can take as a country to come together after this hard-fought election season.” This is the question of the hour—what steps, if any, can bring the nation together now and in the months and years to come? How that question is answered will mark the road ahead for a troubled democracy in turbulent times.

donald trump politics presidential election divided country transition of power
Fact of the week

13 Nov 2016 - Preaching the News for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Eight in 10 self-identified white, born-again/evangelical Christians say they voted for Trump; Catholics also supported Trump over Clinton by a wide, 23-point margin, 60 percent to 37 percent. Pewresearch.org

donald trump presidential election evangelical christians
Looking back on a year of success, setback, and surprise

25 Dec 2016 - Preaching the News for the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas), Cycle A

The Book of Isaiah brings “glad tidings” this Christmas Day, while the psalmist speaks of “wondrous deeds.” On January 1, the Octave Day of Christmas, the gospel of Luke tells us that “all were amazed” by the news they heard from the shepherds. As the historical year draws to a close and salvation history begins anew, 2016 will be remembered on the international stage for breakthroughs such as the historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change as well as breakdowns such as the tragic Syrian civil war. On the domestic front, surprising levels of evangelical support contributed to Donald Trump’s presidential victory, and that support was voted the top religion story of the year. The most comprehensive international agreement ever to combat man-made climate change took effect November 4, less than a year after negotiators from more than 190 countries reached a final deal on the issue, a deed that many considered a wondrous breakthrough. The Paris Agreement commits participating countries to working to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and transparently reporting those results with the goal of keeping global temperature rise from pre-industrial levels below 2°C (3.6°F) by 2100. “This is our chance to set us on course toward a safer, more sustainable and more just future for all on a healthy planet,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said shortly before the milestone was reached. “Let us seize the moment and be true to the values and aims of our organizations.” The agreement represents a significant achievement for President Obama, who made addressing the issue on the international stage a top priority in his second term. In brief remarks from the White House in November, Obama called the achievement a “turning point for the planet.” The milestone was celebrated immediately by climate policy makers and advocates, but many pointed out that the deal is just a first step in addressing climate change. The Paris Agreement provides a framework for countries to develop and share their plans to address climate change, but scientists say the current plans fall short of the agreement’s target. The framework requires countries to reconsider their pledges every five years, hopefully to improve upon them, but experts say those improvements should start now given continued signs of accelerating global warming. Not all has been glad tidings on the international stage. The Syrian civil war looks to be entering a new phase after the fall of Aleppo, more than five years after the Arab Spring of 2011. The war gradually evolved into a complex set of overlapping conflicts that range from regional rivalry to religious conflict. President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Iran and Russia, is opposed by the Islamic State and a web of rebel groups that are believed to be funded by Sunni powers in Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf. The United States has so far chosen not to act except in opposition to the Islamic State, but with a change of administration looming, that stance may change. A study by the Syrian Center for Policy Research released in February 2016 estimated the death toll of the war to be 470,000, with 1.9 million wounded (reaching a total of 11.5 percent of the entire population either wounded or killed). As of March 2015, Al-Jazeera estimates 10.9 million Syrians, or almost half the population, have been displaced. Close to 4 million have been made refugees. And tragically, no resolution is in sight. On the domestic front, Religion News Association (RNA) reports that its member journalists were amazed by the support Donald Trump received from white evangelical Christians in his election as president of the United States. That support was voted the top religion story of 2016 in the RNA’s annual Top 10 Religion Stories of the Year Poll. Trump's election alarmed many on account of comments in which the president-elect vilified Muslims and illegal immigrants and in which white supremacists enthusiastically supported him. But others said they voted for the GOP candidate because of his stances against abortion and illegal immigration and in favor of gun rights and conservative judicial nominations, as well as concerns over the economy and terrorism. In the first reading on the Octave Day of Christmas, Moses is called to speak to the Israelites. The RNA’s “Religion Newsmaker of the Year” honors are shared between Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the Muslim Gold Star parents of U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan, who was killed in Iraq. The Khans were called upon to speak at the Democratic National Convention this July, where they denounced Trump's proposed ban on Muslims entering the country as unconstitutional. Members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, who gained national attention while protesting a pipeline route through what they consider sacred lands, received honorable mention. This marks the first time in four years that Pope Francis hasn't landed at the top of the newsmaker list. He was voted Newsmaker of the Year three consecutive years beginning in 2013. Francis, however, is still going strong as he celebrated his 80th birthday on December 17. He celebrated the milestone by sharing breakfast with eight homeless people in the Vatican before heading to Mass. Lessons drawn from the readings Perhaps the psalmist says it best on the Octave Day of Christmas: “May God bless us in his mercy. May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation.” Let us hope and pray that the world might learn the works of salvation and lay aside the works of destruction this coming year. Final thought in light of the news Perhaps our hope and our prayers will be enough to tip the balance toward justice and peace this coming year. As you rejoice, rest, and regroup for a new year over the holidays, spend some time reflecting on small ways you can help tip the balance toward good this coming year. None of us can do everything, but each of us can do something. Merry Christmas and happy New Year!

paris agreement climate change global warming syrian civil war donald trump Pope Francis