a penny for the rich?

Michael Cohen

I may be alone, but I find something weird and galling about Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer and "fixer," creating a crowd-sourced fund to help him pay for all the legal help he has needed while trying (with some success) to fend off legal difficulties linked to tax evasion, among other things.

Trump's former personal lawyer owes at least $1.4 million to the IRS after pleading guilty Tuesday to tax evasion, campaign finance violations and bank fraud, and has racked up millions of dollars in debt. Because of his plea, he is being forced to give up his New York City taxi medallions, which have shrunk in value as Uber and Lyft shake the industry.

With his tailored suits as carefully stitched as his down-turned mouth, Cohen appears to be another high roller who feels he can ask those from whom he profited to support his gofundme page that seeks $500,000 to help pay off ... well, a lot of unpaid bills. He feels like a personification of the 2008 Wall Street meltdown in which large companies (you know, friends) were "too big to fail" and deserved a taxpayer bailout.

Well, if Cohen, as archly suggested, has the goods on a loud-mouthed president, there may be reason for unimaginative Democrats to line up and donate ... spill the beans, Mike-y! But of course people like Cohen seldom if ever really spill the beans: Today's enemy is tomorrow's friend.

I did hear on some news show that Cohen would never accept a pardon from the president.  A pardon, the report said, carries with it an admission of guilt. I don't know if that's true or not, but if it is, I can imagine Cohen's desire to hold onto his legal credentials and a relatively unblemished provenance to go with them.

The whole U.S. government, together with its seigneur handing out baubles to faithful retainers, feels a bit like the psychology that goes into casino construction. Among other things in the casino -- no clocks, no windows, and a labyrinthine construction determined to keep the customer within the confines of gaming ... and losing.

A gofundme page for the casinos, anyone?