There has been so much talk, analysis, and criticism in the media about the indictment of Director James Comey and the appointments of President Trump’s personal lawyers to head U.S. Attorney’s offices (Lindsay Halligan in the Eastern District of Virginia and Alina Habba in the District of New Jersey).

When Mr. Comey was in power, he investigated people he believed to be wrongdoers and referred their cases to the prosecutors. Now the people he investigated, the president and his advisors among them, are in power, they investigated and now indicted him. Politically, his prosecution may not look good for the government, but legally, it is our cherished, normal American way of life.

The American Grand Jury can indict a ham sandwich? -Blame the grand jury institution not the prosecutors. The prosecutor in the case of Mr. Comey, a former insurance lawyer, has no prosecutorial experience? -Good for Mr. Comey as the case may not go past the U.S. District Court level. Prosecutors and lawyers read the same book, study the same case law and precedents. There is no reason why a lawyer cannot be a prosecutor.

These topics have taken so much writing and TV time, and the public is distracted from scrutinizing other matters in the news that may fundamentally affect our life: why does Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth summoned hundreds of generals to a meeting in Quantico with no agenda provided to them? Why does the government continue sending military forces to cities all over the country when there is no emergency requiring such deployments? Why does the president claim Portland is “war-ravaged” so he wants to send military troop there? Local leaders say it is “unnecessary”, and the city is “safe and calm”. Is it domestic war game or urban warfare exercise preparing the military for things to come?

Those are questions more important than whether a lawyer can act competently as a prosecutor.

JOHN P. LE PHONG                                                                                         (This article appears on X, Facebook, and thelephongjournal.com)

The U.S. Military struck Venezuela’s two boats, killing 14 people. What is the reaction of the Democrats: “We don’t know if it is legal”.

ICE men wrestle a Democratic U.S. senator to the ground at a rally because “he looked like one of them”. Democrats’ reaction: “we don’t know if it’s legal”.

The federal government moved military personnel into Los Angeles, then D.C., and soon Memphis, New Orleans, and Chicago. “We don’t know if it is legal”.

ICE men executed a raid on a Hyundai’s factory, arrested, handcuffed, detained many South Koreans who were working there legally. The Democrats’ reaction: a bewildered silence.

The government exerted tremendous pressure on the supposedly independent Federal Reserve to change its policies to its liking and now tries to fire one of its governors. “We don’t know if it is legal.”

So, what do you know?

That’s an indication of how weak the Democrats are. They have probably misunderstood politics and how it works in modern times.

After the shooting of a Democratic state senator seriously injuring him and his wife, the same man, a short while later, shot and killed a former Democratic Speaker of the House of Minnesota and her husband. The shooter was described by multiple sources as a Republican. The Democrats chose to play decent politicians and refused to take the low road of exacerbating the already muddy political water. They looked noble. They thought they were showing high-browed statesmanship – until they saw how MAGA Republicans reacted to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Witnessing his memorial in Arizona attended by 90,000 people in State Farm Stadium with a capacity of only 63,000, Democrats must have murmured “Eureka”: that was real politics. That’s how you take a bad situation and bend the wind to blow your way to the fullest without creating chaos. You must show passion and enthusiasm like when Vice President JD Vance heatedly blamed Governor Gavin Newsom for … the shooting at a Dallas ICE facility.

In a world where even moral principles and religious tenets do not sway the voting population let alone chivalry and gentlemanliness, what do you have to persuade people to vote for you but your passionate belief in what is right and what is wrong?

Politics in America is no longer about ideologies, or symbiosis living togetherness in a utopia. It is a cold chess game between two sides: Democrats versus Republicans, who have been extremely well organized and effectively pushed by MAGA. Any talk about values, ideologies, taking the country back, rampant immigration, etc. is only secondary. The first and most important task is to win the game and of course understand what it is and how to win it.

The game can be succinctly summarized in one word: money – how to accumulate it and how to use it. A Katana sword was a piece of metal to most of us, but in the hand of a Samurai, it was an effective weapon, winning battle after battle for their bosses. Money for most people is really good for a hamburger, a car, or a house. But in the hands of the financiers, it is the ultimate tool to control people and even countries because they control, totally, the financial system. Since J.P. Morgan, they have never loosened their grip on the money system, as differentiated from money itself, therefore their power on national and now world politics. Owners of billion-dollar companies don’t necessarily have any decisive say in this control system or are members of this exclusive club. Unfortunately for Democrats and probably Democracy itself, this Club seems to think that democratic norms and moral decency must now be set aside, and an American Monarchy or Oligarchy should replace it.

When people have power, they wield them until they meet a counter force. Uday Hussein would just stop his car in the street to snatch women at will. Horrible, but everyone knew he could do it in Iraq and nobody expected him to restrain himself from behaving abominably.

In a Democratic society, we take for granted that our check and balance mechanism works effectively to prevent such abuse of power. Democracy affords everyone freedom of speech, political rights, law and order, etc. But another function of utmost importance for Democracy and its defenders is to protect itself against attack not just from the outside but also from the inside. Democrats don’t seem to find an effective counterforce to protect themselves and Democracy from gradual but relentless attacks against them and the Democratic foundational institutions. They should have copied a few Republican down-to-earth tactics. Instead, they love their high horse and look ridiculous for being out of touch with American political reality.

The political game in the U.S. is played by two players, Democratic Party and Republican Party, both vying to outdo the other to gain power, and both staying or should have stayed vigilant against the other’s scheme to obtain absolute power. It was not like the Republicans stealthily came out of a shadow to take Washington. They have never hidden their agenda. They even published a manifesto, Project 2025. Given the American White Revolt, the Democrats may be afforded some leeway when they are judged against their total failure in 2024. But they should not escape their responsibility for not being diligent and skillful enough to detect the mood of the voting population and strategize accordingly.

The will of the people counts only in a Democracy as the effective force against abusive political behavior. If the people do not favor democratic virtues and institutions but support and welcome dictatorial behavior or even a dictatorship, it will be hard for the Democrats to survive with a humble life, let alone triumph. They should have thought, definitely with the aid of AI, of this possibility years ago, long before 2016. Now, they should not wait for the Republicans’ excesses to turn the people’s sentiment against them. They must come up with their own plan to win the hearts and minds of the people.

That plan must include a consideration that MAGA Republicans, assisted by the supposedly best AI, may have charted their way forward 50 years or even 100 years ahead of time, with a chapter detailing their anticipation of the Democrats’ planned actions and their own plan to preempt them..

JOHN P. LE PHONG

(This article appears in thelephongjournal.com, on Facebook, and X)

Carrozza stepped out of the limousine to face a young attendant in a black suit.

“Madame, please follow me.”

She turned to look at her luggage being piled neatly on a cart to make sure that her large skin care and makeup bag was among them.

“Thank you, young man.”

“You are welcome. The Chief Usher will be here at any moment. Oh, here she is.”

Chief Usher Betsy Adegoke formerly Betsy Freeman walked toward Carrozza with a broad smile in long and purposeful strides, “Welcome to the White House, Ms. Carrozza.”

Carrozza discreetly glanced around but did not see Aurora. Well, she said to herself, she is a busy high-ranking government official, she cannot run down the stairs to meet an old friend.

The Chief Usher clarified the matter, “The First Lady will return tomorrow. She is aware of your visit and has sent her greetings.”

“Where is she?”

Ten seconds had passed before Adegoke said, “I am not privy to the First Lady’s schedule. I was told only that she would return tomorrow. Would you please follow me?”

They took the elevator to the second floor. Adegoke went ahead to open the door to the Lincoln Bedroom. The free-spirited Ms. Carrozza had been silent since leaving the elevator. She was in awe: she was actually walking in the White House on the second floor where the president of the United States of America was living. She followed Adegoke through the door into the Lincoln Bedroom and felt her knees were about to buckle. The room, part of a guest suite that included a sitting room, was even larger than her sumptuous bedroom suite at her mansion in the Hamptons. It was redecorated by First Lady Laura Bush in exquisite taste with light brown patterned wallpaper, emerald and gold geometric designed carpet, rich silk brocatelle window hangings, and a cornice over the bed.

Adegoke’s voice woke her up from a daze, “The president has a cabinet meeting, and the First Lady is not in residence. You can have dinner outside. There are many gourmet restaurants in D.C. One of my staff can assist you with choosing a good one. Since you’ve just arrived, I suggest that you order your meal from the White House kitchen so you can have more time to relax and rest. The White House’s chef is one of the best in the country. It’s my opinion.”

“Thanks Betsy, I take your offer. I am sleeping in the White House, why not take a White House bath and eat the White House food, right? Right?” Ms. Carrozza giggled. She stopped when she saw the erect Chief Usher’s face unmoved with her hands clasped together.

As Adegoke was leaving the room, Carrozza mumbled to herself, “That’s why the weasel is not here to greet me.” She meant Richardson. She closed the door and went straight to the bathroom.