Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

We have heard a lot of about Donald Trump’s first day in the office as the president, but I’ll bet he was not prepared for a surprise.

My wife found the following story and passed it on to me.

For some reason, Trump, who wouldn’t know real religion if it hit him in the face – remember, he considers himself to be a god – went to the National Cathedral on Tuesday.

He got an earful.

Here is how newspapers described the situation.

“Trump began his first full day in office attending a prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday and got a sermon he may not have been expecting:  An appeal to protect immigrants and respect gay rights.

“A day after declaring in his inauguration speech that there were only two genders in America and signing executive orders to crack down on immigrants, Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde pleaded with Trump, from the pulpit, to show mercy on people who were ‘scared’ of what is to come.

“’There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democrat, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives,’ Budde said.”

The fear arises because, last Monday, Trump launched a sweeping immigration crackdown, assigned the U.S. military to aid in border security, issued a broad ban on asylum, and took steps to restrict citizenship for children born on U.S. soil.

Budde responded this way:

“’The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat-packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals, they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals, she said.

“I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here.  Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger.”

I hope other “Buddes” will stand up to call for even-handed actions by the president and cronies, which, at the same time, I know is too much to ask.

Here is what one letter-to-the-editor writer wrote in the Washington Post:

“Budde’s sermon was not a political statement.  It was a call for empathy and moral character, which Trump does not apparently possess.  As a preacher, I plan to use every opportunity to draw attention to the need for civility, compassion and, especially, the common good.  I pray that our leaders will rise above political fealty and do the same.”

From Trump, no surprise.  After he heard the Budde remarks and was asked about them, he dismissed them.  Plus, he then demanded an apology from Budde that he won’t get because Budde stands by her comments which are based on scripture.

Billionaire Elon Musk, a staunch Trump ally, knocked Budde in a post on his social media platform, X. “She got the woke mind virus real bad,” he said.

However – and I did not know this — Musk is the father of a transgender daughter, so he must have at least some mixed emotions about some of Trump’s proclamations.

The Atlantic Magazine chimed in with this summary of what I’ll label “early Trump.”

“Trump has clearly claimed some territory in the culture wars:  He is now dancing with Village People in the flesh, not merely to a recording of the group’s most famous track.  And when it comes to getting away with self-dealing and abuses of power, he has mastered the system.

“But a politician and a party that are built for propaganda and quashing dissent generally lack the tools for effective governance.  As far as policy accomplishments are concerned, the second Trump term could very well turn out to be as underwhelming as the first.

“Trump has promised a grand revolution.  At a pre-inaugural rally, he announced, ‘The American people have given us their trust, and in return, we’re going to give them the best first day, the biggest first week, and the most extraordinary first 100 days of any presidency in American history.’

“He branded his inauguration ‘Liberation Day’ labeled his incoming agenda a ‘revolution of common sense,’ and boasted, ‘Nothing will stand in our way.’ After being sworn in on Monday, he signed a slew of executive orders in a move that has been termed ‘shock and awe.’

“Those orders fall into a few different categories.  Some are genuinely dangerous — above all, the mass pardon of about 1,500 January 6 defendants, which unambiguously signals that lawbreaking in the service of subverting elections in Trump’s favor will be tolerated.  Others, including withdrawing from the World Health Organization and freezing offshore wind energy, will be consequential but perhaps not enduring — that which can be done by executive order can be undone by it.”

The Atlantic added this coda:

“What’s really striking is how many fall into the category of symbolic culture-war measures or vague declarations of intent.  Trump declared a series of ‘emergencies’ concerning his favorite issues.  His order declaring an end to birthright citizenship seems likely to be struck down on constitutional grounds, although the Supreme Court can always interpret the Fourteenth Amendment’s apparently plain text as it desires.

“He is re-renaming a mountain in Alaska — which, in four years’ time, could be renamed yet again, perhaps after one of the police officers who fought off Trump’s insurrection attempt.  He has ordered the federal government to officially recognize only two genders, male and female.”

On all this, Atlantic adds that, at least for now, there is no way to tell whether Trump will achieve all his aims, especially with a horde of folks ready to challenge, perhaps in court, what he tries to do to re-make America is his craven image.

So, for today:

1. Kudos to Budde for speaking truth to power, especially because the truth is Biblical truth, and
2. I hope the Atlantic predictions about the potentially short extent of Trump’s power come true.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

We are watching a felon and a rapist, become U.S. president.

Whatever Donald Trump does or does not do, I will be sick to my stomach for America.

Reading the following New York Times editorial only engages the throwing-up reflex.

So, if you have something better to do today – probably the case — don’t read on.

I choose this morning to reprint a New York Times editorial, which practices solid journalism.  It goes beyond the headline to provide solid detail on the background for the Trump pardons.

Also, I sometimes think that I should spend less time thinking about Trump and more time giving thanks for the way God has blessed me and my family.  So, I’ll try to give more emphasis to the latter than the former.

Still, here, for today, is the editorial.

**********

TRUMP’S OPENING ACT OF CONTEMPT

January 20, 2025

By The Editorial Board

On January 6, 2021, Philip Sean Grillo, a former Republican district leader in Queens, jumped through a broken window at the U.S. Capitol with a megaphone.  He pushed his way past a line of Capitol Police officers and opened the exterior doors of the Rotunda to allow other rioters to enter the building and trash it.

“We stormed the Capitol!” he exulted on video and was seen smoking marijuana and high-fiving other Donald Trump supporters who were fighting the police. “We shut it down! We did it!”

Nearly three years later, a federal jury convicted Grillo of multiple offenses. But he did not lose heart:  Last month, when he was sentenced to a year in prison, he had a special taunt for the federal district judge who sentenced him, Royce Lamberth.

“Trump’s going to pardon me anyways,” he yelled at the judge, just before he was handcuffed and led away.

He was right.  On Monday evening, several hours after Trump was inaugurated, he fulfilled a promise he had repeatedly made to pardon nearly all the rioters who attacked and desecrated the Capitol in 2021 to prevent Joe Biden’s victory from being certified.  Grillo and about 1,500 other rioters received full pardons from Trump, while 14 others received commuted sentences.

A presidential pardon for Grillo not only makes a mockery of his jury’s verdict and of Judge Lamberth’s sentence.  Trump’s mass pardon effectively makes a mockery of a justice system that has labored for four years to charge nearly 1,600 people who tried to stop the Constitution in its tracks, a system that convicted 1,100 of them and that sentenced more than 600 of them to prison.

Most important, the mass pardon sends a message to the country and the world that violating the law in support of Trump and his movement will be rewarded, especially when considered alongside his previous pardons of his advisers.  It loudly proclaims, from the nation’s highest office, that the rioters did nothing wrong, that violence is a perfectly legitimate form of political expression and that no price need be paid by those who seek to disrupt a sacred constitutional transfer of power.

The presidential pardon system is usually abused in modern times by departing presidents giving a final gift to cronies, donors or relatives, and those breaches of trust were bad enough.  Biden issued dubious pardons to his son and, as he walked out the door, several other family members, as well as pre-emptive pardons to an array of current and former government officials for noncriminal actions, all to protect them from potential Republican retribution — an expansive use of pardon power that further warps its purpose.

But what Trump did Monday is of an entirely different scope.  He used a mass pardon at the beginning of his term to write a false chapter of American history, to try to erase a crime committed against the foundations of American democracy.

To open his term with such an act of contempt toward the legal system is audacious, even for Trump, and should send an alarming signal to Democrats and Republicans alike.  Members of both parties had to protect themselves that day from the mob, which made little distinction in political affiliation or ideology as they called for the execution of Vice President Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House.

In this pardon, Trump forgave and thus provided encouragement for domestic terrorists who put members of Congress in danger of their lives; the long-term cost will be paid by the entire political system, not just his critics.

For four years, he has tried to stage-manage the erasure of his role in inspiring the assault.  It was only hours after the attack that his allies in the House and on Fox News began sowing doubt about the motivation for the rioters, claiming it was organized by leftists masquerading as Trump supporters.

By 2022, when he was under investigation by the House January 6 committee, he began referring to the rioters as “political prisoners” persecuted by Democrats and openly suggesting that the F.B.I. had helped stage the attack.  By the time his presidential campaign was in full swing last year, he had completely transformed the day’s monstrous bloody fury into what he called a “day of love” and insisted falsely that none of his supporters had brought guns to the Capitol.

But Trump’s dense fog of misinformation can’t change what really happened on that terrible day, which, as the Times editorial board wrote at the time, “touched the darkest memories and fears of democracies the world over.”  It was a sentiment in the early aftermath of the attack echoed even by senior Republicans, some of whom would go on to vote to impeach Trump for his role in instigating it.

At least 20 people who joined the attack did carry firearms onto the Capitol grounds, including Christopher Alberts, who wore body armor containing metal plates and carried a 9-millimeter pistol loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition, along with a separate 12-round holster that included hollow-point bullets.  He was sentenced to 84 months in prison after a jury convicted him of nine charges, including assaulting law enforcement officers, but received a full pardon on Monday.

More than 140 police officers were assaulted that day; Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer, was killed, and other officers were smashed in the head with weapons; they were bruised, burned and lacerated; four later died by suicide.

“My concern is that people are going to believe that if they attack me or members of my family physically that Donald Trump will absolve them of their acts,” Michael Fanone, a former police officer attacked by the crowd on January 6, told The Times.  “And who is to say he wouldn’t?”

For many of the officers who were pepper-sprayed or hit with two-by-fours or beaten that day, the thought that the nation’s chief executive would forgive such actions is despicable.  “Releasing those who assaulted us from blame would be a desecration of justice,” Aquilino Gonell, a former Capitol Police sergeant who suffered lasting injuries in the riot, wrote in a Times Opinion guest essay this month.  “If Mr. Trump wants to heal our divided nation, he’ll let their convictions stand.”

Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers militia, which helped organize the assault, was sentenced to 18 years in prison after being convicted of seditious conspiracy for assembling $20,000 worth of assault weaponry intended to be used at the Capitol.  U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, who sentenced Rhodes, called him “an ongoing threat and a peril to this country, to the Republic and the very fabric of our democracy.”  Judge Mehta later said he was appalled by the idea that Rhodes could receive a pardon.

“The notion that Stewart Rhodes could be absolved is frightening and ought to be frightening to anyone who cares about democracy in this country,” the judge said last month.

Rhodes was not pardoned, but his sentence was commuted, and he was scheduled to be immediately released.

Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys militia, was described by a federal judge as the “ultimate leader” of the rebellion, though he was arrested and barred from Washington as soon as he arrived there and didn’t enter the Capitol.  Nonetheless, he was sentenced to 22 years in prison after the Justice Department said that by “inflaming the group with rage against law enforcement and then turning it loose on the Capitol, Tarrio did far more harm than he could have as an individual rioter.”  Two weeks ago, on January  6, his lawyer wrote to Trump asking for a pardon, describing his client as “nothing more than a proud American that believes in true conservative values,” and his request was granted on Monday.

Judge Lamberth, a senior federal judge appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the D.C. District Court, has been on the bench since 1987 and has seen it all, having served with the Army’s Judge Advocate General Corps in Vietnam and as a federal prosecutor in Washington during the 1970s.  But in pronouncing one sentence against a rioter last January, he said he had never seen such a level of “meritless justifications of criminal activity” in the political mainstream.

“I have been dismayed to see distortions and outright falsehoods seep into the public consciousness,” he wrote.  “I have been shocked to watch some public figures try to rewrite history, claiming rioters behaved ‘in an orderly fashion’ like ordinary tourists or martyrizing convicted January 6 defendants as ‘political prisoners’ or even, incredibly, ‘hostages.’  That is all preposterous.  But the court fears that such destructive, misguided rhetoric could presage further danger to our country.”

On his first day back in public office, Trump provoked the danger that the judge dreads, setting loose hundreds of people found guilty of participating in a violent assault on the Nation’s Capital — not because they committed no crimes but because they committed their crimes in his name.  In doing so, he invites such crimes to happen again.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

When I talked with a friend of mine yesterday – the first day of Donald Trump’s second presidency – he had fun with me by suggesting that he did not have time to talk because he was looking for property in Canada.

Of course, he was kidding – I think — but I told him to find me some, too.

Those comments summarized our reactions to Trump’s first hours in office as he took many actions he said he would take if he won the election.  And, of course, many of Americans voted for the first person who have the word “felon” attached to his name in the Oval Office, so he now believes he can do what he wants to do, objections be damned.

Still, as Trump signed about 100 executive orders, many of them may not survive.

Here is the way the Washington Post described the status:

“Two hours after being sworn in, Trump sat down in the President’s Room at the U.S. Capitol to sign the first of nearly 100 promised executive orders — a historic and hand-cramping effort that he promised would begin ‘the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense.’

“But his pen strokes also kicked off a round of objections from opponents, scholars and other groups that said he’d exceeded the limits of his presidential power.  They included some critics who filed lawsuits before his signatures were dry, all but guaranteeing that his approval would not be the last word on Monday’s executive actions.

“Trump’s wielding of the presidential pen spanned a wide gamut of American life and U.S. policy, each order aimed at showing that he had begun to make good on his campaign promises.  He declared an immigration emergency and will soon surge troops to the southern border, he said.  He began to dismantle government diversity and inclusion programs and limited the number of genders the government can recognize to two.”

The executive orders include some subjects that scholars and legal experts say may be out of the reach of the president’s pen, including his action, in theory at least, to end birthright citizenship which is based in the U.S. Constitution.

There is little doubt that Trump doesn’t care, believing he is all powerful.

Plus, this is the way New York Time columnist Maureen Dowd wrote about Trump’s first day:

“Inaugural Addresses ordinarily dwell on the art of the possible.  But one of Donald Trump’s most revealing lines on Monday was about the art of the impossible.

“’Many people thought it was impossible for me to stage such a historic political comeback,”’ said 45 as he morphed into 47.  “But as you see today, here I am.  The American people have spoken.”

“Here I am. It was both a boast and a warning.”

Was Trump’s phrase “here I am” drawn from the Bible.  Who knows?  But, as much as Trump talks about the Bible and prints one with his name on the cover, I suspect he has never read it, nor ascribed to its teachings.

“Boasts and warnings.”

Those are what Trump is about.  And, to use an old phrase, only time will tell if Trump will get all he wants he wants to get.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

The answer to the question in this blog headline:  It’s far too early to tell.

As I write this, Donald Trump is preparing to be sworn in for a new term in the Oval Office.  I intend to ignore the process today, preferring to spend my time on the golf course.

And, as an indication of that intent, I choose to write about the departing president, Joe Biden.  It often is tempting to engage in an immediate assessment of as president’s term as he leaves office, but it is better to wait for time to heal at least some of the wounds, if not most of them.

Still, Biden can take credit for such results as being in power as the Covid pandemic ended, playing a role in the recovery; producing a huge bill investing in infrastructure in America; and serving during a time of economic growth in America, with thousands of jobs created by the private sector, all of which was not well-recognized as it occurred..

Using fodder provided by hill.com, I begin a look back at Biden’s term with events that I sometimes forget.

• The raucous 2023 State of the Union/During his 2023 State of the Union address, Biden sparred with Republican lawmakers over potential cuts to Social Security with a lively back-and-forth in the House chamber.
• Ukraine speech/In March 2022, Biden gave a fiery speech in Poland about his support for Ukraine a month after Russia’s invasion, during which he said that Russian President Vladimir Putin can’t remain in power.
• Afghanistan withdrawal/The August 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan was a major bruise on Biden’s legacy early into his presidency and is seen as the start of a long and windy downfall for his presidency.
• Hur report/A March 2024 release of a transcript of special counsel Robert Hur’s two-day interview with Biden for his investigation into the president’s handling of classified materials gave Republicans and critics new ammunition to go after his age — and gave the public a window into the president’s fitness for office.
• Disastrous debate/Biden and Trump had their first and only 2024 presidential debate on June 27, moderated by CNN.  It began immediately with Biden fumbling his answers and giving confused looks.  Biden’s disastrous performance, one that lasted 90 minutes, set off a series of events that led to him ultimately dropping his re-election bid.

Beyond these specific events over the last four years, I generally found Biden to be a genuine, decent human being, which is something in politics these days.  He was not immune to failure, but appeared to be someone who wanted to do a good job.

Wanting to do a good job and then, at least to a degree, not doing it is prescription for failure in politics.  For Biden, that and his advance age caught up with him – and, in America, left us with Trump.

Regarding the Trump term, which starts today, I add this footnote from the Washington Post, which serves to indicate that much of what Trump and his sycophants want to do will be challenged, including in court.

“A lawsuit claiming billionaire Elon Musk’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE) violates federal transparency rules will be filed within minutes of  Trump’s inauguration Monday, kicking off a legal battle over a key aspect of the incoming administration’s agenda.

“In a 30-page complaint obtained by The Washington Post ahead of its filing, the public interest law firm National Security Counselors says that the non-governmental DOGE panel is breaking a 1972 law that requires advisory committees to the executive branch to follow certain rules on disclosure, hiring and other practices.

“Shortly after the election, Trump tapped Musk and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to lead DOGE in identifying government regulations and spending programs for the White House to cut.”

So, here we go for another four years of Trump.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Guess what?

Monday is presidential inauguration day for Donald Trump.

What will I be doing?

Well, not watching the spectacle, which will occur indoors because of very cold weather in Washington, D.C.

I’ll be golfing here in the California desert.

By this, no offense.  I just want to read about the inauguration the day after it occurs rather than watching it in person on TV.

No one knows for sure what is in store for Trump’s early days in the White House.  Some options:

• Those to be deported – whomever they are – could start to be rounded up immediately and, perhaps, put into detention camps pending forced departure.  This was supposed to start in Chicago, but plans may change.

Here is how the Washington Post reported the early status:

“Trump intends to launch a ‘light speed’ mass deportation campaign as soon as he ‘puts his hand on that Bible and takes the oath of office,’ top aide Stephen Miller has boasted.

“While U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has long placed a priority on immigrants with criminal records, there are other sub-groups that could be at a higher risk of deportation.  They include millions of newcomers who arrived during the record border influx under President Joe Biden, as well as those who have exhausted their legal appeals but haven’t left the United States.

Others, including ‘dreamers’ allowed to stay under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, could remain a lower priority.

• Also on immigration, federal officials appear to be ready to go after any state or jurisdiction that is running “sanctuary laws” for immigrants and intends to continue those laws.

That includes Oregon. Here, Governor Tina Kotek has said her Administration will continue adhering to Oregon’s sanctuary law despite receiving a letter from a non-profit allied with Trump warning of federal prosecution and civil lawsuits for doing so.  “I remain focused on delivering results for the issues Oregonians care about most.  I stand by Oregonians’ state-guaranteed protections and civil liberties.”

• Members of Trump’s cabinet and other high-level officials will see their votes for confirmation occur soon in the U.S. Senate, though probably not on inauguration day.  As a bunch, most are distinctly unqualified to run large organizations and that point only relates to management ability, not far right political points-of-view, which some observers also will continue to be disqualifying.

Two of the most controversial appointees – Kash Patel for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Robert Kennedy for the Department of Health and Human Services – have not appeared yet for confirmation hearings.  Each could face strong scrutiny – Patel because of his “enemies list” and Kennedy because of his anti-health care views, one of which is opposition to vaccines.

• Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will begin trying to dismantle parts of the federal government they don’t like, though efforts to dump stuff will be complicated, administratively and legally.  And, Ramaswamy also has announced he will be running for governor of Ohio, so he may have mixed emotions.

See.  Based on this list, it should be obvious that a better decision is to play golf rather than watch Trump take the oath-of-office, as if the content of an oath will matter to him.

Two other names have jumped out among those who plan to skip the inauguration:  Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former first lady Michelle Obama.  They are among growing list of Democrats who have decided to sit out the transfer of power from Biden to Trump.

Good decisions!

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

The United States Golf Association (USGA) carried a good story the other day that appeared under this headline:  “Golf course dogs, ambassadors of goodwill.”

The story reminded me about my home course in Salem, Oregon, Illahe Hills Golf and Country Club, where a dog who roams the course looking for, among other things, geese.

Since he and his predecessor arrived, the geese are no longer there.

Which is good for golf, including where you happen to step on the turf, if you get my drift relative to geese.

When Illahe hired its current superintendent a few years ago, he told those hiring him:  This is a two-for-one deal – you get me and you get my dog, a German short air retriever who loved to hunt geese.  His name was Boone.

Unfortunately, a couple years after he arrived, Boone went to heaven.  But a few of us at the club banded together to get a new dog for our superintendent – Augie.

He is there to this day.  The geese aren’t.

It was a good deal for us.

Augie is a great ambassador for Illahe even as our super continues training him.

Rather than write more about this, I choose to reprint the USGA story in this blog because, if for no other reason, it’s a feel-good story about dogs – and I am a dog lover.

**********

Whether it’s early in the morning, in the middle of a long day or as the sun sets, there’s one member of the golf course maintenance team who’s always ready to face challenges head-on, with tail wagging.  Our beloved golf course dogs, usually seen working alongside the maintenance crew, are far more than a friendly companion for superintendents.

From chasing away geese to breaking the tension during a serious conversation, these loyal four-legged teammates contribute to a smooth operation in ways that machinery and manpower simply can’t.  Let’s look at how our canine colleagues enhance daily maintenance efforts, boost employee morale and help create a better experience for golfers and staff alike.

Being a golf course superintendent is a tough job.  Beyond managing turf, today’s superintendents have to deal with increasing administrative duties, labor complexities, project management, and politics – all while courses remain busier than ever.  Fortunately, dogs are generally immune to the pressures of golf course management.

In fact, they have an uncanny ability to sense their human’s unease and offer a much-needed, well-timed distraction.  Long days on the course would feel a lot longer for dog-owning superintendents without the company of their pooch, and the benefits of this companionship extend well beyond their owners.

“The members don’t always remember my name but everyone knows Pinki – and they are always so happy to see her,” said Damon Di Giorgio, director of agronomy at the Point Hardy Golf Club at Cabot Saint Lucia.  Pinki, a 17-year-old mixed Chihuahua-Yorkshire terrier weighing in at a whopping 4.5 pounds, is a big hit with golfers, the maintenance staff and social media.

Di Giorgio adopted Pinki as a puppy in the Dominican Republic and she has remained at his side as new opportunities brought him back to the States and then around the Caribbean, ultimately leading to his current role in Saint Lucia.  Pinki doesn’t look like most golf course dogs, but Di Giorgio didn’t want to leave her home alone so he started bringing her to the course.

Now, the staff and golfers can’t imagine spending the day without her.  Whether she’s taking selfies with golfers, going for a ride around the course, or getting to know the exotic wildlife on the island, Pinki is a friend to all those lucky enough to spend their day at Cabot Saint Lucia.

All the superintendents I spoke with for this article emphasized that their dog’s ability to put folks at ease and be a positive, steady, endearing representative of their department is a tangible asset.  A golf course dog is an effective public relations tool for the maintenance department.  No matter what issues may exist, golf course dogs are a great icebreaker and take the edge off tense conversations.

Superintendent Dan Vater’s 3-year-old pit bull and Labrador mix, Moose, is a fixture at Blue Mound Golf and Country Club outside Milwaukee.  It was love at first site for Vater and his wife Maggie, who found Moose on the Lucky Mutts Rescue website.

Having Moose at work lightens the mood for both Vater and his staff and makes for a better work environment.  Each morning, Moose greets everyone in the break room and is quick to spot his favorite employees who carry tasty treats.

Out on the course, Moose is a morale booster and an important part of the maintenance team.  “If Moose hears the backup beeper from my cart, his ears perk up instantly and he is quick to run outside to find out where we are headed,” said Vater.  Members and employees enjoy the sight of Moose running alongside the cart on his way to a jobsite.

Moose is “a bit of an odd one” according to Vater, and his favorite work toys include sprinkler springs, marking flags and sod staples.  If you catch him on the course, he is sure to have one of these with him, although his co-workers don’t always love him sneaking off with parts.  Despite the occasional shenanigans, the maintenance team at Blue Mound couldn’t imagine not having Moose as a co-worker and friend.

At Apogee Club in Hobe Sound, Florida, director of golf courses and grounds Tony Nysse and his 7-year-old blue Weimaraner, Charlie, keep a watchful eye on the constant activity at the multi-course development.

“Charlie is my second dog of turf and comes with me everywhere – a true companion,” said Nysse, who arrived at Apogee in 2022 to grow-in the first of the club’s three golf courses.  “I saw the positivity that my previous dog brought to the maintenance team, and as we filled in our key staff, he met each candidate so that everyone became comfortable with him.”

In addition to interviewing new hires, Charlie loves a good morning run interacting with the wildlife around the course.  He is not a water dog, which is okay with Nysse given Apogee’s abundance of alligators.  Charlie’s favorite area is currently Apogee’s North Course, which is under construction and full of interesting sights and smells, with plenty of newly exposed soil to explore.

“A golf course dog is an effective public relations tool for the maintenance department.”

It’s hard to overstate the good vibes that Charlie brings to the maintenance team.  He has a routine of greeting all the staff members while they receive their job assignments each morning and checking in with them throughout the day.

“He brings a level of positivity to the entire staff,” said Nysse.  “Whether it’s employees, visitors, contractors or golfers, everyone enjoys his greetings, and of course Charlie enjoys the extra attention.”  He continued, “Our other turf managers bring their dogs in on the weekends, so there are plenty of pup parties here at Apogee.”

Di Giorgio feels strongly that having Pinki with him on a daily basis at Cabot Saint Lucia makes him much more approachable to members, guests and staff.  “She is a conversation starter and puts people at ease,” said Di Giorgio.  “Most of all, people smile and are happy to see her, which is always a good thing – even if they’re not happy to see me for some reason,” he joked.

Pinki’s main job has always been “ambassador of happiness,” and her diplomacy extends beyond the golf course.  Together, Di Giorgio and Pinki worked with the non-profit pet therapy organization PAWS to provide therapeutic services to individuals battling Alzheimer’s and other diseases. The organization benefited from Pinki’s services while Di Giorgio worked at the Fieldstone Club in Delaware between stints in the Caribbean.  In fact, Pinki is in the PAWS Hall of Fame for therapy dogs.

Pinki and Di Giorgio have been acknowledged by the New York Times and others for their work on and off the course.  They may have ended up together by accident, but their relationship has been filled with purpose and is representative of all the wonderful ways a golf course dog can benefit our lives.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

My wife and I got scammed the other day – or at least someone tried to scam us.  We were smart enough to avoid the worst result, but it will still be a worry.

For now, no need to provide detail on that episode.

But, this word to the wise:  If you think you are being scammed and you are on the phone with the scammer, don’t say much if anything.  Just hang up.

The reason?

If a scammer gets your voice on the call, he or she can put your words together in a strange way and use those words to scam someone you know who may recognize your voice.

So, how prevalent is scamming?

According to Mr. Google, scams are a very common crime in the United States, affecting millions of people each year.  In 2023, consumers lost over $10 billion to fraud, which was a 14 per cent increase from 2022. 

According to a Gallup poll, 15 per cent of U.S. adults in 2023 said a household member was scammed, and 8 per cent said they were personally scammed.

Here is a list of common types of scams:

• Imposter scams:  In 2023, these scams resulted in nearly $2.7 billion in losses 
• On-line shopping issues:  One of the most commonly reported scams in 2023 
• Prizes, sweepstakes, and lotteries:  Another of the most commonly reported scams in 2023 
• Investment-related reports:  Another of the most commonly reported scams in 2023 
• Business e-mail compromise:  In 2023, BEC scams resulted in $2.94 billion in losses 
• Romance scams:  These scams target older adults, who may be exploited for money 

So, the bottom-line message is to be skeptical of any message you receive by e-mail, text or phone.  Review it carefully before deciding whether to open it or how to deal with it.

Though it is unfortunate to have to say this these days, skepticism will serve you well.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

The words in this blog headline – character and Trump – don’t go well together.

They are dissonant.

And Trump, soon to be inaugurated as president of the United States for a second time, proves his lack of character every day.

Two examples:

• Rather than praise first responders who are risking their lives to fight wildfires in California, he criticizes them.

• Rather than nominate Cabinet members and other high-level officials with strong experience and character, he proposes persons who wouldn’t pass regular job interviews.

The latter emerged yesterday when one Pete Hegseth appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee to tout his credentials to run the Department of Defense.  It didn’t take long.

He fell flat on his face, though you wouldn’t know it by Republican senators who prostrated themselves before Trump to appear ready to vote to confirm Hegseth.

Here is how The Atlantic writer Tom Nichols put it:

“Not long after Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth read his opening statement and began fielding questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee, I began thinking:  I hope neither America’s allies nor its enemies are watching this.

“The hope was, of course, completely unreasonable.  Such hearings are watched closely by friends and foes alike, in order to take the measure of a nominee who might lead the most powerful military in the world and would be a close adviser to the president of the United States.

“What America and the world saw today was not a serious examination of a serious man.  Instead, Republicans on the committee showed that they would rather elevate an unqualified and unfit nominee to a position of immense responsibility than cross Donald Trump, Elon Musk, or the most ardent Republican voters in their home states.

“America’s allies should be deeply concerned.  America’s enemies, meanwhile, are almost certainly laughing in amazement at their unexpected good fortune.”

Another commentator said, “Democrats failed to land a decisive blow against Hegseth,” but I add that it’s hard to identify a fatal blow when just the facts about Hegseth should render him incompetent to run anything, much less the Department of Defense.

The Hegseth confirmation hearing is only the first of several in Congress this week.

In this corner, the betting is that most Trump nominees will pass muster in the Senate, as if that’s a credential, given the fealty Republicans are showing to Trump.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Two views of the “State of the State” emerged in Oregon this week as Governor Tina Kotek delivered her semi- annual “State of the State” address.

In a story reported by a solid local news organization, Salem Reporter, here is a summary:

FROM KOTEK/She called for resilience and optimism even as she struck notes of frustration with the enormous problems facing Oregon that only have been partially solved.

Kotek’s first State of the State address was delivered to a joint session of the House and Senate, with Attorney General Dan Rayfield, Secretary of State Tobias Read and Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson listening, as well as more than a dozen judges and the leaders of Oregon’s nine tribal nations.

It came two years after she took office and began with a reminder of the challenges Oregon faced five years ago:  2020 began with reports of a mysterious disease outbreak in China, and the resulting COVID pandemic upended everything.  That fall, the 2020 Labor Day fires burned more than 850,000 acres and destroyed more than 4,000 homes.

As she spoke Monday, more than 400 Oregon firefighters and 235 engines were at work fighting another fire in California. That, Kotek said, is what Oregon does for its neighbors. 

FROM REPUBLICANS/House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, and Senate Minority Leader Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, recorded a joint video rebuttal to Kotek’s speech, which Drazan called a “doubling down of the status quo and the failed policies of the past.”

She and Bonham said Kotek’s Administration is responsible for driving up costs of food, fuel and housing and driving Oregonians to leave the state. 

“If you listen to just the words that were presented today, Tina Kotek paints a very flowery picture of Oregon, one full of hope and optimism and a bright vision for the future,” Bonham said. “But if you look at her 10 years as speaker of the House and first two as governor, what you’re faced with is abject failure.”

So, there you have it.  Two very different views.

Part of the difference arises because there are still “two Oregons” – urban Oregon where most of the Democrat legislative leaders live, and rural Oregon which is represented mostly by Republicans.

The two sides have had difficulty over the years seeing issues from each other’s perspective.  The division continues.

What happened this – differing comments from Democrats and Republicans — is normal as the two sides square off to spend the next six months together in Salem for the long legislative session.

What emerges over those months will be more pivotal than comments from either side at the start of the session.

Will the two parties be able to work together to find solutions to housing, homelessness, K-12 education (including its funding) and transportation?  The fact is that workable solutions, as always, lie somewhere in the middle, but finding that middle ground compromise is always fraught with peril.

For me, as I saw all this in the last few days, the display prompted me to remember my 25 years as a lobbyist in Oregon in which I watched such speeches and responses first-hand at the Capitol. 

Then as now, early comments from both sides are important, but not as important as the final actions later this spring.  So, pay attention.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

I have not spent a lot on the West Coast of California, so it is hard for to imagine in my mind the reality of the tragic wildfires.

Shots on TV are the best that I can do.

But I do have a lot of friends who grew up in California and they have difficulty describing the new, fire-ravaged reality.

Then comes Donald Trump.

At a time when he ALL other Americans should be thanking those on the front lines fighting the fires, he does what a deranged, egotist would do:  He attacks the firefighters as if they are not doing enough.

Here is the description in the New York Times as its reporter wrote about this what late-night host – and Los Angeles resident – Jimmy Kimmel said on the program:

“Tonight, I don’t want to get into all the vile and irresponsible and stupid things our alleged future president and his gaggle of scumbags chose to say during our darkest and most terrifying hour.  

“The fact that they chose to attack our firefighters, who apparently aren’t white enough to be out there, risking their lives on our behalf is — it’s disgusting, but it’s not surprising.

“Instead, I want to focus on thanking those men and women, because that’s all we should be doing right now, and we should never stop thanking them.”

Kimmel, of course, didn’t tell his usual round of jokes.  Conditions were too serious.  He just thanked those who had worked – and were working – to save people and possessions in Los Angeles.

It was exactly what a president should do.  Instead, Trump focused on himself and his cockeyed perceptions of what America should be – of course, an America in exactly his image.