4/8/2019

My dear Friend and President, DJT,

            Where to start? I find starting anything difficult. That's why I don't like to swim. You have to dive into that water and you never know how it's going to feel. You can put your toe in, but your toe is not the same as your whole body. I don't swim much. I don't think you do either. I can't recall seeing a photo of you in a bathing suit. Maybe we both should start. They say it's great exercise. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/07/us/politics/kirstjen-nielsen-dhs-resigns.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

            I am having trouble getting started with this letter today, because I am not sure what to say about Kirstjen Nielsen. Her loyalty to you has been impressive. She had to put up with criticism from all sides - from you, from the press, from the Dems in Congress, from the people in that Mexican restaurant last June. Despite assaults on her character, she held firm and remained professional. She practiced parrhesia, speaking the truth about what you could and could not do under the law. I did not agree with many of her decisions, but I did admire her grit and determination. 

            If the NYT and WP are correct, Stephen Miller was instrumental in her resignation. I have warned you about that guy. He is WAY OUT THERE!!!! He reminds me of Rasputin - you know that guy who somehow got influence over the last Tsar of Russia. Things did not turn out well for anyone involved in that relationship. I worry that the same could be true of your dependence on Stephen. According to the WP, he intimidates people and then "throws them under the bus" when his ideas don't pan out. I'm afraid Stephen may be "flatterer" so best to remember what Plutarch wrote long ago, "A flatterer will seek to separate you from your true friends by speaking ill of them." I think Kirstjen was trying to be a "true friend" and can only imagine how she is feeling today.            

            Have a great day,

            RCA

PS - The USA is not "full." There is plenty of room in Dunbar, WI. Speaking of which, the folks there would appreciate better health care and internet access.