Dishonorable discharger

One consistent hallmark of the Trump administration: The shameless are honored, while the honorable are shamed. Friday evening, President Trump commuted the sentence of long-time crony Roger Stone, who was about to serve a 40month sentence for lying to Congress about his knowledge of Russian communications to WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign. Of course he did.

That followed Paul Manafort’s early release from prison and the dropping of Michael Flynn’s case by the Justice Department despite two guilty pleas.

Conversely, this week, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the former National Security Council staffer who testified about presidential malfeasance, was forced into early retirement due to White House bullying to blocking his promotion. Vindman earned a Purple Heart in Iraq among other commendations in a 20-year career.

Alas, he answered a House impeachment subpoena and testified to President Trump’s shakedown of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. To Trump, that made him toast.

Last month, the Navy confirmed the dismissal of Capt. Brett Crozier, who had been relieved of his command of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt after writing higher-ups to alert them to a coronavirus outbreak that eventually infected a quarter of the 4,800 crew. Crozier’s dismissal was initially overturned, only to have the reinstatement dismissed.

Perfect poetic injustice: Crozier was fired by an acting Navy secretary because the Senate-confirmed secretary was forced out for trying to discipline disgraced Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, who won a presidential pardon despite being convicted of war crimes.

Will America reelect a president who rewards corrupt loyalty and punishes honest service?