San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Even Trump’s attorney felt need to turn on tape
President Trump and his former lawyer and fix-it man Michael Cohen were made for each other — and for the reality TV show that is this administration.
Cohen the lawyer understood exactly whom he was dealing with when he advised then-candidate Trump on how best to buy the rights to the story that former Playboy model Karen McDougal was peddling about her alleged affair with Trump years ago.
Cohen knew full well what Trump was capable of doing when things went south, so he taped the conversation, I suspect, to protect himself down the line.
And now Cohen is leaking bits of the conversa-
tion to the media.
Be very clear, Donald Trump knew he needed to silence the Playmate story in the midst of the campaign, and that’s what he was trying to do with Cohen.
Some states have laws against taping people’s conversations without their consent — California is one, but New York, where Cohen practices, is not. Makes you wonder what other conversations with Trump — pre- or postelection — were surreptitiously recorded by his lawyer before the feds came calling with their search warrant.
I can’t wait for the next installment.
No RSVP needed: Guess who’s not coming to dinner? President Trump’s favorite dictator, Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
According to national security adviser John Bolton, the White House decided to back off on the invitation Trump extended after the Helsinki summit until Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s “witch hunt,” also known as the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election on Trump’s behalf, is finished.
Now we hear that Putin would love to come to Washington — and, by the way, would Trump like to visit Moscow?
I’m just guessing, but if the midterm elections go badly for the Republican, we’ll probably hear nothing further about these invitations.
Too bad. If Putin ever does come to D.C., the state dinner Trump throws for him will be the hottest ticket in the history of Washington.
Suspense is killing me: The early polls show Gavin Newsom with a double-digit lead over Republican businessman John Cox in the governor’s race and Sen. Dianne Feinstein lapping her opponent for reelection, fellow Democrat Kevin de León.
Looks like the only “race” in these two contests will be the one between Newsom and Feinstein, to see how fast they can run away from debate invitations.
Movie time: “The Equalizer 2.” Denzel Washington scored a major hit with “The Equalizer,” so of course they ordered a sequel.
What we get is a very violent movie about an assassin-turned-Lyft driver who goes about eradicating bad guys. Two hours of blood, guts and a story that at times is tough to follow.
Still, if blood, guts and Denzel Washington are your thing, you’ll be
satisfied.
Sam the man: I sat down the other day with a film crew doing a documentary on the late Sammy Davis Jr. Sammy was one of the most talented cats ever to grace a stage. He was the only member of the “Rat Pack” who could sing, dance and tell a joke.
Everyone remembers Sammy being criticized by black people for endorsing and hugging President Richard Nixon. What they forget is that after Sammy and Frank Sinatra campaigned for John F. Kennedy in the 1960 election, Davis was “disinvited” from performing at Kennedy’s inaugural celebration. Sammy had married Swedish actress May Britt, and apparently the Kennedys did not want to offend the South by showcasing a black man married to a white woman.
I first met Sammy back in the 1950s when black entertainers would perform at the Fairmont but had to stay at the Booker T. Washington Hotel down the hill.
Back then everyone hung out in the Fillmore and they played after hours at Jimbo’s Bop City.
It all made for some great nights, and even better early mornings.
The film crew pulled out a picture of Sammy straightening my tie.
“Is it true that he helped pick out your clothes?” they asked.
“He did once, when we were at Wilkes’ store,” I said. “He didn’t like what I was wearing, so he picked out something for me.” “How did it go?” “About as well as one might expect from a guy with one eye.”
It may be a bad joke, but Sammy would have loved it.
Want to sound off ? Email: wbrown@sfchronicle.com