If you're not biblically inclined, here's a quick reminder: Cain slew Abel.
In a call to CNN that was described as a "meltdown," Scaramucci accused Priebus of "leaking" his financial disclosure forms to the press, a move he had earlier characterized as a "felony."
Those forms are public, by the way, which means they can't be "leaked," and it is not illegal to cite them.
The Heel"Meltdown"? To this observer, Scaramucci's antics look more like the over-the-top theatrics of the "heel," or designated bad guy, in a wrestling match. (Wrestling impresario Linda McMahon also works in the Trump White House.)
It's true that those financial disclosure forms reveal some serious ethical concerns arising from Scaramucci's failure to divest his SkyBridge holdings before entering government, but a good heel is always willing to take a fall for the sake of the show.
Hewing to bad-guy convention, The Mooch also unleashed a fusillade of vulgar language on The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza, attacking Priebus and accusing presidential adviser Steve Bannon of attempting an anatomically impossible act of sexual self-gratification.
In light of that publication's illustrious literary history, Scaramucci's foul talk to its reporter was the journalistic equivalent of passing gas in church.
Scaramucci apparently also leaked a story to the press and then complained about the leak, an in-the-ring pratfall that seems to further reinforce the "heel" theory.
The Goldmanization of GovernmentIt's working. While the press was writing about about The Mooch's theatrics, less attention was being paid to the ongoing Goldmanization of Trump's administration -- a trend that poses a serious risk to the American people, and potentially to the global economy.
America's big banks have a stunning record of proven criminality, and Goldman Sachs is up there with the worst of them. Its rap sheet of documented offenses includes securities fraud, investor fraud, insider trading, and subprime loan abuses. Goldman misled its own customers and bet against them.
A former Goldman trader wrote about its "toxic and destructive" culture, and Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein is widely believed to have perjured himself in testimony before Congress. Following his committee's inquiry into banking practices, Sen. Carl Levin concluded that "Goldman clearly misled their clients and they misled the Congress." The committee recommended that charges be brought against Blankfein, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute.
Trump openly ran against Goldman Sachs, slamming both Ted Cruz and Hillary Clinton for past associations with the firm. And yet, Scaramucci is just the latest in a long list of ex-Goldmanites to join the Administration. They include Steve Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury; Steve Bannon, strategic adviser; Gary D. Cohn, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers; and, Dina Powell, Deputy National Security Adviser. Trump also nominated Goldmanite James Donovan to be Assistant Treasury Secretary, but Donovan withdrew his name from consideration after meeting political resistance.
This week Trump said he's thinking about naming Cohn, the former president of Goldman Sachs, to be chair of the Federal Reserve. "He doesn't know this, but yes he is (under consideration)," Trump said.
The Goldman AgendaCohn, like Mnuchin and other senior Trump officials, is singing from the Goldman Sachs hymnal. Lobbying reports compiled by Open Secrets show that Goldman has already spent $1,430,000 on lobbying this year, on subjects that include tax policy and weakening bank regulations.
Cohn is one of six Republican officials and members of Congress tasked with forging a "tax reform" plan, a job that aligns nicely with his former employer's interests. The Republican House voted last week to repeal the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new arbitration rule, scheduled to take effect in September, a move that also aligns nicely with Goldman Sachs's interests. So does Treasury Secretary Mnuchin's push to roll back the Dodd-Frank law.
But then, is any of this really a surprise? By turning to Goldman Sachs to staff his administration, Trump has surrendered the nation's economic policy to the Goldman agenda. He is turning the economy over to some of its worst actors, and all signs suggest that he's not done yet.
There are, however, no confirmed reports yet that Trump plans to appoint Mr. Pink to a senior position in his administration.
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