Profiles in Discourage

In 1955, the Pulitizer Prize-winning book, Profiles in Courage, written by John F. Kennedy, then a U.S. Senator, with the help of his speechwriter Theodore Sorenson, was released.

The book profiled eight U.S. Senators from the early 1800s to the early fifties who, at one time or another, were ostracized for making unpopular political decisions, which later proved to be in the best interest of the country.

I think someone ought of write a book titled Profiles of Discourage - a who’s who of liars, cheaters, swindlers, extortionists, and other assorted scam artists that have been outted since our economic meltdown.

This one could be a multi-volume set. There’s no shortage of candidates for inclusion in this series.

Just yesterday, the Sunday New York Times profiled four more.

There's Senator Charles E. Schumer, who’d never refuse selling out Main Street to Wall Street for a substantial donation.

How about Mark S. Dreier, the attorney who issued made-up promissory notes from his employer, Solow Reality, causing $38 million investor dollars to disappear?

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That's nothing compared to Bernie Madoff whose Ponzi scheme cost worldwide investors an estimated $50 billion.

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Then there’s Rod “Do I look like Joe Pesci in this outfit?” Blagojevich, the Illinois governor, who went from shakedown to takedown to breakdown when his questionable auctioneering skills were caught on tape by the Feds.

Note to Gov. B. You're just a wannabe. A Pesci character would've gotten wise to a wire.

Does any of this really surprise you?

It shouldn’t.

I’m of the belief that half the world wakes up every morning with the intent of cheating the other half out of everything they own.

And in every dream home there’s heartache.