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It's no surprise that The Weekly Standard trumpeted Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania's presumptuous advice to Republican presidential nominee-to-be Donald Trump to "Listen More, And Talk Less."

Shoshana Weissman's article is titled "Toomey to Trump: 'Listen More, And Talk Less'" (www.weeklystandard.com/toomey-to-trump-listen-more-and-talk-less/article/2002307/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=t.co&utm_campaign=20160508_TWS-blog-toomey-trump-1_twitter&utm_content=TWS).

It should have been entitled "Senator Toomey Trying to Win Without Trump Supporters."

Weissman:

"On Sunday, Senator Pat Toomey followed Speaker Paul Ryan's lead, and offered some advice to Donald Trump. In an op-ed on Philly.com, Toomey writes, 'I find his candidacy highly problematic.'

"'Trump was not my first, second, or third choice. I object to much in his manner and his policies. His vulgarity, particularly toward women, is appalling. His lack of appreciation for Constitutional limits on executive powers is deeply concerning. I disagree with his proposals to ban Muslims, to give government more eminent domain powers, to be neutral between Israel and its enemies, and several others. In short, I find his candidacy highly problematic.'

"Toomey added that, while he is inclined to support the party's nominee, Trump is different.

"'As a Republican elected official, I am inclined to support the nominee of my party. That doesn't mean I must always agree with him. I didn't agree with Mitt Romney, John McCain, or George W. Bush on everything, but I supported them. That said, Trump is different from previous nominees. There could come a point at which the differences are so great as to be irreconcilable. I hope that doesn't happen, but I have never been a rubber stamp for my party's positions or its candidates. It is up to Trump to make the case for himself in a way that reassures the millions of Republicans and non-Republicans who have grave doubts about him. Winning the nomination is a great accomplishment, but it does not mean party members check their judgment at the door.'

"The senator offers some advice to Trump, noting that he has an opportunity, '[b]ut, to put it in terms that a businessman like yourself will understand, you have not yet closed the sale.'

"'Convince us that you are committed to the principles of limited government; individual freedom; a strong national defense, and a free-market economy that promotes opportunity and rejects crony capitalism.'

"Toomey ends by telling Trump to, 'listen more, and talk less.'

"'Finally, rather than attacking those who speak a contrary word about you or your positions, consider the value of constructive advice. Many of your critics are nothing more than political opponents who want your defeat. But some of your critics actually share the deep frustration with the direction of our country and our political class that has propelled your candidacy. Sometimes your critics might have a point. If you listen more, and talk less, you might even win some of them over. You will have to in order to be successful.'"

To be successful, Toomey needs the votes of Trump supporters and his op-ed is a foolish attack on them as well as on Trump.

Toomey is free to pander futilely to progressives and to attack Trump instead of Hillary Clinton.

Trump supporters are equally free to vote for Trump, but not for Toomey.

Toomey jumped on the path to being a one-term United States Senator. If Toomey isn't enthusiastically supporting Trump, why should Trump and Trump supporters support Toomey?

Michael J. Gaynor

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Biography - Michael J. Gaynor

Michael J. Gaynor has been practicing law in New York since 1973. A former partner at Fulton, Duncombe & Rowe and Gaynor & Bass, he is a solo practitioner admitted to practice in New York state and federal courts and an Association of the Bar of the City of New York member.

Gaynor graduated magna cum laude, with Honors in Social Science, from Hofstra University's New College, and received his J.D. degree from St. John's Law School, where he won the American Jurisprudence Award in Evidence and served as an editor of the Law Review and the St. Thomas More Institute for Legal Research. He wrote on the Pentagon Papers case for the Review and obscenity law for The Catholic Lawyer and edited the Law Review's commentary on significant developments in New York law.

The day after graduating, Gaynor joined the Fulton firm, where he focused on litigation and corporate law. In 1997 Gaynor and Emily Bass formed Gaynor & Bass and then conducted a general legal practice, emphasizing litigation, and represented corporations, individuals and a New York City labor union. Notably, Gaynor & Bass prevailed in the Second Circuit in a seminal copyright infringement case, Tasini v. New York Times, against newspaper and magazine publishers and Lexis-Nexis. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed, 7 to 2, holding that the copyrights of freelance writers had been infringed when their work was put online without permission or compensation.

Gaynor currently contributes regularly to www.MichNews.com, www.RenewAmerica.com, www.WebCommentary.com, www.PostChronicle.com and www.therealitycheck.org and has contributed to many other websites. He has written extensively on political and religious issues, notably the Terry Schiavo case, the Duke "no rape" case, ACORN and canon law, and appeared as a guest on television and radio. He was acknowledged in Until Proven Innocent, by Stuart Taylor and KC Johnson, and Culture of Corruption, by Michelle Malkin. He appeared on "Your World With Cavuto" to promote an eBay boycott that he initiated and "The World Over With Raymond Arroyo" (EWTN) to discuss the legal implications of the Schiavo case. On October 22, 2008, Gaynor was the first to report that The New York Times had killed an Obama/ACORN expose on which a Times reporter had been working with ACORN whistleblower Anita MonCrief.

Gaynor's email address is gaynormike@aol.com.

Copyright © 2016 by Michael J. Gaynor
All Rights Reserved.

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