Quid pro quo: No comparison between Trump, Biden
Recently some people have said that our government routinely engages in quid pro quo, and thus they believe: “So what if President Trump does it, too?”
The Nov. 9 political cartoon in the TNT juxtaposing Trump with “quid pro quo” and Joe Biden with “quid pro Joe” was a step too far. This is a false equivalency.
Yes, governments use carrots and sticks to influence other countries, such as sanctions on North Korea and tariffs on China, as well as aid to promote democratic institutions, encourage human rights and discourage corruption (as Biden did) .
But for the president to withhold congressionally approved assistance solely for his personal/political benefit is contrary to our national interests and stands alone in our history.
Kathy Franz, Puyallup
This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 2:46 PM with the headline "Quid pro quo: No comparison between Trump, Biden."