There is one last bit of ethics drama that arose from the Jimmy Carter funeral and its historic array of Presidents past, present, future, and sort-of, failed candidates, VPs and spouses. As USA Today pointed out, Kamala Harris put up a version of the event on Instagram that carefully copped out President-Elect Trump and his wife.
Stay classy, Kamala. USA Today writes, predictably attempting to cloak Harris’s back-handed slap at the man who defeated her (with her own invaluable assistance) by adding that “it was not clear if Trump’s exclusion was intentional.” Was the photo posted intentionally? Yes. Then Trump’s exclusion was intentional. The photo is cropped to make Harris the focus, and that also had the effect of leaving out the most important figure in the scene.
Well, it’s a better reaction than rioting at the Capitol, I guess.
Harris’s boilerplate words under the photo ( “President Jimmy Carter loved our country. He lived his faith, served the people, and left the world better than he found it. President Carter’s many contributions will echo for generations to come.”) has me wondering if a partisan conservative factchecker would label this “disinformation.” Did Carter really “leave the world better than he found it”? As for his “contributions” echoing for generations, that’s carefully deceitful line like fake compliments to untalented friends in bad theatrical performances (“Well, you can’t do better than that!” and “That was amazing!”).
Every man becomes President of the United States loves this country: you can’t get to the White House if you don’t and are unlikely to try. In that picture, the individual who demonstrated that he loved the U.S. in its present state least is Barack Obama. If that was a veiled shot at Trump by Harris, it was a particularly stupid one. A standard talking point from the Trump-Deranged is that “he only cares about himself.” Becoming President requires courage and sacrifice, and nobody runs for the position who isn’t determined to do a good job for all Americans.
Some have been more capable of achieving that goal than others.
Ethics Alarms 
Earlier this morning my wife told me about this, and I responded – That’s gotta be fake news, Kamala wouldn’t stoop to such a middle-school tactic. Well, I guess I was wrong!
Given the angle of the shot, the Trumps would have been obscured by the pillar at the right, even if the photo were extended. If this image is cropped, it’s only to eliminate the pillar, not Trump, who wouldn’t have been seen, anyway.
That said, the photographer may or may not have chosen that angle intentionally. Maybe that’s just where he/she was stationed; maybe it was a choice. What is certain is that Harris chose this photo from among a plethora of others. I’d say the idea that the omission of Trump was intentional is a little short of certain, but quite likely. At best, it’s sloppy; at worst, petulant. (BTW, a couple of leftie pages have suggested that the photographer is a hero.)
In the words of the prophet Paul McCartney, “la la, how the life goes on.”
“Bra”!
“in a couple of years they have built a home sweet home . . .”
jvb
On a more positive note about the composition of that photo, at least we don’t have to look at Hillary.
Wait. Mr. and Mrs. Emhoff (did anyone tell them not to lift their chins so high so they wouldn’t look so pretentious?) actually stand during the national anthem? And put their hands over their hearts? Shouldn’t they have knelt? Don’t black lives matter? Loving one’s country is admirable? Aren’t we supposed to imagine there aren’t any, never mind love them?
Maybe Jimmy Carter did leave at least the presidency a better place, i.e., Ronald Regan’s hands?
Mr. Emhoff was told to stand as erect as possible so he could block the face of George W. Bush. I’m going to start another conspiracy by stating Emhoff’s positioning was also intentional.
And the cropping the President was obviously intentional. No Republican Presidents allowed in VP Harris’ world.
Well, THAT explains it!
I wonder whether this photo was taken by the official presidential photographer. Maybe so. Interesting I only see on person of color in the photo. I’m surprised the Biden White House, or the DNC didn’t populate the pews with a sufficiently diverse crowd the way they hire people to stand behind candidates when they have those goofy campaign rallies. Clearly, somebody screwed up. D.C. is still pretty darned white!
Was SloJo aware of what everyone else was doing and why, or did he just lack the energy to raise his hand any higher? Looks more like he’s trying to manage his stomach bloat.