Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

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Darren
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Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by Darren »

Another ass bruise from a federal door knob.

"The US state department's inspector general, Steve Linick, has become the latest senior official to be fired by US President Donald Trump.

Mr Trump said Mr Linick no longer had his full confidence and that he would be removed in 30 days.

Mr Linick had begun investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for suspected abuse of office, reports say.

Democrats say Mr Trump is retaliating against public servants who want to hold his administration to account.

"It is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as inspectors general. That is no longer the case with regard to this inspector general," Mr Trump is quoted as saying "
Thank you RBG wherever you are!

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MajGenl.Meade
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by MajGenl.Meade »

Quite right too. This President only has confidence in lick-spittles who refuse to see the crimes his administration is committing on a daily basis. Heaven forbid one of those independent inspectors (above politics 'n all) should dare to investigation one of his co-conspirators.
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts

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Econoline
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by Econoline »

I think I might have said this before in one of Darren's many simultaneous threads, but I'll say it again: can anyone show me even just *ONE* example of Trump firing someone and then replacing that person with someone who is objectively MORE COMPETENT (rather than just more loyal/subservient to Trump himself, personally)?



(edited to put a question mark at the end of the question)
Last edited by Econoline on Sat May 16, 2020 3:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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MajGenl.Meade
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by MajGenl.Meade »

Trumpelstiltskin's idea of a watchdog

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For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts

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BoSoxGal
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by BoSoxGal »

What a sweet picture!
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

Darren
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by Darren »

BoSoxGal wrote:
Sat May 16, 2020 3:11 pm
What a sweet picture!
I agree. It's a nice picture ... in dog world.

Did you ever wonder why Obama didn't have an inspector general for the State Dept. until Kerry was appointed secretary? Curious.
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RayThom
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Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by RayThom »

Darren wrote:
Sat May 16, 2020 6:50 pm
... Did you ever wonder why Obama didn't have an inspector general for the State Dept. until Kerry was appointed secretary? Curious.
This kind of speculation is way above my pay grade.

Please tell me the reason behind this "totally Darren" posit. I'm dying to know.

You are now free to add five or six consecutive post after this one. You're welcome.
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“In a world whose absurdity appears to be so impenetrable, we simply must reach a greater degree of understanding among us, a greater sincerity.” 

Darren
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by Darren »

RayThom wrote:
Sat May 16, 2020 7:48 pm
Darren wrote:
Sat May 16, 2020 6:50 pm
... Did you ever wonder why Obama didn't have an inspector general for the State Dept. until Kerry was appointed secretary? Curious.
This kind of speculation is way above my pay grade.

Please tell me the reason behind this "totally Darren" posit. I'm dying to know.

You are now free to add five or six consecutive post after this one. You're welcome.
Balance in all things.
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MajGenl.Meade
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by MajGenl.Meade »

He's right that there wasn't one for the longest time under Obama - but it's all still "what-about-ism"

Fact is that Linick was doing just fine under Trump (even though he was appointed by Obama) until he made the big mistake of investigating Pompeo and his wife for their misuse of administration personnel on er . . . personal business.

Pompeo runs to Trump whining. Trump, who hates to have his crooks exposed, fires Linick citing "lack of confidence". Had plenty of confidence as long as Linick stayed away from investigation of yet another fat freak who kisses Trump's donkey.

So, no Darren. You claim a false equivalence in not having an inspector general at all and having one fired for actually daring to do his job. The firing thing is another Trump cover-up of malfeasance.
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts

Darren
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by Darren »

MajGenl.Meade wrote:
Sun May 17, 2020 2:01 pm

So, no Darren. You claim a false equivalence in not having an inspector general at all and having one fired for actually daring to do his job. The firing thing is another Trump cover-up of malfeasance.
True. It's a false equivalence when viewed with a narrow focus. As part of a much larger whole it's a notable comparison if you understand.
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Bicycle Bill
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by Bicycle Bill »

Darren, those old glasses you got from Trump Optical, the ones through which you are constantly viewing the world and everything else around you, are definitely not the correct prescription.  You really need to see an optometrist.  Even a fresh set of rose-colored glasses would be an improvement over the pumpkin-orange ones you have now.
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Darren
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by Darren »

Bicycle Bill wrote:
Sun May 17, 2020 6:47 pm
Darren, those old glasses you got from Trump Optical, the ones through which you are constantly viewing the world and everything else around you, are definitely not the correct prescription.  You really need to see an optometrist.  Even a fresh set of rose-colored glasses would be an improvement over the pumpkin-orange ones you have now.
Image
-"BB"-
I get my glasses from the VA. I have two pair. One for distance which works OK and a vocational pair which works OK on the upper part for close work, OK on the middle part for distance and really suck for reading books through the bottom part.

But like anything free, VA healthcare comes with glitches. You have to settle for what you get. Hopefully I'll get my free appendectomy by late summer or fall. That's not bad since that'll be about a year after the rupture.
Thank you RBG wherever you are!

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MajGenl.Meade
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by MajGenl.Meade »

Darren wrote:
Sun May 17, 2020 3:07 pm
MajGenl.Meade wrote:
Sun May 17, 2020 2:01 pm

So, no Darren. You claim a false equivalence in not having an inspector general at all and having one fired for actually daring to do his job. The firing thing is another Trump cover-up of malfeasance.
True. It's a false equivalence when viewed with a narrow focus. As part of a much larger whole it's a notable comparison if you understand.
I've figured out Darren's secret identity . . . Image
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts

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Bicycle Bill
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by Bicycle Bill »

Darren wrote:
Sun May 17, 2020 8:30 pm
Bicycle Bill wrote:
Sun May 17, 2020 6:47 pm
Darren, those old glasses you got from Trump Optical, the ones through which you are constantly viewing the world and everything else around you, are definitely not the correct prescription.  You really need to see an optometrist.  Even a fresh set of rose-colored glasses would be an improvement over the pumpkin-orange ones you have now.
Image
-"BB"-
I get my glasses from the VA. I have two pair. One for distance which works OK and a vocational pair which works OK on the upper part for close work, OK on the middle part for distance and really suck for reading books through the bottom part.

But like anything free, VA healthcare comes with glitches. You have to settle for what you get. Hopefully I'll get my free appendectomy by late summer or fall. That's not bad since that'll be about a year after the rupture.
What?  You mean among all her other talents, skills, knowledge, and abilities, 'Doc' doesn't count optometry or thoracic surgery among them?
What sort of an inferior doctor is this, anyway?  You'd best get shed of her, bro.
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Yes, I suppose I could agree with you ... but then we'd both be wrong, wouldn't we?

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Econoline
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by Econoline »

UH-OH! It looks like Senator Collins is getting "very concerned" again! (Maybe *THIS* time the concern will be strong enough that Donny will finally have learned his lesson and change his ways...)(Or not.)
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Darren
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by Darren »

Econoline wrote:
Sun May 17, 2020 10:31 pm
UH-OH! It looks like Senator Collins is getting "very concerned" again! (Maybe *THIS* time the concern will be strong enough that Donny will finally have learned his lesson and change his ways...)(Or not.)
Lots of Congress critters will sucking golf balls through garden hoses from here out to the election in November.
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Scooter
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by Scooter »

Why am I not surprised that Darren is giving an "attaboy" to the removal of an IG who was investigating the corruption of a cabinet member?
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Scooter
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by Scooter »

Facing difficult questions, Pompeo's scandal defense unravels

Last week, Donald Trump fired State Department Inspector General Steve Linick -- late on a Friday night -- because Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked him to. It wasn't long before this turned into a legitimate scandal: Pompeo was under investigation by the same official he told the president to fire.

By way of a defense, the Republican cabinet secretary and his team have come up with three main talking points. The first is that Linick wasn't a team player and failed to follow Pompeo's lead. Since the inspector general is an independent watchdog, this argument is effectively self-defeating.

The second argument is that there were some kind of leaks from within the State Department last year, but since there's no evidence Linick had anything to do with them, this too is a dud.

But perhaps most important was Pompeo's central defense: it's "simply not possible for this to be an act of retaliation," he told the Washington Post, because he didn't know he was under investigation.

Yeah, about that...
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declined an interview request for the State Department inspector general's inquiry into whether the Trump administration acted illegally in declaring an "emergency" to bypass a congressional freeze on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to three people with knowledge of his actions.
According to the New York Times' report, the cabinet secretary chose to "answer written questions from investigators working for the inspector general," which "indicates that the secretary of state was aware of Mr. Linick's investigation and the specific lines of questioning."

In case this weren't quite enough, NBC News published a striking report overnight on Pompeo hosting a series of elaborate and unpublicized "Madison Dinners" at the State Department, with elite guest lists featuring "billionaire CEOs, Supreme Court justices, political heavyweights and ambassadors."

The soirees -- paid for by taxpayers and held in a public building -- led State Department officials to ring the alarm, and for good reason. The NBC News report added that these officials saw these gatherings as "essentially using federal resources to cultivate a donor and supporter base for Pompeo's political ambitions -- complete with extensive contact information that gets sent back to Susan Pompeo's personal email address."

It's tempting to include a "but her emails" joke here, but I'm above such things.

NBC News' report went on to note that these dinners have sparked inquiries on Capitol Hill, but the White House may not have fully been aware of what Pompeo has been up to.

In the opinion of a senior Trump administration official who requested anonymity out of concern for retribution, "if the president knew about any of this, he would have fired Pompeo months ago."

In a normal political environment, today would be the day Mike Pompeo wrote a brief, polite letter expressing his desire to spend more time with his family.
"If you don't have a seat at the table, you're on the menu."

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Econoline
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Re: Head 'em up. Weed 'em out.

Post by Econoline »

Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone
And another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey, I'm gonna get you, too
Another one bites the dust

The other IG firing last Friday got so much attention that this one just about slipped in under the radar (from Wonkette):
Last weekend, Donald Trump did another of his Friday Night Massacres of inspectors general; virtually all the attention went to the firing of the IG for the State Department, Steve Linick, who seems to have been looking into a whole bunch of dubious doings by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Somewhat less noticed was the other IG removal last Friday, in which Trump demoted the acting inspector general for the Transportation Department, Mitch Behm. Trump replaced him with a political appointee, Howard "Skip" Elliott.

Why would anyone care about a silly inspector general in a Cabinet department nobody even thinks about until a bridge collapses? Could be because Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who's up for reelection this year, and Chao's department sure has been sending a bunch of sweet transportation projects to Kentucky. Probably all just an innocent coincidence, but Behm's office was investigating the alleged favoritism in approving big spending for Kentucky, that well-known transportation hub.

As you might expect, the move has raised the hackles of busybody good government watchdogs, like Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), which said the ouster of Behm "calls into question the future of the Chao-McConnell investigation, other critical oversight, and whether the watchdog was dismissed for unearthing damaging information." Three Democratic members of the House of Representatives have already launched an investigation into Behm's removal, too.

The new acting IG, Howard Elliott, definitely fits the profile for Trump's very best people. Where Behm had served in the Office of the Inspector General for 17 years, Elliott doesn't have a background in law enforcement, legal oversight, or even pet detective-ing. As the Washington Post notes,
Elliot had a 40-year career in the railroad industry, serving as an executive at freight company CSX Transportation before joining the Trump administration. The lawmakers questioned what in his professional background qualified him to serve as inspector general.
But wait, there's more! Elliott already works in the Transportation Department, where he's the administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. He'll be staying in that job and also working as acting IG in a "dual-hat arrangement," according to a DOT spokesperson. CREW points out there's just a hell of a big chance of that creating conflicts of interest:
Elliott will potentially oversee audits or investigations into PHMSA, and be responsible for ensuring that the administrator of PHMSA (him) complies with recommendations made by OIG (led by him). It's hard to understate the significance of this conflict of interest. Even if Elliott recuses from OIG matters related to PHMSA, which he absolutely should do, he can still discipline or fire OIG officials working for him, if he doesn't like or agree with their handling of the Chao-McConnell investigation or PHMSA.
And while Elliott would supposedly be "independent" when wearing his acting IG hat, Chao is still his boss when he's wearing his "I ❤️ Laying Pipe" hat as head of PHMSA. Gosh, could that possibly influence his willingness to continue the investigation into his boss's alleged Kentucky shenanigans?

The three House Democrats looking into Trump's funny business with replacing Behm would like some answers please. The group is led by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon), chair of the House Transportation Committee, who last year asked the IG to investigate whether Chao was improperly steering grants to Kentucky. The other two are members of the House Oversight committee, Carolyn Maloney (D-New York) and Gerald Connolly (D-Virginia). They sent letters to Chao and Elliott Tuesday calling for Elliott's resignation and Behm's reinstatement. The letter to Elliott requested he turn over a list of ongoing investigations, and asking for details of what exactly Elliott plans to do with the ongoing investigation into Chao and Kentucky. They also warned Chao,
We are concerned that Mr. Behm's removal could be an effort to undermine the progress of this investigation, which we understand is ongoing. Any attempt by you or your office to interfere with the Office of Inspector General's investigation of yourself is illegal and will be thoroughly examined by our Committees.
Chao issued a statement that didn't say beans about the investigation, but reminded us all that Donald Trump is the boss and he can hire and fire anyone he wants, so suck it libs.

Over in the Senate, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois), who serves on a committee overseeing pipeline safety, also said she's concerned Elliott's two hats are covered in slime:
"Acting Inspector General Skip Elliott being charged with auditing and investigating the actions of PHMSA Administrator Skip Elliott makes a mockery of the entire system of Inspectors General," Duckworth said in a statement.
Duckworth also condemned Trump's "haphazard approach to firing and hiring Inspector Generals," which is entirely too kind. It's one of the few areas where he's actually fairly focused on making sure nobody in his administration will ever be held accountable.

In conclusion, the fix is in, yet again, and the only solution is to vote all these fuckers out and salt the ground. Which makes today Thursday, just another day ending in heavy drinking and tears.

ETA:
Econoline wrote:
Sat May 16, 2020 3:00 pm
I'll say it again: can anyone show me even just *ONE* example of Trump firing someone and then replacing that person with someone who is objectively MORE COMPETENT (rather than just more loyal/subservient to Trump himself, personally)?
People who are wrong are just as sure they're right as people who are right. The only difference is, they're wrong.
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