State Dept. Resignations

[dales]

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s job running the State Department just got considerably more difficult. The entire senior level of management officials resigned Wednesday, part of an ongoing mass exodus of senior foreign service officers who don’t want to stick around for the Trump era.

Tillerson was actually inside the State Department’s headquarters in Foggy Bottom on Wednesday, taking meetings and getting the lay of the land. I reported Wednesday morning that the Trump team was narrowing its search for his No. 2, and that it was looking to replace the State Department’s long-serving undersecretary for management, Patrick Kennedy. Kennedy, who has been in that job for nine years, was actively involved in the transition and was angling to keep that job under Tillerson, three State Department officials told me.

Then suddenly on Wednesday afternoon, Kennedy and three of his top officials resigned unexpectedly, four State Department officials confirmed. Assistant Secretary of State for Administration Joyce Anne Barr, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Michele Bond and Ambassador Gentry O. Smith, director of the Office of Foreign Missions, followed him out the door. All are career foreign service officers who have served under both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Read more here:https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/jos ... 62b9938bfb

[Guinevere]

There are stories floating around that they were fired.

[Bicycle Bill]

There are stories floating around that they were fired.

I suppose it depends on whose side of the story you're hearing.  There must be thousands of instances where the conversation goes something like this:

"Johnson, you're fired."
"You can't fire me; I quit!!"

I'll admit I've even done it postfacto myself.

-"BB"-

[Joe Guy]

Given Trump's war on the press, we're going to see even more than usual of this type of reporting. It's not a good trend. We shouldn't have to read twenty different "news" sources in order to figure out the truth.

[dales]

I'm sorry to say this might be the "new normal", JoeGuy.

[Guinevere]

It's not the presses fault when the White House throttles and suppresses free speech. Clearly there was a propaganda story allowed to go to the press, but as we know the truth always comes out. And as we have seen already, departments and agencies aren't allowing themselves to be gagged and silenced.

[Guinevere]

There are stories floating around that they were fired.

I suppose it depends on whose side of the story you're hearing.  There must be thousands of instances where the conversation goes something like this:

"Johnson, you're fired."
"You can't fire me; I quit!!"

I'll admit I've even done it postfacto myself.

-"BB"-

Don't normalize the lie. They either resigned voluntarily, or were fired by the White House, which refuses to knowledge the truth. I don't know the answer, but it was one or the other.

[wesw]

at least they are gone....

maybe they can keep their health plan...., and doctor....

[RayThom]

From the Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/jos ... 2dd0d24af6

[Bicycle Bill]

at least they are gone....

maybe they can keep their health plan...., and doctor....

I would probably have stayed .... just to be a little prick in the bigger prick's side.

-"BB"-

[BoSoxGal]

There is little appeal in that when it requires compromising all integrity - I wouldn't take a 6 figure government attorney job in this administration if it came gold-plated. I certainly understand the many who will stay because they owe support obligations to family, etc. - but I expect will we see many who can afford to leave head for the door.

[Lord Jim]

My greatest fear in this area is that because of the way he has repeatedly trashed and smeared them, we're going to start to see an exodus of highly trained professionals leaving our intelligence agencies, which will do incalculable damage to US security.

[Guinevere]

According to Patrick Leahy and other internal State Dept sources they were fired.

LJ - agreed but I'm not sure you can expect people to work for him. They have their own ethics and own moral standards to live by. In many cases I'm sure staying violates those ethics and standards. It's a difficult choice, as working internally for a better outcome is also going to difficult and perhaps contrary to actual orders/direction. Can they stay and act as resistance without damaging their own professional standing?

My friends at EPA are struggling with this now, and so disheartened.

[wesw]

hopefully the teacher s union s and universities will be shorn of hacks as well.

this is a political revolution.

Bernie bros are welcome.

the good thing about young folks is that they learn as they age and are not so easily buffaloed after a few short years.

[Bicycle Bill]

they learn as they age and are not so easily buffaloed after a few short years.

No, people become more like cement as they age — all mixed up, dumb as a rock, absolutely inflexible, and fully set.
Don't believe me?  Look in a mirror sometime.

-"BB"-

[wesw]

I haven t found that to be true for me....

my whole world view has shifted in the last few years.

maybe the view is different in your mirror.

[Joe Guy]

Rumor has it that Trump has chosen a new person to be head of the CIA.

He usually goes by the name "Chief".

[Lord Jim]

my whole world view has shifted in the last few years.

Which is proof positive that advancing age alone is no guarantee against being easily buffaloed...

[wesw]

...the old "buffalo the aging" trick, eh?

[Lord Jim]

That's the third time it's been tried this month...