The swamp

[DJL 232]

billvon

>But for Pruitt...me... thinks he has demigod dictator syndrome. Hence the motorcade
>with front and back entourage cars and flashing lights. I think they have to check
>bathroom stalls in advance in case hidden snipers, lie in wait.

Right after he started as head of the EPA he got in his motorcade to get to an appointment somewhere else. He was late, so he told the driver to use his lights and siren to get through traffic. "Those are really only for emergencies," the driver told him.

The driver was immediately reassigned to a miserable job.

If Clinton had done this Dan Bongino would be screaming from the rooftops.

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[ryoder 1,382]

Trey Gowdy versus Scott Pruitt: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/11/gowdy-pruitt-epa-records-travel-condo-agreement-515679

Why do GOP'ers only find their spine after announcing they won't run again.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

Hi Robert,

Quote

Why do GOP'ers only find their spine after announcing they won't run again.

With the exception of Paul Ryan who still cannot find his spine.

Anyone think Ryan will make a run for POTUS in '20?

Jerry Baumchen

[billvon 2,396]

>Meanwhile the rest of the world looks at the USA. Wondering if the end of Rome is near.

The end of Rome can't be near. Trump is still fiddlingtweeting so everything is OK.

[jcd11235 0]

JerryBaumchen

Anyone think Ryan will make a run for POTUS in '20?

I don't think he has the stomach for it, nor does he seem willing to put in the long hours required.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[Bob_Church 7]

JerryBaumchen

Hi Robert,

Quote

Why do GOP'ers only find their spine after announcing they won't run again.

With the exception of Paul Ryan who still cannot find his spine.

Anyone think Ryan will make a run for POTUS in '20?

Jerry Baumchen

On that subject, we're what, maybe two years or even less from the next campaign starting up. Have the Democrats mentioned ANYONE yet?
Well, anyone else.

[Phil1111 910]

jcd11235

***Anyone think Ryan will make a run for POTUS in '20?

I don't think he has the stomach for it, nor does he seem willing to put in the long hours required.

There is a new paradigm to lead the country.

-Watching Fox and friends on TV, 5 hours a day
-Watching CNN, NBC,CBS, etc. 1 hour
- Talking to legal council, 2 hours
- talking to congress and house members 1/2 hour
-Security, economic briefings, 1/2 hour
- Eating Big Mac knockoffs prepared by WH chefs, 1/2 hour
- Websurfing Breitbart , Liberty University, Etc.1/2 hours
Weekends start Friday at 3 p.m. with golf on the agenda.
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/christian-broadcasting-network-cbn/

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

Phil1111

There is a new paradigm to lead the country.

There's a difference between 'leading the country' and 'occupying the office'.

I have yet to see anything resembling actual leadership from the Mango Mussolini.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[rushmc 18]

wolfriverjoe

***

There is a new paradigm to lead the country.

There's a difference between 'leading the country' and 'occupying the office'.

I have yet to see anything resembling actual leadership from the Mango Mussolini.

As long as what we called leadership has nothing to do with the way Obama did it, I'm okay with it!

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[jakee 1,254]

rushmc

As long as what we called leadership has nothing to do with the way Obama did it, I'm okay with it!

What was wrong with Obama's leadership?

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

jakee

***As long as what we called leadership has nothing to do with the way Obama did it, I'm okay with it!

What was wrong with Obama's leadership?

He was black.

And a Liberal.

Duh.

I didn't vote for him either time, and still disagree to a certain degree with some of his positions.

But he could lead.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[ryoder 1,382]

But his emails!!!

Scott Pruitt has “at least four” official email addresses, senators say
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/04/scott-pruitt-has-at-least-four-official-email-addresses-senators-say/

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[ryoder 1,382]

A major donor with close ties to the White House resigned on Friday as deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee after the revelation that he had agreed to pay $1.6 million to a former Playboy model who became pregnant during an affair.

The deal was arranged by President Trump’s personal lawyer and fixer, Michael D. Cohen.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/04/13/us/politics/elliott-broidy-michael-cohen-payout.html

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[ryoder 1,382]

Jan 2017: Trump designates Ajit Pai as FCC Chairman.
Apr 2017: Ajit Pai appoints Elizabeth Ann Pierce as chair of Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee.
Sep 2017: Elizabeth Ann Pierce resigns for "personal reasons".
Apr 2018:

The former head of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) has been arrested on a charge of wire fraud for allegedly tricking investors into pouring money into a fiber-optic network.

Elizabeth Pierce is accused of "forging guaranteed revenue contracts to fraudulently induce investors to invest more than $250 million in a fiber optic cable network in Alaska," according to a press release issued last week by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Source: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/04/ajit-pais-ex-broadband-advisor-arrested-on-charge-of-forging-fiber-contracts/

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[Phil1111 910]

ryoder

Jan 2017: Trump designates Ajit Pai as FCC Chairman.
Apr 2017: Ajit Pai appoints Elizabeth Ann Pierce as chair of Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee.
Sep 2017: Elizabeth Ann Pierce resigns for "personal reasons".
Apr 2018:

The former head of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) has been arrested on a charge of wire fraud for allegedly tricking investors into pouring money into a fiber-optic network.

Elizabeth Pierce is accused of "forging guaranteed revenue contracts to fraudulently induce investors to invest more than $250 million in a fiber optic cable network in Alaska," according to a press release issued last week by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Source: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/04/ajit-pais-ex-broadband-advisor-arrested-on-charge-of-forging-fiber-contracts/

Yet this generates little coverage due to the background noise of the trump administration. I mean all the other corruption, legal actions, FBI investigations and distractions from trump.

[ryoder 1,382]

Mulvaney’s Advice to Bankers: Up Campaign Donations to Diminish Consumer Watchdog
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/24/us/mulvaney-consumer-financial-protection-bureau.html

WASHINGTON — Mick Mulvaney, the interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, told banking industry executives and lobbyists on Tuesday that they should increase their campaign donations to influence lawmakers, revealing that he would meet only with lobbyists who contributed to his campaign when he served in the House.

So nice of him to make it clear who owns him.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[Phil1111 910]

ryoder

Mulvaney’s Advice to Bankers: Up Campaign Donations to Diminish Consumer Watchdog
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/24/us/mulvaney-consumer-financial-protection-bureau.html

WASHINGTON — Mick Mulvaney, the interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, told banking industry executives and lobbyists on Tuesday that they should increase their campaign donations to influence lawmakers, revealing that he would meet only with lobbyists who contributed to his campaign when he served in the House.

So nice of him to make it clear who owns him.

^^^^
This. clearly he has a bit to learn. In order to become skilled, er.. THE BEST, as as member of the trump administration.

[billvon 2,396]

The latest Swamp nominee: Ronny Jackson, who was Trumps's choice to lead the VA. He has the sterling qualification of being someone Trump likes (it's his personal doctor.)

So let's see what swampiness Ronny can bring to the table:

=======
Dr. Ronny L. Jackson, the White House physician nominated to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, provided “a large supply” of Percocet, a prescription opioid, to a White House military office staff member, throwing his own medical staff “into a panic” when the medical unit could not account for the missing drugs, according to a summary of questionable deeds compiled by the Democratic staff of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

A nurse on his staff said Dr. Jackson had written himself prescriptions, and when caught, he asked a physician assistant to provide the medication. And at a Secret Service going away party, the doctor got intoxicated and “wrecked a government vehicle,” according to the summary.
(NYT)
========

Looks good so far! Throw in some $34,000 desk chairs (on the taxpayer's dime) and a sexual assault or two and he will fit right in. And the White House is standing behind him 100%. Sarah Sanders said he had had FBI background checks and that . .

"a very thorough investigation and vetting process has taken place . . .this is somebody that spends more time with the President than just about anyone." Anything else that qualifies him? Experience with executive management or large government organizations perhaps? Sanders: "There's a number of things." Well, who could be more qualified than that?

But wait. What's this? Is Trump simultaneously trying to both tout and sink his own candidate, while trying to blame democrats for his own decisions? Looks like it:

"He's an admiral, he's a great leader, and they question him for every little thing . . I told Admiral Jackson just a little while ago, what do you need this for? This is a vicious group of people, they malign ... what do you need it for? I don't want to put a man through a process like this. It's too ugly and too disgusting. ... If I were him, I wouldn't do it."

OK. So now we have the president advising his own nominee not to "do it." This will end well.

[kallend 1,623]

ryoder

Mulvaney’s Advice to Bankers: Up Campaign Donations to Diminish Consumer Watchdog
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/24/us/mulvaney-consumer-financial-protection-bureau.html

WASHINGTON — Mick Mulvaney, the interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, told banking industry executives and lobbyists on Tuesday that they should increase their campaign donations to influence lawmakers, revealing that he would meet only with lobbyists who contributed to his campaign when he served in the House.

So nice of him to make it clear who owns him.

The BEST government money can buy.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[ryoder 1,382]

Backstabbing in The Swamp.

A Pruitt Aide's Attack on Zinke Angers the White House
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/05/epa-leaks/559607/

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[billvon 2,396]

Remember, Trump was going to hire "the best people."

"I am self funding and will hire the best people, not the biggest donors!" He will hire "the best people in the world."

We now have a new term to add to that particular Trumpism. From Sarah Huckabee Sanders, after being asked for the tenth time why she had previously lied: "We give the very best information that we have at the time."

"Best" people with the "best" information. By that new definition, Trump is on track to be the "best" president ever.

[Phil1111 910]

ryoder

Backstabbing in The Swamp.

A Pruitt Aide's Attack on Zinke Angers the White House
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/05/epa-leaks/559607/

Thats why misconduct by Pruitt keeps getting leaked to the press. Like the WH, like the EPA.

Pruitt had travel wishlist and asked staff to find ‘official’ reasons to go: report

Four EPA officials familiar with Pruitt's travel arrangements tell the newspaper that Pruitt created the list shortly after taking office last year and directed aides to plan official visits to countries on the list while finding official EPA business to rationalize the travel.

In some cases, those trips were planned for months with the help of influential Washington, D.C., lobbyists, the Post reports, raising further questions about Pruitt's use of taxpayer funds and proximity to lobbyists who may have business before the agency.

In the case of one cancelled trip to Israel, the trip was reportedly organized by Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson. Two Democratic senators sent a letter on Thursday to Pruitt demanding information about “the role Mr. Adelson or other non-governmental officials played" in planning that trip, the Post said.

Another incident in Morocco also showed Pruitt's tendency to let high-profile friends in on EPA business. A trip to Morocco, planned by longtime Pruitt friend and lobbyist Richard Smotkin, resulted in Smotkin joining Pruitt for "multiple" events including a meeting with one of Morocco's business leaders.

Smotkin would later go on to sign a lobbying agreement with Morocco's government. Critics point to this as blatant evidence of Pruitt using his office to promote his friends' business interests.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/386184-pruitt-had-travel-wishlist-and-asked-staff-to-find-official-reasons

Its no wonder trump has supported Pruitt so much. Co-mingling government and private business for personal profit. Pruitt is probably teaching the trump family some new angles.

[ryoder 1,382]

A Sr VP at a news organization calls out Trump's constant lies.
I'm sure Fox News will be along shortly to correct him.
Oh, wait...it is Fox News!

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/neil-cavuto-calls-out-trump-on-his-pattern-of-false-statements-mr-president-thats-your-swamp/

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[kallend 1,623]

ryoder

A Sr VP at a news organization calls out Trump's constant lies.
I'm sure Fox News will be along shortly to correct him.
Oh, wait...it is Fox News!

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/neil-cavuto-calls-out-trump-on-his-pattern-of-false-statements-mr-president-thats-your-swamp/

Swamp rats:

www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/05/03/sarah-huckabee-sanders-basically-just-blamed-trump-for-misleading-her/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.3d5fe8274ba8&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[DJL 232]

Non-paywalled: https://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/Sanders-blames-bad-information-for-denial-of-12885638.php

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher