User-Supported News Commentary Hosted by Craig Crawford
What Is Truth
Author: craigcrawford
Trail Mix Host. Lapsed journalist, author & retired pundit happily promoting nothing but the truth for Social Security checks.
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Here’s some truth. Over the past two days SFB showed his true stripe, the color of which is yellow.
1. He refused to attend the ceremony at the cemetery of AMERICAN war dead from WWI because it was raining- a little bit, choosing instead to stay in his hotel watching TV and tweeting lies.
2. He refused to walk with the leaders of Europe down the Champs Elysee to honor the soldiers who died to bring about the armistice.
3. On Veterans Day he took the day off and refused to get his fat ass to Arlington National Cemetery to honor the veterans interred there, instead staying in the White House to watch Faux News and tweet lies, just as he has done two days before.
That is truth. And yes, if anyone had any doubts about his support for our troops those doubts should by now be dispelled and everyone should now know that yellow thing on his head is the upper end of the stripe on his back.
I think at this point that trump has out trumped himself. He must be losing his mind or as BlueBronc pointed out on the other thread… something big is about to drop. Not showing up to the cemetery in France and then not doing a thing on Veterans Day is a real stupid move… even for him.
KGC… I call her Sarah Succubus Sanders… as she’s certainly no Christian that I want to know.
In the military Ground Truth was vitally important in all our endeavors–lives ranging from zero to, potentially, horrendous numbers depended on our knowledge of the true nature and status of the ground that we might be targeting.
wapo:
President Trump has told advisers he has decided to remove Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, and her departure from the administration is likely to occur in the coming weeks, if not sooner, according to five current and former White House officials.
Trump canceled a planned trip with Nielsen this week to visit U.S. troops at the border in South Texas and told aides over the weekend that he wants her out as soon as possible, these officials said. The president has grumbled for months about what he views as Nielsen’s lackluster performance on immigration enforcement and is believed to be looking for a replacement who will implement his policy ideas with more alacrity.
The announcement could come as soon as this week, three of these officials said.
Trump has changed his mind on key personnel decisions before, and Chief of Staff John F. Kelly is fighting Nielsen’s pending dismissal and attempting to postpone it, aides say. But Kelly’s future in the administration also is shaky, according to three White House officials.
[…continues…]
how many leaderless agencies will the sacking make? guess it makes sense given the lack of leadership in the wh.
from that wapo story above:
Nielsen’s departure would leave a leadership void at the government’s third-largest agency, which has 240,000 employees and a $60 billion budget. The deputy secretary job at DHS has been vacant since April, and the White House has not submitted to Congress a nomination for that post.
Perspective. Veterans Day isn’t Memorial Day. Although visiting the graves of the Marines lost in The Battle of Belleau Wood would have been totally unforgivable on Memorial Day or had he been there during the period of the 100th anniversary of the Battle (June 1918), he wasn’t. Still, he was a clod with a clod’s excuse. At the least, he could have said that the bad weather was bothering his heel.
Flatus – I hear you, but he pissed on our Veterans (yourself and a number of others who frequent this corner of the universe included) by taking yesterday off – not going to Walter Reed, not going to Arlington, hell, from what I can tell not boarding AF2 and saluting the Marines who detail that assignment. The followingis what passed for his Veterans Day message:
KC, IMHO Beto is an attractive candidate who at some time in the future after honing his chops may be ready for the national stage, but he ain’t ready today.
Pogo–people must understand that the rank-and-file, including me, have taken this oath:
(a) Enlistment Oath.— Each person enlisting in an armed force shall take the following oath:
“I, (state name of enlistee), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
Orders are presumed to be proper and legal; instant obedience is often imperative and is indeed the goal. There is scant room for questioning of orders–unless you are a Lt Calley.
BETO belongs on the bottom of the 2020 ticket, or, he needs to be enlisted to campaign for whomever the DNC decides to put up this time (cuz primary voters have little to say about the nominee).
Put a Dem who has served in the military at the top, please.
Flatus, I am aware of that. IMHO that oath is an affirmation reflecting the patriotism of the soldiers who take it. I have no problem with anything done by a soldier under orders short of criminal acts. My comments above regarding IMPOTUS’s decision to take Veterans Day off and issue a frankly idiotic congratulatory tweet to ALL, including haters and losers is a reflection of his utter cluelessness with not a word to veterans who provide those protections for us haters and losers.
KC, I don’t have a favorite at this point. I try to be a bit practical about this stuff and sometimes my heart and head fight with each other. Biden is an example at present – I’m struggling with the idea that age aside I believe he’s the best we have to offer, but can a 78 year old be elected for a first term? I kinda doubt it. I like Kamala, but I’ve got reservations about the breadth of her appeal. Same with Eliz Warren. And Bernie!? Nope. I’m thinking someone who’s not in the conversation right now will emerge over the next 6 months or so and will shake things up, but I don’t have a clue who it might be.
Pogo–unambiguously, Veterans Day was Sunday, the 11th. It is not one of the 3-day-weekend holidays. The day off on Monday was a freebie to make the postal workers feel good as they had to work on Saturday.
“we the electorate only elect celebrities lacking relevant experience to the Presidency nowadays”
bink, was that an endorsement flag you just ran up the flagpole for oprah? some spaghetti flung at trump’s wall that possibly could stick?
must be some more Madison Ave clichés I can dredge up… oh yeah, how about “eventising” an George/Oprah or Oprah/George campaign gala on youtube for starters! boffo coverage. eat your heart out, trumptydumpty.
An hour after Melania Trump called for the sacking of deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel, the White House aide has been fired.
The Wall Street Journal reports she was escorted out of the White House minutes ago. Only two hours before her dismissal, she attended a White House Diwali ceremony with Trump.
business insider:
First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday called for National Security Adviser John Bolton’s top deputy to be fired.
The first lady is reportedly unhappy with how she’s been treated by Deputy National Security Adviser Mira Ricardel, particularly during Melania’s trip to Africa in October. Ricardel was apparently upset the first lady’s team didn’t have room for her on the plane for the trip, and allegedly moved to block National Security Council resources for Melania’s travel.
Stephanie Grisham, a spokeswoman for the first lady, on Tuesday told INSIDER, “It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that [Ricardel] no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House.”
The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday reported Ricardel is set to be ousted, and it seems to be connected to the first lady’s discontentment with her. The Journal also reported that President Donald Trump plans to remove Homeland Security chief Kirstjen Nielsen.
Meanwhile, there are additional reports White House chief of staff John Kelly’s position might be in jeopardy due to clashes he’s had with the first lady. But Grisham on Tuesday told INSIDER there is no bad blood between Kelly and Melania.
“Mrs. Trump has a very positive relationship with Chief Kelly and there have never been any issues between the two,” Grisham said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from INSIDER.
more detail from politico: Melania Trump calls for the ouster of John Bolton’s top aide […] While the statement didn’t elaborate, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that President Donald Trump has decided to fire Ricardel at Melania’s urging after clashes regarding the first lady’s recent solo trip to Africa. Staff in the East Wing tussled with Ricadel “over seating on the plane and requests to use National Security Council resources” on the Africa trip, and some on the first lady’s staff have suspected Ricardel is to blame for some negative stories about Melania Trump, according to the Journal report. The Journal also reported that Bolton has resisted entreaties from White House chief of staff John Kelly to fire Ricardel. Kelly’s own influence in the White House could be waning as reports emerge that he himself is on the chopping block for his own disagreements with Bolton and tension with other members of the Trump family, including daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner. But officials in the Pentagon have also reportedly clashed with Ricardel — including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis — over personnel and policy differences, leading to a deterioration of relations between the Pentagon and the NSC. Ricardel’s tension with Mattis existed for some time, and Mattis sees Trump less than he used to since Bolton and Ricardel have been at the NSC. Ricardel, along with Bolton, also has “a very closed style. It’s literally closed-door as opposed to open-door” under former national security… Read more »
la times: Trump, stung by midterms and nervous about Mueller, retreats from traditional presidential duties For weeks this fall, an ebullient President Trump traveled relentlessly to hold raise-the-rafters campaign rallies — sometimes three a day — in states where his presence was likely to help Republicans on the ballot. But his mood apparently has changed as he has taken measure of the electoral backlash that voters delivered Nov. 6. With the certainty that the incoming Democratic House majority will go after his tax returns and investigate his actions, and the likelihood of additional indictments by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, Trump has retreated into a cocoon of bitterness and resentment, according to multiple administration sources. Behind the scenes, they say, the president has lashed out at several aides, from junior press assistants to senior officials. “He’s furious,” said one administration official. “Most staffers are trying to avoid him.” The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, painted a picture of a brooding president “trying to decide who to blame” for Republicans’ election losses, even as he publicly and implausibly continues to claim victory. […] And, according to a source outside the White House who has spoken recently with the president, last week’s Wall Street Journal report confirming Trump’s central role during the 2016 campaign in quietly arranging payoffs for two women alleging affairs with him seemed to put him in an even worse mood. Publicly, Trump has been increasingly absent in recent days —… Read more »
“…was that an endorsement flag you just ran up the flagpole for oprah?”
…just an observation of a contemporary American political reality. Dems just got a bunch of rising stars from the midterms, unfortunately they’re a little late to the scene for 2020. If Beto can win, nominate Beto. If the Dems nominate HRC, i give up.
After the frenetic barnstorming in the run up to the election, trump is probably suffering from the afteraffects. His depression may be magnified by withdrawals from uppers that he undoubtedly took to keep going. Let’s face it, he’s an old fart my age. All that flying around is trying, even if you get to avoid the normal airport experience. He probably got the sniffles, and we know that he’s a germophobe. The future looks black for him, because people will be talking back to him, perhaps literally. It may come out in public that he is no more wealthy than the money his dad gave him, and maybe less. The rest of his empire may be composed of borrowed rubles. That would be almost as embarrassing as discovering that he needs to wear Depends.
Gen. Mattis should lean on pence to invoke the 25th Amendment. It would be better for everyone if we were to speed his downfall and disgrace. It’s coming anyway. I say, the sooner, the better.
I like Mitch …what about about Mitch- Stacey ticket .. might win the south
I have a bigger no list than people I’m interested in
No Clinton
No Biden
No Sanders
and the jury is still out but I’m thinking a no to Elizabeth Warren
Sherrod Brown is interesting a liberal dem who gets elected in not blue Ohio Good labor union guy
terrific selection, boss.
sorta reminds me of what those parkland kids were saying.
Here’s some truth. Over the past two days SFB showed his true stripe, the color of which is yellow.
1. He refused to attend the ceremony at the cemetery of AMERICAN war dead from WWI because it was raining- a little bit, choosing instead to stay in his hotel watching TV and tweeting lies.
2. He refused to walk with the leaders of Europe down the Champs Elysee to honor the soldiers who died to bring about the armistice.
3. On Veterans Day he took the day off and refused to get his fat ass to Arlington National Cemetery to honor the veterans interred there, instead staying in the White House to watch Faux News and tweet lies, just as he has done two days before.
That is truth. And yes, if anyone had any doubts about his support for our troops those doubts should by now be dispelled and everyone should now know that yellow thing on his head is the upper end of the stripe on his back.
I think at this point that trump has out trumped himself. He must be losing his mind or as BlueBronc pointed out on the other thread… something big is about to drop. Not showing up to the cemetery in France and then not doing a thing on Veterans Day is a real stupid move… even for him.
KGC… I call her Sarah Succubus Sanders… as she’s certainly no Christian that I want to know.
In the military Ground Truth was vitally important in all our endeavors–lives ranging from zero to, potentially, horrendous numbers depended on our knowledge of the true nature and status of the ground that we might be targeting.
pogo, I found it… the lovely laughing French lady you mentioned
This meteorologist is calling for rain with a chance of a president who’s afraid to get his hair wet.
wapo:
President Trump has told advisers he has decided to remove Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, and her departure from the administration is likely to occur in the coming weeks, if not sooner, according to five current and former White House officials.
Trump canceled a planned trip with Nielsen this week to visit U.S. troops at the border in South Texas and told aides over the weekend that he wants her out as soon as possible, these officials said. The president has grumbled for months about what he views as Nielsen’s lackluster performance on immigration enforcement and is believed to be looking for a replacement who will implement his policy ideas with more alacrity.
The announcement could come as soon as this week, three of these officials said.
Trump has changed his mind on key personnel decisions before, and Chief of Staff John F. Kelly is fighting Nielsen’s pending dismissal and attempting to postpone it, aides say. But Kelly’s future in the administration also is shaky, according to three White House officials.
[…continues…]
My question is which retired white General will he name to replace Nielsen? (And with the name Kirstjen shouldn’t her last name be Nilsson?)
Seth takes a closer look President Trump becoming more lawless amid a power grab at the Justice Department and a recount in Florida.
Dana Milbank explains that Donald Trump knows about sacrifice.
I think Dana may be attempting to get the attention of the Onion for his next gig – and they should take notice.
how many leaderless agencies will the sacking make? guess it makes sense given the lack of leadership in the wh.
from that wapo story above:
Nielsen’s departure would leave a leadership void at the government’s third-largest agency, which has 240,000 employees and a $60 billion budget. The deputy secretary job at DHS has been vacant since April, and the White House has not submitted to Congress a nomination for that post.
Perspective. Veterans Day isn’t Memorial Day. Although visiting the graves of the Marines lost in The Battle of Belleau Wood would have been totally unforgivable on Memorial Day or had he been there during the period of the 100th anniversary of the Battle (June 1918), he wasn’t. Still, he was a clod with a clod’s excuse. At the least, he could have said that the bad weather was bothering his heel.
Everyone I know gets up every morning and hopes that Trump has died
I surveyed a few people here..all are left of center and no one thinks Beto should run for president also not fans of Joe
Flatus – I hear you, but he pissed on our Veterans (yourself and a number of others who frequent this corner of the universe included) by taking yesterday off – not going to Walter Reed, not going to Arlington, hell, from what I can tell not boarding AF2 and saluting the Marines who detail that assignment. The followingis what passed for his Veterans Day message:
Donald J. TrumpVerified account @realDonaldTrump
FollowFollow @realDonaldTrump
More
Happy Veterans Day to ALL, in particular to the haters and losers who have no idea how lucky they are!!!
4:59 AM – 11 Nov 2013
“What a maroon. What an ultraviolet.” (Credit to the inimitable Bugs for the quote)
KC, IMHO Beto is an attractive candidate who at some time in the future after honing his chops may be ready for the national stage, but he ain’t ready today.
Pogo
that’s the impression I got from those I asked. Do you have a favorite so far
Pogo–people must understand that the rank-and-file, including me, have taken this oath:
(a) Enlistment Oath.— Each person enlisting in an armed force shall take the following oath:
“I, (state name of enlistee), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
Orders are presumed to be proper and legal; instant obedience is often imperative and is indeed the goal. There is scant room for questioning of orders–unless you are a Lt Calley.
I am warming up to Kamala Harris.
Kamala Harris is an interesting person. And she is tough
In the Bay area she is considered a moderate
I have never met any of these individuals–sigh
BETO belongs on the bottom of the 2020 ticket, or, he needs to be enlisted to campaign for whomever the DNC decides to put up this time (cuz primary voters have little to say about the nominee).
Put a Dem who has served in the military at the top, please.
Flatus, I am aware of that. IMHO that oath is an affirmation reflecting the patriotism of the soldiers who take it. I have no problem with anything done by a soldier under orders short of criminal acts. My comments above regarding IMPOTUS’s decision to take Veterans Day off and issue a frankly idiotic congratulatory tweet to ALL, including haters and losers is a reflection of his utter cluelessness with not a word to veterans who provide those protections for us haters and losers.
KC, I don’t have a favorite at this point. I try to be a bit practical about this stuff and sometimes my heart and head fight with each other. Biden is an example at present – I’m struggling with the idea that age aside I believe he’s the best we have to offer, but can a 78 year old be elected for a first term? I kinda doubt it. I like Kamala, but I’ve got reservations about the breadth of her appeal. Same with Eliz Warren. And Bernie!? Nope. I’m thinking someone who’s not in the conversation right now will emerge over the next 6 months or so and will shake things up, but I don’t have a clue who it might be.
Pogo–unambiguously, Veterans Day was Sunday, the 11th. It is not one of the 3-day-weekend holidays. The day off on Monday was a freebie to make the postal workers feel good as they had to work on Saturday.
Don’t want Warren or Sanders
Trump would do to Warren exactly what he did to HRC she would not win
Sherrod Brown is flirting with a run he would provide an interesting dynamic to the race
“Sarah Succubus Sanders” -RR
-now that’s a misnomer i can support. Well done, you.
If you hadn’t noticed, we the electorate only elect celebrities lacking relevant experience to the Presidency nowadays, so maybe warm up to Beto?
To be fair, he did lose an election to Grandpa Munster, so…
“we the electorate only elect celebrities lacking relevant experience to the Presidency nowadays”
bink, was that an endorsement flag you just ran up the flagpole for oprah? some spaghetti flung at trump’s wall that possibly could stick?
must be some more Madison Ave clichés I can dredge up… oh yeah, how about “eventising” an George/Oprah or Oprah/George campaign gala on youtube for starters! boffo coverage. eat your heart out, trumptydumpty.
the guardian:
Mira Ricardel Fired
An hour after Melania Trump called for the sacking of deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel, the White House aide has been fired.
The Wall Street Journal reports she was escorted out of the White House minutes ago. Only two hours before her dismissal, she attended a White House Diwali ceremony with Trump.
MichaelCBender
NEW: John Bolton’s No. 2, Mira Ricardel, was escorted from the White House moments ago, an administration officials tell @WSJ. Ricardel was standing just a few feet from President Trump earlier this afternoon. https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-has-decided-to-remove-homeland-security-secretary-nielsen-1542126979 …
212
3:26 PM – Nov 13, 2018
Flatus, right you are about Veterans Day. Whenever the service at Arlington occurred he should have had his fat ass at it.
business insider:
First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday called for National Security Adviser John Bolton’s top deputy to be fired.
The first lady is reportedly unhappy with how she’s been treated by Deputy National Security Adviser Mira Ricardel, particularly during Melania’s trip to Africa in October. Ricardel was apparently upset the first lady’s team didn’t have room for her on the plane for the trip, and allegedly moved to block National Security Council resources for Melania’s travel.
Stephanie Grisham, a spokeswoman for the first lady, on Tuesday told INSIDER, “It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that [Ricardel] no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House.”
The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday reported Ricardel is set to be ousted, and it seems to be connected to the first lady’s discontentment with her. The Journal also reported that President Donald Trump plans to remove Homeland Security chief Kirstjen Nielsen.
Meanwhile, there are additional reports White House chief of staff John Kelly’s position might be in jeopardy due to clashes he’s had with the first lady. But Grisham on Tuesday told INSIDER there is no bad blood between Kelly and Melania.
“Mrs. Trump has a very positive relationship with Chief Kelly and there have never been any issues between the two,” Grisham said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from INSIDER.
more detail from politico: Melania Trump calls for the ouster of John Bolton’s top aide […] While the statement didn’t elaborate, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that President Donald Trump has decided to fire Ricardel at Melania’s urging after clashes regarding the first lady’s recent solo trip to Africa. Staff in the East Wing tussled with Ricadel “over seating on the plane and requests to use National Security Council resources” on the Africa trip, and some on the first lady’s staff have suspected Ricardel is to blame for some negative stories about Melania Trump, according to the Journal report. The Journal also reported that Bolton has resisted entreaties from White House chief of staff John Kelly to fire Ricardel. Kelly’s own influence in the White House could be waning as reports emerge that he himself is on the chopping block for his own disagreements with Bolton and tension with other members of the Trump family, including daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner. But officials in the Pentagon have also reportedly clashed with Ricardel — including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis — over personnel and policy differences, leading to a deterioration of relations between the Pentagon and the NSC. Ricardel’s tension with Mattis existed for some time, and Mattis sees Trump less than he used to since Bolton and Ricardel have been at the NSC. Ricardel, along with Bolton, also has “a very closed style. It’s literally closed-door as opposed to open-door” under former national security… Read more »
la times: Trump, stung by midterms and nervous about Mueller, retreats from traditional presidential duties For weeks this fall, an ebullient President Trump traveled relentlessly to hold raise-the-rafters campaign rallies — sometimes three a day — in states where his presence was likely to help Republicans on the ballot. But his mood apparently has changed as he has taken measure of the electoral backlash that voters delivered Nov. 6. With the certainty that the incoming Democratic House majority will go after his tax returns and investigate his actions, and the likelihood of additional indictments by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, Trump has retreated into a cocoon of bitterness and resentment, according to multiple administration sources. Behind the scenes, they say, the president has lashed out at several aides, from junior press assistants to senior officials. “He’s furious,” said one administration official. “Most staffers are trying to avoid him.” The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, painted a picture of a brooding president “trying to decide who to blame” for Republicans’ election losses, even as he publicly and implausibly continues to claim victory. […] And, according to a source outside the White House who has spoken recently with the president, last week’s Wall Street Journal report confirming Trump’s central role during the 2016 campaign in quietly arranging payoffs for two women alleging affairs with him seemed to put him in an even worse mood. Publicly, Trump has been increasingly absent in recent days —… Read more »
“…was that an endorsement flag you just ran up the flagpole for oprah?”
…just an observation of a contemporary American political reality. Dems just got a bunch of rising stars from the midterms, unfortunately they’re a little late to the scene for 2020. If Beto can win, nominate Beto. If the Dems nominate HRC, i give up.
I’m Guessing Again
After the frenetic barnstorming in the run up to the election, trump is probably suffering from the afteraffects. His depression may be magnified by withdrawals from uppers that he undoubtedly took to keep going. Let’s face it, he’s an old fart my age. All that flying around is trying, even if you get to avoid the normal airport experience. He probably got the sniffles, and we know that he’s a germophobe. The future looks black for him, because people will be talking back to him, perhaps literally. It may come out in public that he is no more wealthy than the money his dad gave him, and maybe less. The rest of his empire may be composed of borrowed rubles. That would be almost as embarrassing as discovering that he needs to wear Depends.
Gen. Mattis should lean on pence to invoke the 25th Amendment. It would be better for everyone if we were to speed his downfall and disgrace. It’s coming anyway. I say, the sooner, the better.
A Dozen Pols I’m Thinking Happy Thoughts About
(Not in any particular order of preference)
1. Mitch Landrieu, 2. Amy Klobuchar, 3. Eric Swalwell, 4. Michele Obama, 5. Mike Espy,
6. Sherrod Brown, 7. Maria Cantwell, 8. Patty Murray, 9. Tim Kaine, 10. Bob Walz,
11. Stacy Abrams, 12. Beto O’Rourke
I like Mitch …what about about Mitch- Stacey ticket .. might win the south
I have a bigger no list than people I’m interested in
No Clinton
No Biden
No Sanders
and the jury is still out but I’m thinking a no to Elizabeth Warren
Sherrod Brown is interesting a liberal dem who gets elected in not blue Ohio Good labor union guy
Is it my imagination or is Rick Scott morphing into Michael Chertoff before our very eyes?
Pogo
you mean Skeletor?
Once again, if you hadn’t noticed already, pogo, Republican party leadership is populated almost exclusively by vampires- and not the fun, sexy kind.
Skeletor, yes. What, no fun, sexy vampires? Damn. Glad I’m not a repugnican.