Feb. 21 Update: This thread was such a fun read I don’t want to let it go. At VA with Dad all day for follow up on his recent pneumonia hospital stay. Could use some thread posting help this week.
Let’s just pretend we have no president this day and celebrate our favorites in history.
Three of my favs (no particular order):
Grover Cleveland
Took on the railroad barons and political patronage for government jobs (even by his own party) — and when asked by campaign aides what to do about stories of his illegitimate child, simply said, “Tell the truth.”
Harry Truman
If for nothing else, for firing the megalomaniac Douglas MacArthur despite his widespread popularity, famously telling Time magazine, “I fired him because he wouldn’t respect the authority of the President. I didn’t fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was, but that’s not against the law for generals. If it was, half to three-quarters of them would be in jail.”
Theodore Roosevelt
Not only did he bust the trusts, he had his Justice Department chase John Rockefeller all over the country to deliver the subpoena he was trying to elude. He was eventually brought to justice and his monopoly was disassembled.
Great idea. Pretending we don’t have a president is somehow so…relaxing.
For me it’s Kennedy. While Johnson got much of his agenda done, he brought the power of the federal government to bear on the idiot states and governors who tried to continue the disenfranchisement of US citizens begun by our founding fathers.
I’ll put in the names of James Garfield and Chester Allen Arthur, who led the way, with Grover Cleveland, in opposing the corrupt spoils system. Once he became president, Arthur turned against his mentor Senator Roscoe Conkling.
Old-Republican Arthur may have been America’s first and only foreign-born president. Among corrupt repubs foreign birth is not a bar to the presidency, only to mowing lawns.
FDR. His Federal Project Number One preserved and enhanced American culture while also highlighting the identities of its states. His First Lady was so terrific Hoover had her tailed. And he had Fala.
The really really good ones are a bit thin on the ground. Craig took my two favorites: Truman and TR. Then Pat comes along and swipes the innocence and idealism of my teen years with Kennedy. Finally Mr Doodlesdog grabs FDR, first President of my life with his GOP offended Scots Terrier.
That only leaves Jefferson with his many flaws, multiple languages, and love of words plus the best layout of an insomniac’s bedroom ever with the instant book access and swiveling desk.
Jefferson is my favorite if for only his ice cream recipe. and oh yes, for commissioning the lewis and clark expedition. what would America be without either accomplishment? 🙂
While the claim that Thomas Jefferson introduced ice cream to the United States is demonstrably false, he can be credited with the first known recipe recorded by an American. Jefferson also likely helped to popularize ice cream in this country when he served it at the President’s House in Washington.
Jefferson’s Ice Cream Recipe
Ice Cream.
2. bottles of good cream.
6. yolks of eggs.
1/2 lb. sugar
mix the yolks & sugar
put the cream on a fire in a casserole, first putting in a stick of Vanilla.
when near boiling take it off & pour it gently into the mixture of eggs & sugar.
stir it well.
put it on the fire again stirring it thoroughly with a spoon to prevent it’s sticking to the casserole.
when near boiling take it off and strain it thro’ a towel.
put it in the Sabottiere12
then set it in ice an hour before it is to be served. put into the ice a handful of salt.
put salt on the coverlid of the Sabotiere & cover the whole with ice.
leave it still half a quarter of an hour.
then turn the Sabottiere in the ice 10 minutes
open it to loosen with a spatula the ice from the inner sides of the Sabotiere.
shut it & replace it in the ice
open it from time to time to detach the ice from the sides
when well taken (prise) stir it well with the Spatula.
put it in moulds, justling it well down on the knee.
then put the mould into the same bucket of ice.
leave it there to the moment of serving it.
to withdraw it, immerse the mould in warm water, turning it well till it will come out & turn it into a plate.13
ignoring the ignoramus- in- chief today, let’s celebrate instead “precedents” day such as the following to name a few:
Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 137 (1803) to Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954) Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 (1965) Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966) and so forth
A favorite way of forcing people, especially the young un’s, to review their knowledge of presidents, when asked how old I am I respond with “I was born when Truman was president”. Frequently the look in the eyes is the best laugh of my day. You can see them thinking, “who is Truman”. Followed by “when was Truman”. And occasionally a verbal, “What?” or “who is Truman?”.
I still miss having Washington’s Birthday holiday and then Lincoln’s Birthday party day.
It appears dear leader was put in Twitter time out again. Causing international incidents with stupid statements and tweets is finally starting to cause concern in those who care more for Russia than America.
how ’bout a shout out to the president that gave us our 45th.
Thanks for the day off, Craig. My favorite presidents are on all of the coins and bills of our currency system.
patd, precedents day – I love it.
Oh, and let’s all keep the victims of Friday’s Swedish terror attack in our thoughts and prayers today. (snicker)
At what point will Trump’s alt-living style exhaust all conceivable line items for Secret Service TDY to include billeting in Trump-owned facilities, Pre- and Post- visit travel related expenses such as moving of convoy vehicles and establishing secure comm sites, semi-permanent security for the myriad trump owned facilities such as mar a lago and Trump Tower, ad infinitum.
And, of course we will have the inevitable fatal accidents involving his escort vehicles bearing down on unsuspecting motorists.
When the purse is empty, can we force him to cease and desist?
Truman is my favorite. He had the courage to use the atomic bombs thereby ending WW-2 without an invasion of the Japanese mainland. By exposing the World to the horror of these weapons, they have not been used in anger since.
He took charge in Washington, where he had previously been kept out of the loop. This was in a climate where Americans walked about stunned, “The President is dead…”
His Winter White House was at the small naval/USCG installation on Key West. He took daily walks with his hat at a jaunty angle and his walking stick pointing the route to take.
And, best of all, when a Times writer panned daughter Margaret’s performance, he wrote the rascal a rejoinder that should be framed in the Oval Office, Oh, and I almost forgot, he beat Dewey in ’48!
Geez – this past month has been politically exhausting! I don’t think the country can mentally survive a couple of years of this level of stupidity and turmoil.
Harry Truman – my favorite, right behind Roosevelt. Truman had the desire to do what he thought was best for America – irregardless of what it would do to his popularity. He did 3 specific things that every student of history should know:
1. Executive Order 9981 – which desegregated the military.
2. Threatening to seize the Railroads during a strike
3. Sacking McArthur
Truman left office with a 32% approval rating, 2 points lower than ‘W’, and almost 1/2 of what Obama’s was.
BTW – looks like Pence is about to ‘assure’ Europe that Trump isn’t going to throw NATO under the bus.
I had favorite and least favorite things about all of em I reckon…..some which have been named the fave outweighed the least fave.
No one mentions Ike much but he was a good president.
Some in the hardcore base are calling McCain the new Hanoi Jane
Well… I guess if everyone is going to have their own president… I’ll lay claim to our first, George Washington. He didn’t really want to be president, but put his country ahead of his own personal wishes. Something our current asshole-in-chief would never, ever, do…
Woodrow would have been great but he just wasn’t strong enough to best the little men.
Barack was a damn good one, not for what he “accomplished” so much, but for the fact that he stood there toe to toe with the little men slugging it out.
dvitale, yep harry is my hero too for proposing what was dubbed back then by the naysayers “socialized medicine”
from Truman library: Special Message to the Congress Recommending a Comprehensive Health Program
November 19, 1945
To the Congress of the United States:
In my message to the Congress of September 6, 1945, there were enumerated in a proposed Economic Bill of Rights certain rights which ought to be assured to every American citizen.
One of them was: “The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health.” Another was the “right to adequate protection from the economic fears of . .. sickness ….”
Millions of our citizens do not now have a full measure of opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health. Millions do not now have protection or security against the economic effects of sickness. The time has arrived for action to help them attain that opportunity and that protection.
[….]
I strongly urge that the Congress give careful consideration to this program of health legislation now.
Many millions of our veterans, accustomed in the armed forces to the best of medical and hospital care, will no longer be eligible for such care as a matter of right except for their service-connected disabilities. They deserve continued adequate and comprehensive health service. And their dependents deserve it too.
By preventing illness, by assuring access to needed community and personal health services, by promoting medical research, and by protecting our people against the loss caused by sickness, we shall strengthen our national health, our national defense, and our economic productivity. We shall increase the professional and economic opportunities of our physicians, dentists and nurses. We shall increase the effectiveness of our hospitals and public health agencies. We shall bring new security to our people.
We need to do this especially at this time because of the return to civilian life of many doctors, dentists and nurses, particularly young men and women.
Appreciation of modern achievements in medicine and public health has created widespread demand that they be fully applied and universally available. By meeting that demand we shall strengthen the Nation to meet future economic and social problems; and we shall make a most important contribution toward freedom from want in our land.
HARRY S. TRUMAN
I always got the feeling that what they really wanted was to invite him to the senate to give a speech under that statue of Pompey.
Sturg, the Obamas are in a class by themselves. I’m so proud to be an American while that Family was our President.
Just over one month into the longest presidency in modern history there are so many issues to talk about which have never been part of a president’s life.
Suspicion of tax fraud
Suspicion of being a pawn or mole of the former Soviet Union KGB now Russian GRU/FSB
Admitted sex predator
Admitted sexual assault
Peeping Tom
Suspicion of not missionary position sex
Adulterer
Failing to pay debts, or if paid at only a portion of the agreed cost
Serial filer of lawsuits, possible SLAP
Serial liar
Possible mental issues, DSM
Possible narcissist, DSM
Outright Bully
Misogynist
Racist
Anti-semitic
Possible age related issues
All around asshole
I gotta admit – everyone’s points about their faves are valid and make them worthy of being considered best.
I kind of think that, given the disaster the republicans and Russia gave us, every one of our former Presidents will now look better. Even though he resigned office in a scandal, Nixon was brilliant at foreign policy, established the EPA, Clean Air Act, Title IX, established relations with China, etc.
I’m sitting here watching Pence try to lie his way out of his bosses stabs at Europe. He’s a slick tongued silver haired bible thumping devil. What we’re seeing today is entertainment (after all when you have a circus instead of an election you get a showman instead of a statesman). The idea of the upcoming Pence presidency scares the hell out of me.
I go with Lincoln and FDR at the top of my list.
Woodrow Wilson is still under appreciated.
Nobody but Truman Could have followed FDR and been as successful as he was.
LBJ, but for VietNam he could have been at the top of anybody’s list. His presidency however gives me hope that Trump can eventually be run out of office.
The best ever X president? Gimme Jimmy!
Not a great president but the greatest X
Hoover was also a very good ex-President. His work on the Hoover Commission, re-organizing the executive branch and his ‘anti-nuke’ stances were very good.
Clinton and the foundation, Bush Sr. and his humanitarian work – not bad.
‘W’ on the other hand, has been an MIA ex-Presdent. I think his major accomplishments are his childish paintings.
Flatus,
Agree with you one hundred percent. The Obama family was amazing. Dignity,integrity and class. They and he did the country and the office proud.
Oh man Fucker Carlson is the source of the Sweden lie
Divitale300
circumstances may have gotten the best of the Hoover presidency,but he was anything but incompetent and his work after his presidency
certainly shows that he was a more than capable administrator.
The administration considers its options.
Until I read the McCullough biography I thought Truman was a small businessman selected by the Prendergast organization to run for the senate.
Oh Sturg,
Too funny!?
That should run on the front of The NY Times
Mrs. Hoover was very cool. The first ladies museum is in Canton Ohio and once on a family visit we all went and included in the day’s program was a film about her. They had a very interesting life together. She went to Stanford and was a geologist and president of the girl scouts.
So he repeated a Fox News story…….and got it wrong…….
that can’t be good
Pussy Grabber just repeated what he heard Fucker say I heard some apologist say when Pussy Grabber tells a lie he should always name the source
Perhaps it’s just me, but in looking over the cast of characters surrounding trump I have yet to find one that’s strikes me as a decent human being. They don’t even make a pretence of decency. Every one of them including pence has a lean and hungry look about them.
Note to Donald:Avoid trips to public places around the 15th of March.
One would think, now one would think, that since POTUS has this thing called, what is it, oh yea the C.I.A (not to mention the National Security Agency); that POTUS would like check something out once in a while before opening up that hole in the front of his face.
What happens if Bill O’Reilly mistakenly reports that North Korea just nuked Japan?
BOOM! Thank you very much Republican Party and Russia!
By the way – the UK is in a real pickle. If they vote to un-invite POTUS from addressing Parliament they’ve jumped into American politics. If they let him speak, there’s going to be a couple million protesters – probably more than the police can manage. Can’t even imagine the hundreds of thousands for French that will ‘visit’ the UK for the ‘visit’.
dvitale, the parliament is, as they say at mt rushmore, between a rock and a hard face.
btw, they’re debating live right now at wapo (or this link I think)
We are unable to allow you to address parliament at this time mr pres….. You see, you are far and away simply MUCH too popular…. There is no way we could contain the multitudes which would pour forth…….and so it is with great regret and enduring respect that we must must decline etc etc etc
KGC, speaking of Pendergast, when he died in disgrace Truman insisted on going to the funeral over the objection of aides who thought it a PR blunder. He never denied the man’s pivotal role in his life. But as far as I know he never dirtied his hands for the boss.
CC
When you see what his career in government was then it is clear he did not participate in the corrupt parts of the machine and he certainly wasn’t a product of the machine. I think he has gotten an unfair shake in history
harry rocks
wqad8: How much President Trump’s weekend getaways are costing taxpayers
PALM BEACH, Florida– President Donald Trump is wrapping up his weekend in Florida, but those trips are starting to add up. This is the third consecutive weekend Trump has spent at what he’s calling the “Winter White House,” Mar-A-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
The Government Accounting Office estimates a presidential trip to the Palm Beach Area costs $3 million. While campaigning, Trump blasted the cost of former President Barack Obama’s travel. He said Obama spent more time golfing and campaigning than working for the American people.
In 2015, Trump went so far as to pledge he would “rarely leave the White House because there’s so much work to be done.”
There are also travel and Secret Service security costs for Trump’s four adult children, who make business trips around the globe.
And the New York City Police Department says it spends $500,000 a day just to protect the president’s midtown residence at Trump Tower.
ny times: Mar-a-Lago Neighbors Discover Costs of Trump’s Visits
PALM BEACH, Fla. — For some of the businesses and government agencies that surround President Trump’s “Winter White House,” the effects of his frequent weekend getaways to Mar-a-Lago can best be told in numbers.
■ $200,000 in lost fuel sales at a large local airport in a single four-day visit this month.
■ 75 no-shows at a new restaurant in just one night.
■ $60,000 a day to pay overtime to sheriff’s deputies who guard the many closed roads, a tab that is about $1.5 million over all since the election.
■ 250 private flights grounded every day.
A month into his presidency, Mr. Trump arrived at Mar-a-Lago, his private club here, for a third weekend in a row this Presidents’ Day weekend. For the locals, that’s at least three days of clogged roads and strict security protocols that hurt local businesses and frustrate residents.
Although economic development officials are ecstatic over the free publicity provided by news reporters’ live waterfront shots — and the excited buzz in the area is palpable — others are exasperated over the drain on small businesses and the circuitous routes residents have to drive to avoid two miles of closed roads.
my bad — he took Fucker Carlson’s strawman argument and got it wrong
The failure of Air America should be a lesson for anyone talking about the Breitbart of the left.
What David Brock should do is get articles in local papers and train people to get on local news both tv and radio.
I live in a part of the country where no one voted for Pussy Grabber and yet there they are on local news explainers for Pussy Grabber they get as much time as 2 million demonstrators.
Shrub might be the happiest x president
CPAC has belatedly discovered that they are theoretically supposed to be representing “family values” and have disinvited Milo Yiannopoulos. I guess that glib every negative stereotype about gay males you’ve ever heard “positions” on underage targets was finally too much for all those rampant pretend to be Christians.
There are times when I find the right wing nut jobs very entertaining. When you have absolutely no internal ethical center, you can pretzel yourself into any position as long as it is a real or imagined “other” even when it is an “other” that you used to support wholeheartedly.
Mr 300,
I presume that if some fabulist on fakes news announces that the noKoreans have nuked Japan, either one of two things would happen. If we were all lucky, the deadbeat would tell the Japanese that he’d nuke the noKoreans if only Japan had paid “their fair share.” If we were all unlucky, he’d confuse the two and obliterate Japan.
75 yrs ago yesterday fdr ordered the internment of japanese americans.
wonder if drumpf sees this as a challenge to hurry and get out his new muslim ban and up hispanic deportations… god knows what he plans for the anniversaries of the 13th and 19th amendments.
1. Most of the good laws passed in the nixon years were the products of the Democratic Congress.
2. Hoover was a terrible president and person
a. promoted prohibition while accepting campaign help from bootleggers, notably the capone’s Chicago Outfit;
b. accepted help from the anti-Catholic, anti-Jewish, anti-immigrant kkk, and actively campaigned as anti-Catholic, anti-Jewish, and anti-immigrant;
c. had the US Vets’ property destroyed, and had many unarmed vets shot. Several died. Their offense was camping on empty land near the Anacostia in D.C.
reuters at msn: Trump announces General H.R. McMaster named National Security Adviser
among other things fyi, McMaster wrote according to this excerpt from wiki:
Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, The Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies that Led to Vietnam is a book written by then Major McMaster that explores the military’s role in the policies of the Vietnam War. The book was written as part of his Ph.D. dissertation at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The book examines Robert McNamara and U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson‘s staff, alongside the military and particularly the Joint Chiefs of Staff, failure to provide a successful plan of action to pacify either a Viet Cong insurgency or decisively defeat the North Vietnamese Army.
McMaster details why military actions intended to indicate “resolve” or to “communicate” ultimately failed when trying to accomplish sparsely detailed, confusing, and conflicting military objectives.
so he’s prepared to recognize when he sees around him on new job the alleged “dereliction of duty” and alleged “sparsely detailed, confusing, and conflicting military objectives” that’s rampant there. good luck, h.r.
Trumps Former Aide Conceded There Was No Voter Fraud in New Hampshire…
So CPAC and CalBerkeley are now on the same side of the issue
that’s one right wing talking point out the window
45* has been lying about . . . golf. First it was said he played a “couple” of holes, then a fellow player posts a story on social media about playing all 18 with him; WH digs in, sez it was just a couple. Finally, forced into a corner, WH admits it was a full 18 rounds.
Why lie about that? Another question: can he or anyone around him tell a simple truth?
He’s awfully sensitive about his golfing habits. Maybe because he criticized Obama for golfing?
Renee, LOL after reading the Lewandowski article you linked. And hell, everyone would have noticed buses in NH a month after leaf season was over and the week before the Thanksgiving week ski resort openings..
Mrdoodle, we’re going to need to set up a drumpf golf spreadsheet to compare with the Obama golf records and call the ass out on his hypocrisy when it’s clear he’s playing more golf than Obama did.
If I played golf I’d lie about it, too…….
but how good is he at golf? how’s he rank score-wise to Obama, Clinton…ford? are the scorecards public record now that he’s playing on taxpayer time? does he walk or cart and who drives (both the cart and at the tee)? does he cheat?
Distractions. Go for the kill.
trump wants mercury in your grandbaby’s water – mercury causes abortions. He is anti-life.
He opposes the rights of private land owners, to aid Big Corporate Collectives. He opposes individualism.
He is a renter. Tower trash.
I’ve come down with a mild case of bronchitis temp about 100, no gross expectoration, etc. Duration three days. Taking plain Robitussin. no DM. etc.
Not ready to see the doc yet. I’m ready for the next step in home remedies: Brandy
Tough Cop : Okay, kid, whydja throw dat chunka wood at duh president’s motuhcade ?
Kid : Pa sez we can’t afford to waste tum-ate-tuzz.
Trump is supposedly close to a scratch golfer and he reportedly cheats. No surprise there. Golfers are like fishermen. That should explain it well enough. Add drumpf’s pathological liar trait, et voila.
Flatus !!! Have you had the flu and pneumonia shots ? I’m wishing you immediate good health at you.
Pogo, I resent fishermen being bracketed with deadbeat john grump. Especially by a confessed lawyer. ( :>D)<
Just a quick question. Would not Hillary have been better advised to bus voters into Florida , Ohio and Pennsylvania? Would seem like a better return on her investment. The great business man should understand that at least. What a dick!
Flatus,
Brandy+fireplace.?
Flatus
Don’t wait too long to see a doc if you are not improving
xr and jace I’m current on all my shots. I’ll do the fireplace tomorrow morning–it did get up to 82 today. I spent the afternoon on the sofa under decent woolens; and, I’m sitting here shivering.
Well that brandy did nothing; time to switch to a crystal snifter.
Katherine, any spike in temperature or expectoration and I’m out of here.
Flatus
Hot brandy very good mix with tea or lemonade
Katherine, that doesn’t apply to VSOP
Well, I’m gonna make a bunch of hotdogs–understand, I may not finish them this week
sometimes you have to sacrifice for good health
XR, point taken, but don’t take it personally – never seen a lie come outcha. I’m an ex golfer and confessed lawyer; my dad was a golfer and fisherman. Gives me a broad perspective on the current temporary occupant of the White House.
My granddaughter finally got all her daughters corralled into one picture.
Melody, Mary, Mabel & Miranda
Yep, keep that lemonade out of Flatus’ brandy.
Jamie,
great picture.?
Watching Rachel Maddow. Talking about Jeff Sessions. He’s still an asshole.
Pogo,
He was born an asshole.
Flatus,
By all means break out the crystal. Sometimes it’s just all about the glass.
Mr Pogo, Esq. I was just teasing you.
Of course, you are an honorable man. Very few lawyers are like jeff sessions. It’s really hard to keep such folks out of professions.
My respectful letter to Congressman jason lewis is on its way.
He said that the problem of firearms massacres was guns in the hands of mentally ill people. I reminded him of that and requested that he act now with integrity to repeal the recent Guns for Maniacs Law.
If you are represented by an nra dependent senator or representative, I beg you to send a similar letter to that/those congressperson(s). Please.
flatus, since you won’t desecrate the vsop with lemon, at least eat something high in vitamin c (or take a c pill as fearless leader has recommended in the past) AND chase it with plenty of water.
ny times: Contradicting Trump on Russia: Russian Officials
[….]
The dispute began two days after the Nov. 8 election, when Sergei A. Ryabkov, the Russian deputy foreign minister, said his government had maintained contacts with members of Mr. Trump’s “immediate entourage” during the campaign.
“I cannot say that all, but a number of them maintained contacts with Russian representatives,” Mr. Ryabkov said during an interview with the Interfax news agency.
Mr. Ryabkov’s comments were met with a swift denial from Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for Mr. Trump and now a member of the White House press team.
More recently, Russia’s ambassador to Washington, Sergey I. Kislyak, told The Washington Post that he had communicated frequently during the campaign with Michael T. Flynn, a close campaign adviser to Mr. Trump who became the president’s national security adviser before resigning from the position last week.
“It’s something all diplomats do,” The Post quoted Mr. Kislyak as saying, though he refused to say what subjects they discussed.
Mr. Trump and his aides denied any contacts occurred during the campaign.
[…]
Separately, The New York Times and other news outlets reported last week that Trump campaign advisers and other associates of Mr. Trump’s had repeated contacts last year with Russian intelligence officials. Those reports, citing anonymous current and former American government officials, were vigorously denied by the White House.
[….]
Contacts with potential adversaries, such as Russia, are also not unusual, but they are more complicated. Michael McFaul, who advised the Obama campaign in 2008 and later served as United States ambassador to Russia, said that he traveled to Moscow during the presidential race that year and that “everyone in Moscow knew that I was advising the campaign.”
The American Embassy even hosted a lunch for him with Russian officials. But “I was not there to discuss Obama policy but to better inform my views on Russian attitudes about U.S.-Russia relations,” Mr. McFaul said.
He said that during the transition, Russian officials wanted to talk about policy issues, but the Obama administration officials refused — in keeping with the tradition that there should be only “one president at a time.”
wapo editorial board: Anyone home in Trumpville?
…..President Trump boasts of a “fine-tuned machine,” but his government halls are more echo than beehive.
The president is correct that his Cabinet nominees have run into flak from Democrats in the Senate; nine of 15 department secretaries have been confirmed. The situation is much worse when you include those below Cabinet level. Of 549 key appointments, the White House has yet to name 515, according to a tracker by The Post and Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. Only 14 have been confirmed, and 20 are waiting. These key positions are among the roughly 1,200 total that require Senate confirmation and about 4,100 overall that the new administration must fill.
The incoming Trump team wasted no time in forcing Obama appointees overseas to hurry home and vacate their positions by Inauguration Day, but the new administration has moved with far less speed to find replacements. The only three ambassadors nominated so far are to China, Israel and the United Kingdom. Not a single assistant secretary of state has been named, much less confirmed.
[….]
…. Congressional Republicans, who have the legislative majority, are saying they are having difficulty finding someone to ask about priorities for the Trump administration.
Mr. Trump’s calling card to be an effective president was his business experience, that he built skyscrapers. If he is to succeed in building government, he ought to pay extra attention to the high vacancy rate in Trumpville.
portends a great exodus?
I didn’t think I’d ever leave the CIA. But because of Trump, I quit.
future in the trump era of our intelligence braintrust: fewer brains and less trust
nbc news: Russia Compiles Psychological Dossier on Trump for Putin
The file is being compiled by retired diplomats and some of Putin’s staff, he added.
The attempt to get inside the U.S. president’s mind is aimed at helping Putin plan for his first meeting with America’s new leader, the date for which is yet to be decided.
“Very serious preparatory work is going on in the Kremlin, including a paper — seven pages — describing a psychological portrait of Trump, especially based on this last two to three months, and the last weeks,” added Fedorov, who said he has known Trump since 2000.
The dossier was being revised regularly, he said, adding that many in the Kremlin believed that Trump viewed the presidency as a business.
Fedorov added: “Trump is not living in a box — he is living in a crowd. He should listen to the people around him especially in the areas where he is weak.” [….]
The issue of Russia “is now a kind of banana skin for Trump — that’s why we should avoid any kind of step that could damage Trump,” said Fedorov. “Trump cannot come to a meeting with Putin as a loser — he must sort out his domestic problems first.”
Fedorov added that Trump’s “constant battle with the mass media” was “worrying us.”
The U.S. president “is dancing on thin ice,” he said. “It’s a risky game.”
A former prime minister under Putin said the Kremlin is taking no pleasure at Trump’s struggles.
“Absolutely not — not laughing,” Mikhail Kasyanov said. “The situation is very serious and the whole of [Putin’s] team, they are nervous.”
they could save themselves a lot of trouble just by looking up definition of narcissistic personality disorder
more from above story:
Many in the Kremlin believe hardliners in America — in Congress and the military — want to sabotage the president and his plans for better ties with Russia.
Some even talk of a conspiracy against Trump. Markov, the former lawmaker, told NBC News that he believes America’s intelligence services “want to overthrow President Trump in a coup” because of his desire to improve relations with Russia.
Flynn was a victim of U.S. intelligence services, according to Markov.
XR, (I knew :-))
So I just checked the weather to make sure that the guy that’s doing some roofing on my garage can finish his project without getting too much rain. So I took a look at the 15 day forecast. Over the next 15 days, we will I have only two days with the high less than 50°. This Friday, the high is supposed to be 76°. This is FEBRUARY!
Pogo… yeah…. Thursday it’s going to be in the 60’s here in southern NH and in the high 50’s in your former neck of the woods up north. Rick went skiing today because he said this may be the last day of skiing on snow that doesn’t feel like mashed potatoes.
renee, given climate change that might be the last snow we’ll see, mashed potatoes or not.
the hill:
Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt responded to President Trump’s remarks on Sweden again — this time with statistics on the country’s crime rates.
In a tweet Monday morning, Bildt said the counties Trump made the speech at in Florida experienced higher murder rates last year than the whole country of Sweden did.
“Last year there were app 50% more murders only in Orlando/Orange in Florida, where Trump spoke the other day, than in all of Sweden. Bad,” Bildt tweeted.
Well, somewhat worse this morning–see the doc @1150. I have done all those things that have been recommended except for the one that I shall never, ever do 🙂
Psychological profiles are a key part of senior intel toads work. Had one customer, a senior general, ask how we gathered all that wonderful information. He was shocked, “Gentlemen don’t do that!!”
flatus, so glad you’re seeing the doc. take care getting there and back. and follow his orders like the good soldier you are.
Flatus, good luck with your doctor. And I hope you informed the general that you didn’t concern yourself with what gentlemen do- but they don’t put lemon juice in good brandy.
Men are so goofy
Glad you are going to doc
abc news:
When asked to respond to President Trump’s remarks on Sweden during a press conference Monday in Stockholm, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said that he was “surprised” by the comments and that Sweden faces “huge opportunities as well as challenges.“
“I think also we must all take responsibility for using facts correctly, and for verifying any information that we spread,” he said.
Swedish translation of last sentence: “liar, liar, pants on fire mr. president”
KGC “Men are so goofy”
And reactions such as that are what keep/kept us young and vital
A hot toddy is a good thing
Miami herald:
Hundreds of thousands of dollars flow every month from Russia to its former soldiers living in the United States, usually unseen and unchecked.
But now U.S. investigators are examining whether this river of pension benefits intended for Russian military veterans is somehow mixed up in efforts to undermine last fall’s U.S. election and and put President Donald Trump in the White House.
Investigators have tried to determine if Russia’s Federal Security Service, the intelligence agency known as the FSB, funneled payments disguised as pension benefits to U.S.-based operatives who hacked top Democrats’ emails and took other measures to discredit Hillary Clinton.
“If you are the Russian FSB and you want to pay these hackers, you have to figure out how to make your payments in a way that won’t raise red flags,” said Peter Harrell, who served as a deputy assistant secretary of state for sanctions from 2012 to 2014.
“You want to hide them in a large volume of transactions.”
A former highly regarded British MI6 officer, Christopher Steele, first made the allegation as part of a series of reports, made public last month, after months of private spying on the Kremlin for political opponents of Trump.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article133882569.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article133882569.html#storylink=cpy
Renee
Tell Rick there will probably be skiing in the Sierras until May (good skiing)
also from Miami herald:
Leonard Pitts comments on his column, “Mr. President: ‘Just who the hell do you think you are?'”
Gentlemen may not read each others mail, but real world countries not only read the mail, listen in on your phone conversations and take your picture. And, for added delights, try to hack your website.
For some it gets real personal. Russian UN Ambassador Dies. Nothing strange about it. Nothing at all.
bbronc, thanks for linking that…. hmmm. had to laugh (aside from due respect for the late gentleman of course) at this from the article which could be taken many ways depending upon which harness they meant:
“The outstanding Russian diplomat died in harness,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on Twitter.
btw, seems awfully coincidental/convenient that there was a violent riot in an immigrant section in Sweden last night. a little help, you know, from drumpf’s friend to embarrass the prime minister after he had chastised the drumpf and to teach a lesson to those naughty late night comics who ridiculed him. read ap story at msn
it is not surprising that rt was quicker than most to report the story
Prescient? Just saw this in 5-year-old New Yorker at VA waiting room.
What happens if trum is impeached
isaac Simpson
http://isaacsimpson.co/what-happens-if-trump-is-impeached/
Interesting about that map being that most of the border went blue
sturge, can’t say whether to thank you or not for that very depressing, very disturbing read. I’m afraid he’s right about:
It’s this Trumpian psychology that, if he’s impeached, could become one of the most lethal threats our country has ever seen. Here’s a fact you that might surprise you: most Trump voters do not care if he collaborated with Russia to take down Clinton. If that was what was necessary to destroy Washington, then it was worth it. Trumpians, many of whom have had their lives destroyed by Wall Street and by an establishment that, fairly or not, they connect directly to the MSM, are so angry that they’ve entered means-to-an-end mode.
so how does this leave us? oy vey, sophie should have such a choice. abide the aberrant ruler or be ruled by the aberrant mob?
craig, looks like him too… right down to his tiny knuckle dragging hands.
Either way……..shit storm’s a’comin’……….
Sturg…. yup… whole lot of shittin’ going on….
Milo Yiannopoulos Resigns from Breitbart Amid Child Sex Storm…
shit storm’s a’comin’
pitchforks in sight
shit storm’s a’comin’
they’re riotin” tonight
why don’t ‘cha hurry hurry hurry home
why don’t ‘cha hurry hurry hurry home
Milo maybe stay.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/matt-taibbi-milo-yiannopoulos-isnt-going-away-w468012
Early fifties on the mom’s radio……
Jo, Joni, Theresa, Doris, and Kaye…….
https://youtu.be/pLNB4TGtc8Q
Published on Feb 21, 2017
Chuck Schumer Says That in Private, Republicans Have ‘Real Problems’ With Trump
OK, so we have a portion of our populace who are okay with treason, lying, racism, sexism, no First Amendment (unless it pertains to them), and maybe pedophilia. I include that because Breitbart was cosy with young Milo Hanrahan aka Milo Andreas Wagner aka Milo Yiannopolos for years and they had to have known about this Ann Coulter-Wannabe Hate Merchant’s interests. Breitbart is in the “news” business and omniscient, so they must have known. They were all over that Pizza Parlor white slavery ring, weren’t they? Breitbart influences this portion of our populace, so they’re covered with that shade of Milo slime.
These people can howl at impeachment. Buy more made in China Trump gear. Throw away their copy of The Constitutionsand otherwise whine Conservative tears. Lately, I have seen more action from Americans who are not OK with the U.S. banning a religion, treason, lying, racism, sexism, etc. And I’ve seen it in person, not through any media lens. Typically, Americans are aghast at cheats. If these Trump fans are fans of cheating (and they must be) then they can pretzel themselves into 45* being “cheated” out of his Putin Prize Presidency. What will they do about it? Whine?
daily beast:
When Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stopped by The View Tuesday morning, there was one topic they had to get out of the way right off of the bat: What President Trump referred to as his “fake tears” over the administration’s travel ban last month.
“We brought tissues just in case you start to tear up, because you never know,” moderator Whoopi Goldberg said, before asking Schumer, “Is there anything you want to tell him now?”
“Well, he doesn’t know me,” Schumer said of Trump. “He says he knows me. I get tearful. My daughter’s wedding, I could hardly contain it in. When Harry Reid stepped down and here’s what my family knows — who remembers the movie Free Willy?” When you admit to tearing up at that 1993 film about the plight of a whale, you’re kind of allowing that it doesn’t take much to make you cry.
“Trump has it so wrong,” Schumer continued. “Seriously, I care about immigration,” he added, noting that his actual middle name is Ellis after Ellis Island and his daughter’s middle name is Emma after Emma Lazarus, who wrote the poem emblazoned on The Statue of Liberty. “You know, Donald Trump would like people to think all immigrants are terrorists and criminals. They’re not. They’re the future of America.”
What happens if Pussy Grabber is gone?
PARTY
Kind of bored Mr C is having cataracts removed both eyes a once — we live far away so here I am
watching movies and waiting waiting waiting
Renee, I guess the ski season won’t be the Thanksgiving to Mother’s Day span skiers and ski areas hope for. Here, we had 73 degrees this afternoon – it was forecast to get to 68.
If you hate government and love ineffectual presidents, you must certainly keep james buchanan at the top of your list of favorite presidents. However, jimbu must be shaking in his crypt, because don john trump is getting nothing done at a record breaking pace.
putin and yannoupolis talking to your toddler
http://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/family-relationships/if-your-child-has-this-doll-you-should-get-rid-of-it-now/ar-AAn3JzC?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=UP97DHP
The man outside has candy for you.
Sturgeone – around the Blue Bronc house all the time, those and many, many more. With software cleanup and correction you can hear people talking in the back of the recording studio during the recordings.
Someday these last few months will seem like a bad nightmare. It looks like the floater is preparing to remove the humanity for LGBTQ people. When you take away human qualities from someone it makes it easier to discriminate, abuse and kill them.
So I had a discussion with my mother in law this evening. 78 year old Italian. Trump supporter? FUCK no. She sees him for the asswipe liar he is. Her friends, not so much. They are idiots.
BB, some day? Too late. ?
Hey Flatus
Did your doctor tell you hot toddy was the ticket
I’m sending best wishes for Mr Cracker’s eyes. May they be clear-sighted, well-read, and open to beauty.
thanks x-r
he’s a little cranky but I encourage anyone who is having cataract surgery have both eyes done together