The Many Faces of US Politics...

Started by Tyrones own, March 20, 2009, 09:29:14 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

johnnycool

Two great minds are set to meet;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-43339901

Kim Jong-un and Donnie are due to meet in May, wonder who will insult who first?

seafoid

The man behind this video

https://youtu.be/dmeBMvGhf1g

where the kids walk in on the interview is a Korea expert. And he has been thinking about Trump

Robert E Kelly

@Robert_E_Kelly

On the Trump-Kim Summit: Summits normally come at the end of a long series of negotiations at lower levels in which lots of devils in the details r hammered out. Trump, always the publicity-seeker, is just diving right in, which is why the Korea analyst community is responding /1


so hesitantly to the May summit news. So sure talks are good, and were this any other POTUS in the last 3 decades, I'd be thrilled. But consider that B Clinton wanted to visit North Korea only after 5 years of negotiating the Agreed Framework, & George W. Bush never seriously /2

considered a summit despite years of effort in the Six Party Talks. But now, less than a year after the 'armada,' fire and fury,' & 'totally destroy NK,' Trump is suddenly going to have a break-through summit? Wait, what? Just like that? Maybe. But that 'art of the deal' stuff /3


has mostly been vacuous fluff, and we know Trump doesn't study or even read. He also tends to fly wildly off-script (will he make some unpredictable, off-the-wall concession to NK?). And May means there's almost no time for all the staff prep necessary. Nor has public or elite /4


opinion in S Korea and the US been consulted. And the ideological and strategic differences between the US & NK remain basically as wide as ever; NK has not, despite all the upbeat atmospherics this year, actually made or even suggested any real concessions yet. Test freezes, /5




not pulling provocations on the border, family reunions, or reopening the Kaesong industrial park are not concessions. These are costless to the North, easily taken away or reversed, or profitable to it. The acid test is if the North will actually give up something real, /6




something they really value, like movement on human rights or nuclear safety. Of course denuclearization is the ultimate concession, but it is highly unlikely Pyongyang will just suddenly do that in the next few months after 40 years trying to develop these weapons. It is far /7




more likely that there would be a series of concessions and counter-concessions building trust and credibility over time (likely years) eventually rising to a serious discussion of denuclearization. Yet somehow Trump is going to get around all this? Even though we know about /8

Trump's chaotic management style, erratic, moody personality, and chronic staffing problems, especially regarding East Asia. I just don't see it, We can always hope, but it is just as reasonable to fear that Trump, the reality TV star who somehow stumbled into the presidency /9


for which he is woefully unfit, will wander from decades of joint US-South Korea policy, about which he naturally knows nothing, and make some kind of deal for a 'win' that no other US official would endorse. Obviously I hope I am wrong, but nothing in Trump's management of /10

his campaign or White House says he is focused or knowledgeable enough for something this high stakes. And that's not ideology talking. I am a registered Republican and worked once for a GOP congressman. It's just from watching 3 years of Trump's shambolic incompetence. END


"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

Gabriel_Hurl

#12122
Rex Tillerson ousted as Secretary of State a few hours after he speaks out on Russia - being replaced by Mike Pompeo - who was head of the CIA. Pompeo is replaced by Gina Haspel.

Funny how you can call the President a moron and nothing happens - but when you criticize Russia  ::)



Oh - and in a massive shock - Devin Nunes and the HIC announce they are ending their probe into the Russian collusion investigation - saying that there was no collusion between Trumps campaign and Russia  ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

Gabriel_Hurl

why does everyone keep leaving their job at the WH?

QuoteWASHINGTON—President Donald Trump's personal assistant, John McEntee, was escorted out of the White House on Monday, two senior administration officials said. The cause of the firing was an unspecified security issue, said a third White House official with knowledge of the situation.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders declined to comment saying, "We don't comment on personnel issues." Mr. McEntee didn't return a call seeking comment.

Mr. McEntee was one of the longest-serving aides to Mr. Trump, dating back to the earliest days of the campaign when some of the only aides around the then-candidate included Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior adviser; Stephen Miller, the president's policy director; White House communications director Hope Hicks, who announced her resignation two weeks ago; and Dan Scavino, who is the White House director of social media.

Mr. McEntee wasn't as well known as the others, but had been a constant presence at Mr. Trump's side for the past three years. He made sure Mr. Trump had markers to sign autographs, delivered messages to him in the White House residence and, over the weekend, ensured that the clocks in the White House residence were adjusted for daylight-saving time.

"It's not going to be great for morale," one White House official said about Mr. McEntee's departure.

Mr. McEntee was removed from the White House grounds on Monday afternoon without being allowed to collect his belongings, a White House official said. He left without his jacket, a second White House official said.

It wasn't clear exactly why Mr. McEntee was fired on Monday. He indicated to colleagues that it was an issue in his background.

sid waddell

Putin must be exhausted running two countries.

Luckily for him, he gets paid very, very, very well.

screenexile

Quote from: sid waddell on March 13, 2018, 02:01:22 PM
Putin must be exhausted running two countries.

Luckily for him, he gets paid very, very, very well.

It's a shit show . . . do you see how much Europe relies on natural gas from Russia??!!

There's only one Commander in Chief now and it certainly isn't "The Donald"!

Esmarelda

Quote from: screenexile on March 13, 2018, 02:05:13 PM
Quote from: sid waddell on March 13, 2018, 02:01:22 PM
Putin must be exhausted running two countries.

Luckily for him, he gets paid very, very, very well.

It's a shit show . . . do you see how much Europe relies on natural gas from Russia??!!

There's only one Commander in Chief now and it certainly isn't "The Donald"!
I think it's highly likely that you're wrong and I'm giving you until the end of the day to provide a credible response.

J70

Hyperbole aside, do you not find it rather curious that Trump, he of the itchiest twitter finger on the planet and recklessly cavalier when it comes to naming and shaming and blaming, continually bends over backwards not to find fault with Putin and the Russians?

The Brits, including their Prime Minister, the US Secretary of State, the US British ambassador and all the rest are hardly party to information impugning the Russians that Trump doesn't have. And hours later, Tillerson is out on his arse.

Esmarelda

Quote from: J70 on March 13, 2018, 06:51:34 PM
Hyperbole aside, do you not find it rather curious that Trump, he of the itchiest twitter finger on the planet and recklessly cavalier when it comes to naming and shaming and blaming, continually bends over backwards not to find fault with Putin and the Russians?

The Brits, including their Prime Minister, the US Secretary of State, the US British ambassador and all the rest are hardly party to information impugning the Russians that Trump doesn't have. And hours later, Tillerson is out on his arse.
I do find it curious when I think of it. I'm just not as sure of the reasons as others.

Would you put any weight behind the Seth Rich story or just dismiss it?

Gabriel_Hurl


screenexile

Quote from: Esmarelda on March 13, 2018, 05:30:05 PM
Quote from: screenexile on March 13, 2018, 02:05:13 PM
Quote from: sid waddell on March 13, 2018, 02:01:22 PM
Putin must be exhausted running two countries.

Luckily for him, he gets paid very, very, very well.

It's a shit show . . . do you see how much Europe relies on natural gas from Russia??!!

There's only one Commander in Chief now and it certainly isn't "The Donald"!
I think it's highly likely that you're wrong and I'm giving you until the end of the day to provide a credible response.

Get yourself familiar with Bill Browder . . . and stop talking about f**king Seth Rich!!!

J70

Quote from: Esmarelda on March 13, 2018, 06:59:21 PM
Quote from: J70 on March 13, 2018, 06:51:34 PM
Hyperbole aside, do you not find it rather curious that Trump, he of the itchiest twitter finger on the planet and recklessly cavalier when it comes to naming and shaming and blaming, continually bends over backwards not to find fault with Putin and the Russians?

The Brits, including their Prime Minister, the US Secretary of State, the US British ambassador and all the rest are hardly party to information impugning the Russians that Trump doesn't have. And hours later, Tillerson is out on his arse.
I do find it curious when I think of it. I'm just not as sure of the reasons as others.

Would you put any weight behind the Seth Rich story or just dismiss it?

I've seen no reason to put any weight behind (or much thought at all about) it since Fox News issued their mea culpa retraction last year following Hannity's campaign.

seafoid

David Rothkop

@djrothkopf


The core story on Tillerson--he criticizes Moscow for an attack on the UK and is fired within 24 hours

@BillKristol


I guess you could say Trump chose Putin over Tillerson




@NormOrnstein

Could it be that this is aimed at minimizing what happens in Pennsylvania 18? Nah, more likely it is directly tied to Tillerson aiming right at Putin. Trump cannot tolerate criticism of the man who has the goods on him



@ezraklein

[Meeting in the WH comms office] "What should today's message be?" "How about the House's 'no collusion'?" "No, let's do Trump touring the border." "Wait, I know. Let's step on both of those by firing Tillerson amidst all our other staff chaos!" "Genius."


@brianefallon

This story has been hiding in plain sight for almost two years. Now Washington Post has found a source to confirm it.

Washington Post

@washingtonpost

Roger Stone claimed contact with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in 2016, according to two associates (link: http://wapo.st/2Gn8Jar) wapo.st/2Gn8Jar


@PhilipRucker

Remarkable statement from Tillerson spokesman: Sec State wanted to stay in his job, was "unaware of the reason" for his firing and has not spoken to Trump about it.

 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/13/rex-tillerson-fired-hapless-hopeless-tragic

"I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful secretary of state, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man," his wonderful boss tweeted in October. "Being nice to Rocket Man hasn't worked in 25 years, why would it work now? Clinton failed, Bush failed, and Obama failed. I won't fail."
In year one, he agreed to an astonishing 31% cut to his own budget, followed by a 29% cut the following year. The proposed budgets would have decimated his own staff and operations, as well as international aid, and were mostly ignored by Congress last year.



Tillerson didn't much mind the cuts. In fact he rationalized them by saying he wouldn't need so much money because he was well on his way to solving the world's problems.

"Part of this bringing the budget numbers back down is reflective of an expectation that we're going to have success in some of these conflict areas, getting these conflicts resolved and moving to a different place in terms of the kind of support we have to give," he told a foreign policy crowd late last year.

the state department, where the exodus of experience and talent has been a diplomatic blowout. He refused briefings from senior staff and refused to talk to the press. He hollowed out the senior ranks with no rhyme or reason, leaving critical posts unfilled, while others simply quit or retired.

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/mar/13/rex-tillerson-fired-latest-news-donald-trump

Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA, said: "Both Pompeo and Haspel have deeply alarming records when it comes to human rights. Before they assume positions that could have repercussions for human rights around the world, they should be given utmost scrutiny by the Senate in the confirmation process."

 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/13/the-guardian-view-on-trump-and-tillerson-hes-fired-what-next
Mr Tillerson's extraordinary sacking on Tuesday reflected the administration's broader dishonesty, chaos and conflict.

Mr Pompeo is unquestionably a hardliner: combative, hawkish and ideological. His views on climate change make the former ExxonMobil chief he replaces look like an environmental champion.

Mr Tillerson did not do a good or even adequate job, though it is hard to see how anyone serving this president could.
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

Esmarelda

Quote from: Gabriel_Hurl on March 13, 2018, 07:06:42 PM
JFC - we're back to Seth Rich
Are we? I just asked a question.
Quote from: screenexile on March 13, 2018, 07:15:34 PM
Quote from: Esmarelda on March 13, 2018, 05:30:05 PM
Quote from: screenexile on March 13, 2018, 02:05:13 PM
Quote from: sid waddell on March 13, 2018, 02:01:22 PM
Putin must be exhausted running two countries.

Luckily for him, he gets paid very, very, very well.

It's a shit show . . . do you see how much Europe relies on natural gas from Russia??!!

There's only one Commander in Chief now and it certainly isn't "The Donald"!
I think it's highly likely that you're wrong and I'm giving you until the end of the day to provide a credible response.

Get yourself familiar with Bill Browder . . . and stop talking about f**king Seth Rich!!!
As above, simple question.
Quote from: J70 on March 13, 2018, 07:16:50 PM
Quote from: Esmarelda on March 13, 2018, 06:59:21 PM
Quote from: J70 on March 13, 2018, 06:51:34 PM
Hyperbole aside, do you not find it rather curious that Trump, he of the itchiest twitter finger on the planet and recklessly cavalier when it comes to naming and shaming and blaming, continually bends over backwards not to find fault with Putin and the Russians?

The Brits, including their Prime Minister, the US Secretary of State, the US British ambassador and all the rest are hardly party to information impugning the Russians that Trump doesn't have. And hours later, Tillerson is out on his arse.
I do find it curious when I think of it. I'm just not as sure of the reasons as others.

Would you put any weight behind the Seth Rich story or just dismiss it?

I've seen no reason to put any weight behind (or much thought at all about) it since Fox News issued their mea culpa retraction last year following Hannity's campaign.
Thanks for being polite. I'm following Matt Couch's campaign on it. Are you saying that because Fox News retracted their story that it's automatically not a story? No need for the other two to reply. I know you're above me.

J70

No, I'm saying I haven't given it any more thought. I've plenty to be thinking about without wasting time on what, so far, appeared to be another trumped up piece of right wing propaganda. But based on Hannity and Fox's actions, I'd imagine it's going to take seriously credible information to put it on the front page.