Tillerson's ousting comes a day after he publicly blamed Russia for the nerve agent attack in Britain .
Hmm.
According to the WaPo, "Trump last Friday asked Tillerson to step aside, and the embattled diplomat cut short a trip to Africa on Monday to return to Washington." So the remark came after the firing, didn't it?
Trump Votes For Rexit - Torture Girl to Become CIA Director
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2018/03/trump-votes-for-rexit-torture-girl-...
"US President Donald Trump just fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson...According to the anti-Russian propagandists (vid) Tillerson got the job because Trump loves Russia and Tillerson was in good standing with Putin. The same people now claim that Tillerson was fired from his job because Trump loves Russia and Tillerson was not in good standing with Putin. Neither is correct. The plan to oust Tillerson and elevate Pompeo to State has been rumored and written about for several months. The plan was 'developed by John F Kelly, the WH chief of staff.' It had nothing to do with Russia.
[Obama's torturer in chief] CIA head Pompeo the new Sec-State is a neoconservative with a racist, anti-Muslim attitude and a special hate for Iran which he compared to ISIS. That he will now become sec-state is a bad sign for the nuclear agreement with Iran. The new CIA director Gina Haspel is well known for acting directly and participating in the torture of prisoners at 'black sites'. Hospel would be in jail if former president Barack Obama had not decided against prosecuting the CIA torture crimes..."
[quote=josh]
[quote=NDPP]
White House Plans Tillerson Ouster From State Dept To Be Replaced By Pompeo - NYT Nov 30, 2017
A lot of firings and hirings are talked about in this dysfunctional administration. Kelly has been supposedly on his way out numerous times. Yet he's still there.
Charlie Pierce agrees with Josh.
If there were anyone still working at the State Department, it would have been interesting to get their reactions to the sudden departure of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State less than 48 hours after he said the following in response to the apparent poisoning of a Russian spy and his daughter in Great Britain. From The Standard:
“There is never a justification for this type of attack, the attempted murder of a private citizen on the soil of a sovereign nation, and we are outraged that Russia appears to have again engaged in such behavior. We have full confidence in the UK's investigation and its assessment that Russia was likely responsible for the nerve agent attack that took place in Salisbury last week. From Ukraine to Syria - and now the UK - Russia continues to be an irresponsible force of instability in the world, acting with open disregard for the sovereignty of other states and the life of their citizens.”
If you awoke to the news from The Washington Post that Tillerson was out as SOS, and that he will be replaced by CIA director Mike Pompeo, and your first reaction wasn’t to connect Tillerson’s departure to these remarks, you should go back to bed for a couple of hours. Remember that, on Monday, the day that Tillerson allied himself with British Prime Minister Theresa May and with common sense in pinning this deadly caper on Russia, official White House spokesdrone Sarah Huckabee Sanders gargled a whole bunch of banalities in her press briefing without ever once mentioning Russia.
Trump Votes For Rexit - Torture Girl to Become CIA Director
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2018/03/trump-votes-for-rexit-torture-girl-...
"US President Donald Trump just fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson...According to the anti-Russian propagandists (vid) Tillerson got the job because Trump loves Russia and Tillerson was in good standing with Putin. The same people now claim that Tillerson was fired from his job because Trump loves Russia and Tillerson was not in good standing with Putin. Neither is correct. The plan to oust Tillerson and elevate Pompeo to State has been rumored and written about for several months. The plan was 'developed by John F Kelly, the WH chief of staff.' It had nothing to do with Russia.
[Obama's torturer in chief] CIA head Pompeo the new Sec-State is a neoconservative with a racist, anti-Muslim attitude and a special hate for Iran which he compared to ISIS. That he will now become sec-state is a bad sign for the nuclear agreement with Iran. The new CIA director Gina Haspel is well known for acting directly and participating in the torture of prisoners at 'black sites'. Hospel would be in jail if former president Barack Obama had not decided against prosecuting the CIA torture crimes..."
It's possible that the Russians did like Tillerson for SoC early on, but might have changed their mind as things unfolded.
On another thread, someone brought up the Democrats' preference for Pearson and the Liberals during the Diefenbaker years. I would assume that the Democrats had a different view of Pearson by the time he was "pissing on Johnson's rug" over Vietnam, or whatever the phrase was.
Back to Tillerson, it was a bit of an eyebrow-raiser that Trump nominated a guy who had previously received the Russian Order Of Friendship. Not that there is anything neccessarily wrong with being in that Order(Chretien and the Archbishop Of Canterbury are there as well), but when you're already garnering a reputation as Putin's crony, that appointment didn't exactly dispel the suspicions.
Though I gather Tillerson WAS recommended by the former Secretary Of Defense, so his Russian connections could have just been a coincidence.
Different Mindset With Tillerson, Good Chemistry With Pompeo - Trump (and vid)
"US President Donald Trump has said he had 'chemistry' with the CIA Director Mike Prospero, but didn't see eye to eye with Rex Tillerson. 'Rex and I have been talking about this for a long time. We got along quite well, but we disagreed on things. You look at the Iran deal. I think it's terrible and I guess he thought it was OK..."
Under Secretary of State Steve Goldstein is being fired for contradicting the account of Rex Tillerson’s dismissal
The Koch Brothers Get Their Very Own Secretary of State
https://www.thenation.com/article/the-koch-brothers-get-their-very-own-s...
"Trump's pick to replace Tillerson is an errand boy for billionaires. After his election to the House eight years ago, Pompeo was referred to as 'the Koch Brothers Congressman', or 'the Congressman from Koch'..."
John Bolton - A Man With A Hammer Looking For Nails
"Bolton has a hammer and he will find lots of nails. Like Hillary Clinton he will want to fight with Iran, North Korea, Russia, China and others in no particular order. He will want to destroy Syria. Soon Netanyahoo will have the cabinet in place in DC he always dreamed of. A hawkish Pompeo at State, a real torturer as head of the CIA and now Bolton are already sufficient to protect Israel's further expansion..."
John Bolton. Words fail me. We are truely screwed. The guy never saw a war he didn't like. Trump will be listening to him prior to talking to kim Jong Un, and it only get's worse from there.
John Bolton. Words fail me. We are truely screwed. The guy never saw a war he didn't like. Trump will be listening to him prior to talking to kim Jong Un, and it only get's worse from there.
Agreed. Orange Hitler must be stopped,be it indicted and impeached or some other way. It amazes me how anyone could like and support such a loathsome dictator- wannabe simple-minded oaf. I think that speaks louder about those people than it does Orange Hitler.
Yep. North Korea talks will be the first casualty. But the political life-span of Trump's cabinet members is averaging only about 6-8 months . Hopefully mad JB will go quickly too. He is of course a fervent Russia hawk, as is Freeland, so watch for US/Canadian involvement in Ukraine etc to deepen and for that 'frozen conflict' to heat up fast.
So he was involved with Cambridge Analytica. I dunno if this is even new news. The whole thing just gets so depressingly fucking ugly. (I'd ban myself for 5 min for swearing, but I learned the hard way that when you ban yourself you lose your admin privliges and can't get back.) *blushy face*
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/mar/23/john-bolton-cambridge-an...
So he was involved with Cambridge Analytica. I dunno if this is even new news. The whole thing just gets so depressingly fucking ugly. (I'd ban myself for 5 min for swearing, but I learned the hard way that when you ban yourself you lose your admin privliges and can't get back.) *blushy face*
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/mar/23/john-bolton-cambridge-an...
LOL. About the self-banning, not the news story.
sudo rm -r /
TRNN: Phyllis Bennis on 'America-First' US Warcriminal Bolton
"Yes, he is that dangerous..."
John Bolton: On Defending Russian Freedoms (2013)
Israel Ministers Praise Appointment of John Bolton
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-ministers-praise-appointment-of-jo...
"...Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked posted in Hebrew that 'President Trump continues to appoint true friends of Israel to senior positions. John Bolton is one of the most outstanding."
Just reading some comments here trying to extrapolate a direction on the turnaround under trump administration. So far it looks too soon to say hey this person was fired because of such and such a reason and replaced with another for some other thing.
Intercepted Podcast: Donald Trump's 'Stache Infection
https://theintercept.com/2018/03/28/intercepted-podcast-donald-trumps-st...
"Donald Trump is shaking up his administration yet again. And the recent shuffles and new blood is an ominous sign that actually this can get worse. Much worse. Former CIA officer Ray McGovern talks about John Bolton.
Federal agents raid office of Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen
U.S. federal agents armed with search warrants have seized documents from U.S. President Donald Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen, a defense lawyer said Monday.
The raid on Cohen's office was done by the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan and was based, in part, on a referral from special counsel Robert Mueller, according to Cohen's lawyer, Stephen Ryan.
"The decision by the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York to conduct their investigation using search warrants is completely inappropriate and unnecessary," Ryan said in a statement.
"It resulted in the unnecessary seizure of protected attorney client communications between a lawyer and his clients."
Okay, that's pretty serious. I don't remember that last time I heard about a lawyer's office being raided. Given the legalities of the above mentioned 'attorney client communications' it must have taken some persuasion to get a judge to issue the warrants. I guess we'll see what it's about eventually.
I guess we'll see what it's about eventually.
Trump supporters already know. It rhymes with "Bleep State".
And Trump offers a measured response:
https://mobile.twitter.com/JDiamond1/status/983478434738458624
More, from CBC:
A source familiar with the investigation said that among the items the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan sought in the raids were information on the origins of a $130,000 US payment to Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
...The FBI and U.S. Attorney's office on Monday also sought any emails between former White House communications director Hope Hicks and Cohen...
...Such emails would not be covered by attorney-client privilege, this source said, because Cohen did not represent Hicks.
Which could lead to Hope Hicks being subpoenaed by Mueller. In which case lying would carry some real world consequences...
#MAGA My Attorney Got Arrested.
#MAGA My Attorney Got Arrested.
#MAGA Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
Mueller is Desperate - But for What?
https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/04/11/mueller-is-desperate-but-for-what/
"...Poor Mueller. After nearly a year as special counsel in the 'Russiagate' probe, he has yet to accomplish either of his missions. His putative job is to expose 'Russian meddling' in the 2016 presidential election, especially with respect to possible collusion between the campaign of new president Donald Trump and the regime of Vladimir Putin.
His real goal, of course, is to overturn that election by 'getting' trump on something - anything will do - that Congress can treat, and that the public will accept, as impeachable/indictable.
Now he's hitching his wagon to Stormy Daniel's star. Why? There are two plausible reasons. One is that he hopes to get Trump on something other than 'collusion with Russia.' The other possibility is that Mueller is baiting Trump to fire him. No one is likely to mistake me for a Trump supporter. I wouldn't be at all sorry to see him go. But there are larger and more troubling implications here..."
Mueller is Desperate - But for What?
https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/04/11/mueller-is-desperate-but-for-what/
"...Poor Mueller. After nearly a year as special counsel in the 'Russiagate' probe, he has yet to accomplish either of his missions. His putative job is to expose 'Russian meddling' in the 2016 presidential election, especially with respect to possible collusion between the campaign of new president Donald Trump and the regime of Vladimir Putin.
His real goal, of course, is to overturn that election by 'getting' trump on something - anything will do - that Congress can treat, and that the public will accept, as impeachable/indictable.
Now he's hitching his wagon to Stormy Daniel's star. Why? There are two plausible reasons. One is that he hopes to get Trump on something other than 'collusion with Russia.' The other possibility is that Mueller is baiting Trump to fire him. No one is likely to mistake me for a Trump supporter. I wouldn't be at all sorry to see him go. But there are larger and more troubling implications here..."
Fucking Trump shill. If you truly gave a shit about Israel (something you're consumed with) you'd never be a Trumptard. You're a hypocrite. Quelle surprise.
The Jimmy Dore Show
Mueller Says Trump : 'Not currently a criminal target'
The Jimmy Dore Show
Mueller Says Trump : 'Not currently a criminal target'
Target doesn't mean target in the general sense. In the white collar prosecutorial world, target means an indictment is likely imminent. Which is why they usually send a "target letter."
Mueller is Desperate - But for What?
https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/04/11/mueller-is-desperate-but-for-what/
"...Poor Mueller. After nearly a year as special counsel in the 'Russiagate' probe, he has yet to accomplish either of his missions. His putative job is to expose 'Russian meddling' in the 2016 presidential election, especially with respect to possible collusion between the campaign of new president Donald Trump and the regime of Vladimir Putin.
His real goal, of course, is to overturn that election by 'getting' trump on something - anything will do - that Congress can treat, and that the public will accept, as impeachable/indictable.
Now he's hitching his wagon to Stormy Daniel's star. Why? There are two plausible reasons. One is that he hopes to get Trump on something other than 'collusion with Russia.' The other possibility is that Mueller is baiting Trump to fire him. No one is likely to mistake me for a Trump supporter. I wouldn't be at all sorry to see him go. But there are larger and more troubling implications here..."
Fucking Trump shill. If you truly gave a shit about Israel (something you're consumed with) you'd never be a Trumptard. You're a hypocrite. Quelle surprise.
Anything for Mother Russia.
This Trump propaganda here that Mueller is failing is a real joke. There is no reason Mueller can be declared to be failing based on developments so far. It is a fact that investigators don't share everything with the public including all they have before they finish. This entire line of thinking is playing into Trump's stupid propaganda that anyone who understands anything about any investigation would know is bullshit. This is what bald faced lies mean -- these are the lies you tell when it is obvious you and your audience both know are bullshit but you go through the motions of pretending it is true becuase you don't care and have the power and the desire to live as if they are.
Mueller is Desperate - But for What?
https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/04/11/mueller-is-desperate-but-for-what/
https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/04/12/what-betrayal-on-war-trump-has-d...
Bomb or be nuked — we wish there were other options — was the manipulative argument of those who advocated invading Iraq, so it is as poetic as it is horrific that Trump has betrayed the shallow, stubborn and blind by choosing a leading proponent of that war to be his first line of advise on who to kill next. But as with the tripling of civilian casualties from U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, paired with the isolationism of not wanting to rebuild that which was just destroyed, this is what Trump always promised.
"the shallow, stubborn and blind"
Intercepted Podcast: Ralph Nader (podcast)
Nader on CIA, Bolton, Gina Haspel and the Democratic Party. 'This is a very perilous Spring coming on..."
Serious hawks are in control
John Bolton and Mike Pompeo Are Headed for a Clash
They may seem like kindred spirits, but their personal interests are totally different. That makes them destined for rivalry.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/05/09/john-bolton-mike-pomp...
From Counterpunch:
Now he's hitching his wagon to Stormy Daniel's star. Why? There are two plausible reasons. One is that he hopes to get Trump on something other than 'collusion with Russia.' The other possibility is that Mueller is baiting Trump to fire him. No one is likely to mistake me for a Trump supporter. I wouldn't be at all sorry to see him go. But there are larger and more troubling implications here..."
As far as I can tell, while the info leading to the "Stormy Daniels" investigation might have come from Mueller's probe, the investigation itself is being conducted by New York federal prosecutors, not by Mueller. (Though I suppose EVERYONE could be in on the sinister plot!)
And I'm wondering why Knapp thinks the powers-that-be would be so obsessed with getting rid of Trump minus any legal justification, since, from a conservative standpoint, there really is very little to object to about Trump's agenda. Then again, Knapp is apparently a libertarian in the William Lloyd Garrison tradition, so maybe he thinks the powers-that-be are all left-wing?
One more thing...
If attorney-client privilege can be so casually breached versus the president of the United States, just how secure do you think it will remain for the rest of us?
My understanding is that ACP doesn't apply in cases where criminal activity is suspected(makes sense, since otherwise criminals and their lawyers could plan all sorts of crimes together with no chance of exposure). One can see how that exemption might be subject to authoritarian abuse(similar to other privacy exemptions like wiretapping), but it is most defintely NOT the case that Trump and Cohen are being subject to some sort of unprecedented level of police tyranny.
Okay. From another Knapp article at his libertarian site...
Daniel Press of the Competitive Enterprise Institute calls the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s name “the ultimate misnomer.” He’s right. The “Protection” part only makes sense in the manner of mob racket slang: “Nice loan operation you got there. Be a shame if anything happened to it.”
The CFPB’s latest attack on the poor is a rule putting new restrictions on much-maligned “payday lenders.” Or, to come at it from the other direction, new restrictions on the ability of people to borrow money.
Don't get me wrong. I like libertarians, I really do. Their positions are usually pretty consistent within the parameters of their worldview, and as can be seen from that site, unlike other conservatives, they carry their defense of "freedom" and "individual rights" over to issues like torture and militarism as well.
But still. I don't think a cheerleader for payday-loan companies is really someone I'm gonna look to for a solid progressive analysis of issues surrounding Donald Trump.
Drug giant Novartis paid President Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen $1.2 million for health-care policy consulting work that he actually ended up being “unable” to do, CNBC reports.
https://politicalwire.com/2018/05/09/novartis-paid-cohen-1-2-million-for-one-meeting/
'Bloody Gina' Haspel's CIA Hearing Interrupted by Anti-Torture Protester (and vid)
https://twitter.com/IntheNow_tweet/status/994582699041067008
"Bloody Gina! You're a Torturer!" - Ex CIA analyst Ray McGovern
BAR: Trump and Israeli Collusion - by Margaret Kimberley
https://www.blackagendareport.com/freedom-rider-trump-and-israeli-collusion
"Fealty to the state of Israel is a constant in [Canadian and] United States foreign policy. Every president who has served since that country was founded has given it carte blanche to do anything it wants but Trump goes further than anyone else...Perhaps 'Russiagate' should be changed to 'Israelgate'?"
Activist Blasts Trump Administration's 'Outrageous' Statement on Gaza Massacre (and vid)
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/05/15/561846/Activist-blasts-Trump-ad...
"American political commentator and antiwar activist Richard Becker blasts the Donald Trump administration's 'outrageous' statement blasting the Palestinians for the massacre which took place yesterday..."
It’s just fortunate that Clinton wasn’t elected.
Haley walks out as Palestinian rep speaks after praising Israeli’s “restraint.” . PA recalls U.S. envoy.
https://thinkprogress.org/nikki-haley-walks-out-of-the-un-3459a4ac3c2e/
Reasons Trump Breaks Nuclear Sanction Agreement with Iran Declares Trade War with China and Meets with North Korea - by James Petras
https://petras.lahaine.org/reasons-trump-breaks-nuclear-sanction-agreement/
"Trump's decisions have a political history and background and follow from a logic and belief in the reason and logic of imperial power..."
I'd suggest that Stormy Daniels is the reincarnation of Monica Lewinski, but Monica's still alive, and while I'm not Buddhist, I don't think reincarnation works that way.
But where's Ken Starr's dogged determination when we need it. Some President might have got his wick wet, Ken! Follow the scent!!
I'd suggest that Stormy Daniels is the reincarnation of Monica Lewinski, but Monica's still alive, and while I'm not Buddhist, I don't think reincarnation works that way.
But where's Ken Starr's dogged determination when we need it. Some President might have got his wick wet, Ken! Follow the scent!!
I guess Clinton should have paid her off then. With laundered money.
I'd suggest that Stormy Daniels is the reincarnation of Monica Lewinski, but Monica's still alive, and while I'm not Buddhist, I don't think reincarnation works that way.
But where's Ken Starr's dogged determination when we need it. Some President might have got his wick wet, Ken! Follow the scent!!
I guess Clinton should have paid her off then. With laundered money.
From the Russian mob.
U.S. foreign policy on the auction block.
Donald Trump's New Fundraiser's Israel Connection
https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/.premium-trump-s-new-fundraiser-s-isr...
"The vice chairman of the Trump Victory Fund, Elliott Broidy, was removed as chairman of the Tel Aviv-based venture capital firm Markstone Capital Partners after paying bribes to pension fund managers..."
Not Russia. Israel.
Cohen was paid $400,000 to broker a meeting between Trump and Ukraine’s president. The meeting took place at the White House in June. One has to wonder out loud how much of that payment made its way to Trump, directly or indirectly.
