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colay1

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The rumors turned out to be true and Trumps choice for SECNAV has said "thanks, but no thanks". It appears that conflicts-of-interest issues threw a wrench in the works, somewhat ironic considering the same cloud hanging over Trump.Also amusing that the WH was strenuously denying the rumors as false news.

Nominee for Navy Secretary withdraws - POLITICO



President Donald Trump’s nominee for Navy secretary, investor Philip Bilden, has withdrawn from consideration, becoming the second Pentagon pick unable to untangle their financial investments in the vetting process.

"Philip Bilden has informed me that he has come to the difficult decision to withdraw from consideration to be secretary of the Navy," Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in a statement Sunday evening.
 
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colay1

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Trump continues tp show his disdain for the Military. And yet he does get significant support from the military community, both active and vets, AFAIK. These are not the words of someone who has the back of the men and women in uniform.

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-polit...military-yemen-seal-botched-raid-pentagon-fox

...
Trump just blamed the military for the botched Yemen raid. That's a disgrace.

Seventy-two years later, perhaps we should play Taps for the notion that the buck stops on the president’s desk. In an interview with Fox & Friends Tuesday, President Donald Trump refused to accept responsibility for the risky special operations raid in Yemen earlier this month that resulted in the death of Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owens.

Never mind the fact that Trump personally approved and ordered this flawed raid; never mind the fact that he personally signaled during his campaign that he wanted to order more aggressive counterterrorism actions like this. When things went bad, it was the fault of the military — not Trump.

"This was a mission that was started before I got here. This was something they wanted to do,” Trump said. “They came to me, they explained what they wanted to do ― the generals ― who are very respected, my generals are the most respected that we’ve had in many decades, I believe. And they lost Ryan.”

The military, in other words, is to blame for the tragic loss of one of their own. Trump himself, in his own mind, is blameless.
 
cdxbow

cdxbow

Well-Known Member
colay1 said:
Trump continues tp show his disdain for the Military. And yet he does get significant support from the military community, both active and vets, AFAIK. These are not the words of someone who has the back of the men and women in uniform.

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-polit...military-yemen-seal-botched-raid-pentagon-fox

...
Trump just blamed the military for the botched Yemen raid. That's a disgrace.

Seventy-two years later, perhaps we should play Taps for the notion that the buck stops on the president’s desk. In an interview with Fox & Friends Tuesday, President Donald Trump refused to accept responsibility for the risky special operations raid in Yemen earlier this month that resulted in the death of Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owens.

Never mind the fact that Trump personally approved and ordered this flawed raid; never mind the fact that he personally signaled during his campaign that he wanted to order more aggressive counterterrorism actions like this. When things went bad, it was the fault of the military — not Trump.

"This was a mission that was started before I got here. This was something they wanted to do,” Trump said. “They came to me, they explained what they wanted to do ― the generals ― who are very respected, my generals are the most respected that we’ve had in many decades, I believe. And they lost Ryan.”

The military, in other words, is to blame for the tragic loss of one of their own. Trump himself, in his own mind, is blameless.
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Nothing is ever, or ever will be Mr Trumps fault, that is his nature. You need to understand that. It's all about him and his ego, nothing else matters. Truth must be bent to support his ego, for instance the porkers the administration have told that his was the biggest crowd at a presidential inauguration & he had the biggest US electoral win ever.
 
cdxbow

cdxbow

Well-Known Member
The AG, Jeff Sessions is in trouble for denying he had contact with Russian government officials while testifying under oath to Congress, as it seems he had two meetings with the Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak which he failed to disclose. . See:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...9f_story.html?utm_term=.305ffacb4f58#comments

Difficult position for the head of the DOJ, especially given the FBI is investigating 'Russian influence', untenable probably, given he would have appeared to have committed perjury while under oath. Another to go under the bus.
 
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swerve

Super Moderator
He's not denying contact, just denying that they were relevant. He says he was acting in his role as a member of the US senate armed services committee.

At least one well-qualified formerly senior Republican has expressed deep disquiet about those meetings & what Sessions has said about them. Firstly, that Sessions avoided mentioning them when asked about meetings, limiting his replies to denials that he discussed the campaign with any Russian official. Secondly, that Sessions was having private meetings with Russian officials at all. He does not think it appropriate for a senate committee member to be carrying out private diplomacy o his own initiative, especially as he didn't report back to the committee. Some other senior Republicans are saying that Sessions should recuse himself from the investigations into Trump-Russia.
 
cdxbow

cdxbow

Well-Known Member
swerve said:
He's not denying contact, just denying that they were relevant. He says he was acting in his role as a member of the US senate armed services committee.

At least one well-qualified formerly senior Republican has expressed deep disquiet about those meetings & what Sessions has said about them. Firstly, that Sessions avoided mentioning them when asked about meetings, limiting his replies to denials that he discussed the campaign with any Russian official. Secondly, that Sessions was having private meetings with Russian officials at all. He does not think it appropriate for a senate committee member to be carrying out private diplomacy o his own initiative, especially as he didn't report back to the committee. Some other senior Republicans are saying that Sessions should recuse himself from the investigations into Trump-Russia.
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No, on one occasion he specifically denied communication with the Russians.

At a January 10th confirmation hearing before the Judiciary Committee, Senator Al Franken, the Minnesota Democrat, asked Sessions what he would do, as Attorney General, “if there is any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government in the course of this campaign.” Sessions, under oath, replied, “I’m not aware of any of those activities.” He added, “I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign, and I did not have communications with the Russians.”

That's the head law enforcement officer of the USA, quite clearly saying under oath that he did not have any communications with the Russians. Hard to see it as anything other than perjury. Ironically he was very keen to impeach Mr Clinton for perjury, how the wheel turns.
 
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swerve

Super Moderator
Ah, I missed that one. He's changed his tune since, but that explains the Democrats saying that he perjured himself. He was under oath, so they're right.
 
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colay1

Member
Sessions recuses himself from any Trump investigation which is the least he could do short of resigning. Dana Boente, who was appointed Acting AG after Sally Yates was fired will take point. Noteworthy that Boente was an Obama appointee as AG for the Eastern District of Virginia and comes with impeccable credentials for pursuing corruption cases.


Attorney General Jeff Sessions To Recuse Himself From Any Trump Campaign Investigations Into Russia : NPR

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...87d6e6a3e7c_story.html?utm_term=.7652c7985730
 
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colay1

Member
Great article on Mattis the man. He should keep selecting DEPSECDEF candidates that the WH rejects allowing Robert Work to stay on indefinitely. Sounds like a plan. ;)
 
gf0012-aust

gf0012-aust

Grumpy Old Man
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #193
rjtjrt said:
Sec Mattis seems to be a man of integrity, a word that is not often used now days when referring to government.
He sounds to be a superb pick for Sec Defence.
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the sanest, calmest and most coherent people in his cabinet are mattis, mcmasters and kelly :)
 
gf0012-aust

gf0012-aust

Grumpy Old Man
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #195
alsmith said:
I love Mad Dog. He's the kind of man we need in the DoD.
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"Mad Dog" was a press creation. Read the article, he himself has stated to journalist s a number of times that its not his nickname. His actual nickname was Chaos - "Colonel has an outstanding solution"

I agree that the US needs more people like Mattis, McMasters and Kelly
 
John Fedup

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
gf0012-aust said:
the sanest, calmest and most coherent people in his cabinet are mattis, mcmasters and kelly :)
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At what point do these competent gentlemen need to reconsider their presence in Trump's circus? Trump's latest tweet about Obama wire tapping him is complete BS. Sooner or later these guys are going to get buried in this never ending crap.
 
cdxbow

cdxbow

Well-Known Member
John Fedup said:
At what point do these competent gentlemen need to reconsider their presence in Trump's circus? Trump's latest tweet about Obama wire tapping him is complete BS. Sooner or later these guys are going to get buried in this never ending crap.
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Difficult position to be in, I hope they stick it out, the US & the world is better off with some experienced hands around during this chaotic administration. This 'Government by Twitter' certainly fills in the time until Game of Thrones returns, just about every other day another scandal, another inflammatory tweet, 'fake news' and so on.
 
t68

t68

Well-Known Member
cdxbow said:
This 'Government by Twitter' certainly fills in the time until Game of Thrones returns, just about every other day another scandal, another inflammatory tweet, 'fake news' and so on.
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It's a disgrace, how can anyone take him and his goverment seriously, which he would go play more golf or go bowling than get on twitter.
 
ASSAIL

ASSAIL

The Bunker Group
Verified Defense Pro
t68 said:
It's a disgrace, how can anyone take him and his goverment seriously, which he would go play more golf or go bowling than get on twitter.
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His twitter comments drive me nuts however;
His relationship with mainstream media is disfunctional and whatever his message it would be presented differently to how he intended. He is able to reach nearly 93 m people how follow him on twitter so in this way he gets his message across whilst circumventing the Fake media
 
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